《Rise of the Guild Master》


 Prologue – Portrait of a Broken Man

    PunishedKom


    -There will NEVER be NTR in this series.


    -Yuri is present but not a focus.


    This is not the story of a Hero. He doesn''t wield a sword and he doesn''t cast magic. This is the story of a man who starts at rock bottom after a long life of trying his hardest, and who goes on to raise and support Heroines while building the greatest Guild in all the realms after getting his shit together. His only weapons are his massive intellect, his hard working personality, his sharp business sensibilities and a pair of magic eyes.


    If you''re here for a gigachad power fantasy where the protagonist is the strongest Hero who ever lived then don''t continue reading. If you are here for a slow burn to watch a troubled man solve his problems and build a gigantic harem of strong, sexy, devoted Heroines and sexy employees to support his team, stay. You''re in the right place.


    My oldest memory would have to be the sound of glasses being raised by rowdy adventurers, freshly returned from a battle well fought. Bearing pouches fat with gold and minds addled by all the booze they drank, these brave fortune-seekers would tell me fanciful stories and gritty details of their journeys long past my bedtime.


    They¡¯d tell me of the perilous dungeons they explored or what sort of deadly monsters they faced within them. If I were lucky, the adventurers would even show me the spectacular treasures they brought home with them. I would always lose myself staring at the sparkling gold, shining silver, or fascinating mystical artifacts.


    Under normal circumstances, a child would likely grow up obsessed with these heroes after being exposed to them on a daily basis, wouldn''t they? You¡¯d think it would¡¯ve had a more significant impact on someone in my position, yet... it just didn¡¯t fit. It wasn''t for me. I respected and even idolized the adventurers, yes.


    Still, there was a man in that old Adventurer¡¯s Guild I grew up in who I respected more than any old quest taker, dungeon delver, or monster slayer. That man was my late Grandfather, may the Twin Goddesses above and below rest his crotchety old soul... whichever one of the two he ended up with.


    Grandfather was the Guild Master of the famed Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild. That Guild has been my home for as long as I can remember. He watched over both his business and me to the best of his abilities and from an early age I, perhaps misguidedly, thought he was the most remarkable man in all the Realms.


    Whenever a tavern brawl was too rowdy, no matter who started it, Grandfather would finish it. If an adventurer tried to skim money off the top, Grandfather would beat them within an inch of their life for trying to cheat the Guild. If you didn''t know how to slay a specific monster, Grandfather could tell you twelve different ways to do it in your sleep.


    His knowledge was unrivaled, and his sense of business was shrewd to the point of uncanny. More than anything else you could say about him, and you could say a lot, he ran a tight ship.


    I never knew my parents, and he raised me in their stead despite already being in his early eighties. According to him, my mother and father were farmers who lived north of Dewhurst, and they died in what he called a ''tragic peasant accident'' or some such obvious nonsense. Even as a child, I never bought that laughable excuse. He was far from perfect, but I loved that old bastard despite his moral failings. Regardless of the truth, the old man did right by me as often as he could.


    I didn''t know just how lucky I was to have him until later on in life, though. It turned out that I needed someone as tough as my grandfather to survive the changes that I started going through as I grew older.


    At first, these changes started off harmless enough. Around the time I turned seven years old my eyesight started to improve at a rapid rate.


    In the beginning, I just noticed little details in things that other people couldn''t see. A facial tic that only appears for a split second, the exact number of ants hidden in a patch of grass, things like that.


    Then, I started being able to view things from a great distance in picture-perfect clarity, like my eyes were a pair of binoculars.


    Grandfather was a busy man, so I didn''t initially alert him of my problems out of fear that I would be getting in the way of his work. My developing eyesight showed no signs of slowing, though, so I knew I had to break it to him.


    My Grandfather was a crude, crass, vulgar man with a limited vocabulary consisting primarily of words that any reasonable adult would never say around any child, let alone their grandson. When I first told the old man about my eyesight, his initial reaction was to call me ¡®a fuckin¡¯ bullshitter¡¯.


    I kept trying to convince him until he eventually agreed to test my claims out for himself. He scribbled something on a piece of paper, and then he took me to the town square and instructed me to walk to the west gate while he went to the east.


    He held up that piece of paper for only a few seconds, and as he did, I could see it clearly on his face that he didn''t believe anything would come of this. Of course, he was wrong. I could read those words like they were only a foot away from my face.


    It said, ¡®Fuck you, ya lying cunt.¡¯


    As soon as we met back up, Grandfather was in for a shock when he found out I wasn¡¯t lying. The look on his face was hysterical when I asked him what a cunt was. He eventually came down from his shock, and he had a good laugh at that whole situation. All that mattered was now he believed me.


    From that day on, Grandfather started treating me a little differently. He wasn''t distant, but I could tell his mind was working overtime whenever he looked at me. Not wanting to upset him, I never asked what he was thinking about, even though it worried me to no end.


    Things might''ve turned out differently if my eyes remained at that harmless level, but they didn¡¯t. They only grew more potent as time went on, and the pain they brought along with them was indescribable.


    By the time I was eight, I could absorb unthinkable amounts of data from only a glance. As an example, imagine staring into an empty room. An ordinary person would see a wall, a ceiling, a floor- nothing more. If I were to look into that same empty room, then I would see every single speck of dust, every tiny, imperceivable crack on the wall, and every last individual thread of the spider''s web hanging in the corner that the first viewer didn¡¯t even know was there.


    The worst part of all of it, though, is what I saw when I looked at other people. Individual pores. Miniscule hairs. The exact amount of plaque on someone''s teeth. Every flake of dandruff in their hair. People stopped looking like people to me, and they were replaced with horrific monsters who had familiar voices.


    Not only couldn''t I leave my room or open my eyes, but the windows had to be boarded shut, and I had to wear a heavy blindfold at all times. If any light so much as briefly hit my eyelids, it would hurt and make me frighteningly aware of every last blood vessel in my eyelids. Anything other than complete and utter darkness would make my mind seize, my eyes throb, and in the worst-case scenario, even bleed. I became a prisoner of my room, darkness, and pain.


    I was liked well enough beforehand as the Guild Master''s cute, inquisitive little grandson, afterwards I was just the creepy kid with cursed eyes. Lots of rumors spread about me at that time, none of them positive.


    My grandfather wasn''t very loved despite what he did for the town. I suppose the townspeople would have eventually latched on to any reason for hating me that they could find, but that''s beside the point.


    In these trying times, only two other people in all of Dewhurst paid me much mind. One was a local healer by the name of Opalina Hart, who treated me almost daily and looked after me in her spare time. The other was an adventurer, Niall Hawkins, who was almost like an irresponsible older brother.


    Even though both were by my side as often as possible, and even though they tried everything they could, there wasn''t a thing either of them could do that eased my constant suffering.


    I wanted to leave my room, to play outside, to read books instead of having them read to me... and more than anything else, I wanted to look at my loved ones again without suffering sensory overload.


    Once I became permanently locked off from the rest of the Realm, my Grandfather went on an on-and-off business trip that lasted for two years.


    During this time, he wasn''t home very much. Whenever he was, it was only to grab paperwork or some files, and he would only speak a few words to me before heading off again.


    Grandfather was never an expert at communicating his feelings at the best of times. Without any other explanation, I started thinking that he didn''t love me anymore. Everyone assured me that this wasn''t the case and that he was out trying to find someone to heal my eyes, but it was hard to keep myself from having these persistent thoughts of abandonment.


    My doubts were slightly eased once I started receiving numerous visits from White Mages, Alchemists, Shamans, Witch Doctors, Clerics, Priests, and just about any other magical vocation with an ability to heal. They came from all over to Realm just to try curing my eyes.


    I was shocked but pessimistic. Miss Hart is the best healer in the entire Realm as far as I''m concerned. If she couldn''t do much to help me, then it was no surprise at all when these strangers all came up empty-handed in the end.


    This cycle repeated itself for some time.


    Grandfather would leave, someone new would visit to attempt some spell, potion, ritual, or what have you, and they would fail. Grandfather would return, grab more paperwork, and leave again.


    I began to grow afraid that this cycle might go on until Grandfather died. He was old, and instead of getting to live the last years of his life doing what made the miserable old man just the slightest bit less miserable, he had to spend it traveling the Realm for my sake. Sure, he had plenty of secretaries who could run the Guild and fill out all the paperwork in his absence, but he loved his job, and I didn''t like getting in the way of him doing what he loved.


    My guilt became overpowering, so I made up my mind around the time that the two-year mark of his journey started creeping upon us. The next time he came home, I was going to tell him to stop his quest.


    I would resign myself to my life as a blind person. I thought that if no one could heal them, then maybe I just shouldn''t have eyes in the first place. All it would take is a spoon and some courage, and then my grandfather would never have to worry about me again.


    Maybe in the future, there''d be a chance to get some expensive artificial magic eyes, but I honestly didn''t even care about ever being able to see again. I just wanted this to all be over.


    Ironically enough, the next time Grandfather returned home, the troubles I had with my eyes would indeed come to an end.


    On a day just like any other, Grandfather came back to the Guild and brought with him a dwarven craftsman of legendary renown. This Dwarf was supposedly the best of the best, and he only ever made artifacts for royalty, the nobility, the gentry, and so on.


    His name was Thafurum, and for whatever reason, this incredible artificer was here in our Guild solely for my benefit. I had no idea how my Grandfather managed to arrange this, but I didn''t have any hope he would prevail. There''d been too many failed attempts, and I almost didn''t even want to bother.


    I couldn''t just turn away the man my grandfather worked so hard to bring back, though. So I let the Dwarf inspect my eyes. He barely took even a few seconds before taking some notes and leaving, saying nothing on his way out.


    I figured that it was just another failure, but the next day, Thafurum reappeared. He instructed me to take off my blindfold, and he handed me a small object. In my hands were a pair of golden-rimmed, temple-less glasses with dark red lenses.


    At first, I felt the idea of wearing glasses was some sort of cruel joke. Goddess knows my eyesight sure as all hell didn¡¯t need any additional help. But then I put them on, and my vision magically dulled to the point where I could actually look at the world around me without suffering unending pain or bleeding through my eyes.


    The first thing I saw after two years of darkness was my Grandfather standing at the edge of my bed, smiling with tears in his eyes as he rushed to hug me. I''d never seen him cry before that, and he was never a very affectionate person. I could probably count the number of hugs he¡¯d given me on two hands.


    That being said, if there were any lingering doubts that the old man loved me, that hug eliminated them forever.


    Thafurim nodded his head and left before I could even thank him, and I''ve never seen him since. I''m grateful to him, too, and I wish I could''ve let the Dwarf know that before he disappeared.


    I should probably clarify that these glasses of mine didn''t solve the root problem. My eyesight is still supernatural. Even now, so many years later, I still can''t take off my glasses without significant pain. But the glasses allow me to live a relatively normal life, at least.


    I wasn¡¯t quite the same boy when I recovered. No longer was I cheerful and excitable. The trauma turned me soft-spoken, melancholic, and introverted. I viewed the world with a level of cynicism totally unbefitting of a child, yet, I was still happy I had a chance to resume my childhood.


    And I knew that chance wouldn¡¯t have ever come along if it weren¡¯t for my Grandfather.


    Time and again, I asked him how he met Thafurim or how he got any of those other healers to visit, but Grandfather wouldn''t tell me much about what went on during his journey.


    My curiosity got the best of me, and one day I decided I would find the answers myself by sneaking into his office late at night. Knowing his penchant for paperwork and his tendency to jot down his thoughts, I figured that Grandfather must have kept a log of everything he did while he was gone.


    In his desk drawer, I found a journal with my name on it that was coupled with a folder packed with letters.


    Over the last two years, my Grandfather''s thoughts and actions were cataloged in meticulous detail in this journal. The old man came off as cold, indifferent, and crass even in the text, but it highlighted his sheer dedication and efficiency. I couldn''t believe what I was reading. It was unreal.


    The letters painted an even more incredible picture.


    In his quest to find a solution to my eyesight, my grandfather called in hundreds of debts and favors from adventurers all across the Realm who owed him for one reason or another.


    He blackmailed nobles with personal secrets that they told him in confidence when he was registering their quests.


    He used his connections to every other Guild Master in Karnalle like an information network, chasing down every lead he could find.


    The clout he wielded and the knowledge at my grandfather''s disposal was dizzying. Not a single soul in any of those letters seemed to like my grandfather, but I could tell they respected him, maybe even feared him. I witnessed how much power a true businessman had, and I began to covet that power, I suppose. I wanted to become just like him.


    I wanted to become a Guild Master.


    Strictly speaking, I always did. I thought it was inevitable that I would succeed in his place one day, and I often daydreamed about what it would be like to manage a roster of adventurers just like Grandfather did. But the more I read, the more it ceased to be a daydream and the more it became an obsession. A calling.


    Something I knew I had to do whatever the cost.


    Just as I had made up my mind, the door to Grandfather''s office opened, and the man himself entered. I was so absorbed that I didn''t even notice that I¡¯d read his journal and letters all the way through the night.


    Surprisingly, he wasn''t mad at me over what I¡¯d done, but his expression worried me nonetheless.


    With a long sigh, Grandfather sat me down on the sofa behind his desk so that we could have a long discussion regarding something else. Something he said was a long time coming and which was much more important.


    He wanted to talk to me about both my parents and, ultimately, what he believed to be my destiny. Kind of a weird time for such a talk, but I went along with it nonetheless.


    "Listen here, ya sneaky cunt," He said, sinking his elderly body into his leather chair as he swiveled it to face me. Again, mind Grandfather¡¯s vernacular. It''s a miracle I turned out as well-mannered as I did and avoided picking up his pattern of speech, but I''m thankful for it. "Your eyes ain''t the only special thing about ya. Your dad, he... Gods, how the fuck do I say this?"


    Our relationship was very casual. Grandfather never minded if I talked over him or interrupted, so I butted in and guessed, ¡°He wasn¡¯t a farmer, was he?¡±


    He laughed. I don¡¯t know whether he found it funny that I knew the truth despite it being obvious or something else triggered it, but the old man struck back, "Course not, ya dumb sack of shit. Ya think a kid with magic eyes like yours would''ve come from a simple farmer? Nah. He was an adventurer, and much to my dismay, he ain''t dead. That philandering jizz rag is still out there somewhere."


    This was news to me, but I didn''t find the revelation that my Father was an adventurer shocking. My Grandfather has been a Guild Master for nearly seventy years, so his son would''ve been raised here just like me. There are really only two career paths one would be inspired to take after living in a Guild their whole life, and unlike myself, my mysterious deadbeat dad chose the ''fun'' one.


    Hearing this revelation didn''t really give me any sort of burning desire to venture out into the world and search for my father, unlike the protagonists of all those childish fantasy stories I used to read. Frankly, I couldn''t give less of a shit. I still don''t.


    I nodded my head nonetheless, letting my Grandfather continue speaking.


    "I don''t know fuck all about your mom, but one day he came home and plopped ya on my lap with hardly so much of a ''how do you do''. Nah, all he said was he didn''t wanna take responsibility for ya. Not like that was shocking or anything," He sighed. At the time, I wondered if he was inferring that I wasn¡¯t the only child my apparently lecherous Father refused to take responsibility for. Sadly, Grandfather continued to talk before I could ask. "But what did shock this old man of yours was the shit he had to say about you."


    I didn''t like where this was heading. Not to brag, but I''ve always been relatively bright. I smelled an oncoming magical destiny from a mile away, which severely conflicted with my plans to become a Guild Master.


    "What did he say?" I asked, dreading the answer.


    "He said he ain''t never sending child support. Also, that the Goddess of Light herself descended from the Supernal Skies of Serenity and told your dad that you were the next Hero of Light and that you were gonna defeat the next Demon Lord who cropped up or some shit like that."


    "Ok," I stared at him, the words going through one ear and out the other. I was not interested.


    "Gods, I fucked up with that no-good son of mine... lad?"


    ¡°Yes, Grandfather?¡±


    "The more women ya fuck, the more it''ll rot your brain. I know us men of Karnalle put value in having a harem and all that nonsense, but if you don''t wanna end up like him, limit your dick, lad. Limit your dick."


    ¡°...Yes, Grandfather.¡±


    Once he was able to move away from the topic of my Father, the old man let out a weary sigh and tensed his expression. Rather than looking mildly bitter like he usually did, he looked pained. Maybe even a little distant. "That''s enough of that... I swear, I fuckin'' swear... anyways, can ya tell where I''m going with all this, lad?"


    ¡°Well, I can tell you hate my Father.¡±


    All at once, the many wrinkles of his aged face scrunched together. He closed his eyes and laughed a spiteful laugh. Grandfather slapped his knee, shaking his head, "Well ya ain''t fucking wrong about that! Ah, good one, lad... but nah, that ain''t what I''m getting at. I''m trying to say that we gotta get on track with whatever magic bullshit destiny ya got waiting for ya."


    Desperation started to overtake me, and sweat appeared on my brow. I clung to the first argument I could think of. "You hate my father, but you believe him about all this stuff? Couldn''t he have just been lying to trick you into taking care of me?"


    Grandfather considered that, stroking his beard. "Smart lad, ya are. I thought the same. Believed it until you got those magic eyes of yours, too. I don''t know if he''s telling the truth about everything, but obviously, he was right about some of it. Ya got bigger things ahead of ya, and we need to start taking the first steps. You''re a bit weak since ya been bedridden for a few years. I''ll have to talk to that wavy-haired wench about whipping up some kind of potion to get you your constitution back, and-"


    Miss Hart was already routinely giving me a tonic to keep my body in shape while staying in bed, but he''d been away so much he didn''t know. I could have mentioned it to drag out the inevitable, but I only didn¡¯t think of it at the time.


    All I ended up saying was, "And then what?"


    "And then we''ll start training you up to become an adventurer yourself, dumbass. You and that lazy fuck Niall are close, right? I''ll try and strong-arm him into teaching ya the sword, and we''ll go from there... heh, strong-arm."


    My heart sank into my chest. I had only just escaped one prison, and it felt like I was slowly being led into another.


    Even before that night, I never wanted to be an adventurer. Hearing Grandfather plan out my entire life for me certainly did nothing to help change that. He explained his ideas, never once stopping to consider my feelings or asking if I was ok with any of this.


    I sat there idly, letting him drone on and on about the seven previous Demon Lords and the Heroes of Light who defeated them. I''d been told stories about them before. What kid hadn''t? They were legendary figures, each of them blessed by the Goddess above with some extraordinary gift. I''m sure plenty of children would''ve been thrilled to learn that they were meant to be the next one, but not me.


    I wanted nothing to do with this inciting incident, this call to action, or however you want to phrase it.


    It reached a boiling point, and I couldn''t keep listening.


    "Grandfather, I..." I knew it would be hard to say, but getting those all-important words out of my mouth was a struggle. The old man patiently waited for me to speak my mind, which was awfully rare. I summoned all the courage I had in me to look him in the eyes while saying, "I don''t want to be a Hero of Light. I don''t even want to become an adventurer."


    "The fuck are ya on about, ya little piss-bag?" Grandfather asked as he rose out of his chair and clutched his cane. I was used to his temper, but his irritation felt different because of how serious this topic was.


    Even in his foulest of moods, the old man had never once hit me, but I winced as he raised his cane. He only shoved the butt of it gently against my chest to emphasize his statement, saying, "Do ya think I care? More importantly, do ya think whatever ya wanna do with your life is more important than saving the entire Realm?"


    I couldn''t argue against him, and he knew it. Grandfather smashed his cane back down on the floor, the noise shocking me. "Course it isn''t. Nothing''s more important than this, ya bloody git." He spat.


    "We don''t even know for sure that I¡¯m supposed to be the one to do it! If the Goddess of Light blessed me with these eyes, then why did she do such a... a shitty job of it!?" That was the first time I said a swear word, but it would be far from the last. I get the feeling that if things weren''t so dire, the old man might''ve been proud of me.


    Instead, I was too busy disappointing him.


    "Fuck if I know," He sighed, knowing I had a point. "But on the off chance that good-for-nothing dad of yours was wrong and all this magic eye business really does means fuck all, so the fuck what? Ya think we can afford to let you do nothing just because he might be wrong, lad?"


    I was running out of things I could say in my defense. Grandfather was right on all accounts. I knew that. But the feeling in my chest telling me that being a Guild Master was my true destiny wouldn''t be quiet. At the time, I thought I could hear a girl''s voice whispering in my heart, telling me that I was right and not to give up or back down on this... but these days, I just accept that voice was a stress-induced hallucination and nothing more.


    It¡¯s not surprising my mind misremembers the exact details, given how traumatic everything that happened next was.


    I stood from the couch and gave the old man a defiant glare. There was no hesitation or fear left in me, not anymore. I put my foot down, telling him crystal clear, "I''m not becoming an adventurer. Why the hell would I wanna follow in the footsteps of some... some jackass that I''ve never met? Hell no. I''m gonna be a Guild Master like you, Grandfather! No... not just any Guild Master, but the best Guild Master in all the Realm!"


    The look on his face was sheer disappointment. He was distraught that I would say these things, or maybe he was upset that after everything he had done for me, I wouldn''t just let him wrestle control of my life from me.


    Grandfather''s silence continued, so I foolishly filled the quiet with childish ramblings. They were jumbled, disorganized, colored by the panic I felt knowing I had let him down. "I... I read your journal and a lot of your letters... you did so many amazing things while trying to help me, and it inspired me... and... um. What I really want is to be like you. A great man, respected and feared... managing adventurers, balancing spreadsheets... Miss Hart taught me math, you know! I''m really good at it! I could be a powerful businessman like you who always gets his way, so... maybe you could teach me... and... Grandfather...?"


    "You want me to teach you how to be respected, feared, and to always get what ya want, lad?"


    "Yes! More than anything!"


    "I''ll teach you alright, you stupid fucking brat...!" He dropped his cane, walked over to me, and grabbed me by the collar. He might''ve been ninety, but somehow he was strong enough to lift me off the ground.


    It hurt.


    I know Grandfather didn''t mean it to. He would never hurt me. Not on purpose, he wouldn''t... but in his anger, he inadvertently pulled too tight on my collar, making it difficult to breathe. I coughed, "G-Grandfather... stop...!!


    "I''ll put ya down once you get some fucking sense! You''re saving the Realm, lad, whether ya like it or not! You understand?"


    "I-I can''t..."


    "Not with that attitude, ya can''t!"


    "N-No, I can''t... br-"


    "Can''t what?"


    "Get... off... GET OFF ME!"


    It all happened so fast.


    It was too much to bear. I pushed Grandfather in the chest with both of my palms, and he let go before tumbling backward into his wooden desk. The pain this caused his back made him fall to the floor, and he would never get up. As I stood there regaining my breath, I looked down and saw the old man staring up at me.


    He was clutching his chest, a look of heavy disappointment in his eyes. He might''ve been disappointed knowing he was about to die and leave me alone in this world, but I''m not optimistic enough to believe that was the case.


    I watched him die, knowing full well that I let him down.


    The Guild was quiet that morning. Everyone was still asleep, and our healer was on vacation. Or maybe he wasn¡¯t. I don¡¯t recall if I even checked for him or not. I try not to think about what I could have done differently to save my Grandfather because I wasn¡¯t thinking rationally in my panicked state.


    Above all else, I wanted to find someone who I could trust. Niall was out on a quest, meaning there was only one other option. I ran to the home of Opalina Hart, who lived roughly fifteen minutes away.


    Although the kindly healer never made an effort to pretend she didn''t hate my Grandfather, she rushed back to the Guild to help him all the same. The doctor tore off his shirt and attempted a few different spells that each failed before trying to magically restart his heart. She charged her hands with electricity and massaged them into his chest repeatedly, but it was too late.


    She shook her head, and the realization sunk in that this was all my fault.


    I would have to live the rest of my life knowing that I killed the man who raised me after everything he did for me.


    No one loved my Grandfather quite like I did. He was a bitter, hateful old man with barely an ounce of joy to be found in his old heart, and that showed with the number of people who showed up at his funeral. Besides myself, only Miss Hart, Niall, a few adventurers, some of his staff, and a few men in dark suits whom I didn¡¯t recognize were the only people in attendance.


    A sermon was given by Priestesses of Light and Darkness, praying for his soul to go wherever it fits best. I don¡¯t remember the details, as I¡¯m not very religious. All I remember from the service was that when my Grandfather was lowered into the earth, I didn''t say goodbye to him.


    I said I was sorry.


    He was buried in the Guild¡¯s backyard, out beyond the training yard and the bathhouse in a small wooded area that presses up against Dewhurst¡¯s walls.


    Once the ceremony was over, one of the strange men in suits approached me. He was an obese, egg-shaped man with balding brunette hair and a charming smile- more charming and confident than someone who looked as ugly as he did had any right to be.


    He didn''t give me his name, but he introduced himself as a representative of the Association of Adventurers. I thought it odd that they found out about Grandfather¡¯s death so soon, but they were apparently scheduled to meet with him before his passing and were thus already in town. Now that that was no longer possible, they requested a meeting with me as soon as convenient.


    It wasn¡¯t like I had a whole lot else going on at the time, so I agreed.


    Later that day, I met with him in what used to be my Grandfather''s office. It was the first time I''d entered it since his death, and I fought a losing battle against myself to push the memories of what happened into the deepest reaches of my mind.


    I sat down at the very same desk Grandfather fell against, sinking into the leather chair that was much too big for me, and I welcomed my guest.


    Miss Hart was there during that meeting, too. I had no other family, and I''d been staying with her in the days leading up to the funeral. I was smart, but I knew that I needed an adult by my side when meeting with the representative.


    I didn¡¯t feel comfortable going it alone because Grandfather hated the Association with all his heart. From what he told me about them, they''re not to be trusted. Miss Hart would help ensure they didn''t try taking advantage of me, I thought.


    That said, the meeting wasn¡¯t quite what I expected.


    The representative was friendly, much nicer than I thought he would be. He was patient, and he didn''t talk down to me like I was a child. After all the condescending words of support I received from so many people after my Grandfather''s death, I appreciated that.


    He wasted no time revealing all sorts of things about the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild that my grandfather had never taught me about. I had no idea, but the Guild that I called home was unique. It was different from every other Guild in the entire Realm.


    Separate from the Association, yet also a part of it.


    According to the egg-shaped man, my Grandfather used to be friends with the Chairman of the entire Association. He hated the way that modern Guilds were run and sought permission to do his own thing.


    This was unheard of. The Association of Adventurers has a legal monopoly on Adventurer¡¯s Guilds enforced by the crown. Towns that have Guilds can only have one, and they have to be a franchise of the Association.


    The idea of one Guild getting to break off from the whole and test new ideas was radical, but the Chairman accepted my Grandfather¡¯s proposal. It wasn¡¯t because he believed in him or anything, no. The Chairman apparently thought it would be amusing to see a Guild struggle to profit without relying on the Association''s various money-making schemes and debt traps. Dewhurst was barely a profitable Guild in the first place, so there was little to be lost on this gamble.


    Nothing but the Chairman¡¯s pride, anyway, as over the next few decades, my Grandfather went about handing him his ass served on a silver platter.


    Not only did Grandfather transform the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild into a juggernaut of adventuring, but he did it without selling overpriced adventuring gadgets, monthly potion subscriptions, or even charging his adventurers for healing, life insurance, meals, and other amenities.


    Now that he had died, though, we had a problem.


    The agreement that Grandfather made with the Chairman was set to be revoked upon his death, and the Guild would revert back to the Association''s control... unless we followed a particular clause in my Grandfather''s will, that is.


    It stated that any member of his family was eligible to inherit ownership of the land, the building, and the title of Guild Master.


    Ironic, isn¡¯t it?


    Before his death, Grandfather wouldn''t accept the idea of me becoming a Guild Master, yet his passing opened the doors on a chance no one else could ever dream of. Whether this clause was intended for my father, myself, or some other family member who I had no knowledge of didn''t matter to me.


    I was going to make use of it.


    I know my grandfather had a point about being the Hero of Light and defeating the Demon Lord, but I ran away from what he believed to be my calling even after his death. That mysterious voice was in my heart, comforting me and telling me I was born for this.


    It guided me to reach out and seize my destiny. This inheritance would be my ticket to becoming a Guild Master, and I''d even get to skip all the years of training and studying it typically took, too.


    The man asked if I wanted to become a Guild Master, and I answered yes in a heartbeat. He pretended to be pleased to hear this, but he wanted me to give him the chance to put down a counteroffer on the table.


    Knowing that I grew up in this Guild, the representative admitted special circumstances needed to be addressed. He didn''t want me to think he was trying to steal my home, especially not right after my grandfather died. However, he made it very clear that the Association wanted the Dewhurst Guild for their own purposes, even if they had to make a deal with a literal child to get it. Now that it was profitable, they wanted it back under their umbrella.


    The counteroffer was simple.


    If I chose to give up my inheritance and surrendered the Guild back to the Association, the representative would see that a temporary Guild Master was placed in charge of Dewhurst. I would then be enrolled in the Guild Academy once I turned eighteen, free of charge. Once I graduated from the Guild Master course, the temporary Guild Master would be removed, and I would be guaranteed his place.


    All I had to do to make it official was to sign.


    While at first glance it seemed to be a great deal, it was anything but. Sure, I would have had time to learn the ropes of running a business and to enjoy what was left of my childhood, but in exchange, Dewhurst would''ve been fully reincorporated into the Association.


    By the time I was certified and returned home to take over, I would''ve been forced to enact the abusive policies my Grandfather hated. The very same policies which led him to distance himself and his Guild from the Association in the first place.


    Like hell was I going to let that happen. I turned the counter offer down on the spot and announced I would inherit the Guild according to the will.


    Neither Miss Hart nor the representative was thrilled to learn this.


    The doctor pleaded with me to accept the offer, but she did so out of kindness. She didn''t want to see me, a child who''d been through one tragedy after another, give up my last chance at youth just to work myself to the bone.


    On the other hand, the representative dropped the pretense of pretending to be sympathetic. He altered his deal, extending it to include an absurdly generous heap of gold as an added bonus.


    The profit that the Association was missing out on from not being in control of this one specific Guild must have been enormous because the amount they were offering me was more than most people would see in a lifetime. I still stubbornly insisted on inheriting the Guild, however- mountains of gold be damned.


    Knowing there was nothing left he could do to persuade me, the representative sighed, smiled, and pulled out a stack of paperwork for me to sign. Once I finished the last signature, the man from the Association left, and that was that.


    I was now the certified Guild Master of the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild at only ten years old, and I had no idea how to run it.


    Luckily, the Guild wasn''t the only thing I inherited.


    When Grandfather¡¯s financials were passed on to me, I came to discover we were reasonably well off. I was his sole beneficiary, and after all the taxes, I was sitting on a decent amount of money. Using a small portion of it, the first thing I did was go out to buy books. Lots and lots of books.


    I had no time to waste. I needed to expand my knowledge as fast as I could.


    I bought books on business, books on economics, public speaking, wordcraft, monster compendiums, and every last subject I could think of that would help me succeed. Coupled with my grandfather''s already cramped office shelves that were filled with tomes on Guild policies, I had more than enough material to turn me from a bright, inquisitive boy into a scholarly young man.


    For years, I ran the Guild by day, my nose in a book any chance I had, and by night I studied in earnest through coffee and candlelight.


    Miss Hart became, for all intents and purposes, my adopted mother. This was a little awkward since she was also my first crush, but I digress.


    She would help me study as often as she could, stopping by several times a week at the very least. She runs her own business here in town, Helpful Heals, but her knowledge didn''t prove useful in my industry, and there was little she could do to assist beyond spoiling me to the best of her abilities.


    All that studying didn''t amount to much, sadly.


    At first, most of my Grandfather''s employees gave me the benefit of the doubt and even tried to help me learn the ropes. I wasn''t especially close to any of them, but I was their boss''s grandson, and most of them felt sorry for me- the ones who didn''t think I killed him, at least.


    A few of the Guild Ladies, or secretaries, to use a less derogatory term, were nice enough to teach me how to handle the paperwork, and they advised me in matters the old man used to oversee himself. Still, none of them could teach me how to replicate the shrewd sense of business my Grandfather possessed which made our Guild so profitable in the first place.


    Because of this, we started suffering a lack of profits for the first few years after my succession. I dipped into my inheritance to pay my staff for as long as I could, but this wasn''t viable forever.


    I had to start letting staff members go, and at the same time, some of them began to leave of their own accord.


    First, we lost the maids, and I had to handle cleaning the massive Guild by myself.


    Then we lost the cooks, forcing me to take up that duty as often as I could, too.


    Next came losing our healer, meaning I couldn''t provide free healthcare for my adventurers. That one hurt a lot since it was one of the main reasons some adventurers were still sticking around at that point.


    Lastly, the secretaries had to be let go, and then there was no one besides me who could register quests and file paperwork.


    It was a nightmare. I had to be in fifteen places at once every hour of the day, and I almost worked myself to death on multiple occasions.


    I may have had the knowledge of a Guild Master in their late twenties by the time I was fifteen, but my roster of adventurers was already down to a tenth of the size it used to be. Some of them left right after my grandfather died, sensing that this would happen sooner or later, and others slipped away year after year without so much as a word at all.


    Niall packed it in, too, and gradually started appearing less and less to support me. Out of all the adventurers who left, he was the one that hurt the most. Worse still, he didn''t even quit to head off to some other Guild. I could¡¯ve accepted it if that were the case, but no.


    He¡¯s the town drunk, now, wasting away his days begging out on the street. Apparently, becoming a washed-up hobo seemed more appealing to him than sticking around for me when I needed him most.


    As if things couldn¡¯t get any worse, as my Guild began to decline, so too did the town.


    Dewhurst used to be a small village that served as a trading stop on the way to Dawnstead and little else. It had a couple of farms up north, fishermen who fished from the river, and a minor logging industry thanks to its proximity to the Gnarled Woods, but that was about all that kept the population of roughly a thousand people afloat.


    The only thing Dewhurst had going for it back then was a small Adventurer''s Guild, which was a necessity on account of all the monsters who live in the area.


    Seventy years ago, my grandfather was placed in charge of that humble Guild. Things slowly started to change over the course of his life, especially after his ''break up'' experiment with the Association that happened ten years into his career.


    After he split off, word got out regarding how much better he treated his adventurers than any of the other Guilds. The news attracted more and more adventurers, who started completing quests and making piles of gold by the shovelful. With so many adventurers with fat purses living in Dewhurst, it wasn''t long until settlers appeared who wanted to take advantage of them.


    These settlers expanded Dewhurst, providing plenty of goods and services for the adventurers like fancy inns, blacksmiths and armorers, restaurants, taverns, casinos, classy brothels, you name it. Anything to get themselves a piece of what those adventurers were making.


    That wasn¡¯t the only positive thing that the adventurers caused, either. Dewhurst started to have something worth exporting, thanks to them.


    Whenever adventurers left on quests, they would bring back two things in droves. Treasure and monster parts. Whatever treasure they found during their journey and didn¡¯t want to keep would get sold off at the marketplace, while the bodies of their defeated quest targets were sold to and then processed by butchers, tanners, and alchemists alike.


    Just like that, the city went from being a stopover town for traders on their way to Dawnstead into an important trading hub in its own right. The population exploded, so much so that they even ended up building walls around the city, something this place never could have dreamed of before the booming Guild economy.


    Yes, it was a paradise, alright... although perhaps a house of cards is a more apt metaphor.


    All it took for the city to crash was the death of a single man and for a child to claim what was rightfully his by law.


    Without my Grandfather¡¯s leadership, we lost adventurers by the year. Without many adventurers for the townsfolk to service and profit off of, demand for those services dried up, and they stopped having goods to export.


    Yes, as if my Grandfather¡¯s death wasn¡¯t enough weight on my mind, I also have to live with myself knowing that a stupid decision I made when I was ten ruined the lives of an entire city.


    How I feel about that one depends on the day. Somedays, I feel sorry for myself over it, and on others, I feel like this city deserved to fail for putting so many eggs in one basket. If a single decision made by a stubborn ten-year-old was enough to topple an entire city¡¯s economy, then fuck that city.


    Regardless, People started losing their jobs left and right, either leaving the city or turning to crime to get by. Buildings were abandoned en masse, cheap drugs began filling the streets, gangs of thugs became more prevalent, and the once reputable brothels became significantly less so.


    You''d think that the nobility would step in and invest in the local economy to promote stability, but that never happened. Whether it be the nearest Baron, the Count overseeing him, or the Duke of Arrark himself, no one seemed to care much about what the town was going through, and we were left to our fate.


    By the time I was in my mid-twenties, the town had finished its transformation into a complete and utter shithole, and my Guild wasn''t faring much better.


    All the adventurers who used to live in the Guild with me had long since moved on. The only time I ever had to actually do any work was whenever a rare adventurer wandered by on their way to some other town.


    They might stay for a few days, ask me about any local quests, and I would feed them and give them shelter before they inevitably went on their way. Sometimes, a whole party of adventurers would show up, and I''d remember what fun it used to be when this place was packed, but it never lasted.


    There were some high points on my way down to rock-bottom, sure. It''s not like my life was constantly without hope.


    Every now and then, a large monster cropped up in the area, or there was an overpopulation issue with a weaker monster. In times like these, adventurers came in droves, and I''d work my ass off to keep the food coming and the dorms well-kept. I tried to convince some of them to stay in Dewhurst and transfer to my Guild, but the state of the town and the lack of facilities I could provide them made it a laughable offer at best.


    Still, I tried, damn it.


    I tried everything I could think of to turn this place around for as long as I could, up until five years ago. That was when I gave up once and for all.


    Why? Well, that was when the newest Demon Lord announced his presence to the Realm.


    This Demon Lord appeared out of nowhere, and he led a legion of monsters to attack a little hamlet up north in the Echora province by the name of Bridgebury. It didn¡¯t go quite as he planned.


    By some miraculous stroke of luck, Bridgebury happened to be the home of a famous retired adventurer- Mariella or Marienne, something like that. I don¡¯t remember. It''s said that she took down hundreds of monsters single-handedly while defending the town until she finally succumbed to the Demon Lord''s forces.


    After this former adventurer fell, the Demon Lord and the rest of his horde retreated to lands unknown, and nobody knows why. Bridgebury was saved for the small price of only a single woman¡¯s life.


    The villain hasn''t reappeared a single time ever since, leading some conspiracy theorists to believe that the fiend who attacked Bridgebury wasn''t a true Demon Lord. Regardless of whether or not he was real, steps had to be taken to ensure that this Demon Lord would be defeated if he ever returned.


    It didn''t take long for the Realm to devise a plan of attack.


    A few months after the incident, it was announced that the Association of Adventurers had reached a historic agreement with King Theostus Lundreame and the Galloise Company. A state-of-the-art Adventurer''s Guild was to be constructed in the port city of Perlshaw, a city only a few weeks of travel to the east of Dewhurst.


    Built with radical funding from the royal treasury and outfitted with an entire suite of the latest arcane tech appliances by the Galloise Company, this Guild was staggering in size. Able to house several thousand adventurers and hundreds of staff members at the same time, it had a massive training yard, a gigantic library, an indoor swimming pool, gourmet chefs... honestly, it would be easier to count the things that the Perlshaw Adventurer''s Guild didn''t have because it''s not a very long list.


    The reason for building this new Guild was simple. The crown didn''t want to deal with the potential Demon Lord themselves, so they would help usher in a brand new golden age of adventuring. If the threat ever reappeared, then Karnalle''s strongest heroes would be ready to face it head-on. Everybody wins.


    Once the Perlshaw Guild opened up, the last few remaining travelers who dropped by from time to time stopped showing up altogether. Why would they? When traveling to Perlshaw, it makes more sense to stop at the Cransmere Guild than mine since it''s a lot closer, and no one wants to linger in Dewhurst for longer than they have to.


    Dewhurst was made irrelevant in one fell swoop, and any chance at ever turning my career around was gone. Since then, I''ve wasted away the last five years of my life indulging in my vices, mainly alcohol and erotic fiction, until finally we reach the point where I''m at in the present day.


    Now, I¡¯ve recently turned thirty-two. I¡¯m a middle-aged man, with absolutely nothing to show for my life.


    I live in squalor, the nostalgic Guild of my childhood long since fallen to shambles. Cobwebs line the corners, the wooden walls and floors are aging and breaking all over the place, dust is thick in every room, and there are vicious rats that occasionally attempt to steal food right off my plate.


    I''m also on the verge of being broke. What remains of my inheritance is merely... let me see here...


    Guild Ledger


    10,000G


    Not a whole lot. 10,000G will only last me another year or two, and that''s only if I give up all of my vices which is quite unlikely at this point.


    To top off this depressing shitshow, I''ve even fallen out of touch with Miss Hart despite her living a mere fifteen minutes apart. I can''t bear to see her after how hard she tried to help me succeed, and during these past five years, I''ve visited her less and less.


    The only times I leave the Guild are to buy groceries, booze, and literary pornography... I don''t even care how that sounds. I know it''s awful, and I know I''m a loser. I''ve accepted my lot in life.


    What hurts more than anything else is that the more I think about it, the more I realize I haven''t made a single correct decision in my life.


    If I hadn''t been so against becoming an adventurer, Grandfather wouldn''t have lifted me up, and I wouldn''t have pushed him.


    If I had just taken the Association''s offer, the town could''ve been saved, and I would''ve still ended up as the Guild Master of Dewhurst eventually.


    Why did I put so much stock in protecting his Guild and his morals, anyway? He didn¡¯t even want me to run this place...


    Gods...


    Maybe if I worked harder and studied faster, then things could have...


    Or maybe if I had just...


    No, no... what''s the point of this? Why am I rambling, and who in their right mind would listen to my gibberish? I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going with all of this... It¡¯s stupid. I¡¯m stupid.


    I told my grandfather I wanted to become the greatest Guild Master in the entire Realm all those years ago. In the end, I didn''t become a Guild Master, not really. I didn¡¯t become an adventurer, or a Hero of Light, either.


    I became a failure.


    This must be my just deserts for defying the fate that the Goddess of Light had in store for me. If I hadn''t resisted my call to action, then I have no doubt I would''ve lived a happy life and became a badass adventurer with magical eyes that gifted me an edge in combat, yes, indeed. Why, I would''ve been surrounded by a harem of beautiful women who all clamored for my attention, and the entire realm would have loved me and celebrated my name once I defeated the Demon Lord once and for all...


    Whatever.


    I don''t care about any of that anymore. Everything is bullshit, magical, life-ruining destinies most definitely included.


    But hey, maybe it''s not too late, right?


    Guess I¡¯ll give the Goddess what she wants, that fucking cunt.


    It¡¯s not like I have anything else left for me at this point. Sure, I''m twenty-something years overdue, but fuck it. I''ll be your Hero of Light.


    That''s what you wanted, isn''t it?


    So here I am, sitting at the reception desk of my ruined Guild, contemplating a long-awaited career change that I¡¯ve avoided my entire damn life.


    The atmosphere here is so much darker and dustier when compared to my childhood memories that it''s hard to believe this is even the same place I grew up in. What was once bright, bustling, and full of music and warmth is now dark and silent, and my only remaining friends are the spiders on the wall.


    Sitting in front of me on the desk is the only weapon I have left in the entire Guild, a small knife barely fit to kill a slime, let alone a demon lord. With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, I take the knife in my hand, scared beyond belief of what I''m about to do.

 The Runaway Princess

    Am I really going to do this?


    Now?


    I lift the depressing looking knife and hold it out before my eyes, giving it a thorough once over using my analytical prowess.


    This thing definitely won¡¯t get the job done, but I sold all the other old weapons laying around a few years back. With no heroes staying at the Guild I had no reason to keep any. They were all just gathering dust in the storage rooms ever since their owners abandoned them.


    One of the many duties of an Adventurer¡¯s Guild is to store any gold or items that an adventurer asks us to.


    Weapons, armor, kill trophies, supplies... there used to be a veritable treasure trove that our Guild protected for our trusting adventurers when Grandpa was in charge. Strictly speaking, selling items left in storage by an adventurer is very against the Association of Adventurer¡¯s protocol, but... their owners were never coming back.


    Nobody would miss them and I needed the gold.


    This old iron blade is the last actual weapon I have left in the guild. It must¡¯ve belonged to a halfling, or maybe a gnome. Calling it a short sword would be more than generous, it''s practically a knife. I kept it for self defense but I should have held on to a sword, an axe, or really just about anything else instead.


    ¡°Will this dull thing even cut?¡± My eyes tell me no, but I can¡¯t help thinking aloud. Out of morbid curiosity I press the blade up against my arm, nowhere lethal obviously, but it had me thinking. Being alone in a dark room tends to make you do that.


    As the edge slides up closer to my skin, an existential sigh leaves my lungs.


    I don¡¯t want to become an adventurer- I¡¯m a middle aged, washed-up sad sack who spends a fair amount of his days day drinking and reading erotic fiction.


    Even if I¡¯m in decent shape, it¡¯s not like I can just pack it all up and go out slaying monsters. It¡¯s way too damn late for me to just... just... oh, Goddess.


    One last time...


    Please...


    Just one last time...


    If I had even a single Adventurer, then... I¡¯d know that this is what I should be doing with my life...


    As if on command, the door suddenly explodes into a mess of sharp wooden splinters.


    A crimson red boot kicks right through like it was no big deal at all. Powerful and efficient, my decrepit halls just became that much more ruined but at the moment I don''t care. Whoever did this had power. Lots of it.


    I look up to the figure who now stands in my doorway, silhouetted from the light shining behind them. They step forward with purpose and confidence, not walking into my Guild so much as swaggering. As soon as they enter fully I''m finally given a better look at them.


    Perhaps my analytical eyes were too distracted by divine intervention, because I didn''t outright notice it at first. But the longer I stare at the intruder, the more convinced I am that I¡¯m currently gazing at one of the most beautiful girls I''ve ever seen.


    She has a head full of bright, sunlight colored blonde hair tied haphazardly into long, flowing twintails. Her hair suggests that it rarely goes brushed yet this unkempt quality only serves to give her a wonderful boyish charm that¡¯s all her own.


    Focused eyes of emerald pierce right through me when we meet and the expression evident on her face is a confident smirk. Her features look almost sculpted by the goddess Lux Ultima herself, being perfectly proportioned and otherworldly in their beauty. The only blemishes on her pink, healthy skin to be seen are a collection of rather fake looking freckles on each of her cheeks and a small pink bandage applied to the tip of her nose.


    She wears red gloves with black sleeves, a brown and gold belt across her wide hips, and matching red boots with black thigh highs which dig perfectly into her thighs. As far as her armor goes she¡¯s wearing a  skimpy red breastplate covering a questionable portion of her rather large, heavy-looking breasts, red shoulder pauldrons, and an embarrassingly revealing red, heart shaped crotch plate (arguably) covering her lady bits.


    Why would she wear this? Is she expecting someone to stab her solely in the pussy and ignore all of her perfectly exposed skin? I thought armour was meant to protect your vitals, but what the fuck do I know. It looks more like a fetishistic parody of armor than it resembles anything an actual adventurer would ever wear.


    All this is topped off with one gigantic fuck off iron slab of a sword strapped to her back. The fact that she could haul that thing around with breasts like those makes me wonder if this chick has ever even heard of back problems.


    ¡°Sup, Boss? You¡¯re the Guild Master here right?¡± The intruder finally speaks. Her voice is youthful, energetic and perhaps even a tad bit boyish.


    She begins to approach me, the sound of her heavy steps creaking the wooden floor so badly that I grow worried that the poor Guild won¡¯t be able to handle the weight of her sword.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for some Quests, you got any good ones on... the... board...?¡± She stops her question as her eyes get a better look at me, or more specifically, what I¡¯m doing. Her eyes shoot open with shock.


    I can see why this would look bad.


    She doesn¡¯t understand the context, she only saw a sad looking man in shades sitting in a dark and lonely room with a knife pressed up against his skin.


    I can hardly fault this girl for jumping to the conclusion she does.


    With an unexpected savagery the adventurer girl stomps towards me so hard and angrily that my concern for the structural integrity of the wooden flooring all but doubles. Her face contorts into worried rage. She strongly rips the knife out of my grip and with her free hand the adventurer smacks me squarely across the face.


    She¡¯s definitely strong enough to wield such a massive sword... the power of her slap alone is so strong that it feels like she somehow slapped the soul right out of my body.


    With exaggerated tears, my guest looks me straight in the eyes with that beautiful, piercing green glare of hers. ¡°BOSS, DON¡¯T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT! YOU HAVE SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR!!¡±


    I stare at her incredulously. Normally I¡¯d pick up her implication immediately but I was more than a little stunned by the searing pain in my cheek. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    She throws the knife over her shoulder and it falls flat on its side. ¡°Look, Boss... I know this place looks shitty and all, but that¡¯s no reason to kill yourself!¡±


    I blink awkwardly, rendered speechless from the strange situation I find myself in. ¡°Thank you for the concern,¡± I manage to spit out. ¡°But I believe there¡¯s been a misunderstanding. If you just let me explain myself-¡±


    With no warning whatsoever the blonde adventurer suddenly wraps her arms around the back of my neck and pulls me forward to bury my face in her deep cleavage. They¡¯re soft and warm, sure, but her metal breastplate is very uncomfortable to feel pressed against the side of my cheek.


    I can¡¯t help but find myself feeling relaxed, though, as this situation brings to mind a woman very important to my heart that I haven¡¯t seen in a long time. She used to pamper me in this exact manner way back in my childhood...


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth it! We can work through this, Boss. We¡¯ll sort this place out! Once I get moved in and all that junk and we get some quest money flowing we can start planning some renovations. This place could look a lot more bitchin¡¯ for sure. We need like, weapons hanging from every wall and trophies from slain monsters should be on display everywhere you look! Fuck dude, you know what would be a REALLY good idea is if-¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Please calm yourself.¡± I raise my hand in objection as she squeezes me tighter to her iron chest. ¡°There was a lot to unpack there but let¡¯s start with the basics. I wasn¡¯t going to kill myself.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± She blushes and suddenly stops hugging me into her tits. Skeptically, she looks at me with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I was considering a change of careers. That knife is- WAS the only weapon I had lying around and I was wondering if it could even cut. I absently mindedly held it up to my skin while lost in thought. You see, I was thinking about becoming an adventurer.¡± I sigh wistfully at my words as I say them.


    The adventurer girl looks at me quizzically for a few moments before her cheeks puff out from trying to hold back a large amount of laughter.


    She fails miserably.


    My guest erupts into such a childish fit of loud, obnoxious, downright uproarious laughter that she bends over and holds her stomach for support. I give the girl ample time to finish up her fit but every time the laughter starts letting up she just just keeps looking at me and laughing harder. Just as I decide she¡¯s starting to seriously irk me, she slams her fist down on the wooden desk and a decent chunk of the wood breaks and falls down to the dusty floor below.


    ¡°YOU? An adventurer?! Boss c¡¯mon stop fucking with me...! What are you, like forty?¡±


    I indulge in a nervous habit of mine as I adjust my shades from irritation. ¡°I am only thirty-two. I¡¯m sure I could make it if I tried.¡±


    ¡°Thirty-two? I guess you¡¯re not THAT much older than me.¡± She holds back a playful, slightly bitch laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t kid yourself, Boss. You know most heroes start training from a young age right? Course you do, you¡¯re a Guild Master!¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the Master of an empty Guild and my savings are likely to run out by the end of the year. I¡¯ve got no idea what else to do with my life.¡± I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m being so open with this young adventurer, but despite her brashness she comes off warm, comforting and open.


    She makes me feel like talking about this type of stuff with her isn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡°Well shit, yeah, I guess that¡¯s pretty fucked. I thought Dewhurst was supposed to be THE village of Adventurers?¡±


    Her words make me sigh from a deep, personal sense of disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re more than a little too late for that, you missed the heyday by a good twenty-two years or so. I think you want to head to Perlshaw, they¡¯ll be better able to take care of you than I ever could here.¡±


    ¡°N-NO!¡± She immediately slams her fists down on the desk, large cracks now making inroads through the once pleasant veneer. I sigh, deciding it¡¯s not worth confronting her about the ongoing property damage she¡¯s causing.


    ¡°Oh man, fuck Perlshaw. I stopped there about a month ago to get my Hero license and fucked right off. Thank god you¡¯re not as much of a creep as the guy who ran THAT place... Plus, it¡¯s a little too close to the royal city for my taste.¡± The young adventurer nervously sweats, and her words cause me to raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°...You¡¯re not some kind of criminal, are you?¡± I ask, unable to imagine why else she¡¯d be so afraid of being anywhere near Imperalis.


    ¡°WHAT?! OF COURSE NOT!¡± SLAM. My poor desk. Rest in pieces.


    I size her up, beginning to make use of my special eyes now that she¡¯s raised a potential red flag. She seems nice enough, I don¡¯t see any signs in her body language that leads me to believe she¡¯s a dishonest person. Not to imply that my eyes are the be all end all bullshit detector, by any means.


    Deciding to try and be a bit playful I sarcastically jest, ¡°Then I suppose you¡¯re some sort of runaway noble who fled to get away from her father and his stuffy advisors, hm?¡±


    The look she gives me is the face of a child caught in a massive lie and, like any child attempting to maintain innocence, she begins avoiding any and all eye contact with the one who called her out on it.


    ¡°AHAHAHA, W-what the fuck are you on about, Boss? Me? Princess Samantha?! HAH! Y-You should try being a jester if this shit doesn¡¯t work out, not an adventurer...!!¡± I¡¯ve never seen a human being nervously sweat so much in my entire life and I honestly feel a little embarrassed for her.


    Still... Princess Samantha? Is that one of THE Royal Family? We only have one king in Karnalle unlike some of the other realms and the horny bastard on the throne has so many children I can¡¯t for the life of me recall if there¡¯s one named Samantha or not.


    ¡°...Then what IS your name?¡±


    ¡°Sam, see?! SEE?! Look!!¡± Still nervously avoiding eye contact Sam fumbles her gloved hand inside her breastplate and pulls out a small card to present it to me. It¡¯s a Standard issue Hero license from the Association of Adventurers at the lowest rank, Bronze. My eyes take in all the details it has to offer. Sam, eighteen years old, Human... Her class is Great Blader. I could have guessed that one, what with the ridiculously oversized hunk of iron she¡¯s carrying around.


    It¡¯s not a fake license, I definitely would have noticed if it was. The damn things are notoriously hard to make forgeries of and few people would even bother since the barrier of entry towards becoming a bronze ranked adventurer is fairly low.


    ¡°Just Sam, huh?¡± I hand it back to her. ¡°Is that short for anything...?¡±


    She scoffs like I were stupid, ¡°Well duh, It¡¯s short for Sama-¡± Sam stops herself and panics before looking to the side. ¡°Sam...ilda.¡±


    ¡°What kind of a fucking name is Samilda?¡± I ask bluntly, unable to hold my thoughts back.


    ¡°FAKE NAMES ARE HARD, OK?! I¡¯VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!!¡± I blink incredulously. ¡°...Is what I WOULD be saying if Sam...ilda was a fake name and not a real name- which it is. It¡¯s mine.¡±


    If my desk were not already broken I would slam my face on it out of frustration.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Settle down. you¡¯re obviously not leaving till I hook you up with a quest, ¡®Samilda¡¯ so let¡¯s go ahead and get you saddled up with something appropriate to your skill level.¡± I pour on the business charm and even after five years of hardly getting a chance to use it.


    the lack of customers never dried up the skills, decorum and speechcraft I spent so long learning. I stand up from the ruins of what used to be my favorite desk.


    ¡°You¡¯re obviously a new adventurer, since Humans can¡¯t get certified until they¡¯re 18. Regardless, I need to know your quest experience thus far. How long ago were you certified?¡±


    Sam beats her fist against her exposed breast like a proud gorilla. ¡°Yesterday, my birthday!¡±


    ¡°...I see.¡± I knew she was eighteen, but now I¡¯m starting to feel like a creep. I thought she was closer to nineteen with a body like that, but... apparently not.


    Seeing my level of comfort drop greatly Sam suddenly sports a shit eating grin across her youthful, perfectly proportioned face and leans closer to me. She begins to teasingly run her gloved finger against my pecs and by looking down I can see a generous helping of apparently barely legal cleavage. ¡°Oh my... is something the matter? Surely you¡¯re a professional Guild Master and would NEVER look at such a young adventurer in your care with a pervy gaze... would you?¡±


    ¡°...¡± I say nothing, but that actually says a lot by itself.


    Sam eventually stops waiting for my response and playfully punches me in the arm- teaching me the hard way that she¡¯s not very good at controlling her own strength. ¡°You¡¯re pretty damn cute, Boss, not gonna lie. You know... I bet if a pretty little thing with daddy issues walked in she¡¯d barely be able to keep her hands off you.¡±


    ¡°...Is that right? You know, with an outfit like yours one would hardly believe you would have daddy issues. It just makes you come off as so very cultured and intelligent. Really screams ¡®I want my father to be proud of me¡¯.¡± I sigh and look away, cheeks beginning to redden. This situation is getting fairly uncomfortable for me, mainly because...


    Well...


    I¡¯m a virgin.


    I may as well just out right say it.


    I¡¯m thirty-two and if I haven¡¯t made it abundantly clear, no one in the town of Dewhurst has ever been all that fond of me ever since the incident with my grandpa.


    We have an overabundance of brothels in this town so it¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t ever tried, but not one would allow me entrance. There are numerous girls who walk the Dewhurstian streets and in my loneliness I¡¯ve even considered using their services but the temptation of a cheap thrill is never strong enough to overpower my desire to remain free of pelvic misfortune.


    Goddess knows I don¡¯t want the first trip to my physician in five years to be from a sexual disease... she¡¯d sooner cut if off than heal it.


    Like any man I have methods of escapism, I have my fantasies, and I have my right hand. I live vicariously through erotic fiction, which I collect, and have since resigned myself to a life of quiet sexual isolation.


    So I never imagined that a young adventuress would just show up one day, start shoving me into her chest and awakening skeevy feelings inside of me...


    But then Sam goes on to make it worse, using that most unholy and arousing of D-words.


    ¡°You know... I bet Daddy would look cuter if he took these things off.¡± The cheeky, youthful blond playfully tap tap taps the tip of her pointer finger against the golden rim of my glasses. ¡°They¡¯re cool and all but... c¡¯mon. Really? This Guild is darker than a Gothiccan funeral. Who are you trying to impress by wearing sunglasses indoors?¡± She giggles and takes them off my face without knowing what she just did.


    ¡°SAM, FUCK- DON¡¯T!!¡± Reflexively, I step back and cover my eyes behind my hand to block all incoming light.


    Sam¡¯s playful demeanor is instantly replaced with sincere, heartfelt concern.


    ¡°BOSS?! SHIT! WHAT DID I DO!? I¡¯M SORRY, I¡¯M SORRY!!¡± Sam hurriedly tries to put the glasses back on my face and accidentally drops them to the floor. They won¡¯t break of course, they¡¯re Dwarven-made. But Sam doesn¡¯t know that. ¡°FUCK!!¡±


    When I reach over to try and pick them up for myself, we end up headbutting one another and she falls on top of me. It hurts tremendously because of how heavy her sword is and the pain makes me accidentally open my eyes.


    Everything changes.


    My heart starts beating faster than ever before.


    This girl...


    Sam...


    I can look at her. The way normal people look at each other... without my glasses and everything... it... it doesn¡¯t hurt whatsoever.


    She¡¯s special...


    She has to be.


    I don¡¯t know why else this could possibly be happening.


    Sam, for her part, just stares awkwardly from her position on top of me. Not a single impure thought goes through my head even as her sword presses our bodies tight and close together. I know I¡¯m staring, how could I not be? Her eyes are the most beautiful emeralds I¡¯ve ever seen...


    Sam senses that something is wrong with me and that I wasn¡¯t just being an absolute creep. Her awkwardness fades and she looks down at me with concern. ¡°Boss... are you doin¡¯ ok there? Hello?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t seem to be judging me at all, as far as I can tell she¡¯s being entirely sincere.


    I¡¯ve been shut away from the world more or less for five years, and this is just... overwhelming.


    I need to stop being weird, I need to stop-


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± I say, tears forming in the corners of my eyes.


    ¡°W-WHAT...?!¡± She stares back down at me not in revulsion, but in confusion. Of course she does blush, though.


    Shit... fucked the whole not being weird thing up didn¡¯t I?


    ¡°N-Nothing, please... glasses... please, help me find them... I can... explain...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry...!! Here! Here they are...¡± She hands them to me and I quickly press them back to my face.


    ¡°C¡¯mon Boss, snap out of it...! I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry I took your glasses, please... PLEASE don¡¯t be disappointed!! I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go...¡± Sam says as she sits up and extends her hand to pull me up.


    I take it gratefully.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m ok...¡± I raise my hand towards her to assure her, wiping my tears and looking away from her radiance out of fear that it¡¯d happen again.


    ¡°Uh, yeah right, what the FUCK was that...?!¡± She doesn¡¯t believe me and gets up in my face. I wish she wouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think I like feeling like this.


    Also, she smells nice.


    ¡°I... need my glasses for medical reasons. They¡¯re dwarven made- enchanted, I...¡± I struggle with trying to figure out just how much of what I just experienced I should relay to her and how best to describe my condition.


    ¡°My eyesight is special. In a way you could say it¡¯s too good. Having my glasses off for even a split second... it¡¯s like an explosion of clarity that I never asked for. It hurts. A lot. Even more so than when you slapped me.¡± I let out a cheap laugh, trying to ease the tension between us.


    She doesn¡¯t take the hint.


    Sam takes my hands in hers and my heart practically explodes. She¡¯s wearing gloves, but for some reason I still feel the warmth of her hands burning through. She looks me straight in the eyes with no hesitation.


    ¡°No. Whatever just happened to you it was... a lot more than that, wasn¡¯t it? I... felt something too.¡± Sam squeezes my hands tighter in an attempt to comfort me but I can¡¯t take it, I pull away and start walking away from this awkward situation and towards the quest board on the other side of the room.


    ¡°Thank you for the concern, but no. Happens all the time...¡± Clearing my throat, I extend my arm out towards the wooden board on the wall filled with quests. ¡°Allow me to introduce Dewhurst¡¯s one and only quest board. We don¡¯t ever get local work from the townspeople these days but regardless there¡¯s always plenty of Association issued daily quests. Like this one, always a classic for young adventurers looking to prove themselves and start small.¡±


    I take off a quest flier and hand it to her. Sam is currently crossing her arms and staring at me with great worry, but her expression is slowly returning to that slightly determined look she came in with.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, I¡¯m planning on living here. We don¡¯t have to do this right now. You need someone to look after you and frankly I don¡¯t wanna leave you alone right now, Boss.¡±


    The thought of her staying here was way too much for me to bear currently. Sure, an Adventurer¡¯s Guild is supposed to always have spare rooms and dorms for adventurers who would prefer to lodge here instead of staying at pricy inns.


    Here, though? All of those rooms are dilapidated beyond belief thanks to my neglect. The only room that¡¯s livable at this moment in time is my own bedroom, and it only has a single bed.


    Sam refuses to take the flier from my hands and continues to stare at me stubbornly. I sigh deeply and don¡¯t stop trying to hand it to her until she takes it.


    ¡°Look, this is... totally normal.¡± I lie, and she knows it. ¡°I know how to handle myself. Just... please go on this quest and give me some time alone for a bit to sort things out. It¡¯s super simple, you won¡¯t even be gone an hour. Just head out the eastern gate and slay five slimes. Please.¡± I look at her pleadingly.


    Sam apparently decides that my terms aren¡¯t so bad and takes the quest flier from me, but doesn¡¯t break eye contact as she does so. She stuffs it into her breastplate.


    ¡°Go rest, Boss. Now. I¡¯ll be back and we can talk about my lodgings... and whatever is going on with you when I get back. Ok?¡±


    I nod my head with surprisingly meekness. Her voice comforts me, it¡¯s confident and brash... gives me something to latch on to while I try and sort my messed up emotions.


    ¡°Yes, indeed. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be right as rain be the time you return, alright?¡± I try and feign a confident smile but judging by the look on her face I can tell it wasn¡¯t very successful.


    ¡°...Good.¡± Sam raises a skeptic eyebrow. I don¡¯t need my analytic eyes to tell me she doesn¡¯t believe me, but she turns around and starts heading to the door she mercilessly kicked in.


    I will admit to my wandering eyes glancing perhaps too long at her shapely behind on her way out.


    ¡°See ya in a bit, Boss...?¡± She turns back to face me, still concerned, until her eyes trail downwards and she blushes fiercely. While it¡¯s not quite as playfully as earlier and very clearly still worried for me, she seems relieved for some reason.


    ¡°Holy SHIT, dude. You uh... might wanna take care of that... Daddy It¡¯ll calm you down a lot.¡± The supposed Princess points down with her finger before finally leaving the building with an amused smile on her face.


    I look down in horror at my pants to be greeted with the biggest erection I¡¯ve ever had.


    I feel ashamed, confused...


    Nothing about today makes any sense, I was supposed to be closing the Guild and becoming an adventurer. What is with all this additional nonsense coming out of the woodwork at the eleventh hour?


    The only thing I know for sure is... I should probably follow Sam¡¯s advice, and I¡¯m so turned on I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to make it upstairs.

 Turn and Face the Strange

    As expected, something is very wrong here.


    It''s not that I''m about to masturbate just because a girl almost half my age teased me a little bit, no. I mean, that''s wrong in a different sense, but it''s not what I''m talking about. It''s not even the strange changes taking place with my eyes after having gazed at Sam.


    What''s wrong is undoubtedly my dick.


    After Sam left, I practically tore off my trousers while sitting at the cracked reception desk the girl just put through so much duress. I don''t even care that the front door was replaced with a gaping hole, giving anyone walking in an unforgettable view of me jacking off. I''m far too turned on to make it back to my office.


    Holding my length in my hand makes the change even more noticeable.


    I wouldn''t say that before today I was ever a small man. I was always on the ''above'' side of average, yet as I look down at my erect manhood, my eyes point out the glaringly obvious. What was once a healthy six or so inches has now lengthened to almost twice that size, give or take. As if that wasn''t enough, my girth has exploded several times over and the entire thing is covered in angry veins.


    Did Sam somehow do this to me?


    ...Well, that''s a stupid question. Obviously, she was the cause of this erection, but the erection itself is far from ordinary. My magical second puberty theory suddenly has a third leg to stand on, though part of me wonders if Sam cast some sort of spell on me.


    She doesn''t give me the impression of a Mage, and I definitely would''ve noticed if she uttered a spell. Everyone knows non-verbal magic is far less potent than actually saying the spell aloud, so the girl would have to be powerful if she really was behind this, and I just don''t think that''s the case.


    It''s not even that I''m ungrateful with my sudden endowment. I''m thrilled, if anything. But magical dick expansions don''t just happen, and that concerning fact overshadows any joy I might be feeling from the present situation.


    Then, right as my fear begins to take hold of me, I hear a familiar voice whispering to me from within my heart. ''Don''t be afraid...'' It says, and I recognize it as the voice I heard all those years ago, which reinforced my decision to become a Guild Master.


    I stop what I''m doing and look around, and after seeing no source of the voice, I do what I do best. Pretend it never happened. Today has been one thing after another, and I refuse to add schizophrenic hallucinations to the ''shit I have to deal with today'' pile.


    For now, it''s back to processing the harder problem at hand.


    Once the initial shock wears off, I notice that the increased phallus size isn''t the only change in what I have going on down there. My balls felt the need to get in on the action, too. They''ve just about tripled in size, and Gods are they swollen. Their increased heft is so pronounced that I''m shocked I didn''t notice them sooner than I did.


    If that isn¡¯t enough, I can feel a burning, pulsing need throbbing from within them. Far from a normal throbbing, this sensation feels as if my orbs were pumping and churning desires straight into my mind, warping my thoughts and focusing them on a singular, focused need.


    They scream at me like a pair of hissing, angry cats over and over that I want Sam.


    This is wrong, this is so very, very wrong, but as my thoughts begin to stir even more, I start stroking myself while envisioning the girl I just met. Flowing from one fantasy to the next, my inhibition releases itself to the wind, and I can''t stop imagining how it would feel to ram this enlarged rod of mine straight into Sam over and over.


    I don''t want to be thinking of her like this, but the more I try to think of something else, the more I''m compelled to go straight on back to the thought of that young, tight little Princess. It would feel so good if I just... pushed it as far back as it would go and let it all out... every drop of semen I have to give... inside of her.


    On the verge of orgasm, that same mysterious voice pipes up again. It congratulates me for my chauvinistic fantasies, which I don''t know how to feel about. ''Good, good. You''ve got the right idea... that''s where it needs to go, after all... the rest is up to you...'' It whispers, ruining the mood.


    The voice makes me briefly stop to consider what''s going on with me, but then I remember Sam saying I would probably feel a lot better if I were to ''bust a nut'' or two. Nothing else matters right now but straightening these emotions out, so I double down on following her advice.


    With both hands, I jack myself off until I manage to bring myself into the most fulfilling climax I can remember having. I suppose having such a fresh memory in my mind to draw inspiration from makes all the difference in the world, as my fantasies of Princess-claiming send me reeling from the over-the-top pleasure.


    The only problem with this, besides the sinking feeling of immorality in the pit of my stomach, is that it doesn''t end. On and on my semen erupts as if a floodgate were released. Instead of a few healthy ropes of seed like I''m accustomed to, the end result looks like someone accidentally dumped a gallon of cake batter under the desk.


    On the one hand, nice. On the other hand, this is not humanly possible and I find it deeply concerning. How much of my body fluid did such a copious, excessive load like this even cost me?


    And then there''s that voice again.


    It can''t be denied any longer, I have to acknowledge that I definitely heard someone talking to me while masturbating. The fact that it was celebrating the fact that I was getting myself in such devious circumstances is befuddling, but at this point, I''m considerably less shocked than I should be.


    That''s just sort of where I''m at right now, for better or worse. All things considered, I''m feeling a lot better. I guess I really needed this after all.


    Now that my mind has settled into a state almost resembling calmness, I glance over my shoulder to check the clock hanging behind me on the wall. Close to forty minutes or so have passed since I sent Sam on her way to go kill five Slimes, meaning I better get to work on cleaning up this shameful deluge of my own making. Even a rookie most likely wouldn''t take longer than an hour or two to finish up with a target like that.


    I can''t even imagine Sam''s reaction if she were to see this mess. Going off of our brief interaction, I''m certain that brat would tease me like no tomorrow and that I would never hear the end of it. I''m not about to let that happen without a fight, so I hop up and pull on my pants to get to work.


    Grabbing a towel and some cleaning wax from the nearest storage closet, I somehow manage to mop up everything until it''s nice and spotless. It takes me a while partly because I''m out of practice when it comes to cleaning like this, but it doesn''t help that I can''t even stress just how much semen there is.


    I''m still a little floored by the amount on top of everything else, but I try my best to stop thinking of whatever''s going on down south since my only option to have it inspected would be to see Miss Hart. Unless my penis suddenly starts hurting all over or it develops hideous magical growths, there''s no chance I''ll be gracing her clinic over something embarrassing like this.


    Now that the mess is all cleaned up, I still have to deal with the smell. The cleaning wax didn''t quite cut it, which I should''ve expected that would be the case. No problem, I''ll just run and grab a bottle of scented wax, and-


    "Ugh..." Sam groans loudly as she enters the Guild through the ruins of the front door at the same time that I return from the closet. Damn. I didn''t get remotely enough time to set up her room for the night, let alone all the other stuff I wanted to do.


    "Be right with you in a moment," Too busy to give the returning adventurer more than a cursory glance, I call out to her while getting on my knees and furiously scrubbing away at the overpowering odor of molten man-juice.


    "Whatever," She grumbles.


    Her annoyed tone draws my attention, and I look up from my position to glimpse upon the runaway Princess. Turns out, she''s not looking too good. Sam is covered in sweat, red-faced with exhaustion, and gobs of blue slime are covering different parts of her skin, clothes, and even her hair. Did things not go well for her? She''s pouting like crazy and looks frustrated.


    "Are you doing alright?" I ask, suddenly invested in how her first quest went. I do a half-assed job at cleaning the smell up just so I can approach her just a little sooner.


    She turns to face me as I walk down the aisle to meet her. As I adjust the bowstrings of my collar, we meet eyes and I''m suddenly reminded of all the vile things I imagined doing to this girl, and all the equally vile things I imagined her doing to me. I feel my cheeks burning, but Sam doesn''t pay it any mind as she''s too busy pouting.


    "Eh," She shrugs, and I notice that despite being covered head to toe in goo, not a hint of slime is present on her sword. "Funny story, Boss..." She scratches the back of her head, turning away from me and avoiding my gaze.


    "Seems like it didn''t go so well, then." I feel the need to comfort the upset adventurer, but I watch myself almost reaching out to clasp her on the shoulder. I stop myself and curse the attempt. It''s not a good idea to invite such familiarity between us, not with the bizarre sexual tension brewing under the surface.


    Sam immediately huffs up and stomps her foot on the ground. She turns, her emerald eyes flaring up with defiant fire as she clenches her fist for dramatic emphasis. "Those ooey-gooey, wibbly-wobbly fuckers were annoying, alright?! It''s not my fault they just kept dodging, and dodging, and dodging! Rrrgh!"


    The girl is taking her failure pretty badly. Although her anger intimidates me, I feel sorry for her mainly because I was in such a hurry to see her off that I neglected to give her all the advice that I could have.


    Killing the little buggers can seem a futile endeavor if you don''t know what you''re doing. If I were in my right mind, I would have remembered that some melee warriors struggle against Slimes when they''re just starting out. Especially if they use big, bulky weapons like Sam. There were a lot of tips I could have passed on, and I mentally curse myself for rushing her out the door.


    "Tell me exactly what happened out there, if you would," I adjust my glasses, eager to take in the new information. "I can help you."


    "I found one real fast, and I got close and whipped out my sword, y''know? Then I charged it, but it jumped outta the way. I didn''t give up right away, or nothing," She puffs out her cheeks in a bout of annoyance, making sure to emphasize that she''s no quitter. "But after a half hour of chasing the jackass around, I thought I''d come back and... I dunno, see if you have any ideas on how I could do this."


    Knowing how to kill monsters is a large part of my job, so I know plenty of ways to kill Slimes. Typically you''d want to use magic whenever available as that''ll take care of them in one go, depending on the type of slime. Ranged weapons are a no go, but melee ones like that great blade of hers can do the job, if you''re good enough.


    I thought that Sam had at least some idea of what she was doing, considering that the Guild Master of Perlshaw licensed her as a Great Blader. Not to mention I''ve experienced her strength first hand, and it may have led me to overestimate her abilities by a vast amount. Raw power is next to useless in the hands of someone who doesn''t know how to wield it.


    Just because she can carry that weapon, I shouldn''t have assumed she could use it. Needing clarification, I ask the girl, "Are you having trouble wielding your weapon, by any chance?"


    This innocent question has a dire effect I wasn''t expecting, sending Sam into a tizzy to prove herself.


    The flustered adventurer draws her tremendous sword over her shoulder, sliding it out of the leather sling on her back. Her expression is stressed, like she feels that convincing me she knows how to use her sword is a desperate gamble.


    She did say she had nowhere else to go, but still... Sam doesn''t need to be this desperate. It just makes me feel bad for the poor girl.


    "Heck no!" She scoffs very unconvincingly, the sweat on her brow pooling downward. "Me? An amateur? Fat chance of that! Just you watch, I know my way around this thing like the back of my hand!" Raising her arms, Sam seems intent on demonstrating her strength with a swing of her sword.


    I can''t let that happen. This girl has caused enough property damage for one day. I raise my hand in protest. "Sam, don''t. Please, I understand you''re worried that I might judge you for being a rookie, but I assure you that''s not the-"


    Sam disregards my plea, performing a practice swing right here in the middle of the Guild. The ceilings are high enough to avoid her wrath, but the girl''s lack of experience makes her attempt at controlling the weight of her weapon spiral out of control. Her sloppy form and poor grip end up forcing the blade''s momentum to carry it down into a collision path with the floorboards below.


    Once more, wooden shrapnel flies into the air, and dust clouds explode from the impact. "Oh, shit-" Sam blinks, assessing the damage as she wrenches her sword out of my floor and returns it to the holster on her back. "Uh. Welp, I told ya I know what I''m doing... didn''t I? Ahahaha..."


    I close my eyes and inhale through my nose, begging this girl not to try my patience any further. All attempts to calm myself fail. This day has just been one thing after another, and as much as I''m not proud to admit, this is the thing that makes me snap.


    While I don''t consider myself an aggressive person, out of pure impulse I grab one of the slim straps connecting her breastplate to her pauldrons, pulling her closer to me to the point where the majority of her breast almost slides right out of her poor excuse for armor.


    "Sam." I say, opening my eyes and staring into hers.


    "U-Uh... Boss?"


    "I''m going to give you one warning, so listen up. Stop. Fucking. Up. My. Guild. Do I make myself clear?"


    The blonde Princess stands there as I hold her in place. Despite Sam''s fierceness and her tomboyish attitude, I somehow manage to intimidate the brat enough to take me seriously. She bites her lip meekly as an oddly happy blush fills her cheek, and she nervously smiles while nodding her pretty little head up and down, making her cute twin-tails of hers bob as she does.


    This isn''t enough to quell my irritation, so I continue on. "You ruined my door, you ruined my desk, and now this?" I extend my hand towards the damaged floor, emphasizing the cloud of dust that''s yet to settle. "Clearly, you don''t know what you''re doing with that sword. Look where acting all tough got you, you brat!"


    "B-Brat?!" That nervous smile of hers grows wider.


    "Yes, you''re a brat whose only talent seems to be flirting and inflicting property damage. No wonder you couldn''t defeat a couple of Slimes, not when you''re such a damned brat." I continue staring straight at her, and I feel a switch flip within me telling me to keep pressuring Sam to relieve some of the stress this wicked day has wrought me. Especially since she doesn''t seem against it.


    "Do you deny that you''re nothing but a brat, acting like she''s hot shit?"


    "Y-Yes! I mean... uh... no!" Sam sweats harder and her cheeks become an even deeper shade of red as I draw nearer, my threatening glare piercing straight through her.


    "Say it, then."


    "I''m... I''m a brat...!" Her face melts under the weight of her toothy, widening smile. Because I''m so invested in working off my stress, I don''t initially pick up on the implications here in her body language.


    "Again. Like you mean it."


    "I''m a big, stupid brat, Daddy!" Sam cries in a breathy haze, her emerald eyes glazed over to the point where they look coated in a thick fog of arousal. She opens her full, round lip slowly and pants, "I''m sooo, sooooo, sorry Daddy... please don''t get rid of me, I promise I won''t break anything else! I''ll be a good little girl for you, I promise I will!"


    Blushing, I let go of Sam''s leather strap in a flash. I notice at last what''s going on here and put distance between us as I take a few steps backward. Gods, I''m a fucking idiot. She''s getting off on this.


    "Damn it, Sam," I groan, cradling my forehead. "I can''t believe you right now..."


    "Hey, man. I know my type, alright? And it ain''t like it''s my fault ya just up and did all that!" She blushes, wiping a small trail of drool that was starting to pool in the corner of her mouth. Now that she''s free of my influence, her expression turns frazzled and also slightly disappointed.


    Looking into my eyes, she flutters her eyelashes wantingly. "But, I mean if ya got anymore of that in ya, then don''t hold back on my account..." Under her breath she adds, "Fuck, that was everything I''ve ever wanted..." as she sighs a long, dreamy sigh of contentment.


    I was already beginning to suspect as much, but it''s good to know for certain that this girl is hopeless.


    After calming myself down, I ask, "Tell me how the quest went again, but don''t hold anything back. The more you tell me, the better I can help."


    Sam is able to pull herself from the depths of masochism long enough to shrug, telling me, "Not much else to say, I think. The problem was kinda similar to what just happened a second ago with the floor. It''s hard to control my sword, and it always comes crashing down too slow to actually hit the damn Slimes..."


    Not great to hear, but fixable. I try not to lower Sam''s mood any further by showing signs of distress, but this information leaves me less than pleased. Thankfully, Slimes should be the perfect target for teaching the girl to control her weapon. It would take me a bit of time, but I believe my knowledge should be more than enough to put her on the correct course.


    Sam senses my apprehension and wants to fill the awkward stillness with humor.


    Just when I thought I was out of the woods and safe from her teasing for the moment, the brat takes a step forward and delivers a playful punch to my pec. "Ah, well. At least one of us was able to finish our quest, right?"


    Breaking out of my introverted thoughts, Sam''s closeness and her accusations suddenly causes me to almost lock up yet again. "Excuse me?"


    "C''mon, Boss. I can smell it." She grins. "Smells like there was an awful lot of it, too."


    Damn it, I should have figured I didn''t do a good enough job cleaning up...


    Feeling particularly brave, this little brat extends her pointer finger and traces a heart shape on my chest while she''s there. Her eyes flicker with mischievous delight as she enjoys watching my face redden.


    "It was a normal amount." I protest while doing my best to remain calm. Sam doesn''t buy it, her smirk only becoming all the wider. Just as I brace myself for whatever sort of teasing she''s about to pull next, though, the girl''s expression softens.


    Sam looks at me with such kindness that it inspires me to lower my guard. She asks, "Did it make ya feel any better, at least? You were super on edge when I left, and I know some of that is cause I keep messing with ya, but... I was really damn worried."


    When she stares at me that way, my sense of shame acts up again and I momentarily hang my head. Whether she knows it or not, the thought of this curvy young warrior helped settle me down significantly. "Yeah," wrenching my head up to give her a weak smile, I nod at her. "I feel a lot better, actually."


    "Good," She crosses her arms and nods back, approvingly. Then, her devilish streak acts up again as she winks after vexing me with, "Hope I was able to help ya out down there, Daddy."


    "No comment," I groan.


    "Oh, Gods. You actually did!" She giggles. "You totally just jacked it to some chick you just met!"


    "Even if I did," My irritation rises once again and I point at her with a huff. "You were practically-"


    "Go on, Boss," The brat looks me in the eyes with a sassy flair. "Tell me I was ''asking for it''. That''ll make ya look like way less of a creep, for sure."


    I hold my tongue, trying to think of something else to say. Eventually, I come up with, "You''re the one flirting with a man you barely know, knowing full well he''s almost twice your age."


    Sam pauses as if this is only now occurring to her. "I mean, yeah, I guess so. But it''s not like I''m loose or anything like that. You and me... we just kinda vibe, y''know? It''s hard to hold back around you." The girl tilts her head and laughs, a shy blush coloring her cheeks.


    We just vibe, huh? I wonder if that has anything to do with the feelings I felt for her when seeing Sam without my glasses because it sounds a lot like what I experienced. Not like I can tell her about any of that, though. Goddesses know I already look and feel skeevy enough for one day...


    Eager to move on, I adjust my shades once more and pull us back to the topic of adventuring. "I''m flattered to hear that, but that''s enough about me for the moment. We need to clear a few things up about you, instead."


    "Me? Uh... sure," She panics, probably because she doesn''t want me digging for any details about where she comes from. "What do you wanna know?"


    "How in all the Realms did you get certified as an adventurer despite your inexperience? I know that standards tend to be low for fresh meat, but typically you have to at least showcase you have the bare minimum of skill to the Guild Master overseeing your registration."


    "Whoa, hold up, Boss!" Sam''s panic only worsens, but for a completely different reason. "You aren''t saying you''re gonna try and revoke my thing, are you?!"


    "No, I''m asking for my own curiosity. I wouldn''t turn you away."


    Skepticism colors her emerald eyes, dulling them as she frowns. "Promise?"


    "I promise."


    This relieves the girl, and she smiles softly before her expression becomes evasive. "It wasn''t a big deal or anything, I just... asked him nicely!"


    My mind drops to the gutter as she says that, especially when remembering Sam said the Guild Master of Perlshaw was a creep. This girl, she didn''t...?


    As if reading my mind, Sam blushes and her fury ignites. "Not like that!" She stomps her foot on the creaky floorboards below. "I mean... he tried going down that road, but I was not having it. Nuh-uh. I bribed him the old-fashioned way and NOT the slutty way! I gave the bastard a sack of gold I stole from home, and when he forked over the license and approved my transfer to Dewhurst, I kicked him in the nuts so hard he passed out and got the fuck out of there."


    I feel myself crack again, but this time it''s not out of anger. I laugh at the mental image of this rough and tumble tomboy getting hit on, only for her to use that immense strength of hers when he least expects it. Guess I shouldn''t have judged her from her choice of attire.


    Knowing she''s not a massive flirt with every man she meets fills me up with a strange sense of contentment, even though I know it really shouldn''t. Yet it does. I''m happy that for whatever reason Sam likes me enough to flirt with me.


    "So," Sam takes my laughter as a good sign, smiling while scratching the back of her head. "You''re not gonna do anything about my license?"


    "I can''t ignore what you just told me, no. But I''m not going to revoke it, report you, or anything like that."


    I watch as a good deal of apprehension shows up on the girl''s face. "Then what are you gonna do about it?"


    Sam is rough and unpolished, both in her skill with the sword and in regards to her overall personality. Neither of those are what I''d consider a deal-breaker. Now that my emotions have settled down, I realize that I''m indeed staring right at the very second chance I was praying for... perhaps literally, given her suspiciously-timed appearance and the unexplainable developments that have happened since.


    I''m not about to spend an overly long amount of time debating whether Sam really was sent here by the Goddess herself, all that matters is that she''s here. The only thing left to do is to toughen her up enough until she can start pulling in a stable stream of income for the Guild, and we''ll go from there.


    And there''s no time like the present to get the ball rolling. "Come along with me, "I tell Sam as I grab her by the wrist. "And you''ll find out exactly what I''m going to do about it."


    The almost-certainly-a-Princess wasn''t prepared for this and blushes as I pull her down the aisle toward the door. She doesn''t protest and follows along once the shock wears off. "Whoa, there, I didn''t say ya could manhandle me, Boss!"


    "Don''t even try to pretend you don''t like it," I roll my eyes.


    "Um... s-shut up!" She gets all pouty in a cute, exaggerated way before looking back at me with confusion. "Where the heck are we even going?"


    I look over my shoulder and tell the young adventurer very bluntly, "We''re going to teach you a lesson."

 Random Encounters

    It isn¡¯t often I leave the ¡®safety and comfort¡¯ of the degenerate town of Dewhurst. As established, it isn¡¯t very often I even leave my own Guild at all. That being said, Sam has forced my hand. She''s given me no choice in the matter other than to set off with her in tow, hoping to see if I can¡¯t solve this problem myself.


    This is what I always wanted, after all. To help adventurers improve themselves and be the best Guild Master I can be. Why I''m only getting this chance now after twenty-two years of failure, I''ll never know, but it''s here.


    Far be it from me not to take it.


    Besides, I¡¯ve got to make things up to Sam for snapping at her. I¡¯m not proud of how I acted toward her back at the Guild, even if it was clear for all to see that the troubled brat was totally into it.


    Putting aside the obvious desire that this girl has to be scolded by an older man, there¡¯s a looming problem on the horizon if I can¡¯t sort Sam¡¯s inexperience out. Profit needs to start coming in if she really wants to stay at my Guild for the long haul.


    In a few months, I won¡¯t be able to put food on the table for myself, let alone two people. My savings are already running low enough as it is. If Sam can¡¯t finish a quest and start raking in some gold, she¡¯ll end up as nothing more than another mouth for me to fail at feeding.


    I could always ask Miss Hart for some financial assistance, but there¡¯s no way I could bring myself to do it. Not after all she''s already done for me.


    Gods, and to think I was already daydreaming about the warrior Princess raking in quest after quest after seeing all that raw power of hers. I thought I would be granted access to that sweet, sweet handler¡¯s fee...


    Not that it would be very much money in the first place. Sam¡¯s only a rookie and can¡¯t take high-paying quests.


    My income from any work she undertakes would be spare change at best, but spare change is still money, and money has this little thing it likes to do called ''adding up''. Every little bit the would-be adventurer earns me could be saved to start working on renovating the Guild.


    A simple remedy to this problem is to focus on Association requested gathering quests that I¡¯m sure even Sam could complete.


    But that wouldn¡¯t really solve the issue. It would just be delaying it for another day. No, it¡¯d be in Sam¡¯s best interest if we just face her inexperience head-on. Together, we¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t teach her the absolute bare minimum required to survive using her sword. I''m no fighter, but I can point out any glaring mistakes if I see them.


    Hence, I¡¯m currently dragging the Princess through town.


    Dewhurst has four main gates, and the one we''re heading to is the east one. My Guild is on the southeast outskirts, so it doesn''t take long to get to the south or east gates from here. This is good because saying we get many strange looks on our way out of Dewhurst is an understatement.


    Given how I have a reputation around here as the kid who supposedly killed his grandfather and ruined the booming Guild economy, I¡¯m used to getting a few evil eyes whenever I¡¯m out and about.


    Today, however, is a different affair.


    The denizens of dirty old Dewhurst have never once seen me walking around with a beautiful, scantily-clad blonde. Given how many of the suspicious men are brandishing weapons when we pass them by, I¡¯m not sure I appreciate the extra attention that my companion brings.


    Sam seems ready to pick a fight with half of the glaring jerks we cross paths with, but every time she almost loses herself, I squeeze her hand. It pulls her back into the moment, and we¡¯re able to be on our ¡®merry¡¯ way.


    I swear, things never used to be quite this bad...


    The Dewhurst of my childhood was a fantastical place full of life, festivity, and optimism. A place where adventurers from all over the Realm could come and make a name for themselves and the streets were lined with thriving businesses and warm smiles. Nowadays, the only thriving businesses around these parts are back alley apothecaries and cheap brothels.


    Ah, well. That''s enough nostalgia for now.


    We''re here.


    Hand in hand, Sam and I pass through the gate and travel down the dirt road leading out of town. It stretches out far into the horizon, farther than most people who aren''t me can see.


    If you follow the road on foot for long enough, then in a couple of days you''ll reach Cransmere. Never been there myself. I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a quaint logging town at the mouth of the Gnarled Woods that was decimated ages ago by one of the Demon Lords of Karnalle''s past, and there are lots of unsavory rumors about the place because of it.


    Further northeast from Cransmere is the port city of Perlshaw, which sits on the border between the Arrark and Rhoivan provinces. Needless to say, we won''t be traveling that far. Slimes can be found just outside the city limits.


    The further we journey into the grassy plains, the more the cloudy, gray overcast mysteriously hanging over Dewhurst starts to fade. My vision is accustomed to Dewhurst''s dreariness. What it isn¡¯t accustomed to is the bright, warm, lovely spring afternoon that greets out in the wilderness.


    Maybe I''d find it more pleasinglovely if I ever left town long enough for my eyes to adjust. I can¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯ve been out here, and it shows. With some luck, I''ll acclimate... hopefully.


    And if not? Well, there''ll be a migraine waiting for me in the not-too-distant future.


    Sam and I both hop off the road and start heading into the plains.


    ¡°So, you gonna keep holding my hand or what?¡± Sam smirks, drawing my attention to what I¡¯ve been doing this entire time.


    I become embarrassed over how natural it feels and how I barely even noticed I was still doing it. Trying to own it, I look Sam in the eyes and raise an eyebrow. ¡°I don¡¯t know. You won¡¯t get lost, will you?¡±


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey. Don¡¯t get me wrong! I don¡¯t mind either way, Boss.¡±


    Rolling my eyes, I let go of her hand. She pretends to be upset over it, but that¡¯s too bad. We¡¯ve got things to do.


    Not even a few minutes of walking into the wilds later, we come across a perfectly good Slime, the bane of any young adventurer.


    Spherical in shape but altogether formless save for a pair of innocent-looking eyes and a mouth with a droopy tongue, these goo-damned pests infest every last province of Karnalle. That''s bad enough on its own, but there are quite literally thousands of variants due to how adaptable they are as a species. Bubble Slimes, Death Slimes, Sea Slimes, Box Slimes... name an adjective, and there''s most likely a Slime to match it. Some of them are immensely powerful, too.


    Slimes will multiply endlessly if left alone, especially in areas where there''s not much competition for resources. Culling their population is a laborious but necessary process. Because of my Guild''s lack of manpower, I believe the nearest Baron''s knights have been taking care of them for a while.


    That''s about to change right here, right now.


    Sam¡¯s face becomes apprehensive as soon as she notices the blue, gelatinous monster. A bead of sweat appears on her brow. Memories of her recent failure come to mind, but she pushes them out of the way and fires herself up with pure determination.


    This time, she''ll have her vengeance on the damned thing. Sam is sure of it.


    In turn, the gooey creature¡¯s eyes twinkle when it catches sight of the Princess. Even though it''s not capable of rational thought, the determined glare makes me think that somehow it''s trying to convey that it, too, means business.


    I know how Slimes work, though. As long as we don''t get any closer, it won''t register us as a threat. This gives me plenty of time to look over Sam''s form and impart whatever feedback she needs to hear.


    ¡°Look at that smug piece of shit...¡± Sam spits at the ground and furrows her brow. She draws her sword out from over her shoulder with great anger and wields it like an unruly barbarian. ¡°He¡¯s asking for more, that motherfucker! Didn''t get enough of me the first time around, huh? HUH? C''mere, you little jiggly punk!¡±


    The battle hasn''t even begun, and I''m already noticing a dozen problems and then some. Let alone the fact that Slimes don''t speak the common tongue and that threatening them is beyond useless, even childish, almost every aspect of Sam''s posture and form is wrong.


    I don''t even need to be told she''s never used a sword before in her life. She practically wears that fact like a badge of honor on her skimpy breastplate for all to see.


    ¡°Stop, stop, stop. What in all the Realms do you call this?¡± I extend my palm, motioning to the girl¡¯s blade with my entire hand.


    ¡°...It¡¯s a sword, Boss.¡± Sam stares back at me with a puzzled look on her face, like I just asked the stupidest question she¡¯d ever heard. It would be a funny misunderstanding if I weren''t dead serious.


    ¡°No. I know what a sword is, you git. I¡¯m talking about your stance.¡± I scan Sam over nice and thoroughly with my magical eyes, picking up every detail I can until there¡¯s little left. Everything snaps into place now that I see what she looks like when she¡¯s ready for combat.


    Sam gets the wrong idea. "Uh, not that I don''t appreciate the attention, but... is this really the best time for you to be checking out my bitchin'' bod?"


    I ignore both her and her ''bitching bod''.


    I''m at work here, and I''m not about to be drawn into her teasing. I begin to circle around the young adventurer, studying every nook and cranny of Sam''s scantily clad body to properly absorb all of the data available. The rookie adventurer starts to blush heavily due to my sudden invasiveness, which is slightly surprising. Guess even Sam¡¯s shamelessness has limits, shocking as that may be.


    Before she can even begin to say another word out of embarrassment, I move in to start my critique.


    ¡°Your hands. One up here, one down here,¡± I tell Sam in a commanding tone, to start off small.


    ¡°Ah, uh. Ok, like this...?¡± She shifts their position a bit, albeit incorrectly.


    ¡°No, like this.¡± I reach out and move her gloved hands for her, sliding them up her sword''s hilt to the correct places.


    ¡°Oh! The weight feels more consistent now!¡± She says, getting a feel for it.


    ¡°Precisely. It will be more balanced when you swing. Shoulders straight, now- don¡¯t let them slouch.¡± I demonstrate a pose for her to copy.


    ¡°Like this?¡± She fixes her posture, mimicking my own as best she can. It''s not quite there, and a more direct approach might serve to teach her better.


    "No, hold on-" I move forward, getting almost face to face with Sam. Her cheeks redden as I touch the small of her back... just above her bikini armor thong. Careful, now... I have to keep my eyes focused, or else I might just-


    "H-Hey!" Sam laughs awkwardly, looking over her shoulder. "Be careful back there, perv...!"


    "Don''t make this weird. I¡¯m trying to help..." I grumble, pushing forward on the girl''s sensitive spine.


    "Hyaaaan-!" Sam plays up a sensual moan, making herself sound as over the top and horny as she can. It''s not hard to see that someone around here is having an unsettling amount of fun with this, especially when it''s at my expense.


    "Do you want to learn the right posture or not?" I try to sound serious, but it just comes off as flustered and embarrassed. This is my first time touching a girl like this, but it''s for business, not pleasure.


    "Sorry, sorry... I''ll be a good girl..." She giggles and then looks away, blushing even harder as if she''s not sure what''s come over her.


    "You better," I sigh, trying to calm myself. I came dreadfully close to spanking her like the brat she is, but despite Sam''s best efforts, I''m not ready to graduate from giving her perverted looks to straight-up sexually harassing her.


    After that, I grab her shoulders and angle them a bit better. Of course, this causes her to make another, less teasing moan. "Damn it, I said stop it."


    "I can''t help it! Your hands feel good, ok?!" She snaps, turning away so hard that her fluffy, blonde twin-tail smacks me in the face like a bushy whip.


    I shake it off, shrugging. After reviewing Sam¡¯s posture, I determine she''s good to go. Onto the next step.


    "Look at my feet and take the same position,¡±


    ¡°Alright, lemme just... hey, you''re right. This feels a lot better. Now I won¡¯t trip all over myself like a dumbass!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, as long as you remember to keep it up. And another thing-¡±


    This goes on and on.


    For another five minutes, I stand there in the open field, roasting and correcting the Princess¡¯s abysmal form without mercy. She takes my every word in stride, doing as I do and not complaining in the slightest.


    I know it¡¯s rude of me to think this about her, but I was worried Sam wouldn¡¯t be able to follow along. She hasn¡¯t exactly proven herself to be the sharpest sword in the Realm during the short time I¡¯ve known her. Despite that, I find myself pleasantly pleased with Sam¡¯s ability and her enthusiasm when it comes to soaking up all the knowledge I have to offer.


    Even though Sam can''t stop teasing and flirting with me, she''s taking this seriously. She wants to improve with all her heart. I don¡¯t know why the girl ran away from home, but becoming an adventurer isn¡¯t a joke to Sam.


    There''s a hunger in her eyes, a fire. A burning desire that swells inside her, driving Sam to do her best, though as it stands, she might not be cut out for this.


    I envy her.


    Seeing Sam in this light makes me wonder, though. Did I ever use to look that passionate about being a Guild Master?


    ...No, no. I shouldn''t be thinking like this.


    What I should be doing is helping this quirky girl chase her ambitions however I can. Luckily for the both of us, the nearby Slimes are content to just idle lazily about as I teach this young blonde the correct way to viciously slaughter them.


    I suppose I also envy that level of carelessness, too, in a way.


    Once I¡¯m done with my work, Sam stands perfectly in the correct posture. Her form is nothing short of immaculate- for a beginner, at least. ¡°Wonderful. There¡¯s hope for you yet, it seems.¡± I give her a warm and reassuring smile, or at least I try to. Goddess knows it¡¯s hard with a thuggish face such as my own.


    "Wow..." She gulps, looking down at her form. "This feels so much better. It¡¯s not even funny...!"


    "You should be proud of yourself, Sam."


    ¡°Hey, hey! Don''t write yourself off like that. I had a good teacher! Even if he was a little too ''hands on''...¡± The blonde adventurer gives me a playful wink and then a smirk.


    Even though it¡¯s such a simple gesture, for a moment, I lose myself and begin to blush. A cute little wink like that... on a face like hers? It''s just not fair. Even if I weren¡¯t a depressive shut-in, I¡¯d be struggling to keep cool.


    I turn around in place to hide my embarrassment and immediately change the topic. No matter what, I won¡¯t allow Sam to amp up the strange, yet undeniable, sexual tension between us. Things have already gone too far as it is, and I''ll be damned if I let her push me over the deep end. ¡°You don¡¯t have any experience wielding a sword whatsoever, do you?¡±


    ¡°Uh... I''ve been like, near swords? Does that count? I mean, I guess you could say I was self-taught or something...¡± She shifts in place, dropping her stance as she babbles on. For a split second, her eyes narrow out of embarrassment as she bites her lower lip.


    Sighing, I shake my head. ¡°That was a rhetorical question, ¡®Samilda¡¯.¡±


    The girl looks at me with a frazzled expression, but soon, it cracks, and she can''t hide her amusement.


    ¡°...You¡¯re kind of a cheeky fuck, aren¡¯t ya, Boss?¡± She holds back an exceedingly un-ladylike snort but fails miserably, letting it out for the world to hear. I¡¯ll be honest, Sam has a charming laugh in a very unconventional way. There''s just something about a girl who''s so direct and straightforward in her bluntness that I can''t help but adore.


    So much for not letting her push me over the deep end.


    ¡°Oh no, you¡¯ve caught me.¡± I play up an exaggerated sigh and throw my hands into the air.


    ¡°Riiiiiight.¡± Sam rolls her eyes, lifting the corner of her mouth into yet another teasing smirk. ¡°Hey, here¡¯s an idea. How bout you watch me kill the shit out of some Slimes and let me know if I do anything wrong?¡±


    ¡°I thought you¡¯d never ask. Get back into the position, though.¡± I say, not realizing the implications at first. Her smirk widens, and I understand my mistake right away. ¡°Wait, not like-¡±


    The vivid red blush returns on the Princess¡¯s smug little face and her eyes zero in on me like those of a vicious predator. Her grin is toothy, showcasing a sharp little fang that I regrettably find adorable.


    ¡°Oh? What position do you want me in, Boss?" Her voice becomes higher, more drawn out, and she cocks her hip to the side. "Remind me. And hey, feel free to use your hands again, too, if you need to! I wasn''t lying when I said they felt good.¡±


    ¡°You know damn well what ''position'' I mean, you incorrigible, teenaged vixen,¡± I grunt and roll my eyes, feeling color flush my cheeks against my will. This damned temptress, I swear... ¡°Get back into the stance I just taught you.¡±


    ¡°Dude, you¡¯re so fuckin¡¯ cute,¡± She laughs in that tomboyish laugh of hers which I¡¯m already growing much too fond of. ¡°I¡¯m just bustin¡¯ your balls, relax. Or, y¡¯know... don¡¯t.¡± For added emphasis, the young lady sticks her tongue out at me in a very mature and totally non-childish way.


    Thankfully, the runaway Princess decides she¡¯s teased me well enough for the moment. Sam turns her back to me, and I watch as the young warrior perfectly reassumes the stance I hammered into her.


    ...Gods, I really do need to work on my phrasing.


    Now that she¡¯s fully ready for combat, Sam marches off to take on her slippery foe. The Slime takes the initiative right when it notices her approaching. It draws near, registering the oncoming warrior as a threat, and the first actual battle of her adventuring career begins in earnest.

 My One Last Shot

    Sam stares down the gooey monster with the best fierce glare she can muster, her emerald eyes showcasing a surprising amount of bottomless rage. Such animalistic anger leaves me floored, even downright intimidated, honestly. You¡¯d think that the Slime owed her money with the way she¡¯s staring at it.


    The tension breaks in seconds as the Slime ceases its staredown, lunging towards the young warrior. Sensing danger, it aims to strike first with malicious intent before Sam has a chance to end its life. Unfortunately for the somewhat self-aware puddle, Sam has me here to guide her.


    ¡°Dodge left,¡± I offer a suggestion to test her footwork, knowing it''s just about the most essential tool in any fighter''s arsenal. Sloppy footwork will get you killed on the field faster than almost anything else.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± She barely manages to pull the dodge off, her boots awkwardly skidding against the grass below as she almost trips. Sam is well aware of how poor her dodge looks, but she pushes down her hurt pride long enough to look to me for feedback. ¡°Something like that, Boss?¡±


    ¡°It''s not looking good. Your footwork is sloppy, worse than I expected..." I don''t pull any punches, and as a result, her spirits dampen as she dwells on my words, and I remember how important it is to manage her morale. "But that''s ok. You''re just starting out, right?"


    "Right," Sam nods her head, blushing. She feels terrible about inconveniencing me like this, I think, but what Sam doesn''t understand is I''d be a lot more inconvenienced if she wound up getting herself killed out here.


    "Lead with your dominant foot and try it again. Don''t let it intimidate you. If you get scared or nervous, then the battle is already lost."


    The hot-head bristles and her cheeks redden. "This thing is literally just walking jello! I am NOT scared of it!" Sam barks.


    "Good. I want you to know that a basic Slime of this level is very simple-minded, what with being an overgrown single-celled organism and all. This means that it will certainly attack using the same strategy over and over again. Let¡¯s make use of this fact and have you practice dodging. Shall we?¡±


    She considers my words once more before smiling and nodding. ¡°We shall!¡±


    Sam enthusiastically begins to play a complicated game of cat and mouse with the blue goo. I watch her with great intent for several minutes, correcting any mistakes I notice as the warrior Princess weaves, leaps, and strafes her way out of danger. A jump to the left. A twirl to the right. Side-to-side, barely even weighed down by her hulking weapon. It''s small, but progress is being made. I can see slight improvements to her form the more she follows my instructions, and with every small step forward the young warrior takes, the more an optimistic smile starts to spread across my face.


    Sam displays more promise than I initially gave her credit for.


    As I continue studying her every move over like a hawk, I find a curious feeling burning within me bit by bit. It''s not the overwhelming sense of beauty and joy I experienced when looking at her without my glasses on. No, it''s something a little more grounded. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say it was hope.


    Honest to goodness hope.


    Maybe Sam really is my last shot at this...?


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± I shake my head and interrupt my own train of thought, motioning with my hand for Sam to stop. I really need to stop thinking like such a sentimental old man... I¡¯m not that old, dammit. ¡°It''ll forget all about you as soon as you step far enough away. Let¡¯s back off for a moment and let the Slime cool down while I teach you what to do next.¡±


    Together, we do just that.


    ¡°Slimes can be taken down in two blows by a sword. First, slice it in half. Doesn¡¯t matter how. Just do it. It will have no choice but to summon its core to regenerate the lost liquid matter. The core is basically its heart." Technically it''s a nucleolus, but I think that would be a bit over Sam''s head. "Think of it as the Slime''s weak point. Once it''s visible, that''s where you must strike.¡±


    She cocks her head to the side, making her twintails fray in the slight breeze. ¡°What if I just splattered the whole Slime in one blow with the broad side of my sword? Wouldn''t that be faster?¡±


    That''s definitely something an amateur would say, but I keep that to myself. I don''t want to overwhelm Sam and make myself sound like an insufferable know-it-all. I teach her the correct way by explaining, ¡°No. If you did that, the slime would fly all over the place. You might not notice where the core appears. By the time you find it, it¡¯ll likely have fully regained all of its slime."


    ¡°Shit, good point...¡± Sam nods her head up and down, taking mental notes on the proper technique. ¡°Where¡¯s the core when it doesn¡¯t need it, then?¡±


    ¡°Whereas some monsters walk around with huge, glowing bits and bobs that adventurers can exploit to deal massive damage, the humble slime knows better. Its weak point is microscopic when not in use.¡±


    ¡°Dork,¡± She giggles.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Once the core appears, you just need to remove it somehow. Ah, also. When you attack, swing your sword like this, or like this.¡± I demonstrate some of the basic swinging techniques that I read about in a class guide to Great Bladers once upon a time. She picks up the proper way to do it after showing her a few times, but she stumbles her way around at first.


    I can only help her so much- my experience is limited to what I¡¯ve memorized in dusty tomes. While it¡¯s a bit far off to think about, Sam would genuinely benefit from a dedicated combat instructor. If we can ever manage to find one who isn¡¯t too expensive.


    After making damn well sure the Great Blader Princess knows how to swing her weapon of choice, we head on back to the Slime, which has since returned to... idling around, doing nothing but continuing its meaningless life. It turns to face Sam, looking at her with its big, round, overly cute-looking eyes. It''s already forgotten her, just like I said it would, and it hasn''t yet sensed danger.


    ¡°Do it,¡± I warn. ¡°Whenever there¡¯s a chance to strike first, don¡¯t hesitate. Your enemy will never give you the same courtesy, whether it¡¯s a Slime or the Demon Lord himself.¡±


    Her body language becomes rugged and stiff as she considers my advice. Something about me mentioning the ''Demon Lord'' specifically triggers Sam, but she corrects herself right away and blows some steam through her nostrils. Odd, but it''s not something worth dwelling on for now. Sam briefly looks over her shoulder to nod at me a single time in confirmation. Pushing her initial reaction to the back of her mind, the wannabe warrior raises her great blade into the air as if it weighed little to nothing at all, bringing it down to the ground and slamming it on her slippery foe.


    Just like that, Sam slices the Slime clean in two. Unfortunately, she gets ahead of herself.


    ¡°Heck yeah! I got it!¡± She grins, taking a step forward before looking back at me- rookie mistake.


    I warn her as fast as I can, calling out, ¡°SAM-¡±


    Her eyes open wide from the sudden shock that my booming voice instills, and her head twists speedily back to face the oncoming threat. ¡°Damn it! Sorry-¡± She grunts.


    The Slime¡¯s right half jumps toward her, attacking while its bright orange core materializes, hoping to heal itself by generating more slime. Sam corrects her error by punching the leaping goo before it can latch onto her pretty face, and it splatters against the gloved fist into a million tiny droplets of clear, slimy liquid.


    The core falls limply to the ground, luckily in a dry spot of dirt. With no fluid left around it to bask in the Slime can¡¯t shrink its core to protect itself or even generate more slime. It¡¯ll die from oxygen exposure in a matter of minutes unless an outside force scooped it up and put it back into a source of water.


    Sam doesn''t know that, though, so she strikes at the orange core with her sword. With a flash of her blade, the core is cleaved in twain. The Slime dies, defeated totally and utterly by the Great Blader.


    Sam looks down at her prey as if unsure that she really took it out before she comes to terms with that the monster is indeed dead and that she was the one who killed it. Realization hits. She understands the gravity of what just happened, and she smiles with all of her soul behind it.


    She did it.


    She really, really did it.


    With her first monster defeated, Sam is well on her way to becoming a bonafide adventurer in her own right.


    As an added bonus to the kill, Sam learned a precious lesson just now, and I aim to hammer it home the good old-fashioned way. Even if I want to be proud of her, I have to suck it up and play the whole mentor thing straight.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take your eyes off of the monster, Sam. Not even once. The difference between life and death could be decided in a single second. It would serve you well to remember that.¡± I tell her, comically bopping the Princess on her forehead with my closed fist.


    ¡°Ow-¡± She rubs the spot I lightly hit, ¡°C¡¯mon Boss, I did fuckin¡¯ good, and you know it.¡±


    ¡°You performed well above my expectations,¡± I tell her as truthfully as can be.


    ¡°Hell yeah! ...Wait, just how damn low were your expectations, huh?¡± Sam glares at me as soon as she catches onto the unkind implication I teasingly tacked on to my statement.


    ¡°It matters not,¡± I adjust my glasses and turn away before looking back to give the girl a playful grin of my own. ¡°You did well. I mean it.¡±


    The Princess stares at me, her face becoming a flushed mess all of a sudden. Soon, she finds it hard to maintain eye contact. Dropping her sword into the earth below, she leans on it with her elbow and begins twirling her lengthy blonde twin-tail with her free hand, ¡°Damn straight,¡± She mumbles, bearing an embarrassed frown on her youthful face.


    ¡°...You¡¯re getting slime in your hair, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± She takes her fingers out of her twin-tail, noticing right then and there that she was using the hand which she punched the Slime with. Flustered, the inexperienced monster-slayer shakes her red glove free of blue goo in an embarrassing frenzy. ¡°Shit- SHIT!¡±


    I find myself unable to control my laughter, and... it occurs to me this is the first time I¡¯ve laughed in five years. I laughed while reading erotic comedy novels or remembering something from the past, sure, but it was never like this.


    Right now, I actually mean it.


    It feels good to mean things again.


    Ultimately deciding to wipe her glove clean on the grass below, she speaks up, saying, ¡°Gotta ask, though, Boss. How the fuck did you make it all so easy to understand? You don¡¯t strike me as an adventurer, but the shit you taught is legit.¡±


    ¡°It may surprise you to learn that I read a lot. I studied many, many subjects to run the Guild as best I could. Of course, this includes numerous books on the different classes of adventurers and the art of fighting. I had hoped that one day I¡¯d be able to guide people such as yourself who were just starting out, but...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°Not a whole lot in my life panned out the way I wanted it to. You¡¯ve seen the Guild. Hell, just look at me.¡± I scratch my head and sigh, knowing how ragged and sleep-deprived I must look under the afternoon sun.


    Sam stares at me in silence until she crosses her arms and gives me a determined look. ¡°Great. You got a big-ass brain and nowhere to use it, and me? Thinking ain¡¯t my strong suit. We make a perfect team, Boss. I already told you I need a place to crash from now on, and I can¡¯t think of anywhere I¡¯d rather be than the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    Her little comment hits closer to home than I think she realizes. The fact that someone after so long wants to be a part of the Dewhurst- no- wants to be a part of MY Guild, well... it gets me rather emotional.


    "...Really?" I ask, trying to fight back against a slight crack in my deep voice.


    "Well, I can think of one other place I''d rather be, I guess..."


    "You''re going to say my bed, aren''t you?"


    "...N-No?" She looks away, cheeks red and arms crossed. Predictable, but a cute attempt at riling me up as it is.


    My face remains calm, collected, and business-like as usual, but there''s little I can do to stop my poor little heart from beating out of excitement. This girl is riddled with problems. She''s none too bright, for one. She¡¯s crude, a bit vulgar, and more than a little promiscuous... but... flaws or not, she''s genuine and fun to be around.


    I already know I''m not going to last long against her advances if she really intends on staying by my side.


    Turning away out of embarrassment to hide me from her increasing cuteness, I toss Sam a little burlap pouch I kept carried in my pocket. ¡°Playful bantering aside, we¡¯ll discuss the living situation later on tonight. For now, go over and grab the Slime¡¯s core and stash it away in here.¡±


    Her Highness catches it right out of the air. It''s branded with the Association of Adventurers logo, but it''s not one of those fancy magic bags that can carry colossal monster trophies, sadly. The Association charges an arm and a leg for those, and I disapprove of the malicious business practices they use to sell them. Thank the Twins that I''m not subject to their forsaken sales quotas.


    Sadly, the bag doesn''t distract her from the topic at hand. ¡°Stop lookin'' away from me and blushing, you total wuss!¡± Sam angrily stomps her foot, slightly disrupting the earth beneath her. Then, she snatches the bag out of the air and holds it in her hand. ¡°You¡¯re a man, damn it. Act like it! Do you want this hot, young piece of ass to live with you or not?¡±


    ¡°Sam, that¡¯s hardly a way for a Pr...¡± Her eyes open wide in panic as I begin to unintentionally speak the P-word. ¡°-etty girl like you to behave. Not around someone like me, at least.¡± Crisis averted, Sam''s face relaxes... until it twists into a suspicious yet smug smile.


    ¡°Someone like you?¡± She tilts her head, not giving this up. That devious smirk of hers becomes increasingly comparable to that of a nasty Gremlin. "Surely you aren''t saying you''re the type who would besmirch the honor of a lady such as myself if given a chance?"


    With a sigh, I rub my temples. I don''t know if I''m going to get used to this sort of teasing, but I can''t deny it¡¯s fun. ¡°That''s enough out of you, already. I''ll besmirch a lot more than just your honor if you keep it up."


    "Whoa there, Boss. Is that a promise, or...?" The almost-certainly-a Princess laughs, then pauses as a thought comes to mind. "...Hey, Wait just a sec, how are we gonna turn in the Slime core? I cut it in half!"


    Guess that slipped my mind between all of the flirting. "It''s made of magical gelatin, silly. If you push back the two halves, they''ll fuse back together."


    "But... won''t the Slime come back to life if we do that?"


    "It''s already dead. The core is inert." She looks at me like she doesn''t understand what the word inert means, and I shake my head with a small laugh under my breath. "Just trust me, alright?"


    "Yeah, yeah..." Sam goes over to her prize and curiously pushes the two halves together. When they fuse just like I told her they would, she lights up like a child seeing magic for the first time. "Whoa, damn, that''s cool! How the heck do you know so much about monsters, Boss?"


    "Part of the job, my dear." Guild Masters are expected to study and research the near-infinite threats that plague the Realm of Karnalle so that they can better impart to their adventurers the knowledge it takes for them to overcome any foes in their way.


    Taking up a large chunk of the shelf space on my office bookcases are numerous bestiaries from both the modern era and antiquity, some so old and outdated that the pages threaten to crumble into dust. I''ve read them all. Multiple times, at that. I''m proud to say that my brain is bursting to the brim with knowledge regarding the subject of just about any creature native to the province of Arrark, and indeed, the Realm as a whole.


    If a monster has been documented, there''s a good chance I can tell you the most effective way to kill it.


    When I tell her all about this, Sam looks at me with quiet respect. I think she''s starting to believe there might be more to me than meets the eye, which isn''t really true. I''m only a man who''s read an almost comical amount of books. I suppose I can take the adoration if she''s so insistent on giving it to me.


    Anyways, we''ve idled around doing nothing for long enough. Trying to get a move on, I ask the girl, "Are you going to kill the rest of those Slimes, or do I have to go home without you, Sam?¡±


    ¡°Home?¡± She catches my deliberate choice of words and stares at me with a look of optimism at the thought.


    ¡°Home.¡± I nod and watch the ecstatic girl pick up her weapon with a renewed spark of enthusiasm, eager to impress me for whatever reason and earn her place at my side.


    "So... you really will let me stay with you, Boss?"


    "You''ve seen how rough this town is. I can''t in good conscience let you hit the streets now, can I?" Especially not in that outfit, but I''ll keep that comment to myself.


    "Hell yes!" She pumps her slimy fist in the air, a big goofy grin on her face.


    Honestly, I¡¯m just as happy as she is, but I''m also more conflicted. I still don¡¯t know how I feel about all this. Everything is happening faster than I can handle, and I''m helplessly being swept up along for the ride.


    At the very least, it seems like I won''t be alone...

 There’s No Minimum Drinking Age in Fantasy

    Sam got in a little over her head, but her work on slaying the remaining slimes goes smooth as silk. Smoother than I thought it would. Guess she was right. Maybe I''m not too bad at helping her out like this? The warrior Princess still needs me here to give feedback and correct her mistakes, but generally, I''d say she doesn¡¯t give me too much to worry about.


    After an hour passes, Sam has already defeated the five slimes we agreed upon.


    While five Slimes is absolutely nothing to be proud of, it¡¯s still better than coming home empty-handed. Besides, as far as I¡¯m concerned, just knowing this young adventurer who burst in through my doors isn¡¯t a lost cause is worth celebrating the night away in my book. If anything, I feel like I''ve walked away from this little quest having gained a much greater respect for Sam.


    Overall, she didn''t do too bad at all for her first day on the job.


    Basic Slimes like these go for 60G, minus the twenty percent for the Association and another twenty for my cut, and Sam made herself 180G today. That might not seem like a lot, but it also isn''t chump change, either. As for my upcoming payday, why, the sky''s the limit once I get my hands on that 60G...


    The mood on the return trip is pleasant and jovial.


    As we go on our merry way, Sam makes a joke about whether or not I''m going to hold her hand again. She looks a bit disappointed when I decline the offer. I wouldn''t mind, personally, but that''s the problem. It was inappropriate of me to grab her like that before, and I definitely shouldn''t encourage myself to touch her again.


    Once Sam gets over the lack of handholding, though, she gets straight to chattering about everything and anything. She drones on about how awesome she was, how awesome I was, how awesome we were together, all while making sure to sprinkle a few more ¡®Daddy¡¯ mentions here and there to put me on edge. I really wish she wouldn''t. I''m still not sure how I feel about it when Sam calls me that, but...


    No, I don''t think that''s quite right. I know damn well how I feel about it. I''m just upset at myself because I don''t like the answer.


    I swear...


    I begged the powers that be for another chance to become the sort of Guild Master I always wanted to be, but I didn''t know my chance would come bundled alongside the most challenging test of self-restraint in all the Realms. I try my best to ignore and dismiss Sam''s teasing because other than that, the mood between us is fantastic. It¡¯s been longer than I can remember since I¡¯ve enjoyed someone else¡¯s company, let alone someone as bright, cheery, and fired up as Sam is.


    Despite how problematic this girl can be, I have to admit that someone like her might be a good influence on me.


    There are still so many things I don¡¯t know about Sam, sure. I have no idea why I¡¯m able to look at her painlessly without my glasses, and I haven¡¯t the faintest clue why she left a pampered life in Imperalis to take up the life of a lowly adventurer. For the time being, though, it doesn¡¯t look like she will be leaving any time soon.


    I think I can live with that.


    Sam and I soon reach the Guild, and I notice something abruptly before we head in. I didn''t even pay a single mind to the nasty townspeople while we were walking through the streets of Dewhurst- I was enjoying Sam''s company that much. Knowing that being with her is such a lovely distraction almost brings a blush to my face, but I manage to shrug it off before the girl notices anything wrong.


    For some reason, home feels a little less dreary than when we left it. Perhaps the satisfaction of a job well done makes the sight of home that much more comforting.


    ¡°Come on up to the desk, Sam. Or whatever¡¯s left of it, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Er, yeah, sure thing!¡± The young warrior takes her sword out of her sling and looks around for a place to put it.


    ¡°There are several storage rooms in the east wing,¡± I tell her as I bend down to rifle through the wreckage of the recently destroyed counter.


    ¡°Sweet, thanks!¡± Sam drops it off and runs back to see me pulling out a little satchel with the Association of Adventurer¡¯s Logo on it.


    ¡°Slime cores, please? I¡¯ll need to mail them to the association for reimbursement.¡±


    ¡°Oh, ok... is that how this works?¡± Sam tilts her head, confused. She hands me her bag of kill trophies, and I take it gratefully.


    "Yes. When submitting generic kill quests like these, you give me your trophies, and then I pay you for your services out of my own pocket. Later tonight, I''ll process your kills with paperwork and send them to the Association. When they receive my documentation and your trophies, the Association will reimburse me and pay my handler''s fee. Meanwhile, the Association will then take my paperwork and your trophies to submit your kills to the Duke of Arrark, who will reimburse the Association the money they reimbursed me for having to-"


    "Stop, stop, stop!" Sam groans loudly, pulling on her twintails. "I have no clue what any of this means, Boss! Can you sum it up a little better or something?"


    "The gist of it is I pay you, they pay me back for paying you, and the Duke pays them back for paying me to pay you."


    "This is fucking stupid." She slumps her shoulders, utterly defeated.


    "No, Sam. This is bureaucracy."


    "Bureaucracy can go choke on a fat one," Sam grumbles.


    ¡°Indeed. Give me just a moment, and I''ll go get you what you''re owed.¡±


    Just as I turn around, Sam surprises me by reaching out. She pulls my hand back toward her, stopping me from leaving. When I turn around, I see her staring straight into my eyes with a resolute and focused expression.


    ¡°You don¡¯t gotta do that, Boss.¡± Her eyes are determined to stop me, and I''m afraid I don''t understand why.


    "Sam? I''m afraid I don''t follow what you''re getting at."


    ¡°I kinda already owe you for the desk... and the door... and the table... not to mention you spent time out of your day to watch over my dumb ass, y¡¯know?¡± Smiling, blush fills the young girl''s cheeks as she scratches the back of her head with her free hand.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I look away, a little dumbfounded from her selflessness. ¡°You really don¡¯t need to worry about that. I¡¯m sure I can afford some repairs after you kill more slimes and I rack up more profit out of you. You might have done a sloppy job, Sam, but you did a job nonetheless. The gold is yours.¡±


    Her strong, gloved hands squeeze mine even harder. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Boss. I. Don¡¯t. Want. It."


    "Well, it''s not like I can just not pay you. The Association will know, they-"


    "All I want is a place to stay and some food,¡± She bites her lip and looks away, ¡°You¡¯ve already done so much for me... Daddy.¡± Sam whispers.


    Enough is enough, and I pull away from the young Princess. ¡°Why do you insist on calling me that? A man can only take so much, you know!¡±


    A mischievous grin appears on the girl''s face as she takes a step closer towards me, crossing over past the wreckage of my desk.


    Sam grabs me by the collar of my dress shirt, pulling so close that our faces almost touch. For a moment, I almost think she¡¯s about to kiss me with those plump, red lips of hers, but the girl instead drags my ear to her mouth and says in a low, sultry drawl, ¡°Because you¡¯re cute when I get you all flustered. Do I need any other reason, dummy?¡± Sam giggles as she lets go, dropping her seductive tone and returning to a tomboyish cadence.


    It takes me a hot minute to recover from this severe amount of teasing, but I think I finally understand what this is all about when I do. I''m ashamed I didn''t catch it earlier, but I let optimism get the best of me.


    I sigh and turn away from the girl, disappointment growing heavy within me. "Look... if you¡¯re worried that I¡¯m going to throw you out, if you don¡¯t give me a reason to keep you around, then don¡¯t be. I¡¯m not that kind of person. You don¡¯t need to pretend that I¡¯m your type, or flirt with me, or anything like that just because you¡¯re-¡±


    She looks over her shoulder, raising one eyebrow.


    To my great surprise, Sam actually looks dumbfounded that I would take her behavior as anything other than genuine. ¡°Dude, it¡¯s not like that. I seriously just think you¡¯re cute. That¡¯s all.¡± The girl has a deep-set frown on her face, now dragging out a sincere feeling of guilt from the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I... I see. I''m sorry for insinuating otherwise.¡± I¡¯ll be the first one to admit I¡¯m not accustomed to playing the sort of games that women play, so I cough and adjust my glasses while looking away. Being able to accurately read body language and facial cues don¡¯t make me a mind reader, which I need to remind myself of more often.


    "Good. I''m glad we''ve reached an understanding!" Her emerald gaze lingers upon me until I watch as a toothy grin spreads across her cheeks. From the way she looks at me, I feel like I''ve become this girl''s favorite toy... a toy that she intends on playing with until there¡¯s no more fun to be extracted.


    The young Princess plops herself down on the nearest dining table and smiles straight at me, yawning and stretching in a way that shows off her ample cleavage- not that that''s a challenging feat to accomplish, given her bikini armor top.


    ¡°More importantly, Boss... I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ starving. I haven''t had a decent meal in over a week. What¡¯s a girl gotta do to get some dinner around here?¡± To continue her little teasing, the girl places the tip of her finger on the bottom of her full lips. When coupled with her almost bewitching eyes, Sam makes it as difficult as she can to look her straight in the face without my heart racing.


    Gods, this is getting to be a little much. Dinner will be a good excuse for me to go and clear my head, thankfully. I smile at the girl, saying, "It''s part of the job of any Guild Master to ensure there''s food on the table, so I''d be happy to provide. My supplies are rather low now, but rest assured, I can reliably cook something up for us both. I apologize in advance if it¡¯s not up to your usual standards.¡±


    A slight sweat breaks out on Sam''s brow as she breaks eye contact and looks away. ¡°What do you mean by that, Boss? I, uh... eat peasant food all the time. Yup.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I roll my eyes. Because people who eat regular food all the time refer to it as ''peasant food'', sure. Whatever you say, Sam.


    I begin making my way to the Guild¡¯s kitchen, and before I duck into the room, Sam calls out to me, asking, ¡°Would it be lame if I asked if you had any sausage?¡±


    ¡°Unbelievably so,¡±


    She giggles at her own joke, and I remove myself from her presence.


    The familiar sight of my kitchen is the only reprieve I¡¯ll have from the cheeky adventurer for a few hours, so I intend on making the most of it and absorbing myself into my craft. During my grandfather¡¯s day, we had several live-in cooks who fed our roster of adventurers, but they only stayed for a few years after his death.


    Cooking was just one of the many skills I forced myself to learn while trying to run an Adventurer¡¯s Guild. While I wouldn¡¯t call myself a master chef by any means, I¡¯m certainly no slouch. Miss Hart made sure of it by filling my mind with culinary know-how.


    In no time at all, I prepare for Her Highness a quick yet hearty meal consisting of potato soup, eggs, dried apple slices, and for the main course, two moderately sized haunches of garlic-salted lamb sprinkled with grated cheese.


    I would have much rather preferred to welcome Sam to the Guild with a more excellent dinner than this random assortment of whatever I could find on hand, but she arrived before I typically get my groceries.


    No matter. I can more than make up for it with something I do have in abundance- alcohol. I whip out two wooden tankards out and set to work mixing up a set of cocktails for the finishing touch on our little feast.


    Bartending is yet another skill I picked up over the years, and transitioning into a depressive shut-in only honed that craft. That might sound sad, but it is what it is. The reason why I picked it up in the first place is simple, the only thing adventurers love more than gold is spending it on mountains of booze. I thought if I could become a master of mixing, it would give my adventurers even more reason to stick around the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild. Didn''t entirely turn out how I wanted, but it was an honest attempt.


    For myself, I mix up a traditional Karnallian cocktail known as the Olden Days.


    To make it, the drink takes a pinch of sugar, a splash of bitters, and a heavy dose of Bragosian vodka. All that''s left after that is to mix in just the slightest hint of bottled Pixie tears for a melancholic aftertaste that helps one remember the times gone by.


    The thing is, when I have myself a sip of the drink to test how well it came out, I find that it doesn''t taste as good as it usually does. I stare at the cocktail with a dissatisfied glare. Maybe all the positivity around here has me thirsting after something a little less depressing, for once.


    It''s a waste, but I dump the drink out into the sink. I was running low on Pixie tears, so it''s as good a time as any to kick the habit.


    I mix myself up a second, much simpler cocktail known as a White Rusalka to compensate for my loss. All that one takes is some vodka, an ounce of sweet coffee, and a splash of heavy cream. It''s always been a favorite drink of mine whenever I was feeling a bit festive. Unfortunately, I''ve never been lucky enough to try an ''official'' White Rusalka, which is made by mixing in a strand of actual Rusalka hair, but I''ve heard the taste is divine.


    The taste test brings a smile to my lips, and I set my cocktail down on the counter so I can focus on preparing a drink for my guest. It takes me a moment to consider all of the options. I know many drinks, and narrowing the nearly infinite choices down to suit one specific person has never been an easy task.


    Sam is a fiery, feisty brat with a lot of spunk, but she has a genuinely sweet side. When thinking about it like that, the choices become slimmer and slimmer until I finally settle on the idea of making her a Dragon''s Burst.


    It''s sweet yet spicy, and it goes down hard, but I''d wager it''s right up her alley. You start with some dark cinnamon fire rum, add in some Dwarven sugar crystals, and lastly, add a splash of ginger juice to really help bring out the contrast between the two flavors.


    One sip later, and I''m convinced that it''s ready for Sam... there''s just one little thing nagging on my mind. After slaving over Sam¡¯s cocktail like this in excruciating detail, I find it harder and harder to convince myself that I¡¯m not trying to impress the girl in some way.


    Trying to shake this creeping feeling, I pile up the meal and the drinks onto a tray that I can take back into the entrance hall. Then, I head out to serve dinner to Sam.


    She''s right where I left her, only now, her mouth is watering like a leaky spigot. If I didn''t know any better, I''d say it looks like the poor thing hasn''t eaten in days.


    ¡°I regret to inform the young lady that there was not a single sausage to be found,¡± I say while unloading the contents of the tray onto the table. The young blonde eyes up her piping hot meal piece by piece, licking her lips and practically gaping without the slightest hint of nobility.


    ¡°Normally, I¡¯d make a joke about helping you find some, but damn, this stuff looks so damn good that it¡¯s throwing me off my game!¡± She doesn¡¯t even wait for me to pass the utensils. Sam just grabs one of the lamb haunches with her bare hands and digs in. Her eyes open wide at the first bite, and she starts scarfing down the meal like she¡¯d never encountered food before.


    ¡°Holy SHIT,¡± She says with an overstuffed mouth full of dinner, bits and pieces flying out in every direction. ¡°This is... so... mng... GOOD!¡±


    I blush upon receiving such a compliment while also averting my eyes from Sam''s disgusting table manners. Whatever etiquette lessons they no doubt gave this girl back home, they sure as hell didn''t stick. ¡°Thank you, It¡¯s... nothing special, really.¡±


    Sam finishes swallowing a deep bite and burps rather rudely. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been eating hardtack, cheese, and jerky the entire journey from Perlshaw to here, so...¡±


    ¡°Ah, no wonder dinner tastes so good for you. I can''t imagine how you handled living off of rations.¡± I¡¯ve never been on any long journeys before. Call me spoiled, but I don¡¯t know if I could manage the lack of good food on the road.


    ¡°No, no! Your cooking is good, even besides that!" Her eyes sparkle with adorable, genuine enthusiasm. I had forgotten how gratifying it can feel when someone enjoys your cooking with all their heart.


    ¡°Thank you. If that''s the case, then make sure you let me know how you find your drink, too.¡± I remind her, noticing she¡¯s yet to touch her cocktail.


    ¡°Oh, sure. What is it?¡± Sam brings it to her nostril and sniffs, her eyes turn watery from the drink¡¯s fizzing vapor. She blinks them repeatedly to get the moisture out, exclaiming, ¡°Gah! That''s some strong stuff, alright!¡±


    She makes me laugh, and I explain, "If it''s not to your liking, then just let me know. I took the liberty of assuming what sort of drink you might enjoy and mixed this cocktail with that in mind. Ever heard of a Dragon¡¯s Burst?"


    She raises an eyebrow once again. "Nope. Never had a cocktail in my life. Back home, I only ever had fancy wines and junk like that, y''know?"


    "Well, you are rather young, so I guess you haven''t had many chances to enjoy many types of spirits. No time like the present to expand your palate."


    "Hmmm... somebody sure seems eager to get me to drink this," Sam smiles inappropriately, turning around the fizzing red drink in her hands. "Did ya spike it with something, perv?"


    I almost spit up my cocktail at the thought. ¡°Gods, Sam! I would never-¡±


    Sam slaps her knee while drinking half the glass in one go. A Dragon''s Burst usually gone down hard, but Sam handles the drink so well that its fiery effect doesn''t even interrupt her as she says, ¡°I know, I''m just playin''. I know you¡¯re a good guy, Boss.¡±


    I wash down her teasing by finishing off my White Rusalka, while the brat does the same to Dragon''s Burst. She slams the tankard on the table, licks her lips, exhales a deep, contented sigh, and pushes her plate away.


    With genuine appreciation sparkling in her emerald eyes, Sam smiles, saying, ¡°Thanks for the grub. It really hit the spot, especially the booze! I''ve never had a drink like that before, but I''ll be a happy girl if there''s more of ''em in my future. Man... now that I think about it, not only are you a kick-ass chef, but you make damn fine drinks, too. Is there anything you aren¡¯t good at, Boss?¡±


    Even though it has no reason to do so, my negativity manifests. I impulsively answer, ¡°In case you haven''t noticed, running a Guild.¡±


    Sam stares at me, quickly becoming concerned. Damn. I didn''t mean to go and spoil the mood like that, but it just came out without me even thinking. I rush to correct my mistake.


    After putting on a friendly smile, I tell the girl, ¡°It was only a jest, a bit of dark humor. Pay it no mind."


    She doesn''t look like she believes me, ¡±You doin'' ok there? That kinda came outta nowhere, Boss."


    "I''m fine, just still not used to the whole ''having a reason to be optimistic about my life'' thing. Give me time, and it might become more normalized."


    "It better because I got even more reasons for you to be excited. Think about it. You get to cook food for me every day from now on!"


    "Ah, yes. The thought has me practically jumping for joy."


    Taking note of my sarcasm, Sam smirks and leans across the table. "What, you saying you don''t wanna have dinner and share drinks with a cute girl like me?"


    I smile politely, trying to hold back the fluttering in my heart. ¡°I think I could get used to it... if you managed to develop some table manners.¡±


    Sam makes a frazzled expression and then promises to make an attempt- if she absolutely has to, ending dinner on a positive note.

 Here for a Reason

    It''s almost amusing how fast my mood is able to flip on its head. Sam and I may have been having ourselves a nice little dinner, and the conversation we had was the most fun I can remember having for a very long time, but all it takes is a single question from the Princess to pull me out of the moment and right back into an awkward pit of sexual dread.


    Sam leans over the table. With a purposeful glint in her eye, the adventurer asks, "Dinner was nice, and all, but boy am I tired. Hey, speaking of... what''s the sleeping arrangement gonna be like, Daddy?"


    I almost choke right then and there on the last drop of my cocktail. Sam is worried while witnessing my strong reaction, but once I recover, the cheeky brat only feels more empowered by her effect on me.


    Clearing my throat by pounding on my chest, I look Sam in the eyes while trying to remain in control of myself. "Because you were gone shorter than I expected, I didn''t have time to clean up one of the spare bedrooms for you. The adventurer dorms in the west wing happen to be in a sorry state, too, so... there really isn''t any other option for you except for-"


    "Say it," Sam smirks, narrowing her eyes with glee. "Say the words, Boss. C''mon. You got this."


    "Except for my bedroom..." I admit with a heavy heart, placing my forehead into the comfort of my palm.


    "Nice," She laughs, celebrating her small victory. "You were too busy jackin'' it to do your job, huh? No big deal. Happens to the best of us!"


    Embarrassed, I slam my fist into the dining table loud enough to rattle the plate. "There were extenuating circumstances which made my sexual release a necessity. If I didn''t follow your advice, I would have remained out of sorts."


    "Hey, hey!" She places up her hands, smirk still wide on her face. "I ain''t judging! You got a point, too. I mean, look at yourself. So calm and relaxed... wait, nope. I think you''re getting worked up again, Boss. Maybe you should have another go at it?" The classless Princess starts stroking off an invisible dick with her hand to really amp up her teasing.


    I breathe in through my nose and look away as best I can. "Oh, me? I''m not flustered at all. Why would I be? It''s not like I''m being constantly being harassed by my newest employee, no. That surely wouldn''t be cause for concern."


    The precocious brat tilts her head like a confused but very determined puppy, leaning in even closer across the table. "Got a question for ya, Boss."


    "Assuming your question is appropriate, I may have an answer in return."


    Sam takes me by my blind side, asking, "You aren''t freaking out just cause it''s an age thing, right?"


    "What?" I look back at her, now just as confused as she is. "I''m afraid I don''t follow."


    "This," Sam gestures to herself and then to me. "Whatever the fuck''s going on here. At first, I thought you were all worried cause I''m a whole lot younger than you, but... there''s something else, isn''t there?"


    Before I can answer, her eyebrows raise as if she''s just figured out the punchline to a joke only she is privy to. "Oh, no way...! Are you a virgin, Boss?" Her eyes glimmer with what looks to be optimism, of all things.


    "I don''t see how that''s any of your-"


    "Any answer besides ''no'' is an instant yes, just so ya know." She giggles.


    I need to remember that this girl is much more perceptive than I give her credit for. Any attempt to wiggle out of this conversation will only make me appear more suspicious, thus increasing her teasing. "Sam, I''m an adult. If you absolutely must know, I obviously have many sordid affairs under my belt, and I am a frequent purveyor of Dewhurst''s many brothels."


    "Frequent, huh...? Wow, sure sounds like I''m in good hands." Sam lays a trap.


    "Indeed you are, I-" I say, only realizing the slip up I just made before it''s too late.


    Sam snorts and falls onto the table, squealing left and right. "Fuck, you''re so fun to mess with! Oh, man..." The brat wipes a tear from her eye, saying, "Just own up to it, Boss. Nothing wrong with being a virgin... I mean, I would know."


    I give the girl a suspicious look as if I don''t quite believe her.


    Sam takes my glare as an accusation and leaps out to defend herself. "Hey there, the fuck''s with that look you''re giving me? Why it''s almost like ya don''t think I''m a virgin!"


    "You''re putting words in my mouth,"


    "Only words that you''re saying with your eyes!" I chuckle at the way she phrased it, knowing it''s somewhat true.


    "You''re dressed like a harlot and have done little more than flirt with me from the moment you burst through the doors," I tease back. "Forgive me if my expectations were misguided. I have no idea why that might be the case..."


    Sam starts to get angry on account of my sarcasm, and it''s a fearsome sight. Her cheeks flush, and she throws her emptied mug at me. "I said it''s ¡®cause you''re cute! Gods!" Sam yells. "Can''t a girl just flirt with a dude she just met without it being weird? Is that too much to ask?!"


    Dodging the cup with an amused smile, I retort, "It is when the man is fourteen years older than you,"


    "I said it once, and I''ll say it again, old man," The bratty Princess points her finger at me like she was issuing a challenge. "I know my type!"


    Sam and I end up catching each other''s eyes before the absurdity of this little back and forth resounds between us. I laugh, and soon enough, she joins in alongside me. For a moment, we just enjoy the feeling of being around someone else who inexplicably ''gets'' us.


    I can''t explain why I feel so comfortable around this brat, so I can''t really hold it against her if she feels the same way around me.


    We soon catch our breaths as the moment passes, and after it does, Sam stands up. Leaving her spot on the opposite side of the table, the young warrior walks over and sits down at mine. Rather than scooting away from her and putting some distance between us, I let it go. It¡¯s mainly because it feels nice to have Sam so close, and also having to force myself to deny our chemistry is starting to become rather tiresome.


    Sam props her elbows on the creaky wooden table, asking me while staring at the ceiling. "Do ya mind if I ask a personal question, Boss?"


    I prepare myself for another flirty jab, answering, "I suppose,"


    Her actual question is more upsetting than I expected. Had I known, I would''ve much preferred another flirty jab. "How did this Guild become so rundown and crappy looking?" She asks.


    "Long story," I sigh, joining her in staring at the ceiling. "And before you try anything cute like ''well I''m not going anywhere'', it''s a long story that I don''t particularly feel like telling." I say. Not now, at least. Not after such a nice day. Hell, not after what might be the only nice day I''ve had in so long.


    Sam is insistent, however. With a sideways glare, she lets me know with her disappointed gaze. "C''mon... give me a summary or something. I wanna know. Especially since it sounds like there''s a lot of baggage there."


    "Are you always so nosy?"


    "Depends on if I find the person I''m talking to interesting or not,"


    "Was that a compliment?"


    "You''re the smart one, you tell me!" Sam nudges me in the ribs with her elbow.


    Her cuteness brings my mood back up a bit, so I tell Sam an abridged version of the truth with a shrug. "I just stopped trying. Not much more to it when you get down to the meat of things. Cleaning and maintaining the building was impossible for one man to do by himself, but-"


    "Didn''t you ever have anyone around to help out?" Sam asks, her concern growing harder to contain.


    ¡°I did until I couldn''t pay them any longer. That was a very long time ago, though. Not having any assistance wasn''t the reason I gave up. I had already been taking care of the Guild on my own for years until then."


    "Well, if that ain''t the case, why did ya give up?" Sam turns to face me, looking worried about discovering the answer.


    "It just felt like the right time," I sigh, sinking further into my seat out of shame. "After Bridgebury, your... well, the King was under a lot of pressure to do something about the Demon Lord. That led to the Perlshaw Guild being built, which ended up putting Dewhurst off the map completely. Nowadays, I don''t even get travelers using my Guild as a resting point. Not that I can blame them, I would rather stay at an inn, too, if I were them.."


    The girl grits her fists and sits up straight, taking on a combative pose. "Are you saying the Demon Lord led to all this? That bastard...!"


    "No," Laughing, I shake my head. It would be nice if I could use the Demon Lord as some sort of scapegoat for all my problems, but that''s just not the case. "I have no one but myself to blame for the Guild turning out this way. My whole life has just been one bad decision after another, and living with that weight has damaged me."


    "Boss..."


    "I can''t stop myself from thinking that if I had tried a little harder, maybe this wouldn''t have happened, and maybe this Guild would be thriving... which is a bad habit to fall into. When you start contemplating on what you might''ve done differently if only you had a chance to change all of your mistakes, you sentence your brain to a self-imposed prison spiraling ever downward. You think maybe this, and maybe that, or maybe this... maybe, maybe, maybe. What a dreadful word." I stare at the bottom of my empty glass, wishing I had more alcohol after launching into that tirade.


    "Uh... that was..." Sam gulps, wiping sweat from her brow.


    "Depressing?"


    "Concerning." The girl gives me a worried frown.


    "I did tell you not to ask me about the Guild, didn''t I?"


    "Yeah, but I didn''t think you were gonna go all doom and gloom on me..."


    "Sorry," I feel a bit bad about dragging her down, but there''s a good reason I didn''t want to talk about this.


    Sam took it worse than I expected, and she shocks me by banging her fist on the table with righteous indignation on my behalf. She looks me in the eyes and grabs me by the collar, declaring, "You''re selling yourself short, Boss. I can only speak for myself, but you''ve been super helpful and really nice to me even though I keep messing with ya. Hell, you''re even good at cooking and mixing up drinks! If you aren''t the best example of what being a Guild Master is all about, then I don''t know what is."


    Once she''s done delivering her counter-argument, the girl lets go of my collar, and it takes me a moment to respond. The conviction in Sam''s voice is almost convincing, and I feel it stirring something up in me that I''ve long since forgotten. When she says that about me, I nearly catch myself believing I could become the kind of man this girl thinks I am.


    "That''s very nice of you, but you should know that just because I look the part and act the part, it doesn''t mean I''m good at the part." I tell her, cursing my pessimism as it forces me to deflect any and all praise.


    As a result of my unchecked self-deprecation, Sam''s irritation rises. "You''re too hard on yourself, you know. Do ya got something against being happy, or what?"


    "I wouldn''t say I''m against the idea, just unused to it."


    "Well, that''s a buncha bull crap. Even if ya can''t see it, there''s something special about you, and it ain''t just a pair of magic eyes. The may you say depressing junk like that, the more I''m starting to think I ended up here for a reason."


    If I were a more religious man, I might agree with her. I''m not entirely on board with the idea that the divine delivered this busty blonde brat to my doorstep simply because I prayed for another chance, but I''m not dismissing the possibility, either.


    "If only I should be so lucky. Surely you don''t think that her Holiness Lux Ultima led you to my doorstep to use you as some sort of cure for my mid-life crisis, do you?" I ask, mostly to get a read on her opinion of the strange possibility.


    "I dunno about the Goddess, but I definitely wanna kick your ass into gear and get you to acting like such a sad-sack!"


    My overwhelmed state gets the best of me, and I again feel humbled as I see just how far this girl is trying to go to cheer up a washed-up bastard like myself. It may seem pathetic, yet, I really don''t know how to respond to such kindness. Doing my best to remain open to the idea, I give her a smile and say, "Part of me feels it''s too late for that, but... it means a lot, Sam. It really does."


    Sam senses my evasiveness and it makes her cross her arms, once again huffing and pouting while she does so. "I ain''t giving up on you, Boss. Even if I have to use the sorta weapons that are only available to a sexy woman such as myself!" She declares so seriously that there''s no doubt in my mind the girl means what she says.


    "...Right, well, let''s just hope it doesn''t come to that," I stand up from the table, piling up our dishes one on top of the other. "In the meantime, you''re welcome to my private quarters-"


    "Pft,"


    "My room." I correct myself, sighing yet admittedly amused at her immaturity. "It''s too late to start cleaning up a room for you, and the dorms in the east wing are in even worse shape. There''s no other choice."


    Only moments ago, we were having a serious discussion that bordered on being heartfelt. Now, Sam is back to her same inappropriate antics, smirking as she says, "Inviting me up to your bedroom, huh? Now that''s more like it!"


    "Don''t get your hopes up. I¡¯ll be sleeping on the sofa back in my office."


    "Whaaaat? Boo!" She blows a raspberry.


    "You didn''t really think that we were going to share a bed, did you? I''ve known you for less than a day."


    Putting her hands on her hip and giving me a sassy look, Sam snaps back, "And who''s to say I won''t make ya share one with me, huh?"


    "I don''t care how much you like older men. You can''t tell me you''re possibly desperate enough that you would force me to sleep beside you."


    Wasting no time at all, the girl proves me wrong by using only a fraction of her absurd power to kick my shin. Pain surges throughout my leg. Through sheer force of will, I barely prevent myself from collapsing onto the table and dropping the tray containing all of our dishes.


    Next to me, the blonde brat gasps and pretends to be shocked as if she weren''t the one who just kicked me. "Oh, no! Are you doing ok there? Looks like somebody went and got themselves hurt, Boss. There''s no way I can let ya go and sleep by yourself, now. Someone''s gotta watch over you!"


    Wincing from the ongoing agony in my, I grit my teeth and ask, "Are you fucking serious right now...? Really? These are the depths you will sink to, Sam?"


    "Shush," The Princess dismisses my concerns as she gets up from her seat. "That''s enough outta you. C''mere, ain''t no way I''m letting ya sleep on the couch in your own damn home!" She bends over, attempting to hoist me over her shoulder like I''m some sort of damsel in distress.


    I push the mighty warrior away with my hands, stopping her before I can be entirely emasculated. "Will you just wait a damn moment?"


    Snickering, the brat asks, "Why? You gonna tell me your heart isn''t ready?"


    "No, you damn rascal, I''m not even ready for bed yet. The dishes still need to be done, and there''s plenty of paperwork for me to fill out regarding your quest so let go of me, already!" I tell her off, causing Sam to relent and back away. She''s sad to do so, obviously wanting to have had a chance to manhandle me.


    "Fine, fine... do your job stuff if you really have to. I mean, it''s not like you''ll be able to run away from me for too long with a leg like that!" She laughs to herself, a nefarious look in her eyes telling me that the night is far from over. "Where''s our room, Daddy?"


    Knowing better than to argue against her usage of that devilish word, I shrug, defeated as I answer, "Up the stairs, first door on the right. Make yourself at home."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t worry about that..." Flashing me a grin with her sharp, pronounced fang on full display, Sam sways her hips side to side while sauntering over towards the rickety stairs. She knows damn well what she''s doing, drawing my eyes to her barely-covered behind and its luscious, full, fatty cheeks.


    With a playful wink, the girl leaves me to my own devices and ascends. "Don''t take too long now, m''kay? I''ll come and get you myself if I have to!"


    As I watch her go, I understand now without even knowing for sure that if I were to really sleep beside her, then my life will change forever. I can''t pretend I know exactly what''s going to happen, but I do know that it''s unavoidable that something will.


    Sam has spent all day toying with me, and I feel like I''m coming up fast on the point of boiling over. I''m only human. My patience, as well as my self-control, are both running thin...

 Hiding Under the Covers

    It¡¯s been over an hour since I managed to get Sam to retire to the bedroom for the night, and I¡¯ve been hobbling about on this damn injured shin of mine ever since. When that fearsome Princess kicked me she really meant it and put a lot of her super-strength behind it. It¡¯s throbbing like no one¡¯s business. Does that damned brat really want to share my bed with me so badly?


    Gods, I just don¡¯t understand any of this for the life of me. How did I even get here?


    None of this situation that I¡¯ve found myself in makes any sort of logical sense, although I suppose I figured that out when my cock doubled in size and my load shot out with the force of a geyser. What an... eventful day this day has been.


    Out of apprehension for the young, nubile girl lying in wait above me on the second floor, I take my sweet ass time doing the dishes and then do the same with my paperwork. For as long as possible, I avoid going up to meet her, although I know I can''t wait forever. The menial distraction of filling out the proper reimbursement forms and generic quest reports helps a modest amount for getting my thoughts off Sam.


    Still, as soon as I¡¯m done, my mind drifts straight back to my new, problematic adventurer and her uncountable flirty advances.


    Just what is she possibly after here? Is the most straightforward answer really the correct one, and Sam just happens to think I¡¯m cute? I¡¯m not used to being told I¡¯m attractive, so it¡¯s hard to imagine it being true. I¡¯m not particularly ugly, just... rough-looking at best and intimidating at worst. I try to compensate for this by presenting myself as slick and well-groomed, but even then. Far be it from me that I pretend to know what women find hot, though.


    After finishing the bureaucratic work on my plate all the way down to dotting the last ''i'' and crossing the last ''t'', I bundle them all up in an envelope and put in the slime cores, which serve as the proof of kill. I drift on my throbbing leg over to the mailbox outside. Tomorrow, the Mailmage can pick them up in the morning and ship them out to the Association. We''ll get our pay later in the day once it''s processed, and I''m looking forward to it no matter how meager our haul will be.


    Finally, I head over to the cleaning closet in the east wing to sate my curiosity and quickly take inventory. I''m not actually planning to clean anything up at this moment, mind. It¡¯s just one more thing I can do to stall out my time. Not only that, but Sam¡¯s efforts to rouse me to work on myself have gone and gotten me thinking about actually, maybe, potentially even, getting some work done on the Guild itself, so I do genuinely want to take stock of what I have.


    Cleaning, though? Cleaning... it¡¯s a daunting task, and frankly, I don¡¯t want to do it.


    While it¡¯s not the veritable fortress that is the Perlshaw Adventurer¡¯s Guild, the Dewhurst Guild is a very large building with three separate wings, a large basement, and a second floor on each wing. That''s all well enough on its own, but it''s not even mentioning the backyard. There''s a sizable training area there, as well as a filthy, onsen-styleonsen-styled bathhouse that has fallen to ruin, and lastly, we have some worn-down sheds, too. My neglect has led to my own chambers, the kitchen, and my office being the sole relatively well-maintained rooms, and even then, I''m not convinced they''re all that much to write home about.


    Beyond trying to somehow scrounge up some more adventurers if this stuff with Sam works out, my first order of business is to get her running enough quests to the point where we''re actually able to start saving up enough funds to hire actual cleaning staff. Live-in maids would be my preference, but Gods only know how much that would cost me. Dreaming about such things is all lovely and all, but that won¡¯t happen for a long time. The only reason I¡¯m dwelling on it so hard is that there''s no way I can clean this entire Guild myself- I tried.


    That''s how it got so bad in the first place.


    Look at me, though, staring at a cleaning closet because I''m terrified of what may or may not happen when I set foot into my own damn bedroom...


    Eventually, there comes the point where I run out of things I can do to delay the inevitable- no matter how hard I try. If I hesitate any longer, I get a distinct feeling that Sam will run out of patience, march down the stairs, kick my other shin to bits, and carry me off herself. While I can certainly think of worse fates than being whisked away by a Princess with amazon-esque strength, I resolve myself as best I can and walk to the stairway on my own two feet for now.


    I look up at the creaky wooden pathway leading up to the second floor. There are full bedrooms up there for the Guild¡¯s nonexistent staff and important guests, in addition to the master suite where I make my dwelling. Come to think of it, it probably smells like years of a lonely erotica enthusiast enjoying his favorite hobby up there. I¡¯m used to the scent, but I highly doubt Sam is... just wonderful.


    As if I needed any more excuses not to want to share my bed with her.


    Taking one step forward and then another, I drudge myself up like a man walking to the gallows. Considering that that''s something that may very well happen to me in my future if I do anything uncouth to a certain Princess, I better startstate getting used to this unique and unsettling feeling of persistent dread.


    Once finished with the most anxious stairway ascension I¡¯ve ever had the displeasure of experiencing, I look over and see the door to my room in the same spot it''s always been. Only now, instead of a comfortable gateway to safety and reliable comfort, what lies beyond it is only uncertainty and what I believe to be a blonde brat who is as unbearably horny as she is unbearably hot. I close the distance, taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, and I knock on the wooden door leading to my bedroom.


    Making sure to avoid the off chance that she''s changing or otherwise indecent, I ask, ¡°Are you good in there, Sam? Can I come in?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, hold on, Daddy, I¡¯m almost done touching myself.¡± The girl replies right away with a teasing and sarcastic tone.


    ¡°...Right. Well, I suppose I''ll just wait here patiently while you''re done, then.¡± I roll my eyes and cross my arms, trying my best to avoid picturing the very same image she just skillfully implanted within my impressionable and overly erotic imagination.


    ¡°I¡¯m just fucking with you, Boss..." Sam has herself a hearty laugh at my expense before continuing on, beckoning me to join her with, "Come on in! It¡¯s your room, after all, you total nerd.¡±


    With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, I enter what used to be my personal sanctuary. Only I know that without a doubt, the once hallowed room is a sanctuary no longer- it¡¯s been transformed into a damn battlefield.


    At first glance, I see that Sam has gone ahead and made herself at home without waiting for me. She''s snuggled up tight under my blanket. The only visible part of her body is her head, poking out adorably underneath the covers. Nearby, Sam''s bikini armor is shoved onto my nightstand, making them look even more like a stripper''s garments or some sort of cheap fetish wear.


    The Princess¡¯s long, blonde hair has been freed from the confines of her spunky twintails, and they¡¯re now free to fall all over the place. Given how rough and rowdy her untamed locks were beforehand, Sam now looks almost like some sort of sensual Goddess of bed-heads. It¡¯s a look that works astonishingly well on her, and I once again find myself drawn to just how cute the girl is.


    I push the thought out of my mind, knowing if I don''t set some mental boundaries here, then there''s no way I''ll be able to resist her advances.


    Only then, our eyes meet, and I see a slight blush on her cheeks that quickly fades. Sam smiles upon seeing me, and it''s a genuine smile. Wholesome, even. Seeing just how weirdly pleased she is to see me prompts me to give her the same treatment right back, despite my anxiety. For a moment, we just stand there looking at each other and grinning for a reason neither of us can explain until we both snap out of it.


    So much for resisting, I guess. Just looking at Sam is enough to give me a damned heart attack...


    Sam is quick to cover up her own embarrassment, grumbling, ¡°Geez, it took ya long enough, you slow-ass! Was the paperwork really that bad, or were you just stalling your time out so you could avoid me?¡±


    I make a slightly annoyed expression brought on by being caught red-handed, and the Princess giggles once she finds out for sure just how right she is.


    ¡°A bit of both, although the paperwork really did need to be done. It''s important I get the papers sorted out so that they get mailed as soon as possible.¡±


    "Is it?"


    "You want us to get paid, don''t you?"


    "Well, yeah!"


    "Then I have to do the paperwork." I sigh, leaving the doorway and further entering the room.


    As I approach my humble bed, the surreal feeling of seeing a girl lying upon it for the first time in my life overtakes me. There really is a girl on my bed. I''m not just hallucinating. As if trying to verify her existence, I stare, perhaps lingering a little too over-long.


    Then, I raise an eyebrow and sigh. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s not even worth trying the whole, ¡®well, I can sleep on the floor, and you can sleep on my bed¡¯ routine, is it?¡±


    She snorts right away at that suggestion. ¡°Not if you want your other shin to stay niiiice and safe, Daddy."


    "I thought as much..."


    "You gonna get comfortable or what? I already changed.¡± She smirks.


    ¡°Patience, you brat,¡± I shake my head while teasingly clicking my tongue at her in a mocking fashion. Next, I head over to my dresser, intent on picking out a pair of pajamas for myself.


    ¡°Oooh, I like it when you call me that!¡± Sam replies with friendly sarcasm and more than a bit of naughtiness in her voice. To quell her, I throw a spare shirt from out of the dresser directly at her face. Sam laughs and continues laughing as it hits her, but it falls off as soon as she rolls her head back.


    ¡°Of course you do,¡± I shake my head yet again, stepping into my personal restroom to quickly change out of my prim and proper attire and into my sleepwear- a plain white cotton shirt and simple boxers.


    Typically, I don¡¯t ever go to bed this early. I¡¯d spend a few hours reading one of my erotic tomes or, in better times, some sort of Guild reference book, but... it¡¯s been a weird day. Might as well make it a weird night, too, and turn myself in.


    ¡°All ready?¡± Sam asks, right as I poke out of the bathroom. Someone sure is eager to have me lay beside her, though I guess that¡¯s no surprise given everything she''s said and done.


    ¡°Yes, yes. Scoot over. You''re laying on my side.¡± With my hand, I motion her to the opposite side of the bed.


    "Well, if you came to bed with me, you could''ve told me that sooner!¡± Sam giggles a bit, retreating under the sheets and burrowing her way to the proper side I indicated. Her head pops out as if she were a sexy little mole, which gets a small but genuine laugh out of me. For the shortest of moments, I find myself thinking I could get used to this... then I remember I still actually have to get in the damn bed with her.


    I turn off the arcane tech lamp by the side of the bed, darkening the room through the lack of its dim light. At long last, the moment of truth has come. Sam looks at me with a smug smirk, excited for me to stoop down to her level and join her. With great reluctance, I slip under the covers while Sam watches me with devious curiosity.


    ¡°You gonna sleep with these things on?¡± Amid the darkness, I feel Sam¡¯s finger tracing against the rim of my magical glasses. With her strength and her recurring clumsiness, Sam is extra careful not to knock them off by accident.


    ¡°No, I was about to switch them off for my sleeping mask, actually.¡± I reach over to the nightstand on my side of the bed. As I slide open the drawer Sam continues speaking and she says something that grabs all of my attention.


    ¡°Why? You could look at me just fine earlier when you weren¡¯t wearing ¡®em. Should be fine as long as you don¡¯t take your eyes off me, right?¡±


    My heart stops, and it feels as if the bratty Princess here just sucked all the air out of the room, leaving nothing but an anxious, disquieting void. She''s right. Amidst everything going on with me today, that little detail must have somehow slipped my mind. As soon as she brings it back up, I instantly recall in vivid detail what it felt to look at Sam without my glasses. I remember her beauty, the way her emerald eyes glimmered like proud, defiant gemstones, and the warm glow of her youthful skin free of blemishes besides the freckles on her cheek.


    Even more than Sam''s physical beauty, though, I remember how it felt to see things so brightly and clearly after nearly two decades of knowing little more than a dimmer, darkened version of the world around me. It was serene, graceful, and calming... and it was all because of her.


    ¡°You mean you noticed?¡± I say, rather dumbly. Of course she noticed. I just uttered something to fill the awkward silence, no matter how stupid it sounded.


    ¡°Well, duh,¡± Sam scoffs at my admittedly brainless comment. ¡°It was kinda hard not to notice, dummy. What with the way you were gaping at me, and all. That look on your face was... like... hmm. I ain¡¯t exactly ¡®well-spoken¡¯, ya know? If I had to try and phrase it, it¡¯s like you were a blind man, but you weren¡¯t always blind, then suddenly you weren¡¯t blind anymore... and I was the first thing you saw after getting your sight back. Is that kinda close, or does it not make sense? Like I said, I¡¯m not good at this.¡±


    Damn. We really are on the same wavelength. ¡°No, that¡¯s... a fairly apt metaphor. More or less, you could say that''s exactly what I felt, I suppose...¡±


    The bed shifts under Sam¡¯s weight as she moves across it. Her voice gets closer, and the warmth of her breath begins to blow against me as she speaks. In a hushed whisper, the girl asks me softly and sensually, ¡°And? Did you like what you saw?¡±


    My heart just about stops beating from shock. She''s so close, I can almost taste her. Gods, I can smell her... even after all that slime slaying, she smells... wonderful.


    Sam is obviously trying to escalate things, and I need to at the very least try and put a stop to it even if I¡¯m unable to succeed. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen from this point on, and a cold sweat begins to form on my brow as my mind instinctually runs through the most negative possibilities it can dream up.


    ¡°...Sam, look. I¡¯m not comfortable with this. There are too many things at play here that make this wrong on oh-so-many, many levels. I just met you today, for one, and the two of us need to work together professionally from now on... not to mention you¡¯ve only just become an adult, and on top of that, you¡¯re obviously a pr-¡±


    Her face becomes panicked, causing me to sigh. I don¡¯t know why I indulge her in this little game of hers, but it¡¯s just easier to pretend I don¡¯t know her true identity.


    ¡°...etty lady. All I''m saying is that it''s just too fucking much, alright? Contrary to your thoughts, I don¡¯t believe that you¡¯re here for some clandestine reason. Even if by some chance you are, it certainly doesn''t involve sleeping with me. I''m asking you one last time to please, just... stop this nonsense.¡± I tried my best to lay it all out for her, but when I motion to begin turning over away from her, Sam¡¯s hand reaches out to my shoulder and pins me down. Her grip is powerful, and I can¡¯t do a thing about it.


    The runaway Princess removes my glasses straight off my face, then finally emerges from under the covers, throwing them off behind her. She delicately places my all-important seeing aide on the bedside table before hiking her legs over my hips and straddling me with confidence. Sam looks down straight into my eyes with a severe and determined expression. No teasing, no ¡®daddy¡¯, and indeed, no bullshit.


    The room may be dark, but through the cheap curtains drifts in a precarious amount of sensual, springtime moonlight. The ambient blue glow shines upon Sam, revealing a simple truth that I had suspected but dared not verify myself. She¡¯s been naked this entire time- and now she¡¯s not only naked but mounted atop me and pressing down on my hardening groin.

 Do What You Want

    Sam isn''t going to let me stall out answering her question, not now that I''m finally beneath her and at the girl''s absolute mercy. The mighty Princess bares her youthful, naked body down against my own, drawing my eyes up into her stunning form and her gratuitous curves. Despite already seeing most of her figure thanks to her attire, the bits I was missing out on were somehow even better than I had dared dream.


    Narrowing her eyes, the girl grinds down her naked pelvis into mine. "Did... you... like... what... you... saw...?" The fiery brat asks slowly and quietly while pushing down even more weight on my rapidly expanding manhood. A soft moan flees my lips, the distinct valley of Sam''s cleft parting around the outline of my cock.


    I can feel her pussy heat through my boxers. She¡¯s so warm.


    Swallowing nervously, I pull my eyes from Sam''s tantalizing indecency and look up at the girl''s face. "Sam, get off of me. This is... unacceptable... why in the Goddess''s name aren''t you wearing any-"


    Sam rolls her emerald eyes, and I see just how pretty they look as the moonlight creeps in from the window behind my bed. "The fuck kind of stupid question is that s''posed to be, Boss? Did ya think I somehow had a full set of pj''s stashed away in my bra? No, dummy. You saw what I came in with, nothing but a big ol'' sword and the clothes on my back."


    "Right..." My sweating becomes more profuse as I nod at her statement reflexively. "If pajamas were the issue, you could have asked me for something to wear to bed, though... it might not fit, but-"


    "You know damn well this ain''t about the pajamas,"


    "Sam..."


    "So, ya aren''t gonna answer me, then?" Sam''s voice fills with a shrill venom. Her eyes transform into piercing daggers, striking holes into me with just her deep, dire disappointment. Out of irritation, the girl clicks her tongue and frowns.


    "You know that I can''t," I scramble to try and explain myself out of this awkward situation to little avail. All of my squirmings just make Sam use more of her superhuman strength to push me down. "Damn it, you can''t just ask me to-"


    "I can, and I did," Sam growls, demonstrating she''s no longer having it. "Man the fuck up and look at what I''ve got so you can tell me what you think."


    Pinned and trapped like a cornered animal, I gaze up at the nude figure straddling me in the shadows. Surprisingly, night vision is not one of my ocular abilities, but there''s more than enough light coming in for me to make out every last detail of this girl''s young, generous body.


    Sam''s sizable, soft, round breasts fall down from her chest in a perfect teardrop shape. Impossibly perky despite their robust size, they only look more prominent than ever before without the straining confines of her breastplate.


    In the center of each enticing tit sits a pink and pert nipple, with an areola that''s not too large or not too small surrounding it, no larger than a golden coin. The open air of the room, or perhaps Sam¡¯s arousal, has pointed and hardened the tips of these delectable nips, making it hard to stare at them without feeling an intense need to suck from them.


    Her bare naked skin is without blemish, her body defined primarily by curves upon succulent curves. A few parts of the girl are on the thicker side, mainly her wide hips, meaty thighs, her fat bottom, and of course her chest, but I can''t understate how much I''m into that. Her mound has a little bit of extra meat, too, and it''s hairless to boot.


    Behind her, Sam''s golden hair flows down her shoulders, past her back, and down to her butt. The sheer amount of hair her puffy twin-tails were holding back is astonishing, but it''s impressive to see just how much letting it all down does to change her image.


    Before, Sam looked like a bratty tomboy with all those unkempt curls. Now, those same curls cascading off in every direction make her look like a beautiful and even sensual goddess.


    In every regard, this girl is immaculate, resplendent, and plenty of other pretentious words I could rattle off the top of my head. So why can''t I answer her question? Why can''t I tell her how much I like what I see?


    Is it because the age gap between us complicates matters, and I fear what others would think of me if I pursued her?


    Is it because Sam is almost certainly the Crown Princess of Karnalle and that becoming involved with her would potentially land me in heaps upon heaps of trouble?


    Perhaps it''s neither of those things, and it''s just because I lack the self-confidence required to tell her how I feel. Hell, the age gap is hardly a problem when you look at all of this Realm¡¯s political marriages. Maybe it''s just that I don''t feel like I deserve any of this. I really don''t even know at this point.


    Even with my thoughts churning in loops and loops, Sam allows me more than enough time to properly stare at every inch of her naked body for as long as I desire. While I know that some part of me desperately wants to break the silence and escalate things further beyond this point, I can''t bring myself to throw caution to the wind even when so many of my fantasies are here looking right into my eyes.


    What kind of loser has a stunning girl literally pressed up naked against his cock, yet all he can think about is how much of a disappointment and a failure he is? This one, apparently.


    Still sounding disappointed, Sam raises an eyebrow and asks, "Been long enough, I think. Gonna take it ya still can''t answer me?"


    "Yes," Almost without hesitation, I admit the truth to her in shame.


    "Gods, you could at least hesitate a little when you admit to having no spine..." She groans, looking frustrated beyond belief. Sam closes her eyes just as she''s had enough and then leans down forward. Her heavy breasts drag against my shirt as she presses her lips forward like she was going to kiss me, only for her to slip past my guard and slide up to my ear.


    In a purposeful yet quiet whisper, Sam asks, "Do you want to know why your Guild is in such a crappy state, Boss?"


    I blink, suddenly surprised and taken aback thanks to this bizarre change in topic from the naked girl. "Excuse me?"


    "It''s because you can''t stop acting like such a sad-sack," Sam says, her voice swelling with conviction making her sound absolutely sure of herself.


    It takes a second for her words to actually register. When I finally understand exactly what Sam just said, I''m met with a mixed set of emotions triggering many different responses all at once.


    I''m angry, and I''m sad.


    I agree, but I disagree.


    I try to lean up, to lash out at Sam and push her off of me, but Sam''s strength puts a stop to that right and early. Even despite her power, I still struggle with everything I have.


    I''m determined to yell or to tell this brat that she knows nothing about me and what I''ve been through. I want to tell her something, anything, really.


    After battling long and hard against myself, I end up with, "What the fuck is your problem? You barge into my home, and you-BLUH?!"


    I don''t get very far. Sam takes my lips in between her fingers and shuts them tight just after I start talking.


    The glare in her self-righteous eyes is equal parts awe-inspiring and demanding. When she''s like this, I feel like a man forced to kneel before his sovereign.


    "Shut the fuck up when I''m talking. You got that?" Sam asks, waiting for me to respond. I nod my head up and down, unsure of what to expect. Satisfied, at least for now, the Princess lets go of my lips yet keeps her disappointed gaze trained on me at all times.


    "There''s your problem right there," Sam sighs, shaking her head like she knows all the answers.


    "What?"


    "What do you think? This!" Sam gestures at me with her hand. "I''m talking about this right here, damn it. You just shut your trap like a total bitch when I told you to. You''re weak... soft, even."


    "And this has to do with my Guild... how?"


    "It''s got everything to do with your Guild, dummy. I''m sure you worked as hard as you said you did, but that entire time, you couldn''t put your all into it... could you? Something was holding you back." Sam leans in close to my face. Our noses touch, her emerald eyes shining in the darkness as she glimpses into the deepest recesses of my soul. "How about it, Boss? Any idea what that was?"


    Of course, I do. I''m many things, but I''m not a fool. I spend every day thinking about how everything is all my fault and how I''ve done nothing but screw myself and everyone else over just by existing. I''m well aware that I''m holding myself back.


    But have I ever admitted it so openly? I don''t think I have, and although it took this girl a lot to force it out of me, this might be my chance to admit to having a problem. My fists start trembling, and my mind feels like I''m on the verge of breaking down.


    Sam''s question whirls about in my thoughts like a storm until finally, my words are found.


    "I''m the one holding myself back..." I mutter, scarcely more than a whisper.


    The girl doesn''t want me being evasive. "Louder," She says, pushing me out of my comfort zone.


    "I''m my own worst enemy," I speak, following her advice as I raise my voice.


    "Better," Sam nods her head. "Any idea why that is?"


    "Probably because..."


    "Because what? C''mon, Boss. You''re doing good. Stay with me, here."


    "Because I... don''t think I deserve to be happy, on some level..."


    Fearing that my negativity is going to make things worse again, Sam loses some composure as she asks, "Well, why the fuck not?"


    I spare her the details, remembering what it was like when I droned on about my depression after dinner. It would only drag me down further, and Sam won''t stand for that. "Because my life has been nothing but mistake after mistake. Thanks to that, the people around me have suffered endlessly as a result." This is what I tell her, and it gets a surprising response from the girl.


    "So what?" Sam asks, tilting her head. For a moment, I''m baffled at how she could dismiss all of the people I''ve hurt like it was nothing... but then I realize that may be her entire point.


    Unsure, I ask, "What the fuck do you mean ¡®so what?¡¯"


    "What I mean is that it''s not like you intentionally screwed other people over. I don''t know what you''ve been through, but mistakes aren''t something you should dwell on forever. They''re something you should own up to, grow, and learn from. I may be just a kid, but even I know that much. I mean, I made tons of mistakes earlier today, and I had you there to point ''em out for me. If I can do it, why can''t you?" The way Sam says it in her high and mighty voice makes it sound like she''s mocking me, even if I know she''s not. Sam is just telling me the truth, in that brash, honest way of hers.


    "E-Even if you''re right," I ask, a slight crack in my voice appearing due to my rising emotions, "How am I supposed to just... move past everything until now?"


    "You could start by focusing on yourself, for one. Think about what you want, what you need. Then, remember that nothing in this Realm is handed to you and that if you want something, you gotta take it. Take what you want before anyone else can get their grubby mitts on it, and make it yours!" She pumps her fist in the air, making her breasts jiggle.


    "And how will becoming a selfish thug like that help me?"


    "Because you''re the type who can''t stop thinking all the time. We can''t stop that without inflicting some brain damage, which I''m guessing you''re against?"


    "You presume correctly,"


    "Right. So if we can''t stop you, then we gotta get your big ''ol brain focused on forward momentum. Work towards everything you want, and when you get it, work on grinding towards the next thing."


    Sam''s proposal is a childish philosophy. Fill the hole in my heart by saying fuck it to everything else and taking more, and more, and more from the world until there''s nothing left to take? Keep on grinding, and everything will be ok? Sure, whatever you say, Sam.


    But... as childish as it is, there''s an allure to her proposal. I picture myself having all the things in this world that I ever wanted. A bustling Guild, political power, tons of gold, beautiful women... if I had all these things and more, wouldn''t I be better off?


    Of course, I would. That¡¯s a stupid question.


    Sam''s right. There''s an entire Realm out there for the taking, and I''m here sitting on my ass, too depressed to be the one who does it.


    "I got a question for you, Boss. What is it that you want more than anything else in the whole Realm?" The Princess asks, further stirring me to think on her proposal.


    As I stare upwards into Sam''s emerald eyes, I feel a churning sensation inside my heart taking hold of me. No longer do I feel like I''m on the edge of an abyss I can''t crawl out of. This girl is now standing by my side and offering a hand to keep me from falling. Her words might be crass and her ideas simplistic, but they latch onto me in all the right ways.


    With Sam''s encouragement, I speak the words I''ve never had the courage to say until this very moment.


    "I want to change. I want to move past all of my bullshit, to stop caring about what other people think, and to finally accept that I deserve to be as happy as anyone else." The words fall out of me like heavy stones cast into the ocean. They sink beneath the waves, and even if they surface again or wash back to shore, at least I made an effort to throw them out at all.


    "That''s a pretty good start, I think. We can work on it." Sam smiles down at me, her expression shifting from serious to supportive. She leads me on with her words, goading me to prove myself. "What else do you want out of life? What kept you going for so many years before you broke?"


    I inhale sharply, tighten my fists, and summon my conviction. There''s no other answer in my mind, so while staring right at the girl, I proclaim that childish dream of mine for the first time in ages, "I want to turn this place into the greatest Adventurer''s Guild in all the Realm. Just like how it used to be."


    "Just like how it used to be, or...?" Sam doesn''t want me to settle for the low-hanging fruit so quickly, nudging me to grasp even higher. She''s right. I shouldn''t settle.


    The fire inside me burns hotter still, and I correct myself. "Better than it used to be, damn it," I tell her, pleasing Sam to no end.


    "There ya go!" Judging my words to be true and not just me saying what she wants to hear, the naked Princess becomes even more friendly and less domineering. Her smile widens, her eyes filling with pride over everything I''ve said. "That''s a lot more like it, Boss. I knew you had it in you."


    As much as I might feel good about myself, I recognize that this is all still a bunch of hot air on my behalf. "The struggle isn''t over yet. I still have to prove I''m not just talking shit and that I mean it when I say I want to change." I say to Sam.


    "You will," She nods her head at me, fully determined and sure of herself. "I know it."


    I wonder why her confidence is so high when it comes to me bettering myself, so I ask, "Really? And how come you''re so certain of that?"


    "Because if you relapse, I''ll kick your ass and put you right back on track the hard way if I have to." The strong warrior girl punches her open palm with the opposite fist, showcasing what will happen if I fall into my depression again. Usually, I wouldn''t endorse such a violent treatment, but I feel it''s just what I need in my specific case.


    "I''m a lucky man to have you around, then." I smile up at her before finally becoming aware of Sam''s nakedness once again. As we discussed such weighty topics, I grew distracted enough to ignore my attraction. That''s no longer the case now that things have settled. I''m suddenly reminded of the burning hot lips of her pussy baring down against me.


    Sam remembers, too. That playful smile of hers returns to her face as she says, "Now that you''re not gonna care about stupid crap anymore, like worrying about other people''s opinions of you, isn''t there anything else ya want out of life? Maybe something a little more... short term? How about now... What do you want right now more than anything else?" Guiding my answer out of me, Sam rolls her hips a single time along my length, sending pleasure out for both of us.


    I can''t deny her any longer, and I don''t care about any of the factors that make this ''wrong''. I want Sam, and I''ve wanted her since I first gazed upon the beautiful young warrior. Sure, she''s only eighteen, and she''s a Princess, at that. It would also be rushing things, I just met her today, and that''s far from ordinary.


    But at this exact moment, I just don''t see why any of that matters anymore. They''re excuses stopping me from moving forward with my life, and I will no longer be a slave to anything but my own desires and ambitions.


    "There''s a thing or two I can think of," I tell Sam, lifting my hips and driving myself into her pelvis. She bites her lower lip as my hardness willingly brushes up against her.


    "That so?" Sam smirks, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of red as a small amount of embarrassment finally starts to work its way through her.


    "Yes," Reaching out, I place my hand on the flat of the beautiful warrior''s navel. Her flesh is so soft, so pure, and I feel like I could sink right into her. I run my fingertips down Sam''s stomach and then around her hips, watching the chill of delight the girl experiences as they brush against her inner thigh. "I want to take out all the sexual frustration you''ve put me through today and fuck you like the little brat you are.


    My declaration excites the girl. I watch as her eyes light up, and I feel it for myself when her lips twitch around my cock. In a low, husky voice, the tomboy asks me, "Then you know what to do, don''t ya? It''s time to man up and start doing what you want, Daddy..."


    "Mmn," I don''t even try to hide how turned on being called ''Daddy'' makes me this time. I reward her for it by pushing more of myself up against her mound, and she grinds back down nice and hard in return.


    At Sam''s command, I... no, not because of her command. Because I want to, I sit up from underneath Sam and wrap my arms around the naked girl. She squeals excitedly as I pull her body close to mine and press our lips together in a passionate blaze of hot desire that''s been building up from the moment we met.


    Her lips are full, round, remarkably soft, and they taste faintly of the spicy cocktail I gave her hours ago. It''s a delicious, fiery taste that suits her, and the explosiveness of the drink perfectly symbolizes our bombastic first kiss.


    Neither of us holds anything back. After hardly any time has even passed, we''re already sliding our tongues into each other''s mouths. Since it''s my first kiss, I know I''m not giving my best performance, but Sam doesn''t say a word to tell me off otherwise. She''s too wrapped up in having me all for herself.


    The girl shows off her roughness. Her hands dig into the back of my shirt and into my skin with her nails. Sam does this while going hardcore on my tongue, thrusting her slick wetness down against my own and tracing every corner of my mouth with vigor. Sam''s trying to figure out how to do this, too, but skill doesn''t matter now.


    Passion is the only thing that does, and both of us have that in spades.


    Acting on my desires like this without a care in the world feels liberating to no end. There will be no more worrying, no more self-pity, no. Right now, there''s nothing but the sweet, sweet victory tasted by sharing a kiss with my new lover.


    Right or wrong, I want to fuck Sam with everything I''ve got. Once I''m done taking my pleasure from her, I''m going to un-fuck my life step by step to make sure that this Guild goes down in Karnalle''s history.


    Why?


    Because from this point onwards, I''m going to do what I want.

 What it Means to Be Her Daddy

    Though our kiss is long and intense, it doesn''t last forever. Part of me wishes it did, but I want more things aside from Sam''s lips, so I resign myself for now. After thoroughly exploring the incredible new sensations brought along by the sensual meeting of our mouths, Sam and I pull apart, a solitary strand of our combined saliva connecting our lips until it falls.


    We stare deeply into one another''s eyes as silence takes the room. There are a million things I want to say to Sam at this moment. I want to thank her, to tell her I''m sorry, to promise to be better, but I''m not going to wallow on any of these idle thoughts.


    Instead, I ground myself in the moment by basking in her presence and feeling the warmth of her breath, the feeling of her naked shoulder blades on my hands, and the lingering taste of our sweet first kiss.


    Like animals in heat, our bodies cling back to each other. The silence ends as we start grinding and pressing away during our exploration.


    I start off by massaging Sam''s nubile back, her skin so smooth that my hands glide across her like silk. She makes a few cute noises as I try out different things. Running down her spine, tracing the small of her back, running around to her hips, and feeling up her love handles all make the Princess whimper, twitch, and moan. Learning how she reacts to everything I do to her will be fun, I can already tell.


    My hands travel across every inch of Sam''s curves, the soft sensation surpassing every expectation I had about touching a naked woman and then some. I dreamed of this happening for so long, but reading about it in all of my many erotic novels didn''t prepare me for just how stimulating the real thing actually is.


    Feeling up the real deal is much more potent than a book could possibly describe. Sam isn''t just soft. She¡¯s intoxicatingly so. Her body is richer than any drink I could ever mix, her smell is ripe yet womanly from fighting all those Slimes, and those sunshine-colored locks of hers are so fluffy that I want to bury my face in her mane and breathe.


    Everything last little thing about this girl pulls me in so hard I can''t even dream of pulling away. Gods, I want more of Sam. Nothing I do to her is enough.


    At the same time, Sam thinks the same about me. With a teasing giggle, the warrior lifts up the hem of my sleeping shirt and lifts. Stripping me of it, the girl raises an eyebrow once she gets a good view of my naked chest. Judging by the hungry, surprised look in her eyes, I can only imagine that Her Highness likes what she sees.


    "Damn," Sam gulps, running her fingers down my chest to verify her findings. "Ya got like, rock-hard abs and shit... dude... I shouldn''t have written you off so soon, Daddy. Maybe you could make an adventurer out of yourself, after all!" She giggles.


    After the initial shock wears off, Sam smiles ear to ear as she starts groping both my pecs and my firm abs, making herself somehow seem even pervier than I am right now. I feel the heat rising in my cheeks as the cute brat feels me up, coupled with pleasure whenever she brushes against my nipples.


    "I keep in shape, but for whatever reason, I''ve never needed much exercise to maintain this body. I''ve always been fairly muscular."


    "Ya don''t say...?" Sam drools, her hands leaving my chest to inspect my shoulders and then my biceps. The girl''s eyes become as wide as saucers as she beams at what she finds. "Oh, Goddesses, you''re fucking ripped...!" She says after I flex for her benefit.


    "I don''t see what''s so impressive," I laugh at the adorable display. "You''re way stronger than I am, even if your body doesn''t show it." I try and imagine the warrior Princess as anything but a curvy blonde brat, but the mental picture of a shredded Sam doesn''t do much for me. I like myself some muscles on a woman, but Sam? I like her just the way she is, curves for days and all.


    "I''m not saying I''m jealous, Daddy," Sam shakes her head, wiping some of her drool off. "I''m saying you''re fucking hot. Besides, you look strong enough where it matters..." She teases, leaning into my neck and peppering it in tiny kisses. Right as I let my guard down, Sam goes in for a surprise attack. I roll my head back to let out a soft moan, and the Princess sucks down on her last kiss, all but certainly leaving me a massive love bite.


    "I''m not the only one with a big sword, huh?" Sam looks down at my crotch, running her right hand down my chest toward the massive, tented bulge in my shorts. She snakes past the elastic band, and the moment of truth arrives. For the first time in my life, a girl is grabbing my cock.


    Sam firmly grasps it from the get-go. Her hands aren''t what I''d call big or small, really, but they''re enough to fully wrap around my enhanced girth. "Fuck," I groan from feeling the warmth of another person. Desires pulses through me, and I throb against Sam''s grip. "That''s good..."


    "Yeah...?" She teases, slowly starting to jerk it up and down. For someone who''s only ever masturbated until now, having my cock massaged feels almost like an out-of-body experience. I would''ve never expected having someone else do it for me would make such a huge difference, but it does.


    "Damn, you''re even bigger than I thought you were. How''d ya get so massive?" Sam laughs, growing more comfortable as she strokes with increasing confidence.


    I know her comment was little more than a joke to play toward my ego, but I decide now is as good a time as any to be honest with my new lover. "This might sound weird, but... my eyes weren''t the only thing acting up today. Before, I was about half this length and not nearly as wide."


    Sam suddenly stops jerking, looking at me with a confused expression. "So... what, you''re saying I''m so hot that it made your dick twice as big?"


    "I don''t know what to think. After I looked at you without my glasses, my emotions went out of control, and then I had to relieve myself. That''s when I discovered not only my size increase but that... the amount changed as well..." I''d been holding back all these strange things going on with my body until now, so saying them out loud to Sam makes me feel somewhat better about the whole situation.


    Sam blinks at me, then looks away. "Uh. Okay then. Do you like... need to go see a healer or something? None of this shit sounds normal, Boss."


    I knew she''d recommend that, but I have reasons for avoiding my physician that I don''t feel like getting into. "Nothing about today has been normal, Sam, and I have you to thank for that."


    In an attempt to distract her, I pull Sam back toward me and bury my lips into hers so that we can share yet another delightful kiss. It works. Sam returns the favor by kissing back and giving my cock a nice massage as a reward.


    Once the kiss runs its course, Sam smiles playfully and asks me while giggling, "You said you jizzed more than usual? Is that why I could still smell it when I got home?" For a moment, she comes off as excited while imagining how much cum I produced.


    "About that," I give Sam a teasing grin. "How do you even know what jizz smells like, young lady?"


    "Don''t be jealous, Daddy," Sam''s innocent smile puts any doubts I might''ve had to rest and to further quell me, the girl delivers a series of quick, thorough tugs causing me to groan. "I only know because, uh... I didn''t have very many good role models growing up. I was exposed to a... well, a loooot of shit thanks to my Father."


    Mumbling under my breath, I utter, "So everything they say about the King is true..."


    I didn''t mean for Sam to hear it, but she does. The Princess releases my cock, a thick coat of sweat covering her forehead. She scoots further away from me and starts gesturing with her hands defensively, making her big breasts repeatedly bounce up and down. "W-Woah there, Boss, ya got one hell of an imagination over there! Who the heck said anything about the King?!"


    Even now, I don''t have much of a desire to try and out her ''secret identity'' or anything. Honestly, she''s cuter like this. But I can''t help wanting to mess with Sam, just a little bit. "My mistake. It''s just that a few minutes ago, when you were trying to get through to me, you dropped most of your slang and took on an almost royal, commanding persona. One could easily mistake you for a Princess when you behave like that, you know."


    "Pft," Sam blows another raspberry while nudging my shoulder, rolling her eyes and wiping off some of her sweat. "That was... uh... y''know... just me being kinky! Yeah! Just a bit of roleplay to get you pumped up enough to actually man up and act on your own self-interests for once, ahaha...!"


    "Of course," I smile at her desperate attempt to persuade me. That''s enough for the teasing. I¡¯m ready to get back to our growing intimacy.


    I reach out and cup Sam''s cheek with my hand, causing her to blush from the sudden contact. Her warmth soothes me as I soak up the comforting bliss of her youthful skin. I run my thumb along her cheekbone before sliding it up against the top of her juicy lips.


    Sam shudders, and like a good girl, she reads my mind by opening up her mouth into an inviting ''o'' shape so that I can push my thumb inside of her. She swallows the length of my thumb in one go until her lips are pressed against the base. Her cheeks cave in as Sam sucks on it, her emerald eyes trained straight up at mine as she sets about to give me a taste of what I''m in for.


    Sam swirls her tongue against the underside, licking at the joint before curling it around and lapping at my nail. My eyes roll back as she slips it out of her mouth and chugs it right back down a couple of times in succession. Each time she leaves, Sam makes sure to lick the tip on its way out. Experiencing all the ways this girl worships my thumb sends a phantom pleasure through my dick, making my throbbing all the more robust and painful with need.


    I start panting as the desire welling up within me nearly boils over, my body shivering. Right as I try and pull out, the girl takes both of her hands, and they clamp down tight as a vice around my wrist and my forearm. Sam holds me in place, sucking harder and harder until the strange stimulation drives me mad.


    "Sam, I... holy hell... would you please just- AH!" Sam bites down on my thumb, and I cry out in pain.


    Looking to her eyes to figure out why she would do this, I see her brows furrowed in frustration. Sam reminds me, using only her expression, that the time for asking is over. If I want something, I need to take it for myself or tell her to do it. I deserved that bite, and I''m thankful she gave it to me.


    After that, Sam figures out I got the message, so the pretty, young thing relaxes her sucking enough for me to slide my thumb from between her lips. While staring straight at her, I take the freed thumb into my own mouth and clean it of her saliva. I savor the taste before commanding her, "Suck my cock, Sam."


    "There ya go," She fills with pride over my confidence. "Anything you want, Daddy..." Sam says in a voice dripping in sultriness and coated in allure, sending a shiver running down my spine. Knowing neither of us wants to wait much longer, the girl uses her brute strength to grab both sides of my boxers and rip them in half.


    Somehow, it was a tighter fit than I even thought. My cock springs forward from its confinement, literally slapping the Princess across her face. "Fuck-" Sam yelps as it hits her. It wasn''t painful, but it was surprising. She must like the sensation because she grabs it by the base and slaps it across her face a few more times of her own volition while smiling and laughing like a perverted imp.


    "This size is fucking unreal..." Sam breathes in the scent of my cock and exhales a lewd sigh of yearning. "It''s almost scary."


    "Having second thoughts?" I look down at the girl, and it finally registers that my cock is bigger than her face. Hell, I wouldn''t even blame her for being intimidated.


    "No way," Sam puffs her cheeks out as she gets defensive. I should''ve figured that this competitive girl would take my teasing as a challenge.


    As sympathetic as I might be for her, Sam just got done hammering home how I should live my life caring primarily for my own desires and nothing else. That would conflict with me hesitating because I worry for Sam''s poor jaw or her throat, so I grab her by her hair and pull Sam''s face right up against my length while moving my hips forward, grinding my cock against her cheek.


    "Prove it then, and suck my cock."


    Sam looks back into my eyes, flashing me a sharp grin. "You''re getting good at this, huh? Fuck, I might''ve created a monster..." She giggles before licking her lips. Then, Sam opens her mouth wide and sticks her tongue out. Drawing forward, the brat stops just short of my engorged, swollen cockhead.


    She doesn''t say a word. She just stares at me wantingly. It''s not hard to figure out what she wants me to do. Now is the time for me to do whatever I want, and what I want is simple. I want Sam to suck my cock until I can''t hold back my release any longer, and I''m forced to cum down the tight throat of this tomboyish Princess.


    Holding Sam steady by her hair, I pull her steaming mouth down on my erect hard-on like she were my toy. Upon entering a woman''s wet hole for the first time, I open my jaw and reel back from the ecstasy. Gods, Have I really lived until now?


    I''ve always been a very sexual person, even from a young age. My only form of stress relief has come from reading any form of erotic fiction I could get my hands on, and Goddesses know I''ve had a lot of stress to relieve. This sensation, though, is something on an entirely new level. The warmth, the wetness, the feeling of power I feel from holding Sam by her hair... all of it adds up to pure pleasure.


    And then Sam actually starts to suck.


    Sam closes her eyes tight, and a moan escapes her throat as inch by inch her lips are stretched open by my width. She''s obviously not about to go deep throating me from the get-go, so she grips the base of my manhood with her right hand. Right as she starts bobbing her head up and down, she starts working the shaft and earning more throbs of pleasure from me.


    Far from struggling with my size, Sam seems totally in her element. I can tell she''s never done this before, though. Her eyes may be determined, but the more she sucks, the more little cracks in her confidence appear. Sometimes she takes a little too much and gets my cock caught, or she accidentally brushes it against her teeth, but she''s quick to make up for it by giving me loud kisses or dirty licks with her eager tongue.


    Soon, her left hand reaches down to my heavy balls, and she spreads the pleasure down there, too, by squeezing them and rubbing them.


    Everything Sam does to me adds up. The sucking, the stroking, the fondling, the licking... it''s all so much pleasure riveting through my body- more than I''ve ever felt. I don''t want it to end. No, I want it to go on and on because I can''t get enough of watching this young blonde making a slutty mess of herself solely to pleasure me.


    Having a girl between my legs sucking and moaning on my fat cock as she forces it even deeper down her throat is addicting. If I could get away with it, I would sit here for hours just basking in Sam''s growing mastery of cock-sucking.


    Proving even more how perfect she is, Sam senses my desire to stretch this out, and she starts letting up a bit to relieve my building pleasure. Sam stops forcing it as far as it will go, and she eases up with the pleasurable strokes she''s been giving me. Her soft hands transition into a slow and sensual tempo rather than steady and strong tugs meant to milk me.


    As for her powerful and persistent sucking, she replaces it with tender, drawn-out licks from the tip of my head down the length. The only thing that breaks Sam out of her delightful little tongue rhythm is the delicious, sultry moans she mixes into her routine.


    "Mmmn," Sam shudders, pulling herself away from my cock. "I dunno if it''s just you, or whatever, but Gods... you taste so good..." The girl lets out a gasp, teasing me with a purposeful stroke as she says, "How do you like it? Am I a good girl, Daddy...?"


    "You bet you are. You''re a good girl, a very good girl, um... Sam?" I stutter as something occurs to me.


    "What''s wrong, Daddy?" The Princess tilts her head but smiles as she fills the awkward silence with her surprisingly skilled hands. Like this, she keeps me nice and hard while ensuring I''m not so distracted that I can''t answer her.


    "Ahhh... sorry, I was just thinking how I don''t have a cute little nickname to call you back when you call me daddy."


    Sam tilts her head, then blushes. "That''s what you''re upset about?"


    "It''s just that in this sort of dynamic, the man usually refers to his woman as his little girl, his baby, his kitten, or something of that ilk."


    "Those are all pretty cute, but..." Sam thinks to herself, casually jerking my dick to help her concentrate. "None of ''em really fit me, y''know?"


    "Agreed. I don''t have to call you anything if you wish, I- Ah, fuck..." The bratty girl wants a nickname after all, it seems. She frowns and jerks me even harder to get my attention.


    "It''s not like I want a cute nickname or anything," Sam averts her eyes. "But you can''t just bring it up without giving me one!"


    Adorable. Such a spoiled Princess she is, I... wait, that just might work... and even if she isn''t down for it, it''ll still grant me a cute reaction out of her most likely.


    I reach out with my hand and cup Sam''s cheek, looking down on her with a playful smile. "How about you be Daddy''s cute little Princess, hm?"


    Sam stops rubbing my cock long enough for her cheeks to turn bright red and for her eyes to open wide and sparkle. "Wuh... why would you... uh... not that I don''t like it, I mean... um... P-Princess is fine if that''s what you want, Daddy..." Her smile becomes crooked as she pretends she doesn''t like the moniker, even if it''s obvious she¡¯s all-in.


    "Sounds like my Princess loves her nickname,"


    "M-Maybe I do. What¡¯s it to you?!" Sam frowns, starting to stroke my cock harder and more vigorously like she''s trying to punish me. As I groan, Sam goes on a defensive rant. "I-It''s just roleplay, nothing more!! Besides, if by some chance I was a Princess, then... it''d be, y''know... kinda hot to be reminded of that fact while I''m being used by a commoner..."


    "Of course, Princess," I raise my eyebrow, not knowing what to do with this poor and confused girl. Sam knows what she likes, at least. She perks up as soon as the p-word rolls off my tongue.


    Now that I''m aware Sam wants to be defiled by someone ''below'' her social standing, it makes it a lot easier to justify being rough with her. If she can''t handle it, I''ll back off, but we won''t know until I try. Pulling her by the hair, I guide Sam''s head back to my cock. She looks up at me with watery eyes and seems to know where I''m going with this.


    Like a good girl, my little Princess opens her mouth up for my re-entrance.


    This time around, I''m going in hard. I grab the back of Sam''s head and push the back of her skull as I thrust forward with my hips. Four inches get shoved in right away, and Sam gags as I soon hit the back of her throat soon after that. Giving her a moment to adjust to the sensation, Sam wraps her hands around my hips and looks up at me with an angry glare.


    She can''t talk because of my fat cock shoved down her tight, wet throat, but she gives me an angry glare that seems to ask who told me to stop. This naughty little slut is too much. I love it, so I''ll give Sam precisely what she wants.


    ¡°You like this, you bratty Princess? You like getting used by your Daddy?¡± I ask as I push her head down on my cock and thrust even more forward.


    ¡°Mmm-mhmmgh...!¡± Sam groans into my hardness, her arousal evident. Whether or not Sam can handle it doesn''t matter, as her eyes fill up with bliss.


    The walls of her throat convulse around me, which feels totally different from the first half of her blowjob when coupled with her continuous suction. Tears of joy flow down my Princess''s cheeks, and soon enough, she doesn''t even need me to guide her. Sam starts picking up her pace and throats my cock to the best of her abilities.


    Soon enough, she has to surface for air, and I take advantage of it by grabbing her hair even rougher when she gasps. "You like choking on my dick, Princess?"


    "Mmmm, I sure fucking do, Daddy..." She winces from the pain, but the ecstasy on her face is unmistakable. After she breaths in a sharp breath of air, she sighs dreamily with pleasure. "How about you? Getting any closer?"


    "You wish," I lie. I''m admittedly getting pretty damn close thanks to Sam''s tenacity and the amount of passion she puts into worshipping my cock. She''s a natural at this. There¡¯s no way a girl can deep throat like this for her first time without being some sort of penile prodigy.


    Sam, still as competitive as ever, raises an eyebrow and smiles dangerously. "That so? Sounds like a challenge..." My Princess takes in a massive lungful of air and swallows half of my cock in one go. Then, she grabs on tight with her right hand and milks me while using her thumb to apply pressure on and off on my throbbing underside.


    I show her a moment of weakness, gasping, "Oh, Gods, Sam..." as I reach down with both of my hands to grab onto both sides of her skull for some measure of stability. It doesn''t work all that well, as Sam''s amazing blowjob puts me in my place after barely another minute of pleasure.


    She alternates between milking me, deep throating, and sucking in a rhythm that''s more than I can be expected to hold myself back from. I lose control of my cock right as she shoves it the furthest it''s ever gotten until now, her tight throat constricting around me with a powerful gag the sets me off.


    What follows is a massive load that somehow outdoes the literal explosion I experienced earlier in the day. The orgasm is achingly powerful, and it tears through my body so hard that I almost fall over. I grab Sam''s huge fluffy locks like they were handlebars, lodging myself firmly down her throat as far as I can while cumming an absolute torrent of semen.


    To Sam''s credit, she doesn''t struggle. Instead, she voluntarily keeps me lodged there even as my climax stretches out further and further into a shocking duration. The amount of semen leaving my body is obscene, and it isn''t until my stream finally starts to die down where things prove to be too much for my little Princess. Sam slides my cock out of her spasming throat, coughing and letting drops of my seed escape with every hack.


    Even then, she''s not done. Ramping up her non-stop jerking, Sam stares at me with lusty eyes and says, "Don''t stop... c''mon, Daddy, shoot it all out for your cute little Princess...!"


    "Sam, oh, Gods... Sam...!" Faster and faster she goes, forcing my orgasm to last just a little bit longer until my dick launches out one last furious blast of cum. The naughty girl aims it straight at her face, and the wave paints Sam white with the proof of my lust.


    As soon as I stop throbbing, Sam slows down her movements to a crawl and smiles up at me. "How''d that feel?" She asks, eager to learn how she did.


    "Never before have I ever experienced such immeasurable heights of pleasure..." I respond, doing my best to avoid drooling.


    "Geez," Sam scratches behind her ear, smiling awkwardly. "Ya sure know how to praise a girl..."


    "Only because you''ve earned it. I didn''t know it was possible to feel so satisfied. Then again, seeing a beautiful girl covered in copious amounts of his own semen is sure to do that to a man."


    "Hold up, satisfied?" The Princess furrows her brow with worry. "Don''t tell me you''re done already?"


    "Don''t count on it, Princess." Sam''s concern makes me laugh, seeing as how there''s no way I''m stopping early. I''ve yet to pay her back for the pleasure she''s just kindly gifted me and as good as a blowjob was, I still want to lose my virginity more than anything else.

 The Journey Starts Between the Thighs of a Princess

    Even though I just finished blasting semen all over Sam''s face, I decide that my ego hasn''t been fed quite enough. I reach out a single finger and brush it against my lover''s cheek, scooping up a dollop of my hot load and extending it an inch away from her full, pouty lips.


    "Before we get started with what comes next, you need to be a good little Princess and clean up your mess. Is that understood?" I ask, stern and serious.


    My semen isn''t the only thing Sam eats up. She''s down for this hard-ass Daddy roleplay, so much so that she shivers at my words. "Mmn, of course, Daddy... your pretty little slut just loves tasting your cum..." Sam coos.


    "Really now?"


    "Mhmm!" Sam giggles innocently, and then in a soft, dream-like haze, she eagerly swallows my pointer finger and slowly slurps it.


    "So good," The brat whimpers after sliding it out of her mouth. Proving herself as the good girl she claims to be, the Princess goes on to voluntarily clean up the rest of her face in as sexy a way as she can.


    Sam looks me straight in the eyes, moaning like she were a bitch in heat while scooping up every last inch of my seed and licking it off her cum-covered hands like it''s the tastiest treat she''s ever had the privilege of tasting.


    As I watch Sam devour my cum like her life depended on it, a sensation stirs in my heart. I''m overtaken with an urge to fill this girl up with even more of my semen. Then, another tingle overcomes me that I wasn''t expecting or wanting to experience again. It''s the same voice I heard earlier in the day. It whispers, ''Pump more inside of her. That¡¯s where it belongs...''


    In response, I clutch my chest as the desire to deposit load after load in every one of Sam''s holes develops stronger by the second.


    "Daddy...?" Sam stops after swallowing the last drop. She panics after seeing me grab my heart, worried for the worst. "Yo, are ya doing okay over there? Is your heart healthy enough for sex, old man?"


    "I''m just fine," I smirk to dispel her concern while ignoring her bratty comment. "For a moment, seeing you take all of Daddy''s cum was just too much for me to handle."


    Sam raises an eyebrow but lets it go when she sees for herself that I''m doing just peachy. "Just making sure we don''t gotta go and get you a youth potion or some shit," The Princess laughs, then says, "Still, though... Daddy''s cum tastes crazy good. Is that normal? Or is this just another one of your surprises?"


    "I''m going to guess it''s the latter,"


    "...Boss, what the fuck does a ladder have to do with your jizz tasting awesome?"


    "Nothing, Sam..." I hang my head and sigh at the confused dunce, and that''s when I notice yet another miracle.


    Despite having just cum the load of my life, I''m raring to go again against all odds. It''s not even a half-chub, I''m tremendously hard, and it''s only been about two minutes. No doubt more magical bullshit at work that I don''t want to deal with, so I''ll not look this gift horse in the mouth.


    "More importantly, I''m not done with you yet, Princess." I sit up from my position on the rickety bed, and I look down at Sam. Her nude body is beautiful in the moonlight, and I feel myself twitching at the sight.


    Sam looks down at my groin. Seeing my rock-hard erection, she turns back up to my face with a dirty grin. "Damn, I thought guys had to wait a bit before going again...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s usually the case, but...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Magic dick, got it. Either way, ya know what to do by now, right? If you want me, ya gotta be man enough to fucking take me yourself."


    Sam, this beautiful little Princess of mine, reclines back on my mattress.


    Spreading her legs wide, the thrilling scent of her womanhood wafts into the air and fills my nostrils with intrigue. This is the first view I''m getting of her exposed vagina, and Gods, is it compelling.


    Shining strands of lewd, wet juices run down Sam''s thighs, showing me that manhandling this brat excited her even more than I expected. Droplets of that same fluid glisten on her lips, highlighting that alluring pink color and urging me forward.


    Funny, she just finished up cleaning one mess, and now the shameless girl has already gone and made another.


    "I don''t just want to take you, Princess. I want to make you mine in every sense of the word." I lay down on my stomach before her, half of my legs dangling off the bed.


    "W-Wait, what are you doing down there?" Sam lifts her head up and looks down at me.


    "...What, did you think I was just going to shove it in?"


    "I mean, isn''t that how this goes? I''m already wet," The girl emphasizes the fact by spreading her lips with her fingers, showcasing her delectable hole in all its glory.


    "Just because you''re wet doesn''t mean we should skip out on foreplay," I tell her, placing my hand on her inner thigh and working it up to her soft, hairless mound.


    "If that''s what you want, I guess..." Sam looks away, now feeling a bit of embarrassment as I stare into her spread pussy.


    It would be horribly irresponsible of me if I just shoved this thing of mine inside Sam in one go. I don''t have access to any standard magical options that make penetration more accessible, and frankly, I''m huge now. I''m glad I have the self-restraint not to just press forward because if I were younger, I might very well have rushed this and shoved my cock straight ahead.


    Instead, I want to make this moment last.


    My hand takes away her own, and I spread Sam''s pussy open with my thumb. "Mmm," She shuts her eyes.


    Her cheeks are getting redder as she continues looking down at me, the girl''s embarrassment becoming more pronounced now that she has lost some of her control over the situation. When she was blowing me, Sam still had plenty of agency. Now, though, she''s at my mercy for the first time in our burgeoning relationship.


    I trail down the middle finger of my opposite hand to push it against the entrance to her womanly tunnel. Sam makes a tiny little yelping noise and her back arches at my touch. "Shit, Daddy... that feels totally different than doing it myself..."


    "I know what you mean," Laughing, I observe her face as I insert my finger up to the first joint.


    "Fuck... fuck...!"


    My observation is rewarded when I witness the exact moment her mouth hangs open from the explosion of pleasure. My finger is all but swallowed in her velvety hole, her lips constricting around it as I sink further.


    She''s so warm, tight, and dripping wet... Sam might not need as much help loosening up as I once thought.


    "Such a dirty little pussy for a pretty little Princess like you," I push further in and find no resistance. That can only mean one thing. Well, two things, really, but at this point, I''m already convinced Sam is no liar. "You play with yourself a lot, don''t you?"


    "Of... of course, I do, Daddy," She whines, her breathing growing heavier. "Ain''t it obvious that... ngh, that I''m a horny little brat? I''ve never done anything with anyone e-else, but I''ve always had such a huge sex drive ever since puberty... I-I broke my hymen ages ago if that''s what you''re won... der... inghh-" Sam''s dirty talk brings a smile to my lips, so I deposit my digit as far as it will go and wiggle the tip. Sam''s eyes open wide, and she gasps, her walls convulsing around me.


    "If that''s the case, then let''s see how you handle this," I feel more confident in pushing her limits, so I remove myself from her wet slit. When I return, I add in pointer finger, and together they slide down the length of her twitching pussy.


    Sam howls even louder than I was expecting. "Oh, fuck! Daddy...!! Your fingers are so much bigger than mine!"


    "How does that make you feel, Princess?" I whisk them around inside her, watching as she raises her back.


    "I like it-"


    "Just like?" I tease harder, grinding both fingertips on a spot that my adorable brat seems to enjoy.


    "I-I love it!!"


    "Be more specific."


    "Nnn, y-your little Princess loves having her Daddy''s fingers fucking up her pussy... AHN- Gods!" It feels so good for her that after arching her back, she falls back onto the mattress and writhes.


    "Good girl," I grin at all the power I have over Sam. This might be even more addicting than the blowjob, honestly. Using my opposite hand, I peel back the hood of her clit to find that pretty pink pearl of hers already standing at attention.


    To reward her for being such an adorable little slut, I start playing around with the clit by way of my thumb. Sam shrieks right away, filling the air with her sultry lewd noises.


    "W-What the fuck are you doing?!" The Princess props herself up on her elbows, looking down at me in awe.


    I raise an eyebrow, still playing with her clit as I ask, "Have you never played with your clit before?"


    "M-My... what...?"


    Oh, this is just delicious. Looks like someone¡¯s royal education didn¡¯t have a very good


    "Why are you smiling at me like a total creep, you perv?" Sam suddenly becomes self-conscious, trying to swat me away with her foot. I dodge it while having myself a laugh.


    "It''s this little button down here that I''m playing with. Every pussy has one."


    Sam blinks, wincing from the ongoing pleasure. "W-What does it do?"


    "Not much," I shrug. "All that matters is that it can make you feel like this-" To make my point, I start strumming Sam¡¯s clit like she was an instrument, and I was playing a bombastic ballad. It has the intended effect, and then some. Sam starts spasming and howling away, her entire body trembling the more I massage her sensitive clitoris.


    After another minute or so of fingering the pretty Princess, her pussy reaches the brink of sweet release. "Daddy, please... d-don''t...!!"


    "Don''t what?"


    "Don''t stop!!" Sam''s voice rises even higher, and she back arches as I thrust my fingers in and out as hard as my wrist will let me. Sloppy noises trickle out of her slit every step of the way.


    I give my Princess precisely what she wishes for, my hands guiding her to a wet orgasm signaled by a sexual roar of approval.


    Sam''s back lifts even higher, she hyperventilates, and her big breasts jiggle endlessly as her juices flood straight out of her tight, pink hole. Sam''s fluids cover not only my fingers but my whole hand as they pool down onto the sheets beneath her.


    Sam¡¯s orgasm continues on for some time, thanks to my maneuvering until she collapses against the bed with a colossal grunt.


    "Fuck..." The Princess exhales as I pull my hand from her battered slit. "Sorry if I made a mess or anything, Daddy."


    "No worries," I make eye contact with Sam while bringing my fingers to my lips and licking them clean of her tangy juices. "That''s all part of the fun."


    "Perv,"


    "Slut."


    She laughs before sitting halfway up again. "Do ya think I''m ready to go, now?"


    "As ready as you''ll ever be."


    "Nice. How about you, then? Are you ready to take what you want?"


    I bring myself to my knees and scoot forward, holding my cock in hand with great determination. My time fingering Sam has only served to make me even more aroused than I was before. I can feel it surging with red-hot need. "Before I start, I have something to say to you, Princess."


    Sam tilts her head. "Well, I''m here, so ya don''t gotta go and be all weird about it. Just spit it out."


    "Taking what I want isn''t as simple as just having sex with you."


    "Um, are... you aren''t about to ask for some weird kink or something, are ya?"


    "No. Not yet, at least. I''m saying that I want you to make you mine." I can''t even believe I''m saying this, but it all comes out so naturally.


    Her mouth opens, and her cheeks fill with color once more. "W-What?"


    "I mean it," I tell her, angling the tip of my cock to brush along the sides of her dripping labia. "In just one day, you''ve lit a fire under my ass and compelled me to fight for what I want. There''s no way I''m letting you go after that. I¡¯m telling you I want you to remain by my side."


    Sam contemplates this in total silence. It''s slow, but her reaction starts appearing more and more as the seconds go by. It''s an odd mix of emotions. Happiness is there, as is surprise, followed by confusion, panic, and arousal. Yes, arousal is definitely in there somewhere.


    The Princess tries to find the right words to say back to me, but she becomes overwhelmed by a surprising amount of shyness. Sam reaches behind her head and grabs one of the pillows, then covers her face with it. "Gods, you''re so embarrassing, Daddy...!" She says, her voice sounding a lot happier than she''d like to let on.


    Pushing up my tip against her entrance even harder, I tease, "I''m not hearing a no,"


    Sam lowers the pillow just enough for me to peek at her angry, embarrassed eyes. "I told ya to take what you want, didn''t I? If that''s what you really want, then... well... I ain''t gonna go stopping you! Make me yours, damn it!"


    I couldn''t ask for a more perfect setup. My anticipation rises, and I push forward even further, only for a realization to set in. "Shit,"


    "...What?"


    "I don''t have any protection."


    "Dope, way to totally kill the mood..." Sam snorts. "Thanks for reminding me, though..." The girl reaches behind her and opens up the right-hand nightstand drawer, pulling out a small glass bottle containing a faintly luminescent pink liquid. "Bout time for this week''s bottle."


    "Ah, good. You''re already on Succu-Bye."


    "Yeah, been on it since I first started... y''know, lady time. I''ll have to get some more soon. This is my last dose."


    Used in just about every one of the major Realms since its creation, Succu-Bye is a revolutionary alchemical potion that works as not only a one-hundred-percent effective contraceptive but entirely does away with a woman''s menstruation cycle. That''s why it''s so common for girls to take Succu-Bye, regardless of whether they''re sexually active or not.


    The only downside to the concoction is that it needs to be taken once a week and that it costs somewhere around 50G a bottle. Hardly a deal-breaker to anyone who can afford the recurring expense, and most apothecaries will offer discounts if you buy in bulk. Not that I would know. My only experience with the stuff is from reading about it in erotic tomes.


    Sam teasingly licks her lips at me as she pulls on the potion''s tightly-sealed cork. A hint of magical mist fizzles out the neck, wafting into the air before fading away, leaving behind a few sparkles. Bringing the glass to her lips, Sam tilts her head back and guzzles the pink liquid within in one gulp.


    After it goes down the hatch, the girl''s eyes briefly glow the same pink color as the potion. The shape of Sam''s pupils momentarily morphs into a set of adorable pink hearts, signaling the brew settling into her system. She exhales, apparently satisfied with the flavor, as evident by her grin.


    "There we go, now... where were we, Daddy?" Sam winks, her heart-shaped pupils going back to normal, then lays back down on the mattress.


    I scoot back toward the girl, smiling. "I was just about to make you mine if you somehow managed to forget."


    "Uh, shit. You''re right..." Just like that, Sam''s nerves return, and that cute mix of conflicting emotions shows up again on her face. "Well, don''t keep a girl waiting..." She sighs, spreading out her slippery, expectant pussy for me with her slender fingers.


    Sam is more in control of herself now, as she refuses to take her eyes off of me and doesn''t hide behind the pillows. As embarrassed as the Princess might be, there''s no doubting any longer that she wants this.


    She wants me.


    Seeing the sexy girl like this is all it takes to motivate me to move in, and I lean over Sam so I can push my lips to hers and line my cock up against her warm and waiting hole. Sam meets my kiss with one of her own, and as we make out, I avoid penetration for just a while longer.


    She''s been adequately warmed up, sure, but I enjoy seeing Sam pushed to her limits. I can''t get enough of how cute this girl is, so I drag things out by rubbing my cock up and down the length of her slit and mashing it against her groin.


    Once I get used to the sensation, I start to make a game of it.


    I gauge Sam''s reactions and focus on doing more of what she likes the most. The main thing I catch on to is whenever I mash hard while rubbing upward, I end up sliding against Sam''s clit, and the brat goes wild over it. She nibbles on her lower lip, she kisses me back even harder, and she even tries pulling me closer by wrapping her legs around my back.


    After grinding against my Princess and making out with her for several more minutes, Sam can no longer handle playing around. She breaks our kiss, wiggling far enough away from me to ask, "Gods damn it, Daddy... w-what the fuck are you waiting for?"


    "Nothing," I take advantage of the moment to lean in and give Sam a lewd kiss on the neck, earning me a delectable moan. "Just making sure you feel loved before I make you mine."


    Sam winces as I brush up against her one more time, then stares up at me. Whether it''s the mounting pleasure or the anticipation, she looks demure and even a little meek. Almost like she''s trying to speak but can''t utter a word to save her life.


    After a few seconds of awkward stuttering, Sam is able to spit out, "W-Well hurry the fuck up, already...! I... ngh... I feel plenty loved now, so... s-so... don''t keep me waiting much longer?"


    "Why, does this feel good?" I ask, ignoring my desire to penetrate her right away. Instead, I start sliding up and down the lips of her cleft faster and faster.


    Without a second of hesitation, Sam shouts, "YES!" while gripping onto the bed sheets with both of her hands. "You know it feels good, damn... it... damn it...!! It feels so fucking good, so hurry the fuck up and fuck me already!"


    Music to my ears. I knew holding out would be worth it.


    Grabbing Sam roughly by her hips, I sit up and angle my fierce, pulsating cock up against the entrance of my lover''s steaming cunt. Logic dictates that I be slow and steady for her first time, but I don''t know how well that will go. For one, she''s insanely wet, and I''m incredibly excited as well. It''ll be a miracle if I don''t slip all the way in with one thrust.


    "Oh, fuck... I can... feel it...!" Sam watches stunned as I push forward with my hips, burying the tip inside of her body. "I-I can feel you going inside me..."


    I slow down my thrust once I find out I''m right and that if I''m not careful, I''ll end up slamming myself fully within her. In another few seconds, I''m happily three inches or so deep. I wish I had words for how good this feels- how good SHE feels- but I don''t. I just don''t.


    Her pink tunnel sucks me in, clenching and surrounding me with its warmth and its affection, giving me my first glorious taste of what it means to make love.


    "Why are you going so damn slow...?" Sam whines, looking up at my eyes and showing her irritation.


    "Because I''m huge, and you''re a virgin."


    "Don''t care-" The Princess takes matters into her own hands, or her own legs, to be more precise. Once again, Sam wraps her legs around my hips, only to forcibly push me forward all the way inside her. "FUUUUUCK-" She screams, my powerful erection splitting her in two.


    "SAM-" I grit my teeth as I ram my Princess as hard as I can thanks to her interference. I was trying to avoid this exact outcome, but as soon as it happens against my will, I''m all for making the most of it by instinctually pushing forward into her dripping folds.


    I didn''t think I could fit this entire thing inside her, honestly, but dear Gods, am I so happy to be proven wrong. Every last inch of my cock is covered in such warmth and comfort that I almost doubt the sensation to be real. Even as I press up against her backmost walls, I feel a chill running through my body, begging me for more.


    Looking down to check on how she''s holding up, Sam''s face has grown even lewder. "T-That mighta been a bad idea..." She groans. "Sit tight for a sec, Daddy..."


    That''s my cue to comfort, so I lean in and whisper, "You got it," before kissing her ear. I spend a while like this, teasing her ear with nibbles, licks, and kisses, all while enjoying the thrill of being fully embedded inside a woman.


    My efforts relax the Princess significantly, and it isn''t much longer until she tells me, "Alright... you can try and move now."


    I stare into her eyes and start to pull back. At least, I try to. It almost feels impossible. Sam''s vagina was over-eager when it came to letting me in, but now that I''m all the way in, she''s tight as a vice. Naturally, I don''t mind. It feels phenomenal to have her wet walls so insistent on not letting me go, but it does irritate my lover.


    "Don''t worry about taking it slow... I''m tough, I can handle it..." She says, puffing out her cheeks and pouting.


    "Whatever you say, Princess," Smiling at Sam, I start forcing backward with my hips until I''m finally able to dislodge from her depths and pull my massive cock halfway out of her unbelievably tight virgin pussy. "You want me to take you however I want, right?"


    Sam bites her lips, then nods her head. "You catch on fast, Daddy..." She giggles, warmth rising in her cheeks. To help me along, she pulls back with her hips, too, causing another few inches to be exposed to the open air.


    My next move is to thrust right back in and see how she takes it.


    Sam rolls her head backward as I thrust, letting out a deep, satisfied groan after wincing. It still hurts, but the fact that she''s enjoying it is also evident. This gives me more confidence, and every one of my thrusts is just a bit faster and harder than the one that came before it.


    Over the course of about five minutes, Sam and I grow accustomed to the feeling of sex. For me, I''m lost in a paradise of womanly flesh, and I find it a miracle I''m able to hold back cumming as long as I am. For Sam, her tight sheath develops a resistance to the pain until I can barely sense a trace of it in her pleasured expressions.


    Sam''s cries start working up to a fevered pitch as my rhythm speeds up. Her tightness doesn''t ease up even a little as I fuck her at a regular pace, but I get much better at dealing with it. At this point, Sam is putty in my hands. Her arms wrap around me, her nails dig deep into the skin of my back, and she starts yelling cries of ''yes, Daddy, yes'', and other such pleasantries.


    These sensual screams only beckon me further into the deepening abyss of my own lust, broken only by a new discovery. After one lucky thrust, I hit a spot inside Sam that''s different from all the others. It''s the spot I focused on teasing when fingering her, only now, I know how to hit it with my cock by angling the head, so it scrapes the roof of her pussy.


    Using this to my advantage, I carve myself against where my pretty Princess likes it most.


    I grind my cockhead there, twisting my hips around, back and forth, and side to side so that with every wiggle, the ridges of my head scrape against her sweet spot. This is my chance to show Sam everything I can do for her, to prove my worth, and I do everything I can to persuade her that she made the right decision by bedding me. She''s easily convinced.


    "Holy fuck-" Sam cries, slamming her head back into the pillow beneath it.


    "You like this," I ask, hammering down hard to emphasize my words, "My precious little Princess?"


    "YES, ngh- Daddy, don''t stop- AH- don''t stop, don''t stop, don''t STOOOP!" Sam''s clenching pussy squeezes, quivers, and sucks down on my cock as I bring her to her first orgasm brought on by actual sex. "Oh Gods, Daddyyy...!! I''m... I''m cumming soooo haaaard...!!"


    Sam''s whining becomes even higher-pitched, and she starts using her incredible strength against me by wrapping her arms around my torso and squeezing for dear life. I''d almost be worried about my ribcage if I wasn''t too distracted by my own pleasure. All I care about right now is guiding Sam and myself to even higher heights.


    I thrust, and I thrust as Sam orgasms, somehow resisting the urge to unleash inside of her even as her pussy gushes slick juices against my frenzied cock. I know that she wants me rougher and more primal. Sam openly admits to wanting to be used, so I want to make that happen for her.


    Somehow, I''m able to wrench my arm free from her grasp, and I use it to grab a vast chunk of Sam''s thick, unbrushed hair. Pulling on her head, I guide her ear to my lips, growling, "Don''t you DARE stop cumming for me, Princess. Don''t you fucking DARE."


    Sam responds instantly by shrieking loud enough for her voice to crack, her pussy spasming without end. "Oh Gods, YES, Daddy, yes, yesss... I promise I''ll be a good g-girl and cum even harder for you! I promise! I promise I will!! Just... please... Gods, MORE!"


    Determined to get even more pleasure for the both of us, I convince Sam to loosen her embrace so I can sit up and lean over her body while fucking her. This allows me to give attention to something it''s hard to believe I''ve neglected until now, Sam''s huge tits.


    I reach with both hands, groping her heavy globes like I was reuniting with a dear, long-lost friend. While Sam isn''t the biggest I''ve ever seen- I don''t think anyone will ever top Miss Hart- she''s still huge. If I had to guess, I''d put gold on the Princess being a D-cup bordering on E.


    When I handle her breasts, my hands sink into their pliable flesh like they were meant for my touch. As I continue thrusting in and out of her without pause, I fondle and tease these bountiful, jiggling mounds as Sam tosses and turns from the pleasure. Her hands shoot over the top of mine, keeping me there and forcing me to be even rougher when groping her tits.


    My desire rises, and I take my hands away. Sam looks at me with confusion, wanting them back the second they''re gone. Seems like my pretty Princess has herself a sensitive chest. Good, the thought makes me even harder inside her. What I''m actually aiming to do, though, is play with both of her pink, pointy nipples.


    They''re hard as pebbles for me when I take them between my thumb and forefinger, pinching softly at first. Sam is unimpressed, her eyes begging for more. Giving the girl what she wants, I increase the pressure significantly and squeeze like I was trying to hurt her.


    This does the trick, and Sam yelps right away.


    "AHN- Shit, that''s more like it...!" She whines, showcasing her desire for even rougher play. Her arousal is heightened even further as it drives Sam to start bucking her hips upward with force. Just like that, it''s getting hard to deny myself that oncoming orgasm on the horizon.


    I clench my teeth, warning Sam over the sounds of our feverish fucking, "I''m getting close, fuck, I¡¯m getting so... close... Princess...!"


    "Y-You don''t gotta tell me, ngh-! Just fucking be a man and do it... do it inside... me...!! Please, Daddy!" Sam stares up at me with tired and hazy eyes, lust dripping off her sexy, tomboyish voice grown even huskier from all the screaming. Her words are merely interruptions from steamy, breathy noises at this point, made even more arousing while watching tears of ecstasy fall down her cheeks at a rapid pace.


    Urging me even further, Sam once again wraps her legs around my thrusting hips, giving me no way to pull out at the last second. Not that I would have. There''s nothing I want more in this entire Realm than to give Sam the most enormous creampie I possibly can.


    With all of her desperate pleading, there''s nothing left to keep my self-restraint in check.


    I shut my eyes, grope Sam''s tits to keep me upright, and rapidly fuck her sweet, pink slit until I cum. Firing off like a siege weapon, I explode inside of Sam''s deepest depths as streams of surging semen flood my lover. As I do, Sam''s body spasms underneath my own.


    The girl savors the pleasure of being filled for the first time, and this bliss sets her off yet again. Her ongoing orgasm transforms into one sexual explosion after another. Her voice grows hoarse, and soon enough, the pleasure becomes too much for her. Sam''s strength fades, her arms no longer holding onto me with her unrestrained power. Even her legs wrapped around my back loosen significantly.


    The climax I brought on for her is so strong, so intensely passionate that my Princess all but melts under the might of my cock.


    Pleased with this newfound sexual prowess of mine, I continue to ride the high of my own equally powerful ejaculation. Somehow, I just keep on cumming and cumming like there''s no upper limit to the semen I have stored within me. It isn''t long before Sam can''t contain the quantity within her body, and I feel my thick seed gushing out alongside her own juices.


    Finally, after what must have been an eternity of mantic thrusting, I remove myself from her snug cunt which even now clamps down, trying to keep me inside. Staring with pride at the mess with pride, I can''t help enjoying the sight of Sam''s pussy lips red and swollen thanks to the rabid fucking. If that weren''t enough eye candy, my semen is pouring out of her like a water spout, and there''s even a tiny bump in her stomach showing just how filled she truly is.


    Gods, the fact that I can cum this much is both worrisome and intensely arousing. But then something happens that all-too-suddenly reminds me that there''s something not right with me. As Sam''s chest rises and falls with her heavy breath, her pussy starts flowing a magical pink light that only lasts for a moment.


    At first, I think this might be the Succu-Bye doing its job, but... in all the erotica I''ve read, I''ve never come across something that mentioned glowing vaginas after taking birth control. Granted, I know that porn isn''t the greatest metric to go off of, but...


    "What''re you spacing out about...? Was it that good, Daddy?" Sam asks, smiling wide even though she''s a tired, sweaty mess.


    I decide I don''t want to go down the route of discussing this, at least not right now. I''d rather enjoy myself and not ruin the moment with talk of glowing genitalia.


    "Just getting a good look at the fruits of my labor," I tell her, which is partially true.


    Her Highness giggles, and then she scoots over. "Well, get used to it. You''re gonna be doing this a whole lot more from now on." She pats a spot for me next to her on the bed. "First, come over here and cuddle me for a bit. I wanna have more fun, but I ain''t ready yet..."


    "I think I could use a quick break, too." I smile and lay across the bed, ready to cuddle. Sam instantly gets into position by my side, nuzzling into my chest while draping her leg possessively over my hips.


    "Guess it''s my turn to ask this, but are ya sure you''re really a virgin, Boss?" Sam snorts, lifting up her head to look me in the eyes. "That was... just... it was something else, all right." She sighs dreamily, hitting my ego with a one-two knockout punch right where it counts.


    I lean in and give the girl a delicate kiss on her soft lips, saying, "Trust me. At my age, I don''t have anything to gain from lying about that."


    She laughs to herself, then raises an eyebrow out of concern. "True, true... uh... how about me? Did I do good, too?"


    "No, you were better than anything I ever dreamed of."


    Sam blushes, looking away as her embarrassment rises. "Okay, Boss... ya don''t gotta go and get all mushy about it..." She says before yawning softly.


    "Need a nap, Princess?"


    "Maybe just a little one..." She stretches out and lays her head on my chest, where I greet her with my hand and begin running my fingers through her hair. "Hope ya don''t mind. I¡¯m just gonna crash here for a bit..."


    Seeing her nuzzled up to me like this fills my heart with swelling happiness. I lean down enough to kiss her forehead, saying, "That''s fine, silly. Do what you want."


    Sam laughs under her breath, yawns again, and passes out. I end up joining her not long after, but I wake up to Sam riding me in about an hour. We have fun for a while longer before actually turning in for the night, at which point I fall into a blissful sleep more peaceful than any I''ve had since I was a child. There''s not one single negative thought in my mind as I drift into rest, and I couldn''t be happier.

 Waking Up Beside My New Lover

    Despite how long and how lovely this euphoric rest may have been, it eventually ends. I stir the following morning and slowly rouse from this deep and peaceful sleep. At first, I''m confused and a little panicked.


    I''ve never gone a night without my sleeping mask in twenty-seven years, so waking up without it on my face sends multiple alarm bells ringing in my head. But when I see the beautiful girl who is serving faithfully as my little spoon, I remember everything that happened the night before, and I''m overcome with relief.


    For the first time, I don''t need to be worried about waking up without my sleep mask. What a surreal feeling this is.


    I''m happy to see Sam still beside me since now I know for sure that the previous day''s events weren''t a hallucination after all. Sadly, that happiness dulls ever-so-slightly the more I think about this current situation. Rather than awakening in a groggy, tired haze like I usually do, I''m instead taken by a strange feeling that won''t stop hounding me, asking over and over again, ''did that really just happen''?


    Even though the answer is yes, I really did just man up and sleep with a beautiful girl nearly half my age. It would be hard for me to believe if the proof weren''t sleeping right here next to me.


    I shift out of our cuddling carefully to take a closer look at Sam. Sunlight is coming in from the window behind the bed since neither of us remembered to close the curtains. This warm light gives Sam a heavenly glow, making it so I can''t pull my eyes from the sleeping cutie.


    Her already tousled hair is even messier than usual, thanks to a rousing night of sexual activity, and she''s snoring softly. She''s not loud enough to be annoying. No, Sam is snoring just quietly enough so that it''s cute. Even better, her mouth is agape, and she''s drooling all over her pillow, which has collected no small amount of her saliva over the night.


    Seeing her like this, the Princess looks rough, unpolished, and immature. But beyond all of that, Sam looks adorable.


    As I stare at Sam right now at this moment, memories of the night before play repeatedly in my mind. I can still feel my hands on her skin, the sensation of our bodies being connected, the unreal thrills, and the stunning chills. It''s almost too much to dwell on. The more I do, the more I remember everything I said to her. I''ve never admitted my problems to anyone before, but it feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest now that I have.


    Have I really changed so much just because this girl offered her body to me? Call me optimistic, but I think so. I said so many things to her, so many things I promised I would do, and I would have never had the courage to say those things if it weren''t for Sam.


    That being said, I can''t rely on Sam to constantly be kicking my ass into gear. I need to own up to everything and make good on my words. As long as I can help it, I''ll never fall back into being the sort of person I used to be ever again. From this point on, if I want something, then it will be mine no matter what it takes. I want success. I want riches, fame, love, and everything else this rotten world has denied me until now, damn it.


    That''s the kind of life I''m going to lead.


    Fuck magical destinies and fuck Demon Lords. I¡¯m not going to have a thing to do with that. Not when I have the second chance I dreamed of sleeping naked in my bed beside me.


    No, thank you.


    While there are still a lot of strange circumstances going on, my top priority is living a fluffy, day-to-day Guild life where every day is packed with sex, managerial work, and overseeing quests. I''ll partner up closely with Sam to repair this Guild of mine and really make something special out of it. Who knows, maybe if I get enough powerful adventurers, I can send them on a quest to slay the Demon Lord on my behalf?


    I''ll be Karnalle''s first-ever Hero of Light by way of proxy. Surely that''ll be good enough for the Goddess above or whoever supposedly saddled me with the task.


    While that''s an absurd thought, it makes me laugh harder than it should. This laughter ends up alerting the sleeping beauty, and she grumbles in a low, annoyed tone.


    Not long after that, Sam groggily rubs the sleep from her eyes, and she sits up. The thick blanket covers fall off her naked, nubile body, revealing her large and beautiful breasts that hang off her chest and jiggle seductively before resting in place.


    The girl yawns loud and proud as she stretches her muscles out like a cat. With her immense fluffy hair, Sam indeed resembles the Lion on House Lundreame''s coat of arms more than any other sort of feline, though.


    Once she gets done cracking her back, Sam turns to meet my gaze. At first, she stares at me as if in a daze. It seems that Her Highness isn''t a morning person, which is another thing we have in common. Thankfully, she smiles wide and blushes at the sight of me once her foggy mind clears up. Sam is just as happy to see me as I am to see her, much to my relief.


    "Morning, Daddy..." Sam says, fighting off another early morning yawn but failing miserably.


    "Morning, Princess." I smile right back, which expands her grin wide enough to show me her sharp fang. "Did you sleep well?"


    "Oh, yeah. It''s hard to beat a nice bed after days and days spent on the road. Having someone special to share it with, though, is just icing on the cake..."  Sam wastes no time at all when it comes to expressing our newly found intimacy.


    The girl leans in, pressing her lips to mine to share the first of many kisses for the day. It''s a tender one kiss, neither of us intentionally trying to ramp it up. The kiss lasts for half a minute or so, and we pull away more than satisfied.


    In a soft, teasing tone, Sam whispers, "You got some nasty-ass morning breath."


    "And you think I''m special in that regard?" I laugh at the adorable little hypocrite. "You''re not doing much better yourself, my dear."


    The Princess cheekily raises an eyebrow at me, countering, "Well, I wonder why that might be? Maybe it was dinner? Guess it coulda been that drink you made me, too, or... hmm... maybe it''s something else ya had me swallowing?"


    "Best get used to it, Sam. I might have some more for you soon." As I flirt with my lover, I feel myself growing comfortable with this newly discovered playful side I apparently have. Never would I have imagined being so outright flirtatious, but I can''t deny that saying naughty things like this makes me feel good about who I am at this very moment.


    "Oh, you can bet your ass I''ll get used to it, Daddy." Sam laughs, then scoots closer so she can lean back across my chest like I were a big pillow for her exclusive use. "Gotta say, though. I''m digging this newfound confidence of yours."


    "Glad to hear it, so am I."


    "Yeah?"


    "Yeah, and we both have you to thank for that." I remind her, only for Sam to shake her head in denial.


    She looks back up at me, saying, "Nah, you deserve a lot of the credit, Boss. I just helped push ya outta whatever kinda funk you were in. You could''ve ignored me or told me to take a hike, but ya didn''t."


    "Awful hard to ignore you when you went about kicking my shin, you know."


    Sam laughs, her cheeks turning red. "Maybe that was a bit aggressive, sure... but..." She pauses. As she does, we share a long look into each other''s eyes while saying nothing. I smile to show how thankful I am for her help thus far, and she with a smile of her own before sighing and closing her eyes. "Geez..."


    "Something on your mind, Princess?"


    She purses her lips, trying to phrase her complicated thoughts. "Nah, not really. I''m mostly just thinking about how fast this is moving... not that I think that''s bad or anything, ''specially seeing where it''s gotten us, but y''know how it is. Last night was..."


    "The best night of my entire life," I finish Sam''s sentence for her, eliciting a cute laugh and an even deeper blush out of the precocious tomboy.


    "Yeah, uh... same," She throws it out there like she''s ashamed of the fact, or perhaps just worried. "Doesn''t change the fact that this is all weird as fuck."


    "Probably best not to think about it so much," I nod my head in understanding and sigh. She''s feeling many of the same things that I am, which is reassuring to learn that I''m not alone. "It''s not that I''m not worried about it, too, but... why be hung up on something that feels so right?"


    "That''s what I keep telling myself," She crosses her arms and closes her eyes. "Still..."


    Sensing a chance to tease my cute lover, I smile and wrap my arms around her from behind. "Luckily for you, I have an answer to make things much simpler. It''ll all be easier to process if we just accepted this strange situation for what it really is; love at first sight."


    Sam looks back at me over her shoulder, her face halfway between fearful and ecstatic. She stares at me like that for a few seconds, red color building up in her cheeks before she blows a raspberry and faces forward to escape my gaze.


    "Hah! Good one, Boss..." Brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face with a trembling hand, Sam continues, "I dunno if I''d go that far... but... it''s pretty damn close, I-I guess..."


    I sit up, and thanks to the way we''re sitting, Sam rises with me. Wrapping my arms around her, I flip the girl onto her back and pin her down. Trying to look as sure of myself as I can, I smile confidently and tell her, "I''d go that far."


    Sam swallows loudly, looking straight up into my eyes. "Goddesses above and below, I''ve created a monster, haven''t I...?" Between all her freaking out, the Princess remembers how to grace me with her smile as she lets out a little laugh.


    "You say that almost like it was a bad thing..." With a smirk, I press my body down against Sam, giving her a taste of my morning wood by pressing it into her.


    Sam rolls her eyes before shoving me in the chest just hard enough to push me off but not hard enough to hurt.


    As I settle myself down beside her, she yawns and stretches out again, saying, "Chill for a bit, Daddy. I don''t wanna keep ya waiting too long, but I''m still tired. Somebody really went and put me through the wringer last night, in case ya need reminding."


    "I remember, but feel free to say it again. It excites me."


    "Shut up and hug me, you perv." Sam snorts, flipping over to be on her side.


    "Can do," I laugh back at her, draping my arm around the girl and cuddling with her precisely as requested. Sam rustles the blankets around, doing her best to cover us both with their warmth before curling up to my body as close as she can.


    In total silence, we lay on my bed, just basking in comfort brought on by our intimacy. With my face buried in the tangled mess of Sam''s hair and my nose breathing in her scent, I sigh with total contentment. Like this, I feel like I could drift on back to sleep without a care in the world.


    Sam is the one who breaks the stillness after another ten or twenty minutes, suddenly speaking, "You already seem a whole lot different today, you know."


    "Do I?"


    "Mhmm."


    "Good, because I certainly feel different."


    "Yeah? Happy to hear that, Boss. Really." She laughs, her words reminding me of the fact that I witnessed her vagina glowing. Right now is not exactly the time for me to bring that up, so I continue listening. "I like the new you. Seeing you act all confident and just proves I was right. The more I learned about you, the more I could tell there was something inside of you looking for a way out. Ya just needed a swift kick in the ass to get it together."


    Sam''s voice loses its playful edge as she gives me a definitive warning, "Don''t go losing sight of yourself again, you got that?"


    As much as I want to take her seriously, I make a teasing comment back at my Princess. "Or what, you''ll have more sex with me?"


    Sam has herself a hearty laugh at that. "More like you ain''t getting any if you go back to being a sad-sack, dumbass."


    "That sounds like a fair trade-off." I lean in towards her ear, and with determination, I tell the girl, "I don''t think that''ll be a problem, Sam. I''ve finally tasted what it truly means to be alive, and I''m hungry for more. I have a lot of living to do to make up for lost time."


    "Well," Sam smirks, rises out of our cuddling, and turns around to look me right in the eyes. "It''s your first day as the new you. Whatcha wanna do with it?"


    Running the risk of being cheesy, I go for broke. "I''m looking right at her," I tell her. Luckily, Sam is the type who likes that sort of thing.


    "Smooth. Do ya really wanna just sit around all day and fuck around, though? I mean, yeah, I''m hot as hell, but..." Sam giggles, then leans in closer with a lusty look hazing up her eyes. Her expectations are rising by the second, desire plain for all to see on her face.


    "Yes, really. Forget everything else for now. The Guild has waited for ages to get some proper management, and it can wait another day or two while I indulge in fulfilling years upon years of fantasies. It¡¯s ture that I am indeed a Guild Master, but you must know one thing about me. First and foremost, I am a pervert. Everything else is a distant second." I join Sam by leaning myself in, even more, asking, "So what do you say the two of us take a few days to get to know each other better, Princess?"


    Sam closes her eyes, pretending to be deep in thought when her mind is really already made up. Looking back at me, she lights up and gives me a beautiful smile. "That sounds like one hell of a quest, Boss. Sign me up."


    Our lips meet in a fantastic kiss full of fire and passion, signaling the new day that''s about to begin for us both. Sam and I lose track of time, making good on our words to indulge ourselves and learning all there is to know about one another''s bodies.

 We Keep Having Sex and Not Accomplishing Anything

    After that sweet, sweet morning of bliss, things escalated with Sam more than we planned on. While it''s true that we resolved ourselves to enjoy each other¡¯s company as befitting of a man and a woman in lust, neither of us expected to end up in a frankly embarrassing sex-crazed trance which spanned the length of a whopping three whole days. That''s not to say we didn''t take breaks to chat, eat, shower, and use the restroom, but it was as close to nonstop as we possibly could have gotten away with.


    This young, runaway Princess who entered into my life amid a cloud of dust and a broken door has brought out an animalistic, primal side of my personality which I never even knew I had in me. Under Sam''s influence, I''m encouraged to act dominant, confident, even a little demanding. When I''m like this, I know what I want at all times, and I don''t hesitate when it comes to getting it.


    Together, my new lover and I have been thoroughly exploring this new confidence with excited vigor, ravaging each other like rutting beasts. There were no holds barred during this tumultuous display of eroticism, to the point where it¡¯s almost a miracle that Sam didn¡¯t drown in all the cum I shot down her throat.


    This time might not have been spent adventuring or managing a Guild, but it was far from a waste. Ah, who am I kidding? It might have been a waste of our precious adventuring time, but it was a fun waste that I needed to get out of my system. The important takeaway was that I discovered all sorts of things about my new pretty little Princess during this carnival of perverse delight.


    While Sam is a bratty submissive with a massive fetish for what we in the know call ''dd/lg'', or ''daddy-dom, little girl'' roleplay, her tastes are not strictly limited to that sort of thing. The girl is a tomboy, and a feisty one, at that. She''s more than happy to take control of me from time to time. Hell, she loves being on top and teasing me out of my mind with unending dirty talk ranging from innocent, sweet nothings to downright nasty shit.


    While she could have started things off with being in control, I believe Sam wanted our first time to go a very specific way. Considering how she was essentially taunting me into becoming, taking a submissive role really enforced the whole thing about taking what I want. After Sam was confident that I learned my lesson, all bets were off, and she was ready to do some role-reversal.


    Since then, we¡¯ve taken turns going back and forth on who¡¯s on top depending on who feels like it, or in some entertaining cases, whoever can wrestle their partner into submission beneath them. Sure, Sam has to hold back her strength so that I have any chance of winning, but our wrestling is fun, even if it''s fake. Like with the rope, Sam is inconsistent at holding herself back. She admittedly hurt me more than a few times, but that¡¯s just half of the fun, I suppose.


    What I''m grateful for above anything else, though, is that my sexual tastes are perfectly complementary to Sam''s and that neither of us wanted something the other couldn¡¯t provide. She''s a switch who leans towards submissive, while I''m a switch who leans toward dominant. We fit each other like hand and glove- a match made in the Supernal Skies of Serenity.


    It turns out I had a whole lot of stress to work through, but my younger lover was eager to help me with every little fantasy I wanted to live out. I have vast tastes owing to my erotica addiction, so there was no shortage of things I wanted to experiment with. We fooled around while role-playing different scenarios and discussing lots of fetishes.


    It felt weird to be so open with someone over sexual tastes, I''ve essentially never talked about sexual matters with basically anyone before this, but it went smooth enough since I''m not into anything incredibly crazy.


    While we didn''t have much to work with, meaning things like bondage and toys were out of the picture, for now, we tried out as many of them as we could. I did try tying Sam up with some ropes I had in a storage room, but she''s too strong and kept accidentally tearing them. We''d need some heavy-duty enchanted bondage, which is too bad considering how much that would cost.


    One notable thing that we didn''t try was anal sex. Despite our mutual interest, neither of us felt like getting dressed and heading out to the Dewhurst Market just to buy a jar of lube. It wouldn''t have been that expensive, I think, but it''s probably for the best. Sam probably needs to be eased into it considering how big I am, and we had enough other ideas to keep us occupied.


    No matter what we tried, Sam took it all in stride. She matched my newly awakened monstrous libido with all the youthful vigor of a repressed girl who until now lived a sheltered life and was finally free to act on her desires.


    There were only a few things I wanted to try that I didn¡¯t tell Sam about.


    One of them was a specific subset of femdom which I just don''t think would work very well with Sam''s personality. Something tells me Sam wouldn''t make a very good mommy-domme. She¡¯s a brat, not a mommy. Besides that, whenever I even thought about the idea of a mommy-domme-themed roleplay, Miss Hart''s came to mind.


    Since I didn''t want to use Sam as a stand-in for the first woman I ever had a crush on, I kept that fantasy to myself. That wouldn''t have been very kind to my new partner at all.


    The only other thing I can remember that I didn''t bring up is my desire to have group sex with other girls, or in other words, to have myself a harem. Sure, harems have been standard in Karnallian culture ever since the end of the Age of Heroes, but I didn''t want to potentially upset my new lover by saying, ''you know, this is fun and all, but I want to fuck other women, too''.


    Given how many girls in Karnalle are inexplicably bisexual, though, there''s a chance Sam wouldn''t have a problem with it. Still. There''s a time and a place for everything, and this was neither the time nor the place to preposition Sam for threesomes, foursomes, and moresomes.


    Given how I''m supposed to be acting on my desires, perhaps I was being too considerate... ah, well.


    As for the setting of our various acts of obscenity, no venue was left untouched by our filth. Even the poor state of the Guild didn''t deter either of us from changing up the locale, as Sam and I did it in my bed, and we did it behind the Guild in the training yard, in the entrance hall, in my office, in the kitchen, hell... when the smell of our obsessive love-making became less ripe and more rank, we did it in the bath, too. It was absolutely crazy.


    The only breaks we took were little sessions in-between rounds where we laid around chatting about our lives or when we took short mealtimes.


    Funnily enough, neither of us really wanted to elaborate much on our personal histories. For me, it''s because I knew it would drag down the mood, and for Sam, she''s still trying to be deceptive about her true identity, so the less said about it, the better. It was primarily surface-level subjects like favorite foods, hopes and dreams, and other such topics whenever we talked.


    Incidentally, Sam''s favorite color is red, her favorite food is any sort of meat, and she doesn''t really have any hobbies. I found that fact somewhat sad, but it''s understandable when I know the only thing Sam¡¯s wanted to do her whole life was to play with swords, but for some reason, she was never allowed to.


    As for our mealtimes and snack breaks, we would take little trips together downstairs whenever our hunger grew too big to ignore. Even though the front door remains broken and I won''t be able to afford to get it fixed for some time, Sam would wait in the entrance hall utterly naked while I made whatever I could with what little food I had.


    Often, these meals would lead to even more depraved sex.


    Once fed, Sam would tempt me in some way or another, and I would end up taking the little brat right there on the dirty table we were sitting at. When that was done, I couldn''t even get a break while washing the dishes. Her Highness would follow after me sneakily and take me by surprise, sucking my cock while I scrubbed our plates. Nowhere was safe from our lust.


    Gods, I can only imagine what would happen if dear old Grandfather could see me now...


    He would almost certainly beat me over the head with his cane for every single act of perversion I¡¯ve so far performed beneath this hallowed Guild¡¯s rickety roof. The funny thing is when I imagine that happening, I find myself thinking for the first time in a long while that I''m glad he''s gone. Perhaps it was all the promiscuous sex occupying my time, but I was able to put his shadow out of my mind for the last couple of days.


    For once, I''ve been actually enjoying myself and haven¡¯t been thinking about all the depressing thoughts stirring around in my mind. It was almost like a holiday from myself.


    As far as Sam goes, everything was going great with her beyond the recurring oddness of her vagina glowing pink every time she received a creampie. Admittedly, I still haven¡¯t broached the topic with Her Highness. The mood is never right, and it¡¯s not exactly something I can just start talking about out of the blue.


    Besides, whatever''s going on with that whole thing is well beyond my capacity to care at this current point in time. Sam is mysterious enough as it is, what with her status as a runaway Princess. And then there¡¯s my sudden growth-spurt, her miraculously-timed arrival, and my eye developments, too. I can¡¯t find it in me to waste too much brainpower on every new riddle that insists on rearing its ugly head when there¡¯s already so much to deal with.


    Speaking of the growth spurt, it turns out it came saddled with several side effects. For one, I think it¡¯s safe to say that I no longer run out of semen. If I did have a limit, Sam and I indeed would have reached it many times over.


    Not only that, but my refractory period has shrunken to a comically short wait of only a minute or two, sometimes even faster depending on Sam¡¯s actions. Before, it used to take me twenty minutes or so to get it up after ejaculation, just like any other man. Given how much I¡¯ve been using the damn thing lately, I¡¯m happy to see that this is the case.


    All in all, these last three days have been unforgettable, and I''ll carry the memories for the rest of my life. However, all good things must come to an end. This session of pleasure is no exception, and that leads us nicely to where we''re at right now.


    The period of passionate sex has passed us by. Now, I lie in bed next to a gorgeous girl who is wrapped around my naked body.


    This marks the fifth day that Sam has been in my life, and when the morning hits, I awaken in absolute bliss from our most recent sex coma. Looking at Sam¡¯s still-sleeping face fills my heart with ease. We haven¡¯t really talked about making what we have ¡®official¡¯ in any capacity, but I don¡¯t think we really need to. I don¡¯t want to rush things more than we already have, and honestly, it sort of feels like we¡¯re naturally at the point of being called lovers without needing labels.


    What Sam and I have isn¡¯t just sex, even if there admittedly is a whole lot of that, too. I feel that strange connection between us growing by the day, and I know she feels the same. Drawing attention to our unnatural bond might just make it weirder than it already is, so for the moment, I¡¯m satisfied with letting things develop in whatever way they end up doing so.


    Besides, there are more pressing matters at hand than whether Sam is officially my girlfriend or not. Namely, there''s the cold, hard fact that I can¡¯t live in idle bliss with my new lover when there¡¯s no money coming in to support us.


    While it¡¯s true that I¡¯d like nothing more than to jolt Sam awake by initiating yet another round of morning delight, we need desperately to put a stop to all this for the foreseeable future- at least by cutting back on the amount of sex we''re having. It¡¯s such a shame, really. Just the thought of this frolicking coming to an end brings a heavy sigh to my lips.


    Her Highness was already on the verge of awakening as it was, and my melancholic sigh is what brings her to wake. After hearing my lamentation, Sam sits up and throws the blanket off her nude body in a dramatic fashion, revealing her groggy state to the world like she was showing her sluggishness off. She fluffs out her hair, cracks her neck, and belts out a huge, deep yawn while stretching her royal self out.


    ¡°The heck¡¯s got you so down in the dumps this early in the morning, Boss?¡± Sam asks, her voice trailing off into a yawn brought on from her tiredness.


    ¡°Nothing too serious. You can go back to bed for a while longer if you still need rest."


    "C''mooooon," She pesters. "Talk to me."


    "It¡¯s just that I suddenly remembered you came all the way to Dewhurst so you could become an adventurer, and then I realized we haven¡¯t done all that much to accomplish your goals.¡±


    The girl rubs some of the sleep from her eyes, then raises a brow. ¡°Are you saying what I think you¡¯re saying?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As sad it might be, I think today is the day we should officially get back into the swing of things, my dear.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯pose you¡¯re right,¡± Sam shrugs before snuggling up to my side and grabbing my morning wood through the blanket. With a teasing grin, she looks back at me, asking, ¡°But we could definitely start tomorrow, too. What¡¯s one more day of messing around, Daddy?¡±


    I grab Sam¡¯s hand off of my dick and place it to her side despite my obvious interest. The girl makes a pouty face, but I can see she understands. ¡°We both know that we¡¯ve had more than enough messing around, for now, Princess.¡±


    She must have been more tired than I thought because Sam forgets all about our role-playing for a moment. ¡°P-Princess? Where?¡± I sigh, knowing this girl is nothing if not consistent.


    ¡°There¡¯s a Princess right here in this very room, silly. It¡¯s the nickname you wanted so badly. Ring any bells?¡±


    ¡°Gah-¡° Sam recoils, blushing. ¡°We were up late, alright? Your Princess is groggy as fuck.¡± She justifies her slip up, making me chuckle.


    ¡°Groggy or not, I adore her all the same.¡±


    I watch her become even more embarrassed before she groans and admits, ¡°I guess you¡¯re right about actually doing stuff today, though. I¡¯ve been setting a bad example, seeing as how I did kinda yell at you to get your shit together before, y¡¯know... encouraging you to basically do fuck all for a few days straight.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, Sam. You were the one who told me to start doing what I wanted, so you can¡¯t blame me for choosing to thoroughly enjoy our time together thus far. Making love with you in an endless loop has technically only been me following your advice.¡±


    Sam rolls her eyes. ¡°So smooth, and ya ain¡¯t even had your coffee yet...¡± She says, giving my pec a little love-tap with her fist. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one who wants to get the ball rolling, I¡¯m guessing you already got something in mind?¡±


    ¡°Believe it not, some of my spare thoughts here and there over the past few days have been dedicated to figuring out the first steps we need to take care of how to start getting the Guild back up to snuff.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Sam playfully gasps and leans in close to me, furrowing her brow. ¡°Wait, what? I¡¯m insulted!¡± She insists, mock disgust on her face. ¡°How dare you! Your full attention should have been on me every minute of the day!¡±


    ¡°Silly girl,¡± I reach out and ruffle her messy bed head. ¡°Only five percent at most of my attention was going towards Guild-related matters. The rest of me was thinking about you, I promise.¡±


    She squints her eyes at me with playful suspicion before breaking character and flashing me that toothy smile of hers which I¡¯ve come to adore. ¡°That so? Well, I s¡¯pose I can settle for ninety-five percent if I have to,¡± Sam teases. ¡°Carry on.¡±


    I scoff at the permission I¡¯ve been given. ¡°There''s a whole mess of things we must do to get the Guild going. First and foremost, we need to get you earning gold. To do that, we¡¯re going to put you through the wringer.¡±


    Sam teases me by chirping, ¡°Been there, done that.¡±


    ¡°This next wringer isn¡¯t going to be a sexual one.¡± I clarify, much to Sam¡¯s dismay.


    ¡°Damn it!¡± The naked tomboy collapses backward onto the bed, suddenly acting like more of a drama queen than a supposed Princess.


    ¡°Indeed. What I¡¯m getting at is you¡¯re going to need to start doing lots and lots of low-level kill quests. We¡¯ll start with more Slimes and move up to more challenging targets when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Really? More Slimes...?¡± The young adventurer groans as her head falls backward, dreading her subsequent encounter with the infamous blue goo.


    ¡°Yes, more Slimes. You showed major improvement by the time we were done the other day, but you can still barely swing your sword without my advice. We could just spend all day out in the training yard having you hit the dummies, but why do that when we could monetize your training? Slimes are largely immobile and pose little threat making them the best possible target practice for working on your form. We¡¯ll take a day or so to grind out your basic skills some more.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t say I¡¯m thrilled about having to face down more of those fuckers, but you¡¯re right. I gotta keep working on the fundamentals. No, scratch that. I want to keep working on ¡®em!¡± The naked Princess summons up her determination and pumps her fists into the air. ¡°Just wish there was a way to get better even faster...¡±


    ¡°There is.¡±


    As expected, this gets me Sam¡¯s full attention. ¡°No way! Are you shitting me? C¡¯mon, Boss. Spit it out!¡±


    "To hurry you up to a passing grade, I¡¯m going to accompany you on every low-ranking quest I send you on until you¡¯re ready to start doing them on your own. It''ll be just like the other day, where I give you feedback and point out things you can improve on.¡±


    ¡°Wait, for real? Are Guild Masters even supposed to do that? I thought you guys were just nerds who sat behind a desk all day.¡±


    ¡°That''s a large part of our duty, but nothing is saying I can¡¯t leave my desk for a while. Besides, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m expecting anyone to show up looking to register a quest. I can¡¯t even remember the last time someone came in and-¡±


    ¡°Boss,¡± Sam gives me a stiff expression, warning me not to let my negativity get the best of me.


    ¡°Right, right. Thank you. My point is that at least during these crucial early quests, you definitely need someone there with you to watch over you until you know what you''re doing.¡±


    The Princess grumbles to herself, narrowing her eyes. Sam¡¯s level of poutiness increases significantly. ¡°Ugh. I know that you¡¯re trying to be all nice and supportive, but it still hurts to hear ya outright say that I suck at this...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not at all what I¡¯m saying, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Sure sounded like it...¡± The moody girl mumbles, crossing her arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying you suck at this so far.¡±


    ¡°Damn, you¡¯re good at reassuring people...¡±


    I sit up entirely from the bed, looking down at my lover before taking Sam¡¯s hand in mine and squeezing it tight. ¡°Think of it this way, I¡¯m in the same camp as you. By all accounts, I suck as a Guild Master... so far. Just because you and I suck at this moment in time doesn''t mean we always will. We''ll do this together. I¡¯ll be learning and growing alongside you as I oversee your training and put you to work. How does that sound?¡±


    Sam¡¯s cheeks burn up with a fearsome blush as she looks away, but not before a relieved smile forms on her lips. ¡°That... uh... that sounds fine by me, I guess...¡±


    Although she doesn¡¯t say it, Sam is pleased to hear that the two of us will be supporting each other as true partners out in the field. As for me, well, I''ll be damned if I''m not there to see her develop with my own two eyes.

 The Seeds of a Harem Are Planted

    ¡°So... besides getting me to fight the good fight and earning some gold, what else do we need toget things popping around here, Boss?¡± Sam sets aside her embarrassment as she leans toward me with a severe expression. Gone is the bashful Princess, replaced by an almost intimidating presence filled with determination and resolve. At least, she would be intimidating if it weren''t for her sexy body still on full display.


    The answer to Sam¡¯s question isn''t as simple as we have to do this or we have to do that. Rather, all sorts of tasks need to be fulfilled before we can truly call this Guild active once again. First and foremost would have to be...


    "Adventurers, Sam. We¡¯re going to need more adventurers."


    "What, am I not enough for you?" Sam crosses her arms, smiling back at me with sass and a raised eyebrow.


    "Nope," I answer her bluntly, shaking my head. "We only need a few more, not too many. The Guild is in no state to handle a ton of guests, and I just don''t have the mental fortitude required to clean this place myself."


    "Such a lazy, lazy man..." The brat sarcastically clicks her tongue before continuing, "Not that I blame ya or anything. I wouldn''t wanna clean this mess up, either."


    Lazy? Perhaps.


    As I''ve already explained, It¡¯s my fault this Guild is in such a sorry state. I won''t linger on this fact and instead will look at it in another light. Sam taught me that I need to cling to my selfish desires and use them to better myself. One of those selfish desires is that I don''t want to be the one to clean the Guild. After trying to do it myself for so many years, I''m putting my foot down. It''s too much for one person, and I don''t think Sam would lend a hand, either.


    Therefore...


    ¡°I don''t know what kind of adventurers we can conceivably convince to stay here when the Guild looks the way it does, but I can clean a room or two at most so we can have a little extra lodging if we end up finding anyone. Then, once we start building up that wonderful revenue, we can look into hiring housekeepers and eventually even some carpenters for renovations.¡±


    Sam tilts her head and grabs a lock of her hair betwixt her fingers. As she twirls it around, the girl begins to smile with a devilish grin. "Ya might not have to clean any rooms if ya play your cards right, y''know..." She says with an equally mischievous tone in her voice.


    "And what is my naughty little Princess implying, hm?" I reach out with my hand and cup her chin with my fingers.


    Sam smirks, looking right into my eyes as she openly says, "Oh, nothing. Just that if ya found some more cute girls like me, then they could sleep in our bed, and ya wouldn''t have to do any cleaning. Isn''t that right?"


    "Our bed?"


    "I know what I said," Sam''s face takes on a stubborn expression while still glaring at me.


    "Sure, fine.¡± I shrug, hiding the fact that I¡¯m more than a little happy to hear her call it that, before continuing and saying, ¡°a harem isn''t exactly in the cards right now, Sam. Even if I wanted one-"


    "Which you do,"


    "Yes, which I..."


    Sam cracks up at making me slip yet again. Damn, she''s good at this.


    "C''mon, Boss. Ain''t like it''s all that surprising. Most dudes in Karnalle dream about being big, important, and rich enough to have a harem."


    She''s right. The tradition was made mainstream by the first King of the Realm, Rhoivandis Lundreame. Together with his six brides-to-be, Rhoivandis defeated the Demon Lord Orsovis, united the lands, and created the seven provinces. Nowadays, I believe the tradition is less about honoring the former King than it is for having an excuse for polygamy, but you don''t see anyone complaining about it.


    "Even if you''re correct and I desire a harem, it''s a miracle I¡¯ve even managed to attract one girl. I''m not expecting to have much more opportunities to increase my bedmates, Sam."


    "Just think about it, Daddy. You get another few adventurer girls like me, wrap ''em around your finger, and you''ll have a devoted army of warriors who work their hardest so they can please ya on the battlefield and in bed!" To promote her point, Sam''s smile expands until she looks like a lewd little vixen, where she then reaches into my lap and grasps my manhood through the blanket. Her grip is tight, firm, and she jerks the length a single time over the covers.


    "Besides, do ya really think I can handle this monster all on my own?" She giggles, licking her lips. "I''m just one girl, y''know. Hell, I needed more breaks than you did last night!"


    "Mmm," I lift my head back and put my arms out behind me, leaning into the developing handjob. Thoughts of playing around with loads of pretty Fighters and Mages fill my head, as do the sounds of a Guild overrun with perversion. "You really aren''t joking about this, are you...?"


    "Nah, course I ain''t joking." Sam sees that I''m open to the pleasure she''s dishing out and snakes her hand under the cover to take my cock into her grip. Her hand radiates warmth as it pumps my shaft.


    "If we somehow managed to expand my roster of adventurers and lovers, where would that leave you? Are you sure you don''t want me all to yourself?" I sneak in a bit of teasing amid strokes, delighting in seeing Sam''s cheeks burn red.


    The Princess doesn''t appreciate my games, punishing me in response by suddenly going faster and using the palm of her other hand to rub and play around with my cockhead. I groan from the amazing sensation while Sam frowns, admitting, "Sure. Sometimes I''ll want some alone time with ya... but I ain''t just suggesting this for your own benefit."


    "Oh?"


    Sam''s smile becomes even more perverted as she snaps back into it. "I ain''t interested in hooking up with other dudes, but I still wanna play around with other chicks- the more, the merrier."


    "You''re saying you want... mn... you want some harem sisters, Sam?"


    Sam blushes at the term but doesn''t stop her playful hand teasing. "I-I dunno, that''s kind of a formal thing, ain''t it...?"


    "Sort of. Legally speaking, ''harem sister'' is the term for the relationship between multiple women who marry the same man, but plenty of unmarried polygamists use the term when playing around, too."


    "M-M-Marry?!" Her Highness adorably blanks out, losing her rhythm and slowing her stroking to a crawl. Seems she has trouble processing much of my sentence beyond the idea of marriage. "D-Don''t you think you''re getting ahead of yourself, ya old perv...?!" To make up for the slack, Sam doubles down and jacks me off even harder, summoning an even more resounding groan from my core.


    "For now, why don''t ya just see what happens and be on the lookout, m''kay...?"


    I was already into the idea of having a harem all to myself, even if it''s a rather comical aspiration at this current point in time. Not only is it hard to conceive happening, but I''m pretty sure there are also guidelines preventing a Guild Master from engaging in a sexual relationship with his adventurers, let alone several of them. Given how I''ve already crossed that line, though, I find it hard to care. Consequences be damned, Sam is making me fully realize just how badly I want this.


    "Maybe you have a point, Sam. I think I''d like having a harem."


    "You think? Geez, haven''t ya learned a single damn thing by now?" Sam rolls her eyes at me, making sure not to stop her teasing for even a second. "Say it like ya mean it." She twists her hand around my cock, mixing in new movements to earn just another small inch of pleasure for me.


    After another moan escapes me, I lock eyes with the Princess and summon up my confidence to declare, "I want a harem, damn it. I''m going to be the best damn Guild Master there is, so it''s only befitting that I deserve tons of beautiful women and as much sex as I want."


    Hearing me state my fantasies so bluntly seems to do it for Sam. Her emerald eyes flicker with both pride and arousal as she continues to massage my throbbing length. Then, as if to reward me for my selfish fantasies, the little brat adds in her free hand to the mix and starts squeezing me up and down, using both at the same time. Like this, Sam ensures that not a second goes by without my cock being milked.


    "Damn, straight, Daddy! You''re gonna be an all-important bigshot, so we gotta get ya enough bitches to act the part." Her gaze becomes hazy with lust before she asks, "Mmm... even though you already got me, ya wanna fuck other chicks, don''t ya, perv?"


    "Fuck," My body shudders as Sam teases harder, jerking the truth out of me from my dick. "Fuck yes, I do. You''re not much better, though... considering how bad you want to whore me out to other women just so you can eat pussy."


    Giggling like the precocious brat she is, Sam promptly tells me, "Shut up," and moves one hand to my balls to mix in a few surprising and tender fondles before. "How bout ya go and tell me more about the kinds of chicks ya want in your harem, Daddy..." As she says it, the Princess starts grinding her thighs together. The thought of me hooking up with other women is exciting her just as much as it is me.


    "I''m not that picky, ngh... my tastes are wide... I like all sorts of girls..." I admit to Sam, but it''s not enough to satisfy her.


    "C''mon, be more specific!" She punishes me by stroking her thumb up the length of my aching meat all the way to my frenulum. Once she''s there, she starts wiggling it under her pressure. My hips bolt forward from the jolt it produces, and another groan leaves me.


    "Shit-" I throw my neck back and close my eyes as I look at the ceiling. "Alright, fine! I want all sorts of women to fill my bed!"


    "Yeah?" Sam goads me on in a sing-song voice, continuing her tip teasing.


    "Yes! Big breasts and small breasts, tall girls and short girls, skinny girls... thick girls... and everything in between! I want them to have all sorts of... interests... and... and-!"


    "And what? Don''t stop!" Sam bites down on her lips, her eyes watery with lust as she keeps on pulling out more and more of my deepest desires. "Be honest with yourself. What do you want, Daddy?"


    "I want to have so many loves that I won''t be able to go more than five steps without someone fawning over me! Everywhere I look will be a devoted lover of mine, ngh- Human, Elf, Dwarf, Beastfolk, Halfling... I don''t care what race they are, so long as they have a pussy I can fill up with my cum!"


    "Gods, Daddy... you are such a damn perv, holy crap..." Sam is practically drooling at the thought of my perverted fantasy. Whether she imagines me fucking all of these as of yet non-existent girls, or she pictures all of the fun she would have with them by my side, Her Highness is clearly into it. She pushes her thighs together, grinding them into each other. "Show me how you would cum inside all those naughty adventurers... c''mon, Daddy... show me... show me...!"


    Intent on pushing me to the limit and then some, Sam grabs on even tighter to my pulsing dick and doesn''t let go. My beautiful young lover pumps my cock harder and harder, making damn sure we start the day off with as big of a bang as possible. Gods, she doesn''t disappoint. My balls contract as I scream my orgasm into reality so strong and so fast that I don''t even have time to warn the Princess.


    An explosive volley of my white-hot semen explodes out of me, rope after rope coating Sam''s face and tits before leaking down all over her persistent hands. Sam doesn''t mind. She just keeps jerking until she''s covered in an unbelievable mess of my own making.


    Before it can completely coat her, though, Sam opens up her mouth and sticks out her tongue to catch the rest of my climax. Like a good little brat, she swallows the last few blasts before letting go of my cock once she''s verified it''s been appropriately nursed to completion.


    I fall back against the bed, my body overtaken with post-orgasmic bliss as Sam starts the unnecessary but deeply appreciated task of cleaning herself up and eating it down.


    "Mmm, nothing like a little breakfast in bed. Thank you, Daddy." As soon as she''s done, Sam teases, laying down atop my chest and licking her lips like a devious imp.


    "Anything for my Princess," I sigh, smirking down at her with a growing smile. Now that my nut has been achieved, I enter that ever-familiar state of sage-like clarity. "Gods, I just agreed to something ridiculous, didn''t I?" I ask, realization setting in.


    "You bet your ass you did," She laughs. "It sure is easy to get ya to do whatever I want, Boss. All it takes is one good handjob, and you''re wagging your tail and barking on command for me. Good to know!"


    "That''s hardly unique to me, Princess. I''m sure you''d find most men more agreeable after giving them the same service. More importantly, I thought we were going to leave the bed?" I narrow my eyes at the nefarious girl who managed to tempt me to spend the morning screwing around once again. While sighing, I scoop up a drop of semen from her cheek that she missed and playfully push my finger into Sam''s mouth.


    Sam laughs, then sucks down on the finger and cleans it of my sexual fluid. "Ya coulda told me not to jack you off, you know."


    "Yeah, yeah..." Leaning down, I crane my head to kiss Sam on her forehead, eliciting another giggle from the coquettish blonde. "Are you ready to get going for the day, or..."


    She tenses up, tilting her brows down in disappointment at me. "Really, Daddy? Kinda selfish to just sit there and take a handy without giving anything back, y''know..."


    Rolling my eyes at my lover, I concede and tell her, "You''re scarily good at getting what you want, I swear... alright, have it your way. Come on up here, Sam."


    "Oh, hell yes!" Understanding right away what I intend for her to do, Sam stands up on top of the creaky mattress and walks across it until her naked body looms over me like a giant. From down here, I can look straight up and see just how aroused this naughty Princess of mine actually is. Her fantasies have left her dripping sweet nectar between her thighs, and as she spreads her legs to show off, a long, thin strand of her juices falls from her lips onto my face.


    "Daddy knows how much his Princess loves it when she gets to ride his face, huh?" Sam asks, her voice trailing off and becoming lewder by the second. While awaiting my answer, she drops to her knees and straddles my neck. Her steaming pussy is hardly a foot from my mouth- so close I can almost taste it.


    Over these past few days with my Princess, I have acquired a taste for cunnilingus. Not too surprising considering how I''d always pictured myself enjoying it, but after seeing how wild it drives Sam and hearing all the luscious noises she made whenever I ate her out, there was no way I could resist falling for the act. Besides, it''s not fair if you don''t give back what you get. Sex is a two-way street.


    "I sure do, so why don''t you stop wasting time and-" Sam interrupts me in the most glorious way imaginable. By plopping her big, fat ass straight down on my lucky face and pressing her lips to mine.


    "What was that, Daddy? I couldn''t hear ya over the sound of you so desperately wanting to eat my tight little pussy...!" Sam sighs contentedly as I take her teasing to heart and get straight to work, lashing my eager tongue against the pink, wet folds of her labia.


    The taste that awaits me is nothing less than pure lewdness given liquid form, filtered through a good deal of sweat. We were fucking fairly hard last night, and neither of us has had a bath yet, so the desperate stink of sex is still heavy on her body. Especially the part she''s grinding up and down my face.


    "Fuuuuck..." Sam rolls her head back, staring at the ceiling as I penetrate the narrow entrance to her slippery slit with my hot tongue. The girl bucks her hips, grinding her pussy and then her ass into my nose before rubbing her mound onto my tongue again. Once she''s there, I lavish her with all I''ve got.


    The more I lick, the heavier the honey dripping from Sam''s pussy flows. Every little movement I make inside and outside of her hole gets a reaction out of the Princess, whether it be a moan, more grinding, or rising and sitting on my face again like she¡¯s riding a bull. For my side of things, I enjoy the feeling of her soft, curvy ass resting its weight on me. Even the struggle to take in the air between licks and kisses fills me with a dangerous sort of satisfaction.


    To get a better handle on the girl bucking away on my face, I reach up and grip Sam''s hips in my hands. She welcomes my touch, so I grab down real hard and push her down even harder into my mouth. My tongue snakes itself even deeper into the Princess''s wetness, savoring the taste of her tangy womanhood.


    "Yes, Gods... yes..." Sam grabs my by the hair, pulling up and squeezing my head between her thighs. The pressure is intense, but my dedication is even more so. Even between a rock and a hard place, nothing can stop me from eating this pussy. "Daddy..." Sam coos, her pleasure starting to rise.


    For a moment, the girl lifts her hips and looks down at the mess she''s made on my face, marveling at the slickness covering my lips, my nose, and my cheeks. Her eyes are now totally glossed over in her own abundant perversion. "Mmm. You¡¯re rushing, aren''t you? No fun, Daddy. What''s the hurry? I ain''t going anywhere."


    Pulling away from her silky pink sleeve long enough to answer, I meet her gaze and give Sam a sympathetic smile. "As much as I love playing with you, my dear, I really do want to get the ball rolling." Without delay, I pull down Sam''s wide hips of my own volition, planting her ass back on my face as I start to feast from her dripping crevice while the girl is still taken by surprise.


    Sam yelps from the onset of sudden pleasure brought about by the second my hot, wet tongue circles her pointy clit. Seeing how much she loved it, I began mixing precise attacks on the quivering weak point into my routine. So intense is her ecstasy that the Princess grabs me by my hair, like a rider taking the reins of their steed. She pulls up, shoving me into her pussy as her grinding picks up steam.


    The girl gives me almost no time to catch my breath, relying less on me to get off and more on her own persistence. We can''t have that, now, can we? My ego is at stake here, and I''m not about to go letting my Princess use me like a toy. I double the speed of everything I do to Sam, forcing her to cease her grinding and arch her back, moaning at my aggressive licking and oral caressing.


    "Fuck, fuck-!" The beautiful girl whines in a lusty, fevered pitch. One of her hands leaves my head and gropes her bouncing breast, squeezing it to seize more pleasure out of her sensitive mound. "Daddy," Sam whimpers, her lower lips twitching and convulsing against my tongue. "I''m getting so fucking close...!"


    Even though I could tell she was nearing the finale on my own, hearing Sam actually say it out loud excites me so. It rallies my enthusiasm, goading me to really sink my hands even deeper into her flesh. I hungrily force her to shove her entire weight downwards onto my face, even at the cost of hurting my jaw and disrupting my air intake. My sacrifice is well rewarded once Sam starts filling the room with the lewd noises of her perverse gratification, and she climaxes right as I forcefully burrow my tongue as deep as it can go, whisking it around like a vicious tornado.


    Sam cums her cute little brains out, and I don''t have any intention of stopping until my jaw physically locks up. Once I hit this point and try to pull away, though, Sam''s body spasms from the pleasure and she sandwiches me between her thighs involuntarily. This fully cuts off my air in exchange for the deliriously soft experience of being drowned in her feminine flesh. Being squished by her legs like this feels like a dangerous sort of heaven, but I''m sure it''s nowhere near the level of excitement Sam herself is facing.


    She continues to moan and howl her way through her climax before eventually rolling off of me and settling down on the bed like a pile of twitchy pudding. "Damn..." She says, sighing and wiping some thick sweat from her brow. Then, with a smug expression, the brat lifts her eyebrow and turns to face me. "Ya really went crazy on me there. I think I''m gonna have to lay around for a while after that one, Daddy... looks like we won''t get around to adventuring today either."


    "Like hell we won''t," I sit up and nudge Sam playfully in the ribs a single time before rising fully from the bed. "I''m going to go and get myself ready for the day. By the time I''m done, I expect you out of this damned bed. Understood?"


    The lazy Princess laughs as she grabs her rib with her hand, saying, "Fiiine." and at last putting things into motion. I don''t know what this new day has in store for us, but I''m oddly optimistic about whatever it may bring.

 A New Perspective

    It turns out that sex is way different than I was expecting. Imagine that.


    All the chatty maids who gossiped around the castle about what Father would do to ''em after he got his hands on them always made it out to be kinda scary, if weirdly exciting. The real thing, though? It''s soooo much better than anything those wenches made it out to be.


    I feel bad about how much we got sidetracked, but after everything I''ve been through lately, it felt nice to have a couple of days where I could just stop thinking and have some fun. That doesn¡¯t mean that Boss isn''t right, though. We really do gotta stop while we''re ahead and get back into the saddle.


    There''s work to be done, and it ain''t like the enemy is gonna sit there waiting for us to get our rocks off over and over.


    I''ve been lying in bed for a good fifteen minutes, and by now, Boss has already done all his morning junk and left me alone to head downstairs. Now that the post-orgasm bliss is finally starting to clear up, it''s time to force my lazy ass to get up off the bed and join him.


    The first thing I do is stretch myself out and take in a fresh breath of air.


    A calm, spring breeze is wafting in through the open window that Boss opened up. He''s hoping that it''ll help air out the smell of all the crazy sex we''ve been having, but I dunno about that. The scent is pretty damn thick, but at least the air feels really damn nice on my naked, sweaty skin.


    So this is what it feels like to be free, huh? It''s so strange. It may have only been a few days since coming here, but I feel better than ever before. I''m not sure if what I¡¯m feeling is relief from having finally escaped that shitty palace and all the shitty people inside it or happiness caused by Boss and all the lewd fun we''ve been having, but it doesn''t really matter.


    Speaking of Boss, I have trouble believing that bastard at times... Goddesses above and below, I still can''t get over that thing he said the other day. Love at first sight? Really? Doesn''t he know how embarrassing that shit sounds!


    Ugh...


    The worst part is, it''s not like I can think of a better way to put it, either... still, that doesn''t mean he''s right!


    And even if he was right and what we have is kind of similar to... love at first sight... then whatever. That just means it''ll be easier to wrap him around my finger so I can make him into the best damn Guild Master there is.


    The creaky bed makes a rickety, groaning sound as I sit up and crack my back, determined to get up and get moving. I duck into the bathroom and wash myself up real quick. Man, I still can''t believe a shitty little place like this actually has running arcane tech faucets and even a bathtub. That was one thing I thought I''d definitely have to give up on after leaving Imperalis, but I guess I''m luckier than I thought.


    After a quick rinse with some soap and water, I head to the nearby desk, where I placed my armor set the other day. My get-up is sitting on top of a pile of Boss''s crappy porno books, and I waste no time suiting up. As I pull on my stockings and fasten their golden belt buckles, I remember how I stole this armor and my sword from one of Father''s giant walk-in closets.


    I was in a rush to get away from the palace after that big argument we had, and there was no way I was gonna be able to sneak in and raid the armory with such short notice. I had to make do with what I could, and this is what I ended up with. There were all kinds of skimpy get-ups and lingerie in his closet for his wenches, but this was just about the only thing I could find that had actual armor plating.


    Boss hasn''t stopped making fun of me over it, but loads of chicks wear bikini armor. Hell, some Mages fight in their fucking pajamas, and no one bats an eye at that! Also, it ain''t like he has the money to get me a better armor set himself, so he should shut up about it.


    ...Ugh, the more I think about this armor, the more it keeps reminding me about my Father. Been having a lovely few days without thinking about that bastard, but I can''t keep ignoring the past forever. Funny how hard I was on Boss in the name of trying to help him get over his issues, but I still got tons of mine that I need to work through.


    Most of those issues stem from one source...


    The esteemed King Theostus Lundreame, Protector of the Realm of Karnalle, Sovereign of the Seven Provinces, first of his name, blah, blah, blah. For a man with so many fucking titles, ''good dad'' sure as shit ain''t one of them. It''s embarrassing to admit, but this girl knows damn well where all her daddy issues come from. Hell, when I was growing up, my uncle and my butler were better father figures to me than that jackass.


    He never had my back when it came to anything. Whether it was learning to use a sword, getting permission to explore the castle, or dropping out of those stupid girly classes, his answer was the same shit over and over again.


    ¡®Ask your Mother,¡¯ He¡¯d say, which might as well just have been a one-way ticket to the nope zone.


    Even worse, Father was always too busy fucking every cheap slut in the kingdom to ever spend time with me, his firstborn daughter... well, his first officially recognized daughter, but that¡¯s a whole other can of worms. My crappy relationship with him ain''t the only reason I left home, but it sure as hell was one of the biggest.


    Eh. I''m doing ok for myself, I s''pose. I mean, it''s not like I''m dressed up like a hooker or sharing a bed with some older dude I hardly know, right?


    Whoops.


    Guess Father should''ve paid less attention to his whores and more attention to me, but hey, it''s way too late for that.


    Besides, this whole thing I got going on with Boss isn''t as bad as it looks, really. Even though it seems sketchy, it doesn''t mean it actually is! I think.


    Either way, I got reasons for doing what I''m doing with him. Damn good reasons, too. For now, I just need to stick close to Boss and make sure he trusts me because I can''t risk screwing everything up.


    I know I just met the guy, but there''s so much potential here that it''s almost crazy. Whenever I look into those dreamy eyes of his, I see a man without limits. A man who could change the world if he actually put in the damn effort. He''s got something crazy in him just waiting to break out, mark my words, and I feel like that factor could make him the key to all of my plans.


    Look at me go, now I''m all giddy thinking about Boss... gah.


    C''mon, Sam. This ain''t like you! Forget all that no-good mushy stuff for a minute and finish getting ready. With forced determination, I slip into the rest of my armor, yank on my gloves, and adjust the magic bandage that covers up the scar on my nose. After a look in the mirror to make sure I''m looking hot to trot, I slap both my cheeks to fire me up, and then I head downstairs.


    The dangerous feeling of these crappy stairs under my boots reminds me that Boss is correct. We gotta get some more adventurers and earn more gold because this place desperately needs some proper care. Maybe I shouldn''t have pushed the harem thing so hard since it means we''ll be limiting the kind of adventurers we''re looking for... but I''m gonna chalk that one up to my own selfishness.


    I''ll own it, I wanna mess around with other chicks, and I ain''t afraid of admitting it. It''ll be fine. It¡¯s not like there aren''t tons of other badass babes out there looking for work, right? Wait... hold on a sec.


    I stop right there halfway down the stairs, realization hitting me like a ton of bricks to the face. "Zuzu...!" I blurt out loud, cringing at myself for being so dumb.


    "Bless you," Boss chimes in from somewhere down below.


    I feel a sweat break out on my brow as I remember that I didn''t even tell my best friend I was running away from home. I talked with her about it a few times, and I think she knew I''d do it eventually, but Zuzu must be so upset that I took off without letting her know!


    Damn it, Sam. She''s basically your sister, and you ran away without a word!


    I''m so embarrassed. I told myself I''d send Zuzu a letter once I got situated somewhere, but... I kept forgetting because of all the sex.


    Angry at myself, I grab hold of both of my twintails and yank both of ''em until my scalp hurts. Zuzu''s probably doing worse, so I can suck it up.


    That poor girl is all alone in her dusty old tower right about now, and I abandoned her... meanwhile, I''m here in Dewhurst screwing around with my new man as I encourage him to build a harem of all things, and...


    Wait, wait, wait.


    Crazy idea incoming.


    Didn''t Father try and talk Zuzu into going out and getting a job a couple of years ago? Yeah, I totally remember that happening! She went and registered as an adventurer, only to come right back home after she got her license. She never used it, but Father was just happy to see her leave the castle for a bit.


    Goddesses know that Zuzu is single, and she''s cute as hell. Sure, she might be more than a little bit weird, but what Mage isn''t? This... this could actually work, couldn''t it? Oh, Sam. You devilish bitch, you''ve done it again!


    Assuming she''s up for it, that is.


    Zuzu might not wanna come out here to become an adventurer for real since she has that thing going on with her magic. It also might be kinda risky to send her a letter since it''s not like anyone else would ever send her mail aside from all the alchemy shops mailing her coupons for frog''s breath or some shit like that. I doubt anyone would expect me to send a letter to anyone, though.


    It¡¯s no secret that words aren''t exactly this Princess''s specialty.


    Ok, that does it. I¡¯ll write to Zuzu! Even if she says no, then at least she¡¯ll know I''m safe and sound. And if she says yes, then... wait... if she says yes and things go according to plan, then if she''s interested in Boss, we''d end up in the same bed together, wouldn''t we?


    Whoa... that''s... I mean, yeah, growing up, I always had a crush on her kinda, and I''ve spent the night in her tower hundreds of times, but I don''t know if I ever really thought about hooking up with her until now.


    Geez... it makes me feel super crazy lewd to even think about it. Both of us, harem sisters to the same man... hell, we''d actually end up as real sisters if that happened.


    Hot damn.


    Before I get lost in my own thoughts any more than I already have, reality suddenly snaps back into place as I hear Boss''s voice calling out to me from nearby.


    "Sam, you simply must take better care of yourself. This is unbecoming, if not downright embarrassing." He says, standing beside me on the stairs and wiping off a trail of drool from my chin using a white handkerchief from his pocket. "Surely you''re not so horny that you can''t even take ten steps away from the bed without falling victim to your idle fantasies, right?"


    "Wha?!" I jerk away from him, almost snapping a plank of wood beneath my foot. He winces as it happens, but at least it didn''t actually break.


    "Oh, Fuck off, Boss!" My cheeks burn hot as I snap out of the stupid lewd trance I winded myself intoup in, and I give him a punch on the shoulder just a little rougher than I meant to. I can see him wince again, but he shrugs it off for my sake so that I don''t feel bad about accidentally hurting him.


    Damn it, why does he always gotta go and do so much cute crap like that...?


    I cross my arms and make a pouty face. "Even if I really was having lewd daydreams, then whose fault is that, huh, asshole?"


    Undeterred, he confidently replies, "Yours. I don''t see why it would be anyone else''s."


    "Nuh-uh! I''ve always been a pretty lewd girl, I guess... but..."


    Raising an eyebrow, Boss tilts his head. "But?"


    I groan and start walking down the stairs without him, trying to hide how damn big my blush is getting. "I dunno, you tell me! Being around you makes me feel like I wanna be the lewdest version of myself possible!"


    From over my shoulder, he says, "All I''m hearing is that you''re a dirty girl and that your inner floodgates have been opened."


    Even more embarrassment bubbles under the surface of my skin, and I bite my lower lip. Without looking back, I stomp my foot on the ground and give that bastard a warning. "Gods, I am gonna hit you SO damn hard...!"


    And then, making things even worse for me, the jerk cracks a stupid smile and starts laughing at my threat while descending the stairs. Gods, what a... a total dumbass, right? It''s not like he looks cute as hell when he laughs like that or anything...


    I know what''ll shut him up something good. Once he''s back on ground level with me, I turn to face him, grab him by his collar, and pull Boss in for a deep kiss. He''s taken off guard at first, but then he starts kissing me back hard. He''s so damn good with his tongue that I feel a slight tingle coming on, so I pull away from the kiss before it can get even hotter, and we end up getting sidetracked again.


    He smirks, peering at me over the rim of his glasses. I was trying to make him embarrassed, but it didn¡¯t have that effect at all. "What was that for?"


    "That... that was to teach you not to laugh at me!" His comment makes me stammer, and I reflexively hit him in the shoulder again. This time around, my punch is even more powerful, and he''s sent backward, his elbow slamming into the railing on the stairs and breaking off a chunk.


    Damn it, Sam.


    He stares at the property damage with a weary expression but shrugs his shoulders and ignores it. "Consider my lesson learned," He sighs, making sure to prop up a sarcastic smile.


    Gah, that sexy grin of his... fucking damn, damn, damn it...! This backfired, bad!


    "Whatever..." I fold my arms once again and turn away from him, storming off towards the nearest table. I keep getting flustered, so I''m just gonna move on before he gets the upper hand on me. "Make yourself useful and grab me a pen and some paper, Boss. I gotta make a booty call."

 Sweaty Hands and Crappy Calligraphy

    It only makes sense that Boss is curious about where the heck I''m going with my sudden demands, so I make sure to explain everything to him as quickly as I can. Long-winded explanations are more his thing, not mine. "Get this, I just remembered a friend of mine back home, right? She''s a real strong Mage, super cute, and I''m pretty damn sure she even has an adventurer''s license, too! If I give her the heads up, I bet she''ll come over and..."


    Boss gives me a dry look, raising an eyebrow as he interrupts me. "And what, exactly? Are you inviting a random friend of yours into our bed so soon?"


    Figures that he''s more than a little bit skeptical. Even after I helped the damn guy make up his mind to start picking up more chicks, he still can''t get over that part of his brain which keeps focusing on stupid crap like ''logic'' and ''reason''.


    "She''s not just some random chick. She¡¯s my best friend! Besides, would ya really be complaining if I did invite her into our bed?"


    "That remains to be seen," He shrugs his shoulders. "It''s just a bit odd to me how fast you''re rushing to rope someone you know into our burgeoning relationship."


    "It''ll be fine. We¡¯re just gonna see what happens! Zuzu is kinda weird, so I got no idea how she''d feel about joining a harem, anyway..." Knowing her as well as I do, though, I think she might be all for it. She''s definitely lonely enough, and I know she wants attention, given the stuff I''ve found in her underwear drawers... "But hey, even if she doesn''t wanna jump your bones, I bet ya anything she''ll still hang around and go on adventures with me! That''d help out just as much, right?"


    "Hmm. I suppose I can''t argue with that..." Boss frowns and takes his chin between his fingers, scratching his three-pronged beard. He thinks about it for a minute, then dips into his office to grab everything I need.


    "There''s just one thing bothering me. Are you sure that sending a letter back home is a good idea?." He asks, setting out some paper and an ink pen, along with a tiny square piece of paper that I''ve never seen before.


    "Uh, why would that matter?" I take the quill in hand while averting my eyes away from the crafty bastard. I thought the same thing, actually, but I don''t wanna let him know that.


    "Well, since you''re the daughter of such a wealthy, important merchant, I can only imagine people are looking for you. Wouldn''t that be the case?"


    "...Yeeep, you might be right about that... I guess," I grumble, trying to avoid the topic. Luckily, Boss ends up dropping it for now, but I think it''s pretty obvious that he doesn''t fully believe my story. "What do you think we should do about it? Even if it''s not about inviting her to Dewhurst, I still wanna let her know I''m doing ok..."


    Boss closes his eyes and looks up at the ceiling. He must''ve picked up on how important this is to me because he comes up with a great plan in no time at all. "Well, it should be ok as long as you let me handle signing the address. I can make it resemble an official letter from the Association of Adventurers using my wax signet, which wouldn''t attract too much attention."


    "Nice! Good thinking, Boss. There''s just one little question I have left..." My eyes dart to it, and I pick up the little square and hold it up. "What the heck is this thing?"


    Boss looks at me quietly, making an expression showing he thinks I''m stupid. "That''s... a stamp?"


    I grumble because it''s not like telling me the name helps all that much. "And? What is it for?"


    "It''s a thing you put on letters which pay for the Mailmage to send it to its destination. Does this really not sound familiar to you at all?"


    "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We have to pay? To send letters?! I thought people would just come and take it!"


    Another small silence from Boss as he chooses his next words carefully. "Have you ever written a single letter in your entire life, Sam?"


    "I... uh... no. No, I have not." I gulp, feeling more than a little called out.


    He sighs and hangs his head, stating, "Right, that would make sense. My apologies. Just say what you need to say, and don''t worry about the rest, then. In the meantime, I''m going to make us a light breakfast and gather a little gold from the vault so we can go on a shopping trip."


    I get the feeling that he''s looking down on me, but whatever. There''s not enough time in the day to get grumpy over every little thing. "Okay..." I frown as Boss heads into the kitchen.


    As a sheltered Princess, there''s a whole lotta crap out there that I haven''t ever done, writing letters included. So what? This is my chance to learn how the real world works, bit by bit. I''ll blend in perfectly with the commoners one day, just you watch me, Boss!


    For now, though, there''s something more important at hand- and that¡¯s handwriting this letter. Since I''m a pretty straightforward gal, it doesn''t take me very long. After a certain point, I start rambling on and on, but that''s ok by me. There''s so much to tell the girl that I can''t cover it all without getting chatty.


    I tell Zuzu that I miss her real bad, and I apologize my sorry little ass off for not telling her I was running away from home in the first place. I even give her a brief rundown of the junk that happened in Perlshaw that led to me going to Dewhurst. Most importantly of all, I explain where I am now and how much I think it''d be a dope-ass idea for her to leave that dusty, lonely tower of hers to come and join me.


    Every part of me is convinced that coming to Dewhurst would be the best thing that ever happened to her. This could just be wishful thinking, sure, but after seeing what freedom has done for me so far and alongside the peace of mind I get from being around Boss, I can''t imagine she wouldn''t feel the same way.


    After finishing up, I look back and re-read the whole letter only to find something that bothers the heck outta me. A lot of it is just me gushing over Boss without even meaning to. I know I literally just said being around him makes me happy and that he''s great, funny, smart, and pretty hot, but... c-c''mon, Sam! This is just embarrassing!


    I basically wrote a big ol'' letter telling my best friend about how much I''ve been getting railed for the last four days while not so subtly hinting that she should come and get a piece of this for herself! Gah, I''m halfway tempted to rip the stupid thing up and start all over again from the beginning, but there''s no time for that. Boss re-enters the room with a tray carrying a breakfast sandwich and a glass of milk, plopping them on the table next to me. There''s also a small bag of gold strapped to his belt now, too.


    It looks like he''s a little annoyed, but before I can even comment on it, he looks down at my letter and raises an eyebrow like he can''t believe what he''s looking at. "Sweet Goddesses above and below, that handwriting is simply atrocious." He says, unable to stop himself from blurting it out, even though it''s rude as all hell. I mean, I''m not much better... but still.


    "S-Shut up!" I cover up the letter with my hand before he can read any of the embarrassing parts with those damn magic eyes of his. "My handwriting is totally normal. You¡¯re just exaggerating! But... uh... you didn''t just read any of it right now, did ya?"


    Boss shrugs his shoulders and adjusts his glasses with his middle finger. "I sure as hell tried, but for the life of me, I couldn''t even make it beyond the first sentence. ''Tew Zuklinez Sicklodok'' was as far as I got, and I have to ask if this bizarre collection of scribblings are actual words or if they''re meant to be some sort of magical spell that I''m unaware of?"


    "What the fuck! It''s not that bad. It says right there, plain as day, ''To Zutiria Syndaline'', you dummy!"


    "If you say so, my dear." He smirks, holding out his hand for the letter. I grumble and hand it to him before shoving the sandwich into my mouth and going to town on it- after I stick my tongue out at the bastard, of course.


    Boss wraps the letter in an envelope and then seals it closed using a magic wax ring he pulls out of his pocket, which has the Association''s emblem on it- basically a stylized ¡®AoA¡¯ symbol on a shield. Next, he licks that stamp thingy to make it sticky enough to stay on the paper, and then finally he takes the quill I was using, asking, "What is Zutiria''s address?"


    There he goes again with his weird-ass mail words I don''t understand. "What''s her what now?"


    "Where does she live? Rather, where does this letter need to go to make sure that Zutiria receives it?" He breaks it down nice and slow for me, which makes the explanation feel a little condescending, but I''m probably just taking it the wrong way.


    More importantly, I''m panicking because now I gotta tell him the truth, kinda. "She, uh... lives in Imperalis, just like me."


    "Needs to be more specific than that, Sam."


    "Well, y''know... she lives in... uh... the biggest building in the city. Yeah, yeah! Let''s go with that!"


    "I''ve never been to Imperalis, but if I''m correct... wouldn''t that mean your best friend lives in Castle Lundreame?" Erk, his eyes are getting all suspicious of me again.


    "Yeeeep, she sure does. Isn''t that crazy? Hahaha... man, I wonder what that place looks like from the inside? I wouldn''t know, of course, since I''ve never been anywhere near Castle Lundreame myself..." I playfully roll my eyes and look away, hoping to the Gods that Boss doesn''t press me on this latest bullshit of mine.


    Thankfully, he doesn''t bat an eye this time, and instead, Boss just writes the address down on the envelope after refilling the quill with ink. Man, his handwriting is all neat and fancy. He even uses that fancy cursive crap or whatever it''s called that my tutors tried to teach me.


    Instead of learning how to use a sword like I wanted, I was forced to learn all sorts of girly junk that never stuck with me for very long. Calligraphy was boring as all hells, and it sure as shit didn''t make my handwriting any better. Most of the time, I ditched my classes and went exploring the dungeon-like upper levels of the castle, or sometimes when I saw a chance, I''d sneak out to the city.


    That was where my lifelong fascination with adventure all started, come to think of it...


    Boss snaps me out of my nostalgia by patting me on the head as he leaves to drop off the letter into the mailbox, or however that works. He comes back real fast, and there''s definitely something wrong by the looks of it. That annoyed expression of his went from subtle to full-on upset. In his hands, he''s got a big envelope and a stack of papers that he stares angrily at, one of his eyebrows twitching from stress.


    I set down my sandwich and finish off my milk to go and join him. I only had about half of the sandwich, but I felt full anyway, and Boss needs help, so I gotta do my best to cheer him up.


    "You good, Boss?" I put my hand on his back and rub him through his shirt, feeling the thick muscles he''s got back there... damn... it''s still so hard for me to believe he was a shut-in sometimes, what with how shredded and hot he- damn it, you slut! Stop getting sidetracked!


    "No, I''m not good. We have a small problem on our hands. When I was in the Guild''s vault a moment ago, I noticed that the gold from your defeated Slimes hadn''t been magically deposited yet. That alone was enough to rouse my suspicions, but I had to check the mail to be sure. As you can see," Boss waves around the envelope, "The report was never sent, so it''s no wonder we haven''t been paid."


    "What?! Why the hell not?" No wonder he''s upset. That¡¯s awful news if I ever heard it!


    "No clue. We''ll have to take it up with the Mailmage branch, although the mayor''s office might be a better place to start since I can''t think of a reason that the Mailmages would deny me service..." When he brings up the mayor, Boss screws his face up even more from stress.


    "No big deal," I keep rubbing his back, trying to fight back his sour mood. "Don''t go bothering yourself to death about this. We¡¯ll get it sorted out!"


    "It''s awful hard not to." He says, grumbling under his breath. Poor guy. Boss has trouble focusing on the positive when negative junk crops up like this, and I wish I could help him somehow.


    "What else ya got there?" I try and lighten the situation, asking about the rest of the papers he brought in from the mail.


    Boss shuffles the sheets around, flipping through ''em like he''s done it a million times. "Oh, nothing important. These are just Quests issued by the Association. None of them are all that interesting, regional kill quests... a price change or two in monster bounties. Really, the most exciting among them are little more than glorified fetch quests.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound all that exciting...¡±


    ¡°Sarcasm, Sam. They¡¯re little more than go here and gather this and that so we can make potions and then sell them back to you at exorbitant prices, things like that."


    Wait a second, did I just hear him right? "Boss, I know I ain''t the brightest, but that last thing you said sounds kinda shady as all hell."


    The man smiles, looking off into the distance. "Shady is a good word for the Association as a whole. Potion racketeering is just one of their many schemes. They pay rookie adventurers like you to keep their alchemists well-stocked, passing none of the savings down to the adventurer... unless, of course, you subscribe to their monthly potion subscription service, but that''s just one big scam, too."


    "Geez. I had no idea that there was so much bullshit going on with the Guilds... you, uh, ya don''t gotta do stuff like that to people... do you?" I don''t know how I would handle it if Boss had to make money through exploiting innocent adventurers who don''t know any better. I wouldn''t like it, that''s for sure.


    Thank the Gods, he sets the record straight right away and proves he¡¯s a better man than that. "No, explaining all the reasons why would be a chore, so I''ll just sum it up and tell you that the Dewhurst Guild is fairly free to do as it pleases, as long as I pay my dues."


    "Nice," I sigh because I''m just so damned relieved to hear that. "I woulda been mad as hell if you tried to sell me a potion subscription. I ain''t sleeping with my Boss for nothing, y''know. I expect perks! A potion here and there to keep me from dying on the job is the least ya could do!"


    Boss has himself a laugh at my joke, and some of his stuffiness looks like it clears up. "I''ll keep that in mind, Princess."


    I actually kind of want to ask him more about some of the other shady shit that the Association does, but I know that''d just wreck his mood. Some other time. For now, I wanna make sure that my man- er- that my Boss keeps his head in the game.


    "Go ahead and do what you need to do with the papers. I¡¯ll wait for ya outside. Gotta fit in some stretches before hitting the town!" Even though it''s embarrassing, after getting up from the table, I lean in and give him a kiss on the cheek before running off to grab my sword. Seeing the satisfied smile on his face was totally worth it, and his eyes linger on me as I go.


    I pick up my sword from the dusty storage closet after almost tripping on a giant, fat rat which got in my way while scurrying into the nearest hole in the wall. Fucker almost scared me half to death! This Guild is always full of surprises...


    Funny, this big ol'' blade of mine feels a little lighter than it usually does. Wonder if that means that the training I did the other day was even more effective than I thought? If that''s the case, then I''m even more excited to get back on the field and right back to work!


    Rushing out the broken front door, I do some stretches to get nice and warmed up. After being mostly bed-ridden for the last few days, getting my body limber again feels fantastic. My back keeps cracking in all the right ways, and I''m loving every second of it! I should probably avoid lazing around again so much if I can help it, but it was a special circumstance.


    While I''m still waiting for Boss to show up, I draw my sword and put in a couple of practice swings. With each slash, I focus on all the things that Boss taught me about my footwork, grip, and posture. His advice is a game-changer. Even though superhuman strength naturally runs in my family, it still took some effort to whirl this thing around.


    Now, though? Now, slicing and dicing feel as smooth as a hot knife going through butter.


    Boss steps out of the Guild right as I return my weapon to the sling on my back, carrying the last bite of his own sandwich. He gulps it down, wipes up the mess on his chin with the same handkerchief as before, and then claps. "Looking good today."


    "Damn right!" Feeling a little sassy because of all the confidence I got going on, I give him a wink, a smirk, and a spank on my butt.


    Boss laughs the teasing off, shaking his head and crossing his arms. "I was talking about your skill. Looks like you still remember everything I taught you, color me impressed."


    So he''s impressed, huh? Gah, why does that make me feel all warm and cozy inside? Trying not to get all flustered again, I brush his praise off. "Oh, uh... well, duh. Of course, I remember. You''re an excellent teacher, Boss, so it''d be super hard to go and forget!" I don''t tell him this part, but it''s not like I could ever forget his ''hands-on'' lesson even if I wanted to.


    He was straight up groping me- that bastard- even if I know he didn''t mean it like that... but now, whenever I slip up and need to fix my form, it''s almost like I can feel his hands on my body correcting my mistakes. I''m really grateful for what Boss did for me, even if I can''t express it all that well.


    "Nonsense," Like usual, he ignores my praise and humbles himself. "You''re a natural at this, and that''s a fact."


    And there goes any chance I had at keeping calm.


    I feel the heat building up in my cheeks so hot that I clench my trembling fists to keep calm. That''s when Boss makes it even harder on me, stepping forward and offering his hand as he asks, "Do you want to keep practicing, or are you ready to go out on our little date?"


    Uh. Did Boss just say... d-d-date?! Like... as in a DATE date? That thing that couples do, or whatever?!


    I look awkwardly at his hand, realizing he wants me to hold it. Sure, we already held hands three days ago, but that was different. This is... something else. Why does Boss keep doing this to me? He''s so embarrassing, and he''s only getting worse day by day!


    This is it, Sam. He''s getting way too cheeky, and if I don''t put him in his place now, then... then...!


    "Y-Yeah, sure. No time like the present!" Like a total dumbass, I grab his hand in mine and squeeze it tight with a dopey ass smile on my face. At least I have gloves on, and Boss can''t feel how sweaty I''m getting under the hood...


    Man, I''m hopeless, aren''t I? Whatever, even if I am, at least I got myself a date...

 It’s Always Sunny in Dewhurst

    Hand in sweaty hand, Boss and I head out into the town together. Sucks that we have to take care of the mail problem on top of our other errands, but it is what it is.


    Our trip starts off with a little walk down the dirt road leading away from the Guild. Ah, It feels really nice to be out working my legs again! Not to mention holding hands with Boss is admittedly kinda nice.


    I''d definitely enjoy it a whole lot more if my stupid hands weren''t so damned sweaty, though. Hmph, it''s all his fault for making me nervous, this stupid Boss of mine...


    Still, I hope I get used to holding his hands. It''s just that I don''t think I''d mind if we do it more often, but it''s making my leather gloves feel all icky, sticky, and gross. It''s not like I can take the gloves off, either, cause then he''d find out how sweaty I am, and I would never hear the end of it!


    Yucky as it might be, I suck it up, and we make it into Dewhurst.


    I still don''t know how I''ll ever get used to the unique ''charms'' that this town has going on. Almost every street, building, and passerby put in a little something toward making the place feel like Karnalle''s biggest crapfest.


    As roughed-up as the Guild is, I''ve probably been a little harsh on it. Now that I''m paying closer attention to the levels of suck this city has to offer, I think the Guild is actually one of the better-kept buildings in Dewhurst. Yeesh.


    This is totally the sheltered Princess side of me talking, but I have to ask... is any of this normal? Are there other towns as crappy as Dewhurst, or is everything I''m seeing just a special kind of fucked up which can''t be found anywhere else?


    I''m super curious because I''ve only ever been to a handful of towns, most of which are the well-off provincial capitals. Perlshaw might''ve been nice, but that other town I passed to Dewhurst wasn''t that hot either... Cransmere, or whatever? Yeah. That place sucked too, but in a different, creepier way.


    If this really is the norm for Karnalle, then... fuckin'' yikes, dude. Somebody should probably get on that. I''m tempted to blame my lazy-ass King of a Father, but I think it''s the Duke of Arrark''s job to make sure that the cities in his province don''t go tits up.


    Whoever''s fault it is, I don''t really care. All this thinking overwhelms me to the point where I end up blurting out, "What the heck happened to this town that made it turn out so crappy, Boss...?"


    My sort-of boyfriend stops in place, taking his big hand away from mine. Cupping his chin, he looks up at the gray, cloudy sky hanging overhead as he says, "That''s not a very easy question for me to answer."


    "Why not?" I didn''t expect him to get all sulky over an innocent question, but it makes Boss a whole lot more distant.


    "Because depending on who you ask, you''ll get a myriad of reasons. A good portion of the townsfolk might even tell you that they blame me in particular, and I can''t even blame them for thinking that."


    "Uh..." I blink at him, thinking I must have misheard. That sounds way too stupid to be even remotely true. My ears must be full of gunk or something.


    "What the crap are ya going on about? There''s no way that could be the case. You''re just one guy who barely even leaves his house!" Laughing it off, my worry starts growing when his response is even colder.


    "You''d think that, but you might end up surprised." The gloomy man sighs before forcing himself to fake a smile for me.


    I squint my eyes, stomp my foot, and rest my hands on my hips. "That right? Go on, then. Surprise me. Tell me the tale about how one dude totally ruined an entire town all by himself!"


    "The long and short of it is that Dewhurst was a boomtown which both catered to and profited from adventurers. My Grandfather¡¯s leadership was the only reason it lasted as long as it did, and when he died during my childhood, things started going south over the years." Adjusting his glasses, Boss starts falling into another one of his pity parties.


    I ain''t gonna just let him do that, and if he keeps it up, I''m gonna have to snap his mopey ass out of it with a nice, firm slap!


    "Ok, so your Grandpa died. Still not seeing how the heck that''s supposed to be your fault, since it''s not like you killed him or anything, right?" I roll my eyes and laugh, only to feel like my gut just got punched when I look back at Boss.


    He stares straight back at me with the most lifeless, defeated, and severe expression I''ve ever seen a man make. This raises the awkward level off the chart, and I start thinking maybe I spoke too soon about him having a pity party.


    As much as I want to hear the extended version of this story, this ain''t the best place for a sudden therapy session.


    "Look, my point is that you should cheer up a little! No matter what happened, it''s not like you can actually blame yourself for... that," I point over at a group of cruddy-looking street urchins covered in grime head to toe. Each brat slurps green soup out of chipped clay bowls using wooden spoons as they chat about the junk they stole today.


    "Or that," Next, I draw attention to one of the many town whores who''s sitting on a broken windowsill. The chick''s face is covered in the cheapest makeup I''ve ever seen, and she''s wearing a ratty dress. More importantly, but the big takeaway is that she''s openly smoking a bunch of blue, glowing gemstones from a heated glass pipe.


    The rocks look a lot like those mana crystals Zuzu kept stocked in her lab, but the ones in the pipe are way cloudier, and I''ve never heard of anyone smoking mana before.


    Whatever¡¯s inside, the hooker hands off the pipe to a shady guy behind her. Pretty sure it¡¯s her pimp? Whatever he is, he takes a long hit from the pipe, both of their eyes sizzling with magic.


    "And you''re especially not responsible for that!" Lastly, I nod toward a nearby wooden building on fire that looks like an apothecary. No one around seems to give a crap, even though the fire is green for whatever damn reason. It stinks all the way to Supernal Skies of Serenity and then some.


    Boss barely even pays these insane sights any mind. All he does is shrug his shoulders while explaining, "You''re right. I¡¯m not trying to say I''m the only reason for every last one of Dewhurst''s problems. That would be ridiculous. What I am saying is that there was a gradual decline and that it would be fair to attribute some of it to bad decisions I made when I was young."


    I don''t say anything back to him because I just can''t think of anything that could really help. I grumble a little, but Boss keeps talking.


    "The city lost its main source of income once the adventurers started trickling away, leaving Dewhurst with two options. Find a new revenue stream, or open the floodgates to criminals in the hopes that the gold they''d bring in would be enough to keep the city afloat. As you can plainly see-"


    "Yeah, ain''t hard to guess which path the town went down... man, that''s such a bummer." To try and lighten my mood, I look around the crappy horizon one last time, searching for another strange sight. It doesn''t take long to find one.


    "What about that Catfolk twink over there? Is that your handiwork, too?" I ask, giggling about the strange little Beastfolk boy on the corner of the street who''s standing on top of a wooden box, meowing about how taxation is theft to anyone who''ll listen.


    "No," Boss laughs, giving a friendly wave to the feline femboy as his sour mood recovers a bit. "Milly is sort of his own thing."


    The dark-skinned, pink-furred Catboy wearing fishnets and not much else waves back, making a suggestive ''nyaa'' sound at Boss. That''s, uh... something, alright. I thought that Boss didn''t have any friends, so what kind of relationship does my man have with this... this feral tomcat, huh?


    Er, wait a sec... am I actually getting jealous over this? Gods almighty, what is wrong with me today?!


    Forget about the gay, stupid kitty for just a minute, Sam. It''s more important to consider the stuff Boss is saying. I guess I''m gonna have to pry into whatever happened with his Grandpa since it sounds like it''s the cause of a lot of the dude''s hangups.


    Since neither of us has really opened up about our past yet, I¡¯m kinda nervous about asking. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m afraid Boss''ll try and dig the truth about who I am out of me. More than that, I¡¯m worried because I know I''m not the best at being considerate.


    Whenever he gets all moody, my first thought is to give him a slap and tell him to get a grip. That worked the first time around, but it''s probably the exact opposite of what he needs. Man... all I wanna do is support the damn guy. Why does that have to be so hard?


    It''s a good thing that Zuzu is a lot better than me at being kind and supportive. She''s always been there for me, listening to my problems and doing whatever she could to help solve ''em, so there¡¯s no doubt she could do the same for Boss, and if Zuzu doesn''t show up, then... even though it makes me anxious, I can still do my best to hear Boss out myself!


    We''re partners. I gotta be there for the guy and keep him focused on kicking ass, taking names, and screwing dames!


    ...Heh, nice one, Sam. Gotta find a way to use that line later. I bet Boss would have a good laugh at it!


    The sad talk dies down once Boss starts leading me around the streets of Dewhurst again.


    Thank the Gods, I''m getting used to holding hands, and I''m sweating a whole lot less. I''d probably be even more chilled out if it weren''t for all the weird, creepy, downright dangerous-looking townsfolk we pass by. The variety on display among them is crazy, and pretty much each and every one of ''em look like they''re from the wrong walks of life.


    It''s not that I haven''t seen peasants, lowlifes, or thugs before.


    I used to love sneaking into the castle dungeons to see the newest weirdos, and whenever I saw a chance, I''d even slip away to wander the streets of Imperalis every now and then, too. While I haven''t ever been to the infamous Traitor''s Row, I saw just about every other ghetto the Great City has to offer.


    What shocks me so much is that the unlucky bastards living in the worst shantytowns of Imperalis don''t hold a candle to the hoodlums, hooligans, and hoodrats of Dewhurst. Not at all. Here, it''s almost like the entire city is on the verge of stabbing you, and all it''d take to get ''em to do it is one wrong look.


    For example, take that guy over there.


    Hanging around a dingy bar whose ''classy'' wooden sign reads ''Muff and Stuff'' is a big, burly dude going completely shirtless, wearing patchy brown trousers with suspenders and black boots that go up to his knee. He''s bald except for a giant brown mohawk, has a crazy-ass evil stare, and the icing on top of this cake?


    The motherfucker has the letters ''R-A-E-P'' tattooed in bright red across his massive, veiny forehead.


    Yep.


    But that¡¯s not actually the whole truth. I was lying, y¡¯see. The tattoo wasn''t the icing, no, no, no... the icing was that I saw this guy back in Castle Lundreame''s dungeon only like damn three months ago!


    I¡¯m sure it¡¯s him because ya can¡¯t really go forgetting a dude like this if you tried. Fuck if I know why he was in our dungeon and not one of Arrark''s, but I''m pretty sure I don''t wanna know.


    Y''know what? Good for him. I''m glad that someone thought Raepface of all people was ready to re-enter society... gah. I can''t even with the people of this town!


    And then there''s me, walking around wearing a damn bikini while all the creeps stare at me like an all-you-can-RAEP buffet. I know we need to start saving some gold, but... I''m gonna swallow my pride here and just go for it.


    I ask, "Hey, Boss? Do ya think we could maybe look at getting me some actual armor while we''re out?"


    It''s not that I''m afraid of all these pervs, nah. I''m sure I could put ''em in their place if they even thought of trying anything. It''s just that I wouldn''t mind not having to deal with ''em in the first place.


    I''m super hot, though, so even if I cover up, I doubt it''d stop them completely... but it''d still be better than nothing.


    Boss is quick on the uptake, and he squeezes my hand tighter, trying to calm me. "I don''t think that''s possible right now. Just about all the armorers and blacksmiths in this town get their wares cleaned out by the local gangs, and prices tend to be exorbitant for whatever''s left."


    "Man..." Sighing, I slump my back. I was gonna try and slut it up if he said no so I could ''convince'' him, but it sounds like that''d be pointless.


    Lucky for me, Boss has got something else we could do instead.


    "Tell you what, we can at least stop by a tailor''s when we''re done grocery shopping and pick you up some clothes. How does that sound?"


    Agh- getting charity from him makes my heart start beating real fast, but in a good way. "T-That sounds cool, I guess..." I tell him, turning away to hide my blushing cheeks.


    "Good. Walking around in that get-up doesn¡¯t scare you, does it?" He asks me, dead serious. It feels like he''s teasing, though, and I end up gripping his fist tight in reaction to the attack on my pride.


    "Hah! Yeah, right! I''m stronger than all of these scrawny jerks put together!" I flex my bicep at him, showing off. Even though it''s covered by my black sleeve, interest flares up behind those dark glasses of his.


    What a perv.


    "My brain was turned off when we were out last since I had just got rolled into town. Now that I''m fully rested, I guess the reality of Dewhurst is finally starting to sink in..."


    Boss frowns, concern showing up on that cute face of his. "You should''ve told me you were exhausted. I wouldn''t have forced you out on a quest if I''d have known."


    I shrug and dismiss the thought with my hand, saying, "Chill, it was no big deal. I wanted to prove myself as quick as possible. Plus, if you forgot... a certain someone needed some alone time to cool themselves off right after we met."


    "Fair enough," He sighs. For once, I pull out on top and watch as his cheeks turn red. Score! Boss hides his gaze, looking all cute and embarrassed.


    "Anyhow, I doubt anyone will cause you trouble so long as you stick by my side. Most folks tend to avoid me unless I have business with them, and I don''t expect that to change anytime soon."


    Ugh, hearing him say this junk makes me emotional, and I don''t even know why. I guess I feel bad that he feels this is his lot in life and that it''s hard for him to imagine it changing?


    All I gotta say about it is fuck that noise.


    I clench both of his hands with my fists, staring straight into his eyes with an angry, determined glare. I don''t say anything because I don''t need to.


    "Sorry, sorry," He smiles calmly, nodding his head. "It''s not that I''ve forgotten that I promised to change, or any of the things you''ve taught me-"


    "Ya better not have," I give him a different, more playful but still angry expression as I start to smirk back. "If it''s not that, though, then what''s actually bothering you?"


    "I just think that as amazing as you are, it''s going to take me a while until I''m used to being happy again." He laughs sincerely from the bottom of his heart before taking a sideways glance.


    I feel myself blushing again. I know what he said just now was kinda sad, but... it also wasn''t, so I guess I''ve got no choice but to give Boss a pass on it, huh? Especially since he implied that as hard as it is to change, he really does feel happy right now, and it''s because of little ol'' me.


    "That right?" I take my hands away, trying to play down my growing grin. "Well, maybe you''ll get used to it by the time I get used to living in Dewhurst..."


    "Lucky for you, I think I know a way to help you with that." Boss takes a step forward, closing the meager distance between us and getting up in my business. The smile on his face becomes deeper, teasing, even... oh no.


    He isn''t gonna... oh, Gods, this bastard is totally gonna do it!


    Before I can try and stop him, or even before I can think about if I WANT to stop him, Boss glides in and kisses me smack dab in the middle of the street where everyone can see. Somehow, it feels like as he presses his lips against mine, the attention of every thug in Dewhurst is stolen from their seedy activities and redirected straight at the two of us.


    T-this... this... is way too much for me...


    I gotta push him away already, I gotta... mn... wait, why the heck am I kissing him back?! Things have gone way, way past being a cringy public display of affection.


    We''ve gone and turned this into a full-on makeout session, and I''m just as much to blame...! Damn it, Sam, no... stop it, you dumb, stupid... oh... oh, fuck yeah... Sam, yes...!


    Boss is getting good at this...! More... just a bit longer... I... I-


    And just like that, he pulls away, leaving me stunned and unable to speak a single damn word.


    Frozen, I stand here awkwardly without a single thought. My jaw is slacked, goosebumps are all over my skin, and I still feel a naughty tingle on my tongue. I... I can''t believe this just happened. Even though I can be a super aggressive slut during sex, kissing Boss in public like this is a whole ''nother story.


    I should be proud of Boss for growing some balls and doing what he wanted, even if that meant kissing me as hard as he did, but... agh...!


    Shaking off the humiliation, I take a step backward and wipe up a bit of drool leaking down my lip. "W-What the fuck was that for, you perv?" I ask, turning away from his smug, dopey, and handsome face.


    "Just helping you get more used to Dewhurst, that''s all." Boss teases, his voice sounding all smarmy. This bastard is getting a big head, thinking he can pull one over me just because he''s cute.


    I hate to tell him, but he''s got another thing coming! Why I''m gonna... uh... I''m gonna... aw, who the fuck am I trying to kid? I''m totally gonna let Boss get away with it.


    The best comeback I can think up is, "And how the heck is kissing me while the whole town watches supposed to help with that, huh?"


    He explains, "Well, from my point of view, you don''t look all too bothered about our audience anymore."


    I stop in my tracks, pausing for just a sec. Looking around at the motley collection of rogues, druggies, hobos, and hoes, I realize that against all odds, the bastard is right. I could kinda care less about all of ''em watching me. Just because Boss is here with me and I''m having fun with him, it''s like nothing else matters.


    There''s a frog in my throat making it hard to snap back at him, but eventually, I tell Boss, "You win this round, asshole..."


    "Just in time, too. We''re almost there." Boss extends his hand, making it known that the Mayor''s office is only a couple of buildings away. "Before we go in, though, I''d like it if you could promise me something."


    Confused but ready to get a move on, I ask, "Uh, sure? What''s up?"


    "No matter what happens during this meeting, do your best to keep calm. Don''t get mad, hurt anyone, or destroy anything."


    "Yeah, that''s a super normal thing ya always gotta be careful of when visiting the local Mayor, right?" I shrug, checking out the building closer.


    What kind of dude even lives in a shitheap like this? Garbage is littered across the property and stretching out into the city street, each one of the glass windows is broken, and a couple of stray arrows are stuck in the wooden door. This must be one doozy of a mayor.


    "What the heck are ya expecting to happen in there?" I ask, starting to feel worried about the answer.


    Using a grave tone of voice, the only thing Boss says back is, "I''m expecting you to get mad and want to hurt someone or destroy something."

 Showing Some Backbone

    After knocking on the door a couple of times to no avail, Boss gives up, and he lets himself in. I follow quickly after him, and the first thing that hits me is the smell. It''s like... sadness mixed with a bunch of different people''s farts, booze, as well as sex. Wish I was better with words, but eh. It''s accurate enough. Does a mayor actually live in a crappy place like this? Boss''s Guild looks like Father''s castle compared to this dump.


    Broken liquor bottles are thrown around, shattered here and there, leaving sharp shards poking about every corner. Half-eaten plates of food are stacked almost to the ceiling in many different places, flies coating them all like oceans of buzzing black maggots. There''s furniture somewhere beneath the filth, sure, but what little I can see of it is covered in stains of unknown, smelly origin. Just like the Guild, the mayor''s house has broken walls and floors, but this place has way more.


    Some of the walls are covered in posters of naked girls from just about every species imaginable, too. There''s a big titty orc over there, a sexy, thick dwarf over there... even a centaur with her horse pussy on full display is hanging out for anyone to see. Course, every last damn one of the posters is also covered in more of those unknown stains... yuck. I don''t want a bath after this. Being in here makes me feel like I need to sit in the tub for a whole three days just to properly get the stink off. I''m not even one of those prissy girly-girl types! It''s just that bad!


    If any of this bothers Boss as much as it bothers me, he sure as heck doesn''t show it.


    "Mayor?" He calls out, stepping forward into the ucky no-man''s-land to stand near a messy desk covered in even more non-human porno mags and... oh Goddess, did that pile of mushrooms used to be socks?!


    "The Sage din git me dem mana cryssals yet! I tol'' ya to come next week!" A thin, scratchy-sounding voice belonging to an old man calls out from another room. When I say it''s scratchy, I mean just imagining what it would take to make your voice actually sound like that hurts my throat. Like, has this old dude ever heard of water? And for that matter, this mayor is totally selling drugs by the sound of it.


    What. Is. This. City!?


    I look at Boss, hoping he can tell me whether or not this is normal, but he only sighs and shrugs his shoulders. "I''m not one of your customers, Abner. It''s me. I''m here on Guild business."


    "...The hell? That really you? Ain''t seen you in years. Thought ye dun'' finally screwed off fer gud. Gimme a sec..." The old-fogey emerges from a door on the right side of the room. I guess emerges is a poor word for it, as he basically just stumbles and barely avoids falling dead on his ass. He ain''t just shitfaced. He looks shitbodied... if that''s even a thing.


    Not only that, but he''s old as all heck, too. So old that he''s more like a walking skeleton than anything else. His eyes are sunken in almost a mile into his skull, and his skin¡¯s stretched so tight over his brittle old bones, making it look like low-quality leather.


    This mayor, Abner or whatever, almost vomits on himself before thankfully keeping it down his throat and making his way over to the desk. From there, he goes on to look right into Boss''s face. Man, the stare he''s giving him is wild...


    Abner is all full of himself like he''s looking down on Boss from a pile of booze and porn without any self-awareness of how bad he looks. I can''t imagine looking like him and somehow thinking he has any right to think he''s better than anyone else, let alone my man- er, I mean, my Boss. Damn it.


    Things get worse when he shifts his attention away from Boss and toward me. Abner licks his lips, somehow managing to have a creepier face than the RAEP tattoo guy while he does so. I''d almost be impressed if my skin weren''t crawling...


    "Ye brought a pretty lil'' friend, eh? Y''wanna make a trade? Bring ''er over next week when I get some cryssals and... heh heh heh..." His scratchy voice pierces my ears, and I shudder, taking a step backward.


    Gag me.


    My hand tries to reach straight for my sword''s handle so I can threaten this creepy ol'' perv, but Boss sees it coming and grabs my hand. Crap, I was totally about to wreck this guy. I gotta keep calm since we actually need some answers from him. He probably can''t provide any if I cut him in half... plus, that would be bad, I guess...


    "Don''t you dare go talking about my companion here like that.¡± Boss growls at the mayor like an angry bear before adding unnecessarily, ¡°She''s mine."


    Gah!


    Kissing me in public wasn''t enough for you, Boss? Now you... you gotta go and say embarrassing stuff like that in front of this old creep?! And he said it with so much authority, too... like... the fact that me being his isn''t up for debate. What a smarmy piece of... Gods, you''re lucky I don''t pull this sword out on YOU, Boss! I''m my own person!


    I guess the thought kinda makes me happy, though, or something... so I''ll let it slide for now...


    "Yers? Huh." Abner sizes me up and down again like he can''t believe a girl like me would be with a guy like Boss. "Whatta waste..." He grumbles. "Tha fuck ye wan from me, then?"


    "I have an adventurer staying in my Guild once again, and she''s going to be staying with me for the long haul. Yet, even though I made sure to mark it for delivery, the quest she completed three days ago hasn''t been delivered to the Association. Care to enlighten me as to why?"


    The cruel old mayor chuckles, then says, "Cos ye gave uppa few years back. No use in lettin'' ye turn in any new quests even if ye get your crap together, I mean, same reason I stopped sendin'' ye the local quests. Jus'' ain''t worth nobody''s time."


    "You had best tell them to start turning in my damn quests, Abner. And for that matter, you should start putting the word out that the Guild is accepting local quests once more."


    Oh, Gods. That last idea of his put a bad, bad taste in my mouth. The idea of running around doing favors for the ''good people'' of Dewhurst and helping them sort their problems, woof. Now there''s a thought... I can just see it now.


    ''Delivery Quest, 5,000G


    Behind the burning green building is five crates of ¡®medical supplies¡¯ for my ¡®poor, sick, grandmother¡¯. Deliver them to the ¡®friendly¡¯ one-eyed dwarf in the back alley behind The Skankiest Siren, my ¡®grandma¡¯s¡¯ favorite tavern. Do not open them.


    Client- Drug Dealin¡¯ Pete¡¯''


    Or better yet, ¡®Retrieval Quest, 10,000G


    Five female employees of mine have neglected to turn in their weekly quotas. Do whatever is necessary to collect my money. I promise you they can take any punishment you can dish out. They are loitering around Hooker¡¯s Row.


    Client- The Pimp King of Dewhurst¡¯


    Sure, maybe I¡¯m a bit cynical here, but after that brisk walk of ours through the town, you can''t really blame me if I don''t have much positivity left...


    "Ye sayin'' ye wanna start helpin'' people round here again? Oh man, wait''ll er''one gits a load of dis!" Abner continually falls to more laughter the longer he listens to Boss''s words, and the longer I listen to him, the more pissed I get. I really have to try and hold my tongue because I''m starting to get why Boss was so adamant about me keeping my cool. He must''ve known that this old jerk here was a piece of work. C''mon, Sam... you must''ve taken a billion classes on acting like a proper lady, gotta channel some of that energy right now...


    "I think ye had yer chance, and ye messed it all up," Abner croaks. "Don'' see much reason ta giv ya anotha one."


    "Because I''m not leaving until you do. Everyone goes through ups and downs in their life, and while it''s true the Guild suffered for a few years because of me, I''m going to get it back in action."


    "That''s right!" I add in, too proud of Boss and his determination to keep quiet. "You can either get our quests sent out from now on and send us local quests, or we can do this the hard way!"


    "Th'' fuck did ye just say ta me, bikini wench?" The mayor angrily looks my way, astonished that a woman dares talk to him in such a tone.


    "Sam, relax." Boss sighs and squeezes my hand in his, but I can''t just sit here doing nothing. I tried.


    "Girly, I dunno why yer stickin'' round this loser," Abner cocks his neck towards Boss. "But if I was you, I''d head on down ta Perlshaw. Ain''t no good work ta be done round here, and I ain''t gonna be givin'' him what he wants. Ya can both fuck off now."


    That''s it. I''m getting mad, damn it!  I jerk my hand away from Boss and slam my fist into the desk, shouting, "Do you think I''m just gonna let you treat him like this?!" The furniture breaks clean in half under my strength, all while I clench my teeth.


    Surprised, Abner falls on his ass onto a pile of cheap glass bottles. Some of them break under his almost non-existent weight, and I sure hope some of ¡®em end up firmly lodged in his ass.


    "Hey, hey, hey! This isn''t going to help our case here!" Boss lodges a complaint and tries to take my hand, but I ain''t having it. I shrug off his attempt at trying to hold me back and then point my gloved finger at the mayor.


    "Why the hell does this whole town treat him like this, huh? I get that Dewhurst used to rely on all the gold that the Guild brought, but... that was ages ago! As Mayor, shouldn''t you have a way to bounce back on your own?"


    "W-Watch yer tongue, wench!" He screams from his pile of broken booze bottles, not helping his case at all. "I treat him how he deserves ta be treated! He went an killed his granpap when he was just a kid, sennin'' Dewhurst into a downwer'' spirl!"


    Shit. So it''s true? Boss looked pretty cagey when I accidentally implied he killed his old man, but... no, no. That''s stupid. There''s obviously more to it than just that. I''ll get it out of him later, but I have to deal with this writhing maggot for now. How dare he treat Boss like this. I won''t stand for it...!


    "All he wants is to help this crappy town, like any good Guild Master! He''s not some loser. This man is all about kicking ass, taking names, and screwing dames!" My eye starts twitching, and I step forward while pulling out my blade from over my shoulder and grabbing on tight with both hands. "You got that?!"


    Everything goes red, and all I can feel is anger. Abner screams and pisses his pants as soon as I raise the sword, fully intending to strike the old man down.


    "SAM!" Boss shouts at me, and suddenly, the anger dulls, and I get all light-headed. I drop my sword and stumble backward... what the heck was just all that crap just now? I was halfway to cutting this old bastard in half! Not like he doesn''t deserve it, but... crap... crap, crap crap. I lost control of myself... this hasn''t happened in a while...


    I look for the right words, but all that comes out is, "Boss, I''m sorry, I..."


    He shakes his head, closes his eyes, and leans in. "We''ll talk about this later. For now, I''m going to use it." He whispers as calmly as he can.


    I nod my head at him, feeling like ass now that I''ve regained my senses. My emotions always get out of whack like this whenever it happens...


    "I didn''t want it to be like this, Abner. I really didn''t. You should have just nodded your head and said ''ok'', but you just had to make things worse for yourself, didn''t you?" Boss walks over to the ruins of the desk, then puts on leg on top of it. He takes his glasses off and holds them out for me. "Keep these for a moment, my dear."


    "But... your eyes... you''ll hurt, won''t you?"


    He doesn''t say anything back, so I just take the glasses for him, bend down to pick up my sword, and watch as he leans down further over the desk to grab the scrawny old man by the collar of his shirt. He looks badass holding that asshole like that, but even if Boss does work out like I think he does, Abner looks like he only weighs about twenty pounds, so it''s not that impressive.


    "W-Wait! I''ll do it! I''ll do whateva ya want! I''m sorry!" Abner begs for mercy, wiggling around like a pathetic worm in Boss''s grasp.


    "I know you will," Boss says, holding back the pain as his pinkish-white eyes twitch. Oh, Gods... blood starts popping out the corners of his eyes... it¡¯s running down his cheeks, making him look like he''s crying blood. Now I know why he took his glasses off... Boss looks like a demon when he does this. "Let''s get something straight from now on, alright?"


    The old man nods like a coward, and Boss continues on, "I''m done caring what you or anyone else thinks of me. You want to blame me for the reason this town turned out the way it did? Fine, think what you wish. I''m sure it''s much easier to blame a kid who was ten years old at the time than it is to take any sort of accountability as mayor. Whatever helps you sleep at night."


    "N-No, I never dun did any of-"


    "Shut up." Boss shakes the old man, which I very much approve of. "Hate me for having a part in my grandfather''s accident or for having cursed eyes that I didn''t choose to be born with. None of that matters anymore. What matters is that I''m back in action, and I have a Guild. You can either let me help people with it, or I can start being the villain this town likes to think that I am. You''ve seen how strong my dear adventurer is, so I must ask. Which would you prefer, Abner? For me to help you and this town? Or for her to hurt you?"


    "I''ll go an git yer things sorted, I will! I promise ye!"


    "Good," Boss throws the nasty old man back into his pile of filth and booze before taking out his handkerchief and wiping the bloodstreams off of his face. "However, we still have a small problem that I won''t leave until we sort out."


    "Please, no! Just-"


    "I said shut up!" He raises his voice, which makes the mayor raise his arms defensively in front of his body. Then, Boss holds out his hand back to me. I give him back his glasses, and he slides them on all cool and professional-like.


    "That quest should have been mailed three days ago. You were the cause of the delay, so it''s only fair that you should reimburse me, isn''t that right? Oh, and we can''t have you forgetting about the twenty-five percent ''I''m a piece of human shit'' fee. I''m sure you have 325G lying around here somewhere, so go and find it. Consider it your investment towards helping the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild start up once again."


    Abner scrambles away from his depressing mess and goes back over to the other room. At first, I''m afraid he''s just straight-up running away, but we both hear the sounds of him rifling through drawers soon enough.


    After a minute of searching, the mayor finally opens the door and tosses a small pouch of gold at Boss''s feet before closing it back up. Guess he ain''t even gonna say goodbye, huh? Good riddance.


    Acting all proud of himself, Boss scoops up the bag and puts it into his pocket with a satisfied grin. "There. Not exactly standard Guild procedure, but I got the job done. Let''s take care of shopping while we''re still out and about, Sam." He says.


    "Hey, as far as I''m concerned you... kicked ass," I give him an awkward thumbs-up before holding the door open for him. The clean air bursts inside of the disgusting roach factory that is the mayor''s house, making me feel way, way better already. "Sorry about... uh... everything that happened back there."


    "...Yeah, We''ll make this a quick shopping trip. We have a lot to talk about, I think."


    I was worried he would say that... welp, at least we got plenty of money to get some lube, if nothing else...

 Nothing We Can’t Work Through

    What an eventful afternoon that turned out to be...


    If I''d known ahead of time what getting out of bed would''ve led to, I probably would''ve followed Sam''s wishes and spent another day lounging about with her.


    We stood around, loitering outside of the Mayor''s office for a few minutes before pulling ourselves back together. Neither of us is ready to deal with the ramifications of what just happened, but we get to a place where we feel up to at least accomplishing the other errands we set out to do in the first place.


    Sam and I visit the Dewhurst Market for the first time together as a couple, and she''s shocked by all the seedy things merchants are openly selling out in every shoddy stall. Illicit goods, questionable curios, and knock-off products can be found as far as the eye can see.


    Sam comes from Imperalis, the capital of Karnalle itself, so it''s no surprise for her to be feeling culture shock. She''s used to the Grand Bazaar, where designer stores litter the streets and where merchants from all over the Realm and beyond come to do business. I can''t imagine that our humble little collection of suspicious goods lives up to the second biggest market in Karnalle.


    Neither of us is in the mood for window shopping, so we limit our time in the cobblestone-paved gathering of questionable merchants to what we came here for and nothing else. We pick up light groceries as well as some lube, which is just as awkward as I feared it would be. At least Sam isn''t in the mood to publicly tease me over it. Finished with our task, we leave just as quickly as we came.


    We''re mostly silent on our way back, leaving plenty of time to mull over the actions I took. I''m not sure what came over me, but it felt terrific to rough Abner up a little for all the crap he''s put me through. Not once did that old bastard ever try to support the Guild after my grandfather''s death, so I found it cathartic to take some of my many years of frustration out on him.


    Sure, I just rough-housed a decrepit senior citizen. But that doesn''t mean I can''t be proud of it.


    We get back home to the Guild, both of us relieved to breathe in the musty yet comforting aroma of home. Sam and I agree to have a little talk after I''ve gotten the groceries squared away. I also take the time to prepare myself and my new love some coffee, although I''m not sure if she likes it as much as I do. For whatever reason, thinking about how there''s so much to learn about this girl who turned my life upside down fills my heart with a warm and fuzzy feeling I''m tempted to call joy.


    But then I remember how she almost killed Abner, and that feeling becomes a little bit more complicated.


    Together, we settle down at a table in the entrance hall, sitting on opposite sides. Sam has a frustrated expression on her face, making her look deeper in thought than I''m used to. I slide over a cup of coffee to her with a relaxed but cautious smile, and she sips it gratefully. She winces at the taste, not appreciating the bitter black, unlike myself.


    "So-" Sam and I both speak up at the same time.


    This little awkward moment makes us share a small laugh. The brief brevity lowers the tension a bit, helping us move on to the heart of the conversation.


    "Do you wanna talk first?" She asks, smiling and averting her eyes.


    "There''s not much to say that I haven''t already. Unless, of course, you''re asking about how my grandfather died, which is a different story." She nods her head, and with a sigh, I tell her the truth, as upsetting as it is for me. "He was in his nineties. We were arguing about the career path he wanted me to have, and there was a lot of yelling and screaming from both of us. As he got madder and madder, his heart gave out... and that was that."


    "What the hell?" Sam does a double-take and tilts her head. "People around here blamed you for killing him over a crappy ass reason like that?"


    "It doesn''t help that people think my eyes are cursed, either. There is a lot of superstitious peasant folk around these parts. I wasn''t popular even before it happened."


    "So... lemme get this straight." Sam slumps over the table as she cups her chin. Narrowing her eyes, the runaway Princess asks, "Your grandpa wanted you to become a Guild Master, and you ended up becoming one out of guilt?"


    I laugh and look down into the darkness of my steaming hot drink. My reflection is right there on the surface of the bitter liquid, staring right back at me. Even he finds the comment ironic. "The opposite. He wanted me to be an adventurer, but I wanted to follow in his footsteps..."


    She blinks. "You mean... you wanted to be a Guild Master? Man, you must have been such a total nerd...!" Sam laughs uncomfortably as she tries picturing my past self. Then, realizing she''s acting like a bit of a rude hoe, corrects herself. "It''s not that it''s funny, I mean... I just..."


    "It''s alright, Sam," I give the young adventurer my most reassuring smile. "Not everyone dreams about waving a sword around, and slaying monsters left and right. Some of us prefer being the one who runs the show from the background, the one everyone counts on behind the scenes and who ensures everyone else can do their best."


    "That makes sense, kinda. For what it''s worth, I think you made the right call." She smirks while scratching the back of her head and blushing. "You got a nice build and all, but I can''t see you as an adventurer... like, not at all, dude."


    "Thank you. Despite my self-imposed isolation, I do work out from time to time. I''ve always been naturally muscular for whatever reason, though." I shrug off the compliment while ignoring the unintentional insult.


    "What happened to you after your grandpa died? How the heck did you end up running this place after that?" Sam leans in. Her green eyes flicker with sympathy, and I can''t deny her when she asks like that. Although her question is blunt to the point of being tactless, I know she means well, so I don''t get upset over it.


    "I was raised by a family friend who stopped by a few times a week to look after me. As for the Guild, that''s a complicated story..." I explain to Her Highness the weirdness of the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild. How I own the land, how it''s technically a part of the Association of Adventurers yet not beholden to its rules, and the weird circumstances that led to me inheriting it all.


    Most of it flies over her head, but the important thing is that she''s trying to follow along. Sam ends up picking up the most important parts, at least.


    "Geez..." She says, stunned as she tries putting the pieces together in her mind.


    I shrug, having nothing to say.


    "No crap you lost all your adventurers. I mean, no matter how hard you studied, you were just a damn kid...!" There''s anger in her eyes just as much as there is love. For a moment, Sam looks to be on the verge of another episode similar to what just happened back at the Mayor''s. Right as I begin to panic, she quells my concerns and regains control. Sam becomes aware of her looming rage and bites it back.


    Then, realization dawns on her. Sam blushes as she grows ashamed of herself. "Shit... just the other day I was... oh, Gods, I was telling you to man the hell up and saying it was all your fault the Guild failed!"


    I guess with that context in mind, all of her advice does indeed sound very cruel. I''m not bothered by it. I needed to hear someone say what she said to my face for me to take action into my own hands. The best medicine is always a bitter pill to swallow, or so they say.


    "Sam, you don''t need to-"


    "I''m so sorry, Boss...!" The beautiful Princess''s face is stained by tiny tears and an upsetting expression showing just how deeply she cares. I can''t be mad at her. Especially not when she''s looking at with a face like that.


    "You''re fine. It''s not like you could''ve known. Besides, you aren''t wrong. I failed because I stopped trying. Thanks to you, that''s no longer the case. I''m going to succeed, and I''m going to succeed because I''ll be putting in more work than ever before."


    Sam grumbles, then pulls at her twintails with frustration. "That''s cool and all, but I still feel like crap for saying all that junk. I''m such a stupid, stupid little dumbass..."


    "Forget it. More importantly, do you think I went a little too far back there?" I change the topic hoping to show that I really don''t care about how harsh her motivational speech was.


    It works. There''s a twinkle in the girl''s eyes as she thinks back to how I almost beat up an elderly politician. "Nah, it was the coolest thing I''ve ever seen. Hell, I''m almost wet just thinking about the sheer manliness it took to pull that off, Boss!"


    Her sarcasm is duly noted, and I roll my eyes. "I''ll have to work beating up old men into our foreplay more often, then."


    "I''m only half-joking... sometimes, a girl just can''t help herself, y''know?" Sam shrugs, looking away. "Point is, you were awesome. You handled it a lot better than I did... which, uh... we probably need to talk about, don''t we...?" The runaway Princess sighs before turning to me with exaggerated puppy-dog eyes. She doesn''t want to have this discussion, but she knows we need to.


    I nod my head and sip from my coffee to give her a moment to reflect. Eventually, I ask, "Do you get like that often?"


    "...Nah, not a lot. I get mad every now and then but never like... thatTHAT mad." Slumping over the table and brushing some hair out of her face, Sam does all that she can to avoid my gaze.


    "But it has happened before, you''re saying."


    "Yeah," A twitch of her eyes. A pang of sadness and regret. "Once or twice, maybe. I dunno."


    "Were you actually going to attack him, Sam?"


    "N-No!" Sam jolts up at the suggestion, slamming her fist into the table. Thankfully, her strength is reigned in, and she manages to avoid inflicting any property damage for once. Will wonders never cease? "I mean... I don''t think so? Look, I just couldn''t stand who he was treating you! Everything got fuzzy the more he spoke, and I wanted to hurt him for all the stupid shit coming out of his mouth. Even now, I... agh..."


    For the first time since I''ve met her, Sam has an aura of vulnerability around her. She''s always strong, confident, and in charge of herself, so seeing her like this is a good reminder that there''s a significant age gap between us. I''m not a good role model by any stretch, but if I can help Sam to better herself in any way, I won''t hesitate to be there for her when she gets like this. Knowing her extensive daddy issues, she''ll probably even lean into it when I need to help her.


    "Sam," I reach across the table, putting my hand on hers as I look her in the eyes. "I''m not mad at you. Whatever happened back there isn''t going to stop the way I feel about you."


    She raises her head, frowning, but forces herself to make eye contact. "You promise?"


    "Yes, I promise. This is just something we''ll have to work through together. As a team."


    The troubled girl considers this in silence until a little smile appears on her face. She nods and corrects her posture, having herself another drink of coffee. "Thanks, Boss. I mean it, though... I''m... I''m not the kind of person who''d just attack someone like that. I mean it. If Abner wasn''t talking shit to you, then... I wouldn''t have thought about attacking him. It was an impulse, or maybe a reflex. Is there a difference between those?"


    "An impulse is something you feel but don''t immediately act on. A reflex is an action you perform unconsciously, often to protect yourself or others."


    "Then it was an impulse," She holds her cheek up by her fist, sighing. "But I was pretty close to it being a reflex..."


    "I''m not going to talk down to you and explain why it would''ve been a terrible thing to attack an old man with your sword, Sam. I just want to make this clear; I don''t need a teenage girl to fight all my battles. Especially if your solution is this direct."


    Her fear rises, and it shows on her face. "You don''t get it. I haven''t felt like this in ages! It''s... Gods, it''s only ¡®cause it was you he was treating like crap! We got, like, some kinda weird bond between us now and... ugh. We''re going in circles, aren''t we?"


    "Circles areis fine, as long as we''re going somewhere."


    She smirks and looks down into her coffee. "Heh, I like that..." After a while, she gives me a look of disappointment. "You sure you''re not gonna tell me to behave myself... or that I need to act my age... or all that other adult crap?"


    "Given the fact that you''re a runaway, something tells me you received plenty of that sort of attention already. You don''t need it from me."


    "...Thanks," A mysterious blush colors Sam''s face, her eyes suddenly avoiding my own. "I... don''t think anyone has ever treated me like this before, y''know?"


    "What, like an adult?"


    "Naw," She shakes her head. "Like my own person. It''s kinda nice having someone willing to let me fuck up and not hold me to these stupidly high standards of, you know?"


    "Not to ruin the moment, but I think asking you not to attack old men with your giant sword is far from a stupidly high standard."


    Sam is taken aback by the comment and then laughs. Her emerald eyes flit away, nervous. "Yeah, totally. Not gonna happen again."


    "And if it does?"


    "Well, uh... then you''ll just have to help me again. Simple enough, right?"


    "Hm," I cup my chin in my hand, then lower my glasses with the other. I jokingly look her up and down, purposefully lingering on her exposed cleavage. "I suppose. You''re lucky you''re cute."


    "Fuck off, Boss." She giggles, warmth returning to her smile.


    It''s far from perfect, but we reached an understanding. Sometimes, Sam gets angry. Downright furious, evenReally angry. I feel like there''s something I''m forgetting here when it comes to her family that might explain this. It¡¯s just that my brain¡¯s been thrown for a loop from everything that¡¯s happened these past few days. What matters is that I can''t magically make her anger problem any better, but I can at least provide support for her when she needs it.


    As previously mentioned, I''m an expert at reading body language, especially with people like Sam, who are is honest to a fault and can''t lie to save their ass. Sam was sincere about every word. When she said this rarely happens, I believed her. When she promised me that she only felt this angry because I was verbally abused. She isn''t the kind of person who would just attack someone over nothing.


    Clearly, something else is at work here.


    As much as I''d feel awkward about it, I almost want to bring the young adventurer to Miss Hart and see if she knows anything that might help. She''s not a mental health doctor by any means, but it couldn''t hurt. Of course, that would require a great deal of explaining on my part as to who this girl is, and I''m frankly terrified of how Opalina would react if I just showed up again after so long.


    Soon. I can''t avoid her forever, but not today.


    For now, I think Sam would jump atdo good with an excuse to take out her stress on the field. "We shouldn''t stew over this little setback all day. Feel like getting some work done? There are plenty of monsters around just waiting for a bronze-ranked adventurer such as yourself to mow them down with a sword."


    It takes her a minute, but the rough and tumble Princess stands up, cracks her knuckles, and finishes her coffee in one gulp. With a big old grin on her face, she says, "Whatcha got in mind for me, Boss?" and -- without a thought -- slams the coffee cup down onto the table for dramatic emphasis, promptly smashing breaking the ceramic mug with her absurd strength by complete accident.

 I Believe My Semen May Be Enchanted

    Once Sam cleans up all the pieces of the mug and thinks about what she did, I sprawl out a bunch of different low-level monster quests on the table so I can see all of our options at once. Dewhurst was a famous Guild for many reasons, but the sheer variety of monsters in the immediate area made it suitable for new adventurers especially.


    To the east, we have verdant and grassy plains. To the north, farmlands, followed by the Bellepar Timberlands and the mountains of Bragos. West is a sparse, rocky region, and to the south, we have access to the fabled Gnarled Woods of Arrark.


    On top of all these other great locations is easy access to the Labyrinthe of Light dungeon found only a few days northeast of here, a convenient place supposedly created by the Goddess of Light, Lux Ultima. The floors are constantly shifting, and heroes can find tons of randomized loot, provided they make it through the perilous monsters and traps. Yes, Arrark, and Dewhurst as a whole, has always been an astounding environment to nurture any up-and-coming adventurers.


    Unfortunately, we can''t make good use of all these locations. Not yet, anyway.


    The only thing Sam is qualified for right now is a handful of kill quests and some generic fetch quests. The Association pays gold for adventurers to go out into the wilderness to gather herbs and other alchemical ingredients. Then, Guild alchemists process the ingredients and sell the potions they create straight back to the adventurers. It''s just as manipulative as it sounds, and the prices are exorbitant- even if you sign up for their monthly potion subscription service.


    At the very least these gathering quests make it so even the weakest bronze-ranked adventurers have plenty of options for safe work. Another good bonus is that I could accompany Sam during them without much fear of danger. We need the money to improve the Guild, and it''s not like the Association would know I''m leaving my post to gather herbs.


    Not as long as I file my reports the right way.


    Sam looks over the quests on the table for herself, "I don''t care what we do Boss, as long as you''re making money off these, I''m up for anything." Or so she says, but judging by the eager way she studies the kill quests on the table I can tell she isn''t being completely honest. She''d much prefer if she got to go out and kill some monsters.


    "I don''t need any of the gold Boss, the Guild needs it more than me... but I''m sure we can work out my rewards later." The way she says the word ''rewards'' makes me uncomfortably certain she isn''t just talking about room and board either, the cheeky brat.


    Teasing aside, I''m not sure how I''m going to report this to the Association yet. ''Yeah, don''t worry about it, bro'' isn''t something that the AoA will take as an excuse for why I''m not making deposits into Sam''s Guild bank account.


    If I don¡¯t pay her, they¡¯ll see it in my documentation, so I suppose I''ll just store her payments in her official Association bank account. If I actually need to use any of Sam¡¯s gold, I''ll document it as her withdrawing the funds herself.


    Even if I don''t have to follow all of the AoA''s policies, documentation is the one thing I can''t screw up on.


    If there''s a significant reason for the higher-ups to doubt my reports, this could lead to a formal review. If that happened, they could send someone to check out the Guild, and to my understanding, they might find legal ground to repossess my home if things aren''t up to their standards. For whatever reason, this has never happened before. Probably because they don''t care about this location now that they have Perlshaw, I''d wager. Still, they could drop by tomorrow, and I could lose anything, and there''d be nothing I could do about it.


    A scary thought- especially now that my life is finally starting to change for the better.


    There''s no use worrying about things out of my control, though. As long as I''m careful in my documentation, then things should carry on like usual... at least until I start making enough gold that it attracts the Association''s interest.


    I have more pressing matters to be concerned about. Namely, Sam''s friend.


    Sam is absolutely sure that this new adventurer of hers will be on her way here within a few days. Usually, traveling from Imperalis all the way to Dewhurst would take a month or more... but given how this ''Zutiria Syndaline'' of hers is supposedly a powerful Mage, she could show up as early as tomorrow if she uses the warp stone network.


    Each major city in the Realm of Karnalle has a large warp stone that Mages- and only Mages- can use to travel long distances. It only works when traveling to other warp stones, and you can only bring a small amount of inanimate luggage with you when you go. The few types of teleportation magic that exist are convoluted as all hell, and most fly over my head. All I know is that typically, teleportation is impossible for living beings- with a big asterisk.


    If I¡¯m honest, most of the specifics of how magic works is beyond me. I''ve read more than a few books on different schools of magic to familiarize myself with the different types of adventurers I might one day manage, and in the past, Miss Hart has even tried to teach me how to perform some myself. We discovered quickly that I don''t have the aptitude for it, to put it lightly.


    I''m sad to say that my only strengths seem to be documentation, paperwork, and sex. Guess I''ll just have to learn to deal...


    For whatever reason, Sam is evasive whenever I ask her about Zutiria. She''s insistent that I''ll love her and that''s she''s ''totally super cute'', but my mind is racing from the idea of someone else around here. I indeed need more adventurers, but I haven''t even adjusted to my new life with Sam, and now she''s gone and invited someone else into our strange dynamic. I hope she''ll be older and a bit more mature than Sam. Gods know I adore the girl, but I don''t know if I could handle another one around the same age as Her Highness.


    Then, I''m worried about the declaration I made to build myself a harem Guild...


    I meant all that I said. I really do desire to have a harem. What Karnallian male doesn''t? I just thought I''d have more time to gather my confidence and grow more comfortable with the idea. In Sam''s own words, she believes that the Mage would be ''down to clown'', which I don''t even know how to process.


    As exciting as the idea of coupling with a second girl so soon after my first is, I decide to not get my hopes up. It would be terribly sleazy to expect this random stranger to sleep with me just because Sam thinks it''s a sure thing. I''ll look at it this way- if things turn out well, lovely. Second girlfriend; acquired. If not, second adventurer; acquired. Either way is a win for both me and the Guild as a whole.


    Speaking of the Guild, I think it''s time to actually get started for the day. I''ve been dreading about the Association and asking Sam about Zutiria long enough.


    At my suggestion, Sam will spend another day hunting down more Slimes so we can further work on her basics. She''s not bummed about it in the slightest, understanding it''d be good to have more time to work on her fundamentals before moving on to something slightly more complicated. Especially since it''s been three days since she practiced.


    I know I''m partially to blame for that, but I think pussy is all the excuse I need.


    Sam heads out the ruined front door to do some stretches, warming herself up for the adventure ahead. As for me, I go to pack up and prepare enough supplies to keep Sam hydrated and fed for the day. Even if she''s not wearing a bulky set of armor, and even if the weather is pleasant, she''ll still be sweating like crazy from all the training I''ll be putting her through during the Slime hunts. We were only out for an hour last time, but today we''ll be out and about for a lot longer.


    Together, Sam and I hurry through the city, proudly holding hands. We had to get out of the way for a sizable merchant caravan coming in from Cransmere, but we make good time, and we''re out on the eastern grassy plains before you know it.


    Excitement pumps through my veins. Today should be nothing but smooth sailing, I think to myself. My ever-present inner pessimist disagrees. That nagging part of my brain makes sure to remind me that if I''ve learned anything by now, it''s that nothing ever goes according to plan. Not as far as my luck is concerned, anyway.


    Shaking off the negativity, Sam and I find the first Slime of the day almost right off the bat.


    With an excited grin, Sam readies herself for battle. She doesn''t rush in like she might''ve done before, but instead, she assumes the correct stance I taught her and eyes her opponent up. Seeing the girl take my advice to heart is almost enough to bring a tear to my eye. Sam isn''t fully confident in herself, though, and she keeps looking to me for guidance.


    The young warrior leads with her dominant foot, taking small steps towards the unaware foe until at last the Slime takes notice of her and registers her as a threat.


    The Slime leaps towards Sam, utterly unaware that all it''s doing is accelerating its own doom.


    Sam gathers her power by raising her blade overhead before shouting and slashing down with a powerful attack. It''s a lovely swing. Balanced almost perfectly and without hesitation. By all accounts, it''ll cut up a Slime clean as can be.


    But when it makes contact, that''s when the strike takes both Sam and me for a wild ride neither of us could have seen coming.


    Rather than slicing the Slime clean, the Great Blader''s sword just about evaporates the entire monster into a thin mist from air pressure alone. Sam''s face becomes shocked at the sudden increase of both velocity and power. Before she can even react, the sword finishes its downward trajectory by smashing into the ground below with the force of a miniature earthquake.


    It crashes into the earth, rending it solely from the tremendous impact of her sword alone. Grass, dirt, and everything else unfortunate to be within a couple feet of the blow is sent hurtling up into the air thanks to this massive strike. As the thick cloud of dust settles into the surrounding area, the Slime core materializes nearby, throbbing uselessly as it searches for fluid.


    The liquid was splattered too far apart for it to regenerate and in only a few minutes, it will oxidize and die.


    Another battle ended, this time even easier than anticipated.


    Sam stares at her weapon in awe and then turns to me. Sorry, Sam. Like hell, if I have any clue about what this is all about.


    "What... the... fuck?!" In a confused frenzy, the warrior starts swinging her sword around carelessly. She''s trying to see if someone tampered with her weapon, by the looks of it. "I knew it felt a little lighter today, but no, seriously, dude... what the hell is this?! Is this how much of a difference having the correct stance makes?"


    "Sam, don''t be stupid. Changing your posture is not enough to suddenly grant you the strength required to tear the Gods-damned earth asunder."


    "Well, do ya gotta better answer? Cause this crap just doesn''t happen overnight, y''know!" She barks, conflicted emotions showing on her face. On the one hand, Sam is concerned and confused. On the other, she can''t believe what she just did, and it makes her feel like a total badass. Granted, she most certainly is a badass if she can keep this up.


    "I don''t know what it could be... you haven''t trained in three days." I really rack my brain over the coals, trying to think of what the hell could explain Sam''s sudden power surge. Despite never wielding a sword, Sam was born with a great deal of innate strength, most likely due to her Royal bloodline.


    The Kings and Queens of Karnalle have always been known for their strength, among other things, so I didn''t bat an eye at her power until now. Besides, I''m a Guild Master. I''ve seen stranger things than a teenager who can carry around a giant hunk of iron like it were a walk in the park.


    I start mentally retracing everything the two of us have done until now in the hopes of catching anything out of the ordinary that could possibly explain this current predicament. The answer should be obvious when I consider everything that''s happened until now, and Sam inadvertently points it out herself.


    "The only thing we''ve been doing for the last three days is having sex, right? I don''t understand..." The Princess lodges her sword into the earth, grabbing her twintails and pulling them in frustration.


    My palms clasp the sides of my throbbing temples, and I let out a deep, deep sigh. For a moment, I close my eyes and rub my eyelids, thinking about how I can''t handle this. Still, I know it''s the correct answer. No matter how absurd and worrying it may sound, there''s nothing else it could be.


    "...Boss?" Sam catches my abrupt change in mood. "Did you, uh... did ya figure it out?"


    "Let''s just say that I have an idea."


    "Shoot."


    "Promise me that you won''t think I''m crazy?" I know it won''t do any good, but some reassurance would at least make me feel better about saying it out loud.


    "...Um. Kay?"


    I take in a deep breath of cool air, hold it down for several seconds, and exhale. "I believe there is a significant chance that the source of your increased strength... may be due to having sex with me. Specifically, from having my semen inside of you."


    Silence.


    A calm wind blows across the warm, grassy meadow. The shimmering sun shines, letting down its heavenly rays onto the Realm without so much as a single cloud to block its light. Birds sing their lovely songs, chirp, chirp, chirping away in the distance. It''s a nice day- a beautiful one. A perfect day for realizing that I have balls full to the brim with magic jizz.


    Sam takes a step forward, and without a word, she reaches up with her arms and wraps them around my neck, pulling me into her cleavage. She strokes the back of my head like the gentlest of heavenly angels, and in a calming voice, says, "It''s ok, Boss. We''ve both had a pretty tough day. I spooked you back in town with the Mayor, and we had a pretty serious talk back there at the Guild. If you aren''t feelin'' it, that''s totally cool. Let''s just go home, get you some rest, and we''ll try this shiz again tomorrow. No big deal."


    From the lovely valley of her barely armored breasts, I look up at Sam and say, "I¡¯m dead serious. I think my cum makes you stronger."


    The Princess loses a bit of her motherly charm, her face becoming skeptical instead of concerned. "Boss, you¡¯re stupid. Is anyone home up there? C''mon," She playfully starts knocking on my skull with her gloved fist. "You''re supposed to be the smart one!"


    "And what if I were to tell you that I have personally witnessed your pussy glowing pink shortly after cumming inside of you?"


    "Are you shitting me?" She squints and furrows her brow.


    "If only," Sighing, I clench my eyes shut from stress.


    "Well why the FUCK didn''t you tell me about this sooner?!" She grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me, her cheeks crimson and her eyes confused.


    She''s understandably rattled, and the reasons I put off telling her are less than noble. I''ve been intentionally pushing this fact out of my mind during the last three days of lovemaking. I didn''t want to deal with it, and I still don''t, really. But I can''t avoid the bizarre situation any longer. Not when it''s the only rational- and I use the term rational extremely loosely- explanation for the exponential growth in Sam''s strength.


    Tension gets the better of me, and I push her off of my shoulders, barking, "Because I wanted to keep having sex with you, obviously! If I pulled out and said, ''Hey, Princess, can''t help but notice that your cunt puts on a magical light show every time I give you a creampie,'' then you would probably want to stop until we figured it out, and I didn''t want to stop, damn it!"


    Sam tilts her head as she stares back into my eyes. "You... didn''t wanna stop?"


    "Of course not, you''re beyond beautiful, and whenever we make love, it feels like everything is right in the Realm. Why else do you think I got swept up for so long?" I answer the Princess purely on impulse, but it comes out a lot more romantic-sounding than I intended.


    Rather than minding the emotional tone, Sam seems to enjoy it.


    "I mean... I thought it was just because you''re a total perv and that I was a bad influence on you, but.. that''s, uh... that''s really sweet of you..." Sam steps backward, twiddling her twin-tail and puffing out her pouty lips.


    "Aaaanyway... this is more than a little fuckin'' weird, and I think we need to go back to the Guild and have a nice, long talk about this... Daddy." She tacks that magic word on there, sounding half threatening and half dripping with sultry implications.


    Nodding my head and sighing for what feels like the fiftieth time in the last three minutes, I agree to Sam''s wishes, and we start back on the way we came.


    Making money for the Guild will regrettably have to wait. Zutiria Syndaline will be here sometime during the next few days, but until then, the Princess and I are going to have a lot on our hands. We need to do a lot of testing, and as strange and uncomfortable as this situation is, I take solace in the fact that I''m about to get laid very, very often in the name of science.

 Yeah, I Definitely Have Magic Cum

    Here we are again. With a grand total of one Slime killed, Sam and I are already back in the bedroom after a hard day''s work. We''re eager with lust, as we always are, but things are different this time. We both know we can''t just jump into it without a care in the world. The situation at hand needs to be discussed in detail, and we need to develop a way to test things out and determine if what I believe to be true actually is- that my semen is somehow making Sam stronger.


    We haven''t actually decided if we''re going to have fun right now or not, I''m leaning towards no, myself, but Sam makes herself comfortable. She strips out of her ''armor'', then slaps on a pair of my boxers and one of my t-shirts. I told her we might still go back out and do quests today, but she''s stubborn and wants to chill while we talk.


    Right now, the girl is sitting on the edge of the bed, fumbling with her hair ties before letting her flowing mane breathe.


    Sam looks me in the eyes and then huffs out a sigh. "I''m gonna ask ya one more time, Boss. It''s not that I don''t believe you, it''s just... so, so, soooo stupid that I have to make sure. You''re... not just fucking with me, right?"


    "If I could make up shit like this, I''d be some sort of best-selling erotica author by now, Sam. No. What little data I have suggests that this is the only conclusion." I join her on the bed, stripping myself of my vest and pulling off my glasses to look at her face to face. I''m still getting used to being able to take them off around her. Almost feels like I''m naked, in a sense.


    It''s just unbelievable that I''m sitting here trying to actually figure out if I have magic semen or not.


    On the off chance that my semen isn''t the reason, then we''ll be back at square one and have no clue why Sam received such an extreme power-up. But if it is the source of her power, that just raises even further questions. Is this related to the sudden size change I went through after meeting Sam? And what about that voice compelling me to cum inside of her, as if it wanted this to happen? Does this power-up only work on Sam? If things end up happening with Zutiria, will she also become more powerful?


    There are just too many possibilities that I don''t even know where to start.


    Part of me feels like I should have taken my grandfather more seriously. He tried to tell me I was destined for some unbelievable destiny where I would do battle with the forces of darkness and defeat the Demon Lord as the official Hero of Light, but... unless I''m supposed to breed the strongest and most fertile women in the Realm, I don''t see how having a magic cock and balls are going to help fight the good fight.


    Gods, this is stupid.


    It''s not like I suddenly believe I have a grand, heroic fate in store, but I don''t have any other rational reason for why all these things are happening to me. If this sexual awakening is supposed to be my grandiose call to action, though, I only have one question. Why in the hell did it wait till I was thirty-fucking-two?


    I need to stop thinking about my grandfather, and especially that Demon Lord nonsense...


    I guess we''ll just dive into things.


    "This morning, you drank some of my semen after the handjob. Before that, we had sex last night... probably... six or seven hours prior. Does that sound right to you?"


    "Well... yeah, I guess so..." Sam blushes, thinking about the romp we shared the night before, back when things were simpler, and there were no psychotic freakouts or magic sperm discussions.


    Good times.


    As she twiddles with her hair, Sam questions, "Why do you ask?"


    "Just follow me here for a moment..." I organize my scattered thoughts as best I can, trying to parse out the best way to navigate this topic. "Have you felt any different at all ever since we first started having sex?"


    The Princess predictably blushes. "What kinda stupid question is that?" She asks, blowing a small raspberry.


    "One that I would like you to answer."


    Sam frowns and looks to the side. "Well... I''m a lot happier than I used to be, I guess..."


    "Is that because of the sex, or just because you''re happy to be away from your parents?"


    "Well, the sex doesn''t hurt," She giggles, giving me an impish look of devilish delight.


    Seeing her on my bed wearing so little brings out a bit of my playfulness, and I tease, "Not unless you want it to."


    "Tempting, but you were the one who said we gotta focus!"


    "Gods, you''re right..." I sigh, somewhat ashamed of myself. "Sex is like a flood gate. Now that it''s open, I can''t stop..."


    My partner groans, "Tell me about it..."


    We share a brief laugh, and Sam gets to thinking. "Y''know, I guess I''ve also been eating a bit less. I usually gotta pretty healthy appetite, if you couldn''t tell." The Princess mischievously bends over, rears back her hand, and then gives herself a spank on her meaty behind.


    Ah yes, that''s right...


    I recall seeing Sam not finishing all of the food I made for her over the last couple of days. At the time, I chalked it up to her wanting to get straight back to the debauchery, but if there''s a connection between her lack of an appetite and having sex with me, that just makes things even harder to understand.


    Guess we really have no other choice, then. I knew we''d have to do this, and I''m sure Sam did as well, but neither of us is happy about it.


    "You know what we have to do, right?"


    With a severe expression on her cute face, she nods. "I think so, but I really, really don''t wanna..."


    "Sam, there''s no other choice. For the first round of testing, we need to go a full day without having sex."


    The spoiled brat flops backward onto the bed, groans, and starts kicking her feet into the air like a child throwing a tantrum. "This suuuucks-!" Sam whines.


    Having already expected the less-than-stellar enthusiasm, I retort with a follow-up addendum. "Now, now. There are still plenty of options for us to have fun tonight. We just have to make sure you don''t swallow or that I don''t give you a creampie."


    "But those are the best parts!" In her anger, Sam slams her fists into the bed. Her strength sends a concerning impact throughout the rickety building. My heart races from fear that the floor is about to crumble beneath us, but to my relief, it doesn¡¯t happen.


    "Er... sorry. Gotta be careful about that..."


    "Yes," Sighing, I reach over to stroke my fingers through Sam''s scalp, her soft, tousled locks flowing between my fingers. "Yes, you do."


    Puffing out her pouty lips, the girl looks away from me and grumbles. "I was really looking forward to screwing around tonight, after how shitty this morning went..."


    "It''s not like I want to go a day without filling you up with my load, you know. I''ve got plenty of frustration stored up that I was looking to take out on your body long into the night."


    Over her shoulder, Sam raises an eyebrow at me with great sarcasm. "Damn, you''re good at this romance crap, Boss. Girls''ll cream themselves if you say shit like that to ''em, mark my words."


    "I''ll be sure to try it out, then." I roll my eyes, letting the Princess have herself a cute little laugh.


    "Do you think twenty-four hours will be long enough for your semen to fully leave my system or whatever?"


    "Good question. Honestly, I don''t know. But it feels like the right amount of time for a reasonable test period, don''t you think?"


    "I mean, reasonable ain¡¯t exactly the word I would go with, but... I guess so..." She shrugs, still not thrilled about the lack of semen in her future. "You know, we could also wait a couple of days until Zuzu gets here. I already told ya she''s an awesome Mage and all that, and she''s really into alchemy, too. I bet she could do like... alchemy stuff on your jizz and find out if something''s really up with it."


    "Alchemy stuff?" This should be fun.


    "Yeah, you know!" Sam raises her hands, making many different back-to-back gestures meant to mimic what she thinks alchemists do. "Put it in a bottle, and like... shake it like this, give it a twirl with the stick, add stuff to it... then they mix it around and then take notes or something...?"


    I give her a bemused stare.


    She''s not having it and groans. "Do I look like an alchemist to you, dude? I don''t know what the heck they do or how they do it!"


    I laugh at just how flustered she gets, causing Sam to get even more riled up. She crosses her arms and sits up. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up."


    "I''m only teasing. You have a point, though-"


    She immediately cuts me off like an excited puppy. "So we can have lots of creampie sex still, right? Right?!"


    "But I still believe we should at least do the bare minimum of testing without her."


    "UGH," Sam falls just as quickly as she rose, plopping down on the mattress for the second time. "But I''m telling you, Zuzu is awesome! She could figure this out in no time at all!"


    Hearing her bring this up again makes me ask out of curiosity. "You really love this ''Zuzu'', don''t you?"


    Sam blushes at the accusation, looking up to me with confusion. "Whazzat?"


    "Nothing, nothing. It''s just that every time you talk about Zutiria, your eyes get all sparkly, almost as if you''re proud of the fact that you know her. It makes me excited to meet the girl for myself. Someone who you, of all people, hold in such high esteem surely has to be somebody special."


    Her gaze shifts to look down at her feet, and her hands start playing with her hair like they always do when she''s being bashful. "Why... damn it, why do you always gotta say such embarrassing crap, Boss?"


    "Am I wrong?"


    "No, you''re like... never wrong," She scoffs. "And that''s why you can be so damned annoying sometimes."


    Sam looks like she has more to say, so I give her a moment of silence to collect her thoughts. The Princess in men''s boxers eventually lifts her head to look me in the eyes, and with an emotional inflection apparent in her voice, she says, "Zuzu is special to me. You can probably guess from the whole daddy issues thing and the running away from home thing that... I, uh... I didn''t have the best home life." She pauses as if waiting for me to make a sarcastic quip. The temptation is there, but I remain silent and let her speak.


    "There''s a lot of different things I could say about it. Shitty dad, strict mom, lots of siblings all over the place, including one really... really annoying one... and on top of all that, I had to do all sorts of junk I never wanted to do."


    "Like?"


    "Oh, Gods. I dunno... calligraphy... table manners... etiquette... fucking bridal training, of all things. Bridal training!" She snorts, throwing her head back. "Can you believe that shit? Look at me and tell me how well you think I could pull off being a blushing bride wearing a frilly white dress!"


    I smirk, and Sam realizes her folly. "G-Gods damn you... on second thought, don''t. You''ll just make this weird again...!"


    Deciding to cut her a break and not capitalize on that prime teasing opportunity, I say, "Sounds like you had quite a life back in Imperalis. What was it you said your parents did for a living?"


    "...Wealthy merchants," Sam coughs. "I come from a long line of merchants who sell the things that merchants sell."


    "Of course,"


    "All I ever wanted to do was run around and have adventures. Kick some ass. Play with swords, you know?"


    "It''s a shame they never let you. You''d be so strong right now if you were trained properly from a young age."


    Sam is quiet as her gaze lingers on me. Hearing someone say that to her brings touches the Princess considerably. "...You really think so?" She asks, sounding almost like she can''t believe it.


    "Yes. I¡¯ll admit. When you came back the other day without having killed a Slime, I was frustrated. That all changed when I took you out myself and saw firsthand just how much you wanted to learn. I found out that being an adventurer isn¡¯t a game to you. It made me look at you in an entirely new light, and I felt shame over having written you off so quickly. You¡¯ve really got something, Sam. I think it''s an unspeakable shame you weren¡¯t given the attention you needed to flourish until now."


    Sam sits there in silence for a moment, and then what I said actually hits her.


    Cheeks blazing red and eyes open wide, the descendant of merchants who sell merchant things reflexively sits up and pushes me down with her palms, stuttering, "W-What the hell did I JUST say about you saying embarrassing crap!? Gods, you''re the worst! The WORST!"


    On the way down, I catch Sam turning away with the most scrunched-up, repressed smile I''ve ever seen. She''s over the moon to be complimented on her abilities. It really speaks volumes on how much it means for Sam to have someone who believes in her.


    I fall back on the bed, laughing, closing my eyes to avoid pain as she leaves my line of sight. "And you''re the best, Sam. The best. Never change."


    "Yeah, sure... whatever..." She mumbles, a squeak of happiness managing to escape between her defiant noises.


    I let her take all the time she needs to come down from her adorable little high and file away for later the fact that Sam loves being praised.


    Once she gets over it, she continues on. "Anyway... before you interrupted me like a total jerk, I was trying to say how Zuzu is the only person back home who''s always been there for me. She always did her own thing and never bought into all that crap about how I should act. She didn''t ever treat me differently or ask me to be someone I''m not... nah. Whenever I was with Zuzu, she just let me be... me."


    "This sounds a bit like what you were saying earlier today,"


    "Yeah. When I say I''m sure Zuzu''ll like you, it''s because of that. You two are a lot alike.¡±


    ¡°What, just because we both see you for who you really are?¡±


    ¡°More than that. You two are both smart, a little weird, sarcastic, and you even both wear glasses.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, sounds like you might have found my long-lost sister.¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up,¡± She laughs, feeling the urge to punch my arm in the side. It stings, but not in a bad way.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than just superficial crap like that, I promise. You both ¡®feel¡¯ similar, get it? Like, even though we just met, I feel I can rely on you the same way I''ve always relied on Zuzu... or something... gah- I''m sick of talking about all this emotional crap." Sam groans, reaching behind her head to frazzle her hair.


    "I think I get the picture.¡± She¡¯s clearly at her limits with all the touchy-feely stuff, so I offer her an easy out. ¡°If you''d like, we can go back to discussing the topic of temporary abstinence and magic semen."


    "Please," She snorts. "Do you got a plan for any of this testing crap beyond no creampies or swallowing for a day?"


    "Sort of. Let me explain," Sam follows along as I detail my thoughts.


    Tomorrow, we''ll test out her strength again in the training yard first thing in the morning. Two distinct outcomes are possible.


    The first scenario is that Sam can successfully replicate the massive attack she pulled off earlier today. This would prove that Sam¡¯s new strength is permanent and potentially unrelated to my semen.


    On the contrary, If Sam cannot replicate the attack, we''ll potentially know it was my semen that powered her up and that she needs continual ¡®doses¡¯ to maintain this bonus strength.


    In the case of the latter scenario, we''ll have sex a single time right after the test, where I¡¯ll give her a single creampie. We¡¯ll also have a little mirror handy to show Sam what I mean as far as the whole glowing vagina thing goes.


    Once the semen is inside her body, we''ll wait a bit and test her strength again. If Sam suddenly has access to the reserves of power that she drew from today, then that will be enough to prove my semen is the cause of her surge.


    But from there, we have two different variables to test out further.


    We¡¯ll need to verify if there''s any difference in the power granted depending on where the ¡®intake¡¯ is or if it even works non-vaginally at all. To figure this out, we''ll go another twenty-four hours without internal ejaculation, and then on the following day, Sam will perform oral sex on me and swallow the resulting load.


    Depending on whether Zutiria is here by then or not, we may or may not have enough time to test things out with anal sex, too. I still can''t believe that a sweeping, logical plan like this is even necessary to determine such an absurd thing, but I''m proud of how I''ve structured our experiments.


    After a little bit more grumbling, I manage to convince Sam to put back on her bikini armor. She got ahead of herself, assuming we would have sex, so now she''ll pay the price. Admittedly, I''m going to miss the ''boyfriend''s clothes'' aesthetic, but I''m sure it''s not the last I''ll see of it on her.


    We had ourselves a nice detour back home to discuss this bizarre circumstance in comfort and away from the threat of monsters, but now it''s time to head back out and finally get some real adventuring stuff done. The second time¡¯s the charm.

 The Strong Eat the Weak

    Now that we''re back on the grassy plains and searching for more Slimes, things proceed smoothly. We run into plenty of them in no time at all, and Sam gets straight to work. She''s waited long enough to cut loose today, and she really needs to blow off some steam. As for me, I''m here to make sure she doesn''t get carried away and to continue giving advice.


    Aside from just general signs of Sam getting sloppy, the main thing I¡¯m on the lookout for is any sign of overconfidence.


    Sam''s sudden power growth does not suddenly make her a master of the blade, which is essential for her to remember. I can easily see the girl getting a big head just because she''s become stronger, and that''s the last thing I want to happen, especially for a natural show-off like Sam.


    Unfortunately, my fears are well-founded. There are a few times I catch her acting a little full of herself.


    Slimes typically can''t pose a threat in a one-on-one scenario, but underestimating any foe is an unhealthy habit to pick up. Whenever Sam gets cocky, her guard lowers, and her movements become just a bit more unfocused. As a result, she almost takes a few hits here and there from a few lucky Slimes. Each time it happens, the rookie adventurer feels ashamed that she screwed up.


    I don''t let her dwell on it for long, but I also don''t let her forget about her mistakes, either. No matter how harsh the criticism, Sam never takes it to heart, and she slips up less and less over the course of two hours. Despite the rocky start, she''s killed eighteen total Slimes.


    Sam is all sorts of sweaty and exhausted, but she doesn''t want to stop questing. Not after how many distractions we had today. I admire Sam''s spirit, but I make sure to remind her that pushing past her limits will only make her body turn against her in the long run. We don''t have any stamina potions on hand, so we must let her adjust to this new lifestyle the hard way.


    Sam begrudgingly accepts the advice but insists she''s still in fighting form. After giving her a thorough check-up with my eyes, I conclude that she''s not lying just so I''ll let her keep adventuring.


    Before moving on to round two, though, I make sure Sam takes a light break long enough for us to share a late lunch together from the supplies I packed. It''s nothing fancy. Just some dried fruit, uncured sausage, a small chunk of cheese, and the staple food for any adventurer- hardtack.


    Delicious.


    We don''t have the money for better provisions, but Sam''s not complaining. Because I''m still curious about the entire situation, I ask a bit more about how the decreased hunger is affecting her. Sam tells me it''s not like she''s ''full'' per se, but she just has a better understanding of when she''s had enough and that nothing is stopping her from eating more if she wants to. I''m somewhat relieved to hear that. I''d feel bad if we find out my semen is causing this, and it stops her from thoroughly enjoying a good meal.


    Still, what a convenient power for adventuring... especially for budgetary reasons.


    Since Sam is coming along a bit faster than I expected, I decide on surprising her with a little something I tucked into my pocket- a second target. In case I started feeling like she wasn''t getting anything from fighting Slimes anymore, I brought along one of the quest fliers for another monster I''d consider to be on Sam''s level- Living Fungi.


    These things are essentially little grubby mushroom people standing no taller than three feet. Culling them is necessary, as they seek out living beings and lull them to sleep with spores launched from their caps. Once their prey has been neutralized, a Living Fungi will bury them alive and begin feeding on them in the traditional mushroom way.


    Yeah, it''s not pretty.


    Luckily, they''re not all that strong if you can get past their one means of defense- their spores. At 700G per kill, Living Fungi are only slightly more enticing than the 600G Slimes, but variety in the enemy types she faces will only help Sam develop her skills even further.


    When I ask if she''s interested, her answer is as obvious as I expected it would be. Sam is hyped that I think she''s ready for something a bit tougher. Once we''re all done with lunch, we start moving southwest towards the mouth of the Gnarled Woods. We won''t actually be going in. That¡¯d be suicide for a lone adventurer of her level- not to mention a defenseless bystander such as myself.


    Only evil lies in those woods, and I don''t use that word lightly.


    When I was six or so, I got into an argument with my grandfather. Nothing too out of the ordinary there... but that time, I ended up running away into the Gnarled Woods. My underdeveloped, childish, idiot brain thought it would teach him a lesson or something if I ran away from home, but the only one who learned a lesson that day was me.


    That forest was the scariest thing I''d ever experienced. A thick shroud of mist extends as far as the eye can see. You feel eyes staring at you from every which way. You hear noises coming from over your shoulder that can''t be explained. The trees seem to follow you around, just looking for a chance to come to life and grab you... and that''s not even getting into the fact that those woods used to be home to the Demon Lord, Thalrad, and that his influence can still be felt to this day.


    Grandfather sent Niall, an adventurer of his that I was close to, to rescue me. My britches were already thoroughly soaked by the time he did. Worst of all, neither of those assholes ever let me hear the end of it... at least Miss Hart was there to comfort me.


    Now that I''m older, I understand that the Gnarled Woods is a place just like any other, and even as dark and thick with evil magic as those woods are, they can be tamed... just not today.


    Luckily, Living Fungi can be found at the mouth of the woods, and we won''t actually have to go in.


    We find one chasing a fox around uselessly, and as we observe it, the monster ends up giving Sam an excellent demonstration of its powers. The Living Fungi lowers its red and white-spotted cap, wiggles it, and a liberal dosage of its spores sprinkle away toward the unsuspecting vulpine. Not knowing any better, the fox breaths them in instead of dodging. It falls to the grassy ground below roughly twenty seconds later, never to awaken again if it weren''t for Sam meddling. Smiling at its prey with an unsettling grin is the mushroom monster, letting out its trademark roar of, "Bup!"


    As it scampers off to collect its foxy prize, I turn to Sam. "Still think you can handle it?"


    "You betcha," Sam pumps her fist in the air. "I just have to make sure I don''t breathe any of that gunk in, right?"


    "Right. The important thing here is to respect your enemy and show some patience. With a Slime, you could just step in and slash it. For a Living Fungi, you have to wait for it to show its hand and then strike."


    I chose the Living Fungi as Sam¡¯s next enemy for this particular reason. Sam is rash, impatient, and prone to jumping headfirst to solve her problems. It¡¯ll do the girl some good if I can impart just a little bit of restraint on her.


    Especially with all that anger in her system...


    "I can handle that." Sam takes in a deep breath before slapping herself on the cheeks to fire herself up. Then, she draws her sword and heads out toward the walking mushroom.


    Startled, the Living Fungi drops its fox. It wasn''t expecting someone to come along and ruin its hunt, and panic shows on its cartoonish face. Since it only has one method of attack, it isn''t long before it defaults to it. Lowering its head and shaking its cap at Sam, it blasts spores her way as explosively as it can.


    Sam dodges the oncoming breeze of sleep spores to the left, looking much better after a few hours of practice. She advances closer to the monster with a smile, only for it to fire another blast and then a third.


    Sam''s starting to get irritated the more her time is wasted by the monster, which isn¡¯t good. While Living Fungi are by no means mental giants, they are more intelligent than Slimes. It knows that its spores are annoying Sam, so it keeps launching them faster than Sam can close the distance.


    This goes on for a minute straight, the exchange eventually ending when Sam draws back and looks at me with an irritated expression. "What the hell am I supposed to do here, Boss?! I can''t get close to that... that... shiitake shithead!"


    "Think about it, Sam. You use a huge, heavy weapon. You might be fast, but it''ll always slow you down a little bit. Sometimes, you''ll need to think creatively in battle and use your intuition to overcome your drawbacks."


    "I know that, I know...! But I''m asking you how!"


    "Do you want the answer, or do you want to prove you have what it takes to be an adventurer? Better pick one fast because our friend isn''t as patient as the Slimes were."


    Unlike Slimes, a Living Fungi will not just idly sit there while I teach Sam how to kill it. It starts walking toward both of us, putting additional pressure on the young warrior.


    "Shit... shit..." Panic rears its ugly head. Sam has trouble staving it off until she grits her teeth and advances toward the monster, gloves clenched tight around the hilt of her sword.


    I can think of four solutions to this problem, and that''s just off the top of my head. One of them, there is zero chance Sam will figure out. The others should be pretty obvious after she gets to thinking.


    Sam plays the dodging game for another few minutes, luring the Living Fungi further away from me while still trying to brainstorm a safe method to approach her enemy. As much as I want to tell her how to win, I need to play the mentor card right in this situation.


    Sam''s physical abilities and proficiency with the blade will increase the more adventures she has, but developing the mindset of a proper warrior is something someone as inexperienced as her can''t do on her own. I have to hold off until I''m absolutely sure she needs the answer, mainly if one of our lives depends on it.


    Then, I know for sure that that situation won''t come to pass. Sam suddenly takes a quick glance at the sword in her hands before smirking.


    The Living Fungi realizes something is off.


    Sam isn''t panicked anymore, and the monster doesn''t know what to do. Its uncertainty is its undoing, rather than running, it chooses the only other option it has and goes for another spore attack. Instead of dodging, Sam runs straight toward the attack and handles her sword like she were holding a bat.


    She swings not at the monster but at the cloud of spores itself.


    Thanks to her strength, the slab of iron she calls a sword creates massive wind pressure whenever she swings it. Sam correctly figures out that if she uses the flat side of her blade, it would essentially turn her weapon into a huge fan.


    The spores disperse from the massive gust of wind Sam creates, letting her at last advance into striking distance. Her foe is no match for her now. She steps forward and twists her body, allowing the momentum of her titanic sword to carry her into a vastly powerful strike. Slicing it right down the middle, Sam ends the life of this toadstool terror once and for all.


    The two halves of the cleaved foe fall to the ground, wet mushroom juices pooling out onto the grass where it now lies.


    "Aw, yeah! How bout that, Boss?" She huffs, then puffs out her chest and slings her sword over her shoulder. Sam celebrates her victory with a cool little pose, and it''s hard not to feel a little happy on her behalf.


    Still, I push down my instinct to praise her so that I keep her ego grounded. "Not too shabby. Never forget that there''s always room for improvement, though."


    "Right," She nods, loosening up with her showboating.


    "Do you see why I didn''t help you?"


    "Yeah... I gotta think on my feet and all that, right?"


    "Right. I''m not always going to be out on a quest with you to give you directions, as much as I''d like to." In a perfect world, a Guild Master could oversee and give advice to his adventurers from afar... but a magic setup like that would be almost impossible, as far as I''m aware. "Therefore, the more you can think creatively for yourself, the greater the chances of your survival."


    "I felt like this took me longer than it should''ve, though..." Sam slumps her shoulders and looks down, doubt corrupting her latest victory.


    "This is only your second day on the job. Beginners always overlook simple things. You need to not be so hard on yourself and understand that you did the best that the current ''you'' can do."


    "Thanks, Boss... can I ask you what you would¡¯ve done if you were in my shoes?"


    "Of course,¡± There¡¯s no harm in telling her the other answers now since it¡¯ll only help expand her options next time around.


    ¡°There were a few other ways you could have solved the distance gap and closed in on the shroom. The simplest would have been to just throw your sword through the spores and impale it." That was what I was betting on Sam doing, actually. It was the easy way out, and I imagined her growing frustrated to the point of trying to attack it from a distance. She surprised me by going the route she did, but it was a pleasant surprise.


    "...Huh." Her cheeks turn pink, embarrassed that she missed such an obvious idea. "Yeah, that, uh... that mighta done the trick."


    "Then, you could''ve just waited until the monster ran out of sleep spores."


    "I thought about that, but when it got closer to you, I felt I had to do something!" That''s for the best. We would have been standing around for close to half an hour before it ran out, which would''ve been far from ideal.


    Sam unknowingly gave me a perfect segue into the last other option, so I take advantage of it. "Speaking of the fungi drawing closer, you also could have used me as bait and attacked it while it was preoccupied."


    Right away, her eyes fill up with shock and anger. She''s offended that I would even bring that tactic up. "What?! There''s no way I could''ve done that! Boss, are you fuckin'' kidding?!"


    "Heh." Just like I thought, Sam didn''t even remotely consider that possibility.


    "...What''s so funny?"


    "Nothing, Sam. You''re just a good girl, is all."


    Sam gives me a pouty glare, and I can tell she wants to say something back, but she drops the subject to get on with our business.


    Now that the post-battle lecture is complete, I teach Sam the Guild procedure for processing this monster. We need to sever the Living Fungi''s left hand as our proof of kill to get paid. Once she does just that, and I deposit the loot into a sack already brimming with Slime cores. We''re going to have to cut today''s adventures a bit short on account of the trophy bag, but there''s still room for a few more Living Fungi hands.


    Over the next hour, we come across four more of the buggers, and not a single one of them proves all that difficult for the young warrior. Despite this, since we''ve been out all day, Sam''s starting to wear out. For that matter, I''m getting pretty tired, too. By now, we''re ready to get going.


    All in all, today''s haul comes out to 14,300G. That''s not bad, not bad at all. That''s enough for a decent amount of groceries or a nice dinner somewhere if we weren''t trying to save on gold.


    Sam''s got a big old tired grin on her face showing just how proud she is of the day''s work, and she definitely should be. Personally, I''m not celebrating until we can verify if Abner is going to keep his word. I''m fairly sure the old bastard got the message, but we won''t know for certain until the Mailmage visits us tomorrow to take away the quest reports and the proof of kills.


    Before we head back for the night, though, I have one last surprise in store for the Princess.


    When Sam kills the last Living Fungi and harvests its hand, I pick up one half of the defeated three-foot menace and have Sam help me carry the other half back with us to the Guild.


    I tell her we''re going to eat this thing.


    She''s a little surprised at my intentions but warms up to the idea soon enough once I tell her how delicious it would be. Sam did a great job out here today, so I think it''s only fair I do my best to provide for my lovely adventurer by preparing a healthy meal using ingredients from the field.


    Yes, indeed. Thanks to this ugly little fellow, we''ll be eating good tonight.


    It''s been years since I''ve had a chance to cook up one of these, and I''m dying to give it a try after so long. We used to have Living Fungi, among other monsters, all the time when I was a child. To save on food costs, Grandfather had a little deal he¡¯d offer adventurers on the side. If they brought back the carcasses of certain edible monsters, he would give them a little extra gold when it was time to pay them.


    It was a clever business tactic and a delicious one to boot.


    If we didn''t have to send in the Slime cores, I could cook those up, too, but alas. And to think they make such lovely desserts...


    With bodies thoroughly worn out by a long day of adventure and stomachs beyond tired of our meager field rations, we head back home carrying both loot and dinner alike, chatting away and delighting in each other''s company.

 Fun on the Bun

    Tonight, I indulge myself in cooking.


    Too long has it been since I''d had a chance to cut back and prepare something that isn''t just simple tripe. A Living Fungi is far from what I''d call gourmet, but it''s a step up from the stuff I''ve grown used to these last couple of years as money became tighter and tighter.


    Since Sam killed the monster we brought back with a horizontal slash, it means that the large red, white-spotted cap is fully intact. First, I wash it in the sink to clean it thoroughly of any remaining sleep spores. The last thing we want to do is swallow any of that gunk, but it thankfully comes off real easy.


    After it''s dried, I start applying some herbs and spices to it, drizzle some melted butter and throw it on a pan in the oven. The heat will shrink the massive cap to about half its size, but when it''s finished baking and when I''ve drizzled a little meat sauce on it, I¡¯ll have transformed this Living Fungi into imitation meat comparable to steak.


    On top of this, I prepare some side dishes to go along with the main course. A nice, thick Potato soup, some poached eggs, and an assortment of fresh vegetables that I picked up at the market this morning are all on the menu for tonight. As for our drinks, as much as I''d like an excuse to drink some of the more expensive stuff, I fill us both a tankard of cheap ale as a palate cleanser.


    My weary adventurer was a bit more hungry than she was during the day, so it''s a good thing I cooked plenty for the both of us. Sure, I didn''t do any heavy lifting or anything, but I''m not used to being out and about for the entire day like this. If she doesn''t eat it, I will.


    Satisfied with my culinary work, I bring everything out on a large serving tray and present it all to Her Highness.


    "Holy heck," Sam looks down at her plate, eyes beaming as she takes the first bite of her mushroom cap steak. "I can''t believe those creepy-ass mushroom things actually taste THIS good...!" She says, her mouth watering and her cheeks red with blush.


    "Right?" My heart flutters at the sight of the Princess tearing into her meal. She goes at it like a hungry lion, scarfing the food down like it were a battle. Seeing her like this, well, it really makes a man feel appreciated. "The cap was pretty big, so there''s plenty more if you want extra. Don''t hold back."


    "Believe me, I wasn''t planning on it," She smirks, then gets back to work after washing down some mushroom with her ale.


    Neither of us leaves that table hungry.


    After supper comes the nightly routine- dishes and paperwork. To my surprise, Sam actually volunteers to do the dishes tonight. Even if we''re fucking, she''s still my guest, so I don''t ask such things of her. I''m a Guild Master, after all. Overseeing the housekeeping of my Guild is my job, even if I''m not the best at it.


    Sam is having none of that. She tells me to cut that crap out, reminding me that she''s not my guest. She¡¯s my partner.


    Heh.


    And she says I''m the one always saying embarrassing things, that cheeky brat.


    I take her up on her offer and get the paperwork done in about fifteen minutes, then I throw all of the loot into a package and set it out for delivery. Afterward, Sam is waiting for me patiently in the entrance hall. She''s ready to retire for the night and drags me into the master bathroom on the second floor.


    I¡¯d never bathed with a girl before I met Sam.


    Somehow, even after all the sex we''ve had, it still takes some getting used to. There''s just something supremely intimate about a man and a woman in a cramped little tub that makes me want to act like a feral animal.


    Sam soaks in the water, relaxing after a long day of adventuring. Like the other times we¡¯ve bathed together, Sam takes off the bandage usually covering her nose, revealing a small scar across its tip. Her freckles disappear, too, although she tells me that those are a minor glamor spell that Zutiria taught her to do. Just another trick she used when sneaking out of the ¡®Castl... mansion¡¯, in her own words.


    I wish I could enjoy the situation just as much as she does, but the current situation makes it hard. The arcane tech tub is easily large enough for two or even three people, but despite this, Sam chooses to sit on my lap the entire time for some inexplicable reason...


    She certainly makes the most of her time.


    That damned vixen wiggles her ass every which way, teasing me as we wash each other. Even as I do my best to shampoo and condition this unruly mane of hers, she grinds away at my hard-on until I can no longer take it. I rinse off her hair, growl at the brat, stand up, and carry her over my shoulder to the bed without any warning.


    Sam yelps, playing the part of a damsel in distress and begging for someone to come and save her. This earns her a spank from me on her sopping wet behind, much to Sam''s perverse delight.


    I throw her on the bed, still wet and covered in bubbles, and hover over top of her.


    Excitement is evident in her expression. She opens her mouth to tease me into action, saying, "So... you''re sure we can''t-"


    I narrow my eyes at her. "Yes, you little slut."


    "Such a hurtful word," She bites her lip, looking up at me with half-lidded emerald eyes.


    "Such an accurate word, more like..." I stare back down, loving what I''m seeing. "But I want you to remember. We''re only going to play a little bit tonight. Understood?"


    The naked, glistening girl grumbles and crosses her arms, annoyed. "Yeah, yeah. I get the picture already..."


    "Good," I do my best hungry expression, showing Sam just how much I want to play with her body. "Now, how about you spread your legs for me, you pretty little Princess?"


    Hearing that, there''s no way Sam can resist. "Mmmn, I thought you''d never ask..."


    Her legs part like an open gate, giving me a clear view of the lips of that heavenly pink hole of hers, which I just can''t get enough of. Even now, seeing it all hot and steamy as the room grows dark inspires me to grab my cock and plant myself firmly into her depths, but I can''t.


    If I do, I know damn well I''m not coming out until I''ve unleashed everything I have to give.


    Better not to tempt myself more than I have to.


    Sam closes her eyes and exhales as I reach down to fondle her wet breast, groping it and feeling my palm sink into its softness. I don''t linger for long. My hand squeezes lightly once and then twice, then snakes down her abdomen past her equally soft little tummy, down her pelvic mound, until finally reaching her lower lips.


    "You gonna use your fingers, Daddy...?" Sam wiggles her hips at the thought, brushing my fingertips against her wetness.


    "Yes," I nod my head, running the length of my finger down her slit lightly. "I know how much you love it, after all."


    "Only ¡®cause you''re so damn good," She bites her lip.


    Over the last few days, I''ve picked up a lot about fingering Sam. Because of how many details my eyes can register at any given moment, I can see every slight twitch and twist her body makes when I''m exploring her insides. To an almost unfair degree, pinpointing Sam''s weak spots like this is a walk in the park.


    I slide my pointer finger into her velvety tunnel up to the first joint. Sam''s more than wet enough from all the teasing in the bath to make my entrance smooth as silt. She opens her mouth wide in a silent ''o'', and then, I press upwards with the tip of my finger and rub back and forth.


    "Shit-" Sam squeaks, arching her back right away before I''ve barely even started.


    For almost a minute straight, I work this one spot, trying to etch out as much pleasure as I can from it. I use all sorts of different tactics, like teasing the area around the spot before inevitably drifting back to it and applying increased pressure or repeatedly hammering away at it like mad.


    With every last thing I try, Sam falls deeper into her lustful craze.


    Her hands have little to do beyond grabbing onto the blanket for dear life, so to keep them occupied, she leads them to her pillowy breasts and squeezes down on them much rougher than I did. To coincide with her self-groping, I suddenly thrust my finger deeper and watch Sam squeal as I start grinding against yet another of her favorite spots further back into the reaches of her tight, drenched pussy.


    "Daddy...!" She moans, letting me know how happy she is with my job thus far. Her walls clamp down on my lone finger and damn if she isn''t tight as all hell.


    "You like this, Princess?" I ask rhetorically, just hoping to get more of Sam''s cute, sexy voice out of her.


    "More... c''mon... d-don''t fuck around like this..." Lifting her head off the bed to stare down at me, Sam growls at me, displeased and hungry for yet more pleasure after such a rough day of work.


    "Mm. Who am I to say no to a cute, hard-working girl like you?" I tease, pulling back swiftly out of her needy vagina and then thrusting back down with my middle finger added to the mix.


    "Oh, oh FUCK yeah...!" With two fingers now fully inserted, Sam''s head falls back down, and her clenching becomes even tighter around me as she convulses on them like they were my cock.


    Using all of my skills thus far, I grind different patterns inside of Sam''s warm wetness, searching and honing in on every little move that works.


    Like a dancer that can''t stop themselves from becoming a slave to the rhythm, Sam dances at my mercy. Her hips shake left and right, pushing down on my fingers and humping them herself as much as she can. Her torso, too, twists every which way as she can''t control herself. Watching her big, round tits bounce from all her pleasurable spasms inspires me to take things even further.


    As soon as she next screams, I take my free hand and press my thumb down on her exposed, swollen clit. Sam gasps for air, surprise overtaking her entire body. She tries to shout my name, but all that comes out is a series of cracked-voice moans as I bully this cute little pink button of hers. It throbs under my finger, desperate for attention and unable to be even slightly subtle about it.


    If it''s attention she wants, then it''s attention she''s going to get- more of it than she bargained for.


    With an almost sadistic delight, I get to work pushing Sam as far as she can go. My fingers become a tornado as I whisk them around, hitting every spot I''ve focused on until now and more. Add this on top of pressure on her clit, and it''s no wonder she cums as fast as she does.


    After only a few minutes of this lavish treatment, the fearsome floodgate opens. Sam shuts her heavy, hazy eyelids before letting out an ear-splitting, scratchy shriek of pure glee at the top of her voice. "I-I''m cumming, Daddy! I''m cumming so hard! AHN-" Music to my ears. The beautiful young girl with my fingers buried inside of her soon makes good on her word.


    With great violence, she orgasms all over my hand, coating it in both her thick, feminine juices and her womanly musk.


    At no point do I stop.


    Even as she cums and repeatedly twists beneath my power, and even as I become stickier and stickier with her sexual fluids, I keep pushing Sam past the brink of her first orgasm until she hits an even greater second one. Her legs fly into the air, twitching like mad, her thighs jiggling like so many of the Slimes she put down with her blade. Her hand rubs her nipples, then pulls on them roughly as her pleasure consumes her.


    It isn''t until after the third orgasm where I have to stop, and that''s only because my wrist is starting to lock up.


    When I finally take both of my hands away from her messy little pussy, Sam groans a thoroughly satisfied groan as her entire body melts down into the bed. Now that she''s able to catch her breath, she smiles and eventually even laughs.


    "How''d you like that, Princess?" I smile, proud of what I''ve done to my lover.


    "It ain''t dick," She sighs, "But it''ll do."


    "Is that so? Well, if you need more than I can always-"


    "N-No! Gimme a break, damn it!" She falls for my bluff and summons a bit of her strength to scoot away from me while I laugh. "Besides, what about you? You''re lookin'' like you can split diamonds with that hard thing of yours. Don''t you want some help, Daddy...?"


    "Depends. Are you going to scoop up any of my cum and eat it?"


    Sam tenses her eyes, looking away. "Wouldn''t dream of it..."


    "Of course not," I raise my eyebrow.


    "C''mon, Boss. There''s gotta be something pervy you want to do that we haven''t already done yet. Personally, I wanted to give you some more titty-fuckin'' action, but..."


    "I would cum right on your face, and you''d be tempted to swallow it straight up." A shame, really. I''ve become obsessed with seeing Sam''s breasts wrapped around my cock, and she loves doing it for me.


    "Am I THAT predictable?" She blushes, sitting up as I join her naked on the bed.


    "Yes, and I love you for it."


    Sam reddens at the dreaded L-word, even though it also brings a momentary smile to her face. I wasn''t even using it in a romantic sense, more of a teasing one, but still, she lights up like a lantern. This cute little brat is too much for me, I swear.


    "W-Whatever," She barks, annoyed. "C''mon and tell me if there''s anything you wanna do that wouldn''t end up with me drinking all your hot, naughty, man-sauce!"


    "In the future, how about we refrain from using that term, shall we?"


    "No promises," The brat smirks.


    Smiling right back playfully at Sam, I end up giving her a suggestion after all. "How about you turn over for me?"


    "W-Wait, I thought we were gonna hold off on doing that...!" Sam gets the wrong idea but follows my command anyway. She flips over onto her stomach, presenting the glorious, full globes of her ass cheeks to me in their entirety.


    "I''m not talking about anal sex. I¡¯m talking about me having some fun with these," I tell her, pulling apart her butt and then spitting in the crack. Sam gasps as I drag my cock along the underside of her slit, soaking up some more of her juices to use as extra lubrication.


    After plenty of teasing, I bury my length between her buns and push them together around me. Then, I start to thrust.


    Sam doesn¡¯t know what to think at first, which surprises me. I thought


    "Oh, wow... seriously? You''re such a fuckin'' perv, Daddy... who even does this?" She looks over her shoulder to give me a smug expression, which drives me to punish the girl with a sudden spank. She takes it with a yelp, only to follow up with laughter. "Does it really feel that good to fuck your little Princess''s butt cheeks?"


    Sam''s playing up her brattiness, which only makes me want to thrust into her soft globes harder still. "Fuck yes, it does. Your ass is so soft, Sam..."


    She smiles, showing off her sharp fang. She''s delighted to know that as weird as this sort of play might be for her, it makes me feel great. "That so? Well... I guess I can let you keep going, then... it... ah... feels kinda nice for me too, I guess... feeling your big, strong hands roughing up my ass... although... I bet you wish you could fuck me back there, don''t you, Daddy? Don''t you wanna fuck your Princess in her tight, virgin asshole?"


    "We''ll get there soon enough... in the meantime, don''t... ngh... don''t tempt me, woman," I grunt, the lubrication sending me rocketing through her valley of ass flesh until my cockhead is scraping the small of her back.


    Sam reaches back with her hands, wrapping them around my wrists and squeezing them hard. I know what it means when she gets like this. Sam won''t let go of me now even if I beg. Not like that was going to happen, anyway.


    "Why not? Afraid you can''t handle it? I mean, I guess it''s cool and all if you''re pervy enough to get off from rubbing your cock all over my butt... that''s not weird at all, I- AHN!" I may not be able to pull my hand up to spank her again, but I can still clench down on her ass cheeks as hard as possible while digging my nails into her flesh.


    The bratty Princess shrieks from the intense sharpness attacking ass in ten different places, and that''s when I really start to get serious.


    I fuck myself using her soft cheeks as little more than a toy. Sam is there with me every step of the way, teasing and taunting me to bring out an even rougher and more animalistic side of me as I make use of her gratuitous booty.


    "Perv! Look at you, y-you desperate... des... perate little l-loser...!" She yelps, huffing out this and that to push me even further.


    "I''ll show you desperate... you fucking... little..." Her words have the intended effect, riling me up more with every syllable.


    Sam sneers, knowing how much I want her to play hard to get. "Is... is that all you got?!" Her hands loosen around my wrists, one of them snaking around her hips to dig into her moist honeypot while the other clutches onto the bed for support.


    "C''mon, Daddy! Fuck that booty like you mean it, you pervy old man! Perv! Pe- AH, FUCK!"


    Because she let go, I can now tear my hand away and spank that jiggling ass with all my strength. I do it a bit rougher than I meant to, but I felt it was necessary at the moment. Sam''s voice cracks from her shrill shriek of pleasure, letting me know all too well just how much she enjoyed the roughness. I grunt in anger upon hearing her shriek, and then I give her another spanking until her flesh is red and stinging.


    The clapping of Sam''s cheeks echoes into the bedroom louder and louder as I heave myself in and out, in and out. The more I use her, the more the sheer plushness of her pillowy ass does wonders on my erect manhood. I feel my blood begin to rise and heat up, and my heavy balls surging with semen as they retract into my body.


    Before long, my cock starts to spasm non-stop.


    I groan and grit my teeth, humping away at her bubbly ass cheeks one last time as the friction brings me to a blissful and persistent orgasm. Like a fountain of perverted delight, my huge load fires off and drowns the entirety of Sam''s backside. Her spine, the muscles of her shoulder blades, and her sacrum are all drenched in my burning desire.


    "Fuck," Sam arches her back, having just finally reached another orgasm of her own, thanks to her skilled fingers. She plops down on the mattress as she heaves until her body settles and her face is full of tired bliss. "Ok, maybe that was... a little hotter than I gave it credit for... having your man-sauce-"


    "What did I say about that term?"


    "Your cum," Sam rolls her eyes and laughs. "all over my back is... pretty sexy. It feels like you just claimed me or something."


    "And here I thought I did that days ago," I close my eyes and head back to the bathroom to find her a towel. Without my glasses, I have to fumble around like a blind man if Sam isn''t in my field of vision. Nothing I''m not used to, so I find what I''m looking for pretty fast.


    "You wish!" She blows a raspberry and rolls her eyes. "I''m unclaimable!" The brat proclaims. I highly doubt that, but I''ll let her continue to pretend she''s not all over me since I find it adorable.


    When I return with the towel, I catch her Sam with a hot glob of my semen on her finger, staring at it as debating whether or not to lick it up. Luckily, I expected this. I already rolled the towel up to use as a whip if needed.


    "Oh no, you don''t! Bad girl, bad! Down!" Rearing my wrist back, I snap it forward and crack the towel-whip over Sam''s ass. The surprised Princess shrieks and uses her hand to rub her ass.


    "GYAH!" She jumps up and drops the semen. Shit, dude...! You been practicing with that thing, or what?" Sam whines as my weapon stings her flesh. A precocious grin still present on her face tells me she found the impromptu whip more exciting than she did painful.


    "All the better to dominate you with, my dear. Now let''s get all of that liquid temptation off of you, shall we?"


    She sighs, seemingly enjoying wallowing in my sticky warmth. "If we have to..."


    Sam is reluctant but ultimately allows me to use the towel to wipe off the gratuitous amount of semen I bestowed her upon my orgasm. I reach down to the floor and toss her one of my shirts, which she weasels herself into with increasing familiarity. At this point, I don''t even care if we never buy her more clothes. I love seeing her like this, and Sam knows it.


    Neither of us is fully satisfied with the amount of sexual attention we received tonight, but we keep it to ourselves long enough to retire into bed together. Sam joins me under the covers, and I reflexively reach into my nightstand for my sleep mask before remembering I won''t need it so long as Sam is the first thing I see in the morning.


    It''s not a guarantee, but I''ll take that risk.


    I wrap my arms around her, and Sam nuzzles up into me as she lays her head back into my chest. Things grow quiet, and at first, I almost think we were going to fall into sleep without even so much as a good night. Sam eventually speaks, though, something evidently on her mind.


    "So..." The Princess whispers under her breath.


    "Everything ok?"


    Sam is silent before she eventually shrugs. "Just wanted to know if... if I did ok today, I guess."


    "What brought this up?"


    "Just don''t wanna disappoint you..."


    "You didn''t. I''m proud of you."


    Right away, Sam fires back as if she doesn''t believe me. "Even though I made all sorts of mistakes?"


    "Damn straight. You''re doing your best, and that''s all I can ask of you."


    Sam hesitates, wanting to say more bit fidgeting. "Um... can you maybe..."


    "Do you want me to say it again?"


    Sam waits a few moments before nodding her head silently in the dark.


    With a melancholic smile, I lean in and whisper, "I''m proud of you, Sam." directly into her ear.


    "...More," She demands, getting a little spoiled with it.


    "So damn proud," I kiss her on her cheek to seal the deal.


    "Mmm..." This pleases the Princess, and she nuzzles up even closer to me to show her satisfaction. "Thank you, Daddy..."


    "Anytime. Now get some sleep, alright?"


    "Alright..." The girl yawns, already starting to nod off in my arms. "Ni-ni..."


    "Goodnight, Sam..."


    Poor girl. She really, really needed this...


    As tough as Sam is, I feel like I''ve witnessed some severe cracks in her vulnerability today. It''s very humanizing, but at the same time, very upsetting to think about all this says about her life until now as the Crown Princess.


    I can''t even imagine how much a girl would have to go through to be this deprived of affection, but it''s somehow worse than I even thought. I try not to think too much about it because, as far as I''m concerned, Sam will never be subjected to that sort of treatment ever again. I''ll see to it myself, even if it one day lands me in hot water with the Royal Family.


    For tonight, though, I''m merely content to hold this girl in my arms, continually whispering lovely little praises to the poor, pressured Princess until, at last, we both fall into a deep sleep.

 Something Bigger in Store

    Unlike the day before, nothing goes awry during our time away from home. Instead, Sam and I have a straightforward adventure where she continues improving on her basic skills against both Slimes and Living Fungi alike. The only thing that shakes up this routine is a few times where we run into a more powerful monster that we weren''t expecting. Skirting so close to the Gnarled Woods like this means we can''t really help the occasional Hell Bear sighting or crossing paths with a Laughing Lickslug.


    Rather than panicking or running away in fear, I merely teach the adventurer what to do when confronted with these specific threats. The Hell Bear loses interest if you play dead, and the Lickslug won''t want to lick you if you smear dirt all over your face. Not anything worth being scared over, although Sam is impressed with my knowledge yet again.


    The other objective of the day, gathering heartroots, goes well.


    In between all of her monster-slaying, we harvest twenty of the vegetables in total. They''re all quite large, so I think we''ll only need to keep six for ourselves. That¡¯ll last us for a few weeks, and we''ll turn in the rest for a profit of 168G.


    Against my advice, Sam takes a bite out of one of the red, heart-shaped roots without even washing it off. She finds she rather likes the hearty, slightly sweet taste, and I find that I''m not kissing her until she brushes her damn teeth.


    Today saw Sam defeating nine Slimes and twelve Living Fungi, earning not only 1,380G but also a full day''s worth of training. Sam doesn''t slip up a single time today, showing a marked improvement. Her ego is in check, her form is astute, and her footwork is on point. Gods, I want to spoil this girl and shower her in praise, especially after last night. I know she loves the attention, but I still need to treat her like a warrior when we''re out together, so I make sure not to gush too much over it.


    Sam helps carry back five of the mushroom men''s caps to the Guild while I haul the loot bag, and that night I throw half of a chopped heartroot and half of a chopped mushroom cap into a stew together with some potatoes and beef. We eat well, and by that point, Sam is starting to feel her lowered appetite returning.


    I felt this might happen, which is why I went with a stew in the first place. Not only is it filling, but we can just heat it up tomorrow and finish at supper.


    Because of how successful things went today, Sam and I drink a bit more than usual tonight. With a little bit of money starting to add up, we can certainly purchase a keg or two if we start running low any time soon.


    Neither of us reach blackout levels of drunkenness, but we do get pretty sloshed. That''s why I find it so surprising that Sam can keep a tight lid on her identity as Princess when she¡¯s like this. On account of my inebriation, I end up asking a few loaded questions in an attempt to make her slip up and tell me the truth.


    None of them pan out, and that''s probably for the best. I still don''t think I''m mentally ready to come to terms with the fact that I''m in an illicit relationship with the teenaged Crown Princess of the entire Realm.


    If I weren''t drunk, I wouldn''t have even said anything.


    I don''t want Sam to have to linger on her life before now if she doesn''t want to, and if she wants to tell me the incredibly obvious truth about her true identity, then it will be up to her to do so. Once I force my drunk ass past this topic, we have a great hour or two of cheap ale and light-hearted conversation before we''re ready to settle in for the night.


    Our sexual fun is brief but enjoyable. We''re both tired, so I merely eat Her Highness out. As thanks, Sam straddles me and gives me an intercrural massage with her soft, wet lower lips. I blow, we wash up, and it''s back to bed.


    When I finally cuddle up next to Sam and take my position as her big spoon, reality sort of hits me.


    It''s been six days now that we''ve been together. We''ve fallen into a comfortable routine of supporting each other, having fun, and having sex. Aside from the fact that I''m also Sam¡¯s Boss, I can''t help feeling that this is what being in a relationship is like.


    Sam is paradoxical about labels, but I think that''s more her being hot and cold rather than not wanting to call herself my ''girlfriend''. The fact is she says I should have a loyal harem, one which she clearly intends to be a part of, but whenever I point out that this would mean we were an official couple, she blushes and stutters, avoiding the topic. Not that I''m badgering her over it, I just find it cute the way she deflects.


    As I dwell on the thought of Sam and myself being together, sleep overtakes me for the rest of the night.


    The next morning rolls around as it always must, and we go through the motions of waking up groggy and having breakfast. The only major thing to note is that the Guild vault has been updated with the funds we''ve been waiting for. The Association has made a deposit, and the magical balance displayed on the outside of my safe reflects this. Getting paid puts our moods on the up and up, as we swell with pride over a job well done.


    Finally, we find ourselves back in the training yard for the strength test. Sam performs her attack, but we confirm that her bonus strength has faded. To the best of our knowledge, it seems I was right on the mark regarding the twenty-four-hour period of my semen''s effects on Sam''s system.


    Much to both of our excitement, phase two of the testing begins.


    Without even asking, I assume Sam wants to do it outside. I move over to the nearest wooden bench and beckon her to come closer. Sam drops her sword and then my pants. She kneels down between my legs, her eyes full of hunger as they stare up into mine.


    "Fuckin'' finally," She sighs, her hot breath hitting my stiffening cock. The adventurer takes off her gloves and grips one hand around my flesh, stroking softly up and down. "I missed shoving this thing down my throat..." Sam teases, leaning down to lick the tip in a slow, delicate manner.


    I reach down, cupping her cheek and running my thumb across her luscious lips. "And I missed watching you work your magic down there."


    "Yeah?" She seductively flutters her long eyelashes, asking in a bratty yet also sultry voice, "Does Daddy like seeing a little brat between his legs, sucking on his cock like a good girl?"


    "You know damn well how much I like it," The expansion of my erect manhood speaks for itself.


    Sam laughs, licks her lips, then sinks four inches of me into her steaming hot mouth.


    I rear my head back from how good it feels. After not having a blowjob for two days, the return to form might as well be heaven on earth. She holds off on sucking too much right away, instead simply letting me wallow in the plush softness of her puffy red lips sliding up and down my cock. Knowing what it''d do to me, Sam makes sure to mix in expert tongue movements every so often to catch me off guard.


    My manhood throbs repeatedly insider her mouth the harder Sam plays with it. The naughty girl giggles around my girth, celebrating my growing pleasure by unintentionally creating vibrations within her throat. I shudder, which acts almost like a signal for Sam to tease me further.


    She starts sucking and slurping, bobbing her head up and down while incrementally increasing her tempo. Sam wasn''t kidding when she said she missed doing this, as she works me hard enough to make up for lost time and then some. I watch with growing tension as her head becomes a blur, sucking tip to base like she was born to do so.


    After pushing me to the brink, Sam senses my oncoming orgasm from a mile away. Looking up at me with pleading eyes, the girl begs me to do whatever I want as long as it makes me cum. Gods, Sam, you''re the best. I make use of this generous offer by grabbing the back of her head, thrusting my entire length down her tight throat, and holding her in place as I cum shot after shot straight down her esophagus.


    The Princess shuts her eyes tight as she fights a losing battle over herself to chug down every last drop. Sam''s need for air wins out in the end, forcing her to pull herself off my pelvis and cough. As she does, she keeps jerking me until my last few spurts hit her face, splattering Sam''s cheeks, nose and chin until she''s a total sexy mess.


    "D-Damn...!" She says between deep breaths. "We have a little less sex for like two days, and all of a sudden, it feels like you''ve been saving up for weeks...!"


    "Oh? Surely you aren''t saying it''s too much for you?" I smirk, purposefully hitting one of Sam''s buttons.


    "Hell no!" She looks at me with a defiant glare, licking around her lips to down even more of my cum.


    A thought comes to mind as Sam gulps down my semen, and I ask, "Would you do me a favor? Open up, please."


    Although confused at first, Sam opens up her mouth, and I lean in closer. Sure enough, not even a few seconds later and her throat lights up with the same pink color as her vagina typically does. I guess I just didn''t notice until now since she closes her mouth before it happens.


    "As I thought," I shrug, once again lacking much surprise over this revelation.


    "Gonna go ahead and assume that this means my throat glows?"


    "You assume correctly..."


    "Huh. More important question. Does this we''re gonna test if my ass lights up, too? Y''know, for science?" Sam smirks while rising up from between my legs, slurping up one last bit of my cum on the corner of her lips.


    "It does if your friend isn''t here by tomorrow. We''ll have more important things to deal with if we have company."


    "Yeah, good point... man, I got no idea what''s taking her so long, though" At the mention of Zutiria, Sam looks away. "I wish she''d hurry up..."


    "Getting tired of my company already?" I give her a teasing smile, which she returns by laughing and shaking her head dismissively.


    "No, I just... I miss her. I feel awful about leaving home without even telling her, and I feel even worse that it took so long to remember about her..." Crossing her arms, the Princess frowns. "She''s probably worried sick about me..."


    "You''ve already sent word that you''re safe and sound. There''s nothing else you can do about it other than wait for Zutiria to answer your call."


    "Mm, yeah. You''re right. I know you are, but..." Sam looks away, sighing.


    The adventurer is becoming more stressed the longer she thinks dwells on the thought of her friend, so to keep it from ruining her mood completely, I remind her that we still have to do today''s strength test.


    This does the trick, pulling Sam out of her burgeoning foul mood.  Grabbing her sword, Sam repeats the process, even though I think the both of us are getting tired of this repetitive procedure. At this point, it goes without saying that the strength test is successful, proving that my semen has an effect whether she takes it vaginally or orally.


    Good to know, but it¡¯s time to move along with our day and get to questing. I¡¯ve got something big in mind for Sam today, and the sooner we head out, the better.

 Here, Piggy, Piggy

    Together, we head back in so I can break down the plan for today''s questing. Sam has herself a seat on the nearest table while I gather something from the quest board.


    The monster I have in mind will be a slight step up in challenge, but Sam doesn''t initially take the threat seriously when I reveal the monster''s quest flier. I hand it off to her, and right away, she squints her eyes, looking at the drawing of her target with confusion. "What the hell is a ''Pigling'', Boss?" She asks as if I were playing a prank on her.


    It''s not hard to see why she might think that. The illustration is of a small, human-like monster with a pig''s head wearing shabby clothes made of grass, straw, and leaves. It looks somewhat cute without context. "Piglings, my dear Sam, are the younger form of a very frightening creature. Are you familiar with the Demon Lord, Thalrad, by any chance?"


    Sam''s ears perk up, and she clenches her fist. "Nah. I mean, I''ve heard the name... but I dunno what set him apart from any of the other Demon Lords."


    "Thus far, we''ve had seven previous Demon Lords..." Not counting the current one, who has made only one appearance five years ago and hasn''t been seen since. The less I think about that one, the better. "Each one of them was tied to one of Karnalle¡¯s seven provinces. Thalrad, the Butcher of the Forgotten Abattoirs was Arrark''s very own Demon Lord."


    "Huh. How are these cute little pig things connected to him?" She looks back to the poster while raising an eyebrow, her interest growing.


    "Among all the other horrific things he did, Thalrad corrupted a forest-dwelling race known as the Pigmen to do his bidding.¡±


    ¡°No shit?¡± Sam asks, eyes open wider.


    ¡°They used to be a fairly non-aggressive race of beings who avoided humans, but his influence warped them forever, cursing them with his never-ending hunger. After Thalrad¡¯s defeat, adventurers tried to purge the Pigmen population. Sadly, the Gnarled Woods hid them too well. Thinning them out entirely is near impossible, but at least a sizable dent was made such that they¡¯ve never recovered from it. Nowadays, these monsters roam the forests looking to eat anything and everything they can get their snouts on- people most definitely included."


    "And how strong are these baby piggies? Says they¡¯re worth 90G. That¡¯s not much more than the shroomans."


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t get in the habit of using a monster¡¯s bounty as an indicator of its strength. It¡¯s a good starting point to assess the risk, but it doesn''t take into account all the different factors that can influence a monster''s strength."


    Ever eager to learn, Sam nods her head. "Gotcha,"


    "All in all, they''re very weak but stronger than anything else thus far. Faster, too. Piglings shouldn''t pose a major threat, but you will be forced to think on your feet even faster than with the Living Fungi. Think you can handle it?"


    Sam thinks to herself for a few moments before summoning up her resolve. She looks at me with determination, saying, "You can count on it."


    "My, my. Someone sounds fired up."


    Shrugging, the young warrior looks off into the middle distance. "Guess so. We can''t let the remnants of a defeated Demon Lord continue to harass the Realm forever..." She sounds much more severe than usual, as if this target was somehow personal to her.


    Right as I start to grow concerned over her grim demeanor, she hops up from the table and smiles brightly like it never happened. "Go do whatever you gotta do, and I''ll wait for you outside, ok, Boss?"


    Seems I shouldn''t have gotten ahead of myself. Sam''s as perky and excited as ever, despite the subject appearing to weigh on her mind for a moment.


    "Sure thing, give me just a moment," I rise and give my lover a kiss on the cheek before ducking back into the kitchen to prepare us some rations as well as some monster bait.


    Because of their unending hunger, Piglings are on the search for food at all times. If we set some food out at the edge of the Gnarled Woods, it shouldn''t be long until we attract some. Luckily for us, a fully grown Pigman being drawn instead is just about impossible. Unlike Piglings, they tend to stick to the deeper depths of the woods. On top of that, we don''t hear much about Pigmen sightings over in Dewhurst.


    That''s more of a Cransmere problem.


    For the bait, I just throw together some leftovers that I had sitting around and drizzle some grease over the slop to make it smell even more potent. On our way to the south gate, I tell Sam about the strategy, and she''s eager to try out this passive approach to hunting monsters. She mentions having been taken out on hunts as a child with her father, but she was forced to just sit on her pony while drunk men chased around boars.


    This has me wondering why Sam''s upbringing was the way it was. Karnalle has always been very progressive with women''s rights, unlike some other Realms. This mainly comes down to our creator deities being a pair of Goddesses. From what I recall about our history, we''ve had numerous Queens, some of whom were tomboyish firebrands not unlike Sam.


    There has to be some reason why she wasn''t allowed to play with swords of hunt boars with the rest of the boys, but as long as she keeps her lips sealed on her identity, I can''t outright ask her about it.


    When we arrive at the edge of the woods, Sam and I find ourselves a nice spot hidden behind a thick group of bushes that we''ll use as our cover. Sam pours out the slop all over the ground and runs back to sit with me, and in a couple of minutes, we''ve already lured in our first target.


    A four-foot-tall creature resembling a human child crossed with a pig waddles out of the Gnarled Woods. Its eyes are empty and soulless, and from its open mouth, the creature drools an unending torrent of pitiful saliva. It wears a grass skirt and nothing else, its stomach bulging out and gurgling with hunger. It steps forward with its cleaved toes, sniffing out the slop with its desperate snout.


    Sam glares at the monster with an intensity I''ve yet to see from her. She looks like she despises this creature with all her heart, but a twinkle in her eyes tells me she also feels a bit sorry for it in some way.


    As we agreed, Sam waits for the creature to make its way to the bait and lower its guard before she leaps in with her blade.


    "Here, piggy, piggy!" She shouts while I click my tongue at her antics. I''ll have to dock her some points for alerting the enemy to her presence as she strikes.


    The Pigling squeals, using its surprising agility to scurry several feet away and dodge Sam''s sword. The monster pauses to assess the situation, briefly staring down Sam before coming to the only conclusion that a cursed creature such as itself can.


    Rather than sensing any danger, it views Sam as food and is ready to put its life to try and consume her.


    My goal is to watch her from afar and see how she handles this independently, without my guidance. If I were to reveal my presence, the Pigling would likely see me as the weaker threat and rush to try and eat me. In that scenario, all Sam would have to do is attack the monster when its back is turned, which would hardly qualify as training at all.


    The Pigling rushes forward, letting out a repeated series of high-pitched oinks as it dodging another slash from the young adventurer. Sam isn''t used to fighting such a speedy threat, and it shows.


    She keeps up with it well enough, but her sword''s weight makes it hard for her to hit the Pigling. Sam could easily make up for this with some of the Great Blade¡¯s Arts, but I am not remotely the right person to teach her about those, so I haven¡¯t even brought them up. All I can help her improve on is her fundamentals.


    After the latest dodge, Sam turns her head to follow her foe, but by the time she locks eyes with it, the Pigling has picked up a nearby stone and hurls it at Sam. Having never faced an enemy who can improvise to this extent, Sam is shocked to see the


    She reflexively throws out her sword to block the oncoming attack, opening herself up for the Pigling to rush in and bite her ankle through her boot. Sam shouts out, even if the attack doesn''t do all that much damage. This is the first time she''s actually been hurt in combat, so I watch closely to see her response.


    Most beginners freak out and lose themselves to panic when a monster actually hits them for the first time, but most adventurers aren''t Sam.


    Her eyes shine with momentary anger as she grits her teeth. Then, she kicks out her leg with mighty force. This pushes the Pigling off her, and the momentum carries the monster several feet into the air. Sam only has a precious few seconds before it lands, but she capitalizes on her chance without delay.


    Leaping after it with her heavy weapon raised overhead, the Great Blader brings her sword down on the beast, ending its life with yet another gruesome cleave straight down the middle.


    Sam lands on the green grass, as do both halves of the defeated Pigling. Blood and pig innards cover her weapon. Even more rains down to the ground, a few drops of the crimson fluid landing on her near-naked flesh.


    She looks at her bloody sword and then at the enemy, her slightly troubled emotions visible on her face.


    I emerge from the bushes to run to her side and discover how this battle has affected the warrior. "Good job, Sam,¡± I say, placing my hand on her shoulder. ¡°Tip for next time- don''t give away your position as you attack.¡±


    She sighs, then frowns. "Gotcha. My bad, Boss."


    She¡¯s not dismissive, but she¡¯s acting more distant than I like to see. "You holding up alright?"


    Sam thinks about this for a moment before slicing her sword in the air away from her body, the wind cleaning off a lot of blood. "The fight wasn''t so bad, but killing something that''s actually ''living'' feels different. Slimes and ugly lookin¡¯ mushroom men are one thing, but I can¡¯t say the same about this one.¡±


    A pang of guilt hits me. ¡°I should have considered this. I figured since you hadn¡¯t had any reaction to killing the monsters until now, you¡¯d have no problem with Piglings. This is my fault, I-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t even,¡± She laughs. ¡°This is part of the job description, right? I ain¡¯t scared of killing. It actually felt kinda good in the moment... just...¡±


    "A lot of adventurers experience this feeling of disassociation after their first kill. If you aren''t ready for this, we-"


    Sam cuts me off, shaking her head. "Hey, c¡¯mon, Boss! I ain''t too bothered. I''ll prolly get used to it after a few more." She then looks toward her fallen enemy before poking one half of its lifeless corpse with her sword. "What do we send in for the proof of kill?"


    I give Sam a closer look, my eyes verifying that the warrior is telling the truth. While reminding myself not to coddle her, I say, "Its snout will suffice."


    Sam grunts as I toss her a hunting knife, and she gets to work cutting off the nose from the defeated Pigling. "Is it gonna be ok like this?" She asks, holding up two halves of one snout.


    "People turn in much messier kill trophies. It should be fine. If it bothers you so much, then don''t cut the next one clean in half down the middle."


    Laughing, Sam vows to try and remember that before tossing me the snout halves to put away into the loot bag.


    After she''s done harvesting the trophy, Sam looks at the corpse then asks me if I''m planning to take it home with us to eat. I tell her no, not this time. Piglings and Pigmen are indeed edible, but eating the meat of a being cursed by a Demon Lord isn''t counted among the wisest of ideas.


    Everything I''ve read says that devouring a Pigman will slowly impart Thalrad''s insatiable appetite on the eater, which will drive any sane man mad over time. The long and short of it is; avoid scary pig meat that will inevitably make you a cannibal.


    That''s not to say we won''t make use of the pig carcass at all.


    I brought along some oil and matches, knowing that the smell of a burning Pigling would attract more of its kind to the slaughter. Outside of their breeding season, Pigmen are cannibalistic, so they''ll come running at the scent. There''s always a chance this might attract a more dangerous threat from out of the woods, but even in the worst-case scenario where something really, really bad crawls out of the Gnarled Woods, it''ll be too busy devouring the succulent pork to pay us much mind as we flee.


    Sam is worried about the possibility of a wildfire, but I remind her how she could blow out a fire with wind created by her sword before it spreads using her tremendous strength. Her concerns laid to rest, Sam takes the oil and covers the dead Pigling in it before striking up a fire with the matches.


    She runs back to sit with me in the bushes as the greasy skin of the carcass crackles from the roaring flames. A pungent smell of burning pork and sizzling fat practically explodes out into the air around us. Despite my mind repeatedly warning that it would be a bad idea, my mouth waters at the thought of taking a single bite of that monster, and I''m not the only one.


    Sam looks just about ready to run out of the bushes and have herself an early lunch. Not only is she salivating, but she''s drooling like a dog.


    "Sam," I jab my elbow into her rib, snapping her out of her trance.


    A blush fills her cheeks as her embarrassment rises. "Gah! I''m sorry, Boss, it just... oh, Gods, it smells good..."


    "Maybe this was a bad idea..." I reach for my canteen, unintentionally licking my lips. I knew the smell would be powerful, but reading about it in a book doesn''t do it justice. I¡¯m not one for exaggeration, but if I was asked to describe one scent in this world as ¡®orgasmic¡¯, then let¡¯s just say I found a strong contender.


    It goes without saying that this is the point. Obviously, the cursed pig meat wants to be as enticing as possible so that someone will eat it.


    "N-No, it''s alright..." Sam grabs my hand by the wrist, stopping me from putting out the fire. Renewed determination surges in her eyes. "I can hold back. Promise."


    True to her word, Sam resists the pull of the burning meat much better than she did at first. My self-control is a tad stronger, so I don''t have any problems as we wait. That''s not to say I would attempt this strategy again. If I had known it would be this tempting, I wouldn''t have ever done it.


    We wait for several minutes until the dense foliage of the Gnarled Woods begins to shift as something approaches. But something is off. Sam feels it, too, as she takes a brief look into my eyes out of worry. Something is coming, but it''s a lot bigger than a little Pigling.


    As the minor trembles in the earth rumble closer still, the outline of this unknown beast becomes revealed to us.


    A lumbering, hunch-backed monster with grayish-blue, wart-riddled skin takes a step out of the dark forest. It''s tall, at around seven feet, and has a small head contrasting wildly with its hulking proportions. On its face are a set of beady eyes, a huge, bulbous nose, and a set of tusks coming from the corners of its mouth. On the top of its head, shoulders, arms, and all over its back is a thick carpet of moss, making the creature look like a part of the forest that came to life and wandered away.


    Above all that, though, what¡¯s most noticeable about this monster is its overpowering odor. Smelling like the culmination of the body odor of a thousand sweaty knights who¡¯ve been marching for weeks, it takes everything I have to not take back that hunting knife I gave Sam and chop off my nose with it.


    "What the fuck is that?" Sam looks at the beast, then back to me as she blocks off her nostrils with her nose. A single bead of sweat trickles down her brow.


    "A Moss Troll. Just one of the many types of trolls one can find in the Gna-"


    "Ok, ok, you''re an encyclopedia, I get that. I¡¯m asking do we get the fuck out of here, or what?" Sam grabs my wrist, ready to use her strength to drag me away like a ragdoll if it means protecting my powerless ass.


    Rather than answering the warrior, I watch the troll as it stands in the open field.


    After sniffing the air and slowly lumbering toward the wonderful-smelling meat, it squats down to pick up the burning Pigling. Trolls are known for many things. Their strength, their power, their unmistakable smell... what they are not known for is their intelligence. The searing carcass predictably burns the monster¡¯s flesh, sending it back as it falls on its ass from the powerful recoil.


    ¡°No guh! No guh rar!¡± The troll lets out a booming sob while blowing on its fist. After around twenty seconds, it tries to pick up the meat a second time, only to get burned and cry even harder.


    ¡°Boss! C¡¯mon man, what do we do?!¡± Sam¡¯s panic rises, all while I take in a deep breath and close my eyes.


    Over only a couple of seconds, I run myself over everything that I¡¯ve read about Moss Trolls and Trolls in general. I analyze the situation. I consider our position, our advantages, accounting for as many probabilities as I can while asking myself one question.


    Do we actually need to run away?


    The answer I ultimately come to find is surprising, but it¡¯s an answer I find myself fully confident in. Turning to face my adventurer straight in the eyes, I shake my head. "No, Sam. We''re not leaving. You''re going to kill that troll."

 I Know You Can Do This

    There''s no way Boss just said what I thought he did, right? Nah, maybe I misheard him. It can¡¯t be. I mean, for a second there, it sounded like he was suggesting I should go and kill that butt-ugly, moss-covered, walking stink factory...


    Yeah, right! There''s no damn way he''d say that... only...


    He keeps staring at me in a way that gets this girl thinking he''s dead-ass serious. His eyes are on fire, and he doesn''t take ''em off of me for even a second. Feels like he''s burning a hole through my soul with the fiery determination coming off of him!


    There really are no two ways about it. He really wants me to go in and fight that thing!


    "Boss... you can''t, like-" I try and think of a way to put it, but I can''t even. It just comes out as a garbled mess. "It''s a Troll! A real one! You know, the monster shitty parents tell their kids about that''ll come to kidnap and eat them if they misbehave? Those Trolls?"


    I sound a little frantic, but I can''t really control my tone. I mean, here I am, just fresh off of slicing up my first piglet, and suddenly the goal post has been moved like a hundred feet away!


    "I know what it is," He speaks in a serious voice while nodding his head. "And I meant what I said. You''re going to kill it, and that''s a fact."


    What the hell makes him so confident? Just cause he''s got a big brain, he acts like he''s got it all figured out, but I don''t see how he knows this as a fact. Part of me wants to trust him. He ain''t been wrong about crap until this point, but...


    Ugh, why am I even acting like this? It''s not like I''m scared of fighting that monster or anything. This is what I wanted my whole life... it''s what I left home for- hell, what I dreamed about.


    I''m not scared... I''ve never been scared! So why the hell is my stupid-ass brain deciding now''s a good time to start?


    A guy like Boss can see whatever the heck I''m going through from a mile away. He tries to make me feel better by grabbing one of my mitts, wrappings his hands around it, and squeezing down on it nice and tight.


    Grr... I hate how much better it makes me feel. Stupid Boss.


    "Sam, listen to me. Everything I''ve done with you so far has been to teach you how to stand on your own two feet as a warrior. That Troll over there?" He points to the dumb sack of crap who is right now shoving his hand into the fire for the eighth time, still chasing that juicy, cursed pig meat. "Just another lesson. It might be a scary one, sure, but it''s a lesson nonetheless."


    I feel my cheeks turn hot, and I pull my hand away from him since he''s getting all touchy-feely without my permission. "Scary? Yeah, right! I-"


    "Sam," The way he says my name sends a chill through my spine. Something about that deep voice of his is kinda soothing, but it puts me on edge at the same time if that''s somehow possible. "Stop pretending like you''re hot shit."


    "Uh, ''scuse the fuck you?"


    "It would be weirder if you weren''t scared. Pretending you aren''t afraid is childish and unbefitting of an adventurer."


    "I''m... I''m not-"


    He keeps looking right at me, but he doesn''t say a word.


    Damn it... damn it... damn it!


    Yes, I''m a little scared... so what? Is that a crime? I ain''t used to this, and it sucks. I feel powerless, made even worse from Boss telling me ''yo, Sam, you got this, girl'' when I know that I sure as hell don''t. I feel like I''m disappointing both of us.


    Guess I got no choice but to own up to it...


    "Sure. Fine. Whatever, I''m shaking in my boots over here... but in my defense, that thing is huge. It''s made of muscle- hell, when it walked outta the damn woods, the ground was shaking, Boss! Shaking!"


    Still cool as ice, Boss doesn''t break a sweat as he asks, "Have I ever put you in danger that I didn''t think you were capable of handling?"


    "No, but-"


    "Then what makes you think I''d start now?" He says, putting words in my mouth.


    "I don''t think you would, I just-"


    "Sam, the thought of you getting hurt out there tears me apart. It... would destroy me. You have to understand I would never-"


    Does this jerk really think that now is the best time to get all romantic with me? Really? At least wait until after I''ve killed the damn thing! "Gah, shut up! I-I get the point, you... you don''t need to phrase it like that!" I can''t believe this man half the time- the absolute balls on him!


    His expression softens for a sec. Just long enough to smile at me while he says, "I wouldn''t endanger you without good cause. That''s all I''m trying to say."


    Everything starts settling in the more I look into his eyes. I grit my teeth and think just a bit harder about how much he''s trying to convince me. I almost don''t believe it, so I ask, "You... really think I have a shot at this, don''t you?"


    "More than a shot. I''m certain you can win."


    Even though I freaked out just a few minutes ago from killing my first monster with blood and guts, he legit believes I can take this on Troll and win. There''s gotta be a reason. He''s not just pulling this out of his ass.


    After everything he''s done for me until now, I... I know I shouldn''t just ignore him. I gotta hear Boss out, even though it''s hard for me to talk. My nerves might be kicking my ass, but... I have to.


    Damn it, Sam... you have to fucking do this!


    "What..." I open my mouth to speak, but it gets caught in my throat. Fuck you, nerves! It''s ok, it''s ok... try again. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and force the rest of the sentence out. "What... kind of lesson are you trying to teach me here, Boss?"


    He also takes a moment to respond before giving me a determined glare as he says, "How to take a risk."


    "A risk? Hold up, I thought you said this was a sure thing?"


    "The risk you''ll be taking is trusting me, even when your nerves tell you not to."


    Damn it... it feels like he knows how to play me like a damn fiddle. When Boss says it like that, I feel an overwhelming drive to prove myself. It''s not fair. He knows I have a thing about getting his approval, and the clever bastard is using it against me.


    Yet, for some reason... I ain''t even mad about it.


    If he wants me to take that risk, then I''ll take it, not for him, but for me. So I can become the kind of warrior that I want to be. The kind of warrior who can protect this Realm when no one else can!


    "Alright, Boss... I''m in. Do we have enough time for you to teach me how to fight it?" We''ve been sitting here in the bushes whispering for minutes as that dumb git keeps sticking its hand in the fire. I''m kinda amazed it hasn''t noticed us yet.


    "I wouldn''t worry about that," He grows distant while looking past the bushes at the monster''s awesome display of intellect. "Trolls are slow... especially Moss Trolls. Seriously, Sam. Do you have any idea how slow a creature has to be for moss to start growing on it?"


    I look back at the creature, watching it carefully pull its hand away from the fire. It seems like it finally learned it isn¡¯t going to get the meat that way, but damn it, Boss is right. Every little motion it makes is at a snail''s pace, and for the life of me, I can''t see it being able to dodge my attacks- a Pigling it ain''t.


    That''s reassuring, and all, but is that really what has Boss so convinced of my chances?


    "Sure, the sucker is slow. I''ll give ya that. But is that the only reason you think I can take it?"


    "No," He adjusts his glasses, looking right back at me. "You''re a Great Blader. You might not know any of your class''s special techniques yet, but your weapon was made specifically for battling monsters bigger than yourself."


    "Really? I just picked this sword ''cause it was badass looking... guess that makes sense, though." Internally, I sigh. I got so much left to learn about being a warrior that it ain''t even funny.


    "Indeed. On top of that, I have a secret weapon in mind that will guarantee your victory."


    My eyes open wide at the sound of that. Secret weapon? Music to my ears. "You shoulda led with that!" I laugh. "Fork it over, Boss, I am all about secret weapons over here!"


    Course, he makes a point about being real obtuse over his strategy. The crafty bastard smirks knowingly at me while saying, "I said this would teach you how to take a risk, silly girl. There''s no risk in a guaranteed victory."


    I roll my eyes. "Tch, I shoulda known you would say that... are you expecting me to just jump in there and have at it, then?"


    "More or less. Its skin will be tough, so you''ll have to keep cutting until it dies from the wounds."


    I nod my head while listening close. Moss Trolls got a tough hide. Got it.


    He goes on, "Aside from that, the only thing you need to remember when fighting a Troll is to not get hit. Especially not while wearing your current set of armor."


    He''s never gonna let me hear the end of my get-up, is he? I just stole the first thing I saw in my father''s closet. I was in a hurry. It¡¯s not like I had time to raid the royal armory!


    Whatever.


    The fact that I''m wearing skimpy bikini armor is obviously something he considered, and he still thinks I can win. So, I''ll take that risk and believe in him.


    There''s nothing else to be said, so I look Boss in my eyes and remember everything he''s already done for me. I ain''t gonna let him down, and more importantly, I ain''t gonna let myself down.


    "Alright, I got this..." I take in a deep breath, then repeat myself while staring straight at him. "I got this."


    The bastard smirks, "You''re damn right you do."


    Before I head into the fray, Boss tears a chunk of his white undershirt off rips it in half. At first, I wonder what the heck he''s on about, but then he rolls up the two pieces of cloth up for me to use as nose plugs. Nice. They don''t completely get rid of the Troll stank, but they''re a lot better than nothing.


    I shove them up where they belong and look through the bushes to check the current situation. The Moss Troll is still eyeing up the meat, but he''s not trying to grab it with his moss-covered hands anymore. Wonder how long it''ll be till it tries blowing out the fire or something? By the looks of it, it ain''t gonna be any time soon. Seems like I got tons of time to plan things out.


    Not that I need it. Boss said that speed is king here, so for once, rushing in blind might be the way to go. He''s not giving me any plan of attack, so it''s up to me.


    I''m not gonna just jump out of the bushes and repeat my mistake with the Pigling, though. Instead of drawing attention to my position, I follow along the long trail of bushes to sneak off to the left side of the monster. It doesn''t notice me when I crawl through the plants and not when I emerge on its flank.


    After emerging from the bushes, I draw my sword as quietly as I can. I can think of a hundred thousand different troll puns to fit this situation, but Boss just chewed me out on that. None of ''em are worth giving up my stealthy advantage.


    Moment of truth, right here.


    All that''s left is to run in and attack, which is definitely something I know how to do by now. I clutch my sword until my knuckles turn white. Staring at the unaware bastard, I try and channel just a bit of that unending rage I got bottled up inside me, and then I run straight at him.


    "Hyah!" I shout, swinging my massive blade in a horizontal arc.


    I land a big hit!


    The attack slashes the Troll''s left arm, tearing through a thick layer of moss to rip across its bicep and shoulder muscles. The first thing I find out is that Boss wasn''t kidding about how hard its hide is. It''s tough- real tough. It almost feels like I''m not gonna inflict any damage, but I grit my teeth and push even more of my power into the attack.


    It isn''t super deep, but all this effort gets me going enough to open up the skin. A thin layer of Green blood covers my sword, bringing a smile to my face when I see it. Nice.


    I come down from my excitement when I notice that it doesn''t look like the cut went that deep at all. I''m gonna be at this for a while before the thing drops dead, but for now, I''m gonna keep attacking it and see how much damage I can do.


    "Garg! Oomen it me! It me!" The Troll roars as it scampers away slow as heck. It lugs its bodyweight like it were drunk, making the follow-up even easier. I''m already on its ass the moment it tries putting space between us.


    "Hah!" This time, I try and give it a good overhead whack. The Troll puts out its right hand to stop me, but all that happens is my sword catches between two of its four fingers. The slash cuts a little deeper this time since the skin is pretty thin there.


    It howls in pain as even more of its icky green Troll blood gushes out of its wound like an open geyser. It might be sadistic of me, but seeing a significant threat like this in so much pain feels good. I still can''t forget the anxiety it made me feel, but this helps me remember that this Troll is a monster just like any other.


    You''re doin'' good, Sam. Don''t stop!


    The Moss Troll roars and pulls its hand away from my sword, leaking even more blood onto the grassy ground below as it does. I follow after trying to stop its newest attempt to put some space between us again, but it manages to stumble to its feet.


    "Tak ooman don! Don!" It growls, then starts charging at me.


    Crap- it might be slow as hell, but that thing will squash me flat if it manages to land on top of me. There''s no way I can let that happen, so I gotta drop my current plan and move it.


    I cancel the attack I was about to unleash and then force myself to suddenly dodge to my right. It''s tricky to switch up my movements like this, so tricky that I almost trip, but thank the Goddesses, I don''t.


    This gives me a chance I wasn''t expecting. As it charges past me, I use the opportunity to mix in a cross slash that runs through the Troll''s ribs. It ain''t as powerful as I could''ve made it, but the momentum of the Troll''s charge ends up working against it. Basically, it runs through my sword on its own, and this makes it the deepest cut yet.


    Shrieking, the monster rears its head back. "Rargarg! Keel-oo!" It says.


    Turning around to face me, the Moss Troll covers up its bleeding gash with one of its ginormous hands. It already wasn''t looking too happy about its current situation, but now, the ugly brute looks downright pissed as all hell.


    Much as I wanna gloat about it, I know how bad an idea that''d be. I push back the huge urge I have telling me to taunt the monster, remembering all the times Boss has told me not to. This thing can barely talk, anyway, so it''s better to save my breath.


    The Troll''s fury rises, taking a lumbering step toward me that shakes the earth. I watch, waiting for what it''s gonna do.


    He ain''t all that clever when it comes to fighting, so it turns out the Moss Troll is going for a simple punch with its left hand. Because it''s pissed, it''s getting a little bit faster. The thing is, faster for a Moss Troll is still crazy slow, and it ain''t nothing I can''t handle.


    Man, I really should''ve trusted Boss from the get-go.


    The battle¡¯s been slanted towards my side the entire time, and now I feel like an idiot for getting all panicked. I know I can''t help getting nervous since I''m a rookie, and he was right to call me out on pretending like I wasn''t scared. Just like everything else he''s done, it helped teach me a lesson.


    From now on, whenever Boss tells me I can do this, I''m not gonna say shit. The Moss Troll is already bleeding out the wazoo, so if I keep this with a slow and steady approach, it¡¯ll die of blood loss sooner or later.


    I can do this...!


    "Gon git ooman!" The mossy bastard says something as he readies his punch. Is that what I look like when I leap in and tell a joke? I totally see how it gives away his next move.


    Dodging is easy when I know how the attack is coming, and as I slide to the left, I smash my sword''s edge into the monster''s knuckles. As the impact hits, I feel a satisfying crunchy noise, which gets my red hot blood pumping even more.


    I pull my sword back out and- wait... it''s... not coming out.


    "Shit-"


    My eyes open up wide when I see what''s going on. The Moss Troll just had the first good idea in his whole life, and with his other hand, he grabs my sword with all his strength. I don''t think he can break it, but he''s making it impossible to rip it out.


    I''m stronger than an ordinary girl, but I ain''t Troll strong... not yet, anyway.


    If I get closer and try and punch the Troll, he might grab me. Not to mention that punching its thick hide is a stupid idea in the first place.


    Damn it... I don''t see what I can do here other than let go of my sword... but if I do that, then there''s no way I can kill it unless I can somehow get him to drop it!


    There''s gotta be something I can do here... I can''t let it end like this, not after Boss was so sure I could succeed. If I lose here, then not only would I die, but I''d die proving him wrong. Like hell, I''m gonna let that happen!


    Think, Sam...


    I could go and get that secret weapon from Boss, but he said he''d give it to me if he thinks I''m about to lose. He hasn''t said anything yet, so... does he still believe in me? It''s either that, or else he went to go and take the worst-timed piss in Karnallian history.


    Since I still got Boss in my corner, it means I got no other choice but to keep fighting. But how? C''mon, Sam...! It''s just a big, greasy, moss-covered bastard. How can I take it down?!


    Wait a sec... greasy?


    Huh.


    That... just might work. No, yeah, it totally would! I let go of my sword cause I know I''ll get it back in a second. Gonna have to take a risk first.

 Every Day a Little Stronger

    "Har har nomo hurtstick!" The Troll laughs like an idiot, just cause it lucked out and got ahold of my sword. Gimme a second, you asshole, and then we''ll see who''s laughing!


    I look over to the fire, still going strong even though the dead Pigling is burned black by now. The fire isn''t the important part- what I''m looking for is the bottle of oil I used to start this fire in the first place.


    There it is. I dropped it a few feet away from the flaming bait. I only used half of the oil, so there''s still plenty to go around. More than enough for my plan to work.


    Hope you''re watching, Boss. I¡¯m gonna light this sucker up!


    Just my luck, the Troll doesn''t wanna make it easy for me. He clumsily attempts to my own weapon against me, but dodging the monster''s incredibly obvious overhead slash is easy. It''s somehow even slower than his fist. Even better, the idiot manages to get it stuck in the ground nice and deep.


    Geez, and here I thought I was terrible at using that thing.


    He''s totally exposed. He''s trying to pull it out, but he makes a confused expression as it refuses to slide out. Looks like it gets caught on something. Maybe some roots from one of those nearby trees? Whatever it is, now''s my chance!


    I run my ass over to the fire, yank the bottle of oil off of the ground, then turn to face my enemy.


    "Stoobi hurstick! Stug! Cam owt!" It says, still yanking my sword out of the earth. No reaction to me running away at all. It''s almost like his dumb ass forgot I was even here. Remembering all those times he stuck his hand in the fire, I wouldn''t put it past him...


    I only got one shot at this, so I better make it count. He''s about ten or fifteen feet away, so there''s no chance I''ll miss. It''s all down to me and my nerves.


    C''mon, Sam. You got this. Are you the girl who''s gonna save Karnalle, or are you the girl who''s gonna lose to a smelly troll that crawled outta the woods after taking a dump?


    The answer is obvious.


    I suck in some air, then shout, "Hey! Shit for brains!" hoping it''ll raise its head to look at me.


    "Brang no shittem! Shittem titti whor!" Looking past that cheap insult he just slung my way, the Moss Troll raises his head just the way I wanted and roars loud enough to shake the trees and the grass. Shit... next time around, I could use some earplugs, too, Boss!


    It takes a lot of effort, but I don''t let the ear-splitting noise distract me.


    I throw the bottle of oil straight at the Troll''s ugly mug and watch as it shatters into a bunch of sparkling shards of glass. The oil bursts out, covering him in a thick coat of nice, flammable oil.


    The monster is shocked and confused, and I don''t give it the time to process what just happened. Since I''m such a kind ''titti whor'', it''s time to give this hungry bastard what it was after this entire time.


    A nice, hot meal.


    Plunging my gloved hand into the fire without fear, I yank out the charred corpse of the Pigling. Not even a second later, I fling it straight at the monster''s face. Stupid as he is, even this fucker can tell that what I just did is gonna be really, really bad for him.


    I can see the fear in the Troll''s eyes, and I can taste victory.


    Fire flows all across his big ugly mug like an explosion as the piggy projectile hits the mark. In only a few seconds, he''s clawing at himself with his hands and screaming at the burning pain.


    Now that his hands are free, so is my sword.


    It''s not even stuck that bad, I just gotta wiggle it the right way, and it slides right out of the tangle of tree roots. Man, the Troll would have been stuck for hours on a ''puzzle'' like this.


    With my sword back where it belongs, there''s nothing left for me to do but go fuckin'' wild, so let''s do this!


    Before I even raise my weapon to attack, the Troll stumbles flat on his ass, screaming, "Fior! Fior burnag!" as loud as he can. The sound ain''t so bad the second time around, so I''m good. The fire is burning more and more of his gnarly skin off by the second, and I love to see it.


    Time to let him have it. I roar back at him, slashing across his chest and cutting open one of his disgusting, fat, Troll tits. Besides that, the sword doesn''t go deep enough to do major damage. My second attack catches onto his arm, and the third cuts up his gross, bloated belly.


    The more I attack, the more I see that this ain''t gonna work. I could keep this up, and it might take a half-hour or two to finish the fucker off, finally dying of blood loss. I''m not patient enough for that. Besides, after the struggle it took me to get here, I don''t wanna kill it in some lame-ass way! I gotta go big and go flashy!


    What else can I do with this sword that I haven''t already done? Hmm... I could try stabbing him, but I''d need a lot of power behind it... maybe if I... hm, yeah, that might do the trick!


    The Moss Troll ain''t going anywhere, so I dash ten feet away so that I can get a running start. After launching myself toward the enemy, I squat and push up with my legs sending me pretty high up in the air. Here, I flip my giant sword around in my hands and stab down as hard as I can.


    "BLORGUH-"


    The momentum of the fall makes my attack even stronger, and I fall straight onto the Moss Troll''s stomach. The strike makes an icky ''squick'' sound as it sinks into his flesh. As soon as the Troll''s belly pops like a revolting flesh balloon, I realize I didn''t think this through.


    Fuck!


    Gross green and brown sludge explode out of the open wound like a volcano, tons of it getting all over my skin and my clothes. Ew, ew, ew...! Hrg... I feel like I''m gonna throw up... but... it''s a price I''m willing to pay to see this sucker dying beneath me.


    I look down and see the Troll''s body covered in cuts, with a face burning to the point where his rancid skin is starting to melt away like goo, and then there''s the giant sword sticking out of his exploded gut.


    All of this... because of me.


    I did it.


    I killed this fucker with my own two hands, and the evidence is right there. I can''t believe it. Even though I''m covered in gunk and smell like the God of Stankitude, I can''t stop myself from smiling.


    Damn, this feels good! I''m not even upset over killing a living thing anymore. The sense of accomplishment takes care of that and then some.


    Ripping out my sword from the monster and hopping off of its body, I turn toward the bushes. I gotta go and thank the man who''s responsible for all this cause I wouldn''t have pulled it off if he didn''t believe in me.


    "Boss, I did it! I did- AGH!" Crushing pain seizes my ankle, and I get pulled backward.


    No fucking way, it can''t be...! I turn my head around and see that the Troll is somehow still alive, even as the fire is melting its eyeballs into slime! He''s using the last bit of his strength to try and crush every bone in my foot with his limp, bleeding hand.


    "Damn it, fucking die already!" I demand, swinging one last time with my sword at the Troll. It lets go immediately after I hack at the wrist bone, making me stumble and fall to the ground. From here, I crawl away and watch it to sure the fucker is entirely dead this time around. I make sure by poking it with the tip of my sword a couple more times.


    Nothing.


    The only sound coming from him is the sound of flames creeping into his skull and tickling his brain... gross.


    Gods, Boss is gonna be so pissed, I... ack, here he comes-


    "Sam!" He says, rushing out of his hiding area. Looks like he tore off some more of his shirt to make himself some nose plugs, too. Good for him. He''ll definitely need ''em, given how I smell now.


    "Boss," I look away, and for a second, I almost pull at my twin-tail before remembering all the gunk on my hand. I''m not gonna repeat that mistake a second time, nuh-uh. Not after it happened with the Slime.


    I feel embarrassed. Any second now, he''s gonna tear into me for assuming the battle was over. I just know it...


    "Nicely done." He smiles, proving me wrong as he places his hands around my shoulders. If he cares at all about me being covered in Troll fluids, then he sure as heck doesn''t show it.


    Confused, I tilt my head. "Really? I thought I kinda messed things up at the end and was expecting you''d be mad at me..." I really gotta get it through my head that Boss is different from all the people who yelled at me for doing shit wrong, but it''s hard when that sort of treatment is all I''ve ever known.


    "I''m not mad, no." He shakes his head, my heart swelling up with relief. "Indeed, you should always make sure your opponent has truly been finished off before celebrating, yes, but you just took down a Moss Troll on your own. That overshadows one little screw-up."


    I guess I''m feeling a little humble because when he praises me, my mind shoots straight back to the way it grabbed me. "Thanks, but... that screw-up coulda cost me."


    "You''re right. It could''ve. So don''t go forgetting it."


    I don''t think that''ll be a problem, but at the same time, maybe remembering my fuck-up doesn''t have to be a negative thing for once? I''ll just try extra hard to make sure not to do it again.


    Smiling now that a bit more relief has settled in, I tell him, "Got it, Boss."


    "Good," The man walks a bit closer to the Troll, inspecting it with his eyes. Once he''s done taking in all the details for himself, he scratches his beard, nods, and asks, "Still feeling scared?"


    "Nah," The thought makes me laugh because of how fast I stopped feeling that way. "I got over that pretty quick, once I was actually out there... sorry about the way I was act-"


    "Shush. I don''t need to hear any excuses. The fear you felt was completely justifiable, considering what I was asking of you. I''m... sorry if I got too caught up in my own mind and didn''t take your feelings into consideration." He blushes, and I stare at him, wondering for the second time if I heard him right. Don''t think I''ve ever seen him so apologetic to me... I don''t like it. Feels weird.


    "Don''t sweat it, Boss. You were just trying to give me some tough love. Besides, I did fine! I didn''t even need that secret weapon of yours!"


    "Ah. About that, you actually figured out part of what I was planning for yourself."


    Wait, really? Am I getting good at this or something? He''s not bullshitting me, so I ask, "What''re you talking about?"


    "Monsters often times come saddled with elemental weaknesses. For our homely friend over there with the flaming skull, it was right there in the name. Moss Trolls are weak to fire."


    I feel like a total dumbass now. No shit, the Moss Troll was weak to fire. Why wouldn''t it be? Damn it, Sam, you could''ve avoided the entire fight if you just led with that!


    Boss keeps on talking, explaining, "I didn''t tell you its weakness because I knew it was possible to kill it with your sword. It would just take a while. Since the fire was right there, there was also a chance you could''ve figured it out at any time for yourself. I wanted to give you a chance to improvise and use your surroundings to your advantage, which you did. Expertly, I might add."


    Gah, he''s got me blushing again. I can feel it. He didn''t have to say ''expertly'', that cheeky bastard. Sure, it makes me happy to hear it, but... ah, whatever, I don''t got time for these silly feelings right now. There''s still something that doesn''t make sense to me.


    "T-thanks, Boss... but I''m still kinda confused. You said the fire was only part of what you were planning? What was the rest of your idea, then?"


    He thinks about whether or not he should tell me for a minute before deciding it''s no big deal. "Hm. I suppose telling you now would be fine. If it looked like you couldn''t handle it, I was planning on recommending you cover your sword in oil and light it on fire. It wouldn''t have taken long at all to kill the beast with a flaming sword."


    "...Are you shitting me?! You''re saying I coulda had a badass flaming sword moment this entire time, and you didn''t tell me because WHY?!"


    "I knew you were going to react like this..." He sighs, holding his forehead in his palm.


    "Yeah, no shit! I got cheated out of making an epic kill with a flaming great blade just cause you wanted me to learn or whatever! Gods, that would''ve been so badass! C''mon, damn it, we''re finding another one of those fuckers."


    "I think that''s enough Troll fighting for right now, Sam. You smell like a piece of chewed-up, sweaty excrement which has been marinated thoroughly in ass."


    "Wow, way to charm a girl," I roll my eyes. I''d love to see him fight a Moss Troll and come out smelling like daisies...


    "Forgive me for calling it like I see it," He laughs at my expense, and thanks to that sexy smile of his, I find it hard to stay mad at him... grr. "Not only do you need a bath, but we really should let your ankle heal. Let''s get your proof of kill harvested and be on our way."


    Hey, that reminds me. I forgot to ask since I was so panicked earlier... "How much do these things go for, Boss?"


    With a devious smile, he looks me right in the eyes. "Not too much, compared to the rest of the beasties lurking in the Gnarled Woods... just a measly little 2,200G."


    Holy Goddesses above and below! As a Princess, I''m not gonna pretend that I know fuck all about the value of money, but... that''s like twice what I''ve been making for a whole day of killing Slimes and Living Fungi!


    "Is... is that a lot?" I ask, trying to hide my embarrassment over not knowing.


    "It''s not a little." His smirk gets even cheekier, and I feel my heart race just looking at this magnificent bastard.


    "Damn it, Boss...!" I can''t hold back my own smile, or any of my emotions, for that matter. I did an amazing job and made the Guild a huge chunk of change! Damn, I did good today!


    Not even caring that I''m covered in Troll gunk head to toe, I tackle Boss to the ground and hug the crap out of him. I forget about all the fear and anxiety I had over my first big battle, and I start kissing this smartass like there''s no tomorrow.


    Until now, I still had doubts over whether or not I had it in me to chase my dreams... but now? Now there''s no denying it.


    I can do it.


    I can become an amazing adventurer as long as this man is right there by my side. Gods, I''ve never been happier to have left home...

 A New Adventurer Appears

    I didn''t think someone could push me down and cover me in foul-smelling Troll juices and somehow not be mad about it, but Sam finds a way. I hug and kiss her right back without hesitation because I''m just as excited and happy over her success as she is. I usually try my best not to show my pride in her progress to balance her out and keep her grounded, but as we embrace here in the grass, that mask slips.


    It''s a shame that I have to tell her to get off of me and go cut that Moss Troll''s rancid smelling foot off so we can bring it home with us. She''s about as thrilled about me ruining the romantic moment as one would expect, but we can''t just linger here on the edge of the Gnarled Woods like this, especially not while Sam might be injured.


    The warrior takes a few minutes to hack off the monster''s foot, but once she''s done working through the monster''s tough hide and we have it all bagged up, I have Sam take her boot and her stockings off so I can inspect her wound.


    Ever the flirt, Sam can''t resist commenting, "Right here? Right now? Didn''t know you were into that kinda thing, Daddy. Can''t say I''m surprised, though, you perv..."


    I roll my eyes at her latest teasing. "I regret to inform you that while I am a man of wide tastes, feet are most certainly not within my sphere of interest. Perhaps if you didn''t smell like the aftermath of a Troll battle, I would humor you by sniffing your stockings, but alas."


    "Well, there''s always next time, right?" She playfully smirks while I hold up her naked foot for inspection.


    Worst case scenario avoided, I don''t think the ankle is seriously injured at all. "Hmm. Not too bad. It''s swollen, but you can probably walk on it until we get home. Looks to me like it''d clear up in a day..." Sighing, I add in under my breath, "Big relief there, thank the Gods I won''t have to take you to the Doctor..."


    She picks up on my strange comment and asks, "What''s wrong with Doctors?"


    "Oh, nothing. Just thinking to myself is all..." I know I''m avoiding Miss Hart and all that, but my pride is not above taking Sam to see her if I absolutely have to. I''m just relieved that for today, this isn''t the case.


    Sam gets the wrong idea as usual. As she slips back on her stocking, she grins, "Oh? Didja just let your weakness slip there, Daddy? Is someone afraid of Doctors?"


    Clarifying, I avert my gaze. "Someone is afraid of a particular Doctor. I''d rather not talk about it."


    "Hey, If it''s about the needles, I''m totally not gonna judge ya or anything. I get it. Needles suck."


    "Enough about Doctors. For now, we need to get you home."


    Sam ends up dropping the topic, although I can tell she''s not going to go forgetting it, either.


    Really, the longer I put off introducing Sam to Miss Hart, the worse it''s going to be for me in the end. I ought to set aside some time to visit her soon, but I''ve seen her less and less over the last five years. She sent me a cake and a light pouch of gold for my birthday a few months back, telling me to come and visit, but... I was just such a wreck.


    My depression made it hard to summon up the energy to visit the one person I cared about before Sam, and I''m ashamed of myself for that.


    I put the thought aside, for now, opting for more positivity. Instead, I focus on thinking more about Sam''s progress on our way back home. She exceeded my every expectation when defeating the Moss Troll, and I couldn''t be more pleased over that fact.


    I wasn''t lying when I said I knew she could win for sure, but that doesn''t mean I made the best call here. I saw an opportunity and weighed the odds of success versus the risk while keeping the 2,200G bounty in mind, and I pushed Sam to take it. This could have turned south all because I saw an opportunity for us to make some gold...


    No, no... I''m being pointlessly negative again, as always. I need to look at this objectively. My job is to put adventurers in situations of risk and peril for monetary gain and prepare them for the job. I shouldn''t doubt my calculations, even if I feel that withholding the information to see how she fended for herself was maybe a risk that I shouldn''t have taken.


    Sam isn''t the only one here who has a lot to learn, it seems. I also have to critique myself and the decisions I make to improve my abilities as a Guild Master, or I won''t ever grow.


    Speaking of abilities, Sam surprised me out there in more ways than one. Her capacity to improvise during battle is much greater than I previously thought. Adding in slashes to her dodges wasn''t something I taught her, and there''s also the fact that she figured out the fire without my help which ultimately won her the day.


    Sam has proven that when she''s out on the field, she''s capable of making split-second decisions that can alter the flow of combat- and that''s entirely without my guidance. As a mentor, I couldn''t be more pleased with her.


    I''m not going to outright tell her this, but I think it''s plain to see that she''s a natural at fighting. Not sure if I''d go as far as calling her a prodigy, but her sheer potential just becomes more and more apparent every day.


    All this and more stirs throughout my mind as we make the journey home. The townsfolk avoid us even more than usual, thanks to the way we smell. Perhaps we should make a habit of this?


    When we finally reach the little road leading towards the Guild, I end up floating an idea at Sam.


    "How would you feel about taking a break tomorrow?"


    She stops, rubs her chin, and tilts her head. "Maybe if my ankle still hurts? I still kinda wanna get back out there, y''know?"


    "Admirable, but you''ve been adventuring for three days in a row. It¡¯s for the best if you don''t push yourself. Getting into the habit of feeling like you have to be out killing monsters every day of your life is a very toxic trap to fall into." Granted, with the hundreds of thousands of tricks that the Association uses to put its adventurers in debt, most of them can''t help it...


    With a smug smile, Sam asks, "Does this mean you just wanna lay around and fuck all day?"


    "Well, that would be an option after we get the final strength test out of the way... but it wasn''t the reason I brought it up, no."


    "Uh-huh. Sure..." Sam gives me an over-dramatic wink while I reach over and ruffle her hair, rolling my eyes. "Then why did ya bring it up at all, then?"


    I teasingly turn my nose up at her and scoff. "I am shocked that at this point in our relationship, you still fail to grasp the simple fact that, above everything else, I care about you and your well-being and only have your best intentions in mind."


    "W-Wha? Relationship?! W-W-Who said anything about a... a relationship!?" Sam''s cheeks turn my favorite color as she inexplicably looks off to the side.


    By the time I finish laughing at Sam''s adorable antics, we''re already at the ruins of what used to be the front door. Here, I notice an oddity that I was not expecting.


    At the nearest table to the left of the entrance sits a human-sized doll roughly four and a half feet tall. It is dressed in a black, frilly dress with oversized puffy sleeves and with white and blue accents, as well as similarly styled stockings, boots, and fingerless gloves. Around the doll''s neck is a large red bowtie with a gold heart inlaid with a purple amethyst in the middle, which holds together a blue cape that tapers off into three points.


    The doll has short lavender hair styled in a pixie cut, a large pair of circular framed glasses sitting on top of icy, chilled blue eyes, and the cutest little beret resting on the back of its head. It''s looking down to something it holds in its hand, a book titled, ''Age Gap Relationships: Totally Ok, or Alert the Town Guard? - A Treatise by H. Humbertius''.


    Right as I notice the number of suitcases situated around the doll, as well as the magical staff laying horizontally across the table, it blinks, raises its head, and closes the book. As Sam and I stand at the broken-down door, I make eye contact with our visitor and observe.


    Everything about this tiny girl is so lifeless, still, and quiet. Even with eyes as powerful as mine, I couldn''t detect that she was breathing initially. Her eyes are expressionless, studying me with cool integrity and clear purpose.


    I wait for her to say something to break this awkward silence, but I don''t have to wait very long, thanks to Sam.


    Before I can say a word, Sam rushes past me. "Zuzu! You''re finally here!" She shouts, inadvertently shoving me out of the way and slightly dislodging my glasses. In that short moment in time where my eyes are uncovered, I look straight at the girl, expecting my eyes to seize up and throb with pain.


    They don''t.


    Instead, that same sensation of longing, destiny, and desire that I felt when laying eyes on Sam for the first time returns, and it''s just as intense as it was then. I feel it coursing through my everything. My heart rate speeds up, and for the life of me, I can''t look away from her. Only when Sam gets closer, and the girl reaches for her staff to shoo Sam away like a rabid beast do I regain control of myself and push my glasses back onto the bridge of my nose.


    Finally, Zutiria speaks... sort of. She doesn''t open her lips, but magical blue text appears that conveys her thoughts. ''Step away, Sammy. You smell worse than I have ever smelled you. As we both know, that is saying something.''


    "Come on and let me hug you, damn it!"


    More text materializes, reading, ''Not until you bathe.'' As the guest continues swatting the Princess to keep her at a distance, what appears to be a minuscule smile shows up on her blank face.


    Sam groans and sits a good five feet away from the Mage on the table, slumping her shoulders and finally accepting that she won''t get to hug her old friend until she washes off the Troll residue.


    I''m still a little surprised by the way that Zutiria communicates. I''ve met one or two Mages who exclusively spoke through telepathy, believing that using their mouths was beneath their high-and-mighty magical asses, but I''ve never met one who ''speaks'' entirely through floating text.


    I brush the observation aside for now since I''m afraid the way I''ve been staring might¡¯ve left a wrong impression on our guest. I need to remedy this, so I take a step forward and perform the most courteous bow. "Greetings, and welcome to the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild."


    ''Nice.'' She blinks.


    "...Yes, indeed. It is an honor to meet you after hearing so much about you, Miss Syndaline."


    Sam rolls her eyes. "You don''t gotta be so stuffy, Boss. Just call her Zuzu."


    ''Thank you for the warm greeting.'' Zutiria looks at me, her almost invisible smile disappearing. ''I assume that you''re the one in the letter, then? The Guild Master that my dear Sammy is currently involved in a scandalous relationship with?''


    Well, that''s one way of putting it. It''s impossible to guess this girl''s tone or her implications, given how I''m literally reading plain text whenever she speaks. Still, it certainly feels like I''m being put under scrutiny here.


    There''s no use in fighting it, and I decide it''s better to just openly admit to everything I''ve done. With a weary sigh, I hang my head and tell her, "That would indeed be me, I suppose."


    "Hey! I-I''m not in a... r-relationship with him or anything!" Sam cuts in, embarrassed about the r-word, until the Mage whacks her over the head with her staff, silencing her. It''s a soft blow that''s not anywhere near enough to hurt Sam, making the whole affair look rather comical.


    ''Behave, you.'' Zutiria gives Sam a look that I guess is supposed to be threatening. It doesn''t look that way to me, but Sam shrinks in her seat. ''And as for you, Guild Master... how did you come to entangle yourself with my dear little Sammy?''


    The feeling that I''m about to face the repercussions of seducing a barely legal Princess intensifies. Now my heart is beating, but it''s for a whole different reason. Sam thought this friend of hers would be understanding, and for whatever reason, she even assumed the Mage would hop into bed with us, but so far, I''m not getting that impression from her at all.


    Why I trusted Sam''s judgment for even a moment is beyond me, that naive little...


    "If anything, she was the one who entangled herself with me. After that point, well. We were already entangled, so I may have thrown caution to the wind and crossed an additional line or two..." I mutter defensively, unable to look this little lady in the eyes.


    The Princess laughs heartily. "Yeah. I kept flirtin'' with him and told him to grow some balls. He did, and he owned up to wanting to fuck me, so we fucked." Sam unnecessarily explains, making this situation sound infinitely worse.


    ''I was afraid something like that might be the case,'' Zutiria sighs, but almost no sound comes out. ''You poor man. Has she hurt you? Have you been threatened? Ah, wait...'' The Mage looks around the room, then shakes her head out of what I assume to be pity. ''I see how it is. Is Sammy the reason this Guild is in tatters? She must have had one of her tantrums...''


    I''m almost tempted to say yes and blame it on the proverbial dog, but I merely retort, "No, that''s actually my-"


    "What the fuck, Zu?!" Sam blushes, looking like she''s about to pounce on the girl she claimed was her dearest friend, but who until now has only swatted her with a magical staff and teased her. "I am gonna come over there and cover you in SO much Troll slime...!!"


    Zutiria ignores this threat, merely looking right into my eyes as she says, ''Thank you for watching over her until now. Now that I''ve arrived, If you wish for me to take Sammy away, then all you have to do is say so. Judging by the state of things around here, you clearly have enough to deal with as it is.''


    The mood in the room becomes dark. Sam''s mouth hangs wide open as she grows panicked. "Zuzu...? Wait, wait, wait... the fuck are you even saying right now?"


    Zutiria responds without looking at the Princess. ''I''m talking to the good Sir, Sammy. Not you.''


    Sam grits her teeth, anger rising. "You can''t take me back home. I''m not ever going back. I refuse."


    ''I didn''t say I would take you home, merely away from here. I don''t want you inconveniencing this poor gentleman if he doesn''t wish for it.''


    Sam becomes mortified as if the thought of being separated from me were somehow even worse than being forced to go back home. "Boss-"


    "That''s enough out of both of you!" I catch everyone''s attention by raising my voice and placing my hands up. "Let me speak before this escalates any further. Zutiria?"


    ''Yes?''


    "It''s very kind of you to be concerned over whether or not Sam is inconveniencing me. The thing is, I''m afraid you''re mistaken. What would be the greatest inconvenience is if you took her away from me."


    Rudely interrupting, the still grumpy Sam feels it necessary to add, "Yeah, ''cause you''d lose all this free pussy..."


    I''m not proud of it, but my anger gets the best of me. I slam my fist on the wooden table, snapping, "Let me monologue, woman!"


    Sam shrinks back, and Zutiria''s blank expression changes when she raises a single eyebrow. ''The floor is yours, Sir.''


    "Thank you..." I let out a relieved sigh and brush back my hair with my hand before looking down at the petite Mage sitting on the table. "I''ve not known Sam for very long, but she already means more to me than I could reasonably expect anyone else to believe. This isn''t about romance, or even sex, although there''s that, too. Sam represents the only hope I have to salvage my career and make something of myself before it''s too late."


    Zutiria tilts her head, adjusting her glasses. ''You''re openly admitting to using her?''


    "Yes. We''re using each other. I help Sam, Sam helps me, and we both become better off for it. I can''t run this Guild without her, and I don''t want to. Furthermore... Sam has so much sheer potential. I''m insulted to see that her talents have been left to wither on the vine until now. This might not be the best place in Karnalle for her to receive the training she needs, but damn it, I want to support this girl with everything I have because I want to see how just far she can rise!"


    Silence. Pure, unadulterated, uncomfortable silence.


    Sam''s face turns red, and Zutiria stares at me without saying a word.


    Realization sinks in.


    Did I really say all of that? I... did not mean to monologue for as long as I did. Forget Sam getting shy. Even I feel myself start to blush at how embarrassing all of that was... not that I didn''t mean every last word.


    Zutiria pauses, then looks at Sam. ''You weren''t exaggerating in your letter. He does say embarrassing things.''


    Sam stares at her feet, her face so distant that I worry it wandered into a different dimension, "H-Huh? Yeah... uh... that... uh-huh..."


    "Ok, that was a little much, I admit-"


    Zutiria places a finger to her lips, telling me to quiet myself. ''Shush, Sir. I wasn''t actually planning on taking Sammy anywhere. Changing her mind is next to impossible.''


    "Wait, really? Then what was all this drama about?"


    ''I merely wanted to put you in a situation where you would show your true feelings for Sammy and illuminate to me what sort of character you truly possess. I might have done something had you proven yourself to be a scumbag, but even then. I trust Sammy''s judgment. I knew you would live up to everything she said about you in her letter, and I''m pleased to inform you that no further action on my part is necessary. I''ve concluded that you do not give off creepy predator vibes.''


    Never have I been happier to hear that sentence in my life. I let out a deep sigh, and my heart rate finally settles into something resembling normalcy.


    Now that there''s a significant load off of my chest, I feel like I can afford a little joke to further lower the tension. "Well, with all due respect, there''s plenty of time for me to prove you wrong."


    It works, and not long after, Zutiria''s smile reappears. ''You''re funny. I''m already starting to see what Sammy sees in you.''


    "Yeah," Sam replies, thinking someone was talking to her. Zutiria and I both look at Sam and then each other.


    ''You really did a number on her with that monologue of yours.'' She says, adjusting her large, circular glasses.


    "She''ll get over it. She always does."


    "Uh-huh..." Sam awkwardly nods, cheeks still red.


    "Now that all of that business is settled, can I ask if you''ll be staying with us? I''m not sure what all Sam said in her letter, but-"


    ''I''m planning on staying here, yes. I don''t ever have much going on in life, so here I am. As for what was discussed in the letter,'' She pauses her text, deliberately letting me idle on the implications. ''We''ll see how things pan out.''


    "Alright. If you''ll excuse the both of us so we can go and get cleaned up, I''ll help you with your luggage."


    ''That would be lovely. Would you mind doing me a favor, first?''


    "Anything to be of service."


    ''Come here for a moment,'' Zutiria reaches out with her hand, crooking her finger to beckon me closer.


    With no good reason to refuse, I step forward. The Mage stands up on the wooden bench so that we''re roughly equal in height. Seeing this new girl up close and personal only brings back those odd desires I felt when staring at her before. I feel her icy blue eyes staring me up and down, only for her to lean in close enough that I can almost taste her delicate lips.


    ''I was told your eyes are magic,''


    "You were told correctly."


    ''And that unless you''re wearing your glasses, your eyes hurt whenever you''re not looking at Sammy?''


    "...Yes, for whatever reason."


    ''Yet only moments ago, I caught you staring at me as if I were the most beautiful thing you''d ever seen. you were doing so without your glasses.'' Zutiria places a single hand on my cheek, taking me by surprise. She trails it across my face before taking the rim of my glasses and pulling them down over my nose. ''What do you feel when you look at me?''


    Part of me struggles to be truthful when confronted like this, but the rest of me feels overwhelmed with the feeling that I can trust this strange little Mage with all my secrets and then some. Just like with Sam, Zutiria pulls on my heartstrings despite rationality.


    ''Go on,'' She pats my head as if I were a child. ''There are no wrong answers.''


    Sighing, the dam breaks, and it all comes flooding out. "When I look at you, I feel something that you might say resembles love at first sight. I felt it with Sam, too."


    Without even blinking, she continues to stare as she questions, ''And do you believe this feeling is natural?''


    "No, of course it''s not natural to feel this way over someone I just met. Especially not twice in six days."


    ''But you do feel it, yes?'' She leans in even closer, our lips only inches apart. ''When you look at me, you feel that you want to hold me? That you want to kiss me? To make me into your woman just as you did to innocent, little Sammy?''


    "You''re putting a lot of words in my mouth, Zutiria," I feel like I''m losing my mind being so close to her, and I don''t like the thoughts racing through my head. "But I can''t say that you''re wrong."


    Zutiria''s expressionless eyes remain the same, but her mouth lifts up into the most genuine smile I''ve out of her yet. Her lips tremble as if she''s not used to this, and a slight pinkness rises in her dainty cheeks.


    ''Interesting... very, very, interesting. I think I''m going to enjoy my time here, Sir.'' Her text reads. Zutiria brushes her lavender bangs to the side of her face as she pulls away from me, ridding me of all that temptation.


    "Sure will," Sam mindlessly says, still staring at her feet.

 Zutiria Syndaline, the Silent Sorcereress

    For what it''s worth, Rise of the Guild Master got super popular even before all my improvements, so there still should be plenty for you to like. Thank you for reading this!


    I¡¯m still having trouble wrapping my head around it. It¡¯s a bit surreal, sure, but isn¡¯t this going to be a problem...?


    I made a very fast dinner for all three of us, less for Sam, obviously, but as the tiny girl eats her meal she¡¯s able to fully converse with me and answer any questions I might have.


    We talk briefly about the days Sam and I have spent together already and Zutiria takes them in, registering all the little details. We explain that we¡¯ve been testing the magical effects of my semen, a weird dinner conversation for sure but if the little lady minds she doesn¡¯t tell us, and we also talk a bit about myself and my goals for the guild.


    She remains silent the entire time, verbally at least. Zutiria continues to respond via what I assume to be a low level illusion spell, creating the words she wants me to read as her response conveniently in my field of vision. Curiously, even if Sam shouldn¡¯t be able to read the words from her position she is able to respond just as well. This is why I believe it¡¯s an illusion spell. I¡¯m assuming that the mage is broadcasting the words to both of us and we don¡¯t see the overlapping words because, again, they¡¯re transmitted twice individually.


    This is a very odd method of communication and I finally bring myself to ask the burning question despite how aware I am of its potential rudeness. ¡°So, Zutiria. You can¡¯t speak? Or you won¡¯t?¡±


    ¡®I am unaware. I haven¡¯t spoken a word in a very long time and if I tried now I have no idea whether I would even be able to or not.¡¯ Zutiria says while eating her baked potato in the most delicate, dainty manner possible.


    Sam takes on the appearance of a concerned older sister and gives me a worried look. ¡°Don¡¯t ask her too much about this kinda stuff, Boss. It¡¯s really personal for her...¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s fine, little one. If I¡¯m to remain by your side and stay here, the Master will need to know more about me. Ask, and I will answer.¡¯ Her cold blue gaze stares right at me, letting me know it¡¯s ok to proceed.


    ¡°Do you mind a very blunt question, then?¡± I put my glasses away into my pocket, taking in the clarity of the adorable mage in full.


    ¡®No need, I have read the letter. I am well aware that we will be sharing a bed and that it will end in necessary sexual intercourse. I came prepared for that eventuality and humbly ask that you treat me gently as I am entirely inexperienced. Allow me to apologize in advance if you find my body or my skill lacking.¡¯ Even as she says this Zutiria¡¯s expression doesn¡¯t change a single time, remaining as unblemished by emotion as ever.


    I blush heavily, unpacking that all at once. ¡°N-NO! That wasn¡¯t where I was going with that...!¡±


    Sam laughs hard and hits the table with her fist, making all the mugs, plates and cutlery jump with a loud clatter. ¡°What¡¯d I tell ya, Boss! Another virgin for your collection!¡±


    I think I see Zutiria smile, but I¡¯m too embarrassed to tell for sure or not. ¡°Damn it, Sam...¡± I sigh and watch as she sticks her tongue out at me.


    Sam¡¯s hearty attitude dies down just a bit and she puts her elbow on the table to learn closer to Zutiria. For a moment she¡¯s dead serious. ¡°About that, though. You sure it¡¯s not gonna be weird... doing stuff to each other? You and me, Zuzu? I mean, you practically...¡±


    It occurs to me now, a lot later than it probably should have, that Zutiria is much younger looking than Sam. A nervous sweat pours from my brow.


    ¡®I have always loved you, Sammy. If you had asked me, I would have done anything to please you, after you came of age of course.¡¯ Sam tears up at her ¡®words¡¯ and hugs the petite mage, who responds by petting her golden, tousled hair once more.


    Wait a second, that didn¡¯t sound quite right. None of this sounds fucking right now that I¡¯m thinking about it- this entire time the little girl¡¯s been mature, collected and had Sam wrapped around her tiny finger. Sam respected Zuzu, and clearly saw her as something other than a little sister which is what I initially assumed. Not only that, but if she was as young as she looked would Sam REALLY be inviting her into our bed?!


    ¡°Zutiria. How old are you?¡± My eye twitches from stress.


    ¡®35.¡¯


    I blink.


    ¡°35?¡±


    35. The petite girl hands me a bronze ranked hero-ing license identical to Sam¡¯s, and indeed, the year listed as her birthday would make her 35 as of now.


    I blink again, harder.


    Sam blurts out laughing. ¡°You... Boss, were you thinking I would actually invite some little kid to come have sex with us?!¡±


    ¡®Ha.¡¯ Zutiria laughs as well, though her cold face sure as hell doesn¡¯t look it.


    I let out a deep sigh of relief and brush off Sam¡¯s jab. ¡°So when you said you haven¡¯t talked in a long time...¡±


    ¡®The last words I spoke were on the day of my 8th birthday, 27 years ago. As for my appearance, many magic users age at a much slower pace. This is what I looked like when I was 18, and nothing has changed since. I hope it¡¯s to your liking Guild Master, Sir.¡¯


    I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m having a harder time believing, her age or her not having talked for 27 fucking years. Does she even have vocal cords anymore, or are they vestigial by this point? I need to steer this conversation back to what I was trying to ask earlier.


    Just as the little lady finished up the last of her dinner, I get on with it and asked directly. ¡°Do you rely on non-verbal magic, then?¡±


    ¡®Yes. I can do a few tricks with runes as well, but they¡¯re incredibly situational and not suited for combat.¡¯


    ¡°Forgive me. I¡¯m just concerned because, well... I¡¯m an avid reader of anything I can get my hands on, especially if it¡¯s about the many types of adventurers or magic. I¡¯m only worried because by all accounts in my readings, non verbal magic doesn¡¯t bring out even 1/100th of a mage¡¯s power.¡±


    ¡®That is correct. Zutiria nods her head. I expect to be a complete and total liability able to contribute almost nothing on any given quest. Thank you for taking care of me.¡¯ The little mage bows her head politely towards me and I shoot a sudden, threatening glance at Sam.


    ¡°I thought you said your friend was a super powerful black mage, Sam.¡±


    The Princess begins to panic, ¡°She IS, Boss! She¡¯s like... one of the strongest mages the Kingdom has ever seen! I wouldn¡¯t lie to you, would I...?!¡±


    I sigh, knowing that the ¡®not a Princess¡¯ Princess was nothing but one huge lie, but not feeling up to calling her out on it.


    ¡®She is correct, for what it¡¯s worth. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s another magic user alive who¡¯s more powerful than me.¡¯ As I read her floating words, a chill runs down my spine. That cold glare of hers is dead serious, she¡¯s not joking. Whether or not she¡¯s telling the truth, Zutiria certainly believes it to be.


    ¡°If you¡¯re so strong then why don¡¯t you... you know.¡± It gets awkward as I desperately want to ask her about the reason for her silence, but can¡¯t bring myself to just up and do it.


    Zutiria, at least, takes it on herself to answer me. ¡®Speech is a very scary thing, Guild Master. Words don¡¯t always mean what you think they mean, and once spoken they can never be unspoken. You have to live the rest of your life with the reality of your words... knowing you chose them and could have at any time chosen better ones, or better yet, chosen to have never said a single thing at all.¡¯


    Even though I cannot hear her voice, I feel the pain behind the words she so delicately chose. ¡°Shit. You really are older than me, huh...?¡± I nervously laugh out of embarrassment. ¡°That was really well ¡®spoken¡¯.¡±


    Sam takes on a defensive, angry look and glares at me for the first time in our relationship. She pulls the emotionless doll into her bouncing titties and cradles her like one would a frightened animal. ¡°STOP BEING MEAN TO ZUZU, BOSS! You¡¯re making her sad!¡±


    ¡®I am fine.¡¯ Zutiria confirms and looks up at Sam, face turning blue from lack of air thanks to Sam¡¯s deathly tit squeeze. The Princess releases her and Zuzu gasps for air, giving me the first tiny hint of her soft, breathy voice.


    ¡°I promise I¡¯m not normally this rude, Miss. You see, my Guild is in ruins and I was told we¡¯d have a powerful new recruit coming to stay with us... I was hoping that... well, you¡¯d be able to help bring in more income here.¡± I sigh, and catch Sam looking a bit upset, too. She clearly feels bad about bringing someone ¡®useless¡¯ to my attention but I¡¯ve already found myself taken with the little mage. She¡¯s charming, elegant, incredibly knowledgeable and cute as a button to boot.


    I¡¯m not about to go kicking her out over something stupid like how useful she is or not.


    Then, to my surprise, Zutiria manifests a new set of words for me to read. ¡®Would you like a demonstration of my powers?¡¯


    ¡°Sure, I- yeah. Yeah that would be nice.¡± I nod my head and place my glasses back on in the event that either girl leaves my line of sight. ¡°Follow me, please.¡±


    To my surprise, as I turn to lead them away the petite girl grabs ahold of my hand, clutching at it with her tiny fingers. She smiles up at me- an actual smile- and the words ¡®Thank you for dinner, Sir. You are a wonderful chef.¡¯ appear for me to read. With her free hand she summons her staff and begins to walk forward with me in tow as she does so.


    I blush. Hard. She¡¯s something completely different to Sam, I don¡¯t think the brash tomboy could elicit this kind of reaction from me whatsoever, but Zutiria is infectiously cute and it¡¯s hard for my bitter, cynical heart not to melt when she looks at me that way.


    Sam follows us and giggles, sporting a shiteating grin. ¡°I think Daddy likes you, Zuzu.¡±


    ¡°Sam-¡± I fight the urge to call her a little brat but I¡¯m interrupted by Zutiria once more.


    ¡®That¡¯s ok. I think I like him, too.¡¯ As she says this her face goes back to its typical neutral expression making her as hard to read as ever. What an adorable mystery.


    I lead the girls out back where we used to have a small training ground set up for when the Guild was more active. Like the rest of this place, I stopped giving a shit a few years back and most of the equipment was strewn all around haphazardly. Now, only a single training dummy stood a vigilant watch over the perimeter.


    I bow and point towards the dummy, offering it to Zutiria. ¡°Feel free to have at it, use a low level spell if it¡¯s easier for you.¡±


    Sam apparently does not save her love taps exclusively for me, and playfully punches the little mage in the shoulder. ¡°You got this, Zuzu!¡± She cheers her on, despite the poor target wincing in tremendous pain as the punch connects. Zutiria clearly is much, much more delicate than I am and Sam¡¯s cluelessness baffles me to the point of a deep sigh.


    ¡®Alright, thank you, Sir. I¡¯ll use an entry level fire spell, then.¡¯ Burnhit. Zutiria raises her heart staff and I can feel the distinct, powerful sensation of mana pulsing through the air. What happens next is thoroughly underwhelming.


    The little mage closes her eyes and I assume recites the incantation mentally. She points her magic staff at the training dummy and a tiny little ember of fire no larger than a lemon bursts into existence at the tippy top.


    Instead of shooting, it lazily glides over to its target and poofs up into a very, very tiny explosion. No damage was done to the dummy besides the tiniest of scorch marks, and it lives to take damage another day.


    Zutiria, for whatever reason, makes a determined face and pumps her fist into the air as if congratulating herself. A proud little blush appears on her cheeks and Sam rushes to celebrate her enormous accomplishment.


    ¡°Great job, Zuzu! You did really good for not using the incantation or whatever!¡± Her highness hoists the little mage up into the air and hugs her. Zutiria shows no reaction.


    ¡°That... was not good. I¡¯m sorry, Zutiria.¡± I¡¯m trying my best not to sound disappointed or rude. Maybe her non verbal magic will get stronger after she¡¯s had my semen? Yes, I have to focus on the positives here. I¡¯m a smart man. Zutiria, like Sam, is a new weapon for me to utilize. I can work with this, neither of them are perfect but if I can work on Sam¡¯s faults then why not this girl¡¯s?


    Then, Zutiria says something that surprises both myself and the young Princess. She struggles and holds on tightly to her staff with both of her tiny hands, and a small bead of sweat forms on her forehead. Her eyes stare down to the dirty earth of the training grounds below, and her lips tremble as if trying to open them but failing very hard.


    ¡®Sir. I¡¯m sorry to have failed you- especially after everything you¡¯ve already done for me. Giving me a place in your home and a job, making me a delicious dinner, and most importantly, taking care of my dear Sammy. It¡¯s more than someone like me deserves. So I would like you to witness as I... attempt... to speak... out loud.¡¯


    Sam¡¯s eyes shoot open wide as can be and she looks to the mage. ¡°WHOA whoa whoa- Zuzu you don¡¯t have to do this! I-I¡¯ve never seen you try to talk a single time in all the years I¡¯ve known you... you don¡¯t need to start now!¡±


    ¡°Zutiria, please don¡¯t go out of your way just for my sake!¡± I rush to her and place my large hands on her tiny shoulders and look her in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going to pretend to know why you stopped talking, but... I¡¯m not worth you hurting yourself over. Don¡¯t stress so much about this. It¡¯s fine- YOU¡¯RE fine. You¡¯re welcome to stay with us regardless of your ability.¡±


    Zutiria looks up at me with her tranquil, distant gaze and a tiny smile manifests. ¡®Saying that just makes me want to try even harder, Sir. Move aside.¡¯


    Sam and I share a concerned look with each other before nodding.


    I move out of the way and feel the air run thick with mana once more as the little one raises her magical staff into the air. I¡¯ve... never felt such raw, untapped magical power before.


    The overwhelming pressure of it causes me to break out in sweat and gasp for breath as the energy washes over me in waves. Zutiria¡¯s mouth opens fully, and she takes a deep breath of air herself to match mine, and the tiniest little spark appears at the tip of her magical weapon.


    I brace myself for what¡¯s about to happen, my eyes pick up all the signs that this is not going to be a tiny little campfire when ignited, it¡¯ll be a wicked flame that consumes the world. I almost break down and beg her to stop before she dooms us all, but before I can Zutiria begins to ¡®speak¡¯.


    ¡°...HhhhhhhrrrrIIIIACK!! ACH- GAHCKK! AHHH... Hhhhaaa...¡± It felt like she was trying to say something but not only did it come out completely wrong, but it caused the poor girl¡¯s little vocal cords to have a fit and tear themselves up in a coughing episode.


    The spark that would have fueled an inferno dissipates and the mage drops her staff, her hands immediately running straight to her throat and holding it cautiously.


    ¡°ZUZU!¡± Sam rushes back to her side and I¡¯m not far behind.


    ¡°You little fool!¡± I¡¯m struck with worry and drop down on one knee to see eye to eye with her. ¡°I told you not to do this for my sake... I-¡±


    Zutiria smiles up at me- a real, genuine full smile. Her eyes are teary and exhausted but she surprises me deeply by giving me a tiny thumbs up. ¡®Looks like I still have vocal cords after all, Sir. Just need to keep practicing, I suppose.¡¯


    Sam gasps deeply before tearing up herself and bending down, wrapping the three of us together in an intensely savage bear hug from which neither I nor Zutiria can hardly breathe. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Zuzu, you... you actually tried! And it was so good!!¡±


    ¡°You really weren¡¯t kidding about how strong you were. For just a minute there, I could feel it. I feel bad for even doubting you.¡± I laugh and pull out of the hug before it irreparably damaged my rib cage, and reach out to tousle Zutiria¡¯s hair the same way I do for Sam.


    Zutiria looks up at me though with a curious face, and for a second I think that I upset her. My fears are unfounded when she spells out, ¡®What do you mean you ¡®could feel it¡¯...?¡¯


    ¡°I could see and feel the mana pressure in the air, and looking at you gave me a pretty good indication that the spell you were preparing was going to be very powerful.¡± I tilt my head and scratch my pointed beard. ¡°You felt it too, right Sam?¡±


    Sam obviously isn¡¯t following along with Zutiria¡¯s reasoning and doesn¡¯t see the big deal, so she casually blows it off. ¡°All I saw was this little cutie raising her staff up. Didn¡¯t feel anything off or nothin¡¯. What¡¯s the big deal?¡±


    Zutiria studies me once more with fierce determination, almost to the point of unnerving me. Eventually she points to my eyes with her staff and then surprisingly reaches down and grabs my dick as if it were a totally normal thing to do, then asks, ¡®Are you sure these are the only magic things about you? You¡¯re not a mage and you haven¡¯t practiced any forms of magic, right? Normal people shouldn¡¯t be able to pick up things like that.¡¯


    I blush from her spontaneous non-sexual groping of my dick and shake my head. ¡°No, never.¡± A nervous sweat bead falls down my temple for what feels like the millionth time tonight. ¡°It¡¯s probably more to do with my eyes, I guess. It¡¯s not like I have a manual about them and I¡¯ve never known the full extent of what I can do, you know.¡±


    Zutiria looks to Sam, and then smiles before tugging the warrior¡¯s shoulder strap downwards. This makes her lean down low enough that Zutiria can give the young Princess an adorable kiss on her cheek. ¡®Thank you, Sammy. You¡¯ve given me the single most exciting research subject I could ever dream of undertaking.¡¯


    Sam blushes heavily and plays it off, but seeing her react to the little lavender cutie is adorable. ¡°Oh you know me, I saw this magic fuckin¡¯ old dude and was like ¡®shit I need to tell Zuzu¡¯! No big deal.¡± She laughs and leaves out the part where she deliberately invited her closest companion over with the explicit goal of expanding my fledgling harem.


    Zutiria turns to face me once more and a slight blush forms on her cheeks making her look stunningly beautiful when coupled with her cold, icy stare and the pink of her lips. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sir. But now you have my complete attention. I won¡¯t be leaving until I know everything there is to know about you, and you won¡¯t be able to be rid of me even if you tried.¡¯


    The little lady grabs me by my collar and delicately glides me down to her face where she then promptly gifts me the pleasure of her first romantic kiss, and my face burns with embarrassment. Sam over on the sideline giggles and cat-calls us but I¡¯m deaf to her teasing as I kiss Zutiria back.


    Her lips are soft- delicate, just like her. Nowhere near as full as Sam¡¯s, but they are just as sweet as they meekly tease and play with my own.


    Regrettably, our kiss eventually ends and Zutiria looks at me with another of her gentle smiles. Soon afterwards her eyes shine with a quiet, intellectual curiosity. ¡®Now then- let¡¯s start the research. I believe there was a mention of magical semen, yes?¡¯

 A Beautiful Doll

    Just a week or so after the first one arrived, another beautiful girl sat atop my bed waiting for me with bated breath. Making it all the more enticing is that the first one, Sam, was alongside us and more than eager to help. In my long loneliness I¡¯ve enjoyed a number of erotic tales and tomes where one man would be surrounded by beautiful women as far as the eye could see, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it would happen to me.


    What did I do to deserve this?


    Zutiria sits politely on her knees, resting her little hands on them. Her cheeks are flushed and yet the look in her eyes is just as resolute as before. She wants this, and so does Sam.


    ¡®I have a small request, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria says as she takes off her large, round glasses and hands them to Sam to put over on the bedside table.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I say after tossing my vest into a nearby hamper. ¡°I know what to do. I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s dick is anything but gentle, don¡¯t let him fool you!¡± Sam playfully hugs Zutiria from behind, causing the petite one to blush further.


    ¡°Sam-¡±


    ¡®I appreciate your concern but that wasn¡¯t where I was going with this. I wanted to tell you not to worry about my first time or what have you.¡¯ Zutiria sits up and leans over the bed to start unbuttoning my dress shirt. Her tiny fingers brush across my chest and looking down into her calm yet stunningly erotic face, I can¡¯t help but blush at her readily apparent eagerness.


    ¡®On the contrary, you don¡¯t need to worry about being rough with me. I lived in a lonely tower all alone the vast majority of my life until now. There wasn¡¯t much else to do when I got bored of studying and experimenting.¡¯ Her lewd dictation doesn¡¯t change the expressionless look on her face, surprisingly.


    ¡°I woulda helped if you said something!¡± Sam unbuckles her breast plate, and I watch as the jiggling heft of her titties drop from above into their place.


    ¡®You were underage. Don¡¯t make this weird for me.¡¯ Zutiria looks back at Sam while she blushes even harder.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok. Daddy fucked me the day after I turned 18 anyway so I think you two have a lot in common.¡± Sam inches closer to the edge of the bed to join us.


    ¡°Sam, you really are such a fucking brat.¡± I remove my glasses and put them into my pocket, making a mental note to myself of where I left them knowing full well these pants aren¡¯t staying on much longer. ¡°Stop being an attention whore and remember that tonight is about Zutiria.¡±


    Sam¡¯s embarrassment grows exponentially and she shirks back slightly. I think I hit a submissive nerve because her next words were, ¡°Sorry, Daddy. Sorry, Zuzu...¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I reach out and pat her head, while Zutiria looks up to me in astonishment.


    ¡®I¡¯ve never seen Sammy like this. I didn¡¯t know she had a submissive bone in her body, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°My Princess is a handful, but if I¡¯m forceful enough she knows not to misbehave.¡± I lift Sam¡¯s chin up to look at me, and she nods her head smiling like a nice little pet. Yeah, she¡¯s definitely feeling subby tonight. Guess the excitement of our company got to her.


    Zuzu¡¯s expression changes to a look of mild worry, or as close as her dulled reactions are able to make it, and turns to Sam. ¡®Princess? I thought you said he didn¡¯t... you know.¡¯


    ¡°Such a strange fetish, a warrior asking her older lover to refer to her only as ¡®Princess¡¯, wouldn¡¯t you say Zutiria?¡± I say as Sam begins to sweat nervously, drawing the attention back to myself.


    The little lady looks at me with a knowing glance. I can tell she¡¯s already figured out the gist of it. I know who Sam really is, yet I¡¯m playing along so as not to stir up more trouble than necessary. Evidently this is good enough for Zutiria, who merely nods at me after picking up my implications.


    ¡°Daddyyyy, how much longer till you fuck her? I¡¯m so impatient...¡± Sam lurks over Zutiria from behind and wraps her arms seductively around her friend¡¯s slim waist. Zutiria falls back into the embrace, but looks at me with a quivering lip.


    ¡°We need to ease her into it.¡± I remove what¡¯s left of my clothes until all that remains is my boxers, and both blushing girls are now privy to the massive tent pitching from behind the fabric.


    ¡®May I suck you first, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s words appear the same as ever, but reading them feels different. Like I can sense the yearning hidden behind and feel the anxiety, or should I say nervous excitement of what¡¯s to come.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Like any man would deny such a request, I think to myself. ¡°But first... Princess, please slowly strip my beautiful little doll of her clothes, if you would be so kind?¡±


    Zutiria blushes so madly and her mouth opens wide as if trying so desperately to speak. ¡®Your... your doll...?¡¯ After thinking about it for a moment, I see acceptance from across her body language thanks to my eyes. More so than that, I can tell she actually likes my idea for her playful nickname.


    ¡°Anything you want, Daddy. We bathed together in the roya... er, p-public bath before... haha... trust me, you¡¯re in for a treat.¡± Sam loses composure for just a second before catching herself and pressing on. Her hands begin to work their way across the petite girl¡¯s delicate and dainty body, taking off her beret, and then her blue cape, followed shortly by her frilled shawl.


    ¡°Lift your legs.¡± I look down at Zutiria and do my best to sound commanding, but not threatening.


    ¡®Yes, Sir.¡¯ She responds by lifting them both off the edge of the bed, where I kneel before her like a knight to greet them. Zutira blushes at my formality, especially when I delicately slide the tiny boots off from the bottoms of her feet.


    The little lady is clearly not used to being treated like this, but then again, she¡¯s not used to any sort of intimate contact at all. But she¡¯s incredibly different from Sam and has her own likes and dislikes- all of which I intend to figure out on my own. But I¡¯ll admit that I already have a bias.


    I want to make Zutiria feel special. I want to take care of her- tenderly- and treat her like the most priceless treasure I¡¯ve ever seen. My beautiful little doll. Not a toy, no, but a doll. Beautiful and perfect beyond words, a picturesque portrait of feminine frailty that I scarcely doubt could be matched by any other woman.


    As my blood begins to boil just from thinking about this, my eyes meet with Zutiria¡¯s once more. I felt it before, but now it¡¯s certain. A definite fact stirs within me that I can¡¯t explain, almost as if a higher power were whispering into my ear that Zutiria Syndaline was made for me, just as Sam, or should I say her Crown Princess Samantha Lundreame was made for me. I swear to the gods, this isn¡¯t my ego talking.


    A great, or perhaps terrible purpose echoes throughout me. This looming destiny of mine, just as it involved Sam, Zutiria was a part of it. Deeper within me still, I knew Zutiria would be far from the last of my destined, if there were even a limit to them at all.


    I look up to see my precious doll, my little mage, and extend my hand to her. ¡°Hands.¡±


    She stares down, expectantly blushing as Sam traces her slight curves from behind. With nervous reluctance, she slowly raises both of her little hands to me and I strip them of her cyan trimmed blue-black fingerless gloves. I take them into mine and marvel at how small the girl really was. My hands were twice as large as hers and it felt good to cover them.


    ¡°Sam.¡± I utter, my tone commanding more than any words could hope to.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy.¡± Sam drools a bit, lewd girl she is, and slowly rises up the frilled hem of Zutiria¡¯s black dress to greet me with a delicious view of her partner¡¯s supple thighs. Sam lingers just before exposing the mage¡¯s panties to me, until finally she slips the dress up even further and reveals a lacy black set of adult looking underwear with cyan trim, matching the rest of her outfit.


    Delighted, I smile at the beautiful and bashful doll. ¡°Do you always wear such adult apparel, Zutiria?¡±


    ¡®I might not look like it, but I¡¯m a woman. I want to feel sexy and confident just as much as anyone else, even if I lack the natural assets of someone like my well endowed friend here.¡¯ Zutiria meekly turns her gaze away from my piercing eyes and is surprised when she¡¯s greeted by a sudden and passionate kiss from the blonde princess. It was every bit as romantic and loving as the kiss Zutiria and I had shared just a little time ago.


    I watch in amazement as the two girls wrestle with their long restrained affections for one another, clearly having a lot of pent up feelings the two will need to work through even without my involvement.


    Finally, Sam¡¯s questing tongue leaves the mage¡¯s mouth and she pulls back with a lustful gaze. ¡°You¡¯re just as beautiful as me, Zuzu. Probably more. So come on. Show him the rest on your own.¡±


    The little one nods at her suggestion and meekly removes the dress from her body, revealing a matching bra in the same style as its sister below. Zutiria¡¯s skin is pale, soft, and begging to be touched and caressed. Her nervousness only makes her all that more appealing to me and my desire rises- and it¡¯s far from the only thing that does so.


    Her cold blue eyes dart to my pulsing manhood, still constricted under the tightness of my boxers. Doing her best to help, the young Princess takes Zutiria¡¯s hands and places them around the hem of my undergarments before releasing them- letting the mage have the pleasure of revealing my naked cock for herself. Just as slowly as she does everything else, Zutiria pulls down my pants and her eyes grow uncharacteristically wide as she sees me in my glory for the first time.


    Her mouth opens and sweat beads on her forehead. Suddenly, Sam and I hear a delicate, low vibration from the back of Zutiria¡¯s throat and we both grow concerned immediately. She¡¯s trying to speak.


    ¡°....... w.... www...¡± She stutters, before frowning and closing her mouth. Wow. Her magical text appears, but she looks downtrodden that she wasn¡¯t able to express herself vocally. I reach down and lovingly caress the soft strands of her lavender hair and smile reassuringly. No words are spoken, text or otherwise, and she smiles back.


    Sam, still behind my newest lover, unhooks Zutiria¡¯s lacy bra without any warning and I bear first witness to the mage¡¯s pert breasts that were just as dainty, delicate and perfect as the rest of her. I am a cultured man who enjoys many body types. I would never compare the two girls before me, as they were each wonderful in their own way.


    Zutiria blushes as the dull air of my bedroom, rife with the smell of Sam and I restlessly fucking each other, hits the exposed flesh of her breasts. She doesn¡¯t hide from me as I stare at her tiny, pink, rock hard nipples, but she does bite her lip in anticipation.


    The Princess is eager to get things going along, apparently in the belief that we¡¯ve spent much too long on build up. She pushes her small friend towards the edge of the bed and grabs me by the base of my dick, pulling me towards the petite girl¡¯s lips. ¡°This is what you wanted, right Zuzu?¡± Sam smiles.


    Zuzu, for her part, meekly nods and draws closer to my manhood. Her breath is warmly falling onto the red crown of my cock, making me twitch and yearn to bury myself in her mouth. I wait for her and even Sam manages to hold herself back long enough for Zutiria to make the first move on her own.


    Sooner than I expected, the little mage wraps her tiny lips around the tip of my head and takes me into her. She looks up at me as she begins to suck on it ever so tenderly. ¡®Like this?¡¯ She says with her floating text.


    ¡°Yeah... That¡¯s nice.¡± I grunt softly from excitement. It¡¯s true that this little stimulation wouldn¡¯t make me cum anytime soon, but Zutiria needed time to explore, experiment and grow comfortable. Sam was more than ready to help in the most Sam way she could.


    ¡°Man, you look even hotter sucking his cock than I thought you would, Zuzu.¡± She leans in real close to the side of her face, causing Zutiria to blush even harder and nervously glance at her highness. ¡°What about you, Daddy? Do you like having another naughty girl ready and willing for you to fill her up with your magic cum? Are you that much of a perv that one little slut isn¡¯t enough for you?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re... ngh, such a little whore aren¡¯t you, Sam?¡±


    ¡°Maaaaybe, depends. If teasing my man makes me a little whore then fuck yes, you know it.¡± She winks playfully and reaches over to grope Zutiria¡¯s tiny breasts, much to my delight.


    Sam¡¯s words cause me to become even more excited, and against better judgment I push back into Zutiria¡¯s comforting mouth. She moans against my stiffness and tears up. The petite girl is naturally much smaller than my other lover, and can¡¯t take much of me in her mouth at all. Worriedly, she puts her hands on my hips and pulls out for a moment.


    Zutiria gasps slightly for breath while Sam scoots half off the edge of the bed. ¡®This is more difficult than the literature I¡¯ve read made it out to be.¡¯ The little mage blushes and looks down, shyly.


    The young Princess is determined to see this through, however. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Zuzu. I can help you get Daddy off until you¡¯re better at it.¡± She smiles perversely, letting it be known this act of kindness isn¡¯t just altruistic.


    ¡®I think I would like that. You?¡¯ Zutiria flashes her eyes up to mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m a man, what do you think?¡± Laughter escapes me while below I throb intensely with excitement and yearning.


    Sam smiles, eager to put her plan to work. ¡°Grab his balls, Zuzu. One in each hand, and slowly play with them. Don¡¯t be too rough, or you¡¯ll hurt him!¡±


    The mage follows Sam¡¯s instructions and my swollen orbs are taken into the comfort of her tiny hands. The contact makes me let out a soft groan of pleasure, and Zutiria smiles soon after seeing the joyous reaction of my body. She does as told and begins to playfully tease my balls, and I can see the curiosity bursting at her seams as Zutiria studiously notes my each and every reaction


    Sam lightly pushes Zutiria¡¯s lips back to my waiting cock and she takes the cue, beginning to envelop me in her warm, silky mouth once more.


    ¡°Just do your best, Zuzu. Don¡¯t force yourself to take too much right away. I¡¯ll help Daddy cum.¡± Sam shoots me a sinful wink as she takes off her crimson battle gloves and tightly wraps her fingers around the base of my cock. Her grip tightens into an ¡®O¡¯ shape perfect for milking, and she slowly, but very, very firmly starts to wring me for all I¡¯m worth.


    Zutiria settles into a lovely rhythm of bobbing her head up and down my cock, and after a few more minutes of practice and experimentation she¡¯s able to start taking me about halfway down. My moans become less sparse, and this seems to please both women, as each begins to double their efforts. Sam begins to milk faster, and Zutiria¡¯s tiny hands tease my balls increasingly skillfully.


    Sam picks up on my heightened pleasure and licks her lips. ¡°He¡¯s getting ready to blow. Wanna try and take it all or have some help? Be careful, he cums a LOT.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll try to take it on my own but if I can¡¯t then please go ahead and help yourself, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria tells her, and Sam eagerly nods her head before looking up at me with half-lidded eyes.


    ¡°Come on, Daddy. Cum for us. Don¡¯t you wanna give your new mage her first dose of the good stuff?¡± She calls to me in the most bratty way she can manage, and I respond by grunting louder.


    ¡°I¡¯m almost, NGH... there...!¡±


    Zutiria flares up with determination and closes her eyes as she sinks lower onto my cock. She touches it against the back of her throat for the first time and moans against me, her slick tongue doing its best to caress - coupled with the squeezing and the fondling, I¡¯m sent hurtling over the edge of release into blissful orgasm.


    My cock starts jetting out a powerful stream of seed into the mage¡¯s inexperienced throat. No matter how prepared she was for my oncoming spurt, she obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it just on her own. Zutiria is a pretty, delicate little thing, she wasn¡¯t sculpted by the gods for maximum horniness like the Princess appeared to be.


    She swallows as much of my load as she can before breaking off and gasping for air, making a lot of noise in the process. Luckily for myself, Sam throats me in one fell swoop and begins sucking down all the way to my hilt. I feel her lips pressed against my pubic mound as she eagerly drinks the rest of my passionate ejaculation until my cock finally decides to calm itself down, leaving the three of us a panting, sweaty mess. And we haven¡¯t even gotten to the sex yet.


    Zutiria is in a daze, her glasses crooked and foggy with lust. My cum dribbles out of her lips and I wait for her to recover enough to start talking again.


    ¡°You¡¯re so rude, Daddy.¡± I¡¯m painfully aware of a teasing set of green eyes focusing on me like a hunter stares at its prey. ¡°It¡¯s her first time, are you trying to drown the poor girl? You¡¯re lucky you have a naughty little Princess around to suck out the rest of your dirty load.¡±


    Grabbing one of her twintails in my hand, I pull her properly sitting up. Gently of course, but still forcefully. I know this is what she wants. ¡°You¡¯re such a spoiled brat. You know tonight isn¡¯t about you. Be a good girl and be thankful I let you take what she couldn¡¯t.¡±


    Sam bites her lip and her degenerate, perverse face contorts into an even more shameful display. ¡°Yes, Daddy. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡®Are you two always like this...?¡¯ We look to see Zutiria breathing normally once more. She¡¯s recovered, but my eyes are telling me her horniness has increased even further thanks to the little show Sam and I were performing.


    ¡°No, sometimes Sam likes to be in charge.¡± I laugh it off and drop my grip on the soft, golden hair of my Princess.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too weird for you is it, Zuzu...?¡± Sam, for the first time, shows a bit of reluctance and worry over her perverted behaviour. She truly cares about what her friend thinks about her.


    As matter of factly as always, Zutiria brushes aside these concerns. ¡®I mean, -I- don¡¯t want to call him Daddy or be a little brat, but watching your dynamic as a third party is... highly arousing.¡¯


    Sam blushes brightly and pulls out one of her trusty and true fanged smiles. ¡°Happy to hear it. Can¡¯t help noticing, though...¡± She leans in and licks up my thick seed from the mage¡¯s lips, ¡°You gotta a little something there. Let me help you out, Zuzu.¡±


    Of course this leads into another passionate kiss between the two girls. They moan breathily into each other¡¯s mouths and I can¡¯t help noticing Zutiria¡¯s voice gaining in volume the deeper into depravity¡¯s depths we delve. Watching them, I grow eager to dive further- my short refractory period working overtime to get me back up and ready to fuck.


    ¡®I think he liked that.¡¯ Zutiria softly smiles as their kiss breaks, both girls eyes on my manhood standing eagerly at attention for the next round.


    ¡°Not as much as I¡¯m going to like making you mine, Miss Zutiria.¡± I lean over onto the bed and push the small girl further back, giving me enough room to kneel over her. Looking down at her, delicate and small, I feel my desire to cum properly inside of her once more begin swell deep inside of me. My... destiny.


    Her heart skips a beat as I loom above, and she looks to Sam, embarrassed to meet my gaze. ¡®Is Sir always so... um. For lack of a better word, ¡®manly¡¯? Is it normal for me to feel like this...?¡¯


    Sam doesn¡¯t answer, instead giving me a knowing wink and a playful pat on my naked butt, encouraging me to take what I want. After quickly stripping her panties off, leaving her naked but for the stockings I left on out of preference, I take her chin between my fingers and angle her face towards mine as I lean in over her, now inches away from her lips.¡°Zutiria.¡±


    My piercing eyes meet her icy stare, and she returns with a faltering gaze. The petite girl is almost too embarrassed to look me back in the eyes, but I stress with my own that she needs to. So she does.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how, or why, but something inside me is telling me that you are mine. It happened with Sam, and it compelled me to spend my seed inside her, and now it¡¯s happening with you. I need you to become mine, Zutiria. Are you alright with becoming my woman?¡±


    My words caused Zutiria to blush so hard her entire face became red. I became overcome with panic that I took things too far, that I was coming off as some sort of creepy wannabe alpha male, and to be fair I totally was, but still.


    ¡®W-WAIT!¡¯ Zutiria pushes against my chest and creates some distance between the two of us. She breathes heavily and her eyes flicker with worry. ¡®T-t-three things, no, four before we d... do anything like that, Sir, I¡¯m sorry, Sir.¡¯


    It occurs to me that since she¡¯s communicating via magic floating text she probably shouldn¡¯t be stammering, but maybe it reflects her concentration or her inner emotions affect the way her message is displayed? I put the thought aside, right now this is more important. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m sorry if I was... ah...¡±


    Sam leans over worriedly to stroke her friend¡¯s lavender hair, but says nothing.


    First thing. Zutiria looks to one of the bedside tables and views a bottle of Succu-Bye Sam must have left sitting out. She opens the potion and swigs it down the hatch, and I watch her eyes briefly glow pink from the birth control as per normal.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I laugh awkwardly, ashamed at myself that I was about to fuck her without preventative measures. Now that she had taken the potion, though, we¡¯d be set for a week straight of creampies.


    ¡°Shame, you two would make such cute children.¡± Sam squints her eyes and smirks, both of us imagining a very pregnant Zuzu. I won¡¯t lie. I throbbed a bit harder at this.


    Zutiria, however, ignores her friend¡¯s teasing. She¡¯s a lot more serious than she¡¯s been until now, and she sits up. ¡®Second thing. You¡¯re way too big, and I am very small. I would like with your permission of course, to do something that will hurt you more than anything has ever hurt in your life, but afterwards you¡¯ll be thanking me for the rest of your days. It¡¯s easier on you if I just do it and don¡¯t tell you. You¡¯ve been given medicine with a syringe before, yes? Surely Dewhurst isn¡¯t THAT far behind the rest of the kingdom? Think of this as getting a quick shot.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve gotten a plague vaccine before, I guess? I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to...-¡± I hold my tongue before I can say ¡®make you my woman¡¯ again, not wanting to sound repetitive. Or creepy. Or both. ¡°Be with you.¡±


    Sam tilts her head and looks at Zutiria quizzically. ¡°You aren¡¯t gonna magically make his dick smaller, are you? Because... I love you, Zu. You¡¯ve practically been my older sis as long as I can remember but... I¡¯m gonna have to object if that¡¯s where you¡¯re taking this.¡±


    ¡°I concur.¡± I just got a magic size boost a week ago- I don¡¯t want to go back to what I had had to work with before.


    ¡®It¡¯s not like that. Just close your eyes if you trust me. Also, Sam, get behind him and hold him in place. There will be thrashing. Remember. It¡¯s just like getting a shot.¡¯


    ¡°Wait, what?¡±


    Before I can question further, Sam all but leaps behind me and wraps her legs around mine and grabs me by the wrists. She¡¯s already supernaturally strong, but now she¡¯s powered up by my semen, too. I couldn¡¯t thrash like this. Hell, I could barely breathe like this if it weren¡¯t for Sam letting me.


    ¡°Sorry, Boss! I trust her, so just close your eyes!¡± The Princess whispers into my ear from behind. I gulp, worriedly and finally close my eyes.


    To my shock, even with my eyes closed Zutiria¡¯s text still appears on the black void of my eyelids. ¡®Sorry, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-¡±


    Arcane technology is a very fascinating thing. It¡¯s not very widely spread due to the lack of mages learned enough to produce it, but I¡¯ve seen some interesting things. Some of the Guild has arcane tech, such as the bath and shower system, or the lamp by the bedside, but I¡¯ve heard of all kinds of devices out there in the richer parts of the kingdom. In particular, right now I¡¯m reminded of something I believe was called a ¡®blowtorch¡¯. A tool that¡¯s used to weld metal and spews flames as hot as dragonfire. Fascinating, really.


    I¡¯m much too scared to open my eyes right now because I¡¯m terrified of seeing what¡¯s actually being done to me- but a blowtorch slowly circling around my dick is the closest guess I can come to. It makes a perfect ring around what used to be my cock, and then at the top side I feel a little pattern being drawn. That¡¯s the most painful part, and I¡¯m not sure how I keep myself from passing out but as soon as that my dick feels like nothing ever happened.


    There. Zutiria¡¯s text reappears and I open my eyes. The tip of her finger is glowing blue until she blows on it, a small burst of steam escaping as she does so.


    Terrified, I look down at my little brother to be greeted with the sight of my brand new tattoo, apparently. There¡¯s a cute little magic looking black heart in the center, and a black band circling the circumference. Before I can ask any questions, I look to Zutiria and see ¡®Rune of Safe Passage. Take a guess at what it does.¡¯


    ¡°Besides make me scream so loud that I damage my vocal cords as badly as yours?¡± I quip with ragged breath and an itchy throat.


    Zutiria giggles, the first time I¡¯ve heard her do so. She sounds so adorable that I almost forget the searing pain I just went through on her account. It would be rude of me to say, but I think it hurt a lot fucking more than anything she¡¯d feel from our size difference. But if it does what all the context clues are pointing at then the little mage is right. I probably will thank her for this.


    Sam lets go of me after judging that I was alright-ish. ¡°So does it like... make him fit, or what?¡±


    ¡®Yes. He¡¯ll fit in anything now and it will remain tight no matter how long the hole is used. The girl will feel it reach the back of her natural depth, and then through arcane spatial dimension warping and perception alteration, he¡¯ll- ok I should probably stop. The pain probably killed the mood enough without my lecturing.¡¯ Zutiria blushes and looks away.


    ¡°So basically when I fuck girls who can¡¯t handle my full length, when I hit the natural back my dick enters the pussy realm and I¡¯ll be able to keep pushing.¡± I laugh absurdly loud, remembering what life was like just barely over a week ago. ¡°Fucking fantastic.¡±


    ¡®In cruder terms, yes. I can give you one that does the same thing for blowjobs if you¡¯d like, Sir, I just have to-¡¯


    ¡°NO-¡±


    Zutiria playfully smiles. ¡®I thought as much.¡¯


    Damn. She can be a huge tease sometimes, herself. Sam has some competition.


    ¡°What was your last condition? Surprisingly, I¡¯m still raring to fuck you.¡±


    Sam reaches down to my dick and starts jerking it playfully. ¡°Can confirm. Hard as fuck down here even with the bitchin¡¯ new ink.¡±


    ¡®Well... the fourth one can wait for now. It¡¯s not important...¡¯ I see her become shy and reserved for all but a moment, until she swallows her meekness and looks back towards me. ¡®Please don¡¯t hold back. I want to take this opportunity to try and work on my voice. If at all possible, make love to me hard and... and get me to scream.¡¯


    Zutiria pumps her fists up determinately and Sam is very fucking into the idea. ¡°Oh FUCK yeah, I¡¯ll help too!¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, then. You promise you¡¯ll be mine?¡± I lean forward, locking the comically insane pain I just went through away into my vault of repressed memories. A sudden magic tattoo isn¡¯t going to keep me from my destiny any longer- and by destiny I mean Zutiria¡¯s pussy.


    ¡®Yes. I don¡¯t see any problem with that.¡¯ Zutiria takes off her glasses and sets them to the side, smiling up at me. My first real look into her cold blue eyes sends a slight chill down my spine and into my heart. In a way they¡¯re just as piercing as my own, and in them laid an undeniable darkness hidden somewhere deep below the surface of their ice cold depths.


    Before I could make any further observations, Sam scoots behind the mage and pulls her head into her lap. Zutiria looks but can barely see past the heaving pillows of Sam¡¯s chest. Regardless, the tomboy smiles and reaches out to spread her best friend¡¯s legs out for me.


    ¡°She¡¯s all yours, Daddy. Claim her like you did me.¡±


    Fuck, this was hot.


    Zutiria closes her eyes, steeling herself, and I can¡¯t help but study the perfectly smooth and shaven pussy presented before me. The little lady¡¯s is much smaller than Sam¡¯s but equally as wanting. She¡¯s drooling and the wetness of her pink lips urges me forward. This is no time for hesitation.


    As a last bit of help the Princess reaches down and parts Zutiria¡¯s labia for me, and I waste no time. I press my cock up to it¡¯s new friend and grab her hips strongly, then thrust in all the way to my hilt in one go. I didn¡¯t want to dishonor her request to give it to her good right from the start, and in response Zutiria clings to the bed sheets below so hard I worry she might tear them apart.


    From her first taste of my cock her face is frozen in a silent scream- still, but wanting so desperately to make noise. Sam waits for a moment before gesturing me to start fucking her in earnest. After confirming with Zutiria that it¡¯s alright, I start to do just that.


    The frenzied slap of flesh on flesh starts to echo throughout my bedroom as I fuck Zutiria.


    I¡¯m not going to pretend I know how this magic works, but it does. I¡¯m able to effortlessly pound my hefty meat into what has to be a very small, very tight hole. I still feel it constrict down on me, it¡¯s much, MUCH tighter than Sam¡¯s, but I¡¯m still able to push further into her tunnel and bottom out.


    The mage¡¯s voice transitions from silent screaming to grunting to small moans as I start to ream my cock in and out of her. Not quite as rough as I can go, but much more than she can probably handle.


    ¡°Nothing yet.¡± Sam frowns and lovingly strokes her friend¡¯s silky hair. ¡°Guess I need to step in.¡± She grows with confidence and skillfully slinks out of being a lap pillow to joining Zutiria¡¯s side and slips off her thong-like pelvic armor in the process.


    Her intention is clear. As I hump against Zutiria¡¯s little hips, with my left hand I dive in and explore the pretty pink Princess pussy. I bask in the eroticism of my current situation, never dreaming I¡¯d be pleasuring two deeply beautiful women, both of whom are seemingly wholly devoted to me.


    As Sam starts to moan at my invading fingers prodding along her sensitive pink folds, she leans into Zutiria¡¯s lips and begins kissing them once more. Her hand sneaks to the mage¡¯s left breast and begins teasing, groping and fondling it all in the attempt to get a rise out of her.


    Zutiria does get louder, sure, but it¡¯s still all soft moans into Sam¡¯s lips. I¡¯m going to have to step it up.


    Zutiria¡¯s eyes go white as I start to rut harder and harder like a man possessed. Concern for the delicate virgin goes out the window, I want to make her scream. As soon as I start, I almost get my wish-


    ¡°A....AA.....AH-¡± Zutiria pulls from Sam¡¯s full, wet lips and she stutters the first note or two of a shout. Sam¡¯s excitement rises as I also start to churn the insides of her sex rougher and meaner, poking at each spot I knew would make her go crazy.


    ¡°DADDY, THAT¡¯S SO NNGH GOOOD-¡±


    ¡°Come on, Zutiria. You can do it. Just try and copy my pretty little blonde whore, ok?¡±


    Zutiria seems a little shocked by my choice of words, so I pull my hand away from Sam¡¯s pussy to give her a massive slap on her jiggly ass. ¡°WHAT ARE YOU.¡± I command, not ask.


    ¡°HAAANNGH- I¡¯M DADDY¡¯S WHORE, A PRINCESS WHOREEEE!¡± Sam twitches in shock and I look at Zutiria with a smile on my face, showing her it was all in good fun.


    I make sure to go straight back to work on Sam¡¯s pussy, rewarding her for catching what I wanted her to do.


    ¡°A.... Aah-¡± Zutiria manages to squeak out, sounding less sexual and more like sticking her tongue out.


    ¡°Closer. Try... harder.¡± As I say the last word, I pull myself out of her tiny pussy all but for my head, which I then drive back in as hard as I can.


    ¡°AH!¡±


    She did it, she actually made a natural sounding moan!


    ¡°Good! Now keep it going!¡± With my left hand buried deep in Princess, I take my free one and begin to massage Zutiria¡¯s tiny exposed clitoris with my thumb.


    ¡°AHH...AHHH!¡± She violently arches her back, completely unaware she could ever even feel this much pleasure at once in her tiny body.


    ¡°Are you getting close?¡±


    She must not be able to focus hard enough to use her normal means of communication so she bites her lip and nods rapidly up and down. I wasn¡¯t too close to cumming, but this was as good a chance as any to really make some noise.


    I feel bad for Sam but I pull out of her again and set my left hand to Zutiria¡¯s tiny breast instead, cupping it in its entirety in my hand. I squeeze it and mash my thumb furiously up, over, down and around her clit every which way I can attack it. The mage¡¯s eyes pool with sweet tears of pleasure and a series of moans rattle off her lips.


    I bring my frenzied thrusting to a fevered pitch, eyes clenched tightly as I work the might of my cock into her clenching pussy. Sam, now devoid of pleasure, begins to cradle her little friend and nibble on her ears while whispering sexy temptations.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want him to cum in you? Harder, Zuzu, harder... He wants you to scream for him... please, Zuzu... cum... scream real loud as you CUM!¡±


    ¡°I... IIII... I¡¯M CUMMINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!¡± Zutiria¡¯s husky, scratchy voice tears out into the world for the first time in 27 years. Out of any words it could have possibly been- it was announcing her orgasm to the man fucking her brains out, as well as an exceedingly horny princess.


    She keeps screaming as I draw her pleasure out for as long as possible, never giving her clit a moment to rest and assaulting her cute little titty no matter how hard she twists and turns from her spasms. Her tight cunt eventually wrings me dry, too, and with a guttural grunt I press myself all the way back. I cum, and I cum hard.


    My hot semen overflows her snug hole shortly after I start pulsing, and with just how much I cum in any given load we¡¯re quickly left with a very dirty bed sheet, soiled by our newly professed love.


    After what feels like ages of pouring out jizz that she couldn¡¯t keep inside, my stream fades and I pant for dear life. I was really working hard for this orgasm, since I wanted to draw out as much of Zutiria¡¯s voice as I could from it. Needless to say, I¡¯m more than happy with the result.


    ¡°Zutiria...¡± I look down at my lover, and while I was expecting to see a flushed and exerted little lady I¡¯m instead met with a passed the fuck out little lady.


    ¡°She¡¯s out cold, Boss.¡± Sam giggles from my side. ¡°But holy shit, you really did it- her voice... Your magic dick can also cure mutes too, huh?¡±


    ¡°Heh. I don¡¯t quite think that¡¯s what happened, but sure. Why not. Let me know if you have any more mutes lying around and I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± I pull myself out of Zutiria and tuck her under the blankets, like a good girl.


    ¡°Mmm, sorry Daddy. You just topped off my last one.¡±


    ¡°Shame.¡± I lay back on the bed myself, next to Zutiria and shift around comfortably. After letting a contented sigh out, I open my eyes to see a very spoiled Princess leering down at me.


    ¡°So...¡± Her hand reaches towards my dick. ¡°You¡¯re not done yet, right?¡±


    I yawn, I am pretty tired, but after a couple of jerks Sam has me hard again. I¡¯ll have to need to start exercising even more than I already do in order to keep my body¡¯s stamina up with my new libdo.


    ¡°All yours.¡±


    Sam lets flow down her golden hair, mounting me like a predator. She wastes no time at all. It¡¯s a bit weird, fucking Sam right next to someone sleeping soundly, but it¡¯s also very nice. Her highness understands I¡¯m tired and thus rides me fully on her own, her entirely subby mood from earlier seemingly absent. It¡¯s a very pleasant ride and I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better one, honestly. It would be rude of me to send her off to bed without a quickie and soon enough Sam brings us bucking to one last orgasm for the night. Now as full of cum as her petite counterpart, she thanks me and kisses me on the cheek.


    The lights go off, and we join our companion under the covers. With a satisfied tomboyish Princess nuzzling up to me on my right, and a silent, mysterious mage cuddled up to me on my left, I fell into the vast ocean of sleep headfirst.

 Choose Your Words Carefully

    ¡®I don¡¯t like the ocean.


    When I open my mouth, the words escape me. When I open my mouth, I can¡¯t ever take them back.


    I don¡¯t like the ocean, when they escape they remind me of twisted and shattered reflections of the creatures that swim the salty depths. Only I know they don¡¯t swim our seas. They retch and stir and twist among the hellstars in a perverse cosmic blackness that no one was ever meant to witness.


    But when I opened my mouth, when they escaped me, when I could no longer take them back, I saw it. And then I saw worse.¡¯


    -


    I awaken with a horrified gasp. I¡¯m sweating. A lot. I ruined the pillow with my sweat just the same as I¡¯ve ruined many others. Something is different about tonight, though. For the first time in my adult life, I¡¯m not in my tower and I¡¯m not alone in the dark. I¡¯m staring at him, and past his ruggedly handsome face is Sammy... the three of us are cuddling in the middle of a big bed.


    I can still feel him inside me. An odd sensation, but I don¡¯t dislike it. Sammy was right. The moment I tasted it I could confirm his semen is filled to the brim with potent magical energy... fascinating.


    It¡¯s only now I realize that my body is still shaking from the nightmares. Maybe I should get my own bed. He¡¯s never going to want to sleep next to me when he finds out what I¡¯m like during my worst dream terrors.


    Maybe I¡¯m being too negative. This could be my chance at happiness- that¡¯s why I left Imperalis, after all. Sammy¡¯s letter piqued my interest and I was worried about her. I answered the call to action and now I¡¯m sharing a bed with a man who came inside me scant hours ago, wondering how long it will be until he throws me out in disgust.


    It¡¯ll be a shame when he does. I really liked having sex with him.


    I can¡¯t ever be happy. Not after I opened my mouth all those years ago. But it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to be.


    I take deep breaths and reduce myself to nothing. From the whiteness of nothing forms a little lavender girl living in her own little world. She would probably make a very powerful mage, but this little girl doesn¡¯t go down that path. She does normal little girl things... like horses. And tea. She¡¯s best friends with a Princess, and there''s a weird boy with glasses who hangs around too. Strange. He¡¯s never been here before.


    The little girl grows up. She¡¯s normal. She has a happy, normal life doing happy, normal things and she never says the wrong thing. She shuts her mouth. She never lets the words escape their prison.


    ... And I¡¯m back. I¡¯m no longer shaking. I don¡¯t feel good, but I never do. I can¡¯t stay in this bed, I need to get up, but the absolute blackness of night scares me. It reminds me of the time that the little girl did open her mouth.


    I probably should have told him about my fear of the dark before we went to bed, but I didn¡¯t have much choice in the matter. All I remember before sleep is being the most content I¡¯ve ever been, and having been fucked silly.


    I wordlessly summon a little glowing orb from the tip of my finger to light my way to the bathroom. It¡¯s a cantrip, and takes no mana, and has no incantation. Perfect for a broken girl like me who can¡¯t even speak properly.


    Although I guess I said something out loud a few hours ago. I just remembered.


    ¡®I¡¯m cumming.¡¯


    It took twenty seven years of endless suffering to find enough motivation just to try and work past the residual horrors of my childhood and ¡®I¡¯m cumming¡¯ ended up being the first words to escape my sealed lips.


    Even as I shuffle off scared to the nearby bathroom with my glowing finger lighting the way I can¡¯t help but find the humor in it. After that brief moment passes, though, I¡¯m just as sad as I was before.


    If it was so easy to speak all along then why couldn¡¯t I before? Why did I never try?


    I shut the door behind me, turn on the arcane lighting of the room and rest my naked body down on the cold lid of the toilet. I¡¯m still trembling. I don¡¯t expect it to stop for a few hours, but at least I don¡¯t have to be in the darkness.


    I know why I never tried and I¡¯m terrified of how easy it was for him to inspire me enough to make the effort. I didn¡¯t want to let him down.


    I try and hold myself back but I can¡¯t help softly sobbing as soon as realization starts to sink in.


    If he asks me to try again, I know I will.


    If it keeps up I¡¯m going to end up trying again... and again... and again. I may have only just met him, but as a mage I¡¯m far from blind to his unnatural magic pull towards the fairer sex. I could resist that much if ¡®destiny¡¯ was all he had going for him, but it¡¯s not.


    Sir is so much more than a mere magical pussy magnet.


    He doesn¡¯t have an aura of unconditional attraction swirling around him, and I certainly made the decision to have sex with him of my own volition. No magical coercion or anything of that ilk. Whatever supernatural charm he may have only amplifies what¡¯s already there... or maybe that¡¯s a bad way to phrase it.


    It¡¯s more like it inspires you to take a closer look at something you might normally write off. It makes you want to know him.


    There¡¯s also a chance this is all in my head.


    Maybe I¡¯m just so lonely and desperate to be loved, or fucked, that my fragile mind is doing mental gymnastics to rationalize sleeping with a man I just met?


    Evidence suggests the former, while my crippling self doubt suggests the latter.


    If I were someone else... someone less damaged, I could probably fall in love with him. Maybe I will anyway and I¡¯ll ruin him forever.


    All I know is I should never have left my tower.


    Using another low level cantrip I summon the letter Sam sent me that started it all. It was just in the pocket of my dress the other room over, so it¡¯s no big deal.


    Her letter came two days ago and right away I was absorbed by the beautiful dream. Sammy¡¯s optimism was infectious and I dared to hope maybe something would change if I followed her lead. So then I spent the day after getting things in order for my departure, and clearing things with Theo. He was supportive. While I didn¡¯t tell him I was leaving to be with Sammy I¡¯m sure he knows.


    Who else but Sammy would send -me- a letter?


    Once more, I open the folded parchment and am greeted by Sammy¡¯s terrible penmanship. I want to see if it still makes me feel the same as when I first read it.


    ¡®Dear Zuzu,


    Yeah so uh... I left. You probably already know that by now though, right? I didn¡¯t wanna leave without you but it was a very spur of the moment kinda thing. Besides, you know how rough things were getting between Father and I... when it happened I just decided suddenly that it was time. I didn¡¯t think about you, or Mother, or anyone else it¡¯d affect. I couldn¡¯t... So I stole some of father¡¯s armor, a fat sack of gold and a big ass sword before fucking off on my merry way.


    I used the gold to bribe the Guild Master of Perlshaw and got my Hero License, just like we always talked about. I¡¯m finally doing it, Zuzu...! I know I don¡¯t know how to fight, but the royal blood runs strong within me and it makes me much stronger than your average man. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll figure it out the rest of it as I go along, right?


    I couldn¡¯t stay in Perlshaw. For one, Father would find me too easily and... the Guild Master there was such a fucking sleezeball you wouldn¡¯t even believe. Sure, I¡¯m definitely wearing slutty armor, but he was trying SO hard to make subtle advances on me that I was sorely tempted to cut his dick off in a fit of rage. I didn¡¯t- promise- but I did kick his nuts in as hard as I could. I don¡¯t regret that decision.


    Anyway I hit the road and found myself in Dewhurst. Gods... It¡¯s the shittiest place I¡¯ve ever seen, no joke... but as of a few days ago I decided to live here. I¡¯m kinda fucking the local Guild Master.


    I know how this sounds but please, just keep reading.


    When I say I¡¯m fucking him I mean like. I¡¯m REALLY fucking him. Remember when I was little and you read me all those stories about Princes and Princesses falling in love at first sight and I thought it was the dumbest shit? Ugh. It¡¯s like... that, but not stupid because it¡¯s happening to me.


    Don¡¯t worry, it was the day after I turned 18! Not that it probably would¡¯ve stopped either of us, honestly... there¡¯s just SO much chemistry. He¡¯s not perfect, and I kinda need to whip his ass into shape. His Guild is on the verge of ruin and I¡¯m the only adventurer he¡¯s got. I swear I was gonna write to you anyway but it hit me. Didn¡¯t Father try and get you to do something with your life a couple years back and you got a Hero License?


    You should come here and put it to use. Don¡¯t worry, I know you got your issues, but... My new ¡®Daddy¡¯ is already putting up with my inexperienced ass so I¡¯m sure he could figure out something for you and your voice thing.


    Oh. And in case you¡¯re worried about being a third wheel while I¡¯m fucking this random guy then... please don¡¯t be. I kinda want to share him with you.


    You¡¯ll love him, he¡¯s got these weird magic eyes that he was born with and he¡¯s super nice and sexy and... Zuzu... I lied. All those times I walked in on when you were ¡®going at it¡¯ I knew what you were doing. I just didn¡¯t wanna make it awkward between us. So yeah, I know you¡¯re repressed as hell.


    Come stay with us and maybe we could fix that and be together?


    - If anyone asks, my name is Samilda


    PS. He doesn¡¯t know so if you get here don¡¯t mention anything about who I am.¡¯


    The letter is warm and it makes my heart sing. I like this feeling, even if it¡¯s not real. It¡¯s temporary... fleeting... fake. This kind of warmth is for the people who can feel hope in their hearts and use it to survive another day. People like Sam deserve this warmth.


    It¡¯s not meant for wicked, broken little girls who can¡¯t keep their mouth shut.


    I¡¯m not done sobbing, apparently, but I try and keep it as silent as I can. I don¡¯t want to wake anyone else. If Sir woke up and saw me like this right after we slept together then he¡¯d think I hated him... or he¡¯d think I¡¯m fake and the girl behind the floating magical text wasn¡¯t as cute as she seemed.


    He...


    He called me his doll. I like it, it¡¯s a cute idea... But I wish I really was just a doll. Quiet, lifeless, still. Then I wouldn¡¯t be alone crying my eyes out in the bathroom in the middle of the night.


    If I could only just-


    ¡°Zutiria?¡± Sir¡¯s low voice whispers from the crack in the bathroom door after knocking lightly several times.


    ¡®Stomach problems. Go back to bed without me, Sir. I¡¯ll be fine. Happens all the time.¡¯ I lie.


    The quietness as he reads my text is palpable.


    ¡°May I come in?¡± He¡¯s not backing down. Shit.


    ¡®No. It¡¯s... really bad in here. I would be ashamed if you saw me in such a state so quickly after meeting me. It¡¯s not time for you to see me at my worst.¡¯ This time my words are more vague and strictly speaking none of them are lies.


    The door opens and he steps inside. He¡¯s not wearing his glasses, but he did manage to find his boxers again. He also found a trembling girl in his bathroom, covered in sweat and tears. As he looks down at me with those pupil-less eyes of his, I feel like we¡¯re thousands of miles apart.


    Can this distance ever be closed? Dolls can¡¯t move unless they¡¯re picked up and played with.


    He doesn¡¯t say anything and neither do I.


    After who knows how long, he approaches me and sits down on the edge of the bathtub right by my side. Somehow, I manage to feel embarrassed in this situation and I cross my legs and cover up my tiny, inadequate breasts.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    I shake my head.


    He smiles... he shouldn¡¯t be smiling... why is he smiling?


    ¡°I used to have nightmares a lot too, you know.¡±


    No, I don¡¯t know. Why would I? I barely know anything about you. And why are you telling me this now? Stop.


    ¡°They were usually about my Grandpa... Actually, if I¡¯m being honest I woke up from one right now.¡± He laughs in that hollow way people do when they¡¯re afraid of the silence that will come when they finish speaking.


    I just stare. No crying, no trembling, no sobbing. I¡¯m a doll.


    ¡°I never met my dad, but the old bastard would often say a lot about him. He was some sort of lady¡¯s man and I think Grandpa was really jealous about that. Despite being a lecherous old horn dog, he¡¯d always tell me I should only ever have sex with one girl my whole life. According to him any more pussy than that would rot my brain, or make my dick fall off, or whatever bullshit he could think of in the moment. I... was just dreaming that he saw what I did with you, and he added it to the growing pile of ways he¡¯d be disappointed in how I turned out.¡±


    Dolls... can¡¯t talk. I want to be his doll, I really do... but... I...


    ¡®That¡¯s awful. Was he really like that?¡¯


    ¡°He wasn¡¯t so bad, but by the end of his life you could definitely say he was very disappointed in me.¡± Sir goes cold. Distant. Yet somehow this only makes me feel closer to him. ¡°But hey, it was just a dream.¡±


    ¡®Just... a dream?¡¯


    ¡°Mhmm. It was scary, sure, and it made me feel bad... but just like any other dream- I woke up.¡± His smile is genuine, and warm, and I can¡¯t look at it. Yet I keep staring, even if it burns me. I¡¯m crying again, and trembling.


    He pulls me into a soft, protective embrace and I cling to his strong, muscled back as if my life depended on it.


    ¡°How often does this happen?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to answer. You¡¯ll hate me.¡¯


    ¡°I won¡¯t hate you.¡±


    ¡®... Almost every night...¡¯


    ¡°Was this a bad one?¡±


    ¡®No. If it was a bad one you would know. Trust me... I... AH!¡¯


    His huge hand cups the back of my head and pushes me towards him to nuzzle the warmth of his neck. Sir begins to pet me.


    Slowly...


    Gently...


    Lovingly...


    I don¡¯t deserve this, I don¡¯t-


    ¡°I already changed your pillow sheets. We can stay here as long as you¡¯d like, Zutiria. I promise I won¡¯t leave your side even even if it takes all night.¡±


    ¡®R-Really...?¡¯


    ¡°Really. I won¡¯t pretend to know what left you this way, but all I can tell you is that you don¡¯t need to hide yourself away.¡±


    Please... someone... help.


    Anyone...


    Sammy?


    Theo?


    D... Dad...? Mom?


    Big Sis...?


    I don¡¯t understand. Somebody please tell me why I keep crying even though his words fill my soul with passionate, loving heat.


    Is this normal? Am -I- normal?


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t... hiding here. I¡¯m... afraid of the dark...¡¯


    He doesn¡¯t say anything. He¡¯s judging me, because of course he is. What kind of thirty-five year old woma-


    ¡°We can leave the bathroom door open a crack from now on. I¡¯m sure Sam won¡¯t mind.¡±


    He¡¯s... not judging me. He¡¯s smiling- he¡¯s always smiling. Am... am I the reason he¡¯s smiling? Sammy¡¯s not here. I can¡¯t think of any other reason he¡¯d be smiling if not for... for me.


    ¡°Come back to bed with me.¡±


    My lips open. I can¡¯t do this. But I need to. I press further into his neck and I hover my mouth just outside his ear. My throat stirs. It¡¯s trying so hard that it itches and burns- but it works.


    In the dead of night, I whisper into my lover¡¯s ears, ¡°... Yes, Sir...¡±


    Not a word is said when he lifts me up into his arms like I were his bride to be. Ironic, considering what I almost blurted out as my fourth condition hours ago. We leave the bathroom behind us and true to his word, the dim light pours out of the exposed crack of the door.


    Sammy is still sound asleep, as expected. The Master of the Guild carefully slips back into bed so as not to disturb her and when he¡¯s safely into position he pats my vacant spot next to him. There¡¯s a fresh blanket covering where my naked flesh soaked the bed sheets.


    I can¡¯t feel a single trace from the stains of my terrors as I lay back in my spot. Sammy instinctively cuddles up to him, and much to my surprise, he cuddles exclusively up to myself. I feel so tiny in his arms... small... safe.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ok.¡±


    He strokes my head again as if I were a little kitten. I wish I knew how to purr for him, but I nod my head instead.


    ¡°Everything will be ok.¡±


    Sir continues to whisper comforting statements to me and I feel the darkness of sleep reaching its ghastly hand out to drag me down once more. I don¡¯t want to sleep. I want to lie here, forever.


    With him.


    I¡¯m so scared, and so confused, and there are so many, many things I don¡¯t know.


    I¡¯m glad I left my tower.

 I Think We’re Alone Now

    The sunlight pours in from the bedroom window and I awaken in a tired, sluggish daze. Believe it or not it wasn¡¯t the vigorous sex that tired me out. Zutiria fell asleep in my arms shortly after I comforted her in the bathroom, but her troubles didn¡¯t end there.


    For an hour or two I simply hugged the petite mage as tightly as I could, and I continued to pet her every time a hint of a bad dream reared its unwelcome head. Whenever I did her terror would quickly fade and she¡¯d recover, falling into peaceful slumber once more.


    If I could stay awake the entire night for her sake and ensure that she wouldn¡¯t suffer, I would. But somewhere along the way I fell asleep too.


    Zutiria...


    I knew there was something dark within her, she said as much herself that it was the reason she couldn¡¯t speak, even if she was very vague about it indeed.


    What in all the realms could an eight year old have possibly said that made her never want to speak again?


    I feel bad that she made the effort for my sake. I¡¯m supposed to become more selfish and start using all the tools available to me, but I can¡¯t in good conscience feel good about breaking her silence in order to not disappoint me.


    She shouldn¡¯t worry about me so much.


    I¡¯m used to disappointment.


    On my opposite side I hear a rising yawn and feel the covers shift as Sam stretches her body out nice and good. After she does so, the Princess of permanent bed head nuzzles up to me and kisses my cheek. ¡°Mornin¡¯ Daddy.¡±


    She then gets a sight of me cradling the tiny mage in my arms, and it makes her grin. Giggling, she says ¡°She¡¯s not your favorite now, is she?¡± in a mock jealous tone.


    I roll on to my back so I can better face Sam, while still keeping the sleeping sorceress wrapped close to my body with my right arm. Sam can instantly tell something¡¯s up by the concerned look I can¡¯t help expressing, and her smile falls away. ¡°Sam... how much do you know about Zutiria?¡±


    Sam becomes more focused, dropping any and all remaining hints of her bright and playful persona. ¡°Not a lot. She lived with my... family. I guess you could say we¡¯re kinda rich and we own a small mansion. My Father always told me never to go climb the west tower buuuut-¡±


    ¡°You were never one to follow the rules?¡± I hazard a teasing guess.


    She giggles, and the tension eases for just a moment. ¡°Maybe. I was like, five? Six maybe? I dunno. Point is I climbed it and inside was a beautiful room filled with more books than the roya...¡± Sam pauses and awkwardly coughs, knowing she almost let her blunder slip. Zutiria shifts around a bit from this but thankfully does not wake. ¡°It had more books than my Father¡¯s personal library. And TONS of fancy magical knick-knacks everywhere you looked.¡±


    A thought crosses my mind. ¡®Maybe I could convert one of the storage rooms into a library?¡¯ We have more than we¡¯d ever need even if we get the Guild running back up to full capacity someday. Maybe we could retrieve all the stuff left behind in her tower someday as well. I would love to do anything for Zutiria if I could, I want the mage to really think of this as her home from now on. Somewhere she can feel safe and be at ease.


    She needs it.


    ¡°Boss? You got all focused and super serious for a second there. It was kinda cute, not gonna lie.¡± Sam laughs again and I smile back at her.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. Just a stray thought. Carry on.¡±


    ¡°Right. There¡¯s not much more to it though. I met her in her room, my Father gave me permission to start visiting her since I loved hanging out with her so much. Zuzu really liked me too, I guess.¡± The Princess nostalgically looks off with flushed cheeks, remembering all sorts of childhood memories with dear her friend, I¡¯d imagine.


    ¡°And neither your Father or Zutiria has ever told you anything about how she came to live in the tower?¡±


    Sam shakes her head somberly. Damn.


    ¡°I was a little brat, though I guess that hasn¡¯t changed much.¡± She gives me a seductive look before laughing it off and sighing. ¡°We only ever talked about me, now that I think about it... I would always come crying to her with my problems or with new scratches I got from rough housing, and she¡¯d patch me up and hug me till I was done crying it out...¡±


    Sam gives me a serious look. ¡°Hey... What¡¯s all this about, Boss?¡±


    I frown and hug the sleeping mage closer to me. ¡°Whatever made her this way was bad, Sam.¡±


    ¡°How bad...?¡±


    I don¡¯t bother answering. I just stare at Sam blankly and she gets the point.


    ¡°Shit... I mean, I always knew it was BAD but...¡±


    I explain the gist of what happened late last night to my concerned lover, and her green eyes widen in horror and she clutches her hands over her mouth to muzzle a gasp. A small bead of sweat trails down her forehead as she gazes back at me.


    ¡°What... What do we do, Boss? She can stay here for sure but we can¡¯t keep asking her to do magic!¡±


    ¡°If she wants to keep trying to talk, we have to encourage her. She¡¯s an adult, Sam... almost twice your age. You can¡¯t just tell her what to do.¡± ...Wait a second.


    ¡°Well so are you, and look at how well listening to me turned out for ya!¡± Shit, she noticed the irony.


    The two of us are both startled and practically jump out of bed when Zutiria¡¯s familiar text appears with no warning and spells out, ¡®I came here of my own accord and I know what I signed up for. I won¡¯t let you criticize my decisions, Sammy. Especially when I¡¯ve never judged you for a single thing you¡¯ve done.¡¯


    ¡°Zuzu...!¡± Sam sits up and the blankets fall off of her chest, giving me the day¡¯s first look at her bouncing beauties. ¡°You shoulda let us know you were awake!¡±


    Zutiria sits up naked, too, and yawns the quietest yawn I¡¯ve ever heard. ¡®I just woke up. I didn¡¯t hear much of it but I¡¯m assuming you were talking about me?¡¯


    ¡°Er,¡± Sam looks away and blushes. ¡°Something like that, yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Zutiria.¡±


    ¡®Morning.¡¯ She cuddles up to me and sits on my lap. Using her new position she sees fit to give me a soft kiss on the cheek. Then she turns to face Sam. ¡®Do you mind leaving us for the morning, Sammy? You¡¯ve had Sir all to yourself until now so it¡¯d only be fair for you to give us a little privacy. The adults need their alone time, sweetie.¡¯


    ¡°WHA- I-I¡¯m an adult now, Zuzu! Don¡¯t treat me like a little kid anymore!¡± Sam blushes furiously and her instant reaction causes both me and the mage to crack a smile. ¡°It¡¯s just... I usually hang out with Boss in the mornings so... not sure what I¡¯m supposed to go do, but...¡±


    ¡®Please?¡¯ Zutiria does her best to look pleadingly towards the Princess and it works because Sam gets flustered and rushes to leave the room.


    ¡°Just let me know if you guys need anything, then...¡± Sam scoops up her clothing and is off on her way. The door shuts behind her and I¡¯m left alone with the little mage.


    She looks up at me devoid of any emotion and says, ¡®Sir. Let¡¯s talk.¡¯


    I feel an awkward tension creep into the room as I sit there with her, unable to gauge what her intentions might be. It¡¯s almost unnerving how few tells her body language has, especially since I¡¯m very much used to being able to size people up whenever I look at them.


    ¡°Is this about last night?¡±


    ¡®Yes and no. I really did want some time alone with you without Sammy. Since we presumably have a lot of things to do today, I figured now was the best time.¡¯ The corners of her mouth raise ever so slightly into a faint grin. That¡¯s very reassuring. I was afraid she was upset at us...


    ¡°Did you sleep alright, Zutiria?¡± I reach up to stroke her hair just as I did the night before, and like a cat she nuzzles up into my touch.


    ¡®I slept better than I can ever remember. Thank you for asking.¡¯


    ¡°Happy to help.¡± I lean in and kiss her cheek just as she did for me only moments ago, and watch as her face loses a sliver of its icy demeanor.


    ¡®You... really don¡¯t hate me then, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria. I said I was going to make you my woman, didn¡¯t I? Do you think I¡¯d half heartedly change my mind that easily?¡±


    She frowns. ¡®You know that talking like this isn¡¯t normal, Sir. People don¡¯t feel magically pulled to one another and become bound for life just from fucking once or twice.¡¯


    I can only nod my head at this. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been in love before I met Sam or my lap-mage. Crushes, sure, every child had those at one time or another. But I was never close enough to another girl to develop a sense of romantic yearning for her.


    I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m kind of rushing things...


    ¡°Yeah. I know. If you don¡¯t mind my saying, this is all kinds of bullshit from my perspective, too. It¡¯s more than just my egotistical desire. There¡¯s some kind of magic or destiny involved here...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m aware. I could sense a magical attraction pulling my attention when I first laid eyes on you, Sir. It¡¯s hard to resist, but if I wanted to I certainly could. Don¡¯t ever forget what that means- I chose my words carefully.¡¯ She blushes, the atmosphere changing into one of palpable romance.


    Unlike casual and rowdy Sam, Zutiria has a way of making my heart go crazy.


    Both girls are amazing and I love them to the heavens and back, but I¡¯m much less used to dealing with Zutiria¡¯s charms than I am the Princess¡¯s.


    I decide to respond to this the only way I know how.


    My hands move up to Zutiria¡¯s waist and I push her off of my lap down onto the sheets below, already stained from the night before. She looks up at me expectantly. I don¡¯t want to disappoint her, so I pin her to the ground and eclipse her from above.


    ¡°You had a fourth condition to being my woman. What was it?¡± I lean down and whisper my deep voice into her tiny ear as breathily as I can.


    ¡®Forget it. After what you¡¯ve already done for me, I¡¯m all but yours at this point. N-nothing else is necessary...¡¯ The lavender haired mage cuts off eye contact with me apprehensively. Curiously, she blushes even harder than I expected her to regarding this line of questioning.


    It makes me want to push further.


    ¡°Tell me.¡±


    ¡®Nnn... Sir. It¡¯s embarrassing. Don¡¯t make me...¡¯


    I lift Zutiria¡¯s chin, forcing her to meet my piercing stare. Her lips are trembling and I can only smile in response.


    I¡¯ve changed a lot, thanks to Sam. I¡¯m starting to like being a ¡®bad boy¡¯... Or something like that.


    ¡°Tell. Me.¡±


    She whimpers, surprisingly loudly. ¡®I just... thought that maybe... you should... if you really wanted me, I mean... then you could... maybe just... nnn-¡¯


    ¡°Maybe just what?¡± I don¡¯t let up and I press my morning wood downwards, taking her by surprise and causing her to whimper slightly and blush once more.


    ¡®If you wanted me to be your w-woman then shouldn¡¯t you be responsible and m-m-make it official or something, Sir?!¡¯ She bites her lip and continues trembling beneath me.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Did she just...?


    ¡®You see, Sir, it was just a dumb idea. A-and it¡¯s not something that would have been fair to Sam to bring up. She found you first and... well...¡¯


    I lay down beside her and place my hand on her hip. ¡°Polygamy is legal in Karnalle, you know. Most civilized realms don¡¯t give a shit who you marry or who you fuck as long as it¡¯s not hurting anyone. If you¡¯re implying what I think you are then it¡¯s not like Sam would have to be left out...¡± I would think she¡¯d know this, but I remind myself that although Zutiria is older than me she¡¯s still very sheltered and after last night, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s a bit stunted in certain areas as well.


    ¡®Sam can¡¯t just marry a random stranger. You know why...¡¯ Her lips become pouty and she presses her small hand to my cheek.


    ¡°Shit. Yeah, it would... probably not be a good idea to just randomly elope with a Princess.¡± I casually let it slip, and Zutiria just nods. It¡¯s not a big deal. It was fairly obvious that she knew that I knew so it¡¯s good to get it out in the open.


    ¡®Then again... I don¡¯t think Theo would really care if you actually asked him.¡¯ Zutiria raises a finger to her lips and looks away deep in thought.


    Wait a fucking second.


    Theo?


    As in Theostus Lundreame, the King of Karnalle...??


    There was so much in that simple statement that I can¡¯t be asked to unpack it right now.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sir. I didn¡¯t want to make this morning so weird... I just... really did want alone time with you... and... was hoping to become even more acquainted with your body.¡¯ She blushes and rolls over on top of my torso, looking down at me with a seemingly blank expression betrayed only by the redness of her cheeks and the quivering of her lips.


    ¡®Please tell me I didn¡¯t make things so weird that you don¡¯t feel up to a morning romp...?¡¯


    I¡¯ll admit. Things were indeed made quite fucking bizarre thanks to the little lavender lady. She just casually dropped that she wants to marry me, implied I should ask the King of Karnalle himself for the Princess¡¯s hand in marriage, and I have no idea what in the hell that would imply.


    Wait a second. If I did that, and Zutiria was right and the King really wouldn¡¯t care, then... wouldn¡¯t that give the Guild a gigantic advantage? He¡¯d have a reason to invest in Dewhurst¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild again... but... no. Using Sam like that? I can¡¯t even entertain the thought of using her as a stepping stone just to further my career. She¡¯s a Princess, she¡¯s probably already used to being treated like a political tool on a chessboard for all I know. She doesn¡¯t deserve to get that from me, too.


    But hypothetically, if I could marry them both...


    ¡°Of course not.¡± I grin. I must look really stupid right now, smiling up at Zutiria while daydreaming about how amazing it would be to have her and the young blonde as my willing wives... ¡°I¡¯m still more than ready.¡±


    My erection grows further and hits her on the back of her tiny butt, making her anticipate our coupling all the more.


    ¡®Good.¡¯ She smiles, and leans back to pull my boxers off.


    Before you know it, Zutiria sits down on my hardness and gets to work.


    My little mage continually gasps while riding atop me. Her tiny hips rock down slowly into my cock and I let her take as much control as she wants to.


    I haven¡¯t had gentle, loving sex like this before.


    Zutiria is so careful and deliberate in her actions despite her inexperience that it almost matches the pleasure of bucking wildly with Sam, and with more time I know it¡¯ll be just as good.


    Despite the difference in our size she has no trouble taking my manhood into the depths of her wet folds. I know the rune she inscribed on me is part of the reason for that, but even so the way she explained it meant that it should still be hard for a girl as small as her.


    She wanted this, though- and she could handle it. Zutiria was determined. Not only that, but she was an intellectual and that was made very apparent by the skillful approach she took to lovemaking.


    I watched her mind at work as she shifted around experimentally with my cock buried deep inside her. She¡¯d twitch and moan while angling her hips every which way to scrape her sensitive inner flesh in as many directions as she could. When she found a spot she liked, she¡¯d grind my pulsing member against it and close her eyes in a trance, before forcing herself to move on to carve out yet another angle.


    It¡¯s clear from her rising breath and determined bouncing that Zutiria truly wants to understand what it means to have passionate sex. Far be it from me to stand in her way.


    Eventually the little lady runs out of stamina and leans down over my torso. She supports herself by planting her delicate little hands on top of my pecs. I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised that she would get tired so quickly. Somehow I severely doubt exercise was much of her daily life while living alone in an isolated tower. Mages aren¡¯t known for their physical abilities as it is.


    ¡°Would you like me on top?¡± I ask after craning my neck out to give Zutiria a light kiss on her lips.


    She tiredly shakes her head. ¡®Go slow from down below and let me recover.¡¯


    ¡°Sounds good to me.¡± I grin softly, unable to show my excitement and she gives me back a cheeky grin of her own. Needless to say it¡¯s a lot smaller than Sam¡¯s or my own.


    I reach down to her round little ass and clasp both cheeks firmly in my hand. While small, she has a very pert and juicy behind for someone of her stature. It¡¯s so good in fact that I have to remind myself not to start wildly thrusting up into her. She¡¯s not Sam and this is about her, not my rampant desires.


    If I¡¯m really going to keep adding more and more girls to my Guild then I need to learn how to have sex in different ways.


    I may have been pounding her hard as I could the night before, but right now Zutiria wants it lovingly. My libido burns for more and more of what her small, delicious body has to offer, and I¡¯ll oblige by taking it exactly how she asks me to. Slowly. Steadily.


    Using her tiny butt as leverage I carefully glide my cock into her suffocatingly small pussy and watch as her cold, blue eyes light up with lust once more. Even without words I can tell exactly what my newest lover wants, and I begin to carefully thrust my large shaft in and out of her.


    Never too fast and never too hard, I groan as the creeping ecstasy within me begins to build. This slow and loving rhythm becomes all the more pleasurable when watching her face react to every spot I grind against.


    Zutiria moans louder than before, and she topples against me.


    While I make love to her, her strength slowly fades and she can no longer prop herself up. She switches her goal and instead hugs me tightly. I feel the pointiness of her tiny nipples grind down against my pecs, rubbing and digging into me with every stroke of my cock. She looks so damn cute wrapped around my body but it almost feels like she¡¯s afraid I¡¯ll leave and never come back.


    I set out to reassure her with my thrusts.


    There¡¯s no way I can stop myself from becoming more passionate and frenzied with the upward bucking of my hips. Luckily, she doesn¡¯t tell me not to. I take this as a sign to keep going and I start pulling back farther and ramming it up her tight tunnel harder.


    Each time I¡¯m met with a different little noise muttered by the little mage. She was melting for me. Zutiria would ¡°Ooh...¡± and ¡°Ah...!¡± and ¡°Nn...!!¡± for me and while a far cry from the loudest and dirtiest of the Princess¡¯s frenzied pleasured sounds, Zutiria¡¯s whispered moans were the most erotic sounds imaginable.


    Suddenly, her nails dig into me and the determined look in her eyes return- though now cloudy and half-lidded thanks to growing lust.


    ¡®More.¡¯


    Zutiria starts humping me roughly from above, essentially throwing her ass down the length of my needy cock to match my movements in a frenzy.


    This is amazing.


    I grip her butt even tighter and start smashing her tiny little cunt for all I¡¯m worth. We start to really get the bed creaking properly from the force of our love.


    I groan thanks to the incessant need rising up from my full, heavy balls and Zutiria nods her head. It¡¯s time, she says without having to speak a word.


    Thrusting harder and harder I just can¡¯t take it any longer, and my back arches heavily while thrusting so hard for my orgasm that it lifts the small mage bouncing on my cock up from the force of my hips. She¡¯s held in place by her arms wrapped tightly around my back and my large hands keeping her tight pussy pushed against me as hard as I can.


    As the rush of my semen floods her, Zutiria moans loudly and I feel her convulsions and clenching squeeze my spasming cock. Her tight hole twitches and constricts with every moment of her demanding orgasm, milking me to an absurd degree. Each grip is rewarded with a new burst of my potent, magical seed despite her pussy reaching full capacity very early into my creampie.


    We fall back to the bed and pant for air, thoroughly satisfied.


    Minutes pass before we¡¯re ready to move on. The afterglow was stunning and long and we both enjoyed just laying there, basking in each other''s comforting body.


    ¡®I could really get used to this.¡¯ Zutiria smiles. Almost as soon as she says that, though, doubt creeps in. ¡®Was it... good for you, Sir?¡¯ While she didn¡¯t say so I can only imagine she¡¯s comparing herself to Sam.


    ¡°It felt amazing. I¡¯ve never had sex like that before.¡± I tell her the truth and kiss her softly once more. ¡°Granted, Sam¡¯s the only other partner I¡¯ve had and you know how she is.¡±


    Zutiria mods and looks away, shyly. ¡®She¡¯s never had much subtlety. Runs in the family.¡¯


    Before I can ask what she means, the mage smiles and sits up. ¡®Come on, Sir. We have a busy day ahead of us and you can start by changing these sheets. You really do shoot out much more semen than you have any right to, you know?¡¯


    Zutiria closes her eyes and audibly giggles.

 The Results of Her ‘Training’

    After Zutiria and I finish up our pleasurable morning escapade we get dressed, put on our respective glasses and then head downstairs to see Sam. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t need my glasses as long as either Sam or Zutiria are in view, but I don¡¯t mind wearing them as I go around seeing to my day to day activities.


    They¡¯re a safety net of sorts and... they remind me of Grandpa.


    After a brief walk down the creaky wooden stairs, the two of us find Sam sitting at a table in the entrance hall. She¡¯s kept herself busy by sorting a big pile of new quests that must have arrived in the mail today. The Princess is placing quests she qualifies for off in their own little pile, and I can¡¯t help but notice the huge red blush on her grumpy, flustered looking face. Her great sword is at her side, so she¡¯s ready to head off after we get some breakfast.


    ¡°Nice of you two to join me. Better late than never, I guess...¡± Sam ¡®hmphs¡¯ playfully and crosses her arms. Seems she¡¯s in something of a mood, and her boots tap arrogantly against the creaky wood of the floor.


    ¡°Jealous, Sam?¡± I sit beside her and move in closer with a grin while Zutiria sits on the opposite end of the table, looking through the new quests on her own after setting down her staff beside her.


    ¡°YES!¡± Sam blurts loudly with no hesitation at all. ¡°Gods, I could hear you guys fucking like wild rabbits from all the way down here...! I swear I almost thought you were going to break the damn bed at the end there! I wanna fuck like that too, ya know!¡±


    Curse my rickety-ass floors. Yet another reminder of the endless shit that needs replacing.


    Learning we had an audience the whole time causes the mage to blush brightly and cover her face behind thick sheets of quest posters, pretending to read them. ¡®We¡¯ll share him later, Sammy. I only wanted to start playing catch up on the significant head start you have on me. He¡¯s mine too from now on.¡¯


    Sam sighs and plops over the table. ¡°I know, I know. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m used to getting some action in the morning...¡±


    ¡°And you still will. Most days.¡± I lovingly stroke her blonde, tousled hair as she continues to groan. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to get used to going without. When you¡¯re a higher ranked adventurer you might be gone on far away quests for weeks at a time.¡±


    Her eyes instantly widened from shock. ¡°WEEKS?!¡±


    ¡°Weeks. You need to leave the nest someday, Sam. It¡¯s not like those quests would be that frequent, anyway.¡± I confirm, much to her dismay.


    ¡®You¡¯ll be fine. We should focus less on playful banter and more on the plan for today.¡¯ Zutiria returns from hiding behind the papers, revealing a tranquil hint of her soft smile.


    ¡°Right. We still weren¡¯t done testing the exact limits of my magical ¡®gift¡¯ when you arrived- the lower gift not the eye gift- and now that you¡¯re here it has messed up our schedule slightly.¡±


    Adjusting her glasses like the truest of academic scholars, Zutiria nods her head. ¡®Catch me up.¡¯


    So I do... after adjusting my own glasses, of course. We nod in mutual respect for the power of our eyewear, while Sam just gives us a distant look.


    I tell her about the twenty-four hour duration period and the difference of effectiveness depending on the orifice. I explained how Sam and I were going to test anal soon and the little lady had quite a red face after that. Moreover, now that she¡¯s finally arrived we need to see just how much Zutiria can contribute in a quest and find out if my semen¡¯s magic works on her as well as Sam.


    The Princess¡¯s mood perks up significantly when she remembers she¡¯ll get to lose the last of her virginities tonight after the semen in her system wears off. It¡¯s a good thing she didn¡¯t get laid this morning after all, or else she¡¯d have had to go without as we waited for the effect to wear off.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad I showed up when I did. I don¡¯t think I would have wanted to wait a whole day without more... nightly activities with you, Sir.¡¯ I blush as Zutiria gives me an idle, but inviting smile.


    This slightly ticks off Sam, who wraps an arm around me as she presses her youthful, curvy body against mine. ¡°It¡¯s not fair. You two are already so cute and romantic with each other. Daddy, love me too! I want to be all lovey-dovey and shit with you just as much as she does!¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t sharing me with Zutiria your own idea? And need I remind you that it was you who suggested filling up the Guild with even more beautiful women for me to ¡®manage¡¯.¡± I smile teasingly at her flustered Highness. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t expecting she would be so clingy and adorable but I¡¯m really into it... makes me feel special, which is still a very foreign feeling.


    I think I could get used to it, though.


    Sam looks away with comical tears in her eyes. ¡°W-Well yeah, and it IS super hot but... maybe I shoulda waited until after our sexy honeymoon period was over? I mean, we were in bliss! Every day was full of fucking, sexual tension, fucking, kinky shit, fucking and making money for the Guild! You and me against all the realms, Daddy!¡±


    I kiss Sam¡¯s cheek and hug her tighter. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Princess.¡±


    Sam continues to grumble as if to say otherwise, but I know she¡¯s happy deep down. I guess this is just her more spoiled side coming out.


    ¡®Speaking of making money for the Guild, is there a long term plan here? I know the gist both from Sam and from context clues. Dead grandpa, you¡¯re a creepy loner who the town hates so you never get any business... and so on. I¡¯m not judging how this place came to be in its present state, but this is frankly awful. I found a rat in my hat when we were getting dressed.¡¯


    Sam guffaws loudly and I raise an eyebrow. I put aside the fact that she called me a creepy loner and focus on the rat part. ¡°What?! I was right there, why didn¡¯t you say any-¡±


    Zutiria stares blankly at me.


    ¡°Right...¡±


    With a playful smile, the mage takes off her little black beret. ¡®It¡¯s ok. I kept it.¡¯ She overturns it revealing a large gray rat hiding inside of her hat. It squeaks happily, and I find myself facepalming as she shows the jittery little beast off to Sam. The Princess is highly amused, while I¡¯m just stuck wondering what she¡¯s doing about the droppings.


    I once heard a story regarding a certain magical school which, in an effort to save on construction costs, had no bathrooms. Teachers and staff alike encouraged its students to just shit up and down the hallways wherever they wanted and to magic it away with teleportation spells. Needless to say, this experimental architectural cost cutting measure did not pan out.


    The school was instantly lambasted by the public and closed down within a year and its former students faced endless bullying when transferring back to public magic schools. I thought perhaps Zutiria might be using a similar technique on her new furry friend.


    ¡®I know what you¡¯re thinking. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s gone before it ever even comes out.¡¯ Zutiria shoots me a thumbs up and I can¡¯t help but laugh.


    I¡¯m surprised at just how funny she can be once you get to know her, and I can¡¯t wait to spend even more time with her.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± I brush aside the rat in the hat topic and it disappears back into her beret. ¡°You and Sam are the only active adventurers this Guild has. We have some goals, sure, but we can¡¯t do anything until we start making some actual money and we have more members I can deploy on more challenging and lucrative quests.¡±


    Zutiria leans forward in her seat, giving me the slightest of curious gazes. ¡®And how far are you trying to take this little place, Sir? What exactly is your endgame?¡¯


    Sam squeezes my hand and flexes a tomboyish grin. ¡°Tell her, Daddy.¡±


    I take a deep breath and look her right in the eyes. ¡°I want Dewhurst to go back to being the best damn Guild in Karnalle, just like it used to be. Hell, I want it to be the best Guild in ALL the realms.¡±


    As if to rain on my parade, Zutiria flatly corrects me. ¡®Well most other realms don¡¯t rely on Guilds in the first place, especially the further you get from Karnalle. Only the closest ones to us have Guilds of their own, but none of them rival Perlshaw. If they need help they¡¯ll usually use a mage to deliver an urgent quest to our realm.¡¯


    I dejectedly sigh, and put slump over on the table just like Sam did moments ago. Zutiria seems to notice her mistake and grows worried. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sir, I¡¯m not good at this conversation thing. Your determination is inspiring and... um. You looked very attractive when you declared your dreams, Sir. Very masculine and... Romantic. In the classical sense of the word, I mean.¡¯


    Sam holds back a laugh and sharply elbows me in the ribs, much stronger than I¡¯d like. ¡°Woah Boss, Zuzu called you masculine.¡±


    ¡°Jealous?¡± I smirk up at Sam, reflecting the taunt back to her.


    ¡®Fret not. You are also very masculine, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria has my back on this and doubles the pressure skillfully.


    ¡°ZUZU!¡± She stands up as a deep blush overtakes her face, while Zutiria just smiles. The mage is very amused and for that matter, so am I.


    Having them both here is the best feeling in all the realms. Not only are both girls beautiful, sexy, ravishing and all that other lewd stuff, but they¡¯re genuinely fun and amazing to spend time with. When they¡¯re around I don¡¯t feel like everything in the world is conspiring to make me fail.


    I want to be with Sam and Zutiria.


    I feel like they both bring me hope... and that¡¯s more valuable than any quest reward. Sentimentality aside, though. Daddy needs to get paid.


    Sam, Zutiria and I settle on a plan for the day.


    First, I make us a light breakfast, as always, but Sam brings up a valid point that after a bit over a week of spending time with me the menu has gotten repetitive. I try to explain how I¡¯m not a chef and we don¡¯t have the money to start buying lots of different food, but we all agree on one thing. The Guild is going to need a kitchen staff and a very well stocked larder when we¡¯re further along in our restoration efforts.


    When I was young I was definitely spoiled by the kitchen workers- at least until Grandpa died. along with the rest of the Guild, started looking at me differently... but before all that, it was great. I got anything I ever asked for and as much of it as I wanted. I¡¯d love to return to that era of culinary freedom, but kitchen staff isn¡¯t going to be super important until we have a lot more people. Especially when both of my girls consume about half as much as an ordinary person would now that they¡¯re on the effects of my semen...


    Gods, I¡¯m never going to get used to how weird that sounds.


    After breakfast I sort out the new quests for myself. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust Sam¡¯s judgment on picking them out, but the stack was a lot bigger than it''s been in a while and it had me curious. I can quickly figure out the reason for the increased size of the pile. Many of the brand new quests are... morally questionable at best and downright illegal at worst, with the majority trending towards the latter. I think it¡¯s safe to say Abner came through and he¡¯s been rounding up each and every one of Dewhurst¡¯s myriad problems for us to solve.


    The problem with that, though, is that it¡¯s specifically Dewhurst¡¯s problems. The vast majority of the new requests are blatantly illegal and they make no attempt whatsoever at hiding it. There are requests for just about every crime I¡¯ve heard of in here as well as a couple of particularly vile new ones that no sane person could have possibly considered before.


    Fucking hell, this was one of the TAMER requests:


    ¡®Capture Quest, 600G, bonus rewards including several pounds of delicious meat of promiscuous origin.


    The pink catboy that¡¯s been wandering around the town for a while now... shaking his delectable ass like the cheapest of whores... bring him to me- leashed AND muzzled. I heard he ain¡¯t got an owner and the last of my pets is no longer with us as of yesterday. I have a lovely kennel prepared for him in my basement away from prying, judgmental eyes. I hope he likes milk because I have a lot of it to feed to him... Here kitty, kitty.


    Client- Butcher Bludman¡¯


    Still, making steaks out of the only good person remaining in Dewhurst aside, this is a very good development.


    When illegal acts are filtered out properly it leaves us with an extra ten quests more than we would usually have. Most of it is stuff I think Sam could handle, but... I¡¯m not enthusiastic about the idea of sending Zutiria out alone on the streets of Dewhurst. At least not when crazed butchers are roaming the streets for new sources of meat. Something tells me she can¡¯t whack things very hard with that staff of hers and I already know can¡¯t defend herself reliably with her magic. Setting her new pet on them would probably be her only option...


    We aren¡¯t doing any of these new quests today, anyway. I want Sam around for when we find out if my semen worked on Zutiria yet. The fact that she¡¯s less hungry than usual is promising but we need to make sure.


    Carrying a stack of bronze ranked kill quests and a number of the usual fetch quests, the three of us head to the bright and grassy outskirts of Dewhurst.


    It was hardly what I¡¯d call a pleasant stroll, the villagers looked madder at me than ever before despite the fact that many of them submitted quests to the Guild. Rather than shirk like a feeble coward, though, today I glared unflinchingly back at anyone who dared give me such a look. It made quick work of them.


    When we arrive at the meadow, the place is just as crawling with easy to kill monsters as always. It¡¯s a reassuring feeling. Like meeting up with an old friend you intend on slaughtering and turning in for gold. Not the best metaphor in the realms, sure, but I¡¯m a Guild Master and not a poncy bard.


    It¡¯s just afternoon and it¡¯s a typical day. Bright, sunny, the seemingly permanent drab grey overcast of Dewhurst is behind us so it actually feels nice to be outside.


    I bring the girls towards a little bouncy blue slime and point at it, ¡°You ready to do your thing, Zutiria?¡± I try my best to smile reassuringly and Sam pats the little mage on the back, hoping to pass along some of her can do attitude.


    Just this morning Sam was concerned about pushing Zutiria too far but I assume she¡¯s trying to make peace with her friend¡¯s decision and encourage her. I¡¯m still mixed on how I feel about it, myself, but I¡¯m not going to stand in her way if she really wants to do it for my sake.


    I just don¡¯t want to ever see her in a worse state than she was in last night if I can help it... and if it were my fault she got like that I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be able to forgive myself.


    Zutiria steps out ahead and clutches tightly onto her fancy, ornamental staff. ¡®Let¡¯s make this comparison easy, Sir. I¡¯m going to try to do the same basic fire spell from yesterday, Burnhit.¡¯


    ¡°Once more- with feeling!¡± I do my best to motivate her, but I¡¯m worried I just came off as lame. It¡¯s hard to tell with her when she stares as blankly as she does.


    Sam and I both step a good distance away from the Black Mage, leaving her side and letting her focus on the task at hand. There¡¯s no telling how much stronger she might end up and considering how terrifyingly strong her mana pressure already was... needless to say I felt that backing off a few paces was a good move just in case.


    The little slime notices the Mage lifting her staff to point directly at it¡¯s target. It watches, unsure of what Zutiria¡¯s doing and studying her every move carefully. I can feel it in the air again. Perhaps I¡¯m adjusting to the sensation or perhaps Zutiria is controlling the pressure, it¡¯s nowhere near as suffocating as it was yesterday.


    A little ball of light sparks from the tip of her staff. Sam and I watch eagerly as Zutiria opens up her mouth and closes her eyes to find her center. Then, after a sharp inhale, she strikes. ¡°B... urhnhit...¡± She whispers ever so quietly under her breath. She did it. She actually said the spell!


    The ball of light grows into a roaring fire the size of a small boulder and launches straight toward the slime, exploding it on impact. The hard slime core falls to the grass below and the rest of it becomes a steamy mess in the air. Sam and I watch in awe, and end up hugging each other out of shared pride for our girl.


    Then we both run out to meet her and throw her up into the air in celebration. We only pull it off once before Zutiria blushes and gets annoyed. ¡®Please stop.¡¯ She says, right back to her floating text. Ah well, baby steps and all that.


    ¡°You actually pulled it off...!¡± I still can¡¯t wipe the smile from my face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt you for a second, personally!¡± Sam¡¯s full of shit, but is honest about feeling good for Zutiria.


    Zutiria is a lot like me, and she¡¯s not used to being the center of attention. ¡®I only did what I said I¡¯d do... I tried. Nothing special in that.¡¯ She tries to be humble, but neither of us are having it.


    ¡°Come on. This is your first verbal spell in twenty-eight years right? I think a little bit of pride is excusable.¡±


    Zutiria looks to the side awkwardly. ¡®I suppose. Although there¡¯s no guarantee I¡¯ll be able to do it every time... and if you couldn¡¯t tell, the spell was much weaker than it was supposed to be- especially used by someone as powerful as myself. I couldn¡¯t raise my volume loudly enough to put more mana behind it. Really, I don¡¯t think that puny fireball was even 1/1000th of its full power...¡¯


    ¡°Damn, Zuzu. You went from ¡®it was nothing¡¯ to ¡®you have yet to see my final form¡¯ in no time at all!¡± Sam bellows a rowdy laugh which makes Zutiria blush even further.


    Zutiria¡¯s words bother me, though.


    She makes me think back to the day before and remember how strong I could feel the oncoming spell was going to be. I¡¯m... almost unsure if I would even want to witness a ¡®basic fire spell¡¯ at her full power. It already felt like it was going to burn down the entire meadow, and knowing she had even stronger spells in her magical arsenal was an even more terrifying thought.


    After the initial test we also tried a version where Zutiria used a non-verbal version of Burnhit. While obviously much weaker than with its incantation, even this scaled down version was much more powerful than the hot take she produced yesterday.


    This time it was about the size of a closed fist. It took roughly five shots to completely kill the slime but it certainly looked like Zutiria would at the very least be able to defend herself out on the streets of Dewhurst if she should ever need to. Good to know that my ¡®blessing¡¯ would power up her non-verbal spells as well since I¡¯m sure earlier was an exception and not the norm.


    The truth is I can¡¯t come along with these girls much further than the outskirts. I have a sneaking suspicion that my presence is what inspired Zutiria to be able to speak her incantation in the first place. If I¡¯m not around I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be able to cast them as easily... and there¡¯s no work around to that. We just need to keep working on her speech until she can say things confidently, no matter how long it takes.


    I¡¯m still very much afraid of letting my girls out into the wild on quests without my direct supervision, but thank the gods that''s a bridge we don¡¯t need to cross for a while yet.


    Artist doesn''t want me to link them.

 All Cleaned Up

    The rest of the day goes by fast without a hitch.


    Even though Sam and I have a new tagalong companion in the form of our petite Black Mage, we quickly settle into our familiar, practiced groove and complete quests one after another. Now that we have the backup we¡¯re able to run two consecutive kill quests at the same time. No use having both girls working on the same five slimes after all. The abundance of monsters is plentiful within this meadow and we never seem to run out of unwitting prey to hunt, no matter how many are taken down.


    Sam avoids all damage under my supervision, but Zutiria is less fortunate regarding her slimy attackers. She¡¯s struck now and then by lucky Slimes who slip past her weak guard. Just as I assumed, Zutiria is not reliably able to get her incantations out every time and still has to fall back on the non-verbal forms of her spells, but it¡¯s obviously a lot better than nothing.


    After getting tired of genociding endless unfortunate Slimes who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, the girls move on to Living Fungi kill quests. Zutiria doesn¡¯t have the same problems that Sam did when she first took on this enemy, since Black Mages are much better suited to fighting from a distance than a Great Blader could hope for. We get by mostly without incident and cut off a number of the dead mushroom people¡¯s left hands to serve as proof of kill.


    I¡¯ll admit, it¡¯ll be nice when Zutiria is comfortable enough to use teleportation magic on small items. Warping a group of people is incredibly difficult, hence why typically only mages can use Karnalle¡¯s warp stone network, but small items are a lot easier from what I¡¯ve been told.


    Eventually we could set up a personal warp deposit box for our Guild and then Zutiria would be able to transfer our kill quests paperwork and proof of kills directly to the Association of Adventurers HQ and essentially get paid the same day for quests like these. HQ would then teleport our gold right on back after verification with no need to go through the proper mail mage channels. I assume we might already have a warp deposit box since there was no shortage of Mages in my Grandpa¡¯s time, though needless to say if we DO have one then it hasn¡¯t been used in a very long time.


    Both Sam and Zutiria are worn out after all of the constant battling. Even if the enemies were weak and easy to handle it still takes a toll after so many rounds. Sam is covered in sweat, and Zutiria looks on the verge of dozing off.


    ¡°Come on, the day''s not over yet, Girls! There¡¯s still a big stack of fetch quests ready to go.¡± I do my best to pump Sam and Zutiria up and raise their lagging spirits.


    Stamina, routine and the right mindset are every bit as important as ability on the battlefield. I can¡¯t afford to be soft with them even though it¡¯s Zutiria¡¯s first day and even though we¡¯re moving on to the easy part of today¡¯s quests.


    ¡°This is nothing... Boss! I¡¯m still raring to go. I¡¯ll even work on more kill quests if you want!¡± Her Highness is still motivated, as I¡¯d expect from her. ¡°Though I guess if Zuzu needs a break, we can stop for a while...¡±


    Sam can handle more quests in a single grinding session now thanks to her improving abilities, so she¡¯s getting more tired than usual. This IS her fourth day in a row of questing after all. I think I¡¯ll need to give the young Princess a day off soon, although knowing Sam she¡¯ll probably still insist on working somehow.


    Perhaps a day doing simple quests that don¡¯t involve any physical activity?


    ¡®Good to see you¡¯re as energetic as ever, Sammy. I however am not.¡¯ Zutiria pants and collapses down below onto the soft and grassy meadow beneath her. ¡®Give me a few moments to catch breath. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve spent this much energy on anything ever before... Sex notwithstanding, of course.¡¯


    ¡°No rush. You¡¯re doing great, Zutiria. Hard to believe it¡¯s your first day on the job.¡± I smile reassuringly at her, and it seems to perk up her weary spirit enough for her to return the favor in the form of a soft smile of her own.


    Just now it occurs to me that since we¡¯ve been doing local quests I haven¡¯t been prepping the girls with any supplies. Starting tomorrow I¡¯ll remember to fill up some canteens at the very least for them to use from now on. Sam¡¯s never complained about it but the little lady could use herself a drink right about now by the looks of it. Some light snacks would be good too, it¡¯d be nice to eat out in the pleasant meadows instead of the dirty-ass guild for a change.


    After Zutiria has her brief rest, the girls are both ready and willing to get on with the day¡¯s activities.


    We head out in search of medicinal herbs and the rest of the typical fetch quest agenda, along with some brand new item requests from Dewhurst. None of them were outright illegal, per se, but I certainly know what most of these items were going to be used for...


    Steezweed, Excite Rock, Black Brain Root, Nerve Pepper...


    Yes, the list of requested items was clearly a back alley alchemist¡¯s wet dream. Gathering the ingredients to brew illicit potions wasn¡¯t against the law though, as these ingredients have plenty of non drug related applications. I¡¯m sure the Association of Adventurers wouldn¡¯t be too happy about it if they found out but there¡¯s really nothing they can do other than chastise and wag a finger at me.


    Not to mention the quests paid much higher than your typical issued daily fetch quests from HQ- I¡¯d be a fool not to take the money on offer.


    Look at me now, Grandpa... Supporting our local businesses and providing for the upcoming generation of Dewhurstian alchemists.


    Zutiria is a scholarly mage and I¡¯m sure she¡¯s had some dabblings in alchemy so there¡¯s no way she doesn¡¯t know what we¡¯re gathering, but she remains quiet on the matter. She¡¯s a smart woman so I¡¯m confident she¡¯s jumped to the same conclusion that I did and figured we might as well.


    Sam, however, is totally innocent on what any of these weird things were or what they were used for. Seems like drugs were not one of the traumatic things that the King exposed her to. Knowing our ruler is sober came as a very comforting thought, at least... considering all the things I¡¯ve been hearing about his Highness as of late.


    The three of us spend the rest of our shared afternoon gathering up every last requested item we can get our hands on and filling up our collection bags with as much as we can carry.


    We return to the Guild after a quick jaunt through the streets of Dewhurst. As usual, it¡¯s far from uneventful. I grow slightly concerned after witnessing a twisted man wearing a blood-caked apron and brandishing a butcher¡¯s cleaver running after Milly, but we¡¯re all too dog tired to do anything about it. He was running a lot faster than the butcher, so... I think the little catboy will be fine. Probably.


    We take out everything we¡¯ve gathered onto one of the many wooden tables of the Guild hall and now that I¡¯m seeing it all splayed out like this, I can¡¯t help but find pride in what an amazing haul we brought in.


    When all of this is properly sorted, filed, and submitted through the proper channels we¡¯ll easily be making three to four thousand gold from the day¡¯s work. Not only did a second adventurer double the output, but the quests from Dewhurst¡¯s ¡®potion enthusiast¡¯ community paid a hefty sum for their ingredients.


    Zutiria, same as Sam before her, isn¡¯t requesting any of the gold for herself. Instead she asks that I just buy her whatever magical trinket or book she has her eye every now and then, and I¡¯m not about to argue with a deal like that.


    Honestly this progress feels amazing, and I can¡¯t wait to expand the Guild further with their help.


    I can see it now... girls of every adventurer class flooding the guild as they all lining up at the packed quest board to pick and choose their quests, only to come to me and ask what I¡¯d recommend anyway. The hall would be packed and my attention split between many who need it, but I¡¯d as always be working my absolute hardest to accommodate them all.


    Suddenly I¡¯m snapped back to reality as soon as Sam rests her arm over my shoulder from behind my back. ¡°I don¡¯t know about you two but fuck, am I sweaty. We didn¡¯t bathe together like normal this morning, either. A certain pair of ¡®grown ups¡¯ kicked me out of the room before I could bring it up...¡±


    ¡®I could go for a bath.¡¯ Confirms Zutiria as she brushes aside the playful jab. ¡®I bet the three of us could all fit in your tub, by the looks of it... but there wouldn¡¯t be much room to spare.¡¯


    ¡°Definitely not enough room for any shenanigans. But it could still be fun.¡± I begin to undo my bowstring and strip off my vest. Sam raises an eyebrow and wolf whistles suggestively, but I just laugh her off.


    ¡®Behave yourself.¡¯ The little mage pokes the tip of her staff into the side of Sam¡¯s barely covered butt causing the Princess to blush.


    The three of us then agree to settle in for the night and start off with a refreshing bath. Paperwork can come later. We deserve a quick break, myself included.


    The bathroom tub is a fairly decent size befitting of a master bedroom. Nothing remarkable about it and I¡¯ve certainly never had any complaints about it before today. Now, though? Now it¡¯s just another new thing to add to the ever growing (and seemingly unending) list of things I¡¯d like to upgrade once we have more money.


    Sam and I had no trouble fitting in and having a fun time with each other in the past but even with as small Zutiria is, it¡¯s clear that it¡¯s not going to work out the same. So any luxurious bathing threesomes will have to wait for another day.


    That doesn¡¯t mean we still don¡¯t have fun, though.


    ¡°When was the first time we took a bath together, Zuzu?¡± Sam asks. The young princess sits at the opposite end of the tub from me, and our petite lover rests in the middle. She¡¯s currently leaning back against me, the roundness of her small and juicy little butt digging into my crotch while I try to keep my composure.


    ¡®A long time ago. It was always fun getting to wash your beautiful hair for you and then brushing it afterwards. I must admit I think I like the added company even more, though.¡¯ She looks over her shoulder to give me a gentle smile. That explains why Sam¡¯s hair always looks like a barber¡¯s worst nightmare, at least. Her personal caretaker hasn¡¯t been around to see after her Highness''s every need.


    ¡°You need to stop being so affectionate, Zutiria. Sam¡¯s already jealous enough as it is.¡±


    The Princess, while already steaming red from the heat of the bathwater, becomes even more flushed as she splashes a wave of warm water onto our faces. ¡°I AM NOT JEALOUS!¡±


    After Zutiria is done silently giggling, she looks at Sam with a dripping face. ¡®Consider myself convinced.¡¯


    ¡°HMPH!¡± Sam reaches over and pulls Zutiria off my lap and over to her side of the tub, hugging her tightly into her wet and dripping cleavage. ¡°Zuzu was mine before she was yours, you know, Daddy.¡± A mischievous smirk appears as she looks down to tell me.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I roll my eyes, pretending not to be convinced.


    ¡°Yup. We might not have ever crossed the line, but we¡¯ve washed each other nice and clean many, many times...¡± Sam reaches for a rag and covers it in bubbly soap. Zutiria remains quiet, watching to see what she¡¯ll do. She¡¯s just as curious as I am.


    ¡°Look at you, you dirty little Mage. You think you can steal my Daddy away from me like this? You look like one of those street rats running around Dewhurst.¡± She leans in and nibbles Zutiria¡¯s ear and begins to rub the soapy rag around the little lady¡¯s body while I watch her begin to shiver. ¡°And you¡¯re so sweaty, too...¡±


    Zutiria is starting to get really turned on by Sam¡¯s antics. Her breathing becomes low and ragged, her ice blue eyes fluttering from twitchy pleasure as she leans backwards into Sam¡¯s wet, curvy body willingly. She wants more, and the Princess is determined to give it.


    ¡°What should I do with this dirty little girl, Daddy?¡± Sam asks in a low, husky voice dripping with sex. Her emerald eyes glimmer with playful anticipation for my command.


    ¡°Clean her up. And clean yourself up, too Princess. I¡¯m expecting both of you in my bed after we have dinner and I take care of the paperwork.¡± I relax further into the tub and stretch backwards, playing up my exaggerated ¡®coolness¡¯ and smirking.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy. Anything you want.¡± Sam licks her lips and begins to devilishly wash her willing partner. I hand Zutiria another rag and command her to return the favor, and I soak in the sight of my lovers washing one another as sexily as they can.


    Nubile wet bodies heaving with growing lust covered only by dripping soap... hands slipping into erotic places that cry out oh so desperately to be washed... coupled all the way with expertly placed moans and gasps designed to titillate me at every turn.


    Gods, these girls are good at what they do...


    It almost pains me not to join in, but I remind myself what the plans are for tonight and it helps to stave my lust off for the duration of the bath. It certainly gets hard to hold back at the end though, as after they finish washing each other¡¯s hair they drop both the rags and the pretense of bathing. My two women start groping each other¡¯s bodies and kissing, and the hottest part is that it¡¯s barely for my viewing pleasure at this point.


    Sam and Zutiria want each other, if that wasn¡¯t obvious by now it certainly was hammered home around the time Sam skillfully brought the little Mage to orgasm after mashing her finger nonstop into Zutiria¡¯s pretty little clit.


    I never knew it felt so good to be left out and just observe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t wear her out too much, Princess. I¡¯m going to want Zutiria first tonight.¡± Before Sam can grow any more jealous I remind her of the reasoning behind this. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that my plans for you are going to make me quite dirty, and we don¡¯t want to inconvenience Zutiria do we?¡±


    ¡°N-no Daddy, not at all...¡± I can practically see Sam drooling at the thought. She remembers that I was finally planning to go balls deep in her ass tonight, assuming I can fit. We haven''t experimented much with it yet and I know from certain books I¡¯ve read on the matter that we should have worked up to it with fingers, but...


    ¡®If you want, Sir, I know a rune that will ward off any and all filth you might otherwise accumulate during anal sex.¡¯ Zutiria says after recovering from her orgasm.


    ¡°NO.¡± Not again. I don¡¯t care what other fucking runes she knows, I¡¯m not going through that shit again. At least not any time soon... maybe if I¡¯m knocked out beforehand, but even then. The psychological trauma has been done and it can never be undone.


    Zutiria giggles aloud and I raise an eyebrow. ¡°How come you know so many magic dick runes, anyway?¡±


    At my question, she hurriedly steps out of the tub. ¡®The only thing keeping me consistent company for many years was my very, very active imagination. I learned a lot in the hopes that I might one day take a lover. Do you have any idea how lonely I was, Sir...?¡¯


    I do have an idea of what that¡¯s like, but I feel a bit bad about bringing it up. I¡¯m sure she knows.


    Sam steps out of the tub too and smiles back at me, eager to defuse the potentially awkward atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m not actually hungry enough for dinner, I think. What about you, Zuzu?¡±


    ¡®Indeed. Sir should do what he needs to do, have himself a light supper and return to his needy women as quickly as he can.¡¯ The two girls wrap their dripping nude bodies together under one shared towel and start to rub themselves dry as slowly and teasingly as they can, at which point I¡¯m speechless.


    There¡¯s only one thing for a man to do in a situation like this... yes, it¡¯s time to hastily do some fucking paperwork.

 The Last of My Virginities

    After putting on some lounge pants I head downstairs and like a man possessed I tear through the paperwork. I fill out the forms, package up the requested items, write the shipping addresses and add postage. After it¡¯s all done I haul them all out to the shipping crate outside the guild.


    In the morning the mailman will drop by and pick up everything where it will likely loiter around their office before a mail mage inevitably warps it off to the correct channels. Then the quest giver, whether it¡¯s a local villager or the Association of Adventurers itself will then have to do the same process and payment for one quest can take several days just to arrive.


    It¡¯s all just so horribly inefficient if you ask me, but I¡¯m not the one in charge of things.


    Personally I think instead of the down payment being just a percentage of the listed reward it should be the entire thing to create a higher barrier for submitting quests. This would help weed out silly junk listings that often plague the Guild, but I can see how that might hurt low ranking local quests. Things are much simpler when someone comes in to register a quest at the Guild itself instead of by proxy of the village chief or the AoA, but given our local reputation I¡¯m not expecting to have a bustling front desk any time soon.


    I take a short moment to bask in pride as soon as I finish hauling out the last of the drug ingredients into the shipping box. Pride in our work I mean, not in the... drug thing.


    The sun has set fully and the creeping darkness of Dewhurst runs dreadfully thick in the air, so I head back into the relative safety of the Guild once more. We really need to replace the front door that Sam broke, come to think of it... I don¡¯t think anyone in town would really go out of their way to break in here of all places but all the same, better safe than sorry.


    I¡¯m expected back in the bedroom, so instead of a full on dinner I quickly prepare a sandwich and down it with a cheap mug of mead that I spiced with mint and other breath freshening herbs. It doesn¡¯t taste spectacular but I want to be courteous.


    The walk upstairs is exciting and pulse pounding, even though it¡¯s just going to be more sex. Does a man ever tire of this, I wonder? It feels like that would never happen to me, although that may just be the mysterious voice inside me urging to act upon my desires. It¡¯s hardly actual words anymore, not like it was when it spurred me on towards Sam, but I feel it there in my heart telling me to love my girls and pushing me to gather more.


    I open the creaking door to my bedroom and as soon as I take off my glasses I¡¯m greeted with an astonishing sight.


    Upon my bed lay exactly who I was expecting, Sam and Zutiria, but they¡¯re wearing semi-matching and incredibly form fitting pieces of black, lacy lingerie. The sexy tops which don¡¯t cover the breasts trickle down into a flowing sheer minidress that cuts off right at the navel, and the panties are crotchless for my pleasure.


    To top it all off, the naughty-wear hugs into their bodies and accentuates both the juiciness of the Princesses'' curves and the delicate frame of the Mage. The only difference between the two sets of titillating gear are the accent colors, sinful red for Sam and a gentle purple for Zutiria.


    If the lingerie were the only surprise I might not be reacting as powerfully as I am, but it¡¯s not. Sam¡¯s typically rough and tomboyish hair, often matted with knots and lack of care, has now been thoroughly brushed and de-tangled.


    Instead of her usual twintails her silky, flowing blonde hair now falls down gracefully past her shoulder blades. She¡¯s unnaturally beautiful like this. Her skin glows, and I swear her golden strands are glimmering brightly even in the dim light of the bedside arcane lamp.


    Sam really is a Princess, huh...?


    The longer I stand there silently gawking at her, the redder Sam¡¯s cheeks begin to burn. Eventually it¡¯s too much and she leans forward on the bed in a flustered panic. ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna say something, Daddy? I didn¡¯t let Zuzu work through all those knots just so you could stare at me like a slack jawed creep!¡±


    ¡®He has the Dewhurstian look, Sammy. A violent predator has entered our chambers.¡¯ Zutiria sits beside her friend, stroking the hair she brushed so hard over and admiring a job well done.


    ¡°You two look... incredible. Where in the realms did the lingerie come from? It looks very expensive...¡± I ask, turning to Zutiria.


    The Mage simply smiles reassuringly, ¡®I may have missed Sammy¡¯s birthday but I brought a present to make up for it. It was tough going out into Imperalis to buy them on my own, but you wouldn¡¯t believe the amazing quality of lingerie all the castle town shops have...¡¯ I watch as the petite cutie starts daydreaming, drifting into vivid fantasies of the many sexy undies she saw and couldn¡¯t buy.


    Sam bursts with pride and pulls the dreamy girl into her cleavage once more, her daydreams interrupted by the bouncing mounds threatening to suffocate her on both sides. ¡°That¡¯s why she¡¯s the smart one, huh Boss?¡±


    I throw up my hands from resignation in case she¡¯s leading me into a trap. ¡°Your words, not mine.¡± Sam giggles as I close the door behind me and walk closer to the bed. ¡°Get me warmed up?¡± I ask, pulling the hem of my lounge pants downwards in a teasing manner.


    Both girls gleefully take a position on the edge of the bed, sitting on their knees and bending forward properly.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy.¡±


    ¡®Of course, Sir.¡¯


    Sam takes the initiative and strips me of my pants completely, leaving me naked in the dimly lit room.


    I feel my lover¡¯s eyes slowly pouring over my masculine form before naturally landing to my growing cock. Just seeing the two of them in such dirty lingerie was already enough to get me mostly there, but together they begin to work on hurrying the rest of my length along.


    Sam and Zutiria open their mouths in tandem and press their lips to my manhood all while I stare down at them in anticipation.


    The girl¡¯s tongues pass their lips and they each start playfully licking me from opposite sides. Sam¡¯s tongue starts off slow as it wetly glides from top to bottom, but every time it reaches the tip she swirls around it aggressively. It makes me my body shudder and my breath moan in a needy, desperate way I know is driving the Princess crazy.


    On the other hand, Zutiria is drowning me in consistent pleasure with her meaningful and slow technique. Her daintier tongue works just as hard in its own way to pleasure my throbbing shaft. The petite mage licks me in between deep, suction filled kisses every inch of the way down. I groan as she elegantly traces the entirety of my tip whenever Sam¡¯s not already there, purposefully doing it as delicately and meekly as she can.


    Whenever Zutiria is done licking up at my needy cockhead, Sam is there to do more of her aggressively aggressive swirling. This trade off licking is unbelievable, and it¡¯s hard to believe they¡¯re simply improvising. They must have planned their strategy out when Zutiria was brushing Sam¡¯s hair... it¡¯s too good to be mere spur of the moment.


    ¡°He¡¯s so... happy, Zuzu... Does your cock feel good, Daddy...?¡± Sam says breathily in between achingly good licks.


    ¡®I should think so, Sammy. He¡¯s only been staring at our bodies all day while bossing us around, making us fight monsters for him... and that was before the little show we put on in the bath.¡¯ Zutiria looks up at me with a surprisingly playful look in her calm, icy eyes. ¡®Sir must be aching for a release by now...¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I am.¡± I grit my teeth and push my hips forward, sliding it across both girl¡¯s slippery tongues as I do so. They let me get a couple of good, long strokes in before Sam stops me from seeking my pleasure.


    ¡°This is just to warm you up, though. Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Boss!¡± Sam takes the base of my cock in her right hand and squeezes it firmly to make sure I¡¯m not getting too much out of it. Her force makes me groan against my will and push forward once again in desperate need of more, but Zutiria¡¯s patient lips covering my needy shaft in soft kisses are all I get.


    ¡®He¡¯s cute like this. Very cute. If this little guy didn¡¯t have places to be, I¡¯d love to tease you like this for hours.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how much I could... ngh... take...!¡±


    ¡®I know. That¡¯s why it¡¯d be so much fun to find out.¡¯ The little lady smirks and lowers her inviting mouth onto my cock, much to my delight.


    Sam smiles happily while watching the petite girl suck me off properly. ¡°Looks like she¡¯s getting better, huh? Is she sucking your dick good?¡±


    My groans get heavier, all I can do is nod and grunt in confirmation.


    Zutiria starts sucking on as much of my meat as she can fit. Sure it¡¯s a good couple of inches more than last night, but the way she pleasures it is driving me mad with lust... This pace is nowhere near enough to fully get me off and I know damn well she¡¯s doing it on purpose.


    ¡°Are you getting teased too much? Poor, pooooor Daddy... I bet you¡¯re starting to feel aggressive right about now, huh?¡± Sam huskily whispers into my ear as she leaves the side of my cock, now letting Zutiria alone see to my desires.


    ¡°I bet you¡¯d LOVE to just grab Zuzu¡¯s hair and use it to fuck her tight little mouth like a slut, wouldn¡¯t you Daddy?¡± The Princess¡¯s hand runs up my abs and rests atop my pecs. She playfully digs her nails into my skin while running her fingers up to my nipple, before teasing it softly with a weak pinch.


    ¡°Yes...¡± I groan. ¡°Gods, yes I would love that...¡±


    My young lover interrupts this fantasy by nipping me in the ear with her playful fang. In a low voice she continues to whisper, ¡°Too bad she¡¯s so small. You¡¯d break her poor little jaw with your huge, stiff cock...¡± The feeling of Sam digging into my pecs grows stronger just in time to match up with Zutiria sucking down on my cock even harder. ¡°Don¡¯t you think we should put that bad boy somewhere it¡¯ll actually fit?¡±


    ¡°Yes... YES!¡±


    ¡°Somewhere like Zutiria¡¯s tight, snug little pussy, Daddy?¡±


    My cock throbs like a violent demon at the thought of fucking that hole with all I¡¯ve got. I can¡¯t take this slow blowjob any longer. I groan loudly and rattle out, ¡°FUCKING YES, LET ME FUCK HER!¡±


    As soon as I do, Zutiria slides off my cock audibly with a loud ¡®POP¡¯ and shoots a coy smile my way. ¡®All you had to do was ask. Sir.¡¯


    Both girls scurry further up the soft, pillowy bed and await my descent. Now that I¡¯m finally free of that tormentingly slow, drawn out suck session I can join them. I kneel atop the bed and crawl toward my devious lovers.


    ¡°I think we pushed him too far, Zuzu. Daddy looks even scarier than usual!¡±


    ¡®Good thing I¡¯m first, then. You wouldn¡¯t want him attacking your ass when he¡¯s in the mood for a hard rut and nothing more would you?¡¯


    ¡°Oh, Gods... Don¡¯t make me answer that...¡± The young, busty Princess bites her lip at the thought of her ass getting reamed by my powerful cock.


    ¡®Of course.¡¯ The lavender haired cutie rolls her ice blue eyes as she spreads out her legs for me. Thanks to Zutiria¡¯s crotchless black lingerie I see a glistening, dripping pink pussy laid out before my eyes. This dirty little Mage got absolutely drenched from sucking my cock, and I¡¯m stunned by how slick her drooling cunt truly is in want of me.


    It doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯ll be any resistance at all.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna enjoy this, Zutiria.¡± I take my massive cock in hand and push it against the little lady¡¯s lips. ¡°You pushed me too far and now you¡¯re going to have to take responsibility for it.¡±


    She feels me start to invade the sheath between her legs, and the cheeky side of her begs her to smile up at me. ¡®I¡¯m a big girl. I can handle it, Sir.¡¯


    I groan and hilt myself all the way back in one heavy, meaningful thrust. This is what she was asking for, after all. Zutiria was teasing me and practically begging for me to just grab ahold of her tiny little hips and split her right down the middle with my massive cock. So without wasting any time at all that¡¯s exactly what I start doing.


    This is far, far from the gentle and tender lovemaking the two of us shared in this very bed earlier this morning. No, it has become a powerful and purely carnal fucking with only our mutual satisfaction as the end goal.


    ¡®I think... I¡¯m... ngh... getting used to... this...!¡¯ Zutiria ¡®says¡¯ as I do my hardest to fuck her brains out.


    Sam watches with growing arousal as I grunt, groan and slap my heart out into the tiny pussy offered until she can no longer take it. Luckily for my burning lust, we have a ways to go.


    Finally after seeing my aggressive pace and Zutiria¡¯s ecstasy addled expressions for long enough, her Highness stands up on the bed and then squats over her friend¡¯s face. ¡°Sorry, Zuzu. I can¡¯t just wait my turn like a good little girl. Help me out, please?¡± She sticks her tongue out playfully and before she even has a chance to respond, Zutiria¡¯s mouth is greeted by the exposed pussy of a very needy Princess.


    ¡°Oh, fuck yesss...!!¡± Sam¡¯s emerald eyes roll backwards just as soon as the lovely girl below her starts using her tongue on Sam¡¯s dripping slit. Sam, in response, starts humping Zutiria¡¯s lucky face.


    At this distance I¡¯m only inches away from Sam. As soon as her eyes fall back into place she gazes at me dreamily with a wanting smile. ¡°Hi, Daddy.¡± She licks her lips and flutters her eyes, twitching as her beloved Zuzu thoroughly eats her out.


    ¡°Hi, you dirty little slut.¡± I smile back at my Princess as I mercilessly fuck the girl she¡¯s facesitting.


    Sam leans across the body of our shared lover to meet me in a passionate kiss, and I return the favor only with the added benefit of grabbing her two perfect tits in my palm.


    Below us, Zutiria wraps her hands around the blonde¡¯s thighs to get a better angle on her. She grips Sam¡¯s meat tightly, digging her fingers in as her tongue digs harder into her pussy in turn. And for me, Zutiria starts bucking her hips with a passion I haven¡¯t yet seen out of her. Sam must taste really good right about now if it¡¯s exciting her to this extent. Gods, the thought of that makes me even more eager to burst.


    Sam begins to grow closer to her release as well, as she keeps breaking our dancing tongues apart to moan and whimper from the combined sensations of me roughly fondling and toying with her stiff pink nipples and from the tiny tongue assaulting her from below. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m gonna... Nnnngh...! Daddy... Daddyyy...!!¡± She looks at me for my blessing and I can¡¯t help but grunt even louder.


    ¡°Cum for me, FUCK, just fucking DO IT!¡± I order Sam, my ego going mad with power as I drive the entirety of my cock up to the furthest reaches of Zutiria¡¯s tight tunnel.


    Sam closes her eyes and lets out a moan so loud that I¡¯m afraid the whole town might have heard it.


    I watch as she rides out a much shakier orgasm than normal. It makes her body tremble, causing her delicious breasts to bounce up and down as she suffers wave after wave of violent pleasure rippling throughout her, all while she drags her wetness all over the face of the lucky girl beneath her.


    Below her, Zutiria gasps for air as she struggles to lap up all of Sam¡¯s fleeing love juices. If that wasn¡¯t hard enough on its own, I take my hands from Sam¡¯s tits and grab the mage by her knees and plow her as hard as I¡¯m able to. The little Mage buckles near instantly and her massive orgasm triggers my own just as soon as her tight cunt starts tightening on and off, milking my cock over the edge.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯M CUMMING, TOO!¡± I announce loudly to Zutiria in an attempt to warn her of the oncoming flood.


    With a powerful impact I pound my hips all the way up to Zutiria¡¯s pelvic bone and groan from sweet, sweet relief- the burning semen within me starts spurting out in powerful jets. She can hardly contain my overflowing seed and as she convulses around my shaft it just makes it worse, encouraging me to keep up my assault and saw my cock in and out of her mindlessly- each thrust bringing a new blast of my load until there¡¯s nothing more to give.


    The three of us are now a ragged mass of heavy breathing afterglow and the room grows silent but for the sound of our panting.


    We recover after a few moments have passed, and to my happiness it seems Zutiria is getting a lot more used to being fucked hard. She¡¯s still awake, if tired, unlike the night before where she had far too much stimulation for her virgin body to handle.


    Sam on the other hand is raring to go. Getting eaten out was amazing and she came real hard from it, but it¡¯s not what her body has been yearning for. Both of us acknowledged we were curious in trying out anal sex early on into our three day ¡®getting to know each other¡¯ session, but we never got around to it.


    The time is finally now, and we need to do it to finish off the semen tests once and for all. It¡¯s the last hole to go before we¡¯ve discovered the effects of them all, and I¡¯d say the both of us are eager to advance our scholarly pursuits.


    ¡°Come on up here, Daddy,¡± Sam gets off of Zutiria¡¯s red, pussy juice covered face and pats down a place on the bed for me. ¡°I wanna ride you so you can watch my ass.¡± Her voice is low and sultry, causing me to stir below once more.


    ¡°Sounds like a lovely idea, Princess.¡± I finally pull my dirty cock from Zutiria¡¯s tight sheath, and the Mage lets a tiny gasp out in response. She misses my length already.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯ll just watch you two from the sidelines this time...¡¯ Zutiria scoots over as I lay back down at the spot that was indicated for me. When I recline, Zutiria snuggles up to my chest and reaches over to tilt my head towards her. She smiles in that soft way of hers before taking me into a passionate kiss.


    My eyes are locked on Zutiria, but I¡¯m overtaken by the sensation of Sam pouring a slick oil onto my already dripping cock. I moan into the delicious kiss as the Princess begins giving me a thorough and teasing handjob with the goal of getting me back to full hardness. It doesn¡¯t take long at all thanks to the combined effort of Zutiria¡¯s elegant, sweet tongue dancing against mine and the confident, firm strokes of the Princess¡¯s soft yet strong hand.


    I pull away from Zutiria¡¯s lips with a soft moan. She tastes delicious... She tastes like Sam.


    ¡®Thank you taking care of my body¡¯s needs, Sir.¡¯ The Mage leans over to give me a tender peck on the cheek once more before nuzzling her little head into the side of my neck.


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t need to go thanking me for something like that.¡± I laugh, knowing I got more than my fair share of enjoyment from her tight, clenching tunnel.


    ¡®Yes. But I want to.¡¯ She smiles before looking over to glance at Sam. ¡®Right now though, I think someone else is eager to get their turn with you. Better not keep her waiting. She¡¯s used to getting what she wants.¡¯


    ¡°Come here, Princess. We should try and loosen you up first before you just start impaling your ass on me.¡±


    Sam pouts like I just caught her about to do something naughty. ¡°What, you don¡¯t think I can handle it, Daddy?¡±


    ¡°Better safe than sorry.¡± It¡¯s true. I don¡¯t want to hurt her with this, no matter how eager she is.


    Sam has other plans.


    ¡°Mmmm, nah. I think you¡¯ve been in control lately too much for my liking, Boss.¡± Her emerald eyes look down into mine with smug condescension, her body taking a striking pose as she leans over my torso and pulls her slimy hands away from my cock. The frilly dress of her lingerie top spills over along with her soft, ample cleavage and the Princess smirks with great purpose.


    ¡®Be careful, Sammy. Some battles aren¡¯t worth winning.¡¯ Zutiria raises a sceptical eyebrow and looks back to me, and all I can do is sigh. Sam¡¯s gonna do what she wants no matter what either of us say to her so it¡¯s almost no use arguing.


    ¡°If you''re in a hurry about it that badly then by all means, Princess. Just don¡¯t come crying to me about your poor little ass later.¡±


    Sam sits back up and puffs out her chest with a successful ¡®hmph!¡¯ gesture. She¡¯s happy she has my reluctant blessing, apparently. It¡¯s odd- Sam usually doesn¡¯t fall into the spoiled and bratty Princess routine except for when things get dirty... She licks her lips and angles the tight hole of her ass against my tip as she says, ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing!¡±


    Sam has no idea what she¡¯s doing.


    In one fell motion she slaps the entirety of my aching, lubed cock up into the deepest recesses of her ass.


    For me it feels insanely good... A little too good in fact, as I can barely enjoy this much stimulation when the tight ring of her entrance squeezes me in such an absurdly tight manner.


    For Sam, there is nothing but silence. I can¡¯t see her face as she¡¯s riding me reverse cowgirl style, but I can definitely see the trembles set in shortly after she forces my dick inside her.


    After a moment passes and it becomes too much, I worriedly call out to her. ¡°Sam...?¡±


    She slowly turns to face Zutiria and I, revealing a shaky smile and a steady stream of tears pouring down her cheeks. Sam then shoots me the most unconvincing thumbs up in the history of thumbs up¡¯s. ¡°I... I told you I... I g-g-got this, b-boss...!!¡± The Princess winks insincerely.


    ¡°Fucking dumbass.¡± I sigh and reach out to spank Sam¡¯s juicy, round butt and she yelps loudly. Her nubile body jerks several inches off my cock and the momentum sends her tight ring sliding back down to my base just as quickly, forcing her to let out a deep groan of pain and pleasure.


    ¡®We tried to tell you.¡¯ Zutiria then spanks the opposite buttcheek and the process repeats itself, Sam bouncing on my cock inch by inch.


    Sam¡¯s confidence starts to break and she tears up. ¡°I-I thought... it¡¯d be like... my pussy and a-as soon as it was in there... it¡¯d... feel amazing...!!¡±


    Zutiria and I share a mutual look of reluctant acceptance, knowing full well we¡¯re going to give in and spoil Sam. How could we not? Even if she totally deserved this, we love her, after all...


    ¡°That¡¯s not how anal sex works, Sam. You can¡¯t just shove it in in one go.¡±


    ¡°S-SHUT UP, VIRGIN!¡± Sam yells at me.


    I sigh- she¡¯s gone full delusional.


    The bed begins to shift over on my side and I hear Zutiria grumbling, forcing herself to get up. I can tell she really didn¡¯t want to be leaving our embrace since she was still tired from her earlier round, but at least I got an amazing view of my cum leaking out of her while she crawled out in front of Sam.


    ¡®Let¡¯s just take it slow, alright? There, there, there, my pretty little dummy.¡¯ Zutiria deftly inserts two of her tiny fingers into Sam¡¯s dripping slit sending a shock of pleasure into the young girl¡¯s body. Her breath becomes more ragged with lust when the Mage uses her free hand to massage Sam¡¯s clit in a slow, rhythmic manner.


    ¡°Z-Zuzu...!!¡± Sam¡¯s eyes clenched shut as she leaned into the other girl¡¯s teasing touch.


    ¡®Don¡¯t keep him waiting, now. Start slow. Up and down, Sammy. Up and down.¡¯ Zutiria smiles up at the blonde Princess, reassuring her and guiding her on how to pleasure my intrusive manhood.


    ¡°Up...¡± Sam raises her ass a few inches off my cock, ¡°And down...¡± before lowering it back to where it started.


    ¡°Good girl...¡± I smile and grab hold of her round ass in one hand and squeeze it.


    ¡°Mmm...! T-Thank you, Daddy...!¡± She whimpers.


    It¡¯s funny, she was all set to take the reigns tonight but now her highness¡¯s meek and submissive persona is back at the forefront. Oh well. It¡¯s her own damn fault.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡± I say before thrusting upwards into her tight little ass, at least as much as I can. It¡¯s not much but it¡¯s certainly enough to make her yelp out loud in a frenzy.


    ¡®Does it feel good?¡¯ Zutiria asks while making her hands work harder to please Sam¡¯s pussy.


    ¡°AHH! K-Kinda... I don¡¯t... dislike it...? I think it¡¯s... ngh... weird... in a good way...¡± Sam¡¯s blush rises as she dwells on the mysterious sensation of my stiff cock in her ass.


    ¡®How about you?¡¯ Zutiria redirects the question to me now.


    ¡°It¡¯s warm, and so fucking tight... I like it, but... definitely not an all the time kind of thing... I can hardly hold back like this, I... ugh...¡± I grit my teeth, I¡¯m getting really close just from the small movements off of my shaft Sam¡¯s making.


    ¡®I see. More, Sammy. Don¡¯t you want to make your ¡®Daddy¡¯ feel even better from your ass? He¡¯s getting close. You need to fuck him better.¡¯ After saying this the little lady expertly twists and teases the throbbing clit between her skilled fingers, prompting even further obedience from the young girl at her mercy.


    ¡°Y-YES! I¡¯M SORRY DADDY! FUCK MY ASS, PUH-... PLEASE...!!¡± Sam looks back at me, pleading with tears in her eyes as she invites me to start pounding.


    So I start.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± I roar, my hands diving out to grip the jiggling ass of my sexy Princess. With animalistic power I drag all but the head of my cock out of her tight nether hole and slam it back up all at once.


    A meaty slap echoes from our sweaty hips smacking each other, and Sam almost loses herself right there. But I¡¯m not done with her, so I don¡¯t let her rest.


    I work myself up into a furious pace- truly carving out the tight ass wrapped around me. Sam screams with rough thrust I reward her with, and she stains the expensive lingerie with a thick, sensual coat of glistening sweat.


    ¡°SAM... SAM!!¡± I can¡¯t help it anymore- I smash her hips down onto my cock one last time as it rises to meet her impact, and as soon as I¡¯m bottomed out my cum violently explodes into her ass.


    Sam moans the loudest moan of the night yet as both my eruption and Zutiria¡¯s expert teasing guide her into another powerful orgasm of her own.


    We sit there moaning and groaning as our bodies shake with ecstasy until finally, Sam falls backward on my torso heaving for any air she can get. My well-spent cock pops out of her ass leaking a tremendous amount of my burning love as it goes.


    ¡°Daddy... that was... weird... but good...¡± Sam can¡¯t muster the energy to look at me so I take it upon myself to grab her by the chin and pull her in for a romantic kiss.


    After we break, I smile and close my eyes. ¡°Yeah... I came fucking hard, though.¡±


    The Princess giggles and rolls off to my side and wraps her sweaty arm around my chest. ¡°Me too... but I think it was mostly Zuzu, honestly...¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which...¡± Zutiria is missing from her place in front of Sam. Before I wonder where she¡¯s gotten off to, the bed sinks to my vacant side and I feel Zutiria cuddling up to my free half.


    ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Zutiria says with a contemplative look. Then she reaches out her hand and using a cantrip, she summons a wet cloth from the bathtub and uses it to clean my dirty flesh. It¡¯s warm, and it feels nice, but after that little romp I think I¡¯m good for the night.


    ¡°Thanks, Zu.¡±


    ¡®Of course, Sir. Hygiene is important.¡¯ She smiles and disappears the washcloth after it''s done its job, at which point Zutiria wraps her arm around me properly just like Sam.


    The blonde Princess yawns loudly in my ear and just from that I can tell she¡¯s already out of it. I lean over and give her another kiss just to be sure, and she smiles adorably in her sleep, her beautiful straightened golden hair falling down onto her face framing her as truly the picturesque definition of a radiant queen-to-be.


    Then, I turn to the other side. Zutiria isn¡¯t asleep yet. We¡¯re in the opposite scenario of last night it looks like, but I know neither of us are in the mood for another round.


    ¡®My first day on the job wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought it would be.¡¯ Her cold face betrays a hint of a smile that only grows bigger when I lean in to give her her goodnight kiss.


    ¡°It helps that you¡¯re fucking the boss. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s giving you special treatment.¡±


    She giggles, and I¡¯m happy to hear the slightest trace of her soft voice.


    ¡°Before I pass the fuck out, Zutiria...¡± A yawn rolls out of my throat as I finish this sentence. ¡°Wake me up if you have nightmares. I¡¯ll take care of you again. I promise.¡±


    The little lady blushes heavily. ¡®But... Sir. I get them almost every day. I can¡¯t expect you to lose so much sleep over me.¡¯


    ¡°Wake me up if you get nightmares. Consider that an order from your boss.¡± I laugh softly under my breath, and as my eyes grow heavy with sleep the last thing I see before passing is an adorable, smiling Mage.


    ¡®Yes, Sir.¡¯

 A New Quest Offer

    So it turns out I got my ass filled up for nothin¡¯. The next day Boss, Zuzu and I all went out to do our daily quests and test to see if the butt pounding had any magical effects and wouldn¡¯t ya know it, not a thing. I guess Boss was too tired after shooting his thick load off in my ass to check if my butt did the magic glowy thing, but it is what it is.


    At least I started to like it towards the end... but ugh, me and my stupid mouth. I just wanted to take charge! I¡¯ve been a lot more submissive than usual lately thanks to Zuzu hanging around. She knows how to get in my head and make me into a good little girl... I¡¯m more in control when it¡¯s just me and Boss.


    I¡¯ve been a lot happier since Zuzu got here, though. I mean sure, sometimes she wakes me and Boss up in the middle of the night when she¡¯s crying and tossing around, but it¡¯s hard to stay mad at her like that... She¡¯s been staying with us for about a week now and we¡¯ve been working our asses off ever since.


    Hell, we¡¯ve been working so hard that Boss made us take a day off even though I was all like ¡®fuck that¡¯. I put up a good fight and in the end he settled on me doing some of the less shady quests submitted by the townspeople. Finding lost kitties, serving as additional security for a local tavern for a few hours- shit like that. Nothing too big of a deal and I guess it did kinda help me to not have to run around the meadow killing slimes for a day.


    Still...


    Even though we¡¯re working and screwing nonstop I feel like Boss is getting more and more frustrated by the day... He doesn¡¯t act out on it or nothing, but I can see it in his eyes.


    Am I not doing enough? Am I... failing him somehow? I couldn¡¯t live with myself if that were the case... It¡¯s hard for me to admit it to anyone else, but I¡¯m terrified of letting down the few people that are important to me.


    Not after everything I¡¯ve been through.


    So I decided I need to do something about Boss¡¯s mood. This morning after our lovely fill-up session and follow up bath, I resolved myself to ask him directly instead of beating around the bush.


    ¡°Boss, you¡¯ve been looking a little stressed the last couple days. I mean yeah you usually got that broody thing going for ya but uh, it¡¯s less charming and more sad than usual.¡±


    He wipes the last remnants of breakfast from his lips with a small handkerchief and glances my way with a dumbfounded look. ¡°I¡¯m... not sure what you mean, Sam.¡±


    Zuzu sits to my side on the dining table and as she sips a warm cup of tea, she nods her head. ¡®Yes, I was going to ask about this as well. I have some guesses as to the reason for your mood, Sir, but don¡¯t play coy with us.¡¯


    I watch him as he sighs and then removes his glasses to face us sincerely. ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t want to talk about this because it¡¯d probably be upsetting for you to hear.¡±


    Shit. I already got a feeling that I know where this is going...


    ¡°Well... you can tell us anyway. We¡¯re a team, aren¡¯t we?¡± I smile and pump my fist up into the air, trying to get some positive vibes out.


    ¡°Yes, well...¡±


    ¡®Go on. Out with it.¡¯ Zuzu finishes sipping the last of her cup and daintily rests it on the wooden table. Gods she¡¯s so cute, even when she¡¯s being completely serious.


    Boss leans into the table before he says, ¡°I just keep worrying about how... this isn¡¯t sustainable. What we¡¯ve got going on so far.¡±


    He waits for us to say something, but we just nod our heads. I do it a hell of a lot less calmly than Zuzu.


    ¡°We¡¯re pulling in a steady flow of work but it¡¯s just enough to float three people by, even when you take into account that you two eat about half as a normal person. I¡¯m not upset about that, though, and I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d even say I¡¯m upset in general. I¡¯m unsatisfied. But not in the way you¡¯re probably thinking.¡±


    ¡°You mean...?¡± I gulp out of stress, my breath getting a bit shaky. I can¡¯t let Boss down. I can¡¯t. I¡¯ve already let Father down... and he¡¯s let the Kingdom down, even if they don¡¯t know it. I can¡¯t be like him... I...


    Zuzu takes my trembling hand under the table, clenching it tightly and I snap out of it. ¡®Let him finish, Sammy.¡¯


    I nod my head and take a drink of the delicious, sweet coffee Boss made for me. He¡¯s always taking such good care of me and I... no, no. Zuzu is right. He¡¯s not done talking.


    ¡°You¡¯re both doing amazing- it¡¯s not about that. Please don¡¯t think I¡¯m upset at your performance or anything. It¡¯s more along the lines of... we¡¯ve got such a long way to go, hundreds upon hundreds of improvements we need to make until the Guild is back to a bare minimum state of efficiency. I¡¯m just stressed because I¡¯m focusing too much on the future instead of focusing on what we can accomplish right now.¡±


    The feeling of dread flies out of my gut as if it were never there at all and I sigh. ¡°You¡¯re using your big head too much.¡±


    I watch a sexy smirk lift up the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    ¡®So the only ways to fix this would be more adventurers who can take higher paying quests, or for Sammy and I to become strong enough to take them on ourselves.¡¯ Zuzu looks down at the table, sadly.


    ¡°This is why I didn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± Boss shrugs and reaches out across the table for our hands. We look at each other and each of us grabs onto the one offered to us. ¡°Sam, you don¡¯t know how to fight. I can¡¯t teach you that, my books only taught me the very basics. And Zutiria, it¡¯s not like I can just ask you to stop being handicapped. You¡¯re already doing well past what I would normally expect either of you capable of.¡±


    ¡°Do you think one of us should head to some neighboring villages and scout for other female adventurers, Boss?¡± I lean in, eager to help.


    ¡°That might not be a terrible idea. It would be less weird than if I were to approach them myself, certainly...¡± His gaze becomes thoughtful and distant from us, like he¡¯s drafting a hundred plans we couldn¡¯t even dream of. ¡°But I don¡¯t expect it would help very much. We don¡¯t have that many adventurers who live locally to begin with. When this region has a problem we¡¯ll get a quest notification, sure, but it¡¯ll end up sending one to Perlshaw and the other closest guilds as well.¡±


    Boss sighs, deeply and heavily before continuing. ¡°And even if we did get more adventurers we couldn¡¯t accommodate them. My bed is getting fuller by the week, and we have no housekeeping staff to clean out the additional rooms.¡±


    ¡®So is that our next goal then? Getting enough funds to hire some housekeepers?¡¯


    I start thinking really hard. An idea comes to me and I smile, Daddy¡¯ll like this one for sure. ¡°What about buying some Catgirl maids? Aren¡¯t those all the rage these days? Back home, my Father was practically collecting them.¡±


    Zuzu tilts her head. ¡®True. If you bought housekeepers instead of hiring them, then you wouldn¡¯t have to pay them. Not in coin at least...¡¯


    Boss looks less convinced. ¡°You aren¡¯t seriously suggesting I just buy some Beastfolk, are you? Isn¡¯t that... kind of immoral? Just buying another sentient being to do work for me?¡±


    I wave my hand dismissively. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s what they were bred for after all. Nothing¡¯s stopping them from taking off if they get treated badly, y¡¯know.¡±


    ¡®From what I know, when their realm was discovered ages ago a chunk of the Beastfolk population chose to be domesticated. They saw our warm, comfy homes and looked at their wild, untamed jungles and the choice was obvious. Nowadays they breed themselves and sell the offspring to ensure they all get into good homes. And just in case, the Breeder tribes are very, very vengeful if they ever pick up a hint of abuse...¡¯


    His expression changes, he¡¯s thinking about it! ¡°Alright, sure. Thanks for the history lesson. My question is why cat maids, though? Cats are generally lazy pieces of shit who lay around doing nothing all day. Breeding them to be maids seems... counterintuitive, at least to me.¡±


    ¡®Sir, that¡¯s... I¡¯d advise you to be more culturally sensitive around any Catgirls we end up buying. Honestly.¡¯ Zuzu adjusts her glasses and blushes.


    "I¡¯m kinda with Boss on this one... I¡¯ve never seen any of Father¡¯s maids cleaning, come to think of it... Unless you count cleaning his- er. Y¡¯know what? Moving on.¡± Ugh. I just reminded myself of some things I¡¯d rather forget.


    Thankfully, Boss is able to let that one slide. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll consider it... I won¡¯t deny it sounds like a decent proposal on paper. But that still leaves a number of problems for us to solve, like-¡±


    ¡°Hello?¡± A mysterious voice steals the attention of everyone in the entrance hall, and we all look towards the main door... or more specifically, at the gaping hole where I kicked the door down. I wanted to look cool and make an entrance, ok?


    A scruffy looking man in his early 20s with long, unwashed hair and a poorly groomed beard walks into the Guild. He¡¯s skinny as all hell with dirty, baggy peasant clothes that hardly fit his frame. His eyes are all red and seem to be darting everywhere at once, plus even from across the room I can smell his earthy stank. I hope Zuzu knows some air freshener spells or something, cause man I am NOT having this in my house.


    Boss rises with all the grace of a royal butler from back home. He¡¯s not doing the normal ¡®scare the villagers shitless¡¯ routine, and is instead going for an all business approach. Faster than I can blink he¡¯s already met with our shifty intruder. I don¡¯t know when he managed to slip his shades back on, but they¡¯re back in place now.


    ¡°Welcome to the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild, I am the active Guild Master. May I help you, sir?¡±


    He looks around awkwardly scratching his neck. ¡°Yeah man, can I like buy some drugs here? Or... Wait, shit nah that¡¯s not what I came here for man. Yeah I remember now.¡±


    There¡¯s a lengthy silence, until Boss finally grows tired of it.


    ¡°Sir, would you like to tell me whatever it is you remembered?¡±


    The dumbass lights up as if this suggestion were the smartest fuckin¡¯ idea he¡¯s ever heard in his life. ¡°Right on man that would be like, the dopest shit if I were to do that thing you just said, dope.¡±


    Zuzu looks worriedly at me. ¡®What in the realms is this man saying...? Is this how the young folk talk these days? Sammy, what does dope mean?¡¯


    Before I can answer her, Boss keeps the conversation going. ¡°If you¡¯re not here to register a quest, Sir, then I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave.¡± He¡¯s putting his foot down, can¡¯t blame him. This shit¡¯s practically giving me a migraine just listening to it so I can¡¯t help imagining what it¡¯s like to actually deal with this shifty asshole face to face.


    Sadly the guy remembers his reason for being here and says, ¡°Nah dude that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. I got a farm up like, half a mile up north outta town. Big scary dog thing went and holed himself up in my field. Tried to kill me or somethin, shit was like whack so I didn¡¯t stay for long after that.¡±


    ¡°Well I can see why you couldn¡¯t submit this through Abner, you can¡¯t wait for him to slowly submit a request to our Guild for you after all.¡±


    The man squints his puffy red eyes. ¡°Ab... ner?¡±


    Poor Boss. He¡¯s face palming harder than when he met me... I almost feel better about myself watching this train wreck.


    ¡®What does it mean when shit is ¡®whack¡¯?¡¯ Zuzu tilts her head, looking totally stumped and I can¡¯t help but laugh a bit at her expense.


    Boss sighs a defiant sigh and straightens himself out again. ¡°Before I agree to anything, do you have any Gold on you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah sure man I know how this works I think, I submitted a quest to the chief a few days ago but I dunno if you got it. It wasn¡¯t for this I just kinda wanted you guys to beat up some business rivals of mine and steal their shit- open offer while we¡¯re on the topic ya dig?¡± The man pulls out a surprisingly hefty sack of gold from behind his back, way more than any of us guessed he would have. I can almost see the shock on Boss¡¯s face when he whips it out.


    ¡°Very well sir. Follow me to the front de... actually why don¡¯t you have a seat over there, it just occurred to me that the front desk is currently out of order.¡± Boss points to a table far, far away from me and Zuzu, thank the gods.


    Boss disappears into the backroom and the disgusting man tries to call us over to his table with promises of ¡®dankness¡¯. Zuzu looks at me once more but I don¡¯t even know what he¡¯s on about with that last one. We just pretend to ignore him as best we can.


    Eventually, Boss returns and sits across from him at the table carrying a clipboard with some sheets of paper attached, a pen and a large book. For the first time ever, I sit back and watch curiously as he registers a quest.


    ¡°Name, Sir?¡±


    He looks around nervously. ¡°You ain¡¯t with the Dewhurst Guard, right?¡±


    ¡°NAME, Sir?¡± Boss is getting really tired of this... I kinda wanna go over there and hug him but I also don¡¯t wanna go anywhere near that dude.


    ¡°Spliffert, I guess?¡±


    Boss runs this ¡®Spliffert¡¯ jackass through a ring of questions that are just boring as fuck to listen to, but then it gets interesting again when he asks him about the details for the quest itself and he pulls out the book. ¡°Describe the monster as best you can.¡±


    ¡°Like a bigass dog or something. There¡¯s a word for that. Uh... angry. Dog-adjacent...¡±


    ¡°Wolf?¡±


    ¡°YA! DUUUDE is this guy smart or WHAT?¡± Spliffert attempts to get a high five from Boss, only to be shot down by a sinister glare that I¡¯d swear made him piss his pants.


    After that Boss asks a number of other questions while flipping through the thick book, each time narrowing the choices down further and further. I¡¯m astounded at how he¡¯s actually able to get something from this guy.


    ¡°Is this what you¡¯re referring to?¡± He shows the book to the client and reveals a large picture of a wolfman, complete with a long ass data entry about it including all sorts of shit like weaknesses, tips and tricks to fighting it, where they live... all kinds of useful info if you¡¯re the book reading type. Which I ain¡¯t.


    Spliffert shakes his head and pulls out a weird pipe looking thing before Boss swats it out of his hand. I think he forgot he ever pulled it out cause he doesn¡¯t react when Boss slaps it. ¡°Nah man, that¡¯s like... kinda dog-adjacent, or wolfish but too human or somethin. Did I say it like, had red eyes with yellow pupils or something, too?¡±


    ¡°You did not.¡± I watch a smile crop up on Boss¡¯s face and I get the feeling he¡¯s more or less got it locked in now. Me and Zuzu gift each other a high five while he flips through the book one last time.


    He reveals a new illustration of a slightly bigger than normal wolf thing that looked like it crawled out of one of the lowest realms of darkness. True enough, it matched the description of ¡®dog-adjacent¡¯ with red eyes and yellow pupils. ¡°You¡¯re talking about a Brood Wolf, yes?¡±


    Spliffert starts clapping his hands in a trance like a child. ¡°Right on Guild Pimp, right ON! That¡¯s the one!¡±


    Boss ignores that entire sentence and just presses forward. ¡°I¡¯ll put this bluntly. This is a tough monster, and the only adventurers I have on hand are novices. Depending on how many Brood Wolves you¡¯re talking, I may have to outright decline.¡±


    ¡°Oh dude, there¡¯s like, one.¡±


    Boss¡¯s tolerance drops to zero and he stands up, leans over the table and grabs Spliffert by the collar of his shirt. ¡°I don¡¯t care how fucking high you are, you piece of shit. Don¡¯t you dare try and lie to my face. I¡¯ll know. You get one more chance and I¡¯m only gonna ask you ONE more time. How many Brood Wolves are we talking?¡±


    Zuzu turns to me in a panic and stands up. Shit, she hasn¡¯t seen him like this yet... I put my finger to my lips and shush her, and this seems to be enough to calm her.


    ¡°DUDE LIKE, I DUNNO! MORE THAN ONE OK, I¡¯M BAKED OUT OF MY MIND I CAN¡¯T FUCKING COUNT!¡± He doesn¡¯t even bother excusing himself at this point, and Boss drops him back into his seat.


    I don¡¯t think I noticed it back when we were at the village chief¡¯s place, probably on account of all the shit that was going on with me at the time, but... uh... holy SHIT Boss is hot when he plays up the villain act. I shoot a look at Zuzu and uh, I think she feels the same way...


    I bite my lip and she looks back... something tells me we¡¯re both thinking the same thing right now. What if we got him to play with us roughly like that...?


    Before I can dream about it any further, Boss sighs and sits back down. ¡°How much gold do you have?¡±


    ¡°Uh, like 3,000 pieces in that sack, and...¡±


    ¡°15,000 minimum.¡±


    ¡°DUDE-¡±


    ¡°If you expect me to risk the life of MY women over some low quality steezweed field then you had better damn well be willing to pay out of your ass for it. Especially after trying to trick us once already.¡±


    ¡°Fine... Fuck, you asshole. Whatever. I got the rest of that at home. After you kill those wolves it¡¯s yours.¡±


    Boss scribbles out some random shit on his clipboard and presents it to Spliffert. ¡°Sign. Before I change my mind and let them move in.¡±


    ¡°Man, you¡¯re a huge fucking cunt you know that?¡±


    ¡°16,000?¡± He makes a correction with his pen.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    ¡°17,000.¡± Boss corrects the correction.


    ¡°ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! Give me that thing already!¡± Spliffert snatches the clipboard away and signs his name in terror before the price could climb even higher.


    And with that, the deal was done. Spliffert left the guild in tears, his eyes now having a much better excuse to be red than when he came in. As soon as the man is gone, Boss lets out a sigh of relief and turns towards me and Zuzu with a tired grin.


    We basically turn into adoring puppies as we race towards him in an attempt to be the first one to hug him first. I¡¯m faster, so I win.


    ¡°HOLY SHIT, BOSS!¡±


    ¡®Is this really the same man who pets me till I sleep safely every night, Sammy? Did someone take my precious Sir away from me and replace him with a terrifying crime lord?¡¯


    ¡°Nah, Zuzu, that was ALL him! 17,000 gold... Wow! We¡¯d make a huge dent on picking up some decent cleaning kitties with that much!¡±


    Boss blushes brightly and places his glasses on the table, letting us see the tired look in his eyes. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s used to this but DAMN if he isn¡¯t already a force to be reckoned with when he tries. ¡°Come on girls, I just did what any good businessman would do.¡±


    ¡®That wasn¡¯t business. That was extortion. Not that it¡¯s any less impressive, mind you. It was a very impressive shakedown.¡¯ Zuzu giggles while praising Boss¡¯s thuggery.


    My adrenaline and or horniness dies down and something comes to mind. ¡°You said that these wolves are strong, right? Are you sure it was a good idea to accept...? I mean, we might not be able to...¡±


    He smiles. ¡°Sam.¡±


    ¡°B-Boss?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think I would have accepted this quest if I thought you weren¡¯t ready for it?¡±


    I feel the heat rise in my cheeks and my heart beats faster at his words. Does he really believe in me this much? I was worried I only ever let him down, but... ¡°You really mean it?¡±


    ¡°Of course I do. I have a plan.¡±

 Big Brain Strats

    After that stunning show of expert intimidation, we all got ready for our potentially big upcoming battle. I¡¯m still nervous. These Brood Wolf things are supposed to be a lot stronger than the Slimes and Living Fungi that Zuzu and I have been taking on until now... Boss says it¡¯ll be fine and that we won¡¯t actually have to do much fighting. I trust him, but it¡¯s still hard to fight down my anxiety.


    I know he said not to worry about it and that he¡¯s not upset about our performance, but... I still need to try harder.


    Before we leave town, he brings us to a certain butcher¡¯s shop for ¡®supplies¡¯.


    ¡°We need to step in for a moment. You, ah... might want to wait outside. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be dangerous, but that¡¯s not to say the owner is going to be very pleasant company for lovely ladies like yourselves.¡± Boss says as he stands before the entrance.


    ¡°Pft. Cut the shit. Where you go, I go!¡± I beat my chest and give him as confident a smile as I can manage.


    ¡®Indeed. I would rather wait inside the creepy shop together, than outside of it alone.¡¯ Zuzu begins to enter right after the two of us.


    According to the crudely made sign the place is called ¡®Each and Every Meats¡¯ and as you might expect it looks just as shady as the rest of Dewhurst. It¡¯s rundown, bloody, and for some reason smells a lot more like murder than a butcher¡¯s shop has a right to... which y¡¯know, is saying a LOT.


    First thing we notice upon walking in is the dim lighting barely making anything visible, there¡¯s just a few candles here and there and the windows are all boarded shut from the outside. That¡¯s totally fucking normal, right?


    Secondly, we can all vaguely see the butcher standing behind the front register. He wears an apron that probably used to be white at one point, stained with blood which you¡¯d certainly expect but... I uh. I dunno if it¡¯s just the lighting in this shady ass place or what, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s wearing anything else besides the apron.


    This man is big. Stocky. Evil looking with deep set, dead fish eyes... So far, this dude looks like the 2nd scariest mother-fucker in Dewhurst from my experience- ranking just slightly less scary than the huge guy with the RAEP tattoo, but that¡¯s not really a fair contest, even for a dude covered in blood and offal.


    Unafraid, Boss leads us closer.


    ¡°I need a lot of meat, Bludman, and some bear traps. As many as you have. What sort of meat do you have in stock?¡± Boss approaches the counter and leans over it politely but in a way that he can appear menacing as soon as things turn south. Almost like a predator hunched over, staring at its prey.


    Something strikes me as odd, though. I look at Zuzu and she returns my suspicion. Neither of us seem to think this is normally the kind of place you¡¯d pick up bear traps...


    ¡°Pork.¡± The butcher answers in an emotionless monotone.


    ¡°What KIND of pork?¡± Boss is very suspicious, and he raises an eyebrow towards the shady man.


    This Bludman guy is quiet and his eyes dart around nervously. At last, he sighs and admits. ¡°Long and normal. Your choice.¡±


    ¡°Normal.¡± Boss says in an icy tone. ¡°I have a proposal, by the by.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see you¡¯ve finally decided to accept my quest then. Good. That sauntering slut has been shaking his tail on the streets for long enough. It¡¯s time that someone locks him up and gets him a proper home... in the safety of my nice, warm and entirely soundproof basement.¡±


    ¡°Bludman, no. Stop it.¡± Boss sighs and I remember suddenly where I saw this guy before. He was the one who posted that quest to capture Milly a week ago and then we saw him running after the little catboy later in the day! What a scumbag.


    Boss continues, ¡°We¡¯ve received a quest to eliminate a number of Brood Wolves off of a farm up north of town-¡±


    ¡°Spliffert¡¯s place? Shit.¡± The butcher interrupts and visibly becomes more anxious, sweat crawling down his face like icky slime. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a discount since it¡¯s going towards protecting my dealer.¡±


    I get a sense that Boss is irritated, but he composes himself and sets it aside. ¡°No discount necessary. I was thinking instead, you would give me the meat free of charge and lend me the traps. In return you can keep all of the wolves. I have no use for them and you¡¯ll make far larger of a profit than just charging me for the pork.¡±


    Me and Zuzu watch the sinister man¡¯s eyes widen in shock and then offer a handshake to the Boss. He smiles a yellow and broken toothed smile and laughs, ¡°Shit, maybe you ain¡¯t as bad as they say ya are you fuckin¡¯ freaky eyed bastard. That¡¯s a good ass deal.¡±


    ¡°Also stop hunting the poor catboy!¡± I throw in from over Boss¡¯s shoulder. I didn¡¯t really wanna butt in when the Boss is doing business, he¡¯s good at this shit while I¡¯m a reckless bitch and Zuzu¡¯s a tiny mute, but... c¡¯mon. I had to say something.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s a harder bargain...¡± Bludman looks at me for the first time, apparently just noticing I was here at all. He sizes me up, unsurprisingly, like he was appraising a mere hunk of flesh.


    Zuzu grabs my hand and shushes me with her finger, and I make a face at her saying ¡®well what am I supposed to do¡¯?


    Boss slams his fist down on the counter and glares at the bloody butcher, letting his glasses slide a bit off of his nose and revealing about half of his eyes. Bludman takes a step backwards out of fear as a threatening glow starts to emanate out of them. ¡°It¡¯s the only bargain you¡¯re going to get.¡±


    He raises his hand to the butcher and after a few seconds of subtle silence, resigning to his fate, the bloody hand shakes Boss¡¯s in agreement.


    ¡°Put all the traps in one big bag for us. My Great Blader here is far stronger than she looks.¡± He smiles back to me and winks, and with that he closes off another successful deal.


    Me and Zuzu aren¡¯t any less impressed the second time around.


    I¡¯ve watched Father give counselling, debate with ambassadors from other realms and broker treaties and trade deals but Boss is on a whole different level!


    I feel bad for him, though... He could have been successful so much sooner in life if the deck wasn¡¯t so stacked against him. I wonder what he¡¯d have turned out like if his Grandpa didn¡¯t die and he was trained to take over the Guild properly? Eh... I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about crap like this. Thinking ain¡¯t my style.


    Bludman turns around, confirming my worst nightmares. The man was indeed totally fucking naked except for his apron of death. Me, Boss and Zuzu are gifted with a full view of his stocky, hairy ass as he saunters agonizingly slowly away, disappearing into the backroom.


    ¡°Just so you know, I was going to bring that up.¡± Boss says.


    ¡°... You were gonna bring up his ass?¡±


    ¡°No, Sam. I meant Milly.¡± He and Zuzu laugh at my mistake.


    ¡°Oh. Duh. Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to blurt it out like that...¡± I blush just a bit out of embarrassment.


    ¡®You¡¯re a warrior, Sammy, and I¡¯m a Mage. Neither of us are suited for these kinds of talks.¡¯


    I roll my eyes, I¡¯ve heard it all before phrased a bit differently but it¡¯s all the same. ¡°Yeah, yeah. Little ¡®Princesses¡¯ are meant to be seen, not heard. I know the dri-OW!¡±


    Zuzu bops me with the head of her heart shaped staff and blankly looks up at me. ¡®Gender has nothing to do with it. You being who you are is the important bit, silly. Sammy acts first and thinks at a later, undesignated time. Potentially. If you remember.¡¯


    Boss chuckles at my suffering. ¡°She¡¯s fine, Zutiria. He didn¡¯t know it yet but he was already in my pocket by the time I poised my offer to him. Nothing else mattered beyond that point.¡±


    I can¡¯t help but snort and lean in to punch him in the shoulder. He winces like usual. ¡°Look at him, Zuzu. Just cause he gets a couple of chances to look cool in front of us suddenly Daddy thinks he¡¯s all hot shit.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t know about shit, but I certainly think he¡¯s hot.¡¯ Zuzu smiles gently and I see Boss¡¯s heart practically skip a beat. Dang, that girl is good at that... and she does it without even talking out loud, too.


    He laughs and tries to brush it off but before he can say anything the butcher returns carrying one small, bloody sack and a much larger, slightly less bloody and heavier looking sack. I take both of them from Bludman and scoot away quickly before his eyes can wander too much up my body. Maybe wearing slutty armor to spite my Father wasn¡¯t such a good idea... I love wearing it, don''t get me wrong but... ick.


    ¡°Should be everything. Just tell me when I can go pick up the wolves, I¡¯m just itching to chop something up...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be in touch. And remember, Bludman- No. Catboys.¡±


    The scary man makes a somber expression before nodding his head in resignation. I think he means it, but it¡¯s definitely hard to be sure... He doesn''t scream ¡®trustworthy¡¯ to say the very, very least.


    After what feels like fucking eternity the three of us book the hell outta Each and Every Meats with a brisk pace. I don¡¯t think Boss is scared of the butcher but he sure isn¡¯t itching for more of his company- and for that matter neither am I.


    We all get to the northern outskirts of Dewhurst in record time. It¡¯s different from where we leave off to kill Slimes, but it¡¯s still a nice escape from the doom and gloom gray of the shitty city.  We¡¯re all excited to get things going, since there¡¯s a really big payday waiting for us at the end. Assuming we don¡¯t all get savagely mauled to death, obviously.


    More than anything else I want to make sure Boss can get those Catgirl maids we were talking about as soon as possible because it really does sound like they¡¯re the first thing we need before we can actually start making some real progress on the Guild.


    All three of us are in agreement that we absolutely in no way shape and form wanna clean that sty ourselves. We¡¯ve made a sacred pact of laziness.


    So if I have to kill a couple of scary monster wolves then lets get this shit going already, I¡¯m hyped as heck! Nervous still too, yeah, but come on I¡¯m trying to psyche myself up here.


    This is what I left home for, after all. I need to make a difference in the realm and become stronger in order to do what my Father won¡¯t.


    Boss laid out an extra layer on top of my goals, but I¡¯m confident that if we keep advancing his Guild and recruiting more powerful adventurers, then I have a chance of pulling it off after all... I just worry about it a lot. Evil doesn¡¯t politely wait for the good guys to get stronger and beef up their forces after all.


    I have to support Boss as hard as I can... not just for him, but for the people of Karnalle and the people of ALL the realms.


    As we continue down the road we finally start to see a shitty little farm off in the distance. Even though we¡¯re out of Dewhurst proper, it still matches the rest of the village¡¯s aesthetic. I¡¯m kinda bad at describing things. I¡¯m just a tomboy Princess and I¡¯m running out of ways to call a building rundown, ok? I¡¯m trying to say that this farm looks like the ass of an ass that has been smashed up by a group of asses.


    It¡¯s small, dingy, boarded up, and I can smell the steezweed field all the way from here. Boss and Zuzu were laughing behind my back cause I didn¡¯t recognize the stuff last week, but they¡¯ve since filled me in that the junk we were collecting was most definitely gonna be used to create illicit potions.


    Man, not that I ever intend on ascending to the throne, but like... what a wild fucking concept. I wonder if the realm would even care if their Princess had a record of supplying ingredients to cheap ass street alchemists? Life has been super weird ever since moving in with Boss, but every day is a new adventure in Dewhurst, doubly so if you¡¯ve lived a somewhat sheltered life I guess.


    Boss stops in his tracks and orders us to do the same. ¡°We need to run over the plan. I take it it¡¯s fairly self explanatory, yes?¡±


    Zuzu and him both stare directly at me. At first I¡¯m not sure why but then I picked up that the Boss was specifically referencing me. Come on, I¡¯m not THAT stupid! ¡°We put the meat in the traps and kill the wolves! It doesn¡¯t take a damn Archmage to figure this shit out, y¡¯know!¡± I blush and set down the bigass sack of bear traps.


    I¡¯m still wondering about a few things though, so I ask. ¡°Aren¡¯t wolves like super smart though, or something? If we toss out a bunch of traps and all these evil doggos see their friends get trapped wouldn¡¯t the rest of em avoid the remaining ones?¡±


    Zuzu nods her head and looks at me in agreement. ¡®I was wondering about that as well. I haven¡¯t studied monster behaviour very extensively, my knowledge regarding our foes typically only extends to what parts of them have alchemical uses.¡¯


    ¡°Well you¡¯re in luck that around these parts, the local Guild Master actually cares about doing his job.¡± The boss smirks and crosses his arms, trying to make himself look cool. Damn it- he¡¯s lame and all but he¡¯s still pulling it off somehow!


    ¡®What do you mean by that, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°You saw that book I was using to narrow down our addled client¡¯s description, yes? Before Adventurer¡¯s Guilds became expansive and vastly commercialized thanks to the Association of Adventurers, there were a lot less adventurers to go around.¡± There¡¯s a hint of sadness in his voice as he says this.


    ¡°Guild Masters worked very, very closely with the heroes of old and studied Monsterology to an almost encyclopedic level so as to provide the best advice, offer up plans of attack and so on.¡±


    Huh. I didn¡¯t know that. I guess that¡¯s not too surprising since I don¡¯t know a lot of things, but I¡¯m clueless as to how Guilds work. Far as I know they¡¯ve always just been places where adventurers go to find work. ¡°And what about things now?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s just... There''s a big ass quest board. There are so many adventurers in the big Guild cities that most Guilds don¡¯t take the time to provide this support role anymore. If an adventurer fails a quest then hopefully they return alive, and if not, there¡¯s more than enough hired swords to take their place. Most advice given in this day and age is cursory and generic. ¡®Oh, make sure to bring antidotes.¡¯ or ¡®Be sure to have a mage with fire spells in your party¡¯. Nothing more than common sense...¡± He sighs a defeated, weary sigh.


    I¡¯ll admit, this does sound pretty bad but I can¡¯t exactly verify what he¡¯s saying since I¡¯ve only ever been to one Guild before Dewhurst and I did NOT stay long. Thinking about that slimy creep of a Guild Master back in Perlshaw sends a shiver down my spine...


    But... Boss is talking about this so passionately- It¡¯s kinda weird. I can probably guess why he feels so strongly about all this, though... His grandpa must have put a lot of stock in the ¡®old ways¡¯ and I¡¯d bet good gold on it being how the old man ran the place back in his day.


    It¡¯s funny how Boss spent his entire life trying to live up to his paternal figure. I might¡¯ve a little talked sense into him and gotten him to admit he needs to do things his own way from now on, but the old man¡¯s influence won¡¯t ever go away on some level. I wonder what it¡¯s like to look up to someone that much? I¡¯ve never felt that way about anyone. I love Boss- I got that whole Daddy thing going on, yeah, but I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like to idolize someone so hard that you want to be them...


    I¡¯ve never had anyone like that. I¡¯ve only ever wanted to be me.


    Zuzu walks towards Boss and pats her hand on his side a couple of times, looking almost like a little girl trying to cheer up her dad. ¡®The evils of commercialization are many, Sir. There, there.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s nice and all, but you still haven¡¯t answered my question. Are these mean doggies gonna fall for the trap or what?¡± I snap myself out of sentimental thinking and ask.


    ¡°My apologies, yes. I was getting to that.¡± Boss briefly pats Zuzu¡¯s shoulder in thanks for her assurance. ¡°Being frank these things are dumb as shit- they breed a lot and are always hungry. Brood Wolves will see the food and forget anything else. I¡¯d imagine they¡¯re occupying the steezweed field because it likely makes them docile and the food tastes better while under its effects.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re sure the wolves won¡¯t pose any danger?¡± I squint my eyes out of suspicion. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.


    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re very dangerous. We don¡¯t know if we have enough traps to cover them all, for one. I¡¯ll need you both to be very careful. But if I had to guess, I don¡¯t think this wolf situation is THAT dire... if you¡¯ll forgive the pun.¡±


    Zuzu chuckles but I just tilt my head. I don¡¯t get it?


    Boss sees my visible confusion and launches into teacher mode with practiced ease. The joke is a lot less funny when explained so seriously...


    Anyway, he continues on.


    ¡°These Brood Wolves are likely in their adolescent stage. If they were cubs, they¡¯d still be with their mother and believe you me we would DEFINITELY know if an adult Brood Wolf was in the area.¡± He lets out a soft laugh and the thought is... kinda chilling actually, when he puts it like that.


    ¡°By that same logic we can safely assume that the wolves aren¡¯t adults themselves. If they were, then simply put Spliffert would not have survived to stink up my Guild with his musky odors.¡±


    Boss does it again with that logic shit. Knocks it out of the park hard enough that I can follow along, no sweat! There¡¯s just one last little thing on my mind.


    ¡°So how are we gonna go and place these traps close enough without all them evil demon puppers noticing us?¡±


    With a smug grin, Boss adjusts his dark glasses and looks down towards Zuzu. ¡°How indeed?¡±


    Zuzu smiles expectantly.

 All According to Plan

    ¡°Cuh... Carriem...!¡± Zuzu lifts up her cutesy magic staff into the sky after an adorable twirl, her cheeks blushing red with strained effort. She barely manages to squeak the incantation out but hey, it still works! The staff glows a little brightly with a generic, twinkly magic light and a couple of the baited bear traps rise into the air, lifted by her magic energies.


    ¡°Good job, Zutiria. Send them off over to the field, now.¡± Boss is overseeing the operation diligently, making sure every bit of his plan goes off without a hitch.


    For now I just gotta wait as Zuzu finishes transporting the traps into the steezweed field. It sure is taking her a while, though. We ended up with a whopping sixteen whole traps from the evil-looking butcher but because of Zuzu¡¯s shaky control over her magic she can only lift two or three of them at once. Then she has to fly them all the way over to the drug field, which takes a fair bit longer than I was expecting.


    The good part though is that amazingly, right after she sets down the first few into the soft green of the distant field we almost immediately hear the loud, pained cries of several desperate demonic wolves being snapped up by powerful metal jaws.


    It worked! It totally fucking worked right off the bat!


    ¡®I must admit, Sir. When you said you had a plan I did not assume it would be as elaborate or effective as this.¡¯ My cute little friend smiles and begins magically lifting the next batch and sending them up, up and away.


    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, too! This is a lot more involved just telling us what to do against a certain enemy type, Boss. I mean, damn. More Guild Masters should work their asses off like you do.¡± I smile and try to do my best to praise him, but my heart sinks when I watch the expression on his face sour fast.


    ¡°That just ties into some more of the commercialization aspect of it. Under the current system...¡± He looks at me and realizes he might be, uh, drowning me in info. He kinda is but I don¡¯t have the heart to tell him.


    He sighs, shakes his head and tries to dumb it down a little bit for me. ¡°Ok, so... If we were a lot more involved like the old days then I would think the Guild would deserve a larger cut for oversight and planning, meaning adventurers would take a slightly smaller reward.¡±


    ¡°That... makes sense.¡± I tilt my head to one side and think about the logistics. I ain¡¯t suited for this kinda thinking but I mean it DOES sound right, I think. I was never too good at some of the money crap the royal tutors tried to teach me about. Economy flew in one ear and out the other. Gods, I don¡¯t ever wanna be Queen of this realm...


    Right after Zuzu sets down the new batch and we hear even more pained yelping, she turns to us and says, ¡®If I had to guess that would lead to two distinct problems. The adventurers don¡¯t want less pay, and the Guild Masters don¡¯t see the value in spending the extra time when many view adventurers as... expendable. Even if one side is willing to compromise it¡¯s likely the other won¡¯t care enough to.¡¯


    Anger rises up from behind Boss¡¯s sunglasses, not at Zuzu, but from the topic at hand. He clenches his fist, grits his teeth and all that kinda manly shit before sighing. ¡°You¡¯re correct.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s quiet as Zuzu floats the remaining traps over into the field a little bit at a time. Sure enough, Boss was right just like always. Each time one lands a wolf shortly cries out in pain, with almost no delay. Problem is even as the last trap clattered to the ground, a few seconds later another furious and pained wolf cry reached our ears, meaning there might be more than sixteen.


    ¡°I was afraid of this. I can¡¯t believe that despicable, potion junky of a farmer. He tried to send us in here saying there was only one, but he was well fucking aware...¡± Boss¡¯s grumpiness continues to rise and he kicks some dirt off the road in frustration.


    ¡°Boss, how come you were able to tell that he was lying so quickly?¡± I tilt my head and point my finger into my chin, puzzled. He does seem to have a pretty good bullshit detector, after all...


    ¡°Have I not mentioned?¡± He takes off his glasses for a split second. ¡°I¡¯m good at reading most people¡¯s body language for signs that they¡¯re lying. It doesn¡¯t work on everyone, but for ¡®simpler¡¯ folk like our friend Spliffert, well. Needless to say he wasn¡¯t exactly going to be pulling a fast one on me anytime soon.¡±


    Wait, really?! Wait, hold up Sam. He said simpler people. He means idiots like the drug farmer. I mean if he could tell I was lying he would have said something about me actually being a princess by now, right? Hah. And to think I was scared for a sec.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s impressive, but it¡¯s not helping us get out of this mess we¡¯re stuck in.¡± I say.


    ¡®Indeed. What¡¯s the plan now, Sir? I don¡¯t think our traps got them all. I¡¯m trusting that you accounted for this in that thorough brain of yours.¡¯ Zuzu looks eagerly to the next part of the plan with great interest.


    ¡°Of course I did. Given the poor lack of description from our client, I had to consider every possibility... Can you carry yourself with that same spell, Zutiria?¡± Boss holds his chin up in deep thought.


    ¡®Hm. No.¡¯ Zuzu cutely shakes her head side to side. ¡®Carriem is a spell for small objects. I could use a levitation spell on myself but... not for very long. It¡¯s not the type of magic you want to use without an incantation, and if I tried it wouldn¡¯t last.¡¯


    Boss smiles. ¡°It won¡¯t take you long to get where I want you to go. I need you up on top of the farm house over there providing long distance support. The field is too tall for you to see the oncoming wolves, so I just want you to shoot small attack spells from up there.¡±


    ¡®Non fire spells, I¡¯m assuming?¡¯ She laughs softly to herself in a cute, dainty manner.


    ¡°Yes. Stick to any other element or even just arcane attacks. I don¡¯t want that field going up in smoke, obviously...¡± Shit. It would definitely be kinda hard to fight if we all got high from the smoke fumes, now that I think about it...


    I cut into the discussion with my hands on my hips. ¡°And what about me, Boss?¡± Is Zuzu just gonna have all the fun or what?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going in there, Sam.¡± He focuses his attention solely on me, adjusting his dark glasses cooly. ¡°Finish off all the wolves with a bash on the skull using the flat side of your great blade. I¡¯m sure Bludman would prefer we leave them in a state where he... can make the most enjoyment out of his time with them.¡± Boss sighs, imagining whatever the fuck that creepy butcher is planning on doing with these soon to be dead devil dogs.


    ¡°Oh, I get it! So Zuzu will cover me from up high and shoot the ones I can¡¯t see?¡± I think I got it, and it¡¯s confirmed as soon as he smiles and pats me on the head.


    ¡°Pretty simple, right? I¡¯ll be standing back here so you¡¯ll have to be extra cautious.¡± He smiles and scratches his neatly trimmed beard, playing it off casually.


    What? I assumed Boss was gonna join Zuzu up on the vantage point and he¡¯d shout instructions from up there. Not sure how I feel about this on my own. When I left home I was ready to tear a path ahead and kick ass, but Boss taught me very sternly that on my own I don¡¯t kick very much ass at all... ¡°Are you not going to be helping out on this one? Couldn¡¯t you join Zuzu up at the vantage point and shout instructions to me from there?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you that you¡¯ll need to do quests without my supervision sooner than later. Sam, it¡¯ll be alright. Just remember everything I¡¯ve taught you, Princess, and you should be fine. If anything unexpected happens I¡¯ll run in and use these to adjust the plan on the spot.¡± Boss clasps my shoulder with one hand and with the other he tilts down his shades, revealing a comforting glance of his glowing eyes. I¡¯ll never understand how so many people are afraid of them.


    I take a deep breath. He¡¯s right. This isn¡¯t like me, I need to be confident and full of myself like usual! There¡¯s nothing in my way, and I¡¯m ready for this! ¡°Alright, Boss! We can handle it. Right, Zuzu?¡±


    My best friend smiles back in that cute as hell, restrained way of hers, giving the two of us an enthusiastic thumbs up in response. It just reassures me even more and makes my blood burn all the hotter, I can¡¯t lose with these two by my side!


    ¡®I¡¯ll get into position.¡¯ Zuzu smiles and walks away, before lifting herself silently off the ground and up into the air with a wordless spell. Even as she rises I notice that the magic doesn¡¯t look very stable... she¡¯s shaky and it almost feels like she¡¯s gonna fall back to earth a few times. Despite the few scares, Zuzu thankfully ends up landing safely on top of Spliffert¡¯s house just like we planned.


    I give Boss a teasing salute and a fanged grin before I run off into the field of danger myself, hopping up over the rickety wooden fence in a single bound.


    I lift my hefty great blade out of the sling on my back as I land dramatically in the green, pungent field of steezweed.


    Even though I¡¯ve been collecting this junk for almost a week now as part of our daily fetch quest routine, I still can¡¯t handle the earthy stank of it. Being in a full on field of the stuff was not something I would¡¯ve ever wanted to do with my time, but the prospect of a huge payday is very convincing.


    Both of my strong, gloved hands grip the hilt of my bigass sword, taking a defensive position just like Boss taught me to do. Even though I can¡¯t see well in this field I definitely know where to go. The whining wolves are making full on death rattles as they bark and scream from the pain that the traps are continuously inflicting on them as they try to escape.


    I thought wild animals were supposed to like, bite off their leg or something in order to survive? Boss musta been right, these things are kinda dumb. That¡¯s fine though since it just makes me and Zuzu¡¯s job all the easier!


    First Brood Wolf I come across is just about the size of a regular wolf, if not a teeny bit bigger. It¡¯s no big deal or anything but yeesh does it look absolutely fucked. The illustration in Boss¡¯s monster encyclopedia thingy didn¡¯t do it justice.


    This thing looks like it crawled out of the ass crack of some evil... uh... okay let me try this again, it looks like a wolf fucked a ball of barely contained, concentrated hatred and then this spiky pupper crawled out of the afterglow of said unholy, godless union.


    It has the red eyes with shining yellow pupils that helped Boss identify it, and the pup itself is black furred with a mane of bloody red running down its back and its tail. All four paws were red, and each topped off with just the sharpest damn claws I¡¯ve ever seen. Speaking of sharp, the jaws on this thing, hell. This wolf¡¯s mouth looked like a super thirsty armory, glistening with drool!


    These things are scary, but also almost... beautiful in a weird, demonic hellspawn kinda way. Absolutely dripping with power, built for nonstop devouring, yep... Nature sure is fascinating, alright.


    I bonk it on the noggin and it dies.


    Kinda anticlimactic, but that¡¯s to be expected when you bash a wolf¡¯s skull in with all the power of the Lundreame Blessing and a big ol¡¯ sword. I wanna shout out that I got one to let Boss know, but hey, even I¡¯m not that stupid! I start making my way to the next one by following the dying wails once more.


    Before I can reach it, however, the field rustles to my right and a snarling wolf leaps over the crops and bears down on me from above. I barely react in time, narrowly holding out my sword horizontally in front of my face to catch it¡¯s oncoming bite. Then, just as I was about to kick the monster off of my blade, a tiny arrow of magical energy wooshes through the air pierces straight through the evil hound¡¯s skull.


    The demon dog slides off my sword and I look up on top of the farmhouse to see Zuzu waving down at me in triumph. ¡®I got you, Sammy. Keep going.¡¯ Despite saying this, though, she looks a little worse for wear.


    Zuzu used that Carriem spell like six or seven times earlier WITH the incantation, so I know she¡¯s already spent a lot of energy. We don¡¯t have any potions for her to recover with so I really do need to be quick on my feet just in case Zuzu¡¯s eye in the sky style support runs dry before things are finished up.


    I rustle quickly through the crops, making my way to each trap one by one and giving each doggo head a good, clean, killing bonk. As I move between traps, a few more scattered magical bursts fire off from above, dispatching hidden foes before I¡¯m even aware of them. On the way to the tenth trap I catch a wolf with my sword before it manages to ambush and bite me.


    With a great swing of incredible effort, I smash my hulking great blade through the damn thing in a single, struggle-filled blow.


    The brood wolf¡¯s fur was matted to hell and back and tough as old iron. For a split second I became terrified for my life thinking that my massive weapon wouldn¡¯t even slice through the hideous beast¡¯s hide. The only thing I could do in this situation was put even more of my sheer force of will and my raw power into my attack until the damn devil was torn clean in half, blood and guts flying splattering violently through the arc of my sword.


    Sorry Boss, but Butcher Bludman will have to make do with whatever¡¯s left of that one. Maybe all I did was save him a chop of his own?


    As I run to the rest of the wolves, I feel down all of a sudden. Not for the wolves, fuck those guys, but about myself. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d have been able to cut through that bitey bastard if it weren¡¯t for Boss¡¯s jizz powering me up. No- this isn¡¯t the time to think about this. I grit my teeth and run through the field even harder.


    I¡¯ll work on power. I have to do it. I¡¯ll get stronger for him... for myself... and for Karnalle. I can¡¯t always rely on Boss¡¯s powerup, and I need to become strong enough on my own that wimpy, punk ass monsters like these are nothing to me!


    I dodge, I leap, I bonk.


    After weaving in and out of danger, avoiding, slashing and letting Zuzu do her work, at long last the sixteenth trapped wolf is finally subdued by the power of my sword and it lies dead on the ground, watering the crops with its vivid red blood. I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re done, but I¡¯m keeping a damn tight grip on my sword just in case. Just then, another few shots whizz overhead and I hear a few more wolves whimper and fall to Zuzu¡¯s spells.


    I look back up to check on her and notice right away that she¡¯s red faced and sweaty as hell, then she tiredly plops down on the roof of the farmhouse. I grow worried for a sec but then her familiar blue text appears in front of my eyes in an easily readable place.


    ¡®I don¡¯t see any more, Sammy. There¡¯s no more rustling. All in all, there were twenty-eight. Forgive me while I rest a moment, call in Sir for us. Lack of mana isn¡¯t a problem for me, but I can¡¯t take this much spellcasting when I¡¯ve not done it to this degree since my childhood...¡¯


    I give her a thumbs up from far away and watch as she wearily returns the gesture. Time to go back and get Boss to check out the scene. Ugh, I look like shit. Y¡¯know, when I first stole this armor set I thought it¡¯d look bitchin¡¯ on me- and it does, for sure... but I wasn¡¯t thinking long term. I should have asked myself ¡®Samantha, will it be worth it when your tits are covered in wolf blood?¡¯.


    The answer is still yes. I do in fact look bitchin even with bloody titties. But whatever... I doubt Boss or Zuzu are gonna wanna share a bath tonight, heh.


    I pop out of the stinky steezweed crops and lean over the creaky railing. Boss is out there exactly where we left him, a safe distance away. He smiles at me and my red boobs, pulling out a handkerchief for me as he starts walking towards the field as soon as I give him the all clear sign.


    I gotta protect that man... he¡¯s not like us girls, after all! He¡¯s no fighter.


    I get some chicks want a big strong man who will keep ¡®em safe, but... I¡¯m just sitting over here firmly in ¡®fuck that¡¯ land. I don¡¯t care if I could bench press him. He¡¯s suave, hot, and y¡¯know what? He DOES make me feel safe.


    It¡¯s not his skill with a sword, or a bow, or even a rippling muscle body that does this for me. It¡¯s his damn brain. Boss has a plan for everything, and if he somehow doesn¡¯t, he¡¯s able to come up with one faster than anyone could ever dream of.


    I¡¯ve never met anyone like him, and if I have my way I¡¯ll keep him out of harm''s way his entire life.


    He¡¯s... ugh. I can¡¯t help but sigh. I¡¯ve never felt like this before. Like a... a maiden, I guess? Look, I know it¡¯s been two weeks since we met. I¡¯m dumb but I ain¡¯t crazy. Zuzu has explained a bit about his weird magnetic attraction thing going on and I get that, I don¡¯t wanna say the L word yet, but...


    Every day I spend with him makes me forget that stuffy old castle. I forget who I used to be. The dresses, the lessons, the line of succession, the marriage interviews, the necklaces, the rings, Father, the pressure, the pressure, the fucking PRESSURE, I-... I... just... fucking... everything. Poof.


    All because of some old down on his luck loser I met in Dewhurst.


    I wanna reiterate I¡¯m not stupid- I know I¡¯m gonna have to deal with that all again one day. You can take the Princess from Imperalis, but you can¡¯t take the Princess from the Girl.


    Zuzu could stay with Boss forever, she¡¯s got no responsibilities after all, but I¡¯m a different story. This whole thing might¡¯ve started like one of those fairy tales Zuzu used to read to little Sammy, but I¡¯m terrified that the ending will be anything but happily ever after.


    Father might not care about what I do with my life, but Mother does. The rest of the sweaty old men who run the kingdom do. It could all come crumbling down so easily if they just came to get me, and I couldn¡¯t do anything about it...


    Y¡¯know, fuck being a Princess, maybe me and Boss¡¯ll just run away. We¡¯ll hop on a Void Ship at the coast, cross the Black and get married or some shit in some other realm far, far away from Karnalle. I don¡¯t care, whatever the case I just need to stop thinking about this!


    I just need to remind myself that I¡¯ve lived my whole life trying to live up to my everyone¡¯s expectations of me. Do this, curtsie, do that, curtsie, smile, curtsie, wear the dress, curtsie, put your make up on, curtsie- ALWAYS with the fucking curtsies...! Ugh.


    Gotta stop dwelling on this. Maybe one day I¡¯ll learn how to stop caring about what people expect from me. My own expectations should be the only ones I need to live up to, but... here we are.


    Unfortunately as soon as I snap out of whatever the hell that depressive episode mighta been, I see Boss has already started walking towards me and there¡¯s a giant fucking Brood Wolf stalking up from behind him in the distance- its colossal jaws primed and ready to snatch and violently devour the man that I plan on telling one day soonish that I probably, maybe, most likely love him- I think.


    Shit.


    Shit.


    SHIT!


    A portrait of Sam''s former life.

 The Power of the Royal Bloodline

    ¡°BOSS, WATCH OUT!¡± I run towards the Boss with all the speed I can muster and scream so loudly it hurts my throat- all in the hopes of reaching him before it¡¯s too late.


    Even before I scream, though, he turns and sees the danger. He must have read my facial expression and seen the signs of terror with those eyes of his, because otherwise his impressive reaction time wouldn¡¯t make sense.


    With a twist of his neck Boss stares down the immense adult Brood Wolf, drooling with ravenous hunger as it races towards him with reckless abandon. He makes a split second decision to throw the last few pork chops left in the bloody bag out behind him to the left while sprinting in my direction. The huge monster¡¯s ravenous appetite is instantly drawn in by the nearest, easiest food available, and it darts after the bag of pork with barely a second thought in it¡¯s dumb mind.


    The move bought him scant few seconds, but it¡¯s more than enough for me to close the distance and put myself and my big sword between the wolf and my man. I stand at attention, ready for battle as it scarfs down the pitiful few last slices of pork.


    ¡°Boss, I thought you said-¡±


    ¡°I know what I said! This is NOT normal Brood Wolf behaviour, there shouldn¡¯t be an adult anywhere near a pack of adolescent wolves!¡± Worry stains his typically smooth voice. ¡°Where¡¯s Zuzu?!¡±


    ¡°Tired!¡± My grip tightens and I ready my sword for whatever comes next. The monster¡¯s attention could only be drawn for so long by the meager scraps, it¡¯s already back to salivating at the nearest hunk of meat.


    Me.


    ¡°What do I do?!¡± I shout determinately to the man with the plan.


    ¡°Sam... I don¡¯t...¡± Fear makes his voice shakier than normal. I can¡¯t turn back to face him, not with this giant wolf the size of a horse and carriage now staring me down, but I can tell for sure Boss is panicked.


    I take a step forward, my boot digging firmly into the earth below as I keep my sword posture straight, just like he taught me. ¡°You don¡¯t have any fancy tricks to tell me, or weaknesses this thing has?¡±


    ¡°We... we need to run. Head back to Zuzu and find something to distract it with- I... I don¡¯t see any other options.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we can run from this thing.¡± I spit out under my breath.


    Boss is silent, like I expected.


    ¡°Go.¡±


    ¡°Sam, you don¡¯t think I¡¯d just le-¡±


    ¡°GO!!¡±


    The silence is thick until finally I hear the telltale signs of Boss hightailing it outta here. Good. No sense in both of us dying here, not if he can make it to Zuzu.


    I¡¯ll be the distraction, It¡¯s the only choice.


    I grit my teeth and watch as the adult Brood Wolf bellows a powerful, ear-shattering roar and picks up speed once again to attack me with all it¡¯s got. It leaps into the air, opening its jaws and biting down in an attempt to chomp me right in two with its powerful teeth.


    I¡¯m not having it, I jump right in and defensively thrust my sword into its mouth horizontally, holding it in place but just barely. Every last single muscle in my body instantly sears with intense, burning pain. I¡¯m sure I just tore probably all of them but I don¡¯t care- it¡¯s all on me.


    We both land on the ground and a tug of war ensues. The massive wolf tries to shake me off of my sword, drool and rancid dog breath flying through the air, while I dig my feet into the ground using my royal strength.


    ¡°I¡¯m not moving from this spot, you bastard!¡± I shout between exasperated breaths.


    The Brood Wolf growls in response, vibrating my sword still stuck fast in its teeth. He¡¯s a persistent pup, I¡¯ll give him that... I need to take him by surprise if I¡¯m going to get some sort of advantage here...!


    I let go of my sword grip with my right hand for only a split second and it almost cost me my position, but I put my entire body into a massive punch, smashing it into the huge muzzle of the beast and sending a shower of blood flying out of its fist-cratered nose.


    It staggers back and drops my hefty sword from its teeth as it whines a long, miserable whine. Even so, the damn thing recovers quick enough and rears its gigantic fangs at me once again.


    What the hell am I supposed to do in this situation?


    This isn¡¯t anything like fighting Slimes, or Living Fungi... I could actually die here. This is actual combat with a real, true monster...!


    Gotta stay calm, I gotta... stay... calm.


    Instead of overthinking it and losing my small advantage I gotta focus on the biggest damn problem, this massive canine¡¯s, er, canines.


    As soon as the wolf dashes towards me I scream as loudly as I can, swinging wildly with my great blade and putting in as much power as I can and sending it smashing into the teeth of the Brood Wolf... only nothing happens. My blade bounces off with an ear piercing clang and the monster¡¯s chompers are none the worse for wear.


    The sensation must¡¯ve been unpleasant at the very least because it rears its head for just a second before toppling me and pinning my body beneath it¡¯s impressive paw. My sword slides across the ground as soon as it knocks me over. This damn monster¡¯s so big that it can keep my entire torso trapped against the ground with just one of its hulking feet.


    ¡°You... fucking... dumbass demon... wolf!¡± I bark, the pressure on my torso causing me to spit up a bit of my blood along with the insults.


    I don¡¯t know if this thing can understand my words or not, but it¡¯s definitely fucking pissed off. It roars in my face and I can see down its horrifying throat. I¡¯m met with the grim realization that this thing is doing its damned hardest to eat me, and there ain¡¯t much I can do about it.


    Fuck. THAT.


    As the Brood Wolf drops its ugly mug down to bite my head off, I wiggle my arms free and at the last second I grab a single fang on the top and bottom sides of its jaw. This stupid ass bloodline of mine... this supernatural strength... I didn¡¯t ever fucking ask for it, but it¡¯s always been a part of me.


    For the first time in my life, I¡¯m asking you, no, BEGGING you, give... me... fucking... MORE OF IT!


    ¡°GRRRRHHH!!¡± I scream behind gritted teeth, my arms bulging with power as I stop the jaws of the massive wolf from closing down over my head using nothing but my bare hands.


    This hurts.


    It hurts so fucking much, gods- but it don¡¯t hurt NEARLY as much as the alternative. I scream and I grunt and I cry and I struggle until finally I rip the goddamn fangs out of their bloody sockets, sending the wolf back roaring in pain it¡¯s never come close to feeling before.


    I¡¯m free! Haha, fuck yeah!


    I do whatever I can to stand up, but it¡¯s a huge effort to merely stay on my feet without falling over. I¡¯m not the brightest. I don¡¯t know enough to say whether I actually got more power when I asked for it or if I already had it to begin with, but all I know is that little stunt took a hell of a toll on my body.


    But I can¡¯t let up now...


    I dash towards the monster while it¡¯s in its staggered state, wielding one of its large, sword-sized fangs in each of my hands. Every step I take sends a brand new shock wave of pain throughout my body but in response I just clench the fangs tighter to distract myself even just a little.


    Before the bastard knows what hit him I jump up into the air and land on its face, straddling the massive muzzle between my aching thighs.


    With a single, decisive show of power I scream and smash the fangs straight into the Brood Wolf¡¯s eyes. An explosion of ocular viscera jets from its ruptured orbs and the monster howls so hard my ears ring, and I lose my balance as it bucks and spasms.


    I fall clean off the beast and tumble painfully down to the grassy ground with a painful thud. This... damn monster... better have gotten the point... cause I can already tell I ain¡¯t getting up after a move like that.


    The wolf is angry, confused, and in great pain...


    Heh... Good.


    That¡¯s what you fucking get for going after my man.


    But it''s not over yet, apparently. Even after using everything I got and then some to try and scare this demon into running home with its spiky tail between its legs it still wasn¡¯t enough. The evil beast is still standing even after I broke its nose, ripped its teeth out and popped its eyes.


    All I ended up doing was making it madder and hungrier. Fuck...


    It¡¯s coming right towards me, fuck, why is this thing still so fast after all that damage...? How does it know exactly where I am? I have to stand up... gotta... grab my sword... and...


    ¡°Fu... Fuhreez... IN!¡±


    A cold wind flickering with the dust of tiny diamonds swooshes in from out of the blue, coiling the monstrous wolf in a cyclone of arctic chillness. From the beast¡¯s feet upwards large formations of ice crackle into existence spurred on by the sound of encroaching frost. The formation grows up and up the wolf¡¯s body until over half of him is encased in shining ice. The beast tries its best to rampage and shatter the cold prison, but it¡¯s too late.


    Zuzu pinned the fucker down better than ever could.


    I weakly turn around to see Boss, completely out of breath from having run to the farmhouse and back. He¡¯s carrying my petite, magical friend piggyback style and she too is on the verge of passing out.


    ¡°Took ya long enough, Daddy...¡±


    Boss sets Zuzu down on the grassy ground delicately, like a precious doll or something, before running hastily to my side. Wish he didn¡¯t have to see me like this, it¡¯s not exactly my finest showing. I look like... I dunno... something that looks shitty. But not just shitty, like... SUPER shitty. I look bad, and I kinda hope he still thinks I¡¯m pretty.


    A-Anyway, I think the spell wiped Zuzu the fuck out, she hasn¡¯t said a word. She was already on the verge of passing out when our first round was over so thank all the gods in all the realms for her managing to cast another spell... especially a vocal one at that.


    We all might¡¯ve died without her just now.


    ¡°Can you get up?¡± He hunches over me, extending a hand for me to grab. ¡°You need to get in there and strike the killing blow. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m strong enough to do it.¡±


    He must have some serious confidence in his masculinity to admit that so readily to the girl he¡¯s sharing his bed with, heh.


    But he¡¯s right. Even I could barely do any damage without straining my entire body for all it''s got. I grab his pain... I mean his hand... and stand up painfully painful pain pain pain ¡°OW, FUCK!¡±


    As he pulls me up I stumble, my muscles giving out and sending me back to the ground below if it weren¡¯t for Boss catching me mid fall.


    ¡°Sam...¡± He looks at me with intense concern, UGH I HATE feeling so useless, normally I¡¯d trade my left tit to be held like this in his arms, but right now it¡¯s just so... nnnggggghhhh...


    ¡°I pulled like... All of the muscles.¡±


    ¡°... Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes... Please tell me there¡¯s a fucking healer in this shitty, blight-infested, asswipe of a town...¡± I sigh and push away from him, doing my best to steady my feet and stand on my own. Every muscle in my body, including some I never knew even existed, protest the action with everything they¡¯ve got, but I need to finish this. I succeed by the skin of my teeth and somehow manage to avoid falling on my ass.


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry Sam, I¡¯ll take care of it...¡± He frowns and places an arm on my shoulder. I swat if off, gotta stay focused. ¡°Normally the Guild isn¡¯t supposed to cover the expenses of wounded adventurers without a proper healer¡¯s plan, but it¡¯s a terrible, predatory system and I don¡¯t want to force it on you. Especially when you don¡¯t accept payment from the Quests you take. I¡¯ll pay all the costs so please rest assu-¡±


    ¡°Sword.¡±


    Boss does a double take as I interrupt him. He¡¯s apprehensive, he doesn¡¯t think I can do it. He¡¯ll see. ¡°Sam...¡±


    ¡°THE FUCKING THING NEEDS TO DIE, RIGHT?! SO GIVE ME THE DAMN SWORD!¡± I shout, hoping for him to get it together and do what I say.


    He doesn¡¯t like it but after I yell at him and put him in his place, he does what I command. Boss clumsily drags my sword across the ground to me, leaving a ragged trail of cut earth in his wake.


    It¡¯s way too heavy for him, which would be cute if I weren¡¯t so fucking mad, impatient and ready to kill this piece of shit wolf.


    ¡°Fuck yeah.¡± I grin. ¡°Time to finish the quest in style.¡± Step by painful step I make my way to the vainly struggling wolf encased by ice. It¡¯s squirming, ain¡¯t that fucking pitiful? Ain¡¯t it just the best?!


    Heh.


    It deserves my fucking sword down its throat. Or maybe I should gut it? It tried to eat me. Tried to eat MY man as well. No one else fucking touches him. NO ONE.


    Gods, really though how should I kill it!? Slowly? Painfully? Hell yes. Hm, Gutting it would be awful ironic for a beast that hungers with no end. Oh, maybe I should torture it and watch the light fade out of its devilish, creepy fucking eyes bit by bit...? Wait no, I already popped those fuckers with it¡¯s own damn fangs!


    ¡°Heh... hehehe... HA HA HA HA HA!!¡± I fucking burst out into a fit of laughter, holy HELL I¡¯m gonna enjoy this...! Using the last of my strength, I get ready to raise my blade-


    Only to be stopped by Boss suddenly reaching out and grabbing my hand firmly with his, pulling me away from my sword..


    What the fuck? Did he just... no. No, no no. He couldn¡¯t have... but he did...


    He...


    DID.


    How DARE he touch one of Royal blood such as myself without my express permission? I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s my man or not, I will NOT be manhandled as such. What a weak piece of SHIT- he¡¯s not even strong enough to lift my sword and he thinks he can stop me?! What. A. Joke!


    I should fucking teach him a lesson he won¡¯t soon forget, I- Wha... what? What... the fuck... is wrong with me...?!


    ¡°What the hell do you think you¡¯re doing, Sam? This... isn¡¯t you.¡±


    He¡¯s right... Why am I thinking these thoughts?


    ¡°Boss...?¡±


    He sighs and takes his glasses off, revealing the sternest expression he¡¯s ever given me. I instantly feel bad. I can already tell that I... I failed him. I¡¯m so sorry, Boss, I-


    ¡°This is just like that time in the village chief¡¯s house. That look in your eyes, Sam. You¡¯re crazed... blood thirsty. You need to stop before you fall even deeper.¡±


    ¡°But... it was going to eat you...¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it deserves to die!¡± He shouts at me, making me wince. ¡°But not from you fucking impersonating a certain psychopathic butcher!¡±


    Fuck, that fucking stings... but he¡¯s completely right...


    Boss looks me right in the eye point blank, making damn sure with all his might that he stares straight past them into my heart and soul. ¡°Kill it. But don¡¯t you dare fucking enjoy it, Sam. At least... not in the way you were about to.¡±


    ¡°Slap me.¡±


    Boss is dumbfounded, and the serious expression leaves almost instantly. ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Boss! Slap it outta my system or I won¡¯t be able to finish it off the right way!¡±


    He nervously looks away. ¡°I... I can¡¯t just hit a woman, Sam, not outside of a sexual context at the very least. I mean honestly, I-¡±


    ¡°SLAP ME BEFORE I STAB THE DAMN THING 49 TIMES AND SHOVE MY SWORD UP ITS ASSHOLE!!¡± GODS the thought is so fucking awesome- I wanna kill it... and kill EVERYTHING that so much as even LOOKS at me the wrong way, I-


    WHAP.


    My cheek stings as Boss¡¯s huge-ass man hand slaps me a right fucking good one, and my eyes start to water as soon as he does it. I stumble a bit but I firmly grasp my sword, grit my teeth and bare it. I don¡¯t fall, falling is the enemy and I do NOT fall..


    ¡°Ngh. Fuck yeah that¡¯s better, Boss.¡± I grin and flash my fang to him tiredly. I¡¯m back, for now at least.


    ¡°You good now?¡± He asks with great concern. I feel sorry already for what I just put him through...


    I don¡¯t answer, I just jump onto the struggling wolf¡¯s spiky back and after making sure I got stable footing I take a deeeeeeep breath.


    Using what little power I have left from... whatever the hell that just was, I stab my great blade straight down into the Brood Wolf¡¯s neck and after wrestling with its thick, wiry fur, I drive it past the rough hide and cleanly sever its spine. My blade pokes through the bottom of it¡¯s throat, and just as easily I slide the sword out


    It howls a massive death howl, blood spurting from the wound like a macabre fountain. I jump off the dying wolf and barely land on my feet... My body still hurts, and I mean really, REALLY hurts.


    Gods, I just realized I¡¯m gonna be smelling like wolf blood for fucking WEEKS now... I don¡¯t miss much about home, but I¡¯d kill to just soak for like... a day in the royal hotsprings... fuck...


    Boss runs to my side yet again. My breathing is ragged, I¡¯m kinda scared, and I don¡¯t know what the fuck¡¯s going on with me mentally, emotionally or whatever the fuck else.


    Naturally, this leaves me with one burning question in my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re gonna squeeze a FUCK of a lot more than 17k from that potion junky after this, right?¡±


    He laughs and nods his head. ¡°When I¡¯m done with him, he¡¯ll be lucky if he keeps the house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I fucking wanted to hear, Boss.¡± I laugh really damn loud for a really long time before kinda just passing out then and there in his arms.

 The Best Medicine

    Carrying both girls back to town was a challenge in and of itself, I had to think fairly creatively to pull it off.


    First off I dig a small hole using my hands to hide their weapons in, because I¡¯m certainly not going to be able to carry them and I don¡¯t want to risk a stray inhabitant of Dewhurst wandering out here and nicking them for a quick payday at the pawn shop. Just to be sure I leave a little marker on top of the hole in the form of three stones placed together so I know where I dug them.


    Then after that¡¯s been squared away, I strip Sam¡¯s decorative belt off her hips and use it to buckle Zutiria to my back. It¡¯s not as smooth as if she were holding onto me herself, but it¡¯s the only way I can use both of my arms to carry Sam. At first I tried to carry them both over my shoulder with one on each side, but it didn¡¯t work that well. Sam is so much heavier than Zutiria that it made balancing them both a nightmare, so instead I opted for this set up. Mage on my back, scary Princess in my arms bridal style.


    I¡¯m trying my best not to think about whatever the hell just happened to Sam. We can¡¯t stay here, we need to leave. That¡¯s all that matters right now.


    About halfway to the healer Zutiria suddenly startled awake, thank the gods. It must have been a rough ride being jostled back and forth on my back. She whispers tiny waking noises and a small yawn before she makes contact.


    ¡®Sir...?¡¯


    ¡°Hey. Can you walk?¡±


    ¡®Probably not, but it certainly seems like it would help you if I tried...¡¯


    I look around and soon find a small bench outside of a suspicious looking building labeled ¡®Drugs...tore and More¡¯. Not sure what¡¯s going on there. Whether they think it¡¯s clever or if they think they found a legitimate loophole is beyond me. Regardless, I lay down the Princess for just a moment so I can crouch down to the ground and release Sam¡¯s belt buckle from me and Zutiria.


    She audibly groans as she slides off of my back and onto the dirty terrain beneath her feet.


    ¡®What happened...?¡¯ She leans over to Sam, seeing her closest friend covered in blood and bruises.


    ¡°After you passed out, a lot. Sam¡¯s... not well.¡±


    Zutiria asks me in a surprising manner, ¡®Sammy didn¡¯t get... overly angry and arrogant, did she...?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement. How did you know, has she done this before?¡± I brush a lock of the Princess¡¯s golden hair out of her bloody face while asking Zutiria, in desperate need of clarification.


    ¡®I was praying this would never happen...¡¯ The mage sighs and wordlessly casts another spell, despite not having her staff. Zutiria winces from the effort but the blood on Sam disappears leaving her clean once more, except for the bruises and obvious signs of muscle damage.


    I¡¯m just glad she didn¡¯t get any deep cuts or anything.


    ¡°So, you know what¡¯s going on with her.¡± I ask to confirm.


    ¡®You probably know too if you¡¯ve read a history book or two.¡¯ She gives me a concerning, cryptic expression and sighs heavily once again. ¡®We should wait until she¡¯s awake and ready to hear it, Sir. Let¡¯s get her to the town healer, assuming you have one.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re already about halfway there.


    ¡®Good. Let¡¯s not waste any more time.¡¯


    And we don¡¯t. I sling Sam carefully over my shoulder and keep her there with my arm in place, while Zutiria clamps onto my free hand to steady herself as we walk at little better than a snail¡¯s pace to our destination.


    It takes a long while before we finally arrive. It¡¯s a simple place by Dewhurst standards, and it looks decidedly less disgusting than a good majority of the town thanks to deliberate care and polish from its owner. A decently sized white building at odds with its shabby surroundings, ¡®Helpful Heals¡¯ is the name.


    The owner is someone I¡¯ve known since I was a child.


    Opalina Hart is most likely in her early fifties by now, but like many magic users it¡¯s affected her appearance significantly and she scarcely looks a day over thirty. I won¡¯t lie, Opalina was my first crush. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s many a Dewhurstian boy¡¯s first crush at that, so I¡¯m hardly special in that regard.


    She frequently looked after me as my eyes became worse and worse, and it was her who I ran to when Grandpa died. After that entire incident she took it on herself to look after me as much as she could, but over the years we¡¯ve drifted apart. Mostly because of me.


    I didn¡¯t have it in me to keep seeing her after I gave up trying on the Guild. I¡¯m embarrassed to have to go running to her now, but any sort of shame I might feel is vastly outweighed by the overwhelming need to take care of Sam.


    Zutiria and I enter the building and I yell, ¡°Ms. Hart? I have an emergency!¡±


    Opalina is not in the humble looking lobby when we arrive, but at the sound of my voice she must have dropped whatever she was doing in her office and she bursts into the room.


    She looks as beautiful as I remember, perhaps more so now that I¡¯ve developed into a man and can appreciate her mature charm.


    Ms. Hart is slightly taller than me, and has more curves than any woman I¡¯ve ever known. Full figured doesn¡¯t even begin to do her justice. She¡¯s wearing her typical light blue, gold trimmed ornate coat with a dark, form fitting sweater underneath coupled with a white cravat. The sweater and coat surprisingly do nothing to hide her absolutely massive... feminine charms. Below, she wears a skirt that barely covers anything at all topped off with dark, breathtaking pantyhose stockings.


    There¡¯s a bunch of healers in Dewhurst and I could have taken Sam to any one of them, but Opalina is... well. Above the low, silver pair of glasses rest her kindly purple eyes. Eyes that warm a man¡¯s heart just by looking at them, or at least they can warm mine. When she looks at me with that motherly gaze of hers I¡¯m always overcome with a feeling that everything¡¯s going to be alright.


    This is to say nothing of her luscious, curled auburn locks that trails down the curves of her body as though she were an otherworldly goddess flowing with femininity.


    Yes, I might be exaggerating just how beautiful Ms. Hart is... but I did say she was my first crush, did I not? A boy never forgets such things.


    With one glance, she sizes up the situation and takes command. Whipping out her blue and gold wand from the inside of her sleeve, she points towards the sickroom. ¡°Don¡¯t say a word, sweetie. Come.¡±


    Neither of us feel the need to argue at this and we do as we¡¯re told. The sickroom is thankfully empty right now, which was the only thing I was relatively concerned about. Opalina doesn¡¯t turn down any patients as long as they pay so whenever I visited it was a common sight to see recovering mana crystal addicts, potion junkies and shady, wounded gang members. Granted had I gone anywhere else it would have been much, much more prominent. Opalina treats all, but her rates and care is much more expensive than your typical street-healer.


    ¡°Lay here down here, carefully now. I don¡¯t need to use my magic to tell the poor thing¡¯s gone and broke most of her ribs and her right arm.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ms. Hart.¡±


    ¡°Sweetie, you¡¯re a full grown man. You don¡¯t need to call me that anymore.¡± She says with a certain sternness in her voice as she makes her way to Sam¡¯s side.


    ¡°Force of habit. I don¡¯t expect to get over it any time soon, either.¡± I smile weakly and avert my gaze.


    Opalina sighs, ¡°Of course not. I wouldn¡¯t expect anything less from you. I swear, you always were such an oddly formal child...¡± Before she does anything to Sam she sets her sights on Zutiria. ¡°You aren¡¯t looking too hot yourself, little one. Would you like to take a bed and have yourself a nap?¡±


    Zutiria shakes her head back and forth. ¡®Mana Circuit Atrophy from 27 years of neglect. I¡¯m fine. Help my friend, please.¡¯


    All business as usual, the only response this gets out of Opalina is a raised eyebrow. She doesn¡¯t make any mention of Zutiria¡¯s lack of speech or show any sort of surprise at the sudden glowing blue text that appeared when the little lady ¡®spoke¡¯. ¡°Well alright then. Sweetie, go get your cute friend here some water. You remember where the kitchen is, yes? She might be able to diagnose herself but she still needs to keep hydrated.¡±


    Zutiria doesn¡¯t argue with this, I assume she had the rest of her canteen after the exhaustive battle with the Brood Wolves, and I know better than to even try arguing. I leave the room and shortly after return with two large glasses. One for myself and one for Zutiria.


    The Mage takes it from my hand when I offer it and takes a dainty sip while I nervously chug mine all at once, wishing it was something that went down a little harder.


    With her wand at the ready, Opalina makes a little gesture and utters, ¡°Innereveall.¡±


    Zutiria perks up for a moment after hearing Ms. Hart¡¯s incantation, perhaps it was a spell she doesn¡¯t recognize?


    Everything past the hilt of her tool shifts into a comically oversized glass lens with two visible buttons. Using the first setting the mature healer scans Sam''s body revealing the muscles beneath her skin when viewed through the glass. I can¡¯t stomach looking at the sight for all that long... It¡¯s squicky enough as it is but it hurts me on a deep level seeing how torn and shredded Sam¡¯s muscles are.


    After I look away, there¡¯s a clicking sound and I look back to see through the lens again. Now it reveals Sam¡¯s skeleton and just as she predicted Opalina ¡®tsk, tsk, tsk¡¯s¡¯ after sizing up all of the young Princess¡¯s broken bones.


    ¡°How?¡± She turns to me.


    ¡°There was a quest. Brood Wolves, and-¡±


    ¡°And you sent her off without a healer in the party?¡± No one said Zutiria wasn¡¯t a healer, but I guess the fact that we had to come here in the first place was enough of a context clue as if she was, Zutiria would have already patched Sam up.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have any healers. My girls so far are just-¡±


    ¡°Your girls so far...?¡± Suddenly Ms. Hart¡¯s expression changes to one of intense curiosity, motherly judgment and maybe a bit of panic.


    ...I probably shouldn¡¯t have just said that.


    There¡¯s a frog in my throat, I can¡¯t croak out another word.


    Zutiria softly laughs and grabs my hand deliberately for Opalina to watch.


    The good doctor gives me a look so stern and frightening I can¡¯t even maintain eye contact. She didn¡¯t have to say a word to tell me that we were going to have a very, very long talk about this later. Thankfully for now she sighs and lets it go, returning her focus solely on Sam.


    ¡°A moment, please.¡± She wiggles her wand like a snake and as soon as she does it snaps back into being just a normal looking wand once more.


    It doesn¡¯t last for long, though.


    She thrusts her finger out on her free hand and chants, ¡°Suturepair.¡±


    Once again, Zutiria tilts her head as the magic unfolds. The tip of her extended finger starts emitting a glowing blue thread of mana and her wand morphs into a small needle and thread.


    She works at such an intense speed that it not only impresses, but practically scares me. Her hands somehow sink into Sam¡¯s body, the needle along with them. I haven¡¯t ever seen her do this procedure but I assume she¡¯s hand stitching Sam¡¯s torn muscles together and rebinding them with her healing thread.


    After just a few minutes of surgery she sighs and looks to me once more with her typically warm eyes now cold with professionalism. ¡°All that¡¯s left is the bones.¡±


    I nod my head. This part I¡¯ve seen before, after all. What kid hasn¡¯t broken a bone at some point in their childhood?


    Zutiria watches with intense curiosity on the edge of her proverbial seat, eager to see what comes next. I don¡¯t understand her curiosity, has she never seen standard healing magic like this?


    Regardless, Opalina reaches over the table after stuffing away her wand. She doesn¡¯t need it for this part.


    ¡°Mendinside.¡± After the incantation, her hands glow the comforting blue that my mind associates with healing and she starts secreting a slimy substance. Then, she phases both hands inside of Sam¡¯s right arm and compresses around the bone. From what I remember of it this spell invades your body harmlessly and with her hands she reaches in to squeeze the bone back together.


    The slime acts as a sort of glue that not only binds the broken parts but after hardening strengthens the bones, regrowing any missing parts. I think she told me something about how the slime absorbs all the stray fragments as well, but I was just a child crying in pain so... um, all I really remember is being smothered by her gigantic breasts when she comforted me with a hug after.


    After squeezing Sam¡¯s arm back together she sighs and wipes a bead of set from her brow, then reaches inside of the Princess¡¯s ribcage and goes about her job of mending each fracture.


    It doesn¡¯t even take ten minutes.


    Opalina turns away from her patient and the professionalism fades from her face. It¡¯s replaced with the warm smile that¡¯s always been there for me whenever I needed it.


    ¡°She¡¯ll need to rest for a few hours, but she¡¯ll wake up feeling better than ever. My magic isn¡¯t battlefield recovery, after all. It¡¯s focused on actually fixing the problem as opposed to patching you up just enough to finish the quest.¡± The doctor lets out a comforting, deep laughter.


    Zutiria and I light up, and I have to hold back running up and hugging her like I did as a child.


    Zutiria looks like she¡¯s about to say something but I cut her off by blurting, ¡°Ms. Hart, thank you so much...! I can¡¯t even-¡±


    She interrupts me yet again and grabs me by my collar, pulling me threateningly until I¡¯m pressed up against her gratuitous cleavage and resting just inches away from her full, round lips. Knowing what¡¯s coming, I¡¯m anything but aroused.


    ¡°Sweetheart.¡± She coos in a low, sultry voice.


    ¡°...¡± Silence is the best answer here.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been avoiding me for years now, despite after everything I¡¯ve done for you and the sacrifices I¡¯ve made to always be by your side. Yet for the first time in ages, today you come bursting into my little clinic. When I heard your voice my poor, lonely old heart sank in my chest and I ran to help you just as I always have. So would you please... PLEASE, my darling... explain why... WHY in the Goddess¡¯s name did you show up with the Crown Princess of Karnalle slung over your shoulder, barely hanging on in critical condition?¡±

 Everything I Knew is a Lie

    There¡¯s no use in lying. Opalina Hart may not have the sort of magic body language reading eyes that I do but she does come equipped with the greatest bullshit detector in all the realms. I was mostly a good kid, but I lied here and there... mostly about being sick so I had more of an excuse to be with her. She caught me every time but didn¡¯t do more than chastise me for it, she¡¯d always spoil me silly regardless.


    When Grandpa had no idea what the hell was going on with my eyes, I was seeing her every day for testing and care. Then after my situation deteriorated and my eyes got so bad I couldn¡¯t leave my own bed, Opalina would make home visits just to comfort me, keeping me company on her own damn time even if there was nothing medically or magically she could do to actually soothe the pain. That¡¯s just the kind of person she¡¯s always been.


    She¡¯s persistent and will never take no for an answer, so even if I used all the charisma I have to try and play coy it wouldn¡¯t get me very far. So I give myself up and offer to explain my story thus far to the woman who more or less raised me.


    Opalina brings Zutiria and I to the lobby so that we don¡¯t disturb Sam. There are three lounge chairs lined up in a row on the leftmost wall with a shared coffee table between each. After sitting down on the furthest seat and conjuring up some hot tea for us, Opalina offers us the remaining chairs.


    Zutiria is being cheeky, despite her weariness. She knows full well how awkward this is for me, I¡¯m sure of it. She¡¯s definitely picked up all the context clues about my relationship to the good doctor. Instead of making it easier on me to explain myself and sitting on the free chair like a normal person would in this situation, the little lady instead chooses intentionally to sit atop my lap, straddling one of my legs and sipping tea as if it were the most normal thing in the world.


    If this bothers Opalina she doesn¡¯t show it. If anything I think she¡¯s amused...


    I let out a deep, awkward sigh and begin explaining everything up until this point. Sam¡¯s uncanny arrival, the effect the girls have on me, the weird destiny whisperings in my heart, the magic semen. Every last detail, no matter how awkward. Everything. Zutiria chimes in every so often when it relates to her but for the most part she simply lets me tell my story, sipping away happily.


    When it¡¯s finally, FINALLY over, I sigh once again and the overwhelming embarrassment hits me all at once. I just explained my complicated adult sex life to my childhood crush and I have no clue how I feel about that. I¡¯ve never seen Opalina blush before but when I went over that part of it her cheeks filled with redness. I¡¯m sure that it wasn¡¯t anything special, though, and she¡¯s just simply embarrassed to hear that the little boy of hers she knew long ago has become a man...


    After a lengthy sip of her warm tea, Opalina opens her mouth as if to say something, and then closes it. She repeats this process several times and I can see her black gloved hand starting to tremble as it holds the tea cup. At long last she manages to just get out with it and says, ¡°Sweetheart. I mean this well and truly. I¡¯ve never been at such a loss for words before in my long, long life and the only ones that come to mind right now are... ¡®What the fuck¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± I groan and avoid eye contact, only to have my attention taken by Zutiria placing her cup of tea against my lips.


    ¡®Drink, Sir.¡¯ She commands, so I do.


    ¡°As adorable as whatever this may be,¡± Opalina points at Zutiria and I with her wand, ¡°I¡¯m more concerned about your relationship with the teenage girl in the other room. I mean, honestly sweetheart! How could you have pounced on her the day after she turned eighteen? T-t-that¡¯s almost predatory if I do say so myself! What kind of person could do such a thing?¡±


    Odd. It¡¯s not often my eyes lie to me, but I know Miss Hart too closely. Sure, her hand is shaking, her eyes are glancing anywhere but towards my own and yes, there is a twitch in her throat making her voice quiver in what could almost be described as a jealous tone, but I¡¯ll just chalk it up as stress from hearing the utterly ridiculous events of the past few weeks.


    It would be rather silly of me to assume that her words had any sort of double meaning, honestly. I¡¯ve known this woman my whole life.


    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, Ms. Hart. It was incredibly hard to resist given the situation with my eyes, Sam¡¯s forwardness, and... the voice telling me to.¡±


    Zutiria smirks just a tiny bit. ¡®You know, this is all rather humorous when it¡¯s summed up like this. It almost sounds like the sexual fantasies of someone with a rather poor imagination. Or something out one of the numerous erotic tomes you¡¯ve got littered about your bedroom, Sir.¡¯


    Before I can respond to this embarrassing callout. Opalina sighs and palms her forehead. ¡°You¡¯ve got that right, little one. If it were anyone else telling me such a story I¡¯d have them locked up in the nearest Sanitarium and throw away the key.¡± After taking another sip and setting down her tea cup for good, Opalina finally looks back to me. ¡°So you really, truly hear voices telling you to... finish inside women and claim them as your own...?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t make me answer this. I¡¯ve embarrassed myself enough in front of you today, Miss Hart.¡± I know she won¡¯t let this one slide, but it¡¯s worth a shot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be coy with me, young man.¡±


    ¡°Yes... it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Well if the Princess and your little lap friend are your women, then how are you planning to deal with the responsibility behind such a ridiculous claim? Are you going to marry Her Royal Highness and rule all of Karnalle together, your little trusted court magician by your side?¡±


    ¡°Gods, no! That¡¯s... not a problem for right now.¡±


    Zutiria cuts in and makes the situation even worse for me. The tiniest blush appears on her cheeks as she reaches over, picks up my hand and holds it up to her chest so I can feel her tiny heart beating. ¡®I have already suggested marriage in the future, and should Sir desire it I am certain Sammy would be amenable to it as well. We¡¯re already more than happy sharing as it is.¡¯


    Opalina¡¯s cheeks flare up so hotly that if I didn¡¯t know any better I¡¯d have guessed she burnt her tongue on her tea. ¡°...R-right. And the King?¡±


    ¡®As stated before, I¡¯ve lived in the castle since before Sammy was born. I¡¯ve known her father just as long. Don¡¯t tell Sammy I said this, Sir, but Theo is a lot different than her impression of him. He¡¯s kind, heroic, misguided and imperfect to a fault, but he gave me a home when I had nowhere else to go.¡¯


    I let her words sink. I never really questioned why Zutiria lived in the castle tower, let alone imagined it had something to do with Sam¡¯s dad. To be fair I don¡¯t ask either girl anything about their sordid pasts, I only know what tidbits they let me hear.


    ¡°You really don¡¯t think he¡¯d mind if I just... walked up and asked...?¡± The thought boggles my mind so damned much that I have trouble getting the words out. I can¡¯t ever imagine just walking up to the throne, bending the knee and asking before the King and his entire court for Sam¡¯s hand in marriage.


    ¡®Trust me, Sir.¡¯ She smiles and leans in to peck me delicately on the cheek, right in front of Opalina.


    It¡¯s then that I notice the doctor¡¯s lip is trembling and small tears are forming in the corner of her eyes. ¡°Un... unacceptable... I can¡¯t... approve of this! You weren¡¯t supposed to grow up this fast!!¡± Opalina surprises everyone in the room as she starts bawling, and smashes her tea cup into a thousand pieces on the coffee table sat between us while trying to casually set it down.


    ¡°Y-YOU DON¡¯T VISIT ME FOR FIVE YEARS, YOU DON¡¯T WRITE, AND YOU BARGE BACK INTO MY LIFE TELLING ME YOU FUCKED A PRINCESS AND THE ROYAL COURT MAGICIAN OR SOMETHING- AND BOTH GIRLS ARE READY TO MARRY YOU!! N-NOT ONLY THAT BUT YOU¡¯RE TELLING ME YOU THINK YOU HAVE SOME SORT OF MAGICAL DESTINY TO COLLECT EVEN MORE WOMEN AND FILL THEM UP WITH YOUR MAGIC SPERM?! SWEETHEART, WHAT. THE. FUCK?!¡±


    I blink, incredulously. I¡¯ve never heard Opalina yell like this. I¡¯ve never heard her yell at all, actually, and I¡¯ve certainly never seen her cry or throw a tantrum or... whatever the hell this is.


    ¡°Miss Hart... are you, alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± She smiles, all traces of her little outburst now somehow gone just as quick as it appeared. She quietly sips a new cup of warm tea which I never even noticed her conjuring.


    I look to Zutiria, who is equally weirded out, then back to Opalina. ¡°Are you sure...?¡±


    She drops the cup onto the floor, and as it shatters warm tea splashes across the wooden floor. ¡°Yes.¡± Her eyes, which have been a source of comfort for me my entire life, now twitch with stress.


    I never imagined Opalina even had a vulnerable side to her, let alone... this.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She repeats, despite me not having asked anything.


    Wordlessly, Zutiria leaves my lap and moves on over to Opalina¡¯s, hopping up atop her thighs as if this were a completely normal thing for her to do. The little Mage starts mimicking the way I pet her during her night terrors, stroking Opalina¡¯s beautiful auburn locks soothingly and slowly. ¡®There, there.¡¯


    The three of us just sit in silence for a while until the older woman takes a deep breath. She looks at me straight on and hugs Zutiria into her massive sweater pillows as she does so. They¡¯re so big that the only part of Zutiria¡¯s head I can even see anymore is her beret. ¡°I like this one. You can¡¯t have her back. You don¡¯t need her anymore after all, you¡¯ll find another one since you¡¯re such a playboy, young man.¡±


    ¡®Help. Or don¡¯t. Not sure which one yet.¡¯ Zutiria struggles... I think? From in between Opalina¡¯s more than ample cleavage.


    I¡¯m still not sure entirely what¡¯s going on here. I know one thing for sure, though. In my deep depression I pushed away the only person I still had left who cared whether I lived or died.


    I can¡¯t ever make up what I did to her in my weakened state, but I can at least try. I stand up and kneel before Opalina with tears in my eyes. I bite my lip, struggling to contain just how shitty I feel.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I never came to see you. I... I have no excuse... When they opened up Perlshaw¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild I just lost everything... and... Miss Hart... Opalina... I¡¯m... so... sorry...¡± I clench my fists from self hatred so hard I break the skin, trying my hardest not to sob. I¡¯m stronger now. I¡¯m better. I won¡¯t sob... I won¡¯t.


    ¡°Shhhhh.¡± As soon as Zutiria hops off of her lap, Opalina reaches down to pull me up into her comforting chest. She smells amazing, just like she always has. I hope I¡¯m not ruining her sweater too badly... It¡¯s a nice sweater, and I can¡¯t help myself from crying against it.


    ¡°Honestly. Was that so hard, sweetheart?¡± She runs her gloved hand through my hair, massaging my scalp with a tender care. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry... I¡¯ve never once been mad at you in your entire life. You were always such a polite and caring little boy, troubled with more darkness than a child should ever have to deal with. All these years later and you¡¯re still that same little boy swimming in his little ocean of sadness, but... at least you managed to find a nice pair of buoys to keep you from drowning.¡±


    I pull myself ever so slightly out of her chest so I can look into her face, blushing heavily. ¡°Opalina...?¡±


    She giggles in a low, mature tone. ¡°If only you weren¡¯t so blind maybe you would have realized I was always on the shore waiting waiting for you, dear.¡±


    Before I can ponder the meaning behind this, she utters, ¡°I forgive you.¡±


    I smile softly, though still greatly ashamed of myself.


    ¡°On one condition.¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡± I swallow nervously.


    ¡°Visit me sometime this week, so we can talk about everything that¡¯s happened in more detail. Alone. I¡¯m very eager to learn all about your new loves and begin spoiling them as if they were my very own daughter-in-laws, but not as eager as I am to drink one of your famous cocktails and catch up with you, sweetheart.¡± The smile on her face radiates pure, motherly love. I¡¯ve been surrounded by so much sexual love lately that I¡¯ve almost forgotten what an amazing feeling this raw, platonic affection can feel like. My heart¡¯s going crazy.


    I¡¯m about to mindlessly agree to her terms, but am stopped as soon as I notice Zutiria¡¯s text appearing out of nowhere. ¡®Sir, I¡¯m sorry for being so forward about this but you know if you spend even ten minutes alone with this woman she¡¯s going to assault you, yes?¡¯


    What.


    I...


    What?!


    My face burns with blush and I look back at Zutiria.


    ¡®...Really? You didn¡¯t know? I don¡¯t have magic eyes, Sir, but even I can read all the hints she¡¯s throwing your way as clear as day.¡¯


    ¡°Sweetheart? Did your friend say something?¡± Opaline tilts her head quizzically. ¡°Zutiria, dear, it¡¯s not polite to share secret messages.¡±


    What happens next doesn¡¯t do my racing heart any favors. Zutiria curtsies in the cutest way imaginable, lifting up the hem of her dress with her dainty hands. ¡®I¡¯m very sorry, Mother.¡¯ She says.


    Opalina blushes and begins fanning herself with her hand. ¡°Oh my... oh my...!¡± She giggles. I can¡¯t take this lunacy any longer, there¡¯s no way that... this... is... oh god... her body language...


    I¡¯ve been tuning it out this entire time.


    This isn¡¯t possible.


    I filtered the data out thinking, ¡®I know her better than that.¡¯ or ¡®She¡¯s probably just in a weird mood.¡¯ each and every time... but now? Now I¡¯m just looking back realizing that the woman I idolized has been radiating clear signs of lust towards me ever since... No, that can¡¯t be... My memory has always been very, very strong so as I comb through it I¡¯m faced with a single answer.


    It was a long time ago.


    It was a harsh, Dewhurstian summer and I agreed to come over and mow her lawn since the heat was too much for Opalina to bear. I worked long into the day, shirtless and overcome with sweat. She brought me a delicious glass of iced tea and... she looked at me with those very same lustful eyes that are staring at me right now.


    That fucking hypocrite- I was seventeen! She¡¯s just as bad as I am, if not worse since she was probably in her forties!!


    I pull myself out from her bosom and sit back down on the other, sweating profusely and my heart beating like mad.


    ¡°Can I get you some water, dear? You aren¡¯t looking so hot.¡±


    LIAR!


    ¡°I need your strongest drink.¡± I wipe off a thick layer of sweat and notice Zutiria off in the corner, showing more emotion than I¡¯ve ever seen her show. She¡¯s on the verge of tears, holding her hands over her mouth to avoid bursting out into laughter so hard it might tear up her vocal cords again.


    At least someone¡¯s enjoying themselves...


    Opalina gives me a concerned look, but doesn¡¯t argue and wiggles her wand around a bit, summoning a large bottle of whiskey and a small cup. ¡°Would you like me to pour you a gla-¡±


    I grab the bottle as soon as it materializes and chug down a gratuitous gulp.


    The woman I¡¯ve had a crush on since I was too young to know what a crush even was wants to fuck me, and I¡¯ve been filtering out all the signs for fifteen fucking years now without even noticing I was doing it.


    I should be jumping for joy, but it¡¯s been a rough fucking day and it¡¯ll be a while till that settles in and I can get shit sorted in my head.


    ¡°Do you mind if I just ask one more question, sweetheart? About the magic stuff going on with you.¡± Opalina reaches out and takes the bottle from me before I can have a second swig. It¡¯s probably for the best.


    ¡°I suppose.¡± I mumble nervously under my breath, averting my eyes from her earnest face.


    ¡°You said you can... look at Sam and Zutiria without your glasses on without bleeding or feeling pain, right...? And that¡¯s when you feel the overwhelming need to... breed them?¡± There¡¯s an intense sadness behind her words.


    Sadness that I now realize is jealousy. She¡¯s seen me in pain without my glasses a thousand times, she was my doctor after all. Whatever the hell is so special about Sam or Zutiria, Opalina apparently lacks the same factor that lets me look at her the way I stare at my lovers.


    And she resents this.


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡± I stammer.


    ¡°And it never happened before you met Sam? Never ever? I¡¯m asking you plainly as your doctor, sweetheart. Tell the truth.¡± Opalina stares into my soul with desperation, her meaning couldn¡¯t be any more apparent.


    She wants me to lie and say that it happened one of the times I looked at her in my youth.


    I¡¯m about to tell her the truth, only for Zutiria¡¯s hands to slip around my side and she quickly takes my glasses before I can even react.


    Now I¡¯m simply just staring at Opalina in complete silence, absolutely painlessly. No bleeding. No violent throbbing- at least none in my eyes anyway, no. Just the most gorgeous, curvy, full figured, largest... breasted(?) woman I¡¯ve ever met staring back at me with a rising blush as she realizes now just what the hell¡¯s going on.


    Take her- it¡¯s never too late. When a door is opened, you may as well... come inside...


    Gods fucking damn it there it is, and now even my stupid bullshit magic creampie destiny voice is losing what little subtlety it had left and telling me to stuff the muff of the closest thing I¡¯ve ever had to a mother.


    ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Zuzu smirks, and I swear to the gods I¡¯m going to rip off all her clothes as soon as we get home and spank her tiny little ass for an hour straight.


    ¡°BOSS? ZUZU?! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU GUYS!? I HURT AND AM ALONE, SOMEONE COME GIVE ME ATTENTION!¡±


    Oh thank fuck.

 Relapse

    Sam gave me an opportunity to dart into the other room, so I quickly did just that.


    Her highness is right where we left her on top of the patient¡¯s bed, although now she¡¯s sitting upright and cracking her neck loudly like the crude girl she is. When she sees me, Sam smiles from relief and throws off more of the thick blanket covering her.


    Her emerald eyes light up with sparkling enthusiasm and she says, ¡°I had the weirdest dream, Boss. Some chick with like... the BIGGEST tits I ever done seen shoved her hands into my ribcage and went like... ¡®hnnnng¡¯ and fixed me up.¡±


    Opalina and Zutiria follow after me and upon hearing Sam¡¯s dream recollection, the good doctor laughs softly and wraps her arms under her titanic cleavage, lifting up and making her breasts burst even more impressively away from her chest. ¡°They aren¡¯t THAT big, are they?¡±


    Sam blushes hard as soon as she sees the doctor, jaw dropping to the floor. I swear I see a hint of drool in her reaction, too. ¡°THEY¡¯RE REAL!¡± She gasps in amazement.


    I shake my head, pushing the thought of Opalina¡¯s bosom as far out of mind as possible. ¡°Never mind that, Sam. Are you feeling alright?¡±


    Zutiria hops up onto the bed to sit next to Sam, patiently listening along with the rest of us. Sam smiles and pulls the Mage to her lap, happy to see her as always.


    I¡¯m starting to think I¡¯m not so special anymore and that Zutiria is just a slut for sitting in any lap she can fit in comfortably.


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s no big deal, I feel fine.¡± The Princess flexes her right arm with a proud grin, showing no wear and tear and no signs of broken bones.


    Opalina steps forward to be by her young patient¡¯s side, ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Sam... I believe?¡± Sam nods her head in confirmation. ¡°Sweety, that damage wasn¡¯t ¡®no big deal¡¯. Thankfully your Boss here made the decision to bring you to MY clinic.¡±


    ¡°Where else would I have brought her, Opalina?¡± I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to calling her by her first name. It¡¯s so odd.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have had to bring her anywhere at all. Honestly, dear. If I catch wind of you sending these girls off on anything other than the most basic of quests without a healer in their party again, boy, I¡¯ll put a stop to it.¡± As Opalina¡¯s words become more and more threatening, she turns to face me and her wand changes shape into a... riding crop. She smacks it against the palm of her hand loudly several times making damn well sure the implications aren¡¯t lost on me.


    They aren¡¯t.


    Sam drools at the thought silently, her cheeks filling with blush once again, while in her lap I hear the tiniest, softest little ¡®heh¡¯ utter from Zutiria¡¯s lips. It seems both of my lovers rather enjoy the thought of me suffering a punishment from the good doctor.


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot easier said than done. Sam and Zutiria are the only adventurers the Guild has now and, ah...¡±


    Sam scratches her hair out of embarrassment. ¡°I became an adventurer to escape my family, and I¡¯ve barely wielded a sword in my life before this, and as for Zuzu here...¡±


    ¡®And I¡¯m broken inside. I don¡¯t talk. Casting spells hurts a lot, not that I need to explain this to a medical mage such as yourself.¡¯ Zutiria says.


    ¡°Indeed, I understand the implications of your lack of speech..¡± Opalina¡¯s glasses sparkle as she becomes more serious. ¡°The flow of mana in your body must be so abysmal from underuse that I doubt I could even begin to treat it. You¡¯ll just have to acclimate yourself bit by bit through casting spells every day, though I¡¯ve no idea how long it¡¯ll take you to restore your mana flow fully...¡± She cuts herself off here, but judging from the tension in the room I get the distinct feeling she was going to say something along the lines of ¡®if you even can¡¯.


    I didn¡¯t know Zutiria¡¯s problems extended so much beyond her voice. I guess ¡®use it or lose it¡¯ applies here... This must be a very rare, very bad case as I¡¯ve never heard of... what did she call it again? Mana circuit atrophy?


    Opalina sighs and looks back in my direction, ¡°So what you¡¯re telling me is you don¡¯t even have a Healer to send with them, then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡±


    She crosses her arms, thinking heavily about how she wants to chastise me but understanding it¡¯s more complex than just being my fault. ¡°I still don¡¯t like this.¡± She finally says, looking away from me.


    I¡¯m... conflicted about how I feel with this situation.


    On one hand I love that Miss Hart is back in my life, but I¡¯m also not fond of being told what¡¯s best for me and the girls. Sam looks like she¡¯s about to speak up in my defense, but I quiet her down with a hand gesture and remind her that I don¡¯t need her to fight all my battles.


    ¡°Opalina.¡± I say, looking her dead in the eyes.


    ¡°... Yes?¡±


    ¡°I made the choice to accept this quest on their behalf without a healer in the party because I had a very thorough, multi-layered plan. A plan that worked down to the letter, might I add. The only reason it failed was due to an unforeseen factor no one could have possibly predicted.¡±


    She¡¯s silent yet studious as I explained the pork, the traps, Zutiria¡¯s support spells and about typical Brood Wolf behaviour. Opalina nods her head at my words, her eyebrow lifting when I explain how exceedingly rare it is to find an adult wolf anywhere near a pack of teenage wolves, and that there was no way that it should have happened at all.


    After it¡¯s all over, the busty healer sighs. ¡°Dear... you really are all grown up now, aren¡¯t you? Forgive me if I¡¯m being overbearing. Old habits die hard.¡±


    I blush, while my two girls beam proudly behind me.


    ¡°Daddy would never send us into danger!¡± Sam clenches her fist, smiling defiantly.


    ¡°... Daddy?¡± Opalina covers her mouth in shock, completely taken aback by the Princess¡¯s slip of the tongue.


    I can¡¯t deal with this right now, I rub the sides of my face from stress, wishing I could massage the stupidity away and out of my life forever.


    ¡°Miss Hart, if you don¡¯t mind-¡± I grab her by the wrist and start pulling her to the lobby. ¡°Sam, Zutiria and I really do need to have a private talk about something that occurred earlier in the day.¡±


    ¡°Now hold on just a moment, sweetheart, I have a few more things to tell the patient-¡±


    I push her gently into the other room, ¡°Please, Opal. This is serious.¡± My heart skips a beat as I force myself to call her that.


    The good doctor audibly gasps and blushes, falling to the ground in an extremely melodramatic fashion. ¡°O... Opal...? Opal. Mmm... yes, take... ah... all the time you need, dearie.¡±


    I slam the door shut behind me in an equally melodramatic way and grunt loudly from mental exhaustion.


    ¡°I like her a lot. She¡¯s fun.¡± Sam smiles brightly. ¡°Are you gonna fuck her too, Boss?¡±


    Far from being in the mood to dignify that with a response, I make my way over to Sam and look down at her. She blushes at the apparent seriousness in my demeanor, and Zutiria scoots off of Sam¡¯s lap.


    ¡°Boss? Is uh, everything ok up there?¡±


    I hug her with all of my strength. It¡¯s not a lot, especially not compared to what Sam can do herself, but I do it to the point where my arms start to ache and Sam gasps for air. ¡°BUH-BAWSS...?!¡± She manages to say between panicked huffs.


    Letting up and pulling away, I take my glasses off to properly look her in the eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ever do that again, Sam. I don¡¯t know what made you act like that... but you were like a different person. If you didn¡¯t snap out of it then...¡±


    Sam looks away in complete shame, tears falling down her cheeks.


    ¡°You looked like you were willing to hurt anyone in your way, even me.¡±


    The Princess grits her teeth and hangs her head while Zutiria sits to her side, holding her hand comfortingly. ¡°I... I wouldn¡¯t do that. I don¡¯t... know what came over me.¡±


    I sigh and open my mouth to speak, only to be surprised when all the tension in the room is sucked up by Zutiria, who casually raises her hand and blankly says, ¡®I do.¡¯


    Sam and I blink, then look at each other, then at the Mage.


    She¡¯s silent.


    ¡°Well are you gonna tell us...?¡± The Princess blurts as soon as she gets tired of this silly pause, which doesn¡¯t take long.


    ¡®You need to tell him who you are first, Sammy. Who you really are.¡¯


    Sam¡¯s freckled face turns bright red and she starts sweating nervously.


    ¡°HAHAHA! The fuck are you on about, Zuzu? Boss knows about me already.¡±


    Well, she¡¯s right... Just not in the way she expects.


    ¡°My name is Samilda, and I-¡±


    Zutiria balls her hand into a fist and slams it down onto Sam¡¯s noggin. ¡®No.¡¯


    ¡°GAH! Zuzu, what the fuck?!¡±


    ¡®Again. Without the stupid.¡¯ Behind her glasses, Zutiria¡¯s eyes become tense and even a bit angry.


    ¡°Boss already knows I¡¯m the daughter of a wealthy merchant, who-¡±


    Sam is hit once again by the tiny fist. ¡®Again. Without the stupid.¡¯ She repeats.


    ¡°ZUZU!!¡± Sam cries, comically rubbing her head. I chuckle softly to myself. After the terrible ordeal we all went through today, it feels nice to have a moment of brevity with my girls.


    ¡°Ok... ok...¡± Sam says between tears. ¡°I¡¯m actually the daughter of someone a lot more important than a merchant.¡± Her eyes dart to Zutiria, who nods in approval.


    ¡°My real name isn¡¯t Samilda.¡±


    I don¡¯t really know how to react to this, so I nod along.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Boss. But I couldn¡¯t tell you the truth lest it complicated things between us.¡±


    Part of me wants to tell her that things are already plenty damn complicated between us without her being a Princess, but I need to just shut up and let her have her big reveal.


    Sam takes a deep breath, and she closes her eyes. When they reopen they¡¯re replaced with the fierce, piercing gaze she gave me that first night we shared our bodies with each other. The royal authority that spurred me to action... the gaze and bearing of a ruler.


    She speaks with a booming confidence utterly at odds with her usual casual demeanour, saying, ¡°In truth, I am the Crown Princess of Karnalle, Samantha Lundreame. I have left the royal lifestyle behind in order to do what must be done to save not only our own realm, but all realms. My Father grows lazier by the day, living in his perverse paradise of whores and orgies and he refuses to take action against the greatest threat we¡¯ve ever faced!¡±


    No.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking of course, about the wicked fiend who appeared ten years ago...¡±


    No, no.


    ¡°He attacked our cities with an army of monsters, and continues to spread his influence across the realms day by day. Yes... that threat to our continued existence that MUST be stopped is none other than...¡±


    Sam, no, don¡¯t fucking do this to me, Sam.


    ¡°The Demon Lord!¡± She bellows and looks at me, striking a heroic pose triumphantly.


    ¡°What the, Boss, where the fuck are you going?!¡± Sam¡¯s proud persona crumbles on the spot as I get up and walk towards the door the instant she finishes and opens it slightly. I whisper something to Opalina on the other side and while concerned, she seems to be sympathetic and does what I ask.


    I return with the bottle of whiskey, returned at long last to its rightful owner. I pull up a stool beside the bed and take a swig. ¡°Go on.¡± I say, as Sam angers out of embarrassment and Zutiria quietly giggles to herself.


    ¡°I... was DONE, you... you... ASS! CAN¡¯T YOU EVEN ACT SURPRISED?!¡± Sam bawls and throws the pillow at me.


    ¡°I am more surprised than you can possibly imagine, Sam.¡± I bluntly say as the pillow falls from my face and tumbles to the floor.


    Opalina isn¡¯t the only thing returning to my life today, apparently. Not a day goes by that I don¡¯t think about the Demon Lord. Grandpa¡¯s final request, after all, was that I ¡®follow my destiny¡¯ to become a hero and slay the fucking bastard and rid the realms of his evil.


    We all know how that turned out.


    When the Demon Lord first announced his presence to the world ten years ago, I... can¡¯t even begin to describe what I felt. Anger, regret, sadness, hesitation... it was as if I were suffering from every possible way of feeling shitty all at the same time. Maybe that was my last chance to become a Hero and make my grandpa proud.


    Needless to say, I passed. The Demon Lord was such a distant threat that I couldn¡¯t bear to even entertain the thought of doing something about him. I had my own shit going on at the time that was much more pressing.


    I don¡¯t even know why Grandpa was so sure of my destiny in the first place, either. I never got to ask him about it. I never got the chance to ask him a lot of things.


    On top of EVERYTHING ELSE about today... the drug addict client... the psychopathic butcher... the Brood Wolves... Sam¡¯s batshit crazy moment... reuniting with the woman who basically raised me... finding out said woman wants to jump my bones... apparently that just wasn¡¯t enough. It¡¯d be hilarious if it weren¡¯t happening to me right now.


    To top it all off, the first woman I fell in love with is a stupid, tomboyish Princess who for whatever fucking reason has made slaying the Demon Lord her life¡¯s goal.


    The very same Demon Lord who Grandpa... Grandpa... fucking hell, what do I even do, here...?


    Sam and Zutiria both lean over the bed as they watch me fall to pieces. I take a lot of heavy breaths and try to calm myself but I end up crying from stress more than I¡¯d like to admit.


    ¡°Boss...? Hey, what the fuck, man?¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s something you¡¯re not telling us, isn¡¯t there.¡¯ Zutiria hits the nail on the head as usual.


    ¡°Please, let¡¯s save that for another day.¡± I look up and shake my head vigorously to try and regain composure, and it doesn¡¯t work. I take another swig out of the rapidly emptying bottle and it doesn¡¯t seem to help much either.


    I don¡¯t want to tell them about this. Not today.


    I need to kill the Demon Lord. But I can¡¯t.


    Grandpa wanted me to, and I failed him, just like I failed myself, and failed Opalina, and like I failed Sam just earlier today.


    She almost died because my plan wasn¡¯t good enough.


    I failed.


    I¡¯ve always failed.


    I-


    WHAP.


    Sam slaps me so hard across my cheek with her supernatural strength that I fly off of the stool and skid on my ass across the wooden floor for several feet. I¡¯m left staring up at my two girls, especially the one who just returned the favor.


    ¡°You good, Boss?¡± Sam says with determination.


    ¡°... I think so.¡± I rub my poor, stinging cheek. It hurts in a warm, lovely way.


    ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡± The Princess I love so much smiles brightly, flashing her pointy fang at me. ¡°No matter what¡¯s going on with me, or what kind of issues you so clearly have bottled up inside, we got each other. Alright, Boss? We¡¯ll sort out your shit as soon as you¡¯re ready to tell us about it.¡±


    I feel like I could cry again, but I don¡¯t. I smile instead and stand up. ¡°Of course, your Majesty.¡±


    Sam turns red in an instant and pulls the blanket over her head, laying down and hiding out of embarrassment. ¡°DON¡¯T YOU FUCKING DARE!¡±


    I chuckle and look to Zutiria.


    To my surprise the Mage is looking... very annoyed?


    ¡®You¡¯re adorable together. Yes, yes. But before you had a little episode, Sir, need I remind you that I was trying to explain something? And that Sammy¡¯s little reveal was supposed to lead into that?¡¯ She crosses her arms and blushes angrily.


    Sam pokes out of her hiding place and looks at me, and we both share a mutual embarrassment.


    ¡®If you¡¯re both done having your little moment together then I would LOVE to explain what¡¯s wrong with Sammy. I have all of the answers. But if you need some more time I will gladly go bury myself in Miss Hart¡¯s cleavage again while the two of you finish up.¡¯


    Oh yeah, I knew something slipped my mind. Sam and I quietly stare into one another¡¯s eyes before we both start laughing, the little lady rolling her eyes at us all the while.

 Runs in the Family

    ¡®You¡¯re both done flirting now, yes?¡¯ Zutiria stands up and hops off the bed, places her hands on her hips and gives Sam and I a stern look. Seeing the tiny girl look so dead serious is more than a little amusing to me, but I probably shouldn¡¯t go and bring it up right now.


    ¡°For the most part.¡± I nod my head.


    ¡°I think I still got a little left in me.¡± Sam licks her lips, eying me up and down teasingly.


    Zutiria says nothing yet remains visibly irritated, so we knock it off... for now.


    ¡®Good. Sammy, you aren¡¯t going to like what I have to say. I was praying that you wouldn¡¯t ever have to hear this...¡¯ Technically, she isn¡¯t ¡®hearing¡¯ it per se, but I guess the little Mage could read my thoughts considering she shoots me a very dirty look. ¡®I¡¯d hoped you¡¯d be safe from the legacy of your blood, but... here we are. What can you tell me about your family, Sammy?¡¯


    ¡°What kinda question is that?¡± The Princess tilts her head. ¡°You already know Mother and Father, and my brothers and sisters, and-¡±


    ¡®No, no, no.¡¯ Zutiria shakes her head. ¡®Not like that. Your tutors taught you about your ancestors, yes?¡¯


    Sam makes a vapid, brainless expression as she tries to remember a single thing she was taught by the poor saps who thought teaching royalty would be a rewarding experience. ¡°I am not in a position to confirm nor deny, Zuzu.¡±


    I see the frustration grow on my lovely doll¡¯s face, breaking her practically porcelain perfectness with a particularly sour look. ¡®You remember your grandfather, yes?¡¯


    Wait a moment. The King before Sam¡¯s father would have been...


    Oh. Oh no.


    ¡°Grandpa Luca!¡± Sam happily blurts out the tyrant¡¯s name with all the glee of a young girl remembering her beloved grandfather. ¡°I miss him so much! I don¡¯t remember him very well, he died when I was seven... but he was so nice, and he always loved to go on walks with me!¡±


    ¡®Do you see where this is going, Sir?¡¯


    I really wish I didn¡¯t, but I do.


    ¡°Sam, Lucadeus Lundreame started a violent crusade against worshipping the Twin Goddesses of Karnalle. Your father overthrew him but didn¡¯t have the heart to kill him, so he kept the tyrant locked away in the castle for the rest of his life.¡±


    Sam stares at me, perplexed. ¡°Wha... What?¡± There¡¯s a long silence. ¡°I mean... I guess that explains why he was so damn enthusiastic about going on walks with me... I always thought that the chains on his feet were just something old people wore for fun.¡±


    Zuzu, to her credit, takes that insane statement in her stride.


    ¡®And what can you tell me about HIS grandfather, Sammy?¡¯


    Predictably, Sam stares blankly once again.


    She looks at me to fill in the gap, and I am forced to sigh. ¡°Miserale Lundreame tried to exile all non human species from Karnalle for seemingly no reason, and his brother Yurial served him as an overzealous executioner.¡±


    Sam is starting to get more nervous by the minute. ¡°Ok, so my family has some bad eggs. That¡¯s hardly anything special and I¡¯m not sure how that has anything to do with me.¡±


    I press down on the sides of my temples, squeezing hard. It¡¯s stressful but I need to get her on the same level as me and explain the implications and how truly bad her family history actually is.


    ¡°Tennerth Lundreame the Third. One day decided all other religions besides worship of the Twin Goddesses were invalid and set out to ¡®cleanse the filth from Karnalle¡¯.¡± Sam looks away, almost like she thinks that one isn¡¯t a big deal. Fine. I¡¯ll up the ante.


    ¡°Normand Lundreame. By all accounts he had a bloody fetish for the feet of halflings, and launched invasion after invasion into their realm paying a premium for any amputated feet his knights would bring back for him...¡± This one makes her confused. I don¡¯t get it either, but it certainly happened.


    ¡®I¡¯ve got one.¡¯ Zutiria raises her hand.


    ¡®Saerus ¡®Void Swimmer¡¯ Lundreame. A madman who insisted that the black void between realms was just another ocean to be crossed, and to prove his point he sailed to the edges of Karnalle¡¯s ocean to look upon the edge of the world, then jumped off his ship into the void. Suffice to say, the void is not just another sea. He fell down into endless oblivion just like anyone else.¡¯ Sam¡¯s jaw slacks open from shock, wondering how any sane human could have ever imagined himself able to cross realms without the use of a Void Ship.


    ¡°W-what... what the fuck are you g-guys trying to say... Boss? Zuzu?¡± Tears start to well up in the corners of her emerald eyes, and I can see Sam¡¯s starting to become terrified of the prospect of having the blood of tyrants, fetishists and madmen coursing through her veins.


    ¡®A personal favorite of mine is ¡®Horny Hammy¡¯ Hamelen Lundreame. One day he declared that every single woman in Karnalle was suddenly his wife, and insisted that the entire female population make a pilgrimage to his bedroom that very same night to perform their ¡®wifely duties¡¯. A pilgrimage indeed occurred, but the only toys they brought to his bed were pitchforks and castration equipment.¡¯


    Twisting her head side to side to keep up as the two of us list the complete history of mad assholes in charge, Sam can no longer take the pressure. ¡°OK I GET IT, THE LUNDREAMES ARE TERRIBLE RULERS!¡± Sam bursts out. ¡°What does this have to do with me getting super angry and being super strong?!¡±


    ¡®They aren¡¯t all terrible rulers. I¡¯ll spare you the long theological explanation, but the abridged version is basically that when the Twin Goddesses of Light and Darkness created Karnalle they created a single family to rule it, the Lundreames. However, since...''


    Sam sighs and cradles her head in her hands. ¡°Light AND Darkness. I think I get the gist of it.¡±


    I feel like I¡¯m needed so I move over to the bed and sit next to the upset Princess. I wrap my arm around her waist and she groans, cuddling up to me for comfort. ¡°So Zutiria, what specifically are you implying?¡±


    ¡®The Lundreames are all born with a supernatural strength within them that we refer to as the Royal Blood. Using it here and there is harmless, but drawing on it more and more will make the user more attuned to the darkness within them. It really depends on the individual, some Lundreames use the power their whole life without falling. It used to be a lot worse when your family insisted on the whole royal inbreeding thing.¡¯


    Sam averts her gaze, ¡°We don¡¯t talk about that these days.¡±


    Zutiria shrugs. ¡®Indeed. Take heart, Sammy. For every horrifying, genocidal tyrant godking that comes from your family, we get like two or three mediocre kings and maybe a good one now and then.¡¯


    ¡°Gimme that fucking thing.¡± Sam reaches over to where I left the whiskey bottle and she chugs down whatever¡¯s left of it.


    It¡¯s time for me to use my brain a bit and figure things out. I¡¯ve been quietly absorbing the facts and now it¡¯s time to put the pieces together.


    ¡°So the base increase in strength Sam gets doesn¡¯t count, correct?¡± I ask.


    ¡®Yes. She¡¯s just naturally several times stronger than your average man. However when she¡¯s mad or when she purposely tries to draw out more of her Royal Blood, that¡¯s where the problem comes into play.¡¯ Zutiria smiles and climbs up to the bed, hugging the anxious Princess on the opposite side so that we sandwich her with our love and concern. ¡®Don¡¯t be sad, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°How the fuck am I supposed to keep calm when you tell me all this crazy bloodline shit?¡± She pouts harder than ever before and it¡¯s hard to blame her.


    Zutiria looks at me and I do my best to give Sam a comforting smile. ¡°Because the answer is obvious.¡±


    Skeptically, Sam rolls her eyes. ¡°Boss I know you¡¯re smart and all, but you can¡¯t possibly have a plan to stop something that runs in my bloodline.¡±


    ¡°I do. Shouldn¡¯t you know better than to doubt me by now?¡± I lift her chin to turn her head to me, and she blushes. ¡°All you have to do is become so strong that you don¡¯t need to rely on bullshit power boosts to finish your enemies off. This doesn¡¯t change our plans at all. You need to learn to fight, and you need to become stronger with your own two hands, without having to rely on such a dangerous source of power.¡±


    ¡®Exactly.¡¯ Zutiria smiles and pats me on the back, glad that I figured it out.


    Sam takes a moment for this to sink in. She stares at me with red cheeks until slowly a spark of excitement fills her eyes with optimism. A playful grin spreads across her face and in one dramatic motion she jumps up off the bed and onto the wooden floor in one fluid motion, posing with her hands on her hips and looking off into the (imagined) distance. ¡°Hah! You¡¯re right, Boss... Not like I was ever worried or anything in the first place, though!¡±


    The Mage and I share a laugh together as we look into each other¡¯s eyes, glad to have Sam back to normal. I¡¯m sure Sam will be struggling with this internally for a while to come, but at least it seems she¡¯ll be able to manage it if we¡¯re there for her.


    There¡¯s a knocking on the door, ¡°I would like to be included, children!¡± Opalina¡¯s husky, deep voice coos from the other side. ¡°I made cookies!¡±


    ¡°FUCK YEAH, TITS AND COOKIES!¡± Sam races to the door and lets the Doctor in, and as promised she¡¯s carrying a comically large batch of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven.


    Fighting off childhood obesity was a struggle when I was always so spoiled rotten by Miss Hart...


    ¡°Between the two, which one are you more excited about?¡± Opalina giggles and offers the plate towards the enthusiastic princess.


    ¡°Boff.¡± She replies while stuffing her face with a fat stack of treats in the most undignified way possible.


    Zutiria sighs at the shameful display, but I can¡¯t help but smile. Cute little moments like this with the girls are what I live for.


    ¡°Opalina, would you mind watching over the girls while I take care of the last few things I need to wrap up? I¡¯m sure you¡¯re, ah... eager to get to know them.¡±


    At my suggestion her eyes light up with a mother¡¯s passion. ¡°What a LOVELY idea. You girls don¡¯t mind, right?¡± She turns her purple eyes towards Sam and Zutiria and it¡¯s clear from her expression that neither of them have much choice in the matter. They both make the safe choice and agree.


    ¡°Squeeze those bastards for everything they¡¯re worth, Boss.¡± Sam pumps her fist up after shoveling a fresh load of cookies into her starving maw. Apparently breaking bones and ruining muscles and then being treated for said ailments cause quite the appetite to develop...


    ¡®We¡¯ll meet you back at the Guild when we¡¯re done. I wanted to ask you a few questions about your style of magic anyway, Miss Hart.¡¯ Zutiria says as she too approaches the cookie plate with a noticeable drop of drool forming at the corner of her lips, contrasting greatly with her cool and collected expression.


    ¡°I would LOVE to discuss spellcraft with you, little one. I take it you¡¯ve noticed the... special way I do things?¡± Zutiria nods her head and as eager as I am to stay around and hear this conversation to it¡¯s conclusion I really need to get going and grab a breather. Some fresh air will do me good.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way, then. Feel free to stay as long as you want though, I could use some time to clear my thoughts.¡±


    Opalina gives me a stern glance. ¡°No more drinking, you¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    I chuckle while heading to the door. ¡°Not what I meant. I just need a nap or something, probably. And as for Sam¡¯s treatment fee, can we discuss that in a day or two when I visit?¡±


    The older woman smiles a sultry, mature smile and softly whispers, ¡°It¡¯s a date, sweetheart.¡±


    Heart pounding, cheeks reddening, I leave Helpful Heals to the sound of cheeky girls giggling at my expense.

 Taking Care of Business

    I¡¯ve never been one to enjoy a nice walk, myself. Chalk it up to the entire town hating me since my youth, making any potentially pleasant stroll into a sordid affair filled with many deathly glares from the downright hostile denizens of Dewhurst. Today, though? Today it feels nice breathing in the sickly air. It¡¯s calming and familiar.


    There¡¯s just two more things I need to wrap up before I can head home and finally start the monumental task of digesting the events of this long, long day. I want it out of the way, as the Guild gets bigger in size and operations I need to get used to stressful days like this without breaking into pieces.


    So without any further deliberation I head back to Each and Every Meats.


    I casually enter and filter out all the unpleasantness that assails my senses. The buzzing flies, the stink, the foreboding realization that the man behind the counter has ended many a life here, none of that matters right now.


    Butcher Bludman makes no change to his unpleasant face as I approach the front desk. I didn¡¯t come here for small talk after all, but I can¡¯t help raising an eyebrow. ¡°Bludman, have you even moved from this counter since we left?¡±


    ¡°I have not.¡± Bludman blinks one eye, and then the other. He¡¯s still completely naked except for the apron, because why wouldn¡¯t he be?


    I sigh. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m here to renegotiate the deal, as I feel with our current agreement that I would not be making a fair trade even after you factor in the cost of the pork and the rental fee for the traps.¡±


    His cold eyes twitch in surprise, then narrow in anger. I was afraid that this would happen. Not afraid of the Butcher, no, but afraid he would make this far more difficult than it had to be. ¡°We shook on it. You said the wolves would be mine to do with as I please.¡±


    ¡°And they will be,¡± I confirm, leaning over the counter to stare unflinchingly back. ¡°For a price.¡±


    His anger starts to boil over and he pulls out a bloody cleaver from inside the apron. I¡¯m supposed to feel threatened here, but all I feel is amazement knowing that he stored this thing directly in front of his dick. Gods, the stupidity of this fucking town and its inhabitants.


    Bludman raises the cleaver into the air and with all the brute force his impressively muscled arm can muster he slams it into the wooden counter. The power behind this swing is so hard it splinters from the impact and all but chops off a good chunk of it. ¡°WE SHOOK ON IT. THAT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU, ASSHOLE?¡±


    I¡¯m not going to take this.


    I slam my fists on the table to mimic his gesture and glare defiantly back at him, gritting my teeth for him to see. ¡°Will you listen for a damn minute and let me explain?!¡±


    As quickly as it comes, the anger on Bludman¡¯s face fizzles away. ¡°Out with it, then.¡± He raises an eyebrow, impressed that I didn¡¯t care about his more than blatant threat.


    I explain the results of our little wolf hunt, how there were well over twenty of the damn things and finally how a last boss of sorts appeared, and how it¡¯s easily as big as a large shed. His cold, dead eyes light up with interest at the thought of such a gigantic pile of meat to play with, or sell, or whatever this creepy fuck actually does with his wares. I¡¯m not inclined to ask.


    ¡°Alright, fine.¡± The butcher grumbles. ¡°That does kinda change things. How much do you want for ¡®em?¡± He squints his eyes and crosses his arms sterly.


    ¡°50,000G. Plus an additional 10,000G for delivery. You¡¯re strong but I highly doubt you could lug that gigantic wolf corpse all the way through town without cutting it all up first, and I know how badly you like to play with your product. Still, even aside from the big bad wolf we¡¯ve got over twenty normal wolves that need to be transported to your store. It would take you days to bring them back and they¡¯d be rotten by then, Sam would be able to do it in a few hours.¡± Bludman¡¯s annoyance flares up at first after hearing my price, but the more he follows along to my logic the more he acquiesces and starts understanding.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m made of money, do ya?¡± He wants to sound apprehensive in an attempt of bartering a better deal, but I know well enough that my offer is too good for him to pass on.


    ¡°I think you WILL be if you make the smart decision here, Bludman.¡± I lay on just enough of the smooth talk to push him off the cliff and he sighs a long, tired sigh.


    The butcher thinks long and hard, making the painful silence in the eerie shop all the more evident. ¡°I¡¯ll throw in an extra 5,000G if you let me start hunting the catboy again.¡±


    ¡°Tempting, Bludman, tempting... but no dice.¡± He really wants to catch that kitty by the tail, doesn¡¯t he...?


    He hangs his head in shame, knowing that at least it was worth a try. Bludman begins to raise his hand for me to shake once more, but takes it back. ¡°You gonna honor the deal this time?¡±


    I let a bit of my anger slip and I lean even more over the counter, eyes flashing with subdued fury. ¡°You¡¯re getting a better deal than I am and you know it. You either agree, or I pay you for the pork and the traps and burn the wolves. Your call.¡±


    Immediately his hand shoots back out in desperate agreement. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have your money for you as soon as the girl brings the last one here.¡±


    I smile and return to a more gentlemanly persona, standing up and tightening the strings of my collar like a polished professional. ¡°Good. Before I go, Bludman. Food for thought.¡± As I start walking away from the counter and towards the door, I take a single glance backwards and grin. ¡°Just in case you get any funny ideas, remember that the girl is more than strong enough to ensure the transaction is made. Don¡¯t try any funny business, her sword is a lot heavier and sharper than anything you¡¯ve got in here.¡±


    Before I go, he mumbles something under his breath about how I had better be careful playing ¡®games like these in a town like this¡¯.


    With all this nonsense regarding the bloodied butcher out of the way, I exit into the mean streets of Dewhurst once more.


    Perhaps Bludman was right and I had indeed been too cocky, but when you¡¯ve lived your life meekly and suddenly find within you the power to begin stepping on people that treated you like dirt to get what you want, it¡¯s hard to resist acting on that newfound thrill.


    The butcher is right too, of course. I¡¯ll need to be careful about my actions in Dewhurst going forward... even though it¡¯s hard not to feel invincible with a pair of powerful, if unrefined girls by my side. Sam has absurd power within but shouldn¡¯t ever use it, leaving her just an untrained Great Blader with much stronger than average base strength. While on the other hand, Zutiria is in her own words ¡®the strongest Black Mage in Karnalle¡¯ and it¡¯s true that I can¡¯t verify that, given what I¡¯ve seen I don¡¯t have much reason to doubt her. It¡¯s just that whatever happened to her so long ago did irreparable damage to her psychological state which apparently led to physical damage as well.


    Both girls are fountains of power with severe asterisks attached. While I love both girls dearly, I¡¯m hoping any new adventurers the guild picks up will have more normal skill sets... I digress.


    I have no idea where Spliffert might be this late in the afternoon so I figured I¡¯d see if he had returned home before I wasted time checking anywhere else. I¡¯d prefer to avoid poking my nose in the types of dives I assume a man like him would typically visit.


    Thankfully when I start to approach the steezweed farm, I can see him off in the distance from a good ways away. These eyes of mine do have a lot of perks, I suppose the easiest analogue here would be seeing through the eyes of a hawk? Knowing for sure he¡¯s here from so far away saves me a lot of time.


    When I finally arrive at the wartorn field, I¡¯m surprised to find Spliffert looking like an entirely different man than when I first met him earlier this morning. He¡¯s sober, for one, and he¡¯s terrified. He stands against the fence looking into his wolf corpse riddled field, hands shaking. When he finally notices my presence he looks to me with desperation, but surprisingly not anger.


    ¡°Shit.¡± He laughs. ¡°Hey, man.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting this. I thought for sure he would be livid, but this passive chillness is worrisome.


    ¡°Hey. The job is done.¡± I extend my arm and point to the field.


    ¡°Thanks, I noticed. You smoke?¡± He offers me a small cigarette and much to my surprise it¡¯s entirely legal, just normal halfling¡¯s leaf imported from Merryburrow. Nothing shady about it. Hell, it¡¯s not even cheap tobacco either. Expensive, by the looks of it.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good.¡± My only vices are erotic fiction and drinking when I¡¯m sad, thank you very much, neither of which I¡¯ve had too much use for as of late.


    He nods and takes the cig for himself, lighting it and filling the air with a somber cloud of forlorn tobacco haze as soon as he takes his first drag. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here anymore, man.¡± Spliffert says, staring into the middle distance. He blows lovely little rings of smoke one after the other, watching them float away.


    ¡°Is this about the money for the quest?¡± I ask. I lean my elbows over the railing of the fenced in field, joining him in looking off to the horizon.


    ¡°Nah. I got enough. Even in factoring whatever shit you think is necessary for... whatever the fuck that huge thing is.¡±


    I turn to him and ask sincerely, not using any of my threatening tricks, but just asking. ¡°How many wolves did you actually think there would be?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Ten, at most.¡±


    Sighing, I look away. ¡°You lied to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was high.¡± He laughs and takes another drag of his halfling pleasure. ¡°And scared shitless.¡±


    ¡°One of my girls barely made it out alive.¡±


    Spliffert turns to face me, surprising me by showing genuine concern. ¡°Shit. I¡¯m... I¡¯m so...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine, she¡¯s with a healer I know. But whether or not I can forgive you for this depends on one thing. Were you aware of the adult one? The big one, I mean.¡±


    He shakes his head dismissively. He¡¯s not lying.


    ¡°My earnings ain¡¯t been shit these last few years. Got a lot of debt racked up by now, and Dewhurst... it¡¯s not a nice city to live in under those kinds of circumstances, ya feel me?¡±


    I¡¯m starting to get a little on edge, I¡¯m not used to spontaneous heart to hearts with drug farmers. ¡°Why are you telling me this? I don¡¯t care about your circumstances. You submitted a formal quest to the Guild, signed the paperwork and are obligated to pay. And under Guild discretion I¡¯m able to use my powers as Guild Master to re-negotiate a quest¡¯s classification if the situation was not as described. This was registered as a higher end Bronze ranked quest, where in reality very easily should have been a high Silver... dare I say even a low Gold.¡±


    ¡°How much?¡± Are the only words he can say.


    ¡°100,000G. I understand your financial situation is rough and I¡¯m willing to negotiate a payment-¡±


    ¡°Sell the field. Should be enough, it¡¯s ready for harvest anyways. You guys have been harvesting wild steezweed and shit and selling it in town, yeah? It¡¯s easily worth that much. Just please...¡± He looks to me with that same, miserable look of desperation and I feel as if I¡¯ve just been punched in the gut. ¡°Let me keep my coins so I can split and find somewhere far away to live.¡±


    This isn¡¯t right. Not at all. ¡°What kind of trouble are you actually in?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying, lack of earnings put me in real hot water over here. The people above... nah, maybe I should say the people below me aren¡¯t happy with my output and quality. There''s a bit more than 100,000G¡¯s worth in the field though, for sure. It¡¯s just no point in me sticking around only to find out what they¡¯re gonna do to me after the harvest is up.¡±


    I squint my eyes deeply in thought and look away. ¡°If I sell your field as payment for our services then your superiors aren¡¯t going to be very happy with me. You would be putting me in a very, very dangerous position.¡±


    Ashamed, Spliffert looks away. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Especially after you lied to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡±


    There¡¯s a silence between us as we sink into the depths of our own thoughts. The choice is obvious, and it sucks so bad that just thinking about it makes me sigh.


    ¡°Get out of town by tonight.¡± I say.


    Spliffert is taken aback by my words and struggles internally while putting out his cigarette. ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re really sure about it, dude?!¡±


    Dejectedly, I nod my head in confirmation.


    ¡°Even after I tried to fuck you over and... fuck, man...!¡± He sobs ever so softly as I leave the railing and point my finger at him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to get emotional over this. I¡¯m only doing my job.¡±


    ¡°I thought you already did, man, this is somethin¡¯ else entirely...¡± He laughs and shyly looks away.


    ¡°The job of a Guild is to help those in need, and I take my job very seriously.¡± I smile, crossing my arms. It¡¯s kind of embarrassing to say in all honesty, but I can¡¯t help myself. ¡°As long as there¡¯s enough to cover the payment then I won¡¯t complain. So go on, get going.¡±


    Spliffert nods his head and starts running into his house, but before he disappears he looks back to me as I turn to walk home. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good guy, you know that?¡±


    I laugh and shake my head from side to side. ¡°I wish I could say the same. Wherever you end up next time, don¡¯t make the same mistakes.¡±


    The humble drug farmer makes a determined expression and clenches his fists with focus. No more words are said because none are needed, and I begin the walk back to the Guild with a small bit of optimism for whatever Spliffert does with his life after this.


    Do I actually think he can change? Well... does it really matter what I think? I changed, so it only stands to reason that others must be able to do the same even if I¡¯ve never personally witnessed such a thing in this accursed town.


    It may be rather naive of me to believe, but I truly think he¡¯ll be fine so long as he doesn¡¯t stop trying.


    Gods, this tiring slog of a day made me get all sappy and sentimental... This isn¡¯t like me at all. I really need that nap, and soon. At a brisk pace I do my best to hurry through Dewhurst¡¯s dirty streets. With practiced expertise I avoid stabbings, insistent crystal dealers, cheap prostitutes and even a mugging attempt which I was thankfully able to thwart by glaring at him without my glasses. I¡¯d take temporary pain in my eyes for a moment compared to a knifing any day, thank you very much.


    It¡¯s around four in the afternoon when I return at last to my comfy, shithole of a Guild. If I know Opalina she¡¯ll be keeping the girls there for a few more hours yet, and sure enough the place is empty when I arrive. I stretch myself out thoroughly and go into the office to take up a pen and parchment, scrawling out a notice for Sam in the off chance I¡¯m not awake when she comes back. I tell her about the deal with the butcher and promise to reward her if she can manage to get it done today, as well as mentioning where I buried their weapons for safe keeping.


    I¡¯m not keen on pushing Sam so hard after having her patched up earlier this same day, but it¡¯s important that we transport the wolves before they start to spoil. If we leave them out for too long, Bludman will definitely use this as grounds to pay less, and I won¡¯t be having that.


    I leave the note folded up visibly on top of the table we typically eat our meals at, and to make it more obvious I write ¡°Your Highness¡± on the front with nice, large letters to get a good jab in at her expense. With all that out of the way, I make my way to our bedroom and undress myself lazily down to only my boxers below. This has been a long day, and there¡¯s no need for me to care for decency anymore. I don¡¯t want to wear pajamas- I just want to be mostly naked and sleep this off.


    I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t be out for the night since it¡¯s only four something or other, but a rest is loooooooong overdue.

 Heaven and Hell

    I am alone in a swirling, empty blackness. Despite the infinite dark, I hear a comforting and uniquely feminine voice unlike anything I¡¯ve ever heard before. It echoes out into the nothing not from any one direction but from all at once.


    Isn¡¯t it so nice that the milfy doctor is back in your life? She wasn¡¯t one of the ones that I picked, but there will be a lot of girls like that.


    Images of Opalina Hart spread before the inky blackness, all of them lewd. I see myself making love to her, and fucking her, unleashing every indecent desire I¡¯ve ever had towards the woman all at once. It looks like it feels amazing, just pounding relentlessly into her holes without end... I¡¯ve never seen Opalina naked before but if these visions are anything to go by, I¡¯m in for an incredible treat.


    You started so very late even after every nudge... Quantity is just important as quality now that it¡¯s come to this, though your delayed awakening did open up some surprising new couplings which I¡¯m thankful for. The Princess, for one. If you were on schedule she wouldn¡¯t have been legal for many a year. Ah well, I suppose we should be thankful for little blessings, yes?


    The titillating visions of my surrogate caretaker disappear once more and I¡¯m left with only the comforting, feminine presence which surrounds and envelops me.


    Women that I picked will still appear, the ones you feel the strongest, instant pull towards, but as a human your heart is fickle. Any woman that strikes your fancy may be yours, provided you can win them over of course.


    Your eyes are of no concern, and rest assured that your bonds with such girls are not any less valid than your destined few.


    Nobody knows your own heart greater than I, as I sculpted it with the same tender, divine care which I once put into sculpting the very first of hearts. Your love is equal, and there is no favoritism. You are my perfection, and my key.


    While floating endlessly in this black void, I open my mouth to speak. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on, but I have to know. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    There is a deafening silence and I feel the need to try again.


    ¡°Hello? Can you please explain what... any of this means?¡±


    The voice, before now graceful and soothing, takes on a condescending and irritable tone that sounds absolutely nothing like the person who was only just talking to me moments ago. This new tone is younger, brattier, and seems to have a hell of a bone to pick with me.


    ... Excuse me, what the fuck are you doing?! You... you aren¡¯t supposed to be able to talk back! Don¡¯t you know how this sort of thing goes? I can¡¯t tell you what any of this shit means! It¡¯s vague and cryptic for a reason, you simpleton!


    ¡°Right. That makes sense, I guess. Can I at least ask what the general takeaway is supposed to be from this weird stress induced fever dream?¡±


    Was I not abundantly clear? Just fucking keep doing what you¡¯re doing! Have more sex, find more girls, train the ones you have, keep building your little Guild up...


    ¡°I see. Forgive my rudeness but I don¡¯t see why you felt the need to use divine intervention just to tell me I need to do more of the things I was already planning on doing.¡±


    The feminine voice grunts from increased irritation.


    ... Sheesh, you¡¯ve really changed ever since growing a spine. I guess I¡¯m proud of you in a way, but you¡¯re also kind of a massively annoying little bitch now.


    Funny, I feel the same way about my mysterious presence regardless of their presumed... divinity.


    ¡°If you¡¯re not going to tell me anything relevant to my destiny, or give me some sort of clue as to what I need to do next could you please just let me wake up?¡±


    FINE! But see if I ever chime in again when you need me most, you ungrateful mortal!


    ¡°I¡¯ve done just fine my entire life without an external deity whispering in my heart, you know.¡±


    She snickers and while I can¡¯t see her to verify it for myself, I am absolutely certain that this goddess is rolling her eyes at me.


    Oh yes, yes- you were doing JUST fine until you met that Princess, my dear. Absolutely peachy. Regardless, you are now boring and irritating me. Begone.


    The unseen Goddess snaps her fingers and from within the darkness I fall for what seems like several lifetimes, my body tossing and turning from the tides of chaos swirling all about me until I somehow wind up back in my plain old bed after hurtling through time and space.


    Stretching out slightly on the bed, I yawn and softly start to awaken to a flurry of soft, breathy moans and wet noises. Though still deeply tired after my strange foggy dream, I grow aware of a warm and persistent wetness coming from below.


    ¡°Nnngh...¡± I grumble and lift my head up to see Sam on my left and Zutiria on my right, both girls working diligently to worship my eager cock with their luscious mouths.


    They¡¯ve changed out of their battle attire, with Sam wearing one of my shirts and presumably nothing else, and Zutiria wears a black, form-fitting sheer dress.


    ¡°Daddy¡¯s up at last.¡± Sam smiles, shooting a suggestive glance as she drags her tongue achingly slow up across my meat, only to swallow me at the head.


    ¡®We thought you could use a little reward for today.¡¯ Zutiria says. Her tiny hands are passionately cradling my hefty balls and planting delicate kisses along my shaft.


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s a lovely sight to wake up to... What time is it?¡±


    Sam pulls me from her lips and makes a loud popping sound like she knows I love so much, and gasps for air. As soon as she leaves me, Zutiria is there to begin swallowing me into her own mouth, making sure not a single second goes by without my continued pleasure. ¡°Like nine thirty. I did all the stuff though, don¡¯t worry! I got the note... You asshole.¡± Sam, in a fit of revenge, smirks as she usurps my balls from Zutiria¡¯s delicate hands, cupping them and squeezing them just a bit too hard for my liking in and reflexively arching my back from sudden, violent pleasure.


    ¡°NGH-!¡± I grunt and twist my hips. I knew I was going to pay for that note somehow...


    Sam smiles and crawls her way up my body, flattening her sizable breasts down against my chest. ¡°Opal¡¯s nice, by the way... I like her a LOT.¡± She smiles, licking her lips. Memories of Miss Hart¡¯s massive tits obviously float through Sam¡¯s one track mind. ¡°You should go visit her tomorrow night... and don¡¯t even think about coming home until the morning after.¡± The Princess¡¯s lust explodes into passionate bursts of kisses, starting roughly at my pecs and trailing up across my neck.


    Even if I told Sam I¡¯m not sure how I feel about doing that just yet, she wouldn¡¯t have it in this erotic mood she¡¯s in.


    Ever the aggressor, Sam makes sure to suck damn hard on the sensitive skin of my neck- planting tingling hickeys with her soft lips on her way to kiss me. When she reaches my lips she moans dreamily into our kiss and wraps her arms around the back of my head, demanding my attention like the spoiled Princess she is.


    ¡°Kiss me hard, Daddy... I want you so, soooo bad, and I know you want to use your little whores after such a stressful day... don¡¯t you...?¡±


    I answer her just the way she wants me to, with a passionate meeting of our lips.


    As I kiss my lovely young blonde above, my little lavender love continues to suck, kiss and caress, down below seeing to my cock¡¯s every possible desire.


    We¡¯ve been together for a week now, and Zutiria has been nothing if not studious. As expected of a scholarly Mage, I suppose. She¡¯s taken every chance she could get to stuff her little face on my massive cock all in the aims of learning to pleasure me to even greater heights, determined not to lose to the Princess who was lucky enough to get a good head start.


    ¡°Mmm... Keep doing it... Zuzu, he likes it...¡±


    ¡®Of course he does.¡¯ She says with a proud expression and a mouth full of my fat cock.


    Zutiria¡¯s skill has increased phenomenally, as evident by the luxurious strokes her tiny tongue lavishes me with.


    ¡°Take Daddy even farther, Zuzu...! Can¡¯t you feel himmmm? He wants to fuck your throat, please Zuzuuuu...!¡± Sam begs, breaking our kiss briefly to stare at her partner in crime with both reverence and a foggy, lustful gaze. Her rowdy tomboy voice is replaced with a manipulative sing-song that spurs Zutiria into action.


    Zutiria slides off my manhood, making gasps for air before struggling to force herself all the way down to deepthroat me to my base. It¡¯s far from effortless compared to when Sam really gets down to work on my dick, but the undulations of Zutiria¡¯s tight, tiny throat swallowing around my sheer girth form a milking sensation that can¡¯t be matched by the Princess. Zutiria¡¯s throat, in its attempt to reject my turgid manhood only coaxed me to thrust harder down the length and bask in the walls of her wet, constrictive flesh.


    ¡®Sir... it¡¯s... getting to be... painful...¡¯ Zutiria looks at me from her place between my legs, sucking with every last bit of energy she can muster.


    It feels amazing having two dedicated women who will please me at their own expense like this, it really makes one feel like a true man as bad as that sounds. I¡¯ll chalk the slightly misogynistic ideas up to my recent dream telling me it¡¯s ok to just fuck as many women as I want.


    But I¡¯m not like that, I swear. I don¡¯t want Zuzu hurting herself just to force me to cum. Although her technique improves by the day it can¡¯t do much about the mute girl¡¯s lack of jaw strength and small mouth size... at least for now. If Zuzu can make up for this weakness, she¡¯ll eventually be a powerful master fellatrix the likes of which could never be reckoned with.


    I moan heavily and grab her Zutiria by her lavender pixie cut hair, sliding her tiny lips off of the throbbing, swollen manhood between my knees and watching delightfully as she pants. Drool tasting of my cock dribbles out the sides of her mouth and it pleases me seeing what a desperate state she put herself in in hopes of getting my cock off and claiming my semen for herself. All for me.


    If I weren¡¯t distracted by the increasingly needy Princess licking my ears and whispering lewd ideas into them, I¡¯d go and reward Zutiria for her efforts but alas.


    ¡°Zuzu¡¯s getting better, isn¡¯t she? I¡¯ve been giving herpointers.¡± Sam cheekily squints her eyes at me. ¡°And we all know how good my blowies are for you, Daddy. That just leaves one question.¡± A devilish intrigue flashes in her eyes. ¡°How do you think Opal sucks cock? I¡¯m really curious...¡± Sam bites her lip like a rabid pervert, ¡°If I HAD to guess, I bet she¡¯s the type who would overwhelm you and do what she wants.¡±


    ¡°I... wouldn¡¯t know.¡± I turn away, blushing. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought such things about her.¡±


    ¡®Sammy¡¯s right.¡¯ Zuzu says from behind my stiff cock. ¡®She¡¯s definitely a woman who will take your poor little dick and not stop sucking until well after your climax is over and your body is a trembling wreck.¡¯


    It¡¯s true that I saw something like that in my dream. Opalina was... very aggressive. Desperately so. I looked like I was somehow still a little boy on the inside as she pampered and smothered me in my dreams, and I don¡¯t have it in me to lie and say I don¡¯t want that with all my heart.


    Sam grins as she kisses her way back down my chest and to my throbbing dick once more, twitching in need of more satisfaction. ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re such a fucking perv. Look at him, Zuzu.¡±


    Sam yanks my slippery cock, stroking it with real force and making me groan from the rough treatment.


    ¡®I see him, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria trades places with Sam on my opposite side, now laying across my pecs and staring into my eyes with those sparkling icy blues of hers. ¡®Truly a lecherous degenerate. Even though you have two beautiful young women who live with you and milk your cock on the daily any time you desire it, yet... you¡¯re still only thinking about the next addition to your growing list of bedmates.¡¯


    ¡°He can¡¯t help thinking about her right now even as we take care of him.¡± Sam shakes her head, mocking me in a low, husky voice. ¡°We care about you just as much as her, you know.¡± The Princess punctuates her words by overwhelming my swollen red cockhead, twisting and squeezing it between her soft and formidably skilled fingers.


    ¡°FUCK! That¡¯s... f... not fucking fair, Sam!¡± I moan even louder as her assault continues. ¡°You two want to p-play with Opal just as bad as I do... that¡¯s why you¡¯re making me think about her so hard!¡±


    Sam giggles and Zutiria gives me a thoroughly unconvincing ¡®I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re talking about¡¯ look. ¡°I¡¯m just a good little Princess, Daddy. I would never.¡± She masks these words with even more tip torture, her pointer finger slicking up and down my frenulum with increasing intensity leaving my hips to buckle back and forth with every twitch.


    ¡®I think we may be teasing the Master too hard. Sammy.¡¯ The petite girl turns to face her friend with a false look of concern for my pitiable state.


    ¡°Hmm. I dunno, Zuzu. I think he likes it.¡± Sam grins again as she makes her point by squeezing my balls just as passionately as when she punished me for my teasing note, causing me to buck and twist again and again.


    ¡°If he didn¡¯t like it don¡¯t you think he would have pushed me off by now.¡± Her smile becomes devilish and Zutiria smirks as well. ¡°Oh wait, he can¡¯t. Because he¡¯s just a weak old man compared to me¡±.


    ¡°I¡¯ll... ngh... show you who¡¯s an old man, I¡¯m only... thirty-two...!!¡± My body twists back and forth as I try to escape Sam¡¯s grip, but she surprises me by using her free hand to push down on my pelvis. Her raw power stops me from fleeing her vicious assault, I couldn¡¯t get away even if I wanted to.


    It¡¯s true. Sam has more power in one hand than I have in my entire body, and for whatever reason right now I think that¡¯s the hottest thing fucking ever.


    ¡®Sir, I don¡¯t consider myself to be that much of a ¡®top¡¯ but you¡¯re adorable like this, you know? I think you¡¯re awakening something in me...¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s eyes flicker with mischief typically reserved for Sam¡¯s perviest ideas, and I suddenly find myself excited for whatever this mage tries on me in the future.


    I have to say, I¡¯m really enjoying this session where my beloved ladies take full control. I¡¯ve said time and again Sam likes being in charge just as much as I do, but on a day like this I really needed it...


    The fact that Sam¡¯s willing to do this for me when she didn¡¯t exactly have the best day either only reaffirms just how much this beautiful Princess loves me. I¡¯m so grateful to her and the little Mage, I truly love them.


    As I fall deeper into my passionate emotions I find it harder and harder to resist the urge bubbling up deep within my balls. With her hands gripped tightly around my bullied shaft, Sam is the first to notice. Her eyes light up with excitement for the seed she¡¯s become addicted to.


    ¡°Zuzu, I think Daddy¡¯s close now.¡±


    ¡®Oh?¡¯ Zuzu pulls herself away from the innumerable tiny, wet hickies she was gifting my pecs. ¡®What makes you say that?¡¯


    ¡°This!¡± Sam smirks evilly, running her powerful milking grip to the base of my penis whereupon she squeezes tightly, blocking the blood flow.


    ¡°AH- SAM...!!¡±


    ¡°No. Your Highness.¡± Sam corrects me, knowing damn well I¡¯m enjoying the power she has over me. I guess she¡¯s still fine with the Princess roleplay when we¡¯re having sexy time, at least she¡¯s consistent...


    ¡°Y-Your Highness... please... PLEASE!¡± I somehow manage to cry out between frenzied gasping and groaning.


    ¡°Please what?¡± The Princess rewards me by stroking my needy cock up and down several times, giving me just enough hope to believe my orgasm was coming. Of course Sam went on to dash these hopes by squeezing my base once again, even harder than before.


    ¡°PLEASE LET ME CUM, YOUR HIGHNESS, PLEASE!!¡± Sam continues to push down on my hips with her free hand, but even despite that I buck upwards with the entire force of my body. She hardly moves an inch, but... gods, that face of hers.


    Sam is wracked with so much obvious bliss and contentment that she looks like a different person than the typical brash tomboy I share my bed with on a daily basis. She¡¯s looking down on me with pity and awe, knowing that she did this to me and that if she wanted to she could have her way with me in this manner whenever she wants... because I¡¯d damn well let her.


    ¡°Zuzu?¡± Sam turns for confirmation to her accomplice. Zutiria¡¯s face is a mess of dazed lust as well and she meekly nods her head, content to watch her partner in crime. She loves seeing me in such a state and when she said it¡¯s awakening something in her, she really meant it...


    ¡®If you push him any further you might hurt him down there. He¡¯s supposed to be ours tonight, Sammy, I don¡¯t want to have to go get Miss Hart and explain we broke his dick. She wouldn¡¯t let us have it back after she healed it.¡¯


    Sam giggles and looks back to me with that loving pity. ¡°Guess she¡¯s got a point, Daddy.¡± Her hand leaves my cock and she starts leaning down over me. ¡°You deserve some proper loving don¡¯t you, big boy?¡± Sam says to my cock.


    ¡®I¡¯ll help, Sir.¡¯ The Mage leaves my upper body and crawls down to between my legs, making sure to give me a lovely look at her petite yet round butt through her sheer dress as she goes. Just like when I woke up, she wraps her tiny hands around my swollen, aching balls.


    My transformation several weeks ago made my testicles double in size, or perhaps more... they¡¯re always heavy with seed and always seem to be in desperate need of lightening their load. Zutiria, being so small, can barely grab the whole of one of my swollen orbs in her hands.


    Honestly, she¡¯s the perfect size to pleasure and fondle my balls. She¡¯s so soft and delicate and they¡¯re so very, very sensitive... especially after Sam squeezed them so roughly earlier. Gods, these two are such a perfect team.


    If Sam and Zutiria were even a tenth as good at adventuring as they are at milking massive, mind blowing loads out of my cock then I¡¯d be the richest and most successful man in all the realms in no time.


    As soon as Zutiria begins to properly coax my balls to release their contents, Sam impales my cock down her throat in one effortless motion.


    ¡°YOUR HIGHNESS-!!¡± I scream, taken fully aback by this even though I had an inkling it was coming.


    Sam¡¯s eyes squint from satisfaction as she starts sucking well past the point of resistance. Her powerful hands rest on my hips, pushing me down in place so I can¡¯t jerk or twist, but I scream even louder and grab the bedsheets in desperation.


    Between the merciless, wet suction of Sam¡¯s tight and slutty throat and Zuzu¡¯s thorough ball massage that bordered on worship, my spasms begin and an explosion of my thick, burning load floods down the Princess¡¯s throat.


    With all the eagerness she can manage she chugs it down harder and harder like a dutiful slut who only thinks of my pleasure at her own expense. The swallowing constricts tighter on my pulsing cock milking even heavier of a load out. It grows so heavy and thick that eventually the Princess has to gasp for air.


    Of course at the soonest chance she gets, Zutiria wraps her tiny mouth around my exposed manhood and quickly sheaths it down her own throat for my pleasure.


    ¡°Zu... Zutiria...!!¡± She looks up at me with tears in her eyes as she sucks and fondles until I have nothing left to give. My orgasm slowly fades, and I¡¯m wiped thoroughly out. That was a really, really hard one... good gods above. I¡¯m so out of breath I can barely talk.


    After Sam and Zuzu drink down stray globs of semen on each of their faces and share a beautiful kiss before my eyes. They grin smugly in my direction.


    ¡°Quest completed.¡± I tell them with a tired laugh, causing them both to giggle.


    ¡°What¡¯s our reward, Boss? We just took a really scary monster, after all.¡± Sam gleefully grabs my slightly soft dick, stroking it slowly in hopes of restoring its power. Thanks to my abnormal body, she won¡¯t have to wait too long.


    ¡°Heh. Your reward is a round two, if you can get me something to eat and drink. I didn¡¯t plan on sleeping so long and I didn¡¯t eat before... Even after this I¡¯m still pretty tired. So right now I wanna just keep fucking after a quick snack. Then I¡¯ll sleep the rest of the night.¡± I yawn. ¡°Would you mind, Zuzu? I wanted to at least discuss how things went with Sam.¡±


    ¡®Of course, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria smiles and leaves the bed, giving us a soft yet playful expression as she leaves us alone in the room.

 Buttons Are for Pushing

    While Zutiria wanders around in the kitchen downstairs, Sam and I enjoy a small moment alone after that delightful bullying session. Currently she¡¯s cuddling up to my side while her right hand continues to caress my pleasured shaft. ¡°You sure had fun, didn¡¯t you?¡± Her smile turns into a shit eating, smug as hell grin.


    ¡°You¡¯re fishing for compliments, aren¡¯t you, Your Highness?¡±


    She coyly giggles into my ear, whispering in that silky, husky tone of hers, ¡°Was I that obvious...?¡±


    I lean slightly over to kiss her on her forehead. ¡°It felt amazing. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°No, thank YOU, Daddy. After a rough day like today it¡¯s great coming home to a nice man like you who doesn¡¯t mind being put in his place.¡± Sam sticks her tongue out at me in jest.


    ¡°I honestly don¡¯t mind the aggression. You¡¯ve been a bit submissive as of late and I was getting worried you lost your touch.¡±


    My lover rolls her eyes at me, before she straddles my body and lays her warm, soft face down on my chest. ¡°You wish.¡± She smiles brightly and I return the gesture, at least until it fades away. Sam¡¯s expression becomes solemn and distant. She brings her finger to my pecs as she starts drawing little circles on my skin.


    ¡°So...¡± Sam starts to speak, but looks away. ¡°Now that you know... the truth, about me and all that...¡± It pains her a great deal, but she flutters her eyes back in my direction with no small amount of anxiety.


    If I were an asshole I would tease her, letting her know I¡¯ve known about her identity as Crown Princess of the Realm from the start. But that¡¯s not what she needs right now. She¡¯s speaking from the heart, or at least trying to... So it¡¯s my duty as her man to reply with the same intensity.


    ¡°Nothing between us has changed, Sam. You¡¯re still my little Princess, and I¡¯m still your Boss, your Daddy, or whatever else you need me to be for you.¡±


    Sam blushes. ¡°And if I wanted to put a collar on you and take you for a walk, huh?¡±


    ¡°Woof.¡±


    Her elation knows no bounds and she practically jumps out of her skin with joy, but she manages to hold back and laugh awkwardly instead. She playfully slaps me across the face, though thankfully none of her supernatural strength is behind it. ¡°Gods, shut up! You¡¯re awful when you try to be all romantic!¡±


    ¡°Only because I¡¯m so good at it.¡±


    She smirks and squints her eyes at me. ¡°Whoever said you were good at-?!¡± I interrupt her by swiftly taking her royal lips in mine and locking them tightly into a passionate, loving kiss. We linger in our dancing tongues for so long I worry Zutiria will be back before we¡¯re done, but it does nothing to stop us and we kiss for as long as we feel the need to.


    As Sam finally pulls away with a red blush painting her cheeks, she nervously looks away and with a single hand begins playing with her tousled golden locks. She would look like a beautiful blushing maiden were it not for the dopey grin plastered across her face, but that¡¯s ok. It just makes her look even cuter. ¡°I mean... I guess you¡¯re ok, and all...¡±


    ¡°Before Zutiria gets back and we get to having some more fun, I did wanna hear about how things went with the wolves.¡± I tell her, briefly taking a more serious tone.


    ¡°Oh, yeah. Don¡¯t worry about that. I was able to run back and forth with like four wolves each trip and I don¡¯t mean to brag, but I¡¯m pretty dang fast!¡± She very much DOES mean to brag.


    ¡°You mean when you aren¡¯t lugging around a massive iron blade.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a bitch!¡± Sam laughs. ¡°It took me like an hour to get all the little ones out of the way, and the big bastard was a bit harder, sure, but I was able to lug it all the way to Bludman¡¯s place. Just left it behind the building with his permission since we couldn¡¯t get it through the front door without... you know. I also saw where you left the weapons but honestly I¡¯m deadass tired and at that point I just wanted to get home and fuck you.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I can¡¯t help but smile. ¡°And he paid, right?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah we¡¯re good, Boss. Huge ass payout! Was surprised you got him to agree to forking over so much cash. He did do something kinda weird, though.¡± Sam looks off to the side, trying to recollect the exact words.


    ¡°He better not have. I warned him against any funny business at all...¡± A threatening grumble escapes my throat and I squint my eyes.


    ¡°Nah nothing like that. It¡¯s just after he paid he took up one of his rustier cleavers and said about how I forgot one of the wolves or something, and that he needed to go skin it before it bled out.¡±


    I¡¯m not sure I like the implication here, but I¡¯m too tired, horny and hungry to think of what it might mean.


    There¡¯s a knock at the bedroom door and we turn in unison to see Zuzu, who was courteous enough to announce her presence for us instead of scaring us with sudden blue text. She¡¯s carrying a large bottle of mead, three glasses and, ah... a slice of bread and an apple. ¡®I hope you know Sammy and I have never cooked a meal in our lives. Though my contact with others in the castle was limited, I was still served anything I wished and never had to worry about the preparation. Just eat it and be done with it so we can have more sex, Sir.¡¯


    I give a soft chuckle while Sam sits up and motions for the bottle. ¡°Aw yeah, gimme that shit, Zuzu!¡±


    The little mage shakes her head. ¡®I will not allow you to follow your father in his unending war against his own liver. Do you know how many times he¡¯s had to have it rebuilt over the years, Sammy? You may have a single cup and that¡¯s that.¡¯


    Sam whines like a kid being denied a delicious treat, but knows better than to argue with the older woman.


    Zutiria hands me my bread and apple then places the glasses down on the nightstand. She pours two full sized glasses and a noticeably lighter glass for the young Princess, who in response takes rare offense at her best friend. I guess it is pretty odd to see Zutiria acting her age come to think of it, given how much of a tease and a prankster she can be when she wants to.


    Regardless, Sam chugs down her cheap mead while I eat what was offered quickly, leaning over the side of the bed so that I don¡¯t get crumbs all over our already dirtied bedsheets.


    A part of me feels self conscious that they have to settle for such awful quality food and drink when they both come from a background of being waited on hand and foot, but it¡¯s just all the more motivation to start working harder. I want my women to have the nicest things after all, even if... Well, I won¡¯t be competing with their former lives of castle luxury anytime soon, but still.


    I finish up the last few bites of my meager meal and then as I down the glass of mead Zutiria¡¯s text appears asking me, ¡®Would you like some more, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± I say, thinking nothing of it.


    Much to my surprise the little lady wasn¡¯t talking about pouring me another glass at all. Instead she turns my face to hers and kisses my lips. She lets go a slow flow of sweet, love-filled mead pour down my throat.


    Zutiria pulls back shyly and gives me a small, gentle smile. To her annoyance, Sam yanks her away from me and wraps her up in a hug. ¡°What a sneaky little girl you are, Zuzu.¡± The Princess smirks.


    ¡°You¡¯re just mad you didn¡¯t think of it yourself.¡± I laugh and set the emptied glass of mead down on the nightstand beside the bed, preparing myself to rejoin the middle of the mattress.


    ¡°Shut up, Boss!¡± It was true, apparently as she blushes and looks away, leaving Zutiria no choice but to giggle. ¡°And lay your pretty little ass back down-¡± Her Highness designates my spot for me on the bed. ¡°You aren¡¯t done getting ¡®spoiled¡¯ for today.¡±


    ¡®Assuming Sir doesn¡¯t mind if we continue to take charge.¡¯ Zutiria asks rhetorically.


    ¡°I have a distinct feeling I¡¯m going to need the practice, if you two are really so insistent on me bedding the good doctor...¡± I say. I¡¯m not reluctant, I think... but the thought is still hard to come to terms with. I obediently make my way to the spot Sam marked out for me and lay down.


    Sam shakes out her wild and untamed hair, and seeing it shine in the dim candlelight of our room at night reminds me just how beautiful her golden strands are, regardless of being brushed or not.


    ¡°I¡¯m first.¡± She says with great excitement. ¡°Are you still hard for me, Daddy?¡±


    ¡®When isn¡¯t he?¡¯ Zutiria remarks, taking her place by my right side and pointing at the erection I¡¯m proudly displaying.


    ¡°Blame yourselves for being so sexy.¡± I state matter of factly which causes both girls to giggle. ¡°It¡¯s impossible to keep it down knowing I¡¯m about to have fun with the two of you.¡±


    ¡°Oh, stop.¡± Sam laughs dismissively. ¡°Zuzu,¡± She commands.


    The little lady leans over to my face and much to my surprise she pulls out two pairs of wet panties. One red with black lace, and the other a tiny pair of black with purple, magical looking swirls. ¡®It¡¯s time for Sir to shut his mouth for a little while. Stop thinking and just enjoy the pleasure your women wish to reward you with after a long, hard day of work.¡¯


    Zutiria smiles as she mashes both pairs of sopping, sexy panties into my mouth, filling my tongue with the distinct, deliciously sweet taste of their respective womanhood.


    ¡°Fuck, that¡¯s hot. He¡¯s tasting both of us at the same time...¡± Sam bites her lips, ¡°Nice thinking, Zu.¡±


    ¡®I have another idea if you¡¯d like to hear it, Sammy. I won¡¯t be able to do the position very easily, but... it should be right up your alley so to speak.¡¯ Zuzu makes a cold, emotionless face that coupled with her words sends a mixed chill of fear and excitement running up my spine.


    The brash tomboy roars with excitement and looks to her friend, ¡°Hell yeah, lay it on me!¡±


    Zutiria smirks and teasingly leans over to ¡®whisper¡¯ in Sam¡¯s ear. I know she isn¡¯t actually talking but she¡¯s doing her best to play up the suspense for me. It¡¯s working, my manhood throbs more and more with desire the longer it takes them to play with me and all I can do about it is make muffled moans for their pleasure.


    After Sam reads the Mage¡¯s secret message, her face contorts into such a conflicted mix of emotions the likes of which I¡¯ve never seen. Surprise. Excitement. Apprehension. Total lust. Disbelief, it¡¯s all there. ¡°Girls can DO that...?!¡± Sam¡¯s emerald eyes sparkle at the prospect.


    All Zutiria does to confirm is give a playful thumbs up and my fate is sealed.


    Sam looks down at me with a look rivaling the perviest of old men, completely unbefitting of a Princess. ¡°Daaaaaddyyyyy...¡± She coos out to me, teasingly. ¡°This is gonna be FUN.¡±


    I certainly hope so, as the build up is terrifying...


    ¡®Arms out, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria commands and points a finger at me.


    I muffle something out of the panties about not having a choice, but as soon as I do so the finger begins to glow.


    Wordlessly she casts a spell, but spells it out for my benefit. ¡®Wristiwait.¡¯


    A small burst of circling air constricts my wrists at her spell¡¯s command and they solidify into some sort of energy. I can¡¯t move them at all, these fucking things are super heavy. I¡¯m not even sure I want to.


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Sam beams with excitement and grabs me by my ankles and starts lifting them back towards my torso. No... it can¡¯t be. I think I know where this is going...!


    The Princess stands up on the bed and grins down at me looking like a total slut, complete with toothy grin, glazed eyes and flushed cheeks. She licks her lips and looks down at my huge, waiting cock, while I look at her in anticipation.


    As stated before she¡¯s wearing nothing but one of my sleep shirts. I won¡¯t pretend to know why, but there¡¯s almost nothing hotter to me than a woman wearing one of my shirts that barely fits her. It¡¯s just so casual and familiar and adorable that it spikes my lust like crazy. I can see her tight pussy from under the shirt and as to be expected it¡¯s absolutely drenched.


    ¡®Spread him out carefully. Don¡¯t use any of your strength except to keep balance.¡¯ Zutiria says as she supervises. Thank the gods she¡¯s here, I wouldn¡¯t allow Sam and her brute strength to try anything even remotely like this on her own. In this position she could easily spread my legs so wide they both pop out of my hip socket and then we really WOULD need to go fetch Opalina...


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I got this. It¡¯s just doing the same thing he does to me, right?¡± Sam laughs and begins to descend, while Zutiria reaches out to properly line up my cock for her.


    I was right. The way she¡¯s descending onto me while holding my ankles up for her... Sam slips my huge cock into her loving tunnel in one go, taking me deep as she can using the legendary amazon position. To think it actually exists outside of fiction...! I¡¯m stunned beyond belief, and captivated by the pleasure immediately .


    I let out a deep, muffled moan as Sam begins to buck her hips down at me in a nice rhythm to start with. ¡°Fuuuuuuck...¡± She leans her head back, huge tits bouncing back to meet them. ¡°Zuzu, you¡¯re the best...¡± Sam groans. ¡°I woulda n... NEVER thought of this.¡±


    Zutiria smiles, watching Her Highness fuck me from above with her soaked cunt like I were a delicate maiden. ¡®I figured the two of you would like it.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s... ngh...¡± Sam stops to grind her hips against my pubic bone, mashing her clit up into me as much as she can. ¡°It¡¯s hitting so many good spooooots- AH!¡± She cries out after using my dick to carve out a really nice one, and her pink walls constrict me reflexively in response.


    ¡®I¡¯m glad...¡¯ Zutiria smiles but looks just a little bit disappointed.


    Sam picks up on the meaning behind this and laughs as she slams her cunt down on my cock again, using her muscle control to squeeze me around the base as much as she can. I quiver and tremble at the ecstasy this gives, and Sam turns to face the little lady. ¡°After he cums, want me to hold him up for you so you can try?¡±


    The Mage¡¯s face lights up and blushes. Without any hesitation she nods her head. ¡®I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m strong enough to do it unassisted, and I want to please Sir like this as well...¡¯ She admits.


    Sam looks down at me with that pervy expression of hers and squeezes my ankles even harder as she starts fucking me at a faster and harder rate. ¡°Gods, look at him...¡± She smirks. ¡°Luckiest bastard in ALL the realms and he¡¯s just... ngh... sitting there with wet panties shoved down his throat, getting fucked in such an embarrassing position like he was some little slut.¡±


    As she berates me I moan even harder than before, which makes her laugh at me in a loving yet condescending way. Despite her words I¡¯m not embarrassed. I don¡¯t care what others think, to me there¡¯s nothing more masculine than letting your partner, or in my case partners, do whatever they want to you- gender roles be damned.


    There are still a few things I¡¯ll definitely draw the line on, but in general giving my girls all the power they want over me is a non-issue. It¡¯s only fair knowing that they¡¯d do the same for me.


    ¡®I think he liked it when you called him a slut, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria watches my face clench and my neck jerk from pleasure, unable to move my arms thanks to the magical restraint placed on me. She¡¯s right, too...


    ¡°Is that so? You some kinda pervy old dude who wants to be fucked like... ngh, like a total SLUT?¡± Sam smashes her cunt down incredibly hard on my everything at the mention of the word. I let out my largest moan yet in response. ¡°Oh yeah, he... haaaaah... DEFINITELY likes it... Look at you, where¡¯d that smart... strong... business man go who- ngh- who always gets what he wants? All I see is a cute little slutty slut slut SLUT!¡±


    Sam starts fucking me even harder and for the life of me I just want to break out of these magical restraints so I can grab Sam by the hips and ream her naughty little cunt out till she¡¯s raw for days- but I can¡¯t, and that just makes me harder and need it all the more.


    ¡®I want to help.¡¯ Zutiria suddenly announces with a glassy look in her eyes. She crawls away and disappears behind Sam, out of my view. Just as before I suddenly feel two tiny hands on my swollen orbs. The sudden touch makes me scream through the panties, my ecstasy building even higher.


    Sam looks back briefly while continuing to fuck me. ¡°Zu? I... ngh... why do you like his balls so much... Sure, playing with em and sucking em is fun, but... you¡¯re like... ngh...¡±


    Zutiria responds with a surprising text which is partnered with the feeling of her delicate pink tongue beginning to lash itself back and forth on my sack. ¡®Yes, ah. About that...¡¯ There¡¯s a delay in her words as she thinks, but no delay in her hands lovingly fondling me.


    ¡®I feel drawn to them. They¡¯re so rich with mana... Anatomically speaking, the semen is made elsewhere, but... the testicles make the sperm. And that¡¯s where the overwhelming mana comes from... Touching them makes me feel so strong... and powerful... and not just because I hold his life in my hands...¡¯ The mage giggles and gives me a firm squeeze to accentuate her point.


    ¡°Huh...¡± Sam raises an eyebrow. I can tell it went in through one ear and out the other, as detailed explanations often do with her. ¡°That all?¡±


    I can¡¯t see Zuzu¡¯s face but I can only imagine her blush rises harder as she manages to spell out, ¡®As a woman, I... admittedly like how they smell. They¡¯re so manly...¡¯


    Sam laughs out loud causing her to pick up speed on my cock. ¡°Hah, really? Maybe you¡¯re the slut, Zuzu!¡± She says.


    If Zutiria is bothered by this comment she doesn¡¯t make any mention of it and continues to pleasure my aching balls. Sure enough, between the squeezing and the licking I definitely feel a sniff mixed in here and there.


    Sam starts to seriously work on me and herself, fucking me up above and grinding her hips into mine with each thrust. Her bouncing, huge tits are barely hidden by my shirt, which was never meant to conceal such ample assets.


    ¡°I¡¯m... fuuuuck...¡± She groans, eyes rolling back, ¡°Getting close, Daddy...!¡±


    I muffle something similar into the panties and while I know she can¡¯t hear me she gets the point well enough, ¡°So am I.¡±


    Grinning like a determined slut desperate to wring dry of everything I have to give, Sam pushes my legs back even further to the point where it feels she¡¯s bending me in half, treating me entirely like a woman. I love it so much, and it lets her aggressively fuck me like the gorgeous blonde amazon Princess she truly is.


    Sam¡¯s cries roar into the night as she puts all her energy into pounding my cock, smashing her clit, and owning me with everything she¡¯s got. This coupled with Zutiria worshipping my balls causes my oncoming orgasm to spiral out of control- I feel it ready to unleash itself into Sam¡¯s depths the second it can.


    But then something unexpected happens and Zutiria takes a single hand away from its position on my bouncing orbs, and suddenly presses it into... my... behind, pressing down on a certain gland so effortlessly as if it were a button.


    My eyes shoot wide open and magical restraints be damned, I twitch and turn, arching my back so hard up into Sam that I just about knock her off of me. Then the orgasm starts.


    It tears through my entire body and I¡¯m wracked with the hardest spasms I¡¯ve ever felt, and I explode into Sam¡¯s tight, tender tunnel. Even considering how heavy my cumshots tend to be these days, this is outright absurd. Sam screams and screams and screams as my unending ropes flood her pussy to full capacity and the rest squirts out violently over our combined pelvises, my balls, the bed, and Zuzu¡¯s hands creating a gigantic mess of burning desire. All this made worse by Sam¡¯s orgasm tightening, milking, squeezing every drop of it like the spoiled, bratty cunt it is.


    When the last spurt escapes, I fall back to the bed so hard I worry that it might break from the impact. Sam topples on top of me in a breathless haze. ¡°What... the... fucking... HELL, Boss...?! Did you really like it THAT much...?¡±


    Looking behind her I see Zutiria making an innocent face. She¡¯s wiping off her finger with a soapy, wet rag presumably conjured from the next room over, and the only indication of what just happened she gives me is a devilishly playful wink.

 Good Ending for a Bad Day

    It takes Sam and I several minutes of laying limply against each other for mutual support to recover enough energy to get up again. Thanks to my recovery period I was hard once again a couple minutes into our exhausted cuddling, but I¡¯m still getting over that last orgasm so even if I wanted to start grinding it up into Sam I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.


    Sam eventually rolls her body off of mine and it¡¯s accompanied by a symphony of squicky sounds and sloppy strands of cum trailing and breaking from our hips.


    ¡°Gods. If I wasn¡¯t on Succu-bye I would be like... super mega ultra pregnant right about now...¡± Sam groans happily, resting by my side with a pussy full to the brim of my cum. ¡°Then Daddy would be a Daddy for real.¡± She teases and gives me a peck on the cheek. The thought intrigues me but I definitely don¡¯t want to make things weird...


    ¡®Are you still good to help me out, Sammy? I still wanted to try the position as well.¡¯ Zutiria asks as she sits in front of my spread legs, right where she invaded my prostate moments before. She¡¯s said nothing on the matter but she¡¯s still smiling like the petite little vixen she is...


    Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow but I¡¯ll get her back for that one day. I¡¯ve yet to do the same to her and I think the little lady has earned herself a little butt punishment when I feel up to it... and when I¡¯m not bound by magical bondage and have tasty panties shoved in my mouth.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good now.¡± Sam smiles as she sits up, wiping off a thick layer of sweat from her brow. ¡°Let¡¯s get this off of you-¡±


    Zutiria raises her arms and Sam helps her strip herself of the sheer black dress so that it doesn¡¯t get in the way, leaving me with nothing but a naked Mage staring down at me eagerly, her bald, clefted mound sopping wet at the thought of swallowing me between her thighs.


    ¡®Think we should relieve him of those?¡¯ Zutiria points at my mouth still stuffed with underwear.


    ¡°I think he¡¯s good.¡± Sam grins downwards and assumes a position behind Zutiria. ¡°You ready to ride?¡±


    The little mage pumps her fist determinedly and nods her head, making it all look a little bit sillier than it should be.


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll hold him up for you, Zuzu.¡± And with that, the Princess licks her lips once again and grabs my ankles just as she did before. This time she spreads and bends them back at an easier angle for the petite girl to properly mount me.


    Despite having just came and being bound and gagged, or perhaps because of it, I¡¯m all but raring to go. Zutiria makes a soft, shy expression as she stands above me naked, pointing my cock into her tiny hole.


    At first contact she lets out a tiny, cautious moan before biting her lip and pushing down on my shaft a few torturous inches. Zutiria¡¯s icy eyes go wide with shock as the blush rises even hotter on her pretty little cheeks, her tight little pussy finally moving down far enough to swallow the head of my cock in full.


    ¡®This is... difficult...¡¯ She says as her knees buckle. ¡®I wasn¡¯t expecting things to... be... s-so hard on me...¡¯ The little woman pants for breath and looks over her shoulder at Sam for guidance.


    ¡°Yeah, you kinda have to be strong about it and force it down...¡± The Princess says before leaning in to steal a tiny kiss from the Mage¡¯s lips. ¡°Just ease it in and out until you can take it all.¡±


    ¡®O-Ok. Here I go, Sir...¡¯ Zutiria looks down at me with reluctant excitement before pulling the head of my manhood out and then pushing down a few inches past that in one fell motion. I call out to her through the panties in my mouth and blush, eager for more of my littler lover¡¯s clenching and silken pussy.


    Even with the magic rune that she ¡®gifted¡¯ me, insertion is no less difficult on her. It¡¯s more for my benefit than anything, really. It just helps make sure I¡¯m able to bottom out no matter how small my partner¡¯s hole is. But the battle to get there with Zutiria is still slow, especially if she¡¯s the one in charge.


    ¡°Feel good...?¡± Sam whispered huskily into Zutiria¡¯s ears, and all she can do in response is slowly nod up and down, little gasps for air peppered throughout. ¡°Good girl.¡± Her Highness smiles, leaning down to kiss the nape of her neck.


    Zutiria gasps even harder and blushes, causing her body to jerk and drop down on my cock another few inches until I¡¯m finally about halfway into her snug tunnel. ¡®S-Sammy...!¡¯ She calls out in vain, since Sam only moves on to give the silent sorceress a massive hickey.


    ¡°AH!¡± She gasps out loud, surprising everyone in the room. Upon watching this teasing display I throb hard inside of Zutiria and Sam sets to work distracting the mage while holding my ankles up for her, continuing to lick and suck at her delicate neck. I sure hope Zutiria knows a spell for that, because Sam¡¯s leaving some pretty damn deep ones and it just keeps making me more excited.


    This added, intimate sensation that the Princess gifts her with is enough to increase her lubrication below to a more violent stream, allowing her to finally force our hips to meet as she swallows up the bottom of my shaft up into her tightness. I¡¯ll never get tired of this feeling of barely being able to fit yet being enveloped in total warmth and wetness. Zutiria¡¯s pussy is so good that even just thinking about it makes me throb and cry out what must be the hundredth muffled moan of the night.


    ¡°HYA- Suh... sa... mmy... n... no...!¡± Zutiria squirms, vocalizing out loud on top of my cock after the Princess gives her neck a fierce little bite. Someone¡¯s still feeling dominant, it seems...


    ¡°Sammy, YES!¡± Sam smiles and gives her another little nip, sending the snug pussy reflexively up and down my shaft.


    Zuturia whimpers at this back and forth before finally accepting Sam¡¯s bullying and reaching her hand down to begin playing with her little clit.


    ¡®Sir... Watch me play with my clitoris while I... fuh... fuck you... please, Sir...¡¯ She manages to say with eyes closed from embarrassment. Zutiria is great at riding me when it¡¯s at a slow, tender and romantic pace but this is totally new to her. Especially the dirty talk.


    Seeing her try so hard for me sends my hips bucking up, eager to give her just a little bit more pleasure as she begins bullying her delicate nub in earnest.


    The three of us settle into a pleasant, frenzied rhythm where very little is said, we¡¯re all just enjoying the sensual carnival of flesh on flesh. Zutiria burying my needy shaft into her slippery slit while teasing her most sensitive spot, myself thrusting upwards with my limited mobility, and Sam holding my legs up into the air and molesting the Mage¡¯s neck and ear with her tongue.


    I watch as Zutiria¡¯s fingers become a blur and her cunt squeezes up on me. Her cute, red face scrunches uncontrollably and her mouth opens up into a silent ¡®o¡¯, unable to get a word out as she starts cumming against my invasive and persistent manhood.


    Sam notices this and leans into her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Zuzu, don¡¯t stop for Daddy. He needs to cum too. Don¡¯t you want him to cum?¡± With expert manipulation she goads the lovely doll to fight against the intensity of her own orgasm and hurry her downwards pace against mine.


    Because of the size of her body and the strength of her hips, Zutiria is unable to fuck me within an inch of my life ferociously like Sam can, but the unbearable tightness coupled with her lovely reactions to every little movement makes it just as thrilling to be fucked by the little lady in the amazon position.


    Two different flavors, each of them tantalizingly delicious.


    Seeing Zutiria try her damned best while Sam unrelentingly teases her is enough to make me blow my load harshly into the tiny pussy of my lover from below. In a frantic rush I jerk as powerfully as I can until finally Zutiria¡¯s magic gives out and my arms free, allowing me to arch my back higher and higher by using my hands to support my hips.


    The increased depth during her orgasm makes the mage cross her eyes for the briefest moment and moan quite loudly, for her, before she topples over onto me. Luckily in the nick of time Sam drops my legs out of the air so that Zutiria doesn¡¯t fall and bend me at a very painful angle. Instead, we¡¯re left cuddling in a relatively normal position contrary to the rather unique way we were just making love.


    ¡®As... as I thought, Sir... Sammy is better than me when it comes to such an adventurous and lewd position... Mages are better served in the back row, after all...¡¯ She spells out after recovering from her devastating, eye-rolling orgasm.


    Sam giggles as she plops down next to us, then reaches down to pull the as of yet unclaimed panties from my mouth allowing me to finally gasp for a decent, full lung¡¯s worth of air. ¡°I think you did amazing, Zuzu.¡±


    The little sorceress looks to her side to smile at Sam, only to then bop her on the head. ¡®I didn¡¯t say you could leave marks.¡¯ She tells the Princess with a grumpy, sour look on her face.


    Sam laughs and hugs the both of us. ¡°Whatever, you loved it!¡±


    I can¡¯t help but laugh at this blissful moment of afterglow with my girls. ¡°It¡¯s alright Zutiria, Her Highness claimed myself a number of times as well.¡± I stretch my neck out for Zutiria to inspect, and to my surprise she leans down and adds a stinging, juicy love bite of her own.


    ¡®No fair. She put too many on you.¡¯ A jealous look shines brightly in her cold eyes glaring down at me.


    ¡°And you got his first cumshot during the blowjob, so I¡¯d say we¡¯re even.¡±


    Zutiria rolls her eyes. ¡®I shared it with you, Sammy. If you remember.¡¯ Without saying anything, the Mage takes her finger and taps the sheets below us and casts a wordless spell. Our sheets are dried out and cleaned, but it makes her even more tired especially after the fucking she just had.


    We stain these sheets so much on a daily basis that I really need to think about asking Zutiria to cast a higher level self cleaning spell on them, sometime...


    Yawning, the Princess stretches out. ¡°I guess...¡± She unsuccessfully wipes the tiredness from her eyes and sits up to grab our large comforter. ¡°You guys ready to turn in for the night? Kinda early for us buuuut...¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± I too drag out a yawn that lingers for a while and stretch out carefully so as to avoid rolling Zutiria off of my chest. ¡°I¡¯m good for now, I think. I had my fun for the night and after today I just wanna sleep it off.¡±


    ¡°Same...¡± Sam sighs and pulls the blanket over the three of us after turning out the arcane light on the bedside table.


    ¡®Personally I just want to lay like this.¡¯ Zutiria tells us from atop my chest, nuzzling in deeper to my pecs like a little kitten. ¡®Can I... Can I sleep here instead of on your side, Sir?¡¯ In the darkness I see her pleading eyes just barely visible, and they melt my heart. It certainly doesn¡¯t help when she wraps her arms and legs around me, refusing to let go.


    Shit, I remember something important as the Mage constricts me. ¡°Sam, bathroom.¡±


    Sam jolts up as she too remembers. She zip back out from under the blanket and turns the light on in the other room, leaving the door open for Zutiria just a tiny crack. ¡°Sorry Zuzu. We don¡¯t want you waking up in the middle of the night and getting all scared.¡± The Princess resumes her spot by my side and reaches over to lovingly stroke her lavender lover¡¯s short, pixie hair.


    Much to our mutual shock, we both hear Zutiria whimpering as if she¡¯s crying.


    ¡°Zutiria?¡± I crane my neck out to get a better look at her, but in the darkness it¡¯s no avail. What? I never said I had night vision. These eyes of mine have SOME limits.


    ¡°Are you ok?¡± Sam leans in too, but all we hear is the Mage trying to mumble something under her breath.


    ¡°L... luh... y... y... oooo...¡± It¡¯s so quiet that I can¡¯t make out a single syllable, and then it stops altogether as she coughs awkwardly. I¡¯m not surprised she can barely after the work out her vocal cords just received during our sexual session.


    ¡°Take it easy, just rest for now.¡± I smile reassuringly, patting her tiny back to help take the edge off the cough.


    The little lady grumbles against my chest. ¡®Thanks, Sir...¡¯ I hear a little whine from her. ¡®I¡¯ll just have to keep trying, I suppose.¡¯ She yawns and for a final time that night nuzzles into me, quickly falling to sleep.


    ¡°Boss...¡± Sam calls out to me from the darkness, embracing both me and my mage with her arm and cuddling into us with her fearsome strength.


    ¡°Yes, Sam?¡±


    ¡°I have something serious I want to tell you...¡± There¡¯s apprehension in her voice, and in the dark of the night I raise my eyebrow.


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°I... I... think I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    ...


    We both start laughing so loud that I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll wake up Zutiria. ¡°Fuck off, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Nah for real, Boss.¡± She giggles and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. ¡°I dunno. You know I suck at this ¡®feelings¡¯ bullshit so uh... after today I just really feel like... saying... ugh. I dunno. Thanks for... always looking out for me. I would have died if you didn¡¯t drag me to Opal... and it¡¯s scary thinking about that. I was pumped full of adrenaline and shit, but like... looking back... I really, actually coulda died there... and I...¡±


    At the risk of waking the slumbering Mage, I reach out with my arm and pull Sam into me and lean into her ear. ¡°I will never let anything happen to you. Trust me. What happened today will never happen again, and I¡¯ll make damn well sure of it.¡±


    She smiles softly in the darkness before whispering, ¡°But... Boss. You can¡¯t keep coming to quests if they¡¯re just going to keep getting more dangerous.¡±


    It¡¯s true, and I know it because I¡¯ve spent a great deal thinking about it... these girls need me. It may not be a problem for today but one day it¡¯ll be a massive one. I think about it in the darkness long after Sam eventually drifts off to sleep, asking myself that single question over and over again...


    How can I always be there for them?

 Wake Up Revenge

    The sun pours in through the dusty window curtains as it always does when a new day begins. I awaken before the others very peacefully, which doesn¡¯t surprise me considering I clocked out quickly after I got home yesterday and only woke up for a few hours of passionate sex with my beloved adventurers.


    Our positions haven¡¯t changed much since last night. Sam is still on my right, though now snoring like a beast, while Zutiria is still lazily draped over my chest. I¡¯m very happy to see that she seemed to have a peaceful sleep, undisturbed from her night terrors for once. This means I got a full night¡¯s sleep, too which is a welcome blessing.


    Looking at the clock on the wall I see it¡¯s a little over half past seven, fairly early for me to be waking up. I stretch myself out minimally to avoid disturbing the Mage too much, and start planning what needs to be done today.


    Spliffert¡¯s field needs harvesting so that we can get payment for the quest, the girls need to get their weapons back, and they can probably fit in some other quests after that if all goes well. As for me, I think I¡¯ll be staying home today. Not out of laziness, mind you, but to handle a fair amount of paperwork that¡¯s piled up.


    I actually need to write up a report of this month¡¯s earnings, considering we actually had some... although the Association of Adventurers is well aware by now that the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild is back in minimal action thanks to the completed quests we¡¯ve submitted and payments we¡¯ve been receiving from them, that doesn¡¯t mean I can skip the nitty gritty and fudge the bureaucratic process. I¡¯m not looking forward to their cut from this month, though.


    Thankfully the income from Spliffert¡¯s quest won¡¯t count past the 17,000G since we didn¡¯t officially amend the quest¡¯s paperwork... and I don¡¯t intend to. We need the money, and it¡¯s none of the Association¡¯s damn business if we get ¡®tipped¡¯ past the agreed upon amount.


    What I¡¯m more concerned about is how I¡¯m supposed to report Sam and Zutiria¡¯s earnings. Sure, on paper the fact that both girls are content to just work for free as long as I give them a place to stay is amazing but I¡¯m going to have to jump through some hoops to justify it in documentation. I suppose it wouldn¡¯t be TOO hard if I just deduct what would typically be their cut from each quest and deposited it into the Guild bank for them so that in theory they can use the money whenever they wish. That way it¡¯d all be there on paper but in reality it would still be property of the Guild since they don¡¯t intend on spending any of it.


    Ah, bureaucracy.


    For most of my life I¡¯ve had very minimal interference from the Association of Adventurers, despite Dewhurst being the most important Guild in Karnalle before Perlshaw came along. This is because some Guilds are privately owned, while still falling under the greater AoA banner. In short, my grandpa owned the land and the building here which is fairly uncommon for Adventurer¡¯s Guilds. So when he died, they couldn¡¯t stop me from inheriting this place after his death and taking over the Guild despite my tender age.


    They sure as hell tried, though. The AoA offered me a lot of gold, intending to steal the home I grew up in from under my feet and replace me with a Guild Master of their own, but I was a stubborn brat and insisted on running it despite my youth.


    Yes, it didn¡¯t turn out so well, but there¡¯s no use dwelling on it now.


    I used to have to do inspections and constantly studied just to meet the bare minimum requirements to be classified as a Guild Master, but the reality is their rules just never accounted for a situation such as mine. I was basically a legal gray area and there was very little they could do about a ten year old who suddenly had ownership of their most important franchise because no one was expecting a ten year old to ever be in that position in the first place.


    Beyond any such paperwork that needs to be done, I¡¯m also being pressured into an apparent dinner date with Miss Hart. A date that will very likely take a turn for the lewd. If teenage me knew that this would happen in the future, he would likely stain his pants on the spot...


    The thought excites me unintentionally, bringing up my morning wood high enough to prod Zutiria¡¯s naked slit. She moans softly in response, and I feel a need that must be sated. I gently whisper, ¡°Morning. Either of you up?¡±


    Sam grumbles and stretches. ¡°Mmmnaahhh... fi¡¯ more minutes...¡±


    ¡®Sir... do what you... mn... need to do.¡¯ Zutiria yawns, eyes still lidded with sleep but slowly starting to grind her tiny hips down on my cock.


    I¡¯m in the mood for a little payback after last night, honestly. Not to say I didn¡¯t enjoy it but I definitely want to show off and dominate the two, giving them a nice early morning surprise.


    I take a closer look at Sam and see that she¡¯s laying on her stomach, her round, fat ass in all its glory on full display beneath the blanket.


    Perfect.


    I softly remove the blanket from the three of us which causes slight stirring in the tired girls, but not enough to fully wake or irritate them. Next, I sit up gently while holding Zutiria in place and place her on her tummy on top of Sam¡¯s back. This of course does cause a reaction, but it¡¯s a minimal one as Sam stretches and Zutiria wraps her arms tightly around the Princess from behind.


    I crawl out in front of the double stacked offering of pussy and ass, admiring the beauty of each girl¡¯s charms.


    Zutiria is small, as is her slit, but her hips are rather wide for her body type and she has a cute little round butt of her own. It¡¯s deceptively big- bigger than you¡¯d think, at least in proportion. Her little pussy is a slightly darker pink and closed tightly, lips sealed... except for me and me alone.


    Sam, on the other hand, is bouncy and beautiful. Her ass is large, and her cunt is deliciously inviting. Her labia are naturally more open than Zutiria¡¯s, making it just that more enticing to dive straight in. It¡¯s truly a pussy that is begging deeply to be fucked... and I fully intend to make it¡¯s wish come true.


    Gods, my ego is already unchecked having two girls in bed. What sort of monster will I become as my Harem Guild grows...?


    ¡®Accept it, Mortal. Be not afraid...¡¯ A familiar, divine voice calls out in my heart. ¡®You pussy.¡¯ It adds in its typical brattier tone.


    I ignore it. I¡¯m not in the mood for godly intervention during my morning playtime. I have a lot of work to do today and I deserve a treat before starting the daily grind.


    Neither of my girls are wet and ready for me just yet, so as a surprise I lay down on my stomach as well and starting at the bottom layer from Sam¡¯s clit, I trace my tongue up the entirety of the pink cleft. Moving on up I repeat the process to Zutiria on the next layer.


    Both girls instantly stir at the sudden contact, and I once again drag my tongue down the same path in reverse. After several more laps of gentle lashing, Sam and Zutiria become breathier, hornier, though still tired.


    ¡°Da... ddy...?¡± The Princess lowly moans, her eyes flickering from the sensation.


    ¡®No wonder you like being... mmn... waken up with a blowjob so much, Sir...¡¯ Zutiria comments a bit more lucidly than Sam.


    Pleased with my work so far, I continue to tease the two delicious mounds in alternating fashions. I kissed each deeply, lingering just long enough to leave them wanting more and more. Just as their heavy breathing begins to ramp up my wet muscle invades their inner walls, swirling in and making them quiver with anticipation.


    ¡°HYA!¡± Sam calls out as I poke deeply into hers. ¡°I¡¯m up, I¡¯m UP already! Stop fucking around and get it in me!!¡±


    Zutiria yelps as loudly as her vocal cords will allow her when I do the same. ¡®I-I¡¯m more than wet enough, Sir! Me first!¡¯


    Smiling at a job well done, I carefully push my fingers inside both pussies just to be sure and as soon as I do hear a double moan from my penetration. Both girls are indeed now wet enough to have me visit.


    ¡°Rise and shine, girls!¡± Happily about to dive in to some sweet, carnal relief, I kiss both pretty pussies on the lips before sitting up on my knees.


    Rather than a full round each I¡¯m just going to make this one a quick go and make sure to get each of them off before splitting the load.


    Sam got first last night so I think it¡¯s only fair I take Zutiria first. Grabbing my pulsing cock, I line it up with the shut lips of the Black Mage and parted her cleft in one fell motion. She cries out softly as I start to thrust in and out of her, only to let out a small gasp of longing when I recede and slide myself down to Her Highness''s Royal cunt and push my way as deep as I can do.


    ¡°HAAA- Daddyyyy, you¡¯re so dirty...!! That thing was just inside of Z-Zuzu...!¡± She moans, doing her best to pretend that that very same fact doesn¡¯t turn her on a hell of a lot.


    ¡®Come back, Sir... I¡¯ll be even tighter for you... I want it...¡¯ From atop Sam, Zutiria wiggles her tiny butt at me. Watching it shake and jiggle itself for my benefit makes me even harder inside Sam and forces me to start sawing in and out of the Princess even harder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy.¡± I remind the little Mage with a stern but loving spank, basking in the adorably surprised little noise she makes in response.


    Sam screams when I drive my pole up into one of her good spots, before whimpering like a little baby when I pull out. ¡°Nooo... don¡¯t goooo, fill me back up!¡± She whines, pussy clenching down like a vacuum as hard as she can to stop me from leaving. Sadly for her desperate cunt, I pop out with a wet smack and after grabbing onto Zutiria¡¯s bouncy little ass I shove it back in.


    Tasting the luxury of my women¡¯s distinct, blissful holes fills me with newfound appreciation for life and for just how damn lucky I am. I start to pick up my pace, battering the deepest walls of the tiny girl¡¯s snug slit. Her text becomes more incomprehensible the harder I fuck, until she stops trying and just becomes an outlet for my morning lust, moaning all the while and drooling on the back of Sam¡¯s borrowed shirt.


    Zutiria cums against me, her pussy clasping and straining my manhood in desperate want for my semen, but I¡¯m not ready to give her what she wants. Still, I fuck her nice and hard and do my best to help her properly ride the spasms of her climax to the very last moment. Her bountiful juices splash out of her little slit and fall down the cracks of Sam¡¯s ass to cover the blonde¡¯s already well lubricated pussy.


    After Zutiria¡¯s thrilling climax finishes, I pull out of her and in one smooth transition fuck Sam¡¯s tense tunnel with even more savagery, truly ramping up to get me going and ready for a long, hard orgasm. Sending Sam to her peak doesn¡¯t take long in this state. Her cries become frenzied and she struggles to say anything but ¡°Daddy, DADDY!¡± as I ravage her with all my power.


    As her quivering cunt squeezes down hard for its orgasm it finally wrings me just hard enough for me to clench my eyes shut and fire off a mighty stream of semen into the young Princess, much to her slutty delight. I pump it in and out of her and let the spasms of her climax milk me properly, before yanking it out and shoving it back inside of Zutiria to give the Mage her due.


    I grunt harder, digging deep into Zutiria¡¯s poor little butt with my hands as I use it as a grip to deliver the remaining amount of my torrential cumshot deep into her pink depths. As always it overflows out of the Mage¡¯s tiny hole and it gushes downwards to mix with Sam¡¯s love juices and her own overflowing load. After a good minute of rutting or so, eventually I run out of steam for this load and I almost fall over on my layered lovers, stopping myself just in time by propping myself up with my arms.


    Both girls are a blushing, sweaty mess from their surprising morning workout but they¡¯re both clearly satisfied.


    ¡°Boss... Holy shit... what... got you so rowdy this morning, huh big guy?¡± Sam asks between labored breaths.


    ¡®I think we pushed him... too far last night, Sammy...¡¯


    Feeling just a tiny bit playful even though I¡¯ve already had my fun, I smile and scoop up a glob of my semen to lube my pointer finger and place it against the rim of Zutiria¡¯s tiny butt. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I ask, pushing my finger only slightly into her nether hole.


    ¡°AH-¡± She yelps out loud. Zutiria jumps out of her skin and rolls off of Sam, pulling my finger out in the process. She looks back at me with the most embarrassed look I¡¯ve ever seen on her cold face and she covers her most private hole with both hands, blocking me from her butt.


    Tiredly, Sam sits up. ¡°Mn... everything ok?¡± She asks, wiping the sleep from her eyes.


    ¡®Y... yes of course...¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s eyes dart around and she gets up off the bed and runs to the bathroom, peeking her head out when she¡¯s already inside to scowl at me.


    Something tells me she¡¯s not as receptive to butt stuff on her own as she is towards doing it to me, and that¡¯s ok. Like I¡¯ve said I¡¯m not exactly clamoring for it.


    ¡®Let¡¯s all wash up. Long day ahead, and we all smell absolutely unacceptable.¡¯ Zutiria says as she disappears behind the door.


    Sam giggles and under her breath quips, ¡°Says the ball-sniffer.¡±


    And as we all shuffle off into the bath that Zutiria begins drawing for us, another day begins.

 That Time the Author Made Signing Up for Bank Accounts Interesting

    After going through our morning routine of bathing, Sam refusing to let her hair be brushed, and sharing a humble breakfast, we go over the plan for yet another day. I quickly run over the bullet points for the two girls and neither of them has any objections to my staying home for the day to do some long overdue paperwork.


    I have to mention the creation of Guild bank accounts to them though as part of our odd payment situation. Despite both Sam and Zutiria resisting initially, they agree when I explain how it¡¯s only for official records and that if the Guild needs the money all they have to do is agree to withdraw it and give it to me. That way it at least looks like I¡¯m paying my current heroes when I have to report it to the Association of Adventurers.


    ¡®You¡¯re rather sneaky finding this loophole, aren¡¯t you, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria teases as I return from my office with the necessary paperwork to set up their brand new bank accounts.


    ¡°It¡¯s creative accounting, sure, but it¡¯s not shady. It¡¯s just that there¡¯s not really a system in place for adventurers who are content to lay around fucking their boss without getting paid.¡±


    Sam leans her elbows on the table and smirks. ¡°I feel personally attacked.¡±


    ¡°You should.¡± I chuckle softly, setting up the documents. ¡°Just to be on the safe side, Sam, may I see your Hero License?¡±


    ¡°Uh,¡± The young Princess shoves her gloved hand into her breast plate and ruffles around until pulling out the small, laminated card. ¡°Yeah sure, Boss.¡±


    I double check and confirm that the name listed is just ¡®Sam¡¯ and not anything incriminating before handing it back to her. ¡°Alright. Just make sure not to sign your full name. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to draw any attention to you being here.¡±


    Sam laughs. ¡°Why not? Maybe if Father learned where I was he¡¯d pull all his financial support from Perlshaw and throw it here instead?¡±


    My glasses almost fall off from my face upon hearing that.


    ¡®Sammy, don¡¯t give the poor man hope like that. It¡¯s such a dangerous thing to cling to.¡¯ Zutiria shakes her head, elegantly sipping tea with one hand and filling out paperwork with the other.


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s just a silly... silly notion.¡± I laugh nervously, though less so after I notice Zutiria sending me a knowing look. We¡¯ve talked about this before, or she at least implied that the King would probably do something along those lines if he ever found out about my relationship to his daughter... at least according to Zutiria''s experience with him.


    Her eyes tell me that all I need to do is ask, but I dismissively shake my head at her and she sighs. I repeat. I want to succeed on my own merits, and I refuse to use Sam like that. Besides, she and I haven¡¯t even talked about ¡®making it official¡¯ the way that Zutiria and I have. I can only imagine what her response would be...


    ¡®Question, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria sets her pen down to rest for a brief moment as she enjoys the last drops of her tea.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡®Do we officially live here?¡¯ The question is a very simple one, but for some reason it makes me blush.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    Zutiria smiles and holds up the document, pointing at the line for her address. ¡®I¡¯m asking if this place qualifies as Sammy and I¡¯s place of residence or not, or if we have to list Castle Lundreame.¡¯


    ¡°Shit,¡± Sam sweats. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good.¡±


    I groan and bend over the table. ¡°That¡¯s...! Oh no, I totally forgot... I never filed the paperwork to give you two official residency here. I¡¯ll have to submit it along with the bank account documentation when we mail them off or it won¡¯t be valid...¡± Groaning, my day becomes that much longer.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t need your help on that one, at least, I¡¯ll just need your signatures a few times on those documents.¡±


    Sam looks at me the way one would look at an injured puppy. ¡°You poor, poor thing... I had no idea your job was this fucking boring, Boss. I thought you just got to go around and yell at people until they give you more money than the quest is actually worth...!¡±


    ¡°Is that really what you think of me...?¡±


    Zutiria giggles at my expense. ¡®You seem to have fallen behind, Sir. Not that I can blame you. I think any rational man in your situation would have dropped his paperwork duties for a few weeks after being given not one but two sexual outlets after thirty-two long, grueling years of virginity.¡±


    I squint behind my glasses. ¡°When you live in a Mage¡¯s tower of glass, you shouldn¡¯t be casting spells of stone throwing.¡±


    The as of recently thirty-five year old virgin looks away with a blush painted across her face. ¡®Point taken.¡¯


    It takes a while for Sam and Zutiria to finish the bank paperwork, but Sam has a question just before she¡¯s finished. ¡°Boss, I was confused by this little footnote here. Granted I ain¡¯t got much experience dealing with money, but it says here that the Guild only lets you withdraw in multiples of 100G and will under no circumstances allow withdrawals of Silver and Copper coins? Is that... uh... normal for banks...?¡±


    The Princess looks at Zutiria for confirmation, but the Mage shrugs her shoulders. They both lived in a castle and got anything they ever asked for from an early age. Though their personalities are very, very far apart Zutiria really does come off as Sam¡¯s older sister at times thanks to their shared home and the similarities that that environment gave them.


    ¡°No, actually. That¡¯s something rather shitty of the Guild system if I¡¯m being honest.¡± I scratch my hair and look away, as if this were somehow my fault. It¡¯s not, but I¡¯m embarrassed that I have to comply with the policy nonetheless. ¡°The reasoning for that is to dissuade adventurers from actually wanting to make withdrawals. Nobody wants to go around lugging hundreds and hundreds of gold coins around, it¡¯s just impractical. So by doing it this way they trick adventurers into letting their accounts grow and grow while the majority of their money is being used towards investments.¡±


    Zutiria nods along, fascinated if not visibly pissed at the system and its blatant manipulation tactics. Sam however, I apparently lost very early on in the explanation. I sigh and sum it up for her. ¡°No, it¡¯s not normal. It¡¯s the Association of Adventurers being shitty.¡±


    ¡°Bastards!¡± Sam slams her fists down on the table, though thankfully not enough to break it, just make everything sat on it jump.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I sigh.


    ¡®Hurry up and finish your paperwork, Sammy. You and I have plenty of things on the agenda for today.¡¯ Zutiria has long since finished and has taken her beret off to reveal that little rat of hers. It crawls down across her shoulder and arm to rest on her palm, which makes her smile.


    ¡°Almost, just give me a minute...!¡± Sam grumbles, scratching at the paper with her pen.


    My attention is still drawn to Zutiria¡¯s pet, though, as it¡¯s wearing a little white collar with a red bow string that looks suspiciously like my own. Seeing how it caught my eye, Zutiria extends her hand and the rat closer to my face for inspection. ¡®Do you like what I¡¯ve done with him? He is a civilized gentleman now.¡¯


    ¡°He looks familiar.¡± I raise an eyebrow, which gets a soft smile from Zutiria.


    ¡®I call him the Little Sir. He comes from a shabby background of ill repute and he¡¯s always scrounging for any opportunity he can find to get out come on top, but it hardened him. Made him tough. The other rats are scared of him, and rightly so. He has a certain fire in his eyes... don¡¯t you agree, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°... Uh-huh.¡± Boy, that was revealing.


    She giggles adorably, bringing the large, dark grey rodent close enough for her to kiss him on his whiskery cheek. It squeaks happily. ¡®I have taken it upon myself to make him presentable, but I have not yet found a way to keep the tiny glasses I¡¯ve made for him in place and he insists on nibbling his little vest. Once I¡¯ve recovered enough to use higher level spells, I plan on making the Little Sir my familiar. I¡¯ve never had a familiar before, so I¡¯m quite excited.¡¯


    I can¡¯t help but smile, even if she¡¯s openly admitting how similar she thinks I am to a rat. Ah, well. At least I¡¯m a rat that makes her happy.


    ¡°DONE!¡± Sam stands up like an impatient toddler and shows off her signed documents. Zutiria and I both clap sarcastically for her, but she doesn¡¯t get that we¡¯re teasing her so she just basks in our admiration of her own ability to sign ¡®SAM¡¯ over and over again on a dotted line.


    Zutiria smiles and summons the Little Sir back to her little beret and stands up. ¡®It¡¯s half past ten. Not too bad, considering.¡¯ She says while shooting a biting look at Sam, but the implication is lost on the air-headed Princess.


    ¡°One moment,¡± I say while heading towards a storage closet. I rummage around until I find several very large burlap sacks for them to carry the steezweed back and forth to the illicit alchemist¡¯s home.


    Until now we relied on selling wild steezweed to the buyer through mailing back the quests he posted, he did mention in his quest notes that if it¡¯s easier for us we could visit his place of business and sell them there. I¡¯m sure that he wouldn¡¯t mind such a large load outside of official quest business. I sure hope he wouldn¡¯t at least, because I don¡¯t want to have to store that smelly junk in the Guild while trying to find a buyer.


    Anyways, I hand them over to the girls and explain how to get to the buyer¡¯s address. They both give me a playful kiss on the lips as they set out for the day, ready to bring back their buried weapons and harvest a crazy amount of weed that will almost certainly end up processed into an illicit potion. Just another honest day¡¯s work in Dewhurst.


    ¡°Boss, how long is all that boring ass paperwork gonna take you?¡± Sam asks on her way out.


    ¡°Most of the day,¡± I admit sadly. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    She blushes and smiles, looking down to Zutiria who nods. ¡°Well, we were thinking that if you get done before we get home then you should... uh...¡± The Princess coughs awkwardly.


    ¡°Yes...?¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about us. Leave early for your date with Opalina.¡¯ The little lady smiles ever so coyly.


    Shit. Between all this documentation  and paperwork I honest to gods forgot that I had planned on meeting the good doctor later tonight. Even more so that this meeting was likely going to go in a very sexual, lewd direction. ¡°I see. Well... are you sure? What will you have for dinner without me?¡±


    Sam laughs heartily from outside the Guild. ¡°Surely you wouldn¡¯t mind if we took a bit of the pay from today and treated ourselves while you go and treat yourself on those huge tits, would you Boss?¡±


    I blush and look away, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so crass about it, Sam. Honestly. Have some tact...¡±


    Sam has trouble holding in a snort and she gets in close to my face. ¡°Holy shit, Boss, are you actually like... SHY about getting to smash that milfy piece of ten outta ten?¡±


    Turning to face the Princess with the shit-eating grin, I bare my balled fists. ¡°So what if I am?! She was my first crush, Sam! Unattainable beyond belief, the wet dream of every boy in Dewhurst!! And not only that, she practically raised me!¡±


    Sam, completely not getting the point, starts laughing even harder. ¡°So what? That just means you get to call her Mommy without it being weird! But wait, if she¡¯s Daddy¡¯s Mommy then what do I get to call her...? Do I have to call her Granny? Because uh... I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be into that one honestly.¡±


    My cheeks are redder than they¡¯ve ever been and I have half a mind to grab this Princess, throw her over my shoulder, walk back up to the bedroom and spank the shit out of her fat, jiggly ass. But luckily I don¡¯t have to.


    Zutiria points towards the obnoxious Princess with her little pointer finger and whispers, ¡°Dar... kreach...¡± verbally under her breath.


    A single shadowy hand reaches out from Zutiria¡¯s shadow and flies towards Sam, shutting her stupid mouth once and for all. She flaps her arms uselessly trying to escape, but the shadowy hand begins to drag her along behind the Mage who starts walking away.


    ¡®Do your best, Sir. Both at the paperwork and with your magic, ageless Mommy.¡¯ Zutiria turns to wave at me and to my surprise, the Little Sir pokes out from under her hat and waves at me as well. Sam is still struggling against the dark hand clutching her face shut, and I can only hope it¡¯s not awakening some sort of suffocation fetish in the little royal brat.


    Gods know that Princess¡¯s brain is fucked enough as it is.


    I turn back towards my Guild and make my way to the office, and despite how little I¡¯ve used it the last several years I still know where everything I need is. Shortly after arriving I¡¯ve already straightened out multiple stacks of papers I need to work through.


    The residential papers, the monthly income statement, as well as some various odds and ends I need to report to the AoA in general. If I¡¯m working at full capacity I reckon I could maybe polish this off in five hours, but... Opalina.


    She¡¯s waiting for me. Not just now, but for the last five years she¡¯s been alone and worried about me and has harbored a secret longing for me every single one of those days and then some. When I was at my lowest and avoiding her, she was on the peripheral waiting for me to call out.


    And I never did...


    Three hours.


    I don¡¯t care if I break my wrist, I¡¯m getting this all done in three hours and not a second less.


    My pen scrawls at high speed, all but tearing the documents, my eyes with their otherworldly power scan across them, scrutinizing for everything that needs to be filled out and everything that can be ignored.My brain calculates long form equations to double check the earnings and list everything properly in the correct order.


    The only break I take is to make myself a weapon to fight the darkness that is paperwork- a sword so sharp it can propel me to victory. My signature sweetened blend of coffee that contains a near lethal dose of caffeine. Poison to all others, only I, in my bureaucratic might can use this potion to battle my enemies and come out alive.


    Sign this. Stamp that. Carry the three. Seal this envelope. Sign. Sign. Sign. Sign. Sign.


    Sigh... There.


    The task is done, and the kicker? It only took two hours and forty-two minutes. I did it, Miss Hart...! I did it for you! I pump my arms into the air victoriously and stand up to celebrate, only to topple over my desk from legs fast asleep and accidentally slam my forehead into the hardened wood of the table.


    I groan loudly and rest from my coffee crash, closing my eyes for just a moment. But in that short moment I¡¯m interrupted by a knock on my office door. ¡°Dear? I hope you don¡¯t mind but I let myself in given that the front door is in a sorry state of repairs.¡± I hear a deep, mature giggling on the other side of my door followed by a much more serious tone of voice telling me,


    ¡°We need to have a long talk about this place though, young man. Would you care to explain to me how this Guild ended up transforming into such a... a... disgusting, barely livable violation of the Goddess¡¯s Realm?¡±


    Fuck the Goddess, and fuck me. I was kind of hoping I¡¯d get to make love to Opalina BEFORE she came over and saw how shitty the Guild looked...

 A Day Out with Miss Hart

    Somebody couldn¡¯t wait until tonight to see me, it seems.


    Opalina, after seeing my sorry state, pulls me out of my office and we move out into the entrance hall. She sits me on one of the tables before disappearing into my humble kitchen as if she owned the place, returning with a lovely cup of tea for each of us. If the disgusting state of the kitchen bothered her she¡¯s not showing any signs of showing it.


    The beautiful older woman places the teacups down onto the wooden table and takes the seat closest to mine, barely putting any space between us. For anyone else it might seem overly familiar and overbearing, but for Opalina it just feels natural. I welcome her gentleness by my side.


    After we¡¯re both settled in with the nice cups of tea comes the hardest part. She starts grilling me mercilessly on the state of the Guild. The neglect, the disrepair, the spiders, the rats, the things broken by Sam... everything. She really chews my ear out for a good while before letting me speak.


    After explaining myself and my failures for a good twenty minutes to Opalina, she sighs for a very, very long time. ¡°You should at least get the door fixed, Sweetie. I know a good contractor I can set you up with as soon as you¡¯ve got the funds to start working on this place.¡±


    ¡°That would be for the best. I wouldn¡¯t know who to trust in this town.¡± I avoid eye contact with Opalina, feeling embarrassed now that she¡¯s heard the full extent of my five years of depression.


    Opalina Hart has never known the meaning of personal space, and she sure as hell hadn¡¯t learned it in the short span of time since yesterday. She sighs and hugs me to her breast. ¡°Sweetie?¡±


    ¡°... Yes?¡± I say, blushing hotly.


    ¡°I¡¯m a doctor, you need to stop thinking I¡¯d be disappointed in you, or mad over this... I understand depression and the effects it has on a man.¡± Her gloved hand begins to affectionately stroke my hair, fingers massaging my scalp. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to feel any shame in telling me about your condition.¡±


    I know she¡¯s right, logically. But I still have a sense of pride and it¡¯s hard to combat against that no matter how gentle or soothing her words may be.


    I try to think of something I can say in this situation, but after mentally stumbling around all I can manage to say is a clumsy, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Smiling gently as always, Opalina releases me from her hug and brushes some stray hair out of her face so she can stare into me with those beautiful purple eyes of hers. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to start punishing you if you insist on apologizing constantly for things that aren¡¯t your fault in the slightest, Dear.¡± She says with a low, barely hidden undertone.


    I know it¡¯s early in the day, but... the way she¡¯s looking at me and what she¡¯s saying causes my emotions- as well as my confidence- to stir. Under the table I slip my hand and place it on her plush thigh, wrapping my fingers into it and squeezing suggestively. She has more meat than Sam and Zutiria combined, and the softness is only amplified by her silky pantyhose.


    ¡°I believe I would like that, Opal...¡±


    Her face turns red as can be and her expression becomes a conflicted mess of deep interest and embarrassment. ¡°Hmm. You really have grown up into a naughty little boy haven¡¯t you...?¡± She manages to make out while placing her hand on mine, before taking it off of her thigh.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± Opalina leans in, whispering into my ear.


    She pulls away from me and sips from her teacup. ¡°I only wanted to confirm if you were still going to be visiting me tonight, Dear.¡±


    ¡°Actually, you got here right when I finished my main task for the day and the girls insisted that I go to see you as soon as I was done.¡± I conveniently left out the part where they said I don¡¯t have to come back until next morning, but I¡¯m certainly sure that the three of them discussed all this last night in my absence.


    Gods, I haven¡¯t even considered what sort of girl talk they got up to when left to their own devices...


    ¡°Goodness! But it¡¯s so early! You didn¡¯t work yourself too hard for my sake, did you?¡± She looks at me sternly with a frown from her red, full, pouty lips.


    ¡°I would lie and say no, of course not, but...¡± I stifle a small laugh and her frown becomes a motherly grin.


    ¡°Goddesses above and below, what am I going to do with you?¡± The mature woman reaches out to playfully pet my hair once more as she¡¯s always done since I was a boy.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I have you all to myself for the rest of the day?¡± Opalina¡¯s eyebrow raises, playfully.


    ¡°And the night as well.¡± I remind her as smoothly as I can, causing the warmest giggle to burst from the mature healer as she holds her hands in front of her lips to hide it in a rather dainty manner.


    ¡°Honestly, Dear, show some restraint.¡±


    I lean closer into Opalina¡¯s personal space, my lips barely inches from hers. ¡°The new me isn¡¯t very good at that.¡±


    Surprisingly I¡¯m met with her wand pressed against my lips before I can push any further. She laughs softly and pushes me back properly to my seat before getting out of her own. ¡°You don¡¯t need to impress me, you silly boy... Come along now. If you¡¯ve really got nothing better to do than shamelessly grope an old lady¡¯s thighs while flirting, then your time would be better spent helping me out with just a few little errands I have to run. It won¡¯t take long at all¡±


    Opalina Hart is a good, honest person. But in my many years of experience with her I know for a fact that when she says she needs help with ¡®one or two¡¯ errands then by all accounts the rest of the day is forfeit.


    I have no right to refuse so I agree and head back to my office quickly sort out the documents I¡¯m able to mail off today and leave the paperwork that can be mailed as soon as Sam and Zutiria sign out for them to notice it in my absence. Naturally, I leave a note but this time I don¡¯t bother having it tease Sam.


    I leave the ruinous comfort of my Guild behind and step out into town with the doctor. Much to my embarrassment, she insists on brazenly walking with her arm wrapped around my own as if we were an official couple.


    By now it¡¯s been well established that I¡¯m more or less Dewhurst¡¯s public enemy, so when I¡¯m seen walking around with the town¡¯s most coveted, beautiful woman in town I feel even more murderous glances than usual from the thuggish locals. This confuses my confidence very, very much and I don¡¯t know whether to feel elated beyond belief or worried for my life.


    Currently I¡¯m just trying to deal with it and enjoying the warm, comforting squeeze of her large bosom digging into my arm through her coat.


    My predictions about the day¡¯s events were entirely on the nose. I should know, I¡¯ve been shopping with Opalina a great many times in my youth and well into my adulthood. It¡¯s hard to refuse a request from her after all and I would never pass up an opportunity to spend more quality time with her.


    Things were so much simpler back then, compared to how things now seem to be heading between us.


    I was just a young man eager to help the woman who visited me several days a week to cook for me and who went out of her way to help with emergency finances when she could.


    Yes, she was beautiful, and sure as any man would I may have pleasured myself to the fantasy of Opalina, but it was pure. A gentle longing that I never felt sad over because it just wouldn¡¯t happen in a million years.


    Yet here we are...


    Opalina drags me to a number of stores and though they are typical of Dewhurst, being dirty and suspicious, we still leave each one with a growing collection of bags in my arms. Medical supplies, groceries, clothing, books, a little bit of everything she could think of buying was being dragged along by my strength alone.


    Salvation seemed near at hand when Opalina brought me back to her home at the clinic after roughly two hours of shopping, but the sweet release of bag duty was further than I dared hoped to dream. We merely dropped off my current load in the backroom and then headed straight back out onto the streets of Dewhurst to resume Miss Hart¡¯s extravagant shopping spree.


    That said, It certainly isn¡¯t all bad.


    We talk about a lot of things over the course of the long day.


    We discuss the girls more in depth, my plans now that the Guild is back in action to a degree, and I learn about how well her business has been doing over the last few years. According to Opalina it¡¯s seen a small decline thanks to the rise in demand for cheaper, behind the scenes and no questions asked treatment. The criminal element of Dewhurst thrives day after day while bleeding dry the precious few honest people the town has left.


    Speaking of the criminal element, while on our way to a shop I happened to catch Butcher Bludman out of the corner of my eye chasing after a raccoon with his cleaver as one would expect. He¡¯s madder than I¡¯ve ever seen him... The sight is odder than it should be, though, despite the butcher at least wearing a full set of clothes.


    Bludman¡¯s in a much, much rougher state than he was when I left him only yesterday. Covered in bruises, cuts and toting a massively swollen eye, he looks almost like he was tortured within an inch of his life.


    I try not to draw attention to myself as we pass by, but I seem to remember Sam saying that he went back to the steezweed farm chasing after a wolf that Sam ¡®forgot¡¯... even though he already paid for all of the wolves.


    By all accounts the only living thing on that farm should have been Spliffert, or at least it would¡¯ve been if I hadn¡¯t told the man to get out of town.


    My mind is one that always tends to assume the worst, and the butcher already said himself that he was acquainted with the humble farmer. Said that Spliffert was his dealer. But I can¡¯t piece together the puzzle of just what the hell happened last night...


    Did Spliffert escape? He would have had three to five hours before Sam came by to start moving the wolves which seems more than enough to me at least, but if he did escape then it doesn¡¯t make sense why the butcher would be covered in injuries. Besides that, what motive would Bludman have for suddenly deciding to chop up Spliffert?


    Putting aside his own wanton bloodlust and psychopathic urges, at least...


    ¡°Dear?¡±


    I snap back to reality realizing I¡¯ve just left yet another store and without my noticing another five bags of miscellaneous odds and ends have been added to the ever-growing burden on my arms. Opalina stands at my side, with an amused yet concerned expression coloring her beautiful face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been lost in thought for quite a while now.¡± Opalina giggles, her hands obviously free of any such load to carry. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say anything since you looked so serious, but then again you¡¯ve always been like that when trying to figure something out. Care to let me in on your inner monologue? Or perhaps you were simply just zoning out as this boring old lady drags you around from store to store?¡±


    I shake my head and laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like that, I¡¯m happy to help. I was just trying to put together why a mad butcher would try to murder his drug dealer.¡±


    Opalina¡¯s look changes from amused yet concerned to just straight up concerned. ¡°Think about this sort of thing often, do you?¡±


    My cheeks blush and I look away, ¡°It sounded much less strange in my head.¡±


    Her deep, husky voice trails off into yet another series of playful laughs. ¡°In my experience, most things tend to.¡± I can¡¯t help but join her, the warmth of her amusement infects me and I laugh in her wake.


    ¡°Come on, Sweetheart. Only a few more shops left and then I promise you I¡¯ll bring you home and feed you up fuller than you¡¯ve been in five years.¡± She begins walking away.


    I follow after her and can¡¯t stop myself from grinning. ¡°Not too full, I hope, I had plans after dinner and would hate to be bloated for the rest of the night.¡±


    Opalina stops in her tracks and turns to face me, her face coated with such a mischievous aura the likes I¡¯ve never seen on her. She leans in closer until she reaches my ear, whispering, ¡°You¡¯re being an awfully presumptuous young man, today. You seem to have certain expectations of what will happen tonight, and while certainly flattering to an old woman like me...¡± She giggles. ¡°I may just leave you high and dry just to see the look on your face.¡±


    A shiver runs down my spine as her melodious voice drifts into my ears and leaves me at a loss, my breathing becoming heavier. I can¡¯t afford to back off now, though. I want to show how serious I am about this. ¡°Miss Hart, with all due respect I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m being presumptuous in the slightest. If I¡¯m being overeager, however, then I apologize but I believe I have a very good reason to be.¡±


    ¡°Pray tell.¡± Her full lips come even closer, and I feel the whisper of her warm breath tickle the insides of my ear.


    ¡°My entire life I¡¯ve stared at a lovely treasure chest, ornate and beautiful. I lived under the assumption that it was locked and would always remain so, yet yesterday not only did I realize the chest was never locked in the first place- the lid was cracked half open the entire time.¡±


    Dropping all hints of seriousness and tension, Opalina pulls away and chuckles at me in an amused fashion. ¡°Did you really use such flowery metaphors and poetic nonsense just to say you¡¯ve been staring at my chest your whole life?¡±


    I return her smile sincerely. ¡°I like to think I¡¯m a lot wittier and charming than I may indeed be.¡±


    To my surprise, Opalina leans in once more and kisses me on the cheek before whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t put yourself down, little boy. Mommy thought it was very cute.¡±


    Her words and actions have the intended effect and I blush profusely when she pulls away. It seems that no matter how much confidence I develop, I might never be able to win against Miss Hart and her mature charms... I think I can learn to be ok with that.


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting, Sweetheart. Let¡¯s go. We still need to hit up the liquor store, I believe I was promised a cocktail, wasn¡¯t I?¡± Opalina turns away and flashes me a seductive smile, as she playfully sashays away- purposefully swinging her wide, curvy hips like a pendulum as she goes.


    I have a long night ahead of me...

 The Master’s Classy Hobby

    The rest of the shopping goes mercifully fast and the good doctor and I are back at her place before you know it. I¡¯m glad to be done, honestly, this was more much taxing than hiking around with Sam and Zutiria on local quests and carrying items for them.


    ¡°Help me put away some of this, Dear, you remember where everything goes don¡¯t you?¡± Opalina calls me into her kitchen and I help her sort out the groceries as if I¡¯ve done it dozens of times. Because I have.


    ¡°There,¡± I say after putting the loaf of bread into the bread box, ¡°I think that¡¯s just about the last of it.¡± I smile and stretch.


    ¡°Did you get a good workout today?¡± Opalina smiles from across the kitchen, sorting out the bottles of alcohol she picked out. There¡¯ll be more than enough choices for me to create a cocktail for her, a fact that I know she¡¯s looking forward to very much.


    ¡°Thanks to you.¡± I sigh, reclining against the counter.


    The older woman places her finger on her chin, tilting her head. ¡°You¡¯ve been aggressively suggesting that you want me to make use of your body all day, Dear, I don¡¯t understand. Isn¡¯t this what you wanted...?¡±


    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Her wit makes me roll my eyes behind my dark glasses. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time to talk about that, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    Opalina giggles in that deep, low voice of hers and it drives me mad. ¡°I¡¯m going to start blushing like a maiden if you keep being so forward about it. I wanted to spend normal time with you first, you know? But I understand the sentiment... in a way it feels like a dam about ready to burst.¡±


    As she leaves me with that imagery, Miss Hart strips herself of her light blue coat in a teasingly slow manner. Even though it¡¯s only one layer, it¡¯s still very sexy as she reveals the contents hidden beneath. A better glimpse at the incredibly round mass of her curvy breasts held tightly in place by a dark gray sweater greets me and I¡¯m very happy about it.


    When I look up to see her face, the mature woman is biting her luscious lips and looks like she¡¯s barely able to control herself. ¡°Would you like to help me cook dinner, Dear? Or perhaps you¡¯d rather go rest in the living room?¡± She stops to think about the best way to coddle me. ¡°Yes, go do that. I believe you likely need a break from cooking as you¡¯ve been feeding those two girls and yourself every day, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind helping you, Opal.¡± I smile as the blush rises on her face once again upon hearing me call her that.


    ¡°Nonsense.¡± She shakes her head, and her luscious auburn curls along with it. Her hands are planted firmly on her wide hips. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you to relax while I whip something up for us, understood?¡±


    There¡¯s no helping it when she¡¯s like this, so I duck out of the room. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡±


    As I lay here on her couch in the cozy living room of the second floor of Helpful Heals, a powerful sense of nostalgia overwhelms me. I feel like a child again, stopping by for a checkup on my worsening eyes. The eyes would never improve, sure, but at least I got to see Opalina. The one silver lining.


    And now I¡¯m here to do a lot more than just see her, apparently... how is this even going to work? I thought I needed to be adding new adventurers to my guild. Opalina may be a brilliant healer, but she¡¯s far, FAR from an adventurer and I know she has no interest in that sort of lifestyle.


    Will we just see each other on and off from now on, if things feel right? Is there a way she could become an even bigger part of my life the same way that Sam and Zutiria are?


    I know some Guilds have on site healers, but we don¡¯t have nearly enough adventurers to justify that and I couldn¡¯t pay her enough to leave her clinic behind in the first place, if she even would. That would be a lot to ask of someone, even if it¡¯s Miss Hart.


    I¡¯m getting ahead of myself just because my eyes are telling me for a fact that she wants me. I¡¯ve yet to actually talk to Opalina about her feelings, though what better way to get to the heart of the matter than after cocktails?


    All this thorough over-analysis of the tension between the doctor and I nearly gives me a stress headache but I dodge it narrowly by clocking out and taking a comfortable little nap on the couch.


    I¡¯m not sure how long I¡¯m out for, but by the time I begin to stir again I can smell a lovely aroma of a home cooked meal drifting out of the kitchen. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in there, but it smells a hell of a lot better than whatever I could prepare considering the low quality ingredients I can afford.


    I stretch myself to a more awake state and after opening my eyes accidentally I expect to be blasted with a searing, sharp pain, but much to my surprise that¡¯s not the case despite my glasses missing.


    In fact, as I come to I realize that I am partially no longer on the couch. Most of me is, but my head is now resting comfortably on top of those meaty thighs I felt up several hours ago. Their owner is staring down at me with angelic grace, a warm smile blessing her red lips.


    ¡°Dear...? Are you awake now?¡± She smiles, running her fingers through my hair yet again.


    ¡°Yes...¡± I say as I rub the sleep from my eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m still so shocked... you really can look at me without your glasses, huh?¡± She laughs nervously, as if she¡¯s been waiting for this day for a long time.


    ¡°Yes...¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t know why...?¡±


    I look into her eyes from below. Deep purple, beckoning safety and trust as they always have. I do know why, but I haven¡¯t even told Sam or Zutiria yet. Would they even believe me if I did? Would Opalina?


    Her expression changes, sensing my concern. ¡°You know you can tell me anything, Sweetheart. I won¡¯t pretend to know what you¡¯re going through, but... I¡¯ll always listen and tell you my thoughts.¡±


    ¡°... It¡¯s like I told you the other day. How there was a voice compelling me to take Sam, and then Zutiria. Telling me to make them my women.¡±


    The topic causes the mature woman to blush, although she nods her head. ¡°Yes, and? Has something changed since yesterday...?¡±


    ¡°I had a dream.¡±


    ¡°A dream?¡± She tilts her head quizzically, and I shake my head and sigh.


    ¡°There¡¯s no easy way for me to say this...¡±


    ¡°Then say it the hard way.¡± Opalina says with a serious tone in her voice. ¡°Stop worrying about my reaction. Why would I EVER have reason to doubt you about anything, Dear?¡± Her words almost sound offended that I don¡¯t trust her, and that makes me feel awful.


    ¡°Last night I had a dream that a goddess spoke to me and told me that I could have any woman I want as long as I could win them over, and that it would ultimately benefit my destiny. She said that there were girls she would hand pick to be with me through circumstance, my ¡®destined¡¯, but that any other women could be included as well so long as I wanted them and they wanted me.¡±


    A silence hangs in the air.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean... THE Goddess, do you?¡± She¡¯s referring to the better half of Karnalle¡¯s creator deities, the Twins. Lux Ultima, Goddess of the Highest Light.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough information to make that call. Does the scripture mention if the Goddess is a bratty little bitch?¡± It¡¯s an honest question, but it makes Opalina¡¯s eyes shoot wide open.


    ¡°Dear. I believe you, I truly do, but maybe let''s not go around tempting fate by calling the Goddess such things, alright?¡± She nervously chuckles, looking up at the ceiling as if wary of divine punishment from the heavens.


    ¡°Sorry, you¡¯re right. Thankfully she hasn¡¯t said anything in response to. She said something this morning, too, and the day before... she...¡±


    Raising an eyebrow, Opalina looks down at me suspiciously while continuing to stroke my hair. ¡°She what?¡±


    ¡°She may have made an inappropriate comment about what I should do with you.¡±


    She¡¯s silent for a moment, before giggling. ¡°If you were ANY other man, do you have any idea what I would do to you for saying such a stupid thing? ¡®Excuse me, Miss, I need to fuck your brains out because the Goddess gave me a free pass.¡¯¡±


    I join her in hearty laughter. ¡°Well when you put it like that, it just sounds silly.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Therefore, you must be telling the truth... mm.¡± She glances away slightly for a moment. ¡°May I ask you something, Dear...?¡±


    ¡°Anything.¡±


    ¡°You said that the Goddess... picked certain women out for you. She didn¡¯t... I mean... that is to say...¡± Her cheeks grow red as she tries to find a way to ask a question she¡¯s afraid of the answer to.


    ¡°... I think that she meant my ¡®destined¡¯ were adventurers, saying that I needed to perform ¡®powerful couplings¡¯ with them.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Opalina tries to make her disappointment appear minimal, but she does a very poor job of it. ¡°That makes sense, I¡¯m pushing sixty after all.¡± She giggles half heartedly.


    She¡¯s being somewhat self pitying, considering that age doesn¡¯t really matter so much when you¡¯re a Mage like her. Not only did her aging halt after a certain point just like Zutiria¡¯s did, but she¡¯s still in the prime of her youth technically and will enjoy a prolonged life span. Opaline really loves playing up the mature older woman card. Especially when it suits her.


    ¡°Despite that...¡± She looks down straight into my eyes, her own glare glazing over with repressed affection., ¡°You¡¯re saying your heart has room for more than just those special few...?¡±


    She inches down closer to my lips with her own, bit by bit. I can feel her warm breath from here, and as I begin to reach out to kiss her I say, ¡°As long as we both want each other. That won¡¯t be a problem, will it...?¡±


    Just before our lips meet a bell rings in the kitchen and Opalina jerks back upright, her massive breasts practically bouncing along to follow her up. ¡°DINNER¡¯S DONE!¡± She snaps back into a slightly awkward mood, blushing and sweating slightly.


    Just like me, she knows what she wants, but it doesn¡¯t make it any easier when the tension is so thick between us and when considering our shared history.


    ¡°Up, up!¡± Opalina pats my knees with a soft laugh, signaling for me to scoot up off of my comfy thigh pillow and away from my amazing under view of her bountiful bosom.


    She hands me my glasses with a smile after I sit up, revealing she took them off to look at me in the first place while I was sleeping.


    ¡°Give me just a moment, Dear. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s all ready!¡± Opalina prances into the other room almost like a delighted little girl, showing none of her maturity. She¡¯s really happy to be cooking for me again, isn¡¯t she...? The thought makes me feel just a bit guilty.


    After waiting patiently for Opalina to put the last touches on dinner, her voice summons me and I make my way to the kitchen to see the dining table stacked with more food than two people could reasonably eat. Thick cutlets of juicy, steaming pork, a large bowl of mashed potatoes, bubbling cauldrons of thick, savory soup, countless veggies and fruits scattered about all cooked and seasoned in a myriad of ways... and naturally a large helping of cookies and small pastries on the far side of the table.


    This is the power of a mother¡¯s love, and it never fails to impress.


    Even though I told her I didn¡¯t want to overeat, it fell on intentionally deaf ears and Opalina ignored my request. I should have seen this coming considering the many times this woman has cooked for me in the past. Part of the reason I have such a good physique is I got into a habit of exercising from a young age, mostly to work off the fat that her cooking brought along with it.


    I was successful in fending off the calories, but Opalina herself has never been very good at that which is the reason behind her very full, curvy, rounded figure.


    I have no choice but to engage in this extravagant offering, and I pick pieces of the many choices here and there until I¡¯ve got myself a decent plate. Opalina assured me that the leftovers could be taken home with me for the girls, even though she knows that their appetite is typically less thanks to my ¡®oral blessing¡¯.


    We share a delightful supper together, chatting about idle things once more and letting the mood carry us long past the point where our stomachs were full.


    I¡¯ve missed this so much...


    After we enjoy each other¡¯s company, I help Opalina package and seal up the remaining food that she intends to give me and get it out of the way so we can retire to the living room together. Before that, though I¡¯ve a promise to fulfill. This time it¡¯s my turn to make her wait.


    ¡°Any requests?¡± I smile confidently as I make my way to her selection of alcohol.


    ¡°You know what I like by now, Dear.¡± Opalina giggles and begins exiting the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you on the sofa, just don¡¯t keep me waiting TOO long... alright?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it.¡± I give her a reassuring grin before seeing what I have to work with.


    One of the many things a Guild needs in order to be successful is alcohol- lots and lots of alcohol. The only thing adventurers love more than getting paid is spending that pay on booze.


    Sure, many of them just show up and shout for ale, beer or mead, but a true Guild must have a skilled bartender to serve every sort of drink the realms over when requested. I may have mentioned that drinking is a small vice of mine, and it¡¯s no small part due to my love for mixing drinks.


    While at first it was just a skill I learned to help run the Guild, over time it ended up becoming a true hobby that I still enjoy to this day. Although I¡¯ve done it less and less as the years went on, since as the adventurers stopped coming to the Guild I had no more people to serve drinks to. Mixing drinks for yourself in an empty building is... depressing, to say the least. I¡¯ve yet to show this talent to Sam or Zutiria, either, mainly because I don¡¯t even have that much alcohol in storage and most of it is cheap leftover swill unsuited for the noble art of mixing.


    On top of knowing all of the classic cocktails such as the Salty Orc, the High Elf-Baller or the Crystal Vodka, I¡¯ve also dabbled in creating my own mixes. While none of them have ever been submitted to the official registry of Karnalle cocktails, I feel confident in them and Opalina has always had a vested interest in this hobby of mine. She¡¯d often visit the Guild as if it were a bar and I¡¯d make her plenty of different drinks to try, and at times I¡¯d walk her home or make up a spare bedroom for her if she drank too much to make the walk back home.


    I¡¯m limiting her to only one drink tonight, though, as I don¡¯t want to feel like I¡¯m intentionally getting her drunk for my own benefit...


    Putting that nasty thought aside, I begin mixing our drinks. I make the quick decision to prepare my own first so that the good doctor¡¯s is fresher when I serve it. For tonight, I want something hard and bold. Something to make me feel manly and give me a little bit of extra confidence, so I decide on a personal favorite of mine.


    The Dirty Dewhurst.


    Taking a highball glass, I fill it with ice from an arcane tech icemaker and pour a good portion of Dwarven Rust vodka and ginger root powder, and to give it a little kick I mix in just a dash of distilled basilisk venom. Very potent even when the poison is removed, though very expensive. I see Opalina decided to splurge on the good stuff...


    After lightly stirring and garnishing it with a slice of sylvan lime, my drink is done. I take a sip to measure my success and am pleasantly surprised by just how strongly it goes down. It¡¯s not my best mix ever, sure, but for being out of practice for a while I think it¡¯ll do me nicely.


    As for my lady friend, I believe I¡¯ll settle on something I know for sure is a real favorite of hers. A certain drink of mine I like to call the Fairy¡¯s Wings. Opalina seems to have accounted for this as the crucial ingredient is readily available- dust collected from actual fairies in flight.


    Rather than using the Dwarven Rust vodka I settle on the much friendlier Merryburrow Green, a brew known for giving you a tingling sensation of comfort and happiness. Along with the other sweet things I add alone the way, the end result is a drink that makes you feel like you¡¯re content enough to flutter around on the wings of a fairy. Lastly, I add a single cherry to the top and the drink is done.


    I again help myself to a much smaller sampling, and it brings a smile to my face. She¡¯s going to love it.


    Deciding to play it up just a tad, I search her cupboard for a small serving tray and place both cocktails atop it. I then exit the kitchen to join Opalina in her living room where I¡¯m greeted with a lovely surprise.


    The mature woman has changed out of her outfit and now wears a tight, beautiful purple dress. Open backed and low cut, it¡¯s dazzling to see how beautifully it accentuates her perfect curves and extravagant cleavage. The lights of the room have also been dimmed and replaced with flickering, scented candles.


    This woman works fast.


    ¡°I said not to keep me waiting, didn¡¯t I?¡± Opalina coos in a low, husky tone making sure to play up her pouty lips.


    ¡°Seems like it¡¯s a bad habit of mine when it comes to you, Miss Hart.¡±


    And with that, the drinks are served.

 Narrow-sighted

    The evening goes on as we sip our cocktails and engage in many different topics of conversation. I¡¯m having the time of my life here, soaking in the beauty of Opalina Hart and whiling away the night in her company.


    ¡°Catgirl maids, huh?¡± She laughs and rolls her head back, ¡°I suppose that might work... but are they even going to be any good at cleaning? They¡¯re cats, Dear.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I said. But it¡¯s too good of an idea to pass up... the Guild needs work as you¡¯ve noticed. And the first step is to clean it.¡±


    She raises an eyebrow and leans over the couch, an accusing glare in her purple eyes. ¡°You could clean it, you know.¡±


    Taking a nervous sip of my cocktail, I close my eyes and look away. ¡°I could. But I won¡¯t.¡±


    Shaking her head, Opalina sighs and crosses her arms in an amused way. ¡°How irresponsible. Where did I go wrong, raising a man like you?¡±


    I offer a cheeky suggestion, ¡°Maybe there weren''t enough spankings?¡±


    It makes her roll her eyes and continue her laughter. ¡°Oh shush.  Besides, a clean Guild isn¡¯t the only problem you¡¯re facing here. I want you to find a White Mage as soon as you can, and while there¡¯s not much you can do for little Zutiria¡¯s condition... Samantha, on the other hand...¡±


    I tilt my head, eager to have the implication explained. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°You have figured but I was, mmmm, listening in on your conversation the other day. Don¡¯t be mad, Dear.¡± She blushes and hides behind her drink, but I¡¯m not bothered by it. Mothers are supposed to be nosy.


    ¡°Are you saying you have an idea on how she can fight back against her Royal Blood?¡± Perking up with interest, my eyes zip straight to hers.


    Her mood deflates and I can pick up that this wasn¡¯t the case and didn¡¯t mean to lead me on. ¡°No, I meant your solution... Sorry. You see, I have a friend who¡¯s out of town right now but I believe I could arrange a meeting for Samantha and her. It would be very beneficial. Oh! But you¡¯d have to clean up the training yard out back of the guild first.¡±


    Now she has my interest. ¡°Oh? The training yard? We were using it just last week when Zutiria arrived. It¡¯s not in good shape but it¡¯d be easier to make it usable than it would be to clean the rest of the guild.¡± I let out an embarrassed laugh. ¡°This friend of yours, though...¡±


    ¡°Nikita. She¡¯s a former mercenary, although you might¡¯ve guessed with a name like that.¡± She laughs, ¡°I mean, what Grekkan isn¡¯t a mercenary at some point in their life?¡±


    Ah. A Grekkan... that¡¯s actually a very good idea, come to think of it.


    Grekka is a realm just outside of the inner rim, not too close to Karnalle but not too far either. Only a few weeks away on a good Void Ship if I¡¯m not mistaken. A Realm traveller is a fairly rare sight anywhere, but Grekkans are always off on some divine quest to please Zeus or invading other realms in the name of Ares... they¡¯re hardly reclusive.


    Dewhurst attracts all the ruffians from Karnalle and even some beyond, I¡¯ve seen plenty of Grekkans in town now and then. It¡¯s easy to pick them apart from the haughty behaviour and their distinct armor and weaponry.


    I more or less get what Opalina is implying from this and the thought intrigues me. ¡°You think your friend would be willing to train Sam? The offer sounds great, don''t get me wrong, and Sam DOES need to learn how to fight properly but it¡¯s not like I can afford an instructor, Opal... and I can¡¯t imagine a former Grekkan mercenary would be very cheap.¡±


    I can hardly think of a more qualified combat coach than a veteran mercenary from a culture that¡¯s renowned for their thorough training methods and dedication when it comes to raising heroes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with her when she gets back. She owes me quite a lot for all the times I¡¯ve patched her up over the years, and... I think you¡¯d interest her. Retirement doesn¡¯t suit her very well, you know? Maybe if you get more girls who need physical training it would be good to have someone like Nikita in your life.¡± Opalina giggles and takes a suggestive sip of her cocktail.


    ¡°Are you already trying to hook me up with your friends?¡± I can¡¯t stop myself from laughing and downing a large gulp of my own drink.


    The mature woman in her radiantly beautiful purple dress gives me a knowing wink. ¡°Mommy knows best.¡±


    I finish my drink and blurt out. ¡°Are we really doing the Mommy thing?¡±


    A smirk appears. ¡°Not ALL the time. Why, are you complaining?¡±


    ¡°I am not.¡±


    At that point, all the tension between us just seems to fade and neither of us can stop each other from laughing.


    ¡°Oh, gods, Dear... this is so much fun.¡±


    I scoot a bit closer on the couch to her, returning my hand to her thigh overtop the skirt of her beautiful dress. ¡°I missed you.¡±


    Biting her quivering lip and fighting back a small stream of tears, Opalina takes off her glasses and sets them off on the coffee table nearby. She nods her head. ¡°I missed you too... I missed you... I missed you so much... Dear...¡± She sniffles and in one fell motion scoops her arms around my neck and pulls me into the exposed cleavage of her breasts.


    Considering that I¡¯ve practically never seen the good doctor in anything other than a bulky sweater, this is the first time I¡¯ve ever felt the skin of her massive boobs and it¡¯s almost more than I can bear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ever leave me again.¡± She commands, sobbing quietly.


    ¡°I won¡¯t...¡± I tell her, and I mean it.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± Opalina hugs me even tighter into her chest. ¡°And another thing. Don¡¯t even think about paying for the Princess¡¯s treatment.¡±


    This news surprised me, and if I¡¯m being honest about it it upset me a little bit. Against my own wishes I pull out of her cleavage and look her in the eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t visit you because I wanted free treatment for Sam, Opal. I... I can¡¯t accept that.¡±


    Although her face is an emotional mess, she toughens up and shakes her head left to right. ¡°You¡¯re going to accept it, and you¡¯re also going to accept the 100,000 Gold I have for you to take home tomorrow. You¡¯ll use it to buy one of the maids next time the Breeding Tribe is in town.¡±


    ... Huh? I tilt my head, then shake it. No, she didn¡¯t just...


    ¡°What...?¡± I wonder aloud, looking her dead on.


    Surely I didn¡¯t hear that right. I close my eyes and blink several times incredulously. Yet no matter how many times I check, Opalina is still resolute and determined.


    ¡°No.¡± I say, tensing my eyebrows just a bit. ¡°I don¡¯t want your pity, Opal. I... can¡¯t do that.¡±


    There¡¯s a small gasp, and before I even know what happened she slaps me across the face then and there and I¡¯m left just completely and utterly stunned- staring into her eyes for what feels like near eternity.


    For the first time in my life, Opalina Hart is mad at me from the bottom of her soul. Her face twists in unrecognizable rage and tears endlessly flow down her cheeks. ¡°How... how DARE you think I¡¯m pitying you...?! You selfish, NARROW-SIGHTED LITTLE BOY!¡±


    Narrow... sighted...?


    ¡°You should have come to me YEARS ago, and I would have helped you. I know you¡¯ve created this narrative of self pity for yourself where you¡¯ve been all alone your whole life, and how you spiralled out of control because you kept failing in your business, but GODS, you were NEVER alone!¡± She thrusts her balled fists to the sides of her body to emphasize her point.


    ¡°When it happened, I... I offered to formally adopt you, but you were so determined to take over your grandfather¡¯s legacy and abuse the legal loophole with the Association so that you, a ten year old, could inherit the Guild... seeing you like that... all I could do was nod my head! OF COURSE YOU FAILED! OF COURSE THEY BUILT A NEW GUILD TO REPLACE DEWHURST!! YOU WERE JUST A CHILD and... and...!!¡± She bites her lip before she can continue.


    She struggles deeply to drive the blade even further in. Opalina knows I need to hear it, but that doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t hurt her to be the one who has to say it. ¡°AND YOU¡¯LL ALWAYS BE A CHILD UNTIL YOU LEARN THAT YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN!!¡±


    ...


    I try to talk, but there are no words.


    When did I start crying?


    ¡°Dear... I¡¯m so sorry... I never wanted to raise my voice at you... but...¡± She starts sobbing. ¡°Those girls have done so much good for you in the weeks you¡¯ve known them... you¡¯re an entirely different person now...! They¡¯ve helped you so much... and they¡¯re such sweet, sweet girls- really, they are... Samantha is so troubled but she¡¯s the warmest little bundle of sunshine I¡¯ve ever met, and the way she talks about you... gods, you¡¯d think you were her world. She balances you out perfectly.¡± Opalina giggles and laughs, though it¡¯s muffled by the tears she¡¯s wiping from her face.


    ¡°And little Zutiria reminds me so much of you, but so sheltered... and truly alone... She may be older than you, but you and I both know something... happened to her. Something that left her stunted... she needs your care, especially because of how much you can relate to her. You need her as a reminder that if she can fight against her own darkness, so can you.¡±


    There¡¯s a very long and drawn out silence as I¡¯m left dumbfounded, wondering if she¡¯s finished.


    She¡¯s not.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a jealous woman, Dear. You know that, yes?¡±


    I meekly nod my head, subserviently.


    ¡°I just... want to know...¡± Opalina begins, her voice trying to sound firm but quickly devolving into yet more sobbing and sadness. ¡°Why won''t you let me in and help you the only way I know how?! You¡¯re looking after those girls... but... who¡¯s looking after you? I ask because you¡¯re sure as hell doing a bad job of it yourself!¡±


    She then stares at me with a face so devastatingly sad that I stop breathing just from one look at it.


    ¡°Am... I... not good enough for you...?¡±


    I close any distance left between us in one quick motion, pulling myself to her body and wrapping my arms around her curves tightly. I look straight into her purple eyes as I kiss Opalina for the first time, and I make damn well sure she sees every bit of my resolution and determination.


    I will never hurt this woman again.


    Her lips are warm, and soft.


    I will make Opalina Hart my woman, and give her the place at my side that she always yearned for.


    I want to feel her lips against mine forever, they feel so good.


    She was right. It¡¯s alright to be taken care of... I can¡¯t be always fending for myself or trying to take care of others without any regard for what happens to me.


    I kiss her harder.


    I won¡¯t push her away ever again...


    Our tongues make first contact, and I¡¯m overtaken by the wet, velvety muscle as it presses down on my own. It¡¯s different from Sam and Zutiria, this is a deep, practiced kiss from someone who knows what they¡¯re doing. A kiss so good it all but melts my heart and causes a swelling in my pants.


    Opalina moans into my mouth and I feel her steamy breath, her eyes lidded with foggy lust. I know an opportunity when I see one, and I place my hand on her thigh with the intention of moving it further up.


    Before I can even so much as reach into her dress, however, she swats away my hand and grips me with surprising power. ¡°Did you learn nothing just now, little man?¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°No, I know what to do. I¡¯m never going to hurt you ever again, I¡¯m going to-¡±


    Opalina smiles and narrows her eyes, before I know it her finger is placed on my lips. ¡°I¡¯m not done speaking. Nod your head along with me if you understand.¡± She waits patiently until I nod.


    ¡°Good boy. I don¡¯t care what sort of magical destiny fast-pass you have to other women¡¯s nethers. You will NOT be making me your woman.¡±


    The thought terrifies me, but I nod my head.


    ¡°I will be making you MY man. Understood?¡±


    I nod my head so rapidly and enthusiastically she drops the serious facade entirely and starts giggling uncontrollably. ¡°Such a naughty little boy. I think we need to let out all that pent up naughtiness, wouldn¡¯t you say? Shhhh shh shh. Don¡¯t say it. Just follow my instructions. Go inside my bedroom, strip, and lay down on the bed as you wait for me to arrive. Alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Hart.¡±


    ¡°Yes MOMMY.¡± She corrects me with a devilish smile.


    ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± The words make my cock stiff as an iron rod as they leave my lips, something that ¡®Mommy¡¯ very much noticed as evident by the roguish smile spreading across her freshly kissed lips.


    ¡°Go. You¡¯ve kept me waiting long enough, I won¡¯t let you ever do it again.¡± She stares at me silently, before pointing to her bedroom. ¡°GO!¡±


    I take the hint and hightail it to her bedroom but not before she sneaks in a strong spank on my way out. I hear her giggling fade into the distance behind me as I exit the room.


    The bedroom of Opalina is somewhere that I¡¯ve never been, yet it feels so familiar and comfortable. This is where she lives... This bed is where she¡¯s dreamed of me for gods know how many nights. And now, tonight is the night that we''re going to share it together. Tonight the two of us shall give into our mutual inhibitions, and I¡¯ll let her claim me.


    After stripping myself and laying on the bed as commanded, a bit more of my clarity returns and I briefly fall down from this emotional high. A lot of things are still unclear about how our relationship is going to work from now on, but one thing is painfully clear.


    I love Opal... and Opal loves me.


    These rest of it will all fall into place sooner than later and all that¡¯s left for right here, right now, is to do what I¡¯m told. I trust her. Just like I always should have.

 Being a Good Boy

    Waiting for Opal in her bedroom felt like the longest ten minutes of my life. I was naked as could be and my cock was painfully erect the entire duration. In a way I felt out of place laying atop the blankets of this luxurious four poster bed with satin curtains. This room, and the bed specifically smelled deeply of a mature woman and here I was in the nude, tainting it with my perversion.


    It¡¯s a silly thought, sure, but I¡¯m buzzed and very nervous about what¡¯s about to happen. I just received a very harsh, stern verbal beating that I entirely deserved from a woman I love from the bottom of my heart and then I was told to strip myself and await her company.


    I won¡¯t apologize, it wouldn¡¯t be enough. Everything she said was true. Within the tangled web of relationships I¡¯m weaving I¡¯m definitely the one looking after Sam and Zutiria and there¡¯s no one looking after me. Not in the way that I need someone to. Or rather, there always was and I spent most of my adult life isolating her.


    I can¡¯t say I¡¯m sorry. I can only be better.


    There¡¯s a knock at the door. It¡¯s slow and meaningful, and followed by the low tones of Opalina¡¯s voice. ¡°I¡¯m coming in.¡±


    I appreciate the warning, even if it¡¯s completely unnecessary. This is her bedroom after all...


    Opalina emerges, having made her third second wardrobe change of the night. This time she wears a dark, deep blueberry colored robe with white fur trimming and lots of lace. It covers the entirety of her body, though hugging it tightly in all the right places. While not explicitly lingerie, it''s very, very close.


    Glaring down at me with a look of seriousness, Opalina approaches her bed in the darkness lit only by the flickering of scented candles spread about her bedroom. ¡°Are you going to be a good boy from now on?¡± She asks.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I admit fully.


    She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. ¡°Explain yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to having to rely on anyone else. I want you to be with me so that when I make a mistake, you can scold me and put me back on the right path. I can¡¯t promise to be something that I don¡¯t know how to be. But I can promise I¡¯ll try if it means I¡¯ll have you in my life.¡±


    There is, for the last time of the evening, a long and pronounced silence. Only this time at the end of it Opalina smiles in a pure, motherly manner and opens her robe in all its glory. ¡°A very good answer from a very good boy.¡± She says.


    The blueberry robe falls to the floor and I¡¯m stunned by what was hiding beneath.


    Standing 6¡¯2, Opalina¡¯s body is not thin by any stretch of the word. She has endless curves, she has a tummy, and her thighs atop her long, long legs are so meaty they all but clap together as she walks... and I have long since emphasized the sheer wonder of her breasts. She is a striking, classically beautiful woman the likes of which you see illustrated in ancient history books and sculptures inspired by the gods themselves.


    Making her even more beautiful is her long and wavy auburn hair that falls along her back perfectly even now, stopping just shy of her generous ass. Her glasses are nowhere to be seen, leaving me alone with the deep, purple comfort of her eyes.


    And if all that natural beauty wasn¡¯t enough, underneath the robe Opalina was hiding a devilish secret. Gone were her traditional pantyhose and skirt, instead replaced by sheer white stockings digging harshly into her plush thigh meat. A lacy, dream-like pattern flows across them and the both of them attach via white leather straps to an equally lavish white garter belt wrapped oh so tightly around her hips. If she had any more curves to give her entire ensemble looks like it would pop right off. Granted, it¡¯s far from the only thing that¡¯s about to pop.


    Beneath the garter belt she wears absolutely nothing. I can see her mound, wet and eager for me even though we¡¯ve yet to even touch outside of our kiss. Above her cleft is a humble little bush of auburn, trimmed tastefully. It truly made her seem much that more mature than my other lovers, although I love them all.


    Last, but certainly not least, the tits I¡¯ve dreamed of for so long now sit out in the open for me to see in their full resplendence. Her skin has the slightest olive tan to it, but despite that the only word I can use to describe her massive globes of breasts is creamy. So big and so smooth that it looks like I could drown in them and sink into their depths. Her dark pink nipples look so sweet and inviting, calling on me to take them.


    I feel like a child again, looking up at such a perfect and mature woman and feeling small, vulnerable compared to her.


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful...¡±


    Smiling, she sits down on the bed. ¡°And so are you, my precious little man. Come here.¡± She pats down on the meat of her thighs. ¡°Come, come. Don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    I do as I¡¯m told and scoot from my place on the center of the bed down to her thighs and lay atop them, mirroring the situation we were in just earlier in the night, only now with a much more intimate undertone.


    ¡°Good boy...¡± She smiles, reaching down to massage my scalp with her deceptively powerful fingers. ¡°What a gooooood, good boy you are...¡±


    ¡°Is it.. Normal for those two little words to feel this good...?¡± I clench my eyes from an intense and emotional satisfaction the likes of which I haven¡¯t felt before.


    ¡°What even is normal, Dear? If the words ¡®good boy¡¯ make you happy then why would you ever get hung up on something so banal as normality? Is someone going to judge you for your tastes? Here? When you¡¯re alone in a room with a woman who would give you the world if you asked it of her?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm...¡±


    ¡°My poor little man needs to stop worrying and using his brain so much, even though I know that¡¯s what he¡¯s best at. Always such a smart little boy...¡± Her gentle voice coos and fawns over me, swimming into my ears and sending a shiver running through me with each and every word. ¡°MY smart little boy...¡± She giggles softly with pride.


    ¡°Look up at me, Sweetheart.¡± Opal commands of me.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Opening my eyes I can very clearly can¡¯t see past her heavy breasts.


    ¡°Look at them. What do you see?¡±


    ¡°The biggest breasts in all the realms.¡±


    It¡¯s hard for her to contain herself with that one, but she does her best to stifle the laughter all the same. ¡°Probably not, but they¡¯re all for you. How long have you waited for this moment, Dear?¡±


    I blush as I¡¯m compelled to answer. ¡°Ever since my first erection.¡± It¡¯s incredibly embarrassing to admit, but I do it regardless.


    Opal leans over, her right hand placing itself on my pecs as it slowly starts to travel down south. Meanwhile, her tits start to spill down closer and closer to my face. ¡°I think such patience deserves a reward. What does my sweet little man want? Go on, tell me.¡±


    ¡°I want to suck Mommy¡¯s tits so bad, so very, very bad...¡± My hips buck at the thought and she laughs. Not in a mean, judgmental way, but in sincere amusement at my perceived cuteness.


    ¡°Go on, Sweetie. Help yourself.¡± Opal lowers her delicate pink nipple into my mouth while grabbing my aching cock in her hand at the same time. I moan into her hard, pink pebble as I suck on her bosom for the first time.


    ¡°Mmmm... I¡¯ve wanted you to do that for so, so long... Just as I¡¯ve wanted to do this.¡± The mature woman delights herself by stroking her skilled and gentle hand up along the length of my sensitive manhood in a slow, teasing manner.


    ¡°That said, I didn¡¯t take you for the type to get a tattoo... at least not in such a delicate place.¡±


    ¡°What? Oh, no... that¡¯s... a rune Zutiria placed on me. It¡¯s so I fit inside of her.¡± I blush upon explaining an odd highlight sex life to my newest partner.


    ¡°How interesting. I don¡¯t know the first thing about that sort of magic.¡± She laughs in a low, sultry moan. From the look in her eyes I can see Opalina imagining my thick, towering meat pounding itself forcefully into the little Mage¡¯s tiny hole.


    It only arouses her further.


    Her fingers are deliberate and never do more than softly caress my shaft. From balls to tip she brushes against me with her nails in between full strokes. This rhythm of teasing is so caring and nurturing, unlike any handjob I¡¯ve had before.


    As she starts to put more force into it by squeezing the base of my cock and milking upwards, my breathing grows even heavier and in a reflexive panic I moan and bite down on the tender nipple.


    ¡°MN-¡± Opalina¡¯s eyes flicker and she bites her lip. ¡°Gentler, Dear... gentler. I don¡¯t know how you¡¯re treating those girls of yours, but you need to be tender with a woman... unless she asks you otherwise.¡± A slow, thoughtful laugh bellows out from her chest making her heavy tits jiggle.


    For just a moment I leave her nipple and take a breath of air, looking up at the beautiful, curvy goddess. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    Her reassuring smile that I can barely see peeking over her breasts comforts me instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, Sweetheart... Just be better. That¡¯s all Mommy could ever ask of you... Ok?¡± Opalina emphasizes her point by squeezing my cock and rubbing upwards once more, slowly and tightly.


    Stifling a moan, I nod my head. ¡°Yes... yes, I¡¯ll be the best I can for you...!¡±


    My sweet, auburn-haired doctor licks her lips and begins stroking my hair from her lap with her left hand. ¡°That¡¯s a good boy... a very, very good boy. Now be a dear and don¡¯t be shy, I said you can help yourself to my breasts, yet you¡¯re being so reserved and holding yourself back. Just remember, love... be gentle. Be kind. Show them how much you love them.¡±


    I waste no time following Opalina¡¯s instructions and I immediately wrap my lips around her proffered pink nipple and suck down sweetly on it and the surrounding areola. She hums in response out of pleasure, while with my hand I finally sink my grip into the heavenly mound of her right tit.


    It¡¯s softer, squishier and fatter than any breast I¡¯ve yet felt, and while Sam is plenty stacked the Doctor¡¯s assets are at the very least twice as big. Rather than sticking out like a sore thumb, however, when on the body of a curvy and mature goddess such as Opalina they seem natural and perfect. I never dreamed they would be offered like this to me on a silver platter, but I always hoped.


    Caressing and massaging the creamy flesh of her right breast with my hand and lapping, swirling and teasing my tongue around her left nipple at the same time, Opalina¡¯s arousal grows and I feel her thighs shift and grind purposefully into each other under my head.


    She rewards me by increasing the affection her playful hand gifts my cock. She transitions from slow, purposeful rubbing to a deeper and more intense cock massage by gripping down and pumping up and down. Opalina pauses every so often to skillfully tease my tip or fondle my balls exactly when I want them to be.


    ¡°Mmmmm...¡± She closes her eyes and rolls her head back. ¡°This is the biggest, hardest, manliest cock I¡¯ve ever seen... I¡¯m so proud of you, my sweet, sweet little man.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re welcome for that one, bee-tee-dubs. I thought it¡¯d help get you on the right track. Maybe I¡¯ll make it bigger again later, too.¡¯ The unseen Goddess sees fit to interrupt the passionate atmosphere built between us by planting her words into my mind. I don¡¯t respond, but Opalina immediately notices my distraction.


    ¡°Sweetheart?¡± She looks down at me over her tits, concerned.


    ¡°Sorry...¡± I pull from her nipple, leaving a small trail of drool connecting her to my lips. ¡°It¡¯s just... you¡¯re so good...¡± Moaning deeply and arching my back, Opalina seems convinced well enough and she giggles proudly of her own skill.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Dear. Just enjoy it. Do you want to cum for Mommy?¡±


    ¡°Yessss...¡± I barely manage to squeak out since as soon as she says it she starts wringing my cock.


    ¡°Good.¡± Up and down, up and down Opal squeezes with a focus and purpose in mind. ¡°Do you like this?¡±


    I nod, now unable to say anything beyond my increasing groans.


    ¡°Mmm, you¡¯re so cute. Stop holding back for me. Your girls have told me all sorts of things about you, you know...¡± She laughs, a slight look of curiosity twinkling in her eye. ¡°I really, REALLY want you to cum for me, Sweetheart... please... please cum.¡±


    She pumps harder, slapping her fist against my pelvic mound with every heavy thrust.


    ¡°Be a good boy... please... cum...¡±


    Opalina moans loudly for my enjoyment, and wrapping her fingers and thumb in a tight ring she wrings the one last passionate time it takes to push me over the precipice.


    The boiling desire in my balls to unload at her touch finally bursts outwards, spewing an unnatural and powerful cannon¡¯s volley of my white hot load into the air. Rope after rope flies and falls down, coating her hand and plastering my pelvis so heavily that it pools down the sides of my hips and trails down onto the luxurious bed below.


    Her skillful hand keeps milking and milking every drop of my load, her voice encouraging me by moaning and making soft little noises of amazement.


    This continues on for at least a minute straight until my ropes finally recede and I¡¯m left a shaking, trembling mess from the best handjob of my life.


    Now that she¡¯s done nursing my orgasm, Opalina surprises me by dropping the sultry and mature air of experience and addresses me honestly. ¡°Sweetheart? Honest question. Not as your lover, but as your doctor.¡±


    ¡°Yes...?¡± I shift off of her lap so I can better see her face, even though I desperately want to lay on her thighs for the rest of my life.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware that this amount of semen is... ah... medically speaking, absolutely fucking ridiculous, right?¡±


    I can¡¯t help but laugh as she loses her air of authority. ¡°Yes, I had a feeling but it¡¯s good to have a medical professional offer a second opinion.¡±


    Opal smirks at my coy response. ¡°How does little Zuzu even handle such a massive load...?¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t, but thankfully the sheets are there to absorb what she can¡¯t.¡± I shyly look away, laughing under my breath.


    ¡°The girls told me it won¡¯t take you long to recover in between shots, is that correct?¡± She smiles hungrily at me and then scoops up a large stroke of my semen and deliberately laps it up like the sweetest of creams. Opalina is very careful not to avoid eye contact as her tongue licks more and more of my load into her mouth and swallows every drop.


    ¡°Yes... usually under two minutes... depending...¡± My pulse rises as I watch the unfolding show. Soon, after licking her coated hand completely clean, Opalina decides that scooping up my cum isn¡¯t practical enough for her and she scoots down to my crotch.


    ¡°Depending...?¡± Her husky voice utters and her purple, lusty eyes size me up with seduction from behind my cock. Then, Opalina opens her pillowy lips and droops out her tongue to start licking up every last inch of my thighs and hips for stray cum. Her voice produces breathy moans with every last taste she gets of me intended to drive me mad with desire.


    I feel her warm, wet muscle explore my pelvis as it teasingly laps up every part of me that isn¡¯t my penis. This deliberate denial only makes me moan and roll my head back into the soft sheets below. Needless to say I¡¯m harder than iron in no time at all, but she doesn¡¯t stop until I¡¯m well and fully clean.


    ¡°Mmm, looks like I figured out how it works on my own.¡± She giggles playfully. ¡°But maybe Mommy should make your cock even harder before she finally lets you inside of her, hm? What does my sweet, sweet little man think of that idea?¡±


    The thought produces a tiny whimper that I can¡¯t control. I meet her gaze and panting heavily, I manage to tell her, ¡°I want whatever Mommy wants. She knows what¡¯s best for me...¡±


    The sparkling delight in her eyes is plain for me to see, and her rosy cheeks flare with even more fiery passion. ¡°Mmmm. Such a good boy.¡±


    ¡°I really... REALLY like it when you call me that...¡± I groan, my cock throbbing in need of her attention.


    She giggles and without saying a word, sits up and picks me up by the hips so that my ass rests on her thighs. I feel the plush softness of not only her supple meat, but the lacy lingerie pressed up against me. Her plan is obvious, and if I was throbbing before... now? Now my cock was thirsting like a madman.


    ¡°Of course you like it. You¡¯ve always been my good boy.¡± And with that, Opalina hunches over ever so slightly to wrap my cock in her gigantic tits. The contact with her soft, creamy flesh alone is enough for me to clench my eyes and arch up into her, begging the mature woman to fuck me with them. Now I know why she avoided licking up my cock, as my semen still clung to it and my upwards thrust lubed the way slick and easily enough for the tip of my cock to poke out the tip of her oversized cleavage. She put some real thought into this...


    ¡°My goodness...!¡± She coos in a low, exaggerated tone. ¡°My sweet little man is so huge that even with tits like mine, you still pop out! That makes Mommy so hot... and so very, very wet...¡±


    ¡°Haaaah...¡± I look like an idiot. I¡¯m melting and becoming putty, and again I buck up into her massive titties for all I¡¯m worth.


    ¡°My, my... just can¡¯t wait, can you?¡± She giggles and takes both of her arms, wrapping them around her enormous boobs and constricting me. The squishy prison expands at her touch and makes seeing my tip impossible. ¡°That¡¯s ok, Dear. I think you deserve to be spoiled a little.¡±


    And with that she flutters her long eyelashes seductively and licks her lips, before finally starting to hump the entire length of my cock with her incredible, plush globes.


    ¡°Ahhhh,¡± She rolls her eyes back. ¡°You¡¯re... mmm... a lucky boy, you know? Not... mn... every woman feels good from this... but... my huge tits are so very... very sensitive...¡± At the drop of her last word she glides me out of her cleavage and slaps down so hard that the meaty smack of her tits actually echoes out into her bedroom.


    ¡°AH, OPAL!!¡± I¡¯ve had a titfuck from Sam before. I loved it, and I love Sam with the bottom of my heart, but this is an entirely different experience. The sheer pressure and softness of her fat chest fucking me and the entirety of my cock is something I never could have imagined. My hips buck and my hands clench the sheets below as I watch this thick, stacked beautiful woman make me putty between her bosom.


    As I call her name she bites her lips. ¡°This... this isn¡¯t gooood.¡± Her breathy voice moans just a tiny bit. ¡°I just wanted to make you harder for me, Dear... but... oh... I can¡¯t help myself... do you want to cum in my tits, Sweetheart...?¡±


    My jaw falls wide and I buck my hips even harder upwards into her, loudly I cry, ¡°Oh gods yes please please PLEASE let me creampie your tits...! Opal... OPAL!!¡±


    The words light a fire in her as she closes her eyes and squeezes her mountainous mounds even further around my desperate manhood until she¡¯s created such a soft, pillowy tunnel for me to fuck as possible. ¡°Give it to me... Dear... I want it so bad... fuck my tits and cum in them... it¡¯s all you, I believe in you... Fuck them harder... HARDER-¡±


    She gasps as I groan, starting to put everything I have into fucking her titties and making them jiggle uncontrollably from the power of my strokes. Again and again and again I hammer my cock inside her breasts, watching her face contort into that of a woman on the verge of a powerful climax.


    With a look like that, I can¡¯t hold back. I fuck her tits with all the force of the many, many years I¡¯ve longed to do this very thing. When I can no longer hold myself back I scream, ¡°OPAL!!¡± out into the darkened, candlelit room and begin cumming such a thick, powerful load that it makes my first blast look like child¡¯s play in comparison. A handjob just doesn¡¯t compare to getting to fuck the biggest tits I¡¯ve ever seen, after all.


    Opalina herself screams as well, digging her fingers so hard into her sensitive breasts they leave a mark. From the way her body¡¯s shaking I can see that she¡¯s riding an incredibly powerful orgasm as my cum erupts out from between her lusciously large mounds like a burning volcano of my manly seed.


    Even as I cum I keep bucking and bucking, using her tits to milk me for everything I have to give until she¡¯s slathered in so much of my semen that it blankets her chest and creates a warm, gooey pool in her cleavage.


    After I¡¯m done cumming, somehow it¡¯s just not enough. I didn¡¯t even lose my hardness this time, which happens now and again, but it¡¯s far from normal even with my ¡®divine enhancements¡¯.


    Opalina, still reeling from cumming from her sensitive tits, is in the same position. She wants more, and she wants it now.


    She lays back properly down the center of her elegant four poster bed, leaving a massive trail of cum from her swaying tits as she does so. She spreads her legs and the sweet fragrance of her womanhood fills the air, and it¡¯s only now that I see how seeping and wet she is down there.


    Presenting her pussy to me for the first time, she looks at where she left me and using her fingers my beloved doctor splits her puffy lips wide open to expose her tight, pink hole for me.


    ¡°Dear... it¡¯s time. All those years you made me wait for you... make sure it was worth it... understood?¡±


    I sit up fully erect in more ways than one and kneel between her legs. Fist around my cock tightly, I line it up with her needy slit and begin to slowly push my head against her welcoming entrance.


    ¡°It will be.¡± With those three words of promise I take a deep breath and thrust my everything into the dripping sweetness of my newest, yet paradoxically oldest, love for the first time.


    PunishedKom


    Also, please share this series with all your friends you think would like it! I''m trying desperately to grow as large a following as I possibly can, and every bit helps. Thank you for reading this far, enjoy your milf time.

 The Chapter with Emotional Milf Sex

    Although Opalina is the third woman I¡¯ve made love to in about just as many weeks, I¡¯ll never get used to the amazing sensation of a girl accepting my manhood into her loving embrace.


    The older woman squeals in delight as I burrow deeply inside of her eager, dripping pussy, her voice becoming a breathy mess by the time I bottom out and hit my cockhead against her deepest inner wall.


    Although she allowed me on top of her, the skilled healer is still very much the one in control as evident by the wrapping of her hands around my wrists shortly after I grab her by the hips.


    We stare at each other there in the dark for just one short moment until she jerks my wrists forward. ¡°You can move, Dear. Please... give me your dick. I need it...¡±


    Her blush rises as I draw back from her tight tunnel up to my cockhead and in one fell motion I drive myself down once more even stronger. Opalina bites her lip in as she quivers in pleasure from my massive cock splitting her in half. ¡°Is it everything you¡¯ve dreamed of...?¡± I ask while mashing myself upwards into her sensitive clit.


    ¡°And... mmmn... and then some...¡± She reaches out with one hand and draws my neck forward, pulling me into another deep kiss. Our lips dwell sweetly on each other as I start pumping myself at a steady yet slow pace.


    ¡°You¡¯re stretching me so wide...¡± Her purple eyes are full of haze and lust, and the more I thrust the more the curvy woman¡¯s own hips start to grind against me. ¡°I¡¯ve never felt so full before in my life...¡± Opalina moans loudly, and her words do nothing but inflate my growing ego.


    She motivates me to pick up the speed, so gritting my teeth I saw in and out of her clenching cunt, taking the time to thrust in every direction to explore the sensations of my new lover.


    Her pussy isn¡¯t the outright tightest I¡¯ve had, but like the rest of Opalina being inside it makes me feel so warm and safe that I almost feel drunk from the unique sensation it wraps my cock in. Her lips tighten from time to time, sucking down and kissing my manhood in a delightful way that serves only to pull me deeper and deeper into her lovely slit.


    As my pace increases, so too does the jiggling of her many curves. Most noticeably her heaving, heavy breasts still slathered in my semen. ¡°Sweetheart... I¡¯m not like the other girls you¡¯ve had so far...¡± Opalina moans, trying her hardest to keep up eye contact despite the increasing pleasure between her thighs.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a teen... and... mm... I¡¯m not a petite little mage... you... fuuuuuck... I¡¯m a woman. You don¡¯t have to worry about breaking me...¡± grabbing hold of her bouncing mound in one hand, Opalina brings her flesh to her lips and in an effort to arouse me even further she starts taking long, slow licks up the side of her tit to lap up the delicious remaining cum leftover from my earlier explosion of lust.


    ¡°Fuck... me... HARD.¡± Opalina bites her lips while squeezing her perfect breast and it drives me mad. I can¡¯t take it any longer, I need her. I¡¯ve wanted this woman for as long as I can remember and now that I¡¯m hers, I need to prove I¡¯m worth the trouble.


    So I fuck her hard.


    Opal¡¯s back arches and I wrap my arms around her torso, laying my weight down on her curvy body. Her legs criss cross around the back of my hips to lock me in place as I work up a feverish pace with my powerful cock. ¡°Yes... YES!¡± She cries, her mouth forming a silent ring as moan after moan escapes.


    In and out I pound my throbbing length into the older woman¡¯s dripping snatch, each time a heavy wet slap ringing out as my balls smash up into her ass from this position.


    Opalina has put me in a situation I¡¯ve never been in before. With Sam, I was exploring someone else for the first time. With Zutiria I had experience, but she¡¯s small and delicate and needed care. But with Opal I¡¯m definitely the one with everything to lose. I feel an intense need to please her, to impress her...


    While I don¡¯t intend to inquire it¡¯s clear that my partner has experience and I need to live up to her needs with more than just my size alone.


    I need to make her remember the way I fucked her for the rest of her days.


    My lips dive into her neck and she yelps as I give her a powerful hickey on her neck between thrusts of my cock. ¡°So ROUGH!¡± Opal moans loudly, and I do it again. And again.


    Every time I kiss her and leave a mark of my love she bucks her hip up the length of my manhood with such force it stings my hips in return. This intense and pleasurable reaction of hers motivates me to seek out more and more stimulation and more ways to fuck her.


    Just how hard did she want me to go? I decide to push my limits.


    I unwrap myself from our embrace while not letting up the pounding of my cock inside of her, and hold myself up with one hand on the bed. With my free hand, I cup her cheek and stare into her cloudy eyes.


    ¡°More...¡± She says in a husky, breathy tone. ¡°MO-¡±


    Before she can repeat herself I shove my thumb down into her mouth and her eyes widen from surprise. At first it almost seems like she¡¯s about to gag, but she gets used to it faster than I expected. Her plump lips clamp down passionately around my thumb and she starts sucking it expertly with all the lavish attention she would give if it were my cock.


    Her tongue swirls against me and I push it deeper, just testing what I can get away with. Opalina¡¯s eyes roll backwards as I touch the back of her throat, and I call out to her amid frenzied thrusts of my hips, ¡°You fucking like that...?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm... mhmmm!!¡± She nods her head while still sucking on my thumb, and the pleasure makes me gasp. To really throw her for a loop I even start pulling out of her wet mouth, her suction doing everything it can to keep me in place. But it doesn¡¯t matter since I thrust it down back to her throat again anyway.


    She becomes breathless and her pussy tightens around my shaft, overjoyed beyond belief at my rougher play. It felt almost as if her body itself was rewarding my aching cock for teasing her mouth.


    When Opalina can¡¯t take it any longer she opens up wide for air, and that¡¯s when I grunt and put the entire force of my body into hard thrusts. ¡°AH!¡± Her voice becomes raspy from her screams, and I can hardly manage to do anything other than ream her cunt like we were nothing but mindless animals.


    I can tell she¡¯s getting close so I use all the control I have to stop myself from blowing early and decide once more to test something out. ¡°Cum for me...¡± I say, before slapping her gigantic breast.


    ¡°AH, GODS THAT¡¯S SO GOOD!¡± The mature woman¡¯s body jolts as if hit by lighting and that inviting look in her eyes begs me for more. I strike her titty again with my open palm and she cries and squeezes me between the lips of her pussy, becoming so tight I can barely pull myself from her tunnel.


    ¡°CUM FOR ME!¡± I repeat, this time instead of hitting her I grab her by the nipple and pull it out roughly as far as her impressive breasts will let her stretch.


    ¡°YESSS, I¡¯M CUMMING I¡¯M CUMMING I¡¯M- HAAAAAA...!!¡± Opalina¡¯s face seizes up and all my hard work pays off at once. Her body shakes. Her pussy convulses. Her hands pull me to her face to fill her empty mouth with my questing tongue and a torrential flood of her love juices squirt onto my cock like a fountain.


    It¡¯s too much for me to bear.


    Tensing up my body and contorting my face into raging ecstasy, I cum directly inside of her needy cunt. Each spasm shoots another thick rope of my essence deep, deep into her clingy sex until my love spills out the sides of her labia and makes a sticky mess of our mashing crotches.


    I sit there quivering inside of Opalina, reveling in the post-coital bliss I¡¯m feeling by filling her up for the very first time. It¡¯s such a lovely, intense feeling that is amplified when I reach my lips down to hers and kiss her.


    It¡¯s a soft kiss and it doesn¡¯t last all that long, but the two of us are left smiling and giddy after its completion.


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Opalina proudly looks into my eyes and rubs my hair affectionately, her voice riddled with exhaustion and sounding even huskier than normal.


    My body grows tired and I start to fall against her, but she embraces it and pulls me into a sweaty hug. Opalina smells of sex, and it causes a stirring in my still embedded cock. A stirring she notices very quickly.


    Opalina rolls me over without any warning and in a flash it seems as if her weariness is all but gone. She now straddles my hips and is kneeled over with my manhood still inside her. ¡°Sorry, Dear. But you¡¯re not getting off that easy...¡± Her low, teasing voice lets out a slow and breathy laugh. ¡°I said I was claiming YOU, didn¡¯t I? I just let you have some fun.¡± She whips her gorgeous auburn hair out of her face and suddenly begins bouncing and grinding her hips on my cock.


    ¡°FUCK! I... I just came... I...!¡±


    ¡°And?¡± She gives me the look of a sadistic predator gazing down at prey already in its clutches.


    I underestimated this older woman, and over the next round she proves it to me as hard as she can.


    She transforms from the subtle, gentle and encouraging type of older lady into a vicious queen cougar, impaling my rod inside her with reckless abandon and no regard for whether my poor body can take it. Given just how much sheer meat she has, she weighs heavily down on my hips and creates a powerful, impactful clap every time her ass drops down to take me.


    Every last part of this beautiful woman jiggles intensely as she gives me the ride of my life. Her heavy thighs, her massive tits, her slight tummy, everything bounces and makes way from the heavy impact of our fucking.


    Not wanting to let Opalina down, I do my best to buck my cock into her sensitive folds but this will be my fourth shot. While it¡¯s true I¡¯m blessed with some sort of divine stamina, it doesn¡¯t extend to my body as a whole. Just because I CAN fuck endlessly all night doesn¡¯t mean I should, especially when I¡¯m all but being ravaged and devoured mercilessly by this savage seductress. My body is aching.


    I¡¯ve fucked Sam really, really hard before- but I was always in control. I¡¯m not used to this... and it¡¯s way... WAY too much.


    ¡°Is it too much for... mmm, for my little man...?¡± Giggling as usual, the healer licks her lips in pleasure.


    ¡°NO- I... I can still go... I can...¡±


    ¡°Shhhhh.¡± Opalina reaches her finger down to push against my lips. She smiles a sly smile and says, ¡°Cum for Mommy.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how she did it, but at her exact words I slam upwards with all I¡¯ve got and groan a gasping, guttural climax groan. My cum spills out no less violently the fourth time than the first, and her already flooded pussy gushes out my load so hard and loud that I can hear the wet sound of it rushing out of her.


    Her eyes go white as I smash her pussy with unexpected, reactionary force and her hips lift a few extra inches off the ground. She almost falls over backwards in a powerful climax of her own before catching her balance by placing her hands on my knees.


    I watch as Opal slowly rides my shaft, eagerly squeezing her muscles for me in an attempt to milk out every last drop of this load. As soon as she realizes the well has run dry, she finally rolls off of my body and plops off to my side.


    Her breathing is ragged and deep. This took a lot more out of her than she was trying to make it seem... she¡¯s not in the best of shape for her age, no matter how much I love her body facts are facts.


    Turning to her, a warm smile brightens my typically somber face. ¡°Was it worth... the wait?¡± I say between heaving breaths.


    Opal lays on her side and pulls me into a hug, from this angle I¡¯m resting directly in her breasts. ¡°No.¡± She says blankly, and for a moment I¡¯m left with a broken heart. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to give me a lot more of that manly cock of yours to make up for the lost time, Dear.¡± She giggles and just like that my confidence is restored.


    ¡°If I can handle it, I¡¯ve got two other girls on my plate too you know.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re after even more? Sweetheart, you might want to start working on your stamina if you can¡¯t even withstand a curvy old lady taking you for a ride.¡±


    I raise my eyebrow at her. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I can last a lot longer than this. You just wore out my BODY¡¯s stamina... not my cock¡¯s.¡±


    There it is- that predatory glint in her eyes again. ¡°Are you saying you¡¯re ready for more?¡±


    Shit. I yawn and nuzzle into her breasts and pretend to have fallen asleep. She laughs at my attempt and strokes my head. ¡°Relax, I was only kidding. I¡¯m good... for now. But I might wake you up in a few hours for some more fun.¡±


    ¡°I can live with that.¡± I say, muffled from between her tits.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can, honestly.¡± She sighs. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle I didn¡¯t snap my back or tear a muscle. I¡¯m not as young as I used to be.¡±


    I roll my eyes. ¡°I know how your aging magic works, Opal. You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She giggles that adorable little ¡®fu fu fu¡¯ laugh of hers, ¡°Shush. I happen to enjoy pretending to be an old lady.¡±


    I let out a contented sigh from my place in her chest and nuzzle to her even deeper.


    For a short while we just lay there in each other¡¯s arms, enjoying the feeling of being together. Eventually I feel the need to interrupt this quiet bliss because of a stirring in my ever-active mind. I need to know.


    ¡°What are things going to be like between us from now on?¡±


    She¡¯s quiet in response, but eventually says, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well... I mean how are you going to fit into my life? The girls really like you, and I know it¡¯s a long ways away but I was maybe thinking that you could-¡±


    ¡°Shhhhhh.¡± She pets my head. ¡°Things are going to be fine. You have your life, and I have my own to worry about. Somebody has to run this clinic.¡±


    It¡¯s not the answer I wanted, but it¡¯s definitely the one I expected.


    ¡°We¡¯ll go back to how things used to be. I¡¯ll visit you a couple of times a week, only now it¡¯ll be a sort of family get together between you, me and the girls. Only a hell of a lot kinkier.¡±


    ¡°Go on.¡±


    She laughs me off dismissively, ¡°Oh, shush... I will say one thing though, Dear. If you ever become successful enough that your Guild requires an in-house healer, well...¡±


    Opalina pulls me out of her cleavage and up to her lips to give me the most intense and sweet kiss we¡¯ve shared all night. ¡°Consider this my application. Become a strong, successful Guild Master and I¡¯ll be yours. Until then I¡¯ll always be watching over you and supporting you from the sidelines. Understood?¡±


    Was this her way of challenging me? Because if working my ass off and recruiting tons of adventurers to build my harem and my fortune means Opalina will become a permanent part of it, then... I can¡¯t think of any greater motivation.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Leaning over to kiss me on the forehead, Opal tenderly nuzzles into my face and praises me one last time for the night.


    ¡°Good boy.¡±

 We’re Doing It

    The rest of my fateful night with Opalina went exactly as she promised. She woke me up a few hours after sleeping and rode my cock for yet another hour before we finally turned in for the night proper. We awoke as lovers and shared a slow, tender kiss and made love with a gentleness neither of us could afford the night before.


    Just like old times she feeds me a hearty breakfast of pancakes, bacon, hash browns and a dozen other items leaving me with two hefty bags of leftovers to bring home with me considering the rest of last night¡¯s dinner.


    That¡¯s not all I leave with, either. I couldn¡¯t turn her down regarding the gold that was promised to me... not after how greatly it offended her.


    It hurts my pride, and I now know that that¡¯s a flaw I need to work on. It¡¯s ok for Opal to want to help me. It¡¯s... ok for me to LET her help me. This money will help me buy a Catgirl maid so that the Guild can FINALLY get the proper cleaning it really, really needs.


    It¡¯s the first real step forward we¡¯ve made. I just need to quiet the consistently negative part of my brain that insists I didn¡¯t ¡®earn¡¯ it.


    Opalina lets me go with another kiss and insists on letting me return home to my girls. Surprisingly, I think she was too embarrassed to escort me back and be grilled endlessly by the girls about how everything went. I mention how they¡¯d likely love to see her, but all she could do in response was blush and give me half hearted excuses.


    Whatever the case, she lets me go and I make my way home under the dreadfully scary condition that I carry a giant bag of 100,000G out in the open on the streets of Dewhurst. Not a healthy prospect at all.


    There were several attempted muggings and although I escaped unharmed from all of them, the last was rather dicey. Luckily Milly the Catboy was in the area and courageously held the thugs off in exchange for some of my leftovers. He¡¯s a good boy, so I pay him his sausage and go on my way. It sure is a good thing I made sure the butcher stayed away from him, or else who knows what might have happened to me...


    When I get home, both my girls are in the entrance hall waiting for me. Sam is sorting the day¡¯s new quests and Zutiria is reading a book while idly holding up a treat for the Little Sir to nibble on. The rat goes back in her hat as soon as I arrive, and both girls rush to my side.


    ¡°Boss! Whatcha got in the- WOAH you need a bath. You smell like you had a good time.¡± Sam says in a bratty tone, flashing me a winning smile.


    ¡°Take these to the kitchen, please.¡± I roll my eyes and thrust the leftovers into her hands. ¡°Though there¡¯s breakfast in the smaller one if either of you want some.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Sam raises her eyebrow suggestively before doing as I say.


    ¡®Did things go well, Sir?¡¯ The little lady surprises me by wrapping her arms around me and pulling me into a tight, tight hug as if she missed me dearly, despite me only being gone for a night. Throwing the sack of gold on the nearest table I reach down and scoop her up so that I¡¯m carrying the petite woman in my arms and smiling face to face with her.


    ¡°It went about as well as it could have gone.¡± I confirm.


    She smiles peacefully, and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. ¡®You seem very happy. I¡¯m glad. Sammy and I both want the doctor to become a bigger part of our lives with you.¡¯


    ¡°How about you? Did you sleep ok? I was worried about leaving you alone for the night.¡±


    Zutiria blushes from my concern. ¡®Yes, Sammy took good care of me.¡¯


    Suddenly appearing before us again, Sam wraps her arm around my shoulder and laughs. ¡°In more ways than one, am I right?¡± She raises her hand for someone to high five it, but neither I or the Mage reciprocate.


    Her highness sighs and limply drops her hand back to her side. ¡°You guys are no fun. What¡¯s in the other bag?¡±


    ¡°A gift.¡± I lean down to return Zutiria to her own two feet and make my way to the gold. ¡°Opalina insisted that she pay for one of the Catgirl maids we want to buy, and I couldn¡¯t say no. It¡¯s... 100,000G.¡±


    Both girls look at me in astonishment.


    Breaking the silence, Sam shakes her head in disbelief. ¡°Boss, did you seriously fuck the chick so hard she paid you for it?¡± She can scarcely hold back the laughter building in her.


    Even Zutiria can¡¯t help but smile and roll her eyes. ¡®This has been a good week for us. Counting that gift, the payment from the butcher, and the money Sammy and I got when we sold the steezweed... that¡¯s well over 300,000G.¡¯


    I stare at my girls slightly slack jawed. A bubbling sense of pride bursts out from my gut and I start laughing, unable to control myself. Before either girl can react to my strange outburst I pounce on them and lift them both up off their feet with one arm. Sam and Zutiria both become giddy and hug me for dear life while I say, ¡°We¡¯re actually getting somewhere, girls...! Can you believe it? 300,000G...!!¡±


    ¡°Damn right I can believe it, Boss. This shit is all on your hands. We¡¯re just the muscle, you tell us what to do.¡± Sam smirks before punching me playfully in the pec.


    ¡°Don¡¯t minimize your roles in our success. Brains help, but the muscle is still the one doing the heavy lifting.¡± I say while blushing just a tiny bit, trying to downplay the praise because I¡¯m just that unaccustomed to it. And it¡¯s true. I¡¯m probably more proud of them than they¡¯re proud of me.


    ¡®I agree with Sammy, although your attempts at flattery are always welcomed, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria looks me in the eyes through my glasses with a smile not too dissimilar from Opalina¡¯s, that of a doting older woman. ¡®You should be proud of yourself.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not used to doing that,¡± I admit whole-heartedly, ¡°But I guess I¡¯m just going to have to get better at it... aren¡¯t I? ¡±


    Both girls pull away from my hug and Sam pumps her fist in the air. ¡°Damn straight! Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ll beat your ass if you get all mopey on us ever again. I need your help to make me the best adventurer I can be so that I can defeat the Demon Lord and save all the realms!¡±


    I sweat nervously, having blocked Sam¡¯s long term goal out of my recent memories. ¡°Yes, well, let¡¯s just see where things take us for now shall we?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, Boss!¡± Sam psychs herself up and is raring to go.


    Zutiria notices my hesitation and shoots me a secret message that Sam can¡¯t read. ¡®I take it this is a conflict of interest between you two?¡¯


    I look at the little Mage and reply with my expression, letting her know she¡¯s correct but also that I¡¯m not ready to talk about it with her any time soon.


    ¡®Understood. I¡¯ll never push you into revealing something you aren¡¯t comfortable with, Sir. You¡¯ve never pushed me, after all.¡¯ Her smile is gentle and understanding, and I¡¯m reminded why I love this little lady so damn much.


    ¡°Before we get started for the day, Boss. I think the two of us need to be topped up.¡± Sam flashes a toothy grin and looks at me with her sharp, emerald glare. Her gloved hand gropes my crotch with no hint of shame at all.


    ¡®I¡¯ve speculated that your ¡®blessing¡¯ has addictive properties, Sir, but I¡¯m much more convinced after having gone a day without it.¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s cheeks turn rosy and excited, looking up to me with eyes half lidded with lust.


    ¡°Guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I make an exaggerated sigh and a played up shrug, pretending I¡¯m not ecstatic about getting to fuck two of my favorite girls in all the realms and fill them up until they¡¯re bursting with my cum.


    Both Sam and Zutiria look at each other and laugh, before leaning over on the nearest wooden table and raising their asses at me. Each girl wiggles their rear seductively and beckons me forward.


    My life has been fully transformed from a horrible depression to an amazing and exciting whirlwind of adventure and sex, and it hasn¡¯t even been a full month since Sam entered my life. The Guild is actually starting to make a tidy profit, I¡¯m standing up for myself in town and starting to fight back against the terrible treatment I¡¯ve recieved and last but not least I¡¯m fucking three different women- all of whom actively want me to find more to share my bed with.


    Not sure how I feel about a Goddess meddling in my life, supposedly hooking me up with potential adventurers wholly dependent on her whims, and I certainly am not ecstatic about Sam¡¯s goal tying into my supposed destiny of being the one to defeat the oppressive Demon Lord... or the prospect of probably having to meet her father in the future if I want this relationship to have any sort of permanence...


    But when I see two gorgeous asses waiting eagerly for me to rip off their panties and fuck them for all I¡¯m worth, it¡¯s hard to focus on anything but the positives. Because there¡¯s a hell of a lot of them.


    PunishedKom

 Zutiria’s Tinker Time

    The next week was a very, very good one despite me making a single mistake that ended up having a drastic consequence that I really should have seen coming. More on that later, but for now I¡¯ll focus on the good.


    First off I¡¯ll just mention that the Breeding Tribe hasn¡¯t been in town. We¡¯ve been keeping an eye out for it every day but it could still be a few weeks out.


    I ended up talking to Zutiria about some of the teleportation issues I¡¯d been dwelling on. How I wanted to eventually set up a direct deposit to the Association of Adventurers HQ so that we could warp items directly to them on our own without having to rely on a mail mage and the usual delays that involves.


    Unfortunately, she told me that this kind of long distance warping is way too advanced for her in her limited state of power. There¡¯s a thing about teleportation magic that just makes it so much more difficult than other schools of magecraft. I¡¯ve read about it in the past, but she gave me a fairly detailed breakdown. Something about while you can break down and move an item through distorting reality and shortening the distance between the destination and the starting point, doing the same thing to a living being without ripping it into tiny chunks and scattering them over the realms is much harder.


    The other thing about teleportation magic is that it¡¯s generally accepted that you HAVE to be a Mage for it to work. That¡¯s why only Mages use the Warp Stone network, the thing Zutiria used to travel all the way from Imperalis to Dewhurst in a single day. All major cities have one, and they¡¯re an integral part of Karnalle¡¯s society in this day and age since they can warp a mage and a small amount of luggage instantly provided they¡¯re skilled enough to utilize them. But the fact that only Mages can use the Warp Stone network is a very limiting feature.


    This got her thinking, though, and I learned that when you really get Zutiria thinking you end up with incredible results.


    She complained to me that we¡¯d get a lot more done if they could warp back to the Guild after completing a task and with no context asked me for 5,000G. That was kind of a lot, but she reminded me that I promised to buy her any magical knick knacks she asks for while living with me instead of getting her Quest payment. So I couldn¡¯t refuse.


    What she did with that money was astonishing, and I¡¯ve never heard of anything like it.


    Zutiria came back later that day with Sam carrying about as many bags as a standard shopping trip with Opalina, though unlike me she didn¡¯t seem worn out by the affair thanks to her strength. There were a lot of magical ingredients and supplies that I had no idea what the hell they were for. Reading a couple of books on the subject doesn¡¯t make you an alchemist by any means.


    She then sent Sam and myself to fetch as many rocks as we could, and although bewildered by the request it¡¯s not like I was going to refuse my little doll her rocks if she wanted them. When we returned I found that Zutiria had moved a table off of the center left wall of the entrance hall and marked it off with chalk.


    Sam and I gave her the rocks and in return she showed me an absurd amount of magical diagrams and advanced theories that I couldn¡¯t make a lick of sense out of... but she told me it didn¡¯t matter as long as I trusted her. I do.


    Zutiria ended up using her magic to create a circular, raised platform made of stone which she apparently crafted using the rocks broken down and shaped using her magic¡¯s influence. I asked why she couldn¡¯t have just made the stones herself, but she explained how it needed to be rocks from the actual earth around this general area. Sam and I looked at each other and shrugged it off as being too complicated for us to comprehend.


    The little mage ended up spending a few hours creating some sort of glowing magical paint which she used to cover the upper most platform in arcane symbols and a bulky magic circle in the center. It¡¯s really, really complex looking. I wonder if she¡¯s a good artist in general? It takes skill to paint such an impressive looking sigil.


    When I finally deigned to ask what this all was, she shushed me and explained that it was almost done and that she needed a spare room to focus in. I led her to a dusty little storage room and asked if it would be alright, and she called it satisfactory despite the rough state it was in. Zutiria then moved in her remaining alchemy supplies one by one and without asking me went and stole a number of pots, pans and flasks from the kitchen.


    I have to admit, this new side of hers is beyond adorable, despite the kitchenware casualties.


    Watching Zutiria running around to and fro doing weird little magic things that only she understands is super cute. When we have more gold I would love to transform this room into an actual alchemy lab for her, but that¡¯s... going to be a major investment so we¡¯ll see how it goes.


    When her homebrew station was all set up, she very politely kicked Sam and I out of the room and locked the door on us. After that, the Princess and I had some sexual fun for a few hours while routinely checking in on the little mage. The door wouldn¡¯t open and she didn¡¯t respond when we knocked, but the lights coming from under the door would flash a multitude of magical colors every now and then so we took it as a sign just to check back later.


    Eventually, Zutiria burst out of the room unexpectedly. Although her face was as cold as ever a hint of a smile could be seen lifting up the corners of her mouth. She then explained the next step in her master plan.


    ¡®My calculations are not perfect. I¡¯ve narrowed the correct ingredient mixing rate down to two possible solutions, however, so we¡¯ll try them both before I mass produce my creation. One of them will work flawlessly and the other will work, but have an unexpected consequence. I¡¯m not quite sure what it¡¯ll be yet.¡¯ Zutiria tells us.


    I was definitely intrigued but very, very skeptical of whatever this all was. Zutiria displayed two tiny pellets and explained that she and Sam would head out to the outskirts of Dewhurst and throw them on the ground to see which one worked. I had a feeling I knew what they were going to do, but I couldn¡¯t imagine how.


    I know Zutiria is incredibly skilled, but... she can¡¯t have actually created a work around towards one of the hardest magical abilities in a single day, right? Of course that¡¯s what all of this ended up being but at that moment in time it was impossible to guess that was the case.


    Sitting around waiting in the Guild for them was a very difficult thing to do when I was so afraid of the dangers, but Sam is fearless and stupid and Zutiria wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. After over a half hour of waiting I was stunned to see the magic runes and circle of the stone platforms shining a brilliant blue light, filling the air of the Guild with an intense mana pressure that only I could feel.


    Boom.


    Suddenly, Sam was back at the center of the platform with a stunned look on her face. She jumps off it and looks around, unable to believe her own eyes. I don¡¯t blame her.


    Before I can ask if anything is wrong and if her item was the defective one, the mana pressure and accompanying lightshow started up once again signaling that the little lady was on her way.


    Boom, again.


    Zutiria stands atop the stone platform with a triumphant look on her delicate face. A look that fades as soon as she realizes her clothes, hat, glasses and staff apparently did not make the transition with her and her invention only teleported herself in the nude, complete with an equally naked Little Sir standing on top of her head.


    Now, the little lady has never been outright shy or embarrassed in the short time that I¡¯ve known her, but she took this a little bad. I think Zutiria was super excited to show off her amazing new invention and have me praise her for it, but it ruined her moment of truth and made her cry with a blushing face.


    Sam volunteered to run and go get her best friend¡¯s gear, which had presumably been left behind in the field, while I stayed here to comfort the successful sorceress. She calmed down quickly enough and explained to me how all this worked. The little pellets were something she called ¡®Returners¡¯ and they were made of ground up rocks mixed with the same paint solution on the magic circle. The user could throw it on the ground and they and everything in the area of the original magic circle would be transported back to the Guild... as long as they were within a certain distance.


    She emphasized that the ¡®Return Gate¡¯ as she called it will only work within Dewhurst and a radius of a few miles outside of town. She¡¯s not sure how just yet, but she¡¯s confident with more funds she can eventually increase the range and even perhaps design a more efficient model. Zutiria also assures me the Returners are very cheap to produce and she probably has enough ingredients leftover to make several hundred of the little pellets.


    As great as these things are, there were a few caveats. It¡¯s best to not use it on more than one human at a time, although apparently a person and a hitchhiking rat is fine. Zutiria warned that even if say... someone else''s arm was in the area of effect when throwing a Returner at the ground, the results would not be pretty... The implication is very clear. This also means that two people shouldn¡¯t throw a Returner at the exact same time or they might ¡®teleport over top of each other¡¯ as she puts it. Not something I ever want to see.


    This changes everything. The girls can get even more quests done in a day, they can send back monster corpses for easier processing and we could even start harvesting more parts from them and selling them in town for extra gold on top of the kill quest rewards. No more hunting wild potion ingredients, this extra income will make that all but irrelevant.


    The monster corpses won¡¯t run a risk of teleporting on top of each other either since Zutiria assures that since they aren¡¯t ¡®living¡¯ at that point they are treated the same as objects- easy to warp. She says it''s safe for several of them to get piled up on each other back at the Guild, but we should eventually have someone on standby to keep the Return Gate free of clutter when we start getting decent amounts of stuff. She also mentioned the possibility of building another Return Gate specifically for monsters and other treasures, but we¡¯d need to make a lot of preparation for such a big addition to the Guild.


    What I¡¯m most happy about with this system, though, is the fact that it gives my girls a last option of sorts. If they can¡¯t handle a monster and they¡¯re in range, they can get the hell out of there before they lose their life. Something like the Brood Wolf incident will never happen again, and it¡¯s all thanks to Zutiria...


    I will never get over how much of a genius my little mage is. I offhandedly mention that I¡¯d like it if she could use teleportation magic, and in a single day she creates a solution to a problem that has plagued generations upon generations of mages. She found a way to teleport non mages, even if it¡¯s in a very specific way with a lot of conditions as well as a certain element of danger if used improperly.


    That¡¯s astonishing, and I reward Zutiria by sending Sam over for a sleepover with Opalina and lavishing attention on her nonstop for the entire night. I fucked her tiny body within an inch of her life, and we both practically collapsed on each other and snuggled the night away. The next morning Sam came back with an incredibly wide, pervy look on her face and two bags of leftovers so I think it¡¯s safe to say everyone was a winner that night.


    So yeah, that was how the week started off.

 The Big Mistake

    As far as questing went throughout the week, it also went extremely well. After the nearly botched Brood Wolf quest the three of us decided that I shouldn¡¯t be coming along as much even though we now have the Return Gate to add an extra layer of safety. With Slimes and Living Fungi it¡¯s not an issue, but the girls were both feeling a bit more confident in their fighting ability after that event and for once they wanted to take on a slightly more challenging foe without me being there to help.


    We settled on another kill quest for a low level local monster known as the Pineman. A very odd plant creature that has the body of a very thin, very needly man with long limbs and a long neck that becomes a small sized pine tree at its head. They¡¯re docile unless attacked, but they bring in a lot more gold when hunting them because of how valuable their sap and wood is.


    Only problem is that once a Pineman is properly pissed off they get very aggressive and run towards you looking like some sort of arboreal horror, stretching out their limbs to attack and shooting sharp pinecones or sticky sap all over their prey. As far as beginner level monsters go, Pinemen will be their greatest challenge yet. They¡¯re even more dangerous than teenaged Brood Wolves but I¡¯m allowing my girls to undertake the quest for several reasons.


    They have the advantage. When I said these things are docile, you can pretty much just walk up to them before they turn violent. Sure, they might react quickly after the fact but the knowledge that Sam and Zutiria will all but certainly get the first move in each encounter is more than enough to trust them with the quest. More importantly than even that though is that Pinemen don¡¯t go around in packs like the wolves do.


    I mean, who¡¯s ever heard of a herd of pine trees? That would be outright nonsensical and just plain silly.


    I prepped Sam and Zutiria with all the knowledge I had about these prickly pines but really, this was a good quest for them to try out on their own.


    There¡¯s not much advice I had to give on how to kill a tree.


    You chop it up, or bind it so that it can be chopped up. Sam¡¯s got the chopping covered, and Zutiria¡¯s got her covered as far as binding the needly bastards goes. I did mention the incredibly obvious elemental weakness to fire as a last resort, though warned against it since we¡¯re trying to harvest the Pinemen. Even Sam knows that burning the stuff we¡¯re trying to collect isn¡¯t a smart move. Not to mention running the risk of accidentally starting a full fledged forest fire.


    Charcoal isn¡¯t going to bring in nearly as much as their other by products since any asshole with access to wood and a fire can make their own.


    I don¡¯t know much about separating the sap from a tree. Shocking I know, but believe it or not there are some books I just haven¡¯t read. Albernald Witherwocky¡¯s Treatise on Trees and their Many Merits, while likely useful, always looked much more suited to sending me to sleep whenever I was looking for some reading material. Zutiria says that she¡¯ll be able to ¡®magic it out of them¡¯, whatever that means.


    All in all, on top of the rewards for this kill quest, which amount to 500G per severed Pineman hand, we¡¯ll have three products to sell to the local market.


    Strong lumber, magical pine sap, and the chopped off heads of the Pinemen which can be stripped of their needles and used in soaps, oils, teas and incense. Zutiria cryptically mentions how she could probably come up with more ways to streamline this process, but it¡¯ll take her some time to think on it. She¡¯s run out of inspiration ever since inventing the Return Gate and Returners.


    Considering the extremely useful applications of those devices, I¡¯d say she¡¯s more than earned a break from thinking too hard for a while.


    As I watch Sam and Zutiria go, I can¡¯t help but laugh at the sheer insanity of what I¡¯m doing here. Guilds don¡¯t do this. They don¡¯t get involved in their adventurer¡¯s plans, and they certainly don¡¯t craft elaborate dismantling plans for all of their adventurer¡¯s kills to maximize profits.


    By my early calculations I believe that we can transform a single kill that we¡¯d get paid 500G for by the Association of Adventurers into something worth 1500-2000G per kill.


    Not too long after they left for their first Pineman quest, the mana pressure builds up again and suddenly a chopped up tree monster appears within the magic circle. I don¡¯t want my arm in the way in case they send another, so I head into the storage room and grab a rake to pull it out of the Return Gate.


    This damn thing is heavy, though as a living pine tree I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t expect it. I drag it to a dirty storage room nearby and as soon as I¡¯m done with it, another one appears. This process repeats itself an agonizing fifteen times, leaving my middle aged body a broken, aching mess. I¡¯m grateful for it, though.


    I said I wanted more exercise to improve my stamina, and this more than qualifies in my opinion.


    Thankfully after the 15th, Sam and Zutiria appear in the Return Gate with a five second delay between them. They¡¯re both covered in sticky pine sap and pine needles, and Sam has a number of welts from where the branches must have hit her. They¡¯re a mess, but they¡¯re home and mostly safe. After a quick bath, some salves applied to the nastier scrapes and bruises, as well as a change of clothes, they both headed out to work on smaller targets like Slimes and Living Fungi again. I admire their dedication to the daily Guild life grind.


    Everything went amazingly well and once this was all processed we would make an absurd killing! Somewhere in the ballpark of 30,000G for a single day¡¯s work. And to think we were celebrating back when Zutiria first joined us and we started making around 4,000G a day. This is also a bonus to the Guild as a whole, because Sam and Zutiria are sending these monsters back for me to dismantle and it has nothing to do with the kill quest. This is income that the Association of Adventurers can¡¯t claim a percentage of whether they like it or not. There¡¯s no need to report it to them.


    The questing this week went smoothly after this groove was established. I would remain on standby at the Guild, the girls would send me Pinemen, I¡¯d move them to storage for processing and then they¡¯d come home with less and less damage every day, take a quick and soapy bath and help me process them for selling. The three of us would then make a trip to the least shady item shop I know, Buy and Sell Easy Mart, carrying bundles of wood and jars of pine sap. The prices are fairer than I¡¯d get anywhere else, and I don¡¯t push my luck intimidating the owner. No use when he¡¯s friendly enough as long as I have something that¡¯ll bring him a profit.


    The three of us decided to save a large portion of each day¡¯s lumber, hoping that renovations will eventually be cheaper if we can provide some of the raw materials. Later on in the week, I had Opalina introduce me to that contractor she mentioned. I went there alone one evening when the girls were having their daily bath to scrub off all the pine residue, and it turns out this contractor did a lot more than just fixing up buildings.


    The building was completely out of place with the rest of Dewhurst, much like Opalina¡¯s clinic. Shatterbrew and His Sons and Their Sons and Their Sons, typically just shortened to Shatterbrew¡¯s, looked like an impressive, if small, wooden fortress of ornate Dwarven design. While typically known for their stone and metal work, Dwarves are masters at any craft they damn well want to be, and a talent for woodworking apparently ran in the blood of this generational father and son (and son and son) business.


    I¡¯m not here for complete renovations, they¡¯d all but certainly turn me down if the place wasn¡¯t clean. Instead I just wanted to get the front door fixed... at least, that was my intention before entering and seeing the showroom floor. The entire building was dedicated to all sorts of wooden crafts and creations all carved with typical Dwarven perfection.


    At first I thought it was odd how four generations of Dwarves all lived in a building like this, yet I saw a flight of stairs in the back leading to a lower level. That makes a lot more sense, this building probably has multiple levels below ground where the Dwarves work and live. They prefer to dwell beneath the earth after all, only venturing to the surface where extra gold is involved.


    There were multiple dwarven women- stout, angry looking and grumpy, showing shady Dewhurstians different types of furniture. Contrary to certain racist stereotypes, the womenfolk did not have beards to match their male counterparts. They did however have extremely long hair each styled a bit differently. Some had long ponytails, some younger looking ones had twintails, others braids, and beyond that some even had impressive dreadlocks.


    An astonishing wooden bed caught my eyes immediately and a saleswoman by the name of Daegith Shatterbrew was quick to notice and began laying on the charm to get me to buy it. Instead, I asked how much it would cost to have a custom one built in the same style if I were to provide the lumber.


    Customers usually don¡¯t ask this I take it, as she was unsure and went to fetch her husband. I later learned that in Shatterbrew¡¯s, many of the wives of this family work the top floor and their husbands get a commission when they get they successfully make a sale to go build something. It¡¯s a very competitive environment.


    Daegith¡¯s husband is a typical dwarf man wearing ornate dwarven artisan clothing and with a magnificent copper beard. He introduced himself as Thadmar Shatterbrew, 3rd generation artisan. If he knew who I was or what the rest of the town said about me, he didn¡¯t let it show. Dwarves are a very professional race and a paying customer is a paying customer.


    We had to haggle a little but I was able to convince the Dwarf to come over to the Guild later that day and carve the bed onsite for 50,000G and would sell me an Elvish mattress for only 12,000G. At first I thought the idea of crafting a bed on site was ridiculous, but then I remembered I was speaking to a dwarf.


    Thadmar was generous with his discounts when I made it apparent that I was seeking LOTS of renovations in the future and if suitably impressed I would rely solely on the Shatterbrew family. He promised not to worry about the cleanliness of the Guild if he¡¯s only doing work in one room, but acknowledged that like I thought we would need the entire guild to be fully cleaned if I wanted them to perform sweeping renovations.


    Funnily enough at the end of our pleasant conversation he remarked on the expert craftsmanship of my glasses, and asked to see them. I want to be on good terms with this Dwarf so I quickly explain my condition and close my eyes before shortly handing the shades to him. I can¡¯t see, but it¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to steal them or anything. Dwarven thieves are practically unheard of, they care much too much about honor and manliness and stealing things is seen as quite ¡®unmanly¡¯ in their culture.


    We agreed on the deal with a powerful handshake.


    I know I was there for a door repair, but I was too excited about the prospect of a new, much larger bed that would hold a greater number of people on it... I¡¯ve been working really hard too, moving the Pinemen and filling out the quest paperwork and so on. The door can wait another week, I deserved a treat. plus Sam and Zutiria would love it too, right? Sam got to spend a night with Opalina, but the four of us have yet to be in one bed together... Yes, this was a guilty pleasure purchase but it was a very, very sweet one. My reward for working hard.


    No, OUR reward.


    That¡¯s all how I rationalized it at least, even though it was the big mistake of the week.

 Dwarf Titties and Tempting Fate

    True to his word, Thadmar Shatterbrew came to the Guild about an hour after I placed the order and he brought with him a large, bulky Dwarven toolbox. I had given Sam and Zutiria the afternoon off but sent them to Opalina¡¯s house for a few hours of pampering so that when they returned home the bed would be a surprise.


    Surprisingly, Thadmar wasn¡¯t alone. ¡°Ah hope yah don¡¯t mind, lad, but I figger¡¯d mah daugh¡¯er could use sum on sigh¡¯ experience.¡± He grumbled his pleasantries in a voice like unpolished gravel while stepping inside the entrance hall.


    ¡°No problem at all, sir. Come in.¡± I was there waiting to welcome them, just doing some minor paperwork in the meantime. I rose to greet the guests and once again shook the Dwarf¡¯s hand. ¡°And your daughter?¡± I tilt my head, not seeing any signs of a female Dwarf.


    He grumbles and looks over his shoulder. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hearth of the Mount¡¯n King an¡¯ is big fat cunt- GWINNY, GET YER FAT ARSE INN¡¯IR RIGH¡¯ NOW!¡± Thadmar yells in a booming voice.


    A deep, deep feminine sigh is heard outside the Guild and in walks a young Dwarf woman.


    Exactly how old I can¡¯t say for sure but the biggest tell is her hair is cut in an incredibly short, spiky boyish style. She wears artisanal clothing like her father, although she wears it much less formally and has swapped out the top for a plain white tank top that showcases her frankly huge breasts.


    While not on Opalina¡¯s level they rivaled Sam¡¯s for sure, only made bigger by her stout physique. She was even shorter than Zutiria, although her proportions were much more developed.


    ¡°Oi,¡± The young Dwarf crosses her thick, muscled arms and she stamps her foot on the ground and spits in my direction. Charming. ¡°This fuckin¡¯ cunt is eye fuckin¡¯ yer daugh¡¯er ya piece a shit ol¡¯ man, and ya ain¡¯t gonna do shit bout it?¡±


    Before I can say a single thing in my defense, Thadmer punches his daughter square in the face. And not like, a gentle slap or anything. I wince from the violent sound it made. ¡°DAUGH¡¯ER,¡± He screams. ¡°AH SWEAR ON THE SHININ¡¯ HALLS OF KRUMDUS MITHRILMINER I¡¯LL BREAK YER¡¯ FACE IN!¡±


    This ¡®Gwinny¡¯ girl stands her ground, spitting blood from her mouth as she punches her father straight back in his stony face like a professional brawler. ¡°JUS¡¯ TRY IT YA OL-¡±


    ¡°AHEM.¡±


    I start clapping in a sarcastic manner trying to move this along. ¡°Yes, yes, beautiful showing of the bonds shared between a Dwarven Family. However as a client I would very much like if you could do the service I have paid for and would prefer than any such domestic violence be saved for a time and place that is preferably not my establishment.¡±


    Thadmar snaps out of it and bows, ¡°Ye, ah don¡¯ know wha¡¯ came over her, my greates¡¯ apology Master, Sir. Bow ya head, Gwinlinn.¡± He shoots his fiery daughter a glare that finally seems to make her back off her rudeness long enough for her to do as she is told.


    ¡°Ah¡¯ll make yer damn bed, jackass... but ah ain¡¯t never gonna be a woodcarver.¡± Gwinlinn Shatterbrew mumbles under her breath before looking up at me. She glares as if her statement means anything to me and that I should be threatened, but I¡¯m more confused than anything. Especially when after she stares at my face angrily for a few seconds longer she starts blushing and avoiding eye contact.


    ¡°Where¡¯s all tha lumber ye said yah got?¡±


    ¡°In that room over there, Thadmer.¡± I point him towards the grubby storage room and he leaves to inspect the goods and start moving the lumber up to our bedroom. This leaves me alone with his firebrand of a daughter, much to my chagrin.


    ¡°How in th¡¯ hells did ye get those glasses, Man?¡± Ignoring my personal space, Gwinlinn hops on top of a table and leans in directly to my face and inspects my glasses.


    I don¡¯t know why, but this doesn¡¯t bother me as much as it would have. Perhaps I¡¯m more used to cute girls shoving their faces in mine by now? Rather than blushing I simply say, ¡°My grandpa... They¡¯re special.¡±


    She whistles like she were catcalling, ¡°Ah¡¯ll fuckin¡¯ say. Yer granpap musta had more gold than Gimmer Goldbeard if he could afford a Thafurum original.¡±


    ¡°A what? Wait... Thafurum? Is that who made my glasses?¡±


    ¡°Ya don¡¯ know? Fuckin¡¯ hells, mate. Ya don¡¯ know jus¡¯ how lucky ye¡¯ are. Why I¡¯d go n¡¯ say-¡±


    ¡°DAUGH¡¯ER, UPSTAIRS! THERE BE WOOD FOR YA TO BE POUNDIN¡¯!¡± Thadmer¡¯s voice booms from the upstairs bedroom


    The fiery Dwarf girl¡¯s cheeks turn redder than her hair, ¡°FER THE LAS¡¯ TIME YA OLD ELF-FUCKER I TOL¡¯ YE NOT TO GO N¡¯ PHRASE IT LIKE THAT!!¡±


    ¡°I DON¡¯ FUCK NO ELVES, YA CUNT!¡±


    ¡°Thas¡¯ not what me Ma says...¡± Gwinlinn rolls her eyes and mutters under her breath. I try to stifle a laugh but it doesn¡¯t work and to my surprise Gwinlinn laughs back with me. ¡°Ya aren¡¯t so bad, ah guess.¡± She offers me her hand for a handshake, and knowing how important it is for a Dwarf I waste no time returning it.


    Dear Gods does it hurt, she has to be several times stronger than Thadmer. I do my best not to wince.


    ¡°Name¡¯s Gwinlinn. Ya can call me Gwin, Gwinny, Fire-tits, ah don¡¯ fuckin¡¯ rightly care.¡±


    ¡°Charming. Truly a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Fire-tits Shatterbrew.¡± I say without a shred of irony, squeezing her hand back with all the wimpy human might I have. Thankfully she found that funny and tossed her head back in an uproarious burst of Dwarven laughter.


    ¡°GWINNY, WOOD. POUNDIN¡¯. NOW!¡±


    She breaks off the handshake violently and jumps down with an angry face, having completely forgotten about me. At least I thought so until she looks back at me from the base of the Guild¡¯s stairs and waves me off, grumpily. She slams her way up the stairs to go after her father and I hear the sounds of Dwarf on Dwarf violence shortly thereafter.


    Aside from her initial outburst and spitting at me, Gwinlinn seemed to be a pretty nice Dwarf. Cute, even. Ah well.


    ¡®Hold up a second there kid, that was just like... a million bajillion flags being raised all at the same time. Aren¡¯t you even gonna lift your shades up and test what I told you?¡¯ Oh. It seems my Goddess, or whoever this presence actually is, has been listening this entire time. Wonderful.


    Now that I¡¯m alone I feel comfortable enough responding quietly. ¡°Why do I need to test whether I can look at her or not? You made it sound the other day that it just applies to any girl I even remotely find cute. By that logic I should be able to look at her just fine.¡±


    ¡®Well why don¡¯t you go and flirt with her more? Don¡¯t you have a spine now?¡¯ The Goddess asks from my heart.


    ¡°Are you going to ask me this every time I have an even remotely flirty conversation with a girl I find attractive?¡±


    She laughs at me in a condescending way. ¡®Yes. At least until you start fucking all of them.¡¯


    Good lord she actually just came out and said it outright.


    ¡®Well, not like it matters. You¡¯ve got a big one coming up anyway.¡¯


    ¡°Would you mind repeating that?¡± I feel like the mysterious presence just said something incredibly important but I was too busy facepalming myself over our interaction thus far to notice.


    ...


    I see. Silence. Well, if it was truly that important it she probably would have told me twice, right? Right. No use worrying about it now.


    The domestic violence upstairs has calmed down and for a while now all I¡¯ve heard is the sawing and hammering of wood. This goes on for barely an hour before Thadmar¡¯s voice calls out to me and I go up into the bedroom to check it out.


    The results are astonishing. Truly an excellently crafted masterpiece, my new bed is a gigantic monolith of titanic proportions and Dwarven excellency. Similar to Opalina¡¯s, it¡¯s a four poster bed, although each poster is a beautifully carved installment covered in fanciful Dwarven patterns and runes which I¡¯m presuming offer the users of the bed better rest, or perhaps better fuckings.


    Thankfully the rest of the room is big enough so that it doesn¡¯t look too out of place, but in the future the master bedroom will definitely need an expansion too. I¡¯d wager that my new bed could handle about eight people sleeping on it at once, depending on their sizes of course.


    Thadmer seems extremely pleased with the quality of the bed, but somehow it looks like someone sucked all the life out of Gwinlinn. I almost want to ask if she¡¯s ok, but I don¡¯t want to be weird or anything in front of her dad and potentially trigger yet another father-daughter slugfest in my bedroom on top of my newly constructed sex bed.


    ¡°Ah¡¯ll go get the matress, left it outsigh¡¯ the buildin. Keep im¡¯ company for a sec, Daugh¡¯er.¡± Thankfully Thadmar leaves us alone so I¡¯m free to discuss with her anyway.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look so good.¡±


    ¡°Ye? An ya aren¡¯t exactly a looker yasself are ya? Ya call that buncha scrungly pubes on yer chin a beard?¡±


    Rude. It¡¯s not fair to compare me to a Dwarf. I certainly think my short beard makes me look rather sharp. ¡°I was merely concerned is all, Miss Gwinlinn.¡±


    She raises an eyebrow and looks me up and down, judging whether or not to be serious. ¡°If ye mus¡¯ know. Ah¡¯d rather be in the smithy makin¡¯ weapons an¡¯ armor an¡¯ all that shit. Woodcarvin¡¯ an¡¯ craftin¡¯ is just... ah, ye wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    Been there, done that.


    ¡°Your family wants you to be one thing but you want to be something else.¡± I sigh. ¡°I think I understand more than you¡¯d imagine.¡±


    Gwinlinn looks at me curiously yet again. ¡°Hm. That righ¡¯? Well, we Dwarves ain¡¯t like you Humans. Family is everything. Ah can¡¯t just say fuck you Dad, I¡¯m gonna be a blacksmith.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you? That¡¯s how I ended up as a Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± She hesitates. ¡°Ah can¡¯t. I knew ye wouldn¡¯ unnersta-¡±


    ¡°COMIN¡¯ IN!¡± Thadmar announces as he drags in an absolutely gargantuan Elvish mattress and plops it neatly onto the bed frame. Now that it¡¯s complete, I notice it has the uncanny effect of making literally every other object in the entire Guild look far shittier just by comparison. Fucking fantastic. This was a very good impulse buy and I feel better already.


    ¡°Got somethin¡¯ to ask ya, by the by.¡± Thadmar approaches me with an opportunistic look in his eye. ¡°Ya don¡¯t happen to be sellin¡¯ that fancy wood of yers¡¯ are ya? It¡¯s hard ta get real quality lumber roun¡¯ these parts.¡±


    My inner businessman activates upon sensing a deal.


    ¡°Why, it¡¯s funny you should ask.¡± I smirk. While perhaps a bit unfair of me, I make sure to use my height difference with the Dwarven man to loom over him and do my best to ¡®look down¡¯ on him. Leverage is key. ¡°Yes, my adventurers have started to kill Pinemen as part of an ongoing quest. We¡¯ve been bringing them back here and chopping them up to sell at the Buy and Sell Easy Mart. Their prices are very fair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with ya. This wood is great shit, kid.¡± Thadmar lays his cards straight on the table. A poor move.


    ¡°How great exactly is it, would you say? The wood of a Pineman is magical and sturdy, and smells just wonderful. I think that in the hands of a skilled artisan like the fine Dwarves in your family, it¡¯d be worth double than a silly item shop vendor who doesn¡¯t know what to do with it.¡±


    ¡°Just how much he paying ye?¡± At the mention of ¡®double¡¯ he becomes more aggressive and his stance turns serious.


    This entire time, Gwinlinn has been following the two of us silently with her eyes like watching an intense game of ping pong. It¡¯s kind of cute, and it reminds me of Sam and Zutiria watching me strike a deal. ¡°Typically a single Pineman gives us about 1,200G worth of gold from its wood alone, give or take. I think wanting double for that is fair, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡±


    He grits his teeth. ¡°Are ya a Guild Master or a fuckin¡¯ merchant?¡±


    ¡°I guess in this situation I¡¯m a little bit of both. Tell you what. Since I¡¯m the only supplier you have, I¡¯ll settle for double, a fifty percent discount on future renovations on my guild, and to sweeten the deal I¡¯ll give you the rest of the current stock I have entirely for free. A celebration of doing future business together.¡±


    Thadmar¡¯s face becomes a whirlwind of angry Dwarven expressions. I threw a lot of confusing offers all at once, hoping to overwhelm him. ¡°Fifteen percent.¡± He grumbles.


    ¡°Twenty five.¡±


    ¡°... Twenty.¡±


    I stick my hand out to the Dwarf before he can offer, in anticipation of their customs. It also puts a little bit more pressure on him to not change his mind at the last second, and he reaches out to clench my fist. Thadmar is not a great businessman, and I think I came out on top of this one a little bit more than I should have considering how many renovations this place will eventually need.


    From behind her dad, Gwinlinn is crossing her arms with a smug as hell smirk on her face. I think she rather liked watching me screw him over, which is a weird thought.


    ¡°You do have the authority to broker a deal like this, yes? I probably should have checked on the outset but I only want to make sure. I know you said you¡¯re a third generation artisan and I don¡¯t know how your establishment works.¡±


    Thadmar laughs heartily and follows me out of the bedroom, ¡°Don¡¯ be worryin¡¯ bout that, when great granpap n¡¯ granpap n¡¯ my dad n¡¯ my brothers n¡¯ uncles n¡¯ cousins n¡¯ granduncles n¡¯ sons n¡¯ nephews all get ahold of yer mighty wood they won¡¯t know what hit em¡¯!¡±


    ¡°FER THE LAST TIME,¡± Gwinlinn shouts with a mighty red blush, ¡°WATCH YER¡¯ FUCKIN¡¯ PHRASING, POPS!!¡±


    I bid Gwinlinn and Thadmar goodbye, promising that later in the day I¡¯d have a delivery made by Sam and myself but warned that if something came up I¡¯d have it done tomorrow. Better to be safe than sorry in case the girls come home all worked up from the ¡®doctor¡¯s appointment¡¯ and we get carried away breaking in the new bed.


    ¡°Ya maybe wanna do somethin¡¯ bout this ¡®ere door sometime¡¯ lad?¡± Thadmar asks on his way out.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I almost forgot about that. It was the entire reason I went to visit the Dwarves after all. ¡°Yes, in the next couple of days. That was actually the purpose for my visit today but I actually decided I had to have the bed first.¡± I can¡¯t help but laugh, slightly embarrassed.


    Thadmar raises a bushy eyebrow as he and Gwinlinn finally exit the guild. He says over his shoulder, ¡°You c¡¯mon back to us soon alrigh¡¯? This town¡¯s more dangerous¡¯n the Lost Mines o¡¯ Bhilbadihr. Would be a dern¡¯ shame if somethin¡¯ happened to ya jus¡¯ cause ya didn¡¯ fix yer door.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯ll be fine. We¡¯ve already had it like this for at least a month. What¡¯s the worst that can happen?¡± I say while waving goodbye.

 The Payoff

    Here I am, finishing up annoying Guild paperwork in the entrance hall waiting for Sam and Zutiria. I¡¯m very eager to show them our new bed that I bought on a complete whim, and I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be very understanding about the door. Especially when I tell them about my new connections with the Shatterbrew Clan.


    They¡¯re a lot later than I thought they¡¯d be, they said they weren¡¯t going to stay for dinner but there¡¯s always a chance Opalina dragged them into it despite any objections on their part. That¡¯s just how she is, after all...


    But my fears are all for nothing as soon as I hear, ¡°Daaaaaddyyy...!¡± from the broken ruins of the entrance door.


    The Princess and her loyal Mage enter the Guild right as I finish signing a document and I rise to meet them. As soon as I get a closer look at them, though, I notice something¡¯s off.


    Speaking bluntly the two of them are very, very horny.


    Sam¡¯s face is flushed and her arms are holding up her breasts which, as always, are barely covered by her armor. She bites her lip when I look her in the eyes after taking my glasses off and a hand shoots between her thighs as I draw closer.


    Zutiria is being a bit more subtle about it, but she can¡¯t look me in the eyes without drooling. I also can¡¯t help but notice she¡¯s not wearing a bra under her black dress as evident by the swollen pointiness of her delicate nipples poking out.


    ¡°Daaaaaddyyyyy...!¡± Sam instantly snaps to her submissive mode and runs to me, yanking off her armor at once to shove her massive tits up against my chest.


    ¡®Sir... the Doctor... she... she teased us a little... and...¡¯ Zutiria sneaks up behind me, her tiny hands beginning to rub the outline of my cock through my dress pants. ¡®We need help... she sent us home without... withoutttt...¡¯


    ¡°What in the gods did she do to you two...?¡±


    I know Opalina has messed with Sam already sexually, but I¡¯ve yet to actually be in a session with her and one or both of my girls. The thought excites me to no end but there just has not been a time where it¡¯s worked for Opalina thus far...


    ¡°She... played with us...¡± Sam sighs and sticks her tongue out, remembering fondly with the expression of a vapid slut. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t let us cum... and... and... OH! She gave me something to give to you...¡± She giggles and closes her eyes out of lust. The Princess presses her lips to mine and shoves her tongue back down my mouth as far as she can go.


    Her tongue tastes like pussy, and it¡¯s delicious. I am loving the implications here.


    Behind me, Zutiria undoes my belt with a weary sigh. My pants fall to the floor and her handjob continues over the flimsier fabric of my boxers. ¡®She wanted us to make you really, really happy tonight, Sir... so...¡¯


    I roll my eyes back at the increasing pleasure of my explorative Mage¡¯s hands. Then I slightly push Sam away by her shoulders. ¡°Come on upstairs, girls. I got something amazing to show you.¡± Yes, it¡¯s going to have paid off immediately!


    Or at least, that¡¯s what I thought.


    ¡°Daddy, you just don¡¯t understand...¡± Sam frowns and strips herself of her bikini armor thong. She drapes it on my face so I can feel her wetness against my forehead. ¡°I-I don¡¯t think either of us can even make it upstairs...¡±


    ¡®We... we need it HERE, Sir... and that¡¯s not all.¡¯ Zutiria says while grasping onto my manhood tight.


    ¡°Mmm... what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Opal... um...¡± Sam starts, but is quickly embarrassed by the thought of the doctor. ¡°She kinda grilled us on all the things we¡¯d done with you... and... and... oh gods...¡± Sam starts grinding her tits up against me, unable to contribute much more than that.


    ¡®She made us go home and promise to do something we¡¯ve been... nnn.. Wanting to do for a while now...¡¯ Zutiria says lustily.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t turned down anything either of you have ever asked before, have I?¡±


    Sam and Zutiria both eagerly shake their heads in an emphatic no.


    ¡°No, Daddy... Of course not, Daddy...¡±


    ¡®No, Sir...¡¯


    I¡¯ve never seen these two act so submissive in my life...! What the hell did Opalina actually do to them?


    ¡°What is it you want me to do to you? Or... is it something you want to do to me?¡±


    Sam giggles and moves in real close to my ear. ¡°You know when you get really scary in your business mode and you assert yourself over the client...?¡±


    ¡®And how you act like a total thug trying to shake them down for everything they¡¯re worth...?¡¯


    Hold on, do I really look like that when I¡¯m talking business...? I mean, I do play up the benefits of looking scary thanks to my eyes, but... ¡°Ah, yes. I suppose I know what you mean...¡±


    Sam melts in my ear as she coos, ¡°We wanna roleplayyyyyy...!!¡± The thought excites her too much to contain herself.


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡®Be really rough with us and... um... try to intimidate us and be scary... We both get really turned on watching you do that so... um... please... please, Sir...!¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s glasses are foggy from the thick perspiration of her constant breathing and she takes them off after moving to the front of me so she can plead more effectively.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how comfortable I am with... roleplaying. Especially if it involves being mean to you two.¡± I say with all honesty.


    Sensing a challenge, the horny Princess smirks and licks the inside of my ear with her wet, steamy tongue. A chill runs down my spine and she goes on to say, ¡°But we¡¯re just two lousy adventurers who can¡¯t do ANYTHING on their own... we need you to tell us what to do...¡±


    Zutiria removes my boxers and frees my erect cock with great enthusiasm, ¡®It¡¯s only natural that... you¡¯d be frustrated with us... Sir... go ahead and take all your frustrations out on us... play it up. We know you¡¯re not actually mad at us... but...¡¯


    ¡°We want you to pretend to be... and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not strong enough to slap you through a wall if it gets out of control...¡± Sam giggles lustily.


    I think I¡¯m starting to get into the mood, or rather they¡¯re not giving me much choice... I can be mean if they really want me to be. It might even be fun, I¡¯m just apprehensive about acting out on the girls.


    It¡¯s a slippery slope... but I¡¯ll do my best to descend it for their sake.


    I take the bikini armor thong that Sam draped over my head and shove it in her mouth abruptly, though carefully enough so that she doesn¡¯t gag. ¡°Pretend? Why would I have to pretend?¡±


    Sam moans as she tastes her own love juices on the fabric side of her crotch plate, her eyes becoming even lustier than before.


    ¡°With two worthless adventurers like you around, of COURSE I¡¯m frustrated. What Guild Master wouldn¡¯t be?¡± I shoot Sam a threatening glare with the full power of my magical eyes and she shrinks back, her naked thighs grinding together even harder as she does so.


    ¡°Ahm shorry dahheee...¡± Sam moans with a mouth full of drenched crotch plate.


    Reaching out without remorse, I grab the pink areola of her left breast between my thumb and forefinger and pinch it roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t talk with your mouth full, Slut.¡±


    ¡°AHHHEE!¡± Sam winces in a mix of pleasured pain and her young body trembles.


    Shit. I think this really is awakening something in me because this is really fun, and Sam isn¡¯t my only target.


    ¡°And as for you...¡± My gaze turns down to the little sorceress watching with wide, foggy eyes and labored breathing. She¡¯s eager for me to bully her and it¡¯s plain for all to see.


    Zutiria is a very small girl with a petite frame, and I¡¯ve been hauling heavy ass lumber for a week. I feel stronger, so I grab her by the middle of her dress and lift her up off her feet roughly. Her beret falls off and the Little Sir scampers off to the kitchen to raid my pantry, but I swear the little Rat somehow gives me a thumbs up before vanishing from sight.


    Her breath runs ragged as she hovers off the ground from my powerful clutches. ¡°You¡¯re just as bad as she is. You¡¯re just a slutty Mage who can barely even cast spells because you¡¯re too preoccupied thinking about the next time you get to fuck me, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I shake her a bit roughly for emphasis and lean in. She really seems into it, I¡¯m glad to see.


    ¡®Y-Yes, Sir... I¡¯m too distracted from always th-thinking about your dick...¡¯ She closes her eyes and adorable little tears well up in her eyes. Zutiria reaches down to pull up the skirt of her dress to show me how drenched her tiny pussy and thighs have become.


    ¡®I¡¯m so wet... a-and it¡¯s all because of you...¡¯


    I mock sigh and shake my head back and forth, before approaching one of the many wooden tables of the entrance hall. I gently throw Zutiria atop of it in a way that she¡¯ll land safely, but it makes for a good dramatic presentation.


    ¡°Worthless witch.¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sir... I¡¯m sorry, Sir...¡¯


    ¡°Slut.¡± I look to Sam, who is watching me tease the Mage with amazing jealousy. I reach out and take the crotch plate from her mouth to throw it on the floor. ¡°Strip her and then yourself. Useless adventurers like you two don¡¯t deserve to wear clothes in my Guild.¡±


    Sam¡¯s slutty face beams at my suggestion and drool falls out the corner of her mouth as she nods her head gleefully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to rip them off. It¡¯s not like we can¡¯t magic them back together later.¡± I add in for good measure.


    ¡°Good idea, Daddy.¡± Sam walks over to Zutiria¡¯s table and looks down at the little lady with a predatory grin.


    The smaller woman is trembling with excitement and I watch with great interest as Sam violently tears off the Mage¡¯s clothes into little pieces, even shredding her bra and panties. She finishes off the Mage by taking off her shoes, thigh-high stockings and gloves.


    By all accounts Zutiria is now a whimpering mess unable to stop her excited body from quivering in anticipation. If I wasn¡¯t already hard from all the power I feel like I have right now, then that display certainly did the trick.


    Sam, though, does something very naughty. Her eyes flutter as she stares into the icy gaze of Zutiria beneath her, and bends over on the table to start eating Zutiria¡¯s pussy out with reckless abandon. The Mage shrieks as the Princess¡¯s tongue invades her pink walls, and her back arches out from the sudden pleasure.


    I grab Sam roughly by her right twintail and pull her head backwards, making sure she stops pleasuring the other woman immediately.


    ¡°AHH- AHHHH!¡± She cries from the sudden control I have over her.


    ¡°Did I fucking tell you to eat out that Mage¡¯s slutty pussy?¡±


    ¡°Noooo!! I-I thought you¡¯d... nnnn, l-like it, Daddyyyy...!¡±


    I frown and with my free hand I slap the Princess¡¯s meaty ass hard enough for it to jiggle and shake for what feels like an eternity.


    ¡°NNNAAAAHH!!¡± Sam screams, lusty drool shooting out as she does so.


    ¡°I told you to strip after you were done, and you didn¡¯t. Not only that but I think you need reminding of a very, very important little fact.¡± I look over at Zutiria, thighs grinding and hips wiggling from the absence of pleasure. ¡°Who does your body belong to, you magical whore?¡±


    Zutiria¡¯s mouth shuts tight as she tries to hold back her whimpering, but I can see the trail of wetness falling down her thighs increasing even harder the more I talk down to her. ¡®You, Sir... n-no one else...¡¯


    ¡°And your holes?¡±


    It takes Zutiria a moment to summon up the courage to answer that question. ¡®All... of my holes... belong... to Sir... my mouth... my pussy... e-even my ass... they¡¯re all for Sir to do whatever he wants with...¡¯


    Gods, I¡¯m fucking into this now.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I turn my gaze towards Sam once again and pull her back even further by her hair so she¡¯s pressed up against my body. My aching cock pulses up into the crack of her juicy ass. ¡°And you, Slut... you weren¡¯t given permission to pleasure my Mage¡¯s pussy. What do you have to say for yourself?¡±


    Sam cries in a lewd manner, grinding her ass up and down the shaft of my cock in a thinly veiled attempt at pleasuring me. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Dadddyyyyy!! Your Mage¡¯s pussy is so... so wet and naughty looking, I thought that Daddy would like it if I made her squeal for you...!¡±


    ¡°Liar.¡± With my free hand I reach around her body and flick her rock hard nipple with my middle finger strongly.


    Sam¡¯s entire body reacts to this, jerking backward and tilting her head back and she cries out a violent moan of passion. ¡°NOOO!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just so much of a Slut that you saw a pussy and wanted to eat it without my permission, isn¡¯t that right? Tell the truth.¡±


    The Princess is silent as her hand tries to rub and pleasure her damaged nipple.


    ¡°TELL THE TRUTH!¡± I bark at her, which causes her to moan out in desperate ecstasy.


    ¡°YES!! Daddy¡¯s right...!! I didn¡¯t care, I just wanted to eat her pussy cause I¡¯m a slutty little bitch who loves eating pussy!!¡±


    Letting go of Sam¡¯s hair, I push her too towards the table and she stumbles before catching herself on it.


    ¡°Good. Now strip like I told you to, you little fucking brat.¡±


    ¡°Yes Daddy, YES!¡± Sam is overeager to correct her mistake, and she hurriedly removes her gloves, boots, stockings and arm sleeves leaving me with a beautiful sight of my teen Princess¡¯s totally naked body.


    ¡°Both of you, on the table. Lay down on your backs and make your heads point towards me.¡±


    Wasting no time at all Sam and Zutiria both shuffle around to the positions I ordered them to and I watch with an eager grin, and an even more eager cock.


    ¡°Gods, look at you two whores. You know I would never let you stay here in MY Guild if it weren¡¯t for these sexy bodies, right? It¡¯s basically the only thing you have going for you.¡± I worry a bit that that might have been too far, but it wasn¡¯t the case.


    Both girls are in ecstasy over my verbal abuse, their faces a sloppy and drooling mess of pleasured tears and open, moaning mouths.


    I¡¯m still keeping things intentionally light by just using general comments. I¡¯m making sure not to poke at anything that would actually really upset them, like Sam¡¯s Daddy issues or her being the Princess, and especially anything that would trigger Zutiria¡¯s panic or feel like I¡¯m mocking her for inability to cast spells.


    I might be really turned on by this rough role playing but I¡¯m not a complete asshole.


    ¡°Which one of you wants this cock more?¡± Gripping my massive shaft in my fist, I make my way to the edge of the table where both girls will easily be able to pleasure me with their mouths.


    ¡°It¡¯s mine, I had it fiiiiirst... you don¡¯t need to hold back, eitherrrr... face fuck me, Daddy.¡± Sam moans in a husky tone.


    ¡®Sir, I love it more than her... please let me suck on it... please, I want Sir¡¯s thick cock in my mouth...¡¯


    ¡°I know a way we can decide. I want the two of you adventuring sluts to pleasure each other while you suck my dick, and whoever cums first between you two is the loser. The winner can have my load all to themselves. Does that sound good to you two perverted whores?¡± I lay out my cock between their faces and watch their eyes follow it.


    ¡°Ohhh... what a good idea, Daddy... I won¡¯t lose...¡± Sam starts kissing the side of my erect manhood passionately while her hands shoot between the mage¡¯s thighs, slipping inside of her pink slit effortlessly.


    Zutiria moans and says, ¡®Sir, I can¡¯t... nnn... this is too much for me...¡¯


    ¡°Are you saying you don¡¯t want my cum...?¡±


    The Mage whimpers and shakes her head, meekly diving her own hand into Sam¡¯s pretty pink muff and pushing her tiny fingers inside of it as she starts to lick and suck the opposite side of my cock.


    Both girls cover my shaft in erotic pleasure, their hot tongues swirling all the way from balls to tip and making sure to stop only to kiss and suck down.


    All this while both of my beautiful adventurers finger each other in their tight little pussies like mad.


    Eventually it¡¯s not enough for me and I pull my cock away from them, both girls reacting like kittens who just had their favorite toy taken away. They each moan heavily as now there¡¯s nothing to distract them from each other¡¯s teasing. But it isn¡¯t long till I go back to making myself feel good.


    ¡°Open up, both of you Sluts. Tongues wide out.¡± I command, and they listen with no hesitation.


    Two beautiful holes are now dangling off of the table for me to thrust myself into.


    ¡°Good girls. Your shitty blowjobs leave so much to be desired that I¡¯m just going to take what I want.¡± I tell them while pushing myself into Sam¡¯s gaping mouth. I start with her because I know she can take me better, at least the way I want her to.


    Sam¡¯s eyes grow wide as I push myself carefully down her mouth and into the tight passage of her throat. My cock is big and powerful as it ever is, so from this angle it¡¯s easy to see a rising bump from the outside of Sam¡¯s throat. Knowing that she¡¯s taking me so perfectly like this ignites my lust, and causes me to start thrusting.


    The Princess starts making louder and louder moans the more I face fuck her and grind my meat along the tightness of throat, and I don¡¯t want to overwhelm her so after a few short minutes of using the young woman as my personal sex toy I dislodge myself from her throat and pull my still needy cock towards Zutiria.


    The Mage¡¯s icy eyes tremble with excitement, fear, and desire. I know I need to be that much more delicate with her but I¡¯ll go just a bit harder than I normally would, since she explicitly wants me to be rough with her right now. I¡¯ll see how she does.


    I push my length slowly down Zutiria¡¯s mouth, her pouty lips stretching out to accommodate my impressive girth. I take her throat slowly but forcefully and give her no choice but to gulp me down.


    My size is almost too much for her tight channel and Zutiria whimpers frequently, gulping against it far more than Sam ever has to.


    The sensation is unreal. While Sam¡¯s throat is a slutty free for all that I can grab and facefuck her as roughly as I want, Zutiria¡¯s is a constant attack of circumstantial pleasure coupled with a desperate girl just trying to please me.


    They¡¯re both such good girls...


    Unfortunately for the little Mage, Sam decided to play dirty.


    I only said they have to pleasure each other, not that they needed to finger each other specifically. Her Highness seems to have found the easy way out and switches positions to bury her pretty little face between Zutiria¡¯s thighs and eat out her sweet, sweet slit as thirstily as if she were dehydrated after a spell in the Kissuarran desert.


    Zutiria begins to moan even harder against the sturdy, throbbing dick in her mouth as the Princess rolls her tongue around her inner folds and her hand continually teases the Mage¡¯s tiny clit.


    It¡¯s too much for her, her eyes go white and she sucks down on my cock ridiculously hard while her little body violently spasms an intense orgasm out on Sam¡¯s face. I pull out so that I avoid cumming myself, just narrowly holding off that sweet release.


    The little Mage has been reduced to an even more desperate and panting breathy mess. Her small, nubile breasts heaving up and down as Sam continues to lick at her cleft, celebrating her victory by making Zutiria¡¯s pleasure last as long as she can.


    Eventually, however, she pulls away from the little lady¡¯s quivering pussy in order to claim her reward.


    ¡°Daddy...¡± Sam looks up at me from the table and spreads her legs wide, thin trails of her own excitement spreading from thigh to thigh. ¡°I won. Can I please have my reward?¡±


    ¡®Ah. Um... Sammy? Sir?¡¯


    Despite how badly I need to thrust and be done with it, I grip my cock and give her an angry face. ¡°Is that any way for a Slut like you to beg?¡±


    ¡®This really isn¡¯t the time for-¡¯


    Sam bites her lip as her emerald eyes fill with lusty anticipation. Her fingers reach down to her sopping labia to spread her hole for me, baring it all for my wanting erection. ¡°B-But Daddy...¡± She trembles while keeping her wide slit prepped. ¡°I won. I won so you would give me your cum... you promised...!!¡±


    ¡®Oh, Goddesses...¡¯


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE! I SAID BEG FOR MY CUM, YOU SLUT! DO YOU WANT ME TO KICK SUCH A WORTHLESS ADVENTURER SUCH AS YOURSELF OUT OF THIS GUILD?! WHAT USE ARE YOU TO ME IF YOU WON¡¯T EVEN BEG!¡± I slam my fist on the table in an effort to up the intimidation factor.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t what it looks like... Sir?¡¯


    Sam is in heaven despite my harsh words, and I can see her pussy twitch at my cruelty and drool even more of her love juices onto the wooden table. ¡°N-NO DON¡¯T KICK ME OUT DADDY, PLEASE!!¡± She continues her roleplay even though her expression is anything but fearful. ¡°I PROMISE I¡¯LL BE YOUR GOOD LITTLE SLUT AND LET YOU CUM INSIDE ME WHENEVER YOU WANT SO FUCKING DO IT! M-MAKE ME HAVE YOUR BABIES!!¡±


    ¡°FUCK YES!¡± I know she¡¯s on Succu-Bye, but at the sheer mention of the prospect all I can do is grab her by the back of her knees and slam my entire throbbing cock into her depths in one fell motion.


    My balls tremble and unleash a stream that feels unending out inside of the role playing Princess. With no bed to take my excess load, Sam¡¯s own gushing liquids and my seed spurt out the sides of her pussy to pool around the wooden table and over the edge, quickly creating a puddle on the floorboards below.


    ¡®Sir.¡¯


    I finally look at Zutiria, I¡¯ve been ignoring her text for a while now but as I finish cumming she sits up on the table and waves her hand in front of my face.


    ¡°What? Are you THAT eager for your turn, you little-¡±


    Zutiria sighs and grabs me by the head and turns it to face the broken door of the entrance hall.


    Standing at the where the front door used to be before a certain someone had their way with it, is a red-eyed girl wearing a bright yellow ribbon in her short brown hair. She¡¯s small, probably around five feet tall, and she¡¯s wearing one of the biggest and bulkiest suits of armor I¡¯ve ever laid eyes on. It makes her look a lot bigger than she presumably is under all that metal.


    In one arm the girl carries an absolute unit of a tower shield with a red cracked gem at the center and the whole thing is easily taller than the girl itself. In her other hand is an envelope with the Association of Adventurers Sigil printed upon it. At her feet is a large traveler¡¯s pack suggesting a decent amount of luggage.


    The timid and meek looking girl is shaking from profound fear so loudly that it¡¯s creating a constant clanking in her gray, yellow accented armor. Her cheeks are covered in a constant trail of tears falling down onto the metal plating below.


    Sam and I snap out of our hardcore roleplay to look at her, my dick sliding out of the Princess and falling down to my groin with a meaty thwack sound.


    The armored girl looks at my penis for only a second before shaking harder and losing the last bit of composure she still had. Crying intensely, eyes shut firmly, she shouts out. ¡°M-M-MY NAME I-I-IS MUH... MUH.. MERILLE TILLOT A-AND I¡¯M TUH-TUH-TRANSFERRING HERE FROM P... PERLSHAW...!! PUH... PLEASE T-TAKE CARE OF ME...¡±


    PunishedKom

 Merille Tillot, the Shaking Shield Maiden

    She was there the entire time.


    ¡°...¡±


    The new girl sits quietly at the furthest table in the room, as far as she can get from me while still being technically ¡®in¡¯ the Guild. The closer I get to the armored maiden the harder her armour rattles from fear.


    And that¡¯s after we all got dressed.


    For whatever reason, she¡¯s letting Sam and Zutiria sit with her but not me. I can hardly imagine why...


    This entire time her eyes haven¡¯t left me, and she reminds me of a cornered animal who refuses to let its guard down for more than a millisecond. In a way that¡¯s very befitting of her, assuming she actually is a Shield Maiden and that that¡¯s not just my speculation.


    I need to try and actually talk to her, the silence is getting unbearable.


    ¡°So-¡±


    ¡°I PROMISE I¡¯LL BE GOOD, PLEASE DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡± Merille Tillot jumps off of the table and runs to pick up her shield again, hiding behind it.


    Why did she even bother setting down the massive thing if she was just going to do this?


    Sam shoots me a super annoyed look. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s the type who can handle this kind of person very well...


    That leaves the role of mediator entirely down to Zutiria, who I believe is up to the task despite her lack of people skills. She seems rather interested in Miss Tillot, which is a good start.


    Still, this entire situation is just... just my luck. Why in the hell was I not warned there would be a transfer adventurer? This is incredibly against protocol to just foist off an adventurer from one Guild to another without even a single word of warning.


    Maybe I¡¯m just pessimistic but I can only imagine it¡¯s because it was Dewhurst. Why bother giving me a heads up when my Guild is just a joke? The thought makes me angry because... I know it¡¯s true.


    As I get lost in my thoughts, Zutiria steps up and tries to talk to the new arrival.


    ¡®If you¡¯ll just let him explain, I promise it won¡¯t be that bad.¡¯ Zutiria says.


    ¡°Y-You don¡¯t need to explain everything...¡± Merille says with a shaky voice. ¡°I think I understand what¡¯s going on in this G-Guild...¡±


    Sam groans. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, gods... Are you dumb or something?¡±


    ¡°Yes! ...N-No! I don¡¯t know!¡± She whines and her armor begins clanking again, evidently deciding she¡¯s afraid of Sam as well.


    ¡®Shhhhhh.¡¯ Zutiria starts petting Merille¡¯s head, once again mimicking how I pet her. ¡®Look. You need to talk to him if you¡¯re going to live here. Can you handle it?¡¯


    Merille raises her head to look at me from across the room. I watch as she tries to make a brave face and actually succeeds for a split moment before her confidence falters and she breaks our momentary eye contact.


    ¡°I-I can try...!!¡± She says as she looks down into her lap, setting her shield down against the wall behind her once again.


    Sam stands up and sighs. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this out of the way before you try and hide behind it again.¡± She reaches for the shield to take it away but provokes an unexpected response out of the girl.


    Merille stands up and with all seriousness sports a confident glare while grabbing Sam¡¯s wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t. Hands off of MY shield.¡±


    Sam is floored, as am I. Who the hell is this new girl that just replaced the shaking, trembling mess who walked in? But as soon as we process the abrupt change, Merille is back to normal. ¡°Um... sorry. My shield is very important to me... I don¡¯t like it when people touch it...¡±


    Not knowing what to do, Sam just kinda looks at me and shrugs. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    For once, Merille smiles a genuine smile and Sam and I blush at seeing just how adorable the new girl is when she¡¯s not trembling out of fear. ¡°It¡¯s ok, I know you didn¡¯t mean it!¡±


    Sam looks away out of embarrassment, now unsure if she likes the new girl or not. ¡°Well, alright then. Boss, you coming?¡±


    Merille¡¯s pulse begins to race as I draw closer to their table. ¡°Miss... Tillot, was it?¡±


    The armored girl nods her head while avoiding my gaze.


    ¡°I¡¯m the Guild Master of Dewhurst¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. May I see your letter of transfer?¡± I extend my hand and manage to take the envelope from her trembling grasp.


    I open it up and read a bunch of bullshit pleasantries signed courtesy of one Gilver Glorigold, Guild Master of Perlshaw. Something, something ¡®not the right environment for Miss Tillot¡¯ something, something ¡®placing her in your capable hands¡¯. Bureaucratic nonsense. I should know because I happen to excel at writing such papers.


    The heart of the matter between all this fluff and stuff is that plain and simple, Merille Tillot was judged not to be good enough for Perlshaw. Which is fairly unheard of. Guilds certainly have the power to evict an adventurer who lodges with them and recommend them to another one, but I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever witnessed it happen in my twenty-two years of management.


    ¡°Have you read this?¡± I ask her before handing it off to Zutiria since I know she¡¯ll want to give it a once over.


    ¡°N... No...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bunch of absolute nonsense from your former Guild Master. Pay it no mind. May I ask what exactly happened that resulted in your... transferral?¡± I hold myself back from saying eviction. ¡°Sam, grab our guest some water would you?¡± For SOME reason, this girl is terrified of me and I need to do my best to lay on the charm and show I¡¯m a decent person.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Sam shrugs once and ambles off to the kitchen.


    Merille looks to Zutiria for comfort and the Mage squeezes her hand. ¡°I-I¡¯m... not good at it... adventuring... fighting... the only quests I can finish are f-fetch quests...¡±


    ¡°Did the Guild attempt to help you at all?¡±


    Her face turns white as chalk and I can tell yet another fear has overtaken it. ¡°The... the Guild Master... wanted to help...¡±


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t accept it?¡±


    ¡°He wanted me to v-visit his office for some... ¡®Tea¡¯.¡± She bites her lip and actually manages to look me in the eyes briefly.


    I slam my fists on the table, and unfortunately it¡¯s right when Sam was returning and setting down a tankard of water. The water falls to the ground from the power of my outburst. ¡°Boss, what the fuck?!¡±


    ¡°UNACCEPTABLE!¡± I shout in a blind rage.


    ¡°EEEP!¡± Merille jumps backwards and hides behind her shield again, meanwhile Zutiria just sighs.


    I practically stomp my way out to my office to pick up my trusty weapons. I return bearing a sheet of paper, a pen, and an envelope addressed to the Association of Adventurers HQ.


    In my raw fury I scribble out a very strongly worded letter alleging improper conduct and undue advances between Perlshaw¡¯s Guild Master and an adventurer staying under his care.


    Currently I¡¯m mad as hell, so the irony of ME being the one to write such a letter is completely lost on me.


    ¡°W-what is he doing...?¡± Merille asks with an innocent curiosity to Sam who returns with yet more water, and a cloth to mop up the spillage.


    ¡°He¡¯s doing what he does best,¡± Sam smiles a toothy grin. ¡°Boring ass paperwork!¡±


    For the first time in my presence, Merille lets out a relaxed giggle. I¡¯m drawn to it, and it really, REALLY sinks in how adorable she is. She has this naive, good girl-like charm to her that makes her plenty attractive as-is when coupled with her sweet voice and round, cutesy face.


    I can¡¯t get a good look at her body, obviously, as it¡¯s hidden behind a huge suit of armor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send this in the morning. It¡¯s a letter to the main branch regarding the implications you just told me. Namely telling them to look into the actions of this ¡®Gilver Glorigold¡¯ fellow.¡±


    Merille blushes heavily, ¡°Oh, no. P-Please don¡¯t trouble yourself... I¡¯m fairly sure they already know about him... he¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°HOLD THE FUCK UP!¡± Sam¡¯s eyes go wide and she stands up. ¡°The Guild Master of Perlshaw?! That sleazy sack of shit with the greasy blonde hair?¡±


    The armored girl tilts her head, ¡°Oh, you know him? Wait a moment... hold on...¡± Merille sizes Sam up and thinks to herself before gasping. ¡°IT¡¯S YOU!¡±


    She stands up and leans over the table to look at Sam. ¡°Blonde twintails, red bikini armor, you¡¯re that girl who got her license back in Perlshaw a while back! I saw you! You¡¯re... you¡¯re a LEGEND!¡± Merille smiles brightly, eyes sparking with adoration.


    Zutiria and I both shoot a glance at Sam, but she¡¯s just as confused as we are. ¡°Fuck¡¯re you talking about?¡± She laughs uncomfortably.


    ¡°You¡¯re the girl who kicked him in the... the... no-no zone! Every girl in the Guild was singing your praises for weeks! He was in so much pain that he didn¡¯t try any nonsense with the girls for weeks after that happened!¡±


    I can¡¯t hold myself back from laughing loudly.


    ¡®That certainly sounds like our Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria says as she chuckles.


    Blushing heavily, Sam shoos her away with her hand. ¡°Oh stop, all I did was kick a dude in the nuts who deserved it.¡±


    ¡°Be that as it may, I¡¯m honored to be in the same Guild as you! Um... assuming I...¡± Merille looks at me and then winces a bit in fear again.


    I sigh once more, we need to go over this. ¡°Look. What you walked in on was... a sexual roleplay.¡±


    All of a sudden the armored girl¡¯s face becomes as red as the fiercest of fires, ¡°R-r-role... play...? I don¡¯t understand...¡±


    Zutiria, however, seems to understand a lot. She pets Merille on the head once again. ¡®Oh, you innocent little flower...¡¯


    ¡°We were pretending.¡± I say.


    ¡°B... but the three of you were clearly d-doing the... the THING! You can¡¯t pretend that!¡±


    ¡°No, we were pretending about the stuff I was saying. We were playing a role, like an actor in a play. Hell, it was THEIR idea. I was the evil, sexually abusive Guild Master and Sam and Zutiria here were-¡±


    ¡°His loyal cumdump adventurers!¡± Sam declares proudly.


    ¡°C-C-C-C-C-U... WHAT?! Stand firm... s-stand firm...!!¡± Merille freaks out at the mention of such casual profanity. If it wasn¡¯t clear that this girl was a virgin, it is now.


    ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that I don¡¯t ACTUALLY force my adventurers to have sex with me. These two just... do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Boss here has magic ji-¡± NOPE. I grab Sam by her head and cover her mouth aggressively. I make sure she looks at me and do my best to threaten her into not saying more with a look alone.


    This new girl is beyond timid, and we need to be delicate regarding my quest for a harem, my magic semen, and all the other utter nonsense going on in my life. I still need to run a Guild here and if Merille shows absolutely no interest in me then I need to not be a total creep, like my counterpart in Perlshaw evidently is.


    I¡¯m not sitting here talking to her with the explicit goal of adding her to my bedmates, she¡¯s a new worker. It¡¯s just that the workplace is in a very, very strange transitional period right now.


    Merille looks to me with a very apologetic expression, though still tinged with fear. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry... it¡¯s just... you all were being so... i-indecent and you have such a frightening, thug-like face... and your glasses d-don¡¯t help at all!¡±


    Thug-like face...? I can¡¯t deny it but that doesn¡¯t mean I feel good about it.


    ¡°You get used to it. I actually think it¡¯s kinda hot.¡± Sam smiles and nudges me with her elbow suggestively. Not the time, Sam.


    ¡®Sir is rough around the edges, but I assure you he¡¯s a gentleman above all else once you get to know him.¡¯ Zutiria says.


    I sigh, having these two as my backup isn¡¯t helping very much. Merille seems to be getting slightly more comfortable with me, so I need to take a chance. ¡°Sam, Zutiria, may I have a moment with our guest alone? I would like to discuss more business related things with Miss Tillot.¡±


    Merille is nervous about the idea, but consents by nodding her head.


    ¡°Yeah, sure Boss. Don¡¯t make it weird for her.¡± The Princess laughs in a husky tone before grabbing her great sword and heading out into the training yard to work on her fighting form.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be in the lab if you need me.¡¯ The Mage stands and pets the head of the armored girl once more before trotting off to do some experiments in her makeshift alchemy workshop.


    I¡¯m now left alone in the entrance hall with Merille Tillot, and while still trembling ever so slightly she¡¯s able to look me in the eyes every so often. An improvement.


    In an attempt to break the ice, I smile as charmingly as I can and ask, ¡°Miss Tillot, you¡¯re a Shield Maiden... right? I don¡¯t think I need to see your Hero License to recognize that. I¡¯ve never met one before. It¡¯s a very rare class.¡±


    For a moment her eyes light up with excitement and she nods her head. ¡°Yes, my Mother was one as well and she inspired me to take up the lifestyle after she... w-well...¡± Merille looks away, clearly not wanting to elaborate.


    ¡°I understand. I have plenty of things that I wouldn¡¯t want to tell strangers about as well.¡±


    She offers me a meek smile in response and says, ¡°Y-You can call me Meri... by the way...¡±


    ¡°Very well, Meri. It¡¯s getting late tonight but tomorrow I¡¯m going to want to do some tests back in the training yard if you don¡¯t mind, I want to see what you¡¯re capable of before we start sending you on quests.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, of course. Just please don¡¯t expect too much from me... t-there¡¯s a reason they didn¡¯t want me back at Perlshaw... and it¡¯s not just because I turned down a cup of ¡®tea¡¯.¡± Her red eyes fill with sadness, and I can¡¯t help but feel bad for her.


    She continues on, ¡°Um... Y-you promise me you¡¯re not a weird sex pervert, right...? I don¡¯t know anything about... l-lewd things, so if what you and them were doing is n-n-n-normal then I¡¯m very, very sorry for thinking you were a violent thug...¡±


    ¡°Would you believe it if I said that earlier in the day I was close to fixing the door, but I instead purchased a new bed? I thought to myself what could possibly go wrong, we can fix it up in a few days instead.¡±


    Meri covers her mouth with her plated hand, hiding a giggle behind it as she does so. ¡°I-I know the feeling... I go out to buy certain things and often end up returning with lots of sweets instead of what I actually left home for...¡±


    I laugh in response, glad this warm, friendly atmosphere is going very well now. Gods, she¡¯s cute.


    Out of nowhere, the voice of the Goddess in my heart sees fit to chime in. ¡®You¡¯re welcome.¡¯


    ...Wonderful. I had my suspicions, but now I know for sure that if I take off my glasses and look at this Shield Maiden my heart will go wild with desire just like the first times I laid eyes on Sam and Zutiria before her.


    Only I¡¯m not going to do that, and I won¡¯t be making any move on her without a sign of interest on her part. I rushed into being with Sam and Zutiria, and regardless of any Goddess¡¯s plan to set me up with a giant harem I¡¯m not going to look at Meri as a potential prize to be won.


    I need to have a deeper conversation with this presence of mine as soon as I can, but I don¡¯t know how to incite one other than hoping I have another dream where she sees fit to talk to me.


    ¡°U-Um,¡± Meri nervously interrupts my train of thought. ¡°May I ask a potentially... r-rude question, Mr. Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    ¡°Your Guild is... w-well... a ruin.¡± She looks into her lap as she¡¯s overcome with guilt for having to bring this up. ¡°W-what happened here...?¡±


    Of course she¡¯d ask, and I need to be honest with her. ¡°There was a long stretch of my life, about five years or so, where I had less motivation and things fell apart. I¡¯m recovering from my weakness ever since meeting Sam and Zutiria, and bit by bit we¡¯re dedicated to making enough gold to fully renovate the Guild.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Meri gasps out of embarrassment at having asked such a personal question, and then her eyes seem to sparkle with interest. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... but... that¡¯s such a lovely goal! Are they your only adventurers?¡±


    I smirk and decide to push just a tiny bit, ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    She blushes and smiles softly, breaking eye contact. ¡°I see... w-well, may I see the dorm rooms then? I¡¯d like to unpack.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    I forgot about this. This... isn¡¯t going to come off very good at all.


    ¡°Well, funny story about that...¡±


    Meri¡¯s eyes fill with concern, and fear. Her armor trembles in anticipation of my next words.


    ¡°They actually have not been cleaned in... a very long time. Sam insisted on sharing my bed very early on after I met her, and Zutiria is a close friend of hers from back home and she sort of... invited her to my bed as well...¡±


    Her cheeks fill with blush and her eyes go wide, twitching nervously.


    ¡°That is to say... the, ah... the only available room is my own... bed... room... but hey, at least I just bought a much bigger bed... r-right...?¡±


    ...


    Meri stands up, grabs her shield and rushes to the corner of the room. She crouches down in the corner and positions the tower shield in front of her so that I can¡¯t see a single part of her body from this angle, though I can still see the trembling of her hand as it shakes and trembles the handle of her great barrier.


    ¡°I-I JUST KNEW YOU WERE A LEWD, CREEPY PERVERT!! S-STAY AWAY FROM MY BODY YOU HORNY THUG! I HAVE A SHIELD AND I¡¯M NOT AFRAID TO... TO PROTECT MYSELF WITH IT!!¡± Meri shouts desperately.


    This is going to be a long night, I think to myself while rubbing my temples out of stress.

 Baby Steps

    Even though I just bought a brand new luxurious Dwarven bed crafted by an expert and his sassy daughter, I don¡¯t even get to sleep in it tonight. Instead, to try and make things normal again after revealing the truth of the sleeping situation I elected to let Meri sleep alone in my room while I dusted off a dorm room as quickly as I could with the help of my girls. It¡¯s not actually cleaned by any stretch of the word, but it¡¯ll have to do for now.


    Needless to say Sam and Zutiria followed me to our temporary quarters for the night and despite the rather abhorrent state of the room the three of us managed to sneak in a couple of rounds of nightly activities... even though I begged them to hold off for the night, Sam insisted on getting more of my dick since we were so rudely interrupted during the roleplay sex she was so very much looking forward to.


    I am only a man, and a weak one at that. I did my best to stifle their moans and pray to the Goddess that our new guest didn¡¯t hear. But then I remembered that that same Goddess might be my unreliable benefactor and all hopes were as good as dashed.


    The next morning we had a very, very brief wake up blowjob session where the girls had to share a load since I wanted to be up for the day and prepare a vaguely decent breakfast for Meri as soon as she was awake.


    The three of us eventually ambled downstairs in casual clothes, Sam in one of my sleep shirts and some black trousers, myself in some slacks and a white tunic, and Zutiria in a simple blue dress that looked like pajamas. We¡¯re all surprised to see Meri already up for the day waiting for us in the entrance hall.


    She¡¯s absorbed in a book and blushing red as a rose.


    ¡°Morning!¡± Sam runs off to see her new Guildmate. While the tomboyish Princess was put off by Meri¡¯s meekness initially, she seems to have come around after Meri inflated Sam¡¯s ego somewhat. Good to know that it doesn¡¯t take much for the young royal to make new friends with someone closer to her own age.


    ¡°I-I FOUND IT IN THE BEDROOM, I SWEAR IT¡¯S NOTHING IMPORTANT!¡± Meri shouts and reflexively shoves the book in front of her face like it was a shield, inadvertently revealing to me that she was reading my first edition copy of ¡®Lusty Tales and Tails¡¯.


    Of all the erotic tomes I had forgotten to hide before handing over my bedroom to the new girl, how on earth did she end up with that one? It¡¯s rather extreme...


    Meri quickly realizes she¡¯s holding the book out in a way that shows exactly what it is and then throws it under the wooden table in a hurry.


    It¡¯s a little over half past nine, and unlike the three of us Meri is fully dressed. Only she¡¯s not wearing her armor and now for the first time I get a proper detailed look at her without several layers of steel in the way.


    Merille Tillot is between Sam and Zutiria¡¯s height, with a body on the chubbier side of things. Her hips are very wide, and her black stockings dig into her meaty thighs. Her bust is quite large as well, to the point where it seems like it¡¯ll burst out of her white top at any moment. I would wager she has a little bit of a tummy underneath her shirt as well.


    All in all I¡¯d truthfully say she¡¯s exceedingly adorable, in an innocent, ¡®I want to hug and protect her smile¡¯ kind of way.


    ¡®Getting in some... pleasant morning reading?¡¯ Zutiria teases and plops down beside Meri on the wooden seat, causing the brunette to blush hotter.


    ¡°N-no... I just... um... didn¡¯t have anything better to do.¡±


    Sam laughs and sits down on the other side. ¡°You must be some kinda nerd like Boss is. I mean, what sorta loser READS porn?¡± The Princess rolls her eyes.


    ¡°The sort of loser that¡¯s about to make your breakfast and spit in your eggs, you little brat.¡± I loom over Sam, letting it be known that I will not stand for my hobby being disgraced.


    ¡°ACK NO, I¡¯LL NEVER ACTUALLY KNOW IF YOU DID OR NOT!!¡± Sam pleads. I¡¯m not going to actually do it, but she¡¯ll never know for sure.


    Meri laughs in a cute tone, feeling slightly more at place here.


    I¡¯ll admit. This pleasant back and forth between all of us is... nice. I can¡¯t even believe that just over a month ago this place was empty and devoid of life aside from the spiders and the rats. Now there¡¯s a trio of cute girls sitting together, laughing and talking amongst themselves and waiting for breakfast.


    It¡¯ll be a long time till this Guild is filled to capacity again, but seeing the contrast between then and now fills my jaded and cynical heart with the warmth of hope.


    And then things got awkward again.


    ¡°CHILDREN, MOMMY¡¯S HOME!¡± Opalina bellows out loudly as she walks through the still regrettably doorless entrance. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re all up already.¡± My mature lover clasps her hands together in delight, before she notices my guest.


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯ve finally found another one have you, Dear?¡± The busty healer makes her way over to Meri with great interest.


    ¡°B-BOOBS!¡± Meri shrieks as the bouncing globes attack her face as soon as Opalina pulls her into a massive hug. Poor Meri, you can¡¯t shield yourself from such an onslaught no matter how hard you try.


    ¡®Morning, Opal.¡¯ Zutiria smiles at the sight of her, knowing she¡¯s going to get fed something better than I can prepare.


    ¡°Sup, Opal!¡± Sam smiles but also stares at Meri in jealousy. She wants to trade places, the Princess becomes a drooling puppy dog whenever the busty healer is involved.


    ¡°So,¡± Opalina smiles and faces my direction. ¡°Have you had your way with her yet, Dear?¡±


    ...


    I love the good doctor more than I could ever put to words, but for the life of me I can¡¯t believe she actually just said that.


    ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± Meri manages to get her head out of Opal¡¯s tits and panics, looking back to me. ¡°Y-YOU REALLY ARE PLANNING TO DO LEWD THINGS TO ME, AREN¡¯T YOU?!¡±


    Opalina releases her hug on the panicked girl and tilts her head. ¡°Oh my. Was I not supposed to mention this?¡± She looks at me with upturned, apologetic eyebrows. ¡°I assumed this was another girl you drafted as part of your, well. Unique situation.¡±


    ¡°Meri, calm down. I can explain, Opal here is just...¡±


    ¡°Y-YOU¡¯RE HAVING SEX WITH THIS TITTY MONSTER TOO, AREN¡¯T YOU!?¡±


    Opalina¡¯s face makes a conflicted expression, unsure of whether to take this as a compliment or not. ¡°T-titty monster...?!¡±


    Zutiria sighs and begins polishing her round glasses as this plays out. Sam just starts laughing her ass off at my expense. At least she¡¯s not actively making the situation any worse...


    Meri looks at me for confirmation on whether or not the titty monster and I have fucked, and my blush and evasive eye movements answer the question for her.


    ¡°S-so it¡¯s true...!! HOW MANY OTHER GIRLS ARE THERE?!¡± She panics and stands up, scanning the room for something to hide behind and settling for behind Opalina¡¯s back. Meri wields the doctor¡¯s tits as if they were her bulky tower shield.


    ¡°Well none so far, I just-¡± ... Shit.


    ¡°S-So far...!?¡± Meri takes a step back. And then another. And another still, before running away up the stairs back to my bedroom that she¡¯s taken over.


    ¡°Boss you¡¯re so bad at this holy SHIT- AH!¡± Before Sam starts laughing any harder I bonk her on the head.


    ¡®She¡¯ll be fine... I think.¡¯ Zutiria sighs.


    Opalina twiddles her thumbs and sits down where Meri was sitting. ¡°W-well I like the new girl, at any rate...¡± She stammers and evades looking at me directly, clearly embarrassed about having made things that much more complicated.


    I fill Opalina in on everything that happened last night and her face gets increasingly red. ¡°W-Well... if you think about it, it¡¯s all your fault Dear for getting your fancy new bed before fixing the door!¡±


    Yeah, no. ¡°And who was it that sent my girls back to me in such a horny state that they couldn¡¯t even wait for me to take them upstairs to fuck them, hmm?¡± I eye her accusingly.


    ¡°I just wanted to send you a present, Sweetie... I wanted to visit, but I had a lot of work to do after sending these two precious Dears home. It¡¯s not my fault you couldn¡¯t lock the door.¡± Opalina blushes and sulks a tiny bit, trying to play up her cutefulness and act very unlike her age so I forgive her more easily.


    Sam drools at the memory of whatever Opalina did to her, hopelessly wanting more. ¡°Mmmmm...¡±


    ¡®Sir. You should probably just lay some more of it out on the table for her. Explain the details and don¡¯t leave anything out.¡¯ Zutiria takes it upon herself to be the voice of reason and looks me straight in the eyes.


    ¡°But that might-¡±


    ¡®Yes, there¡¯s a chance Meri might not want to stay. But need I remind you that you¡¯re a Guild Master, too? If need be you could write up one of those transferral notices if she¡¯s not comfortable staying here under your bizarre circumstances.¡¯


    I sigh and look down at the table, sulking along with Opalina. ¡°But I don¡¯t want it to sound like I want her to stay just so I can eventually fuck her. I...¡± My heart starts growing heavier. Should I just tell them? ¡°Look, Sam, Zutiria... There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t said yet. I told Opalina about it, but... it¡¯s just so weird and I haven¡¯t felt up to telling you... mainly because I¡¯m afraid of how you¡¯d react.¡±


    To my surprise, Sam stands up and leans over the counter. ¡°Boss, how fucking dare you! I told you the secret of my true identity, and even my dream of slaying the Demon Lord! And you accepted me with open arms despite that. Why would I ever judge you?¡±


    ¡°Because it puts our relationship in a weird light and I¡¯m not comfortable about it.¡± I openly admit.


    ¡®Sir, I¡¯m with Sammy. You¡¯ve done more for me in the short time I¡¯ve known you than anyone else in my whole life. I have an urge to hit you over the head with my staff for being so pig headed to think anything you could possibly say would turn me away from you.¡¯


    I¡¯m stunned beyond belief at her words. I try to open my mouth, but much to everyone in the room¡¯s surprise, Zutiria beats me to it.


    ¡°A... af... ter... a... all... I luh... love... y... you...¡± She says slowly, carefully and with labored breathing as the sentence weighs down on her vocal cords.


    ...


    ¡°Zutiria...?¡±


    This intense, heartfelt moment is instantly ruined by Sam jumping at me and shoving her tits in my face. ¡°ZUZU, WHAT THE FUCK? GODS DAMMIT I WANTED TO SAY IT FIRST!! BOSS, ME TOO! WHAT SHE SAID!¡±


    ¡°Now now, young lady.¡± Opalina giggles and blushes. ¡°You have to actually say the words for it to count.¡±


    Sam releases me from her breasts and angrily crosses her arms, turning her face away from my own with the ferocity of a whip crack. Her blonde hair, which has neither been brushed or tied up into her signature twintails yet, flows behind her as she does so. ¡°HMPH. I¡¯ll say it when I¡¯m damn well ready.¡±


    ¡°Well, for what it¡¯s worth I love you too, Dear. Although I¡¯m sure it¡¯s a lot less exciting to hear coming from an old lady like me than it is compared to these two lovely lasses.¡± She laughs in that husky tone of hers.


    Right now, I¡¯m a bit overwhelmed with emotion. It¡¯s hard thinking of how exactly to respond but the more I spend in silence the more sure I become of the situation.


    ¡°I love the three of you as well. How could I not?¡±


    ¡°Damn right.¡± Sam sticks her tongue out at me despite her cheeks flaring red with blush.


    ¡°Oh, I just knew it!¡± Opal plays up her reaction and claps her hands together.


    ¡®Go on, Sir. Tell us everything.¡¯


    ¡°You both remember how I told you I have a voice inside me that has compelled me to cum inside you shortly after meeting you, yes?¡± Both girls nod. Kind of hard to forget an absurdity like that, I guess. ¡°Well about a week ago before Opalina and I slept together... I... had a dream where I talked to it. And I¡¯m fairly sure it¡¯s a Goddess, potentially even... THE Goddess.¡±


    Sam¡¯s eyes go wide, ¡°Fuck me, you don¡¯t mean...¡±


    Zutiria¡¯s eyebrows raise in curiosity. ¡®Lux Ultima?¡¯


    ¡°Yes. And whoever it was implied that they drew you to me for me to... conquer. Specifically you and Zutiria. And she said that she¡¯s going to keep sending me adventurers to do the same with. Is it wrong that I¡¯m worried about the ethics of this? Goddess or not, she¡¯s picking out women and throwing them at me saying ¡®add her to the pile¡¯! Do the girls get any say in this? Is there consent? Did I... take advantage of what this Goddess is doing to me...?¡± Just saying it aloud fills me with dread and guilt... but...


    To my surprise, Sam stands up and looks me straight in the eye. She opens her mouth and her words change everything.

 The Birds and the Bees

    ¡°Who fucking gives a shit, Boss?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Sam... I¡¯m trying to be serious here.¡± I look at my young lover in disbelief that she¡¯d just openly dismiss my genuine concerns like that.


    ¡°Well so am I.¡± She grabs me by the collar of my tunic and jerks me up off of my seated position so she can look me in the eye. ¡°Goddess or no Goddess, meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. I don¡¯t care how it happened. Do you think Zuzu cares?¡±


    I look to Zutiria who stares back, blushing.


    ¡°Course not. What difference does it make WHY we met when all that really matters is that we DID? I¡¯m not saying you need to creep on Meri, Boss, but I¡¯m saying that if she¡¯s anything like the two of us then there¡¯s a damn good reason she¡¯s here. Just stop stressing so much about shit and just play it by ear.¡±


    Sam...


    ¡®I agree, Sir...¡¯ The mage stands up and walks over to hug me while I¡¯m still held aloft by Sam¡¯s strong grip. ¡®There¡¯s... frankly no evidence to support that the voice that¡¯s talking to you is the Goddess of Light to begin with.¡¯


    Zutiria¡¯s eyes briefly go dark, sinking to a hopeless despair I¡¯ve never seen from her before. ¡®I¡¯m... typically more than a little skeptical of invasive entities in your head trying to convince you that they¡¯re your friend, but...¡¯


    Hope returns to her expression as she looks back at me straight in the eyes. ¡®I¡¯m making an exception in this case because whatever entity you may be in contact with, it gifted me to you. If that¡¯s enough for me, it should be enough for you.¡¯


    Zutiria...


    ¡°Well, I may not be able to contribute much to this discussion...¡± Opalina sighs, perhaps jealous of not being one of my so-called ¡®destined¡¯. ¡°But I personally think that you¡¯ve improved the lives of the three of us. If a Goddess or whatever tells you you need to help other girls as well and it just so happens to lead to them falling for you, then that says more about you than anything else.¡± She warmly laughs and adjusts the rim of her glasses.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re even concerned about the ethics and consent involved in the first place is more than enough reason to believe it¡¯s ok to not worry about it too much.¡±


    Opalina...


    They¡¯re right. I¡¯m just being my overly analytical self and assuming the worst. I hate this part of me sometimes, I truly do. But the fact that I won over Sam and Zutiria by my own charm alone was lost on me amidst my own self doubt and concern.


    All the supposed Goddess did is bring them to me, and if I play my cards right there¡¯s a chance something will happen with this Shield Maiden too. I need to be ok with that and remind myself that it¡¯s not like the goddess is hypnotizing these girls to spread their legs for me and ignoring their own right to choose whether or not they actually want to be with me.


    She sets them up and I knock them down if I can, that¡¯s all there is to it.


    ¡°I think I understand now.¡± I do my best to smile warmly at the Princess, who soon grins back and sets me down.


    ¡°So you¡¯re gonna go for her?¡± Sam smirks excitedly at the thought of adding yet another big tittied bedmate to our growing roster.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to see what happens and not be concerned about the possibility any more. If something happens then I¡¯ll know it was through my own will and not influenced by any weird outside factors.¡± I explain with conviction.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best way to go about it I¡¯d say, Dear.¡± Opalina nods her head supportively.


    ¡®Yes, just keep being you and I¡¯ve no doubt things will work out just fine.¡¯ Zutiria reaches across the table to clasp her tiny hand around mine.


    All of a sudden there is a loud creaking sound coming from the stairs behind us. Meri awkwardly strolls down them wearing her full suit of armor and touting her titanic shield. She holds on carefully to the guard rail so as not to fall over from her own armored weight until finally she rejoins us at the table.


    She takes the seat furthest from my own and sits down, placing her shield down the long rectangular table and out of the way.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. I get carried away a lot and assume the worst...¡± Meri says in a sad, apologetic tone. ¡°T-There¡¯s probably a lot more to this situation than I understand, so...¡±


    ¡°Would you like to hear the full story?¡± I ask.


    Meri meekly smiles and nods her head, briefly making eye contact with me while doing so.


    ¡°Well I hope it can wait till after breakfast. I came over for a reason, you know!¡± Opalina excitedly stands up and takes her wand out of her sleeve, then removes her coat and rolls up her sleeves. She points the wand at her torso and the tip lights up, summoning a frilly apron that ties itself over top of her sweater.


    The apron reads ¡®Mommy Knows Best¡¯.


    ¡°Go get dressed, you three. I¡¯ll get started.¡± The older woman smiles and sways herself off to the kitchen in a hurry, eager to serve us all up a good meal to start our day correctly.


    The three of us follow her orders and make our way to my bedroom, but from the top of the stairs I can see Meri has already begun reading the erotic tome once again...


    ¡°Boss, check this shit out!¡± Sam excitedly holds up a pair of Meri¡¯s panties that were accidentally left out. They¡¯re very, very cute and don¡¯t match her age at all. They have a cute little cartoon bear in the center and seem to be much bigger than anything I¡¯ve seen Sam wearing.


    ¡®Sammy, no.¡¯ Zutiria says for me as she rips the panties out of the Princess¡¯s hands before she can do anything weirder to them.


    We all remove our motley assortment of casual wear and get dressed in our typical, everyday attire and head back downstairs to be greeted with the delicious smell of breakfast in the air. Meri is even more absorbed in the erotic tome by this time and doesn¡¯t even notice us until we draw closer.


    When she does, she lets out a shy yelp and hides the lewd book under her shield for future access.


    ¡°If it interests you then by all means, read. I have plenty more that you can look through at any time.¡± I smile and try to sit closer to her than I was before. To my surprise, she lets me although she¡¯s still shifting around slightly uncomfortably.


    ¡°I-I-It¡¯s not like I¡¯m particularly interested in... l-lewd things...¡± She shyly looks away with a blush redder than Sam¡¯s armor.


    Sam takes a seat across from the Shield Maiden and leans across the counter. She holds her cheeks up with her hands as she stares flirtatiously into Meri¡¯s eyes. ¡°Uh huh. I totally believe that. You don¡¯t strike me as a closet perv at all.¡±


    Meri¡¯s nervousness takes hold of her and she sweats, until Zutiria sits beside her. ¡®Ignore her, Meri. Sam¡¯s thirst is incorrigible and she didn¡¯t get enough dick this morning.¡¯


    The Shield Maiden feels sorry, apparently, as she looks to the Princess with remorse. ¡°Oh... I¡¯m sorry... you all d-don¡¯t need to... h-hold back, you know... um... I-I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± I smile at her reassuringly. ¡°I was just worried that the sound would trouble you.¡±


    Meri looks like she wants to say something, but it¡¯s interrupted by the smell of breakfast drawing ever closer. ¡°Coming through! Get it while it¡¯s hot, young ones, the secret ingredient is love!¡± Opalina shouts in a melodramatic tone.


    To my surprise, she¡¯s bringing the food out using a cart that I haven¡¯t had to use in gods know how many years. There¡¯s an excellent display of breakfast foods, most of which I am all but certain I don¡¯t even have the ingredients for. Opalina must have used some magic to summon them up from her own supplies to feed us, and I¡¯m very grateful for it. We all are.


    Any remaining tension breaks and all five of us share a wonderful meal from Opalina¡¯s massive spread. Pancakes, as one would expect from her, hash browns, bacon, sausages, toast, the list just goes on and on- she made damn well sure to cover each breakfast essential and then some.


    We all eat and talk, though Meri mainly just eats with a ravenous hunger and keeps to herself. It¡¯s not out of disinterest, but I¡¯d imagine her journey from Perlshaw to here took a lot out of her and she hasn¡¯t had a good, proper meal in the weeks it took. The dinner I cooked last night was just child¡¯s play compared to this bounty. Her plate is fuller than any of ours, even Opalina¡¯s.


    With an exaggerated sigh of fulfillment and newly rounded bellies, we all thank the motherly chef.


    ¡°T-thank you so much... it was delicious, Miss... Opal, was it?¡± Meri asks happily.


    ¡°You¡¯re very much welcome, Sweetie. You seem like a girl who appreciates a full plate and I¡¯m very happy to provide it! Ah, getting to cook for others after so very, very long has filled my heart with joy...¡± Opalina sighs in pure bliss.


    ¡°You gonna stay around today, Opal?¡± Sam asks hopefully.


    ¡®It would be nice, but the clinic won¡¯t run itself.¡¯ Zutiria reminds her.


    ¡°Alas, that¡¯s true. I¡¯ve got to be getting back soon. I¡¯m sorry we don¡¯t have any time for fun, Dear.¡± Opalina looks at me with sadness. We haven¡¯t been able to make love much since our initial coupling and it saddens her, but the scum of Dewhurst who can afford her healing services take up a lot of her time.


    I¡¯m very understanding of course, knowing that I¡¯ll work hard until the day she can set up shop as the Guild¡¯s permanent onsite healer.


    ¡°Actually, Opal. If you wouldn¡¯t mind staying for just a slight bit longer I wanted you to help me explain something to Meri.¡± I hint and Opalina catches my drift.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I suppose I have a little bit more time.¡± She smiles reassuringly.


    ¡°Do ya want us around, Boss? I know I¡¯m not the best when it comes to delicate shit.¡± Well at least she¡¯s conscious of the fact.


    ¡®Probably best for us to go, Sammy. They can handle it. Meet you in the training yard, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria asks, deftly remembering the early goal for the day.


    ¡°Yes, please.¡± I nod my head as the Princess and the Mage both rise from the table and lean over to give me a kiss on the opposite cheek, much to my and Meri¡¯s embarrassment. Sam shoots me a teasing wink as she shakes her bikini armored thong butt at me while making her way to her great sword and heading out back into the yard.


    ¡°W-What is this about, Mr. Guild Master...?¡± Now alone with me and the good doctor, a tiny bit of her apprehension returns but it¡¯s much more tolerable after the good breakfast we all shared together.


    ¡°I wanted to be honest with you about the exact situation going on here between myself and these three girls, though mainly Sam and Zutiria. And I wanted to stress that if it makes you uncomfortable in any way, shape or form I will personally see to it that you get transferred to a Guild of your choosing.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She blushes, taken off guard. ¡°Alright then... l-let me hear it.¡± If I¡¯m not mistaken there¡¯s a small ember of excitement burning in her eyes...


    ¡°As his doctor, I just want to mention ahead of time that everything he¡¯s saying is completely true. I¡¯ve looked after him since he was five years old.¡± Opalina proudly states.


    ¡°Right.¡± The thought makes me blush ever so slightly, something that Meri catches and it encourages a small laugh from her lips. ¡°So, how do I put this...¡± I sigh and look away, adjusting the rim of my glasses.


    ¡°I have a strange condition. My eyes are supernaturally gifted, and I can¡¯t open them without my glasses on unless I want to feel excruciating pain. At least, that was until I met Sam and I discovered I could look at... certain, special women without pain.¡±


    ¡°Certain women...?¡± Meri¡¯s curiosity grows.


    ¡°Girls who were drawn to him, or in my case, girls that he chose.¡± Opalina smiles comfortingly, doing her best to not make this sound like some weird sex cult.


    ¡°Let me demonstrate that I¡¯m not lying.¡± I stand up, turn the opposite direction and take off my glasses. That doesn¡¯t make the sudden pain and easier, and I gasp from the torment.


    ¡°DEAR-¡± Opalina rises to help me if I need it, but I put out a hand towards her.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m fine...¡± I put back my glasses on and turn back to face Meri, only now my face is covered in the signature eye blood from the strain of doing such a feat.


    ¡°HYAA?!¡± Meri jumps out of her seat in fear and... concern? ¡°ARE YOU OKAY?!¡±


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s nothing I¡¯m not used to.¡± Opalina hands me a napkin from breakfast so that I can carefully lap up the blood without disturbing the glasses too much.


    ¡°Goddess above... how have you lived like this your whole life...?¡± Meri¡¯s face becomes that of a sympathetic angel. Tears well up in her eyes and I start to get a feel for her as a person. She¡¯s kind, and with a beautiful heart who cares deeply for others. Even if she¡¯s afraid of their scary faces and crude words.


    ¡°Very poorly.¡± I stifle a chuckle. ¡°But I needed to explain this because it makes the next part make slightly more sense. At least, I hope.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening...¡± Meri says with great anticipation.


    ¡°When I look at one of the girls that were drawn to me, I feel... intensely passionate about doing sexual acts with them. And acting on that has led to certain... magical results.¡±


    Meri¡¯s concern fades ever so slightly and she draws back again.


    ¡°Let me take over this part, Dear. I¡¯m the doctor after all.¡± Opal puffs out her chest. ¡°He and the girls have done certain experiments and as silly as this sounds, beyond a shadow of a doubt I can confirm that when a girl takes his semen, she¡¯s blessed with increased physical and magical power. I¡¯ve analyzed a sample of it myself and the mana concentration in his seed is... unfathomably high.¡±


    This is news to me. I didn¡¯t know she procured a sample and ran some tests, but I¡¯m glad she did.


    Meri starts to tremble in her armor and shirks back. ¡°W-w-why are you telling me all this...? I-It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you, but...¡± She whimpers, and for a second I feel as if she¡¯s remembering her former Guild Master. ¡°It almost sounds like you¡¯re telling me this to try and set me up t-t-t-to have... suh... sex with you...¡±


    Opalina frowns and I nod my head. ¡°That¡¯s why I wanted you to know- so that I could tell you that¡¯s not the case. I¡¯m telling you right here, right now, that I¡¯m trying to build a powerful Guild that functions doubly as a... Harem.¡±


    ¡°A H-H-HAREM?!¡± She jerks back and drops her jaw.


    ¡°If I have a large team of girls that I can send powered up on quests, the results and the gold would be astonishing. But I¡¯m trying to say that you are welcome to stay with us even if you want to be completely separate from anything sexual. Despite the double purpose, I will not force anyone to join the... harem side of things. And if staying here while I¡¯m having sex with all these other girls is too weird for you, I will send you off as I said. I¡¯ll even pay for your travel expenses.¡±


    Meri hangs her head, biting her lip fiercely. There¡¯s a long, pronounced silence that only breaks when she raises her heads. ¡°T-Take off your glasses and look at me.¡±


    Opalina looks at me with concern but I just shake my head and do what I¡¯m told.


    There¡¯s no pain, and I¡¯m overcome with an intense desire to make this beautiful Shield Maiden sitting next to me into yet another one of my lovers. I blush, and my lips open in awe of her adorable face, her plush lips, the deep red eyes... everything about her is just so...


    ¡°W-w-well...?¡± Meri snaps me out of it and I hurriedly return my glasses.


    Unable to say anything without it sounding creepy, I just nod my head meekly as Opalina comforts me by placing her hand on mine.


    The Shield Maiden blushes so heavily that I fear for her health, wondering if she suddenly got heat stroke in that huge set of armor of hers. But then I watch her hide her face behind her armored hands, but not before my powerful eyes catch the slightest hint of a smile forming on her lips.


    ¡°His... thingy is really magic a-and makes girls stronger... then?¡± She turns to face Opalina.


    ¡°Yes, Sweetie. I swear on my license as a healer.¡±


    ¡°What about... b... braver...¡± She looks at me with all seriousness.


    ¡°Well,¡± I look away, thinking I might know where this is going. ¡°Sam and Zutiria have said it makes them feel much more energetic and motivated after receiving my... ¡®blessing¡¯, and I mean that with no small amount of sarcasm. Although that just might be the natural effects of sexual intercou-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m staying.¡± Meri says with a look of conviction in her scarlet eyes, not a hint of timidity or apprehension about her.


    This courage doesn¡¯t last for long, though, and quickly rushes to her shield before I can utter a word.


    ¡°I-I¡¯LL BE OUT BACK! JOIN US W-W-W-WHEN YOU¡¯RE READY...!!¡± She awkwardly runs off and trips over her own armored foot, before whining, pulling herself up, and running out to be with Sam and Zutiria. She¡¯s going the wrong way, though...


    ¡°Other door, Meri. To the right.¡±


    ¡°Y-YES, THANK YOU!¡± She blushes and runs to the correct door this time and staggers on out.


    Opalina turns to me and gives me a tender kiss and pulls me in to nuzzle her breasts. ¡°I think that went as well as it could have, Dear.¡±


    I smile with no small amount of nervousness. ¡°Yeah. Me too.¡±

 The Power of a Shield Maiden

    PunishedKom


    After a long, passionate kiss goodbye, Opalina left for the day and promised to check in soon to see how things are going. Unfortunately it doesn¡¯t sound like I¡¯m going to get the opportunity to make love to her any time soon, given the circumstances. I¡¯m really aching for another go at my mature doctor, but business calls.


    I join everyone outside under the typical grey Dewhurstian sky covered by sad clouds and enter the dirty training yard to see Sam practicing her form and Zutiria inspecting Meri¡¯s tower shield. More specifically, she¡¯s eying up the cracked red gem in the middle of it.


    Does the Mage know anything about it? I have my concerns, given what I know about the Shield Maiden class... But seeing how sensitive Meri seems to be regarding her shield, bringing it up feels like a challenge.


    I''m not ready to just dive into that personal matter just yet.


    ¡°Alright girls,¡± I announce as I walk out the door. ¡°Time to see what our new Guildmate can do.¡±


    ¡°T-There¡¯s another new Guildmate?! ...Oh! M-Me.¡± Meri stumbles and sweats nervously when she realizes what I meant.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to need some help testing your abilities.¡±


    ¡®What about me, Coach. I¡¯m no good at physical activity.¡¯ Zutiria tugs on my sleeve teasingly.


    ¡°You¡¯re excused from class. Take the bench.¡±


    The little Mage smiles and takes a seat on a nearby rickety bench that looks like it¡¯ll fall to splinters if anyone heavier than her ever sat down on it.


    ¡°Guess that means I¡¯ll have to help train the newbie!¡± Sam smiles and stabs her gigantic sword into the earth before leaning into it and crossing her arms around the massive golden guard. The Princess stares at Meri and playfully licks her lips at the nervous brunette, which doesn¡¯t help her apprehensive attitude at all.


    ¡°We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s a newbie.¡± I remind Sam. ¡°How long have you been an adventurer for, Meri?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh. Um... a little over two years now... I¡¯m t-twenty...¡± Meri blushes from behind her shield. ¡°But I¡¯m no good at fighting... So Sam could p-probably beat me up if she wanted to...¡±


    ¡°Oh sweetie, I¡¯ll be gentle, I promise.¡± Sam playfully kisses her lips towards the armored maiden, and I decide that I need to be firm. I walk behind her Highness and slap her ass with no warning. ¡°KYA- BOSS WHAT THE SHIT?!¡±


    ¡°Stop flirting. And if you don¡¯t wanna be spanked, wear some actual armor.¡±


    ¡°Oh sure, Daddy,¡± Sam starts rubbing her poor, meaty ass with her gloved hand. ¡°Lemme just pull the gold for a full set of armor outta my ass for you. OR... if you want, you can go digging in there yourself.¡±


    ¡°Behave.¡± I point my finger at the bratty Princess and she grumbles, crossing her arms and looking away from me.


    ¡°Fiiiine.¡± Sam sighs while the rest of the ¡®class¡¯ laughs at her expense.


    ¡°Meri, I¡¯m going to have Sam attack you with her sword. She¡¯s very strong and it¡¯s not just because of the magical effect I have on her. I want to see how much force you can withstand while remaining in place.¡±


    Meri raises a metal fist in determination and nods her head. ¡°O-ok, Sir.¡±


    Both girls take a position and face each other from about ten feet apart. Meri inhales deeply and looks towards her mock opponent and whispers, ¡°Stand firm... stand firm...¡± under her breath as she widens her stance and thrusts the shield out in front of her. Then, I watch as Meri uses the sheer force of her legs to embed her feet into the earth below.


    The Shield Maiden is a very rare class for many reasons, and they function as offensive tanks. The ability to root their body into the earth using nothing but their leg strength is hardly impressive given everything else they can do, but seeing it for the first time is interesting nonetheless.


    ¡°Sam, don¡¯t go too hard. You just got topped up this morning.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t even a full load, I had to share...¡± She moans and lifts her sword.


    Meri blushes at this comment but overall doesn¡¯t change her firm stance... Until Sam starts charging at her, that is. It proves to be too much for her and she reflexively cowers and falls back shouting, ¡°EEP! D-DON¡¯T HURT ME, PLEASE!!¡±


    As Sam¡¯s great swing tears through the air it just barely misses Meri¡¯s tower shield and the sudden whiff makes the inexperienced swordswoman topple over and somehow fall ass first onto Meri¡¯s face.


    ¡°The FUCK!?¡± She shouts and blushes as she catches herself. ¡°You were supposed to just stand there!¡±


    Meri is shockingly quiet as Sam¡¯s butt rests on top of her to the point where it becomes downright suspicious. Eventually the Princess asks, ¡°Do y¡¯wanna stay down there or something...?¡±


    ¡°MERI!¡± I shout and suddenly her head jerks, causing Sam to raise her hips out of reflex.


    The Shield Maiden is almost hypnotized, blushing profusely... her eyes are filled with lust and drool hangs out of her mouth.


    With a sigh, Zutiria makes her way over to Meri and magics a napkin out of nowhere to dabble at the dribble. Meri snaps out of it as soon as the other girl makes contact with her.


    Merille Tillot... gods, this girl is such an obvious closet pervert that it boggles the mind how I was even worried about manipulating her into sex by accident. I¡¯m half passed convinced that she¡¯s going to snap and jump Sam before the latter is likely to happen.


    ¡®Are you alright, Meri?¡¯ Zutiria asks and holds out her hand to help her up.


    I think a firm hand is needed here, honestly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t coddle her.¡± I say, and Zutiria backs off respectfully while Sam groans and fetches her sword. ¡°Why did you flip out like that?¡± I loom over the Shield Maiden.


    ¡°D-Do you promise not to laugh...?¡± She looks up tearfully.


    ¡°I won¡¯t laugh, but I won¡¯t be able to help if you¡¯re not honest.¡±


    She bites her lip and meekly nods back at me. ¡°I-I¡¯m... afraid... of pain...¡± Meri whispers ever so gently under her breath.


    My left eye starts twitching.


    ¡°Zutiria, would you be a dear and-¡±


    ¡®Sir, I¡¯m not getting you any alcohol.¡¯


    ¡°But the damage sponge said it¡¯s afraid of getting hurt.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m well aware of what the damage sponge said, Sir, but it¡¯s not even past noon.¡¯


    Sam laughs heartily at the resurgence of my stress induced alcoholism while I sigh, knowing I really have my work cut out for me here.


    ¡°I-I HAVE A NAME! I¡¯m not just a damage sponge! Shield Maidens are good at lots of things!¡± Meri picks herself up off the ground and pats her dirtied armor clean.


    ¡°While that may be true, the main duty of your adventurer class is to specifically draw aggro from potential threats and soak up the damage that would typically go to Miss Bikini Armor and Miss Goth Lolita over there.¡±


    ¡°We just went over this!¡± Sam pouts and angrily stomps her foot at me.


    ¡®I¡¯ll have you know that my clothing is laced with mana-rich fiber, and that it works best when worn light.¡¯ Zutiria corrects me, even though I was just joking. I know how Mage ¡®armor¡¯ works.


    Meri takes my words to heart and takes a deep breath. ¡°Stand firm... stand firm...¡± She mutters before taking her rooted stance once again. ¡°I¡¯m ready, let''s try it again.¡±


    ¡°No. You¡¯re not ready.¡± I say frankly, and I watch as her expression becomes forlorn and hopeless... that is, before I maneuver behind her. ¡°Close your eyes when Sam rushes at you. Focus on the sound of her footsteps and the sound the air makes as her sword rips through it.¡±


    ¡°Y... You¡¯re actually trying to help me...?¡± She says, as if scarcely believing it.


    ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯m your Guild Master from today onwards after all.¡±


    ¡°N-No one ever worked with me on my combat skills... least of all my old Guild Master...¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t Perlshaw, Meri. This is Dewhurst. I do things differently here and I don¡¯t intend to let anyone fall behind. Sam and Zutiria each have their own problems that make adventuring difficult, and I¡¯m helping them with those, too. What¡¯s one more in the pile?¡±


    Sam smirks and holds her sword behind her shoulder. ¡°If you say shit like that Boss, you¡¯re gonna end up with a Guild full of messed up losers!¡±


    Zutiria smiles supportively, ¡®Nothing wrong with that. The underdogs always come out on top in the long run... at least in fiction.¡¯


    After this round of encouragement I do my best to chime in.


    ¡°Come on, Meri. I¡¯m right behind you. If Sam scares you too much I¡¯ll push you back and hold you in place as best I can.¡±


    Meri¡¯s mouth falls wide open and she stares at me with red cheeks until she finally pulls herself together. ¡°Thank you... thank you so much...! I won¡¯t let you down!¡± She says, and I firmly believe her.


    Sam takes her position once again, and quickly starts running towards Meri. I can¡¯t see her front so I don¡¯t know if Meri is following my advice, but there¡¯s only a minor flinch as Sam rears her gigantic great sword into the air and sends its mass hurtling down into the powerful metal of Meri¡¯s tower shield.


    The sound is like a powerful gong being rung as the Shield Maiden absorbs the entire impact, and I can see Sam¡¯s eyes go wide from shock as she stands there pushing forward with her sword, unable to make Meri scoot back even an inch.


    ¡°Meri, show me the power of a Shield Maiden.¡± I command her and point towards Sam.


    ¡°YES!¡± Meri is eager to respond and all of a sudden a powerful red glint emits from the front of her shield.


    Sam briefly recoils and shuts her eyes reflexively, ¡°SHIT, THAT¡¯S BRIGHT!¡± she barks.


    ¡°REFLECT!¡±


    This is it- a Shield Maiden¡¯s bread and butter. The impact of any physical attack on her shield is absorbed and stored within the unbreakable power gem at the shield¡¯s center. At the Maiden¡¯s discretion she¡¯s able to unleash the bottled up force as a sort of kinetic impact, albeit on a cooldown.


    Sam¡¯s strong as hell, so even if she held back a full blown Reflect should be a powerful counterattack on Meri¡¯s behalf.


    The key word being ¡®should¡¯.


    What happens instead is a small scale burst of energy that sounds utterly wimpy compared to the mighty heft of Sam¡¯s blade. It¡¯s strong, sure, but it only sends Sam hurtling back a few feet and doesn¡¯t even knock her off balance.


    It¡¯s exactly like I thought...


    ¡°Meri...¡±


    ¡°I-I did it! I really did it!¡±


    Gods, I feel bad for having to ruin her moment. But we need to discuss it, after all. ¡°Why was your Reflect so weak? Does it have anything to do with your cracked power gem...?¡±


    She falls silent, all her happiness over her progress suddenly gone. ¡°You... you know quite a lot about Shield Maidens I guess, huh...?¡±


    ¡°I know a lot about a lot of things. But from what I¡¯ve read the only time a Shield Maiden¡¯s power gem breaks is when the shield¡¯s owner...¡± I don¡¯t finish, I don¡¯t need to. Besides, she looks sad enough as it is.


    ¡°You mean that attack was supposed to be even stronger?¡± Sam beams with excitement as she showcases her astounding inability to read the room. ¡°I¡¯m so damn jealous! I need a super move or some shit. I just swing this fuckin¡¯ thing back and forth and hope for the best.¡±


    Thankfully at that Meri ends up giggling just a teeny bit, and it¡¯s enough to coax the truth out of her. ¡°This shield... is my mother¡¯s. She... she isn¡¯t...¡± Meri whimpers softly before whispering, ¡°Stand firm... stand firm...¡± To herself once more. ¡°I took it after she passed on, and aimed at living up to her legacy. My dad made me this armor, but I was never actually trained... and... well.¡±


    ¡°That shield is holding you back, you know.¡±


    Zutiria stands between us and takes a defensive position. ¡®Sir. Show some tact.¡¯


    ¡°How are you even able to use it at all? Shouldn¡¯t all of its energy be lost?¡± I¡¯ve never heard of a Shield Maiden¡¯s shield still retaining even the slightest bit of power after the death of its user.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. I know that the proper procedure is to find my own power gem and craft a new shield but I...¡± Small tears form in the corners of her eyes. I shouldn¡¯t push this issue any further right now. Meri is delicate and hitting her with hard facts will only get so far.


    ¡®I was looking at it myself. I can¡¯t say I¡¯m familiar with the type of magic that goes into it, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the sort of thing that can just be simply fixed.¡¯ Zutiria says with a concerned expression. ¡®Magic is a finicky mistress.¡¯


    And an inconvenient one, at that.


    ¡°Well, how about offense? Are you still able to access your shield¡¯s alternative forms?¡± I raise an eyebrow, eager to see just how much.


    Sam at this point is pretty confused. ¡°Other forms? Are you saying Shield Maidens don¡¯t just stand around and block attacks and reflect em¡¯ back?¡± I can¡¯t even fault her for thinking this, given how rare Meri¡¯s class is.


    Meri smiles and laughs ever so softly, ¡°No, we have some rather unique skills. But... uh... I can only use one other form...¡± The Shield Maiden focuses her energy and the power gem lights up once more, although much less brighter. This magical energy coats her huge tower shield and it rapidly shrinks into a much smaller, circular shield, a buckler. It merges with her gauntlet and doesn¡¯t need to be held up anymore, most notably there¡¯s a rather thick blade coming out overtop of her fist.


    ¡°DAMN!¡± Sam whistles, impressed. She runs over to inspect Meri¡¯s new weapon and I watch as the Shield Maiden blushes, not used to being the center of attention.


    ¡°Oh... N-No, it¡¯s really nothing special...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than enough for you to do some quests with.¡± I tell her. ¡°I was worried you couldn¡¯t access any of your Shield¡¯s alternate forms at all so this is a pleasant surprise.¡±


    Meri looks off into the distance, suddenly downtrodden. ¡°My mom had all kinds of different forms her shield could take... This is just...¡±


    ¡°Meri.¡± I step in front of her and clasp her armored shoulder pauldrons.


    The brunette begins quivering in her armor, clanking feverishly at my sudden closeness. She looks aside. ¡°Y-Y-Yes?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about comparing yourself to your mom. I¡¯m focused on you in the right here, right now. We¡¯ll improve you however we can in the moment, alright?¡±


    She doesn¡¯t look convinced, but Sam steps up beside her and leans on one of Meri¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Boss knows what he¡¯s talking about, you shoulda seen how I used my sword before he started showing me the right way to use it!¡±


    ¡®One step at a time. There¡¯s no rush to prove yourself. Sir won¡¯t kick you out even if you can¡¯t perform.¡¯ Zutiria says comfortingly.


    She¡¯s right. Even if Meri is useless as a fighter she¡¯s still another body who could help out on fetch quests and help process Pinemen corpses on the side. Ah, industry.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right... but, are you even experienced with combat? How would you be teaching me?¡± She asks me, to which I shake my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m just a man who reads a lot. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± I laugh.


    In truth, I don¡¯t know how much I¡¯ll be able to help Meri compared to how much I could teach Sam to improve her form. Her problems are an awkward mix of having a timid personality, faulty equipment and the crippling weight of having to live up to someone''s legacy. At least I can empathize with her, potentially impart some of how I¡¯ve dealt with the very same issue to her once she trusts me more.


    But that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I¡¯m not a combat instructor. It does bring to mind something Opalina told me a week ago, however... She mentioned a friend of hers who was. A Grekkan mercenary by the name of Nikita.


    I may have to visit the good doctor soon to inquire about when her friend is expected to return to town. Not only does Sam need guidance, now we also have someone around who would probably benefit even more than her highness. Even if she has no first hand experience with Shield Maidens, having a veteran warrior imparting general combat knowledge and experience would be a big help to the timid tin can.


    It would also help if we could improve Meri¡¯s tolerance to pain so that she¡¯s a little less afraid in the face of danger, but... when I try to think of ways to treat this particular personality problem my mind wanders into lewd territories no matter how hard I try to steer myself away from them.


    For the rest of the day I lay out a plan, I want Sam to work on getting Meri more comfortable blocking and reflecting on attacks, and Zutiria is to go out on Living Fungi and Slime quests on her own. Not much use in the Mage sticking around watching physical training that doesn¡¯t apply to her. I don¡¯t want her tackling Pinemen without a partner there to back her up, but at least this will give us some small amount of income for the day.


    While Sam and Meri are working out in the yard, I plan on cleaning up the temporary room for Meri so that we can have our bedroom back. I wanted to avoid this before we got the maids we so desperately wanted, but it¡¯s only fair that my laziness come back to bite me in the ass...


    After all that¡¯s done I¡¯ll visit Opalina and inquire further about Nikita. Once I lay it all out in the open for the girls, Sam gets pumped up to spend more time with her new friend, Zutiria gives me a playful salute accompanied by the Little Sir poking out of her hat to repeat the gesture, and Meri nods her head eagerly- if a bit nervously.

 The Duke of Dewhurst

    PunishedKom


    I don¡¯t like this.


    No, not cleaning the dorm room... that was fairly easy- if time consuming. I¡¯m talking more about the people I notice on my way to Opalina¡¯s clinic. It¡¯s only one or two here and there, but I see them.


    They¡¯re watching me.


    The streets of Dewhurst are never the safest place to be at the best of times, whether it¡¯s a petty thug or a bloodthirsty butcher you can never be too careful. I think I may have to invest in a concealed knife... a good one, that is, not that cheap, blunt leftover I was dwelling on using as an adventurer. Or maybe even something better and more suited to me, like a... no, an arcane tech device like that would be far too expensive...


    Cheaper alternative would be just not to leave home without one of the girls, though.


    What worries me is that the figures around me aren¡¯t doing anything other than hanging out in the periphery of my vision. Amidst the desolate mana crystal addicts and the arrayed ladies of the night, ratty looking rogues skulk silently in alleys and rooftops, their cloaks trailing behind them as soon as I so much as cast my gaze in their direction.


    Thankfully the walk to Opalina¡¯s clinic is without incident, but it¡¯s worrisome nonetheless. These weren¡¯t thieves looking for an easy mark. If they didn¡¯t want me to notice them then they did an incredibly poor job of it. So poor that it leads me to believe that getting me to notice them was their intention.


    Someone really wanted to send a message...


    I think I may need to pay a visit to Gwinlinn and her father sooner than I planned on, get that door sealed up and saddled up with a strong, sturdy lock. Preferably one with Dwarven enchantments if that¡¯s not too much of a drain on the coin we¡¯ve managed to pull together...


    When I walk into the friendly interior of Helpful Heals, a weight is lifted off of my chest. ¡°Miss Hart?¡± I call out, seeing as she¡¯s not in the lobby.


    I hear her smooth voice from the checkup room to the right, ¡°Dear, is that you? I¡¯m almost done with this patient! Feel free to wait for me upstairs.¡±


    Sounds good to me. I¡¯m still a bit on edge after my walk, so I could definitely use a few moments to shut my eyes on her comfortable sofa and unwind a bit. There¡¯s no telling what they were after so there¡¯s no use in worrying myself over it... is what I tell myself, but that¡¯s a lot fucking easier said than done.


    I don¡¯t want to end up knifed in some shithole of an alleyway right after my life is finally starting to become- dare I even say it- GOOD.


    By taking a couple of minutes to myself I¡¯m able to calm down and think rationally. I can fight this if it gets any worse, I¡¯m not alone anymore and while my girls may have their individual weaknesses they¡¯re still stronger than most of the scum around town. Maybe not so much Meri, yet, but Sam and Zutiria would make a good defense if it came down to it.


    Before I can manage to dwell on it any further, I hear Opalina coming up the stairs and she opens up the door. There¡¯s a... lusty look in her eye that I was not expecting from the mature brunette.


    ¡°Drop your pants, Dear.¡± She commands.


    ¡°Uh.¡± This isn¡¯t really the time for this, as much as I¡¯d like it to be. I kind of had stuff I needed to talk to her about... but Opalina seems dead set on it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick. I promise.¡± Opalina closes the door to her living room behind her and locks it, licking her lips in anticipation.


    All right... It''s awful hard to say no to ANY beautiful woman with such obviously lewd intentions, let alone Opalina Hart. Although I¡¯m bad at saying no to her, lewd or not.


    I start taking off my pants, ¡°I needed to talk to you, so-¡±


    ¡°After, Dear. It¡¯s been a week since I¡¯ve had a taste of you. This will have to do.¡± She smiles and kneels between my legs in front of the sofa, splitting them apart with her eager hands.


    I look down into my lover¡¯s blushing face, she¡¯s positively drooling... I guess it¡¯s true, my cum really does have slightly addictive properties and since Opalina doesn¡¯t live with me it¡¯s particularly bad for her.


    Obviously, I can¡¯t control myself in this situation and I find my cock rising rapidly to supply her with her demand.


    ¡°There he is... There¡¯s my big, strong man...¡± Opalina sighs dreamily and strips herself of her coat and then her gloves. She wastes no time in placing her right hand on the base of my shaft and cradling my heavy balls with her left.


    ¡°Mmmm...¡± She coos in her sultry tone as she begins to slowly work my cock, ¡°You so full... like you want to burst, don¡¯t you, Dear?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to... ah... go at it that hard last night or this morning... we¡¯re... AH-¡± as I talk, Opalina bends down and licks the tip of my crown with her wet and silky tongue. Her eyes still stare up at me and reassure me that she¡¯s still listening. ¡°We¡¯re staying in a small dorm room I cleaned up... and I didn¡¯t want to... mn... m-make too much noise with our new guest a-around...¡±


    After a devilishly placed lick on my frenulum, the sultry healer flashes me a sinful smile with her luscious, plump lips. ¡°So you¡¯re saying you want me to make you scream, Dear?¡±


    ¡°Opal... that¡¯s...¡±


    Before I can even say another word, she swallows my cock down her throat in one gloriously smooth motion. If that was all I might have been able to avoid screaming, but as she does so she not only sucks down with all she¡¯s got but she massages my underside back and forth with her tongue in a pendulous motion leaving no single spot left wanting.


    ¡°AHH, FUCK!¡± I moan and buck my hips upwards into her forceful, slurping embrace. Wasting no time at all the curvy brunette starts sucking me off in full. She glides my huge cock all the way from tip to base, effortlessly slipping me into the warm, tightness of her throat with such skill that even Sam would blush.


    After bathing me in her mouth and studying my labored reactions, Opal pops me out of her and giggles. ¡°You really need this, don¡¯t you? No, no. Don¡¯t tell me. I can tell just fine on my own.¡±


    She licks the underside of my cock as slowly as she possibly can while taking one of my balls into each hand and playfully fondling me firmly but carefully. ¡°I want your cum so bad, Sweetheart... I wasn¡¯t kidding, you know... your semen is just so PACKED with mana... I... I need it so, sooo baaaad...¡±


    ¡°Z-Zutiria... said something... similar...¡± I manage to recall through waves of pleasure.


    ¡°Of course she did. For Mages like us, it¡¯s hard to ignore these sweet, precious boys...¡± Opalina surprises me by taking in one of my balls in her mouth and moaning against it, sending a powerful vibration into my sensitive and swollen orb. I guess this confirms it, any magic users I have sex with are going to really like my balls...


    ¡°Opal... please... I really did need to actually talk to you...¡± I clench my eyes and my head falls backwards against the cushions of her sofa, my right hand reaching out to firmly grasp her silken auburn curls for stability.


    The mature woman senses the urgency of the matter and swallows me whole once more, impaling my cock down her throat and staring up purposefully into my eyes to watch the pleasure she gives me. I tighten my grip on her hair, not to face fuck her or anything but just to hold on for dear life as she somehow manages to suck harder and harder still.


    My toes curl, and my breathing becomes ragged. Gods, it even feels like my vision is growing faint. And then she starts intentionally gagging on my cock so that her tight throat constricts and spasms against me. It¡¯s too much to bear, I¡¯m about to cum a gigantic load down Opalina¡¯s wanting maw.


    But then she stops me and with a flick of her magic wand that she pulled out from under her sweater, she taps the tip of my cock and suddenly a strange tube is attached to my cockhead. Its length leads into a very large circular flask, probably able to hold a gallon or more of any liquid placed inside.


    ¡°Sorry, Sweetheart. I wanted you to cum down my throat, too, but I need to have a supply at home so I don¡¯t lose my mind waiting for the next time you fill me up.¡± She says with typical sultry flair.


    ¡°A-Are you fucking milking me?!¡± I ask, stunned but not necessarily in a bad way.


    ¡°Shhhhh. Cum for me, Dear. Come on... cum...¡± She reaches down and constricts the bottom of my shaft with her thumb and forefinger, making a tight ring with them. Opalina then does the tiny amount of stroking necessary to send me into a mighty climax, cum hurtling upwards into the tube like a violent stream and pouring out into the circular flash.


    ¡°Ahhhhh, there¡¯s so much... you¡¯re a good boy, such a very goood booooy...¡± Opalina mouths and continues stroking my spasming manhood, using her free hand to lovingly caress my inner thigh. ¡°Keep going... keeeeep going...¡± Her gentle words and loving attitude only nurse my orgasm to last longer, and finally when the flask is about halfway full I start to fizzle out.


    And then she starts squeezing my cock with her fingers again, milking me desperately. I scream as she starts up a powerful rhythm. First hard, then soft, then hard hard haaaaaaard... over and over again. ¡°I know you have more for me. Don¡¯t hold back.¡± Opalina smiles casually, as if this situation were entirely normal.


    Somehow, the skilled mistress of magic is able to coax enough out of me from a single load to fill up her obscene instrument of semen storage even if it leaves me a quivering mess in the process. I have to give my props to her, I¡¯m certainly in a better mood now.


    ¡°Good! Nicely done, Dear. Now I won¡¯t have to suffer withdrawals.¡± She sighs contentedly before taking a sizable swig of the flask. ¡°Truthfully I was planning to do this to you this morning after breakfast, but Meri made that not so viable.¡±


    Opalina wipes her lips off and taps her hair with her wand, fixing the mess I made when I grabbed it. ¡°You looked like you needed it, anyway. What¡¯s the matter, is your new Guild member more trouble than you thought?¡±


    ¡°Sort of.¡± I sigh and lift up my hips to pull up my pants once more. ¡°That¡¯s why I came to see you, but then something happened.¡±


    All traces of the sensual, milfy woman who milked me dry shatters and in her place stands a fierce, angry mother hen. I think it¡¯s fair to say she could read my expression and tell that it¡¯s serious. ¡°What happened, Dear? Tell me everything. I¡¯ll close the clinic for the hour if I have to.¡±


    I tell her that¡¯s not necessary, and I recount the day thus far. Nothing out of the ordinary, just training and cleaning until my brief walk to the clinic where I suddenly noticed I was being followed. Her face goes pale and she balls her fists, Gods above I¡¯ve never seen her this angry...!


    Opalina manages to calm herself enough to converse once more. ¡°Most of the thugs in Dewhurst aren¡¯t skilled enough to shadow someone like that. I should know, I¡¯m their doctor.¡±


    ¡°I thought that too. What scares me most is that they were almost invisible... to everyone but me. I don¡¯t think ordinary people would have noticed them, no... it was like they wanted to be seen by me specifically.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s only one force in Dewhurst who could manage this, you know.¡± Opalina says, and her words fill the air with an encroaching darkness.


    ¡°... You¡¯re not saying those were the Duke¡¯s men, were you? Come on.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as the Duke of Dewhurst.¡± The Duke of Dewhurst is a local legend that cropped up around twenty years ago, just as the town started to get really bad. They say that the Duke rules the town from the shadows and his men control the sex, the drugs, the gold, and everything in between.


    Utter dragon shit if you ask me, just a bunch of drug addled peasants looking for anyone to blame for their own sorry lives but themselves. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some of them even think I¡¯M the Duke of Dewhurst. It probably doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯ve resolved myself into becoming the villain they think I am, when I need to be.


    ¡°Are you telling me you think that the feeble, doddering old drug-dealing village chief is really the one calling the shots around here, Dear?¡±


    ¡°... Well, no but... I assumed it was the local lord who looks over this province.¡±


    Her seriousness only raises the tension further as she shakes her head. ¡°Sweetheart, you hardly ever leave your Guild. You don¡¯t know as much about this town as you think you do. I guarantee that if the local lord was truly in charge then Dewhurst would have been cleaned up years ago. There¡¯s... a persistent darkness in this town, my love. I¡¯ve seen it and even felt it... Whether or not it¡¯s actually the fabled Duke of Dewhurst or something else entirely, though, that¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess.¡±


    ...


    I¡¯m a smart man, I¡¯ll admit that. Opalina is smarter. And if she tells me this with such a straight face, there¡¯s nothing I can do besides believe her.


    Without much to add, I nod my head.


    ¡°Fix the door.¡± Opalina commands, not asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go to Shatterbrew¡¯s and etc. to have it done today, but I really wanted to see you about your friend, Nikita. Any news on her?¡±


    ¡°Well actually, she just arrived in town today. I patched her up an hour ago so I¡¯m afraid you just missed her. I did actually tell her a bit about you, though, and she was interested in dropping by sometime soon... but...¡± She starts thinking to herself and formulating a plan. ¡°How about I escort you to the Dwarves and after that I¡¯ll go off and find Nikita? I have a good idea of where she might be, and I¡¯ll give her an update on your situation and try to have her stop by tomorrow...¡±


    A good plan, minus the escort part. ¡°I appreciate the offer, Opal, but I¡¯m not sure how much use a White Mage would be as an escort. I don¡¯t want to risk you getting dragged into... whatever is happening.¡±


    She looks at me with a tilted head. ¡°White Mage?¡± She starts laughing. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°... Well you¡¯re a healer, aren¡¯t you? There¡¯s only so many types of healing magic, and you¡¯re not a user of nature magic and you¡¯re certainly not a summoner who has access to a summon with healing capabilities.¡±


    ¡°Dear, I thought you knew. I certainly thought little Zuzu would have mentioned it, she grilled me for hours that day we met! White Mages use the power of their own faith to heal others, I, ah... was never very good at that school.¡± Opal laughs, though it carries with it a somber tone.


    ¡°I invented my own branch of healing magic.¡± She drops this out there as if this were a casual statement when really it¡¯s anything but.


    ¡°... That¡¯s... not... normal.¡± My eyes open up wide, and now suddenly a lot of things become more clear to me. I guess it was a little funny to me how when I read about all the types of magic I never stumbled upon anything that sounded similar to Opal¡¯s particular style, and it¡¯s no wonder Zutiria¡¯s eyes lit up with curiosity when she watched Opal heal Sam.


    She was watching spells she¡¯d never even heard whispers about.


    ¡°Well, I suppose not for any random mage you¡¯d find off the street.¡± Opalina laughs uncomfortably before adding, ¡°Bit more common for an Elder Archsage, though...¡±


    ...


    Ah.


    That¡¯s... certainly something.


    I could have sworn the woman who raised me just admitted to being one of the strongest Mage classes in existence.


    ¡°I suppose it¡¯s for the best if you tag along, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± She giggles playfully and blushes, her demeanor becoming shy and distant. ¡°That was a long time ago. I haven¡¯t used an offensive spell in over forty years... I¡¯m probably useless by now, Zuzu is better than me most likely. But I could still put up a good fight if I HAD to. At least if it came down to protecting my sweet, sweet little man.¡±


    She winks at me and I can only nod my head at this revelation. ¡°Yes, Mommy.¡± I say, dumbfoundedly.

 Easy Come, Easy Go

    I think I must be getting more used to ridiculous, bullshit revelations happening in my life, because when Opalina tells me she¡¯s an Elder Archsage all that comes to mind when I dwell on it is...


    Right. That makes sense.


    Why else would a simple healer not constantly be harassed by her thug clientele for cheaper prices, or worse? Because she could kill them without even thinking about it if she really wanted to, obviously.


    Opalina went on to explain how combat magic was never really her forte in the first place, and after the many years since she¡¯s sworn off of it it means she can¡¯t pull off any of the incredible offensive spells she used to be able to. Once again, the rule of magic seems to be ¡®use it or lose it¡¯. It¡¯s like a muscle.


    Opalina stressed that her condition is not the same as Zutiria¡¯s mana circuit atrophy, which is when someone decides to stop using verbal magic altogether. In that case the natural flow of mana in a body becomes clogged because of the total rejection, the bottled up pressure hurts the mana flow.


    In Opal¡¯s case it¡¯s more like she just hasn¡¯t exercised that particular muscle in an extremely long time, any offensive spells she knows are long since weakened. While getting in shape is certainly an option, for whatever reason she firmly states that it¡¯s not going to happen and I accept that.


    She¡¯s a healer now before anything else, and it would be rude to pry into a lady¡¯s past so blatantly.


    Hopefully the next Mage the Guild gets is a normal, well-adjusted person and doesn¡¯t have a gigantic portion of their magical talent rendered unusable but... Knowing my luck, I just know that the next Mage I encounter is bound to have some sort of comical defect that will cause me no small amount of stress headaches... Mark my words.


    The apparently not White Mage escorts me to the Shatterbrew Clan building. Even as we talk to ourselves about her past and her abilities, or at least what little she¡¯s willing to share about these topics, my eyes are scanning for ¡®the Duke¡¯s¡¯ men. I¡¯m still not sure I believe in that particular boogeyman but Opalina¡¯s right in that if the so-called Duke¡¯s not real, then the threat is something real enough and the difference is negligible.


    It¡¯s a shame my supposed Goddess isn¡¯t around to provide me with any answers.


    ...


    No? Too desperate? How fucking inconvenient.


    To my surprise I don¡¯t pick up a single tailing rogue on the way to the Dwarves. I guess their message was sent plainly and they didn¡¯t see any reason to keep stalking me any longer.


    When we arrive at Shatterbrew¡¯s, Opalina gives me a kiss goodbye and has me promise that I leave the building being escorted by my contractor. I feel a little babied at the suggestion, but I agree nonetheless... It¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t use the protection.


    Opalina heads off to find her friend Nikita and update her, while I head on inside the Dwarven workshop for the second time in two days. It¡¯s not very busy today at all, and I¡¯m able to pinpoint Thadmar¡¯s wife once more.


    It¡¯s not like I specifically am hoping for a chance to see Gwinlinn yet again, or anything... It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve already dealt with Thadmar and found him very agreeable. His wife heads off to fetch him and to my surprise Gwinlinn follows after her stocky father this time.


    I greet both the Dwarf and his busty firebrand of a daughter with a hearty handshake as is their custom, and at first he believes I¡¯m here to deliver the first shipment of the Pinemen wood. I¡¯m very sorry to have to let him down like this, but I explain all that¡¯s happened since yesterday.


    Dwarves are a genuine, honest people. They¡¯re friendly, hard working, and if you manage to befriend one they will be the strongest and most dependable ally you will ever have. If I¡¯m being honest, on average they¡¯re generally much better people than humans tend to be. Until you cross them anyway... Just watch your shins and knees if you do.


    So after I tell Thadmar and Gwinlinn about Meri, I¡¯m not surprised that their answer is a sympathetic, ¡°Ach, well thas¡¯ fuckin¡¯ shit now innit?¡±


    I don¡¯t mean to stereotype but... ah. Dwarves are so nice. This is so much better than dealing with psychopathic butchers, pervy village elders and potion addicts. Not only are they sympathetic but they actually ASK if there¡¯s anything they can do to help, and even offer to come pick the wood up themselves.


    Why can¡¯t all of Dewhurst be like these good, kind Dwarves?


    I cut straight to the heart of the matter. ¡°I was actually wanting to know if you could make time to come build a new door today. I still wanted to wait till later on in the week, but... the current situation changed things. I also want to know the prices for your strongest protection enchantments.¡±


    ¡°Well, ah hope ya know even with that discount of yers we agreed on... our best enchantments would be Spellsongs an fuck me mum they aren¡¯ cheap.¡± Thadmar says with brutal honesty.


    ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say that.¡± It¡¯s here I make a mistake and laugh softly, saying, ¡°I needed them, though. I have to protect myself from the Duke himself it seems.¡±


    Rather than take my sarcasm at face value and laugh along, the Dwarf¡¯s usually ruddy face goes pale and looks at me with severity. Gwinlinn doesn¡¯t follow along, but her concern rises when she sees her father¡¯s reaction to my statement.


    ¡°Lad. It breaks mah stony heart ta tell ya this, but ah don¡¯ think we can proceed with our deal.¡±


    Gwinlinn seems somehow more offended at this than I am. ¡°Are ye fuckin¡¯ fulla yasself ya granite shittin¡¯ ol¡¯ fuck?! You went¡¯n shook with him!¡±


    From nearby, Gwinlinn¡¯s mother chimes in while she helps another customer, ¡°DON¡¯T YE DARE GO¡¯N TALK TO YA FATHA¡¯ LIKE THAT GWINNY!¡±


    ¡°FUCK OFF, NO WONDER OL¡¯ DA PREFERS HIS ELF WHORES OVER YA, YA NAGGY OL¡¯ CUNT!¡± Gwinlinn counters leaving both of her parents at an embarrassing loss of words. Meanwhile, relatives of theirs from all over the Dwarven showroom laugh at their humiliation. I get a sense that Gwinlinn is popular among her extended family.


    I cough awkwardly in an attempt to draw the attention back towards me. ¡°Thank you, Gwin. I appreciate it... but Thadmar, can I at least get some sort of reasoning for this?¡±


    ¡°Well ye¡¯ said so yasself, ain¡¯t likely anyone else¡¯s doin¡¯ but the Duke.¡±


    ¡°I was being sarcastic, Thadmar. The Duke¡¯s not-¡±


    His face is grave, solemn and shows no sign of budging. ¡°He¡¯s as real as Muzath Bluntboulder an¡¯ his fabled Aldarrian Jewels, mind you. We don¡¯t get involved in his business, an¡¯ that¡¯s that¡¯. If ye really got yasself on his bad side then we can¡¯t afford ta get mixed up in that. It¡¯s nothin¡¯ personal... it¡¯s family.¡±


    This is not a good outcome, and I have no way to make a Dwarf budge when it comes to protecting their family. I¡¯m a decent enough businessman, but I¡¯m not a god of speechcraft. It would be easier to get them these Dwarves to part with their yearly profit margins than to convince them to do something that might hurt their family.


    ¡°Can you at least fix the door? You¡¯ve seen it, we don¡¯t have any other doors in the building that same size that we can swap it with...¡± I plead to his sympathy. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to consider the negotiated discount. I¡¯ll pay in full.¡±


    Gwin watches her father¡¯s face like a hawk, ready to claw his damn eyes out if he says no.


    ¡°Nah, lad.¡± Thadmar says with a deep and remorseful sigh. ¡°Ah tol¡¯ ya we can¡¯t go n¡¯-¡±


    Gwinlinn punches her father square in his bulbous-y dwarf nose and sends the man hurtling backwards into some dwarven made desks that were further along the showroom. I¡¯m almost impressed, for a single punch it sure caused a decent amount of property damage.


    The feisty, red-headed Dwarf gal picks up a nearby toolbox filled with Dwarven woodworking utensils and straps on a utility belt, making her look rather badass for a carpenter I might say. Then, Gwinlinn grabs me by the hand and starts tugging me along much to the dismay of her father, who starts yelling after us.


    ¡°Don¡¯ ya pay a single mind to em¡¯, ah¡¯ll fix yer shit up mahself if ah have ta.¡± She grumbles as I awkwardly follow her out of her home and back onto the dirtied streets of Dewhurst.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to get in a lot of trouble for this?¡±


    Laughing incredulously, she looks me in the eyes. ¡°Ya think ah righ¡¯ly care?¡±


    ¡°Point well taken.¡± As the two of us share a brief smile, Gwin becomes painfully aware of the fact that in a heated moment she grabbed my hand and continues to hold onto me till this moment.


    As soon as she realizes it her freckled cheeks blush red and she yanks away so hard that it near as well tore my arm from the shoulder.


    ¡°AY NOW! Don¡¯ be gettin¡¯ all frisky on me.¡± Gwinlinn says as she grumpily turns away.


    Not sure why, but I¡¯m feeling a bit playful and I decide to push my luck a bit with the Dwarf girl. Maybe it¡¯s the stress... ¡°Are you always this cute, or am I just lucky?¡±


    Rather than blushing more, she just looks annoyed. ¡°Fuck ya mean cute? Cute like a wee lil¡¯ gal, righ? Since I¡¯m so small?¡±


    ¡°No, cute as in like a woman.¡±


    That seems to do the trick and I watch as her blush- and her anger- flares hotter than ever. To my surprise Gwinlinn readies one of her trademark Dwarven punches of domestic violence and rears it back to build momentum. I flinch ahead of time as it bursts through the air, but it suddenly stops and playfully taps me on the hip.


    ¡°No wonder ya need a fuck off huge bed, ya shameless gods damned flirt. Ya must got more game than Ruthic Mirthfucker, if ya know what I mean.¡± She laughs roughly and shakes her head.


    I really need to buy some books on Dwarven history and folklore if I¡¯m going to be spending more time around this race... the fact that they constantly bring up their vague and obscure folk heroes, deities and locations in idle conversation has caused me slight problems following along with them.


    Not that it¡¯s all that hard to take an educated guess as to what the adventures of Ruthic Mirthfucker entail, considering the context clues.


    Gwinlinn and I share a pleasant walk filled with idle conversation. Most of it was apologizing about her family¡¯s decision to no longer do business with me.


    I ask if there¡¯s a chance I could potentially discuss the situation with someone besides Thadmar, because since he¡¯s a third generation artisan I don¡¯t expect him to have THAT much say over the extended family¡¯s business decisions.


    Unfortunately, his daughter assures me that the rest of the Shatterbrew clan would say the same thing. Besides her, of course. Part of the reason they¡¯re such a successful business is due to how like-minded they all are. They love woodworking, have similar values and business sentiments, again- besides Gwinlinn, of course.


    She¡¯s more than likely going to get in a lot of trouble for helping me out, but... even if I wanted to turn her away and reject her offer I get the distinct feeling that she would reject my rejection and do it anyway. It¡¯s better to just consent to whatever help she wants to give me and not piss her off.


    We reach the Guild and Gwinlinn sets to work immediately, going off into the storage room where I keep the Pinemen wood and moving enough of it to the front door entrance to begin her construction. I tell her I¡¯ll return in a moment after checking in on my girls out back.


    She laughs and shakes her head, mumbling something about Ruthic Mirthfucker and his many conquests or the like. Indeed.


    Zutiria definitely isn¡¯t back from her questing for the day yet but Sam and Meri are right where I left them, out back in the training yard. Only now since two hours have passed they¡¯re absolutely covered in sweat and aching beyond belief.


    I, ah... should probably have instructed that they take breaks every so often. I thought that was obvious, so I didn¡¯t say anything but it looks like they haven¡¯t stopped at all. In hindsight leaving things unsaid when Sam is involved is just asking to be misunderstood. When I approach them Sam is still running towards Meri¡¯s shield and attacking it, while Meri is doing her best to avoid getting frightened. She has some good moments and she has some bad moments- times where she can take the impact with her shield and times she cowers.


    One thing is for certain, though. No matter how afraid Meri is of being hurt... her commitment to improving is real. She doesn¡¯t want to be like this. If she was happy with herself, Meri wouldn¡¯t just stand there and let Sam attack her over and over again for almost two hours straight.


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Take a break.¡± I say as I clap to gain their attention. Both girls snap out of it as soon as they notice me and each one draws a long sigh of relief.


    Sam drops her great sword sluggishly and Meri carefully leans her shield against a bench before plopping to the ground as well.


    ¡°Boss, what the fuck... even for me that was too much. My arms feel like they got snakes biting my muscles inside of them.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to take breaks!¡±


    ¡°WELL TELL ME THAT NEXT TIME!¡± Sam whines and sits down next to Meri, putting her head in the armored maiden¡¯s lap. Meri must be too tired to even blush about it because she silently accepts her new companion.


    The poor girl is beyond tired, her face is red and she looks like she¡¯s about to pass out from overheating.


    ¡°You should really get out of that armor, Meri...¡± I say with concern.


    ¡°You... you want me... to... strip... s-sir...?¡± She can¡¯t even get all timid and over exaggerate her shyness with me right now. She¡¯s too dog tired to even attempt it.


    I sigh and sit down behind Meri, beginning to unbuckle some of the straps from her armor despite her meek protests. At most she wiggles sweatily and gasps out ¡®nooo¡¯. Well I¡¯m sorry, Meri, but I¡¯d rather you not die from heatstroke and if that means I need to take off your armor than so be it.


    After a few more minutes of stripping- Sam helping me get the boots off- we¡¯re left with a slightly less exhausted Shield Maiden wearing no armour but her black, protective gambeson and her equally black arming trousers. Still not ideal as it looks rather hot itself, but I¡¯m not about to strip any more than this.


    ¡°T-Thank you... I needed that...¡± Meri pulls herself together and lays down on my lap as well, forming a chain since Sam continues to bury herself in the slightly chubby girl¡¯s meaty thighs.


    Looking down at her, it¡¯s hard to ignore how beautiful the Shield Maiden really is in her own way. I know that it¡¯s partially my mysterious benefactor¡¯s fault that I see her the way I do, but it¡¯s hard to ignore a red-faced, sweaty girl with a full-figured body laying on top of you with tired eyes and pouty lips.


    This is bad... she... there¡¯s no denying it, she looks lewd as hell under these circumstances


    I need to get out of here before I have an erection on the back of her head...


    ¡°We have a guest in the entrance hall. The Dwarf girl I told you about, Sam. She¡¯s fixing the door. You think you can manage getting both of you upstairs and having a nap?¡±


    Sam groans and stands up, bends down and hoists Meri over her shoulders. ¡°Come on, you...¡± She says as she sighs and heads back inside while carrying her new friend.


    Surprisingly this doesn¡¯t freak out Meri and she only replies, ¡°Thank you...¡±


    After I bring Meri¡¯s armor inside I return to Gwinlinn and unsurprisingly, the new door is already mostly done. Dwarves work speedily and efficiently, and compared to making jewelry or forging metal carpentry is a fast craft for a Dwarf. Even if Gwinlinn herself is uninterested she¡¯s certainly still very skilled in the art.


    The new door is the perfect size, but much bulkier and sturdier than it used to be. Needless to say it¡¯s now got many Dwarven stylings and patterns, and even some runes. I can¡¯t read their language so I don¡¯t know what they say, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing that important and is just part of the package. There were runes on my bed as well, after all.


    ¡°Ah, ya made it jus¡¯ in time. Got one more step ¡®for we can finish it off proper.¡±


    ¡°It looks done to me, though. Don¡¯t we just need to bolt it to the door frame now?¡±


    Gwin sighs and stands up, leaning the door against the wall and looking at me with an annoyed but insistent expression. ¡°The enchantments ya pebble brained, flirty fuck. Ya wanted the expensive spellsongs, did ye not?¡±

 Good with Her Hands

    ¡°Gwinlinn, you know I don¡¯t have the money to pay for that... and besides, your family-¡±


    The insistent, busty Dwarf raises an eyebrow. She looks like she¡¯s sizing up whether or not I¡¯m stupid. ¡°Fuck ya onna bout, payin? I said ah¡¯d do yer door, didn¡¯ say shit bout makin¡¯ ya pay for it.¡±


    I don¡¯t even know how to react to this, this is even more intense then when Opalina insisted on giving me 100,000G. Her relationship with her family is on the line here, too. They aren¡¯t going to be happy that she replaced my door and gave me free enchantments... especially not when I¡¯m being monitored by a shady presence that the family absolutely refuses to become involved with.


    ¡°Why would you do this for me? This is way more than just a simple favor...¡±


    She grunts and looks away with a slight blush. ¡°Cause ya got me thinkin¡¯. I sure as shit don¡¯ wanna be a fuckin¡¯ carpenter all me life an family or not, you were righ¡¯. Gotta start defyin¡¯ em sooner or later so why not start now by helpin¡¯ a fella who needs helpin¡¯?¡±


    I can¡¯t help but smile, knowing I made a little difference in the Dwarven girl¡¯s outlook. ¡°I couldn¡¯t possibly say no to that then, can I?¡±


    ¡°Not if yer keen on keepin¡¯ yer balls from gettin¡¯ punched.¡± She laughs and once again playfully taps my hips with her fist... wait, no, she actually does lightly punch me in the groin.


    It doesn¡¯t hurt, but it, ah, does cause a reaction. I had just narrowly avoided getting a hard-on when Meri was sitting on my lap earlier, but the contact with this cute girl¡¯s hand while brief was apparently enough to trigger my expansion.


    Her green eyes go wide and the small blush on her face gets ridiculously pronounced. ¡°Ya... ya fuckin¡¯ kiddin¡¯ me, mate?¡±


    Instinctively I hunch over quickly and try to hide it. Gwinlinn isn¡¯t one of my growing harem and while I¡¯m certainly interested in her, I don¡¯t want to potentially make the important business relationship I¡¯ve made with her awkward.


    ¡°Are they all that fuckin¡¯ big?¡± She looks up at me in disbelief. I wouldn¡¯t have pegged the young Dwarf for a virgin, but that might just be me making an assumption based on how outgoing and brash she is...


    ¡°Never mind that, I¡¯m very sorry, I-¡±


    ¡°Ya gonna show me the fuckin¡¯ thing or what?¡± Gwinlinn¡¯s expression gets angrier as if I¡¯m somehow wasting her time every second I haven¡¯t whipped my dick out.


    ¡°What?! No, I¡¯ve... had a stressful day. I¡¯d like to just get the door done...¡±


    ¡°Well what fuckin¡¯ better way to relieve stress, am I righ?¡± The firebrand grabs me by the belt and pulls me into the storage room despite how much I struggle. She¡¯s way too strong for me to resist, and at this point my urges are making the desire to resist smaller by the second.


    There¡¯s a dusty old chair in the room and while not exactly hygienic Gwinlinn apparently makes the executive decision that it¡¯s good enough for what she has in mind. She pushes me down on it and unbuckles my belt for me, her eyes filled with both lust and curiosity.


    ¡°We... really shouldn¡¯t be doing this...¡± I say as she strips my pants off. ¡°Your family would kill me...¡±


    ¡°Ach, why don¡¯t ya just be a man and take a load off ya fuckin¡¯ wuss? Fuck me family, what they gotta do with this?¡± She stares up into my eyes defiantly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to have fun with you if it¡¯s just so you can piss off your family, Gwin...¡±


    She punches me in the gut with no hesitation, though thankfully it¡¯s much less hard than when she clobbered her father in the face almost an hour ago.


    ¡°Da really think I wanna do this just to rebel? Do ah look like ah¡¯m that type a girl?¡± She¡¯s genuinely upset, and I feel bad about it. There hasn¡¯t been much conflict in my sexual life until now, and Gwinlinn can be hard for me to get a read on even with my eyes. I don¡¯t always know what to say to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯ be. Yer just... ah dunno, yer alrigh¡¯. Ain¡¯t never met someone as ¡®alrigh¡¯ as you before.¡± Gwinlinn gives me the most casual confession I¡¯ve ever heard.


    ¡°Ah just wanna see how it goes, an ah have to be gettin¡¯ back home inna bit... but the spellsongs won¡¯t take long, and by mah reckoning neither will you. Mah hands¡¯ll be more than enough.¡± She smirks and pulls down my boxers, and when she sees how damned huge I am for her all her confidence is replaced by awe and disbelief.


    ¡°What the fuck be this monster...? Ya even went an¡¯ got some ink on it too?¡± Gwinlinn asks, eyebrows raised.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story...¡± Feeling slightly more comfortable I decide to tease her a bit by saying, ¡°You done gawking yet? I seem to recall you saying it wouldn¡¯t take long?¡±


    Her eyes flare with determination and she shakes off her glassy gaze. ¡°It won¡¯t. Ah don¡¯ know how many girls ya done yet but ya ever had a Dwarf¡¯s hands work ya over?¡± She asks as she pulls off her work gloves.


    ¡°I have not.¡± I admit.


    ¡°Righ¡¯, well ah ain¡¯t exactly done this neither but ah¡¯m sure ya know we¡¯re a master at anythin¡¯ we put our mitts on. Especially me.¡± She grins and spits a sizable bunch of slickness onto both of her eager hands and rubs it all over her palms.


    Getting stalked, then milked, and now getting a handjob from a Dwarf... not really how I planned on today going, but hey. A Guild Master has to roll with the punches.


    Gwinlinn grabs my cock slowly and tenderly with a firm grip. Not at all how I imagined she would, but I figure she¡¯s still exploring and actually coming to terms with being in direct contact with a man¡¯s penis. Her reaction as she studies it is priceless, I swear her green eyes are sparkling just from holding me.


    ¡°Yer harder than steel, and hotter than a Dwarven forge...¡± She remarks with a hazy sigh. Her grip becomes just a bit tighter, but she still doesn¡¯t move yet.


    ¡°Before you do anything, I need to say something important.¡± I raise a hand towards Gwinlinn and she looks at me as if to say ¡®well hurry the fuck up then¡¯. ¡°This is going to sound really fucking stupid but I promise it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t swallow my cum, it¡¯s magic and you can get addicted to it.¡±


    Gwinlinn stares at me with complete and utter confusion, which is generally what I was expecting. She opens her mouth to speak, pauses, and shakes her head. ¡°Ya really aren¡¯ fuckin¡¯ kiddin¡¯ are ya?¡±


    ¡°My sex life is in a very strange place right now.¡± I nod my head.


    Laughing, Gwinlinn finally begins to stroke me up and down softly. ¡°Well, whatever. Let¡¯s get ya goin.¡±


    My hands clench into the seat of the chair- this isn¡¯t normal, this is just a handjob- yet I instantly buck my hips into it. ¡°W-What... the fuck...?!¡±


    Gwinlinn¡¯s hands effortlessly massage me starting from my sack to my tip and the way she uses her fingers to push and prod into the meat of my dick is unlike anything I¡¯ve ever felt before. She¡¯s repeatedly tenderizing me in a million different spots all at once while somehow managing to stroke me at the same time.


    ¡°Told ya it¡¯d be different.¡± The short, spiky haired dwarf is extremely pleased with herself but nowhere near as pleased as I am right now.


    I¡¯d even say I¡¯m a little TOO pleased, this feels amazing. I throb and pulse hard between her tight fingers as swiftly changes the type of stimulation faster than my body can adjust to it. Gwinlinn suddenly starts twisting both of her soft yet firm hands in different directions up and down my shaft while screwing back up to meet in the middle. To make it even worse when she reaches the middle, tip and base of my cock the skilled Dwarf applies a heavenly pressure by digging in expertly with her thumbs.


    I clench and jerk upwards again, biting my teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯m... not gonna... fucking L-LAST like this very long...!!¡± I warn her, but it only seems to make her feel even more playful.


    Suddenly she grabs me by the base of my cock and squeezes my balls all with one hand, transforming her grip into a cock ring that prevents me from cumming. ¡°Ah said ya wouldn¡¯t take long, but lemme have a BIT more fun, alrigh¡¯? How ya like... this?¡±


    The fingers on her opposite hand crawl up my length slowly and she pummels me with a thousand little taps a second, each one seemingly digging into a different pressure point I never even knew existed until now.


    As my breathing becomes all the heavier, I have to admit. This feels just as good as a pussy albeit in a completely different way.


    ¡°Heh. Seems ya like that.¡± She smirks, now feeling completely in control and apparently entirely over the small bit of virgin apprehension she had left. ¡°Ya wanna cum, don¡¯t ya?¡±


    ¡°Gods, fucking YES.¡± I roar as she squeezes me.


    ¡°When ah let go of this hand ah mine, are ya gonna burst?¡± She laughs in a smug, condescending manner that only serves to make my anticipation grow.


    ¡°Yesss...!!¡±


    ¡°Mm. For I go an¡¯ let ya do that, I wanna give ya some food fer thought. See. This is just me improvisin¡¯. Imagine how good ah could treat ya if ah actually learned how ta please a cock with some more practice.¡±


    ¡°HOLY FUCK- LET ME CUM!¡± I shout, embarrassed because I¡¯ve never got to the verge of cumming this fast before, ever...


    ¡°Alrigh¡¯ then,¡± Gwinlinn¡¯s smirk becomes more devilish and she suddenly points my cock at her mouth. ¡°Bottoms up, a Dwarf can¡¯t go resisting yer pale ale now can she?¡± She winks, lets go of my cock and starts stroking it until I madly cum.


    ¡°NO, NOT THERE, FUCK-¡±


    It¡¯s too late. As soon as removes her grip I¡¯m already cumming a powerful stream onto her face and into her mouth. She¡¯s blushing fiercely and moaning, but most importantly she¡¯s deliberately swallowing as much of my load as she can. Her eyes open wider in disbelief, I can¡¯t imagine she was expecting just this much cum and I was not in the right mindset to give her a heads up notice.


    To her credit she makes sure to nurse my spasming cock with her mighty grip as best as she can, continuing to drain my balls of as much cum as she could before deciding she should probably stop before I lose my mind. I¡¯m very thankful, I think I was getting pretty close there... Getting milked like this twice in one day is hard work...


    ¡°I... I told you not to... drink it...¡±


    Gwinlinn is breathing heavily, her face coated in an embarrassingly thick load of my seed. ¡°Yeah, well. Too bad. If yer¡¯ righ¡¯ then ah¡¯ll just have ta go an¡¯ stop by here a few times a week fer some more, righ? An¡¯ have you seen this shitty sty yer runnin¡¯ here mate? Ya let me come over an¡¯ ¡®hang out¡¯ and ah¡¯ll make some improvements on the place. Not big ones, mind, this place is too messy fer that. But whadda ya say?¡±


    ¡°Much like everything else you¡¯ve done for me, Gwinlinn, it sounds like I don¡¯t have much choice in the matter...¡±


    ¡°Call me Gwin.¡± The Dwarf licks up my cum from her lips and swallows it down.


    It seems like I¡¯ve picked up another stray... but at least she¡¯s an extremely useful one and is not only smoking hot, but fun to be around in general.


    ¡°Are ya gonna get me somethin¡¯ fer this or am ah gonna have ta lick it all up?¡± She asks impatiently.


    ¡°Right, sorry. Most of the time the girls all drink it and-¡±


    ¡°The girls?¡± Gwin tilts her head. She doesn¡¯t seem jealous or anything, just curious.


    ¡°My adventurers. The cum isn¡¯t just addictive... it sorta... powers you up.¡±


    Gwin just looks at me like I¡¯m speaking nonsense before slamming her fist into her knee as a reaction to her own uproarious laughter.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ more fulla surprises than Lomderlum Smeltmane aren¡¯t ya? Sure, magic cum. Why the fuck not.¡± I then watch as the redhead eagerly scoops up and devours the rest of my semen. ¡°Ah kinda like the taste... that one of yer powers too?¡±


    ¡°Probably.¡± I sigh, since the others have all said something similar.


    Once Gwin finishes cleaning herself up, we head back into the entrance hall. Still no sign of Zutiria, but I can hear the groaning sounds of Sam and Meri coming from upstairs. I can¡¯t get over that the both of them thought I meant to just stand there attacking each other for two-ish hours without any breaks... they really do need a combat instructor more than I could have imagined, if I can¡¯t leave for that long without them all but dying from heat exhaustion.


    After the brief check in I meet Gwin back at the now completed door.


    ¡°Sorry about that, just wanted to make sure they were doing alright up there. They had a bit of an accident during training.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you¡¯ll introduce me to em soon ah¡¯m sure. More importantly ah¡¯m ready to start the enchantments. How fast does that magic jizz of yers work, is it gonna go an make my magic stronger?¡±


    ¡°Yes, unless for some reason it doesn¡¯t work on Dwarves. You¡¯re the first one to ever take any of my semen.¡±


    At my comment her general mood seems to pick up. She smiles and scratches the back of her head. ¡°That righ¡¯? Well, only one way ta find out...¡±


    I¡¯m eagerly watching for what happens next. I¡¯ve never seen or heard a Dwarven spellsong in person before, though I know the technique is standard process for any (good) Dwarven craft, and thus it¡¯s a very expensive option that more than makes up for its price due to the added quality. It was even used in the creation of the special glasses I¡¯m wearing right now.


    Gwin steps forward and enters an almost meditative silence. I don¡¯t know how she does it, but the light in the room seems to almost vanish and even though the sun pours in from the exposed door I feel... buried. Trapped deep beneath the earth within a cavern... a cave... no, a mountain.


    Here in this lightless and suffocating atmosphere, a warmth bellows out from Gwin¡¯s lips as her breath escapes her. It fills the dark room with frenzied fire and sparks dance about within the air, as if flittering out of the pits of a forge.


    She then begins her song in a deep, beautiful voice rivaled only by the billowing baritones of long dead mountain kings in their halls of stone.


    Standing tall and firm and stout, never shall ye budge


    Push and pull and hammer and strike, evil shall not trudge


    By my voice ye shall stand strong, thus are the words of my song


    You will not break you will not bend, of this I am so sure


    Whether sword or axe or stone or steel, of these you will endure


    By my voice ye shall stand strong, thus are the words of my song


    Thus are the words of my song


    The lyrics of her song transform into Dwarven runes that fly around the room, each note possessing intense heat as it joins the growing parade of music made magic circling the entire entrance hall of the guild.


    Gwin raises a single hand to her lips, bends over and blows a delicate stream of air towards the door almost as if blowing a kiss. The runes then merge with the door and it glows hotter and brighter with every last word of the song until finally the enchantment is complete and the room snaps back to normal.


    ¡°Well, that about does it- WAIT ARE YA FUCKIN¡¯ CRYING?!¡± She blushes but laughs as soon as she looks in my direction.


    ¡°No, you... s-shut up, that was the most beautiful thing I¡¯ve ever heard. Please tell me you¡¯ll sing for me again sometime!¡± I get on my knees to be closer to face level with the little Dwarf girl and her freckled cheeks become redder at my closeness.


    ¡°Ah, yeah that¡¯s like... no big deal an¡¯ shit. A-Ah¡¯m not even that good yet... though ah definitely felt like it was stronger than normal cause of yer fancy jizz, ah guess.¡± She looks away out of slight embarrassment and grabs the door, hoists it to the correct place and fastens it expertly with the finesse of a master.


    Before I can even thank her for a job very well done, light fills the room and Zutiria appears at the Return Gate. It seems her round of adventuring went very well- she¡¯s touting two bags filled up with slime cores and the hands of living fungi.


    The little Mage looks to me, then the Dwarf. ¡®Sir, you haven¡¯t even bedded the one that got here yesterday and you¡¯re already working on the next one? How bold.¡¯


    For her part Gwin just laughs it up and apparently doesn¡¯t question the floating blue text. I just sigh, yet smile. ¡°Welcome back, Zutiria.¡±


    PunishedKom

 Team Meeting

    Zutiria seems to have made herself a new friend. After properly introducing themselves, Gwin wasted no time chatting up the sorceress who just got back from her round of kill quests. Even though the Dwarf really should be getting home she ends up spending another twenty minutes with the mage, mostly discussing the stone magic gate that she just teleported in from.


    The subject seems to interest Gwin, and Zutiria is surprised to find someone who actually understands the magical schematics she made while designing the Return Gate.


    ¡®I like this one. Keep her around, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria tells me in no uncertain terms.


    Having a Mage and a Dwarven smith around would be an absolute insane dream come true, and my mind goes wild at the possibilities at the types of equipment we could create if both girls were properly outfitted with an alchemy lab and a workshop respectively... but that would be unfathomably expensive, and that¡¯s assuming Gwin would even want to stick around here if she got her freedom or her family¡¯s blessing.


    The Guild has seen a fair amount of progress in this short, life changing month but it doesn¡¯t help that I keep adding on to the list all of all the things I want to improve on or add...


    Zutiria and Gwin talk and bond as the Dwarf proudly shows the Mage the door she just enchanted with her spellsong, until at last the young Dwarf finally deems it time to head on home. She says goodbye to her new friend and turns around, giving me a playful wink before walking out of the door that she just built and making sure to sway her wide hips as she does so.


    ¡®So.¡¯ The Mage says from behind me. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯


    I laugh shyly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. It was just a handjob.¡±


    ¡®Interesting.¡¯


    ¡°She¡¯s going to be hanging out around here from now on, I guess. Family issues and... I guess it sort of ties into some important things I need to tell the three of you. You don¡¯t need to go back out for another round of quests today. Sam and Meri are having a nap, but as soon as they¡¯re up it¡¯s time for an impromptu meeting.¡±


    ¡®Is everything alright?¡¯ Setting her bags and staff down, Zutiria comes closer to the table I¡¯m sitting at and makes herself comfy in my lap, facing me.


    ¡°Things could be better.¡± I admit.


    Wordlessly, the Mage pulls my head down between her small breasts and she forces me to nuzzle her. Neither of us say anything, but I¡¯m happy that the little lady is so calm and tender with me.


    As soon as Zutiria starts playing with my hair, though, I start to get suspicious of whether or not Opalina has been giving her some pointers...


    I really need to be taken care of like this sometimes... At least until the other girls wake up and I need to go back to being large and in charge.


    Unfortunately that moment comes sooner than I thought it would. Sam and Meri both start coming down the stairs and I quickly pull my head out of Zutiria¡¯s warm, nuzzling embrace.


    ¡°Boss, are we interrupting something?¡± Sam smiles playfully, awful cheeky for an idiot who had to nap after training far too hard.


    ¡°I-I can go back upstairs if you need your alone time with Miss Syndaline!¡± Meri blushes as she sees my dutiful lap Mage.


    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. Can you get them some water?¡±


    Zutiria nods her head and points at the wooden table with her glowing index finger, and I hear the arcane tech faucet from the kitchen being switched on for a moment. After it turns off, two cold glasses of water magically appear and await Sam and Meri as soon as they both join us on the table. They each share their thanks and drink the glasses so fast that by the end they¡¯re left gasping for air.


    We all share some light conversation after that, Zutiria reports in her quest totals and it looks like we¡¯re going to be making about 1,500G from her two hours of work. That¡¯s not bad, a few weeks ago it¡¯d take her an entire day¡¯s work just to make that much.


    Meri tilts her head. ¡°Why are you all talking about what the Guild made? You¡¯re sounding like all of this belongs to you now, Mr. Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I guess we haven¡¯t really brought that up.¡±


    Sam smiles brightly, ¡°Me and Zuzu are kind of a pain in the ass and neither of us care much about getting paid. We¡¯re happy just to stay here in exchange for Boss not getting mad at us.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s true. I would rather Sir keep the money and use it to better the Guild, and besides. He still buys me whatever I ask him for.¡¯ As if to show off, the emotionless girl plants a loving kiss on my cheek.


    ¡°I-Is that so...? That¡¯s very noble...¡± Meri seems to be surprised at how altruistic these other adventurers are.


    ¡°Officially speaking I DO pay them, they just keep their earnings in a Guild Account so that I can report them to HQ and I can access the funds through personal donations. Please don¡¯t misunderstand, though. This is something they¡¯ve volunteered to do and by no means will we attempt to force you into the same agreement.¡± I make it very clear to air this situation out properly, knowing how quick this girl is to get the wrong idea.


    ¡°I already have a Guild Account... b-but it¡¯s mostly empty.¡± She sighs. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would mind chipping in around here, though... if you¡¯re really going to be letting me stay here then, um, I¡¯m very indebted to you...¡± Meri blushes as she manages to look me in the eyes.


    ¡°NICE!¡± Sam throws her arm around Meri and smiles widely, ¡°More free labor acquired!¡±


    Meri starts blushing and protesting, while the Mage and I watch with great amusement.


    It¡¯s time for the next topic of conversation in this little meeting, and that¡¯s the training session. I explain to Sam that I¡¯m disappointed she didn¡¯t have enough common sense to stop even after getting tired and dehydrated, but Meri steps up to shoulder the blame as well.


    Seems that I did have the right impression of her, after all. Meri truly wants to improve and despite how badly her armor was overheating she struggled to keep training to prove her worth to me.


    I sigh heavily. ¡°You don¡¯t need to prove your worth to me or anything. Especially not at the cost of your health. You¡¯re already a member of my Guild. I¡¯m not going to turn you away, Meri.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes...¡± She looks away nervously, but also with a hint of a happy smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not used to such a... a nice place like this, back in Perlshaw I had a few friends but... I wasn¡¯t close to anyone. There wasn¡¯t a b-big deal about us all being part of one big team, you know?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a lot more intimate here.¡± I confirm.


    ¡®In more ways than one.¡¯ Zutiria responds.


    ¡°Hey, I was gonna say that!¡± Sam slams her fist on the table comically towards the Mage.


    Meri giggles softly, feeling more comfortable here by the minute.


    While we¡¯re on the topic of Meri, I bring up that we should find a solution to her armor heating her up so much. The Mage on my lap suggests brewing an alchemical potion to improve her resistance to heat while fighting, but acknowledges how this is only a stopgap measure and not a long term solution.


    I was thinking more along the lines of having someone enchant the armor if we could eventually find the materials that would give it a cooling effect, though Sam wonders where the hell I¡¯d find a blacksmith who could do something that expensive for cheap.


    As soon as I start blushing in response to her question, Sam¡¯s eyebrow perks up and her face becomes coy. ¡°Are you fucking a blacksmith girl now, too?¡±


    At the suggestion Meri blushes even harder than usual, though seemingly with interest.


    ¡°Yes, well, all in due time.¡± I sigh. ¡°I need to start from the beginning, starting from yesterday.¡±


    The explanation takes me a while because there¡¯s a lot of pieces in play. I explain to the three girls about the Shatterbrew Clan, and how Thadmar brought his daughter with him yesterday to help construct the bed. I mention how there was a bit of flirting but nothing serious, and today something changed.


    I tell the girls that this topic was going to get a bit scary, and the atmosphere in the room darkens in response. I do my best to relay today¡¯s events after I left the Guild. The rogues stalking me, Opalina¡¯s suggestion that they may be men of the once thought fictional Duke of Dewhurst, and how the both of us agreed that the door could no longer wait to be fixed.


    So after making my way to Shatterbrew¡¯s, I explained to Thadmar the situation but he abruptly cancelled our business deal on the spot upon hearing ¡°The Duke¡± might be involved. Sam and Zutiria are both visibly upset that we suddenly weren¡¯t going to be making as much on the Pinemen as we thought we would, but they stifle their emotions to let me keep talking. Gwin is a firebrand, and she ran off with me to come back here and she insisted on making a brand new door for us herself for free, and she even gave it powerful Dwarven enchantments. She¡¯ll probably be in trouble with her family now, but she seems adamant on helping me out and poking in a couple of times a week.


    ¡°And?¡± Sam leans over the table, anxious for the details.


    Sighing, I give her highness what she wants to hear. ¡°And she gave me the best handjob of my entire damn life.¡±


    Sam laughs at this while Meri becomes red as can be. ¡°B-BUT YOU JUST MET THIS GIRL YESTERDAY!! H-H-HOW COULD YOU DO SUCH LEWD THINGS WITH A LADY SO SHORTLY AFTER MEETING HER?!¡±


    As if in practiced unison, Sam and Zutiria both awkwardly look away, blushes on their faces.


    Meri is quick to take the implication. ¡°W-w-wait... buh... both of you...? H-How long until you both did t-t-the... thing with the Master...?¡±


    ¡°Look, this isn¡¯t the time for that! In case you somehow forgot the other part of my story, you know, about the rogues trailing after me?¡±


    The Shield Maiden then awkwardly looks to the side, herself. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re r-right... I¡¯ve just... never had any lewd experiences of any sort and the thought is... um... overwhelming. Especially when hearing about it so casually...¡±


    ¡°Wow, a virgin? I would have never guessed.¡± Sam smirks and elbows Meri in her tits, causing her to gasp and scoot further down the table.


    ¡®Sammy. Not the time.¡¯ Zutiria looks more concerned than either of them, and her glare straightens the Princess out at once. ¡®What do you have planned to counter this, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Not a lot. We have no funding for defenses or a security staff. Our best bet is really just to keep building up Pineman wood and hope that Gwin is down to make us more doors But it¡¯s not like we can tear the Guild down and have her rebuild the whole thing with protection enchantments, we¡¯d need a dragon¡¯s hoard of gold and an entire team of Dwarves to pull that off...¡±


    ¡°W-Well, we don¡¯t even know if this is a real threat just yet do we?¡± Meri tries to remain positive but it¡¯s clear she¡¯s a little nervous. I really hate having to make such a nice girl like her involved in my problems, she didn¡¯t choose to help out knowing the stakes like Gwin did.


    Meri just showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time and I¡¯ll never get over it if she has to pay for it.


    ¡°We don¡¯t, but we have to act like we do. I should bring this up once last time, Meri. You don¡¯t have to stay here if you don¡¯t want to.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± She looks at me a little stunned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll still write you a transferral notice if this current scenario changes your mind regarding your decision to stay. I wouldn¡¯t exactly blame you.¡±


    To my surprise, Meri stands up. Sam, Zutiria and I all look right at her stern face and for a moment we see a much more confident and put together woman in front of us. She shakes her head and clenches her fists, ¡°No. Shield Maidens exist to protect others and spread hope wherever we go... and you¡¯ve been so welcoming and kind to me... more than anywhere else ever has been. Right now, it seems like you need a shield more than anything! Let me be your shield!¡±


    Zutiria blushes a little and Sam claps her on the back. ¡°Damn, girl. You need to let out this side of you more often!¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ve made up your mind, then?¡¯ The little Mage asks, and Meri nods.


    ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else I¡¯d rather be... especially if... if the thing about your... thingy is true.¡± Meri¡¯ words become quieter the longer her sentence goes on, but if I heard her correctly she kind of just hinted at something big. She looks away shyly and her confidence recedes back once more, replacing it with the timid maiden persona I¡¯ve become quite acquainted with.


    At least can look me in the eyes sometimes, that¡¯s a step up.


    ¡°Is that everything, Boss? That was kind of a lot to swallow... not that-¡±


    ¡°Sam, can you go two sentences without bringing up sex somehow?¡±


    ¡°W-what? I don¡¯t talk about sex THAT much, do I?¡± She looks around the room for vindication. Zutiria makes an ¡®eh¡¯ gesture with her hands and Meri avoids eye contact for fear that it would incriminate her thoughts on the matter.


    Sam crosses her arms like a spoiled brat and goes, ¡°Hmph.¡±


    Everyone shares a quick laugh at the Princess¡¯s expense and I finish up this meeting. ¡°That¡¯s everything, Sam. I want everyone to have a good, relaxing day off today. There¡¯s a chance Opalina was able to talk to her friend about coming by tomorrow, and while I can¡¯t say for sure that she¡¯ll agree to give the two of you some training we need to  at least be prepared for it. Sam, Meri, I want the both of you fully rested.¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Sir!¡± Meri holds up her fists in determination, though it makes her chest jiggle from such a sudden motion. Sam noticed this too and has to struggle to pry her eyes away.


    I swear, Sam¡¯s tits are plenty fucking big on their own. Why is she so obsessed with other girl¡¯s goods? First Opalina and now Meri. Is the love for tits truly that universal that even when you have them you can¡¯t help but want more? Fascinating.


    The rest of the day passes, and we have a fairly standard day in although I wish Sam had some hobbies other than sex. She¡¯s being very clingy and absolutely refuses to pick up a book. What kind of things would a girl her age even be interested in...? Even if I had the budget, I¡¯m not sure what I would get her.


    Meri enjoys talking to Zutiria and I, but Sam keeps cuddling me and nuzzling when she gets a chance. She practically kicked the Mage out of her spot so she could have more access to me.


    I guess with everything that¡¯s been going on lately, I haven¡¯t had much one on one time with Sam... I do sort of miss those early days when it was just the two of us on our own for a week, experimenting and trying things out, but I can¡¯t say my life isn¡¯t better now. Still. I would like to do something for her soon if I could.


    We have a normal, cheapass dinner and after that everyone does their own thing for a few hours. Even as stubborn as Sam is she realizes I need my time to do the piles of paperwork that I put off the day before. Things finalizing Meri¡¯s transfer, verifying that I received her and that she intends to stay, so on and so forth...


    Zutiria spends some time with a heavy looking magical tome alone in the bedroom, while Meri polishes her armor as she talks awkwardly to Sam.


    Not even ten minutes into doing my work and I hear Meri shout, ¡°WAIT, ARE YOU THE P-P-P-PRINCESS?!¡±


    ...


    Well, I can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t curious as to how long it would take Sam to slip up. Meri¡¯s too honest to play along and anyone with half a brain and a vague understanding of Karnalle¡¯s nobility would be able to piece that one together fairly quickly.


    It¡¯s getting late, and it¡¯s time to retire for the night. I escort Meri to her new dorm room although I feel extremely bad about it. It¡¯s a huge step down from where she slept last night, after all. And I can¡¯t just go and offer to let her sleep with us.


    Not when Sam and Zutiria are more than likely naked in the big bedroom waiting for my arrival. The bed is certainly massive, but it¡¯s not big enough that you can ignore what we¡¯d be getting up to.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be down the hall in the bedroom from last night if you need anything, Meri. I am truly sorry about how bad of a shape this room is in... believe me. But I think we managed to clean it up nice enough.¡±


    ¡°N-No, Sir... it¡¯s very kind of you to have lent me your bedroom for the night a-after the way I acted...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine. Things are weird here.¡± I laugh. ¡°I understand why you had such a dramatic reaction to what you saw... and, well, I can¡¯t deny I have quite the scary face even when I¡¯m not bleeding out of my eyes.¡±


    Meri manages to get a good laugh from that, but it''s soon replaced by an awkward silence between us.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, your face IS pretty scary and thuggish...¡±


    Oof.


    ¡°But, um, maybe I kind of like that s-sort of thing now that I¡¯m a bit more used to it?¡± She tilts her head... and then realizes what she just said. Her cheeks burn bright with blush.


    Something... compels me to push. It¡¯s not a Goddess barking commands at me from on high, I think, but it¡¯s my own intuition.


    I take off my glasses and put them in the inside pocket of my vest. I¡¯m standing there in the hallway outside of Meri¡¯s new room, looking down at the shorter woman. She¡¯s still clothed in her heavy looking gambeson, but even so it accentuates her curves to hell and back.


    ¡°U-Ummm... S-S-Sir?¡± She shrinks back, shyly... pressing her back against the wall.


    I slam my palm to the side of her head, cornering her. My ¡®thuggish¡¯ face stares into hers, hungrily. Meri yelps loudly as she becomes redder still and her eyes nervously dart back and forth. Curiously, my eyes aren¡¯t picking up any signs in her body language that she wants me to stop.


    Reaching out to her round, pretty face, I lift up her chin so she can better look me in the eyes. ¡°Is this the sort of thing that you like, Meri?¡±


    I try to make myself look big, intimidating, and scary. I even add a husky element to my voice.


    Gods, if she were wearing her armor right now she would be clanking up an entire orchestra from how much she¡¯s shaking.


    ¡°E-EHHHH?! M-M-MR. GUILD... MAS... TER...?!¡±


    ¡°Master will do just fine.¡± I whisper into her ear and hear her take a deep, deep breath.


    ¡°M... M... Mas... ter...?¡±


    ¡°Good. Was that so hard?¡±


    She weakly shakes her head back and forth.


    I... don¡¯t know what came over me, but it probably wouldn¡¯t be very wise to continue this much longer. Meri is NOT used to this. She looks like a cornered animal, and even if it¡¯s clear she¡¯s into what I was just doing I wouldn¡¯t feel right if I pressed on and abused the fact that she¡¯s incredibly weak to pressure.


    I pull away and watch as she continues her heavy breathing.


    The seeds have been planted, and I have a deeper understanding of this girl. I was worried over nothing, it¡¯s like the girls said. Meri was probably chosen by the Goddess because we¡¯d naturally be compatible with one another...


    Yet I still don¡¯t want to rush it just because I see a path to victory.


    ¡°Goodnight, Meri.¡± I smile and turn around, putting my glasses on before it can hurt me.


    ¡°B-B-BOOK.¡±


    I look back, trying to hold back a laugh.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I-I-I finished t-the last o-one...¡± She manages to somehow stammer out despite all the mental factors working against her. ¡°Y-you s-s-said... you have... m-more...¡± Meri looks away, unable to look at me any further for fear of passing out.


    ¡°A moment.¡± I smile and dart off to my office back on the first floor. I have some of my many lewd books in there, and while it¡¯s not as many as in my bedroom I know that the second I step foot there Sam and to a lesser extent Zutiria will jump me.


    Going through the collection, a delightfully devilish thought occurs to me. I can use this. I¡¯ll give her THAT book. Meri likely picked the first thing she found in the room last night, but grabbing this one off the shelf I know it¡¯ll have a lasting effect on her.


    ¡®The Fallen Knight¡¯s Master¡¯. It was always a personal favorite of mine when I was in a darker mood... but it¡¯s perfect. Perhaps some would view it as too extreme; it details a proud and powerful knight falling to temptation after being caught masturbating by a fiendish rogue who always loved her. Using this over her, he gains leverage and is able to make her accept her dark fetishes and admit that she was waiting for someone to take control of her for her entire life. By the end, she¡¯s practically his willing sex slave and the pair engage in all sorts of debauched play.


    Handing it to Meri is practically an act of psychological warfare... so that¡¯s exactly that I do. She looks at the cover and blushes heavily, her jaw all but dropping to the floor. I don¡¯t think she can speak, so I simply leave the shaking Shield Maiden there in the hallway after whispering, ¡°Have fun.¡±


    And with that, I retire to the bedroom for a night of pleasure...


    Or so I thought.

 The Intruder

    -The Guild Master-


    To be fair, the night was still full of pleasures.


    Sam was still feeling extra clingy, and Zutiria was gracious enough to concede that the Princess needed more time with me than she currently did. I ended up going for five rounds, three of which were with Sam and one of which Sam was allowed to eat out from Zutiria.


    Never say we don¡¯t spoil you, your Highness.


    Zutiria was still given plenty of attention, mind you. Just not all of it was penetration. She was certainly not left wanting, and it''s not like the girls get additional bonuses from taking more loads of my semen. As long as they both get one they should be good.


    Once the passion dies down, the three of us all get comfortable and ready to turn in. The lights go off, the bathroom door is left open a crack for Zutiria, and we quickly drift off to a pleasant rest after a long day.


    We all swiftly awaken several hours later to the sound of a gigantic impact smashing something in the entrance hall.


    ¡°THE FUCK?!¡± Sam shouts and jerks straight out of our cuddling embrace, jumping out of bed and hastily throwing on a shirt and a pair of my boxers.


    ¡®There¡¯s an intruder.¡¯ Zutiria hops up equally fast and using her magic summons a black nightgown for her to wear, her staff, and Sam¡¯s sword for her to wield.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Meri?! Sam, go check on her-¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± Meri opens the door and enters our room. She¡¯s wearing a long white camisole with red panties underneath, and she¡¯s got her tower shield held firmly in her right hand. ¡°T-There¡¯s someone downstairs...!¡±


    Everyone looks to me for instructions, but I can¡¯t for the life of me think about the best way to go about this. We¡¯re all holed up in one room and we have no idea how strong our enemy is or how they managed to get into the building. They couldn¡¯t possibly have broken through the enchanted door, could they?


    No, no. I¡¯m thinking irrelevant thoughts. I need to focus on this exact moment, we can¡¯t afford to waste any time.


    ¡°Sam and Zutiria, head down stairs but do NOT let your guard down. Sam, I need you to not be reckless. Zutiria is smarter than you. Follow her instructions.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Sam nods, her grip tightening on her sword as she heads toward the door.


    ¡®I¡¯ll keep her safe, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria shoots me a confident gaze and follows after Sam.


    ¡°And me, Master?¡± Meri is deeply concerned but trying her best to stay calm under the circumstances.


    ¡°You¡¯re my shield, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    She blushes a bit but nods vigorously.


    ¡°Then that goes without saying. Protect me.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Meri swells with purpose.


    ¡°Also, toss me those boxers on the floor over there and turn around please.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Wait, w-what?!¡±


    -Zutiria-


    I¡¯m broken- this is not a new fact.


    I have trouble showing emotion...


    That being said, in all ways except visibly I am absolutely livid.


    When I first heard Sir talk about the potential threat at hand, I was furious. I just recently found somewhere to belong... someone to belong to... Someone I need and who needs me just as badly.


    And beyond that I even proved myself this week and created the Return Gate for him. I¡¯m contributing, and I¡¯m useful here.


    And now some sort of outside presence is targeting him.


    I don¡¯t care what it takes. I will use any spell in my arsenal to protect that person and our home together, at any cost to my own body.


    Capturing the intruder is my first priority as we could use the information, but...


    I¡¯ve never intentionally killed anyone before. As an adventurer, I¡¯m sure it would have happened eventually. Bandits and raiders are hardly more than monsters, after all, but...


    If I have to, I¡¯ll do it tonight.


    I don¡¯t think I would have any remorse. Not in these circumstances at least.


    Someone broke into my home with ill intent and I will not tolerate any attacks on the happiness I¡¯ve somehow managed to cultivate here against all odds.


    Whether it¡¯s the Duke of Dewhurst or the Demon Lord himself, I don¡¯t care... I¡¯ll end it.


    Sammy and I rush downstairs. It¡¯s not like me to get so heated up and to dart off like this, but as I said I¡¯m personally offended.


    There¡¯s no sign of the intruder, but there¡¯s a big gaping hole in the building right next to the door. I¡¯m guessing Gwinlinn¡¯s enchantments were so strong that the invader couldn¡¯t put a scratch in them, and they settled on the least subtle alternative possible.


    ¡°What the fuck happened here...?!¡± Sammy holds her sword out defensively in front of her body as she looks around the room. Good. She¡¯s learning.


    ¡®Stay alert. Whoever did this is as strong as you, possibly more.¡¯


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    Someone drops down behind me and kicks me square in the back, toppling me over and making me drop my staff. It skitters across the room, well out of reach.


    ¡°Telepathy?¡± A deep voice I don¡¯t recognize says, and before I can pull myself upright someone sits on my back, grabs my hands and pins me to the ground. ¡°Just another reason when fighting a group to always attack the Mage first. No exceptions. Tricky fucking bastards you lot.¡±


    I struggle against the enemy holding me down, desperate not to die like this. Not now, not here... not after what I finally found...


    ¡°As for you, you need to realize that magic can''t always protect you.¡±


    I lose consciousness and enter the darkness after getting punched firmly in the back of the head... I... Sir... Sammy...


    -Sam-


    T-That fucker just got Zuzu! I can¡¯t see them very well, it¡¯s dark and they¡¯re wearing a cloak... What the fuck am I supposed to do? They moved with such speed that neither of us could react before they were right on top of usg.


    The cloaked figure stands up off of Zuzu. ¡°You¡¯ve got three main goals when fighting a Mage- snap the staff being first and foremost. That¡¯ll weaken them a lot more than you¡¯d imagine, as it channels their spells and makes them stronger. After that, you can cripple them by breaking their hands to prevent non verbal magic. Without talking they still need to channel the power somehow, and the hands are how they do that. Lastly, make sure they can¡¯t talk. If you¡¯re an edgy fuck you can cut out their tongues, but knocking them out works just as good and is less... messy.¡±


    What the fuck is this person rambling on about? I think they¡¯re a woman, but their accent is so thick and the voice is so deep that it makes it hard to tell.


    ¡°SHUT UP, I¡¯LL FUCKING KILL YOU!¡± My adrenaline is pumping, and I feel the heat burning from within again. Whether I was aiming to or not, the Royal Blood has been activated and my hatred boils over, making me more powerful than I know what to do with.


    I run at the enemy and do a gigantic overhead slash.


    ¡°Xiphos.¡± The figure extends their hand. Light glows out of it and very quickly a short sword with a distinct leaf shape materializes out of nowhere. What a piece of shit. They think such a flimsy piece of iron can stand against ME?


    Yet, against all odds this shitty, bronze looking short sword is somehow able to take the entire brunt of my epic slash... and beyond that, the enemy pushes back and sends me hurtling into the wooden walls of the entrance hall. The already shitty wood breaks under the force of the impact and I¡¯m left an angry mess afterwards.


    ¡°You have power. That¡¯s good- power is ALWAYS good. But you wield the great sword like a little boy swinging his first wooden blade. Are you still a child? Because you sure as hell fight like it.¡±


    Me...? A child? I¡¯m Royalty. I¡¯m not naive, I¡¯m better than anyone else!


    ¡°How DARE you...!¡± I pull myself from the wall and grit my teeth. Running at the enemy with sword in hand , I ready a horizontal strike. I¡¯m going to cut this villain straight in half and show them their guts...! I¡¯m going to-


    ¡°Great Sword.¡± The short sword is then replaced by an ancient looking bronze mass of steel, about the same size as mine. It too has a shitty leaf-like shape to it. They think they can just copy me, do they? HAH. That¡¯d be the day.


    My powerful slash rips through the air and I brace myself for the clash of steel on steel, but... it never comes. They dodge. They fucking DODGE!


    This enemy really is too dangerous to let live. I need to end this, I need to end THEM, I-


    ¡°You fell for my taunting. Anger is a double edged sword, kid. There¡¯s no weapon quite as powerful, true... but when you point it at your enemy you also point it at yourself. Not to mention it¡¯s completely incompatible with your choice of arms.¡± The mysterious enemy smashes the flat side of their Great Blade into my upper back, knocking all the wind out of me in one mighty blow.


    I fall to the floor, gasping for air with determination. I can do this... I¡¯m a Lundreame, I was BORN to rule over all others...! I defeated an adult Brood Wolf using nothing but my own anger and desperation. I can still do this... I can still stand up and fight, I can prove myself!! I can...? I... w-wait... this isn¡¯t about me... Boss... Zuzu... even Meri, I... I forgot about them...


    How can I fight like this when I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯m fighting for...?


    Suddenly, I¡¯m pulled off the ground by one of my twintails. ¡°Cute hair, but in combat it always comes with a risk. I¡¯m not telling you to cut it off, just making sure you know. You don¡¯t want this to happen if you can help it. Girls on the battlefield like us have to run the thin line between practicality and stylish.¡±


    The enemy somehow lost their sword while I wasn¡¯t paying attention and they ready their fist, knocking me out cold with a single well placed blow on my chin...


    -Meri-


    Stand firm... stand firm...


    That¡¯s what Mom would do, after all. She was the shield of hope for the entire village, and when she died I swore that I would take it upon myself to live up to her legacy.


    It hasn¡¯t gone very well...


    I didn¡¯t have anyone to teach me how to be a Shield Maiden. I never learned how to fight, and I-I¡¯ve been a burden ever since becoming an adventurer.


    W-When I took the Hero License exam, I didn¡¯t even have to prove myself in combat. The examiner just saw my armor, shield and that I registered my class as ¡®Shield Maiden¡¯ and passed me on the spot...


    We¡¯re so rare h-he didn¡¯t even CHECK! That just led to me failing so hard over these last two years... nothing I did helped anyone, and I got in everyone¡¯s way each time I joined a different adventuring party. There was no hope for me in Perlshaw...


    That¡¯s why this place feels so special to me already. I-I actually feel... hopeful. If there¡¯s anywhere in all the realms where I could actually learn to make a difference, my heart tells me it¡¯s here...


    The Master here is scary... but nice. It seems like the man really cares about the other girls here, and does his best to help them improve... He, um, might actually be more of a perv than Gilver but at least he¡¯s nice about it...? Mr. Glorigold was sleazy... this man is genuine and honest. A-And... and sure he m-m-might be sending me some strong signals b-b-but... it¡¯s not like I¡¯m n-not entirely uninterested...


    Especially seeing how much the others seem to love him, here, and how much he¡¯s done for them...


    My point is... I-I can¡¯t let ANYTHING happen to him.


    He might be the only one who could help me... for my own sake, I can¡¯t let this strange, lewd man die...!


    But it¡¯s not looking so good.


    Sam, the P-Princess, apparently, shouted just a bit ago and there was a loud clank. If she¡¯s already fighting and angry then it p-probably means Miss Zutiria is already down... and that¡¯s really bad news.


    I¡¯m camping right in the doorwar wielding Mom¡¯s shield to create a barrier. Hopefully they¡¯ll attack me on sight and I can subdue them with reflect, and if worst comes to worst I can use the s-sword in my buckler form... but I¡¯ve... never crossed swords with another person before... I¡¯ve barely killed a few monsters with it, b-but a person?


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to take someone else¡¯s life...


    Gods, I¡¯m scared... but I can¡¯t be... I CAN¡¯T be...!! Stand firm... stand firm...!!


    ¡°Woah, you¡¯re a Shield Maiden? I can count the number of those I¡¯ve fought on one hand. Let¡¯s see if you know your stuff.¡±


    WHAT!?


    A hand appears on the top of my towershield, t-the enemy must have crouched and approached me knowing I wouldn¡¯t see them coming from this angle...! Since I wasn¡¯t expecting it at all, I don¡¯t have time to adjust my grip and t-they... they rip Mom¡¯s shield out of my hand and toss it down the hallway.


    They¡¯re wearing a cloak a-and I can¡¯t get a good look at their features, even with the light from the arcane lamp coming in from Master¡¯s bedroom.


    ¡°You¡¯re the only one I¡¯m giving an excuse to. You don¡¯t have access to your armor or your tools, and when your class specifically relies on one thing then you better be damn good at it or else you¡¯ll run into situations like this.¡±


    W-Why is this person talking like this? They enter the room and I can briefly see a glimpse of their face from under their dark hood, I-I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s a woman... but a slightly manly looking one...


    She rears her fist back and punches me in the gut, b-but thanks to my training it doesn¡¯t hurt so bad... I don¡¯t lose my wind, a-and I... I avoid toppling over.


    ¡°Awful lot of meat on you, girl. Think the other ones I fought were like that, too. You took my blow well enough, even if you look like you¡¯re about to piss your pants.¡±


    I-I need to act... I need to do something... p-punch her back or something...! But I¡¯m frozen in place...! She¡¯s too strong... I can¡¯t... without Mom¡¯s shield... without Mom... I...


    ¡°LEAVE HER ALONE!¡±


    Master bursts out of the bathroom where I had him hold himself up in brandishing a very weak, frail looking knife. He jumps out in front of me and the woman to protect me. I... I really was right about him...! He¡¯s dependable, and kind, and he... he¡¯d even risk his life to save me, a girl he barely knows...! He¡¯s so... so...


    ¡°Gods, I take back everything I¡¯ve said. Between the Mage and the brat with the sword, you¡¯re by far the worst of the lot.¡± The woman says, not even acknowledging the Master¡¯s attempt to protect me.


    ¡°I said LEAVE HER ALONE! It¡¯s me you want!¡±


    The mysterious enemy looks over to him a-and swiftly sends him to his knees so fast that I barely even saw the punch that did it.


    ¡°GAHCK-¡± He lurches and holds his stomach, trying to keep something in that he doesn¡¯t want out.


    ¡°MASTER!¡±


    No... please, Goddess no...!!


    The woman grabs me by the collar of my camisole and yanks me to her. ¡°ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?! WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY HAVE TO SAY TO DEFEND YOURSELF?!¡±


    ¡°W-WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?!¡± I start crying... until she throws me onto the ground hard.


    ¡°There¡¯s absolutely nothing more pathetic in this or any other realm than a shield that thinks it needs to be protected. You have ONE job, and you failed it so badly that it makes me sick to my stomach.¡±


    ¡°W... what...?¡±


    ¡°The man you were trying to protect jumped in front of you to be YOUR shield and you were RELIEVED. YOU. ARE. PATHETIC! A FAILURE!¡±


    ... I... I... no... s-stop it... I already know I¡¯m useless... I already know what I¡¯m like...!! I DON¡¯T NEED TO HEAR IT FROM YOU!!


    ¡°RAAAGH!!!¡± I charge at the woman and smash my fist into her as hard as I can, which is apparently pretty hard. She stumbles back because I think she wasn¡¯t expecting it.


    Her hood falls off of her face and it reveals her to be a strong looking woman with bronzed skin, scars on her lip and left eye and a half buzz cut, the sides of her head are shaved almost clean while the top is a mess of dirty blonde spikes.


    Without any hesitation she hits me back, but I don''t let her make me budge. I slug her back in the cheek. She stumbles, but hits me back. Then I do it again. Then she does. We stand there in the room as Master watches us having an all out slug fest, pummelling each other in the face over and over and over again u-until... I fall over...


    I look up at the woman, and h-her face doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯s been damaged at all... but I don¡¯t need a mirror to tell how badly I¡¯m bleeding... I¡¯m probably swollen... a-and as soon as the adrenaline fizzles out I¡¯m... I¡¯m in so much pain... it hurts... please... Mom... make it stop... please... please...!


    Fighting... hurts so badly... but... I... I did it... I did... my best...


    -The Guild Master-


    This isn¡¯t right. I¡¯m not an idiot, and I think I picked up on the situation almost instantly after I came out to protect Meri.


    The woman sighs after Meri stops responding, and spits out some blood onto the floor. She undoes her deep crimson cloak and reveals a full set of steel Grekkan armor, complete with gauntlets and greaves. Her body is well built and muscled, and her chest armor draws attention to her abs ¡°Sorry about the hit I gave you, man. Had to raise the stakes and I¡¯m not the best at holding myself back.¡±


    ¡°I noticed...¡± I respond, prompting a deep laugh from the Grekkan.


    (Early draft design, will be replaced when I have time to draw her final ref)


    ¡°Hah. Your girls aren¡¯t so bad. Nothing I can¡¯t work with. Not too much is wrong with the Mage, besides standard weaknesses that come with her class. The Great Blader is a mess, but damn if she isn¡¯t a powerful mess. If she learns to chill the fuck out and use her weapon right, even Achilles himself would find himself in envy of her.¡±


    ¡°... And Meri?¡± I ask, moving over to her and setting her upright. Her face is swollen almost beyond recognition, her lips are split, her eyes blackened and it hurts to look at...


    ¡°I meant what I said about her, but... I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d actually stand up to me after I put the pressure on her like that. And she held her ground, too. I can¡¯t say that about most people I¡¯ve fought. Kid¡¯s got some damn high natural defenses, and her punch ain¡¯t that bad either. She¡¯ll have to work damn hard, but she¡¯s got potential.¡±


    The Grekkan woman stretches before holding out her hand and grunting, ¡°Bag of Holding Lots of Shit, or whatever it¡¯s called.¡± A bag materializes, and my eyes light up from surprise.


    ¡°I thought you were a retired mercenary. How the hell did you get an Auto Loader?¡±


    Laughing, she drudges up three potions out of her bag, tosses them to me and says, ¡°How does a mercenary end up with most of their rare magical shit? I killed someone in battle and I took it.¡±


    ¡°The Association of Adventurers is ridiculously careful about their stranglehold over that technology. Don¡¯t let them find out about you having one or they¡¯ll put a kill quest out on you... no questions asked.¡±


    ¡°That sounds illegal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. But they¡¯ll do it anyway to recover your Auto Loader. It¡¯s an open secret.¡± I pour the potion down into Meri¡¯s lips and it quickly does its thing, healing the facial damage and making her stir slightly.


    The woman sighs and to my surprise, starts unbuckling her armor and undressing herself. She¡¯s fully nude now, revealing a beautiful bronze body covered in scars and muscles. A full, firm ass, toned thighs, thick shoulders and biceps, the works. She¡¯s not just a warrior, it¡¯s more like she was sculpted by the Gods of Olympus themselves solely for battle.


    ¡°Thanks for the warning. Now if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m fucking shitfaced and this bed looks comfy as hell. I¡¯ll be up in like eight hours or so, make sure they¡¯re ready for me. Ok?¡±


    ¡°Sure... alright then, I suppose.¡± I sigh and pick up Meri in my arms, bridal style. I don¡¯t mean to be rude, but she¡¯s quite heavy and I struggle to do so... Before I even leave the room, I can already hear powerful snoring coming from my bed.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too, Nikita.¡± I mutter under my breath as I leave to go lay down Meri in the dorm room that apparently all four of us will be sharing tonight.

 Divine Champion

    ¡°Man, this is some shit breakfast.¡± Nikita says, sitting on the opposite side of the table from the four of us. ¡°You should get better grub before the next time I drop in.¡±


    The Grekkan mercenary is chipper and energetic, as if the events of last night had never even occurred. They did, though, as evidenced by the massive amount of property damage and the sour expression on everyone but Nikitia¡¯s face.


    Zutiria looks annoyed and tired.


    Sam looks furious, distracted and distant.


    Meri looks like she¡¯s on the verge of tears.


    Meanwhile this new chick is chomping away eagerly at the eggs, toast and sausage I made her. Even though I made sure there¡¯s enough food for everyone it seems that Nikita is the only one who has an appetite.


    Thanks a lot, Opalina.


    We all slept in the same bed last night, including Meri. Even after everyone got healed up though no one was in the mood for any blushing nonsense or flirtatious banter. We all just needed sleep and if the Shield Maiden was embarrassed then she sure as hell didn¡¯t show it.


    I can¡¯t imagine what else might have been on her mind.


    The bed in the dorm was cramped and completely unsuited for more than two people. Suffice to say, Nikita is the sole person in the room who had a decent night¡¯s sleep.


    I¡¯m starting to legitimately wonder if I¡¯ll ever get to enjoy an entire undisturbed night in my new bed...


    The bronze-skinned warrior sits up and stretches excitedly with a wide grin on her face, finishing up her breakfast and slamming her emptied glass of milk down on the table rudely. ¡°Alright, bitches! Meet me out back in ten minutes. That¡¯s where you do the training, right? Place looks shittier than the Aegean stables, but it¡¯ll do I guess.¡±


    Everyone stares at her with a dead expression on their face.


    I can¡¯t let this go on. I need to actually talk with her.


    ¡°Nikita, would you mind a word in my office?¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sure, I guess?¡± Her beaming face takes a turn for the confused, as if completely unaware of what I might want to talk to her about.


    I tell the girls to finish their food but it falls on deaf ears. Each of them is lost in their own little world.


    Nikita follows me to my office and I gently close the door behind us. She immediately starts strutting around and looking at all my shit as if she owned the place. ¡°Lots of pervy books in here. You ain¡¯t backed up, are ya? Can¡¯t imagine you are with such nice pieces of ass like those three hanging around.¡± She laughs loudly and slams her hand into her knee as if she just told the funniest damn joke ever.


    ¡°So, what exactly did Opalina tell you about our situation?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Opal¡¯s great. Said you were real close with her and you had some girls who could use some training and that you might need some extra security around this shithole. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Although you realize now the building is even MORE compromised after your break in, right?¡±


    She laughs and rolls her eyes exaggeratedly. Then she gets close. Really close. Nikita throws her arm around my neck like we¡¯re the best of pals and she points off dramatically into the horizon. ¡°Buddy. This place could have a thousand holes in it and it¡¯d still be the safest building in the realms. Why? You got a Champion in your corner from now on. Me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well. You haven¡¯t even discussed what the hell you want from me as far as payment goes.¡±


    She tilts her head and leans down to look me in the eyes. She¡¯s tall, by the by. About 6¡¯5 feet. ¡°Huh. Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡± Nikita laughs again, shaking her head over her own stupidity. ¡°Are you mad or something?¡±


    I take a deep breath, thinking to myself what a gigantic fucking understatement that is.


    ¡°I am not happy.¡±


    ¡°Do ya need a hug?¡± She stretches out her arms, completely genuine and not at all mockingly which makes it even worse somehow.


    From what I can tell, Nikita is a very honest woman with no filter or regard for what is and isn¡¯t socially acceptable. She comes off as oddly wholesome, yet totally badass and dependable... but her personality translates that into fucking insanity like last night. I think she said she was shitfaced so that might¡¯ve been a factor too though...


    I can¡¯t even guess at what¡¯s going on in her head.


    ¡°No. What are your services even going to cost me? And how are you going to be keeping an eye on the Guild? You¡¯re not planning on living here or something, are you?¡± She better not be. I want to use my bed and I want to use it TONIGHT- I paid good gold for it! That Dwarven bed was supposed to be my reward for a successful month!


    Gods, I never fucking splurge on myself... is this my punishment for trying to reward myself for once in my life?


    Goddess, why are you doing this to me?


    ...


    No response. Typical.


    ¡°Olive oil. I need you to give me a chariot¡¯s worth of extra virgin olive oil every single week on the dot.¡±


    ...


    ¡°HAHAHA! Relax, I¡¯m joking. Just one of those Grekkan stereotypes, am I right?¡± Nikita smiles brightly and slaps her knee once more. ¡°I don¡¯t give a shit, I don¡¯t really need money. I owe Opal more than you could imagine and I¡¯d do whatever she asked of me in a heartbeat. But I am planning on crashing here a couple of times a week if that¡¯s cool with you, Chief?¡±


    ¡°I suppose we could prepare a room for you.¡± At this she just smiles blankly, and I let the sentence linger to see if she challenges it. Thank the gods, she doesn¡¯t. I was terrified of having to potentially go yet another night without my sweet reward. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re planning to pay for the damages you inflicted on the Guild?¡±


    Nikita laughs wildly for a long, long time to the point where she becomes almost out of breath. As she exhales deeply, she smiles and says, ¡°No.¡±


    Of course not. I expected nothing less.


    I sure hope Gwinlinn was planning on stopping by today... I don¡¯t believe I¡¯m welcome at Shatterbrew¡¯s any longer so it¡¯s not like I can just drop by and ask her to visit for repairs that I presumably won¡¯t be paying her for.


    ¡°How are you planning on providing security if you¡¯re not permanently on site, if I may ask?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy. I don¡¯t have access to a lot of my skill set these days, but I¡¯m a... hmm. What do you folks call the class again? In Grekka we call heroes such as myself Divine Champions. I think your closest class would be Paladin, although there¡¯s a lot of differences.¡± She reveals with her usual casual attitude.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be more specific because I¡¯m not following.¡±


    ¡°I can sense where fights are happening. It lets me know where to go so I can jump in uninvited to any brawl of my choosing. I... don¡¯t do a lot of fighting these days, but protecting you guys is a bit different.¡± She smiles and puts her hand on my shoulder reassuringly. ¡°If something happens here, I¡¯ll know. I ain¡¯t even gonna be far away, to begin with. I¡¯ll be nearby at some local bar or gambling den. I¡¯m just not exactly ready to up and move in here, ya know?¡±


    I nod my head in response. ¡°I suppose that would be good enough.¡±


    I thought I recognized that symbol on her belt, if I¡¯m not mistaken it¡¯s the sigil of the Grekkan God of War, Ares... she¡¯s wearing it upside down, though. In truth I¡¯ve heard a lot about the Divine Champions of Grekka, it¡¯s somewhat common knowledge though you have to take the stories with a grain of salt as each telling gets even more exaggerated.


    For instance I think one of their Goddesses is said to be born from the seafoam that arose from the ocean after another of their Gods was castrated, or something. There¡¯s no way that can be true.


    Unlike many other realms, the Gods and Goddesses of Grekka run rampant and interfere with their population to an almost comical extent, to the point where realm travellers specifically avoid it at all costs. Especially attractive female realm travelers.


    Nikita is obviously extremely talented, and I have no idea what she means by not having access to her skill set anymore but the fact remains that the girls could use a combat instructor and a well practiced servant of Ares is just about the best choice I could have asked for... despite the threat to the Guild¡¯s structural integrity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go making any more holes in the building, though. That¡¯s kind of a deal breaker.¡±


    She laughs once more and dismisses me with a wave of her hand. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry Chief. I just wanted to present myself as an enemy to see the girls in a natural state where I could actually judge their talent, ya know? Not gonna be pulling that again. And it went well, too.¡±


    ¡°I think it went a little too well.¡± I try to hide my slight annoyance, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯m doing a piss poor job of it.


    I know that I¡¯m a bit of a hypocrite. Just yesterday I was telling Zutiria not to coddle Meri during training, but... what Nikita did last night is something I¡¯m not entirely comfortable with. That was really, really dark for a bit there and... I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re dealing with it yet. The three of them have been entirely stone-faced since waking up and have barely said a word.


    More than anything I want my adventurers to become stronger. I can¡¯t accompany them on quests and give feedback... despite how much I want to... So they either need to be more self reliant, or we need a miracle that would let me watch and guide them from afar. And that¡¯s a lot easier said than done.


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± Nikita smirks as if she knows something I don¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes. You might have seriously damaged their confidence, or-¡±


    ¡°Or hurt their feelings?¡± She laughs in a way that ticks me off, and I get visibly mad.


    Nikita gives me a thorough look over and the smirk is replaced by an understanding smile. ¡°You¡¯re a good guy and you really care about those chicks. I get that. You want them to improve but you don¡¯t want them to get hurt. I ain¡¯t asking you to believe me based on nothing. C¡¯mon out back with me and I think you¡¯ll be surprised with what you find.¡±


    Her genuine smile manages to soothe me, much to my surprise. ¡°Alright. If you say so.¡±


    Clasping me on the back firmly, she leads me out of the office and before we step out of the building I see that all three girls are no longer at their seats on the table and that all of the food has been eaten to the last crumb.


    Out in the training yard Sam, Zutiria and Meri all stand at the ready fully clad in their armors with their weapons drawn. Each girl is more focused than I¡¯ve ever seen them, and their gaze focuses on Nikita the second she appears.


    ¡°You bitches ready?¡± The Grekkan Champion smiles, holding out her hand. I didn¡¯t get to see it last night, but I can clearly see a golden ring on her finger that I assume is her Auto Loader. It shines brightly even in the typical dull Dewhurstian light, waiting for her to command it to arm her.


    ¡°Teach me how to use this fucking thing!¡± Sam angrily plants her sword in the ground. Her face is stubborn, prideful and conflicted. ¡°The right way. I don¡¯t want to change weapons. Big swords are cool, even if I need to work on myself to use it properly...¡±


    ¡°I-I want to be strong and confident like you!¡± Meri shouts behind a deep blush. ¡°Please, take good care of me!¡±


    ¡®And I¡¯ll do the things you say too. I¡¯m not good at being super motivated, but... huzzah.¡¯ The petite Mage lifts up her staff with mock enthusiasm. Despite her sarcasm, I can tell that she¡¯s taking this seriously.


    Nikita smiles back at me with that same confident and smug smirk only now accompanied by a cheeky thumbs up.


    Ok, fine...


    I¡¯ll admit that you¡¯ve earned it, Nikita.


    When I see that smirk I can¡¯t help but smile back at her. I should have had more faith in the girls, because the Grekkan fire that this former mercenary lit under their collective asses is burning hotter than the forge of Hephaestus.

 Training Plans

    Training sure was interesting today.


    Nikita got started full swing as soon as she greeted them, and introduced herself more properly. ¡°I¡¯m Nikita. You might¡¯ve guessed from my accent, appearance, armor, weapons and so on that I¡¯m from Grekka. Ever since I was five years old I¡¯ve been fighting day in and day out to make my place in the realms, eventually earning the favor of Ares himself and becoming a Divine Champion under his name.¡±


    All the girls look at her in reverence, completely in awe of the Grekkan¡¯s dramatic history.


    ¡°Then I punched Ares in the balls really fucking hard and I swore off of fighting for the most part.¡± Nikita loses all dramatic tension as she throws her head back in an uproarious fit of laughter, leaving everyone else in stunned silence, including myself.


    All of us want to interrupt her little introduction so we can ask about the ball punching in further detail, but she puts up a hand to quiet us and continues.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t train others to fight, and protecting people is different than fighting. From now on, I¡¯ve got your back if anyone tries to start shit with you! Like so-¡±


    Nikita pulls a Grekkan dagger out of her armored skirt and throws it off into a nearby tree about twenty feet away. The dagger glides so fast through the air even MY eyes have trouble keeping up with it, and lo and behold a (former) rogue falls out of the trees.


    This skulking figure is dressed the same as the others who were stalking me yesterday, only those figures didn¡¯t have Grekkan daggers sticking out of their brains.


    Sam, Meri, Zutiria and I stare slack jawed at this sudden development, as I didn¡¯t even notice that the enemy was so close at hand. That¡¯s troublesome, since it proves that they wanted me to see them yesterday and that if they want to remain undetected... then it¡¯s apparently an option, even from my eyes.


    Nikita walks over to the tree and throws her arms out, shouting, ¡°GO ON, GET! SHOO! SHOOO! I¡¯M LETTING YA OFF EASY THIS TIME AND JUST KILLING ONE OF YOU, SO MAKE THE MOST OF IT! SHOO!¡±


    As soon as she does this, about twenty rogues all jump out of the many nearby trees and start running away for dear life with impressively speedy cowardice.


    This mercenary just shooed a group of deadly spies as if they were a flock of skittish birds, and she did it without batting an eyelash.


    Nikita laughs as she watches them go, shaking her head back and forth. ¡°Ah... bless their hearts. They were trying so hard not to emit their aura, too...¡±


    ¡°HOLY SHIT.¡± Sam finally shouts, after having held back for long enough already.


    ¡°Y-Y-Y-You killed him s-so effortlessly...!!¡± Meri stammers not in fear, but in awe.


    ¡®Can we maybe circle back to the part where you punched a God in the testicles, I¡¯m interested in the details of that for scholarly reasons. Have you punched other men in the balls? Did it feel different when you did so? Discuss.¡¯ Zutiria adjusts her glasses and I see them shine with intellectual curiosity.


    If I had any doubts in mind leftover if this arrangement would work out or not, they¡¯re now totally gone. The three of my adventurers seem absolutely taken with their new instructor and I can hardly fault them for that.


    When the hype dies down, Nikita breaks down each girl¡¯s individual training plans.


    She starts with Zutiria first, since hers is rather simple.


    To begin with, Zutiria¡¯s focus is to just start doing a lot of normal physical exercise. That¡¯s all.


    Nikita explains that just getting in better shape would go a very long way for Zutiria way since most Mages can¡¯t don¡¯t even bother to train their bodies at all, and it¡¯d open up the path to more advanced options. Nikita promises to eventually cover ways to protect herself against anti-mage tactics, but for now it¡¯s irrelevant as long as her body is an ¡®undeveloped potato Mage¡¯ as the Grekkan eloquently put it.


    Sam¡¯s instructions come next.


    While the pretty Princess is ecstatic to get to start swinging her sword around under proper tutelage, she¡¯s horrified to find out that her new training regimen is a primarily mental one. Nikita breaks it down in no uncertain terms- the great blade is a slow and counter-attack focused weapon. Just because Sam is strong enough to wield it like a butter knife doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s the best way to go about using it.


    Unrelenting force is only useful when there¡¯s no other alternative, and Nikita stresses that a powerful sword is always inferior to a clear, disciplined mind- but when wielded together? Perfection.


    I don¡¯t think this was the answer Sam was looking for. Her hype transforms into despondence as the excited twinkle leaves her emerald eyes... but nevertheless Sam nods her head. Apparently she¡¯s going to be working on meditation today and once she learns to ¡®chill the fuck out¡¯ then Nikita promises to start teaching her the cool skills and stuff that Sam desperately wants to get to.


    That leaves poor little Meri, and I don¡¯t envy her. Not after hearing what Nikita has planned for her.


    She plans on training the poor little Shield Maiden hands on since she currently needs the most guidance. From their brief battle last night in front of my eyes, the Grekkan mercenary was able to correctly deduce Meri¡¯s aversion to pain.


    Nikita¡¯s genius plan is simply to get her used to it.


    Personally.


    Meri is supposed to just sit there for hours on end wearing only her gambeson and arming trousers while Nikita beats on her with a wooden sword, her fists, or whatever else strikes her fancy at the moment.


    Of course, she¡¯ll be mixing in feints, diversions and other trickery so that Meri keeps on her toes.


    Needless to say she¡¯ll be taking breaks, of course, as we don¡¯t want a repeat of yesterday. And at least she won¡¯t have to wear her armor. She wants Meri to feel it so she actually gets used to the pain.


    I can only watch this go on for a few minutes. The surreal combined sight of Zutiria doing squats after changing out of her robes into a boyish pair of shorts and a tank top, Sam meditating on top of a tree trunk as she tries her hardest not to open her eyes, and Meri the training dummy getting the shit beaten out of her on an infinite loop is just too odd for me to handle.


    It¡¯s time for paperwork.


    I get through about half of the day¡¯s stack and sort out the new requests, only to find that there is none from the locals any longer. Not even a single thinly veiled assassination or a lone solicitation attempt, not a single shady offering from Dewhurst¡¯s upstanding population.


    This is starting to become a major problem. Let alone Shatterbrew¡¯s, now I¡¯m worried that other shops will deny me service as well.


    If my enemy, be it the Duke of Dewhurst or what have you, wields their influence to the point where it makes running my business hard then I¡¯ll have no choice but to look into striking back somehow... but how? The enemy is for all intents and purposes invisible...


    Hell, how would I even go about finding the shady underbelly of Dewhurst when the entire town in and of itself is a shady underbelly to begin with? Ridiculous.


    I think a small part of me is upset, truthfully. I had pledged that I would become the villain of Dewhurst. The monster this town always believed me to be, and I enjoyed a few weeks of pressuring Abner, Butcher Bludman and Spliffert to make progress.


    Now the rug is being pulled out from under me and an unseen presence is laughing at me, asking, ¡°So you want to be the bad guy, do you?¡±


    Yes, Duke. I do.


    Two can play at this game. I may not know the rules, but I¡¯m a quick study and the pieces I have on the board are stronger than you¡¯d imagine.


    Perhaps I¡¯m getting ahead of myself...


    At the very least, I should probably plan on making a visit to Abner to see if I can put some pressure on that shitty old village chief of ours and see what the official reasoning behind the quest blockage is.


    Thank the gods, after a few hours of paperwork I hear a familiar voice coming from the entrance hall.


    ¡°BRUMMIK PEBBLESHIELD¡¯S DICK, WHAT IN THE NAME ¡®A FUCK HAPPENED HERE?! AH¡¯VE BEEN GONE FER NOT EVEN A DAY!¡±


    I quickly scribbly my signature on the last bit of paperwork I was working on and head out to the entrance hall to meet Gwin. As soon as I see her, the young Dwarf runs to my side. ¡°Good gods, ya ain¡¯t lookin so hot... Where¡¯re the girls? Ya weren¡¯t attacked last night were ya?¡± She bombards me with a thousand questions and leaves me no time to answer a single one. ¡°This is what ya get for having a buildin¡¯ made of wood...¡±


    When I¡¯m finally able to answer the situation in full, Gwin looks amused yet annoyed all at once. She seems to already know she¡¯s going to like Nikita, but that doesn¡¯t stop her getting annoyed about having to suddenly fix up all the battle damage done to the Guild. Gwin brought her tools once again today and apparently she¡¯s off work early.


    The speed of a working Dwarf is never to be underestimated. She¡¯s done in a little under an hour, and by that time the girls all come in and we have a brief little meet and greet. Sam and Meri still haven¡¯t met Gwin yet but neither make the best impression on the Dwarf.


    Sam is grumpy and irritable, while Meri looks like she¡¯s on the verge of breaking into tears. Thankfully there must have been a healing potion, since she¡¯s not suffering from any damage, besides the mental of course.


    Zutiria isn¡¯t doing so great either, having fallen asleep the second she sits down at the nearest table.


    Nikita, though. Nikita is pumped as hell at having just beat on Meri for three hours, and declares today¡¯s training a rousing success. She then just leaves as quickly as she came into our lives, promising to be back tomorrow.


    Gwin gets a brief compliment from Nikita on her way out as she admires the repairs, fortunately the mercenary sees fit to use the actual door this time. Now it¡¯s just me, the Dwarf, a sleeping mage, and two very upset adventurers. Gwin decides to leave me some space for today, understanding that now¡¯s really not the best time for a proper meet and greet and that she¡¯d prefer to introduce herself to Sam and Meri under more pleasant circumstances.


    Sam grunts in response and when Gwin reaches out to offer Meri a handshake, the Shield Maiden must have mistaken it for an oncoming fist as she yelps and hides under the table. Gwin seems savvy enough about humans and their behaviour to know they didn¡¯t mean any offense by not shaking her hand.


    Sighing, the Dwarf takes off for now. Disappointed that she didn¡¯t get to hang around for longer but at least proud of her repair work.


    That just leaves me and the girls, one of which is currently drooling on the table while the others are present but not really ¡®here¡¯.


    ¡°I take it no one¡¯s in the mood for any quests today, then?¡± I ask rhetorically.


    ¡°Maybe in a few hours...¡± Sam sighs.


    ¡°DON¡¯T HIT ME, PLEASE!¡± Meri shouts at nobody in particular, completely unprovoked. I decided to trust Nikita¡¯s decision regarding her training, but... is Meri doing ok? I thought the combat instructor knew what she was doing, but... Meri looks almost worse than she did beforehand. I guess time will tell.


    As soon as I¡¯m done eying up Meri, Sam stands up and jerks her head towards the stairs. She urges me to follow her and I do so, entering the bedroom with her. Perhaps this was a mistake as for all I know she wants to jump me and waste the rest of the day away in each other¡¯s arms, but to my surprise she sits down on the bed and frowns, patting next to her.


    Something serious is on her mind so I decide to be there for her, and sit where I¡¯m told.


    ¡°Sam, is something the matter? Did training not go very well? If I need to have a talk with Nikita for you I¡¯ll do so, just tell me-¡±


    ¡°Do you think I should keep using the great blade?¡±


    I tilt my head, not following along. ¡°Is that what¡¯s bothering you?¡±


    ¡°Kinda. When I left home I just grabbed it cause it looked cool. I thought I could just use my strength to cut up anything in my way, but now I have to fucking meditate and get smart and...¡± Sam sighs and looks away from me. ¡°And I¡¯m too stupid for it.¡±


    ¡°Sam, you¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    She gives me a doubtful look. Ok, I admit she can be rather dumb and impulsive, but I don¡¯t think she¡¯s that bad. It¡¯s more of a quirk, really.


    ¡°Really. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re THAT dumb...¡± Sam smirks at my response and gives me a playful punch on her shoulder as is customary.


    ¡°Fuck off, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Sam, I think it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re asking yourself these questions. But is there even another weapon or class you¡¯re interested in?¡± In all honesty I hope not. The Association of Adventurers makes signing up for more than one class a bureaucratic nightmare, and if they get wind of you undertaking quests using skills outside of your registered class then you¡¯re even liable to be fined. I wish I was making that up, but I¡¯m not.


    ¡°Not really.¡± She sighs. ¡°I¡¯m a simple girl, I like big swords and hurting things. And I like you.¡±


    I take her hand in mine, and for a brief moment we stare into each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to tell you my thoughts on the matter.¡±


    ¡°Why...?¡±


    ¡°This is a decision you should make yourself. You may need to mature more mentally to be able to wield the great sword to its fullest potential, but there are other weapons that could suit you. While I will always support you, it won¡¯t be beneficial for me to make such important choices for you. Because if I told you to do it, you¡¯ll do it without hesitation. That¡¯s not healthy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d do it because I trust you.¡± For a brief second Sam¡¯s eyes become ever so slightly angry, but they fade quick enough.


    ¡°Exactly. This isn¡¯t me teaching you the correct way to fight a monster, Sam. This is about what kind of warrior you want to become. I¡¯m not going to rob you of your chance to improve yourself.¡±


    Sam is silent for a long, painful while before sighing heavily. ¡°I hate it when you make so much sense, Boss. I get it. I like the great sword, I really do, but chilling out and counter attacking is hard for me. I¡¯ve never been one for learning shit. Aside from the whole wanting to kill the Demon Lord thing, a big part of why I left was all the pressure expected of me. Learn this. Study that. Learn how to properly greet ambassadors from various realms in their customary way. So on and so on... my brain couldn¡¯t handle so much shit in it and I... I just kinda cracked eventually. It was never enough to please everyone. I wasn¡¯t good enough...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Sam.¡± I pull her into my arms and give her a deep hug, nuzzling her head into my neck. ¡°You know I¡¯d never pressure you into anything.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Boss... I just...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to disappoint me, or yourself. I know. But you should also know by now that I¡¯d never be disappointed in you.¡±


    Her arms tighten further around me and Sam further buries herself into my embrace. ¡°You really annoy me when you¡¯re so perfect for me, you know that?¡±


    ¡°Given how much of a headache you tend to give me, I¡¯d say we¡¯re even.¡±


    Sam has herself a good laugh at that, and while she¡¯s busy hugging me for all her worth I notice a crack form in the door. My first instinct is that we have an intruder... but... I soon see a crimson eye peeking through the open space as well as the tip of a yellow bow.


    For whatever reason, Meri is spying on us.


    This interests me, and I grab Sam and push her back down on the bed.


    ¡°Boss? Isn¡¯t it a bit early for this?!¡± She blushes but is very clearly happy. Like I¡¯ve said she¡¯s been very clingy lately, and I think she¡¯s been missing having some one on one time with me.


    ¡°It¡¯s never too early to spoil you with my love, Princess.¡±


    Sam¡¯s heart melts at this comment, and she looks up into my eyes amorously before cooing, ¡°Daddy...¡±


    Our lips meet in a heated kiss, and I become enraptured by the idea of showing Meri a good time. That¡¯s not to say I don¡¯t want to spoil my Princess with some quality alone time, but hey. Two birds with one stone.

 A Kink in Her Armor

    Haaa... I¡¯m so darn sore all over, even after Nikita gave me that healing potion... A-and I freaked out in front of that nice Dwarf girl who fixed up the Guild, too... I hope s-she doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m a weirdo or anything... or worse, that I¡¯m rude...!


    I¡¯ve never been in this much pain my whole life... even if I don¡¯t have a single bruise to show for it. I¡¯m not giving up on it, though. I-If Nikita comes back tomorrow and insists on doing the same kind of training then then I¡¯ll do it without hesitation!


    Um. Well, m-mostly without hesitation. I want to change but it¡¯s not an overnight process...


    Nikita was right about me. That still hurts more than anything else. The fact that Master tried to protect me and I... I let him...


    What would Mom say if she saw me like that? Being protected by the one I swore to protect... There¡¯s no greater shame for a Shield Maiden and I was all too happy to let it happen.


    I¡¯m not even a proper Shield Maiden, though... I¡¯m just a girl in armor skirting by playing pretend with her mom¡¯s shield. I don¡¯t even know how I¡¯d get my own power gem, Mom said that it¡¯s a very rare and magical event but never went into detail about how to do it.


    T-they aren¡¯t just some stones that you can mine out of the ground! She made that very clear, that it was definitely some sort of magic thingy.


    Maybe... maybe I should ask Master about it... he reads a lot of books a-and I¡¯m sure they¡¯re not all dirty!! Oh, gosh... now I¡¯m thinking of t-that book he gave me last night...


    My face is so red now, I¡¯m so glad the only other person in the room is Zutiria! She¡¯s totally asleep, and she wouldn¡¯t tease me over my wandering thoughts in the first place.


    I... I was still awake when Nikita attacked the Guild... I couldn¡¯t sleep after starting that book... and thinking... of... of him... He was so forceful last night... so... so scary... and it just makes my heart go crazy thinking about the way he looked at me...


    He pinned me t-t-to the wall and lifted my chin up...!! Why didn¡¯t I stop him?! Or r-rather, why didn¡¯t I WANT to stop him?!


    I¡¯m... I¡¯m not lewd... back home at Bridgebury, I was really the only one of my age. I didn¡¯t think about s-s-sexual things at all. I¡¯d heard about it from Mom and Dad, b-but I was never too interested in it... and if I was, it¡¯s not like there was... um. Many potential candidates...


    There were a lot of cute adventurer boys in Perlshaw, but I¡¯m shy... the only person who ever took the initiative on me was Mr. Glorigold and... um... I¡¯d rather go for one of those big eye monsters with all those slimy tentacles than him...


    So here I am, living a semi-normal sexless life with no interest in the topic at all (for the most part)... and when walking into my new home, I see Master and Sam and Zutiria... going at it and I... I...  something just changed... it feels like I suddenly dived face first into the ocean and now I keep on sinking! I¡¯m sinking and sinking A-AND I¡¯M NOT EVEN TRYING TO SWIM TO SAFETY!!


    I just keep thinking about it... i-in and out... slap slap slap... so loud... so dirty... so rough with them... so... hot...


    But having him come onto me last night drove me over the edge. Y-yes, I read that book the night I arrived but I was just curious! I didn¡¯t DO anything...!


    Last night is, uh... a d-different story...


    The way he flirted with me... and that book he gave me... um... Goddess, forgive me... I¡¯m so ashamed!!


    I put my fingers inside of me and I kept rubbing and rubbing and thinking about him and I read the book and KEPT IMAGINING IT WAS ABOUT ME AND HIM, UWAAAA-! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT THIS?!


    Stand f-f-firm, Meri... deep breaths... yes, good, there we go...


    ...


    IT¡¯S NOT HELPING, I CAN¡¯T STOP THINKING ABOUT HIS NAUGHTY PARTS!!


    This is just so difficult to deal with because I-I already made up my mind that I was gonna do the l-l-lewd things sometime... with him, I mean...


    I want to test his magic semen...


    Not to mention he¡¯s so nice and gentle with me... except when he isn¡¯t, and... and...


    A-AND it¡¯ll make me stronger, I mean! That¡¯s the main reason!! It has nothing to do with my heart beat racing whenever his thuggish face looks at me!!


    I¡¯m a good girl, I swear!!


    I¡¯ll do anything it takes to become stronger and more brave, even if it means letting a Grekkan mercenary beat me up for hours on end or if it means s... swallowing... the cum of a man I j-just met...!!


    I PROMISE TO MAKE YOU PROUD, MOM!


    ... W-wait, that¡¯s...?


    Ok- I REALLY need to stop thinking about this sex stuff so much...


    I know, I¡¯ll go see if he¡¯s busy! Master and Sam left to go upstairs a few minutes ago, but maybe they¡¯re done talking about whatever they were needed to talk about by now? I can ask him if he knows anything about how I can get myself my very own Power Gem, see if he has any books about Shield Maidens I could read.


    Just anything to take my mind off of... how hot... a-and... wet... I am... nnnngh....


    Of course it wouldn¡¯t go the way I wanted to.


    Why would it?


    When I get to his bedroom on the second floor, I see that the door is closed. I can hear Sam and Master talking, b-but I don¡¯t want to be a bother and interrupt them... so instead of knocking maybe I¡¯ll just crack the door open a lil¡¯ bit and see if it looks like I¡¯d be getting in the way of anything?


    They¡¯re sat on the bed together... t-things look serious. Sam is really upset. She didn¡¯t have an easy time with her training either I suppose...


    Eh? W-wait, did he notice me? ... No, I¡¯m good. Whew. It just felt like Master looked right at me for a minute and- HWAA?!


    He pushed Sam down on the bed... and they¡¯re kissing... really hard... and really loud.


    Nnn...


    Master is getting bigger. I can see it through his pants a-and he¡¯s... oh, they¡¯re starting to get really into it. He¡¯s grinding his hips into Sam¡¯s... and... her body jerks a little bit every t-time he pushes down on her naughty looking armor. And he does it a lot.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this out of the way, shall we?¡± He says while pulling the strap off her l-lewd armor panties, throwing it close to the door after it comes off.


    I can see it really clearly from here... Sam... is really wet it looks like...


    ¡°Yes, Daddy...!¡± Sam unbuckles her belt and with a playful moan she tosses it away, too... From this view I-I can see her totally naked lower half... gosh... s-she¡¯s so pretty down there... are all Princesses as beautiful as Sam?


    Master¡¯s hand slides between her thighs and Sam arches her back as soon as he... he slips two of his fingers in... Gods... this is so... lewd!! He really looks like he¡¯s going at it, too... he¡¯s plunging in and out of her pink slit and making sure to stir up her p-pussy like a good little... s... sl... slut...


    This is so intense, I can¡¯t... hold myself back...


    Watching Master finger Sam¡¯s tight little hole sends shivers down my spine and in response my thighs start grinding together as I kneel down to the hard wooden floor. It¡¯s not comfortable, b-but I¡¯ll be able to lean over and s-spread my legs more easily in this position as I... as I watch even... closer...


    Right as Master starts holding nothing back and attacking Sam¡¯s swollen c-clit, I bite my lip and wiggle out of my arming trousers and pull them down off of my b-big butt, they¡¯re at my knees now, and I can... um... I start rubbing at the wet spot forming on my panties...


    ¡°Does it feel good when I fuck you up, slut?¡± Master¡¯s deep voice calls out to her as he continues h-his powerful assault.


    ¡°HAAAH! Y-You¡¯re so rough today, w-what¡¯s gotten into you?!¡±


    ¡°I asked you a question.¡± With no remorse, M-Master starts pleasuring Sam¡¯s clit and thrusting his fingers inside her at the same time HARD. She keeps twisting and spasming and losing it a-and... and I... oh Goddess...!!


    My lips start trembling as I start rubbing my wet panties more and more... if someone saw me like this... I¡¯d look so shameful... and lewd...!!


    It¡¯s not my fault...! I¡¯m not a pervert, he¡¯s... he¡¯s doing this to me somehow, right? No... I-


    ¡°YES! YES IT FEELS SO GOOD WHEN YOU FUCK ME UP, DADDYYYY! DON¡¯T STOP PLEASE, GODS THAT¡¯S GOOOOOOD!!¡± Sam starts going crazy and t-thrusting her hips out to his fingers as if they¡¯re his... his dick... she wants to c-cum so bad...


    Master... don¡¯t stop... make her feel even better, please... I... I wanna see it...


    ¡°Are you about to cum, you spoiled little whore?¡±


    N-No... I¡¯m not... I can¡¯t figure out how to-


    ¡°HNNNAAAAH, YES, YOU¡¯RE SO GOOD WITH YOUR FINGERS THAT YOUR LITTLE PRINCESS IS GONNA... GONNNAAA-¡±


    Oh... Master didn¡¯t mean me... w-w-wait, he called her a... a... something really naughty! Why did I think he meant me?!


    ¡°DO IT.¡± Master commands.


    ¡°FUUUUUUUUUUCKKKKKKK-¡±


    As soon as Sam cums I lose what little self control I had left in me... nnn... I hate this, I¡¯m such a dirty girl! But I want it too!


    I slip off my panties down to my knees with the rest of my clothes and as I watch the Princess ride out her c-climax with Master¡¯s skilled hand, I push my finger inside m-my... my pus... sy...


    Hwaaaaah... it feels so good... I¡¯m so wet, and waaaaarm... b-but I don¡¯t know what the heck I¡¯m doing... as much as I finger myself I can¡¯t seem to bring myself to... or... orgasm. A-and I tried pretty hard, too!


    Watching him bring Sam from zero to screaming in just a couple of minutes is not fair! I-I want that, too! Gods, I wish that were me...!!


    I can¡¯t even deny it anymore...!! Not when I¡¯m peeping like this...


    ¡°Come over here, Sam.¡± Suddenly the Master speaks up, pulling his fingers out of that dirty little slit.


    ¡°Yesssss...¡± Sam replies, she sounds kinda hazy and distracted...


    The two of them scoot over to the edge of the bed and... and Master takes his pants off... my Goddess, that thing is... I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me when I saw it the other day b-but no... he¡¯s HUGE...!! And he even has a scary looking tattoo on it... I wonder if it...


    C-could I even fit that naughty thing inside of me...? I can¡¯t even fit two fingers in!! That thing would split me in half!!


    W-why do I want it so bad then?!


    Sam¡¯s armored bra falls to the floor with a metal clunk, and it snaps me out of my fantasy.


    ¡°How do you want your tight little Princess, D-a-d-d-y?¡± Sam looks back at him as she stands up, pointing her butt towards me...


    T-the very same butt that fell on top of my face yesterday during training... she... she smelled so good... haaah...


    ¡°I want my tight Princess to face the door as she sits on my lap.¡± Master says.


    Eh? Wait a second... that¡¯s-


    ¡°Mmm, good choice. Should I do the work, or...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna hold you up so I can fuck you. I want to show off a bit.¡±


    Sam giggles, ¡°Show off to who?¡±


    ¡°Just imagine that someone¡¯s watching you from over by the door, Sam. I bet that¡¯d turn you on.¡±


    ¡°Heh... maybe it would...¡±


    He knows I¡¯m here, doesn¡¯t he!? He probably noticed me with those eyes of his the second I opened the door! Oh no, oh no...!! But... he hasn¡¯t done anything... so maybe he doesn¡¯t-


    ...


    No, he definitely knows I¡¯m watching. He¡¯s m-messing with me and trying to make me even lewder! I can still turn away! I-I don¡¯t want this! Nope! Nuh-uh! Not... at... all...


    ¡°AHHH!! SO BIIIIG!¡±


    SMACK.


    Sam drops down on Master¡¯s... c-cock and looks straight at the door towards me... She¡¯s naked except for her stockings and her arm sleeves... and now she¡¯s being... fuh... fucked right in front of my eyes...


    I start thrusting myself harder, pretending it¡¯s not my finger... and imagining it¡¯s his thing...


    Master reaches out to grab Sam by her knees and he pulls them back over her head. W-wow she¡¯s flexible... there¡¯s no way I could do that... but... what the heck even is this position!? He¡¯s pounding up into her from below while holding her back like a... like a sex toy...


    Sam¡¯s face keeps getting sluttier... and her big tits keep bouncing around... she looks so beautiful... it¡¯s like having sex with the man she loves is making her even more attractive than she already is...


    Would that happen with me, too...? N-no, probably not... I¡¯m a little chubby and um... her boobs and butt are really big too, but they look amazing on a blonde knockout like her. Mine are just... fat.


    ¡°AH- AH- AH- AHHHHH!¡± Sam screams, her boobs flopping up and down even harder. They weren¡¯t doing it this hard when I walked in on them the other day! This isn¡¯t normal, is it?! What the heck!


    ¡°SAY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE MY COCK!¡± Master shouts.


    ¡°I LOVE IT, I LOVE YOUR COCK SO MUCH DADDY! I¡¯VE NEVER HAD ANOTHER COCK AND I NEVER EVER EVER WILLLLLL-¡±


    W-wait, she was a virgin too when she met Master?


    ¡°KEEP GOING!¡± He commands, and suddenly starts pounding so hard that her eyes go crossed and her tongue plops out of her mouth.


    ¡°THIS IS THE GREATEST COCK IN ALLLL THE REALMS, HAAAAAH- I¡¯M SUCH A LUCKY LITTLE PRINCESS, YOU¡¯VE MADE ME ADDICTED TO SEX WITH YOUR COCK!!¡±


    T-that¡¯s an exaggeration, right?!


    This is just over the top dirty lewd talk like in those books of his!!


    I thought it was kind of silly b-but hot when the people in those books said those weird lines but... but they¡¯re actually saying those sorts of things in real life!!


    This isn¡¯t just fiction, his dick is so good it makes Sam talk like a trashy erotica character! I¡¯m so confused!!


    Yet... my p-pussy feels soooooo goooood when I play with it like this, watching them...!! Maybe I can actually cum for once... maybe I¡¯m... mmm... close... already...?


    ¡°CUM FOR ME! CUM AS I SHOW OFF HOW HARD I FUCK YOUR SLUTTY LITTLE HOLE!!¡± Master spreads her legs even wider and I watch the incredible fast blur of his p-penis and his balls wildly thrashing themselves up inside the stretchy, pink, gushing slit between Sam¡¯s legs...


    She keeps twitching around his cock... hungrily... like it¡¯s trying to swallow him whole and keep him there forever but each time he rips it out and shoves it right back home even harder than he did the last time...


    F-finally, Sam screams and arches her back. ¡°FUCK FUCK FUUU-HUUUUUUCKKKKK DADDYYYY-!¡±


    Her pussy squeezes so hard and fast that it looks like it¡¯s nibbling on him, a-and she gushes a surprising amount of juices out onto his d-dick and the floor below.


    Master just keeps pounding her until she stops screaming a minute later, and it¡¯s replaced by her breathing really, really hard...


    Nnnn... I knew it... no matter how much I finger myself I can¡¯t get off!! Not even watching this was good enough for me! I need it so bad it hurts... my little pussy keeps t-t-trembling... it wants him... it needs Master so badly-


    W-wait. He didn¡¯t c-cum in her. I thought that was something they did all the time, because his stuff is magic?


    Hold on a second... Master is whispering something in Sam¡¯s ear... her eyes shoot wide open and she blushes, but then the surprise fades away to a huge smirk... I-I know that smirk... it¡¯s the same face she makes when she teases me...


    Master lets go of her legs and she, um... gets off of his penis and sits in between his knees on the floor...


    I guess he just felt like doing it in her mouth... that¡¯s too bad... I... um... kinda wanted to see it from that angle... I-I-I mean, um, that is to say...?


    Haaaaa... I can¡¯t win this battle... but... I do kinda wonder what it tastes like...


    Sam straight on takes him inside her mouth all the way in one go, before she starts to bob her head up and down on him. It, um... m-must feel really good for him, because his scary face scrunches up real hard and he... kinda looks a little cute like this...


    Master grabs her hair and grits his teeth, and says, ¡°Fucking hell, Sam... I¡¯m cumming... I¡¯m cumming!!¡±


    She moans around his dick and I watch as Master starts... d-doing it inside of Sam¡¯s mouth. I guess he cums a lot because eventually she has to open up and h-he¡¯s still not done cumming... nope... still not done... S-STILL?! Goddess, this keeps going and going!! Ok, ok... THERE. He¡¯s all done.


    Now I just have to pull up my panties, and my pants, and slip outta here... before... I...


    Sam turns around towards the door and starts crawling towards it on all fours. I watch her swaying, cum-covered boobies jiggle as her smirk gets wider and wider. Sam opens the door fully and stares at me right in the eyes.


    What... the...


    The Princess of Karnalle kisses me straight on the lips and her tongue invades my mouth, unloading... his... cum... straight down my throat...


    It¡¯s...


    What is this...


    It¡¯s so... delicious...


    I... I...!?


    Sam just stole my first kiss and I fall flat on my butt from embarrassment. This can¡¯t be real...! I need a nap... it¡¯s... nap... time...

 A Lovely Lap to Lay Upon

    Alright, in retrospect maybe that was a bit aggressive.


    I certainly didn¡¯t think Meri would fall back and pass out on the spot. Sam looks back at me concerned but laughing all the same.


    ¡°So you knew she was there the whole time?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Are you mad?¡±


    Sam shakes her head and smirks. ¡°Nah, it just woulda been hotter if you told me.¡±


    ¡°You would have played it up too much if you actually knew someone was watching, though.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, you¡¯re probably right... So... she WANTED this right?¡± Sam gives me a slightly apprehensive look as she lifts Meri¡¯s pants and moist panties up back in place.


    ¡°Yes. We sort of... flirted last night, and I¡¯ve got a pretty good handle on her feelings towards me and lewd things in general now. If she didn¡¯t want it I wouldn¡¯t have- ... Sam, stop playing with her tits.¡± I sigh and shake my head at the Princess who¡¯s groping the unconscious Shield Maiden.


    ¡°Fiiiiine.¡± Sam disappointedly sighs and stops feeling Meri up. ¡°Want me to put her away in her room?¡±


    ¡°Please.¡±


    After that fun little episode, Sam seems to be in much higher spirits.


    It¡¯s late afternoon now and the Princess decides to go on a round of quests seeing as how her training didn¡¯t leave her exhausted, rather she¡¯s raring to let loose some energy. We used to not be able to leave on quests so late into the day since at night stronger leveled monsters start cropping up, but Zutiria¡¯s invention changed things.


    Thanks to the power of the Return Gate, my weak Guild girls can head off midday and not have to worry about when it gets dark out.


    We¡¯re both in the entrance hall, and Zutiria has been napping for quite some time now. The Little Sir has procured a napkin from somewhere and is now taking care of his mistress¡¯s growing puddle of drool. Such a diligent rat.


    Sam is itching for something else to kill, and it just so happens there are a variety of other monsters in the local Dewhurst wilderness that require slaying. I do think she¡¯s improved since I first met her, so I don¡¯t mind sending her on something else on her own. Not something as dangerous as the Pinemen, but... hmm.


    I look through the quests on offer from the Association of Adventurers and pick out a decent one. ¡°Here. Happy Gerblin hunting.¡±


    Sam gets excited as I hand her the paper for the quest to show her the reward, 40G a kill. Not a good rate, but it¡¯s to be expected for such a low level threat. ¡°Alright! Finally, I get to go kill me some goblins! Feels like I¡¯m becoming a real adventurer now!¡±


    ¡°Gerblins. Not Goblins.¡± I correct her and shake my head. ¡°Gerblins are the infantile form of male Goblins, and they evolve into them after aging and growing stronger. After that point they may further evolve into one of hundreds of different subspecies. Hobgoblins, Biggoblins, Greater Blingobs, Aquablins, Goboboblins, Gerboblin-blins, Lobloglins, Rapelins... really, the bloody fuckers have a variant for just about every imaginable purpose.¡±


    ¡°Hold up Boss. Did you just tell me to go and kill baby Goblins?¡± The naive Princess looks at me with apprehension.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Sam, did you somehow manage to miss where I pointed out that they could one day evolve into a species that we literally named Rapelins? That wasn¡¯t a joke. I¡¯ll get you the damn book if I have to.¡±


    Sam sighs and scratches behind her head. ¡°I¡¯ll go kill the baby Goblins, then...¡±


    ¡°Good. No special advice is necessary- they¡¯re weak to anything that typical humanoid infants would be. Kicking them in the face, cutting them in half with giant blades, parental neglect. You get the picture.¡±


    Sam finally takes off for her Gerblin slaying, and I feel the need to check up on Zutiria. When I softly shake her, the Mage stirs and asks me to take her to bed. Naturally, I do so and even tuck her in.


    We probably need to have Zutiria alternate her training days until she¡¯s more physically fit. Since her training is just basic strength training it¡¯s not like Nikita actually has to be here for it, and we need her working on quests as well.


    Just as I make my way downstairs once more, I see Opalina opening the front door. Never a dull moment it seems.


    ¡°The new door looks lovely, Dear! Had some spare time and I wanted to check in and see if everything was going alright.¡± She smiles when she sees me, but she¡¯s still clearly worried about the situation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the office, I¡¯d like to relax on the sofa for a while...¡±


    ¡°Of course. You look like you need it.¡±


    When I¡¯m alone with my beloved Doctor, I sigh and let everything out. She lets me lay my head on her lap while I vent while she strokes my scalp with her skilled fingers lovingly.


    I tell her about how it went with the Dwarves yesterday, about Gwin. Naturally about the handjob, too. I have no reservations telling Opalina anything anymore and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll come to know about Gwin sooner or later anyway so there¡¯s no use treating my new Dwarf romantic interest as a secret.


    Opalina was very jealous and made me promise to lend Gwin to her for a back massage at some point. I pointed out that she could just magic her shoulder pain away but she insists that it wouldn¡¯t be as fun. Having experienced Gwin¡¯s magic hands myself, I¡¯m inclined to agree...


    The beautiful woman consoles me about how things might become more difficult from here on out, what with my apparent enemy badgering the village into not sending in new quests.


    We¡¯re essentially back to square one regarding that matter... The only quests I can send my girls on are standard kill quests and standard fetch quests issued by the Association of Adventurers.


    That¡¯s not too big of a blow, but I¡¯m worried that the item shop will follow Shatterbrew¡¯s lead and not do business with me anymore.


    Opalina notices my mind is working on overdrive.


    ¡°There, there, my love...¡± She strokes me diligently as I sigh. ¡°It¡¯ll all get better. You¡¯re a smart man, you¡¯ll think of something.¡± Opalina leans down and kisses me on the lips tenderly. ¡°You always do.¡±


    ¡°I may have some ideas...¡± I admit and nod my head upwards at her.


    ¡°Of course you do. Go ahead and tell me.¡±


    ¡°If the locals won¡¯t turn in quests anymore, then I need to speak with Abner and see if I can¡¯t pressure some information out of him.¡± I doubt there¡¯s any significant info that can be gained from the village chief, but there¡¯s little else I can do. At least not within Dewhurst itself. ¡°If that fails then I might need to take this issue higher up the chain of command and make an appeal to the Lord of the Province up in Dawnstead.¡±


    Opalina grows concerned, looking as if she has to say something but doesn¡¯t want to upset me.


    ¡°Dear, I don¡¯t mean to burst your bubble but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s likely to get involved. I told you the man has been ignoring Dewhurst for years and years now...¡±


    I sigh once again.


    ¡°Yes, I know... which is the other problem. I think I could convince him if I made a better name for the Guild, but it¡¯s hard to do that without better quests. We would need something else, like...¡±


    ¡°A Dungeon?¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    Opalina sighs. ¡°You know as well as I do that there aren¡¯t any Dungeons around Dewhurst, and there haven¡¯t been for some time. Are you planning to just wait for one to pop up?¡±


    Her words don¡¯t have the greatest impact on my motivation and I grumble at the thought.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just trying to manage your expectations...¡± Opalina frowns, not meaning to have upset me.


    It¡¯s true, though. The only Dungeons in the area have long, long been picked clean and there¡¯s no telling when the Goddesses will bless us with a new one. Maybe I should just ask her, but then again she¡¯s been rather quiet lately...


    ¡®Shut up! I¡¯ve been busy!¡¯ A voice calls out to me from within my heart. ¡®You think I don¡¯t have better things to do then watch over you every hour of the day?¡¯


    My eyes open widely and Opalina tilts her head in response. ¡°Dear?¡±


    I don¡¯t answer her, my inner conversation is more important right now.


    Can you create a Dungeon for us? Up till now you¡¯ve just done whatever, but if you¡¯re actually trying to help me, then...


    In her typical annoyed tone, I get the feeling that the so-called ¡®Goddess¡¯ rolls her eyes at me. ¡®Listen, there¡¯s a limit to what I can do to help your sorry ass but I¡¯ll look into it I GUESS. Since things look desperate for you and all that...¡¯


    That¡¯s not very helpful, you know.


    ...


    I sigh, seems my brief moment of mental conversation with my mysterious benefactor is over.


    This piecemeal conversation is getting old. I¡¯d really like to have a long, drawn out talk with whoever this being is but seeing as how I¡¯m just a mortal there¡¯s nothing I can do about it besides roll with the cosmic punches.


    I¡¯m halfway tempted to join Sam in meditation next time to see if it¡¯d help me reach back...


    ¡°Is there something you¡¯d like to share with the rest of us?¡± Opalina giggles from above and she snaps me out of my brief trance.


    ¡°Sorry. Someone was feeling more talkative than usual and it was important.¡±


    The older woman shakes her head back and forth. ¡°I just can¡¯t understand it. I know you¡¯re telling the truth Dear, but why would the Goddess have such a vested interest in you personally...?¡±


    It hurts to think about, but I have a pretty good idea.


    My supposed destiny...


    Defeating the Demon Lord.


    Even with Opalina I¡¯m not ready to broach that topic so I just groan and shrug from within her lap. ¡°Who knows?¡±


    Opal is a very smart woman, and she can obviously see right through me. But she¡¯s also kind enough not to pressure me on the subject when I¡¯m clearly not comfortable with it. I¡¯m very thankful for her at times like this.


    The two of us then begin discussing the Grekkan whirlwind Opalina set loose in my home, and she begins to blush a bit from embarrassment of her friend¡¯s actions. ¡°I even made her promise not to do anything too crazy, too... Nikita said she¡¯d keep things mild.¡±


    ¡°It scares me to think about that... You¡¯re telling me that breaking into the Guild and beating up all the girls was her idea of mild?¡± The thought is so absurd that we can¡¯t help but laugh.


    ¡°I do hope the girls didn¡¯t hold it against her.¡± Opalina¡¯s face becomes worried, and I get the feeling that she cares about Nikita an awful lot.


    I shake my head. ¡°She knew what she was doing. Sam, Zutiria and Meri are all motivated to hell and back after her actions.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so good!¡± The good doctor laughs huskily, figuring this might have been the case. ¡°Nikita¡¯s going to be helping you out from now on, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes. She killed one of the rogues who were apparently spying on us and needless to say I¡¯m a lot more confident knowing she¡¯s in my corner. She left before I could give her some, but I really should have given her some of Zutiria¡¯s Returners...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t worry about that. She could get here quicker than Hermes if she wanted to.¡±


    ¡°Any chance she¡¯d be interested in becoming an adventurer, you think? She¡¯d easily make Gold rank from the get go.¡± I laugh sarcastically, but I¡¯m surprised when Opalina returns with a soft and distant expression.


    ¡°Dear, I know you¡¯re joking and all but please don¡¯t go asking Nikita to do any sort of fighting. She¡¯s in a rough place, even if she can¡¯t bring herself to show it.¡±


    Huh. Odd, I didn¡¯t get the feeling that she was hiding some sort of deep inner pain or anything... it¡¯s not like my eyes can read every person like a book but typically I can pick up on signs like that. But if Opalina insists on it then it must be true.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± I meekly offer her in response.


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, Dear. I¡¯m just worried about her. I¡¯ve been treating that mercenary almost as long as I¡¯ve been treating you, you know.¡± She giggles proudly while clearly reminiscing.


    I figured Nikita was around my age, but asking didn¡¯t really come up in any conversations with her.


    Eager to change the topic, Opal perks up and looks down at me.


    ¡°And how is Meri today? I would like to get to know her soon if possible!¡± She clasps her hands together in delight like an eager mother who wants to spoil and dote on her new adorable daughter.


    ¡°She¡¯s... um... indisposed.¡±


    Opalina gives me a look indicating I better clarify what I mean by that, and when I explain last night¡¯s flirting, her interest in my lewd books, and her blatant voyeurism coupled with her clear interest in trying my magic cum... Well, even Opal can¡¯t hold back laughing when I tell her about what I had Sam do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t traumatize the poor girl. If she needs someone to talk to about her developing sexual curiosity then by all means send her to the clinic, alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I didn¡¯t mean to upset Meri, and I don¡¯t think it did. But I guess we¡¯ll find out the truth whenever she sees fit to wake up.


    ¡°You know, Dear... speaking of the clinic...¡± I look up into Opalina¡¯s face and see that her smile has turned all but sadistic. ¡°I don¡¯t have to be back for another hour.¡± She whispers with her low, husky voice while licking her lips.


    If there¡¯s anything I truly have to be thankful towards my mysterious Goddess for, it¡¯s granting me the stamina and bottomless balls to keep up with all these lovely women in my life. Despite having just gone a round with Sam scarcely over a half hour ago, Opalina¡¯s teasing gets me right in the mood to get right back to it.


    I spend the rest of Opalina¡¯s free hour for the most part being at her every whim. I think this is going to be a trend every time I sleep with her... she thoroughly dominates me and makes me almost regret my decision, but at the very end right before I reach the pinnacle of pleasure and coat the mature woman¡¯s insides with my burning desire... I catch a crimson eye and a yellow bow peeking in from a newly formed crack in my office door.


    Seems like Meri¡¯s going to be just fine after all...

 Gerblin Hunting

    Alright, Gerblins or Goblins or whatever the fuck they¡¯re called need to die.


    All of them.


    I can¡¯t believe I felt bad for even a split second about killing these things- baby or not. All these little pieces of shit do is get erections and start running at me while jerking themselves off through their little loincloths.


    Some very brave ones have tried to reach up and climb my legs but they¡¯re no stronger than a human kid, and when standing they barely reach up to my knee if that.


    I cut these damn things in half left and right, shake one off my leg and stomp its throat until it dies. Whew, being an adventurer is hard work. Kinda fucked up when you think about it. I mean yeah these things are rapey but I¡¯m still getting paid to go out here and kill these things before they can grow up and have meaningful li-


    SHIT THAT ONE¡¯S TRYING TO TOUCH ME WITH ITS DICK-


    HYAH!


    My great blade cleaves it right in half from the tip of its head to its tiny little gerblin dick.


    Heh. Good job, Sam.


    What was I saying again? Eh. Must not¡¯ve been important. Know what IS important? Money!


    I look around and notice that this little Gerblin was the last of the fuckers in this area. I¡¯m sure I can find more if I go walking around for a few minutes, but I got a job to do. Gotta cut off their left hands so we can mail em to the Association for our gold.


    There really needs to be a better damn system than this. I think Boss and Zuzu were talking about something like that but nothing came of it.


    Oh well. Guess I¡¯ll just walk around carrying a bag of fuckin¡¯ baby Gerblin hands like it¡¯s the most normal thing in the world.


    ...


    I¡¯m kinda spoiled, I think.


    While cutting off all these Gerblin¡¯s hands, I start thinking about all the things the Guild needs.


    A better mailing system... maids... security... better weapons...


    I can just keep going on and on.


    I¡¯m not used to being in need of things and I feel bad cause I could probably get Boss the money to get all of that and more if I wrote back home... but...


    He wouldn¡¯t grow from that.


    I mighta settled into a submissive role with him more often than not, but I still wanna toughen him up... When he told me all that stuff about the Goddess the other day, I didn¡¯t tell him, but...


    It further reinforced that this Guild is where I need to be.


    Some Goddess is drawing me and all these other powerful(?) girls towards Boss and it can¡¯t be a coincidence because when I first found out about his magic cum, my immediate thought was shit we gotta get more girls and take down the Demon Lord!!


    That has to be what¡¯s going on here.


    Boss is a magnet for female adventurers and he¡¯s supposed to make us stronger and set us loose against the encroaching darkness! I ain¡¯t ever been super religious but I wanna at least thank the Goddess for sending me to him... if my Father won¡¯t do what¡¯s right then I will, that¡¯s what I¡¯ve always said.


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m doing this out of teenage rebellion, either. I feel strongly about stopping the Demon Lord ever since I first learned about what happened in Bridgebury five years ago... that was an attack on our own soil.


    A WHOLE village almost DIED.


    One of the Demon Lord¡¯s Generals led the attack and somehow, a single warrior kept them at bay long enough for the Royal Army to show up and drive back the monsters.


    And what did dear old Father do in response?


    Just boosted security to that one tiny ass Hamlet. Sure, he honored that-


    Whoops!


    Thought you could get me while I¡¯m lost in thought, didn¡¯t you you GREEN FUCK?


    HYAAAAAH!


    Mmm. Yeah, killing these little squishy shits is some damn good stress relief. I needed that... especially after thinking about my dumbass Father.


    He honored that warrior who died saving her village, but he didn¡¯t swear to combat the Demon Lord or make any such nonsense. He rode up to Bridgebury on his high horse, gave the whole ¡®thoughts and prayers¡¯ schtick and rode right back fucking home to keep fucking his WHORES!


    UGH! I NEED MORE GERBLINS, I NEED TO KILL SOMETHING, I-


    I...


    Haaaah...


    I throw my great blade onto the grassy meadow below my feet and sit down on a nearby rock.


    Far as I can remember I¡¯ve always had a quick temper. I don¡¯t take bullshit from anyone. Never have, ain¡¯t starting now. Even when I was a kid I knocked out a good number of annoying ministers and dignitaries just for telling me what to do.


    Part of the reason I¡¯m such a shitty Princess, I guess.


    I can¡¯t just do what I¡¯m told. Not if it doesn''t make sense, and not if I don¡¯t wanna. People who tell you they know what¡¯s best for you are the kind of people you should never listen to. Ever.


    When Boss told me he didn¡¯t WANT to tell me what to do, and that I should make up my own damn mind about whether or not I should use the great blade, well...


    It reminded me why I love the bastard with all my damn heart.


    He ain¡¯t trying to pretend he knows what''s best for me. He wants me to make my own decisions... and I know he¡¯ll help me if I ever make a bad one. And of course I¡¯m sure I fucking will.


    Far as the weapon shit goes... I... yeah. I get it. Great blades are huge slabs of iron that you use defensively and you gotta dodge and weave, and you do WAY more damage when you catch an enemy using them as a counter attack then you do just swinging it around like I do.


    My fighting style isn¡¯t gonna cut it when we start fighting stronger monsters. I know that.


    If I wanna keep using this weapon type and being a Great Blader class, then I gotta keep meditating. Slow down. Take deep breaths. Maybe even... read... a book or two. Maybe- not sure about that part yet.


    What pisses me off is I don¡¯t feel like I got a choice. Hard as I think about it, no other weapon comes to mind that¡¯d fit me. Sure, I grabbed this sword off the rack cause it looked awesome. But what else would I use?


    I got one skill and one skill only, getting angry and being strong. Ok, those were technically two things but fuck it they¡¯re connected, alright?!


    What kind of weapon would suit me if not a great sword?


    A huge ass club like I¡¯m some sorta Ogre? Maybe. But it wouldn¡¯t feel right.


    A warhammer? Tempting but... I wanna brute force my way through shit, not smash and poke holes in things.


    My only other option would have to be something involving an axe. I¡¯ve thought about it, it suits me. I could carry a big one and maybe like some throwing ones on my hips, but...


    UGH. WHY DO GIANT FUCKING SWORDS HAVE TO LOOK SO GODS DAMNED COOL?!


    It wouldn¡¯t be the same!!


    With a great sword I can pull it out over my shoulder and be like, ¡°Stand back, Boss. I got this.¡± and then kill the enemy in one huge slash! Then I could smirk and be all like, ¡°Heh, too easy.¡±


    Yeah, like I thought... Great sword is still my only option.


    It¡¯s a fun weapon. The weapon isn¡¯t the problem, it¡¯s me.


    ...


    I wanna keep trying. I like my weapon, it makes me feel like a badass, it suits my strengths. I know I need to work on myself in order to use the damn thing right, but if that¡¯s what I gotta do then that¡¯s what I gotta do.


    Plus...


    The Royal Blood.


    I¡¯ve kinda been avoiding it ever since I learned about it, but... It happened again with Nikita. I lost control of myself and look where that got me. Out cold in the fucking dust.


    That¡¯s the thing.


    The reason I feel like I have no choice but to use great blades is because if I did learn to use them properly and clear my mind, then... I¡¯d probably be in a lot better of a situation with my Royal Blood, too.


    Learning to control myself via my sword will sharpen my mind and keep me from falling even deeper to my own anger... hell. Maybe I could even learn to use it in small bursts and become even stronger?


    Yeah.


    That¡¯s it.


    I¡¯ve made up my mind- I pick up that great sword of mine back up off the ground and smile proudly. I chose this weapon, damnit. It¡¯s bitchin¡¯ and so am I!


    Now time to get back to work cutting off these gerblin hands, and maybe go find some more. Something else has been on my mind lately, and solving it would be a bit of a long shot but more money would help.


    This armor of mine... This is fetish gear for roleplaying, isn¡¯t it?


    I always kinda assumed and I took it as a fuck you to Father, but if I start fighting more powerful monsters with it I¡¯m gonna tooootally die. Like... really, really fast.


    I might have to check how much Boss has stashed away in my account. I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯d count that as a Guild expenditure, right? Right.


    I wanna take everything more serious. Learn to be a bit more mature, learn my weapon properly, wear some big girl armor... and whether or not I¡¯m doing it for Boss or for myself is irrelevant. I¡¯m doing it because I want to. If I can¡¯t live by my own advice then what kind of a role model am I supposed to be for him, heh?


    Man.


    Who knew slaughtering defenseless Gerblins was such good stress relief? It was almost like I was in a trance cutting those fuckers down like animals, and it cleared my head and showed me what¡¯s really important.


    Thanks, Gerblins. I guess you little erection imps aren¡¯t so bad after all.


    Awww, cute! That one just showed up and is watching me cut off all his friends and family¡¯s hands. Wait, uh. No that¡¯s not cute. That¡¯s kinda fucked up.


    Well, it¡¯s your lucky day little guy. My bag is full and I¡¯ve prolly made like 2,000G from just this batch so... eh. I guess I¡¯ll let that one live. It¡¯s not quite as creepy as the other ones and at least it¡¯s not trying to dry hump me.


    ...


    Maybe I should go kill it after all. Pretty sure the thing is like, swearing vengeance on me in its own language or some shit.


    It¡¯s kinda hard to take it seriously so yeah, I think I¡¯m just gonna go. Have fun, kid!


    I throw a Returner at the ground and warp back home, happy and proud of a good afternoon¡¯s slaughtering and the important life lessons that brutally killing those little rape monkeys imparted on me.

 On the Subject of Auto Loaders

    Meri was not bothered by what happened, it seemed. That same day after Opalina went home to her clinic, I confronted the timid Shield Maiden about what I had Sam do to her.


    ¡°I-It wasn¡¯t a big deal or anything... I w-was wanting to try it anyway...¡± She said.


    I nervously swallow, even though my eyes tell me she¡¯s not lying. ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    The timid Shield Maiden eagerly nods her head and clenches her fists. ¡°Y-Yes, Master! I would do anything to become stronger a-and braver... and most importantly, you weren¡¯t lying! I definitely felt a change after... a-a-after Sam... kissed me... my first... kiss... w-with a Princess...¡± She zones out and I blush a bit in response.


    ¡°Meri?¡±


    ¡°AH- I¡¯m ok! I-I¡¯m ok!!¡± She takes a deep breath. ¡°There was definitely a difference. I feel stronger... sturdier... I definitely have more stamina. I bet I could pull off more Reflects now, too! A-and... and in general I just feel kinda more motivated, I think...¡±


    I smile and approach her. ¡°I¡¯m very glad to hear that. If you want, I... I can always...-¡±


    ¡°AH- T-T-TRAINING WAS SO HARD TODAY, MASTER! I¡¯m so sore! I-I think I¡¯m gonna go take a bath and sleep early tonight and lock my door... good... sturdy... strong locks that can¡¯t be broken... ahahaha...¡± Before I can even say another word, Meri runs up the stairs two at a time and hides.


    On one hand It seems my daring cum gambit paid off. Yet...


    It¡¯s no denying things have gotten a bit awkward since then. Meri has even more trouble keeping her eyes on mine without wincing and looking elsewhere, and when I try to broach the topic with her she blushes and runs back into her room.


    I haven¡¯t even been able to lower her defenses enough to flirt with her since the matter, yet... I know she¡¯s still curious, damn it. Just like when she watched Opalina and I, Meri¡¯s gotten to the point where she¡¯s somehow peeking in on me every time I¡¯m having sex- even at night.


    Sam and Zutiria don¡¯t mind, especially not Sam who has been more motivated herself ever since coming back from Gerblin hunting, but every time one of us even draws the slightest amount of attention to Meri she does her thing...


    She runs away and slams the door.


    After that time I teased her in the hallway I felt a spark ignite inside me and sending Sam off to kiss my cum into her mouth made that spark explode into an inferno.


    I¡¯m not going to deny it.


    I really, really want Meri. She¡¯s adorable. She¡¯s precious. I feel almost as if I have a crush on her... I recognize she likely needs time and space to process this, but in the meantime I can¡¯t stop thinking about her.


    Thankfully despite my increasing desire for the Shield Maiden three days have passed without much incident.


    Nikita showed up for two of these days for more training and everyone seems to be coming along just fine.


    Sam has made it very clear to myself and Nikita that she intends to continue along the path of the Great Blader and while her meditation training showed slight progress, she¡¯s pulled off an even more surprising feat.


    To start developing her mind even further Sam asked me to use two thousand gold out of her account but when I asked what for, she just got huffy and defensive and asked me to trust her.


    I¡¯ll always trust her, so of course I gave her the money. It¡¯s still technically hers after all and we have the money to buy the Catgirls whenever the hell the breeding tribe next shows up, so there¡¯s nothing we actively need money for just yet.


    Sam returned a couple of hours later with several bags full of books. I was stunned.


    All of them are trashy action novels and pulp tripe with the notable exception being a thick, hearty tome titled ¡®Tyrants and You - A History of the Former Kings and Queens of Karnalle¡¯. I can see why that one might have piqued her interest.


    Over the past few days I¡¯ve watched Sam struggle to work her way through a single one of her novels, but bless my heart the little Princess is actually trying. I¡¯m so proud of her for wanting to develop her mind like this, even if she¡¯s making slow progress.


    In truth, while I told her I wanted her to make her own decision regarding what weapon to use... it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t have my own opinion. This is the outcome I wanted more than anything. I don¡¯t think a single other weapon type fits Sam as much as the great blade does, and if she actually learned to use it properly she¡¯d become an impressive warrior that few could rival.


    But it wouldn¡¯t have meant anything if I just told Sam to do it without letting her make that choice. I¡¯m happy that brash, tomboyish Princess picked what I considered to be the correct option without my meddling.


    Moving down the list of training is our resident Black Mage.


    Zutiria is having a rough go of things. I can¡¯t imagine sitting around in the same room for twenty seven years doing nothing but reading books and performing alchemy experiments was good for her physical health. Potato mage indeed...


    It seems like it¡¯s going to be at least a few weeks before she¡¯s able to do any sort of real combat training, and in the meantime she exercises lightly on free days and heavily on days where Nikita oversees their training. Zutiria is always dead tired on days with the Grekkan, even after Opalina gave us a large stock of stamina potions. The potions also help alleviate the build up of lactic acid in the muscles, so with their use each of the girls is able to train successively each and every day if needs be.


    But since these don¡¯t fully help Zutiria, I think it¡¯s safe to say that her mana circuit isn¡¯t the only thing that¡¯s atrophied.


    As it¡¯s only been a few days there hasn¡¯t been much progress in her condition with one noticeable exception.


    Zutiria was actually able to touch her toes- albeit very, very briefly. I¡¯m quite proud of her for this. I¡¯m a little biased, but an increase in the little lady¡¯s flexibility would be much appreciated in more ways than one...


    An unfortunate side effect of the Mage¡¯s training is her inability to go out on quests during Nikita days. She¡¯s pretty much clocked out for the rest of the day after that, and I understand why...


    I¡¯ve been giving her delicate body massages to help alleviate the stress a little but finding a balance between too hard and not hard enough is difficult when her strained muscles hurt so badly.


    The only other thing to report on Zutiria¡¯s training is that Nikita has urged the Mage to think about a physical weapon considering that Zutiria¡¯s major weakness is her inability to use all of the mana in her body thus limiting her spell¡¯s strength and the number she can use in a day. The Grekkan insists she needs something to compensate for this, but I can¡¯t for the life of me imagine what sort of physical weapon would suit Zutiria.


    But when Nikita told her to think of a weapon, I saw gears turning behind the icy blue eyes of my petite Mage. Just like with the returners, I know whatever she comes up with will be equally effective and surprising. I¡¯m not even going to try to guess, because I know I¡¯ll get it wrong.


    Finally, we circle back to Meri.


    Meri¡¯s training is increasing in intensity at a frightening pace. What started out as Nikita pummeling the sturdy Shield Maiden with a wooden sword has transformed into an all out assault for hours on end with every type of weapon imaginable.


    She graduated from standing around in her gambeson and tanking blows to wearing her armor and shielding herself from the endless barrage of a true warrior revered as a prodigy of Ares.


    Auto Loaders are magical accessories created by the Association of Adventurers, and Nikita is making full use of hers to frightening effect.


    If there¡¯s one thing that tends to happen when you become an accomplished adventurer and explore a number of dungeons, it¡¯s that you¡¯ll inevitably build up an armory of useful magical weapons, armor and relics. While it¡¯s true that the Guild offers storage space to any adventurer who needs it free of charge, someone had the bright idea of asking a certain question.


    What if I could carry all my best gear around with me and summon it at a moment¡¯s notice? The result is an Auto Loader. A small accessory typically in the form of an item of jewelry like a ring, bracelet, necklace, earring, etc, that can magically store anything you ¡®register¡¯ to it, within reason. It can¡¯t be alive, and can¡¯t be an entire building. Stuff like that.


    All you have to do is call out the name of what you want. If it¡¯s a weapon, it¡¯ll show up in your hand and if it¡¯s armor it¡¯ll instantly swap out your current set.


    If this sounds like a revolutionary invention that¡¯s because it damn well is. It should have changed the entire adventuring world... but it didn¡¯t.


    Why?


    Association locked them behind a gigantic paywall that only experienced Silver and Gold rank adventurers could afford.


    Yes, if you want an Auto Loader you usually have to apply for a Guild loan. The loan sounds amazing on paper, sure, after all there¡¯s no interest... but it takes a large chunk out of your reward from every single quest you undertake until your Auto Loader is fully paid off.


    It¡¯s not uncommon for an adventurer to get a loan, injure themselves from overwork trying to pay off their Auto Loader and then have it revoked for failing to meet minimal payment deadlines.


    Again, why?


    Because they can¡¯t afford to get healed when you SLASH THEIR FUCKING QUEST REWARDS! And THEN they still make you pay the rest of your damned loan!!


    Auto Loaders are something so revolutionary and life-saving that they should be standardized and free for all adventurers, regardless of level.


    But no.


    The Association thinks it''s a better idea to get a bunch of free labor in exchange for a single Auto Loader.


    Ugh, I really went off on a fucking tangent here. I¡¯m supposed to be explaining Meri¡¯s training but just thinking about this boils my blood to an unfathomable degree. And that¡¯s not even getting into the shady things that the Association does to keep their iron grip on the accessory secure...


    In the future I would love to get Auto Loaders for my Guild members when they actually have enough experience and equipment to justify it, but under those terms I can¡¯t see myself going through with it...


    Where was I even going with all this? I¡¯m too angry to think straight...


    Ah, yes.


    Nikita had been using her stolen Auto Loader to weave in and out of Meri¡¯s range with a thousand different weapon types, mixing them up so fast and skillfully that it was like witnessing a Grekkan epic unfold before my eyes. She¡¯d run in and feint with a punch making Meri flinch, then dodge to the left and sweep the Shield Maiden¡¯s legs with a spear.


    Nikita wouldn¡¯t stop even when Meri was flat on her ass, though, jumping up into the air and swinging down with a great blade so fast that Meri¡¯s only option was to hop right up and avoid- heavy armor be damned.


    I was... very doubtful of this training on the first day when Nikita was still just beating her up. But this switch up makes a lot of sense to me. The fearless Grekkan instructor is assaulting Meri so fast and so often that the poor girl doesn¡¯t even have time to think about being a coward.


    She¡¯s overwriting Meri¡¯s reflexes. Instead of running away and crying, Nikita is forcing her to train her primary instinct into standing there and either deflecting the blows, dodging them, and tanking the blows she can afford to tank.


    I don¡¯t know if Meri will ever not be afraid of getting hurt, but if Nikita is successful then she¡¯ll at least be able to use the fear positively instead of shrinking back in cowardice whenever danger rears its ugly head.


    Speaking of getting used to pain, Nikita left me some choice words... and some even choicer presents on the third day of training when the two of us met privately in my office.

 Nectar of the Gods

    It was the third day of Nikita¡¯s training this week, and after the progress she''d made with all three adventuring girls under my care the two of us took a brief aside in my office to talk. She apparently had a couple of important things she wanted to discuss with me, but wouldn¡¯t elaborate more than that.


    Nikita promised it was important though so I¡¯ve no choice but to agree. Not that I needed any particular excuse to spend time with the beautiful Grekkan.


    ¡°Opal told me all about your magic dick thing and your desire to grow this place into some sort of weird big harem Guild. Pretty cool and all, sounds like some bullshit Lord Zeus would try.¡± Nikita laughs casually as she brings up such a lewd topic out of the blue. ¡°I think I have an idea that you might like, Chief. And it involves your special talent.¡±


    Initially, I read the situation wrong.


    ¡°Nikita, are you trying to seduce me?¡±


    The Grekkan warrior woman looked at me in disbelief and then scoffed at me once, then burst into an outright uproar. A little humiliating, to be honest...


    ¡°Sorry, sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to laugh. Thing is I¡¯ve not lain with a man. I had my heart and soul set on one once, but I¡¯m in no rush to shove something up there just cause it didn¡¯t work out that well. You¡¯re cute, but nah man. Maybe after you¡¯ve got some more hair on your chest?¡± The bronze-skinned beauty winks and I can only blush in response.


    I¡¯ve seen her naked on the night she commandeered my bed and yes Nikita is very stunning, but not once have we had any sort of exchange that might¡¯ve been viewed as flirtatious. Until now.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying there¡¯s a chance?¡± I smirk.


    ¡°Gods, look at you, you perverted satyr! Focus! I¡¯m trying to talk about something here!¡± Nikita laughs and slaps her knee at my persistence.


    ¡°Force of habit. The Goddess or whatever it is that speaks to me is very insistent on me trying my luck with any girl in my life who I find attractive. It¡¯s quite bothersome but I¡¯d be lying if I said the idea didn¡¯t excite me...¡± I sigh a bit, thinking again about how strange my situation truly is.


    Nikita frowns suddenly, and for a brief second a slight tension forms around her. ¡°I know I can¡¯t speak for whatever God is in touch with you, but in my experience you¡¯re better off having as little to do with em as possible. But then again I come from Grekka where our Gods are so out of control that our primary export happens to be bastard Demigods with parental issues.¡±


    If I recall, Zutiria also mentioned something similar... but in her case she waved it off since at least it brought us together. I¡¯m unsure how I feel about that, but I suppose I need to take the good with the bad here.


    Between Sam, Zutiria and Meri my mysterious benefactor has been consistently pulling out winners in my book. I¡¯ve grown to be crazy about each of them, and I haven¡¯t even done anything lewd with the Shield Maiden yet.


    ¡°Believe me, Nikita. If I disagree with the supposed Goddess at any point I won¡¯t be following her advice.¡± I make it very clear to her that I¡¯m not following this presence mindlessly just because it keeps blessing me with an overabundance of eager pussy.


    ¡°So if I¡¯m understanding right, you don¡¯t even know who the fuck this Goddess is?¡± She raises an eyebrow in disbelief.


    I think she finds my situation hard to understand. My Goddess that only gives cryptic advice and refuses to show themself... at least compared to her flashy Grekkan pantheon who routinely show up uninvited in thousands of different forms shouting ¡®BEHOLD I AM LORD ZEUS, I HAVE COME TO CUM!¡¯ or some such bullshit.


    I can see why there¡¯d be some culture shock. The Twin Goddesses of Karnalle are nowhere near as flamboyant in comparison to the deities of her home realm... ours hardly interfere in our business as far as I¡¯m aware. We only tend to get a miracle every time a Lundreame fucks something up irrevocably, and anything else the Goddesses may or may not do is too small or subtle for us to notice.


    In a way we should be thankful, since if it weren¡¯t for the Goddess Lux Ultima I¡¯m fairly sure the other realms would have long since gotten tired of our inconsistent bullshit.


    ¡°Yes, assuming my inner voice is not some sort of foreign entity masking itself as a God, or a delusional hallucination of my mentally taxed brain.¡± I sigh, because I¡¯ve legitimately not ruled out the latter. As much as I¡¯d like to be faithful, it¡¯s hard in this circumstance when I know so little about what¡¯s actually going on.


    ¡°Lucky for you, I have a way to find out for sure.¡± She says with confidence.


    Nikita then pulls out a hefty sack from behind her cape. She ruffles through it diligently. It must be that magical Holding Bag she used the other day, otherwise I doubt she¡¯d have to dig so much to find whatever she¡¯s looking for.


    After her eyes light up and she smirks, I know she¡¯s found her target.


    Nikita presents to me a big wine bottle filled with the most beautiful golden, shimmering liquid I¡¯ve ever been lucky enough to lay my eyes on. Just staring at its brilliance is enough to water my lips... I think I know what it is. I¡¯ve read the stories, though... I never thought I¡¯d see a bottle of it in person.


    ¡°Is that...?¡±


    ¡°Ambrosia.¡± Nikita confirms my wildest imaginings. ¡°The favorite drink of my Gods back home. They¡¯re addicted to the stuff, and most foreign deities are too. We Grekkans have a special use for it though. It¡¯s sort of a secret, so don¡¯t go telling it to anyone... alright?¡±


    ¡°Sure? I don¡¯t have many friends to go around telling secrets to in the first place.¡± I tilt my head while still staring at the bottle.


    ¡°Fair enough. See, the way this stuff works is if you¡¯re a mortal who is tied in some way to a God or Goddess and you drink a cup of Ambrosia while offering one to them, by divine laws your patron deity has to have an audience with you. Hell, even ones that aren¡¯t aligned  to you will probably accept a summons just for a couple of drops.¡±


    My eyes shoot wide open so fast that I almost let my glasses fall off my face. ¡°I thought you wanted to talk about something related to sexual matters...¡±


    She waves her hand dismissively. ¡°Yeah, but I got distracted alright? This is important too. I was already considering giving it to you to begin with. Even though your mysterious Goddess isn¡¯t a Grekkan God, if she¡¯s ever had a single taste of Ambrosia she¡¯ll respond to your offering. Mark my words. And if no one responds? That just means it wasn¡¯t a Goddess after all and you know not to trust them. Not that you should instantly trust them if they ARE a Goddess, but... y¡¯know.¡±


    The possibilities running through my mind are endless. If my Goddess is watching right now, then she¡¯s being incredibly silent. Shocking. I¡¯d imagine she doesn¡¯t want to confirm if Nikita is correct or not... or maybe she¡¯s just busy being unhelpful as usual. Maybe they¡¯re panicking because they aren¡¯t even a Goddess?


    Regardless, this is a bit much for a gift... ¡°Nikita, Ambrosia is-¡±


    She sighs and takes on an increasingly irritated tone. ¡°Priceless. I know. But to me it¡¯s fucking worthless. I don¡¯t want to ever see or hear my ¡®patron deity¡¯ again and it sounds like you need to have a long fucking heart to heart with yours. Take it now before I force you to take it.¡±


    I feel overwhelmed as I often do when being extended charity and goodwill, but I guess I¡¯m becoming more used to it after what the women in my life have done for me.


    I respectfully bow my head and take the bottle from Nikita.


    ¡°Thank you so much. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll use it, as that¡¯s... kind of a frightening prospect if I¡¯m being honest. I need answers, yes, but the answers I might get are a scary thought indeed.¡±


    Nikita looks off into the middle distance. ¡°Yeah... trust me. I get it.¡±


    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll do it as soon as I¡¯m ready. I could never waste a wondrous gift as precious as this, especially not when coming from a friend.¡± I smile back at her and this seems to snap her out of her introspection.


    ¡°Good. Don¡¯t make me regret not selling it for a mountain of gold taller than King Midas¡¯s palace.¡± She smiles with relief and proudly puts her hands on her hips. ¡°I just really hope that your Goddess or whatever ends up better than you seem to be expecting. For your sake...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, my hopes are not high.¡± Every single interaction I¡¯ve had with her thus far has given me the impression of an incredibly bratty, insufferable little girl. Gods, if the church heard me say such blasphemy, I¡¯d be more stoned than Spliffert... assuming that Lux Ultima is the identity, that is. So far that assumption is just my best guess.


    It could be her elder sister, Tenebris Primis for all I know. Despite being the Goddess of Darkness the People of Karnalle don¡¯t view her as an evil deity and her faction, the Coven of the First Darkness gets along well enough with the Church of the Last Light. There has to be balance between the two things or some such metaphysical tripe like that.


    Nikita cracks her fists and leans over my desk to look me in the eyes. ¡°Now that¡¯s more than enough about Gods and Goddesses. Fuck those fuckers. Back to sex. You¡¯re trying to screw Meri, right?¡±


    I stumble in my seat somehow, almost dropping the priceless Ambrosia right then and there. ¡°I- ah... yes?¡±


    Nikita laughs loudly as she often does. ¡°It¡¯s obvious, don¡¯t look so shocked! I also see it¡¯s not going well. Let me guess. You put some pressure on her and she was receptive, but now she¡¯s too embarrassed about it to even look you in the eyes?¡±


    ...


    ¡°Yes, exactly. How-¡±


    ¡°I said I ain¡¯t ever laid with a man. Not that I ain¡¯t ever ¡®laid¡¯ before. I¡¯ve had my fair share of her type.¡± The bronze, chiseled Grekkan woman licks her lips as she lewdly reminisces about conquests past. ¡°She wants you to go even harder on her. Stop being afraid of being the bad guy.¡±


    I blush even harder. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a woman, and I¡¯ve seen the way she looks at you. It takes her everything she has not to drool whenever you¡¯re in eyeshot, for Aphrodite¡¯s sake! Be a man and give her what she wants, she¡¯s far too timid to make a move herself.¡±


    I take a deep breath and set the bottle of Ambrosia on my desk. ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll try and do so.¡±


    With a wicked grin, she takes out a number of... instruments from the same magic bag. A blindfold. Handcuffs. A crop to spur horses... even... clamps. ¡°Ok so hear me out, Chief-¡±


    ¡°Nikita, what the fuck.¡± I start laughing as soon as I see her set a ball gag down on my desk right next to the priceless bottle of Ambrosia.


    She too notices the humor in this and starts laughing along with me, and then, ah...


    There¡¯s a small silence when we stop and we happen to look into each other¡¯s eyes for a slight second. I blush, and she looks away and smirks even harder than before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use this shit for her first time but I want you to try and train her when you¡¯re doing it, too. Gods know that thick body of hers can take a beating, and I¡¯ll bet you all the wine in Grekka she¡¯s fucking into it.¡±


    Given what I¡¯ve caught her reading and her overall demeanor, I won¡¯t be surprised if she likes this assortment of toys myself... But I haven¡¯t done this kind of extreme play before. Not that I wouldn¡¯t like to try it though...


    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll probably show up later tonight and crash in one of the dorm rooms if that¡¯s cool.¡± Nikita turns to leave the office with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, unlike a certain someone I won¡¯t be peeking in on you if you decide to jump Meri when I¡¯m over...¡±


    As soon as she reaches the door, she seductively lowers her lids and gives me a hazy, slightly lustful expression. She puffs out her deliciously full, scarred lips and whispers. ¡°Unless you want me to, Chief.¡±


    We stare at each other and then Nikita starts laughing, letting me know she was just fucking with me... I think.


    Regardless- maybe Nikita is right. Maybe I¡¯m too worried about how Meri will see me if I push harder on her and I¡¯m missing the forest for the trees.


    For all I know she could just be waiting for me to push her down...

 There May Have Been a Misunderstanding

    PunishedKom


    W-W-WHY HASN¡¯T HE PUSHED ME DOWN YET!?


    Ok... ok Meri, calm down... you¡¯re just upset after another hard day of training... stand firm... stand firm.


    Siiiiigh...


    I thought for sure that a-after what Master had done, he was going to be more aggressive... so I¡¯ve been trying to give him more opportunities to r-really lose control and take me for himself...


    You know, maybe if I locked my door h-he¡¯d want to break it down... or... if I turn around to run away m-maybe Master would want to grab me by the shoulder a-and ask where I thought I was going...? And then he could drag me away to t-that huge bed of his and...


    Hwaaa?!


    I-I¡¯ve really lost complete control of myself ever since Sam kissed me with his... cum...


    After it happened I¡¯ve been too shy to ask Master for any new books so I-I¡¯ve been sneaking them out of his bedroom and reading them like crazy... I don¡¯t think he¡¯s noticed since I¡¯m going after the ones that he¡¯s hidden in his closet... I¡¯ve... um... noticed that that¡¯s where he keeps a lot of the dirtiest ones...


    ...


    I-I didn¡¯t know a single kiss could turn me into this much of a pervert... didn¡¯t he warn me that his c-cum was addictive, too?! That¡¯s it! It has to be his fault! It¡¯s not because of me that I¡¯ve become so l-lewd all of a sudden... yeah... right...


    Ha...


    Ha ha ha...


    Siiiiiiiigh...


    Thankfully, I¡¯ll have something to keep my mind occupied from all these pervy thoughts soon. We¡¯ve had three days of training this week and Master has decided that tomorrow it¡¯s time for my first kill quest! He¡¯ll even be coming along to see how I do and give me advice, too!


    I¡¯ve never heard of a Guild Master accompanying adventurers on a quest before... he keeps surprising me more and more every day... just thinking about it kinda makes me blush, honestly. I-I hope I don¡¯t mess up and look uncool in front of him!


    Sure, I¡¯m a little bit more comfortable now that I¡¯ve actually had a couple days of training from a pro under my belt, but... the training has just been me tanking blows and dodging for the most part... I haven¡¯t actually worked on the fighting part of things yet.


    I¡¯ll do my best, regardless! I do hope the monsters I¡¯ll be going up against aren¡¯t too scary at least, t-though...


    The rest of today goes by like normal.


    I hang out with Zutiria and S-Sam, who¡¯s been very handsy with me ever since we kissed... Gosh her lips were so soft... um... I¡¯ve gotten to know both of them a bit better during the six days since I first arrived.


    Zutiria is a lot older than she looks, a-and she¡¯s always really nice to me. Sometimes when Sam gets too clingy she bonks her on the head with her staff and Sam backs off... for a while. She has a pet rat that¡¯s dressed up like the Guild Master, too! He¡¯s so cute!!


    T-the... the rat I mean... oh...


    As far as S-Sam goes... What the heck am I supposed to say?! She¡¯s a Princess and I¡¯m just some hick girl from a farming village filled with old country bumpkins!! B-But she keeps calling me cute and she kissed me and s-sometimes I catch her drooling while looking at my boobies a-and...


    Honestly she can be just as scary as Master... b-but... I like her a lot... I wish I could be as outgoing and casual as her.


    I never really had friends near my own age and- w-well ok Zutiria doesn¡¯t really count there but she¡¯s close enough. My point is that even aside from the... m-male attention... I feel like I fit in really well here. Both of my Guildmates have seen to that.


    After a day of hanging out we all have dinner late in the evening and I wait for the nightly routine to begin... the Master retires with Sam and Zutiria to his bedroom and I... spy on them...


    H-he did it before, so if I keep doing it he¡¯ll snap again and drag me inside, won¡¯t he?! Master?!


    ...


    Another night passes and he didn¡¯t go after me... so once he¡¯s done with Sam and Zutiria and the lights are off except for his bathroom light, I sadly go back to my dorm room and... sigh... read more naughty books while p-playing with myself...


    But...


    It doesn¡¯t matter how rough the books are or how dirty they get, it¡¯s never enough to make me... y-you know... Hwaa... I still haven¡¯t found a way to make myself c-cum, even if I play with my c-clit! Am I just not good at it?


    Defeated, I turn in after trying for a couple of hours on end... I¡¯m sweaty, stinky, and desperate... I just want him to break in and rough me up, already! It¡¯s not faaaaair!!!


    The time for my first Dewhurst kill quest finally arrives the next day.


    It¡¯s a little past ten, we¡¯ve all just eaten and Master even gave me a bit extra so I¡¯d have more stamina for the task ahead!


    H-he¡¯s always complaining about not being able to feed us anything special but... I think he¡¯s a really good cook. Chalk it up to my simple country girl tastes, but... I¡¯ll eat just about a-anything.


    Once we¡¯re all well fed, we all huddle around Master as he sorts through the big stack of quests that arrived from the Association in the mail today.


    Some payments for past quests came today too, so he has Sam take a couple of sacks of gold into his office for him...


    T-This town is scary as heck, so I¡¯m a little surprised no one stole any of the bags of gold. Why does our currency have to be so big, bulky and inconvenient, anyway? It takes a wheelbarrow just to make big purchases! S-Sometimes two!! Forgive my language, but Gold is d-dumb... I mean sure, there are magical ways to carry large amounts of gold around but those are expensive and-


    ¡°Meri? Helllllooooo? If you don¡¯t say anything I¡¯m gonna kiss you again~¡±


    ¡°KYAA!¡±


    I jump back. S-Sam shoved her face close to mine while I was lost in thought... h-her lips are puckered and if I just leaned in a little bit more we would¡¯ve been touching... again.


    Master reaches over and pulls Sam away from me by one of her pretty twintails. ¡°BOSS STOP THAT SHIT HURTS AH-¡±


    I awkwardly twiddle my thumbs. ¡°S-sorry, I was... um...¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re fine, silly girl.¡¯ Zutiria smiles at me in a really calm and nice way... she has the Little Sir in her hand and... oh my Goddesses, is she teaching him how to drink from a little tea cup?! How cute! ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯re just gearing yourself up for the battle ahead.¡¯


    ¡°Huh?! Oh. Y-Yes. Yes indeed.¡±


    Master looks at me after releasing Sam¡¯s twintail and I can tell he is a bit concerned. About me, n-not Sam, I mean... ¡°We can put this off for another day or so, Meri. I don¡¯t want to rush into questing if you¡¯re not ready.¡±


    I shake my head determinately. ¡°No, I¡¯m ready! I-I think. Readier than I was when I first came here, at least!¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ll do just fine. I¡¯m sure we won¡¯t have you facing anything too hard.¡¯ Zutiria says as she pats my head. I-I love it when she does that...


    Sam sneaks away from Master¡¯s grabbing range and surprises me with a h-hug from behind. ¡°I¡¯ll be watching your back VERY closely, so don¡¯t be afraid...¡± She grins and whispers into my ear b-but she backs off before she gets chastised.


    Master sighs and sets down all of the quest papers on the table. ¡°At first I thought I¡¯d have you do Slimes, or Living Fungi like I¡¯ve had these two start off on, but I figured it might be good to pick on something simpler. A Slime might slip away from you in your bulky armor, after all and you might have problems avoiding the sleep spores of the mushroom men.¡±


    I nod my head as I follow along with Master¡¯s thoughts, but Sam tilts her head. ¡°Why not have her hunt some Gerblins with me?¡±


    ¡°Do you really think poor, innocent little Meri could stomach those nasty things on her first kill quest...?¡± Master looks back at the princess gravely with a bit of sarcasm and Sam¡¯s expression changes.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s a fair point...¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not that innocent!!¡± I blush, unsure of why I felt the need to say such a thing.


    ...


    E-everyone laughs at me when I say that... e-even the Little Sir is squeaking in a way that kind of sounds like a laugh.


    ¡°Trust me, Meri. Gerblins are fuckin¡¯ gross.¡± Sam clasps me on the back and sighs.


    ¡°Alright... what did you have in mind for the quest then, Master?¡±


    ¡®Please, tell us. I¡¯m eager to get going for the day.¡¯


    Master picks up one of the papers and slaps it down on top of all the other ones. The illustration on it depicts a creepy looking caterpillar thingy... I don¡¯t like it... I know it¡¯s kinda cliche to be afraid of bugs and I¡¯m normally not, b-but this monster is just... yikes! Maybe it¡¯s not that scary though? Master did choose it himself after all...


    ¡°You¡¯ll be hunting Murderpillars.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    He didn¡¯t say what I think he did, did he? Murder plus pillars... murder meaning to kill and pillar being part of caterpillar... so... M-M-M-MURDEROUS CATERPILLARS?!


    I can¡¯t stop myself from shaking. Stand firm... stand firm...


    Sam laughs at me, Zutiria pats me on the head again and Master continues talking. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. The adventurer who discovered these monsters was a famous prankster who thought it¡¯d be funny to name a low level threat something really scary. They¡¯re mostly harmless.


    ¡°M-Mostly?¡±


    ¡°Entirely harmless to you specifically. They don¡¯t have a thing in their arsenal that could possibly break through your armor. They¡¯ll shoot sticky white webbing at you, sure, but that¡¯s about it.¡±


    ¡°Sticky white w-webbing...?¡± I gasp deeply.


    No way... could this be...? Is this some sort of c-code?!


    WAIT.


    I know what¡¯s going on here...!!


    So THAT¡¯S why Master is tagging along...!! He wants to see me covered in these monster¡¯s webs b-because he¡¯s such a scary pervert!! Master... you play such... such devious games... but if that¡¯s what it¡¯ll take to get you to jump me Master, then I¡¯ll do it!


    ¡°Yes, I understand completely!¡± I stand up and pump my fists up to my chest and make a determined face.


    ¡°You¡¯re so enthusiastic! You must be really raring to go after all that training this week, huh?¡± Master smiles as he stands up from the table and adjusts his glasses.


    ¡°U-um, yes! Yes that!¡±


    Sam smirks as she and Zutiria both stand up after him, the Little Sir scurrying back under his mistress¡¯s cute little beret. ¡°Well let¡¯s get on the road, then! I¡¯m hoping to see if all that meditation and shit actually has any effect on my swordplay.¡±


    ¡®Imperalis wasn¡¯t built in a day, Sammy. You¡¯re not going to see results just by reading a couple of books.¡¯


    ¡°I know, Zuzu! Don¡¯t be such a buzzkill. You¡¯re just grumpy cause your muscles are sore!¡±


    ¡®Only slightly.¡¯ Zutiria yawns cutely, yet very quietly... I¡¯ve heard her say a few spells before a-and I¡¯ve heard her moan, but I bet if she could talk fully she¡¯d have such a lovely voice.


    Master leans over on the table and looks me in the eyes directly. It makes me blush b-but he¡¯s being so serious so I can¡¯t look away this time... a-and then he... he takes my hand...! Is this finally it?! Is Master going to pull me into his bedroom and rough me up to wish me good luck?!


    Is... oh my Goddess is this really what my life has become?!


    I blush bright red, even more embarrassed than usual. H-How did I become so desperate in just a single week...? I bite my lip, but Master surprises me and gives me a tender smile.


    ¡°I know you¡¯re nervous and I might have pushed the boundaries with that... special kiss, and I wanted to apologize and just let you know I¡¯m very proud of the progress you¡¯ve made in your training this week. I picked this quest because I know you could handle it, so don¡¯t let me down alright?¡±


    ...


    W-wait. Was he worried I didn¡¯t want h-his cum? Oh Gods, is that why he hasn¡¯t been chasing after me despite all the chances I gave him?! He was too worried that he scared me off!


    I feel like there¡¯s been some sort of horrible misunderstanding here!


    Master, how could you possibly get that silly idea in your head...?


    ¡°O-Of course! I¡¯d never let you down on purpose!¡± I start sweating nervously.


    He... smiles back warmly at me, and his glasses slide down off his nose a little bit. He¡¯s looking at me with those pretty, piercing pupil-less eyes of his and... I-I feel a shiver coming.


    Unbeknownst to me, Sam and Zutiria pull aside and whisper to each other. W-Well, Sam whispers. Zutiria just sends her secret messages only she can read.


    ¡®Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, Zuzu?¡±


    ¡®This has gone on long enough. He¡¯s too worried about Meri¡¯s feelings, and Meri is falling into some sort of addled depravity due to her own inexperience. She¡¯s trying to send him the right signals but she couldn¡¯t be doing a worse job of it if she tried. The time is nigh.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to say that...!¡± Sam smiles and offers her Mage friend a fist to bump. Zutiria responds in turn with a limp, weak fist bump that somehow damages her weakened muscle.


    While me and Master are staring awkwardly into each other¡¯s eyes. Sam approaches the end of the table and reaches out to grab both of our heads in her gloved hands.


    ¡°Now kiss~¡± She smiles evilly a-and... and...


    Pushes the two of our faces together using her extreme strength, our lips instantly meeting with a small peck... which... um... after the initial shock and surprise, uh... it...


    Q-q-quickly escalates into f-full on making out... oh... my... goddess... tongue... in my mouth... in... HIS mouth... tastes... nnngh...!! My heart... is beating... so... fast!! He¡¯s so forceful!! I-I can¡¯t lose to him!! I... I!!


    And then Sam pulls us away from each other. I stand there awkwardly staring at the man who took me in almost a week ago, watching as the strand of drool connecting our lips falls onto the table.


    ¡°Heh.¡± Sam smiles at a job well done.

 Murderous Murderpillars

    S-So... um...


    It took me a little while to pull myself out of that one... but Master and I agreed that we¡¯d talk about everything going on between me and him tonight... It looks like there¡¯s finally gonna be some progress...!


    Not that... you know... kissing each other wasn¡¯t progress or anything...


    Gods, I could drone on and on about how exciting that kiss just was b-but... if I did that I¡¯d be here all day! I have more important things to do. For now, it¡¯s time for my first kill quest in Dewhurst! Or near Dewhurst at least...


    Sam and I head to the storage room to suit up. The Princess just has to grab her sword, and I gotta strap on all my armor. Normally that¡¯d take me a while, but Sam promised she¡¯d give a helping hand. Hee hee, I feel like I have my own squire!


    Before we even start though, as soon as we enter and are out of the view of the others I reach out and hug Sam as hard as I can.


    ¡°GAH?!¡± She looks at me in surprise.


    ¡°Thank you...¡±


    Sam smiles as her cheeks turn a pretty red color a-and she hugs me back. ¡°Thank Zuzu, she suggested it. But yeah I prolly woulda done something. You two are starting to get painful to watch if I¡¯m being honest.¡±


    ¡°P-P-Painful?¡±


    ¡°Well both of us fucked Boss the day we met him so it''s kinda just like... rrrgh do it already!!!¡± She laughs and winks, ¡°You know?¡±


    ¡°Nuh... no...?¡±


    Sam sighs and shakes her head, pulling away from our hug. ¡°Course not. Besides, I didn¡¯t just do it for you and him...¡± H-Her smile takes on that creepy, predator-like feel to it that it does whenever she teases me...


    ¡°Um, w-what do you mean...?¡±


    Sam leans in closer to me a-and I step back.


    THUD.


    Oh no. M-my back hit the wall... It can¡¯t be... not again, not so SOON-


    SLAM.


    Sam¡¯s red gloves hit the wood on each side of my neck... she¡¯s... pinned me to the wall...


    ¡°The sooner Boss gets you in bed, the sooner I get to play with you, too. Understood?¡±


    I bite my lip and stare into her pretty, sparkling green eyes... it''s hard to believe this is the same girl who gets treated like comic relief by Boss and Zutiria... she¡¯s... so strong and... and...


    ¡°Meri?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, Sam...! Understood!!¡±


    The Princess licks her lips and stares at me with barely restrained lust before backing away and laughing. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you all ready for your big day out.¡± Sam enthusiastically runs towards the chest we keep all my armor in when I¡¯m not using it and smiles as she waits for me.


    Um... for some reason this Princess wants my body, but s-still... it really is nice to have friends... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get over this warm, fuzzy feeling any time soon. And not having to put on my armor all by myself is like a dream come true! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to go back to doing it on my own...


    Ok... just a little bit more... mm... there we go!


    I got my armor, my shield, and I got my friend with her big sword and I got my other friend with her magic staff and I got my... um... my Guild Master...?


    I¡¯m ready to go on a kill quest! Watch out M-Murderpillars, I¡¯m a brand new Merille Tillot! I¡¯ll be the one murdering y-you!


    But first we have to walk through town to get to the south gate... I¡¯m gonna have to admit something here.


    Except for training, I haven¡¯t left the Guild a single time since I moved in. I know that sounds bad, b-but... Dewhurst... there¡¯s no mincing words. This place is scary. Like REALLY scary.


    When I first arrived I was so terrified I thought I¡¯d never make it through town, let alone to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, and it¡¯s a wonder I even did without being accosted by c-creepy thugs... Master may look thuggish but... um... it¡¯s not the same kind of thuggish? If that makes sense?


    L-Like he just has sharp features, dark glasses and piercing eyes... it¡¯s not like he has the word ¡®rape¡¯ tattoed to his forehead comically mispelled or anything over the top like that...


    And speaking of shady characters Sam and Zutiria have both referenced a crazy sounding butcher as well... I¡¯m worried just thinking about what other crazy denizens this d-disgusting pit of crime is hiding in its alleys... let alone the shadowy forces watching Master...


    Siiigh... I-I may be in a little over my head but when I said I felt welcomed and at home here, I was really only talking about the Guild. N-NOT Dewhurst itself.


    I-I can¡¯t believe Sam walks around in town wearing ¡®armor¡¯ like that... not only is it impractical b-but... w-well, lets just say I feel a little bit embarrassed that I ever compared Master to the rest of the men in this town.


    I¡¯ve seen dogs staring at meat more respectfully than the way they look at her.


    Thankfully we¡¯re all packed close together and no one gives us any trouble on our way out of town... just... lots of evil glares. I¡¯d heard that Master was hated in the town b-but I don¡¯t think they¡¯re very happy that more adventurer girls keep showing up by his side by the looks of things.


    I almost feel bad about it...


    Finally, we all reach the southern gate and head down the path a little ways until we reach a creepy looking forest. It¡¯s dark and although I can¡¯t see the sky above us thanks to all the dense trees, this scary place still runs thick with the dreadful, heavy air of Dewhurst...


    It feels like a monster could pop out of the bushes at any second...


    ¡°How much longer till we find any, Boss?¡± Sam asks as she grows impatient.


    ¡°Murderpillars should be around this general area actually. Let¡¯s just all walk together till we find some.¡±


    ¡®And what are the details for this quest, exactly?¡¯


    ¡°300G per kill, and you¡¯ll all have to cut off the main horn on their head to send in as proof of elimination. Everyone have their trophy bags?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes!¡± I reach back and hold up the burlap sack he gave me before we left.


    ¡®Naturally.¡¯ Zutiria is hanging hers off the end of her staff, she tied part of it to the big heart motif up at the top.


    ¡°Of course, Boss!¡± Sam smirks and points to her belt where she¡¯s strapped it on nicely.


    He smiles and crosses his arms proudly. ¡°Good. Now we just need to go around searching for just a little while longer and-¡± He stops and looks to the side towards some bushes that have begun to rustle.


    A HUGE caterpillar skulks out of them. Like... bigger than me. It¡¯s pale green, has black bristly looking spikes running down its segmented body. Its big ugly head has a bunch of big impressive looking black-tipped red horns... along with one really, really big one in the middle. I¡¯m guessing t-that¡¯s the one we need to cut off to send into the association?


    I-It¡¯s still about twenty feet away so we should have plenty of time to react.


    ¡°Well that sure was convenient.¡± Sam whistles at the sheer size of the thing.


    ¡°Please, Sam. We¡¯re in a monster infested forest. It¡¯s a wonder we didn¡¯t run into one sooner. Think you can step up to the plate, Meri?¡± Master steps over to me and pats me on my big metal shoulder pauldrons and I bite my lip and nod.


    ¡°Y-Yes! I can go k-k-kill it... I¡¯m an adventurer. Killing monsters is what I do!¡± Or it will be when I finally learn to do it right, b-but I keep that part to myself. I want to try and sound confident...


    ¡°Good answer.¡± Master adjusts his glasses and smirks at my response. ¡°Go do it.¡±


    Everyone moves out of the way to give me enough room to walk towards the monster. ¡°So, just to be sure you¡¯re REALLY sure it¡¯s not actually that dangerous...? What about all those horns...?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re really more like antennae. They look dangerous but they aren¡¯t really horns.¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon Meri, squash that bug!¡± Sam cheers.


    She¡¯s right, I need to treat this thing like it¡¯s just some bug! I¡¯m not afraid of bugs! Not even huge people sized ones!! I inch closer bit by bit until it notices me. It doesn¡¯t take long since I¡¯m a big, clunky suit of armor with a huge tower shield. I-It¡¯s kind of hard not to notice me walking towards you, bug or no bug...


    Just like Master said, as soon as it lays eyes on me it rears its elongated body back and spews thread toward me. T-This sticky stuff must be what it uses to make its cocoon! And catch prey, I¡¯m assuming. This is no normal caterpillar... it¡¯s a monster one, so it probably eats people if it¡¯s given a chance...


    W-Wait just a sec. I¡¯m a people!! It wants me to be its prey!


    Well too bad, Mr. Murderpillar. I¡¯m here to stop you from ever eating someone ever again!


    I throw up mom¡¯s tower shield in front of my body to block the oncoming thread, but that turns out bad very quickly. Once the big ugly buggo has enough of its stuff on my shield it starts pulling backwards and it almost sends me off balance!


    ¡°HWAA!¡± I spread my legs wide apart and dig my feet into the forest floor beneath me, sinking them in place. I-I can¡¯t let this thing topple me!


    ¡°Meri, don¡¯t let it distract you! There¡¯s an easy way out of this!¡± Master calls out to me with a firm, resolute voice.


    Sam and Zutiria also chime in with some advice, too.


    ¡®It¡¯s only as scary as you make it out to be. You can do this.¡¯


    ¡°SQUASH. THAT. BUG!¡±


    T-They¡¯re all right! I can¡¯t get overwhelmed here by such a basic attack... think Meri, think and stand firm...!!


    AH! I¡¯ve got it!


    I concentrate all my physical energy into my power gem and silently ask it to change its form. It responds with a pulsing hum and a small red light shining bright, before the tower shield morphs into a buckler strapped to my gauntlet. As always, a thick and sharp blade comes out from underneath.


    It¡¯s time for my counterattack!


    The thread that was clinging to my shield mostly falls off during the transformation and what bit of it was left is easy to cut off with my buckler¡¯s sword. I¡¯m free! For future reference, don¡¯t just stand there while thread gets shot straight at you... t-that was a dumb move on my part but I was nervous.


    But I¡¯m not nervous anymore!


    I run at the Murderpillar with everything I¡¯ve got, my arm raised to do a downwards slash- but then I see its big horn twitch a-and I get a bad feeling about this! It¡¯s the same kind of feeling I get when Nikita is about to charge at me with no holds barred...! If that¡¯s the case, then I need to...


    CLANG!


    The Murderpillar leaps into the air and tries to headbutt me but I raise my shield with more than enough time to spare. This is nowhere near as scary as training with Nikita, honestly...! I-I¡¯m hardly scared at all!! Even better, this is my big chance! It won¡¯t be as strong as it is in my tower shield form, but...


    ¡°REFLECT!¡± I shout as loud as I can, pouring my physical energy into the gem and forcing out the bottled up impact of the Murderpillar¡¯s headbutt right back at it. A tiny burst of force shoots out directly onto its face like I just rung a gong straight against its head. Not very damaging, but it¡¯s more than enough to disorient it and give me all the time I need.


    ¡°G-GET SQUASHED!!¡± I wish I could think of something cooler to say as I slash my buckler¡¯s sword horizontally across the icky bug¡¯s face, b-but I¡¯m new at this. All that matters is that I did it!


    It screeches and green blood gushes out, coating my sword as the twitchy, writhing corpse of the Murderpillar flops onto the forest floor, taking a few seconds to still completely... I¡¯m a little out of breath, but... for the most part I¡¯m ok. I thought I would be so scared, yet... I wasn¡¯t... Not at all! M-mostly.


    I really need to thank Nikita the next time she visits the Guild... I see what all that training was for now. Nothing¡¯s as scary as a Grekkan mercenary attacking you from everywhere at once for hours on end... any fear I felt in comparison to Nikita just... feels rather tame in comparison...


    ¡°GOOD SHIT, MERI! GOOD SHIT!¡± Sam suddenly jumps me from behind while I was still mentally celebrating my victory. The huge great blade on her back causes her to almost unintentionally topple me with her weight b-but I¡¯m able to stand firm.


    ¡°HYAA! I-I almost forgot you guys were here... I was so focused...!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but you need to still keep up awareness of your surroundings. Trancing into a battle state can be a double edged sword if you focus only on what¡¯s in front of you. Sneak attacks become all the more deadly if you¡¯re suffering from tunnel vision.¡± Master approaches as well and even though his words are stern he¡¯s very happy looking... did I... make him proud? I blush at the thought and nod my head meekly at his advice.


    ¡°U-understood, thank you.¡±


    ¡®Let her have this one, Sir. She¡¯s earned it.¡¯ Zutiria looks coldly towards him and teasingly pokes him with the tip of her staff.


    ¡°Of course I¡¯m proud of you, Meri. But as far as I¡¯m concerned my job is to nurture and grow you into a proper adventurer so I¡¯ll do my best to give feedback and make sure you keep learning as best as I can.¡± He smiles really wide a-and blushes a bit.


    I get the feeling he wants to get closer to me but is holding himself back... I think I understand why. If I got any closer I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to hold myself back from k-kissing him again...


    ¡°Of course! Don¡¯t ever hold back, p-please. I want to keep improving from here on out!¡± I slightly bow out of respect and partly so that I have a polite excuse to look away before my heart gives out from beating too fast whenever I look at him...


    ¡®Plenty more work to be done, Meri. Don¡¯t forget to collect your trophy.¡¯


    ¡°O-Oh! Right, I almost forgot!¡± I lean over the fallen insect and using my buckler sword I neatly slice off the biggest one of its horns, the one in the center of its forehead. It wasn¡¯t in the angle of my slash so it¡¯s still perfectly preserved.


    ¡°Are you gonna stick around, Boss? It¡¯s been a while since you¡¯ve come with us on any quests. You got three chicks who can protect you now so a light day out in the creepy crawly infested woods would do you some good I think!¡± Sam smiles and moves over to Master, looking at him pleadingly but not too desperately.


    ¡°Yeah, I have a Returner on hand if I need to bail out in a hurry but I was planning on staying this time. I can carry some trophy bags if need be, and while Meri pulled off her first battle with aplomb I still want to be here to see how she holds up throughout the day.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m glad to hear that. I¡¯ve honestly missed having you around when we¡¯re out and about...¡¯ Zutiria frowns. I¡¯m just really surprised... he seems kinda... um.


    Well I knew he went on quests with them before but I can¡¯t believe how much they both rely on him. Sam and Zutiria are both really strong in their own way, e-even if they have some quirks that hold them back a little... so I thought they were mostly self reliant.


    Master sighs and takes out a small flask from within his blue-black vest. At first the Mage gives him a skeptical look, but he offers it to her and she confirms its water. Hehe. He takes a small sip and shakes his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to be guiding you all on the front lines. It¡¯s just... not possible. Or...¡±


    ¡°Or?¡± I ask with interest.


    ¡°Maybe I should say it¡¯d be too expensive. And even then I¡¯m not sure if my idea is realistic or not as I only have a layman¡¯s understanding of arcane tech. I¡¯ve thought about this conundrum for weeks now, especially after a certain quest the three of us shared.¡±


    Sam looks down at her feet as he says this, and Zutiria looks away. I-I¡¯m guessing this topic is a bit of a sour spot for them...


    ¡®We can talk about it later, Sir. I¡¯m by no means an expert in the subject of arcane tech but perhaps I can look into creating a magical alternative to whatever you have in mind. I¡¯m not just your adventurer, I¡¯m your woman. I will do anything in my power to bend the rules of magic itself if it should please my man.¡¯


    ...


    I blush really hard. So does Sam, and so does Master...


    ...


    Sam awkwardly coughs. ¡°Yeah because that¡¯s totally fair competition to the rest of us.¡±


    Everyone snaps out of the tense, romantic atmosphere Zutiria just sucked us all into and laughs. ¡°Y-you¡¯re not much better, Sam! If he married you he¡¯d become royalty!¡± I blurt out.


    ¡°S-SHUT UP! I CHANGED MY MIND, I¡¯M NOT WAITING FOR BOSS TO MAKE THE FIRST MOVE ON YOU! C¡¯MERE YOU SQUISHY SLUT!¡± Sam starts running after me with a fierce, angry blush on her face.


    ¡°KYAAA!?¡±


    After I narrowly manage to escape the gropey Princess, we all come together and start on the quest properly. Sticking to the shallower outskirts of the forest, the three of us adventurers start working together to slay any Murderpillars we come across.


    Fighting as a group is exhilarating! Sam seems just a tiny bit more relaxed than when she was attacking me as part of my training, and she elegantly dodges and attacks the bugs with her massive sword.


    Zutiria switches back and forth between a couple of different spells, mostly shooting small orbs of scary looking darkness at the caterpillars that suck the color out of them and... o-ok, Dark magic is really creepy... I¡¯m really glad she¡¯s on my side. She doesn¡¯t just stick to that type of magic either, Zutiria uses some wind here and there to blow away oncoming thread and a few times she¡¯s used ice to open up new attacks for me and Sam.


    As for me, I just keep doing what I¡¯m doing. I don¡¯t have many combat options when my Shield forms are so limited... But I¡¯m mostly sticking close to Zutiria. Her condition as I¡¯ve been told limits her magic severely, so if she doesn¡¯t pace herself she¡¯ll be useless. It¡¯s my job to protect my teammates and Sam doesn¡¯t need the protection as much as Zutiria does. I tank a couple blows here and there that were aimed at the Mage, and I am swift to return a quick Reflect!


    Every now and then Master will bark out advice, or a command for us to follow and his insight is perfect pretty much every time. I can definitely see why they both would want him around on each and every quest if that was an option! Even though we¡¯d be fine without him, I think, his presence makes things go that much more smoothly...


    With him at our side we fight... and we fight... and we fight some more!


    Whew... We¡¯ve been at it for hours now...


    Everyone¡¯s starting to get tired, even Master who hasn¡¯t really done much physical activity besides following along and keeping out of the way. We count up all the trophies we¡¯ve collected and it totals up to a whopping 42. Wow! The three of us just made 12,600G in a couple of hours!! That¡¯s... more gold than I¡¯ve ever seen in a whole month of doing fetch quests...


    Just as we¡¯re about to celebrate our good haul, something goes wrong. Master notices it first. No surprise there. He picks up on some rustling in the trees overhead and reflexively changes his position to run if something goes wrong.


    Then, something amazing flies out of the trees in the distance.


    It¡¯s... a huge moth. About twice as big as the Murderpillars and with an impressive wingspan to boot. What strikes me most is the amazing coloring it has! It... It¡¯s PINK! Whaaat? That¡¯s so weird! It has a little bit of green mixed in here and there but there¡¯s no denying this thing is primarily pink.


    It¡¯s also kinda cute if I¡¯m being honest- it¡¯s really fluffy and peaceful looking, like the guardian of a tranquil magical forest or something.


    ¡°Wow! Master, what¡¯s that thing?!¡± I smile and ask him without looking away.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s... shit... a Greater Murdermoth...!!¡± His voice shakes just a tiny bit... but it¡¯s more than enough to freak me the heck out. ¡°It¡¯s the final form... no, it¡¯s more like the FINAL final form of a Murderpillar. Something not even one in ten thousand Murderpillars will have the chance to grow into!¡±


    ¡°Huh. Those ugly fuckers grow up pretty cute, huh?¡± Sam tilts her head as she studies it.


    ¡®You were a very rough child yourself and you managed to pull it around, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°HEY!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°So it¡¯s just like the Murderpillars then right? The name is just a joke and it¡¯s actually no big deal!¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s named Murdermoth because it will fucking kill you if given the slightest opportunity.¡± Master takes a step back behind the three of us.


    ¡°Ah.¡± I say.


    ¡®Ah.¡¯ Zutiria says.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Sam says.


    ...


    ¡°W-W-W-WHAT DO WE DO?!¡± I instantly turn to face Master with panicked tears in my eyes. Cute or not cute, this thing is just as scary as Nikita now that he said that!!


    Then, something happens.


    The huge, beautiful pink moth looks directly at us and its long antennae perk right up. T-Then it somehow changes color, patterns and wing shape... oh... oh no. Now it¡¯s red, black and white, and it looks aggressive... a-and scariest of all is that its tail-end thingy now splits apart and reveals four black, hairy t-t-t-tentacles like in some of those f-fallen adventurer books I found in Master¡¯s closet.


    He doesn¡¯t have many of those, I... I think it hits too close to home, but maybe they were out of books he was interested in... or he just reads them en masse whether he likes the topic or not...


    ¡°It¡¯s noticed the three of you...¡± He spits out with great worry.


    ¡°Hey Boss, can¡¯t help but notice ya kinda left yourself out of that equation there.¡±


    Master coughs awkwardly and looks away. ¡°It¡¯s... a male.¡±


    ¡®Figures.¡¯ Zutiria sighs and shakes her head. ¡®You boys and your floppy, wiggling tendrils.¡¯


    ¡°Can we take it?!¡± Sam draws her great blade still coated with the blood of many a Murderpillar- I sure hope that this thing w-wasn¡¯t their parent or something...


    ¡®Best not to test it. I¡¯m not into the implications here at ALL. Everyone, use your Returners in 10 second intervals. Sir, you go first.¡¯


    ¡°No. You can take it.¡±


    Everyone looks at Master briefly, before making a conflicted expression.


    ¡°W-W-WHAT?!¡± I shout. This was supposed to be my first successful kill quest! It wasn¡¯t supposed to go like this!! S-STAND FIRM... STAND FIRM...!!

 A Shield’s Job

    Without any hesitation the Greater Murdermoth violently flutters its wings and shoots out two of its long, black tentacles towards Sam. She¡¯s exposed, I have to get to her in time!


    ¡°SAM!¡± Running as fast as I can I throw myself in front of the oncoming attack and root my feet in the ground. It was a close call, as in mere seconds t-the tentacles start wrapping around my shield and trying to pull me closer.


    ¡°Thanks, Meri! Hold it there!!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m... trying...!! This moth is stronger than it looks...!!¡± It¡¯s beating its wings hard, trying to pull back with enough momentum to pull me out of the ground like a weed... but I won¡¯t let it. I¡¯m standing firm!


    Using this brief little window the brave Princess raises her huge sword into the air and brings it down over the pair of black tentacles with a loud, ¡°HYAH!!¡±


    Her downward strike easily severs the tendrils and creates a powerful gash along the ground, sending bits and pieces of the forest scattering in its wake.


    The moth screams a terrifying and shrill cry. I didn¡¯t even know moths could scream to begin with! In any case, it¡¯s certainly not very happy at all about the damage, but... we can¡¯t let up our assault with just this!


    Zutiria takes the stage and points her pretty staff at the large foe and whispers, ¡°Neg... ati... ball...¡±


    One of those small orbs of concentrated darkness forms and fires off at decent speed, and the three of us get pumped for the resulting fallout of her attack!


    But...


    ¡°NO, DON¡¯T!¡± The master shouts from behind us causing a momentary panic. ¡°THE SCALES ON ITS WINGS CAN REFLECT MAGIC! I WAS LITERALLY JUST ABOUT TO SAY SO!¡±


    Zutiria¡¯s typically tired eyes shoot wide open and she watches as the giant enemy moth twirls gracefully about in midair to make sure that her dark orb hits the wings a-and sure enough... it sends it hurtling back towards Zutiria.


    ¡°I-I¡¯LL DO SOMETHING, I¡¯LL-¡± Wait, I can¡¯t...! Neither of my shield¡¯s forms can absorb or bounce back magic, so even if I could throw myself in front of her it¡¯d be no use... n-no... I still have to try... I...!!


    ¡°THERE¡¯S NO TIME, ZUZU! DODGE!¡±


    The little mage does her best to run away from her spot but it¡¯s too late! The exchange happens in the blink of an eye and the spell hits its caster. Her body jerks scarily as it shakes with encroaching darkness... Oh, no...!


    ¡°ZUZU!¡± Sam shouts.


    Zutiria falls to her knees and the color seems to drain from her face and even from her hair... when she looks up, even her eyes have become a duller shade of blue.


    ¡®It¡¯s... hopeless... I never should have left my tower... I¡¯m sorry for failing you, Sir...¡¯ She sighs and pulls her hat over her face to cover her shame.


    ¡°Zutiria... Meri, cover her until the spell wears off! It shouldn¡¯t take very long to blow over against the one who cast it, and her robes probably absorbed some of the potency as well!¡±


    W-well, I guess Mage armor has to be good at SOMETHING, right? That¡¯s already a lot better than whatever Sam¡¯s b-bikini has going for it...


    ¡°R-RIGHT!¡± I run in front of Zutiria and thrust my huge tower shield into the ground to serve as a barricade. I-I really wish I could use some of my mom¡¯s advanced techniques right about now... A Phalanx Wall would be so useful!!


    ¡°AND I¡¯LL GO AND KILL THAT THING IN ONE FUCKING SWING, I SWEAR TO BOTH OF THE FUCKING GODDESSES!¡± Sam makes a stance and prepares to run off towards the foe, but Boss yells out to stop her before she can take a step.


    ¡°SAM, FOCUS!¡±


    She instantly gets mad and looks back at him with genuine r-rage in her eyes... w-why is she so angry?! ¡°ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY I SHOULD JU-¡±


    ...


    Sam stops herself mid sentence and suddenly looks really ashamed of herself... she blushes and takes a deep breath. ¡°Right...¡± The Princess grips her sword tighter and slowly advances towards the deadly moth flying overhead in the distance.


    It stares at Sam like it¡¯s sizing her up, just idly flying in the same spot like it¡¯s no big deal... and then... like mad whips the two remaining black tentacles latch onto a mossy boulder from the ground below.


    The moth rips it out and dirt scatters everywhere! Oh no, this is bad...! It throws it at Sam!! I can¡¯t watch, it¡¯s heading straight for her... I can¡¯t tank a literal boulder with my shield like this, and I need to protect Zutiria... I... I...!!


    WHAAA?!


    F-for a brief second I watch as the anger returns to Sam¡¯s eyes. Then... she drops her sword into the soft earth below and throws her arms out in front of her. This... can¡¯t be happening. No way... I know Sam is strong, but...


    AH! SHE DID IT! SHE CAUGHT THE BOULDER IN HER ARMS A-AND NOW SHE¡¯S... SPINNING!?


    Sam throws it right back at the moth with a heavy grunt of exertion. I guess even for someone with Sam¡¯s strength that took a lot out of her...


    ¡°NICELY DONE!¡± Master beams with pride as the boulder hits the moth square in the ugly face! The boulder crumbles to pieces on impact and they fly every which way. Sadly, the thing isn¡¯t dead... it falls out of the sky and wiggles around like crazy from all the pain, though!


    ¡°Heh. I guess taking it slow and steady isn¡¯t so bad after all...¡± Sam smirks and picks up her sword, running off to the moth to finish it off.


    ¡®I¡¯m... ok now...¡¯ From behind me, Zutiria stands on her feet after using her staff to prop herself up. ¡®Nicely done, Sammy.¡¯ She smiles gently and I can tell she really does seem to be better now, with most of the color returned to her face.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Sam smirks right as she gets to the moth.


    ¡°Careful, it¡¯s only stunned! Don¡¯t let it take you by surprise!¡± Master¡¯s not yelling anymore, so I think we¡¯re in a somewhat good state right now...


    ¡°I know, I know!¡±


    Man... I¡¯m glad this battle went this well, but I wish I could''ve contributed more than I ended up doing.


    Sam reaches our big boss monster and raises her sword over her head... she brings it down with another of her powerful down slashes aiming to cleave this thing¡¯s head off in one blow! But... t-the two remaining tentacles shoot out from its backside and wrap themselves like vines around Sam¡¯s great blade- stopping the attack right then and there.


    This is really, really bad...!!


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Sam gets angry again super quick but it makes her lose focus all of a sudden and the huge moth headbutts her straight in the gut! From the shock of the impact she drops her sword and hurtles back into a tree so strongly that the force breaks it in half... I-IT¡¯S FALLING DOWN ON SAM!!


    ¡°MERI BE... ACK- BE READY!!¡±


    W-what? That voice wasn¡¯t Master... that was...


    Zutiria slams her staff down on the ground and yells, ¡°SWAPSHADDA!¡± She falls over from the pain and clutches her throat in tears a-and before I can even try to help her a horrifying sinking feeling sets in... literally! I start falling into my own shadow.


    Soon everything is dark and twisting chaos that my body hurtles through. I can see s-scary eyes staring at me from a thousand different directions a-and I don¡¯t even have time to be creeped out about it because soon enough Sam zips past me and I see a bright light.


    Then, POP! I¡¯m exactly where Sam was and she¡¯s now where I used to be. Wow, what a handy spell! I could¡¯ve gone without the horrifying tunnel of darkness b-but... WAIT THE TREE IS ABOUT TO FALL ON ME!! ¡°HYAA!!¡±


    I root myself into the ground and throw my shield over my head... I absorb the blow... aaaand... ¡°REFLECT!¡±


    BOOM!


    While it¡¯s not a giant burst of energy or anything, I¡¯m able to bounce the tree off of me and plenty far away from the others. It lands safely on the ground around ten feet away, leaving the only danger left being the nearby moth that¡¯s already gearing up to take to the skies again.


    Master runs to Sam and Zutiria¡¯s side. ¡°GIRLS!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, fuck... let m-my guard down for ONE fuckin¡¯ second and look where it gets me...¡± Sam coughs as she holds her poor tummy.


    ¡®Meri... I¡¯m.. almost out of mana and... I¡¯m... in a lot... of pain... m-make this count...¡¯ Zutiria is on the ground but she somehow against all odds manages to sit up and point her staff one final time. My adrenaline goes crazy as I pump harder and harder, strangely excited about what kind of crazy spell she¡¯s gonna use this time!


    ¡°L... ift.¡± The Mage says before hitting the ground again and knocking herself out from lack of mana.


    Eh? That sounds kinda basic...


    The scattered remains of the boulder that shattered earlier in the battle all fly into the air and hover above the moth¡¯s wing right before it manages to take off in flight.


    Then, they stop floating and the weight of a boulder all drops down and pins it to the ground. I-I guess it can reflect magic but only actual magic energy and not physical objects moved by magic. Makes sense.


    As the rocks drop the Greater Murdermoth wails in pain once more. It struggles and while trying to get out from under the weight it ends up tearing off a big chunk of one of its wings! The moth then tries to fly again but it doesn¡¯t end up going so well. It falls to the forest below after getting about ten feet into the air- it just can¡¯t make up for the large portion of its wing that it just lost.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ NICE.¡± Sam smirks as she tries to hobble up on her feet again, before falling over too. ¡°Shit... You gotta finish it, Meri. I¡¯m... ngh... having trouble getting my breath back...¡±


    ¡°Stay still, Sam. Meri¡¯s got this. Right?¡± Master looks at me with conviction and he gives me the sense that he answered for me.


    ¡°R-Right!¡± I nod my head back at him and he smiles warmly back.


    ¡°Gods, I fucking need some real armor...¡± Sam grunts in pain as she grabs her stomach again.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it later. It¡¯s indeed a problem that we should have addressed far sooner...¡± Master sighs and holds up Zutiria in his arms to check on her condition, leaving me alone to deal with the writhing monster.


    I-I gotta be careful here. I switch my shield back into buckler form as I start approaching it and the moth watches my every move carefully... it¡¯s so creepy the way it stares at me like that but I¡¯m not afraid... no, I-I can do this!


    I close the distance a bit more and it suddenly whips one of its remaining tentacles at me while letting out a piercing shriek. I was expecting this! It doesn¡¯t want me to get close enough to kill it, so as soon I¡¯m in distance it reaches out and I slice a large chunk off before it can latch on to me again.


    This isn¡¯t so bad! I just need to watch out for big attacks like what it did to Sam... then again... I do have something I could do to make an opening! I didn¡¯t use it earlier because it would¡¯ve distracted everyone, but now... now I bet it¡¯d work just fine!


    ¡°Everyone! Close your eyes, please!! I-I¡¯m gonna use one of my tools!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± Master says.


    ¡°You got it!¡± Sam yells out.


    With their confirmation I reach out to the side of my fauld and pull out something my dad made for me. Since I can¡¯t use all the techniques and forms my mom could, he came up with some ideas to compensate... they¡¯re a bit bulky so I have to strap them to my waist armor and I can only carry three on each side.


    I carefully hold the long, pin shaped object by the handle and twist the cap far enough to activate it. Then, I throw it out towards the Greater Murdermoth!


    ... Ah! Shields up, that¡¯s right! I-I can¡¯t forget that part!


    Thankfully I block my vision with my buckler just in time, and an overwhelmingly bright light explodes from the flashbang right in front of the moth¡¯s face. It screams louder than ever before and I can hear it thrashing about, but that¡¯s not the only one I can hear thrashing.


    ¡°SHIT, MY EYES!¡± Sam shouts from behind me.


    ¡°W-WHAT?! I TOLD YOU TO CLOSE THEM!¡±


    ¡°I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA DO SOME KINDA COOL SECRET MOVE, NOT BLIND ME! AHHH- FUCK!¡±


    I hear Master sigh heavily and I can imagine he¡¯s probably rubbing his temples like he always does when he gets too stressed out... heh... it¡¯s a cute thought.


    Once the light dies out, I confirm that my enemy is stunned just as badly as I was hoping for. I know moths are attracted to light and all that, so thankfully it didn¡¯t have some weird reaction where it ended up making it stronger. That would have been bad... but I guess I¡¯m just overthinking things!


    While it¡¯s still thrashing around violently it doesn¡¯t see me get close enough to make my next attack. I pull my arm back and shout, ¡°HYAH!¡± driving my sword into its face once, twice, three times... I-I lose count from here but I keep going long after it stops its death throes.


    Its squicky green blood coats my sword and splatters all over my armor which was already plenty dirtied from all the Murderpillars I killed today. Pulling my sword away, I take a deep breath of relief... I... I did it... I actually did it! I didn¡¯t just kill a monster, I beat a really strong boss monster with everyone¡¯s help!


    As I turn around to rejoin my friends, I can¡¯t help thinking... Mom... if only you could see me now, I-


    Crack.


    Wha?


    Crack crack crack.


    ¡°SHIT, MERI IT¡¯S MOLTING!¡± Master screams at me and I look over my shoulder in sudden panic to see it.


    N-No... this can¡¯t be happening... The Greater Murdermoth is not only alive, but it¡¯s shedding its entire skin! The huge insect crawls out of its husk and I can¡¯t believe my eyes... all the damage that we did... it¡¯s all gone. It was like the entire battle never happened... all three severed tentacles are replaced and the moth takes to the skies with fresh wings. Its body is coated in a transparent slimy liquid that trails down onto the emptied husk below.


    ¡°THIS SHOULDN¡¯T BE HAPPENING, IT¡¯S NOT THE RIGHT SEASON FOR THIS! WE NEED TO USE OUR RETURNERS, NOW!¡±


    ¡°BOSS, WE CAN¡¯T! ZUZU¡¯S STILL OUT COLD AND ONLY THREE OF US COULD TELEPORT OR ELSE WE¡¯D... AGH, YOU KNOW!!¡± Sam tries to protest, but...


    ¡°SHIT- I CAN¡¯T... I can¡¯t make a decision like this...¡± Master bites his lip and angrily punches the earth. ¡°Someone needs to stay here and try to escape with Zutiria... but that¡¯s... a death sentence... I REFUSE TO LET ANYONE DIE HERE!¡±


    Master takes off his glasses and stares down the enemy so hard that he starts bleeding out of his eyes intensely. ¡°THERE HAS TO BE A WAY!¡± He shouts. ¡°THERE HAS TO BE A WEAK POINT, THERE-¡± Master pauses before he cries out in pain.


    ¡°BOSS!¡±


    ¡°Master...¡± I swallow nervously and stare down the enemy. ¡°I can do this... I¡¯m not a little girl playing pretend anymore... I¡¯m... I¡¯M A SHIELD MAIDEN! NO ONE¡¯S GONNA DIE HERE, NOT IF I CAN HELP IT-¡±


    As soon as I make my bold declaration, the monster shoots out its tentacles faster than before and wraps them all around my limbs before picking me up off the ground and throwing me as far as it can into yet another tree. I-It might be strong but it doesn¡¯t have a lot of tactics, I guess... gah, focus, Meri! Now isn¡¯t the time for silly observations!


    The impact of the tree doesn¡¯t cause it to topple over unlike the last time, and it doesn¡¯t hurt as much as it did Sam because... well... I¡¯m wearing not only armor but a heavy gambeson for padding... not a bikini. Still, it... it hurts... I knew it... I can¡¯t stand pain... n-not even a little bit... but...


    I¡¯m able to get up quick enough. It still takes a lot of my stamina just to remain upright, but I¡¯m on my own two feet and my buckler sword is still just as sharp... I... I can... somehow... maybe still end this...


    But before I can even size up my options, Master suddenly runs in front of me holding that same old knife from the other day. ¡°Stay back! Use one of the stamina potions while I cover you!!¡±


    ¡°BOSS COME BACK, LET ME DO IT! I CAN STILL HELP, I-¡± Sam places Zutiria down on the grass and tries to run over to where we are with her sword in hand but she trips and falls over herself.


    The Greater Murdermoth pays it no mind and starts advancing on Master, who¡¯s intent on protecting me... he¡¯s so reliable... dependable... and he¡¯s never let anything happen to us if he could help it.


    It¡¯s so weird to think that in such a short amount of time I¡¯ve managed to... completely fall for this scary, perverted Guild Master... especially when he¡¯s such and idiot.


    ¡°Let... me... do... my... JOB!¡± I shout angrily and grab him by the back of his vest and throw him behind me using all of my strength. I hear him land in the undergrowth.


    ¡°MERI!¡±


    ¡°SHIELDS DON¡¯T NEED TO BE PROTECTED!¡±


    The Greater Murdermoth screams defiantly and starts whipping its wings around like crazy. It raises its head into the air before hurtling its entire body towards me in a brutally strong tackle.


    I switch back to my tower shield and grit my teeth for the oncoming assault. My feet are planted into the ground and I smash my barricade straight into its face and refuse to let it move me... not... an... inch... no matter how much it hurts... no matter the cost... I won¡¯t ever let myself be protected again... I...


    I WILL PROTECT EVERYONE I CARE ABOUT, AND I WON¡¯T LET SOME OVERSIZED BUG STAND IN MY WAY!


    ¡°REFLECT!¡±


    My shield glows brighter than ever before... it¡¯s so bright that it looks almost like... Mom¡¯s... I almost feel like I can see her smiling at me, b-but... it¡¯s just my imagination.


    What isn¡¯t my imagination is the immense shockwave that erupts like a volcano out of my shield. It booms louder than the moth could ever hope to scream and the sheer force of it is.. Astonishing. This isn¡¯t a Reflect I should be able to do... this... this massive attack of mine back uproots a few nearby trees and blows them away like it was nothing.


    I didn¡¯t just send back the attack a little bit stronger than it was to begin with... this had to be at least two... n-no... four times stronger...?!


    The Greater Murdermoth¡¯s head caves in like a meteorite creating a massive crater... this is my chance... I won... I won so I need to do it properly!!


    As my attack finally finishes its powerful last echoes I shout the only thing I could think of.


    ¡°GET... F... FRICKIN¡¯ SQUASHED!!¡±


    What remains of the moth is sent twenty feet away and I can¡¯t even admire my own work. I fall flat on my face with a clunk and groan. At least the ground is nice and soft here...


    ¡°MERI!¡± Sam and Master shout in unison as soon as I¡¯m down.


    Sam reaches me first, and I think she¡¯s mostly recovered by now. She picks me up and smiles proudly with tears in her eyes. ¡°Holy shit, you fuckin¡¯ did it you... you...¡± The Princess wipes her tears when I smile back at her.


    ¡°I-Is my shield ok...?¡±


    Sam picks it up and grins before handing it to me.


    ¡°Yup. Good as ne-¡±


    CRACK.


    ...


    This time, it¡¯s not the moth shedding yet another husk. Now it¡¯s something far, far worse.


    M-Mom... Mom¡¯s power gem... it... it cracked even more...


    CRACK.


    ¡°NO... NO!!¡±


    CRACK.


    I gasp and start crying my eyes out as I cradle the shield like it was actually her... I used what little of her energy was left in the gem and it... it¡¯s...


    With one last giant crack the bright red gem in the center of Mom¡¯s shield becomes nothing more than dust that scatters itself into the gentle breeze.


    ¡°She¡¯s... she¡¯s really gone...¡± I can¡¯t even bring myself to cry anymore. The realization just... hits me... really deep.


    ¡°I SWEAR I DIDN¡¯T DO IT, I-IT WAS JUST FINE WHEN I HANDED IT TO YOU!!¡± Sam starts panicking and waving her hands around trying to show that it wasn¡¯t her fault.


    I just nod my head slowly. Of course it wasn¡¯t her fault...


    My victory suddenly tastes like ashes in my mouth. I can¡¯t feel anything. There isn¡¯t any pain... no pride... just...


    ¡°G-Girls...¡±


    Huh?


    Sam and I both glance back over where I threw Master and we see him toppled over and clutching his chest. His face is red and sweating profusely as he struggles to draw breath.


    ¡°I... I am fairly confident... I¡¯m... having a heart attack...¡±


    ...


    Sam and I share a muted look at each other and then back at Master.


    ...


    Are you fucking kidding me?


    PunishedKom

 Victory Fanfare

    Is life truly nothing more than a sick fucking joke?


    A heart attack... now of all times? Sure. There¡¯s not exactly ever a ¡®good¡¯ time to have a heart attack but... really? Just when Meri stood up for herself and defeated the strongest monster my adventurers have encountered yet...?


    Fuck all of this... just... fuck it...


    ¡°BOSS, YOU CAN¡¯T DIE! I WON¡¯T ALLOW IT!¡± Sam screams as she falls to the ground to cradle me in her arms.


    ¡°MASTER, NO! NOT NOW! NOT NOWWWW!¡± Meri too joins my side and cries.


    ¡°Help... s-shirt... can¡¯t... breath...¡±


    ¡°YOU GOT IT!¡± Sam quickly rips my shirt and vest off like tearing through paper, and it makes it just a bit easier on me. I feel like I can breathe properly now, at least...


    ¡°Wait, what the shit?¡± Sam looks at me not only with concern but confusion.


    Meri gasps and points at my chest. ¡°Oh... OH!!¡± She smiles and blushes brightly. Very appropriate.


    Then, I¡¯m met with my own shock as during all the throes of my intense pain I clutch over my heart directly and... feel something... hard coming out. ¡°W-What?!¡±


    Looking down I can see the head of what looks like a small circular jewel coming out just above my heart, and it¡¯s shining brilliantly with abundant magic.


    ¡°I remember now...!¡± The Shield Maiden¡¯s eyes glimmer with adoration. ¡°Mom said that a Shield Maiden gets her power from the one¡¯s she¡¯s sworn to protect... I didn¡¯t know she meant literally!¡±


    ¡°So that thing is-¡± Sam starts.


    ¡°Causing me a FUCK LOAD of pain? Why yes it is, Sam. HELP-¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s a Gratitude Crystal! It¡¯s the first stage of a Power Gem!¡± Meri is completely relieved and pays almost no mind to my suffering at this point.


    ¡°Is he gonna be fine then?¡± Sam asks casually, losing a lot of her concern now that it¡¯s confirmed to be some sort of magic bullshit.


    ¡°He should be.¡± Meri tilts her head. ¡°Are you ok, Master?¡±


    ¡°NO.¡±


    Sam gets behind me and pins me from behind. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s speed this up then. Meri?¡±


    ¡°NO, MERI. DO NOT-¡±


    ¡°Ok, Sam!¡±


    ¡°PULL!¡±


    Using her intense strength to cease my excessive thrashing, Sam easily holds me in place as Meri starts pulling on the top of the jewel currently phasing through my pectoral muscle. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s AS bad, but it¡¯s probably tied with Zutiria¡¯s sudden tattoo as the most painful experience of my life thus far.


    ¡°STOP STOP STOP STOP STOP-¡±


    ¡°Al... most... there...!!!¡± Meri grits her teeth and as more of the jewel starts to come out she can use her other hand to start pulling even harder, sending even further spasms of pain throughout my body.


    ¡°PULL, PULL!¡± Sam continues to happily cheer her on as my breath becomes more labored and pained, sweat running out of every pore on my body.


    ¡°WHY IS GRATITUDE SO FUCKING PAINFUL?!¡± I shout to anyone who will listen.


    ¡°M-maybe you¡¯re supposed... to feel... the pain... I went through to save you...?¡± Meri struggles as she pulls and pulls.


    ¡°BULLSHIT, WHO FUCKING THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA, I¡¯LL KILL THE BASTA-¡±


    ¡°C¡¯MON BOSS, IT¡¯S COMING!¡± Sam starts laughing maniacally, apparently deciding that this is a hilarious comedy routine.


    ¡°THERE!¡± Meri shouts in triumph as she yanks out a small, perfectly rounded jewel the size of a small apple from my chest. She admires the newly created Gratitude Crystal while I continue to struggle with the painful aftershocks of the trial I just endured.


    ¡°Looks kinda small compared to your old one.¡± Sam tilts her head.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not a full on Power Gem yet. The shield should fit itself around it, just watch-¡± Meri scurries back over to grab her shield where she left it and she places it against the divot where the former gem used to reside. Surprisingly, the crystal glows as the shield absorbs it and resizes the divot to be the perfect size for the much smaller stone.


    ¡°Please... PLEASE tell me that was just a one time thing.¡± I ask between heavy breaths.


    Meri blushes and stops admiring her new jewel long enough to remember to be concerned for me. ¡°O-Oh, um. Yes. It should be... the Gratitude Crystal should grow stronger if I just keep saving people like today... I think. My mom didn¡¯t have that happen to everyone she saved after all.¡±


    Sam smiles and heads off to pick up Zutiria, still passed out from her mana exhaustion. ¡°All¡¯s well that ends well, huh?¡±


    ¡°Maybe. How does it work?¡± I ask Meri.


    ¡°Oh, well... um... should be the same as normal, except that I¡¯ll be able to do more stuff with my shield once it gets stronger. My Reflects might be a bit stronger now too, but I think what happened earlier was a special occasion... t-they probably won¡¯t be that strong again anytime soon...¡± She nervously laughs and blushes.


    ¡°W-what about that, though?¡± Meri points towards the remains of the Greater Murdermoth. ¡°There wasn¡¯t a quest for it but do you think the Association would still pay us for defeating it?¡±


    I let out a deep sigh, most of the pain has subsided and now I¡¯m just a topless, ragged and sweaty mess. ¡°Yes, though it won¡¯t be worth as much as if there was a quest. It¡¯ll involve a lot more paperwork on my end as I¡¯ll have to detail everything that happened and submit a report, file a claim, send in proof of kill...¡±


    After she sets down the unconscious Mage by my side Sam goes over to the corpse of our former foe with her sword in tow. She hefts it over her shoulder and looks back as she asks, ¡°What should I cut off?¡±


    ¡°The tentacles. All four of them, they¡¯ll want to make sure we didn¡¯t just get lucky and lop one off and then escape... it¡¯s going to be a nightmare shipping those, Gods... I¡¯d imagine we could at least get thirty percent for it. Roughly 30,000G...¡±


    ¡°Shit, all that work for chump change? Eh... I guess it¡¯s better than nothing. Stupid Guild. Whaaaatever...¡± Sam gets to work slicing off the fresh tentacles, leaving me a brief moment of calm with Meri.


    She¡¯s still admiring her new Gratitude Crystal and I can hardly blame her. It¡¯s very pretty for one, and more importantly it¡¯s proof of her growth as a warrior. As a person. She¡¯s changed an awful lot since showing up on my doorstep barely a week ago...


    ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Meri.¡± I say out loud, my face contorting into a tired smile.


    ¡°W-what?!¡± She once again snaps out of her trance only to nervously blush and smile. ¡°Oh. Um. Thank you... I did my best.¡±


    ¡°I should never have doubted you or tried to cover for you. I¡¯m embarrassed I even felt the need.¡±


    ¡°Master, you just did what any chivalrous man would do in that situation...¡± She giggles ever so softly and looks away. ¡°Maybe just next time save it for a girl who actually needs your help.¡±


    ¡°Are you teasing me, Meri?¡±


    ¡°N-NO!!¡± She blushes and sweats before correcting herself. ¡°I-I mean yes, I¡¯m trying to. But it¡¯s not going so well.¡±


    Both of us share a small laugh at her own expense. ¡°For real, you did good.¡±


    Meri looks down. ¡°Thank you, but... What made you think we could take down the monster?¡±


    ¡°Is it too cliche to say that I believed in you? Really, I don¡¯t have much more than that...¡± I simply state. ¡°Although something¡¯s bothering me. This is the second time a strong monster has defied my predictions when by all means it shouldn¡¯t have...¡±


    ¡°Um, I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±


    I shake my head. ¡°A couple of weeks ago the three of us killed a number of Brood Wolves. They were all adolescents and for no reason should an adult have been anywhere near them, yet one appeared anyway. Now we encountered a powerful Greater Murdermoth which was able to shed its skin on command allowing it to basically get a free full heal despite it being nowhere near shedding season. I realize the two are completely separate events and hardly have much in common, but... My mind is analytical. I can¡¯t help seeing patterns even if there aren¡¯t any.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh I see.¡± Meri twiddles her thumbs awkwardly. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about monster behaviour, but maybe you should just keep an eye on it? This is just my opinion but t-two times could be a coincidence but... three times would make it a pattern.¡±


    ¡°... Yes, I agree.¡± I nod. I have a habit of thinking on and on and on about all manner of things yet... it¡¯s best not to get ahead of myself.


    ¡°SHIT NOT AGAIN, AGH!¡± Sam screams over in the distance and we both look straight at her, which turns out to be a mistake.


    A bright light flashes with no warning as soon as Sam finishes carving off the last tentacle stunning the three of us. Especially me. I still hadn¡¯t put my glasses back on and, well... even if they WERE on, bright lights are still my enemy. This hurts a lot, but hey... at least it¡¯s not another Gratitude Crystal.


    As soon as the light fades the corpse of the Greater Murdermoth fades away into a sudden sparkling explosion of magic. Nothing too bright thankfully, but surprisingly nonetheless. Not as surprising as what happens next, though.


    The earth begins to rumble, and everyone freaks the fuck out.


    ¡°ANOTHER ENEMY?! WHERE!?¡± Sam looks around with her sword in one hand and a big burlap sack full of tentacles in the other.


    ¡°N-NO, LOOK!¡± Meri points towards the largest tree in the vicinity. Overgrown and ancient looking, it stands proudly distinct from all the other trees in our line of sight. Stranger still is that it was entirely unassuming until this very point, and it¡¯s clearly where the rumbling is coming from. As soon as the rumbling is done, however, a gigantic door appears on the surface of the tree facing all of us.


    ¡°No fucking way.¡± I shake my head in disbelief.


    ¡°W-Wait a second, that¡¯s...?¡± Sam gulps and a bead of sweat trickles down her brow.


    ¡°Oh my...! T-this is... I¡¯ve heard that slaying certain enemies can sometimes make one appear, but... but that¡¯s...¡± Meri too can hardly hold back her surprise.


    ¡°A dungeon.¡± I stare at the magnificently tall tree with a slack jaw, only for a voice to ring patronizingly in my ear.


    ¡®Ask and ye shall receive, you ungrateful dick. Now gimme all of that ambrosia shit when you¡¯re less sweaty and I guess we¡¯ll have a talk or something if we really have to... UGH.¡¯ The Goddess groans.

 Aftercare

    ¡°Dear. Even if you can get the village chief to sign off and submit a dungeon registration form, you know there¡¯s no way in all the realms I¡¯m letting you send those girls in without a healer, right?¡± Opalina stands over me as imposingly as she can, staring straight into my eyes as I lay down compliantly on one of the patient beds in her clinic.


    Meri, Sam and Zutiria all have their own beds nearby. It was a pretty rough day for everyone, all things considered.


    Sam had it the easiest and is just chilling out but Zutiria needed a small treatment for her throat and her exhaustion. Meanwhile Meri tore a ton of her muscles thanks to her massive final Reflect, and I¡¯m just generally still feeling abysmal thanks to my pseudo heart attack.


    Opalina is in a very stern mood, but she still patches everyone up like it¡¯s nothing at all.


    ¡°Honestly, you all should have warped back home as soon as you saw that thing. I don¡¯t care that you won, I care that you¡¯re somehow alive. I don¡¯t like the idea of you all taking giant risks like that when you don¡¯t have to.¡± She sighs and puts her wand back into her coat pocket before leaning against the nearest wall. ¡°Especially you.¡±


    ¡°Who, me?¡± I ask sarcastically much to Opalina¡¯s annoyance.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have gone along at all, Dear.¡± She says in a progressively threatening tone.


    ¡°M-Miss Hart, um... Master was just looking out for us all and... m-mostly me...¡± Meri meekly manages to add, at risk of catching Opalina¡¯s ire next.


    Opal raises an eyebrow, ¡°The new girl calls you Master now, does she?¡±


    Meri blushes and stammers while trying to explain herself, Sam laughs and Zutiria just sighs. ¡®It wasn¡¯t his fault things ended up this way. Something weird happened with the monsters again, according to him.¡¯


    ¡°What does she mean by that, Dear?¡±


    I explain how it wasn¡¯t the right season for Greater Murdermoths to shed their skin, and compared it to the behaviour the adult Brood Wolf exhibited a few weeks ago. She seems interested.


    ¡°I suppose you might be onto something, but that doesn¡¯t give you an excuse to keep putting yourself on the frontline. You¡¯re not some Hero leading the charge, and you won¡¯t ever be.¡± Opalina sighs and puts that as nicely as she can.


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a Hero, I¡¯m trying to guide them and relay information as the battle unfolds. I¡¯ve no interest in doing the combat myself.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I just can¡¯t see it.¡± Sam shakes her head. ¡°Boss? Swinging around a sword...?¡±


    ¡®Perish the thought.¡¯ Zutiria mockingly gasps.


    ¡°T-That wouldn¡¯t make much sense to me, either...¡± Meri admits and hangs her head.


    ...


    Opalina laughs at me playfully and rubs my head.


    ¡°Well, thanks for the vote of confidence everyone.¡± I say as I roll my eyes.


    The good doctor regains her seriousness and asks, ¡°If you really want to watch over them from afar there are Mages who specialize in that kind of thing, you know. Though they don¡¯t work cheap and I¡¯m assuming you¡¯re looking for a more stable solution than a crystal ball.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s no matter. We have more pressing things to handle right now anyway.¡±


    Opalina sighs and shakes her head. ¡°There¡¯s no way Abner will submit a form to the Association to register this new dungeon, you know? Not with the Duke putting pressure on him.¡±


    Sam is naive to all this so it''s no surprise to me when she asks, ¡°Why does it matter if the dungeon is registered or not? Can¡¯t we just storm in-¡± She stops mid sentence as soon as Opalina gives the Princess a threatening glare. ¡°A-After we have ourselves a healer, of course...?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m rather interested as well, I must admit. Give me the details of yet more of the Guild¡¯s unnecessary bureaucracy, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria looks at me and it¡¯s gotten to the point where I legitimately can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s being sarcastic or not.


    ¡°Dungeons are the property of the nearest town they spawn in. They need to be properly submitted and classified by the Association before groups of adventurers are allowed to go dungeon crawling in them.¡± I sigh, having to recite yet more policy. At least this example is less egregious than some of the other things I¡¯ve had to drone on about. Ascertaining the danger level of a dungeon instead of just allowing anyone with a sword and a deathwish inside is just common sense really.


    ¡°T-That sounds fair enough.¡± Meri nods her head.


    ¡°Normally I wouldn¡¯t be so upset about this... but I know we don¡¯t have much chance of getting the dungeon registered. Not with how things are.¡±


    The atmosphere in the room turns dark and foul, as if we didn¡¯t just have a big victory a few mere hours ago. I don¡¯t mean to drag things down by any means, but the thought alone is more than enough to sour my mood.


    Inside that dungeon lies danger, yes, but also has Goddess knows what sort of treasure.


    Dungeons are often the result of Gods or Goddesses becoming bored and having nothing better to do than watching would-be heroes struggle against the odds like it were some sort of sport. They create challenging, dangerous monster-stuffed layouts and fill them with magical artifacts and treasure. Any adventurers who delve even just a bit deep will be rewarded heavily for their courage, both with physical treasure and a certain measure of fame as well.


    If we had access to a dungeon then there¡¯s no telling what sort of power ups Sam, Zutiria and Meri could get. Needless to say the treasure would help tremendously with our monetary issues, too.


    But I¡¯m at war with the Duke of Dewhurst, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯ll allow me to simply beef up my soldiers with magical artifacts. Not if he can help it- and thanks to fucking bureaucracy he can. I was already planning on visiting Abner, but now I suppose I¡¯ll have to make time for it.


    Tomorrow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think the local lord m-might be able to submit one, do you?¡± Meri suggests. ¡°Um... if he¡¯s in the Duke¡¯s pocket too then nevermind then... just trying to be helpful.¡±


    ¡°That could work, right?¡± Sam excitedly sits on the edge of her bed.


    ¡®I get the feeling that it¡¯s not going to be that easy.¡¯ Zutiria sighs quietly out loud.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve already told Dear not to expect any help from Lord Gloomcrest.¡± Opalina sighs and shakes her head yet again. Geez, would it kill anyone to make the situation a little less grim for a while?


    ¡°And why are you so sure?¡± I ask. ¡°You were all but certain the other day when I asked you about going to him. But you didn¡¯t explain why.¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve met him in the past, multiple times. He¡¯s a good man but very distant, solemn and introspective... He used to be much more involved in his Province and twenty years ago I imagine he¡¯d never have let Dewhurst fall into the state that it¡¯s become... But these days he¡¯s... well, I can hardly blame him after everything that¡¯s happened. Poor man never even leaves the sanctuary of his castle.¡± She sighs.


    ¡°I had no idea you were friends with the Lord of the Province.¡± I tilt my head.


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things you don¡¯t know about me, Dear.¡± The mature woman simply winks and blows a kiss my way, much to my embarrassment.


    ¡°Why the fuck did he change so much?¡± Sam groans. ¡°It¡¯d be real fuckin¡¯ nice if we had SOME sort of ally with some political sway around here.¡±


    I can agree with that...


    ¡°What, you mean like the King?¡± I sarcastically tease her and narrowly avoid the pillow the Princess throws at me.


    ¡®Whatever the case, people change. It¡¯s not our business to pry.¡¯


    I nod my head, ¡°Sounds reaaaal relatable. Like I could grab a beer with him... Guess talking to Abner really is the only option here.¡±


    ¡°I mean, we could also like... NOT report the dungeon...¡± Sam whistles innocently.


    A cute thought, and I won¡¯t lie. Under normal circumstances I might¡¯ve agreed with her, but...


    ¡°Just because Nikita threatened the rogues following me around doesn¡¯t mean they aren¡¯t still watching. If I did something so brazen, there¡¯s no chance they wouldn¡¯t use it against me and report me to the association.¡±


    ¡°Shit...¡± Sam groans and falls backwards against the bed.


    Zutiria stretches, dusts herself off and gets up off of her mattress before grabbing her staff and her kill trophy bag. ¡®I don¡¯t know about the rest of you but I¡¯m ready to head home... The day has been long and full of creepy crawlies, and I am ready to be done with it.¡¯


    ¡°Head... home...¡± Meri looks at me and bites her lip expectantly.


    That¡¯s right. Amidst all the excitement of the day I had almost forgotten that Meri and I were going to talk about that kiss and where we¡¯re going from here, but a part of me thinks that isn¡¯t even necessary at this point. I have a rough idea of what she wants, and... I have some ideas on how to give it to her.


    As Meri becomes lost in her daydreams, Opalina gives me a coy look and smiles. She leans over and whispers into my ear as soon as I get up off the bed, ¡°Is it happening?¡±


    I blush a bit and nod my head excitedly. ¡°I believe so.¡±


    The older woman smiles a devilish smile, ¡°Well you kids have fun tonight, alright? Don¡¯t get up to anything I wouldn¡¯t.¡± Opalina escorts us out of the clinic with that cryptic line.


    ¡°Bye Mom!¡± Sam jokingly waves as we leave.


    When we make it back to the Guild for the day it¡¯s half past five. Our excursion was a long and tiring one even after we got healed by the good doctor and I speak for all of us that it¡¯s very good to be home. Unfortunately I won¡¯t be able to relax just yet, someone has to feed these girls and that same someone has to file an arbitrary amount of paperwork. Joy.


    Better to take care of dinner first.


    ¡°Sam, Zutiria, I could use some help in the kitchen.¡± I lie.


    Both girls notice that this is a strange request for me to make, but I urge them again and thankfully they listen.


    And then I tell them my plans for Meri this evening.


    ¡°Holy SHIT, Boss. You sure she¡¯s gonna be into that?¡± Sam is concerned, but it hardly shows behind her visible lust. She couldn¡¯t be any hornier for Meri if she tried.


    ¡®Sounds about right to me, considering all the books she¡¯s been reading. Just ease her into it and when it¡¯s time we¡¯ll be there to help, Sir.¡¯ The little Mage is more chill about it but I can feel some enthusiasm coming from her words as well.


    Seems everyone¡¯s just as excited as I am for a new bedmate to share our massive mattress with.


    Dinner comes and goes, and it¡¯s time for me to get to the paperwork. Of course I issue a small warning, first. ¡°Meri. Do the dishes, please... and meet me in my office in one hour. No excuses.¡± I say this as coldly and plainly as I can right after finishing the last bite of my steak and standing up from the table.


    At my words Sam and Zutiria each blush a tiny bit and sneak off upstairs to prepare the room as per my instructions.


    ¡°Eh? W-what do you... ah... ok...?¡± Meri tilts her head and blushes with confusion. Since she thought this might be her special night, I¡¯m sure being ordered around like this will send her some mixed signals. Especially since I¡¯ve never asked her to do anything housework related before.


    All part of the plan.


    I want to keep her on her toes so that what happens next really throws her for a loop.


    When I retire to my office to fill out the necessary paperwork for today¡¯s quests, I find myself staring at the shining bottle of ambrosia that Nikita gifted to me. The Goddess herself referenced it when unveiling the dungeon to me, so I guess that really does verify one thing at the very least.


    The mysterious voice guiding me along really is a Goddess, and not some bored Mage playing a prank on me. Otherwise there¡¯d be no dungeon and they certainly wouldn¡¯t be excitedly expecting a gift of ambrosia from me.


    If I only had more time I¡¯d make the offering right now, but I have no idea how long that might take and I¡¯d prefer to have my Shield Maiden tonight rather than a new round of Goddess induced stress headaches.


    I¡¯ll make the offering tomorrow when the girls are out doing quests. I¡¯ve decided.


    I scribble and I scrawl my way through countless stacks of paperwork as per usual. Gods what I wouldn¡¯t give for a secretary to do all the basic yet time consuming nonsense... It¡¯s like an endless uphill battle with these things, but thankfully I¡¯m able to finish just a bit before the fated hour is up. There¡¯s a knock at my door.


    ¡°M-Master...? I¡¯m here...¡± Meri meekly calls out from the other side.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    Meri approaches, she seems to have changed into her sleepwear after she finished with the dishes. The young Shield Maiden is wearing some very tight pajama pants that hug her curves and a pretty, white camisole.


    Her face is already entirely red from the moment she steps in. She knows what this is about, even if she doesn¡¯t know what exactly I¡¯m about to do to her.


    ¡°Um... about this morning... I... I¡¯ve... never felt this w-way about someone before a-a-a-and I... y-y-you... m-m-me...¡±


    Poor Meri. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make this much simpler for you.


    ¡°Come here.¡± I order with a firm voice.


    ¡°Y-Yes.¡± The short haired brunette hangs her head and approaches slowly, dragging out the sense of anticipation even further. When she reaches my desk, I pull something out from my drawer and stand up to greet her.


    ¡°Meri.¡± I lean over the desk and slowly remove my glasses, taking in the beauty of her young, round body full of delicious curves with my naked eyes.


    ¡°M-M-Ma... Master... I...¡±


    I put my finger over her lips and go, ¡°Shhhh.¡±


    Meri nods her head weakly in compliance, though she averts her gaze, blushing madly.


    I circle around the desk to stand face to face with her and taking her hand into mine, I place the smooth, black satin blindfold Nikita gave me the other day into her hands.


    Meri instantly becomes even redder as soon as she realizes what I just gave her and she looks to me in an unsure panic.


    ¡°Put it on before I make you put it on.¡±


    This is a crucial step, as if she showed any signs of being uncomfortable here I would stop entirely and treat her to an entirely normal and loving first time.


    But Meri isn¡¯t normal.


    She doesn¡¯t want a loving first time.


    She¡¯s a pervert, and upon her face is the smile of a deviant eager to please her Master.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Master...!¡± She says in a dreamy tone and hastily slips on the blindfold, cutting off her sight from the rest of the world.


    ¡°Stand in the middle of the room now. Go on.¡±


    She almost starts drooling as she gingerly makes her way over there, and she stands at the ready. Good.


    ¡°Strip.¡±


    There¡¯s a silence as the perverted smile becomes a touch concerned, albeit no less perverted.


    ¡°E-everything...?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Meri bites her lips and ever so slowly reaches at the bottom of her camisole, pulling it up slightly and giving me a glimpse of her adorably chubby tummy. She¡¯s slow, shy and nervous, but she¡¯s entirely beholden to my whims.


    I¡¯m about to see my lovely Meri fully naked for the first time, and I can scarcely control myself...

 She Really Needed This

    Meri takes it off.


    Her camisole falls to the floor limply, leaving her chest covered by a very gratuitous flesh covered bra. It¡¯s plain and unassuming, exactly what I would expect a girl like her to wear. The only slightly sexy thing about them is that her breasts are so big that they look like they might pop out of the weak, cheap bra at any moment.


    This won¡¯t do at all.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to get you more exciting underwear if you¡¯re going to be mine.¡± Using my sternest of voices I shake my head and act disappointed.


    Meri covers her large breasts out of shame, cradling them between both arms. ¡°Y-Yes Master... I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m so plain a-and boring...!¡±


    What is it about obscenely hot girls who think they¡¯re not cute that makes them all the more adorable? Is lack of self confidence really that hot? The answer in this case at least is yes.


    Meri is amazing looking, just because she¡¯s slightly chubbier than most doesn¡¯t change that fact. If anything it adds to it. She has just the right amount of everything coupled with a sickeningly cute, young, rounded face that screams innocence and naivete. All the better when it¡¯s twisted in perverted desire.


    ¡°Keep going.¡±


    She gasps and her knees start buckling. Meri hesitates and bites her lower lip.


    ¡°Keep. Going.¡±


    At my command a shiver of pleasure rocks throughout her unprepared body, heightened just by knowing I¡¯m staring at her like a piece of meat, yet being unable to watch me do it. At any moment I could snap and get things started in earnest, making this situation all the more exciting for the timid pervert.


    ¡°Y-Yes...¡± Meri nervously swallows yet again and slowly begins to wiggle out of her pajama pants.


    She reveals her equally boring flesh colored panties to me and pulls the pajama pants down over her meaty thighs, letting them drop off over her knees and fall to the floor.


    Just like her bra, her underwear is large and bulky and not sexual in the slightest. It covers far too much skin and while I wouldn¡¯t go as far as to call them granny panties, they¡¯re certainly not very flattering on someone as staggeringly beautiful as Meri.


    Her posture has changed and she now holds one hand timidly over her crotch as if to hide it from my sight, and her other arm cradles her burgeoning breasts that look all but certain to burst from their tight prison.


    I circle the Shield Maiden for a few moments to build further tension and watch as she trembles under my inspection. Leaning into her ear, I coarsely remind her, ¡°You¡¯re not done.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry... w-w-w-which do I... do first...?¡± Meri winces and shies away from my played up, threatening voice and she squeaks ever so softly from delight.


    ¡°Show me your breasts.¡±


    ¡°Oh... o-ok...¡±


    Meri meekly removes her hand from guarding her cameltoe and slowly unstraps her heavy duty bra. I swear I almost hear a bouncing sound as they¡¯re freed, but it was probably my overactive imagination. As one might expect she lets the bra fall to the floor but covers my view of her naked tits by holding them tightly against her arm.


    Meri is bringing out a very commanding side of me, just like the roleplay with Sam and Zutiria did... and since I know Meri is completely into it, I see little reason to hold back.


    My hand shoots out and grabs her firmly by her short, curly hair. Not enough to cause any pain, but enough to exert control over her. As soon as I do it she moans and her expression becomes a confusing mix of terror and ecstasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hide from me.¡±


    ¡°M-Master I¡¯m so sorry, I... H-Here... look at my... my naughty breasts... please...¡± Meri whimpers as she hesitantly removes her hand from her chest and fully lets her glorious bosom drop in full.


    They¡¯re huge.


    Rounded globes of perfection made even softer by her weight, now that I get a proper view I can safely say they¡¯re bigger than Sam¡¯s. Meri holds both hands behind her back and puffs out her chest ever so slightly so that I can get a proper view of her naked tits, and I can¡¯t pull my eyes away from them. She has large areolas that make them look all the more perfect for sucking, and they¡¯re topped off by cute little nipples standing straight out as if waiting for my attention.


    ¡°They¡¯re lovely.¡±


    She blushes even further and hangs her head, ¡°I-I¡¯m so glad you like them, Master... do... do you want to... touch... t-them?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not done stripping.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh... you¡¯re... right...¡± She nervously says, looking away shyly even though she can¡¯t see me through her blindfold.


    ¡°Off.¡±


    She instinctively knows what to do and she sets forth to take her panties off slower than everything else thus far. It only makes sense, this is her most private and embarrassing part... and she¡¯s never shown it to another man. Meri is about to fully present herself to me and allow me to claim her as roughly as I want to, I¡¯m not about to go pushing her on top of that.


    Finally her unflattering panties join the rest of her clothes on the floor. At first Meri tries to cover her beautiful mound but at some point decides nervously against it. She knows I¡¯d just order her not to hide herself anyway so why waste time that could go to better things...


    Thus I get a clean look at the young Shield Maiden in all her glory, her guard completely lowered except for the nervous blush, the anxious sweat and the trembling of her body.


    From what I can see, Meri is completely shaven and the lips of her pussy are meaty and puffy thanks to her slight chubbiness. Instantly my mind races as it starts thinking about how good it¡¯ll feel to pound against those meaty lips and use them as a pillow for my thrusting pelvis, but all in good time.


    I need to reward her first for following my commands.


    ¡°Meri...¡± I whisper once more into her ear.


    ¡°Mas... ter...?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I-I... I don¡¯t think I a-am but, I¡¯m h-happy that Ma-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± I say with a firmer voice.


    ¡°Y... Yes... thank you, Master...¡± Her lips contort into a blissful smile that is at odds with her extreme blush and her trembling, but I can tell my words made her truly happy.


    ¡°Turn around.¡±


    Meri does as she¡¯s told with little hesitation this time, as apparently just letting me see her butt is far less embarrassing than giving me a frontal view of her pussy.


    I let my eyes feast on the carnal beauty of her magnificent, chubby ass. I¡¯m making sure not to break under the stress of my own desires and grab her, but I know that if I did my hands would utterly sink in those thick, jiggling cheeks as soon as I dug in. The amount of fat on Meri¡¯s backside is truly impressive and she¡¯s practically begging to be spanked.


    ¡°Bend over and present yourself to me.¡± I make the most powerful demand yet and watch as her body quivers even harder from the anticipation. Creamy strands of her own arousal are trickling down her thighs vigorously, further signalling she¡¯s more than eager for yet more of my teasing.


    But she doesn¡¯t move.


    ¡°P... Present myself...?!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me.¡± I decide to lay it on a little thick, which was a good decision as she all but yelps from pleasure. ¡°I know you know what I mean. Bend over and show my cock its new home.¡±


    ¡°Hwaaa...!!¡±


    That really did it. Even though she¡¯s turned around, I see a thin stream of fluid fall to the floor between her legs... and it didn¡¯t come from her pussy. This complete pervert is drooling at the mere thought of showing me her deepest depths.


    ¡°Y-YES, Yes, Master...!¡± She moans and slowly bends forward, stretching her ass and making it look all the more inviting. Gods, my cock is so hard from all this teasing. I¡¯m halfway worried that by the time I actually insert it I¡¯ll cum right then and there. Not that Meri wouldn¡¯t absolutely love that...


    As soon as she¡¯s bent over, I get a much better first look of Meri¡¯s pussy than from the front. Her lips are just as big as I thought they were, and her slit is hidden deeply under them. I can¡¯t see a hint of her pinkness at all until Meri places her hands on both of her heavy ass cheeks and spreads her behind wide for me.


    A very bold move, I wasn¡¯t expecting her to take the initiative like that without an order from me.


    Meri¡¯s trembling hands jiggle her butt and despite this I can finally see the pink slit between her legs and everything it has to offer me. Just like every other part of Meri, it¡¯s beautiful. Glistening with liquid arousal and shining from the dim light of my office, my erection throbs painfully upon seeing such a cute little hole.


    Much to my surprise, Meri makes an even more daring move. ¡°D-Does Master¡¯s c-c-cock like its new home? Muh... maybe we should t-t-test it and find out...¡±


    Gods I love this girl.


    Regardless, I spank her for speaking out of turn.


    ¡°HYAA!!¡±


    Meri¡¯s ass claps powerfully from the slap I gave it, surprising me since I didn¡¯t even put that much power into it. I guess the blindfold coupled with how long I¡¯ve been making her wait for any sort of physical affection amplified the intensity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Y-yes, Master, I¡¯m sorry Master!!¡± She huffs with a heavy breath, losing herself further to lust and descending into a frenzy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll fuck you when I¡¯m good and ready- and not a moment sooner. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand, I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± I smile.


    Sure, Sam and Zutiria are into this kind of play... but... Meri is a natural at it. This isn¡¯t an occasional roleplay for her, this rough treatment seems to be her preferred default. She¡¯s going to be an amazing addition to our group play, I just know it...


    ¡°How does it feel?¡± I place my pointer finger on the back of her spine and slowly trace it in a sensual pattern all the way down her back, just barely touching her at all. ¡°Being at my complete mercy... a slave to my every whim?¡±


    ¡°H-Haaaahhhnn... it... feels... so good and n-natural... especially when you touch me...¡±


    My finger moves lower and teasingly brushes across the length of her slit, causing her body to jerk forward in surprise. ¡°Like this?¡±


    ¡°HAAH- Y-YES...!!¡±


    She wiggles her hips enthusiastically and I begin gliding it up and down against her lower lips. She¡¯s so warm, and gushing like a fountain. This poor, poor pervert needs relief.


    ¡°Just how much have you been masturbating this week, you dirty little girl?¡±


    ¡°S-So muuuuch... I¡¯m sorry, Master...¡± She whimpers and continues shaking. ¡°It wasn¡¯t e-enough... even when I was watching you...¡±


    ¡°Did you cum?¡± I time my words to match my finger rubbing against her swollen, needy clit for the first time. Meri shivers and whines even louder, her juices becoming even thicker as I tease.


    ¡°I-I d-don¡¯t... know...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d know.¡± My finger digs inside of her virgin pussy and Meri shrieks. ¡°Did. You. Cum?¡±


    ¡°N-NOOOOO, I TRIED REALLY HARD MASTER BUT I-I COULDN¡¯T DO IIIIT...!! I DON¡¯T KNOW HOWWWW!¡± Meri¡¯s voice becomes distorted with fear and intense pleasure mixing as one. The feeling of her being played with for the first time is almost too much for her to handle, and the thought of giving the Shield Maiden her first orgasm makes my excitement rise.


    Not to mention how cute the idea of Meri struggling for days on end trying to cum her hardest but failing utterly is astonishingly arousing. It makes me want to spoil her, just a bit...


    ¡°Beg me hard enough and I¡¯ll get you off.¡±


    She¡¯s silent in response, at least at first. ¡°I... I...?¡±


    This isn¡¯t enough for me, so I push my finger deeper inside her. There¡¯s nothing blocking my way, though I¡¯d imagine rather than tearing her hymen through masturbation she probably lost it from training. All the better for me if I don¡¯t have to hold back at first.


    ¡°HWAAAA-AHHHN!?¡± She screams, her pink slit clenching down on my finger and sucking on it as if it were her first cock.


    ¡°Beg.¡±


    ¡°M-MAASTERRR...!!¡± Meri¡¯s knees start wobbling and she finds it hard to remain standing. She gets down on the floor and whines, spreading herself open on all fours.


    An asshole sadist would probably yell at her here for not being able to stand up properly but... I¡¯m really not like that. Rather, it¡¯s really hot that the pleasure is so intense that she can¡¯t even keep herself steady. There are times where I need to be stern with her to please her masochistic tendencies but this certainly isn¡¯t one of them.


    ¡°BEG!¡± I kneel down behind her and take her ass cheek in my left hand. Dear Goddess, it¡¯s even softer than I ever dreamed possible... I clench hard and sink in like there¡¯s no resistance at all. It¡¯s all fat, and it¡¯s glorious. I have to fight to keep my primal instincts in check, otherwise I¡¯d be tempted to just claw, bite and spank this meaty ass until I¡¯m sated.


    ¡°AH- AHHH...!! MASTER, P-PLEASE SHOW ME HOW TO CUMMM...!!¡± Meri can¡¯t take it anymore and her torso falls to the floor, squishing her massive breasts against the cheap rug as her ass manages to raise even higher.


    ¡°Guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± I mock sigh and reinsert my finger, much to her high-pitched delight.


    ¡°MMMNNN-¡±


    ¡°Honestly, you¡¯re such a shameful, pitiful fucking pervert. What kind of naive little virgin do you even have to be to not figure out how to get yourself off properly?¡± Getting to work on her for the first time in her life, I start fully thrusting my thick middle finger between her fat pussy lips.


    ¡°NHHAAAHH I¡¯M SORRY, I¡¯M SORRY I¡¯M SUCH A NAIVE PERVERT...!!¡± Meri shouts out in bliss, awaiting the oncoming release with all her being.


    Thankfully for Meri, she now gets to fully enjoy the benefits of being my lover.


    I realize that sounds a bit... no, very egotistical but... I use my magical eyesight to gauge her reactions to every single spot that I poke and prod inside her. Rather than aimlessly rubbing her pink walls I start looking methodically for wherever she likes it best.


    It doesn¡¯t take long to find her most sensitive spots, as she moans, jerks her ass back and clenches like crazy whenever I rub against one. Mmm... Gods, her reaction to being teased is unreal. Whenever I hit her where she likes it I just lose myself wondering what it¡¯ll feel like when it¡¯s my cock she¡¯s clenching between her thighs.


    ¡°Cum for me, Meri. You¡¯ve waited long enough.¡± Leaving the cushiness of her ass, I begin gently fondling her clit with my left hand all while picking up the pace with my inserted middle finger. I don¡¯t go too hard on her sensitive little button because I feel like it¡¯d be way too much stimulation for her right now, and I want her to enjoy herself.


    There¡¯s no use if she loses it so early on into the night, after all.


    ¡°M-MASTERRR... I FEEL IT... I THINK IT¡¯S... IT¡¯S-¡±


    ¡°CUM, YOU PERVERTED SLUT!!¡±


    ¡°FWAAAAAAAHHNN-¡±


    Meri¡¯s lips tremble like mad around my finger, sucking me deeper and convulsing around me in a desperate attempt to milk my finger for a load that it can¡¯t give her. She arches her back and curls her toes all while moaning so loud that her voice cracks midway through. Her entire body jiggles and shakes as if she were struck by lightning, all while her orgasming pussy gushes an intense amount of her feminine cum all over my hand and the rug below.


    I draw out her long awaited relief as long as possible and end up making her cum a second time all over again showing just how badly she really did need this. I wasn¡¯t even trying to push her so hard, Meri ended up climaxing naturally this time just from my efforts to prolong the first one.


    This surprise doesn¡¯t repeat and once I sense her orgasm fading out I remove my finger from her the tightness of her needy cunt and admire my work. A beautiful, slightly chubby brunette is quaking and breathing like mad on the floor of my office and I¡¯ve barely even done a thing to her yet. Amazing.


    ¡°Mmm... Mas... ter...¡± Meri gasps for air as she recovers her stamina and composure. ¡°That... that was... nnnn... I needed it so bad...¡±


    ¡°Get up. You¡¯re not done.¡±


    ¡°O-Of course, Master...!¡± She gets back up while carefully making sure she doesn¡¯t fall over from her weakness.


    ¡°I think we should head up to the bedroom. What do you think, Meri?¡±


    She blushes even heavier, despite the blindfold I can see how happy she is just from her perverse smile. What a good, sweet girl she is...


    ¡°YES! I-I mean... yes, Master...! W-whatever you want! I¡¯ll just grab my clothes again and-¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    There¡¯s a short silence as her mouth hangs open. ¡°B-But what if Sam or Zutiria are in the hallway? O-Or if they¡¯re in the room when we get there...?¡±


    ¡°Then they¡¯ll see what a shameful, perverted girl you are, I suppose. Wouldn¡¯t that be a shame?¡±


    She¡¯s at a loss for words and her breathing becomes even heavier, thoughts likely full of lewd daydreams that just might become real. ¡°I... oh... G-Goddess...¡± Meri gulps down her nervousness and bites her lip, before nodding her head meekly.


    I smile and watch as she grinds her hips together from excitement just at the thought alone.


    ¡°Come on now, let¡¯s go.¡± Riding high with a sense of self satisfaction I grab Meri¡¯s hands and begin leading her out of my office.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Master...¡± She replies in a hazy, dream-like tone.


    Art by OnigiriPunch

 Meri’s First Time

    Meri follows after me while I hold her hand confidently.


    We pass into the open entrance hall of the Guild, her soft hand sweating nervously in mine. The timid girl hangs her head in a perverted shame but it¡¯s no use seeing as Sam and Zutiria aren¡¯t even in the room. But poor, blindfolded Meri doesn¡¯t know that. For all she knows they¡¯re staring openly at her completely nude body as I pull her along to the stairs.


    ¡°Careful now.¡± Giving her a word of warning, she tentatively follows me upwards and and onwards to my bedroom. The creaky wooden door complains about the effort of opening and I lead her inside.


    The Princess and the Mage are both sitting on pillows at the opposite edges of the massive Dwarven bed, but given just how big it is Meri won¡¯t notice them at all if they¡¯re quiet enough.


    Each girl is wearing a skimpy pair of panties and small frilly bras, red for Sam and purple for Zutiria. Unlike the time where I fucked Sam¡¯s ass, this lingerie is not matching and much less ornate. It¡¯s a casual sort of sexy, still clearly meant to arouse but not enough to awaken the instinct in me to push the wearer to the ground and breed them obsessively on sight.


    Not like I need any help achieving that sage-like state, honestly...


    When Meri is at the side of the bed I carefully lift her up and lightly throw her onto the middle of the massive, cushy mattress.


    ¡°HYAA!¡± She yelps and instinctively covers her breasts after landing, before shifting around to make her newfound position on the bed comfortable. ¡°W-What should I do, Master...?¡±


    Her unknown watchers silently giggle to themselves, eager for a good show.


    ¡°One moment.¡± I start stripping myself fully until there¡¯s nothing left to throw to the floor, and then I join the three girls on the bed. I crawl around to get behind Meri¡¯s head and lift her up onto my chest so that she¡¯s facing Sam and Zutiria without even knowing it.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need to drink this.¡± I take an unopened bottle of Succu-bye off of the bedside table to prevent siring any bastards and hand it to her.


    Meri must know what it is as she doesn¡¯t question it at all and gulps it down immediately, almost a little too greedily.


    Leaning in from behind her neck, I forcefully whisper into the blindfolded girl¡¯s sensitive ear, ¡°I¡¯m going to play with you before making you mine.¡±


    Meri takes a deep breath and nods her head. ¡°Y-Yes, Master... p-please... you can do anything you want to me... a-anything...¡± Her words are sensual whispers that float out from her lips, begging and yearning for my affection. She drives home her point by nuzzling up backwards to me, pressing her big bubble butt all the way up to my aching cock.


    ¡°AH-¡± She yips like a nervous puppy as soon as I begin to wedge myself between the softness of her cheeks. ¡°I feel s-something poking me... it¡¯s hot a-and hard...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck you within an inch of your life with it.¡± I growl, deciding to nibble on her ear by the end of the sentence much to her enjoyment. Meri jolts backwards even further and yelps once more.


    Over on the left bedpost Sam does a mocking ¡®swoon¡¯ gesture towards me and on the right Zutiria gives me a thumbs up, adding ¡®Very smooth, Sir.¡¯ via a message that Meri can¡¯t read.


    I have more pressing issues to attend to so I don¡¯t respond to either, instead letting my roaming hands grab ahold of each one of Meri¡¯s bountiful breasts. There¡¯s no use being delicate or tender, I claw at them insistently, like an animal.


    ¡°HAAAH- That¡¯s... t-that feels so....¡±


    ¡°Do you like having your tits groped, you pervert?¡± My hands roughly massage her perfect globes and sink further in with every touch. I spare no thought for her at this point. The only thing that matters to me right now is playing with these massive tits and that¡¯s exactly what I do.


    ¡°Yesssss...¡± She meekly nods her head once more and arches her back into me, giving me free reign to savage her ample chest however I want.


    It¡¯s not enough for me, though.


    ¡°Keep yourself nice and wet for me, slut.¡± I grab her by the wrist and force her hand down to her dripping pussy. In truth I don¡¯t think she needs any help to stay wet, I just want to give the audience a show.


    Sam in particular licks her lips and watches carefully as Meri starts to tease herself hard enough to somewhat match my frantic gropes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll... nnngh... do my best... b-but... I¡¯m not as good at playing with my pussy as you are...¡± The Shield Maiden whimpers and starts making lewd, wet, sloppy noises as she slips her finger in and out of herself wishing oh so desperately that it were me.


    Fuck, Meri makes me want to drop the hardcore play and just kiss her and shower her in tons of hugs. She¡¯s too adorable, especially when she¡¯s not trying to be. But I¡¯m not going to ruin it... if I stopped here then the payoff won¡¯t be anywhere near as rewarding.


    So instead of spoiling her with love, I spoil her with reckless teasing and excessively rough gropings. Her soft tits are pulled every which way at my whim as I stroke and squeeze every inch of them and she cries out from a pleasurable pain as I clamp down on her nipples for the first time.


    The sweet, pink little peaks pulse and throb between my fingers while pinching them raw, and the pain causes Meri to cry out loudly. At first I was genuinely worried that I pinched her too hard, but that was quickly proven to not be the case. In response to my pinching the sticky noises echoing out from between her legs grew louder and louder.


    I can¡¯t believe this fucking girl.


    Making a loud growl, I lean in and bite her neck with no regard for leaving a mark or not. She¡¯s always wearing a thick gambeson and most of her casual clothes cover her neck, so there¡¯s no harm in it. Other than the harm Meri desperately wants.


    ¡°UWHAAA- T-THAT HUUUURTS-¡± She whines in a delighted tone.


    ¡°WHAT HAPPENED TO BEING AFRAID OF PAIN, HUH?¡± I bite her again in a slightly different spot and she arches her back violently into me, rubbing my cock up her ass cheeks once more.


    ¡°I-I AMMMM, BUT IT HURTS G-GOOOOD...?!¡± Meri seems slightly unsure as to why she¡¯s enjoying this, but I know why. She¡¯s a dirty little pervert, and she¡¯s putty in my hands.


    ¡°SO YOU LIKE THIS?!¡± I ask while pinching her nipples and pulling them as far away from her body as they¡¯ll go.


    ¡°NNHAA YES, Y-YESSS...!!¡±


    ¡°AND THIS?¡± I remove my grip on her nipples and smack Meri¡¯s tits from behind with open palms, leaving big red hand prints on her sweaty, pink breasts and sending a loud slap echoing out into the bedroom. They bounce defiantly at my assault, eager for more punishment.


    ¡°GAH- YES THAT HURTSSS..!!¡±


    ¡°THEN IF YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH, CUM FROM IT YOU DIRTY LITTLE MASOCHIST!¡± Slapping her tits even harder, Meri screams so loud it almost hurts my ears. She¡¯d give the Murdermoth¡¯s screech a run for its gold, honestly. Yet as I continue my assault on her poor, trembling red tits our audience seems to lose it.


    Zutiria is openly playing with herself underneath her purple panties, while Sam is drooling like a dog and idly humping the pillow she once sat upon. I better hurry this along and get them involved, or they¡¯ll end up inadvertently ruining the surprise somehow.


    ¡°CUM, DAMN IT!¡± Shouting with everything I¡¯ve got, I hit both of her tits so hard they knock into each other and bounce backwards from the impact. This causes Meri to slip her finger even further inside her tight tunnel and she must have stumbled onto one of her good spots because her entire body convulses and she throws her head back so hard and fast I¡¯m afraid it will almost smash me right in the face.


    I narrowly avoid it just in time before she yells, ¡°HAAANN- GODDESS I¡¯M C-CUMMINGGGG-!!¡±


    And she does just that.


    Her orgasm covers her already dripping hand and it makes her round, perfect body jiggle every which way from her each and every one of her many powerful convulsions. Her gasps and screams last a long while, until Meri finally stops playing with herself of her own accord when she realizes I¡¯m not going to slap her boobs anymore.


    ¡°I... I did it... I made myself cum...¡± Meri gasps frantically, before correcting herself. ¡°W-Well, with your help I mean, Master...¡±


    ¡°Honestly, what kind of slut gets off of having her tits smacked?¡±


    Meri turns her blindfolded face back to look me straight on and she summons the courage to say, ¡°Yours...¡±


    Sam stops pillow humping long enough to play up an impressed reaction to Meri¡¯s epic one liner. As for our other voyeur, well. Zutiria¡¯s nicer than that. She blushes and smiles, happy that Meri has finally accepted her place in our bed.


    ¡°Well said. But... you aren¡¯t my slut.¡±


    Meri gasps comically, as if the idea of not being my personal whore is a shocking, offensive revelation. ¡°I-I¡¯M NOT?! But... but Master...?!¡±


    The Princess holds back a snort.


    ¡°Not yet.¡± I lift Meri up from under her knees and hold her up as I situate her in a way where I can spread her legs wide open and show her off while thrusting from behind. It¡¯s very close to the same position I fucked Sam in while Meri was watching, and that¡¯s a very deliberate choice.


    The Shield Maiden whimpers as she feels the very tip of my cock start pressing itself against the drooling lips of her delicate, unfucked little slit. ¡°T-Then do it alreadyyyy... make me yours...¡± She bites her lip.


    Who am I to refuse such an earnest and heartfelt request from an adorable, naive little virgin?


    Letting go of her weight just enough for her to slightly drop, I let Meri¡¯s awaiting cunt fall onto the length of my manhood. With a single, forceful upward thrust I claim her as my own and the sweet brunette shrieks in absolute, pure delight.


    Now that I¡¯m fully inserted into her pussy for the first time, I exhale deeply and just fucking bask in it. Meri feels so good damn inside. Her walls are slippery and they cling to me with erotic desire even before I set to work on her, and her warmth is unbelievable. There¡¯s practically nothing I love more than feeling a brand new playmate¡¯s pussy wrapped around my dick, and Meri is no exception.


    Goddess, thank you for this fucking beautiful blessing of... well, fucking...


    ¡®I swear, the only time you¡¯re ever grateful to me is when you¡¯re balls deep.¡¯ The Goddess was apparently watching intently just now and she responds to my sexual prayer with sarcasm.


    Can you fuck off for now? I¡¯m going to do the ambrosia shit tomorrow and you¡¯re kind of ruining the moment.


    ¡®FINE.¡¯ Although I can¡¯t see her, I could swear she stomped her foot at me...


    Whatever, that¡¯s a problem for tomorrow¡¯s me. Right now, I...


    ¡°M-Master... Why are you making me wait so long...? D-Did I do something wrong? Do I not feel good?!¡± The blindfolded girl looks back at me and although I can¡¯t see it, I¡¯m sure there are tears in her eyes. Shit.


    Sam and Zutiria share a knowing look, as when I space out like that there¡¯s only one thing it could be.


    ¡°The other way around, you silly little pervert.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Your pussy feels so good I¡¯m at a loss for words...¡±


    ¡°HWAA?!¡± Meri looks away nervously, shifting my big cock in her during the process.


    Both of our watchers give me a proud thumbs up, with Zutiria feeling like being a little prankster and taking it one step further. A giant bold, capitalized ¡®NICE SAVE¡¯ blocks almost my entire field of vision, and if that weren¡¯t enough she sends illusionary fireworks on both sides of the word. If I weren¡¯t used to this I might reflexively lose my shit at the sudden pyrotechnics.


    It¡¯s gone soon enough but now I know that Zutiria¡¯s getting bored and I need to hurry this along to the big reveal.


    Not like I was planning on wasting any more time, not when I¡¯m finally inside Meri¡¯s sweet slit for the first time. My hands are holding her up by her thighs, and I¡¯m standing on my knees so I can lift her up and down my shaft at my leisure. She¡¯s not really that heavy, being only about an extra ten or fifteen pounds more than Sam if I had to guess.


    Using this amazing position I pull myself out of her and shove upwards once more, carving out the front walls of her tunnel with my curved shaft. Meri¡¯s moans increase with every single motion, and after six straight days of sexual torment I¡¯m happy to finally help her get the release she needs. Not that I haven¡¯t been dying to fuck her myself.


    Harder and harder I smash myself into Meri¡¯s bouncy, jiggling ass from behind. The curve of her soft skin on my hips begs me to push deeper, and despite her butt serving as a pillow almost pushing back against me I¡¯m able to bottom out to my heart¡¯s content and push all of her buttons that I learned while fingering her.


    There¡¯s no denying it, Meri keeps cumming. The rougher I go, the more she cums. Her pussy endlessly drools against my invasive meat, coating me in such amazing lube that I¡¯d surely slip right out if she wasn¡¯t inhumanely tight...


    Sam and Zutiria continue to watch with increasing horniness, both girls now cuddled together at the center of the end of the bed. They decided that their individual efforts weren¡¯t enough and instead have begun groping each other. Their hands dig into each other''s panties, rubbing their partner¡¯s slits in a beautiful display of sapphic passion.


    The Princess has let out a few tiny moans here and there but Meri is far, far too gone to notice anything short of a scream.


    In fact, she¡¯s almost to the breaking point.


    ¡°Mn, you¡¯re so fucking good, you dirty fucking pervert...¡± I grunt while delivering a single, massive pound into her deepest depths.


    ¡°MASTERRR, IT¡¯S COMINNNNGGG... I¡¯VE... HAAAANNN, I¡¯VE NEVER FELT SO GOO-OOO-OOOOD-!¡± Hearing those words make me swell with ego and I smile at the thought.


    ¡°Are you gonna fucking cum for me?¡±


    ¡°YESSS!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to come for Master, you masochistic slut?!¡±


    My hands dig roughly into her thighs as I ask her, almost strong enough to break the skin. Just how she likes it.


    ¡°HWAA- AH YES I¡¯M GONNA C-CUM-¡±


    Meri¡¯s pussy confirms this fact, quivering harder than all of her littler orgasms put together. She must know I¡¯m getting close to my limit too and my roughness is driving her crazy.


    It¡¯s time, Gods it¡¯s fucking time...!


    ¡°Take off your blindfold.¡±


    I smile with much excitement, the arousal already building in my eager cock.


    ¡°W-What...?¡± Meri hesitates. Maybe she has a feeling about what¡¯s going to happen, maybe not, but she eventually does as she¡¯s told.


    And then she shrieks really, really loud as soon as she sees her two Guildmates sitting several feet away from her watching her lose her virginity and masturbating to it.


    ¡°S-S-SAM?! ZUTIRIA?! NOOOOO, WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIING- AHHH!!¡± Meri shouts but can barely form the words as I keep pounding the shit out out of her. As soon as she saw the girls, her pussy clenched even harder somehow against all odds and from the sheer quivering I can tell how much her body enjoys this delectable shame and embarrassment.


    ¡°What are we doing?¡± Sam giggles in a playfully low, husky voice. ¡°We¡¯re just doing what you always do to us, you perv.¡±


    Zutiria removes her hand from the Princess¡¯s panties and scoots closer. ¡®My dear, sweet little Meri. You can¡¯t possibly be implying that this is wrong, can you? It¡¯s as Sammy said. You¡¯ve been spying on us making love every single time for the last three days, you have no right to criticize.¡¯


    ¡°HAAA... AHH NO... NOOOO-!!¡± Meri tries to deny it and covers her face with her hands, but I quickly put a stop to that. I reach out and grab her wrists, pulling them away and forcing her to bear her everything to the interested audience.


    ¡°Wait a second. No waaaaaay! Are you gonna cum from us watching you fucked like a dirty whore?¡± Sam plays up her surprise in a mocking tone, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°N-NO I-I¡¯M NOT LIKE THAT, I¡¯M-¡±


    ¡®I think she is, Sammy. Look at her face, she¡¯s smiling like a hysterical degenerate and her pussy looks like it¡¯s trying its hardest to milk Sir for all of his cum.¡¯


    Meri¡¯s grip on my thrusting rod convulses at Zutiria¡¯s words, ¡°No... N-NOOO!¡±


    This makes Sam laugh and she raises an eyebrow at the Shield Maiden. ¡°Don¡¯t you have like, ANY shame? Wow.¡±


    I smile as my orgasm grows closer and closer, causing my hands to pull her wrists even harder. ¡°Fuck, she feels so goooood when everyone makes fun of her...¡±


    ¡°Do you wanna fill her up, Daddy?¡± Sam licks her lips and a fire ignites in her lewd, dreamy eyes.


    ¡®Show us what it¡¯s like when Meri¡¯s pussy is full. I bet she¡¯d look very sexy when one of your huge, gushing loads pumps her to the brim.¡¯


    ¡°FUCK,¡± I grunt and grit my teeth, fighting the orgasm as long as I can.


    ¡°MASTER, I-I CAN¡¯T TAKE THIISSSSSS-¡±


    ¡°Then cum for him, slut.¡± Sam mocks her once again. ¡°Show him how much you love him by cumming allllll over his massive cock like the perv you are~¡± She places her hand on Meri¡¯s meaty thigh and smiles up at the nervous brunette.


    Zutiria follows suit and together they start rubbing her inner thighs on each side up and down their length. ¡®Do it. Cum on him. Make him feel even better and he¡¯ll give you what you want.¡¯


    ¡°MERIII-¡± I shout amidst frenzied thrusts.


    ¡°N-NOOO... NOOO... Y-YESSSS! MASTERRRR, I¡¯M... I¡¯M... HWAAAAAAHHH-!!!¡±


    Meri¡¯s entire body seizes before spasming like crazy as soon as I bury myself all the way to the hilt and unload the pent-up, insanely intense volley of semen within her deepest depths. Our mutual orgasm is violent and powerful, I just can¡¯t seem to stop pouring out inside of her and she can¡¯t stop milking, milking and milking my cock.


    Just to support myself in my own pleasure I let go of her wrists and wrap my arms around her, squeezing both her tummy and her big boobs at once until finally trailing off.


    I fall back on the bed and Meri falls back on top of me, both of us gasping for air. I¡¯ll be ready to go again soon enough, I always am, but the tension from this round was unbelievable. I definitely need a quick breather.


    Sam and Zutiria of course take the chance to give me some light pleasure to ease me back into it.


    ¡°Look at how much you made him cum, Meri!¡± Sam says with teasing pride. ¡°If you didn¡¯t take that Succu-bye you¡¯d be so fucking pregnant.¡±


    ¡°N-no... I-I would never... um... oh...¡± Meri finds it hard to talk back as she breathes heavily.


    ¡®She¡¯d probably enjoy that, seeing as how she¡¯s such a pervert.¡¯


    ¡°Wow, you think? Hey, is that true Meri? Would it turn you on if Daddy fucked you so hard you got pregnant? No way, you can¡¯t be that much of a perv.¡±


    ¡°N-NO! THAT¡¯S NOT TRUE!!¡± Meri cries.


    ¡®Then why did your pussy just clamp down on Sir again? My, my. Even as his huge, thick stuff is gushing out of you it seems you just can¡¯t wait for more.¡¯


    Meri can¡¯t even respond, just making a high pitched noise of embarrassment and looking away out of shame.


    ¡°I think I gave her a little too much, actually.¡± With a soft smile I grin and hope they catch my implication.


    ¡°W-what...?¡±


    ¡°No problem, Daddy. We can clean her up a bit.¡±


    ¡®I was starting to get thirsty anyway.¡¯


    ¡°HYAAAAA?!¡± The poor little Shield Maiden jolts again as she suddenly feels Sam and Zutiria¡¯s tongue tracing down the sides of her still stretched pussy and lapping up the oozing puddle of cum. They lick all over. Up my shaft, Meri¡¯s clit, her labia, and predictably Zutiria takes the time to suck on my balls here and there even after she¡¯s got all the stray cum.


    After a few minutes of this I¡¯m ready for more fun, and Meri even came a few more times from the ministrations of the former voyeurs.


    ¡°Oh hey, it worked.¡± Sam remarks as she watches the pink glow from Meri¡¯s pussy that signals my semen being ¡®absorbed¡¯ or what have you.


    ¡°W-Wha...?¡± The melted, loopy Shield Maiden driven crazy by attention looks down with curiosity.


    ¡®You¡¯ll be a lot stronger for twenty-four hours, now. It¡¯s even stronger than when you drank his cum.¡¯


    ¡°Oh... oh yeah... I forgot his stuff... d-did the stuff...¡± She huffs out her words tiredly.


    ¡°Of course you did.¡± I laugh and point her head towards mine so that I can kiss her tenderly. Her eyes open wide from shock but it¡¯s quickly replaced by a tender, loving stare. She¡¯s really enjoying herself despite all the teasing.


    ¡°Get on top of her, Daddy. I think she deserves a liiiiittle more attention and I have a fun idea.¡± Sam whispers something to Zutiria and although the Mage¡¯s typical cool expression doesn¡¯t change she blushes a little and gives the Princess a thumbs up.


    ¡°And then it¡¯s OUR turn.¡± Sam excitedly grins as she and Zutiria move to both sides of us, pulling Meri off of me so I can mount her.


    ¡°W-W-What are you two gonna do?!¡± Meri blushes, a mix of fear and excitement glimmering in her eyes.


    ¡°Shhhhhh, just let it happen.¡± Sam looks at Meri like a hungry, drooling dog.


    ¡®This night isn¡¯t over yet, Sir. Not by a long shot.¡¯

 Don’t Question How He Can Narrate Sex Stuff During Facesitting

    PunishedKom


    When Sam told me to mount Meri, this wasn¡¯t what I had in mind... but I¡¯m not complaining. Far from it.


    Instead of straddling her and shoving my cock back into its newest home, Sam started off by having Meri spread her arms out wide which the timid girl did with hesitation. Zutiria and Sam each straddled her arms, pinning them down with their weight and leaving Meri¡¯s hands right at the perfect angle to tease each of her Guildmate¡¯s tender little slits if she should choose to. To encourage it, though, both girls removed their panties before sitting their pussies down on Meri¡¯s hands so it was made very clear that she should play with them.


    This was hot enough on its own, but then Sam patted down on top of Meri¡¯s chest. ¡°Up here, Daddy!¡± She winked playfully and it suddenly came to light what she was planning to do.


    Holy shit.


    ¡°W-What¡¯s he gonna do up there...?!¡± Meri stammers and bites her lip as she cranes her neck out to look at me. I approach the spot I need to be in order for this to work and her curious expression only spurs me on.


    ¡®Your breasts, silly.¡¯ Zutiria gives Meri a soft, cold smile that confuses her greatly.


    ¡°Whaaaat? Um... b-but my hands are... busy...¡± She says as she nervously runs her fingers up against each of the other girl¡¯s naked slits for the first time, causing Sam and Zutiria to blush and smile happily in response.


    ¡°Mmmmmm...¡± Sam happily purrs and mashes her pussy down onto Meri¡¯s hand. ¡°You just keep doing more of that, ok? You leave this to us.¡±


    ¡°H-how...?¡±


    ¡®Like this.¡¯ Zutiria takes one of Meri¡¯s big, bouncy boobs in her hands and Sam quickly does the same with the opposite breast. The brunette moans as they grab her, they must still be slightly raw from when I made her cum from slapping them.


    ¡°Are you coming, Daddy?¡± Sam looks at me with a bratty expression.


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± I smirk and finally lean down a bit so that my heavy balls make contact with Meri¡¯s lower sternum and my knees sink into the bed on both sides of her chest.


    ¡°W-Wait, what the heck is this?!¡± Meri bites her lip as she stares up at me heaving my heavy cock inbetween her breasts. ¡°T-there were times in all those books where the girls used their boobs b-but there wasn¡¯t anything like this!!¡±


    ¡®I have to agree, very creative of you Sammy.¡¯ The Mage smiles and grinds herself down onto Meri¡¯s hand too.


    ¡°Less talky, more titfuck... y.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I need to hear.¡± With a smile on my face I thrust my cock forward and moan as both girls push Meri¡¯s plush pillows around me. I¡¯m still plenty wet from my own semen and from Meri¡¯s liquids, so I slide straight through her breasts easily and roll my head back from pleasure.


    ¡°Gods, they¡¯re so fucking soft...¡± Meri¡¯s tits feel way too fucking good so without any regard for her soreness I start humping them vigorously.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m so confused...!!¡± Meri looks up at me with a lusty panic until Sam leans down to kiss her heavily. Watching the two beautiful women making out causes me to hump harder and look at Zutiria for a bit of extra stimulation.


    The little lady is all too happy to provide and when I present to her my thumb she starts sucking on it like it was my cock. Her enthusiasm is enough to make me wince and thrust harder into the valley of tits beneath me.


    When Sam finally breaks from kissing Meri, she smiles down happily at the breathy maiden who continues to finger both of her eager Guildmates.


    ¡°Do her titties feel good, Daddy?¡± Sam licks her lips and shifts her eyes to look straight up at me, catching me right as Zutiria pulls her lips from my thumb and breathing a hot, steaming breath against it only to start sucking on me yet again.


    ¡°Hell yeah. I haven¡¯t even had a titfuck this crazy from Opal, yet... nngh... good thinking, Sam.¡±


    Sam flashes me her mischievous, toothy grin and is delighted from the fact that I liked her improvisation so much. ¡°I just want you to feel good, you deserve it after today~¡±


    The fact that bad things even happened today was a distant memory by now, as all I can focus on is the soft, fleshy pillows wrapping around my manhood at every angle and the petite Mage sucking on my thumb like a complete whore.


    ¡°My... nnnn... my boobies feel... g-good... toooooo...¡± Meri trembles and wiggles her hips, a sight Sam apparently digs as she smiles lustily while watching her writhe.


    ¡°I think you¡¯ll both like it a lot more if we do this-¡±


    At her cue, Zutiria stops sucking on my thumb so that she and Sam can focus entirely on forcefully massaging my cock with Meri¡¯s naked, sweaty tits. It¡¯s unreal, and feels so good that I¡¯m almost suspicious that they somehow practiced this but I know they couldn¡¯t have. Together the two girls tag team my cock with one breast each, running it along my length from top to bottom squeezing, pushing and stroking me off as if Meri¡¯s boobs were nothing but a toy to masturbate with.


    Meri and I both moan loudly from the reaction- Meri from being roughhoused and me from the even harder stimulation my throbbing member had to put up with.


    ¡®How is it, Sir? I bet Meri would like it if you covered her face in your semen...¡¯ Zutiria gives me an almost hungry, pleading look all while doing her best to fuck me with Meri¡¯s tit.


    ¡°I bet she would, too... wouldn¡¯t you...?¡± The cruel Princess decides to tease even harder, using one of her hands to pinch the Shield Maiden¡¯s sensitive nipples.


    ¡°HYAH!!¡± Meri winces because as rough as I might be, I don¡¯t have Sam¡¯s brute strength. I think she went a little too hard, but I¡¯m too busy groaning and fucking her tits to say anything in her defense.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting closer...¡± My eyes reflexively shut and my balls tighten just at the thought of cumming.


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re gonna get it all over my face...¡± Meri¡¯s expression changes to a concerned yet excited smile of sorts. Then the reality hits me. Meri is older than Sam but infinitely more naive and innocent looking, despite how much of a pervert she may actually be. But the mental image of coating this wide-eyed young twenty year old in my overindulgent load makes it that much harder to control myself.


    ¡®Do it, Sir. I know how much you love painting girl¡¯s faces with your seed. Give the pervert what she wants.¡¯ Zutiria pumps Meri¡¯s breast as hard as she can around me with a soft yet wicked smile.


    ¡°Nnnngggh...¡± I clench even harder, my body tightening in a desperate attempt to avoid climax.


    Yet Sam wouldn¡¯t let me do that. Of course not. She grins a wicked grin and matches Zutiria¡¯s pace until both of Meri¡¯s breasts are a blurry, jiggling tunnel of plush pleasure pumping up and down my shaft. ¡°Nuh-uh, Daddy. Don¡¯t even think of holding back. Cum alllllll over her already!¡±


    ¡°FUCK, MERI-¡±


    ¡°M-Master!! My boobs feel sooo gooood... but... I... I want to you feel even better for me s-so, um... please... g-give me all of your... hot... sticky... mess!!¡± As she begs, she starts playing with Sam and Zutiria¡¯s pussies as hard as she can and despite her inexperience both girls enjoy her diligence.


    The frenzied moans of my first two lovers and the pleading, sweet voice of my latest one urges me on and I lose it.


    ¡°AHHHH-¡± Howling from the pleasure of sweet release between her pillowy mounds I bend over and support myself by placing my hands on both sides of Meri¡¯s shoulders atop the bed. My heavy, churning balls retract up inside me while firing off blast after blast of burning desire all over not only her deep valley of cleavage but her sweet, ¡®innocent¡¯ face. Her blushed cheeks, her long, girly eyelashes hiding her crimson eyes and her open, expectant mouth complete with pink pouty lips... all of it painted white with my love for her.


    Meri¡¯s so cute, and she¡¯s all mine from now on... I look at the massive load I had to give her and smile, watching as she hungrily laps up my cum from her face wherever her tongue can reach it.


    Predictably, her Guildmates join in on the fun and much to my surprise I watch as something I only ever dreamed of happening unfolds before my eyes. As Sam and Zutiria lick her face dutifully, it trails off into something more and the three share a long, passionate threeway lesbian kiss.


    It¡¯s not even for my arousal, they each get totally into it as I just sit here watching. They trade Meri¡¯s tongue back and forth between their own, swirling around and sharing every drop of my cum as equally as they can until finally all three sets of eyes look up at me.


    ¡°I think Daddy liked that.¡±


    ¡®What man wouldn¡¯t enjoy watching his harem share his delicious, magical semen via a lovely kiss, hm?¡¯


    ¡°H-His harem...?¡± Meri¡¯s blush increases while her eyes sparkle with perverted interest.


    ¡®Two¡¯s company but three''s a crowd.¡¯ She smiles gently down at Meri, who smiles warmly in return.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet. There¡¯s still two of you who deserve a good fucking, after all. Who¡¯s next?¡±


    ¡°What a fucking BEAST you are, Daddy~¡± Sam giggles like a little minx and bites her lip, before sitting up to kiss me. I take the opportunity to remove her red bra and let it drop to the bed, and soon her naked tits are pressed up against my chest.


    ¡°Mmmm,¡± The Princess moans into our kiss and pulls away, smiling and blushing just a tiny bit before looking back down to Meri. ¡°Hey Zuzu?¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sammy?¡¯


    ¡°How about you and me show the new girl Daddy¡¯s favorite position?¡±


    Hell yes. I like where this is going.


    ¡®What a lovely idea, she¡¯ll need to see how it¡¯s done and it¡¯s better if she watches us have a go at it first.¡¯


    ¡°Scoot over, Meri.¡± I say and smile as I lay flat on my back, Meri sitting up and tiredly watching what happens next.


    The Shield Maiden blushes, ¡°Um... what¡¯s your favorite position? I¡¯ve... I¡¯ve watched you all a lot... and you guys change around a lot that... it¡¯s hard to guess... b-but I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s cuh... cowgirl? Since he¡¯s on his back?¡±


    ¡°Fu-fu-fuu!¡± Sam does an overexaggerated laugh and flips her golden mane of hair behind her, like a dramatic Princess. ¡°Such a naive little girl you are, Meri. As if mere cowgirl would be enough to satisfy our man¡¯s animalistic cravings!¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Zutiria pats me reassuringly on my head. ¡®She means it in a good way.¡¯


    ¡°T-than what is it?¡± Meri gulps and watches with intense curiosity.


    Sam sits up and spreads her legs wide over my hips before dropping down her steaming, hot pussy down the length of my entire cock in one powerful downward thrust. ¡°MMN- Y-You¡¯re half right, Meri. Daddy loves a girl on top bouncing on his dick like there¡¯s no tomorrow...¡±


    Zutiria then stands up over top of me and I look straight up, seeing the petite Mage¡¯s bare slit drooling down onto my face and the adorable cheeks of her little, round butt. She begins to lower them as well, placing her sopping cunt down onto my lips and her cute ass on the rest of my face.


    ¡®But what Sir REALLY loves is a nice butt to sit on him and a pussy for him to eat while his cock is busy. Nothing makes him feel more like a man.¡¯


    I moan into Zutiria¡¯s lower lips, making my agreement incredibly obvious by beginning to eat her out properly. Sam notices my enthusiasm as well, as I swell even harder inside her making the Princess moan and begin to rock her hips.


    Meri covers both of her hands over her mouth and gasps. ¡°N-No way...!! To think that Master¡¯s favorite position was so... so lewd, and degenerate!¡± The naked Shield Maiden pauses and notices the contradiction. ¡°Um. N-No, nevermind. That makes sense...¡±


    ¡°Heh, you¡¯re cute Meri. But Daddy won¡¯t... mmm... be satisfied if you don¡¯t learn to take the initiative and fuck him properly. Sure, he loves to tease you but he¡¯ll want you on top like this too.¡± The Princess starts taking a surprisingly proud tone as she bucks her hips down into my pelvis, swallowing me whole and caressing me in her warm pink walls.


    ¡°I... I can do it!¡± Meri pumps her fists up even though she seems very shy about it. ¡°I-I have a small question, though...¡±


    Sam smirks and once again flips her hair backwards. She¡¯s really getting into being Meri¡¯s superior and showing off... luckily for me, her style of showing off also includes fucking me with enthusiasm. ¡°No doubt, ask away! I... ohhh fuu-huh-uuuuck... I¡¯ll teach you anything you need to know~¡±


    ¡°Um... I know it¡¯s a kink thingy but... why do you call him Daddy?¡±


    Sam blushes and looks away nervously, not expecting this question. ¡°Uh... you see... mm...¡±


    ¡®Sammy has severe parental neglect issues and has imprinted on dear Sir here thanks to their age difference. She¡¯s like an adorable lost puppy, if you can ignore the weird undertones going on in their dynamic.¡¯ The snarky Mage quips as she softly moans and grinds her pussy across my lips left and right, enjoying each and every tender kiss I give her.


    The Princess¡¯s face reddens and she reaches out to roughly squeeze Zutiria¡¯s small, perky breasts with her hands. ¡°S-SHUT UP! EVEN IF IT¡¯S TRUE YOU DON¡¯T HAVE TO SAY IT SO PLAINLY!!¡± In her sudden embarrassment she starts pumping me in and out of her tight pussy with reckless, angry abandon.


    ¡®Mmmmm...¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s head falls backwards and her mouth opens silently from the onset of this new pleasure. She was probably aiming for this outcome to begin with... Zutiria¡¯s even better than I am when it comes to getting Sam to do what she wants.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok Sam... I¡¯m not that much older than you so I get it, s-sort of?¡± Meri meekly offers as she nervously bites her lip. ¡°I-I think it¡¯s kinda hot...¡±


    Sam rolls her eyes as she drops down powerfully on my cock, splitting her pliant cunt wide open in the process. ¡°What a- MMNNN- What a surprise, the perv thinks my daddy issues are hot...¡±


    ¡°N-NO!! I... I mean, um...?¡±


    ¡®Now now, children.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically gains their attention despite my invasive tongue beginning to invade her tiny slit and sample the tasty juices oozing from within. ¡®Why don¡¯t you... ahhh... come and join us, Meri?¡¯


    The Shield Maiden¡¯s shock is apparent as she looks at the Mage with interest and concern. ¡°What? B-But there¡¯s no room...¡±


    ¡®Nonsense. Stand between us and face towards... mmm, me...¡¯ Zutiria momentarily shuts her eyes from the ongoing assault. I raise my hands to hold her tiny butt in place so that my tongue can further lap at all the little bumps and folds of her pussy it can reach.


    ¡°Oh... okay...¡± Hesitantly, Meri lifts herself up off the bed and raises her leg to mount me. She blushes heavily as soon as she realizes her big, bubble butt is pointed directly at a predatory Princess...


    But it¡¯s too late.


    ¡°HYAAAA!!¡± Meri shrieks as soon as Sam¡¯s hands dig into the cheeks of her ass, and she reflexively leans over to give the Princess a stunning view of her plump, red, recently-fucked pussy. Even after the thorough cleaning that her Guildmates gave it, she¡¯s still slightly dripping small streams of my semen.


    Sam wastes absolutely no time diving straight in and Meri¡¯s drooling mouth hangs wide open as she starts getting pleasured with little warning. ¡°S-Sam...! Nooooo...!¡± Her protests are incredibly unconvincing, and Sam doesn¡¯t let them deter her from eating out the juicy, fat cunt present before her.


    Zutiria, thanks to her short height, is now face to face with the Shield Maiden¡¯s heavy, drooping tits. I imagine this was also part of her plan because she licks her lips and lifts the slightly bruised titties to her lips and sucks down on both of Meri¡¯s perky nipples at once. ¡®Don¡¯t mind if... mmm... I do...¡¯


    This is heaven. I can¡¯t do much besides lay here and fuck Sam while giving Zutiria the cunnilingus of her life, but hearing them pleasure each other and listening to them talk, bicker and banter about how best to bring me satisfaction...


    It¡¯s like Zutiria said earlier. I¡¯ve had countless threesomes thus far, but this... this is absolute harem sex. It makes a man feel like a god.


    Every time I thrust up into Sam I feel my control slipping and unlike before where I wanted desperately to impress Meri with her first time I know I don¡¯t need to work as hard with my young blonde lover. She wants me to cum as fast as possible as evident by the ever increasing frenzied pace of her hips gliding my meat in and out of her pussy like a well oiled machine.


    Zutiria¡¯s moans become louder and her hips tremble against my face- especially when I reach around and start fingering her swollen clit with my finger. She¡¯s getting closer, too, and Meri¡¯s not faring much better.


    This intense pleasure can¡¯t continue much longer and of course, it doesn¡¯t. I suddenly jerk upwards as far back as Sam¡¯s tight tunnel will allow me and throb violently as she cums against my manhood. The Princess screams loudly into Meri from behind while eating her out, and the sudden intensity ramps up even harder. While riding out her own orgasm she determinately focuses on pushing the Shield Maiden over the edge and it works, the ever so slightly chubby girl¡¯s body jerks as she screams and squirts her creamy, feminine honey all over the Princess¡¯s red, lust-filled face.


    My tongue coupled with the sight of the trembling maiden unraveling at the seams before her eyes pushed Zutiria to her own orgasm as well, the tiny girl whimpering and moaning as loudly as her damaged vocal cords will allow her to. Just then I meet the same fate as dear Sam, since Zutiria has not the power to hold back her delicious flood of love juices from pouring out of her convulsing slit that spasms and clenches my tongue.


    It goes without saying that like any domino I too must fall in the end, and my last big thrust up into Sam¡¯s tightness draws out a guttural groan from my throat up into Zutiria¡¯s womanhood. My boiling flood of male essence baths the Princess¡¯s sensitive pussy shortly after and blast after blast surges out of me, despite being my third load it¡¯s no less voluminous than the second or even the first. I¡¯d thank the Goddess but I don¡¯t want another interruption.


    Everyone kind of tumbles off of me after that. Sam falls to the left, Meri to the right, and Zutiria falls down to my crotch. It goes without saying that Everyone is a breathing, panting mess.


    ¡°W-Wow...¡± Meri dreamily moans. ¡°That... that was just like in all those naughty books... I-I didn¡¯t think everyone could actually cum all at the s-same time like that in real life...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just that good.¡± I laugh softly as I take a deep breath.


    ¡°And I helped!¡± Sam huffs proudly from my side, making sure that Meri acknowledges who got her off just now.


    ¡°T-thank you, Sam... that... that felt really, really good...¡±


    ¡°Damn. STRAIGHT.¡± Sam smirks, once more taking the bratty Princess tone. It¡¯s odd. She¡¯s usually submissive with me and Zutiria although she¡¯s dominant whenever she or I want her to be, but Sam seems very determined on asserting herself as Meri¡¯s superior and making it clear to the young brunette that as far as she¡¯s concerned, Meri answers to her.


    It¡¯s really cute yet hot as hell at the same time. Like a kid with a crush, almost.


    ¡°Are... we done now?¡± The sweet brunette asks with a hint of disappointment in her voice. ¡°I know you can go a lot of rounds in one night b-but... maybe three girls is too much at once?¡±


    Zutiria finally recovers enough to scoot herself closer to my dick and suddenly I feel both of her tiny hands grip the base and soon after she takes my head into her warm, wet mouth.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be silly, Meri. The most important rule of any proper harem is one for all and all for one. It¡¯s my turn.¡¯ Zutiria tells the wide-eyed Shield Maiden as she begins to suck my cock diligently enough to return me to full, Goddess-endowed hardness yet again.

 Not Done Yet

    It¡¯s not long before the little lady¡¯s tender blowjob has me swollen and begging for more.


    Meri can scarcely believe her eyes, though the drool coming from her lips bely her true thoughts on the matter. Seeing such a cute girl as her drooling over the sight of my cock is something I¡¯ll never get used to, and I love it...


    But I also love Zutiria, and right now it¡¯s her turn.


    The petite woman takes one of her favorite positions lower down the bed as she waits for me. Flat on her back with her legs spread and slightly raised, Zutiria loves missionary because she gets very affectionate and has told me she loves watching my face from below. Zutiria¡¯s got a lot of issues and her need for constant affection is just one of the less unfortunate side effects that came about from whatever made her the way she is.


    That¡¯s more than ok, I like my clingy Mage exactly the way she is.


    Zutiria beckons her Guildmates to each side of her body and unlike her, Sam and Meri each lay on their bellies rather than their backs. With the Princess¡¯s round cheeks on the left, Zutiria¡¯s desperate and needy slit in the middle and Meri¡¯s full ass on the right I marvel at the feast laid before me.


    ¡®Give it to me, Sir.¡¯ The cold, expressionless doll beckons to me and a hint of warmth fills her face. Zutiria bites down on her pouty lip, awaiting my insertion with anticipation. She opens her legs and then reaches down with her hands to split open the clefted mound waiting for me.


    Seeing her glistening, trembling sheath fills me with a desire to give the needy girl exactly what she craves. Only moments ago I was eating her out like a man possessed and now I sought to give her the same attention with my manhood.


    Holding myself steady with my right hand, I delicately press my tip against her slippery, awaiting slit and thrust myself into Zutiria in one go. What once felt like an uphill battle to reach the little lady¡¯s deepest depths now felt like a return home. Granted the home was very, very tight to the point of bordering on almost unbearable, but at least it wasn¡¯t a struggle.


    Zutiria said that my Rune of Safe Passage would prevent me from stretching out my partners too much and help keep them in perfect tightness, I¡¯m guessing that it allowed me to pry open the delicate Mage a bit permanently before having that effect on her.


    ¡®Thank you, Sir. You¡¯re making me feel so full, and complete... just like always...¡¯ There¡¯s a deep unmistakable feeling of love coming from her ice-cold eyes and her demeanor melts my heart like it always does. She¡¯s always so formal and oddly appreciative, and despite however many mysteries she has... from day one Zutiria has been nothing but genuine and wholesome about her affection towards me.


    If I¡¯m being honest I think she fell for me even harder than Sam did right off the bat... But again that¡¯s mostly due to her personal problems. Zutiria was ready to wholly accept someone to ¡®save¡¯ her from her own personal hell, and every day I try my hardest to live up to the adoring way she looks at me...


    Including now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you feel a whole lot more full than that. Trust me.¡± To make my point I slam my hips against hers and watch as her eyes shut tight from a jolt of ecstasy.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget about us, Daddyyyy~¡± To my left, the Princess starts wiggling her butt.


    ¡°U-Um... I¡¯m okay with just watching... I¡¯ve... c-cummed a lot already tonight...¡± Meri predictably tries to be humble and give the Mage her due.


    ¡°I was trying to have a moment, Princess.¡± I say while slapping her ass with force- no warning whatsoever.


    ¡°AHHN- FUCK!¡± Sam jerks from shock and much to my surprise I feel Zutiria tighten around me as she watches.


    I look at her with suspicion and Zutiria playfully smiles as innocent as she can. She says nothing but her eyes tell me to continue and not to worry too much about her. Like I said, Zutiria is intensely devoted to me. She wants me to feel the best I possibly can during sex even if that means splitting my attention even when it¡¯s her turn. Rather, she gets off on me having as much fun as possible.


    She¡¯s far too good to me, I swear...


    Thankfully for Zutiria, I¡¯ve always been a very good multi-tasker.


    ¡°And as for you-¡± I turn to face Meri and watch as she nervously blushes and bites her lip. Her eyes open wide reflexively as soon as my hand raises. ¡°You¡¯re not fucking done until I say you¡¯re done. UNDERSTOOD?!¡± My hand slaps Meri¡¯s full, round, fat cheek so hard that it turns redder than her scarlet eyes and she all but jumps off the bed in turn.


    ¡°HYAAAAA YES YES M-MASTER!!¡± She whines, eager to please my brutal whims and potentially eager for more abuse.


    ¡°Asses up, sluts. Both of you.¡±


    Sam looks at me with a dirty smile like, ¡®what¡¯re you gonna do about it?¡¯ while Meri stares blankly, still riding the high of that last spank.


    I sigh and shake my head while fucking Zutiria¡¯s tight little pussy. The Mage watches my next move carefully and I spot one hand of hers reaching down to her clit and the other groping her petite breast.


    ¡°When I say SLUTS, that means YOU!¡±


    I raise both hands and bring them down on my two lovers respectively, causing Sam to howl and groan and Meri to do one of her pleasured shrieks.


    ¡°FUCK, YES DADDY I¡¯M SORRY DADDY!¡± Sam wastes no time raising her perky, spanked butt to me- her tiny show of bratty defiance dying in record time.


    ¡°MNNN MASTERRR, I-I¡¯M SORRY, HEREEEE!¡± Meri follows suit and gives up her luscious, excessive hips entirely to the mercy of my whims.


    ¡°Was that so fucking hard, Sluts?¡±


    Meri and Sam shake their heads and I feel that little tingle I get when my ego starts going out of control.


    I look down at the girl being spread my cock and as she flicks her clit with reckless abandon she looks into my eyes and playfully smiles too. ¡®Am I a slut too, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re too much of a good girl for that.¡±


    ¡®Mmmn. I guess I need to try harder, then.¡¯ She winks at me and the sheer cuteness makes me painfully throb, spurring the incessant need to fuck her harder.


    With a deep groan I start slamming my hips into Zutiria, and then I get to work on roughly fingering both of the slut squad¡¯s expecting pussies in tandem.


    Sam is in heaven, humping backwards onto my fingers for yet more pleasure. The Shield Maiden on the other hand just sits there awkwardly letting me do my thing. I imagine she really is pretty tired by now considering the rough day we had, but there¡¯s no denying that she¡¯s still into it.


    My skilled, dextrous fingers go about their business inside of each girl¡¯s damp inner flesh, dancing around and scoping out all of the individual little spots that make them twist, shout and moan.


    All this while I continue my assault on the needy little Mage still clamping down on my cock with all the tightness her sweet little pleasure hole can manage for me. Zutiria is teasing herself like crazy at this point, her little hips wiggling against my persistent manhood at every little wave of satisfaction she gets from playing with her own little button.


    ¡®Harder, Sir... Don¡¯t stop until you¡¯ve filled me up to bursting with the last drop of your burning, thick, manly cum...¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s distant, dreamy eyes are lidded from lust and her mouth opens and closes amid a hundred little gasps and moans. None of them are very loud but I¡¯ll at least get one good scream out of her by the time I¡¯m done. I always do.


    At her sides, Sam and Meri are each approaching yet another climax since I refuse to focus on anything but their most sensitive spots at this point. The two asses jiggle their impressive curves incessantly as both girls spasm in increasingly violent intensity. I redouble my efforts and start working my hands harder than ever before, all while gritting my teeth and thrusting hard, hard, HARD into the tight little Mage cunt milking me as best it can.


    ¡°DADDYYYY, IT¡¯S... IT¡¯S CUMMING, AW SHIIIIIIT-¡± Sam screams into the mattress, lower lips quivering as they hold back another flood for me.


    ¡°MASTER PLEEEEEASE... I CAAAAN¡¯T... I CAN¡¯T TAKE MUCH MOOOOORE-!!¡± Adorable little tears form in Meri¡¯s eyes as she looks back to me, begging for mercy.


    ¡°That¡¯s- NGH- That¡¯s good, fucking cum for me, girls...!! I¡¯m almost... THERE-¡± I grunt and find myself surprised by Zutiria suddenly scooting down a bit further and wrapping her legs around my hips like a pretzel. While I¡¯m indeed physically stronger than her and could get out if I REALLY tried, the little lady bites her lower lip and holds me in place with all her strength.


    ¡®Give it to me... please... please, Sir... I want it... I waaaant itttt...¡¯ Zutiria moans and arches her back so high off the mattress that only her head remains in contact with it. Her mouth hangs open, ready to unleash a powerful scream even if it hurt her in the process.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± My inhibition breaks and as the Mage holds me in place at the deepest part of her tight tunnel, I let loose shot after shot of the powerful semen she so desperately craves. Just as I predicted, the typically mute girl shouts so hard that her voice cracks and causes her pain, but a pain she¡¯s severely proud of. A pain that she welcomes in an entirely different way than Meri welcomes pain, mind you. It¡¯s much more wholesome than that.


    Zutiria cums madly all over my ogasming cock, her tightness convulsing and coaxing out all that I have to give to her.


    On both her sides, her Guildmates join her in glorious, climactic ecstasy. Sam and Meri both shout some sexual gibberish about cumming and both cunts soak my hands, and the sheets below, in their trickling girl-cum.


    After making sure I¡¯ve pumped the last load, Zutiria¡¯s legs finally ease up and I can pull out. Looking at the mess I¡¯ve made of her tiny hole, I feel a strong sense of pride as the lovely lavender lass looks up to me in pleasured reverence.


    I¡¯m standing over three girls that I just dominated and although my cock is begging me for more, my body says to me in no uncertain terms, ¡®If you don¡¯t stop here then I¡¯ll give you a REAL heart attack, asshole.¡¯


    It¡¯s hard to argue with that.


    I lay down between Zutiria and Meri and for a few minutes no one says anything. I kiss the Mage tenderly, though, and I enjoy the hell out of her dainty little lips doing their best to please me further.


    Aside from that, though, it¡¯s all silent for a bit until Sam and Meri finally start groaning and laying down properly. They regain enough strength to remember that their butts no longer be raised, and we all lay side by side now.


    ¡°If... If I hadn¡¯t seen it for myself, then... I¡¯d be shocked knowing that you all do this... every... every night...¡± Meri huffs, tiredly.


    ¡°Told ya. Daddy¡¯s a fucking BEAST.¡± The Princess snorts while throwing her hand over Zutiria so that she can hug the both of us at once.


    ¡°Rawr.¡± I confirm, much to everyone¡¯s delight. The girls all share an adorable giggle at that.


    ¡°S-so... we¡¯re REALLY done this time...?¡± Meri raises an eyebrow skeptically.


    ¡°Ye-¡± I try to say, but.


    ¡®No.¡¯ Everyone looks at Zutiria in shock.


    ¡°Zutiria, I¡¯m... I¡¯m kind of at my limit.¡± I exhale a tired sigh despite the stirring in my loins from the potential promise of yet more pleasure.


    ¡®I think there¡¯s something Meri still wants to do. You won¡¯t deny her her fantasies after stealing her first time so cruelly and savagely, will you?¡¯


    ¡°Gah-¡± I wince at how she put it and then I look at Meri. She indeed looks like she¡¯s holding herself back from saying something and it makes me give up. ¡°What do you want, my dear, sweet Meri...?¡±


    ¡°N-No, it¡¯s fine!! Really!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me come over there and spank that ass, slut. I can hit way harder than Daddy!¡± Sam threatens.


    ¡°HYAA NO, NO SAM DON¡¯T!¡± The Shield Maiden cringes at the thought, apparently the idea of taking Sam¡¯s full strength isn¡¯t as arousing as being manhandled by me. That¡¯s kind of reassuring, in a way. ¡°I just... um... w-w-wanted to...¡±


    ¡®Wanted to what, Meri? No one will judge you.¡¯


    ¡°I will.¡± Sam laughs before I reach over to give her ass a playful smack... yet still hard enough to hurt.


    ¡°OW, FUCK!¡±


    ¡°Be nice.¡± I give her a stern warning and she grumbles bitchily under her breath.


    This eases the tension and gives Meri enough courage to spit it out. ¡°I wanted to suck Master¡¯s cock...¡± She practically drools at the thought. What an amazing and loving pervert I have. ¡°B-BUT...¡± she continues, ¡°I don¡¯t know how... I read about it in a lot of books, but... you know..."


    ¡°As long as I don¡¯t have to move anymore I¡¯m up for it.¡± I smile and look down to see my magical, relentless hard-on reappear for the fifth... or is it the sixth time tonight? I can¡¯t even fucking tell anymore.


    ¡°But first, come here.¡± I turn to face Meri and she blushes, cuddling up to my side.


    ¡°W-w-what is it...?!¡± The Shield Maiden nervously looks away, back to me, away, and back again in a neurotic episode. This gets worse when I surprise her by giving her a slow and deep kiss for what feels like hours. I linger and watch as she grows less and less reluctant as the kiss goes on until she¡¯s playing with my tongue and my lips with no hesitation.


    Eventually we both pull away and despite her sudden confidence mid-kiss Meri can¡¯t look me in the eyes. I can practically hear how hard and fast her heart is beating from here. If anything it feels like this was more embarrassing and lewd to her than the last several hours of indulgence we all shared, and that¡¯s just adorable to me.


    ¡°We hadn¡¯t even kissed yet, silly girl.¡±


    Meri bites her lip and tries to look at me before freaking out and pulling the yellow tips of the bow in her hair over her eyes in a desperate attempt to recoup and gather her emotions. ¡°Th-th... thank... you... Master...¡± Her voice is almost a whisper but it¡¯s also undeniably happy. A warped, pervy looking smile appears on her face causing my desires to run rampantly out of control once more.


    ¡°Are you going to suck my cock now, or what?¡± I take a stern tone with her just the way she likes, and I see her body whimper with delight in response.


    ¡°N-No... we ALL are.¡± Meri manages to say, and as if rehearsed Zutiria and Sam both sit up and head down to my groin- but not until after Zutiria gives me plenty of pillows to prop me up and watch my girls at work.

 Goodnight, Sluts

    Sam leans over my right hip, Zutiria on my left, while Meri lays straight down between my legs in the dead center. They¡¯re so close that I can feel all three of their individual, steamingly-hot breaths on my twitching dick. Gods, it¡¯s almost too much...


    ¡°Listen up, Meri. There¡¯s lots of ways to do this and lucky for you, Daddy¡¯s not very picky.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s very hard to fuck up a blowjob,¡± I confirm. ¡°Even a bad one feels good as long as they don¡¯t involve biting.¡±


    ¡°You can bite a little.¡± Sam tries to talk over my advice.


    ¡°No.¡±


    The Princess sighs, rolling her eyes and turning to Meri before she makes a ¡®just a lil bit¡¯ gesture with her hand. I decide to let that one go...


    ¡°Um... how do you both do it...?¡± Meri blushes even harder as she stares at my erect hardness, knowing full well the many places its journeyed tonight alone and growing wetter at the thought of sucking down on it like a whore.


    Zutiria steps up to the challenge and takes my throbbing base into her tiny hand and starts pumping me slowly with her delicate grip. ¡®You can go slow, and teasingly like I do. It¡¯s important to treat Sir with the respect and care he deserves. He¡¯s our man, after all. Im my case, oral sex is an act of submission where I do my best to nurture his impressive and show my love for him. Like so.¡¯


    Zutiria gives a demonstration that leaves me a spasming mess. She shows Meri how she peppers my meat in thousands of different tiny kisses... how she uses her small hands to fondle, tease and squeeze the shaft and balls, and how she delicately sucks on the tip like it¡¯s a deliciously sweet treat.


    ¡°Fuuuuuuck that¡¯s so gooooood-¡± I¡¯m almost on the verge of pleasured tears, Zutiria was right. I feel very, very loved right about now.


    Since Zutiria is able to ¡®talk¡¯ despite having my dick in her mouth, she continues her explanation.


    ¡®Once it¡¯s been teased enough you take it further into your mouth-¡¯ Zutiria moans as my massive cock begins to stretch her lips wide thanks to my sheer girth. ¡®I¡¯m small, so it¡¯s a slower, delicate process for me... but Sir seems to like it.¡¯ She winks emotionlessly as she begins to bob her head up and down my length.


    ¡°Wowwww...¡± Meri blushes and covers her mouth while she watches the little lady give me head like I were a king.


    ¡°It¡¯s- nnngh... true... The way you do it, Zutiria... it... fuck... makes me feel like the most important person in all the realms...¡± I wince from pleasure and grip the blankets for stability. It¡¯s unneeded, though, as right after I say it the submissive Mage removes me from her mouth and pants for air.


    She then surprises us all by speaking out loud, ¡°That¡¯s because you a-are... at... a-at least... to... me...¡±


    Holy shit. Not only was the first half of her sentence the loudest attempt at speaking she¡¯s made yet, it was almost completely fluent until she trailed off at the end.


    ¡°Zutiria...!¡± I look at her and she meekly smiles in response... but before anyone can say anything, Sam decides to act like the spoiled brat she is... much to my dick¡¯s satisfaction.


    ¡°DAMN IT, ZUZU!¡± Her Highness grips my cock and wrestles it away from the Mage. ¡°I hate when you do that!!¡±


    Zutiria blushes. ¡®When... I try to talk?¡¯


    A huge wave of guilt hits Sam. ¡°ACK- n-no, damnit... When you pull a fast one over on me like that and use your disability to get a leg up on me!!¡±


    The Mage feigns innocence and looks away, smiling up at me while ignoring Sam. ¡®It¡¯s not my fault if Sir finds pleasure in me trying my best to heal my voice for his sake so that I can tell him how much I adore him every hour of the day.¡¯


    Sam, Meri and I all blush.


    This Mage is so much more powerful than I could ever imagine.


    ¡°Zutiria, please... I already had one heart attack today and I¡¯d like to keep it that way.¡± I mockingly clutch my heart and to show her how much her cuteness affected me.


    ¡°I¡¯M NOT LOSING TO YOU, ZUZU!¡± Sam defiantly glares at her long time friend, not really mad at her as Zutiria so much as she¡¯s mad at herself for ¡®losing¡¯.


    In one insane motion, Sam deepthroats me from the get go and I watch her emerald eyes sparkle with tears yet fight down the discomfort enough to swallow me whole.


    ¡®Pay attention, Meri. This is the wicked, dark alternative to the submissive and tender care of my oral ministrations.¡¯ Zutiria remarks as the Princess begins to moan and gulp around my cock until her lungs beg for air and she rises off- only to push right back down again.


    ¡°W-what?!¡± Meri blushes heavily as she watches Sam in a lusty haze.


    ¡®Sammy treats oral sex like she treats most things, a battle to be won. She can be submissive when she or Sir wants it, but her natural state is what you see before you. A powerful blowjob warrior who demands Sir¡¯s sheer force of willpower to deny her an early victory.¡¯


    Almost in reverence the Shield Maiden chants, ¡°A blowjob w-warrior...?!¡±


    ¡®Watch as she pleasures Sir like she has nothing to lose. How she takes him into the pit of her throat with ease and how she intentionally swallows like a slut to give him even further satisfaction. She shows him that she¡¯s not afraid of his cock and that she¡¯ll do anything to make it cum even if it¡¯s at her own expense.¡¯


    Reading this odd yet arousing description of the blowjob I¡¯m currently being given by the Princess is surreal yet every word is true and Sam keeps up her reckless assault. She removes me and uses both of her hands to forcibly stroke my cock, grinning like a slut.


    ¡°Daddy likes it like this, doesn¡¯t he?¡±


    ¡°Fuck YES he does!!¡± I groan and buck my hips up for her.


    Sam giggles and starts playing with my balls with one hand, stroking me with the other and slurping me as loudly as she can by bobbing up and down my massive erection. The Princess thoroughly enjoys transforming me into nothing more than her personal toy.


    ¡®With a combined assault like this, I¡¯m sure a normal man would have thrown in the towel ages ago. Take note, Meri. He¡¯s now your man as well, and he is lust incarnate...¡¯ As always, Zutiria¡¯s worship only spurs my oncoming orgasm and I cry out in delight, yet that¡¯s where Sam stops.


    ¡°Now you try.¡± Sam smirks, thankfully able to remember that this isn¡¯t about her and that she has to try.


    ¡°Y-Yes!¡± Meri nods and nervously grips my aching cock with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m not good enough at this, Master...¡± Closing her eyes, she opens wide and takes my tip into her mouth.


    ¡°Ahhhhh...¡± I let out a sigh of relief as pleasure washes over me once more.


    The nervous girl does her best, and for someone who just lost her virginity tonight it isn¡¯t half bad. I¡¯ll chalk it up to her natural, slutty aptitude and her having very good teachers.


    Meri struggles to make eye contact as she bobs on my cock, each time striving to take it further than the last. She isn¡¯t as delicate as Zutiria and she isn¡¯t as hardcore as Sam, and I somehow figured this would be the case honestly.


    Watching the blushing Shield Maiden do her absolute best to please me is just as arousing as if she were just as skilled as her Guildmates, somehow, and I feel my burning desire begin to rise once more.


    ¡®Look, Meri.¡¯ Zutiria cradles both of my huge, swollen balls in her tiny, delicate hands. ¡®You can tell he¡¯s about to cum when his impressive orbs retract up into him like such.¡¯


    ¡°Also by how much he¡¯s throbbing! If he suddenly starts to feel like a marching band in your mouth, that¡¯s when you know it¡¯s time to blow.¡± Sam adds in with a crass laugh.


    Meri slides me out of her just as I¡¯m about to cum and it makes me wince, much to their collective delight to see me wanting so much more. ¡°H-He¡¯s gonna do it... I want everyone to share this with me...¡±


    Both girls play up their reactions to this, as if it were an earth shattering act of self sacrifice. ¡°But... but it¡¯s your first load!¡± Sam gasps in playful shock.


    ¡®Meri, it¡¯s not yours to give.¡¯ Zutiria looks up at me expectantly, as does Meri.


    ¡°Fuck fuck FUCK I don¡¯t care, I want to cum and I want to cum on ALL of you!¡± I thrust my hips wildly into the air as the need for release only grows and grows.


    All three girls giggle in unison and join in a collaborative effort to bring me the best blowjob of my life thus far. All three girls become lost in my manhood, and their hands rest on my across thighs and pelvis. Using only their mouths the three of them pass me between them, licking me up and down and sucking on the tip and sides of my cock as they breathe on it and sigh and moan and gasp. A million little sounds accompany every action and I soon can¡¯t even keep track of who¡¯s licking where, though I¡¯m fairly certain the one tongue that keeps traveling to my balls here and then is Zutiria...


    Other than that, everything is a blur. It¡¯s too much. It¡¯s WAY too much and when the realization that this is my life from now on now that Meri¡¯s in it sets in... that¡¯s when I cum the biggest, hardest load of the night. It¡¯s like a fountain bursting up into the air and raining down on all of their faces- coating Sam, Zutiria and Meri in a torrential downpour of my excessive semen. They all stop their licking momentarily to try and stop the stream by plugging it with their mouths. Each girl would swallow me and pump me up and down, nursing my orgasm by stroking the base of my cock with their hands before passing me to the next girl.


    I don¡¯t know how many times the three of them swallow my cum like this, passing me around like a shared drink on a hot day, but all the strength in my body leaves me by the time they¡¯re about halfway done with me.


    I¡¯m too tired to watch, but I hear the sounds of my girls licking the cum off of each other¡¯s faces and giggling, gasping and so on until it finally dies down and my cock plops weakly to the floor. You lying bastard, I know you¡¯d jump again if given the chance...


    Eventually Zutiria smiles as she cuddles up to my side. ¡®I think when you have a talk with your Goddess, Sir, you should ask her for a stamina increase. If she already blessed you with size and quantity, she could at least go the extra mile and give you a body to keep up with it.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s a good suggestion, whoever you are...¡± I groan and kiss the Mage on her forehead, causing her to warmly giggle. ¡°Someone get the li-¡±


    Sam turns off the room¡¯s arcane tech lamp and goes over to crack the bathroom door. ¡°Just a small warning, Meri. Zuzu¡¯s afraid of the dark and we always keep the light on for her. You might want to sleep on his other side, she gets nightmares and they aren¡¯t always pretty.¡±


    ¡®I kick and get sweaty.¡¯ Zutiria confirms.


    ¡°Oh, Zutiria...¡± Meri frowns and sighs. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry... I never would have guessed that was why the bathroom light¡¯s always on. I mean... you seemed so talented at using dark magic today, I assumed it was your specialty or something...¡±


    After a suspiciously long silence, Zutiria buries her face in my neck and responds, ¡®Funny how that works.¡¯


    Sensing she might have hit a nerve, Meri meekly retreats to my opposite side and cuddles up to me as well, her round boobs and soft tummy digging into my side and in a way that feels like heaven.


    ¡°Guess that means there¡¯s only one spot left~¡± Sam jumps on the bed and looks down at all of us huddled around the center. ¡°PLOP!¡± She announces her intention before falling onto my chest hard enough to make me let out a loud ¡®oof¡¯. She laughs like the total tomboy she is and nuzzles her face into my chest.


    ¡°Goodnight, Daddy!¡± Sam kisses me on the lips.


    ¡°Um... S-sweet dreams, Master...!¡± Meri blushes and kisses me on one side of the face and Zutiria quickly copies her and kisses her own side.


    ¡®Goodnight, Sir.¡¯


    Smiling deeply and growing more exhausted by the second, I sigh with amazement and contentment. ¡°Goodnight, sluts. Goodnight, Zutiria.¡±


    ¡°HEY!¡±


    ¡°W-W-WHAT?!¡±


    I laugh loudly in the dark of the night and shake my head before correcting myself. ¡°Night Sam, Meri.¡±


    Both of them share a laugh in return and as one can hardly imagine, we all pass out like we¡¯ve never slept before after that.

 A New Day

    Despite the extravagant celebration of flesh on flesh I shared with my horny Guild girls the night before, there was no such action in the morning. Not in the same way, anyway.


    ¡°TRAINING, BITCHES!¡± The door to the bedroom is thrown open by a boisterous and rowdy Grekkan clad in a sporty white tunic. It does nothing to hide her ample yet not oversized breasts, and she wears a belt that cuts it off and turns the bottom half into more of a skirt.


    I thought Nikita was only down for about three training sessions this week, but she must have changed her mind...


    ¡°HYAAA?!¡± Meri shrieks and is the first to rise, pulling the blanket over her topless chest.


    ¡°FUCK OFF CEDRIC, YOU SNEAK INTO MY ROOM ONE MORE TIME I¡¯LL RENDER YOU FUCKIN¡¯ UNABLE TO PRODUCE AN HEIR I SWEAR TO-¡± Sam wakes up groggily and rubs her eyes before seeing Nikita. What an oddly specific situation she automatically assumes she¡¯s woken up to. Cedric? I¡¯m not jealous, just trying to place the name...


    Zutiria refuses to move an inch and she remains cuddled up to me, passing along a message that reads, ¡®Yeah, no. It¡¯s too early for this shit. Pretend I¡¯m not here.¡¯


    ¡°THINK FAST, ZU! DISCUS COMIN¡¯ AT YA!¡± From behind her back Nikita pulls out a small, seemingly innocent looking flat disc. However when she suddenly lobs it with an overhand throw it lands on Zutiria¡¯s side and the poor Mage loses all of her wind from a massive blow to her solar plexus. This thing was much heavier than anyone was expecting.


    ¡°OOF-¡± Zutiria shouts audibly.


    The little lady finally rolls out of bed fully naked. ¡®Kill me.¡¯ She says while clutching her side and trying to breathe.


    ¡°Shoulda caught it!¡± Nikita begins laughing her ass off and she absent mindedly bangs her hand on the door, accidentally making a huge hole in the process. Because of course she does.


    It was audacious of me to even believe for a moment that my day wouldn¡¯t involve rampant property damage as soon as I wake up. At least Gwin will have something to do if she stops by.


    ¡°Good morning.¡± I sigh, not even bothering to raise my head and look at the ongoing chaos.


    ¡°Why so shy, Meri? Whatcha got under there? Did he leave a bunch of marks on you like I told him to? Lemme see, lemme see! Congrats on your virginity, by the way!¡± Nikita continues laughing as she approaches the bed with increasingly gropey hands.


    ¡°N-NO NO NO NOOOO STAY AWAY YOU... YOU MUSCLY, OILED MENACE!!¡± Meri hides under the blanket but to no avail. Nikita yanks it away revealing both the Shield Maiden¡¯s and my own naked body.


    ¡°Nice tits.¡± Nikita gives an approving thumbs up to the crying brunette.


    ¡°HWAH?!¡±


    Naturally, Nikita takes a glance in my direction and she just about stops completely in her tracks. ¡°What the fuck?¡± Shaking her head in disbelief, the Grekkan whistles as the faint hint of a red blush colors her bronzed cheeks. ¡°Chief I know you got the whole morning wood thing going on, but DAMN. Last time I saw someone packing that much heat was when Narcissus found himself a good mirror.¡±


    ¡°Nikita, I¡¯m too tired to even attempt to flirt with you right now.¡± I let out an exhausted groan.


    ¡°Fair enough, Eros.¡± She just keeps laughing, laughing, laughing. Just like always.


    ¡°What the fuck, Niki?!¡± Sam scrambles into a pair of my boxers and one of my shirts. ¡°I thought you were done with this kind of shit!¡± Standing by the Princess¡¯s side is Zutiria who managed to pull on a black nightgown of hers.


    ¡°Well, you see...¡± Nikita clears her throat as if to speak but she gets cut off before continuing.


    ¡°If you kiddies MUST insist on going off on big, grand adventures without a healer in your party then, wellllll... I figured SURELY you would all want some extra training to prepare!¡± A deep, sultry sounding voice comes from outside the door and it¡¯s owner makes no attempt to hide the passive aggressiveness behind her words.


    Opalina enters the room wearing a casual pair of black shorts, a tight tank top and a light blue jacket.


    ¡°Hi, Mom.¡± I make a sarcastic quip and sigh, rolling over in the bed. Like Zutiria, I too can¡¯t handle this. It¡¯s much too early to deal with a scorned milf.


    Upon yet another intruder laying eyes on her naked body, Meri yelps and tries once more to cover her shame but Opalina gives her a motherly smile. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be ashamed, Dear. You¡¯ve very beautiful...¡±


    The Shield Maiden blushes and hangs her head. ¡°T-Thank you... can someone please get me some clothes from my... my OLD room...?¡± Meri looks at me with a weak smile, pleading with her eyes to see if she¡¯s allowed to live in my bedroom like the rest of her Guildmates.


    I nod my head and reach out to ruffle her brown, curly hair tiredly- much to her delight.


    The older, mature woman lets out a longing sigh. ¡°Ah, they grow up so fast.¡±


    Sam tosses a bunch of Meri¡¯s clothes at her after a brief trip to her old room, and Meri dons them gratefully. Now that the three of them are in a barely passable state of dress, Nikita escorts the girls downstairs to the training yard with her typical bombastic enthusiasm.


    Typically I would relish the opportunity to have the good doctor alone in my room with me, but it¡¯s plain to see how dead tired I am. ¡°Everything ok, Sweetheart? Lovely new bed by the by.¡± She sits down on it and scoots awkwardly to join me at the center.


    ¡°I had too much sex.¡± I groan.


    ¡°Poor baby.¡± Opalina never misses a chance to take a well-deserved sarcastic jab. ¡°Have you been exercising to try and improve your stamina?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been lugging around the corpses of Pinemen fairly often, I think that counts. Besides, I was planning to ask the Goddess for help.¡±


    ¡°The ambrosia?¡± Opalina tilts her head.


    ¡°Nikita said that it was a secret...¡±


    ¡°Nikita isn¡¯t good at secrets, for future reference.¡± The curvy brunette shakes her head and lets out a soft laugh. ¡°Sorry, Dear. I was only popping by since Nikita and I were out for an early morning jog, and I felt it would make for a good little prank. Let me help.¡±


    Opalina pulls my blanket off and extends her hands. The tips of her fingers begin to glow a faint, pale blue and she chants one of her custom spells, ¡°Relaximus.¡±


    As is often the case with her special brand of magic, Opalina¡¯s hands ignore my skin and push inside my body to begin massaging the muscles themselves. What follows is in no exaggerated terms, heaven. Her dainty hands betray a strong grip and over the course of the next fifteen minutes my beautiful older lover relieves the tension from every ache in my body she can possibly find.


    ¡°Did I miss anywhere?¡± She asks gently.


    ¡°Well, there is this one spot...¡± I coyly start to reach down towards my morning wood which obviously didn''t shrink as my large breasted magical cougar gave me a tender morning massage. Why in Karnalle would it?


    ¡°You look fine to me, Dear.¡± Opalina rolls her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve got to be heading back to the clinic soon...¡± Her voice is disappointed, wistful.


    ¡°You belong here patching up my adventurers, you know.¡± I grab her wrist and remind her of this fact.


    Her luscious red lips smile as she considers this. ¡°I do. But not when you only have three.¡±


    Unable to dispute this, I pull down on her wrist and pull her lips to mine to share a long and very drawn out kiss bursting with mutual adoration.


    ¡°Before I go Dear, a word of advice?¡± Opalina gazes at me longingly with her warm, purple eyes.


    ¡°Always.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s just going to keep sending you girls... ask that Goddess of yours to specifically hook you up with a healer before you go begging for her to give you endless stamina so you can can fuck better.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring it up, I was planning on making the offering today, actually. That and visiting Abner to grill him about the quest situation. Do you think it¡¯s safe if I wander around now?¡±


    ¡°I would say so. As long as you let Nikita know beforehand so she can keep a watchful eye on you from afar, you shouldn¡¯t be in any danger.¡±


    ¡°Thought so... I haven¡¯t had any further troubles since Nikita chased off a group of rogues from the trees out back.¡± I let out a sigh, remembering that absurd situation from a few days ago.


    This gets a small laugh off of the healer and she averts her eyes, ¡°Yes... I heard about that. Nikita may be eccentric, but she isn¡¯t lying when she calls herself a Champion. As long as she¡¯s in town I would go as far to say you could walk around naked with a target painted on your back and you¡¯d likely make it home without so much as a scratch.¡±


    The implications of this settle in and I can¡¯t help but nervously gulp. ¡°Opalina, just how strong even IS Nikita?¡±


    My mature lover lets out a long and deliberate sigh while standing up off of the bed. ¡°Not as strong as she used to be.¡±


    A short silence follows that statement, before she shakes her head. ¡°I need to be running along now, Dear. There¡¯s breakfast downstairs. I took the liberty to whip up a meal for you and the girls before Nikita woke you all up.¡±


    Deciding that since my body is fully healed and I have no further excuse not to, I too start to get up off the bed. ¡°You¡¯re too good to me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡± She confirms aloud and then tosses me a set of my clothes from the wardrobe.


    ¡°Try and stop by sometime soon, Mommy¡¯s getting lonely again.¡± She playfully winks before leaving the room... only to come right back in. She scratches the back of her head in a tizzy, ¡°I almost forgot. There was another reason I came by! When we were out jogging we passed by the Market and you wouldn¡¯t believe it, Dear.¡±


    Just after tying my bowstring, I turn back to face Opal with a hopeful twinkle in my eyes. ¡°It can¡¯t be.¡±


    ¡°I saw it with my own two eyes. The Breeding Tribe is officially in town! They plan to stay for two weeks it seems and Nikita and I had an early look at allllll the pretty kitties up for adoption. They had a wide variety of exquisite maids might I add, but...¡±


    ¡°But what? They¡¯re not too expensive, are they...? We have a bit more gold since you gave us the 100k, and we can afford up to-¡±


    ¡°No, no.¡± She laughs and dismisses me with her hands. ¡°It¡¯s just that I think I have a pretty good handle on your tastes by now. I have a decent hunch about the kittens you¡¯ll end up bringing home, but if you want my earnest recommendation... sometimes it pays to be cheap.¡±


    And with that cryptic comment the busty doctor leaves my home for real this time.


    Goddess. Abner. Kitties.


    Looks like my day just got a bit more complicated, but hey. I¡¯ve got over two hundred thousand gold burning a hole in my pocket and I¡¯m eager to pick out some pussies.


    PunishedKom

 The Supernal Skies of Serenity

    Breakfast¡¯s as lovely as it always is whenever Opalina¡¯s in charge of the kitchen. The kind, motherly woman left me a deliciously seasoned omelet, buttered toast, crisp, spiced sausages, and a damn good cup of coffee. Unfortunately, none of the girls had the same courtesy as the Doctor, so I have to wash up all the remaining dishes scattered about the place.


    However, it sounds like I might not be the only one who cleans up around here for much longer. Thank the Gods for that.


    Finally, the Breeding Tribe has arrived in Dewhurst after weeks of waiting. I¡¯m ecstatic, and not just because it means I¡¯ll be able to offset the chores to someone else.


    Getting some actual cleaning staff will be the gateway to lots of improvements. Once this disgusting place is free of dust, cobwebs, and spiders, we¡¯ll be able to hire Gwin¡¯s family to make renovations... at least, that was the plan before this whole cold war against the Duke of Dewhurst began.


    I have to focus on the positive. There¡¯s no time to waste dwelling on negativity. The important thing is that there¡¯s very little chance the Breeding Tribe is in the Duke¡¯s pocket. Beastfolk are sincere people, and even if they weren¡¯t, they aren¡¯t Dewhurstians, so I¡¯d doubt they¡¯d refuse me service just because some local thugs pressured them not to.


    The strength of the Beastfolk is not to be trifled with. They could likely handle any sort of thugs that the Duke could throw at them.


    After cleaning up the dishes, I head into my office and take a long, unsteady breath of dirty Guild air. There¡¯s no use denying it, I¡¯m beyond nervous, and the cause of it is sitting right there on my desk. The sparkling bottle of beautiful, golden ambrosia looms over me, beckoning me closer to its unearthly brilliance.


    According to Nikita, when I make an offering to the Goddess, then I¡¯ll have an audience with her. She didn¡¯t give me any details about how it¡¯d go down or whether the Goddess would come here, or if I would go somewhere else to meet her... so there¡¯s really no way of knowing how this will go. I¡¯d imagine it works differently from God to God, but I really should have asked the Grekkan more about what to expect.


    Needless to say, I¡¯m very skeptical of my mysterious benefactor¡¯s intentions. I need to approach the oncoming situation like a psychological battle between myself and her. Thankfully, such battles are the only kinds I have any chance of winning.


    I have three weapons I plan to use against her during our meeting, and each weapon is sharper than the last.


    My first weapon is a very small shot glass that I brought from my collection. When I say it¡¯s small, I mean it¡¯s outright tiny. It¡¯s only to be used for ridiculously powerful shots of the most potent spirits known across the Realms, which seems fitting enough for the godly offering.


    My second weapon is powered by the first, though that¡¯ll make sense later on. It¡¯s a list of questions that I wrote after thinking long and hard. From my interactions with the Goddess thus far, I feel that she¡¯s an insufferable brat and that she¡¯ll be far from cooperative with me throughout our meeting. Even if less than half of the questions on the list end up getting answered, that¡¯s still much more info than I¡¯d have started the conversation with.


    As for the third, well, I need to test it before I know if it works or not. But if all the context clues point to what I think they point to, then it¡¯s my greatest bargaining chip against the Goddess if I manage to get on her wrong side.


    After gathering my courage and pushing down the anxiety brought on by my oncoming first meeting with the divine, I approach my desk with a heavy heart.


    I¡¯ve never been very religious, but I¡¯m far from a heathen.


    I recognize that the twin Goddesses of Karnalle exist because it would be naive of me not to. They¡¯ve both directly affected the ebb and flow of the realm¡¯s history more times than I could count... but I¡¯ve never had too much to be thankful for, so... I¡¯m not sure how to make this offering.


    I guess I¡¯ll just go with my gut.


    Reaching out to the heavy bottle of magical liquid, I pop the top off and smell a heavenly scent waft out from the opening, cleansing the Guild of its rank air. All at once, every sweet smell that¡¯s ever existed pours into my nostrils simultaneously. Never before have I been overtaken by the desire to guzzle down an entire bottle of spirits all in one go. As somewhat of a self-admitted alcoholic, that¡¯s saying a lot about the quality of this drink here. It takes all of my willpower to fight back and force myself not to drink it.


    The ambrosia isn¡¯t for me, no matter how badly I¡¯d love a sip. Besides, if I drank it, I¡¯m almost sure I¡¯d end up in one of those situations where I¡¯d spend the rest of my life knowing every other beverage I drink would taste like piss in comparison to my one taste of ambrosia. I¡¯m not about to ruin my simple, mortal taste buds over a whim like that, but the pressing desire is definitely there.


    Pouring it out into the tiny shot glass doesn¡¯t make it any easier, but I manage to resist, and I take the cup in my hand. Glancing upwards into the unknown, I raise the glass and clear my throat. ¡°I present to you, my patron deity, a small taste of the offerings I have to give. Let us have an audience and discuss what must be discussed.¡±


    At first, there¡¯s nothing- not a word from the heavens or otherwise.


    Then, suddenly there¡¯s incessant laughter ringing out from within my heart. ¡®That was lame as hell! Seriously? I know you pride yourself on acting like one of those stuffy butler types but dude, c¡¯mon. Chill a little and gimme a few. I¡¯m doing my hair.¡¯


    Gods still have to do their hair? Maybe it¡¯s a hobby. I raise my eyebrow and shake my head. ¡°I do have other things to do today, you know. Please, finish up within five minutes.¡±


    ¡®...Excuse me? I¡¯m sorry, but my divine ears seem to have betrayed me. I could have SWORN you just ordered me around like some sort of common serving wench. Surely you didn¡¯t just make a demand of me? A Goddess?¡¯


    ¡°I did, and I¡¯m waiting.¡±


    ¡®...Wait just a moment longer, then.¡¯ The Goddess takes on a fierce, defiant tone, like an uppity child.


    Sure enough, five minutes pass by while I continue to hold the cup skyward. Just as my poor arm starts to get tired, the world around me phases out of existence in a warm, holy light. Rather than blinding me, it actually feels comforting. Almost as if the light is the collective physical manifestation of everything good and right. Like sugar, puppy dogs, and the laughter of children all rolled into one. I feel safe within it... calm, collected, and totally at peace.


    When the light fades, I realize I¡¯m no longer in my office. I don¡¯t even think I¡¯m in Karnalle anymore... or any of the mortal realms, for that matter.


    I find myself on what looks like a spacious gazebo high in the sky. The structure is wondrous, floors made of the purest and most white material I¡¯ve ever seen. The pillars and the roof look as if they¡¯re made entirely of light, but if light were somehow solid. I¡¯ve never seen anything like this before¡ª particles of mystical illumination float about, bending and reflecting the world like a million tiny crystals. As far as I can see, fluffy clouds spread across the bright blue sky in all directions.


    Further off on the horizon, there¡¯s a city styled in the same magnificent styling and manner of the gazebo. Looking around, I see that this city stretches in a complete circle around my current position. This makes me think that this single gazebo in the sky is actually the centerpiece of the entire floating city, perhaps where the Goddess typically holds her meetings?


    I may not be religious, but I know damn well where I am. This mystical realm of splendor and shininess can only be the Supernal Skies of Serenity, where the devout and pious of Lux Ultima¡¯s worshippers are laid to their eternal rest. Or rather, they live in that big city in the sky for all eternity, I guess.


    That verifies the identity of my mysterious benefactor. There¡¯s no longer any shred of doubt. My magical pimp-slash-wingman has been the better half of Karnalle¡¯s creator deities this entire time. Then...


    If she really was Lux Ultima this entire time, why in the hell couldn¡¯t she have just said so? If she were more honest and just told me she was the Goddess of the Last Light, I would have likely been much more receptive to her particular brand of aid. But no, she had to drag this mystery out and make it vastly more complicated than it had to be.


    I suppose that¡¯s the divine, for you... just another reason I¡¯m not very fond of their ilk. Much too spontaneous for my tastes.


    Before I can linger on these thoughts for even a second more, a brilliant column of regal light shines down onto the center of the gazebo upon which I stand. This shining ray somehow outdoes the one I arrived on, looking even more fantastic in its sparkling beauty.


    Even just a slight glance at the beam compels me to bend my knee, cast aside all my numerous sins, and beg for forgiveness for every wrong I¡¯ve ever committed. My knees buckle in the wake of this divine ray, and I fall to the marble floor while carefully clutching the bottle of precious ambrosia to my breast. It takes all my willpower not to suddenly spill the shot glass held aloft in my hand.


    The circle ceiling of the roof begins lowering itself down as if triggered by the light, becoming a raised platform and carrying upon it a single shrouded figure. The white shroud, glimmering with beauty and almost incessant sparkles, is held aloft by two beautiful doves. They swirl about their heavenly mistress, flapping their wings and scattering splendid feathers about the place before the figure snaps her finger. At once, the two white birds let drop the flowing cloth and reveal to me a vision of pure magnificence, entirely unlike any other woman I¡¯ve ever laid eyes on.


    So this is what a Goddess looks like, huh?

 The Golden Goddess

    My first glance at the divine being known as Lux Ultima is bewitching, and I find it hard to take my eyes off of her undisputable majesty.


    Upon her head is a glowing, golden halo with tiara-like protrusions at the top. She has long, flowing blonde hair that trickles off into wavy, impossible-looking thick curls like the flowing locks of a beautiful maiden you might find in a masterful painting. Her hair splits off into two distinct major strands, which looks to be a magical effect. I don¡¯t think that the look could be replicated naturally, no matter how much hair product was used.


    She wears a rather skimpy golden bikini that reminds me of Sam¡¯s armor, if not just a little classier thanks to the fact that both the top and bottom parts give way to a white, gold-trimmed skirt that covers her up much more than my beloved Princess.


    The Goddess adorns herself with beautiful golden bracelets and anklets, each one set with numerous shimmering blue crystals so brilliant that I¡¯d wager selling even just one would allow you to buy an entire castle all to yourself. My greed rears its ugly head, which I¡¯m sure she can sense, but she allows me to get away with it. I can¡¯t help it. I would kill for her jewelry. Oh, the things I could do for the Guild with that kind of Gold...


    Her body is tall, curvy, and busty. Physically, she doesn¡¯t look too dissimilar from Sam, if I¡¯m honest. They have very similar proportions and even facial proportions. The legends do say that the Goddesses created House Lundreame to always protect and lead the people of Karnalle, so perhaps I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised that Lux Ultima might have used herself as a reference.


    The only significant difference between Lux and her creations is that the Goddess doesn¡¯t possess the famed green eyes of the Royal Family. Instead, her own eyes are a shining, pure blue without any pupils.


    Every single part of the Goddess is shining in that same warm light that transported me here. Looking at her makes me feel at ease in her presence, but I catch a faint flicker of something... off. She reacts to the slight shimmering of her aura but disregards it without noticing that I caught it happen.


    Our eyes meet, and I feel free of the imposing sensation that overtook me upon seeing her. Suddenly, I can loosen my posture and stand up once again.


    At long last, the platform touches the floor. It dissipates into an uncountable number of shimmering particles that circle and dance about the sky with refined elegance.


    We now stand face to face, and a single bead of sweat forms on my brow as we bask in the unnerving silence. Lux Ultima raises her chin as if to look down on me, and she raises her hand. ¡°Why do you not bow before me, Mortal? Does your arrogance truly reach such levels that you can¡¯t even show proper reverence to the creator of your everything?¡± Her voice is much deeper and silkier than it ever sounded when she was speaking in my head.


    Her aura flickers again, and once more, her expression briefly changes to one of total panic. She mistakenly believes I couldn¡¯t have noticed this. This leads me to presume that the Goddess is polite enough not to read my mind during our meeting, although that may be a significant assumption on the integrity of her character on my part...


    Regardless, If she didn¡¯t want me to notice such things, then she shouldn¡¯t have given me amazing, magical eyes that can detect almost anything.


    Sensing that she isn¡¯t being honest with me, I test what I can get away with by making a power move. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to take this seriously, then I¡¯ll walk straight over to the railings and dump this entire bottle into the clouds.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU, YOU FUCKING-¡± The sky goes blacker than oblivion as Lux Ultima raises her voice at me. Once tranquil and pleasant, the clouds now distort into a growing maelstrom of wrath and uncertain terror. Lightning rains down like a terrifying arrow onto the heavenly city, and I hear many a horrific scream off in the distance. It tears down buildings and creates terrible fires stretching out into the horizon, ruining the beautiful vista laid so serenely in the surroundings mere moments ago.


    I watch, dumbfounded, as I realize that this Goddess just wholly destroyed most of her own heavenly Realm in the blink of an eye. If I wasn¡¯t drunk on my own courage right about now, indeed, I would be facing a mighty existential dread upon realizing that she could likely do the same thing to Karnalle at any given moment with no warning whatsoever.


    Summoning more of that bizarre courage, I walk over to the edge of the gazebo just as I promised, and I extend my arm over the railing. I barely even have to pretend to start pouring it before Lux Ultima races to my side with all the grace and elegance of a drug addict looking for her next fix. Being a native Dewhurstian, it¡¯s a common sight to me... ¡°WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT STOP DON¡¯T NOOO-¡± She screams in vain.


    ¡°Stop pretending from now on and play along. If you do, you¡¯ll get the entire bottle. That¡¯s what you want, yes?¡± If she¡¯s going to try working with me here, I want to be on the same playing field.


    She looks at me warily and tries to scoff at me disingenuously. ¡°Look, look. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re upset and all that, but I¡¯m not pretending about anything! Look at me, I¡¯m the fucking Goddess of the Last Light, for fuck¡¯s sake!¡±


    I pour the tiniest droplet of ambrosia out into the clouds, and she shrieks like a petulant little child. A bright aura explodes from the tall, busty goddess in a single instant, and she turns into a much smaller and younger-looking version of the same girl. Now, the Goddess is about as tall as Zutiria, if not a little bit taller- although that may just be her gratuitous, crown-like halo.


    ¡°You bastard, I can¡¯t drink any of that shit if you don¡¯t directly offer it to me!! Agh! Good fucking job, you worthless pencil-pusher, that¡¯s the cloud¡¯s ambrosia now!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the idea,¡± I sigh, thinking to myself just how much pain this little interview is going to cause my poor brain. ¡°You should have listened to my warning. For what it¡¯s worth, I¡¯m sure the cloud is very appreciative.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re just asking for me to smite you, aren¡¯t you?¡± The Goddess of Light crosses her arms, her face contorting into a decidedly unholy-looking scowl.


    ¡°Go ahead, might as well save the Demon Lord some trouble, right?¡± I bow before her and mockingly spread my arms wide. ¡°Or rather, you can¡¯t afford to let me die... can you?¡±


    ¡°Erk-¡± Lux Ultima cringes, stepping back and freezing in place while a comically large bead of sweat appears on her brow.


    It¡¯s here that I decide to test my third and final weapon. I reckon that I have a lot more power over her than she wants to admit, on account of the whole magical destiny thing. She can threaten me and get grumpy over my actions, but as far as punishing me? That would be entirely counterintuitive for her agenda. Knowing this simple fact allows me to be far cockier than I might otherwise risk.


    Her silence speaks volumes, and I allow myself a slight smirk knowing that I was right on the money with my educated guess.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s irrelevant!¡± She stomps her foot on the ground, deigning to break the silence by further shoving her foot in her mouth. ¡°Do you WANT me to visit my divine armory and look for something to make your life harder?¡±


    ¡°By all means. Personally, I¡¯d much rather we just have a polite sit-down where I carve as much information out of you as possible. When we¡¯re done, you can go about your godly way and do whatever holy things you do as per the usual. Does that sound alright to you... Lux? Can I call you that?¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t gotta be so formal. You can call me Luxy, Mortal.¡± She sighs, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°Since I assume you aren¡¯t going to be paying me the proper respects anyway.¡±


    ¡°Very true. I was never very religious in the first place- you have to understand.¡± I give her a polite smirk.


    Luxy has herself a laugh at that. ¡°You know, in a way... you amuse me. You really aren¡¯t intimidated by being face to face with a God, are you?¡±


    ¡°Not when that God is you, no. Why would I fear my mysterious benefactor? Thus far, you¡¯ve worked primarily to get me laid, and you made my dick bigger. While I do have a lot of questions we¡¯ll no doubt discuss during this audience, surely the great Lux Ultima in her infinite wisdom can do no wrong, and she wants what is best for all her children.¡± I do my best to subdue my sarcasm, but plenty of it drips all over the place.


    This amuses the shining Goddess. Luxy snorts in a way similar to Sam, again drawing even more parallels in my mind between the two. ¡°And here I thought you said you weren¡¯t very religious.¡±


    ¡°You know that I read a lot. I¡¯ve skimmed the holy texts a few times in my life.¡±


    ¡°Between furiously masturbating to erotica,¡± She adds, not untruthfully.


    ¡°...So are you just going to passive-aggressively use my secrets, bad habits, and hobbies to humiliate me whenever I get too smart with you?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much,¡± The cheeky Goddess smiles. ¡°You got a hell of a lot for me to choose from.¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that. Am I to just take it that you sit around watching my life unfold and that you just constantly read my thoughts? Before anything else, I¡¯d like to know your level of... ¡®involvement¡¯ in my life.¡±


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t have better things to do than watch over an alcoholic chronic masturbator all day every day?¡± The Goddess scoffs, putting her hand on her hips and raising her nose, trying to look down on me despite our clear height difference.


    ¡°Ex-chronic masturbator. I¡¯ve transitioned into a full-blown sex addict, thank you very much. Although I have you to thank for that, I suppose.¡± The ethics of how my partners are selected from on high will come up very soon, but I¡¯m still in the process of the initial back and forth¡ª an essential stage of any business encounter.


    ¡°Right, you¡¯re welcome. We both know you needed the help.¡± Luxy laughs, showing off that she can be a little cute, I suppose... ¡°For your information, I only check in on you every now and then. I¡¯ll give you that one for free, but any other questions past that, and you¡¯re going to have to provide me with some of that succulent ambrosia.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that can be arranged,¡± I step forward away from the railing, determined to kick things off. ¡°Let¡¯s get this strange meeting started then, shall we?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do, mortal!¡± Luxy stomps her foot at me before initiating an awkward silence. ¡°...But yes, let¡¯s get started.¡± She sighs, acquiescing to my demands.

 Something Stronger

    The overcast is bright and sunny once again here in the Supernal Skies of Serenity, reflecting that its Goddess has entered a more agreeable mood now that the uncomfortable tension has somewhat settled between us. I¡¯m still nervous, sure, but I still have my wits about me, and I¡¯m ready for just about anything that could occur, I think.


    Luxy leads me to the center of the gazebo, where she raises a hand and constructs a table of light using her divine magic. On opposite ends of this table, she summons two very different-looking chairs. One is more of a throne. Tall and impending to look upon, it towers over the table with its glorious shimmering light, its ornate stylings, and its comfortable cushions.


    The other chair is a rickety stool made of rough, splintery wooden planks. From the looks of it, putting some weight on the thing looks like it would destroy it right away. I have half a mind to steal the Goddess¡¯s chair before she sits down, but I restrain myself from this wicked impulse.


    I take my seat and find it sturdier than it looks while Luxy sits upon her extravagant throne of light. She smirks, crosses her legs, and looks down at me with an expression of superiority. ¡°Do you like it? I thought I¡¯d make you feel more at home.¡±


    ¡°The chair¡¯s nice, but it just doesn¡¯t have that overwhelming stench of failure that the rest of the Guild seems to have.¡±


    ¡°Your words, not mine,¡± The girl smiles and eyes my bottle of ambrosia without subtlety. ¡°Are you going to have any of that for yourself? Personally, I wouldn¡¯t. As a mortal, your taste buds would be ruined for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°I knew it...¡± I mutter softly under my breath. ¡°No, I wasn¡¯t planning on drinking any of this. It¡¯s all for you.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± She summons a napkin to wipe the obvious drool forming on her face. ¡°I mean, uh, what do you want, then? Feel free to ask for anything.¡±


    ¡°Anything, you say?¡±


    ¡°Most anything. I can¡¯t give you anything that¡¯ll tip the odds in your favor, like a potion of immortality or some shit, but we¡¯ll get to that soon enough.¡±


    Interesting, I¡¯ll have to remember that. As for my beverage of choice, I¡¯ll throw Luxy an easy one to start off with. I recline in my rickety chair and cup my chin in my hands, telling her, ¡°Give me my grandpa¡¯s favorite drink,¡±


    Lux Ultima looks at me with a puzzled expression before shrugging and snapping her fingers. At her command, a mug made of transparent light appears in front of me on the table. It soon fills with a fragrant and dark beer. Picking it up and lifting it to my lips, I take a deep swallow. Just from one taste, I can tell the Goddess was right on the mark. Not only is it my grandpa¡¯s beloved Dry Dwarven Stout, but it¡¯s also just about the best damn beer I¡¯ve ever tasted.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you might have guessed by now, but I¡¯m refraining from reading your mind during our discussion.¡± She says as she crosses her arms. ¡°That being said, I must say... your attempt to gauge how much I know about you and your family was childish at best and infantile at worst.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything to say in response to that.¡± I lie.


    Luxy blushes, slamming her fist down on the side of the throne. ¡°I can tell when you¡¯re lying, too, you dumbass! You were totally just thinking that I¡¯m childish and infantile, weren¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡± I shrug my shoulders, seeing no point in lying.


    The shining Goddess of Light takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Trying to calm herself, exhales long and slow. ¡°I¡¯m going to pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.¡±


    As I take another sip of my beer, thoughts of the old man resurface. The scent of the dark liquid crowds the senses and reminds me of the many times I saw him nursing bottle after bottle of this very same beer in my childhood. ¡°He¡¯s not in your heavenly city over there somewhere, is he? My grandpa, I mean.¡±


    Luxy stares at me blankly before her cheeks puff out from trying to hold back her laughter. Not long after, she fails. ¡°Oh, FUCK no, I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that that was just hilarious... he¡¯s with my sister.¡±


    ¡°Mmn. I suppose that sounds about right. Not in one of the deeper Hells, I hope?¡±


    ¡°Nah, he¡¯s in one of the fun ones, I think.¡± She tilts her head while trying to remember where my grandpa¡¯s soul ended up after his death.


    ¡°Good. As flawed as the old man might have been, as far as I know, he didn¡¯t do anything that warranted eternal punishment... but I suppose that¡¯s up to your sister to decide.¡±


    ¡°Something like that,¡± The Goddess shrugs her shoulders. ¡°I don¡¯t really know how she does things these days... still, you do know that old man was a complete and utter bastard, right?¡±


    I smile softly, sipping more from the miraculous beer. ¡°He sure was...¡± Letting out a weary, nostalgic sigh, I close my eyes for a moment as vivid childhood memories of the imperfect man who raised me cloud my mind.


    Luxy claps her hands together, breaking me out of my nostalgia-induced stupor. She looks around awkwardly, shifting in her seat. ¡°Soooo... anyway. Yeah, uh. I didn¡¯t want to meet you face to face... like... ever... but here we are, I guess...? Been a while since I¡¯ve done the whole meet and greet with one of you...¡±


    ¡°One of me? A mortal?¡±


    She looks like she¡¯s about to say something but holds her tongue. ¡°No, you- ugh... we¡¯ll get there, alright?¡±


    ¡°Well, at any rate...¡± I present the little shot glass filled with ambrosia, ¡°Here¡¯s the offering I initially made. It¡¯s all yours, Luxy.¡±


    She looks at me like I just showed her a steaming pile of dogshit. Profoundly disgusted, the Goddess looks me in the eyes. ¡°Am I a joke to you?! If that glass were any smaller, I¡¯d presume it was meant for ants! Give me the bottle, Mortal, or you¡¯ll be leaving my Heavenly Realm today without a single answer to any of your questions.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise you¡¯ll be getting the bottle.¡±


    ¡°Finally!¡± She crosses her arms, pleased with herself over her perceived victory. ¡°It might¡¯ve taken you a while, but I¡¯m glad you understand the position you¡¯re in! Hand it over!¡±


    ¡°You misunderstand me. I mean to say you¡¯ll get the bottle bit by bit, only after you answer my questions. I¡¯ll determine for myself whenever you¡¯ve earned a new shot, so you¡¯d best make sure your answers are worth it.¡±


    The Goddess¡¯s face sours, and she bangs her fists on the table. Lightning rumbles in the clouds off in the distance, showcasing the cost of her growing ire. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough for me! How do I know you won¡¯t run out of questions, huh?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think we¡¯ll manage somehow or another...¡± Taking the list of questions I wrote in advance out of my pocket, I unfold it and hold the crinkled paper up within my hand as I adjust my glasses.


    Luxy frowns and bites her lip, annoyed. She twists her head to the side and grumbles something unintelligible to me before conceding and saying, ¡°...Very well, Mortal, give me the initial offering.¡±


    I raise the cup towards Luxy, and she snaps her fingers. I assumed that she would teleport it into her hand or something, and she¡¯d drink it like an ordinary person, but no, that wouldn¡¯t be befitting of a Goddess. Instead, a dove appears from out of the sky. It swoops down, somehow snatching away the tiny shot glass. Luckily for me, her feathered servant also finds the time to shit on the table next to my hand.


    The magical dove flies the ambrosia-filled glass toward its mistress, and instead of taking it, the Goddess opens her mouth. Hovering slightly above her, the dove tips the glass over enough to pour the golden liquid down Luxy¡¯s hatch. I¡¯m floored by this excessive showing of sheer laziness. Perhaps she finds the idea of holding a cup that a mortal touched offensive? At any rate, the noble houses of Karnalle are home to many an arrogant nobleman, but this... is something else.


    Clearly, the nobility has nothing on the arrogance of the Gods.


    After downing the magical shot, Luxy¡¯s expression softens and melts into that of unrestrained joy. She sighs with contentment, her cheeks fill red with blush, and she wipes some of the drink from her lips. When she¡¯s like this, she¡¯s downright adorable... even I have to admit that much.


    The dove flies back over to my side of the table, carrying the emptied shot glass in its beak. The bird places it down in front of me, waiting for the next time it¡¯s full so that it can make a return trip.


    ¡°So tasty!¡± Luxy sighs a second time, her body tingling with little goosebumps as she hugs herself to keep calm. Suddenly, the Goddess realizes she¡¯s being childish, and she shakes it off. She reassumes a severe expression. ¡°V-Very good, Mortal. You have both my thanks and my permission to ask me any questions that come to mind. I must preface this by saying that due to the nature of your... situation... there are a great many things that I legitimately cannot answer.¡±


    We¡¯re starting off strong right off the gate, then. Very well, I¡¯ll just outright ask. ¡°And why is that? Are you not one-half of the supreme deities of Karnalle? Who¡¯s stopping you from telling me everything I need to know?¡±


    ¡°This is just how we¡¯ve always done things...¡± She shrugs, evading the question.


    ¡°Who is ¡®we¡¯? Your sister?¡±


    ¡°Yes, duh.¡± Luxy rolls her eyes. ¡°Neither of us can spell out all the details, or you wouldn¡¯t grow. That¡¯s the main reason I haven¡¯t intervened in your life too much until now.¡±


    Lot of information to unpack there, but I set it off to the side. ¡°...Alright. If you really can¡¯t tell me certain things, then I¡¯ll have to try and be respectful of that and keep it in mind.¡±


    ¡°See that you do,¡± She narrows her eyes. ¡°Now, do you have a real question for us to begin with? I¡¯m not getting any younger, and I want that ambrosia, damn it!¡± Luxy drools at the thought of tasting more of that sweet, sweet nectar.


    Reading from the top of the list, I ask plainly and simply, ¡°Why am I so special?¡±


    Luxy stares at me in silence before smirking. ¡°Because everyone loves you, and you¡¯re perfect in every way.¡± She watches my face long enough to gauge I¡¯m unamused before laughing to herself. ¡°Is that really what you wanna start this game of questions with, Mortal? C¡¯mon, dude.¡±


    Clenching my fist and exhaling through my nose, I nod. ¡°Yes. Please, tell me anything you can about whatever bullshit magical destiny you planned out for me.¡±


    The Golden Goddess thinks to herself as she gazes off into the horizon of her serene Realm of beauty and wonder. After a deliberate moment of silence, she asks me a pointed question. ¡°How much do you know about Karnalle¡¯s history?¡±


    ¡°More than most, I¡¯d imagine. You know how I enjoy the art of the written word, and in my studies, I¡¯ve read-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Luxy waves her hand dismissively, even though she was the one who asked me the question. ¡°So, Demon Lords... you probably know all about that shit, right?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I¡¯ve read a book or two on the matter.¡± My hand instinctually creeps towards the tankard of beer in case this goes somewhere I don¡¯t like.


    ¡°You already know where this is going,¡± She frowns and crosses her arms. ¡°Every time there¡¯s a Demon Lord... what happens?¡±


    I take a deep breath while ruminating on her implication. ¡°A Hero of Light rises up to defeat him,¡± Sighing, my head falls limp. Luxy waits for me to continue, but instead, I down the dark, dry beer in one massive chug.


    Sliding the tankard toward the center of the table, I look Luxy in the eyes and say, ¡°I¡¯m going to need something a lot stronger, please.¡±

 The Hero of Light

    If the records are to be believed, then the Realm of Karnalle was created roughly 4,600 years ago. Throughout the history of our storied Realm, seven different Kings of darkness known as Demon Lords have risen up across the ages. These devilish rulers wreaked havoc and devastation across the land, making even the evilest of Lundreame tyrants look like saints by comparison. However, a Hero of Light has consistently appeared in our darkest hour to save us all from eternal darkness. Not once has the Hero of Light failed in their quest, and each Demon Lord has been defeated...


    And now, it¡¯s apparently my turn.


    Words escape me, but liquor does not.


    Luxy graciously sets me up with a tall glass of Bourgeauxian salted whiskey on the rocks after accepting my plea for a stiffer drink. Known as one of the most potent and expensive spirits in all of Karnalle, it should be more than enough to get me through the dreaded topic of my destiny... hopefully.


    ¡°So it¡¯s really true?¡± I ask the Goddess after downing my first taste of the rich, dignified alcohol. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to take down the current Demon Lord myself?¡±


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Another smirk tells me there¡¯s more going on here than it seems. ¡°Things are a little different this time around.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go ahead and assume the magical penis growth, the eyes, and the divine pimping have something to do with that?¡±


    ¡°No doubt you¡¯ve picked up on a good deal of the nuances,¡± She chuckles, looking down on me like an artist proud of her work. ¡°I made sure you were extra smart, after all. Why don¡¯t you make some guesses and see if you can figure more of it out on your own?¡±


    I close my eyes and consider what the Goddess is telling me, and think back to the interactions we¡¯ve had until now. The answer is obvious, though shocking. ¡°I¡¯m not meant to battle the Demon Lord head-on.¡±


    Pleased with my answer, my divine host claps her hands and smiles. ¡°See? You DO get it! But that¡¯s not all-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m meant to raise heroes to do it for me. That¡¯s why you had me born to the only family in the Realm where I could inherit an Adventurer¡¯s Guild, isn¡¯t it...?¡±


    ¡°That sounds an awful lot like a question to me...¡± Luxy tilts her head, her voice taking on mock innocence as she repeatedly taps the armrest of her throne. Sighing, I pour her another small shot of ambrosia and watch her down it with delight. The dove brings the glass back to me and continues to wait for whenever its services are next required.


    ¡°So, yeah. This time, I kinda needed to focus on quantity over quality... so while you¡¯re technically the current ¡®Hero of Light,¡¯ you also come with a lot of fail-safes. You get me?¡± She keeps saying things are different repeatedly, yet I feel like getting the exact reason behind this is all but impossible.


    ¡°Fail-safes...?¡± I hope this isn¡¯t leading where I think it is, but it has to be...


    ¡°Think about it,¡± Luxy teases.


    Thinking of the girls that the Goddess has led to my side thus far, a pattern comes to mind. The Crown Princess of Karnalle, the supposed strongest Mage in the realm, and the daughter of a famous, heroic Shield Maiden... no doubt all of them would have mighty children given a chance, or if a certain Goddess pushed them in the right direction.


    I squint at the smug, childish deity sitting from me across the table. ¡°The reason you¡¯re hooking me up with all these women is so that if it looks like things aren¡¯t going well in the battle with the Demon Lord, then... I¡¯m... supposed to start producing heroes in an entirely different way, aren¡¯t I?¡±


    The Goddess blinks. For a moment, she actually looks impressed with me. ¡°Shit, think maybe I made you too smart?¡± She giggles to herself, smug as ever.


    Ignoring her, I move ahead to the biggest question on my mind. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me that the next golden age of adventurers is going to spring out entirely from my dick.¡±


    ¡°Ok, fine. I won¡¯t tell you that.¡± Luxy smirks, knowing she doesn¡¯t need to tell me something I¡¯ve already figured out for myself.


    Taking a gratuitous swig of my whisky, I let this thought ruminate as the stiff liquid glides down my throat. My brief contemplation is ruined by Luxy opening her mouth to say, ¡°You would¡¯ve figured all this out for yourself if not for your own rotten luck, you know. As a boy, you were so busy studying and trying to run a business that your youth passed you by... if you tried a little harder to lose your virginity, all this junk would¡¯ve happened on its own.¡±


    ¡°Great, might as well rub that in some more while you¡¯re at it,¡± I add in sarcastically, downing more of my drink. ¡°And if me setting off on my destiny was so damn important, why didn¡¯t you interfere before now? Why wait until I¡¯m a fucking middle-aged wash-up? You could have just made my dick huge from the start, why bother with all of this convoluted bullshit?¡±


    ¡°What do you take me for, one of those divine Grekkan upstarts?¡± She snorts. ¡°We¡¯ve always done a hands-off approach when it comes to guiding our champions. You know, subtle shit! Messages in dreams, appearing to you in forms you wouldn¡¯t recognize, hush-hush things like that. We¡¯re Gods, the stuff we do doesn¡¯t have to make sense to you, Mortal.¡±


    I raise a finger toward Luxy, telling her to pause for a moment because I caught something in her phrasing that I didn¡¯t quite like the sound of. ¡°You just said ¡®we,¡¯ which I take to mean your sister-¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± Luxy coughs into her fist as her glowing face goes pale.


    ¡°Tenebris Primis has divine champions as well, doesn¡¯t she? I can assume that the Demon Lords are her equivalent to your Heroes of Light?¡± Upon hearing my reasonable theory, Luxy sweats profusely and shifts her eyes off to the side. ¡°Unbelievable... Do you two Goddesses just wreck our Realm for the fun of it every now and then?¡± It¡¯s hard to keep my calm while imagining my home as nothing but an oversized chessboard for the gods.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Outraged at my accusation, the Goddess slams her fists on each side of her throne before standing up. The clouds hanging in the sky darken with the full force of her wrath, lightning crackling within. ¡°This Demon Lord slash Hero of Light shit is... it¡¯s just...¡± Luxy sighs, forcing herself to sit down before she gets too worked up. ¡°It¡¯s always been how we¡¯ve settled arguments...¡±


    My right eye begins to twitch from stress. ¡°Have the two of you ever considered settling things in a way that DOESN¡¯T involve an endless parade of suffering upon the Realm?¡±


    ¡°We get fired up, alright?! You wouldn¡¯t understand what it¡¯s like.¡± She blushes and looks away defensively, her lips puffing out so she can pout. ¡°Besides, I undo a lot of the damage with my miracles when it¡¯s all over, don¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes, that more than makes up for everything...¡± I roll my eyes and shake my head. It¡¯s true that because of Karnalle¡¯s constant troubles, Lux Ultima is known to bless the Realm after we make it through an especially tyrannical King or Queen or after a Demon Lord is defeated. Although the dead are never returned to life, lands ravaged by war or demonic influence are brought back to their natural state, castles are fixed, and so on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ll tell me what the argument that started this conflict is even about?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Luxy dismisses me, rather poorly, I might add.


    While I have a few harsh things to say in response, I need to let it go. I shouldn¡¯t try and hold this Goddess accountable for every bad thing that¡¯s happened throughout history. I¡¯m not a God, and I can¡¯t pretend that morality means the same thing to me as it does to her. Lux Ultima is omnipotent, and she sees things through the eyes of the divine.


    This realization motivates me to finish off my whisky and give the dove another small shot of ambrosia to take to its mistress. While I¡¯m not in the best mood, Luxy¡¯s already answered a few questions back to back by now, and I want to keep her nice and satisfied.


    After she drinks more of the nectar of the Gods, I launch my next inquiry. ¡°So, The magic semen... is it supposed to incentivize unprotected sex, or-¡±


    ¡°Nah, you hardly need my help with that.¡± Luxy snorts while making a playful expression. She has a fair point, but the Goddess just implied something I¡¯m not sure how to feel about.


    ¡°Are you telling me you watch me have sex?¡± I try to react to this with surprise, but I just can¡¯t anymore.


    ¡°Details, details!¡± The bratty-looking deity sighs and shrugs off the answer. She goes on to clarify, ¡°It¡¯s real simple- when you jizz inside of a girl, you¡¯re transmitting bonafide ¡®Hero of Light¡¯ power into the lucky lady.¡±


    ¡°Ah, yes. That makes perfect sense,¡± I nod my head and appreciate just how simple the answer was this time around- despite it being stupid. Looking down at my list, I mentally check off the ones we¡¯ve covered already. Plenty of other important ones to get to, but something overtakes me, and I¡¯m filled with the desire to ask something off the top of my head. ¡°What happens if I refuse to take part in any of this Hero nonsense and simply go on with my daily life as if I were none the wiser?¡±


    Laughing, Luxy shakes her head. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t actually do that, right?¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t, but my poker face is convincing enough to send her into a panic attack.


    ¡°R-Right?¡±


    I continue staring back at her in silence. Eventually, the Goddess asks with a cracked voice, ¡°C¡¯mon, man, r-really? Haven¡¯t you upset the old man enough?¡±


    I almost rise out of my seat right then and there in a drunken rage, but using all my self-restraint, I hold off. ¡°That was low,¡± I mutter through the skin of my teeth. Luxy, suddenly aware of how upset her taunting made me, now blushes and extends her hand. The Goddess grasps at straws, confused and unsure over what to possibly say in apology.


    ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t mean it like that! I mean... um...¡± Luxy hangs her head and cradles the sides of her face in her palms. ¡°Fuck, there¡¯s a reason I don¡¯t talk to you mortals very much. I¡¯m bad at this if you couldn¡¯t tell. Like... REALLY bad. I didn¡¯t mean to go that far...¡±


    While I¡¯m definitely still angry, I can¡¯t hold it against Luxy when she seems to genuinely feel bad over her choice of words. ¡°Whatever... You didn¡¯t answer the question. What happens if I just say no right here and now?¡±


    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be great...¡± Luxy coughs into her hand and shifts around in her seat. ¡°Especially what with... uh... the scale of things, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°No, damn it, I don¡¯t know,¡± My frustration starts to reach a boiling point, no doubt thanks to the whisky in my system. Leaning across the table, I scowl and tell the Goddess, ¡°I don¡¯t know jack shit about any of this, Luxy, and you need to be more forthcoming if you expect me to take any of your words seriously.¡±


    She frowns and shuts her eyes, the stress of getting called out piling up and taking its toll. ¡°Ok, ok... my sister might get mad at me if she finds out I spelled things out for you, but... Karnalle isn¡¯t the only Realm at stake this time. Sis took things a bit too far with the gifts she gave the current Demon Lord, and, uh... well, he¡¯s kinda all over the place these days...¡±


    I can definitely see why that would be a bad thing. Until now, Karnalle¡¯s Demon Lords have always been localized in, well, Karnalle. If our greatest evils started spilling out to the other Realms, then that could only spell trouble. ¡°I¡¯m going to presume there¡¯s some reason you can¡¯t give me the same gifts so that I could properly fight him on the same playing field?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t, it¡¯s a power steeped in darkness, not exactly the kind of Godly magic I got in me, y¡¯know?¡± Luxy sighs and falls back against her throne. ¡°And even if I could, I wouldn¡¯t do it because the Gods of other Realms are already pissed enough as it is thanks to you guys discovering Realm travel a thousand years or ago. Ugh... do you have ANY idea how hard I had to placate the pantheon of Merryburrow after that fucking foot fetishist king invaded? It¡¯s bad enough that the Demon Lord is gallivanting around the Realms... any more than that and... it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.¡±


    ¡°You would think that foreign Gods wouldn¡¯t mind as long as my girls and I were there to help them,¡±


    ¡°Well, do YOU wanna negotiate with Sister Grimm? How about Amaterasu-no-Okami?¡± After a brief silence, Luxy sighs. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought...¡±


    ¡°The world of Gods seems... much more complicated and political than I gave it credit for.¡± I look at the Goddess of Light and stare into her glowing blue eyes, seeing in them the same tiredness I often find on my own face after working through stacks of paperwork. Even if only a little, I feel my respect for Luxy starting to grow.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it...¡± She groans. Since she looks like she could use another one, I pour her a shot of ambrosia, and she perks up. ¡°Thanks... You aren¡¯t that bad, I guess. Sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to think the same of you. Something¡¯s on my mind unrelated to the topic at hand, though.¡±


    ¡°Shoot.¡± The childish Goddess can¡¯t hold back her excitement upon hearing my opinion of her change.


    ¡°How did my grandpa even know I was destined to do battle with the Demon Lord, anyway?¡±


    Shrugging, she rolls her eyes. ¡°I sent a vision to your father telling him that you were going to be the Hero of Light, and sure enough, that made him dump you on your grandpa¡¯s lap just like I wanted him to.¡±


    Sounds like someone was all too eager to get out of responsibility. ¡°That more or less fits with what little I¡¯ve been told about my dear old dad...¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re gonna ask me about him...¡± The Goddess groans as if even thinking about my father is draining.


    The thought of me actually caring about my absent paternal figure makes me crack a smile and chuckle. ¡°No, not at all. I have much more important things to ask you about.¡±


    Eager to try and bridge the gap between us, Luxy leans forward in her seat. ¡°Liiiike?¡±


    The gap is not bridged, as my question only widens it. ¡°Since you decided to start interfering in my life, does that mean things are getting worse?¡±


    As per usual, her response says a whole lot more than her words. ¡°Well... things could be worse,¡± Luxy swallows, twiddling her thumbs. ¡°But, y¡¯know. Things could always be better? I dunno, I hear a lot of shit from my sister, and it¡¯s hard to tell what¡¯s true or not...¡±


    ¡°Hm,¡± I close my eyes and take the glasses from my face. After pulling a handkerchief from the pocket of my vest, I clean the lens and tell the Goddess, ¡°Thing is, I quite enjoy my life right now, Luxy. I¡¯m not very tempted to give up everything so I can devote myself to some endless battle of good and evil that I didn¡¯t sign up for.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± The Goddess becomes huffy, her face scrunches up with worry and anxiety. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a deadline, and it overlaps with your goals anyway! Think about it, mortal, what do you want most out of life?¡±


    ¡°To run the greatest Adventurer¡¯s Guild the Realms have ever known,¡± I respond with conviction as I set the glasses back on my face.


    ¡°Exactly! Don¡¯t you think that if you keep doing what you¡¯re doing, then you¡¯ll eventually reach the position where your girls will be asked to fight the Demon Lord anyway?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t thought of it like that. Then again, I try not to think about the Demon Lord situation most of the time due to my personal hang-ups. But if what Luxy is saying is true, then my true goal may very well intersect with my intended path.


    ¡°Grow your business, keep expanding your roster of adventurers, and when the time comes to get serious, you¡¯ll already be prepared for the battle at hand!¡±


    ¡°You must have thought this through,¡± I find myself impressed by her argument. ¡°Seems I don¡¯t have much choice in the matter, then...¡±


    ¡°So you officially accept your position as Hero of Light?!¡± Luxy stands from her throne and excitedly leans over the table, startling her feathered friend, who flies off.


    ¡°Yes, albeit reluctantly,¡± I sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not THAT much of an asshole, but I still intend on taking my sweet damn time with this.¡±


    ¡°No prob, you have a lot of catching up to do, anyway. The competition has a pretty big head start...¡±


    This perks my eyebrow up, as news of the current Demon Lord¡¯s activities is scarce. His attack on Bridgebury is the only time he¡¯s ever taken action in Karnalle, and that was five years ago. ¡°Do you think we can win?¡± I ask, knowing Luxy is much more informed on the status of the enemy than I.


    Again, her body language and posture suggest a profound lack of confidence. ¡°A-Anything¡¯s possible, right?¡± She laughs weakly, sitting back down on her throne and nervously tapping her finger against the armrest. After a period of painful silence, the golden Goddess groans. ¡°What else do you wanna know, mortal? I could really use another shot right about now...¡±


    Not a good sign, but I pour Luxy more of the exquisite beverage regardless. ¡°Sure, there¡¯s plenty more left... but you¡¯re going to need to tell me about my eyes.¡±

 Virgins are Just Part of the Package

    ¡°I figured you were gonna bring that up,¡± Says the Goddess holding all the answers to the extent of my powers. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have much to tell you. You¡¯re pretty close to learning the truth on your own, and you don¡¯t want me to ruin the surprise, do you? I¡¯ll give you a hint, though... the true power is exactly what you¡¯ve been praying for.¡±


    I could do without any more of Luxy¡¯s ¡®surprises,¡¯ honestly, but I know asking for complete transparency would be far too much to hope for. ¡°Leaving aside the truth, why do the damn things hurt so much? Assuming my eyes are some sort of gift to help me in my divine task, what made you feel that a stupid side effect was necessary?¡±


    Right away, I notice I landed on a sour topic. Luxy slumps in her seat, her face contorting into a disappointed scowl. ¡°Oh, that? It¡¯s no big deal, just... you know how duality is...¡± She mumbles.


    ¡°Luxy,¡± I lean over in my seat, looking up at my divine while making my annoyance known. ¡°You¡¯re a God, and I¡¯m a Human. I don¡¯t know fucking anything.¡±


    The Goddess groans and holds out her finger for the nearby dove to perch itself on. She gently scratches the faithful bird, distracting herself as she tells me, ¡°...My sister and I are connected, and so are our powers. While I can¡¯t use full-on dark magic, her energy leaks into my blessings and miracles every so often, causing unintended side effects. Do you get what I mean?¡±


    ¡°I think so,¡± I cup my chin and contemplate the meaning of her words. ¡°When your sister does something bad, there¡¯s a chance something good might come along with it, while the opposite is true for you?¡±


    ¡°There we go, those are the words I was looking for! Yeah. That.¡±


    ¡°So I was just incredibly unlucky that my eyes ended up being a disability instead of a boon?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯re talking super low odds here. Like, teeny-tiny.¡± She makes a gesture with her hand, showcasing just how small the percentage was.


    I don¡¯t know what I was expecting.


    Well, at least she didn¡¯t make my eyes painful on purpose. I don¡¯t know how I would¡¯ve responded if my affliction was something that she could have easily made go away this entire time. Luxy implied there¡¯s more I have yet to discover about my eyes, too, so hopefully, it¡¯s not all bad.


    As I pour her another shot of the heavenly beverage, I notice that I may have been too generous with Luxy¡¯s servings. We¡¯re just now reaching the last third of the bottle, and there are still so many things I want to know. Not to mention I still have to ask Luxy for the blessing I had in mind, too.


    Before handing it over to the dove, I hold the shot glass firmly in my hand and give the Goddess another severe stare down. ¡°I¡¯d like to make something clear, Luxy, and I hope it¡¯s not overstepping my bounds. It probably is, but it needs to be said.¡±


    ¡°You blame me for all your problems, yeah, yeah. I¡¯ve heard it all before.¡± Luxy rolls her eyes dismissively, her focus dwindling.


    ¡°No, not that. I only wanted to say that if I¡¯m going to defeat the Demon Lord, then I¡¯d like you to work as closely as you can to my desires from now on. No more of this ¡®appearing in dreams¡¯ and ¡®subtle guidance¡¯ business, please. I understand that your ability to help is limited, but your primary concern is keeping things balanced from my point of view. The battle between good and evil is drastically slanted against me because of how late I got started, and I take that to mean you would need to do more work to balance out my chances. Instead of arbitrarily granting me somewhat helpful blessings here and there, why not work hand in hand with me to chart a course forward?¡±


    ¡°I already gave you a dungeon yesterday. Isn¡¯t that a start?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you did, but I should have been more specific with what I asked for... admittedly, this one¡¯s on me, but...¡± I briefly explain the Guild policies regarding the process of registering a new Dungeon and remind her of my conflict with the Duke of Dewhurst. Both factors make exploring the forest Dungeon a problematic proposition, albeit Luxy has trouble understanding why.


    Ultimately, she just shrugs and says, ¡°Well, that¡¯s fucking stupid. You shouldn¡¯t have asked for one, then!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you actually were going to do it,¡± I sigh, dejected. ¡°Or else I would have thought about it more. There are ways to register a Dungeon without the pomp and circumstance, but I¡¯d need to research it more...¡±


    The Goddess thinks to herself as she struggles with the subject at hand. Luxy seems like she really does want to help, but the potential consequences she fears must be offsetting this. ¡°Well, Dungeon protocols aside, I did leave you to your own devices for a very long time. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have a lot of divine intervention points saved up, y¡¯know? At least compared to... uh... y¡¯know.¡±


    ¡°The enemy?¡±


    Luxy ignores my question and continues to speak. ¡°Strictly speaking, I can¡¯t really give details on my sister or any kind of help she gives her Demon Lord, so if you could just kinda forget the context clues I dropped there...¡± She coughs awkwardly into her tiny, glowing fist before grumbling. ¡°This is another reason I¡¯ve never worked one on one with a Hero of Light before... talking in code and watching what I say is a lot easier when I don¡¯t have to talk in the first place.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I understand where you¡¯re coming from, but can I take this to mean you¡¯ll help me when I ask for something?¡±


    ¡°Not always. You dug your own grave on a lot of stuff. As far as those mortal problems like running your business and defeating enemies like the Duke of Dewhurst, I can¡¯t help you cause it¡¯ll limit your chances to improve as a person. But...¡± She stops, hangs her head, and battles with whether or not to continue her sentence. After dwelling on this dilemma in silence, ultimately, Luxy makes the difficult choice to proceed and offer her help to me to the best of her abilities. ¡°I can give you opportunities to improve, maybe grant you a few specific favors here and there... stuff like that... maybe... but don¡¯t get too excited, cause if my sister finds out then, she might start granting the Demon Lord lots of blessings, too!¡±


    ¡°From the sound of things, that fucker¡¯s doing pretty alright for himself these days...¡± Just thinking about it is enough for me to groan.


    ¡°Exactly, so let¡¯s not get ahead of ourselves. Don¡¯t go getting super worked up about it or anything.¡±


    Despite her protests, It¡¯s hard for me not to be excited upon learning that my divine patron will support me more directly. Still, I contain my joy and relief long enough to hand the dove the shot glass I was withholding. Once Luxy has had herself a nice drink, I ask her, ¡°Do you think we could start right now? Admittedly, there are two things I was hoping to get out of this conversation today. I hope they¡¯re not too much trouble.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± She frowns and looks over at her heavenly city sitting off in the distance. ¡°I should¡¯ve known we¡¯d jump right into it. Mortals... always asking and taking without a scrap of appreciation... some things never change. Well, go on then. Tell me what you want, and I¡¯ll see if it¡¯s feasible.¡± The Goddess shows apparent signs of discomfort at the thought of taking orders, but from what I can tell, it doesn¡¯t sound to be out of pettiness. Instead, she sounds tired, stretched thin.


    ¡°First and foremost, Opalina has been on my case and threatening me at every turn for sending out my adventurers without a healer in their party. I¡¯m sure you know, but most parties of heroes are four-man teams with three offensive classes and one dedicated healer. I don¡¯t know how you go about selecting women to be my destined partners, but I¡¯d greatly appreciate it if you could-¡±


    ¡°Geez, you really do just drone the fuck on, don¡¯t you?¡± Luxy laughs as she returns her glowing gaze to me. ¡°I already had the next few adventurers planned out, actually. Are you saying I should throw out my plans, Mortal? It seems to me that you¡¯re implying you think you know better than I, a Goddess.¡±


    After a few awkward moments of silence, I admit, ¡°...I do think I know better than you. At least in regards to this and other Guild-related business, that is.¡±


    The Goddess doesn¡¯t take this well, puffing her cheeks out and blushing red with a subtle rage. After a deep breath, she steadies herself and resolves herself to get even with me in some way. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll find you a healer, alright...¡± Luxy giggles a menacing giggle as she snaps her fingers, summoning a glowing tablet of light in her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll find you the best damn healer possible, just you wait...!¡±


    Already, I¡¯m beginning to regret asking her for a favor so casually. The tablet she holds is somewhat transparent, meaning I can vaguely see the side Luxy is staring down at. ¡°Is this how it works, then? Does that thing have a sort of list of potential adventurers to choose from or what?¡±


    Luxy smirks, seeing an opportunity to profit from my lack of knowledge. ¡°Oh, this old thing?¡± She asks as she holds the tablet out for me to inspect. ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, though... I suppose I could enlighten you on the matter if you really wanted me to... for another cup of ambrosia...¡±


    ¡°And yet you insist Mortals are the predictable ones,¡± I jest, handing off the shot glass to her dove. I was already preparing it for her before Luxy even finished her sentence. By now, I have a pretty good handle on how she works, so it wasn¡¯t exactly difficult to sus out where this was heading.


    Now, there¡¯s only two to three cups worth left in the bottle. Upsetting, but if this clears the air regarding how the girls suddenly show up at my Guild, though, it¡¯ll be ambrosia well-spent. I want an answer to whether this is happening consensually or not once and for all. This question has been eating away my conscience for far too long, even after the girls themselves gave me their opinions on the matter.


    Luxy enjoys her sip of heaven, but as she tilts her head back, she lets out a small, almost inaudible burp. She looks at me, horror coloring her face now upon realizing she just performed a natural bodily function in front of a mere mortal. I turn my head, trying to pretend I didn¡¯t see a thing, but it¡¯s not enough for Luxy. ¡°G-Goddesses don¡¯t burp,¡± She says, her cheeks flushed bright red.


    ¡°Hmm? Did you say something? I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± I lie, which apparently is good enough for Luxy.


    ¡°Right, um... anyway, this thingy right here,¡± She says, scrambling to go back to whatever she was about to do with her tablet, ¡°Is what I use to set you up with all your potential adventurers slash lovers! I got some help from a few love Goddesses from other realms who owe me favors, and they all pitched in to make this. It¡¯s an app that acts as a compendium of every registered female adventurer from across the realms, as well as girls who could easily be convinced to become adventurers!¡±


    Luxy presses a button that appears on the tablet, then she flips the display to face me. Suddenly, hundreds upon hundreds of portraits appear showing an indescribable variety of girls- all of them cute, sexy, beautiful, or some variation thereof. I see just about every class imaginable represented just from this brief overview, and to top it all off, Luxy says, ¡°And they¡¯re ALL virgins!¡±


    ¡°Is that a necessary qualifier...? Granted, I was wondering why every girl who shows up in my life has no frame of reference when it comes to other men... it seems to me like I might have better options if that wasn¡¯t a prerequisite.¡±


    ¡°Look,¡± Luxy shrugs, ¡°I¡¯m a Goddess of Light- purity, innocence, chastity... stuff like that is just par for the course with my type, you know? It¡¯s thematic! Besides. If you HAD an option, could you really tell me with a straight face you¡¯d prefer your girls to have known men besides yourself?¡±


    She makes a rare, insightful remark that pierces my argument in twain. ¡°Fair enough,¡± I rest my case.


    ¡°Mhmm, that¡¯s what I thought. Now shut up and enjoy your nonstop buffet of devoted virgins.¡±


    ¡°If I had known religion worked like this, I would have started praying to you years ago...¡±


    Luxy starts to laugh a bratty but cute laugh. ¡°You think that mortals would like me more if I hooked more of them up with harems?¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t hurt,¡± I smirk. ¡°So, Sam. She wasn¡¯t an adventurer until shortly before we met. Did she come from this pool of ¡®potential adventurers¡¯ you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Yup. That Princess is a huge deal for you, you know, it¡¯s almost a good thing you waited so long to start using your dick-¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t TRY to use it-¡±


    ¡°Because now she¡¯s totally come of age! Not only is her potential almost unlimited, but the twin-tailed brat will no doubt get you an ¡®in¡¯ with the Royal Family. All this on top of being a two-for-one deal with that little mute Mage! Don¡¯t sleep on her either, by the way, even if she¡¯s damaged goods, she¡¯s still-¡±


    I rise from my seat and clench my fists, contorting my face to look as threatening as I can. I really must be as thuggish as Meri seems to think I am because despite being a Goddess, Luxy flinches as she stares into my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t ever call Zutiria ¡®damaged goods¡¯ again.¡±


    ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t- um...¡± Luxy starts to sweat, but it isn¡¯t out of fear. She seems disappointed in herself yet again. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it to sound like that... when it comes to mortals, a lot of times there¡¯s... just this disconnect for me, you know?¡±


    ¡°Maybe it would help if instead of ¡®twin-tailed brat¡¯ and ¡®damaged goods,¡¯ you called them by their names?¡±


    Luxy reflects on this before biting her lip and nodding her head. ¡°I¡¯ll try... it¡¯s kind of weird for a Goddess to address mortals in such a way, but... I¡¯ll do my best, I guess?¡±


    I take a long look at the Goddess and once again confirm she¡¯s genuine in her apology. Part of me can¡¯t help wondering what made her so disconnected from mortals, or if she¡¯s just always been like this since time immemorial. It doesn¡¯t seem intentional, which makes it all the more confusing. ¡°Thank you for trying, Luxy. That¡¯s all I can ask.¡±


    She smiles at me and scratches her head. ¡°Yeah, well... moving on...¡±

 100% Compatibility

    I sink back into my rickety seat after successfully calling Luxy out over her recurring rudeness. Continuing with the line of questioning we were discussing, I ask, ¡°How many girls even are there that fit into your strict criteria?¡±


    ¡°More than enough,¡± The Goddess laughs and points to herself, ¡°Thanks to me! I¡¯ve told you I sculpted your heart myself, didn¡¯t I? Well, I hope you know I meant that literally. You¡¯ve got an infinite capacity to love and be loved back. I mean, just look at yourself! Talk, dark, smart, moody, brooding, and you got a whole lot of baggage, too. Girls love that shit, so you got more 100% match-ups than any other soul in Karnalle!¡± The way she talks about me reminds me of a braggadocious bard waxing on about their latest song.


    ¡°...You¡¯re going to have to clarify that because I¡¯m not sure I follow.¡±


    Luxy lazily sighs at the thought of having to explain herself over again. ¡°I made sure you were hot and that you had a decent personality. What else do you need to know?¡±


    I guess standards are relatively low across the board if that¡¯s all it takes to ensure I have ¡®more 100% match-ups than any other soul in Karnalle¡¯. ¡°...Alright, never mind. I think I get the picture. Are you planning on getting me a healer, then?¡±


    ¡°I dunno. Are you planning on asking me nicely for one?¡± Luxy leans over the table with her hands on her hips, smiling like a brat. ¡°C¡¯mon, I think I¡¯ve earned a prayer or two. Tell me how grateful you are for all the help I¡¯ve given you!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it.¡± Her crude attempt at earning praise falls flat as I laugh in her face, causing her to puff out her cheeks once more in a childish fit of grumpiness. Then, worrisomely, she makes a cheeky face complete with a devilish smile.


    ¡°You want a healer, huh? Ok, then. I¡¯ll get you a healer, alright... I¡¯ll get you the best damn healer I can find...!¡± Luxy¡¯s focus shifts down onto the tablet of light sitting on her lap. Using the tip of her finger, the Goddess scribbles many strange symbols. This seems to narrow down the number of girls displayed on the device.


    She magically scrolls through the different portraits until coming across someone that catches her interest. Despite the tablet being somewhat transparent, I can¡¯t see the girl in question all too well. What I can see, however, is that this girl is the only one with a red frame around her portrait. Luxy taps on it as if the picture were a button, causing the display to zoom in on this girl.


    Now that the picture is amplified, I can pick up a few details about her through the transparent screen. It¡¯s not of much help. All I can make out is white skin and long, pink hair. The bratty Goddess then starts scrolling downwards once again, reading what looks to be a dossier of sorts located under the girl¡¯s headshot.


    ¡°Luxy, perhaps you should let me read that so I know if this girl is what I¡¯m looking for or not-¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry, I got you. She¡¯s super hot, and her tits are fucking huuuuuuge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, looks aren¡¯t everything...¡± Pushing aside my imagination, I shake my head.


    Luxy looks at me skeptically. ¡°Almost as big as your Doctor.¡±


    ¡°Dear Gods-¡± I do a second take at the mental image before snapping out of it. Damn it. She¡¯s distracting me with the promise of tits, and it¡¯s working. Something tells me if I let Luxy do as she wants, then this girl she¡¯s picked out will be nothing but trouble.


    Luxy taps on an icon below the dossier, causing a strange voice to ring out of the tablet itself, asking, -WARNING. ARE YOU SURE?-


    ¡°Ok, hold on just a moment and let me see the damn tablet-¡± I try to raise my voice at her, but the Goddess is having none of it and promptly ignores me.


    ¡°Ugh, stupid fucking thing. I already clicked yes! Every damn time...¡± She grumbles, and my panic increases.


    ¡°...Clicked?¡± I ask, my face sinking deeper into my palm.


    ¡°Just a God thing that you mortals aren¡¯t ready for yet. Maybe in a few hundred years, you¡¯ll find out for yourself but take it from me. Clicking is pretty dope.¡±


    ¡°Can you perhaps UN-click, or something? Is that an option, Luxy?¡±


    The same voice plays once more, announcing the finality of the situation. -CONFIRMED.-


    ¡°There, all done! Your healer is now officially on her way. The app will formally set off a chain of events in motion that¡¯ll send her on the path to becoming an adventurer. Naturally, it¡¯ll also make sure she ends up in Dewhurst. Says this one will take a week or two, not bad timing at all.¡±


    There was a lot to digest in what Luxy just said. For now, I ask more about the healer herself. ¡°Did you just purposefully pick a troublesome individual solely because I refused to offer you a prayer of gratitude? Are you truly such a petty Goddess, Luxy?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± She crosses her arms, smiling. ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Astonishing...¡± I caress my throbbing temples while exhaling with incredible frustration. ¡°When you say the ¡®app¡¯ will send off a chain of events to change her life, what exactly does that mean? You don¡¯t mean that you press a button and ruin a girl¡¯s life just to ensure she lands directly on my dick, do you?¡±


    Luxy laughs and dismisses the tablet of light with a snap of her fingers, causing it to disappear just as quickly as it appeared. ¡°Nah. It just looks for problems to exacerbate that are already there. Let¡¯s take the chubby- um... Meri, for example. Her Guild Master back in Perlshaw was already irritated at her, so it kinda just cranked it up and made him wanna send her to Dewhurst as a joke. He¡¯s kind of an asshole like that.¡±


    Well, if nothing else, I can sleep easier knowing that my lover¡¯s lives weren¡¯t ruined just because this Goddess decided to play matchmaker and send them a one-way ticket to Dewhurst.


    Perhaps more questions need answering, but I am just about at my wit¡¯s end. I need to hurry up and ask for the stamina blessing before my poor brain ceases to function. ¡°That was an enlightening experience, Luxy, but if you¡¯ll recall, I had one other favor to ask for.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, let¡¯s just get it over with, and I¡¯ll let you know if I can do it or not...¡±


    ¡°You gave me both a magic dick and a harem, yet you¡¯ve neglected to include a magical font of stamina for me to draw from. Please fix this glaring oversight, less I break every bone in my body long before the Demon Lord ever has a chance to do so himself.¡±


    Luxy stares at me in silence for more than a few minutes before finally laughing. ¡°Over the millennia, I¡¯ve heard countless prayers. I¡¯ve granted blessings and boons to the worthy and performed miracles for the sick and dying, but never in all my years as a Goddess has anyone so casually asked if I could help them fuck better.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying you can¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Of course I can make you fuck better!¡± Luxy states proudly. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a warning, though... infinite stamina doesn¡¯t mean what you think it means. Your body will be able to keep up, but your mind might be a whole different story...¡±


    ¡°I appreciate the warning, but I¡¯m going to ask for it regardless.¡±


    ¡°Give me the rest of the ambrosia, then.¡±


    I had almost forgotten about serving up beverages to Luxy because of how long we talked about the interface she uses to find lovers for me. ¡°You can have the rest of it after you teleport me home, there¡¯s not much left anyway, and I legitimately don¡¯t know how much longer I can take it here.¡±


    ¡°What, are you growing tired of my company already?¡± She smirks.


    Answering honestly would likely just set her off even more, so I dial my response down. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of information to process, and my mind is working overdrive to keep me sane. I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t asked all the questions I should have, but I don¡¯t think I can handle any more answers right now...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s pretty normal when you meet your first God. I¡¯ll give you the stamina you want, but you really should give me a prayer of gratitude first. Who knows what might happen if you don¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°Luxy, please...¡±


    She narrows her eyes and raises her hand, snapping her fingers once again. ¡°Be careful what you wish for... I might have messed things up a little down there.¡± The corner of Luxy¡¯s lip raises, creating a naughty grin. ¡°Feel any different?¡±


    ¡°I felt a small tingle down there, but otherwise, no.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, you should probably check,¡± Luxy says while trying to hold back a small laugh. Her smile grows more nefarious by the second. ¡°Just pretend I¡¯m not here. Besides, It¡¯s not like I haven¡¯t seen it, anyway.¡±


    The Goddess¡¯s warnings continue to mount, and with every passing word, my suspicion grows. Under the table, I unbuckle my belt to heed her advice. When I get a full view of my dick, my face goes white as a sheet. ¡°No... no... please... you fucking didn¡¯t, you-¡±


    ¡°Oh my, is something wrong?¡± The blonde, divine brat asks mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s not my fault if there was a mishap. I gave you two chances to pray to me, after all. I can only do so much work without a proper thank you!¡± She giggles, causing my anger to boil even more.


    My penis looks exactly as it should, which is entirely the problem. This ¡®mishap¡¯ of Luxy¡¯s has removed Zutiria¡¯s Rune of Safe Passage, meaning I¡¯ll have to sit through a second magical tattooing session to put it back.


    ¡°...You want me to show you just how grateful I am to you, huh? Well, how about I test this new blessing out right now?!¡± I shout, jumping onto the table and lunging towards Luxy. Anger and embarrassment fuel me as my dick flops out of my pants. Admittedly, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m trying to accomplish here other than freaking her out, but it only amuses the damnable brat. ¡°You¡¯re gonna fucking wish I had that rune when I get my hands on you, you little-¡±


    ¡°Have fun with your new blessing,¡± Luxy taunts, sticking her tongue out. Before I reach her, her dove delivers the nearly empty bottle of ambrosia, and she snaps her fingers one last time. This envelops me in a bright, magical light that transports me from heavenly paradise back to the rundown office where I belong.


    I fall against my desk and pull myself up with a sigh and hold my head in my hand. While I only had two drinks, I¡¯m still feeling quite buzzed, and I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I had a lot to think about. I¡¯m definitely going to need to take the rest of the day off...

 The Power Within

    Boss better get us a damn healer as fast as he can, because I am NOT waking up like this EVER again just because Opal¡¯s being pissy with him!


    Training? Training I can handle, but this ain¡¯t no training...


    It¡¯s just meditation.


    I know, I know. I¡¯ve been doing a lot better but give a girl a break. When I said I¡¯d do whatever it takes to learn the great blade I wasn¡¯t fooling around! Today¡¯s just an off day, I promise.


    I¡¯ve been sitting here for hours now trying to find ¡®inner peace¡¯ and clarity and other stupid crap like that... So basically I was told to wake up, go outside and close my eyes and breath deeply for a few hours. Oh but Sam, can¡¯t go asleep or you¡¯ll get punished. This is... just...


    ...


    Mnnn...


    Fuck, I¡¯m... ti... red...


    ¡°FOCUS, SAM!¡±


    My face caves in right after I hear the whirring air from one of those damn disc thingies Niki¡¯s been throwing around. It hits me and leaves falling backwards onto the dirty ground of the training yard with a minor bloody nose.


    UGH.


    ¡°COME THE FUCK ON, NIKI!¡± I shout after getting up on my feet and stomping over to the Grekkan.


    I¡¯m trying REAL hard not to act spoiled and annoying here, but... can¡¯t I get just a LITTLE break?


    Zuritia is over there napping on the bench after training her body to the point of collapse, and Meri is standing infront of Niki like usual wearing her gambeson, panting while covered in sweat and holding her shield.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Champ! You¡¯re getting better at chilling out more and more every day! I can see it now, just keep it up and you¡¯ll go the discus! Get it? Discus? Distance?¡± Niki laughs at her own joke like always and slaps her knee.


    ¡°S-Sam...¡± Meri looks at me a bit sadly. ¡°I know it¡¯s hard b-but Nikita knows what¡¯s best for us...¡±


    ¡°Uh, YEAH. I know she does! That¡¯s what pisses me off!¡± I groan and stomp over to one of the benches near Zutiria¡¯s, and sit down. The fucking thing falls to pieces thanks to my BIG FAT ASS BECAUSE WHY THE FUCK WOULDN¡¯T IT?! ¡°RRRGGHHH!!¡±


    Niki frowns and her wild eyes suddenly wash over with compassion. ¡°Do you need a break today, Champ?¡±


    I frown back at her from my spot on the ground, instantly regretting my choice of attire. This stupid thong armor did nothing to protect my poor butt from splinters. ¡°NO, WHAT I WANT SOME IS SOME FUCKING ACTUAL ARMOR!¡±


    As if on cue, Gwin shows up. She must¡¯ve come back here instead of the front door because she could hear Niki and Meri training.


    ¡°Mornin¡¯ lasses. Workin¡¯ up one a them there ¡®sweat¡¯s¡¯ ah been hearin¡¯ so much about?¡±


    ¡°Hi, Gwin!¡± Meri blushes and greets the red headed Dwarf.


    ¡°Sup! I banged up the door to the bedroom upstairs if you need something to do, Little Hephaestus.¡± Nikita waves at Gwin with her typical white smile.


    ¡°Ach, cours¡¯ ya fuckin¡¯ did ya walkin¡¯ talkin¡¯ wreckin¡¯ crew.¡± She rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, pressing her biceps into her chest and making them squeeze her big tits in the process. Even if I¡¯m in a bad mood, least I get some eye candy...


    ¡°Ah hear ya say summin¡¯ bout needin¡¯ some armor, Miss Teeny Bikini?¡± Gwin smirks and I chuckle in response. I wasn¡¯t in the mood to properly introduce myself when we first met but Gwin and I get along REAL good. She¡¯s fuckin¡¯ great, and we got a lot in common so it¡¯s always easy to just chill whenever the cheeky Dwarf bitch happens to be around.


    Gwin gets on well with everyone, though I think Opal intimidates her... Maybe I would be put off by her, too if I were only four feet tall and had to stare up at those gigantic melons.


    You¡¯d think she¡¯d hate Niki for undoing her work all the damn time but I think she likes that it gives her an excuse to leave home and hang out over here.


    Meri seems to really respect her, but I don¡¯t for the life of me know why. It¡¯s not exactly like they have much in common and you¡¯d think timid little Meri would be put off by the brash, aggressive Dwarf. But nah.


    Boss just keeps attracting people who fit in perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle that didn¡¯t even know they were missing. Personally I can¡¯t wait till we can snap the pieces like Opal and Gwin where they belong. I want this Guild to get stronger so we can defeat the Demon Lord, so we¡¯re definitely gonna need a doctor and a blacksmith.


    But her family doesn¡¯t WANT her to be a blacksmith... so... just another one of those dumbass bridges we need to cross when we come to it.


    ¡°Yeah. I need armor. What¡¯re you gonna do about it, shortstack?¡± I grin back at her, standing up off the dirty ground and patting off as many of the splinters from my butt as I can.


    ¡°See me after class, ya bimbo. Ah¡¯ll work somethin¡¯ out if ya bring 5,000G. It ain¡¯t gonna be AMAZIN¡¯ but it¡¯ll be better¡¯n what ya got fer sure.¡±


    ¡°You for real, Red?¡± I start beaming and smiling as I rush over to see Gwin.


    ¡°Ye, long as ya don¡¯ mind if ah go about it¡¯n a... less than legal way.¡± Her eyes narrow and she looks away like a shifty bitch.


    Meri¡¯s eyes light up and she steps forward. ¡°C-Can I come too?¡±


    ¡°Fuck do ah care?¡± Gwin shrugs.


    ¡°Ladies, while I¡¯m all for discussing plans to properly suit Sam up, I gotta play bad coach for a sec here and remind you I¡¯m not done with you yet.¡± Niki clears her throat to grab everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Ye whatev¡¯. Where¡¯s Mr. Bossman this morning?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s having a meeting with his patron deity using the ambrosia that I gave him! But don¡¯t tell anyone, it¡¯s a secret.¡± The Grekkan gives a thumbs up and... look when I¡¯M giving you looks for how stupid what you just said is, Niki, then that says a lot. ¡°He might be back already, don¡¯t know. We¡¯ve been at it for a few hours. Check his office and the bedroom upstairs I guess.¡±


    ¡°Righ¡¯ well that jus explains everythin¡¯ now dunnit?¡± With a deep snort the Dwarf shakes her head and walks inside the Guild. ¡°Later, bitches. Give mah regards to Sleepin¡¯ Beauty over there an¡¯ come get me if she needs true love¡¯s first kiss¡¯n all that.¡±


    ¡°...Nnn?¡± Zuzu briefly stirs before falling right back asleep.


    Me and Meri both promise to meet her when we finish up and turn back to face our teacher.


    ¡°Feeling good enough to keep going, Sam?¡± She asks.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there like... ANYTHING hands on we could do? I still stand by my decision. I want to learn how to use the great blade... but. I¡¯m not the brightest. Everyone knows that. I get why chilling out and taking it slow and steady is good, but... WHY do I have to learn it this way? I¡¯m strong enough to lift this thing around like a butter knife, so...¡±


    ¡°S-Sam... maybe you should take a break today after all?¡± Meri asks me worriedly. I think she¡¯s upset that I might start a fight with Niki just because I don¡¯t feel like meditating.


    ¡°Nah for real. I¡¯m not talking back. I just genuinely want to know.¡±


    The Grekkan stares at me with a silent and thoughtful look on her face, then crosses her arms. ¡°Not a bad question. I hope you don''t mind if I ask one in return?¡±


    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve been reading an action novel. I know how the whole mentor shit works by now.¡± I puff my chest out proudly, leaving out the fact that I¡¯ve only gotten fifty pages into it so far.


    ¡°How do Mages cast spells?¡±


    Meri and I exchange a confused look. ¡°They, uh. Use the mana in their bodies to change the world around em?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. When they¡¯re able to do such awesome shit, don¡¯t you¡¯d think us physical attackers would be put to shame by Mages if swinging around weapons was ALL we were good for?¡± A white smile lifts the corner of her mouth and she cheekily raises an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± With My hands on my hips, I tilt my head and lean in closer.


    ¡°D-Do you mean using magic weapons, armors and artifacts from dungeons?¡± Meri asks curiously.


    ¡°Nah, but I like the way you think, Meri! Right. Let¡¯s not beat around the bush, there¡¯s a physical version of mana and martial artists like us can channel it into our bodies or our weapons to ¡®cast¡¯ powerful techniques called Arts.¡±


    ¡°The fuck? Why didn¡¯t Boss ever teach me that kinda shit when he was helping me learn the basics?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Answered your own question there, Champ. He¡¯s smart and all but it¡¯s not something a bookworm could really explain. You need someone to show you...¡±


    Niki extends her hand and her Auto Loader glows brightly like it always does when she¡¯s about to pull out one of the badass members of her seemingly infinite arsenal. Seriously, while training Meri I¡¯ve watched wield all kinds of weapons from dozens of different realms.


    She smiles and says, ¡°Grekkan Greatsword.¡±


    Oh shit, don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her use a great blade before, actually! Now I¡¯m hyped.


    Sure enough her hand clasps down on a thick metal handle and a big, hulking piece of iron materializes. Shit looks pretty tight, like DAMN.


    It¡¯s all scuffed up, chipped and rusty from all the enemies that Niki¡¯s put down with its might and it¡¯s got that classy Grekkan look about it. Looks cooler than mine by a whole heck of a lot, and despite the rust it looks plenty sharp.


    ¡°Grab your sword and c¡¯mere, Sam.¡± Niki points to the ground in front of her and casually beckons me.


    ¡°Wait, you want me to-¡±


    ¡°C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon!¡± Niki¡¯s enthusiasm isn¡¯t enough to get my heart pumpin¡¯ but I grab my own great blade and head to where she wants me.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Sam... Niki attacks me all the time, it¡¯s not so bad!¡± Meri her darned hardest to comfort me. ¡°Y-You get used to it...¡± Her eyes grow distant as they remember the fierce shit she¡¯s faced in her training so far. Not exactly what I needed to see right about now, Meri¡¯s flashbacks of ¡®the war¡¯ are... uh... not reassuring at all.


    ¡°Right, let¡¯s do this! I¡¯m gonna strike you as hard as I can without help. Block it.¡±


    ¡°Can do, show me what ya got!¡± This isn¡¯t gonna be THAT bad, I got this in the bag!


    I get into battle position with my weapon and watch as Niki swings her own into the sky with both hands and slams it down in a massive arc almost too fast for me to stop it. But I do... NGH- it takes everything I¡¯ve got not to give in and buckle under pressure...


    But I can hold her off... just barely...!!


    As our huge, beefy blades collide sparks explode from the metal and a powerful CLANG rings out like a massive church bell. ¡°W-What the FUCK!?¡± I grunt and push back as hard as I can but the initial attack made me feel like my fuckin¡¯ arms were gonna break!


    I can¡¯t do it, my knees give in from the force of Niki¡¯s attack and I fall back on my splintery ass. It hurts, but not as much as my pride does. Hope I grow outta that sometime but I... am not really expecting that to ever happen, knowing my family history.


    ¡°Sam!¡± Meri nervously shouts and peeks out from behind her shield, too scared to watch just.


    ¡°Not bad! Not bad at all. I wasn¡¯t actually expecting you to hold your ground like that.¡± Niki lets out smarmy ¡®heh¡¯ and grins. ¡°Now let¡¯s do it again, and this time I¡¯ll show you what it¡¯s like when you use ¡®help¡¯.¡±


    ¡°WAIT, I CAN¡¯T JUST-¡±


    ¡°Nikita?!¡± Meri clasps her hands over her mouth in terror, her shield falling to the ground as she does.


    ¡°C¡¯mon. Just trust me.¡± Niki orders and I grit my teeth, standing up to get out in front of her again.


    An overwhelming red energy explodes out of her as she readies her sword once again...! The hell is this?! She seems so much bigger than she actually is... but like... it¡¯s her presence that swells up like crazy and not actually her? I don¡¯t know how to explain this- it¡¯s not like anything I¡¯ve ever seen before.


    And then she slams the sword down at me.


    I¡¯ve never been more terrified...


    I¡¯m going to die, aren¡¯t I?


    Stop... DON¡¯T, I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE!


    BOSS-


    ¡°SAM!¡± Meri shouts.


    Air fills my lungs thanks to a deep gasp.


    My eyes become more aware.


    I snap back to reality and stumble backwards, my body covered in a thick, steamy coat of panic swear.


    Staring straight at Niki, I... I can¡¯t believe my eyes. She didn¡¯t even move her sword.


    She¡¯s still standing there with a smile on her face, watching my every move.


    That Grekkan weapon of hers disappears in the same golden light that it came from and she walks over to me to clasp me on the shoulder. ¡°Scary, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°What... what WAS that...?¡±


    ¡°Just like mana, every realm seems to have a different name for it. Grekkans? We call it Aeon. In Ikkuni it¡¯s Ki, in Gothicca it¡¯s Vigor... so on and so forth. Pretty sure you Karnallians just call it Stamina, though. Fucking boring if you ask me. Whatever you call it, it''s basically just your body¡¯s own life force. Not that using it shortens your life or anything, far from it!¡±


    ¡°Stamina? Hold on, you don¡¯t mean-¡± The Shield Maiden seems to have figured something out.


    Ah, wait. That¡¯s right, whenever she uses Reflect she always says she uses a bit of her stamina. I thought she just meant she got tired, not like... she was using a magic muscle energy from deep within.


    ¡°Yep! Meri¡¯s actually a little more advanced than you, Sam. That Reflect of hers is a Shield Maiden exclusive Art! Pretty damn cool that you could figure out how to do it just from copying your mom, but I¡¯m sure that little crystal of yours makes it easier.¡±


    ¡°What? N-No I¡¯m nothing special, I just... wanted to be like her... that¡¯s all. I¡¯m just a poor copy.¡± Meri blushes and picks up her shield again so she can hide behind it.


    ¡°So... the better I can control myself the better I can use my stamina to do these crazy Art things? Am I getting this right or what?¡±


    ¡°Yup! Putting it simply, the meditation WILL help you out with the great blade in though because most of its arts make use of how big, bulky and slow it is. It¡¯ll also start laying the foundation to use your stamina. Gotta have proper focus and conditioning to do that and neither of those come naturally to you. When you¡¯re big and strong like ME,¡± Niki playfully flexes her muscle, ¡°Then you can make some of your own Arts and use the great blade however you want to. But you gotta learn the basics before you can freestyle!¡±


    Holy shit.


    This is like... a whole new world of badass.


    Fuckin¡¯... explosive auras and feint attacks and magic spells you can cast just from your own body being fucking jacked?!


    This...


    THIS is what I¡¯m talking about...!


    ¡°Niki, you¡¯re a shitty teacher. You shoulda told me this DAY ONE! I¡¯ll fucking meditate for a week straight if I have to if it lets me start doing this shit!¡±


    I haven¡¯t ever been this pumped for meditating before, but let¡¯s DO THIS!

 Never Really Alone

    It still hasn¡¯t really settled in that I promised to eventually face my destiny, even if the showdown with the Demon Lord could be years and years away from actually happening. Luxy wouldn¡¯t confirm or deny anything specific about how bad the situation actually is, saying things were terrible, yes, but that I could also continue my leisurely, feel-good, day-to-day escapades with the girls.


    I¡¯m not sure what to believe.


    So many thoughts are running through my head to the point where it¡¯s making thinking itself feel like a painful and mountainous chore. All I know is I have to finally tell the women in my life everything I haven¡¯t been entirely honest about. I¡¯m not sure how Sam will react, or Meri, for that matter. Both girls are very touchy when it comes to the Demon Lord, and I hope they¡¯ll be able to forgive me for keeping this secret for so long.


    To be fair, it¡¯s not like I was able to confirm my grandpa¡¯s statement until today, but still...


    Sam will probably get pumped up, but Meri is only starting to bloom out of her shell. There¡¯s no way of knowing how long her newly-acquired bravery might last once she knows I plan on aiming at the greatest of evils...


    As for dear, devoted, Zutiria, she¡¯ll support any decision I make, I¡¯m sure. That just leaves my oldest supporter, and I frankly don¡¯t know how Opalina will react. Even though she looked after me since I was ten, I never told her about my grandpa¡¯s presumptuous ideas for my career path. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll be disappointed in me for lying to her all these years... or even worse, Opal could get mad that I didn¡¯t tell her sooner...


    Well, If nothing else, at least I can fuck better now. Glad I have my priorities straight.


    After exiting my office, I leave a brief note on a table in the entrance hall where everyone can see it. I tell the girls that the meeting went rough, and I¡¯ll be resting in the bedroom for most of the day, and they should head over to Helpful Heals if they want to be fed. I need a full-on break day, and that includes cooking.


    Once sheltered in the sanctity of my bedroom, I strip down and change into nothing but my pajama pants. I darken the room as much as I can before taking my glasses off, replacing them as quickly as can be with my sleep mask. Now that the stage is appropriately set for a peaceful rest, I slip under my covers to be alone with my thoughts.


    Well... perhaps not alone, per se.


    I¡¯m still not thrilled knowing that the bratty Goddess can listen in on my innermost thoughts. She could be observing me this very second. Is it possible for me to ever be truly alone, short of asking Luxy to respect my boundaries? I¡¯d ask right now, but I¡¯m not in the mood to deal with her any longer.


    It¡¯s not even that Luxy was that annoying.


    Difficult, yes, but I still kept my ground and got everything I wanted out of that meeting. I can deal with difficult people if I absolutely have to. It¡¯s just that as of right now, my head is pounding and swirling, overwhelmed by the maelstrom of inevitability. Talking to her again so soon would remind me that my girls will have to battle the current Demon Lord and his army of darkness one day.


    They could get hurt because of me... hells, they could ultimately wind up dead just because they were unlucky enough to be picked by Luxy to join my side. My views on the consent behind my relationships have been comforted since talking to the Goddess, but this is an entirely new ethical issue. I can¡¯t force a girl to do battle against the forces of villainy if she doesn¡¯t agree to it... but maybe Luxy has considered that, too... for all I know, that ¡®app¡¯ of hers sorts them out to make sure every girl is up for that sort of thing.


    Still, even if they agree to fight the Demon Lord, my adventurers could die and be taken away from me long before that. We¡¯ve had close calls in the past, including one just the day before when they fought the Greater Murdermoth, but this depressing fact seems more real than ever before.


    I¡¯m a Guild Master. Seeing adventurers come and go should just be something I¡¯m accustomed to, but because of my limited experiences actually working with adventurers, I can¡¯t say anyone has ever died on a quest that I sent them on.


    Still, it could happen at any moment, which is what terrifies me. How can I possibly hope to cope with something that¡¯s such a fundamental part of my job description? It might be naive of me, but after thinking about it for some time here in the darkness of my bedroom, I come to the conclusion that the only way forward is to reject reality and substitute my own. Instead of accepting that the quests I send the girls on could result in their untimely end, I can steel myself and work endlessly in order to ensure this never happens.


    I¡¯ll force myself to become a Guild Master unlike any other- a Guild Master so wise and experienced that he¡¯s able to lead his adventurers home safely every single time.


    I¡¯ve failed too many times for one lifetime, so I swear right here and now that I won¡¯t ever fail Sam, Zutiria, Meri, or anyone else who puts their hopes in me ever again. I might be depressed, but this isn¡¯t like when Perlshaw was built, and I fell into a downward spiral. I¡¯m not alone anymore, and truthfully, I never was. I just needed to learn how to pull myself up and keep walking down the road that leads to me getting everything I¡¯ve ever wanted.


    How can I make certain I become this sort of legendary Guild Master, though? I¡¯ll need to study more. That¡¯s a given, but studying alone won¡¯t be enough to reach the heights which I aspire to.


    I guess, all in all, it comes down to my desire to help the girls from afar, doesn¡¯t it? I really need to find an answer to that, as if I could find a way to create a system that would allow me to remotely lead quests and provide real-time advice, feedback, and strategies, I feel I could dramatically increase the odds of any quest I give out.


    It¡¯s a shame Luxy wouldn¡¯t elaborate further when it comes to my eyes. She made it sound like there¡¯s a lot more to them than I¡¯m aware of, and the way she phrased it was suspect. Everything I¡¯ve been praying for, huh? That¡¯s an awful big promise to live up to. If it couldn¡¯t just... no, maybe if it... ugh... Gods, my head is starting to bang again the harder I think about this...


    I just want to figure things out, but the more I try, the harder my thoughts spin out of control. Maybe I should¡¯ve brought another drink with me because thinking certainly isn¡¯t getting me anywhere...


    All of a sudden, I hear a familiar sound pass by overhead- the flapping of wings and the cooing of a dove. I reach over to where I left my glasses and switch them out with my sleep mask to find that Luxy¡¯s faithful servant is standing atop the bedside table along with an obvious gift. The heavenly bird rests on top of a wooden tankard filled with another wonderful-smelling dry Dwarven stout. Guilt hits me hard as I admit that there might be worse things than the Goddess of Light keeping an eye on your thoughts.


    I take my time swallowing down the dark brew, savoring the flavor, and letting its bitterness wash away my incessantly churning mind. The further I get down the tankard, the more the alcohol does its job by allowing me a brief respite from myself. I used to drink a lot heavier during my depression, but now that I have a lot more to live for, I just don¡¯t see the need to race to the bottom any longer.


    ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry,¡± I tell the dove while placing the tankard onto the bedside table. The bird is pretty cute when it isn¡¯t shitting on purpose to piss me off, I¡¯ll admit. When I blink, both it and the tankard are gone without so much as a trace.


    I¡¯ve got a decent buzz going on now, and I think I¡¯ll actually be able to get a nap in if I try. I reach for my sleep mask to test this theory out but find fate has other plans for me. The door to my bedroom opens up, and I see a familiar face standing at the entrance.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ yikes, Lad. Th¡¯ darkest pits¡¯a the Obsidian Abyss ain¡¯t got nothin¡¯ on this shitehole.¡± Gwin says as she steps forward, her tough, Dwarven boots stomping down hard and heavy on the wooden floor. As she gets closer, she turns her nose up in the air and sniffs. ¡°Ah don¡¯ see no glass, but ya been drinkin¡¯ in bed like me da¡¯ when ¡®is favorite Elven brothel¡¯s closed for disinfectin¡¯. Good taste tho¡¯, Lad. By the smell¡¯a things, it seems like yer hidin¡¯ some dry Dwarven stouts from ol¡¯ Gwinnie?¡±

 Dwarven Company in Bed

    Now that I¡¯m not alone, I sit up properly and throw the blankets off of my torso, revealing my topless body to the Dwarf. ¡°It¡¯s true. I had some just a bit ago. You¡¯ll never find it, though. I¡¯ve gotten better at hiding the bottle.¡±


    Gwin chuckles a few times before blushing and eying my body without much subtlety. ¡°Ya look like some sorta topless, alcoholic vampire,¡±


    ¡°Well, I certainly feel like a topless, alcoholic vampire. Lot on my mind.¡±


    ¡°Ye, well... um... nice pecs, tho¡¯.¡± The brash Dwarf girl gives me an awkward pair of thumbs up, coupled with an increasingly red blush. ¡°Ah saw yer note. Was comin¡¯ on up ta fix th¡¯ latest casualty of th¡¯ Grekkan¡¯s ongoin¡¯ war with yer Guild¡¯s structural integrity. Ya wan¡¯ ah should come on back later?¡±


    ¡°You can stick around if you want. I just can¡¯t promise to be that engaging of a host right now. Hop on the bed for all I care. You helped build it.¡± I only notice how awkward that sounded after I said it, but if the invitation into my bed bothered the Dwarf, she doesn¡¯t let it show.


    Instead, Gwin closes the door behind her and unbuckles her toolbelt, and takes off her gloves, tossing them on a desk cluttered with Sam and Zutiria¡¯s clothing. Rather than joining me outright, Gwin hops up on the edge of the massive bed and tilts her head to look at me. I¡¯m treated with a stunning sight I¡¯ve never before seen- the glowing eyes of a Dwarf in darkness. Gwin¡¯s eyes practically burn in the absence of light, glowing and shimmering like a pair of green garnets. If I remember right, this helps her species see better in the mountains and caves of their Homerealm, Hal Moldirh.


    If I were feeling a bit more like myself, I¡¯d surely tell Gwin how beautiful they make her look, but I¡¯m far from on my a-game right now.


    ¡°Ya wanna fuck? Cave ain¡¯t been mined before.¡± She asks after looking away, presumably to hide her embarrassment.


    ¡°Not really. I don¡¯t want you to waste your first time trying to cheer me up when I¡¯m just having an off day. You deserve more than that, Gwin.¡±


    ¡°S¡¯fine...¡± The fiery Dwarf sighs, perhaps out of relief or perhaps out of disappointment. I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t see her face. ¡°Jus¡¯ thought ah¡¯d offer. Wouldn¡¯ mind n¡¯ all that... y¡¯know... if it were you...¡±


    I start thinking things I shouldn¡¯t, which is fine by itself. But since I¡¯m slightly drunk, I soon find myself saying them, which is far from advisable. ¡°What makes me so special? We¡¯ve known each other for what... eight days? Nine?¡±


    This seems to draw out the anger of this Dwarven woman, and she hops fully onto the bed to look down at me. Her face is embarrassed yet annoyed at the same time as she says, ¡°Yer special cause ah think yer cute, ya make me laugh, an ya happen ta be th¡¯ only decent man in this whole town who ain¡¯t a member mah own kin. Fuck¡¯s it matter to ya, Lad? Ya don¡¯ seem th¡¯ type ta pass up free cunt when it stares ya in th¡¯ face.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, it¡¯s just... seeing how fast things are moving makes me wonder how high our compatibility is... what number are you?¡± I make the mistake of continuing my drunken contemplation, which unintentionally has the effect of setting Gwin off.


    ¡°An ain¡¯t a fuckin¡¯ number... fuckin¡¯ hells, Lad. Dunno shite abou¡¯ what yer arse is on abou¡¯, and I get yer goin¡¯ thru some fuck all with a Goddess or summin¡¯, but come th¡¯ the fuck off it for I slap ya.¡± She holds back tiny, angry tears, and seeing Gwin respond so angrily makes me hang my head in response.


    ¡°Gods, I¡¯m sorry, Gwin. I promise I¡¯m typically a much classier drunk than this... I was just thinking to myself.¡±


    Gwin makes a long, drawn-out ¡®pfft¡¯ sound as she rolls her shimmering green eyes. ¡°No ya weren¡¯, ya were thinkin¡¯ at me. Ah was there an¡¯ ah heard it. Stop that shite.¡±


    ¡°Stop thinking to myself...?¡±


    ¡°No, stop thinkin¡¯ in gen¡¯ral. Yer clearly doin¡¯ too much¡¯ve the damn thing. S¡¯great in small doses, but too much an it¡¯ll kill a man.¡±


    I find myself laughing at this simple yet powerful advice. ¡°You know, Gwin, you¡¯re probably right.¡±


    ¡°Nah, ah AM righ¡¯.¡± She crosses her arms and turns around as if to leave. ¡°Ah can still go if ya wan¡¯ that, tho¡¯.¡±


    I reach out to her and grab her wrist before she can get away, and I give her an apologetic smile. ¡°I changed my mind. I¡¯d prefer if you stayed, Gwin.¡±


    ¡°Figures,¡± She sighs and plops her ass down on the bed. ¡°Ya darn menfolk and yer complicated emotions. Always sayin¡¯ one thing an¡¯ meanin¡¯ somethin¡¯ else...¡±


    That one earns a small laugh from me as I reach out and reach for my sleeping mask. ¡°If I put on my blindfold, will you lay with me, Gwin? You¡¯re always working so hard, I reckon a Dwarf like you could use a nap right about now.¡±


    Gwin stares at me like I just asked something unthinkable, and she breaks off eye contact to look around the room sheepishly. ¡°Ah... if, er, that¡¯s what yer into, ah guess?¡± Her cheeks redden. ¡°Fuck, ya down¡¯ know how to start slow now do ya, Lad...? Not that ah¡¯m much¡¯ve a romantic m¡¯self by any stretch o¡¯ th¡¯ word, but... y¡¯know...¡±


    ¡°No, oh... no, I didn¡¯t mean it to sound like that...¡± I laugh and cradle my forehead in my palm. ¡°I meant this sleeping mask. It helps me rest without accidentally opening my eyes and hurting myself.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Righ''.¡± She awkwardly scratches the back of her head before giving me a playful punch in the arm while laughing a deep, Dwarven laugh. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ dumbarse, thought ya were askin¡¯ for some kinky shite! So what, ya wan¡¯ ah should jus¡¯... um... fuck do ya Humans call it again?¡±


    ¡°We call it cuddling,¡±


    ¡°Mmm, that¡¯s it. Ah believe in Dwarvish we call it ¡®bein¡¯ a fuckin¡¯ pussy,¡¯ but hey, that¡¯s yet prerogative Lad. C¡¯mon, scoot on over an lemme under th¡¯ blanket, ah s¡¯pose...¡± Gwin blushes, and despite her words, she¡¯s seemingly all too happy to join me in ¡®being a fucking pussy¡¯.


    I put on my sleep mask and lift up the covers. The embarrassed Dwarf crawls under them and follows my lead, pushing her body up against my side so I can wrap my arms around her as her newly dedicated big spoon. While I can¡¯t see the girl, I¡¯m entirely convinced that Gwin must be blushing harder than ever before.


    ¡°Everyone still training?¡± I ask her as I rest my chin on top of her short, spiky hair.


    ¡°W-Why¡¯re ya askin¡¯, Lad? Am ah not good enough for ya? Ya wan¡¯ me ta go an get¡¯m so they can cheer ya up instead?¡± An aggressively nervous tone cracks her familiar, confident tomboyish voice, her nervousness overtaking her.


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said, Gwin. Relax.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry...¡± The young Dwarf sighs, grumbling incoherently as her posture becomes stiff as stone. ¡°Yer feelin¡¯ shite enough on yer own, ya don¡¯ need me an¡¯ ma shite righ¡¯ now. Ah¡¯m jus¡¯ gonna go an- AH!¡±


    Her embarrassment only increases as I take this chance to hug the busty Dwarven lass tighter. Gwin makes a cute grunt, but other than that, she shows no signs of displeasure at the increased connection between our bodies.


    ¡°Yer sendin¡¯ me some mixed signals, Lad. Are ya sure you don¡¯ wanna, uh... mess around?¡± Gwin shifts around in place, which might be a sign of her arousal growing, but I shrink back just a bit.


    ¡°No, not today... cuddling is nice, though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Ah mean, ah guess so...¡± She mumbles, clearly wanting more. I feel bad that I can¡¯t give the Dwarf what she wants right now, but my heart just wouldn¡¯t be in it, and she deserves my full attention whenever we make that jump. ¡°Do y¡¯wanna maybe tell me ¡®bout what happened with yer Goddess?¡±


    ¡°Soon. I¡¯m probably going to gather everyone up for a team meeting, so to speak, and even if you don¡¯t live here or anything, you¡¯re still a part of the team in my book. I have a lot to tell everyone.¡±


    ¡°Righ¡¯, well... jus¡¯ lemme know when it¡¯s time...¡±


    ¡°Assuming I feel better, it might be tonight. We have plans to visit the Breeding Tribe soon, and I want to devote the day so tomorrow wouldn¡¯t work.¡±


    ¡°Tonigh¡¯ would be best, mah family jus¡¯ got a big new order in an¡¯ ah¡¯ll be pretty busy fer a while after.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good...¡± I close my eyes and lean into the blushing Dwarf, only for my thoughts to carry me away soon after. There¡¯s a quietness that grows between us. Soon, the only sound in the room is the beating of our hearts and our breathing.


    Gwin senses that this doesn¡¯t bode well, and she offers me a prompt warning. ¡°Didn¡¯ ah tell ya t¡¯knock that shite off? Gonna have t¡¯pull out mah ultimate weapon here if ya don¡¯ go listenin¡¯ to mah advice, Lad. Last warnin¡¯.¡±


    Determined to escape whatever punishment the Dwarven lass has in store for me, I attempt to weasel out of it with humor. ¡°Your ultimate weapon, huh? Gwin, I didn¡¯t know you were holding out on me. Would you mind letting me borrow it? The Guild could certainly use more powerful weapons in our arsenal.¡±


    This does its job in drawing out a deep, bellowing laugh from the red-headed Dwarf. ¡°Ain¡¯t that kinda weapon, ah¡¯m talkin¡¯ ¡®bout mah women¡¯s intuition.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t you lay it on me, and I¡¯ll be the judge of whether we can use it to slay monsters or not.¡±

 Gwin’s Ultimate Weapon

    Gwin takes a deep breath to prime her ultimate weapon before laying it out for me. ¡°Alrigh¡¯, Laddie...¡± She starts, ¡°Listen nice n¡¯ close now, kay? Yer gonna be jus¡¯ fine, trust me. Ah would¡¯n ever show no interest fer some prissy sunnava bitch, no sir. Yer tough, almost like one of us. On toppa that, ya been thru¡¯ a lotta shite in yer day. By th¡¯ sound o¡¯ it, yer gonna hafta wade thru¡¯ s¡¯more... but ye still got yer shite shovel, don¡¯ ya?¡± To top off these kind yet oddly chosen words, Gwin clasps her warm, thick hands tight atop the arms I have wrapped around her.


    I mull on her advice before chucking against my will. ¡°Are you saying that that sort of thing is attractive to you, Gwin?¡±


    She blushes and grunts as she realizes how odd her statement sounded. ¡°Some girls like th¡¯ smell¡¯a shite on a man... metaphorically speakin¡¯. All I¡¯m sayin¡¯ is yer already knee-deep, what¡¯s a little more?¡±


    ¡°You honestly might be right,¡± I respond, nuzzling even closer to Gwin¡¯s body. The contact draws out an unexpected but welcome moan from the lass. I¡¯m not trying to say that Gwin suddenly made everything make sense, but she did just reassure a lot of my thoughts.


    Sam entered my life one day and taught me how to shrug off my baggage. She reinvigorated my passion and inspired me to make it my goal to elevate this Guild well beyond its former glory until it becomes the greatest Guild in all the Realms. Once the Demon Lord becomes a more significant threat, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the Adventurer¡¯s Guilds are called upon to fight him and his forces. No doubt the strongest Guild would be the one to lead the pack, right? If I have my way, that¡¯ll be us.


    All in all, nothing has changed beyond gaining divine confirmation that I was born to be a Guild Master. There¡¯s nowhere to go but up.


    ¡°Thank you, Gwin. I think I desperately needed to hear that... I¡¯m starting to feel a bit better now.¡± I slip off the sleep mask to show my appreciation by looking at my companion in earnest. While Gwin doesn¡¯t have the pull of destiny accompanied by the girls hand picked by Luxy, that doesn¡¯t mean I feel any less attracted to her.


    The pretty Dwarf turns around and smiles broadly, her bright eyes still shining and drawing my attention. ¡°Aye. Things with mah family are bit rough righ¡¯ now by th¡¯ by. They don¡¯ like me disobeyin¡¯ orders and associatin¡¯ with ya.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised. I¡¯d like a chance to clear the air with them and resume business negotiations, but I don¡¯t feel that¡¯s going to fly with your clan.¡± Not while I¡¯m having an ongoing feud with the city¡¯s greatest crimelord, at least...


    Gwin rolls her eyes as her frustrations grow. ¡°Righ¡¯. Eventually, we¡¯re gonna need ta deal with that, Lad... but if ya ever need mah help, all ya gotta do is lemme know and ah¡¯ll come runnin¡¯ on these stumpy arse legs ¡®o mine with mah shovel. Ah¡¯ll show ya how a real Dwarf shovels shite.¡± A hearty laugh bursts from her lips as she flexes her strong, alluring bicep at me.


    ¡°Is that so? Hmm... you know, I can think of a lot of things around here that could do with a little fixing up...¡± I sit up and smirk suggestively at the sexy short-stack. Gwin blushes at my blatant staring but summons enough bravery up from the depths of her heart to lean in.


    ¡°Mn... Looks ta me ya got a hole ¡®tween yer lips that needs patchin¡¯...¡± Gwin whispers, her tomboyish voice growing lower and huskier as she drenches it in sultriness.


    We hardly have long to wait until the magnetism stirring between us does its job by forcibly locking our lips together in a kiss tasting oddly of iron, fire, and sweet passion. Gwin¡¯s lustrous, jewel-like eyes flutter open and shut as the kiss speeds her thunderous heartbeat. I grab her stout shoulders to further push the Dwarf against me, our tongues caressing and our hands following soon after.


    Slipping into her tank top from behind, I reach for her bra strap and set forth to free Gwin of her restraints, only for the door to open abruptly. Perhaps embarrassed that it escalated so fast, we pull apart from each other as Sam, Zutiria, Meri and Nikita rush forward, spilling into the room. My three adventurers all but jump into bed, concerned expressions lining their faces.


    ¡°Boss, the heck was up with that note? You never take time off!¡± Sam shouts and leans over to sit in front of me. I notice Her Highness excludes the several days of time off I took when we first met so that the two of us could irresponsibly fuck to our heart¡¯s content. ¡°Did everything go ok with the Goddess?¡± She asks.


    Zutiria takes one look at me and another at Gwin before drawing her own conclusions. ¡®Sir seems more than alright to me, which is good because I wasn¡¯t quite done with my nap.¡¯ The cheeky Mage yawns and stretches herself out like a cat.


    Meri- dear, sweet, innocent Meri- blushes and bites her lower lip as she approaches. She says in a sheepish tone, ¡°Master... I know there¡¯s a lot of stuff going on that I don¡¯t understand yet, b-but... I... I¡¯m your shield, understood?¡± Summoning determination from within, the timid Shield Maiden pumps her fist up.


    ¡°I will protect you from any and all pain, e-even if it¡¯s something as simple as cuddling with you when you feel upset! Use me as you see fit, please! Anything you want, all you have to do is say the word, and I¡¯ll do it, I... eh... wait...¡± Her eyes open wide once she considers the lewd second meaning she didn¡¯t intend her words to have. Tiny nervous tears drip out of the corner of her eyes as her flushed face grows even redder. It must have sounded much more romantic in her head.


    ¡°Fucking Zeus almighty, I knew this would happen...¡± Nikita sighs as she sits down on the edge of the bed, cradling her forehead in her hand. The Grekkan feels guilty for giving me the ambrosia in the first place, no doubt. ¡°This is why you don¡¯t meet your Gods, kids. It¡¯s just not ever worth it... I hope it wasn¡¯t TOO bad... was it, Chief?¡±


    I shake my head, ¡°No, I think it went about as well as it could have. It didn¡¯t leave me feeling the greatest, but Gwin helped to cheer me up.¡±


    ¡°I bet she did,¡± Sam smirks at the Dwarf while making a lewd gesture with her hands meant to crudely imitate intercourse. ¡°I heard somewhere that Dwarven pussy is tight as hell, Daddy. Any truth to that?¡±


    Meri looks shocked as she imagines the thought of me conquering the stout, nonhuman redhead. Predictably, the more she thinks about it, this surprise also leads to a glimmer of excitement sparkling in her confused, crimson eyes.


    ¡°We didn¡¯ fuck, ya blonde dumbarse. Was jus¡¯ a wee bit o¡¯ cuddlin¡¯...¡± Gwin angrily tries to bop the giggling, childish Princess on her head, but Sam is too nimble, and she dodges the Dwarf¡¯s fist with ease.


    Zutiria opens her mouth to make a sarcastic horrified expression, though her expressionless eyes sell the pantomime suit and make her look more comical than intended. ¡®No sex? This is unprecedented. Oh, dear. Things are more serious than I thought. I had best scoot closer so that I can help you through these trying times, Sir.¡¯ The cute Mage makes good on her word, scooting into her favorite seat in all the Realms- my lap.


    ¡°Do you want me to go and grab Opal? I¡¯m sure she can take an emergency day off to come and help you out.¡± Nikita stands up on the bed to head off, and... ah. She¡¯s still wearing that breezy white tunic from this morning... and given how tall the Grekkan is, everyone below her hip level is suddenly flashed a clear view of Nikita¡¯s naked, tastefully trimmed womanhood.


    Meri just about faints from blushing, Zutiria casually adjusts her glasses, and Gwin just raises an eyebrow at the dense mercenary. Even Sam finds herself at a loss for words, unable to make a lewd comment about her fearsome combat instructor despite the apparent interest.


    As for myself, I look away from the bronzed slit after lingering longer than I¡¯m comfortable admitting. Nikita either doesn¡¯t notice everyone staring at her or is entirely comfortable showing off like this.


    ¡°Y-Yes,¡± I cough into my right hand. ¡°That would be for the best. I don¡¯t need to be coddled by any means, but I want to tell everyone about the things I learned today. I¡¯d also like to discuss some of my plans for the future.¡±


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be back a bit with a pair of titanic bosoms that rival Aphrodite herself!¡± Nikita laughs before dramatically jumping straight off of the bed and crashing through the wooden floor of my bedroom. She lands below in my office, just barely missing the wooden desk.


    All of us remaining on the bed are stunned at the devastation wrought by Nikita misjudging the sheer strength of her legs. Gwin is less stunned and more pissed, though...


    I crawl to the end of the bed to look down at Nikita. Dust settles around her feet as the Grekkan looks up at us in shame. ¡°Uh... I¡¯ll be back a bit later than I thought, Chief. I¡¯m just... gonna go and kill some of those Pinemen things for you.¡± The Grekkan awkwardly waves goodbye before walking out of my office and leaving through the door to the backyard.


    Gwin grunts and flops down onto the bed, angrily pounding the mattress with her stumpy legs. Sam grins maliciously as she takes this chance to grope the Dwarf¡¯s large breast like the absolute pervert that she is, but Gwin fires back. Her Highness, sadly, did not prove fast enough to escape Gwin¡¯s mighty fist this time around, and it pops her square in the face. At least Gwin is a bit happier if nothing else.

 Fleetfoot

    I spent a little time chatting with Sam, Gwin, Zutiria, and Meri after the Princess got over whining about her just desserts. Once they¡¯ve made sure that I¡¯m not lying and that I really do feel better, Gwin brings up a plan that the girls had made without my knowledge.


    ¡°If yer good for it, Lad, do ya mind if we leave ya with Zu fer a while? Ah went an¡¯ promised I¡¯d take the stutterin¡¯ shield an th¡¯ royal disappointment somewhere fer a few hours.¡± The Dwarf asks, revealing that she knows Sam¡¯s true identity now, too.


    I can¡¯t say I¡¯m even surprised anymore. Perhaps we should just get Sam a nice little nameplate and save ourselves the time it takes her to accidentally let slip to every new person we meet that she¡¯s the Crown Princess of Karnalle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you a royal disappointment, short stuff!¡± Sam laughs and cracks her knuckles.


    ¡°Already lookin¡¯ at one,¡± Gwin returns the Princess¡¯s playful banter.


    ¡°S-S-Stuttering s-s-shield...?¡± Meri stutters, shrinking back from shyness. I give her a reassuring pat on the head which improves her mood enough to summon a tiny smile.


    ¡®Yes, by all means, go ahead and leave us to our devices,¡¯ Zutiria teases while sitting back on my lap and nuzzling to my chest like a spoiled cat. ¡®I shall take care of Sir during his fragile and emotionally vulnerable state. It¡¯s only fair, considering he does the same thing for me each and every night.¡¯


    ¡°You heard the little lady,¡± I stroke Zutiria¡¯s straight, lavender locks and smile.


    ¡°Zuzu, we¡¯ve talked about this shit!¡± Sam puffs out her cheeks and grumbles. ¡°Not fair!¡± In response, Zutiria merely shrugs her shoulders to show how little she cares about playing fair.


    Meri looks at the Mage cuddling up to me and clutches her heart. ¡°I wish I could be that close to you...¡± She mutters, perhaps not meaning to say it out loud.


    ¡°Meri...¡± I give her a tender look that surprises the anxious bundle of adorableness, only for Gwin to roll her eyes.


    ¡°Righ¡¯, we get it. Everyone fuckin¡¯ loves ya ta bits. Let¡¯s get a move on, bitches!¡± She says.


    ¡°Y-Yes, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Meri jerks up like she did something wrong and is eager to apologize for it.


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous that we got interrupted,¡± I tease the Dwarf, who crosses her arms and makes a series of grumpy Dwarf noises as she leaps off of the bed and heads to the door.


    Gwin¡¯s patience runs thin. She grabs her gloves and toolbelt off the desk, re-equipping them while saying, ¡°Yeah, well, ah fucked yer mum. If we¡¯re goin¡¯ then let¡¯s go.¡±


    Sam tells the Dwarf to wait a moment before turning her attention back to me. ¡°Boss, do you mind if I take 5,000G out of my account? I don¡¯t wanna spoil the surprise, but it¡¯s for the Guild. Kinda. I mean, it¡¯s actually for me, but also in a way that¡¯s still for the Guild, ya know?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me what it is. I trust you.¡± It is her money, after all. Even if she wants me to use it to improve the Guild, she¡¯s entitled to use it whenever she wants. That¡¯s not even bringing up how indebted I am to Sam and how I would give her the moon if she asked for it.


    ¡°Heck yes!¡± Sam pumps her fist in the air. Then, to show her appreciation, the Princess leans in and gives me a loud, wet kiss on the cheek. I give her the combination to the Guild¡¯s safe, so she can go and open it for herself.


    ¡°See you all tonight, then?¡± I ask as Sam and Meri shuffle past the large hole in the bedroom floor to follow Gwin, who is impatiently tapping her boot against the floor.


    All three girls give me confirmation and head off. Sam and Gwin use Nikita¡¯s newly created shortcut, saving themselves some time as they land in my office below. Meri nervously leaves the room properly and hurries down the stairs to follow after her ruder friends.


    It¡¯s just my Mage and me now, a fact which brings great pleasure to Zutiria. Without saying a word, she stands and sits behind me. Zutiria wraps her arms around my neck to pull me down onto her lap, and with a gentle smile, she begins stroking my hair. ¡®Rough day?¡¯ She asks. ¡®It¡¯s not like you to drink so early. I can smell it on your breath, Sir.¡¯


    I laugh and shake my head. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that. The Goddess offered me a few drinks...¡±


    ¡®Guess she can¡¯t be all bad, then. I sincerely doubt there are many Gods that one could sit down and casually have a beer with.¡¯ Zutiria then stiffens her expression. ¡®Forgive me. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want to talk about these things just yet.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re fine, Zutiria. I don¡¯t even think you¡¯re capable of upsetting me.¡±


    The Mage closes her eyes, only to reopen them after a long, silent pause. She looks off in the middle distance as she says, ¡®You don¡¯t know that, Sir...¡¯


    Although I want to say something about her negativity, the chance is robbed from me when we hear the sound of shattering glass coming from downstairs, followed by a young, boyish voice cursing, ¡°Shit!¡±


    I jump out of Zutiria¡¯s lap and look at the Mage, who heard the disturbance as well. ¡®Get behind me,¡¯ Zutiria holds up her hand and summons her staff from downstairs, which flies through the open door in my office and up the hole in its ceiling.


    Together, we cautiously creep down the rickety wooden stairs.


    Each painful step exacerbates the tension hanging in the air as we scan the area with our eyes, looking for any signs of the hidden intruder. After reaching the entrance hall, we walk towards a window that was just smashed in. Zutiria¡¯s staff glows with purplish-black energy as she readies her powers to use at her discretion. ¡®An awful lot of good a fancy Dwarven door does us when the Guild is riddled with holes, rotted wood, and breakable windows...¡¯ She frowns.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have the funds to fully fortify the building, you know that...¡± She brings a sigh out of me, and I slump my shoulders.


    ¡°You might want to get on that, Mate. Not that you¡¯ll have a chance once I¡¯m done with you...¡± An unknown voice calls out to us from across the room. Unlike the childish tone we heard minutes before, the intruder now sounds like they¡¯re magically masking their voice with some sort of threatening echo. Zutiria and both turn to face the voice¡¯s owner but find them nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Show yourself, damn it!¡± I spit out, almost on instinct.


    There¡¯s silence for a moment before a response that neither of us expected. ¡°Eh, sure. Why not? You¡¯re about to die anyway.¡± The voice is now coming from a table a few feet away. Zutiria and I watch in total bafflement as the intruder gives up their strategic advantage by suddenly appearing after removing a golden magic ring from their gauntlet.


    I don¡¯t get a good look at them because a brief look at the intruder causes me to flinch away from the sight thanks to a magical mask sitting on their face. This mask is primarily white, with black, red-outlined slits running up and down the sides of the face. Glowing yellow eyes stare out from behind their mask like fire upon a black sea.


    The mask isn¡¯t terrifying in and of itself, which leads me to believe it to be an artifact that causes fear in those who gaze upon it. Looking at it for more than a second causes me to flinch and avert my eyes.


    The intruder is a small figure wearing a dark leather jerkin riddled with gratuitous straps, leather-studded gauntlets, pauldrons, as well as a mysterious black hood and cape. Across their hip, they wear a belt laden with many pouches, and below, they wear dark brown leather trousers with yet more leather straps. Their pants end in what looks like leather greaves only without shoes to accommodate their large feet covered in reddish-orange hair. No doubt about it, they¡¯re a Halfling.


    As far as gender goes, it could really go either way. Halflings tend to be underdeveloped compared to other races, and this one is smaller than Zutiria.


    Zutiria uses this chance to shoot off a Negatiball spell at the intruder. ¡°W-Wait, damn it!¡± The rogue exclaims, dodging and tumbling off the table in a rather ungraceful manner.


    ¡®Why should I wait when you said you¡¯re going to kill us?¡¯ Zutiria points her staff threateningly at the Halfling.


    ¡°Furthermore, why in the name of the Gods would you reveal yourself during an assassination attempt...?¡± I shake my head in confusion, making sure to keep my eyes trained on their feet while avoiding looking at the mask.


    The rogue jumps up and dusts their pants before turning their attention to Zutiria. ¡°Never mind any of that,¡± They mumble. ¡°Look at you, though... this mask doesn¡¯t scare you, huh?¡±


    Zutiria tightens her fists around her weapon. ¡®No. Why should it?¡¯


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± The rogue laughs while shrugging their shoulders and throwing up their hands. ¡°I mean, we both know you¡¯ve seen a lot scarier in your lifetime... right? What with you barfing up nightmares and all that when you were just a little girl.¡±

 Keep Them Talking

    Zutiria is shaken. Her knees buckle, and she leans over on her staff to prop herself up from falling over. Her breathing speeds up. Her hands tremble. ¡®Who... who... are you...?!¡¯ She asks, gritting her chattering teeth.


    ¡°Oh, me?¡± The Halfling hops up onto the table and casually sits down. ¡°I¡¯m no big deal... you know, just a literal God. Either of you ever heard of Fleetfoot before? No? C¡¯mon. Surely you must¡¯ve read a book on Halfling folklore before, right, smartypants?¡±


    Without meaning to, I laugh. A lot. Much more than I should, considering the situation. Even despite her shift in mood, Zutiria turns to give me an odd look. ¡°Wh-what the hell is so funny, huh?!¡± The enemy stands up, stomping their foot on the table.


    Raising an eyebrow at the ¡®God¡¯, I say, ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me. I just didn¡¯t know I¡¯d be meeting two Gods in a single day.¡±


    After a brief pause, Fleetfoot asks, ¡°The fuck? Are you being sarcastic?¡±


    ¡°That depends. Pray tell, what sort of God needs a magic ring to turn themselves invisible, or a mask to intimidate others?¡±


    ¡°...This one!¡± The rogue angrily points at themself. ¡°Geez. Do you even get what kinda position you¡¯re in? You realize I could kill you both at any second, right?¡± Reaching behind their back, Fleetfoot unsheaths what looks like a glowing, luxuriously crafted butterknife and points it towards us. It shimmers and blinks, creating ten magical copies of itself that hover in the air overhead.


    I really shouldn¡¯t have laughed at them just because they¡¯re full of shit, but make no mistake- this enemy is no God.


    ¡®They¡¯re right, Sir... I... I don¡¯t think I can... fight... like... t-this...¡¯ The Mage shivers, her face gone pale as chalk and her brow riddled with anxious sweat.


    With a sick laugh, the rogue starts twirling the knife around their fingers before almost dropping it. ¡°Shit- er...¡± Fleetfoot coughs, their attempt at menacing behavior failing entirely. They decide to distract from this blunder by upping the ante. ¡°Anyway... before I kill you, wanna hear about that time your little purple girlfriend there killed her entire village?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Zutiria shouts so hard that it tears her throat. ¡°D-DON¡¯T SAY AN... ANY... TH...¡± She falls to her knees, coughing and hacking. Her grip on her staff loosens, and it hits the ground with a clang, all as the poor, unhinged Mage begins scratching her throat hard enough to leave deep marks. ¡°STOP!¡± Dark energy pulses around her body, threatening to burst out if things escalate any further.


    ¡°ZUTIRIA!¡± I kneel and cradle my lover to try and calm the Mage¡¯s nerves. Putting my brain into overdrive, I start thinking of some way to get us both out of this situation. My first thought is, where is in the Eternal Hells is Nikita? She said she could sense conflict if something happened, but... ah. That¡¯s right. She said she would go get Pinemen for us, so she would¡¯ve had to have left town through the east gate.


    Shit.


    I don¡¯t have any way to attack the rogue, not while Zutiria is in such a critical state. Not that an untrained civilian like myself would likely do much damage in the first place. No, I only see one option to come out on top here, and it¡¯s a hell of a stretch... but... there¡¯s no other shot but to go for it. It depends on Zutiria picking up on my cues, her feeling stable enough to act on them, and me distracting this odd, show-offy intruder.


    ¡°Damn! I knew that¡¯d get a reaction, but someone sure is touchy.¡± Fleetfoot cackles. My rage flares at how she¡¯s treating Zutiria, but I fight back against myself, knowing full well if I lose composure, then our one and only chance will be wasted.


    ¡°How do you know so much about her?¡± I ask, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re the leader of those shadowy rogues who¡¯ve been following us around?¡±


    ¡°Oh, see? You ARE a smarty! That¡¯s me. I used my p...¡± Fleetfoot grunts and shake their head, disappointed they were about to slip up. ¡°I mean, I sent my men to do some digging, and I found out pretty much all there is to know about you and all those chicks of yours... well, most of them, anyway. Couldn¡¯t find much about that Doctor, but hey, nobody¡¯s perfect.¡± Says the alleged God.


    ¡°All of us? Even Nikita?¡± I start tapping Zutiria¡¯s back hard with my thumb as soon as I say the Grekkan¡¯s name. Zutiria trembles in response, but the intruder does nothing since they can¡¯t see my attempt to clue the Mage in.


    ¡°Who? ...Oh, that mercenary-¡± I keep thumbing at Zutiria¡¯s back as soon as the word ¡®mercenary¡¯ is said. ¡°Yeah, I got some intel on her. No big deal, my team is pretty great like that.¡± Seems like I was correct. It¡¯s not going to be too hard to stall out this conversation as long as I need to.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re with the Duke of Dewhurst, then... Damn, Nikita-¡± tap tap tap, ¡°is supposed to protect us from the likes of you! If ONLY she were here right NOW!¡±


    Zutiria takes a deep breath and carefully looks over her shoulder to send me a secret message that the Halfling won¡¯t be able to read. ¡®I... I contacted Nikita with telepathy, Sir. K-Keep them talking...¡¯ The Mage bites her lip and closes her eyes, the stress and trauma continuing to bubble within her.


    Perfect. Now to stall for time...


    The Halfling laughs and brandishes their butterknife once again, aiming all of its floating copies at us. ¡°Well, too bad because she can¡¯t save you. I was waiting for her to step out of town like this!¡±


    ¡°Curses,¡± I utter a generic response while acting as upset as I can. ¡°You¡¯ve really outplayed me here...¡±


    ¡°I know, right?¡± They laugh like an arrogant buffoon. ¡°By the way, as far as the ¡®Duke¡¯ goes... yeah, you could say I run with him. Honestly, I got a real cushy job these days, and I don¡¯t wanna lose it. Thought it¡¯d be best to take action into my own hands and take you out before becoming a threat. Sucks to be you, but hey, just be lucky I¡¯m the one giving you a mercy kill and not the butcher. He¡¯s working on Abner right about now...¡±


    The butcher? I knew it... I was wondering how this whole conflict started, but now I think I have the answer. ¡°Bludman is killing the mayor?¡±


    ¡°Duke¡¯s orders. He didn¡¯t like that you were getting local quests again,¡± The Halfling shrugs.


    I throw out whatever distracting bullshit I can come up with, resulting in me saying, ¡°Where are your men? Why see to my demise personally, have I done something to offend you?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re... busy,¡± The rogue looks away. ¡°And nah, this is just business. Nothing personal, you seem ok enough to me, Mate. I¡¯m just trying to make a living.¡±


    ¡°Damn, I had no idea that this could¡¯ve happened... I drastically underestimated the Duke¡¯s forces. I had no idea that someone as skilled as you were in his employ, Fleetfoot.¡± Despite my shaky acting, this seems to please the rogue. They puff out their chest with pride.


    ¡°Yeah, well...¡± The rogue continues gloating. ¡°You were just unlucky enough to piss off the wrong guy, so now I gotta do something about it.¡± After finally pulling themselves out of their self-aggrandizing, the magical knives shimmer in the air as they ready themselves to launch at the rogue¡¯s command. ¡°Any last words? Go on, I¡¯ll wait.¡±


    It takes everything I have in me not to shake my head in disbelief that this fool is actually giving me time to stall entirely of their own volition.


    ¡°I have a few things I¡¯d like to say if you really don¡¯t mind listening...¡± I bite my lip and awkwardly hug Zutiria, who, despite being in a powerless and traumatized state, still has the mental acuity to look on at my terrible acting with disdain.


    ¡°Eh, why not? I got time.¡± They sit down at the table they¡¯re standing at and make the floating knives disappear. Mentally, I am stunned at this level of ineptitude.


    I take in a deep breath and prepare myself for a lengthy spiel, ¡°It all started when I was a boy. I was raised by my Grandpa, you see- which you no doubt know about if you¡¯ve really done your research-¡±


    ¡°Yup, where are you going with this?¡± Their voice grows suspicious, causing my heart rate to skyrocket. ¡°I already know all about your tragic backstory, Mate. I don¡¯t need a refresher.¡±


    ¡°Just trust me. These are my last words, remember? I want them to mean something, so I need you to allow me to speak, even if it sounds like I¡¯m rambling. Please.¡±


    Fleetfoot considers this for a moment before eventually saying, ¡°Fair enough.¡± Thank the Gods, I was worried that they might¡¯ve actually caught on to my scheme.


    For the next couple of minutes, I give a lengthy diatribe about my childhood woes and my struggles through life. I chatter about how upset I am that my death will have amounted to nothing and how I wanted to reach so much higher. While it¡¯s not like I can see their face, I¡¯m almost positive that the enemy starts feeling sympathetic for me at a few points during my speech- despite how much I¡¯m overselling it.


    ¡°And then?¡± Fleetfoot asks as I reach the end of my improvisational rope, their magically-filtered voice laden with obvious interest.


    ¡°And then you came along to end it all,¡± I sigh for as long as I can stretch one out. ¡°Woe is me.¡±


    ¡°Huh. Well, that kinda sucks... it¡¯d be a pretty shitty end to your story if I killed you right now,¡± After a few moments of contemplation, they say, ¡°I¡¯m still gonna do it, though.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Nodding my head, I move on and ask, ¡°What about you? What led you to this moment in time where you¡¯re seconds away from killing my lovely Mage and me?¡±


    ¡°Putting me aside for a sec, I gotta say that she ain¡¯t that lovely, Mate...¡± Fleetfoot laughs. ¡°Haven¡¯t you ever asked her the real reason she was up in that tower for all those years?¡±


    Zutiria responds to this by crying and coughing again. She whimpers out loud, ¡°S... Shut... up...¡±


    I hug her tighter to calm her as best I can. ¡°Zutiria, don¡¯t try and speak-¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do about it?¡± Fleetfoot continues their overconfident laughter. ¡°Kill me like you killed your fam-¡±


    The Guild gains another hole in it as the nearest wall to Fleetfoot bursts open wide due to an enormous, unexpected impact. As splinters fly about, a pineman sails through the air from out of the dust. After using the still-living monster as a battering ram, Nikita throws the sentient tree straight into Fleetfoot¡¯s face.


    It hits the rogue with such explosive force that the poor thing explodes into a mess of wood, nettle, splinters, and pinecones. The halfling barrels across the entrance hall, creating yet another fucking hole upon crashing into the opposite wall. ¡°Hey, half-pint! Why don¡¯t you make like a tree and-¡±


    ¡°Nikita. Not the time.¡±


    Nikita pauses her abysmal pun once she gets a better look at Zutiria. ¡°Oh, shit... give me a sec, Chief,¡± The Grekkan steps through the hole in the wall that her pineman toss created and cracks her knuckles. ¡°You better get out of here while you still can.¡± She warns, breaking out her most intimidating voice.


    ¡°W-Why? Agh- fuck...!¡± Fleetfoot pulls themself out of the crater they made and holds onto their mask. While not broken, it has a noticeable crack in it. This damage doesn¡¯t mean all that much since I still can¡¯t look directly at the mask. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re gonna kill me...¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you¡¯ve done your homework!¡± Nikita gives the enemy an oddly friendly smile, which makes me think she must just always be this casual. ¡°True, I¡¯m not going to kill you. I... don¡¯t like fighting anymore... but hey, breaking every bone in your body wouldn¡¯t kill you if I did it the right way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re bluffing!¡± Fleetfoot angrily clasps their mask in their hand while Nikita continues to smile. The Grekkan takes a single step forward, which proves all it takes to get the Halfling to shout, ¡°SHIT SHIT SHIT!¡± and put back on their ring of invisibility out of fear.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen the last of me!¡± Fleetfoot warns, their voice sounding farther and farther away by the word. I suppose Halflings are fast, but... this is an impressive display of cowardice, to be sure.


    After confirming that the enemy is no longer present, Nikita rushes to my side to check up on both of us. ¡°Chief, Zuzu, you guys alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, she¡¯s-¡±


    ¡®I... I want to be alone...¡¯ Zutiria pulls off her beret and hides her face in it. The dark aura that was surrounding the Mage until now finally dissolves. Her anxiety only worsens as she says, ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sir. I never wanted you to find out. I lied to you... I lied to Sammy... I... I can¡¯t-¡¯


    ¡°Gods...¡± Nikita stands, clearly shaken at seeing her friend in such a sorry state. ¡°Stay here. I¡¯m going to go get Opal. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be close enough to sense them if they return, and it won¡¯t take me nearly as long to get back if I have to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take care of Zutiria...¡± Something tells me we don¡¯t have to worry about Fleetfoot coming back, but it¡¯s only a hunch.


    Nikita turns to leave but pauses and eventually looks over her shoulder. ¡°...Chief. You aren¡¯t going to take this lying down, are you?¡±


    ¡°No, Nikita. No, I¡¯m not.¡± Whether Fleetfoot themselves is a legitimate threat remains vague due to how horribly they bungled their attempt on my life. Still, the fact remains that there was an attempt on my life, period. ¡°The Duke of Dewhurst is going to pay for this.¡±


    The Grekkan stares me down in silent appraisal. After sufficiently judging my worth, she smirks, ¡°Hmph. That¡¯s what I like to see.¡± She pumps her bicep at me in approval before running away to fetch Opalina.


    Now alone with a sorceress who refuses to leave the comfort of her beret, I sigh and hold Zutiria tight. The Mage doesn¡¯t hug me back, but that¡¯s ok. As I nuzzle against her and do everything I can to comfort her, I find myself silently asking... could this day get any fucking worse?

 A Lot of Hammering

    Could this day get ANY fucking better?!


    Ok, yeah that shit with Boss a bit ago was dark but he¡¯ll pull through. Least Zuzu¡¯s with him and Nikita¡¯s on her way to fetch Opal. I would¡¯ve stayed if he asked... but I do think he¡¯ll be a lot happier after I walk in touting me a brand spankin¡¯ new set of armor! One that actually covers up the girls and the booty!


    Sorry, ladies. I¡¯ll probably still wear my old ¡®armor¡¯ as some casual clothes every now because they make me feel sexy... but hey. I¡¯m a Princess. I look sexy in ANYTHING.


    After changing into some casual clothes, me, Meri and Gwin grab the gold we need from the Guild¡¯s vault and head out into town, just us girls. Course the town is still Dewhurst, so it¡¯s not like we can have ourselves a shopping spree or hang out at the bazaar, or... uh.


    I dunno, whatever female friends do whenever they hang out. I didn¡¯t get to leave the castle much and Zuzu was my only real friend aside from some of my siblings and some of my half brothers and sisters. Even then Zuzu¡¯s 17 years older than me...


    Fuckin¡¯ hell did I wish I could walk around Imperalis as free as I wanted, though... I love that city and I always thought it¡¯d be nice to go out on the town with friends like these.


    In the capital there¡¯s just so much to do and so much to see whether it¡¯s amazing shops or the endless new types of arcane tech littering the streets. Best of all we stuck our criminal element, our poor people and our drug addicts in nice, cozy little (sectioned off) ghettos like any normal cities do. Compared to Dewhurst which... is basically just one large ghetto.


    Er. I think my spoiled, sheltered Princess side is showing. Dewhurst is fun, too... in a ¡®you never know what¡¯ll happen next¡¯ kind of way.


    Gwin leads me and Meri to a dingy little workshop up over on the north side of town. When we get there the first thing I notice is the smell- iron, fire, smoke and... old people? Gods, I hope the old people smell isn¡¯t coming from the fire. Otherwise it''s a crappy looking building made of cheap, dirty stone. There¡¯s a sign on display that proudly reads... um... ¡®Hrmble Drmbledrn¡¯s¡¯...?


    It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t read, the damn thing is just so old and scuffed that I can barely make heads or tails of the letters... I think.


    We enter the building and much to my pleasant surprise there¡¯s no old people being burned in the forge. Not as far as I can see, anyway. You can never be too sure in this town...


    At the store¡¯s counter sits a very tired, frail looking old man wearing thick rimmed glasses so smudged with coal that I can¡¯t see his eyes, an equally dirty apron and a thick padded tunic underneath. He has a pretty sick looking beard and stache, too. Ain¡¯t surprising, that¡¯s practically in the job description for a blacksmith.


    ¡°Sup, Hrmble?¡± Gwin raises a fist as she jumps up on the counter.


    ¡°Hrm hrmdle drn hrm.¡± The old man, Hrmble(?), returns her eager fist bump. Maybe I really did read the sign right...?


    ¡°Ah¡¯m here fer th¡¯ usual. This time I got a friend here who needs herself some big girl armor. Blondie¡¯s one o¡¯ them ¡®ah¡¯ll wear a bikini on the battlefield, what could go wrong?¡¯ types.¡±


    ¡°Hrm hrm hrm hrm hrm!¡± Hrmble laughs so hard he starts crying before looking at me and... um, laughing harder as he wipes a tear from his eye.


    ¡°Ah know, righ¡¯?¡± Gwin holds her belly to contain her own laughter and shakes her head. ¡°Ah¡¯ll be needin¡¯ th¡¯ forge fer an hour or so.¡±


    ¡°Drndle hrm drn.¡± He nods his head and reaches over the counter for a hammer which he then hands to Gwin. It¡¯s a wooden mallet, not the kinda thing I¡¯d expect a blacksmith to use...


    ¡°This guy like your master or something? Is he teaching you behind your family¡¯s back?¡± I cross my arms and tilt my head. Me and Gwin have a lot in common when it comes to disappointing our families, only in Gwin¡¯s case she hasn¡¯t reached the ¡®fuck off forever¡¯ point like I did a couple of months ago.


    ¡°Ye, somethin¡¯ like that.¡± Gwin and Hrmble both laugh like they¡¯re in on a joke that wouldn¡¯t make sense to me and Meri.


    ¡°T-that¡¯s very cool of you, Gwin... defying your family to chase your true passions no matter the cost?¡± Meri blushes and clasps her hands together, ¡°And to think you have such a nice teacher who lets you use his for-¡±


    Gwin uses the wooden mallet to smash Hrmble¡¯s head in and he falls face down onto the counter before sliding down to the ground, plopping down entirely unconscious.


    ...


    ¡°Gimme th¡¯ gold, Sam.¡± Gwin reaches out with her hand casually towards me.


    ¡°Uh no you don¡¯t get to just fucking move on like that was nothing, WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?!¡±


    ¡°GWIN?! IS HE BREATHING?! OH NO, OH NO...!!¡± Meri runs to check on Hrmble¡¯s pulse.


    ¡°Oh, this? Me an th¡¯ ol¡¯ bastard¡¯ve got ourselves a business arrangement. Ah conk him out cold and he lets me use th¡¯ place fer as long as ah want. Later, Hrmble goes¡¯n reports whatever ah use as stolen goods. Makes his money back¡¯n then some. Been doin this fer YEARS!¡±


    That... would certainly explain why the old man talks the way he does.


    Meri looks at Gwin in shock after propping the old man comfortably up against the wall. ¡°T-That¡¯s... oh my Goddess, this is fraud!¡± She begins sweating nervously. ¡°How haven¡¯t they caught you yet?! A-and wait... wait... if he just gets his money back then what is the money for then?¡±


    Gwin laughs and hops down off the counter. ¡°What, ya think th¡¯ Guild of Blacksmiths gives enough of a shit to check his insurance claims? In THIS town? An¡¯ the money is so he don¡¯t go¡¯n tell mah family, duh!¡±


    ¡°...He¡¯s blackmailing you?¡± I ask as my jaw drops in disbelief.


    ¡°Ye, ain¡¯t he just the sweetest ol¡¯ bastard a gal like mahself could ever ask fer?¡± Gwin beams and shakes her head, letting out a nostalgic sigh. Then she takes the mallet and jumps up high enough that she can smash the window.


    Meri¡¯s panic grows worse, ¡°W-W-W-WHY ARE YOU BREAKING THINGS?!¡±


    ¡°...Are ya even payin¡¯ attention, Chubs? Gotta make it look like there were a break-in an¡¯ such.¡±


    "B-B-BUT YOU JUST SAID THEY DON''T EVEN CHECK HIS INSURANCE CLAIMS!!"


    Gwin rolls her eyes, "Well ye, but what if they DO?"


    Meri pouts and nervously shifts around in place. Meanwhile, all I can do about it is laugh and dump the big sack of gold on the counter. ¡°When you said it might not be legal, I thought you were gonna take me to like... a black market shop or something, but this works too! Not exactly in a position to be picky, am I?¡±


    Gwin laughs back with me, ¡°Righ¡¯, this one gets it. Buck th¡¯ fuck up, Meri. Course ya could always head on home by yerself while we stay here.¡±


    ¡°N-NO...! I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll stay.¡± Meri frowns and shivers at the thought of walking the mean Dewhurst streets alone, unarmored and without her shield. She¡¯s strong as hell and I¡¯ve no doubt she could make it back safe and sound, but heck. I don¡¯t blame her for not wanting to actually make sure...


    ¡°Why¡¯d you wanna come along so bad in the first place?¡± I ask while walking over to the cute little timid girl, smirking wide as I can. I swiftly slip my hands in through her shirt and cop me a feel of those fat, FAT titties and whisper in her ear, ¡°Did ya just want some alone time with me, cutie? All you have to do is ask~¡±


    Meri freaks out and blushes so red you¡¯d think she was standing in front of the forge. ¡°N-Noooo!! It¡¯s just... I was just... um... my dad is a blacksmith. Being around a forge a-and hearing the hammer on iron makes me feel like I¡¯m home. Y-Y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Mmm. That righ¡¯?¡± Gwin walks over to the forge and begins preparing the work station. ¡°He make yer armor now did he? It¡¯s top quality work from what ah¡¯ve seen. Better¡¯n what ah could do at mah level.¡±


    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s so kind and caring, the best dad a girl like me could ask for. He also made me my flashbangs. I, uh. Didn¡¯t bring one with b-but I was hoping you could take a look sometime and see if you could replicate them? I can¡¯t go all the way back home to get more, and... since I¡¯m actually doing combat missions in Dewhurst I¡¯ll actually need to replenish them at some point.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡¯ll take a look, shouldn¡¯t be too hard¡¯r nothin¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Gwin! Um... Sam... could you maybe-¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± I snake my hand into her bra and clasp down on her soft, juicy skin. ¡°I¡¯m good, but thanks for asking.¡±


    ¡°Feel free to fuck the bitch, ah¡¯ll be too busy to care while I¡¯m workin¡¯ on her shit. Just c¡¯mon over here for a sec so I can get yer measurements.¡±


    ¡°You got lucky this time, punk.¡± I whisper naughtily into Meri¡¯s ear and watch the blush on her face become stronger. ¡°But I¡¯ll be back.¡± Just to make it even worse for my timid little playmate I nibble on her ear playfully and watch her melt.


    And sure enough Gwin barely takes any time at all to take my measurements I return to Meri with an even bigger smile! The poor, poor timid girl is trembling and she looks for a place to hide from me, but I surprise her by slipping behind her and pulling her down to sit on my lap over on a couch by the wall. ¡°Got ya!¡±


    ¡°HYAA! D-DON¡¯T, SAM! W-WE¡¯RE NOT EVEN HOME...!¡±


    ¡°Duh, I was just fucking with you. C¡¯mon, there¡¯s an old dude passed out like RIGHT over there. Like I¡¯m gonna try and actually do something to you for real around some man who ain¡¯t Boss.¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± Meri hangs her head as I hug her. ¡°I guess you¡¯re right... we¡¯re his property, after all. It would be shameful for any other man to see our bodies...¡±


    I raise an eyebrow. ¡°...Girl, you went from zero to ¡®Perfect Sex Slave¡¯ in barely over a week, and it¡¯s impressive but c¡¯mon. Cool your tits. Boss doesn¡¯t OWN us... he¡¯d have to marry us first~¡±


    Meri goes completely quiet until she slowly turns her head to face me. Her eyes are open wide, a nervous sweat pouring down the sides of her brow. ¡°W-was that actually on the table...?!¡± She asks in awe as if it were the most exciting idea in the entire world.


    Meri then starts mumbling a bunch of junk about how she¡¯s going to introduce Boss to her dad, wedding logistics and all that junk, but it¡¯s all too cute for me to interrupt so I just sit there and let her do her nervous thing.


    Poor girl¡¯s got it bad...


    Not that, uh... the rest of us in his orbit are much better.


    From the couch I have a clear view of Gwin doing her work in the workshop, and damn if it ain¡¯t some of the coolest shit I ever did see. She starts out at a leatherworking station and she fashions some leg and arm sleeves made from, well, leather for me. Using a thick, padded material she brought in from the other room she crafts me a pair of pants and a top similar to Meri¡¯s gambeson to give me some extra protection. Not gonna lie, it all looks pretty bitching!


    But damn. The way she moves about the place... and that fire in her eyes... I can¡¯t believe she works so fast! I¡¯m not dumb, I know Dwarves are the best at this kinda crap but... DAMN. And she said she doesn¡¯t even think she¡¯s that good yet? Artists. Guess they really are their own worst critics.


    What happens next though, that¡¯s the cool shit.


    Soon as Gwin gets done with the under armor junk then she heads back into the other room again for more materials and brings back a bunch of iron and tools that I have no idea what they¡¯re for.


    Um...


    The next half hour is kind of a blur. I watch the dwarf go to the forge, make it hot, uh... heat the metal... blow air in the forge... hammering!! There was a lot of hammering. Look I don¡¯t know how blacksmiths do their shit, but she probably ran through every step she needed to. Ok? Don¡¯t ask me to explain the process. I¡¯m a lot of things. Princess, Great Blader, tomboy, bitch-y slut, but I ain¡¯t a damn blacksmith.


    Gwin ends up making me a wraparound chest plate, two pauldrons, a nice three piece set of faulds that hook around the belt I always wear, and of course matching gauntlets and matching boots. Preeeeetty sure it¡¯s supposed to take a lot longer to make all that shit than just a half hour but hey. Dwarf.


    ¡°C¡¯mon over, ain¡¯t nothin¡¯ fancy. Only Spell-songs ah know have to do with woodworkin¡¯... but it¡¯ll keep ya from gettin¡¯ stabbed.¡± Gwin sighs.


    Me and Meri go off to inspect my new set of armor and sure, it¡¯s awesome... but... it¡¯s all pretty dull and colorless. Just normal ass steel.


    But right as I start worrying about it Gwin smiles and asks, ¡°Ya wantin¡¯ the same sorta colors as yer ol¡¯ quote unquote armor, ye?¡±


    ¡°Hell yeah!¡±


    A girl¡¯s gotta know what looks best on her, doesn¡¯t she?


    Gwin slinks back to the other room and comes back with three little shiny jewels in her gloved hand. Meri and I hawk look at them, they¡¯re really pretty after all! Each one sparkles a different color and they match up to the colors of my old outfit. Wait, I think I heard of these things before... ¡°Those are, uh... Chroma Crystals... right?¡±


    Gwin whistles sarcastically. ¡°Well looky here, th¡¯ bimbo actually knows a thing or two ¡®sides suckin¡¯ her man¡¯s dick.¡±


    I laugh and punch her in her Dwarf tits, ¡°Every now and then.¡±


    Meri looks at us blushing nervously. I think she wanted to hang out with ¡®the girls¡¯ but neither of us are very... uh... that. Not that she ain¡¯t in her element, she¡¯s used to the forge. She smiles awkwardly and says, ¡°I loved watching my dad use Chroma Crystals. They¡¯re soooo pretty...¡±


    ¡°These little shits changed th¡¯ way people make equipment forever. They¡¯re cheap an¡¯ they¡¯re magic so the color don¡¯ chip off like shitty arse paint.¡± Gwin takes the two crystals, one red and one gold, in between her thumb and pointer finger and she cracks them. ¡°Main red, accent gold, an¡¯ make them bits there, there an¡¯ there green.¡±


    As Gwin gives them a command the cracked crystals spew out a sparkling glitter cloud of crimson and gold and green that wash over the pieces of the armor and dye them magically. As the magic settles, I finally get a good look at my new completed set of armor.


    They¡¯re all done... I... I actually have REAL armor now! Soon enough I¡¯ll even be learning how to use Arts, too! If only we could get access to that dungeon out in the southern woods, then I¡¯d REALLY start feeling like a true adventurer!


    ¡°Get on with it, ho,¡± Gwin dumps all the armor and under armor in my arms and slaps me on the ass as she directs me to the other room. I change into it and thankfully there¡¯s a big ass mirror in there because I... look... BITCHIN.


    ¡°Girls... if Boss ain¡¯t in a good mood by the time we get home then he sure as fuck will be when he gets a load of THIS...!!¡±


    (Rough draft drawn by me, I''ll replace whenever I get around to doing a full ref sheet... but I''m so behind on the art I should be doing for this series, been too focused on the writing.)

 The Situation

    I spent some time taking care of Zutiria¡¯s needs until Opalina arrived and took over the job for me. It was difficult seeing her like that... given how Zutiria reacted, it¡¯s a safe guess that Fleetfoot was telling the truth about the unsettling facts they spouted. I have no idea how I¡¯m supposed to process any of that information. Hopefully, once she¡¯s feeling better, then Zutiria will want to talk about it, but even if she doesn¡¯t, that¡¯s ok, too.


    Maybe it makes me a fool for doing so, but I don¡¯t care about what happened in her past. My love for the little lady isn¡¯t so weak that it falters over a revelation such as this. I¡¯ve always given Zutiria the space she requests, and despite how much I¡¯d like to know what happened to her all those years ago, I¡¯m going to continue respecting her right to privacy. Especially after seeing what looked to be a full-on mental breakdown.


    Before coming back to the Guild, Nikita caught up with Sam and the others. Her Highness and Meri were sent out to fetch all the other pinemen Nikita had killed because we suddenly need all the wood we can get. I felt nervous about the two being out on their own, but we can¡¯t just stop all Guild activity just because we were attacked. That would be letting them think they won.


    While the others worked on refilling our wood supply, Gwin stayed at the Guild. With Nikita¡¯s help, she patched up both the battle damage and the hole the mercenary made earlier. Luckily, the adventurers sent back more than enough wood for the repairs and then some. After they finished up, Nikita even volunteered to clean up the giant mess her impromptu attack caused, too. She swept up all the remains of the unlucky pineman, putting the Guild back to more or less where it was this morning, albeit with a few pine needles scattered about the place.


    For a while now, I¡¯ve been in the office focusing on preparing that team meeting I wanted to have. I¡¯ve been a whirlwind of thoughts as I put pen to paper and journaling out plans, strategies, methods of attack, as well as reference documents for my own use. I¡¯m sure that my writing makes me look like a madman, but it¡¯s helped me sharpen my spiraling mind during what would otherwise be an awful day.


    Right as I near the end of my obsessive scrawling, I hear Sam and Meri come home. They¡¯re both led upstairs by Nikita, and after visiting the unstable Mage for a while, Sam comes in to see me. She¡¯s wearing a brand new set of armor, which I assume was what the 5,000G was for. It looks very nice and strong. If Sam really did manage to get that for such a low price, I¡¯d consider it a steal


    I decide to set the mood lightly. Looking up from my desk after a sip of coffee, I say to Sam, ¡°I see my favorite Princess has got herself a new gown,¡±


    Despite Sam looking dreadfully concerned, her expression eases a bit as soon as she comes up with a follow-up joke. ¡°Play your cards right, and I¡¯ll wear it for you when we go to the Royal Ball, Daddy.¡± Her smile is soon wiped away, replaced once again by the telltale signs of guilt. ¡°I heard about everything that happened... I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t here to-¡±


    ¡°No, no, no,¡± I put my foot down pre-emptively. ¡°I will not have you droning on about not being here to protect us. This wasn¡¯t your fault, and that¡¯s that.¡±


    Sam takes a sharp breath through her nose and nods. ¡°Okay...¡± Her calm fades, ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°No buts.¡± I knew that Sam would try and play the self-defeatist hero, but I must dissuade her before it starts corroding her mind with self-doubt.


    Her Highness gets mad but ultimately doesn¡¯t argue with me. ¡°Are you almost ready?¡± She asks, leaning her back against the door. ¡°Everyone¡¯s waiting for you to start the team meeting. Zutiria, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just need another few minutes. Is the little lady doing alright?¡±


    Sam shrugs. ¡°She¡¯s not talking much... but you¡¯ll have to see for yourself, I guess. She doesn¡¯t look good, Boss.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± I finish off my coffee with a sigh, my thoughts spiraling even further as I dwell on Zutiria¡¯s unsettling condition. ¡°I¡¯ll be out in a moment. Clear out all the papers on the quest board and have everyone take a seat in front of it.¡±


    ¡°Kay,¡± Sam nods her head dismissively and turns around to leave.


    ¡°Sam.¡±


    She turns back at me and tilts her head.


    ¡°Your new armor makes you look like a sexy, sexy bitch.¡± I tease.


    Her Highness perks right up, a smile and a blush growing wide on her face. ¡°...Damn straight it does, Daddy.¡± She slaps her ass on the way out, leaving me to the rest of my work.


    I finish it all in just under ten minutes. Then, after gathering all the papers, infographics, notes, and other such things, I move out to the entrance hall. All six girls on my side are there waiting for me, sitting at the table I specified. Sam, Zutiria, Meri, Opalina, Nikita, and Gwin are all present. Each of them is an indispensable member of my team in their own right.


    I walk over to join them, and my eyes briefly fall on Zutiria. She¡¯s sitting on top of Opalina¡¯s lap, her head firmly squished between the Doctor¡¯s massive mounds. This paints a very odd picture given how the little lady¡¯s expression is even more dour, dead and depressing than ever before. On both sides of the Doctor are Sam and Meri, who are each doting on Zutiria in their own way.


    All eyes turn to me as I start pinning a truly unhinged number of my notes on the board. For now, I only pin up the files related to the Duke of Dewhurst and leave the ones about Luxy and the Demon Lord on the table. ¡°There are two things I want to discuss with you all tonight, ladies. The first of which is more pressing. As you¡¯re well aware by now, the Guild was invaded by an...¡± I pause, choosing my next word carefully. Fleetfoot might¡¯ve been inept, but they¡¯re still dangerous. ¡°Eccentric would-be assassin. It goes without saying that-¡±


    Nikita cuts me off as she stands dramatically and knees on one knee. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Chief. I didn¡¯t think you were in any danger, or else I never would have left town for even a second, I-¡±


    ¡°Simmer down, Nikita. I don¡¯t want anyone blaming themselves. We aren¡¯t going to get anywhere like that, and I¡¯d actually like to progress with the meeting.¡±


    ¡°He said the same thing to me,¡± Sam pats the Grekkan on the back. ¡°Boss, why don¡¯t you tell us about the intruder?¡± The Princess¡¯s anger is still barely contained, but at least she¡¯s trying.


    ¡°Of course. It was a... very surreal experience. They were definitely a threat, yet, they absolutely bungled their chance to actually attack. They were a Halfling who went by the name ¡®Fleetfoot¡¯. On top of being the leader of those rogues we¡¯ve seen snooping around, Fleetfoot also claims they¡¯re a God. Needless to say, I¡¯m far from convinced toward the veracity of that claim.¡±


    Opalina speaks up as she strokes Zutiria¡¯s hair like a pet. ¡°Fleetfoot is a real God, to be sure, but it¡¯s also a common moniker taken by Halfling neer-do-wells throughout the Realms. It¡¯s a rather fascinating story.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell us a short version?¡± Meri blushes. She¡¯s interested in the topic but worried about derailing the meeting.


    ¡°It might be important to know the background about this specific God, so go ahead, Opalina.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are many legends across the realms of mortals ascending to Godhood, but in truth, there are very few cases of it happening. Fleetfoot is one verifiable example. It¡¯s said that in their time, Fleetfoot was the greatest thief to ever live. They stole every last treasure under the sun and the stars, and when they ran out of things to steal, he stole the Godliness itself from one of the Gods of Merryburrow¡¯s pantheon. Make of the legend¡¯s details what you will, but Fleetfoot plays an active role in Merryburrow to this day, so they¡¯re definitely real.¡±


    ¡°Oh... that was a good story!¡± Meri smiles somewhat absently.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Lovely lore dump, my dear. Very thrilling.¡± I tease, earning a chuckle out of most of the audience.


    Opalina rolls her eyes and giggles. ¡°Yes, yes. My apologies. We old ladies just love to ramble.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Let¡¯s not let there be any pretensions- the Halfling who broke into the Guild was not a God. I should know. I had an afternoon beer with one earlier today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, nope. I¡¯ve met more than one God, Chief, and this ain¡¯t it.¡± Nikita folds her arms and looks off while recalling memories of the adventures she had in her homerealm.


    I point towards a crude sketch I made earlier that¡¯s now pinned on the conspiratorial-looking quest board. ¡°There were three items of note, this mask, this knife, and this magic ring,¡± I saw while pointing at each illustration. ¡°The mask had a magical effect that made it impossible to make eye contact out of fear, the knife made flying copies of itself, and the ring granted invisibility.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Got ya. Yer sayin¡¯ a God would¡¯n need none o¡¯ those things, righ¡¯?¡± Gwin asks.


    ¡°Precisely.¡±


    The Dwarf raises an eyebrow before getting something off her chest. ¡°Ya know, ah thought all this Gods n¡¯ Goddess shite was just these bitches playin¡¯ a prank on ol¡¯ Gwinnie, but... ya really did meet with one, huh Laddie?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going to cover that in the other part of the meeting, but...¡±


    ¡®Things will only get weirder the more you stick around,¡¯ Zutiria hangs her head, prompting Opalina to hug her tighter.


    ¡°Ah¡¯m startin¡¯ ta figure out that fer myself...¡± Gwin leans over the table and grunts. ¡°Can someone bring me th¡¯ fuck up to speed on any o¡¯ this? Fuckin¡¯ Granmahr¡¯s beard, ah just gave th¡¯ Lad a handy an¡¯ told him he was cute... didn¡¯ know ah was signin¡¯ up fer this kinda gobsmack.¡±


    I like the feisty Dwarf lass a whole lot. If Gwin wants to be a part of my Guild life and assuming our relationship escalates past ¡®handys¡¯ and kissing, she deserves to know more about me. So, I tell Gwin briefly about the weird stuff in my life thus far. The eyes, the sudden increase in penis size, the pull of destiny towards certain girls, the strange dreams, and the voice in my head. All along, the green-eyed Dwarf just sits there listening in silence.


    To my total surprise, I¡¯m met with mostly quiet acceptance. ¡°Fuck it, sure,¡± Gwin shrugs with indifference. ¡°Ah already went an¡¯ decided ah¡¯m tossin¡¯ mah lot in with ya fer the long haul, so it ain¡¯t like this bullshite changes all that much.¡±


    I smile at the Dwarf, who blushes and turns away. Despite the severe mood of the room, almost everyone gives Gwin teasing looks. Especially Sam.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say nothin¡¯, you,¡± Gwin grumbles.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna, but...¡± Sam giggles and narrows her eyes.


    As much as I adore the bantering, I draw the attention back to myself by saying, ¡°That¡¯s enough, Sam. We have many more important things to talk about. For now, let¡¯s finish up discussing Fleetfoot.¡±

 Might As Well Be Poison

    For several minutes, my speech goes on as I recount every last detail of Fleetfoot¡¯s break-in and botched assassination attempt. Everyone¡¯s faces, aside from Zutiria¡¯s, grow more confused by the moment when I tell them how Fleetfoot voluntarily revealed themselves and all of the other amateurish mistakes they made.


    Opalina is the first to speak. ¡°They claim they acted alone and that they were trying to attack you preemptively, so this means that the Duke of Dewhurst has yet to actually make an effort to start pressuring you, correct?¡±


    ¡°One would assume,¡± I nod my head and lean against the quest board. ¡°Meaning we have a new goal for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re about to say what I want you to say,¡± Sam leans over the table as her optimism grows. Her face contorts into a battle-ready glare accentuated by her new armor.


    ¡°I think I am. We need to start pressuring the Duke and cleaning up this town ourselves before their forces really start cracking down on the Guild. This¡¯ll be hard considering Fleetfoot implied we aren¡¯t going to have local quests to build funds anymore, and I imagine some of the shops in town will start rejecting us.¡±


    ¡°This is getting so complicated...¡± Meri whines as she looks down at the table. ¡°Last night was so wonderful, too... not to mention we were supposed to go and see the Beastfolk today.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, things have gotten pretty fucked...¡± Sam sighs and leans back, ¡°But Boss is right. We gotta bring the fight to these fuckers if we ever wanna have a normal Guild life.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. The Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯s fall from grace was one of the many factors that turned this city into the shithole it is today, so it stands to reason that we should be the ones to fix it.¡±


    My audience looks at each other for a moment before muttering agreements, save for two. Opalina and Nikita each have something on their mind, and I ask them as much.


    Nikita says, ¡°Chief... I admire your grit. You¡¯ve got more determination than Odysseus trying to get home to his wife, but I hope you know that my position hasn¡¯t changed on anything. I am not a sword you can point at your enemies. Even if you want to clean up this town, the most you can expect from me is a bodyguard.¡±


    All throughout her words, I give Nikita a resolute stare. I knew she was going to say this, so it doesn¡¯t upset me that much. ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡±


    ¡°Niki...¡± Opalina frowns, squeezing Zutiria tight for support like a doll.


    The Grekkan stares back at me with an equally severe gaze of her own. ¡°Take off your glasses for a sec, Chief,¡± She commands, so I do. Nikita looks into the cloudy, pinkish, pupilless depths of my eyes and says, ¡°Well. You¡¯re determined to actually win, that¡¯s for sure. I can see it in your eyes. I respect that. I¡¯ll keep a closer eye on you while this is all happening and live in one of the spare rooms if you want. Just remember. I¡¯ll keep you safe, sure, but don¡¯t include me in your battle plans, and don¡¯t count on me to save everyone at the last second if things go wrong.¡±


    Nikita¡¯s words are harsh, yet strangely, I don¡¯t feel any ill intention behind them. She looks conflicted. There¡¯s a distant pain in her eyes that speaks of betrayal, loss, and loneliness. As strong as Nikita is, she¡¯s got baggage just like everyone else in this room. Maybe more. I know very little about Nikita¡¯s past beyond what she¡¯s mentioned here and there. Still, whatever the truth is, I get the impression that actually fighting again would hurt the strong, proud woman more than I could imagine.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of asking more than what you already do for us, Nikita. You¡¯ve done a great deal for me already, and I consider you a true friend.¡± I bow formally out of respect, which prompts Nikita to start laughing and even blushing slightly.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Chief, that¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯m just doing what I can.¡± After the laughter fades, she smiles distantly.


    Now that that¡¯s settled, I turn my gaze words the Doctor after returning my glasses to my face.


    ¡°What did you have on your mind, Doc?¡± Sam asks Opalina.


    ¡°I have my own reasons for not contributing to this little war front, at least as far as fighting... but I¡¯ll still help as I have until now, Dear.¡±


    Meri turns to Opalina and twiddles her thumbs. ¡°I-Is it because you¡¯re a Doctor and don¡¯t like hurting people?¡±


    Opalina smiles what appears to be a half-sincere smile. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s part of it. Just like Niki, I reached a point in life where I questioned everything I¡¯d done. Ever since that day, I¡¯ve tried to use my magic for good rather than to do harm onto others.¡±


    The Doctor sighs and brushes Zutiria¡¯s hair to keep her hands from idling. The expressionless lady doesn¡¯t seem to care one way or the other. ¡°Magic is funny like that, you see? It¡¯s comparable to medicine. Use it correctly, and you¡¯ll save lives, misuse it, and... it might as well be poison.¡± For a moment, Opalina¡¯s eyes flutter with a forlorn sense of disappointment.


    I can¡¯t help remembering Fleetfoot absentmindedly saying that they couldn¡¯t uncover anything about Opalina¡¯s past despite doing some digging on the rest of us. At the time, I didn¡¯t pay it any mind because I was prioritized with survival, but now... hmm.


    ¡°The other part is if I used my magic on a large enough scale, then... I might draw some attention I would rather avoid.¡± Opalina says. I pick up Zutiria¡¯s body languages tensing for a split second as she weighs the


    Sam laughs before blatantly asking the thing on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°What, are you a wanted criminal or something?¡±


    Opalina blinks during a moment of awkward silence and then laughs. ¡°No, not exactly. Silly Samantha.¡± The old witch pinches Sam¡¯s cheek, causing the Princess to blush, swat her hand away, and scoot over.


    Zutiria looks at me, and although she doesn¡¯t say a word, we both notice that Opalina is using evasive words. I have a hard time reading Opalina¡¯s body language and facial cues, sure, but I recognize a half-truth when I hear one.


    ¡°That being said,¡± Opalina playfully adjusts her glasses. ¡°I plan on helping you in other ways. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll say on the matter, for now, but I promise it will be well worth the wait.¡±


    ¡°Lady, are ya intentionally tryin¡¯ to make yerself look like yer made o¡¯ red flags, or what?¡± The Dwarf asks bluntly, as Dwarves are known to do.


    Opalina laughs it off, despite it being a valid question. ¡°No, But I¡¯m aware of how suspicious I must sound...¡±


    ¡°At least you admit it,¡± I sigh and shake my head. But, unfortunately, there are too many other things going on for me to spend time dwelling over Opalina¡¯s mysterious past, so I¡¯m just going to file this all away for later.


    Sensing the group¡¯s desire to get back to talking about strategy, Sam asks, ¡°So, if we¡¯re really gonna be taking the fight to the Duke of Dewhurst, Boss... I take it you got a plan?¡±


    ¡°No, Sam. I-¡±


    ¡°W-Wait a second! We can¡¯t fight a crimelord without a plan, Master!¡± Meri starts shaking in her boots. ¡°What are we going to do?! Oh, Goddess...!¡±


    ¡°MERI!¡± I yell to grab her attention, but I do it much louder than I actually meant to, causing Meri¡¯s fear to rise.


    ¡°UWAA!¡± She shirks back and pulls her shield out in front of her to hide.


    ¡°I was going to say that no, I don¡¯t have a plan. I have many.¡±


    Meri meekly returns from behind her favorite hiding spot and bites her lower lip. ¡°Oh... I-I¡¯m sorry. Pressure must be getting to my nerves, I think...¡± She blushes, which only worsens as Sam and a few others laugh at the Shield Maiden¡¯s embarrassment.


    ¡°I want everyone to know that this attack on the Guild changes very, very little,¡± I clear my throat and take a stern look at each of my adventurers. ¡°We were already on a collision course toward open conflict with the Duke of Dewhurst. Sooner or later, something would have tipped them off, or we would have offended them in some way. Guilds exist to help people; This simple fact runs antithetical to criminality. This means that the last thing a crimelord would want running around in their territory is a thriving Guild that can solve the citizen¡¯s problems using force. It didn¡¯t use to be this bad five years ago, but it seems things have changed for the worse during my darkest years... now, a Guild cannot exist in Dewhurst until it¡¯s been cleaned up.¡±


    ¡°Hell. Yes.¡± Sam smirks and stands up from her seat. ¡°This is the kinda shit I¡¯m talking about! Nicely put, Boss!¡±


    Zutiria nods her head, disinterested but still trying to remain part of the conversation.


    Meri, far from fired up, raises her hand. ¡°U-Um... quick question?¡±


    ¡°Meri, you¡¯re adorable, but this isn¡¯t school. No need to raise your hand. You can freely speak your mind.¡±


    The Shield Maiden¡¯s face grows bright red as she uneasily lowers her hand. ¡°O-Oh, right. Um. Sorry... I was just wondering... did you ever find out why the Duke of Dewhurst suddenly started viewing you as a threat?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes. Or at the very least... I have a good idea as to why. Let me explain.¡± Thanks to Fleetfoot gabbing about something unnecessary, I think I have almost all the pieces. Now, I just need to put it all together.

 Putting it All Together

    ¡°First off, according to Fleetfoot, Abner- the town Mayor- is dead.¡±


    ¡°No shit? That¡¯s just about the best news I¡¯ve heard all week!¡± Sam tilts her head from confusion before busting out and smiling. News of the old man¡¯s death clearly perked the Princess up. No wonder why, considering our awkward encounter with the old bastard shortly after Sam and I first met. Her Highness isn¡¯t the only one happy at Abner¡¯s unfortunate and sudden demise, though.


    ¡°Fucking FINALLY,¡± Opalina says with a long and satisfied groan, almost sounding like a colossal weight was lifted from shoulders. Everyone stares at the old witch who only moments before just got done telling us how she doesn¡¯t want to use violence ever again. ¡°...What? He was an awful, perverted old lecher of a man. A true blight upon the Realm if ever I saw one.¡±


    Moving on from Opalina¡¯s sternly worded celebration, I say, ¡°Yes, well... they mentioned that the Butcher got his hands on Abner. The Duke of Dewhurst apparently dislikes how the Guild has started solving people¡¯s problems. I threatened Abner into giving us local quests again, and he was likely punished because of it... huh...¡±


    ¡°Ya doin¡¯ ok there, Lad?¡± Gwin tilts her head.


    ¡°It just hit me that a man is dead because of me...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... so sad...!¡± Meri sniffles, despite how much we were all just talking about how the man in question was a total piece of shit while he still walked this Realm.


    ¡°Actually, no. It¡¯s odd to say this out loud, but this decrepit bastard really, really had it coming.¡± I shrug my shoulders. My reaction is likely more indifferent than it should be, but ah well.


    ¡°Oh.¡± The awkward girl withdraws once more in a charming, embarrassed manner.


    ¡®Hold up a moment,¡¯ Zutiria speaks suddenly. ¡®You said it was the butcher who killed Abner? Does that mean he¡¯s on the Duke¡¯s payroll?¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s what I was getting to, actually. Meri, a brief bit of history...¡± I run over Sam, Zutiria, and I¡¯s dealings with the mad butcher and explain the sort of man he is. Meri is horrified as I tell her about the exploits of this deranged, catboy-obsessed pervert. ¡°The long story short is that when you came home that night, Sam, you told mentioned him saying something that struck me as odd. I speculated from it that Bludman intended to go and kill our client at the time- a man by the name of Spliffert-¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hated that stinkin¡¯ cunt...¡± Gwin grumbles and narrows her thick eyebrows out of anger. ¡°Fucker hit on me an¡¯ tries ta sell me his junk-arse steezweed a few times.¡± The Dwarf¡¯s expression sours the more she thinks about the annoying drug farmer.


    ¡°He was indeed a character, alright...¡± I¡¯m not too fond of the man myself, but I couldn¡¯t stand by and just let him get killed even after what he did. He was a desperate man, in more ways than one it sounds like.


    ¡°Unfortunately for Bludman, by the time he left to go ¡®visit¡¯ Spliffert, I had already advised the client to skip town. Spliffert owed a large sum of money, and in exchange for completing his quest, I agreed to let him keep his gold and pay us with his fully grown steezweed field, which we would harvest and sell for ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Opalina nods her head in confirmation. She¡¯s already figured out where this is going.


    ¡°Awful nice of you, Chief. Not sure I would¡¯ve done the same.¡± Nikita gives me a severe glare as she raises her eyebrow.


    I adjust my glasses and look away, slightly embarrassed but mostly just not wanting to dwell on the moral choice I made that day. ¡°I have my moments. But, putting that aside, the next day, I was out on the town with the lovely Miss Hart. By chance, I saw Bludman, who was now very roughed up and downright miserable-looking. I think the implications are obvious, but is everyone on the same page now?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I get it! I think...¡± Meri strains her face.


    Sam stands up, slamming her gauntleted fist on the table. ¡°Bludman was going to kill Spliffert over his debt and sell the weed! But... not only did Spliffert make it out of town, but we also already cleaned the field out! So Bludman musta got beaten up by the Duke or whoever for failing his mission, and then that damned butcher told him all about us! Gods, it¡¯s all so obvious now!¡±


    Everyone else grows silent as we look at the blonde, typically dim-witted Princess. Finally, I start mockingly giving her a slow clap, and the rest of the room follows suit soon after. After it starts to stretch on a bit too long, though, Sam realizes she¡¯s being made fun of.


    ¡°Damn it! I¡¯m not that dumb, alright? You¡¯re all fuckers, each and every last one of you!¡± Her Highness grumpily plops back down on the bench, folds her arms, and begins to pout. ¡°I can be smart sometimes, too...¡±


    I shoot Sam a warm smile to perk her up. ¡°You certainly can be, Sam. You figured it out. To answer your question, Meri, that¡¯s how I believe that the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild became a target.¡±


    ¡°W-We¡¯re going to have to fight this crazy butcher at some point, aren¡¯t we...?¡± Meri¡¯s main takeaway from this was the knowledge that yet another vile Dewhurstian walks these streets that until now she was living in blissful ignorance of.


    ¡°Some of ya are,¡± Gwin laughs, happy to be part of the support camp. While the Dwarf could indeed hold her own in a fight, I understand why she would be thrilled to not have to deal with Bludman of all people.


    ¡°I sometimes wonder about what happened to that boy...¡± Opalina tilts her head and sighs wistfully.


    ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t aware you knew Bludman.¡± I suppose it¡¯s not that odd, considering Opaline is one of the few healers in this town, but it¡¯s still surprising to hear.


    ¡°He¡¯s not that much older than you, you know. I saw him a few times in his adolescence for medical reasons. He was an odd child, for sure, but his mother was kind, and we got on well enough. Then, when he turned eighteen, he left Dewhurst to become an adventurer for a few years. I don¡¯t know what changed him out there, but... when he returned, all of the lights were off upstairs.¡±


    I stare at Opalina, slightly confused. Bludman used to be an adventurer? Not only that, but he left Dewhurst to become one instead of coming to my Guild? I don¡¯t know whether to be upset or thankful. I¡¯m going to


    From between the comfort of the Doctor¡¯s breasts, Zutiria apathetically says, ¡®Are we just about done with all this Duke talk?¡¯ She stares off, distant and cold, with placid eyes hidden behind her thick, cloudy glasses. ¡®I¡¯m tired of it and would prefer we move on.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Zutiria. If you need to, feel free to head back up to bed. We can catch you up tomorrow if this is too much for you to handle. There¡¯s still a lot to cover besides the Duke of Dewhurst.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll stay,¡¯ Zutiria continues to stare emotionlessly into empty space to the point where seeing her in such a state starts wearing on my heart.


    I try to speed things up to make Zutiria more comfortable. ¡°In summary, we¡¯re going to be looking for chances to attack the Duke¡¯s forces directly from here on out. I¡¯ll have to look into getting more defenses around here, but with our current funding, we can only do so much. Regardless, there¡¯s now no longer any other option but to fight for our chance at a proper Guild life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about funding, Dear. I already told you I would do something nice for you, didn¡¯t I...?¡± Opalina¡¯s lips turn upwards into a devious smile. Before I can even attempt to tell her I don¡¯t want her to spoil me with charity, the old woman cuts me off, ¡°It¡¯s not going to be charity, you stubborn boy. You¡¯ll have to earn it. It won¡¯t be coming from me, either. Just be patient.¡±


    ¡°Ominous as always!¡± Nikita laughs uproariously while the Doctor smirks.


    ¡°It¡¯s how I keep him coming back for more,¡± She says in a low, husky voice.


    ¡°Ah didn¡¯ know ya had a sugar mum, Lad. Good on ya.¡± Gwin gives me a robust Dwarven thumbs-up, and Sam joins Nikita in laughter.


    ¡°Mysterious promises of help aside, I¡¯ve nothing more to say on our current situation.¡± I start unpinning the many notes I had posted to the quest board and then replace them with the ones on Luxy. I omit the notes I made about the Demon Lord, as that topic is best left for me to reveal during the conversation. ¡°The next part of our team meeting is going to revolve around the afternoon I spent with the Goddess. I learned a great many things, but that isn¡¯t all we have to discuss.... as well as... a personal secret that I¡¯ve never told anyone before.¡±


    Everyone waits on the edge of their seats, even Zutiria, who, despite her foul mood, can¡¯t suppress her typical interest in personal drama. Not even when it comes to her beloved Sir, I suppose...

 Cleaning Out My Closet

    We had a short break before the second half of the team meeting. Tensions were high, so Opalina took the time to make everyone some of her favorite herbal tea, which we all welcomed gratefully. The taste was superb, the smell sobering.


    Once I had taken my last sip and cleared my throat, I retake my position at the quest board. ¡°I¡¯m going to get through the rest of this as efficiently as possible. But, while I¡¯ve already steeled my resolve, it¡¯s still a sore subject.¡±


    Sam is the first to offer me support, raising her fist. ¡°We¡¯re with you, Boss. Just get through it and do your best.¡± The rest of the girls all offer similar sentiments to calm my nerves except for Zutiria, who meekly nods her head in agreement.


    ¡°Right. As you all know, I made an offering to the Goddess who has been supporting me behind the scenes. Thanks to Nikita, the offering was accepted, and in return, she granted me an audience. Is anyone here all that devout? I¡¯m not sure how this is going to go, and I¡¯m likely going to reveal a lot of things that would qualify as heresy in certain circles.¡±


    Meri sheepishly tilts her head, ¡°Um. We worshipped the Goddess of Light pretty religiously back home, but I wasn¡¯t too crazy about it or anything... I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be offended...¡±


    ¡°Far from it,¡± Opalina adjusts her glasses coldly.


    ¡®No,¡¯ The shaken Mage predictably confirms.


    Sam rolls her eyes before snorting. ¡°I went to church like a good little Princess... sometimes. Just look at me, though. Does it look like any of it stuck, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Th¡¯ only Gods ah worship are Dwarven bad-arses like Thraldrad th¡¯ Metalmaker or Skolmouth Forgejaw. We ain¡¯t got no need fer pansy ass bitches in our pantheon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got no stake in the Gods of this Realm, obviously.¡± Nikita rounds out the discussion, causing me to breathe a sigh of relief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get straight into it, then. For a while now, we¡¯ve been uncertain about which one of Karnalle¡¯s twin deities was whispering to me and improving my life. I can now confirm completely without a shadow of a doubt that my patron deity is Lux Ultima, Goddess of the Last Light.¡±


    Reactions are subdued, so I run the room through an abridged version of the crucial parts of my audience with Luxy. First, I told them of the Supernal Skies of Serenity and the heavenly sights I saw there, and I described the Goddess in detail. Then, without getting into the subject of destiny and Demon Lords, I explain that I was more or less made to be a Guild Master and that I was supposed to be sexually active from a younger age. Beyond that, I even go into detail regarding the bizarre ¡®app¡¯ which Luxy uses to pick out adventurers for me, and I teach Sam, Zutiria, and Meri how it was used to send them to Dewhurst.


    Opalina is more than pleased to hear that a healer is on her way, but just like me, she¡¯s very skeptical of the one Luxy picked. We all agree that we¡¯ll need to approach our upcoming Guild member with great caution whenever she arrives.


    One positive takeaway that most of the girls have is that Luxy was kind enough to grant me infinite sexual stamina when I asked for it. Sam makes no effort to hide how incredibly eager to test this out she is.


    Everyone responds to my account of the Goddess¡¯s behavior differently. Meri is a little shell-shocked due to her religious upbringing, and Sam doesn¡¯t get it either. On the other hand, Gwin finds it entertaining, Zutiria is silent, Opal analyzes the facts, and Nikita is as unsurprised as expected.


    ¡°Spoiled, bratty, out of touch with mortals... yup, that sounds about right to me.¡± The Grekkan shrugs.


    ¡°I am... SO confused...¡± Meri¡¯s poor little head spins as she sips some tea to calm her nerves. ¡°Why did the Goddess give you magic s-sex powers, and is she giving you all this help in general?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dear,¡± Opal says in an interested yet mysterious tone, ¡°I would very much like to know the same...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more or less all that I can say without going into our next topic, which is a bit of a doozy...¡± Now that the easy part is over and done with, I grab the stack of papers that I haven¡¯t yet put on display. This is the big moment where I accept what lies ahead of me in my future. I take in a deep breath and steel myself because I need to just say it.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ve told most of you about my grandpa at one point or another, but if I haven¡¯t, he was the man who raised me as well as this Guild¡¯s former Guild Master. He died of a heart attack when I was only ten years old, and... I¡¯ve always viewed it as my fault, in a way. We were arguing over something important, but I kept defying his wishes, and his anger only grew until... it was too much for his old, old body to bear.¡±


    Sam and Meri try to console me, though I assure them it isn¡¯t necessary, and I continue to speak. ¡°I¡¯ve never told anyone what we were arguing about, not even the woman who helped to raise me,¡± My eyes glance at Opalina, who is weighing my every word. ¡°He wanted me to become an adventurer, while I wanted to become a Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Why was he so hung up on that?¡± Sam narrows her eyes, a vein on her forehead twitching with anger.


    ¡°Because when my father abandoned my infant self to my grandpa, he passed along a certain revelation that a certain Goddess told him. Namely that this child- me- was going to be the next...¡± I pause and close my eyes. One more step, and I¡¯ll have said it. Almost there. ¡°The next Hero of Light. I am the chosen one who is supposed to defeat the current Demon Lord.¡±


    The room grows silent as a long winter¡¯s night. Then, one by one, the different girls all start experiencing their own conflicted reactions to the bomb I just dropped on them. There¡¯s confusion, excitement, shock, as well as a bit of tension. Noticeably, Nikita looks like she was just struck by divine inspiration, and Zutiria looks off to the side and yawns.


    ¡°Give him a handy, Gwin. He¡¯s cute. It¡¯ll be fun an¡¯ naughty...¡± Gwin laughs at the unforeseen consequences her literally life-changing handjob led to.


    ¡°N-No... it can¡¯t be...¡± Meri hangs her head and trembles before predictably hiding behind her shield.


    ¡®I thought your reaction to hearing Sammy¡¯s dream was suspicious, Sir. I¡¯m not surprised.¡¯ Zutiria calmly states with a sigh as she sinks further into Opalina¡¯s chest.


    Sam is torn. She looks on the verge of joy and a sad sort of confusion. The Princess takes time to craft her response, but all that comes out is, ¡°What the fuck, Boss? Why didn¡¯t you tell me...? You knew that defeating the Demon Lord is my dream, and you... you were just sitting there the whole time... Gods, you weren¡¯t laughing at me, were you?¡±


    ¡°Sam! You know I would never-¡±


    ¡®Sammy-¡¯ Zutiria pulls herself out of her depression enough to grab the Princess by her hand and squeeze it tight. Sam bites her lip.


    Sam¡¯s upset, emerald eyes meet mine while flickering with uncertainty and doubt. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you because I was afraid that it would change things between us, and... because... for a long time I wanted to avoid the inconvenient truth, alright? I didn¡¯t even know if my Grandpa¡¯s words have any merit until today. For most of my life, I thought it was just the ramblings of an old man. I pushed it away, thinking ¡®there¡¯s no way¡¯ or ¡®I can¡¯t possibly be the Hero of Light¡¯ while avoiding it as much as I could. Sam, please...¡±


    My first lover closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and slaps her cheek so hard that it turns red. Her eye tears up from the stinging pain, and she grits her teeth. ¡°FUCK,¡± she spits out a tiny bit of blood.


    ¡°S-SAM!?¡± Meri¡¯s anxiety skyrockets.


    Opalina reacts with motherly horror at Her Highness¡¯s sudden self-harm. ¡°Samantha! What in the Realms do you-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, I¡¯m good...¡± The Princess shakes her head and puts a hand between her and Opalina. ¡°I had to calm myself down enough to think straight...¡± Sam admits through hysterical breaths until she finally stabilizes. ¡°I know better than to doubt you, Boss. We both know I¡¯m young and... naive,¡± She struggles with the word, ¡°But just cause I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯d hide from it from me doesn¡¯t mean you don¡¯t have valid reasons for doing it. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Such an emotional and mature response takes me entirely by surprise. Sam is disappointed but understanding and willing to try seeing things from outside her point of view. ¡°Sam...¡± I was about to tell her that I forgive her, but the Princess has other plans.


    She stands up, taking all the attention in the room along with her. ¡°But don¡¯t you dare hide anything else from me ever again, Boss...¡± Her cheeks redden, and her eyes angrily tear into mine. ¡°Or I won¡¯t forgive you, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Speaking of forgiveness,¡± Opalina says sharply, her motherly eyes contorted into a disappointed expression. ¡°You really should have told me. Unlike Samantha, I understand why you kept it hidden- especially from me- but you shouldn¡¯t have. Honestly...¡± The older woman shakes her head back and forth.


    ¡°Opal-¡±


    ¡°Silence. I¡¯m chastising you.¡± She folds her arms around Zutiria like she were a pet. ¡°Do you think I wouldn¡¯t have supported your choice to be a Guild Master? If anything, all I would have done is track down that good for nothing father of yours and beaten some legitimate answers out of that worthless sack of dicks.¡±


    The feeling of disappointing the closest thing I¡¯ve ever had to a mother is crushing, but if I lost myself to it, then it would only lead to depression. So I simply hold my tongue and allow Opalina to say what she needs to. Her wording makes it seem like she knows my father, though, which she¡¯s never brought up.


    Eventually, Opalina stops staring so harshly and starts petting Zutiria¡¯s head. ¡°Oh, look at me. I¡¯m such a hypocrite...¡± The Doctor sighs softly and laughs just a little. ¡°I¡¯m the last person in the Realm who should criticize someone for keeping secrets.¡±


    ¡°Nice. ¡®Nother red flag.¡± Gwin raises an eyebrow.


    ¡°Shush, little Dwarf.¡± Opalina throws Gwin a teasing glare in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Opal. For what it¡¯s worth.¡± I frown and wipe some sweat off my brow. The Doctor smiles and assures me that I have nothing to be sorry about. Although I still feel a pang of guilt, this does help to soothe it.


    The subsequent reaction I get is surprising. Nikita stands up and walks toward me until we stand face to face. I look up at the tall, muscular woman who is both blushing and staring at me intently. She opens her mouth to speak, pauses, blushes even harder, then walks away with her chin cupped in her hand. The Grekkan stands there, everyone in the room awkwardly watching as the intimidating warrior tries to figure out whatever it is she wants to say.


    Having never seen Nikita¡¯s behavior become this eccentric, I give her all the silence she needs to sort her thoughts. But, of course, it takes her a while...

 The Daughter of Bridgebury

    After thirty seconds of uncomfortable pause, the Warrior re-approaches me with an even bigger blush and an even more confused expression. ¡°So,¡± Nikita awkwardly coughs. ¡°You¡¯re not bullshitting us, are you, Chief? You¡¯re... the Hero of Light, and you have to go on a big ol¡¯ quest to defeat the greatest evil known across the Realms?¡±


    ¡°Pardon th¡¯ interruption, Lad, but ya don¡¯t exactly look like yer traditional hero type if ya catch mah meanin¡¯.¡± Gwin leans over on the table with her elbows.


    ¡°It¡¯s as you say, Gwin,¡± I scratch the back of my head. ¡°Lux Ultima told me that there was a need to do things differently this time around, and my powers are different from other Heroes of Light who¡¯ve come before.¡±


    ¡°Hold on just a sec, Boss.¡± Sam narrows her eyes. ¡°We aren¡¯t, like, distantly related or something... are we? I¡¯m still learning about my family tree, but even I know that the first Hero of Light was Rhoivandis Lundreame... the first King of Karnalle.¡± The Princess sweats, saying, ¡°I just don¡¯t want it to be weird between us, Boss. We moved away from the whole blood purity thing for a reason...¡±


    ¡®Well, most of you, anyway.¡¯ Zutiria says coldly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me!¡± Sam groans.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it works like that,¡± I laugh. ¡°Lux Ultima made it clear that I was chosen and that bloodline had little to do with it.¡±


    The Princess sighs a long, deep sigh of sweet relief.


    ¡°Circle back for a sec, Chief. Even if you aren¡¯t an old-fashioned Hero of Light, you still are one, yeah?¡± Nikita grabs me by the shoulders, excitement ringing in her voice. ¡°So... does this mean you really are planning on fighting against the Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I look back up at the tall Grekkan mercenary as confidently as I can. ¡°Just like the Duke of Dewhurst, I plan to defeat him.¡±


    Sam smirks proudly at that.


    Nikita¡¯s blush grows stronger, prompting much confusion from me. Finally, she turns tail and goes back to her seat like nothing ever happened. ¡°I... see. Carry on then, Chief.¡±


    ¡°S-So, um, when you said you were different from other Heroes of Light... does that mean...¡± Meri¡¯s cheeks redden. ¡°Uh... what I¡¯m trying to ask about... is... how does the s-sex stuff factor into it...?¡±


    I let out a deep sigh, wishing I had a drink.


    ¡®I¡¯m willing to wager this is where things get stupid,¡¯ The troubled Mage offers.


    ¡°Imagine that,¡± the Dwarf has herself another laugh.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong. To start off small, when a woman takes my semen into their body, they are imbued with my Hero of Light essence. That¡¯s why it has so many magical benefits that more or less just makes girls stronger for a time after consuming it in some way. This means that the goal is for me to build my ranks by amassing heroic young women who I will one day lead into battle against the Demon Lord, allegedly. Although... the Goddess hinted that if things aren¡¯t working out, then we may need to rely on... other heroes.¡±


    ¡®So I take it that¡¯s why your semen has the strongest effect when applied vaginally. It¡¯s an incentive for unprotected sex.¡¯ Zutiria sighs, looking disinterested.


    ¡°Sounds that way,¡± Opalina cups her chin. ¡°Good heavens, this is convoluted...¡±


    Meri tilts her head, letting slip that it hasn¡¯t quite registered for her yet. ¡°What? Oh, no... how are we supposed to find all these other heroes when it comes down to it?¡±


    ¡°...Sweetheart,¡± I sigh and cradle my forehead.


    ¡°Master?¡± Meri blinks, naive as ever.


    ¡°We¡¯re supposed to make the heroes, Meri.¡±


    The innocent, backwater country girl stares at me until it hits her- and it hits her hard. Meri¡¯s jaw drops, her face turns beet red, and she stammers, ¡°W-W-We were chosen by the Goddess as breeding stock?!¡±


    ¡®I suppose that¡¯s all I¡¯m good for,¡¯ Zutiria says drearily, looking off into the distance.


    Sam, not one to usually get embarrassed, blushes too. Hers is more out of anger. ¡°What, so I¡¯m supposed to do my best and give up if it doesn¡¯t work just so that our kid can finish the job? Fuck that! I want to finish this shit in OUR generation! That¡¯s just... just... fucking DEGRADING!¡±


    Meri stands up, trembling and distant. She sniffles and balls her hands into fists. ¡°I... I think so too, Sam...¡± The anxious girl grabs her beloved shield and stares at it deeply before dropping it to the floor. ¡°My mom died just because two Goddesses are having a fight, and now... now I-I¡¯m just supposed to pop out babies? Is this what my mom earned for her sacrifice?¡±


    ¡°Meri!¡± Nikita stands and grabs the troubled Shield Maiden by her wrist. ¡°Calm down. We can talk this out.¡± The Grekkan takes on a protective big sister role as she strokes Meri¡¯s short, curly brown locks. Meri frowns but leans into it.


    ¡°Hold on just a moment...¡± Things suddenly start piecing together in place.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Sam stands up, shocked. She must have figured it out, too.


    Her mom, a powerful adventurer, died a couple of years ago. She¡¯s from a small farming village up in the Echora Province. Why did I never notice it before? ¡°Meri... what is the name of the village you¡¯re from?¡±


    With her head held low, she utters, ¡°...Bridgebury.¡±


    I knew it.


    Sam gasps. ¡°Your mom was the adventurer who beat back the Demon Lord¡¯s army single-handedly?¡± The Princess is hardly able to believe it. ¡°She was my hero! I asked about her all the time, but no one ever told me her name or her class...¡± If I had to hazard a guess, I¡¯d say they never told Sam the details out of fear it¡¯d inspire the young firebrand of a Princess to leave her home and go out adventuring. Lot of good that did.


    ¡°Her name was Marienne Tillot...¡± Meri turns to her friend, frowning. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think about it too hard, but since you¡¯re the Crown Princess, then that means... that man who came to see us after it happened was your father. The King who praised Mom¡¯s bravery and then didn¡¯t lift a single finger to actually help us in the aftermath...¡±


    ¡°Meri...?¡± Sam grows concerned, deeply terrified of losing her newest friend. ¡°I¡¯m not like him, Meri. I left home because I was so sick of no one doing anything about the Demon Lord! Please...¡± The Princess fights back a few tears. ¡°You gotta believe me!¡±


    ¡°Children, children... that¡¯s enough,¡± Opal grabs Zutiria and places her on the table like a doll, then stands up to cut in between Sam and Meri. ¡°Samantha, you don¡¯t need to crowd her. You¡¯ll only make things worse. Meri, you¡¯re justified in being upset, but don¡¯t take it out on the wrong person.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like you should take it out on that God if anyone...¡± Nikita crosses her arms and then looks my way. ¡°Are you really going to keep dancing to the beat of her drum, Chief?¡±


    ¡°To an extent, yes. The popping-out babies thing is only a backup plan- a fail-safe, she called it. If we win... which we will... making dozens of super-powered heroes will be a fun bonus and nothing more. First and foremost, the Goddess chose the three of you by hand because of the enormous potential you possess.¡±


    I can see this answer doesn¡¯t impress Nikita, who sighs in response. But, as far as Meri goes, it perks her up a bit. ¡°Do you really think so, Master?¡± Meri asks.


    ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯ll be the one to unlock all of that hidden power you have inside you.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Nikita throws up her arms and starts walking away. Her expression wavers with conflicting thoughts, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for one night. There¡¯s a lot on my mind, and I¡¯m gonna go hit up a bar or three. Don¡¯t worry, Chief. I won¡¯t be far...¡± The Grekkan waves over her shoulder on her way out the front door.


    No one stops Nikita as she leaves, but we¡¯re all a little confused about her sudden decision to hightail it out of here in the middle of such a critical discussion.


    ¡°Fuck¡¯s tall, dark an¡¯ sexy¡¯s problem?¡± Gwin asks as soon as Nikita is out of sight.


    ¡°I¡¯d love to that know, myself...¡±


    Opalina is the only one here who¡¯s known Nikita long enough to have any clue, so she speaks up. ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes the idea of playing along with a God¡¯s plans, even if Lux Ultima is ¡®one of the good ones¡¯. I can¡¯t say I fault Niki for that. Best to just give her the space she needs.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± I sigh, hoping Nikita is alright.


    Speaking of space, Sam and Meri sit down next to each other after sharing a small hug. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sam... I just got a little emotional...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ok, Meri.¡± Sam smiles before taking the opportunity to steal a kiss from the ironically unguarded Shield Maiden. Meri blushes and jumps backward, but Sam holds her tight. ¡°Hey... can you tell me more about your mom sometime? I¡¯d just love to hear all about her!¡±


    ¡°O-Ok...¡± Meri stammers as a small smile creeps across her nervous face. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± She giggles.


    As cute as these two are, the meeting isn¡¯t complete, and we have some more serious things to discuss. ¡°I want to go on to say that I¡¯m sincere when I tell you that I want to one day defeat the Demon Lord. However, I also want to reaffirm that this doesn¡¯t change too much of our day-to-day lives. Our goal was already to improve the Guild and turn you all into legendary adventurers.¡±


    Meri bites her lower lip and holds her hands in her lap.


    Zutiria sits idly on Opalina¡¯s lap, remaining as unreadable as ever.


    Sam sits at the edge of her seat, looking fired up and packed with nothing but raw, unfiltered determination.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take baby steps towards greatness, knowing that every step will lead us towards the ultimate goal of vanquishing Karnalle¡¯s greatest evil. Whether or not this helps a Goddess irrelevant- I¡¯m pledging myself to this goal for my own sake. That being said... if anyone wants out of my eventual war versus the forces of darkness, this is your time to speak.¡±

 Embracing Destiny

    I let my words simmer for a moment and watch each girl process what I had to say. It doesn¡¯t take long at all for Sam to make up her mind. Her Highness grunts and stands up off the table before walking right up to me in front of everyone else. ¡°Boss?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sam?¡±


    ¡°I oughta hit you for even asking something so dumb!¡± She stomps her foot, leans into my face, and puts her hands on her hips. ¡°When I first found out about your magic jizz, I was already thinking about trying to pull something like this off. Look at what you¡¯ve already done with Zuzu, Meri, and me. You draw out the best in us, Boss. No one else in Karnalle can groom girls into heroes like you can!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s maybe not use that word, Sam-¡±


    ¡°Grooming, raising, whatever!¡± The Princess shrugs her shoulders. ¡°My point is that thanks to you and everything you¡¯ve done for me, I¡¯m starting to actually make something of myself. I¡¯m dumb. I¡¯ve got no training. I got anger problems. But somehow, none of that shit matters when I¡¯m with you- I just get stronger and stronger when I¡¯m by your side. My father isn¡¯t gonna save this Realm, so I gotta do it myself... and the only way that¡¯ll happen is if I stay right here!¡±


    ¡°Sam, I-"


    ¡°No!¡± She shouts, her face growing red. Sam punches me in the arm hard enough to bruise. ¡°L-Let me talk, damn you!¡±


    I remain quiet, giving Sam all the time in the world to say whatever¡¯s on her mind. It turns out that that was just an excuse, and she has nothing else to say. The Princess is just embarrassed about what I might say back but can¡¯t admit it. ¡°I... I...¡± She looks into my eyes, then looks away.


    ¡°Jus¡¯ fuckin¡¯ tell th¡¯ man,¡± Gwin groans. ¡°Ya dumbarse lass...¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯ll tell him I love him when I¡¯m good and ready!¡± The flustered blonde whips her head at Gwin and points menacingly at her. Gwin smirks as soon as Sam realizes that she just told me she loves me for the first time. Zutiria¡¯s lips show a tiny smile for a moment, Meri gasps, and Opalina giggles at Sam¡¯s reddening cheeks. ¡°Fucking... damn it...¡±


    ¡°Would you like a do-over?¡± I lean down and smile lovingly at my nervous Princess.


    ¡°Yes!¡± She growls before taking a deep breath and crossing her arms. Then, after regaining composure, she stands up tall and says, ¡°I love you, Boss... please keep taking good care of me from here on out.¡±


    My heart kicks into overdrive at the Princess¡¯s sheer cuteness, and I pull her in for a hug and kiss her on the forehead. ¡°I love you too, Samilda,¡±


    ¡°Oh, FUCK. OFF!¡± She laughs before pushing me away and punching me in the shoulder. No one else gets the joke, but that¡¯s ok. It¡¯s for us.


    ¡°Personally,¡± Opal speaks up, a devious grin manifesting itself on her face. ¡°I think that if you really are the Hero of Light, then it¡¯s a good thing you already have an ¡®in¡¯ with the Royal Family. It would be wise to ¡®cash in¡¯ this relationship at some point and reap the political benefits it would bring you, Dear.¡±


    Sam doesn¡¯t get it. ¡°How would we do that?¡±


    Meri blushes and clasps her hands, saying in a soft, dreamy voice, ¡°Wedding bells, Sam..."


    Sam has a vast array of emotions when she envisions this. Her blush grows more profound, she sweats out of panic, her smile and eyes go wide, almost to the point of looking vacant. The thought of marrying me makes Sam look like nothing would make her happier and more terrified at the same time.


    ¡°HAH!¡± The Princess stumbles backward in a wobbly fashion, prompting me to try and reach out to her and hold her, but she steadies herself. ¡°Uh, y-yeah, maybe someday...! I-I-It¡¯s not you, Boss, I just... um... I¡¯m nowhere near ready to see my family any time soon...¡± She brushes some of her sweat off her brow.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± I reach out to tenderly stroke Sam¡¯s hair while she makes flustered, grumpy noises. ¡°Honestly, Gods only know how large my harem will grow, so waiting to do some sort of group marriage might be best...¡±


    Gwin snorts and bangs the table with her fist. ¡°Th¡¯ absolute balls on this Lad,¡±


    ¡°I guess that did sound more egotistical than I meant it to... regardless, Zutiria, Meri? Can I take it that you intend to stay by my side just as Sam does?¡±


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Zutiria nods her head almost imperceptibly. ¡®You¡¯ll forgive that I don¡¯t feel up to making a long-winded emotional speech about how much I love you and how much you¡¯ve done for me. I¡¯d never leave you. I can¡¯t.¡¯ The little lady sighs. Opalina tries to pet again, but Zutiria shakes her head and doesn¡¯t allow it. ¡®Sammy is right, nonetheless. I¡¯m broken. When I¡¯m with you, I feel like making an effort to try and pretend I¡¯m not...¡¯


    ¡°Dear,¡± Opaline grows more concerned, ¡°I think you should spend some time alone with this one tonight...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ Zutiria responds in a very unconvincing manner. ¡®But if you insist on it, Sir...¡¯


    ¡°I think it would be best if I saw to your needs, Zutiria. Sam, would you mind sleeping in the spare room with Meri for the night?¡±


    Meri blushes. She¡¯s clearly a little upset we can¡¯t have our second night together, but a night with Sam doesn¡¯t sound all that bad either. ¡°Y-Yes, of course, Master. Are you ok with that, Sam?¡±


    Sam slinks into her seat and folds her arms. ¡°Yeah, long as you tell me about your mom like you promised you would!¡±


    ¡°I would love to!¡± Meri smiles sincerely as her gaze turns towards the floor, and she twiddles her thumbs. ¡°Oh, but... um... Master, can I say something too while we¡¯re at it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Meri?¡±


    She takes in a deep breath and fights to maintain eye contact, but during her speech, her eyes dart back and forth out of embarrassment. ¡°I know that I haven¡¯t been around for very long, and... it might sound weird when I say it, but... m-my feelings for you are just as strong as everyone else¡¯s. I¡¯ve been an adventurer for two years now, and until I met you, I was a total loser... and I-I still am a loser, compared to my Mom. But... you actually help me, Master. You make me feel good about myself, make me thinking that... maybe I can really make something out of this life that my mom died to protect. For a long time, I...¡± She closes her crimson eyes as tears begin to fall. ¡°I always asked myself... why her? It should have been me...¡±


    My heart lurches at hearing how intense this young girl¡¯s survivor¡¯s guilt was this entire time. ¡°Meri-¡±


    She shakes her head and wipes the tears. ¡°No, it¡¯s ok, Master. I haven¡¯t had any of those thoughts since coming here, now that I have people who I want to protect... and a-after what happened last night...¡± Meri blushes and holds her cheeks in her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think I ever will again.¡±


    I feel my cheeks redden, and I step closer to Meri¡¯s seat. She takes my hands in hers once I offer them to her, and we stare into one another¡¯s eyes. ¡°Please,¡± Meri¡¯s eyes flicker, ¡°Keep grooming me from now on, Master!¡±


    Gods, damn it. She was so close, too...


    Gwin, Opalina, and Sam all hold back laughs at the naive Shield Maiden¡¯s unintended slip-up. No one wants to ruin her moment, especially me. ¡°...Of course, Meri.¡± I cough and avert my eyes, embarrassed over what I just agreed to. I¡¯m sure someone will tell her what that means later, but for now, I just want this adorable lover of mine to be as happy as she can.


    Opalina lets out a wistful sigh. ¡°If only I were younger... nowadays, all I¡¯m good for is a supporting role. Maybe that will change in the future? Who knows.¡± She giggles, ¡°You seem to have a habit of helping women through their problems... regardless, you already know I plan on aiding you to the best of my ability. I won¡¯t let you drift away from me ever again, Dear.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Opal. That means the world to me.¡±


    All eyes turn on Gwin, who at this point feels comically out of place. She reads the room and shrugs. ¡°Ah said it before an¡¯ ah¡¯ll say it again. Ah¡¯m just a fuckin¡¯ carpenter who wants ta be a smith. Ah give ya a single fuckin¡¯ handy- just one- an¡¯ ya try an¡¯ draft me into yer Gods damned holy war?¡±


    ¡°To be fair,¡± I lean down to look level at the fiery lass. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to defeat the Demon Lord if I don¡¯t acquire a more stable supply of Dwarven handjobs. They¡¯re key to the war effort.¡±


    Gwin cracks up at that, her cheeks growing flushed as she looks away from me abrasively. ¡°Men. Fuckin¡¯ typical. Ah s¡¯pose ah¡¯m in if ya ever get yerself a forge an¡¯ can convince mah family ta let me go mah own way, Lad. Ah¡¯ll have a lot ta learn, but you¡¯ll need someone around ta fix up armor an weapons, won¡¯t ya?¡±


    ¡°I certainly will,¡± I extend my hand to the Dwarven girl as a sign of solidarity, which she takes and clasps tight. Her grip is much, much stronger than mine, and she¡¯s very enthusiastic.


    Once I let go, I realize that that¡¯s it, then.


    I¡¯ve told everyone my greatest secret, and not only did no one reject me over it, I feel closer to each of the girls than ever before. Just like that, the weight that¡¯s been dragging me down for twenty-two years dissipates into nothing.


    I know what the future holds, and for the first time, I¡¯m looking forward to meeting it head-on.


    The team meeting is adjourned, and to celebrate, I make everyone a personalized cocktail. Then, we toast to defeating the Demon Lord, the Duke of Dewhurst, and any other force which stands in the way of the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild becoming the greatest Guild in all the Realms.

 Answered Prayers

    Surprisingly, things felt normal after we all got done with the exhaustive meeting. Gwin and Opalina said goodbye for the night, leaving for their homes just like any other typical day. Gwin was still feeling a little out of place by the time she left, but it just wouldn¡¯t have felt right to me if she wasn¡¯t included.


    The feisty Dwarf will become a more significant part of my life in the future, so it¡¯s alright. Besides, I¡¯ll need the aid of her family if I ever want to improve this damned building.


    Opalina looked to be deep in thought when she left, although that¡¯s not too surprising. There¡¯s a lot for her to ponder after all the crazy shit I got through explaining.


    Sam and Meri had a tense moment during the discussion, but it didn¡¯t last all that long. They care about each other too much for something Sam¡¯s dad did to bother Meri. After they had their drinks, their moods improved even further. Now, the odd pair seems more eager than ever to be sharing a room for the night while I take care of Zutiria.


    That just leaves Zutiria, who needs my attention first and foremost. After nightfall, the despondent Mage follows me up to the bedroom. Thanks to Gwin, the chamber smells of recently murdered pinemen and Dwarven craftsmanship. The floor was fully patched up, and it looks better than it did before.


    I highly doubt anything sexual will happen with Zutiria tonight. Nonetheless, I still have something that requires her assistance. After changing out of my clothes and stripping nothing but my pajama pants, I present the problem.


    ¡®...She really got rid of it just to tease you?¡¯ The Mage asks as I reveal my naked manhood to her, showing off that, yes. Yes, Luxy really did remove my Rune of Safe Passage.


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t want to mention it during the meeting since I no doubt would¡¯ve been laughed at.¡± I sigh and sit down on the bed. It also might¡¯ve made Luxy look worse than before, too.


    ¡®Get ready while I change into my nighties then, I suppose. Forgive me for what I¡¯m about to do to you, Sir.¡¯ After taking off my pants down to the knee and lying flat on the bed, I¡¯m about as ready as I¡¯ll ever be. The petite woman changes into a sheer purple, low-cut, silky nightgown flecked with brilliant yellow stars. She does it fast and hurriedly, which is worrying. It¡¯s rare for Zutiria to miss a chance to tease me a little, especially when changing into such a cute set of pajamas. Once she returns to my side, the Mage closes her eyes and summons a small block of wood from the storage room downstairs.


    ¡®Open up,¡¯ She unceremoniously presents it to my mouth, and I chomp down strongly, scrunching my eyes shut as hard as I can.


    For the second time in my life, the feeling of a blowtorch sears my poor unmentionables. The sensation forces me to scream a horrific yowl of torment into the wood while tearing into it with my teeth. Unfortunately, we don¡¯t have Sam handy to keep me steady, but thankfully despite the intensity, I¡¯m able to stop myself from thrashing the second time around. Maybe I¡¯m just used to the pain, but the rune inscription hurts less and takes less time.


    ¡®There,¡¯ Zutiria sighs and lays down on the bed after patting me gently on top of the black heart tattoo. ¡®Sorry. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m up for helping you test it. If you want, I can sleep in the other bedroom. Then Sammy, Meri, and you can have fun.¡¯


    ¡°Come on, now. It¡¯s not like I need to have sex every night of my life, Zutiria.¡± I say after wiping off the sweat from my terrifying brand.


    ¡®...I just don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re obligated to spend time with me because I had a bad day, Sir. Yours was just as bad, if not worse.¡¯ She hangs her head and takes off her round glasses, handing them to me to place over on the nightstand after I¡¯ve turned off the arcane tech lamp.


    Naturally, the bathroom light is already on for her if she needs it.


    Her self-deprecation causes sadness to swell within me. ¡°That¡¯s not why I¡¯m here, Zutiria. I want to spend the night with you because I want to be with you. Nothing more, nothing less.¡±


    ¡®...You spoil me too much,¡¯ She sighs. ¡®All I do is constantly try to one-up the others when it comes to spending time with you. Sammy says I¡¯m unfair, and it¡¯s true. You can push me away for a while, I¡¯d understand.¡¯ Zutiria bundles up the blanket over her face to hide, though the impromptu hood gives a clear view of her evasive blue eyes doing their best to avoid my own.


    ¡°Sam is joking when she calls you unfair,¡±


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s not true. You dote on me too much, anyway.¡¯


    ¡°The reason I dote on you is because a lot of the time, you need it more than Sam, Opal, and Meri do. You¡¯re...¡±


    ¡®Say it, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria...¡±


    ¡®Say that they¡¯re normal and I¡¯m not.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s NOT what I was going to-¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t deserve you... I... I can still go home before I hurt you... before I make any more mistakes...¡¯ The silent girl begins sobbing and crying silent tears.


    Instinctively, I move to wrap my arm around her, but she pushes back against me.


    ¡®Don¡¯t touch me... Sir... it was all true... everything that Halfling said about me was true. I thought I could try to find happiness and for the last couple of weeks I... I was so sure that it did... I tried not to think about what happened to me. Every day I¡¯d wake up and lie to myself that I deserved... whatever it is I found here with you, Sammy, and the others... but it¡¯s not possible to run from what I did.¡¯


    I stare at her in the darkness, unblinking, unmoving, just... listening. Or reading, technically, but letting her vent everything she needs to get off of her chest.


    ¡®I killed them all. Mom... Dad... my elder sister... every other person in the village... just like that... It was me. I did it. I did it. It was my fault... my fault... no... NO NO NO NO NO NO-¡¯


    ¡°ZUTIRIA!!¡± I throw off the blanket as she starts to violently thrash about as if she were in the middle of one of her nightmares, sit up and pull her into a hug.


    ¡®LET ME GO I¡¯LL HURT YOU, SIR- DON¡¯T, NO, I¡¯M GOING TO HURT YOU STOP-¡¯ Her words become an incoherent mess, sentences overlay each other as she screams a thousand times not to hold her, and the sobbing Mage loses all control of her actions.


    She bites me.


    ¡®STOP-¡¯


    She tears open my back with her nails.


    ¡®I DON¡¯T WANT TO DO THIS-¡¯


    She kicks me.


    ¡®LET GO OF ME NO, NO-¡¯


    She punches me.


    ¡®I¡¯LL RUIN EVERYTHING-¡¯


    She pulls my hair.


    ¡®ALL I DID WAS OPEN MY STUPID MOUTH!!¡¯


    I don¡¯t stop holding her.


    Zutiria loses all of her energy and stops her pitiful thrashing. She¡¯s certainly not Sam, but I¡¯m sure I must look pretty rough for wear right about now. It¡¯s not like it matters, though. The only thing I care about is hugging the girl I love and doing anything to lighten the pain in her heart by even the smallest amount I can.


    She breathes desperately in my arms, eventually beginning to return my affection.  She continues to cry but wipes her wet tears against my shirtless skin. I stroke her short, lavender hair just as I always have and remain silent, letting her know that neither of us has to say anything and that we can simply stay like this for as long as she¡¯d like.


    No one needs to say a word.


    Her shaking, trembling body finally begins to calm, and she buries her head fully into my chest, accepting all that I have to give.


    ¡®...Why? Why don¡¯t you hate me?¡¯


    ¡°Why would I?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m useless. I ruin everything. I¡¯m clingy. I steal your attention away from girls who deserve it more. I can¡¯t even be there for you when you need me the most, because one little slip-up and suddenly I break down and the entire day becomes about me because... because I¡¯m a fragile, broken doll made of porcelain who fell and shattered into so many pieces that I can¡¯t ever be fixed.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re broken.¡±


    ¡®It could happen again...¡¯


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll never move past it... I¡¯ll always be like this...¡¯


    ¡°And I fell in love with you knowing full well you might never be ¡®fixed¡¯. I love the silly little Mage who sits on my lap any chance she gets... the one who embarrasses me around others with her clinginess, who never misses a sarcastic joke, and who dresses her silly little pet rat up like her boyfriend.¡±


    ¡®S... Sir...?¡¯ Zutiria bites her lip, and her eyes water once again, only this time she holds her tears back as she gazes up at me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be ¡®fixed¡¯ to be happy.¡±


    Zutiria stares back in amazed confusion. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s ever considered the possibility of someone loving her- faults and all.


    ¡®I... I promise... I¡¯ll tell you everything one day...¡¯ She sniffles, wipes some snot from her nose, then hides her head back in the nape of my neck.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    ¡®No... you need to hear it... but... even so much as thinking about it... or trying to remember... makes me... makes me...!¡¯ She almost loses herself once again, and she covers her mouth in fear, even though not a word came out. Her stomach lurches, causing me to briefly fear the troubled Mage is going to lose her dinner. Thankfully, she chokes whatever was coming up back down.


    I rub Zutiria¡¯s back tenderly, comforting her as much as possible. Finally, after a few silent moments pass, she manages to regain composure.


    ¡®I... I love you... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever deserve you... not really... but I can¡¯t live without you.¡¯ The Mage looks up at me, lip trembling and eyes red from tears.


    ¡°I love you too, Zutiria. It doesn¡¯t matter if you think you don¡¯t deserve me. What matters is that I want you. And I always will.¡±


    ¡®...Um, Sir...?¡¯


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡®Will you... take me to see the kitties tomorrow...?¡¯


    I smile warmly and nod my head.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    She closes her eyes and presses her lips against mine.


    By all accounts, it¡¯s a disgusting, sloppy, tearful, mucus-tasting kiss, but it¡¯s also among the sweetest and most satisfying I¡¯ve ever had. I¡¯ll never forget this moment in time where we connected and shared our love... especially not after what happens as soon as our lips part.


    Zutiria pulls away in shock, staring wide-eyed directly into my face. A strand of saliva connects us before falling.


    ¡°...Zutiria?¡±


    ¡®...Sir? Your eyes... they¡¯re... glowing...!!¡¯


    ¡°...What?¡± My heart stops, and I stand up and head over to the mirror in the bathroom. It hurts when I look at it without Zutiria in my line of sight, but it was worth confirming. My eyes are indeed glowing pink.


    I rush back to the bedroom and look at Zutiria. ¡°This has never happened before... what... the fuck...?¡±


    ¡®Sir, calm down! I¡¯ll go get the others. We can summon Opal if we need to, just-¡¯ Before I can finish reading her words, the light glows even more intensely. It blinds me for a moment before suddenly a stylized, cartoonish version of Luxy appears in the whiteness, making a peace sign while sticking her tongue out.


    -ZUTIRIA SYNDALINE BOND LEVEL TWO ACHIEVED, BITCH!-


    Luxy¡¯s voice echoes out from nowhere in particular, and my vision restores.


    ¡®What... was that...?!¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s face goes white, and she looks at me worriedly.


    ¡°Did you hear that just now?¡±


    ¡®Yes...? My heart also felt really funny just now when I heard it, too...¡¯


    ¡°That was the Goddess¡¯s voice just now...¡± I stop as soon as I notice something strange and unfamiliar in my eyes. Or rather... no, how do I possibly explain this? It¡¯s like suddenly I know they can do so much more if I just tell them to. Maybe they always could, and I just didn¡¯t know.


    But... something just sort of... fell into place just now.


    My following words shock not only Zutiria but myself as well.


    ¡°Open Guild Roster.¡±


    My eyes react, and the light grows intense once more. A sizeable magical screen appears directly in front of my vision. It looks almost exactly like the small tablet I saw Luxy using earlier this very day, only much, much bigger- like a whole window, almost.


    On the screen are three icons showing portraits of Sam, Zutiria, and Meri in that exact order. Sam and Meri are both grayed out, while Zutiria is the only one currently in color.


    As to why, well... under their pictures is a small indicator with a bar underneath it. It reads ¡®Bond Level¡¯, and Zutiria¡¯s is the only one that says it¡¯s at two. The bar beneath Zutiria¡¯s is entirely empty. Sam¡¯s bar is almost completely full, while Meri¡¯s is a little bit over halfway there.


    ¡®Sir... what kind of magic is this...?¡¯ Zutiria stands up and touches the screen. Her eyes which were only minutes ago crying their soul out, are replaced with the curiosity of a magical scholar. ¡®Amazing...¡¯


    I reach out and touch it myself, finding I can reposition and resize the screen to whatever dimensions I want.


    ¡®How are you doing this?¡¯ Zutiria walks through the screen and stands at my side, clasping onto my pajama pants as she looks head-on at the display.


    ¡°The Goddess said I was close to finding out what my eyes are really capable of...¡±


    ¡®And getting closer to me... let you do this?¡¯ She figures it out pretty quickly. ¡®Sammy is going to be jealous...¡¯


    ¡°No, look.¡± I point at the bars below the bond level. ¡°When this bar maxes out, the level increases... I think. Her difference with you was negligible at best, and you likely only had a slight edge on her because-¡±


    ¡®Of how clingy I am. Well. I guess there was an upside to it...¡¯ She sighs, still not entirely out of her bad mood but at least able to interject some positivity into the situation. ¡®Can you... do something to my picture, then? Why else would the others be gray?¡¯


    ¡°I... think I can click on it.¡±


    Zutiria tilts her head at me. ¡®...Click?¡¯


    ¡°Nevermind. Just watch.¡± I reach out and touch Zutiria¡¯s icon and a second screen pops up out of nowhere, surprising both me and the mage.


    It looks like a big dossier not too dissimilar to the adventurers I saw on Luxy¡¯s screen, but this one¡¯s a lot more primitive. It lists all sorts of things about her. Name... age... birthplace (Arkha Village, apparently)... it even tells me what ¡®equipment¡¯ she has right now, which currently only reads ¡®Purple Starry Lingerie¡¯.


    Over on the left side of the dossier is a large portrait of Zutiria with one button underneath it and several more grayed out beneath that. The only clickable button right now reads ¡®Camera¡¯. What in the Realms could that possibly mean? My hand reaches out towards it, and I look at Zutiria for support.


    She nervously swallows and nods up at me, urging me forward.


    I click the button, and the screen transforms into the trippiest, most surreal sight I¡¯ve ever seen. It¡¯s... a view of Zutiria and me in this very room but from behind. In it, we both look into the screen that we¡¯re currently staring into. The screen copies our every move as it happens.


    Zutiria notices the implications instantly, and she turns around only to see nothing behind us that could be transmitting this... moving picture of us.


    ¡®Sir... this is...¡¯


    ¡°Do you know what this is, Zutiria?¡±


    Her eyes open wider from shock and she looks around. ¡®What the- Sir... I-I can hear your voice in my head...!?¡¯


    I can¡¯t believe it.


    ¡°Close All,¡± I say, somehow knowing that that¡¯s what I needed to say to make the screens disappear.


    Zutiria looks at me nervously for answers and I tell her one thing and one thing only.


    ¡°This is everything I¡¯ve been praying for.¡±

 The Other Side

    I¡¯m going to die like this and it''s all because of that horrific, bloody, butcher.


    On the day it happened we woke in the cuddle pit from a long sleep, just the same as any other. We ate the leftovers of some rotting animals, the last of our stockpiles, while all the boys made crude passes at me, begging for my attention like they always did.


    It wasn¡¯t their fault. I am... was... the only female in the tribe, and they¡¯ve all pent up ever since my mother was killed a few years back... We have very strict customs that must be adhered to- I couldn¡¯t take care of them yet since I wasn¡¯t at breeding age yet.


    Even if I did offer myself to them I¡¯d have no takers. I don¡¯t look like a woman yet. I¡¯m different ¡®down there¡¯ but the rest of me could pass for being a male member of my tribe, except for my longer nails...


    I would have been ready to mate if only a few more months had come and gone. When I¡¯m finally at breeding age I¡¯ll grow taller, have fuller hips and breasts and aside from my green skin, sharp teeth, claws and pointed ears I¡¯ll look much more like a human female.


    Now?


    Now I¡¯ll never be a Queen no matter what my body looks like and no matter how fertile I become.


    My tribe was out on patrol, making the rounds on the border of our territory that day. Everyone has been really restless and totally out of sorts lately... even I¡¯ve felt different.


    Something in the air has changed.


    It makes us more... confident. Aggressive. I hear it¡¯s been affecting other monsters, too... whatever the reason, it made the men in my tribe think it was high time we expanded our areas out even closer to the nearby human town.


    I tried to tell them not to, but they were all too rowdy and it¡¯d been a very, very long time since they had a proper female to vent their urges on. The thought of just possibly getting their hands on one a few months before my transformation was too much for them to bear, and no one would listen to my desperate pleas.


    They died like many so many of their brothers before them- in search of some good pussy.


    If I was just a little bit older, I would have been good enough for them...


    I had so many plans for the day when I finally came of age and took my natural role of tribe-wife, broodmother and Queen. I would have led us away from the town and searched for safer territory where food was abundant, would have never gone hungry. I would have made alliances with other tribes and usurped them into their own. So many ideas... so many schemes... Life was going to get so much better... why... why did everyone have to get put down like sick wargs?!


    Everything I ever wanted was torn asunder by that slutty seductress. When they saw all of her pale, supple skin and her young, bouncy curves my men had no choice. They grew hard at the sight of her and even as their brothers died before their eyes one by one they were driven to press onward just for even the slightest chance of taking her back to our cave as a pleasure slave.


    But that girl and her massive iron blade had other plans.


    I hid in the bushes as she attacked- powerless to stop the carnage she unleashed.


    She cut some of my men in half. Some of them lost their heads. A lot of them lost their manhoods... but ALL of them ended up losing their left hands.


    The demon girl in her blood-red bikini cut them from their bodies, stashing them away in a disturbing, bloody bag that grew ever swollen from her sick, depraved hunt... I assume she later feasted upon the hands of my men, as if they were a rare and exotic delicacy.


    You foolish, foolish girl...!


    All my men wanted to do was capture you and treat you to a life of blissful breeding and this... THIS is how you betray their kindness?! Your every need would have been met. You¡¯d have spent your days in an endless haze of pleasure, and we could have even become as sisters.


    I told her as much, too. When the slaughter was done and she killed the last of my tribe I emerged from the bushes while she was busy harvesting their hands.


    I begged and pleaded for her to kill me, too. But she didn¡¯t understand me. I don¡¯t speak her language... I just wanted to join them in death but was too afraid to do it myself... she... she smiled and waved at me and turned around like it was no big deal.


    She just casually walked away after killing Gilbo... and Gersis... and Gicklin, and Glendarr and Grutte and EVERYONE ELSE!!


    Why do I have to go on and suffer like this all on my own...? I don¡¯t know how to hunt. I¡¯m weak and will be killed by most of the other monsters in this area if they so much as spot me.


    My only option is to offer myself as a slave to one of the neighboring tribes but... while there¡¯s always room for more pleasure slaves, typically only two females of our kind are allowed in a tribe at any given time. The Queen and her heir.


    They¡¯d probably kill me on sight out of fear that I¡¯d try to usurp them. I know I would.


    It¡¯s been a couple of days since destiny dealt its cruel hand and as each day goes by I grow closer to death.


    Today, I hunt for absolutely anything I can find to eat even though I know I won¡¯t catch a thing. This season has been unkind to us and we were barely getting by as it was. I haven¡¯t eaten or drank since... I... don¡¯t even know when...


    Fate is cruel.


    I spend all day trying to find something- ANYTHING to eat... and just as soon as I manage to corner a juicy looking bunny up against a tree, I throw Galdax¡¯s favorite spear at it only to find I don¡¯t have the strength to continue on.


    The spear falls limply to the ground without meeting its mark and soon after I, too, fall.


    I¡¯m tired...


    So tired... I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be getting up.


    I can see them waiting for me...


    Were you... still waiting for your Queen, you silly, horny boys?


    I¡¯ll be there soon... just... wait...


    A bit...


    long... ger...


    ...


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey! Don¡¯t go dying on me just like that! I¡¯ve been looking for you...¡±


    ...


    Huh...?


    I open my eyes to see... oh... that¡¯s right. I guess you¡¯d be Death, wouldn¡¯t you?


    ...Weird. Death is a lot shorter than I imagined. That evil girl was taller than him... but I guess those big horns on his head make him look taller than he actually is.


    And his voice is... um... a lot more friendly than I would expect death to be. He sounds young, too, like a boy on the cusp of becoming a man. I even seem to be able to understand him...


    Death is wearing black clothes underneath a large, swaying black cloak pulled over his head making it hard to see his face...


    ¡°Can you hear me?¡± Death asks as he kneels to be by my side. ¡°Oh, please... please please PLEASE don¡¯t die!¡±


    Oh. I was right.


    As soon as he kneels I get a look at his face. He does look kind of like a boy. But... his skin is light blue. He¡¯s clearly not any sort of human but I can¡¯t tell what kind of monster he¡¯s supposed to be, either.


    His eyes are a bright, glowing orange that burns with the fire of a thousand hells, completely undoing the cute effect of his boyish charms and making him seem like a terrifying God who stands above all other life as its superior.


    ¡°Oh, sorry... Creepy eyes, right?¡± He laughs in a cute, giddy way before the fire of his eyes snuff out and their intensity dies down to a much brighter and welcoming shade of orange.


    ¡°You... you poor thing. You can¡¯t even talk, can you?¡± He frowns, lifting me up over his knee and sticking out one of his blue fingers at me. I wince upon seeing the long, black claws that extend from the tip thinking he was finally going to give me the mercy I¡¯ve been after for so long.


    But... he... uh... pushes it against my tiny lips.


    ¡°Go on. Don¡¯t be shy- eat!¡± He laughs warmly and somehow I get the feeling everything will be ok if I do as he says and eat his finger.


    Without any hesitation I bite it right off and his black blood trickles down onto my tongue, yet he doesn¡¯t seem to feel any bit of pain from it at all... in fact he looks so... relieved. He watches me chew and devour his flesh and as soon as I swallow my... my vision starts to fade.


    My heart speeds up.


    A fire spreads in my loins... and in my breasts.


    I scream louder than I¡¯ve ever screamed while every muscle in my body tears itself apart and starts growing... growing... growing?


    I¡¯m... I¡¯m growing?!


    I look down at my body, naked but for my loincloth, and gasp at what I find.


    But... but how? My breasts are rounded, full and swollen with milk, my hips wide enough to support countless offspring and the feeling stirring between my legs confirms it... I¡¯m... I¡¯m of breeding age.


    ¡°Wow...!¡± The boy whose knee my head lays upon looks down at me with an adorable smile grinning ear to ear. ¡°I knew that you Femmoblins grow a lot once you¡¯re of age but I thought you''d at least still look... well... little! You¡¯re so cute... You¡¯re even taller than me now.¡± He laughs as he nervously scratches his head and blushes.


    ¡°Femmoblin...?¡± I ask in a voice that¡¯s not my own.


    ¡°Ahh... such a cute voice to match! I think I¡¯m in love...¡± He looks away as he covers his heart with his hands, letting out a long and drawn out sigh as he does so... I don¡¯t know how but his finger grew back when I wasn¡¯t looking and there¡¯s no hint of where I bit it off.


    This boy¡¯s over the top words make me blush. No one¡¯s ever talked to me like this before...


    The men of my tribe were my everything, but they were so crude and sexual. There¡¯s... this adorable purity about this horned boy the likes of which I¡¯ve never seen.


    ¡°So uh, ¡®Femmoblins¡¯. Yeah. That¡¯s what the humans call your species. They¡¯re so weird, they gotta have a name for everything. If you ask me... monsters are just monsters!¡±


    ¡°I... see.¡± I sit up and scoot away from my saviour. ¡°I appreciate you saving me but... you... really should have just let me die.¡±


    ¡°What? No way. You didn¡¯t actually want to die, did you?¡± Sadness fills the boy¡¯s voice as his concern for me only manages to grow.


    ¡°Well... no. But I can¡¯t take care of myself and my tribe is... they¡¯re... all dead.¡±


    The stranger crawls towards me on all fours and tilts his head. ¡°Miss, can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°Uh... yes?¡±


    ¡°How could you just roll over and accept the end like that? Don¡¯t you want to make it all... I dunno... mean something?¡±


    His words spark a fire within my heart, even if I don¡¯t fully understand them... they¡¯re... purposeful. They fill my soul with a longing like I¡¯ve never felt. ¡°But it didn¡¯t. Everyone died just like that and they left me all alone in the blink of an eye... and now? Now I¡¯ll never get to be their Queen...¡±


    As tears fall from my cheeks and my lips quiver, the strange boy begins laughing from the bottom of his gut. This makes my heart sink in my chest, as I was just so overwhelmed by his kindness and now it seems so distant. ¡°...Is my pain funny to you?¡±


    He gasps and covers his mouth, shaking his head. ¡°NO! No, no! I was just thinking, ¡®what, is that all¡¯?¡±


    ¡°YES, THAT WAS ALL! MY TRIBE IS DEAD AND I¡¯M NOTHING WITHOUT THEM! I WAS DESTINED TO BE QUEEN!¡± I shout at the boy who saved my life.


    ¡°AH- NO! YOU¡¯RE NOT UNDERSTANDING!! IT¡¯S BECAUSE THAT¡¯S EXACTLY WHAT I CAME HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT!!¡± He flushes red and sweats profusely, waving his hands around in a flurry to try and emphasize his words.


    I wipe my tears off and stare him in the eyes, nervously covering my naked breasts from him and turning away. ¡°...I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    He sighs and shakes his head. ¡°They never do. See, I can kinda like... SEE suffering. When I do this-¡± He touches the side of his face and his eyes light up with those intense fires. ¡°It''s kinda weird. The world you¡¯re in is like a flat... disk shaped thingy called a ¡®realm¡¯. There¡¯s all this black stuff between this realm and the others and the Gods don¡¯t like mortals hopping around all over the place so they made teleportation really hard. But... I¡¯m kind of a special case, and-¡±


    ¡°...Look, kid. I¡¯m really, really sorry... but you¡¯re doing an absolutely horrendous job of making even the smallest amount of sense. What the fuck does this have to do with anything?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, I wish Shubby were here. Even if she¡¯s always a little baby crazy, she¡¯s the smart one and she¡¯s way better at explaining this stuff than I am...¡± The boy laughs and blushes. I assume he¡¯s talking about his mate? ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is my eyes point out places where there¡¯s gonna be a lot of suffering and then I have to wait around for it to happen... cause there¡¯s always a special girl like you who shows up after it does.¡±


    I look him up and down in utter confusion. ¡°How does that have a single thing to do with you laughing about my tribe being dead and how I¡¯ll never be a Queen?¡±


    The boy takes a deep breath, his cheeks reddening the most I¡¯ve yet to see them. ¡°Okay, just gonna have to come out and say it... ah, why does this part never get any easier? I came here... to make you MY Queen. If you¡¯ll have me, of course.¡±


    ...


    I stand up and show him my yellowed fangs. ¡°THIS REALLY IS JUST A JOKE TO YOU, ISN¡¯T IT?! IF YOU HADN¡¯T SAVED MY LIFE I¡¯D... I¡¯D KILL YOU FOR INSULTING ME IN SUCH A WAY, YOU... YOU INSOLENT-¡±


    I make the mistake of blinking a single time and the boy is gone, replaced by a corrupted presence coming from behind me.


    It can¡¯t be that same boy from mere moments ago, can it?


    This pressure is so horrifying and intense that it feels nothing like the monster I was only just talking to.


    The frightening existence embraces me from behind in a tender hug that feels warm and loving... yet now I can clearly sense the true darkness he kept hidden within himself during our entire conversation. It creeps out of his heart pressed against my naked back and it covers me head to toe like an ocean of pervasive, sickening shadows. From within his true self the fangs and claws and talons and tentacles and fists of a thousand monsters all bear themselves before my soul threatening to rip me into just as many pieces if I step so much as a little out of line.


    The legends were true. The monsters in this area... we were all affected just by being able to sense that he was nearby. It all makes sense... no wonder we all felt so confident and unbeatable.


    This boy...


    No-


    This MAN is no monster.


    He is the Oblivion, the king who sits upon that darkest of thrones. I am honored that he would even so much as speak to me... let alone that he would offer a lowly wench such as myself a place at his side which I certainly don¡¯t deserve.


    What a fool I was...


    ¡°I knew you had it in you... I just knew it. This is why you must join the ranks of my Queens. You¡¯re not just an ordinary Femmoblin... you were born to rule.¡± The man smiles with heavy relief, and I am blessed by his endless compassion. ¡°The suffering which twisted you into the poor, miserable creature that you are now... I need it just as much as I need you. If you come with me, I¡¯ll teach you how to share it the way it¡¯s meant to be shared.¡±


    ¡°My Lord... I... would love for nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Tell me your name.¡± He asks with that warm grin of his that makes him look so friendly despite the cool, blue tint of his skin.


    ¡°...Gijelle, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Gijelle? MY Gijelle... I like the sound of that. Hey, what do you want more than anything in the entire world? No matter how insignificant it is, I want you to tell me.¡±


    ¡°I want to kill the girl who did this to me, and I want every single person she loves to suffer.¡± I growl without even a second of hesitation. Hesitation is for weak little tribal Princesses, it¡¯s not befitting of a Queen.


    ¡°Hmm, I see, I see... Very tried and true. Does she live in that town over there? That really, really shitty looking one that smells like drugs and hopelessness?¡±


    ¡°I think so, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯m going to make an you an offer, Gijelle, and I want you to-¡±


    I turn around and see not the terrifying monster who looked down on me, but that same cute boy with fire in his eyes and blush on his cheeks. I fall to my knees and bow before him, unable to resist the love beating through my heart. ¡°Yes. Yes. YES. A thousand times yes, my Lord...! I will be your Queen, and I will birth you an army from between my legs...!¡±


    ¡°Aw geez.¡± He blushes and scratches his chin. Why didn¡¯t I notice sooner? My Lord is so cute when he¡¯s shy... ¡°I mean on one hand yeah that¡¯s the idea but on the other it''s embarrassing and... um... really hot when you say it out loud... Ahahaha...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so very sorry, my Lord. I can¡¯t control my enthusiasm...¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to! Please, Gijelle... stand up. You¡¯re gonna be my wife and my Queens are my equals. Don¡¯t ever forget that. Heck, I actually answer to some of them rather than the other way around!¡± He blushes and I see a lewd desire rise within him.


    Is my Lord truly so kind?


    Can this be real?


    I stand and bite my lip, holding back tears as he hugs me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you a lot stronger, Gijelle. One day you¡¯ll lead an army of our children and I¡¯ll let you take all the lingering pain and suffering in your heart and give it to everyone who actually deserves it. Starting with the very girl who took everything from you. I just... um...¡±


    ¡°My Lord?¡±


    ¡°I dunno when it¡¯ll be. I¡¯m not in a rush to conquer the realms or anything.¡± My Lord laughs that lovely, bashful laugh of his. ¡°Could be a year or two, maybe longer. But I promise it¡¯ll happen!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how long it takes, my Lord... take me home. I know you would never begrudge me what my heart desires most. For now, I wish to join my new sisters and have them watch as we make our union official.¡±


    ¡°Kinky!¡± My new husband smiles from my depraved desires. ¡°They¡¯re a rowdy lot, though. They aren¡¯t going to be satisfied with just watching...¡±


    ¡°Then they can join us, my Lord. Now please. Take me home and... please... PLEASE breed me...!!¡±


    My Lord opens a gate of pure darkness as the fires in his eyes grow into an inferno and on the other side... I see it... a gigantic bed of chaos and misery forged from abyssal souls, held in place by a screaming black metal that spirals out into forever. It is our marriage bed, and atop it waits my many, many new sisters.


    I take my Lord¡¯s hand and step through the gate, ready and willing as his blushing bride to be.

 Working Out Some Stress

    Zutiria and I made the decision shortly after what happened with my eyes to just go the hell to bed and not bother.


    We were both very interested to start experimenting with the new abilities I just unlocked, but we were also both emotionally exhausted. I¡¯d spent the entire day being flung and forth between mental highs and lows while Zutiria¡¯s was mostly just trying to recover from a very, very bad low.


    Furthermore we agreed that we weren¡¯t going to tell anyone just yet.


    I would like a day of normalcy to repair my taxed mental health less I lose what few non-stressed parts of my brain are left.


    Tomorrow I will have a mental health day and we¡¯ll all go visit the Breeding Tribe and adopt some new low cost workers for the Guild... Is that really so much to ask?


    The next morning, I awaken to a wonderful discovery.


    Zutiria seems to have recovered enough to regain her sex drive and the first feeling I have upon opening my eyes is that of soft lips being split wide by my eager cock. It¡¯s not long before the bobbing of the little Mage¡¯s head up and down my length gives me enough pleasure to fully awaken, and I soon reach down under the sheets to stroke her hair.


    ¡®Morning, Sir.¡¯ She responds while servicing my dick slowly and methodically.


    ¡°Mmmm... feeling better?¡±


    ¡®Maybe after breakfast.¡¯ Zutiria teases and begins fondling my balls a bit rougher than usual, much to my sheer delight. The little lady takes one in each of her tiny hands and massages them as if trying to coax the milk straight out of them but never enough for it to hurt. She¡¯s truly become a master of working my swollen balls.


    It isn¡¯t long before I give my Mage what she wants and I moan heavily into the morning, letting out a stream of my seed directly down my throat as she swallows it with practiced glee. As I slowly finish off shooting my morning load inside her wet mouth, Zutiria she gasps for air before pushing my erection back down her throat to suck like mad, eager to convince the last few drops left in my urethra out for her to taste like all of the rest.


    Just as I pull off the covers to reveal her in all her adorable, bed-headed morning glory, it comes to my attention that my frenzied sounds of pleasure have attracted guests.


    Sam and Meri both watch from the crack of the door, and they¡¯re both naked. Zutiria turns to them and says, ¡®Come on, then. I¡¯m ok now. I don¡¯t want to keep him all to myself...¡¯


    ¡°Are you sure, Zuzu?¡± Sam asks with great concern, holding back her horniness out of respect for her friend.


    ¡°We... We just heard Master groaning and wanted to make sure everything was alright... honest...!¡± Meri tries to explain and cover her own lust but as per usual she fails miserably.


    ¡®I¡¯m very sure. Please. Join us. I believe Sir deserves a mental health day and there¡¯s no better way to start than letting him run rampant with our bodies. Wouldn¡¯t you say, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Gods, it¡¯s like you read my mind.¡± I smile at the Mage with my cum still dribbling down her chin, and she smiles back weakly.


    ¡°You heard the lady. Get in there, slut!¡± Sam spanks Meri¡¯s ass as Meri opens the door and the timid Shield Maiden yelps from surprise.


    ¡°HYAH!? M-Master... I¡¯m sorry to intrude... but...¡± Meri bites her lip while both of them enter the room. I can¡¯t help but notice that the little brunette has more kiss marks than I remember giving her.


    My intuition was right after all.


    By the looks of things it seems I really didn¡¯t need to be worried about whether or not Sam and Meri continue to get along even after last night¡¯s revelation.


    That¡¯s enough thinking about depressing things, though.


    It¡¯s time for sex.


    ¡°Everyone line up at the end of the bed, asses out.¡± I command with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got some stress to work through.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh, Daddy knows what he wants.¡± Sam licks her lips before doing as she¡¯s told.


    ¡®I...¡¯ Zutiria stops and corrects her text before continuing, ¡®WE are yours, Sir.¡¯ She reminds me, joining Sam¡¯s side. ¡®Take out all of your stress with our bodies. It¡¯s all we¡¯re good for, devoted sluts that we are.¡¯


    Meri too goes where she¡¯s told and bends over, ¡°I-I um... well... I think I¡¯m the best equipped to handle what you need, Master... even though pain is scary... I... I can take a lot of damage...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re up last.¡± I tell her, even though she¡¯s right. I¡¯d rather enjoy a quickie with Sam and Zutiria before really, really getting it out of my system with Meri¡¯s curvy body.


    So I do just that.


    I fuck Sam first since Zutiria just swallowed a load all on own, sliding my dick in and out of the young, tight Princess from behind. I¡¯m sure playing with Meri was just as fun, but from the way her pink lips keep clamping down on my dick it seems like I was sorely missed.


    ¡°Fuuuuck, Daddy is so HARD this morning...¡± She groans and plays up her sluttiness, knowing how it only ever spurs me on to fuck her rougher like the slut she is.


    MY slut.


    No...


    My own personal Princess pussy to use and abuse however the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want.


    Just that thought alone is enough to get me closer to the edge of release but then Sam hurries me along by moaning harsher and loader, husking in her sexy voice, ¡°Come ONNN, I... nnnghhh... can feel you throbbingggg, give it to me Daddy, come on... come ooooonnn, what are you waiting for, I-AHHHNNN!!¡±


    Using all my strength I pound myself into her slick, needy cunt one last time. I howl with lust and fire off a massive creampie topped off with a strong spank on her bratty ass for good measure. I pull out after I finally stop cumming and watch as my gratuitous amount of semen gushes out of her like a waterfall.


    While I still have a minute or two of downtime from my divinely blessed refractory period, I¡¯m starting to feel the benefits of my newly increased stamina gift from Luxy.


    Even though I went really hard on Sam at the end there I don¡¯t feel like it took any of my strength, and I¡¯m able to quickly move over to Zutiria soon enough to give her the attention the delicate little woman is always so desperate for.


    Her petite butt dangles off the edge of the bed and rather than bending over to fuck her, I pick her delicate hips up and begin thrusting into her like she were a toy. Instantly her pussy starts squeezing me out of joy, tightness baring down to an absurd degree.


    ¡®Sir... yes, yes, yessss... grab me and use me... please... I love being of service to you, my sweet, lovely man... Feeling your cock stretch my tight little slit as wide as it can... makes me feel... mmmm... so complete...¡¯


    Zutiria likes the way I savage her small body very much, and for that matter, so do the other girls. Sam and Meri both watch as they finger themselves in amazement of me fucking the Mage¡¯s tight tunnel as if she were almost weightless.


    ¡°You like watching me fuck my pretty little Mage, girls?¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck yeah...¡± Sam bites her lower lip, her eager fingers plunging into the hole still dripping with my fresh load. ¡°You¡¯re giving it to her SO good, Daddy... like a real fucking man would...¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s... she¡¯s so small and you¡¯re going so rough...! You¡¯re going to ruin her body and... and break her...!¡± Meri gasps from the thought of getting used that hard.


    ¡®Yes, Sir... Break me, fucking BREAK ME-¡¯ Zutiria closes her eyes and her pussy clenches my aching meat over and over again.


    I fuck her as hard as I fucking can, fully intending to try and break her just the way she wants. When I can no longer delay my release I fill up Zutiria¡¯s tight slit with an absurd amount of my liquid desire, burning the proof of my love into her depths.


    She falls to the bed a broken, but incredibly happy mess.


    And now there¡¯s only Meri who has yet to be creamed.


    She looks over her shoulder in anticipation as the tip of my magically powered rod presses against her sopping, fat lower lips. With one good thrust of my hips I split her desperate cunt wide open. My huge cock bottoms out and I enjoy the feeling of being inside Meri for the second time. and she wails in delight, especially when Sam and Zutiria both get up off the edge of the bed to watch get railed.


    ¡°Look at the little slut now, Zuzu.¡±


    ¡®I.. I see her, Sammy... How shameful. She already has Sir¡¯s cock in her but she looks as if she won¡¯t be satisfied until Sir truly takes out his frustrations on her soft, damage-resistant body.¡¯


    ¡°W-What?! No... no that¡¯s not... I just want him to feel good... I...¡± Meri¡¯s eyes open wide as I grunt and dig my fingers angrily into her ass.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I tell her, to which she looks back and meekly nods her head- eyes half lidded from her growing lust as she falls even deeper into bliss from my more possessive and commanding tone. ¡°You want to get used? Then I¡¯m going to fucking use you for all I¡¯m worth!¡± I slap her ass as hard as I can from the get-go causing her to shriek in pain.


    ¡°HUWAAA, YES MASTERRRR! I¡¯M SORRY, PLEASE USE MEEEE LIKE THE REST OF YOUR W-WHORES...!!¡± Meri cries in pleasure, bucking her hips back into me and grinding them in a powerful circular motion that stretches my stiff cock all around.


    Sam sees this and knowingly winks at Meri before giving me a look. Was she giving Meri pointers last night while they had their fun? This feels amazing and it¡¯s hard to imagine that the naive brunette could figure this out just from reading books...


    But I¡¯m not going to be outdone.


    I grunt like an animal and lean over the bed, putting my entire weight on Meri¡¯s back while taking my hands from her hips and wrapping them around her squishy tits pressed down on the bed.


    ¡°M-MAST...ER...?! YOU¡¯RE... H-HEAVY...!!¡± I hug her entire torso and she begins breathing heavily from the weight of my body coupled with the merciless way I¡¯m ravaging her pliant, pink flesh with my dick.


    Over and over Meri twitches and squeezes me from sheer delight, which only makes me fuck her harder and thus creating a viscious cycle where I use my newly Goddess-given stamina to well and truly fuck Meri within an inch of her life. Even more so than Zutiria, I treat her snug little cunt like it¡¯s my toy and watch as she becomes so out of breath that she can no longer even moan.


    Right as it gets too much for her to bear I slam my cock against walls, bite her neck harshly with my teeth and cum inside her masochistic pussy for what feels like forever.


    I¡¯m really, really glad I have Meri now.


    Judging by the stunned and astonished looks on Sam and Zutiria¡¯s faces as they watch me fill Meri¡¯s fat pussy up with my burning load, I don¡¯t know if they would have been able to provide how roughly I needed it.


    Sam likes rough play too, but Meri is a dedicated tank who can just sit there and soak up absolutely anything I want to do to her to the point where I barely even have to care about her wellbeing during sex. I don¡¯t think I could permanently hurt her if I tried.


    ¡°Gods... holy fuck, I needed that...¡± I say between gasps for air and finally


    ¡°I¡¯ll say, holy shit Daddy. Is she even gonna be ok...?¡± Sam looks to Meri worriedly.


    ¡°Oh... Sam... I¡¯m... I¡¯m more than... ok...¡± Meri giggles while in a dazy, dreamlike state of post orgasmic bliss.


    ¡®Spoken like a true slut. You¡¯re learning so well, but what comes now that Sir has had a turn with each of us, Meri?¡¯ Zutiria asks my slutty Shield Maiden.


    ¡°Clean... up.¡± Meri licks her lips and slides limply off the edge of the bed and kneels down before me, taking my half erect cock into her mouth so she can lick and suck all of the semen off.


    ¡°Fuck... we... nnngh... have things to do...¡± I remind Meri and the others while my cock grows hard at the amazing service my newest lover provides me with.


    ¡°You¡¯re always looking out for us, Daddy...¡± Sam reminds me while hovering over my face with her naked tits.


    ¡®Even last night you chose to be with me despite how bad your own day was. Let us take care of you in return. Sammy?¡¯


    ¡°C¡¯mere, you.¡± Sam grins and lifts my head up onto her lap so she can bend over and rub her breasts all over my face. ¡°Mmmm... Daddy is such a naughty boy, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Ahh...¡± I can¡¯t even answer as when I open my mouth to respond she lowers her perky pink nipple inside it, urging me to suck on her sweet and delicious flesh all while receiving an enthusiastic blowjob from my sweet Meri.


    The Princess continues to rub her breasts against me even after taking the nipple away, doing everything she can think of to smother me in her cleavage. She lets them drop on my face, she squishes them like pillows against both sides of my cheek, and she uses them to massage the stress out of me simply by rubbing away and moaning.


    Meri responds in turn, her hands leaving the base of my cock to rest on my hips so that she can better take my cock like a slut. Even if she¡¯s nowhere near as experienced as any of my other lovers, Meri¡¯s masochistic impulses cause her to be much more daring than she otherwise would be. She slurps louder as if trying to suck me like a straw, working her lips down my meat until it scratches the back of her throat no matter how hard it is for her to pull off.


    Soon enough the tag-team of tits and lips is able to finish me off and while moaning into Sam¡¯s nipple I cum one last time for the morning and lift my hips off the bed and into Meri¡¯s throat as far as I can reach. She struggles to swallow every last drop of my torrential output even when I never asked her to.


    ¡°Oh Godssss-¡± I grunt as Meri squeezes the root of my cock like it¡¯s a tube of the finest toothpaste you could buy in the capital, eager for every last drop.


    Amid the ongoing bliss I end up biting down on Sam¡¯s nipple and she shrieks, ¡°AH! T-TOO HARD...!¡± She says but it doesn¡¯t sound like she really means it.


    Meri finally slides her lips up off my cock and lets it go with a loud ¡®POP¡¯, her eyes even more glossed over and glassy with steamy perversion. ¡°I... I hope that felt good... Master...¡± She asks with sincerity, which makes me sit up and pet her head like a good girl.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think you need to worry about that.¡¯ Zutiria smiles.


    ¡°Boss is a man, after all. Doesn¡¯t take much to get him back in fighting shape and ready to fuck the world into submission.¡± Sam elbows me in the rib with a smug grin and I smile back at her, only to see her rubbing her swollen red nipple. Whoops.


    ¡°Thanks to my new stamina I¡¯m even tempted to stay in bed a bit longer, but we really must get ready for the day.¡±


    ¡°If we have to...¡± Sam playfully rolls her eyes.


    ¡®Sir promised that he would take me to see the kitties today.¡¯ Zutiria reminds me.


    ¡°Oh, I want to come! I¡¯ve never seen Beastfolk before!¡±


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s coming, this is a big decision and as such I need each of you by my side.¡±


    Each of my girls smile in response and get off the bed to go grab their clothes and armor for the day, while I sigh and take a quick moment of mental bliss all to myself.


    I feel refreshed and ready to go.


    Look out Dukes and Demon Lords alike, I¡¯m a new man and currently stress free... for however long that ends up lasting.


    I¡¯ll give it three hours.

 On the Origin of Kitties

    Over a thousand years ago when Karnallian Mages first discovered the power to create Void Ships by binding their souls to special vessels, sailing over the edge of the world no longer meant you would fall off the world and into the empty black.


    We found out that if you sailed long enough in any direction, you¡¯d find other realms. All of them were flat, just like Karnalle, but other than that they couldn¡¯t be any more different.


    Although the actual number of realms is anyone¡¯s guess, to our understanding we seem to believe that Karnalle is the center of all of them and the rest of them lie in a circular pattern extending out from Karnalle. We call the six realms that form a ring around Karnalle the ¡®inner realms¡¯, while the twelve realms that loop around the inner realm are called the ¡®outer realms¡¯. Goddess knows how many more lie beyond the outer realms but if the trend keeps going one would assume the universe as we know it just keeps expanding outwards in multiples.


    Karnalle spread the secret of void ships everywhere they sailed and in the great age of realm exploration we made friends, enemies, marked off places to avoid (Grekka and Gothicca come to mind), and most importantly of all- we established a great many trading partners.


    One such trading partner was a certain outer realm by the name of Besthal, a dense jungle populated solely by the magnificent Beastfolk race. Although it depends on their specific subspecies, for the most part Beastfolk look completely human aside from having the ears, tail and nose of a beast as well as furred hands and feet with claws.


    Humans were incredibly taken by the exotic beauty of the Beastfolk, and Beastfolk were blown away that they could choose not to live in a dangerous jungle where every day is a fight for your life.


    Many Beastfolk came back with us to settle in Karnalle, and they ended up becoming jealous of our relationship with pets. Seeing that their less evolved cousins were allowed to just lay around and be fed for the rest of their life in exchange for being occasionally cute and occasionally helpful, the Beastfolk decided to domesticate us and allow us to invite them into our homes.


    Many tribes formed in Karnalle where Beastfolk of different subspecies, most commonly Dog and Catfolk, would be bred and trained in certain skills such as hunting, cleaning, cooking and other useful abilities and after becoming of age the tribe would help the young adult find a loving home, where he or she would only have minor obligations and otherwise be allowed to just lay around the house chewing bones or playing with yarn.


    The money from the transaction goes entirely back to the Breeding Tribes to help raise the next generation and provide for the mating pairs. For the most part Beastfolk don¡¯t care about money, they¡¯re a lot more simple minded than humans. But not in a... racist way? I apologize, that sounded terrible.


    What I mean to say is they know what they want. Money and numbers don¡¯t interest them. They just want to live hassle free as far, far away from Besthal as they possibly can.


    As you can imagine there are a lot of systems in place to make sure that an arrangement like this didn¡¯t end tragically.


    For one, Beastfolk in general have a much sharper sense of danger than most of the other races mainly due to their animal instincts being honed for thousands of years in a primitive, dangerous jungle. It¡¯s said they can tell whether you¡¯re worth selling to or not just by sniffing you. Furthermore, you have to be incredibly upfront about whether or not you¡¯re intending there to be any sexual contact between yourself and the Beastfolk you have your heart set on.


    It¡¯s generally alright if you do intend it so long as you don¡¯t lie about it or plan on hurting them. Obviously the Beastfolk you adopt also has to decide if they even like you that way to begin with.


    Beastfolk are always in demand as far as sex workers go, but that choice needs to be made by them.


    Some are ecstatic when offered a home at a brothel, others politely decline. They tend to be a very sexually open race, though you mainly only see Catfolk at brothels and other such establishments. Dogfolk are much too loyal to be passed around from master to master...


    Not that I would know, I- well. There are a great many erotic tomes I¡¯ve chanced upon with brothels as part of their scenario. Not my favorite, but hot from time to time. I¡¯m getting off track, though...


    All in all... it¡¯s a weird system, but it¡¯s a system I¡¯m going to exploit as heavily as I can in order to get some cheap labor- provided they even let me look at the Beastfolk ready for adoption.


    Sam, Zutiria and Meri are all ready to get going and pick out some kitties, and I checked in on Nikita before we left. She came home late in the night and she¡¯s currently passed out drunk and naked in her guest bedroom. After looking for a bit longer than I probably should have, I head into my office and fill up two small sacks with five hundred 100G pieces each, so that we have the money on hand if things go as planned.


    I would kill for one of those magical wallets they sell in Imperalis. I¡¯ve heard they keep all your Gold safe in a small pocket dimension and you can just reach in and take out however much you want... but they¡¯re in very high demand after some lucky mage thought of the idea a few years back. Not to mention absurdly expensive.


    On our way to the bazaar we have to pass through the town square, and it seems that there¡¯s a public funeral being held for the deceased village chief, Abner. I didn¡¯t doubt Fleetfoot¡¯s words or anything but it¡¯s still nice to have confirmation.


    It''s an incredibly shitty funeral but it still manages to be more packed than my own grandpa¡¯s. Was Abner really more liked than him?


    Most of the crowd I recognize, a large portion of them being Abner¡¯s numerous estranged ex wives who look elated beyond relief to see the old bastard finally gone from their lives once and for all.


    The man with the large RAEP tattoo on his forehead, known locally as RAEPface, seems genuinely heartbroken, and he by the looks of it he¡¯s the only person in attendance who is actually upset in any way even if I have no idea as to why he¡¯d possibly care.


    Maybe he was one of Abner¡¯s bastard sons who left home to make his father proud by becoming a serial rapist? You never really know the reason for anything that happens in this town. What I do know is that local catboy Milly is by his side, loyally comforting the grieving criminal.


    There¡¯s a few people I don¡¯t recognize among the attendees, namely a very sickly looking bald Elf wearing loose robes. His twitching blue eyes and his glowing blue veins paint him as an obvious mana crystal consumer but I¡¯ve never seen a user quite as rundown as him. This Elf doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s the product of the mana crystal addiction crisis of Dewhurst so much as he looks like he¡¯s the God of addiction himself.


    There¡¯s also a legitimate, honest to goodness pimp wearing a giant feathered hat with a crown on the rim, exorbitant jewelry and expensive clothing. In one hand he carries a traditional pimp cane beset with an absurd number of jewels and in the other he leads two scantily clad women by a pair of golden chains collared to their necks as if they were his dogs. Haven¡¯t seen him before, either.


    The most obviously suspicious attendee of the entire affair is a certain Butcher Bludman.


    This is the least subtle intimidation tactic I¡¯ve ever seen. He¡¯s... catering the funeral. The steak he¡¯s serving is stretched absurdly thin, pale from age and practically diseased.


    The girls and I exchange a look of disbelief.


    Is the Duke really just blatantly having Bludman serve Abner¡¯s corpse to the attendees of his own funeral? Like... really? That doesn¡¯t intimidate me so much as make me shake my head and ask ¡®why?¡¯. I mean... it¡¯s clearly a sign meant for me since I¡¯m one of the only ones who know who really killed Abner... but... REALLY?


    I guess that certainly explains the closed casket.


    Sigh...


    This town is fucking stupid.


    ...


    Shit.


    Speaking of stupid...


    A man calls out to me from among the attendees and sneaks out of the funeral clutching a bottle of cheap, foul smelling booze. ¡°No fuckin¡¯ way! That really you, Kiddo?!¡±


    His name is Niall Hawkins, and he¡¯s a long since retired adventurer who I used to be close with in my youth. The keyword phrase is ¡®used to¡¯. Even when he WAS working he was a lazy piece of shit who only ever did Bronze ranked quests despite his Gold level license.


    Nowadays the only job he has is panhandling to fund the eventual shut-down of his liver. When Grandpa died Niall was one of the very first adventurers to go and I¡¯ve never forgiven him. I thought he¡¯d always have my back and he even spent a lot of time looking out for me as my eyes got worse but... the only person who always had my back was Opalina.


    I¡¯m not an overly sentimental person. I don¡¯t want to wax about how close we were, or how he was the older brother I never had but always wanted. But Niall was the next best thing, I suppose... before he abandoned me.


    He¡¯s always been unkempt and rough looking, but twenty two years of living on the streets has turned him into a real sight. Scraggly, untrimmed stubble and a seedy mustache... unwashed black hair, downtrodden, tired eyes and an untrustworthy grin permanently lifting up the corners of his mouth... and that¡¯s to say nothing about his attire.


    Niall wears a big, bulky green trench coat so old and weathered that it¡¯s been patched up at least six different times with just as many different replacement fabrics. Rather than a proper trench coat it looks more like he¡¯s wearing a quilt sewn together by the most unskilled of Dewhurstian alcoholics. Underneath it he wears a white, stained tank top and scraggly looking black pants that are riddled with holes and stitches. The cut off is too high making them fail to efficiently cover the bottom of his hairy legs.


    The left arm of Niall¡¯s coat is sewn up below his elbow so that it doesn¡¯t flop around in the wind, hiding the stump of his missing arm that he lost in a dungeon long before I ever met him.


    (Incredibly unpolished rough sketch, not even a draft really so much as just the bare basic idea of what he''ll look like. I''ll replace it when I draw something more concrete.)


    I stand there for a moment, just staring at him and hoping he would somehow magically disappear. I¡¯d rather be looking at anyone in all of Dewhurst right about now, even the damned Duke. Hell, give me Fleetfoot over this asshole any day of the week.


    But he¡¯s not going to go away just because of how much I don¡¯t want to see him.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to see you, Niall. Maybe we can do it again sometime. Goodbye.¡± I sigh and immediately try to start walking but obviously my girls aren¡¯t just going to let this go.


    ¡°Who the fuck¡¯s this guy?¡± Sam asks. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had any friends, Boss.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not-¡±


    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not just friends.¡± Niall laughs and attempts to drink his bottle of swill, only for him to miss his mark by an entire foot and accidentally pour it all over his coat. ¡°Whoops- shit. Uh, yeah. Haha! Me and your Boss here go waaaaay back. But more importantly, hey look at you three! I heard he¡¯s been leaving the Guild with some cuties in tow but damn!¡±


    Niall drunkenly moves forward to try and casually hug the girls, but Zutiria keeps him away with her staff. ¡®Begone, vial Dewhurstian. Back to the depressing dive bar from whence you came.¡¯


    ¡°Whoa, was that text thingy you?¡± He looks at Zutiria with a friendly smile. ¡°That¡¯s cool shit. Let¡¯s see here... You got a Great Blader... a Black Mage and... whoa. You¡¯re a Shield Maiden, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°M-Me? Yes. I MEAN NO- I... huwaaa...!¡± Meri hides behind me, clearly not very enthused about the overeager alcoholic.


    Sam steps forward and pushes Niall to the ground before striking a threatening pose in her new armor. ¡°Is this guy trouble, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But-¡±


    ¡°Not the BAD kind of trouble, right?¡± Niall laughs and picks himself up off the stony street.


    ¡°He¡¯s a harmless sort of trouble.¡± I sigh and admit to them, telling Sam to ease off by clasping her pauldron and pulling her back to my side.


    ¡°Are you busy, Kiddo...?¡± The former adventurer frowns, and it dawns on me that he¡¯s genuinely upset that I don¡¯t want anything to do with him. He loses all his enthusiasm and his eyes grow dead, distant. ¡°I just thought we could catch up some time... but. I get it. I mean, LOOK at me. I hate that fucker, too.¡± He laughs, and Sam lets out a snort as well. ¡°See? She gets it.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t think Sir is comfortable with you around.¡¯ Zutiria bluntly says as she steps forward to take my hand in hers. ¡®I suggest that you leave.¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria, don¡¯t. I can do this myself.¡± I sigh and take my hand from her. I look straight on at Niall and find myself overcome with a melancholy. Seeing him reminds me of the good old days of my childhood in the Guild, at least before my eyes ruined a large chunk of it and a certain Goddess ended it prematurely.


    No matter how much I say I hate him, it¡¯s impossible for me to look at Niall and not feel a nostalgic warmth that compels me to ignore my common sense and forgive him just so I can have a small part of that old life back.


    But while Opalina stayed by my side and raised me as her own more or less, Niall did the proverbial ¡®going out one day for cigarettes and never coming back¡¯ routine.


    I¡¯ve run into him many, many times over the years and each time he tries to invite himself back into my good graces as if he never made the decision to leave me in my hour of need, and each time it always plays out like this.


    I don¡¯t want to be mad at him, but I have to be. I just wish it didn¡¯t hurt so much whenever I have to steel my resolve and tell him to go fuck himself.


    ¡°...We really need to be on our way, Niall.¡± I turn around and start walking away from Abner¡¯s comical, farce of a funeral and down the road leading straight to the bazaar.


    Sam, Zutiria and Meri all follow close behind me and I hurry down the path, expecting the same thing that always happens whenever Niall shows up and pulls this exact same stunt. For him to shut up, turn around and go back to his bottle.


    He doesn¡¯t.


    He actually calls out to me a second time as I leave and he tells me with a solemn look in his eyes. ¡°...I know it doesn''t mean much, but I was really happy to hear you¡¯re back in action.¡± Niall raises his booze to salute me and he then joins back up with the funeral, chucking away his bottle so he can take a plate of steak from Bludman with his right arm.


    ¡°Master... who WAS that...?¡± Meri frowns and looks up at me.


    ¡°...Someone who I wish that I could hate.¡±


    And with that, I enter the bustling Dewhurst Bazaar at long, long last to adopt some new pets for the Guild all while trying to ignore how it hasn¡¯t even been a half hour since I said I¡¯d give it three hours before I became stressed once more...

 The Dewhurst Bazaar

    If there were a single place in all of Dewhurst that single handedly represented all the collective problems of the city in one neat little package, it was the bazaar. You could bring anyone in the realm here and just from an idle glance they¡¯d be able to say, ¡®Oh. You really weren¡¯t kidding about this place... Wow, this is bad.¡¯


    Because it is indeed bad.


    The stalls are lined with seedy merchants openly selling every illegal substance in the known realms, with a large focus on mana crystals of various purities. Back alley alchemists hawk their low quality steezweed potions and countless loan sharks patrol the market looking to prey on anyone who needs a couple of extra pieces of gold to finance their nefarious purchases.


    Cheap booth girls show their tits, asses and sometimes even more all in the chance of getting you to stop by their stall while a dozen little street urchins work as an organized unit trying to pickpocket as many sacks of gold as they can like they were in direct of competition with each other.


    Zutiria gets sidetracked when we pass by the flourishing community of local disgraced Mages who sell unregulated magical artifacts, occult knick-knacks and forbidden grimoires from within the comfort of shady tents, dark alleyways and shops located behind doors you¡¯d swear weren¡¯t there when you last looked.


    She very much wants to spend the day rifling through their cursed inventories and I normally would have let her, especially since she¡¯s just coming off of a very rough day.


    Sam seems to be having fun as well, laughing at all the outrageous goods, gawking at Dewhurst¡¯s absurdist population and constantly doing double takes to confirm that yes, someone is actually selling that.


    Meri? Meri is... not home right now. This experience must be well beyond culture shock for the little country girl and she holds my hand while trembling. She mutters her typical, ¡°Stand firm... stand firm...¡± catchphrase only her fear and jitteriness causes her to speed up and stammer, transforming her words into unintelligible bursts that sound a little like ¡°S-s-staffirm-staffirm-S-S-STAFFirm¡±.


    It goes without saying that I get a number of uncalled for looks from among the townspeople. There he is, the freak. The little boy who ruined our town. Probably killed his grandpa, too...


    Nothing I¡¯m not used to.


    Only now they typically fuck off when I give them a good glare back and play up the evil eye bit they seem to fear oh so much. Never gets old...


    At the end of the bazaar is a very large red tent almost the likes of which you¡¯d expect from a carnival troupe. The fabric of the tent is covered in even darker red paw prints from all sorts of different types of critters, including many strange prints I can¡¯t for the life of me identify. Two very large, canine Beastfolk men protect the entrance of the tent from wandering riff-raff who want to sneak in and gawk at the puppies and the kitties- or worse. Above the entrance is a fluttering banner that reads ¡®Besthal Pet Shop¡¯.


    Both men watch very cautiously as we approach, and they make sure to show me their fangs. I understand why, I know how I look and they¡¯ve clearly already had to beat up who knows how many thugs today.


    One might wonder why they even bother stopping in Dewhurst at all given how strict they are with the people they choose to adopt to, but it¡¯s more that Dewhurst USED to be a nice little place and that it still runs through most of the major trading routes in Karnalle.


    Everyone has to stop here eventually.


    Traders can¡¯t exactly just skip us over, and word gets around that the Breeding Tribe will stop by for a few weeks and so we¡¯ll get people coming from nearby villages and the province¡¯s capital of Dawnstead for trading. Even if our local provincial Lord, Osborne Gloomcrest, likes to pretend that we don¡¯t exist, the rest of Karnalle still has to acknowledge us.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± I call out to the guard dogs while raising the sacks of gold, making it clear up front that I¡¯m intending on being a paying customer if everything turns out well.


    ¡°BORK BORK BORK BORK-¡± The Dogman on the right side begins yelling at me in the words of his people, causing Meri to shriek and hide behind my back. This man is younger than his partner by at least ten years, probably in his early twenties.


    ¡°Down, Scrap. Down!¡± The Dogman on the left raises his furred, paw like hand and calms his companion. He sighs and says. ¡°Sorry about that. You have the Dewhurstian look and it sets him off.¡±


    ¡°Story of my life.¡± I sigh.


    Scrap whines and shrinks with his tail between his legs, getting an amused laugh out of Sam.


    ¡°You folk here to adopt?¡± The older Dogman asks.


    ¡°Yes. I run the local Adventurer¡¯s Guild and I¡¯m looking to add to our currently nonexistent cleaning staff. I¡¯ve heard a great deal about the current boom of popularity that Catfolk maids have been enjoying and thought I¡¯d go and see it for myself.¡±


    ¡°Personally, I don¡¯t get it.¡± He sighs and his big, brown ears droop down off the sides of his fluffy hair. ¡°All we have to do is dress one of our girls up in those frilly dresses and suddenly she¡¯s got a hundred different offers. Ah, well. Hands?¡±


    ¡°Um... y-you want our hands?¡± Meri tilts her head after deciding it¡¯s safe enough to come out from behind me. Now that we¡¯re not getting barked at I think she finds them rather cute.


    Sam lets out a laugh and walks up to the Dogmen, raising her hand for them both to sniff. ¡°Like this, it¡¯s easy! They can tell if we¡¯re good or bad or not with their wet little noses.¡± Sam has experience among the Beastfolk, as according to her the King is very, very fond of them... just the same as most other red blooded Karnallian males, myself included.


    ¡°All clear.¡± Scrap says before giving her hand a small, respectful lick. ¡°How bout you, Flufferson?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good to go, miss.¡±


    ¡®You might want to check again.¡¯ Zutiria recommends via her text. ¡®Her heart is full of perversion and she used to walk around town in a slutty bikini.¡¯


    ¡°ZUZU-¡±


    ¡°BORK BORK BORK, WHERE WORDS COME FROM?! BORK BORK-¡± Scrap loses his gods damned mind over Zutiria¡¯s perceived psychic attack, causing the Mage to blush awkwardly.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, boy, heel! She can¡¯t talk normally. It¡¯s okay... it¡¯s ooooookay.¡± Sam reaches up and scritches Scrap¡¯s pointy, alerted ears until he calms down.


    ¡°M-Miss, please... don¡¯t... patronize m-me...¡± He blushes and his tail wags incessantly.


    I¡¯m not a jealous person, not over something this tame considering it¡¯s just a part of their culture. If anything, it¡¯s more amusing than it is anything else.


    Sam walks into the tent and turns around to wait for us on the other side.


    Zutiria steps up next and offers her dainty little hand to the Dogmen, and both of them share a very, very confused look on their faces. Both of their ears perk up and their tails fall flat, before they look each other in the eyes and turn around to deliberate for just a moment. After a few seconds of talking, they step aside and allow Zutiria to pass although they watch her as she goes, unsure if they made the right call. I notice neither of them give her the respectful lick that they did for Sam.


    That¡¯s... more than a little troubling and I can see from the look on Zutiria¡¯s face she¡¯s a little self conscious about it. I almost want to say something in her defense but it would likely make the situation worse.


    Then just before things can get more awkward, Meri steps forward and offers her hand to the Dogmen who both immediately start laughing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even bother, Miss. Get in here.¡± Flufferson shakes his head and holds his side.


    ¡°W-What?! B-But don¡¯t you need to sniff me to find out whether I-I¡¯m good or bad?¡±


    Scrap wipes a tear out of his eye and says, ¡°Are you joking? We could smell you all the way across the bazaar. You¡¯re like, the goodest of good girls who¡¯ve ever gooded before in the entire history of goodness.¡±


    Zutiria raises an eyebrow and adjusts her glasses.


    Sam holds back an enormous, unladylike snort.


    Meri¡¯s face reddens to the point where it looks like she¡¯s overheated in her armor again and without saying a word she enters the tent while staring at the ground from embarrassment. After she turns to face me she mutters, ¡°I-I¡¯m NOT a good girl... I¡¯m Master¡¯s... um... nnnn...¡± under her breath.


    All the laughter seems to drain from their faces as soon as I take a step forward and present my hand to the two guards. They both take a deep sniff and immediately Scrap bares his fangs and begins to growl at me, though he restrains himself from barking fully and forces himself to take many continuous sniffs after that.


    Both men pull away and the older Dogfolk, Flufferson, asks, ¡°You live here long?¡±


    ¡°My whole life, regrettably.¡± I say as I choke down the bizarre, slightly masochistic fondness I have for this gods awful town.


    ¡°You sure as shit smell like it, scum.¡± Scrap snarls before Flufferson flicks him on the nose before he can presumably bark at me again.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that- no shit you smell like the place you live in. It¡¯s more like... you don¡¯t smell... bad, per se. But there¡¯s a darkness lingering on the scent...¡±


    My eye twitches under my glasses thanks to increasing stress. I


    ¡°Can I go in or not?¡± I sigh, watching the faces of my Guild girls growing more and more concerned.


    ¡°It¡¯s... hard to say.¡± Flufferson¡¯s tail droops and he becomes lost in thought. ¡°It¡¯s hard to tell if the smell is you, someone in your life, or just... or if the smell just represents you as a whole.¡±


    ...


    As rude as this may sound, I have to fight back the urge to roll my eyes.


    After yesterday¡¯s metaphysical encounter with the divine I¡¯m not in the mood for vague, dreary metaphysical bullshit about how I smell like darkness, allegedly. Can. I. Come. In. That¡¯s a yes or no question, not an invitation for a philosophical debate. Darkness doesn¡¯t have a fucking smell, that¡¯s just... ugh.


    I guess it¡¯s no surprise my tolerance for this sort of nonsense has dropped significantly thanks to recent events.


    You would fucking think that having a few afternoon beers in the Supernal Skies of Serenity would wipe the smell of darkness clear off a man, yet here we are...


    ¡°N-No, please you don¡¯t understand! He only LOOKS like a scary thug!¡± Meri cuts in and makes sure to let them know.


    ¡°C¡¯mon- can¡¯t we like, vouch for him or something?¡± Sam grunts and puts her hands on her hips. ¡°You really think a bunch of upstanding and sexy young adventuresses such as ourselves would all work for him if he were a weird, gropey, sex pervert?¡± I¡¯m not sure what other types of perverts there are other than sex ones, but I don¡¯t correct her odd word choice.


    ¡°...I-I mean he is, b-but... that¡¯s w-w-why I... er... WE like him...¡± Meri blushes and says under her breath, presumably unaware of how sensitive the ears of Dogfolk happen to be.


    Zutiria remains silent, probably locked deeply in thought over how she was barely able to pass security in the first place. I¡¯m sure she assumes her words probably won¡¯t be very convincing.


    ¡°...These girls are all your mates, yes?¡± Flufferson asks.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I put it right out there with no hesitation. There¡¯s no use lying. They can probably smell every last thing I¡¯ve ever done to them... I... fuck, that¡¯s kind of hot now that I think about it, knowing that these men know that the girls are well and thoroughly marked as mine.


    ¡°How does that even work...?¡±


    ¡°Swimmingly.¡± I smile confidently and adjust my glasses, visions of the lewd going-ons back at the Guild this morning flashing through my mind.


    ¡°You smell like two or three other girls, too though...¡± Scrap lowers his angry glare for just a moment so that he can stare at my almost jealousy.


    ¡°They tell me I¡¯m tall, dark and handsome. Can¡¯t keep their hands off of me.¡± I repeat a phrase a certain Goddess used to describe me and watch as both men drop their guard a bit and start laughing.


    ¡°And you want... even more girls...?¡± Flufferson asks in disbelief.


    I think I have an in here, now that they¡¯re talking to me the typically friendly Dogfolk are lowering their guard and seeing that I have a sense of humor. ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t seem to take these ones back, and they all tragically refuse to cook and clean for me.¡±


    Both Beastfolk look at me with confusion before breaking into laughter at my casual sexism.


    ¡°Get in here, man. We need to fix that for you right away!¡± Scrap clasps me on the back like I¡¯m his long lost brother. ¡°I got some sisters in there if you need some Dogfolk for anything, too!¡±


    ...


    Was that really all I needed to do to gain the trust of this snarling guardian? Make a single joke in poor taste and then he offers to let me adopt his sisters?


    ¡°You should be fine, Guild Master.¡± Flufferson sighs with a grin and puts his paws on his hips. ¡°You can¡¯t be all bad. I¡¯ve never made a bad call in the twelve years I¡¯ve been doing this.¡±


    Sam shakes her head and laughs. ¡°Heh. Women.¡±


    Meri looks at both Sam and Zutiria in confusion. ¡°W-Was I supposed to be cooking and cleaning for him?! N-No one told me...! He always just does it himself so I thought I-I um... Oh, Goddess now I feel like an ungrateful house guest let alone a neglectful m-m-m-mate...!¡±


    Zutiria just smirks ever so softly and shoots me a solo message, saying, ¡®It¡¯s a good thing we understand the concept of sarcasm and know that you¡¯re not actually sexist, isn¡¯t it Sir?¡¯


    I smile back at her and putting my arm around Zutiria and Meri, I lead my growing harem into the depths of the Besthal Pet Shop as I say, ¡°Come on, girls. Let¡¯s go find you some new role models that can teach you to behave accordingly in my presence.¡±


    ¡°M-Master... y-you should have told me, I would¡¯ve, um-¡±


    ¡°Meri! It was a joke.¡±


    ¡°...Oh.¡± She blushes.


    ...


    ¡®Making him a sandwich sometimes might win you some points, though.¡¯ Zutiria tells her.


    ¡°Noted...!¡±

 Catfolk Maids

    After the three girls are forced to relinquish their weapons in a temporary holding room, the four of us take in all the amazing sights that the Besthal Pet Shop has to offer, and that¡¯s a hell of a lot of sights.


    Everywhere you look there¡¯s a Beastfolk as far as the eye can see. It¡¯s a very, very big tent and I believe it could hold several hundred people if it absolutely had to. The main area is structured almost like a bazaar in and of itself, with smaller tents set up inside split into two halves. A helpful, young Catfolk girl with cute black hair and purple eyes working the entrance lets us know that there are boy Beastfolk in the left tents and there are girl Beastfolk in the right tents.


    ¡®Can we see the boys, too?¡¯ Zutiria asks with eyes that betray a hint of her excitement.


    ¡°Of course. We¡¯ve been waiting to visit for weeks. We may as well treat it like a fun little group date, shouldn¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡®I see what you¡¯re getting at, Sir.¡¯ The Mage adjusts her glasses and they shine as she all but reads my mind.


    As much as Zutiria and I are trying to cool off today, the new powers of my eye are far from forgotten by either of us.


    I look towards Sam in specific, knowing that her Bond Level gauge is still on the precipice of reaching the next level. Sure, we don¡¯t know much of what it means yet, but it¡¯s obviously a good thing, right?


    Rather than being clingy as she would typically tend to be during group outings, Zutiria forces herself to withdraw from my side so that I can ambush Sam. The Princess blushes as I rush forward and take her hand in mine. ¡°What do you say, Sam? Date?¡±


    She raises an eyebrow and laughs. ¡°Kind of weird to bring three of your four girlfriends out on a date to literally go buy you some new pussy, Boss.¡±


    ¡°Four and a half. Don¡¯t leave poor Gwin out.¡±


    ...


    Sam bursts into laughter at my inappropriate joke. ¡°You¡¯re on a roll today, first the casual sexism and now some good old fashioned racist jokes?¡±


    ¡°Just figured I¡¯d brush up on my human supremacist humor, I feel I¡¯ll be in dire need of it when meeting your extended family one day.¡±


    Sam freezes in place, her face becoming somehow both elated that I¡¯m even bringing up the possibility of meeting her family and then simultaneously remembering that she indeed comes from a family that indeed has long since dabbled in ¡®purging the nonhuman filth¡¯ from Karnalle every couple hundred years. ¡°T-T-T-THAT¡¯S NOT FUNNY.¡±


    Even Meri decides to join in on the joke, smiling at Sam as she says, ¡°But racist jokes are?¡±


    Sam blushes feverishly and yells very loudly in this very public area filled with nonhumans, ¡°I¡¯M NOT RACIST! I LOVE NONHUMANS!¡±


    Everyone just kind of gawks at her and she well and truly realizes how much of an ass she made out of herself. ¡°N-No one in my family even believes in that kind of crap... right NOW, anyway...¡± She sweats even harder.


    ¡®Give Cedric some time.¡¯ Zutiria shakes her head and begins walking towards the first of the boy Beastfolk tents to distance herself from Sam.


    There¡¯s that name again. I open my mouth to speak but Meri beats me to it. ¡°Crown Prince Cedric? That would mean...¡±


    ¡®Sammy¡¯s oldest younger brother. Handsome, smart, talented, strong... truly, a proper gentleman in every sense of the word so long as you can avoid giving him even the slightest chance to voice his astonishingly regressive views on blood purity.¡¯


    ...


    I... really, REALLY hope that doesn¡¯t mean what I think it means, but judging from Sam¡¯s dead, distant, stone-faced expression it seems to be the case. I¡¯m not even going to remotely consider the implications of that statement right now.


    Meri seems to notice the sudden sinking of everyone¡¯s moods and clasps her hands together to get our attention, ¡°W-What are we waiting for? We can still have our fun little group date!¡±


    Our favorite Princess groans and starts holding my hand again as we both walk towards the first of the Beastfolk tents. ¡°I changed my mind. Fuck being your link to the Royal Family, I never want you to meet them...¡±


    ¡°Yes well, we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it... Princess.¡±


    She smirks up at me and leads me to the tent within a tent, ¡°If you say so, Daddy.¡±


    ...


    No?


    Nothing?


    Damn. That was a cute, flirty little romantic moment, I thought... I was hoping it would get the Bond Level up where it needed to be but it¡¯s not enough apparently.


    I don¡¯t really know how this whole new eye system works fully, obviously, but it¡¯s safe to assume it goes up from spending time with each other and having big intimate moments like what happened the night before with Zutiria.


    Personally I think it¡¯s a bit unhealthy to think of my relationships like this in terms of purely numerical values, and that spending time with them solely to ¡®level up¡¯ those values is... a bit cynical of me, but whatever. It¡¯s clearly a system meant to make me stronger and I¡¯m only really dwelling on it because of how close Sam is to reaching level two.


    We¡¯ll get there soon enough, I-


    ¡®...Told ya you¡¯d figure it out.¡¯ Luxy¡¯s voice calls out to me out of nowhere, much to my surprise.


    ...I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d want to talk to me so soon.


    ¡®Yeah, well... it¡¯s just a quick check in. D-Don¡¯t read into this shit too much, it¡¯s not like I... feel bad about anything, or... y¡¯know. Ugh. Just... Don¡¯t stress too much about the Bond Levels and stop thinking about shit. Go adopt some kitties and spend a damn mental health day on yourself for once.¡¯


    That¡¯s... uh... thank... you?


    ¡®Hmph.¡¯


    ...


    Are you actually trying to look out for me, Luxy?


    ...Luxy?


    ...


    I can¡¯t feel her presence anymore, and it was a very quick exchange so I didn¡¯t end up drawing attention to myself.


    None of the girls seem to have noticed, as we entered the first of the boy tents and they seem preoccupied petting a lot of smaller, young-looking cat boys. This must be the ever popular ¡®Shota¡¯ breed that¡¯s been popping up lately... or so I¡¯ve read.


    I end up giving one of them an ear scratch but have to stop after it gets a little too creepy for my taste. The girls seem to get a kick out of watching me pet him, though. Sorry, ladies. As much as I love you, that¡¯s one line I¡¯m not ever crossing...


    A darker desire does stir though when I see Sam giving some headpats to a docile, purple haired Catboy. I think to myself that it must be nice being that small, and getting pampered by older women in such a state must be lovely...


    The thought doesn¡¯t last long, though.


    As we make our way through the remainder of the boy tents, I keep thinking back to Luxy. I thought for sure she¡¯d leave me alone for at least a week after our altercation... and I certainly wasn¡¯t expecting


    A well-being check, of all things.


    She¡¯s right, though. Best not to think about it.


    Each tent of boy Beastfolk is home to a wide variety of strapping young lads of every build. Mainly canines and the occasional feline, the rare bear or two, and even a number of mischievous looking vulpines could be seen mixed in here and there.


    Male Beastfolk are valued for their stamina and their raw power and go for a very high price depending on what they specialize in. That¡¯s not to say female Beastfolk are any less strong by nature, just that the Breeding Tribe prioritizes training their young into more defined gender roles to suit Karnallian tastes.


    After a little under an hour of playful banter and getting to know a couple of the young male Beastfolk up for adoption we finally finish up our tour of this half of the Besthal Pet Shop. As me and the girls cross over into the female half of the tent, I suddenly find it much, much easier to focus on.


    Naturally, I have no idea why...


    Before we start perusing, I remind myself of Opalina¡¯s advice. According to the good doctor she said she had a fairly good idea of which ones I picked and warned me that sometimes it said that it pays to be cheap.


    As far as vaguely worded advice goes, that¡¯s... really not all that vague. She basically just told me to look on the cheaper end of the spectrum and that¡¯s more than fine by me. I came here hoping to spend a maximum of 200,000G, but if we can get at least two for less than that it¡¯d also be ideal.


    Eventually after enjoying our time in the first couple of tents, especially the one filled with buxom and inviting Bunnyfolk, we come across the exact tent we¡¯re looking for.


    One part cat...


    One part maid...


    The result?


    A blessed combination that sets the hearts and dreams of men aflutter, each half coming together in perfect unison to create so much more than the sum of their parts. Sam and Zutiria each fill up with excitement much the same as I do, darting off to different parts of the room to chat with all the different girls on offer. The three of us have been waiting for weeks now since making that decision to eventually adopt some Catfolk maids so they¡¯re just as ecstatic to finally see the lucky girls themselves up close and personal.


    Meri sticks close by to me as we talk to a number of different maids and examine them very thoroughly. All these girls seem very kind and although their body types range very heavily, they¡¯re each incredibly beautiful in their own distinct way. Some have long, fluffy tails, others have very thin ones, and all of them have lovely markings and patterns amongst their fut. Their maid uniforms are varied between the different girls leading me to assume that they¡¯re allowed to pick whatever dress they feel helps showcase their assets best.


    The only problem is that all of them seem to be much more expensive than I was expecting. Even the lower end of the spectrum starts at 200,000G for a single girl now, leading me to believe that the Catfolk Maid trend has become even bigger thus leading to a raise in demand. Good for the Breeding Tribe, not so good for my financials. I definitely wanted at least two girls, as the Guild is a very large building with many rooms I haven¡¯t even mentioned as of yet.


    It¡¯s going to need a lot of work.


    After seeing the different girls on their own, Sam and Zutiria rejoin us. Neither look too thrilled about our potential prospects.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be that expensive... seeing how we had so many of them at home, I thought they were... I dunno, cheaper?¡± Sam sighs.


    ¡®Typical rich kid. Doesn¡¯t know the value of a piece of gold.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically shakes her head causing Sam to blush, knowing there to be some truth in the Mage¡¯s words.


    ¡°The cheap ones Opalina was referring to might have been sold by now.¡± I grimace at the thought.


    ¡°Maybe we should check the other tents, too? I mean maybe we can just adopt two normal Beastfolk girls and... um... teach them to be maids?¡± Meri suggests.


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I hadn¡¯t considered it, but the entire point of wanting to buy maids from the get go is that they¡¯d already have experience and be trained in the art of housekeeping.¡± I sigh. ¡°Although we may have no other option, truth be told.¡±


    ¡°Pardon me, Myaster.¡± An elegant and regal looking maid approaches the four of us who are convening near the entrance of this tent within a tent. Her hair is long, braided and pure white in color and her body is a curvaceous figure dressed beautifully in a traditional frilly maid uniform that plays up her natural beauty rather than her outrageous figure.


    Although many of the maids up for adoption wore many different types of uniforms, many were skimpy and revealed much about the wearer¡¯s body. This older, elegant maid seemed to value the opposite in her choice of attire as it revealed little yet made her all the more appealing because of it.


    Her cat features only seem to enhance the classy feeling coming off of this maid, as her fur is pure white and it happens to be very fluffy.


    (Rough draft)


    ¡°I apologize for the delay. I was busy helping another customer, nyaa. My duties now belong entirely towards helping you and your mates find the perfect match for your home.¡± She curtsies before us with a refined grace and her wholesome, catty smile grows upon raising her head. ¡°I am Snowball, but Myaster and his mates may refer to me as Snow if they so desire.¡±


    Sam giggles, ¡°I think we had like four maids named Snowball back home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, Sam.¡± I comically bop her on the head and she whines.


    ¡°We find that our litters do well with names emulating the silly little names you Humans give your traditional pets. I am not the only Beastfolk named Snowball within the tent, as it were.¡± She smiles warmly and laughs, placing her delicate, furred hands on her cheek. ¡°May I ask what Myaster¡¯s tastes are? Forgive me if I¡¯m wrong but I assume you are looking for maids who are open to the more... licentious aspects of being a maid, nyaa?¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s putting it mildly.¡¯ Zutiria pats me playfully on the back, and thankfully Snowball doesn¡¯t freak out at the sudden magic text suddenly in her vision. What a professional.


    ¡°Yes, I think it¡¯s safe to assume that lewdness will end up being part of the job description. I have a high libido.¡± I cough awkwardly.


    ¡°Oh, trust me, Myaster. I can tell.¡± Snowball¡¯s eyes briefly show a hint of lust as she looks playfully at my girls.


    Meri blushes and tilts her head, unaware that the elegant Catfolk maid can smell not only the fun I had with her this morning, but also the fun she had with Sam last night, and likely even the foursome play the day before. ¡°W-wha?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Dear.¡± Snowball smiles softly and turns to face me. ¡°Is it safe to assume your tastes are as wide as your current companions imply that they are, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯m not here to specifically pick girls to my specific interests or anything.¡±


    ¡°No, of course not, Myaster. Forgive me. Are there any who currently catch your... discerning eyes?¡± She tilts her head and asks curiously.


    ¡°You¡¯re not up for sale are you, Kitty?¡± Sam licks her lips and advances on the refined maid before Zutiria pulls her back by her belt.


    ¡®Sammy, no. You¡¯re better than Theo. Act like it.¡¯


    Sam whines.


    Snowball doesn¡¯t seem put off by this and instead giggles. ¡°Not exactly. I was bred and raised to serve as a maid but it was determined by the Elders of our tribe that my talents were better utilized on the homefront, training the young ones and working with potential adopters. It''s true, I dream of what a life with a Myaster may be and since I¡¯ve not yet become a Breeder I could technically leave the tribe if I wanted to. But I am very happy as I am, nyaa.¡± She curtsies once more to show her heartfelt sincerity, and Sam groans as she snaps her fingers. Even if we COULD adopt Snowball I have the feeling we¡¯d be well, well out of our price range.


    Meri steps up to plate and asks meekly, ¡°There are so many choices, but... um... we¡¯re having a small problem, Miss Snowball. It¡¯s... about the prices.¡±


    ¡°I am deeply sorry to hear that, Mistress.¡± Snowball hangs her head in apology.


    ¡°M-M-Mistress...?!¡± The masochist blushes, unsure how to feel about that.


    The maid turns to me and asks for more specifics. I tell her that I run the local Adventurer¡¯s Guild and that it¡¯s not been doing so well, until the last month or so where I¡¯ve managed to kick up some momentum. In a show of honesty I admit just how bad my neglectful care of the building has been thanks to mental health related reasons and not once does the beautiful maid judge me, instead showing nothing but devotion and understanding.


    When I finally tell her that we were hoping to adopt two maids for 200,000G or less, Snowball¡¯s gaze becomes distant and she thinks deeply about something. ¡°I believe there may be hope yet, Myaster. Should you desire it I can arrange a meet and greet between two such maids who are currently not on display that would certainly fit your budgetary qualifications, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Really? How much are they?¡± I ask as hope begins to build.


    ¡°50,000G each, and they must go with you as a pair.¡±


    Zutiria steps in and asks the question on everyone¡¯s mind point blank. ¡®Is there a reason they¡¯re so heavily discounted and that they¡¯re not out here with the rest of the maids, advertising themselves?¡¯


    Normally I would have slung that arrow myself but when the price is so low I don¡¯t even feel like haggling. I¡¯m a shrewd businessman, sure, but when you¡¯re offered a two for one deal at a 75% discount... well. At a certain point it¡¯s practically too good to pass up even if there¡¯s something slightly ¡®off¡¯ about your purchase.


    ¡°Yes, well. They¡¯re a bit of an odd pair, nyaa.¡± Snowball looks to the side, and I can visibly see a sense of sadness and hesitation grow in her eyes.


    ¡°We¡¯ll gladly meet them.¡± I say. There¡¯s not exactly much to lose by at least giving these two a chance, yes?

 Cherry and Peri

    Snowball leads to an entirely separate tent from the Besthal Pet Shop altogether. It¡¯s one of the tents that they¡¯ve set up behind the business for them to live in during their brief stopover in Dewhurst. There are a few Beastfolk tidying up and preparing some food but other than that it¡¯s mostly empty, most of the tribe being out in the main tent for the day I¡¯d assume.


    The five of us are taken to a casual lounge room and given large, paw print patterned cushions to sit ourselves down on. Since this area isn¡¯t typically visited by non Beastfolk they don¡¯t have chairs, tables, or any furniture we commonly use for that matter. It¡¯s not really their thing as a species.


    ¡°Please wait here, Myaster and Mistresses. I will retrieve the girls in question and we shall fetch you some refreshments.¡± The graceful Catfolk maid bows leaves us alone in the lounge.


    ¡°Alright, let''s take bets. What¡¯s wrong with em? Won¡¯t stop meowing? Not litterbox trained? Catnip addicts? Can¡¯t help themselves from scratching at the furniture? Maybe they¡¯re just like... really fuckin¡¯ ugly.¡± Sam spits out without a shred of tact of subtlety.


    Meri blushes awkwardly, ¡°S-SAM!¡±


    I look into her emerald eyes with disbelief. ¡°Gods, we need to make sure you¡¯re removed from the line of succession.¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± She snorts.


    ¡®I can scarcely imagine the damage Sam would inflict upon our inter-realm relationships were she ever in a position to do so.¡¯ Zutiria sighs. She¡¯s making a point not to sit next on my lap, even though she looks dreadfully like she wants to do so. Instead she let Sam and Meri sit on my sides.


    ¡°Is that hard?¡± Meri tilts her head. ¡°R-Removing her claim to the throne of Karnalle I mean.¡±


    ¡°Nah.¡± Sam waves her hand dismissively. ¡°I have like... fifteen other (legitimate) siblings but since I¡¯m ¡®lucky¡¯ number one the ministers and politicians are dead set on me NOT just renouncing everything and leaving forever...¡±


    ¡°They want to use you politically.¡± I say with a bit of venom in my throat and a good serving of self hatred in the back of my subconscious.


    Sam seems to be growing adept at detecting when I¡¯m being hard on myself, because she instantly grabs me by my collar and pulls me down to her eye level.


    ¡°Don¡¯t even compare it, Boss. I know how that stupid ol¡¯ brain of yours works by now! It¡¯s different if YOU m... marry me...¡± she coughs awkwardly into her free hand, cheeks showcasing a growing blush. ¡°All that other political stuff would just be a bonus... on top of... you know... what we already have.¡±


    ¡°And what do we already have, Sam?¡± I jokingly lean into her face, watching her sweat as I do so.


    Meri watches with voyeuristic intentions and Zutiria calmly adjusts her glasses to watch my moves at work.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be silly... You already know what!¡±


    ¡°Say it.¡±


    Sam bites her lip and looks away from me, before awkwardly glancing back quickly in my direction and narrowing her eyes. ¡°Love, you dummy.¡±


    I smile back and kiss her, causing the red in her cheeks (and Meri¡¯s) to rise even further. Zutiria merely nods with scholarly approval.


    The two of us share a tense smile after our kiss, and of course I can¡¯t ever have a nice moment with someone without some bullshit happening.


    -SAMANTHA LUNDREAME BOND LEVEL TWO ACHIEVED, BITCH!-


    Sam looks at me with the most confused look in her face imaginable, Meri¡¯s perversions fade and are replaced with curiosity, and Zutiria simply stifles a small laugh under her breath. Naturally, same as last night, everyone around me seems to have heard Luxy¡¯s announcement.


    ¡°Cool, right. No, yeah that¡¯s cool and all that. So uh, Boss? I¡¯m sure you understand but I¡¯m gonna need a nice, big serving of ¡®what the fuck was that?¡¯ as soon as we¡¯re done here because I¡¯m pretty sure I just heard some sort of godly announcement letting everyone know I suddenly feel even closer to you and that¡¯s a LITTLE embarrassing, you know?¡±


    ¡°In due time. I¡¯m not here right now, Sam.¡± I let out a sigh.


    ¡®Mental health day.¡¯ Zutiria reminds Sam.


    Meri has a keen moment of observation and tilts her head. ¡°Y-You don¡¯t seem all that surprised about this, Zutiria...¡±


    ¡°...What¡¯s YOUR Bond Level, huh?¡± The Princess glares at the Mage accusingly, who in return calmly looks away to feign innocence.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, Sammy.¡¯ She lies, even now resisting the urge to jump into my lap and have me


    ¡°...D-Did something, um... happen last night?¡± Meri blushes and asks. ¡°You two were all alone together...¡±


    ¡°I KNEW YOU WERE TRYING TO GET A LEG UP ON ME!¡± Sam playfully shouts before jumping over to Zutiria to playfully wrestle her, ¡°I FOUND HIM FIRST, HOME... ER... GUILDWRECKER!¡±


    ¡®Sir, help. I¡¯m being sexually assaulted by a barely legal Princess.¡¯ Zutiria unenthusiastically remarks.


    ¡°My, it seems you all get along so well with one another... don¡¯t you, nyaa?¡± Everyone turns to see Snow enter the curtained off room and join us once again. She holds a large kettle of tea and four cups, which she begins to serve to each of us while making her way around the room.


    Behind her on the other side of the curtains I can see two distinct silhouettes waiting for their cue. ¡°I¡¯m almost jealous.¡± Snow giggles. ¡°Serving a Myaster such as you seems like it would be an adventure in and of itself.¡±


    Seeing her say that with such an honest, straight face makes me lower my guard and blush a bit. Snow¡¯s really, really cute...


    ¡°Open offer, kitty.¡± Sam playfully makes a kissy face at Snow, who then laughs even further before breaking our hearts into pieces.


    ¡°You can¡¯t afford me.¡± Snow says with a wink.


    Ouch.


    ¡°I did, however, bring along the girls that would certainly fall into your price range, nyaa.¡± Snow sets the serving tray and kettle down in the middle of the lounge before all attention shoots back to the curtains where she pulls them open for the two Catfolk in waiting.


    Luckily, as she so very often is, Sam was wrong.


    These two kitties were absolutely anything but ¡®really fuckin¡¯ ugly¡¯.


    They wear a matching uniform and headband and seem to be the same height, but other than that they couldn¡¯t be any more different.


    The girl on the left has an athletic form with breasts on the smaller side. Her skin is slightly tan, her hair a bit past shoulder length and colored like a slightly faded rose. Her locks trail and flow off into hundreds of different curls in a slightly disorganized, rough way not too dissimilar from Sam¡¯s unbrushed twintails.


    Her magenta eyes are bratty, slanted and a look of... noticeable contempt is obvious in the way that she looks at me. Her cute little cat nose also wrinkles in disgust. She doesn''t smile yet one of her fangs pokes out. She looks as if she¡¯d rather be anywhere else in the realm but in this very room.


    This Catfolk¡¯s fur is light brown, with dark brown spots along her tail ending in a dark brown tip. Her tail is very bushy and I would like very much to touch it.


    On the other paw, her companion is much curvier with large breasts, wider hips and thick thighs. Her skin is pale and gives the impression that she never leaves the home if she can do absolutely ANYTHING about it. This Catfolk has long, straight flowing locks of dreamy light blue hair that go perfectly with her gray and white fur. Compared to her friend¡¯s tail, the blue haired girl¡¯s is much longer and thinner, with clear white stripes running along the length. Her bangs droop over the front of her face making it an impossible task to see her eyes, but judging from her blush, posture and nervous expression she¡¯s apprehensive about being here, too.


    She actually gives me some of the same vibes that Meri does, albeit instead of hiding behind a large tower shield the blue haired Catgirl hides behind the pink one.


    Their uniforms are far from the sluttiest we¡¯ve seen today, the biggest offender of excess skin being their very short black miniskirts that barely cover the tops of their thighs. They wear black, white-frilled sleeves on both their arms and their legs and it covers up the part where their hands and feet stop being furred and transition into normal human skin.


    Their shirts are slightly open backed white, button up tank tops with a large ribbon tied around their collars. A golden bell sits at the center of each ribbon.


    Sam whistles and Meri opens her mouth wide at how cute they are. Zutiria seems very taken with them, too, a small blush forming on her cheeks as she looks at the kitties.


    When we were told they came as a two in one deal, I don¡¯t think any of us were expecting that the girls would come out in adorable matching outfits and have perfect contrasting color themes. It¡¯s almost uncanny how perfectly the two mirror each other both in personality and appearance.


    ¡°Cherry, Periwinkle, this is the man who¡¯s interested in adopting you. You¡¯re very lucky after what happened on the showfloor yesterday, Cherry, so I¡¯d recommend doing your best to make a good impression, nyaa.¡± Snow smiles warmly, but also kind of threateningly.


    ¡°...Hmph. I¡¯m Cherry.¡± Spits out the pink one as she looks away from my eye contact.


    Snow kicks her in the shin.


    ¡°NYAA?!¡± Cherry looks her attacker in the eyes with surprise, only for Snow¡¯s expression to change her own to a much more fearful one.


    ¡°...T-Thank you for meeting with us... Myaster.¡± Cherry then does the most half assed curtsie I¡¯ve ever fucking seen while forcing herself to look at me with those disapproving, bratty eyes of hers. The way she calls me ¡®Myaster¡¯ almost makes it sound like she¡¯s forcing it out harder than if it were a hairball.


    ¡°Gods, even I could curtsy better than that.¡± Sam whispers under her breath.


    Cherry¡¯s ears react to this and she raises an eyebrow. ¡°That so? Guess we¡¯re not needed here after all then, Peri. Blondie is apparently going to serve as both his Maid AND his slut from now on.¡±


    Zutiria takes a sip of her tea, remarking, ¡®Oh, this is just delicious.¡¯


    Meri, mouth wide open from the (literally) catty remark, looks towards Zutiria and asks. ¡°...T-the tea?¡±


    ¡®...Sure.¡¯


    Snow¡¯s ears twitch from irritation and Cherry¡¯s friend nervously shields her from any harm that might bring as she hugs her and pulls her away from Snow. ¡°Cherry, no! Stop... please. You said you¡¯d give him a chance... you promised you wouldn¡¯t start any problems, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Nnngh...¡± Cherry blushes and hangs her head in shame, before shaking off Peri and crossing her arms.


    ¡°Sam, don¡¯t-¡± I preemptively stand from my seat in case I need to calm a rampaging, temperamental Princess, but to my surprise she¡¯s laughing and shaking her head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t what? I love this bitch already!¡± She claps her hands in amusement, a pervy grin on her face.


    ¡°Myaster, if I may be so bold as to ask you to present your hand to the two of them?¡± Snow asks before reaching into her sleeve and pulling out... a riding crop, like the kind used for horses. She menacingly taps it against her paw while glaring at Cherry to let her know that her participation in the smell test is very much non-negotiable.


    Cherry flinches at the sight of it, as if it were her oldest, most terrifying foe.


    Meri also gives the riding crop a curious look, albeit for a much different reason...


    ¡°Of course, Snow. It¡¯s good to meet you, Peri... Cherry.¡± I present my hand towards the kitties before I catch Snow looking strangely at it as well.


    ¡°Might as well get in on the action, Snowball!¡± Sam teases.


    I sigh and shake my head. ¡°Ignore Sam, she¡¯s probably still hoping we can somehow talk you into coming along with us.¡±


    ¡°Why are you always so thirsty, Sam...?¡± Meri asks with a blush, genuinely curious about the answer.


    Sam¡¯s face becomes distant and comatose. ¡°That¡¯s a story for another day.¡± She offers meekly.


    Snow giggles and stands in between Cherry and Peri. ¡°I¡¯ll humor her. It¡¯s just a sniff, after all.¡±


    Together the three Catfolk all lean down to sniff my hand and the reactions each of them have, well... they each tell a story unto themselves.


    Snow becomes stiff as a board, her eyes darting back and forth from my hand to my face like she was watching a duel between two fencers. ¡°Oh.¡± She says. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s... something, alright... nyaa.¡±


    Peri instantly and wordlessly gets on all fours and begins submissively rubbing her head all over my legs so vigorously that it isn¡¯t long before her headdress falls off and she accidentally shocks me through my pants from static electricity. Meanwhile, her tail sticks completely straight out from her butt as she purrs from the back of her throat.


    ¡°NYAA?!?¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes go wide open and the catty slits dilate. She stumbles backwards before falling onto the floor, evidently proving wrong the myth that a cat always lands on her feet. In her state of shock she evidently doesn¡¯t realize her skirt has flipped upwards and her black, white-frilled panties are now completely on display.


    Oh, gods...


    Something tells me those weren¡¯t nearly that wet a moment ago...

 The Perfect Master

    ¡°RAPIST!¡± Cherry hisses from as far across the room as Snow will let her sit from me.


    Snow hits her thigh with the riding crop, showing she won¡¯t be tolerating any such nonsense. ¡°Honestly, Cherry. Just because the Myaster smells good doesn¡¯t mean he has any such foul intentions.¡±


    ¡°Smells VERY good.¡± Peri corrects.


    ¡°Smells VERY good, nyaa.¡± Snow nods her head in confirmation.


    The four of us sit on one side of the lounge on our pillows sipping our tea, while the three Catgirls awkwardly all stare at me from the opposite side of it.


    Sam and Zutiria are both incredibly amused at the sudden turn of events, although Meri seems to not understand the drastically different atmosphere in the room... until Sam whispers into her ear and makes the Shield Maiden blush upon realizing that in all likelihood our three feline friends became incredibly aroused after having sniffed me a single time.


    What even is my life anymore, honestly? Apparently smelling like ¡®lingering darkness¡¯ puts off male Beastfolk yet has the complete opposite effect on at the very least these three.


    ¡°So...¡± I look at Snowball, waiting for her to eventually proceed with this business talk. She¡¯s too busy purring while staring in my direction, and waving her fluffy tail back and forth while fumbling about with her very long, white braid.


    It¡¯s quiet for another moment.


    Then Cherry hisses at me once again, causing another one of Snow¡¯s retaliatory attacks followed by yet more silence from the three staring kitties.


    This is going nowhere fast.


    ¡°How does this process work? I¡¯m quite interested in bringing Cherry and Peri home with me today.¡± I firmly state.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get my leash-¡± Without any hesitation Peri instantly rises up off the floor, before Cherry pulls her back down and hugs her to keep her in place.


    ¡°PERI DON¡¯T BE FOOLED, NYAA!!¡±


    ¡°CHERRY!¡± Snow stands up and screeches in a loud, demonic voice. The head maid¡¯s fur stands on end from her rising anger. ¡°I WILL NOT REMIND YOU AGAIN NOT TO RUIN YOUR OWN CHANCES AT A FOREVER HOME, LET ALONE PERI¡¯S!¡±


    The pink haired Catgirl recoils in fear, letting go of Peri and cringing. ¡°I¡¯m trying, ok! I¡¯ll be good, I¡¯ll be good...¡±


    Snow sighs and takes several deep breaths before smacking herself slightly hard on the cheek with her own riding crop. This seems to abate the rising lust on her face and she sits down respectfully once more. ¡°I do apologize, Myaster. I didn''t mean to become so... beside myself, nyaa. I¡¯ve never smelled such an... ahem. What we need to do next is have the three of you become more acquainted so we can determine if this is even going to be feasible, as both girls need to agree on wanting to give you a trial run before we can make anything official.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fine, but can you tell me the specifics of this trial run?¡± I ask.


    ¡°We¡¯ll take your gold as a safety deposit and then Cherry and Peri will live with you for several days before the adoption becomes specific. No sexual contact is permitted during this time period, nyaa. I am not in any way implying that a man such as you, Myaster, would do anything of the sort, but it¡¯s to make sure that things aren¡¯t rushed by either party or...¡± Snow points at the golden cat bell tied to her collar.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just say that if ANYTHING untoward were to happen or things got violent, well. We would know.¡± As she taps it with her claw, the golden bell begins to glow faintly with magic.


    ¡®Smart.¡¯ Zutiria scoots over to Snow to inspect the magical artifact. ¡®Strictly hypothetically speaking, what would happen if a powerful mage were to remove any enchantments on the bell?¡¯


    ¡°Strictly hypothetically speaking, that would be incredibly ill advised. We. Would. Know.¡± Something about the way Snow says that sends a chill down my spine and I think I speak for the others as well when I say that.


    Zutiria backs the fuck off and hides behind me while I turn my attention to Cherry and Peri.


    ¡°Would you care to tell me a bit about yourselves? Needless to say I¡¯m more than up for answering any questions you might have as well. I sincerely want to convince you I¡¯m worthy of adoption.¡±


    Cherry and Peri look at each other looking back at me. Both Catgirls are still in a slight daze from arousal, and they clearly do not have the willpower to fight it off compared to Snow.


    ¡°Deep breaths, girls. In... out... nyaa.¡± The classy older maid instructs them and manages to get them to chill out ever so slightly. Finally, Peri speaks up.


    ¡°My name is Periwinkle... Everyone calls me Peri because it rhymes with Cherry, though. I¡¯m twenty two...¡± The girl meekly hides behind her bangs and even that seems not to be enough for her since she glances away from my gaze, too. ¡°I like napping... especially in small places where you wouldn¡¯t expect to find me, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Adorable.¡± I declare without any sort of filter. I didn¡¯t even mean to, it just shot itself out there as I pictured it mentally. ¡°It¡¯s very nice to meet you, Peri.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster.¡± Peri blushes harder and bows respectfully. While she¡¯s timid in her own way it doesn¡¯t seem like she has as much in common with Meri in how she expresses it. Aside from their obviously similar sounding names.


    ¡°Very good, Peri.¡± Snow reaches her paw out to affectionately rub the blue haired maid¡¯s head and scratches behind her fluffy, gray ears. ¡°And now, it¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Nnnnrgh... yeah, yeah. I¡¯m Cherry. Also twenty two. I don¡¯t like a lot of things, except for Peri.¡± the other maid grumbles.


    ¡°Try telling the Myaster what your hobbies are.¡± Snow shoots her threatening yet strangely peaceful smile while gently tapping the riding crop against Cherry¡¯s bare thigh causing her to blush and cringe.


    ¡°Ok, fine... Napping is cool too but I like sunbathing, I guess.. And I also enjoy scratching things you wouldn¡¯t want me to, nyaa.¡± She squints her eyes at me only to recoil in pain when Snow inevitably whacks her.


    ¡°Good enough.¡± The white haired maid sighs.


    ¡®I have a question before we proceed.¡¯ Zutiria sets down her tea and makes a surprisingly fearsome expression.


    ¡°Of course, Mistress. We are currently at your service.¡± Snow gestures for the two girls to join her in a small, seated bow and they do.


    ¡®While I did not allow him the pleasure of accompanying me today, for obvious reasons, I have a special pet rat at home. He has grown dear to me and I would be terrified of what I might do should something happen to him.¡¯


    Peri shakes her head nervously. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t hurt anything, not even a rat...¡±


    Cherry licks her lips on purpose to taunt Zutiria in an attempt to make herself seem less likeable, I assume but all it does is draw Snow¡¯s ire.


    ¡°I assure you that even this rude child would also keep her paws to herself, nyaa. We don¡¯t have any with us during the current trip, but back at the Breeding Tribe¡¯s lands we live with a fair number of Mousefolk. We are not a slave to our lesser cousin¡¯s baser instincts.¡± Snow smiles warmly at the little mage and Zutiria seems to be satisfied with this answer.


    ¡®Excellent.¡¯ She says while sipping her tea.


    ¡°I-I have a question, too.¡± Meri says while meekly raising her armored hand into the air. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if it¡¯s, um... a little rude but...¡±


    ¡°Did you want to know why we¡¯re so cheap to adopt, nyaa...?¡± Peri¡¯s mood dips and she hangs her head a bit, causing Cherry to grumble under her breath.


    ¡°N-No! I mean, yes, I-¡±


    ¡°I think we ALL do.¡± Sam sighs and pats Meri on the back.


    I nod my head. ¡°We can¡¯t exactly proceed with the adoption without knowing what we¡¯re getting into, so I¡¯d rather the facts be presented as plainly as can be. It¡¯s not that the two of you aren¡¯t lovely. Far from it. It¡¯s simply business.¡±


    Peri¡¯s mouth opens and she blushes at my words, while Cherry rolls her eyes and crosses her arms... although of course she blushes as well.


    ¡°That is only fair, Myaster.¡± For a brief moment the head maid seems to drop her composure and she sneaks a downright salacious expression my way as she asks, ¡°Am I lovely too, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not befitting of a maid to tease in such a way, not if we can¡¯t take you home with us.¡± I laugh and awkwardly look away, lest I am tempted any further.


    Snow bites her lower lip and hangs her head. ¡°Apologies. I didn''t mean to get the Myaster¡¯s hopes up, nyaa... although just to clarify I didn¡¯t say I couldn¡¯t come home with you.¡± She giggles. ¡°I said that if I WERE up for adoption, you wouldn¡¯t be able to afford me. If I really wanted to I could pack up and leave right now, same as any other one of us here who aren¡¯t breeders. But...¡±


    ¡°But?!¡± Sam is on the edge of her seat, drooling like a pervert while hoping that the white, buxom kitten is about to declare her intention to come along with us.


    ¡°Sadly, as I have said... my place is here.¡± Snow smiles in a warm, apologetic manner.


    Sam groans.


    Any normal person wouldn¡¯t have thought twice about this response, but I¡¯m hardly normal. I¡¯m able to read some telltale signs from her body language that she¡¯s much, much less convinced of her own statement than she was when she first expressed it.


    Still.


    I¡¯m not just going to throw Cherry and Peri under a rug like that, as if I¡¯m too aggressive about convincing Snow it might sour my chances of picking them up. It¡¯d be like approaching a group of girls, and then abruptly changing focus mid conversation to just make it clear your priority is their friend with bigger breasts.


    No. As elegant, beautiful and skilled as Snow might be, I need to focus on the battle I presumably have a higher chance of winning. The Guild needs housekeeping staff and we need them now.


    ¡°Would the two of you care to tell me the reason? I¡¯m assuming it has something to do with the fact that you insist on being paired up together.¡±


    Peri is silent at the accusation, but Cherry smirks and nods her head. ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve been up for adoption since we both turned eighteen and we¡¯ve had a lot of trial runs, but none of them were good enough for us.¡±


    ¡°Elaborate.¡± I squint my eyes though try not to make it too threatening.


    ¡°...She¡¯s lying.¡± Peri mumbles.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been over this! I am NOT-¡±


    I raise my hand to Cherry and take on a commanding tone. ¡°Let her speak.¡±


    The pink haired Catgirl shrinks back in her seat and blushes. ¡°D-Don¡¯t tell me what to do, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Oh, my...¡± Snow fans herself with her paw as her cheeks redden.


    Peri looks up at me and meekly smiles before saying, ¡°I¡¯m clumsy, and slow. I¡¯m... not the WORST maid, but... I could be better... Cherry just insists that it''s never my fault, and everyone gets sick of-¡±


    ¡°How much mistakes you make!¡± Cherry finishes her sentence for her. ¡°Everyone just keeps trying to adopt you because you got some decent titties and they always end up bringing us back because-¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE OF YOU!¡± Peri yells at her friend, much to her surprise.


    ¡°P-Peri...?¡± Small tears well up in Cherry¡¯s magenta eyes and she wipes them before they can escape.


    I turn towards Peri and state very flatly, ¡°You are more than welcome to come home with us... alone. If you¡¯d rather. I assume there isn¡¯t any actual reason the two come as a pair and that it¡¯s more of a mutual agreement between both of you, yes?¡±


    Cherry¡¯s eyes widen in horror and Snow nods her head. ¡°...Yes, that¡¯s correct. Peri, if you wish to no longer insist on being adopted alongside Cherry then all you have to do is-¡±


    ¡°WAIT WAIT WAIT WAIT-¡± Cherry freaks out and skitters around on all fours in front of Peri. ¡°Look, d-don¡¯t be rash. I can stop. I¡¯ll give him a chance. I promise I will...¡±


    Peri says nothing but eventually she meekly nods her head.


    As she turns around, Cherry makes eye contact with me and I see her facade finally crack. There¡¯s something going on under the surface but trying to dig it all out right now would likely cause her to react even worse. She looks at me with concern, mistrust, yet also with a resigned expression like she knows she has to try harder.


    I¡¯m doing my best to make it easy to get along with me, kitty, but you¡¯re going to have to work with me here...


    ¡°May I ask you some more questions?¡±


    Both girls nod, and my own girls eagerly watch the situation unfold.


    ¡°Peri?¡±


    ¡°Nyaa?¡± She tilts her head.


    ¡°What would you consider to be your perfect Master?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± She casually mumbles like it was no big deal.


    ¡°...I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Peri repeats with a bit more confidence. ¡°You seem to be very kind, the girls you brought with you all seem to love you very, very much, a-and... your smell made my little kitty down... there... all wet and tingly and I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll ever be satisfied until you pet her...¡±


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°P-P-PERI?!¡±


    ¡°Pet her little kitty...?¡± Meri looks to Sam, who then whispers what Peri meant. The poor Shield Maiden ends up almost choking on her tea, since it was either that or spit it all out in front of her.


    Zutiria? She just keeps sipping and sipping her warm drink as if this were an entertaining theatre performing lewd drama for her own amusement, only stopping every now and again to whisper a laugh over the latest development.


    I clear my throat and finish the last of my own tea. As soon as I set it down, Snow happily fills it to the brim with more from the kettle. ¡°Cherry, I would like to ask you the same question. What would your perfect Master be like if he were sitting right before you, hm?¡±


    Cherry looks like she wants to say something but forces it down, and the more she thinks about it the more conflicted she becomes. ¡°Uh... I don¡¯t think... I¡¯ve ever really thought about it, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°This is your chance.¡±


    The pink haired Catgirl tilts her head and looks into my eyes. ¡°Well, he¡¯d have to be nice to Peri... and...¡±


    ¡°Cherry. I¡¯m trying to ask you what YOU want. Stop letting Peri have anything to do with it.¡±


    She blushes and looks down. ¡°I... Fuck, I dunno. I mean, yeah you smell hot, nyaa, but...¡± Cherry begins awkwardly fidgeting in her seat, rocking her hips back and forth uncomfortably. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind then maybe I could do some thinking about it during...¡± She swallows nervously. ¡°...the trial period?¡±


    I give her my best reassuring smile and nod at the pretty kitty. ¡°I would like that very much.¡±


    Peri clasps her paws together from happiness, ¡°Cherry...!¡± She says in amazement.


    ¡°Excellent! Was that really so hard, Dear?¡± Snow warmly pulls Cherry into her breasts and pets her tenderly, despite the younger girl¡¯s struggle for air. Because of just how short Cherry¡¯s skirt is, she flashes her panties to everyone else in the room again only this time Peri reaches over to fix it with a loving smile and a... pat on the butt? Cute.


    I let out a deep sigh, ¡°Well it looks like we¡¯re all in agreement, Snow. I¡¯d like to officially request the trial period for both Cherry and Peri.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, just like that? Aren¡¯t you forgetting something, Myaster? Nyaa...¡± She blushes and winks flirtatiously and Sam nudges me playfully.


    I suppose I can humor our sales clerk, just a little...


    ¡°Very well. Snowball, suppose that your perfect master were-¡±


    ¡°Dear me,¡± She interrupts as she places both her paws on her cheeks and tilts her head, eyes looking off romantically in the distance. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ve thought about it a LITTLE... I mean, I AM twenty seven and I¡¯ve yet to even mate with a man. Of course I¡¯ve THOUGHT about my dream Myaster once or twice... Mmmm... you know... I could have been adopted if I really, really wanted to... but... I¡¯m just too picky for my own good I suppose, nyaa. You see, I would love for my master to be an absolute, wretched, degenerate of a man who would ask me to do unspeakable things him... he¡¯d look at me with his pitiful little eyes and I¡¯d have no choice but to wring every last drop of Myaster¡¯s milk from his body. It¡¯s a maid¡¯s duty after all to ensure that her Myaster¡¯s every wish and every desire is taken care of... but... that doesn¡¯t mean a Maid doesn¡¯t have to be nice about now it does she? He¡¯d get what he wants... of course he would. He¡¯s the Myaster. But he¡¯d have to wait... and wait... and wait while he gets teased and squeezed and humiliated and mocked and called out for being the filthy, perverted scum he actually is... nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAhnnnn...¡±


    ...


    ¡°NYAA?!¡± Says Cherry and Peri.


    ¡°SWEET GODDESS-¡± Says Sam.


    ¡®Phenomenal.¡¯ Says Zutiria.


    ¡°I-I THINK I HAVE A TINY BIT LEFT IN MY BANK ACCOUNT-¡± Says Meri.


    ¡°!¡± Says my erection.

 Jumping the Shark

    If I wasn¡¯t already tempted, now I really wish we could convince Snowball to join the staff from the bottom of my heart. Frankly speaking, as of right now, most of the girls in my so-called ¡®Harem Guild¡¯ lean more towards submissive roles rather than the side of dominance.


    While submissiveness is all well and good, I am a massive and unrepentant pervert.


    Before my life recently flipped on its head, one of my only comforts in this world was reading, collecting, and making use of erotic fiction. Even now, I still find myself thumbing through some of my tomes whenever I have a scant few seconds away from my lover¡¯s attentions or from the paperwork upon my desk.


    Sure, Sam is a switch. But she¡¯s a bratty domme, which is an altogether different beast. She¡¯s too submissive to just absolutely fuck my shit the fuck up, no matter how many lessons she takes from Opalina.


    Speaking of, Opalina very much falls into the ever sought-after ¡®mommy domme¡¯ archetype, but our schedules rarely align...


    All I¡¯m saying is that after many stressful days of afternoon beers with Goddesses, fighting the criminal underworld, and managing a complicated team of adventurers, it would be nice to be able to turn off my brain and just be put in my place for a few hours.


    Some more variety would be greatly appreciated, especially if it came in the form of a pretty kitty with beautiful white fur... but alas, it cannot be.


    Cherry seems to have accepted me, for the most part, or rather I should say she¡¯s coming around to the idea of actually making an effort to try and accept me. It doesn¡¯t seem like we¡¯ll be having any problems regarding Peri, at least... unless her housekeeping skills are even worse than her own estimation and she¡¯s unable to perform adequately. I digress. We¡¯ll cross that bridge when we come to it.


    Snow leads us back to the main tent, where we¡¯ll officially make the adoption fee security deposit. Cherry and Peri are given some time to go and pack their things before meeting us at the entrance once all the paperwork is finalized.


    Currently, I¡¯m in the Besthal Pet Shop¡¯s office filling out forms while my Guild girls are off looking through the tents once more and telling the Beastfolk they became friendly with that we¡¯ll be leaving with the blue and pink kitties.


    ¡°Myaster, do forgive this lowly maid¡¯s attempt at flattery... but... nyaa. The way you fill out our documents, your penmanship... it¡¯s... so skilled... I¡¯ve never seen anyone go through our documents like it was such a breeze.¡± Snow giggles while watching me tear through the stack of liability forms.


    ¡°Nonsense, my dear. This is what I was born to do. Not that that¡¯s anything to be boastful about, really...¡± I respond after signing my name on yet another document and starting up the following stack.


    The white Catgirl smiles calmly before leaning over the office¡¯s desk and staring into my eyes. For just a moment, I cease my scribbling, and Snow takes my hand into her paws as she says, ¡°I really do want to thank you for giving the two of them a chance. Really.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you should thank my financials instead.¡± I brush it off with a cheap laugh and look away from her gentle warmth.


    ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, Myaster. Even if you had all the gold in the Realm, you still would have chosen those two... Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Mm. Am I that transparent?¡± I try to hide a momentary smirk while adjusting my glasses, but she clearly catches it.


    ¡°Of course, nyaa. I only hope you¡¯re able to remember me even after you return home with Cherry and Peri at your side, Myaster. Might I trouble you for one more sniff...?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I feel comfortable giving you the pleasure when it¡¯s just the two of us in the back of the tent, alone... why, in such a circumstance these, a man might start thinking you¡¯re trying to seduce him, Miss Snowball.¡±


    Snow starts laughing until she sighs. ¡°You¡¯re a lot of fun, you know that? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve met a man half as witty, clever, or as charming as you are, Myaster. Nor one so full of themself.¡±


    Ouch. Can¡¯t say Snow¡¯s wrong, though.


    ¡°Well, what can I say? You know where to find me if you ever want a good sniff- and it needn¡¯t stop at just that.¡± Placing the final stack of papers down, I make an effort to flirtatiously tap the pen down against where I recently wrote the address of the Guild.


    Snow purrs at the thought, and the two of us rise from our seats. ¡°Myaster may await his new trial maids at the entrance, and I will escort the two of them to him shortly. In the meantime, I recommend you go and gather up your gi-¡±


    ¡°BORK BORK BORK BORK-¡±


    Off in the distance, I can hear Scrap, the Dogman bouncer, barking far more viciously than he ever barked at me. Then, Flufferson begins barking just as loud.


    Both soon stop, and the worrisome sound is soon replaced by two Dogmen wincing in pain. The poor sound stings my ears even from all the way over on the other end of the tent.


    ¡°Stay here, Myaster,¡± Snow jerks up and brandishes her riding crop in one hand, and from her dress, she pulls out a cat o¡¯ nine tails whip in the other. From the look on her face, I can tell she¡¯s ready to dual-wield these instruments of sadism with fierce tenacity should the need arise.


    ¡°Nonsense, the girls can help, and I need to be there for them.¡± At least until I figure out how to better utilize the powers of my eyes, that is.


    Snow reluctantly nods her head, and I follow her out of the office into the main tent, where a great many potential customers and Beastfolk alike are running from the entrance in fear.


    Flufferson and Scrap both lie on the dirtied ground covered in wounds.


    ¡°BOSS!¡± I look to where Sam, Meri, and Zutiria¡¯s weapons were being held to see they had the same idea as I had. They did, and the girls are properly suited up to protect this place. Sam has her sword, Meri, her shield, and Zutiria, her staff. All three adventurers are ready to fight at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The three of them race towards the entrance, but before they can make it, I see the curtains of the tent flaps flickering with potential danger.


    ¡°WAIT!¡± I command them, and the girls all stop just before a massive red carpet is thrown through the entrance. Several Beastfolk security guards in the process of running towards the threat are knocked away before they could even see it coming, and some fall under the weight of the magnificent yet deadly carpet as it unfolds over their bodies.


    Then, I feel the air stir with mana pressure, and I know that magic is afoot. The tent goes pitch black, save for Zutiria, who lights up her staff at the last second, giving us a scant view of each other and not much else.


    Soon, a magical spotlight illuminates the entrance, and a lingering drumroll is heard, only for the single, trashiest Elf in all the realms to enter and begin making her way down the illustrious carpet.


    She wears a shiny micro bikini with blonde hair and a curvaceous figure that glitters with gold and as much gaudy jewelry as her body can possibly take. In her hand, she carries a large golden trumpet embellished with jewels that she soon begins to blow with all her heart.


    The Elf plays a triumphant melody, making sure to shake her ass from side to side every bit of the way. After an awkwardly long solo, the ghetto Elf stops playing long enough to make her announcement. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen of the Breeding Tribe, today you have the honor of serving the needs of the most sexual man in Dewhurst!¡±


    Oh, Gods-damn it all. I don¡¯t even want to know where this is going.


    I mentally groan, wishing for once we could have just experienced an utterly normal breaking and entry without it being some new display of ridiculousness, inevitably leading towards introducing yet another one of Dewhurst¡¯s ¡®finest¡¯.


    ¡°This man is the ruler of the pleasure districts, a knight unlike any other who pierces the hearts of his foes and the holes of his women,¡±


    Stop this tomfoolery, please.


    ¡°The man who wilted like a rose only to bloom again even more magnificently,¡±


    Cease. Luxy, I¡¯m begging you. I know you¡¯re listening. Just teleport this stupidity elsewhere, please...


    ¡°His blade is sharper than any other, his charisma enough to woo a Goddess,¡±


    This was supposed to be a nice little day out with my girls. Can I not just have a moment without absurd incident?


    ¡°Yes, it is he! Behold, all who look upon him will have no choice but to swoon in his presence!¡±


    Sweet Goddesses above and below, it¡¯s not even over yet...


    ¡°Announcing the presence of Sir Pimpington Farquehoes the 69th, Lord of Yoremum!¡±


    At long last, the introduction is finished, and it has taken its toll on me. I feel as if I aged ten years in a minute.


    The trumpet disappears from her hands through magic. In its place, loud, blaring music erupts from all directions under the big top. Given how there¡¯s no source, I¡¯m just going to assume that the magical Elf is behind this as well. Thanks to their much more sensitive ears, many Beastfolk begin to howl and hiss in response to the sudden auditory assault. Snow holds it in like a determined fighter, ready to leap in as soon as she needs to put a stop to this nonsense.


    A dozen other magical spotlights burst into being from out of the void, lighting up an entire squad of about fifteen slutty dancers dressed in similar sluttish attire to the trashy Elf who led the pack. From just a glance, I can glean that they¡¯re a very well-balanced crew of Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and even a few Orcs.


    Standing on each side of the big red carpet, the army of dancers gets to work strutting and grinding to the rhythm of the incessant beat blaring. I¡¯ll give them credit where credit is due. The dancers sure know how to use their Gods-given assets to their full advantage. Ghetto skanks are about as far away from my type as one could get, though, so I¡¯m hardly aroused despite their skills at ass-shakery.


    I wish I were making this up, I genuinely do, but a gigantic golden penis on golden wheels bursts through the entrance. It¡¯s being pulled by the two sluttiest-looking sluts yet, a black-skinned human woman with an afro and a buxom elf with ratty dreadlocks.


    Their uniforms are somehow skimpier than the rest of the pack, and they match each other to a perfect degree. Despite the smaller size, their bikinis are just as glimmering and golden as the ones worn by their rank and file dancer counterparts.


    The two of these peculiar women are being held by the reigns of the chariot like they were horses. On their necks, they each have golden slave collars complete with golden chains. I¡¯m sensing a pattern here, and more than anything else, I think it can be said that the man knows what he likes. As for the man, the myth, the ruiner of my day himself, Sir Pimpington stands erect atop the massive dong.


    The fair-skinned man is wearing a red top hat with a green band and a large golden crown sitting on its base. The aforementioned pimp coat is furry, colored red with a rose pattern, and has green sections adorned with roses on thorns on the hem of his sleeves and the bottom of the coats. The edges of his outfit are sequined with what looks to be tiny diamonds, and atop his tunic, the pimp wears many large golden chains.


    He is very tall and spindly. I¡¯d estimate him to be about 6¡¯5 at the least. His face is thin and sharp with a piercing gaze, oily black hair, a goatee, and a comically sized curly mustache that he twirls between the fingers of his hand covered in jeweled rings. His other hand holds a blinged-out cane.


    Without warning, he spreads open his coat for all to see. Much to my relief, he¡¯s not flashing his captive audience.


    Instead, on the inside linings of his expensive and gaudy coat are ten different bottles of champagne. As if by magic, the bottles all shoot their corks simultaneously off into the crowd in ten different directions, and the contents spill out. His many sultry dancers, as well as his chained women, become suddenly drenched in a tremendous rain of expensive, sparkling alcohol showering down from his position atop the golden phallus.


    The implied imagery is about as subtle as it sounds.


    After doing an admittedly impressive dance routine from his position on top of the giant, glimmering, golden cockhead, Sir Pimpington bangs the bottom of his cane against the penis of gold. Drawing all attention to himself, tap dances with his red, wing-tipped shoes and loudly declares to everyone inside the Besthal Pet Shop, ¡°Alright! Sir Pimpington is in the house, ya feel me?!¡±

 Respecting Women

    As soon as this pinnacle specimen of asshat is done with his literal song and dance, Snow steps forward onto the red carpet to stare him down... or more than that if she needs to. She¡¯s not alone. A large group of tough looking Beastfolk men follow along behind her, ready to raise hell if things get ugly.


    I¡¯m not sure where they were hiding before the intruder came, but there¡¯s a hell of a lot of burly lions and tigers and bears all of a sudden.


    Meanwhile, I run to my girls and get behind them in case I need to give the command to have them intervene.


    ¡°Stand back for now. We need to see how this plays out.¡± I order Sam as I draw near and notice that the Princess was just about ready to run and attack the bizarre new threat any second now.


    ¡°...¡± She looks at me and I can clearly see her emerald eyes shining brightly with the boiling anger of the Royal Blood. She grimaces and manages to calm herself down just enough to speak, ¡°I... alright. I¡¯ll try...¡±


    Slowly but surely that meditation seems to be paying off, and once again I feel pride in how much work the Princess is putting in to change herself.


    ¡°What is that man DOING?!¡± Meri is a blushing mess after witnessing this entire ordeal.


    ¡®He seems to be doing whatever the hell he wants.¡¯ Zutiria watches with great curiosity, intrigued by this bizarre scenario but still concerned.


    All eyes turn to Snowball as she stands staring up at the golden phallus and the ridiculous man standing atop it.


    A seedy grin spreads across his face the moment he sees the white furred Catmaid. ¡°Oh HELLS to the yes. HOE¡¯S, ASSEMBLE!¡± Sir Pimpington snaps his fingers and all of his assorted strippers form a skanky human-orc-dwarf-elf staircase that he literally starts tap dancing his merry little way down from, making sure to give a few of their asses a healthy smack with the bottom of his pimp cane as he does so.


    He jumps off of the final step of his slutty staircase and lands in a crouching position so he can thrust upwards with his pelvis as he rises. ¡°I AM HERE... Fo¡¯ all the pussy up in this here tent. WHERE ALL THE TITTIES AT, CAN YA FEEL ME?! AYYYY!!¡± He shouts to no one in particular, but of course his women call chant in response.


    ¡°WE CAN FEEL YA, LORD PIMPINGTON!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to skip the niceties and ask you to leave. You did not pass our screening and you attacked our staff. Count yourself lucky you¡¯re leaving with your life.¡± Snowball squints her eyes and raises her short, nine-tailed whip threateningly. Behind her, the army of beefy Beastfolk begin ripping their shirts off simply by flexing their pecs. They hunch over into animal-like fighting positions and show off their fangs and claws with fierce determination.


    Meri¡¯s armor is clanking at the sight and she knows that they¡¯re on OUR side. ¡°I-I-I had no idea that Beastfolk could be so scary...!!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, the really scary one is Snow.¡± Sam states with a discerning eye.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Mn. Not sure. Just a feeling.¡± She squints and continues to watch.


    Sir Pimpington looks at the woman standing defiantly in front of him through his obnoxiously gaudy sunglasses. ¡°Mmmm, kitty got herself some CLAWS, huh? A whip? A crop? You won¡¯t be needing those fo¡¯ too much longer, girl, not when I get ahold of you. Naw. Femdom is fo¡¯ homosexuals that like to pretend they straight, ya dig?¡± He reaches out to grab Snow by the wrist but is all of a sudden overcome with a blast of murderous intent, jumping back about ten feet out instinct alone.


    It goes without saying his blanket statement about femdom feels like a personal attack, but I¡¯m not going to get us involved over something as embarrassing as that.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to try and touch me again, but know that next time I won¡¯t stop at just a feint.¡± The head maid cracks her whip so loud that it echoes out into the darkened bigtop and makes some of the weaker Beastfolk cringe upon hearing it.


    ¡°I felt that! Same shit Nikita used on me in training...¡± Sam gasps and reads the situation, eyes unable to look away from the pimp and the maid currently having a standoff.


    ¡°HAH! Ah, you really thought you was threatening? Fo¡¯ real? Naw naw naw, I just ain¡¯t in the mood fo¡¯ beating yo¡¯ ASS myself.¡± The villain wags his ring covered finger dismissively, like he¡¯s entirely convinced that if he had to fight Snow he¡¯d be capable of defeating her.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t even come here fo¡¯ a fight in the first place, ya feel me? I am a pimp who respects the economical processes up in this bitch! What I want is fo¡¯ you to officially and legally sell me allllllll them FINE ass beast bitches. I didn¡¯t bring no money, but I think this should more than cover all them costs.¡± Sir Pimpington bangs his golden phallus with his pimp cane.


    Does he usually make purchases by dragging these things around or is he really just showing off? I don¡¯t know which is worse...


    ¡°We don¡¯t SELL Beastfolk. We adopt them to loving homes. You would do well to remember that.¡± Snowball stands her ground, but the legion of Beastmen behind her are beginning to grow restless. They want to run out and tear this asshole to shreds, and I can¡¯t blame them for that. I¡¯m just waiting for the second things head south so I can give the girls the order to help defend this place.


    ¡°Aw honey, if that¡¯s the case then why the fuck yo¡¯ bitch ass didn¡¯t say so? Trust me. They ain¡¯t gonna find a mo¡¯ loving and caring home than they will when working fo¡¯ my new expanded chain of Hoehouses!¡±


    Sam snaps, drawing the massive blade from the sling on her back.


    ¡°SAM, NO!¡±


    ¡°RRRGHH!!¡± She yells in anger and runs off to attack the Pimp, but to her surprise he barely even bats her an eye.


    He raises his hand and under the spotlight it shines brightly with the glimmering of his dozens of jeweled rings. In one fell snap his fingers he says, ¡°LEFT HOE!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Pimpington.¡± The woman pulling the golden chariot on the left side unhooks herself from the reins and takes off her slave collar, only to start wielding it as a whip of sorts. She skillfully trips Sam with its golden chains and the warrior Princess falls flat on her face from the sudden attack.


    ¡°RIGHT HOE!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Pimpington.¡± The other woman does just the same and begins swinging her chains with deadly speed. Right when she¡¯s about to bring it crashing down over Sam¡¯s back, I issue a command.


    ¡°Girls! That combo you used on the moth, NOW!¡±


    ¡°R-RIGHT!¡± Meri thrusts her shield out and Zutiria raises her staff and it begins to glow with a powerful burst of mana.


    ¡°S... SWAPSHADDA!¡± The Mage stabs her staff into the dirty ground beneath her and the effects of her spell change the world according to her own will.


    Sam and Meri both sink into their own shadows and swap places in no time at all. The attack of the chained whip originally meant for Sam instead cracks down hard on Meri¡¯s sturdy tower shield. With a look of determination in her eyes similar to when she defeated the Murdermoth, Meri shouts, ¡°REFLECT!¡±


    The glow from her shield looks less bright seeing as her mother¡¯s power gem is now replaced by the much smaller gratitude crystal, but the following attack seems roughly on the same level as when she used it before.


    The impact bellows out from her shield like a gong being struck, sending the henchwoman known as ¡®Right Hoe¡¯ crashing backwards into the shining chariot of champions itself.


    She grunts from the intense pain and Meri readies herself in case Left Hoe decides to attack, but it¡¯s not necessary.


    ¡°HOLD the fuck up, hold up hold up HOLD UP.¡± The pimp snaps his fingers together several times and both of his main henchwomen withdraw to his side, his squad of dancing strippers moving out of the way as he turns his attention towards me. ¡°You that whack-ass Guild Masta who think he a pimp?¡±


    I can¡¯t help myself from face palming and scrunching my face together in misery. Please let my suffering end.


    ¡®The legends of your lecherous ways are spreading, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically comforts me even now in this tense situation.


    ¡°I am nothing of the sort. Simply a concerned client who¡¯s trying to make a legitimate adoption in peace. My ass is most certainly not whack.¡±


    Sam snorts at me from her position down on the ground. ¡°You sound like an old dude trying to stay hip.¡± She¡¯s upset about her anger getting the best of her but it seems like it¡¯s not bad enough that she can let a chance to tease me slide.


    I do my best not to groan as my eye twitches from stress.


    ¡®Worry not. I think your ass is quite cute.¡¯ To emphasize it the little lady casually gropes my butt despite this very much not being the time for that. If she doesn¡¯t behave herself I¡¯m going to bop her on her little head.


    ¡°Well I ain¡¯t gonna stop you, take the hoes you want and scram so the rest of us paying customers can LINE THE FUCK UP, BITCH! I got big, BIG plans in the works and I need me a couple hundred new fiiiine ass bitches.¡± As Sir Pimpington¡¯s anger rises he points his finger at me. ¡°Count yo little bitch ass lucky I got orders not to fuck with you.¡±


    And there we go. My suspicions are confirmed.


    ¡°W-wait a minute...¡± Meri thinks aloud. ¡°I thought the Duke and his men were a shadowy organization...¡±


    ¡°Does this man look like he¡¯s capable of anything even remotely approaching the concept of ¡®subtlety¡¯, Meri?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Meri glares at the pimp briefly before shaking her head.


    The villainous pimp turns his attention back to Snowball and her anxious pack of defensive Beastmen. ¡°I already SAID I didn¡¯t come here fo¡¯ no fight. If I did... you wouldn¡¯t last a single round, baby. I¡¯m gonna give y¡¯all mothafuckin¡¯ animal chicks one last chance. You can either accept my generous offer or find out what happens when you get on the wrong side of my pimp hand, DO YA FEEL ME?¡±


    ¡°Do your worst, SCUM.¡± The head maid¡¯s elegant expression disappears from her face, instead she hisses violently and bares her fangs even more fiercely than any of the angry men behind her. ¡°ALL THE MEMBERS OF THIS TRIBE CHOOSE WHERE THEY GO, AND NOT ONE OF THEM WOULD EVER SO MUCH AS GLANCE IN YOUR GENERAL DIRECTION!¡±


    Sir Pimpington pulls down the brim of his exotic crowned hat while shaking his head. ¡°Y¡¯all literal pussy-ass bitches ain¡¯t heard the last of me. This ain¡¯t done, naw. I just don¡¯t wanna rough all my new sex kittens up... but I¡¯ll be back later in the week after I figure a few things out with some friends of mine. Then, kitties, puppies, bunnies and the rest of y¡¯all furry bitches are gonna have daddy teach ya some NEW TRICKS, YEAH!


    Using sleight of hand he drops an unseen champagne bottle out of the sleeve of his pimp coat and places it to his groin, then promptly pops the cork to accentuate his point and make himself appear even further like a misogynistic dumbass. He thrusts his pelvis several times in the air until the stream of alcohol finally fizzles out into a limp stream of unimpressiveness.


    ¡°And regarding all y¡¯all Guild motherfuckas over there, I¡¯ll be seein¡¯ yo¡¯ bitch asses sooner than you might think!¡± He turns to face us and throws the bottle of champagne to the ground beneath him where it shatters into a thousand pieces. ¡°LEFT HOE, RIGHT HOE, READY MY CHARIOT! I shall not be leaving it behind as previously discussed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir Pimpington.¡± His two henchwomen say before affixing themselves to the giant golden phallus once more.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna fucking KILL him, I swear to-¡± Sam angrily pulls herself up off the ground but I grab her by the shoulder and stop her from doing anything further.


    I lock eyes with the pimp. ¡°You would have better luck here if you learned to respect women, you wretched cur.¡±


    ¡°Bitch what in the FUCK is a cur? Who the fuck even says that you stiff-ass back alley butler lookin¡¯ mothafucka?! And as for the rest of yo¡¯ statement? LIES! SLANDER! BITCHES, TELL THIS MAN HOW MUCH I RESPECT WOMEN, YOU USELESS SLUTS!¡±


    All of his strippers, the ghetto Elf who carried the trumpet and his two chariot pullers all bow like mindless dogs and respond in unison with one solidified, practiced voice, ¡°NO ONE RESPECTS WOMEN MORE THAN YOU, MY LORD!¡±


    The villainous pimp breaths in a breath of fresh air, ¡°MMMM, MMMMM! THANK YOU, BITCHES! How could anyone possibly believe such ridiculous lies about me when the proof comes straight from the bitches mouth?¡±


    I sigh deeply, and it happens. For the first time in my life dealing with a stupid Dewhurstian gives me an honest to Goddess migraine sending searing pain through my head from having to listen to this moronic pimple on the ass of Karnalle. ¡°Just fucking go already good fucking Gods.¡± I say while rubbing my temples.


    ¡®Poor Sir. Can¡¯t stand looking at himself in the mirror.¡¯ Zutiria says while rubbing my back. I give the Mage a rare bop on the head as if she were Sam.


    Her black beret falls onto the ground and she holds her head in response. ¡®Ow. Maybe you could learn a thing or two about respecting the Bitches from him, Sir. He does not seem to hit the Bitches.¡¯


    Meri walks back to be with us since it¡¯s clear the standoff isn¡¯t going to happen. She looks naive and confused as all hell, unable to even say anything in response to this bizarre scenario.


    Sir Pimpington leaps into the air with... surprising grace and lands inside the chariot¡¯s hollowed out shaft. An ordinary person can¡¯t jump like that- I thought for sure he was just a regular pimp but he almost leaped as high as Sam can. Then, he pulls out a sword from his pimp cane and points it off into the horizon. ¡°ONWARD, HOES! ALSO ONE OF Y¡¯ALL STRIPPER BITCHES NEEDS TO GET UP HERE, PREFERABLY ONE OF YOU ORCS WITH THEM BIG GREEN TIDDIES! I REQUIRE AN EXTREMELY PUBLIC BLOWJOB AS WE RIDE THROUGH THE TOWN BACK TO THE PIMPFORT! HUP-HUP!¡±


    He takes the reins and spurs on Left Hoe and Right How while his myriad of strippers begin to chase after his chariot in attempt to give him his requested pleasurings.


    For some reason the only thing I can think of as he leaves is that Opalina is right.


    I really don¡¯t leave the house enough if I¡¯ve never fucking heard of the local pimp that drives around on a giant golden dick while getting public Orc blowjobs...

 Mew Shall Not Pass

    Well, that somehow just happened.


    After everyone settled down from the bizarre yet threatening incident, the Beastfolk of the Besthal Pet Shop all thanked the girls for trying to help. Even though they didn¡¯t really do all that much, it still was nice of them. Personally, I felt as if Snow and her terrifying hoard had the situation under control and that we were more or less in the way.


    That¡¯s not to say I wasn¡¯t concerned for the three adventurers.


    As far as I¡¯m aware, this is the first time the three of them have faced one-on-one combat with something that isn¡¯t a monster, barring Nikita and, in Sam and Meri¡¯s case, each other. Only a tiny snippet of a battle occurred, so it¡¯s hard for me to gauge how well it would¡¯ve gone if the fight had been to the finish. I think they did well enough, though. So I make sure to tell them as such.


    Sam grumpily plays off my attempt at praising here, mainly because she¡¯s upset that she lost control of her anger and fell down so quickly. Meri and Zutiria are more optimistic about the brief encounter, though. They both seem to like the little combo they¡¯ve thought consisting of Shaddaswap and Meri¡¯s Reflect, as do I. It¡¯s a convenient positioning tool and rife with strategic potential.


    The Princess goes on to bring up some scattered thoughts she has about the villainous Pimp. Her Highness thinks it¡¯s rather suspicious how Pimpington held back his true strength, which I¡¯m very much in agreement with. There¡¯s an unspoken understanding between the four of us that the gaudy, larger-than-life crimelord is a strong combatant. If he intended to take the Besthal Pet Shop women by force, today could have gone very differently.


    No matter what happens next, we have to play it by ear and continue our preparations to fight him if it comes to that. The thought makes me nervous, Pimpington seems like a much more competent threat than Fleetfoot, and there¡¯s no telling what other kinds of criminals the Duke of Dewhurst has laying in wait.


    After a half-hour of waiting for things to calm, Cherry and Peri are escorted by Snow to meet back up with us at long last. Before we can take off, though, Snow begins to speak with us in a rather severe tone.


    ¡°Myaster, first of all, I would like to thank you and the members of your Guild for standing up to our troublesome house guest, nyaa.¡± She says, narrowing her eyes in suspicion and moving out in front of the other maids. ¡°But I need to ask what that perverse man meant when he said that he¡¯d be seeing you and your Guild in due time. I cannot in good conscience allow Cherry and Peri to go along with you if I deem the situation would put them into any sort of peril. Rest assured, you will be given a full refund if this is the case.¡±


    Sam grows reasonably upset, but she takes it out on the wrong person.¡°Wait, wait, wait, we¡¯ve been waiting weeks for you guys to get into town!¡± Sam protests. I stick my hand out in front of her before she can pester the manager anymore.


    ¡°Sam, please. Be more respectful.¡± I sigh as the Princess grumbles and holds back her tongue.


    I adjust my glasses and rub my aching temples, which are still slightly reeling over my pimp-induced migraine. This is a roadblock I was hoping to avoid. I did intentionally not bring up the whole crimelord feud for a reason, after all, as I knew this would happen. I¡¯m going to have to do my best to convince Snow to sign off on this. ¡°I understand your concern, Miss Snowball. Truly. Therefore I will give you nothing but the truth and allow you to make your own judgment on whether or not you can allow.¡±


    Snow awaits my explanation while Cherry and Peri wait nervously with their luggage in hand. Each maid carries a small, black, pawprint patterned suitcase presumably filled with their clothes, cat toys, and some cat treats by the smell of it. Speaking of scents, I catch an odd odor coming from Cherry¡¯s luggage which I¡¯m almost certain is catnip.


    Cherry nervously keeps looking at Peri, who is in turn nervously looking back and forth between Snow and myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m currently in the midst of a minor dispute with one of Dewhurst¡¯s numerous crimelords. I¡¯m afraid that the pimp whose acquaintance we had the displeasure of making is likely a subordinate of this villain- the so-called Duke of Dewhurst- or some such nonsense. I know this sounds bad, but I¡¯d like to stress that I have an immensely powerful Grekkan mercenary serving as our Guild¡¯s bodyguard and that there is no danger to be wary of. If anyone with hostile intent were to make a move on me, she would appear and defeat them.¡±


    Snow masks her emotions, constantly remaining suspicious as she weighs my words. ¡°...I take this to mean you intend on actually fighting this Duke of Dewhurst and not simply relocating to another town?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have the option of just setting up shop somewhere else. The Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild is a very special place that functions differently from the established system, as I own the land and the deed. I¡¯m afraid that every other Guild in Karnalle is owned by the Association of Adventurers and that by giving it up, I¡¯d be put under intense scrutiny. I can¡¯t say for sure what would happen, but I know that it wouldn¡¯t be good for my career. That, and if I¡¯m being more sentimental about it... it was my grandpa¡¯s. I don¡¯t want to abandon the Guild he spent his entire life running.¡±


    ¡°...Sentimentality is lovely and all, and while your plight makes for a very touching story, but do you expect me to believe a single mercenary is enough protection?¡± Snow steps forward staunchly and stares straight at me. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m even giving you a chance to explain yourself, Myaster. Failing to mention such a glaring and dangerous circumstance is typically grounds to bar one from ever adopting from us ever again.¡±


    Snow gets up in my face and rears her claws, poking one of them against my shirt hard enough to feel it against my skin. ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool just because I often end my sentences with ¡®nyaa¡¯. Anyone with half a brain could tell you intentionally left out this ¡®minor dispute¡¯ of yours because you were worried that we would reject you. Which we would have.¡±


    This fiercely strong Catfolk stands resolute against me, and for once, I feel like I¡¯ve met my equal when it comes to negotiation. I try and think of a foothold for an argument to convince the immovable manager, but Snow¡¯s unwavering eyes send a chill down my spine.


    Luckily, I¡¯m not alone.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s not just Nikita who would be protecting Cherry and Peri! You saw what I can do during the fight, right? I-I¡¯m a Shield Maiden! I protect things. It¡¯s my job!¡± Meri says as she cuts in front of me and raises her shield, protecting me from Snow¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°Meri, don¡¯t-¡±


    ¡®She¡¯s right, Snow. We can more than handle ourselves. I happen to be quite a powerful Black Mage, for what it¡¯s worth.¡¯ Zutiria inserts herself between us, followed quickly by Sam.


    ¡°And I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ strong, too! I woulda beat that slutty hench-bitch into a bloody pulp no sweat if the fight kept going!¡± Her Highness declares as she grips her fist and raises it towards Snow in a desperate attempt to prove herself.


    For a moment, the pretty white kitty contemplates the words of the three adventurers before deciding that they mean fuck all. ¡°...No. I don¡¯t care. Cherry and Peri are not coming with you.¡± The stubborn maid puts her foot down and crosses her arms, looking straight through my girls as if they aren¡¯t even there.


    ¡°I admit that I didn¡¯t tell you about my battle with the Duke of Dewhurst on purpose, Snow, but you have to understand-¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± She cocks her head arrogantly. ¡°What could possibly make me understand why you thought you were justified in leaving out such a massive red flag?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s irrelevant. I¡¯m going to take down the Duke of Dewhurst, that pimp, and any other threat stopping me from making my business prosper.¡± I try my best to project as much confidence as possible, but our prospects aren¡¯t looking good.


    Snow is resolute, and I can¡¯t blame her. If a client came in and registered a quest while leaving out massive details that would cause harm to my girls, like, say... a certain Steezweed warmer recently did... I¡¯d be pissed, too.


    ¡°Peri, Cherry, I¡¯m very sorry to say this... but go and unpack your things. You won¡¯t be leaving here today.¡± The maid says calmly, turning away from me like I were scum. ¡°Don¡¯t let me see your face again, ¡®Myaster¡¯. I¡¯ll admit, your smell was novel at first, but I see now that it only served to mask your true self.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± Peri says. Just when it looks like I¡¯m about to lose the chance to ever adopt a Beastgirl, the maid drags her luggage and joins Sam, Zutiria, and Meri in opposition. Snow¡¯s eyes open wide as she turns back around to look at the defiant, blue-haired kitten. Peri, undeterred, states, ¡°I¡¯m well past the age where I can leave the tribe if I don¡¯t want to be adopted, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Peri!? You... you can¡¯t! The tribe won¡¯t look out for you if you don¡¯t go through the normal adoption shit!¡± Cherry frantically starts sweating, her magenta eyes darting between Snow and Peri.


    The head maid closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, flaring the nostrils of her pink cat-like nose as she does. She¡¯s conflicted.


    ¡°I... I¡¯m so tired of everyone making decisions for me just because I¡¯m a little clumsy. I can¡¯t leave because no one wants to adopt us since we¡¯re such a hard sell, so...¡± Peri hangs her head, sniffling from tears. Out of frustration, she grips the frilled hem of her skirt hard and digs her claws into it. ¡°I¡¯d rather go and risk a bit of danger than stay with this stupid tribe my whole life...! I hate it here, and I want to make my own choices!¡±


    ¡°Your own choices...?¡± Snow says as her conflicted expression grows tenser, and I see my chance to strike.


    I move forward as my girls scoot out of the way so I can approach Peri. Placing my hand on her delicate, exposed shoulder, the maid jerks backward and leans into my sudden touch. As she turns her face to mine, I see tears trailing down from the eyes hidden behind her bangs. ¡°Peri, I want you to consider what you¡¯re saying. I indeed intend to be a patient, kind and caring Master to you, but I won¡¯t deny that there¡¯s the potential for danger. It¡¯s also true that I lied about this intentionally. If you can still forgive me for that, then...¡±


    ¡°I... understand that it could be dangerous... and I don¡¯t care that you lied. You had your reasons, and I... I don¡¯t care what Snow says. I think you¡¯re a good man, despite that.¡±


    ¡°Is it really so bad here, Peri?¡± I ask her.


    ¡°It¡¯s not all bad,¡± She admits with a frown. ¡°But... would you want to just sit there your whole life while other people tell you they know what¡¯s best for you and they don¡¯t even consider your own opinion?!¡±


    ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t, Peri.¡±


    Snow watches this altercation silently as Cherry stirs. The brattier of the two maids pauses with hesitation as she weighs her options. Then, Cherry shakes her head and pushes this hesitation aside. She moves her luggage over towards our side of the proverbial line, standing with the rest of the girls. ¡°Where Peri goes, I go...¡± She says, looking at Peri with an apologetic frown.


    From the way she talks, it''s undeniable that Peri means the world to Cherry, although they will need to work out some issues. Cherry might have to realize some uncomfortable truths about how her attitude has affected her friend, and maybe even more than that, Cherry¡¯s going to have to learn how to live for her own sake.


    With my free hand, I clasp Cherry¡¯s shoulder. The young Catfolk blushes and softly whimpers at my touch, but she doesn¡¯t jerk away and hiss at me like I expected. Instead, Cherry looks back at me and stares into my eyes with a dazed, bewildered expression as she tries to puzzle out whether she enjoys the feeling of my skin on hers. Eventually, the kitten purrs.


    Cherry¡¯s decision seems clear to me, but I want to make something clear. ¡°You¡¯re welcome to come along, but I¡¯d like it if you came not only for Peri¡¯s sake but for your own.¡±


    Cherry hangs her head and nervously looks over to Peri. Her best friend reaches out and offers a paw to her slowly, and the two hold hands, Peri giving her a meek smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna work on it...¡± The pink-haired Catfolk looks me in the eye and blushes. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie and say I¡¯m not doing this for her... but... it¡¯s also not a lie to say I¡¯d like it if I could try to grow from this, too. I don¡¯t think I can change if I don¡¯t come with and try to understand where Peri¡¯s coming from.¡±


    Cherry bites her lip, struggling as she asks, ¡°Is that good enough for you, Mya... ster...?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than good enough for me, Cherry.¡± I do my best to give her a reassuring smile. My hands reach out, scratching behind her brown, furry ears. She¡¯s reluctant and twitches at first but the fear quickly subsides causing Cherry to purr once more. Even better, she eventually rubs her head into my touch.


    I think I¡¯m going to like having these two around very, very much.


    Now that both Cherry and Peri have spoken their mind and declared their intentions to defy policy, all eyes are on Snow. The manager feels the pressure. Her arms may still be folded, but her expression is no longer as sure as it was moments ago.


    Zutiria eventually breaks the maid¡¯s contemplation with a new display of her typical lack of social skills. ¡®The whole room is against you. This may just be my opinion, but I believe if you were to refuse at this point, you would certainly come off as a colossal bitch, Snow.¡¯


    I jerk my head to look at her so fast that it almost hurts my neck, ¡°Zutiria-¡± But before I can apologize for the Mage¡¯s tactless choice of words, Snow sighs deeply and shakes her head.


    ¡°Indeed I would, wouldn¡¯t I? If my only option is letting you go off without proper protection and without a formal trial period, then I really have no say in the matter...¡± The elegant maid shrugs her shoulders as her large, white, tail droops down, defeated. ¡°We¡¯ll proceed with the formal adoption process. Peri and Cherry may go home with you and if after seven days you have kept true to your word and not touched them, then we shall make the adoption official.¡±


    Everyone suddenly feels like a gigantic weight has been lifted off our collective chests.


    I sigh deeply out of relief and wipe a bead of sweat from my brow. Sam throws her fists into the air and cheers. Zutiria smiles calmly while nuzzling into my side. Meri enthusiastically jumps for joy only to be dragged down by the weight of her armor, and, naturally, Cherry and Peri share a warm, tender hug.

 A Broken Sword

    With two new trial staff members in tow, everyone is eager to take them back to what we¡¯re very hopeful will be their forever home.


    Cherry and Peri take in the Dewhurstian wonders on our way back, and they both learn very quickly why they¡¯re not supposed to stray too far from the bazaar where the Breeding Tribe keeps their tents.


    While Peri isn¡¯t as much of a coward as Meri she still is easily frightened by every riffraff, diseased gutter skank and wannabe potion brewer we cross paths with. For her part Cherry keeps trying to protect her from these sights and hisses at the criminal elements yet rather than Peri thanking her the blue-haired kitten takes each chance to rub up against me and bury her face in my chest. I¡¯m well aware that she¡¯s using it as an excuse to inhale my scent, but... I can¡¯t exactly deny her.


    Cherry¡¯s rather irritated that I keep getting Peri¡¯s attention but for her part she¡¯s really doing her best to try and not take it personal against me. I know it¡¯ll be a rough road towards getting the feisty kitten to fully accept me into her life, but I¡¯m going to do my best. I don¡¯t intend on making it easier by making sure she inhales my scent as often as possible, either. I want Cherry to actually grow as a person, not brainwash her.


    When Cherry and Peri first set eyes on the Guild¡¯s interior it becomes painfully obvious to the both of them why their services are even needed here in the first place.


    ¡°Oh... Oh, I see.¡± Peri gulps nervously as she gazes upon the many undusted tables of the entrance hall. She winces at the endless cobwebs and cringes at the spiders.


    ¡°Has this place EVER been fucking cleaned, nyaa?!¡± Cherry is much more blunt on the state of things as she begins to inspect the many holes in the walls all around her. ¡°What about you, Zuzu? Can¡¯t you just magic this place clean?¡±


    ¡®I focused on learning spells that actually do interesting things. Regretfully I have not so much as touched my copy of Marthandial Stewitch¡¯s ¡®50 Spells to Help Around the House That Will Make Your Husband Appreciate You More¡¯ in all the years it¡¯s been in my personal library.¡¯ Zutiria sighs and shrugs her shoulders, ¡®I had to go out of my way and learn how to enchant our bed sheets to be self-cleaning. That¡¯s about as much as I¡¯m good for and as far as my interest will go.¡¯


    ¡°I-I thought it was weird how I never noticed anyone washing the sheets!¡± Meri opens her mouth from sudden realization.


    ¡®The promise of no longer sleeping in our collective sexual filth was a very good motivator.¡¯


    ¡°Ugh.¡± Cherry rolls her eyes, hoping the Mage could be coerced into helping.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Cherry... I¡¯m... uh... sure we¡¯ll manage... nyaa...¡± Peri says with absolutely no confidence. Then, a question forms in her head. ¡°S-So... you girls really are all his mates then...?¡± Peri asks as a fierce blush spreads across what I can see of her cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story huh, Boss?¡± Sam nudges me in the side before walking in.


    ¡°We really ought to just make a pamphlet... I mean no disrespect to you Cherry, Peri, but I tire of having to explain the bizarre, cosmic tragedy that is my life to several new people every week.¡± I laugh weakly and sit down on the nearest table, eager to get off of my feet after a long afternoon out.


    ¡°And like... how¡¯s that supposed to work?¡± Cherry blushes and crosses her arm. ¡°You¡¯re just one human male, surely you can¡¯t expect us to believe that... that ALL of your mates are satisfied, nyaa...?!¡±


    Everyone starts laughing at Cherry¡¯s naive, uninformed question.


    ¡°Oh kitty, kitty, kitty.¡± Sam sighs as her laughter dies down. ¡°You¡¯ll see. Details about Boss¡¯s huge, inexhaustible dick is in the pamphlet.¡±


    Meri contentedly sighs as well, ¡°They sure are...¡±


    The kitty maids share a look of confusion and then with my permission they both set out to explore the dusty, dirtied guild in all its non-glory. They run into Nikita in the kitchen and I hear her greet them, saying, ¡°Good to see you ladies again!¡±


    The Grekkan waves her hand after coming out from the kitchen with some cheese and bread, sitting down on the table across from me. ¡°Heya, Chief.¡± She looks a little exhausted, much less full of energy than I¡¯m used to seeing her.


    ¡°Afternoon, Nikita. Meri, Zutiria, would you be so kind as to escort our feline friends around the premises to ensure they don¡¯t get lost? I¡¯m worried about what might happen if they tour the place on their own. It¡¯s a big building full of plenty of nooks and crannies that two little kitties might lose their way in.¡±


    ¡°Sure, Master!¡±


    ¡®I suppose. I need to introduce them to the Little Sir as soon as possible anyways.¡¯


    ¡°Sam, you can go work on your meditation. I¡¯m going to have a brief talk with Nikita and then fill out some paperwork. Later on, I need to talk with you, Meri and Zutiria.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I guess that¡¯s cool and all...¡± Sam sighs and unstraps her great blade from the back of her armor, placing it upon the wall while heading out back to go and attempt to find something resembling inner peace and tranquility.


    Now just Nikita and I remain in the entrance hall and her lack of typical enthusiasm is unsettling. ¡°Rough night or something, Nikita? You aren¡¯t looking too impressive.¡±


    ¡°Lot of thinkin¡¯ and drinkin¡¯.¡± She laughs, looking away from me. ¡°Combination of the Gods right there lemme tell you chief. I¡¯m fine, though just... conflicted.¡±


    ¡°Want to talk about it?¡±


    ¡°No, not really. It¡¯s not in my nature to trust others with my problems. I only told you and the girls about the summary of what happened with my God since it was relevant, but other than that I try to keep the lid on my problems shut tighter than the gates of Hades.¡± Nikita sighs and blushes, scratching the back of her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair enough.¡±


    ¡°Opal dropped by. After I got stern talking to from her for drinking and sleeping past two in the afternoon, she left a message for you. Kinda important.¡±


    Suddenly I¡¯m a lot more interested in the idle conversation and I lean in. ¡°Oh? I¡¯m listening.¡±


    Nikita starts laughing, her high spirits coming back a bit and filling up the room with her typical larger than life presence. ¡°You¡¯re adorable. The way your eyes light up whenever someone even mentions her, like a little puppy dog... I swear...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not the first time a woman has compared me to a dog, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be far from the last.¡± I grin playfully at the Grekkan.


    ¡°Ain¡¯t that the truth. Anyways, Opal¡¯s gonna be out of town this week.¡±


    ¡°What? What happened? Is she alright?¡± I grow concerned and start to imagine the various things that could have gone wrong but my fears are quickly put to rest.


    ¡°All good. She wanted to tell you in person but didn¡¯t want to wait around for you to get back, really wanted to get on her way you know? She took the Warp Stone network to Dawnstead and is going to chat up the local Lord or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Wait... really?¡± She kept saying that it wouldn¡¯t make any difference even if I went directly to him... ¡°I guess she changed her mind after last night, then. If she¡¯d have told me I would have gone with, I-¡±


    ¡°You need to be here. You can¡¯t just zip up to the provincial capitol during the middle of all this shit, Chief. Pretty sure she¡¯s just putting some pressure on Lord Gloomcrest or whatever his name is and if it goes somewhere you¡¯ll be in a better position to talk to him yourself eventually.¡±


    ¡°...Right, that makes sense. That has to be why she did it.¡± I still would have appreciated a heads up, but she left rather quickly after the team meeting last night. Probably so that she could go prepare for her trip to Dawnstead and take off early today.


    Nikita makes an abrupt change of topic and her mood further lifts. ¡°On the other paw, seems like you picked the kitties Opal thought you were gonna.¡±


    I think I remember hearing Cherry caused an incident yesterday and that¡¯s why she and Peri weren¡¯t on the showfloor today. Opalina and Nikita must have seen them yesterday morning. ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I had many options as far as pricing was concerned, but... yes. I probably would have done what I could to secure extra funding if I couldn¡¯t afford their adoption fee.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re gonna be difficult, Chief.¡±


    ¡°I like the both of them and I know it¡¯ll be worth it. Oh, that¡¯s right. Get this...¡±


    I tell Nikita about the bizarre episode with the Pimp, and she seems just as shocked as I am and I was actually there. ¡°This place is never boring, is it? Hmm. Hope they can actually fend for themselves as well as you think they can... that sounds pretty ugly. They¡¯re strong, I¡¯ll give em that, but...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Just fought a lot of Beastfolk in my day... they¡¯re weak to underhanded tactics is all I¡¯m saying.¡± She sighs and stands up. ¡°Not that it¡¯s any of my problem


    ¡°...Right.¡± Nikita smiles although it becomes lost along the way and turns into a distant frown. ¡°I¡¯m gonna head out... I don¡¯t even know anymore.¡± She shrugs.


    ¡°I won¡¯t push you to do so, but do keep in mind I¡¯m here for you if you need to vent about what¡¯s on your mind. Goddess knows you¡¯ve helped me far more than I deserve in the short time I¡¯ve known you.¡±


    ¡°...Ugh,¡± She shakes her head and crosses her arms while standing. ¡°I¡¯m just... fuck it. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll hate me because I won¡¯t fight for you if it came down to it. You know how strong I am, yet I stubbornly refuse to help you solve your problems. You have to have some kind of resentment over that, right?¡±


    Was this what she was really so upset about? It¡¯s true that in my stray thoughts I¡¯ve considered it would have been nice to use Nikita to her fullest abilities. She¡¯s so strong that she could likely take on the Duke of Dewhurst and all of his men and be back in time for dinner if she really wanted to...


    But she doesn¡¯t.


    I¡¯m not going to ever guilt her about that.


    ¡°Nikita, you¡¯re a former Divine Champion who used to serve your realm¡¯s God of War. If there¡¯s a personal reason you refuse to help your friends in their time of need then obviously it¡¯s a damn fucking good one. It would be horrible of me to be judgmental of whatever the hell happened in your life that led you to this point.¡±


    Nikita stares at me, at first emotionlessly and then with a sad, stewing anger. ¡°...It would be a lot easier if you could just hate me.¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to hate you? Because so far you¡¯ve done a phenomenal job ensuring the opposite.¡±


    ¡°...Forget it.¡± Nikita sighs. ¡°I¡¯m probably not gonna sleep here as much as I said. I wanted to, I really did... but... I don¡¯t think it would be smart any more. I¡¯ll still be over every day and I¡¯ll stick to this general area of town, but... yeah. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I can force you to sleep in the spare room, Niki. I don¡¯t think anyone could force you to do anything you didn¡¯t want to.¡±


    A small smile lifts up her scarred lips as she turns towards the entrance hall¡¯s door, getting ready to leave. ¡°I''ll check back in tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Nikita?¡± I call out to her.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She responds without turning back to me.


    ¡°Whatever made you this way... it¡¯s a hell of a story, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d sing it for you, Chief, but I¡¯m fresh out of lyres and I ain¡¯t exactly Orpheus. I¡¯ve always been more comfortable being the subject of songs than actually being the one to sing them.¡± Nikita laughs as she exits the Guild for the day, leaving me with even more to dwell on than I already did.


    PunishedKom

 Burnt Coffee with Love

    After Nikita left I decided it was time to do some paperwork. I suppose despite having to fill out a veritable mountain in adoption forms earlier today I¡¯m just hungry for more tedious activity.


    As depressing as this may sound, the monotony of paperwork can be a salve for the soul at times. Keeps me from thinking about other much more stressful things.


    These specific documents could wait if I really wanted, but I¡¯d rather just do them now in case I need to mail them out by the end of the week. They¡¯re for officially documenting that my Guild now has two new Beastfolk occupants who were legally adopted and serve as official housekeepers. It¡¯s not like the Association will compensate me for having additional mouths to feed or anything, but it¡¯s just better to report these things before they become a problem down the road.


    I¡¯ll need to send these off to the Association when the trial period is up, assuming that everything goes well.


    I may be being optimistic, but I don¡¯t see why it wouldn¡¯t.


    As long as I keep an eye on them and potentially try to help through any lingering disputes they may have then I think both Cherry and Peri will adjust, as long as Peri doesn¡¯t get a sniff of me and try seducing me...


    Still, I¡¯m very optimistic that these pretty kitties will pull through alright in the end which is why I decided to fill out the paperwork preemptively. Ah, wait. Seems like I grabbed three of these sheets by mistake... must still be thinking about the one who got away.


    By the time I finish up with the task at hand, Sam comes in bringing me a steaming fresh cup of hot coffee.


    ¡°Thought I¡¯d check in on you, Boss! Everything going ok? Brought you a drink, too. Sorry if it ain¡¯t good, I¡¯m still learning the secretary part of ¡®sexy secretary¡¯.¡± She says with her goofy, comforting smile.


    ¡°I just finished up, but I¡¯ll still take the coffee.¡± I smile in response


    ¡°Course you will.¡± The Princess rolls her eyes at me and sets it down on my desk before she sits down on the office¡¯s couch.


    ¡°Meditation go well?¡± I ask while enjoying the first sip of my generously offered drink. Sam¡¯s coffee is burnt but I drink it anyway to show my appreciation. She tries her best and that makes it taste better in my book.


    ¡°Nah but I¡¯m... I dunno. Getting there? You never told me about this whole ¡®Arts¡¯ stuff. Was it not in all those books you read?¡±


    ¡°Of course I knew about Arts but there was no point in teaching you about things you couldn¡¯t apply. You couldn¡¯t even swing your sword properly. I knew very early on that we¡¯d need to find you a combat instructor, we just happened to be lucky enough that Nikita fell into our lap the way she did.¡±


    ¡°Guess so.¡± Sam sighs and looks away. I bring my coffee with me as I move in to sit with her. ¡°Gonna tell me about all this Bond Level junk now?¡±


    ¡°...Later on. Currently I¡¯d much prefer a quiet moment, just the two of us.¡± I wrap my left arm around the Princess and pull her closer, making her blush and smile adorably.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry... I shouldn¡¯t have asked.¡± Sam sighs before accepting our closeness and nuzzling into me.


    I finish up the burnt coffee and reach down to set it onto the coffee table, but as we continue to sit with each other the silence starts to become overwhelming and I feel the need to ask something lingering on my mind.


    ¡°You¡¯re not mad at me that I never told you about the Demon Lord, are you?¡±


    Sam is quiet but shakes her head. ¡°Nah. Not like I didn¡¯t keep secrets from you at first.¡±


    ¡°Got any left? I do so love a good secret.¡±


    ¡°Afraid I¡¯m fresh out after telling you I love you.¡± Sam¡¯s cheeks redden as she looks away, remembering the dramatic confession last night she made in front of everyone else. I guess that really was the first time she said the L-word out loud to me, huh?


    ¡°That was about as much of a secret as you being a Princess was.¡±


    ¡°Gods, shut up! You¡¯re such a bitch-¡± She laughs and playfully punches me. It doesn¡¯t hurt, thankfully. Sam¡¯s come a long way and has better control over her strength now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it.¡± I tell her while leaning over to give the Princess a loving kiss. It¡¯s soft, slow, and it lingers for a good until we¡¯re both satisfied.


    ¡°Zuzu seems better today...¡± She hangs her head while looking for something to talk about. ¡°I didn¡¯t wanna say anything about it this morning and neither did Meri, but... was she the one who gave you all those marks on your back? And that nasty bite on your neck?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. It¡¯ll be fine. WE¡¯LL be fine.¡±


    Sam frowns. ¡°I just wish I could help her the same way that you do. She¡¯s always been there for me yet it¡¯s like I never even knew how bad her day to day life was for all these years...¡±


    ¡°Go out on a date sometime, then. She¡¯d like that. Take her around the town and play spot the mana crystal addict. Might as well make good use of this odd little cosmically arranged polyamorous group we find ourselves in, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡± Her cheeks flush, ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t think of it like that. You really think it¡¯s safe?¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like Sir Pimpington was there just to threaten us, did it?¡±


    ¡°...Naw, you¡¯re right. He didn¡¯t know we¡¯d be there.¡± Sam sighs. ¡°I miss when things weren¡¯t stupid...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. Things started getting stupid the day you burst through my doors, and my life hasn¡¯t stopped getting better since. Give or take.¡± I smile and surprisingly Sam doesn¡¯t respond, instead only leaning her head against my shoulder.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have to stay in Dewhurst, you know.¡± The Princess says matter of factly despite being factually wrong.


    ¡°Sam... we do. It¡¯s like I told Snow before, the Association will fire me if I try to start up a different Guild. I¡¯ve hardly made any profit in my entire career. This Guild is special, the-¡±


    ¡°The land and the building are both in your name. I know, I know. I¡¯m not stupid.¡± She groans and looks me in the eyes like she was fed up with my repetitive bullshit. ¡°Neither are you. If you can¡¯t work inside the Association¡¯s framework then build your own. As soon as we¡¯re... you know... family... you¡¯ll have the support to do anything you want.¡±


    It¡¯s not that simple. I don¡¯t want to ruin our moment here by explaining Guild policy to her but the Association is the only one allowed to run and maintain Adventurer¡¯s Guilds. They give royalty special discounts on quests for a great number of perks, exclusivity being one of them.


    But that¡¯s not relevant right now.


    ¡°I know... still- I can¡¯t just back down from this, either. If I can¡¯t handle one enigmatic small town crime lord then how am I going to lead you to defeat the Demon Lord like you¡¯ve always dreamed of?¡±


    This makes her smirk and she looks towards me. ¡°Good point. But... you promise this isn¡¯t just because it¡¯s your grandpa¡¯s Guild?¡±


    ¡°...No, Sam, I wouldn¡¯t risk everyone¡¯s safety over sentimentality like that. I-¡±


    ¡°Cause from the way Opal talks about him, I dunno. He just sounds awful. She makes it sound like he¡¯s as bad as Abner...¡±


    ¡°No, of course not. He wasn¡¯t... THAT bad...¡±


    ¡°Was he? Y¡¯know, I didn¡¯t know my Grandpa was that bad either until you told me about all him...¡±


    ¡°My glasses are Dwarven, not rose-tinted.¡± She giggles at my little joke, but the atmosphere is still a bit tense.


    ¡°Sam... would you like to tell me what all this is really about? You didn¡¯t just want to ask about Zutiria and the Guild, did you?¡±


    The young Princess surprises me by unbuckling her breast plate and her pauldrons, dropping the pieces on the floor. She quickly does the same to her faulds and kicks off her boots as well. Since she¡¯s not wearing her gauntlets, she¡¯s now just wearing her leather under armor. Then she straddles me in a gentle way, far from the overtly sexual manner I¡¯ve come to know and expect from her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had a rough couple of days and you haven¡¯t had anyone look after you. We went from celebrating Meri joining the harem to... well... yesterday. Yesterday speaks for itself. Of course, you¡¯re a selfless nice guy so instead of taking care of yourself you spent the entire night looking after Zuzu... OBVIOUSLY you kinda had to, but still. Today was supposed to be your mental health day. We had a nice morning foursome, we went to go and see some kitties, but naw man, evil pimps and weird one armed ex-adventurers. What was even up with that guy, Boss? You were almost livid...¡± Sam stares at me from atop my lap, frowning.


    ¡°I...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna talk about it, right?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make you talk about it. Just want you to realize that I¡¯m not just a kid...¡± The tomboyish Princess reaches to her hair ties and pulls them down over her lengthy twintails and shakes her head.


    Her sunlight locks flow into long strands of unkempt hair that as always make her look rough, fluffy and adorable. While she¡¯s stunning when her hair is properly brushed like the beautiful Princess she is, her long and scrappy hair is charming in a completely different way.


    Her expression is nervous but determined as her face becomes flushed. ¡°You do so much for me and I don¡¯t want you to think that I can¡¯t ever be mature and take care of you when you need it, too... Please... just tell me when you need someone to comfort you, even if you¡¯re too embarrassed or full of manly pride or... whatever else. I want to be that kind of person for you, just like you¡¯re that kind of person for me.¡±


    ¡°Sam...?¡± I look into her emerald eyes and see them glimmer with conviction. ¡°I¡¯m... sorry that I never realized you felt this way...¡±


    ¡°Guess I lied then, Boss. I did have one secret left after all.¡±

 Healing Sex with My Princess

    Sam presses her lips against mine and her hands begin rubbing my shoulders through my clothes.


    Because of her strength it feels phenomenal and she¡¯s able to get all sorts of knots out that desperately needed attention. Thanks to constant deskwork I accrue a lot of them, so even now there¡¯s plenty for Sam to work through despite getting a massage from Opalina¡¯s yesterday.


    The pressure is so intense as she works my neck with her fingers that I make many sounds that could be interpreted as lewd, yet Sam doesn¡¯t say a word.


    She stops herself from teasing me, smirking, or making any inappropriate comments. Seeing the crude Princess be so serious and unlike her normal self is astonishing, and it humbles me knowing how much Sam wants to be perfect for me in every way that she can.


    It¡¯s true that because she¡¯s the youngest woman in my life, I probably write her off as a kid at times even when I don¡¯t mean to... mostly because of her personality and her impulsiveness. But there¡¯s so more to her than just that.


    I need to remind myself that more often, even if she has trouble showing it.


    ¡°Pants.¡± Sam commands, and I follow her lead in lifting our hips off the couch for a brief moment to slide our pants halfway down.


    I¡¯m hard, but it¡¯s not enough for Sam.


    My lover begins to slowly grind the mounds of her pelvis against me with only the thin fabric of her panties separating our bare skin. It¡¯s not her typical feverish rubbing but a romantic and lovingly paced attempt to bring me to my full length. She moans softly from the contact but does her best to look down on me with a mature, concerned expression on her face.


    It¡¯s more than enough to make me swell with need, and Sam¡¯s wetness grows more apparent as well. The once dry panties now drag her soaked slit along the length of my naked cock and she begins to pant and moan. ¡°You deserve this, Daddy...¡± Sam whispers sexily into my ear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let stress defeat you... you¡¯re stronger than that... It¡¯ll... all be... mmm... ok... Ah!¡± The Princess smirks out of nowhere, a glimmer of her playfulness coming out of hiding. ¡°I got an idea.¡±


    Sam briefly stops what she¡¯s doing and reaches inside of her thick leather top with both hands, quickly undoing her bra and dropping it onto the office floor behind her.


    ¡°Here we go-¡± She lifts the bottom of her shirt up over my head and pulls it down, covering me in darkness and pressing her naked breasts into my face for the second time today. We were out and about today, so there¡¯s a distinct smell of her ripe sweat pervading from the leather top.


    It¡¯s like a slice of delicious heaven.


    ¡°Sam...¡±


    I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her closer to me.


    ¡°You can stay in there as long as you need. You don¡¯t gotta come out if you don¡¯t wanna.¡± My lover giggles and she resumes grinding on my increasingly needy cock.


    ¡°When my friend goes inside can he stay as long as he wants, too?¡± I shift my hips upward, poking the head of my shaft against her feminine lips through the wet, hot and sticky panties barely covering the sweet hole that oozes in want of me.


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Lifting her hips up ever so slightly, Sam pulls her sopping panties to the side and wastes no time dropping her tight pussy down on my cock inch by pleasurable inch in a slow, comforting way.


    We both share a steamy moan of satisfaction quickly made greater by the Princess when she starts rocking her hips right back up and slowly back down. Up and down. Sam hugs my head to her chest, squishing both of her bountiful breasts into my face for my enjoyment. I reward her by beginning to kiss her sensitive flesh, and she sighs contentedly in response.


    ¡°Do you want to... mmm... just take the rest of the day off...?¡± Sam asks while lovingly sliding my long manhood fully into its home and clenching. ¡°You don¡¯t HAVE to tell us about the... the Bond Level junk...¡±


    As I nuzzle up to her bouncy tits from inside the darkness of her shirt, I nod my head and say, ¡°It would be better to just approach it tomorrow with a clear head. You¡¯re right. I¡¯m putting too much pressure on myself...¡±


    ¡°You always are, Daddy. Too much stress¡¯ll kill you... we gotta make sure you let it all out before it¡¯s too late... we both know you have a LOT of stress to work through. I¡¯ll do my best to squeeze it alllll out...¡± Sam laughs in a low, gentle tone as she starts to more seriously pump her hips down onto my bare lap, smacking the bare cheeks of her ass repeatedly down against my naked thighs.


    I feel safe, comfortable and content. Not unlike I do when I make love to Opal, but in a different way. Sam grounds me and helps me focus on the moment just like she always has, and I know I can rely on her when I need someone.


    Wanting to show my appreciation for her, I start by digging my hands into her bouncing butt and help it glide me in and out of her loving pussy seamlessly. Every bump and fold of her tunnel constricts and convulses around me, overjoying my cock and enveloping it with warm, wet affection.


    ¡°I love you, Daddy...¡± Sam says as she holds my head inside her shirt.


    ¡°I love you too, Sam... so much...¡± I tell her the truth.


    ¡°Mmmm... keep going...¡±


    ¡°I love you, Princess. You¡¯re the best...¡±


    ¡°More...¡±


    ¡°None of this would be possible without you... you changed me, Sam... and you¡¯ve brought me so much... joy... and...¡±


    ¡°A-And...?¡±


    ¡°And pleasure...¡± My hips thrust upwards roughly at the correct moment to emphasize my point, angling it so that the head of my cock scrapes up against one of her favorite spots and makes her squirm.


    ¡°Mmmmm!¡± She bites her lips and closes her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead... of yourself...¡± Sam pants and begins slapping herself harder and harder down onto my cock but making sure to keep it restricted to slow, forceful thrusts. ¡°I¡¯m the one taking care of you, here...¡±


    As much as I love her like this, being submissive to her doesn¡¯t come as naturally to me as it does when with Opal. Ironically it makes me want to act a bit like Sam herself, cheeky and naughty... perhaps even a little bratty.


    ¡°Are you sure you can handle it? I have... ngh... a LOT of stress...¡± I tease and thrust up between the tight, drooling lips of her wetness right after she slides me out.


    ¡°MN-¡± Sam grunts and fights back by smashing down her hips so hard that it pushes me right into the couch below.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me angry, Daddy. You couldn¡¯t handle it...¡± She giggles amid pleasured moans.


    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve never imagined it, but thoughts of angry sex with Sam cross my mind. Dear Gods, she would absolutely destroy my pelvis if she ever used her full strength...


    ¡°AH-¡± Sam¡¯s eyes roll backwards and she grits her teeth, ¡°You... just got even harder... you¡¯re such a fucking perv... mnnn- it¡¯s... rubbing so many good spots...¡±


    My hands help her start to fuck me a little bit faster, and this time she doesn¡¯t complain. Especially when I start sucking on her nipple. ¡°Heh... you didn¡¯t get enough of my titties this morning, huh...?¡±


    ¡°Even if I lived a thousand lifetimes, Sam, I could never get enough of them...¡±


    She blushes, unused to more overtly romantic lines during sex. We don¡¯t usually get this feelsy so it¡¯s cute seeing her reaction. Usually it¡¯s just dirty talk to accompany rougher play and spur me to greater action, but it¡¯s different between us at this moment in time. Sam not only confessed to me but fully intends to eventually face her family one day so that we can even get married...


    What would such a ceremony even be like? By the time it even happens how many brides are going to be there waiting for me at the end of the aisle?


    It doesn¡¯t matter. Right now, the only important thing is that Sam will be the first of them. It¡¯s her right.


    And I always give my Princess what she wants, no matter what it is.


    ¡°Sam... I¡¯m... getting close...¡±


    ¡°I know... it¡¯s ok... do it... fill my body up with your love, Daddy...¡±


    Never one to disappoint, I no longer hold myself back and start thrusting roughly into her trembling pussy like there¡¯s no tomorrow. My lips kiss, suck and bite her pink nipple with each and every thrust and it isn¡¯t long before my Princess starts having a trembling orgasm against the powerful hardness I pound into her repeatedly.


    She cries loudly, so loud that everyone in the Guild has to know what we¡¯re doing now if they didn¡¯t already.


    That¡¯s ok. I want them to hear me fuck this beautiful, young girl I love with all my heart.


    I scream as my climax explodes out of me, intent on making sure they all hear how much pleasure she¡¯s able to give me. Even though muffled against her tits and from within her leather top, I¡¯m still loud enough in my ecstasy that there¡¯s no way they can¡¯t hear me while I¡¯m cumming inside of Sam like a broken fountain.


    Together we ride out the duration of our shared orgasm and once it finally draws to a close we both sit there upright in each other¡¯s arms, my burning cum dripping out of Sam¡¯s snug tunnel and down the sides of my half erect cock.


    Eventually, Sam stretches the top of her shirt over my head so that we can both poke out. She¡¯s grinning ear to ear and the warm sight of her youthful smile washes away any lingering stress I might¡¯ve had leftover.


    ¡°Feel better?¡± She asks in a low, quiet voice.


    ¡°Almost-¡± I press my lips to her and steal a lengthy kiss. ¡°...There. That¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Sam blushes, laughs, nuzzles her nose up against me and we just sit there quietly for a moment enjoying the feeling of mutual peace.


    ¡°Question.¡± I break the silence and Sam tilts her head.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Probably would be a bad idea to have the kitties clean up the couch, yeah?¡±


    Sam snorts in that goofy, boyish way of hers that drives me mad and shakes her head. ¡°Gods, yeah.¡±


    We laugh in each other¡¯s arms and spend a good while just sitting there in my office, alone except for each other.

 Kitchen Kittens

    I made good on my word to relax with the girls for the rest of tonight, and Meri understands just as much as Sam that I¡¯m not feeling well enough to explain the Bond Level situation. I don¡¯t even feel like looking through all of that stuff anyway right now.


    Cherry and Peri had finished up their tour about the same time I was finishing inside Sam, and their reactions upon seeing the both of us emerge from my office were... telling.


    They could both smell the scent of my semen in the air and neither girl could hide their reaction to it if they wanted to.


    Peri keeps trying to get closer to me while Cherry holds her back, reminding her that they can¡¯t do anything lewd. Even the more brash Catmaid is affected, though, and I often catch her sniffing the air and exhaling dreamily when she thinks I¡¯m not looking.


    The tour went well although both maids are extremely skeptical of how long cleaning this place might take. The pink maid insists she¡¯s good at cleaning, while Peri admits that if she¡¯s hurried along too fast she¡¯s prone to errors and she isn¡¯t very co-ordinated.


    This sours Cherry¡¯s mood when she hears Peri explain it, and it¡¯s obvious she¡¯s holding back her desire to start talking over Peri and try to defend her.


    I reassure her that there¡¯s no need to be so worried for her friend¡¯s sake, and Cherry hesitantly relents after that.


    Eventually the evening approaches and I decide to bring both of the new kitties into the kitchen for their first test. I wasn¡¯t about to have them do any cleaning today, but I thought that preparing dinner together could be a good bonding activity for the three of us.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok at it, I guess...¡± Cherry crosses her arms.


    ¡°Um... I¡¯ll do my best but don¡¯t expect too much, Myaster...¡± Peri nervously looks away.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s ok Peri! I can do all of your work if-¡±


    ¡°Cherry.¡± I raise my voice sternly and watch as the pink kitten¡¯s expression changes to a frown.


    ¡°Force of habit, nyaa...¡±


    In response the blue kitten looks away shyly, trying to make sure she doesn¡¯t seem too upset at her friend but also thankful that I didn¡¯t let her talk over her.


    And with that, I give them each an apron and have them show me what they can do.


    I show them where the ingredients are located and Cherry makes a bratty comment about how few options there are, I hold my tongue because she has every right to say that. I¡¯ll have to start spending a bit more on food now that the Guild¡¯s staff has expanded especially now that Opalina is out of town and won¡¯t be stopping by to feed us.


    It would honestly be a better investment to send the girls off on some non-official hunting quests and have them use the Returners to transport some ingredients from the local area, but we¡¯d need an actual chef or... butcher with some sort of experience if we actually wanted to prepare meat.


    I shudder at the thought, that single word having been ruined for me forever. Rest in peace, Abner. You¡¯re with Tenebris Primis, now.


    Peri sets to work meekly chopping up some vegetables to make a thick soup with, but I stop her before she gets too far along. Her knife work is very sloppy and I fear for her safety...


    ¡°Peri, dear, no. Like this.¡± I approach her from behind and lean over, taking the knife from her paws and accidentally pressing my body into her. She stifles a small moan and bites her lip as she watches the way I slice potatoes, and by the time I realize this was growing sexual it was too late. Peri was grinding her big butt up against me and I promptly jumped backwards.


    ¡°PERI!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯M SORRY, MYASTER!¡±


    ¡°I KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN, WHAT¡¯D YOU DO YOU SCUM?!¡± Cherry drops the haunch of lamb she was preparing onto the counter and runs over to pounce on me, but thankfully she stops when Peri speaks.


    ¡°CHERRY, STOP! I-It was my fault... Myaster was showing me how to do it and he got real close... nyaa... it made me want to... push against him down there...¡± The blue kitten shyly pulls up her apron over her face, making her attempt at hiding even cuter since she doesn¡¯t even need to hide in the first place. Her bangs cover her eyes completely.


    ¡°Shit...¡± Cherry gives me a skeptic yet apologetic expression. ¡°I almost clawed you, too...¡± She sighs.


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see that you don¡¯t. Peri, try doing it like I showed you. Don¡¯t rush it and go slow, I¡¯m not asking for perfection so don¡¯t feel like you need to rush to get things done.¡±


    ¡°Right... I¡¯ll try that, Myaster.¡± Peri bows respectfully, albeit nervously, and moves back to work on the cutting board as soon as I hand her the knife back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you¡¯re doing, shall we?¡± I clasp Cherry by her bare shoulder and she shudders at the touch as I begin leading the kitty back to her counter.


    She looks up at me and bites her lower lip, and I notice her eyes become watery. ¡°Don¡¯t... get too close... please, nyaa. I¡¯m a girl, too, you know. I can smell... what you did to your mate...¡± Cherry begins grinding her thighs together and her long, bushy tail straightens out as she shivers.


    ¡°Fuck- this is going to take some getting used to...¡± A sigh escapes my lips as I take my hand from Cherry¡¯s shoulder and stuff it in my pocket, then slide away from her by a few feet.


    The Catmaid looks at me suspiciously, but still with firmly flushed cheeks. ¡°You really aren¡¯t doing it on purpose, then...?¡± She mutters.


    ¡°Absolutely not. Why would I purposefully jeopardize any chance I have at making sure you two stay here with me? I¡¯m just not used to having to keep my distance for fear of... urges arising.¡±


    Cherry opens her mouth from disbelief then looks strangely around the room, almost like she has trouble doubting than any of this is even real. She whispers something to me, but I can¡¯t hear it. When she realizes this she blushes harder and repeats herself in a barely audible whisper. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± My hand reaches out to pet her head absentmindedly but I pull it back as soon as I remember it¡¯s a bad idea.


    Cherry stops me and grabs my wrist with her paw. ¡°You... can... do it.¡±


    Peri stops what she¡¯s doing and looks over at us from across the kitchen, her ears raised from alertness and mouth held shut by her paws. The blue haired kitten stops herself from gasping by covering her opened mouth with her gray and white furred paws.


    ¡°Are you stupid or something M-Myaster...? I said you could pet me and I-I¡¯m NOT gonna say it again...!!¡±


    I look at the cute maid with a beating heart, a warm smile lifting up the corners of my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cherry. Good girl.¡± My hand pats the top of her head and begins to lovingly stroke the fluffiness of her pink curls.


    Cherry begins to relax herself and against her conscious will the maid closes her eyes and breathes deeper. ¡°Who¡¯s a pretty kitty?¡± I ask her as I begin to grow a little too into it.


    This little slip up brings Cherry back to her typical untrustworthy state and she pulls away, ¡°D-Don¡¯t patronize me, nyaa! ...Obviously, I¡¯M a pretty kitty.¡± She throws in for good measure while swishing her tail around me and going back to work seasoning the lamb haunch.


    These two are way too fun. Peri is a quiet beauty and works her hardest even if she¡¯s not the best, while Cherry has a fierce fire surrounding her sweet center.


    I check on Peri one more time and see she¡¯s done much better by taking it slow and the rest of the vegetables are ready to stir in the broth she¡¯s making.


    She lights up when I approach and I make sure to keep my distance, only to be surprised when Peri hugs me once and pecks me on the cheek with a quick kiss before Cherry can notice.


    She pulls away real fast to ensure it doesn¡¯t trigger her arousal too badly, but while she¡¯s at my side she whispers a little something in my ear that certainly grabs my attention. ¡°Cherry hasn¡¯t let anyone pet her for four years, nyaa... You can do it, Myaster... keep going and there¡¯s no way she won¡¯t want to stay at the end of the trial period...¡±


    Peri smiles and goes back to work on her soup while I stand there with a grin on my face, eager to eventually spend more time with these adorable little kittens.

 The Next Steps

    Dinner went well, I think.


    Sam, Zutiria and Meri each eye the food the kitties prepared and after eating it we agreed that while it wasn¡¯t bad by any means it¡¯d need work to get up to my level. I don¡¯t even consider myself that good of a cook, but the girls have always argued with me otherwise.


    I can see where they¡¯re coming from, but we all agree that Cherry¡¯s lamb is the exception to dinner that night. There wasn¡¯t a single complaint about it and everyone loved it, myself included.


    ¡°So? I-I happen to like cooking... what of it, nyaa?¡± She tried to downplay it by blushing and crossing her arms, but the praise just kept coming until she was forced to accept it reluctantly.


    I briefly go over what we¡¯re planning to do tomorrow. For the three lovely adventuresses, they¡¯ll go out and do some quests after we all have a talk about my eyes and the Bond Levels. While Nikita didn¡¯t say if she¡¯ll be coming over for training tomorrow, I tell them they won¡¯t be doing any.


    We just spent 200,000G of the Guild¡¯s savings and we need to start making some more back. The money from the Murderpillars, Murdermoth, and Sam¡¯s Gerblins should be sent in soon from the Association and that¡¯ll roughly make us around a bit over a quarter of that big purchase back.


    We¡¯re going to need more money to bolster our defenses against the Duke. Even now I¡¯m annoyed that my plan to chop up and sell the different parts of the Pinemen isn¡¯t possible unless I somehow convince Gwin¡¯s family to help me out... and I doubt they¡¯d be very keen if they found out she was already doing a lot of shit to help me and the girls out behind their back.


    I hope Opalina is successful regarding her negotiations with Lord Gloomcrest, if we had some sort of official backing then the local shops might not refuse us just because the Duke put pressure on them...


    As for the rest of the agenda tomorrow, Cherry and Peri will start their official housekeeping duties. I¡¯ll be home all day to supervise if either of them need me to. I¡¯m hoping that I end up not needing to, but we¡¯ll see how that goes.


    They¡¯ll begin by sweeping, mopping and polishing every last inch of the entrance hall, or at least as much as we can. It needs no introduction, it¡¯s where we spend most of our time together. It¡¯s a large room with four lengthy horizontal tables on each half of the room and on the left side is the stone structure Zutiria made, the Return Gate.


    There¡¯s a shitty rug that leads from Gwin¡¯s custom made door all the way to the ruins of what used to be the front desk. The one that our dear Sam savaged her first day here. Really need to see if Gwin¡¯s up for making a new one eventually.


    On the back wall is the staircase leading the second floor where my bedroom and a number of guest rooms lay, originally meant to be used for the staff¡¯s living quarters. Behind the desk is the door to my office, and on the right is the door to the kitchen. There are also two large entrances to the two other wings of the Guild that I¡¯ve scarcely mentioned.


    To sum it up, the east wing is the storage rooms, including the one we turned into a makeshift alchemy lab for Zutiria, and the west wing is primarily dorm rooms for adventurers who used to stay with us as well as a large lounge and some vacant rooms that could be repurposes down the line. There¡¯s also a wine cellar in the kitchen, as well as a large basement.


    This Guild is a lot bigger than I may have let on, but I¡¯ve never bothered describing  most of it because I don¡¯t leave the main wing all too much.


    It¡¯s a little naive to think that two little kittens will be able to maintain this place by themselves, but I think they can at least polish up the main hall to get it into a state where we can repair it. We¡¯ll start at the Guild¡¯s central hub and work outwards from there.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do our best, Myaster...!¡± Peri pumps her arms up determinately when I tell her the plan.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped, nyaa...¡± Cherry sighs and looks away, but keeps glancing at me curiously on and off. For her sake, I pretend not to notice.


    When I get asked where Nikita is, I mentioned that she was feeling off and that she might not be up to living with us even though she dramatically made a big deal of it during our big team meeting. Unsure of what to say, I just play it off and assure everyone that if anything bad were to happen she¡¯s still nearby and keeping an eye on the Guild.


    ¡°That¡¯s kinda weird. ¡®Specially since she had that big ol¡¯ Hero moment last night... then again, Niki DID fuck off to go drinking before it was all over, which was kinda shitty but whatever.¡± Sam raises an eyebrow and thinks aloud.


    Meri¡¯s concern grows and she frowns. ¡°I hope she¡¯s ok... Nikita has done so much for us...¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t you find it odd that she¡¯d immediately change her mind, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria asks.


    ¡°No. She¡¯s got her problems just the same as anyone else, and this ties into them. It would be rude to insist.¡± I sigh.


    The Mage nods her head, perhaps thinking about her own problems and knowing how she wouldn¡¯t like it if I tried to make her do things against her will, either.


    Situations like this are always difficult to navigate but at the end of the day I can¡¯t be expected to fix the heart of every broken girl who walks into my Guild now, can I?


    Speaking of end of day, I lead the kitties into their temporary room for the week. Yes, that single room I cleaned up for Meri is getting a lot of usage even though the Shield Maiden has officially moved into the designated ¡®Harem¡¯ bedroom. There¡¯s also one for Nikita whenever she needs it but thankfully we don¡¯t have to split up the maids into different rooms.


    Whatever problems they¡¯re facing together aren¡¯t severe enough that they can¡¯t share a bed and they insist that they¡¯ll probably wander around the house at night and find somewhere else to sleep anyway.


    Better lock the bedroom door just in case...


    Me and my girls all retire early tonight after dropping off the Catfolk, and so begins a continuation of this morning. It seems Zutiria and Meri are eager to take care of me too, knowing that Sam had her way with me earlier only spurs them on.


    ¡°I-I just became a part of your life, Master, so I have a lot of catching up to do...!¡± Meri insists.


    ¡®And I still haven¡¯t paid you back for taking care of me, Sir. I hope you¡¯re ready for a long night of... appreciation.¡¯


    ¡°He definitely deserves it.¡± Sam parts her red lips and licks around them in a sexy, appealing fashion for my pleasure.


    ¡°I should have depressive episodes more often if it means the three of you will spoil me this much every time.¡± I laugh and look at them with mock seriousness.


    To my surprise, Meri ends up jumping and hugging me. ¡°N-No! This is fun and all, Master, but I don¡¯t... actually want you to be sad...¡± She frowns and nuzzles into my chest.


    ¡°Meri... I¡¯m sorry, I was only joking.¡± I stroke her short, brunette hair and frown.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a... a... relationship before s-so this is all new to me but... one thing I know for sure is that I wanna make sure you¡¯re happy. ALWAYS.¡± Meri pulls away from me and looks straight at me with her flushed face and her big, watery puppy-dog eyes.


    ¡°Gods, Meri. Are you trying to make a habit of giving me heart attacks?¡± I mockingly clutch my chest.


    ¡°W-WHAT?! NO, I WOULD NEVER-¡±


    ¡®He¡¯s calling you cute, you adorable, neurotic, hot mess.¡¯ Zutiria pets Meri¡¯s head reassuringly.


    ¡°Oh... hahaha...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so wholesome and nice it just ain¡¯t even fair to the rest of us!¡± Sam snorts and shakes her head mockingly. ¡°I feel like she should be punished for being such a slutty, unwitting seductress.


    ¡®Agreed. Sir always loves playing with his newest toy right after getting one, anyways.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re making me sound creepy, again...¡±


    ¡°If the shoe fits!¡± Sam smirks playfully before she Zutiria both sneak up behind Meri and grab one of her legs each. They spread them wide apart and show me the slightly chubby girl¡¯s wet panties, letting the sweet scent of her body¡¯s desire linger in the air.


    ¡°W-Wait, not like this...!¡± Meri says with a smile on her face that betrays her true feelings. ¡°Unless that¡¯s how you want it... Master...¡±


    ¡°What do you think, Daddy?¡±


    ¡®Tell us, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°What do I think? I think we¡¯re going to have a very fun night together, girls.¡±


    And we did.

 A Manly Scent

    The next day, after going through our morning tradition of tiredly continuing the sex from the night before, we had a small scare. It wasn¡¯t that we had yet another break in from our enemy who swore two months of peace, no, and it wasn¡¯t that Nikita had ruined the building in some new way while drunkenly finding her way home.


    The problem was that Neither Cherry nor Peri could be found in their bedroom or otherwise. Naturally we started looking around the building with panic and fear in our hearts, especially knowing that there was a certain Pimp on the prowl who was so eager to bring home any shapely Beastfolk women he can find.


    Not a logical fear, as I¡¯m sure even with Nikita keeping her distance she would at the very least stop an attempted kidnapping on my property when she sensed it... but we were tired and the only thing that mattered was finding them,


    It wasn¡¯t as bad as it looked. In an effort to make myself more awake so I could better search for them I went to prepare myself some coffee, I was in the mood for one made by ME, mind you, and right as I opened it up I discovered Peri sleeping nude inside of the cupboard, breasts squeezed up against the jar of coffee beans as she hugged it between her naked cleavage.


    Be still, my impatient crotch. Oh! How he wavers.


    I¡¯m not even sure how Peri managed to fit her body inside, she¡¯s 5.2ft and not as thin and lithe as her friend happens to be. Carefully waking her and asking for answers, I get an amusing yet concerning response out of the Catgirl after she lets out a tired yawn from her full, pouty lips. ¡°We got up at around three in the morning and your door was locked, and... um... I couldn¡¯t find any of your clothes to sleep with, Myaster... these kind of smell like you a bit so I had to settle, nyaa...¡±


    Seems like it was indeed a very wise decision to lock my door in case of wandering kittens. Lockpicking doesn¡¯t seem to have been a part of their training as a maid, which I am very thankful for.


    ¡°Did you NEED to sleep with something that smelled like me...?¡± I ask.


    ¡°No... but I wanted to...¡± She meekly offers as a flush fills her shy, tired face.


    ¡°And where¡¯s Cherry? Everyone is worried sick over the both of you, you know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Myaster... nyaa...¡± The blue haired kitten points one of her white, clawed fingers to another cupboard nearby and I sigh instantly when I realize where she is and why she¡¯s there...


    ¡°Cherry, my expensive liquor cabinet is not your bed. I assure you there are much better things you could use as a pillow besides my bottle of Poisoned Apple Cider.¡± I was lucky enough to inherit it from my grandfather, otherwise I wouldn¡¯t have such an expensive treasure lying around. Importing from Everafter is ludicrously expensive but their liquor is renowned across the realms for being the stuff that dreams are made of.


    Cherry mumbles something as she leaps out of the cupboard which houses some of my favorite drinks. All is well,my cider is untouched...


    This little Catgirl is nude as well and although not embarrassed about it, Cherry rushes to cover herself up with her hands before I can see any of the lewder details her tanned, feminine form has to offer. ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, I-I wasn¡¯t sleeping in there because it smells like you! It was just because I wanted to sleep in the same room as Peri!¡±


    ¡°Are you saying I smell like coffee and liquor?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡± Cherry starts.


    ¡°You smell like coffee, liquor, and the most fertile male in existence, nyaa...¡± Peri finishes. ¡°It¡¯s the best.¡±


    ¡°...Right, then. Anyways, get dressed, you two. I¡¯ll have you both prepare breakfast under my guidance and after we all eat and the girls go on their way, you¡¯ll start cleaning the entrance hall as best you can.¡±


    Peri leaves the cupboard and they both bow to me, Cherry¡¯s bow being a bit more respectful than the day before. ¡°Yes, Myaster.¡± They say in semi-unison.


    Breakfast was easier for the kitties to make than dinner was, and they quickly cobbled together some scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, toast and even some coffee for me on their own with little help. Everyone liked it and it made both Cherry and Peri ecstatic to be on the receiving end of abundant praise.


    Now my adventurers are all fueled up and ready to go. I have them wait back in my office first, while both maids take all of our dishes to the kitchen for cleaning.


    Just when I think to myself how nice it is that I¡¯ll no longer have to do the dishes, Peri almost drops her entire load but thankfully I was nearby to catch her in my arms.


    ¡°NYAA!¡±


    ¡°Careful!¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Myaster...¡± She blushes and stands once more, careful not to linger on my scent.


    ¡°It¡¯s more than alright, Peri. They¡¯re cheap dishes but I¡¯d still rather we just not have to replace them. Take a deep breath- you don¡¯t need to be so stiff,¡± I remind her. ¡°Walk slowly if you have to. Remember-¡±


    ¡°As long as it gets done... It¡¯s ok no matter how long it takes, nyaa...¡± She finishes for me and manages to walk the rest of her way back to the kitchen on her own.


    Cherry stops to nod her head at me. ¡°She¡¯s... doing a lot better than usual. I have to admit it... Snow¡¯s given her the same advice before but I guess holds more weight coming from you, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°How does she usually do on trial periods?¡±


    ¡°Not as good as this time, but that might be my fault, too...¡± Before I can ask her what she meant Cherry follows Peri off into the kitchen. Sighing, I turn around to enter my office. But then there¡¯s a furry paw tapping my shoulder right before I open the door.


    ¡°T-there''s still a little bit if you want it, Myaster...¡± Cherry blushes and does everything she can to avoid making eye contact with me. In her opposite hand sits a coffee mug and my heart just about skips a beat.


    ¡°Hold it to my lips for me.¡±


    Cherry opens her eyes wide, ¡°What the fuck?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the role of a maid to serve her Master however he desires, Cherry?.¡± I smile and put my hands to my back, making it clear to her I¡¯m not going to drink it on my own.


    ¡°Y-YES, I mean... uh... nyaa... fuckin¡¯ Myaster...¡± The pink haired Catgirl hesitantly lifts the mug to my mouth and tips it back for me to drink it. Much better than Sam¡¯s. Not as delicious as the look on Cherry¡¯s face though.


    ¡°Get to work now, kitty.¡± Reaching out, I take the mug for myself and watch as she angrily stammers a bunch of half hearted insults. As she turns around I notice the way her tail sticks straight out of her butt which makes me smile. If I¡¯m not mistaken, that¡¯s a telltale sign that a cat is happy.


    If this keeps up, we really will be able to adopt them by the end of the week...


    With a renewed sense of optimism and a lovely drink in hand I step into my office and see all three girls chatting about something on the couch while waiting for me. They¡¯re all wearing their equipment and are ready to go.


    ¡°You¡¯re crazy, he¡¯s gonna fuck Cherry first.¡± Sam confidently states while grinning.


    ¡°Peri¡¯s so sweet, though... Master likes good girls like her...¡± Meri twiddles her thumbs together and looks away.


    ¡®Just like you?¡¯ Zutiria weakly smiles and pats Meri on the head, slightly ruffling her big yellow ribbon in the process.


    ¡°M-maybe? We are kinda similar...¡± The Shield Maiden smiles with embarrassed optimism.


    ¡°Nah, Peri¡¯s chill.¡± Sam waves her hand dismissively. ¡°You¡¯re kinda just neurotic.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Meri hangs her head, unable to deny this.


    ¡®In a cute way.¡¯ The Mage continues to comfort Meri while Sam laughs.


    ¡°Alright you three, that¡¯s enough workplace gossip. If you¡¯re not careful someone might report me for sexual harassment and Goddess knows I wouldn¡¯t have much of a case to defend myself with.¡± I announce my presence and am met with laughter when I head over to join them on the couch.


    ¡°Zutiria?¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sir.¡¯ The little Mage sits up, allowing me to take her seat at the center of the couch. Of course to make it a fair trade she invites herself onto my lap and has a sip of my coffee without asking.


    With a girl on each side, I make myself comfortable and start explaining some of the basics. I know very little on the subject, so it¡¯s hard to know where to even begin.


    ¡°Lux Ultima had hinted to me during my audience with her that there would be additional powers stemming from my eyes in the very near future. I didn¡¯t imagine she meant the very same day, yet here we are. When I was cheering Zutiria up-¡±


    ¡°Sexually.¡± Sam interrupts.


    ¡°No, surprisingly. It was just a rather intense emotional episode, nothing more. The same thing happened as it did earlier with you, Sam. The Goddess¡¯s voice came out and announced that ¡®Bond Level Two¡¯ had been achieved. When it did, my vision went fully white and I felt like... a large amount of knowledge was deposited inside of my mind. Suddenly I knew how to do things I never dreamed possible, and I will now show them to you.¡±


    I take a deep breath and look at the center of the room where my desk is located. ¡°Open Guild Roster.¡± I command, and it is done.

 Taskmaster

    The Guild Roster screen materializes into existence about three feet away from my face, causing Sam and Meri to react with shock and awe. Even for Zutiria who has already seen it once, it¡¯s no less intriguing the second time around.


    I try and save us some time and run through all the details I¡¯ve currently pieced together at a brisk pace. This power became unlocked when the first one of the three current girls depicted on the roster reached Bond Level Two. From there it¡¯s easy to assume that this statistic was being gauged even before I had unlocked the power.


    Pointing at the little bar beneath her current Bond Level, I assure her that she was only slightly behind Zutiria and that if I had spent the night with her she would¡¯ve been the one to trigger it instead.


    ¡°Is this why you weren¡¯t as clingy with Boss today? Felt like you were trying to have him spend time with me, come to think of it...¡± Sam narrows her eyes and leans toward the Mage on my lap who¡¯s playing it cool under these accusations.


    ¡®I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡¯ Zutiria lies.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it lasted very long...¡± Meri giggles and looks up and down the little lady sitting upon me.


    ¡®I relapsed.¡¯ She shrugs and dismisses it. ¡®Sir¡¯s love is the hardest of drugs to kick.¡¯


    ¡°Let¡¯s remain focused, shall we?¡± I make sure things don¡¯t veer too off topic, since we¡¯ve a lot to discuss. My ever-growing harem relents their playful bantering and focuses once more.


    ¡°Currently I¡¯m able to do a limited number of things with... whatever this power is.¡± I look towards the sky in hopes of divine interjection, asking in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Does this happen to have a name, my radiant mistress?¡±


    ¡®...I¡¯m not supposed to tell you how it works.¡¯ Luxy¡¯s voice echoes through my heart and fills it with light, though it¡¯s just a side effect. The true feeling behind her words is biting.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking how it works. I¡¯m asking if it has a name. Referring to it as ¡®this power¡¯ or ¡®my new power¡¯ will grow as tiresome as having to constantly defer to you as ¡®my Goddess, or whoever it is¡¯ did. Labels, woman. I will no longer tolerate such vague mystical nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Z-Zuzu...?¡± Meri looks to the little lady with a pale, horrified face.


    ¡®Yes, Meri?¡¯


    ¡°Is our b-b-boyfriend ordering around the Goddess of creation like she was his personal secretary...?¡±


    ¡®That he is, my dear. This is your life now.¡¯


    ¡°Oh...¡± Meri hangs her head, her yellow ribbon deflating and making her look like a sad puppy with droopy ears. ¡°Ok then. I¡¯m sure the shock will wear off one day, right? ...R-Right?¡±


    ¡®Hmph.¡¯ I hear the Goddess¡¯s annoyance grow even more apparent before she goes on to say, ¡®It¡¯s a skill I¡¯ve given to a few Kings throughout the ages to help them overthrow unjust usurpers and other such riffraff who deigned to take the throne from the rightful Lundreames. I¡¯ve had some of my Godly friends tinker with it, however, and now it¡¯s more suited to your analytical mind and rather than supporting a group of warriors it now supports the members of your Guild and promotes the growth of your bonds between you and your harem.¡¯


    ¡°Is that so? Interesting. Girls, apparently this power of mine is actually-¡±


    ¡°OK, I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME YOU DIVINE SKY BITCH-¡± Sam stands up off the couch in a rage and points her fist skywards, ¡°We already know who you are! If you¡¯re gonna pass along godly fuckin¡¯ messages and shit just for Boss to have to repeat after you like the realm¡¯s worst prophet can we skip the damn middleman?¡±


    Meri shrieks at such open defiance of the Goddess she was raised to love and respect, though not in religious opposition. It¡¯s just a weird feeling to watch this all unfold, to be fair to the Shield Maiden.


    Luxy is silent.


    ¡°She makes a good point. If you¡¯re feeling shy then by all means feel free to do it via some sort of proxy but it would definitely be easier on all of us if you could speak directly.¡±


    ¡®UGH. FINE. You just keep making things worse for me, I... I...¡¯ And then something remarkable happens. ¡®I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m sor... ry.¡¯ She takes several deep breaths and tries to focus herself. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking a lot, ok? I¡¯m only gonna say this ONCE. But... I¡¯m... gonna try and improve myself after the way I acted.¡¯


    I blink several times in astonishment.


    ¡°Boss? Anything?¡± Sam asks with concern.


    I hold up my finger to her, urging her to remain silent for just a minute more.


    ¡®That being said, let¡¯s not make a fucking big deal of it ok? I¡¯ll explain shit just this once but I am NOT revealing my true form to them. You¡¯re... special, ok. The others are just ordinary mortals and... and they hate me after everything you told them about me... for a pretty good reason, too.¡¯ She mumbles that last part under her breath and sighs. ¡®Give me a second, I haven¡¯t done this shit in a while.¡¯


    I hear Luxy start to grunt and stretch, cracking her back and her neck...


    And then shit gets stupid again.


    A tremendous ball of light bursts forth into creation in the middle of my office, swirling about with pure luminescent energy until its features become more comprehensible. The brilliant rotating sphere is made up of thousands of golden rings interlocked and cascading against each other like a machination no human could ever possibly hope to understand. The rings are decorated with a thousand golden eyes blinking and looking about the room in every way imaginable.


    From within the rings burns a divine fire that I feel would burn my sinful soul to cinders should I gaze too long at its judgmental shine, and a multitiered halo spins around the top of this monstrosity¡¯s ¡®head¡¯. The halo sprouts off into dozens of human arms all held raised to the sky in reverent prayer, and from its back lie two gigantic wings with feathers made of flaming swords.


    Two more human arms float majestically at the abomination¡¯s side, one holding an endless flowing scroll and the other with a jeweled staff that end in a featureless human head with only a mouth to call its own.


    -BE NOT AFRAID!- The head on the staff opens its mouth.


    Sam falls to the floor and starts shaking and crying, almost to the point where it looks like she¡¯s having a seizure. ¡°I¡¯M SORRY I¡¯M SORRY I¡¯M SORRY, PLEASE I¡¯LL BE A GOOD GIRL, I¡¯LL WEAR ALL THE DRESSES AND I¡¯LL SIT STILL WHILE YOU PUT ON MY MAKE UP MOMMY, I¡¯LL BE NICE TO THE FOREIGN DIGNITARIES AND LIE AND TELL THEM I LOVE FATHER AND THAT HE¡¯S A GOOD KING PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE MAKE IT STOPPPP-¡±


    Zutiria falls out of my lap and... uh... solid darkness begins billowing out of her mouth like a plume of evil, desperate smog. She doesn¡¯t move, having passed out in a single instant by the looks of it.


    Meri sits by my side and doesn¡¯t seem all that different initially, at least until she looks at me with a wide smile begins clapping her hands. ¡°Ha goo goobabaga,¡± The mentally regressed Shield Maiden says while a gigantic stream of drool escapes her mouth.


    I suppose as one who¡¯s under her favor, I¡¯m immune to looking at this... disgusting amalgamation of mishmashed parts.


    ¡°WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS BULLSHIT!?¡± I sit up and throw my arms out, looking directly at the monster.


    -...I SAID TO BE NOT AFRAID, IT¡¯S NOT MY FAULT IF THEY COULDN¡¯T HANDLE-


    ¡°YES IT¡¯S YOUR FUCKING FAULT YOU MORON, WHAT EVEN IS THIS... THIS HIDEOUS THING?!¡±


    -HAVE YOU NOT READ MY SCRIPTURE? THIS IS AN ANGEL, YOU FOOLISH MORTAL! I USE THIS DIVINE AGENT TO DELIVER MY VOICE UNTO KARNALLE!-


    ¡°IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING YOU¡¯D SEND TO BURN AN ENTIRE KINGDOM TO THE GROUND!¡±


    -WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE TYPE OF ANGEL I USE TO BURN KINGDOMS, FOOL? THAT COULD BE ARRANGED.-


    ¡°I WANT YOU TO FIX THEM AND TRY AGAIN! I ONLY FUCKING ASKED YOU TO SEND YOUR VOICE INTO THEIR HEARTS LIKE YOU DO WITH ME, HOW IS THAT SO HARD!?¡±


    -I¡¯M TRYING, OK! I SAID I HAVEN¡¯T USED ONE OF THESE IN A WHILE AND I WANTED TO SHOW OFF SO THEY¡¯D RESPECT ME, UNLIKE A CERTAIN SOMEBODY!-


    ¡°RESPECT IS SOMETHING YOU EARN, NOT SOMETHING YOU ARE AUTOMATICALLY ENTITLED TO, YOU... YOU... OH FOR FUCK¡¯S SAKE, MERI¡¯S PISSING HERSELF!¡± I point angrily at my brunette lover who has a very satisfied, infantile grin on her face.


    -...J-JUST A MINUTE.-


    The room becomes overwhelmingly white and then settles down, revealing the angel is nowhere to be found. Three rays of light strike down from the heavens envelope each of my girls, bringing Sam to a calm and rational state, restoring Zutiria¡¯s conscience and vanishing the escaping darkness and removing the sour smell and wetness from between Meri¡¯s thighs.


    A small, round bubble of glowing light appears in the center of the room where once stood an angel.


    -Sooooo... uh... as I was SAYING, this power is called Taskmaster and-


    ¡°LEAVE!¡± I take my coffee cup and throw it at the light, only for it to break on contact with my desk and stain a small stack of finished paperwork from the night before with its warm liquid contents.


    The light disappears, I clutch my temples from stress and begin calling for the housekeepers. ¡°HERE KITTY, KITTIES!¡±

 No Stat Sheets

    My desk is now fully clean, Cherry and Peri bring us all a cup of relaxing tea, and together we just sit here in silence for a few moments after the maids excuse themselves.


    ¡°So... you¡¯ve been dealing with stupid shit like this every time she talks to you, Boss?¡± Sam pats me on the back with sympathy.


    ¡°More or less. I¡¯d rather we not dwell on it. Do any of you mind if I just get back to explaining what little I know about Taskmaster, now?¡± I ask with a sigh and hang my head. ¡°I would like to get a move on with the day¡¯s activities.¡±


    ¡®As long as we all agree to never speak of this again.¡¯ Zutiria frowns.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that.¡± Meri looks off into the distance with a single tear in her eye, her smile and optimism- gone.


    We all agree to get a move on, so I bring up the Guild Roster screen once more. It¡¯s time to start seeing what Taskmaster is truly capable of. I click on Sam¡¯s icon to show them all what happens with the portraits on the roster. Sam¡¯s profile is brought up and I resize it with my hands to make it big enough for all of us to read.


    Like Zutiria before her, the dossier has a picture of Sam on the left showing exactly what she¡¯s wearing right now down to the little bandaid on her nose.


    I only ever skimmed Zutiria¡¯s when we first looked at it two days ago, but now I pour over every detail that the Princess¡¯s dossier has to offer.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get started, then, shall we?¡± I adjust my glasses and lean in.


    -------------------------------------


    -NAME-


    Samantha Lundreame


    -CLASS-


    Great Blader


    -RANK-


    Bronze


    -AGE-


    18


    -PERSONALITY-


    Loyal, Proud, Kind, Bratty, Tomboyish, Angry, Impatient, Spoiled, Slutty


    -BLESSINGS-


    Royal Blood


    -SKILLS-


    Being Attractive, Being a Bad Girl, Making Daddy Hard, Avoiding Her Family


    -LIKES-


    Daddy, Sex with Daddy, Sexy Bitches, Being a Sexy Bitch, Sex with Sexy Bitches, Sex with Daddy AND Sexy Bitches, Fighting, Killing Monsters, Training, Becoming Stronger


    -DISLIKES-


    Demon Lord, Real Dad, Crown Prince, Dresses, Being a Princess, Politics, Brushing Her Hair, Excessive Makeup, Reading, Meditation, Critical Thinking, Being Treated Like a Kid


    -FETISHES-


    Older Men, DDLG, Rough Play, Deep Throating, Big Tits, Anal


    -CURRENT MOOD-


    Angry that this dossier is mostly praising her abilities as a slut instead of as a warrior.


    -CURRENT LOCATION-


    Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild


    -BIRTHPLACE-


    Imperalis


    -EQUIPMENT-


    Low-Class Dwarven Armor


    Generic Big Dumb Sword with Shitty Handle


    Lucky Thong


    -------------------------------------


    Below all of the text is a button that reads ARTS LIST but when clicking on it it simply goes to a blank page with an arrow at the top left leading to the previous page. This obviously reflects that Sam doesn¡¯t currently know any Arts, much to her annoyance.


    ¡°FUCKER EVEN KNOWS ABOUT MY THONG?!¡± Sam angrily looks skyward and blushes, though for the life of me I can¡¯t imagine why. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s been walking around in a thong day in day out for weeks now or anything...


    ¡®Well it was right about the angry part.¡¯ The Mage remarks.


    ¡°NO, THERE¡¯S NOTHING RIGHT ABOUT ANY OF THIS! Not only does it fucking call my Royal Blood a BLESSING- It... it makes me sound like a... a bimbo WHORE with a fetish for older dudes!¡±


    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the ¡®DISLIKES¡¯ section of Sam¡¯s dossier glows magically and a new addition appears, along with a sarcastic musical sting that rings out in mock celebration.


    -------------------------------------


    -DISLIKES-


    Demon Lord, Real Dad, Crown Prince, Dresses, Being a Princess, Politics, Brushing Her Hair, Excessive Makeup, Reading, Meditation, Critical Thinking, Being Treated Like a Kid, The Truth(NEW!)


    -------------------------------------


    Sam¡¯s eye twitches and she looks straight at me. ¡°I¡¯m never going to church again. EVER.¡±


    ¡®Yes because I¡¯m sure that was on your agenda before the Goddess personally mocked you, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°SHUT UP, ZUZU!¡±


    ¡°Y-Y-Y-Y-You put it up your b-b-butt?!¡± For whatever reason that¡¯s Meri¡¯s big takeaway and the Shield Maiden looks at my crotch then at Sam¡¯s butt, unable to comprehend the idea that the two have indeed become acquainted at several points over the last month.


    ¡°None of this seems all that useful if I¡¯m being honest.¡± I scratch the back of my head and start to feel largely unimpressed, at least by this part. ¡°I suppose it would be useful to summon it up and hand it off if I needed to quickly show someone your details, Sam, but...¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Boss, just hand clients the list of my fucking fetishes and this Guild will be flooded with quest offers!¡± The Princess crosses her arms in justified rage.


    ¡°In the butt...?¡± Meri echoes as she continues to stare off at nothing in particular. Is she really that surprised? I would have figured at least ONE of the books she¡¯s read from my collection would have had an anal scene in it by now...


    ¡®It could be a lot worse. I was worried that your power would just devolve into some sort of absurd magical spreadsheet of arbitrary numerical values that would only make sense to you, Sir. You said the system is based on Dwarven tabletop games that the Goddess plays, yes? I¡¯ve read the sourcebooks before and have seen the complicated skill lists and stat points that go into every second of the calculations. I¡¯m relieved it didn¡¯t go in that direction and that this is more or less just a standard dossier. Can you imagine how tedious it would become if you constantly had to check our numbers during every encounter?¡¯


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right... Hang on, why would you read sourcebooks for a game you¡¯d never play? You¡¯re about as much of a lonely shut in as I am.¡± I ask while imagining Zutiria alone in her tower reading role playing game manuals.


    ¡®I liked the art.¡¯ She shrugs her shoulders.


    ¡°Whatever, that¡¯s enough nerd shit. My poor brain is still reeling from earlier and we ALL know she ain¡¯t got much horsepower as it is.¡± Sam groans and rolls her eyes, then points to below her portrait. ¡°What¡¯s all this junk below my picture?¡±


    ¡°Below, my dear... Below is where the magic happens.¡±


    ¡°The magic happens... below...¡± Meri looks down and blushes, eyes darting back to Sam¡¯s butt once more with not a hint of subtlety or shyness about it.


    ¡°...Meri? Meri, are you still with us?¡± I start snapping my fingers in front of her face, causing the distracted maiden to jump in her place and back into reality.


    ¡°HWAAA! Y-Yes, Master! Um, sourcebooks and stats and Sam likes big tits and a-a-a-anal!¡±


    ¡®Yes that¡¯s more or less the gist of things, I suppose.¡¯


    ¡°...Moving on, let me show you. It¡¯s going to be hard to believe but Sam, I¡¯m going to ask you to leave the office for just a moment.¡±


    ¡°But you just said you were gonna show me!¡±


    ¡°I am. Leave the room and shut the door. When you hear my voice do exactly as I tell you. This will be the best way to demonstrate the power, I think.¡±


    ¡°Uh... kay. You¡¯re the Boss.¡±


    Sam shuts the door behind her on the way out, and I turn to Meri. ¡°Watch this.¡± Clicking the button below her picture that reads ¡®CAMERA¡¯, the screen morphs into a display of Sam¡¯s real time surroundings from behind her back. The Shield Maiden gasps as I use my implanted knowledge to cycle this ¡®camera¡¯ thing and change the viewing angle from almost any point around her within a pretty flexible range. I¡¯m also able to zoom in and out fairly far, too, and even more impressively if I click on Sam¡¯s head it transitions into a live feed of literally seeing through her eyes in a point of view shot.


    I will say in all honesty I don¡¯t know a lot of the terms I just stated. Whatever information Luxy beamed into my head, within it was a bunch of terminology that I now instinctively know. I may not know what a camera normally is, but in this context I know for sure it¡¯s a viewing device that I can reposition just by moving around my hands on top of the screen.


    I position the camera to view Sam from the front. She¡¯s impatiently tapping her feet, awaiting for whatever is supposed to happen to happen. ¡°Sam?¡±


    ¡°Disembodied magic voice of Boss?¡± Sam sarcastically asks while looking around for the source of my voice.


    ¡°Hold up any number of fingers you want, and I¡¯m going to guess them.¡±


    ¡°Well, alright? This is fucking weird. Is Zuzu helping you use Farspeech or something?¡± The Princess tilts her head and extends three fingers on her left hand.


    I tell her that no, this is my power, and I tell her the fingers she¡¯s holding up. She can¡¯t believe it but upon my request Sam doesn¡¯t re-enter the room, instead we go through another few rounds of this and I correctly ¡®guess¡¯ each round until Sam can¡¯t hold back her curiosity any longer.


    She bursts back in the room and darks to the couch to look at the screen in wonder. ¡°Holy SHIT.¡± Sam remarks.


    With my power now demonstrated I take the time to show all three of them the features of this camera mode. The vast majority of the Taskmaster screen is devoted to the viewing, but there are a number of combat statistics on display as well.


    There¡¯s a red meter that says ¡®HEALTH¡¯, a green meter that says ¡®STAMINA¡¯, and a section that says ¡®STATUS - Normal¡¯. I figure it probably tells me if the girl became poisoned or something along those lines.


    I open Zutiria¡¯s camera as well, confirming that I can have more than one Taskmaster screen open at one time. The only difference between the two is that instead of a green meter, Zutiria has a blue one labeled ¡®MANA¡¯. Something depressing yet important to note is that Zutiria¡¯s mana circuit atrophy is represented by Taskmaster. The mana meter is large, but at least 95% of it is completely grayed out leaving only a scant portion of the meter.


    I have no frame of reference for how big these meters usually are, but the mana meter is at least four times longer than her health meter. Something tells me that¡¯s not normal, yet as one would expect I don¡¯t press the matter with her. It would only upset both Zutiria and our current group mood as a whole.


    ¡°Master... this is amazing...!!¡± Meri blushes and looks into my eyes. ¡°With a power like this, you¡¯ll be able to help us on quests without actually coming with!¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s very convenient, for sure. But we have a lot of testing to do to determine its full capabilities, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria shifts her glasses, eagerly awaiting the oncoming period of research and experiments.


    ¡°Well put, Zutiria. My thoughts exactly. That¡¯s why today I¡¯m going to send you and Sam on some quests so that I can start making use of Taskmaster.¡±


    Meri looks at me and nervously frowns. ¡°M-Master...? Why not me, too? I did good the other day with the moth and the caterpillars and, um-¡±


    I smile and kiss the innocent brunette on her forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not leaving my side until you reach Bond Level Two my dear, sweet Meri.¡±


    ¡°Ah- uh- hwaa?!¡± She blushes and hides behind her gauntleted fists.


    ¡°I can¡¯t use the Camera and voice on you as of yet, though your bar has gone up a bit since I last saw it two days ago.¡±


    I bring up the Guild Roster menu and point below Meri¡¯s grayed out icon towards what I¡¯ll now be calling the Love Meter and see that it¡¯s a little past three fourths of the way towards leveling up.


    ¡°Oh, ahhh... o-ok, Master...¡± Meri continues to act shy about it but it¡¯s clear to see she¡¯s very excited about the prospect of spending some one on one time with each other.


    As weird as it is assigning numerical values to my lovers like this, I won¡¯t deny it feels nice to have more of an excuse to enjoy my time with them. It¡¯s not that I needed one, more that my mind is always so focused on work, stress and business to the point that it leads to episodes like the last few days where I become unable to focus. It¡¯s what led to my worst depression, after all...


    ¡°Hold up a sec, Boss!¡± Sam stands up and stamps her armored foot down. ¡°I don¡¯t deserve to be the only one put on display, y¡¯know!¡± Her smile becomes predatory in nature, her eyes like a hungry Kissuaran vulture. ¡°Show us Zuzu¡¯s profile thingy.¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯ The Mage blushes and stands up to try and hit Sam with her staff, but the Princess is ready for it and catches it in her hand.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I-I kinda wanna see it, too...!¡±


    ¡®No.¡¯ Zutiria pulls her staff out of Sam¡¯s clutches and bonks Meri on the head, who does not catch it.


    ¡°OUCHIE!¡± Meri rubs the top of her head and frowns.


    Laughing, I put my shoulder on Zutiria. ¡°How about I let you read it first and make sure there¡¯s nothing too upsetting on it?¡±


    She frowns and eventually nods her head at me. ¡®That would suffice, I suppose...¡¯

 Designer Staffs and Spell Lists

    As soon as I open up Zutiria¡¯s profile, I grab hold of the magical screen and present it to her. She¡¯s able to take it and even resize it to make it easier for her to read, so it¡¯s good to know that while I¡¯m the creator and source of Taskmaster¡¯s manifested screens I could theoretically pass one or more over for someone else to use at the same time.


    Not too many applications for that, yet. Not with so few Guild members. But in the future when I have enough adventurers to send out multiple teams on different quests at the same time I could imagine this being a life changing feature.


    Zutiria grumbles a bit as she reads her own details but ultimately passes it back to me. ¡®It¡¯s ok, I suppose. I just didn¡¯t want it to reveal anything that... was too upsetting, or anything.¡¯


    ¡°I understand.¡± I bring Zutiria in for a little hug and she softly smiles while returning the gesture.


    I make the screen large enough for the four of us to read it together, Sam eager to tease her friend and Meri curious to learn more about her.


    -------------------------------------


    -NAME-


    Zutiria Syndaline


    -CLASS-


    Black Mage


    -AGE-


    35


    -PERSONALITY-


    Tortured, Lonely, Depressive, Sheltered, Intelligent, Mischievous, Stunted, Devoted, Intellectual


    -BLESSINGS-


    None


    -SKILLS-


    Unheard of Magical Prowess, Alchemist, Magical Inventor


    -LIKES-


    Sir, Showing Sir Affection, Sarcasm, Teasing Others, Rats, Studying, Experimenting, Magic Knick-knacks, Dusty Books Full of Arcane Secrets, Interpersonal Drama and Gossip, Pranks


    -DISLIKES-


    Herself, Talking, Darkness, Void Between Realms, Sleeping, Nightmares, Her Petite Body, Exercise, Her Tower


    -FETISHES-


    Submissive Role Play, Sir¡¯s Balls, The Smell of Sir¡¯s Balls, Cock (and Ball) Worship, Being Manhandled, Gentle and Romantic Sex, Being Spoiled with Affection


    -CURRENT MOOD-


    Thankful (<- MORE OF THIS, PLEASE) that the Goddess didn¡¯t include any details about her tragic backstory. (You¡¯re welcome.)


    -CURRENT LOCATION-


    Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild


    -BIRTHPLACE-


    Arkha Village


    -EQUIPMENT-


    Low Class Mana Fiber Robe and Beret


    Big Circular Rimmed Nerd Glasses


    Modified Expensive Brand Name Staff (¡®Lovers of Heart¡¯ Model by Wergenberth¡¯s)


    -------------------------------------


    Instead of a button leading to an Arts List page, Zutiria naturally has one for her Spell List.


    The first thing said in response is Sam teasing her with, ¡°Heh. I KNEW you liked sniffing his balls, you ball-sniffer.¡±


    The Mage simply grumbles quietly, blushes and pulls her beret over her face. ¡®I¡¯m not coming out today. You¡¯ll have to do the quests alone now, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°Bitch!¡± Sam clenches her fists in mock rage but can¡¯t hide the smile on her face.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s ok, Zutiria! I like lots of weird stuff too!¡± Meri pats her on the back. ¡°It¡¯s... uh... sometimes it''s like every day is a new discovery...¡± She says while sneaking a quick peek at Sam¡¯s butt for what feels like the thousandth time in ten minutes.


    ¡°I had no idea your staff was a Wergenberth... It might be the most expensive thing in the entire Guild, honestly.¡± I look at Zutiria¡¯s staff in reverence. I always knew it was a decent staff by the looks of it, that much was obvious, but a Wergenberth?


    Wergenberth¡¯s is a commercial wand and staff making company known across the realms for their sleek, elegant designs and their absurdly high model level of quality.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever even seen one before now.


    The Mage pulls her hat out of her face and sets it back on her head for her to look at me and blushes, unable to keep eye contact. ¡®When I lived in the tower I was usually allowed to ask for anything that I wanted... books... alchemy ingredients... anything that caught my fancy. Just had to write it out and give it to whatever servant brought me my food... But every few years when Wergenberth¡¯s put out a new model... I... um... always made sure to leave the tower and ask Theo directly for it... he always took me out that same day and went to buy it with me.¡¯


    Ouch. I almost wince at hearing that.


    ¡®Don¡¯t be worried, Sir. Theo was like a second father to me, nothing more.¡¯


    ¡°I... see.¡± I nod my head, though I wasn¡¯t jealous. Not in that way. I just can¡¯t imagine ever being able to spoil her in that way and that¡¯s what really upsets me. That staff must¡¯ve cost millions of gold alone... I really hope the new model isn¡¯t coming out anytime soon.


    Sam has a shocked, disgusted and jealous expression upon her face and she¡¯s having a hard time picking which of the three it wants to be. ¡°Father never took ME shopping...!¡±


    ¡°Would you have even wanted to go shopping with him, Sam?¡±


    ¡°I-I DON¡¯T KNOW! But he could¡¯ve at LEAST asked!!¡±


    Meri looks around the room awkwardly and comes to an interesting realization. ¡°Um... am I the only one here who had a normal family...?¡±


    ¡®I had a normal family... once.¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s gaze grows cold and dead, making Meri respond in turn with a new sense of guilt weighing down her heavy heart.


    ¡°...Oh.¡±


    ¡°...Moving on.¡± I clear my throat to gather up the attention, hoping to clear the sudden and tense mood. ¡°We may as well see your Spell List while we¡¯re here. Let¡¯s take a look at what you have to offer, shall we?¡±


    I click the button and the screen changes to a dense, packed page of words. It¡¯s about as full as I... expect...ed?


    ¡°Zuzu, what the FUCK?¡± Sam rubs her eyes to make sure she¡¯s not making a mistake or anything.


    ¡°...Is that n-normal for a Mage?¡± Meri looks at me for confirmation.


    Zutiria blushes and says nothing in response.


    This can¡¯t be right. Zutiria is talented and in her own words she¡¯s a prodigy but... there¡¯s no possible way that this is correct. I make a quick calculation in my head and determine that there are one hundred magic spells on this page alone.


    ¡®Unheard of Magical Prowess¡¯... her own dossier did say that, didn¡¯t it? If Luxy phrased it like that herself then I suppose it really can¡¯t be an exaggeration.


    Pointing my finger at a little arrow icon with a number on it at the bottom right corner, I turn to Zutiria. ¡°Would you like to explain what this is, my dear?¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s a number, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria.¡± I say with a more stern voice.


    ¡®It¡¯s a number indicating that you¡¯re on page one out of one hundred and seventy eight.¡¯


    ¡°How many spells does an average magic user... no, how many spells would you say someone like a Grand Archsage would know?¡±


    She looks away nervously. ¡®Maybe five or six thousand.¡¯


    Opalina and I need to have a talk about this at some point in the future...


    ¡°Where the fuck are you going with this, Boss?¡± Asks the Princess who is clearly unskilled when it comes to basic multiplication.


    ¡°Zutiria knows at least 17,800 spells.¡±


    Meri and Sam look at their friend as if they¡¯re entirely outclassed, or like she¡¯s suddenly become a stranger who they can no longer relate to at all. ¡°Hahhhh... good one, Boss.¡±


    Click. Click. Click. Click.


    I keep clicking that arrow in the bottom right corner and more and more pages of magical spells from a great many schools of wizardry keep displaying like there were no end in sight.


    ¡°Holy shit.¡± The Princess watches as the spells go on and on.


    ¡°H-How can I ever compete with that...?!¡± Meri begins sweating nervously as the sheer number of spells overwhelms her brain.


    ¡°Wait, hold on.¡± I raise my finger towards Meri and inspect the page I¡¯m on, page seven. The last twenty or so spells on this one are completely grayed out similar to how her mana bar looked, and on the next page and the page after that and so on, all the spells are presented this way.


    ¡®These must be all the ones that my body can¡¯t cast...¡¯


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d assume so.¡± Whether it¡¯s lack of mana or spells that can¡¯t be used due to being verbal only, her actual pool of spells is rather ¡®small¡¯ and every page from here on out might as well just be gibberish.


    ¡°That¡¯s still a lot though isn¡¯t it?¡± Sam asks with confusion.


    Eventually the Mage has to speak up in her own defense. ¡®Look... it¡¯s... not that special. I was alone in a tower for almost twenty seven straight years, and it¡¯s only been thirteen since Sammy started taking away some of my free time. I read a LOT of books. In case I¡¯ve never mentioned the sheer scale of my tower back at Castle Lundreame then for reference¡¯s sake the library that Theo bought me is bigger than this entire guild. With that being said, Learning spells is basically just 70% memorization. Drawing the correct sigils in your mind... learning the correct incantations and pronunciations... Just because I theoretically know these spells doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m amazing or anything, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll ever be able to make use of them all...¡¯


    Well if I didn¡¯t feel inadequate as a man over the staff, I sure as hell do now. I knew her library was big, but not that it was bigger than the fucking Guild...


    Everyone is quiet for just a moment as we dwell on Zutiria¡¯s words. Sam, Meri and I all think about saying different things in response but we decide not to because it just wouldn¡¯t be appropriate. There¡¯s nothing to be said that could make her feel better.


    Surprisingly though, Zutiria sighs and draws all eyes back on her.


    ¡®I don¡¯t need anyone¡¯s pity. What I need is to go out on a quest and kill things with my expensive staff to make my man some money.¡¯ The little lavender cutie smiles and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. ¡®Let¡¯s get to it, Sir. And don¡¯t you dare start feeling self conscious about my library again. I¡¯d live my entire life without it if it meant spending it with you. Understood?¡¯

 Roggerolls and Lester Moles

    Sam and Zutiria have departed for the west gate for the first time to take care of a brand new kill quest. The land out that way is craggy and rocky and they¡¯ll be taking care of a monster that causes problems in that region. It¡¯ll end up as a somewhat dangerous threat if they¡¯re not careful, but I¡¯ve also picked out a backup easier monster for them to go hunting for if the first pick is too much.


    The first monster happens to be a large, sentient rock with eyes known as a Roggeroll. These bizarre things like to roll around and attack anything they lay eyes on and as such they pose quite a bit of problem to traders heading west of Dewhurst. I never would have sent them on this quest a week ago, but the deciding factor is that Sam has actual armor now.


    I want this to be their focus as these things go for 650G per kill, a little bit more than what they pay for Pinemen. Inside of their rocky interior lies a heart crystal that would probably sell for a lot if it wasn¡¯t what we had to send to the Association as proof of kill.


    The local stores won¡¯t accept our business so it¡¯s no use trying to focus on monsters that can be dismantled and sold for additional parts right now, and Sam was itching for a challenge. I think she¡¯s a little mad that the dossier made her look like one big joke when the reality is that yes, Sam is a very unpolished warrior, but she¡¯s trying her damned hardest to become a competent one.


    It was hard to tell her ¡®no, I want you to stick to something easier while I test out Taskmaster¡¯. Besides, if anything goes wrong they can just use Returners and come back via the Return Gate as soon as I give them permission.


    Speaking of the Return Gate, once more of the rooms are cleaned out and fixed I¡¯d really like to invest some money in having Zutiria build more of them and relocate the one we already have into a spare room in the west wing¡¯s first floor. One of the big workshop rooms by the lounge would do well, I think. I also had an idea to create a processing room in the basement for monster parts. The way it could work is we¡¯d install a return gate on the ceiling so it could just drop down and we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about any teleportation hijinx ensuing. Then we could have someone stationed down there ready to chop things up.


    We could maximize profits in the future by doing what I WANTED to do with the Pinemen- assuming we ever get this messy business with the Duke cleared up. I¡¯m still mad over the timing. Did my war on the criminal underbelly really need to sync up with my best idea ever for making gold?


    More Guild Masters should do what I have in mind, honestly. I think it¡¯s a very good system but I suppose I¡¯m just forward thinking. Or egotistical...


    In case the battle against the Roggerolls ends up being too difficult for Sam and Zutiria on account of their speed, there¡¯s a different monster I had in mind that can also be found on the western outskirts. A particular breed of hairless rodent known as the Lester Mole that grows to be three foot tall in size, their heads filled with nothing but wicked lust. They¡¯re almost an entirely male species, and seem to possess the magical ability to breed with just about anything they can get their grubby little mole hands on. Of course their most well known trait would have to be the bizarre phallic shaped nose that males of the species possess.


    Disgusting.


    I¡¯ve read my fair share of questionable material over the years, but these things are barely any better than the likes of the extended Goblin family- Rapelins included. Such odd, rapey little things they are. Thankfully they aren¡¯t that strong and wouldn¡¯t actually pose a threat to either girl. Not with how much they¡¯ve been improving as of late.


    400G per Lester Mole, proof of kill is their long, pink tail.


    The Guild is in the outskirts of the southeast side of town, so it¡¯ll still be awhile before Sam and Zutiria get there. I¡¯ll check in on them with Taskmaster later but for now I¡¯ve got some time to follow through with other things.


    Meri¡¯s staying home today and she¡¯s eager to be my little secretary even if we won¡¯t actually be doing all that much work related things together. We just need to work on spending time with each other to improve our Bond Level enough so that we can unlock Taskmaster camera capabilities.


    That¡¯s more than ok with me. Sam and Zutiria each have had significant time with me alone, and I intend to spoil my newest lover just as much. It would be nice to have some more romantic ¡®cuddle times¡¯ with her as well, but I¡¯m not picky if she wants to stay focused on the more hardcore play for now until it¡¯s out of her system. I have a distinct feeling she¡¯s going to be asking me for a very specific request soon, though. Better remind myself where the lube is... typically Zutiria gets it nice and ready for me whenever I¡¯ve fucked Sam¡¯s ass so I don¡¯t remember she keeps it.


    At first I had planned to do it to Zutiria as well, but not only is she just not interested, the Rune of Safe Passage is for vaginal intercourse only. I don¡¯t think her tiny body could take it and I doubt it would be all that pleasurable for me if I could.


    As for what else needs to be done, Meri goes and changes into her casual clothes and when she gets back we both check on the kitties. They¡¯ve each gotten started cleaning the entrance hall and it¡¯s not going all that well. Peri is overcome with anxiety and keeps sweating from it while Cherry constantly reminds her to go slow and calm down. Meanwhile Cherry can¡¯t focus much on her own work because of how badly she¡¯s stressing herself over Peri.


    Something needs to be done...


    ¡°Master, I really think that Cherry¡¯s just making it worse...¡± Meri admits to me as we watch from the ruins of my front desk. ¡°I thought Peri would be really clumsy and awkward and break stuff left and right... but... I dunno, maybe it¡¯s just me but I think they should be separated until Cherry learns to stop doting on her best friend so much...¡±


    ¡°No, Meri. You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± I pat her on the head and she smiles awkwardly. ¡°I was just thinking something along those same lines myself.¡±


    ¡°Do you have any idea how they got like this? I can¡¯t imagine why they¡¯re so tense around each other... t-they obviously care about each other but¡± The Shield Maiden asks me with a worried frown on her innocent, round face.


    ¡°Not officially. But if I had to guess from the sounds of it, way back when they first turned eighteen and were put up for adoption they likely had a string of bad experiences. Cherry never got over whatever happened and Peri had to sit there as she ruined all of their chances. Yet it¡¯s hard for her to hate Cherry for it, either...¡±


    ¡°That sounds really complicated...¡± Meri frowns as she watches the kitties go about their cleaning. ¡°Not being able to be mad at someone even if they kinda deserve it.¡±


    The front door to the Guild opens all of a sudden as if it was waiting for the most ironic timing possible. Niall walks into the entrance hall and looks around the place with a seedy, yet nostalgic grin. ¡°Yikes this place ain¡¯t doing so hot, Kiddo! Thought that maybe it wasn¡¯t as bad on the inside as it was on the outside, but... yeesh.¡±


    ¡°W-Welcome, Sir. This is the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild, nyaa, and... um...¡± Peri begins to greet him, but Cherry ends up moving in front of her to protect her from the strange man. In this case I don¡¯t fault her nor do I plan on telling her off afterwards. Niall definitely looks like your average Dewhurstian, even if I know him personally he¡¯s still a shady looking bum.


    ¡°Niall, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking coming in here after so long but I don¡¯t have time for your shit right now. I¡¯m overseeing the cleaning of my Guild, among other things.¡±


    ¡°You know this guy, nyaa?¡± Cherry gives Peri more space while looking at me for confirmation.


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I can help if you give me a drink! Got any of the old man¡¯s stash around? Guy was a shitstain but Gods if he didn¡¯t have the best taste in the realms whenever it came to booze. Whaddya say? I got a spare arm to lend.¡± Niall smiles and waves his right arm towards me and Meri.


    ¡°Is this guy really that bad...?¡± Meri asks me in a soft, whispery tone. ¡°He... seems pretty friendly to me. What all did he do to make you so mad at him...?"


    ¡°Nothing.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you...¡±


    ¡°Sometimes doing nothing hurts a lot more, Meri. Just trust me on this.¡± I sigh and shake my head.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Meri seems to understand now where I¡¯m coming from. Perhaps she¡¯s thinking of her experience with meeting Sam¡¯s father all those years ago, even if it¡¯s not quite the same.


    ¡°That a no, then? Love the kitties by the way.¡± He points at Peri and Cherry, which makes the pink haired maid hiss warily at him. ¡°Especially that one!¡±


    ¡°Cherry, Peri, continue cleaning if you wouldn¡¯t mind. This won¡¯t take long.¡± I dismiss the maids from staring at our guest, and they both bow towards me before doing as they¡¯re told. ¡°What did you actually come here for, Niall? I know it wasn¡¯t to help clean up, and it damn sure wasn¡¯t to pick up your first quest in over twenty years.¡±


    ¡°HAH! You¡¯re right about that. I guess I kinda wanted to drop by and see if I could get your support on something.¡±


    ¡°Unlikely, but I¡¯ll hear you out.¡± Can¡¯t exactly say no when someone walks in with a problem, even if it¡¯s not to register a quest. It¡¯s just in my nature as a Guild Master, I suppose...


    ¡°Well now that Abner¡¯s dead I got around to thinking that this town is kind of a shitty place, ain¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...Whatever gave you that impression?¡±


    ¡°Heh yeah, I know right? For real. But this is our chance to do something about it!¡±


    ¡°Niall... what in the name of fuck could a one-armed, street begging drunkard possibly do to improve this town besides leaving it forever?¡±


    ¡°He could run for mayor, to start!¡± Niall gives me a thumbs up, and I suddenly have the urge to request that one of the kitties bring me a very stiff drink.

 The First Camshow in the History of Karnalle

    Niall was serious, he actually wants to replace Abner. It had me intrigued enough to bring him back to my office alone and listen to his story in full, even if I don¡¯t have the slightest bit of hope for his prospective chances.


    The Duke will control this election. Hindsight allows me to understand Abner was more or less just a puppet and he let the Duke do whatever he wanted to this city and its people. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m opposed to helping install someone that I personally know, I just find it futile.


    I don¡¯t even think he¡¯d be a bad Mayor compared to Abner. Niall would likely just keep the status quo as it is as soon as he realized he didn¡¯t have as much power as he thought he would.


    Niall doesn¡¯t try to sway my vote, not blatantly anyway, but he does mention that the candidates will be having a debate in the town square tomorrow and that he wants me to be there. I likely would have gone even if he hadn¡¯t asked me to, if only to see the bizarre oxymoron that is Dewhurstian politics in action.


    He stands up from the stool on the opposite side of my office desk, and lets out a long sigh followed by a wide smile.


    ¡°Just think about it, ok?¡± He asks me before clasping my shoulder with his right arm. ¡°I know a lot more about what¡¯s going on with you than you think. Kinda been looking out for you in my own way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s rich, coming from you.¡±


    ¡°...Guess I deserve that one, I¡¯ll give ya that. I¡¯m just saying I¡¯m out on the streets begging everyday and no one watches their tongue around people like me... you know? You pissed off someone big. Everyone¡¯s talking about it.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying you could help if you became Mayor?¡± I raise my eyebrow, having a hard time holding back my skepticism. ¡°You haven¡¯t done anything useful with your life since I was a kid, and even then that¡¯s very arguable. Why do you even want to be Mayor?¡±


    Niall shrugs his shoulders and dismisses me, ¡°Why the fuck not? It¡¯s not like the other candidates are any better than me. Rather the devil you do know versus the devil you don¡¯t, am I right?¡± He laughs in a way that makes him sound full of himself. ¡°Heard no one can submit quests anymore and that a lot of local stores are under pressure not to serve you out of fear of rustling the hornet¡¯s nest. Just feel like you could use some help...¡±


    ¡°...Where was your help all the other times I needed it? Why now? Because you can get something from it?¡± I clench my fist under the table and it gets harder to control my voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s not about that! I don¡¯t WANT anything from you out of this, I¡¯m just-¡±


    ¡°You just what, Niall?¡±


    The man sitting opposite from me scratches his chin as guilt colors his face. I don¡¯t care if he genuinely feels bad. Doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not upset at this sudden about-face he¡¯s apparently going through. ¡°Kid, you weren¡¯t in danger before now. Did I... really fuck up so bad that you think I wouldn¡¯t even show up when things are at their worst?¡±


    ¡°Yes. You did, actually. So please be so kind as to forgive my skepticism...¡±


    Niall is silent and he stares down at the ground for several minutes until finally putting his hand on his knee and briskly standing up. ¡°Alright. I get it- I¡¯m not wanted here. But if I win I¡¯m still planning on helping you whether you want it or not. You got that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. If you actually manage to pull it off then we¡¯ll continue this discussion. Try not to get yourself killed out there, I suppose.¡± I raise my hand and dismiss Niall.


    He smirks and says, ¡°See? You DO care!¡± on his way out of the office.


    Meri soon enters the office bearing a nice cup of coffee for me, and I¡¯m delighted at the sight of both it and her. ¡°I thought you might need this, Master. Did it go alright?¡±


    I take the cup that was offered and drink down the delicious first sip. Meri¡¯s coffee I¡¯ve learned has a heartwarming effect that makes me feel happy as I drink it. Chalk it up to her country hospitality, I suppose. Sam has no experience making anything, and Zutiria¡¯s coffee tends to be rather experimental likely due to her nature as an alchemist. If she weren¡¯t such a promising adventurer I¡¯d wish she could stay here as my secretary more often.


    ¡°Thank you, I definitely needed this. There¡¯s not really much for me to say about him. He¡¯s running for Mayor, wants to help if he wins. He won¡¯t. Even if he did, the Duke would do something about it and I doubt he¡¯d be able to help much like this... I digress. We really should be checking in on the party right about now.¡±


    Meri takes one of the stools on the other side of my desk and scoots it up next to my office chair, smiling with slight anxiety as she sits by my side. ¡°Think they¡¯re ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d imagine so. Sam and Zutiria Camera Open.¡± Taskmaster lights up my eyes and the camera screens materialize in the open air, although the sight is so shocking that I end up losing the mouthful of coffee I had just sipped.


    The girls had definitely reached the destination alright, but... I don¡¯t remember sending them off this naked. They¡¯re both on top of a rocky outcropping that presumably is out of sight from any potential monsters, I should hope.


    Currently the Princess is sitting behind Zutiria, one hand on the Mage¡¯s small breast and the other between her legs pumping its fingers inside the tight lips of her cleft.


    ¡®Sammy... just a bit more... Please.¡¯ Zutiria bites her lip, grinding her hips down against the invasive fingers in desperate need of pleasure. Her eyes are watery, her cheeks red with blush as she keeps twisting and churning herself against Sam.


    On another note, I suppose Taskmaster lets me see Zutiria¡¯s text like this even if it¡¯s not directly.


    ¡°Nope, you can¡¯t cum until Daddy contacts us!¡± Sam grins a wicked grin as her skilled index finger begins flying against Zutiria¡¯s pointy little clit, teasing it up and down while the rest of her hand goes to town on the poor Mage.


    ¡°Daddy wants to know what the fuck you¡¯re doing.¡± I make my presence well known and the erotic display suddenly becomes a lot more awkward.


    ¡°W-What the heck do they think they¡¯re doing without me?!¡± Meri feels left out and she starts grinding her thighs together uncomfortably, the scent of her arousal becoming thick in the air now that she¡¯s out of her armor.


    ¡°Daddy! Hey!¡± Sam looks around as if trying to figure out where I¡¯ve positioned the camera, before just giving up and looking directly in front of her. ¡°We got here like twenty minutes ago, and you kept us waiting so... I had a fun idea. Figured you might want a little show before you help us out.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t funny, Sam.¡± I say, though my voice doesn¡¯t have much confidence behind it. The Princess picks that up fairly quick, her grin only spreading further in response.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, are you jealous that we¡¯re having so much fun without you?¡± In her teasing reverie, Sam begins to whisk her fingers around Zutiria¡¯s quivering slit with such force the tiny girl can barely take it, twisting her petite body left and right as Sam continues to push her closer to her limits.


    ¡®Sir... please... pretty please tell Sammy to let me-¡¯ Zutiria is interrupted by her own moan right when the Princess slides completely out of her pussy.


    ¡°Nuh-uh. No begging, Zuzu! Daddy owns that little slit of yours, he¡¯ll tell me when to let you enjoy yourself. Won¡¯t you?¡± Sam looks at the camera with predatory eyes and licks her full, red lips.


    ¡°Sam...¡±


    ¡°Yessss?¡± She keeps looking seductively towards me, trying to peak my interest by sliding her finger up and down the length of Zutiria¡¯s swollen, red little labia lips but never penetrating.


    As much as I wanted to get to work... how the fuck could I not watch this? This is something else, and I¡¯m ashamed I hadn¡¯t even considered the perverted potential of Taskmaster¡¯s powers until this very moment.


    Meri¡¯s hand appears on my thigh without warning and she squeezes it before I can say anything. ¡°Master... you... you need to help her, don¡¯t you! Look at Zutiria... she¡¯s suffering so badly... maybe... you should... um... tell Sam to make her cum...?¡±


    ¡°Is that what you think?¡± I raise an eyebrow at my cute little brunette pervert, who nods her head meekly up and down in response.


    ¡°Y-Yes... I... um... think you should-¡± My hand reaches out to grab Meri¡¯s and I lift it to somewhere even better.


    The Shield Maiden gasps in shock as I plant her soft, delicate hand on the bulging tent of my pants. She gets the message and in a fit of lust Meri parts her lips and licks around them, her hand undoing the zipper on my pants.


    ¡°Sam...¡± I say as Meri wraps her sweet fist around my aching cock.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy...?¡± The Princess asks while holding up Zutiria in a spread eagle position, waiting for me to give her the word.


    ¡°Give it to her. But make it nice and slow so that I can watch.¡±


    ¡°Oh gods, this is fucking hot...¡± For a split second, Sam¡¯s eyes roll back into her head from the sheer naughty feeling this situation is giving her. She recovers after that and turns Zutiria¡¯s head to face backwards at an angle for her to kiss her.


    I watch this long distance display of erection as Meri diligently services me, she too being a slave to the show that Sam puts on for my benefit.


    ¡°Look at how WET she is...¡± Sam says in a low, husky tone. ¡°Is it because he¡¯s watching, Zuzu?¡±


    ¡®Y-Yes, Sammy... of course...¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s breath becomes heavier and labored, causing her small breasts to rise and fall in a faster, hypnotic pace.


    ¡°And what about ME?¡± The Princess starts carving the little ladies pussy in a feverish motion. ¡°Don¡¯t I make you feel good, too?¡±


    ¡®Yesyesyes...!! I¡¯m sorry, Sammy, you¡¯re so good... y-you mess my pussy up so good...¡¯ The Mage whimpers and tries to hide under her hat, but Sam swipes it away while laughing cruelly.


    ¡°No way. You gotta show EVERYTHING to Daddy.¡± Sam takes her free hand and grabs Zutiria roughly by the chin and points her at me.


    ¡®Sir... I¡¯m s-sorry, look at me... look at what Sammy¡¯s done to my poor little body...¡¯ Zutiria forces herself to look at the camera and her hands- unable to resist any long- seek out her tiny breasts and begin to massage them in their entirety. She claws at her little pink peaks and a flickering of delight is evident on her face as she briefly opens her mouth out wide and sticks her tongue out like an animal in heat.


    ¡°Oh, Goddess... This is... like watching you guys through the door, but... so much... more... ahhh...!!¡± Meri can¡¯t believe what she sees on the screen, and the harder she gets into it the more work she puts into giving me an unforgettable handjob, one hand firmly fondling my hefty sack while the other becomes a jerking blur along my length.


    ¡°Fuck yes... don¡¯t stop, Meri...¡± I grunt and wrap my arm around her, pulling her close to me as she keeps stroking my thick manhood.


    ¡°Poooor, pooooooooor Daddy... I bet you wish you were here so you could stuff your fat cock in and out of this teeny, tiny pussy... don¡¯t you...?¡±


    ¡°YES-¡±


    ¡®Sir... I¡¯m almost.... Oh, I can¡¯t... take it... Sammy... please...¡¯ Zutiria begins moaning loudly in her sweet, soft little voice. Hearing our typically silent friend become more vocal excites Meri even further as every time Zutiria moans, Meri responds by squeezing her strong grip on me like she¡¯s trying to squeeze the cum out of me with sheer force.


    ¡°What do you say, Daddy? Do you think she deserves it? Do you want me to make your cute slut cum for you since you¡¯re not here to do it yourself?¡±


    ¡°Fuck fuck FUCK YES, Sam! Make her cum so fucking hard for me!¡± I can¡¯t believe how vocal this type of roleplay is making me, nor how desperate...


    Sam smiles that smug grin of hers. ¡°Tell Daddy thank you for letting you cum, and I¡¯ll give you what you want...¡±


    ¡®Thank you, Sir, thank you thank you THANK YOU for letting Sammy make me cummm... I need it so bad, my pussy is t-t-trembling and AH-¡¯ Sam shoves her fingers back in and with her other hand she starts mashing the Mage¡¯s clit between her fingers so roughly that I worry if she might end up hurting the poor girl.


    My fears are unfounded, as the only response it brings out of Zutiria is a massive orgasm that wracks her body and gushes down like a waterfall onto Sam¡¯s hand. ¡°Holy shit, Zuzu. Hard to believe a little girl like you can cum so much...¡± She licks her lips in satisfaction, her partner struggling through the ongoing torment of this incredible climax.


    I, on the other hand, can¡¯t take much more of this either. As I watch the Mage embarrass herself by cumming hard all over Sam¡¯s fingers my own need starts to boil up from inside of my balls. ¡°Meri... MERI!!¡±


    My head rolls back against my chair and I sink into it right as Meri sinks her lips down my cock. Without any warning that she was going to do so, the masochistic girl deepthroats me and sucks so hard that it makes me tear a small hole in the leather of my office chair¡¯s armrest.


    With my other hand I reach out and grab Meri¡¯s hair, knowing she¡¯ll love it if I make it so she can¡¯t pull away from my torrential load even if it¡¯s hard to breath. She¡¯s into that sort of thing and I use it to my advantage, pushing down on the back of her curly hair to keep in in place as I buck my hips more and more into her throat, cumming violently inside her hot mouth until I no longer have anything left to cum.


    Meri pulls away from my pelvis a teary, but very satisfied mess. She smiles placidly as she struggles to regain her breath, meanwhile on the screen Zutiria recovers as well. The only one of us who¡¯s composed is Sam, who hasn¡¯t gotten off at all.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take five before we get started on the quests, Boss?¡± She laughs and gives me a playful wink.


    ¡°...I suppose so. Meri, could you go and-¡±


    Meri leans her head against my chest, still a panting mess struggling to breathe. Shit.


    ¡°...KITTIES. I AM IN NEED OF A TOWEL!¡±


    PunishedKom

 A New Toy

    The kitties brought me a towel and yes, it was every bit as awkward as I was afraid it would be. Cherry and Peri obviously knew what just happened in here, to an extent. Even if my pants were zipped, Meri is still in a breathy daze from being forcibly pushed to my groin and her lips are wet with... me.


    ¡°Do you want help cleaning up, nyaa...? Just say the word, Myaster... and I will rub it all over you... or her, if you wish...¡± Peri sets the towel on the desk and leans over, her large breasts falling down against the confines of her tight uniform. Breathing heavier, her tongue falls out of her mouth and she drools slightly just from being around me in a post release state.


    ¡°No, you can¡¯t! You¡¯ll ruin our... YOUR chances of staying here, damnit!¡± Cherry grabs Peri by the collar and pulls back rough and hard to get her fellow maid as far away from the lingering, seductive scent of sexuality in the air.


    ¡°Please, Myaster... just a sniff... let this humble maid sniffy sniff her Myaster...!!¡± Peri reaches her paws out to me in a desperate attempt to get me to take her by the hand, but it¡¯s not to be.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but no. As, uh... humbling as your desires are, Peri, I don¡¯t think I need to explain why that would be a bad idea. Go on and get back to work, girls. That hall isn¡¯t going to clean itself and I think we all know what would happen if you come any closer.¡±


    ¡°Nyaa... yes, Myaster...¡± Peri sighs in resignation as she meekly leaves the room after giving me a lengthy, respectful bow. Cherry follows close behind, cheeks red from the flush of arousal and she too bows before leaving. I catch her glancing at me lewdly before she fully exits the room, though.


    Meri and I both clean up and within a few minutes we¡¯re both ready to contact Sam and Zutiria again.


    ¡°That was so hot... You¡¯d think it would be the same as watching but there... there was some sort of added thrill to it that I can¡¯t explain...!!¡± Meri sighs while fixing her brown, fluffy hair where I grabbed it.


    ¡°Maybe next time I¡¯ll have Sam take you somewhere and she can rough you up while I watch, Meri. Would that make you happy? Putting on a show for me knowing that I was watching while another girl gives me the pleasure you can¡¯t?¡± I lean over to whisper into my masochistic lover¡¯s ear and in response she shrinks and nods her head. She wants to say something but is trembling in place over her own excitement so it¡¯s best not to worry.


    I give Meri a small kiss on the cheek and watch her smile grow wide before I go and bring up Taskmaster once again.


    Checking the Guild Roster shows that Meri¡¯s Love Meter has inched closer to a level up but not all that much. I¡¯m guessing that random sexual acts aren¡¯t very substantial and that Taskmaster rewards actual intimacy rather than nonstop fucking.


    I open both girl¡¯s cameras and announce myself, ¡°Aaaaand we¡¯re back.¡±


    The Princess and the Mage are both fully dressed now in their armor and robes, ready to start acting like adventurers again instead of my personal sluts.


    ¡°Awright!¡± Sam triumphantly pumps her fist. ¡°Let¡¯s go kill monsters indiscriminately!¡±


    ¡®Sammy, be polite. I¡¯m sure monsters have families and people they care about, too.¡¯


    ¡°Right.¡± The Princess dismissively waves her hand at Zutiria as she holds back a snort. ¡°Monsters are just monsters you, dummy.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Sam. Not too indiscriminately. There are still monsters in this area you can¡¯t handle, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll show up this time of day. Knowing our recent luck with monsters not acting the way they¡¯re supposed to, though, we can¡¯t rule it out...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡±


    ¡®Understood, Sir.¡¯


    Meri and I sit at my desk as we watch them journey around the western perimeter of Dewhurst. It¡¯s a surreal feeling, really, having a new power that lets me do what I¡¯ve always wanted. I hope it can only develop further from here on out because I¡¯ve got a nice bullet list of features I¡¯d like to see in the future. For now, I¡¯ll just take what I¡¯m given to work with.


    The two girl party crosses paths with a lone Roggeroll after a couple of minutes of walking and chatting with us.


    ¡°Target sighted, Boss!¡± Sam draws her great blade and Zutiria takes up a defensive pose. The large, circular rock monster notices them instantly and turns to see the intruders on its territory.


    What a strange creature. It really is just a big rock with eyeballs. What does it eat? How do they mate? I¡¯m asking hypothetically as I¡¯ve read the details on this monster many times over in my reference books, but that doesn¡¯t make their existence any less strange.


    ¡°Be prepared to counter. They¡¯re much faster than you¡¯d expect.¡± I give the adventurers a careful warning while Meri nervously leans over in her seat to get a better view.


    ¡°M-Maybe I should have gone with... my shield would have been a great match up against the Roggerolls, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. But I¡¯m not too concerned.¡± I pull the Shield Maiden into my side and wrap my arm around her for a small hug, and we watch closely.


    The rock monster starts to swivel forwards in a limp fashion setting the party on edge. It¡¯s a good call, that¡¯s the tell that it¡¯s about to charge.


    ¡°Sam, it¡¯s looking at you! Get ready!¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Sam grits her teeth and before I can give another word of warning the Roggeroll speeds along the ground with surprising momentum. Being hit by one of these would not be pretty, especially at this speed.


    Before it barrels into her the Princess holds out her sword horizontally to catch it. By calling upon her deep reservoirs of supernatural strength Sam stands her ground as the rock monster slams into her iron, not letting it push her back in the slightest.


    ¡°NGH-! Can¡¯t exactly swing like this... little help, Zuzu?!¡±


    ¡®On it.¡¯ The little lady raises her staff into the air as it hums with a powerful green aura. Pointing it towards the living boulder, she parts her lips and softly speaks aloud, ¡°B... Breezelash...!¡±


    Gusts circle her brilliant magical rod, concentrating at the tip swirling with magical energy. It becomes a single and wide crescent shaped arc of wind that fires off almost like a great slash from a sword and while it doesn¡¯t cleanly cut the Roggeroll in half, since doing so would injure Sam, it does carve through more than enough to actually kill the mineral monstrosity.


    The pressure eases up on Sam since the boulder is no longer actively pushing against her sword to break through and run her flat like a rolling pin. Sam pushes back and finishes the job by slicing the rock monster in half so she can scoop up the large crystal orb that will serve as the proof of kill. Before she can stuff it into the trophy bag, though, I notice something in the corner of my eye coming from Zutiria¡¯s screen.


    ¡°ZUTIRIA, BEHIND YOU!¡±


    Meri gasps and looks around the screens to see what I¡¯m seeing but doesn¡¯t. ¡°W-What?! Where?!¡±


    It becomes clear to everyone though after the closest boulder behind Zutiria opens its eyelids and shakes the surrounding rubble around off of it. I only noticed at the last second that it had eyelids to begin with, and I doubt anyone else but me could have pointed it out.


    This power truly is perfect for me.


    Even though they¡¯ve become aware of the danger I¡¯m worried that it¡¯s not enough. Sam¡¯s a good distance away and the Roggeroll is directly behind Zutiria. As soon as it speeds up she¡¯s toast.


    That¡¯s when Zutiria presses a button on her staff that I don¡¯t remember ever seeing before.


    Sparkling mana drops flutter out into existence as the weapon takes on a new form, growing slightly longer, thinner and transitioning its handle down to the lower half. The focal point of its design, the heart motif at the top, stretches out and becomes the ends of a hammer. It looks like a croquet mallet now instead of a witch¡¯s trendy staff.


    Hold on a moment...


    In a split second I pull up Zutiria¡¯s dossier and double check something.


    -------------------------------------


    -EQUIPMENT-


    Low Class Mana Fiber Robe and Beret


    Big Circular Rimmed Nerd Glasses


    Modified Expensive Brand Name Staff (¡®Lovers of Heart¡¯ Model by Wergenberth¡¯s)


    -------------------------------------


    Modified. I feel stupid for not having noticed that, but I just assumed that the staff had already been modified in the first place. Not that she added a new feature to it.


    Zutiria raises her little mallet into the air and although I¡¯m filled with surprise, I can¡¯t help wondering if this will work. She¡¯s not physically strong, but this IS Zutiria I¡¯m talking about. There¡¯s got to be a trick to it.


    ¡°Hyah...¡± She speaks aloud in a near silent voice, smashing the mallet weakly into the Roggeroll before it can start rolling. It hits the monster with little more than a child¡¯s lazy tap, and no damage is done.


    ¡°It... it didn¡¯t do anything!¡± Meri begins shivering in fear, wishing she could be there to shield her Guild mate from harm.


    ¡°Wait-¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s stunned.¡¯ Zutiria calmly adjusts her glasses, completely unafraid of the monster before her. ¡®Nikita said I needed a physical weapon and I don¡¯t believe even if I started training every hour of the day that I¡¯ll ever become strong enough to inflict regular physical damage. So I dug out the user¡¯s manual for the staff and reminded myself how to make custom forms.¡¯


    ¡°Gwin didn¡¯t help with that, did she?¡± Sam asks in amazement.


    ¡®No. I added some effects to it using alchemical ingredients I already had lying around. It¡¯s a basic transformation, nothing special. Though I do like the name I came up with. This is my Staggerstaff.¡¯ She pats the boulder several more times ensuring that the status effect doesn¡¯t wear off. ¡®It¡¯s only a brief respite and won¡¯t work on stronger enemies, but it¡¯s a start.¡¯


    ¡°Well alright then. I knew I had nothing to be worried about.¡± Even though I say that I still let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Not fucking bad!¡± Sam grins and rears her sword over her head to smash it downwards, cleaving the Roggeroll apart like a practiced miner. The threat is neutralized and its treasure; plundered.


    ¡°Y-You still should have told us!! I thought you were gonna be flatter than a pancake...¡± Meri says as she struggles with the anxiety she was feeling over her friend¡¯s distress.


    ¡®Whoops.¡¯ Zutiria emotionlessly turns to the camera and winks.

 The Dungeon Problem

    The first official use of Taskmaster went more perfectly than I ever could have dreamed.


    For hours I watch and guide Sam and Zutiria on their quest to carve out as many living rock monsters as they can find. Meri patiently stays by my side, leaving only to make me some more coffee occasionally and to check on the maids.


    Thanks to a combination of powerful sword attacks from Sam, spells,  Staggerstaff blows from Zutiria, as well as a hint of my guidance here and there, the two adventurers manage to bring in quite a haul. It¡¯s been a while since somebody brought down the local Roggeroll population, so they were never long without a new fight.


    In total, the two of them slew thirty-two of them, leading to a grand total of 19,200G profits for the day. That¡¯s a lot. A very, very fucking good day indeed. Since the proof of kills trophies were so large and heavy this time around, San and Zutiria went through both burlap sacks that they brought with them. They ended up having to use Returners to send back the load early.


    The sudden activation of the stone magic mechanism startles both kitties, despite being taught how the Return Gate works during their initial Guild tour. I had to go out and explain to them that when they hear a load of monster parts transported in, they need to go and take them to the storage room. Peri and Cherry were more than happy to help sort the large, pretty crystals harvested from the Roggerolls once appropriately taught. They even helped prepare them for mailing, saving me a lot of time down the line.


    After deciding to throw in the towel from three or so straight hours of rigorous monster hunting, Sam surprises us by asking Zutiria out on that date I suggested. It¡¯s not like it was a big deal and we all gasped or anything like that. It was casual. Every one of us is all fucking each other in some capacity, after all.


    Zutiria agreed happily.


    The girls used the Returners one after the other to teleport back home, say hi briefly, change out of their adventuring gear, ask for a little bit of money and head back out. I give them 5,000G out of the Guild vault, and they both kiss me on opposite cheeks before stepping out to have a late afternoon together.


    Meri seems more than happy with this arrangement, and over the last few hours, she¡¯s been an adorably clingy secretary. I¡¯m eager to continue our time together. At the same time, I finish up a few remaining pieces of paperwork regarding the day¡¯s quests. Mailing forms, quest completion forms, Guild bank deposit statements... the ride truly never ends, does it?


    ¡°Should I go check on the maids, Master?¡± Meri leans into my shoulder and smiles, eager to be helpful in any way she can make herself. You¡¯d think a young girl like her would do absolutely anything to get away from working in a stuffy old office like this. Still, she takes it in stride because of how sweet she is and because her personality is just naturally helpful, to begin with.


    ¡°Yes, tell them to stop, for now, I think. Cherry and Peri have been cleaning for hours now without any breaks.¡±


    The Shield Maiden frowns and looks down at the ground. ¡°Last time I was out there, they still weren¡¯t very far... the Guild is a pretty big building, you know?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware. Cherry and Peri aren¡¯t going to be able to handle it on their own, but if we can just get the entrance hall sorted out, we can renovate it, and then upkeep should be that much easier.¡±


    Meri giggles and looks into my eyes shyly. ¡°You¡¯re always thinking about what comes next, aren¡¯t you...?¡±


    ¡°Of course, my dear Meri. My mind is my greatest strength. It would be a crime for it not always to in motion.¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not true! You have a lot more going on for you than just being smart... and we¡¯ve all seen how bad you can get when you overthink!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. What do you propose I do to distract myself if it gets to be too much for my poor little mind to bear?¡± I smile at her in delight as I watch her cheeks flush.


    ¡°I-I can think of a few ideas... Master knows that I¡¯m his little stress ball w-whenever he needs me to be.¡± The meek maiden¡¯s lips quiver as she hangs on her words, yet she manages to say them with a small amount of confidence.


    ¡°Mmm. Isn¡¯t that a pretty picture? Go check on the kitties-¡± I lean over to give her a tender kiss on the lips, much to her happiness. Afterward, I then pull away, going back to work on the documentation laid before me. ¡°And on your way back, bring me that book on the shelf there. The red one, Guild Bylaws vol. 7.¡±


    Meri looks on in disbelief at the gigantic book in question. ¡°M-Master, I¡¯m strong, but I¡¯m not SAM strong...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Meri goes and does as she¡¯s said while I briefly continue my writing. I wanted to check a specific part of the Dungeon laws and limitations. The other day I was thinking about our current situation of being unable to explore the forest dungeon, and I remembered something else. Assuming I¡¯m correct, it wouldn¡¯t solve that specific problem, but if a certain Goddess were willing to use some more miracles in the near future, there might be a potential loophole.


    Sure enough, Meri brings me the titanic tome. I spend a good twenty minutes tracking down the specific passage I¡¯m looking for. Yeah, it should be possible by all accounts, assuming I don¡¯t mind the risk of some ¡®innocent¡¯ Dewhurstians getting potentially roped into this. Not that there are many innocents in this town, to begin with.


    I have to ask Luxy about it, though, and Meri is less than thrilled about the idea of potentially being exposed to one of the Goddess¡¯s angels. It¡¯s essential, though, so Meri agrees after I pressure her a little.


    ¡°Lux Ultima. I have a request. Will you please hear me out once more?¡±


    Silence.


    I sigh and hang my head. ¡°...Please?¡±


    The same ball of light as before appears a few feet away from my desk. Thankfully she learned not to use any angels this time around.


    -You told me to leave, you know. Why should I help you after that, huh?- Snotty as always. Not sure why I expected anything different.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± Meri bows before the manifestation of Luxy¡¯s will. ¡°Please don¡¯t be mad at him! He was only worried about us... he... um...¡±


    -...Mortal, I don¡¯t believe I addressed you.- Luxy says in a stern voice.


    ¡°Can you please drop the whole pretending to act like a Goddess thing and just be casual with me like you were before?¡±


    -Pretending?! I-I wasn¡¯t pretending at all! I AM a proud Goddess!-


    Meri bites her lip and looks away from the ball of light like she wants to say something but is too afraid to speak. I grab her by the shoulder and firmly remind her that it¡¯s alright, and she smiles meekly back at me.


    My Shield Maiden is probably very uncomfortable right now.


    Meri did reveal the other day that she holds the Goddess accountable to a degree for her mother¡¯s death, even if it¡¯s only through inaction.


    But luckily, Meri¡¯s smart enough to know I¡¯m about to ask for a favor and that she can¡¯t risk upsetting our temperamental benefactor, unlike a certain blonde somebody.


    ¡°Then please, Goddess... hear him out?¡± She pleads, clasping her hands together as she smiles softly.


    -I¡¯m here, aren¡¯t I? Speak.-


    I clear my throat and flip to the first page needed to be ¡°According to addendum 134-b of subsection D, article 11-¡±


    -NOPE, don¡¯t fuckin¡¯ care, miss me with that by the books shit and just say what you fucking want.-


    ¡°D-Did she just swear...?¡± Meri whispers, looking at me with shock and confusion. I don¡¯t know how her family raised her. Still, it¡¯s safe to say that her expectations of what the Goddess should behave and act like are at odds with the reality before her very own eyes.


    I give Meri¡¯s head a reassuring pat, trying to comfort her from the depressing realization that her religion is mostly bullshit.


    ¡°There¡¯s an emergency measure allowing immediate clearing of dungeons if located within a populated town. I¡¯ll have to file an absurd amount of paperwork every time. Still, if a random building in town were to suddenly morph into a dungeon filled with monsters that threaten to escape into the streets, well. It would certainly be well within my rights as an acting Guild Master to deploy my adventurers and do what¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that would solve a lot of problems...!¡± Meri¡¯s eyes sparkle with enthusiasm. Then shortly afterward, they change into a look of anxious, compassionate hesitation. ¡°But w-what if monsters DO start leaking out onto the streets...?¡±


    ¡°Would you care?¡± I ask while taking an incredulous tone.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m a Shield Maiden... protecting people is my job, and... um...¡± She twiddles her thumbs while taking time to think about it.


    ¡°Meri. Come on.¡±


    ¡°...D-Don¡¯t make me answer that.¡± She can¡¯t outright say she thinks the world would be better off with fewer Dewhurstians, but I don¡¯t think she believes it would be the worst thing that could happen, either.


    Both of us look back at the glowing ball of light representing Luxy, waiting for her response.


    -I might be able to work with that.- Luxy says in a surprisingly agreeable tone. -But I can¡¯t just keep snapping my fingers and giving you everything you ask for, even if I DO owe you a lot of divine intervention in your life. There¡¯s a lot of rules to this whole bet thing. Complicated ancient Gods bullshit, you know how it is.-


    ¡°Well, if you can help me, then how can you do it in a way that wouldn¡¯t upset the rules too much?¡± I¡¯m getting tired of hearing about the rules and restrictions of this bet. I¡¯d ask for a complete list of them, but I think it¡¯s safe to assume that that wouldn¡¯t be allowed either.


    -Think about it, smart-ass. I can¡¯t tell you when and where I¡¯ll do it, only that I¡¯ll wait until I see the best chance for it to make it tough and challenging. When I help you, it needs to give you opportunities to improve yourself. You can suggest things, sure, but if I just give out everything you ask for, then the powers that be will make it so I¡¯m unable to help you out at all.-


    ¡°B-But you ARE the powers that be!¡± Meri says.


    -Yeah, well, I ain¡¯t the only powers that be. Also, uh... sorry about earlier.- Luxy whispers under her breath.


    ¡°W-What...?¡±


    -The... you know... down there?-


    ¡°...¡± Meri blushes and begins sweating profusely out of shame.


    -It¡¯s ok, it... it happens to everyone.- Luxy coughs under her breath.


    ¡°ANYWAY,¡± I clear my throat to get the conversation back on track. ¡°As rough as it can be working with you, Lux, I would much rather we avoid that outcome.¡± The thought is a scary one. Even if I¡¯m committed to bringing down the Demon Lord with my Guild, there¡¯s no way I could do it without Luxy¡¯s ongoing support. It¡¯s a thin tightrope I need to walk to pull this off.


    -Yeah, I figured.- Luxy sighs an irritated sigh knowing full well that we¡¯re stuck with each other. -I also haven¡¯t done the whole dungeon in a town thing before. That¡¯s more along the lines of something my sister would do. There¡¯s no telling what kind of shit might happen. Dungeons are weird, you know? They spawn treasure, create monsters out of nowhere, and they have big strong bosses. If I just overlay them onto something that¡¯s already there... things might get weird.-


    ¡°Can you do it, though?¡± I lean over on the desk and cup my chin in my hands.


    -Yes.-


    I look at Meri for approval, and the shy brunette nods her head.


    ¡°Then whenever you see a chance, make things as weird as you fucking have to.¡±

 Bad Kitty

    Getting dungeons squared off is a pretty big bonus to my confidence level right now. Not that Taskmaster has a meter that shows me any such metrics; I just feel grand.


    I¡¯m sure that given my luck, it¡¯ll come back to bite me in the ass somehow, and I already know I won¡¯t have any time to prepare for it before it happens. Luxy is just going to drop it on us someday in the future when it makes sense to her. While I don¡¯t entirely trust her judgment regarding when that might be, it¡¯s hard to look a gift horse in the mouth.


    Dungeons mean formidable enemies for the girls to train against, magical artifacts to power them up, and lots of treasure free for the taking. It¡¯s hard not to be excited, especially knowing that my adventurers are just going to donate the treasure to the Guild. It¡¯ll give us money for use on renovations and other things we need.


    Gods, I love not having to pay my employees...


    Speaking of things we need, we might need to take a day or two to prepare a stock of useful dungeon necessities. I think I have some standard-issue dungeoneering packs the girls could use in a storage room somewhere, but we¡¯ll need to fill them ourselves. They¡¯re handy bags that the Association offers to Guilds at a decently high price.


    Luckily, back in his day, Grandpa invested in picking up many of them. He was an asshole, sure, but he did what he could to make sure his adventurers came back home alive.


    These bags are made of magically enhanced leather that is resistant to most types of physical damage and magical and elemental, too. The main selling point is you could fall on top of one, and it won¡¯t crush the potion bottles you have stashed away inside.


    We still have a large stash of stamina potions from what Opalina gave us to facilitate Nikita¡¯s training. Zutiria could likely brew up a batch of healing potions if we all gather the herbs together, too.


    I¡¯m a bit worried about mana potions, though.


    Dewhurst is suffering from an addiction crisis regarding the stuff. More specifically, the main ingredient.


    A mana potion is made of mana crystals, essentially just natural formations of mana found in magically dense areas. When appropriately prepared and distilled into a liquid via alchemy, these crystals can be drunk to restore one¡¯s pool of mana. Thus the potions allow the drinker to cast more spells than they typically could, without having to wait for their mana to replenish naturally.


    However, when a non-magic-user drinks a mana potion, the world goes crazy. The drinker¡¯s mind becomes ¡®opened¡¯ and ¡®enlightened¡¯. Once it settles into their body, the raw mana just leaks out in unpredictable ways until fully drained.


    If it doesn¡¯t kill you after the first couple of times, you¡¯ll gain resistance as well as an addiction to the stuff. So, where does an addict go from there? They start crushing the crystals and inhaling, smoking, or eating the powder. It hits much harder because obviously, there¡¯s a reason the alchemists specifically make a point of diluting the damn potions. You aren¡¯t supposed to snort concentrated mana up your nose.


    Why does that sound like a good idea to fucking anybody?


    My main concern is that even if Zutiria could brew herself some mana potions, the ingredient stock in this town is most likely tainted. Pure mana crystals are ridiculously expensive because the addicts will pay almost any price for them. Instead, smaller ones get sold on the streets, ones of lesser purities, or ones that have been tampered with by adding unnecessary ingredients.


    Thanks to the additives, these tainted crystals are more addictive than pure ones. Even a Mage like Zutiria could become addicted if she were to drink potions made through such nefarious means. Unless the mana crystal addiction on the streets of Dewhurst is dealt with, it''s just not possible to send Zutiria on any quests with mana potions.


    Sure, she could use the Warp Stone network to travel back to Imperalis or elsewhere, but because of the crisis, they don¡¯t just sell them to anyone who asks. If Opalina were in town, I¡¯d assume she¡¯d be able to help us acquire some pure crystals, so I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll just have no choice but to wait for her to return.


    After the talk with Luxy, Meri and I rejoined the kitties in the entrance hall. Things went ok today as far as cleaning went. Not good, not terrible. If I¡¯m generous, I¡¯d say that about a third of the hall was cleaned today. That¡¯s a bit of a stretch, though.


    I ask Meri to give me some alone time with the maids to discuss how the day went, and she agrees despite being worried about them being left alone with my scent.


    ¡°Please... please don¡¯t take me back, nyaa...¡± Peri begins shaking as soon as I sit down at one of the recently cleaned dining tables to talk with the two of them about the day. ¡°I¡¯ll work faster. I promise I will. So please...¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s my fault!¡± Cherry bites her lip and hangs her head from the growing sense of shame building up within her. ¡°If you¡¯re going to punish anyone, punish me...¡±


    ¡°Girls, girls. Easy. I¡¯m not punishing anyone.¡±


    The two Catfolk maids look at each other and then at me, unsure what to think of this. ¡°You¡¯re not? Really?¡± Peri asks.


    ¡°Of course not. You did about as well as I expected you would do, maybe even a little bit better. Today was a test. Obviously, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to handle cleaning this entire room by yourselves.¡± As Peri begins to perk up from hearing my words, I reach out and offer my hand to her, which she then starts rubbing her head all over.


    Cherry stares curiously until I offer her the chance to do the same to my other hand. Quickly enough, the bratty maid starts cuddling up to it, and I pet them respectfully. ¡°You did well. Good girls.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster...¡± Peri purrs.


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t wanna ruin this for Peri.¡± Cherry states, barely able to contain herself from joining Peri in purring.


    ¡°And what about you?¡± I ask seriously.


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I was just wondering. Have you given any more thought as to what your perfect master might be like?¡± Smiling warmly, I look to the pink-haired Catfolk maid and watch her begin to blush fiercely.


    ¡°Uh. Kinda. I guess... someone like you wouldn¡¯t be so bad, nyaa...¡± Cherry cranes her neck away from me out of embarrassment, only for it to double when Peri pulls away from my hand to yank Cherry into her busty chest.


    ¡°Thank you for trying so hard for me...¡± She purrs. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to be mad at you. I didn¡¯t... it¡¯s just that after everything we¡¯ve been through, you know...¡±


    Cherry looks into Peri¡¯s eyes and holds back a tear. ¡°I know, nyaa... It¡¯s my fault for never letting us have a real chance.¡±


    ¡°No... we wouldn¡¯t even be here today if it weren¡¯t for everything you¡¯ve done to protect us...¡±


    ¡°It sounds like you two have been through quite a lot together.¡±


    Cherry nods before keeping her eyes fixated on the floor below. ¡°That¡¯s one way to put it.¡± A sigh escapes her soft lips, and she struggles to fight back a persistent feeling of sadness rising from within her.


    I stand up from my seat and lean closer to give Cherry some more pets. As she rubs her head into my hand, I say in the most comforting voice I can manage, ¡°Nothing bad will happen to you anymore. You¡¯re home now... if you want it to be.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± Peri makes a jealous swat at my hand in an effort to make me pet her with it, and after laughing at her silliness, I give her some of my love as well.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about you, Peri. Cherry needs to make her own choice here, just the same as you. I think we all know that you intend on staying when the trial period is up.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡± She repeats herself while purring even deeper.


    ¡°And you still have five days to decide.¡± I look down at the pink-haired kitty to see her making a hilariously mixed expression on her face. Half frazzled, and half delighted from being scratched by a pair of skillful human hands.


    ¡°Mmmmmm, keep it up, and I might make up my mind a lot sooner, nyaaaaaaa...¡± Cherry sighs contentedly, and without a hint of warning, she paws at my crotch like she¡¯s pouncing on a mouse.


    At first, there is silence, and then there¡¯s a second kitty who does the same. ¡°Nyaa?¡± Peri asks as she places her hand on top of my bulge.


    ¡°Girls! Behave yourselves...!¡± I cough awkwardly and take a few steps back from the situation before it, and my erection, can escalate any further.


    ¡°I-I DIDN¡¯T MEAN IT!¡± Cherry yanks her paw away before she becomes tempted to do more with it.


    ¡°I did.¡± Peri falls off the deep end and uses her claws to scratch open a hole in my dress pants big enough for my heaving manhood to drop out of it for both girls to see.


    Cherry and Peri both gasp loudly with eyes wide open, my manly musk drifting out into the air and spiraling into their nostrils.


    ¡°B-BAD KITTY!¡± I try to hide from them, but I¡¯m simply too big for it to work. Not even bragging.


    ¡°Guess you have to punish me.¡± Peri purrs and licks her luscious, full lips until they¡¯re wet and shiny.


    ¡°P-P-Peri...?!¡± Cherry looks back and forth between my dick and her best friend before starting to draw nearer as well.


    ¡°This is for your own good. I swear on the Gods I¡¯ll take your treats for the night if you... um...¡± Peri starts unbuttoning her shirt, and my gaze wanders.


    Forgive me. I am only human.


    The tits are blessed, fat, and stacked, and I am weak before them.


    But still, I must stand firm. ¡°STOP.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want us, Myaster...?¡± She mews sexily under her breath.


    ¡°T-The fuck do you mean US, NYAA?!¡± Cherry asks as she sweats a worrying amount.


    ¡°Of course I want you! We can mate all you wish after the trial period is over. But it would be a terrible idea to do so early, and it would ruin my relationship with your tribe. What happens if the Guild needs more maids in the future, hmm?¡±


    ¡°Mmmm. I know a way we can make more.¡± Peri continues approaching me, and I almost lose my willpower and fall to her advances, lost in the momentary fantasy of a litter of kittens running around my Guild.


    How does Peri change so much every time she gets a hint of my smell? When she¡¯s three feet away from me, she acts reserved, shy and meek, yet any closer than that, and it¡¯s like she becomes the least subtle sex kitten in all the realms.


    ¡°Myaster...! GO!¡± Cherry shocks Peri by leaping on top of her from behind, wrapping her legs and arms around her body as intensely as she can. ¡°QUICKLY, NYAA! WHILE T-THERE¡¯S STILL TIME!!¡±


    ¡°HISSSSSS, GET OFF ME, BITCH! I NEED THAT DICK, NYAAAAAA! HE¡¯S THE ULTIMATE MATE, AND MY VIRGINITY IS HIS, HISSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!¡± Peri struggles harder in her friend¡¯s embrace, and I stand enraptured by the literal catfight that erupts over my erection.


    You know, you always think you¡¯re above such depraved things like watching women rough each other up and wrestle each other for sexual thrills. But when that shit happens right in front of you... a true man cannot avert his gaze. Why, in fact-


    ¡°HOLY SHIT, JUST GO ALREADY,¡± Cherry hisses at me. ¡°STOP GETTING HARDER OR I¡¯LL HAVE NO CHOICE TO POUNCE YOU TOO, N-NYAA!!¡±


    Shit, I look down. I am indeed getting a lot harder just standing here watching the two of them. My bad.


    Using the time Cherry¡¯s noble sacrifice affords me, I run upstairs and lock myself in the bedroom before they can come running after me. Just in time, too. If I were down there any longer, I for sure would have lost myself to Peri¡¯s assault...


    ¡°Master? Is every... thing... ok?¡± I look to the sizeable Dwarven bed to see Meri sprawled about it in her pajamas. She¡¯s wearing a loose tank top and her panties, nothing else. It¡¯s not even dinner time yet, but I suppose she wanted to relax a bit early today since it¡¯s just her and me. She¡¯s sitting there reading one of the many perverted tomes I have in my collection.


    Her eyes make contact with my dick.


    My dick sees Meri, too. Especially the way she¡¯s laying across with her vast, jiggly butt pointed at me.


    ¡°Mas... ter...?¡± Meri says with a weak smile as she gulps, knowing exactly what the fuck is about to happen to her.


    I jump on the bed and get behind her.

 Meri is a Good Girl

    ¡°N-NO! DON¡¯T!¡± Meri lies as I put my hands on the back of her cheap tank top and rip it off of her back. The cloth tears easily under my strength as I straddle her from behind. I throw the scraps of her tank top to the ground, making it very clear we won¡¯t be needing them any longer.


    I reach out with my hand and pull her head back by grabbing her brunette curls. ¡°You want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°Um... I... I...¡± She looks everywhere but my eyes, and it gives me a smug grin of satisfaction.


    ¡°That¡¯s what I fucking thought, slut.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not a... a sl...¡± The Shield Maiden hesitates, knowing full well she is one. Knowing full well she¡¯s mine.


    ¡°STOP LYING!¡± I lean back hard enough to slap Meri¡¯s ass hard as I can, sending a massive rippling jiggle wave across her chubby bubble butt.


    ¡°HWAAAA!!¡± She jerks her entire body as the stinging spank settles on her raw flesh.


    ¡°Do I need to spank you again, or are you going to be honest with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m... Master¡¯s slut...¡± Meri sighs dreamily, saying the words with absolute masochistic glee.


    ¡°Fucking pathetic.¡± I spank her again anyway, despite her excellent behaviour.


    The fat-bottomed slut yelps sharply from her exciting sexual distress, ¡°HAAANNN, M-MASTERRR! I SAID IT! I SAID ITTT!!¡±


    ¡°I know. Since you¡¯re my slut you should have no problem with me doing anything I want to you, right? Even if I want to keep spanking you?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes, but it HURTS, Master!¡± She whines with a delighted cadence in her cutesy voice. ¡®Make it hurt more¡¯ is what she actually says.


    So I do, by slapping her on the ass one more time.


    ¡°HAAAA-AHN...!!¡± The young girl squeals as she feels my stinging slap attack her bouncy rump, and she arches her back in response. Her ass lifts off the bed as it jiggles with wild energy.


    ¡°What were you reading, my dear?¡± Meri looks back at me as I give her a sadistic grin and then lean over to put pressure on her back. My naked erection begins to pulse even harder with desire. I press it against the cheeks of her supple ass, my heavy balls laying against her hips.


    ¡°I... I was... um... reading-¡± She stops mid-sentence as we both suddenly hear a persistent scratching coming at the wooden door.


    Scratch scratch scratch.


    Peri lightly hisses from the other side, causing me to sigh with a slight smile on my face before turning to Meri.


    ¡°Is that what this is about...?¡± She giggles.


    ¡°Peri got aggressive. If I didn¡¯t run away and deal with my wanton lust, then I would have defiled her on the spot.¡±


    The perverted girl beneath me opens her mouth wide, almost certainly turned on by the prospect of me falling victim to my libido. I can see Meri fantasising about me having no other option than to fuck Peri¡¯s shit up for teasing me. Would that I could only see the degenerate and filthy visions she¡¯s no doubt imagining this very moment. ¡°I... see. Good thing you got up here in time, Master.¡±


    ¡°Good for me, or good for you?¡± I grin and nibble her ear, seductively the way she likes it.


    ¡°Hyaaahn..!! Good for b-both of us...!¡± Feeling my sharp teeth on her sensitive earlobe brings her a surprising pleasure, just one little bite and she instantly curls her toes, wiggles against her will and pushes her butt up against my cock.


    My response is to start grinding my throbbing manhood up and down her backside, humping the softness of her cheeks. ¡°Master asked you a question.¡± I remind her by whispering into her little ear.


    ¡°I... ahh... Master¡¯s slut was r-reading one of his books again...¡± The shy maiden bites her lips, trying to be vague.


    ¡°You know what the fuck I meant.¡± I¡¯m not satisfied by her answer, and I make it known by grabbing the hem of her tight little panties and ripping them straight off her ass.


    ¡°N-NO!!¡± She smiles as her eyes become watery, her hips bucking back against my meat to jiggle around it and further please me. ¡°I-I was reading... um... Dungeon Sluts V... Penis of the Devilish Groom...¡±


    ¡°A classic. Very hardcore, though that¡¯s not surprising, I suppose. This IS my adorable masochistic slut we¡¯re talking about, after all.¡± I grin and undo my belt buckle with one hand, propping myself up on the bed with the other. Wiggling out of my pants, I line my hard cock up along the length of her slit.


    Her feminine honey coats me almost instantly as I start to slide my aching rod up and down her slick, fat lips. ¡°Mmm... seems like you were enjoying it.¡±


    ¡°Y-Y-Yes, Ma.. Master...¡± Meri starts breathing heavier and steamier, unable to speak because of the sexual friction spreading through both of our bodies.


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good fucking girl. You know that...?¡± A tiny grunt escapes my throat as I accidentally slip and smash my way down her lips faster than I intended.


    ¡°HMNAHHH-!¡± She yelps once more and behinds, humping me backwards, her quivering lips clenching and kissing the cock that they want so desperately to swallow. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m not goooood...! I¡¯m Master¡¯s... Master¡¯s SLUT!¡± Meri whines loudly, which seems to increase the scratching at the door.


    Scratch scratch scratch. Both of us are too horny to pay Peri any mind, so we continue to ignore it.


    ¡°Mmmmm...¡± I roll my head back as I continue to mindlessly grind my twitching manhood between her pillowy, fat cleft. ¡°Say it again...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m M-Master¡¯s... SLUT!¡±


    ¡°More...¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯ll do ANYTHING you ask me...!! Anything, anything, ANYTHING!¡±


    ¡°Gods, fucking yes...! Don¡¯t fucking stop!¡±


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t even care anymore, Masterrrrr...!! Everything I read just keeps corrupting my innocent little mind, a-and it just makes me wanna do dirty things with youuuu...!! B-But...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°B-But it HAS to be you...!!¡± She looks back at me with pleasured tears in her eyes and a hazed expression on her face. ¡°I couldn¡¯t ever do a-anything like this with any other man, Master...¡±


    ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re a good girl. You¡¯re MINE, Meri.¡± Her words drive me to the breaking point, and I angle my hips just the right way to slam myself into her pussy all the way to my hilt in one violent thrust.


    ¡°HWAAAHHN-!¡± My lover¡¯s crimson eyes roll back into her head, and she arches her back so hard her head almost crashes into mine. The lips that were drooling in demand of me now constrict my dick in a thousand clenching kisses, determined to show me just how welcome I am in her slick, silky tunnel.


    I start sawing myself in and out of her fuck-slit with little regard for anything other than doing it as fast and hard as I fucking can. Knowing she loves it when I¡¯m rough with her, I grab Meri by her hair and shove her facedown against the bed. When she tries to lift it, I push down harder, causing her to moan and drool onto the sheets below until a small puddle begins to form. They may be self-cleaning magic sheets, but it¡¯s not instant.


    Meri, for her part, begins fucking me as best she can. Ultimately my assault is much too hard for her to handle, though. Especially since she was already wet from her reading when I came in... not to mention how hard I teased her leading up to my desperate plunge.


    No, Meri can¡¯t handle much more than laying down on the bed and occasionally bumping her hips up to impale herself on my cock. Other than that she¡¯s just wholly allowing me access to do anything and everything I want, so I make full use of my pleasured captive.


    My cock is pulled from her tight sheath for just a moment until I replace it with my right thumb. Before she can even complain, I reach into it and stir her up like crazy. I make damn sure to soak up as much of her honey as I can before switching back to my cock and going straight back to fucking her tight pussy.


    Then I shove my thumb right into the tight ring of her asshole and push myself inside.


    ¡°HAWWAAAANN?!¡± Meri cums. Hard. She gushes against my dick the second she feels my digit push into her virgin butt. Right as I begin exploring and slowly expanding the vice-like entrance through repeated thrusts, her violent climax only ramps up in intensity. My cock throbs as it barely withstands the nonstop muscles wrapping around me, milking and milking with their squeezes as if unable to stop.


    ¡°You like that, you little slut?¡± I grin with satisfaction as I press down towards my cock from within her ass.


    ¡°AAHHHN YESSSSSSSSSSSS!¡± Her pleasured moans make me fuck her snug cunt as hard as I fuckin can.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. You¡¯re a total whore for me, aren¡¯t you? You even want Master to fuck you up the ass...¡±


    ¡°I DO, I DO, I DOOOO!¡± Meri whines as her anal tunnel constricts my thumb, sucking me into her and enveloping me in her forbidden warmth.


    ¡°Say it properly, you fucking PERVERT!¡± With my left hand, I roughly spank Meri with as much strength as I can muster.


    ¡°AHWAAAHHH-!!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can fucking get out of saying it the right way, you filthy SLUT!¡± I spank her yet again, and she cries harder than ever before.


    ¡°I¡¯M SORRY MAAAASTERRRR!! I WANT YOU TO FUCK MY ASSSSS, I¡¯M SORRY SORRY SORRYYYY-¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I pull myself out of her plump pussy, ready to find me some lube and thoroughly savage the last of my adorable little masochist¡¯s willing holes.


    Scratch scratch scratch.

 Meri is No Longer a Good Girl

    In the short time it took me to take my shirt off find the lube, Meri has burrowed her head into the nearest pillows. Although her ass is in the air, lifted for me and waiting, I think she¡¯s a little bit overwhelmed by what we¡¯re about to do.


    After finding the bottle in the nightstand drawer, I maneuver myself back behind her and reassuringly pat her butt. ¡°You ready for this, Meri?¡± I ask. I know she¡¯s a masochist, but I¡¯m not insensitive. She seems like something¡¯s on her mind.


    ¡°Um... I think so...¡± Meri says with a muffled voice from within her pillow shield.


    ¡°Do you want it or not?¡± She shivers as I trace my pointer finger along the rim of her backside.


    Without any hesitation, Meri immediately responds, ¡°Y-Yes! I do! I want it in me so bad!! B-But...¡±


    ¡°Butt?¡± I poke her and smile as she yelps. I didn¡¯t even poke her very hard, just a little tap on her tight hole.


    ¡°HYAH! T-This is the last thing stopping me from becoming a complete and total slut...! If you shove your thingy inside m-my butt then... then I won¡¯t be just a country bumpkin good girl anymore... I¡¯ll be a trendy city girl w-who takes it up her ass!¡± The poor girl¡¯s lips tremble despite how ridiculous the words coming out of her mouth are.


    She looks back to me with those gorgeous crimson eyes of hers that are just as watery as ever, waiting to hear my take on the matter.


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to be a good girl, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I... um... what do YOU want me to be?¡± She asks after nervously biting down on her juicy lower lip.


    ¡°I want you to be my Meri.¡±


    She thinks on this for a while, her heart beating heavy and fast just as any other maiden would when she¡¯s in love. ¡°Y... Your Meri wants to be a girl who gets her butt fucked by her Master.¡± My Meri says, lifting her ass up further into the air and diving into her pillow. Now, I can only see the tops of her big, innocent eyes peeking out of the top of the pillow, watching eagerly for what I do next.


    She makes it so hard to be mean to her sometimes, even though it¡¯s what she likes best...


    Scratch scratch scratch.


    ¡°SHOO, PERI!¡± I shout while opening up the bottle of lube.


    ¡°HISSSS!!¡± The kitty responds in turn. The scratches on the door die down for a few scant moments before ramping up once again.


    I can¡¯t do much in this situation.


    If I open the door to drive the Catgirl away, Peri might jump me, and if I let her in, then all is lost. So with a sigh, I pour the lube and massage it all over my cock. Peri is just going to have to listen to me steal Meri¡¯s anal virginity because I need relief.


    I pour a decent amount of lube onto Meri¡¯s rim and force my finger inside to spread it around for good measure. I know that the standard policy is to lube the pole and not the hole, but personally, I¡¯ve always figured it was polite just to go ahead and do both.


    From the sounds of the delighted moans Meri¡¯s making as my thick finger explores her tight little ass, I know she definitely appreciates my thoroughness.


    The time has finally arrived. Meri¡¯s tightest tunnel is undoubtedly ready for my slick and powerful cock to split her in two. After wiping my hands on the self-cleaning bed sheets, I grab the slightly chubby brunette by the sides of her perfectly round bubble butt and position the red, flaring tip of my cock against her twitching asshole.


    ¡°Say it again, slut.¡± I ask as I begin to push the head of myself into her backside.


    ¡°I... I want it HARD, Master...! Fuh... fuck my... tight little ass...!!¡± She burrows into the pillow once more after reciting something she obviously read in an erotic novel, and I take it as a sign to not worry about holding anything back.


    In one massive thrust, I claim Meri¡¯s final virginity as my own, and a heavenly tight paradise of pink flesh swallows my meaty manhood. Her rosebud clenches down on the base of my cock so hard that I¡¯m terrified I won¡¯t be able to pull out.


    ¡°YAAHHNN-¡± The Shield Maiden screams into her pillow, her voice tinged with arousal.


    ¡°You like it?¡± I grunt and try to remove myself from her ass, but it¡¯s every bit as difficult as I imagined. I get about halfway out before pushing it back in and reeling in the ecstasy.


    ¡°Y-YESS!¡± She cries, ¡°I... I think... it¡¯s so different... it feels like I¡¯m full of you, Master... like I¡¯m... nnhhaaaa... being torn in half...¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Your ass is insanely tight, slut.¡±


    Scratch scratch scratch.


    ¡°Um... T-Thank you, Master...¡± Meri sighs dreamily, pleased by her apparent ability to satisfy. ¡°Don¡¯t stop... I- AHHN!¡±


    I interrupt her by spanking her pale, fat ass with my open palm. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do,¡± I say in a low, grunting voice. ¡°I¡¯m enjoying the feeling of your warm ass gripping down on me...¡±


    ¡°Y-Y-Yes, Master! Sorry, Master!¡± Meri whimpers apologetically.


    ¡°Tighter.¡±


    ¡°W-What...?¡±


    ¡°Squeeze my cock like you want to milk it, slut.¡±


    ¡°Um... like... this, Master?¡± Although unsure of what to do, she clenches her anal rim and sucks me even deeper into that beautiful ass of hers.


    ¡°Oh fuck...!¡± I groan against my control and lean over Meri, holding on tight to her ass for all the support I can get. The Shield Maiden breaks character for a split second, apparently delighted at the incredible tightness she can inflict on my shaft. She squeezes again around my cock, and making me groan further. Meri giggles and does it once more.


    ¡°Do you like this, Master...?¡± The adorable brunette peaks out of her pillow muzzle and smiles back at me with a growing sense of confidence.


    ¡°Yes, it feels so fucking good...¡±


    She smiles widely, once again looking not too dissimilar to a little puppy wagging its tail. Obviously, Meri¡¯s definition of tail wagging is a lot different. ¡°T-Then, how about this?¡± She asks before doing the squeezing motion three times in rapid succession.


    ¡°AHHH-¡± Reflexively, my head falls back, and I gaze to the sky. I was already close to orgasm when I pulled out of my cute little Meri¡¯s snug pussy, and this certainly isn¡¯t helping me hold it off.


    ¡°Master likes my butt...¡± Meri sighs with contentedness in her voice, squeezing me over and over again, almost like she wants to choke my poor dick. I¡¯m not going to stand for it much longer.


    ¡°Did you forget your place here, slut?¡± I scowl at her and make a stern face. Judging by the hazy look on her face and the quivering of her lip, Meri definitely likes it. Of course, the timid maiden always loves it whenever I assert my authority over her. Especially when I do it roughly like this.


    ¡°N-No, Master...!¡± Meri says as she shakes her head and shoves her face submissively back in her pillow.


    As much as I love how it feels, I¡¯m not feeling playful. I don¡¯t want to stand here and have my cock milked by Meri¡¯s tight butt. No, I want to well and truly fuck Meri¡¯s ass so hard the poor girl won¡¯t be able to sit properly tomorrow. I know that this lovely, adorable masochist wouldn¡¯t want it any other way.


    I claw my fingers into the round cheeks of her bubbly ass and start to absolutely pound it. She starts screaming at my sudden savagery. ¡°HAAANNH- MASTER, MASTER, IT¡¯S TOO MUCH...!¡± Meri tries to squeeze me, but it¡¯s to no avail. She loses her ability to tighten as the pleasure takes her focus elsewhere.


    Now that I¡¯m deep within Meri¡¯s ass, I take each stroke as an opportunity to poke around and pummel my way down her strained tunnel. Each thrust is from a different angle, and I scrape my helmet-shaped cockhead against the tight ridges of her inner flesh as hard as I can.


    ¡°IT¡¯S SO GOOD, MASTER... M-MY ASS IS ALL YOURS!!¡± She screams, much to my ego¡¯s appreciation.


    ¡°AGAIN!¡± I spank her ass and keep reaming her hole with my thick manhood.


    ¡°YOUR COCK MADE MY ASS YOUR SLUTTT...!! IT¡¯S... UM... SO FULL, AND...¡± For a brief second, I catch Meri looking for my copy of Dungeon Sluts V, presumably wanting to look up more shitty dialogue she can repeat. I put a stop to her attempt by reaching down and pulling her short, curly hair. My sudden roughness forces Meri to lift her curvy body up off the bed, held aloft through nothing but my vice-like grip.


    Her huge tits bounce freely in the air as I smash my blurring hips into her tight butt from behind until, with my free hand, I reach around and grab her by the breast and grope her fiercely. ¡°M-MASTERRRRR!¡±


    The sudden pleasure is too much for the masochistic maiden. Meri¡¯s feminine cum start gushing out of her pussy down onto the sheets below.


    Scratch scratch scratch.


    Unaware of Peri¡¯s antics, I roar into Meri¡¯s ear. ¡°YOU WANT ME TO CUM IN YOU, YOU CHUBBY SLUT!?¡±


    ¡°Y-YES, MASTERRR!! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE RUIN MEEEE!!¡±


    ¡°WHERE DO YOU WANT IT?¡±


    ¡°I WANT IT IN M-MY... AAAAHHH, NO! I WANT IT WHERE MY MASTER WANTS IT!!¡± Meri cries and cries, tears of bliss running down her cheeks as her throat struggles to keep screaming from the pleasure of my relentless thrusting.


    ¡°AHH- GOOD... NGH... FUCKING... ANSWERRRRR-!¡± My body begins spasming as if hit by lightning. I feed the entirety of my length into her nether until my hips give out, and I start cumming directly into her belly.


    This was a lot rougher than when I fucked Sam¡¯s ass, and I was already on edge beforehand. My orgasm is robust and long, and as I unleash more and more of my molten manhood inside of her, the front of Meri¡¯s belly bloats ever so slightly. Not grossly so, but a noticeable amount. Some of it ends up gushing out of Meri¡¯s ass, joining the rest of our liquids on the sheets below.


    Thankfully I stop cumming eventually and plop myself out of her comfortable butt. Even if I have stamina in spades, I need to recover mentally from that. That was... something else.


    I fall backward onto the bed, and Meri drops back onto me.


    ¡°Master... am I... a slut... now...?¡± Meri manages to ask between labored breaths.


    ¡°No... you¡¯re... still a good girl.¡± I laugh and shake my head.


    ¡°W-What?!¡± She sounds almost offended.


    ¡°Meri... you can be a good girl AND my slut. It¡¯s not an either-or type of thing.¡±


    The Shield Maiden flops onto her swollen belly and looks up into my eyes in shock. ¡°...Oh. I thought it w-was like a switch that couldn¡¯t be flipped back or something.¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± I lean down to kiss her on the nose, and she blushes bright red, giggling and avoiding eye contact right after I do it. ¡°I love you, Meri.¡±


    She gasps and reaches for her pillow to hide behind it once more before responding with an adorably shy, ¡°I-I love you too, Master...!¡±


    Scratch scratch scratch-


    SCRATCH.


    Meri and I look over towards the door.


    A large hole has been made in the bottom half, and it¡¯s just big enough for Peri to squeeze her head through.


    ¡°Hi.¡± Peri casually says as she looks at us.


    ...


    ¡°Two things, Myaster. First off, you need to clean that dick up. It¡¯s not hygienic. Just throwing it out there, but contrary to popular belief, we Catfolks do NOT have sandpaper tongues, nyaa. Also, I don¡¯t care where it¡¯s been.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Secondly, I am stuck. Nyaa.¡±

 Sam and Zutiria Go On a Date

    Sammy asked me out on a date. That was nice of her.


    I accepted on the spot because I owe it to Sammy to spend more time with her without our mutual boyfriend. I hope she¡¯s not mad at me. I¡¯ve known Sammy for thirteen years in my defense, and I¡¯ve only known Sir for one month. That doesn¡¯t mean I love Sammy any less than I always have.


    I¡¯m preoccupied with my long-awaited sexual awakening at the tender age of thirty-five. Yay.


    We stopped by home to see Sir, and I also dropped off the Little Sir after giving him explicit orders to protect the house. I will not tolerate a single uninvited Halfling. Sadly his capabilities are towards home security endeavors are dismal at best. It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t access more of my mana, or I¡¯d have already made the little rascal my familiar by now.


    Sir gives us some gold, and we kiss him on the cheek, as expected of his women. Then we go off on our merry way. It¡¯s only after we start walking into the main town that we realized the absurdity of going out on a date in Dewhurst of all places.


    Where do we go? What is there to do in this town other than drink, gamble, do drugs, buy prostitutes, or regret our life choices?


    At first, we just walk around the streets aimlessly. We make small talk. Sammy asks me if I¡¯m ok, so I lie and say yes. I¡¯m getting better at ¡®sounding¡¯ convincing because she seems to accept it at face value.


    Hurray for bottling up your problems because you¡¯re emotionally stunted and don¡¯t know how to act like a real person.


    Our options to do anything are limited. It¡¯s too early for dinner. Otherwise, we could have eaten out somewhere that preferably doesn¡¯t serve meat that was locally butchered.


    Eventually, Sammy hits me with an idea. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go back to the bazaar today? You totally wanted to look through all that shady magic shit, didn¡¯t you? C¡¯mon, it¡¯d be fun!¡±


    As a matter of fact, I did. But...


    ¡®We only have 500G. If we go, I will be inevitably sorely upset because I will find something I like, and we won¡¯t be able to take it home with us. I¡¯m not a window shopper. I¡¯m a buyer.¡¯


    Sammy shrugs my comment off and insists. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine! We¡¯ll deal with that when it comes up. It¡¯s not like we got anything better to do, Zuzu.¡±


    ¡®...I suppose you¡¯re right. Let us go, then.¡¯ I say, watching her beautiful face beam with an equally beautiful smile.


    And then we went.


    Sammy and I hold hands as we enter the packed bazaar. I look younger than my actual age, and Sammy is very protective of me. I can¡¯t say I blame her because I get many looks from a lot of strangers. Especially since I changed into a pretty black and purple gothic lolita dress and swapped out my beret for a tiny top hat. It makes me feel pretty and dapper at the same time. An excellent combination.


    Sam¡¯s wearing some rough brown slacks and a red tunic, along with the sling on her back to carry around her great sword. Nothing special, but it suits her.


    It¡¯s here where I must make a confession. I actually think I sort of like this part of town. It¡¯s amusing. At least all of Dewhurst¡¯s seediness is out on display openly versus hiding in the shadows. Here, you can laugh at it.


    Before the two of us head towards the magic section, we go through some of the stalls that Sammy wants to first, as it¡¯s only fair. She tests out many magical-looking swords, swinging them around with all the reckless abandon of that same little girl who invaded my tower thirteen years ago.


    She¡¯s grown up so much since the simpler days of her youth, yet some things never change.


    Even when she was a kid, she loved swords, armor, and other such things instead of the typical girlish tripe expected from a Princess. It¡¯s a shame I could never persuade her Father to summon the effort to convince his ministers that Sammy should be allowed to take lessons. If she did, she¡¯d likely be on a completely different level by now. She¡¯s got talent. A lot of it, too.


    ¡®Having fun?¡¯ I ask as she swings an enchanted sword that bursts into flames as soon as it¡¯s swung.


    ¡°Hell yeah! You want a swing?¡± Sammy offers the sword to me with a smile, and I hand her my staff for a brief moment.


    I barely lift it over my head, and the weight is too much for me to handle, and I almost drop it. She catches it, though, and pats me on the head.


    ¡°There, there. I thought you looked cool, at least! Maybe Niki can help you work on your arm strength.¡± She says while smiling and putting the sword back into a nearby bucket filled with other blades that have all been enchanted.


    ¡®I would be more than happy if that were never to happen.¡¯ I grimace at the thought. Nikita is a lovely person, but my body was not meant to move the way she wants me to move it...


    As Sammy returns the weapon, we both notice that the stall owner is currently passed out from what looks to be some sort of overdose. Foam streams out of his mouth, though, so it could be some sort of Dewhurstian rabies.


    Typical.


    I poke him a few times with my staff. The owner doesn¡¯t reply. Sadly though, there¡¯s not anything of value that tempts either of us to steal from his stall.


    What? It¡¯s not theft if you take it from bad people.


    All the weapons are of inferior make, according to Sammy. Although all of them have some level of enchantment, I can tell that they were placed by the rankest and most unskilled of unscrupulous hedge wizards.


    I could make better enchantments than these if Gwinlinn had a forge and I had a better alchemy lab stocked with more materials. Sure, making Sammy¡¯s sword catch on fire anytime she wants using a temporary spell is easy. For permanent enchantments, though, it''s better to do it when the equipment¡¯s being worked on by a smith.


    I¡¯m very limited in what I can contribute to the Guild right now. But one day, I¡¯ll be a lot more helpful. I know it. I need to earn my place at Sir¡¯s side. He says he¡¯ll never get rid of me, and I believe him, but...


    That Halfling ruined what little confidence I was starting to build this last month... I don¡¯t want to think about it right now. But it¡¯s hard not to.


    If we cross paths with Fleetfoot again, and we will, I don¡¯t care what it takes.


    I¡¯m going to destroy them.


    ¡°Zuzu? You doin¡¯ okay over there?¡± Sammy shakes my shoulder lightly.


    Shit.


    ¡®Was I doing it again?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, you really need to stop randomly staring off into the middle distance with that blank expression of yours. It¡¯s kinda creepy, in a funny way.¡± As I blush, Sammy laughs at my misfortune. ¡°What were you thinking about, anyway?¡±


    ¡®Killing my enemies and making them suffer for what they¡¯ve done to me.¡¯


    ¡°...No, yeah. Totally get that but, uh. I think you needed this date a lot more than I realized.¡±


    ¡®I believe that is also the case.¡¯


    ¡°Wanna go over to the magic section now?¡± Sammy offers me her warm hand.


    ¡®Please.¡¯ I take her hand. It feels nice and soft. Just as good as Sir¡¯s but in a different way.


    ¡°You gotta stop thinking about so much negative shit.¡± Sammy sighs.


    ¡®I know.¡¯


    ¡°Well, are you gonna?¡±


    ¡®Probably not.¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re making this kind of a shitty date, you know?¡± She laughs, and although she means it as a joke, I start feeling bad.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡¯


    ¡°Zuzu...¡± She stops in the middle of the crowded bazaar street and frowns at me before pulling me in for a big public hug, much to the joy of Dewhurst¡¯s perverts. ¡°We can go home if you wanna. I wanted to have this date because we don¡¯t spend enough time together, y¡¯know? But it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t wait until some more of this stupid shit blows over.¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want to go home.¡¯ I nuzzle into her crimson tunic silently. ¡®I like being out with you, and it makes me feel better. But even when I feel good, I still feel like a wreck.¡¯


    She begins to pet my head, and I let out a soft, ¡°Mmm...¡± sound from my lips.


    ¡°Things¡¯ll get better, Zu. Come on.¡±


    ¡®...When did you grow up so much, Sammy?¡¯ I ask as I pull away and look up into her beautiful face. I can¡¯t help but remember that little girl who always came crying to me over whatever bullshit her family was putting her through. I¡¯d spend hours comforting her just like this...


    ¡°Eh, I¡¯m just paying you back for all the times you¡¯ve helped me.¡± She shrugs, trying to downplay it and hoping I don¡¯t notice her cheeks growing red from my complement.


    ¡®I would kiss you if we weren¡¯t surrounded by disgusting criminals.¡¯


    ¡°Later then, I¡¯ll hold you to it!¡± She winks and leads me by the hand towards the Dewhurst bazaar¡¯s shady portion specializing in selling all sorts of magical goods. I need to restrain myself and not bore Sammy, but that¡¯s easier said than done.


    There are all kinds of nonsense here.


    A lot of it is your standard monkey¡¯s paw business. I don¡¯t even need to cast an identify magic spell on them to be sure. All prank artifacts and potions tend to have the same magical aura about them. I do have to keep telling Sammy not to pick up this or that.


    Every time I stop her from doing so, the various store clerks, without fail, all make an audible ¡°Tch...¡± under their breath. Stores like these where the seller is obviously trying to fix people¡¯s problems by selling them too good to be true magical knick-knacks are banned in Imperalis. If you want to do that kind of thing, back alleys exist for a reason.


    Such laws are, surprisingly, apparently not followed in Dewhurst.


    Even if they¡¯re all cursed, the items are very entertaining. Every so often, I cast Identify Magic and get a good giggle out of the result, and then I feel warm inside when I tell Sammy what they do, and she smiles and laughs.


    Some of our favorites include...


    A pair of underwear that, when worn, will increase your penis size every day with no upper limits. They cannot be taken off...


    A pen that will make whoever wields it a great writer but unknowingly curses them to only be able to write lengthy erotica featuring their most depraved fetishes in graphic detail...


    An axe for cutting down lumber that transforms the poor, unfortunate tree into a vengeful, low-level treant...


    And a jack in the box that contains no surprises inside yet curses the one who opened it to forever wonder what could have been.


    Fun stuff.


    I would probably pull pranks like these, too, if I had the means to make such items. Obviously, mine would be of a much more harmless nature, but I can¡¯t deny that I like causing a bit of mischief here and there. I¡¯d be lying if I said otherwise.


    Sammy and I have our fun looking through these silly stores of mystical misfortune. The day then changes dramatically when we reach a particular tent by the name of Eager Igor¡¯s Quirky Curios...

 The Salacious Book of Secrets

    Sammy can¡¯t tell the difference, but I can.


    Surprisingly, there are many interesting artifacts and books to be found here in this little shop out in the magic market¡¯s fringes.


    Many of them are absurdly undervalued regarding their price goes.


    No prank artifacts whatsoever. This shop is the real deal... and I don¡¯t think the owner even knows it.


    He seems nice as far as Dewhurstians go, even if he¡¯s a seedy-looking hunchback. He wears ill-fitting slacks and a black robe the likes of which a slave might wear.


    Like most of the mages we¡¯ve talked to today, Igor didn¡¯t react much when learning I only speak through magical text, too.


    Sammy ends up chatting with this so-called Eager Igor while I browse the nearby shelves. He ends up going on about his personal history, and I find it quite intriguing. ¡°Yeah, for a long time, I was a manservant to a renowned mage. Pretty famous. You might¡¯ve even heard of him. Called himself Topmost Pinnacle; the Epitome.¡±


    ¡°He sounds like he¡¯s a massive douchebag.¡± Sammy comments.


    ¡°He WAS a massive douchebag,¡± Igor confirms, scratching a wart on his hideous, deformed chin. ¡°Went on and on about how he was the best mage in Karnalle but, uh. That didn¡¯t stop him from bleeding out when I stabbed him in the heart and twisted the knife.¡±


    His words make me uncomfortable. Fleetfoot had a knife. Fleetfoot-


    No. Stop, Zutiria. Focus...


    ¡°So you just straight up killed the fucker?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah.¡±


    ¡°Dude, nice.¡± Sam offers a fist bump to Igor, but this triggers a flinching response from the troubled hunchback, who recoils from her raised fist.


    ¡°N-NO DON¡¯T HIT ME-¡± Igor screams.


    ¡°Shit- you ok...?¡± Sam opens her hand and apologetically and shows him she means no harm.


    ¡°Yeah... sorry... uh... yeah. He kidnapped me from my family, experimented on me for years, turned me into a dude for no reason, and made me his hunchback slave. Beat me up every time I asked why I couldn¡¯t be a girl anymore, but all he said was every Igor had to be a boy. I think I was like... the eighth one he went through? Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you just say you were a-¡±


    Igor waves his... her(?) hand dismissively and says, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m still figuring that part out now that I¡¯m free of his shit. Boy, girl, that doesn''t really matter to me right now. Gotta worry about surviving first. Once I¡¯m more well off, I can look into undoing all the shit he did to me. I do miss being cute, though...¡±


    ¡®I must admit, you¡¯ve been through a lot. I¡¯m glad you got out of it¡¯ I smile at Igor, feeling a bit more at ease in their presence, knowing that they¡¯re a girl.


    ¡°It¡¯s a marketing tactic.¡± They laugh, and I sense a bit of a girly cadence to their deep voice upon listening closer.


    ¡®So I take it you¡¯re just selling off your Master¡¯s private collection, then?¡¯ I ask.


    ¡°Only a tiny fraction...¡± Igor sighs and looks around at the small tent. ¡°My former master lived in a castle pretty far out of town, and it¡¯s full of monsters. I, uh, didn¡¯t know he rigged it so that if he was ever killed, his experiment¡¯s cages were all set to open themselves. It¡¯s super fucking dangerous there, like holy shit. I sneak in every now and then to steal new crap to hawk, but I barely make it out with my life.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like a quest...!¡± Sammy lights up and slams her fists on the counter.


    ¡®That sounds like we already have a lot of shit on our plates, and we can save the egotistical wizard castle for a few months down the line.¡¯ I remind her and bop her on the head with my staff.


    ¡°You guys are with the local Guild, then? Thought that place closed down.¡± Igor tilts their head, causing their neck to crack in a thousand different painful sounding places. I wish I knew any sort of healing magic to help them out, and I¡¯m not the right person to ask about undoing curses in general. I¡¯m more interested in casting them, not in fixing them. That¡¯s usually white magic anyway, which I do not dabble in. A skilled hexer can undo their own hexes, but another mage¡¯s curses might as well be in a different language.


    Regardless, there is value in being nice to Igor. If I¡¯m friendly, they might give me free magical things and allow me access to their former Master¡¯s castle. I would feel wrong just stealing from them instead of how I¡¯d feel stealing from any of the other stalls we¡¯ve gone through today...


    ¡®The Guild is not closed. It¡¯s just a shithole.¡¯ I correct them.


    ¡°Fair.¡± Igor nods their head. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a bit of help down the line, but yeah. It ain¡¯t for no low-ranking adventurers, I¡¯d bet. My former Master had all kinds of alchemical chimeras he experimented on and kept as pets. He even had some weird... otherworldly squiggly things, kinda hard to describe, but just looking at em gives me the heebie-jeebies.¡±


    ...


    Breath. Stop. Breath. Stop. Think of Sir... think of Sammy... Meri... Opal... everyone... Stop. Stop. Stop.


    ¡°Zuzu?¡± Sam leans over to look at me.


    ¡®Yes?¡¯ I respond quickly.


    ¡°...Nevermind. It¡¯s nothing. Just thought you weren¡¯t doing so hot there for a sec.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m fine.¡¯ I lie and move towards the furthest bookshelf from the counter, out of Sammy and the owner¡¯s views.


    That¡¯s a shame. I wanted to eventually visit that castle, but now there¡¯s nothing that could ever make me set foot in it. Maybe by that time, we¡¯ll have more adventurers, and they can clear out the castle while I just stay home...


    Sammy continues talking with Igor while I try to clear my mind by looking through the books. Pretty good selection of arcane grimoires. Although there are a few rare volumes mixed in here and there, I can¡¯t find anything that matches my particular interests or which I haven¡¯t already read before.


    If I had to guess, I doubt Igor could make it back to where their former Master kept the really rare books.


    But then... I see it.


    At first, I think that it can¡¯t possibly be what I think it is. There¡¯s no way this book is genuine. If it was, it would have been hidden and guarded better than anything else in the entire castle. Yet... I¡¯ve seen fake copies of this tome before. This one has none of the hallmarks that would clearly point it out as a forgery.


    The book is red and pink, with a faded and worn cover torn from centuries or perhaps even millennia of use. A heart-shaped sigil appears on both the back and the front cover, only on the front the heart has a male symbol at its center, and the back has a female one.


    I open it up and confirm it to be real with my own eyes.


    The biggest mistake that the forgeries all make is absent. The pages are all blank, exactly how they should be.


    Most copies have basic spells and runes and alchemical recipes in the same magic field, but the real book only reveals its power slowly to the user.


    ¡°Oh, you found that old thing?¡± Igor approaches me from the side, as does Sammy.


    I need to choose my words carefully. Like I always do.


    ¡®What is it, exactly?¡¯


    ¡°Master wasn¡¯t ever sure. He bought it at an outrageous price, I remember but was shocked when all the pages were blank. He, uh, beat me up with it while mumbling some racist slurs how you should never trust a Gnome... then he used it to prop up a table in the kitchen. Creaky leg, y¡¯know? Like me.¡± Igor sighs while lifting up the sleeve of their pant leg. I genuinely wish I did not see the sights I just bore witness to, but my mind is elsewhere.


    Sammy, however, almost throws up upon seeing Igor¡¯s gratuitously disturbing leg-flesh.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, shit, It¡¯s not your fault...¡± Sam hangs her head and turns away.


    ¡°Nah, you¡¯re good. I¡¯m used to it...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll give you 500G for it.¡¯


    ¡°Are you serious?¡± Igor looks at me as if they can¡¯t believe I actually offered money for the thing. Perfect.


    ¡®Yes. Everything here is lovely, and I expect we¡¯ll be back eventually to check your wares, but alas. Today we only brought along pocket change. It would be a crime to leave with nothing, not after you were so kind and shared your tragic history with us, Igor.¡¯


    ¡°You sure you want that, Zuzu? It¡¯s just a fuckin¡¯ blank book. What could-¡± I glare at Sammy and make it very clear that she will surely regret it if she doesn¡¯t shut her pretty little mouth like a good girl.


    Igor thinks to themself for a minute, blinking their mismatched eyes one at a time and cradling their chin in their nasty, burnt, and scarred hand. ¡°I mean, you two are really nice. Haven¡¯t said a single thing about how I look, and as far as I can tell, you two didn¡¯t bring any pitchforks with you. If you only have 500G, I could give you a discount on something up to 1,000G if you want...?¡±


    ¡®No, that¡¯s quite alright. Sam. Money. Now.¡¯ I begin briskly walking away with the book in my hand. ¡®It was very nice to meet you, but the day has been long, and I now must rest.¡¯


    ¡°Z-Zuzu?¡± Sammy hands Igor their gold as I run away, clutching the priceless tome to my chest before they can question it.


    ¡°Um, bye! I hope you can visit again soon...?¡± Igor calls out to me as I get further and further away.


    Igor will be fine. I¡¯ll buy more stuff from them when I have more money. Plenty of their other wares were worth a fair amount of gold. I¡¯ll make up for it somehow. I promise.


    But I need this.


    I need it more than I¡¯ve ever needed anything.


    Sir will NEVER get rid of me so long as I have this book.


    Sammy pants after running up to me and clutching my shoulder. ¡°Zuzu, what the fuck...?!¡±


    I grab Sammy by the collar of her tunic and give her a delicate kiss on the lips. I don¡¯t even care who¡¯s watching.


    Sammy blushes and stutters before shaking it off, taking the book from my hands, and opening it. ¡°How much is this shit actually worth...?¡± She raises an eyebrow


    ¡®I don¡¯t think they make numbers high enough to estimate its exact worth.¡¯


    ¡°...Zuzu, are you fucking shitting me? We could sell it in Imperalis or something, and all of Boss¡¯s money problems would be over forever!¡± She lights up in joyous glee before I bonk her head with my staff for being too simple-minded. I rip the book back out of her hands and hug it tightly up against my chest where it belongs.


    ¡®Never. You don¡¯t understand the power of this book, Sammy. In time, you shall...¡¯


    ¡°...Alright, you got me. What the fuck is it supposed to be?¡±


    ¡®This is the definitive manual to an ancient and arcane school of sorcery that was lost to the ages. We can thank another one of your ancestors for that one, by the way. Henri the Vigorless was only King for a year before his younger brother usurped him, but the damage he did was irrevocable.¡¯


    ¡°Right. Cool. Of course, my family is involved in whatever random bullshit you pick up off the shelf.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ve read a couple of forgeries of this exact same book, but they were mere imitations. About the only useful thing, I found in them was the Rune of Safe Passage among a couple of other things, but they were only flawed perversions of the real thing.¡¯


    ¡°...Waaaaait a second. If you learned THAT in a book like this, then...¡±


    ¡®Sammy. This is the Eronomicon- the key to unlocking Eromancy.¡¯


    ¡°...Huh. Welp. Guess I understand why he was called Henri the Vigorless, now.¡±

 Peri’s Horny Jail

    Peri is being punished for destroying the door to our bedroom. She¡¯s been tied to her bed for the night, and Cherry is not to free her.


    Luckily Gwin showed up a little bit later on, and while she couldn¡¯t stay with us too long, she was able to fix it up and meet the kittens. Gwin gets on well with everyone, so it¡¯s no surprise that Cherry likes her, and Peri got to greet her from her prison of lust. Gwin¡¯s apparently been busy assisting her family with constructing a large number of new brothels, and it''s left her so tired that she hasn¡¯t felt up to dropping by in the last few days.


    By the sound of things, clearly, our recent acquaintance with the golden dick has been busy.


    Hearing that leaves me with a sense of apprehension I could have done without. Now I¡¯m worried for the Besthal Pet Shop and the Breeding Tribe- especially since Sir Pimpington promised he¡¯d be back later on in the week. I just need to remind myself that there¡¯s nothing I can do about it. Right now, I¡¯m focused on myself and my own before anything else.


    I offered to give Gwin a massage to help with her built-up tension, but the second I placed my hands on her mighty Dwarven back, it became clear that there was absolutely no way my weak human hands were going to undo her iron-hard knots. Sam probably could¡¯ve worked some of them out using her barbaric strength, but Gwin left to go rest back at the Shatterbrew clan¡¯s home before the Princess got home. I offered Gwin a stamina potion from our reserves, but she stubbornly insisted we needed it more.


    Nikita dropped by, too, much to everyone¡¯s excitement. Everyone except for Zutiria, at least, who shut herself away in her alchemy lab the moment she and Sam returned home. She didn¡¯t even so much as greet me, which is shocking, but Sam told me not to worry about her and assured me that their date went well.


    Like Gwin before her, the Grekkan also didn¡¯t stay very long, only doing the check-in she promised she¡¯d do. Sam and Nikita made some plans for tomorrow while she was here. Nikita wants to spend the entire day training Sam tomorrow outside of town- no meditation involved. Needless to say, Sam is thrilled about the possibility, and for the rest of the night, she was practically bouncing off the walls about whatever Nikita has planned for her.


    I can¡¯t help but notice Nikita is remaining distant from me. Can¡¯t say I¡¯m surprised given how awkward our conversation was the other day, but I also can¡¯t say I¡¯m too happy about it either. I enjoy her company and wish I could lend an ear towards what¡¯s bothering her... but at least it¡¯s not affecting the duties she promised to perform for us.


    Meri will also have a one on one training day with Nikita, too, as soon as we get her Bond Level up. It turns out that taking her anal virginity ended up giving a decent boost to her Love Meter, more than just regular sex would have. I suppose it¡¯s good to know that. It presumably represents a step forward with her trust in me, I would assume.


    Tomorrow I¡¯ll spend another day with Meri and take her to see the mayoral debate. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll make for some quality entertainment if nothing else, and if not, perhaps we can have a day out depending on if any local shops, taverns, or restaurants will even serve me, that is...


    Later that night, Cherry and I cooked dinner together and talked about Peri while we did so. I had a lot of questions to ask, and the prickly kitty was willing to hear me out.


    ¡°Has anything like this ever happened to Peri in the prior trial periods?¡± I ask straight off the bat.


    ¡°No... I¡¯ve never seen her this aggressive about anything, nyaa. She¡¯s found previous Myasters we trial ran cute and all, but... Peri was NEVER forward or anything.¡± Cherry replied nervously while preparing a pot of warm water to poach some eggs.


    ¡°So it really is just me, then? Hm... How often do you Beastfolk become so unbearably aroused during your trial periods?¡±


    Her magenta eyes narrow, and her cheeks flush, ¡°Never! You think we don¡¯t see the importance of holding off for a week before any sexual activity, nyaa? As much as we might want to bond with our Myaster right away and make it official, plenty of things can happen during a trial period. People can change a lot under the right circumstances...¡±


    Cherry frowns and holds her arm to the side, somberly. Her ears droop down as she sighs and refocuses her expression to remain sober. ¡°You¡¯re probably wondering what the heck happened to us, huh?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, I am. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to ask you, though.¡±


    ¡°...Really? Most men would be a lot more worried about this kinda thing, nyaa. I mean, it¡¯s obvious Peri, and I have had some problems with other potential Myasters in the past. Shouldn¡¯t you be grilling to spill the beans?¡±


    ¡°No. Why?¡±


    ¡°To find out if we¡¯re ¡®used goods¡¯ or not...¡± She looks away from me with an angry expression.


    ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re virgins or-¡±


    ¡°WE ARE!¡± Cherry slams her fists down on the table, almost dropping the eggs.


    ¡°I know. I told you I¡¯m good at detecting lies.¡± I tap the rim of my glasses several times to accentuate my point. ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish. I was going to say that I believe you, but I¡¯m guessing other potential Masters didn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°...Not a lot of Beastfolk come back unadopted as many times as we have, nyaa. No matter what you say to potential adopters, it just doesn¡¯t look good when you tell them how many temporary Myasters you¡¯ve had...¡±


    I turn to face Cherry and see small tears welling up in her ears. I feel bad about asking now. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°...It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She sniffles and scratches her nose with her paw.


    ¡°Would it make you feel better if I pet you, Cherry?¡±


    ¡°...D-Don¡¯t.¡± She swats away my outreaching hand. ¡°We don¡¯t want to put another kitty into horny jail now, do we... Myaster?¡±


    I stare at her and watch as she looks at me with a slightly lusty look and big, sparkly eyes. It¡¯s almost too much for a weak man such as myself.


    ¡°You two are making this week VERY hard, you know that?¡± I laugh uncomfortably and pull at my collar while moving back to the steaks that need my attention.


    I was sure she¡¯d say nothing in regards to my teasing comment, but instead, Cherry smirks and apprehensively draws my attention by leaning down over the counter in a catlike way. She¡¯s clearly not comfortable about it, but she¡¯s... actually trying to be seductive. She spreads her legs out a bit and points her butt out to me. I can see the bottom of her tight cheeks poking out of her miniskirt, her tail swishing behind her. ¡°I-I think you¡¯ll find out it was worth the wait when it''s time for the mating ceremony... Myaster.¡±


    I gaze at Cherry, completely dumbfounded, and can hardly believe this is the same kitty who was hissing at me two days ago and calling me a rapist.


    Neither can she apparently because after her brief streak of sultry behavior, Cherry realizes that she was totally teasing me, and she jerks upright and pulls her skirt over her butt with an angry blush rising in her cheeks. ¡°FUCKING PHEROMONES, NYAA! Y-You didn¡¯t see that!¡± She hisses and turns away, going straight back to her work on the poached eggs and then quickly moving off on something else to do.


    Zutiria did not join us for dinner, and when I checked on how she was doing, I found that the door to her lab was locked.


    ¡®I am undertaking research that will change your life. Enjoy the company of Sam and Meri without me for the night, Sir, and hopefully, I will have something to show you tomorrow.¡¯ Zutiria told me from within the comfort of her lab.


    Sam said they revisited the bazaar, so she must have come across something Zutiria wanted amongst all those sketch Mage stalls. Not sure what she could have picked up with only 500G, though...


    Meri had a rough night. She had to eat dinner sitting upon several soft, fluffy pillows, which clued Sam in instantly to what had taken place earlier in the day. The Princess demanded a high five for ¡®letting Boss into brown town¡¯, which, needless to say, almost reduced the poor, nervous girl to tears. Her continual teasing and vulgar remakes altogether made dinner a rather unpleasant affair thanks to Sam¡¯s inability to not be a bratty, obnoxious piece of shit.


    I decided it was time to give Sam a little payback for biting off more than she could chew. After dinner had some time to digest. I snuck up on her Majesty from behind while reading her big history book of former Lundreames kings and queens. Before she had any time to react, I picked her up by her waist and threw her over my shoulder.


    Sam yelps happily and thrashes about, but it¡¯s all in good fun, clearly up for whatever I have in mind. I called out for Meri to join us and informed Cherry that the Master and his ladies would be retiring for the night.


    Perhaps that was a tad unintentionally cruel. The Catfolk looks a little upset at my suggestive comment, and after what happened earlier in the kitchen, I assume she¡¯d prefer to be joining us. It¡¯s only been two days so far... we all have to be patient because if the Guild becomes more successful, then the fact of the matter is we will need an even larger dedicated workforce, and Beastfolk are the best choice for that since they only ask for room and board.


    I do feel slightly annoyed at the situation. Peri clearly wants to mate while Cherry is coyer about it even if the signs are apparent. The consent is there, but it¡¯s not about permission. It¡¯s about respecting their customs and following due process. Curse my unwavering dedication to bureaucracy...


    The rest of the night is a fun little romp where I push Meri out of her comfort zone to help me one up the bratty Princess. True to her word, Zutiria does not show up for nightly playtime... whatever she¡¯s doing in her lab must be more important than I thought.


    I have more than enough on my hands, though. I help teach the awkward girl to be more aggressive, and although Meri¡¯s clearly bad at having power over Sam, she enjoys being ordered around by me.


    Together we pin Sam to the bed, and we take turns sucking on her large, creamy breasts and exploring her body with our hands. Meri, an eager student, is quick to learn all of Sam¡¯s sweet spots as I show her which way the Princess likes it when you finger her insides.


    Sam encourages her punishment even more by being a bigger brat and throwing out statements meant only to rile us up. Her taunts succeed, and the three of us have deviant sexual fun for what must be hours. Naturally, I finish off Sam by giving her ass a good fucking as hard as I can so the Princess can¡¯t make fun of Meri¡¯s pillows any longer.


    After washing my dick off from that and locking the door to keep Peri out if she escapes horny jail, the three of us finally tire out enough to go to bed without our little Mage. Sam cuddling my left side, Meri on my right.

 Meri Does Not Like Public Humiliation

    A new day begins at the Guild, and I can¡¯t wait to find out what disappointments and setbacks life has in store.


    Peri is freed from her restraints, and she¡¯s very thankful, though I remind her that including today there are still five more days until the trial period is up.


    I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to last that long... not with the way Peri and even Cherry keeps looking at me. I¡¯m instead hoping for some sort of miracle to happen that will instantly earn me the trust of the Breeding Tribe forever, but there''s a fat chance of that ever happening.


    Nikita stops by after we have our breakfast, and she takes off with Sam for the day just as promised. The warrior Princess suits up into her crimson armor and straps her great blade on her back, ready, willing, and able for what will surely be an intense training session.


    ¡°Just gonna pound a few fundamental Arts into her. Real easy ones.¡± Nikita assures me. ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t realize it, but she¡¯s ready for em, Chief. I¡¯ll do the same with Meri whenever you guys are ready with the weird eye shit. It¡¯s better if I do it one on one anyway.¡±


    And with that, Nikita takes Sam out of my hair for the day.


    I hope it goes well. I have a sinking feeling getting worse by the hour that we¡¯re going to need all the power we can get sooner rather than later. Not only is the showdown with the Duke of Dewhurst slowly creeping closer, but I¡¯m none too thrilled with the actions of a particular pimp, and on top of all that, Luxy is looking for a chance to create a dungeon for us.


    Thinking about it like that, I can¡¯t help imagining that if my life was a novel of some sort, I feel it would have a sheer stupid number of plot threads, Gods. I can¡¯t imagine reading a book like that...


    Zutiria did not join us for breakfast, so naturally, I checked on her in her lab. I knocked on the dirty wooden door, but there was no answer, and of course, it had to be locked. Luckily I brought along the master keys just in case this very possibility should present itself.


    I can¡¯t say what I expected I would find in Zutiria¡¯s alchemy lab, but it certainly wasn¡¯t the little lady passed out in the middle of the floor completely naked, lying in a pool of her own sexual juices. Her vagina is red and swollen like she¡¯d been masturbating with it for hours and hours on end. It would be an incredibly arousing sight if I weren¡¯t so worried and confused.


    That book she bought yesterday is strewn about the floor. I pick it up briefly to inspect it. It¡¯s very thick, but only the first couple of pages have writing on them. Of course, it¡¯s all in some ancient arcane language that makes absolutely no sense at all to me, but the front and back covers have the male and female symbol emblazoned on a heart.


    This, coupled with the fact that my Mage is still convulsing in a puddle pussy juice, makes me believe that this is some strange sexual sort of magic. Probably Pseudo-Eromancy if I had to guess. It¡¯s a popular topic for erotic novels featuring Mages, so I¡¯m well acquainted with it... did she buy this to make me happy, I wonder?


    I kneel over to pick up and carry my naked Mage bridal style and sigh with a broad smile on my face. ¡°I really don¡¯t deserve you, you know?¡± I whisper into her ear and kiss the exhausted Zutiria on her sweaty forehead. She stirs but does not awaken, her expression tired and flushed with a sheen of desperate perspiration covering her.


    I get a few looks from the kitties and Meri when I take her upstairs and tuck her into bed, but I¡¯m able to explain it well enough that it doesn¡¯t sound weird. Meri and I get ready to head out, and I instruct Cherry and Peri to feed Zutiria when she awakens and ensure that she takes a nice, long, scented bath.


    When I return to the entrance hall, Meri asks me, ¡°What time do we need to be in the town square, Master?¡± She¡¯s already donned her armor and has her tower shield propped up beside her on the table she¡¯s sitting at. Meanwhile, Cherry and Peri are moving cleaning supplies out into the hall to begin their work for the day.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good question.¡± I stop to think. ¡°It occurs to me that Niall didn¡¯t actually say what time the mayoral debates would begin. It¡¯s almost noon now, so we¡¯d best be on our way regardless. I doubt we missed them already, but if we¡¯re early, we¡¯ll just have to find something else to do in town while we¡¯re out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me!¡± Meri smiles and stands up off the wooden table, grabbing her shield and transforming it into its buckler form to make it easier to carry. It doesn¡¯t have its sword out, so it won¡¯t draw too much attention. The Shield Maiden cutely offers her gauntleted hand to me.


    I take it, and we leave the Guild together, reminding the kitties to mind the home.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Myaster...!¡± Peri bows respectfully.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be out too long, nyaa.¡± Cherry casual reminds us while giving a bow of her own, noticeably better than the ones she was giving yesterday.


    Meri and I chat to ourselves as we walk through the streets. Eventually, she urges me to check on her love meter to see if playing with Sam the night before had any effect.


    ¡°Seems like it did. I¡¯d say we¡¯re about one more good ¡®event¡¯ from leveling it up now.¡± I say after quickly check the root Guild Roster menu where everyone¡¯s Bond Levels are displayed. I get a few odd glances from the townspeople, what with the glowing eyes, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m not already used to it.


    ¡°Event?¡± Meri tilts her head, causing her yellow ribbon to flop around like a pair of bunny ears.


    ¡°Something romantic and personal between the two of us that increases our closeness. It¡¯s terminology from some choose your own adventure novels I¡¯ve read. They function as interactive games where you, the reader, get to make choices and ¡®date¡¯ the girls in the book.¡±


    ¡°They make books like that...?¡± I see interest spark in her crimson eyes.


    ¡°Oh yes, unfortunately, they¡¯re absurdly expensive since they¡¯re all magic books. You have to pick from multiple options, and then the page you¡¯re about to turn to will reflect the choices you make.¡± I only own three such books, and I didn¡¯t even buy them for myself. Someone left them in Guild storage and never came back, so I kept them. They¡¯re above and beyond the standouts of my collection, though.


    I¡¯ve thought about selling them a few times over the last month to afford some improvements around the Guild, but it seems holding off on them was the right move.


    ¡°I keep them in a safe place to prevent anything from happening to them, but I¡¯ll gladly dust them off and let you read them if you desire, Meri.¡±


    Meri gasps while covering her mouth, a red flush rising and filling her cheeks with the color of joy. ¡°Really?! I... I don¡¯t know what to say...¡±


    ¡°Meri, I¡¯m just letting you read my books. You don¡¯t need to make such a big deal out of it, especially in publi-¡±


    The timid girl takes the hand I was holding so she can adequately hug me in a tight embrace, nuzzling her head into my chest and grinding her cold, hard steel armor into my body uncomfortable. ¡°You have no idea how much this means to me, Master...!!¡±


    ¡°Meri, it¡¯s just porn, for fuck¡¯s sake-¡± I blush and try to pull her away, but she doesn¡¯t let me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just p-porn!¡± She looks up at me with a surprisingly defiant expression. ¡°If I never read that book you left lying around t-then, I might never have discovered so much about myself s-s-sexually!¡± Meri stutters briefly and continues to hug me even tighter.


    ¡°Plus... um... it¡¯s something we share an interest in... it makes me feel closer to you, you know? You let me read them all the time, a-and help me pick out new ones from your collection... it¡¯s almost like you¡¯re letting me into your heart.¡±


    ...


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that sounds super lame... doesn¡¯t it...?¡± She looks up to me, tears in her eyes and lips quivering, filthy Dewhurstians watching from the sidelines as we have a very intimate and romantic discussion about our mutual love for perverse prose and the impact it¡¯s had on our relationship thus far.


    ¡°Meri, I didn¡¯t know you felt so strongly about this subject or that that was a reason you were interested in erotica. I¡¯m sorry for calling it porn if it really means that much to you.¡±


    She grins as I awkwardly give her a reassuring head pat, seemingly pleased with my answer.


    -MERILLE TILLOT BOND LEVEL TWO ACHIEVED, BITCH!-


    And there it is.


    Meri pulls away from our public display of affection, and she looks me in the eye, uncertain. ¡°W-Wait a second. Was... WAS ME DECLARING MY LOVE OF PORN A ROMANTIC EVENT?!¡± She blushes, horrified at the sudden realization.


    ¡°Yes, Meri, congratulations.¡± I sarcastically begin clapping. Much to my surprise, the skanks, gutter whores, drug addicts, and criminals alike who were watching silently now start to clap, whistle, and cheer for Meri¡¯s vocal admission of her own perversion.


    ¡°PORN GIRL! PORN GIRL! PORN GIRL!¡± They cheer, welcoming her as one of their own.


    ¡°DID YOU READ THAT NEW CUCKOLD ONE? IT¡¯S SO HOT!¡± A diseased male Elf hooker shouts from the window of a nearby brothel. ¡°I LOVE WHEN MY FICTIONAL WOMEN ARE STOLEN FROM ME! THAT WAY I CAN BE MISERABLE IN REAL LIFE *AND* IN FICTION!¡±


    The crowd cheers.


    ¡°I LIKE ONES THAT MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A BIG STRONG RAPIST!¡± Says a diminutive little Gnome who looks like this is his first day leaving his mother¡¯s basement. ¡°THE RAPE-IER THE BETTER-ER! ALL WOMEN ARE SLUTS BECAUSE THEY WON¡¯T HAVE SEX WITH ME!¡± He raises his fist.


    The crowd goes absolutely wild.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T KNOW HOW TO FUCKING READ!¡± says Raepface, who was apparently in the crowd this entire time, yet I somehow managed to miss him.


    The crowd begins to cheer uproariously to celebrate their illiteracy. No surprise that that¡¯s what got the biggest cheers.


    And Meri?


    The Shield Maiden stares blankly as if every emotion besides hopelessness had been sucked out of her. She transforms her buckler into her tower shield and falls to the ground without a word. Pulling the shield on top of her, she hides under it like a cowardly turtle.


    ¡°Meri...¡±


    ¡°MERI¡¯S NOT HERE RIGHT NOW!¡± She says while sobbing under her shell.


    ¡°Meri, you¡¯re talking in the third person. Come on-¡±


    ¡°MERI¡¯S NOT COMING OUT UNTIL SHE GETS A DO-OVER!!¡±

 Vote or Die

    The publically humiliated Shield Maiden did not get her do-over, but she came out of her shell after a few minutes of wallowing in her shame.


    That¡¯s ok, I¡¯m patient, and she probably needs it. After they realize nothing much else is going to happen, the crowd disperses, some of them heading to the town square just like us.


    Meri¡¯s good mood is all but spent, and she now weakly holds my hand, hardly saying much of anything even after we make it to the town square.


    Turns out we arrived at a pretty good time. By the looks of things, the mayoral debate is going to be starting soon. Where days ago once stood Abner¡¯s closed casket coffin now stands an elevated platform with five raised podiums, one of which is a little shorter than the rest. I suppose this means only five people in the entire city care enough about politics actually to volunteer for the job?


    Behind the podium is a small white tent where I assume the candidates are no doubt waiting for their debut.


    There are a few hundred people here of various races. Much bigger turnout than the funeral, even if I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s any more interesting than it.


    Surprisingly I don¡¯t see many familiar faces amongst the crowd, aside from a couple of Dwarves that I remember from the Shatterbrew shop. I¡¯m probably just being paranoid, but this worries me... oh wait, no. Pimpington¡¯s squad of sluts is present near the front row. And he¡¯s nowhere to be seen. Wonderful.


    Right as Meri and I begin shuffling off to find some seats, the tent¡¯s front flap opens up, and Niall steps out. Thanks to my eyes, I immediately see him, whereas he has to scan the surroundings to locate me. Inevitably, he does.


    ¡°Hey, hey! Look who it is. You came after all!¡± The annoying former adventurer splits through the crowd without caring for how many people are in his way. ¡°Scuse me, watch it, fatso, vote for Niall!¡± He says in a desperate frenzy.


    Gods, I wish he wouldn¡¯t draw so much attention to us. I was already getting some glares before he did this, and now it¡¯s just that much worse.


    ¡°Glad you could make it, kiddo! I-¡± Niall stops before turning to Meri after seeing her distant expression. ¡°The hell¡¯s up with your girlfriend? She ok?¡±


    ¡°Meri is not home right now,¡± Meri states plainly.


    Niall looks at me, and I shrug. ¡°You heard her.¡±


    ¡°Well... when she gets home, tell her to vote for Niall! A vote for me is a vote for a slightly less dark tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Nice campaign slogan.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t wanna overpromise, do I?¡± He taps me on the shoulder with his fist, and I feel a small something dig into me. When he pulls it away, I catch a glance.


    ¡°You actually still have that old thing?¡± My eyes focus on the rustic, magic-looking ring slotted onto his ring finger. ¡°I would¡¯ve thought you sold it ages ago...¡±


    Niall raises his ring finger and shows it off. ¡°Nah, c¡¯mon. I don¡¯t need booze THAT badly...¡± His typically seedy smile is replaced with a warm yet sadly disheveled grin.


    Meri snaps out of her depressive episode briefly as she catches sight of the ring. ¡°Oh. Were you married, Mr. Hawkins? It¡¯s a gorgeous ring...¡± She tilts her head in admiration.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a wedding ring.¡± He laughs and shakes his head. ¡°But it was given to me by someone special, yeah. It¡¯s all I have left of her.¡±


    I suddenly feel a bit bad for insinuating that he would¡¯ve sold it for drinking money. ¡°My apologies, Niall.¡± Those are some words I never thought I would say, admittedly, but...


    The older man looks at me, confused, before laughing. ¡°Not like I ever told you what it was. It¡¯s just a trinket an old gal pal gave me during our adventuring days. Before I wound up in Dewhurst, I mean. It¡¯s not one of those fancy Auto Loader shits, but it summons a weapon for me. Just wearing it for a little bit of good luck, you know?¡±


    ¡°Sure. How¡¯s the competition looking?¡± I look towards the tent to see if I can catch a glimpse of any of the other candidates.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Niall shrugs apathetically. ¡°I should probably be getting back. It¡¯s almost time for this crazy-ass thing to start. Make sure you two listen real close when it¡¯s time for my speech, alright?¡± His apathy is replaced by his typical smile, and he waves on his way back to the tent.


    ¡°Do you think you¡¯ll be voting for him?¡± Meri asks as soon as we sit down in the back row. Predictably no one wants to sit anywhere near me, but I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t thankful for that.


    ¡°Probably. Really depends on who else is running, but I maintain my position that it ultimately doesn¡¯t matter very much who wins this whole thing.¡±


    ¡°I-I suppose you¡¯re right...¡± Meri meekly agrees, revealing to me the shocking revelation that she¡¯s probably not very political.


    After a few more minutes of waiting amongst the anxious crowd, a man steps out of the white tent and heads towards the middle of the raised platform. I¡¯m not sure how he got here before we did, but it¡¯s Raepface again. He holds a microphone in his hand, which to my understanding, is an arcane tech device that amplifies the power of his speaking voice. Using it, he quiets the crowd down.


    The intimidating, large thug with RAEP tattooed in big, bold letters across his forehead begins speaking, ¡°My father did the best he could with this shitty ass town, and now it¡¯s someone else''s turn. I¡¯d run myself, but I just lost my dad, and I¡¯m kind of in a weird place right now with my life, only just having been acquitted of numerous crimes and released from the Royal dungeons back at Imperalis. I swear, you tattoo RAEP on yourself, and everyone suddenly thinks you¡¯re a serial rapist.¡± He shrugs. ¡°But that¡¯s not relevant to today¡¯s debates. But if it were, I would ask the new mayor for clemency for any future slanderous charges.¡±


    The crowd claps at his reasonable request, while Meri looks at me with great confusion. She points at Raepface, and I have no choice but to sign and confirm that yes, he did, in fact, just indirectly admit to his crimes and his intention to continue doing so.


    ¡°Anyway, let''s not waste any more time on what the moderator of this debate did or did not allegedly do. Let¡¯s bring out the candidates!¡± Raepface throws out his arms to much applause, and five men all leave the white tent to make their way onto the platform.


    Milly the Catboy.


    Butcher Bludman.


    Niall Hawkins.


    Sir Pimpington.


    And... that Elf I saw the other who looks like he¡¯s having an overdose, I guess. Is he ok? He¡¯s looking even worse today somehow if that¡¯s possible.


    Each candidate takes their place on the podium, and Raepface introduces them, revealing that the Elf¡¯s name is ¡®The Crystal Sage¡¯. Right.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start off easy,¡± Raepface walks towards Milly, whose pink ears twitch in excitement even despite how hard the Butcher at the next podium is glaring at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to ask you all the same thing, what platform are you running on? Let¡¯s start with my dear friend, Milly.¡±


    He hands the microphone to Milly, and both Meri and I watch intently.


    ¡°Lord Osbourne Gloomcrest has ignored our town for ages, nyaa! Yet still, we have to pay taxes to the fat cats at Dawnstead, allowing them to continue living rich, privileged lives while Dewhurst just keeps getting shittier and shittier! Stop hoarding gold, spend that shit! If I become Mayor, then I¡¯ll either lower taxes or make sure that our taxes are actually used to improve this shitstain town, nyaa!!¡± The pink-haired Catfolk delivers his passionate speech and slams his furry pink fist down into the podium so hard that it hurts his little paw. As the crowd cheers for him, he shakes the pain off and begins to cry.


    ¡°He¡¯s so passionate!¡± Meri smiles and claps. ¡°He¡¯s got a lot of good ideas, too.¡±


    ¡°The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.¡± I remind her. It¡¯s good to see Milly doing his thing, though.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think he has a chance...?¡± The cute brunette frowns.


    ¡°Not unless the Duke is deposed, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d allow a candidate who wants to increase the Lord¡¯s activity in Dewhurst to become mayor.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Politics are hard...¡± Meri sighs and rubs her forehead.


    Raepface hands the microphone to Bludman, who takes it with emotionless glee. His beady eyes do not leave the direction of Milly, and it seems like he¡¯s giving his speech to the Catfolk boy instead of to the crowd. ¡°Meat. We live in a world of meat. Meatworld...¡± He pauses to licks his lips. ¡°Everything can be cut, but some things don¡¯t want to be cut. Disgraceful. In a Dewhurst ruled by a proper Meat Mayor, there will be no rules to what can or cannot be cut. Of this, I assure you. The streets will run with meat juice, and all will swim in joyous rapture within oceans of red, together in glorious meat harmony. Thank you for your consideration.¡±


    Thankfully the crowd¡¯s response to this meat manifesto is almost as cold and dead as the Butcher himself, and hardly a clap is given save for a few courtesy ones.


    ¡°W-Wow... You guys weren¡¯t exaggerating about him...¡± Meri stares wide-eyed at the Butcher soaked in blood. ¡°I thought Sam was just like... um... p-playing it up, but he¡¯s... somehow worse than I was imagining...?¡±


    ¡°Right?¡± I sigh and pat Meri on the head, trying to help focus her. We still have the pimp and the drug addict to get through. If she taps out mentally, now she¡¯ll not be able to hold up against the onslaught of stupidity that is undoubtedly on its way.


    Next, the microphone is handed to Niall, and he wipes a few drops of sweat off his forehead with the cuff of his dirty coat sleeve. I¡¯m interested to hear where this goes, admittedly. Even if I¡¯ll always hold a measure of resentment towards him for our personal history, I don¡¯t think Niall is explicitly a terrible person. Just an irresponsible and stupid one who makes bad choices.


    He takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and reopens them with a determination I¡¯ve never before seen him wear.


    ¡°Dewhurst used to be a pretty damn swell place.¡± Niall starts, speaking in a clear and commanding voice. ¡°And it didn¡¯t change just because of the Guild economic crash. It changed because of me.¡±


    The crowd murmurs in response before Niall nods at a random member of the audience. ¡°And it changed because of you. And you. And you.¡± He keeps nodding at various Dewhurstians. ¡°This town grew lazy because it relied on the Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the economic benefits it brought. I wasn¡¯t around for all of Dewhurst¡¯s heyday, but I was around for enough of it to know that the difference between then and now is night and day. How the fuck do we get back to that point, you might be wondering? It¡¯s simple. Stop blaming the stupid kid who wanted to take over his grandpa¡¯s business, and start blaming yourselves. If we all just focus a little on self-reflection, we can come to terms with how this town needs to pull itself out of the gutter and improve its local economy on its own. Sure, we need a Guild. Most Karnallian towns of this size do... but the real change starts with us. This isn¡¯t a problem that can be solved by submitting a quest. Vote for Niall Hawkins, and I¡¯ll prioritize revitalizing local businesses, improving trade, and yes, improving the local Guild to help it stimulate the economy without becoming reliant on it once more.¡±


    Niall drops the microphone, and the crowd enters a period of silence. No one seems sure how to react at first, except for me. I instantly stand up and stare Niall right in the eyes from across the crowd. He smiles and blushes a bit embarrassedly, and I begin clapping for him.


    Despite her recent brush with public humiliation, Meri too stands and joins me with the clapping. It isn¡¯t long before the rest of the Dewhurstians in the town square begin to clap, even his political rivals up on the podium.


    Niall isn¡¯t going to win, but he has my vote. That goes without saying.

 In the Flesh

    ¡°Okay, now that sounds alright, fo¡¯ sure, fo¡¯ sure. A pimp can fully admit.¡± Says the pimp who has the unenviable position of having to give his speech after Niall. ¡°But when it comes to revitalizin¡¯ the local economy, no one is better than yours truly!¡±


    Sir Pimpington is handed the magical microphone by Niall, who smiles and scratches his neck after passing it over. Everyone is eager to see how the pimp lord will follow up that lofty speech, myself included.


    ¡°Pardon me. Is this seat taken?¡± A man deep says to my left.


    I don¡¯t so much as glance at him, telling him, ¡°No. By all means.¡± a bit sarcastically as my eyes are glued on the larger-than-life man at the podium.


    ¡°How¡¯s he going to follow up Mr. Hawkins, Master...?¡± Meri wonders aloud.


    ¡°Poorly, I imagine.¡± I scratch my chin and think back to Niall¡¯s words. It¡¯s not like I suddenly forgive him for our sordid personal history, but even I have to admit he did a hell of an excellent job attempting to mend that bridge of ours that he burned.


    ¡°It was a fairly good speech, I¡¯ll admit.¡± The man on my left says. ¡°Dangerous. But a good speech nonetheless.¡±


    ¡°Dangerous, how... so...?¡± Meri looks at our guest, and she drops her jaw, her face turning the color of chalk. She reaches for my sleeve to tug on it several times. ¡°M-M-M-MASTER...?!¡±


    I look to my left as well and see an absurd sight. This man is not what I¡¯d call tall. I¡¯d prefer the adjective ¡®spindly¡¯. Instead, he¡¯s unnaturally long and skinny to the point where he seems like a skeleton. He has to be at least ten feet tall, made even taller by his lengthy black top hat.


    He wears a classy, expensive-looking black suit that must have been completely tailored to his excessive needs. Rather than being ratty, covered in grime, or riddled with holes like most Dewhurstian fashion, this man looks like he¡¯s never even heard the definition of dirt. His fancy suit is spotless, and between his gloved hands is an extremely elegant scepter.


    Most troubling of all is the fact that our guest apparently lacks a face.


    I lose all my formality and politeness as I gape at the gangly gentleman before me. ¡°What in the absolute name of fuck-¡±


    ¡°My apologies, I do tend to have that effect on people.¡± He sighs somehow without lips or a mouth. The man pulls the brim of his top hat downwards to hide a bit more of his creepy non-face beneath the shadow.


    ¡°That¡¯s... quite alright.¡± I cough awkwardly into my fist and try to look away and pretend this is normal.


    ¡°For the lady,¡± The tall stranger reaches into his coat pocket and produces a single red flower. He extends his long, stick-like arm out in front of my face and offers it to Meri.


    ¡°Eh...?¡± It takes Meri a moment to process this surreal situation but eventually, she declines the offering. ¡°N-No, thank you. You¡¯re um... too kind.¡±


    ¡°A pity.¡± The flower wilts away into nothing before our eyes, causing Meri to laugh uncomfortably. A shallow, low-level illusion, most likely. I can feel the tiniest bit of mana pressure in the air, but it¡¯s gone just as soon as I sense it.


    ¡°Y¡¯ALL MOTHERFUCKAS IN THE BACK GONNA LET A PIMP SPEAK HIS DAMN MIND OR WHAT?¡± Sir Pimpington screeches into the microphone, pointing at us with his pimp cane.


    Our strange friend waves at Sir Pimpington calmly with one hand, and to my astonishment, the boisterous mayoral candidate shrinks back. ¡°Aw shit, sorry, Bossman! Didn¡¯t know that was you. We good, you gangly sonnuva bitch?¡±


    Bossman? That would mean-


    ¡°All good.¡± The Duke of Dewhurst flashes an ok sign with his fingers at the man with the microphone. I begin to break out into a cold sweat as soon as I pick up on this implication. Meri does too, only she stands up, and the jewel on her buckler glows faintly red.


    Her sword whips out from under the shield like a much larger version of one of those hidden blades used for assassination, and she timidly raises it to attack the tall, thin crimelord.


    ¡°Now now,¡± He begins to speak with an amused, almost friendly tone. ¡°I¡¯m not here to fight. I¡¯m only here to see how the horses I have in this race fare. Call your little lover off.¡±


    ¡°...Meri. Sit.¡±


    ¡°M-Master... we can end this right now if... if I just...!!¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t recommend that.¡± The Duke shakes his head disapprovingly. ¡°I didn¡¯t come here alone. You just can¡¯t see the help. Should I ask Fleetfoot to reveal themself? Or perhaps Vulkir, my personal bodyguard. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve met.¡±


    I turn and face the platform to see Niall staring at me with worry. The retired adventurer sweats nervously and looks back and forth between the Duke and me. I can see it in his eyes that he wants to come and help, but I shake my head and tell him not to. ¡°Sit down, Meri.¡±


    Meri struggles with her desire to cut down our enemy until finally, she sits down at my right side once again, but she noticeably doesn¡¯t retract her buckler¡¯s sword. Thank the Gods I didn¡¯t come to the debate with Sam... this altercation would have ended worse if the rowdy Princess were here.


    What can I do in this situation...? We¡¯re surrounded on all sides, we¡¯re in public, and the enemy just blatantly took the seat next to mine. I didn¡¯t expect this move. As far as I can guess, my only option is to continue watching the ongoing political statements with Meri and the damned Duke of Dewhurst by my side.


    ¡°Right, so. Not sure what the fuck that was about,¡± Raepface clears his throat in a loud, exaggerated manner before looking to Sir Pimpington. ¡°But I believe you were supposed to tell us what sort of platform you¡¯re running on?¡±


    ¡°Bitch, what in the fuck is a platform, and why would this pimp be running on it?¡± The pimp rears back his hand as if he were about to slap the moderator like he were one of his bitches, but decides against it. ¡°Oh, yeah. You just asking what I¡¯mma do if I become mayor, right?¡±


    ¡°That is indeed the question,¡± Raepface confirms.


    ¡°Shit, dude, we gon¡¯ be here all day. I had my bitches write a song about it, even! Songwriting bitch! Toss me that lyrical masterpiece!¡±


    One of his many hoes in the audience, a slutty looking red-headed halfling, stands up and says, ¡°I forgot it, Lord Pimpington!¡±


    ¡°Dumbass furry-footed HOE!¡± Sir Pimpington groans and shakes his head. ¡°Why in the fuck does the songwriting bitch have to go and be the masochistic bitch at the same time? Stupid skank be forgetting shit left and right just so I whoop her ass, ya dig!?¡±


    The pimp sighs, and several audience members nod their heads as if they understand this exact problem.


    ¡°Regardless, I was trying to say what I wanted to do to this town earlier. Many of you mothafuckas already happen to be patrons of my many Hoehouses, do you not?¡± He raises his hands, and the crowd goes wild with reverie as they celebrate prostitution. ¡°Now that¡¯s what we talkin¡¯ bout, YEAH BABY! There IS a problem in Dewhurst, though, fo¡¯ sure. I can¡¯t ignore that. And what might that problem be? It¡¯s simple. The problem is that there are still buildings in this town where women will refuse to have sex with you!¡±


    An immense wave of booing erupts.


    ¡°I KNOW, RIGHT! IF YOU VOTE FOR ME, I¡¯LL WORK ON THAT SHIT! Hell, I already AM, BITCHES! Thanks to my wonderful business relationship with the Shatterbrew clan, I¡¯ve already begun work on constructing fifteen new Hoehouses! Do you know what this means...? YES! THERE IS NOW A BROTHEL ON EVERY. SINGLE. STREET OF DEWHURST!¡± Sir Pimpington throws his arms out and smiles to the crowd, revealing a shimmering golden set of teeth that sparkle amidst the dreary Dewhurstian light. ¡°But we CAN¡¯T stop now! Naw, vote for me, and I¡¯ll keep adding to that number as soon as I can find a stable supply of bitches!¡±


    The crowd claps for Sir Pimpington, but to my surprise, it¡¯s not as loud as it was for Niall. At long last, the pimp hands his arcane tech microphone off to the Crystal Sage, who is tweaking in anticipation... I think. He might just be tweaking in general.


    ¡°Well, he knows how to put on a show if nothing else. I¡¯m sorry that my misogynistic subordinate¡¯s antics have caused you trouble, for what it¡¯s worth.¡± The Duke pats me on the shoulder in a reassuring, friendly manner, and I struggle to keep my mind grounded.


    Don¡¯t stop thinking. If I stop thinking, I¡¯ll lose to fear. I won¡¯t let fear kill my mind just because the enemy boss is sitting right next to me, pretending he¡¯s an old friend. That¡¯s what he wants.


    ¡°Why are you really here?¡± I ask, folding my arms and looking at him from the side.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying. I wanted to see how the democratic process of this backward town plays out.¡±


    ¡°B-But why are you sitting next to us...? Are you trying to scare us...?¡± Meri narrows her brow, trying to look threatening as she leans over in her seat to look at the Duke better.


    ¡°Yes and no. You¡¯re a minor nuisance at best, and I¡¯d prefer to run you out of town rather than deal with you in an uglier manner.¡±


    I look up at the podium briefly to see the Crystal Sage drooling into the microphone, pausing every few seconds to twitch and convulse. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll start his speech anytime soon, so I turn towards the Duke.


    ¡°You¡¯re wasting your time.¡±


    The faceless man looks towards me and tilts his head as if from disappointment. ¡°Clearly. I¡¯m trying to send you a message, but you¡¯re obstinate in refusing my attempt to threaten you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t back down easily.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± He laughs. ¡°You¡¯re at a disadvantage here, you know. You always have been. I¡¯m telling you right now, face to face, that if you continue to perform Guild activities in my town then you will face the consequences. Pack it up. Find another city and leave the province.¡±


    ¡°And... and what¡¯s gonna stop us if we don¡¯t?¡± The Shield Maiden does her best to stop herself from trembling. Despite her fear, she narrows her eyes, readying herself to summon courage the second she needs to.


    ¡°My men. Failing that, myself, if it comes down to it. I simply cannot have something as detestable as an Adventurer¡¯s Guild running around solving people¡¯s problems for spare coin.¡±


    I furrow my brow and look him dead on. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you try. This town needs a Guild more than it needs someone like you.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? Last I remember, your Guild helped lead this town to the state it¡¯s currently in. Too much of a good thing only inspires laziness in others. In a way, I should be grateful to you for creating the opportunity for someone such as me to step in and assert my control.¡± The Duke of Dewhurst leans in several inches from my face and cups his chin in his hand, looking at me with his featureless face.


    ¡°You can thank me by turning yourself in,¡± I spit back. ¡°Save us the trouble of having to bring you down ourselves.¡±


    I know he isn¡¯t physically doing so, but for some reason, I get a distinct impression that the Duke is grinning. ¡°An amusing suggestion,¡± He laughs. ¡°Just know that Fleetfoot¡¯s attempt on your life was a rogue act on their part- pardon the pun- but if you continue your troublesome activities in an attempt to ¡®clean up the town¡¯ then the next confrontation we have will be the last.¡±


    ¡°Are you really afraid of a small-time Guild like mine?¡±


    ¡°Everything I do is to one day dismantle the corrupt, uncaring institution you represent. To accomplish this, I need gold. You¡¯ve already robbed me of an entire steezweed field, and I won¡¯t suffer you to rob me of anything more. Guilds solve problems, while neer-do-wells like me profit from causing problems. We cancel each other out.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s just one thing I don¡¯t understand, then...¡± Asking this question is dangerous, but I need all the intel I can get. I press on. ¡°Why are you here? Why not just kill me when I¡¯m at your mercy?¡±


    ¡°Would you rather I get it over with?¡± He tilts his head with empty curiosity before stifling a laugh. ¡°That was a joke, worry not. The truth is that your grandfather was a flawed man... but he was also the last of a dying breed. You remind me of him. I¡¯d like to at least give you the chance to capitalize on my nostalgia before I¡¯m forced to reunite the two of you.¡±


    With a weary sigh, the unnaturally tall man stands up out of his seat and clasps his white-gloved hand around the handle of his cane. He turns to leave and taps the head of his scepter with his fingertip several times, which summons a large, bulky Gnoll wearing a combination of scrappy-looking armor and a butler¡¯s suit. ¡°I¡¯m growing dreadfully tired of this inquisition. Since my friend over there on the podium hasn¡¯t snapped out of his latest binge yet, my interest in continuing this conversation has dwindled to nothing. Vulkir?¡±


    ¡°W-Wait a minute, you can¡¯t just leave!¡± Meri stands up to show off her bravery, but the beastly Gnoll moves in and snarls at her. He contorts his hyena-like face and bears his many razor-sharp fangs. She doesn¡¯t back off, but the threatening monster sends a clear message.


    Vulkir then hands the Duke of Dewhurst a clipboard, which he begins to read and flip through. ¡°Mmm. Excellent. Everything seems to be going according to plan, yes. Oh. One last word of warning before I leave you, Guild Master. The more people you allow yourself to love, the more chances there are to break you.¡±


    These horrifying words haunt me as the Duke of Dewhurst leisurely strolls away from the crowd and into the nearest alleyway. Step by step, he disappears into its narrow, dingy darkness while his Gnoll butler follows at his heels like a devoted dog.


    Simultaneously, up on the podium, the Crystal Sage snaps out of his overdose. He wipes the disgusting spittle from his lips and grips the microphone tight with his emaciated, veiny hands. ¡°An excellent question. I will now answer it.¡± He announces about ten minutes too late.

 -Valentine’s Day Art Special-

    Happy Valentines, Guildmates! Got a special something prepared for you all to thank you for all of the support. A big batch of holiday themed pictures! None of them are too lewd, since I wanted them to be able to be posted here. I was not the main artist on these, my assistant, @AljuneArt was. However these were collabs and I picked out the poses, clothes, did the backgrounds, effects and dialogue myself. And I spent a LOT of time critiquing each piece and helping him learn haha. In a way I did draw a lot of these since I sometimes had to redraw the entire body for him and be like ''no do this'', so yeah. Go follow him, and me if you haven''t!


    Valentines Day is my favorite holiday when it comes to lewd art, so I definitely wanted to do something this year. If you want more art, you should definitely support me on Patreon! More funds = more marketing material like new art and such. It would also allow me to have more time to do my own art of the characters, give them proper ref sheets and design more of the characters who need art. Plus it would just really help me continue to grow my career.


    Not Valentines related at all, but I finally got around to designing Fleetfoot. Thought I''d slide that in here.

 Democracy is a Joke

    Meri and I both sigh and look at each other in silence after that whole ordeal that just occurred. We make a wordless agreement that we¡¯ll discuss this after the speeches finish. For now, the two of us turn our attention to the final candidate.


    The Crystal Sage is holding the microphone in his hand, trembling and struggling to keep it straight. His lips are blue and almost painted. His eyes are glowing azure, and his swollen veins pump mana-tinted blood throughout his thinly stretched skin.


    Just like when I saw this sickly, bald Elf at Abner¡¯s funeral, he¡¯s wearing some ill-fitting blue silken robes. Today, they¡¯re open at the front, and I can see his shiny black and gold trousers and his bare, pale chest.


    Unlike the many mana crystal addicts roaming the streets of this Goddess-forsaken town, I get a distinct impression that this Elf is, in fact, definitely a Mage. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be alive still if he weren¡¯t. I¡¯ve never seen anyone whose body was more thoroughly ravaged by drugs as the Crystal Sage.


    ¡°The crystals must flow.¡± He stammers into the microphone. ¡°You might think they¡¯re already flowing. In a way, they are. And also... in a different way, we¡¯re ALL flowing.¡± The Elf stares off into the distance as he marvels at his introspection. ¡°Flowing... flowing...¡±


    ¡°Baby focus, we been over this shit, ya dig?¡± Sir Pimpington jabs the Crystal Sage with the end of his pimp cane.


    ¡°Right. Thank you. Lower prices on drugs. More availability. Greater selection. Slightly safer drug dealers. All these things and more does the Crystal Sage promise to those who vote for him.¡±


    ¡°Also, the pimp shit!¡± Sir Pimpington jabs him once more.


    ¡°Yes. All of the stuff my colorful friend went over in his informative speech would be included should I become Mayor. There¡¯s not much difference in voting between the two of us. Sex is wonderful. Drugs are wonderful. But when mixed, yes. All the realms shall flow as one. Flowing... flowing...¡±


    Meri looks at me with confusion, ¡°Why are they even running separately? Wouldn¡¯t that just split their votes?¡±


    My hands begin to rub my temples, and I sigh. ¡°Meri, would that I had the answer for even a single one of this town¡¯s incessant fuckeries.¡±


    The brunette gives me a tender pat on the back with her left hand, and I let it linger. Goddess knows I need it.


    Raepface, who somehow remains the straight man in this bizarre situation, asks, ¡°Anything else left to add, or are you done, baldie?¡±


    The Crystal Sage reaches into his robe and fishes out a tremendous rock the size of his fist, plopping it down onto his podium. Then, with his other hand, the Elf pulls out a small wooden wand. He wiggles it and turns the crystal to powder with a single wordless spell. In front of this large audience of several hundred Dewhurstians, this crazy fucker snorts the entire mystical rock all at once.


    The Elf¡¯s veins glow brightly off and on like a flickering torch, and the air runs thick with his escaping, uncontrollable mana pressure. A large puff of smoke wisps out of his nostrils as he exhales. The smoke is purple, glittering, and twinkling with fantastic ferocity. It twists and weaves around mid-air like a writhing wyrm until cleanly spelling out ¡®VOTE CRYSTAL SAGE¡¯ in the common language.


    ¡°I rest my case.¡± Says the Elf, handing the arcane tech microphone back to Raepface.


    The crowd eats this up, as one would predict. They cheer, whistle, and clap for the drug lord, and then Sir Pimpington and the Sage turn to face each other. The two share an emphatic high-five that resonates through the air with a powerful echo. These two seem less like co-workers for the same villainous crime lord and more like they¡¯re sworn brothers.


    ¡°Master...?¡± Meri looks to me with a meek yet distant expression.


    ¡°Yes, my dear?¡±


    ¡°Is it normal to just... not even be shocked anymore? Have I finally lost what little innocence I had left...?¡±


    ¡°Give it time.¡± I sigh. ¡°Something else unbelievable will surely happen.¡±


    Back up at the election platform, Raepface looks at the crowd and says into his microphone. ¡°Alright then. We¡¯ve heard from each candidate about what they¡¯re all about, so like... I dunno. We kinda called this a debate but does anyone give a shit or not if we just stop here? We heard what the candidates are all about. Do we really need to ask questions beyond that?¡±


    This assembly of Dewhurstian citizens lets out a mixed ¡®eh¡¯ from their collective mouths. No one seems to care about the debate part of the debate.


    ¡°Cool. So...¡± Raepface looks at the row of unlikely Mayoral candidates and shuffles about in place, unsure of what to do or say. ¡°Come vote tomorrow, I guess? We¡¯ll set up ballots or some shit.¡± He shrugs.


    ¡°Any closing statements?¡± The moderator walks back to the leftmost podium and extends the microphone to Milly, then goes through each candidate once again.


    ¡°LESS TAXING AND LESS RELAXING! PUT LORD GLOOMCREST TO WORK!¡± The pink-haired Catfolk boy hisses.


    ¡°You can¡¯t beat the meat.¡± The emotionless butcher mutters.


    ¡°Gimme a hand, cause I only got one!¡± Niall beats his chest with his right fist and smiles.


    ¡°MO BITCHES, NO PROBLEMS!¡± Sir Pimpington pops the cork of a bottle of champagne he must have had hidden inside his luxurious pimp coat. Naturally, he then sprays all over his cheerleading squad. I admittedly take delight from the sight, even if they¡¯re far from my type.


    ¡°Everything should be as legal as tomatoes. On an unrelated note, every day, the Crystal Sage lives through a large amount of endless pain.¡± The twitchy Elf wizard clutches his heart and falls onto the election platform.


    The candidates all go their separate ways for that, except for Pimpington and the Sage. The pimp helps the Elf to his feet, who goes on to reward his savior by handing Sir Pimpington a small bag that seems to be full of white and yellow flowers.


    The crowd scatters, too, leaving Meri and myself to rise and inevitably walk towards Niall. ¡°What the fuck was that about, Kiddo?¡±


    ¡°The Duke of Dewhurst, apparently.¡± I shrug my shoulders with indifference, and the homeless beggar looks to Meri.


    ¡°Yeah, uh... what he said.¡± Meri frowns. ¡°It was definitely the Duke.¡±


    ¡°Shit...¡± Niall¡¯s eyes open wide. ¡°Don¡¯t get yourself killed before I become Mayor, or else I really won¡¯t be able to help you guys out!¡± He tries to ease some of the tension off, but his attempt falls very flat.


    ¡°Indeed...¡± I say, it being about all I can manage.


    ¡°I uh, can¡¯t help but think you¡¯re a little casual about this.¡± Niall scratches the back of his thick black hair, ruffling its greasy sheen. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be a bit more surprised?¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re both a bit too strung out from surprises...¡± Meri answers for me with a weary cadence in her voice.


    ¡°Agreed. I¡¯m just putting it out of my mind for the moment. Oh. Before I forget- you did well up there. You can count on my vote... as much as I never thought I¡¯d say that.¡± I offer the drunkard a small, wary smile and watch his face light up.


    ¡°Me too! Y-You really stood up for Master. I wasn¡¯t expecting that.¡± Meri clenches her fists in envy.


    ¡°Oh, pfft. Nah. I just said what came to mind, y¡¯know?¡± Niall looks away as a hint of embarrassment colors his cheeks. ¡°Town wasn¡¯t ready for your grandpa to kick it when he did, and they needed a scapegoat, anyone but themselves.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been saying those very same things, myself. Honestly? It¡¯s good to hear some validation, even if it¡¯s a lot later than I¡¯d like.¡± I adjust my glasses and wipe the stress from my eyes. The good news is that it does seem like I¡¯m getting better at managing this.


    I guess after everything that¡¯s happened in the last week, my resistance to shocking developments has improved. I don¡¯t know whether to be glad or sad that it¡¯s come to this.


    ¡°You two heading back to the Guild, then?¡± Niall places his hand on his hip. ¡°I hope you can wrangle those other adventurer girls of yours into sending their votes my way, too.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t actually think you¡¯ll win this, do you? The man who¡¯ll ultimately fix the ballots showed up here himself. I like what you¡¯ve got to sell, Niall, but I don¡¯t think the Duke is going to be buying. It¡¯s a toss-up between the pimp and the addict.¡±


    ¡°But we¡¯ll... um... we¡¯ll be taking down the Duke once and for all in a few months... r-right?¡± Meri looks to me as a source of confidence.


    ¡°We¡¯ll see how it goes.¡± I nod my head in response.


    ¡°Quick question, kid. Just to lighten the mood.¡± Niall smirks and works his way behind my back, wrapping an arm around me. Rather than shrugging off, I let him do it.


    ¡°Shoot.¡±


    ¡°So... those girls of yours... they¡¯re ALL your girlfriend, right?¡± The homeless vagabond looks at me with an expression mixed between confusion, pride, and jealousy.


    Nope, I shrug Niall off after all. ¡°I-I don¡¯t see what difference that makes-¡±


    ¡°Woah there, Kiddo, I am NOT fuckin¡¯ judging!¡± He laughs and slaps me on the back. ¡°Just happy for ya. Bout time the ladies started seeing what a catch you are... Good eye, Meri.¡±


    Meri blushes and cups her cheeks in her palms. ¡°Oh... u-um... actually, Master went after me first... I was scared of him at first, if you can believe that! But he wouldn¡¯t give up, and then Master cornered me one night in the hallway outside my bedroom, and he... he...!¡± My brunette lover sighs dreamily while my alcoholic, homeless headache shoots me a shit-eating grin.


    I grab Meri by the wrist and start walking away from the beggar, my cheeks becoming redder. ¡°That¡¯s enough airing out my private affairs for one day, dear. Let¡¯s get back to the Guild. We need to check on Zutiria.¡±


    ¡°Do we?¡± Meri giggles as she waves at Niall. ¡°He¡¯s not so bad, though, Master! You... um... even act pretty cute when he teases you, too...¡±


    Niall must¡¯ve heard that because he winks at me before turning away.


    ¡°Gods damn it...¡± I mumble under my breath, wishing I had a shield of my own to hide behind.

 Rocky Outcroppings and You

    Nikita and I left the Guild about an hour ago, and the whole time I¡¯ve been so hyped that it¡¯s hard to keep myself in control.


    I¡¯m finally gonna get to do some training. Some ACTUAL training! Not meditation and not reading books, no. But swinging my sword kind of training!


    Hard to believe it, but after that humiliating profile thingy that the Goddess wrote, I¡¯m happy to work on my fighting skills. I haven¡¯t been letting it eat at me or anything, but it still kinda stung. Even if I proved it right by assaulting Zuzu like an hour later... still! That was to make Boss happy, not because I¡¯m a slut!


    Ugh.


    Who cares what some stupid Goddess thinks, anyway. All she does is fuck shit up and make our lives worse. I don¡¯t need to dwell on her judgmental view of me, of all people. On our way to the west gate, I told Niki what happened, and she shrugged it off, too.


    ¡°Live your life the way you want to, Sam. No use getting hung up on the bitchy words of an incompetent bimbo sitting on a cloud.¡± Niki says.


    She always speaks like she has so much personal experience with Gods. It has me curious. ¡°Was your God the only one you ever met? Ares, was it?¡±


    ¡°Nah. I¡¯ve met a decent chunk of the Grekkan pantheon at one point or another. Hard not to when you live there. They¡¯re all over the place waging war or making new demi-gods.¡± She laughs, but it¡¯s an insincere laugh.


    Niki¡¯s been acting fucking weird lately. You bet you¡¯re ass I¡¯m gonna grill her about it when it¡¯s time to take a break from training. For now, though, I don¡¯t wanna bring down her mood any more than I can help.


    We end up leaving the west gate and heading out into the rocky wasteland alone. I asked her why we needed to do it out here, and she told me, ¡°Rocky areas are a staple fixture when it comes to training. There¡¯s not a lot of people around to both you, the outcroppings and boulders all serve as good targets and tests, and for one, it¡¯s just badass to workout in places like this!¡±


    ¡°Makes sense to me.¡± I¡¯ve gotten a lil¡¯ bit further in one of those action novels I bought, and there was a scene where the master took the hero out into a rocky wasteland for training, too. Guess it just comes with the territory.


    I¡¯ll remember this when I¡¯m a mighty warrior and Boss asks me to help train some cute girls for him!


    ¡°Where do you wanna get started?¡± I scan the landscape, seeing it¡¯s mostly free of monsters except for some of their weird penis-nosed moles Boss warned us about. ¡°Won¡¯t the monsters get in the way?¡±


    ¡°No worries about this. Check this out,¡± Niki smiles and starts approaching the monsters. At first, they look at her as a potential victim. But then Niki flares up a threatening aura around her body, and it intimidates the little shits into fucking right off. The screech and start burying away into the earth, causing Niki to laugh. ¡°When you¡¯re super strong, lower leveled monsters won¡¯t even fuck with you.¡±


    ¡°Bitchin¡¯! Is that what you¡¯re gonna teach me today?¡±


    ¡°Nope. Today I¡¯m gonna hammer in a few super basic Arts into you. You should be more than ready, I think.¡±


    ¡°No shit.¡± I smile and draw my sword, plunging it into the ground for easier access. ¡°Are you sure? I¡¯m only able to concentrate for like... forty seconds, now.¡±


    ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Niki¡¯s face becomes stern.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I tilt my head. Not sure what this is gonna accomplish, but...


    ¡°Do it.¡± She emphasizes her words by stomping on the dusty ground with her foot.


    ¡°...Alright.¡± I don¡¯t see any point in being disobedient here, so I do what she teaches me.


    Everything becomes still, silent, and tranquil.


    In this perfect moment, there¡¯s no fucked up daddy issues... no fear of disappointing everyone who expects so much from me... no burning desire to prove myself... it¡¯s just quiet. It won¡¯t last, but I¡¯m starting to get used to this calm.


    A presence intrudes upon my brief moment of clarity, and I duck to the left. My eyes shoot open reflexively. I see that Niki just tried to punch me, and I look up at her in awe. ¡°Holy shit.¡±


    ¡°Not bad! See? You¡¯re already improving at the fundamentals. You got a good grasp of sensing someone else¡¯s aura now, and you can even sense when it turns hostile. It¡¯ll take a long-ass time to get it where you can move entirely on instinct, but-¡±


    ¡°Can you show me?¡± I stand up and tighten my hands into fists. I need to see this shit first hand.


    Niki smirks like she¡¯s impressed with my guts, and I smirk back. ¡°Heh. You got it. Try your best, kid.¡± The Grekkan mercenary closes her eyes. I take a step forward and attack with a right jab, putting a fair amount of power behind it.


    Niki effortlessly weaves away from it, but I don¡¯t let up. I throw a left hook aimed at her side, and she backsteps. Right uppercut, a dodge to the right. Left, right, side, upper, hook, jab... It devolves into a rapid series of punches aimed at every spot I can possibly think of, and not a single one hits.


    ¡°No fuckin¡¯ way...¡± I gasp for air and smile.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t even have to think about it, either. Your body isn¡¯t just a weapon. It¡¯s your partner. You gotta trust your instincts because, at the end of the day, both of you got the same agenda; kicking ass and taking names.¡± Niki eases her guard and wipes off a single bead of sweat from her forehead.


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen her sweat before while training Meri... I really wanna brag and boast about how I made her put in an effort, but... that¡¯d just devalue my progress, I think. But DAMN, do I wanna celebrate! Why does being humble take so much effort...?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get in over your head, Sam. It¡¯s time to go over the Arts I¡¯ll be passing along.¡±


    ¡°Dope! Let¡¯s get started!¡±


    ¡°There are two general Arts I¡¯ll be teaching today, as long as one Great Blader specific Art.¡±


    ¡°Three in one day? Am I really gonna be able to learn them all...?¡± My confidence lowers for a split second, and I swallow nervously, but Niki has my back.


    ¡°Probably. These Arts are super easy ones, and you¡¯ve already got a good handle of the basic skills. You can slow down and feel other¡¯s aura now, so you should be able to control your own stamina to a limited degree.¡±


    ¡°Is that really all it takes?¡±


    ¡°Think about it for a sec. I mean like, picture all your energy going into your- OK, NO.¡± She stops herself and laughs awkwardly. ¡°Not all of it. I don¡¯t want you to get carried away. Uh. A picture like... five percent of your energy going into your fist. Visualize it.¡±


    ¡°Um... sure.¡± I raise my hand and grasp it into a tight fist and close my eyes. I think about what Niki¡¯s aggressive aura looked like when she was about to punch me, and I try and overlay that same feeling onto my hand.


    ¡°See? You always had a knack for it. Just had to teach you to chill.¡±


    I open my eyes and see that my fist is shining softly, almost like a Mage or some shit! ¡°Fuck yeah! I¡¯m the fucking BES-...¡± Er. I look at Niki, and she smirks.


    ¡°You can gloat just a bit, Sam. This level of progress so fast isn¡¯t normal, so I¡¯ll allow it.¡±


    I pump my fists into the air, ¡°Oh YEAH!¡±


    ¡°So you can control the flow of energy throughout your body. That¡¯s great, but it¡¯s only the beginning. These first couple of skills will take those fundamentals and then put them to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready, Niki. Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    My mentor summons a long great blade with her Auto Loader, and she looks me dead on. ¡°First off, you¡¯re gonna learn two ¡®passive¡¯ Arts. These are the quickest type to learn since you can basically just turn them off and when you need to. We¡¯ll go over Steel Soul, which will teach you how to manipulate the Stamina in your body better. After that, I¡¯ll teach you Blunt Edge. That one will show you the basics on how to channel your Stamina into other things, namely your sword.¡±


    ¡°And what¡¯s the third one?¡± I ask while my blood starts pumping even harder from excitement.


    ¡°Third one is called Biding Blade. That¡¯s the Art that¡¯s exclusive to Great Blades, and it¡¯s an ¡®active¡¯ Art, too... meaning you¡¯ll have to actually maintain focus to use it.¡±


    ¡°Shit.¡± I cringe at the thought of having to actively concentrate mid-battle. Not my strong suit still. ¡°But I can only focus for like...¡±


    ¡°Sam.¡± Niki interrupts me and leans in to put her fist on my shoulder, comfortingly. ¡°Forty seconds passes by in battle a lot slower than you¡¯d think. You¡¯ll get better, so just trust me. Alright?¡±


    ¡°...Alright.¡± Her words perk me up, and I smile up at her excitedly. ¡°No more fucking around, let¡¯s do this!¡±

 Sam Learns Arts and Sucks At Them

    The first Art is pretty easy, just like Niki said it¡¯d be. Steel Soul is basically like a magic protective shell for my body. Kinda exactly what it says on the tin. By picturing myself covered in impenetrable energy, I mentally cast the Art and become a lot more resistant to damage. Doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s poking, cutting, or shooting. Pretty much everything physical is covered by this.


    Course there¡¯s a problem... mainly that I¡¯m not fuckin¡¯ good at it.


    I can use Steel Soul, sure, but not very well. Like Niki told me, it¡¯s ¡®instant¡¯, but I still have to stand there and think about activating it. This is hard to do since it takes a lot of mental processing power. Picturing my energy all over my body at once like that almost gives me a headache.


    Right now, I can¡¯t even thoroughly coat my body in it, and I can only really hold it in one place for a little while without it going away.


    Niki explains that when I¡¯m more practiced with it, I can create Steel Soul instantly and maintain it around my entire body. Still, right now, it¡¯s more of an ¡®OH, SHIT!¡¯ emergency move to whip out right when I¡¯m about to get hit by an attack.


    Can¡¯t wait till I don¡¯t have to think about it, though. Niki says it¡¯s not an Art with an upper limit and that the stronger you get with it, the more it scales. Kinda funny, but she also said at higher levels it makes bikini armor viable... at least when you¡¯re out on low-rank quests.


    Calling it a lifesaving Art is a fuckin¡¯ exaggeration. This shit should be like... taught in schools or something!


    We train my ability at Steel Soul for about an hour. She has me turn it off and on again all over my body. I had to get out of my armor for most of this training to actually feel the difference.


    Coulda done without the demonstration, honestly.


    I¡¯m pretty brave, sure, but I was... uh... a little nervous when Niki pulled out a bow and arrow and had me lift up my tank top. Thank the gods when she shot the weapon, the arrowhead exploded right when it hit my belly button.


    Apparently, Steel Soul helps physical attacks like punches and kicks from hurting the user, too. So now I could totally punch one of those stupid Roggerolls in their dumb, ugly mugs if I had to! Not super relevant to me since I¡¯m not a martial artist or anything like that, but an excellent little note to have.


    Moving on to the next art I get to learn, we got Blunt Edge.


    ¡°You¡¯re an adventurer, not a mercenary like I was. There¡¯s a difference. Unlike me, there¡¯s gonna be times where you¡¯re not gonna want to kill your opponent, and there¡¯s thankfully a straightforward way not to.¡± Niki explained while taking her great blade and commanding me to stay put.


    The Grekkan warrior raises her sword, and before I can get any say in the matter, she strikes me in the side- lightly but firm. The attack doesn¡¯t cut through me despite her strength, and it felt more like getting hit with a club or something.


    ¡°Any questions?¡± Niki asks.


    ¡°Nope!¡± I reply with ecstatic glee.


    I get the gist of it from that demonstration alone. Basically, I¡¯m just gonna be coating my sword in my energy instead of my body, yeah? It can¡¯t be too hard.


    Only it turns out that it¡¯s kinda tricky...


    Niki gives me all kinds of advice on using Blunt Edge to try and make it easier. It doesn¡¯t help much. Bringing my energy out of my body and putting it on top of something else is a weird feeling. Apparently, it¡¯s essential that I start with an art like this, though. My kick-ass teacher tells me that emitting energy outwards is critical in a lot of Arts.


    ¡°If you can get this right, Sam, you¡¯ll be able to do all kinds of crazy shit. You ever wondered how warriors can shoot beams out of their swords? Boom. You¡¯re looking at the answer.¡±


    ¡°Aw hell yeah, I want a fuckin¡¯ sword beam!¡± My motivation swells up at the thought of being able to shoot energy beams from my weapon. That would be super badass, so I got to try even harder!


    Eventually, I''m able to push my aura out past the hilt and into my blade. It¡¯s far from precise, and it¡¯s just kinda swimming around the center of my sword instead of actually coating, y¡¯know, the parts that need to be made blunt.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You¡¯re doing good, kid.¡± Niki grins, but it¡¯s not enough for me.


    ¡°This really gonna be useful?¡± I ask while tightening the grip on my hilt, sweat running off my face. ¡°It¡¯s taking so much stamina just to keep it inside my sword...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop! It¡¯s just like Steel Soul. The more you do it, the less stamina it¡¯ll take till you can do it without thinking about it.¡± Niki does her best to pump me up, and it results in me briefly managing to coat the edges of my sword with Blunt Edge.


    It feels great to make some progress, but it only lasts one slash before I gotta recoat it. ¡°Fuck...¡± I groan and drop the sword down into the earth again. ¡°Did you bring any stamina potions?¡±


    Niki walks up to me and uses her Auto Loader to bring out a glass bottle of green liquid, thank the Gods. ¡°Just one for today, even if you CAN chug potions endlessly and train non-stop, doesn¡¯t mean you should. It¡¯s not addictive, but it ain¡¯t a good mindset to have. ¡®Specially for someone like you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I ask after wiping the drink from my lips and letting out a small burp. Shit goes down weird, but it works fast.


    ¡°You¡¯re in a rush to prove yourself and get stronger. You¡¯re always rushing.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t deny that...¡± Her words make me sigh, and I cross my arms.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a lot of promising warriors cut down by their own impatience, kid. I¡¯d like it if you don¡¯t join their ranks.¡± Niki frowns, and I feel a bit embarrassed now. Her words sting, even though she means well.


    My badass coach lets me rest for a few minutes for the stamina potion to fully work its way through my body, and I end up asking her about how she¡¯s been doing. ¡°So what the fuck¡¯s been going on with you this week? Feels like you¡¯ve been avoiding the Guild.¡±


    Niki looks straight at me. For a second, I feel like Niki¡¯s gonna burst into one of her infamous laugh fests until her expression sours instead. ¡°I caught myself caring again, that¡¯s all.¡± She sighs.


    ¡°The fuck¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡±


    ¡°Opal asked me to help you guys out. I¡¯m a friendly person, so we all bonded pretty quickly... and when Chief said he was in danger, I made it clear I¡¯d protect him and help train you all harder.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know. But that doesn¡¯t explain-¡±


    ¡°That was before he went on about his plans to take down the Demon Lord.¡± Niki¡¯s brow furrows into a strange expression, like she¡¯s holding back something and trying to remain sober.


    ¡°Fuck, Niki. Do you wanna talk about it or something?¡± I¡¯m not the best at reassuring and being the kind of mature person my friends can rely on, but I want to get better at it, and if nothing else, I¡¯ll be there when they need me. Of fuckin¡¯ course, that means Niki, too.


    The Grekkan groans deeply and cradles her head against her fist. ¡°You two are so pushy, I swear.¡± She lets out a tiny laugh before I could start to worry if I pissed her off.


    ¡°Stop worrying about me, and pick up your sword, Sam. We got one last Art to go over, and It¡¯ll probably be the hardest of the three.¡±


    Niki¡¯s not gonna budge even if I keep trying to poke it out of her...


    This sucks. I just wanna help my friend, but she¡¯s making it impossible. Not much I can do about it, so I grumble and pick up my sword.


    ¡°Biding Blade is one of the main reasons you need to be defensive as a Great Blader. This Art is gonna be one of your main sources of damage, and it requires patience. Unlike other weapons, great blades are perfect for storing tons of energy inside them because of how damn huge the fucking things are. The way this Art works is you picture your energy pumping into your sword moment by moment, and when you swing, it all comes out in one go.¡±


    The demonstration Niki gives me is the coolest fuckin¡¯ thing I¡¯ve ever seen. I watch as she pumps her stamina inside her great blade, and over about ten seconds, it keeps growing in intensity. Satisfied with the amount, Niki raises her sword and strikes the earth so hard that I fall to the ground.


    Debris falls from the sky like hail, and dust explodes across the ground like a fierce wind storm. After it settles, I can see the impact crater for what it really fucking is- HUGE.


    My jaw drops. It has to be like twenty feet deep and just as wide. ¡°That... wasn¡¯t even your full power, was it?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    Every time I feel like I make progress, Niki reminds me how fucking far apart our levels really are... it¡¯s maddening, and it makes me angry as fuck, but I¡¯d be lying if I said it wasn¡¯t a tremendous fuckin¡¯ motivator.


    ¡°It might be hard, but it¡¯s basically just Blunt Edge without you having to move around the energy to another point of the sword. The main thing about Biding Blade is if you swing a single time, then all the energy disperses. Meaning you gotta dodge, block, and wait for the time your attack¡¯ll do the most damage. Oh! Obviously, you¡¯ll have to combine it with Blunt Edge when you use it on humans.¡±


    ¡°...That¡¯s-¡±


    Niki looks off into the distance. ¡°It¡¯s like popping a meat balloon.¡±


    ...Okay then, I coulda gone without that mental image.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to it, Sam. I¡¯ll spend the day with you so let¡¯s go for another three or four hours. Think you can handle it?¡±


    ¡°Long as I don¡¯t need to pop any meat balloons!¡±


    ¡°Heh, we¡¯ll see.¡± Niki smirks, and I spend the next couple of hours working on these arts as hard as I fuckin¡¯ can... I want to get stronger... I don¡¯t wanna be useless. I got all this power, and I need to learn how to use it, dammit!

 Gathering Quest

    Meri and I had a small lunch out together, nothing too fancy. I don¡¯t even think there¡¯s a place in Dewhurst that serves fancy food, to begin with. We just duck into a tavern, and thankfully it¡¯s not one that cares enough to refuse me service.


    We have a quick talk about our meeting with the Duke of Dewhurst, and I¡¯m happy to see that Meri feels the same way about it that I do. Despite it being very much a big deal, both of us don¡¯t feel like it was.


    His threat at the end was ominous, yes. Still, I already had a sinking suspicion that we¡¯d be fighting some of his men in the months to come anyway... starting with a particular pimp.


    As is, there¡¯s not much we can do about him. Guilds don¡¯t support rampant vigilantism or killing without proper authorization. It¡¯d be different if the local law authorities would place a bounty quest on Sir Pimpington or the Crystal Sage, though. Then we would have the go-ahead to do what needs to be done to bring him in.


    But there¡¯s practically no law enforcement in Dewhurst, the town jail being more or less a revolving door and occasional drunk tank.


    Gods, why couldn¡¯t Opalina have waited for me? I would have told her to try and convince Duke Groomcrest to put bounties on the Duke of Dewhurst and his men. Then we wouldn¡¯t have to deal with all this red tape.


    I¡¯m overthinking things again... It¡¯ll be alright. Just wait, and a chance will eventually appear.


    Our trial period with Cherry and Peri is getting close to wrapping up. Three more days, and they¡¯ll be able to report to Snow that they want to stay with me permanently, and then it won¡¯t matter if the maids desire to do anything lewd with me.


    That¡¯ll be a relief...


    I haven¡¯t decided what my next move is, but I have lots of ideas floating around. I need to go on the offensive while also building up my defenses. That¡¯s a lot easier said than done given my lack of resources, capable adventurers, and backup from the law. Speaking of capable adventurers, Luxy¡¯s hand-picked healer hasn¡¯t arrived yet, either. I¡¯m not sure whether that¡¯s a good or bad thing, given how many warning signs there were...


    We do need more adventurers. This goes without saying. Once the Healer arrives and gets acclimated, I¡¯ll have to see if Luxy is willing to work together on the next member of my roster or not.


    Until then, I¡¯ll make the best use of the three I have. Starting right now.


    Meri and I enter the Guild and see Peri and Cherry working together on cleaning the entrance hall. They¡¯re not arguing, and they aren¡¯t even working on opposite ends like I had them do yesterday. I¡¯m surprised.


    ¡°Welcome home, Myaster!¡± They both greet me and bow as soon as I open the door. Gods, that does wonders for a man¡¯s ego. Cherry¡¯s bow is finally just as polite and delicate as her blue-haired friend¡¯s, but her face is still markedly more embarrassed.


    ¡°Doing a good job, girls.¡± I smile upon looking around at the work they¡¯ve done during our absence. More of the Guild¡¯s floor was dusted, more crumbled quest posters picked up, and more beer bottle shards adequately trashed.


    Still a long way to go, but progress is definitely being made.


    ¡°No fights today, Peri?¡± Meri smiles warmly but has an anxious look on her face.


    The two Catgirls look at each other and shake their heads. ¡°Last night in horny jail, we reached an understanding, nyaa.¡± Peri¡¯s grin becomes broader and more sultry, causing Cherry to blush.


    ¡°N-Not like that, it¡¯s not what it sounds like-¡±


    ¡°It is exactly what it sounds like.¡± Peri corrects.


    ¡°T-that explains the loud meowing at three in the morning...¡± Meri thinks aloud, much to Cherry¡¯s further embarrassment.


    Eventually, the pink-haired cat frowns and drags a sigh out of her lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been too overprotective, nyaa. I understand now that making sure Peri doesn¡¯t make a mistake only... um... makes her more nervous, and it makes her have even more mistakes...¡±


    ¡°Very good.¡± I can¡¯t stop smiling and reaching out to gently pet Cherry, who purrs in response. I make sure not to linger, less the kitten becomes activated with lust. ¡°What made you come to this conclusion?¡±


    Cherry glances at her friend, her cheeks filling with a scarlet flush. ¡°I listened to what she had to say, nyaa. What happened in the past was the past, and I¡¯ve... been really unreasonable to Peri.¡± She bites her lip to keep it from trembling.


    ¡°I forgive you.¡± The soft-spoken maid leans over and gives Cherry a tender kiss on the lips, causing Meri to blush and myself to raise an eyebrow from interest. ¡°Cherry won¡¯t cause any more problems because we have a common goal now, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Peri, no-¡±


    ¡°What would that be?¡± Meri smiles and clasps her hands together, tilting her head from curiosity.


    ¡°We both want the Myaster¡¯s kittens, nyaa!¡±


    ¡°I-I SAID NO SUCH FUCKING-¡±


    Meri¡¯s jaw drops, and I take a few steps away from the group. ¡°Yes, well. As enticing as that sounds, I am not currently looking to become a father. You¡¯ll be put on weekly doses Succu-bye just like the rest of my lovers, assuming anything sexual were to happen between us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll throw it up when you¡¯re not looking...¡± Peri mumbles under her breath, hoping I can¡¯t hear her sexy yet mischievous intentions.


    ¡°PERI. BAD.¡± I stomp my foot and take an authoritative tone, and she recoils and blushes before hiding her head in Cherry¡¯s cleavage.


    ¡°J-Just kidding, Myaster... nyaa...¡± She says from the comfort of the tanned Catgirl¡¯s small-ish boobs.


    Cherry sighs and begins petting her friend on the head, running her cat-like fingers through Peri¡¯s blue locks of fine hair. ¡°I want to stay here. Not just for Peri, b-but because I like it here and I like YOU, M-Myaster.¡± She does her best to not break eye contact with me, and I reward her with a smile.


    ¡°I like the both of you as well.¡±


    ¡°We all do!¡± Meri smiles and reaches out to pet the kitties, her crimson eyes twinkling as they both lean into her touch and begin to purr. ¡°This is just the best. I always wanted a pet...¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you Myaster¡¯s pet, though?¡± Peri tilts her head.


    ¡°W-What?! No! That¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Meri is indeed my pet.¡± I smile and watch the Shield Maiden¡¯s face blush like mad.


    ¡°MASTER?!¡±


    ¡°Silly girl. A pet can¡¯t have pets.¡± Peri affectionately licks Meri on her cheek.


    Cherry smirks and looks at me. ¡°Do you normally fuck your pets up the ass? Naughty Myaster. That¡¯s abuse.¡±


    There¡¯s no longer any part of Meri¡¯s face that isn¡¯t red. She stumbles and stammers, trying to defend herself, and I end up laughing a good deal.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough of that.¡± I sigh with great amusement. ¡°I¡¯ve got a job for the three of you. First off, though, is Zutiria awake yet?¡±


    ¡°Mmm yeah, we made her breakfast about an hour and a half ago, nyaa.¡± Cherry nods her head.


    ¡°Glad to hear it. Now, I¡¯m going to give you a break from cleaning for the day so you can go out and help Meri with something...¡±


    I explain my plan to the girls after going into my office and bringing out an alchemy manual for beginners. It¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve read it, but I remember some necessary ingredients to create health and stamina potions. They¡¯ll be low-leveled concoctions, sure, but the things we need can all be found in the surrounding area.


    Maybe Zutiria knows how to add more of a kick to them. Even if she doesn¡¯t, I want to start building up materials for her, so we don¡¯t need to waste gold on buying potions from local apothecaries. Most Guilds have alchemy labs and alchemists onsite for this very reason. Only the Association makes a profit by selling potions using predatory subscription plans and additional fees if you need to refill before the next scheduled restock.


    Needless to say, I won¡¯t be implementing these systems since it¡¯s not like the association will ever know. My adventurers will be getting free healthcare whenever I can help it; thank you very much.


    I flip through the different plants we¡¯ll be needing, and I sketch copies of the illustrations. I¡¯m not much of an artist, but my eyes make me very good at replicating what I see, almost with mechanical precision. There¡¯s nothing ¡®artistic¡¯ about my copies. They¡¯re just reproductions. It still impresses the girls, though.


    For health potions, the girls need to be on the lookout for love cress, quiet berries, needleroot, and virin petals. All reasonably familiar sights east of Dewhurst, out where the Slimes and Living Fungi roam.


    Then they¡¯ll need to head southeast for dancing brittlebush, twilight bittercress, aromatic goldenglow, and drine weed. These are all much easier found in the forest.


    I assure Meri and the kitties that they can focus on one region or the other today. Still, they insist on being useful and promise to do both. I¡¯m truly blessed to have such good girls, I swear.


    Before they go, I quickly show the kitties how to use the Returners in case of emergency. They get it drilled in really, really hard that they can¡¯t use them at the same time, or else something terrible would happen when they teleport on top of each other.


    Goddess knows we don¡¯t need some four-armed, four-legged fusion of the maids running about the place...


    I bid my adorable gathering team good luck and go upstairs to check on Zutiria in the master bedroom. I figure I should tell her about my plans for her to brew some potions and figured she and I could go on a date in town to pick up bottles. Knocking on the door leads her to respond, ¡®Come in, Sir.¡¯


    I open the door and am greeted with a surprising amount of inky darkness. That¡¯s odd. Zutiria can¡¯t stand the dark. Soon after I think that, though, a little sweet-smelling ball of pink flutters out of the darkness and illuminates the room. Another appears, and another until the room is covered in these romantic-looking spheres.


    ¡°Zutiria?¡± I call out to my little lover and scan the room for her, seeing no sign of the Mage. As I walk closer to the bed, I hear the sound of the door shutting and locking behind me.


    I turn to face the source of the phenomenon, and I see Zutiria standing there in nothing but a frilly black and purple sheer nightgown that hides nothing. I can see straight through the material to see the trail of trickling juices spreading down her thighs and the pointy hard nipples poking through the cloth.


    She stares at me, panting heavily, and each breath seems to puff out like we were standing out in the cold. The room literally grows thick with her breathing, and it feels almost intoxicating to inhale. She smiles at me and takes her glasses off, putting them on the shelf.


    ¡®Hello, Sir. I have something to show you. Why don¡¯t you lie down on the bed?¡¯ She tilts her head and smiles softly, eyes shining pink.

 The Basics of Eromancy

    Without making a big deal of it, I sit down on the edge of the soft, fluffy bed and look towards my lover. She stares at me with her glowing pink eyes, and I see now that her pupils have disappeared and have been replaced entirely by hearts. ¡°I like the new look. It¡¯s a good color on you, though I hope it¡¯s not permanent. Your eyes are pretty in their normal color, too.¡±


    Zutiria blushes and walks towards me, making sure to sway her tiny hips like a pendulum back and forth in an attempt to appear as sexual as she can. ¡®Fret not. They glow only when I¡¯m using Eromancy.¡¯


    I blink in disbelief. I wait several moments for her to clarify that she was just joking, but the revelation never comes.


    ¡°Eromancy? Zutiria, that¡¯s... come on now, silly girl. You should know better than anyone that a book of sex spells you find at the local marketplace isn¡¯t true Eromancy.¡±


    ¡®I bought the Eronomicon for 500G yesterday, and my mind, among other things, has been opened.¡¯


    ¡°The Eronomicon.¡±


    ¡®Yes.¡¯ She confirms.


    ¡°The fabled book containing the long-forgotten secrets of sultry sorcery? A book most consider a complete myth?¡±


    ¡®The very same.¡¯


    ¡°And this priceless sex magic manual was just gathering dust in the local market.¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s a long story full of gender-bent hunchbacks and egotistical wizards.¡¯ Zutiria states matter-of-factly.


    I stare into her eyes, those beautiful, pink, magical eyes. She¡¯s not fucking with me.


    ¡°...Makes sense.¡±


    Still, I must have read a thousand different stories about a sorceress getting her hands on the mythical Eronomicon, all of which were incredibly arousing. The fact that I¡¯m so knowledgeable on the topic just makes this all the more surreal to me.


    Zutiria uses this moment of calm to sneak in between my legs. She stands above me as I sit on the bed, and she bends over to start unbuttoning my shirt. Her small yet shapely breasts spill sensually against the sultry fabric of her sheer gown. Her erotic, glowing gaze doesn¡¯t leave mine, not even for a second.


    ¡®The book was blank when I bought it. I had to spend most of last night figuring out how to make the first page¡¯s spells appear.¡¯


    ¡°And how did that work out for you, my love?¡±


    ¡®Well, Sir, my eyes are currently glowing pink.¡¯ She smiles as she undoes the last button, moving her hands up to the bowstring of my collar and pulling it undone.


    ¡°Point taken.¡±


    Zutiria strips me of my vest before leaning in to kiss me on the neck with her small yet full lips. ¡®At around two in the morning, I was able to convince the book I was worthy of its salacious secrets. Then, I had to spend the next three hours learning the ancient script it was written in. Without a cipher, of course.¡¯


    ¡°...Zutiria-¡±


    She nibbles my neck, and I groan, taking my glasses off and setting them on the nightstand. The little Mage begins to speak while continuing to tease my neck muscles with her lips, kissing, sucking, and nibbling in turn. ¡®After I managed to crack the code, I was able to learn all of the spells on the first page. I tried casting a few of them as well, but my body is not suited to Eromancy as of yet. I became overwhelmed with desire after trying some of the stronger spells out, and it led to me falling into the state which you found me in this morning, Sir.¡¯


    I reach out and grab her tiny hips with my hands, forcibly pushing her back away from me for just a moment. ¡°Zutiria... Did you really stay up the entire night solely so that you could learn ancient sex magic in an attempt to make me happy?¡±


    She frowns, panicked beyond what I could consider normal. ¡®Are you not satisfied, Sir? I... I did this for you... please don¡¯t be upset... please...¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m delighted. But I also don¡¯t want you pushing your health just because you want to please me.¡± I reach out and embrace the little Mage tightly, doing my best to make her feel loved. She needs it now more than ever.


    She hugs back daintily, and while she¡¯s clamped to me, she strips me of my white dress shirt. ¡®With all due respect, Sir, this wasn¡¯t just for you.¡¯


    ¡°How so?¡±


    Zutiria frowns and looks down at the ground. Her lower lip trembles, and the pink glow in her eyes waver ever so slightly, as do the glowing orbs of energy floating amidst the bedroom. ¡®This... is the first time since IT happened that I¡¯ve been able to focus on something other than...¡¯


    Fleetfoot. Of course. How could I be so foolish?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Zutiria.¡± I grab her by her shoulders and yank her back onto the bed with me. Then while kissing her deeply, I roll the two of us to the center of the massive mattress.


    Her smile becomes larger and more sensual as she lays atop my body, covered only by her lingerie. She starts grinding her hips into mine down below and the Mage lids her glowing eyes seductively. ¡®Don¡¯t be sorry, be happy that you are my man. You¡¯re about to be the first person in over a thousand years to taste the pleasures that true Eromancy has to offer. What other Mage could give you such delight?¡¯


    I pull her lips to mine, and we share a hypnotic, long, and passionate kiss. Every taste of her delicate little tongue draws me deeper into her hands, my every whim suddenly dedicated to Zutiria and Zutiria alone. She continues to push down against my rising cock, and, unable to take it, I start pushing back up as well.


    Our lips pull apart from each other, her breath growing hotter and heavier still. My curiosity gets the better of me. ¡°What sets true Eromancy apart from regular magic?¡± I ask her, to which she smiles softly.


    ¡®How much do you know about it, Sir?¡¯ The lavender-haired Mage responds while unbuckling my belt.


    ¡°Only what I¡¯ve read in fiction.¡± My zipper is undone, and my erection threatens to tear through the fabric of my underwear.


    Seeing the poor state of my cock, Zutiria frowns and places her soft, tiny hands on both sides, and begins to stroke me through the cloth. I groan in response, especially when watching her delight grow from teasing me. ¡®Read a lot of stories about lucky Mages re-discovering the ancient art of true sex magic, have you, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s a trendy topic...¡± I try to excuse myself. It¡¯s true, too, but I admittedly like the subject topic. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d get to be the recipient of such affections, though...¡±


    ¡®I told you that being my man comes with many benefits, did I not? I believe when I made the Return Gate, I warned you that it wouldn¡¯t be the last time I break the currently known laws of magic for your benefit. Now, here we are. Only a few weeks later, and I¡¯ve brought a dead, highly sought-after school of sorcery back into existence. Just so that I worship your massive, godly cock better, Sir.¡¯


    My heart skips a beat as I consider the meaning of her words. I already know Zutiria loves me to the point of obsession, and I always get a massive thrill from how she plays up the way she worships me... but... ¡°Gods, I love you so much.¡± I break ever so softly and hug her really tightly.


    Zutiria must not have been expecting this emotional outburst because it takes her a minute to hug back. When she does, it¡¯s a shy embrace. She leans into my ear and whispers. ¡°I... l-love... you... too, Sir...¡±


    She pulls away and smiles, sitting on my chest and looking down at me with a devoted smile. ¡®Regarding your question, modern sex magic is just a poor imitation of true Eromancy. Mages can achieve similar results through the creative use of spells, but Eromancy takes your body¡¯s raw sexual mana and channels your will out in the world. These spells have a warm, pleasurable feeling and naturally increase both the caster and the target¡¯s sensitivity, stamina, and so on.¡¯


    ¡°Sexual mana? Are you literally casting spells with your pussy?¡±


    ¡®Pretty much.¡¯


    ¡°And here I thought I couldn¡¯t get any harder...¡±


    Zutiria grins delicately from my playful comment.


    ¡®Eromancy also uses a great many elements from multiple schools of magic all at the same time. It rolls them all under the same umbrella as long as they¡¯re cast sexually. An easier way to explain would be that one Eromancy spell could be replicated with four or five normal spells... but even then, it wouldn¡¯t be as strong.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure I follow along...¡± I smirk up at her and lie.


    ¡®Hmmm. Perhaps I should show you, then?¡¯ Zutiria returns my smile and raises her hands. I watch her excitedly with a pounding heart and a throbbing cock as they begin to glow as pink as her eyes.

 Unlimited Sexual Power

    ¡°So what exactly do you need me to do for this, Zutiria?¡± I look up at my lover with tense anticipation, taking in the sight of her beautiful body wrapped in exquisite, form-fitting lingerie. While she¡¯s an incredible sight to behold normally, her magic¡¯s pink luminosity brings out an even more sensual side of her.


    Her beauty is beyond belief.


    ¡®Just relax, Sir. Let¡¯s get you out of these stuff pants, as well. Goddess knows you won¡¯t be needing them.¡¯ She gets off of my chest and slides down my legs to help glide off my clothing. ¡®Mmm, good. He¡¯s looking ready to go as ever.¡¯ Zutiria smiles as my stiff manhood springs forth from its cotton prison, eager for attention like it¡¯s never felt before.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not every day he gets to look forward to the delights of ancient sex magic.¡±


    ¡®You¡¯re wrong, Sir. You DO get to look forward to the delights of ancient sex magic every day from now on.¡¯ With a teasing look in her eyes, she grips my rod and gives it a playful, light tug of affection. I moan and buck my hips slightly, eyes open from shock.


    ¡°W-What in the-¡± Holding back another more resounding groan, I bite my lower lip and writhe beneath her delicate touch.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t even used a spell yet.¡¯ She giggles softly under her breath, dragging the tip of her tinger across my flared, red cockhead. As she does so, I begin to sweat, unable to believe that such soft and slow touches could provoke such immense reactions from me. ¡®This is just me applying sexual mana to my skin.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s... almost too much.¡± My eyes clench right as the teasing Mage runs her soft fingertip up the length of my frenulum, playing with it like I were a puppet and my sensitive cock were my strings. ¡°A-AH...! Won¡¯t... won¡¯t I cum a lot faster like this...?¡±


    She cocks her head innocently to the side, pink eyes fluttering their long lashes at me. ¡®Not if I don¡¯t want you to. Besides, you have infinite stamina gifted to you from the divine, do you not, Sir?¡¯ Her smile takes on an almost threatening quality to it, and it strikes both fear and excitement into my heart.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to wonder if that¡¯s a blessing or a curse.¡±


    ¡®Let¡¯s find out.¡¯ Zutiria parts her lips from lust and leans down towards my cock, taking a deep breath. I feel the coolness of the air around me being sucked into her hot, wet mouth. I brace myself for her oncoming oral assault...


    But instead, she simply exhales her breath against my twitching meat. The warm air from within her sensual mouth stirs around my cock, enveloping it in a comforting whirlwind of rampant ecstasy. It lingers far longer than a simple breath has any right to, twisting and churning itself against my sensitive skin. It¡¯s too much.


    Without any warning, I begin ejaculating a thick and powerful load of burning semen with surprising ferocity.


    ¡°HAAAH?!¡± My hands clench the bedsheets between my fingers, and it takes all the self-control I have not to buck my hips straight up into Zutiria¡¯s face.


    My gratuitous cum splatters all over my hips and midsection, and it doesn¡¯t stop anytime soon. It goes and goes, spraying like a bottle of champagne uncorked until I¡¯m covered.


    After fighting to regain my breath, I stare at the almost expressionless Mage. ¡°What... what the fuck did you just do...?¡±


    ¡®Nothing. I just wanted to show you that I can make you cum whenever I want. See?¡¯ Zutiria leans down and inhales another breath of air, and blows onto me once again, but I feel almost nothing this time.


    ¡°And that¡¯s... that¡¯s not even a spell...?¡±


    ¡®Nope. Still just my mana.¡¯ Her pink gaze glows with mischief, and I feel trouble afoot coming from her direction. ¡®Let¡¯s give you another one... You deserve it, Sir.¡¯


    Zutiria reaches down with her pointer finger to touch the base of my cock, and trails it up the entire length methodically and confidently. Her finger feels soft, pleasant, and its warmth soothes me to my core with its unnatural, burning pink glow.  This single motion drives me past the bring yet again. From a single touch, the budding Eromancer makes me erupt another batch of my bubbling ball juices, making me scream in delight.


    ¡°GGGRRAAAHHHG!¡± I strain and twist my body, cock pumping out milk like a hose while the playful Mage enjoys her work with satisfaction.


    ¡®Adorable.¡¯ Zutiria blushes wildly while watching me pant ragged for air. I try to speak, but she cuts me off. ¡®Another.¡¯


    Her tiny finger traces a devilish, zigzagged pattern up the length once more, this time teasingly swerving left and right to draw out the pleasure. Her magic, sexual mana-powered touch forces me much against my will to cum a third time in rapid succession.


    By the time this third orgasm happens, my pelvis and abs are coated thicker and whiter than frosting on a cake. Gods, what a pitiful mess I must look...


    Zutiria, however, seems to enjoy the mess I¡¯ve become. She holds a finger to her lips and tilts her head, making a mock expression of innocence. ¡®Sir, whatever is the matter? Is my new talent too much for you? Why, I haven¡¯t even cast any spells yet.¡¯


    There¡¯s an almost sadistic glint in her mystical, pink-glowing eyes. I¡¯ve never seen this side of her. That¡¯s mainly due to how she¡¯s been an utterly obedient sub in the bedroom until this point. Just seeing this glint excites me, as I would very much enjoy having my shit fucked up right about now.


    ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for you to show me the true power of Eromancy, Zutiria. You¡¯ve got the magic touch now, sure, but I want to see a spell.¡±


    ¡®Bad boy.¡¯ She smiles, and her blush becomes stronger, ¡®Let¡¯s get you a bit more clean, first.¡¯


    The dutiful Mage leans across my legs and begins licking up my thighs, pelvis, and abs with intense precision. Her tiny, velvet tongue laps up large swathes of my cum with each stroke. She peppers her service with little pleasured moans and small kisses to remind me how tasty my mana-infused semen is to a Mage like her, and in due time she¡¯s cleaned me off for the most part. Whatever Zutiria didn¡¯t lick up will be absorbed by the magic bedsheets in a few minutes, anyway.


    Thankfully, she decided not to infuse her tongue with her sexual mana while performing this cleanup service.


    ¡®There we go. You just keep laying there, alright, Sir? For today, we¡¯ll test out a single spell. I used it on myself, so I can at least confirm you¡¯ll like it very much. But this is still unexplored territory. I¡¯ll do my best to please you, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria smiles and lays atop my body, leaning down to give me a deep, long kiss that the both of us thoroughly enjoy.


    ¡°Just one?¡± I ask with a grin as soon as her plush lips lift off my own.


    ¡®Eromancy is powerful, even low-level spells. Getting used to their pleasures with tiny steps is vital to keeping one¡¯s sanity.¡¯


    ¡°...Is there an inherent risk to one¡¯s sanity when using these spells?¡±


    ¡®Not if used responsibly.¡¯ She playfully winks.


    ¡°One spell it is.¡± I sigh with a played-up tone of mock disappointment.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Sir. You¡¯re going to love it.¡¯ Zutiria reaches out with her tiny, still glowing hands, and she grabs the sides of my neck in their delicate, firm embrace. The sexual mana coating feels phenomenal, and my cock is readily pressing up against Zutiria¡¯s butt through the skirt of her frilly nightgown.


    Zutiria rubs down to my pecs and teasingly swirls them across my muscles, giving me a sensual massage ending in a delightful pinch of my nipples. Right as it causes me to arch my spine and utter a soft, pleasured groan, the little lady then opens her full, pouty lips and whispers, ¡°Dexteripeat...¡±


    My lover¡¯s hands pull away from my erect nipples, and she sits upon my pelvis once more. Yet... her hands are still up at my neck. At least, something is at my neck. Before I can even look and see, I suddenly witness two pink, floating copies of Zutiria¡¯s hands slide down my chest and perform the exact same motion that she did only moments ago, even up to the part where she pinches my nipples.


    Zutiria grins as the hands disappear momentarily, only to appear at the base of my neck once more in no time at all. I become trapped in the rhythm of her infinitely looping magical hands going back and forth between my neck, my chest, and my nipples over and over.


    ¡°Oh, Gods...¡± I groan as soon as it hits me how many applications this spell might have.


    ¡®Do you like it?¡¯ She asks, full of hope.


    ¡°I do...¡±


    Zutiria dreamily sighs, ¡®Oh, Sir. We¡¯re only getting started.¡¯

 No Escaping an Eromancer

    Zutiria¡¯s hands swerve gracefully across my firm abs. They maneuver down to the sides of my hip and around to the meat of my inner thigh. She lingers,  massaging the erotic flesh so close to my groin before uttering, ¡°Dexteripeat.¡± Once more.


    The magical hands massaging my body have doubled, and the increasing loop overpowers my senses with impeccable precision. ¡®Does it feel good, Sir?¡¯ She asks with rhetorical glee.


    ¡°Yes... this is... so much better than the shit erotica authors came up with for their s-speculative Eromancy novels... Most of them j-just default to boring spells to make dicks, tits, or asses bigger... ahh, fuck...¡± I clench my eyes as the glowing hands pinch my nipples once more.


    Smiling, Zutiria places her hands flat on my pubic mound. ¡®Eromancy isn¡¯t simple transfiguration spells that anyone could do. It¡¯s focused on bringing tremendous amounts of pleasure in new ways that ordinary magic can¡¯t begin to dream of. Like this.¡¯


    The Mage rubs and kneads the flesh above my cock, repeating the spell and adding a third pair of hands to the massage. Every time she piles more onto the ongoing pleasure, I¡¯m astounded by how I refrain from cumming. The tension and affection boosted by the magic at use send chills down my spine with every movement of her fingers pressing into my skin, arching my back, and drawing noises from my throat.


    ¡®You¡¯re so cute, Sir. I¡¯m so glad that I have even more tools with which to worship you and give you all the love that you deserve...¡¯


    ¡°Sam¡¯s... gonna b-be jealous you have another ad... advantage over her, nnngh...¡±


    ¡®At first. But Sammy will very soon see that Eromancy isn¡¯t a gift solely to you. Everyone in our shared sex lives will benefit.¡¯ Zutiria giggles playfully before scooting down my legs and takings each of my heavy balls into her palm. ¡®Let¡¯s give these boys some special attention, shall we?¡¯


    I nod my head, and she immediately gives me a tender squeeze on each orb. Not too hard, but far from soft. Thanks to the sheer size of them, her tiny fingers have a lot of room to work with. Zutiria pushes her thumb down on the middle and draws little circles of pleasure with the pressure. Afterward, she eases her grip and tenderly fondles each testicle, kneading them in their sack with tender care.


    I feel them slosh with cum, and they contract as if to shoot it, but she squeezes me firm just in time to stop it. ¡°Dexteripeat.¡± She says quietly, with confidence.


    My chest. My thighs. My groin. My balls.


    Zutiria¡¯s spell sees all of these areas attended to by eight ethereal pink hands working in complete unison and spreading her sexual mana over my body. The Mage¡¯s touch leaves me a ragged mess, unable to do much more than grip the blanket beneath for some extra support.


    ¡®I think it¡¯s time to get to the fun part, Sir.¡¯ She says, and before I can even say anything back, she grips the bottom half of my cock nice and firm and begins pumping it.


    I writhe in place, toes clenched. ¡°NNGHHH-¡± It¡¯s too much, but the hands on my balls keep me in check almost entirely and prevent any sort of relief.


    Because of the small size of her hands, Zutiria is only able to hold on to about half of my manhood¡¯s length. This is no longer a problem for her. ¡°Dexteripeat.¡±


    The fifth set of hands begin massaging my throbbing, tortured dick while her real ones start to work the upper half of my shaft. ¡®I hope this isn¡¯t too much for you, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s... nggghhhhh...!! I... I...!!¡±


    ¡®Shhhhhh.¡¯ She puts her finger to her lips to make the silence gesture. ¡®You don¡¯t need to say anything. Just let me worship my man, alright? Nod your head if you agree.¡¯


    I nod so fast and hard that my neck almost pulls a muscle.


    ¡®Very good.¡¯ The small Mage leans over top of my groin and opens her steaming mouth, blowing hot air onto the angry, inflamed, and swollen head of my cock. Rather than use the breath against me, she instead takes me inside and begins suckling on it like a delicious treat.


    Zutiria kisses it, and she licks and twirls it, and she sucks it with immense affection. ¡®I love you, Sir. I¡¯d do anything for you. Anything.¡¯ She kisses my cockhead deeper. ¡®Anything.¡¯ She kisses it harder. ¡®Anything.¡¯ She kisses it faster. ¡®Anything.¡¯


    She lingers her pouty lips over my red helmet, bathing me in her obsessive love and devotion. Her four hands expertly twist, turn and pump my manhood. She pinches my nipples. She rubs my groin and my thighs over and over and over again.


    It¡¯s so good. I can¡¯t do this. I can¡¯t handle it.


    Her pink eyes flash me a look of understanding, and at that moment, all eight hands pause their activities at the same time.


    She twirls her tongue like a serpent around my head once more, and I unleash a massive volley of semen directly inside her tiny mouth. Zutiria takes away the top hands so she can swallow half of my explosive, twitching length down her velvet tunnel, and she shuts her eyes while gulping down as much of my cum as she can handle before pulling off desperately for air.


    I¡¯m far from done, and my unending blast coats the Mage¡¯s pretty little face with an aggressive layer of makeup. It hits the bangs of her beautiful lavender hair, too, as my ropes continue flying without end. Zutiria relishes my seed erupting all over her, sticking her tongue out to catch stray blasts and making pleasured moans for my sake as she gulps down my delicious sperm.


    When I finally start slowing to a halt, she smiles and joins me in the battle to regain our breaths. ¡®Astonishing. Your load was tremendous, Sir.¡¯ Her pink eyes sparkle with scholarly interest, and all of a sudden, I feel like an experimental rat. It¡¯s not a bad feeling.


    ¡°Zu... tiria...¡± That is all I can manage to say with my quivering throat.


    ¡®We¡¯re not done yet. No talking.¡¯ The Mage tells me while removing her nightgown and joining me in the comforts of nakedness. She begins scooping up my cum from her face. ¡®I don¡¯t think I can drink any more of your gratuitous sperm, Sir... but I don¡¯t want to make all of your essence go to waste, either... whatever is a girl to do...?¡¯


    I have a few ideas, but I simply lay back to experience the show she intends on putting on for me. She knows damn well what she wants to do, and Zutiria wants me to watch. It would be rude not to indulge.


    The little lady takes all the burning, white jizz she scooped and begins massaging it into her skin with both hands. ¡®This will have to do, I suppose.¡¯ Zutiria rubs it into her small, perky tits and makes them shine before slathering my sperm into her smooth, flat tummy. Finally, she makes her way down to her sopping groin and spreads whatever¡¯s left of my cum across her mound and even inside of it, creating warm, slick noises as she burrows into her moist slit.


    Her voice whimpers, and her pink, glowing eyes flicker slightly. ¡®There. Not a drop wasted.¡¯ She says. The Mage points her finger at the two paused hands at the bottom half of my cock, and they disappear into sensual pink smoke.


    Shortly after the spell¡¯s cancellation, Zutiria wastes no time in sitting herself on my lap and aiming my gigantic, swollen manhood against the cum-coated lips of her dripping slit. ¡®Enjoy yourself, Sir. Let me gift you all the pleasures my tiny, wet, little Eromancer pussy has to offer.¡¯


    The Eromancer drops her hips down harshly onto mine. She finds herself met with almost no resistance from her narrow hole, compared to the usual struggle she has to fit all of me inside her when we start. Zutiria waves her hand after basking in the initial pleasure of penetration, signaling the six magical hands to resume their intimate and repeating caresses.


    She watches me with a self-satisfied grin that only grows wider the more times she bounces down on my cock. The Mage loves seeing just how much pleasure her ministrations can give me, and nothing pleases her more than seeing me appreciate the beautiful, sexual joy my body expresses.


    ¡®Feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡¯ She sighs a lustful, pouty sigh. ¡®Not only is my snug cunt sliding you in and out, but my spell keeps tenderizing your body like a piece of meat. I think an ordinary man would have given... nnn... in long, long ago. But you¡¯re no ordinary man, Sir. You¡¯re MY man.¡¯ Zutiria reminds me as she leans down over my torso and places her hands on my biceps for a better grip.


    Using her increased stability, she begins grinding my rod up against her deepest, hot, fleshy walls of pink and squeezing her labial lips around the base of my cock. She kisses me repeatedly, and I feel it coming once more. I open my mouth to warn her, but instead, I find my lips shortly pressed to my lover¡¯s and am met with my tongue dancing against her own.


    This kiss hurtles me over the edge of reason, and I groan straight into her mouth. ¡®Don¡¯t hold back. You never have to hold back with me. I¡¯m your woman, Sir. I live to serve your needs. Cum.¡¯


    I cum on command straight inside Zutiria, flooding her perfect pussy in a wave of my excited cock-juice. This pleasure is so intense, so deep through my heart and soul, that it overwhelms me, and all I can feel is pink spreading throughout my everything. Pink is perfect. Pink is beautiful. It squeezes, and it sucks, and it kisses, and it fucks until it can¡¯t fuck any longer.


    During my constant, frenzied orgasmic thrusting, Zutiria is overtaken by the pink as well, and she climaxes vigorously into our kiss. Her many hands don¡¯t stop despite the explosive whirlwind of my orgasm, and instead, their massage only rockets my manhood to further, more violent heights of humping until this particular load is spent.


    Zutiria looks into my eyes, and I stare up into her magical heart-shaped pupils in response, unable to say a word. ¡®Have you made up your mind, Sir...?¡¯ She asks with a lusty, half-lidded gaze, sweat making her hair sticky and clinging to her forehead.


    ¡°A... abou... wha...¡±


    ¡®On whether infinite stamina is a blessing or a curse.¡¯ Her wicked lips grin as she impales her pussy down my cock so hard it slaps the skin of my thighs.


    ¡°A-AHH! I... I-¡±


    ¡®Don¡¯t know yet?¡¯ She tilts her head, then begins fucking me in earnest, all while her many hands continue their assault. ¡®That¡¯s ok. We have all day to find out.¡¯ Her pace picks up again, and before I can even help myself, I lose control and climax inside of her tight pussy again and again.


    The look in her eyes tells me there¡¯s no escape.

 A Lovely Way to Start the Day

    ¡°Boss? You alive? ...Man, should we wake him up...? It¡¯s already, like, fuckin¡¯ NOON.¡±


    ¡°M-Maybe we should let him sleep... Master tends to lose a lot of rest when he wakes up in the night to take care of Zutiria, after all...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, we wouldn¡¯t be having this problem if not for you, Zuzu! Somebody HAD to go and use ancient sex magic like a big ol¡¯ show off, didn¡¯t they?!¡±


    ¡°Nnngh...¡± I grumble upon hearing the sounds of mid-morning arguing and begin to stir.


    ¡®Good morning, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria¡¯s blue text invades the darkness of my shut eyes, waking me further.


    Sitting up, the blanket falls off my naked chest, and I¡¯m greeted with the sight of my three adventurers fully clothed and ready for the day, something I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen before they¡¯ve all had their morning round of sex.


    ¡°How long was I out?¡± I ask as I wipe the sleep from my eyes and stifle a yawn.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry about it, Sir. That¡¯s of no concern.¡¯ Zutiria crawls to my lap and gives me a kiss, which I return. Sam and Meri begin to crowd me as well.


    ¡°Tell the fuckin¡¯ truth, you sorcerous skank!¡± Sam makes a pouty face at the petite Mage.


    ¡°The kitties and I left at around three-thirty, and the two of you were still at it when we got home... at eight...¡± Meri looks jealously into my eyes, like a hurt puppy.


    ¡®It¡¯s not that big of a deal. We only shared about thirty rounds or so...¡¯ Zutiria tries to sneakily crawl out of my lap and away from Sam, who seems to be on the verge of channeling her Royal Blood.


    ¡°...You damn SHOW OFF!¡± Sam mockingly pounces Zutiria and tackles her off of my lap and onto the soft mattress to my side.


    ¡®Help. Assault.¡¯ Zutiria says, causing me to roll my sleepy eyes.


    I yawn and stretch my muscles out, enjoying the fact that I physically can¡¯t be tired out by sex anymore. It seems this doesn¡¯t apply to mental fatigue, though, as yesterday with my Mage was far too intense for me to keep sane. I don¡¯t remember anything past fourteen rounds, truthfully...


    Seems like that didn¡¯t stop her from enjoying the usage of my body after I clocked out, though. How scandalous.


    I believe I¡¯ve made up my mind. Having infinite sexual stamina is neither a blessing nor a curse but a combination of the two. A ¡®blurse¡¯, if you will.


    Taking a bit of opportunistic chance, Meri wiggles her way in and gives me a hug and a kiss as well. She¡¯s starting to be more forward in her affection when it¡¯s just us and the others... the thought makes me smile.


    ¡°Morning, Master...¡± She blushes and cuddles up to me, nuzzling her fluffy brown hair into my chest.


    ¡°Morning, Meri. How did the gathering go? And where are the kitties this fine morning?¡±


    ¡°Everything went fine, Master! We got a lot of the plants you wanted, no problem. The three of us have been up for a while. The kitties fed us breakfast, and we already have them working on cleaning the hall for the day.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Thank you, miss secretary.¡± Meri giggles at my little joke, and I turn towards Sam, who has bent Zutiria over her knee and began spanking her like a child. ¡°How did training go, Sam?¡±


    Sam smacks the Mage on her cute little bum, eliciting a high-pitched moan from the typically silent sorceress. ¡°Fine. I learned shit, I guess. Gotta keep practicing.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s Daddy¡¯s girl.¡± I grin, and so does she. Then she slaps Zutiria¡¯s ass again. To be fair, she definitely deserves it this time. While Eromancy was a life-changing experience, it was quite rude of her to get so carried away with it that she knocked me out and ruined the other¡¯s chances with me for the night.


    ¡®May the spankings cease, Sammy?¡¯ Zutiria asks with flushed cheeks.


    ¡°Hell no!¡± Sam gives her an even harder one for good measure, making the Mage whimper.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll make it up to you tonight, won¡¯t you, Zutiria?¡± I give her a playful smile and watch as she bobs her head up and down.


    ¡®I lost control. Won¡¯t happen again, and I¡¯ll use Eromancy in a way we can all enjoy next time.¡¯


    Meri blushes and tilts her head. ¡°So, um... d-does this mean you can make your boobs bigger now, Zutiria?¡±


    I chuckle as Zutiria gives me a knowing glance. ¡®No. That¡¯s basic human transfiguration that any practiced Mage could do. Don¡¯t believe everything you¡¯ve read in Sir¡¯s erotica, Meri. It will rot your brain.¡¯


    ¡°Oh...¡± She blushes and feels embarrassed, pulling up the neck of her shirt to hide behind it.


    Sam finally lets go of her grip on the Mage, who relishes her newly acquired freedom with a sore butt. ¡®What are the plans for today, Sir?¡¯ She asks while rubbing her rear.


    Sam cuts me off, ¡°Niki¡¯s gonna swing by later and pick Meri up for Arts training after we get back from voting, for one. And I... wanna keep practicing my Arts today too, Boss. If you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. By all means.¡± Seeing Sam work so hard to improve motivates me to do my best as well. I can¡¯t help but give her the day if she outright asks for it. ¡°When we go out and vote, you two can head home early, and I¡¯ll pick up some alchemical supplies with Zutiria. I want you to spend the rest of the day making potions, but we¡¯ll need bottles to store them in and perhaps new equipment for her lab.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her distract you too much, Boss.¡± Sam sticks her tongue out playfully at Zutiria.


    ¡®I will behave. I promise.¡¯ Zutiria says, although, with her typical blank face, it looks rather unconvincing. Not her fault, but a humorous observation nonetheless.


    ¡°Master, we already ate earlier without you, but...¡± Meri reaches out with her hand and pulls the blanket from my lap, revealing my morning wood.


    Sam soon crawls over on all four, grinning ear to ear. ¡°We should both get topped up, don¡¯t you think, Daddy?¡± She grips my erection before I can even answer, pumping it up and down.


    ¡°E-Especially if we¡¯re both gonna do training today!¡± Meri agrees enthusiastically, her hand palming the head of my cock and kneading it skillfully.


    ¡®Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically crawls forward before Sam, and even Meri shoots her a glare. ¡®...I was just joking.¡¯ She sighs.


    ¡°Go do inventory in your lab and process the new ingredients. We won¡¯t be long.¡± I promise, to which the Mage hangs her head and leaves the room. She locks it behind her on the way out to prevent curious kittens from peaking in.


    ¡°Finally.¡± Sam groans and rolls her eyes before stuffing her face on my cock with almost no warning.


    ¡°Ahhh...¡± The sudden onset of pleasure makes me clench my tired eyes as I recline back on the bed. ¡°As much as I want to make things up to you two, we don¡¯t have too much time.¡±


    Sam slurps loudly down to my base, milking me with the suction before pulling out with a loud, audible ¡®pop¡¯. She passes it to Meri, who shuts her eyes out of shyness and follows the Princess¡¯s lead, taking me deep into her wet, hot mouth. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Daddy? Don¡¯t wanna take your time with us? That¡¯s hardly fair...¡±


    Meri¡¯s plush lips stretch against my cock while she lavishes her tongue against the meaty underside, and I reach out to stroke her head gently and hold her there for a moment. ¡°You know that¡¯s not true. There¡¯s nothing I¡¯d rather do than relax and have my lovely adventurers suck me off for hours on end. Not just Zutiria, either.¡±


    Sam¡¯s eyes fill with lust, and she licks her red, juicy lips, covering them in a wet sheen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Boss. I¡¯m just playing with Zuzu. I¡¯m not actually jealous... not after she told me what we¡¯re gonna do to you tonight.¡±


    I throb inside Meri¡¯s mouth at the hint of future pleasures, and I reflexively grunt and grab Meri¡¯s head. Knowing the Shield Maiden likes rough play, I forcefully bob the brunette up and down with my own strength. She swallows my cock like a good girl every time I fuck myself with her face, her crimson eyes watering heavily until I let her go at last.


    Meri gasps for air in a dreamy, pleasured daze. She smiles and wipes the drool off her chin with her hand before using it to rub my pulsing manhood. ¡°L-Looks like he¡¯s excited... Zutiria wouldn¡¯t tell us what it is yet, but... there¡¯s a spell she wants to use on you, and she said that it¡¯d be best used on the two of us and not her.¡±


    ¡°Wonder what that could be...¡± I tilt my head in thought. Sam wastes no time impaling my hard rod down her throat again during this brief distraction of mine. She chugs it down, making repeated ¡®GLUG, GLUG, GLUG, noises that drive me crazy. On the other hand, Meri has one hand squeezing around the base of my cock, and her other is playing with my balls.


    The two take turns passing my dick back and forth between the two of them until I can¡¯t take it any longer. They make relatively quick work of me since I told them not to stall it out. Sam is a natural at aggressive blowjobs, and Meri was practically made for face-fucking, so it¡¯s no wonder they can bring me to the brink so fast when working in unison.


    Since they¡¯re both dressed for the day, I give them fair warning before I cum. The two girls decide to share, and they plant their soft, juicy lips around the strong, flared head of my cock and begin kissing each other around it while stroking my dick with their hands at the same time. They lock tongues and slather around my helmet to affectionately tease each other and me in the process.


    As I cum, they both suck in and make the gap airtight so that when my semen is released, it splashes directly into their mouths and nowhere else. I tremble while having the load sucked out of my tip by horny lovers. Thanks to their careful yet pleasurable strategy, not a drop of semen spills onto the bed or their clothes.


    Thus begins another lovely day.

 Snowball Versus the Best Wingman

    I had a small breakfast prepared for me by the kitties and praised them affectionately, I took out some gold from the Guild¡¯s vault, and we were on our way to the town square.


    Since I didn¡¯t have time yesterday to tell Sam or Zutiria about the debate results, I explain the run-in Meri, and I shared it with the Duke of Dewhurst. Both were concerned, but they end up reacting more or less how we did. Eh. That sounds about right. It¡¯s an annoying feeling, sure, but we¡¯re used to it by now. We just have to fight back here and there when we actually can.


    Once the shock from that revelation dies out, Meri and I both explain how Niall ended up pulling off the miracle of convincing me that I should vote for him. Getting them to agree to vote for him, predictably, doesn¡¯t take much effort. No one really cares.


    Speaking of which... there isn¡¯t too much of a turnout for voters.


    About ten polls are set up with shaggy-looking curtains raised between them, and Raepface, as well as a few other thugs, are standing by as security. Given how he seems to be running this election, I suppose he¡¯s serving as some sort of interim elected official. What¡¯s more surprising is that he seems to be doing an alright job of it.


    I guess you really can¡¯t judge a man by his ink, no matter how questionable or misspelled it is.


    We chat while all waiting in the same line, we flirt, we make fun of bizarre-looking Dewhurstians, and time passes quickly. After about twenty minutes of waiting, it¡¯s our turn. Raepface allows us all to submit our votes simultaneously since we¡¯re all voting for the same candidate, so we squeeze into the booth. There¡¯s just barely enough room for us all to put in our ballots, after a few dirty jokes and gropes from Sam, of course. Meri made a very cute yelp of distress as Sam squeezed her rear while bending over to submit her vote, too.


    My group leaves the poll, and I make a quick scan of the remaining crowd to see if Niall was around. No luck. Everyone here aside from Raepface is a stranger. With that out of the way, Sam and Meri head back home to work on their respective training while Zutiria and I head towards the market.


    Once we arrive, off in the distance, we see the Besthal Pet Shop and notice it has a lot more security than we remember. We agree to go and check it out, just to be on the safe side.


    Many of the tougher, strong males we saw during the confrontation are out near the main tent entrance, instead of just Scrap and Flufferson. They are also scattered about protecting the entrances to the tents as well making sure not a single gap in their defenses is left.


    ¡°Was the Pet Shop so cautiously secured like this the other day when you two were on your date?¡± I ask Zutiria.


    ¡®Maybe? I was in a mood. I didn¡¯t see and was focused on my time with Sammy. Would you like to see what¡¯s going on, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Of course.¡± I want to help this tribe any way I can to get in good with them, and it would be nice if we can see Snow again.


    ¡®I hope she¡¯s there, too.¡¯ Zutiria smiles, seemingly reading my mind. ¡®Poor Sir, tormented by the rare pussy he can¡¯t have.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. Come on, you.¡± I roll my eyes and take her by the hand, walking through the crowded marketplace on our way to the Besthal Pet Shop.


    We are hit with a strike of convenience right as we approach the entrance. Snowball walks out from behind the tent flap before we even have to talk to the bouncers. Her ears perk up upon seeing me, and she gives me a warm smile, but she corrects herself soon after and returns to her typical graceful demeanor.


    ¡°Myaster. Misstress Zutiria. What a pleasant surprise, to what does this lowly maid owe the honor?¡±


    ¡°Everyone at the Guild just went to vote on the election. Besides that, Zutiria and I were heading out to bolster her lab¡¯s paltry alchemical equipment. And we saw the state of the Pet Shop and-¡±


    ¡®Sir missed you and is desperate. Try as we might, none of us can deliver the thrill of a true sadist, and his unrelenting lust for femdom remains unsated.¡¯ Zutiria says immediately.


    ¡°Gods damn it, you little minx-¡± My cheeks turn bright red, and I reach out to bop the expressionless Mage but stop when I take notice of the Catgirl¡¯s expression.


    Raised eyebrows, flushed cheeks, half-lidded eyes, parted lips raised upwards into a catty smile... ¡°Poor Myaster. Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing I can do about that. In case you must be reminded, I¡¯m not up for adoption... and besides, we¡¯re dealing with problems of our own right now, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°I can see that. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°No, but we¡¯re growing more cautious that something might. We haven¡¯t heard from that awful man ever since the day he first visited, yet his words linger...¡±


    ¡°At the Mayoral debate yesterday, he announced his plan was coming closer to fruition, so I think you¡¯re right to be a bit more cautious. He¡¯s definitely gearing up for something...¡± I think back to the things he said up on the podium. He¡¯s looking for more prostitutes to fill up the brothels he already began constructing, and he might be receiving help from the Crystal Sage somehow.


    I¡¯m reasonably confident I witnessed a drug deal between the two as they walked away from the podium, the elf handing him a back of flowers. I didn¡¯t recognize them, but I hope it was just something recreational and not anything nefarious...


    ¡°We¡¯ll likely be leaving in three days, right after your trial period is up. Typically we stay in town during all trial periods, but we didn¡¯t make any other adoptions this time around. Rare, but it happens, nyaa.¡± Snow sighs and hangs her head, her poise dropping for the slightest of seconds.


    ¡®I bet we could provide extra security if you wanted, Snow. Isn¡¯t that right, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria nudges me with her staff, making sure I don¡¯t pass up the opportunity she just set up.


    ¡°Indeed. You could submit a quest, and I could send all three of my girls to help defend the tent if you think it would help. I would even be willing to offer generous terms on account of my desire to create a working relationship with the Breeding Tribe.¡± I bow my head to her with as much respect as I can, showing my sincerity.


    ¡°Myaster truly enjoys eating the succulent fruit of the tree that is unpaid labor, it seems.¡± Snow cheerfully giggles.


    ¡®It would be weird if your race actually cared about money and numbers.¡¯ Zutiria shrugs. ¡®But you don¡¯t, so here we are.¡¯


    Snow smiles gently and says, ¡°Indeed. I appreciate the offer, Myaster, but I would hate to involve others in our affairs. Our situation with the unscrupulous Pimp is a problem for the tribe to face head-on, and it would destroy me to involve a beloved adopter of ours no matter how much he insisted, nyaa.¡±


    I sigh, frown, and rise from my bow. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d say that. I respectfully DO insist, but I know that doesn¡¯t mean much. You¡¯ve already made up your mind.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Snow smiles but makes a firm, unshakeable and determined expression.


    ¡°If something bad happens, though... something worse than you were prepared for then, please. Don¡¯t hesitate. Do you know where the Guild is? We can lead you there if you wish, just for reference.¡±


    ¡°Myaster...¡± She looks to the side, blushing while deep in thought over my offer.


    ¡°Please.¡± Perhaps I¡¯m overstepping my bounds, but I take a step forward and take both of her soft, white paws into mine. Her fur is soft, fair, and fluffy. Utterly different from Peri or Cherry¡¯s in a lovely way.


    Zutiria raises her eyebrow, amused as ever.


    ¡°I... I know where it is, don¡¯t worry. Thank you, Myaster. I¡¯ll keep your offer in mind even if I¡¯m confident it won¡¯t come to that.¡± The Catgirl smiles with genuine thankfulness, her eyes staring into mine as the romantic atmosphere grows thick between us. However, that may just be optimistic thinking.


    She keeps staring at me, and I keep staring back.


    ¡®You gonna let go of her hands, Sir, or should I come back later?¡¯ Zutiria asks with a smug grin.


    At once, the both of us realize we were lingering, and we pull our hands away from each other. Some of the surrounding Beastfolk security men openly whistle and catcall at Snow over this, pushing her to blush even harder and making her expression frazzled.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± I say without actually being sorry.


    ¡°No, Myaster, it¡¯s not you, I...¡±


    ¡®Just fuck already.¡¯ Zutiria sighs long and hard, nudging me in the back with her expensive staff.


    ¡°Sam¡¯s not here to help you play matchmaker this time.¡± I remind her, thinking back to Meri and I¡¯s first kiss.


    She rolls her eyes. ¡®Rats.¡¯


    Snow smiles warmly at our back and forth before asking, ¡°Before you go... How are Periwinkle and Cherry doing, by the way?¡±


    ¡°No problems at all, mostly. I think they¡¯re just about over whatever issues they were going through. The only problem is, ah... Peri is having a lot of trouble staving off her... rampant desires... until the last day of the trial period.¡±


    The fluffy white Catgirl looks at me with confusion, ¡°You mean she¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°Absurdly horny to the point where she scratched a hole in the door to our bedroom while I was making love to Meri and was hissing when I wouldn¡¯t let her in.¡±


    ¡°...That doesn¡¯t sound like her at ALL.¡± Snow blinks incredulously, trying to picture the meek maid acting like a desperate whore. ¡°You really mean it...?¡±


    ¡®Can confirm. It¡¯s pretty funny.¡¯ Zutiria laughs at Peri¡¯s estrus-induced suffering.


    ¡°...That poor girl. Is she doing alright besides that?"


    ¡°Yes. Peri¡¯s extremely happy, loving, affectionate, and while she lacks confidence, she¡¯s been making steady improvements in her work every day.


    ¡°How about Cherry? Are you and she doing alright...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d say we¡¯ve bonded a fair amount, and I¡¯m fairly sure she likes me...¡± Saying it out loud makes me blush a tad. ¡°She¡¯s also eager for the next two days to pass, if not quite as eager as Peri.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so glad...¡± Snow lets out a concerned sigh of relief as tiny little tears start to well up in the corner of her eyes.


    ¡°Snow...?¡±


    ¡°I was just so worried we¡¯d never find them the right home... I love those girls, you know. They¡¯re more than just kittens I helped train. I spent so much time with them trying to help their chances at adoption... when their first attempt failed, I was there for them. When their fifth failed, I was there for them, nyaa...¡± She smiles a pure, heart-felt smile and wipes the sensitive tears before the fall. ¡°But you? Somehow, I just knew you were the right one for m-¡±


    I stare, hanging on her words.


    ¡°Them.¡± She coughs with incredible awkwardness and stiffness, hoping we¡¯ll let that one go.


    ¡°...Indeed. I couldn¡¯t have asked for a sweeter pair of kittens, and I truly feel my life is more enriched with them as part of it.¡± I tell her, speaking from the bottom of my heart and meaning every word.


    ¡°You¡¯re so dramatic, Myaster.¡± Snow laughs dismissively but is clearly amused.


    ¡®Yes, well. Slip of the tongues aside, Cherry and Peri are doing wonderful. If only we could get an early go-ahead to alleviate their woes... help e poor kitties with their unfortunate sexual misery.¡¯ Zutiria not so subtly hints at Snow in the vain hope of her ploy working.


    ¡°Nice try, but rules are rules. You¡¯re almost there anyway. Just two more days, Myaster, and you¡¯ll be allowed to conduct the mating ritual at nightfall.¡± Snow sighs dreamily, a hint of obvious jealousy coloring her words.


    ¡®I tried,¡¯ The Mage shrugs. ¡®Are you ready to get a move on, Sir? I¡¯m... eager to introduce you to our new friend at the magic market.¡¯ She giggles at her own pun, like a dork.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Snow, would you care to gaze longingly into my eyes and hold my hands for a bit longer?¡±


    The head maid laughs and pushes me away with stern force. ¡°Get going, Myaster. You have things to do. No matter what happens, I¡¯ll make sure I visit you at the Guild before we leave town if only to say goodbye to the girls.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t say I¡¯m looking forward to your departure... but it¡¯ll be good to see you one more time.¡±


    ¡°...Gods, you really have it bad for me, huh, Myaster?¡± Snow looks at me with a little hesitation, blush, and excitement all at the same time. It feels like she¡¯s starting to understand how much I¡¯d love to have her... in every sense of the word.


    ¡®Not as much as he has it bad for your riding crop.¡¯ Damn it, Zutiria. Stop judging me.


    Snow raises her eyebrow and smirks while I sigh, taking the Mage by her hand. ¡°Alright, alright... I guess that¡¯s my cue to get going.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Snow giggles and shakes her head, perhaps amused and flattered by my desire.


    When I turn to leave, I hear the sound of a small tool whizzing through the air, followed by a meaty smack, and I feel a sharp pain in my ass. ¡°AH-!¡±


    Looking behind me, Snow stands there with a sadistic, confident grin. She licks her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t come back, Myaster. I don¡¯t want to get your hopes up, nyaa.¡± Snow purrs, fluffy tail swishing behind her.


    I don¡¯t know what to say. My heart skips a beat, leaving Zutiria to drag me away from the many Beastfolk laughing at me.


    ¡®Come on, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°R-Right...¡± I turn away from her and let the Mage lead the way. ¡°What the hell were you doing back there?¡±


    ¡®I was your wingman.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s necessary by any means, Zutiria, I-¡±


    ¡®My Sir deserves to get any pussy that his heart desires. I will always do my best to ensure you seduce whatever new paramour into our dynamic that you want. I don¡¯t have much patience for the will they won¡¯t they tripe.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed...¡±


    ¡®Judging from the way you keep rubbing your ass, I¡¯d say I was a pretty good wingman.¡¯


    I sigh, completely unable to refute that.

 Stocking Up On Alchemy Supplies

    Zutiria leads me to her new favorite shop, Eager Igor¡¯s Quirky Curios. Just as described, it¡¯s a little tent filled to the brim with all sorts of magical curiosities. However, I was not prepared for the gruesome, unholy sight that awaited me within the store.


    My Mage warned me well in advance that Igor was ugly and severely deformed, but... Gods, I can barely look in their general direction for even a moment. I feel so abysmal about the reaction I have, even if I genuinely can¡¯t help it.


    Igor is very understanding and surprisingly chill about the whole affair, but I¡¯m just embarrassed for myself. Yes, this odd gender-bent hunchback is hideous. That¡¯s not the problem. The problem is my eyes.


    Even with my glasses dulling my sight, I can¡¯t help myself from absorbing the intricate details of every single imperfection on Igor¡¯s skin. It¡¯s far too much for me to handle, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m all that squeamish, either. Their boils, their pimples, their welts, their cysts, their... ugh. I¡¯m shivering, just trying to describe it. It all adds up to something far worse than the sum of its parts.


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry... you don¡¯t deserve this treatment in the slightest. It¡¯s just that... Has Zutiria told you about my eyes? They enhance my vision, more or less. When I look at you, every detail is magnified by at least ten times over...¡± I pick my words with great caution so as not to offend.


    ¡°Yikes, that sounds pretty damn bad... for real, though, don¡¯t sweat it, dude. You¡¯re a lot nicer than most people are about my appearance when it comes down to it, heh. Plus, you got an actual reason for it.¡± Igor says in an effort to reassure me.


    It¡¯s still awkward, but we make small talk while Zutiria does her shopping. Needless to say, when I hear about the castle of Igor¡¯s former master, I¡¯m excited at the prospect of an unclaimed natural dungeon. If it¡¯s just an abandoned castle, then it doesn¡¯t need to be registered as a proper dungeon, meaning there¡¯d be no hassle with the Association involved. It sounds much higher level than the girls can feasibly complete right about now, though.


    As for Igor themself, I feel sympathetic. I¡¯d refer her to Opalina, but Zutiria tells me it wouldn¡¯t be much use since she doesn¡¯t use white magic. We supposedly have a white magic specialist on the way to the Guild sometime soon, but... there are many unknown variables there. We¡¯ll have to see how that works out before I plan on any charity work.


    I¡¯m not sure if Zutiria has thought of this idea herself, but Igor is homeless, has no stable job outside of selling stolen magical goods, and is already used to working under a Mage. Once their curses are lifted, it might be good for Zutiria to ask Igor to be her live-in assistant.


    Two on-site alchemists are better than one... not to mention Igor is already used to not being paid... no, no. I need to distance myself from that line of thinking. It¡¯s dangerous.


    ¡°Somethin¡¯ on your mind, big guy?¡± Igor asks in an inquisitive tone.


    ¡°Ah, no. I was just interested in your situation, is all.¡±


    ¡°In what way? I¡¯m pretty much an open book, so don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°Er. Gender. I¡¯m sorry, I-¡±


    Igor laughs heartily. ¡°No need to be so formal about it. I¡¯m not offended. Shit¡¯s fucking weird as hell to me, too.¡±


    Changing one¡¯s gender is hardly a big deal when magic is at hand, but Igor¡¯s situation is much different than your standard case since it was against their will. ¡°How long have you been a man?¡±


    ¡°Well, actually I...¡± They stop talking, and I feel a sense of dread hang in the air. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I stopped counting after a while... uh, five years? Maybe ten? How long did I even serve him...? H-How old am I...?!¡± Igor begins breathing heavily and falls to the floor.


    Shit. I just gave the hunchback an anxiety attack.


    I close my eyes and weakly offer my hand to help them up, but Igor says, ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m alright. I wouldn¡¯t recommend touching me, anyway. Pretty sure some of my curses are contagious.¡± They take a long, deep breath to steady themself and I can¡¯t help but frown. ¡°You can keep asking questions if you want. I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°I was only interested in knowing if you would like to change back after so many years of adjustment if that was an option.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Once I can afford somewhere to live and have a more stable job.¡± Igor groans. ¡°I never adjusted to... this. I don¡¯t consider myself a boy or a girl right now, really. I¡¯m a hunchback. Anything other than that is kinda just... irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s a way of looking at it.¡± I stifle a small laugh, only to be joined by Igor.


    ¡°In case you were wondering, I wasn¡¯t really, uh... cute. Before it happened, I mean. My old Master mistook me for a boy, after all...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that sort of thing. You have no idea what you¡¯ll look like once you change back, after all. A long time has passed, and you¡¯ll be an adult when it happens.¡±


    ¡°I guess so.¡± The hunchback sighs. ¡°Just don¡¯t got that much to be optimistic about...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡±


    Zutiria finishes up her shopping right as my conversation with the hunchback dies down. She¡¯s rounded up a hefty supply of alchemical doo-dads. A fancy cauldron, a couple of smaller cauldrons, potion bottles, lots of glassware including vials and flasks, pans to replace the ones she stole from the kitchen and more.


    ¡°Are you sure this is everything you want?¡± I ask while scanning over what all she picked up in detail. I¡¯m no alchemist, but the quality seems legitimate to me. I trust my Mage¡¯s judgment.


    ¡®We need to remain on a budget, do we not, Sir? This pile is already 15,000G. That¡¯s not a small number, and we haven¡¯t been bringing in as much since we¡¯ve been focused on training.¡¯ Zutiria reminds me, much to my displeasure.


    ¡°We can return to the Guild for more gold if we have to. Remember, we did spend 100,000G less on the maids than we were planning. I wouldn¡¯t mind spoiling you a bit- not to mention we do need a better alchemical lab for you as it is.¡±


    Zutiria lights up at my suggestion and pulls me down by the bowstring on my collar to give me a loving kiss on the lips. ¡®Thank you, Sir, you really know how to make a girl feel special. One moment.¡¯


    Igor sighs. ¡°Aw geez, you two are so cute. That must be nice... I wish I had a man who¡¯d spoil me like that, too...¡±


    I make the mistake of taking a glance at the deformed speaker, and I lurch forward. ¡°I¡¯m... terribly sorry... please... don¡¯t raise any potential flags while in your current appearance... my pour stomach can¡¯t... handle the thought...¡±


    ¡°Flags?¡± Igor asks with curiosity.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it...¡± I sigh. Even if they did undo all their curses, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to look at Igor¡¯s true form without remembering what used to be. I hope that wouldn¡¯t be considered insensitive of me...


    Zutiria inevitably comes back with a lot more intricate glassware, utensils, and tools that I won¡¯t even pretend to know what they do. All in all, my Mage brought the total up to a little under 50,000G, which is just lovely. That¡¯s about the maximum price range I was looking to spend. ¡®This is just about the bare minimum I need to transform the storage closet into a very, very low-class lab...¡¯


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad to hear it. I think we¡¯re about ready to check out, Igor.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Thank you kindly! Biggest sale I¡¯ve made yet, you¡¯re really helping me out here... Do you guys want me to bring it on over to the Guild for you?¡± Igor asks with exaggerated happiness. ¡°You can pay me when I get there. That way, you don¡¯t gotta go get your money and come all the way back out here. I got a small cart I can load it all up in and stop by- same cart I use when hauling new artifacts out of the former Master¡¯s castle.¡±


    ¡°That would certainly save us some time. Do you mind?¡± The thought came to me that we could use Returners to transport our purchase back home, but that wouldn¡¯t work. Not with this much delicate glassware... Igor¡¯s offer is hugely appreciated in lieu of this.


    ¡°Not at all! You two can head home. I¡¯ve seen where the Guild is before. Won¡¯t take me long to deliver it.¡±


    ¡®Excellent. Thank you very much. Both of you...¡¯ Zutiria smiles warmly. She flutters her pretty lashes at me and extends her hand for me to take.


    The two of us leave Igor to pack up our hefty purchase while sneaking off to the nearest empty alleyway so we can use our Returners in safety. We¡¯re eager to get back to the Guild as fast as we can and get a move on with the rest of the day.

 Peri Chills the F*ck Out

    Taking the Returner from within my inner coat pocket, I warp back to the Guild first. About ten seconds after I step off of the Return Gate¡¯s stone platform, the little lady follows and warps in behind me. Magic dances about the air from the structure¡¯s activation, and at once, I look across the hall to see who all¡¯s here. Just Sam, Cherry, and Peri seem to be present. Meri must have already left with Nikita to go and do her Arts training.


    Sam is off in a corner reading one of her action novels, making use of one of the more recent tables cleaned by the maids. She seems more focused than usual and doesn¡¯t even notice us appear. Not until the maids see us, at least.


    ¡°Welcome home, Myaster!¡± Peri rushes at me from across the hall, dropping her mop in time for Cherry to catch it before it falls to the ground, and she places it back into the cleaning bucket with a loud plop.


    ¡°Myaster, hey!¡± Cherry says much more informally while starting to walk towards me as well. Even if she holds it back, she¡¯s just as happy upon my return as Peri.


    ¡°Sup.¡± Sam says while flipping a page, not so much as looking up at our arrival.


    ¡°NYAA-¡± Peri, in a rush of excitement, jumps at me while attempting a running hug. She crashes into the wooden wall of the Guild right as I reflexively dodge to avoid close contact with the easily aroused Catgirl. Peri breaks right through the weak wall with her momentum. Once the dust settles, I see the clumsy kitten has assumed the legendary position spoken of in many an erotic tale.


    ¡°Myaster! Help me, I¡¯m stuck in the wall, and my butt is exposed!¡± She whines without a shred of self-awareness.


    Peri wiggles her pale rear back and forth in an attempt to free herself, her skinny gray and white tail swishing ineffectually behind her. It¡¯s to no avail, and the maid just sticks out of the wall, unable to do anything other than neglect to cover her panties.


    ¡°Dammit, Peri!¡± Cherry whines, grabbing Peri¡¯s legs to try and pull her out of the wall


    ¡®Excellent.¡¯ Zutiria adjusts her glasses to inspect the panties. At the same time, I do my best to look away and avoid further temptation.


    ¡°A little help, Sam?¡± I call out to the Princess, who pulls her nose from her book.


    ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure thing, Boss. How are we on pinemen wood? Do I gotta go kill some today?¡± She asks upon seeing the new hole in the wall.


    ¡°No, Nikita¡¯s last pickup will last for a while. We¡¯re good. Please help the kitty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, help the kitty. Nyaa.¡± Peri says from the other side of the wall, much to Cherry¡¯s embarrassment.


    ¡°Roger. Gods, Gwin¡¯s gonna be so pissed.¡± Sam snorts.


    ¡®If she¡¯s not too busy building brothels for our enemy.¡¯


    ¡°That¡¯s not her fault.¡± I frown, remembering how tight a grip Gwin¡¯s family has on her. We¡¯ve hardly seen her at all this week. It¡¯s disappointing, and I miss her.


    Sam is able to yank Peri from the wall without causing too much extra damage. As soon as she¡¯s freed, the maid falls onto the ground and hisses from shock. ¡°Gonna go keep reading, on a training break.¡± The Princess gives me a kiss on the cheek and casually walks back to her novel.


    Maybe I should see about the maids cleaning the lounge up next. It would be nice to have a dedicated room for us all to relax in instead of sitting in the hall all day. I¡¯m sure Sam would appreciate a place to read her novels, assuming this isn¡¯t just a hobby she loses interest in.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to go look over the lab. Maids, a visitor will be bringing a large number of alchemical supplies to the Guild soon. When they arrive, escort them and help carry everything back, please.¡¯ Zutiria commands and then disappears into the east wing, eager to take inventory of her paltry supplies and begin early preparation for the potions.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Mistress Zuzu...¡± Peri whines, rubbing her sides while Cherry helps dust the numerous wooden splinters from her friend¡¯s uniform.


    ¡°Sure thing, nyaa.¡± Cherry says.


    After having a good stretch, I take a seat near the kitties, but not too near. ¡°The entrance hall is coming along nicely, girls. It might actually be finished by the time your trial period is up. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    They both smile and look at each other with fondness. ¡°It¡¯s going pretty good since we¡¯re working together and all that, y¡¯know?¡± Cherry smirks. ¡°Though I really wish we had some more damn help around here, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Like Snow,¡± Peri says very bluntly. ¡°How was she doing today, by the way?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°We can smell her on you, silly Myaster.¡± Cherry sticks her tongue out at me in a playful manner.


    ¡°Ah, of course. We ran into Snow at the market. Things are tense for them at the moment. The tribe is more on guard because of what happened the other day when we first met. Snow seems worried that the Pimp is gearing up to make a move against your tribe, and frankly, I¡¯m inclined to agree that it¡¯s very likely.¡±


    Peri gasps in panic, and Cherry¡¯s eyes open wide. She takes an aggressive stance, her tail sticking out as her fur begins to bristle with anger. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything you can do, Myaster?! You run a Guild, and Guilds help people, don¡¯t they? You could, um...¡±


    ¡°Cherry, I already offered our services, but Snow declined.¡±


    The pink-haired Catgirl frowns as her ears and tail droop in response. ¡°Oh. Geez. And she calls ME stubborn, nyaa... Snow¡¯s always like this, ugh. Doesn¡¯t help that everyone in charge tends to just listen to her advice, either. Snow always knows best, even when she doesn¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°I hope nothing happens... can we go see Snow, Myaster? She means a lot to us...¡± Peri looks at me pleadingly, and I feel bad knowing that I have to play the bad guy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea. Snow said she¡¯d visit before the tribe leaves town, though. She misses both of you dearly. They¡¯re planning to be all packed up in three days.¡±


    ¡°Oh...¡± Peri frowns even deeper.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, Peri. That creep¡¯s slut squad might try and kidnap us if we¡¯re out and about on our own, and everyone else has shit to do, nyaa. I¡¯m worried about Snow and the others, too. But this... is... um...¡± Cherry¡¯s cheeks begin to flush as she looks briefly into my eyes for comfort. She tries to bury her concern beneath a layer of professionalism by saying, ¡°This is our home now, nyaa. We can¡¯t be so obsessed about what¡¯s going on with the tribe...¡±


    ¡°Cherry...¡± I look back at her and watch her expression try to remain tough. ¡°It¡¯s alright to be worried for them. They took care of you for your entire life. I promise you, even if Snow doesn¡¯t want us to interfere, I¡¯ll do it anyway if things look bad.¡±


    ¡°Myaster...¡± Cherry smiles.


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster... You¡¯re so kind, I...¡± Peri tries to approach me in an attempt to hug me and perhaps more, but her pink-haired friend grabs her by the wrist and pulls her back.


    ¡°Keep it in your pants, Peri.¡± Cherry sighs. ¡°This isn¡¯t any easier on me, ya know.¡±


    Peri makes a number of grumbling sounds as she scrunches up her pink cat nose. ¡°I¡¯ve kept it in my pants for five days now, nyaa. They can no longer contain my passion if they ever could.¡±


    ¡°Two more days, Peri. Just two more days. If you can only manage to control yourself until then, the three of us will perform the... the mating ceremony all night long if you wish.¡± I stutter my words, remembering what I¡¯ve read about the way Beastfolk pledge themselves to their mate.


    Part of me wonders if it¡¯s really as wondrous as the erotica makes it out to be. Still, no matter what form it takes, I know I¡¯m going to enjoy myself with Peri and Cherry when it¡¯s finally time to claim them as my mates.


    ¡°The Myaster¡¯s fuck stick is ready to breed me.¡± The blue-haired kitten says in an amazed, low, whispered tone.


    Her words make me notice the vigorous hard-on tenting my dress pants.


    ¡°D-Dammit, Myaster! Controlling her is hard enough without you waving that thing around in our faces, nyaa!¡± Cherry blushes a deep red, and she wraps her arms around the wiggling, writhing Peri.


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry. I was just... thinking about how close we are to finishing the trial period, and it... admittedly made me very... excited.¡±


    ¡°WHY WAIT?! GIVE ME KITTENS, NOW!¡± Peri hisses.


    ¡°I¡¯m getting REAL tired of this, Peri! You leave me no choice!¡±


    ¡°YOU WOULDN¡¯T! WE MADE A PROMISE!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, you¡¯re doing a shitty job of keeping it! Myaster... don¡¯t watch... or... I-I dunno, if you really want to, then go ahead...¡± Cherry says with a wavering voice.


    ¡°N-NO! MY HEAT CANNOT BE COOLED!!¡± Peri struggles in Cherry¡¯s tight grasp, but the lithe, tanned maid is strong enough to prevent her desired escape.


    ¡°W-What are you doing?¡±


    Cherry dips her paw under Peri¡¯s short, black miniskirt, and the kitten¡¯s luscious lips part right as her friend¡¯s finger presses against the noticeable dark stain on Peri¡¯s white panties. ¡°Cooling her off a bit. Duh.¡±


    I look dumbfounded as I start watching Cherry skillfully finger Peri right before my eyes.


    ¡°...What?¡± She blinks, her magenta eyes glaring at me with confusion. ¡°Did you somehow think we WEREN¡¯T fucking, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°C-Cherry... nooooooo!¡± Peri gasps, wiggling her hips and grinding into Cherry¡¯s finger like mad.


    ¡°Uh. I mean, I sort of assumed, yes, but...¡± I nervously swallow. Typically I could easily handle this sort of sight, but the fact that it¡¯s these two and that I still can¡¯t join in makes it difficult to process.


    ¡°We both agreed not to play with each other for the week, nyaa... just in case it worked out with you, Myaster. But it seems SOMEONE couldn¡¯t handle it, and it¡¯s probably why her horniness is so much worse than mine. Don¡¯t worry, this¡¯ll just take a sec... I know what I¡¯m doing by now.¡± Cherry smirks, confidence coloring her face.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, MYASTER! I¡¯m such a naughty kitty... I wanted to hold back for you, I diiiiid!¡± The kitten whines, trying to sound as innocent as possible.


    ¡°It¡¯s... alright, Peri.¡± I watch in awe as Cherry slips her paw deep into Peri¡¯s panties and begins to frig the meek kitten her for all she¡¯s worth. Peri becomes a mumbling, incoherent mess as her face is dyed red, orgasm approaching at an astonishing speed.


    ¡°NYAAAAA-¡± Peri breathily moans, crying from the back of her shrill throat as she climaxes right there in front of me several feet away. The maid arches her back as her body trembles with heated electricity, squirming and mewling at the touch of her tanned lover.


    She falls back into Cherry¡¯s embrace, who then helps her have a seat at the dining table further down the bench¡¯s length. ¡°T-Thank you, nyaa...¡± She says without looking up, panting with sudden exhaustion.


    That was... so fast. Either Peri is just that horny, or Cherry knows how to play her like an instrument. Probably both.


    ¡°You should get back to work now, Myaster.¡± The pink-haired kitten grins while looking at me, her own eyes beginning to fill with lust. ¡°Before something BAD happens...¡± Cherry purrs.


    I cough and clear my throat loudly, my forehead beading with sweat, ¡°Yes. Yes indeed. Sam? I believe I require you in my office. We need to have a very brief private meeting.¡±


    ¡°Wha?¡± Sam rises from her trashy tome. ¡°Did I miss somethin¡¯, Boss?¡±

 Meri Keeps Getting Humiliated

    After witnessing the arousing display, I had Sam suck me off quickly before we both got to work. She was eager for a little office fun, while I was eager to get my thoughts off of the kitties. Hopefully, Cherry is right, and that release will help calm Peri down enough for her to get through the last two days without any issues.


    Once I finish up, I offer to play with Sam and get her off as well, but she declined the offer to go and train. No matter. I start working on paperwork that I¡¯ve been neglecting until Igor gets here. When I hear Peri hissing at an intruder out in the entrance hall, I know it¡¯s my cue to get the gold out of the vault.


    Igor is paid in full, and the hunchback leaves the Guild with fatter pockets than they¡¯ve ever had before. Now that she has a minimally functioning alchemy lab, I leave Zutiria to her own devices. The Mage promises she¡¯ll be able to make a batch of health and stamina potions by tonight and quickly gets to work.


    The rest of the day passes by in a flash. Meri comes home at around seven, although Nikita is nowhere to be found. ¡°She took off when I asked her if she¡¯d come inside, Master. Sorry...¡± Meri tells me. Upsetting, sure, but I know Nikita is avoiding the Guild right now for whatever reason, and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.


    As soon as the kitties start preparing dinner, my adventurers and I all settle in at the hall together. We¡¯re all relaxed for tonight, having each changed into casual clothes.


    ¡°How did everything go?¡± I ask Meri, eager to hear the results of her training.


    ¡°I learned three new Arts all in one day!¡± She smiles brightly.


    Sam leans across the table. ¡°The fuck you talking about? You can¡¯t fully use them yet, right?¡±


    ¡°U-Um. Yes, I can... w-why, is that... bad?¡±


    ¡°Gah-¡± Sam throws her head back as her face turns white.


    ¡®There, there, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°Sam. Don¡¯t forget Meri was already using an Art before either of you knew anything about the concept. Of course she¡¯s going to pick them up faster than you are. You¡¯ll be fine after you play catch up for a bit.¡±


    The Princess sighs, holding up her cheek off the table with her palm.


    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic, how did YOUR training go?¡±


    Sam groans. ¡°Mostly good. I can use all three of the Arts Niki taught me, but I¡¯m just not great at them yet.¡± Sam was out training in the back all day. I didn¡¯t check on her, but knowing how hard she works, I¡¯m sure she made a lot more progress than she¡¯s letting on.


    Meri speaks up, saying, ¡°Nikita had me learn Steel Soul and Blunt Edge, too, and then she had me learn an art called Shield Bash! It¡¯s pretty useful.¡±


    Oh, nice. That¡¯s one I would have picked out for Meri to learn as soon as possible, too. ¡°Glad to hear that. Shield Bash is a standard technique, excellent to have in your arsenal. It¡¯s not a Shield Maiden Art but just a general shield user Art, right?¡±


    ¡°R-Right.¡± Meri frowns as I accidentally touch a nerve. ¡°Nikita can¡¯t teach me anything actually related to my class... we¡¯re still going to have to do something about that.¡±


    ¡®I could use the warp stone network to visit another town sometime and poke around some libraries.¡¯ Zutiria offers. ¡®There has to be a manual for being a Shield Maiden somewhere out there.¡¯


    ¡°That would be nice...¡± The brunette replies with quiet meekness.


    ¡°We¡¯ll solve that problem in due time. There¡¯s still plenty of general shield arts Nikita could teach you, I¡¯m sure.¡± I smile reassuringly at Meri, who perks up at my words.


    ¡°So what does Shield Bash do, huh?¡± Sam asks with heart-pounding excitement. ¡°Is it just a massive attack, or what?¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, uh, kinda! But more importantly, it sends me dashing around ten feet forward! I store my stamina in the shield and blow it backward to build up momentum. It¡¯s super handy. I can attack with it OR use it to get in between you guys and oncoming danger!¡±


    ¡®Nice. That will surely protect my squishy potato mage body from harm.¡¯


    ¡°Hee hee. Did your potion brewing go well, Zutiria?¡± Meri asks.


    ¡®Sir bought me a decent variety of alchemical supplies today. The potions are still brewing, but they¡¯ll be done in an hour or two from now. They no longer require my attention, however. Thus, I am here.¡¯ Zutiria flashes me a warm smile from across the table after speaking to Meri.


    ¡°Sounds like everyone had a nice, enjoyable day then. Besides myself, of course. Paperwork can only be so much fun.¡±


    ¡®Worry not, Sir. Although your day was boring, your night will prove to be anything but.¡¯ The little Mage teases with a wicked smile.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell us what the spell is, Zuzu?¡± Sam leans into her friend¡¯s personal bubble and smirks.


    ¡®Trust me. It¡¯s just as much of a surprise for you and Meri as it is for Sir. You¡¯ll thank me later.¡¯


    ¡°Tch.¡± Sam spits.


    ¡°H-Hey, Master?¡± Meri clings to my side and looks at me with those big round eyes of hers.


    ¡°Yes, Meri?¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you forgetting something important...?¡±


    I stare into her eyes, trying to gain a clue somehow as hard as I can. Eventually, it comes to me. ¡°Ah. We never checked your profile yesterday, isn¡¯t that right?¡±


    ¡°Yup!¡± The Shield Maiden exclaims. ¡°Might as well get my humiliation over with, ahahaha...¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Meri joined the level two club! Scoot over!¡± Sam stands up and runs over to our side of the table, Zutiria following close behind her.


    ¡°Open Guild Roster,¡± I command Taskmaster into activating. As my eyes flare with light, the screen appears. Upon checking the love meter, it seems each of my girls is only a little past level two now. The balance is just about even. I guess I¡¯ve done a pretty good job of giving everyone equal time this week, aside from the slight Eromancy lead Zutiria carved out for herself.


    Sam isn¡¯t too far behind, probably owing to that lovely session we had in my office earlier in the week.


    Meri is in last again since she only just leveled up yesterday morning. I click on her picture in the roster menu, and just as before, it springs to life. Her dossier screen is displayed for all to see.


    -------------------------------------


    -NAME-


    Merille Tillot


    -CLASS-


    Shield Maiden


    -AGE-


    20


    -PERSONALITY-


    Timid, Cowardly, Anxious, Naive, Gentle, Pure, Kind, Sweetheart, Dependable, Closet Pervert


    -BLESSINGS-


    N/A


    -SKILLS-


    Cooking, Housework, Gathering Items for Fetch Quests, Defending, Trying Her Best


    -LIKES-


    Master, Family, Erotic Fiction, Discovering New Kinks, Cute Things, Sewing, Baking, Children


    -DISLIKES-


    Demon Lord, Pain (Non-Sexual), The King, Dewhurst, Scary People, Monsters, Danger, Perilous Situations, Gilver Glorigold, Perlshaw Adventurer¡¯s Guild


    -FETISHES-


    Light BDSM, Pain, Punishment, Bondage, Being Humiliated, Being Used, Voyeurism (Both Watching and Being Watched), Anal


    -CURRENT MOOD-


    Unsurprised About How Humiliating This Is


    -CURRENT LOCATION-


    Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild


    -BIRTHPLACE-


    Bridgebury, Karnalle


    -EQUIPMENT-


    Shield of Hope


    High-Class Bulky Armor (Imbued with Father¡¯s Love)


    Flash Grenade x 5


    -------------------------------------


    ¡°I see...¡± I say after combing through the details. From the sound of things, Meri would make a charming mother. Baking, sewing, her sweet personality... she¡¯s very family-oriented, more so than anyone else I know. Makes sense. She and her father sound very close.


    I assume that after her mother passed, Meri had to start looking after him, and that¡¯s where she picked up all her girly hobbies. Not like there was much else to do in that old country village of hers. From what she¡¯s told me, she mostly kept to herself in Perlshaw, too. She never absorbed much of the culture there despite living there for two years.


    ¡°Hwaaah...¡± Meri sighs, her cheeks predictably blushing as she hides behind her hands. ¡°I knew it¡¯d be bad. I just knew it...¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, Meri!¡± Sam wraps her arm around her brunette friend, pulling her into a hug. ¡°We got some shit in common if it makes you feel any better. We both hate my dad, and both of our profile things are humiliating!¡±


    ¡®Mine wasn¡¯t that bad.¡¯ Zutiria brags.


    ¡°Shut up, ball-sniffer.¡±


    ¡®Point taken.¡¯


    ¡°You really should have spoken up if you¡¯re so good at housework, Meri. Maybe we can see about getting you a maid uniform, too.¡± I smirk and watch as the timid girl¡¯s expression becomes more embarrassed.


    ¡°W-What?!¡±


    ¡°Cherry, Peri, and Meri! It¡¯s too perfect.¡± Sam starts laughing loud, banging her fist on the table.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not a maid! I¡¯m an adventurer!¡±


    ¡®Among other things.¡¯ Zutiria reaches out to the dossier screen and zooms in on Meri¡¯s fetishes.


    ¡°N-NO! MASTER, PUT IT AWAY, PUT IT AWAY!!¡±


    ¡°Close window.¡± I say while laughing under my breath. Taskmaster follows my instruction and closes the dossier just like that.


    The blushing girl pulls the neck of her sweater over her nose and slumps against the table, whining. She hides and whimpers once again like a cute turtle.


    ¡°Oh no, ya don¡¯t.¡± Sam reaches out and yanks the collar off of Meri¡¯s face. ¡°How DARE you, bitch!¡±


    ¡°HYAAA!?!¡± Meri begins trembling, ¡°WHAT DID I DO?! S-SAM, STOP!¡±


    ¡°IT SAID RIGHT FUCKIN¡¯ THERE YOU LIKE BAKING, AND YOU HAVEN¡¯T MADE ME SHIT FOR ME IN THE ENTIRE TIME YOU¡¯VE BEEN LIVING HERE! GET IN THAT KITCHEN TOMORROW AND MAKE ME SOME GODS-DAMNED COOKIES!¡±


    ¡°HUWAAAAAAHHHHOK-OK-OK, A-ANYTHING YOU WANT SAM I¡¯M SORRYYYY-¡±


    Sam smirks at the girl writhing in exaggerated terror. ¡°Good girl. For now, I¡¯ll just have to settle for some ordinary sugar.¡±


    ¡°...Wha?¡±


    The blonde Princess yanks Meri in for a playful kiss. She¡¯s surprised but realizes Sam was just teasing her, and she gets around to kissing back.


    Watching my girls kiss brings a smile to my face, and I sigh with contentment.


    The doors to the kitchen open up, and a lovely smell wafts through the air. ¡°Dinner time!¡± Cherry purrs with great satisfaction, bringing a large serving tray to the table.


    ¡°I hope everyone is hungry, nyaa. We tried really hard on this one...¡± Peri follows after, holding another tray stacked with the remaining food as well as several drinks.


    ¡®Eat up, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria takes my hand under the table. ¡®Infinite stamina or not, you¡¯re going to need it for what I have planned.¡¯

 Alchemy Results and a New Spell

    After a pleasant dinner shared in the company of beautiful women, everyone does their own thing for an hour or so before bedtime. I check in on Zutiria to judge the outcome of her alchemical project with my own eyes. In two separate small cauldrons positioned on top of a rickety wooden desk, the little Mage has two completed brews.


    The health potion is colored rich red, smells of sweet candy, and has a thick syrup¡¯s viscosity. It¡¯s very appetizing as far as potions go. The stamina potion is somewhat less attractive owing to its green color and soupy texture. It doesn¡¯t smell terrible, just earthy.


    The size of each brew is smaller than I would have thought given how many ingredients Meri and the kitties brought home with them yesterday, but I suppose that¡¯s just what happens in alchemy. It¡¯s a convoluted process of breaking down the components, refining the traits you want, and discarding the useless elements. The fact that we only had locally sourced ingredients found in nature doesn¡¯t speak much about their quality.


    I help Zutiria portion the potions into some of the matching glass bottles we bought earlier in the day, and when they¡¯re filled, I fit them with a cork. All in all, we had enough brewed to fill nine bottles of each type. I was worried about the quantity, but Zutiria promises me that it¡¯ll be easy to brew more. Perhaps I¡¯ll go along to gather ingredients sometime soon. An extra set of hands wouldn¡¯t hurt.


    With the night¡¯s alchemical activities out of the way, I feel it¡¯s time to retire. I bid the kitties good night and thank them for their work, and then Zutiria and I make our way to the bedroom and lock the door behind us.


    Sam was doing pushups on the floor while Meri was reading a new book, as per usual. I have to remember to dig out those magical, choose your own adventure novels for her soon. She seems happy working her way through ¡®50 Tales of Tails, Beastfolk Edition¡¯ at least.


    ¡°Finally!¡± The Princess exclaims, sitting up and wiping off her glistening sweat with a nearby towel she brought out for this purpose.


    Nearby, the Shield Maiden marks her spot with a bookmark and smiles as I begin to strip myself of my top, handing my glasses to Zutiria to set on the nightstand. ¡°W-Wasting no time, Master?¡±


    ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve been waiting for this all day.¡± I lean down to give Meri a kiss, only to have Sam jump on the bed and wait for her turn. After tasting the brunette¡¯s lips and tongue, I swap and begin to make out with the Princess.


    Zutiria joins us, sitting next to Sam and taking her gown off to reveal her bare chest to the open air. The mage still wears a small frilly piece of black lingerie as far as panties go, but her near-naked body stimulates nonetheless. ¡®Get them nice and ready, Sir. I don¡¯t want to overwhelm them.¡¯ Her eyes flash pink as she begins channeling her sexual mana.


    ¡°W-Wow, pretty.¡± Meri blushes and stares into the little Mage¡¯s eyes.


    ¡®You¡¯re pretty as well, Meri.¡¯ Zutiria reminds her.


    ¡°A-Ah! Thank... you...¡± She smiles and hangs her head somewhat while still basking in the complement.


    After Sam breaks our kiss to catch her breath, she delightfully licks her luscious red lips and pulls her slightly sweaty tank top off of her body. Her big, round breasts fall against her skin after a bouncy drop. For a moment, I stare at her delicious pink nipples, goosebumps already forming around her tips. No one says anything about her post-workout smell, so I assume that I¡¯m not the only one who finds it delicious.


    I find myself unable to hold back, and I push the young Princess down against the bed. My arms wrap themselves around her back as my lips find her nipple, clamping down to begin sucking tenderly.


    ¡°Mmmm, Daddy...!!¡± She moans, her hand finding my head as she begins stroking my hair with delight. ¡°Even though I¡¯m a bit sweaty, you just can¡¯t help yourself... huh?¡± She giggles and shuts her eyes.


    ¡®I think Sir actually prefers it this way.¡¯


    ¡°Mmm... yeah... Master is naughty like that, isn¡¯t he?¡± Meri coos in a lustful haze. She joins her Guildmates by removing her cute pink t-shirt, revealing that she too wasn¡¯t wearing a bra. Meri lays on her side, putting her hand around my back and beginning to rub me down with love.


    ¡°You bet I am,¡± I say during a brief moment of separation from Sam¡¯s tasty peak. My hand pulls down Meri¡¯s shorts faster than she expected, and unlike Zutiria, it seems she wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath.


    ¡°Hyaa!¡± She gasps, meaty thighs squishing together to hide her slippery slit from my gaze. Even as I kiss and nibble Sam¡¯s perky tit, I push forward slowly and slide my hand up Meri¡¯s leg. Shivers rock her body, and she falls victim to her own lust, parting her legs for me and exposing her steamy cunt for me to do as I wish.


    I begin rubbing outside Meri¡¯s hole while starting to suck rougher on Sam, taking my hand from her back to grope and fondle at her breast.


    Zutiria makes a move and grabs Sam¡¯s hand, guiding it between her legs. The Princess gets the message quick enough and begins pleasuring the Mage, ensuring no one is left out. Sam even doubles down on Meri with me, using her free hand to start roughing up the Shield Maiden¡¯s tits the way she likes it.


    Meri bounces on my finger, whining and whimpering with delight every time Sam slaps her or twists her nipples. Zutiria, too, is shaking, her little tits jiggling up and down with each sway. Sam¡¯s not even fingering her that hard, but the little lady grinds her hips to make the most of it.


    We continue with this position for several minutes until my thirst grows. ¡°Get on top of Her Majesty, Meri.¡±


    ¡°W-Wha?¡± She asks in a daze, to which I respond by lightly pinching her clit. ¡°HEEE-¡±


    ¡°On top of Sam, now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, M-Master...¡± Meri squeaks, positioning her naked body on top of the eager Princess.


    ¡°Fuck yeah. Get up here, slut.¡± Sam lays on her back, staring up at the slightly chubby masochist. The Princess jumps right into it, taking Meri into a powerful kiss the second she¡¯s in range. Meri begins moaning into it as she grinds her pelvic mound into Sam¡¯s but to no avail.


    ¡®And me, Sir?¡¯ With pink-glowing eyes, the Sorceress asks right after Sam removes herself from Zutiria¡¯s pussy to grope Meri better.


    ¡°Get behind me and service me,¡± I command her, making her play to her strengths. ¡°Not too hard, though. I don¡¯t want to cum yet.¡±


    The Mage smiles and nods her head. ¡®Yes, Sir. You know that I live to please.¡¯


    Her words send a tingly down my spine, making me throb in anticipation. Just as I take off Sam¡¯s shorts and panties, Zutiria removes my pants and boxers and sits behind me just as ordered. Her tiny hands wrap around my thick cock and begin to stroke softly, albeit intensely, thanks to the mana she must have just applied to her hands. It¡¯s nowhere near as stimulating as yesterday, though, so she must be keeping true to her word not to make me cum yet.


    Sam and Meri are locked in a beautiful display of passion, and as lovely as that is, I¡¯m going to interrupt it. Only inches away from me are a pair of delicious-looking cunts. Both drooling, both fragrant with their overpowering womanhood, and both mine to do with as I please.


    I grab Meri¡¯s fat ass and spread her cheeks, splitting her lips with my thumbs enough for me to place my tongue broadly against her pink meat. She moans loud and shivers at my initial touch, and it¡¯s made even worse as I lick all the way down to her clit and then down to Sam¡¯s. The Princess then cries out as well, twitching and gasping while my lick explores the length of her lips.


    ¡°Daddy, that feels so gooood...¡± She whines, toes curling as I press my lips to hers and begin gently making out with her wet pussy.


    ¡°More... do me more, t-too...¡± Meri asks with meekness. I respond by slapping her on the ass with a hard smack, reminding her that I¡¯m in charge and she shouldn¡¯t tell me what to do. ¡°HAAA- S-Sorry, sorry!¡± She squeals with deep, masochistic joy.


    As I eat Sam and Meri out in turns, carving out their inner walls with my tongue, licking away at their clits, and sucking on their lips, Zutiria continues to massage my cock. She glides both hands against it, tugging when it wants to be tugged and squeezing when it wants to be squeezed. Her masterful yet understated handjob drives me into further passionate depths from which Sam and Meri reap its benefits.


    Zutiria¡¯s skilled hands push me to become rougher in my kisses, harder with my tongue, and in no time at all, both pussies are plump, red, and oozing from desire. I pull away from them, and they instantly begin to whine.


    ¡°Daddy, I need more... I didn¡¯t cum...¡±


    ¡°Master, p-please...¡±


    ¡°No more. I can¡¯t take it anymore. I need to fuck someone. Bad.¡± I sit up as soon as Zutiria lifts her small, delicate hands from my manhood.


    I gaze down at the sight of Meri laying naked atop Sam. She turns her head to look at me, delirious with lust. Beneath her, the Princess pants with parted lips and a blushing face. Neither girl says a thing, but they both silently beg to be the first one who gets my cock.


    That¡¯s when Zutiria steps in. ¡®What a difficult choice, hm, Sir? But... wouldn¡¯t it be even better if you don¡¯t have to make it?¡¯


    Oh yeah. We were supposed to be testing another Eromancy spell tonight. I begin to tremble with excitement as I turn to meet the Mage¡¯s inquisitive, curious eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡®Bear with me here. This one might be a little much, but I promise you¡¯ll enjoy it once we¡¯ve used it a few times.¡¯


    ¡°Do it already, Zuzu! My pussy¡¯s burning up...¡± Sam groans as her lower lips tingle, clenching for a cock that isn¡¯t there.


    ¡®Yes, yes.¡¯ Zutiria sighs, and her hands begin to glow brightly. From my side, she takes me in both hands and rubs me a single time from the base to the tip, coating me very briefly in a glowing pink aura that quickly fades. ¡®Alright, there¡¯s the analysis. Next is the sigil...¡¯


    ¡°Sigil?¡± I ask as a lump begins to form in my throat.


    ¡®It¡¯s not a rune.¡¯ She quietly laughs and looks up into my clear, piercing eyes to reassure me. ¡®It won¡¯t hurt.¡¯


    I nod and give her my express permission, wiping a small bead of nervous sweat from my forehead and flicking it away. Zutiria then places one hand on my pubic mound and traces the outline of a decently thick circle. The outline glows, and my beautiful Eromancer opens her soft lips to whisper the word, ¡°Duplidick.¡± To finish her spell.


    Sam lifts her head and moves Meri¡¯s gratuitous melons out of her face so she can see down to my groin. Her eyes open wide, and her jaw slacks in disbelief. ¡°No fuckin¡¯ way...¡±


    Meri starts twitching in fear, no, excitement...? As she stares at the after-effects of Zutiria¡¯s spell. She blinks as if trying to confirm that what she¡¯s looking at is real or not. ¡°Oh, Goddess...¡± She whimpers, biting her quaking lower lip.


    ¡®Go on, Sir. Give it to them.¡¯ Zutiria pushes my hips forward so that I bend down on the bed, and with one hand, she guides my cock to Sam¡¯s needy pussy... and with her other hand, she guides my second cock to Meri¡¯s as well.

 Two at the Same Time

    Even though I can physically feel it for myself, it¡¯s hard to believe that Zutiria¡¯s spell indeed just did what it did. This is something out of my wildest dreams, something I¡¯d never imagine that was actually possible. Yet here we are, an entire second cock is dangling several inches from my original one.


    It must be connected to my nervous system because I can very clearly feel every sensation like it were the real thing. It takes me a moment to fully process it even when both of my tips press against the lips of two waiting pussies. ¡°How does this work...?¡± I ask the Mage.


    ¡®I scanned your dick with my magic and designated where I wanted to put a copy. You can feel it, you can fuck with it, and you can cum with it. Do you understand, Sir? Or should I give you a third one for good measure until you get the picture?¡¯


    ¡°I-Is that possible!?¡± Meri gasps, her eyes opening from excitement.


    ¡®Yes.¡¯ Zutiria confirms bluntly.


    ¡°So you can just like... keep adding dicks?¡± Sam wonders aloud, thinking of the many implications and possibilities.


    ¡®Very much so. But it¡¯s not like they all have their own pools of stamina. The more penises Sir has, the more overwhelming the pleasure will be, meaning he¡¯ll cum faster. For now, it¡¯s best to stick with just the two.¡¯


    ¡°Fucking unbelievable...¡± I shake my head, thanking whatever horny magic-user invented Eromancy oh so long ago.


    ¡®Go on, Sir. Let us know how it is.¡¯ The naughty Mage gives me a light spank, not hard enough to hurt me but hard enough for me to jolt forwards and shove both cocks deep inside the pussies on offer.


    Meri and Sam each moan from my penetration, and I freeze as soon as I bottom out in them. ¡°Oh, Gods... it¡¯s... so intense...¡± I begin trembling inside of my girls, soaking in every individual twitch of their walls, unintentionally comparing the two. Meri¡¯s is hot, wet, and juicy, while Sam¡¯s keeps covering me in aggressive kisses, clenching all around my girth. ¡°If I move, I feel like I¡¯m gonna cum right away...¡±


    ¡°Then cum, Master...¡±


    ¡°You just got done eating us out, so we¡¯re already really close anyway...¡± Sam bucks her hips along with my original cock, sliding me out of and right back into her tunnel.


    ¡°Oh, fuck...¡± I clench my teeth, and Meri sees this opportunity to play along.


    ¡°Cum inside us...!¡± She coos dreamily, grinding my upper rod with her meaty slit and inviting me in deeper with her plump, sucking labial lips.


    ¡®Sir, do it. You have nothing to lose, don¡¯t mind your pride. It¡¯s a miracle you avoided cumming straight away as it is. Your body must be suited towards receiving the gifts of Eromancy...¡¯ Zutiria presses her naked chest against me when she wraps her arms around my midsection from behind. Her small, pointed nipples pierce into the muscles of my back, and to top it all off, she humps my hips with her own, sending me deeper inside both Sam and Meri.


    My balls begin boiling and demanding climax while my impaled lovers continue to moan and fuck themselves on my cocks.


    ¡°Please, Masterrrr...!¡±


    ¡°Daddyyy!¡±


    ¡®Sir. Give it to them.¡¯


    ¡°Damn it...!¡± I groan an animalistic, guttural groan and grab Meri¡¯s chubby bubble butt for stability. With every ounce of strength I have, I start pounding both rods into the depths of their respective moist sheaths. This frenzy sends Sam and Meri both into a pleasured paradise brought about by my sheer ferocity.


    Just as promised, neither girl had to wait long for their climaxes. They both begin cumming hard against the might of my double cocks working in tandem to fuck them within an inch of their life. Once I feel them spasming against me, I can¡¯t hold back any longer.


    I grunt and dig my fingers into Meri¡¯s gratuitous ass flesh, slamming down hard into the girls one more time before cumming a titanic surge. Never before had I imagined what it would be like to have two orgasms simultaneously. It feels like the absolute culmination of heaven and hell all rolled up into one fantastic yet terrifying experience.


    This sensation is almost as if my soul were exiting my body through both penises. As bad as that sounds, it feels indescribably good. It¡¯s just more extreme than I could do justice.


    I flood Sam and Meri¡¯s insides with my white and burning semen, cocks surging and throbbing in a desperate endeavor to give all that I have to offer.


    ¡®Well done, Sir. Keep it going...¡¯ Zutiria takes both of her hands to the sides of my hips, pulls me back out, and humps me forward once again. I practically howl with lust as this added stimulation drains yet more of my supposedly infinite stamina and wrings the last drops of my current load from my urethra.


    Without even taking a moment to bask in my heightened pleasure, I pull out of Sam and Meri so I can flop on my back and pant for air. ¡°Good Gods...¡±


    Meri, too, scoots off of Sam and joins me at my side. Together they both get a closer look at the intimidating multi-cock dangling between my legs. ¡°Was it too much for you, Master...?¡±


    ¡°Just about...¡± I sigh and wipe some more of the sweat from my face. ¡°Yesterday was intense, too. Makes me wonder if I¡¯ll ever get used to Eromancy.¡±


    ¡°Zuzu, this shit¡¯s fun and all, but if it gets in the way of us having a good time, then you might need to call it off some nights and just let us do it normally.¡± Sam stakes her claim, ensuring my dick gets the fair treatment it deserves.


    ¡®It¡¯s just like your Arts training, Sam. He¡¯ll get better the more we do it. Don¡¯t you want him to gain a resistance faster?¡¯


    ¡°Well, yeah, but... I also want him to just be able to fuck me.¡± The Princess groans.


    Meri begins stroking my chest with tender love and affection. ¡°How about it? Do you think you can keep going with two, Master?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest, but we¡¯re going to anyway.¡± I laugh softly. ¡°It¡¯s like Zutiria said. I need to put in an effort and master the heightened sensations if I ever want to get good at this.¡±


    ¡®Well said.¡¯ Zutiria smiles, taking one cock with each hand and starting up a steady rhythm of pumping. My blood immediately begins to churn once more, and my dual staffs harden at the handily delivered pleasure. The Mage leans over, sucking down on my bottom tip before swirling the same wet, velvety tongue over my other shaft¡¯s tip. She presses them together so she can knead, tug and lick them both in tandem.


    Sam and Meri just watch Zutiria at work, almost too intimidated by the magic second cock to do anything. They stop as soon as she looks Sam right in the face. ¡®Are you ready?¡¯ She asks.


    Sam looks at her in confusion, then suddenly realizes what she was just asked. ¡°Wait a second... r-really...?¡±


    ¡®Meri could also go first if you¡¯re too scared, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°Ahaha, I-I think I¡¯m ok...! W-Why don¡¯t you show me how it¡¯s done?¡± The Shield Maiden meekly insists.


    ¡°I ain¡¯t scared! We were gonna end up doing double penetration with a strap-on eventually anyway. This is just... uh... a lot to take in. Even for me.¡± Sam gulps while getting up and crawling over to Zutiria, the seed I just gifted her beginning to trail down her thighs and onto the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love it.¡± I chime in.


    ¡°Not as much as you¡¯re gonna love it, Daddy.¡± Her Highness turns around and playfully scooches the Mage away by hip checking her with her butt.


    ¡°Help Sam out, girls.¡±


    ¡®One moment.¡¯ Zutiria wiggles her finger in the direction of the nightstand, causing a bottle of lube to magically float into her hand. She pours a heaping batch of it all over my second cock and lathers me up nice and smooth. It feels wonderful, even if it¡¯s not an actual attempt at pleasuring me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me, too!¡± Sam bends over on the bed, and I watch the incredibly erotic sight that unfolds. Zutiria pours globs of slick lube onto her finger and pushes through the tight rim of Sam¡¯s behind until it reaches inside. The Princess¡¯s eyes open wide for a split second before she shuts them from the pleasure of Zutiria¡¯s invasive digit.


    ¡°Watching this is g-gonna make me go crazy...¡± Meri stares as the Princess has her tight little asshole stirred and gets lube spread within it. ¡°It¡¯s so dirty...¡±


    ¡°So are you, Meri.¡± I remind her, to which she hangs her head.


    Once Zutiria finishes her lube duty, she gives Sam a silent thumbs-up. She takes one cock in hand while Meri takes the other, and they hold them in place the Princess who falls back down and impales her tight holes on my throbbing shafts. Sam, typically a crass and upbeat tomboy, is now brought to tears from the sudden onset of pleasure spreading throughout her body stemming from her pussy and her ass. ¡°Ho... ly... shit... DADDYYY...!!¡±


    I know where she¡¯s coming from. The contrast between her holes has never been more apparent until this very moment. While her pussy gives me sweet, familiar comfort, her tiny ass has to stretch itself wide to accommodate my size, and so it bites down on my duplicate penis like a vice.


    ¡°Does it feel any easier this time, Master...?¡± Meri over me on my left side, looking down with concern and obvious lust.


    ¡°M-Maybe a little... but... anal is a bit much right now, I think...¡± I clutch my teeth as I say that, wiggling just a tiny bit inside of Sam and drawing a moan from her throat.


    Zutiria snuggles up to the opposite side, dragging my hand between her thighs to continue where Sam left off. ¡®Take it slow, you two. It¡¯s alright if it doesn¡¯t last too long.¡¯


    The Princess looks back at us and weakly flashes a peace sign with her fingers. ¡°No s-sweat... I... got this...¡± She says while slowly pulling off of my rods and forcing them right back down where they came from. Sam screams as soon as it hits, the double penetration taking its toll on her body. ¡°I¡¯m... Daddy¡¯s little slut... a-a-after all...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s right, you are.¡± I groan and lift upwards while my hands quickly find themselves exploring inside Meri and Zutiria.


    For several short but sweet minutes, the Princess rocks her hips up and down to match my equally slow pace. It¡¯s a far cry from the frantic, frenzied fucking I tend to engage in with Sam, but it¡¯s just about all both of our bodies can manage.


    Something has to give, and in the end, it¡¯s me.


    While whisking my fingers around the insides of the other girls, Zutiria cums against my hand, gushing her sweet, feminine honey all over me. To silence her voice, she leans over across my chest to nibble on my nipple.


    The sudden new height of pleasure brought on by her full, pouty lips sets off a chain reaction. I suddenly invade Meri as far as she¡¯ll take my fingers, and the harshness makes the masochist reach her long-awaited sexual climax, too.


    It¡¯s only natural that their orgasms trigger my own, and I jerk up into the ass and pussy of my tight Princess so hard that her jiggling butt claps loudly against my skin. Groaning, I begin to unload another frightening and enormous load of semen inside of both sinful tunnels.


    ¡°G-GAAAH!! HHHNNNNNN-¡± Sam shouts as she shakes her ass, working both of my cocks with a sudden fierceness that draws out my orgasm even longer, especially when she cums on me, too.


    The royal slut removes me from both holes, kneeling over my pelvis and giving me an astonishing view of the flood escaping from within her. Her asshole is stretched wide, seeping a river of my white-hot cum, which drips out to combine with the stream trickling thickly out of her well-fucked pussy.


    Deciding she no longer has any energy at all, Sam falls back on my chest and knocks Zutiria away from my nipple in the process.


    ¡°I... can¡¯t... fuckin¡¯ go on... wow... t-that was... um... something else...¡± Every word she speaks is peppered between a desperate battle for air, and if she wasn¡¯t sweaty before, she is now. Her back clings to me with its wetness, the warmth feeling lovely against my skin.


    ¡°I need a break, too... Meri, you don¡¯t mind waiting, do you...?¡±


    The Shield Maiden looks a bit disappointed, and she bites her lips. ¡°I-I guess not...¡±


    ¡®It¡¯s still early.¡¯ Zutiria says. ¡®If we go to bed now, Sir can rest his fragile mind and wake up earlier than usual. It might be too much for him if we continued from now, anyway. I¡¯m sorry, Meri...¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I just... um, that looked really amazing...¡±


    ¡°It sure fuckin¡¯ was...¡± Sam groans, on the verge of passing out on my chest.


    ¡°Zutiria, we¡¯re about to clock out, I think. Why don¡¯t you help Meri out a bit with your new powers?¡± As I speak, the little Mage undoes her spell, and my second cock vanishes. That¡¯s convenient. Guess I don¡¯t have to wash it now.


    ¡°Help me out h-h-how?¡± Meri¡¯s crimson eyes gloss over with a hazy, expectant lust as she looks over at Zutiria.


    ¡®However I can, silly Meri.¡¯ Says Zutiria as she crawls over top of Sam and me before plopping down on top of Meri¡¯s curvy body. Her eyes and hands glow bright pink, signaling how good a time the Shield Maiden is about to have.


    Meanwhile, all I can do is give a deep, long yawn. ¡°Night, Princess...¡±


    ¡°Ni-ni, Daddy...¡± Sam rolls over so she can adequately snuggle my bare chest. Soon after, I fall asleep to the sound of Meri losing her fucking mind at the Eromancer¡¯s touch.

 Running Under the Moon and Making a Choice

    ¡°Snow, it¡¯s almost two in the morning. Where the hell are you heading off to?¡± Flufferson asks as I approach the exit of the Pet Shop¡¯s main tent.


    ¡°I have a lot on my mind, nyaa. I want to go running in an attempt to clear it. Why, Fluffer? Are you worried over little old me?¡± Tilting my head, I flash him a playful smile and a strategically placed wink, knowing my refined brand of cuteness will weaken him.


    ¡°N-No, of course not. If anyone¡¯s safe on their own out there, it¡¯s you...¡± The old dog replies, tucking with his tail between his leg.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear. I only want to stretch my legs for a bit. Feeling a bit restless...¡±


    ¡°Take care, Snow. Don¡¯t be too long.¡± He hangs his head while drooping his ears and sighing.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± I lie because I¡¯m a cat. I¡¯m going to do whatever I want for as long as I want, and the old dog knows it.


    Flufferson budges out of the way for me, albeit with slight reluctance. I move past him and head off alone into the empty night market.


    I switched out of my uniform hours ago, and now I¡¯m wearing an understated black tracksuit that won¡¯t draw too much attention if someone happens to see me against all odds. For a split second, I look back at the tent.


    Security is tight, as per my orders.


    Flufferson is hardly the only Beastman on patrol tonight. About half the crew is out here defending the collection of tents serving as both our adoption center and our mobile home. The other half is resting until it¡¯s their shift. I¡¯m glad to see how efficient my staff is, but I get a move on before any of the security can stop and question me just as Flufferson did. As I am right now, I¡¯m definitely not in the mood for it...


    I love this place, but I also hate it.


    My expression becomes cold as the dirty streets beneath my paws as I turn away from my home and walk briskly through the silent market into a nearby alley. Odd. It smells like Mya... the Guild Myaster here. That cheeky little Mage of his, too. They must have passed here after they finished their errand, I suppose... great.


    I was hoping not to smell this scent again so soon, but much to my relief, the odor is faded and not all that strong. Good. The last thing I need when trying to clear my mind is to become uncontrollably in heat.


    Sighing, I take a look around the alley for any hint of a route I could take. This isn¡¯t my first rooftop run. No, I¡¯ve done this in practically every major city in Karnalle. With my experience, I can quickly pinpoint a scaffolding that will soon allow me to reach the building¡¯s roof. Using all of my speed, agility, and prowess, I climb.


    From atop the rough scaffolding, I can spot a path to reach higher and higher. With all of my skill and grace, I ascend the buildings making as little sound as possible. Amidst the dreary backdrop of this dirty slum town, I imagine how wondrous I look as I¡¯m leaping to and fro. My body twirls itself about this way and that like an elegant acrobat, long, fluffy tail trailing behind me as I go.


    Losing myself to the rhythm of my freerunning, I become one with the night. Out here, I can make as many different choices as I want. When to run, when to jump, when to vault and land on my feet, or even when to spin around if I¡¯m feeling daring... yeah. At night, running through the city without a care in the world is what sets me free.


    After only a few minutes of running and jumping, I find myself at the top of one of the city¡¯s highest buildings. No one else will find me here, and I can be truly alone. Looking down on the numerous buildings below, I soak in all the less-than-impressive sights this town has to offer. Dewhurst really is an awful place. It reeks of cheap sex and even cheaper drugs, and of course, the scent of danger lingers in the air like a neverending hangover.


    Pretty funny, if I¡¯m honest. Never would I expect it¡¯d be the town I want to make my forever home.


    ...Gods, what¡¯s happened to you, Snowball?


    Every day this week, my thoughts have drifted toward him whenever I so much as slightly lower my guard. Even now, I catch myself staring at that building on the south-east edge of town... that rickety old Adventurer¡¯s Guild, which looks like it¡¯d collapse into a thousand pieces if it ever met a stiff wind. Inside, that man is probably making love to his many mates right this very second...


    I thought I finally convinced myself I don¡¯t have any say over my life, that I was happy like this... but now everything¡¯s been turned on its head. It¡¯s all thanks to that mute girl with the purple hair, Zutiria. I was mostly over my little ¡®crush¡¯ until I saw the two of them earlier today, and she just kept prodding me and hinting.


    Such a rude young lady... she could definitely use a good spanking...


    The tribe always tells you that you have a choice. You can stay, or you can go. But... if it¡¯s not through the adoption program, they won¡¯t help you if you leave.


    There are also cases like mine.


    I¡¯m part of the lucky few that the tribe wanted to stay and work, so I wasn¡¯t ever put up for adoption, no. I was the pinnacle of the maid training program, so they begged me to stay on and instruct future generations.


    Sure, they told me I had a choice in the matter, but... since I was bred to be a good little kitty maid who always says yes, I said yes.


    Does that really count as having a choice?


    At the time, I thought I¡¯d be happy with that ¡®decision¡¯ of mine. Especially since I could just leave if I found a mate who interested me. In reality, I wasn¡¯t happy, and I never did find the right man... not until the worst possible time, at least.


    Lucky me.


    Now it¡¯s even more challenging to leave. When I¡¯m not training new maids at the Breeding Grounds, I¡¯m out on the road practically running the Pet Shop whenever they ask me to...


    I think over the years, I¡¯ve come to hate myself. Especially now, when thinking about the two of them...


    Even though I love them so much, I can¡¯t help being jealous of Periwinkle and Cherry. The fact that they can just go off, solve their issues, and live in bliss with the... their new Myaster irritates me. Even the problem kittens, who nobody thought would ever get adopted, ended up with their happy ending before old Snow did...


    Do I... resent them? Gods, they¡¯re like my kid sisters, and I¡¯m just... a petty and spiteful bitch.


    ...No, Snow. Focus.


    You¡¯re a good maid. Your Myaster isn¡¯t a man. It¡¯s the Breeding Tribe. You¡¯ll serve them until you die. That¡¯s the choice you made.


    Even now, while I stand here looking out at the city under its dreary moonlight, daydreaming about what life would be like with... him... I know that¡¯s not the life that was meant for me. I was bred to fulfill a specific purpose, and I¡¯ll do my best in fulfilling it.


    Besides, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll forget this flight of fancy in a few years, anyway... I¡¯m getting older. The Tribe wants me to settle down and pick a mate already, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m unpopular. I could steal just about any Beastman from their current mate if I wanted- and considering our race mates typically mates for life, that¡¯s saying a lot. I¡¯ve seen the way the males back at the Breeding Grounds gaze at me as I pass them by...


    I could work with one of them, I guess... if I had to. Not like they¡¯re bad looking or anything... and they smell ok, too, even if it¡¯s nothing like... him...


    Letting out a deep sigh into the cold night air, I lean over the building¡¯s rusty railing. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes, and I wipe them away with my paws. Fucking hell, Snow. Get it together. You¡¯re a pretty little kitty maid who does her curtsies and follows orders. That¡¯s all you... need... to... be?


    I didn¡¯t notice it at first because I was so lost while wallowing in my own self-pity, but something is dreadfully amiss. Suspicious hooded figures enter the marketplace en masse, much more than I¡¯d consider normal for even a scummy town like Dewhurst. I can¡¯t see them very well on account of their attire, but I¡¯m certain the lot is entirely female. Worse yet is they¡¯re being led by a small caravan of wagons drawn by horses, and I have no idea what they could be transporting so late at night, unless...


    Before I can put two and two together, I witness an explosion erupt throughout the night, centered entirely around my home. Silver smoke bursts into the perimeter, covering the entire market in a thick, pungent gas that I instantly recognize. Every member of the tribe has to smell it once in our childhood so that we know to avoid it from miles away. You don¡¯t ever forget a smell like that. It¡¯s so powerful that I can smell it from all the way up here... Beastvine.


    This... this can¡¯t be happening.


    Beastvine is illegal. Any Beastfolk who inhales enough of it will be knocked out cold for almost a full day...! So how in the name of Besthal could anyone find enough of the drug to pull this off?! Not even alchemists are allowed to mess with that substance! Another burst happens, covering the surrounding tents in the same silver shroud of billowing smoke, and another blast, and another.


    The entire area has been thoroughly smoked, rendering the security I posted null and void now that the men are all dropping like flies on a hot day.


    The wagons pull up to the Pet Shop, and the shady figures begin raiding the tents under cover of night. I cover my mouth in horror as the first criminal returns carrying an unconscious Dogfolk girl over their shoulders. She loads the poor puppy into the back of the nearest wagon as if she were cargo. This process repeats itself one after the other, and all I can do is stand here and watch, helpless as my kin are abducted right before my eyes.


    Then, stepping out from the largest wagon of all, I see him. Even in near-total darkness, his gaudy jewelry reflects what little light there is. The shine makes the wicked man almost impossible not to detect... even if you don¡¯t have intense night-vision like I do.


    At his side are his two female lieutenants that I saw the other day. Together they watch calmly as his thugs abduct everyone I know and love... besides any of the men, of course.


    This isn¡¯t fair. We could have easily defeated this many invaders if it was a straight-on fight. Thanks to our keen senses, we would have even detected magic if they tried pulling that off, too, but... the possibility of a Beastvine attack was so remote that no one even considered it.


    Least of all, me... how can you prepare for something that never in your wildest dreams had you ever considered a potential threat?


    There¡¯s no way I can go down and help. I¡¯m strong, sure, but strong doesn¡¯t mean anything against a knock-out drug. All I¡¯d be doing is ensuring I share the same fate as my sisters...


    I... I can¡¯t... after everything I¡¯ve sacrificed... so many years of my life wasted serving the tribe, only for... for THIS?


    No... please, no... I...


    Wait. This isn¡¯t right-


    ¡®If something bad happens, though... something worse than you were prepared for then, please. Don¡¯t hesitate.¡¯


    Words ring through my mind like a persistent gong, refusing to disappear until I acknowledge them.


    ¡®Please.¡¯ His deep voice says in a comforting tone.


    Gods, Really? I... don¡¯t have any other option now, do I... I have to go and see him... he¡¯ll help me... he promised he would... and I... I... trust him. He¡¯s...


    He¡¯s the Myaster, after all.


    Leaping from the top of the city, I run as fast as I can to go and submit an urgent quest to the local Adventurer¡¯s Guild. I¡¯ll use my power as acting leader of the Pet Shop and promise him anything he wants, anything to make him save my family.


    My relationship with the tribe itself is complicated, but the individual Beastfolk who make it up? I¡¯d do anything to save them...


    That¡¯s the choice I¡¯ll make.


    PunishedKom

 The Urgent Quest is Submitted

    ¡°MYASTER, LET ME IN! HELP!! HELP!¡± Peri pounds on the door to the bedroom, awakening me right away from my restful slumber. I groan loud in response, and so does Sam.


    The tired Princess stirs and reaches her hand towards the nearest pillow no one is using, and throws it at the door. ¡°SHOO, KITTY! BAD! NO HORNY!¡±


    ¡°NO, PLEASE! YOU DON¡¯T UNDERSTAND, NYAA! CHERRY IS DOWNSTAIRS A-AND!¡±


    ¡°I WON¡¯T FALL FOR YOUR TRICKS, PERI!!¡± Sam tiredly declares.


    Meri whines to my left from the yelling and the banging. As I open my eyes in the darkness, I see Zutiria pulling out of her cuddle with the young, curvy Shield Maiden. She sits up and begins to shake Meri awake.


    ¡®Sir. Up.¡¯ I see Zutiria¡¯s text appear on my eyelids the second I try shutting them to drift back asleep.


    Against my will, I pat Sam on the butt and give her the cue to scoot off me. She does so, but only after grumbling. Wiggling my way out of the pleasurable pile of naked female flesh, Zutiria hands me a pair of my boxers, and I slide into them.


    I open the door and see Peri crying while wearing a white pair of pawprint pajamas. If she was horny, she was doing a hell of a good job at hiding it. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Peri...?¡±


    ¡°MYASTER, SNOW¡¯S HERE! TH-THE TRIBE... THE TRIBE¡¯S BEEN...!!¡± She struggles to form a coherent sentence, tears streaming down her cheeks like waterfalls and making her blue bangs a wet, clingy mess.


    Shit, it¡¯s finally happened...


    ¡°EVERYONE UP. GET DRESSED.¡± Yelling, I take command of the situation as soon as I rise up from the bed without wasting a second. ¡°Zutiria, clothes.¡±


    ¡®On it.¡¯


    ¡°Mas... ter...? I¡¯m so tired...¡± Meri yawns, her boobs bouncing down against her torso as she sleepily rises from her dormancy.


    ¡°Gods, my ass hurts...¡± Sam stretches out and sits up. ¡°Why is everyone fuckin¡¯ yelling...¡±


    ¡®Less talking, more suiting up.¡¯ Zutiria reappears from the closet wearing her typical adventurer¡¯s garb. In her arms, she carries Meri and Sam the clothes they wear under their armor along with some underwear.


    As for myself, I put back on the clothes I stripped out of only hours before. A quick glance at the clock on the wall reveals it¡¯s only just before half-past two in the morning. Makes sense. The best time to do something criminal is under cover of night...


    Zutiria takes Peri by the hand and leads the crying kitten downstairs. The three of us follow soon after we¡¯re fully dressed. Someone took the initiative to light all of the lanterns, fighting back against the darkness of night and lighting up the Guild with a gloomy luminescence fitting for such a somber occasion.


    Sitting at the nearest dining table to the stairs is Snow, and on each of her sides is a troubled Catgirl doing their best to comfort their old friend. Snow¡¯s got on a black tracksuit, while Cherry is wearing a black version of the same pajamas as Peri. Zutiria also sits with them on the opposite side.


    Snow, who I¡¯d usually describe as the picture-perfect portrait of refined, elegant beauty, is now a hot mess. Her eyes are red from continual crying. Her face is contorted by misery, and her posture is slumped over in total defeat.


    ¡°Snowball...¡± I say, almost whispering at the pathetic vestige of the girl I met just this afternoon.


    She lifts her head up and stares back at me. ¡°Myaster... It... it happened. I was out night jogging, it¡¯s a hobby of mine and... I saw it while it all went down, I can¡¯t... agh...!¡± Snow can¡¯t make it through the sentence without breaking out into even further tears.


    ¡°Bastard...!¡± Cherry hisses while clasping Snow¡¯s paw. She¡¯s crying too, but it¡¯s much angrier. ¡°We need to do something, Myaster...! Something, just- ANYTHING...!¡±


    Meanwhile, Peri just shakes as she cuddles up to Snow¡¯s side, looking for reassurance but unable to find any from the older woman. ¡°W-What do we do... what do we do...?!¡± She whines.


    ¡°...Sam, Meri. Go and get your armor on. And please, grab a handkerchief for our guest.¡± Both girls run to the storage room at my command, wasting not a single second.


    I sit down at the table next to Zutiria, who grabs my hand and holds it in her own. She doesn¡¯t say a word but gives me a look of understanding, silently urging me to do what I can. ¡°Snow. Look at me and take a deep breath.¡±


    She does as she¡¯s told, her striking yellow gaze meeting mine in the dimly lit light of the Guild. ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m good.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡±


    Snow nods with reluctance but doesn¡¯t look away.


    ¡°Tell me what exactly went down, and be as thorough as you can with it. The more I know, the more I can help.¡±


    The disheveled Catgirl sniffles her runny nose, but thankfully Sam and Meri have returned now wearing their full armor.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± Meri frowns, handing a small white handkerchief to Snow.


    ¡°Thank you, Mistress...¡± Snow takes it with a trembling paw, then begins wiping off her blemished face to make herself look somewhat presentable.


    Snow slumps over the table while looking me in the eyes, beginning to recollect the events that just transpired. ¡°That wicked sex fiend attacked the Pet Shop while I was out... h-he used Beastvine smoke bombs in every tent. There¡¯s no way we could have prepared for that. It¡¯s such an illegal substance, banned because of how potent it is against out kind... he... he-¡± She begins breathing hard to steady herself until continuing, saying, ¡°Everyone was knocked out instantly. The pimp¡¯s thugs appeared and loaded all of the females up in wagons...¡±


    Nodding my head, I follow along on every word she says. It¡¯s just about as bad as I thought it¡¯d be. Worse, even. I¡¯m pretty sure I know where he managed to get all that Beastvine, though... I¡¯ll have to look up what the plant looks like, see if it matches the one I saw the Crystal Sage hand Pimpington the other day. ¡°I need details, Snow. You¡¯re sure it was Sir Pimpington? And did you see where they took the Beastgirls?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure, I saw him and his women giving orders to the thugs... and... no, I-I didn¡¯t follow them to see where they were going. If the smoke wasn¡¯t still strong, I could go back and sniff out their location, but it¡¯ll linger for a few hours at least...¡±


    ¡°What about the dudes in your tribe?¡± Sam asks. ¡°Can they fight after they wake up?¡±


    ¡°No... they¡¯re going to be completely unconscious for a long while, nyaa. Besides, even if they could fight, there¡¯s no way of knowing whether the Pimp used all of his Beastvine or not. I couldn¡¯t send my men after him. It¡¯d be too dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Shit... I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± The Princess sighs, banging her gauntleted fist on the table.


    ¡®I believe before he left on his phallic chariot the other day, the unscrupulous villain mentioned a place called the Pimpfort. That sounds about as good as any place to begin our search.¡¯ Zutiria suggests.


    ¡°Snow, I hate to ask this, but before we proceed with whatever we plan on doing here, are you submitting this as a formal quest?¡±


    Cherry gives me a nasty look reminiscent of when she hated me, clearly mad that I would even insinuate wanting a reward for saving the abducted Beastgirls. She then bites her lips and looks away in shame, perhaps starting to consider my point of view.


    ¡°Yes... of course. I¡¯m well aware that an Adventurer¡¯s Guild isn¡¯t a charity, nyaa.¡± Snow says.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking because as a Guild Master, this is a challenging situation for me to assign a proper ranking. Determining what sort of reward is necessary in this situation will be almost impossible. I have no way of knowing the dangers that would await my adventurers if I send them off to raid an enemy stronghold we have no intel about. Business-wise-¡±


    ¡°Business-wise...?!¡± Cherry hisses, her tears coming out in full force. ¡°What the fuck do you mean, bus-¡±


    ¡°CHERRY,¡± Peri screams, to the utter shock of everyone in the room. All heads turn to face the blue-haired Catgirl. ¡°What if the Mistresses go a-and get really hurt, nyaa...? You expect the Myaster to just... just ignore all the danger and send his mates out just because he¡¯s friends with Snow...?¡±


    A lump forms in Cherry¡¯s throat. Her mouth opens wide, and she tries to speak, but nothing comes out.


    ¡°Cherry, you know that Master doesn¡¯t mean it like that...¡± Meri frowns, looking at the Catgirl as small tears form in her eyes.


    ¡°Let him finish, Cherry.¡± Snow says while staring straight at me. ¡°You¡¯re being incredibly naive, and you need to be quiet.¡±


    The silence from Cherry becomes deafening until, much to Snow¡¯s surprise, Cherry meekly resigns and says, ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry, nyaa.¡±


    The older Catfolk woman glances at the pajama-clad kitty as if she¡¯s bewildered over the fact that Cherry knows how to apologize. Her gaze lingers briefly before her disapproving frown melts into a soft, apprehensive smile. Satisfied with what she saw, Snow returns her eyes back to mine. ¡°Go on, Myaster.¡±


    ¡°All I was going to say is that business-wise it¡¯s doable. There¡¯s a system in place where I can accept and register the quest without agreeing on a reward beforehand. Instead, we¡¯ll retroactively assign one after the quest is completed when I have an accurate and informed list of the dangers the girls went through. The only problem to this is that-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware it¡¯s not going to be cheap.¡± Snow says with conviction. ¡°I¡¯m one of the leaders of the traveling Besthal Pet Shop. Since the other leaders have all been either knocked out or kidnapped, the command now falls entirely to me, nyaa. I don¡¯t need the authorization to promise as much of our resources as it takes to save our girls. Even the leaders back home at the Breeding Grounds wouldn¡¯t object to me doing whatever I had to do in this situation to get things done.¡±


    Sam leans over the table, a question having formed in her mind. ¡°Hang on a sec. What about those magic bell thingies you all wear? Isn¡¯t that supposed to summon backup if something goes wrong?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, nyaa. However, the rescue team you¡¯re referring to comprises the males who are currently knocked out. I could request more from the nearest city we have an outpost in, Dawnstead, but that would take days... and there¡¯s no way of knowing how much time we even have. We need to strike now, nyaa.¡±


    Sam once more resigns while grumbling, giving me my time to talk once more. ¡°I¡¯ll begin filing the forms for this quest once the girls are prepared and on their way to hunt down the Pimpfort. Do you three have any objections to accepting this quest?¡±


    ¡°The fuck do you think, Boss?¡± Sam stands up and leans over, staring me firmly in the eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let this happen to all those innocent girls who just wanted to find a place to belong...¡±


    Meri rises, clenching her fists to ward off her trembling. ¡°A Shield Maiden stands firm and a-always protects those in need, no matter what! I won¡¯t let any harm come to those Beastgirls, n-not as long as I still have my shield!¡± Sam smirks at this brave declaration, patting Meri hard on the back to show how proud she is.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯ The Mage rises, closing her eyes as she adjusts her glasses. ¡®If we don¡¯t save them, nobody else will. The time to end this sexual buffoon¡¯s reign of tyranny is now. Better to capture one of our enemy¡¯s strongest pieces now while we have the chance, isn¡¯t that right, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Indeed.¡± This will cripple the Duke of Dewhurst a fair amount if we¡¯re successful. ¡°Snowball, we¡¯ll accept the quest.¡±


    ¡°Thank you... thank you so much... I knew I made the right choice...¡± Snow smiles at me as she begins to sob, an act she soon finds herself joined in by Cherry and Peri at her sides.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Myaster...¡± Cherry bites her lip. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to get so mad, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Cherry...¡± Peri reaches over to comfort her friend. ¡°They¡¯re going to make everything better... right, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll lead my adventurers to victory, and we¡¯ll save everyone because Guilds exist to help others in their time of need. Mark my words.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll... lead them, nyaa?¡± Snow tilts her head, confused.


    ¡°Ah, right. It¡¯s hard to explain. You¡¯ll see what I mean in a bit. I¡¯ll be staying here with you, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°...Alright, I see. Say. Where does that Grekkan bodyguard of yours happen to be right about now, nyaa? I¡¯d certainly pay extra to acquire her help as well.¡±


    Sam frowns and crosses her arms, ¡°She¡¯s retired. Nikita only shows up if something bad happens here in the Guild, so I doubt she¡¯d wanna help out.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± Snow tries to mask her disappointment but fails, and I can¡¯t blame her. What I wouldn¡¯t give to convince Nikita to go along on this quest...


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get a couple of things ready for you girls, and then we¡¯ll figure out a way to locate the Pimpfort... We don¡¯t have a Ranger or anyone with tracking skills, but wagons aren¡¯t too hard to find, are they? Hmm... if only-¡±


    A small orb of light appears in the center of the table, floating several feet over it and covering the lantern-lit room in perfect brightness. The kitties, including Snow, all hiss and jump backward out of their seats on the table in reaction to its sudden appearance.


    -Look outside. It¡¯s time for shit to get weird.- Luxy¡¯s heavenly voice emanates throughout the entrance hall, stunning the three girls who have no idea what any of this means.


    Their questions are quelled for the moment when I calm them, promising that I¡¯ll explain later. For now, I just exit the beautifully crafted Dwarven door and look down the short road connecting my Guild to the town.


    It doesn¡¯t take long to notice the changes.


    For starters, the city inexplicably got wider. I¡¯m also fairly certain there was never a glamorous fortress made entirely of gold, either. The castle stands tall, surrounded by an outer stone wall covered in a thick, neverending carpet of numerous climbing rose bushes. Every so often, the wall segments itself via long, penis-shaped golden towers, which continue on looping around the entire building.


    The portcullis resembles a nude woman¡¯s rear. The entire building¡¯s entrance just so happens to be a vast gate shaped around the statue¡¯s labial lips. The torso continues along the ground before connecting to the main keep, a long, phallic-looking building surrounded by battlements all shaped as one would expect.


    Numerous stone gargoyles lay perched throughout the structure, although naturally, they happen to be naked, winged women instead of frightening monsters. Each gargoyle is held in place on their perches thanks to gigantic phalluses impaling their womanhoods.


    From my position at the doorway, I continue staring at the glitzy nightmare and tell Snow quite simply, ¡°Well... I believe I know where we can find the Pimpfort.¡±

 Suited Up, Ready to Go

    While everyone gathers at the door to marvel at the hideous, golden Pimpfort off in the distance, I pull Snowball aside to give her a brief rundown of what the hell just happened.


    This is hardly the time for lengthy explanations so I just tell her I have a divine helper and that they may have taken this opportunity to turn our mutual enemy¡¯s hideout into a dungeon to give my adventurers more experience.


    Snow, not one to let peril affect her judgment, asks me a simple question. ¡°So... what you¡¯re saying is the glowing, golden penis fortress is your fault, technically?¡±


    ¡°If you really want to put it like that, I suppose it is...¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Snow smiles smugly, making her tired and despaired face regain a small but welcome hint of its beauty and charm. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have any grounds to charge us extra just because a dungeon showed up, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°...Shit.¡± I laugh in response to the maid¡¯s flawless logic. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s fair. This quest was already going to be expensive enough on you as it is.¡± If I were playing up the ruthless bastard side of me, I¡¯d try and squeeze her for more, but I can¡¯t do that now. I care about Snow, and I¡¯d never extort someone when innocent lives are at stake...


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster.¡± Snow says softly, a reserved blush filling her cheeks.


    I call the rest of the girls back from the front door and have the three adventurers sit tight while Cherry and Peri follow me back to the storage room. Taking the expensive adventuring bags off the nearby shelves, I direct the two kitties to fill up canteens full of fresh water and prepare a couple of nutritious snacks.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster!¡± Peri bows in a hurry before darting off to follow my instructions.


    ¡°Y-Yes, alright. Hey, um, I¡¯m sorry, Myaster, I-¡±


    ¡°Cherry, we¡¯ll have time to talk while those three are en route. Just do what I say for now.¡±


    Without a word, the pink-haired kitten nods her head. She restrains her emotions long enough to follow my commands, dashing off into the kitchen to follow Peri as her fluffy brown tail wags behind her. Meanwhile, I head into the alchemy lab to pocket the potions.


    The girls get three health potions each, but I give Sam and Meri¡¯s bag four of the stamina potions. Zutiria only gets a single one just in case she needs a pick-me-up. It¡¯s not going to do her much good, anyway. It would be like giving Sam a mana potion- in other words, utterly useless.


    It¡¯s really too bad that this had to happen before we could acquire any mana potions. Zutiria only had a couple hours of rest just now, and I¡¯m afraid of sending her in without any. Hopefully, her mana is mostly full...


    I¡¯ll see when I check her Taskmaster display soon enough, I suppose.


    There¡¯s no other choice but to put my faith in my Mage. I¡¯ll be watching over her closely with my remote viewing to ensure she doesn¡¯t cast any unnecessary spells... but the Pimpfort looks to be pretty big. I don¡¯t think we have the luxury of completing this dungeon in multiple attempts. It¡¯s all or nothing.


    Back in the kitchen, I meet up with the maids. Three big canteens are filled with water, so I stuff them in the packs. As far as healthy snacks, there really isn¡¯t much they could do on such short notice. Some Ikkuni-styled riceballs, two for each adventurer, and a generous handful of dried jerky packed away in a small pouch.


    I¡¯ll need to look into preparing more preservable combat rations before the next time this happens. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be sending the girls off on any overnight quests any time soon, given how low-leveled they still are, but I suppose this lack of preparedness is on me. I¡¯ll own up to that much...


    ¡°Good job, kitties.¡± I reward my maids kindly with a loving stroke on the head, and neither protests my touch. They don¡¯t get horny, either. Good to know that they can control their rampant lust when the situation is dire. ¡°Please send Zutiria in. I need to talk with her in private. It won¡¯t take very long at all.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Myaster!¡± They bow in unison, taking the three bags with them as I go as I hand them off.


    Zutiria shows up in no time at all, and much to my gratitude, she understands the situation immediately. ¡®Pants down, Sir. I¡¯ll make it instant. We don¡¯t have time.¡¯


    ¡°I know,¡± I respond while unbuckling my belt and taking my cock out. Zutiria grabs a cup from a nearby table and holds it out for me before stroking my semi-hard length a single time with her glowing pink touch.


    I groan and cum right as she does, stifling my voice to hopefully make this more inconspicuous. I know that I¡¯m still going to have to explain the smell to Snow, though...


    The Mage pulls out a new trick, and she squeezes the base of my penis once the cup is full to the brim with my seed. It stops my huge load prematurely, preventing it from overflowing and getting all over her hands. ¡®Help me, Sir. There¡¯s no for us to do this the normal way.¡¯


    I buckle up my pants, and in return, Zutiria strips her panties off, lifts up her dress, and bends down over the counter. I open a nearby kitchen drawer and dig through it until I find what I¡¯m looking for¡ª a large turkey baster. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. I¡¯m a massive degenerate and purveyor of filth, but even for one such as myself... this is all kinds of fucked up.¡± I sigh, sucking up the contents of the semen cup within the tool.


    ¡®We weren¡¯t prepared. When Opal finally comes home, I¡¯ll talk with her about designing an alchemical pill or something we can insert in case of emergencies. I didn¡¯t have sex with you this morning or this evening, Sir, so I need a load inside of me to face this dungeon fully powered.¡¯ She says, spreading her legs and reaching back with her hand to spread her labia for me.


    ¡°I know, I know...¡± Trying my hardest not to let this odd scenario turn me on or distract me, I insert the tip of the baster gently between her lower lips. Pushing the tool back further into her tunnel causes Zutiria to moan softly and brings redness to her cheeks. Without holding back, I squirt all of the creamy semen inside of my lavender lover. She clenches down on the baster, her muffled yet pleasured sounds making it that much harder to remain indifferent.


    ¡°There... it¡¯s done.¡± I sigh a sigh of relief, taking out the tool and tossing it into the sink, and pulling Zutiria¡¯s panties back up for her. Zutiria sets the cup inside as well and does her best to remain calm and collected as we re-enter the entrance hall.


    ¡®Before any of you kitties ask about the smell, yes. Lewdness occurred, and yes, it was necessary. Sir will explain when we¡¯re on the road.¡¯ The Mage says as she picks up her staff and joins Sam and Meri by the door.


    ¡°...Excuse me?¡± Snow¡¯s expression tenses, showing obvious signs of anger. How wonderful. I¡¯m very much looking forward to how I¡¯m going to explain this once the girls take off, but I quell her rage for now.


    ¡°That was fuckin¡¯ fast.¡± Sam whistles, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°She must have used Eromancy,¡± Meri says, her eyes becoming hazy as she remembers the help she received from the Mage only hours ago. ¡°It... can make you get off really... REALLY fast...¡±


    ¡°Almost forgot you didn¡¯t do it with Boss today, Zuzu.¡±


    ¡®Shocking, I know.¡¯ Zutiria rolls her eyes, picking up the adventuring bag that Cherry hands to her and strapping it around her waist like a belt. Sam and Meri have both already done the same, and the three of them stand there, ready and waiting for me to see them off.


    ¡°One moment, Snow. I¡¯ll tell you everything when they get going, but for now, I need to send them off properly.¡± I raise a finger to the confused maid and join the adventurers at the door.


    ¡°Everyone ready? Did you all use the restroom?¡± I ask, looking at them and seeing the determined expression on each of their faces.


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re all ready, I think.¡± Sam clenches her fist, nodding her head at me. She wears her sword over her back, and I can tell she¡¯s itching to use it. ¡°I¡¯m gonna show this bastard not to fuck with my friends.¡±


    ¡°Keep your anger in check, Sam. Losing it out there could be the difference between life and death.¡±


    The Princess opens her lips to speak, but she swallows it back down. ¡°Right. I can do that.¡± I give Sam a short kiss on the lips, making her smile as I pull away.


    ¡°I¡¯m good to go...¡± Meri closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to quiet her trembling nerves. ¡°W-We can do this, Master. We have your help, and... all three of us are getting stronger by the day!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very true. You¡¯ve grown a lot in the short time we¡¯ve been together, Meri. I believe in you.¡± I lean in to give the Shield Maiden a kiss of her own, to which Meri is very thankful.


    ¡®It¡¯s a shame we don¡¯t have any mana potions, but it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯ll be trusting your judgment on when to use spells or not, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria frowns and holds her staff tight with both of her hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you every step of the way, I promise.¡± Lastly, I give Zutiria her send-off kiss. The little Mage tries to be cheeky and sneak some tongue in, but I pull away and give her a spank in response.


    ¡°Get going, girls. I¡¯ll contact you in ten minutes after I¡¯ve situated myself in the office and explained a few things to Snow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Boss! We got this shit!¡±


    ¡°I-I won¡¯t let you down, Master! Snow!¡±


    ¡®My face may not show it, but I¡¯m angry and determined. We shall prevail.¡¯


    Cherry and Peri both run towards the door, and they bow with tears in their eyes at the departing adventurers. ¡°Thank you so much, Mistresses...!!¡± They say in total unison.


    ¡°We¡¯re counting on you, nyaa...!¡± Peri clasps her paws together, holding them nervously against her chest.


    ¡°You can do this... show that fucker who¡¯s boss!!¡± Cherry hisses, determined.


    Last but certainly not least, Snow makes her way to the front of the door and bows respectfully as well. ¡°Thank you, girls... thank you so much...¡± She sniffles softly, bringing her paw to her face to cradle it and prevent more tears from escaping.


    Further down the path into town, Sam looks back at the Guild and gives Snow a thumbs up and a wide smile. She doesn¡¯t say a word in response, letting that straightforward action do all the talking for her. The Princess turns back toward the road, continuing her determined march.


    With that, the three adventurers depart into the night towards the most disgusting castle I¡¯ve ever laid eyes on. Their goal? To save some Beastgirls and defeat a vile pimp. Not how I pictured their first dungeon would go, but I¡¯ll take what I can get.

 En Route to the Pimpfort

    Now that I¡¯m alone except for the three Catgirls, I lead Snow to my office and bring the extra chair to the side of my desk. Peri and Cherry have to go grab stools from the kitchen to sit behind me, and while they¡¯re gone, they both change into their maid uniforms. They might as well since they¡¯re up for the night now anyway and will have to perform various tasks for me while I oversee the dungeon operation.


    The first of which is making me some coffee and something to eat. The maids leave me alone with Snow yet again, who confronts me on the lewd smell. ¡°Are you going to tell me why you wasted precious time playing with your little Mage now, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Snow. You already saw how the city morphed, and a dungeon appeared because of me, yes?¡±


    ¡°...Mhmm. I see no reason to doubt you on that, what with the ball of light that showed up and the conspicuous timing.¡±


    ¡°Then I take it you won¡¯t doubt me when I tell you something as equally absurd?¡±


    For a second, Snow thinks to herself. Her serious demeanor fades, and the smallest hint of a playful smile lifts the corners of her lips. ¡°I suppose you¡¯ll just have to try me, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Whenever I cum inside a woman, their abilities become several times greater. Physical types like Sam and Meri become stronger, more durable. At the same time, Mages have their spells amplified in power at no cost to their mana. Without getting into the interpersonal reasons as to why Zutiria hasn¡¯t made love to me in over twenty-four hours which is about when the effect wears off. She used her magic to ¡®drain¡¯ me instantly, and we rectified this problem so she could go on the Quest fully powered up.¡±


    As expected, she stares at me like I belong in the nearest sanitarium. This expression changes after she processes my words, though. While Snow is still very skeptical, she at least fights it back enough to try believing me. ¡°That is an awfully large load of bullshit you¡¯re asking me to swallow, Myaster.¡± She says with a dash of sarcasm.


    ¡°That¡¯s a fair assessment.¡± I laugh in response.


    ¡°You¡¯re not lying, though. That much is obvious, nyaa.¡± The older maid sighs, shaking her head. ¡°The more I find out about you, the stranger you get... you know that, right?¡±


    ¡°Also a fair assessment.¡±


    Snow giggles for the first time tonight, just as Peri and Cherry come in with a cup of coffee for me and a plate with apple slices and a ham sandwich. ¡°Thank you, girls.¡± I take the cup with gratitude as Peri sets down the plate in front of me on my desk.


    As I take my first sip, Cherry hangs her head. ¡°Can I apologize now, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to apologize. If I was in your position, I¡¯d probably question my motives, too...¡±


    ¡°I still feel bad about it...¡± She sighs, frustrated and crossing her arms over her chest. Her brown kitty ears droop from annoyance as she taps her foot. ¡°Just... I was angry and scared. But it¡¯s not like we can just ask you to do this for free, either...¡±


    Snow gives Cherry a long, thoughtful look as she contemplates something in her head. After staring for a few moments, she smiles and shakes her head. ¡°I almost don¡¯t even recognize you, Cherry. You¡¯ve changed.¡±


    ¡°W-Wha...?!¡± The pink-haired Catgirl blushes bright red as she struggles to look Snow back. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°You apologized of your own volition, just now. That¡¯s astonishing. It used to be you¡¯d only ever admit to being in the wrong when I whipped it out of you...¡± Snow laughs, despite the darkness of her implication.


    Cherry¡¯s face sours, thinking back to all the times she¡¯d been punished at the hands of Snow¡¯s riding crop. She crosses her arms and turns away. ¡°...It¡¯s not THAT big of a deal.¡±


    Peri gives Cherry a loving hug, squishing her ample breasts into the Catgirl¡¯s back from behind. ¡°A lot can happen in five days, Snow.¡± As the hug tightens, Cherry¡¯s blush and frustration increase, and she grumbles under her breath.


    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true...¡± Snow shifts her attention to me and smiles with warm, gentle affection. ¡°Thank you for all that you¡¯ve done for these two, Myaster. Peri is so bright, cheerful, and more confident now by the looks of it. Cherry, on the other paw, is like an entirely new kitten.¡±


    ¡°If they didn¡¯t want to change, they wouldn¡¯t have.¡± I take a long, drawn-out sip of my coffee, thinking about my words before saying them. ¡°You should be praising the two of them for taking the initiative to themselves, not praising me for being the catalyst. All I ever did was support them.¡±


    Snow thinks about my words for a moment as they linger in her mind. She hangs her head in silence, smiling still but in a more reserved and sullen way. ¡°I suppose, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Ugh... this is embarrassing. What are you, my mom?¡± Cherry rolls her eyes while spitting out sarcasm.


    ¡°She¡¯s more like our big sister, nyaa.¡± Peri corrects her friend, prompting a sigh from Cherry and a giggle from Snow.


    It¡¯s terrible of me to think this given the current situation, but I can¡¯t help enjoying the adorable chemistry of all three Catfolk at play. It makes me wish even more so than I already do that Snow would reconsider my offer to become the head maid for my Guild. The three of them are all so natural and loving towards one another that I feel as if I could watch them for hours.


    However pleasant the last ten minutes have been, though, no one¡¯s forgotten the severity of the events currently unfolding. Snow makes that apparent as she pivots the conversation back to more serious matters. ¡°You said that you would be leading the girls, Myaster. I believe it¡¯s time you tell me how you plan to go about accomplishing this. Do you have some sort of artifact or arcane tech device that allows you to speak with them from a long distance, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°No, nothing like that... although in principle it¡¯s similar. It¡¯d be easier if I just show you.¡±


    So, I open up Taskmaster, and I show Snow how I will lead the girls. Cherry and Peri have both seen me do this a few times by now, but this is also the first time they¡¯ve heard a detailed explanation of how it works. I open all three camera views of the adventuring party. My command has silenced the audio, meaning they can¡¯t hear me, and we can¡¯t listen to them.


    ¡°Incredible...!¡± Snow¡¯s eyes open wide, and she covers her parted lips behind her paw. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this...! If only the tribe had such a power at our disposal, nyaa. To think just how much easier the trial periods would go...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re always thinking about work, Snow.¡± Peri frowns.


    ¡°No surprise there,¡± Cherry adds.


    I sneak in a few stealthy bites of my sandwich while the kitties gawk at the magical display before continuing on. ¡°Audio on. Girls, report.¡±


    ¡°HYAA!¡± Meri jumps from shock, almost falling over if it weren¡¯t for Sam there to catch her. ¡°I-It¡¯s true, his voice really does just show up in your head...!¡±


    ¡°Yo, Boss,¡± Sam says while helping the Shield Maiden get situated. ¡°We¡¯re a bit over halfway there. The city is going kinda crazy right now.¡±


    ¡°I can see that,¡± The camera feed shows many panicked Dewhurstians doing a number of panicked things. Some marvel at the sexual structure. Others are running around screaming as if the end times were upon us. ¡°No sign of monsters escaping and causing trouble to the ¡®innocent¡¯ townsfolk?¡±


    ¡®Not yet. Is that something you¡¯re expecting to happen, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria asks.


    Peri tilts her head. ¡°Wait, how is Mistress Zutiria¡¯s text thingy-¡±


    ¡°Just go with it.¡± Cherry shrugs.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to expect. Neither does the Goddess, for that matter.¡±


    ¡°You tried asking her bout this shit, Boss? It wouldn¡¯t hurt, even if she won¡¯t tell you shit.¡± Sam suggests.


    ¡°I can try. Lux Ultima,¡± I look to the sky somewhat dramatically, showing off for the curious audience of kitties. ¡°I need your guidance. Please, if you would only bless us with your grace, and-¡±


    The small ball of light reappears in the center of my desk. -Oh, fuck off. Stop playing it up.- Luxy says bluntly.


    All three Catfolk stare in wonder and silence at the ball. I¡¯m sure they don¡¯t worship the Goddess, but even so, I¡¯d wager a hefty bet they haven¡¯t had much experience with the divine. This occurrence is a brand new territory for them.


    The excitement fades pretty quickly, though. Peri tilts her head and swipes at Luxy¡¯s sphere of light with her paw as if it were a ball of yarn. ¡°Nyaa?¡±


    -GAH!- Luxy¡¯s ball is knocked back several feet away before it vibrates with anger. -MY HOLY AVATAR IS NOT A TOY, YOU ANIMAL!-


    Mumbling under her breath, Peri crosses her arms and pouts. ¡°Then don¡¯t make it look like one...¡±


    ¡°Peri,¡± Snow chides, making the naughty kitty¡¯s ears droop in shame.


    The Goddess shrugs from on high before dismissing Peri¡¯s misbehavior and moving on. -ANYWAYS, the fuck do you want? I made you a dungeon you can actually use this time. Do you want the map? A compass that points out where to find all the treasure? How bout a portal that warps you straight to the boss room?-


    ¡°Is any of that on the table?¡± Sam asks.


    -No, you dummy.-


    The Princess groans, muttering expletives I shall not repeat.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you to share whatever limited information you¡¯re allowed to before the mission begins. While I do realize that there might not be anything significant, any little drop of intel helps.¡±


    ¡°Please, Goddess!¡± Meri sets her shield down so clasp her hands together in prayer. ¡°You exist to help others and fill the realm with light, don¡¯t you...?¡± The timid girl¡¯s voice wavers, no doubt thinking of the blame she carries in her heart towards the Goddess she once worshipped so heavily.


    Luxy is silent for a few moments, and the avatar hovers limply about in the air. -I exist because I exist. Gods don¡¯t owe you anything. Don¡¯t forget that.- Her voice wavers as if she¡¯s unsure of her own statement, but eventually, she continues on. -The only thing I can really tell you about what to expect is that I basically just reached into the Pimp¡¯s soul. Then I just overlaid his essence on top of a place that already exists. So now his stronghold is like... a reflection of who he is and everything that he stands for, if that makes sense to mortals like you.-


    Zutiria looks off into the distance at the golden, penis-shaped castle that has a giant woman¡¯s ass for a portcullis and a vagina gate. ¡®...I suppose that would explain a thing or two.¡¯ She says with biting sarcasm.


    ¡°So is that bastard freaking the fuck out right now or what?¡± Sam laughs, picturing the Pimp¡¯s reaction to his home.


    -A bit, but it also kinda... well... eh. You¡¯ll see.- Luxy shrugs once again. -Just make sure you explore the place top to bottom, alright? When a God makes a dungeon, we don¡¯t meticulously craft the fuckin¡¯ thing top to bottom. Well, most of us don¡¯t. You remember my screen, right? Making dungeons is another app.-


    ¡°App?¡± Snow tilts her head like a confused kitten.


    Luxy sighs. -Mortals. I¡¯m saying some Gods go all in hand making every room, while others input variables like the theme, difficulty, monster variety, boss and mini-boss monsters, and all that shit. Since this one was made with a unique method, the Pimp¡¯s dungeon made itself... except for one area, which I personally tailored.-


    ¡°And you won¡¯t tell me what it is?¡± I ask rhetorically.


    -Take a guess, smartass.-


    I close my eyes in thought for a brief moment before instantly reaching the only conclusion that makes sense to me. ¡°You handpicked the contents of the treasure chests.¡±


    Even though I can¡¯t see her face, I know Luxy is smiling the same smug grin as I am with absolute certainty. -Maybe...?-

 The First Dungeon Begins Now

    Luxy wrapped up communication right after she hinted about her involvement in the dungeon design. While she can¡¯t outright confirm it, I¡¯m confident that my guess was correct. Assuming I am, this means whatever magical artifacts the girls gather may very well be tailored specifically to them.


    Typically when an adventurer opens up a chest in a dungeon, the treasure is random. In worst-case scenarios, it may not even suit their class. It¡¯s common to sell or trade these mismatched goods in order to procure artifacts that are relevant to the buyer.


    However...


    If Luxy really did pick out the content of the chests herself, that may not be a problem for the girls this time around. Now I¡¯m even more excited for them to break in and raid the Pimpfort than I already was.


    I don¡¯t have to wait too long, either. By the time I¡¯m halfway through the apple slices, the party arrives at the large, wooden front gate.


    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the giant golden vagina, Boss,¡± Sam announces, her hands on her hips as she gazes at the gaping maw. Then, the absurdity overtakes her, and she snorts. ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Goddess...¡± Meri sighs, avoiding eye contact with the portcullis. ¡°This is gonna be f-far from the weirdest thing we see tonight, isn¡¯t it...?¡±


    ¡®Signs point to yes.¡¯ Says the Mage.


    I pan and zoom around the different camera views Taskmaster presents me with, taking in the sight and studying them for any signs of danger. There doesn¡¯t seem to be any of the pimp¡¯s minions around the area, and I don¡¯t see anything that raises my alarm... better to be safe than sorry, though.


    ¡°Sam, by your left. There¡¯s a decent-sized pebble on the dirt path. Pick it up and throw it at the door.¡± I command.


    ¡°Uh, yeah, why the fuck not?¡± Sam shrugs and picks the stone up like I ask.


    ¡°Myaster, why the-¡± Cherry begins to question me, but when Sam throws the pebble at the door, it bounces off the wood of the massive gate and tumbles on the ground for a split second. Then, a rectangular hole ten feet by five feet caves around the entrance, revealing a pitfall trap with plenty of spikes waiting at the bottom. It swallows the stone instantly into its abyssal depths.


    ¡°...Shit, dude.¡± Sam whistles while leaning over the hole to inspect how deep it goes.


    ¡°...I¡¯m gonna shut up now.¡± Cherry whines.


    ¡°We can¡¯t help here, nyaa. We should just watch.¡± Peri mumbles with a frown.


    ¡°Indeed. Peri, Cherry, make sure not to distract the Myaster from his work. The lives of our tribe sisters are at stake.¡± Snow looks back at the maids with a soft but severe expression.


    Both girls bite their lip, nodding. They know better than to argue with their former head maid.


    ¡°Master, how the heck did you know there¡¯d be a trap...? Did you see something with those eyes of yours?¡± Meri asks.


    ¡°No, just my intuition. Best to keep an eye out for anything any other basic traps like this one.¡±


    ¡®Perhaps you should have packed us a bag of pebbles alongside our potions, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°Remind me next time.¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Go on and open the gate, Sam. With force, if necessary.¡±


    Jumping over the mini chasm in the ground, Sam lands perfectly on the other side. ¡°You got it, Boss.¡± The Princess starts trying to push open the wooden labia gate, only to find it barricaded from within. ¡°One second here,¡± She says, pulling her great blade out from over her shoulder.


    Sam grits her teeth, and with a single swing, she smashes the reinforced door into smithereens. The iron barricade on the other side was no match for her raw power.


    ¡®You broke the door¡¯s hymen, Sammy. You were too rough.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Zuzu. Even I saw that one coming. C¡¯mon, bitches.¡± Sam gives a thumbs up to her Guildmates back on the opposite side of the pitfall before returning the sword back into its sling.


    ¡®I¡¯m not risking that.¡¯ Zutiria says as she looks at the five-foot jump awaiting her. ¡®Pull.¡¯ Clutching her staff hard in both hands, she extends it across the gap. Sam grabs it and yanks the Mage over to safety without Zutiria ever having the need to jump.


    Lastly, Meri wastes no time and jumps over right from the get-go. She stumbles her landing but is otherwise safe once she catches her balance. ¡°Hwaa! B-Big, bulky armor isn¡¯t the best for jumping over holes...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Meri. Proceed into the dungeon with caution.¡±


    The three adventurers give me confirmation and enter through the smashed front gate into a long hallway.


    On my orders, the party proceeds cautiously through the corridor. The first thing we learn about the dungeon is that the interior is just as gold as the exterior. No one is very thrilled about this fact. Even the kitties by my side comment on how straining the Pimpfort to look at. Along the floor runs a thick red carpet identical to the one we saw the other day at the Besthal Pet Shop. For lighting, magical spotlights seem to be projecting from the ceiling in intervals of five feet away from each other.


    At the end of the path lies a red, fancy-looking jeweled door. After making their way through to the end of the golden hall without incident, the group of three all pause and await command.


    ¡°Pretty...¡± Peri coos.


    ¡°Very much so.¡± I rub my chin in thought, gazing pointedly at the beautiful structure on screen. ¡°Meri, do me a favor, dear?¡±


    ¡°Myaster, I hardly think that this is the right-¡± Snow begins to speak but is interrupted by the Shield Maiden.


    ¡°Sure, Master!¡± Meri pumps her fists like she always does to show her determination.


    ¡°Use your buckler¡¯s sword and see if you can carve a few of those diamonds out from the door. Stuff them in your pack.¡±


    ¡°W-Wha!?¡±


    ¡®Heh.¡¯


    ¡°Fuck yeah.¡± Sam smirks.


    At my side, a certain white-haired Catfolk looms angrily. Her heated gaze becomes impossible to ignore. ¡°...Be quick about it, Mistress.¡± Snow sighs. ¡°Considering a Goddess is involved, I don¡¯t think anything too bad could have happened to the girls yet... so I¡¯ll allow it just this once, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Snow.¡± I smile right as Meri sets to work using her blade to eek some of the gemstones out of the door and into the pocket of the Guild.


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡± Snow giggles. ¡°Mistress Meri, dear? Make sure you get enough of those little pretties for the Myaster to make me a diamond collar.¡±


    ¡°Oh, uh. Alright!¡± Meri speeds it up while Sam and Zutiria loiter about. Neither girl has a tool that could easily wedge the jewels out. Sam might break the door, and Zutiria would have to waste mana on however she¡¯d do it.


    Peri tilts her head and looks at me. ¡°A collar? Are you Snow¡¯s Myaster too now?¡±


    ¡°If only, nyaa...¡± Cherry shrugs, remembering how much work she and Peri have to do around the Guild before it¡¯s spotless.


    Snow coughs awkwardly in response and looks askance. ¡°I was attempting to lighten the mood with a joke, dears. I-I didn¡¯t mean anything by it...¡±


    Unable to help myself, I stare towards Snow and do my best to bite back my words. She catches on quick enough and looks me in the eyes. ¡°...Oh, just fucking say it, nyaa.¡± Snow sharply hisses.


    I begin to blush, as it¡¯s not often I get called on my bullshit. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be a joke, Snow.¡± I meekly quip.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s about what I thought. Absolutely not the time to be hitting on me, Myaster.¡± Snow crosses her arms and blushes, looking off to the side.


    ¡°Look, I wasn¡¯t going to say it, but-¡±


    ¡°Shush. Next room, girls. That should be more than enough diamonds for my collar.¡±


    Behind us, Peri and Cherry hold back giggles like they were a pair of children watching Mommy and Daddy tease each other.


    Meri retreats her sword back into the buckler, and she opens the way for the three of them to pass. They follow Snow¡¯s orders to the letter and don¡¯t even wait for me to repeat them. The door gives way quickly enough, offering no resistance and letting the girls walk right in.


    The next room is what seems to be a large greeting hall. A sparkling marble fountain sits dead center in the middle of the room. A single statue of a beautiful naked woman stands atop a raised podium in the middle. Spraying what appears to be sparkling champagne from the perky nipples of her ludicrous-sized stone titties, the statue looms overhead.


    To the north and south sides of the chamber are two identical doors emblazoned once more with excessive jewelry. This time the jewels are all arranged to create the outline of a gigantic stylized phallus. The room is scant as far as decoration goes, surprisingly enough. Still, there are a few pedestals along the walls, which all have stunning silver vases containing beautiful roses sitting atop them.


    Behind the fountain lies a beautiful twin staircase that rises up along the wall of both sides of the room, ending in a golden balcony with an even larger jeweled door behind it. Atop the terrace standing on the railing is Sir Pimpington. Behind him are his two primary henchwomen known only as Left Hoe and Right Hoe.


    The pimp wears a baffling combination of glittering, diamond-encrusted golden armor overtop his large, impractical pimp coat. His choice of gear is light and easy to maneuver in, wearing a chest plate, pauldrons, and a pair of armored boots and gauntlets, all ornate and all stunning to behold. I assume that the pimp¡¯s armor is not actually gold, as gold makes for terrible defense. It¡¯s more likely made to look gold through the use of a Chroma Crystal.


    Instead of the cane sword that we witnessed him wielding briefly at the Besthal Pet Shop, his right-hand holds a beautiful rapier. A long, elegant, and thin silver blade juts out from a crossguard made up of perfectly entwined metal roses. As if by magic, red petals continue to wilt off of the flowers comprising the crossguard with seemingly no end in sight to their number. The pommel is no less beautiful and has a single encrusted ruby to tie the artistry of it altogether.


    It¡¯s a spectacular sight.


    On that same note- I don¡¯t care if none of the girls can use it. They¡¯re not coming home without that sword. I¡¯ll hang it on my office wall if I have to. Such beauty is wasted on this perverse peddler of prostitutes. I only hope you can tell the sword to stop the magic petal wilting effect. That¡¯d be a nightmare to clean up...


    As soon as Sam, Meri and Zutiria set foot inside the chamber, Sir Pimpington gazes down at them. He extends his free hand to Right Hoe behind him, who hands him a glass and pours it with an expensive-looking red wine.


    The vicious pimp holds it to his thin lips, samples it, and then throws the glass several onto the ground a few feet away from my adventurers. It shatters into a thousand sparkling pieces, making the red wine puddle onto the golden floor.


    Sighing and raising an eyebrow, Pimpington speaks, ¡°Greetings, Guild-bitches. Y¡¯all ever come home drunk and think to yourself that the house don¡¯t look the way ya left it? Yeeeeahhhh. I just had one HELL of a night, ya feel me?¡±

 Welcome to the Pimpfort, Bitches

    From his position on high, Sir Pimpington continues to look down at the party with a threatening glare apparent in his seedy eyes. ¡°Do y¡¯all bitches have somethin¡¯ to do with all this shit? I like the place, don¡¯t get a pimp wrong. But I could take or leave the shit that comes with it, fo¡¯ real.¡±


    Sam whips out her sword with reckless abandon and takes a threatening stance, pointing the blade straight up at the gaudy seller of sex. ¡°STOP TALKING, ASSHOLE! WE¡¯RE HERE FOR THE GIRLS YOU ABDUCTED!¡±


    ¡°Sam, don¡¯t lose your cool.¡± I try to warn her, hoping to the Gods she¡¯ll listen. We can¡¯t lose it all right here- not mere seconds after entering the dungeon.


    ¡°But... he¡¯s right... fucking... THERE!¡± Her eyes flash green with anger, eager to run straight at the villain and cut him down where he stands. I can see just how bad she wants to do it, too...


    ¡®Sammy...¡¯ Zutiria bites her lips.


    ¡°Sam, please don¡¯t...!¡± Meri whines as she stares at her friend in horror.


    ¡°SAM-¡± I slam my fists on my desk and shout. Peri and Cherry hug each other for comfort at my outburst, while Snow leans at the edge of her seat, staring at the camera screens intently.


    The Princess lowers her stance as a slight expression of shame appears on her face, switching it to a much more defensive one. I breathe a sigh of relief as Meri changes forms to her tower shield, and Zutiria takes a defensive pose in the back row behind the two frontline fighters.


    ¡°How the hell did y¡¯all even find out about that? Bitches?¡± Pimpington looks over his shoulder at his two women for some sort of clarification.


    Left Hoe, the black-skinned human with a sizable afro wearing a golden micro bikini, answers him at once. ¡°One of the Catfolk we had our eyes on was nowhere to be found, my Lord. The white-haired one who stood up to you. It¡¯s more than possible she escaped or wasn¡¯t present during the attack but witnessed it and went to the Adventurer¡¯s Guild for help.¡±


    ¡°Shiiit. That chick was wearing some frumpy ass dress, but you know here body be rockin¡¯ under all that shit, too...¡± The villain sighs while sadly pulling the brim of his crowned pimp hat over his face.


    Snow clenches her paws into powerful-looking fists, her face contorting with rage after listening . ¡°...Can you make it so we can talk to him from afar?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I-¡± A new Taskmaster window pops up before my eyes as if on command. It reads, ¡®Voice Transmission¡¯ followed by two buttons, ¡®On¡¯ and ¡®Off¡¯. It¡¯s currently set to off. ¡°...Scratch that.¡±


    I switch the setting on and close the Taskmaster window, ¡°This is the only chance I¡¯m going to give you, you over-dressed thug. Give back every single Beastgirl you abducted, or my adventurers will put an end to your empire of debauchery once and for all, Sir Pimpington.¡±


    He looks around the large chamber as my speech echoes throughout the room. ¡°What in the fuck?! That voice... you that wordy mothafucka from the tent. Fleetfoot¡¯s reports said yo¡¯ scrawny ass can¡¯t use magic, weird... So what, you sittin¡¯ at home with a Crystal Ball and a Stone of Far Speech while yo¡¯ bitches fight yo¡¯ battles for ya?¡± Sir Pimpington sneers.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s not a very fair criticism for you to make, j-jerk!¡± Meri stands her ground and joins in on the taunting. ¡°You literally have an army of h-hookers do all your dirty work for you!¡±


    Pimpington stops in his tracks and begins twirling his well-oiled mustache, deep in thought. ¡°A proper pimp is not above self-reflection. I retract my former insult, ya dig? Perhaps we¡¯re not so different, you and I.¡±


    Gods damn it.


    ¡°Not like it makes a difference,¡± Pimpington shrugs. ¡°You three, what¡¯s he paying y¡¯all for this quest? I¡¯ll quadruple it for y¡¯all to fuck off and find another Guild to waste away at. Ya feel me? Things are gonna get wild the more your boss sticks his nose in our business...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about money, you dickbag.¡± Sam scowls instantly at the offer.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Master¡¯s Guild is my home, and he needs that gold to improve it a-and make all of our lives better!¡± Meri blushes. Knowing her, she¡¯s probably thinking about homemaking now...


    The party returns his question with skeptical looks before Zutiria answers, ¡®The only payment I require is Sir¡¯s love and affection. Something you would know nothing about, I¡¯m sure.¡¯


    ¡°...I¡¯d know a lot more about that than you think, witch.¡± His eyes narrow, making an... almost nostalgic and bitter expression. ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake. Like lookin¡¯ in a mirror, swear to the Gods.¡±


    Before anyone can answer, Right Hoe speaks. ¡°My Lord, the past is the past. You shouldn¡¯t think about such-¡± The thin, blonde elf with dreadlocks reaches out with her hand to comfort him, only for Pimpington to swat it away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need yo¡¯ bitch-ass to tell me what to think, slut.¡±


    Right Hoe retreats and hangs her head, clutching the golden slave collar that she uses as a whip during combat.


    ¡°You still listening, you creepy-eyed fuck?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I respond. ¡°But I don¡¯t have anything more to say the likes of you, villain.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, what if I have somethin¡¯ I wanna say to yo¡¯ greedy, exploitative ass, huh? Are you gonna let a pimp speak his damn mind?!¡±


    For a brief moment, I mute the voice transmission feature and look to Snow, sitting by my side. ¡°The PIMP just called me exploitative, right? I¡¯m not hearing things?¡±


    ¡°...Yes, Myaster.¡± She replies solemnly, just as confused over the bizarre direction the conversation has taken as I am.


    I switch it back on after sighing. ¡°Go on, if you must...¡±


    ¡°You Guild mothafuckas are all the same... stickin¡¯ yo noses in books all day, schemin¡¯ up new ways to exploit the dumb, naive, fucks who just wanna go out on fun adventures with their friends and make a name fo¡¯ themselves. I know my optics are bad, girls, I ain¡¯t what you might call ¡®trustworthy¡¯... but I been in yo¡¯ shoes before. Y¡¯all know he¡¯s just using you, right? He¡¯s your employer, yet he¡¯s sleepin¡¯ with y¡¯all and not payin¡¯ you for all the shit you do for him? Shit, even I pay my sluts a respectable wage.¡±


    My chair falls over backward, narrowly missing Cherry and Peri as I stand up, enraged. I lean into the center screen and scowl, zooming in as close to the Pimp as I can. ¡°Excuse me, but who the FUCK do you think you are?¡± I scream loud,


    Sir Pimpington¡¯s face narrows once more, ¡°Someone who knows yo¡¯ type. Let me guess. You think it ain¡¯t like that, right? You think you¡¯re one of the GOOD ones, don¡¯t ya... get this. Everyone thinks they one of the good ones. Ya dig?¡±


    ¡°How fucking DARE you think you can lecture me on how I run my business, I-¡±


    ¡°Stop this right fucking now!¡± Snow grabs me by the arm, urging me to calm myself, but I reject her, yanking away.


    ¡°Myaster...!¡± Peri approaches from the side, trying to do the same.


    ¡°Dude, chill the hell out!¡± Cherry grabs me from the shoulders from behind.


    None of it works. I just keep seething with rage... until Sam shouts, ¡°BOSS,¡± Looking up into the screen, I see my Princess still relaxed as she can be, holding her sword defensively. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your cool.¡±


    ...For fuck¡¯s sake.


    I sigh and look back at the three Catfolk maids, each panicking from my outburst. This is so unlike me. I... I don¡¯t ever just fucking lose it at the drop of a hat... it can¡¯t be that some part of me actually sees some truth in the Pimp¡¯s words and is ashamed about it, can it?


    No, no. Don¡¯t think about it. Don¡¯t lose your cool, I remind myself.


    Sighing, I frown apologetically towards each of the maids and turn back to face the three Taskmaster screens. ¡°Are you done with your monologue yet, or do we have to keep listening to your bullshit?¡±


    ¡®I was wondering about that.¡¯ Zutiria admits. ¡®Why are you just standing around in an empty room like you were waiting for us? And why waste time acting all stereotypically evil, for that matter? Throwing the glass at our feet was a bit much.¡¯


    ¡°...Yeah, I was kinda thinking that, too.¡± Meri hangs her head, thinking about the novels she¡¯s read lately with overdramatic villains.


    ¡°Oh, believe me. I would like nothin¡¯ mo¡¯ than to come down there and finish off the three of y¡¯all once and fo¡¯ all, but... when I came home, shit got weird, aight? Like. I ain¡¯t never seen my good ol¡¯ Pimpfort this tricked out, ya hear me? But even though it¡¯s all fucked, I know where everythin¡¯ is in my head... and even weirder is I can do all kinda crazy-ass shit to the place now, like this!¡± The pimp snaps his fingers, and all three doors in the chamber open magically, and then they close once again as soon as he snaps them a second time.


    ¡°Then along comes this weird fuckin¡¯ voice in my head tellin¡¯ me, yo dude go get your armor and yo¡¯ sword, they¡¯ll be here soon! I ain¡¯t even worn this shit in years! What the fuck, right? Then it¡¯s all like go meet ¡®em at the front, look evil and antagonize ¡®em.¡± He sighs tiredly as he begins to slump his shoulders.


    ¡°Shit¡¯s too complicated. I¡¯ve been standing up here for the last twenty minutes waitin¡¯ fo yo¡¯ bitch asses to get here. Do you fuckin¡¯ think this pimp WANTS to be up here accumulatin¡¯ leg cramps? Fuck no! Now I apparently gotta go wait in the furthest room in the Pimpfort while y¡¯all go solve puzzles and shit, slowly makin¡¯ yo¡¯ bitch-ass¡¯s way back to me.¡± The pimp¡¯s face becomes puzzled before being hit with a realization. ¡°This is all too fuckin¡¯ familiar for my likin¡¯... hold up a sec. Am I fuckin¡¯ dungeon boss now?!¡±


    ¡°Uh...¡± Sam blinks as if none of that made any sense to her whatsoever.


    I don¡¯t even need Luxy to tell me that the dungeon magic clearly affected him, and now Sir Pimpington is tied to very typical conventions one would expect of a ¡®boss monster¡¯.


    ¡°So, you can¡¯t attack right now?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what this pimp is saying, you deaf mothafu-¡±


    ¡°Zutiria, elect-¡± I don¡¯t even need to finish my command before her sharp mind catches on.


    ¡°Zappit.¡± The little Mage says as she raises her staff, Sam and Meri scooting out of the way. A small arc of lightning shoots off from the tip of her weapon, electrifying the pimp right then and there with no warning. He spasms and screams as it courses through his body, electrifying his bones.


    ¡°MY LORD!¡± Both of his henchwomen attempt to catch him, but he falls down about fifteen feet onto the hard, golden floor face first.


    ¡®That¡¯s odd. I didn¡¯t put THAT much mana into the spell.¡¯ Zutiria tilts her head in confusion.


    ¡°...That stupid motherfucker.¡± I laugh to myself under my breath.


    ¡°What the shit just happened?!¡± Cherry asks from behind. Snow and Peri echo similar questions.


    ¡°Gold conducts electricity. I thought his armor would be fake gold, but...¡±


    Sam¡¯s shoulders slump as she looks on with immense disappointment. ¡°Are you fuckin¡¯ kidding me? I wanted a badass boss fight! What the fuck is this shit?!¡±


    Meri places her hand on the Princess¡¯s pauldron, ¡°Sam, I-I think we should just take the win here and not worry about-¡±


    ¡°S... SIKE!¡± The smoking pimp stands, clearly in pain as the bottom of his coat begins burning from a small, persistent flame. ¡°Y¡¯all think you got me, but-¡±


    ¡°Zappit.¡± Zutiria whispers, the same arc of lightning barreling out towards the villain at blistering speed.


    ¡°YOU THINK I¡¯M SOME KINDA JOKE, DO YA?!¡± Sir Pimpington thrusts out his left hand with such speed that I almost have to do a double-take. On each finger is a gold or silver ring with an expensive-looking gemstone set in the middle. The amethyst ring on his middle finger begins shining a brilliant and mystical light.


    The magic contained within the gem extends outward, creating a decent-sized transparent barrier that absorbs the lightning before it can hit him. Even worse, it doesn¡¯t just block the spell. It reflects it back at Zutiria.


    ¡®Shit.¡¯ Zutiria says with a blank face.


    With reflexes almost as quick as the lightning itself, Meri closes the distance between herself and the Mage, barricading the two of them with her tremendous shield. ¡°N-NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± Meri clutches her teeth, closing her eyes out of fear. The shield takes in the lightning and prevents it from hitting either girl.


    As the smoke wafts away from the shield, Zutiria sarcastically flutters her eyes towards Meri. ¡®My hero.¡¯


    ¡°Ehehe...¡± The Shield Maiden blushes, happy to do her job.


    ¡°Hoes!¡± Pimpington shouts.


    ¡°Fuck you too, asshole!¡± Sam bites back.


    ¡°No, not you three-¡± He sighs and cradles his face in his palm. ¡°I meant MY hoes. I¡¯ve had enough of this. Pull me up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± They respond in unison, sounding almost artificial by now as they do so. Both Henchwomen throw their collars¡¯ golden chains over the railing, and the pimp grabs hold of them. They pull him up much faster than Zutiria could feasibly whisper another spell, and no one has another long-distance attack that we could use to harass the Pimp from afa-


    Meri thrusts her shield out, and it glows from the center of its small, red gratitude crystal. ¡°KITE RAIL!¡± She shouts, prompting confusion from everyone, including myself.


    Her tower shield morphs once more and becomes a triangular kite shield, as one would figure by the name. She¡¯s holding it oddly for a shield of that type, though. At first I¡¯m confused as to why it would be strapped in place just like her buckler form... but it doesn¡¯t take long to understand why.


    The bottom wedge of Meri¡¯s kite shield unhooks itself from the main body, and I notice instantly that the wedge¡¯s tip was in the shape of a harpoon, or a ballistae round. The Shield Maiden grits her teeth and aims her fist at the retreating pimp before pulling down on the shield¡¯s handle like a lever.


    Meri¡¯s ferocious missile rends the air as it bolts towards Sir Pimpington, but it¡¯s no use. The villain slices it in two with his rapier as he ascends before flipping backward and landing on his feet with style and grace. ¡°Full of surprises, ain¡¯t ya?¡± Pimpington comments as his hoes situate their chains.


    ¡°I¡¯ll say, Meri.¡± She blushes when she hears my voice.


    ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± Sam¡¯s eyes open wide, staring at the new shield strapped to Meri¡¯s gauntlet. ¡°You said you only learned three Arts yesterday!¡±


    ¡°I-I wanted it to be a surprise...! I figured out how to unlock another of Mom¡¯s forms yesterday when Nikita was training me... w-we were in such a rush to get to the Pimpfort that I forgot to mention it...¡±


    ¡®Fair enough. Will the projectile come back, or do you need to make another one somehow?¡¯


    ¡°Oh, yes. I can spend more stamina to-¡±


    ¡°YO ARE Y¡¯ALL FUCKIN¡¯ IGNORIN¡¯ THIS PIMP OR WHAT?!¡± Pimpington shouts from up on the balcony. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ rude, RUDE ass bitches... I¡¯ve had enough of this shit, anyway. I¡¯ll be waiting fo¡¯ y¡¯all in the boss room. Reaaaaally hoping once I beat yo¡¯ asses, this¡¯ll all go away cause this pimp don¡¯t wanna stay in one room fo¡¯ the rest of his life, ya feel me? C¡¯mon, hoes. Guard the center of the dungeon. Y¡¯all skanks are on mini-boss duty.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Pimpington.¡± The villainous hoes respond in unison, taking him


    ¡°WAIT-¡± Snow clasps my hand, ¡°Myaster... we need to know whether the girls are safe or not!¡±


    My voice lowers into a threatening growl, saying, ¡°Tell us what you¡¯ve done with the Beastgirls, Pimpington.¡±


    He sighs, looking over his shoulder after already turning to walk away. ¡°Nothin¡¯. I stashed them sleepy-ass furry bitches in a big ¡®playroom¡¯ behind the boss room. Not like I can convince ¡®em to work fo¡¯ me when everythin¡¯s as fucked as it is, ya dig?¡±


    Peri and Cherry hold hands and smile, delighted at the good news. Snow, too, breathes a sigh of relief, wiping a small tear from her eye while biting her lip.


    ¡°One last thing before I go,¡± The evil pimp cracks a wicked smile and snaps his fingers. ¡°Y¡¯all are in my world now, so you bitches have fun with that.¡±


    The quiet fountain begins to rumble vigorously as Sir Pimpington and his apparent mini-bosses vanish into the hallway past the balcony door. The door magically shuts behind him on the way out, and a comically oversized lock appears overtop of it, brandishing a large keyhole.


    Once the villainous Pimp is gone, the stone statue of the woman with champagne-spewing tits stands from its podium in the center of the fountain, alive and ready for battle.


    PunishedKom

 Guardian of the First Room

    Sam, Zutiria, and Meri all look up at the fifteen-foot tall statue in surprise as it lifts its leg over the fountain and takes a step towards them. The ground rumbles under its weight, making the impressive sight of the stone woman all the more menacing to behold. The party readies their weapons, and Meri transforms her shield back to its tower form, knowing full well she will need it.


    ¡°By the looks of things, it appears to be an ordinary Stone Golem, aside from the alcoholic lactation,¡± I warn the group. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t be too difficult for you three.¡±


    ¡°Any weaknesses, Boss?¡± Sam asks as she begins strafing closer, ready to dodge at the slightest warning.


    ¡°Think about it. What is stone typically weak to?¡±


    ¡°...Uh.¡±


    ¡®Sir is saying we just need to break the statue, Sammy.¡¯


    ¡°I KNEW THAT!¡± Sam snaps at the little Mage hiding in the back row. ¡°Still, that makes shit a lot easier...¡±


    ¡°WATCH OUT!¡± Meri shouts as the female golem raises its mighty fist into the air, gathering power before launching it at the Princess. The attack is slow but powerful-looking. Thankfully, Sam has more than enough time to leap out of the way before the golem can make contact and damage her.


    ¡°Meri, tackle its leg!¡± I suggest, as my audience of kitties and I watch the battle unfold with great interest.


    ¡°A-Alright!!¡± Meri begins gathering energy in her shield. The Shield Maiden positions it out in front of her body to fully barricade herself from any frontal harm. After a few more seconds of the power being built up, Meri unleashes her Shield Bash Art. She is suddenly flung ten feet forward at high speed, crashing into the living statue¡¯s right leg with a hefty impact. While watching her Taskmaster screen, I see Meri¡¯s stamina meter trickle down a little bit. Shield Bash doesn¡¯t take much out of her stamina to use, good to know.


    Despite the sheer momentum, the Art Assault does little damage. A few chips of stone fly off from the nude woman¡¯s leg during the impact, but it holds its ground. I was hoping it would stagger and topple the monster... no such luck, it seems.


    Sensing a chance to play to her role and draw in even more aggro, Meri begins badgering the golem by banging her shield against it and yelling. ¡°C-C¡¯mon, you big-boobied blockhead! Hit me! Right in the shield! C¡¯mon! C¡¯MON!¡±


    The golem doesn¡¯t appreciate the distraction, and it turns its head down to glare at Meri pointedly. The added attention makes the Shield Maiden much more nervous, though she does her best to continue banging her shield against the monster to give us more time to strategize.


    ¡®Do you think it would help if I made the ground at its feet icy, or...¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The stony texture of the golem¡¯s feet would likely prevent it from slipping around.¡±


    ¡®I thought so too, just wanted a second opinion, Sir. Any ideas?¡¯


    Before I can offer anything, Sam interrupts. ¡°Can¡¯t you change the shape of the stone or some shit?¡±


    ¡°Golems are often magic resistant, being enchanted themselves.¡± I instruct the Princess with my knowledge, causing her to make an audible ¡®Tch¡¯.


    ¡®I could do it if I had access to my higher-level spells, but alas...¡¯ Zutiria sighs, depressed about her physical disability. I look to her mana meter and feel her pain, seeing how much of it is permanently gray.


    ¡°Screw this, I¡¯m just gonna see how tough it is,¡± Sam rears her great blade behind her as she runs towards the golem, preparing to make a horizontal slash. I don¡¯t stop her, as the monster is too focused on Meri right now for Sam¡¯s assault to carry much of a downside.


    Right when the golem reaches out with both hands to try and grab Meri, the Princess swings her weapon using all of her absurd strength. It rends the air as she grunts, smashing the blade into the feminine golem¡¯s stony kneecap. While Meri¡¯s attack was powerful in its own right, Sam¡¯s is focused on a singular point. The mighty sword strike causes a ripple of cracks to erupt outwards from the point of impact.


    ¡°Hah! Fuck you, bitch!¡± Sam taunts without much creativity behind her words. This attack did evident damage, but it wasn¡¯t enough to break the knee fully. As such, the golem isn¡¯t all that worse for wear and can respond to the Princess¡¯s attack right away.


    It looks straight at the young girl before reaching one of its titanic hands to its equally titanic stone breasts. Aiming it directly at Sam¡¯s face, the champagne stream changes from being a peaceful fountain¡¯s trickle into a mighty jetstream. It blasts right onto Sam¡¯s face, getting in her eyes and making her scream with pain.


    ¡°GAH, FUCKIN¡¯ STONE SLUT GOT ME WITH HER TITTY BOOZE-¡± She howls, reflexively pulling back and un-wedging her sword from the golem¡¯s knee.


    ¡°SAM!¡± Peri cries from behind me.


    ¡°Shit, that has to hurt!¡± Cherry remarks.


    ¡°This looks bad, nyaa...¡± Snow clasps her cheeks with her paws, her eyes opening wide with fear.


    ¡°This is just the first room,¡± I remind the audience with a knowing smile. ¡°Have some faith in my Guild, please. Sam? Get back in there. You don¡¯t need to be able to see to hit a big stone target.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice, Boss,¡± Sam grunts her words, reaching into the pits of her anger to power the next strike of her sword. And then another, and another. The ferocious Princess begins repeatedly hammering her weapon into the same kneecap she just attacked, hoping to crumble it under her power through repetition and force of will. The cracks do deepen, but none of these strikes are enough to make the limb give. Since her first attack had a running start, she had even more momentum behind her.


    I predicted that it wouldn¡¯t be enough. My real goal is to get it to try and attack Sam so that I can guide the girls into performing an impromptu air attack. Not long after the Princess begins her assault, the golem falls into my trap. It begins to slowly raise its fist, preparing yet another one of its slow but unquestionably powerful punches.


    ¡°Meri, get ready. Zutiria, get her into the air using as little mana as possible. Make sure she lands safe, too.¡±


    ¡°O-OK!¡±


    ¡°Lift...¡± Zutiria says in a hushed tone, straining her eyes as she points her staff at the Shield Maiden. Her mana meter lowers a few notches. Not too much, mind, but I was certainly hoping it would be less.


    Meri picks up on the plan right away, and as she begins rising into the air, she turtles up behind her shield. ¡°Stand firm... stand firm...!!¡± She mutters to herself, no one having the heart to tell her she¡¯s not currently standing on anything.


    Zutiria successfully lifts her shielded Guildmate into a collision course with the golem¡¯s punch, protecting Sam from any chance of damage. As her shield is smashed with the golem¡¯s powerful right hook, Meri has only a fraction of a second to react before the punch¡¯s impact sends her flying backward. By the skin of her teeth, Meri seizes onto the opportunity and shouts, ¡°REFLECT!¡± while her gratitude crystal glows bright red.


    Sure, it¡¯s nowhere near the devastating retaliation she inflicted upon the Murdermoth last week. We all wrote that off as a special one-time thing, but Meri managed to fire off an impressively powerful Reflect as it is. No doubt it¡¯s such a powerful counter simply because of how much brute strength the feminine golem has.


    It scares me to even think what sort of damage one of its punches might do if it were to land...


    Meri¡¯s Art sends out a triumphant blast of kinetic force trumpeting from her shield. It takes in all of the power behind the golem¡¯s massive punch, processes it, and returns the absorbed energy along with some of Meri¡¯s own packed in as an extra bonus.


    The statue¡¯s arm shatters into countless rocky shards from the recoil, and the resounding shockwave pushes the figure backward onto the floor.


    Meri, who typically has to dig her feet into the ground to avoid the blowback from her own Reflect, is sent flying in reverse from the burst. She hurtles toward the wall, screaming out and huddling her body into a ball.


    However, our resident Black Mage has no plans to let Meri come to harm from her own attack. ¡°Cloutress,¡± She chants, her staff whirring with the wind. Right where the Shield Maiden is set to collide with the golden wall forms a rectangular cloud that catches Meri, absorbing the impact and bouncing her peacefully to the floor.


    It doesn¡¯t appear to have a real cloud¡¯s properties, acting almost as if it were a weightless pillow instead of a floating mass of liquid droplets. I¡¯m happy to notice that the mana cost for this spell was relatively minimal.


    ¡°WAH-¡± Meri yelps after landing on her back. ¡°I-I¡¯m ok!¡±


    ¡°Good. All that¡¯s left is for you to wrap things up, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Can do,¡± The Princess smirks, bringing her sword down onto the golem¡¯s knee one final time. The stone can¡¯t last any longer, and it breaks, leaving the statue down to only half of its limbs. As hard as it tries to stand and fight, it just can¡¯t manage to do so and falls to the golden floor every single time.


    Sam, now able to do as she wishes without the golem threatening to counterattack, raises her sword and begins pooling her energy into it. The weapon begins to glow as her Art builds tremendous power. After waiting in place for ten seconds, the Great Blader releases a downward sword strike straight into the womanly golem¡¯s head.


    Right in that instant, the enemy becomes totally inert and what¡¯s left of it reverts back to simple stone. The battle has been won, and everyone made it through without a scratch on them.


    I look to my left side and see Snow staring at the screens, her yellow eyes full of hope and her mouth opened from shock. ¡°They did it... the girls made that look monster look downright easy!¡±


    ¡°Told you not to worry about them.¡± Giving her a cocky smile, I turn back to the three displays and speak, ¡°Good word, team. How are your eyes, Sam?¡±


    ¡°Itchy, but it should fade soon. Don¡¯t worry about me... I don¡¯t wanna have to drink a health potion over this. Besides that, I gotta say... damn, does Biding Blade feel good when I can pull it off!¡± Sam smiles triumphantly and holsters her blade over her shoulder, wiping a small bit of sweat off her brow.


    ¡°Just keep practicing, and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be able to use it in actual combat. Meri, how about are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Fine! No problems here!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m good, too. Even if I feel like I could have contributed more... Lift used more mana than I wanted it to, as well.¡¯ The little Mage sighs an annoyed sigh.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Zutiria! It... it¡¯s not me, it¡¯s my armor... a-and my shield, and, um...¡± Meri begins sweating, her cheeks growing red from the implication behind the Mage¡¯s statement.


    ¡®It wasn¡¯t a fat joke, sweetie. Everyone thinks you look stunning with a few extra pounds.¡¯


    ¡°...O-Oh. Um. I see.¡± Meri hangs her head as her blush becomes even more robust.


    ¡°All of you did wonderfully, even you, Zutiria. Is everyone ready to move on? I want to settle things with our enemy as fast and efficiently as we can.¡±


    ¡°Ready, Boss. I¡¯m all fired up after listening to that son of a bitch¡¯s stupid monologue...¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, me too... I wanna get a move on.¡±


    ¡®Agreed. You don¡¯t need to stop and compliment us every time we take out a monster. Let¡¯s hustle.¡¯


    The team gives me the go-ahead, and I think about our next course of action for a moment. There are three doors in this chamber we haven¡¯t been through. The northern door, the locked western door on the balcony, and the southern door. Since we can¡¯t access the balcony¡¯s chamber yet on account of the large lock, that only leaves us with two doors, two options.


    What to do, what to do?

 The Painting in the Passageway

    The two doors we can currently proceed through are identical in every conceivable way. I have Sam standing at one and Meri at the other so that I can use Taskmaster¡¯s camera to compare them both at the same time. Given how thoroughly my eyes can inspect things, it¡¯s fair to say I would have detected if one had any perceivable distances.


    ¡°I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ South,¡± Sam says as she stares at her door. ¡°Call it a hunch.¡±


    ¡°Might as well,¡± I scratch my beard while thinking aloud. ¡°We¡¯re going to need to go through both doors, anyway. I don¡¯t want us to miss a single room on account of potential treasure chests. Any objections to following Sam through her door first, anyone?¡±


    There are no words of protest from the rest of the party, even after giving them a moment to speak their minds.


    ¡°Alright, proceed.¡±


    I must admit. Even though I¡¯m still somewhat shaken up over the pimp¡¯s taunting, I¡¯m starting to enjoy the use of Taskmaster. I know Luxy said that it was initially a blessing given to Kings during war to manage their armies and heroes, but after the fight against the Stone Golem, I really do feel like a strategic general or a chief tactician.


    Every battle is like an intricate game of chess... the only difference is I can¡¯t allow myself to sacrifice a single pawn, or I¡¯ll lose the game. It¡¯s perfect- this power fits me like a tailor-made glove. I¡¯ll make the most of it, leading my adventurers on this quest to rescue the abducted Beastgirls no matter what dangers lie in wait within the Pimpfort¡¯s depths.


    Sam punches the center door, which presses a switch inside it making it rise upward into the doorframe above. The three adventures enter the next chamber, leaving the extravagant reception room and the defeated Golem in their wake. Each girl naturally has their weapons primed and ready to go just in case the next room has monsters or the pimp¡¯s hooker army lying in wait.


    Everyone is relieved to discover that this precaution wasn¡¯t necessary. Not for this room, at least.


    The chamber they find themselves in now is rectangular and about half as large as the one before. The ceiling is much lower as well- Sam won¡¯t be able to use overhead attacks in the event of combat. I¡¯m not too worried about that. Not only are her fists adequately protected by her gauntlets in case she needs to punch, but she can still swing her sword from side to side if she has to. I imagine I¡¯ll probably need to convince her to find a backup weapon for small chambers in the near future.


    It¡¯s not like the thought hadn¡¯t crossed my mind. It¡¯s a problem many a Great Blader has to face eventually. She¡¯s been doing outdoor quests only, though, and this was never a problem until now.


    Regardless, the room itself is somewhat quaint yet suspicious. For one, there¡¯s no door other than the one the party came in through. Decorations are sparse, the golden room empty except for a luxurious purple rug strewn across the floor and for four pedestals in the corners of the room. Atop three of the pedestals is a silver vase containing handsome red roses, though the pedestal in the southeast corner is empty.


    ¡®Puzzle room?¡¯ Zutiria asks while looking around the place.


    ¡°Puzzle room,¡± I confirm.


    ¡°Not much of a puzzle, nyaa,¡± Snowball says, one of her claws touching the side of her chin as she tilts her head. ¡°You see it, right, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Of course. It¡¯s hardly what I¡¯d consider a brain-teaser.


    ¡°See what?¡± Peri leans over my shoulder to get a better look at the screens. Much to my relief, she still seems totally in control of her arousal, and this closeness doesn¡¯t trigger her desire.


    ¡°Careful, Peri...¡± Cherry grabs her friend by the collar and pulls her back to her stool, regardless. Better safe than sorry.


    ¡®I understand the solution as well, although I¡¯m sure this fact surprises no one.¡¯ The Mage offers.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, Zuzu. You¡¯re a genius, and I¡¯m a dummy, I get that. If the puzzle¡¯s so easy, then why don¡¯t you just solve it?¡±


    ¡°Can I do it?¡± Meri asks as she smiles softly, ¡°I think I know the answer...¡±


    ¡°Wait, seriously? You too?!¡± Sam looks at the Shield Maiden as if she were just betrayed, upset to be the only one who didn¡¯t solve the puzzle instantly.


    ¡°S-Sorry, Sam... you¡¯ll see.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, Meri.¡±


    The brunette runs back to the other room, her bulky suit of armor clanking around like a loose collection of pots and pans as she does so. Not even a minute later, she returns carrying one of the silver rose vases from the nearest pedestal. Meri then places it right down on top of the only pedestal in the current room that doesn¡¯t have one. Right afterward, the room begins to tremble in place for a split second as if in confirmation.


    The golden southern wall begins opening up, revealing to the party a hidden pathway that beckons them forth.


    ¡°Oh, THAT? Pft. I knew that.¡± Sam rolls her eyes as she attempts to bullshit us, ¡°I thought you were all talking about something else...¡±


    ¡®Sammy, there¡¯s no shame in accepting your lot in life. You¡¯re a charming, special girl, and we all love you very much. No one thinks any less of you for being unable to solve the simplest of dungeon puzzles.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically pats the grumbling Princess on the back, Meri giving Sam an awkward smile as an apology.


    ¡°I thought that was the answer, nyaa!¡± Peri happily bounces in her seat, and as soon as Sam hears this, her face turns white.


    ¡°The fucking horny cat is smarter than me?!¡±


    ¡°Sam, stop being racist.¡± I shrug, an amused smile cropping up across my face. ¡°Peri being Catfolk has little to do with her level of intelligence.¡±


    ¡°Nyaa?¡± Peri, not sure what I meant, tilts her head.


    ¡°GAH. I-I TOLD YOU, I¡¯M NOT-¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, into the secret tunnel with you already.¡± I teasingly hurry her, enjoying the sight of her red face and pouty cheeks. Out of the corner of my eye, I witness Snow holding back a giggle, and I shoot her a sly grin while saying, ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive her. It runs in her family.¡±


    ¡°Oh, trust me. I¡¯m well aware of Mistress Samantha¡¯s lineage, Myaster.¡± The white-haired kitten narrows her eyes, giving her an air of mystery as she smiles. Snow speaks softly so that Sam doesn¡¯t end up hearing her words, but I¡¯m taken aback by her comment.


    I know better than to ask. Snow will likely tell me it¡¯s not the right time. Instead, I focus on the screens to watch the party enter the secret passage unlocked by solving the puzzle.


    The path is concise, only about twenty feet long. It slants to the southwest, then a very short, straight west corridor follows. It becomes apparent several feet down the passageway that something¡¯s off about this. The walls, floor, and ceiling lose their golden sheen and seamlessly transform into an unremarkable gray, dreary stone.


    ...No, transform isn¡¯t quite the right word for it. It¡¯s more like the path was stone in the first place, and the gold was painted over it in a futile attempt to hide what lay beneath. Is the rest of the Pimpfort secretly stone as well, or is there some special meaning here that no one is privy to? How queer.


    At the end of this secret tunnel sits a dead end with a single feature sticking out like a sore thumb. A large oil painting of Sir Pimpington himself is hung on the wall, held in place by a beautiful frame of gold and beset with many vibrant jewels.


    In the painting, the pimp sits upon a throne carried by hundreds of women from just as many races. These women all flock towards Sir Pimpington like rabid puppies, desperate to be the one closest to him. The throne, the girls¡¯, and the elegant, palace-like backdrop are vibrant and rendered in beautiful, striking colors.


    ...Yet the man himself is drab, looking almost as if he were made of stone. His lowered pimp hat obscures his face in shadows, all but for a forlorn frown that depicts him as beaten. Broken. In his right hand, he holds a dead, thoroughly wilted rose so tight that blood streams out from the gaps in his fist.


    ¡°What in the name of fuck,¡± Sam raises an eyebrow, making the best observation as she¡¯s liable to make.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be real with you, Sam. I¡¯ve got no fucking idea what¡¯s up with that painting.¡± I squint my eyes, trying to make heads or tails of this brooding artwork that defies everything I¡¯ve come to expect from the cold-hearted pimp.


    ¡®The dungeon must have made this. I can¡¯t imagine that the pimp would pay someone to paint him in such an introspective, conflicted way. For one, none of the girls are having sex with him.¡¯


    ¡°A very valid point, nyaa.¡± Snow studies it just as closely, but I can tell from the look on her face that she¡¯s just as lost as the rest of us.


    Meri leans forward, touching the painting with the tips of her fingers almost mournfully. ¡°This... is so weird. It¡¯s k-kind of beautiful, in a way. I-I wouldn¡¯t hang it on my wall, but... this means something. It has to.¡±


    ¡°So if the dungeon made this, then this has somethin¡¯ to do with his soul or some shit? I¡¯m still not really clear on how that works.¡± Sam asks.


    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s how he views himself,¡± I say, as odd as that sounds.


    ¡°That¡¯s, uh... a weird thought, Boss. This thing is like ¡®Manpain: The Painting¡¯, and he¡¯s... not like that at all. Y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡®Everyone wears a mask to protect themselves from the world to some extent, Sammy. Some people are just better at making you think that they don¡¯t.¡¯ Zutiria says with a troubled, distant look on her face.


    ¡°Right. So he¡¯s just a tortured soul pimping through the pain.¡± The Princess snorts, rolling her eyes.


    ¡°Hey, wait. H-Hang on a sec...¡± Meri tilts her head before placing her fingertip back on the painting. ¡°Master, do you mind if I-¡±


    ¡°Be my guest.¡± The maids, Sam, Zutiria, and I all watch as Meri begins scratching at the oil painting¡¯s canvas, especially when a chunk of paint starts to chip off, falling to the floor below. She keeps going and going, every flake revealing more of the secret buried beneath the outer layer.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I say aloud as the final chip falls, giving the girls and me a full view of the underpainting. That certainly explains a few things.

 Treasure Chest in the Secret Room

    Beneath the expressive painting of Sir Pimpington¡¯s inner demons hides a second completed painting of a completely different person and scenario. At least, I thought it was someone else until I had a closer inspection.


    Standing in front of a large, black building on a bustling, cobblestone street is a chivalrous knight of unparalleled beauty. With long, flowing black locks and elegant armor shining like the moon and stars, this knight departs from this building with a warm smile on his sharp-featured face. In one hand, he carries a quest flier, the other rests on the hilt of his rose-themed rapier.


    A myriad of people, men, and women alike, watch him in reverence as he departs. But the graceful knight doesn¡¯t pay them any mind. His eyes only press forward onto the unseen horizon, focused solely on whatever his goal might be.


    Compared to the painting which lay on top, this one is colored strikingly vibrant throughout. Not a hint of sadness appears anywhere at all in the composition. Rather... it feels warm, optimistic, and adventurous.


    As different as his hair, armor, and overall demeanor may be, there¡¯s no denying that the man in this painting is still, in fact, Sir Pimpington. Or, more specifically, it used to be him. Chipping off the paint revealed a title for the painting.


    ¡®Sir Chasteworthe¡¯


    ¡°The fuck...?¡± Sam cocks her head to the side, studying the painting intensely. ¡°That¡¯s him, right? His face is the same, mostly... but... it¡¯s like looking at a mirror world version of the dude.¡±


    Zutiria is equally baffled but brings something up that clarifies a detail for us. ¡®Isn¡¯t that the Imperalis Adventurer¡¯s Guild? I had my certification exam there when Theo tried to make me get a job.¡¯


    ¡°Shit, you¡¯re right! I¡¯ve seen the place before.¡± The Princess says. ¡°And that name... pretty sure they¡¯re a noble family, I think. Kinda hard to remember all the nobles in Imperalis I was forced to have dinner parties with, though...¡±


    ¡°What do you make of all this, Master?¡± Meri asks.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly interesting- but irrelevant as to why we¡¯re here. We didn¡¯t enter this dungeon to learn the sordid history of a pimp¡¯s fall from grace. We came to stop his evil deeds in the present. At best, it will give me psychological ammunition to use against him during the boss battle. At worst, it¡¯s meaningless fluff.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more, nyaa.¡± Snow nods her head in agreement, making the golden bell dangling from her collar ring thanks to her neck jostling it.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything else?¡± Cherry crosses her arms and grumpily furrows her brow. ¡°It¡¯d be kinda stupid if the only reward for solving that puzzle was a dumb, secret pimp painting...¡±


    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s something behind it, nyaa,¡± Peri adds while scratching her kitty ear.


    ¡°I was just about to suggest that. Meri?¡±


    At my command, the Shield Maiden takes the painting off of the wall. It reveals a hidden button poking out of the stone behind it, which I then have her press. The cold, rocky dead-end begins to shift, the bricks splitting apart and giving way to an entirely new chamber.


    Upon entering, the new locale is a sight to behold. It¡¯s a decently sized t-shaped room that has a narrow brick path leading all the way to a small, empty pedestal. On both sides of the path rests a growing garden of red rose bushes, sprouting from a bed of soil dug into the earth. The artificial magic lighting of the rooms before is gone. This chamber is lit only by the melancholy light flickering from torch-lit sconces protruding along the walls.


    Beyond the pedestal and against the backmost wall sits the most striking feature of the room by far- a large, stone statue diorama depicting Sir Chasteworthe on the left, gazing longingly and offering a rose at a woman standing behind a reception desk on the right. His expression is far from the confident, elegant knight we just saw in the painting. Instead, he looks like a lost child or an innocent puppy who doesn¡¯t know how to properly express their needs.


    I recognize the woman¡¯s outfit as the standard receptionist uniform that so-called ¡®Guild Ladies¡¯ wear in bigger cities, though it wasn¡¯t hard to guess from context clues. Chasteworthe¡¯s paramour is turned away from him as if utterly uninterested in his presence.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ really?¡± Sam groans with profound exasperation after feasting her eyes on the statue display. ¡°Swear to god if this dude turned into an evil pimp just because the woman he loved rejected him, I¡¯m gonna be SO pissed.¡±


    ¡°Oh, no... d-do you think that¡¯s what happened to him...?¡± Meri frowns, a tiny tear forming in the corner of her eye. ¡°That¡¯s so sad...!¡±


    ¡®The evil man who kidnapped dozens of Beastgirls in order to presumably force them into sexual slavery does not deserve your sympathy, Meri.¡¯ Zutiria sighs, and in response, Meri blushes while hanging her head. It¡¯s not her fault she¡¯s so compassionate, even toward those who don¡¯t deserve it.


    Meri, you¡¯re too good for this world.


    ¡°Regardless, the scenery dressing doesn¡¯t matter. Someone go up and inspect the pedestal.¡± I say.


    Zutiria walks forward and adjusts her glasses to get a better view. ¡®Can you see it, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I zoom in on the camera screen and take in the sight of the stone pedestal located in front of the statue diorama. A small plaque is sitting on the ridge that reads, ¡®I will give her all that I have to give.¡¯


    ¡°Hah, really? This shit again? Easy. I¡¯ll be back in a sec, gonna go grab one of those silver vases.¡± Sam starts to strut off with a confident smirk on her face, feeling smart.


    ¡°Somehow, I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s right, Mistress.¡± Snow offers her opinion, and I¡¯m inclined to agree.


    ¡°Indeed. The setup for this puzzle, the painting, the statue, the hidden nature of this room in general... it all feels personal. It clearly wants someone to place something on it, but I doubt it wants something random that was found in the dungeon.¡±


    Sam grumbles, slamming her fist silently in the air out of anger. ¡°I thought I had it, too... What the fuck should we give it, then?¡±


    ¡°What indeed...¡± I start thinking of possible solutions, but Zutiria takes the chance to act on her own.


    The little Mage reaches into her adventurer¡¯s pack, taking out the single green stamina potion that I packed for her. She places the glass bottle onto the center of the stone pedestal. ¡®I wasn¡¯t going to use it, anyway.¡¯ Zutiria shrugs.


    All of a sudden, the fixture begins sinking into the dungeon¡¯s floor until it swallows it up in its entirety, taking the Mage¡¯s potion along for the ride. After a few short seconds of silence, something else rises in its place- a bonafide, honest to goodness treasure chest.


    I¡¯ve waited for this moment for so long that I practically hear a choir of Elves singing majestically during its ascension. At long last, there¡¯s a chance one of my girls is about to get a powerup we otherwise couldn¡¯t afford. Of course, there¡¯s also a chance that inside this chest is the key to opening the locked balcony door, but I¡¯m trying to refrain from pessimism.


    ¡°Oh, HELL yes! So, who gets to open this bad boy, huh? I-I don¡¯t really mind who does it, I mean...¡± The Princess practically salivates upon gazing at the treasure before her eyes. Bless her heart, she¡¯s trying so hard to sound less interested than she actually is.


    ¡®I believe I¡¯ve earned that right, Sammy.¡¯ No one disagrees as Zutiria stakes her claim, not even the spoiled Princess. The Mage squats down, inadvertently letting her three-pronged white cape rub the floor in order to open up the decently sized wooden box.


    ¡°Wait just a second-¡± I call out just before her hands touch the lid of the treasure chest.


    ¡®Ah, yes. How could I have forgotten?¡¯ Zutiria catches my drift instantly, and she walks away from the container, getting a nice few feet away. ¡®Poke it with your sword, Sammy. You have the longest weapon.¡¯


    ¡°...Wha?¡± The blonde tilts her head, unsure what that the length of her sword to do with anything.


    Meri speaks up right away, hiding behind her tower shield and blushing. ¡°I-It could be a Mimic! I¡¯ve read about them... in... in Master¡¯s books...¡±


    ¡°No, Meri, you have to understand-¡± I begin stammering, and to my left, I feel a certain maid smiling with amusement. ¡°Mimics are... not how they¡¯re so often portrayed in... that specific type of fiction. They would rather eat you rather than, well. Anything else you might have in mind.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank the Gods. I-I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like to meet one of THOSE mimics in real life...¡± Meri breathes a sigh of relief while Snow, Peri, and Cherry all giggle in response.


    ¡°How cute,¡± Snow says with a sadistic look of condescension. ¡°The Myaster enjoys reading lewd tales, does he?¡±


    ¡°You were the one who said it wasn¡¯t the right time for flirting, Snowball.¡± I remind her. For a brief, split-second moment, I notice Snow¡¯s teasing expression twitch with obvious disappointment.


    ¡°Sam, do as she says,¡± I say to drag the focus back onto the matter at hand, refraining myself from the flirtatious temptations that being around Snow presents.


    ¡°Kay. Can¡¯t believe you forgot to see if it¡¯s a Mimic or not, Zuzu. Everyone knows that...¡± Sam comments with snarkiness in her voice, as if she wasn¡¯t confused by the idea mere moments ago.


    ¡®I was excited. Be silent.¡¯


    Sam pokes the wooden box once with her sword¡¯s sharp tip and then does it a second time for good measure. If the chest were a Mimic, it would have reacted to such an attack with searing pain, so we¡¯re good to go. Now that it¡¯s been cleared, Zutiria steps forward and squats over once more onto the cold, stone floor.


    She undoes the clasp at the front of the box with her free hand, and it opens with a loud clack. Zutiria hoists the lid open, and a small light shines from within for a brief second. Soon after, it begins to fade, giving her a look at what¡¯s inside. ¡®Oh. How lovely. I¡¯ve always wanted one of these, and the rest is a nice added bonus on top of it.¡¯ She says, a genuine smile lifting up her soft, delicate lips as she reaches in to take what¡¯s hers.

 The Wishing Star and a Looming Battle

    Setting her expensive designer staff off to the side, Zutiria¡¯s hands enter the very first treasure chest in her career as an adventurer.


    She takes the valuable goods out from inside it and turns to face the party, revealing the contents of her haul. In her right hand, the Mage holds two glass bottles filled with a vivid, blue-glowing liquid and in her left is a small, beautiful ornamental yellow star with a clasp and chain hooked around the top.


    ¡®Mana potions, Sir. I¡¯d say the altercation was more than a fair trade, even without taking into consideration the extra trinket that came along with it.¡¯


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± I tell her as I breathe a sigh of relief.


    I¡¯m now grateful to Luxy from the bottom of my heart. As I¡¯ve already said more than anything else, I was terrified of sending Zutiria off without any way to replenish her already crippled mana reserve...


    While two mana potions isn¡¯t a lot, it¡¯s better than what we had before- nothing.


    The Goddess doesn¡¯t respond even as I try to thank her. She might be limiting her contact now that we¡¯ve infiltrated the Pimpfort, if I had to guess. Knowing that she can¡¯t interfere, it might be a conflict of interest. Perhaps she¡¯d be tempted to give away too much if our dialogue was open, as well?


    It doesn¡¯t really matter. I turn my attention towards the star on a chain that the little Mage carries in her left hand. ¡°And what about the artifact?¡± I ask while zooming in the camera to get a better view.


    Zutiria opens up her adventurer¡¯s pack and tucks in both of her acquired potions. Then, she buckles the bag back up nice and proper-like once they¡¯re secure. ¡®It¡¯s a rare charm known as a Wishing Star. Truthfully, I¡¯ve always had my eyes on one, but they¡¯re exceedingly difficult to acquire and even harder to make.¡¯


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a super-skilled alchemist, Zuzu? Why couldn¡¯t you make one of these things if you wanted it so bad?¡±


    ¡®Well, for one, you have to have a fragment of an actual star from the void between realms to make one. Secondly, making powerful magic equipment is not alchemy. We¡¯ve been over this. Creating enchanted items is more than just casting a spell on something. It¡¯s-¡¯


    ¡°Look, Sam. Magic is magic. If Zutiria says she can¡¯t do something, then we have no reason to doubt her.¡±


    ¡°But she made the Return Gate! And Returners, too!¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sammy. I put magic and alchemical solutions on a big pile of rocks that I ground up and made little bombs that take you to the rocks when you throw them. That¡¯s completely different.¡¯


    ¡°Magic is inconsistent and stupid,¡± The Princess crosses her arms, scrunching up her face with frustration.


    ¡®I do not deny that. Admittedly it¡¯s better if you just don¡¯t think about it too hard.¡¯ Zutiria sighs and hangs her head, tired of having to explain the machinations of a system that is hard for even the most learned arcane scholars of the Tior province to understand.


    ¡°S-So, what does it do? Does it actually grant wishes...?!¡± Meri¡¯s eyes sparkle. Her eagerness is bringing out that adorable part of her that resembles a puppy dog.


    ¡®If only. It still has a pretty lovely effect, though. Once per day, the user can cast one spell without needing to use their mana. Before anyone asks, this resets at midnight, and the effects do not carry over... just in case any of you try to be cheeky with your comments.¡¯


    I ask Zutiria the first thing that comes to mind upon hearing that. ¡°Can it give you access to any of the spells in your spell list that are currently grayed out?¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t think so... I have to be able to cast it normally, Sir.¡¯


    Figures, but magic is magic.


    ¡°Just once a day? That¡¯s kinda shitty. But... I guess it¡¯ll let you use a really big spell in an emergency, which is great!¡± Sam pats the Mage on the shoulder.


    ¡°Sounds perfect for you, Zutiria!¡± Meri chimes in before a thoughtful expression overtakes her face. ¡°Uh. Speaking of perfect, I was wondering... so... the Goddess chose this out herself, right? She¡¯s not just gonna get us a bunch of useful thingies we¡¯ve always wanted a-and try to get on our good side... is she...?¡±


    Upon the Shield Maiden¡¯s question, everyone goes silent as the night.


    It¡¯s a known fact that none of the girls are very keen on my divine supporter, especially Meri, and I myself have a complex view regarding Luxy. Given how openly manipulative the Goddess can be, I wouldn¡¯t put this motive past her... even if I personally don¡¯t believe Luxy is doing this for that reason.


    I think she really does want to help.


    ¡°Does it matter what her intention behind the gifts are, so long as they make you all stronger?¡± I sigh, trying to keep them all united and as far away from dwelling on negative things as I can.


    The party grumbles about it for a hot minute before agreeing that no, it¡¯s not that big of a deal. They would rather have awesome magic gear versus rejecting said awesome magic gear just to make a point to Lux Ultima.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to tell me about your relationship with the Goddess sometime, Myaster...¡± Snow tilts her head. ¡°Given how apprehensive they all seem whenever the topic is at hand, and after hearing her voice first hand, well, paw... she seems...¡±


    ¡°I would love to tell you more, Snow, but you¡¯re leaving in two days. Aren¡¯t you? After we rescue the girls, I assume you¡¯ll be busy all day tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°...Ah. You¡¯re right.¡± The maid replies in a somber, expressionless tone.


    ¡°Unless...¡± Peri mews.


    ¡°Don¡¯t push it,¡± Cherry sighs, reminding her.


    ¡°That¡¯s quite enough standing around then. Mistresses, you¡¯ve all thoroughly explored this corner of the dungeon. Might I suggest returning to the first chamber and taking the door to the north, nyaa?¡± Snow takes command of the party in the hopes of deflecting her awkward situation.


    I don¡¯t stop her, and in fact, I leave the office to use the restroom for a few minutes while ordering the kitties to refill the coffee. The party is only backtracking through rooms they¡¯ve already been in at the moment, anyway.


    While washing up after doing what anyone must, my thoughts become clouded. I look into the mirror, seeing my own introspective face staring straight back at me. Pimpington was an adventurer, it seems...


    All of the comments he made while antagonizing us make a lot more sense now.


    I don¡¯t think whatever happened to him was as simple as the girls might think. Sure, he was probably in love with the other woman in the diorama, but... something just isn¡¯t right. No, if all it took to break the spirit of a prestigious knight like him was a simple rejection, then we¡¯d have a lot fewer knights running around Imperalis.


    Whether we like it or not, I guess we¡¯ll find out as the party progresses through the Pimpfort.


    The only thing I know for sure is that no matter what takes place when the girls finally make it to the boss room, I won¡¯t lose my cool against him.


    Not again.


    Growing tired of seeing myself in the mirror, I finish washing my hands and head back to the office.


    ¡°Status report, kitties?¡±


    The three Catfolk turn to face me as soon as I enter the room. To my surprise, Peri and Cherry have both begun cleaning up around the place during my absence.


    ¡°Myaster, Snow wants us to make ourselves useful...¡± Peri whines, sweeping at the floor slowly with a broom. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be useful. I want to watch the adventure, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Do you want her to pull out her crop, Peri?¡± Cherry frowns while feather dusting one of my many bookshelves.


    ¡°N-No... not right NOW, anyway...¡± Replies the kitten with more than a hint of thirst.


    Snow watches the maids at work with a satisfied grin on her face. ¡°Less chattering, girls. Honestly. No wonder that room out there is still so dirty. You really need someone around who can-¡±


    Snow stops dead in her tracks, stopping herself from what she was about to say.


    ¡°Say it,¡± Peri whispers.


    ¡°Someone who can do what, Snow?¡± I smile a sadistic grin of my own after walking to the desk and taking my coffee.


    ¡°...Absolutely nothing of importance, Myaster. Pay it no mind.¡± She mumbles as her grumpiness increases.


    I take an obnoxious sip of my coffee to tease her a little bit. ¡°You see, it almost sounded like you were about to imply that I need to find myself someone who knows how to run a tight crew of housekeepers. Someone familiar with Peri and Cherry who could help push them to their limits. A... head maid, of sorts?¡±


    ¡°Myaster,¡± She says, slitting her eyes in a threatening way while adding venom to her voice. ¡°I believe the girls are waiting for you, nyaa.¡±


    The look in her striking yellow eyes tells me If I keep pushing it, she¡¯s going to hurt me, and it won¡¯t be in an enjoyable way. So I decide to stop teasing Snow for now. Instead, I turn my attention back to the three Taskmaster screens and see that the party of adventurers has just about reached their destination.


    ¡°I¡¯m back, girls. Status?¡±


    ¡°All good, Boss. Heading through the door right now!¡±


    ¡®I put the Wishing Star on my staff,¡¯ Zutiria smiles cutely and lifts up her staff for me to see it better. Her new charm twinkles like a real star as it dangles from the arch on the top of her heart-shaped staff, which she attached the chain to.


    ¡°We also had some of our snacks,¡± Meri says while wiping some jerky crumbs from her lips.


    Once everyone has reported in, Sam hits the phallic-shaped switch on the center of the northern door, and within seconds the entrance opens up.


    The three girls delve into the proceeding chamber of the Pimpfort.


    It turns out to be a very similar room to the southern one, about the same size and everything. There aren¡¯t any fixtures holding roses, but there is a square-shaped jail cell in the center wall. Inside of this cell, there¡¯s another treasure chest, and there are no other doors to speak of. There isn¡¯t anything that leads me to believe there might be any secret rooms this time, either.


    I assume that opening the jail cell containing the chest has something to do with defeating the five members of Pimpington¡¯s elite hooker squad who are strewn about the room. In the northwest corner stands a red-headed halfling woman who appears dangerously young by human standards. Not all halfling girls look like that, but the ones that do can lead a man to strange, unsettling places...


    One of her hands rests on the hilt of a rogueish-looking short sword strapped to a belt across her waist, while the other holds a traditional wooden pipe to her lips. Given the red coloration in the white of her eyes, she seems to be smoking steezweed. As the halfling stares down the intruding adventurers, she begins blowing wondrous smoke rings with remarkable skill.


    In the center of the room are two more women seated at a wooden table. On the right-hand side is a blue-skinned, white-haired Frost Dwarf with a long, braided ponytail and covered head to toe in Midgardian Viking tattoos. The other woman is the huge, green-skinned orc girl who sucked Pimpington¡¯s dick as he rode off in his chariot the other day. I couldn¡¯t forget her if I tried...


    I think the Dwarf and the Orc were playing strip poker at some point since their micro bikini tops and bottoms are on the table with the rest of the chips, but I guess it didn¡¯t last long, and they transitioned to playing standard poker. Not the best game to play when your uniform consists of only two pieces of clothing.


    Lastly, in the opposite corner of the room to the questionable-looking Halfling is a Human, hunched over and heaving, and an Elf rubbing the Human¡¯s back in an effort to comfort her.


    ¡°Shit,¡± The Orc stands up as her chair flies backward, grabbing a large warhammer from the floor. She¡¯s barely able to stand in this low-ceiling room, being at least eight feet tall and covered in rippling muscle. ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±


    The Frost Dwarf follows the Orc¡¯s example, retrieving a Midgardian raider¡¯s axe and standing at the ready. ¡°Odin¡¯s beard!¡± She exclaims in shock, her voice sounding as rough as the cracking of ice on stone.


    Not long after that, the halfling draws her tiny short sword and hops atop the table, ready to strike. ¡°Are they real this time, or are they still in my head...?¡± The teensy girl with large, furry feet asks with a sleepy yawn.


    ¡°They¡¯re real, silly little Wenda,¡± Says the Elf as she pulls a small wand out of the back of her golden thong, brandishing it in front of her as she joins the three other women in front of the table. ¡°We got orders to defend the chest, but do you three mind if our friend over there in the corner, Chantella, skips this little brawl, kids?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m thirty-five.¡¯ Zutiria defiantly holds out her staff, making a point of her age.


    ¡°And I¡¯m two thousand, five hundred, and seventy-six, KID. Now can we agree on leaving out the pregnant hooker?¡±


    ¡°...I mean, I guess?¡± Sam shrugs. ¡°More important question- haven¡¯t any of you bitches ever heard of armor?¡± She asks without a single shred of irony.


    Zutiria and even Meri both give the dense Princess a judgmental look of pity. All I can do is have a long sip from my coffee and sigh as Snow holds back laughter at my side.


    ¡°Girls, I¡¯m going to be honest. You don¡¯t need my help on this one. Make me proud.¡± I don¡¯t want to hold their hand completely through this dungeon, and honestly, if they can¡¯t defeat a group of low-leveled stripper thugs on their own, then this whole mission is screwed.


    Sam, Meri, and Zutiria¡¯s faces all light up at the same time, excited that they have a chance to show off to me.


    ¡°You got it, Boss!¡± Sam puts up her fists, knowing that the use of her sword in such a small, crowded chamber is entirely impossible.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± For the same reason, Meri transforms her shield into its buckler form, and the short sword pops out over the top of her gauntlet. Just from looking at it, I can see the energy coating the blade¡¯s edge. She¡¯s using Blunt Edge- flawlessly, at that. Good.


    ¡®Understood, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria has nothing much to add, so she just stands there with her hands on her staff.


    The group of strippers stares at my three adventurers in awkward silence. Eventually, the halfling tilts her head. ¡°Yo, you sluts got voices in your head, too?¡±


    Chantella throws up in the corner with violent fervor as the battle begins.

 Hooker Squad Brawl

    Within this small golden room, chaos breaks out in every direction. My eyes don¡¯t leave Taskmaster for even a second, intending to give guidance if I really need to, but otherwise, I¡¯m just enjoying the show.


    Sam reaches behind her back, undoing the clasp to her great blade¡¯s sling, so the heavy weapon falls to the ground. It¡¯s nothing but a liability right now, so she makes the wise decision to shed the weight and improve her speed.


    The young Princess grits her teeth in a chaotic smile, running out to thrust her fist straight into the jaw of the towering, naked Orc.


    The enemy howls in pain, overpowering the ears of all who listen to her Orcish warcry. She tumbles into the table behind her, wrecking it instantly under her tremendous weight as she falls against it. Poker chips and playing cards fly through the air as the wood snaps.


    Her foothold gone, the drug-addled Halfling flips into the air with startling grace.


    Her short sword dances about as she readies a strike aimed solely for Sam¡¯s head, but Meri advances and takes deflects it with the sword of her buckler. Given that the Shield Maiden is much stronger than the little foe, she¡¯s able to push back and force the Halfling to land on unfavorable terms.


    Of course, a Halfling always makes the best of a bad situation, especially when it comes to their footwork. The rogue is staggered for only a moment before she steadies herself.


    In that time, the Elf magic-user begins chanting something in Elvish, aiming her want squarely at Zutiria.


    The Elf clearly thought the two would be having some sort of magic battle, so she was taken by surprise when Zutiria transformed her staff and brought down the mallet right on her head. It wasn¡¯t a decisive blow. I¡¯m not sure Zutiria is capable of that, but it does make the Elf¡¯s forehead red, and of course, there¡¯s the principal effect of the Staggerstaff.


    The Elf falls to the golden floor face first, paralyzed as she smashes her head against the hard metal.


    The Frost Dwarf sees a chance, and she throws her axe at the little Mage.


    It hits Meri¡¯s shield right as she jumps out in front to tank the blow, which notably pisses off the little naked Viking hooker. Screaming expletives at the timid brunette, a visible, chill wind begins to circle the fists of the Frost Dwarf. Gauntlets of crackling, rough ice form from the arctic breeze. Using the power of her magically reinforced fists, she begins mindlessly pummeling Meri¡¯s buckler in an attempt to overwhelm the poor defender.


    In her angered rage, she never saw Sam coming.


    With wicked glee, the Princess runs up and punts the Dwarf like a ball using a single mighty kick. She smashes into the wall of gold, at which point Sam dashes behind her, grabs the enemy by her braided ponytail, and smashes her face in once more for good measure. Having verified that the Dwarf is now out cold, heh, Sam drops the Viking to the floor and turns around just in time to see the Halfling running at her.


    ¡°Sam!¡± Meri calls out but finds herself too busy to help. Her attention is focused elsewhere since- the Orc has regained her standing and now charges at the Shield Maiden with a horizontal strike from her warhammer. Meri closes her eyes out of nervousness and raises the buckler strapped to her armored gauntlet to meet the oncoming attack.


    Orcs are savagely powerful. I don¡¯t believe that even bears mentioning. Meri cries out in pain, and I feel my heart tear in two while watching her health meter lose a tiny chunk on the Taskmaster display. It¡¯s not much health at all, really, since it wasn¡¯t a ¡®hit¡¯, per se. It¡¯s just that the Orc¡¯s attack is so strong that even when adequately blocked, the impact must have crept into her right arm. Meri¡¯s buckler is an aggressive form, and it just can¡¯t absorb the attack as well as her tower shield can.


    No matter how small the damage is, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to seeing one of my lovers in pain. Luxy¡¯s healer can¡¯t come soon enough...


    Sam has a small window to do something about the oncoming Halfling¡¯s attack, and I¡¯m actually quite proud of her for what she comes up with. There¡¯s a clear height difference between the blonde Princess and the three-and-a-half-foot-tall hooker, and Sam is wearing thick armor with a thick leather gambeson and trousers. If the Halfling wants to do any real damage, she¡¯s going to have to jump again and try to shank Sam in the face.


    Knowing this, Sam ducks right as the rogue leaps, and she grabs her by her oversized, furry feet. In one swift motion, the Princess grunts and lobs the Halfling right into the Orc¡¯s face while she was preparing another attack against Meri.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± Meri smiles and uses this opportunity to transform her buckler into the tower shield. While Meri avoided this form in the small room up until now, this was a perfect time. The shield begins to glow as Meri closes her eyes and readies a Shield Bash, and in no time at all, the momentum blasts her hurtling forward straight into the Orc and the Halfling¡¯s bodies.


    The Art painfully squishes both foes against the bars of the jail cell behind the broken poker table, but it¡¯s clear that while the Halfling is out of commission, the Orc isn¡¯t. Meri backs up five feet and flings herself with a second Shield Bash, finishing the big green woman off with her attack.


    The battle is over, and while it wasn¡¯t anywhere near flawless, it was pretty damn good.


    ¡°Gods, they might actually pull this whole thing off...¡± Snow hides her opened mouth behind her paws, her cheeks red. ¡°That was... astonishing, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Did they win, did they?!¡± Peri asks from across the room where Snow is forcing her to sweep.


    ¡°Of course they did,¡± Cherry scoffs and rolls her eyes. ¡°Those girls are the real fucking deal! Er-¡± She catches herself swearing and becomes panicked, but luckily for her, Snow doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed.


    ¡°Excellently done, girls.¡± I give the three adventurers a firm bit of praise, but not too affectionately as I don¡¯t want it to get to their heads.


    ¡®Thank you, Sir. Nice work, team,¡¯ Zutiria says as she stands over top of the fallen Elf, repeatedly whacking her on the head with her mallet every couple of seconds to ensure she remains paralyzed. ¡®I helped.¡¯


    Sam and Meri both have a soothing sigh, and each wipes the sweat off their brow using a handkerchief tucked away in their adventurer¡¯s pack. They both must be sweltering, but especially Meri.


    Sam looks around the room at the four defeated hookers, proud of her work but also disheartened. ¡°Is it over already? Aw, man... That was fucking FUN. I think I found a new hobby.¡± She laughs. ¡°Yep, I¡¯m definitely gonna pick up tavern brawls in the future...¡±


    ¡°T-Thanks for the help back there, Sam...¡± Meri smiles but winces while as she touches her arm.


    ¡°No prob, but how¡¯re you holding up?¡±


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡®Drink about a fourth of one of your health potions, Meri. It should take care of it.¡¯


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I conserve it for something more serious? M-Master?¡±


    ¡°I agree with Zutiria. Go ahead. You don¡¯t want your shield arm giving out mid-combat. There¡¯s no knowing if you¡¯ll get the opportunity to drink a potion while in the midst of battle. Best to do it now, even for a small injury.¡±


    Meri nods and blushes, ¡°Ah! Ok, y-yeah, that makes sense.¡± She takes out one of the three glass bottles filled to the brim with red liquid and drinks the amount I specified. ¡°Mmmmm...¡± Apparently, she finds the taste pleasing. Within a minute or two, her arm will be back to full strength.


    ¡°Take a swallow of one of your stamina potions, too. You¡¯re almost at half a meter.¡±


    ¡°Eh...¡± Meri stares down the suspicious green potion after fishing it out of the pack. She drinks about a third of it and closes her eyes in panic. ¡°Bleh!¡± The poor girl coughs, finding the taste far from pleasing.


    ¡°How bout me, Boss?¡± Sam asks, opening her pack just in case.


    ¡°You¡¯re close to full. You only did the one Art thus far against the Golem, remember? Trust me, if you needed a stamina potion, you¡¯d know.¡±


    ¡°Got it. So you gonna tell us how we did or what?¡± Her eyes beam excitedly, and I remind myself not to shower the girls with undue praise just because of my feelings for them.


    ¡°It was good. But you could have done better. Meri, there was no reason to use a second Shield Bash to defeat the Orc. You could have held your position and kept her there pressed up against the bars long enough for Sam to come over and punch her lights out.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh...¡± Meri blushes, hanging her head in shame. ¡°I guess I wasn¡¯t thinking about stamina usage, I-I just wanted to finish the fight...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ok,¡± I comfort her. ¡°This is a critique on how to improve- not an accusation.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Master...¡± The brunette smiles a weak smile and nods her head a single time, summoning more of her determination back to the surface.


    ¡°Zutiria, I know you were avoiding any spell usage, but you¡¯re fortunate you were only targeted twice.¡±


    ¡®I was preparing a non-verbal spell as the Dwarf preparing to throw her axe at me.¡¯


    ¡°Still. In the future, I want you to make further modifications to the Staggerstaff or come up with another form that can let you actually knock-out your opponent rather than temporarily paralyze them.¡±


    ¡®We don¡¯t have enough materials for that, which is why the staff is so weak...¡¯ She frowns, and I have to remind myself not to coddle yet again.


    ¡°Understood, my criticism is invalid in this particular circumstance. Just keep your wits about you.¡±


    The Mage gives me a silent thumbs-up, and I turn my attention towards her Highness. ¡°Sam,¡±


    ¡°Give it to me, Boss. I can take it. I wanna improve! I wanna-¡±


    ¡°You were stunning. The only thing I can fault you on is your footwork, which could use more practice as ever. You made a number of split-second decisions that I wouldn¡¯t have thought of, and you made them like it was nothing.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what...?¡± Sam blushes redder than her armor, taking a step back from doubt. ¡°I didn¡¯t suck...?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite,¡± I stifle a laugh and smile at the screen, gazing at my Princess. ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating, Sam. You were brilliant out there.¡±


    Sam makes the cutest face I¡¯ve ever seen her make to this date. Her eyes open wide, as does her mouth in a full, child-like grin as if overwhelmed by complete joy from the depths of her soul. It highlights her single pointy fang and her watery emerald eyes, before all at once, she fights it back and turns away.


    She closes her eyes and scrunches up her lips to restrain her smile, but it fails miserably. ¡°Pft, c-course I was, Boss! Guess all that meditation helped after all, ha... hahahaha...¡±


    Snow and I share an amused glance at each other before both laughing softly at the bashful Princess.


    ¡°Um, so we won... but... why hasn¡¯t the cell opened?¡± Meri interrupts, grabbing the cage by the door and trying to force it open.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± I ask. ¡°The battle isn¡¯t over yet.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, Master? We beat all of the ene-¡±


    In the northwest corner of the room, the fifth enemy begins puking once more, drowning out the sound of Meri¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Wait... fucking really, Boss?¡± Sam¡¯s blush fades, and she stares at the remaining foe in disbelief.


    ¡°It seems that way. One of you, please decide who gets to knock out the pregnant hooker. We don¡¯t have all night.¡± I take an awkward sip of my coffee, shrugging my shoulders at Snow as the maid raises an eyebrow at my comment.


    Sam, Meri, and Zutiria share a moment of silence between the three of them before reluctantly breaking out into a very surreal match of rock-paper-scissors.

 The Measure of a Lab Rat

    Meri won, but couldn¡¯t do it. There¡¯s no way a nice girl like her could ever do anything to harm a pregnant woman, and even Sam couldn¡¯t be convinced. There¡¯s no other choice but to use a little of Zutiria¡¯s mana to knock out this last enemy in a way that wouldn¡¯t harm her or leave the baby within her womb with any magical birth-defects.


    ¡®Sorry about this,¡¯ Zutiria tells the hooker while pointing the tip of her staff at the woman, ¡°Restenow.¡±


    Magic bursts forth in the form of a single spectral sheep that flutters about the room in a whimsical fashion. It twirls about in the air before floating directly into the head of the pregnant human, delivering her into a restful slumber.


    ¡®We¡¯re lucky I had that one. I¡¯m not much for spells that cause status effects... it¡¯s just that... well. My sleeping problems are common knowledge by now.¡¯ She sighs, looking away towards the cell door.


    While Zutiria does know an incredible number of spells, she, like many Black Mages, focuses on magic that ¡®does¡¯ things. Flashy attack spells are her thing, with only an occasional dose of support magic here and there. I feel bad that she felt the need to learn this specific spell, though...


    ¡°UM... quick question. T-That spell will be safe for the baby, right?¡± Meri asks with worry in her voice as she clasps her hands together.


    ¡®I can think of worse fates for a child than chronic narcolepsy.¡¯


    Meri stares at the unblinking, deadpan Sorceress, unsure of how to respond.


    ¡®That was a joke.¡¯


    ¡°Oh...¡± Meri blushes bright with embarrassment.


    All five women who were guarding this chamber are now defeated. Magically, the door to the cell on the back wall responds to this fact by jangling about until opening wide at last. Sam pokes the chest to give it the Mimic test and upon confirmation, she kicks it open.


    Her excited smile quickly fades as soon as she pulls out a large silver key from the wooden box. ¡°Aw man, I was hoping it was my turn to get some cool new gear!¡± The Princess shrugs, her fierce emerald eyes narrowing from disappointment.


    ¡°Later, Sam. We don¡¯t know how much of the Pimpfort we have left to complete and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s at least one new toy for each of you somewhere in this glittering mess of a Dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Sam continues to mope around, so I decide to give her a fun little distraction.


    ¡°Do me a favor, you three. Gather all of their weapons and send them back in one big pile with a Returner. We can sell them for some extra gold.¡± I look to Snow for permission just in case, and she respectfully nods her head.


    I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll mind us taking our time to send things back now that we know the abducted Beastgirls will remain safe for the foreseeable future.


    The Princess perks up right away, just as I knew she would. ¡°Shit, are we doing some looting? Hell yeah!¡±


    Together, the three of them haul the Orc¡¯s warhammer, the Halfling¡¯s short sword, the Elf¡¯s wand, and the Dwarf¡¯s axe into a pile. Sam was feeling adventurous and managed to pilfer a dagger that the pregnant woman was hiding in her boots, too, so she added that to the group and sent the entire load back home by throwing a Returner. They have plenty to spare- the little bombs are very cheap and easy for Zutiria to manufacture so I had ten of them packed in each girl¡¯s bag.


    ¡°Myaster, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m unfamiliar with what exactly these... ¡®Returners¡¯ are, nyaa. Would you mind-¡± Snow tilts her head as the bomb goes off on screen and the collection of weapons disappear before her eyes. Her ears start twitching as the Return Gate activates in the other room and she stands alert, tail sticking straight up as she pulls out her riding crop from inside of her tracksuit.


    Snow opens the door to my office and dashes into the entrance hall on all fours, hissing at the top of her voice. ¡°MAGIC IS IN THE AIR!! INTRUDER, NYAA!!¡±


    ¡°Snow, no!¡± Peri runs after her as Cherry begins laughing at the typically elegant maid.


    ¡°Heh, dummy.¡± The pink-haired kitten smirks, feeling a tiny tinge of superiority welling up within.


    ¡°I seem to recall a certain someone¡¯s first reaction to the Return Gate being along those lines, too...¡± Cherry¡¯s face goes red as I begin to imply. ¡°Who was it, again...?¡±


    ¡°Geez, Myaster... can¡¯t let me have this one, can you, nyaa?¡± She waves her broom at me in anger.


    Peri and Snow return after Peri explained everything she needs to know about the Return Gate to her former teacher. While they were gone, Snow took it on herself to help Peri move the weapons into the nearest storage room, too. The white-haired Catfolk takes her place by my side once more- her face now flushed scarlet, and her eyes avoiding my slight smirk.


    I give Snow a break and decide not to say anything about it, instead just focusing back on the Taskmaster display. The group didn¡¯t wait for me and they¡¯re at the top of the balcony, where Sam is currently shoving the big key into the huge, magical lock.


    With a twisting mechanical clank, it opens and both lock and key vanish into the air. From there, Sam just hits the switch like normal, and the three adventurers enter a narrow hallway similar to the one that led them to the main hall.


    It¡¯s just occurred to me that I don¡¯t believe this dungeon is shaped the same on the inside as it appears on the outside. That¡¯s fairly common for dungeons that were made via a God¡¯s magic, but I hadn¡¯t really thought of it till now. The rooms haven¡¯t really fit with the appearance of an actual castle...


    Before I can dwell on the thought for too long, the girls reach the end of the current hallway. They took their time, too, inspecting it for traps along the way. I instruct them to take a breather before rushing into whatever lies behind that next door.


    The girls have a couple of snacks and they drink from their canteens for a moment in relaxation. I can¡¯t imagine how hungry they¡¯d be if they didn¡¯t have the appetite-lowering effect of my semen in their system. They¡¯ve been running around the dungeon and fighting for close to an hour and a half, now. Besides saving on our overall food expenses, I think tonight is the most useful this power of mine has ever been.


    After five minutes are up, I give the party the go-ahead to delve deeper into the dungeon.


    Everyone proceeds cautiously with their weapons drawn, but there¡¯s no sign of any enemies in sight. The newest chamber of the Pimpfort is the biggest yet. It¡¯s a large square room that seems almost as big as the entrance hall and the two adjacent chambers combined. There¡¯s only one door beside the one that the girls entered from, and it¡¯s in the center of the south wall. This door is gated by several metal bars, preventing the switch that would open it from being pressed.


    Expensive-looking purple velvet curtains are hung on every corner of the walls except for the doorways and for a large arcane tech sign hung on the opposite side of the room. This sign is framed like it were a gigantic painting and it easily covers two-thirds of the east wall. The corners of the sign are glowing a number of miraculous neon colors that change from second to second, giving the entire room the look and feel of a mystical light show. The only other decorations are four large pots in the corners, each of which contains a full rose bush.


    In the center of the sign are four large, empty rectangles that I¡¯m sure are connected to the room¡¯s other most defining feature- nine square tiles on the center of the floor. Arranged in rows of three by three, these tiles are elevated several inches off the floor and appear to be buttons that would activate if someone walked over one.


    The tiles each have a number printed on them in glowing neon light, the top row being one, two, three, and so on up until nine.


    ¡°Is this some kind of math puzzle? Oh, fuck me in the ass...¡± Sam groans and reaches behind her head, grabbing her twin-tails and near pulling them off of her scalp in frustration.


    ¡®Again? I would have thought you¡¯d be satisfied after your sordid affair with Sir only a few hours ago, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria tilts her head using all the mock innocence she can muster.


    Sam reflexively rubs her butt with a rising flush on her face, ¡°Y-You... little... I¡¯m gonna fucking GET YOU, I-!¡±


    From across the room, Peri finally finishes her job dusting the first of my bookshelves. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Mistress Sam, nyaa? Did Mistress Zuzu say something?¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± Cherry shrugs while filling up the dustpan with her broom. ¡°We can¡¯t read her text if we can¡¯t see the screen...¡±


    ¡°Why, that¡¯s no problem at all, is it, Myaster?¡± Snow glares at me with those piercing eyes of hers, her lips raised in a sadistic smile. ¡°Tell your maids what the little witch said.¡±


    ¡°The little witch said somebody needs to get the Myaster some more coffee,¡± I slam the cup down onto the desk to take the attention away from Snow¡¯s comment.


    The older maid giggles adorably, hiding it behind her soft white paw as her long, pretty lashes flutter. I think some of Snow¡¯s optimism has returned after seeing the work their way through four chambers of the Pimpfort. Her beauty is beginning to shine through once more, as is a hint of her playfulness.


    I¡¯d feel relieved if it didn¡¯t end up making me want her all the more...


    Peri returns with a fresh cup of dungeon fuel still steaming in her paws. While handing it to me, she asks, ¡°She said something naughty, didn¡¯t she...?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Peri,¡± I take a sip and ignore the question, which sends her off with downward, dejected ears and a frown.


    ¡°Nyaa...¡± she mutters before picking up the feather duster and moving on to shelf number two.


    Speaking of numbers...


    ¡°How do you think we should try and solve this, Master?¡± Meri calls out with nervousness, her yellow bow drooping over her bangs.


    ¡°This appears to be a simple four-digit number puzzle. I believe you just have to step on those panels on the floor in the correct sequence, and then the door will open.¡±


    ¡°How the fuck are we supposed to know what the stupid-ass password is?¡±


    ¡®I bet we¡¯re overthinking it, somehow.¡¯


    ¡°Could be, but before touching on that there¡¯s something that needs to be tested. We have to find out whether the panels are trapped or not. Sam-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on it, Boss...¡± Sam sighs as her enthusiasm continues to die. She walks into the nearest corner and returns with the large potted rose bush.


    The Princess delicately hovers it over the number nine tile before letting go and running away as fast as she can, just in case something happens.


    Nothing does. The number doesn¡¯t register at all, the empty rectangles on the sign remaining empty.


    ¡°Shit. Does this mean we gotta step on them ourselves, or what?¡± Sam reaches brutishly kicks the potted plant off the panel, causing it to shatter ten feet away on the golden floor.


    Zutiria pulls off her beret revealing her pet rat, the Little Sir. The rascal, dressed in a scarily accurate version of my own attire as always, scampers down the length of the petite Mage¡¯s arm as she kneels to let him reach the ground. Everyone just sort of stares at her, myself included.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Snow tilts her head. ¡°Ah, yes! I remember the Mistress mentioning her whiskered companion when we met for the adoption, nyaa. My- she really is just full of surprises, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Z-Zutiria? W-Why did you bring the little guy to a dungeon!? What if something happens?!¡± Meri becomes incredibly worried now that she knows a poor, defenseless animal is present.


    ¡®He knew what he was signing up for when entering my service.¡¯ Zutiria remarks, ominously. As if to verify his Mistress¡¯s words, the rat nods his teeny head and squeaks.


    ¡°Zutiria, do you really believe that your furry friend there is heavy enough to trigger those panels?¡± I ask with more than a healthy amount of skepticism.


    ¡®There¡¯s a chance they could be triggered just by a living being standing atop them, not an object. The pot was heavy and didn¡¯t activate any of the numbers, after all.¡¯


    ¡°Um, I-Isn¡¯t a rose bush a living being?¡± Meri raises her hand meekly.


    Sam rolls her eyes and shakes her head. ¡°Not when it¡¯s in a pot, dummy.¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sure that¡¯s how that works, Sam...¡±


    ¡®Regardless, I trained the Little Sir for situations like this. A lab rat exists to perform tests and gather data, isn¡¯t that right, my precious little specimen?¡¯ Zutiria smiles a warm smile, completely at odds with the expressionless look in her eyes. From her bag, the Mage pulls out a small strip of jerky to treat the eager pet.


    Hmm. Am I imagining things, or am I dangerously close to being considered Zutiria¡¯s Eromancy lab rat...?


    ¡°...Well, I suppose it can¡¯t hurt.¡± I shrug my shoulders and down some more coffee.


    ¡®Your namesake has agreed to your daring expedition. Isn¡¯t that nice? Off and on again, little one- come right back. You can¡¯t become my familiar if you¡¯re dead.¡¯ Zutiria sends her companion off as the rest of us watch with a mix of suspense and disbelief at the situation.


    ¡°Wait, how does the Little Sir understand Zutiria¡¯s text...?¡± Meri tilts her head.


    ¡°Meri, seriously. Come on. Stop asking stupid questions, Zuzu is obviously putting her magic word thingies in rat language so he can read them.¡± Her Highness states, fully sure of her own answer.


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    As soon as the dapper rodent dashes onto the number nine panel, Zutiria¡¯s hypothesis is quickly proven correct. Even though the small animal weighs very little, the panel beneath lights up... and begins glowing red.


    An ¡®X¡¯ shortly appears inside the first of the four empty rectangles before disappearing in a number of seconds.


    A deep, powerful rumbling echoes out from the high ceiling above the girls. With little to no warning other than that, lightning streaks down onto the panel, blasting anything unlucky enough to be on top of it into smithereens...

 The Simplest Answer

    Luckily, the Little Sir wasn¡¯t on the panel when it happened. He did exactly as his Mistress commanded, after all. After jumping onto the square, the rodent darted straight back off and onto the nearby floor, avoiding the lightning entirely- what a relief.


    ¡°Oh, goodness... I was so scared!¡± The sound of Meri¡¯s armor clanking anxiously rings out through the room. Her poor knees almost sound like they¡¯re on the verge of giving out from trembling so much.


    ¡®I wasn¡¯t. I had faith in you the entire time, my pretty.¡¯ Zutiria reaches down to tenderly scratch behind the ear of her faithful companion. ¡®We gained valuable data from your daring test of bravery.¡¯


    ¡°Did we really?¡± Sam cocks her head, unsure.


    ¡°Yes, Sam. We learned that nine isn¡¯t the first number of the password, and we learned that the panels activate as long as there¡¯s something living standing atop them. Now, we just need to figure out what the first digit is. Zutiria, do you think the Little Sir is fast enough to run across the entire set of panels while avoiding the lightning?¡±


    ¡®Yes. He is not bound to the limited physical capabilities of your standard Guild rat. In my spare time, I have improved him.¡¯ Her big, round glasses shine with a mysterious light. The look on her face changes to one of absolute certainty.


    ¡°...Right, well. Let¡¯s have at it, then.¡± My imagination goes wild, thinking about all the strange alchemy experiments the petite Mage must have done to her little test subject.


    ¡®Round two of testing, my sweet boy. If any of the panels do anything other than what happened before, exit the grid and await further instruction. Understood?¡¯ Inexplicably, the rat bows before her in a manner similar to my own... ¡®Good. Go on, earn your place at my side.¡¯


    At Zutiria¡¯s command, the Little Sir darts around the grid¡¯s circumference to make his way left of the number one panel.


    He stares down at the task in front of him, whiskers trembling from intense focus. This is not the look of an average rat. No... this is the purposeful expression of a man on a mission. It¡¯s all been leading up to this, he surely thinks to himself. I know with all my heart that Zutiria¡¯s favorite test subject won¡¯t fail her now.


    Little hands and feet scampering against the ground, the magically-enhanced rodent hops onto the number one panel and begins running for his life. The panel lights up- red, an X appearing on the arcane tech side on the furthest wall. A bolt from above, but it¡¯s too late. He¡¯s already on number two. Red again. Lightning, a leap of faith, and he¡¯s at three. He swerves dangerously while reorienting himself to jump at six and makes his closest call yet.


    Meri clutches her heart, tears in her eyes.


    Sam sweats profusely like a run-down gambler betting at the races.


    Even Snow can¡¯t help but be drawn in by the suspense, her paws holding up the sides of her face for support.


    Zutiria?


    Zutiria only watches in silence as her devoted lab rat narrowly avoids the bolt of lightning, the ground beneath him changing to bright green as soon as he stands atop the panel emblazoned with the number six. Behind him, the display lights up triumphantly. Instead of a temporary ¡®X¡¯ appearing, a permanent six does.


    Everyone begins cheering for the rat, who jumps off the grid onto the ground on his right and awaits further instructions- precisely as he was told.


    ¡®Good boy,¡¯ The Mage smiles with such pure adoration that even with her icy blue eyes frozen in place, the depth of her love for this rodent shines through. He is awarded another scrap of jerky that soon gets readily devoured between high-pitched squeaks for his work.


    ¡°That was so scary...¡± Meri lets out a long, mentally-exhausted sigh.


    ¡°Eh, I knew the lil¡¯ guy was up for the job...¡± Sam shrugs and looks off to the side, trying to hide the tremendous look of relief on her face.


    ¡®We¡¯re not done yet,¡¯ Zutiria reminds her Guildmates.


    ¡°Indeed. All we know is the first digit now... but...¡± I sigh and finish off the third cup of coffee. It¡¯s starting to hit me in a bad way... I should refrain from further cups if I can help it, lest I develop a headache or problems much lower.


    Before I can continue my train of thought, the white-haired maid in a tracksuit at my side pulls out a handkerchief and begins wiping the coffee-sweat from my brow for me with a dutiful smile. ¡°Cherry, brew the Myaster some tea. His choice of drink has turned on him, and he needs something lighter, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Sure thing, Snow.


    I look into Snowball¡¯s gentle eyes and lose myself in their calm, knowing serenity. I didn¡¯t even say anything about the coffee, yet instantly she could sense something was wrong? How frightening. The skills of a head maid are not to be underestimated...


    ¡°Boss?¡± Sam asks from over on the screen.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I stammer. ¡°Cat got my tongue.¡±


    Snow giggles, hiding her mouth behind her dainty white paw as ever. ¡°Not in the way that he¡¯s hoping for... before any of you get the wrong idea, nyaa.¡±


    Sam looks visibly annoyed and crosses her arms, disappointed that I didn¡¯t kiss Snow. ¡°So we got the first number. Now it¡¯s just we gotta figure out the other three, yeah?¡±


    ¡®Right, Sammy. The only problem is...¡¯


    ¡°T-That could take a long time, right...?¡± Meri frowns, imagining all the different variations we¡¯d have to try.


    ¡°Precisely,¡± I sigh and slump over my office desk. This is a stupid puzzle, I¡¯ll be the first to admit. There don¡¯t seem to be any hints around the chamber, so could it be possible we missed something in an earlier room?


    My eyes are limited by the zooming and panning effects of the three camera displays. There¡¯s a possibility I could have missed something... a four-digit code hidden on the wall somewhere, or... I don¡¯t know. Some detail that I failed to pick up because of the blindspot in my system, perhaps.


    The point is that most dungeon puzzles at least have some sort of hint or context clue to them. That¡¯s what was said in the many field reports, Guild texts, and reference books on the subject that I¡¯ve read during my studies, anyway. Keeping that in mind, it leads me to believe Zutiria might have been on to something when she guessed the solution might be more straightforward than it seems.


    But what could it be? It may sound boastful, but I¡¯m not very good at dumbing down my intellect to think on simpler terms... If only there was someone who was already at such a level of intelligence who could view this puzzle using a fool¡¯s perspecti-


    ¡°I think I got this, Boss,¡± Sam declares, right on time. Meri and Zutiria turn to view the Princess with a look of shared skepticism on their faces. ¡°No... I¡¯m sure I got the answer! If you stop and think about it, it¡¯s fuckin¡¯ be anything else!¡±


    ¡°...Sam? Are you sure?¡± Snow and I exchange confused glares, the maid shrugging her shoulders in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sure that if you let me, I¡¯ll do it myself. That¡¯s how confident I am!¡± The young warrior raises her fist, fire stirring in her soul. Whatever answer the Princess has arrived at, she¡¯s certain that it¡¯s the right one and nobody can change her mind.


    ¡°Sam, a-are you sure...?¡± Meri bites her lip, the anxiety getting to her as she closes her eyes.


    ¡®I don¡¯t see anyone else claiming to have a better idea. Sammy should get to have a go at the puzzle if she¡¯s really that sure about her answer.¡¯


    ¡°I suppose I can agree with that...¡± I hold my chin up and watch as the Princess begins smirking with confidence.


    The Little Sir returns to Zutiria¡¯s hat for the time being while Sam strips off her great blade, handing it to Meri in case she needs to dodge any oncoming lightning. Taking a deep breath, the young adventurer steps forward onto the number nine panel...


    It turns green. The second digit is nine.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me-¡± I groan out loud, entirely on reflex.


    Sam steps onto six. Her success repeats itself. It does it once more as Sam casually strolls back onto the number nine square on the grid bearing a toothy grin on her face.


    The iron bars blocking the exit on the southern wall retract into the doorframe, and the arcane tech display goes wild. Flashing hundreds of colors and loudly blaring some sort of celebratory music, the numbers ¡®6969¡¯ burn with the intensity of fireworks bursting in the night sky.


    Meri is overwhelmed by the stupidity, a look that I¡¯ve rarely seen coming from her. Typically her response is to anxiously tear up or hide, but now? She just looks disappointed.


    Zutiria, however, looks offended that she risked the life of her dearest pet over something so childish. I can¡¯t remember ever seeing that cold, doll-like face of hers crack to this extent before, twisting in disgust.


    Sam is standing there still atop the green-glowing panel, hands on her hips looking full of herself and awaiting praise.


    ¡°Look at that, girls. The door¡¯s opened. Let¡¯s get you all on your way, shall we?¡± I say, moving along as if this all never happene-


    ¡°WAIT A FUCKIN¡¯ MINUTE, BOSS! I DID IT! I SOLVED THE PUZZLE!¡± Sam angrily whines, clenching her fists.


    ¡°What puzzle?¡± I ask her with a dead look on my face.


    ¡°T-The one I just solved!!¡± She cries, ¡°I did the thing! I¡¯m smart, damn it!!¡± Sam takes back her sword from the Shield Maiden and looks to Meri for support or praise.


    ¡°It sure was nice of the Goddess to include a room where we could stand around and do nothing for a few minutes to catch our breath,¡± Meri smiles as she walks towards the exit, rewriting her version of her events while ignoring Sam altogether.


    ¡°THE FUCK?!¡±


    ¡®Indeed, I¡¯m glad there was a chance for the Little Sir to stretch his little feeties. The poor thing was getting restless, and an empty room devoid of puzzles was just what he needed. Ah, well. Time to move on.¡¯ Zutiria gives a wistful sigh and turns to walk alongside Meri, her white cape fluttering off and trailing behind her.


    ¡°Boss, come the fuck on! I did good! Didn¡¯t I?!¡± Sam continues whining, her eye twitching from stress. The Princess¡¯s face starts to turn red, her need for attention growing ever stronger.


    ¡°...Yes, Sam.¡± I sigh. ¡°You did very nicely solving the puzzle that didn¡¯t just happen. Now join the others and move along.¡±


    Her Highness makes a frustrated grumble, and her cheeks puff out, showing her high level of dissatisfaction. I¡¯m sorry, Sam. But the sooner we move out of this infuriating room, the better.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting,¡± Snow says, blinking idly with a distant expression on her elegant face.


    ¡°The less we say about what just happened, the better,¡± I shake my head while telling her.


    ¡°Can we start watching again, nyaa?¡± Cherry whines in a bratty tone, setting a delightful-smelling cup of earl grey tea down on the desk in front of me.


    ¡°That depends. Is this office clean yet, nyaa?¡± Snow raises her nose at the pink-haired Catfolk girl, who slumps off, grumbling in response.


    The trio of adventurer girls departs down another glamorous and golden hallway. This time, it stretches south and then splits into a westward path. Again, I notice how unlike reality this warped dungeon is. Most of the path thus far has been room, corridor, room, corridor. Almost brings to mind the dungeon design in those dwarven tabletop games Luxy is into...


    Though perhaps the Pimpfort is being kept simple since it¡¯s their first romp through a dungeon? The Goddess did say that there was a difficulty option when creating this place. It might¡¯ve simplified the architecture into a gamelike fashion... the Pimpfort isn¡¯t much of a fort, is what I¡¯m saying.


    We¡¯re fortunate for that fact. I don¡¯t know if the girls could have stormed an entire keep on their own...


    At the end of the current ¡®L¡¯ shaped corridor lies a big set of pink doors with the female symbol painted atop them. Unlike the rest of the doors we¡¯ve seen until now, these ones are large and intimidating. Almost the sort of gateway you¡¯d see in an actual fortress, come to think of it. The manner in which they stand barricade the party¡¯s progress is downright imposing.


    ¡®I¡¯m getting a bad vibe here, Sir.¡¯ Zutiria is the first one to put my fears into words.


    ¡°Indeed. Didn¡¯t Pimpington tell his henchwomen to guard the halfway point? I think this just might be the place...¡±


    ¡°I sure fuckin¡¯ hope so...¡± The Princess shrugs. ¡°It¡¯d be great if we could finish this place up before sunrise...¡±


    Meri¡¯s brows curve upward, making an anxious look. ¡°I somehow doubt it... it¡¯s been hours, and we¡¯re only at the halfway point...¡± The Shield Maiden yawns cutely at the end of her words.


    ¡®Amateurs,¡¯ Says the resident insomniac, a dull yet smug grin on her face.


    I put on my best commanding tone, asking, ¡°Does anyone need a short breather, or are we clear to proceed?¡±


    There¡¯s not a word of protest from any member of the party. Snow and I watch diligently as Sam readily swings open the enormous pink doors, the three of them setting foot into... into... the most beautiful, perfect wonderland that I have ever laid eyes on...

 Lemira and Rhaelyn

    I¡¯ve never seen anything as astonishing as this chamber before, and I well and truly mean that.


    Sam, Zutiria, and Meri enter the dungeon¡¯s suspected halfway point and are greeted by the sight of a golden warehouse filled to the brim with tall, lengthy wooden shelves. There are six shelves in total, split into two rows. Down the middle of the room, running east to west, is a wide aisle. The shelf rows are divided to the north and south of this aisle, with three on each side. This creates seven total aisles if one includes the walls, which are giant shelves as well.


    Packed on each shelf- including the wall¡¯s entire circumference- is a treasure trove of eroticism. As far as the eye can see is populated densely by every manner of sex toy imaginable, and more.


    Expertly crafted dwarven dildoes, rugged cock rings, bejeweled anal plugs...


    Cutting edge arcane tech vibrators...


    Enough Succu-bye to keep all of Karnalle childless for years...


    Imported Ikkuni onaholes and male masturbation sleeves...


    Countless instruments of bondage and rougher pleasures...


    Potent aphrodisiacs from nearly all the known realms...


    Sexy lingerie and erotic costumes galore...


    Entire barrels full of expensive lubes, including some brands I¡¯ve never even heard of...


    This chamber must be the supply room for all of Sir Pimpington¡¯s various brothels, only it¡¯s been dungeon-ified.


    I want it... I want this room and everything in it. If the girls need more Returners, I¡¯ll run to the fucking Pimpfort myself and deliver them. I swear to-


    ¡°Honestly, Myaster...¡± Snow makes a disappointed scowl as she dabs her silky handkerchief to my chin. I snap out of whatever fervor I was just in and notice that without my knowledge, I began drooling an embarrassing amount. ¡°You could at least try to hold in your nefarious perversions, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Thank you.¡± I blush, shoo her away and continue to inspect the new environment the girls find themselves in. It figures, but I overlooked the most crucial part.


    Left Hoe and Right Hoe stand at the end of the central aisle. They block the way forward like true mid-bosses, their stance making it evident we won¡¯t proceed until they¡¯ve been taken down. Although the two henchwomen still wear no armor, I can see their energy covering their bodies like a second skin and recognize it as the defensive Art Steel Soul at work.


    They won¡¯t be taking damage very easily, although it¡¯s to my understanding that you should still wear armor on top of Steel Soul... just because the Art makes bikini armor viable doesn¡¯t magically make doing so a good idea.


    Both women have taken their slave collars off. They¡¯re instead wrapped around each woman¡¯s wrists like bracelets, and they hold the chains in their hands as whips like usual. Noticeably, something¡¯s changed since we saw them in the entrance hall. The chains on their collars are no longer made of gold and are now completely iron.


    I suppose that means they and their employer must have learned a very valuable lesson about visible weaknesses... though considering they¡¯re still dressed like exotic dancers, perhaps not.


    ¡°You¡¯ve made it this far, adventurers,¡± Left Hoe says as she fires off a threatening crack of her whip, powerful muscles rippling from her black-skinned bicep on full display.


    ¡°But now your journey is at its end. You won¡¯t be making it past us.¡± Right Hoe poses, holding her hand behind her pointy elf ear as her dreadlocks sway from side to side.


    Despite the severe tension hanging in the air, Sam holds back a laugh. Of course, since it¡¯s Sam, it doesn¡¯t stay held back for long. Soon enough, she starts reeling.


    Zutiria and Meri become ashamed of their Guildmate, each girl blushing deeper red the more Sam laughs.


    ¡°...Is there something you want to say to us, girl?¡± The woman with the afro squints her eyes.


    ¡°Yeah, dude. I¡¯ve been reading this one novel lately, and you just said like... the EXACT same shit word for word that the mid-bosses in it did right before the main characters kicked their asses.¡± Her Majesty gives both of Pimpington¡¯s whores an arrogant, toothy smile as she draws her tremendous blade out from over her shoulder.


    Snow, seemingly satisfied by this, clasps her paws together. ¡°Not a terrible taunt, nyaa. Now make sure to make them suffer, Mistresses.¡± She says, sadism tinging her smooth, velvet voice.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ve got SOME nerve, bitch-¡± Right Hoe grows closer to snapping, her pointy ears beginning to turn red with anger.


    ¡°W-Wait...!¡± Meri takes all the attention on herself and stands forward. ¡°Can... c-can I ask you a question?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, c-c-c-can you?¡± The Elf mockingly sneers at my lover, but the human at her side nudges her lightly on the elbow.


    ¡°Stop being such a bitch, Rhealyn,¡± The afroed woman narrows her eyes at her partner before turning to Meri. ¡°Sup?¡± Her voice is a bit casual, but she¡¯s not taking the situation lightly. Left Hoe is still poised to attack as soon as she needs to.


    Meri is a bit taken aback, as am I. These two apparently have much more personality than I gave them credit for... though it helps that they aren¡¯t just mindlessly repeating ¡®Yes, Sir Pimpington¡¯ over and over.


    Meri closes her eyes shyly, but when she reopens them, they¡¯re filled with conviction. ¡°Um... Does the name... Sir Chasteworthe mean anything to you?¡±


    Both the dark-skinned woman and the Elf, Rhaelyn, open their eyes wide at the mere mention of their employer¡¯s former name.


    ¡°Lemira-¡± The Elf says as she sneaks a worried glance at her partner.


    ¡°Where the fuck did you hear that name?¡± Left Hoe, now known formally as Lemira, steps forward down the aisle. She brandishes her whip with an angry yet conflicted expression twisting her face.


    I use my unique advantage to give the party some advice knowing full well the enemy won¡¯t hear it. ¡°Don¡¯t push them too far, girls. They¡¯re strong, and the intel isn¡¯t that important. You can¡¯t let them dictate the pace of this battle before it even gets started.¡±


    Meri silently bites her lip, nodding once as she stares down the approaching foe. ¡°What happened to that man that made him so... evil?¡±


    ¡®Meri, be careful...¡¯ Zutiria begins approaching the center of the aisle, and Sam follows alongside her.


    ¡°Evil? You bitches think he¡¯s evil?¡± Lemira raises a dark eyebrow.


    ¡°What else do you call an asshole who drugs hundreds of girls so he can put them to work in his sex shops, huh?¡± Sam starts getting angrier, and I fear my advice might be all for naught.


    Rhaelyn sways her graceful Elven hips side to side as she sashays down the aisle to stand beside Lemira. ¡°Look, we¡¯re just as pissed about that as you are, you know. We tried fucking EVERYTHING to get him to stop, but-¡±


    ¡°Rhaelyn, they¡¯re the enemy!¡± Lemira snaps.


    ¡°What? It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t want them to kick his ass, too...¡±


    Upon hearing, Lemira becomes silent and hangs her head. Meanwhile, all of us are just left in total confusion.


    ¡°Uh... you chicks WANT us to kick your boss¡¯s ass? Do you hate him or some shit?¡± Sam scratches the side of her head, ruffling her already tousled blonde locks even worse than they already are.


    ¡°No, of course not!¡± Rhaelyn and Lemira respond in that creepy total unison thing they do, but the loyalty in their voice is unquestionable. They¡¯re mad that Sam would even suggest they would betray their man like that.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t ever just up and abducted girls to force them into ¡®the life¡¯ before. This shit is just... not him.¡± Lemira


    Nodding her head in agreement, Rhaelyn frowns. ¡°Ain¡¯t him at all. Not one bit.¡±


    I¡¯m having a tough time following this... why are these two so loyal to him? The way he treated them back at the main entrance was nothing short of disrespectful. Not to mention if Pimpington really was such an ¡®honorable pimp¡¯ until now, why has that suddenly changed...?


    As much as I told the girls not to get wrapped up in the Pimp¡¯s web of intrigue, I now find myself admittedly curious as to what¡¯s actually going on here.


    ¡®It seems to me that we may actually be able to come to an understanding. You love that... bizarre caricature of a man, yes?¡¯ Zutiria awkwardly tries to be the mediator, but given how she¡¯s completely inept at her people skills, her attempt falls flat.


    The two loyal Henchwomen stare awkwardly back in response.


    ¡°W-what my friend is trying to say is if you really want us to put a stop to Sir... P-Pim...pington¡¯s... plan...¡± Meri struggles to actually say his stupid-ass name out loud but pushes on, ¡°Then m-maybe you could just... uh... scooch out of the way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Lemme get right on that.¡± Lemira snarks back, standing completely still and not intending to move at all.


    ¡°Just ¡®cause we¡¯re pissed over what he¡¯s done doesn¡¯t mean we ain¡¯t gonna protect him, you thick-assed skank,¡± The Elf adds in a bitchy tone while eying up Meri¡¯s body up and down.


    ¡°I-IT¡¯S JUST MY ARMOR!¡± The Shield Maiden hides behind her shield, comical, shy tears welling up in her eyes.


    I sigh and look over to Snow, who seems to share my opinion. The older maid nods her head, and I give the order. ¡°Girls, this isn¡¯t going anywhere. Sam. Start the fight, but try to make it seem like you¡¯re still trying to talk so you can take them by surprise.¡±


    The Princess sighs and slumps her shoulders, lowering her guard for all to see. ¡°So what, you¡¯re saying is he¡¯s a super sweet guy at heart and that the only reason he kidnapped a bunch of Beastgirls is that we caught him on a bad day?¡±


    ¡°No! He¡¯s just-¡± Rhaelyn begins to talk but is taken entirely by surprise thanks to just how fast Sam is able to switch back into an aggressive stance and start dashing towards her.


    The dreadlocked Elf has precious little time to stop the fearsome downward swing Sam readies over her head. Rhaelyn holds her chain above her head to catch the sword, which seems improbable at first until the chain begins to glow. Thanks to her skillful use of some sort of defensive Art, the iron chains don¡¯t snap under the might of Sam¡¯s attack.


    ¡°You bitch! I thought we were still doing the pre-battle taunting shit!¡± Lemira rears her wrist back. The woman whips her chains and aims right at Sam¡¯s face in retaliation.


    Unfortunately for Lemira, whenever there¡¯s an attack to be blocked, Meri is there. The timid adventurer runs and tanks the hit, the metal of the chain loudly clanging against the metal of her shield. Sparks fly outward from the impact, bringing out the color of Meri¡¯s crimson eyes as she clenches them determinately.


    There¡¯s no such thing as an underhanded tactic. Left Hoe and Right Hoe should¡¯ve paid more attention when I had Zutiria blast the pimp with her lightning spell-  I don¡¯t fuck around, and neither do my girls.

 Wild Whiplashers

    The battle has started, and my pieces are in play on the board. My first move is to test something important, so I call out to the petite Mage. ¡°Hit them with something light, Zutiria. I want to see what their anti-magic capabilities are like. Whoever these two are, they aren¡¯t rookies.¡±


    ¡®Understood, I¡¯ll do my best.¡¯ Her text replies on the screen, and I watch as she briefly nods her head in confirmation.


    ¡°Negatiball,¡± Zutiria emotionlessly chants from back near the entrance of the central aisle. The Mage¡¯s spell summons power from the staff she wields as it bends reality to her will. A small orb of shadows and void spirals into existence as if it had always been present. It launches itself across the aisle, flying swiftly towards Lemira.


    The woman¡¯s reaction reinforces my belief that the pair of trashy-looking Henchwomen have a good deal of experience when it comes to battle. No panic shows itself on the woman¡¯s face as she faces down the oncoming magical attack. Lemira¡¯s chain whip simmers as she attacks the small magical projectile with a single well-timed strike.


    The Negatiball whimpers and fades into nothingness just as quickly as it came.


    Nothing was lost when casting this attack since Zutiria only used a small sliver of the small sliver that makes up her mana meter. I¡¯ve seen the little Mage use this very same spell before, and it¡¯s never taken that much out of her. Something was indeed gained by this venture, though.


    It just confirmed my suspicions.


    ¡°Peri, get me the third book off of shelf two. The purple one with the gold-lettered spine.¡± I give a command to the blue-haired kitty maid, who suddenly scrambles about the place due to my unexpected request.


    ¡°UH, ok! One second...¡± She traces the shelves with her extended claw and picks out the correct book. ¡°This one, nyaa?¡± The blue-haired Catfolk races to the front of my desk with the book, and she slides it under the floating Taskmaster screens for me.


    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± I take the book from her and open it right up. At first, Peri makes a worried expression and tries to hang around, but she¡¯s eventually scared back to work by Snow giving her a glare.


    ¡°Get that Mage!¡± Lemira cries as I begin flipping through the pages as fast as I can- after checking the appendix for what I¡¯m looking for, of course.


    The Elf grunts, dancing with style and grace around the warehouse floor to avoid a series of three consecutive sword strikes from Sam. ¡°Kinda fuckin busy, Lem! Why don¡¯t YOU do it, you lazy slut?¡± She says, leaping over a horizontal slice with all the grace of a practiced combatant.


    I¡¯ve reached the page I¡¯m after, and it all becomes clear to me. This would also explain why the two women are so loyal to the man, too...


    ¡°These women are former adventurers, too. Silver rank if I absolutely had to guess.¡± I confirm to the girls while reading the description from the book to myself, summing it up, ¡°They¡¯re Whiplashers. Not a very common class due to how finicky the whip can be as a weapon, but quite strong under the right circumstances. The Art she just used to negate your spell was called Cracking Cancel, but it only works on smaller spells. There¡¯s a chance they have access to a stronger anti-magic art known as Roundtrip, but they won¡¯t have the room to use it if you head into one of the narrow aisles.¡±


    All in all, I realize the Pimpfort must have chosen this specific area to be their mini-boss room on purpose. Whips are an excellent weapon to use in tight, narrow corridors such as this warehouse full of packed shelves.


    While we can¡¯t deal with the tactical advantage the terrain has blessed our opponents with, we can at least separate the two of them and prevent them from using our own greatest strength- teamwork.


    ¡®What¡¯s the plan, Sir?¡¯ Zutiria asks me since she¡¯s the only one who can respond without vocally giving our strategy away. Taskmaster doesn¡¯t give me telepathy, after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make this brief. Sam. Get Rhaelyn in the northmost aisle, alone.


    Meri. Distract Lemira while this happens.


    Zutiria. Run with Meri to the southmost aisle and seal it off somehow. Don¡¯t worry about the mana cost. Splitting these two is well worth the expen-¡±


    Before I can finish my words, Rhaelyn prepares another potentially devastating strike of her whip and aims it at Sam¡¯s face.


    The Princess, as ever, has fire in her eyes. Yet, at this moment in time, it seems like her emerald gaze burns hotter and even brighter than ever before. Sam responds to the oncoming attack by strafing left and preparing a large, diagonal cross slash without saying a word.


    But then I blink and realize Sam never moved at all.


    Rhaelyn doesn¡¯t pick up on the feint until it¡¯s too late. The curvy Elf redirects her whip attack to where she perceives Sam to have just moved to. The series of chains fly out to hit nothing but air, much to the Elf¡¯s surprise. Sam only has a slim chance to pull it off before the whip is yanked back, but she smirks and grabs it firmly with her left hand.


    ¡°What the fuck?! This bitch can use Feint?!¡± Her eyes jolt fully open as the Princess begins pulling on the whip with all of her rugged, unfiltered strength. When it comes to an all-out battle tug of war, there¡¯s no way her Highness would ever lose to a scrawny Elven whore.


    Still... Feint? I don¡¯t even think Nikita taught her that one. She¡¯s seen the Grekkan use it a few times in training, sure, but... did Sam really figure out how to do it just from that without so much as an explanation?


    I check on the Princess¡¯s Arts list just to be sure.


    -------------------------------------


    -ARTS-


    GENERAL


    Steel Soul


    Blunt Edge


    Feint (NEW!)


    CLASS


    Biding Blade


    -------------------------------------


    ...Astonishing. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the most challenging Art to learn, but it can¡¯t be widespread, either. Rhaelyn didn¡¯t see it coming.


    ¡°Gotcha, bitch! Not sure how the fuck I pulled that off, but you¡¯re coming with me!¡± Rhaelyn¡¯s knees give out near-instantly from the young girl¡¯s immense power, and Sam uses this chance to start dashing off to the furthest northern aisle precisely as I predicted.


    Also according to my predictions, Lemira isn¡¯t just going to let this happen sitting down. ¡°Damn it, Rhae! They¡¯re trying to split us up!¡± The dark-skinned woman scowls as she leaps several feet into the air away from Meri. She raises her whip up to further assault, pouring her stamina into it to build up another Art.


    I think I know what specific Art this ends up being, but it¡¯s irrelevant. Meri just knows she has to block it, no matter what. I¡¯d tell her if it was something she actually needs to worry about.


    Lemira¡¯s glowing whip hums, spinning in a circular motion as she unleashes a crescent-moon-shaped wind slice aimed right at where Sam is about to be. As I thought, it¡¯s an Art known as Whirlwhip. The Princess grits her teeth and pays it no mind, trusting Meri to cover her escape.


    The wind flusters outward, many sex toys flying in all directions from the numerous warehouse shelves as the attack rips across the central aisle. Meri cuts it off by using a well-timed Shield Bash. The Art just narrowly gets the Shield Maiden where she needs to be, and her barricade swallows the wind slice without taking a scratch.


    ¡°L-Like I¡¯m just gonna sit here and let you hurt my friend, you... you... Lady of the Night!¡± Meri makes a threatening glare at her opponent, which would be even more threatening if she could summon the courage to use harsher language.


    ¡°You bitch...!¡± Lemira says as she lands safely on the ground back near the closed-off exit to the room.


    This small opportunity was all Sam needed to haul ass up to the top aisle, dragging Rhaelyn kicking and screaming along for the ride. ¡°FUCK, LEM, LEEMMM!!¡± The slutty Elf cries out in desperate need of help as the distance from her partner becomes greater and greater.


    ¡°I CAN¡¯T HELP YOU, I-¡±


    ¡°Y-YOU¡¯RE THE B-B-BITCH, B-BITCH!!¡± Meri runs towards Lemire¡¯s side in the brief moment she was distracted by Rhaelyn¡¯s cry for help. She powers yet another Shield Bash up, and by the force of her burst tackle, the Shield Maiden and her opponent end up in the bottom lane right as Sam finishes dragging Rhaelyn to the top.


    Zutiria watched as all this took place. Before Meri had even run into Lemira¡¯s blindspot, the petite Mage already was waiting for her. Once Meri and Left Hoe arrive, Zutiria raises her staff. The air around her turns frigid, her breath forming steam as the intention of her spell gathers. ¡°W... Wallarctica,¡± she whispers, closing her eyes from pain as over half of her mana leaves her at once.


    Not a problem for a typical Mage, but for one suffering from Mana Circuit Atrophy... it¡¯s an unpleasant side effect.


    The gaps between aisles that Lemire could have used to escape and reinforce Rhaelyn are now completely closed off by massive, frigid walls of barrier ice. A good choice by Zutiria, even if the mana loss is worrisome...


    Despite the Shield Maiden¡¯s armor and shield¡¯s immense weight, Lemire kicks Meri off her once they both stumble to the ground. ¡°Shit! You¡¯re getting advice from your Guild Master, aren¡¯t you...?! No fucking way did you all just improv that shit!¡±


    ¡®Meri... get up... my spell made my body weaker...¡¯ Zutiria sends a message to Meri, prompting the Shield Maiden to stand up as fast as she can.


    Meri doesn¡¯t respond directly. She knows it¡¯d signal to the enemy that Zutiria is drastically weaker right now. Instead, her actions speak to do all the talking for her. Meri¡¯s gratitude crystal lights up, signaling the transformation of her tower shield into her buckler.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter if we¡¯re making this up as we go along o-or not! Either way... we¡¯re gonna win!¡± Meri yells, running towards Lemire with her sword drawn and poised to strike.


    On the other side of the room, Rhaelyn finally manages to escape from Sam¡¯s tug of war and regain control of her whip by jumping towards the Princess and kicking Sam in the face with her boot. A chunk of Sam¡¯s health meter lowers, causing her to scream and shout expletives, but it¡¯s nothing worth panicking over.


    ¡°You really think you can take me on your own, brat?¡± The Elf calls out to my Princess after putting some distance between them.


    ¡°Depends, bitch. Think YOU can take ME without your Sister in Sluthood?¡± Sam taunts, causing Rhaelyn¡¯s temper to flare once again. She raises her whip to attack, and Sam readies herself for whatever comes next.


    Thus, two separate battles begin at the same time.


    Unless the two Henchwomen have access to some general Art that I can¡¯t predict, or they possess some artifact that could get them out of this situation, I just can¡¯t see them being able to break the arctic barricade. Reading through the several pages of Whiplasher Arts didn¡¯t showcase anything that was focused on huge, explosive bursts of power.


    It¡¯s a class that strikes precisely, exploits weaknesses, and disrupts attacks.


    While overconfidence can lead to many mistakes, I¡¯m feeling good about our chances... except I have to split my attention between two groups now. I¡¯ve never had to do this before during any of our other tests with Taskmaster.


    I won¡¯t fail them. I can¡¯t.


    My fists clench tightly shut, and my brows furrow as I begin mentally planning out strategies and formulating variations, and-


    ¡°Myaster...¡± Snow calls out to me, and out of nowhere, I feel her warm, soft, fluffy paws wrap around my left fist. The Catfolk woman raises my hand, clutching me tight to her chest as she says, ¡°Have faith in them, nyaa. You made the right call. Splitting up is risky, but it¡¯s not as risky as the girls fighting both of these women together.¡±


    I glance at Snow upon taking her words in and inhale sharply through my nose before letting it all out. ¡°...You¡¯re right. I¡¯m just-¡±


    She doesn¡¯t let me explain myself. ¡°I know how hard it is to send off  people you care so much about, you know. We¡¯re in this together, Myaster. You¡¯re not alone.¡± Snowball gives me a comforting smile while refusing to remove her paws from my hand. She wants me to feel more relaxed, even if it ends up giving me the wrong idea and false hope.


    Gods, I don¡¯t want a quest reward. I want you, Snow.


    On the other side of the office, the maids share a brief exchange while they work.


    ¡°Cherry?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Peri?¡±


    ¡°Is it wrong that I¡¯m mad that Snow just gets to barge into our home and flirt non-stop with the Myaster, nyaa? She¡¯s taking advantage of this crisis as an excuse to steal our mate...¡±


    ¡°...D-Don¡¯t be silly! Now, keep working, or else she¡¯ll get on our asses, nyaa!¡± Cherry begins to sweep harder than ever before as soon as she notices Snow¡¯s ears twitching from across the room.

 A Cyclone of Dildoes

    To start the two distinct battles, I issue an order to Sam. She¡¯s much more liable to act out on her own if I don¡¯t put my foot down as soon as possible. ¡°I don¡¯t want you fighting too aggressively, Princess. You¡¯re at a disadvantage on your own, and you should try to focus on drawing this out until Meri and Zutiria finish with their opponent.¡±


    Watching her expression to gauge her response, Sam grits her teeth and nods almost imperceptibly. One thing is clear, though. She¡¯s not happy about it. I can tell she wants to just throw caution to the wind and do this battle her own way.


    Sam stands there with sword drawn, staring down her enemy and looking for an opportunity to advance. The enemy Elf takes this chance to throw some distracting insults Sam¡¯s way. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, bitch? Gotta stand still while your man tells you what to do?¡±


    The Lundreame Princess almost loses it, tightening her hold on the hilt of her sword. ¡°I can beat your fucking ass if I wanted to! Maybe I¡¯ll fucking-¡±


    ¡°SAM,¡± I yell, snapping her attention back to me and away from the distraction. ¡°This isn¡¯t about whether or not you can defeat her on your own. We both know you¡¯re more than capable of it,¡±


    The fiery Princess¡¯s cheeks begin blushing at my comment, yet I go on. ¡°This is about efficiency and not overexerting yourself halfway through the dungeon. You have two choices. Are you going to trust my advice, or are you going to let someone literally named ¡®Right Hoe¡¯ get the best of you?¡±


    Sam closes her eyes for little more than a moment and inhales sharply. When she opens them, a cocky smile spreads across her face. I have my answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to focus on the others, now. I¡¯ll still be watching you and will resume contact if I need to. I trust you to not give me a reason to need to.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± She says under her breath, continuing to stare down her Elven opponent.


    I switch my attention back to the situation with Meri and Zutiria to see that the Shield Maiden has clung very close to Lemira in the short time I was focusing on Sam. She¡¯s using her buckler form to harass the villainess, swinging her sword and never giving Lemira enough room to fully swing her whip or a chance to change targets towards the defenseless Mage.


    ¡°Back off, bitch!¡± The dark-skinned Whiplasher shouts, continually trying to put in enough distance between her and the Shield Maiden to use her whip to its full potential.


    ¡°Never!¡± Meri¡¯s doing exactly what I wanted her to do without me even having to ask. She¡¯s undoubtedly skilled when it comes to staying in her lane. The only problem with this is that her specific lane can be an enormous drain on her stamina. Meri isn¡¯t even using any Arts besides Blunt Edge, but her meter keeps dropping bit by bit just from maintaining this assertive pace.


    Zutiria needs to get back in action as soon as she can, or this tactic isn¡¯t going to remain viable for much longer. Meri can¡¯t afford to be super aggressive while wearing such heavy armor, and there won¡¯t be any time to take a stamina potion.


    I call out to the Mage to see what her status is, saying, ¡°Zutiria, how are you feeling? Not to put too much pressure on you, but Meri needs you right now.¡±


    ¡®I know. I need another minute or so...¡¯ The petite girl sits huddled in the back corner away from the battle, resting and trying to regain her strength. ¡®Unless you want me to use the Wishing Star on something?¡¯


    ¡°No. Best to save that for Pimpington.¡±


    ¡®I figured...¡¯


    Lemira is growing impatient, but there¡¯s a glimmer in her eye that makes me think she knows the situation better than she¡¯s letting on. ¡°Can¡¯t keep this up forever,¡± She taunts. ¡°You¡¯re already sweating like crazy, little girl.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not a little girl- I-I¡¯m an adventurer!¡± Meri fires back with stubbornness, stabbing forward with her piercing blade but narrowly missing.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her get to you, Meri. I just had this talk with Sam...¡±


    Lemira is amused by Meri¡¯s answer. A sinister look begins to form in her eyes as the woman starts pooling her energy into the chains dangling from her wrist. ¡°And how¡¯s the adventuring life treating you, hmm?¡±


    ¡°B-Better than it ever treated YOU!¡± Meri stamps her foot down, ready to intercept whatever Art the villainous woman is about to unleash next.


    ¡°Give it time. You¡¯re still young. Assuming you make it out of here alive, there¡¯s plenty of time for the Association to fuck you over. And believe me- they will. You¡¯ll bend, and you¡¯ll break, until finally... you¡¯ll fall.¡±


    ¡°I... don¡¯t... fall,¡± Meri¡¯s eyes narrow, her stance grows wider as if she were trying to plant her feet into the ground. ¡°I. Stand. FIRM!¡± The Shield Maiden loudly declares, challenging the Whiplasher to try and prove her wrong.


    Lemira takes Meri up on that challenge almost immediately, letting loose a seemingly ordinary lash of her whip that turns out to be anything but. I was quite suspicious of how straightforward the attack seemed to be, but I couldn¡¯t put my finger on any specific Art it could be before it¡¯s too late.


    The chains change direction midway before the attack can land on the center of Meri¡¯s steel chest plate. Instead, it begins slithering through the air like it was a living snake. Lemira¡¯s weapon coils itself tight around the Shield Maiden¡¯s left leg, perfectly capturing it in her grasp.


    My reference book informs me that this Art is called Slippery Serpent, and it¡¯s used primarily for deceptive movements such as the one we just witnessed. This attack doesn¡¯t seem like such a threat considering Meri¡¯s class and her abilities, but just to be safe...


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic- do what you do best!¡± Giving Meri the only advice I believe she needs to hear, I watch the battle unfold with bated breath.


    ¡°Are you sure she¡¯ll be alright, Myaster...?¡± Snow asks me, a worried lilt carrying her voice.


    ¡°Yes. This sort of standoff is what Meri was made for. Just watch.¡±


    Lemira made a tactical oversight. As hard as she brings herself to pull, the Henchwoman can¡¯t make the armored girl budge even an inch. She tries her hardest, too, veins nearly popping out of her strained biceps as she doubles her efforts. ¡°Gods, how much do you weigh, fatass?!¡± Lemira shouts in an attempt to throw the Shield Maiden off-balance one way or another.


    ¡°Enough to stand firm!¡± Meri spits back, undeterred.


    Annoyance grows on the dark-skinned woman¡¯s face, and her eyes narrow. ¡°Guess I got no other choice, then...¡± Lemira¡¯s power rises within her body, increasing her arms¡¯ strength by swelling the muscles inside. ¡°TRY AND STAND FIRM... N-NOW!!¡±


    She looks strained by the use of this general Art, and I¡¯m not surprised. It doesn¡¯t fit her class at all. It¡¯s suitable for the occasional powered-up whip strike, I¡¯m sure, but not for an extended effort like this...


    Yet, it pays off for her as Meri starts to slide in place. Rather than showing any panic, the Shield Maiden remains calm and uses her enemy¡¯s tactic to her own advantage. Meri plays up her resistance, but as soon as she sees an opportunity, the timid brunette runs forward into the pull¡¯s direction. Her yellow bow and short, curly locks flop behind her from the wind as she dashes with everything she¡¯s got.


    ¡°Stupid bitch!¡± Lemira smirks, having wanted this outcome all along. Somehow, she pulls out a knife from behind her out of her bikini. The mini-boss prepares to cut Meri¡¯s throat, the speed seemingly putting her on a direct collision course with Lemira¡¯s knife.


    Meri has other plans, switching out her buckler for her tower shield at the last second. Had she delayed even a second later, it would¡¯ve all been over. But true to her word, she doesn¡¯t fall.


    The Shield Maiden tackles Lemira into the shelf lining the wall, an avalanche of sexual products falling off and buffeting the two of them. Now straddling the Henchwoman, Meri curls her left hand into a fist and punches the defenseless Whiplasher square in the face with all of her might. ¡°YOU THINK IT¡¯S FUNNY TO MAKE FUN OF SOMEONE ELSE¡¯S WEIGHT, HUH?! N-NOW WHO¡¯S LAUGHING, B... BITCH!!¡±


    ¡°AGH!! YOU FUCKING-¡± Lemira¡¯s taunt is stopped short by Meri punching her in the nose. ¡°NNGHAAHH!!¡± Steel Soul lowers the blow¡¯s power, but Meri doesn¡¯t let up. She pummels Lemira a total of five times, blood finally starting to drip steadily from her nostrils by the end of it.


    Unfortunately, Lemira¡¯s strength comes back to her thanks to the adrenaline. Using an emergency application of Slippery Serpent, the Whiplasher grapples her chains onto the warehouse rafters above. By retracting the whip like a winch, she pulls herself out from under Meri.


    ¡°Fuck, you almost had me...!¡± Lemira groans as she dangles from the ceiling, swaying to and fro. ¡°Not bad, not bad... I¡¯ll admit, you¡¯re a decent fighter, but-¡±


    Despite how good of a girl Meri is by nature, she¡¯s still picked up the number one lesson I¡¯ve been trying to teach the three of them. Don¡¯t let your enemy start monologuing. If they start trying to taunt, strike. ¡°ZU! GET HER!¡± The weary adventurer shouts to her magical partner on the other end of the bottom aisle.


    ¡®Just in time... I should be steady enough to finish this, Sir...¡¯ Zutiria hops up from her spot on the ground and flutters out the wrinkles from her dress. She¡¯s looking much better than she did a minute ago, that¡¯s for sure.


    ¡°Do what you need to do,¡± I give Zutiria the confirmation to attack however she wants. Together with a very excited Snowball by my side, we watch the Black Mage unleash all hells upon Left Hoe. Lemira¡¯s so exposed that it¡¯s almost a wonder she didn¡¯t consider this possibility...


    Without missing a beat, the Mage aims her staff at the vulnerable enemy above. As mana surges through the Mage¡¯s body and into her staff, Zutiria opens her mouth and quietly chants, ¡°Cyclotex.¡±


    The wind bends to Zutiria¡¯s will as she enforces her spell unto reality. A large, mystically-charged green tornado forms around Lemira¡¯s body, spiraling around her with violent ferocity. Around and around it goes, putting the Whiplasher through the wringer. She quickly gets wrapped up in her own chains while screaming for her life, but Zutiria isn¡¯t done yet.


    As sweat begins to form and her arm begins to shake, the Mage continues with her spellcasting. It¡¯s a minor spell, but what she does with it ends up costing more than it usually would. ¡°Carriem,¡± Zutiria says as she forces hundreds of dildoes to glide off of the warehouse shelves and launch themselves like arrows, bombarding the Henchwoman with the force of an endless army of archers.


    Lemira cries out in pain as the cock-arrows pierce the windstorm and attack her repeatedly. The Whiplasher¡¯s Steel Soul can¡¯t protect her from just how many projectiles there are, especially since Zutiria is doing damn well sure each attacking missile is shot off with strong power behind it.


    Zutiria¡¯s mana goes down all the way to one-fourth thanks to both of these spells, but by the time the tornado clears up, Lemira has long since stopped screaming. She falls to the ground several feet away from the armored girl, dildoes raining from the sky so hard that Meri has to raise her shield out of self-defense.


    ¡°You did it...!¡± Meri smiles at her magical friend, taking out a stamina potion to drink before rushing off to help Sam.


    ¡®No, WE did it. You were very cool, Meri.¡¯ Zutiria hobbles towards the brunette, weakly using her staff as a crutch as she moves along.


    The young girl smiles, blushing as a result of her friend¡¯s compliment. I hope Meri is feeling proud of herself because I¡¯m impressed she handled that battle so well without much guidance from me. While putting all her hopes on Zutiria being recovered was risky, it proved to work out in Meri¡¯s favor. Snow was right. I should have relaxed and trusted that they could handle it...


    ¡°Nicely done, you two. The enemy is out cold.¡± I verify for the adventurers by zooming in the screen close to Lemira, seeing that she¡¯s covered in sex toy-related injuries all over her exposed, dark-skinned body. She definitely doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯ll be getting up any time soon. ¡°Zutiria, drink a mana potion and take another short rest while Meri goes to help Sam.¡±


    ¡®Can do,¡¯ the tired Mage nods her head agreeably and yawns, but not before pointing her staff at the wall of ice she created and undoing the spell. Zutiria then lays down on the floor to take a quick nap, her body surely needing a small chance to recuperate. Snow looks a little confused over the Mage¡¯s situation, and I make a note to tell her about it when I find the time.


    Letting out a tiny burp after chugging down the stamina potion in an effort to get going as fast as possible, Meri rushes up to the topmost aisle. Her armor clanking with every step, Sam¡¯s back up is on its way.


    That¡¯s one half of the battle done, now, onto the next...

 An Ordinary Hooker Battle

    Judging by the huge ice wall on the other side of the room looks like Boss¡¯s plan worked. Zuzu must be fucked right about now. What with her disability and all that...


    I can¡¯t be worried bout those two, though.


    Got my own battle to fight, and Boss is counting on me to not fuck this up. I can¡¯t let him down, just like I can¡¯t let down all those innocent girls who¡¯ve been kidnapped.


    It¡¯s all on me, and I won¡¯t break under pressure or lose myself. I¡¯m stronger than that... just keep it cool. Keep it cool, wait for Meri and Zuzu, and don¡¯t push it.


    Another crack of the bitch¡¯s whip comes at my left, so I strafe right and stare right at her. ¡°Are you gonna actually fight me, or what?¡± The Elf asks me as an irritated scowl spreads across her face, making her look uglier than she already is.


    Yeah, I said it. Just cause you¡¯re an Elf doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re a 10/10, you skank! ¡®Fair and graceful¡¯ my ass. Those dreadlocks look like shit on her, too.


    ¡°You dragged me all the way over here, so don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just gonna stall for time.. are you?¡±


    ¡°So what if I am? It¡¯s called tactics, you pointy-eared tree hugger!¡± I bark right back at her, trying to rile her up.


    ¡°So I¡¯m right. You¡¯re just listening to your man and doing whatever he says like a stupid, blonde bimbo. Figures.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re one to talk. You couldn¡¯t even stop YOUR man from kidnapping a bunch of innocent-¡±


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE-¡± Shit, that really got set her off! I can see the bitch charging up some kinda Art, and it doesn¡¯t look good. Her whip is glowing with power, but I don¡¯t take my eyes off of it. Just gotta keep watching and see what bizarre fucking shit she pulls out of her flat Elf-ass next.


    When she finally attacks, the fucking thing comes out like, twice at once! Every lash of this Elf bitch¡¯s weapon is now a little bit faster, and her Art makes it go double time. No sweat, I¡¯ve been working on my footwork.


    I got this... play it cool!


    I weave my head back and forth, rolling around and avoiding every damn attempt. Man, whips kinda fucking suck at fighting humans, don¡¯t they? I can see how it¡¯d be strong against monsters, but... these bitches just strike me as kinda, uh, slow-in-the-mind for not picking up a different weapon whenever they stopped being adventurers.


    If she wants to damage me, her only options are targeting my face or using a big stamina-heavy Art that can get through my armor. Lucky for me, somethin¡¯ tells me there aren¡¯t that many moves like that in her arsenal, too.


    Can¡¯t get sloppy! I¡¯m thinking a bit too much, first time for everything I guess...


    While dodging the latest double strike, I stick my tongue out at the aggressive Elf to try and push some more of her stupid buttons. ¡°Yeesh, angry much? I thought Elves were supposed to be all peaceful and tranquil-like. You just look hella constipated. Immortal or not, that CAN¡¯T be good for your skin.¡±


    Aw, yeah. Just like I wanted, Right Hoe¡¯s eyes get even angrier, and the stupid bitch ends up shoving more of her stamina into her whip. Comedy gold AND getting her to waste more of her resources!


    ¡°ARGH! STOP FUCKING TALKING YOU LITTLE BRAT!¡± Right Hoe attacks again, but she ends up getting luckier than I thought.


    The extra stamina must¡¯ve powered up her Art because now four strikes happen all at the same time. It¡¯s too much to just dodge since they¡¯re coming from both sides of me now. I kinda have to just sit here and eat it with my sword. Fuckin¡¯ hoe...!


    Rhaelyn ends up attacking again with this Art before I have any time to react, and one of her quad strikes ends up hitting my face dead on. Thank the fuckin¡¯ Gods for Steel Soul. I¡¯m able to throw it on right at the last second... It still hurts like a sonnuva bitch, but at least I didn¡¯t just tank it unprotected.


    Still no word from Boss. Should I back up? Or should I keep taunting...?


    ¡°Be real with me, slut. Do ya both use whips cause the Pimp¡¯s secretly into that? Or do you usually just use them on each other?¡± I should keep taunting. Duh.


    ¡°Fuck... fuck off, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Ohhh, nice one! Real creative. That some sorta traditional Elven comeback, or are you just as stupid as you look?¡±


    This bitch is starting to look super worn out by now. I don¡¯t know crap about her Whiplasher class, but I somehow doubt she¡¯s supposed to just spam big Arts like that over and over without putting a break in between ¡®em.


    ¡°You... little...¡± Right Hoe gets angrier, but then the hooker calms herself. This could be my chance!


    If I push forward a little bit, I could probably finish her off... but Boss told me not to. Wish he¡¯d check in with me again, but It¡¯s not like I can ask him out loud, either. Shit.


    ¡°You know...¡± Uh oh. The pointy-eared chick¡¯s starting to get a wicked look in her eye... ¡°Once we wipe the floor with you three, I wonder what¡¯s going to happen to your dear little Guild Master back home?¡±


    I look her dead-on and open my mouth, but nothin¡¯ comes out. Stop thinking about it, Sam. C¡¯mon. Don¡¯t let it get to you.


    ¡°He might¡¯ve sped up his own demise by trying to be a hero, sending his girls out on an adventure for his own gain...¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± They wouldn¡¯t... kill him... right? No way, Niki is in town and watching after him from the shadows. But... what if she¡¯s too drunk? Or if she doesn¡¯t sense the threat like she says she can?


    No... shit, I can¡¯t fall for this stupid, bikini¡¯d slut¡¯s shitty taunting! I... I can¡¯t, I-


    ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t like thinking about him using you like expendable soldiers, do you? Or... maybe... you can¡¯t handle the thought of your poor little boy toy dying a slow, painful death because it¡¯d be all... your... fault?¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP!!¡± No. If it¡¯s even a one percent chance, then... then I have to do something about it...


    ¡°SAM, MERI¡¯S ON HER WAY, STOP-¡±


    And if I have to do something, I might as well have fun with it... right?


    ¡°JUST HOLD ON, SAM! DON¡¯T LOSE YOUR...¡±


    Right?


    ¡°...SELF!¡±


    Heh.


    I raise my sword and run as hard as I can at the fucking whore standing in my way. Who the FUCK does she think she is talking to ME that way?! Does she know who I am?


    I¡¯m a fucking PRINCESS, and my family has ruled Karnalle ever since the fall of the first Demon Lord 4,500 years ago!


    While using a crazy amount of my strength, all it takes is one huge overhead slash to sever her chains in half. She predictably throws them up into the air and then uses that hardening Art to stop my blow again...


    But the joke¡¯s on her.


    Now? Now I¡¯m fucking ANGRY, and the attack is so fucking intense that it doesn¡¯t just stop at breaking the chains. No, the blade tears through the weak whip like a hot knife through butter and the full force of my sword smashes her shoulder into a million fucking pieces.


    Stupid...


    Fucking...


    BITCH!


    ¡°ENOUGH, SAM-¡±


    She cries in pain as she falls to the floor, but she REALLY starts crying when she sees I¡¯m not done with her! I throw my sword to the ground and smile as menacingly as I can. Holy FUCK, that look in her eyes! It¡¯s so funny. I swear, I¡¯m gonna piss myself...!


    ¡°W-W-What are you doing!?¡± She asks like a vapid dumb Elf whore who thinks she can get away with threatening MY man right in front of me.


    ¡°You¡¯re a prostitute, aren¡¯t ya? I¡¯m just gonna use your body how I want for a bit. No big deal, I¡¯ll give you a nice big tip when we¡¯re all done!¡± I grab the hooker by her dreadlocks and pull her up off the ground, only...


    RIIIIIP.


    Right Hoe screams, crying as I ¡®accidentally¡¯ pull off all her shitty-looking hair. DAMN, this is fun! I shoulda tortured all those bitches a couple of rooms ago, too...


    ¡°Whoops! Sorry about that. Eh, s¡¯fine, right? Ain¡¯t nothing ya probably aren¡¯t used to!¡± Stupid hooker probably gets roughed up all the time, what¡¯s a little more?


    ¡°SAM, DON¡¯T HURT HER! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE-¡±


    ¡°PLEASE, NO MORE!! I¡¯M SORRY!! I¡¯M JUST TRYING TO PROTECT HIM, ALRIGHT?! HE SAVED ME WHEN I WAS JUST A-¡±


    I cock my head to the side. Holy shit, can¡¯t even fuckin¡¯ believe this bitch right now. ¡°Uh, hello? Don¡¯t remember asking you about your life story, dumbass? A man was nice to you, you followed him, and you did bad shit because he told you to. Who gives a shit about the rest? All that matters is what you did to me... or rather, that you DARED threaten the man I chose as my own.¡±


    ¡°ADVENTURERS ARE NOT ASSASSINS, THERE¡¯S A DIFF-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re INSA-¡±


    She¡¯s starting to get annoying, so I kick her in the chin. Not TOO hard or anything... I don¡¯t wanna punt her head off her neck. Nah, just enough to punish her for daring to grovel before a Lundreame Princess such as myself! ¡°Yeah, yeah. Gotta admit. This was pretty fun!¡±


    ¡°SAM, ANSWER ME, PLEA-¡±


    A look of sweet relief appears in her tear-filled eyes as soon as I even remotely hint that I¡¯m gonna let her off the hook... heh. Just like I planned! ¡°Huh? Wait a second... aren¡¯t I forgetting something...?¡±


    ¡°I LOVE YOU, SAM, DON¡¯T DO TH-¡±


    The Elf hooker¡¯s expression sours from deep, delicious desperation. She begins trying to crawl away from me in vain as soon as I bend over and pick up my great blade again from up off the floor. Ahhh, seeing such a pathetic sight makes me grin from ear to ear, I swear!


    Here comes the best part. ¡°That¡¯s right! I swear, I¡¯m such a dumbass sometimes...¡± I aim my sword right at the center of her slutty, exposed torso. My smile grows while leering down at the pitiful, writhing worm who was so arrogant to think I¡¯d let her live after what she said. ¡°I almost forgot your TIP!¡±


    I thrust with the sword to give the evil hooker what¡¯s coming to her... knowing full well this¡¯ll be the first person I¡¯ve ever killed. Her Steel Soul can¡¯t be THAT strong, right? Heh. One way to find out! Welcome to the family, Samantha.


    You¡¯re a real, honest to Goddess Lundrea-


    My sword hits something that isn¡¯t a dead hooker. It¡¯s metal, hard, and came out of nowhere faster than I could blink.


    ¡°REFLECT!¡±


    Suddenly, I¡¯m sent hurtling for my fuckin¡¯ life into the back shelf, which breaks under my colossal impact. Tons of sex toys and bottles of lube fall on top of me as I lay there groaning in pain against atop a big pile of broken wooden shelving...


    I...


    Shit, things are getting... fuzzy...


    ¡°...orry I had... use stamina, Master! I-¡±


    ¡°...n¡¯t be, get her und... control. I¡¯ll help you bring her down if I have to.¡±


    W... what? Boss? Where the fuck... am... I? Why does it sound like Boss is giving Meri orders to... to...


    ¡°...Boss?¡±


    Why would he be trying to take me down? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a monster or something, right?


    ¡°...Sam? Can you hear me?! SAM, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!¡±


    ...Right?


    ¡°No.¡±

 The Monster Inside

    What am I supposed to do in this situation? I knew Sam was volatile, but this... this just isn¡¯t anything I thought was possible.


    It was naive of me to think this way. Just because I¡¯m in love with her, I shouldn¡¯t let it cloud my judgment of her condition... but I did.


    Gods...


    She crossed the line, and it¡¯s not even her fault. Her condition is worse than I was led to believe. Royal Blood isn¡¯t doesn¡¯t just make her really angry sometimes... I... probably tried my hardest to forget that Sam¡¯s bloodline has produced some of the most evil tyrants in all the realms.


    I was so sure Sam was different, and she IS different- I mean, I... I just... don¡¯t know what to do...


    The battle against the Whiplasher Henchwomen is finished. Until Sam¡¯s episode, each fight went smoothly, and minimal resources were lost. Now, Zutiria needs a mana potion, Meri needs a whole stamina potion, and Sam needs half of one and a small swig from her health potion. Right Hoe didn¡¯t inflict significant damage, but Meri¡¯s Reflect did a good chunk to Sam¡¯s meter.


    It only did so much damage because Sam¡¯s attack was so overwhelmingly powerful... in her anger, the Princess was really trying to kill her foe.


    At this current moment, we¡¯ve agreed on a short resting period. A half an hour, or whenever Zutiria wakes up. Whichever comes first.


    Meri is taking care of Sam for the moment while I gather my thoughts.


    Snow, Peri, and Cherry all huddled in to view the screens as soon as I started yelling to try to break through to Sam. The kitties were allowed to stop cleaning for now on account of what just happened.


    Right now, I¡¯m pacing around the office with my arms held behind my back. I rack my brain for answers, trying to figure out what to do next...


    The main question on my mind is, can this quest be completed without Sam?


    Much to my dismay... I highly doubt it, no.


    Two Bronze-ranked adventurers like Meri and Zutiria could poke around in a dungeon, but trying to complete it all in one go would be nearly impossible. Not with the resources we have. Even if Meri took all of Sam¡¯s potions, her only backup is a Mage with a limited toolkit who becomes a vulnerability as soon as she casts more than a few spells. Only sending three adventurers was already pushing it in the first place...


    My options are so limited in this situation that it hurts.


    If I don¡¯t have Sam come home, there¡¯s a high chance she¡¯ll lose herself again and become a risk to herself and even potentially her teammates. I don¡¯t want to believe Sam is capable of hurting Meri or Zutiria, but... I need to force myself to prepare for the worst potential possibilities.


    And it¡¯s not that Sam killing an opponent is the worst thing in the world, either. If her only option was killing the enemy, I would never criticize her no matter how much paperwork it would add to quest report. Killing enemies inevitably happens sometimes when you¡¯re an adventurer- killing isn¡¯t what matters. What matters is that Sam wasn¡¯t going to kill her enemy. She was going to cruelly slaughter her in cold blood...


    The Princess was whole-heartedly enjoying the pain she put Rhaelyn through.


    That fact isn¡¯t up for debate- it was clear as day. If Meri hadn¡¯t used a last-second Shield Bash into Reflect Combo, Sam very likely would have killed the Elf. I don¡¯t think a random hooker¡¯s Steel Soul would¡¯ve been enough to stop a thrusting attack from Sam with all her rage behind it.


    ...Something needs to be done about Sam¡¯s problem. Whether she needs potions for mood stability, enchantments on her armor to minimize her anger when she wears it, or some sort of charm to keep her in check, I¡¯ll help her. There has to be a way. Plenty of Lundreame rulers suffered from her condition and lived completely normal lives, I mean, after all-


    ...Her family. Right. I suppose that would be the easiest answer, wouldn¡¯t it? Of course, that answer is for sure the one Sam would hate the most. That being said, someone in the Royal Family must know something about keeping the Royal Blood in check...


    I don¡¯t know what to do, and I hate this feeling.


    ¡°Myaster...¡± Suddenly, my sleeve is pulled from behind, and I turn to face Peri. ¡°It¡¯s already been fifteen minutes, you should talk to them, nyaa... Mistress Sam is so sad...¡±


    ¡°Have I really been pacing for that long...?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Myaster. I know you wanted us to be quiet so you could think, but... we can¡¯t just sit here and watch you tear yourself up over it.¡± Cherry approaches as well, a deep-set frown evident on her anxious face.


    ¡°Myaster,¡± Snowball rises from her seat at my desk, where she was talking to the girls just moments before. The Catfolk maid walks over to the center of the wooden floor and bows before me. ¡°Thank you for everything you¡¯ve done... I mean that from the bottom of my heart. However, I believe you should withdraw Princess Samantha.¡±


    ¡°...Princess?!¡± Peri gasps and covers her gaping mouth with her furry paws.


    ¡°What the shit?!¡± Cherry¡¯s eyes widen as she tilts her head.


    ¡°So, you really did know the truth.¡± I sigh, slumping my shoulders in response.


    ¡°I¡¯ve adopted many girls to the Royal Family, and I¡¯ve met both the King and his brother, the Grand Vizier, several times in person. While I¡¯ve never spoken to her, I¡¯ve seen Samantha before in the Imperalis Court, nyaa. I¡¯m not surprised she didn¡¯t recognize me, as she looked like she¡¯d rather be anywhere else at the time. Thanks to my dealings with her kind, I¡¯m well informed about the Royal Blood.¡±


    Both maids are now struck by a sudden feeling of confusion and inadequacy.


    ¡°No way... A P-P-Princess has been eating my cooking, nyaa?! And no one told me?!¡± Peri blushes as she becomes overwhelmed with self-consciousness.


    ¡°I thought you called Sam ¡®Princess¡¯ just because it was her kink or something... like how she calls you Daddy. Damn, if I knew that, I woulda tried harder or something...¡± Cherry shakes her head in shock as she tries to process this revelation.


    ¡°Surprise,¡± Shrugging with indifference, I meet Snow¡¯s gaze with my own. ¡°You know I can¡¯t just withdraw her from the Quest, Snow. We won¡¯t be able to clear it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. You all did your absolute best. I¡¯ll have to send word to Dawnstead for reinforcements and hire a Mage who can cast something to protect us from Beastvine...¡±


    ¡°Snow... you said that would take days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have days.¡±


    ¡°...No, we don¡¯t.¡± Snow hangs her head, doing her best to conceal her sadness and remorse but failing.


    ¡°First of all, let me go and talk to her before I decide anything,¡± I sigh again while summoning up the courage to face Sam.


    Snow isn¡¯t happy about my decision, but the fate of her tribe sisters is on the line. Arguing is the last thing on her mind if I intend to still potentially press forward on the quest.


    I try to lighten the mood a little bit on my way over to the desk by wrapping my arms around both Peri and Cherry¡¯s heads and pulling them in for a hug. They both affectionately nuzzle into both sides of my neck, even Cherry. The maids purr cutely in unison, pulling away from me and kissing my cheeks in tandem without not saying a word. Snow looks on at this display, perhaps wanting to be a part of it.


    Perhaps that¡¯s just my wishful thinking brought about by stress, but I digress...


    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you some fresh tea,¡± She says while excusing herself and taking the other maids by the paw to follow her. That just leaves me alone with the three Taskmaster screens.


    Sam is currently sitting on a large pile of mattresses they pulled from the warehouse shelves, watching over Zutiria as she naps. Her head is hung low and without a hint of light in her eyes. Meri sits by her side, keeping a watch over the two captive Whiplashers.


    Shortly after the Shield Maiden saved her, Meri voluntarily gave Rhaelyn a tiny sip of one of her untouched healing potions. Obviously, a measly sip isn¡¯t enough to provide the enemy strength to keep fighting, but it¡¯s just enough to make the pain in Rhaelyn¡¯s shoulder bearable.


    After apologizing profusely, Meri knocked the Elf out anyway.


    The timid girl took the chance to tie both of the pimp¡¯s women using bondage poles from a nearby shelf. These poles, judging by the packaging, are clearly designed for Orcs. Even if they wake up any time soon, neither woman will be escaping. Especially not Rhaelyn.


    I take a deep breath. This isn¡¯t easy, but I need to talk to Sam... No, that¡¯s not right...


    I need to be with her.


    Clearing my throat and wiping my eyes from wetness, I begin. ¡°Sam? I want to talk. Do you want to go somewhere else, or do you mind if Meri listens too?¡±


    ¡°...However you wanna do it, Boss.¡± She says with all the apathy I was expecting- and more.


    ¡°I¡¯m not mad at you.¡±


    ¡°No, you¡¯re disappointed. That¡¯s a lot fucking worse than being mad, honestly...¡±


    ¡°The reason I¡¯m disappointed is over something you have absolutely no control over, and you know that.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about that, though? I¡¯ve been reading that book I bought- the one about my family history and... the more I read, the more it just sounds... inevitable.¡± That word hangs in the air, pulsing with venom as it leaves her lips.


    ¡°Thought I was doing really good lately, too. It felt like the meditation and reading were both helping... Fuck, I didn¡¯t even lose it when I was staring down the asshole responsible for all this...! But... whenever I start thinking about it... no matter how I try and be better, or what I do to keep myself grounded... I can¡¯t. It¡¯s a part of me, and it¡¯ll just keep getting worse as I get older...¡± Sam airs her heart out for Meri and me to see, every word more desperate and pained than the last.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let it get worse. We¡¯ll find a way, Sam. There¡¯s got to be-¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t stop it, Boss! Don¡¯t you think if my family had some easy way to turn this Royal Blood shit off and on, we¡¯d have used it throughout history? I¡¯m fucked, everyone in my family is fucked, and YOU can¡¯t do shit about it! You¡¯re just-¡±


    ¡°Sam, you¡¯re not letting him talk...¡± Meri frowns, attempting to take the Princess¡¯s hand in her own to comfort her. Sam rejects this offer and jerks away from Meri, gritting her teeth and looking away in pained shame.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Who the fuck knows? I might try and kill you, too...¡± Sam grumbles as Meri holds back a flood of tears.


    ¡°You would never do that...!¡± Meri sniffles, wanting so badly to hug her friend but knowing Sam won¡¯t let her.


    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Meri. You¡¯re not a monster, Sam,¡± I slam my hand on the desk, trying to put some seriousness behind my words. ¡°And I can prove it if you let me.¡±


    I observe the Taskmaster screen as the sullen, emerald eyes of this tortured Princess spark bright with the dim fire of hope for only an instant.


    I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to fan that spark into a flame.


    PunishedKom

 Combat Therapy

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been thinking about for a while now, and it involves the Royal Blood. I think you need to look at your condition a little differently, Sam. Will you humor me for just a moment?¡±


    ¡°...Aren¡¯t I already doing that?¡± She pouts in a sad way, not her typical angry, blushing way that I love so much.


    ¡°Right. I want you to think about all the other times you¡¯ve lost yourself to your anger.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯ll fucking help. You were there for most of ¡®em, anyway.¡± She crosses her arms, scoffing at the idea despite how much I¡¯ve helped Sam talk through her problems before.


    ¡°Sam, this won¡¯t work if you don¡¯t trust me. This is therapy, and you need to be willing to work with me.¡±


    The Princess struggles to see my point, and it¡¯s clear that just thinking back is hurting her, but I need her to do what I say. ¡°It¡¯s... all the same, I think? Nothing that unique about any of the times it happened, or anything...¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    The look in her eyes is doubtful, ¡°Fuck¡¯re you on about, Boss?¡±


    ¡°You said yourself you¡¯ve been reading your own family¡¯s history, yes? Think about it a bit more. As far we know, most Lundreames of the past had one or two things that they were fixated on. They didn¡¯t just commit random crimes, no. Your worst ancestors are best remembered for the ridiculous things they latched on to that led them to commit crimes against the realms.¡±


    ¡°L-Like the foot-fetish King?¡± Meri raises her hand to ask.


    ¡°...Not helping, Meri.¡± Sam gives her an evil eye, causing the timid brunette to shrink in her armor.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s actually a perfect example. Exactly like that, Meri. That King¡¯s sexual obsession led Karnalle to declare war on Merryburrow, not to mention the de-footing camps he enforced on our Halfing immigrants, and-¡±


    ¡°Holy SHIT, Boss. This is your worst attempt at cheering me up fucking ever.¡± Sam interrupts, almost laughing as she shakes her head. ¡°Can you just tell me where the hell you¡¯re going with this?¡±


    She¡¯s not getting it, so I¡¯ll just have to be more direct. ¡°You have a fixation, Sam. Just like any other Lundreame before you, and it¡¯s a lot more manageable than most, I think.¡±


    Almost right away, the expression on her face drops all hints of sadness. Her eyes open, her lips part, and her jaw slacks. ¡°Don¡¯t... don¡¯t fuck around with me, Boss. I know I¡¯m fucked up. You don¡¯t have to sugarcoat it.¡± Sam says in an attempt to lower her expectations.


    I decide to ask Sam point-blank. ¡°What set you off when fighting Right Hoe?¡±


    ¡°You... don¡¯t wanna...¡± Her emerald eyes narrow, and she looks away, her brows upturned and furrowed from sadness.


    I¡¯m not playing around here, so I tell the Princess, ¡°I do want to know. Stop ¡®fucking around with me¡¯, Sam. Even if I was focused on Meri, I was still listening. So go on and tell me what happened because I already know.¡±


    Sam struggles with outright saying what had happened until finally, it bursts from ¡°...She was threatening you, alright?! I got mad because she was saying all this dark shit, and-¡±


    ¡°How about when you went crazy and killed that adult Brood Wolf? Or when you almost lost it against the Greater Murdermoth?¡±


    ¡°Uh, DUHHHH. You were, and Zuzu were in danger both of those times, dummy! Meri could have got hurt too when we were fighting that big ugly bug!¡± She says with an irritated tone of voice, pointing it out like it¡¯s the most obvious thing in the realm.


    It is. That¡¯s why I asked her to say it out loud.


    Meri gasps in a quiet, restrained way. The Shield Maiden figured out where I¡¯m going with this before Sam, evidently, but she¡¯s keeping quiet on it so Her Highness can puzzle it out for herself.


    ¡°Sam. Think about it. What about the very first time I saw you lose control of yourself? Back when we had to pay the late Mayor a visit. You drew your sword and were close to cutting him down.¡±


    ¡°He was shit-talking you and treating you like you were less than human! I wanted to shut him up- however the fuck it took! W-Why are you just fucking dragging up all my failures like this and telling me to ¡®think about it¡¯?! I AM THINKING ABOUT IT, DUMBASS! THAT¡¯S WHY I FEEL SO SHITTY!!¡± As tears stream down her flushed cheeks and a small dribble of snot leaves her nostril, Sam begins to look unseemly.


    I need to spell it out for the Princess. It¡¯s not her fault she can¡¯t piece things together when she feels so emotional... no matter how much she tries to convince me she¡¯s an adult, Sam¡¯s still just a hormonal teen.


    ¡°SAM! YOUR ROYAL BLOOD ONLY GETS UNCONTROLLABLE WHEN IT COMES TO THE PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT!¡± I respond as loud and as passionately as I can, doing anything it takes to reach out to the young warrior who means the realm to me.


    Sam becomes silent as the realization dawns on her. She blinks several times, astonished. Hope begins to burn within her emeralds once again. ¡°...Wait, are you... you¡¯re not joking, right? RIGHT? Then that means that I-¡±


    Meri approaches Sam on the mattress once more, smiling with love and warmth in her eyes as she wraps her arms around the Princess. As they¡¯re both fully armored and the result is an adorable, clanky, metal hug. Meri speaks, ¡°It means you¡¯d never hurt me, Sam. Not in a way I-I didn¡¯t ask you to...¡±


    The Princess becomes overwhelmed from the bottom of her heart. She lowers her head, biting her lip as she starts to tremble in her armor while being embraced by the Shield Maiden. ¡°So d-does... does this mean I... could maybe...?¡±


    I wish she could see the smile on my face as I watch her heart fill with optimism. ¡°I¡¯m not an expert on the subject, but I do think it¡¯d be easier to learn how to... well, not control your condition, per se, but... live with it? Own it? It¡¯s something you¡¯ll always suffer from, but I don¡¯t think it always has to be a bad thing.¡±


    I should have asked Luxy about Sam¡¯s Royal Blood when we had our long talk... there has to be a reason behind it, or she never would have gifted it to the Royal Family, right? I doubt she¡¯d just remove it if we asked, either. As much as it hurts to consider, the Royal Blood does indeed make her significantly stronger, and it was even listed as a Blessing on Sam¡¯s Taskmaster Dossier.


    Regardless, Sam¡¯s expression contorts into one of pure joy, and I let her bask in it before inevitably ruining her mood. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re going to need to talk to your family about this at some point.¡±


    All the joy is sucked straight out of Sam almost as quick as it came. Luckily, before the Princess has time to dwell on it, Zutiria unceremoniously announces her awakeness. Rising from the bed and throwing her arms out, she says, ¡®All¡¯s well that ends well.¡¯


    ¡°GAH! Zuzu what the FUCK!¡± Sam pulls away from the metal embrace of Meri to look down at the Mage. ¡°How long have you been awake?!¡±


    ¡®The entire time. Sir had this covered quite nicely, so there was no reason for me to involve myself unless he couldn¡¯t settle you down on his own. I could have said the same thing, but I think this matter was something you needed to hear from him and not me.¡¯


    ¡°I-I knew it...¡± Meri sighs, well versed in the petite Mage¡¯s trickery.


    I was aware the Mage was awake, as well... she couldn¡¯t hide it. I know what she looks like when she¡¯s asleep by now.


    ¡®Hug me, child.¡¯ Zutiria opens her arms to the Princess, who blushes and reluctantly lowers herself into the Mage¡¯s embrace. ¡®There you go. I told you I¡¯d always be here for you, didn¡¯t I? That¡¯s right, Sammy... that¡¯s right... Come to Big Sister...¡¯ She begins running her hand through Sam¡¯s rough, tousled locks.


    ¡°Zuzu...¡± The Princess bites her lip and blushes an absurd amount, much to her embarrassment. No one teases Sam about it because the stroking seems to genuinely be calming her down a good deal. Zutiria¡¯s been taking care of Sam¡¯s moods like this since she was only five years old, and at times like these, it really shows...


    The Mage looks towards Meri before extending her arm towards her as well and patting the opposite side of her lap. ¡®You may also come to Big Sister, Meri. I have hands with which to pet all of my precious little ones.¡¯


    Watching her say such warm, fuzzy things brings a smile to my face, especially when she says it with that emotionless, doll-like expression of hers.


    ¡°U-Uh,¡± Meri looks around nervously. She clearly wants to but is embarrassed by the idea. ¡°D-Do we even have time for that...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it. So long as you¡¯re all in the dungeon, I don¡¯t think anything bad can happen to the captives. While time is of the essence, certainly, your health is important as well.¡±


    As Meri starts getting petted by Zutiria, the Princess breaks off and asks, ¡°So... Boss, does this mean you¡¯re gonna make me come back home...?¡±


    Snow shoots me a concerned look, showing how conflicted she is on the matter still. Despite that, I¡¯ve already made up my mind.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think I can.¡± I hang my head, knowing full well this quest is impossible without Sam¡¯s power. ¡°Zutiria, is there anything in your spell list that might be able to help?¡±


    The Mage begins to consider her options, thinking deeply behind her cold, still eyes. ¡®Help in what way, Sir? Do you want me to forcibly alter Sammy¡¯s emotions or something?¡¯


    ¡°Can you even do that...?¡± Sam raises an eyebrow, tilting her head. I understand where she¡¯s coming from. At times it certainly feels like Zutiria is pulling spells out of her ass.


    ¡®I can do many things.¡¯ Zutiria looks at the Princess ominously.


    ¡°How exactly would you keep her from going berserk while still keeping her lucid enough to fight efficiently? I¡¯m not going to pretend I know very much about whatever school of magic has to do with altering the human mind, but...¡±


    ¡°As long as I can fight, I¡¯ll do whatever it takes! Please, Zuzu!¡± The Princess grows resolute, confident that this is what needs to be done.


    ¡®You say that NOW, Sammy, but Mentalimancy is not for the faint of heart. It could have drastic repercussions, and it¡¯s best not used repeatedly on the same subject unless they develop a resistance to it. If I bail you out with brain magic here, we can¡¯t rely on it to solve your problems again.¡¯


    ¡°W-Would these repercussions be temporary...?¡± Meri asks as her fears grow. The poor girl just doesn¡¯t want anything more to happen to her friend today.


    ¡®They would be temporary in the sense that they would last until Opal returns home and fixes Sammy¡¯s brain.¡¯


    ¡°Sounds good to me. Whatcha think, Boss? I still gotta learn how to actually live with the Royal Blood, somehow, but this sounds good enough for now.¡± Sam has all but made up her mind, yet the Princess understands that I¡¯m the one in charge. She respects my judgment.


    Luckily for her, I¡¯m in total agreement. Although she jokes around a lot, Zutiria would never offer to do something that would permanently mess Sam up. It sounds like the worst-case scenario is that the Princess might get a bit loopy yet still able to fight.


    That¡¯s more than a fair trade, in my book.


    ¡°I think we don¡¯t have much of a choice. Before you magic up the Princess¡¯s brain, though, why not rest a bit longer?¡±


    ¡®I suppose I AM still a little sore...¡¯ The Mage stretches out as a cute yawn flutters out from her throat, and she lazily lays back down on the bed.


    ¡°Good. I have an idea that¡¯s sure to cheer everyone up, but first, I need to get the kitties and run it by Snow... They left the office briefly so we could have this talk.¡±


    ¡°What do you have in mind, Master? Why would Snow need to sign off on it? Are... are we going to t-take more stuff from this dungeon?¡± Meri begins blushing, her nervousness fading and replacing with potential excitement as her crimson eyes scan the warehouse shelves


    ¡°Hold up, Boss...¡± A glint appears in Sam¡¯s eye, and a mischievous, fanged smile spreads across her cheeks. ¡°Are you thinking what I¡¯m thinking?¡±


    ¡°More than likely, my dear Sam. Start packing.¡±

 Stealing 20 Crates of Lingerie and 300 Pounds of Sextoys

    Snow wasn¡¯t happy, especially since I¡¯m basically using Zutiria¡¯s disability as an excuse to fulfill my own selfish desires. At first, I was able to convince the older cat that my plan would lift up the team¡¯s spirits and get them all raring. Not to mention Zutiria will enjoy an expanded nap, making her more useful in battle. But, Snow still ultimately insisted on a condition before she would allow it.


    ¡°Stealing a couple of gems off the door was one thing, but this is something else entirely. We only have the villain¡¯s word that he won¡¯t touch my girls, and I trust him about as much as I can throw him. Can you PLEASE just ask your Goddess for confirmation that they¡¯re alright, nyaa...?¡± She crosses her arms and scowls, lecturing me in a stern, motherly tone of voice.


    ¡°Of course, but I have no guarantee she¡¯ll ans-¡±


    Luxy¡¯s holy avatar appears in between Snow and I¡¯s faces.


    The fact that I¡¯m communicating so often and casually with a being that most Priests of Light have to spend years trying to contact never stops being surreal to me.


    -Jeez, For such a pretty kitty, you¡¯re a HUGE nag. The girls will be fine as long as the dungeon is up. He¡¯s totally not even a rape-y pimp, either. Got it? Now for real this time, I can¡¯t answer anything else, or...- The Goddess on the other end of the Holy Avatar goes silent as what sounds like a series of alarm bells begins to ring.


    -...Oh, shit. They¡¯re actually on their way now... Yeeeeahhhhh I¡¯m about to be in a lot of trouble so, uh... I¡¯m gonna hit you up in a few days. Good luck, and, uh... don¡¯t feel guilty a stealing shit. You got time.-


    The ball of light disappears, and Snow stares at me with a startled expression. ¡°...Is she going to be ok?¡±


    I shrug.


    Peri and Cherry look at each other, perplexed. I¡¯m not calling them ¡®simple¡¯ by any means, but I think dealing with the Divine is a bit above their station.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Myaster. You have my permission...¡± Snow sighs, turning away and heading back into the office. Much to my surprise, however, before she disappears inside Snow looks over the shoulder and her fluffy, white tail begins wagging seductively behind her. She lids her eyes prettily and parts her full, pink lips, whispering, ¡°You filthy, little, pervert.¡± Under her breath.


    I lose my breath watching the Catfolk linger, staring into my eyes before entering the office.


    Peri puts her paw on my dick, ¡°There, there, Myaster. Everything will be better soon, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the worst, aren¡¯t we enough for you?¡± Cherry laughs before swatting Peri¡¯s hand away from my junk. ¡°You keep away from him, too, you slut.¡±


    Peri gives her best friend her typical angry hiss and Cherry rolls her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Cherry.¡± I let out a sigh, exasperated. ¡°You kitties are going to be the death of me, I swear... I need the two of you to stay out here and prepare to move more... equipment into storage, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Myaster!¡± Peri and Cherry both bow before me.


    ¡°Cherry, a moment,¡± I call the pink-haired kitten to the side for a moment. Peri is confused but doesn¡¯t try and eavedrop.


    Tilting her head to the side, Cherry follows after. ¡°Sup?¡±


    I lean in close to the shorter girl¡¯s big, fluffy brown cat ear and whisper, ¡°Make sure Peri doesn¡¯t go anywhere near the boxes of Succu-bye. I don¡¯t trust her not to ¡®accidentally¡¯ drop all of the contraceptives.¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, that¡¯s uh, probably a good idea, Myaster.¡± Cherry squints her eyes and looks over at the suspicious, breeding-obsessed kitten looming innocently in the distance.


    ¡°Nyaa?¡± Peri¡¯s tail wags back and forth, unaware of the way what we¡¯re saying behind her back.


    Cherry gives me another clumsy curtsy, and I head in after Snow to tell the girls in the Dungeon we¡¯ve been given the all-clear.


    Seems that they got started before we got permission. Sam and Meri are loading up large wooden crates with absolutely everything and anything they find interesting off of the warehouse shelves. The intent is to send them back to the Guild via Returners.


    Only one Returner has been used earlier in the dungeon to send back some of the minion¡¯s weapons, leaving twenty-nine left. I want each member of the party to have at least three at all times, one for themselves and two for their unconscious teammates in the worst-case scenario. That leaves us plenty to send back a large amount of sexual cargo as long as we stack a number of boxes into one pile before sending them home.


    Over one hundred Beastgirls were abducted, according to Snow. We won¡¯t be rescuing them with returners, so there¡¯s no use conserving them. We¡¯ll figure out how to get them out of the Pimpfort safely when it¡¯s time.


    Since we¡¯re all going to be having a much-needed break in this room, Sam and Meri strip themselves of their armor for the time being so they can cool off while filling up their boxes.


    Meri is in charge of gathering up lingerie and sexy costumes from all the different shelves, and given the revealing nature of the outfits, she¡¯s able to fit a lot of clothing in a single box. Very early on, Zutiria said, ¡®Don¡¯t worry about the size and just grab whatever you see. If anyone likes a piece of clothing but it doesn¡¯t fit them, I can fix that. Transfiguration isn¡¯t hard.¡¯


    Thus, Meri begins stuffing box after box with so many panties, bras, nightgowns, costumes, and everything in between that I lose track after we reach several hundred articles of clothing. This goes on and on until Meri has reached her quota, twenty entire boxes of lingerie. To put it into perspective, I could grow my harem to fifty girls and still never see the end of today¡¯s haul.


    Meanwhile, Sam is having a blast shoving endless amounts of sex toys into her boxes. Every single thing I¡¯ve ever dreamed of using, whether it be arcane tech rotor vibrators, enchanted Ikkuni onaholes, or whatever else have you, it¡¯s here. Sam just keeps piling it all up until she fills another ten boxes, while also dragging about five different vats of assorted lube to the area we¡¯ve designated as our sex hoard.


    ¡°That must all be worth quite a lot of gold, nyaa. Any idea where you¡¯ll be selling this stuff?¡± Snow asks me, causing me to tilt my head.


    ¡°...Selling?¡±


    Snow blinks. ¡°Are you telling me you¡¯re... stockpiling these outfits and sex toys solely for your own personal use, Myaster? No, surely not even you could be such a... a perverse, lewd  man.¡±


    ¡°Would you care to find out?¡± I smirk and draw close to Snow¡¯s lips... as close as she¡¯ll let me, of course. She smiles warmly and scratches me across the face with her claws in response.


    ¡°...You can¡¯t blame a man for trying.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t, Myaster. One might even say you were almost cute... Almost, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯ll get there next time?¡±


    ¡°I meant cute in a... ¡®how pitiful¡¯ sort of way.¡± Snow hides her mouth behind her paw, holding back a sadistic grin


    ¡°I can work with that, Snowball. In a way, you might even say I like it that way even better.¡±


    She giggles, and I feel a bit of romance in the air. Snow has to feel it too, but it¡¯s cut short by the audio coming from the Taskmaster screen. ¡°BOSS! You ready? I got like... two... three hundred pounds of sex toys to send back!¡±


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever heard a less romantic sentence, and it just killed whatever tension was lingering between Snow and myself faster than anything short of a wet fart.


    ¡°Yes, Sam, send the first load back. Good work. By the way, how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Ah, um... better, mostly. You were right, this cheered me up a lot...¡± Sam giggles as her cheeks turn red. ¡°I still want Zuzu to do her brain magic thing, though. I don¡¯t wanna risk me fucking things up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very mature of you, Sam.¡±


    ¡°Hah, well, you know. Maturity is basically my middle name.¡± The Princess gives me a playful smirk, scratching the back of her head. ¡°You sure you want to waste some Returners on lube? Can¡¯t Zuzu just brew some super alchemy batch of the stuff for us sometime?¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what Snow thinks of me, I do believe twenty crates of lingerie and a couple hundred pounds of sex toys will be more than enough to satisfy my needs. I¡¯d rather we take a few of the vats rather than more stuff we won¡¯t use.¡±


    Upon hearing my comment, Snow sighs teasingly and shakes her head back and forth. ¡°Ha, ha.¡± The sarcasm in her voice stings me to my core.


    ¡°Kay! I¡¯ll get Meri and we¡¯ll start sending it back as soon as you give the signal.¡±


    And give the signal I do. One by one, Sam and Meri start sending crate after crate of explicit goods back home. In the main hall, the sound of the Return Gate powering up is repeatedly heard, followed by the sound of Catfolk maids dragging the heavy boxes into the east wing.


    Music to my ears.


    If there¡¯s one thing I have to thank Sir Pimpington for, it¡¯s his exquisite taste in the finer things of life. Like arcane tech vibrators, and imported Ikkuni schoolgirl costumes...


    After twenty minutes of hard work, the kitties have finished moving every last arrival. It might¡¯ve made them work up a sweat, but even weaker Beastfolk like Peri are still stronger than average humans.


    ¡°We¡¯re all done, Myaster!¡± Cherry pokes her head into the office and sighs.


    ¡°I have discovered a new world, nyaa.¡± Peri approaches her from behind and grabs Cherry by the hips, grinding into her.


    ¡°NYAA?!¡± Cherry freaks out in response, scurrying to the other side of the room on all fours. This reveals that Peri has taken off her maid¡¯s skirt and replaced it with a pair of strap-on panties. A comically large, red, dragon-shaped phallus was just poking Cherry in her butt.


    ¡°Peri, take that thing off.¡± I sigh, holding back laughter.


    Her face becomes incredibly happy at my command, making me realize that this was a trap. ¡°Wait... Go put your normal panties back on first.¡±


    ¡°Fucking damn it...¡± Peri frowns and stomps out of the room.


    ¡°So juuuuuust for the record... not your thing, right, Myaster?¡± Cherry leans over my desk, smiling wide in a bratty, cheeky way.


    ¡°I too would like to know, nyaa.¡± Snow looks away but raises an eyebrow out of interest.


    ¡°Strap ons are hot to me, yes, but not in the way that you seem to be implying.¡±


    Cherry breaths a sigh of relief, apparently happy that she won¡¯t have to peg me, whereas Snow looks... almost disappointed.


    I¡¯m not touching that.


    All in all, this little diversion took nineteen Returners total thanks to creatively stacking the crates whenever we could. That means counting the one we used earlier, we have one extra Returner left. I turn my attention back to the Taskmaster screen.


    ¡°Before you wake up Zutiria, I want you both to do one more sweep of the shelves. Make sure you didn¡¯t miss anything you might want for, alright girls?¡±


    ¡°Pretty damn sure we got most of the good stuff... there¡¯s a lot of shit we can¡¯t send back, too. There¡¯s big arcane tech machines that are, uh, kinda fuckin¡¯ terrifying if I¡¯m being honest...¡± Sam nervously sweats at the thought while glancing at a gigantic mechanized contraption towering off in the distance.


    ¡°And there¡¯s big bondage chairs, wooden horses, stocks, and r-really elaborate setups for that sort of play that wouldn¡¯t fit in a box...¡± Meri adds, sounding upset that we won¡¯t be able to build a dedicated bondage room in the Guild any time soon.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt to look,¡± I tell them before sending them off once more.


    This turns out to be a good move on my part. While inspecting an oddly shaped dildo... Meri ends up discovering another secret room.


    PunishedKom

 Meri’s New Toy and Sam’s Brain Scramblies

    After waking up Zutiria and putting their armor back on, the girls proceed into the newly discovered chamber. This secret room is much like the first one, being a dimly lit stone chamber with red roses growing on both sides of a path leading south. Another empty pedestal and another statue diorama stand ominously, waiting for closer inspection.


    ¡°Great, more bullshit backstory...¡± Sam groans at the idea, trying to pretend she¡¯s uninterested.


    ¡°I-I dunno, Sam... I kinda wanna know what¡¯s up with him...¡± Meri walks forward down the cold, stony path and approaches the pedestal.


    ¡®These statues are somehow even less subtle than the ones in the first treasure room.¡¯


    Zutiria has a point. Looking at the new diorama, the message is unambiguous, and there¡¯s no room for any sort of symbolism to be interpreted. It is what it is.


    Just as before, a statue of Sir Chasteworthe is positioned on the left, while the same Guild receptionist is on the right. The knight stands proudly atop a mountain of monster corpses, beaten and bloody. His shining armor is in ruins, his sword chipped, yet despite Chasteworthe¡¯s near ruinous condition, he smiles and extends a bag towards the receptionist. Given the context, I assume it¡¯s a bag full of kill trophies.


    The woman no longer seems to be ignoring him, but her face seems disingenuous. The face of someone with an ulterior motive... of course, the rest of the diorama reveals this motive plain as day. Behind the counter that the receptionist stands at is an insurmountable pile of large sacks, each one unsubtly emblazoned with a large ¡®G¡¯- the sigil of gold. Clearly, the fruits of the knight¡¯s labor, but if that¡¯s the case, it doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s getting any of it.


    Interesting, but we need more context. ¡°Meri, what does the pedestal say this time?¡±


    Already there, Meri bends over to inspect the inscription. ¡°Uh... lemme see here... ¡®Once you prove you will give all that you have to give, they will always ask for more¡¯. Aww... poor guy...¡± The girl begins frowning, looking at the statue of the future pimp with sympathetic puppy dog eyes.


    Snow is the first one to voice her opinion. ¡°This one isn¡¯t just asking for you to give something, nyaa. It¡¯s a tad more cryptic, but...¡±


    ¡°I think the answer would still have to be something relatively simple. That seems to be the theme of the puzzles in this dungeon so far. None of them have been particularly challenging...¡±


    ¡°So do you think it¡¯s something obvious, then? What could it be...?¡± Peri tilts her head and starts thinking.


    ¡®I have an idea. What would be another way of saying ¡®giving everything I have to give¡¯, hm?¡¯


    Sam extends her pointer finger and smiles, confident of her answer. ¡°Hey, what about blood, sweat, and tears?¡±


    Behind me, Cherry nods her head while yawning and stretching out like a cat. ¡°Makes sense, nyaa. Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a reasonable shot. Go ahead and try, unless someone has any other ideas?¡±


    Nobody does, so as a group, we all moved to see if this is the correct solution. Meri volunteers since it was her who discovered this room, and there are no objections. Not any vocal ones, anyway. Sam is clearly jealous but holds it back as she grows pouty.


    Meri removes her gauntlet, and with the help of her buckler¡¯s sword, she pricks a tiny drop of blood from her fingertip. It falls on the pedestal. Next, for sweat, the Shield Maiden unties her yellow hair bow and wrings it out over the top of the offering dish. Considering how sweaty her hair can get, it¡¯s accumulated a fair deal by now, even though she had a break from wearing her armor.


    After refastening her bow to her head, Meri asks, ¡°Nothing so far... um... how do we get the tears, Master?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple. Sam?¡±


    ¡°I got this, Boss!¡± The Princess puffs her chest out, ready to do what she does best- be an obnoxious brat. She approaches Meri¡¯s side and looks her straight in the face. ¡°Meri, that armor makes you look like a whale.¡±


    ¡°...W-W-WHAT?!¡±


    Sam reaches out and scoops up one of Meri¡¯s newly-formed distressed tears, flicking it onto the dish. ¡°Just kiddin¡¯, babe. You know I love ya.¡± Her Highness smiles, leaning in to give the troubled defender a small kiss on her cheek.


    ¡°I... ah... um... t-that¡¯s... oh... s-stand firm, stand firm...¡± Meri dies a little inside, her face becoming a blushing mess.


    Everyone watches the pedestal for what happens next, eager to see if Zutiria and Sam¡¯s idea was the correct one. We don¡¯t have to wait long. Just like in the first room, the fixture begins lowering itself into the stone below, and once it¡¯s been entirely swallowed, another treasure chest is presented to the group.


    Sam remembers the drill this time and pokes it with her sword, confirming that this isn¡¯t a Mimic. There¡¯s no arguing with who gets the chest, considering Meri both discovered the room and gave her literal blood, sweat, and tears to make the chest appear. Not even Her Highness can muster up the brattiness to argue with that.


    The Shield Maiden smiles anxiously, stepping forward to claim her reward from the exciting box at her feet. ¡°I really hope it¡¯s something useful, please, oh... please...¡± Closing her eyes, Meri dives in and grasps what lies at the bottom. What she pulls out is baffling at first glance.


    ¡°These are... outsoles...?¡± She stares disappointedly at the rubber shoe parts she holds, like a child who was given a sad gift on their birthday.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look so sad. Zutiria hasn¡¯t used her detect magic spell yet.¡± It¡¯s possible these sad-looking rubber soles are much more useful than they appear.


    Sure enough, Zutiria wordlessly casts a spell and leans in to take a better look at Meri¡¯s prize. After a moment, the Mage smiles and then takes the outsoles from Meri. Zutiria sits down on the floor in front of Meri and says, ¡®Lift your feet up. You¡¯ll like this.¡¯


    A small sense of hope starts to return to the Shield Maiden¡¯s eyes, and she does as she¡¯s told. Zutiria affixes the outsole to the bottom of Meri¡¯s left boot. At first, it¡¯s too big. But then a small glowing light emits from the rubber, and it constricts itself down to fit snugly around the armor. They repeat the process, and both have now merged fully with Meri¡¯s armor.


    ¡°Now what?¡± Sam asks impatiently, eager to get to the fun part.


    ¡®Dig your feet into the ground like you¡¯re trying not to get pushed back, Meri. The same way you always do.¡¯


    ¡°Um, oh. Ok!¡± She smiles, widening her stance and following the Mage¡¯s orders. Meri gasps right as her foot makes contact with the stone floor, but nothing appears out of place to everyone else. ¡°Wow...!¡± She says, her face lighting up with spectacle.


    ¡°What are they doing, Meri?¡± I have an idea, of course, but I can¡¯t verify without hearing it.


    The Shield Maiden removes her feet from the ground, lifting them up to show everyone the effect. These outsoles were completely flat just moments ago, yet now they¡¯ve transformed into cleats with long, protruding spikes covering almost every inch of their surface. ¡°Even though the ground is stone, I¡¯m able to dig in! Now I¡¯ll never be knocked around!¡±


    There are no holes beneath where Meri¡¯s boot just was. I think the cleats are just for show and don¡¯t actually have any bearing on the item¡¯s effect. While I¡¯m inspecting them, the cleats retract back into her boots. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go try it out on the gold floor!¡± She runs back with excitement, her armor clanging as she goes.


    ¡®It should work. My spell said they¡¯re called Constant Cleats, and their effect is very obvious.¡¯


    From over in the warehouse room, Meri confirms happily that they do, in fact, work on the gold flooring. This new addition to Meri¡¯s arsenal is a wonderful treasure, especially with how they cover up one of her most significant weaknesses.


    Having no reason to linger in the empty statue chamber, they rejoin Meri, and we decide it¡¯s time to sort things out with Sam. We all had a much-needed break, we stole an absurd amount of lingerie and sex toys, but now we need to get serious again. Together, the party marches to the exit of the chamber before stopping.


    ¡®Now, just to remind you both, Sir, Sammy, this is not without complications. Mentalimancy is not a specialty of mine, as I¡¯ve only ever used it on myself. I know my own mind, and during my worst... episodes, I¡¯ve used this spell to bring me back to neutral. This school of magic requires much actual practice to pull off, and most of my experience is theoretical. While I¡¯m not against doing it for you just this once, Sammy, I do want to spell all of this out beforehand in the event that it goes awry. In other words, don¡¯t blame me if this fucks up.¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I got it. Scramble my brain already, Doc.¡± Sam¡¯s patience runs low, and she begins tapping her foot onto the golden floor.


    ¡®Don¡¯t make light of this, Sammy. You might be rendered incoherent for days until Opal can fix my mistake.¡¯


    ¡°W-We can¡¯t do this dungeon without Sam, though... so...¡± Meri shuffles in place, nervousness rising.


    ¡°Meri is right. Scramble her brain, Zutiria.¡± I sigh, cradling my forehead in my palm for support. Snow¡¯s paw supportively pats my thigh. ¡°Gods, this better work...¡± Muttering to myself, I clench my spare hand into a fist while I watch as Zutiria raises her elegant staff.


    ¡®Understood, Sir.¡¯ She points the weapon at Sam¡¯s head and whispers, ¡°Stem Loballance.¡± A light flashes out over and over again as many tiny, electric hands dart out from the staff and invades the Princess¡¯s skull. Her head begins glowing with lightning as Zutiria closes her eyes and focuses on re-arranging Sam¡¯s brain chemistry to put an upper limit on Her Highness¡¯s capacity to feel anger for the time being.


    It¡¯s not a pretty sight, and Meri and Peri have to look away as it happens. It only lasts for a few moments, thankfully... I was reaching my limit, too.


    Sam stands in place as the spell ends, the lightning fizzling out until the last spark fades away entirely. At first, she doesn¡¯t look like anything happened to her at all. The Princess¡¯s expression is the same as when the spell started. In other words, totally normal.


    ¡°Sam...? Are you alright?¡±


    As if her response was delayed until now, her typically fierce and bratty eyes turn placid and mellow. Her cocky smile becomes replaced by a wide, dull grin, and her cheeks start blushing mildly. ¡°Daddyyyy!¡± She continues smiling without a care in the world. ¡°I feel so gooooood right now...! Wooooooow! Is this what normal people feel liiiiike...? Its like... holy shiiiiit, I just... um... I don¡¯t remember where I was going with this, but I looooove you, Daddyyyyy...!!¡±


    ¡°...Sam?¡± Meri blinks at her friend, frightened for what has become of her. ¡°Oh, no... S-Sam?!¡±


    My brain convulses as if a migraine is on its way. Slumping against the desk, I groan, ¡°Gods fucking damn it, Zutiria, you broke Sam.¡±


    ¡®You said, and I quote, ¡®Scramble her brain, Zutiria¡¯. I did only as I was asked.¡¯


    ¡°You said the spell would bring her back to neutral.¡±


    ¡®No, I said I used it to bring myself back to neutral. For Sammy, it appears to have gone past neutral.¡¯


    ¡°Sam sounds like Cherry on catnip, nyaa...¡± Peri tilts her head.


    ¡°I-It was one time, gods, are you ever gonna let me hear the end of that?!¡± Cherry blushes fiercely, crossing her arms while Peri has a giggle at her expense.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be embarrassed, Cherry. Sometimes a girl just has to have herself a smoke,¡± Snowball sighs wearily as she says something I was never expecting to hear from her in a million years.


    ¡°Wait, what the fuck? Are you saying you light up? YOU?¡± Cherry blinks at the respectable maid who taught her everything she knows about being a prim and proper lady.


    ¡°Sure. You try being head maid without having a vice or two to keep your head on your shoulders, nyaa.¡± Snow smiles at the pink-haired kitten, and for once, it seems like they¡¯re having an intimate moment that doesn¡¯t involve Snow¡¯s trademark riding crop.


    ¡°Hey! pretty kitty! I can hear you, but can you hear me? Heeeeey!¡± Sam waves vapidly around the warehouse at no one in particular. ¡°Pretty kitty?¡±


    ¡°...Hi, dear. How are you feeling?¡± Snow reluctantly answers.


    ¡°Daddy wants to fuck you!¡± Sam smiles bright and cheery as if revealing this fact was doing me a gigantic favor.


    I continue to slump over the desk and groan.


    ¡°I am well aware, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Sam, enough, can you fight?¡± I change the topic as fast as possible.


    ¡°Heck yeah, Daddyyyyy! I¡¯m gooooood at that!¡± Sam draws her sword from its sling to prove her point and begins doing several practice slices and fancy foot maneuvers. Much to everyone¡¯s surprise, not a whole lot of Sam¡¯s skill has been lost during the brain-scrambling.


    ¡°...Alright, whatever. Next room.¡±


    ¡°Kay! Love you, Daddy!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°SAY IT.¡± Sam stamps her foot at me, not angrily- since she can¡¯t feel anger right now, but grumpily.


    ¡°...I love you, too, Princess. Now get in the next fucking room before I have an aneurism.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡± She says and marches off with the party in tow.

 Rapid Progress

    With the mentally-addled Princess leading the pack, the party advances deeper into the Pimpfort once more.


    Leaving the mini-boss room behind, they journey down a strangely shaped golden hallway leading west, south-west, and then very briefly south. There were no traps or anything of note in the hall between chambers, which is good because Sam seems like she¡¯s paying less attention to that sort of thing.


    When they enter the newest chamber, the group pauses so we can observe the surroundings and let it all sink in. The room is narrow but not tiny. Six suspicious holes are lined up on the sides of each wall. At first glance, they bring to mind those generic traps that shoot arrows from the wall. No matter the resemblance, they¡¯re much too big for that.


    There is no exit visible, which must mean there¡¯s a condition to making it appear. As soon as I give the go-ahead to walk a bit further into the mysterious dungeon chamber, the condition becomes apparent.


    Three wisps of pink smoke dance through the air on the far end of the chamber. They trace intricate circular patterns resembling some sort of summoning sigil. When completed, the sigils grow bright pink and open a portal to Goddess knows where. Three beings step out of the gates, and there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t recognize them. Not with all the erotic fiction I read.


    ¡°O-OH NO!¡± Meri gasps. Her eyes grow wide from terror because- of course- she, too, understands the threat.


    Standing the same size as regular humans, these figures are near-naked men with cloven hooves, fuzzy goat legs, horns, and incredibly painful-looking iron chastity belts strapped to their nethers. Muffling their screams are bright pink ball-gags, and covering their eyes are black leather blindfolds.


    Feral Satyrs.


    One of Grekka¡¯s native monsters species, Satyrs are a stable of erotic fiction. Some cruel tales mention these naturally lustful demi-humans being enslaved by Sorceresses through promises of pleasure, only to have their self-awareness stripped of them through neglect-play that never ended. Now, these monsters are often used as guards against female adventurers. I don¡¯t need to bring up where such stories typically go. Suffice to say, they usually find a method to remove their chastity belts by the end of it.


    ¡®Such pitiful creatures.¡¯ Zutiria looks upon the pained Goatmen with sympathy.


    ¡°Indeed...¡± Snow raises an eyebrow while eyeing their chastity belts with a concerning amount of interest. I hate to break it to her that I¡¯m not into that...


    ¡°Duuuuuude, how do they go pee?¡± Sam snorts, pointing at the misfortunate creatures and laughing.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Just stay cautious. Don¡¯t make the first mo-¡± I don¡¯t even have to warn the girls because before I finish my sentence, the Feral Satyrs all rush across the chamber in an attempt to attack the adventurers.


    Stupidity ensues.


    All three charging Goatmen trigger the room¡¯s traps, which reveal the six large holes on the side of the wall to contain gigantic wooden penises the size of battering rams. As soon as one Satyr steps close enough, the nearest ram barrels out of its hole to brutally bash the monster. Due to the room¡¯s nature, this impact sends the Satyr to another trap¡¯s strike zone.


    This process starts repeating on a loop. Together, we watch for minutes as the three imposing guard monsters are bashed to bloody pulps by the very traps that were there to improve their own combat odds. While hilarious, it¡¯s also very sad. These poor Satyrs have already been through enough as it is, haven¡¯t they?


    ¡°T-This is embarrassing... I just kinda feel bad for them...¡± Meri is the first to admit.


    ¡®Perhaps this room is meant to symbolize how Pimpington always rushes ahead without caution, at the expense of his own well-being?¡¯ Zutiria offers an admittedly sound theory.


    ¡°Maybe it symbolizes that he¡¯s a fucking dumbass,¡± Cherry responds with an equally valid interpretation.


    After whittling down the enemy¡¯s health for minutes straight, the repetitive traps render the Feral Satyrs completely unable to fight. They drop to the golden floor, bleating through their ball-gags in misery. The party watches in silence to make sure they don¡¯t get a second wind.


    This gets confirmed when a door magically appears at the far side of the room, and the phallic battering rams retreat back into their holes. They make a loud, clunky sound like they¡¯ve just been locked into place.


    Satisfied and ecstatic, Sam pumps her fist into the air and cheers, ¡°We did it! Did you see us, Daddy! We didn¡¯t even need to do anything, we¡¯re the best at adventuring!! The BEST!¡±


    ¡°Yes, dear, you¡¯re very good at standing there doing nothing,¡± I confirm, much to the simple Princess¡¯s pleasure. She giggles rather cutely in response.


    After sweeping the room for anything out of the ordinary and finding nothing of the sort, the Party leaves the Feral Satyrs¡¯ embarrassing chamber behind them. They exit through the secret door into a corridor leading south and then east for a decent stretch.


    The girls proceed into the next chamber to find a suspicious display. Rather than the walls and floor being lined with gold, this room looks like a luxurious palace bedroom. Indeed, three large white beds with pink pillows lie in a row to the north, and a steaming hot bathtub big enough for at least ten people sits to the south.


    This room is comforting and friendly, which sets off a million different alarms all at the same time. The only thing that seems normal is a locked door to the east, meaning there¡¯s some way to progress that we aren¡¯t currently sure of.


    ¡°Aw heck yeah! Daddy, looks like it¡¯s nap time! Can I have a bath first? The water looks so waaaaaarm-¡± Sam sighs in a hazy, dream-like tone before walking towards the bed.


    ¡°Wait, Sam. Let me think.¡±


    Sam stops advancing towards the bed and smiles a vapid smile. ¡°Ok, Daddy! I¡¯m not good at thinking, so I¡¯m so happy when you do it for me, ehehe!¡±


    Meri and Zutiria exchange concerned looks at each other while Snow giggles to my left.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look right, nyaa.¡± Peri leans into the screen from over my shoulder. ¡°Search for traps?¡± She asks, using the closeness to nuzzle into my neck.


    I give her a loving scratch and nod. ¡°You heard the kitty, Sam. Poke shit with your sword and see if you can set anything off.¡±


    ¡°Will do!¡± Sam salutes the air and draws her sword.


    She walks over to the bathtub, first, breathing in the scent of the warm and bubbly bathwater. The loopy Princess then stabs into the tub with her sword, and an unearthly screech is heard right afterward. Lifting her blade out of the tub, she reveals a strange-looking squid monster with unnerving, explicitly shaped tentacles.


    I don¡¯t recognize whatever exact species this creature is. Still, the gist of what it is happens to be easily surmisable.


    ¡°Kyah! Look at this, Daddy! It¡¯s a wiggly squiggly dick thingy!¡± She laughs while looking at the odd creature skewered at the end of her weapon.


    ¡®Kyah¡¯? What the fuck is kyah? I¡¯ve never heard Sam make such a sound in my life.


    Judging from the shape of this creature¡¯s appendages, the implications of what would have happened if they stripped and went inside are apparent.


    ¡°Really?¡± I sigh. ¡°Dungeons with rape traps rarely exist in real life. They¡¯re mostly the stuff of fiction...¡±


    ¡®You knew the risks that come with sending us to the giant gold penis castle, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°Good point...¡±


    ¡°I-I like reading about that kinda stuff, but I don¡¯t ever want it to happen for real...¡± Meri frows as she watches the last throes of life leave the squid. It soon dies from bleeding out, covering the bathwater in its ichor.


    ¡°Might want to poke the beds, too, at any rate.¡± Snow suggests.


    ¡°Ok, pretty kitty!¡± After releasing the dead squid into the bathwater, Sam follows the command of the older maid. Running over to the three beds, the Princess stabs down hard on the leftmost mattress.


    The furniture screams in pain, as furniture so often does.


    Jokes aside, the impaled bed begins writhing in pain. Blood begins to pool from the middle, and when Sam pulls back on her sword, it becomes lifeless, as a bed should.


    Rather than wait for their turn, the middle and right mattresses spring to life and fold in on themselves. Rows of sharp, uneven teeth jut out from top and bottom, and their pink pillows now resemble a human tongue.


    ¡°Mimics...¡± I note, judging the enemy up.


    ¡°Mimics a-aren¡¯t just treasure chests?¡± Meri asks while running forward and stabbing the mattress monster on the right repeatedly with her sword until it dies, crying out in pain.


    ¡°Treasure Mimics make up the overwhelming majority of the species, but there are variants. Beds, wardrobes, dressers, nightstands... anything that would make you lower your guard, really. Toilet mimics are particularly noteworthy for their high fatality rate. Once you sit down, it¡¯s already too late...¡±


    ¡°Gross! That¡¯s nasty, Daddy! Pft. Nasty Daddy.¡± Sam laughs at her own simple joke before splitting the remaining Mimic in half right as it jumps up to try and bite her.


    ¡°Indeed. Is that everything, then?¡± I ask the adventurers while scanning the deceptive, cozy-looking room for anything that seems out of place.


    Before they can answer, the locked door unlocks and clears that question right up.


    ¡°W-Wow...! We got through these rooms really fast...!¡± Meri sighs with relief.


    ¡®I assume we¡¯re getting closer to the end.¡¯ Zutiria lets out a weary sigh, ignoring that she contributed nothing for the last two rooms, and took a lengthy mid-dungeon nap. She has no reason to be tired, but whatever.


    ¡°Already?!¡± Sam whines. ¡°But there¡¯s so much cool and funny stuff here! And I get to hang out with everyone, too!¡±


    ¡°We can all hang out when you come home, Sam. Focus.¡± I tell her and watch as she gives me yet another random salute before leading the party past the next door into whatever lies in wait...

 Introduction to Advanced Pimplore

    Together, everyone leaves the trap-filled relaxation room and move into the next room. We all see a golden corridor with paintings on both sides of the wall, six in total. At the end of this familiar passage lies a t-shaped split leading to three doors. The magical spotlights flicker on and off, all pointing straight at the giant door to the east.


    This door is easily more immense than the mini-boss room¡¯s door that came before it, and it¡¯s a wondrous sight to behold as far as artisan skill is concerned. Carved into the door is an intricate mural of Sir Pimpington facing down a mirrored version of his knightly past-self, each man impaling the other in the heart with the same rapier. At the point of impact on each man¡¯s heart is a large lock with an empty and awaiting keyhole.


    I believe it¡¯s evident to everyone that behind this symbolic door is the man himself. More specifically, it¡¯s his boss room. Many dungeons have their boss monsters behind locked doors, so it¡¯s not a surprise to anyone to see this. I assume the doors leading to the north and south will contain the keys we need to open the path to Pimpington.


    First things first, the girls stop to check the various paintings hung on the illustrious golden walls of the hallway.


    ¡°While we¡¯re here, we might as well...¡± I sigh, giving my express permission to go ahead and get this ham-fisted dungeon exposition over with.


    Sam, Meri, and Zutiria all excitedly begin to look through the artwork depicting our enemy¡¯s inner psyche... or however this works, I¡¯m still not totally sure.


    It seems these paintings tell a story in three sequential parts on each row.


    Starting with the left-hand wall, we have a painting of the Guild receptionist discussing something with an unknown older man. Judging by his attire and demeanor, he seems to be a high-ranking member of the Association. My first guess is that perhaps he¡¯s the Guild Master of Imperalis¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild. This man is checking over paperwork that the woman just handed him.


    What¡¯s most unsettling is that there¡¯s almost sickening grin on his face, like he was remembering a secret joke that makes sense only to him. The woman is laughing at something, too, though she seems a bit more conflicted.


    Neither member of the conversation is aware that Sir Chasteworthe is listening in from another room. Whatever they¡¯re talking about, it twists his countenance with horror and shock. The man looks like his sense of reality was devastated before his eyes. Almost like from this point on, nothing in his life will ever make sense again.


    It¡¯s hard not to feel a small bit of pity for the future pimp when looking at a face like that...


    ¡°Oh dang, she was cheating on him!¡± Sam whistles inappropriately as she states her assumption.


    ¡®We don¡¯t know that for sure, Sammy. These paintings tell a very vague story. Not to mention they¡¯re all from Pimpington¡¯s point of view. There might be a bias at work.¡¯ Zutiria tilts her head and thinks aloud to herself.


    In the second painting, we see the knight brutally stab the old man a disturbing number of times with his sword. Blood erupts from the many wounds like fountains of blood and the receptionist watches this terrifying display in terror. Even despite her screaming protests, Chasteworthe doesn¡¯t stop his brutality. His eyes are overtaken by a creeping, sunken apathy.


    ¡°Woah! Nice, dude!¡± Sam inappropriately gapes at the violence, seeming more than pleased for whatever reason.


    For the last of this row, Chasteworthe is being led away from the crime scene by city guards with his head hung low. His arrest seems voluntary. Despite his brutal murder, he isn¡¯t putting up any struggle.


    Chasteworthe¡¯s countless admirers look upon him with sadness and disbelief, including a devastated Lemira and Rhaelyn depicted in the foreground. Lemira looks a good deal younger, but Rhaelyn is an Elf so she looks more or less the same. Neither are wearing micro-bikinis and are instead wearing matching leather armor. The two future henchwomen cry out and extend their hands towards him, but the disgraced knight ignores them and chooses to stare at the floor.


    ¡°H-He killed that man...!¡± Meri bites her lip as her empathy kicks into overdrive. ¡°I-I guess that woman really WAS cheating on him! Oh, Gods...!¡±


    ¡®That seems to be the simplest answer- which would fit the running theme of this dungeon.¡¯ Zutiria remarks while adjusting the rim of her large, round glasses. She inspects the oil paintings¡¯ intricate details, trying to unravel every last mystery they have to solve.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, it kinda sucks, but if he didn¡¯t wanna get cucked, then the dude shoulda had better taste in women!¡± Sam laughs vacantly, staring at the victim riddled with holes like it was hilarious. She looks rather creepy while doing this, and I¡¯m not the only one who thinks so...


    I don¡¯t say anything in response, merely continuing to observing the artwork on display. Snow taps my shoulder, drawing my attention to her oncoming question. ¡°You¡¯re not convinced by any of this, are you? Just because the puzzles in the Pimpfort have all had easy solutions doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that everything should be taken exactly at face value, nyaa...¡±


    All I can do is sigh and repeat myself. ¡°Again, I don¡¯t see why that would matter. All this is irrelevant to defeating Pimpington, but while we have the time, we might as well indulge in what the dungeon seems so desperate to show us.¡± It¡¯s not that I¡¯m uninterested, per se. I¡¯m just more anxious about the party battling him than anything else.


    Peri has a different take on the situation, saying, ¡°He¡¯s shady, nyaa. Gotta make sure to learn all we can, never know what might help defeat him.¡±


    ¡°Sure, but Myaster¡¯s got a point, too. You don¡¯t gotta know someone¡¯s life story to kick them in the balls.¡± Cherry crosses her arms in annoyance.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Still, I suppose I just admittedly find myself interested in what would corrupt someone who seemed to be a shining paragon of chivalry, nyaa...¡± Snow nods her head, and together we turn our attention to the second row of paintings. Without a doubt, it¡¯s for sure a direct continuation of the events from the last row.


    The first artwork displays Chasteworthe walking away defeated from a large mansion. The background clearly depicts the many keeps and castles of Imperalis, with Castle Lundreame itself towering over them all in the far-off distance. Watching him go from the mansion¡¯s gate is a collection of over-dressed nobles vaguely resembling Chasteworthe, sharing his same sharp face and luxuriously curled black hair. He¡¯s wearing extremely simple clothes, like that of a peasant. All the man has to his name is his rose rapier and a small, measly bag of gold strapped to his unimpressive belt.


    ¡®His family disowned him. It must have been quite a scandal at the time. Ring any bells, Sammy?¡¯ Zutiria comes to the same conclusion that I did.


    ¡°Nope! Why, should it?¡± Sam predictably has no idea what¡¯s going on, judging by her ¡®nobody¡¯s home¡¯ smile and her dilated pupils.


    ¡°O-Oh, dear. This next painting is, um...¡± Meri blushes and covers her mouth, drawing all of our attention to the next piece of art.


    Sir Chasteworthe sits naked on a bed in a seedy, run-down brothel, surrounded by four beautiful women. Each one performs sexual favors on him, and his face is peaceful, happy, yet distant. The disgraced knight feels false happiness from his false pleasures. Interestingly, the one currently riding him has her tongue sticking out, and on top of it is an uneaten cherry.


    ¡°Look, it¡¯s you,¡± Peri purrs, pointing at the screen as Cherry rolls her eyes. Something tells me this isn¡¯t the first time Peri has tried this joke.


    ¡°That just leaves one last painting, then...¡± Snow rubs her chin, and I can see she¡¯s more into this than she originally was. I guess knowing that her tribe sisters are safe until further notice has given the older maid sufficient time to properly appreciate pimp lore.


    Finally, we all inspect the last painting in the second row.


    The man that was Sir Chasteworthe has died, and depicted in this final illustration is the birth of a pimp. The man leaves the four prostitutes behind him in a sex coma, and from the coathanger outside the door, he steals a shabby-looking pimp coat and pulls his first pimp hat over his head. This stolen outfit is a far cry from the standard outfit we¡¯ve seen him wearing in the modern-day, being much less gaudy in comparison.


    I suppose everyone has to start somewhere.


    ¡®And thus, a pimp was born. Like a degenerate phoenix rising from the ashes.¡¯ Zutiria declares with mock enthusiasm. ¡®Is this the part where we all puzzle out the exact timeline of events and make our definitive guess as to what exactly happened in this sad, pathetic man¡¯s life story?¡¯


    ¡°No. It¡¯s time to get ready to collect the boss keys from the two remaining rooms. We¡¯re almost to the end, and you all have to stay alert. There¡¯s no telling what dangers are left in this dungeon.¡±


    ¡°Daddy is too cool for pimplore,¡± Sam teases, sticking her tongue out at me through the display. Everyone has a good chuckle at her words, causing me to sigh.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to be tying him up and capturing him, so we can ask him ourselves later. Would that make you all happy?¡±


    ¡°W-Wait is that our plan...? I was kinda wondering about that.¡± Meri tilts her head and raises her hand. ¡°It¡¯s not like the city guards will put him in jail if we hand him over, r-right? The Duke is in control and wouldn¡¯t let that happen...¡±


    ¡®They¡¯d put him right back on the streets within minutes. I suppose now is as good a time as any to figure out what will be the actual course of action we¡¯ll take.¡¯


    ¡°Adventurers aren¡¯t assassins,¡± Sam mimics my words like a parrot. ¡°We gotta do this right, or Daddy will get mad at us and not in a good way!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sam. I would certainly not feel like spanking you if you murdered a man in cold blood.¡± She giggles as I chide her with sarcasm, not getting the joke.


    ¡°I¡¯m still considering our options,¡± I admit. There¡¯s not much we can do with a captured pawn of the Duke, after all. Even if I was ok with just killing Pimpington on the spot, which I¡¯m not, we¡¯d risk intel we could gain through interrogating him.


    Worst case scenario, I¡¯ll have Zutiria warp to Dawnstead tomorrow so she can bring Opal home early, and then we¡¯ll see if Lord Gloomcrest would take the criminal into custody.


    I explain all these thoughts to the girls, and I face no objections. Snow ends up offering one more suggestion, but it¡¯s one I¡¯m not too keen on. ¡°If there are no other options, the breeding tribe can take him into custody as a prisoner. We deal with the Royal Family itself and could take him to the King¡¯s Court-


    ¡°That¡¯s my asshole real dad!¡± Sam gasps like a child hearing a naughty word.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Mistress,¡± Snow continues on as if the Princess never interjected. ¡°I would prefer if you had a better alternative, as we¡¯d be making an open target of ourselves on the road, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Well, I think we have more than enough to consider for the moment. For now, let¡¯s hunker down and get going. We¡¯re almost there, girls. Two rooms and two keys. You ready for this?¡±


    ¡°Heck yeah!¡± Sam smiles a vacant smile, dashing off towards the door to the north.


    ¡®Looks like we have our door,¡¯ Zutiria shrugs while following after the Princess.


    Meri joins them as well, yawning, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girls... we¡¯re almost here... we¡¯ll save you...¡±


    The northern door opens as soon as Sam hits the button, and the final stretch of the Pimpfort begins.


    PunishedKom


    Long rant about the stupid way this site does trending-


    The way this site determines trending is so fucking broken lmao, it takes your last 2 days and looks for a spike but if you''ve also been in the top 100 lately it makes it less likely to happen. This is shit cause it fucks over every one like me who updates multiple times a week/day. My viewcount is higher than #1 on trending constantly, yet I never reach top 10 because even when I DO have spikes in viewership it''s cancelled out cause I perform so well that I''m constantly in the top 100 somewhere lmao. Not saying I ''deserve'' it or anything, I''m just mad that I haven''t gotten it once when it would help a lot. Ah well, not gonna mess with it again.


    As a bonus for waiting, here''s some art! I have finally fully designed Sir Pimpington and his sword!


    If you support me on Patreon you can also see the character design for Sam''s dad that I made, too!! I felt inspired to finally decide what he looks like, but he''s so far away that sharing it publicly doesn''t make sense. In general if you want me to do more art for the series you should pledge, as it gives me more time and resources.

 Peri Learns About Harmful Beastfolk Stereotypes

    The party of three steps into a large, circular room with a domed roof. In the middle of the room is what feels like the umpteenth stone statue we¡¯ve seen tonight. This time, instead of some over-the-top display depicting the life of Sir Pimpington, the sculpture is just a standard-looking blind goddess holding a set of scales in one hand and a large key in the other.


    Aside from the key, it¡¯s a popular motif that I¡¯ve seen before, even if I¡¯m not sure what realm¡¯s Goddess this sort of statue is supposed to be depicting.


    Sam, not trusting this situation after what happened in the first room, draws her sword. ¡°Another one of these dummies? I can handle it!¡±


    As if on cue, the statue rumbles. The lifeless stone eyes begin blinking as they fill with a magical light. Her Highness gets ready to attack, but she¡¯s stopped by the Golem extending its hand as it begins speaking in a booming voice. ¡°PUT YOUR WEAPON AWAY, CHILD. THIS IS NOT THAT SORT OF TEST. JUST AS MY MASTER¡¯S SECRETS WERE LAID BARE, SO TOO MUST YOU REVEAL YOUR OWN SECRETS IF YOU WISH TO PROGRESS!¡±


    Huh. Well, that¡¯s relatively straightforward.


    ¡®My disappointment is immeasurable,¡¯ Zutiria makes a disgruntled grumble of depression as she clutches her staff to her chest. ¡®You can¡¯t make me. I won¡¯t do it.¡¯


    ¡°THESE SECRETS MAY BE ABOUT ANYTHING, SO LONG AS THEY ARE EMBARRASSING. THEY DO NOT NECESSARILY HAVE TO INVOLVE ONE¡¯S TROUBLING PERSONAL HISTORY.¡± The statue clarifies conveniently for Zutiria. The little Mage lowers her guard a tad but continues to give the Golem a troubled glare.


    ¡°That¡¯s not so bad, is it?¡± Meri smiles at her friend, trying to cheer up the petite woman.


    ¡®I¡¯m still less than enthused, but I will participate if something comes to mind that doesn¡¯t encroach on my privacy too much...¡¯ Zutiria crosses her arms, pouting.


    Turning on the voice transmission, I call out to the key¡¯s guardian. ¡°Can we at home participate as well, or does it have to be the adventurers who are present in the room with you?¡±


    ¡°LOOK, I DON¡¯T REALLY CARE. THE ONLY RULE IS DON¡¯T LIE. NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. I¡¯LL JUST KNOW IF YOU¡¯RE LYING AND THE SECRET WON¡¯T COUNT.¡±


    ¡°Magical truth or dare, without the dares!!¡± Peri clasps her paws together in excitement.


    ¡°But without the dares, it¡¯s no fun, nyaa...¡± Cherry points out, upset.


    ¡°Settle down, girls. I¡¯m sure the two of you can convince the Myaster to play the more fun version with you sometime after you¡¯re properly mated to him.¡± Snow sighs while her words bring out a shared blush and giggle from the younger maids.


    ¡°H-How many secrets do we have to tell you?¡± Meri sets down her shield on the nearest wall, feeling we might be here for a while.


    To answer her question, the statue sets the key on one half of the scale. It falls fast, and the opposite scale rises into the air. ¡°EACH SECRET WILL TIP THE SCALES. ONCE THE BALANCE IS COMPLETELY REVERSED, I WILL GIFT THE KEY TO YOU.


    It¡¯s just sitting there, unguarded. This is our chance. ¡°Girls-¡±


    ¡°I KNOW HOW CHEEKY YOU ARE WHEN IT COMES TO ADVENTURING, SO BEFORE ANYONE GETS ANY IDEAS I WANT TO MENTION THAT THE KEY WILL EXPLODE IF TAKEN OFF THE SCALES ON ITS OWN.¡±


    ¡°Heh, Daddy got called out for cheating!¡± Sam snorts at me.


    ¡°Forgive me for trying to clear this dungeon as efficiently as possible,¡± I sigh. ¡°Who wants to start?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll go with something light to test how much it¡¯s worth,¡¯ Zutiria looks up at the blind statue before telling it, ¡®I like sniffing Sir¡¯s balls, and it¡¯s not just because I can smell the mana brewing in them. They are ripe with manly musk, and they stir my womanhood, or whatever.¡¯


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA! Ball-sniffer.¡± Sam erupts into laughter, and Zutiria shuts her eyes from frustration.


    ¡°EVERYONE KNOWS THAT,¡± The statue says. Indeed, the scale doesn¡¯t move at all.


    The little Mage shrugs, accepting her lot in life. ¡®I tried, alright? Someone else, please go and embarrass themselves next.¡¯


    ¡°Does anyone have anything juicy they want to get off their chest? The bigger, the better.¡± I ask all six girls who could potentially say something. ¡°If I have to, I can step forward.¡±


    ¡°Do it, Daddy! Do it!¡± Sam chants with glee, eager to have me reveal the ace up my sleeve.


    Clearing my throat, I say with surgical precision, ¡°I find Meri¡¯s tummy arousing. I want to touch it and tease her about it, but thus far, I haven¡¯t done so because I know her weight is an upsetting topic, and her feelings mean more to me than sexual gratification.¡±


    ¡°...W-Wha? What? WHAT? MASTER?! I-AH-UM-AH-NO N-N-NO!!¡± Meri falls onto her back as soon as she processes what I just said, and she reaches for her shield to hide behind it. Even though her shield hasn¡¯t glowed, she successfully transforms into turtle form. ¡°M-M-MY TUMMY IS NOT FOR TOUCHING!¡±


    Sam starts laughing at Meri¡¯s expense, while Zutiria¡¯s face takes on a slightly judgmental flavor.


    ¡°ACCEPTABLE,¡± The statue declares as the balance on the scales shifts a little bit. Not too far or anything, but it¡¯s noticeable progress.


    ¡°...So this is what gives you your kicks, huh?¡± Snowball asks while staring at turtle Meri. ¡°I suppose I can¡¯t judge, Myaster.¡±


    ¡°Nobody else was offering anything, so I had to throw something out there. Anyone have anything to volunteer?¡± I ask while shrugging my shoulders, purposefully moving on from Meri¡¯s embarrassment to give her time to recover.


    The next voice comes from someone I didn¡¯t expect...


    ¡°U-Ummmm... maybe, nyaa?¡± Peri says behind me. She shuffles over to lean down against my shoulder. As I feel her large, pillowy breasts press into me, Peri bites her luscious lower lip and stares forward at the Taskmaster screen.


    ¡°Go on, Peri. No one else is taking the opportunity.¡± I¡¯m admittedly curious as to what my adorable maid has to confess.


    ¡°...Do you promise not to be mad, Myaster?¡± She asks shyly.


    Such a beautiful red flag. Wonderful.


    ¡°One way to find out,¡± I tell her in return.


    Peri hangs her head, causing her bangs to cover even more of her face than usual. With great apprehension, the little kitten says, ¡°I stole all of the Guild¡¯s bottles of Succu-bye, dumped them out, and filled them with water. That way, when it was time for you to mate with Cherry and me, we wouldn¡¯t actually be on birth control, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Ah. Yes, as one does.¡± I nod my head. Thank the Gods that I made sure Cherry hid all the new bottles we stole from Pimpington''s warehouse...


    ¡°...YOU DID WHAT?!¡± Cherry¡¯s face blushes profusely, and her claws come out as she scratches the sides of her wooden stool out of sudden anger.


    ¡°YOU WANT MYASTER¡¯S KITTENS TOO, AND EVERYONE KNOWS IT! I WAS HELPING!!¡± Peri hisses at Cherry while I sit here, blinking in abject disbelief.


    ¡°ACCEPTABLE,¡± As everyone processes what the blue-haired kitten just admitted to, the scales tip even more. Much more than my confession did, but not enough to get us to the crucial halfway point.


    ¡°Peri, sweetheart. I would like a word with you in the other room, nyaa.¡± Snow stands from her seat and manifests her riding crop while none of us we looking. A murderous, silent smile sends chills down into Peri¡¯s spine, but she knows better than to defy the head maid.


    ¡°O-Of course, S-Snowball...¡± The naughty girl stammers, not even attempting to run. Peri follows Snow away to her fate, and not even seconds after the door closes behind them, I hear a terrifying series of tool-assisted spanks.


    ¡°I DON¡¯T CARE WHAT THAT STATUE SAYS, YOUR BEHAVIOUR IS THE MOST UNACCEPTABLE THING I¡¯VE EVER HEARD, YOUNG LADY-¡±


    ¡°NYAA STOP IT, STOP ITTT, I WAS PLANNING ON USING THAT ASS SOON, SNOWWWW-! OW, FUCK, THAT ASS HAS PLANS! IT HAS PLANSSSSSSSSS!!¡±


    ¡°CONSIDER THEM CANCELLED! YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SURPRISE THE MYASTER WITH UNWANTED KITTENS JUST BECAUSE YOUR INSTINCTS ARE TELLING YOU TO BREED?! WE ARE NOT BEASTS, PERIWINKLE! WE ARE BEAST-FOLK-!! CONTROL YOURSELF, NYAA!! THIS IS HOW WE GET SUCH HARMFUL STEREOTYPES!!¡±


    ¡°NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH-¡±


    This goes on for almost thirty seconds, and it¡¯s so loud that even the party back at the dungeon can hear it. We all just listen and wait, wincing in pain every time we hear the crop smack Peri¡¯s ass. Once the punishment is adequately completed, only Snow re-enters the office.


    ¡°Peri is having a little nap, nyaa. She will rejoin us once the ability to use her legs returns to her, Myaster.¡± The head maid says in a low, contemplative tone.


    ¡°...Right.¡±


    Cherry is stunned beyond belief. Mumbling to herself as she trembles, she thinks aloud, ¡°E-e-e-even I¡¯ve never been punished t-t-t-that hard... I d-d-d-didn¡¯t know Snow could get even worse...!!¡± The pitiable, pink-haired kitten has the face of a soldier returning home from war...


    ¡°Hi! It¡¯s me again, pretty kitty!¡± Sam, still suffering from her botched brain-spell, calls out to the maid who just came back.


    ¡°Hello again, Mistress,¡± Snow politely smiles as she takes her seat.


    ¡°Pretty kitty, I think you should tell the stone lady a secret! Even you have to have one, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, dear, I don¡¯t think I...¡± Mid-sentence, Snow pauses, and for some reason, she takes a glance at me. Sadness fills her eyes, and she lowers her head. ¡°...On second thought, I might have something to say, I suppose. But I don¡¯t think it will make anyone very happy.¡±


    I swallow down a small amount of nervousness that crops up upon hearing her words. ¡°Well, you might as well get on with it. It¡¯s not like Meri is going to be offering any secrets any time soon.¡±


    ¡°N-N-NOT FOR TOUCHING!¡± The Shield Maiden reminds me from behind her shield, still trembling on the ground.


    Snow takes a deep breath before letting it all out in a single, profoundly melancholic sigh. ¡°If I had absolutely no other responsibilities, I would come work for the Myaster in a heartbeat, nyaa. I am deeply attracted to him, and I wish only that I was fortunate enough to have met him earlier in my life before things got so complicated.¡±


    The statue is pleased, and its eyes shine brightly upon hearing Snow¡¯s confession. ¡°ACCEPTABLE,¡± The scales tip past the halfway mark, likely owing to how emotional this was for the maid to own up to.


    Cherry reaches out her paw to cusp Snow¡¯s shoulder, frowning. ¡°Snow...! If you really feel this way, then... why can¡¯t you just...¡±


    ¡°Cherry, don¡¯t pressure her. She¡¯s clearly conflicted enough as it is.¡±


    ¡°But Myaster, Snow wants to work here with you, nyaa! If you just pressuring her, then-¡±


    ¡°Do you think that¡¯s the kind of man I am, Cherry?¡± I turn around in my seat and give the kitten a stern look. ¡°You believe I would just keep pestering a woman I¡¯m interested in until she gives up her entire life to come have sex with me?¡±


    A lump forms in the pink-haired Catfolk¡¯s throat, and her sense of shame grows apparent. ¡°...I-I¡¯m sorry, Myaster... Snow. I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re fine.¡± Snow says in a hollow, despondent voice. She looks away, refusing to make eye contact with either of us. ¡°Best not to dwell on it. I¡¯ve already made my choice.¡±


    I know I shouldn¡¯t challenge her decision, though... my eyes noticed a chink in Snow¡¯s armor. Usually, reading her body language is more challenging than most people because of how guarded she is, but when the older maid said the word ¡®choice,¡¯ her posture, expression, ears, and tail all twinged with sadness all at the same time.


    ¡°People change, Snow. If you made a choice that didn¡¯t work out, I don¡¯t get what¡¯s stopping you from making a different one.¡±


    When she turns to face me, her expression is back to being impenetrable. She nods her head silently, leaving me no way to gauge how she took my advice.


    ¡°Cat people drama is fucking weird!¡± Sam tilts her head. ¡°Everything would be much simpler if Snow just fucked Daddy like she wants to! Once she has some of that fat cock, she¡¯d never wanna leave!¡±


    ¡®Gods, what have I created?¡¯ Zutiria asks, staring at the Princess, who now has even less of a conversational filter than she used to.


    ¡°YOU ARE ONLY TWO OR THREE GOOD ONES AWAY FROM TIPPING THE SCALES, ADVENTURERS. GIVE ME MORE ENTERTAINING DRAMA, AND YOU SHALL BE ON YOUR WAY!¡± The Golem gets impatient, feeling the need to remind us that it¡¯s waiting for more.


    Right before I ask who wants to go next, Cherry speaks up. She clenches her brown paws together into fists as she hangs her head, staring at the office floor below. ¡°Snow? I know she¡¯s in trouble, but can you go get Peri...? I have something I could say, and... I don¡¯t want to say it if she¡¯s not around to hear it...¡±

 Heart to Heart

    Snow was understanding of Cherry¡¯s request and went to go grab several pillows from out of storage to make Peri a new seat on the ground. For reasons which I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no need to explain, the blue-haired Catfolk is now unable to sit on her stool. She makes herself at home on her new temporary pet bed, though, whining as she rubs her pale, bruised butt-flesh while I do everything in my power to avoid staring at the admittedly erotic display.


    ¡°If there¡¯s any left when the girls get home, I¡¯ll let you drink a bit of a health potion. While what you did was bad, I don¡¯t think it warrants ruining your special day tomorrow.¡± I tell the kitten as I reach down to pet her.


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster...¡± Peri purrs at my touch, nuzzling her head against my loving hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t spoil her,¡± Snow reminds me, crossing her arms. This makes the kitten on my hand grumble softly until Cherry defuses the tension by standing up and looking towards the Taskmaster screen.


    ¡°YOU MAY PROCEED, UNSEEN CATFOLK GIRL.¡±


    Cherry starts to sweat, and she frowns as she takes a sharp breath in.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Cherry. You can do this.¡± Doing my best to support the nervous Catfolk, I reach out to take her paw in mine. She stops me from doing so, to my surprise.


    Shaking her head left and right, Cherry frowns and says, ¡°I need to do this without help, nyaa...¡± She turns to look Peri straight in the eyes, or rather, straight in the bangs. ¡°Peri?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cherry...?¡±


    ¡°...Ever since that first trial period we had, I¡¯ve been sabotaging all of our chances at adoption. I knew what I was doing. Even now, I¡¯m not sure what I thought I would gain from this, but... we almost lost everything when it happened, nyaa...¡± She bites her lip, tears starting to well up in her magenta eyes. ¡°Creeps don¡¯t often work their way through the screening process, but...¡±


    ¡°Cherry, no! Don¡¯t blame yourself, nyaa! If you weren¡¯t there to protect me, then we would have-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not done, Peri! I don¡¯t blame myself. I just... took it out on every single person who wanted to give us a chance since then... and I knew I was crowding you and that I never allowed you to improve your skills as a maid, nyaa! I didn¡¯t care! The only thing I DID care about was making sure I was always there to protect you... even if it meant sacrificing our chances at adoption, and even if you ended up hating me for it! I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry for everything that happened to us in the last four years!! It was all my fault, nyaa!!¡±


    ¡°Hee hee hee! Hey, anyone else think that it¡¯s funny how they¡¯re having a dead serious conversation, and they have to keep going ¡®nyaa¡¯ every now and then? Cause I sure as heck- OW!¡± Sam interjects in the rudest way imaginable before Zutiria hits her over the head with her staff.


    ¡®Don¡¯t make me waste mana trying to find a way to quiet you. I don¡¯t know a silencing spell, ironically, so I¡¯d have to get creative...¡¯ The little Mage warns.


    ¡°VERY HEARTWARMING, YES. THIS WAS GOOD DRAMA. THANK YOU.¡± At the statue¡¯s decree, the scales tip a considerable amount, and we¡¯re almost at the point of getting the key. Maybe just one more small to medium-sized secret, and we¡¯ll be good to go.


    Peri looks up at Cherry from her makeshift pet bed at my feet, cheeks red with blush and her mouth opened wide. ¡°Cherry...?¡± She calls out in a soft, gentle tone.


    ¡°Y-Yeah...?¡±


    ¡°I can see your panties from down here, nyaa.¡± Peri giggles as she enjoys the benefits of her worm¡¯s eye view, this sudden revelation sending Cherry into a deep blush of her own.


    ¡°HAH! Panties.¡± Sam snorts, earning her another annoyed sigh from the Mage.


    ¡°W-WHAT THE HECK, PERI!? I WAS TRYING TO BE SERIOUS!!¡± She yells down at her friend, who can¡¯t stop giggling.


    ¡°I know, and I don¡¯t care about any of that stuff,¡± Peri says with a catty, comforting smile. ¡°I¡¯m happy you apologized, but... as long as you know what you did was wrong... none of that matters anymore. We have our Myaster, we have the Mistresses, we have our forever home... and the best part of all is that we found all of these things without losing each other, nyaa.¡±


    Cherry¡¯s face contorts from bewilderment. She looks down at the blue-haired Catfolk by my feet, mouth opening wide from astonishment. ¡°Peri...?¡±


    ¡°I love you, Cherry.¡± She offers up cutely to her longtime friend and lover.


    ¡°...I love you too, Peri!¡± Cherry returns, crying fiercely as she kneels down on her knees to hug the busty kitten for all she¡¯s worth.


    I want to reach down and pet them both, but I know it wouldn¡¯t be right to interrupt their moment and make it all about me. Besides, my attention is quickly taken from their togetherness as soon as I get a look at Snow.


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you girls...¡± Snow says, yet, her face is anything but supportive. She¡¯s trying to make it seem like she¡¯s happy for them, but... the older maid isn¡¯t doing a very good job of it, and she knows it. ¡°I need to go freshen up, nyaa...¡± Excusing herself, Snow rises from her seat and leaves the office.


    Shortly after the white-haired Catfolk exits, I hear the restroom door close in the hall.


    The two kitties are still lost in their own little world hugging each other, so I turn my attention back to the screen. Meri has finally gotten up, although her blush is still ongoing. She sighs, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, Master...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t control what I find hot, Meri.¡± I shrug, knowing full well that wanting to tease her over her soft tummy is a bit ¡®out there¡¯...


    ¡°I-I¡¯m into a LOT of weird stuff because of you, Master, b-but, I¡¯m not gonna let you just... just!!¡± Her face continues reddening before letting out a whiny sigh. ¡°Oh, who am I kidding... I don¡¯t think I fight back against anything you ever wanted to do to me...¡±


    ¡®Perhaps we can have this discussion later,¡¯ Zutiria offers. ¡®I would rather we hurry things up so we can go home and sleep this absurd night off.¡¯


    ¡°But I¡¯m having so much fun with everyone! Daddy, I don¡¯t want to go home!¡± Sam whines.


    ¡°Zutiria¡¯s right. We just need one more small secret to tip the scales once and for all, and we¡¯ll earn us that boss key. So come on, now. Anyone?¡±


    ¡°U-Um... I think I can do one... I don¡¯t wanna give you another chance to embarrass me, Master.¡± Meri puts her foot down. I didn¡¯t know she was so cute when pretending to be mad at me... it makes me want to tease her more.


    ¡°LET¡¯S HEAR IT, I¡¯M LOOKING FORWARD TO ONE LAST PIECE OF DRAMA BEFORE MY PURPOSE IS SERVED AND I RETURN TO THE COLD, UNCARING VOID OF NON-SENTIENCE FROM WHICH I CAME.¡±


    ¡®No pressure or anything, Meri.¡¯ Zutiria sarcastically adds to the blind Goddess statue¡¯s depressing proclamation.


    Meri takes a really, really deep breath and lowers her head. ¡°One of... my biggest fetishes... t-that I haven¡¯t told anyone about yet... is h-h-husband and wife stuff!! Ever since I read the wedding arc in Dungeon Sluts VII: Tying the Bondage Knot, I keep imagining stuff like... like M-Master coming home from work to see me waiting for him in a naked apron!!¡±


    ¡°But Daddy works from home, dummy.¡± Sam snorts, thinking she¡¯s just the smartest.


    Ignoring the brain-deficient Princess¡¯s interjection, Meri continues on, ¡°A-and then I¡¯d ask him if he wants dinner, a bath, or me!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even make dinner, though. We do, nyaa.¡± Peri offers in a teasing tone.


    ¡®How romantic. Welcome home, Honey. If you want dinner, just let me know, and I¡¯ll have the kitties start on it. The apron? Oh, it¡¯s just for show.¡¯ Zutiria tries to hold back a snarky smile but fails.


    ¡°S-STOP MAKING FUN OF MY FANTASIES!!¡± Meri starts to sniffle, getting dangerously close to returning to turtle form.


    With shining eyes and a satisfied smile, the statue raises the scale as the balance finally shifts entirely to the boss key¡¯s opposite side. ¡°ACCEPTABLE, THE CHUBBY GIRL GETTING TEASED AMUSES ME GREATLY. YOU MAY HAVE THIS KEY. THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME ENTERTAINMENT DURING MY BRIEF EXISTENCE.¡± With those final words of parting, the Golem closes its eyelids for good and returns to being completely static and devoid of life. The much sought-after key tumbles out of her scales and onto the golden floor below, where it¡¯s promptly snatched up by the young Shield Maiden.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± She grumbles adorably.


    Meri deserves a reward, so I try to give her what she wants. ¡°Thank you, my dear. If it makes you feel better, I think you would make a wonderful wife.¡±


    ¡°Master...! W-Wait a second, don¡¯t think I¡¯ve forgiven you over the, um, tummy stuff!¡±


    ¡°We both know you already have, Meri. You don¡¯t have a single mean bone in your body.¡±


    ¡°...Urk.¡± Meri blushes, hanging her head. I grin, knowing I¡¯m right.


    ¡°Daddy, wait! What about me?! I found you first. It¡¯s not fair!¡± Sam interrupts once again.


    ¡°You would make... a wife.¡±


    ¡°Heck yeah!¡± The Princess pumps her fists, unaware of the insult that was just lobbed her way.


    ¡°Beastfolk don¡¯t do marriages, nyaa. Not in that way.¡± Cherry blushes, looking away as her big, fluffy brown tail wiggles excitedly behind her. Beside her, Peri grins.


    ¡°We have the mating ceremony, and that¡¯s it, nyaa! The intent behind it is the same, though. Mutual devotion, till death do us part, blah blah...¡± Peri continues smiling up at me from below before nuzzling her head against my leg. She sure is making fair use of that makeshift pet bed...


    ¡®As much as I would love to sit around and speculate the bizarre reality that will inevitably be Sir¡¯s eventual married life to thirty-seven girls at the same time, we should head to that other room. In the meantime, why don¡¯t you go and check on Snow?¡¯


    ¡°I was just going to suggest that,¡± I say while rising from my seat. ¡°Watch the screen, kitties.¡±


    I leave the office to the sounds of both kittens accepting my command, and right away, I notice a smell in the air that doesn¡¯t quite belong. Is that... fire?

 Smoke Break

    While the situation has me panicked, I come to a logical conclusion very quickly. Its... a strange idea to think about it, but short of being attacked by our enemies through arson- which doesn¡¯t seem to be the case- I can¡¯t think of any other cause for the smell of fire in the air.


    I knock casually three times on the female restroom door. ¡°Snow? Are you doing alright in there?¡±


    Giggling ensues from inside, confirming my suspicions right away. ¡°Y-Yes, Myaster! Couldn¡¯t be better! ...Hehehe. Myaster.¡± Snow says that last part to herself in a dreamy tone of voice like she enjoys the way the word feels when it rolls off the tip of her tongue.


    I sigh and enter the room, finding the older maid sitting on the sink with a rolled-up catnip joint. ¡°While I¡¯m relatively chill about harmless drugs such as this, I¡¯m afraid I have to ask why you felt the need to light up in such a circumstance, Snowball.¡±


    ¡°I could have been doing my business, you know...¡± She laughs casually, contrasting heavily with her usual serious demeanor. ¡°Besides, I wasn¡¯t even gonna smoke the whole thing. I just needed to take the edge off.¡± Snow puts out the tip of the burning herbal joint and stashes it back inside her tracksuit¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t entirely about the abduction, is it?¡±


    Sighing from her spot on the sink while stretching out and cracking her back, Snow looks to me with a dopey grin. ¡°You¡¯re too smart for your own good, Myaster. Heehee. No, I got stressed out from having to hear about how perfect Peri and Cherry¡¯s new lives are.¡±


    For a moment, she stares at me straight on as if expecting me to say something. She raises an eyebrow, and then her eyes narrow. ¡°...Well? Aren¡¯t you going to tell me what a jealous, spiteful bitch I am? Gods know I fucking deserve it, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to contribute to your guilt, Snow. I came to check on you because I was worried.¡±


    ¡°And because you want me.¡± She laughs cheekily, yet it has an undertone of sadness.


    I take in a sharp breath of air through my nose and step forward, leaning against the sink so that I¡¯m face to face with the Catfolk woman. ¡°Maybe instead of looking for more reasons to wallow in self-pity, you could actually try and do something about the problem.¡±


    Snow blushes from the close contact between us before laughing it off. ¡°Are you gonna pin me down against the mirror and kiss me, Myaster?¡± She touches my cheek with a single one of her claws, tracing along down to my chin. ¡°I think you¡¯re going a little crazy because you¡¯ve found something you can¡¯t have, and you want it, nyaa.¡±


    I don¡¯t let her distract me. ¡°And I think you¡¯re going even crazier than that because you¡¯re so desperate to have some sort of control over your life. Does that sound about right?¡±


    ¡°...Instead of psychoanalyzing me, I think I¡¯d have preferred it if you just kissed me.¡± She sighs and takes her claw away from my face, then jumps down from the sink gracefully.


    ¡°If you want to kiss me, Snow, you¡¯re going to have to make that choice yourself. Pressuring you into doing what I want would just be more of the same for you, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±


    The maid¡¯s distant, yellow eyes narrow, and she frowns at me. ¡°I bet you think you¡¯re just oh so charming right about now, don¡¯t you, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Not really. I just pity the fact that you¡¯re so miserable to the point where you can¡¯t even be happy for the people you love.¡± Despite knowing full well that I¡¯m playing with fire, I continue my brutally honest assault.


    As predicted, Snow does not react well. She pushes my chest with all of her natural Beastfolk strength, and I fall back against the row of toilet stalls, narrowly avoiding tumbling to the ground. ¡°I don¡¯t need your pity! I... I need...¡±


    What she just did to me starts sinking in. The maid is overtaken with shock from her own action, and she covers her mouth. ¡°...Oh, Gods. Myaster...! I¡¯m so sorry, I can¡¯t believe that I just did that, I... oh, nyaa...¡± She rushes to my side and puts her paws on my shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, Snow. I¡¯m fine...¡± She begins dusting me off, and I let out a sigh. ¡°I overstepped my bounds to a degree... even though I stand by what I said.¡±


    The prim and proper woman before me twiddles her thumbs and looks askance. ¡°Right, well... you don¡¯t mind if I have another few puffs to calm me down, do you?¡±


    ¡°By all means.¡±


    Snow groans out of relief, taking out the joint and a match to light it with. True to her word, she only inhales three more times. As a human, this drug has no effect on me, so I just watch the curious and contradictory sight unfold. Already, it has a significant impact on her mood. Snow¡¯s mellow, relaxed smile grows wider by the second as the smoke relaxes her.


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m goooooood now...¡± She hazily meows, putting out the joint once more and pocketing it again.


    ¡°Good, ready to head back and watch the rest of this adventure with me?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Myaster. But, um...¡± Despite her good mood, she shuffles in place. ¡°For the record, I don¡¯t light up THAT often... just so you know.¡±


    I laugh and shake my head. ¡°Snow, I don¡¯t care. Catnip is harmless, and I¡¯d be more concerned if you didn¡¯t have some way to manage all the stress that serving the Breeding Tribe seems to bring you. Now come on, the girls are likely chatting about what we¡¯re up to, and we don¡¯t want to give them any wrong ideas, do we?¡±


    ¡°I suppose not...¡± She giggles, albeit unconvincingly.


    With that, we return to the office.


    ¡°Nah, Snow isn¡¯t gonna budge,¡± Cherry sighs, her arms folded and her eyes narrow, ¡°Not even if he kisses her in there. As much as we all want it, it just ain¡¯t gonna happen unless she gets her brain scrambled worse than Sam, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°But I want pretty kitty to stay with us forever and ever!! You two aren¡¯t enough maids, and also Daddy wants to fuck her, and so do I!¡± From within the Pimpfort, Sam whines and stomps her foot down at the prospect of not getting her way.


    ¡°Sam, y-you can¡¯t just assume Master will automatically enlist every single woman he meets into his, um... ¡®services¡¯... if that pattern were true, we¡¯d all be sharing a bed with Nikita by now.¡± Meri offers a reasonable assumption.


    ¡°GIVE IT TIME!¡± Sam returns, stubbornly rejecting reality in her trademark way.


    ¡°F-For Snow? Or Nikita?!¡± Meri blushes at the thought.


    ¡°BOTH!¡±


    ¡°Do you girls really have nothing better to talk about in my absence?¡± I sigh, making my presence known.


    ¡°Daddy! Welcome back! We¡¯re ready to do the next room now!¡± Sam excitedly dances in place for whatever reason, and even I can¡¯t deny she looks cute while doing her little jig.


    ¡°Are you absolutely sure, Princess? I can give you all some more time to gossip amongst yourselves if you¡¯d like.¡±


    ¡°I think we¡¯re good, nyaa. In fact, I...¡± Peri starts sniffing the air as soon as Snow and I sit down at our chairs. ¡°That smell...¡±


    ¡°Woah, seriously, Snow?¡± Cherry looks at the blushing older woman, who coughs and looks in the opposite direction.


    ¡°I¡¯m stressed,¡± The older maid throws her paws up and sighs. ¡°Get off my back, nyaa. We¡¯re all good now.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s the matter, Snow?¡± Meri, sympathetic as ever, calls out to her.


    ¡°Nothing, someone just needed to get high apparently, nyaa.¡± Cherry giggles, making Snow roll her slightly red eyes.


    ¡°...Oh.¡± Meri hangs her head, embarrassed that she thought something was actually wrong.


    ¡®Wonderful, shall we be on our way, then?¡¯ Zutiria draws everyone¡¯s attention by clanging the butt of her staff onto the ground, her tiredness doing nothing for her patience.


    No one objects, and Sam rushes off to push open the southern door of the hallway.


    This room is a circular chamber about the same size as the one the party was just in. The lighting is much darker, though, and the ever-present magical spotlights of the Pimpfort illuminate two raised platforms in the center of the room. Each platform has a long, vertical, silver pole descending down from the ceiling.


    On one platform stands a recognizable woman, that one Elf who burst into the Besthal Pet Shop after the red carpet was rolled out. At the time, she had a trumpet, and she announced Pimpington¡¯s arrival to the captive audience. She¡¯s dressed in a golden micro-bikini just as every other member of the Pimp¡¯s private stripper militia, and it¡¯s of note that she doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s carrying any sort of weapon.


    Not only that, but in her hand, the Elf holds the opposite boss key. She crosses her arms, cocks her hip to the side, and smiles at the party as they walk towards the platform. ¡°Greetings, adventurers! My name is Shenarah. I have no idea what the fuck is going on anymore. All I know is that there¡¯s a voice in my head telling me I can¡¯t give you this key until one of you three defeats me in an erotic dance-off!¡±


    ¡®Will the key explode if we try and take it early?¡¯ Zutiria asks immediately, wasting no time.


    Shenarah begins sweating and tilts her head at the loaded question. ¡°...Uh. Yes. Yes, it will.¡± The Elf says with a near monotone, convincing no one.


    Cracking my neck, I stretch out and give the order. ¡°Sam.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Daddy, I¡¯ll do it!¡± The Princess grins and jumps up onto the platform, approaching Shenarah.


    Shenarah is overjoyed with relief, sighing and wiping the sweat off her brow. ¡°Oh, thank the Gods. Ok, so here¡¯s how the rules work. One of us goes to that pole, while the other-¡±


    Sam punches the Elf straight in the face mid-sentence, using enough force to knock her out almost immediately. She flies backward onto the golden floor, grunting and groaning from the pain. It doesn¡¯t take much effort to pry the second boss key from her hands after that. Sam yanks it out of her grip, and as quick as they entered the dance-off room, they¡¯re already on their way out.


    PunishedKom


    In more Rise of the Guild Master news, there''s a new perk for being a $10 Patron, you get access to my World Anvil! I''ve started working on an extremely comprehensive database for everything about the world of Rise of the Guild Master, and it has access to a lot of stuff that isn''t going to be revealed in the main story for a very long time. Stuff like Opalina''s backstory, details on characters we haven''t even met yet, as well as tons of details about Sam''s father and how he came to power. If you want to support me and get access to that, do so here! I''m adding new content to it regularly.

 The Boss Battle Awaits

    Returning back to the room with all the portraits, the girls settle down to have a discussion. They stop right in front of the large, intimidating boss door. Each adventurer takes a glance toward it, anxiety brewing within.


    The threat looming over their head is real and closer than ever before. It¡¯s no longer just waiting off at the end of the dungeon. They¡¯re here, and the time is now.


    ¡°Girls,¡± As I start, each of the three... well... two of them, make a determined expression. Sam is still just sort of vacantly smiling And Zutiria is still her usual brand of blank, so... at least Meri looks very determined and passionate.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a hell of a job so far. I know in retrospect that some parts of this dungeon were more comical than we expected. But for every room that ended up a joke, you all overcame a real, legitimate threat that could have killed you- and you did it without batting an eye. I want you to know more than anything else before I send you off into that next room that I¡¯m incredibly proud of each and every one of you.¡±


    Sam starts laughing, her cheeks flushing even in her goofy state. ¡°Aw, c¡¯mon, Daddy! It¡¯s all cause we got you to boss us around like some sort of, uh, boss-man!¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s right, Master! We wouldn¡¯t have made it this far if you weren¡¯t helping us!¡± Meri pumps her fists up, trying to show me how serious she is.


    ¡®Indeed. I¡¯m terrible at thinking for myself unless there¡¯s a big, strong man telling me what to do.¡¯ Zutiria says with the best sarcastic smile her doll-like face is capable of.


    The kitties all have themselves a laugh at that, especially Snow. She seems to think it¡¯s hysterical, and I have to give the drugged-up, stressed-out maid a minute to catch her breath. ¡°It¡¯s funny because she¡¯s so much stronger than you,¡± Snow snorts. ¡°Weak, little, baby man...!¡±


    ...Right.


    ¡°Girls, just let me compliment you, alright? You can all suck my dick when you get home. There¡¯s no need to lay it on me so thick when I¡¯m trying to be serious.¡± Their love makes my heart race, and it becomes harder to fight back the butterflies in my stomach. I¡¯m about to send them into the most dangerous room in the entire dungeon.


    ¡°Sam... when we met, you couldn¡¯t lift your sword without fucking up, yet now you¡¯re halfway decent with the potential to become even greater,¡± Sam smiles vapidly.


    ¡°Zutiria... you went from years of self-enforced silence to a veritable spell-slinger.¡± Zutiria raises her hand and begins twiddling with her sweaty, lavender-colored hair. A slight blush forms on the Mage¡¯s face as she looks down at the floor.


    ¡°And Meri... you¡¯ve gone from being the most timid little thing I¡¯ve ever seen into a fierce shield which stands firm.¡± Meri, too, finds herself overwhelmed by my praise and hides her increasing blush behind her tower shield.


    ¡°...So when I say this next part of my speech, please, PLEASE don¡¯t take it as me implying I don¡¯t believe in you.¡± As I knew they would, everyone¡¯s becomes much more concerned upon hearing my transitional statement.


    To my left, Snow hangs her head. She¡¯s a brilliant woman, even while high on catnip. She knows what I¡¯m about to say. Behind me, Peri and Cherry react similarly.


    ¡°If I give the order, I want you to use a Returner and come home the exact second I tell you to- no questions asked.¡±


    Sam¡¯s mouth drops open wide, and she speaks up, ¡°But the kitties! And the puppies! And the bunnies! And the-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re more important to me than them.¡±


    Zutiria wastes no time and nods her head. ¡®Of course, Sir. It¡¯s only logical.¡¯


    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know if I can just...¡± Meri struggles with her duty as a Shield Maiden. ¡°They need our help, Master!¡±


    ¡®We¡¯re no good to them dead, Meri. A tactical retreat just means we can attempt to help again in the future.¡¯ Zutiria reaches up to stroke Meri¡¯s hair, somewhat easing her conflicted mind.


    Eventually, Meri nods her head, too.


    For the slightest moment, I almost think I see Sam¡¯s face contorted in surprise. But if it did happen, it returns to being a conflicted smile short after. ¡°But... Pretty kitty and Cherry and Peri will be so sad!¡±


    Snow steps up to my defense. ¡°Mistress Samantha, I¡¯m grateful for everything that the four of you have done, but I¡¯m not expecting you all to die on our behalf, nyaa. Just promise the Myaster you¡¯ll do as he says. Beastfolk are strong. Even if things go wrong and you have to pull out of the Pimpfort, we¡¯ll manage... somehow. I promise.¡± Apparently, being a bit high doesn¡¯t impair Snow¡¯s rationale, and the experienced maid can still summon all of her grace when speaking if she feels the need.


    ¡°But...¡± Again, Sam appears troubled.


    ¡°Please, Mistress. You gotta do what Myaster says!¡± Peri pleads to her, biting her lip out of worry.


    ¡°Snow¡¯s right, as always! Sam, don¡¯t be stupid, nyaa!¡± Cherry stands up, putting her hands on her hips. ¡°You three are just as an important part of our forever home as the Myaster is!¡±


    Pushing down her reluctance, the addled Princess closes her eyes, and her dopey smile returns. ¡°Ok! If Daddy says it, then I have to do it!¡±


    ¡®If only you were this easy to control all of the time, Sammy.¡¯ Zutiria pats the back of Sam¡¯s armor teasingly.


    ¡°Wha?¡± Sam tilts her head, not getting it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not important,¡± I sigh. ¡°Are we all in agreement, then?¡±


    ¡°Guess so!¡± Sam gives me a thumbs up.


    ¡°If... if I have to...¡± Meri frowns.


    ¡®I¡¯ll force them home myself if need be, Sir. If someone has to play the bad bitch, it might as well be me.¡¯ The little Mage shrugs. ¡®I doubt even you¡¯d be able to argue with me throwing a Returner at you, Meri, if it meant saving your life.¡¯


    The Shield Maiden tilts her head, making the floppy tips of her hair bow bounce to the side. ¡°Y-Yeah, I guess you have a good point...¡± She ends up nodding.


    ¡°Good. According to Taskmaster, you¡¯re all at near flawless health, stamina, and mana. Don¡¯t count on a chance to use potions in this battle unless we can manipulate the situation to give you a chance.¡±


    ¡°Anything else, Master?¡± Meri asks while taking a sip from her canteen.


    I start to wrack my brain for any other pieces of advice that come to mind before I send them into the boss room. My thoughts spiral into negativity soon after. ¡°Well, I have reason to believe that Pimpington¡¯s class as an adventurer might have been ¡®Fencer¡¯. We¡¯ll know shortly on into the battle whether this guess is correct or not, but... if it IS correct-¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be good news, will it?¡± Cherry frowns, clasping my knee from below.


    ¡°No. It will be almost the exact opposite circumstances compared to fighting the Whiplashers. You all had an excellent match-up against that class, but... Sam, Meri, if I¡¯m right, then your armor will mean absolutely nothing to his sword.¡±


    ¡®Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be easy. Why would it?¡¯ The little Mage shrugs her shoulders with indifference. ¡®Then again, perhaps if we¡¯re lucky, then the ultimate punchline of this dungeon is that the boss will be defeated in one blow.¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t count on it- especially if he¡¯s a Fencer.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s just hope you aren¡¯t right, Myaster!¡± Peri tries to keep things optimistic, but it fails to relieve anyone. Without sounding like a pretentious know-it-all, I¡¯m not often wrong in my analysis.


    ¡°Hang on, if he can tear through armor t-then what about my shield?¡± Meri¡¯s anxiety begins to rise, and I have to nip that in the bud.


    ¡°You know as well as I do that your shield is special. I won¡¯t pretend like I¡¯m an expert on how they¡¯re made, but for whatever reason, Shield Maiden shields are known for being virtually indestructible. You¡¯ll be able to do your job as usual.¡±


    The anxious brunette lets out a long sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, good... I-I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if it got damaged...¡±


    I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much else I can say past this point that hasn¡¯t already been said. ¡°Has everyone had a drink from their canteens? Is anyone hungry? Now is the last chance you¡¯ll have, so-¡±


    ¡°Daddy, where can I pee?¡± Sam asks vapidly, her loopy lack of conversational filter rearing its head once more.


    I just sort of stare at her screen in silence before forcing myself to say, ¡°...Well, a lot of adventurers wear expensive, enchanted-¡±


    ¡®No matter how rich the Guild gets, Sir, I will never wear magic adventuring diapers. It is perhaps one of the few things I refuse to do, even for you.¡¯ Zutiria blushes, making a powerfully defiant expression uncharacteristic of her typical coldness.


    Snow unsuccessfully holds back a laugh that transforms into a snort on its way out.


    ¡°Just go back in the other room and piss on the floor, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± I groan and shake my head.


    ¡°KAY!¡± Sam eagerly runs off, and I cut off her camera.


    ¡°Anyone else?¡±


    Meri shakes her head, blushing, as does Zutiria.


    Not long after, Sam comes back from the statue room with a satisfied grin spreading ear to ear. ¡°Daddy! Guess what?! I¡¯m so lucky. Everyone will just think someone spilled water cause the floors are already gold!¡±


    ¡°Gods damn it, just put the fucking keys in the pimp door!¡± Losing a bit of my patience and blushing, I snap at Her Highness. Six girls collectively laugh at me as I sigh. A small smile creeps onto my face, but I push it down to keep objective.


    Sam takes one key and plunges it onto the display of Sir Pimpington while on the other side of the door, Meri inserts the second key into the exposed heart of Sir Chasteworthe. The keys are turned, and a glowing pink light shines from within the heart of each lock. The ornate doors give way and open wide, even without anyone pulling them ajar.


    The entrance to the boss chamber creaks ominously, swinging apart and revealing the nerve-wracking display of the party¡¯s first-ever boss room fully for all to see.


    This final stretch of the Pimpfort is a long but wide-open hallway with a path of golden bricks leading down the middle of the room. The ceiling is high, very high, and all that can be seen aside from numerous magic spotlights is darkness. On each of the room¡¯s walls is, as I¡¯ve come to expect, a rose garden.


    Unlike the rose gardens we¡¯ve seen before, this room is not made of stone. Four tall stone statues rise from within each rose garden, for a total of eight.


    For the first two statues on either side, they take the shape of generic women wearing Pimpington¡¯s preferred uniform, kneeling as if before a King. If these four are real women, we didn¡¯t encounter them in the dungeon, and I don¡¯t remember seeing them in the Pet Shop.


    I think they just represent the many women under his thrall.


    The next set of statues are Lemira and Rhaelyn, bowing but with their heads raised to set them apart from the ordinary grunts.


    Lastly, the largest pair out of all is a towering duo.


    On the left stands the Pimp as we know him, decked out in his outrageous wardrobe and accouterments. He holds his cane in his left hand, and with his right, he extends it in a handshake to the figure on the opposite row. His hand is clutched tightly by the tall, snappily dressed, faceless gentleman who introduced himself to Meri and myself as the Duke of Dewhurst.


    Pimpington smiles, and while the spindly Duke cannot emote, I¡¯d say he looks pleased with himself.


    At the end of the shining hall is a raised platform of stairs leading to a balcony with a locked door behind it, just like the dungeon¡¯s first room.


    Fancy velvet curtains hang down both sides of the exit, drawing all eyes to the room¡¯s centerpiece. Atop the balcony and in front of the back door sits an enormous, golden throne with plush red seating and a bevy of encrusted jewels lining every edge.


    Sitting on the resplendent throne with his legs crossed, his sword across his lap, and a bored look on his face is Sir Pimpington.


    Since we last saw him four or five hours ago, he¡¯s had a minor change in attire. The villain¡¯s armor is no longer gold. Instead, it¡¯s a wondrous, shiny, platinum-like metal with gratuitous laden diamonds.


    The pimp yawns as he twirls his oily, curled mustache. Wiping the tiredness from his eyes while looking down at the adventuring party, he says, ¡°Well... at least they gave a pimp a mothafuckin¡¯ chair this time, ya feel me?¡±

 Not All Pimps

    ¡°First off, ladies, Guild man, I feel I have to stress somethin¡¯. Any weird-ass lookin¡¯ statues n¡¯ paintings n¡¯ shit you saw on the way here? Complete blasphemy. Shit¡¯s not canon, ya dig? If y¡¯all could just forget ever seein¡¯ that shit, then-¡±


    ¡°Afraid that¡¯s not going to happen, Sir Chasteworthe. We¡¯ve seen everything.¡± I call out to the disgraced knight and watch shock tear through his face until it¡¯s overtaken by an annoyed, unsubtle rage.


    ¡°That right?¡± Surprisingly, Pimpington loses this rage quick enough. The evil man sighs as he rises from his throne, walking over to the balcony railing to lean over the edge. ¡°Well, not much a pimp can do bout that, I s¡¯pose... just a little embarrassing that y¡¯all had to see me in such a state.¡±


    ¡®What state, cucked?¡¯ Zutiria fires off.


    ¡°Z-Zutiria!¡± Meri blushes. ¡°S-Should we really start off by taunting the boss?!¡±


    ¡°OUCH, DAT BURN!¡± Addled Sam offers the silent Mage a high five, which Zutiria promptly returns.


    ¡°Daaaaaaamn, girl! For such a quiet ¡®lil bitch you¡¯re just burstin¡¯ with sass now, aren¡¯t ya? Cucked... hah.¡± Pimpington starts laughing and shaking his head left and right. He takes his rosey rapier and hangs it over his shoulder while doing so. ¡°If y¡¯all think that¡¯s how my story went, then whatever. Shit ain¡¯t exactly fuckin¡¯ relevant to the whole ¡®we need to fight each other¡¯ situation, ya feel me?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I kept saying,¡± I mutter under my breath. I can¡¯t deny I¡¯m interested, but...


    ¡°I got a question of my own, Mista Masta-¡±


    ¡°Do not call me that.¡±


    ¡°Henceforth, I do decree I shall be callin¡¯ yo bitch-ass ¡®Mista Masta¡¯ exclusively from this point forwards, biatch.¡±


    I groan, and suddenly I feel a number of kitten paws stroking my back to comfort me.


    ¡°Be real with a pimp fo¡¯ just a second. Do y¡¯all have something to do with... this?¡± Pimpington throws his arms out and looks around the room. ¡°You got yo¡¯ self an item that makes dungeons outta people hearts or some shit? Cause this timing is stupidly fuckin¡¯ convenient for y¡¯all.¡±


    ¡°Actually- OW!¡± Sam almost gives away our big secret, but Zutiria whaps her with her staff. As she should, the simpleton must be disciplined.


    Pimpington laughs, twirling his oily mustache once again, ¡°C¡¯mon. I know how I may appear, but y¡¯all... I ain¡¯t that fuckin¡¯ stupid.¡±


    ¡®Who knows? Stranger things have happened.¡¯ Zutiria shrugs her shoulders. ¡®Besides, you looked pretty stupid to me while working yourself to the bone, trying to impress a girl who clearly wasn¡¯t into you.¡¯


    ¡°...Y¡¯all, while I appreciate a sassy legal loli as much as the next pimp,¡± Pimpington stands upon the railing, clenches his pimp hat tightly to his head, and jumps down onto the path laid with golden bricks below.


    He lands on his feet and twirls around in place like a professional dancer before looking down the room at the party once more. ¡°We don¡¯t need to do this stupid ass back and forth tauntin¡¯ game with each other, ya dig? Y¡¯all can insult me if ya want. Call me a lovesick dumbass, a try-hard, a narrow-sighted fool... I guarantee you y¡¯all ain¡¯t gonna be able to call me something I ain¡¯t already called myself.¡±


    ¡°Uh... what the heck is a loli...?¡± Meri whispers to herself, focusing on the least important thing from his cryptic statement.


    Almost on instinct, I answer, ¡°It¡¯s an Ikkunese term, meaning-¡±


    ¡®I am not a loli,¡¯ The little lady begins flaring with emotionless anger. ¡®I have curves. I have breasts and a shapely butt. They are just small.¡¯


    ¡°Dude, a lollipop would be dope as SHIT right now!¡± Sam starts drooling, much to everyone¡¯s embarrassment.


    ¡°...Did somethin¡¯ happen to that one?¡± Pimpington tilts his head and points a shining, ringed finger towards Sam¡¯s direction. ¡°Don¡¯t think the bitch was, quite as ¡®challenged¡¯ as when she walked into the Pimpfort, ya feel me?¡±


    ¡°Any challenge can be overcome as long as we work together!! Isn¡¯t that right, Daddy?¡± Sam makes a peace symbol with her fingers, and I facepalm myself.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Princess...¡± I answer her out of obligation as Peri and Cherry start chuckling behind me.


    ¡°...Right, kay then.¡± The enemy scratches his head in confusion before taking raising his sword arm and pointing it at the three adventurers standing across from him at the end of the boss chamber. ¡°Y¡¯all might not believe me, but this pimp ain¡¯t happy it came to this. I don¡¯t like havin¡¯ to finish off a buncha brats, but it¡¯s way, way too late fo¡¯ me to just let y¡¯all get away with this. Even putting aside y¡¯all getting in the way of my brothel business... well, the Bossman ain¡¯t gonna be happy with what you did here tonight. Our revenge ain¡¯t gonna come cheap, and we need the gold.¡± Pimpington accentuates his words by pointing towards the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s large statue with his free hand.


    ¡°...Do you think we could maybe circle back on that revenge part in more detail, maybe-¡±


    ¡°Naw, man,¡± Pimpington smirks.


    Of course.


    ¡°Does he have anyone stronger than you?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Boss has lots of... ¡®colorful¡¯ associates.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± I raise an eyebrow in sarcasm, not that he can see it.


    ¡°What kind of colors?¡± Sam tilts her head, smiling.


    Pimpington ignores her entirely. ¡°Har fuckin¡¯ har. All I¡¯m gettin¡¯ at is if by some miracle y¡¯all actually beat me today, the other leaders of our group might have somethin¡¯ to say about that.¡±


    Noted, but I¡¯m eager to move on. ¡°How are we going to do this, Pimpington? Are you ready to fight?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Mista Masta. Were you actually waitin¡¯ till this pimp was ready this time?¡± He tilts his head sarcastically, placing his hand on his cheek to feign mock surprise.


    ¡°...Yes, because the less guarded you are with your intel, the more it benefits us. Our first encounter was merely testing the waters.¡±


    ¡°HAH! Dumbass! If y¡¯all played by the rules and didn¡¯t get cheeky, this pimp would still be wearin¡¯ gold armor right now, and y¡¯all coulda exploited that!¡±


    Something catches in my throat when I try to reply to his statement. Nothing comes out.


    ¡°...He has a point, nyaa.¡± Peri points out.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s ok, Myaster. Everyone makes mistakes.¡± Cherry rubs my back once again.


    Snow decides to take advantage of my silence, telling the Pimp, ¡°You¡¯re going to pay for stealing our girls, you bastard.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit, y¡¯all got the femdom cat with you over there, Mista Masta? Nice! Given how you¡¯re a pussy-ass bitch, bet she¡¯d do wonders for you!¡±


    ¡®I thought you wanted to skip the back and forth taunting phase of this boss battle.¡¯ Zutiria reminds the pimp after having insulted me.


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s right... gotta admit, acting like the big bad guy of a dungeon is kinda fun, ya feel me? Got a little too into it for a bit there. But you¡¯re right, we should really be getting-¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Snow calls out as she stands up from her chair. ¡°I have to know... why? Why did you kidnap all of the girls?! Are you really so desperate to fill up your brothels that you¡¯d force a bunch of Beastfolk into sex slavery?!¡±


    Upon hearing Snow¡¯s accusation, Pimpington¡¯s eyes open wide, and his face turns pale. He stumbles backward as a bead of sweat trickles down his oily brow and begins shaking his head in disbelief. ¡°Sex slavery?!¡± He exclaims. ¡°I cannot believe you would imply such a thing!¡±


    I look at Snow, who is completely floored by his unexpected reaction. Now that she¡¯s gone quiet, I speak up in her place. ¡°You kidnapped over a hundred women after dosing them with an illegal drug. What the fuck else could you have been planning to do with them?¡±


    Taking his pimp hat off, he clutches it to his chest. ¡°I was going to keep them well-fed and house them in comfortable waiting rooms. There, I would convince them to join my workforce entirely of their own volition! I¡¯d give each girl a month or two, and if I couldn¡¯t persuade them by the end of it, I would release them and even help them find their way back to the Breeding Tribe!¡±


    Snow¡¯s left eye twitches. ¡°...You beat up our security guards, invaded the pet shop with a squad of armed hookers, and drove a giant, wheeled dick made of gold into our FUCKING TENT, NYAA!¡±


    ¡°This pimp was trying to pay y¡¯all with that giant dick if ya remember! Here this mothafuckin¡¯ pimp was prepared to sacrifice my favorite mode of transportation to fuel my entrepreneurial spirit, too! And fo¡¯ the record, I only beat up yo¡¯ stupid security guards because you refused to do business with me. I let one of them mothafuckas sniff me, and he said I smelled like an ¡®evil rape man¡¯! I know y¡¯all Beastfolk adopt girls out to brothels sometimes, so why the fuck not mine?!¡±


    ¡°BECAUSE YOU FUCKING LOOK LIKE AN ¡®EVIL RAPE MAN¡¯, TOO! YOU FUCKING... FUCKING... RRRRGHHHH!!¡± Snow loses all of the chill her catnip granted her. In exasperation, the tracksuit-clad maid falls over and starts scratching at my desk so hard that her sharp claws shave large chunks of wood off the top.


    I am powerless to stop her, and in my mind, I call out to Gwin to magically appear and fix up everything that has been broken since we¡¯ve last seen her.


    Gwin does not hear my prayer.


    As Peri and Cherry begin tending to their frustrated senior, Pimpington takes a deep breath, shakes his head, then puts his pimp hat back on. ¡°...Y¡¯all need a better screening process. This coulda been avoided if ya just let a pimp in through the front door, ya feel me?¡±


    Zutiria coughs softly, saying, ¡®Not to say he has a point, but... the system was indeed flawed if you ask me.¡¯


    ¡°Maybe just a bit...¡± I think back to my own screening and feel a mild annoyance at the thought.


    ¡°This is fucking stupid!¡± Sam declares as she slaps her knee, bending over in laughter.¡±


    ¡®It really is,¡¯ Zutiria looks to be on the verge of getting a migraine. ¡®I have come to expect nothing less from my life with Sir. At this rate, the Duke of Dewhurst likely has some sort of comical motive for his villainy as well. Did you ever cut in line in front of a tall, faceless man before, Sir? Maybe trip on his dog while he was out for a walk?¡¯


    ¡°I think I would remember meeting him before,¡± I sigh. I¡¯m already completely exhausted, and the battle hasn¡¯t even begun.


    For whatever reason, Pimpington¡¯s expression becomes even more upset. ¡°...Can¡¯t fuckin¡¯ believe you¡¯d just judge a pimp like that. Y¡¯all really think just cause I¡¯m dressed like a pimp that I¡¯m some sort of... trashy, stereotypical rapey villain in some fuckin¡¯ tasteless smut novel? This is real life, and ya can¡¯t judge a pimp by his cover. I might¡¯ve fallen from grace, sure. But, I¡¯m still a gentleman, and I got my fuckin¡¯ morals.¡±


    I don¡¯t know how to respond to that.


    ¡°...U-Um, if I may?¡± Meri raises her hand.


    Zutiria stares at the Shield Maiden in disbelief. ¡®Meri, don¡¯t raise your hand to ask for permission to ask the dungeon boss a question.¡¯


    ¡°S-Sorry!¡± She blushes and lowers her hand.


    ¡°Naw, sweetie, you¡¯re good. What can a pimp do for you?¡± Pimpington smiles a seemingly genuine smile and does a polite bow towards Meri.


    ¡°I thought you were an evil rape man, too... I-I was worried that when we faced you, you¡¯d be all creepy a-and say weird stuff like what you were gonna do to us when we lose...¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was expecting that too!¡± Sam vacantly tilts her head.


    ¡®...I did find it odd that you haven¡¯t made a single sexual comment towards us.¡¯ Even Zutiria admits as she adjusts her glasses.


    ¡°...This pimp clearly has some self-reflection to do. I don¡¯t want to give others the impression that I am anythin¡¯ less than a proper-ass gentleman, ya dig?¡± Pimpington¡¯s eyes look off in the distance as he so clearly tries imagining a way to present himself as a woman-respecting, non-rapist pimp.


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t this farce gone on long enough?¡± I ask the villain, who I assumed we¡¯d have already started fighting fifteen minutes ago.


    ¡°Please,¡± Snow groans, ¡°Someone just fucking beat him up already and make him stop talking...¡± This conversation has clearly taken an even more significant toll on the Catfolk¡¯s sanity than my own.


    ¡°Mista Masta, I was just starting to think the same thing,¡± Pimpington drops his concern and assumes a fencing stance, pointing his blade at the girls from afar. The gemstones on each of his rings begin to glow, bringing to mind the nine unknown powers he has up his sleeve. ¡°Are y¡¯all ready to have yourselves a proper boss battle?¡± His serious expression gives in to a cheeky grin for just a brief moment.


    ¡°Heck yeah! I was getting tired of just standing here listening to shit I don¡¯t understand!¡± Sam wipes a little bit of drool off of her lip and stands at the ready with her massive great blade.


    ¡®Let¡¯s make this quick...¡¯ The petite Mage yawns, holding onto her staff and bracing for combat.


    Finally, everyone is about to get down to business. With their weapons drawn, they-


    ¡°W-WAIT!¡± Meri surprises everyone by taking a step forward and putting her foot down. Gods damn it.


    Snow scratches the desk again, groaning in frustration while Peri and Cherry unsuccessfully try to pull her off of my furniture.


    ¡°Before we fight, um... are you sure y-you won¡¯t tell us what happened to you in the past, Mr. P-Pimpington...? All those paintings, a-and the sculptures... um... made me invested in your story...¡±


    ¡°Meri-¡± I try to interrupt her, but Pimpington starts laughing and cuts me off.


    ¡°Sweetie, bless your heart, but a battle to the death is like... just about the single worst time you could ask someone about their tragic backstory, ya feel me?¡±


    With red cheeks, Meri hangs her head and frowns, hiding behind her shield. ¡°I-I guess that makes sense...¡±


    ¡°Sorry, but this pimp ain¡¯t got anything mo¡¯ to say bout that shit.¡± Pimpington sighs long and hard before brandishing his rapier and advancing. The sound of his footsteps hangs heavy in the air as they echo out from the golden bricks below his fancy, pointed shoes.


    He slices through the air blisteringly fast to demonstrate his power. Pimpington then closes his eyes and briefly holds the silver, shining blade before his face as if presenting it to all who look upon him.


    When Pimpington reopens his seedy eyes, the air about him changes.


    Filling with righteousness, his gaze becomes fierce and steeled. His stature swells with dignity, once more resembling the man we saw in so many paintings and statues throughout the Pimpfort. At least for the moment, this man is a proud, experienced warrior first and a pimp last.


    Even though he¡¯s my foe, I can¡¯t stop myself from admiring the ostentatious power he so prominently wields.


    Pimpington hunches his posture, making the tall, spindly man lower to the ground. His right foot advances forward, his left foot tilts to the side and slides back. The Pimp¡¯s sword hand extends while he holds his left behind his back.


    Sam, Zutiria, and Meri all stand at the ready, watching like hawks for his next move.


    After sharply inhaling through his nose, the sapphire ring on his right index finger begins glowing bright blue. ¡°Let¡¯s do this,¡± he says with determination. With those three simple words, the boss battle begins in earnest.


    PunishedKom

 Boss Battle: Sir Pimpington, Disgraced Lord of Regret and Roses

    Faster than anyone could have predicted, Sir Pimpington goes on the assault. Only a scant few feet from the warrior Princess, a faint blue outline of the agile Fencer¡¯s silhouette shimmers into being.


    The sapphire ring flashes, and with it the Pimp disappears from his position on the other end. of the room only to reappear exactly where his ghost-like echo was projected. This process only took a few seconds, tops.


    Sam is taken by surprise- even if she can¡¯t show it too well. ¡°The fuck?! That¡¯s cool as shit!¡± She says, complimenting the enemy.


    I switch my voice projection feature off so that Pimpington can no longer hear our upcoming strategies, ¡°SAM, MOVE!¡±


    The Princess tries to backstep but he closes in, his rapier glowing with the telltale aura of Arts usage. Pimpington performs a singular poke that Sam blocks with the broadside of her sword. Just as soon as the piercing strike hits the opposing metal, he reels his weapon back and unleashes another, and another and another.


    His speed is astonishing, and try as she might, Sam can¡¯t hope to keep up.


    One of the attacks slips past her guard and the tip of Pimpington¡¯s sword radiates with shining energy. It heads straight towards her vitals- but the Princess¡¯s reaction time is impressive and saves her from certain death.


    ¡°HECK NO-¡± She yells in defiance, twisting her body so that the oncoming tip hits her right shoulder¡¯s pauldron. It pokes a hole clean through as if it were paper, but it doesn¡¯t pierce the Princess¡¯s gambeson at least.


    Pimpington pulls back and swipes his sword out of the shoulder armor. In an impressive display of fancy footwork, he dances several paces backward.


    He¡¯s not even showing off, either.


    The experienced Fencer¡¯s form is like a gentle breeze sweeping across the room, yet his aggressive stance betrays the serenity. It implies that at any second, the man could transform from a breeze into an unrelenting maelstrom. ¡°Hm, impressive. Though I suppose y¡¯all would actually have to have a bit of skill if ya made it this far,¡± He pauses for a moment to twirl both his mustache and his entire body in a graceful pirouette.


    ¡°My friend made me this armor!¡± Sam performs a short leap backward to put some distance between them. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I can¡¯t get mad right now, you prissy red flower man!¡±


    I use the pimp¡¯s brief bewilderment at Sam¡¯s bizarre outburst to get off a message of warning. ¡°I was right, he¡¯s a Fencer. His Arts confirmed it. The attack just now was Multi Thrust, and if you look at the tip of his sword you¡¯ll see it¡¯s glowing. That¡¯s Piercing Point, a passive Art that pokes straight through most metal. Be careful.¡±


    Other classes have similar Arts, but Fencers have just about the best version of a physical, piercing melee skill there is. A good way to deal with an enemy using this is to move in and don¡¯t give them enough distance to use their thrusting attack, but... a Black Mage, a Great Blader, and a Shield Maiden are not equipped to fight at that sort of distance.


    We¡¯d need someone even faster than a Fencer, like a Monk, or a Rogue. Gods, this match-up is troubling.


    If that wasn¡¯t enough, on top of his incredible experience as an adventurer knight Pimpington has those ten rings of his which, assuming they¡¯re all magic, provide ten random abilities unrelated to his class.


    ¡°Zutiria, help get them an opening.¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll try something light that won¡¯t fire off a projectile that he can deflect, maybe grab his ankle with Darkreach,¡¯ Zutiria signals her intent to me and raises her staff. Darkness begins swirling around her magical weapon, but a glimmer appears in Pimpington¡¯s eye.


    ¡°Naw, we ain¡¯t gonna be having any of those pesky support spells, ya feel me?¡± The villain pulls his left hand from behind his back and points the index finger at Zutiria. The jewel, a magnificent topaz, glares as he commands it to his whims. A sparkling beam of magical energy fires off like an arrow at the defenseless Sorceress, and in her panic, she cancels the oncoming spell.


    Peri gasps at the magnificent-looking attack, ¡°NYAA!? THE PIMP HAS A LASER BEAM!¡±


    I adjust my glasses and study the screen. ¡°Meri,¡±


    ¡°ON IT!¡± The Shield Maiden leaps in front of the beam, and her glorious shield tanks the arcane projectile like it were nothing. The magic doesn¡¯t do so much as singe the point of impact. Using this burst of momentum, Meri begins advancing as she transforms her shield into its buckler form, withdrawing the blade.


    ¡®Damn it... I¡¯ll just look for chances to support for now. I can¡¯t make myself a target, and I can¡¯t use anything that he could reflect with that amethyst barrier of his...¡¯ The Mage frowns at her limitations, clenching her staff tight.


    ¡°Good plan, stay in the back row.¡±


    ¡°Barely anything¡¯s happened yet and this is already way more intense than anything so far, nyaa...!¡± Cherry stands up, her stool falling to the floor from hastiness. She and Peri both jump up onto opposite sides of the large office desk so that they can watch the battle unfold, instead of having to peek over my shoulder.


    Snow isn¡¯t saying a word. While she¡¯s mostly over her comical exasperation, it¡¯s been replaced with a grim and concerned expression. She clutches her paws to her chest and watches with bated breath.


    While Sam strafes around the room looking for an in, Meri draws closer to the enemy Fencer. As he stares down the approaching adventurer, Pimpington smirks and raises an eyebrow. ¡°Aw, damn! Ain¡¯t this just the cutest thing? Y¡¯all are workin¡¯ together ¡®n shit. No ¡®I¡¯ in teamwork, amiright? Not gonna be enough to take this pimp down, though...¡±


    From behind the rose-shaped knuckle guard of his sword, the ruby ring on his thumb glows. Before I can even put in a word of warning, a second Pimpington somehow splits off from the original and he dashes towards Meri from her right side.


    ¡°The fuck is this shit?!¡± Sam gapes at the reveal of yet another of the pimp¡¯s magic rings.


    ¡°It¡¯s ok, I got this!¡± Meri plants her feet into the golden floor beneath her, switching back to tower shield now that the buckler served its purpose.


    As the second Fencer steps into the right distance for a lunge, Pimpington smirks. Something isn¡¯t right- and there¡¯s only seconds for us to react. ¡°MERI, GET OUT OF THERE!¡±


    ¡°HUH?!¡±


    Snow gasps and the maids watch with bulging eyes. The enemy phases straight through Meri¡¯s shield and fizzles harmlessly out of existence.


    The problem?


    Meri turned away from the real pimp to deal with this Feint-like after image. Rose-red-colored energy swirls around his rapier as he draws it back, and when he thrusts it forward it shoots a spiraling drill-like projectile right at Meri¡¯s exposed flank.


    As the attack spins out towards the helpless adventurer, ephemeral rose petals from the sword itself wilt off and join the attack. If it weren¡¯t heading directly towards someone I love with all my heart, I would almost certainly be marveling at the beauty of this attack.


    ¡°OH NO YOU DON¡¯T!¡± Gritting her teeth, Meri twists her torso to the side and soaks up a portion of the attack with her tower shield in the nick of time.


    The rest of the Art hits the left side of her armor. Since it wasn¡¯t a direct attack with the tip of his sword it doesn¡¯t pierce, thank the Gods, but it still bangs up her arm¡¯s plating a bit. Interestingly, the many petals that split from the roses on his rapier made little scratch marks on Meri¡¯s armor wherever they touched.


    I was wondering about the wilting petals on his sword. It figures that they were too inconspicuous to just have been an aesthetic effect. They must come out on command and add themselves to any long-distance attacks that stem from his sword.


    I have the reference book from earlier still on my desk and it¡¯s flipped to the corresponding pages for reading up on Fencers. There are a lot of Arts listed, and I identify the last attack as Thrust Wave... a very, very high-level Fencer Art.


    ¡°W-What the heck was that?!¡± Meri clenches her left fist tight, ignoring the pain of the surprise attack as best she can.


    ¡°Was that a Feint?!¡± Sam¡¯s eyes glimmer with recognition.


    ¡°Naw, naw, naw. Feint ain¡¯t the same as a full-on after image, ya feel me?¡± Pimpington corrects the Princess and advances towards the girls, making my dread heighten with every inch.


    ¡°That makes sense... this didn¡¯t feel like when Nikita used Feint during our training... this felt like it was actually there- until it wasn¡¯t,¡± Meri says softly while glaring down Pimpington, not dropping her guard against the foe for a second. ¡°What do we do...?!¡±


    I take a deep breath and calm my thoughts as best I can. There aren¡¯t a whole lot of options I can think of that lead to the girls gaining an upper hand... perhaps this is one of those dreadful situations where I need to push forward despite knowing that there¡¯s a risk of damage? Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


    Over the course of tonight, I¡¯ve come to realize just how taxing a power like Taskmaster can be. I spent ages wanting a way to help provide feedback for Sam on the field, but now that I can actually take command, I realize the heavy burden comes along with such a blessing.


    Whatever happens, all responsibility falls on my shoulders.


    ...I won¡¯t make a mistake. I¡¯m going to get my girls home, and they¡¯re coming home victorious.


    ¡°Sam, Meri. Get in closer, you need to not give him the range to perform his thrusts if you can help it.¡±


    ¡°AW YEAH-¡± Sam rushes in, smiling.


    Meri is more subtle about it, merely nodding her head and running forward.


    As Zutiria watches from the back row, Pimpington smirks and twirls about in place, shedding his over the top, fluffy pimp coat to increase his maneuverability. ¡°That how we doin¡¯ this? C¡¯mon, then. Show this pimp what ya got!¡±


    PunishedKom

 Earning the Respect of a True Pimp

    Pimpington yawns as he dodges, parries, and avoids every attack Sam and Meri throw at him. He glides to the right after the Princess brings her big sword down in a mighty strike. On the left, his sword catches Meri¡¯s, and the pimp circles the blade around his own to push back.


    Before he can thrust towards the Shield Maiden¡¯s armor, Sam is back at it with a horizontal attack from the opposite side.


    The surprisingly agile older man holds onto his pimp hat and backflips, evading the titanic slab of iron like it only a minor nuisance. His rapier plunges into Sam, but thanks to Meri pressing forward and demanding his attention, it only leaves a glancing blow.


    ¡°Y¡¯all really beat Left and Right Hoe with skills like this? Fo¡¯ real?¡± He scoffs, ducking under Meri¡¯s latest attack. As the lanky man rises, he pushes the flat palm of his hand against Meri¡¯s breastplate, knocking her off balance.


    ¡°Ah!¡± She gasps, taking a hit to her pride more than anything else. Pimpington¡¯s palm thrust was so fast and smooth that she didn¡¯t even have a chance to activate her Constant Cleats.


    ¡°I guess them bitches are mo¡¯ out of practice than I am,¡± He sighs, a bored, disappointed sigh. The villain clutches his bejeweled rapier, standing over the toppled Shield Maiden. He prepares a mighty thrust aimed right at Meri¡¯s armor from above.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working, Myaster...!¡± Snow looks at me with concern.


    ¡°I know...¡± We only have seconds to prevent any damage. Should Zutiria use Shaddaswap? ...No, switching Sam¡¯s position with Meri wouldn¡¯t do much. It might stutter him and cancel the attack, but... not much advantage would be gained.


    We have the bigger number here. What we need is momentum more than anything else.


    ¡°Meri, switch! Sam, hit her shield!¡± I clench my fists, leaning in further to the screens hovering over my desk.


    My tactic unfolds. As Pimpington rears back his blade to thrust downwards into Meri¡¯s face, Meri switches to her tower shield, and Sam slams down on it with all of her strength.


    ¡°The fuck y¡¯all bitches think you¡¯re-¡± Pimpington is confused, and that brief moment is all it takes to gain a slight advantage and delay him from making his attack on Meri.


    ¡°REFLECT!¡± The Shield Maiden shouts. Her stamina meter trickles down a bit, and a big explosion of force ruptures outward from her red-shining shield.


    ¡°FUCK-¡± Pimpington is sent hurtling towards one of the stone statues, and when he hits it, the structure of Lemira shatters in an instant. The disgraced knight cries out in pain as the heavy rocks fall on top of him. He¡¯s clearly fully covered in Steel Soul, but a massive piece of the statue smashes his head in, causing it to bleed.


    ¡°We did it...! W-We pushed back a bit...!¡± Meri smiles happily as Sam helps her to her feet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get scared, Meri! It¡¯s just like I keep saying, we can do anything if we work together!¡± The loopy Princess reminds her, prompting an awkward blush from her concerned friend.


    ¡®Yes, nothing says teamwork like one of us standing around, unable to help whatsoever...¡¯ Zutiria adds with dour disappointment.


    The pimp rises from the pile of rubble, shaking some plant matter off of his legs that accumulated thanks to falling into the row of rose bushes. ¡°Phew, that shit caught a pimp off guard, ya feel me? Was friends with a few Shield Maidens in the old days, shoulda been prepared fo¡¯ something like that...¡± He sighs, perhaps thinking of times gone by. ¡°Not a bit deal, though. Just a few scratches.¡±


    Despite how heavy the statue of his devoted follower must have been, aside from the head wound that bleeds superficially, Pimpington appears entirely unharmed. He isn¡¯t just shrugging it off to look tough. The Reflect didn¡¯t do much to him at all... it can¡¯t just be thanks to his diamond-encrusted armor, either. He¡¯s an experienced adventurer, no doubt in my mind he was at the very least a low-to-mid Gold rank.


    If his lack of damage wasn¡¯t bad enough, he raises his left hand, and we watch as he prepares another unknown effect from one of his gaudy bling rings. The square-shaped emerald glistens with a comforting green light, and my adventurers go into defensive stances at first sight of the magical luminescence.


    This isn¡¯t sitting right with me...


    ¡°Myaster, you don¡¯t think those rings are ALL attacks, do you?¡± Peri tilts her head and wipes some nervous sweat out from under her brow. I almost get a look at her eyes, but her paw covers them up, and her bangs fall back into place as soon as she removes it.


    ¡°No, I was just thinking the same. Girls, try and get closer. Something tells me this isn¡¯t an attack.¡± It turns out my ability to read facial expressions and body language is much more helpful when fighting people versus when fighting monsters.


    I¡¯m almost positive that the effect of his emerald ring isn¡¯t offensive just from a quick look. There¡¯s not a hint of danger on his face, and his posture is relaxed...


    Right as Sam and Meri attempt to head my words and march on their enemy, Pimpington smirks. The emerald bursts even brighter light out into the golden boss room. With a sigh of relief, the light covers Pimpington¡¯s body and glistens. The wound from under the boss¡¯s pimp hat vanishes completely, as does the blood pooled down his face.


    Shit...


    ¡°Dude, that¡¯s cheating! Stupid rose pimp, man!¡± Sam stomps her armored boot on the golden floor, pouting.


    ¡°No way...!¡± Meri wavers a bit. Seeing how their attack was brushed off and undone ultimately can¡¯t be good for morale.


    ¡®That was an earth magic-styled heal,¡¯ Zutiria remarks as she studiously adjusts her glasses. ¡®Those rings are even more troublesome than we thought, Sir...¡¯


    ¡°Nice, ain¡¯t they?¡± Pimpington shows off his sparkling hands to the girls. ¡°When you¡¯re an adventurer, ya end up accumulatin¡¯ tons of useful trinkets over the years ¡®n shit. Course, when I fell from grace, I had most of the shit in my Guild storage confiscated...¡± The man sighs wistfully. No doubt he remembers all the insane treasure that used to be part of his arsenal. ¡°Unluckily for all y¡¯all bitch-asses, I kept my bling rings.¡±


    More than anything, I¡¯m just thankful that the girls don¡¯t have to fight this disgraced pimp during the height of his career. It sounds like Pimpington hasn¡¯t been in any real fights for years. Even though his skills can hardly be called ¡®dull¡¯, the thought that things could have been much, much worse than they already are brings me a small amount of comfort.


    Just when I¡¯m about to raise my voice and announce the next plan of attack, Pimpington addresses me directly. ¡°Mr. Masta, a word?¡±


    I could tell the girls to advance and continue their double attack, but I end up turning on the voice transmission. I¡¯m not sure why... perhaps the fact that he actually wants to talk gives me a slight pause. ¡°What could you possibly want, pimp?¡±


    ¡°I would like to apologize,¡± He says, placing his hand on his heart and doing a respectful bow, much to the shock of myself, the girls, and the kitties back home alike. ¡°This pimp started tonight¡¯s encounter by tauntin¡¯ you and implyin¡¯ you treated these girls as disposable. When y¡¯all entered this chamber, I thought it coulda been luck that brought ya this far, but naw, man. This shit was colored by my past experiences with Guild Masters and the Association as a whole, ya dig? Yet... now that I¡¯m fightin¡¯ em I can see just how rough, sloppy and unpolished these adventurers of yours are-¡±


    Sam clenches her sword. ¡°Fuck you, bit-¡±


    ¡°BUT. This pimp can tell how y¡¯all work first hand. I can¡¯t hear you, but you¡¯re talkin¡¯ to ¡®em and giving ¡®em advice ain¡¯t ya? You¡¯re able to bring out the potential of these three rookies... well-¡± Pimpington stops mid-sentence to look at Zutiria. ¡°Two of their potentials, at least.¡±


    ¡®Not my fault someone has a bullshit anti-magic ring that forces me into a support role,¡¯ Zutiria sighs.


    ¡°My point is, ya make ¡®em stronger than the sum of their parts, ya dig? I ain¡¯t never seen a Guild Master so involved in their adventurer¡¯s quests before... and if a pimp can be honest, I like what ya got going on.¡± Pimpington rises from his bow, and a genuine smile flashes across his face. He looks like the warm, friendly portrait of his old self until the expression becomes dour and dark. ¡°This pimp is deeply sorry fo¡¯ ever implying that ya didn¡¯t love these three beautiful girls of yours.¡±


    I¡¯m completely taken aback by this sudden confession and praise. What is this man¡¯s deal? Where was all this honor and chivalry when he drugged an entire tribe of Beastfolk?


    Before I can linger on his words any longer, he continues speaking. ¡°I truly wish I didn¡¯t have to be the one who takes them away from ya,¡± Two bling rings light up at the exact same moment from under the knuckle guard of his rapier- a ruby resting on his thumb and an amber stone from his middle finger. ¡°You¡¯ve earned my respect, Master, and I¡¯ll honor that by holdin¡¯ nothin¡¯ back.¡±

 Pressing Forward No Matter What

    If Pimpington¡¯s honor means he¡¯s going to try harder to hurt my girls, then he can shove his honor up his ass. As surreal as his declaration of respect was, I can¡¯t let the underlying weirdness infect my mind. Not when he¡¯s about to unleash two rings at the same time.


    Just like before, the ruby ring creates an afterimage that appears from nothing and dashes towards Meri. Only this time, it¡¯s... joined by another one that runs towards Sam. Can the ruby ring create more than one afterimage at a time, or is this the power of the amber ring? Maybe it doubles the effects of any of his other rings?


    ¡°This crap again?¡± Sam asks with a dopey smirk, holding up her great blade defensively. ¡°The same trick ain¡¯t gonna work twice in a row, right, Daddy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± There¡¯s just not enough to go off on... this isn¡¯t sitting right with me. I guess I¡¯m going to have to test it. ¡°Meri- Shoot both.¡±


    ¡°Roger!¡± Like an obedient soldier, Meri trusts my advice and swaps out her current form for the long-range kite shield. At the cost of a small chunk of her stamina, Meri shoots her Kite Rail attack at the oncoming after image. Predictably, it phases right through and reveals the danger to be nonexistent.


    When she shoots her second Kite Rail at the afterimage currently en route to Sam¡¯s position, though, that¡¯s when something odd happens. The ¡®afterimage¡¯ cuts down the missile with its sword, showing itself to be entirely tangible. A tiny hint of annoyance twists the Pimp¡¯s face as he watches his plan go up in smoke.


    The amber ring doesn¡¯t double the effects of his other rings- it makes clones. Good to know, intel is vital. As if to make up for the secret being unraveled, this Pimp-clone increases its speed and readies a powerful thrust aimed right at Sam¡¯s heart. She might be able to get out of the way... but at this speed, she might not. Best not to risk it.


    ¡°Zutiria,¡±


    The petite Mage standing at the ready in the back row raises her staff. It buzzes with spectacular golden light. Zutiria opens her pursed lips, whispering, ¡°Goldoradomorph.¡±


    Zutiria wills the golden bricks of the floor to rise up into an angled pillar. The magical structure rushes out of the ground and smashes the Pimp-clone right in the face. It explodes all at once into a violent, topaz mist of concentrated mana from the impact.


    With a sigh of relief, the Mage says, ¡®Before anyone says anything, yes, I have spells to control gold. Yes, this would have been useful earlier in the dungeon, but it has a high mana cost.¡¯ Zutiria hunches over, tired from expending such a big chunk of her reserves all at once.


    ¡°Nyaa, I was about to point that out...¡± Peri whines, presumably thinking she was oh so clever. Indeed, even just a small usage of the spell took out about a third of her mana. That¡¯s not good, but given how Zutiria can¡¯t directly attack Pimpington without risk of reflection, her options are limited.


    ¡°Guess underhanded tricks don¡¯t work so well against someone who can see right through ¡®em... who woulda thought?¡± Pimpington cocks his head to the side and smiles.


    Right now, Meri could probably get in a hit if she¡¯s fast enough... he might be able to react to it in time, though... hmm. I decide that pushing forward is more important, and I order Meri to perform a Shield Bash.


    In no time at all, she swaps her kite shield for tower form and charges at Pimpington with the force of a battering ram. The pimp didn¡¯t expect to be attacked from this distance, but the panic on his face is stopped short when he raises his left hand. He activates the diamond ring sitting on his middle finger, and a sparkling white light emits from the stone.


    There are no mind games involved in figuring out this bling ring¡¯s power. Upon activation, he immediately begins floating up into the air away from Meri¡¯s attack. Activating her cleats, the Shield Maiden is able to stop her bull-rush charge before she, too, slams into the remains of the Lemira statue.


    ¡°Not bad, Sweetie,¡± The pimp taunts as he looks down at the adventurers from the sky. After scanning the battlefield for opportunities, his sharp eyes focus on the Mage. ¡°Same goes fo¡¯ yo¡¯self, little lady.¡± Pimpington points the sapphire ring finger directly at Zutiria, and at the same time, the dungeon boss summons another Pimp-clone to distract Sam.


    Meri is stuck re-orienting herself, and she has a quick breath to recuperate for her stamina usage. Meanwhile, Sam engages in a fast-paced sword duel with the clone.


    ¡°Zutiria, he¡¯s about to show up behind you-¡± I lean into the Taskmaster screen and clench my fists. In truth, Pimpington hasn¡¯t even manifested where the ¡®blink¡¯ teleport¡¯s silhouette is going to go yet. This is a gamble- a prediction.


    ...A prediction that proves correct. Zutiria turns around, switches her weapon into its Staggerstaff mode, and- using much, much more physical strength than I¡¯ve ever seen the little lady muster- clobbers the Pimp on his forehead with her mallet right after he blinks behind her.


    ¡°YES!¡± Snow practically jumps out of her seat in celebration.


    ¡°Good call!¡± Peri congratulates me before turning to Cherry and slapping their paws together in a high-five.


    ¡°Don¡¯t distract him, nyaa!¡± Cherry reminds her right before I was going to say something to that effect.


    For the first time in this battle, the pimp¡¯s eyes lose composure. He shouts in pain as the effects of Zutiria¡¯s mallet rock his nervous system, sending waves of electricity into his body and halting him in temporary paralysis. ¡°AUGHH-!!¡± He cries, spittle rockets out of his mouth, and the disgraced knight almost drops his shining sword.


    Her job done, Zutiria rushes to the opposite side of the room. The back row has swapped places, and she needs to keep safe. ¡®Someone go attack the pimp, please. I hit him harder than I usually would, so it¡¯ll last a few extra seconds... even though it hurt.¡¯ The Mage winces as her arms begin to throb with muscle ache.


    Right as Zutiria zips past Sam, the addled but still battle-ready Princess quickly runs at the Pimp, now frozen in time. With a small grunt, she hefts her sword over her shoulder and coats the attacking side with Blunt Edge. ¡°I GOT THIS,¡± She declares, smiling and leaping the rest of the way.


    Sam slashes with terrifying force.


    ¡°GEH- Bitch are you fo¡¯ real?!¡± Pimpington¡¯s paralysis wears off at the moment before impact, but even for a seasoned warrior like him, it¡¯s too late to get out of the way. Sam¡¯s sword is just simply too big to avoid. The fencer grits his teeth and channels an even higher degree of Steel Soul to mitigate the damage, his body almost rippling like metal. As a last resort, he throws out his sword in a parrying stance despite knowing full well that a rapier isn¡¯t capable of deflecting a great blade.


    Still, as inexperienced as Sam can be, her attacks are devastating. There¡¯s no way that the pimp can shrug a hit from her great blade off.


    While his jeweled armor looks tough, it gives in under the pressure of Sam¡¯s sword. The young Royal¡¯s brutal swing knocks Pimpington off his feet, and he tumbles awkwardly through the sky. His crowned pimp hat falls right off as he scrambles, trying to land safe and sound like an acrobat.


    ¡°Nice job, Sam!¡± Meri smiles, using this chance to return to the frontline at her friend¡¯s side. ¡°Y-You too, Zutiria!¡± She adds right as she senses little daggers staring at her from behind.


    ¡®Thank you,¡¯ Zutiria stops begging for attention, satisfied with her praise.


    ¡°Some dungeon boss, huh?¡± Sam offers Meri a little fist-bump, which the Shield Maiden takes her up on.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get cocky, focus-¡± I remind Her Highness while watching the pimp continue awkwardly twisting in the air.


    ¡°Pft. Cock.¡± Sam giggles like an idiot.


    ¡°Get in there right where he lands, Sam!¡± Brushing aside her loopy amusement over dicks, I issue an order.


    ¡°Yes, Daddy!¡± Sam chases after Pimpington. In the end, he lands safely on his feet. Of course, he flourishes his descent with a twirl. Looking towards the danger ahead, his sharp eyes narrow, and the pimp grips his sword to ready a counter-attack.


    ¡°Such an un-refined weapon...¡± Pimpington spits out some blood pooling in his cheek. ¡°It gets the job done, just makes ya look like a savage in the process, ya know what I¡¯m sayin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°All I hear is a cuck who¡¯s jealous about my big, bitchin¡¯ sword!¡± Sam darts off to the left during her dash, preparing an overhead strike- no, wait, she¡¯s using Feint. The villainous Pimp glances at her trickery for only an instant, and the bastard doesn¡¯t buy it.


    ¡°Aight, so ya know some tricks,¡± He smiles with amusement and twirls his mustache. ¡°But I already told ya Feint ain¡¯t shit compared to my afterimages, so why ya think it¡¯d work on me?¡±


    Sam realizes far too late that her attempt at deception was utterly wasted. Before she can course correct and evade, Pimpington raises his now glowing blade almost casually. He takes a single, soft step forward with his right foot. A storm of petals falls off of the rapier¡¯s hilt, following the Fencer as he suddenly glides across the room in a straight line.


    This shocking burst of speed is unprecedented and almost matches the power of his sapphire ring. Thanks to his Leaping Lunge Art, the tip of Pimpington¡¯s sword is now on a collision course with the middle of Sam¡¯s chest.


    ¡°ZUTIRIA! SWAP THEM, NOW!!¡± The oncoming danger makes me shout so hard that my glasses almost fall straight off my face.


    While the Black Mage begins preparing her spell, Sam stops running and holds out her sword in front of her body to guard. I don¡¯t have the time to tell her that¡¯s not a good idea- he¡¯s already upon her, and his sword pokes a perfect hole right through the solid metal.


    I have no choice but to watch helplessly as his sword continues on to pierce the Princess¡¯s breastplate. Pimpington¡¯s vicious attack invades several inches past the thick gambeson beneath her armor, sinking right into her flesh. Blood begins trickling out from her wound. I clutch my chest, my hand trembles, and I slam the table with my opposite fist.

 Strings and Shadows

    The horror ends as soon as Zutiria mutters, ¡°Shaddaswap,¡± under her whispered breath. The Mage¡¯s eyes twitch from the stress spellcasting brings upon her body, but shortly after the incantation Sam and Meri fall into their shadows. This removes Pimpington¡¯s rapier before he can impale the Princess any further, thank the gods...


    Unfortunately for the pimp, his lunge continues on straight into Meri¡¯s tower shield as soon as she emerges from the darkness. She digs her cleats into the golden floor and clenches her eyes as the shield tanks the immense power of Pimpington¡¯s art.


    The Shield Maiden¡¯s eyes burn bright with determination and she pushes forward, shouting, ¡°REFLECT!¡±. The shock on Pimpington¡¯s face is priceless, especially when the blast sends him flying into the nearest wall. He falls face-first down onto a rose bush, just narrowly missing the closest statue.


    Meri stands there, triumphantly watching the pimp as he is knocked back once again. Her face is covered in a hundred tiny scratches, some of which are bleeding. Even if she stopped the brunt of the attack, the petals still flew past her guard and scratched her up... still, despite all this, Meri smiles proudly.


    I¡¯d congratulate her, but my attention is focused elsewhere. ¡°Sam, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m all good, Daddy!¡± Sam stands where Meri used to, right in the same defensive pose she was in moments ago. She lowers her pierced sword, and to my relief, the pimp¡¯s attack must not have skewered her too far. The blood isn¡¯t trickling as much as it was. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even scared even when the red stuff splurted out! Aren¡¯t you proud?¡± She grins a toothy grin, and sweet, emotional reprieve washes over me.


    ¡°Yes, Princess. I¡¯m very proud.¡± I smile at the screen, and Snow clasps my hand with her paw. I let out a sigh and squeeze her soft, fluffy hand back. We share a brief look of mutual satisfaction before focusing back on the display.


    Pimpington pulls himself up yet again, this time looking worse for wear. ¡°This pimp is startin¡¯ to get real tired of that Reflect shit, ya dig?¡±


    I feel daring, so I turn on voice transmission and begin to taunt. ¡°Good, the more pissed you get, the easier these girls can walk circles around you.¡±


    ¡°...You just got no idea what¡¯s at stake here, Master.¡± Pimpington scowls and walks out of the rose garden back onto the golden path. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to lose to y¡¯all here and now, not when everythin¡¯ is so close to completion.¡± The emerald ring on the Pimp¡¯s left hand begins to activate, signaling an oncoming heal.


    ¡°Myaster, this will just keep repeating if that ring isn¡¯t taken care of.¡± The head maid brings up an excellent point, and I nod my head in response.


    ¡°Zutiria, I need you to take care of that ring- no matter what.¡±


    The Mage considers my words, her eyes darting off to the Wishing Star dangling from the tip of her staff. ¡®No matter what?¡¯ She asks for confirmation.


    ¡°No matter what.¡±


    She takes a deep breath and nods. ¡®Understood,¡¯ Right as Pimpington begins to raise his hand and heal himself, Zutiria clangs her staff on the golden floor. The golden star fashioned to her staff glows brightly as she says, ¡°Strinshadonette.¡±


    Unlike any other spell she¡¯s cast until now this one changes the entire world around her. Darkness doesn¡¯t just envelop her staff, no. Everything becomes dimmer and darker around the Mage. It¡¯s almost as if her spell devoured the shiny, golden sheen of the room, replacing it with melancholic dreariness.


    ¡°What in the name of everlovin¡¯ shit-fuck is this mothafuckin¡¯ vile-ass sorcery...!?¡± He exclaims, dropping his left hand and putting up his guard in case he has to fend off any new threats. Pimpington¡¯s shadow then begins to shift and rumble behind him.


    The party watches Zutiria¡¯s spell manifest. Back at home, all three kitten¡¯s fur starts standing on end. Cherry hisses quietly, and Peri even begins to tremble. While Snow is able to keep her composure, it¡¯s obvious that this magic bothers her just as much. Even just viewing this spell from a display screen feels... wrong. It¡¯s no secret that Zutiria has an affinity for dark magic, but... until now, I¡¯ve never seen any spell as horrifying as this.


    An abomination made of shade and umbral blackness emerges from the villain¡¯s shadow. Describing the entity is a difficult task, as at any given moment it shifts and writhes with what little light there is in the room. It has no visible legs with which to stand, instead, the lower half of its body is a spiraling tornado of ethereal darkness not unlike a sort of Djinn. Its head is featureless save for long, many-spiked horns and a pair of staggering red eyes the color of festering hatred. Two long, lanky arms reach outwards with spread claws, giving the demon a dominating stature as it looms overhead.


    Sam¡¯s mouth opens wide, the brain magic doing little to hold back the terror in her heart from developing. Meri fares even worse until she decides to not even bother watching anymore and hides behind her shield instead. I don¡¯t blame her.


    ¡°Oh, s-shadows dark... and l-long... m... make t-this man... dance to my song...¡± Zutiria whispers in a strenuous tone, ending the sentence with a might cough from the stress of having to say so many words at once. Although thanks to her Wishing Star she¡¯s able to cast this spell without mana, it does nothing to help her preexisting conditions.


    Upon hearing the follow-up incantation, the demon behind Pimpington roars an unearthly roar. It thrusts its spindly, clawed hand over the pimp¡¯s head and begins to mold the room¡¯s darkness to its will. Shadows begin to form in the demon¡¯s palm, soon taking the shape of what looks to be a controller that a puppeteer might use.


    ¡°Ah HELL naw! This pimp ain¡¯t stickin¡¯ around fo¡¯ no shady-ass black puppet devil, ya feel me?¡± Pimpington says while he tries running away from the shadow demon to no avail. Sure enough, inky, jet-black strings fling out from the ends of the structure and attach themselves to the pimp, stopping him dead in his tracks.


    ¡°AUGH!¡± As the threads of darkness pierce his body, Pimpington screeches so unsettlingly loud that it brings to mind a man on a torture rack.


    ¡°Hooooooooly shiiiiiiiiiit,¡± Sam stares, gaping. ¡°Zuzu, I knew you were strong but what the FUCK!?¡±


    ¡°I-Is it over yet...?!¡± Daring not to look, Meri asks from behind the safety of her barrier.


    Zutiria thrusts her hand out towards the pimp and performs a series of motions that are soon after repeated by the shadow demon. It weaves the strings in an intricate motion, forcing the pimp to raise his left hand as well as inflicting a great amount of pain upon him. Soon, the emerald healing ring begins to glow.


    ¡®As I thought. If I just do this... like this... and then do this...¡¯ Zutiria starts thinking aloud and making even more hand gestures which are soon copied by her big friend.


    Pimpington points the glowing ring towards Sam and activates the effect. ¡°WAIT WAIT WAIT, AGHHH, FUCKIN¡¯ HELL IS THIS SHIT?!¡± He screams in protest, but it¡¯s too late.


    A green shine envelops the Princess¡¯s body, drawing her gaze down towards the hole in her armor from surprise. ¡°Whoa! The stab wound is gone!¡± She smirks, suddenly a very happy girl.


    ¡°NICE!¡± Cherry pumps her fists into the air.


    Snow smirks and wipes some sweat off of her forehead, ¡°Goodness, nyaa. That Mage of yours really is a clever girl, isn¡¯t she?¡±


    I feel a sense of pride rising up from within me, knowing that that Mage is indeed ¡®mine¡¯. ¡°Yes, she really is...¡±


    ¡®...Hmm. I don¡¯t have much longer.¡¯ Zutiria frowns. ¡®Shame, I was enjoying getting to use higher-level magic. It seems for spells that require continuous mana usage such as this, I can¡¯t cast them for longer than my body would normally allow. Not much of a wish come true, but better than nothing.¡¯


    ¡°Very much so, but I digress. Get rid of the ring.¡±


    ¡®Yes, Sir.¡¯


    I knew that this large, shadowy monstrosity was too good to be true. Still, it¡¯s refreshing to see a glimpse of the full power of Karnalle¡¯s self-proclaimed strongest Mage, even if only for a moment. I was hoping this spell would last long enough for Zutiria to take off all of Pimpington¡¯s bling rings and throw them across the room at Sam, but that doesn¡¯t sound like a possibility now. Not to mention it¡¯d be bad if he just stole it back...


    Instead, Zutiria controls the strings and forces the enemy to take off the healing ring, drop it on the ground, and skewer it with his rapier. Every step of the way the man hesitates and fights against the spell before ultimately caving in. ¡°SHIT, Y-Y¡¯ALL GOT ANY IDEA HOW FUCKIN¡¯ MUCH A STRAIGHT-UP HEALIN¡¯ RING COSTS?!¡± He winces, but I can¡¯t tell if it¡¯s from the demon¡¯s constant pain or from the loss of such a treasure.


    Light returns to the room right after the brilliant green gemstone is shattered. The entity of string and shadow withers back into Pimpington¡¯s shadow, returning to whatever abyssal hell from whence it came. Zutiria suffers no physical drawback from her spell, for once. No doubt that¡¯s the reason she now has a noticeable self-satisfied grin uncharacteristic of her.


    Unfortunately, there¡¯s no time to stand around and heap mindless praise on Zutiria. Pimpington isn¡¯t out of it for very long. Despite ragged breath and his limbs shaking with pain, he stands defiantly. ¡°This pimp has always fuckin¡¯ hated the shit out of dark magic,¡± He grunts and begins approaching the trio with sword in hand. ¡°A man can get used to bein¡¯ on fire, or zapped with lightnin¡¯, and even freezin¡¯ cold... but that mothafuckin¡¯ shadowy shit hurts a man¡¯s soul, ya dig?¡±


    ¡°What soul?¡± Snow mumbles, eliciting a giggle from Peri.


    ¡°He¡¯s starting to wear down, he was counting on that heal. Sam, press forward and get ready to back her up, Meri. We¡¯re slowly getting closer to finishing this.¡±


    Both girls do exactly as I say while Zutiria watches from the back row, ready to cast more support magic as soon as it¡¯s needed. A sense of satisfaction grows within me. Aside from some road bumps, this battle is going better than I imagined. Granted, I¡¯m a pessimist so that¡¯s not exactly saying much.


    Everything in my head tells me that there¡¯s no way these three can defeat a gold-ranked adventurer, not even if he¡¯s long past his prime. Still, I believe in them, and I believe in my own ability to guide them to victory.


    I still have my observations and misgivings about the current battle, though. What bothers me the most is that while constantly analyzing his body language and expressions, I haven¡¯t noticed a single moment where Pimpington has doubted his chances to win.


    As Sam runs off to attack the pimp still mired in dark magic, I hope to myself that his absurd confidence doesn¡¯t actually add up to anything and that it¡¯s all in my head...


    PunishedKom

 Gotcha, Bitch

    Pimpington wastes no time in proving my worst fears true. Sam rushes towards him with her sword, ready to attack with her full power. Whatever damage he sustained from Zutiria¡¯s attack isn¡¯t bothering him anymore. Instead, he stares at the oncoming great blader in silence before calmly taking a single step forward.


    ¡°Ya know, maybe that Feint of yours would¡¯ve worked if ya could do somethin¡¯ a lil¡¯ like this,¡± He raises his rapier and sidesteps to the left- no, the right- no, that¡¯s not right either... shit. Using nothing but his own Arts skill, Pimpington overwhelms Sam with phantom attacks appearing in just about twenty directions simultaneously.


    ¡°GAH! Niki¡¯s never used so many at the same time before!¡± The Princess¡¯s green eyes dart from feint to feint, trying in desperation to discern the actual attack amidst all the fakes. But the thing is even MY eyes are barely able to keep up with this non-existent onslaught, and if I can¡¯t do it, then...


    ¡°Sam! He¡¯s right in front of you!¡± I grit my teeth, watching as the real Pimpington walks towards Sam at a leisurely pace.


    Sam shuts her eyes, deciding to block off all the potential distractions. She grunts, slashing with her weapon side to side and putting all her power to work. Pimpington¡¯s blade shines in response and rushes out to meet Sam¡¯s. Unlike before where the Princess brutally overwhelmed him, this time he has the foresight to ready a defensive Art.


    ¡°Master, y¡¯all ain¡¯t the only one who can play mind games,¡± Pimpington warns me as his blade curves around Sam¡¯s sword like a snake, ¡°This pimp knew you¡¯d tell her to move on in, ya dig? Only eyes like yours could see on through that many feints.¡± In one fell motion, the Fencer redirects Sam¡¯s attack. He forces the massive blade¡¯s arc down to the ground where it clangs against the golden bricks.


    ¡°What the heck?!¡± Sam shouts as her eyes open wide. ¡°How many Arts does this jerk even kno-¡±


    Pimpington stabs Sam in the chest three times. Each attack pokes out the other side of her armor and sends out a stream of blood like she were a popped balloon. Snow gasps, Peri is at a loss for words, and Cherry begins to tear up as the powerful Princess stumbles backward.


    Sam coughs up a bit of blood, a flash of anger filling her eyes even despite the spell tampering with her mood. ¡°D... Dad...dy...?¡± The Princess clutches her breastplate, and I struggle with the reality of what just happened.


    ¡®SAMMY!¡¯ Zutiria begins to panic. The hands holding her staff begin to tremble as she tries to think of some creative way to intervene but to no avail.


    ¡°This is all yo¡¯ fault,¡± Pimpington tells me as he prepares a dramatic fourth strike aimed straight at Sam¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Call her back, Myaster!¡± Snow looks me in the eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve done enough!¡±


    I don¡¯t even hesitate. ¡°MERI, USE A RETURNER ON SAM, NOW!¡±


    What happens next is almost a blur. Meri was already running towards Sam in order to intervene, ¡°Get away from my friend, y-you ASSHOLE!¡± The timid adventurer shouts as she fires off a Kite Rail missile.


    Zutiria slams the butt of her staff onto the floor, shouting, ¡°CYCLOTEX! BURNHIT!¡± The Mage falls down onto her knees and clutches her throat, but the duo of spells is cast. Behind Meri¡¯s missile manifests the same tornado that Zutiria summoned a few hours ago, only now the wind is wrapped in intense flames.


    Pimpington¡¯s fatal blow on Sam is postponed as he jumps backward to put distance between himself and the spiraling, drill-like missile encased in fire. Without even so much as a taunt, the Fencer leaps into the air and uses the same Art he just used on Sam. With the power of his Riposte, he redirects the magically-powered Kite Rail straight back at Meri.


    She switches back to tower shield, no doubt thinking she¡¯d be able to Reflect the massive impact right back at him. I almost celebrate this fortunate mistake on his part before noticing something that makes my heart drop.


    Pimpington made a clone, and no one noticed it. Not even me. The pimp-clone leaps out of the rose bushes covered in tons of little scratches and cuts. He¡¯s had it hiding in there ever since he was last sent flying, hasn¡¯t he? Damn it! Why didn¡¯t I consider that?!


    ¡°MERI, YOUR FLANK!¡± I shout so loud that all three Catfolk have to cover their ears.


    ¡°W-What?! No way!¡± Meri gasps in shock as she looks to the side and witnesses the oncoming threat. The Shield Maiden is just barely able to jump backward out of the way of both the clone¡¯s rapier and the Riposte-ed projectile... but Pimpington counted on that, too.


    Setting aside the damaged Princess for the moment, the pimp performs a spiral motion with his sword. ¡°I told y¡¯all this pimp was gettin¡¯ tired of that Reflect shit, did ya really think I was just gonna let ya fire off another one?¡± The Piercing Point at the tip of the rapier begins spiraling like it were a high-powered, arcane tech drill.


    Pimpington then takes a single step forward. Just like with Leaping Lunge before, he flies across the room at break-neck speed. Spiral-shaped energy trails behind him and the sharp petals of his sword begin storming around his sword with unrestrained violence.


    ¡°MERI!!¡±


    The flying Rapier skewers the Shield Maiden before she can even throw her shield up to meet it. Pimpington removes his sword out of my lover¡¯s body with casual ease. He flicks it through the air, cleaning it and spraying Meri¡¯s scarlet blood all over the golden bricks below.


    Meri falls to the floor.


    ¡°Hah... hahaha... w-what?¡± The Princess in pain stares at her injured friend. Her placid, green eyes start flickering on and off with magic as she processes what¡¯s going on. ¡°Me... Meri...¡±


    ¡°Zutiria, please, you need to do something! Get Sam and Meri out of there...!¡±


    The Mage is on the floor, crying. ¡®I... can¡¯t... my mana... body... hurts...¡¯ That explosive finale of hers took more out of her than just what was left of her mana.


    I... don¡¯t see a way out of this. This feels like the most terrifying situation any Guild Master could ever experience- a total party wipe.


    Pimpington sighs as he looks down at the feeble Meri, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about this, ya seem like a real sweetheart.¡± He raises his sword, and I hold back the growing urge to throw up the sandwich the kittens made me several hours back.


    ¡°Suh... screw... y-you...¡± Meri spits blood out towards the pimp, getting it all over the gold plating of his pointy wingtip shoes.


    ¡°Atta girl, always best to go down fighting-¡± Meri reaches out and grabs the bottom of Pimpington¡¯s frilly pant-leg, interrupting him. Her frowns. ¡°...Aw, c¡¯mon. Now y¡¯all are just being desperate.¡±


    Gritting her teeth, the Shield Maiden looks up at the villain and scowls. ¡°Desperate... gets... things... d-done...¡± Pimpington stabs Meri through her gauntlet and forces her to let go.


    This brief distraction was all the time Sam needed.


    ¡°YOU THINK I¡¯M JUST GONNA FUCKING LET YOU MURDER ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, YOU OVERCOMPENSATING CUCK!? WE¡¯RE BASICALLY SISTERS!¡± The Princess shouts angrily as she dashes in from Pimpington¡¯s side.


    ¡°Fo¡¯ real?¡± He blinks incredulously. ¡°Do any of y¡¯all know when the fuck to give up?¡± He raises his left pointer finger and shoot off a topaz-colored laser beam straight at the charging Princess.


    ¡°I¡¯LL GIVE UP WHEN YOU¡¯RE A PILE OF BROKEN BONES, BITCH!¡± Sam blocks it with the brunt of her sword and continues moving in on him, powering up a strike with all the power her Royal Blood has to offer.


    ¡°Mistress!? She¡¯s... she¡¯s angry, nyaa!¡± Peri shouts.


    ¡°But what about the spell?!¡± Cherry looks me in the eyes for an answer.


    ¡°It wore off!¡± Snow covers her wide-open mouth with her paws.


    ¡°No... she broke it!¡± I stare in disbelief as Pimpington tries to Riposte Sam¡¯s tremendous attack. It¡¯s no use- his sword gives under her force. It deals massive damage to the Pimp once more as it strikes his entire body. His eyes almost bulge out of his head from the impact- it¡¯s hard to watch just how much pain the Princess can inflict.


    Like the persistent bastard he is, the Fencer refuses to lose his pressing advantage. He stabs his rapier into the golden ground and prevents himself from flying too far away from the action this time. Pimpington breaths heavily, and I realize now that the increased amount of Arts he¡¯s been using must be starting to catch up with him. ¡°Gods, that mothafuckin¡¯ bitch-ass sword hurts-¡±


    ¡°Yeah? Well, we¡¯ll see how bad it hurts when I SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!¡± She growls and advances towards the target of her rage.


    ¡°Sam, are you ok?!¡± I find it hard to hold back my joy, and excitement leaks out of my voice.


    ¡°My fucking head hurts like shit, Boss, and I¡¯m not too thrilled about all my new holes... but I¡¯d say I¡¯m doing a lot fucking better!!¡±


    ¡®You... broke the spell, Sammy?¡¯ Zutiria pulls herself up off the ground and watches in amazement.


    ¡°Guess my anger is stronger than your brain magic,¡± Sam scoffs and raises her sword.


    ¡°Get him, Sam...!¡± Meri weakly rises, pride for her party member surely swelling.


    ¡°Have ya really learned nothin¡¯? You can¡¯t just charge in expecting brute force to work on this pimp,¡± Pimpington scowls as the Princess slashes horizontally towards him with all her might. His entire body begins to glow with his energy, and he dodges the attack using a devastating, high-level art- Passata Sotto.


    The Fencer places his left hand on the floor, ducking under Sam¡¯s attack with his entire body. It¡¯s so swift and sudden that it almost seems like he contorts himself at an unnatural angle just to dodge Pimpington finishes the Art with a dramatic lunge of his blade, piercing through the Princess¡¯s crimson armor once more and straight through her collarbone.


    I wince at the sight- but Sam doesn¡¯t. She reaches out and grabs his hand. She¡¯s been waiting for this moment all along. Sam leans into the attack, purposefully taking the sword deeper into her body but giving him no chance to wiggle out of it. ¡°Gotcha, bitch!¡±


    Pimpington tries to pull away. ¡°Fuckin¡¯ hell you doing ya crazy-ass hoe?!¡± Sensing he¡¯s not going to beat her in a battle of brute strength, the Pimp starts punching Sam in the face with his left hand. It surely has to hurt, even despite Sam¡¯s unpracticed use of Steel Soul, but all it really seems to do is piss her off.


    ¡°I¡¯m finishing you off,¡± She raises her sword in response, smiling like a demon.

 The Thing About Boss Monsters

    ¡°THIS ONE¡¯S FOR ALL THE BEASTGIRLS YOU STOLE,¡±


    Sam bashes Pimpington¡¯s fucking head in with her sword, and she doesn¡¯t stop at just onE. After confirming the bastard to be stunned, the Princess starts screaming and going on a rampage. She lets go of his hand and strikes him down with a powerful swipe of steel. With all of her fury, Sam pummels him into the golden bricks below like she¡¯s trying to turn the pimp into a paste.


    ¡°THIS ONE¡¯S FOR MERI,¡±


    Over and over the Princess slams her sword into the vile villain, savoring the moment as she makes up for everything he¡¯s done to hurt her and her friends. Pimpington begins coughing up blood from her assault. At one point he tries to stand up and pull his rapier out of Sam¡¯s collarbone, but she conks him on the head and sends him right back to the floor.


    ¡°THIS ONE¡¯S FOR MAKING BOSS WORRY ABOUT ME,¡±


    It¡¯s an impressive display of savagery, even if it¡¯s a little hard to watch. Peri covers her eyes, Cherry stares gaping at the screen, and even Snow averts her gaze from time to time. As for me, I don¡¯t let a single second of his defeat slip past. I savor every swing of the Princess¡¯s sword almost as much as Sam is savoring them.


    When she¡¯s finally had her fill of beating the defeated pimp with her Blunt Edge-coated sword, Sam finishes up by kicking the pimp square in the balls with all of her power. ¡°AND THAT¡¯S FOR POKING ME FULL OF HOLES!¡± She shouts.


    Her kick is so fierce that just from the impact alone, Pimpington flies several feet away and hits his head against one of the room¡¯s many stone statues. If it weren¡¯t for his full-body coating of Steel Soul, the man¡¯s testicles would have likely shattered like glass- and even now I¡¯d surmise they aren¡¯t looking too well.


    Sam stands there in an adrenaline-fueled haze, reaching to the sword sticking out of her. She doesn¡¯t so much as wince as she pulls it out.


    ¡°Sam, you aren¡¯t supposed to remove sharp objects like that unless you¡¯re ready to dress the wound-¡± I sigh with bizarre relief.


    ¡°Oh, whoops,¡± She shrugs, reaching into her adventurer¡¯s pack to dig out a healing potion from her reserve. She chugs the entire thing in one go and smiles as she looks down at her body. ¡°We¡¯re good now, Boss!¡± In no time at all her wounds disappear, and any damage to her collarbone is healed thanks to the power magical of the red elixir.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess we are...¡± My eyes drift towards the unconscious Pimp, checking for sure that he¡¯s really out of commission. As far as I can tell, he¡¯s really defeated and totally banged up. ¡°Put the sword aside, I want you to bring it home.¡±


    Sam chuckles while eying the sword she just pulled out of her own body, ¡°Can¡¯t blame ya, this thing is fuckin¡¯ sweet.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s it then...?¡± Snow blinks as she clutches her paws to her heart, looking at me with watery eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯s it then,¡± After standing up for the first time in about five hours, I crack my back and flash the head maid an incredibly tired smile.


    Snow tackles me to the ground and hugs me, nuzzling her head into my neck with no restraint and purring. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, Myaster...!! I... I doubted you all so many times tonight, but... you... you really, REALLY did it...!!¡± Tears begin to stream down her face as she hugs me with all of her Beastfolk strength. It¡¯s hard to breathe, but I¡¯m ok with that.


    Soon after that, Peri and Cherry add themselves to the pile. ¡°I didn¡¯t doubt you and the Mistresses for a second, nyaa!¡± Peri is quick to tell me.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t either!¡± Cherry smirks, proudly.


    All I can do is laugh and hug the three of them as best I can. ¡°Sam, I¡¯m covered in Catfolk. Please go help Meri while we celebrate.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± I hear Sam snort, ¡°Don¡¯t have too much fun without me over there!¡±


    ¡°No promises,¡± I tell the Princess while gazing straight at the white-haired kitten staring me down.


    ¡°You wish.¡± Snow rolls her yellow eyes and smiles with sadistic smugness.


    With her body pressing down on top of me, I can¡¯t help noticing the size of her chest... I¡¯ve only ever seen Snow wearing a loose tracksuit and a very formal, classical maid outfit. But now that she¡¯s pounced on top of me the heft is practically impossible to ignore. She has to be hiding an absurd pair of-


    ¡°Do it-¡± Peri interrupts my train of thought as she begins pushing the back of Snow¡¯s head. ¡°Kiss the Myaster, damn it-¡±


    ¡°I will not,¡± Snow¡¯s neck does not bend towards me even in the slightest no matter how hard my supporter flexes her strength.


    ¡°Cherry, help me, nyaa!¡± Peri calls for support.


    Snow gives Cherry a look that implies she¡¯ll pull out her riding crop if she so much as dares try to force her to kiss me. ¡°I-I¡¯m, uh, not sure that¡¯s in my best interest...¡± The pink-haired kitten blushes, looking away as she develops a nervous sweat.


    Peri shrugs and gives up, much to my admitted disappointment. Snow gets up off of me as well, and she extends her paw to help me up. I gratefully take it and smile as she pulls me to my feet and we all sit back at our seats to see Sam holding up one of Meri¡¯s health potions for her. After she¡¯s done, she and the Princess both drink an entire stamina potion right away. On another screen, Zutiria is drinking her second mana potion.


    Nothing fills me with more relief than watching their health, stamina, and mana meters all max out... especially given how dangerously low they were getting.


    ¡°You all did wonderfully,¡± I give the party an honest and sincere compliment.


    Sam smirks, Meri blushes and Zutiria smiles.


    ¡°That was fucking scary, not gonna lie...¡± The Princess exhales and scratches the back of her head, pulling Meri back to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been in so much pain...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just upset I couldn¡¯t do more...¡± The Shield Maiden frowns. ¡°He was a bad matchup against me, just like you said, Master...¡±


    ¡®He was much too fast for you to reliably tank hits, sure, but you still did more than me.¡¯ Zutiria sighs in a solemn tone and shakes her head.


    ¡°Everyone did the best they could do with their respective talents. No more, no less. I think that¡¯s reason enough for celebration, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I-I guess so, Master...¡± Meri fights off her discontent and weakly smiles as Sam wraps her arms both of her friend¡¯s necks, pulling them into an adorable group hug.


    ¡°We did it...!¡± She smiles as a creeping realization begins to take root in my mind.


    ¡°...The door hasn¡¯t unlocked yet,¡± I confirm this fact by repositioning the Taskmaster screen and zooming into the door behind Pimpington¡¯s throne on the balcony. It¡¯s just as locked as before.


    ¡°No big deal,¡± Sam shrugs and hefts her sword over her shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s probably barely hanging on, I¡¯ll go and clobber the Pimp out cold and Zuzu can bind him up with whatever spell. Do you want us to send him back to the Guild with a Returner, or...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that should be fine. Just be careful, Sam... he¡¯s tricky.¡±


    ¡®At least no one has to punch a pregnant woman this time,¡¯ Zutiria says, earning a chuckle from Sam and the kitties.


    It wouldn¡¯t have been the end of the world if he died in this battle, but Pimpington is worth far more to me alive than dead. Not even just to potentially hand him off to Duke Gloomcrest, either. I plan on having a very thorough interrogation as soon as the Pimp is in my custody.


    I didn¡¯t get a good look at Pimpington while Sam was beating him with merciless abandon, but leading up to it he still seemed certain of his victory. Just like Sam, I was too washed over by adrenaline to consider much else beyond the satisfaction of seeing him get beat into a bloody pulp...


    When the dastardly, beaten, and bruised Pimp rises to his feet as Sam approaches, I can¡¯t say I¡¯m fully surprised. Snow and the kitties gasp, Sam switches into a defensive stance, Meri rushes to her side, and Zutiria wipes her tired eyes and groans.


    ¡°Be real with me, Master, how mothafuckin¡¯ bad does this Pimp look?¡± He smiles, revealing himself to be missing several teeth.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen road animals trampled by caravans that looked better than you,¡± I answer him with humor.


    He laughs, shaking his head and running his clearly broken hand through his sweaty black hair. ¡°Yeah, that sounds about righ¡¯... fuckin¡¯ weird thing bout it is that even though I hurt so damn much righ¡¯ now, this pimp just feels like a million gold, ya feel me?¡±


    ¡°And here I thought you said being roughed up by a bunch of girls isn¡¯t your cup of tea,¡± I crack a smile, and Pimpington laughs even harder.


    ¡°I suppose I did say somethin¡¯ like that... shit¡¯s ironic, ya feel me? Didn¡¯t know how much I... how much I actually missed the thrill of battle.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come the fuck on,¡± Sam groans. ¡°Just let me fucking knock you out- we don¡¯t need your sentimental bullshit right now!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, I can dig it.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯re your balls doing, by the way?¡± Sam grins like a total bitch.


    ¡°I wear magic crotch armor fo¡¯ a reason, ya know. A pimp don¡¯t leave home without it.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Sam frowns, clearly upset that she didn¡¯t shatter her enemy¡¯s gonads into oblivion.


    I don¡¯t know what comes over me, but I stare at our nearly defeated foe and can¡¯t help thinking to ask him something. ¡°How did they do, Pimp?¡±


    After making a serious expression, his face relaxes into a warm, almost comforting smile. ¡°They ain¡¯t half bad, fo¡¯ rookies. Y¡¯all pushed me to my limits, which I thought was impossible fo¡¯ a buncha bronze-ranked babies...¡±


    ¡°If you were at your peak-¡±


    ¡°I woulda killed ¡®em within half a minute.¡± His face becomes grim as he answers with complete honesty. ¡°This pimp is even mo¡¯ outta practice than I coulda imagined...¡±


    I figured as much. A lump swells in Sam¡¯s throat. No doubt she finds it hard to speak after hearing that, knowing it to be true. ¡°Fuck...¡± She mutters to herself. Her pride makes her clench her sword a bit tighter.


    ¡°Are you ready to give in, P-Pimp, or do we need to keep kicking your butt?¡± Meri takes another step toward the enemy, who shows no sign of backing off.


    ¡®We¡¯ve fully healed thanks to the potions I brew, just so you know. It¡¯s futile to continue on.¡¯


    ¡°...This is the first dungeon all of y¡¯all been through, righ¡¯?¡± Pimpington seemingly ignores the thinly-veiled threats of my adventurers. He sighs and stands up straight, correcting his bow-legged posture and gaining a few inches of height.


    ¡°Shit...¡± I adjust my glasses out of stress as his words replay themselves in my mind.


    ¡°The fuck¡¯s that got to do with anything...?!¡± Sam stomps her feet and steps forward, hoping to threaten her foe.


    ¡°Might as well ask yo¡¯ Master, sounds like he gets where a pimp is comin¡¯ from.¡±


    ¡°I admit that I thought it was a possibility, but I don¡¯t know how this whole dungeon setup works... I didn¡¯t know if you would actually be able to-¡±


    ¡°Oh, I can,¡± Pimpington smirks. His body begins to glow with a mysterious, red energy that seems different from when using Arts. ¡°You see, girls, here¡¯s a lesson from me to y¡¯all. The thing about boss monsters... is that there¡¯s almost always a phase two, ya feel me?¡±


    Sam rushes in before I can tell her not to. She heaves her great blade over her armored shoulder, but the light radiating from Pimpington becomes a wave of pressure that pushes her and the group back several feet.


    ¡°AAUUUUGHH-¡± The Pimp cries as his silhouette rises from within the pillar of red light. His shape begins to distort in a myriad of painful directions no human should be able to live through, meanwhile, the party and the kitties watch on in horror.


    ¡°T-This isn¡¯t fair, nyaa! We already won!¡± Peri begins to cry as she darts off to hide behind my back.


    ¡°It¡¯s like trying to kill a cockroach...!¡± Cherry¡¯s voice wavers from disbelief.


    ¡°Myaster, what is this? What is he doing?! This isn¡¯t some kind of Art, is it?¡± Snow looks to me with deep, fearful concern. It takes all her will to pry her eyes away from the terrifying display.


    ¡°No. Lots of dungeon bosses have second forms that they access when they¡¯ve been halfway defeated. I didn¡¯t think it would be possible since he isn¡¯t a monster, but... Pimpington is transforming.¡±


    ¡®Glad that our friend in high places always has our back,¡¯ Zutiria rolls her eyes.


    ¡°Fucking bitch, she didn¡¯t even give me a treasure yet! Meri and Zuzu both got magic trinkets but I don¡¯t get shit AND I gotta fight this bastard twice in a row!?¡±


    ¡°W-We can do this, everyone! Stand firm... stand firm...!!¡± Meri refuses to back down. She steps forward using her magic cleats, protecting herself from the fierce pressure with her tower shield.


    ¡°Meri¡¯s right,¡± Out of habit, I slam my fist on the desk. ¡°I asked the Goddess to give us a dungeon, and no punches were pulled. You¡¯ve made it this far, girls are you going to stop now?¡±


    ¡°FUCK NO,¡± Sam growls, offended that I¡¯d even suggest such a thing.


    ¡®We have teamwork and friendship on our side, or something like that, so I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll do just fine.¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria¡¯s right! Nothing can defeat us as long as we stand side by side!¡± The Shield Maiden completely misses the facetiousness of the silent sorceress, clinging tight to her stereotypical remark.


    ¡®I was being sarcastic, Meri.¡¯ The Mage sighs.


    ¡°...Oh,¡± Meri blushes but shakes it off.


    ¡°Myaster, they could barely win the first phase as it was... even if they¡¯re healed, this is still-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting REAL tired of your shit, Snow!¡± Sam grunts as she rolls her eyes.


    ¡°...W-What?¡± The head maid blinks, unsure if Her Highness really just said that.


    ¡°It¡¯s cool that you¡¯re worried about us and all, but you aren¡¯t taking  our feelings into consideration! Just cause you can¡¯t be honest about what YOU want doesn¡¯t give you the right to constantly second guess what WE want. Right now, all we wanna do is beat this fucking pimp into the ground and save your fucking friends. Right, girls?¡±


    ¡°Right!¡± Meri replies with no hesitation.


    ¡®Yes, but I wouldn¡¯t pass up a week-long nap right about now, either...¡¯ Despite her words and cold expression, Zutiria brandishes her staff with enthusiasm.


    Snowball is completely floored by Sam¡¯s passionate outcry. The Catfolk hangs her head in shame, but only for a moment. Taking a deep breath in through the nostrils of her little, pink cat nose, the maid steadies herself. ¡°...Fuck him up. Fuck him up hard as you fucking can.¡± She says, wiping a small tear from her eye.


    ¡°Heh,¡± I smile upon seeing the Princess and her infectious, growing determination at work. She¡¯s not as dumb as she looks, and she has a penchant for saying exactly what people need to hear at exactly the time they need to hear it. That¡¯s how Sam helped me, after all. ¡°As soon as this bastard¡¯s done transforming... well, you heard the client, ladies.¡±


    Sam smirks one more time and answers for the three of them. ¡°You got it, Boss!¡±


    Small sketch of the Master I did the other day.

 The Battle Rages On

    Pimpington¡¯s body undergoes numerous changes as the transformation overtakes him, each more implausible than the last. The man loses his thin, lanky proportions, growing almost triple his height and girth. As his hands grow, his many rings break into dozens of tiny pieces during and the shattered metal falls down to the ground, inert. This makes me feel great relief as well as mild annoyance at the same time. I was hoping we¡¯d be able to steal those as some additional loot...


    Powerful muscles bulge out of his frame, and a pair of thin, leathery bat wings rupture out of his shoulder blades. His feet transform into cloven hooves, and his legs grow just as furred as the satyrs we encountered before. He screams while unfurling them, flapping with menace as he grows accustomed to his new, gruesome anatomy. Also worth worrying about is his clothes all explode off of his body, too.


    The pimp¡¯s oily black hair bursts out like an explosive mane. Reaching all the way past his knees, it flows seamlessly in the wind of his own aura. Pimpington¡¯s voice distorts while firing off another passionate howl. It becomes deep and monstrous as two long, curly ram horns spiral out of his temples.


    Something that looks like a long tail with a heart shape at the end juts out from behind his back. Lastly, the lengthy transformation seems to end when four long, thorned vines wrap themselves around each of his limbs. They constrict so tightly around him that the muscles of his arms bulge outward even more.


    ¡°Holy SHIT, y¡¯all...!¡± The monstrous pimp speaks as his aura begins to fade, giving everyone our first glimpse at the man¡¯s unnatural metamorphosis. ¡°Check this mothafuckin¡¯ pimp out, ya feel me?! I had no idea what any of this would do, but daaaaamn. It¡¯s got my mothafuckin¡¯ seal of approval.¡± Pimpington steps out of the shroud on cloven hooves, revealing his strange self for all to see.


    Now fully revealed, I can see that his arms and face have glowing, demonic-looking tattoos. Rather than being naked, the enemy also has a gigantic metal chastity belt for whatever reason. This belt looks more stylistic than practical, though- not like the Satyr¡¯s at all. Good for us, I suppose... I don¡¯t think anyone here is particularly interested in seeing a fifteen-foot tall monster pimp¡¯s dick.


    What I AM interested in, though, is a big, flat, heart-shaped stone on his left pectoral muscle covering where his heart would be. Some sort of weak point? One way to find out.


    ¡°You got bigger and stronger, so what?¡± Sam grips her sword as she stares down her foe.


    ¡°Sam, calm down... w-we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of!¡± Meri reminds her, which elicits a disgruntled grumble out of the Princess.


    ¡®I know capable of offending my eyes,¡¯ Zutiria snidely remarks as she raises an eyebrow at the questionable form Pimpington has taken.


    ¡°Real funny,¡± He scowls, revealing a set of excessively sharp, white teeth. ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit much, but I¡¯ll use anythin¡¯ at my disposal to defeat y¡¯all here¡¯n now before ya go on to become a real threat, ya dig?¡± Pimpington rises into the air with his wings, extending his arms wide to show off his brand new claws.


    With a menacing growl, the boss monster of the Pimpfort flies straight toward Zutiria. What becomes apparent straight away is that Pimpington has lost almost all of his speed. This transformation of his is still fast by its own right, but beforehand, Pimpington could practically zip across the room with a single step.


    A plan comes to mind.


    ¡°Zutiria, create a spiked wall out of the floor. Meri, get ready to Shield Bash him from behind, use Sam to help if you need to.¡±


    ¡®Interesting. Let¡¯s see if it works.¡¯ The petite Mage seems to like where I¡¯m going with this, even though it¡¯ll take a third or more of her recently filled mana meter. Raising her staff high and then slamming the butt into the golden bricks at her feet, she chants, ¡°Goldoradomorph.¡±


    The Pimpfort bends to her will, and Zutiria erects a large wall almost ten feet high in front of her. On the side facing the flying pimp monster, she fashions row upon row of sharp, golden spikes.


    Sensing the danger, Pimpington flaps his wings to stop his flight before he runs head-on into the spiked wall. Upon safely stopping, the monster sneers, ¡°Pft, like that shit¡¯ll work! Y¡¯all must think just cause I¡¯m bigger, it means I¡¯m mo¡¯ stupid. Sorry to disappoint, bitches, but-¡±


    ¡°NOW!¡± Sam bends down and holds up her sword for Meri to use as a platform. The Shield Maiden jumps up right where she needs to be, and the Great Blader shoves her through the air aimed at the flat of Pimpington¡¯s back.


    ¡°HYAH!¡± Meri shuts her eyes and gathers her energy in her shield while flying through the air. Using the speed granted to her by co-operating with Sam, Meri tackles Pimpington from behind with a mighty Shield Bash made stronger through solid teamwork.


    ¡°Oh, fuck this sh- AUGH!!¡± Pimpington is forced forward onto Zutiria¡¯s wall of shining spikes. Several of them impale the giant, causing him to bawl as his blood trickles against the trap.


    ¡°Nice thinking!¡± Cherry pumps her fists up as she looks up at me from the makeshift pet bed.


    As Meri lands safely on the ground behind the enemy, I use the moment to hammer home an important point. ¡°Take this as a lesson, girls. Bigger doesn¡¯t always mean better.¡±


    Sam snorts out loud. No doubt her mind races with all the potential dick jokes she could be making.


    Pimpington pulls himself out of the spike trap and gasps from the torment it inflicted. He wipes off some of his own blood and looks down at it before scowling, ¡°Y¡¯all are in for it now... this pimp got some new tricks, ya dig?¡± His long, cruel tail glides along the ground before wrapping around Meri¡¯s ankle. She¡¯s lifted up before she can activate her cleats and before I can get a word of warning in.


    Pimpington throws her towards the very same wall of spikes the party just utilized. I order Zutiria to help the Shield Maiden, and she responds by casting Cloutress. Meri ends up bouncing off the puffy mattress of white, fluffy clouds, and she falls down harshly on her side.


    Better than a face full of spikes...


    ¡®I want to get rid of the wall, Sir. I don¡¯t want to risk this happening again.¡¯ Zutiria says while assessing the situation.


    ¡°Do it in a way that can make sure it¡¯s an attack, I don¡¯t want to have wasted your mana. Wait for a chance and then go ahead,¡±


    ¡®Roger.¡¯


    That chance hasn¡¯t presented itself yet. Currently, Pimpington stands in a cold, menacing manner above Meri with his claws extended. He raises his right hand and thrusts downwards, intending to finish her off. She¡¯s still stunned from falling down so hard, and the enemy plans to make the most of that.


    Sensing a moment for her to shine, Sam charges at the dungeon boss with her sword held high. The powerful Princess jumps into the air and twists her entire body as she swings her blade, giving her attack even more deadly momentum. It crashes with explosive violence into the Pimp¡¯s furred knee. He howls yet again, falling over backward as Sam¡¯s strike topples him.


    ¡°This almost seems too easy, nyaa...¡± Snow cups her chin between her fingers and tilts her head. ¡°So far, I¡¯m not convinced that this is an upgrade over his base skills.¡±


    I nod my head without saying anything back. On the surface, what she says is true. Pimpington has become bigger and stronger but lost the use of his terrifying rings, his deadly sword, and his absurd speed. There¡¯s no grace, no elegance, or beauty... he¡¯s lost all the attributes that made him such a dangerous combatant in the first phase of the boss fight.


    It¡¯s very puzzling, but I remind myself that the battle has only begun. There¡¯s plenty of time for the dastardly pimp to pull out more unwelcome surprises.


    Sam feels cocky on account of her toppling the enemy. She sees a chance to further harass him, but when raising her sword overhead, he kicks her straight in the gut with his gigantic cloven hoof. The Princess smashes into the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s titanic statue faster than Zutiria can cushion her with another Cloutress. Luckily, Sam is able to stick the landing and cover her head from falling debris with the broadside of her weapon.


    Her Highness took a good deal of damage from his sudden kick. She¡¯ll live, but her breastplate is now a whole lot worse for wear.


    This momentary distraction was exactly what Zutiria was waiting for, and she casts Goldoradomorph a third time to control the spiked wall she created. The spikes all turn into many thin missiles aimed straight at Pimpington. He scrambles to his feet, and the vines wrapped around his arms come undone, becoming painful, thorned makeshift whips.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me...?¡± Sam groans at the sight of more whips.


    The mighty monster starts twirling the vine whips in big circles out in front of his body, deflecting almost all of the golden missiles hurtling towards him. Zutiria clenches her staff and squints her eyes, putting more mana into the spell to launch them harder. This proves fruitful, and several of the projectiles pierce through the circular whip shield to rend his body.


    ¡°UARGH-¡± Letting go of his whip, the inhuman monster grits his teeth and staggers backward. ¡°Once this pimp gets used to his new digs, then... then y¡¯all are fucked... mark my mothafuckin¡¯ words!¡±


    Pimpington is taking damage left and right... given the circumstances, it¡¯s hard not to jump to conclusions. Optimism is a deadly poison, but... my thoughts become tainted with it the more I watch this battle. Are we actually going to win? For real?

 Your Own Worst Enemy

    In a battle against a large, bulky opponent, it¡¯s common sense to use their size against them and look for opportunities to sneak around and perform tricky maneuvers. That was my mindset when I told Meri the next plan of attack, anyway.


    Sam busies herself with distracting the pimp in close-range combat, dodging his thorny whips and leaping away every time he tries to deliver another devastating kick. After I give the Princess and the Mage fair warning, Meri unhooks one of her flashbang grenades. The Shield Maiden throws it from behind Pimpington underneath his legs.


    The boss monster makes the awful decision to look straight at the new threat below him, and it goes off.


    Before he can even register what Meri just did, the three girls cover their eyes and immediately hear the sound of the monster falling onto his ass once more. ¡°Mothafuckin¡¯ FUCK, I read Fleetfoot¡¯s reports bout that shit, but damn! My eyes, my mothafuckin¡¯ EYES!¡± He screams, rubbing his eyelids in vain.


    ¡°Trust me, you don¡¯t wanna look directly at that shit. Only an idiot would do that!¡± Sam smirks as she rushes in, jumping up so she can slam her sword down on the stone-shaped heart that I thought looked suspiciously like a weak spot. It cracks a little bit, and while it does inflict some pain, it¡¯s not as devastating as I was hoping for.


    Rather than attacking, Zutiria uses the brief opportunity to catch her bearings.


    Meri closes the distance enough to stab Pimpington¡¯s shoulder with her buckler¡¯s sword, but by the time she gets there, he¡¯s already mostly recovered. He swats her away with his hand, but the Shield Maiden doesn¡¯t lose too much ground thanks to activating her cleats.


    I caution her right before the boss maneuvers his tail to strike Meri¡¯s back. After twisting her body, she catches the sharp tip with her buckler. It was a sizable impact, but before Meri can even try to lop the tail off, it¡¯s already en route to stop a new slash from Sam¡¯s sword.


    As the long, black appendage coils around her blade, the Princess is met with frustration as she wrestles the pimp¡¯s tail for control over her weapon. ¡°C¡¯mon, bitch! I already got a fucking headache. I don¡¯t need you going and giving me another one!¡± She says with a deep, exhaustive grunt.


    That tail is giving us more problems than anything else in his current, transformed toolkit. We need to get rid of it.


    I see Meri trying to gain a better position to move towards Sam, but Pimpington is continually whipping his vines at her. Even if I had Sam continue grappling the tail, Meri wouldn¡¯t make it there in time to cut it off. My only option is to check with the Mage...


    ¡°Zutiria, is there something you could do to slice off Pimpington¡¯s tail while Sam holds it in place?¡±


    ¡®There¡¯s always some I could do. The question is, how much more spellcasting can I even take today...?¡± I know she can¡¯t emote her text, but I read that one with an exhausted voice behind it. Zutiria has been through more spellcasting in this one night than I¡¯ve ever seen her manage.


    It¡¯s a miracle she¡¯s not been knocked entirely out by now.


    I collect my thoughts with a sigh. At my side, the head maid frowns as she reminds me, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Mistress Samantha¡¯s losing her grip, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± I wave my hand dismissively, knowing we don¡¯t have many other choices.


    The silent readies her staff to perform magic, her staff surging with darkness once more. ¡°S-Shadoette,¡± Zutiria whispers, wincing as the magic takes its toll on her body.


    ¡®Sorry, Sammy. This might feel weird for a second...¡¯ The Mage gives Sam a heads-up moments before the Princess¡¯s shadow crawls up off of the floor. It becomes a complete second Sam, albeit made of blackness and void. This shadowed Sam isn¡¯t unarmed, either. It has a perfect replica of the Princess¡¯s sword.


    ¡°W-W-What the fuck...?!¡± Sam starts chattering her teeth from a sudden chill she appears to be going through. It¡¯s made worse as her healthy pink skin loses its sheen, becoming pale and almost sickly-looking. To give her proper credit, the Princess doesn¡¯t let her grip slip for even a moment.


    ¡°Why does Mistress Zuzu use so many scary-looking dark spells, nyaa?¡± Peri asks innocently enough as she shirks away from the surreal sight.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know as soon as she tells me,¡± I sigh. I¡¯d like an answer to that too, someday.


    Zutiria gestures with her right hand, her fingertips glowing with the jittering, anti-light of encroaching darkness. Hacking its sword against the pimp¡¯s tail, the shadow strikes with precision and brutality.


    One attack on the tail is not enough, so Zutiria compels it to slash again like a butcher trying to hack through bone. On the third attempt, it succeeds. The end of Pimpington¡¯s tail finally severs, and Sam tumbles onto her back.


    The evil tail twitches like a dying snake until giving up in wretched defeat. It goes limp around Sam¡¯s sword, dying at long last. The Princess is able to shake it off just as soon as the color returns to her face.


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ HELL, I just got that thing, I- AUGH!¡± Pimpington has no time to complain about losing his newest appendage. Meri is already upon him, slashing his leg from a blind spot.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let up! Sam, help me out, please!¡± Meri cries out, rallying the Princess to attack in tandem with her.


    Sam grins eagerly and runs toward the enemy. ¡°Long as I don¡¯t gotta sit through any more dark magic, we¡¯re good, Meri!¡±


    For another few minutes, the fight continues without major incident.


    Meri and Sam keep Pimpington occupied by strafing about and taking potshots at him with their blades as soon as they see an opening. There are a few close calls, but they avoid his whips, his kicks, and his claws every time he tries to advance on them. Whenever he gets hit, he mumbles some vague, villainous nonsense before attempting to rush back in without any new strategy.


    Something dawns on me after seeing him repeat his actions so many times, and I feel the urge to speak to our foe. After enabling the voice transmission, I make my presence known on the battlefield.


    ¡°You¡¯re pathetic, Pimpington. All of this is just... pathetic.¡± Everyone stops what they¡¯re doing and starts paying attention to me.


    Pimpington raises one of his sharp eyebrows, saying, ¡°S¡¯cuse the fuck me, Master?¡±


    ¡°You know something¡¯s not right here, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Snow makes a concerned expression, ¡°Myaster, I don¡¯t see what taunting the enemy will accomplish.¡± When I return her look with a determined glare of my own, she nods and backs off. Like any good maid, Snow knows not to overstep her bounds.


    ¡°...This pimp ain¡¯t got no idea what yo¡¯ bitch-ass is talkin¡¯ bout.¡± His aversive words belie his true thoughts.


    ¡°You just keep slipping further and further away from who you used to be. Look at yourself... this isn¡¯t you. This transformation of yours completely goes against your fighting style and everything you¡¯re good at.¡±


    For just a moment, the boss room is quiet and still as the morning air. Sam and Meri eye the lumbering pimp, planning their next move as they strafe around him. Meri seems less than thrilled that I¡¯m practically pumping the pimp up, but Sam¡¯s serious expression show¡¯s she¡¯s thinking along the same lines as myself.


    Pimpington sharply inhales through his flared nostrils. With closed eyes and a hollow voice, he asks, ¡°So what? That¡¯s how life works. Ya go down one road, it fucks ya up, so ya take a different one, and ya keep gettin¡¯ fucked up till ya can¡¯t get fucked up no mo¡¯. Ya feel me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pimp. I feel you. But the only road left for you to go down is the one leading to your defeat.¡±


    ¡°Dude! Nice one-liner, Boss!¡± Sam smirks.


    ¡®Personally, I¡¯d give it a four out of ten. Try harder next time, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°It was a little weak,¡± Snow purrs in a smug, slightly snotty tone.


    Everybody¡¯s a critic.


    Pimpington lowers his head. His long, curly black hair falls down the chiseled sides of his sharp face. As his tattooed fists tighten with rage, the man loses even more of himself to whatever hole consumes him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what I become, and I don¡¯t care what I look like. This pimp¡¯ll do anything it takes fo¡¯ securing our revenge. I¡¯ve had just about enough out of y¡¯all thinking things just got easy up in here, understood? Remember this when I¡¯m done finishing off yo¡¯ girls, Master; ya brought this on yo¡¯ self...!¡±


    The monster tears through the tense air with a sad, guttural wail that shatters the soul. Pimpingtin grips his weapons so hard that the thorns dig into his hands. Crimson blood begins to trickle out of the cracks of his fingers.


    Letting loose a cruel attack, his violent vines strike Sam and Meri square in the face. Knocking back one and inflicting pain on the one who refuses to be moved. Each girl now bleeds from where the sharp rose thorns tore into their cheeks.


    Crashing his hoof down on the blonde, Sam pushes back with the flat of her blade before he can squash the pesky adventurer like an ant. As soon as Sam throws his weight off, Pimpington steps back and steadies himself just in time to avoid falling over. He scowls from the effort it took, though.


    His movements are getting less sluggish.


    My taunting was a double-edged sword. The enemy is now focused on putting himself together, but he¡¯s also burning through whatever reserves of energy he has left.


    I can¡¯t tell who his enemy is anymore. Part of me wants to push Pimpington even further, but I need to watch myself. I could end up making things much, much worse...

 One Down, Two to Go

    The battle doesn¡¯t let up for a minute. Pimpington has become a brawler with a mix of long-distance attacks thrown in for good measure. When he isn¡¯t up in Sam¡¯s face swiping at her with his claws, hooves, or vines, he¡¯s turning his attention to Meri to rain down more of the same.


    Zutiria remains in the back row, keeping herself on her feet by leaning precariously on her staff.


    Every second of the fight, Pimpington¡¯s anger to rises to more and more depraved heights. Gone is the calm and collected warrior the three narrowly defeated. All that remains is a haggard, pitiful powerhouse. He possesses a superficial likeness- nothing more.


    The vines wrapped around his legs unfurl. Thoughts rush through my mind about what he could possibly be doing with them, but then Pimpington starts kicking and cracking the vine whips with his feet.


    He does this in tandem with the vines held in his wrists, Pimpington unleashes a whirlwind of attacks with four vines all at once. Sam starts getting pushed to her limits, trying her best to avoid every single strike but failing once every few hits. Her brown gambeson begins to tear wherever his vines shred, revealing glimpses of her tender, bleeding skin hidden beneath.


    Meri is faring even worse since she can¡¯t move from her spot. The Shield Maiden is stuck idling behind her tower shield, taking in all the relentless vine attacks. Worse than that, it¡¯s not as if she can reflect them- it would only destroy the vines and not go near the pimp.


    I order Sam to slice through the plant matter, but it only causes Pimpington to chuckle and regrow them in a heartbeat. We¡¯re making no headway other than making him use his stamina at a rapid pace. The monstrous form of Pimpington is dripping with sweat. His once sharp, determined eyes have become tired, distant, yet somehow still focused in their rage.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t working, nyaa...!¡± Peri bites her lip.


    ¡°Maybe Mistress Zutiria can do some more stuff? She still has a good chunk of mana left.¡± Cherry points towards the Mage¡¯s Taskmaster screen.


    ¡°Zutiria, are you alright?¡± I ask, despite knowing the answer.


    ¡®Not really,¡¯ She hasn¡¯t been hit by a single attack this whole dungeon, yet Zutiria looks like she¡¯s in the worst condition of the three adventurers by a long shot. ¡®What do you need me to do?¡¯


    ¡°I... don¡¯t know,¡± I admit to myself aloud.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to collapse if I do any more spellcasting. I¡¯d prefer if you let things play out and have my last bit of mana go towards an emergency.¡¯


    I frown and lean over the desk in a defeated manner. Snow begins to rub my back, saying, ¡°Tell the girls to keep drawing out the fight. Pimpington can¡¯t keep this up forever, nyaa.¡±


    I relay Snow¡¯s instructions with a nod of my head and get a suspicious reaction from the girls. Neither can talk on account of being under siege from the boss monster, but they don¡¯t seem very thrilled that their best bet is to keep stalling.


    Unfortunately, this strategy doesn¡¯t hold out long. Pimpington grows irritated at the turtling Meri and the evasive Princess. ¡°I know what y¡¯all are trying to do! Y¡¯all think ya can just wait me out till I¡¯m tired, huh? Well, good news, bitches! This pimp can go even HARDER!¡±


    At a high cost to himself, Pimpington raises his hands and lashes out. His vines begin to glow with his energy and they wrap themselves around Sam and Meri tight as they can. Using this, he lifts Sam into the air.


    The blonde warrior struggles and tries hacking at the vines, but finds she can¡¯t move her arms. The plants constrict her tighter still, and the Princess drops her heavy blade while ascending into the sky. A titanic sound of metal on metal echoes out as it hits the golden floor.


    Meri¡¯s magical cleats prevent her from being lifted up along with Sam, but Pimpington doesn¡¯t know that. ¡°Keep it up, d-dummy! You can pull all day, and I won¡¯t budge!¡±


    He struggles and groans, trying unreasonably hard to lift the young adventurer. Eventually, he gives up, but a wicked smile grows on his face. ¡°A pimp can work with this,¡±


    Pimpington begins swinging Sam around in the air at mortifying speed. It isn¡¯t long until his intention becomes clear. The crazy fucking bastard is going to launch Her Highness straight at Meri...!


    ¡°Holy FUCK, I¡¯m gonna throw the hell up!!¡± Sam warns everyone as she gets twirled like a fully extended yoyo.


    ¡°Does this count as an emergency, Zutiria?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m on it...¡¯ The Mage yawns, struggling to keep her eyes open.


    As Sam fights a losing battle to keep her jerky in her stomach where it belongs, Pimpington throws the Princess towards her shielded party member with everything he¡¯s got.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Meri mumbles as Sam hurtles right at her like a speeding arrow tearing through the wind.


    Sam covers her face in mid-air with her gauntlets, screaming, ¡°ZUZU, HELP A BITCH OUUUUUT-¡±


    Zutiria raises her staff and mutters, ¡°Clou... clou... tr...¡± before Pimpington raises one of his feet and kicks out the vine whip towards the Black Mage, hitting her square in the chest. For the first time, she takes the brunt of an attack and is slammed into the nearest golden wall.


    The kitties gasp, and my glasses nearly fall straight off of my face. The worst-case scenario occurs; Sam collides with Meri¡¯s shield face-first. Both girls scream from the sudden damage as Pimpington stands triumphantly over them, sneering and basking in his small victory.


    ¡°Everyone, get your Returners out! Warp back here, NOW!¡± I scream in a panic. Completing the quest becomes a distant memory in my mind as the safety of my girls takes on its rightful place as my sole priority.


    Before they can respond to my orders, the monster kicks them across the room- even Meri. Apparently, the pain distracted her so much that it dislodged her cleats from the ground. She and Sam tumble twenty feet violently into the distance.


    Everyone¡¯s health bars have reached a terrifying low, especially Zutiria, who took on a full strike while wearing little armor. As I continually play with ideas and strategies in my head to make it out of this deadly situation, Zutiria rises to her feet.


    ¡°Zutiria, can you get in close enough to use Returners?¡±


    ¡®We don¡¯t need them.¡¯


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡®Sam, Meri, use the last bits of your health potions when you get the chance.¡¯ As she speaks, the pimp rears his head towards the Mage, noticing her and disliking the fact that she¡¯s not been dealt with.


    ¡°Shit, I coulda sworn one-hit woulda been enough for a runt like you, ya dig? No matter, easy enough fix for that.¡± The monster raises his right hand once more, attacking with the vine whip.


    ¡°ALLENTROPY,¡± Zutiria slams her staff against the ground. Her voice is distorted, sounding less like the Mage I fell in love with and more like a corrupted mockery of the soft-spoken prodigy. By her will, the world becomes an authentic, frightening dark so deep and black that calling it ¡®black¡¯ is almost an insult to the purity of this void. It is the ultimate absence, and even for myself, it¡¯s hard to look at.


    ¡°Oh n-no, nyaa... not this stuff again...!¡± Peri whines and ducks out of the way, hiding underneath Cherry¡¯s skirt. Cherry blushes but allows her friend this simple comfort if it helps her.


    The darkness begins to infect the heart and mind of Zutiria¡¯s enemy. Before it can hit her, his whip flops uselessly to the ground, and soon after so does he. Pimpington falls to his knees, and he grasps his head in his shivering hands. ¡°What... what the fuck is this shit?! Why do I feel this way?! Stop it... STOP IT!! I KNOW I MADE MISTAKES, GODS DAMN IT! MAYBE IF MY STUPID FAMILY DIDN¡¯T PUT SO MUCH STOCK IN-¡±


    ¡°Shadoette,¡± the Mage utters. That¡¯s the same spell she used to cut off his tail. But her mana meter is already basically empty- how is she doing this? Right as I think that, I notice something odd- her skin is gradually becoming a black, misty void that swirls about endlessly in the shade.


    Zutiria raises a hand of darkness and from out of the despondent monster¡¯s shadow rises an identical clone made of the same ephemeral blackness. ¡®Allentropy allows me to remake the world around me in darkness. By allowing some of it inside me, I¡¯m able to cast many dark spells easier and at a significantly lower mana cost.¡¯


    My mouth opens while comprehending the effects of such a powerful spell. ¡°That... doesn¡¯t sound too good. Are you going to be alright?¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll be fine,¡¯ She orders the shadow pimp to wrap its own vine whips around the true Pimpington¡¯s neck. It begins to strangle him, and he gasps at the sudden onset of pain and suffering. ¡®Darkness is nothing- harmless, by itself, really. It¡¯s what lies in the dark that should be feared. I¡¯m definitely going to be out cold for a day or four after this, though...¡¯


    I watch as Sam and Meri struggle to get up off the ground. They link hands and rise, only to look on in horror to see Zutiria back at it again with the evil magic shenanigans. Following her advice, they both drink what I believe is the last health potions they have in stock.


    Zutiria¡¯s parade of violence continues as the darkness of the room coalesces on Pimpington. It creeps up his form from every conceivable angle, coating his furred legs and his tattooed skin, much to his horror. He tries to shout no, but the shadow pimp only strangles him harder the more he struggles.


    Now, every part of his body is covered in an inky void beside his neck and face. The light starts to fade from his eyes, and it won¡¯t be long till she¡¯s knocked him out.


    But before it can happen, Zutiria falls to her knees and begins vomiting darkness.


    ¡°Zutiria, no! Just a little more...!¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m... try... ing...¡¯ She clenches her mouth shut and raises her hand, blackness trickling out of the gaps in her teeth. The petite Mage clutches her hand towards him, making a painful squeezing gesture. She squeezes her hand so tight that her nails pierce her own skin. Blackness falls out of the wound, too. Not a drop of blood in sight.


    Zutiria uses everything she has and then some in her effort to make the encroaching shadows swallow up Pimpington whole, but she can¡¯t do it. She falls facedown on the ground in a pool of her own magical blackness. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Sir... I... did what... I... could...¡¯


    The Mage shuts her eyes and falls unconscious.


    ¡°DAMN IT!¡± I stand up and pound my fist on the desk much, much louder than I planned. It freaks the kittens out, and Peri jumps out of Cherry¡¯s skirt.


    Zutiria¡¯s magic is undone. The shadow pimp falls back into Pimpington¡¯s shadow like water going down a drain. Soon, the stain of dark leaves his body completely. The large, looming boss monster looks much worse for wear even as the light returns to the golden chamber.


    His skin is blue and cold, his eyes glossed over with haze. It almost looks like the monster aged a decade in the minute, or two Zutiria¡¯s spell overtook him. Sadly, it does not last. The light restores his color, and his eyes flicker with awareness not long after.


    He gasps for air and holds himself, shivering. ¡°F-F-F-FUCKING DARK M-M-M-MAGIC, I-I said I hate that shit, didn¡¯t I?! Fuck!¡± I grit my teeth upon hearing that. Our only source of dealing dark elemental damage is out cold. ¡°That ¡®lil sassy-ass bitch needs to go before she gets up again... Sorry, Master, say your goodbyes now.¡±


    Pimpington stands and stomps his way towards Zutiria but is stopped by a combo maneuver from the two warriors. Sam, now fully healed, grabs Meri by her midsection. The Princess spins about in place, gathering momentum to throw the young brunette as hard as she can. ¡°Stay away from Zuzu, you creep!¡± Sam shouts as she tosses her Guildmate.


    Meri¡¯s energy coats her shield as she prepares herself for a mighty shield bash aimed right at the back of Pimpington¡¯s head. It connects, and the meaty impact smashes off his left horn. ¡°Got him!¡± She explains. Again he cries out in pain after Meri jumps off him and falls down to the ground.


    Sam is there to catch her, and miraculously, the shameless flirt manages to pick Meri up in perfect bridal position. The blonde girl teasingly licks her lips. She leans into Meri¡¯s face, asking, ¡°Hey, sugar tits. You come here often?¡±


    ¡°S-S-Sam!! Now is NOT the time...! A-And, please come up with something cuter than ¡®sugar tits¡¯, next t-time!¡± She blushes and pushes Sam¡¯s face away.


    ¡°How about ¡®chubby bunny¡¯? Your bow kinda makes you look like a-¡±


    ¡°T-T-T-THAT¡¯S EVEN WORSE!¡± Meri¡¯s face gets even redder. I¡¯m with her. I personally think Meri¡¯s bow makes her look decidedly puppy dog-like, not bunny-like ... but that¡¯s beside the point.


    Peri is giggling on the pet bed, but Snow and Cherry continue to take the situation seriously.


    ¡°She¡¯s right, Sam. Save the flirting for later- Zutiria is knocked out. You need to get over there and use a Returner on her straight away.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait... really?!¡± Sam¡¯s face goes white as a sheet, and she plops the Shield Maiden onto her feet. ¡°Zuzu!¡± She cries as she races across the room.


    Pimpington is still reeling in pain, so she runs right by him before reaching the sleeping Mage. ¡°Fucking hell,¡± Sam bites her lip, her eyes on the verge of crying. ¡°Can we do this without her, Boss...?¡±


    A pair of cat eyes on my left glares at me, just as eager to hear my answer as Sam is.


    ¡°Princess, I don¡¯t know... logically, my brain says this could go a hundred different ways. But if you ask me what I believe, that¡¯s another story. I am so pumped full of adrenaline from watching the ups and downs of this battle that all I can say is, yes. Yes, you fucking can. Send Zutiria back home and get back in there, understood?! You too, Meri.¡±


    Sam ends up smirking at my words. ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to hear,¡± she says.


    ¡°Me too, I won¡¯t let you down...!¡± Meri pumps her fist to fire herself up.


    Sam pulls out a returner from her bag and throws it at the ground towards the unconscious Mage. The Return Gate activates in the other room. ¡°Peri, Cherry, take her upstairs and help her drink one of the health potions in her pouch. It won¡¯t wake her up, but she needs it.¡±


    Both kitties stand up and rush to help their magical, injured, Mistress. I grab Peri by the hand before she goes. ¡°When you¡¯re done, you can have a third of one of her potions, Peri.¡±


    The blue-haired Catfolk blushes and smiles, reaching back to her bruised and beaten cheeks to rub with her other paw. ¡°T-Thank you, Myaster...¡±


    Snow frowns like she doesn¡¯t like her authority being superseded but quickly returns her focus on the Taskmaster screens. I join her and see that Pimpington has returned to his feet, now more determined and angry than ever before. ¡°Ya just lost, Master,¡± He grins. ¡°Ya think two brats can beat me all on their own, huh?¡±


    ¡°When you¡¯re in such a sorry state? Yes, I do.¡± I lie. ¡°But if you were actually able to make use of your skillset instead of pretending to be something you¡¯re not, then we might actually have a problem here. You¡¯re weaker like this, Chasteworthe.¡±


    ¡°SHUT! UP!¡± His anger erupts forth like a volcano. ¡°Percival Chasteworthe died ten years ago! Now, the only thing that remains-¡±


    ¡°Is a monster wearing his shell. Adventurers hunt down monsters like you. So if you¡¯re going to forsake everything that made you who you are and fight like a wild animal-¡±


    ¡°T-Then, we¡¯ll be happy to put you down like one!¡± Meri taunts the monster, her face becoming more determined by the second.


    Sam steps in and rears her sword, pointing it at the pimp-beast. ¡°What do you think we should send the Association as proof of kill, Boss? His dick?¡± She sniggers to herself.


    ¡°DON¡¯T YOU DARE MENTION THE GODS-DAMNED ASSOCIATION OF ADVENTURERS! YOU DON¡¯T KNOW ME, YOU DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT THEY DID TO ME! IF I BECAME A MONSTER THEN, IT¡¯S ONLY BECAUSE THEY MADE ME THIS WAY!¡± Pimpington loses any semblance of humanity as he charges brutally at Sam, drool trickling out the corners of his crazed mouth.


    There¡¯s not much more left... Snow takes me by the hand and holds me tight. I squeeze her soft, fluffy paw and clench my teeth. She shuts her eyes from anxiety, muttering, ¡°Myaster... why are you saying these things...? It¡¯s almost like... you¡¯re trying to help him...¡±


    ¡°...I was lying, Snow.¡±


    ¡°Nyaa?¡±


    ¡°Throughout the dungeon... I was more interested in his personal story than I let on.¡±


    She watches me with her striking yellow eyes before giving me an aloof smile. ¡°You like to act tough and pretend it¡¯s all about the mission, yet... you really are a good person, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No. If we couldn¡¯t complete the mission, I would definitely have pulled out and abandoned your girls. It¡¯s just that... someone very important to me told me that Guilds are meant to help people in need. If that¡¯s true, then Guild Masters should-¡±


    Right as Sam dodges out of the charging monster¡¯s way and slashes at his arm, Snow makes the choice to kiss me. Her full, round lips press against mine, and my eyes open wide when she slips her warm, wet tongue inside my mouth. Peri was telling the truth- a Catfolk¡¯s tongue is slightly textured, but it¡¯s just as soft, sultry, and sensual as any other woman¡¯s.

 It Was a Mistake

    ¡°What the fuck is this bullshit, nyaa?!¡± Peri returns from helping Zutiria, and she isn¡¯t happy.


    Before I can even enjoy my taste of Snow¡¯s lips for a moment more, the embarrassed head maid pulls away. Staring at me, and then Peri, and then me again, her yellow eyes open wide from a mix of shock and denial. ¡°...T-This is, um, a mistake. Yes. A mistake!¡±


    ¡°A mistake?¡±  I stare at Snow, hoping I misheard. My face is perhaps angrier than it should be. When Snow sees how they change the mood between us, the maid instantly regrets her choice of words.


    ¡°CHERRYYYY, SNOW KISSED MYASTER!¡± Peri hisses angrily from the door, calling out to her lover.


    Off in the kitchen, I can hear the pink-haired Catfolk shout her response. ¡°ARE YOU FUCKING JOKING, NYAA?! WE HAVEN¡¯T EVEN KISSED HIM YET!¡±


    ¡°Please, just calm down for a moment, Peri. I can explain-¡±


    ¡°Ok, explain why we can¡¯t touch him for a week, but you can just stroll in and shove your tongue down his throat?!¡± Peri¡¯s fur stands on end. The blue-haired kitten looks like she¡¯s on the verge of attacking this female who entered her territory and encroached upon her mate.


    She doesn¡¯t give Snow a chance to explain herself. After a short pause, Peri simply sighs, crosses her arms, and looks away with a frown. ¡°...Whatever. At least I¡¯m gonna fuck him tomorrow, and you¡¯re not, nyaa. I guess I can¡¯t be too mad, either, nyaa. After all, it was just a mistake, right?¡±


    Snow looks horrified at the thought and then stares at the ground between her feet. ¡°...Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    I feel a twitch of annoyance, and I turn away from Snow to watch the battle. Nothing new. Sam and Meri are running circles around the pimp. I should remain focused, but I can¡¯t help letting out a snide remark of my own. ¡°If what just happened was a ¡®mistake¡¯, Snow, then there¡¯s no helping you. I¡¯ve had enough of the back and forth flirting for tonight.¡±


    ¡°...Myaster, I didn¡¯t-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not your Master, Snow. Now let¡¯s leave it at that. There¡¯s a battle to win.¡±


    Peri territorially jumps up in my lap, sticking a tongue out at Snow once settled in. Snow looks like she¡¯s about to go and take another smoke break, but she takes in a harsh lungful of air and focuses on the ongoing battle. Cherry joins us with a fresh cup of tea she just brewed for me. I thank her by scratching under her chin, and she purrs with pleasure.


    Drama with Snow aside, it¡¯s nice being able to actually touch Peri and Cherry without having to worry about their libidos activating. I proceed to pet the two of them together once Cherry sits down on the pet bed below. I fully admit I¡¯m doing this knowing full well Snow is watching, and I don¡¯t care. I hope she watches.


    Back to more important matters, it seems I really didn¡¯t miss much on the battlefield. ¡°You girls didn¡¯t hear any of that, did you?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Hear what?¡± Sam dodges a vine attack and hacks it off.


    I sigh a sigh of relief. ¡°Cat drama, not important. Sorry I was gone.¡± Peri lifts the glass of warm tea to my lips, and I take a sip. She continues to glare at Snow while doing so.


    ¡°We¡¯re doing good!¡± Meri says. ¡°We¡¯re not gaining any major ground on him, but, um, w-we¡¯re not losing any, either!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all just gonna strategize while I¡¯m right fuckin¡¯ here?!¡± Pimpington charges like a bull towards Sam, but in his anger, he¡¯s very easy for the Princess to avoid.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude. We¡¯re talking!¡± Sam says, slashing him in the side right when she sees a chance. It doesn¡¯t do any significant damage, but it¡¯s something.


    ¡°We¡¯re having a problem here. Neither of you has any huge, explosive Art that could deal a ton of damage all at once, either...¡±


    ¡°I have Reflect!¡± Meri offers, dodging a volley of vine strikes.


    ¡°That¡¯s situational, and he¡¯s looking out for when you use it...¡±


    Sam speaks up. ¡°I got Biding Blade, but... I haven¡¯t mastered it yet. Couldn¡¯t get the hang of it when Niki showed me.¡±


    I take another sip as Peri brings tea to my lips, knowing it¡¯d help me think. Biding Blade would take a while to store enough power to be of any use. We need to deal more damage- we¡¯re only inflicting little potshots at the moment.


    But if Sam isn¡¯t able to use the Art properly, is it really worth risking? I really hate having to be the one to make these decisions, but the girls need someone to offer their perspective here.


    I go with my gut.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been using Steel Soul and Blunt Edge on and off all night. There¡¯s a chance it could come easier to you now after all the impromptu Arts practice. Might as well, Sam.¡±


    Sam eagerly nods her head and avoids an oncoming swipe of Pimpington¡¯s claws. He falls even further to his anger as the young swordswoman closes her eyes and starts pumping her energy inside her sword.


    ¡°Meri, cover her. I want you close by- if you can reflect and amplify Sam¡¯s Biding Blade, then the power would truly be immense.¡±


    Meri nods, but I get a doubtful look from Snow. ¡°You already used that tactic near earlier in the battle, Mya... Guild Myaster. Aren¡¯t you worried he¡¯ll see it coming, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°No. If the impact is as big as I¡¯m expecting it to be, I don¡¯t rightly think he¡¯ll be able to avoid the attack at all.¡±


    Snow considers that and then shrinks away. The tension between us isn¡¯t going to get any better, but that¡¯s the last thing on my mind right now.


    Meri rushes in to do what she does best. The Shield Maiden begins to annoy Pimpington as hard as she can, draw in all his aggro away from Sam. She sticks close to him, giving him no chance to use his vines, and swipes at his ankles and his legs whenever she can.


    In this primal rage that he¡¯s entered, it¡¯s simple enough to lead him around like a bull. Meri has no problem buying the time Sam so desperately needs.


    The problem is on Sam¡¯s end. Every time she starts to build up strength with Biding Blade, it ends up petering out and resetting to zero. This angers the Princess, which goes on to make her next attempt fail even faster. ¡°Come on, you stupid piece of shit!¡± She grits her teeth and shakes her sword.


    ¡°Sam, just relax. Meri can buy you a few more minutes at this rate- that¡¯s plenty enough time for you to do this right.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t do it right! I¡¯ll just fuck it up, and...¡±


    ¡°You can do this. Picture all the people who will get hurt if you fail. They need you, Princess. Your sword is the only thing that can protect them.¡±


    Frustration melts away, replaced by a growing sense of duty and mild anger. Playing to Sam¡¯s fixation on saving and protecting others has its uses, but she¡¯ll lose herself in her rage if I push too far.


    I feel uncomfortable flirting with the idea of pushing the Princess on to try and ¡®harness¡¯ her condition so soon after what happened, but... damn it, I don¡¯t know what else can be done.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it overtake you. Focus more on the protecting people bit and less on the making them pay for it bit. I¡¯m... not going to be upset if you end up killing him, but he¡¯s worth far, far more to us alive. Do what needs to be done. I trust you, Sam.¡±


    After a long delay, Sam takes a deep breath. Her cheeks redden, but as cute as it makes her look, she¡¯s visibly distraught. Endless thoughts must be swimming around in her mind as she places more and more pressure on herself. ¡°...Got it.¡± She nods her head, once more pumping her stamina into the weighty steel blade clenched between her hands.


    Turning my attention towards Meri, I find the young brunette struggling to keep up with Pimpington. She¡¯s been distracting him for minutes on end. Even though she hasn¡¯t used any Arts, her heavy armor and shield start to take their toll on her stamina. She¡¯s already down to half her meter, mostly from how much running and dodging she¡¯s doing.


    While it¡¯s her job to draw in aggro, I can¡¯t imagine that this is how she¡¯s supposed to be doing it. My adventurer class reference guide that I¡¯ve been using doesn¡¯t have a section on Shield Maidens, but they have to have Arts or additional forms to deal with these problems.


    It¡¯s a long-shot, but I figure I might as well ask her. ¡°Meri, is there... anything else you can do to buy some time?¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± She asks between heavy breaths, narrowly sidestepping the angered pimp¡¯s latest attack.


    ¡°You figured out how to use Reflect and two of your mother¡¯s Arts entirely by yourself without anyone helping you. Maybe you could just...¡±


    ¡°You want her to pull some kind of new attack out of her ass, nyaa?¡± Cherry tilts her head.


    ¡°That¡¯s a risky idea. It would be very convenient if Mistress Merille could just spontaneously develop a new attack mid-combat, but that¡¯s just wishful thinking...¡± Snow frowns.


    Peri offers no feedback, simply purring as I pet her. I¡¯ve gotten into the habit of doing so while strategizing- it helps me think.


    ¡°I-I¡¯ve only... seen Mom fight a few... times...¡± Meri continues dodging, but the sadness on her face is evident. One of those was the time Meri¡¯s mother died before her eyes. I guess it¡¯s asking a lot to try and get her to think back to painful memories during a brutal boss battle.


    ¡°B-But... there¡¯s another thing I was working on with Nikita...!¡± The sadness in her gaze is overtaken by a glimmer of determination. ¡°I can try it...!¡±


    ¡°Do it,¡± I respond without hesitation.


    I hope this pans out. My adrenaline is the only thing keeping me fired up. If I weren¡¯t so high from it, then I¡¯d likely concede that this battle was lost the moment Zutiria lost consciousness.


    Pimpington is running his stamina into the ground, sure. But he¡¯s a giant, inhuman monster. Meri and Sam¡¯s energy will give out before his does, even if they just focus on evading. The situation looks really, really bad. I¡¯m relying on both girls using techniques that we have no idea will even work or not, not to mention I don¡¯t even know what one of them does.


    There¡¯s nothing else for me to do at this point. If this doesn¡¯t work, I don¡¯t see any more options...

 A Job Well Done

    Pimpington smirks while charging like a bull at Meri once again. ¡°Ya startin¡¯ to see how useless this is, Master?!¡±


    Scratch that. I guess there is something I can do, ¡°All I see is a low-level boss monster so weak that he¡¯s about to lose to a team of rookie adventurers,¡± I spit back at the Pimp.


    He doesn¡¯t take it very well and makes a beeline for the Shield Maiden. ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s see how she handles THIS!¡± Pimpington¡¯s vines split apart at the ends and unfurl into three new vines each. Now with twelve whips at his command, he spends his energy on manipulating them to whip Meri non-stop without needing to do it himself. He uses his freed hands and feet to kick, punch and scratch at Meri, who hides behind her tower shield at this assault.


    The pressure is so intense that she can¡¯t even properly focus long enough to pull off a Reflect. Damn it...! Meri hasn¡¯t given up, though. She fights to push off the despair, and her eyes make it clear she¡¯s still in this.


    ¡°MERI!¡± Sam almost loses her Biding Blade¡¯s charge until I stop her from rushing in. It takes a lot of self-control to hold herself back, but she does so, and her charge continues to build.


    Come on, Meri...


    ¡°Gods, how did she do it...¡± Meri mumbles to herself as she grits her teeth. ¡°I-It was a lot like Reflect, just- AH!¡± Meri reels in pain as several of the vines hit her face. She doesn¡¯t lose ground- her cleats make sure of that. But her left eye is now black and covered in small, thorny cuts. I can hardly look at her without falling into anguish.


    ¡°Ya can¡¯t do shit when you¡¯re swarmed in tons of little attacks, huh?¡± The Pimp sneers as he pummels Meri. He talks a big game, but it¡¯s clear why he hasn¡¯t done this until now. It¡¯s draining the monster¡¯s stamina at a startling rate.


    ¡°I-I can do plenty of things!¡± Meri yells back at her taunter, refusing to give him an inch on her morale. ¡°Like... using... Mom¡¯s... Arts!¡±


    ¡°Y¡¯all can use Reflect if ya want. I¡¯ll just keep myself grounded usin¡¯ my vines and keep attackin¡¯ through the pain!¡± Pimpington makes good on his promise, extending his vines to latch onto two of the remaining statues tight as can be. It¡¯d take one hell of a Reflect to dislodge him now.


    ¡°I¡¯m... not... gonna Reflect...!¡±


    The pimp stutters an attack out of surprise but continues his assault soon after. ¡°Whatever ya got up yo¡¯ sleeve, lil girl, it ain¡¯t enough to take down this pimp! I¡¯LL DO ANYTHING IT TAKES TO GET WHAT I DESERVE!!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not gonna take you down, I¡¯m... I¡¯m gonna STUN you!¡± Meri roars as she takes a single step forward. She twists her hips and thrusts her tower shield outward like she was throwing a right straight.


    I sit at the edge of my seat, watching as Meri¡¯s small gratitude crystal crackles with red electricity. Pimpington¡¯s fist collides with the center of her guard, and he falls right into her trap. The entire shield lights up with this lightning-like energy, and it enters the pimp¡¯s body through his glowing, tattooed fist.


    This new Art doesn¡¯t have the power of, say, one of Zutiria¡¯s lightning spells, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s meant to. If I had to guess, the electricity was sent directly into Pimpington¡¯s muscles since he locks up entirely and can¡¯t move whatsoever. His vines loosen and fall to the ground since he can no longer provide the stamina it takes to control them.


    Meri falls to the ground, smiling and sweating. ¡°I... I did it... Mom¡¯s Stun Guard...!¡±


    Peri and Cherry jump into the air, raising their fists, and Snow sighs deeply with relief.


    No use celebrating early, so I say, ¡°It¡¯s not over! Stand up, Meri! Sam, get ready!¡±


    ¡°A-Alright!!¡± Meri struggles to get on her feet, almost falling over in the process.


    ¡°Fucking bitch, you just keep learning Arts like it¡¯s no big deal, huh!?¡± Sam frowns with obvious jealousy, walking over to Meri with her sword absolutely packed with an absurd amount of her own energy.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Sam!¡± Meri raises her tower shield towards the oncoming Great Blader. ¡°You¡¯ll get better, I promise!¡±


    ¡°Whatever... you ready for this?¡± The Princess drops her jealous grudge long enough to smile ear to ear and raise her glowing blade up to strike.


    ¡°Yeah... let¡¯s finish this once and for all!¡±


    Sam closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When they open, they¡¯re filled with her rage. She¡¯s trying to channel the Royal Blood safely, and there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to argue with that. We need to defeat Pimpington at any cost.


    Like a hurricane, Sam¡¯s massive sword strike creates an explosion of wind following its arc. The stamina stored within explodes on contact with Meri¡¯s shield and creates a sound so intensely powerful that Peri, Cherry, and Snow all fall over on the ground and cover their ears.


    It¡¯s so loud that it¡¯s like we¡¯re actually there.


    The three Catfolk screech and hiss, but I can¡¯t spare the energy to help them. All I can bring myself to do is cover my ears and watch the explosive clash explode out into the world. Then, once it¡¯s settled, Meri points her shield right at the pimp. ¡°REFLECT!¡± She screams, and what happens next causes me to doubt my eyes.


    This makes the Reflect that finished the Murdermoth look like child¡¯s play. Faster than I can blink, the kinetic explosion bursts out and flattens him pimp up against the opposite wall.


    An enormous, golden crater forms around him as all remaining stone statues in the wake of Meri¡¯s Reflect crumble into nothing. The garden of rose bushes on that side of the room gets torn to complete shreds, too. The entire row of bushes is uprooted and eviscerated just as quickly, leaving only a whirlwind of bright red petal dust scattered in the air.


    The slam¡¯s blunt force breaks Pimpington¡¯s remaining horn, and his leathery wings become riddled with innumerable holes from the blast. His entire body becomes one large mass of bruises and cuts, the wind spraying his blood back against the golden crater behind.


    Once the explosive Art finishes, a crack forms on the large, stone heart covering his left pectoral muscle. It gives way to a greater web of imperfections before it, too, crumbles to dust. Beneath the stony plating is a tattoo of a heart. It¡¯s gray and dreary to look at, but due to whatever magic coursing through him, the tattoo animates and starts beating as if it were a genuine heart. Color begins to fill the marking, growing just as red as all his others.


    ¡°This... this shit... ain¡¯t... how it was supposed to go...¡± Pimpington coughs, tears forming in his eyes. ¡°Gods, what the fuck... have I be... come...?¡±


    Pimpington falls to the floor amid a thick cloud of pink smoke. Soon after, Sam and Meri fall, too. Their stamina meters have both reached absolute zero- not a shock in the slightest. Sam used everything she had, and Meri has to expend more stamina the greater the attack she¡¯s trying to reflect. No wonder they both fall flat.


    Gods, just how much raw strength does Sam actually have in her? I know it was amplified, but... I just can¡¯t fathom the depths here.


    ¡°I-Is it over, nyaa...?¡± Peri picks herself up and warily removes her paws from her ears.


    ¡°I think so,¡± I say while watching Pimpington¡¯s transformation become undone. He is now nude except for the magic, durable underpants that he mentioned wearing. I might have to invest in a pair of those. They must truly be adamant if they can survive being stretched to that extent...


    ¡°Girls? You alright?¡± I ask, and soon Meri and Sam both answer with tired moans. Good enough for now.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it...¡± Cherry yawns. A glance at the clock reveals that it¡¯s almost eight in the morning. The girls finished the Pimpfort in just about five hours. Cherry¡¯s not alone- I can scarcely believe it, myself.


    ¡°...You really did it, Guild Myaster. You saved them all.¡± Snow says with a conflicted smile.


    As I look into her eyes, I want so badly to hug her in celebration. But I don¡¯t. I look away, and even though it¡¯s very passive-aggressive of me, I tell her. ¡°All of them but one.¡±


    Peri and Cherry don¡¯t let me wallow in awkward tension for long. Peri tackles me to the floor and covers me in a billion chaste kisses. She purposefully avoids my lips, probably wanting to save that for tomorrow. ¡°We did it! We did it! WE DID IT!¡± She says between smacking her lips against my cheeks.


    ¡°Geez,¡± Cherry grumbles and sits behind me on the floor, blushing. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless, nyaa... gimme some room, he¡¯s gonna be my mate, too.¡± She giggles and starts kissing me from the other side.


    Being peppered with kisses from my two adorable maids is enough to melt my heart and drift me off to heaven. ¡°Girls, please... I can only take so much...¡± The adrenaline starts to wear off, and an unbearable shadow of tiredness hangs over my head.


    They both leave my side and share an unsubtle glare at Snow¡¯s direction, who is doing her best to avoid gaping at the display of affection. Then, suddenly, Snow¡¯s eyes turn back towards the screen. She gasps and begins staring at something else entirely.


    ¡°Are you fucking joking?!¡± I scream, rising to my feet.


    Pimpington is standing, walking across the dirtied floor towards his rapier. He¡¯s beaten, bloody, and one of his comically long and curly mustache tips has been cut right off... but he¡¯s on two feet and bends over to take the sword weakly in his hands.


    ¡°...Master, they got them stamina potions in they pouches, yeah?¡± He asks in an unsettling, calm tone.


    I remain silent. Why in the Realms would I fucking tell him where their potions are? I watch helplessly as he shakes his head and starts moving towards Sam.


    Peri, Cherry, Snow, and I all start screaming at the Taskmaster screen, begging Sam to get up and swat the villain with her blade. He¡¯s so close to being brought down! It can¡¯t end like this... not after everything that¡¯s happened...!


    He lowers himself to one knee and reaches inside of Sam¡¯s pouch, lifting out a half-empty green potion. He pops the cork. I close my eyes, slamming the desk harder than I¡¯ve ever hit anything in my life. I feel the wood splinter beneath my fist. Although it hurts, nothing hurts more than the pain I feel inside over failing to lead my adventurers... my girls... to victory.


    Sam starts coughing.


    I open my eyes in confusion. Pimpington pressed the bottle to Sam¡¯s lips and emptied its contents into her mouth. Her stamina meter refills to half-empty instead of just empty.


    I turn on the voice transmission. ¡°Pimpington? What... are you doing?¡±


    As he watches Sam sit up and wipe the fluid off her lips, a warm, genuine smile appears on the enemy¡¯s face. ¡°This pimp already lost the second y¡¯all walked in, Master. Maybe even before that...¡±


    The Princess scoots away as soon as she realizes who just held the bottle to her lips. She gazes at him in astonishment but remains quiet so he can speak.


    ¡°Y¡¯know, things might¡¯ve turned out a lot differently fo¡¯ me if I had a Guild Master like you back in Imperalis. Would it be gay if a pimp said he was jealous of yo¡¯ girls, Master?¡±


    I hesitate before saying, ¡°...Only a little.¡±


    ¡°Fuck it. This pimp is jealous of yo¡¯ girls, Master. You care about ¡®em, and you ain¡¯t like the rest of your ilk.¡± He cracks a cheeky smile which I end up reciprocating, almost without my awareness. It¡¯s a very odd sensation to be grinning back at the man who just fought so hard to kill my girls, but...


    Sam tilts her head. ¡°What the fuck is all this, then? Are you a good guy or some shit now?¡±


    Pimpington frowns and offers his hand to Sam to help her off the floor. She doesn¡¯t take it, but he doesn¡¯t get offended. ¡°Girl, things ain¡¯t that simple. If someone becomes yo¡¯ friend right after ya fight ¡®em, means ya probably gave ¡®em brain damage- ya dig? People¡¯s morals and values ain¡¯t so easy to change...¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t had a sudden change of heart, then, what is all this supposed to be?¡± I ask.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I didn¡¯t have a change of heart. All I¡¯m sayin¡¯ is I still went through all the things that made me who I am today, ya feel me? Whether ya meant to or not, Master, you pointed out some harsh truths. I can¡¯t ever be Percival Chasteworthe again... but that don¡¯t mean I gotta lose my humanity, either...¡±


    Sam grabs her sword and looks at the pimp. She¡¯s too tired to deal with the emotions at play here. ¡°Are we still fighting, or what?¡± The potion must not have done much for her,


    ¡°Naw... you won, that¡¯s clear as day. I just got one request, is all. I want to be defeated as a proud swordsman, not as a monster. Ya dig?¡±


    ¡°Sam, what do you say? Think you can give him what he wants?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah, I dig.¡± She yawns and wipes her eyes, hefting her sword over her shoulder.


    The bloody, practically nude swordsman stands several feet away from the tired Princess. He assumes the same stance he took at the beginning of the battle, and Sam, in turn, spreads her feet wide to properly wield her sword.


    The two stare each other down in silence until finally, Pimpington lunges towards Sam. He pierces the mighty great blade many times, but the Princess blocks each attack. Her weapon is dangerously close to being more hole than metal, but that doesn¡¯t matter when Sam pulls it back and swings the broadside like a club across his head.


    Pimpington falls, along with half of Sam¡¯s weapon. Her fearsome iron slab breaks down the middle, and with a tired groan, she throws the ruined weapon on top of the defeated fencer. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s coherent enough to even care about the state of her sword anymore.


    Sam walks over and kicks the unconscious pimp a couple of times before making an ok sign with her hands. ¡°He¡¯s really down this time, Boss...¡± She yawns again and stretches out.


    ¡°So that¡¯s really it, then? For real this time?¡± Snow sighs. Right as she asks, the door on the balcony opens up, the magical locks disappearing from sight just like all the other doors in the Pimpfort.


    ¡°...That¡¯s really it, Snow. Your quest has been completed. For real this time.¡±

 A Proper Reward

    ¡°C¡¯mon, Meri. Uppy-up.¡± The Princess yawns, nudging the Shield Maiden with her foot. ¡°We gotta get some stamina potion in you, or whatever...¡±


    ¡°Five more minutes...¡± Meri mumbles, shaking her head.


    ¡°Boss, she ain¡¯t movin¡¯. Can I do this the fun way?¡± Sam asks for permission to lewd.


    ¡°Naturally. Gods know I could use some eye-candy after having to focus on such a long, hard battle... a bit of brevity would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Such a pervert,¡± Snow teasingly shakes her head.


    ¡°And?¡± I return her retort with an unamused look, and she backs off, forgetting I told her I wasn¡¯t going to be doing any more playful flirting.


    Her Highness smiles a weary smile before plopping down on her behind next to Meri. Sam takes a moment to pull off the ties keeping up her twintails, and she shakes her head side to side, letting the hair fluff out properly. Thanks to all the sweat, her unbrushed, tousled hair resembles the mane of a very wet lion.


    Sam pokes around in Meri¡¯s adventurer pouch before pulling out the last stamina potion. Opening it up and taking a deep swig, the adventurous Princess fills her cheeks with the green liquid. She leans down and plants her lips against Meri¡¯s, feeding her the potion bit by bit so that she doesn¡¯t choke. It¡¯s a welcome sight, but...


    ¡°PFTACK-¡± Sam spits as soon as she¡¯s done kissing Meri. ¡°T-That was a stupid idea... shit¡¯s nasty...¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry...! I¡¯ve been eating jerky and drinking potions on and off for five hours straight!¡± Meri begins to tear up, covering her mouth. Meri¡¯s anxious mind assumes Sam was referring to her breath.


    ¡°Not you, babe. The potions. You taste kick-ass.¡± Sam snorts and gives Meri a deep hug, then a loving kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°...Oh.¡± Meri leans into the hug, blushing as she utters what might as well be her second catchphrase.


    ¡°You two take a quick breather, alright? I need to prepare a few things before you send Pimpington here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like that,¡± Meri smiles, nuzzling into her friend¡¯s embrace. The stamina potion got her up, but just like Sam, it¡¯s only barely keeping her going.


    ¡°Peri, I want you to go up and check on Zutiria. See how she¡¯s doing, change her into some pajamas if you haven¡¯t already. Her clothes are in the wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Myaster!¡± As Peri skitters away, the hype from finishing the dungeon infects her and puts a bounce in her step.


    ¡°Snow, Cherry, tie him up with some of the new bondage equipment we confiscated. I won¡¯t make you dress his wounds, but please carry him in a blanket to the storage room. He¡¯ll get blood all over the floor otherwise.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Cherry frowns. ¡°I take it you wouldn¡¯t like it if I scratched him up a bit, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s already at death¡¯s door, best not.¡± I shake my head, making the kitten frown even more.


    ¡°Fiiiiiine,¡± Cherry leaves the office, sighing.


    Snow doesn¡¯t follow and instead stays here alone with me. The awkward air between us is almost overwhelming. ¡°When would you like to discuss payment, Guild Myaster?¡± She asks, getting down to business.


    ¡°Snow, I don¡¯t fucking care... Just let me adopt some Beastgirls for free and make it so that I don¡¯t have to do the waiting period next time.¡± I groan from weariness, slumping my tired body across the scratch-ravaged desk. ¡°I¡¯m much too tired to calculate the specifics, but the mission involved a perilous dungeon, multiple drawn-out fights, many monsters, traps, and a two-phase boss encounter that could have easily killed much more experienced adventurers than mine.¡±


    ¡°So I take it you¡¯ll be charging for the dungeon after all?¡± Snow tilts her head.


    ¡°You saw first hand what the girls went through to complete your quest. Just because I was technically the source of the dungeon doesn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°Easy, easy. I was only joking, nyaa.¡± She smiles softly and lowers her head in respect. ¡°There¡¯s no way I would try to devalue you and your Guild¡¯s efforts. As far as I¡¯m concerned, you deserve absolutely anything you demand as far as your reward goes.¡±


    ¡°Snow...¡± I raise my head, giving the pretty kitten a deep and upset frown. ¡°You need to stop saying shit like that if you don¡¯t want me to get the wrong idea. I don¡¯t want to be the type who says you¡¯re leading me on, but...¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? I- ...oh.¡± She blushes the moment she realizes the unintentional implication she made. ¡°At any rate, The Elders will most likely agree to your terms, but they might have something to say about forgoing the trial period.¡±


    ¡°Well, I hope you can convince them.¡± As I continue to stare at the maid, a thought comes into mind, and I say something I probably shouldn¡¯t. ¡°...Do you want to know why I suggested determining the reward later, Snow?¡±


    She¡¯s silent, and I take it as permission to keep talking.


    ¡°I was going to make this big, dramatic declaration where I revealed the only thing I wanted in exchange was for you to come work for me.¡±


    ¡°That might¡¯ve been cute,¡± Snow admits with a respectful blush, but distant eyes.


    ¡°It might¡¯ve been.¡±


    ¡°...You could still ask me, you know.¡± She asks as a twinge of hope perks up her fluffy, white ears for just a second.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask you. You¡¯d say yes.¡±


    Snow stares right through me, not even attempting to respond as she dwells on my words.


    ¡°You¡¯d just be mindlessly doing what you were told, same as always. I don¡¯t want to be some convenient excuse for you to ignore all your problems, and... I... Gods, Snow... what else needs to be said? You chose to act on what your heart really wanted, then instantly said it was a mistake. I can¡¯t help you if you can¡¯t help yourself.¡±


    Snow stands up, clutches her paws to her chest, then makes a conflicted expression halfway between sadness and anger. ¡°Where do you get off trying to tell me ¡®what I really want¡¯ or ¡®what I need¡¯? Do you think just because your eyes help you read body language that you instantly understand the inner workings of someone¡¯s mind? As far as you know, maybe I really DO think kissing you was a fucking mistake!¡± Her cheeks fill with flush, and the Catfolk bares her fangs at me as if to hiss at a moment¡¯s notice.


    ¡°If you really think it was a mistake, then why are you crying?¡±


    Snow reaches to her face in shock, realizing that this entire time she¡¯s been letting out thick streams of her inner sadness. She decides to embrace it, making no attempt to hide it. ¡°Because I¡¯ve never been in love before, and I don¡¯t know how to deal with it! If I had met you when I wasn¡¯t an adult saddled with a life, and responsibilities... and expectations... and people who depend on me, then-¡±


    ¡°Snow... This just isn¡¯t the time for this.¡± I sigh, cradling my forehead and covering my eyes. I try hiding the small tears forming before she can see them. I¡¯m tired beyond belief, and hearing her say so blatantly that she loves me is more than I can handle.


    The fluffy, white-furred Catfolk lingers there for a moment before eventually asking, ¡°...How much credit do you think would suffice? Give me a rough estimate.¡±


    I push away my emotions, and the gears of business start to turn within my cold, analytical mind.


    ¡°This was undoubtedly a Gold-ranked dungeon, ironically enough. I¡¯m going to give you an offer, not an estimate. One million gold. If I did an actual calculation and ran through the lists, the actual price would likely be several times more than that. Report it to your higher-ups that I purposefully insisted on a smaller reward to make me look as good as possible. Lie if you have to. Just make sure you convince them I don¡¯t need to do a trial period for any future adoptions.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to lie to make you look good, Guild Myaster.¡± She says in a solemn whisper. Eventually, she sighs, asking, ¡°...Are you planning to staff this Guild solely with Beastgirls, then?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve developed a bad habit as of late. Sam, Zutiria, and Meri technically don¡¯t get paid for their quests. They trust their gold to me, pledging to help improve the Guild. Add Peri and Cherry to the mix, and one might say I¡¯ve developed a taste for unpaid labor.¡±


    ¡°Spoken like true capitalist if I¡¯ve ever heard one, nyaa.¡± As she wipes her tears, an ounce of playfulness returns to her voice. ¡°And I¡¯m sure wanting an entire building full of breeding-crazed Beastgirls has absolutely nothing to do with your bottomless libido, Guild Myaster.¡±


    ¡°Perish the thought,¡± I smile, and Snow smiles back. For a moment, things are how they were only hours before. Then it all fades away as we remember what we¡¯ve said to each other.


    ¡°I think I can convince the Elders that you don¡¯t need a trial period, but I have a personal request.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡±


    ¡°I want the future adoptions to wait until you¡¯ve settled your dispute with the local crimelords, nyaa.¡± Her eyes glare, and I get the impression there¡¯s nothing I can say that¡¯ll make her budge on that.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than fair,¡± I nod my head and turn away from Snow. ¡°This should all be finished within a little under two months if all goes well.¡± I smirk as a dark joke enters my mind and leaves my lips, ¡°And if all goes wrong, I¡¯ll be out of the picture, and the tribe won¡¯t owe anyone anything.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t find that very funny. ¡°Don¡¯t say such things. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯d do if that... I...¡± Snow shakes her head, clearing it of doubt. She moves on like she never said a thing. ¡°Thank you for understanding that I can¡¯t risk any more girls than I already have.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Go and help Cherry, now. I need to talk to the girls.¡±


    ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll be back in a moment, Guild Myaster.¡± She makes it all the way to the door before turning her head back to face me, saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t give you what you actually want. I really am.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright, Snow. You wouldn¡¯t want to make any more mistakes than you already have, right?¡±


    Snow leaves, and I feel shame at myself for having said that. Part of me wants a drink right about now, just as I¡¯m sure a part of her wants a smoke.


    ¡°Geez, she¡¯s a fuckin¡¯ tough nut to crack, huh, Boss?¡± Sam says as my eyes open wide in horror, realizing that she and Meri just overheard this entire conversation. I must have forgotten to mute Taskmaster, or else I would¡¯ve never gotten so emotional...


    ¡°Sam, be quiet! Master¡¯s must be really sad right now!¡± Meri frowns at Sam, unaware that she¡¯s just digging my wounds deeper.


    ¡°At least we¡¯re gonna get a lot more hot Beastgirls later,¡± The perverted Princess licks her lips.


    ¡°Gods damn it, get up off your asses and throw the magic warp bomb at the unconscious, naked pimp,¡± I groan, wiping more small tears out of my eyes as my cheeks fill with blush.


    ¡°Are you ok, Master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Meri. Just something in my eye...¡±

 Mommy’s Home

    Sam and Meri successfully get up off their tired asses and swiftly move to throw a Returner at Pimpington¡¯s unconscious body. He disappears, and the Return Gate¡¯s sound rings out in the other room, followed by the sound of several Catfolk hissing at him.


    ¡°One more room, girls,¡± I do my best to motivate the two of them, but I¡¯m running on empty. I hardly have much pep left for myself, let alone enough to share with the girls. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take Pimpington¡¯s sword. I can¡¯t think of a better trophy to commemorate our victory here today.¡± Besides a certain head maid, who I really need to get out of my mind.


    Sam groans, picking up the magical rapier where she dropped it. ¡°Sure... oh?¡± As she¡¯s on the floor, she notices something else and picks it up before I have a chance to zoom in and see what it was. Her hand was blocking the view as she took it, and I¡¯m much too tired to care.


    As the Princess rises, she grunts and begins fanning herself. ¡°Can we take our armor off and send ¡®em back to the Guild? I¡¯m fuckin¡¯ dying over here...¡±


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have to explain why that¡¯s a bad idea, Princess. It¡¯d be shitty if there was a threat in the last room, but we can¡¯t rule it out.¡±


    More groaning, athough I¡¯m sympathetic. ¡°I just wanna take this shit off already...!!¡± Sam complains, sweating and sweating all the while.


    ¡°Master¡¯s right, it¡¯d be bad to take our armor off... Let¡¯s get this done with, Sam... we just gotta check the chamber out and see where what the situation is like...¡± Meri stifles a yawn and moves in to wrap her arm around Sam¡¯s shoulder. Sam reciprocates the gesture. Together, the two help each other up the stairs, pass Pimpington¡¯s throne, and enter the last room arm in arm like the weary sisters they are.


    In the deepest depths of the Pimpfort lies a large, D-shaped chamber. Most of the room is one gigantic mattress large enough that it could be mistaken for a small building. A mountain of pillows leading upwards lies at the bottom of this mattress, serving as a stairway to ascend the towering structure of softness. On each side of the stairway is a white, half-drawn silky canopy sheet that falls from the ceiling and sways gently from a small breeze pouring through the dungeon.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± Sam looks up at the mattress fort in awe, making doubly sure she¡¯s not hallucinating. ¡°You don¡¯t think all the Beastgirls are up there, do you Boss?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t get a good angle on it with Taskmaster. You¡¯ll have to climb it and find out.¡±


    ¡°Um... do you really think this is safe?¡± Meri takes a nervous step onto the pillow staircase, plopping her foot down to test the stability.


    ¡°It¡¯s safer than another round with Pimpington,¡± I offer.


    ¡°Fair...¡± The brunette blushes and begins ascending together with Sam. Neither girl finds it difficult to climb, so they walk up the strange stairway of soft pillows with ease.


    Once they reach the top, they¡¯re greeted with two sights that stand out right away. In the center of the giant mattress lies a small mountain of even more fancy, ornate pillows. Atop this platform lies one last treasure chest, causing Sam¡¯s eyes to light up as soon as she sees it.


    Her time has finally come, and she¡¯s already itching to crack that bad boy open.


    The other thing that¡¯s readily apparent at a glance is over a hundred beast girls laying around the mattress top, each tucked in with a comfy blanket and a luxurious pillow.


    ¡°Aww...! So cuuuuute!!¡± Meri instantly melts, but then reality hits her. ¡°Um, h-how are we going to get them all home? And are we taking them to the Guild or to the Besthal Pet Shop?¡±


    I kept saying we¡¯d figure it out when we got there, but I still haven¡¯t figured out a good answer now that we¡¯re here. ¡°I¡¯d assume the Pet Shop, it¡¯s not like anyone else in Dewhurst is after the Beastgirls... but there might be a roving butcher or two, so... Snow¡¯s in the other room, I¡¯ll ask when she returns.¡±


    ¡°Forget about that for a minute. Can I FINALLY go open my treasure chest?¡± Sam has a sudden resurgence in energy. She¡¯s eager to get her new Goddess-gifted toy, especially since she was shafted the entire dungeon until now.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re about to wake up any time soon. You might as well.¡± I smile as soon as I see the abundant joy my permission gives the Princess.


    ¡°Heck yesssss!" Sam starts running towards the raised platform of pillows with reckless abandon but falls over and starts inhaling through her teeth. ¡°FUCK- CRAMP! CRAAAAAAAMP!¡± She holds onto her injured leg for dear life, hugging it and wincing on repeat.


    I try not to laugh at the exhausted Princess¡¯s exaggerated suffering, but it¡¯s hard not to smirk... ¡°Meri, do Her Highness a favor, please. Bring it down for her. Oh, and don¡¯t forget to poke it, either.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Master! Sorry, Sam...¡± Meri scooches past the pained adventurer and hops onto the raised pillows. She pokes the ordinary-looking treasure box with her buckler¡¯s sword. Thankfully, Luxy is not enough of a cunt to have made the treasure chest after the boss into a trap. No mimic here.


    The Shield Maiden retracts her blade into her shield and picks up the box, taking it back to the cramping Princess. Sam eagerly snaps it away like a child waiting to unwrap a gift they¡¯ve been begging their parent for all year long. ¡°Let¡¯s see what ya got for me, you damn Goddess! Gonna take an awful lot to get on my good side, but...¡±


    Sam cracks the wooden lid open and immediately gasps. Reaching her hand into the wooden box, she grabs hold of something and slowly pulls it out. ¡°Yep, this... this¡¯ll do...¡± She blushes as her eyes begin twinkling. Sam takes out an ornate sword much, much bigger than the box could conceivably hold.


    The blade is similar to her old one in that it still has a red hilt with gold trim and detailing, but any comparisons past that are an insult to her new weapon. This sword is one of the most impressive artistry displays I¡¯ve ever seen on a tool for battle. Holding it aloft draws all eyes on its magnificence, and it seems to sparkle in the dim light of the Pimpfort.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s convenient.¡± I raise an eyebrow as I try to downplay my reaction. Did Luxy plan to give her this sword beforehand or is it a response to her sword being broken? Probably just a coincidence. By the sound of things, it doesn¡¯t seem like the Goddess will be able to intervene very much for a while.


    Admiring it from every angle, the young Princess lets out a dreamy sigh. ¡°It¡¯s everything I ever wanted...¡± Sam responds in a daze, her face nothing but smiles to the point where she almost looks like her loopy self from not even an hour ago.


    Meri is no less impressed, but she has a noticeably different reaction to the weapon than we do. ¡°It¡¯s so pretty...! But... it kinda looks familiar. I can¡¯t quite put my finger on why t-though...¡±


    I squint my eyes and think aloud, ¡°Now that you mention it, it does look rather distinct... does it look familiar to you, Sam?¡±


    ¡°Of course, it looks familiar. It¡¯s my baby...¡± Sam hugs it like a mother cradling her child from the cold. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s magic?!¡± Her eyes somehow find a way to twinkle even more as she considers the possibility.


    ¡°Probably, but Zutiria isn¡¯t here to appraise it. You¡¯ll have to wait a few days for her to wake up or for Opal to get back from Dawnstead.¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait a second...¡± Meri bends over and looks in the treasure chest before pulling out a second piece of loot. In her hands, she holds a tiny wooden box that has the letters ¡®GM¡¯ emblazoned upon it. ¡°This one must be for you!¡±


    Huh. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything for myself. ¡°I¡¯ll have a look at it sometime tomorrow,¡± I let out a yawn and briefly take my glasses off to rub the crust from my tired eyes. ¡°We have a more pressing matter to attend to, anyway...¡±


    Sam slings her new sword into her the strap on the back of her armor. She finds it fits like a dream, then Sam and grunts as Meri helps her to her feet. They look around at the endless number of sleeping Beastgirls scattered around the large chamber. As cute as they are, we need to find a way to get them home...


    ¡°H-How are we gonna take them all back to the Pet Shop...? Me and Sam are... um...¡± Meri yawns an adorable, squeaky yawn and blushes.


    ¡°Yeah, Boss... I¡¯d rather go cuddle up to some of them and take a long, LONG ass nap if I¡¯m honest.¡±


    ¡°When aren¡¯t you honest?¡± Meri giggles.


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Sam squints her eyes playfully, no doubt plotting some sort of sexual revenge.


    ¡°E-Eh?!¡± The Shield Maiden shies away from her bratty, vindictive Guildmate.


    ¡°Give me a few minutes to think about it... I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll... ah... figure out something... probably.¡± This was one hastily planned rescue, even I admit. There¡¯s really not much I have in mind that could help us out...


    The office door opens behind me, and I turn to face Snow, who gives me a polite, yet cold curtsy. It¡¯s a strange sight, having a maid give you a curtsy while wearing a black tracksuit. ¡°Guild Myaster, we¡¯re doing taking care of the pimp. Even though you said it wasn¡¯t necessary, his wounds have been treated, and he¡¯s being held in thorough bondage as per your request.¡±


    ¡°Already? That was fast...¡± I move the screens out of the way to get a better look at Snow.


    ¡°Cherry and I had help, nyaa. You have several guests waiting to see you. Shall I let them into your office?¡±


    ¡°...Guests?¡±


    Before I can question further, I hear the sound of a woman¡¯s heels clacking against the hallway¡¯s wooden floor. A familiar, deep voice calls out to me as Snow moves out of the way to let the approaching figure in.


    ¡°Honestly, Dear... I¡¯m gone for five fucking days- just five- and upon my return, there¡¯s a giant castle made of golden penises taking up a third of the city. Not only that, but that very same castle¡¯s owner is tied up in your storage closet. A storage closet that I might add is not filled with useful items for adventurers, no, but instead is now apparently home to enough sex toys to fill the holes of every woman in the Realm and then some.¡± Opal crosses her arms and lets out a sigh before cocking her hip to the side and giving me a warm, motherly smile. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I was expecting, but I shouldn¡¯t be surprised at this point.¡±

 Winding Down and Planning a Vacation

    My heart skips a beat as I rise from my chair, unable to stop myself from smiling like a little boy. ¡°Opal...!¡±


    ¡°And friends,¡± Nikita enters the room behind her with a sharp smile.


    ¡°Welcome back, Miss Hart!¡± Meri is happy to hear the Doctor is back in town, and I couldn¡¯t agree more.


    ¡°Opal! Niki! Look at my badass new sword!¡± Sam smiles and waves the blade around.


    Opalina sways her hips as she walks across the room before sitting her wide hips on the corner of my desk. Without asking for permission, she grabs Sam¡¯s Taskmaster screen and studies it. It¡¯s almost like Opal knows how to use the interface already. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s very nice, Dear,¡± she says in that tone parents use when only marginally acknowledging their children.


    Suddenly looking back to me, Opal raises an eye and frowns. ¡°I just can¡¯t believe you developed Taskmaster right when I left town. I never thought I¡¯d live to see such a power, and I feel a fool for not recognizing it when you were younger. The eyes were a dead giveaway.¡±


    ¡°You know already know about Taskmaster?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Only three or four people in Karnalle¡¯s history have had it, but it¡¯s still documented. Granted, your version doesn¡¯t quite match the records...¡± She says, hinting at the focus on sex and relationships my power has.


    ¡°I caught her up to speed on everything- sensed her warp in about an hour ago. I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the Guild all night, Chief. Just so you know.¡± Nikita walks over to the desk as well and bends over to look at the sword.


    Her reaction is telling. The Grekkan raises an eyebrow and looks at Opalina. ¡°...Isn¡¯t that-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Opal sighs. ¡°One thing at a time, Niki.¡±


    Now that she¡¯s closer, I see a cut on Nikita¡¯s arm that wasn¡¯t there before. It¡¯s still reasonably fresh. ¡°Nikita? Are you alright?¡±


    Opal frowns and gives the Grekkan a look that says, ¡®maybe don¡¯t tell him¡¯, but Nikita ignores it. ¡°That Halfling pretending to be a God tried sneaking in here a few hours ago. They fucked off right when they realized I could see through whatever invisibility bullshit they had going on, though. Threw a dagger at me that I didn¡¯t see coming, but other than that, it was no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Wait- Fleetfoot was here again?¡± Just like before, we didn¡¯t even notice... I guess Pimpington was right. The other prominent figures supporting the Duke of Dewhurst aren¡¯t taking our actions tonight lying down.


    ¡°Yep, they were gonna attack you, too, which is how I sensed ¡®em. Told you you don¡¯t gotta sweat it while I¡¯m in town.¡± Nikita walks around to wrap her arm around my neck, smiling as she pulls me against the side of her breastplate. It¡¯s cold and hard, but she smells like a woman and olive oil...


    Gods, I¡¯m tired... thinking weird shit like that.


    Nikita must remember she¡¯s trying to be distant with me for whatever reason, so she pulls away and blushes softly. Opalina catches note of this behavior and raises an eyebrow but doesn¡¯t say anything.


    I clear my throat, ¡°Still... the fact that they were so close and that we didn¡¯t notice is worrisome.¡±


    Snow lowers her head and blushes. ¡°Actually, I thought I smelled feet a while back, but I didn¡¯t want to be rude, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good thing you and the other kittens will be around to keep the Guild safe with your noses, yes?¡± Opalina says the most awkward thing she possibly could have, causing Snow to look at the ground and avoid contact. ¡°...Ah, forgive me. I must have misread the situation.¡±


    Snow coughs into her paw, and I look the other way. Opalina seems like she wants to press about the situation and help me get what I want like any doting mother hen but doesn¡¯t. It¡¯d definitely make it worse.


    Right as the tension begins to stiffen, Peri and Cherry enter the office. ¡°Myaster, Mistress Zuzu is sleeping soundly, nyaa. Shall we make tea for the guests?¡± Peri curtsies and Cherry follows along but fumbles with her skirt, pulling it up a bit too high by accident, then blushing and cursing under her breath.


    ¡°We won¡¯t be long,¡± Opal shakes her head. ¡°Someone has to go get those Beastgirls home, don¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°Yes, PLEASE. I wanna go home...¡± Sam falls back onto the gigantic bed as even more of her strength leaves her.


    ¡°I¡¯m so tired...¡± Meri yawns and does the same.


    Opal smiles, appreciating how adorable the two sleepy adventurers happen to look. ¡°Girls, why don¡¯t you come on home? Kitties, I need to have a talk with your Master in private. Would you be so kind as to head to the other room, help Sam and Meri out of their armor and help them to the master bedroom?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Snow bows and takes the excuse to get out of here as soon as possible. Cherry and Peri follow soon after Sam uses a Returner on herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna let you have your privacy, Opal. Gonna help myself to some of Chief¡¯s booze before we go and evacuate the Beastfolk. That cool with you?¡± The Grekkan asks, stretching her legs.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nod my head tiredly.


    Nikita gives me a thumbs up and leaves, closing the door behind her. I¡¯m alone with Opalina now, but I¡¯m too exhausted to be excited by that fact. She gives me a warm smile and offers her hand, which I take and am then led to the couch behind my desk. We both sit, and Opalina wastes no time pulling me into her bosom and leaning her head down to kiss the top of mine. ¡°You did wonderful, Dear... I¡¯m not even mad that you didn¡¯t have a healer in your party.¡±


    ¡°...I fucked up, Opal. A lot.¡±


    ¡°Everybody does.¡±


    ¡°The girls kept getting hurt.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re adventurers. They knew what they were signing up for.¡±


    ¡°I could have led them better,¡±


    ¡°And you also could have led them a lot worse.¡±


    ¡°Sam almost lost herself to her blood, and Zutiria¡¯s condition is-¡±


    ¡°Is a problem we can solve in the future, together.¡±


    There¡¯s no getting past Opal¡¯s defenses. Every time I try and feel worse about myself, she pushes back and asserts that it will all be ok. I lean into her chest as she begins to pet my head. ¡°...I missed you, my love.¡±


    ¡°...Opal?¡± I look up at her and see a severe expression on her face, but it¡¯s quickly overtaken by a half-hearted return to loving warmth.


    ¡°I¡¯m always hounded by bad memories whenever I visit Duke Gloomcrest. This time it made me realize just how different my life is now... and it made me realize I have you to thank more than anyone else.¡± She sighs, and my heart begins to pound. I realize soon it¡¯s from jealousy.


    ¡°So... you and he-¡±


    Opalina looks at me with shock and utter revulsion. She then breaks out into the most immature fit of laughter I¡¯ve ever seen come out from the refined, older woman. She snorts louder than Sam, pauses to catch her breath, and then proceeds to laugh even harder to the point that I worry for her bladder¡¯s integrity. ¡°Oh good fucking GODS, NO. Never ever ever EVER. Oh Gods, just... Gods no... Sweetie, I know you¡¯ve never asked because you¡¯re an adorable, jealous man, but for most of my life, I was practically a misandrist. I¡¯ve never been interested in a man before until a certain boy I knew grew up.¡±


    I feel relieved if a little uncertain. Opal continues on, saying, ¡°As to my actual relationship with Duke Gloomcrest, he¡¯s something of a persistent acquaintance who did me a very large favor once long ago and still tries to insert himself in my life to this day because of it. It doesn¡¯t help that I¡¯m very close to his daughter...¡± Opal sighs and cradles her forehead. ¡°Gods, the sheer amount of marriage proposals I¡¯ve had to deal with from that spineless wretch, I swear...¡±


    It¡¯s odd to hear Opal go on about people she knows, given how every time I¡¯ve asked her about her past, she downplays it and remains cagey on the details. I never knew she used to hate men, and I¡¯ve certainly never witnessed it myself.


    ¡°I¡¯m... sorry to hear that.¡±


    ¡°Not as sorry as you¡¯re going to be, Dear.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    Opal has me sit up before she pulls down the hem of her turtleneck with a finger. She reaches into her gratuitous cleavage and pulls from out of her bra a stunningly pretty letter sealed with the raven stamp of House Gloomcrest. ¡°This is for you,¡±


    She hands me the excellent smelling letter, and I look it over, noticing it¡¯s addressed to ¡®The Guild Master of the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild¡¯.


    ¡°...Is this what I think it is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so. You¡¯ve been summoned to the court of Duke Gloomcrest. I understand that you¡¯ll need a few days worth of rest beforehand after this whole ordeal, so don¡¯t worry about it too much just yet. I expect it to take two to three days, and-¡±


    ¡°Opal, wait. I can¡¯t just leave Dewhurst while I¡¯m having a dispute with the crimelord who runs it. The girls need me, and Dawnstead is so far east that it would take few weeks to reach on horseback. I¡¯m not a Mage like you. The Warp Stone network just isn¡¯t an option.¡± I try to hand the letter back to her, but the woman refuses to take it.


    ¡°If I take you on my broom, it¡¯d only be an hour-long trip both ways. Besides, I¡¯ve already convinced Nikita to stay at the Guild while we¡¯re gone.¡±


    ¡°...You really want me to go, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Is there something odd about a woman wanting a vacation with her man?¡± She crosses her arms and tilts her head at me, reminding me that I¡¯m very much ¡®hers¡¯. It makes me smile.


    ¡°I¡¯m just not sure about the timing...¡±


    Opalina sighs, ¡°You¡¯re going to get a LOT of money for the Guild if you go.¡±


    ¡°The day after tomorrow, then.¡±


    She has herself a laugh at my sudden eagerness, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. One last thing. After I help all of the Beastfolk wake up, I need to tell you that I¡¯m going to be flying your captive Pimp back with me to Dawnstead. He¡¯s a big part of what you¡¯re being summoned over, so I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s non-negotiable.¡±


    ¡°Wait, hold on a second. I haven¡¯t even had a chance to interrogate him yet, or-¡±


    Opal places a finger to my lips, shushing me. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do so in Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s dungeons, rest assured.¡± My mature lover grabs me by the chin with her gloved hand, tilts it up to face her, and leans in to give me a delicate kiss that lasts only for a moment yet fills my heart with joy.


    ¡°Just trust me, Dear. Everything will be ok.¡± I bask in her warm, motherly smile and let out a long overdue sigh of relief. ¡°You did a wonderful job, and now it¡¯s time to go to bed and cuddle up to your lucky adventurers. They¡¯re waiting for you.¡±


    I yawn and take Opal¡¯s hand as she helps me up off the couch. ¡°I think I¡¯d like that...¡±

 A Well Earned Rest

    When I head into the entrance hall, I see Sam and Meri¡¯s armor scattered around the place haphazardly. By the door, Nikita is helping herself to some of my booze, and Snow is waiting to leave. To my right, two Catfolk maids are walking down the stairs to meet me.


    ¡°Sam and Meri are all tucked in, nyaa, just like you wanted. Now that that¡¯s done with, Myaster, we... um, have a favor to ask...¡± Cherry approaches, twiddling her thumbs.


    It¡¯s not hard to guess where she¡¯s going with this. ¡°You want to go and help the Pet Shop, right?¡±


    ¡°Uh, yeah...¡± The pink-haired kitten nods. She wasn¡¯t expecting me to just jump right into the heart of it.


    ¡°I told you he¡¯d know...¡± Peri smiles and blushes as she takes her partner¡¯s paw in hers.


    ¡°Of course, girls.¡± I take a step towards both and hug them tight, ¡°Go and help your family, stay all day if you need to.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Myaster!¡± Peri nuzzles into my neck and kisses my cheek.


    Cherry does the same but bites her lip and looks away. ¡°Damn it, you really are the best, you know that, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°I try. Snow, feel free to put my girls to work as hard as you have to in order to get things back to normal.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Guild Myaster.¡± Snow bows politely but keeps her distance. ¡°Assuming you don¡¯t sleep the entire day away, please visit the Pet shop once you awaken. I¡¯ll have explained your demands to the Elders by then, and I¡¯ll make time to formalize your credit in writing. Also, I would... well, I would like to properly say goodbye. You were the only adoption we made during this layover, so we have no other obligations keeping us in Dewhurst. I expect to already be gone by this time tomorrow, nyaa¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I reply with cold, cold courtesy.


    Opalina and Nikita exchange another round of curious looks, causing me to shrug and shake my head when they pass me by. Opalina¡¯s curiosity breaks, and she pulls me aside. Whispering, she says, ¡°What in the Realms is going on between you and the fluffy, prissy-looking Catfolk, Dear?¡±


    ¡°Opal, I¡¯m tired... please, don¡¯t ask me about...¡± I see the look in her eyes. That stern, motherly glare tells me she won¡¯t take no for an answer. ¡°...She clearly wants to work for me, and I invited her multiple times, but she refuses because of her responsibilities. Look, it¡¯s not a big deal, I just-¡±


    ¡°Did you fuck her, Dear?¡±


    ¡°Opal, damn it...! No, I-¡±


    ¡°Oh, Gods. She kissed you, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ...Mothers are a very frightening thing. I¡¯m not sure how she could have guessed that.


    ¡°Well, she seems lovely... but she also sounds like a piece of work, Dear. Is there anything I can do to help?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea how long I¡¯m going to sleep for, so... If at all possible, could you maybe see if Gwin could stop by later in the day? I might need her help with something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± Opalina stares at the most recent hold in the entrance hall. ¡°How did that one even happen?¡± She asks, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°...Peri¡¯s ass.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Opal giggles.


    ¡°Make sure you let Gwin know to bring some leather, too.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Alright, I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°Yo, Opal, we¡¯re all waiting on you!¡± Nikita calls out from the entrance hall, where she and all three kitties are ready to head on over to the Pimpfort and fix everything up.


    ¡°Yes, yes, Niki. Anyways, Dear, I¡¯ll see if I can shoot your favorite Dwarf a message. Now get to bed, young man. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours to fly your captive up to Dawnstead and cast a few healing spells on the girls while you sleep, but don¡¯t you worry about that. Just rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Opal...¡± I roll my eyes sarcastically, only to be pulled in for a quick kiss by the mature brunette.


    The good Doctor joins the group at the door. As she leaves, I catch her beginning a conversation with the head maid. ¡°So, Snow, was it? Tell me about yourself... I¡¯d love to know more about you...¡± There is a threatening glare in the old witch¡¯s eyes. I watch as it sends a chill down Snow¡¯s spine, making her fur stand on end.


    Peri and Cherry wave goodbye, closing the sizeable Dwarven door behind them on the way out. It¡¯s almost nine in the morning now, and all that¡¯s left for me to do is rest. I strip down to my boxers right here in the hall. I don¡¯t fucking care anymore.


    Groaning and taking my glasses off, I rub my eyes and walk upstairs to the bedroom. Opening the door still baring Peri¡¯s scratch hole, I walk into the quiet chamber. The first thing that I notice is the room is awash with the smell of sweaty women.


    What¡¯s scary is that I¡¯m too fatigued to even be aroused by it.


    Sam and Meri are... ripe. They¡¯ve been sweating in thick gambesons and heavy armor for five to six hours now. But that¡¯s alright. Poor things nearly worked themselves to death, and I¡¯m proud of them.


    ¡°That you, Boss...?¡± Sam stirs right as she hears me close the creaky wooden door to the bedroom.


    ¡°None other,¡± I set my glasses down on the nightstand by the side of the bed. As I do, I notice that the mini treasure chest is lying atop it. I¡¯ll have to give that a look tomorrow. I¡¯m far too tired to care.


    ¡°Get in here already...¡± She grunts, lifting the blanket up for me. I get a clear view of their exerted bodies and see that both adventurers are wearing clean panties and tank tops. No doubt the maids had to help them change into those. Sam looks like she can barely hold the blanket as it is.


    ¡°Nooooo, give blanky baaaaaack...!¡± Meri begins flailing once the warmth is removed, revealing her clammy skin to the brisk, open air.


    I slip in between the two girls, avoiding a frustrated kick from the Shield Maiden. ¡°Thankies...¡± Meri yawns once the thick covering is returned to her. Gods, she¡¯s cute when so tired.


    ¡°Zuzu, Boss is here,¡± Sam tries to shake Zutiria by the shoulder, but the little Mage doesn¡¯t so much as groan in response. ¡°Zuzuuuu-¡± She tries harder.


    ¡°Leave her. She said she¡¯d be out for a few days after all those spells.¡±


    ¡°More cuddles for us, then,¡± Sam whispers as she and Meri sidle up as close to me as they can.


    ¡°Yes, get as close to me as possible with your smelly, sweaty bodies. More, please.¡±


    ¡°M-Master... don¡¯t tease me right now... I can¡¯t help it being all sweaty and... and smelly...¡± Meri whines, nuzzling into my neck as she wraps her arm around me.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You smell like victory.¡± I lean in and give her a kiss, eliciting a tired giggle.


    ¡°Then what do I smell like?¡± Sam playfully whispers into my ear.


    ¡°Armor stank,¡± I admit, turning to give the ripe Royal Majesty a kiss as well.


    ¡°You fuckin¡¯ love it, perv.¡± Sam snorts and transitions into another yawn.


    ¡°Very true,¡± As I lay here with my adventurers, a contented sigh drifts from my lips, and I pull them both closer into my chest. ¡°I¡¯m really proud of the both of you, you know.¡±


    ¡°Save some of the credit for yourself,¡± Sam lifts her head to give me a stubborn, tired glare. ¡°We woulda died if you weren¡¯t watching out for us.¡±


    Nodding my head, I give her the answer she wants to hear, even if I don¡¯t mean it. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if anything ever happened to the three of you.¡±


    Meri frowns and pulls my arm into the deep recess of her cleavage.  She squeezes it hard, like a child pulling her favorite toy close to her chest during a nightmare. ¡°D-Don¡¯t even talk about that, Master...! You¡¯re stuck with us, and our sweaty armor stink for the rest of your life!¡±


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way,¡± The thought brings an even wider smile to my face.


    Sam grunts loudly and stretches, ¡°If I weren¡¯t so tired, I¡¯d let ya enjoy it, Boss, but I¡¯m... mmmnn... yeah...¡±


    ¡°Mhmm... I¡¯m gonna pass out any second now...¡± Meri adds.


    As my own tiredness deepens, I feel a smidge playful. Reaching my hand towards Meri¡¯s soft, plush tummy, I say, ¡°Guess you won¡¯t mind if I-¡±


    ¡°N-NOT FOR TOUCHING!¡± She reminds me, gathering up the strength required to slap my hand away. Sam has herself a laugh at her friend¡¯s expense, and I close my eyes, satisfied.


    It¡¯s quiet, and for a while, I¡¯m convinced everyone¡¯s drifted off to their much-needed rest. Sam proves me wrong by breaking the silence, asking with seriousness, ¡°...Do you think I¡¯m really gonna be ok, Boss?¡± Even in the dim light of the curtained-off bedroom, her emerald eyes glitter with concern, providing a window into her scarcely-seen vulnerable side.


    ¡°...Of course I do, Princess.¡± I move my hand from Meri¡¯s grip for just a moment. Stroking Sam¡¯s sweaty, sun-kissed hair, I cup the side of her face and turn my head to face her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be ruled by the blood that runs in your veins. Blood isn¡¯t what makes you who you are, Sam. Only you do.¡±


    Her Highness bites her lip before looking to the side, ¡°...T-Thanks,¡± Is all she can squeak out between furious blushing.


    Yawning even harder, Meri pulls my arm back into her bosom. ¡°Master... I was scared, too, you know... I kept getting hurt... a-and... a couple of times, I got knocked down... I couldn¡¯t stand firm...¡±


    ¡°Come here, you.¡± I allow Meri to nuzzle even closer to my body, and in turn, she wraps her meaty thigh around my own. ¡°Standing firm is only half your job, Meri. The other half is getting up when you can¡¯t. Every time you fell, you did just that, and you never gave up.¡±


    The brunette blushes and nuzzles into my neck even further. I think she liked that response but is too shy to say anything other than, ¡°I... I love you so much, M-Master... you changed my life... I-I would still be doing fetch quests if it weren¡¯t for you...¡±


    ¡°I love you too, Meri.¡± My heart races, and I kiss the young Shield Maiden on her lips before inevitably turning to face her jealous counterpart.


    ¡°Me too, Boss...¡± Sam yawns before stealing a kiss for herself. She smiles in satisfaction before turning towards Zutiria once more. ¡°Zuzu, you want a kiss?¡±


    ¡°Sam, don¡¯t-¡±


    She shakes the Mage¡¯s shoulder, and Zutiria grumbles before puckering her lips. I have no choice, it seems. I lean past the Princess to tenderly peck my lips to Zutiria¡¯s, saying, ¡°I love you as well, Zutiria.¡±


    Zutiria mumbles something that sounds like ¡®ha wab wah ha¡¯, and I feel that¡¯s as good as we¡¯re going to get. Now that everyone¡¯s satisfied and had their moment of love, the girls start to fade off to sleep, and in due time, so do I. I may not be as physically tired as the three adventurers, but damn if tonight wasn¡¯t mentally exhausting.


    It¡¯s time to take a long, hard-earned sleep. We did it, after all, and we can rest easy at long last.

 The ‘Morning’ After the Battle

    The first noise I hear upon my delicate waking are the sounds of groaning. ¡°Ow, fuck... owwww...!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re almost done, Dear. Just be patient.¡± A sultry voice says to my right.


    ¡°It fuckin¡¯ hurts!¡± Sam, also to my right, whines and wiggles around on the bed. She tears the blankets off me in the process.


    ¡°Of course it does. You had four stamina potions only a few hours apart from each other. That¡¯s terrible for your body! Someone should have warned you about that...¡±


    At that passive-aggressive jab, I continue pretending to be asleep.


    ¡°My healing can only do so much. The two of you need to remain in bed for another day or two.¡± Opal sighs, removing her hand from inside of Sam¡¯s after massaging the muscles. ¡°Stamina potions make your body work overtime, so it¡¯s best to compensate by laying around afterward.¡±


    ¡°W-We didn¡¯t know, Miss Hart...!¡± Meri hides in her pillow on the opposite side of my body.


    ¡°Meri, Dear, I know I haven¡¯t had a chance as of yet to get to know you as close as Sam and Zutiria, but you can just call me Opal. There¡¯s no need to be so stiff and formal with me.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, um. Ok, Opal...!¡±


    ¡°Good girl. Now get ready for my magic hands to poke around inside of you and make everything better.¡±


    ¡°W-WHAT?!¡± Meri almost jumps from the bed out of embarrassment, unused to Opal¡¯s method of teasing.


    Alright, that¡¯s enough pretending. I¡¯m going to get too horny if I just lay around listening to flirty banter and dirty massages. ¡°Stop, stop, my morning erection can only get so hard,¡± I yawn, sitting up to face the day at last.


    The Doctor is unsurprised to see me rise, merely raising an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s six in the evening, Dear. Your morning erection is rather late by that measure.¡± Opal shakes her head with mock sarcasm.


    ¡°Shit, that¡¯s right... We had kind of a fucked up night, didn¡¯t we?¡± I look to my side and see Sam trembling after having received one of Opalina¡¯s magical muscle treatment sessions. Meri is just about to be the next victim.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zutiria?¡± I ask, noticing the absent Mage.


    ¡°I moved her to one of your guest rooms. Her condition is stable, but it¡¯d be best to just have her out of the way as she recovers.¡± Opal says, chanting her spell and penetrating Meri¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°AH- OW- HAAAAH!¡± The Maiden winces, bites down on her pillow, and shuts her eyes. The last time I got one of Opal¡¯s massages, it felt rather nice, so I can only imagine the state Sam and Meri are in if it hurts to this extent.


    ¡°How are you feeling? Do you need one of these when I¡¯m done with Meri, Dear?¡± Opal gives me a teasing, playful grin, and I shake my head.


    ¡°You know I¡¯d never turn you down if I could help it, but I need to get a few things done today... Did you-¡±


    ¡°Gwin should already be downstairs,¡± She smiles. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself,  and do what you need to do. Pick up your maids from the Pet Shop, and come back home to rest. You¡¯re under a lot of stress after what happened last night, and I want you in tip-top shape for our visit to Dawnstead.¡±


    I vaguely recall promising to leave town with Opal a few hours ago, but I ask just to remind myself. ¡°So that wasn¡¯t just a fever dream?¡±


    ¡°Nope, the day after your mating ceremony tomorrow, you and I will be staying at Castle Mourneheart as Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s honored guests.¡± The Doctor¡¯s eyes make a small twitch of irritation right when mentioning the Duke¡¯s name, causing her to put extra pressure on Meri.


    ¡°AGHK-¡± The Shield Maiden cries.


    ¡°Castle Mourneheart...? Oh, shit. I think I went there as a kid once.¡± Sam tilts her head, groaning and rubbing her aching muscles. ¡°Place was fucking creepy. I wouldn¡¯t wanna go even if I could move my body.¡±


    ¡°The timing works out just fine,¡± Opal says as she removes a knot so tight that it nearly causes Meri to faint. ¡°You three aren¡¯t going anywhere for the next couple of days, anyway.¡±


    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t argue with that. Sorry, girls.¡± I frown at Sam in particular. I wanted to spend some quality one on one time with her soon, especially after what had just happened. Her Highness blushes when she notices the romantic way I¡¯m looking at her. Averting her pretty green eyes, she grumbles to herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m ok, Boss. Opal told me there¡¯s a lot of money in it for us, so there¡¯s no helpin¡¯ it. Go get that sweet, sweet Guild gold. Besides, someone might recognize me there, so I don¡¯t wanna go in the first place...¡± Sam sighs, knowing her ¡®disguise¡¯ isn¡¯t as good as she used to think it was. Magic freckles cast by Zutiria and a bandaid over her scarred nose aren¡¯t enough to convince people you aren¡¯t the very distinct-looking Crown Princess of the Realm.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I pull myself out of bed and carefully crawl over Meri. I make sure not to touch her, as the massage takes its toll on her poor body. Taking my glasses off of the nightstand, I also happen to see a fresh pair of clothes laid out for me as well.


    I dress myself and once again see that little box that was in the same treasure chest as Sam¡¯s new sword. Before I can reach for it, Opal tells me to hurry on up. ¡°Don¡¯t keep Gwin waiting, Dear. She¡¯s very excited to see you.¡±


    She¡¯s right. There¡¯s time for magical loot when I don¡¯t have a million other things on my plate. Before I see the Dwarf, though, I duck into the nearest guest room to find Zutiria sleeping on the mattress that Peri and Cherry had been using this week. While I don¡¯t say a word to her, I smile and sit by the Mage¡¯s side for a moment.


    I hope that her sleep is dreamless and that for as long as she¡¯s out, Zutiria can rest devoid of her night terrors. Her sleeping lips draw me in, and I give her a tender show of affection. A tiny smile draws up corners of her mouth, swilling my heart with satisfaction as I leave her to her sleep.


    On my way to the stairs I pass by the bedroom door one more time, only for Opal to call out to me. ¡°Oh, one last thing, Dear. Any news on your Goddess-granted healer, yet?¡±


    ¡°Sadly no, but I can¡¯t imagine it¡¯ll be much longer...¡± Amidst the chaos of everything that¡¯s been going on, I almost forgot I should be expecting a new adventurer to arrive at the Guild soon. Luxy said sometime within two weeks, and it¡¯s been six days now.


    ¡°Hmm. I hope not.¡± She lets her irritation show again and Meri pays the price.¡±


    ¡°AHHH TOO HARD, TOO HARD, MASTER HELP!¡±


    I get a kick out of watching Meri squirm, so I playfully wave goodbye at her and descend down the stairs, abandoning the Shield Maiden to her fate. Hopefully, the healer doesn¡¯t show up while I¡¯m out of town with Opal. That would be unfortunate timing... though it¡¯s not like she could have worse timing than Meri¡¯s arrival, at least.


    In the entrance hall, I find Gwin and Nikita sitting together at a dining table. Without my permission, they¡¯ve appropriated one of my kegs of ale and have it propped up on the table between them. The two are talking about all sorts of things while getting progressively drunker. I notice one keg is already on the floor knocked over, presumably empty.


    ¡°¡®Mornin¡¯, Chief.¡± Niki laughs with a boisterous hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°Well, if it ain¡¯t th¡¯ man who cost mah family a fuckin¡¯ fortune, toast to ya, lad!¡± Gwin raises a glass of the Guild¡¯s ale, and I bat an eyelash.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I hadn¡¯t even considered how taking down Pimpington would affect the Shatterbrew clan. ¡°Nice to see you too, Gwin.¡±


    ¡°Ye, mah clan¡¯s not too happy bout all them half-finished brothels we started, but shit¡¯s hilarious if ya ask me.¡± She shrugs, downing the entire glass in one shot in true Dwarven fashion.


    ¡°Opal left a sandwich and some tea sitting out for you,, Niki tells me right as I open the door to the kitchen. Taking them both in hand, I sit next to the two rough and tumble girls.


    First things first, I ask, ¡°Your clan doesn¡¯t know I had anything to do with them losing out on business, do they?¡±


    ¡°Whole town knows ya sent yer girls into th¡¯ big penis castle and beat up the pimp. On account of the kidnappin¡¯ he did, it ain¡¯t like my family can blame ya, but they still ain¡¯t happy. Least we still got paid fer like... five of the brothels.¡±


    My annoyance shows clear as day on my face. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just great, Gwin. I want your family to like me, after all...¡±


    Gwin blushes, raising an eyebrow. ¡°And why¡¯s that, Lad?¡±


    ¡°So that they¡¯ll give me discounts on renovating the Guild,¡± I tease, which leads to the grumpy Dwarf kicking me in the shin.


    ¡°Such an arse,¡± She makes a disgruntled face and kicks her teeth, looking very cute in the process.


    This whole time, Nikita has been nursing her ale and smiling. She¡¯s not avoiding me, but she¡¯s remaining an appropriate distance for whatever reason. ¡°Things went pretty smooth this morning, just so you know. Opal woke up everyone in the Pimpfort and the Pet Shop with her magic. Lots of the pimp¡¯s hooker army escaped, but Opal took those two henchwomen you let tied up with her to Dawnstead. All three of them should be in the Duke of Arrark¡¯s dungeon right about now.¡±


    ¡°No further movement from Fleetfoot?¡±


    Nikita shakes her head. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m not too worried about them.¡±


    ¡°Why is that?¡± I narrow my eyes.


    ¡°Call it a hunch.¡± The Grekkan sighs, making it clear she¡¯s not planning to elaborate any more than that. She seems to have her reasons, though.


    ¡°The Doc told me ya needed some leather work done?¡± Gwin pours herself another glass of ale right as I finish off my sandwich. ¡°Oh, an¡¯ before ya ask, sh already patched up all th¡¯ new holes in th¡¯ place and fixed yer desk up from the kitty marks.¡±


    ¡°Gods, Gwin, you¡¯re the best.¡± I sigh, relieved upon knowing that the Guild¡¯s property damage is back to the average amount for now. Once again, the Dwarf¡¯s freckled cheeks fill with a rosy red that isn¡¯t only from her alcohol. ¡°As for the leather, I just need to find Meri¡¯s adventurer¡¯s pouch, and then,¡±


    ¡°Ah moved th¡¯ pouches to yer sex closet,¡± Gwin chuckles. ¡°Speakin¡¯ o¡¯ that, couldn¡¯t fuckin¡¯ help yerself huh, Lad?¡± She asks about my vast amount of plundered goods.


    ¡°I saw a lot of things that I wanted, so I took them. You¡¯d do the same.¡± I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°I mighta shown a wee bit o¡¯ moderation. Jus¡¯ a wee bit.¡± Gwin makes a smidgen gesture with her hands. In response, I scoff at the idea.


    ¡°Personally, as a Grekkan, I respect your absurd level of hedonism, Chief. This one¡¯s for you,¡± Niki smirks and decides to screw the middle man, downing the rest of the entire keg by placing her mouth on the tap. After she finishes with a loud belch, she wipes her mouth and grasps my shoulder so tight it hurts. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s a good thing you looted what you wanted out of the place. As soon as we were done leading all the Beastgirls home, the Pimpfort transformed back into a regular old building. The area around it¡¯s back to normal, too.¡±


    Interesting, I was definitely curious on whether we were just going to have the Pimpfort be a permanent fixture on the Dewhurstian cityscape from here on out. I¡¯m glad to hear that¡¯s not the case...


    ¡°Let¡¯s go do what ye need me to do, Lad,¡± Gwin slams her mug down on the dining table and stands. I follow after her, but Nikita calls back to me before I disappear into the east wing.


    ¡°Chief,¡± She says in a soft, thoughtful voice.


    ¡°Yes, Nikita?¡±


    ¡°Just wanted to say I¡¯m sorry bout how down I¡¯ve been lately. I promise we¡¯ll have a talk about it soon, once things settle down. Sound good?¡± The gruff, grizzled mercenary spares me a tender smile.


    ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± I respectfully bow towards Nikita, who makes a ¡®pft¡¯ sound at my well-meaning gesture.


    ¡°C¡¯mon, Gurdair Cockiron...¡± Gwin rolls her eyes as she grunts, heading into the storage room and referencing yet another Dwarven folk hero or God that I¡¯ve never heard of but am very interested in learning the lore behind.

 Diamonds are a Catgirl’s Best Friend

    Gwin shuts the door behind us as we enter the main storage room. The three adventurer¡¯s pouches are sitting on a shelf next to a recently acquired crate overflowing with about a hundred different shapes of dildoes. I figure out which bag belongs to Meri and then dump the contents out on a nearby table.


    ¡°Oh, not bad. Ah see ya stole some more practical shite from th¡¯ Pimp, too.¡± Gwin is quick to scoop up all of the jewels that were hidden in the magic bag. She holds a large diamond up to her eye and licks her lips. ¡°This is some fancy stuff, Lad. Ya gonna be sellin¡¯ it fer the Guild?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid those diamonds are going towards a much more traditional purpose,¡± Shaking my head, the Dwarf sets down the jewel and crosses her arms.


    ¡°An¡¯ that would be?¡± She asks, despite already having her finger on the answer.


    ¡°Like most diamonds tend to be, they¡¯re for a special woman.¡±


    ¡°That so?¡± She cracks a crass smile, leaning over the table. My eyes are immediately drawn to Gwin¡¯s impressive cleavage that now spills out of her low-cut white tank top, but she quickly focuses my attention on her cocky glare. ¡°Y¡¯know, Lad. I ain¡¯t got much reason to help ya score any new pussy. Not when things tween you an¡¯ me are kinda... up in th¡¯ air.¡± A fraction of her confidence is lost, her gaze flickers as she looks to the side.


    ¡°Gwin?¡± Removing my glasses, I kneel to one foot so that I can adequately look her in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want this to sound weird or anything, but this girl is leaving in the morning. I only have one last chance to convince her to stay. Not just for me, but for the Guild. I want her to work here, just like I want you to work here, too.¡±


    ¡°W-Wait.¡± Gwin blushes and steps back. ¡°Ye want me to like, actually fuckin¡¯ live here an¡¯ work an¡¯ shite? Not like I ain¡¯t thought about strikin¡¯ it out on mah own, but...¡±


    ¡°Lots of Guilds have on-site Blacksmiths. You saw how much damage Sam and Meri¡¯s armor took, didn¡¯t you? Repairing it after every dangerous quest would get absurdly expensive if we don¡¯t have someone around to do it for us.¡±


    ¡°...Ya don¡¯t got th¡¯ kinda gold fer that, Lad. Ya¡¯d need a fully stocked forge, raw materials, an¡¯...¡±


    ¡°Actually... By the sound of things, I might have enough gold to build a forge very soon. Maybe in the backyard, if you¡¯d like that.¡±


    Gwin looks at me with such adoration and glee that I¡¯m taken aback. I didn¡¯t know she could look so... sweet, innocent, and wholesome. ¡°Fuck me mum straigh¡¯ up her tight, neglected, cunt. Ye really ain¡¯t fuckin¡¯ with me are ya, Lad?¡±


    ¡°Not at all, Gwin. This has been on my mind for a while.¡±


    ¡°Ah ain¡¯t even a real smith, though...¡± She sighs, looking away from me with a deep-set frown on her face. ¡°Ah¡¯m self-taught, an¡¯...¡±


    ¡°You can learn while you¡¯re working for me. I¡¯ll buy you books, pay for lessons, anything you want as long as you agree to make this Guild your home.¡± I let a bit of my desperation shine through, and I grab Gwin by her thick, gloved hands.


    Gwinlinn Shatterbrew squeezes my hands, her piercing Dwarven eyes staring straight into mine. Her cheeks continue to flare with redness until a conflicted reality settles in. She takes a step back and shakes her head, taking away her hands from mine. ¡°No, no, no... shit¡¯s all fuckin¡¯ weird, here Lad. Do ya know what yer even askin¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Enlighten me.¡±


    ¡°Ya know, my family is a buncha shits. There¡¯s only one way they¡¯d let me fuck off without raisin¡¯ a stink over it.¡± She crosses her arms and taps her feet, waiting for me to put it together myself. Inevitably, Gwin gets tired of the ordeal and stomps her foot, saying, ¡°Marriage, ya damn fuckin¡¯ dumbarse!¡±


    Smiling with smug satisfaction, I pat her on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m aware. I just wanted to see how adorable you¡¯d look when you said it yourself.¡±


    ¡°FUCK OFF, ARSE FER BRAINS!¡± As expected, I get punched in the chest for that. It hurts deep, but it was also very worth it to see her face shine ruby red with blush. ¡°Ah only gave ya a single fuckin handy, Lad! Fuck¡¯re you on about askin¡¯ me to... to do THAT with ya!¡±


    ¡°I was planning on talking with you about this soon, actually. You just kind of put me on the spot, Gwin, because...¡±


    ¡°...Ya really need the diamond work done tonight, ye?¡±


    ¡°Yeah... You live here in town, Gwin. I can see you, and we can talk about our future whenever we want. But for her, If I don¡¯t do this now, then... I won¡¯t see her again for who knows how long.¡±


    After a moment of silence, the curvy Dwarf opens up her pouch and pulls out several large strips of leather, some assorted metal bits, some Chroma Crystals, and some tools. ¡°...What am ah makin¡¯ for ya, Lad?¡±


    ¡°A diamond collar, standard size for an adult Catfolk woman. She wears a bell at her ¡±


    ¡°Shit, really? Shoulda just said so, shit won¡¯t even take five minutes,¡± She chuckles to herself, scooping up all the diamonds that came from Meri¡¯s bag. Gwin¡¯s hands start moving in that particular Dwarven way where it¡¯s hard for the eye to follow along, but they almost certainly know what they¡¯re doing.


    True to her word, within a minute, she¡¯s somehow already crafted a beautiful blue collar. Every few inches, Gwin has studded it with perfectly shaped diamonds. To call it resplendent wouldn¡¯t be enough. No, this is a masterwork fit for the neck of a Catfolk Queen.


    Eventually, I¡¯m going to have her make ones for Peri and Cherry, too, but I don¡¯t have enough rubies or sapphires to fit their respective color themes. Hopefully they won¡¯t be too jealous of Snow when they see her collar.


    Gwin dangles the completed work out in front of my nose like it were a treat and I was a dog. I try to take it in my hand, but the crafty Dwarf pulls it just out of reach. ¡°Ah ain¡¯t doin¡¯ this fer free, Lad. You an¡¯ me still got some shite to settle.¡±


    ¡°Gwin, please. I¡¯ll do anything.¡± I look at her, pleading as I gaze at that beautiful collar.


    She gets a kick out of hearing that. ¡°Ah¡¯ll let ya off with a kiss fer-¡± I don¡¯t even let her finish. I grab Gwin by her hips, hoist her up into the air and pull the small woman to my lips. She struggles immensely as I take my first kiss from this rough, crass, yet beautiful Dwarven female. Although her body is rigid and plentiful with muscle, her lips are soft and inviting. Her tongue, while shy, finds its way into my mouth not long after we begin.


    The kiss ends much sooner than I wanted it to as Gwin pulls away, red-faced and mad. ¡°Th¡¯ fuck ya think yer doing?! There wasn¡¯t an ounce of romance in a kiss like that, ya fuckin¡¯ shite fer brains! Y-Ya were just kissin¡¯ me so ya could go and seduce some other chick, and... and!!¡± As she wiggles in my grasp, I find that she doesn¡¯t actually want to escape it. Gwin is much stronger than me. She could get out of my embrace if she tried a bit harder.


    ¡°I was only giving you what you asked for,¡± I remind her in a playful tone.


    ¡°Y-Ye, but... ye jumped right into it, an¡¯...¡±


    I smile at the Dwarf and lean in. ¡°This one¡¯s all for you, then, Gwin. Close your eyes.¡±


    She stares at me, biting her lower lip amid mumbling Dwarven curse words. Eventually, she closes her eyes, and the two of us melt into our second kiss. I flirt with the taste of fire on her tongue, taking in her distinct, Dwarven scent as our mouths entwine.


    After this moment of sentimental intimacy draws to a close, Gwin pulls away, satisfied. ¡°...Alrigh¡¯, Lad. Guess that¡¯ll do.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure? I definitely understand if you need some more convincing.¡± My playfulness has trouble keeping itself in check.


    ¡°Easy, boyo. Ya got somewhere ta be in case ya forgot.¡± Gwin doesn¡¯t seem averse to the idea, judging by her cheeky grin.


    ¡°Shit,¡± I blink and blush. ¡°I sort of did forget.¡±


    Gwin is happy to hear that. ¡°Well, ah¡¯m glad ah ain¡¯t the only one who liked it...¡± She says as she hops out of my arms and holds out Snow¡¯s collar. As I reach out for it, she swipes it away a second time. ¡°One other thing, Lad. Ah¡¯d like it if we could take th¡¯ next step together sometime, y¡¯know?¡±


    ¡°Oh boy, looking forward to my next handy,¡± I give her a cheeky grin as I swipe the collar when her guard is done.


    Gwin blushes and laughs, ¡°Not that. I¡¯m talkin¡¯ bout th¡¯ real deal, shitehead.¡±


    ¡°I know. We¡¯ll figure it out soon. I promise.¡±


    ¡°Good on ya, now git.¡± The curvy Dwarf punches my shin with a big old grin, sending me on my way to deliver this beautiful collar to its rightful owner.

 For Good Luck

    When we left the closet together, Nikita raised a glass to our honor and sarcastically congratulated Gwin for joining the club. Grekkans must have a sense for picking up when things get hot and heavy because it¡¯s not like we were kissing all that loud. With flushed cheeks and a plethora of curse words, the feisty lass starts laying into her drinking buddy.


    This playful bickering doesn¡¯t last long, as I announce my intention to visit the Pet Shop now. Nikita volunteers to escort me, saying that we can¡¯t be too careful- especially now that we¡¯ve successfully taken down one of the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s most essential minions.


    Gwin walks out with us but splits off to head on home. Although she didn¡¯t ask for one, I kneel before her and give her another soft kiss to say goodbye. The tiny, spiky-haired redhead isn¡¯t getting used to this at all. Gwin leaves our company blushing and stammering, steaming hotter than the flames of the forge I intend to build for her.


    Nikita and I then begin the walk to the market alone. I ask her about the encounter she had with Fleetfoot, but not much information is gained.


    ¡°It really wasn¡¯t that special,¡± Nikita shakes her head, cupping her chin. ¡°As far as assassination attempts go, it was pretty weak.¡±


    ¡°How reassuring,¡± I scoff.


    ¡°You can roll your eyes all you want, Chief, but I¡¯m serious. They have some way to turn invisible, and I don¡¯t think they counted on anyone being able to sense them past that. Really rookie stuff right there.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re sure it was Fleetfoot?¡± I recall the threatening presence who appeared before Zutiria and myself and can¡¯t for the life of me say the two descriptions match.


    ¡°When I pointed em out, they turned visible, taunted me, and threw a dagger at me before running away again. They had that mask you described, too, so I¡¯m pretty sure it was them.¡± Nikita shrugs.


    ¡°...They revealed themself and went so far as to taunt you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was kinda stunned by the stupidity. Even if they were hoping that mask would work on me, which it didn¡¯t, well... I dunno bout that one, Chief. Food for thought.¡± Nikita stops in her tracks as she thinks to herself.


    I thank Nikita for looking out for me even when I wasn¡¯t aware she was doing so, and she that white, sharp grin of hers. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Opal gets what she wants, and she wants you kept safe. I¡¯d sooner win a wrestling bout with Heracles himself than I¡¯d win an argument with that old witch!¡± She bursts out into outrageous laughter.


    We make idle conversation the rest of the way to the Pet Shop. It¡¯s good to just have a chance to talk to the Grekkan one on one like this, and our chat mainly covers the many decisions and tactics I made while commanding the girls last night.


    As a former mercenary commander, Nikita found herself impressed with some of the split-second choices I made. That being said, she¡¯s also brutally honest whenever pointing out a mistake I made or something I could have done better. As we talk about my experiences leading the girls, I feel a warmth burn inside the Grekkan, begging to explode. There¡¯s a passion in her voice, no matter how hard Nikita tries to hide it.


    Before I have a chance to try to dredge more of it out of her, we arrive at the Pet Shop. The market is winding down for the night, and the large tents that made up the adoption site are almost entirely dismantled by now. Looks like Snow was telling the truth. They really are going to be gone in the morning.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back and pick you up whenever you and the kitties are ready to go home. Gonna go have a drink over there,¡± Nikita points toward a dark dive bar just on the market¡¯s edge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about coming to get me. I¡¯ll know.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I clench my hand around the diamond collar stored safely in my pocket. Despite my usual reserves of boundless confidence, I find it hard to push myself into the big top where I know Snow is waiting. My eyebrows narrow, and I put my foot down.


    ¡°Do what you want,¡± I repeat to myself and step forward into the Besthal Pet Shop.


    Despite making a big deal about it in my mind, I end up getting stopped casually before I can enter. Scrap, the bouncer I met six days ago, runs up to me and pulls me aside. ¡°Dude, we¡¯ve been waiting for you all day! ¡±


    ¡°Ah, Scrap, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I get a closer look at the Dogfolk man, noticing how radically different he is from six days ago. Before, this bulky, tanned man with golden retriever features looked as if he would¡¯ve bitten me if given a chance. Now, his face is contorted into a derpy smile, his tail wags at the sight of me, and his eyes are wide with reverence.


    On a whim, I place my hand in front of the bouncer like I was asking him to shake. ¡°How are you today?¡± I ask politely, only to watch in surprise as he puts his paw in my hand.


    Scrap wags his tail, happy to perform a trick for me. ¡°Well, we¡¯re all a little on edge because of what happened, woof, but what do you expect? Anyway, Snow had me out here waiting for you. She doesn¡¯t want you to come inside.¡±


    Before I can even start to feel anxious, the golden retriever-esque man starts laughing and pats me on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, she¡¯s not mad! It¡¯s just that, hmm. How do I say this, woof...¡± The Beastfolk thinks hard, straining his face to a comical extent. ¡°Pretty much every unadopted girl in the tent wants to see you if you know what I mean.¡±


    I fight a losing battle to contain my ego after learning that. ¡°I think I get the picture,¡± I say while imagining that very picture perhaps a little too vigorously.


    ¡°Hey, before I go get Snow...¡± Scrap looks to the side, his eyes becoming shifty as his tail droops. ¡°It sounds like you¡¯re gonna end up with some pretty big credit the next time we¡¯re in town, yeah?¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Scrap. I¡¯m not looking to adopt any males, despite how much of a good boy you seem to be.¡±


    He blushes before laughing and shaking his head, ¡°Oh heck no, that¡¯s not what I was getting at! I told you last time I had some sisters up for adoption, yeah? I was wondering if you¡¯d take a look at one of em next time... it¡¯s just that... um... woof, how do I say this...¡± Scrap looks away even harder, revealing the whites of his eyes the same way that stressed dogs tend to.


    This man¡¯s piqued my interest. ¡°Go on, Scrap. I¡¯m listening.¡±


    His tail starts wagging now that he knows he¡¯s not a bother. ¡°Well, everyone had kinda written Peri and Cherry off as a lost cause, yeah? They¡¯ve been helping out all day, and all they can talk about is how amazing working for you is, how patient and kind you are, and just... all this other junk, woof. This sister of mine that I¡¯m talking about is, uh...¡±


    ¡°Another lost cause?¡± My eyebrow raises, and Scrap nods his head.


    ¡°Kinda. Look, I might be a dog, but I¡¯m not gonna beg, so...¡±


    ¡°I promise to meet her when it¡¯s time, Scrap.¡± I give the Dogfolk a pleasant smile and watch his ears rise at the sudden happiness my word gives him. His tail starts wagging up a hurricane because he¡¯s a good boy.


    There¡¯s no reason not to meet her. On the contrary, there¡¯s a lot of reasons to take him up on his offer and at least see what his younger sister is like. If Scrap¡¯s sister is another girl the tribe has had trouble adopting, then she¡¯s likely to be discounted just like my kittens were. With a little bit of work, both of them ended up working out just fine in the long run.


    ¡°Thanks so much, Master!¡± He barks at me from happiness, and thankfully he¡¯s able to force himself to resist the urge to jump up and lick me. ¡°I¡¯ll go get Snow for you, now.¡± He scampers off on all fours while I stand here outside the large tent, hand still clenched around the leather collar in my pocket.


    After an agonizing period of waiting for what feels like minutes, Snow steps out from behind the flaps of the entrance. She¡¯s wearing her standard uniform dress and she has a cold, business-like air about her that doesn¡¯t strike me as very welcoming. Color me surprised.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you were able to make it, Guild Master,¡± Snow bows. ¡°I can go call for Peri and Cherry now if you wish, but I assume you¡¯d like it if we could have a talk first, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± I tell her in no uncertain terms.


    I watch as the prissy-kitten considers this before nodding her head almost impassionately. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a nice secluded alley we could sneak off to, nyaa. Come along now.¡± Snow walks away at a brisk pace towards the nearest back street, not even so much as waiting for me to follow along.


    Giving the collar one final clench for good luck, I pursue Snowball.

 At Least We’ll Always Have the Pimpfort

    The alleyway Snow leads me to is just as good as any other in this wretched city in that it¡¯s no good at all. It smells, there are bloodstains in a few choice spots, and it wouldn¡¯t be Dewhurst if there weren¡¯t evidence of illegal mana crystal usage, so there¡¯s some of that sprinkled around, too.


    Indeed, it¡¯s the perfect setting for either a romantic confession or a dramatic goodbye. Time to find out which one we¡¯re heading toward.


    Once she and I enter together, Snow drops her polite posture and drags a breath of air. ¡°You sure took your time,¡±


    ¡°My apologies. I slept till six.¡± A breathy sigh escapes me, and I rub my eyes, still feeling tiredness in the back of my mind.


    ¡°Lucky,¡± She raises an eyebrow at me, crossing her arms. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten to sleep at all, nyaa. I¡¯ve been busy overseeing emergency packing measures and in calls with the elders. Our current Stone of Farspeech is getting old and starting to lose connection, too... damn old assholes back home are hard enough to listen to as it is.¡±


    ¡°Where exactly is home, might I ask? I must admit, I don¡¯t know where the Breeding Tribe is permanently situated.¡±


    ¡°The Breeding Grounds are up in Echora, nyaa. Slightly southwest of Hunnihome...¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling it¡¯d be around there, what with all the farmland and pastures.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Snow sighs and gives me a dirty look. ¡°That¡¯s not important, though. I have to ask you not to try stalling this out longer than it has to be, Guild Myaster.¡±


    ¡°...And what exactly am I stalling, Snow?¡± I ask, grim yet determined.


    ¡°You¡¯re stalling out our goodbye.¡± The head maid utters without a whiff of hesitance. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a brief chance for us respectfully bow out of each other¡¯s lives and pretend all this flirting non-sense never happened. You have enough mates as it is, and I am needed elsewhere, nyaa.¡±


    I knew this wouldn¡¯t be easy, so perhaps it¡¯d be best to start on the business talks before moving to personal matters. ¡°Very well. Did you get to speak with the Elders of your tribe regarding the matter of my credit?¡±


    ¡°I did. They agreed to your terms, skipping the trial period and all. They¡¯ve very grateful for the service you¡¯ve done the tribe, and as we both agreed, you¡¯re to be given one million gold¡¯s worth of credit towards future adoptions- once you are no longer in open conflict with the self-titled Duke of Dewhurst. I had to omit that part, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Bad kitty. Although... I did tell you to lie to make me look good, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°You did. At any rate, you¡¯re welcome...¡± The maid sighs, brushing some of her bangs out of her face and turning away from me. Silence fills the alley as we both struggle with transitioning into the next part of the conversation.


    ¡°So the tribe is leaving tomorrow, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± Snow says with particular emphasis on the ¡®we¡¯. ¡°I assume you¡¯re here to make your last appeal to me and convince me to come home with you like I were a stray kitten, correct?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re much too pretty and well-groomed to be a stray.¡± I smirk, hoping to break the ice.


    ¡°Cute,¡± She responds, eyeing me over with coldness.


    ¡°Joking aside, yes. I¡¯m here to change your mind.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are. Let¡¯s get this over with, nyaa.¡± Snow lowers her head, avoiding eye contact and crossing her arms defensively. Her long, fluffy tail droops behind her.


    ¡°For the record, that Doctor of yours... Gods, she wouldn¡¯t stop interviewing me... Peri and Cherry kept trying to convince me to stay throughout the day, too...¡±


    ¡°I assure you I didn¡¯t tell them to do that,¡±


    ¡°I know, Guild Myaster, just letting you know that it didn¡¯t help... quite the opposite, in fact.¡±


    I decide to ignore her statement and press on with a question. ¡°Are you really that important to the Breeding Tribe?¡±


    ¡°...Yes. I¡¯m one of the Pet Shop managers on the road, and when we¡¯re at home, I instruct the art of housekeeping to the young ones.¡±


    ¡°So you help run the store, and you¡¯re a teacher. Those don¡¯t sound all that irreplaceable in the grand scheme of things, you know.¡±


    ¡°So says the outsider.¡±


    ¡°Really, though. If you left the Breeding Tribe, what would happen? Would everything fall apart at the seams just because their best maid left to chase her own happiness, or would they be inconvenienced for a moment until inevitably replacing you?¡±


    She blushes, looking away down further into the depressing alley. ¡°Instead of answering you, I want to say something in response.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡±


    ¡°...Guild Myaster, you may be the single most arrogant, selfish, egotistical man I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°How kind of you to admit it¡¯s a pleasure to know me.¡±


    ¡°Very funny, but that only adds to my point. You¡¯re surrounded by girls who love and care for you, and yet still you want more, and more, and more. You¡¯ve let your desires become such a big part of you that they affect the way you look at the world as a whole, nyaa. You¡¯re so self-absorbed that you think the only way for me to find happiness is to give up everything and be with YOU. Do you think I can¡¯t be happy if it¡¯s not with you, Guild Myaster?¡±


    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. All I know is you can¡¯t be happy if you stay here, Snow.¡± Perhaps I push a little too far, but I take a step toward Snow. I don¡¯t pin her against the alley wall, but I could very well do so from this position if I wanted to... if she weren¡¯t several times stronger than me, anyway.


    The Catfolk maid narrows her eyes with suspicion. ¡°...What made you this way? Why do you want the world and everything in it? Moreover, why do you refuse to take no for an answer, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°Because all my life I¡¯ve only ever been told no. ¡®No, you can¡¯t run an Adventurer¡¯s Guild, you¡¯re too young,¡¯... ¡®No, I won¡¯t go out with you, aren¡¯t you that creepy kid who killed his grandpa?¡¯... ¡®No, I don¡¯t need any quests. I¡¯m just stopping by on my way to Perlshaw¡¯... It¡¯s always been no, no, no. I got to a point where I was like you. Unhappy, at the end of my rope, nowhere else to go... but someone saved me, and I promised her I¡¯d not limit myself any longer. I told her that if I want something, I¡¯ll do everything in my power to get it. You¡¯re right about me. I AM arrogant, and selfish, and yes, even egotistical. My goal is to create the greatest Adventurer¡¯s Guild in all the realms, and as I want you... no, I NEED you to be a part of it- both as the Guild¡¯s head maid and as my woman.¡±


    For the first time in this conversation, Snowball pauses. Her striking, yellow eyes fill with cloudy hesitation. The woman now doubts herself. She weighs a life of servitude to the Breeding Tribe against a vision of what life might be like by my side. She sees herself taking care of adventurers, ensuring they always have hearth and home, and her heart beats with warmth when she pictures the smile on their faces.


    ¡°This is my final offer, Snow. I¡¯ve made my case, and if after everything we¡¯ve been through, you choose to continue on with your life, leave town, and forget about me... then... I hope I was wrong about everything and that you can truly find happiness with your lot in life. If nothing else, you¡¯ll always have this to remember me by.¡±


    I present the blue and white diamond-studded collar to the Catfolk and watch as her eyes stare in open amazement at the brilliant twinkling jewels. She gazes into the diamonds before briefly tearing her gaze away to look back at me, then back into the diamonds.


    ¡°What... what the fuck is that...?¡± Snow¡¯s voice cracks.


    ¡°Do you not remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I remember... I just... you... you actually...?¡± As she stutters her way through her words, Snow¡¯s mouth begins to gape. She covers it with her paws.


    ¡°Of course I did. You said you wanted a collar made from those diamonds we stole, didn¡¯t you? A pretty feline like you deserves absolutely everything she could ever want, especially jewels.¡±


    ¡°It... it was a fucking joke, you...¡±


    ¡°Would you allow me to fasten this joke to your neck, then?¡± I undo the clasp and glide the brilliant jewelry towards her. Snow closes her eyes, takes a sharp inhale through her pink, cat-like nose, and bites down on her lip.


    She pushes me away before the collar can touch the delicate, pink skin of her neck.


    ¡°No...¡± Snow looks at me straight in the eyes, sad and despondent. Shaking her head, she pushes herself to say, ¡°Keep it. You¡¯re going to need it.¡±


    I put my foot down and take a step toward her once more, undeterred. ¡°No, I won¡¯t- It¡¯s yours!¡±


    The white-furred, elegant maid leaves the alleyway faster than I can chase her. Without turning back, she says, ¡°...Peri and Cherry will be waiting for you at the entrance to the Pet Shop. Please leave before you get too close. I don¡¯t want any of the other females to know you were here, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°Snow... don¡¯t go... please...¡± I grit my teeth, clenching the collar harder in my hand. ¡°PLEASE!¡±


    Not a word is spoken by the fleeing feline as she sprints away, forever out of my grasp.


    Snowball is gone before I can do anything about it, leaving me in the dirty Dewhurst alley with nothing but my own despair and dissatisfaction. Part of me says I should learn something from this whole affair. As much as I promised Sam that I would do what I want, and as much as Luxy gifted me with the capacity to love and be loved by women, I am not infallible.


    The world and everything in it can¡¯t be mine just because I want it more than anyone else...


    Sure, seeing Snow go hurts, but I won¡¯t let it defeat me. Neither will I mope forever about the one who got away. I¡¯ll forge my path forward with the ones by my side and be thankful for them every moment of every day... though I suppose this would all sound much more convincing if I actually meant it. I¡¯ll be upset for a while, sure, but I won¡¯t let it get to me.


    I take in the disgusting air of the conflicted city and prepare to take the first step on with my life, only for a window to open up a few buildings down from me. The sound of violent retching is heard, and bright green vomit hurtles out from the wooden fixture, splattering the already disgusting cobblestone with yet another layer of bile.


    A one-armed man in a stained, white tank top steadies himself on the rickety railing before he looks down and notices me. His puke-covered face lifts up into a bright smile that, for the life of me, I can¡¯t look at on account of my eyes. Much too many details and my stomach churns at the sight of him.


    ¡°KIDDO!¡± The drunkard raises his glass. ¡°You gotta get in here and have a drink,¡±


    ¡°Niall, I don¡¯t think there could possibly be a worse time in all the Realms-¡±


    ¡°Guess who just got elected mayor of Dewhurst?!¡±


    Behind him, I hear the familiar voice of a Catfolk boy hissing. ¡°The ballots were rigged. I want a recount, nyaa!¡± Niall ignores Milly, rolling his eyes.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, you slut!¡± Niall shouts at the catboy, throwing his empty tankard of ale at his pink-haired political adversary. ¡°We already did three recounts!¡±


    ¡°RIGGED!¡± Milly hisses.


    I cradle my aching head. ¡°I¡¯ll be home all day tomorrow doing paperwork, just fucking stop by if you want to talk, I¡¯m busy at the moment-¡±


    ¡°Sounds fuckin¡¯ awesome to m-¡± Niall gives me a thumbs up and stops midsentence, puking all over the exit to the alleyway...


    I want to go back to bed.

 Burying a Troubled Heart Under Paperwork

    It takes me a while to regain a semblance of a good mood after what happened with Snow.


    I was prepared for the worst, yet... I didn¡¯t think that she would actually say no. Every time we¡¯ve met, there¡¯s been a spark between the two of us, which was clearer last night than ever before. I laid my heart out for her, and she scratched it with her beautiful claws. I suppose that¡¯s just the sort of cat that Snowball is and that it was my fault for trying to lure her into my home with promises of love and shiny collars.


    A part of me knows that I shouldn¡¯t mope over her for too long. Like Snow said, I¡¯m already surrounded by several women who are each utterly devoted to me. Getting hung up on a single girl who says no would say a lot about my character... but Snow¡¯s right, another part of me does want the world and everything in it.


    Especially her.


    When I manage to drudge myself back to the Pet Shop, Cherry and Peri aren¡¯t ready and waiting like Snow said they would be. So, with some time on my hands, I decide to idle about the nearest stalls while still making good on my promise to not get too close to the tent.


    It¡¯s tempting to imagine what a horde of horny Beastgirls would do to me if given a chance, but I don¡¯t want to complicate the tribe¡¯s day any worse than it already has been. I¡¯m not the real hero who saved them from Pimpington, anyway. It was a team effort, and I¡¯d feel bad stealing the adventurer¡¯s thunder like that.


    After close to twenty minutes of browsing seedy shops among the Dewhurst market, I spot my two maids finally exiting the big top out of the corner of my eye. Just in time, too. If they took any longer, I was considering seeing if Igor was around to have a chat.


    ¡°Myaster! Sorry we kept you waiting!¡± Peri says, leaping into my arms as she¡¯s grown so fond of doing.


    I catch the kitten and pull her close in a hug, happy to be able to hold her once more. ¡°Hey girls, did everything go alright today?¡±


    ¡°Yup, we helped look after everyone while they were still groggy, nyaa. Then we spent most of the day helping the tribe pack up, just as a favor, y¡¯know?¡± Cherry yawns, stretching her lithe, sweaty body after a long day¡¯s work.


    ¡°We woulda got out sooner, but Snow was uh...¡± Peri looks at Cherry for clarification or perhaps seeking help regarding how to phrase what¡¯s on her mind.


    ¡°She pulled us aside, and we had a nice, long talk about a couple of things just now...¡± Cherry scratches the back of her head and narrows her eyes.


    ¡°...I see,¡± Something catches in my throat. ¡°I know we had a little argument just now when saying goodbye, but... I didn¡¯t think Snow took it so badly. Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah she¡¯s fine...¡± Peri nods her head, looks to Cherry, and then smiles awkwardly at me. Convincing.


    The pink-haired kitten shrugs her shoulders. ¡°It wasn¡¯t even about you, honest. Just some tribe stuff we had to go over, y¡¯know, Beastfolk things.¡± Cherry looks away, avoiding the subject more naturally than Peri but not by much.


    Both kittens are being evasive and answering my questions as vague as they can get away with. It¡¯s very suspicious, and I¡¯m barely even using my eyes to gauge their body language. Not to jump to the worst possible conclusion, but I assume that Snow probably had something to tell them about our discussion. Peri and Cherry likely don¡¯t want to hurt my feelings, so they¡¯re playing coy.


    I appreciate their concern. They¡¯re both such good girls.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry so much about Snow,¡± Peri purrs, clasping the sides of my face with her paws and pointing me at her, ¡°Worry about us. It¡¯s almost time for the mating ceremony, Myaster! We could even do it tonight if we wanted, but-¡±


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not ready for that, nyaa!¡± Cherry blurts out, her cheeks turning red. ¡°We¡¯re running on barely any sleep, and we ALL agreed on tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Mmm, It¡¯ll be a lot more special if we wait for tomorrow, anyway...¡± Peri nods her head.


    Her patience brings out a great sense of disbelief in me. ¡°You spent the entire week trying to get into my pants, and now you¡¯re completely alright with not getting to do it early? Are you truly my Periwinkle, or did I pick up the wrong kitten?¡±


    ¡°O-Of course I¡¯m your Peri, there¡¯s only one of me!¡± The young maid hisses, embarrassed. Cherry gets a chuckle out of seeing her friend all flustered.


    It¡¯s a miracle Peri doesn¡¯t want to do the ceremony tonight, but I¡¯ll take my small blessings where I can get them. Even though I slept most of the day away, I¡¯m still tired, and I¡¯m expecting to turn in early tonight as well.


    ¡°Gang¡¯s all here, then?¡± Nikita approaches us from behind. clutching a bottle of cheap booze. ¡°Or are we still waiting on one?¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯re ready, Niki. Snow isn¡¯t coming.¡±


    The Grekkan frowns and clasps my shoulder. ¡°That so? Got a lesson for you, Chief... from one commander to another; get used to it. You can¡¯t win ¡®em all.¡± Her grip is stiff, firm. It hurts, but I get the feeling that¡¯s the point. Just as soon as I nod my head and thank her, she continues, ¡°But sometimes the battle isn¡¯t really over when you think it is. Hell, there¡¯s this was this one time where my men were-¡±


    ¡°SNOW ISN¡¯T COMING, NYAA!¡± Peri hisses, interrupting the surprised former mercenary and myself. ¡°W-We should stop talking about her, ok? I don¡¯t want the Myaster to be upset!¡± Something about the way Peri deflects the topic doesn¡¯t sit right with me, but she¡¯s right about one thing. The more I think about Snow, the more stressed I end up getting.


    We agree to drop the subject and return to the Guild.


    When we get home, Peri and Cherry start on dinner, and I check in on the girls. Opal is gone by the time we get there, and Nikita ducks out after escorting me as per usual, promising she¡¯ll ¡®be around¡¯ but might crash here if she needs to.


    Nothing much has changed since I left. Sam and Meri are still tired and in pain, and Zutiria is still knocked out cold. I dine in my office alone, quill in one hand and fork in the other. The kittens help feed the adventurers in bed and make sure to get something in the Mage, too, although that¡¯s easier said than done without making her choke.


    I¡¯ve begun the massive undertaking of filling out the mountain of forms necessary to justify our raiding of the Pimpfort. Just the proper authorization will take me a day or two since I¡¯ll have to document the events in an abridged fashion.


    Submitting this gargantuan document is a terrifying thought. The Association will want a cut of the Guild financial profits from this quest, and if it¡¯s not enough, we might be put under scrutiny. It doesn¡¯t matter if I was paid in credit. This was still an official, registered quest. Sure, I could NOT report it and have it be a favor to the Breeding Tribe, but if the Association found out that I made a deal under the table to the tune of one million gold, well...


    I can¡¯t stress just how colossally bad that would be.


    Perhaps selling the weapons we stole from Pimpington¡¯s hookers as well as the remaining diamonds would be enough money to placate them? I¡¯d like to avoid selling Pimpington¡¯s rapier if I could help it, but that¡¯s an option, too. No doubt it¡¯s worth a hefty sum. Currently, it¡¯s safe in the main storage room, where I plan to keep it for a future adventurer who could make use of it.


    The most daunting task of all this bureaucracy is whether or not to mention the absurd amount of sex toys and lingerie the Guild stole under my orders. If I fail to mention it and at some point, an inspection is held, then it would be easily discovered I left something out of my report. It might be easier to report the hoard as loot stolen by the adventurers or a gift from the Breeding Tribe, who I could say stole it when taking back their kidnapped kin.


    Yes, I think I¡¯ll go with that explanation. The Tribe would likely cover for me if this was ever in question.


    After working on the documentation for as long as my exhausted mind allows, I try to contact Luxy. I wasn¡¯t expecting it to work, so I¡¯m not surprised she doesn¡¯t answer. Hopefully, the Goddess will get in touch with me as soon as she¡¯s able.


    When last we spoke, it sounded like she was actually going to get in trouble for helping me out so directly. That¡¯s a troubling thought, so the sooner I get answers regarding her situation the better. Then again, I¡¯m not entirely sure how a Goddess could get in trouble in the first place, let alone from whom...


    Speaking of Luxy, I open up Taskmaster to check on the current Bond Levels of my girls. The Pimpfort turned out to be a literal godsend in yet another way. Each one of them is close to reaching level three. Sam is teetering on the cusp, even more so than the others. No wonder, after everything she and I went through in there...


    By the time I finish up my assorted chores, it¡¯s half-past ten and I¡¯m already ready to turn in for the night. Another dull day of paperwork awaits me for most of tomorrow, although it¡¯ll be topped off with Peri and Cherry¡¯s mating ceremony at long last.


    Assuming he makes good on his drunken desire to talk to me, I¡¯ll likely have a talk with Niall, too. I¡¯m still mentally processing that that alcoholic deadbeat will be the mayor of Dewhurst now, but whatever. If he makes good on his promise to help the Guild, I can¡¯t complain too much.


    After saying goodnight to the kittens and checking in on Zutiria to make sure she¡¯s still sleeping soundly and without pain, I retire to the bedroom, intending to leave behind the tiresome bureaucracy and enjoy some quality time with my weary adventurers.

 Two Small Gifts

    Sam and Meri are both tired from their long adventure and their strenuous healing massage, but they¡¯re still wide awake and eager to spend time with me. The Shield Maiden is wearing an adorable little frilly, yellow nightgown that barely covers her chubby butt or her white panties beneath, and Sam is wearing a boyish red tank top and a gratuitous black thong that does wonders for her behind.


    I¡¯m going to assume that Opal must have rinsed them off while taking care of them, as the armor stank has left the room since last I¡¯ve left.


    Meri is absorbed in whatever erotic tome wound up in her hands this time, and Sam is further on in the book detailing House Lundreame throughout the ages. Judging by the horrified look on her face, she¡¯s likely learning about one of her less than beloved ancestors.


    ¡°Ready for bed, Master?¡± Meri asks, tearing her eyes away from her text.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve done as much paperwork as I can stomach for one night, and then some.¡±


    Sam doesn¡¯t greet me. Instead, she continues staring at her book with great concern. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s literally a dude in this book called Hymen-Breaker the Deflowerer of Daughters, and I¡¯m only on page one hundred out of... like two thousand. Why the fuck is my family still in power?¡± She asks, wide-eyed and astonished.


    ¡°To my understanding, every time House Lundreame has been overthrown, they¡¯ve just as quickly regained their place,¡± I shrug. ¡°Better the devil you know than the devil you don¡¯t."


    Meri tilts her head. ¡°That name sounds familiar... I think I saw some books about him in your collection, Master.¡±


    Sam opens her mouth, aghast. ¡°...You fucking have porn books about my tyrant ancestors?!¡±


    I deflect this criticism while changing into my pajamas. ¡°Look, Sam. I¡¯m not into hardcore stuff like that, but you have to understand this isn¡¯t Imperalis. There are only two bookstores in all of Dewhurst. My collection contains lots of erotic material I wouldn¡¯t otherwise read because, in a town like this, you take what you can get.¡±


    ¡°...Are they, um, are they any good?¡± Meri asks, unashamed.


    ¡°MERI!¡± Sam snaps.


    ¡°One or two, but most of them are tripe. ¡®The Conquering Cock King¡¯ tetralogy is a guilty pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Interesting...¡± Meri notes with sparkling eyes.


    ¡°I can¡¯t fuckin¡¯ believe you two, Boss...!¡± The Princess blushes as I wiggle my way up between them on the bed.


    I should probably avoid telling Sam how much erotica exists about her father. Legends of Theostus Lundreame¡¯s sexual exploits are still being formed to this day, inspiring many an author¡¯s quill.


    Meri shuts her book and sets it off to the side, revealing the cover as ¡®Caught by the Tail End¡¯, an erotic novel based on a famous, real-life Gold-rank adventurer by the name of Fang-Ripper, a scantily clad Dogfolk girl. It¡¯s not too uncommon for bards and authors to be inspired by adventurers they come across and create stories based on them, erotic or otherwise.


    ¡°Are you alright, Master?¡± Meri asks, cuddling up to my side and wincing from the aches in her muscles. ¡°You seem... distracted tonight.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot on my mind, Meri. Paperwork for the Association, my upcoming meeting with Duke Gloomcrest, tomorrow¡¯s mating ceremony...¡± I stop just short of mentioning Snow.


    ¡°You know what¡¯s on MY mind, Boss? Finding out what the fuck¡¯s in this thing.¡± Sam says, tossing me the mini treasure chest that was left waiting on the nightstand.


    I pluck it out of the air and hold it in my palm. ¡°Ah, yes. I almost forgot. Luxy went out of her way to include something for me, didn¡¯t she? It would be rude of me to wait any longer to find out what¡¯s inside.¡±


    ¡°I wonder what kind of magic thingy she came up with for you...?¡± Meri tilts her head, excitement brewing.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s something that fills out your paperwork faster so you can spend more time fucking us,¡± Sam snickers.


    ¡°Would that I could only be so lucky,¡± I sigh, knowing it won¡¯t be the case.


    Without any further ado, I open the chest and peer into its contents with palpable excitement. Inside the wooden box is a single pendant shaped like the golden sun of Lux Ultima. It is held upon a splendid golden chain and looks to be quite a treasure.


    Beneath the pendant is a golden ring. Although not Dwarven, it looks very well-crafted and much more tasteful than the other magic rings we¡¯ve been exposed to as of late.


    ¡°What the shit, Boss? How come you get two?¡± The Princess pouts in a half-joking manner.


    ¡°Obviously, as the chosen Hero of Light, I¡¯m the Goddess¡¯s favorite. That goes without saying.¡± I tease, causing Sam to pout even further.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a defensive charm?¡± Meri tilts her head as she takes the pendant into her hands. ¡°I¡¯ve seen lots of adventurers carry them at the Perlshaw Adventurer¡¯s Guild... this one looks fancier than the ones I¡¯m used to, though.¡±


    ¡°Lux must be trying to protect you since you¡¯re a squishy weakling who relies on women to do all your work for you,¡± Sam sneers. Without hesitation, I spank her fat, thonged ass faster than she can hope to stop me. The Princess¡¯s eyes shrink to surprised pin-pricks right before she figures out what horror was about to be done unto her.


    ¡°OW FUCK, BOSS MY FUCKING MUSCLES AGH-¡± The Princess twists her aching body in dire pain. Meri giggles at Sam¡¯s punishment.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive me. I¡¯m just so very weak that I thought it wouldn¡¯t have any effect on you, Princess.¡±


    Sam bites her lip and breathes in through the skin of her teeth, no doubt planning some sort of bratty revenge in my near future.


    ¡°Give me a moment, girls,¡± I hop off the gigantic Dwarven bed and rifle through the nightstand¡¯s drawer for the iron knife I keep around out of habit. ¡°Let¡¯s see how well this works.¡± Extending my hand towards Meri, she hands me the defensive pendant with great anxiety.


    Even if I¡¯ll be protected, she doesn¡¯t like what I¡¯m about to do.


    I hang the pendant around my neck, finding it to weigh not much at all. Placing the knife against the tip of my finger, I press it forward. It seems unable to penetrate my skin- even when I put a reasonable deal of force behind it. It¡¯s like there¡¯s a thin layer of coating around my skin not too dissimilar from Steel Soul.


    Still, this is nothing. I need to go a bit harder.


    ¡°Master... uh... maybe we should wait and test this when Opal is around to heal you if anything goes wrong? This just doesn¡¯t seem very safe to me...¡± Meri¡¯s nervous sweating increases greatly as she watches me rear the knife toward my opposite arm.


    ¡°Zutiria still has some of her healing potions left over. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± I exclaim, readying the knife for further testing.


    ¡°Famous last words,¡± Sam says.


    I roll my eyes and strike myself with the weapon. An explosion of pure light occurs from the point of contact. The knife breaks, not in half, but into a fine dust that scatters outward in the air. Sam and Meri look on at the impressive sight, mouths agape.


    ¡°Holy shit, that¡¯s some fuckin¡¯ defense charm, alright!¡± The Princess gawks at the display of my newly acquired trinket.


    ¡°Interesting. Seems you were right, Meri..¡± I¡¯m happy with the pendant¡¯s effects as-is, but I won¡¯t know the full extent of its powers until Zutiria or, more likely, Opalina can take a look at it. For all I know, there might be more to the pendant than meets the eye.


    Now, onto the other prize. I slot the golden ring upon my ring finger. As expected of a gift from a Goddess, it fits like it was made for me. The problem now is finding out how to activate whatever effect it has. Assuming it even has one, that is. ¡°Have either of you ever seen a ring like this before?¡± I ask, showing it to the girls.


    Meri shakes her head, but Sam thinks about it for a moment before responding. ¡°Kinda looks like an arcane tech thingy I saw back home. Lots of gadgets are turned into rings, necklaces, earrings, and junk like that so you can pull ¡®em out when you need em.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t think of that.¡± Upon closer inspection, I do note that the shape of the ring is very mechanical in nature. I think I remember hearing about trinkets like these now that she mentions it.


    I squeeze my hand into a fist and watch as a small burst of magic occurs in my hand. The ring glows, morphing into a small piece of ornate steel that resembles a crossbow without limbs. Weighing several pounds, the weapon has good heft and feels nice to hold in my hand.


    ¡°Woah! Boss, do you have any idea what that is?¡± Sam lights up, barely able to control her excitement.


    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is a weapon called a pistol, isn¡¯t it?¡± Almost unseen in Karnalle, firearms are traditionally found in the Inner Realms of High Verne and, more recently, Ikkuni.


    ¡°Ohhhh, I¡¯ve seen a few adventurers use those! They¡¯re pretty rare.¡± Meri says.


    ¡°The Galloise Company and House Lundreame are super tight. I¡¯ve gotten to play with some of their firearms before. Good times.¡± Sam sighs wistfully.


    ¡°So I just point and shoot?¡± I ask, tilting the weapon on its side to inspect the detailing. Adventurer classes that use firearms are a newer phenomenon. None of my reference books cover the topic, so my knowledge of them and the Arts that their users can use is minimal.


    ¡°Pretty much. I¡¯m jealous, Boss. You got some kick-ass presents!¡±


    I can see how this would be useful- especially with eyes like mine. I¡¯m not suddenly going to be joining them on the frontlines, but now I¡¯ll at least be able to deter most small threats to my safety.


    For now, I will the weapon to return into being a ring, and it does just that.


    ¡°Guess Lux Ultima was worried about you getting hurt when no one¡¯s around to protect you?¡± Meri smiles. ¡°That¡¯s kind of nice... even though we already have Nikita for that.¡±


    ¡°Nikita is a mercenary, Meri. She may be our friend, but we can¡¯t rely on her to always be around when I¡¯m in danger. Ideally, I¡¯d want more Beastfolk around to serve as bodyguards, but that won¡¯t happen for a while.¡±


    ¡°Guess you¡¯ll just have to settle for three for now,¡± Sam shrugs.


    ¡°Three? Snow said no.¡± I would¡¯ve thought the maids would have told the Princess such.


    Sam blinks, looks at Meri, and then frowns. She coughs. ¡°...Shit. I uh, just kinda assumed the cat was in the bag. Figured she¡¯d say yes.¡±


    I raise an eyebrow.


    Meri sits up despite the pain it causes her fatigued body. ¡°ACTUALLY, we both think you need a distraction to keep you from thinking about Snow, Master, a-and... um... and we haven¡¯t gotten any lewd rewards even though we did such a good job in the dungeon! Right, Sam?¡±


    Sam tilts her head like she has no idea what the fuck Meri is going on about but eventually nods her head. ¡°I could go for some naughty fun right about now, yeah!¡±


    ¡°Sam, sweetheart, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea...¡± To prove my point, I reach down and cup the warrior Princess¡¯s ass in my hand.


    ¡°MOTHERFUCKING- AGH!¡± Sam screeches, biting down on her own teeth to better help her manage the pain.


    Meri blushes, ¡°T-That¡¯s kinda hot...¡± She twiddles her thumbs, looking to the side. ¡°B-But, um... we haven¡¯t gotten any kind of reward for how good we did in the dungeon. Maybe you could do something... you know... a little gentle...? We did get a lot of new toys, Master...¡±


    ¡°Huh, never thought I¡¯d hear you asking Boss to be gentle...¡± The pained Princess smirks.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not ONLY into hardcore play!¡± Meri blushes, realizing just how she¡¯s perceived by those around her.


    When Meri looks at me with those big, pleading puppy-dog eyes of hers, I don¡¯t think I could say no to her even if she asked me to kill a man in cold blood. ¡°Well, when you put it like that, Meri... perhaps I can look around downstairs to see if anything would suffice. Are you interested in a little fun, too, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Duh. Just count yourself lucky I¡¯m not strong enough to get some payback on you, Boss... hmph.¡± She bites her lip and looks away from me, blushing. If I weren¡¯t so considerate, I¡¯d take this opportunity to mess with Sam and dominate her like there¡¯s no tomorrow.


    Sadly, I want her to heal with no complications. Opal wants the girls to get a couple of days of actual bed rest, and I know better than to fight the good Doctor when it comes to treating her patients.


    Hardcore domination play will have to wait for some other day... for now, It¡¯s time to go to the storage room and dig out some new toys.

 The Miracle of Arcane Tech

    The chaos in the storage room is a nightmare. Someone¡¯s got to sort this eventually, and I really don¡¯t want to have to be the one to do it. Once the girls are recovered, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll at least go through the lingerie crates and start dividing who gets what, but as for all the sex toys, there¡¯s just almost too much to count.


    I brought this hell on myself.


    Perhaps when the Guild is thoroughly cleaned, and they have fewer duties to attend to, Peri and Cherry can have at this daunting task. For now, I open two crates and sift through various dildoes, handcuffs, vibrators, and other such depravities. There¡¯s a lot of toys I WANT to use, but I¡¯m supposed to be looking for something that won¡¯t put too much stress on the girls and their tired bodies.


    After a few minutes of rifling like a child in a candy store, I come across a few egg vibes and some small wands that would most certainly be fun to play around with. I smile to myself, imagining what each girl¡¯s reaction will be like when they feel the arcane tech pulsing inside of their bodies. These should do the job just fine.


    Sam and Meri are right where I left them, but the lights are now off, and each girl has removed their already scant clothing leaving nothing but their nudeness for me to gaze upon. The window is open, and as a gentle spring breeze blows, the moon pours against the youthful skin of their succulent bodies.


    ¡°Took ya long enough,¡± Sam smirks, running a finger down her slit to tantalize and tease. Her legs are spread, intending fully to invite me straight in. ¡°I thought I¡¯d warm up a little and save you some trouble, Daddy.¡± She says, biting her lip and encircling her excited clit with the tip of her nail.


    ¡°Um... I¡¯ve never used healing potions until recently. I don¡¯t know how they work... we don¡¯t have any injuries or... or scars or anything, right...?¡± Meri, shy as ever, covers her large breasts behind her arms and squishes her meaty thighs together, blocking the view of her womanhood. The adventurer is worried I¡¯d find her less attractive if she had battle scars, which is nonsense.


    She doesn¡¯t have any, anyway. If the potions didn¡¯t see to removing them, Opalina must¡¯ve. Sam and Meri are just as unblemished as I remember, despite how much damage they accumulated the night before.


    ¡°No, Dear. You both look beautiful.¡± I say, genuinely meaning it. The shy adventurer lowers her guard at this and smiles, letting her heaving breasts hang free. The chill of the open window stiffens her pointy, pink peaks into a mouth-watering sight.


    It will be hard to hold myself back tonight, but I don¡¯t want to cum. I¡¯ll only be pleasuring Meri and Sam as a reward, not focusing on myself at all. I want to give Peri and Cherry my all tomorrow- they deserve that much after waiting for so long.


    Unable to resist the call of their bodies, I crouch down onto the bed and remove my shirt. With a handful of sex toys, I approach the waiting ladies. Setting the aides to the side and looking down at them, I lean over and kiss Meri¡¯s inner thigh while brushing Sam¡¯s with my stern hand.


    ¡°Ahhh,¡± Sam closes her eyes, moaning. ¡°N-Not too hard, Daddy... my thighs are super sore...¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯ll play nice.¡± Leaving the brunette with a playful nibble on the flesh of loins, I move my head over and begin covering Sam¡¯s in tender caresses with my lip.


    Meri stirs, her breath becoming heavy as she reacts to the strength of my skilled hand, rewarding her needy body with the affection it so desperately craves. ¡°Master... I-I¡¯m already getting so wet,¡± She says, looking away from me out of pleasured shame.


    ¡°Big surprise there,¡± Sam giggles to herself. ¡°Daddy knows what he¡¯s doing after- ah- AH! After all...!¡± The Princess is interrupted by my tongue swirling around the sides of her deliciously plump pubic mound. By intention, I just barely miss the pink lips of her sex.


    ¡°Of course I do. Both of you are mine, and every day I learn more about your bodies so that I can find new ways to remind you of this.¡± I tell Sam in an authoritative tone, licking up the length of her increasingly wet slit. She jolts her back upward, crying louder than I thought she would.


    ¡°AH! Daddy...! Fuck yeah... I¡¯m... I¡¯m yours...!!¡± Sam nods her head in absolute agreement, prompting me to give her a deep, wet kiss to her pussy in reward. She smiles, letting out another howl of feminine satisfaction.


    ¡°M-Me too...! I¡¯m all yours, Master...¡± Growing increasingly needy thanks to my hand constantly exploring her loins¡¯ tender spots, Meri shifts her hips carefully and spreads her legs open wider. The scent of her aching womanhood grows thicker, doing nothing to calm the desire in my pants.


    It¡¯s going to be tough turning them down tonight, but I¡¯ll just have to summon my willpower and play with them selflessly.


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯ve done to my body...¡± Meri whines, bashfully spreading open her glistening lips for me to see.


    ¡°I think you could stand to get a bit wetter,¡± Determined to tease her even further, I lick all the way from Sam¡¯s pussy, across the Princess¡¯s thigh, and onto Meri¡¯s. When I finally meet the parted valley, I swirl my thirsty tongue around her cleft and suck down for dear life.


    ¡°A-Ah! Master!¡± Meri cries. Toes curling, eyes scrunched, her fingers reach down to my hair, pushing me into her pelvis as forcefully as she can without overextending her aching muscles.


    ¡°I want more, too, Daddy...! Come onnnn...¡± The Princess is being a lot clingier than usual tonight. She must want to be spoiled. Unfortunately for her, I¡¯m intent on sharing the love equally.


    ¡°You¡¯re acting rude, Princess.¡± I pull away from Meri¡¯s tasty slit to look at the emerald-eyed noble with my piercing gaze. She swallows down her nervousness, watching with palpable excitement as I reach out to grab her by the hair and lead her face down onto Meri¡¯s bosom. ¡°Show Meri you¡¯re sorry, and maybe I¡¯ll give you more of what you want.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Meri, I just want Daddy to show me some love, too!¡± Instantly, Sam clamps down her pink lips around Meri¡¯s pointy nipple and begins to suck from it with rampant vigor. The Shield Maiden can hardly contain her excitement, her wetness increasing even further and her walls clenching against my tongue the second I invade her for more teasing.


    ¡°Sam! M-Master! B-Both of your mouths... ahhh... they¡¯re both... too much...!¡± She squeaks like she¡¯s about to cum, and I switch my attention to Sam right before she can pull it off. The brunette whines as I rip my tongue out of her tight snatch and begin to drink from the blonde Princess¡¯s dribbling cleft.


    Sam moans into Meri¡¯s fat tit, grabbing onto the other and beginning to play with its nipple just the same. As I explore her pink walls, Sam explores Meri¡¯s sensitive breasts, sucking and pinching and drinking in every last reaction that the timid, chubby adventurer has to offer.


    As my tongue begins twisting about the inside of the royal pussy, Sam¡¯s breathing rises to a fevered pitch. She bites down on the tasty nipple in her mouth, almost on reflex, triggering a masochistic response from her lewd Guildmate. ¡°AH! Sam! Sam!!¡± She exclaims, biting her lip.


    Alright. That should just about do it.


    I smile as I pull away from both girls, watching their lusty eyes fill to the brim with confusion and desire for more. ¡°Master...?¡±


    ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t stop...! Your bratty little Princess was so close to cumming...!!¡±


    ¡°I know. I was only getting you warmed up for the main act.¡± With a devilish smile, I reach behind me for the first toys I intend to use. I pick up a pair of pink, egg-shaped vibrators and hold them up for the girls to view in all their curious glory. ¡°Any idea what these are for, my loves?¡±


    ¡°I think I know...¡± Meri gulps, no doubt recognizing them from one of my novels.


    ¡°Uh... it¡¯s not hard to guess.¡± Sam says, tilting her head. ¡°But they¡¯re kinda small... are they really gonna feel that good?¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to be the judge of that now, won¡¯t you, Princess?¡±


    Whatever skepticism she had left in her fades away, the look in her eyes returning to one of glossed-over lust as she says, ¡°Yes, Daddy...!¡± like a good little girl.


    Each vibrator is attached by wire to a small arcane tech control device. There are a number of settings to play with, but for now, I¡¯m just going to introduce them both to the concept. As I hold these small pieces of technology in my hands for a brief moment, I consider the arcane tech revolution that brought them about.


    The same business that made my new pistol, the Galloise Company, also designed these sex toys as well as practically every other type of arcane tech known to Karnalle. I never even dreamed I¡¯d get to see such a valuable commodity first hand, let alone use them on two beautiful women at the same time.


    I place the tip of the eggs against the opening of each girl¡¯s pink tunnel and begin to push.

 Tool Assisted Fun with Sam and Meri

    The sex toys slide inside both Meri and Sam¡¯s pliant pussies with no trouble at all, thanks to the thorough foreplay I made sure to give them. Her Highness gasps as the plastic toy invades her warm hole while Meri¡¯s eyes open wide at the same sensation.


    ¡°A-Ah!! That... feels... so d-different from Master¡¯s penis, or... or your fingers...!¡± She whines.


    ¡°In a bad way?¡±


    Meri immediately shakes her head left to right. ¡°It¡¯s weird... but... I-I think I like weird...¡±


    Sam grins with satisfaction, mildly grinding her hips against my hand. ¡°Deeper, Daddy... I wanna feel it deep when you turn it on...¡±


    I grant the Princess her request and push the toy relatively far down her tunnel since the wire will make it easy to remove anyway. Now that they¡¯re both in place, I remove my hands and place my thumbs on each girl¡¯s clits. Mashing their little erect nubs around in circles, I smile and ask, ¡°Think you¡¯re ready to try our the power of an arcane tech vibrator, girls?¡±


    Sam and Meri both moan and arch their backs, clearly not expecting the sudden attention I¡¯m lavishing upon them.


    ¡°Fuck yes! Turn it on, damn it...! Turn it on...!!¡± Sam bites down on her lower lip, juices pouring out of her slit in response to my sudden attack.


    Meri clutches the sheets below and rolls her head back into her pillow. ¡°Oh, please... please, Master...!¡± She says while grinding her hips into my hand.


    ¡°Are you trying to convince me or what? You don¡¯t even sound like you want your reward.¡± I hasten the speed at which I tease their swollen clitorises. All at once, they shout and throb at my mercy, giving me one hell of a power trip.


    ¡°Please just turn the fucking thing on, Daddy! I need it so damn much. I wanna cum like a good little slut for you b-but I fucking can¡¯t if you don¡¯t let it stir up my tight, slutty Princess-pussy!!¡±


    ¡°Master! Please turn the vibrators on and make your... your little m-masochistic sex slut into a... an even bigger whore!! Train me, Master, make me even dirtier...!!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more fucking like it,¡± With great contentment, I sigh and take my hand away from their clits long enough to turn on the egg vibrators. On the little device is a dial that can be turned from zero to ten. To start off with, I set the dial on two for each girl.


    A persistent buzzing starts churning the insides of each of my lovers. All at once, their tired and aching bodies begin to jolt with pleasure as the machine hammers away at their pussy walls. I watch as they moan, wiggle, and writhe as this new sensation overtakes them from their core.


    ¡°O-Oh my GODS,¡± Meri parts her lips into a silent ¡®o¡¯, her eyes fluttering as she can barely contain herself.


    ¡°Holy shit, holy shit, holy SHIT, Daddy, I had no idea those toys would feel this gooooood!!¡± Sam smiles as she escalates to heights of pure ecstasy.


    Smiling, I move my hand to both of their clits once again. ¡°Good. I¡¯m glad to hear it. This is supposed to be your reward, after all.¡± My massage continues while their defenses are weak, a fact which both women appreciate immensely. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back. Cum for me.¡±


    Because they were already on the brink of cumming from foreplay alone, Sam and Meri shudder at my determined touch. In no time at all, I¡¯m able to force a powerful orgasm out of both dripping pussies. They shout, their warm holes constricting down on the eggs shoved into their depths as juices erupt out and trickle down into the bedsheets.


    It takes everything they have to remain still and stop themselves from agitating their bodies, but I can¡¯t but enjoy the sight of their forced self-control. Even as they cum their little hearts out, these lewd girls still want more and more even when they know they can¡¯t have it. It¡¯s a wonderful feeling, looking down on them like this and knowing full well that I have all the power in the Realm.


    ¡°That must have felt nice, I take it?¡± I ask with a rhetorical smile, slowing down the teasing of their pink clits.


    ¡°Daddy... that¡¯s such a stupid... ngh... f-fucking question... what do YOU think...?¡± Sam says, lusty drool dripping out of the corner of her mouth beyond her control.


    ¡°Yes, Master... oh... it felt so niiiice...¡± Meri replies with bliss, her shaking body starting to stabilize as she falls from pleasured heights.


    Their replies couldn¡¯t be more different, but it just makes me love them even deeper for their differences. ¡°I wonder what would happen if I did this, then?¡± Meri and Sam each watch with confusion as I take the two controllers in hand. Cranking each one up to level four, I gift them double the pleasure as the vibrators begin to work even harder inside of their still quivering lips.


    Meri becomes breathless at the sudden increase, while Sam rolls her head back and twists her hips in vain, trying to sort out the more intense vibrations.


    ¡°H-How much- AGH- p-power does this thing even fucking HAVE?!¡± The Princess¡¯s voice becomes hoarse the louder she screams, sweat dripping off her young, shapely body.


    ¡°You¡¯re on level four out of ten. You were just at two.¡±


    ¡°N-N-NO WAY!¡± Meri moans and clasps onto her heavy breast. ¡°I-It¡¯s already... so... so strong...!!¡±


    ¡°Hmm, maybe the other toy I brought would be too much for you tonight, then...¡±


    Sensing a challenge, the feisty blonde rears her head up and looks at me with defiance. ¡°Y-You got more, Daddy? This... this is noth-¡± I turn Sam¡¯s dial up to ten mid-sentence for only a split second before returning it to four. ¡°THING?!¡± Her eyes go wide, and her head falls back down onto her pillow.


    The Princess¡¯s pussy goes wild from the sudden burst of explosive pleasure. The sound at level ten was so strong that it almost drowned out the sound of her shrill screaming.


    Meri starts looking jealous of her bratty Guildmate. Even though she didn¡¯t do anything deserving of a teasing punishment, I also give the Shield Maiden a brief taste of level ten as well. Her mouth falls open, and she tries so very hard to shout, but nothing comes out. Every ounce of her strength goes towards keeping her from not jolting off the bed in response.


    ¡°Still want more, Princess?¡±


    Learning absolutely nothing, Sam struggles to sit up and smirks. ¡°D... Do your w-worst, Daddy...¡±


    ¡°And you?¡± I turn to Meri, asking for permission. I don¡¯t want to subject her to more than she can handle just because Sam is being a stubborn fool.


    ¡°I-I can take it, Master... s-show me what else you brought...¡± She bites her lip, predictably allowing me to ravage her any way I see fit.


    With great excitement rushing through my veins, I reach back and pull out the two small massage wands I brought along with me. They¡¯re far from the heavy-duty ones I¡¯ve seen described in erotica, although we stole plenty of those ones, too. Placing the mushroom-shaped head onto the clits of each girl, I switch the devices on and delight myself in the erotic display of Sam and Meri falling even deeper into pleasure.


    Sam tries to say something bratty, but her words are devolving into no more than strings of random sounds with ¡®fuck¡¯ between them. Meri can¡¯t even do that much. She¡¯s been reduced to hyperventilating as her chubby tummy rises and repeatedly falls, jiggling along with her tits as her ecstasy only grows.


    Both of my beautiful lovers cum seconds after the wands begin hammering their erect clits. Their honey squirts out with little they can do to stop it, staining my hands and our bed with the proof of their pleasure.


    Over the next ten minutes, I guide the wand to different spots and experiment with different speeds, but it always returns to their pretty little pink peaks. That¡¯s what the toy was made for, and that¡¯s what it pleasures best. Sam and Meri cum and cum again at my exploratory whims, the voices rasping and growing weaker as the combo of toys saps them of their strength.


    They almost look more sweaty and exhausted by the end of it than when they came home from the Pimpfort. I take that as a pretty good sign to stop. I turn off the two wands, followed shortly by the eggs inside of their aching cunts. ¡°How was that for a reward, hm?¡± I ask as a smug grin betrays me.


    ¡°Haa... ha ba... ge... agh...¡± Sam tries to mumble something, but gibberish is all that comes out. That, and another sprinkling of juices gushing out her pussy when I pull the egg out through the wire. Her tight hole fights against my strength and refuses to give for as long as it can until, at long last, the toy makes a squicky plopping sound and gives way.


    Meri is almost unconscious, and the egg ends up coming out of her pink tunnels easier as a result. Much to my enjoyment, it still makes a naughty sound as it does so, at least. Between heaving breaths and occasional shakes, she all but melts into the bed like a chubby puddle of slime.


    I smile at a job well done, gathering up the sex toys to go and wash them quickly before turning into bed. I¡¯m very, very aroused, sure, but the thought of holding off on pleasure now so that I can have one hell of a first time with the maids tomorrow helps me fight back the desire.


    After sterilizing the toys, I bring back a towel from the bathroom and wipe both tired girls free of sweat. They¡¯re too out of it to appreciate this, but it¡¯s more for my own sake. Now that they¡¯re properly taken care of, I join my lovers in bed and pull their naked bodies one on each side.


    ¡°Goodnight, my loves,¡± I whisper, turning to kiss each on their lips. Sam and Meri don¡¯t respond vocally, but they smile and nuzzle even closer to my body. Good enough, I suppose. Everyone sleeps soundly after that.

 In the Face of Political Power

    The day of the mating ceremony is here at long, long last. I awake to find Meri and Sam still very exhausted from their dungeon crawl and from their reward. As long as they keep resting, they should recover enough to leave the bed soon. At least for now, I avoid them while going through my morning routine.


    Alone, I have a quick bath. I wonder how long it¡¯s been since I¡¯ve had this tub to myself? As the warm water overtakes my skin, my mind drifts off to thinking about how the Breeding Tribe has long since left Dewhurst.


    Guess that¡¯s that, then.


    No use dwelling on it. I dry myself off with conviction, intending to move on with my day and life without worrying about the one that got away.


    Before going downstairs, I decide to peek in on Zutiria¡¯s situation. I sit down on her bed and stroke my hand through her soft, short, lavender hair. She stirs, and I find that she¡¯s actually able to awaken. The little Mage gazes up at me, morning light falling against her sleepy face.


    ¡®Hello, Sir. Still tired. Not done resting.¡¯ She tells me, shutting her cold, icy eyes just as quickly as they open.


    ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to wake up yet. I was worried about you... how are you feeling?¡±


    ¡®Hurts.¡¯ She groans, accentuating her point.


    ¡°I expected as much. Opal is back, so I can have her take a closer look at you and try to do something about the pain if you want.¡±


    ¡®If she could help, she would¡¯ve.¡¯


    ¡°I suppose you might be right about that. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll remember me saying this, but I¡¯m going to be out of town when you wake up, Zutiria.¡±


    ¡®Shh. I¡¯ll find out later. Kiss me and let me sleep.¡¯


    Far be it from me to deny my love such a request. I plant my lips upon hers to savor a fragile but passionate kiss. Zutiria whimpers into it but raises her hand to gently cup my cheek before letting it fall limply back to her side.


    Pulling away from her tired affections, I smile down at the Mage fading out of fleeting consciousness. ¡°I love you,¡± I remind her with a whisper.


    ¡®Too...¡¯ Zutiria soon fades into the peaceful abyss of rest once more, leaving me with nothing to do other than join the kittens downstairs for breakfast.


    Both Cherry and Peri are fully awake, dressed in their uniforms, and have already started their workday. By the time I have myself sat down at the wooden bench, a cup of coffee is already prepared for me, and a platter of food is not far behind. I enjoy the meal with good company, and once it¡¯s finished, I tell both girls my plans.


    ¡°I still have a mountain of paperwork to finish, and at some point, Niall might drop by. If he does, escort him to my office. As for the two of you, tonight is the night. You¡¯ve been here for an entire week, and thus, we¡¯ve made it. The trial period is over.¡± Smiling from the bottom of my heart, I reach out to both kittens sitting across the table. Cherry and Peri lean their heads into my touch, purring a low, satisfied purr. ¡°Anything you wish to say on the topic?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we have a lot to say, Myaster, but we want to save it for tonight...¡± Peri smiles to herself, her gray, fluffy ear twitching in satisfaction from my scratches.


    ¡°We just want the timing to be right, nyaa.¡± Cherry smirks.


    ¡°Understandable. Are you nervous at all?¡± I ask, only to be met with a resounding no. Both girls shake their heads from side to side without hesitation.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for this day our whole lives. How could we be nervous?¡± Peri turns to face Cherry, and the two share a loving blush at the sight of one another. The blue-haired kitten leans her head in and nuzzles her lover with fondness.


    ¡°Y-Yeah,¡± Cherry looks away rather adorably, scratching behind her head. While not outright nervous, it¡¯s clear she¡¯s the less prepared of the two. ¡°When are we going to start?¡±


    ¡°After dinner, you two will help Sam and Meri out of bed, assuming they still can¡¯t walk on their own. They¡¯ve agreed to bunk with Zutiria. Then, you are to pick appropriate attire out of the lingerie horde, then bathe yourselves and prepare for my arrival. Understood?¡± I¡¯m totally getting off on ordering them around like proper maids if it wasn¡¯t obvious. Luckily for me, they¡¯re just as into my authoritative tone.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster!¡± They reply with complete enthusiasm, tails wagging behind them and smiles on their faces.


    I leave them to their task of cleaning the entrance hall. If all goes well, today might be the day that its cleaning finishes. Yet another cause for celebration. As for their next duty, I haven¡¯t decided between cleaning more of the spare bedrooms on the second floor or having the maids get started on the west wing. There are merits to both courses of action. For now, my mind is saddled only with the signing of signatures and the filing of forms.


    I work on the task for several hours, only to be interrupted when there¡¯s a knocking on my door. Cherry walks in with Niall following behind her, a pleased grin on his face. The pink-haired kitten bows before excusing herself out.


    Much to my relief, the newly minted mayor is sober. With a dry, witty smile, I greet him and offer a seat to the former adventurer. ¡°Welcome, Mr. Mayor. I see that being an elected official has not yet gifted you the privilege of taking a bath.¡±


    The smelly drunkard takes a seat, breaking out into sleazy laughter. ¡°Still waiting to hear back on that one,¡± He says.


    I stare at him blankly for a moment, registering that the man is no longer the mangy scoundrel I¡¯ve seen him as for the past twenty-two years. ¡°So... it really is official? It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you. It¡¯s just hard to process.¡±


    ¡°Yep, met with Baron Edras of House Kerger after I sobered up last night. The whole thing went real fuckin¡¯ fast, Kiddo. Signed a few papers, and that was pretty much it.¡±


    ¡°The Baron himself was here?¡± I lean in, curious to hear the details of Niall¡¯s interaction with the local nobility who technically owns this town.


    ¡°Yeah, I was shocked too. I was expecting some representative or something, but whatever. The votes were tallied the day before yesterday, and they announced it last morning. I thought they would postpone the announcement on account of the whole gilded penis castle thing last night, but...¡± Niall shrugs his shoulders. ¡°When he met me, he gave me a once over with his eyes and said ¡®looks about right¡¯. Then he just had me sign some forms and told me to do whatever the fuck I wanted.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no secret that the Nobles want little to do with this town. It¡¯s hard to place blame on the local Barons or even the Counts. What happened to this town should have been stopped by Duke Gloomcrest ages ago. Still, to think you were given carte blanche...¡±


    ¡°It is what it is. No one in Arrark owns this town except the Duke of Dewhurst, so why bother telling me to do anything?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised you won, admittedly. I thought that it¡¯d be Pimpington or that drugged up Elf.¡±


    ¡°Turns out they had just about the same number of votes between ¡®em. If one of them ran and not the other, that one probably woulda won. That Catfolk boy was trailing behind me, and no one voted for that Butcher except for him and, uh, his mom. Raepface said she¡¯s been dead for years, though, so that vote got thrown...¡±


    ¡°Perhaps there¡¯s a shred of hope for this town, after all. The fact that Bludman didn¡¯t convince one or two psychopaths in the crowd is nothing short of staggering to me.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Hey- speaking of all these shady-ass motherfuckers, word on the street is you just dealt a huge blow to the Duke of Dewhurst.¡± Niall smiles, leaning over the desk and offering me a high five with his only hand. I reluctantly give it to him. ¡°Pimpington being out of the picture is a huge deal, Kiddo. Nice job on taking him down. Still gonna keep fighting?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah. I don¡¯t have any other choices. It¡¯s either that or leave Dewhurst soon...¡±


    Frowning, the mayor sighs. ¡°And you don¡¯t think that¡¯s an option for you, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. Land rights, shoddy reputation amongst the Association... there¡¯s no way they would allow me to run another Guild with my track record. I¡¯d become a secretary at best.¡±


    ¡°Fuckin¡¯ Guild pencil-pushers,¡± He takes a deep breath, looks away, and scratches his greasy hair. Dandruff flakes off his scalp, fluttering away to places unknown. ¡°If it¡¯s money you need, I can work on it with you.¡±


    ¡°You were a homeless beggar until the night before, Niall. Call me skeptical of your ability to raise funds.¡±


    ¡°You ever see me without a bottle or two?¡± He asks, opening up the flap of his coat to reveal several crudely stitched pockets stuffed with flasks.


    ¡°Well, no, but...¡±


    ¡°I got my ways, Kiddo,¡± Niall smirks the smirk of someone who¡¯s lived on the streets for many a year. I feel compelled to believe him when he claims he could procure funding in case of an emergency. ¡°It¡¯d be better to get out of town with your life intact, y¡¯know? ¡®Specially since it seems like you got a whole lot to live for these days.¡±


    ¡°I need money, yes, but I won¡¯t be using it to skip town. Are you still willing to help?¡±


    ¡°...Long as you promise you¡¯ll leave if things start getting worse, Kid. Look, I want to help you. I really fuckin¡¯ do. But when I die and meet your grandpa in the Eternal Hells, he¡¯ll kick my fuckin¡¯ ass if I let something bad happen to you. You understand me?¡±


    ¡°You... still think about my grandpa?¡±


    ¡°Course I do. Miserable old fuck gave me a home when I was at my lowest. Didn¡¯t do me much good, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t respect what he did for me.¡±


    ¡°I had no idea anyone save for myself still had any fondness left for the old man... It¡¯s nice to know at least one other person remembers he wasn¡¯t all bad,¡± I smile at the thought before brushing it off. ¡°Regardless, I don¡¯t know if I can promise you I¡¯ll just pack up leave if it doesn¡¯t look like the Duke of Dewhurst will be defeated.¡±


    His face becomes serious as he leans across the desk once more, this time to give me a grim warning. ¡°Gonna put this another way, then. I¡¯m going to do what I can to help, and if it looks like you aren¡¯t going to win... I¡¯m gonna use my whatever powers I can as Mayor to close the Guild and force you to leave town.¡±

 A New Partnership is Formed

    I wasn¡¯t expecting Niall to stand in my way like this. Just when things were looking up, we had to get a new obstacle, didn¡¯t we? Even if he¡¯s well-meaning, an obstacle is still an obstacle and needs to be dealt with as such.


    ¡°You¡¯re really not giving me a choice, are you?¡±


    ¡°Fraid not, Kid,¡± He frowns, disappointed it¡¯s come to this. ¡°If I have to make a choice between you keeping your job or you keeping your life, I¡¯m going to pick your life.¡±


    I nod my head, pretending to play along. Niall doesn¡¯t know I have an in with Duke Gloomcrest, and I see no reason to inform him otherwise. Should the situation present itself, I could likely overturn anything a simple town Mayor could do to shut down my Guild. Best to keep that card close to my chest so that Niall will still help me in the short term.


    ¡°In the meantime, you¡¯ll sign off on ways to help the Guild?¡±


    Losing all his gravitas, he smiles again and gives me a reassuring thumbs-up. ¡°Yep, you needed local requests to start coming in again, right? I can put it out there among the townspeople and start having ¡®em brought to you again. Not to mention I could probably wrangle up some quests of my own for you guys, being the Mayor and all.¡±


    ¡°That would help a lot. You¡¯re sure you aren¡¯t worried about the Duke of Dewhurst, though? He¡¯s liable to go on the offensive as soon as you start publicly helping me.¡±


    ¡°The Duke of Dewhurst is the person I¡¯m least afraid of in the entire Realm,¡± Niall laughs, slapping his knee as if the idea was almost offensive. ¡°Some shadowy jackass hiding in the dark doesn¡¯t scare me. I might not have been in a fight for a long time, but I used to be a Gold-ranked adventurer, Kid.¡±


    So was Pimpington, and if I recall correctly, he said his fall was only ten years ago. Niall¡¯s pseudo retirement was two decades prior, so by that logic, this alcoholic should be significantly weaker than the villain we recently overcame. That¡¯s not exactly reassuring, but if Niall is willing to set himself up as a sacrificial pawn like this, I have no reason not to use him.


    Not that I actively want anything terrible to happen to the man. I¡¯m just in no position to turn his generous offer down.


    ¡°Alright. As long as you¡¯re certain it won¡¯t be an issue, then I¡¯ll accept your proposal. Let the townspeople know they can start to submit quests again. You can have them delivered or send the client to the Guild to register their desired quests themselves. Additionally, there¡¯s another matter I could use your help on while you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s hear it. I don¡¯t got much else on my plate today other than going through some documents back at my new office.¡± He says, somewhat weirded out by the idea of himself owning an office. I hope for Niall¡¯s sake that someone cleaned up all of Abner¡¯s porn.


    ¡°Several weeks ago, during an unrelated quest, my adventurers discovered a dungeon in the Gnarled Woods. To properly register it and begin exploring it, we need to submit a report to the Association, and-¡±


    His brows twitch angrily when I mention the Association. He interrupts, ¡°Don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea, personally. To register a new dungeon, they¡¯d have to send an adventurer to come to check it out and give it a proper ranking, and they¡¯d probably send a stuffy official along with ¡®em. Kid, I don¡¯t blame you for letting it get to this state, but this Guild is a shithole. Assuming you keep your job, your priority should be fixing this place up. Work on making it presentable, because mark my words- the Association will be really curious about all the business your little branch has been turning in as of late. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they¡¯re already planning to investigate.¡±


    I stare at Niall, uncertain about what I just heard.


    ¡°What? Just cause I¡¯ve been out of the game doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgotten how it¡¯s played.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a little shocked. I¡¯ve been worried about the same thing myself for weeks, actually. You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll hold off on reporting the dungeon.¡± I was testing to see if he¡¯d sign off on it. I was wary of actually registering it for those exact reasons, but it¡¯s nice to see just how in-depth Niall is thinking on my behalf. Having someone else around with knowledge of how the Association works is handy.


    Niall looks away, a seedy smile creeping upon his face. An idea of ill-repute strikes him, as they so often do. ¡°Course, if you wanted to check the dungeon out off the books, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m gonna tell anyone...¡±


    ¡°Tempting, but best not to risk it. I¡¯d be in enough trouble as it is if I¡¯m put under scrutiny.¡±


    Niall offers a counter-proposal. ¡°You could send the girls up to the Labyrinth of Light if you were desperate to get some more dungeon crawling in. Figured they might be sick of it after that golden prick palace, though.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking about it before all this nonsense with the Duke of Dewhurst started, but that dungeon is a few days of travel to the north-east, not to mention we¡¯d have to register the girls for clearance. Neither of those facts is ideal.¡±


    ¡°Right, right. Fucking ¡®clearance¡¯... an adventurer needing ¡®clearance¡¯ to go on an adventure is the damned stupidest shit I¡¯ve ever heard.¡± Niall rolls his eyes and scratches his stubble. ¡°Swear to the Gods, you think being an adventurer will get you a life of freedom, but it¡¯s nothing but a pain in the ass thanks to all those rules and regulations, you know what I mean? And if you step out of line, the Association¡¯ll take away your license or saddle you in fines...¡±


    I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen this man so wistful and pointed in his annoyance. ¡°What a scathing critique. Something you¡¯d like to get off your chest, Mr. Mayor?¡±


    ¡°Nah. Just thinking about all the bullshit hoops I had to jump back when I was still fucking around the realm with both of my arms.¡± He starts laughing, holding his left arm¡¯s missing joint through the rolled-up sleeve of his coat.


    I stare at Niall, thinking back to the first time we met. I was only five years old at the time, naive and innocent, and he was in his early twenties, anything but. He had just arrived at the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild and was off in a sad little corner away from everyone else, nursing a tall mug of ale. He was drunk, and I was curious. ¡°You ever going to tell me how you actually lost it?¡± All these years later, I echo the first thing I ever asked him.


    Niall stands up from the guest¡¯s chair, smiling yet gazing into the middle distance. ¡°Not much of a story. Accidents happen, especially when you least expect them.¡± He mutters more or less the same answer he¡¯s always given me. I expected nothing less.


    The newly elected Mayor starts making for the office door. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else I can help you with right away, then I should probably get going. Got a lot of other stuff to attend to, now that I¡¯m not a homeless bum anymore and all that. Maybe find one of those ¡®bath¡¯ things you keep going on about.¡±


    ¡°See that you do,¡± I offer him a sarcastic smile which is met by a sizable silence.


    Before he leaves, the man asks me a simple yet weighty question. ¡°Are we good now?¡±


    Considering it for a moment, I nod my head and give him a reluctant smile. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll always hold some minor resentment towards you, but... yeah. I don¡¯t think I mind having you around again, Niall. Stop by when you aren¡¯t too busy, and I¡¯ll mix you a drink sometime.¡±


    I watch as the seedy thug makes an emotional face, blushing like a maiden and smiling wide. ¡°Aw, shit. Mind if I come over there and give ya a hug?¡±


    ¡°Touch me without bathing, and I will issue a quest myself to end you,¡± I warn the formerly homeless man.


    ¡°Fair, fair. Careful though, you don¡¯t wanna go making me your enemy! This old bastard¡¯s still tougher than he looks, I¡¯ll have you know.¡± He laughs himself out of my office, leaving me in high spirits to finish the rest of my paperwork.


    I regret that I have to keep secrets from him, but I need Niall¡¯s co-operation and there¡¯s no knowing if he¡¯d still attempt to help if he knew about my upcoming meeting with Duke Gloomcrest. If possible, I would like both on my side. The support of House Gloomcrest is far more important than anything else, though.


    Only one thing here is for sure, Niall will not be shutting down this Guild. I¡¯m still riding the high of taking out one of the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s most important allies, sure, but I¡¯ve already proven that the dominoes can fall.


    We just have to knock down the rest of them.

 It’s Almost Time

    There are no additional visitors today after the Mayor of Dewhurst leaves. Using all the new motivation my encounter filled me with, I get to work. Not long after focusing, I finish up the documentation, seal it all up, and ready it for mailing. It¡¯s a little close to six in the evening now so I leave my office, eager for what the night has in store.


    There¡¯s barely been any work done on the entrance hall whatsoever, and there are no maids to be seen. Curious. ¡°Peri? Cherry?¡± I call out to them, only to hear nothing in response.


    Being the paranoid man I am, it isn¡¯t long before I start envisioning dreadful reasons for the lack of Guild kittens. Then I hear rustling coming from the east wing, and I rush off to investigate. My hand clutches the golden ring I put upon my right index finger, intending full well to use my weapon if an intruder gives me a reason to.


    ¡°Kittens? I¡¯m done with work for the day, it went smoother than I expected, so I¡¯m somewhat early.¡±


    ¡°Shit, Cherry, go stop him!¡± I hear Peri¡¯s voice coming from the occupied storage room. Cherry rushes out the door, closing it fast behind her before I can even get a glimpse of what¡¯s going on.


    ¡°H-Hey, Myaster. Um...¡± She looks around, unsure of what to say or how to say it. ¡°We¡¯re kinda busy, and you can¡¯t come back here... ok?¡±


    ¡°Cherry, I need an explanation. As far as I can tell, the two of you haven¡¯t done a lick of cleaning all day-¡±


    ¡°Tell him there¡¯ll be LOTS of licking soon if he just goes away, nyaa!¡±


    Cherry blushes at this lewd comment and furrows her brows, ¡°Peri says there-¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, her innuendo did not escape me.¡± I sigh and cross my arms. ¡°I take it there¡¯s a very good reason for this?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Cherry stares straight at me, a fierce look in her sharp, magenta eyes. ¡°You gotta just trust me, alright, Myaster? You¡¯ll find out later tonight, I promise.¡±


    Measuring up the seriousness in her expression, I nod my head. ¡°Alright. Sounds like there¡¯s no helping it, so I¡¯ll back off for now. Do I need to make dinner as well?¡±


    ¡°No, we won¡¯t be that much longer! We¡¯re just... um... yeah.¡± She looks away, evasive and still covering up the door like she has something to hide.


    ¡°Well, alright. I¡¯ll leave you both to it.¡± I turn to walk away and hear the maid utter a sigh of relief before opening the door and disappearing back inside it.


    I¡¯m not mad that they disobeyed my cleaning orders for the day. I¡¯d have to be real petty for that to actually matter. My mind is just adrift with all the possible surprises that the two maids have planned for me tonight during the ceremony. There¡¯s no telling what they could have been up to in our very own glorified sex closet.


    Without much else to do, I go and visit the recovering girls only to find they¡¯re no longer lying around. Sam and Meri both are sitting up, playing a game of cards together. By the look of frustration evident on Her Highness¡¯s face, Meri is winning.


    ¡°How are we feeling, girls?¡±


    ¡°Better!¡± Meri smiles as she slaps down another card, ¡°Mostly, I mean. We can get up and move around now, but we¡¯re still pretty sore.¡±


    ¡°Who are you calling a sore loser, you dirty fucking cheater!¡± Sam throws her hand onto the bed, splattering the playing cards into many different directions.


    ¡°S-Sam, I didn¡¯t say that-¡±


    ¡°Shut up! If you¡¯re feeling good enough to win at card games, then you¡¯re feeling good enough to go make me those damn cookies you owe me!¡±


    ¡°Hwaah!¡± Meri blushes, hiding behind her cards like they were her beloved shield.


    ¡°By the way, Boss, the kitties said not to go in the main storage closet.¡± Deciding she no longer wishes to play this losing game, the Princess folds her arms and plops down on her back.


    ¡°And why is that?¡±


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t ask too many questions. Y-You¡¯re not gonna get the truth from us...!¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is you both know what¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Boss, but you gotta understand that trying to surprise you is really fucking hard!¡± Sam grunts. She sits up again, looking right at me with an angry expression. ¡°Those stupid eyes of yours make it so it¡¯s tough to lie to you, meaning everyone has to be like ¡®yeah something¡¯s up but don¡¯t ask about it, we promise you¡¯ll like it¡¯!¡±


    ¡°Sam! You weren¡¯t supposed to say there was a surprise...!¡± The Shield Maiden frowns but begins to twiddle her thumbs. ¡°She¡¯s kinda right, though... it¡¯s tough to pull one over on you, even if it¡¯s something you¡¯ll like...¡±


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t considered that. I guess I¡¯ll just try not to think about it while we wait for dinner...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing up here, anyway? Are you done with work already, Boss?¡±


    ¡°Yup, I had a meeting with Niall. It went well, for the most part.¡± I feel no reason to panic the girls with his threats to forcibly close the Guild, so I omit that part of things. ¡°Scoot over, and let me play a few hands with you.¡± Taking the pile of playing cards off the bed, I sit between the girls and begin to shuffle the deck.


    Sam gets over her hangups on losing long enough to give playing a game with me a shot. I deal the cards out, intending to have a fun time with the women I love, but... after only a couple of hands, Sam and Meri ban me from ever playing card games with them again. Why? On account of my ability to see through their absolutely pitiful attempts at making poker faces.


    In my defense, Sam starts sweating bullets whenever she has a lousy hand, and Meri can¡¯t help smiling when she has a good one. It¡¯s not hard to pick up on their tells, magic eyes or not...


    After Sam rage-quit once again, we ended up just hanging around together, lounging on the bed and talking about various things until the kittens interrupted us for dinner. Sam and Meri took their meals in the guest bedroom, relocating for the night, knowing that we would need it for the mating. Meri volunteered to help feed Zutiria, leaving me to eat with the kittens alone.


    The tension between the three of us is palpable even as we idly sit around eating our supper. Cherry and Peri both sneak glances full of longing at me in between bites. Their cheeks flushed and their tails wagging incessantly behind them to the point where one might confuse them for Dogfolk.


    It gets to be too much for me to bear, and I ask, ¡°You really can¡¯t hold in your excitement for just a bit longer, can you?¡± Far from being mad, I give them a smile and watch as they both blush even harder.


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time, Myaster. How could we not be this excited...?¡± Peri cocks her head to the side, grinning.


    ¡°Yeah. What she said, nyaa...¡±


    I sense more anxiety from the pink-haired kitten, so I take both of their paws in my hand and squeeze tight to reassure them. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Cherry. I promise I¡¯m going to take good care of you and make you feel better than you¡¯ve ever felt. That¡¯s what you deserve.¡±


    This contact quickly proved to be too much for them. Cherry¡¯s mouth falls open, and she pants for air while Peri¡¯s ears twitch with pleasure. She attempts to nuzzle my hand, but I pull away. ¡°Come on now, finish up eating so you can take your bath. I¡¯m just as eager as you are, trust me. I saved up for today.¡±


    ¡°What? B-But we heard you playing with the Mistresses last night!¡± Peri blurts out.


    ¡°I was only giving them a reward using some of the new toys. I didn¡¯t get any release myself. Even though I have practically unending stamina, I still wanted to make it special for us... for you.¡±


    The kittens both light up, look at each other, and smile. ¡°Myaster... after hearing something like that, I doubt I can wait any longer...¡± Cherry purrs. ¡°Can we go bathe, nyaa?¡±


    ¡°Please, please, please!¡± Peri adds, begging. ¡°I think we¡¯re both too excited to hold down much more food, anyway...¡±


    They only made it through about half of their dinner, but given how my own excitement is almost too much to contain, I can empathize with the plight of the two maids. ¡°Of course, kittens. Go and get ready for me.¡± By the time I finish my sentence, the two maids have already scampered halfway up the stairs.


    Cherry turns, remembering something and making sure to let it be known. ¡°By the way, you still can¡¯t go into the main storage room! You¡¯ll... uh... you¡¯ll ruin everything if you do, ok?¡±


    ¡°Very well. Don¡¯t keep me waiting too long, now.¡± After enjoying a tankard of cheap ale, I wipe my lips and watch them both disappear from view. At once, my eyes are drawn to the entrance of the east wing.


    When I finish with dinner and carry all the plates and trays to the kitchen, I pause and look down the short hallway leading to the collection of storage rooms. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say, so I don¡¯t intend to break my word and potentially ruin whatever surprise they have in store for me. Gods know that they¡¯ve been looking forward to this for days on end. I don¡¯t want to make tonight any less special just because I can¡¯t be patient.


    Right as I turn to enter the kitchen, I hear a shuffling sound coming from the end of the hallway, like the sound of boxes being moved. My desire to not spoil the surprise is tested- knowing that I could be hearing an unwelcome intruder.


    I put the plates on the bar counter and move halfway down the hallway before calling out, ¡°Hello? If there¡¯s someone here, then I would suggest you leave. Now.¡± I activate the golden ring on my right hand, summoning the arcane tech pistol and gripping it firmly. After waiting for several more minutes just to be safe, I hear no other sounds and finally return my weapon into its natural state.


    It¡¯s probably just the building¡¯s creaky wood or faulty support. At least, that¡¯s what I tell myself while doing the dishes and storing whatever leftovers can be stored. Feeling that I might have a bit of time left before the hour is at hand, I brew myself a cup of herbal tea and think about what lies ahead.


    The wait to mate with Peri and Cherry was torturous, in no small part thanks to Peri herself. Yet as I sip my warm drink, I realize that I will never again have that problem. Hopefully, mating with the large-breasted Catfolk will help calm her down and make her easier to deal with from here on out. I still need to figure out a way to get her to reliably take her Succu-Bye every week, but I¡¯ll tackle that problem later on tonight.


    When I leave the kitchen and the empty cup of tea behind me in the sink, I hear the words I¡¯ve been longing to hear. Cherry yells at me from the second floor. ¡°Myaster! We¡¯re ready for you now!¡±


    PunishedKom


    A friend of mine had their Discord account hacked and the hacker sent me a link saying ''hey can you try this lewd game I made'' and I trusted that it was her and downloaded it and tried opening the game. This led to the hacker taking over my Discord and attempting to take over my Gmail, but I got him out of there and everywhere else he got into. He started spamming racial slurs, gore pics and shit like that in my official server, messaged everyone on my friendlist the ''can you try this lewd game I made'' shit, and I believe he deleted my server as well. He harrassed me on twitter as well, and worst of all he made $400 worth of Discord Nitro and server boost purchases because my Paypal was connected.


    I waited all day for Discord to respond to me, but nothing happened. Eventually I opened up disputes on every charge and Paypal was very fast to refund all of them so fuck Discord for saying in their customer thing to contact THEM for refunds, not Paypal. I''m very stressed and upset over it but the worst is over. Hacker can''t really do more damage but it was so stressful because this next month is really bad for me financially. I have to make two rent payments essentially, first month of house payments and last month of rent on appartment. That''s on top of whatever the fuck happens to me on taxes this year.


    I do hate to e-beg, but if you want to support me now would be an incredibly important time to do so. Whether you want to tip me on Paypal or join the Patreon to read advance chapters, please consider doing so.

 The Mating Ceremony Begins

    Everything in the last week has been leading to this very moment. My heart races as I ascend the stairs one by one, knowing that in my bedroom, two new lovers are awaiting my loving embrace for the first time. When I reach the top and look down the hall, I see Sam and Meri poking their heads out of the guest bedroom.


    ¡°Breed those pussies till they¡¯re raw, Boss!¡± Sam gives me a reassuring thumbs-up.


    ¡°U-Um, no matter how hard it gets in there, don¡¯t give up!¡± Meri smiles, blushing. Odd choice of advice to give someone with practically infinite stamina, but whatever. I¡¯m too excited to care, so I just wave at my supporters before entering my chambers.


    Right away, I¡¯m met with a beautiful sight. Peri and Cherry are on my bed, sprawled out wearing the most thematically fitting garments they possibly could have found in the lingerie stockpile.


    Each girl wears matching, tight, black tube tops with frilly hems and shoestring shoulder straps. In the center of their chests, gratuitous boob windows in the shape of cat faces show off their respective pale and tanned flesh. They wear black, frilly, shoestring-tied panties in the same style. The thin straps both above and below threaten to snap right off of their tight curves, especially on Peri, who, while not chubby, has more meat on her compared to her lithe counterpart.


    Peri sits up and licks her lips, squishing her ample cleavage together as she tilts her head to stare at me. ¡°Welcome, Myaster. You¡¯re going to mate with us, now.¡± She says in no uncertain terms.


    ¡°Yes. Yes, I am.¡± I tell her.


    Cherry sits beside her, raising her butt into the air like an animal and blushing. ¡°We¡¯ve never done this before, so we¡¯re mostly going to be leaving this to you... except... the mating ceremony is a cultural thing for us Beastfolk. There¡¯s a specific way we have to do things, nyaa...¡±


    I begin to strip myself of my clothes, specifically my vest and my shirt. The two cats audibly gasp once they get a view of my muscled chest, and I smile as I approach them. ¡°Tell me how to do it, then, and I¡¯ll take you as my mates, Cherry. Periwinkle. I want to make the two of you belong to me in every sense of the world.¡±


    ¡°Hyaaaahn...¡± Peri¡¯s cheeks grow even redder, ¡°I-If you talk like that, Myaster... I¡¯ll... um... get all stupid... and...¡±


    ¡°So? You don¡¯t have to control yourself any longer. Neither do I.¡± I tell Peri as I advance even closer to the bed and take my first grope of her sizeable breasts. She whimpers and leans into my hand, purring as I squeeze her round, fleshy globe.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s... a good... point... mmmmmm...¡± Peri cranes her neck backward. ¡°T-Tell Myaster the rest, Cherryyyy...¡±


    ¡°You... uh... AH!¡± Before Cherry can elaborate further, I grab her breast in my opposite hand. Squeezing it along with Peri¡¯s at the same time, I feel both of their soft curves and delight in the difference. Peri¡¯s are big, not absurdly so, but equal to Sam if not Meri. Cherry¡¯s are a little bigger than Zutiria¡¯s, a fact that the kitten seems none too fond of.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry they¡¯re not as big as Peri¡¯s...¡± She bites her lip, looking away.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. They¡¯re adorable, just like you.¡± I watch her eyes open wide as soon as my fingers find her nipple through the tight black tube top, lightly clenching around it and stroking.


    ¡°NYAAH!¡± Cherry screams, pulling away from me and scooting several inches further up the bed. ¡°M-Myaster, stop it! I-I¡¯ll scratch you if you don¡¯t let me finish my explanation!¡±


    Doing my best to speak in a devilish tone, I remove my hand from Peri¡¯s chest and place it on Cherry¡¯s thigh. ¡°And what if I want to be scratched?¡±


    Peri takes me literally, scratching my arm with no warning almost right after I get done saying it.


    ¡°I can help. I¡¯ll do anything Myaster wants me to do... anything...!¡± She purrs, satisfied with herself as I wince.


    Cherry gets a giggle out of watching my pained face. It calms her and lets her more easily brush off my advances to get on with her instructions. ¡°First off, you have to mark us on the outside... and then, uh... you have to mark us on the inside. The order is important to the ritual, so if you don¡¯t mind, Myaster...¡±


    ¡°Cum on our faces and then in our pussies,¡± Peri smiles with mock innocence. ¡°That way, every other Beastfolk in all the Realms will know we belong to you, body and soul...¡±


    ¡°You were right,¡± I stare at the pink-haired kitten in particular, ¡°This is much hotter than everything I¡¯ve heard about the ceremony in fiction...¡±


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d like it since you¡¯re such a damn perv, nyaa.¡± Cherry smiles, looking away with more than a bit of shyness.


    ¡°Watch your mouth,¡± I teasingly grab Cherry by her collar. ¡°This damned perv is about to become the mate you spend the rest of your life with... I demand the proper respect that entails.¡±


    Cherry looks up at me, tilting her head. When she realizes I¡¯m just being playful, she snorts and smiles. ¡°You¡¯ll have to fuck some proper respect out of me, Myaster.¡± She says, finding more of her courage.


    ¡°That can be arranged,¡± I tell Cherry, smiling as I release her collar.


    Peri crawls towards the edge of the bed. Her paw finds my belt buckle, and the black-clad kitten looks up at me. ¡°Myaster, may I?¡±


    ¡°No. You have to do it together.¡± I nudge the pushy kitten back with my hand, causing her to mew from distress.


    ¡°Cherry, come onnnn...!¡±


    ¡°Ok, ok...! It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t wanna see it, too, y¡¯know...¡±


    Cherry joins Peri on the precipice, and at once, both of the Catfolk maids begin fumbling with my belt. It unlocks with a metal clank jittering causing my pants to fall to the floor. Both my boxers and my the outline of my swelling manhood are revealed to both eager Catfolk.


    The pheromones start to kick in as soon as my underwear is exposed. I watch as each girl shoves their pink cat nose against the sides of the fabric and begins sniffing as if entirely unable to control themselves.


    ¡°Oh... gods...¡± Cherry whines.


    ¡°It¡¯s e-e-even stronger than I... I...! Nyaaaahh...¡± Peri sighs, nuzzling her cheek against the growing bulge.


    ¡°Do you want to see it?¡± I grab Peri by the hair and rub the outline of my cock against her nose. It forces a delightful whimper and a moan out of the desperate girl.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yessss...!¡± She cries. ¡°More than anything I¡¯ve ever wanted, nyaaa...!¡±


    ¡°Then I need you to do me a favor. Close your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Myaster...¡± The obedient, blue-haired kitten follows my command. While just as eager, Cherry knows what I¡¯m up to when I tip my glasses down and shoot her a wink.


    Breaking from the pair of kittens at the large bed, I take two bottles of Succu-Bye from the nightstand drawer. I drop my glasses off while I¡¯m there, not needing them as long as I have women to look upon.


    Discreetly, I hand one bottle to Cherry, who drinks it with a tiny bit of hesitation, which I know comes from her battling with her instincts to breed. Luckily, her mind is stronger than a certain someone¡¯s, and she can fight her impulses off. For that certain someone, more drastic measures are necessary.


    ¡°Eyes still closed?¡± I ask Peri, whose bangs still cover her eyes as ever.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster... of course... you know I¡¯d never disobey you...¡± Peri whimpers in a sing-song, dreamy voice. I¡¯m not sure I agree with the second half of her statement, but she¡¯s a good girl nonetheless.


    I take the contents of the bottle into my mouth, finding them to taste fizzy, sweet, and faintly of some fruit that I can¡¯t put my finger on. I push my lips against Peri¡¯s, and in no time at all, she opens her mouth fully, expecting my tongue. She gets all that and more as I deposit the birth control potion down her throat, making sure she swallows.


    As much as she wants to keep kissing me without end, she begins to cough and pulls away. ¡°M-Myaster...?! What was that...!?¡± She whines.


    ¡°A special potion I had Zutiria make for the two of you. It¡¯ll make you feel even better than ever before.¡± I lie to her face, which thankfully works.


    ¡°Ohhhhh!¡± She sighs, contented. ¡°Here I was worried it was one of those nasty Succu-Byes that would prevent me from having your kittens, nyaa!¡±


    ¡°No, we¡¯ll figure that some other time...¡± I look away at Cherry, who snickers to herself. Peri tilts her head, blissfully unaware and living in her own fantasy land.


    Before I take my dick out for them, there¡¯s something else that needs to be done. ¡°Cherry, come here,¡± I tell my tanned Catfolk, intending to make them even.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster...?¡± She stares into my eyes, blushing as her anxiety rises once again. ¡°Oh... wow... your eyes are so... pretty.¡± Cherry blinks, leaning towards my lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so. Right now, Cherry, they¡¯re all yours.¡± Our lips take their first taste of each other, and we discover that they like what they find. Her full lips whimper as I kiss them, and our tongues meet, her textured one deftly massaging and licking around my own. Peri was too taken by surprise to kiss back, so Cherry¡¯s kiss lingers in my mind long after I pull away from her.


    ¡°Myaster... let me help, too...¡± Peri whines as she rises on the bed.


    I glance at Cherry for permission, and she nods without hesitation. The three of us begin a mutual, shared kiss, the likes of which I¡¯ve rarely had until now. Given how much these two Catfolk love each other, they¡¯ve clearly kissed many, many times, and I get to enjoy the benefits of all their experience.


    Peri and Cherry¡¯s tongues lap at my own like it were a delicious treat in perfect combination. They suck on it, lick it, kiss it, pull at my lips, and lick those, too. Where one girl was, the other was sure to follow. If there was a weak spot to be exploited, then it was quickly met with a tongue. It was as if they knew their partner perfectly and how to work best with her to kiss me to new heights of pleasure. This unheard-of teamwork is met with many a moan escaping the back of my throat.


    After several minutes of enjoying our heated, three-way make-out session, the kittens pull away in unison. A giant, cat-like smile is plastered on both of their faces. ¡°I think Myaster liked our kisses...¡± Cherry says, placing a paw on my erect cock.


    ¡°Sure seems like he did...¡± Peri giggles, cupping my heaving balls in her own paw.


    ¡°Not as much as you¡¯re going to like this,¡± I warn them, watching their faces react as I put my hands around the hem of my underwear and pull down.

 Falling to Master’s Scent

    My erect hard-on reveals itself to the two excited kittens, and once more they gasp at the sight of me. Cherry¡¯s eyes shrink to little pinpricks as she admires it, while Peri holds both of her paws over her mouth.


    ¡°Wow... so this is the true power of a fertile male...¡± Peri¡¯s skin gets goosebumps, and she sharply inhales my musk.


    ¡°I... I didn¡¯t think it would be so... so... amazing...¡± Cherry closes her eyes, panting for air amid the powerful scent.


    ¡°Does smelling me turn you on?¡± Despite knowing the answer, I ask for the sake of my own ego. Their over-exaggerated language and reactions serve only to make me all the more aroused.


    ¡°Yes, your penis smells like the best thing in the Realm, Myaster...!¡± Peri coos.


    ¡°E-Even I can¡¯t help but want it to... to...¡±


    ¡°To what, Cherry...?¡±


    ¡°Smelling your penis makes me wanna get bred...¡± She whimpers, the indescribable lust overwhelming her bestial mind.


    ¡°What a good idea, nyaa... it¡¯d be so hot to carry Myaster¡¯s kittens together at the same time...¡± Peri starts drooling, losing herself in fantasy. As much as I don¡¯t want children yet, the keyword there being yet, I won¡¯t deny how incredibly hot impregnation is. Peri¡¯s words drive me wild and make me even harder- something both girls notice immediately.


    ¡°Would Myaster like to breed his kittens?¡± Cherry blushes, grabbing my naked cock in her paw and beginning to stroke its length.


    ¡°Yes, Master would very much like to breed you like the animals you are...¡± I look at them to gauge if that counted as some sort of taboo raceplay, but it only made the kitties blush harder so I¡¯m guessing that calling them beasts and animals is cool with them. ¡°But first, paws off. I want to mark you with my scent. My cum isn¡¯t enough, I need to make sure every other male out there can smell that you¡¯re mine from miles away.¡±


    Cherry whines as she listens to my command, stopping her pawjob before it can escalate further. ¡°O-Oh, of course, Myaster... that¡¯s your right as our mate... as our male...¡± She shudders.


    ¡°Oh my Gods,¡± Peri bites her lips. ¡°That¡¯s so... so... masculine of you, Myaster...¡±


    I take my fat cock in hand and rub it against Cherry¡¯s entire face, top to bottom. My head drags from her forehead all the way to her chin as I grind myself against her soft skin. Smelling the powerful shaft of her mate, this bratty maid freezes in place and all but goes limp before my manhood.


    ¡°M-Myas...ter...!! I can¡¯t take this smell much longer...!!¡± Cherry winces, her eyes becoming wet. For stability she reaches out and grabs my thigh, latching onto it with her claws. Before she can dig in too deep, I pull it away from her.


    Next, it¡¯s Peri¡¯s turn. I cover her face in my scent by rubbing my throbbing cock all over her face as well. My penis feels so good every time she inhales around it with her wet nose. Just as she becomes lustier upon sniffing my pheromones, I become all the more potent knowing that just the smell of my cock is enough to make these beautiful women fall to their knees in desire.


    ¡°More, moooore...! Make my face smell like you, Myaster...!¡± Peri opens her hot, wet mouth and pants like crazy. Her steamy breath clouds around my cock yet she purposefully avoids licking it.


    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. But how about you two do this together?¡± I grab both of them by their hair and push their cheeks together. Both kittens make agreeable cat noises and shudder in delight as I start to ramp up my face humping. I¡¯ve never done anything like this before and I¡¯m certainly making the most of it.


    Cherry and Peri hold their paws together as they start to pant hotter and heavier. I thrust and grind like no tomorrow, dragging against their noses, their lips, pulling their hair back so that my balls can scrape against their faces... anything I can think of, I do it. I leave no corner unsoiled by my scent.


    After I have my way with their faces for as long as I want, Peri seizes up and whines louder than anything thus far. In only a few seconds, Cherry joins her and I¡¯m astonished at the implications. I pull my dick away from them, look down at their faces and ask, ¡°Did my scent just make you cum, kittens?¡±


    Both of the kittens whimper as they fall down from their orgasmic high, while I just stand here in awe of the power I hold over the two of them. Assuming this works on just about any female Beastfolk, then truly this is a power not to be wielded lightly.


    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry, Myaster...!¡± Cherry bites her lip with meekness I¡¯ve never seen before from her. She nods her head, shoving a hand between her thighs and covering her wet shame.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m not sorry, not at all... Of course I came w-when Myaster shoved his fertile fuck stick in my face.¡± Far from displaying her partner¡¯s timidity, Peri too puts her hand into her panties. After taking it out, she spreads her fingers to show me the thick streams of her glistening honey. ¡°Look... this is the proof of how much I wanted you this last week... no... how much I¡¯ve wanted you since the moment I first saw met...¡±


    ¡°Peri, that¡¯s not fair...! I... I wanted you too, Myaster, I knew that really early on! I was just... such a stupid bit-¡±


    I put my index finger on Cherry¡¯s lips, shushing her and shaking my head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who wanted me first, or whether you had to work through some stuff to realize it. Tonight is the night, and you¡¯re both going to get what you want. How do we do this? Do you each want your own facial, or do you both want to blow me and share one?¡± I ask them one of the hottest questions in the world, and the two Catfolk turn to face each other and nod. Their lack of hesitation shows just how much they¡¯ve planned this.


    ¡°We want to do it in a special way, if... um... that¡¯s ok, Myaster?¡± Peri clasps her paws together in hope.


    ¡°Of course. Tell me what you want.¡±


    Peri looks at her partner, who then elaborates further. ¡°We wanted to gift each other your cum... meaning one of us will pleasure you with our mouths a-and then... you¡¯ll shoot it on the opposite girl. We also want to do this with sex, too... so...¡±


    ¡°You want me to fuck you and then cum inside Peri, then fuck Peri and cum inside you?¡±


    Cherry blushes but nods her head like mad. Seeing her fall into the depths of her own shyness just keeps giving me little heart attacks of cuteness. I need to make the most of it now before she gets accustomed to sex.


    ¡°I like it. Not only is it oddly romantic, but it¡¯s also very kinky.¡±


    Peri nuzzles her tanned lover and presses the heft of her large boobs into Cherry¡¯s shoulders. ¡°We wanted to show our love for each other while showing our love for you...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect,¡± I smile down at the kittens and give them each a kiss on their cheek. ¡°Tonight isn¡¯t just about me, after all. It¡¯s about everything you¡¯ve gone through together to wind up at my side. For better or worse, neither of you would have made it here if it wasn¡¯t for each other.¡±


    A genuine, non-sexual smile appears on their faces. The two Catfolk sitting on the edge of my large, Dwarven bed begin to sniffle as they stare into one another¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s right, you know...¡±


    ¡°Yeah... I know... I... I love you, Peri...¡±


    ¡°Nyaa... I love you too, Cherry...¡±


    Right before my eyes, the two share an affectionate kiss between lovers. I let it last as long as they want it to and for almost a minute straight the pair of kittens continue to wholesomely make out with one another. While I do my best to be respectful during this tender scene, it¡¯s hard for myself, a red-blooded male, not to look upon these kissing lovers with the thought that very soon those same lips will be wrapped around my cock sucking it with all they¡¯ve got.


    I throb incessantly at the thought, and it draws the attention of the maids soon after.


    Giggling, Peri takes Cherry by the paw and leads her off of the bed. ¡°Sit down, Myaster. It wouldn¡¯t be right for us to have the bed while we suck you off, nyaa... we¡¯re just humble little maids who want to serve you, you know? Our place is beneath you...¡±


    ¡°Let us get between your knees, Myaster. Your dirty kitties want to be marked with your milk.¡± Cherry blushes, pushing me onto the bed. It¡¯s much harder for her to say all of this lewd dialogue, but to Peri it¡¯s all coming natural. Not only is Cherry shyer, but Peri seems much more confident.


    It¡¯s almost like their personalities flip when it¡¯s time for sex. I wonder if Cherry is this bashful when it¡¯s just the two of them, or if it¡¯s just because it involves me? My gold is on the latter. She had no problem masturbating Peri in front of my eyes the other day, come to think of it.


    Sitting down on the bed, I spread my knees wide open so that the two eager women can situate themselves between me just how they wanted. Peri sits on my left, while Cherry sits on my right. Both of them are gawking and marveling at the sight of my erection, to the point where it looks as if they¡¯re in a reverent trance.


    ¡°Who¡¯s going first?¡± I ask, my excitement visible for all to see. Grabbing the base of my cock, I wiggle it in front of them and watch as they follow its path.


    The two don¡¯t even look at each other before Peri speaks up. ¡°Me. I-I want to suck Myaster¡¯s cock and give all of its cum to Cherry...¡±


    Cherry swallows, nervousness overtaking her as she trembles with both fear and excitement. ¡°Nyaa...¡± She whimpers. ¡°Please, go ahead... I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready yet, and... um... I¡¯d like to watch...¡±


    ¡°Well, that settles that. Peri, you¡¯ve waited a week but now it¡¯s all yours. Suck Master¡¯s cock like you mean it.¡±


    Taking the root in her paw, she opens her juicy lips and smiles. ¡°Yes, Myaster...¡±

 Peri Services the Master

    Peri starts drowning the red, engorged head of my manhood in pleasure right from the get-go. With almost furious abandon, the blue-haired maid kisses my tip over and over again. Her puffy lips suck down and pull away with a loud, hard smack each and every time. Amid these kisses, she strokes and licks me with her slightly textured tongue.


    ¡°Oh, Myaster...¡± Peri mews between fevered kisses, ¡°You... mmnnn... taste better than I dreamed you would...¡±


    I roll my eyes back and accidentally buck my hips into Peri¡¯s willing mouth. Reaching out with my hand, I begin to pet the cock-sucking kitty with great respect. ¡°How long have you imagined sucking on your Master¡¯s cock, Peri...?¡±


    ¡°Ever since... mnn... I first went into heat as a little girl... I thought about sucking on my future Myaster like this...¡± She takes a deep breath before taking a third of my length inside. Peri sucks hard as her head playfully bobs up and down before letting go and gasping for air. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to serve my mate like a nice little kitty, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°That explains why you¡¯re so good at it,¡± I shudder as Peri starts blowing me with increasing familiarity. For her first time, her skills are... really, really damn good.


    I start moaning as she gets more intense with my meat, enjoying the extremely distinct way she handles it. Rather than focusing on sucking me off properly, the kitten makes excellent use of her tongue to coat me in little textured licks. Hardly a second a few seconds go by without Peri stopping whatever she¡¯s going just to start kissing my penis in dozens of different ways.


    Without a doubt, no one has pleasured me in such a unique way before. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m being worshipped by the feeling of Peri¡¯s love itself, constant in its caresses and never letting me forget the depth of her affections.


    ¡°Peri really likes to lick and kiss...¡± Cherry blushes as she watches her lover slurp on my meaty rod, her eyes darting back and forth from my growing pleasure to my face. A heat begins to grow within her, and she clutches my thigh with a hint of her claws.


    ¡°Does Peri eat you out like this, too?¡± I ask as I scratch the orally-focused kitten¡¯s gray ears, causing her to purr on my cock. The vibration causes me to lurch forward into her welcoming mouth, and I push the back of her head to take more of me within her. Peri is happy to swallow as much of my cock as she can. She coughs around it but steadies herself and continues to bob her head.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Cherry admits, drooling at the sight of Peri all but choking on my erect manhood. ¡°But watching her do it to you is... uh... fucking... wow...¡± Gulping, the pink-haired Catfolk clenches her thighs together. She fights the growing urge to explore her pink depths without me until she can no longer fight against it, digging into her panties and stuffing a finger into her slit.


    ¡°Look at that, Peri. Just... ngh... having you suck my cock is enough too much for Cherry to... bear...¡± I moan, my taunting not doing so much good amid the kissing and sucking ministrations of Peri¡¯s fantastic service.


    Taking my penis out of her wet, velvet mouth, Peri nuzzles it against her cheeks and sniffs it again for good measure. ¡°Don¡¯t be jealous, Cherry. As soon as Myaster¡¯s ready to claim you with his cum, it¡¯ll be your turn...¡± She reminds her lover right before trailing her steaming tongue down the back of my cock to my balls. Peri plants a deep, sucking kiss on each of my heavy orbs, making sure to squeeze them with her paw pads right after.


    ¡°Myaster... they¡¯re so heavy...¡± Peri purrs.


    ¡°I... my body is magic-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say...¡± Cherry mumbles, her finger continuing to dig deeper between her pink lips.


    ¡°No, I mean it. I don¡¯t run out of cum, or stamina, for that matter...¡±


    ¡°Wow... then it¡¯s no wonder your balls feel like they¡¯re stuffed to the brim!¡± Peri giggles and makes an exaggerated mouth opening sound, only to suck my left nut into her mouth and clamp down. To make matters worse, she moves both of her paws to start stroking me off like crazy as her testicular worship ramps up.


    ¡°Does it feel good, Myaster...? Does Peri suck your cock good...?¡± Cherry bites her lip, and it¡¯s clear that she¡¯s asking this for her own arousal. Her free pat grips my thigh again, and I stare at Cherry as she masturbates herself.


    ¡°Yes, fuck yes, she sucks my cock better than I could¡¯ve ever hoped for... she¡¯s such a good fucking maid, Cherry, she¡¯s going to suck me so hard and so good that I¡¯m going to cum all over your pretty fucking face and make you mine.¡± I groan, giving the lewd maid all the dirty talk she could want for all while Peri leaves my balls and goes back to her passionate kissing routine.


    The masturbating maid moans deep, my words setting her off. Cherry shuts her fluttering eyelids and gasps. Her schlicking becomes loud enough that I can hear it even alongside the sounds of Peri lavishing my erect penis. She bends over, her fluffy brown tail wavering behind her as she loses her grip on her own control bit by bit.


    ¡°Do you like that idea, Cherry?¡± I groan as Peri licks me from the bottom to my tip, swirling her tongue in dozens of little circles.


    ¡°Yes...¡± Cherry bites her lower lip, her knees buckling and her claws digging even harder into my thighs.


    ¡°Do you want me to fucking cum on your face?¡± I ask as I instinctually grab Peri¡¯s hair and use it to glide myself a bit further back down her throat then she¡¯s used to. Judging from the pleasured purrs vibrating down the head of my swollen cock, Peri doesn¡¯t seem to mind.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster...! I-I want you to make me yours, damn it! Do it already, nyaa! I¡¯m sick of waiting!¡± She loses herself to her desperation, and I watch as Cherry¡¯s eyes go wide and her body locks up, trembling in pleasure. She cums against her furred finger, her honey trickling against her panties and even onto the wooden floor.


    This is too much for a man to bear, and luckily, Peri knows this. She loudly slurps my cock all the way out of her mouth, gasping as it leaves her, and she points it directly at Cherry¡¯s face. ¡°Do it... I wanna see my beloved Cherry coated in Myaster¡¯s cock milk...¡± She begs, jerking hard. ¡°Show us how much of a powerful male you are, do it, nyaaaa!¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡± Cherry whines, closing her eyes and opening her mouth to let her tongue droop out.


    As Peri pushes me over the edge, I am awash with the pleasures of climax and begin firing off a tremendous load at the pretty kitty¡¯s tanned face. Although she might have thought she was ready for me, in reality, she wasn¡¯t. Cherry couldn¡¯t have expected just how powerful my orgasms can be.


    ¡°Oh, Gods...!¡± Peri purrs, watching the burning ejaculate slather our shared lover¡¯s face for far, far longer than she anticipated.


    ¡°NYAHH- T-THERE¡¯S SO MUCH...!¡± Cherry whines, taking every last drop of my semen like a proper maid. My load falls onto her face, her animal-like nose, her chin, and even gets into her fluffy pink hair. It splatters against her with relentless force, and I watch helplessly in pleasure as she lets as much of my cum fall onto her tongue as she can before swallowing it down her throat. She gasps and smiles as if drinking down delicious milk.


    ¡°Come on, Myaster... let it out, let it all ouuuuut...!¡± Peri nuzzles my inner thigh with her cheek, caresses me with her soft paws, and jerks the last few shots out of my trembling cock. Bursting out of me, a powerful moan tops off the orgasm as the last few drops of semen fall straight onto Cherry¡¯s breasts below.


    ¡°Mya... ster...¡± The drenched kitten sits there, overwhelmed by the feel, the scent, and the ownership I now have over her. As the steaming liquid drips slowly down the sides of her face, she becomes lost in a lustful expression.


    Peri has taken to cleaning me up, using her mouth to get me ready for Cherry¡¯s blowjob. While unnecessary, it feels very nice, and she makes sure not to push it too far.


    ¡°How do you like it, Cherry...?¡± I ask as soon as my cock leaves Peri¡¯s lips one last time for now.


    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m yours now...¡± She replies dreamily. Underneath the thick, white globs of my semen, I see her blushing harder than I¡¯ve ever seen her blush before. ¡°It didn¡¯t really feel real until a second ago... but now, I... I know what it feels like to belong to a man...¡± Her body shudders with ecstasy, her own words giving her chills. ¡°I was so stupid... all these years I stood in the way of us getting to feel like... like THIS?!¡±


    ¡°Cherry, he hasn¡¯t even fucked you yet,¡± Peri giggles, reminding her lover of the pleasure yet to come. With one of her furry, white fingers, she traces a path down from Cherry¡¯s collarbone down to the inside of her panties. She pushes inside, where Cherry climaxed only minutes before. ¡°Imagine what it¡¯s gonna be like when Myaster lets out all of his seed inside you, nyaa...¡±


    Cherry¡¯s eyes open wide. The semen coating her face distracted her to the point where she forgot there were even any steps after this one. She looks down at the floor, mouth agape with shock. ¡°I-I... oh... oh holy fucking shit, this is... n-nyaaaaa...¡± Cherry cups her cheeks in her paws, her mind a whirlwind of arousal and confusion. She doesn¡¯t resemble the feisty, bratty cat I adopted only a week ago whatsoever.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that it¡¯s about to get a lot better,¡± I remind her. ¡°It¡¯s your turn. Help me claim Peri¡¯s face. Think you can manage that?¡± Taking my cock in hand once more, I point it towards the breathy kitten, trembling kitten.


    Cherry¡¯s magenta eyes immediately focus on the still-pulsing phallus before her. She sniffs it, sending another chill down her spine as my cum begins drying on her face. ¡°I... um... I think, I-¡±


    Peri leans into Cherry¡¯s lips and gives her a passionate kiss without any warning. The pink-haired maid reacts in shock once more, but she quickly falls to pleasure as the taste settles on her tongue. Pulling away, a trail of drool connects their lips before falling onto their chins.


    Dumbfounded, Cherry stares at her lover. She licks her lips, and for a moment, her tongue idly hands out of the side of her mouth before she regains composure and  ¡°He... he tastes THAT good...?!¡±


    ¡°Yup,¡± giggling, Peri takes the root of my cock and wiggles it seductively in front of the other maid¡¯s lips. ¡°And right now, Myaster is all yours. So go ahead, Cherry... taste him for yourself.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to make Master upset, do you?¡± Teasing her, I watch as the last drop of hesitance fades from her eyes. Unable to hold back her animal instincts for a second longer, Cherry opens her mouth and shoves me back down her throat as far as she can, in sharp contrast to Peri.

 How to Handle Sassy Maids

    ¡°Mmmmnffhh-¡± Cherry moans around my fat, throbbing cock as it stretches her juicy lips into an almost perfect circle. She shuts her eyes closed tight, and she stabilizes herself by clutching my thigh with her claws. It¡¯s bigger than Cherry thought it would be, but to a Catfolk, that doesn¡¯t matter. When she gets into it, the only thing on her mind is pleasing her mate.


    When she starts sucking and licking me with her textured tongue, it drives me to grab the blanket with my hand and throw my neck back, groaning. The way Peri used her tongue was soft, delicate, but aggressive. The tiny bit of texture that separated it from a human tongue was present, but not a gamechanger unlike it is now.


    Cherry licks the underside of my shaft with long, deep strokes that scrape her softness around me in achingly long swathes. Although she¡¯s never taken a cock before in her life, she instinctually knows what to do. The once bratty maid who started off this week hating me and my guts is now giving me a blowjob fit for a king while her lover watches her every move.


    ¡°Wow... Cherry, you¡¯re so brave, sucking on Myaster so deep like that...¡± Peri drools at the sight, her body wiggling with lust as she reaches out her paw to stroke Cherry¡¯s hair. This causes the pink-haired kitten to purr around my cock, once more making me groan and grunt with a sudden jolt of pleasure.


    ¡°Heehee. Myaster really likes it when kitties purr on his dick, nyaa. Give him some more, maybe?¡±


    At Peri¡¯s suggestion, the maid starts purring up a storm with my erect manhood in her mouth. A twinge of confidence sparks up behind her magenta eyes as she watches me react with abject pleasure. Cherry purrs louder, and I react just the way she wants me to by shuddering and seizing her hair. If it weren¡¯t for her lips being stretched from my size, the kitten would surely be grinning smug right about now.


    She proves me correct by popping off my cock and smiling. ¡°This... isn¡¯t as scary as I was worried it¡¯d be, I think...¡± I sense mischievousness behind her words.


    ¡°Right?¡± Peri giggles. ¡°It¡¯s really fun.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you come into your own, Cherry.¡± I give her a teasing smile, and the bratty cat smirks before slurping down on me again.


    ¡°I bet you are, perv,¡± She says, coming up for air and laughing to herself before sinking down on my pole once more.


    ¡°Well, I see someone is growing confident enough to give me backtalk,¡± I raise an eyebrow at the sassy maid.


    Cherry looks around before pointing at herself with mock innocent. ¡®Who, me?¡¯ she asks without words.


    ¡°Yes, you.¡± To confirm it, I tighten my grip back on her hair and force another few inches down her throat. After making sure she¡¯s good for it, of course. I don¡¯t want to make her take too much too fast. Luckily, Cherry is just as made for pleasure as her partner. Her eyes become watery as I start guiding her lips down the persistent hardness between my legs, and to show her satisfaction, she purrs the entire time.


    ¡°Oh, nyaaaa...¡± Peri licks her lips at the sight of me facefucking her lover. ¡°You should do it harder, Myaster... she was naughty and gave you sass. Maids aren¡¯t supposed to do that.¡±


    Cherry¡¯s eyes at first panic as she gazes at Peri, but when she looks back up at me, it¡¯s clear that she isn¡¯t against the idea of me being more forceful with her. She slides up the length of my cock, takes in some air, and tells me, ¡°Is that the kind of Myaster you are? You gonna punish your naughty little maid just cause she was a little rude? Huh?¡±


    ¡°You better believe I am,¡± I tell her as I grab the back of her head and start pumping myself into her throat. Cherry starts to make awkward glugging sounds as she does her best to both accommodate and pleasure me at the same time. Each desperate sound the kitten makes only burns my blood even hotter.


    ¡°More, Myaster... moooore...!!¡± Peri cheers me on, perhaps too enthusiastically. She¡¯s on the verge of getting off just from watching me use Cherry like a sex toy.


    Still, I want to please my kittens¡ª both of them. To make Peri happy, my fist tightens even tighter around my maid¡¯s pink hair, and I start groaning as I thrust my hips into Cherry¡¯s struggling mouth with reckless abandon. This goes on for almost half a minute until I inevitably pause to give the desperate cocksucking kitty some well-deserved air.


    I didn¡¯t expect her to gasp, look up at me, smirk, and ask, ¡°Is that all?¡±


    Peri squeals, waiting to see what I¡¯m about to do to her partner in retaliation. Her tail waves back and forth, compared to Cherry¡¯s, whose tail hangs limply behind her. She talks a big game, but she¡¯s still nervous beneath it all.


    ¡°It was, but now I¡¯m not going to hold back since you seem dead set on taking it,¡± Thrusting my cock down Cherry¡¯s piping hot mouth, I get a feel for how much the maid can truly take. She struggles against my advances but fights back, licking and sucking in any small way she can.


    Gagging, she closes her eyes and wraps her paws around my hips to hold on for stability. Cherry then digs in with her claws enough for it to sting, giving me a defiant look while she does so. I arch my back and gasp from the sharp sensation, inadvertently sending me to buck my hips into the kitten until my pubic mound is planted firmly against the stretched lips of the Catfolk woman.


    ¡°You got it all in, Cherry...!¡± Peri gasps, surprised at how stretchy the bratty maid¡¯s jaw can be. Unfortunately, Cherry can¡¯t keep this up for long and pulls off in mere seconds. She did more than I would expect from a beginner, and I didn¡¯t even intend to do such hardcore things with her throat, but the situation, and Peri, just sort of led us there. It didn¡¯t help that Cherry was eager to try it, too.


    ¡°T-That¡¯s... a bit too much for me right now... nyaaa...¡± Cherry admits, feeling no shame in her defeat. To compensate, she wipes a load of drool off her chin and slathers it onto my throbbing manhood with her furry paw, stroking up and down.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You... mn... did well,¡± The maid smiles at me, proud of the job she did. ¡°For a dirty, backtalking maid.¡± She smiles wider, proceeding to take my angry head into her mouth, sucking on it deep and hard.


    ¡°Are you getting close, Myaster...?¡± Her patience running low, Peri whines. Her desire to be coated in my cum just like her partner before grows more profound by the second, and it¡¯s plain to see. She hasn¡¯t resorted to masturbation as Cherry did, but that¡¯s only because Peri is so enraptured from watching Cherry work my cock.


    ¡°Yeah... we¡¯re almost there...¡± I close my eyes from the building pleasure, and my words inspire the kitten to work even harder. Cherry adopts a pleasant rhythm where she swallows me halfway down, jerks the other half with her paw, and slurps as loud as she can while sucking.


    Pausing for a brief moment to taunt me, she licks the tip and says, ¡°Myaster, come on... Peri is waiting for you, you know. She¡¯s waited all week for you to cum all over her pretty little face. Don¡¯t you want to see that, nyaa? And for you, Peri, why don¡¯t you ready for him?¡±


    ¡°Of course...¡± Peri purrs, opening her mouth wide and brushing her long, blue bangs out of her face. For the first time since I¡¯ve met her, I now have a clear view of Peri¡¯s eyes. They have a droopy, half-lidded appearance with long lashes and upturned, anxious eyebrows. The color of her irises happens to be a sparkling seafoam, more green than blue.


    ¡°Peri... you¡¯re such a pretty kitten...¡± I throb in Cherry¡¯s upon witnessing the face of the second mate I¡¯m about to claim. This doesn¡¯t escape the maid currently working me with everything she¡¯s got, and she moves her spare paw to my balls to start fondling.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she?¡± Cherry giggles as if a compliment to Peri was also a compliment to her. ¡°But she¡¯d look a lot prettier with Myaster¡¯s milk splattered all over her, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    I groan at the idea, my head rolling back. ¡°Fuck yeah, she would,¡±


    ¡°Then give it to her,¡± Cherry says in a needy, bratty tone of voice. ¡°What are you waiting for? Cum on your pretty little maid so she knows she belongs to you.¡±


    ¡°Please, Myaster, do it... every second I haven¡¯t been claimed by you is too much for my poor little body to bear...¡± Whining more than ever before, Peri massages my inner thighs with her soft, furry paws and this, coupled with the begging and the teasing, is more than enough to finally set me off for the second time.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming! Peri...! You¡¯re mine, now...! PERI!¡± I bark, clenching down on the bed beneath me. My penis ejaculates with the force of a throbbing cannon straight at Peri¡¯s revealed face. Cherry licks her lips as she watches the devastation unfold, pointing it directly at our shared lover and milking it with surprising efficiency. Her grip is rougher than Peri¡¯s, so the way she forces every last drop to fall onto the maid¡¯s fair face is harsh and intense.


    I shudder as ropes and ropes of my thick, burning cum explode onto Peri. Every blast is met with a pleasured meow as if the contact of my cum was more than enough to set her off. Peri sits there, being hosed with copious amounts of my seed and enjoying every slight drop that lands on her tongue. She wastes no time swallowing whenever this happens and then opens her mouth, tongue out in the hopes of getting more stray milk.


    Once my stream finally begins to thin, the facial¡¯d maid begins trembling with satisfaction. Tears start to trickle down out of her eyes as she smiles, the hot semen still plastered all over her. ¡°We did it...¡± She says, sniffling. ¡°We really, really did it, nyaa... we found someone who could love us together, and he... he¡¯s finally claiming us...¡±


    It seems the reality of the situation hit her now, too, just like it did with Cherry when she got her coating.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally gotten everything I¡¯ve ever wanted.¡± Peri begins crying even deeper. ¡°We found a mate, Cherry... we found him, and he loves us, and he¡¯s perfect...!¡±


    Cherry looks to me, slightly worried, yet all I can do is smile at the heartwarming honesty of Peri¡¯s emotions on full display.


    ¡°Peri...¡± Cherry blushes, leaning in and embracing her partner.


    Hugging her back, Peri nuzzles the other maid and keeps crying. ¡°Myaster... Cherry... I love you both so much...!!¡±


    ¡°I love you too, dummy...¡± Cherry blushes, holding Peri tight.


    ¡°And I love the both of you as well,¡± I reach down and give them both tender head pats and scratches, not stopping until the both of them roll their heads back in satisfaction. ¡°So why don¡¯t you join me on the bed so that we can make this even more official?¡±

 Exploring the Maid’s Bodies

    Wasting no time at all, Peri picks herself up from her emotional outburst and jumps onto the large bed. She fumbles the landing, as she¡¯s far from the most graceful of kittens, but she looks adorable as she trips on the sheet. Cherry joins her and jumps much more naturally, landing in the middle and positioning herself by laying down on her back and facing me.


    Cherry¡¯s load of cum has completely dried by now, but Peri¡¯s still has another few minutes of freshness left, thanks to how voluminous the load was. Regardless, seeing the two kittens ready and waiting for me to approach makes my loins stir for further pleasure, but not before I finally take in the splendors of their bodies.


    I crawl on my knees, lumbering over them as they both look up expectantly. ¡°While I love the outfit, girls, I want to see your bodies. You¡¯ve been shoving them in my face for almost a week now, especially Peri.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t help it that Myaster likes what I¡¯ve got...¡± The playful kitten quips.


    The opposite girl smirks and says, ¡°If you want to see so bad, then you can do it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± Taking her literally, I reach out to Cherry¡¯s dripping panties and undo the tied strings on both sides of her hips. For whatever reason, she didn¡¯t expect me to do this. As I confiscate the thin strip of clothing, she blushes, and her paws dart to cover her goods.


    ¡°W-Wait!¡± She cries, all at once, the confidence she¡¯d been building throughout her blowjob dissipates.


    ¡°I already did,¡± I remind her, taking the chance to lift up the bottom of her black tube top over her naked breasts. Cherry gasps, hiding her tits behind one arm and hiding her pussy in the other.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to forgive her. She¡¯s not very good at being honest with herself...¡±


    ¡°Y-Yes I am, damn it! Myaster, I want you to see my body and all that, but... I¡¯m just... worried you won¡¯t like it as much as Peri¡¯s...¡± Cherry clutches herself tighter, making sure not to reveal her nudity.


    ¡°What makes you think I wouldn¡¯t like your body?¡± My hands find the top of her head, and I do my best to stroke and pet the kitten to relative comfort.


    ¡°Because most of the girls you like are curvy, and they all have big tits... Sam... Meri... Opal... Snow...¡±


    Peri¡¯s ears droop when she hears Snow mentioned as if worried it¡¯ll set me off. ¡°Cherry...¡±


    ¡°I assure you I didn¡¯t go out seeking girls with that specific body type on purpose. They found me, just like I found you. I find you beautiful, Cherry. Believe me, my tastes are vast.¡±


    She takes a moment to ponder my statement before accepting it as true. ¡°If you say so,¡± She says, mumbling under her breath.


    Cherry slowly lifts the furred paw from her mound, followed by the one covering her breasts. I take a good look at the blushing, slim, athletic Catfolk displayed in front of me. She is sleek, like a gymnast, but not without curves. Her upper b-cup breasts are perfectly shaped and perky, not a hint of sag to them at all. They end in dark pink nipples that become pointed from the cool open-air shortly after being revealed. Aside from the frown on her face, her averted eyes, and her drooping ears, every part of Cherry¡¯s body screams to be touched and loved.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t she beautiful?¡± Peri purrs, running her gray and white paw across Cherry¡¯s delicate cheek.


    ¡°She really is,¡± I confirm, smiling down on the shy kitten.


    Cherry turns to face me with slight disbelief. ¡°Even my breasts...?


    ¡°Especially your breasts,¡± Leaning over her body, I take one of her small tits in hand and kiss the other one with my excited lips. Cherry shudders at my touch, gasping and closing her eyes.


    ¡°No! T-That¡¯s...¡±


    ¡°She likes it when you nibble,¡± Peri whispers a bit of helpful advice in my ears. I clamp down with my teeth as soon as I hear this, causing the tanned Catfolk at my mercy to arch her back.


    ¡°NYAA!¡± Cherry screams, not helped by my free hand going south and one of my fingers splitting her lips open to gauge her wetness. As expected, she is soaked.


    ¡°H-Human fingers feel so different down there...¡± She purrs anxiously.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, let¡¯s see if you feel any different down there to me.¡± With little warning in advance, I slide my finger into Cherry¡¯s depths and watch as her mouth opens in total pleasured awe. My digit is swallowed by her welcoming walls, and it isn¡¯t long after that that I notice the difference in my first non-human pussy.


    While just as pink, wet, and slick as a human¡¯s, Catfolk seem to have a slightly textured nether region to match their tongues. Although I¡¯ve yet to feel it with my penis, I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be a problem. If anything, I think it¡¯ll feel amazing... she seems to have some bumps along her walls, too. If the Beastfolk fiction I¡¯ve read is anything to go by, then I¡¯ll likely get hooked on the damn things.


    ¡°How does it feel inside her?¡± Peri tilts her head, smiling as I finger her partner.


    ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s indeed a bit different from a human vagina, but trust me. That¡¯s not going to be a problem at all.¡±


    ¡°A-Are you sure?¡± Cherry asks, blushing and panting from the way I caress the insides of her wetness.


    I pull my finger from her, eliciting another groan of ecstasy from Cherry¡¯s pursed lips. As I leave, I give her a deep, passionate kiss on her lower lips. ¡°Indeed, I¡¯m fairly sure. Luckily, I have someone I can get a second opinion from.¡± Smiling directly at that second someone, Peri opens her mouth with sheer joy when she realizes her time has come at last.


    Scooting to the left, I situate myself in front of Peri and reach down to untie her panties with glee. Even before I pull them off, the first thing I notice is that they¡¯re absolutely soaked. Holding them out in front of my eyes for inspection, I raise an eyebrow. ¡°Peri, are you alright...?¡±


    ¡°I-I really need this, ok?!¡± She hisses defensively, earning a chuckle from Cherry.


    ¡°Sleeping in the same bed together this whole week has been hell, nyaa... That¡¯s why we kept sleeping in random places so much. Peri¡¯s heat has been out of control.¡± Cherry sighs.


    A desire overtakes me. With her drenched panties in hand, I hold them to my nose and sniff. Cherry stares at me in disbelief while Peri watches in amazement. ¡°I can tell,¡± I say, remarking at the scent of thick womanhood and desire gushing out from between her lower lips.


    ¡°Myaster is so dirty...¡± Peri purrs with sheer delight as I throw her panties to the sheet and take my first good look at her pussy.


    ¡°Like you¡¯re one to talk, not when you¡¯re practically a fountain down there.¡± My hands reach her tube top with the kitten-shaped cut-out boob window, and with great excitement, I pull it off.


    ¡°Nyah! T-That¡¯s not my fault. It¡¯s yours!¡± She whines. Peri¡¯s large, jiggling breasts spill out of the fabric. She meows cutely in response but makes no attempt to cover herself at all.


    The round, white globes bounce into place, falling to the sides of her torso as she reclines backward onto the bed. Her nipples are larger than Cherry¡¯s by a good deal and are a delicious shade of inviting pink. Just like with Cherry, I wrap my mouth around her and have my first taste of her tits.


    ¡°Tasty, aren¡¯t they...?¡± Cherry asks as I begin to suck from Peri¡¯s pointy peaks.


    Groping and squeezing her large breasts with both of my hands, I lick around the areolae and give her flesh a tender kiss. ¡°Amazingly so. The two of you are both so beautiful and perfect in so many ways.¡±


    ¡°Really, Myaster...?¡± Peri moans.


    ¡°Really,¡± I prove myself by sucking one nipple, kissing my way to the other one, and taking it within my mouth as well. ¡°My kitties are the sexiest, most beautiful kitties in all the Realms.¡±


    ¡°I-I... um... I dunno about that, but,¡± Cherry blushes, a proud- if unsure- smile forming on her face.


    ¡°Myaasteeer...¡± The blue-haired Catfolk spreads her legs, revealing her puffy, dripping lip to the open air. Her striped gray and white tail wiggles beneath her, and one of her paws moves down to split her open. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to inspect me here, too, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of forgetting. Not with how much you¡¯ve been begging for it, you naughty kitty.¡± My right-hand runs down the length of her soft abdomen, past her hairless mound, straight to her slick, pink slit. Peri whines, turning her head from just pleasure this brings her. I push inside of her with my middle finger and watch her mouth open wide.


    ¡°You¡¯re unbelievably wet, Peri...¡± I mockingly shake my head and begin to stir her pussy with my invasive digit. Slick, squicky sounds fill the room as I make even the smallest gesture. Her overwhelming wetness sucks me in deeper as if guiding me right where she wants me.


    ¡°Only because you make me want to breed so bad...¡± Peri fondles her left breast, tweaking the nipple and biting her lower lip. ¡°I... I was never this horny before I met you...!¡± She whines as I twist my finger around inside of her, searching for the spots she likes the most.


    ¡°You were still pretty bad,¡± Cherry corrects her, laughing as she takes Peri¡¯s other breast in hand and groping it softly.


    ¡°Is this true? Have you always been such a dirty, breeding-obsessed girl? Tell the truth.¡± My finger goes wild inside the sopping slit, churning and stirring around her with practiced speed. Peri¡¯s back arches, and she lets out a throaty moan in her cute, high-pitched voice.


    ¡°Y-YES! Ok, ok! It¡¯s the truth! I¡¯m a naughty kitty obsessed with mating!¡± She betrays her fake resistance almost instantly, grinding her hips down onto my hand with a pleasured mew.


    Satisfied, I take my finger out of her velvet tunnel and smile to myself. Bringing it to my mouth, I make a show of sucking Peri¡¯s juices off of it and watch as she reacts with delight. ¡°Good girl. I¡¯d say you¡¯re both about ready for the next step, now. Who¡¯s going first?¡±


    They look at one another again, naked and blushing. While they¡¯d clearly planned this out beforehand, there¡¯s some hesitance now that the moment is here. It¡¯s a shame that Zutiria is still out of commission, as I would have been able to enter them both at the same time with Duplidick. I suppose it¡¯s for the best. I might not have been able to enjoy myself if that were the case.


    ¡°I think you should start with-¡±


    ¡°Cherry.¡± Peri interrupts her.


    ¡°Wait, w-what? That wasn¡¯t what we planned, nyaa...!¡±


    ¡°I got to suck his dick first, and I... um... I want you to have it inside you first. It¡¯s only fair!¡± Peri takes Cherry¡¯s paw and clasps it between her breasts. ¡°Please?¡±


    Cherry looks up at me and then at my massively erect cock. She bites her lip anxiously, averting her eyes. ¡°Would you like that, Myaster? You wouldn¡¯t rather start with Peri first, would you...?¡±


    Without a word, I scoot over in front of Cherry and press my body down against her. She moans softly as she feels my chest flattening her small breasts and my cock pressing horizontally against the lips of her womanhood. ¡°I would like nothing more than to claim you, Cherry. Are you ready to become my mate?¡±


    Cherry¡¯s face becomes overwhelmed with many conflicted expressions. She thinks to herself, staring into my pale yet piercing eyes, her cheeks redder than her hair. A long silence falls between us, broken only by the sound of the sheets ruffling underneath her head as she nods it up and down.


    ¡°Yes, Myaster.¡± She says, and I push inside her.


    PunishedKom

 Cherry’s Wild Ride

    My cock slides all the way back inside of Cherry¡¯s snug pussy in one go. She¡¯s tight, but there¡¯s not much resistance other than that. It feels completely different from a human¡¯s pussy, just like my finger warned me it would. My first thoughts are a sudden worry that I¡¯m going to become addicted to Catfolk vaginas if they¡¯re all this good.


    The little bumps I felt are hard and almost sharp to the touch. When I thrust inside Cherry, they ¡®scratch¡¯ against me in an unbelievably pleasurable way. I sit there, fully embedded in Cherry¡¯s tight tunnel as I become used to the new sensation.


    Cherry, too, is dealing with the feeling of having a cock inside of her. ¡°I... I can¡¯t believe it...!¡± She moans, reaching toward my arms and squeezing them with all of her strength. ¡°You¡¯re actually inside of me...!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it. Especially if you give me another kiss.¡±


    Cherry makes a cute, embarrassed face before following my suggestion and kissing me deeply. While our tongues dance, I start to explore her insides with a slow and steady rhythm. With every thrust, I fall even deeper to the incredible texture scratching at my cock like mad. I slow myself before it becomes too much, and the girls notice this right away.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Myaster...?¡± Peri sits up, putting her paw on my shoulder and rubbing sensually.


    ¡°Catfolk pussy hits really different,¡± I tell her with a soft grunt, pushing myself back down to the hilt and drawing out a loud moan from the girl beneath me. ¡°I have to get used to it, or else I might cum faster than usual.¡±


    The shy kitten below hears this and tilts her head. She realizes she has more power over me than she expected, and this brings a smug grin to her face. ¡°So does that mean if I went and teased you a little bit...?¡± Cherry places a single one of her claws on my pec before tracing it up to my chin. Even though it hurts her to do so, she starts bucking her hips along my shaft a few times.


    It has the desired effect- I immediately groan and tremble at the unexpected pleasure. Some of my strength leaves me, and I fall against my lover¡¯s body without meaning to. Cherry sees an opportunity here, though, and makes a pained face as she rolls the both of us over on the bed so she can ride on top of me.


    ¡°Cherry, be careful! That load isn¡¯t yours!¡± Peri reminds her of their promise.


    ¡°I know, I know! I just think this suits me better, don¡¯t you think, Myaster...?¡± She smiles, showing off her sharp teeth. Cherry seems much more confident in her element, that¡¯s for sure. Best to encourage her to be as bratty as she wishes.


    ¡°I think someone¡¯s being a bad maid again and needs to learn what¡¯s good for her,¡± I draw her attention away from my cock by rearing my hand into the air and smacking it down on the fat of her ass, which might I add, is far from being lithe and graceful like the rest of her. This kitten has booty.


    ¡°NYAH!¡± Cherry moans, and her snug pussy contracts around my manhood like there¡¯s no tomorrow.


    ¡°Admit it, Cherry. You adore being put in your place... don¡¯t you?¡± I give her a second spank and watch the maid writhe in pleasure.


    ¡°I-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking abou- NYAH!¡± She shrieks as the third successive spank presents itself to the curves of her ass.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re onto something, Myaster... Cherry¡¯s always had a special relationship with corporal punishment...¡± Peri giggles to herself, and thoughts of Snow whacking the pink-haired maid with her riding crop cross my mind.


    ¡°A-AHH! Myaster, why did you just get even harder...!?¡± Cherry whines, sinking herself down on my cock once again.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re adorable, and I can¡¯t wait to punish you as much as it takes from now on to get you to behave.¡± Wrapping my arms around her back, I pull Cherry in for another kiss and then another. She moans loud against my tongue right as I spank her opposite cheek so hard that I feel it sting my hand.


    Peri, beginning to grow even more aroused, starts to play with herself on the sidelines. That¡¯s for the best. This mating ceremony isn¡¯t an all-out free-for-all threesome, and it¡¯s important I take one on one time with them for their first time like this. That doesn¡¯t stop me from taking a quick glance at her now and then to enjoy the sight of Peri feverishly teasing herself, though.


    Cherry pulls away from the meeting of our lips and makes a cute scowl at me. ¡°I-I¡¯m not like Meri, you know... maybe I AM into being punished... but... I don¡¯t want to just sit here and take it, y¡¯know?¡± I feel the sharp sting of her claws digging into my back, and I thrust forward hard out of surprise. Cherry¡¯s walls continue to scrape and squeeze me, but I find myself slowly becoming accustomed to their unique pleasure. This time, I pull back straight away and hammer myself back down into the pink depths of her sheath. Her eyes fill with delight and she rears her head back, screaming out yet again.


    ¡°So you¡¯re a brat, is what you¡¯re saying?¡± I ask her.


    Her reply is swift and instant. Cherry dives into the side of my neck and bites down fairly hard, making a cute bitey sound effect as she chews it. She probably broke the skin a little bit, but fuck it, I¡¯m into that now apparently. The rush of adrenaline causes me to grab Cherry by both of her supple ass cheeks and start pounding away at her from below.


    ¡°Gods yes, Myaster... give it to her...¡± Peri whimpers, her fingers becoming a blur as she spreads her legs further and masturbates with greater intensity.


    ¡°I-If you think this... this much will make me behave... then... then...!! NYAH!¡± Cherry screams as I dig my own nails into her butt and bite her neck right where she bit me. Two can play at this game.


    Using this distraction, I roll us around back to where we started with me on top and Cherry on the bottom. In her ecstasy, she¡¯s powerless to stop me. Grabbing both of her wrists, I hold them away from me to stop her from scratching me. The only problem is that as a Beastfolk, she¡¯s naturally much stronger than I am, and unlike Sam, Cherry fights back. It takes all I¡¯ve got just to hold her off from scratching me again barely- and to pull that off, I have to focus on fucking her within an inch of her life.


    All inhibitions are lost as I start thoroughly plowing the bratty maid, my cock churning her textured, bumpy walls and bottoming out as fast as I can manage. Cherry quickly becomes a mess of moans and thrashing, but the constant fucking is more than enough to keep her under control. ¡°Are you going to be a good girl for me, now?¡± I ask, clenching my teeth and slamming my entire body weight down into her pussy.


    ¡°AH, NYAAH! Y-You don¡¯t got what it takes, Myaster!¡± She tries to reach out with her neck and bite me again, but I bite her petite, bouncing breast before she can manage to sink her teeth in me.


    ¡°BEHAVE!¡± I shout, taking her shoulder flesh between my teeth and continuing my oral assault.


    ¡°AHHHN- I¡¯M G-GONNA... GONNA...!!¡± Cherry arches her back dramatically, slamming her pussy down to my base and tightening. She cums against me right then and there, squeezing and squirting her juices against my sensitive rod all while I continue to ram myself into her.


    I don¡¯t stop.


    ¡°MYASTER- MYAAASTERRR!!¡± Even as Cherry loses herself to her wild orgasm, I growl and bite her one last time like an animal myself. Judging from how long and hard her climax lasts, I can tell that the kitten approves.


    Amid her pleasured howls, It starts getting too much for me to hold back any longer. As soon as I finish thrusting away at Cherry to guide her to the end of her orgasm, I pull out completely. The thoroughly-fucked maid falls to her back, exhausted. A thick layer of sweat coats her tanned body, and while I¡¯d love to admire my work, if I stare too long, I¡¯ll be tempted to finish inside her.


    ¡°Get ready for me, Peri, I need to fucking cum,¡± I tell the other kitten, gritting my teeth and squeezing my cock hard to prevent myself from hurtling over the edge.


    ¡°Y-Yes, Myaster...!¡± The moment Peri¡¯s been dreaming about has finally arrived. Of course, she¡¯s ready and willing for it as always. She removes the paw from her pussy and spreads her legs as wide as possible for me, splitting her slippery slit open with her fingers.


    With no hesitation, I slide my manhood into Peri¡¯s tight sheath and lose all self-control. I cum instantly, giving her the creampie of her life even though it¡¯s her very first one.


    ¡°NYAH! Hot! It¡¯s so hot inside meee...!¡± She mews in over the top pleasure, blushing and wrapping her legs around me to pull my manhood as deep as it will go. She doesn¡¯t show any signs of letting go, not after lusting for this very same load for so long. Peri enjoys feeling it flow inside of her without end, while I enjoy the sensation that cumming inside of a tight Catfolk pussy brings me. Peri¡¯s walls are somewhat less scratchy than Cherry¡¯s, but her wetness is almost everbearing and the snug feeling of it milking me approaches levels of near desperation.


    I can¡¯t hold back a single drop, and I cum for almost a minute straight inside of my busty, blue-haired Catfolk. By the time I finish, I¡¯m reduced to a sweaty mess. My body is riddled with the many scratches I received throughout mating with Cherry- each one granting me a sweet sting that I¡¯m sure will last for a few days unless someone heals them up for me.


    ¡°Damn, that was... amazing...¡± Cherry is still recovering her breath from the furious fucking I put her through, her paw rubbing the biggest bite mark that I left her. ¡°I should¡¯ve just let you finish inside me, instead.¡± She giggles, not really meaning it.


    Peri begins to rub her tummy with a pleased look on her face. ¡°Too bad, nyaa. You can¡¯t have them. Master has now successfully bred me, and I am surely fertilized.¡±


    Cherry and I exchange a humorous look before I lean down and kiss Peri¡¯s cheek. ¡°Definitely. No doubt about that, whatsoever...¡± I won¡¯t tell her that we slipped her some Succu-Bye. Not tonight, anyway. I figured letting her think we¡¯re having unprotected sex will make her a lot happier in the moment.


    Satisfied, Peri smiles and surprises me by bucking her hips upward, her cum-stuffed pussy making a loud, sloppy sound as it fucks my cock. ¡°Myaster, since you¡¯re still so hard... I assume you¡¯re ready to continue...?¡±


    I return her reply with a smirk, ¡°Always.¡±

 Giving Peri Sweet, Sweet Payback

    I learn one thing very early while mating with Peri. Compared to her companion, the blue-haired kitten is very loud and very desperate in her love-making. She clings to my body as I thrust within her, and rather than biting or scratching me, Peri mews and kisses my neck, giving me dozens of possessive hickeys amid cries of, ¡°Myaster... Myaster...!¡±


    As I slam my body into her own, my hands sink into both of her large breasts with glee. The kitten moans at my sensitive touch before doing so even louder when I begin to knead her flesh and thumb her pointy nipples. To my right, Cherry rolls over onto her side and watches, entranced.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t they so soft?¡± She asks with a catty smile. ¡°Peri¡¯s tits grew really early, and I¡¯ve been thankful ever since... she¡¯s really sensitive, by the way.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. That just makes her even cuter,¡± I give Peri a soft but possessive squeeze of her chest and watch her face twist with delight. I do it again, and she twitches, her bangs falling to one side and revealing her beautiful seafoam eyes once more.


    Moving one hand up to cup her exposed chin, I look at the Catfolk maid and smile, telling her, ¡°Thank the Gods I can finally have my way with you...¡±


    ¡°Was it hard f-for Myaster... too...?¡± Peri blushes, looking me straight in the eye as she struggles to take my cum-covered cock, guiding itself in and out of her narrow tunnel.


    ¡°No thanks to you,¡± My hand, which was playfully teasing her exposed, bouncing breast, moves to her nipple and softly pinches it.


    ¡°NYAH! I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± She whines, not sorry at all.


    ¡°Mmmm, yeah, like that. Pinch it again...¡± Cherry licks her lips, and I¡¯m all too happy to oblige her. I clamp down on Peri¡¯s pointed, perky nipple and watch as she cries out. ¡°You know, I think you should be rougher with her.¡±


    ¡°I-I wouldn¡¯t mind that, myself, nyaa...¡± She looks up at me hopefully, and unable to take that adorable gaze of hers, I slam my length as far as it will go and make her scream.


    ¡°I think so too... mmn... You caused so much trouble this week, Peri. Time after time, I was tempted to throw you down and give you the mating you do desperately were begging for, but now... I can take out all the frustration you caused on that poor, tight little pussy of yours- NGH-¡± I grunt, accentuating my monologue with the most brutal slam yet. As I hit her deepest walls, Peri yells out her throat, and her legs seize around my hips, my load of cum splattering out of her from the impact.


    I start doing a repeated rhythm of slamming where I give it my all every few seconds, pounding the kitten with every inch of brute force I have in me. With this alternating method, I can avoid the perilous risk of cumming far too early, thanks to the unique texture of Catfolk pussy. She soon falls to this repeated pleasuring and cums against my cock yet again.


    ¡°Myaster! It... It¡¯s too MUCH!¡± She whimpers, tongue drooping out the side of her mouth. She¡¯d look almost overwhelmed, if not for the look of sheer joy in her eyes that shows she¡¯s not sorry for a single thing she¡¯s done.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, this is what you, ngh... have... coming to you!¡± I groan, falling against her and pressing my weight down on her body. Sawing in and out with my intense manhood, I become unable to control myself and fuck her harder and faster than ever before. Peri turns breathless, unable to keep up with my animalistic mating. She¡¯s a much bigger pushover than her actions throughout the week made me think she would be. I thought, if anything, that she¡¯d be a freak in the sheets, and while I¡¯m sure she is to an extent, I¡¯m still able to overpower her reasonably easily.


    Cherry reaches out to my naked butt cheek and scratches me with her claws to get my attention. ¡°Hey, hey! Not so fast...¡± She purrs. ¡°Take your time and REALLY get some payback, why don¡¯t you?¡±


    Pulling my pulsing cock outside of my lover¡¯s wet lower lips, I look at what a mess Peri has been reduced to. ¡°Nyaa... no... put it back in... Myaster¡¯s cock... Myaster¡¯s coooock...!!¡±


    ¡°Gods, what a dirty little kitten I¡¯ve adopted,¡± With a playful sigh, I reach over and flip Peri on her tummy. ¡°I think you¡¯re right, Cherry. Peri deserves to get a little bit of punishment.¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s another hot tip, Myaster. That thing you always hear about Beastfolk tails in your porno books? Totally true.¡± Cherry makes an okay sign with her fingers.


    It doesn¡¯t take me long to figure out what she means. With Peri flipped over and her long, thin tail wagging around in front of my eyes, I reach out and grab the base of it.


    ¡°NYAA?! No, not my tail!¡± Peri whines, her head falling and slumping against the bed without her permission.


    ¡°So they really are that sensitive?¡± I smile with perhaps more sadism than is appropriate when I look to Cherry.


    ¡°Yup. Give it a nice tug when you screw her.¡± The pink-haired maid playfully giggles to herself, enjoying the sexual devastation I¡¯m about to unfold.


    ¡°N-No! Myaster, even for me... I-I think that might be too- MUCH?!¡± Grabbing Peri¡¯s fat ass cheek in one hand, I guide myself back inside the cute kitten¡¯s tight cunt while making sure to give her tail a tug. The pleasure is so immense that her pink walls contract against my manhood immediately, covering me in even more of her feminine cum as well as my own semen that now drips to the bedsheets below.


    ¡°Gods, this is good...¡± I roll my eyes back as I steady my hips into a pleasant thrusting rhythm for the both of us, slapping away at her bouncy butt and carving out Peri¡¯s pussy.


    ¡°Noooo, stop, nyaaaa... Myasterrrr...¡± Peri drools against the sheets like a slob.


    Giving her round cheek a slap with one hand and a pull of the tail with the other, I tell her, ¡°Bad kitty. That one¡¯s for scratching through the door.¡±


    ¡°NYAH!¡± She cries out, bucking her hips back against me in an effort to hasten my ejaculation to no avail.


    I rear my hand and spank her opposite cheek, enjoying the feel of slapping her meaty, gratuitous ass, which more than rival her tits. ¡°And this is for making a hole in the entrance hall!¡±


    ¡°NYAAAAH, I¡¯m sowwy, I¡¯m sowwyyyyy...!¡± Peri¡¯s ecstasy drives her to revert to baby talk. Delirious, she scratches the bedsheets with her claws for stability while trying to hold off the ever-increasing pleasure that my mighty penetration brings her.


    ¡°How bout we both get one in together? Peri¡¯s been a headache for me, too, this week... especially with how crazy her heat was getting.¡± Cherry sits up once more, smiling like a naughty little devil as she raises her paw into the air towards Peri¡¯s butt.


    ¡°W-Wait a second! If I take any more than this, I... I¡¯ll...!¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I give the bratty maid the go-ahead and raise my own hand. At the count of three, Cherry and I both spank one half of Peri¡¯s big, round ass as hard as we can. Right on impact, I pull her tail stronger than ever before and run my hand all the way up the entire furry length of it up to its white tip.


    ¡°MYAAAASTERRRRR-¡± She screams, her body twitches and convulses as she loses control of herself completely. An immense and uncontrollable orgasm ripples throughout her entire existence. Peri orgasms harder than all of her other climaxes put together. She squirts a steady flow of her dirty spray beneath her, a rush that only gets bigger as I hammer my cock in and out of her body.


    Soon, it¡¯s more than enough to get me off, too. ¡°Cherry,¡± I clench my eyes, orgasm approaching.


    ¡°Way ahead of you,¡± Cherry puts her ass up and spreads her pussy lips out for me with her hands. She seems to have mostly gotten over her shyness in bed with me. I suppose putting her in her place with all that biting might¡¯ve helped.


    I pull out of Peri, who at this point is only capable of mumbling incoherent, pleasured mews, and shove my cock straight inside of Cherry¡¯s slit. Her lips swallow me whole, and the scratchy walls dig into my cock even harder than before. I quickly start carving my way in and out of my tanned Catfolk lover, desperate for another release.


    When I find what I¡¯m looking for, I grab Cherry by her tail and cum like a hose.


    ¡°NYAA, I-I DIDN¡¯T SAY YOU COULD DO THAT TO ME!¡± She cries in pleasure as her depths fill with my white, burning seed. Just like Peri, her back gives out, and she falls in place while I hump out every last drop my balls are willing to give her. Cherry enjoys yet another climax as well, her body celebrating becoming a mated female just as much as her mind.


    After a minute of experiencing the bliss of orgasm within a tight, wet, bumpy Catfolk pussy, I finally stop cumming and pull myself out of Cherry. My cock feels the chilled sting of the cool air, and I have a nice look at the two girls who are face down with their asses held high Each of my kittens has been fully mated. Their pussies are swollen and red from how hard I fucked them, and thick streams of my semen pour out of both holes like little waterfalls of fertility.


    Admiring the view, I feel there¡¯s nothing more satisfying than a job well done.


    Patting both kittens on the butt, I smile and ask, ¡°How do you feel, girls? You¡¯re now officially my mates.¡±


    ¡°I feel like... everything was leading to this... and it did not disappoint, nyaa...¡± Cherry groans, stretching out and laying down properly on the bed. ¡°I wish we found you sooner.¡±


    ¡°Nyaaa...¡± Peri yawns, plopping down on the bed far away enough for Cherry so that I can lay down in between them. She pats my place with her paw, and I get into position so both kitties can cuddle up to me. ¡°For a Beastfolk woman, there¡¯s very little else more pleasurable than the feeling of having our mate¡¯s seed inside us... it¡¯s an animalistic instinct... it feels almost like we did our job right...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, girls. You haven¡¯t done your job until this damn Guild is spotless.¡±


    Peri and Cherry giggle together, and my heart warms up at the sight of them both wrapped around my chest, their tails wagging behind them.


    ¡°So we¡¯re officially done, then? Meaning we can do whatever we like for the rest of the night? I hope you both know that I¡¯m all but insatiable, and I haven¡¯t had nearly enough of you.¡±


    Peri purrs when she hears that but goes on to say, ¡°Well... there¡¯s one last thing we want to do, Myaster... something not part of the ceremony, but a request we have.¡± The maid climbs off of me and scoots over to the nightstand. She opens the drawer and returns with something clutched in her paws.


    ¡°Interesting. You know I¡¯d never turn down anything the two of you want, so lay it on me.¡±


    ¡°We wanna do a double blowjob,¡± Cherry says. ¡°This way, you¡¯ll coat all of us at the same time, and to make it more fun...¡± She smirks as she looks over at Peri.


    The blue-haired Catfolk opens her paws, revealing a black, leather blindfold from our stash. Before I can ask anything in response, she slips it over my head and covers my eyes with the dark material. ¡°We thought you¡¯d like it if we made it even kinkier, nyaa...¡± My beloved maid laughs to herself.


    The whole situation brings a smile to my face, and I grin at the pleasures to come. ¡°If you insist...¡±

 Delayed Gratification

    When the two girls blindfold me, I feel them sit up and scoot to the sides of my hips almost right away. Four furry paws touch my inner thigh, massaging me before working their way up to my still-erect cock. ¡°Does this naughty thing ever get soft...?¡± Peri asks.


    ¡°It used to. Now, it has long since transcended any mortal limitations such as refractory periods.¡±


    Peri makes a thinking sound, likely tilting her head. ¡°Did the Goddess help you with that?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I asked her to give me magic sex stamina.¡± The absurdity of this statement no longer phases me. I reveal it like it was strictly business.


    ¡°Right,¡± Cherry laughs. ¡°That¡¯s the important stuff right there. Not like, asking her to bring peace and harmony to the land or anything like that, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Cherry, Cherry, Cherry... I am a man ruled by my own desires and nothing more. It¡¯s really as simple as that. Sure, I¡¯ll do the right thing from time to time, but at the end of the day, I¡¯m only looking out for me and my own.¡± Even as I joke, I doubt Luxy would just make the Realm a better place if I asked for it. The Goddesses strive to maintain balance and whatnot, or at least they used to.


    ¡°Well, now you got a few more girls to look after...¡± I feel Cherry¡¯s tongue on my cockhead as soon as she gives.


    ¡°More like we¡¯ll look after Myaster!¡± Peri purrs, leaning over and licking the bottom of my shaft. ¡°And we¡¯ll start right... about... meow.¡± She giggles at her little pun before licking even more intensely.


    I lay back on the bed as both kittens begin to thoroughly work on my erect penis. At first, I was so sure that the two of them were up to something with the blindfold shenanigans. My mind was definitely imagining some suspicious sources regarding the strangeness that¡¯s been going around the Guild for the last day, and I thought it might come to a head here- pun intended.


    But for all intents and purposes, this seems to be a completely normal double blowjob. I suppose my tendency to overthink things is cropping up yet again...


    Regardless, it¡¯s still early on in the night, and if the girls want to pleasure me this way, then I¡¯d love to oblige them. Cherry and Peri both have very distinct styles of oral sex, and experiencing them both at once is entirely different. Together, they pass my cock around between the two of them.


    When Peri is in control, she coats me in wet kisses and uncountable licks. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll... mmmn... ever get enough of this taste...¡± She mutters between teasing kisses before swallowing about half of my length.


    ¡°Does it taste even better now that it¡¯s been inside me?¡± Cherry asks her blue-haired lover in a teasing tone.


    Peri leaves my cock with a loud ¡®pop¡¯, and I feel her warm breath on my erection as she giggles. ¡°Mhmm. So much better, nyaa...¡±


    The two kittens then show their love for one another by making out around the engorged tip of my penis. They place their paws on top of each other¡¯s, stroking me in two places with double the force, all while their lips and tongues swirl and caress each other atop my most sensitive area.


    They both work in tandem to lick me with their textured tongues. Soon, they move their attack, and I groan uncontrollably when they start lapping at my frenulum, prompting Cherry to say, ¡°Myaster really likes it when we touch this thingy...¡±


    Peri gives it another tender lick, prompting yet another groan from the back of my throat. ¡°He does... nice to know...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll become very... ahh... skilled when it comes to finding all the little things I like...¡± Beneath the blindfold, I clench my eyes and buck my hips a little upward, brushing my cock against one of their cheeks.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Peri stops and sits up, followed soon by Cherry. Both girls are silent for a moment, leaving me in total confusion and devoid of all pleasure.


    ¡°Uh, girls...?¡± I ask after a few more seconds go by, becoming impatient from the lack of service.


    ¡°Sorry, Myaster!¡± Peri whines. ¡°Thought I heard something, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit troubling, but it might just be Meri watching from the door...¡± I think back to the sound I heard coming from the east wing earlier in the night, and I become worried for a moment until Cherry places her paw on my thigh and rubs it sensually.


    ¡°Nah, the door¡¯s closed...¡± Cherry is very quick to dismiss me. ¡°It¡¯s all good, don¡¯t worry about it! Anyway, I just had a fun idea... let¡¯s really make Myaster wait for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that DOES sound like a fun idea!¡± Peri says, almost like she¡¯s reading off of a script- and rather poorly at that. Even through the blindfold, I can practically see Cherry giving Peri a silent and judgmental look.


    ¡°Is there something the two of you want to tell me? I- Ahhh...¡± I dismiss all my concerns as soon as attention returns to my needy dick. Peri starts first, placing her tongue on the tip and licking up some precum before slowly dragging it all the way down to my balls. This style is painfully deliberate, giving me only small tastes of pleasure.


    It¡¯s made somewhat better as soon as Cherry joins in on the opposite side, making the exact same motion from tip to balls as her partner. Together, the pair of Catfolk tongues service my aching cock with barely enough pleasure to calm my growing needs. I struggle and try to thrust up unintentionally, but Cherry and Peri both use their strength to keep me in place with their paws.


    After licking around my heavy ball, the pink-haired kitten pulls up to chastise me. ¡°Nope, Myaster has to wait for it. We¡¯re taking this slow, nyaa...¡±


    Following Cherry¡¯s lead, Peri starts lowering her speed to a drastic crawl that isn¡¯t anywhere near enough for me. For what must be a dozen times, the two girls lap up the same exact route from tip to balls. Each time, it becomes harder to bear, yet I can¡¯t fight their power over me. Every time I try and thrust, I¡¯m pushed back down into the bed and punished with even more licks.


    My prayers are then answered when Cherry finally takes me into her mouth and sucks as tight as she can. After, she passes my cock to Peri, who does the same. Each Catfolk takes two rounds of sucking on me for several seconds. Much to my dismay, this does not last, and they pull away before any true satisfaction is gained.


    This loop continues for several minutes until Cherry asks me in a bratty tone, ¡°Hanging in there, Myaster...?¡±


    Groaning, I roll my head back and shake it side to side at this absurd rhetorical question. ¡°Gods, just let me cum already...!¡±


    ¡°Oh damn, he¡¯s adorable like this...¡± Peri purrs before licking up some of my precum, causing me to writhe. I hear her smacking her lips, no doubt enjoying the taste of my semen. ¡°Let¡¯s make Myaster wait for it a little bit longer...¡±


    ¡°Sounds good to me, nyaa!¡± Cherry replies all too enthusiastically.


    I grasp onto the bedsheets for dear life, knowing that if I made a move to grab the kittens by the tail, they¡¯d just swat me off before I got anywhere close. ¡°No, damn it! Let me cum!¡±


    ¡°And here I thought you liked being teased?¡± The bratty cat asks before sucking on my tip.


    ¡°He does. The begging is just part of it.¡± Peri giggles to herself, then gives me the same treatment as soon as Cherry passes my manhood to her lips.


    The pair of kittens keep going, licking and sucking like I were a tender treat meant to be savored in the most leisurely way possible. Usually, I¡¯m all about enjoying myself, sure, but with their textured tongues and their soft, furry paws all over my cock, this treatment borders on erotic torture. Every motion they put me through sends shivers through me, draws up moans from my throat, and forces me to clench my eyes.


    After several minutes straight of Peri and Cherry bringing me to the brink of orgasm and stopping before I can have my much-needed release, Cherry speaks up. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re ready to cum, Myaster...?¡±


    ¡°Yes, damn it! I¡¯ve been saying that for... ngh...! For ages now!¡±


    ¡°He sounds like he really wants it, nyaa...¡± Peri says in a giggly voice.


    ¡°Then maybe he should take what he wants for himself?¡±


    ¡°Good idea! Here, Myaster. We¡¯ll each give you one paw and squeeze down, and you can fuck yourself with them until you cum.¡± True to her word, I feel two paws gripping my cock nice and tight. Without any restraint, I start thrusting upwards into them over and over again like an animal. It isn¡¯t long until things reach a fevered pitch, my body trembling at the need for release.


    The two kittens start giggling to themselves, almost at the frequency of little girls. Is my suffering really so amusing to them? I admit, that¡¯s pretty hot...


    Of course, right when I¡¯m almost there, the paws loosen their grip, and I¡¯m left wanting once again. It¡¯s getting harder and harder to accept this denial play. ¡°LET. ME. CUM!¡± I shout, thrusting into the air.


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s what you want?¡± Cherry purrs with a streak of sadism.


    Peri goes on to warn me, saying, ¡°You could wait some more, Myaster... think about how good it¡¯d feel if you got what you wanted after waiting so long...¡±


    ¡°I WAITED LONG ENOUGH, D-DAMN IT! GIVE ME WHAT I WANT!¡± I demand as loudly as I can, seething through the skin of my teeth.


    The paws grip me tight once more, only now they begin to jerk me themselves in perfect unison. With serious skill and superb speed, I¡¯m guided to a mighty orgasm that ravages throughout my entire sensitive body. The endless edging and delay only heightened this climax that begins erupting out of my cock like a destructive typhoon.


    As I suffer through the blissful seizing and throbbing, my blindfold is removed. Rope after rope of my thick semen gushes out of me, splattering all over a beautiful face that doesn¡¯t belong here. The hands jerk and jerk away, making sure to properly milk every single drop I have to give. When my shaking body begins to calm, and my ejaculation crawls to a halt, I look up at the unexpected target of my semen.


    ¡°What... what are you doing here...?¡± I ask, fighting back my voice cracking from excitement.


    ¡°I got tired of making mistakes.¡± Snow, clad in the same cat-themed black tube top and panties combo as the other kittens, looks down at me with a playful, sadistic smirk. Her paws are wrapped around my cock, and her face is well and thoroughly claimed.


    Peri and Cherry press their naked bodies to the new head maid of the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild at both her sides, smiling smugly.


    Lewder Ref on my twitter, please follow me there for more of my art!

 How it Happened

    I can¡¯t believe the audacity of that man. After I had already steeled myself and resigned to my fate, he had to go and make that collar for me. Honestly... how did he even manage to get it made in such a short amount of time? Knowing him, he probably has a Dwarven craftswoman in his pocket as well or something like that...


    I didn¡¯t even really want one...


    But...


    He still actually made that collar for me, and that¡¯s more than anyone¡¯s ever done for me at the Breeding Tribe. Beastfolk tend to not be very materialistic, sure, but that doesn¡¯t mean a cat doesn¡¯t love her jewels now, does it?


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t really about the diamonds. I saw myself in the reflection of those glittering stones, and the person I saw looking back at me was someone I didn¡¯t want to be any longer. He was right- the only person who was stopping me from achieving everything I¡¯ve ever wanted was me.


    Why should anyone ever have to be that sad?


    It¡¯s funny how one stupid little gesture can sometimes be enough to shatter your worldview and put everything into perspective. I was stubborn... turning my nose at him and his offers of love out of obligation to the place I was born.


    I realized, albeit painfully that there isn¡¯t anything here for me at the Breeding Tribe. It¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t already know that, but... the harder I tried to rationalize my decision, the less sense it made to me.


    All I had here is thankless work and the promise that I¡¯d eventually have to mate with someone I don¡¯t love to keep this cycle going. On the other paw... if I left forever right here and right now, I¡¯ll be loved and treated like the treasure I am.


    I¡¯m worth all those diamonds and more, damn it. I wouldn¡¯t let this stupid tribe beat down my sense of self-worth any longer.


    If he¡¯s going to keep growing his career from here on out, then by all accounts, he¡¯s right- he needs me. The Myaster is clearly not a homemaker. That much is obvious. I¡¯ll be the one to lead his battle on the homefront. I¡¯ll clean that Guild myself top to bottom if I must, and I¡¯ll make it so that no one in that building ever goes hungry. That will be my role as the head maid of his Adventurer¡¯s Guild and as his mate.


    I left that alleyway in a rush to settle my affairs as fast as possible, leaving the Myaster behind me so quickly that he probably got the wrong idea. Cherry and Peri are helping pack a crate of chew toys when I get back, so I find someone to take over their job and take them out back of the tent to tell them my plan.


    ¡°What? Are you for real?!¡± Cherry yelped with happiness as soon as she heard.


    ¡°You¡¯re really gonna come home with us?!¡± Peri lept into my arms right away, unable to control herself at the thought of us staying together.


    ¡°Yes, yes, shhhhh...¡± I hug the kitten who would soon become my mate-sister and stroked her lovely blue hair. ¡°Quiet down. I don¡¯t want the whole tent knowing until I contact the elders...¡±


    ¡°I swore you were going to tell him off. What changed your mind?¡± Cherry tilts her head.


    My eyes darted to the left, slightly ashamed of how the answer was going to sound. ¡°If I said it was a diamond collar, would that make me sound like a shallow bitch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, pretty much, nyaa.¡± Peri nodded her head.


    ¡°I mean, yes?¡± Cherry laughs.


    I blushed and sighed, knowing full well how it made me look. ¡°It wasn¡¯t really the collar. It was what it represented...¡±


    Both of the maids I helped train embraced me and nuzzled into opposite sides of my neck. ¡°We know,¡± Peri giggles. ¡°We¡¯re just teasing you.¡±


    ¡°Are you coming home with us tonight?¡±


    ¡°No, I owe it to the tribe to at least see them off tomorrow. Gods only know how long my resignation is going to take, too...¡± I groan, feeling a stress headache begin forming at the thought. ¡°And... um... I have a small confession to make. I sort of left the Myaster standing there back in the alley, nyaa.¡±


    ¡°You mean... you didn¡¯t even tell him you¡¯re going to become his mate?¡± When Cherry says that, it makes me blush.


    ¡°...No. I suddenly felt really embarrassed about how hard I was trying to reject him right when I realized I didn¡¯t really have any good reasons to reject him in the first place.¡±


    Cherry points out a valid criticism, ¡°You¡¯ve always been so damn stubborn, this might be the first time I¡¯ve ever seen someone change your mind...¡±


    Peri is much more emotional, hammering home my guilt, ¡°Snow, you should go tell him! He¡¯s probably really hurt right now!¡±


    ¡°I know, damn it, I know! But... can¡¯t you just... let it be a surprise?¡± I need more time to ready my heart for this, even if I can¡¯t admit it.


    ¡°A surprise?¡± Peri didn¡¯t see it my way at first and instead worried about consoling her mate.


    ¡°Yes. Tomorrow morning after the tribe leaves, I¡¯ll sneak in through a window in the east wing. Then, I can just wait in that big storage closet for the whole day.¡±


    Putting her hands on her hips, Cherry frowned and looked at me angrily. Hard to believe only a week ago, she was hissing and calling the man she¡¯s now defending a rapist. ¡°Really, Snow. Why can¡¯t you just be honest with Myaster?¡±


    I took in a deep breath of air before just letting out the truth.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m a bitch who¡¯s terrible with her emotions, and I need to do this my way, or I¡¯ll barely be able to present myself to him, damn it!¡± I may have snapped, but it worked out in my favor. The two looked at me with a surprising amount of reluctant understanding, and neither maid questioned my intentions further than that after laying my honesty bare.


    We went our separate ways with the knowledge that we would all be mated to the same man by tomorrow night.


    Telling the elders my intention to leave the services of the Breeding Tribe went even worse than I imagined, somehow. They were furious that I would leave after ¡®how much they¡¯ve done for me¡¯ and such, practically repeating the same indoctrination I was repeating in my head. I took a lot of abuse just so that Myaster wouldn¡¯t hurt his newly formed ties with the Tribe. Making sure to stress that this was my decision, I argued passionately that he didn¡¯t pressure me into it whatsoever and that I fell in love with him. While they never called me anything unbecoming, they indeed hinted at it as often as they could during our call.


    Then, after they got all that unpleasantness out of the way, the elders began making me offers to try and convince me to stay. Ironically, one such promise was for an antique collar to be gifted to me in exchange for more servitude. I told them no, I already had my eyes on a new collar I saw in town. Then they offered me any male I wanted- as if I couldn¡¯t have gotten that on my own accord- and I once again dismissed them.


    These offers went on and on, offering me endless bullshit that I didn¡¯t need and that wouldn¡¯t make me happy whatsoever. The fact that they were so desperate to keep me reaffirmed that the Tribe would be much worse off if I were to leave. Too bad for them. I put my paw down and refused any and all offers they made me.


    It all came to a head when, in the end, the elders tried asking a final favor of me. If I was going to go to him anyway, I might as well do the Tribe a ¡®solid¡¯ and give my new Myaster the privilege of having to pay for me, and recommended that I set the price for myself at two million gold.


    I did not take kindly to this wonderful idea, and in retrospect, I probably shouldn¡¯t have told the elders to all go fuck themselves up the ass... I turned off the Stone of Farspeech after that and resolved myself for whatever came next.


    I¡¯m worried that I might have made things tense between the Myaster and the Tribe, but... a girl can only take so much... ah, well.


    After that arduous experience, I had to go through the less daunting task of telling everyone else I won¡¯t be leaving with them in the morning. Rather than more begging and sadness, my sudden announcement was met with cheers from the males and jealousy from the females. They all wanted to come and meet the Myaster, but I put a stop to that before it could devolve into a mass exodus...


    I came to tears over how happy everyone was that I had found a place to belong, and there wasn¡¯t a bit of resentment to be heard. I despise the Tribe as a structure, as an institution, but... I could never hate the Beastfolk who make it up.


    These people would always be my original family, even if I had a new one waiting for me at my forever home.


    After a long day and night of packing, I was able to get a few hours of sleep before seeing them off in the morning. Again, I cried as I watched the caravans roll out of this miserable city. It felt surreal at that moment, not going with them. Part of me felt like I was still supposed to go along, and seeing them leave without me was like an out-of-body experience.


    But all it took to snap me back to reality was to imagine my new life from this point on, and any lingering sentimentality became nothing but dust in the wind. They¡¯ll be fine without me. The Myaster won¡¯t. I¡¯ve seen his Guild... it¡¯s utterly hopeless. Such a place should be a welcoming sight to an adventurer returning home from a quest, and it was to be my job to make it that way.


    With a large case of my clothes and other possessions, I could barely contain my excitement. I hopped up on the closest building to scale and run as fast as I could among the rooftops to my Myaster¡¯s home- MY home. In all my years of freerunning across Karnalle, I don¡¯t think I ever ran as fast as I did this morning.


    When I arrived, I peered in through a hole in the entrance hall and saw that the Myaster was eating with Peri and Cherry. Perfect time to sneak in. For someone at war with a crime lord, this building has abysmal defenses... I was able to finagle the window open and slip in. I knew he¡¯s aware of the sorry state of his Guild, but I still made a mental note to discuss this with him later.


    As quiet as I could, I snuck into the storage room. This was a good call since there was plenty to clean throughout the day while waiting for tonight. Peri and Cherry were supposed to clean the entrance hall, but I stopped that and put them to work with me in the closet. We had one close call, but I hid, and the girls distracted Myaster before he entered and saw all the work we¡¯d done. There was also a moment where I unintentionally used too much of my strength when moving a box, and I slammed it down, which caused a loud noise. I¡¯m not sure if the Myaster heard it, but it was risky nonetheless.


    He¡¯ll be surprised to find that two of the three storage rooms have been cleaned top to bottom. Peri¡¯s skills at housework have improved dramatically, and it¡¯s only been a week since she left... he must have been a very positive influence on her. Cherry is much more focused now as well.


    After that, I waited till I was sure the mating ceremony had begun. Once I was confident, I changed into the matching clothes and ran upstairs.  Through a tiny crack in the door, I watched the entire thing from start to finish until my cue, which we agreed upon earlier in the day- when the girls put a blindfold on the Myaster. I will admit that the stimulation was too much for me. With muffled breaths and suppressed mews of pleasure, I masturbated the entire time. I enjoyed several somewhat enjoyable orgasms while the smell of my Myaster¡¯s thick seed wafting through the air drove me crazy. Of course, it was nowhere near enough... but the time for me to join in finally came at last.


    I entered the room and watched Peri and Cherry suck the Myaster off one more time, but an idea came to me early on. Standing over the edge of the bed, I wiggled my claw to indicate them to come closer.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Peri stops, sat up, and she and Cherry are both silent while they tilt their ears towards me.


    ¡°Draw it out as long as possible, make him wait for it so I can watch what it looks like when he squirms, nyaa. Then, when he¡¯s ready to blow, I¡¯ll jack him off to finish things.¡± I whispered to both of my new mate-sisters, watching a naughty smile spread to all three of our faces.


    ¡°Uh, girls...?¡± That poor little man asked, waiting for more service and writhing in agony.


    ¡°Sorry, Myaster!¡± Peri whined. ¡°Thought I heard something, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a bit troubling, but it might just be Meri watching from the door...¡± Myaster sounds suspicious. He must have heard me when I was moving the boxes...


    ¡°Nah, the door¡¯s closed...¡± Cherry is quick to have my back, diverting the attention away. ¡°It¡¯s all good, don¡¯t worry about it! Anyway, I just had a fun idea... let¡¯s really make Myaster wait for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah, that DOES sound like a fun idea!¡± Peri said, sounding entirely insincere and drawing further suspicion. Both Cherry and myself gave her a stern look for her poor delivery.


    ¡°Is there something the two of you want to tell me? I- Ahhh...¡± Thankfully, like most men, the Myaster is distracted as soon as attention was returned to his dick, thanks to Peri.


    From that point on, I watched an excellent teasing session. Although I couldn¡¯t see his eyes, the way his body and his cock twitched in agony the longer the pleasure was drawn out was everything I¡¯d ever dreamed of and more. All my life, I fantasized about having myself a mate who wanted nothing more than to let me take advantage of him and give him delicious suffering. Seeing Peri and Cherry live this out right in front of my eyes was like a delightful preview of the rest of my life.


    Every so often, I whispered into their ears, telling them what to do out of excitement and how to do it, oh, it was so fun...! As soon as he was ready to blow, I prepared a bait and switch. He assumed Peri and Cherry were the ones to grab back ahold of him in the end, but as I touched his pulsing, warm manhood for the first time in my life and jerked him to completion. My Myaster learned the truth right as the girls took off his blindfold, and I pointed his erupting cock at my face and claimed myself.


    And that¡¯s how we got to where we are right now. Myaster is laying down, unable to control his joy over my sudden appearance, and me, looking down at him with sadistic eyes through a thick layer of his burning cum.


    I¡¯m home.

 Playing Her Games

    I can¡¯t stop staring at her now that Snowball is actually here, sitting on my bed with her face covered in my semen. I blink more than a few times to verify that what I see is actually the truth, and she¡¯s still there when I open my eyes.


    Admittedly, I knew there was something suspicious going on in my Guild the last day or so. Part of me even envisioned this exact scenario playing out- that Snow secretly stayed behind to surprise me... but I didn¡¯t allow myself to dwell on that possibility or even bring it up. If I did, I feel like I would have been consumed, and Peri and Cherry wouldn¡¯t have had my full attention. They don¡¯t deserve that, so I pushed everything from my mind to solely focus on the love I have for my duo of kittens.


    Only now, there are three.


    In a silky bedroom voice similar to the way she talked when she smelled me on the first day we met, Snow peers down at me with glaring eyes, saying, ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Myaster? Cat got your tongue?¡±


    ¡°...Wow, you must¡¯ve been waiting all day to use that one, huh?¡±


    ¡°Shush. Focus less on the pun and more on the fact that I called you Myaster.¡± She crosses her arms and tilts her head up so she can look even more menacing as she looms over me, Peri and Cherry clinging to both her sides.


    ¡°Believe me. That fact did not escape my notice.¡±


    We share a longing smile as we fall back into our familiar, playful routine. Any tension lingering between us is gone, and it¡¯s like what happened in that alley or the discussion we had in my office were nothing but bad dreams.


    ¡°We tried so hard to keep this a secret, Myaster, but it was hard to hold back how excited we were...¡± Peri affectionately nuzzles Snow¡¯s cheek from one side, while Cherry does the same on the other.


    ¡°Good thing you got stamina enough to spare, cause I don¡¯t think this night is ending any time soon, nyaa.¡± The brattier maid grins.


    ¡°Come here, Snow. I want to kiss you again. For real this time.¡± I don¡¯t care if her face is coated in my semen. I can¡¯t hold back my affection. I sit up and slide towards the edge of the bed, eager to reach my new head maid.


    ¡°No,¡± She smiles and raises her long, beautiful leg only to push my chest flat on the bed with her foot. Against innate strength as a Beastfolk, I can¡¯t fight back as she pins me in place. ¡°You¡¯ll be kissing me alright, but it¡¯ll be my discretion as to where.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really jumping right into the rough stuff, huh? Not taking it easy on him for your first time?¡± Cherry giggles like a brat, enjoying the show.


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± Snow replies with venom. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my life getting fucked over. From now on, it¡¯s time to do the fucking. I¡¯ll let you be on top every now and then, Myaster, but don¡¯t expect that being my mate will be an easy affair...¡± In her striking yellow eyes, I catch glimpses of a lifetime¡¯s worth of frustrations that have finally found an outlet- me.


    ¡°The harder, the better,¡± I tell her, my perverted smirk unable to contain itself.


    Now that the reality of Snow becoming a permanent part of my life has sunk in, I finally take a closer look at the woman pinning me down with all she¡¯s got. Until now, I have not had a proper look at Snow¡¯s body. She¡¯s covered it with her stuffy maid uniform and then a frumpy tracksuit, and while I knew she had large, heavy breasts, the reality is even more impressive than my wildest guess.


    Snow is absolutely stacked.


    Her breasts are easily just under the size of Opal¡¯s, that is to say impressively large, and the black tube top with a cat-shaped boob window she¡¯s wearing is stretched to the point of almost tearing the fabric. True to her name, her skin is fair, beautiful, and as soft as winter¡¯s first snowfall. Overall, her body is curvy yet sleek, with a thin stomach and wide hips. While she has a bit of fat in all the right places, Snow¡¯s body is graceful, almost beyond words. Even though it isn¡¯t pointed at me, there¡¯s no doubt in my mind that her rump is just as impressive as her sizable chest.


    Around her hips are the same black panties that the kittens were wearing, but Snow¡¯s are similarly stretched to match her greater curves. The bottom fabric is slick with gushing wetness, and judging by the damp fur on her right paw fingers, Snow¡¯s been watching the mating ceremony for a while now. She¡¯s much subtler than Meri, considering I didn¡¯t notice her opening the door at all.


    Her hair, typically tied into one large braid, is now let down entirely free to flow down her backside. A very long length, it quickly reaches past her wide hips to her knees, mingling with the gigantic, fluffy cat tail precariously shifting behind her. It has a wild, slightly rough feel that is the opposite of her prim and proper braided style.


    If someone told me that Snow was the Queen of all Beastfolk, I¡¯d believe them. That¡¯s just how stunning the woman happens to be.


    ¡°Are you absolutely certain you wish to become my mate?¡± Snow asks while flicking her long, flowing hair behind her and staring down. Her voice is little more than a hushed, seductive whisper.


    There¡¯s no hesitation within me whatsoever as I tell her, ¡°A thousand times, yes.¡±


    She raises an eyebrow and remains cold, distant, although her lip twitches into a smirk for just a second before continuing the act. ¡°Then you¡¯re going to have to prove yourself to me,¡± Her hand slips inside of her huge, fluffy tail and pulls out something jingly. The domineering maid then tosses it to me, and I catch it and have a good look.


    It¡¯s the diamond collar. I put it in the storage room, so she inevitably got her hands on it again.


    Snow smiles and raises her chin even further, cupping it with her paw as she leaps onto the bed. I look up at the woman, savoring this worm¡¯s eye view of her drenched panties and her snug cameltoe. ¡°Put it on me, ¡®Myaster¡¯... if you even can, that is.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious, Snow?¡± I laugh a little.


    ¡°Of course. I told you that you were going to need that collar, didn¡¯t I?¡± She smirks wholeheartedly, becoming a smug-looking cat eying down a mouse.


    ¡°Any way we can help?¡± Peri asks as she and Cherry join us on the extensive bed.


    ¡°You two just sit tight. You¡¯ve already had your fun. Let me have mine for a while.¡±


    Cherry stretches and plops down on her side to watch the action unfold. ¡°Sounds good to me. I wouldn¡¯t miss this for the Realm, nyaa! Do your best, Myaster!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to be cheered on- I¡¯m making this happen, no matter what it takes.¡± Holding the collar in hand, I clutch it in my fist with fiery determination before standing on my feet and walking towards Snow on the mattress. Her body language is hard to read, but I¡¯m almost sure that she¡¯ll dart at the first sign of movement from me. We stare each other down, both of us looking for the first opening.


    Luckily for me, I was just taught the chink in her armor. If I just reach out with my hand and- ¡°...pull on her tail, I¡¯ll be able to stun her long enough to put the collar on. Is that what you¡¯re thinking right about now?¡± Snow tells me with a mocking voice as she turns around and bends over. The sultry woman points her huge ass in my direction and wiggles it side to side at me to taunt. At least there¡¯s one positive here- I get to see a big pink pawprint on the back of her tight black panties. ¡°Go ahead and try. See where it gets you.¡±


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re good...¡± I stare warily at the cat who can seemingly read my mind before reaching out and grabbing the base of her bushy tail. Snow gasps loud, exaggerating her response.


    ¡°Oh, no! My one weakness!¡± She blushes and covers her mouth as I give her a condescending stare.


    ¡°Fuck off,¡± I scoff, laughing softly under my breath.


    Snow smirks. ¡°You think I could be a manager of the Pet Shop if I wasn¡¯t strong enough to know how to use an Art or two? Tail Control is convenient, see?¡± To make her point more obvious, Snow¡¯s tail slips out of my grip despite how hard I try and hold onto it. She then drags its white fur across my cock, teasing my sensitive flesh that calls out to finish claiming her as my mate.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you just full of tricks...?¡± I pretend to lower my guard, intent on tackling Snow as soon as she responds.


    ¡°More than you know,¡± Predicting my next move again, Snow¡¯s tail glows a dim blue for a split second, and she whips it across my chest with unnatural force. It doesn¡¯t hurt- I¡¯m sure Snow made sure it wouldn¡¯t- but it pushes me back onto the bed with more power than I can resist.


    ¡°Uh-oh, guess you¡¯re going to have to try again! That¡¯s ok, we have time. I¡¯m sure you can pin me down if you try hard enough...¡± Even though Snow and I are the same height, the way she stands with her head held high and the way her sadistic eyes glare at me make me feel like I¡¯m looking up at a giantess.


    Shaking her head in disbelief, Cherry whines, ¡°Snow is on an entirely different level than us, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°So? Myaster loves us just as much!¡± Upset, the blue-haired kitten crosses her arms.


    Undeterred and desperate, I swipe at Snow¡¯s feet with my own to try and trip her up. Snow is unimpressed. She hops up, lands a few feet away on the bed, and yawns. ¡°Is that all? From the way you came on my face, I was so sure you wanted to make this official...¡±


    Rather than keeping calm, I fall for her, taunting and scramble to my feet. Logically, I know there¡¯s no chance of beating her. But damn it, I have to!


    I chase the cat across my entire bedroom for a full ten minutes, all while Cherry and Peri watch in awe, only pausing to giggle every now on then at my continued misfortune. When I lunge, she dodges. When I make a feint, she side-steps the actual attack. When I pause to catch my breath, she pushes me away with her Arts-powered tail.


    There is absolutely no way I can do this. Covered in sweat and naked, I fall to my knees on the floor beside the mattress. Snow, looking more pleased than I¡¯ve ever seen her, sits comfortably on the bed. Her long, white-furred legs are crossed, and she holds her chin in her paw. ¡°Were you lying? I could have sworn you told the girls you had infinite stamina... how pitiful...¡± She purrs, a perverted glaze coating her eyes.


    ¡°Only... during... sex...!¡± I manage to huff.


    ¡°Don¡¯t give up! You¡¯re almost there, Myaster!¡± Peri lies.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s not...¡± Cherry tells the truth.


    Snow lets out a long, disappointed sigh. ¡°I guess there¡¯s no other choice, then. If you want to put that collar on my neck, you¡¯re going to have to prove yourself some other way...¡± She smirks, her white paws reaching for the shoestring tie on the side of her tight, black panties. The beautiful, exotic Beastgirl strips herself of the wet fabric and throws it onto my face, giving me no choice but to inhale the thick scent of her delicious feminine musk. I linger for just a moment, relishing this scent I didn¡¯t ask for.


    When I finally remove the panties from my eyes, I¡¯m met with a surprising sight. Snow has shifted on the bed to fully spread her legs wide- giving me an astonishing view of her bare, dripping pussy. A realization dawns on me. I¡¯ve been playing Snow¡¯s game this entire time without even meaning to. Everything she did was all to get me in this position right here, on my knees upon the floor, inches away from her naked mound.


    In her silky voice, the woman whispers, ¡°Get to work,¡± and she beckons me forward by spreading her pink lips open with her finger. Sitting across her face is a smile less like a cat and more like a devil. Snow hungrily licks her round, luscious lips, knowing full well that I¡¯m about to do the same to her lower ones.


    art by Onigiri Punch


    PunishedKom


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 When You Least Expect It

    I dive in headfirst and part Snowball¡¯s sensitive mound with my excited tongue, savoring the taste as I sip from her honey for the first time. Faintly sweet, mostly tang, with a wild after-taste that lingers on my lips. It drives me crazy, and soon I begin licking her even harder in the hopes of getting more. My hands move to her thighs, only for Snow to use her tail and whip them off of her.


    ¡°No hands,¡± She commands, her voice practically unperturbed from the relentless tonguing I¡¯m giving her. ¡°Savor my taste like one of us... like a beast.¡± Snow smiles, her rising blush betraying her pleasure.


    With a deep, pleasured moan, the head maid takes me by the head and shoves me into her wetness. ¡°Harder,¡± Snow purrs. ¡°Show me how bad you¡¯ve wanted this, damn it...!¡±


    I pull back to catch my breath and look up at her, ¡°Clearly, I¡¯m not the only one who wanted this...¡± My lips and face are covered in her sticky sexual fluids, but despite the truth behind my words, Snow is unamused by my sass.


    ¡°Funny.¡± She says flatly. ¡°If you want that collar to go anywhere near my neck, Myaster, then you should shut up and put that tongue to better use.¡± Her voice becomes a threatening growl, and I feel her claws dig ever so softly into my scalp as she thrusts my face back hard into her pussy. I can¡¯t escape her strength even if I wanted to- and I don¡¯t.


    For a good while, the room is quiet except for the wet sounds of my feverish attempts to please Snow. My lips kiss hers, flecking her slit as hard as I can with a powerful passion. Now that Snow¡¯s pussy is right here in front of my eyes, It¡¯s hard not to take out all the frustration that our non-stop back and forth teasing inevitably built up.


    ¡°Mmmm, that¡¯s not too bad...¡± She closes her eyes and exhales, clutching my hair a little bit tighter. When her eyelids open, they¡¯re filled with a focused lust. Snow points with her claw to the area behind me on the floor and says, ¡°Girls, I want you to make it harder on the Myaster. Don¡¯t let him enjoy it too much.¡±


    ¡°Ohhh...¡± Peri considers this, blushing and red-faced before a small trail of drool dribbles down her lip. ¡°Yes, Snow!¡±


    Snow, without a hint of warning, grabs Peri by her hair. Not rough enough to hurt but just enough to shock her. ¡°Mistress. Not Snow. Understood?¡± She glares at Cherry to make sure she gets the message as well.


    Peri dreamily sighs, ¡°Y-Yes, Mistress...!¡± and Snow lets go of the kitten¡¯s straight, blue hair with a smile.


    ¡°Sure thing, Mistress!¡± Cherry tries to hide a nervous sweat as both she and Peri maneuver behind me. Working together, each kitten places a paw on my erect cock so that they can stroke it downwards like they were trying to milk me. If that wasn¡¯t enough, the pair each bends over so that they can take one of my large balls inside of their hot mouths.


    The increased sensation forces me to moan into Snow¡¯s pussy as I try harder and harder to eat it out. Cherry and Peri stroke and suck my hardness as best they can, and all I can do in turn is pleasure Snow. Just as their Mistress commanded, every time it looks or sounds like I might be having too much fun, the kittens both stop and pause for a good ten to twenty seconds before going straight back to stroking and swirling their melty, textured tongues around my balls.


    ¡°This... this is so... good...¡± Snow rears her head back, grinding her clit against my nose. Her voice is tinged with the lust of one who has gone slightly mad with power, giving her a bestial growl behind her words. ¡°Get ready for the first... one... mnn...¡± She shuts her glazed eyes tight. The maid¡¯s voice cracks as a little whimper escapes from her throat, and she cums hard against my tongue.


    Her juices gush out of her quivering lips, coating my face in even more of Snow¡¯s fragrant, womanly mess. The tightness of her pussy coils around my tongue, practically sucking it in deeper as she grabs my head with both paws and grinds my entire face against her sex.


    Snow¡¯s climax lasts for a while, but she makes no attempt to get me to stop during this time. It would certainly be easier to grab her hips and lodge myself into her pink tunnel further or start fingering her, but there¡¯s a primal ferocity at play here. Not being able to use my hands only sends me into an animalistic frenzy- licking, sucking, kissing, and slurping every last juicy corner of her wet slit.


    Even as I lick her well past her first orgasm, My own tormentors are having fun with their Misstress¡¯s command. My throbbing cock¡¯s needs are not met, and as Snow climaxed Cherry and Peri took their paws and squeezed the base of my balls to keep me from getting too excited. It felt good, not too hard, but hard enough to keep me from getting close to my own release. Now that Snow¡¯s excitement has died down, the two faithful kittens go right back to work milking my meat. This distracts me long enough that the sadistic maid takes notice.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious...¡± Snow chuckles to herself, her paw reaching behind her back to stabilize herself. She opens her legs, looking me in the eyes. ¡°Are you such a perverted man that you can¡¯t ignore your own pleasure long enough to satisfy me, nyaa? Surely you don¡¯t think once was enough?¡±


    ¡°No, I-¡±


    Snow narrows her brows, and with a stern expression, she tightens her meaty thighs around the sides of my face so hard I can barely breathe. I become buried in the soft skin just past the line on her leg where her fur ends, and the smell is overwhelming with desire. ¡°No excuses. This is your chance to live up to all that talk, Myaster. Show me the real power of a man who can never be satisfied no matter how many women are drawn to his bed.¡±


    The head maid loosens her thigh¡¯s grip on me, allowing me to gasp for air once again. I return Snow¡¯s gaze with a determined one of my own. Seeing this, a sly smile casually appears on the woman. ¡°Hmm. Girls, do your best to make him cum.¡±


    ¡°Lucky you, Myaster!¡± Peri gives my cockhead a kiss as soon as she hears the new order, but Cherry isn¡¯t as convinced.


    ¡°Wait for it-¡± She milks me downward into Peri¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Myaster, if you fail this simple test and cum, then I won¡¯t give you another chance to put that collar on me for at least a week.¡±


    ¡°Aaaand there it is.¡± Cherry sighs.


    ¡°Shush.¡± Snow stabs her eye-daggers into the pink-haired kitten¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Yes, Mistress...¡± Cherry meekly mutters, sounding almost like a different person.


    That¡¯s what I get for being sure of myself, I guess. The two kittens start to skillfully work my cock all while I pleasure Snowball¡¯s needy little pussy. Unable to say a single word in protest out of fear she¡¯ll follow through on her word, I start eating her out with a level of desperation I¡¯ve never done before on any girl. I¡¯ve eaten the girls in my life out more times than I can count. Far be it from me to claim I don¡¯t enjoy this, but never have I had to do so between wild groans, an aching jaw, a sore tongue, and constant gasps for breath. It doesn¡¯t help that I was running around the room just before this, trying to keep up with her, leaving me already slight of breath.


    Every second soon becomes a battle as I try in vain to tune out the pleasure at my dick. My mouth hurts, and my breath becomes ragged, yet I focus on going without air for as long as I can manage all, so I have a precious few extra seconds to savage her cunt.


    Cherry and Peri aren¡¯t holding back. They know Snow will likely punish them if they take it easy on me. Peri lays down on the floor between my legs so she can start sucking my cock in her typical kiss-obsessed frenzy, while Cherry takes it upon herself to be fully in charge of both my balls, fondling and sucking at them. Together, the two stir me up into an even harder desperation than I could have managed on my own. It takes every single ounce of self-restraint I have to hold off exploding right down Peri¡¯s throat, but I push forward and watch the results play out in front of me.


    Snow starts to whimper here and there as her body responds to my oral ministrations, betraying her calm and collected intensity. Soon, this gives way to full-on moaning. The Catfolk maid bites her lip to steady herself, but it¡¯s no use against my tongue. I force Snow to cum through sheer force of will before I fall victim to my own constant pleasures.


    This second orgasm is much stronger than the first. Her body seizes up, and Snow howls, ¡°Shit... SHIT! MYASTER!¡± as she cums from my persistent tongue swiping up and down her throbbing clit. Snow¡¯s thighs suffocate me again, wrapping around the sides of my head and taking away what little breath I have left. I suffer in the pillowy comfort of her warm flesh as the woman howls her way through her climax.


    Upon hearing that their Mistress was the first to give, the kittens pull away from my cock and balls to provide me with a much-needed break from edging. This break only really begins as soon as I wiggle out of Snow¡¯s thighs, though. Once I manage that, I inhale deeply and stand. Without much strength left in me, I fall down on the bed next to Snow.


    ¡°You did it!¡± Peri jumps on me from behind, nuzzling her naked body against me and dragging her breasts across my back.


    ¡°Just in time, too... I could feel how close you were to cumming your brains out...¡± Cherry giggles, joining us back on the bed, too.


    Unable to reply, I groan and shake Peri off of me. She falls onto the side, joining her mate-sister with a hug.


    The feeling of my hair being stroked by a sensual paw overtakes my body. Looking up, I see Snow smiling a satisfied smile. ¡°I... suppose you get a passing grade... this time... but only just barely, nya-AAA?!¡± Snow yelps in surprise as I tackle her, collar poised in hand as I wrap it around her neck and tighten the clasp behind her.


    It snaps into place like a perfect fit.


    ¡°You... I thought you were out of energy...!¡± Snow blushes a fierce shade of red. She genuinely wasn¡¯t expecting this, and it shows.


    ¡°I... am...¡± I manage to mutter tiredly.


    ¡°I bet he¡¯d perk right up if someone were to mate with him,¡± Peri purrs, obviously offering her services.


    ¡°I¡¯m planning to,¡± Snow shoots her down but smiles warmly as the blush subsides. ¡°You did it, Myaster. I knew you had it in you...¡± She sits up, pulling me into her lovely cleavage and rubbing her cheek affectionately against the top of my head like a cat.


    From the comfort of her boobs, I look up and tell her, ¡°...Don¡¯t underestimate how far I¡¯ll go for new pussy.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Are you sure you¡¯re not part Beastfolk? You speak like a feral tomcat...¡± Snow covers her mouth and giggles adorably.


    ¡°One way to find out,¡± I whisper, taking the initiative to press my lips to Snow¡¯s, and together we share a long, passionate second kiss.


    PunishedKom


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 Remember, This is What You Wanted

    Unfortunately, I can¡¯t keep this kiss up for long. I slump against Snow¡¯s soft and supple soon after it begins, her large breasts flattening from the pressure of my chest. ¡°Myaster?¡± She asks, worried. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve had enough of me already?¡±


    ¡°Of course not... it¡¯s just that someone made the excellent decision to tire out my jaw and my tongue. Kissing hurts.¡±


    ¡°Could you say that last part again? I didn¡¯t catch that.¡± The sly cat tilts her head, innocent and demure-looking.


    ¡°I said that it hurts-¡± Oh.


    She laughs softly to herself, her fluffy white ears twitching. ¡°I heard you the first time. I just find it hot when you tell me how it hurts...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a freak,¡± I shake my head, dreaming of all the fun things Snow and I will get up to now that she¡¯s a permanent part of my life.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it, nyaa.¡± She says with a sly wink before flipping us both over and straddling me. ¡°Girls,¡± Snow snaps her fingers, causing Peri and Cherry to show up on both sides of me. ¡°Make sure our Myaster is nice and comfortable.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us that, Mistress,¡± Peri smiles as she takes my left arm and cuddles up to it, pressing it against her naked body and squishing her big tits upon me.


    ¡°Kinda feels like we¡¯re just accessories at this point, though...¡± Cherry frowns as she takes up the position on my right, squishing her smaller breasts into my arm to complete the set.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Turning to face the pink-haired kitten, I kiss her just as passionately as I kissed Snow only moments before. Cherry is surprised, but her fears are quickly dismissed as soon as she feels how vigorous my attention is. ¡°I need you just as much as I need Snow.¡±


    She blushes and looks away, ¡°Yeah, as your workforce.¡± Cherry says teasingly.


    ¡°As my mate.¡± I correct her and watch as a smile appears on her face, one that only makes her cheeks redder.


    Peri is getting fidgety since she didn¡¯t get a kiss, so I give her one to be fair and return my attention to Snow. She looks down at the three of us with a warm, older sister-like smile, reaching out with her paw and cupping my cheek. ¡°Myaster, I don¡¯t know how you¡¯ve done it, but you managed to change all three of us for the better in such a short amount of time. Myself included...¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t take much. You had it in you this whole time. Anyone can change if they make an effort to break out of their habits and do whatever it is that they really want.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think it is that I want, hmm?¡± Her expression changes, becoming playful and sly yet again.


    ¡°You want power, and you want no one to have power over you ever again. If I¡¯m right, I think you¡¯re looking for people who love you that will treat you like a Queen, yet also let you walk all over them... in a manner of speaking.¡±


    ¡°That sounds pretty accurate to me...¡± Peri nods her head.


    ¡°Almost scarily so, nyaa...¡± Cherry concurs.


    Snow raises an eyebrow and licks her lips at the thought. ¡°Can¡¯t say you¡¯re entirely wrong in your assessment, but you¡¯re wrong on one important part...¡± Her paws shift down the curves of her breasts, slowly dragging the claws to the bottom of her tube top.


    ¡°And what would that be?¡±


    Snow pulls her top off, leaving her massive tits to drop against her chest. The large globes of flesh bounce into place, revealing delectable pink nipples sharp and ready for touching. ¡°No matter what I might say or what I might do, at the end of the day, my Myaster will always have power over me... and I wouldn¡¯t have it any other way.¡± The Catfolk leans down across my chest to shove her tits into my face, smothering me in their pillowy softness.


    The kittens begin to play deviously, and on both sides, they nuzzle up to my ears and begin to whisper. ¡°Mistress¡¯s boobies are so big, Myaster... I bet you want to squeeze them...¡± Peri purrs, holding my arm tight between her breasts and making sure I can¡¯t escape her clutch.


    ¡°Too bad,¡± Cherry licks my ear and nibbles on it ever so slightly with her fangs. ¡°You could suck on them, though... if you beg Mistress, I¡¯m sure she¡¯d let you...¡±


    Snow busies herself by dragging her huge mounds all over my face, squishing the kittens here and there in the process as they continue to nibble and lick at me. ¡°Listen to your kittens, Myaster... beg for me, and I might be generous...¡±


    ¡°Let me suck your tits, Snow... please...¡± I plead, twitching in pain as Cherry sneaks in another rough bite on my neck.


    ¡°Mmmnnn...¡± Snow enjoys the view of my pained expression before saying, ¡°More.¡±


    ¡°I want them in my mouth, damn it... I couldn¡¯t tell how big yours were because of your outfit and then your tracksuit, and now that I can see, I just want them so damn much...!¡±


    The sadistic maid pulls her tits away, placing her hand on my pec. She smirks and slowly scratches down across my flesh hard enough to make a mark. ¡°More.¡±


    I shudder from the scratching even harder than at the bite. ¡°Snow, please-¡± She scratches harder, her eyes becoming judgmental as if she¡¯s expecting something from me that I haven¡¯t quite figured out... oh, of course. ¡°Please let me suck your tits, Mistress...¡±


    The playful smile returns to her face, as does the glimmer of mischievousness in her eyes. ¡°Was that so hard?¡± She asks, giving me no chance to answer as she lays her supple body against mine and presses her tits onto my face, angling her nipple straight at my mouth.


    I take what I¡¯m given gratefully and suck Snow¡¯s nipple gently and with much appreciation. She begins to mutter hushed moans to herself, all while the kittens watch me during this mock breastfeeding.


    ¡°He¡¯s so entranced... it¡¯s like Myaster actually wants milk to come out or something, nyaa...¡± Peri giggles as I moan into Snow¡¯s breast, taking out the nipple from my mouth only to suck down on it again with vigor.


    ¡°I mean, yeah, they¡¯re big and all... but h-he likes all sizes...!¡± Cherry takes on a defensive tone, causing both big-boobied Catfolk to laugh at her misfortune.


    ¡°Whatever the case, it seems this perverted man can¡¯t get enough of me. I wonder... if he likes my body so much, maybe we should save the sex for another day? That way, we can stretch out his enjoyment and allow him to spend today servicing me however I ask of him...¡± Snow laughs in a quiet yet cruel manner, and I suddenly start sucking with desperation to try and convince her otherwise. ¡°A-Ah!!¡± She pulls her breast from my lips before giving me the other nipple to suck on.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think Myaster likes that idea...¡± Peri says.


    Cherry grumpily adds, ¡°But rather than voicing that opinion himself, he¡¯d rather just keep sucking...¡±


    I can¡¯t defend myself there. All I can do right now is savor the taste of Snow¡¯s perky, pink flesh and enjoy the softness of her mounds pressing down on me from above.


    Snow smiles, and once she¡¯d had her fill with being worked over by my skilled mouth, she pulls out her left nipple and sits up. Thanks to the suction, it leaves my mouth with a loud ¡®pop,¡¯ and the sultry maid moans softly at the sensation. ¡°Mn...! There, there, Myaster. I was only joking. I don¡¯t think this poor thing could take it if I made you wait any longer...¡± Snow reaches behind her, delicately running the soft, pink paw pad of her index finger up the backside of my cock.


    ¡°Ahhh...!¡± I roll my head back, the simple touch doing wonders by itself. ¡°No... it¡¯s ready to go off at the drop of a hat...¡±


    ¡°We made sure of that!¡± Peri proudly brags about her work, earning her a proud headpat from her Mistress.


    ¡°Very well done, girls,¡± She extends her other paw to Cherry and rewards her, too, causing both of them to let out a delighted moan into my ears. ¡°And as for you, Myaster... are you ready to claim me?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯ll let me, Mistress...¡± I groan, clutching my teeth as she runs her finger along my aching cock once again.


    ¡°Good answer, nyaa... it¡¯s just... I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll cum right away the second we put it in! You wouldn¡¯t want that, would you?¡± The tone in her voice tells me that she¡¯s not asking my opinion. She¡¯s telling me what she¡¯s going to do to me. ¡°No, no. Not at all. We can¡¯t have that! Your first load inside me should be nothing short of mind-blowing. Anything less, and I¡¯d be ashamed of myself as a maid!¡±


    ¡°Please, Mistress, don¡¯t...!¡± I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s going to do, but I don¡¯t like the sound of it.


    ¡°Shush, Myaster. I¡¯ve already made up my mind. Luckily for you, I know how we can make sure you don¡¯t blow all that hot cum of yours the second I start fucking you with my tight, virgin pussy...¡± Snow layers her words with a thick hint of velvet in her voice, dropping them huskily and smooth. My erect manhood cries out for the pleasures of such a hole right about now, and the smile on Snow¡¯s face tells me I¡¯ll get all that and more.


    The sadistic maid reaches behind her and shoves her paw into her huge, fluffy tail. She pulls out something hidden in her fist from out of the white fur, and she turns around, leaving her actions out of view. It isn¡¯t long until I understand what she¡¯s doing, though.


    She grabs my stiff cock in one pay and slides something incredibly tight down its length until it reaches the base. Then, she grabs my balls and somehow squeezes them through another tight opening. ¡°There we go! All set...¡± I hear Snow giggling, followed by a kiss on the top of my enflamed head.


    Turning over to face me, Snow presents the sight of my penis enveloped by a magnificently tight, light blue cock ring. ¡°I was worried since you¡¯re so big and all, but I should have trusted the packaging. It¡¯s enchanted, so there¡¯s no problem getting you to fit! And that¡¯s not the only enchantment, either... see, I¡¯m not THAT cruel, Myaster. This little toy responds to my voice, and I¡¯ve told it a certain set of words will release you, if you manage to make me say them.¡±


    ¡°Geez, that¡¯s so lewd... holy crap...¡± Peri wipes the drool off her chin by lazily nuzzling into my shoulder.


    Cherry blinks rapidly, her face crimson with flushed cheeks. ¡°Myaster... are you... uh... sure you¡¯re ok with this?¡±


    Before I get any chance to cry out that no, I want to cum, Snow smiles and straddles my gigantic hard-on. She grinds her wet pussy lips up and down its length, causing me to moan and whimper at the wet, pleasurable touch. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine. This is what he wanted, after all. Don¡¯t go around petting every cat you see if you don¡¯t want to get scratched, nyaa.¡± She warns me with an evil, flickering gaze before angling her drenched entrance against the tip of my dick and swallowing the entire length into her depths all at once.


    Art by Slimii. Slimii''s style is very thicc/chubby oriented, so Snow looks a bit heavier than she''s meant to here.


    PunishedKom


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 Put a Ring On it

    The pleasure of enjoying my first time buried deep inside of Snow¡¯s steaming pussy is all but overshadowed by the intense pressure of the cock ring, keeping me from blowing my load. Despite my suffering, at least Snow¡¯s having fun. Her face briefly loses its graceful, sadistic composure and becomes that of any other Beastgirl when mating with her lover for the first time- pure bliss.


    She tries to shake off her smile, afraid that it will make her look too weak, perhaps, but the maid has a tough time holding it back. Snowball was looking forward to this just as much as I was, no matter how bad she wants to hide the fact. This stubborn side of her is just another one of the things I love about her. Even after the trouble it¡¯s caused us, I can¡¯t help finding it adorable.


    Snow¡¯s pussy, like the rest of her kind, is textured and ¡®scratchy.¡¯ It seems even this part of her was designed to be torturous, too, since hers specifically gets even bumpier than Cherry¡¯s the further back I go. Bottoming out in her causes the tip of my cock and its upper few inches to be covered in her hard little nubs. The scratching draws out immense, frustrated pleasure, the likes of which are made even worse by the tightness of her tunnel.


    ¡°Gods...¡± Snow purrs, running her paws against the area that connects us. ¡°This is too much, Myaster... I... I can¡¯t believe I tried to fight so hard against being with you... not after getting to see how good this feels...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s n-nice, please... please let me cum, now...¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She giggles before slowly drawing her hips up off my shaft and sinking her slickness down the length again.


    ¡°It¡¯ll be ok, Myaster... focus on us, too...¡± Peri whispers into my sensitive ear, shoving my hand towards her groin.


    ¡°Here, distract yourself with our bodies...!¡± Cherry takes my other hand as well and slips it between her thighs.


    Without any choice in the matter, I start to finger both of the kittens laying by my side in the vain hopes of distracting myself from the ever-escalating hell of pleasure Snow¡¯s installed upon my cock. As I unintentionally thrust up into the maid, I shove two fingers into each of their tight, tiny cunts and begin exploring for their weak spots.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you talented, nyaa?¡± Snow laughs as she bucks her hips a little harder, causing her luscious, round tits to bounce in place. ¡°You must have lots of experience with group sex by now, I imagine...¡± The thought brings a smile to her face.


    Ignoring her taunting, I plead to the maid in agony. ¡°Snow, please... say the magic words... please...¡± I shut my eyes and start finger-fucking Cherry and Peri¡¯s pussies with even more ferocity.


    ¡°You¡¯re no fun, Myaster...¡± The sadistic cat makes a pouty face at me, then slams her hips down the hardest she¡¯s done yet. A loud slap echoes out from our skin clapping against each other.  ¡°Mnn! A... Aren¡¯t you even going to guess... what the words are?¡±


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t... I fucking CAN¡¯T-!¡±


    ¡°NYAA!¡± Peri cries, my fingers whisking around her insides with no restraint.


    ¡°S-Snow...! NYAN-¡± Cherry tries to talk but is interrupted by her pleasures, her naked, sweaty body twisting and seizing at my relentless assault. ¡°M-Maybe you¡¯re taking it too far for tonight...!!¡±


    Snow sighs and looks down at me with a pronounced frown. ¡°I made it really easy to guess, too... Ah, well... I can stop here if we need to...¡± She crosses her arms over her tits and slows to a crawl.


    ¡°Thank you, oh, thank you, Gods...¡± I sigh with overwhelming relief. About ten seconds pass in silence before I realize what Snow actually meant. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take it off...?!¡± I ask, hoping I¡¯m wrong.


    ¡°No. I just said I¡¯d stop, silly Myaster. If you want to cum, then you have to make me say the magic words...¡± Snow¡¯s teasing knows no limits, nor does her perversity. She becomes even wetter as she watches me writhe beneath her, and I feel her quivering cunt constrict around me as I sob for relief. With nothing better to do, I continue to finger Peri and Cherry into orgasm.


    My desperation leaks out and influences them both. As my cries become louder and more pained, theirs become more blissful and wracked in pleasure. It isn¡¯t long before both of them are gushing against my fingers and cumming their brains out.


    ¡°MYASTERRRR!!¡± Peri screams for what must be the hundredth time tonight.


    ¡°I¡¯M CUMMINGGGG, NGH, I LOVE YOU, MYASTER!!¡± Cherry screams, too, before lodging her teeth into my neck to stabilize her overwhelming pleasure.


    Their juices squirt out onto my relentless fingers, all as Snow watches on with sadistic glee. A twitch on her lewd expression draws attention to Cherry¡¯s words just now, though. No doubt it¡¯s a cue that only eyes like mine could have picked up on. I suppose this means I have only one course of action...


    I pull both hands out of the kitten¡¯s little pussies and wrap them around Snow¡¯s hips so I can thrust hard up into her. She moans at the sudden impact and leans over my body, grabbing my shoulders for support and digging her claws into my skin. ¡°AH! Just... Mn... what do you think you¡¯re doing...?¡±


    ¡°I just have... to make you... say... you¡¯re cumming... don¡¯t I...?¡± Clenching my eyes to try and distract my poor cock from the inability to achieve sweet relief, I grit my teeth and start bucking while pulling Snow¡¯s hips down against my own.


    ¡°Maybe...¡± She purrs, squeezing my aching manhood inside her tight pussy. ¡°Maybe not.¡±


    My angry cockhead scratches her backmost walls, causing Snow to shriek with delight and myself to whimper through the skin of my teeth. Her furthest depths do their thing, grinding against my most sensitive area of pleasure. ¡°Can you even... mmn... make me cum with that thing on...?¡± The maid asks, seductive lust influencing her voice and forcing it to crack under pressure.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any choice...!¡± As I shout back at her, the beautiful maid only laughs like a true sadist. Snow allows me to fuck her with everything I¡¯ve got, and thus far, this has been the most significant test of my infinite stamina to date. My body doesn¡¯t get overexerted while fucking, but the mental anguish of prolonged teasing is almost preferable to physical pain. As much as she likes to be high and mighty, Snow is still just a woman the same as any other. I can make her cum if I work hard enough.


    The kittens both rouse themselves from tiredness, each cuddling up to me again while I fuck Snow. ¡°You¡¯re almost there, Myaster...¡± Peri massages my inner thigh, licking my ear to comfort me. ¡°Make Mistress cum just like you did to us...¡±


    Cherry starts licking one of the many bite wounds she inflicted on my body in a tender way, then traces a path with her tongue to my opposite ear, whispering, ¡°I wanna see what Mistress looks like when cumming... don¡¯t you...?¡±


    The thought spurs me to action, and I dig my fingers into Snow¡¯s ass. With a deep groan, I work myself into a frenzy of relentless thrusting despite the immense pressure of the cock ring keeping me from orgasm. Although it¡¯s hard to pull off under the circumstances, I study Snow¡¯s reactions and manage to figure out a few spots that she likes having my cock grind up against. To increase the pleasure on Snow as much as I can, my left hand shoots to fondle her right breast, and my right hand begins thumbing her clit with great intensity.


    If Snow cares that I¡¯m ¡®topping from the bottom,¡¯ then she doesn¡¯t make it known. This is likely because even as I fuck her, the maid is still the one with the real power here. Knowing this, she allows me to use her body while getting off on my desperation and suffering. ¡°Al... most... there...!!¡± Snow¡¯s face twists with unrivaled ecstasy as she rolls her eyes back. Her long, fluffy tail stiffens out behind her, trembling with pleasure amidst the wet, meaty smacks of my thrusting.


    ¡°Cum for me, please, Mistress, do it... fucking DO IT!¡± I beg and beg until finally, my cock brings Snow to the release that I so desperately long for.


    ¡°I¡¯M CUMMING, MYASTERRR!!¡± Snow¡¯s pussy squeezes and milks me with its tight walls and its sharp bumps, convulsing nonstop as her juices flood all over my naked manhood. Yet even as she says the same words that brought out a strange reaction from her face, the magic cock ring does not relieve me of my suffering. I keep fucking her tight little hole until her orgasm is calm and settled, hoping that it would make a difference. It didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Why...?¡± I seize from a violent twitch. ¡°Why didn¡¯t it...¡±


    ¡°Mmm...¡± Basking in the first orgasm she¡¯s ever experienced from her mate¡¯s cock, Snow has a deep, contented look on her face. ¡°Because you didn¡¯t make me say the right words, silly man.¡± She says in a low, husky voice.


    ¡°Mistress, let Myaster cum in you!¡± Peri sits up, whining and pawing at Snow in my defense.


    Cherry follows after and looks down to where the two of us are connected. ¡°Gods, Mistress, his cock is almost purple...¡± She whimpers worriedly.


    ¡°I read the instructions. I know how long he can wear it for without being dangerous...¡± Snow makes a pouty face again and glares down at Cherry. ¡°You better hurry up and figure it out if you want to cum inside of me and not all over my paws when I take it off, Myaster.¡±


    I stare at her, delirious with frustration and pleasure all at once. ¡°Please...¡±


    She frowns and then blushes while scratching the back of her head. Peri and Cherry both make angry faces at their Mistress, firmly on my side now despite the potential consequence. ¡°Come on, think about it... isn¡¯t there something you should say to me now that we¡¯ve come this far, nyaa...?¡± Snow averts her eyes, her cheeks becoming even redder. Is she actually embarrassed despite everything we¡¯ve done? Really?


    I knew she was out of touch with her feelings, but... damn. Luckily for me, this narrows it down a whole lot. Looking into her needy yellow eyes, I find in them a passionate longing that she feels challenging to express. With a deep breath to steady my nerves, I tell her, ¡°I love you, Snow.¡±


    Snow¡¯s mouth falls open in surprise before twisting into a wholehearted smile. She looks me straight in the eyes, draws her hips back, and thrusts down on my cock one last time before telling me, ¡°I love you too, Myaster.¡±


    The magic cock ring is released just in time for the head of my penis to rub against her deepest depths. From within, I let loose an absolutely massive load seeming that is no doubt one of the largest I¡¯ve ever cum before. The force and volume are so absurd that Snow¡¯s eyes open wide from shock as she feels the burning manhood spilling into her without end. It isn¡¯t long before the feeling of coming inside brings out another orgasm from her Beastfolk body, her instincts rewarding her desire to be bred with a powerful release of her own.


    The two of us scream and shout, Snow falling down against my torso as we hug and eventually kiss our mutual orgasm to utter completion, each of us humping and moaning away at the other like animals.


    PunishedKom


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 Satisfied Kittens

    After cumming for far, far longer than is possible without the aid of magic, the two of us collapse into each other¡¯s arms and roll to our sides. We fall back hard on the bed, happy to be together above anything else. ¡°I don¡¯t take it we¡¯ll be playing anymore tonight... will we...?¡± Snow giggles, looking me up and down with her eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not... you¡¯ve ruined it for everyone else, Snow.¡± I sigh. I could certainly keep going if I absolutely had to, but... mentally, I¡¯m just about checked out.


    Snow, smiling with mischief as ever, pecks me softly on the lips. ¡°You knew what you were getting into when you put this collar around my neck, Myaster,¡± she says.


    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t regret it in the slightest, though.¡± I lean into Snow¡¯s ear and whisper a quick question, ¡°You took some Succu-Bye beforehand, right?¡±


    ¡°I was already on it. It¡¯s beneficial for avoiding a woman¡¯s troubles.¡± She smirks.


    As Snow giggles to herself, Peri and Cherry cuddle up to both of us. The blue-haired kitten behind me strokes her hands up and down my side, purring as she says, ¡°I think we had enough fun, anyway...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re satisfied, Peri? You?¡± I turn my head to give her a look of disbelief.


    ¡°M-Myaster...!¡± She blushes as her voice becomes defensive. ¡°I-I¡¯m not super crazy with lust ALL the time...! This week was just... um... hard...¡±


    ¡°It was hard on everyone, I think...¡± Cherry yawns as she nuzzles Snow¡¯s neck before smiling softly to herself. ¡°But we all ended up in better places than we started, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°I think I could agree with that statement, more or less...¡± Snow lays on her back so that Cherry can hug her better. Then, she leans in and gives the pink-haired kitten a gentle kiss on the lips that becomes lewder as it lingers, much to the surprise- but not disapproval- of Cherry.


    As their kiss ends, I feel the need to ask Snow something that might sour her mood, but it needs to come out. ¡°You¡¯re sure this wasn¡¯t a mistake?¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± Snow laughs, proving my fears wrong. ¡°You looked like you were in so much agony, after all...¡±


    I laugh and shake my head. ¡°No, normally I would¡¯ve been into play like that... but... you sort of just sprang it on me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll never forget our first time now, Myaster.¡± Snow whispers as she turns to kiss me on my cheek.


    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement...¡±


    ¡°I know I won¡¯t. Not ever.¡± She whispers. I reach out to cup Snow¡¯s cheek and stroke it with my thumb, prompting the beautiful maid to purr.


    ¡°How does it look?¡± She picks up the collar around her neck with her thumb and forefinger, presenting it to me.


    ¡°Like you were born to wear it.¡±


    Snow smiles and closes her eyes. ¡°Mmm. There¡¯s that ego of yours again, Myaster... you¡¯re lucky I find men who think the world of themselves so adorable because I doubt I¡¯d ever find someone half as self-obsessed as you.¡±


    ¡°And don¡¯t you forget it, Snow.¡±


    The room has long since grown dark after many hours of playing together. Silence fills the air as the four of us enjoy being a part of one big, warm pile of cuddles until Snow breaks this silence with a rather severe statement. ¡°Things are going to be very different from here on out, Myaster... as the head maid, I¡¯m your partner. Whatever you ask of me, I¡¯ll do it, and when I have no commands, I¡¯ll work on my own ideas to improve this Guild and get it running smoothly. I¡¯ll need more maid staff eventually, but with just the three of us, I should be able to make a sizeable impact on the Guild as-is.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask for anything more. You have my express permission to do whatever you see fit, whenever you see fit. You¡¯re the homemaker, not me.¡± I nuzzle Snow, rubbing my own nose against her pink, wet kitty nose, much to her satisfaction.


    Upon hearing her Mistress¡¯s words, Peri swells with confidence and hugs me even tighter from behind. ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna work my hardest, too, Myaster...! I¡¯ll never be as good as Snow, but... my paws are meant to take care of my new home, so that¡¯s what they¡¯re gonna do!¡±


    ¡°And as for me, um...¡± Cherry blushes as she stammers her words. ¡°I¡¯m not good at the whole epic declaration thing but, as long as you take good care of us... I¡¯ll always be here to take care of you, Myaster...¡±


    ¡°The three of you are more than I could ever ask for... now that I have both maids and a head maid to lead them, it feels like a new era is about to begin. I love the three of you so much, and I swear that as my mates, you¡¯ll never want for anything for the rest of your lives.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to promise, Myaster...¡± Snow¡¯s eyes become teasing, and she smirks. ¡°I deserve to be treated like a Queen, after all.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll manage, somehow.¡±


    The three feminine felines all contentedly purr at my promise to always look after them. ¡°Does this mean you¡¯re gonna get us nice collars, too?¡± Peri asks.


    ¡°I plan on it. Ideally, I¡¯d want yours and Cherry¡¯s to match each other stylistically, but we don¡¯t have rubies or sapphires laying around.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t gotta worry about it, Myaster... I¡¯m plenty happy enough already...¡± Cherry admits before stifling a yawn. ¡°But if you do get us collars, I... um...¡± She blushes, betraying how much she actually wants one. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯d turn one down, y¡¯know...?¡±


    Peri pouts, her desire for a collar much less hidden than her counterpart. ¡°Matching collars would be adorable... nyaa...¡± She ends her thought with a long, tired yawn. ¡°Mnn... losing your virginity really takes a lot out of you, I guess... I¡¯m getting tired...¡±


    ¡°I think it would be best if we retire for the night, girls, Myaster. I¡¯m told you have a business trip to attend to tomorrow, and us maids will need to wake up early to see to your affairs.¡±


    ¡°Wait... you don¡¯t mean...¡± Cherry sits up, a panicked sweat forming on her already sweaty brow.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Snow smirks as she watches the distress on Cherry¡¯s face grow. ¡°From here on out, you two maids will be living an ordered, structured, and disciplined life of servitude to the Myaster. This includes waking up bright and early every single day to maximize your efficiency, just like how you lived when training under me. Surely you didn¡¯t think I was going to let you sleep in past noon every day, take frequent sunbaths?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Cherry falls backward on the bed, ¡°I-I thought we were chill now?¡±


    Giggling, Snow reaches over to give the tanned kitten some head scratches. ¡°We are chill, Cherry. I¡¯m not going to run you ragged. You still need to have enough energy to service the Myaster¡¯s sexual needs at any given moment, after all.¡±


    ¡°O-Oh, uh... yeah...¡± Cherry calms herself, thoughts of sexual service racing through her mind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care when we have to wake up, nyaa... if that¡¯s the price, we have to pay for you to help us out then by all means...¡± Peri purrs, even if she¡¯s not entirely sold on the idea of waking up early. To reward her for her subservience, Snow gives Peri a delicate and


    ¡°Sorry girls, but Snow¡¯s officially in charge of you from now on. I¡¯ll defer to her judgment at all times.¡± I offer my sympathies to Cherry. Meanwhile, the head maid is pleased when she hears my admission of her full authority. Snow smiles smugly, appreciating her newfound power before yawning and stretching herself out.


    Despite her growing weariness, a question comes to the head maid¡¯s mind. ¡°Before we sleep, there¡¯s one thing I have to ask...¡± She says, ¡°What exactly is the bathing situation like in this Guild, Myaster?¡±


    Figures that a prissy cat such as Snow would enjoy bathing. She must spend a lot of time cleaning that huge, bushy tail of hers. ¡°We have an arcane tech shower and bathtub in the bathroom right over there,¡± I point towards the door in question, ¡°Other than that, the Guild itself doesn¡¯t have any. The largest building in the backyard out behind the training yard is actually a bathhouse, but... needless to say, It¡¯s in quite a state of disrepair since I had no one else to help me maintain it.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Sounds like that¡¯s going to be a problem...¡± Snow muses. ¡°You have seven people living here now. You cant expect to share one tub with that many people, nyaa... let alone have any fun with us all.¡±


    Peri makes a tired, mewing sound of approval at the idea of bathtime shenanigans, and I nod my head at Snow. Actually, the Guild will soon have eight people living in it if everything works out regarding the long-awaited healer. No need to confuse Snow with that correction, though. She¡¯ll learn about our next expected arrival in due time, if not from me, then from one of the girls.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it while you¡¯re gone,¡± Snow says, already plotting out the number of ways she plans on making herself useful in meticulous detail.


    ¡°Ask Nikita or Sam about seeing if Gwin can help you. She¡¯s a Dwarf, a friend of the Guild, and she helps out around here... if it wasn¡¯t for her, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get you your collar in time, actually.¡±


    ¡°...So you really do have a Dwarven craftswoman.¡± Snow laughs at a joke I don¡¯t quite get. When I tilt my head and ask for clarification, the aloof Catfolk woman brushes off my inquisitiveness. ¡°Nothing, nothing... just thinking to myself. I¡¯ll have to thank her for the collar, then...¡± She lets out a pleasant-sounding sigh of relief.


    I¡¯d love to spend even more time with these fantastic kittens of mine, but my tiredness is becoming overwhelming, and I have a big trip tomorrow. I¡¯m lucky enough to have all these beautiful women around to comfort me. Otherwise, thinking about Dawnstead would be giving me significant anxiety right about now. Letting the unpleasant thought drift, I lay on my flat on my back, allowing Peri and Snowball to cuddle up to me. Once they¡¯re both situated nice and snug, it doesn¡¯t take long for Cherry to sneak herself on top of my body and curl up like a cat, too. With a sense of deep-seated contentment, I close my eyes and relax, drowning in comfort brought about by three naked women smothering my naked self on all sides.


    Amidst the deafening quiet of the night, I whisper to the newest woman at my side. ¡°Thank you for changing your mind, Snow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for helping me realize I would be happier if I changed it, Myaster.¡± She whispers back, warmth and love coating her words in a pleasant silky affection.


    ¡°I love you, kittens,¡± I tell Peri and Cherry, intent on showing them that Snow¡¯s arrival doesn¡¯t devalue my affection for them in the slightest.


    ¡°We love you too, Myaster...!¡± Both girls quietly yawn, a broad smile plastered on both of their faces.


    ¡°I love you, Mistress,¡± I tell my new head maid with a hint of sarcasm.


    ¡°And I love you, you adorable, pathetic little man...¡± Snow responds, giggling and nuzzling into the right side of my neck as she gives it a tender kiss. Soon after, the four of us all fall into a shared, blissful rest, the likes of which are only ever earned after hours of sensual, life-changing lovemaking.


    PunishedKom


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 Taking Notes

    I awaken to an empty bed, leaving me to question if last night¡¯s romp with the three Catfolk was a dream. I certainly hope not, not after finally claiming the two as my mates and finishing off the ordeal with one more than I bargained for. These concerns are laid to rest soon after I first begin to stir, as Snow enters the room wearing her uniform and looking prim and proper as ever. In her arms, she carries a fresh set of clothing for me.


    ¡°Ah, I was just about to awaken you, Myaster,¡± She smiles and bows before me. ¡°Perfect timing.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Snow.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Mya-...¡± She looks at me closer and then blinks. ¡°Hmm. Well, it¡¯s a good thing you¡¯re going to be seeing that Doctor soon, I suppose.¡±


    I raise an eyebrow, unsure how to unpack that statement.


    ¡°Anyways, it¡¯s ten forty-five on the dot, and Miss Hart has not yet come by to pick you up for your business trip. You don¡¯t need to explain a thing, Myaster. I¡¯m fully up to date on the current going-ons of the Guild thanks to Cherry and Peri, as well as the others.¡±


    ¡°The others? Is Zutiria awake?¡± I ask as I stand up, throwing the blankets off of me and stretching.


    While staring at my dick, Snow smirks and shakes her head. ¡°No, not yet. Sam and Meri woke up an hour ago, and I¡¯ve been talking to them about various things before deciding it was time to awaken you.¡± She sashays across the room, her massive and fluffy tail swinging side to side behind her. Placing the clothes on the bed behind me, she says, ¡°Speaking of, they would like to see to your morning desires, should you have the time.¡±


    ¡°Send them in, by all means...¡± I yawn and crack my neck.


    ¡°Breakfast is also waiting for you downstairs, including a generous pot of coffee. Two things of note for you. First, Nikita is here and has something to discuss with you. She was drinking, though, and went to take a nap in your office. Second, we have received a healthy stack of quests in the mailbox. I understand them to be local requests brought about by your meeting with the newly elected Mayor of Dewhurst. I have taken the liberty of sorting out these requests and trashing any outright illegal, nonsensical, or otherwise suspect. The remaining fliers have been posted onto the quest board for your perusal.¡±


    I stare at my new head maid in complete awe of what I just heard. ¡°And you¡¯re telling me that you¡¯re going to be doing this every day for me?¡±


    ¡°I told you that things are going to be different around here. A proper maid does whatever she can to help her Myaster,¡± She says, a hint of sarcasm dangling off her voice as she curtsies. ¡°I was also told that your semen has motivational qualities, and I can definitely attest to this. I can¡¯t remember the last time I¡¯ve been so pumped and ready to go, nyaa...¡±


    ¡°Sounds more to me that you¡¯re just in love and eager to be the best kitten you can be for your Master...¡± I give her a roguish smile, which makes Snow laugh.


    ¡°Hilarious,¡± She purrs dismissively. ¡°Now, wait just a moment while I fetch the girls for you.¡±


    Snow winks playfully as she exits the room, taking my heart along with her. I knew that she would be a significant asset when it comes to running the Guild, but... the ease at which she¡¯s settled in almost makes it seem like she¡¯s been working here her entire life. I haven¡¯t been this excited for the future of my business since this whole mess with the Duke began.


    The maid soon returns, with Sam and Meri following behind her. Both girls look much healthier than the day before, which is of great relief to my anxiety. Sam smirks as she steps towards the bed, wearing nothing but an oversized shirt of mine. ¡°Did you like your surprise, Boss? The kitties told us what was gonna happen, but-¡± She stops midsentence as soon as she gets a better look at me. ¡°Holy shit. Uh, yeah, I guess you enjoyed your surprise a pretty fair amount...¡±


    Meri blushes heavily at the sight of my naked body, a tiny drop of drool dribbling out the corner of her lip. ¡°Oh, Gods, that¡¯s hot...¡±


    I sigh and shake my head. ¡°One moment,¡± Without drawing the suspense out any longer, I go to the master bathroom and check my appearance in the mirror. Well, that certainly explains a few things. There¡¯s hardly an inch of my skin that isn¡¯t covered in bite marks or cat scratches of varying intensity. I don¡¯t even remember getting roughed up this bad, but it¡¯s possible a lot of the scratches were during sex and were light enough that I didn¡¯t notice them amidst the pleasure...


    Returning to the bedroom, I see that Meri and Sam have both stripped themselves of their pajamas and are lying on the bed seductively with their nude bodies sprawled out. Snow has taken it upon herself to arrange my outfit for the day on the reading desk and folded neatly beside it, she¡¯s added outfits for both girls as well. ¡°I can hardly wait to explain this to Opal...¡±


    Sam laughs and grabs me by the wrist, pulling me onto the bed to join them. ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think you gotta explain a thing, Daddy... I¡¯m sure she was expecting this to happen...¡±


    ¡°Were they too rough with you? Did it hurt?¡± Meri tries to hold back her frothing excitement at the thought of my rough mating session but fails completely.


    ¡°It hurt good,¡± I tell her, smiling as I move in to kiss the naked brunette. The thought makes her moan into the kiss, and she shudders as I begin to fondle her large, drooping breast with my right hand. As I rub the soft contours of her tit, I notice that Snow is standing off to the side of the bed, carrying a small notepad and a pencil.


    ¡°Pay me no mind, Myaster. I am familiarizing myself with the various relationship dynamics you have with your other mates so that I can better assist in any way possible.¡± Snow smiles warmly as if watching me have wake-up sex with two young women at the same time is the most normal thing in the world.


    ¡°I take it you don¡¯t mind, Princess?¡± I raise an eyebrow at Sam, who shakes her head.


    ¡°Hell no,¡± She laughs. ¡°It¡¯s hot!¡±


    Meri stares at me before realizing I¡¯m not going to ask her the same question. ¡°Why would I ask, Meri? You love it when I show you off...¡± I grope her breast harder to go along with my teasing words, smiling devilishly all the while.


    ¡°W-What?!¡± She arches her back, shoving her chest even further into my grip as she becomes more embarrassed. ¡°T-That¡¯s... not...¡±


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Snow raises her eyebrow and licks her lips as if seeing a new piece of prey for the first time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me how Meri likes it, Myaster? I¡¯ll be watching every second and taking extensive notes, so don¡¯t hold anything back.¡±


    Before Meri can even object, I push her down on the bed. With Sam¡¯s more than eager help, we get Meri nice and wet after several minutes of teasing the slightly chubby girl¡¯s body in many naughty ways. True to her word, Snow doesn¡¯t take her eyes off the sexual display for even a second, and her paws move at lightning speed as she scrawls note after note about Meri¡¯s sexual interests.


    Once Meri¡¯s pussy is nice and dripping, I sit on the edge of the bed and force the young brunette to sit on my lap, legs spread wide as I fuck her brains out as hard as I can. Sam sits behind us, taunting Meri and groping the Shield Maiden¡¯s tit with one hand, massaging her clit with the other. Meri cums multiple times from our combined efforts, protesting all the while for Snow to look away and stop taking notes. While pulling Meri¡¯s short, curly locks and tilting her head backward, I shut her up with a kiss and give her a powerful creampie as our audience watches with great interest.


    ¡°Hwaa... no... don¡¯t... look... at me...¡± Meri rolls off of my body, cum dripping out of her pussy and making the perverted face of someone who loves to be watched.


    ¡°Very informative, not to mention interesting. Neri¡¯s pussy glowed pink for a moment after you ejaculated inside of her... is that normal with you? I didn¡¯t have a good look last night...¡±


    ¡°Pretty much, yeah.¡± I shrug my shoulders.


    ¡°I see...¡± Snow smiles, her tail swishing about excitedly behind her. ¡°You made good time, too. I counted three orgasms in under ten minutes.¡±


    ¡°I have a lot to do today, gotta keep the ball rolling while making sure to give everyone some love,¡± I teasingly shrug my shoulders while Meri moans embarrassedly by my side. ¡°Princess?¡±


    ¡°Waaaayyy ahead of you, Daddy,¡± Sam smirks and crawls off the bed before lowering her butt onto my lap. Her hands grab ahold of my knees for stability as she starts grinding her wetness against my erection. Thanks to us both teasing Meri, Sam is already slick and ready to go at a moment¡¯s notice.


    The sound of Snow taking notes resumes with fervor, and unlike Meri, Sam doesn¡¯t even pretend to be embarrassed. ¡°I was his first time, you know,¡± The Princess looks up at the maid. ¡°Figured you might want that in your notes.¡±


    Snow tilts her head. ¡°Is that so? Hmm. Didn¡¯t you two only meet a few months ago...?¡± Her eyes look down on me as if thinking to herself about what a poor, pathetic Master I am to have only just recently lost my virginity. Of course, given how she¡¯s twenty-seven, she doesn¡¯t have much room to throw shade, so she doesn¡¯t outright say it...


    ¡°Yup, and it was love at first sight!¡± The Princess snorts. I seem to remember it being a lot more complicated and weird than that, but we¡¯ll leave it at that for now.


    ¡°I can relate to that. For me, it was love at first sniff,¡± Snow giggles and blushes. It¡¯s nice that when we aren¡¯t having sex, the maid acts more like her gentle persona, and after the events of last night, she¡¯s gotten more used to expressing her feelings. ¡°Carry on, now. Time is ticking.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah...¡± Sam sighs before dropping her warm, tight pussy down the length of my aroused manhood. Her sighs quickly taken on a deeper, breathier tone as I pound upward into her as the Princess starts bouncing up and down on my cock. Meri rolls to her side, recovering enough to start giving Sam payback for the clit teasing earlier.


    For another ten minutes or so, Sam and I fuck each other in a hard, desperate rush to get each other off while being watched by the note-taking maid. Her ass slaps against my thighs as she rides, her long, soft hair flowing against my face as I hammer myself into her slit with force. Soon, I start to hunger for a more primal fucking.


    I wrap my arms around Sam, and she gasps as I pull her backward onto my torso and lay on the bed. In this position, we both look at the ceiling. Reaching down to grab her legs, I lift them up to give Snow a good view as I groan and grunt while fucking the spoiled Princess from below. Sam loses it, her moans getting louder and her hips becoming even wilder as she screams at both my cock and Meri¡¯s relentless clit teasing skills.


    As soon as Meri¡¯s second hand reaches down to squeeze my heavy balls, I hit my limit and cum hard right inside of Sam¡¯s clenching, hot tunnel. I keep thrusting and thrusting away until every last drop is spent, filling her to the point of overflow.


    ¡°Fuck, yeah...¡± Sam sighs contentedly as she turns her head to give me a kiss.


    ¡°M-Me too, I helped...¡± Meri blushes and crawls towards, adding her tongue into the mix as we share a three-way kiss between us.


    ¡°You both felt amazing,¡± I tell them as our kiss fades out, hugging them both until Snow interrupts our cuddling.


    ¡°Thank you for allowing me to watch, Myaster,¡± She bows and stuffs her notepad into a pocket on the backside of her apron. ¡°I learned a great deal about the habits of everyone involved here and believe I know enough to assist in the future. There are clothes right over there, and-¡±


    Sam sits up and tilts her head. ¡°Are you always gonna be watching like this?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Snow says flatly. ¡°Often, I¡¯ll be helping to make you and the Myaster cum twice as fast, and other times, well...¡± She lowers her head and licks her lips once more. ¡°Perhaps you¡¯ll find out all about that while the Myaster is out of town...?¡±


    ¡°...Uh-huh,¡± Sam, typically brave to a point where it¡¯s a fault, looks vaguely worried about such a veiled threat. Meri, too, but it¡¯s mixed with much more arousal than fear. ¡°Well, I¡¯m happy you¡¯re here, at any rate...¡± Sam laughs awkwardly, averting her gaze from Snow.


    The maid smiles from the bottom of her heart. ¡°So am I.¡±


    Art by ArtisticApparition


    PunishedKom


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 Awakening

    I¡¯d be remiss if I didn¡¯t visit Zutiria and see how she¡¯s doing before having my breakfast. Upon entering the temporary room she¡¯s staying in, I find the weary Mage sitting up in bed in a complete daze. Her hair is frizzled, and a bit of drool is trailing off her chin, but she¡¯s awake.


    ¡°Zutiria? Are you doing alright there?¡± I ask from the door.


    ¡®Yes and no,¡¯ She responds, proving she¡¯s not in some weird altered state. ¡®I think I should be recovered fully by tomorrow. I¡¯m up, but I still need to lay around for another day...¡¯


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll have Snow bring you up some breakfast-¡±


    ¡®Snow?¡¯ The lavender-haired mage tilts her head. ¡®Hmm. I take it we won, then.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, we won, and yes, Snow. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡®You fucked her?¡¯


    ¡°...Alright, maybe it wasn¡¯t that long of a story.¡±


    A tiny smile appears on her face. ¡®I¡¯m happy for you, Sir.¡¯ I smile back and briefly leave the room to tell Snow to bring up something simple to eat for the little lady.


    After that, I join Zutiria on her bed. We babble for a few minutes about what happened with Snow. ¡®I can hardly say I¡¯m surprised. My own calculations were pointing towards this happening, as it were. That doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m any less glad to be correct. Snow is fun, and I want her here, too.¡¯


    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have plenty of time to get to know her over the next few days. I¡¯m going to be out of town.¡±


    Zutiria stares at me, then frowns. ¡®I remember you telling me that, but I thought that was a dream...¡¯ She says, recalling when I told her the same thing yesterday morning.


    ¡°No, Opal got me an audience with Duke Gloomcrest. Supposedly it¡¯s going to be very lucrative.¡±


    ¡®I take it you and the Doctor are going alone?¡¯


    ¡°Yes. You¡¯re in no position to join me, Sam and Meri are only now starting to feel good enough to be up and about, and the maids have things to attend to here.¡±


    The Mage¡¯s frown becomes childish and even more disappointed. ¡®I see.¡¯


    ¡°Does that make you upset?¡±


    ¡®Maybe...¡¯ She crosses her arms, then winces. ¡®Ow. I can¡¯t cross my arms. Please pretend I¡¯m being adorable and jealous, Sir, as I can¡¯t seem to do it on my own.¡¯


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to pretend, Zutiria,¡± I laugh and pull her into my lap to give her a kiss.


    It doesn¡¯t go as planned. ¡®Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow- ok we¡¯re good.¡¯ She sighs with relief as soon as the pain from being moved fades away.


    ¡°Sorry, I thought you could handle it...¡±


    ¡®It was worth it,¡¯ Zutiria reclines back onto my chest while I give her a kiss on the top of her head. ¡®I¡¯m just upset that I was knocked out for a few days straight, and now that I¡¯m awake, I have to go a few days without you. This is the first time we¡¯ve had to be apart since we¡¯ve met, Sir.¡¯


    ¡°What about the night I spent at Opal¡¯s?¡±


    ¡®Doesn¡¯t count. You came back in the morning.¡¯


    ¡°And this time, I¡¯ll be back the day after. There¡¯s little difference.¡±


    ¡®I know, I know... but I can¡¯t control the severity of my dependency issues, ok? I need you, and I don¡¯t feel well unless you¡¯re around... now that I¡¯ve learned your presence comforts me, it¡¯s hard to go without..¡¯


    For a moment, we sit in silence on the bed as I hug her close to my chest. ¡°Were your dreams alright these last couple of days?¡±


    ¡®They could have been a lot worse... there were some bad ones... a couple of good ones, too. You were in those. Of course, you were in some of the bad ones, too, so...¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t think about the bad ones, Zutiria. You don¡¯t need them.¡±


    ¡®...Alright, Sir.¡¯ She closes her eyes, sighing as she melts into my chest. ¡®I¡¯m also a little upset that you¡¯re taking away Opal, as well. The fight against Pimpington didn¡¯t go too well on my part. I wanted to discuss things with her regarding my condition.¡¯


    ¡°Zutiria, we wouldn¡¯t have won if not for you. Everyone pulled their own, including yourself, despite-¡±


    ¡®I don¡¯t want my performance to be despite anything. I need to talk to her, Sir. I don¡¯t think Opal was entirely honest when she said there was nothing she could do for me.¡¯


    ¡°And what makes you say that?¡±


    ¡®How much do you actually know about her, Sir?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m... not sure what you¡¯re implying?¡±


    ¡®Nothing terribly important, I think... just something I¡¯ve been dwelling on for a while. You can resume cuddling me now, and we¡¯ll go back to flirting for the time being-¡¯


    ¡°I hope I¡¯m not interrupting anything, Myaster?¡± Snow enters the room carrying a tray with some tea, a few pieces of toast, a hot bowl of oatmeal, and some orange slices. Of course, since Snow was the one who prepared the meal, it looks as if it¡¯s coming from the Royal Kitchen itself. I don¡¯t know how she managed to make


    ¡°Not at all, Snow. We were just having a romantic moment together. Would you care to join?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do,¡± The maid giggles and turns her eyes towards the Mage. ¡°Good to see you again, Zutiria.¡± Snow pulls up a chair and sits next to the bed.


    ¡®Hello again, Snow. I like your new collar.¡¯


    Snow does her best to remain professional and calm, but the compliment makes her ears perk up, and her cheeks turn slightly red. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m fortunate to have a Myaster kind enough to gift it to me,¡± She stirs the spoon around the thick oatmeal before lifting it up to the Mage¡¯s lips. ¡°Please, allow me to help you during your recovery.¡±


    Zutiria blushes at the sight of the pretty Catfolk maid offering to feed her by hand but doesn¡¯t hesitate to make use of her services. She weakly slurps down the spoonful, much to Snow¡¯s delight. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just adorable?¡± She says, laughing to herself.


    ¡®So I¡¯ve been told,¡¯ Zutiria remarks, swallowing another spoon¡¯s worth of oatmeal.


    Snow dabs a small handkerchief onto the corner of Zutiria¡¯s mouth, wiping up a little bit that escaped her. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind that I took the liberty of changing your pajamas this morning. I assume not. No doubt I was going to see you naked sooner rather than later.¡±


    ¡®Very true,¡¯ Zutiria takes another bite when offered. ¡®I don¡¯t mind as long as I get to see you naked, too.¡¯


    ¡°All in due time, nyaa...¡± The maid smirks to herself. ¡°You were suffering from a sort of night terror, and I couldn¡¯t wake you from it. It was very distressing, so I wiped you of your sweat, changed your clothes, and switched the sheets after Sam and Meri woke up.¡±


    Zutiria stares at the beautiful maid blankly before looking back over her shoulder. ¡®I changed my mind, Sir. Take your time on your trip. I want to hang out with my new best friend.¡¯


    Snow¡¯s cheeks grow red as she laughs, ¡°Myaster, you have to tell me where you find all these adorable girls of yours.¡±


    ¡°The Goddess essentially pimps them out to me.¡± I sigh, shrugging my shoulders.


    Snow looks at Zutiria, confused. ¡°Is... is he joking?¡± Zutiria shakes her head flatly. ¡°...Well, no matter. I suppose I have more to learn about working here than I first thought.¡±


    The Mage finishes off one slice of buttered toast as she says, ¡®I¡¯ll help you with that after I have another nap. I¡¯ve been working on something to get new recruits up to speed faster. You can help me test it.¡¯


    ¡°I would love to be of service,¡± Snow smiles, wiping the crumbs off of Zutiria¡¯s lips. ¡°Perhaps once I¡¯m more up to date on the specifics of the Myaster¡¯s life, I can help you fine-tune your presentation?¡±


    ¡®That would be lovely,¡¯ Zutiria continues to blush, clearly enjoying having someone capable and intelligent around to discuss with.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you show us now?¡± I ask, to which Zutiria shakes her head.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want you to see it until it¡¯s done.¡¯


    ¡°You and your mysteries...¡± I won¡¯t deny we need a better system to tell new girls about the outlandish reality that I live in, so I¡¯m curious about what she¡¯s come up with. The problem is easing them into it and dumbing it down to make it less ridiculous sounding while still being vaguely believable.


    ¡®Indeed.¡¯ The petite Mage nods and drinks all of her tea in one gulp, with Snow¡¯s help.


    We idly talk for a few more minutes as Zutiria finishes off everything that the head maid brought for her, leaving the little lady to look very satisfied indeed. ¡®Thank you, Snow.¡¯


    ¡°It was my pleasure, dear. Is there anything else I can do to speed your recovery?¡±


    ¡®Help me have sex with Sir, please.¡¯ Zutiria says with a distinct blank look on her face.


    ¡°Of course. Myaster, please strip at once-¡± Snow attempts to take charge of the situation before I can even put in a word otherwise.


    ¡°Hold on a second, Zutiria, you¡¯re still in a lot of pain,¡± I interrupt her command by bringing up some common sense.


    Her desperation clearly showing through, the Mage goes on a perverse rant on the verge of begging. ¡®Your semen might help restore my mana faster, and it¡¯s been a few days since I had any. It might help my body, too. I know you must¡¯ve thought this, too, but I assume you were too worried about the ethics of fucking me while unconscious. Really, you should have just gone for it. My body is free-use to you at all times- that goes without saying by now.¡¯


    Zutiria is in great need of affection, and I want to give it to her, but she¡¯s still recovering... ¡°I know you¡¯re upset that I¡¯ll be gone for a few days, but wouldn¡¯t a blowjob suffice if you want my cum?¡±


    ¡®No. I want to be filled.¡¯ The silent girl frowns, her cheeks getting slightly puffy. ¡®If I could cross my arms, I would be doing that this very moment.¡¯


    ¡°The fact that you can¡¯t cross your arms without hurting only reaffirms that you shouldn¡¯t be having sex right now.¡±


    ¡®Why can¡¯t you be one of those nice men who solely think with their lower brain?¡¯ Zutiria sighs.


    ¡°Myaster, I believe if I were to help, then we could successfully get you off inside of Zutiria without much harm to her.¡± Snow sits on top of the bed with a gentle smile. She looks all too different from the sadist that had her way with me the night before.


    ¡°Is that so? Well, I must say the thought of you volunteering to assist with gentle sex is a comedic one...¡±


    ¡°Very funny,¡± The head maid rolls her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m on the job right now. For this cat, there¡¯s a huge difference between work and play, nyaa...¡±


    ¡®Stop flirting in front of my face and give me a gods-damned creampie,¡¯ Zutiria wiggles in my lap, angrily trying to vent her stress.


    I cave in with a long sigh, saying, ¡°Well, can¡¯t argue with that...¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Witches Love Their Cats

    Snow takes the lead, helping Zutiria out of her cute purple nightgown and her black panties. She carefully prevents the Mage from stretching out too far, thus keeping Zutiria from feeling any pain. ¡°There, all ready for you. After we make her wet enough, of course.¡±


    ¡®Won¡¯t take me long, it never does...¡¯


    ¡°I take it you can¡¯t use any of your Eromancy spells to get yourself in the mood?¡±


    ¡®Why? Are you that eager to skip the foreplay, Sir? That¡¯s awful rude of you. Snow?¡¯ Snow takes the hint, and with a slight smirk, she helps Zutiria cross her arms so that the little lady can look displeased with me. ¡®Thank you.¡¯


    ¡°Of course,¡± The maid returns with a soft giggle. ¡°Though I must ask you if ¡®Eromancy¡¯ is what it sounds like, or...¡±


    ¡°Zutiria unearthed an ancient tome of long-lost sex magic at a hunchback¡¯s thrift shop.¡±


    ¡°...Yes. Of course, she did.¡± Snow raises an eyebrow sharply before shaking her head. ¡°I see I¡¯d best adjust to the absurdity that you people seem to attract before it gets to be too much for me to comprehend.¡±


    ¡®The sooner, the better. Things get crazy around here real fast.¡¯


    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± The maid laughs again before spreading Zutiria¡¯s legs open. ¡°Myaster, would you do the honors?¡±


    ¡°Of course. ¡± I look at my expectant Mage with excited passion. Even though I just came off of a romp with Meri and Sam, my body can¡¯t ever get enough. Beyond that, I¡¯ve missed Zutiria while she¡¯s been out of it. I¡¯m concerned about her condition, sure, but I can¡¯t get out of this after promising her a load, and even then, I¡¯m not sure I want to.


    To make good on my word, my hand reaches for her soft thigh and starts massaging the delicate skin around her groin. Zutiria¡¯s lips part and the sensual sensation she makes a slight moaning sound as my hand trails up and down her leg, each time brushing up against the edge of her lips. The naked girl¡¯s cheeks grow redder and redder as I continue to tease the sensitive skin around her pussy, all while Snow watches from behind Zutiria with curious eyes and a wagging tail.


    Bringing my index finger to the petite woman¡¯s mouth, I tell her, ¡°Make it nice and wet for you,¡± and in return, she whimpers before taking it inside. Her hot tongue lashes against it in a circular motion, spreading her slick saliva all over my finger.


    ¡®Please, Sir, make me wet...¡¯ Zutiria shuts her eyes as I slide my finger between her mound. ¡®I want you inside me...¡¯ She gasps as I push up into her up to the first joint of my finger.


    ¡°Mmmm... all of your girls are so cute, Myaster...¡± Snow seems to want in on the action. The maid licks her lips, her eyes flickering with hardly-contained lust. ¡°I only ever fooled around with a couple of girls back at the Pet Shop here and there, nyaa... I¡¯m excited to let go and indulge myself from now on...¡±


    ¡®You can start now if you want...¡¯ Zutiria blushes and looks back at Snow, smiling. ¡®I¡¯m sure he wouldn¡¯t mind... and... neither would I...¡¯


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The Catfolk tilts her head and looks at me with a smarmy look on her face. ¡°What do you say, Myaster? Should I help the little Mage get ready for your cock?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could stop you even if I said no.¡± Smiling, I slowly start to whisk my finger around Zutiria¡¯s pussy from the inside. Her body spasms at my intricate touch, but Snow keeps her in check before she can hurt herself.


    ¡°True, I¡¯m just dying to play around a little...¡± Snow leans into Zutiria¡¯s neck from behind, then licks the Mage¡¯s flesh all the way up to the ear. To make matters worse, Snow¡¯s paws slide out from Zutiria¡¯s legs up to each of her small breasts. ¡°Not to mention, you and I still have a score to settle, little one...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯m... not little... I¡¯m older than you...¡¯ Zutiria moans at my finger digging around for her g-spot and at Snow groping her tits from behind.


    Snow tilts her head, looking at me with confusion. I nod my head to clarify that Zutiria is indeed older than her. ¡°Huh. Well, in any case... this is for putting all that pressure on me a few days ago, before the incident...¡± Snow smiles cruelly, taking the Mage¡¯s ear into her mouth and nibbling on it.


    ¡®A-Ah!! Your tongue... it¡¯s... different... i-it... tickles...!!¡¯ She whimpers as she has her first experience with this, the textured tongue of a Catfolk.


    ¡°And this is for all that teasing you did to me when using Eromancy,¡± I tell her with a wicked grin of my own. My spare hand finds the hood of her swelling clit and frees the small bead beneath from its prison. All at once, I speed up my finger inside her pussy and start thumbing her tiny nub.


    ¡°NNGH-! N-No!¡± Zutiria reacts strongly to this pincer attack, her voice screaming and filling the room with a sudden intensity.


    ¡°Oh...!¡± Snow stops nibbling on the Mage¡¯s ear long enough for me to see a sadistic expression start to form. ¡°Your voice is so adorable, Zutiria... you should really speak more often.¡±


    ¡®...I can¡¯t.¡¯ Zutiria frowns and hangs her head. Snow realizes she just made a mistake, and the sadism on her face fades, replaced with a concerned grimace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t know.¡± Like a cat showing her affection, Snowball rubs her cheek up and down Zutiria¡¯s. ¡°There¡¯s still so much I need to learn about everyone here before I can truly call myself the head maid, nyaa... so I hope you¡¯ll forgive me when I make a mistake or two... I¡¯m... prone to making mistakes, I¡¯ve recently learned...¡±


    The Mage blushes even redder as she turns to face the Catfolk. ¡®Don¡¯t be silly. You didn¡¯t know... It¡¯s ok, Snow. We¡¯ll learn about each other in due time...¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯d like that...¡± Snow smiles, her cheeks red as she starts to lean in to steal a kiss from the little Mage.


    ¡°You two are picking a strange time to have a romantic moment,¡± I smile and press down on Zutiria¡¯s sweet spot, causing her to moan and jerk her body forward. This inadvertently shoves her lips straight into Snow¡¯s, and the two waste no time before passionately making out with one another. As she kisses the Mage, Snow¡¯s paws start to grope and fondle Zutiria¡¯s tits more excitedly than before, forcing Zutiria¡¯s tiny pussy to get even wetter for me.


    As the kiss fades off, Snow catches her breath and looks at me with a smile. ¡°Is there a problem with that, Myaster...?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I love seeing my girls bond with each other- even more so when they do it in a lewd way right in front of me...¡±


    In a low, husky voice, the cat responds by teasing, ¡°So I¡¯m one of your ¡®girls¡¯ now, am I...?¡±


    ¡®If the collar fits,¡¯ Zutiria chimes in before Snow punishes her by nibbling her ear and groping her tits.


    ¡°Shush, you.¡± The maid mumbles into the ear she¡¯s biting.


    ¡°Mmn...¡± Now that she¡¯s been thoroughly teased, my finger is covered in Zutiria¡¯s juices. The loving tunnel squeezes me as I try to leave, showing just how desperate her little body is for more attention. ¡°I¡¯d say she¡¯s about good to go, Snow. How do you want me to do this without hurting her?¡±


    ¡°Personally, I want to see you make her scream... but... just insert yourself halfway, and I¡¯ll jerk you off while you¡¯re still inside of her.¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s... really, really lewd...¡¯ Zutiria moans as my finger leaves her pussy. ¡®But I don¡¯t think Sir has ever done that before, right?¡¯


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m eager to try it... it sounds hot.¡± The tent in my pants only grows larger after imagining that. ¡°I¡¯m just worried it won¡¯t be enough for me.¡±


    ¡®Nothing is ever enough for you, Sir. One day, the bards will be singing epics about your boundless libido.¡¯


    ¡°Better give them something to sing about, then...¡± I roll my eyes and unbuckle my belt.


    As I strip myself of my pants, Zutiria notices the dozens of cat scratches lining my bare legs. ¡®Well, now I know why I had so many dreams about hissing cats last night...¡¯


    ¡°Worry not, I assure you that he liked it.¡± Snow winks at me, causing me to blush a little.


    ¡®I¡¯m sure he did. Sir is sort of a degenerate like that.¡¯ Zutiria nods her head like this makes total sense to her.


    ¡°Says the girl begging me for a creampie because I¡¯ll be gone for barely even two days,¡± I roll my eye and scoot myself closer to the naked Mage and her spread legs.


    ¡®Says the man lining up his cock with my pussy,¡¯ Zutiria bites her lip as the head of my manhood presses up against her pink petals.


    ¡°That¡¯s more than enough sass out of you for one day, I think,¡± To quiet the teasing Mage, I push myself halfway inside of Zutiria¡¯s tight hole. Snow keeps a hold on Zutiria, making sure it doesn¡¯t hurt and sensually rubbing the petite girl¡¯s body to ease the burden.


    ¡°There, there... it¡¯s alright...¡± The Catfolk woman rubs her cheek against the Mage struggling to take my cock after several days. Purring comfortingly into her ear, Snow whispers, ¡°I¡¯m going to lay you down now, alright?¡±


    ¡®Mmm... mhmm...¡¯ Zutiria nods as Snow gently reclines her body down against the bed. Snow then crawls over behind me, grabbing the exposed half of my cock in her paw with a satisfied smirk.


    ¡°If this isn¡¯t enough for you, Myaster... you¡¯re free to make use of this humble maid as well when you¡¯re done, nyaa.¡± She says while beginning to stroke me with long, tight squeezes.


    ¡°Is... ngh... that what you want, Snow?¡± I moan from the pleasure, and Zutiria twitches beneath me as Snow angles my erection to hit different spots inside the Mage¡¯s warm honeypot.


    ¡°Well... I must admit that as a woman, I¡¯m more than upset over the fact that you¡¯re being whisked away the day you became my mate. I think the kittens and myself deserve another round before you go, don¡¯t you think? I¡¯ll even let you be in control...¡± Snow brings a finger to her lips, and her eyes flicker with sensual mischief.


    ¡®Now that I¡¯d like to see,¡¯ Zutiria groans harder as the maid¡¯s handjob forces me to push my length a little deeper inside the Mage. ¡®F-Fuck him hard enough for the both of us, Snow...¡¯


    ¡°All in due time, first, we need to get you what you deserve, nyaa.¡± She smirks, determined to put her paws to good use.


    PunishedKom


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 Giving Zutiria a Helping Paw

    ¡°How do you like this, Myaster...?¡± Snow asks as she milks my cock straight down into Zutiria¡¯s pussy, squeezing tight and fast with each motion.


    ¡°It¡¯s... so great...¡± I moan in confirmation, enjoying the strong rhythm the maid develops as she pulls and tugs my meat.


    ¡°And how about you?¡± Snow accents her inquiry by drawing a large circle inside the Mage¡¯s walls using my manhood as a brush.


    Zutiria shudders as my overly large cockhead scrapes her depths, her hand weakly trailing to her clit so she can tease out even more pleasure for herself. ¡®It¡¯s... good... but I wish you could just fuck me like you meant it, Sir...¡¯


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back like this... ngh-!¡± I grunt, clutching the sheets beneath me in response to Snow¡¯s latest attack. Using the tip of her pointer and middle fingers, the sadistic maid puts pressure on my pelvic floor.


    ¡°Just leave it to me, Myaster. I¡¯ll get you off nice and hard like the pathetic little man you are...¡± Snow¡¯s voice trails off, becoming silky and dreamlike from the pleasure she gets out of teasing me. ¡°I¡¯m surprised he doesn¡¯t destroy you as it is, anyway... Zutiria, you have just about the cutest little pussy I¡¯ve ever seen, but what with Myaster having such a stupidly huge dick, and all...¡±


    ¡®That¡¯s... mnnn...¡¯ Zutiria bucks her hips slightly up off the bed as a jolt of erotic passion passes through her. Her fingers keep frigging her tiny clit as she groans. ¡®That¡¯s what his tattoo is for...¡¯


    ¡°I was wondering about that, nyaa...¡± Snow tilts her head, deep in thought.


    ¡°Trust me, I wouldn¡¯t put anything that painful down there if it wasn¡¯t for a good reason...¡±


    ¡°Poor, poor, Myaster...¡± Snow licks her lips and wags her tail at the thought of me in pain. If nothing else, at least she¡¯s consistent. ¡°For now, let¡¯s make you feel good, shall we?¡± She smiles, pulling me out of my tight Mage. With her skillful paw, the sultry maid angles my cock up against Zutiria¡¯s clit. Grinding my entire throbbing length against her, both the little lady and I are astonished by the steamy, erotic heat of each other¡¯s bodies. Right as Zutiria cries out, Snow slips my head inside and guides my hips to push halfway down.


    ¡®It¡¯s... so good...!¡¯ The silent Sorceress whimpers, lust heavy on her breath. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s just because I haven¡¯t had you in a few days, Sir, but... I¡¯m going to... mnn... cum... soon...¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m sure all that foreplay didn¡¯t help either,¡± Giggling, Snow continues her excessive jerking on my cock while I hover over the Mage on all fours. Snow soon mixes her rhythm up and adds in devilish corkscrew motions. Every skillful stroke of her paw feels as if the Catfolk is trying to wring my soul out through my aching cock. ¡°It¡¯s for the best that you cum as soon as you can, anyway. Myaster is a very busy man. He has important business things to attend to with Duke Gloomcrest himself. How many men can score an audience with the most powerful man in Arrark, nyaa? Myaster truly is someone special... when he¡¯s not a filthy degenerate who gets off from his maid¡¯s pawjob.¡±


    ¡°Snow, damn it... that¡¯s... too much...¡± Snow¡¯s perfect teasing starts wracking my body with jolts of burning joy. I almost fall over on top of Zutiria, but using my few last straws of concentration and willpower, I keep myself from crushing the petite Mage.


    ¡®He really... nnngh-!! Sir like is when you play up his ego...¡¯ Zutiria whines, a sharp, loud moan trailing out of her sore throat.


    ¡°What... mn... what man... doesn¡¯t...?¡± I reply through the skin of my teeth.


    ¡°Naturally, every man wants to be treated like a King... except for certain perverts who get off on being walked all over, that is...¡± Snow smirks, her claws cupping my ass and digging into my flesh as a sharp reminder that even though she¡¯s being nice, she could turn naughty at any given moment.


    ¡®I think... she... means... you... nnnn...¡¯ Zutiria snarks, which makes me narrow my eyes, reach down with my hand and pinch her nipple. At the same time, I lean into her neck and give it a somewhat soft nibble. ¡°AHHN!¡± She moans, looking up at me with confusion. ¡®W-What was that for...?¡¯


    ¡°Cherry is still in my system, I think...¡± All these girls are going to inspire so many different habits in me, I swear...


    ¡°Such a dirty little man,¡± Snow teasingly clicks her tongue at me, all while her powerful stroking brings me to the edge of release. ¡°I don¡¯t think your apology quite makes up for biting that poor Mage, Myaster. No, I believe you owe her a nice, deep, hot creampie right inside her sweet little cunt. Isn¡¯t that right, Zutiria?¡±


    ¡®Gods, yes... please... Mnn... please...!!¡¯ Despite the strain on her body, the girl beneath me raises her hips to fuck herself with another few inches of my throbbing member. This burning, wet sensation coupled with the suction of her quivering lips trying their hardest to pull me into their depths becomes all that I can focus on. With Snow¡¯s persistent help, I scream loud, orgasming inside of my petite lover with forceful abandon.


    Shot after shot jets out of my spasming shaft, flooding Zutiria¡¯s desperate hole with the thick seed she wanted dearly. Beneath me, the petite woman is overwhelmed at the warmth filling her belly up past capacity. Zutiria trembles, trying to scream as her pleasured pussy reaches its peak of satisfaction, but her lips refuse to make any sort of noise. The ecstasy is just too much for her tired body. The Mage gives out, falling limp against the bed as the last drop of my semen is thoroughly milked out by Snow¡¯s stern grip.


    ¡°Mmmn, seems like you had a lot of cum to give her, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Snow bats her eyelashes and licks her lips. ¡°Do you feel better now, Zutiria...?¡± The maid asks as she removes her warm, soft paw from my cock.


    ¡®I... am in... great pain... but... it was worth it...¡¯ She answers amid frantic breaths.


    ¡°I told you we shouldn¡¯t have done this...¡± I frown down at the Mage, but the expression she gives me in return just about breaks my heart. Zutiria looks up into my eyes, biting her lip, the tiniest hint of tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Her eyebrows upturned and her cheeks red, the girl makes it clear without saying a word that she can¡¯t control how badly she needed my love and affection.


    Guilt overcomes me, and my frown deepens. I sigh and lean down to give the lavender-haired girl a long, slow kiss. ¡®Thank you, Sir... hopefully, this will help me get out of bed quicker.¡¯


    ¡°I hope so too, Zutiria.¡± A soft smile spreads between the two of us as we stare longingly at one another.


    While I appreciate the romantic moment, Snow has other plans. ¡°That¡¯s one down, Myaster. Care to check me off the list while you¡¯re at it, nyaa?¡± The sultry maid crawls on all fours away from her position behind me to a new place near the bed¡¯s wooden headboard.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already had sex with three girls, and I haven¡¯t even had breakfast yet,¡± I smile and mockingly sigh at the idea. ¡°It must be cold by now.


    ¡°Well, Myaster... it seems you have a choice to make,¡± Snow squats above Zutiria¡¯s face, and while still dressed in her full maid uniform, she points her butt towards me and hikes the long, long skirt up over the full cheeks of her beautiful, round ass. She¡¯s not wearing any panties, and Snow is so wet that she drips lewd juices straight down onto the shocked Mage¡¯s lips. Reaching behind her, she spreads open her lips to show me the glistening pink hole waiting excitedly for my erection. ¡°Cold breakfast, or hot pussy?¡± Snow asks, her long tail swishing back and forth.


    The display is so unbelievably erotic that I rush on my knees to hover over Zutiria and grab my dick in one hand and Snow¡¯s ass in the other. I angle it straight at Snow¡¯s freshly deflowered petals and feel the fire ignite between us as the tip touches her pink entrance. ¡°Fufufu... You¡¯re so predictable, you perverted little man. Cherry and Peri worked so hard to make you your breakfast, you know... they¡¯re waiting for you, yet here you are...¡±


    ¡®I¡¯ll just watch, I guess.¡¯ Zutiria, unable to move, stares up at my hard-on, still coated fresh with both of our cum.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± In my rampant lust, I almost forgot that Zutiria was directly underneath. When Snow demands attention, it¡¯s all but impossible not to give it to her. She just has such a command over her presence that it makes her hard to ignore. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to just-¡±


    ¡®I mean, I don¡¯t blame you... and I don¡¯t mind the view. I¡¯m just bitter that I can¡¯t sit up and suck on your balls, Sir...¡¯


    ¡°Is that your thing?¡± Snow giggles.


    Zutiria shrugs. ¡®It¡¯s a Mage thing in general.¡¯


    ¡°Well, how about this. No doubt he¡¯s going to cum so much that my tight little kitty cunt won¡¯t be able to hold all of it, so whatever drips out is all yours. I¡¯ll even help feed it to you, nyaa.¡±


    The Mage¡¯s eyes light up, and her mouth fills with steamy drool. ¡®What are you waiting for, Sir? Start fucking this cat.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Myaster. Fuck this cat.¡± Snow, ever the tease, wiggles her fat, juicy ass at me again while looking over her shoulder. The maid flutters her long, dark lashes at me. Gripping the headboard tighter, the taunting Catfolk braces herself for the pounding she¡¯s about to receive.


    ¡°You make a convincing argument. I definitely don¡¯t want to leave town without getting a second taste of my-¡± Snow interrupts my romantic teasing by slamming her pussy right back into my cock, penetrating herself to the hilt and moaning deeply. My manhood smashes against her deepest wall, her countless scratchy bumps constricting against me all at once.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need you to be cute with me, nyaa. I need you to breed me like the beast I am...¡± As her cheeks flush, she licks her succulent lips and stares me right in the eyes. ¡°Especially if you want my permission to be on top more often. You need to earn that privilege, Myaster, so fuck me hard and fuck me fast ¡± She giggles, sadism glazing her yellow eyes as they look straight through me.


    Snow gives me no other choice but to work my hardest to fuck her brains out, so I get right to work.


    PunishedKom


    Bonus Chapter #3 - Peri''s Punishment


    3200 words


    Summary - Cherry is having a stressful day cleaning up the Guild, and Peri is nowhere to be seen. She goes to ask the Guild Master in his office if he''s seen Peri around. He lies and says no, when in reality a certain busty, cock-sucking kitten hiding under his desk seems to have been fibbing when she said she was done with her work...


    Things get really hardcore in this one, and it''s one of my favorite lewd scenes yet.


    Second of all, if you have anything specific you want to request as far as lewd bonus chapters go then leave me a comment here. Even if you aren''t a $5 patron, I''ll let you read it for free if I use your idea!


    Read 10 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


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 Topping from the Bottom

    The kitten purrs with deep, meaningful satisfaction as our hips collide in an infinite loop. Snow¡¯s long, fluffy tail wraps itself around my body like a belt, connecting me to my lover. Because of her Art usage, the tail¡¯s strength binds me to the maid so strong that I couldn¡¯t break free if I tried.


    Even after a night of carving out one Catfolk pussy after another, I still can¡¯t get enough of the sinful way their unique folds and their foreign texture feels while hugging my dick. Every thrust sends jolts up my spine, made worse by Snow¡¯s insistence on clenching her lips around the base of my manhood every time I bottom out.


    Our lovemaking is a messy, passionate affair. Sweat drips down my frenzied thighs as sweet honey trickles out from the maid¡¯s slit, dripping all over Zutiria¡¯s face below. The Mage watches in a perverse trance, soaking in the erotic display of my cock pounding Snow as it happens only inches above. As she takes in this vigorous sight, Zutiria wishes bad that it was her pussy getting railed.


    Despite her exhaustion, the little lady successfully drags her hand down to meet her burning desire. In no time at all, she starts schlicking away to pleasure herself. Knowing Zutiria is watching every my every move turns me on wildly. As a man, it makes me want to show off, but I know that Snow won¡¯t let me.


    I groan, hunching over the maid as we fuck as hard as we can. In her growing satisfaction, Snow knocks the headboard against the wall hard enough that the whole Guild surely knows what we¡¯re up to. Every time I hammer my needy meat home inside her tight, scratchy pussy, the sadistic cat purrs lewdly and pulls me deeper with her tail. Snow is making damn well sure I don¡¯t avoid her deepest depths, knowing full well I have trouble controlling myself when her countless bumps scrape against my sensitive, enflamed cockhead.


    ¡®You¡¯re fucking her so hard, Sir...¡¯ Zutiria jealously comments as yet another stream of Snow¡¯s sticky juices falls onto the Mage¡¯s blushing red cheek, mixing with her sweat.


    ¡°Not... mn... as hard... ngh- as he should be...¡± Snow bites her lip as she looks over her shoulder, her face drowning in bliss. Even though the evidence is clear as day, the maid tries to brush off the power I have over her. Instead, she pushes me to fuck well past my capacity.


    ¡°You¡¯re always going to be difficult, aren¡¯t you...?¡± Grabbing her perfect, round cheeks as hard as I can, I grunt and slam my cock against the Catfolk¡¯s backmost walls. Snow shouts out with lustful joy from the sudden ramming against her precious pink. From ecstasy, her neck rolls back, and her long braid flies backward like a whip.


    ¡°Obviously...¡± Snow grins, showing me her catlike fangs with narrow, lidded eyes. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you... love me, Myaster...?¡± Her carefully chosen words pierce my heart like emotional arrows, just as she knew they would.


    Falling right into Snow¡¯s trap, I lean even harder into the maid and leave my tight grip on her bubble butt. My left hand finds her large, bouncing breast weighing down on the fabric of her apron, and my right hand glides across her generous hip to circle around to Snow¡¯s clit. If she¡¯s going to play dirty, so am I. Holding nothing back, I tease and rub Snow¡¯s erect pink button between my fingers with excessive force.


    Zutiria mimics the aggressive clit play with her own body, panting and moaning alongside Snow. ¡®Does it feel good inside her, Sir...?¡¯ She asks, desperate to tease out lewd details that will arouse her further. ¡®Your manhood certainly... mn... seems pleased with himself while fucking that poor, poor little kitty, so I imagine her pussy... m-mnn... must be nice...¡¯


    ¡°Yes, Snow feels... fucking amazing inside. Her pussy is just as cruel as she is.¡± I tell the Mage, my cock splitting Snow¡¯s tight tunnel in two as I speak.


    ¡®Mmmn, that¡¯s so... hot...¡¯ Zutiria masturbates harder at the thought of me enjoying the usage of my maid¡¯s body. She moans right as another splash of Snow¡¯s dripping juices falls off our body, this time landing on the petite girl¡¯s outstretched tongue. Grateful for the unexpected surprise, Zutiria swallows the helping of pussy juice and gasps for air.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t stop, Myaster...¡± Snow whines in a low, husky tone as the erotic joy staggers her speaking. ¡°Just go a bit harder, and you... fuuuuck, y-you might prove your worth after all, nyaa...¡± The maid¡¯s taunting, while simple, is effective in getting me to lose myself in manic thrusting. In just a few simple words my world becomes nothing more than sawing in and out of the Catfolk¡¯s cunt, angrily stroking her clit, and groping her large tit through several layers of clothing.


    As both of us build to our explosive climax, Snow moans, clenching the headboard hard enough that her claws burrow into the wood like knives. My semen becomes restless at the sight of the thoroughly-fucked maid, and I draw my hips back enough so that only my tip remains embedded in Snow¡¯s trembling sex. Right as I prepare to impale her with the full might of my iron rod, Snow¡¯s tail helps me along by tightening around my waist and throwing my entire body weight into the round, fleshy cheeks of her bountiful ass.


    Snow and I both lose our bearings as my cock slides down the entire length of Snow¡¯s channel and then some. The warm, wet hole brings me to a shuddering orgasm thanks to the sharp yet pleasurable bumps prodding against me all over. I loose what feels like an endless volley of semen into my head maid, unable to even pull away out of fear that her bumps will scratch me harder than I can handle on the way out.


    As she revels in the euphoria of being filled with my searing, white seed, Snow¡¯s voice cracks while letting out a long, raspy cry of, ¡°MYASTER!¡± Her lower lips squeeze and convulse against the base of my member, milking me dry and bringing my torturous orgasm to even higher heights of obscene ecstasy.


    Snow¡¯s womb can only hold so much of my boundless load. Soon, after filling up past her limit, the maid¡¯s pussy starts overflowing and raining down onto Zutiria¡¯s face. The masturbating Mage brings herself to a clitoral orgasm just in time for the first oozing trail to drop down onto her flushed cheek. Zutiria deliberately stifles her climax, drawing it out into a slow and steady orgasm rather than a thunderous finale, afraid that she might hurt herself in her spasming.


    As more and more semen laced with feminine cum covers her face and hair, though, Zutiria whines and is unable to keep holding back. She teases her clit harder, twisting her hips as it wracks her body with painful satisfaction. The Mage opens her mouth wide, craning her neck left and right to try and catch falling streams of steaming fluids. No matter how much she swallows, it¡¯s never enough for the little lady who basks in the taste of her man¡¯s sex.


    Now completely spent, I pull out of Snow and gasp as all her little nubs scratch me upon my exit. She looks back at me, covered in sweat and with a playful grin. ¡°Feel better, Myaster...?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I pant and wipe some of my own sweat off with the back of my hand. ¡°I really needed to fuck someone hard after that masturbation play.¡±


    ¡°Mn, it sure seemed like it...¡± The sadist licks her lips and giggles to herself. ¡°You did fairly well, all things considered. While servicing the Myaster is part of a maid¡¯s duties, I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t have fun, nyaa...¡±


    Snow and I share a smile, but the moment is cut short when Zutiria¡¯s text appears, telling us, ¡®This is cute and all, but I believe you promised to help me with something, Snow?¡¯


    ¡°Of course, leave it to me,¡± Snow says as she takes out a handkerchief to relieve herself of her perspiration. In the blink of an eye, the head maid fixes her hair, her clothes and her complexion. Snow returns to her pre-sex state in an almost scarily short frame of time, a feat which I struggle to comprehend.


    Then, without missing a beat, she scoots off to the side and angles my dangling, half-hard cock at the Mage¡¯s lips. Snow pushes on the back of my butt, helping guide me into the eager girl¡¯s range. Zutiria gets straight to work sucking my cock clean of juices and in the process making me hard once more.


    After slurping up all the lingering cum on my meat, Zutiria pulls away from my manhood and looks with pleading eyes up at Snow, waiting for assistance. Snow smiles a warm yet slightly threatening smile and I watch in amazement as the erotic head maid leans down to lick up every drop of semen resting on Zutiria¡¯s face. Once her mouth is full, Snow presses her lips against the little witch¡¯s. They kiss, entering a heated trance as Snow enjoys her first taste of a new toy, and Zutiria eagerly accepts the transfer of my seed.


    They dwell on this passionate tonguing long past when the last bit of cum is passed along, each girl just delighting in the other¡¯s loving kiss. It¡¯s hard not to gawk at such an amazing showcase of feminine lust, but my enjoyment is not fated to last. The kiss breaks, and both girls stare up at my incessant, throbbing cock. ¡°Myaster seems to have enjoyed that,¡± Snow comments after licking her luscious lips.


    ¡°Can you blame me?¡± I ask with a pointed sigh.


    ¡®I suppose not,¡¯ Zutiria eyes my groin with purpose. ¡®We can go again if you want, Sir... I can take it...¡¯ I applaud her for trying, but we both know that it isn¡¯t going to fly.


    ¡°No, no,¡± Snow sits up so that she can firmly place her hands on her hips. ¡°You¡¯ve already received more than your fair share. Myaster hasn¡¯t even eaten his breakfast yet, and he still needs to give some love to the rest of his cleaning staff before leaving on his business trip, nyaa.¡±


    Zutiria frowns, somehow knowing that arguing with the head maid would be nothing but wasted effort. ¡®Very well. I suppose I could use another nap while everything settles in my tummy,¡¯ She sighs, earning a loving headpat from Snow¡¯s fluffy paw.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± Snow purrs, watching with delight as the Mage leans into her touch.


    ¡°This situation looks a little off,¡± I say with a wry smile, observing the girl being spoiled by the cat.


    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know about that... looks just about right to me.¡± She glances down at Zutiria, who gives the domineering maid a sheepish grin. ¡°Now go on and get out of her, Myaster, I¡¯m going to help my dear Mistress freshen up and change her clothes.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I resign myself to leaving, but not before leaning down over the witch¡¯s body to stare into her eyes. ¡°I love you, Zutiria. I¡¯ll be back before you know it.¡±


    Zutiria frowns, and I can all but hear her heartbeat become desperate at the thought of leaving my side. ¡®I love you too, Sir. Now go before this gets any harder.¡¯ Snow reads the room and helps lift the little lady¡¯s head up just enough to press our lips together. Zutiria and I share a loving kiss before I inevitably go on my way.


    Leaving two more ladies mostly satisfied behind me, I dress myself once again and head downstairs to claim my long overdue breakfast.


    PunishedKom


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 Breakfast with the Kittens

    After descending the rickety stairs, I find Cherry and Peri hard at work finishing up the last few spots in the entrance hall that have yet to be cleaned. Both of them seem full of even more pep than ever before, even Peri. I imagine that has to do with the invigorating effect they received from my semen. Once they catch sight of me, the two maids drop what they¡¯re doing and run to my side.


    ¡°Good morning, Myaster! We¡¯re almost done cleaning. Look around!¡± Cherry fumbles with her skirt excitedly, unsure of whether to curtsy for me or not. Her bushy brown tail wiggles about behind her, and in the end, she decides not to curtsy.


    ¡°I can see that. Nicely done, my dear.¡± As I sit down at the nearest dining table, I take a glance at the pink-haired Beastgirl who I made into my mate the night before, finding her more casual and friendlier than ever. Some of the bitemarks I gave her are peaking out of her uniform, which I find very pleasing.


    From the look on Peri¡¯s face, though, I can tell that something is amiss. ¡°Myaster, how could you lie to me like this?!¡± She stomps her furry foot down, baring her fangs at me.


    I raise an eyebrow and look towards Cherry to provide me some context. She sighs and shrugs her shoulders, saying, ¡°She found out,¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t a feel-good potion you had me drink last night, nyaa, that was Succu-Bye!¡± Peri hisses, showing that this revelation meant the world to her. Still, I can¡¯t help but laugh at her adorable fit.


    ¡°There there,¡± I pat on my lap, gesturing for the blue-haired maid to sit. Despite her grumpiness, Peri does as she¡¯s told right away. I brush the long bangs out of her face to get a better look at her droopy, seafoam eyes. Comically sized tears drip down the sides of her blushing cheeks. ¡°I promise it won¡¯t happen again, Peri. It was an honest mistake. We must have misplaced the potion with Succu-Bye on accident-¡± Cherry snorts at my half-hearted attempt to cover this up.


    ¡°R-Really...?¡± Peri clutches her chest, her hope increasing by the second. She sniffles her cute little cat nose, and her perky gray ears perk up accordingly from excitement.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m going to make sure you take it every week without fail whether you want to or not, Peri, until I¡¯m damn well ready to have children.¡± I shoot her down in a teasing way, which makes Cherry fight back even more laughter.


    Peri doesn¡¯t take my attempt at humor well. She draws out her claws. In her anger, she slashes my shirt into shreds while making sure not to hit my skin. Great, now I need a change of attire...


    ¡°GIVE ME KITTENS, NYAA!¡± The crazed kitten shrieks. Cherry is quick to wrestle Peri off of me before it can escalate, but I know I¡¯m not in actual danger. Peri is loyal and loving, so I use that fact as I issue her a command.


    ¡°Peri, please lay across my lap. Cherry, go and warm my breakfast and prepare some coffee if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡±


    Peri retracts her claws while snapping back to her senses and looks at me blankly. ¡°Eh?¡± Despite her confusion, the Catfolk maid listens to her orders and lays her supple body horizontally across my lap.


    ¡°Uh, sure thing, Myaster...¡± Cherry tilts her head but follows suit, disappearing into the kitchen to complete her task.


    Now entirely alone with Peri, I give her a reassuring pet to calm her nerves. ¡°It¡¯s alright, kitten. I¡¯m not upset...¡±


    ¡°I am...¡± Peri whines.


    ¡°And you¡¯re going to have to deal with that because you won¡¯t be having my kittens until I deem fit.¡±


    ¡°And when will that be?¡± She cranes her neck to the side, giving me a melancholic glance while biting her lower lip.


    ¡°Not for a very long time,¡± I don¡¯t want to have children until the Demon Lord is defeated, or until things start looking bad and we have to resort to Luxy¡¯s plan b... but I¡¯m not ready to tell the kittens about my long-term goals just yet. Even if I was, this is hardly the opportune moment.


    Peri grumbles an incoherent response under her breath, and her ears sag downward out of sadness. ¡°That¡¯s not soon enough. My body is ready for kittens NOW!¡± She whines even louder, prompting me to flip most of her skirt up over her cheeks.


    In a low, sultry voice, I ask the impish maid, ¡°Are you disobeying your Master?¡±


    My adorable maid is wise to where this road leads. Her expression shifts from discontent and sadness to one of sheepish intrigue. With a growing grin, she whispers, ¡°Maybe...?¡±


    ¡°Bad girl,¡± I sigh, shake my head, and rear back my open palm to give this naughty kitten of mine a sharp spanking on the fat of her ass. Peri¡¯s body jolts in joy from the sudden, stinging pain on her flesh. ¡°You will take your Succu-Bye every week without fail. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°N-No, Myaster... I won¡¯t!¡± Peri gives the answer both of us want to hear, and I return it with a powerful slap on the opposite cheek. Her butt jiggles from the impact, and it earns a lewd cry from the stubborn kitten.


    ¡°You will if you want to mate with me,¡±


    Her ears perk up out of surprise. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t!¡± Peri gasps, her face turning pale.


    ¡°Oh, I would. Master only mates with good little kittens who take their birth control. If you choose not to take it, then I¡¯ll have no choice but to ignore you...¡±


    ¡°Y-You¡¯re bluffing! Myaster is too horny to reject my advances, I- NYAA?!¡± I give her a third spanking to cover up the fact that she¡¯s right. Gods know, I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist Peri if she ever gets as desperate as she was throughout last week.


    Right in time to witness the latest butt slapping, Cherry emerges from the kitchen with a fresh plate of eggs, bacon, and an orange. In her opposite paw is a steaming mug of coffee that smells delightful. ¡°Punishing Peri like that ain¡¯t gonna work, nyaa... it just makes her hornier than ever. Unless that¡¯s what you were going for?¡±


    Cherry sets the plate down on the wooden table, blows into the coffee mug to cool it off, and brings it to my lips with a blush. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m going for,¡± I confirm and take a sip of the beverage on offer.


    Smirking, the bratty cat places my mug alongside the plate and sits at my side. ¡°Lucky you,¡± She teases Peri by patting the reddest spot of her butt.


    ¡°Bite me,¡± Peri pouts, puffing her cheeks.


    Cherry looks at me, and I nod my head. ¡°Bite her,¡±


    ¡°Wait, wh- NYAA?!¡± Peri is taken by surprise once again as Cherry channels the feral beast lurking within. The bratty maid roars as proudly as a lion and pounces on her prey, taking a chunk of Peri¡¯s butt in her mouth and chomping down with her eager fangs. Wincing from the fresh pain, Peri hisses, ¡°Traitor! My whole life, you¡¯ve looked after and protected me, but now I see where your allegiances truly lie!¡±


    Cherry giggles while retreating her lips away from Peri¡¯s perfect ass. ¡°Can¡¯t go against the Myaster now, can I?¡± Cherry plants a tender kiss on the fresh bite mark she gifted Peri, making it up to her dear lover.


    The poor kitten laying across my lap sighs. To cheer Peri, I pet her head, saying, ¡°If you don¡¯t perk up, I won¡¯t give you a proper goodbye before my trip.¡±


    Predictably, Peri perks her ears up. ¡°Really? I thought this hard thing poking against my tummy was just for show... but if you¡¯re actually gonna use it, then maybe I can be a good kitty for a while, nyaa...¡±


    Cherry grows excited at the thought of a continuation of the night before but is held back by various concerns. ¡°You sure you have enough time? Niki is napping in your office waiting to talk to you, and you still gotta eat breakfast...¡±


    Seeing a chance to push her buttons, I smirk and lean my face in towards Cherry¡¯s. ¡°Oh? Are you saying you don¡¯t want Master¡¯s affection? More for Peri, I suppose...¡±


    ¡°YES!¡± Peri pumps her arms triumphantly.


    ¡°NO!¡± Cherry¡¯s face becomes red as she hisses back, the fur on her tail standing on edge. ¡°That is NOT what I-¡± To quell her panic, I interrupt the kitten mid-sentence to kiss her. This does the trick, as when we pull apart, Cherry has a frazzled blush on her face.


    ¡°You can be such a jerk, Myaster...¡± She crosses her arms and glances at the creaky wooden floor below.


    ¡°Says the cat who covered me in bites and scratches,¡±


    ¡°You liked it.¡± The maid counters.


    ¡°To be fair, there¡¯s very little I don¡¯t like,¡± Cherry smirks at the thought.


    Peri sits up, placing her paw on the bulging tent in my pants. ¡°Not that I wanna rush or anything, but we should probably get started, Myaster...¡±


    An idea surfaces in my mind, although it may be too hedonistic even for me. ¡°I would love to. It¡¯s just that on second thought, I should really get through breakfast...¡±


    Offended, Peri becomes on edge once again. ¡°That¡¯s not fair!¡± She cries, grabbing my cock harder through my pants. ¡°You just said we could have fun before you go...!¡±


    ¡°Chill, Peri. I think I know what Myaster is getting at...¡± Cherry reaches down to my pants and unzips them before taking the mug of coffee and holding it up to my lips for me to drink.


    ¡°Ohhh, that¡¯s kinda weird, but kinky...¡± Peri tilts her head.


    ¡°So are you,¡± Cherry reminds her.


    ¡°Rude!¡± Frowning, Peri pulls my cock out of my boxers to distract herself from her partner¡¯s teasing.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have all that much time, so get yourself nice and wet for me,¡± While I would love to give Peri and Cherry the thorough attention they deserve, I need to speed up the process, so I grab Peri by her hair and shove her nose into my groin. ¡°Take it all in, you dirty little kitten. This cock has already been inside four girls this morning, can you smell it?¡±


    ¡°N-Nyaa...!?¡± Peri¡¯s entire body begins to tremble as she takes in a long first sniff. My scent does its job, affecting the kitten by drawing out her lust. Whimpering with pleasure every step of the way, Peri moves her nose up and down the length of my manhood. ¡°Of course I can smell it, Myaster... it¡¯s such a naughty smell...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing this means Peri gets to go first?¡± Cherry tilts the mug back once more, allowing me to swallow the last drops of coffee.


    ¡°No worries, silly. You¡¯ll both get what¡¯s coming to you.¡± With my left hand, I creep under her skirt and squeeze Cherry¡¯s cute little behind. Cherry makes a quiet mewing sound of approval as I grope her soft flesh. Meanwhile, Peri stands from my lap and removes her miniskirt altogether, pulling her thin, striped tail out of the fabric¡¯s tail hole.


    ¡°I¡¯m gonna start now, Myaster...¡± Peri says, lust coating her words and making her sound hazy. She clenches her thighs together, but it does nothing to distract from the dribbling juices flowing from between her legs.


    ¡°Go ahead, kitten,¡± I reach forward and pet Peri¡¯s tail, earning a meek purr from the maid. ¡°You¡¯ve certainly earned it after all the work you¡¯ve put into cleaning the hall like this.¡±


    As she slides her black panties to the side, Peri smiles from the bottom of her heart. She is overwhelmed at the compliment, which makes sense since she¡¯s not used to receiving praise for her efforts. Turning her back to me, Peri presents her reddened cheeks and her sopping pink pussy.


    ¡°T-Thank you...¡± Her lustful personality loses out to her sentimentality, and Peri becomes embarrassed. ¡°I did my absolute best to please you, nyaa...¡± The maid backs up and puts her paws on my knees to stabilizes herself as she sits down on my aching hard-on.


    Right as Peri swallows my cock into her wet, clenching tunnel, Cherry presents a fork to my lips with an impaled sausage sitting upon it. ¡°Say ¡®ahhh,¡¯ Myaster...¡± She shakes her head and chuckles to herself, before adding ¡°You perv...¡±


    Unable to deny it, I take a bite of the food on offer and reach my hands to Peri¡¯s hips, pulling her even harder down on my persistent cock. Breakfast commences, and it promises to be delicious.


    PunishedKom


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 Leaving Peri Breathless

    With Cherry¡¯s help, I work my way through breakfast while enjoying the decadent pleasures of Peri¡¯s clingy vagina. Every time the one maid bounces off up my lap, the other one feeds me another piece of food from my platter. This decadence makes me feel as if I were a king, and while I was undoubtedly worried they would, neither girl seems to think it that weird.


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes...!¡± Peri whines, her dynamic ass clapping against the fabric of my pants. ¡°Y-You know... When I woke... mn... up today... I was so worried that you were going to go on your trip without giving us any love, nyaa...¡±


    As soon as I finish the orange slice held to my lip, I buck my hips up and grind around Peri¡¯s pleasant pussy. Compared to Snow and Cherry, I have a lot more wiggle room inside her thanks to its lesser number of rough bumps. ¡°Why would you think such a thing, Peri?¡±


    The maid peeks back over her shoulders, a shy frown on her face. ¡°Because Cherry and I are just the help. We aren¡¯t your precious adventurers, so we aren¡¯t as important, and-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t play favorites,¡± To hammer this point home, I grab the lewd little kitten and pull her adorable face to mine, giving her a long and romantic breakfast-flavored kiss. Her quivering lower lips suck on the base of my shaft as the intense love brings her to an emotional pause.


    We break our kiss and stare longingly at each other. ¡°Whether you¡¯re an adventurer or a humble maid, it doesn¡¯t matter. I made a commitment when I took the two of you on as my mates, and you can be sure I plan on respecting that.¡±


    Peri sniffles a bit while wearing a heartfelt smile. Significantly pleased with this answer, the Catfolk girl slowly starts to grind her hips around my hard rod once again. ¡°Thank you, Myaster...¡±


    ¡°And what about me?¡± Cherry holds the last bite of breakfast, dangling it before me but refusing to give it over until I please her, too. I reach behind her back and pull the pink-haired maid close to me. As Peri humps away at my cock, grinding it every which way to hit her sweet spots, I take Cherry¡¯s lips and give her a kiss matching the intensity of the one that happened only moments before.


    ¡°You¡¯re both special to me, silly,¡± I tell her, watching with delight as Cherry¡¯s cheeks redden.


    ¡°Well, duh,¡± Cherry rolls her eyes, playing it off as if she knew all along. ¡°I just wanted to hear you say it.¡± Before I can get a word in edgewise, the bashful, bratty maid shoves the fork full of eggs into my mouth so I can finish off breakfast. ¡°How¡¯s it feeling, Peri?¡± She asks after feeding me.


    ¡°So good... so very, very good, nyaa...¡± Peri responds as she slides her wet folds off of me up to the tip. While there, she twists her hips around my cockhead like a corkscrew left and right. Such balance can only be achieved by her natural grace as a Catfolk, which Peri puts to good use as she pleasures us both.


    ¡°Mating is... the best thing everrr...¡± Her lust grows even more out of control, as does her bouncing. Determined to show my love for her in yet another way, I grab Peri¡¯s hips with both hands and hold her pushed against my pelvis. ¡°AH?! M-Myaster, what are you doing...?!¡±


    ¡°Giving you an extra bit of service, even though you¡¯ve been a naughty kitty. It seems I just can¡¯t help but spoil you...¡± I give her a teasing sigh as my fully embedded penis wiggles around her tight sheath. Peri is pulled left and right while I make sure my cock scrapes around all the many different nubs lining her tender walls, hitting all sorts of other areas in the process. Every new place I grind it against earns me a pleasure-filled reaction out of the half-naked maid.


    Cherry decides she¡¯s been sitting on the sidelines long enough. She grabs the base of Peri¡¯s furry tail in her paw and squeezes, prompting Peri to shriek in sudden ecstasy. The moment her tail is held, her warm and wet pussy constricts around me like a vice. ¡°Come on, Myaster¡¯s got a busy day ahead of him, and he still has to get through me when he¡¯s done with you, nyaa...¡± Cherry says in a faux-innocent voice, squeezing Peri¡¯s sensitive appendage in her grip.


    ¡°CHERRY, N-NO! That¡¯s... too much... TOO MUCH!¡± Peri¡¯s voice cracks as the burning hot fire between her legs grows out of control. Rather than help her extinguish it, I resolve to make it worse.


    ¡°She has a point, dear. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I tell the maid riding on my lap before I grab her tail, too. My spare hand sits several inches above Cherry¡¯s, and we start stroking the length together in tandem.


    Peri screams so hard at this two-pronged attack on the most tender part of her anatomy that Cherry feels the need to muffle it behind her other paw. It does little to cover the evidence of her pleasure, as made evident by the intense quivering and milking her pink walls start putting me through. Since she is too overwhelmed by the current situation, I take it on myself to resume thrusting. Using my hand, I guide Peri¡¯s meaty ass off of my hips so that she can fall back down on my erect cock once more.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re so fucking into this, aren¡¯t you...?¡± Cherry blushes, but rather than ease up, she jerks off Peri¡¯s tail with reckless abandon. Cherry has much more experience pleasing Peri than I do, so I follow her lead and rub the tail even harder. I trust she knows what she¡¯s doing.


    This trust pays off in spades, as Peri becomes a delighted little kitten. So happy, in fact, that she starts cumming all over my cock. The blue-haired maid shouts into Cherry¡¯s paw, her body jerking back and forth in a vain attempt to be free of our control. Cherry watches in awe as I take my hand off of Peri¡¯s paw to grab both of her wide hips and violently start fucking, holding nothing back.


    Peri suffers through this enhanced climax brought about by the incessant hammering of my manhood, her muffled screams becoming cries as she loses the strength to continue on. Using her body like this, it isn¡¯t long before I bring myself to cum inside of Peri. My thrashing slows to a crawl, and a warm eruption explodes out of me as I wrap my arms around Peri¡¯s tummy.


    A scant few more slow strokes as I orgasm, and I dry up. Cherry lets go of Peri¡¯s mouth now that she¡¯s stopped screaming, and as expected, she has something to say. ¡°T-That... was... amazing...!!¡±


    ¡°It sure was,¡± I nuzzle into her neck from behind, which prompts her to giggle.


    ¡°Not just you, Myaster, but you were great too, don¡¯t get me wrong! I meant more that I couldn¡¯t breathe well when Cherry covered up my screams...¡±


    Cherry, underestimating the depths of Peri¡¯s depravity, apologizes as she lets go of her partner¡¯s tail. ¡°Oh, shit. I¡¯m so sorry, you should¡¯ve scratched me or something if you didn¡¯t like it, or...¡± Reality hits her mid-sentence, and she sighs. ¡°...You totally liked it, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Peri smirks, saying a lot despite saying nothing.


    ¡°I thought you were going to calm down now that we¡¯ve mated, Peri, but it seems like you¡¯re just as dirty and desperate as ever...¡± I pull out my lover with a teasing grin, watching the stream of semen seep out of her and onto my pants. Snow shouldn¡¯t have given me my clothes so early, because now both are ruined...


    ¡°I am who I am, nyaa!¡± Peri defends herself while pulling her black panties back over her gushing, well-fucked pussy, and scrambling to pull on her miniskirt.


    ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t change that for anything.¡± Relieved, the dirty kitten purrs with a deep sense of belonging. ¡°Get me some new clothes while I take care of Cherry?¡± I ask.


    ¡°Of course, Myaster!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Someone sounds confident. Sure you can handle me by yourself?¡± Cherry crosses her arms and tilts her head to mock me, but I¡¯m having none of it.


    I stand and grab Cherry by her fluffy, brown-furred wrist, guiding her to another nearby dining table and making her bend over it with her rounded ass cheeks pointed straight out. Watching and smelling us have sex indeed did a number on Cherry¡¯s arousal, as her barely covered pussy hidden behind tight black panties is sopping with slick, feminine juices that stain the fabric and drip down her thighs. ¡°I think I can manage.¡±


    Peri steps forward out of concern, saying, ¡°Myaster, don¡¯t forget to-¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I smile knowingly and grab Cherry by the tail so her power leaves her and she can¡¯t resist me.


    ¡°Nyaa!¡± Cherry struggles under the strength I now possess over her, a mixed look of anxiety and excitement apparent on her face. ¡°I cook you breakfast, feed you with my own two paws, and this is the treatment I get?¡± She teases, a thick blush coloring her cheeks as she struggles to remain bratty.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m going too gentle with you, aren¡¯t I?¡± Taking her panties in my hand, I rip them straight off and bring them to my face for a good sniff. Cherry sees this and gasps, her mouth falling open from humiliation to the point where she doesn¡¯t know what to say apart from stammering. Her pink, wet lips twitch once exposed to the open air as if trying to speak, telling me how much she wants my attention.


    ¡°As you can see, Peri, I think I have this situation under control.¡± I give the other maid Cherry¡¯s panties as she watches, enraptured. ¡°Sew these up or put them away for Zutiria to mend. I like this pair. They dig up into Cherry nice and tight.¡±


    Cherry blushes even harder, a thick coat of anxious sweat falling down the sides of her face. ¡°N-No... Peri, don¡¯t leave me alone with him! He¡¯s even naughtier than last night! I¡¯m not ready for- THIS?!¡± She shrieks as I stroke her tail all the way from the base of her tailbone to the very tip-top.


    ¡°Sorry, Cherry... unlike you, I¡¯m a good maid who listens to her Myaster. Can¡¯t help you there, nyaa!¡± She giggles to herself before running off to fetch me a new set of clothes. The irony of Peri¡¯s statement apparently didn¡¯t register to her as she said it.


    Regardless of her hypocrisy, Peri exits the entrance hall, leaving her bratty counterpart to my nonexistent sexual mercy.


    PunishedKom


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 Something to Remember Her By

    Cherry stares at me from over her shoulder, waiting anxiously for whatever comes next. Rendered powerless from my firm grip on her tail, she has no choice but to be beholden to my whims. As much as she may pretend otherwise, the excited twinkle in her eyes shows me her true feelings about this situation.


    I take my cock in hand and start tracing the restless tip down the pink petals of Cherry¡¯s womanhood. She moans at the contact, softly at first, before letting out a minor cry as I press my head against her tight, quivering entrance. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair,¡± Cherry whines. ¡°I wanted to rough you up and make sure you wouldn¡¯t forget me while you were away...¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about that, silly... you gave me plenty of marks to remember you by as it is.¡±


    ¡°You should take off your shirt and show me, Myaster... I¡¯d love to see my work firsthand. You were covered up in the blanket this morning, so I didn¡¯t get a good look.¡± She purrs, teasingly. I assume she thinks she¡¯s being clever, but I see right through it.


    ¡°You just want me to let go of your tail so you can flip our positions, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Gah-¡± Cherry looks to the side, embarrassed by being caught in her less-than-subtle ploy. ¡°Why do you gotta be like this, Myaster...? I just wanna have fun.¡±


    ¡°Because if we did things your way, I would get caught up in it and take even longer than I should. For all we know, Opal could walk in through the front door at any second and see you getting railed, or Nikita could wake from her nap and do the same.¡±


    Cherry¡¯s eyes go wide as she considers this possibility. That isn¡¯t the only part of her that opens up, either. As the idea settles in, her pussy twitches. Her lips wrap around the tip pressing firm against them, impatient and thirsty to have me inside. ¡°T-That¡¯s... n-no! Hurry up and get this over with, damn it! I don¡¯t wanna be seen like this, nyaa...!¡±


    ¡°What kind of man would I be to turn down such an honest request?¡± With a smug grin and a voice laden with sarcasm, I grab onto Cherry¡¯s tanned ass with my free hand and use it to pull the entirety of my length into her willing sheath.


    Gasping from the sudden invasion, Cherry extends her claws and digs into the wooden table. I should have considered that when bending her over... Gwin¡¯s work is never done. ¡°Wait, wait!!¡± Cherry cries, panting with desperation.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just tell me to hurry up? You¡¯re so inconsistent, you silly little kitten...¡± Basking in the warm wetness that her body presents me, I slowly pull my excited cock backward to listen to what she has to say.


    ¡°I just wanted to know, were you planning on having Opal heal all the scratches and bitemarks we... um... I gave you...?¡± Cherry looks at me in earnest, a distant sadness evident in her eyes.


    ¡°Well... I was planning to have her check them out, yes,¡± Her ears droop ever so slightly, but I continue on to say, ¡°But I¡¯ll see if she can clean them without actually removing the marks.¡±


    Cherry smiles as her ears perk up, twitching in response to my proposal. ¡°You really mean it, Myaster?¡±


    ¡°If it would make you happier knowing that your presence is still there on my body while I¡¯m gone, Cherry, then I won¡¯t hesitate whatsoever.¡±


    Cherry bites her lips, her blush reaching almost absurd levels of redness. She turns away so I can¡¯t see her embarrassment and says in a shaky voice, ¡°Y-You¡¯re really fucking unfair sometimes, y¡¯know? How is a girl supposed to react when her mate just up and says shit like that...?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to react, you just have to enjoy it for what it is,¡± I reassure the conflicted kitty, before plunging back into her depths where I belong. This stroke washes away all of her mixed emotions and refocuses her totally on the pleasures that come from being together.


    As always, I¡¯m taunted by the texture and bumps that scrape against me as I carve myself in and out of the warmth between Cherry¡¯s thighs. For a while, I satisfy both of our needs by working up an enjoyable, slow pace. Every so often I tease her by running my hand up her tail, which has the added benefit of forcing her to make a cute sound and clench her pussy down on my lucky cock.


    This pace goes on until Cherry makes it clear that she needs more. ¡°Myaster, come on... you know how I like it...¡± She growls.


    ¡°Do I? Maybe you should remind me.¡±


    She grits her teeth, closing her eyes tight as she fills with frustration. Cherry is both annoyed and thrilled by my teasing at the same time. She scratches the wooden table even harder and says, ¡°Damn it, Myaster! You know what I mean! I... nnngh... I want you to treat me rougher...¡±


    ¡°Like this?¡± I ask, gripping her tanned, bouncy, right butt cheek in my right hand, digging in hard and marking her with my nails.


    ¡°YES!¡± She shouts, arching her back forward into the table. ¡°Fuck yes, just like thaaat...¡± Cherry¡¯s voice rattles off as I make an effort to pick up the tempo. Using the firm grip on her ass, I start thrusting my cock into her increasingly wet sex until her breathing becomes constantly interrupted by shrill, catty moans and yelps of enjoyment. ¡°More, Myaster, MORE!¡±


    Ever one to please, I yank Cherry¡¯s tail roughly without much warning. She outright yelps and loses all the strength in her body, falling against flat against the table with a large ¡®thud¡¯. Before I can even stop to ask if she hurt her head, she tilts it to the side so it can rest. ¡°Fuck yes, yessss, yesssssss...¡± She moans, her tongue lolling out the side of her parted lips.


    Seeing no reason to stop now that I¡¯ve witnessed Cherry¡¯s state of intense lust, I growl, slap her ass, and start pounding her devilish, bumpy cunt like the fate of the Realms depended solely on me devastating her pussy. Cherry falls deeper still into the trance that my aggressive sawing puts her in. Her screams are fewer and far between, as she struggles for the air necessary to voice her satisfaction.


    Unfortunately, this method of sex with her all but guarantees I won¡¯t be able to last more than a few minutes. The sheer speed at which I fuck her causes Cherry to clench and suck my cock deeper into her hole, making removal a more difficult endeavor each and every time. Her tight walls firmly envelop me, and her many scratchy bumps put pressure on hundreds of different sensitive spots I didn¡¯t know my penis even had.


    Cherry looks back at me as soon as she senses my increasing struggle. No doubt she feels the incessant throbbing pulsing within her, and without saying a word, she calls out to me with her wet, fluttering, magenta eyes. The pink-haired maid bites her lip and carves yet even more wood off the table, screaming at me to let go and unleash all that I can inside of her young, ready-to-breed pussy.


    Finding enough air to let out a cry of enjoyment, Cherry shouts, ¡°Oh, Gods...! Fill me up... please... PLEASEEE-¡± as I do just that. My semen cascades out like a savage wave, spurting into my beloved maid and falling out onto the floor when she¡¯s taken all she can take. Part of me feels terrible knowing that she¡¯s going to have to clean up, but hey, that¡¯s just her job around here and with benefits like these, Cherry seems happy enough to do it.


    Once thoroughly spent, I pull my tingly-feeling cock out of her tunnel and shiver at the relief brought upon by the absence of barbs. ¡°Will that be enough to hold you over for a few days?¡± I ask her while letting go of her fluffy, brown tail.


    Cherry scrambles to her feet, clenching her legs together to try and make her dripping less pronounced. ¡°No, but it¡¯ll have to do...¡± She smiles a bratty smile, right before I lean in and steal a kiss from the maid. Cherry blushes at the sudden romantic contact, before reciprocating in full.


    Over by the staircase, Peri comments, ¡°Hmph, you had me going, Myaster. ¡®I don¡¯t play favorites¡¯ my butt. You were way more romantic with Cherry than you were with me, nyaa!¡±


    ¡°W-What?!¡± Cherry jerks upright in response to the sudden appearance of her counterpart. ¡°When did you-¡±


    ¡°Pretty much the whole time. It doesn¡¯t take ten minutes to grab a shirt and some pants. I¡¯m not THAT slow...¡±


    Cherry blushes, turning her head to look at me with disappointment. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me, I honestly didn¡¯t notice her. All of my attention was on you.¡± This makes the bratty maid lift up her lips in an unintentional, nervous smile.


    ¡°Yeah, you got tunnel vision during sex, Chief,¡± Nikita yawns over by the entrance of my office, wearing her sporty white robes. This reveal prompts Cherry to go berserk. ¡°Having sex in the main part of the building where anyone could come in and out is not the best idea in general, but hey, I get it.¡±


    ¡°NYAA!¡± Cherry shrieks, not pleased that there was yet another witness to our romantic union.


    Someone has to ask, but I¡¯m quickly cut off by Nikita. ¡°And I take you were watching-¡±


    ¡°The whole time, too. Yup!¡± The domineering Grekkan gives the two of us a boisterous thumbs-up, causing Peri to snicker at her lover¡¯s misfortune.


    ¡°Personally, I think it was rather cute the two of you didn¡¯t notice us,¡± Opal chimes in from the entrance Nikita just referenced. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky, Cherry, it¡¯s only been a bit over a week and he¡¯s come to love you so much!¡±


    Cherry stares in disbelief at the third witness to our love, her entire body turning bright red and covered with nervous sweat. ¡°T... t... t... t... t...¡±


    Opal clicks her tongue. ¡°Oh, Gods. Sweetheart, you¡¯ve fucked another one senseless, it seems. What am I to do with you?¡±


    Peri and Nikita both burst out laughing, and while I attempt to remain neutral for Cherry¡¯s sake, I hold back a snort of my own which she notices right away. ¡°TELL SNOW I¡¯M GOING ON BREAK!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I heard!¡± Snow, sadistic as ever, emerges from behind Peri. The way she looks at Cherry as horror descends upon the pink-haired maid is nothing short of predatory.


    Cherry flees the room right then and there, comically large tears falling down her face as she does.


    After getting her fill of Cherry¡¯s misfortune, Snow urges Peri to hand me my clothes and, after changing, I finally meet up with Nikita and Opal in my office. Due to the two rooms being adjacent, the sounds of a poor, sobbing kitty can clearly be heard coming from the kitchen.


    PunishedKom


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 One Feisty Doctor

    Now alone in my office with only Opalina and Nikita for company, I find that the witch holds nothing back. ¡°You smell like you¡¯ve been having sex all morning,¡± Opalina asserts her dominance by strutting ahead of me and sitting on my desk. She adjusts her glasses and crosses her long legs, an amused smile on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve been having sex all morning,¡± I confirm cheekily and approach the desk, Nikita making herself at home on the sofa behind me. ¡°I wanted to make sure everyone got their fill before you whisked me off for our lovely vacation.¡±


    ¡°Do you normally fuck six girls when someone¡¯s waiting on you, Chief, or am I just lucky?¡± Nikita laughs, throwing her arms out behind the couch and leaning back.


    I feel my cheeks blush. After clearing my throat, I tell the Grekkan, ¡°I was told you were napping. Otherwise, I would have gotten to you much quicker...¡±


    ¡°Oh, I was napping alright...¡± Nikita laughs, ¡°At least until you started pounding Snow.¡±


    A knowing smile flashes across Opalina¡¯s luscious lips. ¡°Speaking of Snow, I had a feeling that that curious cat of yours would come back...¡±


    ¡°No thanks to you. Said cat told me you almost scared her off.¡±


    Opalina seems taken aback at the thought, ¡°Really? I didn¡¯t think I was coming off as too pushy... hmm. Well, no matter. You got what you wanted in the end, and that¡¯s all that¡¯s important.¡± The old witch shakes her head, dismissing all the irrelevant details.


    From out of her coat sleeve, Opalina removes her wand and extends it towards me. ¡°Come closer,¡± She beckons me. Having grown up around Opalinaina¡¯s hygiene standards, I¡¯m well used to where this is going. I step towards her, which earns me a ¡®Good boy¡¯ from the witch. She wiggles the magic tool in front of my face and chants, ¡°Freshenow.¡±


    A warm, light breeze surrounds my body, cleaning me up and scenting my clothes with an earthy, pine scent coupled with just a dash of mint. No doubt Opalina¡¯s making me smell according to her particular tastes, but what can you expect? In retrospect, I definitely should have taken a bath instead of having sex all morning, but I¡¯m sure Opalina was expecting this to happen. Honestly, I might have to have her teach Zutiria this spell if it¡¯s not already the little lady¡¯s encyclopedic spell list...


    ¡°Impressive, but can you make him smell like a real man?¡± Nikita laughs loudly at her own joke, prompting Opalina to fire back.


    ¡°Of course, Niki. I could certainly make him smell like you if I wished, but frankly, one of you is already more than my nose can take.¡±


    ¡°HAH! Can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t earn that one.¡± Nikita, ever the friendly sport, almost busts a gut from her own rampant laughter. ¡°Thanks for taking some time for me before you two head out, Chief.¡±


    ¡°Think nothing of it. You know I¡¯d bend over backward for you if you needed anything. Are you alright with Opalina sticking around, though, or do you need her to wait in the entrance hall so we can talk one-on-one?¡±


    Full of snark despite her kind, gentle expression, Opalina says, ¡°Yes, by all means, Dear. I¡¯d love to watch the kitties clean up your little mess back in the public sex room.¡±


    I raise an eyebrow and stifle a chuckle down. ¡°You¡¯re feeling rather savage today, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    Opalina sighs and cradles her forehead. ¡°Visiting Dawnstead brings out both the best and the worst of me, I¡¯m afraid...¡± She says with a deep, dread-filled sigh that rattles out of her throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Opalina can stay.¡± Nikita laughs out loud as if the thought of Opalina needing to leave the room was ludicrous. ¡°It¡¯s not like I have any secrets that she doesn¡¯t already know about. I just wanted to run over why I¡¯ve been distant lately and give a few warnings while I¡¯m at it.¡±


    ¡°Warnings?¡±


    Nikita¡¯s expression tenses and her voice trails off as she says, ¡°Yes, warnings. I just want to know that you can¡¯t rely on me to always keep you safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m well aware that you¡¯ll only participate when it comes to guarding the Guild and myself... even if someone gets hurt over your lack of involvement. Why remind me now? Is this about what happened with Fleetfoot?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. It was barely a fight. That Halfling fled faster than Hermes himself, I swear. Nah, what I¡¯m trying to get at is... well...¡± The mercenary¡¯s face scrunches up as she tries to adequately express herself. For someone so outspoken, loud, and boisterous as Nikita to have trouble saying what¡¯s on her mind only emphasizes how badly it weighs on her. ¡°I¡¯m getting weaker.¡± She finally admits through the skin of her teeth. Nikita grasps the small cut inflicted during her recent battle.


    Seeing her like this, I feel great empathy towards the bronze-skinned, battle-hardened warrior. Strength must mean everything to her, and it must be a very long time since she¡¯s had to grapple with feeling powerless. ¡°Nikita, you took a small scratch from a stealthy opponent. You can¡¯t expect me to believe you¡¯re getting weaker just because you got yourself a wound, especially since you¡¯re covered in battle scars as it is. Right, Opalina?¡± I look towards the Doctor in the hopes that she would back up my claim, but Opalina¡¯s expression has darkened and grown distant.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to it than just that,¡± The mature brunette shakes her head with pity. ¡°Listen to her when she¡¯s trying to tell you something, Dear.¡±


    I try to apologize, but Nikita cuts me off. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re good, Chief. The bulk of my powers came from the pact I made with my God- the same as any other Grekkan Divine Champion. It¡¯s getting close to a year now since I broke that pact, and the last bits of godly power I had left are leaving me bit by bit. Soon, I¡¯ll be as helpless as a satyr before the beauty of a nymph...¡±


    ¡°Probably not the best metaphor,¡± I cough, and Opalina chuckles.


    ¡°Probably not,¡± Nikita brings herself to smile, letting out a small laugh of her own. ¡°I¡¯ve said before I¡¯m no poet.¡±


    ¡°True enough,¡± Opalina smirks. "Back to the subject at hand, I don¡¯t think that my Dear quite understands the scale of your powers, Niki. Perhaps you should explain it in terms he¡¯d be able to understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please. I¡¯ve only ever seen you training the girls, so it¡¯s hard for me to gauge the full extent of your strength.¡±


    Nikita cups her chin in her hand, thinking of a way to put it. ¡°At my absolute peak when I was frequently in contact with Lor...¡± She catches herself, coughs, and clenches her fist. ¡°With Ares, I was roughly on the same level as a Platinum-ranked adventurer.¡±


    My mind struggles to comprehend such a claim. ¡°There¡¯s hardly even a hundred Platinum-ranks, last time I checked...¡±


    She shrugs, ¡°Well, I¡¯ve fought a few of the strongest Gold-ranks before, and they could barely touch me, so... I dunno.¡±


    ¡°Surely your strength doesn¡¯t entirely come from Ares, does it?¡±


    ¡°No, but without access to the divine energy that powers my Divine Arts, then I¡¯m relegated to using your typical physical Arts. Pretty sure you Association-types would classify me as a ¡®Fighter¡¯ if I registered for a hero license.¡±


    ¡°I know it¡¯s a hard question to answer, but how much weaker do you think losing your Divine Arts is going to make you?¡±


    ¡°Somewhere between high Silver-rank and low Gold,¡± Reading my mind, Nikita shakes her head before I can voice anything in response. ¡°I know that doesn¡¯t sound like a lot, but as a bodyguard, it just makes protecting you and the Guild that much harder- especially since the Duke and his cronies aren¡¯t likely to take Pimpington¡¯s arrest lying down.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s certainly troubling, I¡¯ll admit...¡± I mutter as unpleasant thoughts begin stirring in my overactive imagination. Then, as if to distract me, Opalina stands from the desk and whips her long, flowing curls out of her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let it trouble you,¡± She looks me in the eyes, adjusting her glasses. ¡°Duke Gloomcrest isn¡¯t the only person we¡¯ll be meeting while we¡¯re in Dawnstead. I¡¯ve strongarmed an acquaintance into agreeing to prepare a strong magic seal for the Guild. It should make the building harder to invade if the intruder has ill intentions.¡±


    ¡°Is it who I¡¯m thinking of?¡± Nikita asks, tilting her head. ¡°I thought you hated that guy.¡±


    ¡°Yes on both accounts. To be fair, I hate a great many people,¡± Opalina grumbles to herself.


    ¡°Whoever you¡¯re working with on this, I¡¯ll need to be sure to thank them first hand. Magic like that is costly, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, but such seals are not widely used because they can be undone by Mages stronger than the creator of the seal.¡±


    ¡°I see... the person creating it for me, are they strong, then?¡±


    ¡°Hmm, ¡®strong¡¯ would be a compliment, and I¡¯m not very keen on giving Xothan any of those.¡± Once again, Opalina cradles her forehead as unpleasant thoughts about this acquaintance of hers surface. ¡°You could say I find it highly doubtful that the Duke of Dewhurst has someone in his employ who would be able to break this seal and leave it at that.¡±


    ¡°Sounds better than nothing, right?¡± Nikita adds.


    ¡°Indeed. I¡¯ll take whatever help I can get... Speaking of, the Goddess left a small treasure chest for me in the Pimpfort. She¡¯s trying to help in her own way, too.¡± I show off my new defensive pendant as well as the arcane tech pistol ring, both of which impress my audience.


    ¡°The quality and detailing are impeccable...¡± Opalina states. ¡°While I don¡¯t keep up with magical machinery, it looks like a Galloise original to me...¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s impressive, sure, but I¡¯d rather take a good bow and arrow any day!¡± Nikita dismisses the weaponry as I put it away. ¡°Just be careful with it, just like any other ¡®gift¡¯ your Goddess gives you...¡± Her own experiences with the divine color her skepticism. Even if I find it misguided, I would never argue against her advice knowing what I know of Nikita¡¯s past.


    ¡°Magic weapons and defensive charms are nice but don¡¯t forget, Dear... As I¡¯ve said before, you¡¯re likely going to leave Dawnstead with much more funds than when you came. Depending on your negotiating, I¡¯d imagine it¡¯ll be plenty enough for us to get additional defensive measures if need be. What happens in the next two days should give you the momentum you need to go on the offensive. If all goes well, Nikita, your declining strength won¡¯t have to factor into the equation at all.¡±


    Both Nikita and I perk up as we listen to Opalina¡¯s resounding declaration of confidence. I can count on two hands the number of times I¡¯ve seen her become this determined, and if it wasn¡¯t clear already, I¡¯m reminded now of just how deeply this woman loves me and how far she¡¯d go to ensure my safety and happiness. If this business meeting results in as good an outcome as Opalina insists is possible, this really could be the beginning of a new era for the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild. Once there Duke of Dewhurst is defeated, then there will be nothing stopping us from actually developing my business.


    I need to make Opalina knows how much I appreciate this opportunity, one way or another...


    We¡¯ve been talking business for a while now, so Opalina steers the conversation back toward Nikita to give her a chance to vent whatever else is on her chest before we take off. ¡°We should really be on our way as soon as possible, Dear. Is there anything else you need to discuss, Nikita? Last chance.¡± Opalina turns to her friend, who hesitates and looks away.


    ¡°Kind of,¡± Admits the Grekkan. ¡°But it¡¯s not as important as what you two got going on. You should really be on your way.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯ve been holding something back for a while now, haven¡¯t you?¡± Opalina adopts a motherly tone as she looks down at the seated warrior.


    ¡°I¡¯ve noticed it too. Ever since we had that one team meeting, right?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Speak up, Niki. You¡¯ve got some explaining to do.¡± The witch leans down, narrowing her eyes.


    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Niki puts her hands up to show her lack of resistance. ¡°You don¡¯t gotta corner me, I¡¯ll talk... it¡¯s just... a mouthful of thoughts and feelings, alright? Don¡¯t blame me if none of this makes sense...¡±


    PunishedKom


    Two sex scenes with Opal (so far) that each have a very unique twist,


    A surprising battle scene,


    Exploring Dawnstead and learning the city''s lore,


    Being welcomed into Castle Mourneheart and meeting its... colorful Chamberlain,


    A bone-chilling first meeting with one of the Castle''s most important residents,


    And the most challenging mental battle the Guild Master has faced yet.


    So, yeah. Definitely worth reading in advance if you ask me.


    I''m sorry it took me like 12 days to finish writing them all, a lot of them are pretty detailed and some are past 2,000 words. I''ve been doing my hardest to finish it up as quick as possible.


    Other than that, in my free time I''ve been getting into painting Warhammer 40k miniatures. If you wanna see some stuff I''ve painted so far, here''s a link!


    Read 20 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


    Buy amazing Rise of the Guild Master posters and stickers on Redbubble!


    Join the official Discord to talk to me!


    Follow me on Twitter to see Rise of the Guild Master art!

 Opening Pandora’s Box? Jar?

    Now that she¡¯s ready to unload whatever mental baggage is weighing on her conscience, I step toward Nikita and sit leaning against the arm of the sofa on the opposite side of her. While giving her my best and most reassuring smile, I do what I can to make the Grekkan feel comfortable. ¡°Just get whatever you have to off of your chest, Nikita. Everyone in the Guild knows you¡¯ve been acting cagey ever since we had that meeting where I talked about my intention to one day defeat the current Demon Lord. Did you have something to say regarding that whole mess?¡±


    ¡°Sorta,¡± The former sellsword says. Opal studies Nikita¡¯s reaction but otherwise remains silent, giving the robed warrior plenty of room to speak her mind. The Grekkan sighs a deep, tired, sigh and makes a weary expression as she turns to face me. ¡°As you said, it¡¯s pretty obviously related to that. The problem is I don¡¯t know how to express it, Chief... I just don¡¯t fucking know. More than anything else, I think, you confuse me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re feeling confused?¡± I tilt my head in an attempt to understand where she¡¯s coming from, but just end up feeling confused myself.


    ¡°I think? I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s the damn problem!¡± A bit of anger flares up in Nikita¡¯s strained voice as she struggles with thoughts and emotions she¡¯s never experienced.


    Opal can¡¯t help herself, offering a teasing suggestion to her good friend. ¡°Perhaps you should try sleeping with him, Niki. That¡¯s done wonders for every other girl in his life thus far.¡±


    Despite my obvious disappointment in Opal¡¯s comment, this joke ends up relieving a lot of Nikita¡¯s apparent anxiety. Letting go of some of her built-up tension, the warrior loosens her expression enough to smiles that bright, white, smile of hers. She says, ¡°Thanks, Doc. that¡¯s one hell of a prescription. For real, though... you really wanna know what¡¯s on my mind, Chief? Even if it makes things weird between us?¡±


    ¡°How weird could it possibly get? I¡¯m used to weird, in case you¡¯ve forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not that weird, but...¡± Nikita starts groaning and comforts her aching head by cradling it in her palms. ¡°I liked you well enough when we first met, sure. Not exactly what I¡¯d call the picture of a real man¡¯s man, but you¡¯re smart and funny... maybe even a little bit cute in a nerdy way, you know?¡± I just stare back at her, listening intently and blushing a tad at being called cute. Wasn¡¯t expecting to hear that from Nikita, of all people. ¡°Things changed when you dropped all that epic destiny crap, though, and... fuck, that¡¯s the kind of thing we Grekkans live for, you know? For real.¡±


    ¡°Ah...¡± Opal raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. Judging by the look on her face I¡¯d say she knows wherever this is going. Regardless, she stays quiet and lets Nikita finish.


    ¡°Where I come from, every warrior wants to go down in history and have their deeds be the subject of songs and epic poems. We latch onto heroic causes and devote ourselves to greatness in the hopes of becoming a legend. When I learned the truth about you, every single part of me wanted to rebel against the path I had chosen and devote myself to your heroic cause... Even now I¡¯m not sure if I actually, you know, like you because of your destiny or if it¡¯s genuinely because of ¡®you¡¯, but then again... I¡¯ve... it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever really felt this way before towards a man. Am I making any sense here? Yes? No? Fuck, I¡¯m probably just rambling...¡±


    ¡°Nikita...?¡±


    ¡°The thing is, even though I have these conflicting feelings about you, it¡¯s not like I can act on them since it¡¯ll just drive me towards fighting once again... and I just... Chief, I can¡¯t have that...¡±


    ¡°We could talk more about your troubles, figure out a way to make them into less of a headache. Maybe if we-¡±


    ¡°I. Can¡¯t. Have. That.¡± She exclaims in a calm, yet threatening voice. Just hearing the sheer intensity of her subtle anger is enough to inspire fear in my heart, and I hope to never have Nikita¡¯s fury pointed toward me again. The Grekkan¡¯s face relaxes after a few more seconds of staring me down, and she feels bad about the unintended intimidation. ¡°Sorry, Chief. I can¡¯t keep fighting, no matter how much being around you makes me thirst for glory. Not after everything I¡¯ve been through, and not after the pain he inflicted on my heart. If it comes down to it, I may just very well walk away before the temptation gets too strong.¡±


    I feel compelled to try and comfort her. When I reach towards the mercenary with my hand, Nikita says very bluntly, ¡°If you try and hold my hand, or pat my shoulder, or do anything else that could remotely be considered romantic, then Opal is going to have a field day fixing your arm up, Chief. I don¡¯t need you making this any more awkward than it already is.¡±


    I withdraw my hand right away, fearing for my own survival. Opal frowns and looks askance. Everything is silent for a few moments, before the Grekkan closes her eyes, blushes, and stands up. ¡°Right, good talk everyone. If you ask me, that was more fun than a day in the life of Sisyphus. Now that that weight¡¯s off my shoulders, I¡¯m going to go get very, very drunk now.¡±


    She exits the room without making eye contact with either one of us, her absence creating a black hole of tension between the older Mage and myself. Opal speaks moments later, saying, ¡°Dear, I love you very much, but as your Doctor, I¡¯m going to have to suggest against attempting to charm Nikita.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t intending to, I¡¯m well aware that the women in my life have issues that can¡¯t be resolved just by being with me. Regardless, I sense the opportunity for a smart jab, so I take it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who suggested she sleep with me to solve her problems?¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Opal sighs. ¡°But that was before I knew it wouldn¡¯t solve them.¡±


    ¡°And what do you think would solve her problems?¡±


    Opal lays out the answer, matter-of-factly, saying, ¡°Time.¡±


    ¡°Hmm...¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s either that or take on Ares yourself and force the Grekkan God of War to give Nikita a permanent blessing. Or, she could just pick up a new class...¡± The older woman walks towards me and puts her hand on my shoulder, staring me straight in the eyes. ¡°Nikita¡¯s at a crossroads in her life. It¡¯s not for either of us to push her towards fighting again, and you may have to prepare yourself for a future without the Grekkan around should she decides being around you is too painful for her to bear.¡±


    Opal sounds convinced. ¡°...You really think she might leave?¡± I ask, sounding sadder than I meant to sound.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to fight, and being you around makes her want to. Nikita made that quite clear, I thought.¡±


    ¡°I guess it just didn¡¯t really register...¡± I do my best to imagine the Guild without Nikita but the problem is that I just can¡¯t picture it matter how hard I try. Before I knew it happened, Nikita became someone that I¡¯ve started taking for granted. She¡¯s as much a part of my Guild... no, my home, as anyone else. At this point, it just wouldn¡¯t feel complete without Nikita around to wake up the girls for early morning training or to barge in looking to crash in a spare room after a long night of drinking. ¡°Who would teach Sam and Meri if she left?¡±


    ¡°The school of hard knocks,¡± Opal giggles to herself. ¡°Failing that, you should have the funds to look for another combat instructor.¡±


    ¡°I suppose...¡± The suggestion doesn¡¯t do much in the way of cheering me up, but I nod my head nonetheless.


    Sensing my sadness, Opal takes me into her boundless bosom hidden by her warm, tight-fitting sweater. She begins to comfort me in that motherly way that no other woman to date has been capable of living up to. ¡°Now, now, my sweet, little man...¡± She whispers in her deep, relaxing voice. ¡°There¡¯s no reason to be so upset. You and I are going to have a nice little trip all to ourselves, so push everything else out of your mind for now. Can you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but... unintentionally or not, I¡¯m just upset that I¡¯m doing this to her. It¡¯s not easy to hear someone you admire and respect say that just being around you causes them pain.¡±


    Opal kisses my forehead and squeezes me even tighter into her boobs. ¡°Do you like Nikita in the same way you like the rest of your girls, Dear?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t expecting Opal to ask me so directly like that on my feelings towards the Guild¡¯s combat instructor slash bodyguard extraordinaire. Once she does, though, I mull the question over in my mind pointedly before giving her my response.


    ¡°We¡¯ve flirted once or twice, sure, but until now I didn¡¯t even consider the two of us ever having anything more than a working relationship. I may very well be a selfish, hedonistic pervert, but I¡¯m above chasing every single woman who shows the slightest bit of interest in me.¡± That¡¯s what I say, at least, but I¡¯m sure a part of me would pursue Nikita if things weren¡¯t as complicated.


    Unfortunately, they are, so I won¡¯t. While I¡¯m far from a scholar when it comes to Grekkan lore, I seem to remember reading about some sort of box- or was it a jar?- that when opened, can never be closed again. My feelings towards Nikita remind me of that tale in the sense that now that I¡¯ve actually thought about her in a romantic light, It¡¯ll be a struggle to see her the way I used to be.


    As the conversation becomes even more serious, Opal steps back and takes my hands into hers. She intertwines my fingers in her comforting, silky-gloved grasp, staring me straight in the eyes and saying, ¡°I want you to make a promise to me, Dear. Just this once, please don¡¯t act on your feelings. Niki means a lot to me, as do you, and doing so will only hurt the both of you.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to,¡± I nod my head, which earns a smile from the Doctor as soon as she realizes I mean what I say.


    ¡°Good. If things happen to change in the future, then we might have this discussion again... but for now, just keep a respectful distance.¡± I don¡¯t know the extent of Opal and Nikita¡¯s relationship, or even how long they¡¯ve known each other, for that matter. Hell, I don¡¯t even know how old Nikita is... regardless, it¡¯s clear to me just how much the retired mercenary means to Opal just from the way she asks me not to hurt her.


    I have no other option, so I tell Opal, ¡°Of course. That sounds fine by me.¡± Checking the clock on the wall, I see that it¡¯s just about reached a quarter past noon. We¡¯ve idled around talking about sensitive issues long enough. ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Can you do me a favor before we go?¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Any chance you can fix up some scratches and, ah... bitemarks without actually getting rid of them?¡±


    Opal laughs. ¡°I was there when you and Cherry talked about it, you know. I already cleaned you up with Freshenow. That spell should be more than enough.¡±


    ¡°Just making sure. Shall be we on our way, then?¡±


    ¡°I think that sounds splendid, Dear.¡± She says, and with a flick of her wand, the Doctor magics the office door wide open.


    PunishedKom


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 Don’t Have Too Much Fun

    Before I forget, I tell Opal to wait in the other room for me as I grab a little something for Meri. On top of one of my office¡¯s multiple bookshelves lies a small wooden chest out of view to anyone who doesn¡¯t know to look for it. Inside lies the three choose your own adventure magic novels, which I told my beloved Shield Maiden all about. They¡¯re pretty valuable, so I keep them out of sight. Each tome would take months to finish every possible route and outcome. For the time being, I only take one of them from the collection.


    Luckily for Meri, it¡¯s from her favorite series, the illustrious Dungeon Sluts.


    ¡®Dungeon Sluts - The Greatest Adventurer¡¯ is a book with a simple enough premise that belies its true depth. The reader ¡®plays¡¯ a young up-and-coming adventurer who has an innate ability to attract women, and through their choices, he can end up going down an immense number of paths- all of them packed with sex. Will he become the titular greatest adventurer, or will he fall and become nothing more than a plaything for exotic, sexualized monsters? That¡¯s up to the reader to decide. No two readthroughs are the same, thanks to the sheer amount of situations and girls that the book has to offer.


    Meri is going to love it.


    With the valuable book in hand, I meet back up with Opal in the entrance hall and find everyone gathered to see me off beside Nikita, Zutiria, and Gwyn.


    Sam and Meri are now dressed in their casual clothes for the day, chatting until they notice me approaching with the Doctor by my side. They¡¯re sitting at a table with Peri, and Cherry, who is still slightly upset over what happened during our morning romp.


    Snow emerges from the stairs at just the right time, holding a rucksack in her arms. ¡°Myaster, I¡¯ve taken the liberty of packing for your trip. Personally, I don¡¯t think you have anything that would fit an audience with the Duke of Arrark himself, but I did the best with what was available, nyaa.¡±


    Before I can even try and take it from her, Opal places her hand on the shabby-looking sack and shakes her head. ¡°It¡¯s as you say, Snow. My poor little Dear doesn¡¯t have anything nearly fancy enough, so I already bought and packed him some suitable clothes.¡± This is news to me, and I look at her in protest only for Opal to shush me by placing her forefinger on my lips. Guess I just have to let her spoil me.


    Snow tilts her head, ¡°Where are they?¡±


    ¡°All the luggage is packed safely right here,¡± Opal smiles, and with her wand, she taps on her breast several times. ¡°Tucked tight in my Bra of Holding.¡±


    ¡°Think you could fit me up there, Opal?¡± Sam licks her lips, eying Opal¡¯s sweater puppies from afar.


    ¡°Behave yourself, Samantha,¡± Opal rolls her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry yourself, Snow. Opal wouldn¡¯t take me anywhere without making sure I had everything I¡¯d need.¡±


    ¡°Good to know,¡± Snow smiles before giving Opal a curious look. ¡°But the job of a maid is to look after our Myaster¡¯s every need. I shall always worry myself over you.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I cough and look away, trying to minimize my exposure to the teasing grin Opal gives me after hearing Snow¡¯s loving declaration. ¡°How silly of me to forget...¡±


    Meri blushes as she stares at the graceful maid. ¡°Gods, she¡¯s good at this...¡±


    Although I try to move on towards the girls at the table, Snow continues to speak. ¡°I¡¯m told you were the one who more or less raised my Myaster, Opal?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. Why?¡± Opal raises an eyebrow, staring Snow up and down.


    ¡°Just confirming that I have you to thank for shaping him into such a well-behaved little man...¡± Snow whispers, her yellow eyes glimmering with mischief.


    Opal sees these eyes, and, recognizing a comrade at arms, she extends her hand in friendship to the Catfolk woman. ¡°Well, I suppose I did what I could...¡± She says in an aloof manner, grinning as Snow takes her hand and shakes it.


    Judging from the cruel looks on both of their faces, I have a feeling that the seeds of an incredibly dangerous friendship were just planted before my eyes... but at least Snow seems to have forgiven Opal for pestering her over becoming my lover.


    ¡°I imagine we¡¯ll only be gone for two days or so,¡± Opal reminds the room as we approach the table. In a bossy, authoritative tone, she says, ¡°You¡¯ve each already gotten some last-minute loving by the sound of it, so keep the goodbyes brief, ladies.¡±


    Sam and Meri scoot apart from each other so that I can join them on their side of the wooden bench. Meri looks like she¡¯s going to miss me quite a bit, so I turn towards the adorable brunette and present her the book. Almost instantly, this wipes away the sadness and replaces it with a look of surprise and glee. ¡°Master? Is... is this one of those magic books you were telling me about?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is. I figured it was time to dig it out for you, especially after what an amazing job you did during the dungeon crawl. I should¡¯ve gotten it to you faster, but-¡±


    ¡°You had a lot of stuff to juggle. It¡¯s ok! D-Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m just happy you even remembered!¡± Meri takes the book, flustered and overwhelmed. She then takes a closer ¡°Oh, you didn¡¯t tell me it was a volume of Dungeon Sluts...!¡± The innocent girl¡¯s eyes twinkle, despite such a dirty subject matter.


    Sam laughs and wraps her arm around my waist, pulling me close to the youthful Princess¡¯s body. ¡°Being knee-deep in pussy ain¡¯t an excuse for forgetting to spoil us, Meri! Don¡¯t let this bastard get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Knee-deep in literal pussy, hee-hee...¡± Peri giggles to herself.


    ¡°That was the joke, dummy!¡± Cherry sighs.


    I lean in and give Her Highness a kiss on the lips, which puts a feisty smile on her face. ¡°I think you¡¯re plenty spoiled enough.¡±


    ¡°No such thing!¡± Sam teasingly punches me in the arm.


    Meri hugs the lewd book to her shapely chest and hides her face behind it like it was her shield, meek as ever. ¡°Are you gonna check in later tonight using Taskmaster? We¡¯re all going to miss you... and I think we¡¯re all eager to hear about everything that happens on your trip.¡±


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll contact Sam sometime tonight, so don¡¯t be surprised when you suddenly hear my voice, Princess.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good! I¡¯m just itching to hear how it goes. Boss, you better put Gloomcrest through the wringer using all that business intimidation junk you do. This is our big shot to really turn the Guild around...¡± A fiery look of determination sparks within the Princess¡¯s eyes, inspiring me to do my best.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be doing everything that I can, Sam. Count on it.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s so crazy that the Duke of Arrark himself might actually help us. Wow...¡± Meri sighs, blissfully imagining what a world like that might look like. ¡°It sure would be nice to actually go on adventures without having to worry about all of Dewhurst¡¯s criminals at our throats...¡±


    ¡°Opal is saying we might be able to go on the offensive after this. Rest up, girls, you¡¯re going to need it.¡± I pull Sam and Meri to my sides, and they each hug me in turn. Both of them smile up at me, and I reward their love by giving each girl a long and passionate goodbye kiss. Sam goes a bit heavy on the tongue while Meri puts the book on the table to clutch onto my shirt.


    ¡°And what about us?¡± Peri asks, jumping onto the table and crawling across to get all up in my face.


    ¡°Peri, don¡¯t do that...!¡± Cherry jumps on herself to try and wrestle Peri back to her seat, but I interrupt her by reaching out and petting each of the kitties on the head. Together, they purr most delightfully after I start scratching their ears.


    ¡°You two have an essential job to take care of while I¡¯m gone,¡± I whisper at them in a low, teasing tone.


    ¡°Mnnn... anything, Myaster.¡± Peri sighs hazily, her thin, striped tail fluttering behind her.


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. Just do anything Snow commands you to, without fail.¡±


    ¡°Ack-¡± Cherry twitches, snapping out of her mid-pet trance, and crawls away out of fear. ¡°I knew you were gonna say that!¡± Everyone gets a good laugh out of Cherry¡¯s distress, especially Snow.


    ¡°No worries, I promise to take good care of everyone in your absence...¡± Snow says, a mysterious twinkle in her eye. Cherry shivers at the thought.


    ¡°Come here, you...¡± I grab the cheeky maid by her furry wrist before she gets too far away, pulling Cherry into her farewell kiss. As usual, she¡¯s taken by surprise and kisses back with a slight reluctance at first. Soon, though, Cherry reciprocates it all the same.


    I then move from the lips of one Catfolk to another, stealing my kiss from Peri before she can utter a word of jealousy. The lewd little kitten leans heavily into our locking lips, trying to seek out as much pleasure as she can from this one small exchange. When I pull away from her, Peri whines with disappointment but otherwise accepts that I have more pressing matters to attend to.


    When I stand up from the table, Snow taps me on the back to gain my attention. ¡°Zutiria is napping right now, Myaster, but she told me to give you a special goodbye kiss from the both of us. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t mind.¡± The head maid wraps her arms around me before I can even react to it and leans forward to kiss me as if I were the woman. As I kiss Snow back, Sam wolf whistles, the kittens giggle, Meri blushes, and Opal watches on with a satisfied smile.


    If I linger any longer, I will want to give everyone more affection, so I find it best to get going before that happens. As I head out the door, everyone gives me one more round of farewells.


    ¡°Bring back tons of gold and tons of new bitches!¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for the book! I promise I¡¯ll defend everyone here with my shield, so, um... d-don¡¯t be worried about a thing!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll clean up lots when you¡¯re gone, so reward me when you come home, Myaster!¡±


    ¡°Every time you feel those bitemarks, y-you better remember me, damn it!¡±


    ¡°Enjoy yourself, Myaster, but don¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll warrant a stiff punishment upon your return...¡±


    I give them a smile, wave, tell each girl I love them and close the door behind me. Opal crosses her arms and laughs as I approach her. ¡°This Guild is getting livelier by the day, Dear. You¡¯re a fortunate man.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t I know it?¡±


    The older woman smiles, and with her wand, she summons her broom. While I know next to nothing about brooms, Opal¡¯s is sleek, black, and beautifully crafted. I¡¯m sure this is a rather spendy model and speaks of its owner¡¯s tastes. ¡°We¡¯ll see just how lively it can get from here on out, then.¡±


    The aged witch walks forward into the road leading from my Guild and beckons me closer by crooking her index finger, urging me to follow after her.


    PunishedKom


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 Don’t You Dare Close Your Eyes

    I follow after the Doctor as she leads me further away from the building, presumably so that we have plenty of room for take-off. ¡°Just to be clear, you haven¡¯t ever ridden a broom while I wasn¡¯t looking, have you, Dear?¡± She asks with great concern.


    ¡°No, never. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine, though..¡± How hard could sitting on a broom for an hour possibly be? Sure, I know we¡¯ll be going fast, but I¡¯ll be able to close my eyes if it¡¯s too much.


    Opal sighs wearily as if she¡¯s heard this a million times. ¡°Everyone thinks that their first time flying, but take it from me- underestimating broom flight is a costly mistake. I¡¯d recommend you let me cast a few minor spells to make it just a wee bit easier for you, sweetheart.¡±


    ¡°Do you use these spells on yourself when you fly, too?¡±


    ¡°No, but I¡¯m quite experienced when it comes to riding...¡± When I raise my eyebrow at her suggestively, Opal giggles. ¡°Pun absolutely intended.¡± She adds.


    I feel like I can¡¯t back out of trying to look tough now, so I stand my ground. ¡°If you don¡¯t need them, then neither do I.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s that stubbornness of yours. You just want to impress me, don¡¯t you?¡± The mature woman puts her hand on her hip, judging me harshly.


    ¡°Always. I¡¯m starting to think I have a problem, honestly...¡± I shrug in the face of this wise old witch who knows me to a fault.


    ¡°At least you admit it. Well, hop on, then...¡± Opal rolls her eyes and mounts the broom. ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be very impressed when you piss yourself all over my expensive broom.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Well, on second thought...¡±


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Opal giggles as she temporarily dismounts and casts a few spells on me. A spell to calm anxiety, something to keep my glasses firmly stuck to my face, a stomach stabilizer, and, of course, something to prevent me from pissing my pants. I feel fuzzy all over after getting magic¡¯d up, which Opal assures me is totally normal. Not that I would know- I¡¯ve never been under so many spells at the same time before.


    Now that I¡¯m adequately prepared for flight, I join Opal in mounting the broom and wrap my arms tightly around her waist. ¡°Don¡¯t be getting any funny ideas just because you¡¯re grinding up against me, Dear,¡± She warns in a stern, motherly tone. ¡°It won¡¯t end well.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± I lie, mentally pushing aside the lewd novels I¡¯ve read centered around molesting witches mid-flight. The look on Opal¡¯s face tells me she doesn¡¯t believe me, and rightly so.


    Regardless of my perverse fantasies, it¡¯s time to take off.


    Opal tilts the wooden broom upwards ever so slightly at the sky. Wind starts fluttering around us, her magic causing us to lift several feet off the ground and float peacefully into the air. At first, this fills me with wonder and excitement, just like it would anyone else. But as we rise higher and higher, I start to see why the anxiety spell was a necessary precaution.


    I... don¡¯t like this. Not at all.


    ¡°Well?¡± Opal asks as we hover precariously hundreds of feet over Dewhurst, basking in the city¡¯s ever enjoyable gray overcast.


    My hands tremble as I hold on tight as I can to Opal. ¡°You were right. I¡¯m sorry...¡±


    ¡°Mmm, say it again, baby...¡± She teases, enjoying the sweet feeling of being proven right.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m a stubborn fool...¡±


    Opal giggles out of satisfaction before saying, ¡°Really, though. Don¡¯t you find seeing your hometown in a way you¡¯ve never imagined it interesting, at least?¡±


    I force myself to take a closer look at the town below, seeing all the seedy and dirty-looking people walking up and down the disgusting streets. Thanks to the power of my eyes, I see countless drug dealers, addicts, and prostitutes all going about their seedy business. Sprinkled in with the occasional stabbing, theft, or worse, it all makes for a thoroughly depressing vista.


    ¡°It¡¯s... so much worse from up here, honestly... I knew this town was awful, but seeing the view from above almost makes me wish we had a bomb to drop on the place.¡± I say, only half-joking.


    With a disappointed sigh, Opal shakes her head. ¡°Well, I promise you¡¯ll like Dawnstead a whole lot better if nothing else. Hold on tight, Dear. I¡¯m going to take off for real this time which means we¡¯ll be going pretty fast. Let¡¯s get-¡± She stops midsentence and looks around the town.


    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± She asks.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m just anxious, and I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±


    ¡°No, not you... I could¡¯ve sworn I just felt a large surge of mana usage.¡±


    ¡°Maybe? I don¡¯t know how far away I can sense that from. Let¡¯s get going before weAGHHHHHH!¡± Opal doesn¡¯t wait for me to finish speaking. She clicks her heels together and leans down over her broom, sending us forward at hurtling speed.


    ¡°We¡¯re being followed,¡± Opal points out. ¡°Let¡¯s see if they can keep with me...¡±


    ¡°WHAT?¡± Her words are a jumbled, incomprehensible mess to me on account of the intense wind pressure.


    ¡°Whoops, silly me! I forgot a spell,¡± She laughs, tapping my ear with her wand, allowing me to hear things normally once again. The witch then repeats herself, and I look back to check and see if she¡¯s right. Dewhurst has become a distant blip in the horizon, and just as she feared, approaching fast behind us is a small squadron of Mages.


    ¡°How many are there?¡±


    ¡°Seven... six are riding brooms, and the one behind them is... oh, it¡¯s him.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°One of the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s higher-ups, an Elf who calls himself the Crystal Sage. I think he controls the drug trade of the city...¡± I see the Elf flying in formation behind his men, sitting atop a cushy pillow on an illustrious magic carpet. Between his legs is a massive, golden Kissuaran hookah bellowing sparkling, multi-colored smoke straight into his awaiting mouth. As the bald, strung-out Elf exhales each massive inhalation, it spirals out behind him, creating a bizarre, drug-fueled exhaust.


    The older witch raises an eyebrow as she takes in the sight for herself. ¡°You don¡¯t say? So this elf is the reason the mana crystal situation in Dewhurst is so terrible...?¡±


    ¡°Probably? I¡¯m just confused on how they knew I¡¯d be leaving town...¡±


    ¡°This drugged-up elf might be stronger than I gave him credit for. He likely tracked my magical signature when we took off despite the steps I took to mask it... still, this situation is nothing I can¡¯t handle. Let¡¯s see if I can¡¯t shake them first before we give them the fight they¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Opal speeds up, causing me to scream for dear life as we barrel ahead at a breakneck pace. For several minutes this ride continues, every second of it inspiring a terror in me that I¡¯ve never felt. In my mental misery, I even find myself uttering a prayer to Luxy, asking for forgiveness. I¡¯m grateful that she¡¯s still not responding, as I don¡¯t think I could handle her teasing right now...


    I take another look back and see the Sage and his entourage not only keeping up but readying an attack aimed directly at us both. ¡°Opal, they¡¯re going to try and shoot us out of the sky...!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. Staffs or wands?¡±


    ¡°Wands,¡± She considers this information for a moment in silence before speaking.


    ¡°Darling, I just had a wonderful idea. How would you like to learn how to fly a broom? You''ll be able to steer it as long as I''m pumping mana into it.¡± Opal turns to face me, revealing the battle-hungry look in her eyes. I¡¯ve never seen such violence and cruelty in that warm, purple glare before. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with our uninvited guests.¡±


    Out of concern, I ask her, ¡°Are you sure?¡± since Opal isn¡¯t very keen on hurting people. Seeing her react like this is something deeply unsettling to me.


    Without the slightest bit of sarcasm, Opal says, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t kill them... the fall will.¡± I stare at her for a minute in disbelief before she laughs it off. ¡°That was a deadpan joke, my love. I¡¯ll just get them off of our back with some magic... besides, It¡¯s thanks to that asshole that I have to go to the effort of mining my own damn mana crystals whenever I start running low!¡±


    Personally, I wouldn¡¯t mind if the Crystal Sage really does fall to his death thanks to Opal. One fewer of the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s crimelords running around would only make the Guild¡¯s job more manageable, and unlike with Pimpington, I don¡¯t see much value in keeping him alive for interrogation purposes- the Elf is clearly not all there.


    Another look backward, and I can see an array of magical arrows shooting out of the henchmage¡¯s wands. These streams of concentrated energy tear through the sky and hurtle towards as they whistle like persistent pipes. I¡¯m awful glad my mind is currently fortified against anxiety because I¡¯m still crippled by fear, even with that spell helping me out. ¡°Opal, magic missiles!¡±


    ¡°Right. My magic is still flowing into the broom, so all you need to do is angle it which way you want it to go. I¡¯ll leave this part to you, Dear!¡± Opal, against all known laws of gravity that I¡¯m aware of, stands up tall on the broom and jumps past my head, landing elegantly on the bristles as if she weighed nothing. She points her wand in front of me and summons two floating mirrors that allow me to look back and see the threat behind us.


    Opal cracks her neck and strips herself of her coat, revealing her sweater as a snug-fitting tank top with a very low-cut back. Her expensive blue coat falls down below, the wind carrying it away to parts unknown, never to be seen again. ¡°It¡¯s been a very long time since I¡¯ve been in a magical duel... it might be hard to hold myself back.¡± She says, her voice becoming less motherly and more threatening. ¡°That said, I can¡¯t go all-out... it¡¯d be inconvenient for me if I made such a large showing of my mana signature.¡±


    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll do my best...¡± After taking a deep breath to cope with the fact that any of this is actually fucking happening, I swerve us to the left, evading the oncoming missiles as I summon my arcane tech pistol in my right hand. No better place to learn how to use damn thing than out in the field, right?


    PunishedKom


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 Broom Battle in the Clouds

    The first volley of magic missiles miss us by a long shot thanks to my evasive swerving, but already the henchmages are preparing a follow-up attack. Opal, her long and curly brunette hair flowing majestically in the wind, doesn¡¯t seem all that impressed. ¡°How dull...¡± She says, turning up her chin. ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I have a little fun, Dear, do you?¡±


    ¡°Opal, I would VERY much like to finish this up as fast as-¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t,¡± The stacked witch smirks as she interrupts me. ¡°You¡¯re a good boy, after all, unlike these disgusting little hedge wizards.¡± Opal raises her wand and draws a circle in the air with it. A glowing, complicated-looking magical sigil appears at the tip as she chants, ¡°Poisonaire!¡±


    Her spell echoes out from her lips with a thunderous boom. From out of the sigil bursts an explosive, swirling maelstrom of deep purple smoke. Opal inputs several minute movements with her wand, which commands the smoke to form into six tendrils. From here, the tendrils rip across the sky aimed at each of the Crystal Sage¡¯s men.


    Each enemy counters with different wind spells, brushing the smoke away into the clouds- all except for one unfortunate mage whose wind magic wasn¡¯t strong enough to dispel Opal¡¯s attack. I watch as he swallows a lungful of the magical smoke. In a matter of seconds, the henchmage¡¯s skin becomes splotchy and turns a putrid shade of blue until he resembles a drowned corpse. This poor man scratches at his blemished skin, screaming as he falls out of the sky. Even if Opal¡¯s spell isn¡¯t lethal, I worry that she really did just mercilessly kill this man until I see his broom begin to glow. As the enemy mage falls, his broom summons a magical parachute to protect him from crashing.


    Convenient.


    Suddenly, we both hear the voice of the Crystal Sage as he and his squadron draw closer. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate her. The magical might of the Nightshade is never to be forgotten as it is the deadliest of flowers and does not produce an enjoyable high. I have tried... tired? No, tried...¡± He says while inhaling another large influx of whatever drug his hookah is filled with.


    Opal is silent, though I can feel her anger beginning to flare up at the Elf¡¯s words for whatever reason. One of the henchmages pulls ahead of the pack and stands atop his broom, similarly to Opal, making large swings of his arm to accentuate whatever spell he¡¯s casting. Water pours out of a nearby cloud and concentrates in front of the enemy Mage, freezing and sharpening into a scary number of spear-sized icicles. Rather than waiting for Opal to start a counterspell, I line up a shot with the pistol resting in my right hand, and I pull the trigger for the first time.


    A magical, lemon-sized bullet explodes out of the barrel, with barely any recoil to speak of. The speed at which it flies is remarkable, and whether it¡¯s beginner¡¯s luck or actual talent on my behalf, the bullet collides with several of the spears before piercing the Mage in the shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, my...! Nicely done, Dear.¡± Opal looks at my handiwork, impressed and giggling to herself. ¡°See if you can do it again, quickly now, before he launches those spears!¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I hold the gun out, and using all of my focus, I pull the trigger yet again. Just like the first, the second shot pierces through more spears and flies straight into his opposite shoulder, forcing him to drop his wand before the spell is completed. Each of the spears dissolves back into water, and he plummets out of the sky.


    Now I know for sure why Luxy gave me this weapon in particular; it¡¯s a perfect match for the power of my eyes. My aim with this pistol is nearly flawless. While I certainly won¡¯t be stepping foot on the battlefield any time soon, I¡¯ll at least be able to take care of myself if push comes to shove.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t in the Halfling¡¯s intel,¡± The Crystal Sage remarks as he watches his man tumble towards the earth with glossy eyes. ¡°Overwhelm them. Grind them into a fine powder with which to snort, my magical... magic men...¡±


    At the command of their questionable leader, the remaining ¡®magical magic men¡¯ fly off in different directions and prepare various spells to stop us in our tracks. From above, a mage summons a dark and brooding cloud packed with roaring lightning. The cloud cackles with electricity before unleashing its payload, only for Opal to raise her wand casually into the air with a playful smile.


    The lightning hits the tip of her magical tool, causing sparks to fly off like fireworks as she absorbs the spell. Like a conductor leading an orchestra, she gracefully twirls her wand like a baton and redirects the electrical magic towards one of the other mages. This mage was in the midst of opening some sort of portal, but whatever he was attempting to summon is prevented when the lightning bolt hits him square in the chest.


    During the lightning mage¡¯s panic, I take a well-placed shot and destroy his wand with another magical bullet. Rather than sticking around, this villain turns tail, swerving with his broom to desert the pack. The Crystal Sage sees this and does not take kindly to it.


    ¡°I warned you all that this would be ride or die. Unfortunate that you would... ah... what was I saying... yes, unfortunate that you would choose the latter.¡± He raises a hand towards the speeding away deserter. Curiously, the Sage casts a spell without an incantation. While non-verbal magic is ordinary enough, it¡¯s made even more curious by the Elf¡¯s decision to cast this without a wand or a staff. From out of his hand shoots a narrow purple beam that hits the deserter, piercing his heart and killing him instantly.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± Opal smirks and cups her chin, seemingly unphased by the Mage killing his own henchman. ¡°Now that¡¯s a class you don¡¯t see all too often...¡± She thinks aloud.


    I don¡¯t have time to question her about whatever she means by this because her attention quickly shifts towards the next attack. One of the Mages flies to our left side and holds up a small leather pouch. He chants, ¡°Metallier!¡± and from out of the bag pours a coarse, iron powder. The powder transforms into a large, floating spiked barricade held up by his wand. The enemy tries ramming us with it in an attempt to impale us on the spikes, but I pull us out of the way at just the right time for Opal to launch an attack of her own.


    The old witch casts ¡°Rafflesiolve,¡± and from out of her wand sprouts a large red flower with spotted petals that produces the single most disgusting smell I¡¯ve ever had the displeasure of smelling. If my stomach wasn¡¯t fortified by an anti-puking smell, I would surely have just lost my breakfast. The flower has what looks like a large central chamber that puffs out and begins spraying putrid yellow bile all over the spiked, metal wall. In a matter of seconds, this liquid eats and corrodes the metal until there¡¯s nothing left to protect him from my bullet.


    I take out his wand while he¡¯s surprised, and perhaps out of pity, I send a follow-up bullet to this enemy¡¯s leg so that he has an excuse to fall to the earth without the Crystal Sage turning on him. Call it my good deed of the day.


    The two remaining henchmages are clearly weighing their options, but their contemplation is cut short when the Crystal Sage sighs deeply and flies in between them. ¡°I suppose if you want something done right, you have to... ah... flowing, yes. All things must flow, and so must you two flow into me. But not sexually, that would be most odd... I think?¡± Both of his henchmages panic at this incoherent rambling because they apparently can parse out the meaning of this nonsense, whereas I cannot.


    The two flying mages dart off in opposite directions in an attempt to escape the drugged-up Elf, but this quickly proves in vain as the Crystal Sage points his palms toward them. He takes another deep drag of his hookah as two magic circles appear at his elbows. The next thing I know, the Mage¡¯s forearms stretch out like they¡¯re made of rubber, and he grabs his fleeing minions by the back of their skulls. Their brooms fly off without them, the Sage¡¯s strength now the only thing keeping them from falling to their deaths.


    Both of the poor men wail and whine, begging their master to let them go. The Sage doesn¡¯t take this into consideration, his hands beginning to glow a bright blue. Soon, their eyes and mouths both start burning the same color as his hands. What appears to be raw, concentrated mana tears out of their faces and into the Crystal Sage¡¯s nostrils. The henchmages appear to age rapidly until becoming little more than skeletons wearing paper-thin skin.


    The Sage¡¯s emaciated, drug-addled body begins to rejuvenate until his appearance looks almost on the verge of being called healthy. His darkened eyelids pop with vigor, the many visible veins recede into his body, and his sinewy limbs and skinny torso fill out with muscle. Once he¡¯s harvested all the mana he can, he releases his minions so that they may meet their ends.


    As I stare at this bizarre spectacle, unable to say a word, the Crystal Sage only makes things that much stranger when he¡¯s hit with a random mood swing. ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Just keep the flow going... the flow... don¡¯t think about it... don¡¯t think about it... work... work...¡± He cries, opening his mouth to reveal a disgusting display of diseased gums and rotten teeth. Tears fall off his face like a burst dam as his reinvigorated form trembles and shakes.


    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I ask no one in particular, unable to make a more astute observation. While I learned my lesson not to judge the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s forces the hard way by writing off Sir Pimpington as a joke and nothing more, I thought for sure that the Crystal Sage was just a rundown mana crystal addict. I assumed he failed upwards until somehow falling into the crimelord¡¯s good graces. To say that I was wrong in my assessment would be putting it very lightly.


    ¡°This is... troublesome,¡± Opal stands atop our broom and crosses her arms. ¡°More so than I thought. Dear, you know very well that as a healer, I have a strict stance on non-violence. Furthermore, unlike Nikita, who would surely help you if she mentally could, I don¡¯t want to fight your battles for you. Those girls of yours wouldn¡¯t become stronger if I did. Strength is gained through pain, suffering, and hard work... but, that being said, I¡¯m going to make an exception just this once.¡±


    I ask her for clarification, unsure of what I¡¯m hearing. ¡°Are you going to kill him, Opal?¡±


    ¡°No, Gloomcrest wants the leaders alive, so I¡¯m going to capture this pesky Elf here and now so that the girls don¡¯t have to do it in the future.¡± The powerful witch takes a deep breath before striking an elegant pose and pointing her wand at the druglord sitting atop his magic carpet. A dark and sickening mana pressure exudes out of her body. Despite the stomach spell protecting my gut, bile barrels up my throat as soon as I feel Opal¡¯s aura. I¡¯m only barely able to force back down. ¡°Put your gun away, sweetheart. You¡¯re going to need both hands on the broom; Mommy is about to fuck shit up.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 The Oldest Game

    Opalina stares down the enemy, her wand ready for action at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Do you know what they call a duel between Mages, Dear?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the time for-¡±


    ¡°If you go back far enough, it used to be known as the ¡®Oldest Game¡¯. A battle between magic users isn¡¯t always solved by who has the greater skill level, who has more mana, or who knows the most spells, no... oftentimes it comes down to whoever the best imagination.¡±


    ¡°Opal... are you really going to be ok...?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I may be an old lady, but this is a game that one never forgets how to play.¡± The witch taps her long, curly hair with her wand, and it ties itself into a neat bun. She¡¯s getting serious. I watch the two Mages from the magical mirrors, waiting anxiously for someone to make the first move.


    The standoff doesn¡¯t last long.


    The Crystal Sage closes his glowing eyes and thrusts his palms forward. Without an incantation or a tool with which to cast it, he launches another spell aimed directly at us. This time, it¡¯s a simple volley of thirty multi-colored orbs.


    Opal counters by touching each projectile with her wand before impact, popping them like bubbles until only one orb remains. She cancels the spell and effectively forces it to hover several inches away from the wand¡¯s tip before taking bringing the spherical magic closer to her face to study it.


    ¡°Weaponized mentallomancy?¡± She scoffs and wiggles her magical instrument. ¡°There¡¯s no use sending it back then. Something tells me I couldn¡¯t break your mind much more than you already have...¡± Opal dissipates the orb to burst into psychedelic particles that scatter harmlessly into the wind.


    ¡°I¡¯m not broken. I can do more. I can do so much more. Don¡¯t... please... give me more time, time is all I-¡±


    ¡°Severirus,¡± Opal casually chants her next spell, but the explosion of magical power that results upon its release sends our broom flying. Her spell summons what looks to be hundreds of tiny, spiked, purple marbles that start twitching and engorging in size until they¡¯re as large as watermelons. The witch flicks her finger, commanding the projectiles to home in on their target. Once one closes in toward the Crystal Sage, it explodes into a cloud of powdery purple smoke that squirms like a swarm of flies.


    Undeterred, the Sage disperses the cloud before it gets anywhere near him by thrusting out his palm and summoning a green wind to blow it away. He begins shoving out his palms in hundreds of directions, shooting a small burst of wind at the witch¡¯s remaining projectiles. I watch him at work, awestruck not only over just how many nonverbal spells he¡¯s able to cast in a row but also how fast he can cast them.


    Opal¡¯s eyebrow twitches with annoyance as she sees her attack undone but loses no morale and instead jiggles her wand to unleash a nonverbal command of her own. The remnants of her spell all merge into one giant orb meant to draw the Sage¡¯s attention, begging him to attack it. He does, and instead of releasing a cloud as all the others did, this one explodes into dozens of syringes filled with a viscous purple liquid.


    The Crystal Sage¡¯s glowing blue eyes open wide in shock as he glares at the oncoming rain of needles. ¡°Impossible, needles can¡¯t hurt me... they would never! Needles are my friend! My friend... friends... Pimpington, give the sex man back... back!¡±


    Opal clicks her tongue at this man¡¯s erratic behavior, ready to reinforce her needles with another spell at a moment¡¯s notice. The Sage stands up atop his flying carpet and makes several gestures with his fingers that summon the rainbow smoke from his hookah. It rushes out in front of his body, thickening and engulfing the whole of the incoming needles.


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to grow bored of this,¡± The elder witch groans.


    ¡°He¡¯s not stronger than you, is he?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± She snaps back as if I was accusing her. ¡°I just happen to be under a few different limiting circumstances- the biggest one being that I¡¯m trying not to kill him.¡± Opal laughs a dark, mysterious laugh. ¡°If I wanted him dead, we¡¯d be well on our way by now. Not only that, but I don¡¯t have many decent options when we¡¯re flying at such high speeds, whereas his class leaves him very well suited to this sort of magical combat. We can¡¯t land and risk him getting to you, though. Defensive charm or not, I¡¯m not going to take... that... chance?¡±


    We both witness the rainbow smoke fading away to reveal a surreal sight hiding behind. The Sage stands exactly where he was only moments before, but his body has since altered dramatically. From out of his back sprang two additional sets of arms. ¡°More... flow... more...¡± He pants as dribble falls out of his mouth, his body and face having returned to their emaciated and drug-addled default status.


    The Crystal Sage clasps his natural set of hands together while the four extra hands each disappear into tiny portals. A split second later, his hands return, carrying cloudy mana crystals. Predictably, he smashes them in his fists so he can snort the resulting powder. The Elf roars as his body fills out once again. His eyes shining like a beacon in the darkness and his bright veins threatening to burst free from his skin, mana erupting out of his powdery nostrils as he lets out an absurd sneeze.


    ¡°Dear Gods,¡± Opal shakes her head at this unbelievable sight. ¡°This Elf is a medical marvel. It... just shouldn¡¯t be possible for someone to live with such an advanced addiction to mana crystals. I¡¯m ashamed to admit it, but as a Doctor, I¡¯m severely tempted to put him under the knife...¡±


    ¡°What the fuck is with his arms?!¡± Between the high-speed chase and the unfolding battle between mages, I find my ability to provide meaningful commentary beginning to dwindle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll explain later. I need to focus!¡±


    ¡°ALL SHALL FLOW!¡± The Elf thrusts all six of his hands towards us, unleashes a volley of uncountable spells one after the other. Small lightning bolts, fireballs, water bullets, shards of ice, wind blades, creeping darkness... the sheer variety of his magic is beyond my comprehension.


    I dive with the broom but the nonstop spell barrage closes in, and I fear I won¡¯t be able to help us evade it. Opal has other plans. She takes her wand and deposits it into her sweater, then pulls a large, winged black staff decorated by two intertwining serpents running up its length out of her bra and swirls it over her head with both hands. ¡°PROPERAFFLESHEVOUR!¡± She shouts as a gigantic version of the same corpse-smelling flower from earlier sprouts out of her staff.


    The Crystal Sage¡¯s assault is swallowed into the central chamber while the entire plant spins like a pinwheel, releasing spores aimed directly at the enemy. As he works up dozens of little wind spells to blow away this deadly powder, Opal chants, ¡°ACILUGE!¡± and forces all the absorbed magic from the central chamber outward in the form of corrosive yellow bile.


    ¡°I¡¯m not done! Don¡¯t count me out! Please! I can still fight... still... FIGHT!¡± The Elf cries out more of his trademark gibberish, becoming more desperate by the word. Panic overtakes the Crystal Sage. He changes his strategy and defends himself by shooting six rapid streams of water out of his hands toward the oncoming acid. He¡¯s just barely able to stave off Opal¡¯s attack, but in the end, Opal¡¯s imagination was greater.


    ¡°Galvanibeam!¡± She chants while twirling her staff like a dancer, summoning six balls of electricity hidden behind her giant flower. They crackle and whirr with unfiltered power before unleashing six large beams of radiant lightning. Opal¡¯s spell tears through her own flower and the six beams merge with the acid spray, catching him completely off guard.


    ¡°Impossible! Why couldn¡¯t I see it? I see everything... no... not enough... need... more!!¡± His voice is shaky as he exerts all his mana in a misguided last-ditch effort to save himself.


    With no time left to defend, the Sage¡¯s entire body is electrocuted once Opal¡¯s lightning travels down the defensive water and connects with his hands. He shouts a bloodcurdling scream, falling to his knees and twitching involuntarily like a dying bug. The temporary strength granted to him by snorting mana crystals fades, leaving him ravaged to the core.


    Tiny drops of acid and lightning cascade off of his body, tumbling down to his magical carpet. The fabric soon starts to catch on fire from the remnants of Opal¡¯s spells. With nothing to hold him steady, the Crystal Sage and his golden hookah begin to free-fall down to earth.


    ¡°Damn it! Turn us around and dive, Dear! I can¡¯t capture him like this!¡±


    ¡°Dive? Really...?¡± I¡¯m not ashamed to admit that the idea of pointing the broom at the ground while soaring at high speed is one I find unappealing. Luckily, Opal knows how best to motivate me.


    ¡°Think of how much gold Duke Gloomcrest will give you if you show up with a second crimelord to hand over!¡±


    I make a u-shaped turn and angle the broom so that we shoot down to earth with the force and tenacity of a falling star. Even though every part of my body screams at me not to dive, there¡¯s no height I wouldn¡¯t descend if it meant bringing my Guild additional income.


    As I chase after him, Opal sits down behind me and aims her staff at the tumbling druglord. ¡°Sombastille!¡± Another series of interlocking magical circles appear around her weapon as the spell manifests itself into reality. Thanks to her mana pressure I¡¯m able to recognize the familiar feeling of dark magic, only for my suspicions to be confirmed once a large, circular black void appears directly below the Crystal Sage.


    From out of the shadowy circle forms what looks like a prison cell made of darkness and abject suffering. The cage opens and a long, spiraling black hand snakes its way out of the structure and hastens towards the Sage, hellbent on binding and dragging him to his dark fate.


    Seeing his looming imprisonment, the Sage springs back into action and performs the same portal shenanigans as before to procure himself more mana crystals to snort. His mana and body restored, the villainous Elf thrusts all six of his arms behind him and starts casting a high-powered flame propulsion spell with each hand. Using this magical thrusting, the Crystal Sage actually starts flying away at a far faster speed than the dark hand is capable of copying.


    ¡°He¡¯s escaping! Can this broom go any faster, Opal?!¡±


    Opal makes an annoyed, frustrated noise brimming full of anger. ¡°Fucking pointy-eared, strung-out piece of shit!¡± She takes a breath and calms herself, saying, ¡°...No. No, we¡¯re already going top speed...¡±


    ¡°So... there¡¯s nothing we can do?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly. Don¡¯t ever say that I don¡¯t love you, Dear...¡± The witch sighs as she removes the silky black glove covering her right hand. ¡°I really didn¡¯t want to have to resort to this, but...¡±


    ¡°I know you want to look all cool, powerful, and mysterious, Opal, but he¡¯s flying away faster than a dragon. Whatever you¡¯re going to do, do it now!¡±


    Opal lets out another annoyed grunt as she reaches past my shoulder and points her index finger at the Crystal Sage. As she builds up her mana within it, Opal¡¯s hand suddenly mutates in color. It changes from its natural pale olive into an unnatural, sickly shade of purple. Beneath the surface of the sorceress¡¯s skin, I see evidence that this worrisome color is caused by a bubbling, churning, and restless fluid coursing within her.


    Magic begins stirring in the air around her fingertip. A concentrated ball of foul-smelling magenta liquid secretes itself out of the witch. It swirls around her extended digit until taking the shape of a needle and darting off at astonishing speed. Although he¡¯s escaped fairly far away by the time it reaches him, my eyes confirm that the attack lands and somehow burns a hole through his blue robes. Beyond that, though, Opal¡¯s magical spell has very few observable effects. It certainly doesn¡¯t stop the criminal from escaping so far off into the distance that my eyes can no longer track him.


    ¡°There,¡± The witch shrugs with disappointment, her hand returning to its standard skin tone as she pulls on her silky black glove. ¡°I suppose that will have to suffice...¡± She says, stuffing her staff back into her Bra of Holding.


    ¡°What did that spell do?¡± I ask while bringing the broom back up from our descent.


    ¡°Not much, sadly. I shot a little something of my own design, but because of the speed and the distance between us, it was far from my best work...¡± The witch crosses her arms and shakes her head. ¡°Let me back in front, Dear. My mood was already sour, but now it¡¯s downright toxic... we¡¯re getting tea before showing up at Castle Mourneheart.¡±


    Opal leaps over me once again, and I let her take control of the broom. I¡¯m eager to let her fly me away to Dawnstead so that I can process whatever the hell just happened.


    PunishedKom


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 Spoiled Rotten

    The rest of the flight to Dawnstead went by fast. I still don¡¯t like flying, but after participating in an all-out air battle, it¡¯s safe to say I¡¯ve experienced the worst of it. Conversation dries up. Both of us want to focus on our thoughts until we can properly sit down, so we don¡¯t put much pressure on filling the silence beyond a scarce comment here or there.


    After another ten minutes of soaring over the many forests, farmlands, and hamlets of Arrark, I see the capital city approaching just beyond a patch of rolling green hills. Built atop the gentle river waters of Arrakia¡¯s Rush, Dawnstead is an expansive city surrounded by a sizeable hexagonal wall that protects it from siege in times of war. At once both astonishing and perhaps overindulgent, If I had to pick a single word to describe Dawnstead, it¡¯d definitely be-


    ¡°Shiny, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°...Yeah,¡± Most of it, anyway.


    The vast majority of the capital comprises meticulously constructed, white, opulent architecture that stretches proudly into the sky. The bustling streets are lined with prominent marble statues of ancient heroes, as well as numerous extravagant effigies honoring the Goddess Lux Ultima... and what I assume are grossly inaccurate representations of her angels. Speaking from the heart, Dawnstead is a tad gaudy for my liking. I¡¯ll be the first to admit this is mainly down to the fact that looking upon its brilliance for too long hurts my sensitive eyes.


    However, a particular part of the city stands as almost a mirrored reflection of this heavenly splendor.


    In the dead center of Dawnstead lies a massive, brooding palace- Castle Mourneheart- wherein rules Duke Osbourne Gloomcrest, the Duke of Arrark. This entire structure and its dread courtyards and labyrinthine gardens are dark as dark can be. Gargoyles in the shape of dastardly demons look down upon the city from atop their winding barricades while shadowy knights adorned in abyssal armor and tattered capes guard the grounds with their lives. Hanging on both sides of the castle¡¯s front gate are two massive, flowing banners the color of blood that depict the noble black raven of House Gloomcrest.


    When viewed as a whole, Dawnstead looks like a painter started rendering two entirely different landscapes at the same time before accidentally spilling one canvas onto the other.


    ¡°So... I assume there¡¯s a story behind the castle?¡± I ask Opal as we fly past the walls of Dawnstead, passing by an outgoing air caravan of Cargo Mages carrying crates of magically shrunken goods affixed to their brooms.


    She laughs while bringing the broom into a steady descent. ¡°You¡¯ll get the chance to ask its owner soon enough, my love. Brace yourself. We¡¯re about to land!¡± Opal gives me fair warning before diving further toward a mostly empty street. Before we crash, the broom begins slowing as she pulls up, putting us level to the paved ground.


    We both dismount, and as Opal magically un-summons her instrument of flight, I collapse on the bricks to begin gasping with relief. I feel more than a few passersby stare at me while making their way down the street, but I don¡¯t let it bother me. I¡¯m too grateful beyond words that my feet are firmly rooted to the earth once again to care how odd I must look.


    Opal smiles and taps her hair bun with her wand, freeing her illustrious brown curls to fall down the length of her back once more. With her hair swaying in the gentle breeze, my mature lover bends forward and extends her gloved hand to me, saying in a loving tone, ¡°Welcome to Dawnstead, Dear. I¡¯ll do my best to help you enjoy your stay here at the so-called Contrary Citadel.¡±


    As I take her hand, all the built anxiety in me fades and is replaced by a familiar calm. Not from any spell, no, just the comfort that being around Opal naturally brings. As I look at her now, though, I find my thoughts drudging back to the sky battle where I felt her magical aura in a way that I¡¯ve never experienced before.


    ¡°Is... Is something the matter?¡± She asks.


    I sigh and dust my pants clean. ¡°No, I¡¯ll be alright... that was just a lot to take in, and I¡¯m not necessarily talking about the Crystal Sage.¡±


    My response does little to calm the concerned Mage, but she pushes it away after a sharp breath of air and clasps her hands together. ¡°I¡¯m sure. Luckily for us, there¡¯s a nice little cafe I often visit whenever I¡¯m in town. Let¡¯s go and have ourselves some tea to help our nerves settle, shall we?¡±


    Determined to show her my affection despite the many questions I have, I extend my arm for the older woman to latch onto. ¡°We shall,¡± I say as Opal giggles and wraps her arm around mine, squishing the side of her gratuitous breast into me. The witch then leads me to the curb and whistles very loudly. She summons a nearby horse and carriage coached by a dapper-looking Orc wearing an undersized top hat and monocle with a rotund belly bulging out of his fancy dress shirt.


    ¡°Oh, no. I don¡¯t mind walking.¡± I try to insist, only for Opal to shush me by placing the tip of her finger on my lips.


    She correctly guesses that I didn¡¯t want her paying for me and gives a strict warning. ¡°Don¡¯t even. You¡¯re getting spoiled the next two days, and that¡¯s that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Hart...¡± Sarcasm coats my voice, prompting the witch to roll her eyes. I don¡¯t see any point in arguing, so I acquiesce and allow her to pay the coachman. Opal takes out a small, dark purple wallet from her bra. Once she opens it, a magical display appears, asking for a number. She scribbles an amount with her finger and then reaches inside to withdraw the requested currency. Opal goes on to give the Orc three five-pieces of gold, which must be more than the coachman asked for because he lights up and tips his little top hat at my lady.


    Opal smiles as she opens up the carriage door, leading me inside. There are two sections for passengers to sit on, but we sit together on one side. Opal wraps her arm tight around my own with a warm smile. The Orc commands his noble steed to whisk us away towards Opal¡¯s cafe of choice, and we take off at a brisk pace.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had one of those magical wallets I¡¯ve heard so much about,¡± I say in an attempt to start a playful conversation.


    ¡°Strictly speaking, it¡¯s off-brand,¡± She giggles warmly. ¡°Much cheaper when you make it yourself, even if the materials required for crafting aren¡¯t the easiest for a common Mage to get their hands on.¡± The implication that Opal doesn¡¯t consider herself a common Mage isn¡¯t lost on me, but I don¡¯t pursue that line of questioning.


    ¡°The lucky Mage who came up with the idea must be rich by now. Gold is such an inefficient currency to carry around, and I¡¯m sure the nobles would spend just about any amount to make it that much easier...¡± I recall when Opal had me carrying back her donation to the Guild and remember how poorly that went.


    ¡°Someone sounds a little envious, love...¡± Opal cups my cheek in her hand and narrows her eyes suggestively, ¡°You need only ask, you know.¡±


    Her flirtations bring a blush to my cheeks as I turn away, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t. You just said that making a magical wallet is a pain in the ass, and-¡±


    The witch gets a laugh out of my stunned reaction when she pulls a second black wallet out of her bra and presses it to my hand. Of course, how silly of me. She already made me one. ¡°Opal,¡± I look her in the eyes, awkwardly and blushing. ¡°Giving me this present is one thing... but did you really have to have my name embroidered in gold? It seems a bit much.¡±


    ¡°Of course I did. If I didn¡¯t, our wallets wouldn¡¯t match!¡± She giggles and presents her own wallet, showing off the part embroidered with her own name. That¡¯s a pretty cute thing for such an old woman to be so insistent about.


    She shushes me once again, prompting an embarrassed sigh from me as I thank her sincerely for the gift. Opal says she¡¯d been meaning to give me one for a while but hadn¡¯t had a chance to make another until her last trip here. She then spends most of the carriage ride teaching me how to use the gift, which is more complex than I initially imagined. I assumed they were similar to other pocket dimension items like Opal¡¯s own Bra of Holding, but oh, how wrong I was.


    Typically, these wallets are magically linked to either a bank account or a safe rather than keeping everything in some magical dimension. This makes the wallet more like a specialized version of the teleportation mailboxes used by Mail Mages instead of a traditional magic storage device. Since we didn¡¯t link it to my Guild¡¯s vault before we left, for the time being, Opal deposited a second gift of 50,000G into the wallet for me to draw from. Of course, I offered to pay her back, and of course, she refused. I don¡¯t know why I bother, beyond my stupid pride.


    Opal suggests that I look into making a bank account while we¡¯re in Dawnstead since It¡¯d be safer than storing everything in my vault. I think that sounds like a good idea, personally, and tell her as much. There are no reputable bankers in Dewhurst these days, so this would be an excellent chance to secure a safe nest for my gold- especially since my meeting with Duke Gloomcrest has been hyped up as lucrative.


    Speaking of safety, the cherry on top of this magic wallet is that it can only be used by its owner, and if lost, it will appear in the owner¡¯s pocket after a certain amount of time has passed. I¡¯m far from what I¡¯d call a disorganized person, but I can definitely see how this would be useful in the event of theft.


    By the time Opal runs out of things to tell me regarding the wallet and its usage, the horse pulling our carriage neighs dramatically as the coachman brings it to a halt. We both thank the Orc for his services, and I offer Opal my arm to latch onto as she leads me toward her chosen cafe. I¡¯m excited to get some answers out of her, although some tea and a snack wouldn¡¯t be all bad, either.


    PunishedKom


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 A Spot of Tea

    The cafe, like much of Dawnstead, is made of white marble. It has a domed, red roof, an open arch doorway with two columns built into its sides, and the outer walls are patterned by religious artwork of Lux Ultima bestowing love to her devout worshippers. Seeing this sort of thing is never not going to be weird for me, I think...


    I¡¯m worried about how expensive this place will be, but I hold it in now that I know Opalina insists on spoiling me during our trip. Some battles just aren¡¯t worth fighting.


    Opalina and I enter the cafe, and she¡¯s greeted as a regular by a cute Elven waitress wearing a pretty black dress and white apron. In no time at all, we¡¯re seated at a little table next to a stained glass window where the afternoon light casually pours in, making the seats warm and comforting. Tea is served, light chatter is had between the witch and the waitress until finally she bows and leaves us to our important discussion.


    After taking my first sip, I tell my older lover in no uncertain terms, ¡°I hope you know that flying has been forever ruined for me, now.¡±


    The old woman can barely hold back a teasing smile as she drops a sugar cube into her cup, stirring gently with her silvery spoon. ¡°A shame. You weren¡¯t half bad at it, for a beginner. Not that you could fly without someone to pump mana into the broom, but still.¡±


    ¡°Pity,¡± I roll my eyes. ¡°Are you going to tell me what in the hells was going on back there yet?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be much, much more specific, Dear.¡±


    ¡°You could start with whatever that last spell of yours did.¡±


    Opalina brings the cup to her lip, pauses, and basks in its sweet, fragrant smell. She takes a small sip and responds, ¡°I infected him with a disease of my own making.¡± The witch says casually.


    ¡°Do this sort of thing often, do you?¡±


    ¡°Not so much these days,¡± She laughs, but her eyes lose their warmth. ¡°My intent was to drastically cripple the Sage for several months, giving you ample time to capture him, but we were so far away by the time the spell hit that I¡¯m afraid it lost a deal of power. Not only that but, whatever¡¯s going on in that man¡¯s body is beyond my current comprehension. The Sage clearly has a unique immune system thanks to his constant drug use, which makes me worried that my spell won¡¯t be as effective.¡±


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t the only unique thing about him. I¡¯ve never heard of a Mage who fights quite like that... I wonder if the Association even has that style formally classed or not, or if it¡¯s something he made up himself?¡±


    ¡°I believe the term they go by is ¡®Multicaster¡¯. These sorts of Mages don¡¯t rely on big, flashy spells, but rather they cast so many non-verbal spells with their hands that their lack of firepower is more than made up for with their sheer quantity and speed. Of course, this style of magical combat has a very obvious drawback...¡±


    ¡°It has to drain his mana absurdly fast, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, precisely.¡± She giggles and tips her teacup at me. ¡°Multicasters tend to have large mana pools in general, yet... the rate at which he cast spells was almost unbelievable. That trick with the extra arms? Ingenious, in a way.¡±


    ¡°And he was constantly summoning mana crystals to top off his reserves...¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how his mana circuits haven¡¯t been fried thousands of times over,¡± Opalina shakes her head, sighing from disbelief. ¡°Mana crystals are diluted into potions for a damn good reason.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of mana circuits, Zutiria wants to talk to you about hers. She thinks you aren¡¯t telling the truth when you said you can¡¯t help her.¡±


    The witch was in the process of moving her cup to her mouth once more, but she stops halfway to consider things. Eventually, she sets the glass cup back onto the plate and folds her arms. ¡°There are indeed several treatments- none of them are worth the risk. Her mana circuit atrophy will cure itself over many years as long as she¡¯s continually expending mana every day, opening the closed circuits bit by bit. Accelerating this process is possible, yes, but foolhardy.¡±


    ¡°Can you tell me why?¡±


    ¡°You have a choice between two options, Dear. I would either have to quite literally invade Zutiria¡¯s body and forcibly pump my own mana into her circuits, or she would have to continually force her body to produce extra mana on its own through repeated mana potions use well past the recommended daily dosage. In the former scenario, she could literally explode or end up brain-dead, and in the latter scenario, she¡¯d become a drug addict.¡±


    My chest becomes heavy as lead when I imagine both possibilities. Zutiria having access to all of her mana isn¡¯t worth that sort of risk.


    ¡°Is there really no other option?¡±


    ¡°Not with my resources,¡± She sighs once more while looking away. ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with her when we¡¯re home before she goes and gets any more silly ideas in that head of hers.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I think that would be good for her. She¡¯s beating herself up over the battle with Pimpington, and-¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me everything that went down, Dear? There hasn¡¯t been time to go over the specifics.¡± She asks with a gentle smile.


    Accepting her inquiry, I run down the entirety of the Pimpfort¡¯s events one by one. Opalina listens calmly and quietly as I tell her about the rooms, the traps, my decisions, the battles, and ultimately the confrontation with Pimpington himself. Once I¡¯m finally done, she merely laughs a single time and says, ¡°I stand by what I said before. I¡¯m proud of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯m just worried about a lot of things...¡±


    ¡°Samantha?¡±


    ¡°Her, plus the increased aggression that the Duke of Dewhurst is going to have in response to my capturing of one of his most important pieces.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it won¡¯t be anything you can¡¯t handle. We¡¯re going to increase the Guild¡¯s defenses, and on top of Nikita, you¡¯ve got Snow and the kittens to protect the homefront. Peri and Cherry might not have combat experience, but as Beastfolk, they¡¯re still a good deal stronger than average humans. As far as Her Highness goes, we¡¯ve already discussed this. She needs to speak with someone in her family about the Royal Blood, someone who can actually help her.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know...¡± I hold my forehead in my hand and lean into it. ¡°Things will work out, and we won¡¯t squander the momentum we¡¯ve gained. We have to keep going on the assault.¡±


    ¡°All in due time, my sweet, precious little man.¡± She giggles warmly as she finishes her tea and hails the waitress to pour her more.


    Something comes to mind that I¡¯d forgotten. ¡°Oh, speaking of Sam, I forgot to have you magically appraise her new sword before we left...¡±


    Opalina looks to the side and makes a strange expression before sidestepping this topic. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no rush on that, Dear. But, more importantly, tell me what else has happened during my trip. I¡¯d love to be caught up to speed.¡±


    For the next few minutes, the conversation takes on a lighter tone as I catch Opalina up on everything else she¡¯s missed. I tell her about Zutiria¡¯s recent purchase of the Eronomicon, to which the witch is somewhat floored over. There¡¯s a nefarious interest in the subject obvious in her flickering purple eyes. I¡¯m very torn, and I feel that should Opalina ever get her hands on that book, then my days in this mortal Realm would be numbered. I can¡¯t decide whether the thought excites or terrifies me more.


    When I tell her about the hunchback Zutiria purchased it from, Opalina surprises me because she actually knows who I¡¯m talking about. The old witch says she¡¯s visited the castle of Igor¡¯s master back when he was alive to do business with him on a few occasions. Apparently, that Mage was just as much of an asshole as Igor has led us to believe. Opalina confirms what I already expected. She can¡¯t undo the curse, as that¡¯s just not the sort of magic she knows.


    While I¡¯ve read a few books on the matter, Opalina clarifies it once again for me. Casting curses is ¡®black¡¯ magic, and curing them is ¡®white¡¯ magic. The difference between the two is well-defined but straightforward. Black Mages like Zutiria and Opal use magic selfishly, for lack of a better word. They change reality and enforce their wills on a whim, whereas White Mages are motivated through helping others and use their magic to benefit those around them.


    This simple personality divide actually changes the nature of one¡¯s mana, making it hard for the different classes to learn the opposite styles of magic. I suppose this is also where the stereotype of Mages being unhelpful and self-absorbed comes from, as it¡¯s rooted in a degree of fact. Black Mages are notoriously difficult to motivate them to do anything apart from their own studies and interests, explaining why Zutiria never bothered learning any cleaning spells.


    Incidentally, this is also why Opalina developed her own unique style of entirely original healing magic. She changes reality by going inside her patient¡¯s body with her spells and mending the problems through adding hormones, magically stitching wounds, reshaping bones, and so on. It¡¯s fueled by her own scientific knowledge of anatomy. By comparison, White Mages heal by pointing a staff at their target and casting a simple healing spell, and that tends to be that.


    While not impossible to break curses, hexes, and jinxes as a Black Mage, it¡¯d be time-consuming and expensive. First, many tests would have to be done to figure out the nature of the curse, and then we¡¯d have to gather or buy all the alchemical ingredients for whatever potion is necessary. Even though Opalina is sympathetic and interested in helping Igor, she verifies that it¡¯d be easier to just wait and see if our upcoming healer is a White Mage or not. My wallet agrees.


    After we¡¯ve had our fill of talking about the kittens, Snow, and everything else Opalina has missed out on, the conversation briefly circles back to the battle we just went through. ¡°Even if you were holding back, you were much stronger than I could¡¯ve imagined, you know. It was scary, but I was impressed.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to ever have to see me like that, but ah, well...¡± The witch sigh and slumps backward in her seat, the light from the stained glass window pouring onto her face and illuminating her glasses. ¡°Using so much magic was risky of me, but it¡¯s not like I had any choice.¡±


    ¡°Why is it risky?¡±


    ¡°Mages have unique magical signatures to their magic. For instance, if Zutiria and I were to cast the same spell, it might look or ¡®feel¡¯ different.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Your aura when casting some of your spells was...¡±


    She frowns. ¡°You don¡¯t need to clarify. I understand. The point is, certain Mages are very skilled at searching for unique magical signatures. There are precautions one can take to keep scrying eyes off, but say if a witch were ambushed mid-flight, she wouldn¡¯t have time to take them.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t want to be found by one of these Mages.¡±


    ¡°Technically, I¡¯m not saying anything. Any implications you draw are your own.¡±


    ¡°The implication is that you¡¯re some sort of criminal who people are looking for,¡± I say, leaning over the table with curiosity. Staring at my lover¡¯s face reveals an aloof expression that only vaguely considers my words. ¡°Opalina... who really are you?¡±


    The witch tilts her head, looking up and away. It takes her a moment to get there, but she returns my question with an evasive smile and tells me, ¡°Ask me again sometime later, and I might tell you a bit about me that very few people know about. For now, just remember that I¡¯m someone who loves you very much.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Behold, Castle Mourneheart

    We paid for our tea and got out of there, ready for the following item on our agenda. Opalina went and pushed me a bit more on the subject, so I agreed to go make a bank account once she told me it was only a few blocks from the cafe. Walking down a city street without being glared at by villainous thugs is very odd, but I could see myself getting used to it. If only.


    On our way to the bank, we pass by a thriving market for adventurers. Dwarven smiths are loudly drawing attention to weapons and armor sets made from only the finest Bragos steel. General stores sell fresh foodstuffs, survival gear, and health potions, while Association-certified stores display all the latest adventuring goods at exorbitant prices.


    Dawnstead has the largest Guild in Arrark these days, so I¡¯m not surprised to see such a market here. I remember there being a very similar one in the Dewhurst bazaar when I was little. It¡¯s hard not to pass by the many bustling stalls without thinking ¡®Sam would love that¡¯ or ¡®Meri would get a lot of use out of this¡¯.


    At the center of the adventurer¡¯s market is a giant, shining statue of a fully armored female paladin standing tall and proud. Her long, extravagant hair trails off into luxurious curls flowing down along her stone cape as she tilts her head upward. One hand is raised to the sky, and sitting atop it is a dove. In her opposite hand is a beautifully detailed sword that must have looked astonishing in real life if this recreation is anything to go off of. I stop to admire the work for a moment and ask Opalina, ¡°That would be... Arrarkia Lightbringer, yes?¡±


    ¡°Oh, you know of her? I suppose I shouldn¡¯t be too surprised given how much you read, but most people only know her name from the river this city is built on.¡±


    ¡°A bit, I don¡¯t know much. Books on the Age of Heroes don¡¯t often find their way to Dewhurst. I just vaguely remembered the founder of Arrark was a female paladin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. You¡¯ll learn more about Arrarkia very soon, I¡¯m sure...¡± She giggles in a way that suggests she knows more than she¡¯s letting on. Then, she turns away from the statue and gives me her arm. ¡°Come on, now. We mustn¡¯t dawdle, Dear.¡±


    Opalina sweeps me out of the adventurer¡¯s market and into a large, overly splendiferous building at the end of the street. The words ¡®Glorigold Financial Union¡¯ are printed on a golden sign sitting atop its door. It¡¯s hard to put into words just how much I hate this building. From the pretentious amount of decadent floral patterns on the outside walls to the abundance of majestic silk banners bearing the stylized salt crystals of House Glorigold, everything about this place seems custom-built to offend my sensibilities. I find the Pimpfort was much less egregious, in all honesty.


    When we go inside, it¡¯s not much better. Priceless Borgeuaxian vases, magical salt lamps in place of torches, ridiculous paintings of exaggerated noblemen, a sparkling fountain... this bank feels hostile to anyone like me who lives in relative squalor. I suppose this is fitting since the bank is owned and operated by the ruling nobility of the Lillance Province, but that doesn¡¯t make it any less embarrassing.


    ¡°Opalina, I thought you were taking me to set up a bank account. Are you sure you didn¡¯t escort me to the castle by mistake?¡± I ask with unimpressed sarcasm.


    ¡°House Glorigold is not known for their subtlety, Dear. Especially not in their banks.¡± Opalina waggles her finger before pulling me away to the counter. Fortunately, the process of opening an account is swift, and we don¡¯t have to suffer the atmosphere of this obscene excessiveness for long. It can¡¯t be more than fifteen minutes before my magical wallet is linked to its own vault, and we¡¯re out the door soon after.


    With that out of the way, Opalina hails yet another carriage, and together, we take off for the dread fortress in the city center- Castle Mourneheart. Questions start to rear their head the closer we get. ¡°Is there anything I need to know? Do I need to change outfits immediately upon arrival? You know I¡¯ve never met a nobleman, so I¡¯m a little nervous...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be,¡± The confident witch rolls her eyes. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t expect too much from our host. Just do your thing, and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°And what exactly is my thing?¡±


    ¡°Overconfidence and projecting an air about you that suggests this one is out to take all he can get.¡±


    ¡°Is that really how others see me...?¡±


    With a wry smile, she asks, ¡°Do you find it inaccurate?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I should find it worrying that I don¡¯t...¡±


    ¡°Cheer up, Dear. We¡¯re almost there.¡± Opalina points out towards the imposing castle on the horizon. ¡°What do you think? Looks even more impressive from below, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it seems a lot more... intimidating.¡± I gaze at the brooding castle and think to myself how much more I enjoy the aesthetic than the rest of Dawnstead. Sure, it¡¯s dark and depressing, but that has a charm of its own. I¡¯d much rather keep most of my stay focused within Castle Mourneheart¡¯s dreary walls than I would frolic out in the city¡¯s bright marble streets.


    ¡°I¡¯ve always loved this place,¡± Opalina wistfully sighs. ¡°Aesthetically, at least. I could go without some of the people who dwell inside it. This view is certainly one of the reasons I keep coming back here.¡±


    ¡°What are some of the other reasons?¡±


    The witch shakes her head and waves the question away with her hand. ¡°If all goes well, you¡¯ll meet the biggest one.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m starting to get awful tired of this constant crypticness of yours.¡±


    ¡°Tough. You¡¯re stuck with me for two whole days, you know.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± I jokingly let my head fall back against the carriage¡¯s headrest. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to manage.¡±


    ¡°You will,¡± Opalina leans in and gives me an affectionate peck on the cheek. Shortly after, the coachman shuts the opened window between him and us. We share a long, embarrassed laugh when we realize we¡¯re coming off as an overly annoying couple.


    The carriage ferries us through the crowded streets of Dawnstead, passing by the prominent Adventurer¡¯s Guild, a fancy-looking district littered with Mage towers, and several garrisons manned by the city guard who protects the city while wearing jet black armor and carrying sharp pikes.


    In just under a half-hour, we reach the large, foreboding spiked gates that lead to Castle Mourneheart. The entrance is part of a walled perimeter around the entire castle and its courtyards. On each side of the gate lies a drum-shaped gatehouse with menacing archers looking down on the entrance.


    Opalina once again pays the coachman, who quickly drives off, eager to part with the pair of annoying lovebirds nested in the back of his carriage. The witch then walks up to the place like she owns it, and we¡¯re met with several knights wearing much fancier armor than any of the city guards. These knights all salute my lover and greet her as one might a treasured guest. I¡¯m also given a relatively warm welcome from the shady soldiers, proving that you can¡¯t judge based on appearances alone.


    The outer gates are raised, and both of us are taken across the grim courtyard. Dead trees with numerous ravens resting on their barren branches litter the landscape. Wherever there isn¡¯t a brick path rests sparse patches of sickly blue-gray grass. Despite the bleak environment, several determined knights go about their training on the grounds, practicing with their swords, spears, and even their Arts.


    The inner gates are opened for us, and we¡¯re ushered into the expansive entrance hall. Its dark, stony walls are lined with robust columns and torches with blue fire, and its floors are lined with bloodred carpets that branch off into the different paths one can take out of this room. Even though there are thick, stained mosaic windows, very little light passes through them. Instead, overhead hangs a skeletal-themed chandelier flickering with the same blue flames, bringing a cold glow to the dreary castle chamber.


    The main focal point of the room is an impressive stairway with obsidian railings. Every foot or so down the barriers is a black, dusty human skull possessing a haunting expression. I want to say these are mere decorations, but given everything else I¡¯ve seen here, I just don¡¯t know anymore.


    The stairs take one to the second floor, deeper into the castle¡¯s mysterious heart. Waiting for us at the base of the stairs while giving several castle maids orders is a bright young man with medium-length gray hair dressed in exquisite butler-styled fashion. As soon as the man notices Opalina and me, his silver eyes flicker, and he dismisses the relieved maids, walking toward us with his arms held wide open as one might greet an old friend.


    ¡°Miss Opalina! You¡¯re much later than I was expecting. I hope the flight wasn¡¯t more trouble than you planned?¡± The man smiles a very hollow, insincere smile as he bows and lowers his head.


    ¡°Bertrand,¡± Opalina replies courteously but with apparent disinterest. ¡°The trip was less than desirable. After landing, we felt like taking a short rest and running an errand to give us enough time to regain composure. I¡¯m sure Osbourne doesn¡¯t mind?¡±


    ¡°No, no. My lord Duke is exactly where you left him.¡±


    ¡°Shocking.¡± The witch sighs as she rolls her eyes. ¡°Dear, this is-¡± Opalina begins to introduce us, but the young man cuts in and takes a friendly step toward me, offering his gloved hand to shake.


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Sir. My name is Bertrand Brimley, son of Baron Willoughby Brimley the 2nd, and heir apparent to House Brimley. I am blessed enough by the Goddesses to serve as Chamberlain to His Grace, Duke Osbourne Gloomcrest. Thus, it is my duty to see to any and all guests and ensure they¡¯re happy as can be,¡± He smiles, and under his breath, mutters, ¡°Whether they deserve it or not...¡± in such a hushed tone that I almost don¡¯t catch it.


    Well then. The first nobleman I¡¯ve encountered on this trip has already proven himself quite a character. On the surface, Bertrand seems to be a very upbeat and friendly person. However, to someone who can read body language and facial cues as much as I can... there¡¯s... a lot of red flags here.


    Bertrand¡¯s smile is so forced that it looks to cause him physical pain. Tiny beads of sweat appear on his temples every second he stands before me. His eyelids occasionally twitch while grinning, and he takes tiny deep breaths out of stress through his nose so quietly that most people will never notice.


    Every single thing about this man is exaggerated and fake, aside from his under-the-cuff remark.


    Regardless, I take him by the hand and shake. ¡°An honor to meet you, my Lord. I am the Guild Master of the Dewhurst¡¯s Adventurer¡¯s Guild, but you may call me-¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite alright, Guild Master.¡± He pulls away, removes his glove, and replaces it with a spare from his pocket. Bertrand then looks at the glove that was sullied from my hand like he¡¯s unsure what to do with it before shoving it into his vest unceremoniously. ¡°Bertrand will suffice. Apologies to both of you, our humble Lord Steward wished to be here to greet you, but he¡¯s dealing with other matters at the moment.¡± He bows apologetically while whispering, ¡°Just my luck...¡±


    I shoot Opalina a concerned look and tilt my head at the Chamberlain. She nods, which I take to mean Bertrand is always like this. He seems harmless enough, so I¡¯m just going to ignore his... eccentricities unless I have a reason not to.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need an entire procession to show up every time I visit. We¡¯ve been over this,¡± The Doctor sighs before folding her arms. ¡°Why don¡¯t you escort us to my chambers, though? You can teach my darling here all about the castle on the way. I¡¯m sure you have so many questions, don¡¯t you, Dear?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I-¡± I look toward Opalina, trying to subtly cue her in that I don¡¯t want to be near this man any longer than I have to be, but before that can happen, the Chamberlain smiles and bows. Is he getting paid for every time he bows? It¡¯s becoming gratuitous.


    ¡°An excellent suggestion! I¡¯ll accompany you and be your guide through Castle Mourneheart. Please, follow after me...¡± Bertrand says before adding, ¡°The stairs are steep. Watch your step. Or, don¡¯t...¡±


    Unimpressed, I follow the nobleman as he takes us up the staircase and past a red set of doors carved with artistic depictions of Tenebris Primis and her demons. Before joining us in the hallway, Bertrand takes the glove he used to shake my hand and tosses it into the nearest torch. Once he notices that I watched him do it, he freezes in place. I close my eyes and turn away from him, pretending I didn¡¯t see his absurdly rude gesture.


    PunishedKom


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 The Secret of the Castle’s Top Floor

    Through winding hallways filled with dusty suits of ancient armor to maze-like corridors accented by hanging cobweb-covered portraits of Gloomcrests who came before, Bertrand escorts us through the depths of Castle Mourneheart.


    His shameful attitude is still on display as he teaches me where each branching path led, but for the most part, I¡¯ve gotten used to tuning his under the breath comments out. Despite all of Bertrand¡¯s passive-aggressive negativity, he does his job well. I feel like I have a good understanding of the castle and its many features after listening to his detailed explanations.


    This tour, while fascinating, is starting to wear me out. The castle is vast, and apparently, Opalina¡¯s guest room is located on the top floor. Thankfully, we ascend the final set of stairs just as it starts to wear on me.


    ¡°And here we are,¡± Bertrand exclaims with exaggerated chipperness. He points down the large hall into a wide chamber. There are two grand, exotic red doorways on one wall and a third on the opposite one. The second of the connected doors has what looks to be a sizable doggy door, yet I don¡¯t see a trace of any sort of animal fur at all. Strange.


    The remaining wall leads to more corridors, and a staircase that I presume goes to the castle roof. ¡°If you look to the left, you¡¯ll see the combined chambers of His Grace and the lovely Lady Abigail. On your right is what once upon a time used to be the guest suite but now serves as Miss Opalina¡¯s permanent home away from home.¡±


    ¡°One of them, anyway.¡± Opalina holds her hand to her lips as she stifles a laugh.


    Without thinking, I ask, ¡°Did I mishear you, or did you just say that the Duke¡¯s room is connected to his daughter¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°Yes, His Grace is quite protective of the young Lady, and for a good reason. Lady Abigail is a very delicate, worrisome girl...¡± Bertrand¡¯s expression softens, for once making his slimy smile appear genuine.


    We walk towards Opal¡¯s suite, but the Chamberlain stops us briefly to point out a suit of armor on the wall. ¡°On our way here, you no doubt saw the many decorative armor stands on display. Well, if you find yourself lost in the castle, then merely search for armors like this one which has a helmet in the shape of a raven¡¯s beak.¡±


    I wondered how this would help me navigate better, but Bertrand demonstrates by taking the armor¡¯s right gauntlet and twisting it clockwise. The stony bricks behind the display recede into the wall, opening up a secret sliding door. ¡°Doing this will open up a series of secret tunnels. From there, just keep heading higher and higher, and you¡¯ll reach the top floor in no time. The space inside these tunnels is enchanted, meaning if we used it, then it would have only taken us five minutes or so to get here...¡± He sighs and whispers, ¡°Thanks a lot, asshole, not like I needed all that extra cardio today...¡±


    I have half a mind to tell Bertrand I¡¯m just as pissed as he is that Opalina suggested we all take a walk through the castle, but I hold it in and rub my temples. Opalina smirks at my misfortune like a minx. ¡°Fascinating. Have these always been a part of the castle?¡± I ask mainly to distract myself.


    ¡°No. A former Duke was very paranoid about being assassinated, so he had many different escape methods installed throughout the castle. Ah. That reminds me, I should warn you...¡± Bertrand¡¯s face goes cold as all warmth leaves him. He looks me over top to bottom and asks like he doesn¡¯t believe it to be true, ¡°You... are Miss Opalina¡¯s lover, correct...?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I squint threateningly at the man while adjusting my glasses.


    He cowers at the thought of confrontation and holds up his palms. ¡°Forgive me, I meant nothing by it! I only wished to confirm it for myself. No doubt she knows where I¡¯m going with this, but... the walls, you see... they¡¯re...¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to tell him? No fun.¡± Opalina laughs and shifts her hips to the side while shaking her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite sorry, but for my Lord Duke¡¯s sake, I must inform his guest that the walls on this floor are very thin. This is just another quirk of the castle left by a different, although still very paranoid, Duke. He was afraid he wouldn¡¯t hear his assassins coming for him, so he had his Court Mage enchant the stone walls so that sound travels much farther here. Awful ironic since in the end his Court Mage was the one to assassinate him, but the magically thin walls remain.¡± He bows to apologize before smirking and whispering, ¡°Good luck trying to get laid now, you squinty-eyed jackass...¡±


    Immediately I turn my attention to the old witch, who¡¯s smirking and avoiding eye contact. ¡°You knew about this?¡±


    ¡°Now, now, Dear. We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Opalina points her finger at the door to her suite and opens it with magic. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯re going to go make ourselves comfortable. Bertrand, make yourself useful and brew me some expensive tea from Osbourne¡¯s collection. I don¡¯t care what kind, as long as it¡¯s obscenely rare. Bring it up with that nice little kettle of his I like, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss. Right away,¡± Bertrand bows and begins walking away.


    ¡°Oh, Bertrand?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± He cocks his head over his shoulder.


    ¡°Go fuck yourself.¡±


    ¡°Very good, Miss, right away.¡± Bertrand sighs dejectedly but, for whatever reason, doesn¡¯t make a snippy retort as he vanishes into the secret passageway which closes behind him.


    Satisfied, Opalina turns to enter our room, and I follow after her, asking, ¡°Theoretically speaking... if I were to lose my patience with Bertrand and end up punching him square in the teeth-¡±


    ¡°You would hardly be the first,¡± She looks over her shoulder, grinning. ¡°You¡¯re the Duke¡¯s honored guest, Dear. You could get away with a lot worse than slapping around his glorified butler.¡±


    ¡°Really? Good to know.¡± We share a smirk as I close the door behind us.


    The room goes dark as the void between Realms until my lover snaps her fingers, triggering several sconces that spark to life, lighting the dreary guest room with a blue flame. The chamber is spacious, though most of it is cluttered. Bookshelves sit upon the walls, full of ancient tomes and scattered notes written in Opalina¡¯s handwriting. In the corner of the room is a makeshift study. A comfortable black leather chair is placed in front of a weathered, ink-stained desk upon which numerous open books lay waiting to reveal their secrets. Magical knick-knacks are strewn about the room as well, such as skulls of unknown creatures or glowing crystals, giving the place a distinctly Mage-like feel. If not for the extravagant bed with expertly crafted red blankets and pillows, I would have guessed this was a spare laboratory. Two doors on opposite sides of the chamber lead to a storage room filled with even more magical whatsits and a vast bathroom with gargoyles guarding each of the massive tub¡¯s four corners.


    ¡°You must come here often,¡± I remark while taking it all in.


    Opalina plops herself down on the bed and sighs. ¡°Thanks to the warp stone network, I can pop on over at any time of day. My arrival usually isn¡¯t treated as much of a big deal, but since this is your first time here, I suppose it warranted special treatment.¡±


    ¡°I think I could have gone without that special treatment, honestly.¡± I groan and sit down on the bed¡¯s edge, happy to get off my feet, too.


    ¡°Speaking of special treatment...¡± Opalina muses as she lifts her foot and prods me with the tip of her heel.


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s not my fault you trekked through a stone castle in heels.¡±


    ¡°Getting spoiled is a two-way street, my love. Give and take.¡± The smug witch gives me a coquettish grin as she continues poking at me with her shoe. Finally, with no other option, I turn and strip Opalina of her heels. A pleasured groan flutters out of her lips when I begin to give her a foot massage through her stockings.


    ¡°Oh, Gods...¡± She whimpers, her eyes closing from comfortable bliss as my thumbs dig into her aching foot.


    ¡°Careful, don¡¯t be too loud. I don¡¯t want anyone getting the wrong idea...¡±


    The mature woman struggles to contain her deep amusement. ¡°Still worried about the thin walls?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat. I was told we¡¯d have a nice vacation with just the two of us, so forgive me for thinking that implied there¡¯d be a deal of intimacy.¡±


    ¡°And who said there wouldn¡¯t be? Those girls have of have gotten you all to themselves for a while now. We have a lot of catching up to do, as far as being intimate is concerned...¡± Her warm, purple eyes flare with a hint of mischief, sending a nervous chill down my spine.


    ¡°Neither of us is quiet in bed, Opalina. So forgive me if the idea of making love a room away from the Duke of Arrark and his Lady daughter scares me more than it excites me.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it does, in fact, excite you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very beside the point,¡± I sigh and grind my thumbs even deeper into her weary flesh, hoping to distract her.


    ¡°AH! YES! HARDER, DEAR!¡± Opalina moans with as much exaggerated sultriness as she can muster, causing my heart to skip a beat and my hands drop her foot. Then, after seeing my red cheeks and my panicked sweat, she bursts out into uproarious laughter unbefitting of her age. ¡°Oh, my... this is going to be so, soooo much fun...¡±


    ¡°You were planning on teasing me with this all along, weren¡¯t you?¡±


    The witch says nothing. She only smiles and raises her opposite foot for me to rub. I resign to my fate and start massaging, fighting back an erection as Opalina continues her lewd, purposeful moans.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Duke in love with you?¡± I ask as my nervousness increases.


    ¡°Yes, Dear. One of the reasons I brought you here was to firmly get it through his skull that I¡¯m spoken for and that no other man will satisfy me. Even after I told him about you, he was obstinate and refused to listen.¡±


    Really? I almost can¡¯t even believe what I¡¯m hearing, and my heart races. ¡°Opalina, I love you with all my heart, and I always have. You were my first crush, my first wet dream, my first fantasy, but... this is just... you told me I was going to make money here. I have to discuss business with this man. Do you really think screwing the woman he loves right under his nose will make Duke Gloomcrest eager to give me shovels upon shovels of gold?¡±


    She remains coy with her answer, saying, ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t a good idea, let¡¯s not pretend you won¡¯t do it anyway.¡±


    ¡°What makes you figure that?¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re you,¡± She grins.


    ¡°I hate how right you are...¡± I sigh and drop her foot so I can lay horizontally across the foot of the bed. Opalina must sense my anxiety becoming worse than she thought it would because she sits up and begins stroking my hair with love and affection.


    ¡°Just trust me, my sweet, sweet little man... calm yourself. I¡¯ve known Osbourne for a very long time now. He¡¯s a kind man, but a very, very weak one. I know for sure this will not only get him off my back for good but will make him respect you.¡±


    ¡°Opalina, this isn¡¯t one of my bargain bin erotic tomes. I can¡¯t imagine that cucking the Duke of this entire Province is going to make him respect me.¡±


    Her voice takes on a venomous tone. ¡°You aren¡¯t cucking him. I was never his, and I never will be. No, you¡¯ll be showing him what a real man is like... which frankly is something he desperately needs, right about now...¡± She sighs, and I catch a disappointed tone ringing throughout it. For whatever reason, Opalina is convinced that I need to do this.


    ¡°And what about his daughter?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about her, Dear...¡± The witch tilts her head away towards the door, elusively. ¡°Worry about fucking me so hard tonight that the entire castle can hear it, not just everyone on this floor.¡±


    My eyes open wide, and my face becomes even redder. Once Opalina looks back at me, she smirks and places a finger to her lips. With great amusement, she notices where all the rest of the blood in my body went. ¡°Oh, dearie me. Did the thought of showing an entire castle what a big, strong, masculine man you are give you that naughty bulge?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s... not why...¡±


    Her smile grows impish, and she reaches behind my back to pull me up so I can recline against her impressive chest. ¡°No? Hmm... and here I thought for sure that the mental image of pounding me until I¡¯m nothing more than a sweaty, quivering mess while all of Dawnstead hears me scream how much I love you and only you was what gave you that swollen stiffness threatening to burst the fabric your pants...¡±


    Opalina¡¯s hand cups my chin before snaking its way down the length of my torso. She rests a single pointer finger on the tent in my pants. ¡°Relax, sweetheart. I¡¯ll help you get more comfortable with the idea... we¡¯ll start out nice and quiet, alright?¡±


    ¡°Opal, I don¡¯t think I can...¡± I put up a few token words of resistance, only for the witch to flick her finger, magically undoing my belt and pulling off my pants with her wordless sorcery.


    She grabs my erect cock with her silky, gloved hand, and soon my ability to defy her capricious whims melts into nothing.


    PunishedKom


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 Loud and Proud

    Once she knows I¡¯m not going to struggle much, Opalina whispers, ¡°Good boy,¡± into my ear from behind. Her hand slowly runs up and down the length of my manhood, stirring and playing with me just enough to make my need grow. She¡¯s really set on doing this, even though we¡¯re awaiting a particular Chamberlain to return with the requested tea.


    Her touch is delicate, and the way her fingers slide across my shaft serves only to tease. The mature witch presses her large breasts against me from behind, smiling like an imp while squeezing me hard by the root.


    ¡°You¡¯ll calm down a bit if we jerk a load out of this naughty thing of yours, won¡¯t you, Dear?¡± She tilts her head, teasing my sensitive rod harder with her slender fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it wouldn¡¯t hurt...¡±


    Opalina notices a chance to put me on edge, so she takes it. Her hand grips my shaft even tighter, making me rear my head back and wince. ¡°I could MAKE it hurt if that¡¯s what you want?¡±


    ¡°No! Agh-¡± I clench down on my teeth, rearing from the pleasure bordering on pain. Thankfully, my cock is so wide that she can¡¯t actually dig in enough to hurt all that bad.


    She giggles and loosens her grasp, kissing me on the cheek with her puffy lips to make up for little games. ¡°There there, Sweetheart. You know I wouldn¡¯t hurt you...¡± To emphasize her point, Opalina soothes my cock by finally taking firm hold of the thick, veiny shaft and stroking it up from the bottom up to my gland. ¡°Goodness... look at you. You¡¯re so thick and hard even after all that fucking around you did this morning. I guess that infinite stamina you asked for is paying off?¡± Again, she giggles, speeding up her strokes as her opposite hand reaches around my torso to clasp my left pectoral muscle.


    ¡°Ngh, fuck, Opal... it¡¯s not like I could keep it down when you¡¯re doing everything you can to... to... AH-¡± Without letting me finish my sentence, she starts jerking even harder than before.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, Dear? I can¡¯t hear you over the sounds of you being such a naughty little man.¡± The witch teases while jacking my erect cock off so hard that her hand makes a slapping sound every time it hits the bottom of my pelvis.


    ¡°I... I said that you¡¯re so... damn beautiful that I can¡¯t stop myself from getting hard!¡±


    Opalina stops completely, taking her silky hand away and resting it on my thigh. ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s my fault? That sounds an awful lot like deflecting, darling. Tell the truth.¡±


    My hips jolt forward from the sudden lack of pleasure as if thrusting the air would grant me satisfaction. It doesn¡¯t. ¡°Fine, fine! It¡¯s my fault I¡¯m this damn hard. I¡¯m a fucking pervert!¡±


    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a start...¡± Opalina is only somewhat satisfied by my answer, so she leaves me only somewhat satisfied in return. She resumes her stroking, but it¡¯s slow and nowhere near enough. All it does is make me impatient and desperate for more. The skillful tease lets me wallow in this state.


    ¡°Are you having fun, my little pervert?¡± She asks in a quiet, seductive drawl. My attention is taken away from her voice by the sudden sliding of her sensual, gloved fingertips down my meaty cock¡¯s underside.


    ¡°Yes, and no...¡±


    The witch giggles, giving me a single stroke with all her power before switching back to the torturous, exasperating rhythm. ¡°Really? Hm. You know, Dear... If you tell me what you want me to do to you, you might get lucky.¡±


    For just a moment, I¡¯m taken out of the role-play experience. I look over my shoulder with disbelief, asking, ¡°Really? You¡¯re really going to do this...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything, sweetheart!¡± Sadism colors her innocent grin. At a glance, Opalina¡¯s delicate smile makes her look like a loving and nurturing older woman, but the longer I look, the more the grin belies her addictive, poisonous nature.


    ¡°Opal-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d best play along if you want me to finish you off...¡± The woman gives me a strict warning by reaching down with both hands and squeezing both the base of my cock and my swollen balls together. My urge to cum worsens, only for her pressure to push me further away from the desired climax.


    ¡°Fuck... fucking damn it...!!¡± I clench my teeth and shut my eyes, resolving to give in to the needs of my body by giving the cruel witch what she wants. ¡°I want you to make me cum!¡±


    Her hands stop squeezing, and instead, they both grab onto the long, needy shaft itself. She gives me a satisfying tug, and for a moment, I feel sweet relief run through the entirety of my cock, but it fades as Opalina¡¯s grip loosens. ¡°Louder.¡±


    ¡°Opal, please don¡¯t make me-¡±


    ¡°No one¡¯s making you do anything. If you want to cum, say it louder.¡±


    After taking a deep breath to draw out my courage, I tell the tease with more volume, ¡°I... want you... to make me cum!¡±


    ¡°Do you? By the sound of things, it certainly doesn¡¯t seem that way.¡± She tilts her head, her voice sounding distant and bored.


    Fucking hell. If I do what she wants me to do, then I¡¯ll be heard by Duke Gloomcrest and his daughter, of all people. But Opalina¡¯s put me in such a tight spot that I don¡¯t have any other choice than to do exactly what she wants, at least while she has me by the balls.


    I give in to my pleasures, just as I always do. ¡°I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME CUM, PLEASE!¡± I scream from the bottom of my heart, earning me a mocking laugh from the witch.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± Opalina rewards me with her lurid voice taking on a satisfied tone, and more importantly, by grabbing my erect cock nice and tight in her devilish grasp. ¡°Tell the castle that you¡¯re cumming, my love!¡± She commands, pumping me up and down so fast that her racing hands become a blur.


    ¡°I¡¯M CUMMING,¡± My balls boil over with shameful, explosive lust, and the power of my oncoming orgasm forces my eyes to roll back into my skull. ¡°I¡¯M CUMMING, OPAL!¡± My cock erupts a powerful jetstream of white-hot seed. It spurts forth past the foot of the bed and lands all over the stony castle floor as wave after wave of long overdue satisfaction washes over me.


    Even as the puddle of cum grows into a more enormous and more unmanageable mess, Opalina doesn¡¯t stop the rigorous stroking of her dominant handjob. ¡°Let¡¯s see just how infinite this magical stamina of yours is, Dear...¡± She coos dreamily into my ear. The witch gives me no chance to voice any protests, instead just milking away at my spasming erection in all its glory. She works her hands, twisting, pulling, squeezing, and wringing every drop of semen out that she can.


    ¡°How interesting...!¡± Her eyes become devious as she tests the limits of just how much I can cum. It¡¯s those same eyes that I fear so much- the eyes of a Mage amid furious research. Eyes that ignore everything other than the reckless pursuit of gathering data. I¡¯ve seen it before with Zutiria, I¡¯ve seen it with Opalina, and no doubt I¡¯ll see it again with any other scholar of the arcane who enters my life...


    For several torturous minutes, I scream, moan, groan, and yell obscenities until my current load finally dries up. Then, finally, the old witch is surely satisfied because I would be here at the mercy of her curiosity for a lot longer if she wasn¡¯t.


    My mature lover releases her precious hold on my cock, making me let out a sigh of relief as I fall back against her body. Then, with a suggestive laugh, Opalina raises her gloved hands and shows off their sorry state. Thick, white strands between her silky fingers connect like a network of spider webs, with powerful globs falling off left and right while the rest starts staining her gloves. ¡°You¡¯ve ruined my gloves, you naughty boy, you. Look at how much cum you stained them with.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to throw them into a fire, too?¡±


    This gets a good giggle from the Doctor as she takes them off. ¡°Funny, but no. I think I¡¯ll have them washed like a normal person.¡±


    The post-orgasmic bliss starts wearing off. Suddenly, my mind is clouded by the shame of what all just happened. ¡°I can¡¯t believe we just fucking did that...¡± I sit up and hold my sweaty forehead in my hands. Opalina pats me on the back.


    Opalina repeats her teasing propaganda once again. ¡°We? My love, all I did was tell you what to do. You can¡¯t fault me for your own perversion and lack of self-control, can you?¡±


    As I stand up to buckle my belt and fix my pants, I tell the woman, ¡°I certainly can, and I will. I refuse to admit responsibility for falling into your clutches, considering just how enticing those clutches can be. Thus, still your fault.¡±


    Opalina smiles, taking her glasses off to wipe the steamy fog from them. ¡°Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart.¡±


    There¡¯s a knock at the door. My shame explodes, spiraling into even deeper depths of anxiety than I thought was possible. I know, I know. I¡¯m supposed to be living life without fear of consequences and following Sam¡¯s ¡®do what you want¡¯ advice, and while that¡¯s all well and good, so is not pissing off the Duke of the province I live in.


    The knock intensifies before Bertrand¡¯s voice calls out, ¡°If our beloved guest is finished ejaculating for five fucking minutes straight, then I must inform his lady of two things. First is that the esteemed Court Mage requests her presence. The second is that her tea is waiting for her in his laboratory. I apologize. Xothan prepared an ambush and forced me to relinquish your tea to ensure you would see him as soon as possible.¡± He¡¯s not even trying to hide how annoyed he is.


    Opalina gets up off the bed while groaning deeply. All life leaves her loving eyes in a way that almost makes her look her actual age, whatever that indeterminate age may be. ¡°Gods, I don¡¯t fucking need this right now...¡± She utters, taking off her glasses and rubbing her eyelids.


    PunishedKom


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 Inside Voices

    Opalina shrugs off her disappointment and magically cleans up her hands with her wand. Then, she aims the magical tool at herself, shooting off small blasts of flower-scented perfume on both hands and under her bare armpits for good measure. My gaze lingers at the little sweat she¡¯s worked up under her arms, which is odd considering I¡¯m generally not into that...


    ¡°My, my. Where exactly do you think you¡¯re staring, Dear? How did I go wrong for you to end up as such a pitiful pervert?¡± She giggles once she notices me eying up her armpits.


    ¡°It¡¯s the sweat that¡¯s erotic, not the location.¡± I cross my arms and look away, drawing more amused laughter from my mature lover.


    Without asking for my consent, the old witch steps over to me and improves my scent with the same spell she used this morning. It¡¯s not like I sweated too much from just a single handjob, but walking around in Dawnstead¡¯s streets and then the castle has taken its toll. She then pulls a handkerchief out from that magic bra of hers for me to wipe the sweat from my brow.


    Now that we¡¯re fully presentable, Opalina slides on her heels and opens up the door revealing Bertrand. He stands there filled with burning resentment and the all-encompassing desire to be anywhere else in the Realms besides here.


    His eyes are half-closed, his cheeks are red, and his lips downtrodden into a pervasive frown. He looks even sweatier than I was a moment ago, but thank the Gods, I don¡¯t see any signs that he was getting off on listening to us. Even if part of me enjoys the exhibitionist play but won¡¯t admit to it, I don¡¯t think I could live with myself if this asshole got any indirect pleasure from my lover like that. Maybe I¡¯ve just yet to fall off the deep end, though. Perhaps when my perversions continue to slide down the slope of depravity, I¡¯ll get off on ¡®showing off¡¯.


    ¡°Goddess below,¡± Bertrand spits with jealous venom, ¡°it hasn¡¯t even been fifteen minutes yet, and I already need to send a fucking maid in, don¡¯t I? Lucky piece of shit...¡± But then, he remembers he¡¯s got a thinly veiled charade to keep up. ¡°Er. I mean... if you wouldn¡¯t mind leaving the room while Miss Opalina chats with Sir Xothan, I¡¯ll send in someone to freshen up since I¡¯m assuming the lady has no intention of cleaning up that massive pile of... fluid congregating several feet away from the bed?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. My magic is wasted on such trivial things.¡± So says the witch who just used her wand as a deodorant. She¡¯s just like Zutiria and most other black magic types. She is hesitant to use her magic when it comes to mundane things that don¡¯t interest her, same as always.


    ¡°Perhaps you could try a mop?¡± I sarcastically suggest, which gets an uncharacteristically loud roar of laugher out of Opalina. As I thought, not going to happen.


    ¡°You know, you could clean it up too.¡± Bertrand retorts in a tired, bratty tone. He¡¯s far from amused, which is music to my ears.


    ¡°Dreadfully sorry, but I feel the castle¡¯s library calling my name.¡± I¡¯m not sorry. What kind of vacation would it be if I had to clean up my own semen off the floor? The Chamberlain sighs, no doubt figuring I would say something like that. Oh well.


    Opalina shuts the door on Bertrand after telling him, ¡°I¡¯ll be down in a few moments. Run along now and make yourself useful somewhere else if you¡¯re capable of that much initiative.¡±


    Bertrand raises his hand and begins to speak but gives up once the door is closed in his face.


    ¡°Harsh,¡± I click my tongue out of mock pity for the Chamberlain. ¡°Even for you.¡±


    ¡°Regrettably, he¡¯ll live.¡± She laughs. Opalina removes a small sack and a fancy purple coat from her Bra of Holding to replace the one she lost during our flight. She hands me the bag and dons the coat, which magically contorts to fit her gratuitous curves and ample bosom.


    ¡°That¡¯s a Bag of Holding, Dear. Use it and Take whatever you want from Osbourne¡¯s library. I assure you that nothing will be missed, considering its sorry state of use. As it is, it¡¯s mostly used by the young Lady of the Castle and no one else.¡± Once again, Opalina is talking like she were the person in charge around here. I¡¯m starting to feel like that may actually be more and more the case, considering the lived-in state of her room and how often she comes here.


    I remember Opalina taking a few long trips to Dawnstead during my childhood, especially during the plague some twenty years ago. Still, I never really figured she was doing anything but standard Doctor work. That Opalina was a close confidant of the province¡¯s Duke never crossed my mind. Now here she is telling me to just up and steal whatever I¡¯d like from Duke¡¯s personal library.


    Just to be sure, I ask her to clarify. Since I¡¯m already going to be making an ass out of myself with Opalina and mine¡¯s loud, sexual activities, I¡¯d prefer to avoid starting trouble elsewhere during my visit. ¡°Really? I can just up and take whatever I want?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure it would be appreciated if you kept it within reason.¡± She gives me a teasing wink, which I take to mean I don¡¯t actually need to follow her advice.


    ¡°Within reason, got it,¡± Depending on the library¡¯s quality, I¡¯m unsure if I can actually force myself not to take too much. Nonetheless, I gratefully accept the magical tool that was gifted to me.


    After opening it up and gazing into the pocket dimension within the small sack, the metaphysical logistics start confusing me the more I consider their implications. ¡°You had a Bag of Holding inside your Bra of Holding, though? How does that work?¡±


    She shrugs, and with a sigh, Opalina explains, ¡°Best not to think about the physical limitations of hammerspace, Dear, it¡¯ll keep you up at night. If there¡¯s one thing I learned in all my studies, it¡¯s that for as much as Mages like treating magic as a stuffy science with rules and laws, there are times where we have no choice but to shrug the impossible off by admitting that on occasion, magic just does because magic just does.¡±


    I ponder her words, but after finishing her spiel, Opalina grabs me by my collar and pulls me in for a playful kiss. At first, I¡¯m taken by surprise, but once the shock wears off, I kiss back even harder and even nibble her lip a bit to show the old gal that I don¡¯t intend to let her walk all over me during this vacation.


    The pleasantly satisfied witch pulls away and licks her lips, her cheeks gone red as a blushing schoolgirl. ¡°My, my. I knew you¡¯d loosen up if I helped you get off a little, but you¡¯re just full of surprises. Aren¡¯t you, my love...?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still not comfortable with what you want me to do, but I can¡¯t stop it from happening, either. Might as well embrace it.¡± I shrug my shoulders in defeat, much to Opalina¡¯s near-perverse delight.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± She says in that delicious, deep voice of hers. ¡°Do you remember where the library is, or do you need an escort?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Bertrand is insufferable, but-¡± Bertrand coughs like a jackass on the other side of the door, revealing himself to still be within earshot. ¡°Bertrand is incredibly insufferable-¡± I correct myself, ¡°but his skills at giving a tour are second to none. The library is two floors down, past the hallway of gargoyles weeping bloody tears, then you just take a right at the Room of Unthinkable Possibilities, yes?¡±


    Bertrand grumbles, which I take to be a yes, mixed with several expletives and a mocking impression of the often wordy and allegedly ¡®pretentious¡¯ way I talk. That just about does it, I think... I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ll do it yet, but I¡¯m going to fuck with that man to the best of my abilities. I could punch him in the face, sure, but the more time I spend around him, the less that feels like it would do the trick.


    Opalina sees the wheels of vengeance grinding in my mind and laughs softly to herself while strutting out of the room. She opens up the door and shakes her head while looking at me. ¡°Play nice with the other boys, sweetheart.¡± She teases.


    I follow her out of the room and see Bertrand has already left the hall. ¡°No promises.¡± Feeling rather aggressive, perhaps due to my riled-up nature as a red-blooded male still pissed off over Bertrand, I move in for another kiss. Opalina doesn¡¯t see it coming but kisses me back with full cooperation and then some.


    Unfortunately, as red-blooded males so often do, I failed to think of the consequences this kiss could have.


    At a volume much louder than her polite indoor voice, Opalina takes a dramatic step backward, gasps like a damsel in distress, then clutches her hand over her breast as she practically yells, ¡°Oh, my! I can¡¯t believe you kissed me so suddenly and violently! Truly, the man I¡¯ve given my heart, body, and soul to can never be satisfied! And to think, I only just jerked you-¡±


    I rush forward and cover her mouth with my hand, which in any other situation would feel kinky. Opalina giggles like mad beneath my impromptu gag. Meanwhile, I feel my face getting hotter by the second.


    ¡°Gods, you¡¯re behaving worse than Zutiria does whenever I take her out. Is wanting to publicly humiliate me just another thing with you Mages, like worshipping my balls or refusing to clean?¡± I sigh, removing the hand once she settles down.


    ¡°Sweetheart, I just can¡¯t help it,¡± She places a finger to her puffy lower lip, creating a look of faux innocence on her face as she sways her wide hips side to side and step by step toward the raven-helmeted suit of armor. ¡°I¡¯ve told you how this place puts me in a dreadful mood. So it¡¯s only natural that I want to push all your adorable little buttons to distract myself, Dear, especially when it makes this old lady feel so young...¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be back as soon as I¡¯m finished up, but don¡¯t be afraid to take some detours on your way back. You never know what you might find in a big old castle like this...¡± Opalina blows me a seductive kiss, then opens up the secret passageway. The witch leaves right then and there, taking my breath with her along for the ride.


    What is it about a beautiful woman calling herself an ¡®old lady¡¯ that sets the hearts and loins of men on fire? I may never understand it, but the effect it has on me is profound. She sure is an astonishing woman, alright.


    Gods, I need to keep her away from Snow...


    PunishedKom


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 The Castle Library

    Following Opalina¡¯s advice, I take my time on my way to the library. Passing through the many halls allows me to soak in all the details of this brooding castle, from the tattered tapestries and the withered paintings of forgotten noblemen to the many religious effigies of Tenebris Primis. The more of those I see, though, the more I start to realize the implications.


    The rest of Dawnstead has loads of monuments and statues dedicated to Luxy, but I¡¯ve not seen a single one of those inside Castle Mourneheart. Am I inside enemy territory here? I get a distinct feeling that the Gloomcrests worship the Goddess of First Darkness. Not entirely uncommon or anything, but usually, most people worship both of the Twins.


    That doesn¡¯t always necessarily mean they¡¯re bad people, of course. It¡¯s not like in the past, Tenebris¡¯s followers abandoned the rest of Karnalle to join forces with previous Demon Lords or anything. From what little I remember when I once skimmed the Words of Darkness, worshipping Tenebris Primis is more about living by her values and praying for her not to make your life any worse than it already is. I never saw the point in it. The central conceit towards praying to Tenebris is on a fundamental level, basically just resigning yourself to the fact that she¡¯s not going to actively make your life any better. Not that I¡¯m trying to defend her, but at least the core thing with Luxy is that by praying, you hope it motivates her to help you.


    I¡¯ll admit there¡¯s a lot I don¡¯t understand about Tenebris worship, so I¡¯m likely talking out of my ass. I¡¯ve just never quite understood the bizarre duality of religion here in Karnalle... Light and Dark at once, separate but together... still, at least our beliefs live in harmony with one another, which is more than I can say about some of the other realms.


    After stopping in front of one of the statues depicting the Dark Goddess as a busty, winged, demon-like being drinking from a spiked chalice, I try and contact Luxy. Still nothing. It¡¯s been days since I¡¯ve last heard from her, so it¡¯s starting to make me worry. I was hoping she could have provided some clarification on the whole religious confusion I¡¯m having right now, too.


    Ah well. For now, I push the thought of the Goddess from my mind. Luxy is a literal divine being. Whatever¡¯s going on with her, I need to remember that she¡¯ll be fine, and right now, I¡¯ve got a library to visit.


    Not long after wandering the halls, I find myself at the vast, black wooden doors leading to an unknown treasure trove of knowledge. I throw open them, coughing from the dust, and walk toward into complete and utter blackness. I can¡¯t see a foot in front of my face here. Right before I go looking for a maid to provide me light, though, the same familiar blue flames illuminate a series of sconces along the library¡¯s stone walls.


    The library chamber reveals itself as a vast space with more bookshelves than I can count just from a glance. It dwarfs both of Dewhurst¡¯s bookshops by an absurd amount, and I feel like I could lose myself in here for hours. The only problem here is that Opalina wasn¡¯t kidding- this place doesn¡¯t see much use. Thick layers of dust coat most of the shelves, while spiders skitter about the numerous cobwebs nestled in every dark corner of the library they can find.


    Given the state of the Guild, it¡¯s nothing I¡¯m not used to.


    Since there¡¯s no one around to help guide me through the aisles, I head into the unknown with my Bag of Holding in tow. Using my eyes, I scan the spines of entire rows together all at once. The topics covered in this library are all over the place, but I¡¯m still able to eventually figure out the general locations of each subject. I can¡¯t say I wasn¡¯t expecting it, but I¡¯m still upset to discover there¡¯s no section for erotica.


    Gut instinct tells me to begin digging through the row of history books, so that¡¯s where I start. After rifling through some exciting finds, I locate something specific I was looking for. My hand traces the shelving to find a group of seven thick volumes titled ¡®The Demon Lords of Karnalle¡¯. They¡¯re all here, starting from Orsovis, the Shadow Cast Atop the Mountain, to Bhesar, the Weaver of the Nightmare.


    Everyone knows a little bit about the Demon Lords since they¡¯re used as boogeymen throughout Karnalle, frightening figures parents love to threaten their children with. Still, the only Demon Lords I know all that much about are the aforementioned Orsovis and... the Licentious Defiler, Zehesiel. For whatever reason, there¡¯s a lot of high-quality erotica written about that period of Karnallian history...


    As for Orsovis, he was the first Demon Lord. The King of All Sin. His defeat by Rhoivandis Lundreame and his harem led to the Karnallian unification, the establishment of the seven provinces, and what marked an end to the Age of Heroes. It¡¯s hard to be ignorant of arguably the most critical moment in history, save for maybe the discovery of Realm travel.


    Into the Bag of Holding, they go. My confrontation with the current, as of yet un-nicknamed Demon Lord may be years away, but there¡¯s no reason I can¡¯t do some extensive research on his predecessors sometime. While I¡¯m here in the history section, I pick up a few interesting-looking books on the Age of Heroes. They called out to me, especially since Opalina commented on my lack of knowledge regarding the topic earlier today. I may read a lot, but whenever it¡¯s not erotica, my reading typically comes down to books about Guild business, monsterology, adventurer classes, and occasionally magic.


    Unfortunately, most of those topics are absent from the Duke¡¯s library save for monsterology and magic. I¡¯d grab some of the sorcery or alchemy books for Zutiria, but there¡¯s so much that I don¡¯t know what she¡¯d actually be interested in. Not to mention I get the feeling that she¡¯s read just about every book on magic in the Realm. It¡¯s hard to stack up to her personal library back in Imperalis, where all she had to do was ask for a book, and she¡¯d get it.


    On the other hand, I pick up quite a few rare books on monsterology that I¡¯m excited to look through. Anything that¡¯ll give me an edge when overseeing the girls on quests is a priority, making more knowledge on the many monsters of Karnalle a welcome find.


    Changing rows to foreign cultures, I pick up a few books about Grekka and its Gods, as well as a couple about Hal Moldihr, the Dwarven Homerealm. I¡¯d like to better understand those Realms, what with the constant references Gwin and Nikita make towards their cultures that fly entirely over my head.


    I linger in this aisle for a minute, eventually deciding to just take a whole bunch of different books about different Realms and pantheons, including one about the Gods of Merryburrow. It might help with gathering intel on Fleetfoot, if nothing else... as for the rest, there¡¯s no telling what kind of people I¡¯ll meet in the future. Better to have a book on file than not to.


    There was something specific I wanted to look for, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t see any reference books that detail different classes of adventurers. But things have a funny way of working out. Just as I¡¯m about to give up and plan on asking Opalina to take me to one of Dawnstead¡¯s bookstores, I find it.


    Mixed in with the books on warfare and the many combat manuals is a withered red text titled ¡®Shield Maidens - History and Arts¡¯. I don¡¯t even bother to flip through a couple of pages to see if it¡¯s any good. I just grab and deposit it in the Bag of Holding without hesitation. Hopefully, this will help Meri, considering her mother never taught her how to be a Shield Maiden. She¡¯s done alright thus far, having learned several Arts on her own as well as two of her mother¡¯s shield transformations, but she won¡¯t get anywhere without actual direction. Since Nikita can¡¯t teach her anything about her class, this is the next best thing.


    I¡¯ve been in the library for what feels like an hour now, and I¡¯ve just about exhausted everything I¡¯m interested in. Luckily, inside the chamber¡¯s center is a quiet circle with red leather chairs and lovely coffee tables for one to settle down with their chosen books. I¡¯ve been walking around all day now, and I could use a break. Opalina said to take my time coming back anyway, so I sink myself into the closest comfortable chair and open up the Bag of Holding to go over everything I¡¯ve picked up.


    Then I stop in my tracks as I hear the sound of the doorway open up. A cold chill enters the library- an odd chill. Not natural, somehow. I can¡¯t see the entrance from my seat, and when I rise to look across the rows of books, the door has already closed.


    My paranoia kicks into overdrive, and not just because I¡¯m in a dark, creepy castle¡¯s library. Perhaps it¡¯s naive to imagine my enemies could have infiltrated Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s stronghold, but after the battle in the sky this morning, I¡¯m not putting anything past my criminal opposition.


    ¡°Hello? Is someone there?¡± I ask the darkness but am only met with stark, worrying silence. You¡¯d think a castle maid or a servant would answer me back, so that more or less cancels out that possibility. A sharp clattering sound echoes out from a distant shelf, and as the unnatural coldness in the air begins to thicken, I suddenly know I have to act.


    PunishedKom


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 Spooky Scary Skeletons

    For the second time today, I summon the arcane tech pistol into my hand. Every step I take toward the mysterious clattering noise is careful, full of purpose, and as quiet as I can make it. The sound travels throughout the library, echoing ominously as it moves out of sight. While I can¡¯t be entirely sure, it sounds like footsteps. The only thing is they can¡¯t be human, and they don¡¯t sound like someone wearing armor, either.


    Part of me wants to head straight towards the exit and retreat into the hall, but I¡¯m feeling more daring than perhaps I should. I follow the bitter coldness hanging in the air closer and closer to its source with a tightened grip on my weapon. As I draw nearer, the coldness grows a secondary quality. It feels ¡®wrong¡¯. Like whatever it is, it shouldn¡¯t exist, and it bothers me that I instinctually know this.


    The wrongness is now in the next row over. Taking cover behind the towering bookshelf, I brace myself for a quick peek. Doubt clouds my mind now that it lumbers just barely out of view. My body can feel it. Whatever¡¯s making me feel like this, it¡¯s coming from something magical. This cold reminds me of the sickening aura I sensed around Opalina or the depressing negativity I feel around Zutiria whenever she casts her dark spells, but different. It definitely feels more like Zutiria¡¯s magic than Opalina¡¯s if I had to compare the two.


    The creeping clattering sound makes its way from the end of the aisle towards the middle of the row. I decide to make myself known once more, saying, ¡°Is someone there? I¡¯m a guest of Duke Gloomcrest. Please, say something.¡±


    In response, the sound stops dead in its tracks. This silence persists for much longer than I¡¯d like it to. I wait, sweat pooling on my palms, for some sort of response to my questioning. There is nothing. No clattering, no rattling, no sign that they¡¯re even still present other than the telltale pervasive magical aura hanging in the air which gives me sizable goosebumps.


    After waiting for just a few more moments, I make the decision that this eerie quietness has gone on long enough. Whatever¡¯s lying in wait in the middle of the bookshelves can¡¯t be worse than not knowing. As I clench my arcane tech weapon tightly in my fist for whatever comes next, I leave my cover and turn around the corner to look upon the mysterious presence.


    I freeze in place once I lay eyes on the mysterious culprit. My mind is unable to immediately process the horrific sight, all logic telling me that what I see shouldn¡¯t be possible. Only ten feet away from me, a large skeleton covered in a ghastly green glow pokes around the nearest shelf as if it were pointedly looking for a specific book. It stands on two legs, but it¡¯s no human- or any other species that I can recognize. The skeleton has a stretched face with four large fangs poking out from a massive set of jaws, and eyesockets like two pits of coal illuminated by a burning yet sickly green flame. It stands on curved lower legs that bend forward like bows, and for a torso, the creature has a robust ribcage. Its arms are busy tracing the packed bookshelf, but once it notices me, it retreats from the shelf that it was working on and shifts its posture, bending over and standing firmly on all fours.


    Seeing it from this new angle puts everything into perspective for me. Now I¡¯m almost positive that this is the skeleton of a big and powerful bear- seven feet tall at the very least. I watch its movements carefully for the first sign of aggression. Curiously, it shows little interest in attacking. The skeletal bear just stares right back at me, studying, thinking- if it even has the capacity for thought like this. This awkward staredown continues until the undead creature opens its jaws and somehow makes a low, deep, grunting sound despite its lack of vocal cords. Magic, I know, but it¡¯s still somewhat weird to hear it first hand.


    After making noise at me, it goes back to ignoring my presence and then takes a clattering step forward. The skeletal bear noisily walks closer and closer, yet I no longer feel threatened by it. Now I¡¯m only curious, and who can blame me for that? I relax my posture and wipe the anxious sweat off my brow. I¡¯m not stupid, though, and I keep my gun out in case the bear suddenly becomes aggressive at the drop of a hat.


    Fortunately, the skeleton notices a shelf to my side and passes me completely to check it over. It pokes what used to be its nose around as if it¡¯s trying to read the spines on each book. Then, it grunts again and uses its front paws to pull out a selection of about five books all lined up together, then takes them all in its massive jaw and pulls away. With a hefty amount of reading material packed and ready to go, it gives me a strangely courteous nod and turns away from me, glistening green energy trailing off of its many bones as it starts making its way down the aisle.


    My curiosity forces me to check the section it just took books from, and I¡¯m glad I do because what I learn makes the situation reach even greater levels of bizarre. The bear just walked away with a mouthful of self-help books. The row that it took its load from is littered with tomes along the lines of ¡®New People: They Don¡¯t Have to Be So Scary¡¯ and ¡®Just Talk! A Guide to Conversation for Awkward Weirdoes¡¯.


    I think it¡¯s safe to conclude now that this thing doesn¡¯t mean any harm. Now that the danger has passed, I can only ask myself what in the Realms was that about? I know for sure that it was magical in nature but was it a naturally occurring arcane creature, or is it the product of a spell? If it was a creature, then it¡¯s not anything I¡¯ve read about in any of my books, and if it were a spell, then it would have to be necromancy, wouldn¡¯t it?


    Really, I shouldn¡¯t be so surprised given everything else I¡¯ve seen in Castle Mourneheart. A resident Necromancer would fit right in these dark, stony, cobweb-infested halls. Perhaps this partially reanimated bear belongs to the Court Mage Opalina is currently meeting with? Xothan, I believe his name was?


    Of all the schools of magic, necromancy is by far one of the ones I know the least about. While not ¡®forbidden¡¯, it¡¯s certainly a darker art and its practitioners are rare. Books about the subject are scarce, it¡¯s not something I can just walk into one of Dewhurst¡¯s bookstores and ask for a primer on.


    Like more topics than I¡¯d care to admit, my knowledge amounts to what I¡¯ve read in porn which is mostly just busty necromancers reanimating armies of sultry, green-skinned zombie girls hungry for semen. Not surprising, but the truth is stranger than fiction.


    It may be very nosy of me, but I decide to follow the skeletal bear to wherever it¡¯s heading. I¡¯ve got the time and this has captivated my attention, so I put away the gun and follow after it as close as I can while still keeping a safe, respectable distance.


    The bear leads me past a few different hallways before it finds one of the many suits of armor littering the castle that dons a raven-shaped helmet. It raises one of its front paws, activates the hidden mechanism, and disappears into the secret shortcut as casually as if it had done it a thousand times. From there on, the bear starts ascending through the network of magical stone staircases lit by scarce torchlight until we both emerge in a familiar area several minutes later- the hallway where the Duke, his daughter, and Opalina¡¯s bedrooms are.


    Sure enough, the reanimated skeleton walks all the way up to the large door of the young Lady Gloomcrest and bows. Its snout touches the doggy door installed, and in response, the structure becomes big enough for the massive bone bear to walk straight through. The doggy door shrinks, leaving me with more questions than I know what to do with.


    I suppose I could look for answers by knocking on her door, but I don¡¯t know this girl, and I feel that would be terribly rude of me. I¡¯m sure Duke Gloomcrest wouldn¡¯t appreciate an unexpected gentleman visiting his daughter, either. All this beside the point that the bear was delivering books about how to deal with speech anxiety to the young Lady.


    Disappointing. This is going to be on my mind until I find out what¡¯s going on here. Was the bear a pet? Is the Duke¡¯s daughter an honest to goodness Necromancer? Perhaps I can ask Opalina about-


    ¡°Dear? Why are you staring at Abigail¡¯s door?¡± Opalina appears behind me, emerging from the shortcut with the signature clicking of her heels on rugged stone.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been told there¡¯s a girl behind it, and I was considering how best to inevitably add her to my harem,¡± I turn around to face the old witch with sarcasm abound.


    ¡°Careful. The walls are thin, and you might give someone the wrong idea...¡± She giggles before tightening her expression. ¡°Really, though. What happened?¡±


    ¡°There was a... well, what used to be a bear.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± The Doctor laughs and nods her head matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Just ah?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of where this is going.¡± Opalina smiles. ¡°You saw one of Abigails¡¯s pets, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I suppose I must have. Odd choice for a pet, unless... is the Duke¡¯s daughter a Necromancer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Talent for dark magic runs heavy in the Gloomcrest bloodline, and there was a time in her life where the young Lady needed a push down the right path. I happened to be around to do the pushing, so, I made her into something of an informal apprentice of mine.¡±


    ¡°I... see. Then, I suppose that makes you a Necromancer as well?¡±


    ¡°I dabble in a lot of things, Dear,¡± She smiles a mysterious smile while opening up the door to our suite. ¡°Come along now. We¡¯ve time for another round of fun before supper. Dealing with that asshole has left me in the mood to bully you a bit more, so count yourself lucky.¡±


    I still have all sorts of questions on my mind, but for the time being, they¡¯re irrelevant. After shrugging my shoulders, my inexhaustible dick rushes me to follow after Opal for whatever sort of fun she has in mind.


    PunishedKom


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 – Current Favorite Girl Poll –

    I just got curious about where we''re at right now with how many fans the different girls have. Luxy and Nikita are not included, as I''m talking about the girls who the Guild Master definitively has in his harem. Gwin is a borderline case, so I''m including her. She''s given him a handjob and is more or less locked in as soon as some stuff clears up.


    Given how this series is going to be incredibly long, I''m sure there will be more of these polls when the number of girls is bigger.


    I have a feeling I already know the top 3, but we''ll see. My answer is all of the girls. As you should know by now, I make sure everyone gets plenty of attention and each girl represents something that I really like in a girl.

 The Doctor’s Breast Exam

    Opalina bursts into her guest room with a powerful fervor, and right away, I see that the mess we made was thoroughly cleaned, and the bed has been made once again. Lovely.


    She strips herself of the purple coat, revealing the bare back of her tank top sweater to me. Her perfectly defined shoulders and the curve of her spine that flows to the beginnings of her curvy hips are astonishing. She is wise to my staring and turns her head to catch me in the act. ¡°Like what you see, Dear?¡± She teases.


    ¡°Naturally. I¡¯m a little confused as to why we¡¯re moving away from the whole ¡®you being teaching the Duke¡¯s daughter Necromancy¡¯ thing, but...¡±


    ¡°Oh, shush.¡± Opalina laughs that velvety laugh of hers. ¡°I¡¯d tell you more, but I want to respect Abigail¡¯s privacy. If she wants you to know more about her, then she¡¯ll have to be the one to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Am I going to meet her while we¡¯re here?¡±


    The old woman throws herself back down on the plush bed before teasing me even further, saying, ¡°Are you that eager to recruit a Necromancer into your little Guild?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure why I¡¯m so interested. I suppose you could call it morbid curiosity.¡±


    The old woman rolls her eyes at my awful joke. ¡°Hilarious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. How did things go on your end?¡±


    ¡°Annoying, as ever.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m beginning to question why you come to Dawnstead so much. You¡¯ve done nothing but whine about how much you hate everyone in this castle, whether it be Bertrand, the Duke, and even the Court Mage.¡±


    ¡°Darling, isn¡¯t it obvious why I come here?¡± She tilts her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing Abigail?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Opalina smiles the same warm, motherly smile that I¡¯ve seen upon her face countless times. ¡°That girl means a lot to me, and I hope you get a chance to meet her... even if it¡¯s not all that likely.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you think I¡¯ll get to meet her?¡± I ask, sounding a bit sadder than I intended.


    ¡°Oh. Haven¡¯t you noticed it yet?¡± Opalina tilts her head.


    ¡°Whatever you¡¯re referring to, I can¡¯t say I have. For the record, are there any other neglected children you¡¯ve become a surrogate mother toward, or is it just the two of us?¡±


    This gets an embarrassed laugh out of the witch, whose cheeks grow red, and as always, she gives an evasive answer. ¡°Now there¡¯s a question. Who knows?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I sigh. ¡°Any word on when¡¯s exactly the meeting is going to be? We¡¯ve done nothing but screw around since arriving.¡±


    ¡°Soon enough. Are you in that much of a hurry to leave my company, Dear?¡± Opalina makes a playful, disappointed expression and pouts with her lower lip. This makes her look adorable yet alluring at the same time.


    ¡°Perish the thought, I¡¯d certainly enjoy screwing around to our heart¡¯s content. Still not comfortable about being overheard by the most powerful man in the province, but...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll get there.¡± She smirks a wicked, playful smile that warns me of teasing yet to come. ¡°As far as the meeting goes, we¡¯ll be told when Osbourne plans to see us during supper, I¡¯m sure. It¡¯ll likely be tonight or sometime tomorrow morning if I had to guess.¡±


    ¡°Someone sure likes to keep his guests waiting, doesn¡¯t he?¡± I fold my arms and raise my eyebrow. I¡¯m aware that I¡¯m only a lowly Guild Master, but I thought Opalina vouching for me would have made our meeting a priority. Apparently, Duke Gloomcrest has other plans.


    Opalina laughs before sighing and sitting up on the bed, saying, ¡°Yes, yes. That¡¯s enough talking about business, Love. Now get over here and take your pants off.¡±


    ¡°Awful blunt of you,¡± I step towards the bed. My hands find my belt buck, but I linger there purposefully. Opalina watches with bated breath as I start to slowly unbuckle in a teasing fashion. ¡°You really must have missed me.¡±


    ¡°Not as much as you must have missed these,¡± She giggles warmly and runs her gloved hands over the outline of her enormous breasts. A bulge starts pushing against the fabric of my pants- much to Opalina¡¯s enjoyment. ¡°Poor baby.¡±


    My gaze focuses entirely on her chest, my eagerness becoming more profound by the second. ¡°Of course I¡¯ve missed them. Your tits are stunning, and I¡¯d be a happy man to have them in my life more often.¡±


    ¡°Just my tits?¡± She shies away impishly, holding an arm across her chest to obscure my view.


    ¡°And yourself, obviously,¡± I smirk, letting go of my unfastened belt. My pants drop to the floor and expose my tight underwear. The stretched fabric struggles to contain my burgeoning erection. Opalina licks her lips, her gaze becoming hungry.


    ¡°Well, if you love them so much, then why don¡¯t you come over here and use them however you wish?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get you off earlier. That wouldn¡¯t be fair.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re sensitive, silly. I guarantee you¡¯ll make me happy no matter what you do with them.¡± Opalina jiggles her tits to make a point, grinning lewdly. ¡°Besides, you¡¯ll have plenty of chances to make me feel good tonight. Let me spoil you, for now.¡± Her smile grows warmer as she lays all the way back against the comfortable mattress and stretches out.


    Taking the tips of her sweater¡¯s hem in her fingers, Opalina slowly slides her top across her motherly belly and halfway up the swell of her bosom. Sadly, my view is blocked by the purple and white lacy bra she has hidden beneath her sweater, but this lingerie still entices me further into a deeper state of arousal. I crawl onto the bed, my knees sinking against the mattress that will serve as our love nest for two days.


    ¡°I can¡¯t resist you when you show those off...¡± I tell the witch while hovering over her body. I remove my glasses and put them off to the side, far out away from the action. From there, I stare into the depths of her eyes.


    ¡°I know.¡± She says proudly. Opalina¡¯s hand finds my crotch. With much less strength than she used earlier today, she grabs the sides of my cock and jerks me up and down through my underwear.


    Our lips meet. Our kiss is long, satisfying, and sweet. It¡¯s made all the sweeter by the intense rub down Opalina gifts my loins. Every time she strokes, my tongue pushes deeper into her mouth and summons a moan from the old woman¡¯s throat. The heat rises between my legs. Rubbing isn¡¯t enough, so I push down and grind my cock against Opalina¡¯s groin.


    My lover loves the feeling of my manhood pressing down hard on her very much, but I was promised tits and tits I shall have. I slink my hands around her back to undo her bra strap, barely hidden by her open-back sweater. Opalina bites her lip as the magical Bra of Holding flies apart, relieving her massive melons. She takes the initiative and wrestles the bra out from under her shirt. Once she¡¯s done, I take the next step and strip Opalina of her sweater.


    For the first time in a long while, the radiant sight of her obscenely large breasts greets my hungry eyes. The time apart has only made me thirst for them more than ever before. I bury my face between her tits, causing Opalina to softly go, ¡°Mmmm...¡± before wrapping her arms around me to smother her heavy globes on both sides of me.


    The warmth of her gratuitous bosom fills me with such desire that my hips thrust down hard again, searching out for the soft mound hidden beneath the Doctor¡¯s skirt. As my thrusting intensifies, my hands slide under Opalina¡¯s, and I sit up to properly gaze at the full glory of her perfect, heavy tits with hardly any sag.


    ¡°You¡¯re like a child playing with his favorite toy...¡± She bites her lip, her cheeks burning red as I start to run my hands along the sides of her tender mounds.


    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong,¡± I smile teasingly and drop the tip of my tongue onto her flesh. Opalina moans when I drag the wet muscle across her breast until stopping once it meets the tasty skin of her big, round areolae. My tongue circles her. Once, twice, and then a third lick the other way around. The sensitive tit sends little jolts of pleasures through its owner¡¯s body. Then, I make it worse by giving her entire nipple a playful peck, which coerces Opalina to writhe her body in delight.


    Opalina runs her hand through my hair, grabbing me by the back of my skull. ¡°Gods, you¡¯re getting better all the time...¡± She says with a pleasured growl. ¡°Don¡¯t stop.¡±


    Rather than waste time answering her, I grope Opalina¡¯s weighty breast even rough to the point where my fingers sink profoundly into her rich, pillowy softness. Opening my mouth, I take this woman¡¯s beautiful nipple in and give it a gentle suck. Not wanting to leave her wanting, my opposite palm begins to work her massage the enticing smoothness of her left breast.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± Opalina grunts. Her torso starts squirming even harder the more attention is lavished upon her motherly gifts. I want more, so I take it. Sucking her nipple hardens it in my oral embrace, turning it into a deliciously perky peak all the better for me to devour. Opalina¡¯s teats taste faintly of sweets, and her skin carries the dazzling fragrance of flowers. Now that I¡¯m so close to her body, I can genuinely appreciate the perfume spell she cast upon herself. As I massage one breast and nurse from the other, all I can think of is how much Opalina¡¯s warm, welcoming scent highlights every one of this woman¡¯s charms.


    My lover¡¯s voice rises to higher heights of pleasure while I continue to focus my affectionate mouth on her fat, jiggling tits. I give Opalina every form of teasing I can think of. Whether it be playfully rolling her erect nipple around between my teeth, sucking hard as I can while pulling away from her breast until her nipple pops out from my lips, or manhandling her bosoms together so I can take both teats and lavish them with my tongue at the same time.


    Below, we dry hump away at each other. Above, I worship Opalina¡¯s breasts like they were my Goddesses. When I grope her flesh even harder, open my mouth wide, and suck deeply from both tits, her climax bursts forth from her breasts. Opalina screams dozens of lewd obscenities loud enough for everyone on the floor to hear her as she wraps her arms and legs around me. Trapped with nowhere else to go, I keep sucking those sensitive nips of hers everything I¡¯ve got. Every suck seems to push her further into a bottomless abyss of sexual pleasure until finally, the witch starts to come down from her high.


    Pulling away from her tits grants me the pleasure of seeing what a mess Opalina has become just from a bit of attention. Sweaty and redfaced, the good Doctor stares at me with glassy, fog-filled eyes. ¡°Good heavens, Dear... you¡¯re becoming more of a man every time we go at it, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say. Right now, I was only trying to satisfy my thirst... alas, nothing came out.¡± I give Opalina a playful smile.


    ¡°Oh, you wanted milk? You should have said so, and I could¡¯ve done something special for you.¡± She smirks, a smirk layered with sweet sultriness. ¡°Too bad.¡±


    ¡°Damn it...¡± I feel cheated out of some magical milk play, but I put the thought aside and get up on my knees. My erection is now fully formed- gargantuan, even- and I need to take my pleasure from the willing woman. I slide off the constraining underwear, causing my cock to burst out with excited freedom.


    ¡°Mmmm...¡± Opalina once again licks her lips, teasingly placing her finger onto her chin as she cocks her head. ¡°What are you going to do with that beastly thing, my love?¡±


    Without exaggerating, I tell her, ¡°I¡¯m going to fuck your tits and cover your face in an avalanche of my cum.¡±


    Opalina smiles warmly, spits on her own chest, then rolls her tits around so the spit spreads. I think she must have used some non-verbal magic because the spit expands until it covers almost her entire chest in a sloppy, lubed-up mess. ¡°Come at me, then...¡± She beckons.


    PunishedKom


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 Assert Your Dominance

    Opalina pushes her slick, bouncy breasts together a couple of times so that they jiggle for my visual benefit. If it were possible for me to be any harder than I already am, seeing my mature lover¡¯s rippling tits covered in her own warm saliva as they await me to plunge into them like they were a pussy would do the trick.


    ¡°What are you waiting for, Dear?¡± Opalina coos. ¡°Look at them, see how bad my big titties want to feel your massive cock savage them...¡± She moves them in opposite directions, kneading them and further seducing me.


    ¡°Nothing, nothing. Seeing you like this just has me thinking that I really don¡¯t get enough titfucks...¡± I tell her with a smirk as I grab the root of my penis and slowly inch closer to the valley of her cleavage.


    ¡°Really? But you¡¯re surrounded by such captivating breasts back at home. Samantha and Merille are no slouches when it comes to their chests, my dear, and now you¡¯ve got little Periwinkle and Snowball. Gwinlinn as well, whenever that happens...¡± Opalina giggles, enjoying her silly pillow talk as she continues to grope her own slippery boobs.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I¡¯m blessed when it comes toward being besieged by tits... but when you tell me I can do anything I want to yours, Opal, all I can think about is how bad I want to fuck them senseless...¡± My hand jerks my cock, making a display of it to the horny witch. After having dry humped her, I¡¯m more than ready to go, as evident by the vast stream of precum trickling out of my tip and pooling down onto her flesh.


    ¡°Then do it,¡± She whispers in a low, husky voice. ¡°Fuck my tits already.¡± Opalina rolls her head backward, taking in a deep breath of air before embarrassing me by shouting, ¡°FUCK MY TITS!¡±


    Despite the humiliation- or perhaps because of it- I slam my meaty cock hard into the tunnel of titty and feel her mounds conform to fit my absurd size. Opalina gasps, her sensitive breasts suddenly assailed by a new sensation of pleasure. It¡¯s tight inside her gigantic boobs- much tighter than one would expect. With reckless abandon, I slide back out of her cleavage, grunt, and hammer myself back in.


    My pelvis slaps against her globes, causing them to ripple like jello as I fuck them. Again and again they shake, each thrust earning a further moan from the lewd older woman beneath me. Because of her lube, every single forceful shove of my cock creates a sloppy, wet sound that fills the stone room with the sounds of our frenzied fucking. It¡¯s loud. I wonder if it¡¯s loud enough for everyone else on this floor to hear...?


    ¡°Ah,¡± Opalina gasps as her arms squeeze her tits even tighter around me. ¡°Good Gods, my love, you feel even harder and manlier than before! What¡¯s got you so excited?¡± Then, the naughty old gal cocks her head to the side, ever the impish tease, to say. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... are you thinking how hot it would be if everyone could hear the sound of you fucking my tits?¡±


    ¡°No...¡± I lie, gritting my teeth and hunching over her face to place my hands on both sides of Opalina¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯m so hard because fucking your tits makes me feel like a goddamn king, damn it... they¡¯re so soft, and there¡¯s so much of them for me to fuck...¡±


    Her eyes take on a devious expression, and suddenly, instead of laying back and simply letting me fuck the boundless expanse of her breasts, she starts to slip and slide them along the entire length of my massive cock. ¡°You can¡¯t fool me, Dear. You¡¯re getting off because now, every single person on this floor knows how hard you and how fast your naughty cock can fuck my tits.¡± My excited penis twitches, proving her right. Opalina is far from done, though, and she continues to tease me with devilish thought after devilish thought. ¡°Remember, it¡¯s not just Osbourne and Abigail, either. Goddesses know how many young, innocent castle maids are on this floor listening to the sounds of you getting the titty-fuck of your life. Think of how jealous it must make them, hearing every meaty slap your cock makes. Mmm... I bet you there must be a few maids on this floor who are getting wetter and wetter...¡±


    ¡°Oh, GODS,¡± I clench my eyes tight at the thought, falling deeper into the exhibitionist abyss. Her honeyed words erase all logic and reason from my mind. Right here and right now, there are only massive tits and a cock with which to fuck them. Losing myself into a fervid, frenzied pace, I slam my manic manhood unceasingly within Opalina¡¯s busty bosom while she continues to knead her breasts around me. The vigor and enthusiasm the witch shows makes me realize how fully intent on milking every drop of sperm she can force out of my balls she is.


    Then, with a perverse, twisted smile, Opalina says, ¡°I could call one in for you, Dear. Think about it. Wouldn¡¯t you like to use the body of a random maid who you may never meet again? Just tell me, and I¡¯ll send for one. You know I¡¯d do anything to make you happy.¡±


    I freeze, looking down into Opalina¡¯s toxic gaze. Her words make me harder, but they sober me. Conflict me. She continues speaking all while milking and milking my cock with her cushiony tits, ¡°The nobility lives a life of privilege, you know? Their guests get what they want, whenever they want it. If you desire a woman, all you have to do is tell the Chamberlain, and he¡¯ll begrudgingly get one for you. Do you want more toys, my love? Would you like it if Mommy spoiled you with fresh pussy?¡±


    ¡°Opal...¡± I shut my eyes from pleasure, my hands ripping into the bedsheets below. Unable to hold back any longer, I start fucking her tender, sensitive breasts harder than ever before. Opalina¡¯s eyes open wide, and she moans as hot and heavy as if I were plowing her cunt. Loud enough for the world to hear, let alone the castle.


    ¡°Mmm! Ah! You... you really like that idea, don¡¯t you?¡± The witch laughs wickedly and humps her chest against my cock.


    ¡°It¡¯s hot b-but... I don¡¯t want it.¡±


    Opalina looks at me with a confused expression, delaying her continued stroking. I don¡¯t stop my thrusting, so it ends up costing her some momentum as her pleasure increases. ¡°I told you I want to fuck YOUR tits and cum all over YOUR face,¡± I grit my teeth. ¡°I don¡¯t need anyone else.¡±


    She pauses before eventually smiling up at me. ¡°Dear...¡± Opalina softly says, her lips parting into a silent ¡®o¡¯ shape as she tweaks her perky nipples. ¡°Do it, then. Cum for me...!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to. I¡¯m fucking- AGH!¡± I don¡¯t cum, but Opalina starts doing her best to force me to. Her fat, bouncy tits become nothing but a high-speed, cock-pleasuring blur as she strokes them up and down, up and down, harder, faster, louder. They smack against my pelvis so strong that it starts stinging my flesh from the sheer force of her titfuck. I¡¯m not going to last long like this, which is entirely the point.


    Right when I reach the brink of climax, there¡¯s a knock at the door followed by Bertrand¡¯s voice. ¡°Dinner will be served in a little under an hour. The castle Steward will be there, so wear something that won¡¯t embarrass him.¡± Rather than ending his sentence with some catty remark, the Chamberlain sighs for a long, long time.


    I pause, unsure what to say, but Opalina smirks and says, ¡°Assert your dominance.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°Make him know his place, or I won¡¯t let you cum.¡± She teases with great cruelty. Opalina is deadly serious, and she suddenly stops the aggressive pace at which her breasts pleasure me.


    Left with an absence and a need for more, I speak up loud and confidently, telling the Chamberlain, ¡°Right now, I¡¯m fucking my lover¡¯s tits loud enough for everyone on this floor to hear it. Do you think I care about embarrassing anyone? No? Exactly. Now fuck off.¡±


    Opalina blushes and licks her lips. To my surprise, she whispers for me to say more. Is she getting off on seeing me act like a powerful asshole? I feel awkward over it, but I can¡¯t leave my woman wanting. ¡°Actually, wait. Bring me an expensive wine from the Duke¡¯s personal collection for me to enjoy while awaiting dinner, and then fuck off.¡± My cock twitches with odd, devious joy, and I thrust into Opal¡¯s tits again, knowing someone is just on the other side of the door.


    There is a long silence, broken when Bertrand states, ¡°...It would seem to me that our dear guest has more than enough enjoyment to tide him over until supper.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know refusing a guest¡¯s demands was part of your job description, Bertrand. Perhaps when I meet him, I should tell the Steward you tried to deny me?¡±


    Another stint of silence. ¡°...Very good, Sir. I shall return in a moment.¡± Bertrand says in a pitiful tone before walking away.


    I look down at Opalina, who is grinning as smugly as I¡¯ve ever seen. ¡°Power is a real thrill, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re the kind of man who has an important destiny ahead of him, Dear. You need to work on asserting your authority, even in situations where you run a risk of making an ass out of yourself. Always make yourself seem important.¡±


    ¡°And you chose me this crucial lesson about being an asshole... during a titty-fuck?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The best way to motivate you is with sex or gold.¡± She laughs, and I sweat nervously, knowing that she¡¯s right. ¡°Don¡¯t pretend that having your cock stuffed between my tits while ordering someone around didn¡¯t make you even harder, either.¡± She giggles and starts kneading her huge breasts around my manhood even harder than before, speeding up in the hopes of milking me as bone dry as my infinite stamina will allow her.


    ¡°Fuck, alright, alright... I got off on it pretty damn hard...¡±


    ¡°Then how about you make good on your promise to cover my face with all that cum of yours?¡± She giggles, biting her luscious lips and inviting me further.


    At her behest, I lose whatever inhibitions I have left and thrust away in the hopes of hurtling over the edge toward explosive relief. In no time at all, Opalina¡¯s luscious, pillowy, mountainous breasts draw out a titanic orgasm from the depths of my balls. When I said I would cover her face in semen, it turns out I was selling myself short.


    I grunt, and I groan as a flooding upheaval of cum launches out of my thick shaft. Traveling up from my swollen balls and through the channel of her tits, my release slathers rope after rope onto Opalina¡¯s beautiful face, her fluffy, curled brunette hair, her ornate glasses, and everything in between. Rather than stop in the hopes of gaining a reprieve from my avalanche, Opalina continues her titty-fucking with as much strength as she can.


    Thanks to her efforts and my thrusting, everything is painted white with no exception.


    Falling off of my lover¡¯s chest, I lay flat on my back and put my glasses back on my face. Opalina¡¯s expression is hard to read due to just how much damn semen I glazed her with, but I¡¯m reasonably sure it¡¯s a perverse smile.


    After heavily breathing for a few moments, the witch turns to face me. ¡°There¡¯s a suit for you in my Bra of Holding, love. I¡¯m going to go and freshen up before dinner.¡±


    I smirk and feel my cheeks blush. ¡°I think that¡¯d be a good idea.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 First Contact

    I fumble with Opalina¡¯s Bra of Holding before finally fishing out my suit. Part of me wants to make a joke about how Opalina¡¯s tits are so big she needs an interdimensional pocket space to carry them around, but honestly, I think it goes without saying.


    The suit she prepared is nothing short of astonishing. Guess this is just another way she was planning on spoiling me because it can¡¯t have been cheap. There are three pieces. A golden undershirt with silver buttons, a black coat with golden trims and a fancy collar, and dress pants with matching gold trim. The fabric is soft to the touch, and again, very expensive. I¡¯ve never worn anything quite so lovely before, and part of me doubts I ever will again.


    After putting it all on, I have a look in a mirror that was lying around Opalina¡¯s study. Immediately I feel the urge to do a double-take because I can barely recognize the person I see reflected in the glass. If it weren¡¯t for my dark glasses, I might look like a low-ranking nobleman. Hells, maybe even a mid-ranking one. Instead, coupled with my slicked-back hair, I look like the sort of person who¡¯d be consorting with Sir Pimpington on a regular basis. Gods, if Meri could see me now...


    I still can¡¯t believe everything that just happened. My post nut clarity was briefly lived before doubt came surging back. Is fucking around like this really a good idea when Duke Gloomcrest can hear every word? Just as my thoughts start kicking into overdrive, I hear a knock on the door.


    ¡°Expensive wine for the treasured guest of my lord Duke,¡± Bertrand sighs before whispering, ¡°Drink it fast before I drown myself with it...¡±


    Opening the door and stepping into the hallway, I see the Chamberlain standing there with a silver tray brandishing both the wine I asked for and several exquisitely crafted wine glasses. From its looks, the bottle is an aged rose wine from Hunnihome, which are renowned for their crisp sweetness and the nostalgic warmth they imbue. Lovely. Much less lovely is the Chamberlain himself. Bertrand takes a long look at me before breaking his professional facade and laughing. ¡°You look like an overdressed thug.¡± He says, amused.


    I take the tray from him and give the man a passive-aggressive glare. ¡°The help should be seen and not heard.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the help,¡± The silver-haired man stomps his foot on the stony ground. ¡°I run the help! Does your filthy peasant brain even know what a Chamberlain even is?¡±


    Unafraid of Bertrand¡¯s little hissy fit, I tell him, ¡°A glorified butler who fetches me drinks on command.¡±


    ¡°No! Well, yes, but more than that! As Chamberlain, I ensure everyone is comfortable within these dreary walls and run the day-to-day business of the housekeeping staff. Do you know how many nobles would kill to be appointed the Chamberlain of Duke Gloomcrest?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes, I¡¯d indeed imagine that nobles are lining up to become butlers. Say. How did you come by this job, Bertrand? Tell me about your rise to such a glorified position.¡±


    ¡°Well, you see...¡± His dour face contorts into a slimy smile. ¡°My father served as Chamberlain before me, and then sadly he left to be with the Goddess below...¡±


    ¡°Your father died, and you inherited the position? Ah, such an astonishing tale of pulling yourself up by your own bootstraps, truly. Make sure that your personal scribe emphasizes how difficult that part of your life was during your memoirs, you blue-blooded git.¡±


    Bertrand opens his mouth to speak, then falls into an even deeper state of misery once he realizes he has nothing intelligible to say in response. He mumbles some reminder about dinner being in a half-hour before slumping his shoulders and fucking off to somewhere else. At this point, I would feel bad if Bertrand weren¡¯t so inherently unlikeable. I¡¯m hardly ever this mean to people I barely know, but... he¡¯s really the sort of person who just brings it out of you.


    Regardless, with a new tray of drinks in hand, I return back to our suite. ¡°Wine¡¯s here,¡± I announce to Opalina, who¡¯s still in the bathroom.


    ¡°Have yourself a glass and relax, Dear. I¡¯ll be in here a while doing my hair, my make-up, and trying on dresses.¡±


    I know better than to argue with that. Despite being able to magically alter her hair like most Mages, Opalina is still a woman. She¡¯ll take her time in front of the mirror, making herself look pretty regardless of the ease of access a witch has over her own appearance.


    Setting the tray on Opalina¡¯s study desk, I pop the cork and pour myself a glass of rose wine. A small one. I really wasn¡¯t even that thirsty. Opalina just insisted that I bully the Chamberlain around some more. I don¡¯t want to drink too much before dinner.


    The taste is just as crisp as I¡¯ve heard, perhaps even more so. I wallow in its rich depths for only a moment before something new drags my attention away from my thoughts- scratching at the door. Instinctually I want to yell at Peri to behave herself, but then I remember that we¡¯re through the trial period and that Peri isn¡¯t even here to begin with.


    The scratching abruptly stops, so I wait a couple of seconds to see if it persists before I investigate the noise. Sure enough, the scratching resumes. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it were rats, given the size and dark, dirty nature of Castle Mourneheart. Really, this place is feeling more and more like home by the minute.


    With my wine glass still firmly in hand, I walk to the door and open it up. Perhaps I should have expected something along these lines, but I didn¡¯t, so when I see a medium-sized skeletal dog sitting patiently in front of our guest suite, I¡¯m still somewhat taken aback.


    Unlike the bear from before, it¡¯s effortless to tell that this reanimated beast was- or is?- a dog. It tilts its head when it sees me and starts wagging its bony tail while standing up and prancing about on its four legs in that happy little dance that dogs do when they see a friend. In its jaw, the skeletal canine clutches a piece of parchment as well as a feather quill that glows with faint magic.


    To take it all in, I finish the glass of wine in one gulp before setting it on the nearest table to the door. The bone beast is still there upon my return, and it¡¯s just as happy to see me as it was mere seconds ago. While it still has that chill about it as well as the sense of abject wrongness, I could almost see myself finding it cute. Sure, it¡¯s a pile of bones, but it¡¯s still obviously a dog in every sense of the word, and I can¡¯t deny my fondness for man¡¯s best friend no matter the size or shape it comes in.


    I bend over, and the dog comes over, standing on its back legs to paw at my torso, wagging and wagging with excitement. It shoves its muzzle up against me, so I take the parchment and pen from its jaw. The dog releases the objects and backs off, giving me time to look over the paper. Scrawled on the top left corner is a single word written by a hand with extensive skill in the art of calligraphy.


    ¡®Hi.¡¯


    ¡°Is this from your Mistress?¡± I look down at the bone dog and point towards Abigail¡¯s door on the other side of the hall. It happily barks before noticing its tail and turning its attention to the bony appendage. The dog circles around in place while trying to catch its own tail in its mouth, and when it gets it, it starts chewing on it.


    Well, that¡¯s one less question on my mind. I was just wondering if a dog made of bones would chew itself, and lo and behold...


    So, Abigail is trying to communicate with me, albeit in a very indirect way. I¡¯m a little surprised. This must be very hard for the young Lady, considering all those books she took that were related to talking to new people. It would be rude of me if I didn¡¯t answer her call, especially when I have so many questions about her and her family on my mind.


    Obviously, I don¡¯t want to overwhelm Abigail, so I¡¯ll take things very slow.


    ¡®Hello there, It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡¯ I write below her sentence with the quill. As expected, the quill is magic and does not require an inkwell. Before giving the message back to the dog, I take in the contrast between our handwriting and feel inadequate by comparison. My script isn¡¯t bad by any means, but hers makes my text look like Sam¡¯s. I was about to say that¡¯s expected of a noble Lady, but again, Sam.


    The skeleton takes my message and the quill in its jaws and skitters back to the doggy door to Abigail¡¯s room. Unlike with the bear, the size doesn¡¯t adjust, and it retreats into the darkness of the Lady¡¯s bedroom. Not even twenty seconds later, the dog returns with a fresh message.


    ¡®My name is Abigail Gloomcrest. Sorry if I¡¯m bad at this.¡¯ A short but curt reply. Guess that¡¯s her social anxiety talking.


    I respond by telling her my name and introducing myself as the Guild Master of the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild before I remember the embarrassing truth of the matter. Abigail has overheard me playing along with Opalina¡¯s whims. Instantly, I feel a need to pre-emptively apologize. In my response, I add, ¡®I am very sorry about the noise Opalina, and I have been making. It¡¯s very improper to subject a lady of your standing to such filth.¡¯ My words are surface-level at best because while I feel bad about it, I have no one but myself to blame, and I don¡¯t intend to stop.


    Her following response says, ¡®It¡¯s alright, I know how Opal can be. She¡¯s probably teasing you into acting on your urges because it amuses her...¡¯ I guess Abigail really does know Opalina as well as I do because that response is spot-on.


    I make full use of the ¡®out¡¯ Abigail gives me and use the excuse to absolve myself of blame. ¡®Thank you for understanding, it¡¯s as you say, Opalina is leading me around by the nose... The both of us are heading to dinner in a little while, though. Will you be joining us? I would love to meet you in person if that¡¯s not too presumptuous of me.¡¯


    When the dog whisks the message away, it doesn¡¯t return right away. Because of how touchy Abigail¡¯s caste can be, such as Bertrand, I start worrying if I offended the noblewoman by implying I would like to see her. Eventually, though, the messenger dog returns about a minute later with a new note.


    ¡®No. I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll be dining in my quarters tonight. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s not you, I promise. It¡¯s me.¡¯


    I look over the response multiple times, finding it worrisome. Initially, I¡¯m unsure of what to say back, considering how neurotic it reads. Ultimately, my reply is simple, ¡®There¡¯s nothing to apologize for. I¡¯m simply happy you wanted to talk in the first place.¡¯


    The wait for this one is long again, but only half as long. ¡®You don¡¯t need to put me on a pedestal by talking to me like a stuffy noble. I¡¯m just some girl. Thank you for understanding. You¡¯d best get ready for dinner now, but... can we do this again later tonight? This is very hard for me to write, but-¡¯ The handwriting abruptly loses some of its grace, becoming shaky and unpolished for the rest of her sentence. ¡®can we be friends...?¡¯


    Reading this makes me blush, for whatever reason, but I write back immediately. ¡®Absolutely nothing would make me happier. I¡¯ll talk to you tonight, Abigail.¡¯ I hand the paper over to the dog who has faithfully ferried messages between us over and over, and feeling courageous, I reach out and pet the dead beast¡¯s boney head. It¡¯s cold to the touch but not unbearably so. Even if it has that sensation of wrongness, I find that maybe it¡¯s not such a bad feeling to be wrong.


    The dog wags its boney tail super hard and dances in place before taking the last message to its mistress, thus ending my first exchange with Abigail Gloomcrest.


    PunishedKom


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 The Count of Solemn Stone

    When I return from corresponding with the young Lady Gloomcrest, I feel oddly happy over the whole affair. She seems like a charming girl from the short back and forth we shared, and I¡¯m now excited for the rest of tonight for reasons other than long-awaited sex with Opalina.


    Speaking of, right when I step through the door, Opalina dramatically bursts out of the bathroom. After much trial and error, my lover has properly dolled herself, and the results are so excellent I can scarcely keep my eyes off of her.


    Opalina now wears a dark purple crop topped mermaid dress that tastefully covers much, but not all, of her chest. The waistline is snug, showing off that sexy bit of excess her motherly body has, which makes her irresistible. A black belt accentuates her waist even further, looking classy and elegant. Her dress billows out into a mess of frills, and the color washes away from dark purple into striking magenta.


    Her typical gloves have changed to accentuate her shoulderless dress better, and their color now matches as well. They start as dark purple before slowly transitioning to magenta as they streak down to her fingers. The witch has forgone her glasses, as they would only distract from the glamorous, purple eyeshadow she expertly applied. Her lips, too, have changed into a purple shade which somehow only makes them seem softer and more inviting than ever before.


    Lastly, Opalina¡¯s hair has been curled to a no doubt magical extent. While it¡¯s true her locks are naturally curled on their own, she¡¯s increased both the number of curls and their fluffiness by at least a hundredfold.


    I stare at the woman I¡¯ve loved for so long, speechless, and with a frog in my throat. Judging by the smile on Opalina¡¯s lips, this reaction pleases her. ¡°Well then, I won¡¯t ask whether or not you like it, Dear. That seems redundant.¡±


    Shaking off the awe, I pick my jaw up from the floor. ¡°In all the years you¡¯ve been in my life, I¡¯ve never seen you look this stunning before.¡±


    The mature woman blushes despite her age, then laughs into her hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad you enjoy it. I dolled myself up mostly for you, after all.¡±


    Stepping forward, I wrap my arms around Opalina¡¯s waist and pull her to me. She¡¯s a few scant inches taller than I am and still wearing heels, so I have to look up into her eyes that glow with gentle warmness. ¡°I¡¯m honored. ¡®Beautiful¡¯ doesn¡¯t do you enough justice, and for that matter, I can¡¯t think of a single word that would.¡±


    Her lips twist into an even more satisfied smile as she basks in my compliment. ¡°You don¡¯t look too bad yourself, my love. Here, let me help.¡± Opalina pulls her wand out of her cleavage and taps my hair, styling it to be slicked back even nicer. Naturally, she also freshens up my smell. Then, she asks, ¡°By the way, where were you just now? Surely you weren¡¯t talking to Bertrand in the hallway this entire time.¡±


    ¡°Gods no, I¡¯d rather drink poison than share wine with him. I was going to tell you that Abigail contacted me.¡±


    Opaline blinks incredulously before asking, ¡°What?¡± in a way that makes her sound like she can¡¯t believe the words coming out of my mouth.


    ¡°She had another one of her pets, a dog, carry messages between us for a little bit.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that makes much more sense.¡± She sighs as if I had just let her down somehow. Before I can ruminate on it much further, Opalina smiles and steps away from me. ¡°Did she say all that much?¡±


    ¡°No, even in writing, she came off as very shy and nervous. We promised to talk for a while tonight after dinner, assuming you don¡¯t mind me taking an hour or so away from you. I¡¯m interested in getting to know her.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Dear. Nothing would make me happier than for you two to grow closer. Take all the time you need!¡± Opalina clasps her hands together, overjoyed. Then, a certain smile crops up on her face. A smile I recognize all too well from when she talks about Nikita, or more recently, Snow.


    She¡¯s doing it again.


    I narrow my eyes at her and cross my arms. ¡°Opal... are you trying to hook me up with the Duke¡¯s daughter?¡±


    Opalina once again blinks. Her face takes on a disappointed expression before she tries hiding it with a blank one. While typically hard to read, I¡¯ve come to learn Opalina¡¯s tells are extremely blatant when it comes to love. ¡°Oh dear me, I would never.¡± She says in a tone that doesn¡¯t even try to hide her lies.


    I rub my temples while sharply inhaling through my nose. ¡°Right, well, let¡¯s circle back to this discussion later. I think we¡¯d best make our way to the dining room by now, don¡¯t you think?¡±


    ¡°Good heavens, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s get going!¡± She sighs, relieved to put this aside for the time being.


    The beautiful, dressed-up woman offers her hand to me, so I take it, and together we leave the guest suite and vanish into the secret passageway just outside our door. Opalina leads me down the correct path amid the myriad of secret, dark, and branching stone stairways. In no time at all, we emerge in a dusty passageway. I remember being on the first floor. From here, it¡¯s only a short trek to the main dining room.


    Opalina stops me just before we enter at the large, eroded, red wooden doorway framed by two stone pillars on both sides. ¡°The man you¡¯ll be meeting now is, in a lot of ways, more important than Duke Gloomcrest. You¡¯ll come to understand that it¡¯s really the Steward who runs most things around here, so I want to brace you to make your best impression.¡±


    ¡°Why warn me ahead of time? Are you expecting there to be trouble?¡±


    Opalina pauses, purses her lips in thought, and carries her chin between her fingers. After a moment, she shakes her head subtly. ¡°No... not trouble per se, but Solomon Drisford- the current Count Drisford, mind you- is very prickly. Really, I can¡¯t even blame the poor man.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Is there someone else in this castle you¡¯re fond of besides Abigail?¡±


    Opalina again pauses in thought as she actively tries to sort out whether she likes this Count Drisford or not. ¡°I suppose,¡± she decides. ¡°But don¡¯t expect me to let you use me as a crutch if things turn political or you begin talking about business. I may have opened this door for you, but remember, it took me an entire week of convincing this very man to give you a chance. You need to win him over on your own, or he won¡¯t even let you meet with the Duke. Looking to me for guidance will make you seem weak. Dependant.¡±


    ¡°So ultimately, I should assert my dominance, is what you¡¯re saying?¡± Now I¡¯m getting what all of the play today was leading up to.


    The coy old witch smirks as she pecks me on the cheek. ¡°Now you¡¯re getting it, Dear.¡± She whispers in my ear before pulling away and smiling.


    I did find it odd how the Duke hasn¡¯t met with us yet, but it makes much more sense to me that I would have to be screened beforehand. Even though Opalina throws her weight around in this castle like it were her own, it seems her influence doesn¡¯t extend to this specific man.


    Very well. Guess I¡¯ve got to go and talk my way into this Count¡¯s good graces. Highly experienced Guild Masters are often required to negotiate with the nobility and even the Royal Family to register incredibly lucrative quests. With that in mind, I should put my best foot forward and treat this as another step I have to ascend on my way to becoming the greatest Guild Master in all the Realms.


    I offer Opalina my arm for her to clutch, and she happily presses her breasts against me in return. I hate to use her like this, but with my woman acting like a hot piece of arm candy at my side, I straighten my posture and walk confidently toward the doorway. Hopefully, Opalina makes me look more substantial or makes my entrance more impressive.


    The dining room is a beautiful sight, beautiful in a Castle Mourneheart way, that is. Six stone columns stretch down the length of the dark, candle-lit chamber, each of them carved with intricate tableaus of demons and devils. Overhead lies a black, thorned chandelier crafted of a dark and brutal metal, where dozens of wax candles flutter their dim, azure flames. In the center of the room, a long, rectangular dining table rests with a tattered red tablecloth that might have looked fancy long ago. Atop that table is a plethora of exquisitely prepared foods fresh out of the oven, still steaming with heat and sending their fragrant aromas up into the dingy castle air.


    On each side of the table sits six black, wooden chairs, and on the opposite ends sit two larger throne-like seats, one of which is occupied by a man who could be mistaken as one of the castle¡¯s many gargoyles. Indeed, he is silent and unmoving as a rock. His slightly aged hands are crossed beneath his pointy, bearded chin. The man looks to be in his early fifties. Not yet terribly wrinkled but his hair and neatly trimmed beard are the color of stone- potentially from stress if I had to make a guess. He wears a dark suit that hangs off his thin, gaunt body, but it somehow only adds to his severity.


    On the man¡¯s lapels are two broaches. His left lapel proudly displays a blood-red jewel with the black raven of House Gloomcrest embedded inside, while on his right is pinned a grayish-blue gem with what appears to be, fittingly, a stylized gargoyle. I¡¯ll make the assumption that this is the coat of arms for House Drisford.


    The second we enter the room, the man stares at me with the second sharpest set of eyes I¡¯ve ever encountered- less sharp than only my own. I meet his glare with my own, and no one blinks. After a long period of silence, he speaks. His voice is soft, tired, and drawn out in a way that forces everyone to listen closely to his every word. ¡°This is him? Really?¡± Solomon Drisford does not take his judgmental gaze away from even while talking.


    Rather than relying on Opalina to introduce me, I speak up in a loud, commanding tone, ¡°Indeed. I am the Guild Master of the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild, here to answer the summons of Duke Gloomcrest.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re here to answer my summons. Not his.¡± Finally, Solomon blinks. With his eyes closed, he says, ¡°Opalina, I request you take your dinner with Lady Abigail in her chambers. I will speak with the Guild Master alone.¡±


    Without hesitating, Opalina acquiesces. ¡°Fine, fine. I can¡¯t say I didn¡¯t see this coming, knowing you. I don¡¯t know why I even bothered to dress up, honestly...¡± The witch sighs and removes herself from my arm. While leaning in to give me a chaste kiss on the cheek, she uses the opportunity to whisper into my ear, saying, ¡°No matter what he says, don¡¯t back down, and don¡¯t lose your cool.¡±


    I make no response to this to appear unaffected. Count Drisford then tests me, asking, ¡°I assume you have no objections to this, Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°None at all,¡± I step away from Opalina toward the large chair at the end of the table opposite Solomon. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of discussing business on my own.¡±


    ¡°That remains to be seen.¡± He replies softly and cynically. ¡°Sit.¡±


    As Opalina exits the dining room, leaving me alone with this immovable wall of a man, I pull out the chair and sit down. My posture is straight, my gaze unbroken, and I¡¯m ready for this mental battle of wills to unfold.


    PunishedKom


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 Dinner with Solomon Drisford

    Solomon Drisford and I continue staring each other down for what feels like hours. In a way, it feels like a battle in and of itself to see who will blink first. I fight against the temptation, knowing that it may very well make me appear weaker in his harsh, judgmental eyes. I can¡¯t risk even the smallest screw-up, so I refuse to blink.


    This staredown drags out until Bertrand comes in through the kitchen door, clasping his hands together. Despite my presence, the Chamberlain is wearing his exceedingly fake, happy smile as he rushes to the center of the table. As is his duty, he makes a gratuitous introduction of my dinner mate. ¡°Honored guest, may I have the privilege of introducing you to Count Solomon Drisford? Count of Grundlun and the Lord Steward of Arrark serving under Duke Osbourne Gloomcrest. As Lord Steward, his duties include-¡±


    Without taking his eyes off away from my own, Solomon cuts Bertrand off and addresses me. ¡°You know what a Steward is, yes, Guild Master?¡±


    I¡¯m roughly aware of the structure and chain of command in the noble houses, so I answer, ¡°In simple terms, you manage the day-to-day financial affairs of the Duke¡¯s household and are expected to make decisions on his behalf in his absence. You¡¯re essentially the second in command, correct?¡±


    ¡°Correct.¡± Count Drisford proclaims in an unimpressed tone of voice. ¡°Your explanation is unnecessary, Bertrand. Take this lesson to heart and shut your insufferable trap. Then, go and bring me a whisky so strong it gives me a temporary reprieve from the memory of your miserable, conniving, cunty little face.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely,¡± Bertrand bows with incredible speed and an almost masochist glee. Then, with those fraudulent, grinning eyes of his, the Chamberlain makes an unexpected assault on my character. ¡°Would our beloved guest like yet another bottle of expensive wine, or does he only drink when he¡¯s in the midst of nigh outright exhibitionist sex not even fifty feet away from our Duke?¡±


    That fucking asshole. I can¡¯t believe he just said that- Bertrand is trying to sabotage my meeting. It takes everything I have to reign in my self-control and pretend that his comment has no effect on me, but something unexpected happens before I boil over.


    Count Drisford moves for the first time since I¡¯ve met him, and he does it to take a bowl of boiling hot mashed potatoes off the dining table and throw it directly at the Chamberlain¡¯s face hard enough for the porcelain to shatter into dozens of shards that fly off in different directions. Bertrand screams from the searing pain brought on by the hot, infernal potatoes, but the Count doesn¡¯t even spare him a glance. He just looks back into my eyes like he didn¡¯t just do this outrageous action and continues on the same as ever.


    Despite keeping his gaze on me, the Count does address the Chamberlain, and he is anything but happy. ¡°Your pathetic attempt at dragging down this man¡¯s character is inexcusable, Bertrand. I care nothing for what sort of sex a man does or doesn¡¯t have. That has as little to do with his character as the air he breathes or the color of his skin. No, Bertrand. You will give the man whatever drink he wants, and you will stand here for the remainder of dinner and continue to serve to the best of your minimal capability. Furthermore, you are not permitted to wipe the mashed potatoes from your duplicitous face until the morrow. Am I understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Count Drisford, I¡¯m... I¡¯m very sorry, my Lord!¡± The Chamberlain speaks, writing in pain. Some of the potatoes fall from his face, revealing red, scorched skin where they hit.


    ¡°I¡¯m not the one you need to apologize to.¡± Count Drisford eagerly reminds Bertrand, knowing that apologizing to me will no doubt hurt the young nobleman¡¯s pride.


    Bertrand hesitates for a split second before turning toward me and bowing. ¡°I am sorry for my passive-aggressive behavior and my inability to keep myself from acting on my intense personal dislike of you, Sir. It is very unprofessional of me, and I will attempt to reign myself in from this point onward!¡± He barks like a dog, saying words he doesn¡¯t actually mean in a frightened, whimpered tone. ¡°To make it up to you, may I offer you a drink?¡±


    Dear Gods, Opalina was right. If I lost control and punched him, it still wouldn¡¯t be as bad as what Bertrand apparently puts up with around here. I try to hold back my amazement, and I end up defaulting to a classic beverage in my shaken state. ¡°That... would be lovely, thank you. Do you have any dry, dwarven stout beers?¡±


    There¡¯s a glimmer in the Count¡¯s eye when he hears that.


    ¡°Of course, Sir, an excellent choice!¡± Bertrand says through a thick layer of mashed potatoes. He runs away and returns with a gratuitous tankard of my drink at an almost inhuman speed. His fear of Count Drisford must awaken the ability to enter some sort of super butler state of being...


    Bertrand sets it down in front of me before taking his place several feet away from the center of the table. I sample the beer and enjoy the familiar taste that washes over my tongue. ¡°Excellent. Thank you, Bertrand.¡±


    ¡°My pleasure, si-blagh!¡± As he talks, a lump of mashed potatoes falls off his nose and onto his tongue, interrupting his sentence and making him appear like even more of a fool. While I think the punishment may have been a bit too cruel, I won¡¯t pretend it doesn¡¯t give me abject joy to see him in such a state.


    Just as my thoughts start dwelling overlong on the misery of Bertrand, Count Drisford begins to speak. ¡°Twenty-one years ago,¡± He reminisces, ¡°I met with another Guild Master from Dewhurst right here in this very room. He, too, asked for that same drink.¡±


    There¡¯s no one else it could possibly be. ¡°You met my grandfather, I take it?¡±


    ¡°I indeed had the displeasure. He was searching for a way to cure some ocular troubles you were having, I believe. Despite my hatred of the man¡¯s character, I allowed him to speak to our resident Court Mage. Nothing came of it, but judging by those obviously magical glasses sitting atop that sharp nose of yours, it seems he got what he wanted in the end somehow or another.¡±


    Remembering the lengths that my grandfather went to make life tolerable for me sends pangs of nostalgia running through my heart. Regardless, I cast the feelings aside and press on, unfettered. ¡°If you disliked him so much, why did you allow him an audience?¡±


    ¡°Because, Guild Master, there are men in this Realm who have the power of always getting what they want through the power of their words and determination alone. Your grandfather was one such man, and now I have the honor of judging whether or not you share his gift. Beyond that, I am not a cruel man.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you were, Count-¡±


    ¡°Silence. I know how I appear toward others. Cold. Uncaring. Calculated. All I¡¯m saying is despite this, I am not the sort of person who would turn someone away if it meant helping an innocent child who has done no wrong.¡±


    The more he speaks, the more convinced I am that Solomon Drisford is a good, honest man who is merely unapproachable due to his rough exterior. Although he embodies the spirit of the Drisford Gargoyle for all intents and purposes, his heart is anything but stone.


    ¡°Before we eat, I must tell you that I¡¯m very unimpressed. Personality-wise you¡¯ve beaten your late grandfather by spades, but otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be here if not for the testimony of Miss Hart. Although I admit, the capture of Percival Chasteworthe proved to me that it may not have been wrong to cave to her demands. You may yet blossom, despite the miserable state of affairs in Dewhurst.¡±


    ¡°My Lord, may I be frank?¡±


    ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about impressing you. I¡¯m here to make my case and argue for it because I know damn well my own worth. I may not know what this business will entail just yet, but I do know if you stand in the way of my Guild attaining the fortune it needs to improve itself, then I¡¯ll take you on just like any other obstacle.¡±


    The tiniest fraction of a smile appears on the Count¡¯s face for not even a millisecond before it fades away. ¡°Good answer. Goddesses know there are enough ass-kissers in this court as it is. Is that not right, Bertrand?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Count Drisford! One can¡¯t even walk a single step down the castle halls without being assailed by an incessant kisser of ass!¡± He incoherently mutters through his fearful trembling. I¡¯m sure the implication wasn¡¯t lost on him, but he¡¯s too afraid to do anything other than mindlessly agree. Solomon has no response to the Chamberlain¡¯s abject stupidity.


    ¡°For now, let us eat.¡± The statuesque man moves his hand to gesture at the meal placed before us. ¡°This discussion can continue after we¡¯ve broken bread.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t agree more. Everything looks wonderful, and I¡¯ve not had much to eat all day aside from... well, a rather delicious breakfast that I shared with my pet kittens.¡±


    I agree whole-heartedly and using my best manners, I begin to eat several servings from across the table. My inner poor person must be showing through because I end up with a massive plate of things I know I won¡¯t eat compared to Count Drisford, who only has a sampling of a handful of dishes.


    Regardless of how it makes me look, I tear through the various rich people foods and enjoy everything on offer. Scant conversation is had here and there. I thank Bertrand for fetching me dishes from across the opposite end of the table. Count Drisford recommends a few foods I thank him for, and I tell the Chamberlain to give my thanks to the chefs.


    Our meal goes by without incident, although I catch the Count judging me occasionally with his eyes. Fair enough, considering how I also stare at him and gauge his character through his body language. I get the feeling we¡¯re a lot alike, honestly, which means this is going to be an uphill battle.


    Bertrand, face still mired with spuds, takes our plates away with overexaggerated eagerness. Count Drisford and I lock eyes once again, ready for the tense battle masked as a conversation to continue.


    PunishedKom


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 Pleasant Conversation

    ¡°Do you keep up with the events of the Realm, Guild Master?¡± Count Drisford casually begins our conversation as he dabs his lips with a napkin, wiping off a few leftover flecks with elegance.


    I can¡¯t be sure where he¡¯s going with this, but I don¡¯t see any benefit in lying. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t. Dewhurst doesn¡¯t have a very stable source of news, apart from travelers.¡±


    Then, like a hawk, he pounces and retorts with, ¡°I take it you don¡¯t get very many traveling adventurers in your Guild, then? Otherwise, surely you would be more aware of the world around you.¡±


    Damn, Count Drisford laid that conversational trap completely under my nose. Best to just embrace the accusation. ¡°Yes. Most travelers skip Dewhurst altogether when possible these days. There was a continual slump where adventurers abandoned the Guild, which led to several years where I was mostly unable to work due to my mental health. I fell into a depression, but now everything is on the up and up. These days, several adventurers are working under me once again.¡±


    Without so much as a change of expression, he says, ¡°I¡¯m aware of your mental lapse. I run the financials of this province. For five years, the mayor of Dewhurst has submitted few standard quest reimbursement forms, which we then process and send en masse to the Association.¡±


    ¡°...I¡¯m aware of how the system works.¡±


    ¡°No doubt. Still, you really should find a way to keep up with the world if you truly wish to become a skilled Guild Master. There is much to learn of the Realm these days.¡±


    ¡°Any recent news you could bless me with, Count Drisford? We may as well make conversation.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of buzz in the Royal capital these days. No doubt you¡¯ve heard of the missing Crown Princess, Samantha Lundreame?¡±


    ¡°Yes, word of that unfortunate situation has reached my ears...¡± Despite how hard it is, I keep myself from reacting to this. I don¡¯t think Opalina would have told him that Sam is staying with me, but this could be another trap if she did. ¡°Goddesses willing she¡¯ll be found unharmed. No doubt there are many foul men out there who would do unspeakable, perverse things to a Princess if they got their hands on her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve met her when she was younger. She¡¯ll be alright, that one. The child was a firebrand, from what I remember. Really, the absolute spitting image of her father in his younger days.¡± I¡¯m not sure how to process that last bit, and I imagine Sam would get mad at such an assertion. ¡°I¡¯m surprised they haven¡¯t checked your Guild yet, actually.¡±


    I almost spit my latest sip of beer. ¡°...Why is that?¡±


    ¡°I see you don¡¯t know your recent history.¡± His glaring becomes more severe as if he takes this as a slight. ¡°When King Theostus turned eighteen, the first thing he did was escape downriver to Perlshaw and head west to Dewhurst to become an adventurer to escape the oppressive rule of his father, King Lucadeus.¡±


    This new knowledge causes my brain to outright stop processing for an embarrassingly long time. As I dwell on Sam literally repeating her father¡¯s footsteps unintentionally, Count Drisford continues to grow unimpressed. ¡°Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°My apologies, I was just surprised to hear that the King himself was an adventurer in my own Guild and that my grandfather never told me.¡±


    ¡°I suppose that would be rather shocking...¡± Whether Count Drisford believes my claim or not, he moves on, saying, ¡°Well, on top of the business with the Princess, it was reported that the sacred Great Blade of Rhoivandis Lundreame has disappeared from the palace treasury. Some people believed the Princess stole it when she left, but the time doesn¡¯t match up.¡±


    Ah. Of course. Well, even if she didn¡¯t steal it when she left, Sam has it now... I was wondering what the deal with that new of hers sword was. Gods, Luxy, this better not have made anything more complicated for us. Speaking of, Count Drisford seems intent on making this conversation as tricky for me as possible.


    I try to defuse the situation with a light jest, saying, ¡°Is that so? Well, let¡¯s hope that whoever took it gets some use out of it. I¡¯m sure the sword would much prefer that as opposed to gathering dust in a vault somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Humor.¡± He almost imperceptibly raises an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ve been told I don¡¯t have a knack for such things. You¡¯ll forgive me for my general lack of amusement. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s chronic.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± Note to self. Avoid attempts at levity.


    Count Drisford gives a tired sigh as he thinks more on the topic at hand. ¡°I swear... Arrark has its own problems, but at least it¡¯s not Rhoivan. There¡¯s scarcely a single day that goes by without some new scandal coming out of Imperalis.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying there are there¡¯s still something more beyond the Princess and the sword?¡±


    ¡°If you can believe it, yes. The founder of the Galloise Company just disinherited his young heiress a bit over a week ago.¡±


    ¡°Really? That must have been dreadful for the poor girl.¡± Thank the Goddesses... finally, a conversational topic that I¡¯m not somehow secretly involved with.


    ¡°Indeed, no one even knows why he cast out his daughter, but it caused quite an upheaval. This last week has seen the founder avoiding all serious questions and insisting his family drama will not impact his business... ah, you do know what the Galloise Company is, yes?¡±


    ¡°Certainly. My Guild has a good deal of their arcane tech installed. Lighting, running water, machines for laundry, some kitchen appliances, and several toilets... it was one of the last major investments my grandfather made before he passed.¡±


    He nods his head, seemingly pleased that I know just a bit of the world outside my Guild. ¡°A wise investment of him. Arcane tech is clearly the future. Despite that, Castle Mourneheart has yet to accrue much of its own, as you can plainly see.¡± Count Drisford gestures toward the chandelier above us, which still has actual candles instead of magical lighting.


    ¡°I think the lighting gives this place a very unique aesthetic charm. Personally, I rather enjoy the castle compared to the rest of the city. I found the marble and the overall shine of the city much too harsh on my eyes.¡±


    Another tiny wriggle of a smile. ¡°Is that so? Well, it matters not... on a different note, I¡¯ve heard from Miss Hart that you¡¯re a true, red-blooded Karnallian male, Guild Master.¡±


    Now there¡¯s a sentence I didn¡¯t expect to come out of the serious Count¡¯s mouth. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t understand. In what way?¡±


    ¡°I hear that you¡¯ve established yourself a harem, much like those of us in the nobility. I have three wives and a mistress, myself.¡± No doubt they fell in love with Count Drisford¡¯s approachable, warm persona.


    ¡°Ah, well, what can I say other than that I¡¯m a man of desires, Count Drisford?¡±


    ¡°You think that makes you special? Show me a man who isn¡¯t motivated by his desires, and I¡¯ll gladly shake his hand.¡± This gets a small smile out of me, but then, the man goes on to pronounce, ¡°I must admit, I don¡¯t understand how you¡¯ve managed to win Miss Hart¡¯s favor. Forgive me if that sounds rude. It¡¯s only that I¡¯ve known her for quite some time and have never seen the woman take an interest in someone of the opposite sex- much to my widower Duke¡¯s ever-constant dismay.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very fortunate, even if I¡¯m unsure why I¡¯m deserving of her love myself. How long exactly do you two go back?¡± I jump at the thought of learning more about Opalina from an outside source. I¡¯ve never met someone who goes way back with her, so it¡¯s a tantalizing idea. The fact that she¡¯s not present only makes it all the more appealing.


    Count Drisford shuts it down fast, though. ¡°It¡¯s not my place to say. Goddesses know how that woman is about her secrets.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I¡¯ll drink to that.¡± I give the Count a salute with my tankard of beer, and to my surprise, he returns the toast.


    ¡°To women and their secrets,¡± He insists, raising his glass of whisky to his thin lips and downing it in time with my own sip. After basking in the warmth of his stiff drink, he enounces, ¡°At any rate, congratulations are in order, Guild Master. I find your conversational skills passable, and I¡¯ve determined a good deal of your character through our discussion. There¡¯s no need to continue with this pointless chatter. I know now you are young, ambitious to a fault, somewhat wise yet naive about the Realm as a whole. While my assessment is much more cynical than Miss Hart¡¯s, I don¡¯t disagree that there is potential in you- however slim- to develop further and that you might one day become a larger player in the grander scheme of things.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your honest assessment. I¡¯m going to take it that¡¯s about the highest compliment one can earn from you?¡±


    ¡°More or less.¡± The grim Count of Grunlun agrees.


    ¡°Glad to hear it. Now that that¡¯s out of the way, when will you allow me to meet with Duke Gloomcrest?¡± I half-jokingly throw the idea out there to assert that I know exactly what I want.


    ¡°Heh,¡± He laughs hoarsely under his breath without changing his expression. ¡°I only said that I was done sizing up your character. I didn¡¯t say I approved of you meeting the Duke just yet, Guild Master. There¡¯s more to this screening than a simple assessment.¡±


    ¡°Then, by all means, elaborate.¡±


    ¡°The reason you were summoned is that Duke Osbourne Gloomcrest has a series of quests he would like to potentially issue your Guild. We¡¯d been deliberating on which of the Guilds in Arrark to send these out to for a while now. Then, Miss Hart came along right in time to insist it be yours. Give me a damn good reason why it should, and it will be so.¡±


    This much information isn¡¯t new to me, as I already inferred this meeting involved registering quests. Opalina kept saying that if I came to Dawnstead, I¡¯d potentially earn the Guild a lot of money, and I wasn¡¯t expecting the Duke to just hand it over as an investment.


    I need more information, though, so I press Count Drisford. ¡°I like what I¡¯m hearing, but may I ask what the quests would entail or their level of difficulty and the rewards at stake?¡±


    ¡°You may not. If you truly want these quests, then you simply need to trust that the Duke would not be miserly with his treasury.¡±


    ¡°So, in other words, all that I need to do is sell my Guild to you, blindly and without knowing the risk of danger?¡±


    ¡°In simple terms, yes. If your conviction isn¡¯t strong enough that you can¡¯t accept the quests without reservations, then we don¡¯t want you. We¡¯ll negotiate with the Dawnstead, Vurgestrom, Roselake, or Crasmere Guilds instead.¡±


    Well, at least he didn¡¯t say Perlshaw, but despite its closeness, Perlshaw is in Rhoivan. Seems they want to keep this problem solely contained to Arrark and its Guilds rather than relying on outside help. I ponder the many different ways I could go about convincing this old, stubborn gargoyle before deciding I need a little something to inspire me further. ¡°Bertrand,¡± I raise my long emptied tankard, ¡°Another.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, Sir. Anything to be of use!¡± Bertrand interrupts his long, silent stint to wrest the tankard from my hands, a dollop of mashed potatoes falling limply to the floor as he runs off to fuel my skill at wordcraft.


    PunishedKom


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 Unstoppable Force vs Immovable Object

    Bonus Chapter #5 - Cherry''s Instincts


    4,000 words exactly (somehow)


    Snow organizes a contest which ends up winning Cherry some alone time with the Master, but Snow dresses her up in something skimpy for it, including a leash! For her reward, things start off adorable as ever with the bratty maid, but the Master starts playing some fun mind games by exploiting Beastfolk''s natural breeding instincts. Cherry''s mind tells her that anal sex won''t help her be bred, but her body says...?


    With a fresh tankard of my grandfather¡¯s favorite beer in hand, I recline against the chair and stare my opponent down from across the table. Count Drisford wants me to convince him that we¡¯re the right Guild for the undisclosed job, does he? Very well. Let¡¯s see how he withstands my verbal assault.


    With as much confidence as I can gather, I begin my argument. ¡°There are many reasons you should choose my Guild, Count Drisford,¡± I tell him. ¡°Chief of which is that the problem you¡¯re facing, whatever it may be, is clearly unique.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t follow.¡± The Count replies, unimpressed.


    ¡°If these quests were something you could just casually issue any old Guild in Arrark without a second thought, I wouldn¡¯t be here. The Dawnstead Guild Master would be. Furthermore, you don¡¯t strike me as the type to just go along with someone else¡¯s idea unless you see some merit or opportunity in it. Opalina may have bugged you for a week straight, but there¡¯s no way you agreed to meet me just get her off of your back. There¡¯s a specific reason why you ultimately agreed to give the Dewhurst Guild a chance. It¡¯s because we¡¯re theoretically best for the job.¡±


    ¡°There were an awful lot of assumptions in that proclamation of yours.¡± He replies, his low, soft voice taking on a menacing cadence.


    ¡°And I could say the same about your assessment of my character. If you¡¯re willing to hear them, I have even more assumptions to voice.¡±


    ¡°Go on, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°You and the Duke both want someone to do away with the criminal who goes by the name of the Duke of Dewhurst, and the quests you want to register are going to be bounty quests that are strictly under the table. Only you, my Guild, and the Association would know. I can¡¯t think of any other reasons you¡¯d be so secretive regarding the quests unless you don¡¯t want anyone who hasn¡¯t already agreed to know that you¡¯re using a Guild to stealthily wipe out a criminal syndicate.¡±


    ¡°...And why would Duke Gloomcrest care who knows, supposing you¡¯re correct?¡±


    ¡°For one, because it makes him look weak and like he can¡¯t solve his own problems.¡±


    Bertrand chooses this moment to interject, despite what little common sense I thought he still had. ¡°How dare you say such vile, despicable things about the honorable Duke of Arrark! Count Drisford, this farce has done long on enough, I-¡±


    Without taking his eyes from me, the Lord Steward puts Bertrand in his place with a chilling threat. ¡°If you open your mouth so much as one more time without being spoken to, so help me, I will find a way to strip you of your nobility and reduce you to nothing but a commoner.¡±


    After nodding his head, Bertrand starts sweating profusely. His face goes gaunt, pale, and his hands tremble. He¡¯s crying, too, and I¡¯m almost impressed with how silently the Chamberlain can cry. I¡¯m guessing Count Drisford has given him plenty of excuses to practice.


    ¡°Guild Master, you¡¯re right about one thing. Duke Gloomcrest is weak. He can¡¯t solve his own problems. But without his leadership, I¡¯m the one who picks up the slack. Your assumptions are implying that I can¡¯t straighten a single, troublesome town in the Duke¡¯s province without relying on underhanded tactics.¡± He purposefully turns my words into an attack on his own character- very crafty of him.


    ¡°With all due respect, that is not what I¡¯m implying at all.¡±


    Without seeming like he believes me or not, Count Drisford demands, ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°You were the one who espoused the values of being aware of the wider world, Count Drisford. I will not pretend to know the political landscape of Arrark, but as important as Dewhurst used to be, it¡¯s only one city. I don¡¯t believe you are the sort of man who would intentionally let a town rot to the point it becomes a hive for criminals. No. The province is bigger than Dewhurst. You and Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s attention must have focused on more pressing issues that I¡¯m unaware of. Then, by the time Dewhurst was corrupted, it became difficult to do anything about it.¡±


    ¡°Hmph...¡± The nobleman closes his eyes, considering my words while giving me nothing to go off of regarding his body language. ¡°If what you say is true, then why would we get a Guild to clean up Dewhurst as opposed to the many other options we as a noble House have at our disposal?¡±


    ¡°I can think of many reasons, mainly that it would be a waste of troops and resources that might be better used elsewhere. While you could certainly ask for help from neighboring provinces that would involve political favors with other nobles or the King...¡± I give him a few good examples before pushing back with my own assertion. ¡°Ultimately, though, the reason is completely irrelevant.¡±


    ¡°Is it really?¡± He questions, his eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.


    ¡°A Guild is meant to help those in need of help, not question why they need it. If you come to my Guild with a problem, you will leave with it solved. No questions asked.¡±


    Silence. There¡¯s no indication that I¡¯m getting anywhere with him, but I¡¯m still confident in the direction I¡¯ve taken this conversation. After thinking on what I¡¯ve said, the Count retorts with, ¡°An inspiring sequence of words, truly, but no matter how you dress it, your Guild is still a Guild. There are four more in Arrark, and you¡¯ve yet to make a case for why these theoretical set of bounty quests should go to you.¡±


    He just gave me a way to segue into one of my strongest arguments, so I pounce on the opportunity like a rabid animal. ¡°That¡¯s the thing, my good Count. I don¡¯t need to make a case. You already have one of the Duke¡¯s most important men sitting in your dungeons right this very moment, thanks to my courageous adventurers. My case is already made.¡±


    ¡°Is it? It could be a fluke. How hard could it have been to capture a street pimp?¡± Finally, there it is. The first signs of weakness. Count Drisford¡¯s arguments are becoming frailer to the point where he¡¯s deliberately diluting the truth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try and pull the wool over my eyes. I know very well who that man was, and I know what Percival Chasteworthe did in his checkered past.¡± The grave, thoughtful older man closes his eyes. I push on. ¡°We both know he was no common street pimp. I saw his might with my own two eyes.¡±


    This gets a different result than I was expecting out of him. ¡°Hold on just a moment. You were there when your adventurers battled him? I was told there was some sort of obnoxious, phallic, palace-dungeon-¡±


    I interrupt him then and there, saying, ¡°Oh, you knew? But didn¡¯t you just wonder aloud how hard it could have been to capture a street pimp?¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Count Drisford growls, while the silent Chamberlain stares at me for having the gall to speak out of turn. ¡°That¡¯s beside the point. How did you see Chasteworthe¡¯s power first hand? You don¡¯t expect me to believe you accompanied the party you sent out to capture him, do you?¡±


    I lower my gaze for a moment, thinking whether or not to reveal one of my remaining trump cards. In the end, I flip the card faceup on the table, asking him, ¡°Have you ever heard of a power known as Taskmaster?¡±


    Count Drisford becomes as hysterical as a man of his poise possibly can. ¡°No, no, no. Guild Master, I am many things, but I am not a fool. You can¡¯t possibly mean to imply that you share the same sacred eyesight as the Hero King of Karnalle.¡±


    ¡°Would you care to see it?¡±


    ¡°...The burden of proof relies on you. You¡¯ll show it if you have it.¡± He says, trying to hide his interest.


    ¡°Open Guild Roster; Zutiria Syndaline and Merille Tillot.¡± My eyes flash pink as two familiar magical displays burst forth. With my hand, I turn them towards the Count so he can read them. Obviously, I leave out Sam¡¯s dossier since the Count outright said he¡¯s met Her Highness before.


    Zutiria may be a slight gamble as well, but I don¡¯t think she mingled with the nobility much whereas Sam was forced to. He may also recognize Meri from her class and her last name, but at least that could be written off as a coincidence, and it wouldn¡¯t implicate me in the abduction of a Princess.


    ¡°Guild Master...¡± Count Drisford¡¯s jaw drops as he stares in open disbelief. At first, I fill with worry, anxious that he may have recognized Zutiria. But the Count then reacts to something more shocking altogether. He asks, ¡°Why in all hells does this magical screen show a list of your adventurer¡¯s fetishes?¡±


    ...Gods damn it all.


    I forgot to shrink the screens to leave that part out. I¡¯ve been thinking so hard during this conversation that such a minor detail slipped my mind. Now Count Drisford, of all people, knows that Zutiria likes sniffing my balls.


    I don¡¯t know how to deal with that knowledge.


    ¡°My version of Taskmaster is a bit different. I¡¯m a true, red-blooded Karnallian male, remember? Let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡± I fix my error before Bertrand can read any of it. Despite his continued silence, he looks disappointed he didn¡¯t get to learn more details of my sordid love life.


    Count Drisford closes his slack jaw and then his eyes. After a moment of silent contemplation, he nods his head. ¡°...Indeed. From one man to another, you have my respect for that much, at least.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. Moving on,¡± I cough into my fist and point at the row of buttons. ¡°The button labeled ¡®camera¡¯ will turn the screen into a sort of remote viewing experience where I can watch their actions and transmit my voice to them, essentially coaching their fights and advising during dungeon crawling. I would show you an example, but I have no way of knowing what they may be doing right now. For all I know, they could be bathing or any other number of embarrassing things, really.¡±


    This perks the ears of a certain mashed potato-faced butler, and I¡¯m starting to hope he speaks out of turn.


    ¡°Say no more. I believe you...¡± Count Drisford sighs as he crosses his hands over his forehead. He continues with even more silent contemplation. ¡°However... you aren¡¯t here to sell your own talents, but those of your Guild. Certainly, you have some fancy tricks at your disposal. I won¡¯t deny that. But how does that apply to your Guild¡¯s strength?¡±


    ¡°Each of my adventurers are strong rookies who have more power than their bronze ranking would have, you think. My guidance and tactics allowed them to take on Sir Pimpington, many of his armed prostitutes, and numerous monsters within his mysterious dungeon. All three adventurers came out of the ordeal much stronger than they went in.¡±


    With an almost wry tone, he asks, ¡°You¡¯re saying your adventurers have potential, then?¡±


    ¡°No, Count Drisford. A piece of coal has the potential to become a diamond, but it¡¯s still a piece of coal. What they have are results.¡±


    The stony old man suddenly grins.


    My gut instinct was right. He brought up ¡®potential¡¯ as another conversational trap. I saw through it and used it against him before he tried arguing what I just brought up. Now, caught in his gambit, he expresses a surprising level of amusement. ¡°I see...¡± Count Drisford admits. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard all that I need to hear out of you, Guild Master.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Not Much of a Jester

    Our subtle battle of wits has ended at long last, and Count Drisford is ready to announce his verdict. I¡¯ve held my ground until now, but I feel on the verge of breaking my composure. Still, I force myself to not show any signs of weakness. I can¡¯t falter after how far I¡¯ve come. All that remains is to listen to the old gargoyle¡¯s words.


    ¡°Let me begin,¡± He starts speaking softly, my heart beating hard and hanging to every last word. ¡°By telling you that once I make up my mind regarding someone¡¯s character, it is nigh inconceivable to change my opinion. Yet, throughout one conversation, you¡¯ve managed to do just that. While I consider myself an excellent judge of character, I drastically overestimated you.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡± I tilt my head, unsure if I heard him correctly.


    ¡°You are worthless, Guild Master, and every word out of your mouth is as good as sludge.¡± He says, his tone distant and yet full of piercing spite that could rival the sharpest of daggers.


    Before I can process the sinking feeling in my chest, Bertrand breaks out of silence to laugh at my misfortune with all the vigor of someone who escaped a sanitarium. ¡°I knew it!¡± He says amid struggled gasps between raucous laughter, the Chamberlain barely able to break out of his lunacy. ¡°I knew you were trash, you piss-ant peasant!¡±


    I stand up off of my chair, ready to finally punch Bertrand¡¯s teeth in and ensure he¡¯s unable to sire an heir to House Brimley, only to watch as Count Drisford angrily throws his half-emptied whisky glass off the table and into Bertrand¡¯s face. It breaks, and shards of glass sprinkle down like rain. ¡°You absolute fool!¡± He hisses at the Chamberlain.


    ¡°AGH! But... but you just said he was worthless...!!¡± Bertrand cries, holding his face but making sure not to accidentally wipe off any of the mashed potatoes less he incur more of the old man¡¯s wrath.


    ¡°That was my attempt at humor,¡± The Count turns to me, and with a truly wicked grin, he teases, ¡°I warned you I was no good at it, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°Sweet fucking Gods, Count Drisford...!¡± I finally break composure and collapse into my chair. While I didn¡¯t mean to swear in his presence, it just sort of came out. I can hardly be blamed. I felt like I aged half a century just from his ¡®attempt at humor¡¯.


    ¡°Please,¡± He shows me his palm in a friendly gesture, saying, ¡°Relax yourself. And for that matter, I am Solomon to my friends.¡±


    ¡°So, I take it this means...¡±


    ¡°Yes, my true thoughts are quite the opposite. I was thoroughly impressed by your rhetoric, confidence, and skill at turning my own words against me. In my many years of service, I¡¯ve negotiated with diplomats, Realm ambassadors, self-styled merchant Lords, other Guild Masters, the Royal family, and more. Few have made me budge quite so much as you, and I believe your true potential could be much higher than I previously expressed. Certainly higher than Bertrand here, who displays an inability to follow even the simplest of directions for more than a few minutes.¡±


    Bertrand takes this insult by keeping his mouth shut. One would hope he¡¯s starting to learn if not for his own sake, then for mine.


    ¡°I must admit, Solomon, you gave me quite a scare.¡± I laugh a bitter laugh, wiping some sweat off of my brow.


    ¡°My apologies. If it makes you feel any better, you were correct in every single assumption you made.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I smirk at the old man, perhaps coming off as a bit too arrogant but not caring despite this.


    ¡°Heh.¡± He smiles himself before continuing on. ¡°The quests are indeed bounties we¡¯ll be putting out on the self-titled Duke of Dewhurst and his chain of command, and as you guessed, we don¡¯t want it known that we are using a Guild to rid ourselves of this problem. These days, our primary focus is on keeping Duke Glorigold¡¯s grubby hands away from our borders. This would be quite embarrassing were he to find out, and he might use it as an excuse to march...¡±


    ¡°Duke Glorigold¡¯s daughter is the current Queen, yes?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s correct. He¡¯s been slowly using this to gain standing in the King¡¯s Court. With our own Duke in the sorry state that he¡¯s in, we¡¯ve been unable to make much headway in our arguments...¡±


    ¡°You needn¡¯t justify yourself to me. It¡¯s like I said, I won¡¯t ask why you need this kept secret.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m aware, Guild Master. I¡¯m attempting to ¡®vent¡¯, as it were.¡± Count Drisford sighs as he strokes his beard between his fingers. Nearby, a particular Chamberlain stares at me in both disbelief and jealousy that the Steward would openly vent his frustrations to a near-stranger instead of himself.


    ¡°I see. Back on the matter at hand, I have one question regarding our business deal. We captured Sir Pimpington and surrendered him to Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s custody before this deal was set in stone. Do you plan on retroactively-¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, that matter is up for the Duke to decide.¡± His tone becomes distressed and distant. He shuts his eyes, reclines back into his chair, and sighs. ¡°I like you well enough, but I¡¯m still Lord Steward and as such, managing the Province¡¯s financials is my priority. If I had it my way, you would not be paid for his capture as we could surely use that gold elsewhere. Count yourself lucky that Miss Hart convinced Duke Gloomcrest to see you personally, as I cannot go against whatever he decides. Your meeting will be at one in the afternoon tomorrow. I will also be present, as will Miss Hart. While my Duke may supersede my authority, I¡¯ll still be advising and help to negotiate. Until then, I ask that you drop any business questions you may have. I tire of such things.¡±


    ¡°I understand, Solomon. I won¡¯t hold anything you say against you. We have different agendas. I¡¯m out to gain as much funding for my Guild as possible, while you obviously wish to keep it within reason. One thing, though. About Sir Pimpington-¡±


    The Count nods his head, deeming my question worth an answer. ¡°He¡¯s locked up in the bottommost layer of our dungeons. Thus far, our attempts to interrogate him have proven unfruitful. After tomorrow¡¯s meeting, you¡¯ll be allowed to speak with him as long as you wish. Does this please you?¡±


    ¡°Very much so. Forgive me, I didn¡¯t mean to stretch business out any longer, but I simply had to know.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re alright. Slave,¡± His sharp eyes slide over to just barely glance at Bertrand, who whimpers just slightly so. ¡°Fetch me another glass and fill up our guest¡¯s drink.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± I raise my palm toward Bertrand, who sighs with relief. ¡°As much as I¡¯ve grown to enjoy your company, Solomon, this has stretched on long enough, and I must prepare myself for tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I suppose I did keep you away from your lady...¡± Count Drisford grins. ¡°Very well. Take the night to rest, and our battle shall continue on the morning. If there is anything that can be provided to make your stay more comfortable, then please feel free to command Sir Brimley here, and it shall be brought.¡±


    ¡°Actually, something comes to mind. Bring me a comfortable chair and set it outside the door to our room.¡± I order Bertrand around without any courtesy, which pisses him off to no small degree.


    ¡°Outside?¡± The Count questions. ¡°Why would you want this?¡±


    ¡°Lady Abigail sent me a message before dinner using her pet dog, and we wrote small notes back and forth for a time after that. I promised that I would continue to write her back for even longer after dinner, and it would be much more comfortable than sitting on my ass on the hard, stone floor.¡±


    Solomon¡¯s eyes open so broadly that they look like they¡¯d pop out if you struck him on the back of the head. His jaw falls, too, and his hand clutches his chest. ¡°This... this can¡¯t be!¡± He stands up, staring at me in horror... or wonder. I genuinely can¡¯t tell, but I¡¯m concerned nonetheless. ¡°Did the young Lady truly reach out to you, of all people?!¡±


    ¡°...Yes, I¡¯m sure she could verify it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±


    A thick, whiny sobbing fills the dining room with even more dread and misery than there was before. It¡¯s coming from Bertrand. His overwhelming sadness cancels out whatever fear he feels towards Count Drisford, and the melancholic Chamberlain cannot remain silent. ¡°No. No, you¡¯re lying. She wouldn¡¯t. You¡¯re just some... some nobody...!¡± Bertrand falls to his knees. ¡°I¡¯ve known her since we were children! Everything I¡¯ve ever done was to one day court the young Lady and secure myself as the next Duke through marriage! I LOVE HER, DAMN YOU! I ALWAYS HAVE! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU!¡±


    I find myself unable to respond to Bertrand, who is crying so hard that it wipes the last bits of mashed potatoes from his face. When I look at Count Drisford, he makes a similar uncomfortable expression before saying, ¡°...You¡¯re dismissed, Bertrand. Go and get our guest that comfortable chair.¡± Perhaps out of pity, Count Drisford resists the opportunity to torture the Chamberlain further.


    This makes the neurotic nobleman even more unhinged. He falls to his knees, sobbing but too afraid to argue back with his orders. Bertrand leaves the dining hall on all fours, chugging along as slowly as a snail and leaving a veritable waterway of salty tears in his wake. He opens the door and then disappears into the hallway. His voice shouts a distorted succession of ¡®damn you¡¯s before fading off into the distance with pathetic finality.


    ¡°What in all the Realms is that man¡¯s fucking problem? I¡¯ve been asking myself that one question ever since I first arrived.¡±


    Solomon shrugs his shoulders and cradles his forehead. ¡°Like many nobles, he was born with a silver spoon and no one willing to spank his ass with it.¡±


    I laugh at the thought. ¡°You¡¯re funnier than you give yourself credit for, Solomon.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Another dry smile cracks across his lips for but a moment before it fades. Then, he walks towards me. I rise up from my seat to meet him. ¡°I don¡¯t know why our young Lady Gloomcrest has chosen to speak with you, although whether it was the machinations of a certain motherly witch matters not.¡± It seems I¡¯m not the only one wise to Opalina¡¯s ways around here.


    The Lord Steward goes on, saying, ¡°Abigail is special, Guild Master, not just to me but everyone within Castle Mourneheart. Although only twenty-six, she has suffered more than many people do in their entire lifetime. As such, Abigail doesn¡¯t speak to just anyone. She isn¡¯t like your typical noblewoman. She doesn¡¯t have ladies in waiting, she doesn¡¯t waste an exorbitant amount of gold on fashion or beauty, no, she¡¯s just a good... good girl. Wholesome. Innocent. Pure. Please...¡± Count Drisford raises his hand, so I shake it. The old man then pleadingly places his opposite hand onto mine as well, clasping tightly around my hand with warmth and desperation. Small tears form in the corners of the man¡¯s eyes, the man who until now had effortlessly hidden his emotions behind a veil of stone and grimness. ¡°Please, keep talking to her. Goddesses know she needs a friend.¡±


    While I don¡¯t know very much about the noble Necromancer, it¡¯s plain to see that Abigail means the world to this man from the way he talks of her. When asked a personal favor with such seriousness out of a man so guarded about his feelings, there¡¯s no way I can refuse him. Especially if I planned to do what he requested anyway. I nod my head and give the old man as confident a smile as I can muster, telling him, ¡°Of course, it would be my honor to continue speaking with Lady Abigail. Especially if it keeps making Bertrand cry.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Checking in on the Homefront

    Count Drisford and I parted on good terms, and I¡¯d go as far to say that our business dinner was a resounding, undisputable success. Tomorrow is my Guild¡¯s big shot. If it goes well, we¡¯ll be paid for something we were going to have to do anyway on top of earning favor with Duke Gloomcrest.


    The road ahead may be brighter now, but it still isn¡¯t without bumps.


    Solomon will be battling me over the price tomorrow, and I need to fight to make sure we get retroactive payment for capturing Pimpington. That¡¯s besides the fact that the girls still have to fight the rest of the Duke¡¯s forces, too. They got stronger during the dungeon crawl, but Zutiria blacked out while Sam and Meri were riddled with bloody holes, forced to drink way too many healing potions in too short of a timeframe.


    It¡¯s an uphill battle for sure, but we¡¯re not going to lose momentum. Doubt and second-guessing will only lead to defeat.


    Regarding Solomon, I¡¯m glad to have met him. Some men cover their hearts and emotions in a thick, defensive layer of grit and intensity. As distant as their hearts may be, they still beat the same as anyone else¡¯s. I feel like I got to see a rare side of the old gargoyle that some people would never imagine exists, and I¡¯m satisfied with that rare knowledge.


    I left him on the promise that I¡¯d continue to talk with Abigail tonight, and I intend on doing just that. But first, I¡¯d like to check in with the Guild via Taskmaster. I¡¯m the Lady won¡¯t mind a minor delay, assuming she isn¡¯t done visiting with Opalina.


    Once I make it up to the familiar hallway on the top floor, I notice that Bertrand works fast despite his sadness. Already there is a large, black leather chair waiting for me by the door to our room. Right as I bend over to inspect it, Opalina pokes her head out of Abigail¡¯s door and draws my attention. Behind her lies only darkness, dashing my hopes at catching a peek of the mysterious girl within.


    ¡°I was just about to go and check on you. Hmm. I trust you showed Solomon just how assertive you can be, Dear?¡± The ravishing, dressed-up witch asks with a playful smile. Her makeup, hair, and dress are just as dashing as before, even if I still feel bad that she barely got to show them off.


    ¡°Not only that, but I also learned he¡¯s quite unskilled when it comes to telling a joke. Are you two having fun in there?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re just having a little girl talk,¡± The older woman suggestively lids her eyes. ¡°Nothing you would find interesting, I¡¯m sure.¡±


    ¡°Surely. Are you still going to be visiting Abigail for a while? I wanted to contact the girls, see how their day went before making good on my promise to the young Lady and spending time with you.¡±


    ¡°Go on and check in with them, then. We¡¯re having ever so much fun by ourselves...¡± The witch¡¯s voice hints at many things, none of which are all that reassuring. Regardless, I bow out and see myself into our room while Opalina returns to Abigail¡¯s. The sound of a dog barking excitedly occurs once she re-enters.


    Now alone, I lay down on the bed and prop up some pillows to hold up my back into a reclined position. Opening up Taskmaster and being greeted with the sight of my Guild Roster and three bond level meters all on the verge of reaching level three, I think about who I should contact to call a group meeting. It¡¯s only a little after eight, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be interrupting anyone doing anything important or lewd. Ultimately, I decide to open Sam¡¯s camera view up.


    The Princess turns out to be sitting up alone in bed, just like me, only she¡¯s lost in fairly deep meditation. She¡¯s wearing her usual pajamas for when she doesn¡¯t feel like being sexy, a red shirt, and a pair of my boxers. Adorable.


    I watch Sam as she meditates like this for a few minutes, which I fully admit is creepy of me, but it¡¯s a rare chance to see her with her guard down. After about two minutes, Sam starts to struggles as her concentration fades. Her eyebrows begin to twitch, then her eyelids join in until finally, her mental focus shatters, and she groans with annoyance while opening her eyes.


    The look on Sam¡¯s grumpy face makes it clear she¡¯s upset that she can¡¯t just focus indefinitely, and after waiting a while to make myself appear innocent, I perk her up by turning on my voice and catching her attention, ¡°Sam, are you busy?¡±


    Right away, she becomes a lot more enthusiastic. ¡°Boss!¡± She says excitedly. ¡°Nope, I was just finishing up an annoying meditation session. You know how it is. What¡¯s up? Should I go and huddle everyone up downstairs or something?¡±


    ¡°Please do, a lot happened today, and I¡¯d love to get you all up to speed.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± Sam gives me a thumbs up. Because she doesn¡¯t know where my viewing angle is, she ends up flashing it in the entirely wrong direction.


    The perky Princess hops up, making it clear to me that she¡¯s not wearing a bra under her shirt, and over a few minutes, she gathers everyone in the newly-cleaned entrance hall. Seeing it in all its glory, I can¡¯t help imagining what it¡¯ll be like after we get all the gold necessary to pay Gwin¡¯s family to renovate the building. Of course, we still need to get back on their good side, but I can fantasize if I want to, Gods be damned.


    Interestingly, the three maids had to be called in from outside. Peri and Cherry enter the room with their uniforms covered in filthy grime before collapsing on the floor. Snow, who is just as dirty but not nearly as tired, sighs and bends over to pick both kittens up and haul them over her shoulders. The head maid plops them down onto the bench of the nearest table and props them up to make sure neither will fall.


    Everyone but Nikita, who I¡¯m sure is at a nearby bar, is now present. Meri was baking Sam the cookies that the spoiled Princess claims she¡¯s owed, but they just got put in the oven, so they¡¯re okay now. Judging by the flushed face and fresh sweat dripping down her brow as she emerges from the east wing, I¡¯d imagine Zutiria was studying the eronomicon in her makeshift lab... too bad I didn¡¯t check on her first.


    We get the pleasantries out of the way as I ask, ¡°And how was everyone¡¯s day today?¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m back to a full hundred percent, and then some!¡± Sam stands up and flexes her bicep while flashing a toothy grin.


    ¡°Me too!¡± Meri smiles innocently before her own thoughts make her upset. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that those muscle pains are over and done with...¡± She grimaces, remembering the agony of the last two days.


    Speaking of, Zutiria is almost fully healed, too. ¡®I¡¯m almost there. Probably tomorrow.¡¯ She says distractedly. Seemingly, the Mage has lewder things on her mind. Her attention snaps back into focus once I start going over everything that¡¯s happened today so far, though.


    As for how the resident Catfolk¡¯s day went, Peri and Cherry can barely say much beyond a tired meow and vague mumblings about how they miss me. Snow is much more awake. ¡°I¡¯ve been focused on cleaning up a certain something, Master, and they¡¯ve been doing the bulk of it with my oversight.¡± Her yellow eyes flitter with mischievous intent that tells me I¡¯m not going to learn what she¡¯s up to until I come home. I already have a good idea of her intentions, though, and I¡¯m excited to be proven right.


    I start the briefing by covering after I left this morning. While everyone is terrified that I was attacked by the Crystal Sage, they¡¯re all happy to hear that Opalina was able to hit him with something that could potentially get him out of our hair for a while. Zutiria isn¡¯t convinced that it will work for all that long.


    Despite not knowing the power of Opalina¡¯s spell, the little Mage echoes most of the Doctor¡¯s concerns, guessing he¡¯ll likely only be out of commission for a few weeks at best. When I tell Zutiria that Opalina already thought as much, she shrugs her shoulders. Those two are a lot alike sometimes, in everything but body type. Best not to mention that comparison to the little lady, though.


    Anyways, with the Crystal Sage out of the picture, that leaves the only major players in the Duke of Dewhurst¡¯s arsenal that we know of as Fleetfoot and, to a lesser extent Butcher Bludman. It¡¯s likely a lot of the thugs and gangs around are on his payroll, but we¡¯ve yet to just be ambushed on the street by any of them... so no point in bringing it up just to dampen morale.


    All I tell them is, ¡°Keep up your guard, everyone. I¡¯ll have a lot more intel on the extent of the Duke¡¯s forces tomorrow so we can plan things out better then.¡± and then move on to other parts of the conversation.


    The girls hang on to my every word as I describe the city and the castle to them. The maids aren¡¯t impressed, having been to Dawnstead many times in their travels as part of the Breeding Tribe.


    After skipping much about Bertrand and entirely glossing over the handjob from Opalina, we reach my excursion in the library. I tell Meri I found a book about Shield Maidens for her, and without any exaggeration, she outright starts crying thick tears of joy. As happy as it makes me seeing her like this, I feel a little letdown. I would have waited to give it to her in person if I knew she would be this cute about it.


    While Meri is just about the happiest I¡¯ve ever seen her, Sam is jokingly jealous about not getting a book of secret techniques for herself. I tell her that if she wants more technical skills, she should consider changing classes from Great Blader to something more exotic, but that¡¯d be a bureaucratic annoyance and a lot of paperwork to fill out.


    Snow teases Sam that she could try and become a Hero, but Her Highness writes it off, saying she can¡¯t use light magic. Thank the Gods for that one. I¡¯d hate to have to work through those forms. Besides, Sam has a lot more work on fundamentals before she¡¯s ready to try other things.


    I leave the details about Abigail to the side for now because It¡¯d be easier to talk about her in person. Thus, we come to my dinner meeting. After it¡¯s all out on the table, Snow is the first to speak. As a fellow business-oriented person, she nods her head with subdued delight and exclaims, ¡°As expected of the man I allowed to become my mate.¡±


    That¡¯s now how I remember it going, but I¡¯ll let her have her moment.


    The excitement among the Guild is palpable once they learn about the upcoming bounty quests. At the thought of more gold, even the dead-tired kitten rouse from their work exhausted state to raise their heads and meow half-hearted statements of joy.


    When I ask Sam if she remembers Count Drisford, all I get is a burnt-out shrug of her shoulders. It¡¯s about what I expected. Sam¡¯s met so many old noblemen in her life that they all run together, and she has no recollection of Solomon.


    Eventually, Zutiria asks with her trademark bluntness, ¡®So how many new girls should we expect you to bring back?¡¯


    The question gives me pause, and I return with a moment of silence as I consider it. Thoughts of the mysterious Necromancer fill my mind, primarily because of how much I¡¯d like to have a strong class like that in my Guild and not because I want to hook up with her. Still, the hesitation is enough to send this bunch of nosy girls into overdrive with speculation. Way, way too late, I respond, ¡°...None, don¡¯t be silly.¡±


    ¡°Boss, you alright there?¡± Sam smirks knowingly. ¡°You coulda just said no.¡±


    Zutiria adjusts her glasses with a cold, analytical prowess. ¡®Sir must have been thinking of someone in particular, or else he would have. Someone came to mind.¡¯


    Meri gasps and covers her mouth. ¡°Did you find a new adventurer? Oh! Maybe you were supposed to meet the healer in Dawnstead!¡±


    ¡°If we¡¯re getting new girls, make sure... it¡¯s more maids...¡± Cherry whimpers, her muscles shaking with pain.


    ¡°P-Please... send help... nyaa...¡± Peri joins her comrade¡¯s plea.


    I don¡¯t know how she does it, but Snow magically knows precisely where the camera is positioned. She looks right at me with her best ¡®you¡¯re so hopeless¡¯ expression, and in her silky, teasing voice, the head maid says, ¡°Guess we should have made sure Opalina had a nice leash for you, Master. Goodness knows what filth you¡¯ve been up to unsupervised... why, knowing you, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if you laid hands on the Duke¡¯s daughter.¡±


    ¡°Master wouldn¡¯t!¡± Meri blushes as she stands up, defending my character. Then, she thinks about it a little more, and doubt begins to form in her mind. The Shield Maiden frowns, asking, ¡°Um... r-right, Master?¡±


    I don¡¯t make the same mistake twice, and instead of hesitating, I respond right away. ¡°Of course not, don¡¯t be silly. The young Lady is a very nice girl, and we¡¯ll leave it at that.¡±


    All of the other five girls start staring in the same direction as Snow. None of them believe me.


    PunishedKom


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 An Unexpected Visitor

    The accusatory eyes of my Guild force me to tell the truth about Abigail. Meri thinks it¡¯s cute how the Necromancer is too shy to talk to me without the notes, and Zutiria is interested in the girl¡¯s magical power. Sam, however, continues her jokingly jealous pouty act by implying one noble should be more than enough for me.


    I settle everyone down and continue trying to convince them that there isn¡¯t any romantic subtext at play here and that I barely know the girl. Sam points out that I barely knew her, and then Zutiria, Meri, and Snow all follow her cue. Ok, so maybe I jump into relationships with the excuse of feeling destiny¡¯s pull, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m doing that with Abigail. I put my foot down and reiterate that my interactions thus far are strictly platonic, and that¡¯s that.


    Skepticism abounds, but the inquisition of my lovers finally subsides, and we move on to more mundane conversational topics.


    As expected, Meri is thrilled to be reading the choose your own adventure Dungeon Sluts book and has spent much of the day leading her adventurer through his first playthrough. She apparently named him after me and customized his description so that the adventurer resembles me, and I¡¯m not sure how to feel about that.


    After her nap, Zutiria spent most of the day talking to Snow and catching her up on how things work around here. After that, she went to experiment in her lab. The little lady makes it known that she expects a significant improvement to her facilities once we have enough gold, which I promise her will be one of the first renovations we make.


    Sam had a lazy day today. Gwin popped by to pick up Sam and Meri¡¯s armors, as well as Sam¡¯s old sword, and her Highness helped the Dwarf carry them out with her. After hanging out, the two came back an hour later with the armors looking as good as new. Meri was very relieved since her armor was made specially by her father. Having someone else work on it was a nerve-wracking experience for the Shield Maiden, but even though she insists she¡¯s an amateur, Gwin proved up to the task. I¡¯m glad that was taken care of. Both girls took a lot of damage during the raid on the Pimpfort. Their armor was riddled with holes and needed patching up. It won¡¯t hurt to keep Sam¡¯s old sword around, either.


    Aside from that, Sam admits to mostly just laying around all day and enjoying some time off for once. I give her a piece of advice that she¡¯s not too thrilled about but agrees to regardless. Namely, I don¡¯t want Sam to touch her new sword until I¡¯m home. If they train with Nikita tomorrow, she¡¯s to use her old sword for the time being. Her Highness accepts my request since I appeal to her emotions, saying I want to be there when she first uses it. Not technically a lie, but that sword is a problem, and I need to talk to her about it in person.


    Since I¡¯ve only been gone since this morning, we run out of conversation pretty fast especially given how Snow is evasive about what she and the maids have been up to. I ask what they¡¯ll be doing tonight if anything. Snow provides a worrying response.


    ¡°Oh, now that I¡¯m caught up with how the Guild works, I was going to lead everyone in a little trust-building exercise that will help everyone get to know me, nyaa...¡± She clasps her paws together, and with danger in her eyes, she looks at the trio of adventurers. Although Snow smiles lovingly at them, it sends a visible tingle down their spines. ¡°I¡¯m just going to let the girls know what to expect from me now that I¡¯m the... hmm, what¡¯s a good word... ah yes, the ¡®Boss Bitch¡¯ around these parts.¡± Snow giggles in a strangely innocent way.


    Meri looks down at the floor, sweating and trembling at the thought of whatever Snow has planned. Zutiria makes no change in her emotions but scoots further away from the head maid on the bench. Sam is conflicted, unsure of whether to be terrified or aroused.


    Perhaps because they¡¯re tired, or maybe because they already know their place under the Boss Bitch, Peri and Cherry only tiredly meow in response.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Feeling a bit playful, I add, ¡°Make sure to listen to whatever Snow tells you, girls.¡±


    As I turn off Taskmaster, I play witness to Snow¡¯s expression betraying her intentions. The last thing I see is the sadistic head maid looking at my girls like they were a trio of tasty mice. If I didn¡¯t have other plans, I would feel tempted to secretly watch Snow at work... sadly, Abigail deserves my full attention, and so does Opalina after that.


    Speaking of, she¡¯s still not back yet. Rather than interrupt their discussion, I make myself comfortable on the bed and try to relax. It doesn¡¯t work, of course. My mind isn¡¯t built for that. Already I¡¯m planning out everything I¡¯d like to say to Duke Gloomcrest and readying counterarguments to use against Count Drisford.


    Somehow or another, my mind drifts towards Luxy. I just checked in with the girls, so I get to thinking it would be nice to check in with my divine sponsor, too. Without expecting anything to come of it, I look to the skies and ask, ¡°Luxy?¡±


    After a few seconds of nothing, suddenly, there is something. ¡®Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m here now.¡¯ She sighs.


    I sit up with more enthusiasm than I thought I¡¯d have for her. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were back yet. Are you alright? You left at a really awkward time.¡±


    The Goddess makes a grumpy noise saying, ¡°Just a minute...¡±


    Waiting patiently for her to do whatever she needs to, I¡¯m taken entirely by surprise when a small orb of light appears over on the edge of the bed. This orb is different from the one Luxy used to communicate with the girls and me during the Pimpfort. It¡¯s even brighter, and it grows by the second until taking the shape of Luxy herself.


    After a beautiful shine, the light fades, and all that remains is a young girl with the same body and hair as Lux Ultima, but none of the godly glow, jewelry, or even her crown-like halo. Instead of her skimpy ornate bikini of the gods, she now wears a simple white robe with gold and blue patterns running along the bottom. I wouldn¡¯t say she passes entirely as a human, her hair is far too flawless, and her skin is without blemish or a single imperfection. Still, a shocking sight.


    The Goddess crosses her arms in frustration, and without even looking at me, she says, ¡°My sister came over while you guys were doing the dungeon thing.¡±


    ¡°...Oh, I see.¡± I mumble, still taken aback.


    Luxy turns to face me and angrily raises a brow. ¡°What? You¡¯re acting like it¡¯s weird for a Goddess to take on a mortal form or something.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting you to just... appear, you know. It¡¯s startling.¡±


    Like a child, she pouts even further and gets on the bed, facing me on all fours as she slams her fists down against the mattress. ¡°Well, get over it! I gotta tell you about this junk and I... I dunno, I felt like talking to you in person again.¡± She frowns before sitting down properly, her eyes glued to the red blankets below.


    ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I sigh and rub my brow, shaking off the remaining shock. ¡°Did things go alright?¡±


    ¡°Yes. We had a really nice time together.¡± Luxy responds with a confusing amount of anger for such a statement.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the problem?¡±


    All at once, the Goddess lets out a thousand emotions that she doesn¡¯t know how to process. She¡¯s angry, upset, happy, sad, scared, and she¡¯s venting it all on me. ¡°Because we never have a nice time together! Not anymore, at least. I thought she got wind of me helping you so much and that she was gonna come brag about all the new gifts she gave the Demon Lord to make up for it, but we just hung out for a few days, and she didn¡¯t even bring him up! This has to be one of her tricks. She HAS to know that I¡¯ve been meddling in your life, she... uh... she... GAH! This is all too much!¡± After constant babbling, Luxy comically falls over on the bed and starts slamming her fists and feet into it like a toddler.


    Seeing her this upset and confused brings out a nurturing side of me that I can¡¯t hold back. I reach out and start stroking her head as reassuringly as I can. ¡°Calm down, Luxy. I can barely follow you.¡±


    The Goddess raises her head to look at me, aghast. ¡°...It has been close to 3,500 years since a lowly mortal has dared to touch me. Let alone with such familiarity!¡± Unimpressed with her theatrics, I narrow my brow and take my hand away. Blushing, the Goddess instantly adds, ¡°I didn¡¯t say to stop!¡±


    With an amused smile, I start stroking the Goddess¡¯s hair after she sits up and turns her back to me, no doubt to hide how crimson her face has become. As I lavish her with attention, she prattles on how Tenebris Primis arrived unannounced, and the two spent the last three days just hanging out like surprisingly ordinary girls. They talked about some funny stuff happening in the Realm, gossipped about Gods of other Realms, and played a Dwarven tabletop game together. I have to admit, that¡¯s a pretty outrageous thought after seeing all the terrifying depictions of Tenebris Primis scattered throughout Castle Mourneheart.


    Once done with her rambling, Luxy looks over her shoulders and asks me for my thoughts, ¡°Well?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. It just sounds like you had a nice couple of days with your sister.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. You don¡¯t get it. She¡¯s the Goddess of Darkness, you know! Tricks... lies... deceit... all that stuff! Not only that, we¡¯ve been pretty much angry with each other for the last few centuries now... that¡¯s why you¡¯re in this situation. It¡¯s suspicious, she even wants to hang out next week, and I have to paint all these damn miniatures for this game she wants to play! That bitch challenged me not to paint them with magic, too...¡±


    ¡°How lovely for the both of you. Now that you¡¯ve made up do you think you could walk back on the Hero of Light business, and Tenebris can take away the Demon Lord¡¯s powers?¡±


    My joke eases her frantic mood, and she gives me a reluctant smile. ¡°Bit too late for that,¡± Luxy says. ¡°Nice try, though. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve like... made up or anything. Even when we fight, we¡¯re still sisters. We kinda have little breaks like this. We¡¯ll be back at it again soon, I¡¯m sure...¡±


    ¡°Ah, well. If you suddenly solved your differences, then I guess you¡¯d have no more reasons to give me any special treatment, and I wouldn¡¯t get to give you head pats any longer.¡±


    Blushing, Luxy becomes aware that I¡¯m still touching and stroking her hair. She must have gotten used to it, and pointing it out just brings up her embarrassment back to where it was before. She turns her head away in a fit, saying, ¡°Shut up! I still didn¡¯t say you could stop!¡±


    I laugh a little bit and tell her, ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re ok, Luxy. I know you¡¯re a God and all that, but you left really abruptly, and it¡¯s been days. Even with everything going on, I was worried about you.¡±


    ¡°...You¡¯re so weird,¡± She crosses her arms again. ¡°It¡¯s like you said, I¡¯m a God. What¡¯s the worst that could¡¯ve happened?¡± Then, the Goddess sits silently in contemplation before sighing and slumping her shoulders. ¡°...Thanks for listening to my problems, though.¡±


    ¡°Seems like you needed it, so I¡¯m happy to help.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, I don¡¯t have many options. My angels are too stuffy and worship-y to actually listen to me, same with all my clerics and priests, and it¡¯s not like I can complain about my sister to my sister.¡± Luxy laughs at the thought.


    ¡°On that matter, what do you plan to do about her?¡±


    The bratty Goddess turns to face me and tilts her head to the side. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°You were afraid she caught on to you helping me, right? Are you going to help me less from now on so that we don¡¯t risk it?¡±


    Luxy narrows her clear, blue eyes and looks down to the bed below. She weighs the options before shaking her head. ¡°I could just be being paranoid. No, I¡¯m going to keep this status quo of ours going from here on out. By the looks of things, you¡¯ll be fighting the rest of those criminals, so you can expect some more of those special dungeons at the very least when you corner the big ones. As far as any other favors, we¡¯ll see how it goes.¡±


    Hearing her words fills me with a warm sense of relief. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it.¡±


    The Goddess then surprises me by smirking and reaching out to pat me on my head in an almost motherly way. ¡°You did pretty damn good, by the way. Keep it up.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I smile back at the little Goddess before blindsiding her and changing the topic. ¡°So, about that sword you picked out for Sam-¡±


    ¡°No one was using the damn thing!¡± Luxy instantly grows defensive and puts her hands on her hips. ¡°I gave it to Roy so that future generations could put its power to good use, and you damn mortals have treated it as a religious artifact ever since!¡±


    ¡°Yes, but just teleporting it out of the Royal vault may cause problems for us...¡±


    The Goddess of Light sighs and begins to glow. ¡°I was trying to help, alright? You guys can figure out the details!¡± With an angry huff, Luxy disappears by way of a flashing light just as randomly as she appeared. It¡¯s not like I was going to ask her to take it back. We¡¯ll use the damn thing alright, but still...


    Before I can linger on the problem of the stolen sword, Opalina opens up the door to tell me, ¡°She¡¯s ready now, sweetheart.¡± A mischievous smile rests on her face, and impish curiosity flashes in her eyes.


    PunishedKom


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 Letters to a Necromancer

    Taking off my fancy coat and undoing a few of the buttons of my shirt to get more comfortable, I stand up off the bed and walk towards Opalina. ¡°So what sort of strange ideas have you been putting in the young Lady¡¯s head while I was busy?¡±


    ¡°Nothing too strange,¡± Opalina dubiously claims. ¡°I was actually praising her for reaching out to you. Abigail saved me the trouble of having to orchestrate a meet-cute.¡± The doctor teases, although I don¡¯t think she¡¯s joking.


    ¡°Yes, nothing more romantic than telling our future children how I first saw their mother¡¯s scary undead skeleton bear in grandfather¡¯s creepy library, and the rest was history...¡± Opalina giggles, apparently finding my sarcasm delightful.


    Although she means it in jest, I look into her eyes with a small spark of defiance on my face. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to add her to my Guild, Opalina- or my bedmates. I hardly know Abigail, and I don¡¯t even know what she looks like. First Snow, now this... you¡¯re developing a habit of getting ahead of yourself regarding my love life, you know? Sure, you¡¯ve always looked after me, but... just try and reign yourself in a little bit. Please?¡±


    Opalina considers my sentence for an awkwardly long time. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, but I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s far too late in this case.¡± She shifts her eyes to the left to escape my inquisitory gaze. ¡°Just go on and talk to her, alright?¡±


    I try and say something in response to her loaded comment, but it¡¯s no use. The old witch maneuvers behind me and pushes against the flat of my back, ushering me toward the open door. She slams it on me, and I hear the clanking of a metallic lock setting in place. Apparently, I won¡¯t be returning until I¡¯ve spent a long enough time with the noble Necromancer Opalina wants to hook me up with.


    I¡¯m grateful for every last member of my harem, but apart from the ¡®destined¡¯ girls hand-picked by Luxy, I don¡¯t want to just keep adding and adding every new girl I meet. I know myself, and I know I will end up with a much greater number than the roster I have right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to rush in just because Opalina is telling me to go for it.


    If- and I absolutely mean if- I were to grow interested in Abigail Gloomcrest, I would want it to be natural and not just because the option is available... then again, I can¡¯t help imagining the political benefits I would get for dating a Duke¡¯s daughter... and if she could be convinced to take up an adventurer¡¯s mantle, having a Necromancer would be an invaluable asset... hm...


    Damn my over-active mind for business, always searching for exploitable opportunities...


    However, all this supposition is useless when considering the most significant factor- Abigail¡¯s own feelings. From what little I know about the girl, she¡¯s a troubled recluse with a tragic past. No matter what Opalina has whispered into the girl¡¯s ear, that doesn¡¯t really scream ¡®single and looking to mingle¡¯ to me, and I¡¯m not about to push her just because it would be beneficial.


    Right as I sigh from the stress that thinking about all romantic turmoil gives me and take my seat, the doggy door on Abigail¡¯s door opens up on the opposite side of the hall. Two skittering creatures of cold, dead bone exit the young lady¡¯s chambers. One is the familiar dog with who I¡¯m well acquainted, while the other is undoubtedly a cat.


    The dog drops its message on the floor by my feet, hopping up onto the chair in an oddly adorable attempt to lick me with a tongue it no longer has. It doesn¡¯t seem to mind that it can¡¯t actually express its affection, judging by how vigorously the dead beast wags its rattly tail.


    The cat, as cats so often do, takes a roundabout way to get my attention. It jumps gracefully onto the arm of the chair, walks up along the back so it can rub its body against the back of my head, then settles into the opposite arm and looks at me with a confused stare like it doesn¡¯t understand why I¡¯m not already petting it. I give the cat¡¯s skull a cautious rub, and it begins to purr. I¡¯m getting used to the sensation of touching these things.


    Abigail¡¯s dog remembers it was here with a job to do. Scooping up the message and the quill back into its jaw, then standing up on its back legs so I can take them.


    On a brand new piece of parchment, a new message from the young Lady herself is sitting right there waiting to be read. ¡®Hello, me again. I¡¯m happy to hear your meeting with Sully went well. Thanks for coming back to talk more. Sorry if Opal is still being weird about me...¡¯


    I never imagined someone calling that stony old gargoyle a cute name like Sully, but strangely it fits. ¡®No thanks necessary. There¡¯s nowhere else I¡¯d rather be tonight. Opalina has a habit of trying to play matchmaker for me... please disregard anything untoward she suggests. I don¡¯t want you to get the wrong idea about me- I¡¯m not pressuring her to do this.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s fine... you¡¯re very nice, you know? Saying you don¡¯t have anything better to do than talking with a weird, creepy, shut-in who can¡¯t even talk to you in person... especially when you could be enjoying Opal¡¯s... company... it¡¯s very sweet of you, even if it¡¯s a lie. I know it¡¯s not your fault that she¡¯s pressuring me to... flirt... with you.¡¯


    ¡®Wait, she¡¯s telling you to flirt with me?¡¯ I almost can¡¯t believe it. Does Opalina really expect this recluse to just jump out of her dark dwelling right onto my lap? ¡®Is she really being that forward about it?¡¯


    ¡®Yes,¡¯ Abigail admits, and I can imagine the sigh behind her words. ¡®Actually, flirting was one of her tamer suggestions... I could never bring myself to repeat the lewder ideas she proposed, not even in writing... she... suffice to say she has some very creative ideas about the ways the mail slot on my door could be used.¡¯


    I knew in my heart that the old witch was making things worse, but... I underestimated how bad it was if she¡¯s trying to tease this noblewoman into doing glory hole play with me. ¡®Gods, I¡¯m so sorry.¡¯


    Abigail rushes ahead in her response, trying to take the blame. ¡®No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry. Besides, Opal just assumes you would like me enough for... that sort of thing. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m pretty or anything, and I¡¯ve grown to accept that... oh, I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to be negative or anything...¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m overly cynical myself. Still, though. Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, so it¡¯s an awful large assumption of you to make that I wouldn¡¯t find you attractive. For all you know, my tastes could be vast. Not to mention that you¡¯re a mysterious noblewoman with magic powers locked away in a castle- you¡¯re one Prince Charming short of an Everafterian fairy tale.¡¯ After the dog takes that one away, I notice how flirty it sounds. Too late to fix it.


    Her response is shakier. ¡®I know you¡¯re just joking, but no Prince would ever touch me. I like the idea, though... it makes me feel warm inside... I guess part of it is just that I¡¯m so excited to actually talk to you.¡¯


    ¡®Why? I¡¯m hardly anything special. I¡¯m just a random guest of your father¡¯s.¡¯


    ¡®This might sound strange, maybe even creepy, but I¡¯ve known about you for a lot longer than you might think... please don¡¯t be creeped out?¡¯


    She¡¯s coming down very hard on herself. Not sure why she thinks I¡¯d be creeped out just because she knows about me, especially when it¡¯s plain to see the reason why. ¡®It¡¯d take a lot to unsettle me. You¡¯re fine... though I¡¯m guessing Opalina has told you about me before?¡¯


    ¡®Mhmm... but we can¡¯t keep circling back to Opal, you know... we¡¯re more than the connection we share with her. I¡¯m... terrible at talking, so I¡¯m forcing myself to write this, but... even though I know a good deal about you, you still know next to nothing about me. If there are... you know, any questions you have for me... or about me...? Then you can... oh, please tell me you know where I¡¯m trying to go with this. Opening up is so exhausting...¡¯


    I¡¯m really starting to find myself charmed by this neurotic girl. It¡¯s right there on the paper how hard she¡¯s struggling, but for every voice inside of her head telling her no, Abigail is saying yes. And for what, just so she can talk to me? How could I not be flattered?


    ¡®I¡¯d love to know more about you, for sure. Let¡¯s see here... well, what better place to start than telling me about your friends? Thus far, I¡¯ve seen your bear, your dog, and a very presumptuous cat. How many pets are there hiding in that room of yours?¡¯


    This simple question sparks a fire in her, and the young Lady Gloomcrest writes up a storm of impassioned words that I couldn¡¯t have imagined only moments before.


    ¡®A lot more than those three... this might be a little heavy, but when I was only six, I lost my mother. Father tried many ways to make me happy until finding that indulging my love of animals was enough to dull my grief. Since we¡¯re rich, there was no upper limit on how much he could spoil me...


    My cat is named Misery... as you can see, she¡¯s very arrogant and uppity. Rather unbecoming of a lady of her standing if you ask me. The good boy passing our messages back and forth answers to Woe. Calling him man¡¯s best friend is an insult to his character- it¡¯s simply not enough. Lastly, the bear you met in the library is named Sombre. He¡¯s a quiet one, but don¡¯t take his silence as a sign of apathy...


    Oh, dear... after rereading this message, I¡¯m starting to think I went on for too long. I¡¯m sorry... I shouldn¡¯t assume you¡¯re interested in hearing about all this...¡¯


    Woe, Misery and Sombre? Well. She¡¯s got a consistent theme going on, at least. From the joyous and playful way she writes about them, it¡¯s obvious Abigail loves her pets beyond measure. I just wish that this topic didn¡¯t lead down a road paved with eggshells. It¡¯s hard to avoid the big, ¡®So, why are all of your pets dead?¡¯ question... asking what happened to them straight up would be incredibly rude, and asking indirectly would be nosy.


    I end up choosing a safe, middle-of-the-road response. ¡®Silly girl. I asked the question- of course I¡¯m interested. Woe is very sweet, while Misery reminds me of another cat I know. Somber was a bit harder to digest. I didn¡¯t even know that he was a bear at first. It took me until I saw him walking on all fours to realize.


    Still, you¡¯re fortunate to have a father who cares enough he¡¯d fill his castle with beasts as long as it meant bringing a smile to your face.¡¯


    ¡®That¡¯s one way to look at it, I suppose... it¡¯s true, though. I love my father. He¡¯s the best a girl could ever ask for, and I trust him more than anyone... after everything that¡¯s happened to us, it¡¯d be crazy not to.¡¯


    Now that sounds like a bunch of potentially painful memories I¡¯d do well not to drudge up. Better to change topics and see if Lady Gloomcrest will tell me a bit about her skills. ¡®When did you become a Necromancer? I¡¯d love to hear more about your magical abilities, Abigail.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, I¡¯ve been practicing ever since I was twelve... it¡¯s nothing really that special or anything, honestly...¡¯ She says, as if raising the dead were just something anyone with a bit of free time could pick up as a hobby. ¡®It took me a long time to move even a single bone, and even longer to summon the souls of all my friends.¡¯


    ¡®How does it work? As a Guild Master, I know a fair deal about different magic but Necromancy is an unfortunate blind spot in my knowledge. It¡¯s not something you can just go and buy a book on.¡¯


    Similar to asking her about her pets, this gets the girl writing non-stop.


    ¡®It¡¯s a difficult school of magic to learn. You either have the gift for it, or you don¡¯t... it requires extremely precise mana control since it¡¯s essentially a constant, continual drain. The more undead you control at once, the more mana is expended, so you must learn to do a lot with a little. I¡¯m not very good at it, either. I can only control a few skeletons at once...


    Wait. Control is sort of a bad word for it. I don¡¯t want you to get the idea that I¡¯m making my pets follow my commands... that would be tier-one Necromancy, basic mastery over bones. My skills go as far as tier-two, infusing bones with their original soul, but I¡¯ve only ever done it on animals...


    Goddess below... I did it again. I wrote so much...! Sorry... It¡¯s just that it¡¯s not often someone asks me about Necromancy, and I sort of just kept getting carried away with myself...¡¯


    ¡®No, please. Keep going, this sort of thing is inherently fascinating to me. How many tiers are there?¡¯ Apart from being intellectually curious with her explanation of this mysterious form of magic, I can¡¯t deny how cute Abigail sounds when talking about her interests. Makes me want to keep spurring her on, really.


    Luckily, she¡¯s eager to continue if a little skeptical. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect you to be interested... but it¡¯s a pleasant surprise, assuming you¡¯re not just trying to make me feel better... I¡¯m a little flustered at getting to talk so much.


    Let¡¯s see...


    There are four tiers when it comes to Necromancy. The next level to where I¡¯m at is recreating the internal anatomy and musculature. It¡¯s kind of scary... I¡¯ve only tried it once and... and I don¡¯t ever want to see one of my beloved friends like that ever again.¡¯


    Although it¡¯s not my place to judge, I find it humorous that skeletons walking around is fine and dandy but muscled monstrosities dripping with blood is just too much for the Necromancer. Then again, I try to imagine how I¡¯d feel if I could return my grandfather to the Realm of the living only to have him scream at me while looking like a bleeding pile of ground beef...


    Abigail¡¯s letter continues with, ¡®It¡¯s a shame I can¡¯t get past tier-three because tier-four is recreating the original likeness. Skin, hair, fur, feathers, and so on... sure, it¡¯s not perfect, but when it means you get to see the ones you love again, does it matter if they¡¯re glowing green or have paler features?¡¯


    To hear it put like that, I find myself a little surprised. When one pictures the dead rising from their graves, it doesn¡¯t tend to come off as so optimistic and pure... yet Abigail manages to make it ¡®I¡¯m amazed to hear you say it like that. I think you have a great point, Abigail. You hear a lot about Necromancy being evil, but from the way you talk about it, it doesn¡¯t sound that way at all.¡¯


    ¡®Just because it¡¯s used by a lot of bad people doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s evil... It¡¯s how you use it.


    Still... you can¡¯t imagine how happy I am to hear that all this doesn¡¯t scare you. I always worried it would, but it turns out you¡¯re a strange, strange man... which is ok. I¡¯m far from normal myself...¡¯


    Without much thought, I send her a teasing response. ¡®Really? I haven¡¯t noticed.¡¯ After Woe carries it away, I swear for a split second, I can hear the sounds of a cute yet quiet voice giggling awkwardly echoing throughout the castle walls.


    PunishedKom


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 Left on Read

    Abigail and I talk for a half-hour about all sorts of innocent topics, creating a sharp contrast with how we started off the night chatting about the specifics of raising the dead. I learn a lot of intriguing facts about Abigail during this delightful exchange.


    After a bit of pushing, Abigail reveals the exact number of her pets as thirty. All of them are unique species, with no duplicates. Before I even had the chance to wonder, she openly admits that they are all dead. Abigail also acknowledges that she did have them all when they were alive. None of them were given to her as skeletons, which I had assumed. All of them are her favorite. I asked what kind of animals they all were, but she wants to talk about other topics and avoid rambling again.


    Her favorite color is blood red, like the one on her family¡¯s coat of arms. She tries to assure me that this isn¡¯t out of stuffy pride in her nobility. She¡¯s just drawn to morose and morbid things. I resist the temptation to tease her again in an attempt to make her giggle, fearing I might push my luck or lose control of myself. That would only make me fall into a habit of seeing what I can get away with.


    Her hobbies include reading, poetry, calligraphy, and painting. I¡¯m going to go out on a limb here and assume the Necromancer doesn¡¯t share Meri or my own taste when it comes to literature. Gods, I¡¯m bad at this. Despite telling myself that I wouldn¡¯t tease only minutes prior, I teasingly ask if she¡¯s ever painted a self-portrait. My surprise is great when Woe returns the following message wearing a black, frilly satchel tied to his spine. A medium-sized canvas pokes out of the top, begging me to take it.


    The note attached says, ¡®Don¡¯t judge too hard, please. I painted this years ago, and my art has improved a lot since then...¡¯ Upon inspection, the canvas indeed reveals a lot about its painter in an unconventional way. Unfortunately, her appearance is not one of them.


    The self-portrait displays the skeleton of a girl, as evident by the shape of her hips and her shoulders. The frame is a little smaller than an average girl, which, if accurate, makes me think she has somewhat meek proportions. Abigail¡¯s skeleton floats in a purplish yet greenish abyss where disgusting winds blow about this way and that like a putrid tempest.


    Dark tendrils peeking out from the bottom of the canvas spiral toward her legs and engulf them up to her knee, blanketing them in inky black. Similar tendrils coming from both sides of the edge threaten to do the same to her arms, black bile dripping down off them and halfway coating the bones of her forearm, dying them a stained gray. Crimson red blood trickles down out of her empty, black eye sockets, covering her cheeks and collarbones in painful grief.


    I¡¯m far from an art critic, and there¡¯s obviously a lot of symbolism and abstraction going on here. Regardless, from what I can tell Abigail seems to be very talented. My eyes notice the sheer amount of paint she used to paint the dark tendrils. This gives them a textured look, almost as if they¡¯re being raised off of the canvas. Or perhaps she tried painting these areas so many times that the failed layers rest beneath.


    Left almost stunned by the image, I default to humor and write back Abigail that she looks beautiful and any man would be lucky to have her. Luckily, she finds this amusing, and we dive back into more facts about her after she refuses to show me any of her poetry.


    If she doesn¡¯t get her tea in the morning, she¡¯s prone to getting grumpy, but her insomnia also doesn¡¯t help with that. As for her favorite kind, Abigail adores tea made from Deathwillow leaves. She warns me not to try it and judging by the name alone, I¡¯m inclined to follow her advice.


    Aside from Necromancy, the young lady doesn¡¯t practice many forms of magic, and she does not partake in alchemy. She¡¯s far from a jack of all trades type like Zutiria, which isn¡¯t unheard of. Lots of mages specify in only one kind of magic. That¡¯s just one of many reasons why Guilds designate classes, after all.


    Abigail tells me she has trouble keeping herself on top of things. Unlike other noblewomen, she admits to putting less effort than she should toward her appearance but is too embarrassed to reveal any specifics. I imagine this means she has the typical ¡®Mage¡¯ look about her. Messy hair, ruffled clothes, and so on. I could be totally wrong, of course, but that¡¯s just the impression I get especially since she¡¯s an artist on top of being a Mage.


    Eventually, the topic shifts to the other people who live with her here in Castle Mourneheart. In general, Abigail likes many of her father¡¯s staff. Solomon Drisford, in particular, is essentially her uncle. He¡¯s been helping take care of her since she was born. The Duke¡¯s Marshal, Victor Kahnt, is apparently very kind to her as well. I haven¡¯t heard anything about this Victor fellow yet, but if he¡¯s got Abigail vouching for him, he must be a decent man. Abigail mentions that Victor¡¯s sister used to be her closest friend but that she¡¯s been missing for a very long time.


    Abigail makes me promise to never speak a word of this but tells me that many of Arrark¡¯s nobility resent the Marshal for being a commoner. She allows me to puzzle out her meaning behind this on my own, which isn¡¯t hard. Nothing is guaranteed, though. If more of the nobles are as petty and vindictive as a particular Chamberlain is, I could imagine them being low enough to strike at a man¡¯s weak point.


    Speaking of Chamberlains, she goes on to tell me she shares a friendship with many of her maids. Abigail is grateful to the many people who take care of her despite how much of a burden she claims to be. Once housekeeping is brought up, I inevitably feel the need to ask what she thinks of Bertrand.


    My new friend¡¯s answer has me practically grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡®I HATE Bertrand,¡¯ She says, the word ¡®hate¡¯ emboldened, underlined, capitalized, circled with red ink, and written several times larger than all the other words. Abigail isn¡¯t messing around when it comes to airing out her thoughts here. ¡®He¡¯s always trying to convince Father to give him my hand, and even as desperate as the court is to see me married, Father would never dream of taking Bertrand as his son-in-law... forgive me, just the thought of it disgusts me...¡¯


    ¡®Thank the Gods, I was worried you were fond of him. If it makes you feel better, Bertrand is beside himself with jealousy and depression upon learning you started speaking to me. On the other hand, Duke Gloomcrest certainly sounds like an incredible man. I hope to win his favor tomorrow and secure funding for my Guild.¡¯


    ¡®Oh, my. The thought of that... that spineless cur feeling miserable brings me a shameful amount of joy. Sully would tell me it¡¯s unbecoming of a Lady, but I can¡¯t help it. Goddess below, imagine how he¡¯d feel if you actually came into my room. Oh. I didn¡¯t mean to imply that I want you to... you know... great, now I¡¯ve made a fool of myself... and I was enjoying our conversation, too. Anyways, as far as Father is concerned, I wouldn¡¯t be too worried about winning him over. You¡¯ll see tomorrow.¡¯ Once again, the nervous Necromancer¡¯s handwriting deteriorates the more worried her words become.


    I know this goes against my earlier thoughts, but every time she talks like this, I can¡¯t help but feel that the girl writing these words is outright adorable. It keeps getting harder to resist the urge to be playful and even flirtatious with her, despite my better judgment and not even knowing what she looks like beyond a pretty good understanding of her skeleton.


    Suddenly deciding I need some guidance, I look to Misery. The cat notices my glare and returns it, her dark, hollowed-out eye sockets lit by a bright green flame. I ask the cat, ¡°Just a little joke wouldn¡¯t hurt, would it?¡±


    Misery meows.


    ¡®It really is a shame you don¡¯t feel like making Bertrand more jealous because I can think of all sorts of different ways. You could come back to me with my Guild, for one. I¡¯d do just about anything to have an adventurer with your powers, Abigail, and Bertrand couldn¡¯t bother you if you left. Perhaps we could even shake hands once I certified you for a Hero License? Picture the look of horror on his face knowing that someone else held your hand.¡¯ I start to panic once I reread the message, thinking that it¡¯s way too direct. At the end of it, I tack on, ¡®I¡¯m mostly joking...¡¯ before defeating the point of my addendum entirely by adding, ¡®but it¡¯s an open offer.¡¯


    Woe takes away my message and doesn¡¯t return for a full five minutes. I feel awful, but at the same time, like I could get addicted to this strange rush of sending off messages and not knowing what the response is. The panic of worrying over whether I went too far or not mixes with the excitement of finding out if I didn¡¯t, making the wait a confusing jumble of conflicted emotions.


    When I read Abigail¡¯s response, I look it over without knowing what to expect. ¡®I can¡¯t.¡¯ Is all it says.


    I look at the skeletal cat sitting by my side and narrow my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re a fucking liar,¡± I tell her.


    Misery meows again.


    Picking myself up off the ground, so to speak, I reply with a cautious, ¡®I¡¯m really sorry, Abigail. No offense was meant at all. I was only trying to be playful.¡¯


    Thankfully after the initial shock, she returns to writing at her usual speed. ¡®I know, but I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t ever leave my room.¡¯


    Her words are starting to hit very close to home, and I¡¯m not sure what to say back to Abigail. A lot of things suddenly start making more sense. ¡®Your father, too?¡¯ I ask.


    ¡®Yes.¡¯ She answers, confirming my suspicions. I did think it was weird for Duke Gloomcrest to not meet his guests in person, especially when Opalina claims to be close with him.


    ¡®Do you mind if I ask why?¡¯


    ¡®So that no one can ever hurt us again.¡¯ She exclaims, her words taking on an even darker connotation. Even through text, I can sense an upsetting distance growing between myself and the nervous girl sitting beyond the other side of the big red door.


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean for this to take such a serious turn.¡¯ I tell her, a sinking feeling growing heavy in my gut.


    ¡®Not your fault. Besides, even if I wanted to be an adventurer, I cant. My necromancy isn¡¯t even that strong, and... I have to admit. Not many people know this about me, but I¡¯m disabled. I don¡¯t have legs.¡¯


    Oh, shit.


    I didn¡¯t see that coming, but it certainly clears up any lingering questions about Abigail¡¯s self-portrait. Still, there was something about the way she worded her response that strikes a chord in me. Despite her admission of self-imposed hermitage and missing limbs, I ask her, ¡®Do you want to be an adventurer, Abigail?¡¯


    While I don¡¯t want to sound like I¡¯m writing off or disregarding her disability, it has to be stressed that I find her situation odd. For a rich, noble girl like herself, there¡¯s not much holding her back from getting magical help or even imported prosthetics from any of the advanced realms like Hal Moldirh or High Verne. I¡¯m half surprised Opalina hasn¡¯t grown the girl a pair of new legs in a vat somewhere.


    Abigail writes back with surprising speed, saying, ¡®What I want is to be done talking for the night. I really didn¡¯t mean to ruin the mood like this. I¡¯m sorry. It was nice chatting until now. If you aren¡¯t still mad at me by tomorrow, we can continue. Goodnight...¡¯


    As soon as I read the young Lady Gloomcrest¡¯s final response, Woe and Misery both retreat back to the doggy door before disappear beyond it. As I watch the two reanimated skeletons recede into the dark unknown of the Necromancer¡¯s bedroom prison, I suddenly realize that I really need to stop trusting cats.


    PunishedKom


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 The Night Begins

    Now that I¡¯ve messed up with Abigail, I resign myself to our prematurely ended conversation and return to Opalina¡¯s company. I find the witch sitting at her desk where a well-lit lantern burns bright. Her outfit has changed into a fuzzy purple robe, and her long, brunette hair is tied back in a scholarly ponytail.


    Opalina is going through a stack of yellowish, faded paper that shows their age, unlike her. Her handwriting is unmistakably scrawled across the margins, nearly every inch filled with some sort of magical formulae or alchemical hypothesis that I¡¯d need a lifetime to make heads or tails of.


    Opalina looks over her shoulder once she hears me enter the room. ¡°You¡¯re earlier than I was expecting, Dear. Give me a moment.¡± She starts gathering up the scrambled notes spread out over the wooden desk to put them neatly back into an aged, blue folder with magical symbols etched all over its cover. ¡°I was just going through some nostalgic papers I found hiding in the bookshelf...¡±


    ¡°Anything I would find interesting?¡±


    ¡°Probably, but it seems like you have something else you¡¯d like to talk about. Did everything go alright?¡±


    ¡°I went too far under the excuse of a joke, and it sent Abigail into a depressive mood,¡± I tell her, dejected. This catches the Mage¡¯s attention, and she tilts her head out of concern.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me you weren¡¯t interested in flirting?¡± Opalina studies me with inquisitive eyes as she takes the glasses off her nose, setting them down on the desk.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t flirting that set her off...¡± I sit down on the foot of the bed.


    ¡°So there was indeed flirting?¡± She raises an eyebrow.


    ¡°There may have been a smidgen more flirting than I initially intended, but that¡¯s neither here nor there. We were talking about Bertrand, and-¡±


    ¡°No wonder you put her in a bad mood,¡± She teases, earning a small smile from me.


    ¡°Very funny. No, I said Abigail could make him even more jealous by becoming an adventurer and returning to my Guild with me. This lead to her telling me that she and Duke Gloomcrest never leave their rooms and that she doesn¡¯t have any legs.¡±


    ¡°Oh, goodness...¡± Opalina stands up from her desk and slides the folder of research notes back to the cranny she found it in. Sighing while scrunching her eyes together, she says, ¡°Look, sweetheart. Abigail is a sensitive girl. This wasn¡¯t your fault.¡±


    ¡°She was blaming herself for ruining the mood. Now I just feel bad over it, especially when we were having such a good time before that.¡±


    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known.¡± She says in a low, honeyed tone.


    ¡°I could have if you told me more about her.¡±


    ¡°Abigail didn¡¯t want me to,¡± Opalina frowns and folds her arms over her sizable chest. ¡°Talking to new people is hard enough for her as it is, and she worried that you would treat her differently if you knew.¡±


    ¡°Why? Why would she care so much what I think about her?¡± I look Opalina in the eyes, taking off my own glasses to stare intently. ¡°You¡¯ve colored her expectations about me, clearly, and I want to know exactly how much.¡±


    The doctor sighs as she dwells on my demand for knowledge. ¡°When Abigail first started learning Necromancy, she needed something to motivate her.¡±


    ¡°And of all the role models you could have chosen, you picked me?¡±


    ¡°I tried all sorts of different ideas to motivate her. Abigail was near catatonic at the time. None of them worked... until I told her about a boy I knew who also lost everything, yet who kept on fighting for what he wanted. For whatever reason, your story stuck and Abigail latched on to it. She used the idea of you working your hardest to make her stronger. Eventually, it led her to reunite with her beloved friends.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a little overwhelmed to hear all of this,¡± I grumble and lay back flat on the bed, kicking off my shoes. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s just... odd knowing that I helped someone in such a gigantic way without even knowing. Funny, if she actually knew me at the time, Abigail would¡¯ve just seen me for the loser I was. My life is only now on the upswing as of the last few months...¡±


    Opalina gives me a stern expression filled with motherly irritation. ¡°Moving on from your pity party, hooking the two of you up isn¡¯t just me being nosy. I¡¯m only pushing you because the girl wants me to, even if she can¡¯t admit it. Abigail asks about you often, and I¡¯ve offered to introduce her to you many times throughout the years. As you can imagine, she¡¯s never been brave enough to actually do it, but...¡±


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But the look on her face every time I¡¯ve suggested it tells me she wants nothing more.¡±


    The more she talks about Abigail, the more I feel a chord being plucked deep within me. Cynically, I wonder if what I¡¯m experiencing is opportunistic excitement. When hearing that a girl is into me, especially one whose courtship would bring so many advantages, my mind tells me to strike. Yet, this feeling seems less cruel than that. At a glance, it¡¯s similar to the feeling I get when thinking about warm memories of Sam, or Zutiria, or Meri.


    Opalina lays back down on the bed and runs her hand to the side of my face. Love echoes out from her delicate touch. ¡°Take your time and push the right buttons, and it wouldn¡¯t take much to win her over is all I¡¯m saying.¡±


    ¡°Abigail mentioned that the Court is desperate to have her get married. Would they even allow a commoner?¡±


    ¡°If the Duke insisted on it, they¡¯d have no choice. He needs an heir. Think you¡¯re up for the task?¡± Opalina asks half-jokingly.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I reply, almost without thinking. She caught me off guard, and I said the first thing that came to mind.


    Opalina stops idly petting my chest and leans in closer. ¡°Really? Do you mean it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be the Duke of Arrark or anything, but I do want to get to know Abigail better. Think you could conjure up a special way to keep us in contact?¡± I¡¯d suggest a Stone of Farspeech, but something tells me Abigail won¡¯t be ready for voice chatting by the time I leave. It¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t alternative ways of magical communication, though.


    ¡°Funny you should say that, Dear. I¡¯ll look into it tomorrow.¡± She laughs in a way that makes me think she already has something in the works. Beyond that, she¡¯s full of bliss to see yet another one of her schemes falling into place. ¡°What changed your mind?¡±


    It¡¯s hard for me to vocalize precisely why, but I try my best and speak directly from the heart as I tell Opalina, ¡°A lot of things. Abigail isn¡¯t happy in there, for one. As someone who struggled to leave my house for a few years, I can¡¯t bear watching anyone else go through what I did. If I can provide advice or be the support Abigail needs to potentially help her through this, what kind of man would I be if I did nothing?¡±


    The satisfied Doctor presses her lips to mine, taking me into a delicate, slow kiss that tastes of sweetness. ¡°I¡¯m glad you see things my way,¡± She whispers after pulling her luscious lips away from mine.


    ¡°Gods forgive you don¡¯t inevitably end up getting your way, for once.¡± I sigh, knowing I was played by this woman yet again. Still, part of me doesn¡¯t mind it all that much when Opalina is the one pulling my strings- in moderation, of course.


    ¡°Speaking of getting what I want,¡± Opalina smirks, her voice low and husky and her eyes half-lidded. ¡°We¡¯ve been fooling around all day, yet we haven¡¯t made love even once...¡± With a single crook of her finger, she teasingly unveils some of her cleavage by parting the hem of her fuzzy robe. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a shame? It¡¯s been so long since you¡¯ve had me.¡±


    The carefully picked words of the Sorceress arouse my interest, precisely as she hoped for. ¡°It is a shame,¡± I agree before putting up my token resistance. ¡°Especially since we don¡¯t have any choice but to do it with a captive audience.¡±


    ¡°Do you honestly care anymore at this point?¡± Opalina giggles, looking into my clear eyes with hunger in her gaze.


    ¡°Not really,¡± I admit with a sigh while sitting up on the bed and turning to face her. ¡°If Duke Gloomcrest minded, we would surely have been stopped by now. Besides, we both know I could use more practice when it comes to asserting myself. The negotiations are coming up by the hour, and I need to be at the top of my game.¡±


    Opalina likes what she hears. The witch rolls over and then positions me on top of her with little effort. ¡°You know, watching you and Cherry going at it this morning sparked a little something in me...¡±


    ¡°Tell me more,¡± I stare down at Opalina with confidence, despite hoping with all my heart that she doesn¡¯t mean she wants me to cover me in scratches of her own. Gods know I have enough battle scars as it is.


    ¡°You were giving it to that poor cat real good,¡± The lusty Doctor licks her lips as she remembers the rough pounding I gave my sweet kitten. ¡°From the looks of things, you¡¯ve improved greatly since we were last intimate...¡±


    ¡°That would be when Meri watched us from the door, wouldn¡¯t it? Gods, that feels so long ago...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± She sighs but moves ahead with her seduction by peeling off some layers of my dress clothes until my shirt is fully unbuttoned. ¡°You have a lot of lost time to make up for, my sweet little man.¡±


    Feeling my blood boil with the need for erotic attention, I reach down to pull on the string keeping her fuzzy purple robe held together. Seamlessly, it becomes undone, and I peel apart both sides to reveal the lovely surprise Opalina had waiting in store for me below. The mature woman looks up at me with her trademark sultry smile, basking in the attention she¡¯s getting as my eyes absorb every last detail of the lacy black negligee she had lying in wait for me when I stripped her.


    The skimpy piece of clothing is little more than a seethrough black dress skirt that covers down to her mid-thighs. Both sides of the skirt trail up to her midriff, leaving Opalina¡¯s navel wholly exposed. A bit further north, her dress becomes a laced black bra accentuated with intricate patterns of white, topped off by large white trimmed flowers. The bra struggles to contain Opalina¡¯s voluptuous blessings, so curvy and full-looking, almost like they¡¯ll spill out at the slightest provocation.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± She coos, as seductive as a siren.


    ¡°I love it,¡± I whisper into her ear while sniffing the sweet fragrance of her curly hair. Nibbling her ear, the witch sighs before her firm yet soft hand rubs against the growing bulge poking out against my dress pants. ¡°Gods, I love it so much...¡±


    Satisfied with my response, Opalina shifts her position a bit and opens up her legs. She wears a lacy black thong that can¡¯t even conceal her tuft of well-trimmed pubic hair. ¡°Good. No more fooling around, then. Show me how much more of a man you¡¯ve become.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Not as Young as I Used to Be

    Opalina gave me a challenge, and I¡¯m not one to back down. She wants me to show her how much of a man I¡¯ve become, huh? Well, I¡¯m ready to give her what she wants. The sexual tension between us has been boiling over all day. A handjob and a titfuck haven¡¯t been enough to sate my desire for her, and she knows it.


    I entirely remove her fuzzy purple robe amid passionate kisses, leaving her with nothing but her tiny negligee left to cover her erotic curves. My lover follows along with my lead, teasing me by rubbing my excitable manhood through my pants before showing me mercy by unbuckling my belt. An enthusiastic kick or two later, and my pants are fully removed.


    The witch giggles at the sight of me in such a hurry before wiggling her finger at the nearest light. Through magic, Opalina dulls the many flickering candles in our room and changes their color from morbid blue to a much more passionate red meant to draw out our need for each other¡¯s bodies. It has the intended effect, and I feel even more drawn to my beautiful lover than ever before upon seeing her in this sensual lighting.


    We start off slow, kissing each other and groping anything we can get our hands on. Our lips perform a delicious wet dance while I explore Opalina¡¯s breasts and curvy hips. At the same time, she runs across my chest and squeezes my cock, tantalizing it bit by bit and making the pressure grow. As good as her teasing feels, I want to take the initiative.


    My lips press against her neck as I scoot my body down, giving her a trail of kisses along the way. I work past her exposed midriff down to the black, lacy thong, barely able to hide her sweet cleft. ¡°Such a gentleman,¡± Opalina teases, guessing at my intentions.


    ¡°You worked very hard to give me this opportunity, and I want to show you how grateful I am for it.¡± I slide down her enticingly skimpy panties, revealing the feminine slit already starting to trickle from our brief foreplay. It smells wonderfully inviting, thanks in part to Opalina¡¯s magic, I¡¯m sure.


    Then, I take her by surprise and lift Opalina up off her back so that her hips are pressed against my chest. Her torso remains on the bed, while the rest of the mature woman is held up entirely by the strength of my arms. Opalina didn¡¯t expect this but is swept away by my initiative and can hardly say a word in response when I start eating away at her twitching cunt.


    I start soft, giving her glistening flesh a full-on kiss that leads to a gentle lick up the length of her slit. The self-styled ¡®old lady¡¯ grabs onto the sheets out of compulsion and moans. ¡°Oh, goodness...!¡± Opalina whimpers as my skilled tongue starts exploring both sides of her meaty labia lips.


    ¡°Dear, you¡¯re starting out so... mnn... aggressive. None of the other girls I¡¯ve ever been with have held me up like this...¡± Opalina giggles, knowing full well her comment will draw out a bit of petty jealousy from me. It has the exact outcome she wanted, and I wrap my arms around her hips even tighter to fully dive in.


    She shrieks as I invade her inner walls, taking my first sip of her honey¡¯s sweet source. I feel her fleshy bumps on both sides of my tongue, so I swirl around them, poking and dragging against every part I can. Opalina¡¯s enjoyment starts to rise, and her hips buck side to side like waves crashing. For all the benefits her magic gives her, physically, she¡¯s still only a thirty-year-old woman. With my strength and a little bit of practice, I¡¯m able to wrangle Opalina¡¯s wild outbursts and keep her steady for the best tongue-fucking of her life.


    With one hand, I¡¯m able to quickly peel back the hood of Opalina¡¯s swelling clit, the other hand carefully keeping her in place. Now that it¡¯s exposed, I start work clit teases into my routine. At first, I only give them to her slowly, mixing in little licks of her clit amid exploratory lashes of my tongue. Opalina twitches and squirms after every last lick, and the look on her face grows more pleasured yet more frustrated by the second.


    ¡°Gods...¡± She groans, grabbing her left breast in her hand and sinking her hand down into it. ¡°Stop... fucking around...!¡± Opalina adorably whines at me, unused to me having a small amount of power over her. Before she gets it in her head to flip it around on me, I ramp up my oral aggression and finally bring her to her first orgasm of the night.


    A wet, velvety scream echoes out in the stony halls as she throws in all sorts of embarrassing messages for whoever¡¯s listening. She tells me no other man can pleasure her like this and how she doesn¡¯t want any other man. I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s using this opportunity to hammer home her unavailability to Duke Gloomcrest. Still, I¡¯m too busy almost being drowned in her pussy juices to complain. I think the poor man got Opalina¡¯s message a lot earlier on in the day, anyway.


    As my beautiful, curvy Goddess starts coming down from her climax, she no doubt expects me to go easy on her or let her down. Little does Opalina know, I had the cunnilingus crash-course of a lifetime the night before. Thanks to the wringer Snow put me through, my jaw feels like it might as well be made of iron. No, there¡¯s no stopping me now.


    Opalina starts howling as when after a brief respite, I pick up my assault on the sweet, tangy pussy shoved against my lips. Doubling down on every single attack in my arsenal, I move my hand further north so that my thumb can start mashing around her clit whenever I¡¯m not licking it. Knowing she can¡¯t escape my grip, Opalina instead plays into it and starts squishing my lucky head between her absurdly thick pair of thighs. Sure, breathing is harder, but I¡¯m not going to let her get the best of me. She wanted me to show her my manliness so I won¡¯t back down from any obstacle she puts in my way.


    After another minute of merciless clit-teasing and swirling my tongue like a tornado inside her pink tunnel, Opalina cums again even harder than her first. She screams even more embarrassing things out for the Duke and Abigail to listen to as she squirts out a messy puddle of feminine fluid directly into my tongue. As hard as it may be, I gratefully slurp up every drop while fighting for air between the powerful pressure of her thighs.


    Once Opalina settles down a second time, she must have expected me to stop because she lets down her guard. With her meaty legs no longer threatening to pop my head off like a cork, I take in a deep breath and set to work a third time. Opalina¡¯s eyes go wide when she realizes I wasn¡¯t done. ¡°Sweetheart, n-no!¡± She screams as her head rolls back into the pillow behind her. ¡°I can¡¯t take this a-any... more...!¡±


    Seems she¡¯s still intent on playing up for the crowd. Oh well, this one will be fast. I mash her clit, I lick her every inner inch, over and over and over again. Opalina can¡¯t hold herself back. She keeps yelling at me to let her go, that she can¡¯t keep this position up for long and that she¡¯s just an old lady. I¡¯m wise to her tricks, however, and I push on regardless until hurtling her onto that sweet third orgasm which is accompanied by the booming sound of her spine cracking under pressure. Opalina screams from actual pain, and I realize right now she wasn¡¯t just showing off.


    She actually meant she couldn¡¯t take it.


    Right away, I stop what I¡¯m doing and put Opalina gently down onto the bed. ¡°Shit, shit, shit...¡± I apologize in a panic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were playing it up!¡±


    Opalina lays lifelessly on the bed, her face a mix of abject pleasure and regret. ¡°Just because I¡¯m magically young, Dear... doesn¡¯t mean my body can automatically handle adventurous things like... that...¡± She groans, although a hint of joy still rings throughout her trembling voice.


    And here, I thought Zutiria had problems with flexibility. Mages. ¡°Don¡¯t you usually put spells on your back to keep it from bothering you?¡± I ask, almost to defend myself.


    ¡°Yes, but they only protect my spine from the weight of my chest. Not from exotic sex poses that border on being contortionist...¡± She giggles tiredly yet is still very much in pain. ¡°Give me your hands, Dear.¡±


    Without questioning her intentions, I give her my hands, and she mumbles some spell or other under her breath that I don¡¯t quite catch. As a result, my hands start to feel incredibly warm. Opalina then painfully flips onto her tummy and lifts her negligee over her back. ¡°Now comes the real test of manliness,¡± She teases. ¡°Let¡¯s see how your backrubs are coming along.¡±


    ¡°Why the magical boost? Don¡¯t you have confidence in my skills?¡± I ask when placing my hands onto the flat of her back. She whimpers at my heated touch and proceeds to melt as I put pressure into her spine.


    ¡°I want to make sure I heal up the right way, and it¡¯s much more fun to make you do it than to just handle it myself...¡± Opalina smirks as she looks over her shoulder, urging me to do my best once again. Since it was my fault in the first place, I set off to fix the problem, and I give the old gal one hell of a backrub. Opalina purrs like a cat amid grunting and groaning, all while I hover over her sumptuous backside.


    The naked flesh of her fat, jiggly ass grinds up into me as my glowing thumbs knead the sensitive spots of her spine. This is far from the first time I¡¯ve gone to town on Opalina¡¯s back, but the ones I gave her while growing up were a lot less sensual than this. Opalina surely notices my massive erection digging into the crack of her ass through my underwear as she continually works her hips back up into me from time to time in an attempt to push me over the edge.


    This tortuous teasing continues for another ten minutes. Every slight movement of my hands during the sensual massage earns me another pleasurable grind from my beautiful lover until finally, neither of us can go on with the tension bubbling so much. Opalina looks back at me once more, brushing her long auburn hair out from her face as she says, ¡°Mmmn... nicely done...¡± She pushes her torso off the bed a few inches and cracks her back left and right. ¡°There we go. Don¡¯t go too crazy now or anything, but I think we can pick right back up where we left off.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I was just trying to show you how manly I am...¡± I tease her back by pushing my cock even deeper between her cheeks. ¡°And we both know you liked it.¡±


    ¡°I am certainly impressed with your skill, yes... I¡¯m just going to have to work on my rigidity if I want to keep up with you in the future. Maybe I¡¯ll join in when Nikita is helping stretch out little Zutiria?¡± Opalina smirks, the magic in my hands beginning to fade.


    ¡°You better. I want you nice and flexible for me...¡± I teasingly growl at her with a smug smile. The thought of Opalina wearing some tight-fitting workout clothes while stretching with Zutiria and Nikita only makes me harder, something she notices instantly.


    ¡°My, my, my...¡± Opalina playfully raises her eyebrows. ¡°All that playing around really made you a real monster, hasn¡¯t it? You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m in the mood to let you have your way with me. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to teach you some manners...¡±


    Her wording makes me have intense flashbacks to a cock ring and a certain domineering Catfolk. ¡°Thank the Gods, I¡¯m not in the mood for intense femdom again so soon...¡± I tell her, knowing how ironic it is since only days ago I was lamenting how I don¡¯t get enough of femdom play in my life.


    Opalina giggles as she guesses the meaning behind my words. ¡°Sounds like you need to work off some steam, sweetie. What are you waiting for?¡± She asks in her low, sexy voice. Opalina reaches behind her and pulls the cheek of her big, juicy butt apart to reveal both her tight asshole and a steaming pussy with my name on it.


    I slip out of my underwear and slip into her pussy from behind, unable to wait any longer.


    PunishedKom


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 Feels Good to be Back

    Opalina¡¯s pussy is just as meaty and warm as the last time we were fortunate enough to make love, and only now that I¡¯m balls deep inside her do I realize just how much I¡¯d been missing it. My hips are straddling her from behind, my hands grabbing the globes of her ass as I sink deeper and deeper before bottoming out. She¡¯s tight, but the resistance doesn¡¯t stop me from scraping the back of her pink walls with little effort.


    Rather than waste any time with playful back and forth, I start giving her what she¡¯s been wanting all day. I thrust in and out, watching her jiggling butt ripple from every minor movement as a wet smacking sound slowly starts to echo in our chamber. It¡¯s quiet at first, but once I fully ensure she¡¯s not going to go and hurt her back again, I start picking up my pace with the thrusting.


    Her inner heat and wetness draw sigh after sigh from my lips, every stroke along the insides of her vagina comforting me with the bliss of feeling totally at ease with the world around me. ¡°I missed you so much,¡± I whisper under my breath, clenching her ass harder with my nails. ¡°I missed this juicy fucking pussy...¡±


    The witch bites her lip, her walls clenching around me as the dirty talk stirs further arousal from her fertile loins. ¡°And I missed feeling you inside me...¡± Opalina admits, her arms stretching out under her pillow to hold up her head.


    My hips start hammering harder as our love for each other makes me grow even harder inside her warm, sopping honeypot. Once the pace picks up, Opalina starts throwing her backside up against my cock to reciprocate. She howls from the enjoyment brought on by filling up her tight slit, removing any worries I have left regarding whether her back will give out again.


    ¡°Harder,¡± Opalina husks, reassuring me further. ¡°I can take it...!¡±


    I give the woman what she wants, slamming away at her with all of my comparatively youthful vigor. The sound of my hips smacking Opalina¡¯s ass transcends from a quiet echo into a powerful rhythm akin to the beating of a war drum. If it weren¡¯t for her mighty screams covering it up, there¡¯s no doubt everyone else on the floor would hear the fury of skin slapping skin.


    For a brief moment, I take one hand off of Opalina¡¯s ass to bring a finger to my lips. Covering it with saliva, I surprise the witch by bringing it to her backside and pushing it into her free hole. She yelps in response, looking back at me with shock, ¡°Excuse you?¡± Opalina asks.


    ¡°It looked lonely,¡± I shrug.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it did.¡± She rolls her eyes. ¡°And I¡¯m sure it had little to do with you just being a pervert.¡±


    ¡°Of course not. I just had to save this poor hole of yours from its loneliness.¡± I push deeper into her butt, watching her expression tense as my pointer finger expands the tight entrance to swallow me inch by inch. After I slowly start rubbing around the tightness of her behind, I feel her pussy clamp down on my cock like mad.


    Such pressure pushes a moan from my lips, which satisfies my lover into smiling. At the same time, the tight ring of her anus squeezes on the base of my finger, making digging around much harder. Not to be outdone by a bit of tightness, I push past both barriers to continue fucking Opalina¡¯s pussy with my fat cock and fucking her asshole with my finger.


    After several more minutes of steamy enjoyment, Opalina takes notice of me throbbing inside her cunt and becomes determined to force a powerful ejaculation out of me. ¡°Cum inside me, Dear...¡± She calls out to me in a low, breathy voice steeped in rich, chocolatey desire. ¡°My womb¡¯s been going crazy every day we¡¯ve been apart... it wants to feel your hot, thick seed fill it to the brim again.¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Opal...¡± I shut my eyes as the mental image almost makes me cum right then and there. Using all my self-restraint, I stop thrusting for a split second and focus instead on digging around her ass, looking for pleasurable spots to rub against. It has an effect on her, but not enough to stop her from teasing me further.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you like that idea...?¡± She narrows her glare in a lewd, venomous way. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to cum inside my hot little cunt as a real man would?¡±


    Playing into her hands, I grow frustrated and shout at her, ¡°I¡¯ll show you how much of a man I am, damn it! I¡¯ll fill your womb with so much damn cum it¡¯ll drown!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Opalina adds to my exhibitionist outburst, crying, ¡°Fill me! Fill my pussy with the cum of the only man I¡¯ll ever love!¡±


    If I wasn¡¯t about to cum in her, I¡¯d point out how on the nose that little comment was, but I¡¯m too busy. Instead, I fall to my baser desires and blow a gigantic load deep inside of the needy woman. My finger pulls out of her ass in a hurry, earning a loud gasp from Opalina, and I use my free hand to grab right back ahold of her ass so I can better pump myself in and out, ensuring every last stream of my semen is wrung out of me.


    As my last few thrusts settle me down, I sigh and put my hands on both sides of her torso, holding me up as I lean over. One last time I ask her, ¡°And you¡¯re sure the Duke isn¡¯t going to have my head or anything?¡±


    Opalina giggles as she onto her side, my cock pulling out of her as it does. ¡°Quite,¡± She confirms while admiring the gratuitous spillage seeping out of her pussy, red and swollen from the pounding I put her through. ¡°Although I¡¯m tempted to take your head for myself for that cheeky little stunt you pulled, Dear.¡±


    ¡°You already had plenty of my head.¡±


    ¡°Mmm... you just think you¡¯re so clever, don¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I like to think so, yes. Besides, you hardly seemed to mind in the long run.¡±


    The mature woman sighs before lifting her lips in a cheeky smile. ¡°I suppose now you want me to say I¡¯d like something bigger in my ass?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re offering...¡±


    ¡°Goodness,¡± She says, raising her voice much louder than it needs to be. ¡°To think that fucking my pussy full of your semen wasn¡¯t enough for you, you staggering alpha male! Why, you want my tight, tight little asshole as well?¡±


    ¡°Why do I keep falling for this?¡± I sigh, clasping my hand against the side of my temple.


    Back to her normal voice, Opalina tells me, ¡°Because you¡¯re a man. You come equipped with a convenient handle that makes it easy for a woman like me to lead you around with.¡±


    ¡°At this point, I can¡¯t even deny it...¡± I say with a shrug of my shoulders.


    Her sadistic smile continues to glare at me with amusement. ¡°You know what comes next, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯m more than aware.¡± I sigh, my heart growing heavy with embarrassment. I know I said I didn¡¯t care anymore about being heard, but I got swept up in this mood and didn¡¯t plan on saying anything along these lines.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, I tell the mischievous vixen in a loud, commanding voice. ¡°Yes, let me fuck your ass. I want it so bad, and you¡¯re going to give it to me.¡±


    ¡°I am?¡± She tilts her head coquettishly, enjoying playing up her innocence.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I make a serious expression that only continues fueling the old lady¡¯s giggles.


    Finally feeling mercy in that cold, black heart of hers, Opalina lays on her side and summons her Bra of Holding. The witch digs out a glass potion bottle filled with a red liquid. ¡°I thought we might need this, so I siphoned a little lube from one of your stolen vats.¡± She tosses me the glassware. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it lives up to its name...¡±


    ¡°Which one was this?¡± I ask her, uncorking the liquid and taking a deep sniff. It smells like the desperate pleas of a thousand neglected pussies crying out for attention, mixed with fruits of all kinds. Theatrics aside, it¡¯s undoubtedly pungent.


    ¡°Faerie Frenzy,¡± The witch answers upon noticing my interest. ¡°Made with real powder gathered from the wings of Lust Faeries. Real expensive stuff, by the looks of it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds intense,¡± I raise an eyebrow in skepticism at the magical lubricant I hole in my hands. Only one way to judge its quality, I suppose. Tilting the bottle onto my hand, my flesh begins to warm and tingle in contact with the slippery liquid. A little of the stuff goes a long way, so I reach for my expectant cock and begin to jerk myself nice and slow, coating every inch of my pole in the bright red lube.


    ¡°Mmm,¡± Opalina licks her lips at the sight of me playing with myself. ¡°Nice and slow for me, Sweetheart.¡± She teases.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it,¡± I make a show out of it, enjoying the spreading warmth and the perverted glares my older lover is sending my way. And then I start to sweat. A lot.


    ¡°Dear?¡± Opalina¡¯s face, once twisted in sexual glee, now fills with concern as she watches me stop jacking off.


    ¡°Gods, it¡¯s so hot...¡± My breathing becomes heavier, and on a pure whim, I dump half the remaining bottle over my groin, and the other half I sprinkle all over Opalina¡¯s ass, pussy, as well as a little bit on her tits. My body grows even deeper on fire, and I howl from just how damn good it feels to have this stuff on me. I devolve into a beast as I toss the bottle away and massage the Faerie Frenzy into every inch of my cock and balls, and then spread the rest over my skin as far as it will go.


    ¡°What the fuck-¡± Opalina exclaims in surprise until the liquid sinks in, making her feel the heat just as severely. Then, she becomes like me. All logic, reasoning, and thought fade from her intelligent mind. Her body becomes sweaty, her pupils dilate, and she opens her mouth in a slack-jawed smile, her tongue drooping off to the side as soon as she does.


    Opalina suddenly remembers what we were about to do and, while groping her sweaty tit in one hand, she lifts up the skirt of her negligee and pulls apart her cheeks as desperately as a whore on the street. ¡°Fuck me,¡± She bites her lips, and her eyes flicker with astonishing pleasure as she says the words. ¡°Fuck me in my ass.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Faerie Frenzy

    Because of the magical lube, my cock slides inside the tight band of Opalina¡¯s asshole with little resistance. We both howl as soon as our contact resumes, me tasting her sinful behind for the first time and her feeling the satisfaction of being filled once more.


    I push in slowly as far as I can go, expecting to eventually reach a point where it¡¯s too much for her, but the trance-like state we¡¯re both in proves more potent than any reluctance the mature woman has. Rather than pain, Opalina clearly feels ecstasy beyond words as I bury myself in her ass.


    ¡°Oh, good Gods...!¡± Opalina whimpers. ¡°Sweetheart... you shouldn¡¯t have... done... that!¡± She warns me before her tone changes, and Opalina starts urging me to ream her ass out.


    When faced with such a command, I become like a maddened beast and begin acting on my baser impulses. I pull out of her burning, clenching ass and hammer my cock back down. The lube makes this sensation a thousand times more pleasurable for us both. As I set about ramming myself in and out of her surprisingly pliable butt, Opalina starts massaging her tits with unexpected ferocity. She kneads them like dough, pinches them as they jiggle, and twists her pink, perky nipples while screaming all sorts of things that don¡¯t register.


    All I can focus on is animalistic pleasure-seeking, thanks to that damn lube. No wonder Pimpington had so much of the stuff... this is downright dangerous.


    As Opalina¡¯s joy continues to rise, her ass becomes all that much tighter around my thrusting cock. The lube warms us into what feels like a blistering storm of arousal, and the feeling of being inside Opalina¡¯s big, round ass is just about the warmest I¡¯ve ever felt. The hole of flesh takes every last one of my many inches continually just as easy as if it were a pussy, all while never giving me a break from the death grip milking the base of my cock. The tightness only serves to suck me back into the depths of her ass time after time.


    Feeling myself getting closer, I decide to pull her up and then lay back on the bed.


    ¡°No!¡± She squeals in a lusty haze, ¡°Don¡¯t stop fucking my ass!¡± She pleads rather generically, not that I blame her considering how the lube is making me feel as well. Opalina is quite heavy, but having her lay across my torso with my cock embedded in her ass as we both stare at the sky is well worth struggling now and then to breathe.


    The brief respite brings me back down from the edge, and once I start speedily fingering her creampied pussy like a demon, Opalina can hardly find the time to complain. Especially not when I start ramming my cock up her tight anus once more. While continuing to rough up her own breasts, Opalina shows her appreciation for me by craning her neck and shoving her tongue out, wordlessly beckoning me to meet her with my own. Because of our rampant horniness, we skip lips altogether and just focus on licking away at each other¡¯s tongues in as many depraved ways as possible.


    It¡¯s no surprise that after enjoying this for a few short minutes, we both explode in an unbelievable climax of epic proportions. I jet ropes of thick semen straight into Opalina¡¯s ass while her own cum sprinkles out all over my fingers, creating a mist of love juices that falls onto the bed below. Together, we share exceptional levels of ecstasy and cum for minutes on end.


    Rather than coming down off of this high, we just keep going. The lube has awoken a beast in both of us, and now that it¡¯s awake, it won¡¯t be going anywhere until it¡¯s satisfied.


    Opalina sits up and struggles to remove my cock from her thoroughly pounded ass. Her dirty hole just reflexively makes it hard to pull out, but when it leaves, the sheer tightness of it creates a lewd popping sound. A massive helping of my cum gushes out and falls all over my sturdy manhood, almost like a cork coming off a champagne bottle.


    The witch turns around, and with a quick magical charm, she disinfects my cock and cleans it while conveniently not having to wipe away any of the lube or cum.


    Without a word, she smiles like a predator and grabs the base of my thick, expecting manhood before licking it top to bottom, slurping up unreasonable amounts of my semen off of me, and swallowing. I roll my eyes back in unreal pleasure and am surprised when Opalina screams, too.


    ¡°My tongue...!¡± She cries amid heavy breathing. ¡°The lube is making it... feel amazing...! Even when screwing around with other girls in college... I¡¯ve... ah... never felt anything like... this...!!¡±


    ¡°Are you for real?¡± I look down at her in amazement, pondering the implications even despite my lack of mental clarity. She licks it again to prove her point, and I watch as her face contorts with sexual satisfaction. ¡°Gods, keep sucking...¡± I tell Opalina as I reach out with my hand and push her lips back to my cock, knowing damn well that she might orgasm from giving me a blowjob under these circumstances.


    Opalina submits in a surprisingly compliant manner, contenting herself to lick and suck every nook and cranny of my cock, groin, and balls. Everywhere she drags her tongue, I feel a sensual jolt of pleasurable lightning, and I see the same feeling reflected upon her face. Opalina goes through every wave of enjoyment that I do as she services me with her hot mouth in every conceivable way a man could ask for.


    My balls begin to recede up into my body just as Opalina looks to be on the verge of cumming. A playful look glimmers in her eye, and she chooses to treat me to an incredibly lewd reward for my current explosive finale. The mature woman takes me from out of her hot mouth, licks my tip repeatedly, and shudders as the lube on her tongue delivers her an orgasm she never thought possible.


    The extravagant sight of Opalina literally cumming from her tongue as she services my cock forces yet another climax out of me, and my inexhaustible reserves of semen coat Opalina¡¯s face in an even bigger load than the tittyfuck from this afternoon. Even as I let loose on her, the good Doctor continues to lick me to completion and then some with a lustful glare shimmering in her playful eyes.


    As the once wise witch starts licking up my cum like it were frosting on a delicious cake, I find enough rational thought to say, ¡°I think I used way, way too much of that lube...¡±


    ¡°Give more cock,¡± Opalina demands hazily, in a way very unbefitting of her age. Without giving me time to respond, my lover pounces me like a feral Beastfolk, say, a Cougarfolk, and from that point on, the night becomes a blur of stunning sexuality and excess.


    We make love in just about every position I know, and with every single pose, I gift her a massive creampie, whether it be in her cunt or her ass. Opalina sucks me off many more times while I finger, lick, and tease her pussy just as many times in return. Her hair, long and drenched with so much sweat it looks like she just emerged from the ocean, sticks like glue to her body. The red candlelight illuminates our glistening bodies, making me appreciate every last contour and curve of her thickness while screwing her in every conceivable angle.


    As hours pass us by amidst furious copulation, the bedroom fills with the rampant smells of our exhaustive sex. The temperature rises from the hot, dampness of our breath, and in just one single night, I make it up to Opalina for being the most neglected member of my harem and then some. It¡¯s almost as if I¡¯m re-living through that first three days I spent with Sam, but condensed into the span of about six or seven hours.


    By the time the sun comes up through our dark, stained glass window, I¡¯m banging my frenzied lover¡¯s pussy up against the cold, stone wall. Thanks to my infinite stamina, I carry her weight without any problems. My ability keeps my muscles and joints from wearing out during sex, allowing this miracle of carnality to occur. Opalina has long, long since stopped speaking legible words, and Gods only know what sort of things I¡¯ve screamed at her during my delirious, night-long fuckfest. I don¡¯t remember how or when, but she also lost her negligee sometime during the night, and I know not where it ended up.


    Even now, after so many hours, I¡¯m still pounding away at her incredibly swollen pussy like I was trying to mash her body into the wall behind her. Eventually, the continual pleasure of fleshy delights brings the both of us to scream one final time loud enough for surely everyone in the entire castle to hear.


    Everything starts to get a little fuzzy as my balls unload their latest round into Opalina¡¯s already overstuffed uterus.


    I become somewhat more aware of the world once her pussy stops squeezing around me in orgasmic, twitchy glee. As the flood of my own cum pours out of Opalina¡¯s battered cunt, the sound of it splashing onto the stone floor beneath us brings me further back into the moment.


    Upon checking on my partner, I discover Opalina is not here right now. In her place, there¡¯s only a drooling, breathless erotic pleasure slave weakly hanging from my neck with nary a thought in her head to be found. Even when asked a question, all she does is mumble syllables like an infant and struggle to keep her neck held up.


    Unable to bring myself to care about the frankly disgusting state of the bedsheets, which are ever so drenched in cum, sweat, and love juices, I carry us back to the mattress, and we collapse into it. An embarrassingly loud splat sound echoes out as our bodies melt into the sheets. I¡¯m finally starting to come down from the wild ride that is Faerie Frenzy, but even with my enhanced stamina, my mind can¡¯t go on. I cuddle into Opalina¡¯s gigantic tits, bury myself between their sweaty, smelly, motherly warmth and drift off with the ease and efficiency of a candle blown out by the wind.


    PunishedKom


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 We Probably Shouldn’t Have Done That

    ¡°Wake up already so I can send people in there and clean, damn it! The entire floor smells like a very successful orgy!¡± Bertrand slams on the door with great desperation, his voice buzzing with rage and jealousy at the same time.


    I startle awake shortly after hearing his annoying shout. With heavy regret, I pull away from Opalina¡¯s soft pillows, unsure of how much time has passed since I closed my eyes. The stained glass window makes it difficult to tell, given how poorly the light fades in through it. Opalina isn¡¯t a very good indicator, either. She looks just as dead as she did when we finished.


    ¡°What time is it?¡± I ask, stretching out the sleep from my body. My lover shifts uncomfortably in response, groaning and stretching herself, only to cry out in pain when I hear several cracking sounds emanate from her body, all in unison.


    ¡°It¡¯s eleven in the morning, you mongrel!¡± Bertrand replies. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to awaken you for an hour straight, and I¡¯m not coming back, so you had best be up for good this time!¡±


    Assuming I went to bed around six or seven, then I roughly got four hours of sleep. Not unusual, but the events of last night have me feeling groggy beyond belief. ¡°Send coffee and leave it at our door. I¡¯m up.¡±


    Bertrand makes a grumbling sound of what I assume is acknowledgment before I hear his footsteps fade away.


    Now alone, I inspect Opalina in greater detail to find that her eyes are half-open in a daze. She painfully turns her head up to look at me and says, ¡°You used way, way too much lube...¡± between pitiful groans.


    ¡°That sunk in around the four-hour mark, yeah. Do you have any health potions in your bra?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Opalina stretches out again, peeling some of the sticky strands of hair off of her skin. ¡°I don¡¯t remember a lot of things right now.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a compliment.¡±


    ¡°It was a compliment toward the potency of the drug you poured all over our genitals, Dear, not toward your sexual prowess.¡±


    ¡°Ouch... are you up?¡±


    ¡°Awake? Yes. Am I leaving this bed anytime soon? No. Get me my wand, please.¡±


    Leaving the bed in all my naked glory, I look around the room and eventually find Opalina¡¯s wand on the floor. Picking it up and inspecting it, I notice how sticky the expensive wand is and that it smells of sex.


    ¡°Did I use this on you...?¡± I ask while handing it over to the witch running on empty.


    ¡°What didn¡¯t you do to me last night?¡± She laughs, but it¡¯s dry and without any humor. Opalina sniffs her wand and raises an eyebrow before sighing in disbelief.


    Right as Opalina finishes magicking away the smell and layers of sex grime from my skin, a series of door-knocks is heard, followed by a maid¡¯s voice announcing that she¡¯s placing the coffee down. Bertrand must have delegated his coffee fetching duties. Regardless, I throw on my pair of boxers and retrieve the drink after the maid departs.


    My lover and I share two sobering cups of coffee in bed together. As we awaken, Opalina seems to grow more embarrassed over the events of last night. ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t shout anything embarrassing.¡± She finally says.


    ¡°You shouted plenty of embarrassing things, in case you forgot how bad you¡¯ve been teasing me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but all of that was carefully chosen and worded. Both of us can scarcely recall a thing, meaning only Osbourne and Abigail know the full details of what happened last night.¡±


    ¡°If they were awake, you mean?¡± Opalina stares back at me with a severe look on her face. ¡°...Yeah, you¡¯re right. No doubt we kept them up.¡± If Bertrand wasn¡¯t exaggerating about the smell, I can only hope Abigail¡¯s opinion of me hasn¡¯t changed too drastically. I look at Opalina as a growing sense of embarrassment and fear spreads across my face. ¡°Did I just fuck everything up?¡±


    Rather than dissuade my concern, she only returns with an uncertain glance of her own. ¡°If nothing else, you fucked me up.¡±


    ¡°Should I be proud of that fact?¡±


    ¡°Yes, actually. I¡¯ve never had anything like that before...¡± Opalina surprises me by looking away and skillfully covering her blushing cheeks with a well-timed sip of coffee.


    ¡°I think I remembered something about you screwing around in college with other witches?¡±


    ¡°Did I say that?¡± She retorts, aloof as ever.


    I¡¯m not having it, so I tell her, ¡°Opal, stop being intentionally mysterious.¡±


    The witch sighs. ¡°Fine, fine. You¡¯re no fun, I swear... yes, I went to the Magicademy in my youth.¡±


    ¡°Really? I guess that means you¡¯re from Tior, then.¡±


    ¡°Arrark is the only province I call home now,¡± Opalina says with burning conviction in her voice. ¡°But I digress. Most of my sexual experience traces back to that period of my life... again, I remind you that it was only with women, you jealous little boy, but even then, I can¡¯t remember ever getting this trashed.¡±


    ¡°Did it all make you feel young again?¡± I tease.


    ¡°At the time, yes. Now I just feel old.¡± She giggles and sets her finished cup of coffee onto her nightstand before snuggling herself up back under the covers. ¡°Go on and have your breakfast, Dear. I¡¯ll be up by the time you¡¯re back.¡± Opalina cuts off our playful banter and closes her eyes, then assures me she¡¯s just resting.


    Determined to start this day off right, I pull on my casual clothes from the day before and gather up the dress clothes I¡¯ll be wearing again during my meeting, setting the carefully on a nearby shelf for Opalina to magically freshen up later. After going about all the little things in my morning routine, I exit the room to head down to the dining room, only to be met with a curious sight.


    A young, cute-looking maid is just finishing placing a final breakfast tray upon a table situated in front of the same chair I sat in while writing to Abigail. She blushes upon seeing me and bows with practiced politeness, then runs away into the secret passageway before I can question her. This table is littered with every kind of breakfast food imaginable, albeit in a slightly more conservative fashion than dinner was the night before. Rather than an egregious display of wealth, it looks more along the lines of an acceptable one.


    Before the question of why breakfast was brought to me could even form in my mind, Woe reveals himself seated on my chair. The skeletal dog raises its head before jumping up to give me a note and retrieve his well-earned pets in exchange.


    ¡®Sorry for freaking out last night. I hope it¡¯s not too presumptuous, but I thought we could talk some more before you meet with my father? Assuming you aren¡¯t upset at me.¡¯


    Abigail still worries that she made some big mistake, apparently. I scoot Woe off the chair to sit and take the quill resting on the table. ¡®You didn¡¯t give me time to say anything back, or else I would have told you I wasn¡¯t mad at you. I was worried I ruined your mood, so if everything is clear between us, I would love to continue where we left off.¡¯ I reply


    Woe zips away with my letter, and after a few bites of fluffy, scrambled eggs, he returns. ¡®Really?¡¯ She asks in shaky, uncertain handwriting.


    ¡®Of course.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m so awful at this... I just assumed the worst and thought you would be cross with me for whatever reason... oh, a side note. Don¡¯t give Woe any table scraps no matter how badly he begs. It¡¯s bad for him.¡¯


    I glance away from the letter to see that Woe is indeed staring down the contents of the breakfast table with his burning eyes of magic green fire. Out of sheer curiosity, I toss him a piece of bacon and watch as the partially resurrected pet catches it in midair. Woe chews the crispy meat with his teeth, and the pieces crumble out of his jaw, falling down limply to the floor. He doesn¡¯t seem to mind the lack of his digestive tract.


    Over my meal, I share an oddly normal conversation with Abigail where she doesn¡¯t mention the noise or the smell whatsoever. Speaking of the smell, Bertrand wasn¡¯t kidding. Even with all these warm foods blasting their scent up into the air, the smell coming from our guest room is undeniable.


    At the tail end of breakfast, I finally summon up the courage to ask about it. ¡®Be honest with me. How bad was last night? Is your father going to kill me? There was an accident with a sexual aide, which led to both of us entering a trance.¡¯


    Woe doesn¡¯t return for a couple of minutes, and the letter he brings back is written in anxious handwriting that can barely be deciphered. ¡®I didn¡¯t hear a thing.¡¯ She writes so meekly I can almost picture her staring at the floor and sweating awkward bullets.


    ¡®I¡¯m serious. My career is on the line just because we used too much magical lube.¡¯ I tell her in return before realizing how embarrassing that tidbit is. Woe zips away before I can take it back and write something new, and he doesn¡¯t come back for another few minutes again.


    In the same troubled script as before, Abigail says, ¡®Boys will be boys. I¡¯m sure Father understands.¡¯


    ¡®I hope you¡¯re right...¡¯


    ¡®Even if I¡¯m wrong, I¡¯ll still help you any way that I can.¡¯


    ¡®Besides putting your rare skillset to work for me as an adventurer?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, besides that. I¡¯m flattered that you want me by your side, but I wouldn¡¯t be much use to you in a wheelchair.¡¯


    I stop myself short of asking if Abigail has ever explored magical options to cure her walking problem and instead respond, ¡®That remains to be seen.¡¯


    Surprisingly, Abigail is privy to my inner thoughts. She says, ¡®You¡¯re probably wondering why I don¡¯t have prosthetics or some kind of magical alternative. It¡¯s ok. Opal probably told you I lost them in the plague... do you know much about the Rotblight?¡¯


    ¡®A little. I was only twelve when it happened.¡¯ That was a rough period, for sure. Opalina¡¯s visits became more scarce because of her work as a Doctor, and even though Niall and I were starting to distance at that point, he came out of hiding to look after me in her stead.


    The old drunk would often bring me books to help me focus on my studies and keep my mind off the plague. One time, Niall even slipped in an erotic tome, presumably as a joke. I can¡¯t imagine he thought it¡¯d be as formative on me as it ended up being, but one thing led to another, and now here I am.


    As bad as it sounds, I recall the plague with a queer fondness since it was just about the last time Niall was ever around for me on a reliable basis. No one I knew was affected by it, so it didn¡¯t leave a mark on my heart like it did to many others.


    Abigail goes into some of the nitty-gritty, explaining what it has to do with her legs. ¡®It¡¯s a type of magical illness that absorbs the life from its victims. Rotblight typically starts with a person¡¯s feet and hands, then spread upwards, withering the flesh until it falls right off. The scars that it leaves are a literal void of magic where no mana can pass through. Magical prosthetics or alchemically created replacement limbs won¡¯t attach, and non-magical prosthetics hurt too much...¡¯


    Sounds pretty definitive to me. Now I feel bad for wondering why Abigail hadn¡¯t bothered to get new legs. I tell her as much, but she only says, ¡®It¡¯s fine, you get used to explaining it... or at least I would if I actually talked to new people other than you. Anyways, as much as I appreciate you spending your morning chatting with me, you should really go and get ready. Also, maybe have Opal do something about the smell...¡¯


    Damn it, it¡¯s worse than I thought. Curse this forsaken castle and its lack of proper ventilation.


    Abigail is right, though. Breakfast is squared off, and it¡¯s just about time to meet with Duke Gloomcrest. Best to go and finish preparing, so I thank the Lady for the lovely chat, give Woe another strip of bacon that I saved for him, and go back to check on Opalina.


    PunishedKom


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 The Dark Duke of Arrark, Osbourne Gloomcrest

    ¡°Much better,¡± I nod my head approvingly as Opalina creates a windstorm of floral fragrances with her wonderful and convenient magic. Like an explosive gust, wind mixed with magical flower petals bursts out the open door of our guest room and circulates throughout the entire floor, removing any lingering evidence of our perversion.


    Now that she and I are both fully dressed and Opalina has finished patching both her sore muscles and her injured back with her magic, we¡¯re finally ready for my climactic business meeting with the most powerful man in all of Arrark.


    ¡°And not a second too soon- it¡¯s ten minutes till one. Come here for a moment.¡± Opalina beckons to her side so that the witch can fuss with my hair and straighten out my outfit. While annoying, I know better than to deny her of her motherly impulses. If I don¡¯t protest, she¡¯ll be done in a moment.


    ¡°Is there anything I need to know before I meet Duke Gloomcrest? You and Abigail have barely given me anything to go off of.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I¡¯ve told you many times over that Osbourne is a spineless wretch. Are you saying you don¡¯t trust my judgment?¡±


    ¡°Your judgment seems very biased,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s biased because I¡¯ve known him for close to forty years.¡±


    ¡°And how exactly old are you?¡±


    As she fixes my hair, Opalina does an exaggerated cough and looks away. ¡°That¡¯s not important. Anyways, I¡¯ve already said as much that the hard part is already over. You¡¯ve proven your worth to Solomon. From here on, all you need to do is do your best and don¡¯t back down.¡±


    ¡°Very helpful.¡± I sigh, wishing I could get more of a reference to base my frame of attack around.


    ¡°I try.¡± The witch smiles, giving me a small kiss on the cheek. ¡°Are you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°As I¡¯ll ever be...¡± Turning towards the door, I tighten my hand into a confident fist. So much is riding on this business deal... renovations, an alchemy lab for Zutiria, a forge for Gwin, and so much more. I need to fight even harder than ever before, and I won¡¯t back down until I get what I want. With my mind all made up, I ask my lover, ¡°I assume we¡¯re meeting the Duke in his room?¡±


    ¡°That would be my guess,¡± She says, wrapping her arm around my own just like the night before.


    I hesitate before teasing the witch, ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea? Last time we walked together like this, you got sent away.¡±


    Opalina rolls her eyes and immediately scoffs. ¡°I would like to see Osbourne think for even a second that he could try and order me around.¡±


    ¡°Very well then, let¡¯s be on our way.¡± Giving Opalina a nod, I lead her out of the guest room and into the hall to face my destiny.


    Something¡¯s changed here since my breakfast chat with Abigail, and the implications are immediately apparent. Three large chairs are all placed in front of the door to the Duke¡¯s bedroom. Solomon Drisford is sitting in the far right chair, his face as cold and close to expressionless as ever as he turns his head to notice us.


    ¡°Miss Hart, Guild Master.¡± The Count says, greeting us with grim cordiality as he pockets a small watch he was staring idly at. Today the old man is wearing an expensive gray suit with long coattails and fancy cufflinks, but his overall style hasn¡¯t changed much since our dinner last night.


    Before I can return Solomon¡¯s courtesy and greet him, the witch makes an unexpected move.


    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake,¡± Opalina sighs, breaking our linked arms and stomping off on her heels towards the Duke¡¯s door. She ignores Solomon¡¯s greeting and says to the man in the chamber, ¡°Are you really not even going to speak to him face to face, you pathetic lout?¡±


    A deep, cold, and lonely voice echoes out of the bedroom, sounding less like a man and more like a dispassionate, monotone ghost. ¡°I am... frightened of him...¡± It utters like a gasp in the night.


    The witch shakes her head at the Duke¡¯s words before taking her seat on the left. She looks back at me as I stand here awkwardly realizing that my meeting with Duke Gloomcrest is going to be with his big chamber doors separating us. Solomon looks somewhat embarrassed about it, too, now that I get a better look at him.


    He catches me eying him up and says, ¡°Come, join us,¡± The Count extends his gloved hand to the empty chair. ¡°You¡¯re the man of the hour, are you not?¡±


    ¡°I hardly think so. I¡¯m just a simple Guild Master, nothing more, nothing less...¡± I humbly try and deflect the spotlight as I take my seat and stare forward at the door. Eventually, I look to Opalina and Solomon for guidance on what the hell I¡¯m supposed to say.


    Opalina is too annoyed to be of much use, so Solomon takes it on himself to introduce his master. ¡°It would be my honor to introduce you, Guild Master, to His Grace the Duke of Arrark, Osbourne Gloomcrest.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°His Grace, the Duke of Arrark, Osbourne Gloomcrest,¡± Solomon repeats, albeit much more bitterly.


    Even more silence.


    Solomon clears his throat, and then the sound of furniture being dragged across stone permeates throughout the hall. ¡°Had to grab my seat.¡± Osbourne Gloomcrest explains as I hear him sitting down on a leather chair.


    The Count closes his eyes in quiet frustration.


    Looking to my left, I mouth to Opalina, ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ to which she promptly shakes her head.


    ¡°Guild Master...¡± The Duke says, drawing my attention straight back to the nerve-wracking, if unorthodox, presence on the other side of the door.


    ¡°Yes, Your Grace?¡± I say as politely as I can.


    ¡°Please... don¡¯t call me that. I am a man the same as you, and you are not to treat me any differently despite what titles I may happen to bear...¡±


    ¡°Understood, thank you.¡± So he¡¯s the humble type. Not unlike Solomon, then. That¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t think I could handle it if he turned out to be the same sort of noble as Bertrand.


    ¡°Good...¡± He says before jumping straight into a panic-inducing conversational topic. ¡°I would like to begin by briefly touching upon the events of the last night...¡±


    I¡¯m suddenly thankful for the door separating us as profuse sweat starts to shed from my brow to the point where Opalina feels the need to hand me a handkerchief. I¡¯m ashamed of myself. My poker face is usually much better than this.


    ¡°No doubt Opal has told you of the... feelings I held for her. After I lost my wife, I grieved for many years... but eventually I looked to my old friend with impure eyes.¡±


    I briefly look over at Opalina, who is doing her best to pretend she¡¯s somewhere else right now.


    ¡°I will fully admit I didn¡¯t believe it when she told me about you, but I am now forced to confront the uncomfortable and slightly arousing truth. You are a fortunate man in more ways than one.¡±


    I try and mumble some sort of vague thank you, but Gloomcrest continues to speak. ¡°While I mean it when I say that you terrify me, Guild Master, it is a good fear... in all my life, there¡¯s only been one other man I¡¯ve known who makes love with such ferocity and with such a lack of concern for what the world thinks of him. Yes, you remind me of the many nights I spent listening against my will to my dear friend Theostus having his way with ten or twenty camp followers when I served in his army during the Young Lion Rebellion. He terrified me, too.¡±


    Thank the Gods that Sam isn¡¯t here to listen to me being compared favorably to her father. I¡¯m so stunned by this that I hardly know what to say in turn. ¡°...Thank you, Osbourne. I¡¯m humbled by your compliment and don¡¯t deserve such a lofty comparison to His Majesty, the King.¡±


    ¡°I must agree that it was rather nostalgic,¡± Solomon nods his head, agreeing. ¡°I could hear your enjoyment from my study on the third floor.¡±


    Opalina starts blushing with embarrassment to such a degree that I¡¯ve never seen. It makes her look like a young maiden, if not for the distinctly disappointed and adult-like expression upon her face. Her eyes take a quick glance at me, and she sighs. ¡°Get on with it. You¡¯re embarrassing him.¡± The witch snaps at Duke Gloomcrest, using me as a scapegoat for her own embarrassment.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be embarrassed.¡± Gloomcrest returns, his voice quiet and serious. ¡°He should be proud to have won the favor of a woman like you...¡±


    She groans at his compliment, before shrugging a, ¡°Fuck off, Osbourne,¡± out of her lips.


    ¡°I¡¯ve done... quite enough of that already, I should think...¡± He admits while rattling off a low series of laughs that hang openly in the air, creating a chaotic tinge of palpable darkness. ¡°Guild Master, I thank you for awakening me to a brand new world of voyeuristic delight. I will not forget the kindness you have done for me until the day I join the Goddess below.¡±


    ¡°...I am delighted to be of service,¡± I tell the Duke, bewilderment coloring my face.


    ¡°Yes, congratulations on finding yet way to be a pitiful pile of pitiful slime.¡± Opalina gives him a sarcastic round of applause. ¡°Can we please move on, now?¡±


    ¡°Indeed... but before we proceed onto business matters, there¡¯s something else I would like to thank the Guild Master for... something besides the awakening of new fetishes I never knew laid hidden in the depths of my mind.¡± My mind instantly panics about whatever worrisome topic the Duke is going to bring up next, ¡°I understand my daughter has grown fond of you... This... pleases me...¡± He exclaims in what sounds like a troubling vampiric hiss steeped in sadness.


    I think I know where this is going. ¡°...Yes, your daughter is charming by all accounts. I enjoy speaking with her and hope to continue admiring Abigail¡¯s exquisite handwriting for some time to come.¡±


    ¡°You may... marry her, if you wish...¡± Duke Gloomcrest throws it out there, even faster than I expected him to. ¡°Rather... I would prefer it if you did... no one but Bertrand wants Abigail¡¯s hand... and that? That is simply just not happening.¡±


    The Duke laughs his creepy, haunting laugh and is joined in by Solomon shortly after. They both find the idea of giving Abigail away to the young Baron Brimley an uproariously farcical one. ¡°I can think of no one better for my daughter than the same man who conquered the Nightshade and added her to his harem...¡±


    I would hardly say I conquered her, or any of the girls for that matter. They aren¡¯t things for me to pick up and add to my collection. More importantly, ¡®Nightshade¡¯... there¡¯s that word again...


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± Opalina¡¯s eye twitches, and her hands tear into her purple coat like she¡¯s trying to claw her skin out of irritation. ¡°...but at least we¡¯re in agreement regarding Abigail.¡±


    The Crystal Sage called Opalina ¡®Nightshade¡¯ as well. I suppose I¡¯ll have to ask her about that later when we¡¯re alone, but I pretend not to notice it for now.


    ¡°I agree as well,¡± Solomon adds, nodding his head. ¡°We have no political matches left. Even the whiniest of Arrark¡¯s nobles wouldn¡¯t object to a commoner marrying upwards in this situation. Think on it.¡±


    Well, at least this isn¡¯t as bad as talking about my sex life. Regardless, I push on and try to pull the trio of matchmakers back down to earth. ¡°While I respect your generous offer, I have to say that such matters are not what I¡¯m here for. I would prefer if we-¡± From behind the door, the sound of a bear roaring echoes loud through the room.


    ¡°Somber...¡± The dark Duke mutters, and I hear him standing up from his chair and walking away. ¡°Tell my beautiful, beloved daughter of marriageable age... that I was only joking and take not a step forward... remember, Somber. Remember who it was that bought you from that traveling circus all those years ago and who saved you from that cruel ringmaster... yes, it was I who brought you home and gave you to my daughter to love and cherish... begone, bear. Take your incredibly sharp claws away and bego-¡±


    Somber growls as he closes the distance between his skeletal self and the Duke of Arrark. Osbourne¡¯s words don¡¯t supersede the commands of the embarrassed Necromancer, it would appear. At Abigail¡¯s behest, the reanimated bear lunges and tackles her father. A powerful swipe is heard, as well as the wailing of a man in horrendous pain. The dead bear walks away afterward, creating a string of bony rattling noises as it shuffles off to be Abigail once more.


    After a couple of seconds of painful silence, the Duke speaks ¡°Would it trouble you to visit my chamber for but a moment, Opal? I am in... tremendous pain,¡± Osbourne coughs as he sits down again, blood slathering out from under the door.


    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll patch you right up, so long as my Darling gets to come in as well.¡±


    ¡°Ah, well...¡± The blood keeps expanding, threatening to touch the tips of my fancy dress shoes. ¡°I suppose I can heal myself... It¡¯s just been a long time since I¡¯ve had to do such a thing...¡±


    ¡°Coward,¡± Opalina whispers as a flash of darkness replaces the blood seeping out of the door¡¯s cracks. I feel the familiar sensation of dark magic being cast, which naturally makes me think of Zutiria until it fades.


    The Duke heals himself through whatever indistinct spell, but the blood remains, and I have no doubt it¡¯s just going to linger there for the duration of our conversation. With all the understanding I¡¯ve gathered in such a short amount of time, I now know why Opalina wasn¡¯t worried about having such loud sex under the man¡¯s nose.


    Osbourne Gloomcrest seems to be a kind, well-meaning, but ultimately weak-willed man- the sort of person that any self-styled businessman like myself would eat alive if given a chance. Thanks to Opalina, that chance is here. Using my assertiveness to steer the conversation, I clear my throat and say, ¡°Osbourne, you¡¯ve called me here for a reason. Let¡¯s get on that. We need to discuss the Duke of Dewhurst.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Intel on the Targets

    ¡°You cut right to the chase, I see...¡± The unseen Duke says with a calm, reserved interest in my words. ¡°I¡¯m told you¡¯ve already passed the screening... so without wasting any time, we will be discussing the prices and particulars... I wish to register bounties on the criminal calling himself the Duke of Dewhurst, and some of his most important men...¡±


    ¡°Well, allow me to tell you that you¡¯ve chosen the right man for the job.¡± I swell up with bravado, doing all that I can to seem sure of myself. ¡°How many bounties are there in total?¡±


    ¡°Aside from the false Duke... our intelligence has identified three central figureheads within the enemy¡¯s criminal infrastructure... one of which you¡¯ve already brought in. There are also two notable individuals that serve as something akin to enforcers... Solomon, if you will?¡± A sizable slot opens up on the door, and Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s hand extends a thin, dusty envelope out of the safety of his room.


    From the brief glance I get, I can see that Gloomcrest is wearing a bloodred suit with white ruffled sleeves poking out from beneath its ornately patterned cuffs. The Duke¡¯s skin is pallid white, almost like a withered corpse. Resting idly on his hand are several black, gothic rings of brooding shapes and sizes inlaid with red and purple gems that shine with a bitter light.


    Count Drisford takes the envelope from his master, and his slightly wrinkled hands pull out a series of illustrations that he passes to me for my perusal. ¡°Counting the ringleader, there are five targets,¡± Solomon says, pointedly emphasizing the number five.


    I take the posters before correcting the crafty Count who thought he could sneak that little comment past my head. ¡°I believe you mean there are six, and that we already turned one in.¡±


    My enemy¡¯s eyes narrow and I recognize that our battle has begun anew. ¡°I know what I said, Guild Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s as I¡¯ve heard, then...¡± Gloomcrest utters in a defeated tone, which gives me the impression he wants to avoid confrontation. ¡°Percival Chasteworthe is a... point of contention, yes?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. My adventurers suffered grave damage battling him, and I believe we deserve proper compensation for that... Solomon on the other hand believes otherwise.¡± Granted, they don¡¯t know about the million gold in credit I earned from the Breeding Tribe, but that¡¯s beside the point.


    ¡°Do not presume I will allow you to speak in my place, boy. My thoughts are sympathetic, but my words are practical. Our treasury can¡¯t afford to pay for a man that was handed over before we even agreed on giving the Dewhurst Adventurer¡¯s Guild the job.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a... delicate situation, that¡¯s for sure...¡± Gloomcrest offers noncommittally.


    ¡°Is it comfortable sitting on that fence of yours, Osbourne?¡± The witch sitting to my left jabs.


    This causes the Duke to stammer, ¡°Yes, well...¡±


    He¡¯s staggered, thanks to Opalina. I press forward using this to my benefit. ¡°There¡¯s nothing delicate about it. You were planning to put out six bounties in the first place, meaning your treasury can damn well afford to pay for six. Is that not right, Solomon?¡±


    Solomon visibly twitches as my words cut through his argument like a sword through rice paper. ¡°That¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°Easy, now... we¡¯re among friends here...¡± Gloomcrest senses the air growing tense, and he tries to de-escalate out of cowardice. ¡°Before anything else, why don¡¯t you look over the targets and we¡¯ll discuss... intel?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to that, for the time being.¡± I nod my head, but it¡¯s not like Gloomcrest can see my gesture. Now that he knows I¡¯m backing down, Solomon looks relieved even if his practiced expression of calm severity tries to play it off.


    The six wanted posters don¡¯t reveal anyone new that I wasn¡¯t already aware of. Firstly, there¡¯s the tall, spindly, faceless man who introduced himself as the Duke of Dewhurst. After him are illustrations of Fleetfoot, Pimpington, and the Crystal Sage. The remaining two posters portray Butcher Bludman and that Gnoll who the Duke claimed was his bodyguard, Vulkir.


    My first thought is that this doesn¡¯t seem like nearly enough. ¡°Is this really all the big names? Pimpington alone had a pair of lieutenants who were easily strong enough to be considered enforcers.¡±


    ¡°I see you¡¯re already trying to bleed us further,¡± Solomon sneers.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, though.¡± Opalina backs me up. ¡°Surely Fleetfoot and the Sage have lieutenants of their own.¡±


    ¡°Even if they do,¡± Gloomcrest sighs as the prospect becomes that much more complicated. ¡°It isn¡¯t feasible to pay you to bring every single person involved to justice. After you cut out the heart... the body will wither away...¡±


    ¡°My Duke speaks wisely, if not morbidly.¡± Solomon butters him up while I think to myself. Getting paid for turning in people on the level of Rhaelyn and Lemira is not a hill I¡¯m about to die on, but I file it away in my mind for potential use later on in the conversation.


    ¡°How much intel do you have on these people?¡± I ask.


    ¡°A... decent amount. I have spies all over Arrark...¡± A tinge of pride beams from his depressed voice, almost making him sound happy. ¡°No self-respecting Duke is ignorant to the going-ons of his province...¡±


    ¡°Oh? I wasn¡¯t aware you started respecting yourself! Must be a fairly recent development.¡± Opalina adds, a petty smirk on her face. Solomon holds back an amused laugh at his Duke¡¯s expense.


    ¡°Ah... Ahaha, yes, well...¡± Gloomcrest stammers once again and sighs. ¡°The state of my reputation does not escape me and I can¡¯t argue it¡¯s not deserved. It¡¯s true I¡¯ve done little for the situation in Dewhurst, but my attention is focused on... more important things. Unfortunately, this has developed to the point where I can no longer ignore it. The Duke of Dewhurst now has a presence in most cities within Arrark, and we know that he¡¯s amassing a large amount of gold for whatever reason...¡±


    ¡°During our battle with him, Pimpington made several comments about needing the gold for some sort of shared revenge.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Odd.¡± Count Drisford crosses his arms and contemplates my words. ¡°Very little connects these men, so I¡¯m not sure what sort of revenge could unite them.¡±


    ¡°¡®Very little connects them¡¯ is different than ¡®nothing connects them¡¯,¡± Opalina notices. ¡°You¡¯re implying there¡¯s something.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll get there,¡± Solomon waves his hand, dismissively. ¡°You shrewd Sorceress.¡±


    ¡°If we knew more about their leader, we might have a better idea of how this wicked web is weaved...¡± Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s pride in his spies dies off like a distant memory with a deep sigh, reducing his voice back to its typical depressing inflection. ¡°What we do know... is that the false Duke has been active for at least eight years, likely longer. After helping speed up the city¡¯s transformation into a paradise for thuggery, criminals started calling him the Duke of Dewhurst. Sightings of him are few and far between...¡±


    I can¡¯t say I expected anything different. There¡¯s not much else to dig around for regarding the false Duke if they really don¡¯t know anything about him beyond surface-level observations. ¡°Tell me what you know about Fleetfoot, then.¡±


    ¡°Ah, you see...¡± Gloomcrest pauses, his confidence sinking once again. ¡°We have... next to nothing on them, either.¡±


    I do my best to hold in my disappointment, saying, ¡°For a rogue, I suppose that¡¯s to be expected...¡± My experiences with Fleetfoot may have painted my opinion of them as inept, I guess this means they¡¯re putting in at least the bare minimum effort required to cover their tracks.


    Gloomcrest is quick to cling to this excuse. ¡°Yes, we can hardly be blamed...¡± He says, then pivots onto the intel. ¡°The Halfling is by far the most elusive member of the false Duke¡¯s group, but we believe they¡¯ve only been involved for a year or two. Fleetfoot is the leader of a small band of rogues who performs shadowy operations when requested. Thievery, eliminations, cover-ups, you name a problem and they¡¯ll fix it.¡±


    ¡°Sounds useful. Almost makes me wish I had a problem solver like that for myself.¡± I interject some humor but I¡¯m met with silence followed by an awkward delayed laugh from Duke Gloomcrest.


    ¡°As a Guild Master, you¡¯re something of a problem solver yourself...¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true enough. I¡¯m already familiar with Pimpington¡¯s history as Percival Chasteworthe, so let¡¯s move on to the next person of interest.¡±


    ¡°The Elf would be a good place to start,¡± Opalina remarks as she crosses her arms, vividly remembering our struggle against the magical druglord. ¡°Considering he attacked us on our flight here.¡±


    ¡°Really, now?¡± Solomon raises a stony eyebrow. ¡°This is the first I¡¯m hearing of this. How did it go?¡±


    Sensing an opportunity to get a quick attack in, I turn my head towards the old gargoyle and give him a sly grin. ¡°We escaped, but so did he. It¡¯s a shame. If we brought the Sage in early you could have tried to argue we shouldn¡¯t be paid for him, too.¡±


    The Count reels back subtly in his seat. He¡¯s equally annoyed just as much as he¡¯s amused that I caught his intentions. ¡°A shame indeed,¡± He coughs out, cheekily.


    ¡°That¡¯s not to say I didn¡¯t do a number on him,¡± The witch interjects, her pride challenged. ¡°Only that my hands were tied.¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fortunate that you arrived unharmed...¡± Gloomcrest sighs, honestly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what we know about him...¡±


    I lean forward slightly off the edge of my seat with my hand firmly cupping my chin. Finally, we¡¯re getting to some solid new intel.


    ¡°The Elf calling himself the Crystal Sage is known to his kind as Alvahsaria Jeheldrin Piperiusindor Yrisi Vehl-Revris, or in the common tongue by Alvahs Vehl. He¡¯s a Karnallian born Elf aged somewhere in his fifth century. Studied alchemy and magic for a few hundred years in relative isolation, inventing a new spell or potion here and there to make ends meet, but ended up becoming an adventurer to fund his research. Association records claim that he peaked at high silver rank.¡±


    From what little I saw of the Sage¡¯s powers, he sure didn¡¯t fight like a silver rank. He seemed comparable to our fencing friend. ¡°This is the connection then, I take it? Pimpington, his lieutenants, and Bludman are all former adventurers, too.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ve looked into it, but we haven¡¯t been able to find a common link. Solomon, would you be so kind as to-¡±


    Count Drisford explains for the Duke, ¡°Chasteworthe and his girls come from Imperalis, Bludman worked at the Cransmere Guild, while Alvahs belonged to Bourgeaux.¡± Rhoivan, Arrark, and Lillance respectively... They all came from three different provinces, then. It¡¯s not impossible that they met, but it also isn¡¯t very likely. ¡°Apart from simple geography separating the three, they were all of different ranks and had little to nothing in common.¡±


    Opalina has been very interested since we moved on to talking about the Crystal Sage. Her mind must still be reeling at all the medical impossibilities his body contains. She speaks up, asking, ¡°So how did a scarcely known hedge wizard go from mid-ranked adventurer to provincial druglord?¡±


    ¡°Debt. Alvahs owed the Association due to a Guild healer treating some severe injuries he received on the field. Getting the details out of them was a pain in the ass, as always,¡± Solomon grumbles at the thought of working with the Association. ¡°But they explained he was working on a payment plan before inexplicably vanishing.¡±


    Gods, I didn¡¯t want to be reminded that other Guilds follow strict guidelines when it comes to healing their adventurers. The thought of making adventurers pay for access to a healer or health potions makes my skin crawl. I¡¯m so thankful for whatever legal sorcery my grandfather used to let us more or less run our Guild however we see fit. Opalina may charge the criminals of Dewhurst a lot for her services, but I can tell the thought upsets her, too.


    Solomon continues speaking for his Duke, explaining, ¡°He resurfaced nine years ago in Dewhurst where he slowly but surely began growing a foothold creating and selling drugs. Today, his dealers can be found in every one of Arrark¡¯s major cities. Our intel suggests he hit it off with Chasteworthe, who at the time was on the rise thanks to his brothels. Together, they formed an infinite feedback loop of sorts.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess. Customers of the brothels were given free drugs to get them addicted, and addicts were led to the brothels?¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Solomon nods, pleased with my observation. ¡°Unfortunately, that¡¯s as much as we know on the Crystal Sage.¡±


    ¡°That would leave Bludman and the Gnoll, then.¡±


    The Duke on the other end of his door sighs, while Solomon shakes his head. ¡°The Association won¡¯t comply and give us Bludman¡¯s records. We know that for several years he was a bronze ranked adventurer and that there was an incident which cost him his license, but the rest was swept under the rug.¡± The Count replies rather unhappily. I¡¯m beginning to grow ever more annoyed with the higher-ups in my profession, myself. Given what I know about Butcher Bludman, though, it¡¯s not hard to imagine why he lost his license. But why keep the records on the down-low? Are they implicit somehow?


    Ruminating on the possibilities isn¡¯t doing me much good. I move on, asking, ¡°And the Gnoll?¡±


    ¡°The Gnoll is like many of his kind. Violent, unruly, dangerous. No Guild connections either, if that¡¯s what you meant... I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve ever heard of a Gnoll adventurer, myself...¡± Gloomcrest offers, giving me little information of use.


    ¡°Are there any more questions you have regarding the targets, Guild Master, or may we proceed?¡± Solomon is eager to progress to the battle over the prices attached to each bounty, so he hurries me along.


    ¡°No. No more questions. I¡¯m ready to move on.¡± I lock eyes with the miserly master of Arrark¡¯s finances, ready to drain this Steward for every last piece of gold I can get out of him.


    PunishedKom


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 Call it an Investment

    Duke Gloomcrest lays out the terms for the bounties. Even for a starting place to begin negotiations, I don¡¯t find them bad at all.


    500K for the Duke of Dewhurst.


    300K for Fleetfoot, Alvahs, and potentially Pimpington.


    100k for Bludman and the Gnoll.


    All quests are capture, not kill. Gloomcrest is adamant about bringing these criminals to justice and would prefer to do it as cleanly as possible. He promises to make an exception if absolutely necessary, but his principles demand we do it ¡®the right way¡¯. It¡¯s all the same to me. Despite a stated preference towards capture, It¡¯s not like I wouldn¡¯t have agreed if the only option was to kill.


    If I took the prices as is without any haggling we¡¯d still have the money for just about every improvement I want to get the Guild, Even after the Association takes their twenty percent cut. Of course, there¡¯s no way I¡¯m not pushing for more.


    Now that everything is thoroughly presented, I need to set up my next attack. I delicately steer the situation back to a particular topic. ¡°The prices are interesting, but I¡¯m curious about what your plans are now that Pimpington is in custody? Forgive me for getting sidetracked, but I simply must know.¡±


    The Duke of Arrark is eager to tout the answer. ¡°We¡¯ll be dismantling the illegal parts of Chasteworthe¡¯s businesses... repossessing his brothels... liquidating assets... and searching his employees, I¡¯m sure. Brothels themselves are far from illegal, at least under the current King...¡± A burst of dark laughter trails out from his bed-chamber as he recalls his friend. ¡°The problem wasn¡¯t with his business... but the oversaturation. He was infesting the streets with brothels, to an absurd degree.¡±


    ¡°Gods be damned, you simpleton...¡± Solomon cradles his forehead, knowing instantly where I was leading the conversation. Opalina smirks at the old gargoyle, proud of my maneuvering.


    ¡°Solomon?¡± Gloomcrest doesn¡¯t understand his Steward¡¯s disdain and grows worried.


    Before Count Drisford can interject, I head him off, ¡°Dismantling so many brothels across Arrark is sure to be a great boon to the province¡¯s treasury. Not only will you get loads of free real estate that you can sell to the highest bidder, but there¡¯s also all the assets you¡¯ll seize. Surely you can afford to reward the man who made this all possible for you.¡±


    Silence overtakes the meeting as Gloomcrest considers my words. It doesn¡¯t take him long. ¡°You... really don¡¯t have much of an argument, do you, Solomon...¡±


    The Count closes his eyes while huffing out deeply through his nostrils. ¡°...No, I don¡¯t suppose I do.¡± He admits with great pain. ¡°I only wished to save the province from an item of unnecessary expenditure. But... it¡¯s not like you were going to listen to me in the first place. Isn¡¯t that right, my Duke?¡±


    ¡°You know me too well, old friend...¡± Gloomcrest lets out another of his creepy laughs. ¡°It¡¯s true... His Guild deserves the reward, and it would reflect very poorly on us if we refused for such a petty reason...¡±


    ¡°Goddesses forbid you to look any worse than you already do,¡± Opalina adds with a concerning amount of sass.


    ¡°Jokes aside, I¡¯m honored that you see things my way. Thank you.¡±


    Still reeling from the witch¡¯s latest verbal attack, Gloomcrest forces himself to shakily say, ¡°Of course... Now I assume you¡¯d like to move on to the... haggling portion of our discussion...?¡±


    ¡°Very astute of you, Osbourne,¡± I can¡¯t stop myself from smirking. ¡°I¡¯ll say it straight. I want double.¡±


    Opalina raises an eyebrow but says nothing, whereas Solomon reacts precisely how I expected him to. ¡°Out of the question, you impudent whelp! This is why I was against giving you the additional reward, damn it! It shows weakness, and now he thinks he can walk all over us!¡± He screams, losing the trademark poise he pointedly cultivates. The Count clearly wasn¡¯t expecting me to make such an enormous power move right off the bat- which is precisely why I did it.


    Setting my opponent off balance will only help my argument and more easily aim for my actual goal. I actually hope to achieve another fifty to twenty-five percent of the reward so I can at least make up for the Association taking their cut of the quests.


    ¡°Double?¡± Gloomcrest thinks aloud. ¡°You drive a hard bargain, but I¡¯ll allow it...¡± He sighs.


    ¡°Fine, then how about we lower it to-¡± My brain stops completely before I slowly force it to piece itself back together. ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°As a worshipper of the Goddess below... I... respect such an open display of desire and selfishness. Double is fine...¡±


    I look at Opalina for confirmation that he actually just said what he said and find her smiling back at me with a wordless smile. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s saying, ¡®I told you that the hard part was already over.¡¯


    ¡°Osbourne, the Goddess has nothing to do with this. He wasn¡¯t actually asking for double. That was merely a trick to lower my guard and soften our defenses. You don¡¯t need to-¡±


    Gloomcrest is resolute. ¡°I¡¯ve... already made up my mind...¡± He says.


    ¡°Then where do you propose I find 600k to hand over to the Guild Master today, hm? From our defense fund? From increased taxes? I¡¯m sure the people of Arrark would just love that!¡± Count Drisford raises his voice as he becomes more irate.


    ¡°A moment,¡± Gloomcrest rises from his chair in the other room, and his footsteps grow distant as he walks away. The silence is soon replaced by the sound of him rummaging around through furniture. Upon his return, the slot on the door opens up again. The Duke then slides a truly wicked longsword out past the crevice.


    The weapon is protected by a black, spiny sheath patterned with harsh spikes. Inlaid onto the crest is a ruby that looks like it¡¯s filled with crimson ichor. The blade¡¯s handle is also a deep, abyssal black with a hilt that resembles a thorned cross. It¡¯s hard for me to imagine someone wielding this thing without somehow cutting themselves a dozen ways over, but I¡¯m sure if someone managed to, they¡¯d look quite badass.


    ¡°My Duke... you can¡¯t be serious,¡± Solomon says as he takes the weapon carefully into his hands, making sure not to let it prick him with the utmost concern.


    ¡°I... haven¡¯t used it many years, and I have no heir to bequeath it to... pawn it, Solomon. Pawn it, and we can repurchase it at a later date.¡± He sighs, obviously dwelling on how badly he wishes he had an heir.


    Opalina is surprised, too. She raises her eyebrows and looks upon the blade with nostalgia in her eyes. Then, she looks at me and silently makes it clear that I need to respond. The fact that she¡¯s not using this opportunity to make a sarcastic jab at Osbourne shows me that this is a pretty big deal.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. Are you sure you want to pawn your sword? It looks very... important.¡± And expensive.


    ¡°It is,¡± The Count clears his throat. ¡°It¡¯s an heirloom from just after the Age of Heroes. The sword of Vladimir Gloomcrest the 1st.¡± I nod my head back at him, pretending I know who that is.


    ¡°Did you not want double?¡± Duke Gloomcrest asks dry and rhetorical.


    ¡°I do. It¡¯s just that this is very generous, so I¡¯m a little overwhelmed. I was expecting negotiations to be much more intense.¡± For someone who worships a Goddess that prioritizes the value of selfishness and individualism, Duke Gloomcrest is uncannily selfless. Then again, acting capriciously like this and making decisions on a whim may very well be his own kind of selfishness.


    ¡°From what I¡¯m told, you¡¯re working on bringing back your Guild from its regrettable state... I can respect that, and I¡¯m sympathetic to your cause. Consider the double payment and Chasteworthe¡¯s bounty my investment in restoring peace to Dewhurst.¡±


    Solomon closes his eyes and rubs his forehead out of stress. ¡°I¡¯ll contact multiple brokers and see who offers the highest price. I¡¯d estimate that this will pay for all of the bounties and then some. At least there¡¯s that...¡± His facial expressions tell an interesting story, now that he¡¯s not as guarded. Solomon regrets that his Duke has to resort to this, and he feels like if only he did better at his job, then Osbourne could follow his whims more easily. Count Drisford is a good man and a loyal Steward, no matter how miserly and abrasive he may be.


    I can tell it pains the witch to do so, but she lowers her head and says, ¡°Thank you for doing this for him, Osbourne. I won¡¯t forget the kindness you¡¯ve shown here.¡±


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t kindness,¡± He laughs. ¡°I already said this is an investment in my province. A long overdue one, at that... Why, I should have-¡± The knocking of a door sounds out from the Duke¡¯s bedroom, followed by a door opening. ¡°Abigail? Sweetheart, what are you doing with all that?¡±


    Confused, I look toward Opalina for an answer. The old witch smiles at me but says nothing. I think she expected this interruption, maybe even had a hand in setting it up when the two girls were alone last night.


    Abigail whispers something to her father so quietly that I can¡¯t make out her voice. ¡°I see...¡± The Duke says grimly after a deliberate pause. ¡°If you¡¯ve made up your mind... then I have no objections. Here, my little raven, let me help you...¡± The unseen Duke goes and retrieves something from his beloved daughter before returning and opening up the mail slot. Much like Abigail¡¯s doggy door, the slot expands greatly so that Osbourne can push several boxes through.


    One after one, the boxes are caught by Solomon, who rushes to meet them as the evil sword falls off his lap. All in all, there are five large containers. ¡°Are these what I think they are...?¡± The old Count asks with a sigh.


    ¡°Open one and find out,¡± The Duke gives his express permission. After cracking one open, the Steward peers in on the contents, revealing it to be stuffed to bursting with extravagant, darkly-colored dresses and gothic jewelry. There¡¯s also a concerning amount of expensive boots, heels, and shoes.


    As my confusion grows, Woe comes out of Abigail¡¯s door carrying a note in his bony jaw. He jumps onto my chair from the side and pushes the paper in my face.


    It reads, ¡®I told you I¡¯d do anything I could to help. Father¡¯s acquaintances and other nobles have given me more gifts than I know what to do with... I never wear any of these... so I¡¯d prefer it if they were sold and the funds were given to you as a gift. I may never get to see it myself, but nothing would make me happier than for you to fix your Guild...¡¯


    Solomon says something to me, as does Opalina, but I can¡¯t hear them. My mind is narrowly focused on the letter sitting in front of my eyes that I keep re-reading over and over again. Sure enough, the contents didn¡¯t change. I really was just gifted a large, upfront investment from the young Lady Gloomcrest. It¡¯s hard for me to process these emotions, especially given my aversion to charity, but I can¡¯t reject this. I can feel Abigail¡¯s feelings through this letter, perhaps more than she ever intended.


    That does it, then. I¡¯ve made up my mind. One day, Abigail is going to see my Guild for herself- no matter what I have to do. I¡¯ll figure out a way to help her take her first steps out of the darkness.


    PunishedKom


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 Solving a Few Minor Problems

    Abigail leaves her father¡¯s room before I can thank her, and the business meeting continues. I¡¯ve been greatly humbled by both her and her noble father, so much so that I almost feel bad for asking for so much. I¡¯m going to have a lot to say to her later tonight when we¡¯re writing notes to each other.


    Solomon isn¡¯t too happy about having to pawn all these dresses and jewelry pieces but doesn¡¯t object. He¡¯s more sympathetic to selling all the shoes, though. The Count¡¯s main concern is if any of the gift-givers find out that they were sold then they might take offense. Given how Abigail never leaves her room and doesn¡¯t even like most of the dresses and jewelry, the Steward doesn¡¯t see this minor inconvenience as a hill worth dying on. Based on his estimation, he expects them all to fetch a combined total of near 500k.


    I get asked if I have a bank account, which I conveniently do as of yesterday afternoon. I give the Steward all the details, assuring that the Steward can arrange a direct deposit once the funding has been secured. This must have been why Opalina was pushing for me to get one so hard... leave it to that crafty old witch to plan this far ahead. Right as I find myself thinking this, she smiles knowingly like she was reading my mind.


    After the association takes their cut out of Pimpington¡¯s bounty, the Guild will earn 480K, bringing the total to an unbelievable amount numbering just short of a million- and that¡¯s just what I¡¯m walking out with today. Gods, Just a few months ago I¡¯d never have believed it if someone told me I¡¯d soon have a million gold to fix up the Guild, and now it¡¯s actually happening. For real. The Guild won¡¯t be up to Perlshaw¡¯s state-of-the-art standards any time soon, but this is one hell of a first step.


    ¡°We¡¯ve... just about covered all the important details of the bounties then, have we not...?¡± Gloomcrest asks, looking for clarification.


    ¡°I believe so. Though I have a simple request for our dear guest if he doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Solomon looks at me with a defeated frown. ¡°I¡¯m truly happy for you that you¡¯re getting everything you want, my job just makes me unable to express it. On the same topic, I ask that you agree to me right here and now that you won¡¯t seek additional payment for any threats we aren¡¯t aware of.¡±


    Opalina nods her head at me, saying, ¡°Normally I¡¯d suggest bleeding the opposition dry, but I think it¡¯d only be fair to accept that Fleetfoot and the Crystal Sage will likely have capable backup just like Pimpington did. You¡¯re already getting a lot, so...¡±


    ¡°Rest assured, Solomon. I won¡¯t push for more.¡± I couldn¡¯t dream of asking for more money. With the doubled bounty prices as well as Abigail¡¯s gift, the total amount of money we can make here is a staggering 2,880,000 gold- and that¡¯s AFTER the Association takes their cut. So many digits... I can only hope my erection isn¡¯t showing.


    No, money isn¡¯t an issue any longer... but... ¡°However, there are a few minor things I¡¯d like to ask for if that¡¯s alright. None of them require money.¡±


    ¡°Speak. I shall be the judge...¡± The Duke says, yawning. ¡°I... could use a nap soon, though. For whatever reason, I... just couldn¡¯t seem to fall asleep last night...¡± After an awkward pause on my behalf, he adds in that he was only joking as he laughs a low and eerie laugh.


    Relieved, I explain the unique problem I¡¯ve been having with certain businesses refusing to sell to me on account of my feud with the Duke of Dewhurst.


    I state that I was wondering if I could get some sort of official documentation to wave around showing that I¡¯m acting under Gloomcrest¡¯s interests. Something I can show merchants- namely Gwin¡¯s clan- that would dissuade them from refusing me business. Thank the Gods, this is an easy enough problem to solve it turns out.


    Solomon promises to get me an official decree marked with the Duke¡¯s own personal seal, which will threaten anyone who won¡¯t take my gold with the loss of their business license. All I have to do is report them. I can¡¯t imagine Gwin¡¯s clan would risk their entire business over one customer, but... as a sprawling family of stubborn, drunken Dwarves, I worry about whether their hyper-masculine culture would see this as seedy or underhanded. Gwin won¡¯t care, but seeing as how I want her by my side sooner rather than later it wouldn¡¯t be great if her family hated my guts.


    Not only that but as a business owner myself, I really don¡¯t like the idea of using such heavy-handed, tactics. They have genuine reasons for refusing me business, and they¡¯re far from bad ones. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d do the same if I were in their position. Nevertheless, I¡¯m going to break it out if I have to.


    I¡¯m getting those renovations one way or another, damn it. I¡¯m tired of living in a building riddled with holes and structural problems.


    The other major problem I need addressed is Niall¡¯s well-meaning threat. I explain that the new mayor of Dewhurst is an old acquaintance of mine and that he warned he would forcibly close the Guild if it looked like we couldn¡¯t handle the fight with the false Duke. Naturally, I¡¯m under the impression that it should be my call on whether or not to pack it in, not Niall¡¯s.


    Gloomcrest agrees with me on that and will see to it that Niall is made aware that my Guild is under the protection of someone much higher up than a simple town mayor. Again, blunter than I¡¯d like but it needs to be established that I¡¯m not giving up on this. Especially now that so much gold is on the line. Perhaps knowing that I¡¯m working with the Duke of Arrark himself will assuage his fears?


    As shocking as it is, this business meeting ends with me getting everything I wanted and then some. The talking dies down as Gloomcrest becomes more tired with every passing moment, but eventually, he throws me a surprising curveball in the conversation. ¡°May I... ask your opinion on something before we conclude, Guild Master?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t deny you after you¡¯ve done so much for me, Osbourne. By all means.¡±


    ¡°Do you... despise me for what has become of your town? I have... never been loved by my subjects, and I know that will never change... so I wouldn¡¯t blame you if you did. I just wish to know the truth...¡±


    Opalina frowns as she hears the question, but her gaze is anything but the typical scorn she feels for the Duke. It looks genuinely sympathetic. Solomon remains evasive with his expression as ever, but a few facial ticks here and there tell me the question upsets him, too.


    ¡°No. No, I don¡¯t despise you. How could I? From my understanding, you¡¯re busy with the increasing tensions coming from Lillance.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true... I don¡¯t know what Solomon has told you, but Duke Glorigold is constantly looking for every chance to expand his territory both here in Arrark and in Bragos to the north... Hells, the reason our intel on the false Duke is so limited is that all of our Black Wings are working counterintelligence to keep our borders safe...¡± He sighs, and I can tell in his tone that he¡¯s becoming despondent. ¡°I just feel that I could be doing more than I am...¡±


    Whatever compels me to say it, I can¡¯t explain. It¡¯s just so obvious that I can¡¯t stop myself, Without thinking I end up telling the Duke straight-up to his ¡®face¡¯, ¡°Perhaps it would help if you left your room?¡±


    And then, awkward silence. Solomon looks at me like I just killed a young child before his eyes, but Opalina is pleasantly amused by the suggestion. She obviously likes where this is headed, even if she won¡¯t butt in about the topic herself.


    ¡°...You¡¯re right, I know that you¡¯re right. There¡¯s no other way about it, and I sincerely wish I was able to... I... appreciate your honesty. It takes courage to say that to myself, and I thank you for that...¡±


    Compared to Abigail, her father¡¯s response is much more timid and laid back. I get the sense that if I pushed him a bit, I could get some answers on why he and his daughter have locked themselves away. Osbourne doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind of man who would get angry and defensive, so I figure I don¡¯t have much to lose by leaning into my slip of the tongue and doubling down on it.


    ¡°Why do you both do this to yourselves? Locking yourselves away from the world, I mean. I know it¡¯s rude to ask, but-¡±


    ¡°If you know it¡¯s a rude question, then don¡¯t ask it.¡± Solomon declares, albeit conflicted. He wants me to continue on one hand, but as the Steward, it¡¯s not his place to listen to me talk to his master in such a tone.


    Gloomcrest shushes his loyal servant, before continuing to speak. ¡°Quiet, Solomon... I¡¯m... not offended by our guest¡¯s curiosity, no. I¡¯m... only disappointed in myself. You want to know more about my daughter and me, do you...? Fair... fair enough...¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t lose your head, my Duke,¡± Solomon warns. A drop of sweat appears on his brow, and he closes his eyes out of worry. ¡°I know how sensitive you can get when talking about this.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps Abigail could tell you later,¡± Opalina tugs at my sleeve, evidently trying to make me drop the subject. She seems privy to something I¡¯m not, but then again, what else is new? ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go interrogate Pimpington, Dear? Come on, now.¡±


    Count Drisford becomes absorbed by this thought in a hurry to try and distract me. ¡°An excellent idea, Miss Hart. The Marshal is already seeing to the captive, so if you go now you¡¯ll catch him and get to introduce yourself. Victor is a fine man, a very fine man indeed. Why, without him we-¡±


    Gloomcrest interrupts by taking a long, drawn-out sigh. His voice becomes even more distant and yet more tired, still. ¡°Settle down, settle down... I¡¯ll be fine, both of you... Really. I know I can be touchy, but it¡¯ll be alright... I promise.¡±


    Opalina and Solomon exchange worrying looks at each other before acquiescing to the Duke¡¯s stubbornness. Either way, I¡¯m starting to get a bad feeling about all of this. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said anything after all.


    Before I can course correct and attempt to end the discussion early, Osbourne speaks up once more, saying, ¡°It¡¯s best that you hear this from me, anyway... let me tell you why these doors will remain shut...¡±


    PunishedKom


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 A History of Pain

    The air grows thick with tension as I await the Duke to explain his secrets with me. Silence lingers for what feels like an eternity until the low-pitched voice on the other end of the door starts to explain its history of pain. ¡°By now... you know that the Rotblight plague took its toll on my household, claiming my beloved wife and my daughter¡¯s legs. As hard as it was... is... to live without my Deirdre, I did all I could to continue my role as a father and as the Duke of Arrark. I like to think I did my best during that time, I really do... but it wasn¡¯t meant to last. Six years after my wife¡¯s passing, there was a revolt in Dawnstead.¡±


    ¡°I think I remember hearing something about that, but I¡¯m ashamed to admit I don¡¯t know any of the details...¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve received plenty of gifts today, Guild Master,¡± Solomon laughs as dryly as the desert. ¡°I suppose I should throw in one of my own. I¡¯ll see to it myself that your Guild starts getting a damn newspaper.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I would be very grateful,¡± I smile at the Steward, only for Gloomcrest to continue speaking as if no one interrupted him.


    ¡°Peasants stormed the castle with the intent of killing my daughter and me... They accused me of hoarding wealth and overtaxing the province to pay for the dozens of exotic pets I gifted to Abigail when in reality, I afforded them by selling off just about every heirloom I had. There¡¯s just no bargaining with House Lightbringer loyalists, even though it¡¯s been damn near eight hundred years...¡±


    ¡°House Lightbringer? As in Arrarkia Lightbringer?¡±


    ¡°Yes... It¡¯s a long story.¡± The Duke sighs, refusing to answer. ¡°In total, they numbered almost a thousand. We could have handled it if not for...¡± Hesitation consumes the Duke. Whatever he wanted to say now feels heavy in his throat, and he can¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    ¡°Some members of the mob were suspiciously skilled and heavily armed for mere peasants.¡± Solomon implies. ¡°Nothing could ever be proven, of course, but...¡±


    ¡°Ah. I understand.¡± Gloomcrest really thinks Sam¡¯s maternal grandfather tried to assassinate them? Gods, Abigail would have only been twelve at the time... that¡¯s horrible. But... if there was no line of succession, I could see Duke Glorigold using it as an excuse to invade Arrark with or without the King¡¯s permission.


    ¡°And they almost got her, too...¡± Osbourne¡¯s words are dampened by his increasing sobbing. ¡°I was on the frontlines trying to reason with my subjects and striking back where I could, but... I couldn¡¯t hold them all off... my Marshal arrived just in time to swap places with me, and I... I dashed through the secret stairways to protect Abigail... and... Goddess, please...¡±


    ¡°Ozzy,¡± Opalina says with her best soothing voice while wearing a sad expression. ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about this if it hurts too much.¡±


    Her words fall on deaf ears as soon the troubled man continues to pour his emotions into the open for all to see. ¡°All the happiness I bought Abigail was temporary... dead... they were all dead by the time I got there... the dog, the cat, the horse, the bear, the raven, the wyvern, every single creature that made my daughter smile died protecting her! Damn it... DAMN IT ALL!¡± A loud crash slams into the wall to the left of the Duke¡¯s door, most likely the sound of him throwing his chair into the wall. From beneath the door, shadows bellow out like living flames.


    Despite the protective charm hanging around under my neck, my instincts tell me not to let those shadows touch me under any circumstances. They¡¯re different than Zutiria¡¯s dark magic, somehow. They¡¯re primal... hungry... demanding, even. Such powerful darkness exists for one thing and one thing only- to swallow the world whole and ask for more.


    I jump out of my chair and take several steps away from the danger.


    ¡°Osbourne-¡± Solomon stands up, letting the boxes and the sword fall from his body. He rushes to the door, unafraid of the shadows.


    ¡°OZZY!¡± Opalina rises, too. Once again, she calls out to her old friend, trying to snap him out of the depressive state that he worked himself into.


    ¡°DON¡¯T,¡± Gloomcrest snaps as his Steward turns the doorknob. ¡°Don¡¯t, Solomon. I¡¯m alright... I¡¯m... I¡¯ll be fine.¡± The Duke takes a series of labored breaths as he steadies himself, and Solomon reluctantly drops his grip on the handle. The angry darkness recedes back beneath the door, returning to its master. ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to bear witness to one of my fits, Guild Master. It was very unbecoming of me...¡±


    ¡°...No, I spoke dramatically out of turn. I shouldn¡¯t have asked you about such personal things.¡± I tell him, trying to de-escalate while keeping my genuine opinions on the matter a secret.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know it would end up like this...¡± He sighs, then the mail slot opens once again and extends his corpse-like hand, gesturing for me to take it. ¡°Before I have a much-deserved rest, come here for a moment. I want to show you there are no hard feelings.¡±


    While I don¡¯t feel threatened anymore, the idea of a handshake still unsettles me. Opalina looks like she¡¯s about to stop me, but I shrug it off and regret the decision immediately as soon as I take his hand in mine. Colder than ice, contact with the Duke¡¯s skin seemingly saps away any happiness, joy, from my body. The memory of my dreams fades into nothing, as do the smiles of the people in my life who bring me comfort and love. Love means nothing, anyway...


    Nothing matters, and it never did...


    ¡°I will not let anyone hurt my family ever again... we stay in our rooms because the entire Realm hates us and wants us dead. Let me just say I am thrilled that my daughter is interested in someone of the opposite sex. Truly. Nothing would make me happier than having an heir. However... let it be known that my beloved Abigail will never... NEVER leave my side again. As long as I draw breath, her doors will remain closed. Is that understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes... Of course...¡± Who am I to blame a man for wanting to protect his daughter? Hells, who am I to condemn a man for shutting himself off from the world in the first place? I did the same thing to myself for five years, after all. If Gloomcrest is a pathetic pile of shit, then so am I...


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Opalina steps forward, and the coldness enveloping my soul thaws just a little. ¡°If you don¡¯t let go of him right this second, Osbourne, I¡¯ll-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll what? We both know I can turn you in at the drop of a hat.¡±


    Opalina¡¯s face twists with rage, and her fist tightens across her wand so hard that it almost snaps. ¡°Are you even listening to yourself right now?!¡±


    ¡°My Duke, this behavior is simply unacceptable!¡± Solomon screams.


    ¡°None of you can stop me from protecting my daughter. No, not even you, Abigail. Don¡¯t even think about sending in one of your pets. Be a good girl. Close your door, and go back to your room.¡±


    ¡°Father, don¡¯t do this...!¡± A fragile voice no louder than a mouse cries from within the room.


    ¡°TO. YOUR. ROOM!¡± The Duke shouts like a madman. No one says anything back.


    I can feel everything fading. In another few minutes, I know that I won¡¯t feel anything ever again, and that fact is alright with me because caring takes too much effort. I welcome the nothing.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, as for you, Guild Master. Do you promise to never tempt my poor, innocent daughter into wanting to leave her room?¡±


    I want to tell him yes, but... it doesn¡¯t come out no matter how hard I try. When I think about Abigail, I feel a tug in my heart, and it reminds me that I have a heart in the first place. She helps me remember Sam, Zutiria, Meri, the Maids, and everyone else important to me.


    None of this is right.


    That poor girl must feel even worse than I do right now. She lives such a sad little life, and she can¡¯t do anything about it.


    Abigail... she needs help. I know that I can¡¯t just jump headfirst into the abyss. Not while she¡¯s still suffering. Her life has been so hard already, and her damned father doesn¡¯t know how much worse he¡¯s made it all in the name of protecting her.


    ¡°Let... go of me...¡± I hiss back, my fist clenching as anger swells within me. The cold inside my chest warms bit by bit until a fire stirs.


    ¡°What...?!¡± Gloomcrest is stunned as his magic starts to lose some of its effects. I try to wrench my hand away, but my strength hasn¡¯t returned enough. He¡¯s stronger than his pale, corpse-like hand makes him look.


    The mad Duke tightens his grip now that I¡¯m resisting, barking at me to agree that I¡¯ll not lead Abigail astray. Opalina and Solomon try to pull me off of him, but Gloomcrest¡¯s magic must spread out from me and onto them. They both rear back, stung by the depressive burst. If a witch as strong as Opalina cowers back, then the power of Osbourne¡¯s magic speaks for itself.


    Suddenly, I hear the secret passageway opening up nearby. Armored footsteps hit the stone floor one after the other, each one all but shaking the earth under the stranger¡¯s feet.


    ¡°Let go,¡± A new voice says from behind me, a deep, intense, commanding voice. From over my shoulder, a black gauntlet casually reaches out and grab¡¯s the Duke¡¯s wrist. It breaks with the sound of a horrific, wince-inducing crunch, like a hammer hitting stone. Osbourne screeches in pain and releases his hold on me.


    I stumble back, only for my savior to catch me by my shoulder. ¡°You good?¡± He asks.


    Adjusting my balance, I turn to look at the man and find a mammoth standing nearly nine feet tall. He wears plated black armor covered in spikes and emblazoned with red trimming. Sitting atop his breastplate are numerous military service medals, each one telling a different story of excellence and bravery. Beneath his armor is a second layer of protection- magnificent dark chainmail covering everywhere his plating can¡¯t defend. Behind him trails a dark gray blood-stained cape tattered with holes and tears from what looks like decades of combat experience.


    His face is harsh, severe in the way that only an experienced knight can be. He has dark gray, short-cropped hair and his chiseled face is without a shred of facial hair. This black-clad, serious warrior looks down at me with an expressionless stare present on his steely indigo eyes.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I nod my head and rub my wrist after stepping away from his support. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± The knight acknowledges as bluntly as possible.


    ¡°Victor, thank the Goddess below you¡¯re here...¡± Solomon takes a handkerchief and dabs it across his brow. The poor old gargoyle looks like he aged another decade from all this stress.


    ¡°Thank you, Vic,¡± The witch nods her head at the knight and struts to my side. Opalina takes my wrist, inspecting it for damage. She gives up after finding none, then frowns and stares at the door. ¡°Are you happy, Osbourne? Look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±


    Another flash of darkness spreads out from under the door- the same shadows that healed the Duke earlier when Sombre attacked. His voice becomes a whimper as he says, ¡°No... I... I didn¡¯t mean to do that... I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m so sorry. Leave me be. Please...¡±


    I find myself unable to respond to him, still feeling the aftereffects of his magic. Opalina hugs me tight to her bosom and speaks for me as I catch my breath. ¡°You can forget your afternoon nap, Osbourne. We need to have a chat.¡± She says so coldly I can almost feel the biting chill.


    ¡°...Yes. Of course. I¡¯m sorry. Anything you say.¡± The miserable man sobs back in response.


    I¡¯m led down to the fourth floor with Opalina, Solomon, and Victor Kahnt, the Lord Marshal of Arrark. Here, away from the Duke and his poor daughter, we can briefly discuss what all just happened.


    Solomon reveals that Gloomcrest suffers from some severe mental issues because of what happened in the past. He and Opalina apologize for not warning me, but neither thought he would have one of his episodes during our meeting. Most of the time, he¡¯s content to just stay in his room and brood while being harmless, but other times he can become aggressive the longer he dwells on his own sadness.


    This is apparently a terrible thing, considering the type of warrior Osbourne actually is. The Duke is classified as a Dark Knight, a melee class who draws power from their own reserves of negative emotions to cast simple but powerful dark magic. As a depressive shut-in with almost nothing but negative emotions in the first place, Osbourne Gloomcrest¡¯s power is nothing to be trifled with, even if it¡¯s been thirty-some years since the rebellion. I guess Opalina wasn¡¯t lying when she said that talent for dark magic runs in their family.


    As much as I want to talk with Abigail, Victor explains he was coming to escort me to see Chasteworth. The knight has other things to do today, so we need to take care of my interrogation now since Victor needs to be present. Opalina will go back up and have a long talk with Osbourne in the meantime. When she¡¯s done, she plans on visiting the Court Mage. When I¡¯m done with my visit, she tells Victor to lead me to Xothan¡¯s study. He agrees since it¡¯s apparently not far from the dungeon, and with that, we all split up as the memory of the Duke¡¯s outburst remains fresh in our minds.


    PunishedKom


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 The Man in the Iron Chastity Belt

    On our way to Castle Mourneheart¡¯s dungeon, I end up making small talk with the imposing knight who saved me from Duke Gloomcrest¡¯s clutches. Victor¡¯s answers are curt, short, and to the point, rarely using more than a few words at a time. Fortunately, I get the feeling that he¡¯s just not a very talkative person and not that he¡¯s disinterested or annoyed with me.


    Both Opalina and Abigail have high opinions of this man, and it¡¯s not hard to see why. Victor can wear all the spiky, evil-looking armor he wants, but it¡¯s not enough to hide his soft-spoken yet oddly warm personality. I guess, seeing as how he was born a commoner like myself, he¡¯s just naturally more humble than his peers. The Marshal makes for a refreshing contrast after dealing with Bertrand and even Solomon, who, despite his best efforts to be approachable, still comes off as blue-blooded.


    During our conversation, the knight tells me he just returned a few days ago from patrolling the border up north. He was tasked by Solomon to reinforce multiple forts with knights, soldiers, weapons, and supplies to improve defenses. It¡¯s worrisome to think of the broader provincial political situation, but Victor claims it¡¯s only a deterrent and doesn¡¯t expect Duke Glorigold to actually ever attack Arrark full-on... knock on wood.


    Even if things do deteriorate in the future, there¡¯s not a lot that a Guild can do during war. Adventurers are not mercenaries, and there are strict guidelines preventing Guilds from taking on overtly political quests. I push the thought from my mind, knowing it¡¯s just me overthinking things.


    As we grow nearer to our destination, the conversation topic changes to that of my fallen foe. According to the Marshal, Pimpington had his wounds treated, but he¡¯s been continually tortured on and off ever since his arrival. I¡¯m almost afraid of what I¡¯ll see when we reach him. He¡¯s undoubtedly a villain on the wrong side of the law, but after witnessing the grace and dignity of his defeat, I can¡¯t bring myself to hate the man any longer. I don¡¯t think he deserves to be tortured.


    At long last, we come to an out-of-the-way staircase hidden on the first floor of the dark castle. Its dirty, cobweb-infested steps lead down to a large steel door barred by many iron locks. Victor undoes each lock with a hefty set of keys hooked to his belt, and he advises me to stick close to him and not to approach any of the cells. He says we have to pass through two huge chambers before we reach the VIP room.


    Here, Arrark¡¯s worst watch from within their cells as the two of us pass them by. Guards salute my knightly escort while decrepit prisoners wearing little more than rags run to the bars of their cages so they can scream insults at Victor. Shockingly, the Marshal finds little love within this prison.


    ¡°How many of them are from Dewhurst?¡± I ask, after recognizing a few townsfolk sitting behind bars. Pretty sure that gnome over there napping in a puddle of his own piss used to be an adventurer back in my grandfather¡¯s era, too. Glad to see he¡¯s doing alright for himself.


    ¡°Half?¡± Victor shrugs.


    Huh. Lower than I would have thought. Though I guess since we lack proper law enforcement in town, they don¡¯t actually ship most of the city¡¯s worst out to Dawnstead¡¯s dungeons.


    We pass through this first chamber without lingering and move onto the next. This second chamber is more of the same, just worse in every way. The criminals look even meaner, and the cells are somehow even dingier. The scent of mildew is thick in the air, as well as the unmistakable stink of resentment and regret. Or maybe that¡¯s just all of the prisoner¡¯s waste piling up. Probably that, now that I think about it.


    If this is only the second chamber, I fear what sort of conditions they¡¯re keeping Pimpington in. My fear grows exponentially as once we reach halfway through the massive rows of iron cells, I hear a familiar voice screaming, ¡°Stop! Stop all this, ya feel me?! It ain¡¯t- AH- It ain¡¯t right! Help! HELP!¡±


    Pimpington sounds like he¡¯s on the verge of death, his shout curdled with blood, misery, and abject agony. I stop in my tracks and ask Victor, ¡°Is he alright?¡± The knight looks at me with a hard-to-read expression on his face, so I clarify, ¡°I know it sounds odd, but a mutual respect developed during our battle. I don¡¯t exactly wish to see him in pain.¡±


    Victor stops in front of the door and cranes his massive, tree-trunk-sized neck to face me. ¡°See for yourself,¡± He says, gesturing to the sealed metal barricade with his finger.


    I take him up on it, and with a fit of anxiety brewing in my heart, I undo all of the latches and open the door, stepping forward into the deepest pits of Dawnstead¡¯s darkest dungeons.


    This room is larger than the other two by far, and instead of a narrow corridor, it¡¯s shaped like an open rectangle. Twenty-five large cells with fancier accommodations than the prisons before are built into the backmost wall in five stacks of three. Catwalks with stone stairways allow the guards to patrol the different rows, and when standing far away enough like I am now, you can get a good look at all of the prisoners at once. Not many of them are occupied, but my attention is drawn to the nearest one that is.


    On the first floor row in the center cell, Pimpington is forced to suffer torture most foul. ¡°Stop, please! Mercy!¡± He screams, to no avail. The former adventurer is strapped to a large four-poster bed, entirely naked except for an iron chastity belt. He¡¯s not alone. Joining him are four of the five girls Sam, Meri, and Zutiria beat up during the dungeon crawl, as well as Lemira and Rhaelyn. Oh, and that one Elf from the stripper pole room who Sam knocked out.


    The pregnant woman present during the brawl is in the adjacent cell to the left, sitting up in her bed while leaning against the wall and frustratedly masturbating at her exclusion. Given how I didn¡¯t see any of Pimpington¡¯s other women in any of the cells we passed on our way to get here, I assume that the only criminals captured were the ones my adventurers took down. I was asleep while Opalina took the captured pimp to Dawnstead, so she must have alerted Osbourne to send someone to pick up the rest we¡¯d apprehended.


    Each girl is rubbing their bodies up against the defeated fencer, kissing him, grinding against him, kneading their breasts into his body while they moan sexually and do their best to give the man pleasure that he can¡¯t truly appreciate. Even worse, Left and Right Hoe seem to be taking this chance to tease their boss with a bit of femdom play. The dark-skinned Human and the naughty Elf both hover over his head, intermittently shoving their sopping pussies onto his mouth. They scream with joy as he pleasures them, somewhat against his will.


    Well... at least he¡¯s alright, I guess.


    ¡°You can cry all you want,¡± Lemira teases, biting her thick lower lip and pushing down her fat ass on the pimp¡¯s face. ¡°You love it.¡±


    ¡°N-No! This pimp would never like this femdom shit, ya feel me?! It ain¡¯t my style! It ain¡¯t! I-¡± His protests are loud but unconvincing. Pimpington gets distracted halfway through, much to the black woman¡¯s delight.


    The tiny Halfling pulls her mouth away from Pimpington¡¯s nipple and looks our way. Her eyes are much clearer than that last time I saw her, no doubt because they¡¯re keeping her off of steezweed during her imprisonment. Her tiny a-cup breasts barely peak up from her chest as she sits up. Even as she tilts her head and stares right at us, the little Rogue¡¯s hand is buried between her legs, furiously teasing and pleasing her narrow slit. ¡°He¡¯s here, I think...¡±


    The tattooed Frost Dwarf stops grinding on his leg, the huge Orc woman sits up off one of his hands, the trumpet playing Elf off of the other, while the Elf mage stops sucking his opposite nipple. Lemira and Rhaelyn are the last to stop and look very disappointed that they have to.


    ¡°You¡¯re all dismissed. Guards.¡± Victor raises a single hand, and armored prison guards unlock the cell. One by one, the prisoners willingly shuffle out of the room without a hint of resistance. At first, I find it odd that there are no handcuffs on any of the girls. Then I realize there¡¯s no point since Victor is here and he could quickly subdue any of them. Even then, though... they all look strangely compliant.


    Pimpington¡¯s lieutenants are led to different cells on the third floor, while the hooker squad is escorted out of the third chamber entirely. Guess that means the pregnant girl is only back here because the cells are nicer.


    Victor and I approach the pimp¡¯s cell, and the smell of harem sex hits me like an explosion. It¡¯s probably a weird thing to admit, but it makes me homesick even though it¡¯s only been a day.


    ¡°Visitor.¡± The towering Knight proclaims to the criminal in a gruff, commanding tone. Victor undoes the locks on the cell with a set of keys he takes from a pouch on his belt and leads me inside the posh prison.


    ¡°Oh, oh, bless you, Guild Master...!¡± Pimpington says, breathing heavily and covered with sweat. ¡°They... they¡¯ve been torturing this pimp since I got here, but I ain¡¯t sayin¡¯ shit to anyone but you, ya feel me? They won¡¯t let a pimp nut unless he sells out all his friends! What kinda whack ass shit is that, for real?¡±


    ¡°Talk first, nut later.¡± Victor narrows his eyes, delivering that line more threateningly than should be possible.


    ¡°Guess this pimp ain¡¯t ever gonna nut then,¡± Pimpington looks up from his bed but can¡¯t sit up thanks to the bondage on his limbs chaining him to the posters.


    ¡°Guess he¡¯s not.¡± Victor nods his head.


    ¡°Wait, wait, wait!!¡± Pimpington becomes desperate. ¡°Let¡¯s not be so hasty here, ya feel me?! Master, this torture is too much! You gotta get me a lawyer or some shit, I¡¯ll die in here!¡±


    Shaking my head, I tell my fallen foe, ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t think so. You¡¯re getting what you des-¡±


    Pimpington lets out a pitiful cry as he thrusts his pelvis weakly into the air, shouting, ¡°Fuck!! T-The blue balls... they¡¯re... they¡¯re starting up again! AGH-¡±


    ¡°...Well, maybe it¡¯s a little cruel.¡± As mean as she is, at least Snow let me get off eventually. My balls are suffering second-hand pain just looking at this sad display.


    Victor pulls a lever on the wall, forcing the bed to recline upwards until the pimp is presented on a slab. I look up into the eyes of this powerful criminal that my girls brought down as a team, and beneath the delirious pain, I see in them a renewed light. Something stirs within him that wasn¡¯t there before, or rather, something that used to be there a long, long time ago, has finally returned.


    Even in defeat and with a horrific case of blue balls, he looks at me with the pride and poise of a gentleman knight. Pimpington sighs before eventually giving me a genuine smile. ¡°Glad you could make it, Guild Master. Your girls alright?¡±


    ¡°Mostly. They¡¯re all healed, but the healing potions had some side effects, so they had to rest for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Good, this pimp is happy for ya. I¡¯m sorry for all the shit I did to ¡®em, but business is business.¡± He turns to Victor and scowls. ¡°Anyway, this mothafucka ever heard of privacy?¡±


    ¡°You either talk to your visitor with me present, or you don¡¯t talk, period.¡± The Marshal responds.


    Although reluctant, the Pimp hangs his head and sighs. ¡°Man fuck you, ya brick shithouse lookin¡¯ ass.¡±


    ¡°Guild Master,¡± Victor looks at me with a dead, serious expression. ¡°You may have to come back later. It sounds to me like the prisoner wants me to return his accomplices. Perhaps it¡¯s time to give them strap-ons?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Pimpington shrieks, tears streaming down his face with unrelenting misery. ¡°You can stay! I don¡¯t care anymore, just please, Gods, no!!¡±


    Victor nods without even a hint of a smile. ¡°Go ahead, then. The floor is yours, Guild Master.¡±


    PunishedKom


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 Beaten but not Broken

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem too surprised to see me.¡± I cross my arms while taking in the strange sight of my foe. Pimpington is covered in an enormous amount of hickies from top to bottom. Sweat coats his face and makes his oily black hair and mustache all the oilier for it. His hands and limbs are still sloppy with juices from his various lovers, and his eyes have giant bags under them, which makes me think they''ve been doing this torture to him for several days straight.


    ¡°Naw, I knew you¡¯d come. Sorry bout the indecency," Pimpington grumbles, looking down at his sorry state of undress. "It''s not exactly somethin¡¯ this pimp has any control over at this moment, ya feel me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll live. At least you got that belt of yours to shield my eyes from the horrors beneath.¡±


    "Har fuckin'' har." He laughs before letting out a weary sigh. ¡°I''m glad you''re here, Guild Master, but I wanna set something straight."


    "By all means,¡± I extend my hand and smile, gesturing for him to continue.


    "Don''t expect to get shit from me." He says firmly while laughing off my mannerisms. "I like ya well enough, ya stuffy bastard, but ya know damn well that this pimp ain¡¯t gonna sell out his friends or the Bossman, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I figured as much... I¡¯m not really here for that, anyway."


    "No? Then the fuck you here for, you mothafucka?" He chuckles, although it''s clear he''s enjoying having some company that isn''t sexually torturing him.


    "I think you know that already, Pimpington. Nothing would make me happier than for you to tell me all about your story, if you will." I summon up all the seriousness I can muster as I look him in the eyes. "During our dungeon raid, I kept telling myself not to get distracted by all the clues about your history that the girls found. By the time we got to you, though, even my curiosity was bursting at its seems. Then, we beat you. I couldn''t take the lack of resolution- especially not after all those cryptic hints you dropped during the battle. I want to know how you ended up like this."


    "Right," He groans and looks to the side, embarrassed. "This pimp figured this was comin''... I dunno how ya made that weird-ass dungeon of yours, Guild Master, but it''s one hell of an invasion of this pimp''s privacy, fo'' real."


    "I didn''t make that dungeon," I smirk, but it''s also not a lie. He clearly doesn''t believe me, but it''s not like he can prove it.


    "Right, and I just had the most fulfilling orgasm of my life, ya know what I''m- AGH!" He rolls his eyes before clenching his teeth and shouting about another pang of pain from his blue balls


    I frown as the mental image of myself going through the same thing returns. Once he recovers from the unpleasant lack of sexual gratification, I make light conversation to soften him up. "It¡¯s a shame seeing you like this. Speaking of, how come your girls were taking part in your torture?¡±


    ¡°Cause they was offered a lighter sentence if they complied. Y¡¯all know how it is.¡± His eyes grow defiant, telling me that this isn''t the whole story.


    Not surprising. I find it hard to believe his women sold him out over something like simple like that. No, not after witnessing how loyal they are to this over-the-top and larger-than-life pimp firsthand. "Come on. I don¡¯t believe that for a second. Did they really betray you just like that?¡±


    ¡°Hells naw,¡± The wily pimp smiles wickedly, confirming what I thought all along. ¡°I made ¡®em take the offer. Told ¡®em to talk and do whatever they can to make this easier on themselves. They¡¯re good girls- all of em. They don¡¯ deserve to be punished just cause they fell in with... a man like me.¡±


    Damn, even in this situation, he''s still putting his beloved girls before his own needs. ¡°That''s very noble of you," I tell him before remembering he might not enjoy my choice of words.


    "Noble, huh? Is that some kinda joke?" He raises an eyebrow at the unintended comment I made toward his disgraced status.


    "You know what I mean," I sigh at the man disowned by his own family. "More importantly, I wanted to ask what made you become ¡®a man like you¡¯, Chasteworthe?¡±


    He hesitates and looks away. ¡°...Our fight changed a lot in me, Guild Master, but I¡¯d appreciate it if ya don¡¯t go an¡¯ call a pimp by that name anymore. Pimpington is my name, and I''m very adamant about that much. During our fight, ya used that name against me to rile me up, and it worked fo'' the most part. But things are different now. I respect ya. So, I wanna ask fo'' the same courtesy in return, ya feel me? The names ain¡¯t interchangeable.¡±


    Seems he really doesn¡¯t ever intend on being Chasteworthe ever again. I¡¯ll make a note of it. ¡°Sure. I can respect that," I nod my head at him before shifting around the wording of my question. "So tell me then, what made you into Pimpington?¡±


    The pimp sighs and hangs his head. Dodging the question deftly, he ignores me by asking, ¡°Nevermind all that, what¡¯d ya go and do with my sword?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a phenomenal weapon- beautiful and powerful in equal measure. I¡¯m keeping it around in case I ever end up with someone in my Guild who can put it to good use.¡±


    "Someone like this pimp right here?" The villain laughs out loud, the thought almost too funny for himself to take remotely seriously.


    "Well, if you didn¡¯t go and kill your last Guild Master, then I¡¯d offer to give it back as long as you took a job at my Guild. Assuming you ever get let out.¡±


    ¡°Hah..." Pimpington pauses, clearly thinking about what I have to say. He regains his composure soon after the idle fantasy passes him by. "Naw, man. A tempting offer, but this pimp is afraid he¡¯s gonna have to decline. If ya hadn''t already figured out, I ain''t gonna be supporting the Association ever again, ya feel me?"


    Pimpington smiles down from on high. "Still, I¡¯m glad ya didn¡¯ go an¡¯ sell her. After everythin¡¯ that went down, Rosenthorne was all I had from my old life. Would be a shame if she wasn''t kept in good hands.¡± The defeated pimp smirks, obviously relieved that some merchant with grubby hands hasn''t whisked away his treasured weapon.


    "You have my word that I won''t be selling her," Not like I''ll be hurting for gold soon, anyway. Not if everything goes to plan. With that out of the way, I ask something that just took hold of my curiosity. "So everything comes down to the Association? If there was a Guild that wasn¡¯t part of them, perchance..."


    "Sure, ya set up a Guild that ain''t connected to the Association of Adventurers, and this pimp''ll be the first one to sign up." He laughs, knowing full well how it''s impossible to create a wholly independent Guild. The Association has had a monopoly on the industry for fifteen hundred years, after all. A legal one backed by the King, no less. Guilds like mine where we don''t have to follow the company template are outliers. I still don¡¯t really know why my Guild has so much freedom from the Association, honestly. My grandfather isn¡¯t around to answer such questions, so I¡¯d probably have to ask someone higher up in the Association myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you updated on that,¡± I tell him, which makes him laugh softly again. Things grow more serious as I move on, saying, ¡°I also meant your situation as a whole. It isn¡¯t just about the girl, is it? It¡¯s the Association as a whole.¡±


    The man in chains lowers his head as he remembers the girl in question. It obviously pains him, and he doesn''t like what he recalls. After some more silence, he moves on and finally gives in. "She was part of it, sure. But you¡¯re right. It wasn''t all her fault. This pimp''ll tell ya all about what happened if ya really wanna know, but it ain''t exactly gonna get ya any usable intel on my boss or my comrades."


    "Yes, yes. I understand. You don¡¯t need to worry about me trying to interrogate you."


    "I appreciate it, unlike our friend over there." Pimpington tilts his head toward the imposing Knight standing by the open cell door.


    "You don''t mind if I talk to him about this, do you?" I turn to Victor and ask if such a discussion is alright with him. I can''t imagine the Marshal would be happy that we won''t be gaining any actual intel out of this.


    "I was told to let you talk with the prisoner. Whatever the topic is, it doesn''t matter." The mighty knight says without even so much as a glance at either of us. Looking into his steely eyes, I see a flicker of interest spark up in them. I guess as hard as he tries to be stoic, Victor Kahnt is not above intrigue. That''s a relief.


    "Hmph." Pimpington seems to be upset. Maybe he hoped that Victor would have nipped this conversation in the bud. As a last means of defense, the Pimp frowns and asks, "Why do ya even wanna know so bad in the first place, man? I''m just a pimp at the end of my rope. Ain''t like my story is all that unique in the grand scheme of things, fo'' real."


    "I ask because I''m interested in what could break a man so badly and so completely that he becomes a parody of himself. Especially if another member of my profession had something to do with it." I remember the painting that clearly showed the Imperalis Guild Master on the receiving end of Pimpington''s wrath, Rosenthorne sending him to his final resting place either above or below.


    The silence as Pimpington thinks to himself is almost unbearable. Eventually, he resolves himself and says, "Aight... that''s good enough fo'' this pimp, I guess... fo'' context, what all do ya know about House Chasteworthe of Rhoivan? This pimp''s story ain''t gonna make much sense if we don''t start from there, ya feel me?"


    "Can''t say that I know all that much. Hells, I don''t even know much about the nobility of my own province, let alone the many noble families of Rhoivan." I do seem to recall a bit I learned from a couple of erotic novels in my collection, though. I''ve definitely heard the name Chasteworthe before in more than one of them. Although my memory is great, I''ve read so many erotic tomes that sometimes specifics escape me, or they bleed into one another...


    Then, it comes back to me. "Didn''t one of your ancestors have something to do with bringing down one of the Demon Lords?"


    "More than that," He laughs. "Cynthia Chasteworth the 1st was the damn Hero of Light herself who offed the fourth Demon Lord, Zehesiel."


    "No shit?" I blink at him, thinking about how I''m in the presence of one of my predecessor''s descendants.


    "Yup, the Lord of Lust himself," Pimpington smirks. "She was able to resist his powerful lewd magic because ol'' Cynthia was a prude little lady who believed sex should only happen after marriage. Her morals were so strong, his powers had no effect on her. Fuckin'' bizarre, right?"


    "Extremely. Sexual compatibility is a serious thing when it comes to choosing a partner." I say as someone who has only bedded virgins, aware of the irony. Still, what an awfully backward tradition, in my opinion. ¡°And to think she had such belief in it that it actually empowered her...¡±


    "Right? The thing is after she killed the Demon Lord, the King of that era gave her the peerage and a good chunk of land. Ya know, the kinda shit Kings always do when someone saves their ass. And what did that bitch go and make the core tenet of her newly founded noble house? Mothafuckin'' chastity and abstinence! Yeah, it''s all right there in the family name, but that shouldn''t mean we gotta fuckin'' act on it, know what I''m saying? My stupid ass family drills it into all their kids that sex is fo'' after marriage when they find ''the one''!"


    My sympathy for the pimp is starting to wane as he whines on about how he couldn''t get laid before marriage. Sure, it sucks, and I find the practice naive, but... no, I''m getting ahead of myself. That can''t possibly be all there is to it. I need to see his story entirely through and not make assumptions. "You didn''t really lose your temper and kill that Guild Master just because the girl you were in love with was cheating on you, right?"


    "No!" Pimpington reacts with seething rage, banging his fists into the bed behind him. "No, damn it, this pimp is a better man than that! Do ya really think so low of me that somethin'' so small and stupid like bein'' ''cucked'' would make me kill a man? I can take getting hurt. I can handle having my heartbroken. Hells, I wouldn''t even have minded if she really did find someone else who made her happier... what this pimp can''t take, though, is being lied to."


    "What did that Guild Lady lie to you about?"


    "It wasn''t just her who did the lyin'', man..." The Pimp''s eyes waver as his gaze looks past me, past the cell, and past the present straight into the past. "It was everyone..."


    As Pimpington finally begins to open up about his tragic experiences, Victor almost imperceptibly takes a step forward and leans his ear in.


    PunishedKom


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 A Wilted Rose May Yet Bloom

    "By now, ya probly figured out I was in love with the receptionist back at Imperalis''s Adventurer''s Guild- those stupid paintings and statues told ya that much. Back then, I was a simpler man. I only cared about proving my worth and livin'' up to my family name. I was gonna be the next Count Chasteworthe, after all. Now, This pimp wasn''t even lookin'' fo'' love at the time. I swear. But one day, our ol¡¯ Guild receptionist retired, and they brought in a transfer from Hollobell to take her place. I ain''t never seen nobody as beautiful as the new girl, and right away I set about tryin'' to woo her- as a man is wont to do. I didn¡¯t come on too strong or anythin¡¯, but I made it very clear I was interested."


    Before he continues on, I bring up an obvious question. "And you''re really sure you didn¡¯t just want to get laid?"


    "Naw, not at the time," Pimpington laughs, although his eyes show only sadness. "Nowadays, I ain''t so sure. Point is, I worked my ass off to get her to notice me, and she did, but..."


    Easy enough to figure out where this is going. "Let me guess. She wasn''t interested?"


    The pitiable man nods, saying, "Not in the fuckin'' slightest."


    "Why did you work so damn hard for her sake, then?" I can''t say I have much experience with unrequited love, thanks to a certain Goddess... it must genuinely feel miserable if it makes you do such stupid things.


    "Because she pretended she to be interested and didn''t even give this pimp any reason to doubt her."


    "Shit... That''s pretty bad, but..."


    "It gets worse." He says in a hurt, deadpan tone. "Lemme put it this way, I was hot shit in my prime, ya know what I mean? I brought in lots of gold and never failed a quest I was sent on. Hells, I was personally requested for dozens of quests every week! Everyone wanted me in their party! People would do anythin'' to get me to help ''em out... and the Association? Well... they noticed that. Just like they noticed I was a fool in love."


    "You can''t possibly be implying-"


    "Boy, I fuckin'' wish. The woman of my dreams started approaching me off the book, and she''d ask me all sorts of personal favors which in reality were high payin'' quests fo'' the damn Guild. She''d make up excuses, sayin'' her sick mom needed a potion made outta a hundred green dragon scales, and, dumbass that I was, I''d go and hunt down the nearest green dragon for her. Course, this pimp didn''t know the Guild was actually sellin'' em to a stupidly rich alchemist in Tior, naw... shit, that''s just one example, man. Another good one was when she asked me to go and kill a bandit king who was slummin'' it up near her sister''s village. Fought like a thousand a them mothafuckas and barely got outta there with my life, but I did it, and I did it for free. Oh- then there''s the time that the major trade route from Imperalis to Hunnihome got blocked by a giant, mutated Bastard Bunny. You ever seen one of them, Master?"


    "I''ve read about them in my monster reference books, but..."


    "Well, this Bastard Bunny was twice as fuckin'' big as the biggest one I ever saw, and it even had a huge-ass sword like a mothafucka. Don''t matter. I went and killed it for her anyway. Said her daddy wouldn''t be able to make enough gold to eat if he couldn''t sell his wares, and that was enough fo'' this pimp..."


    "How long did she lead you on like this?"


    "Promise me ya won''t laugh..."


    "You have my word."


    "Three years. I was in love, damn it, and my family brainwashed me into following my passions thinking that she was ''the one'', y''know what I''m sayin''? And it ain''t like this pimp didn''t notice things were fuckin'' weird. I just wanted her to feel the same way about me that I felt about her! I... agh!" He grits his teeth and slams his fists limply into the bed again, causing feathers to fly out of the mattress. Despite the criminal acting out, Victor remains silent and only watches. "This... this is the first time I''ve talked about it since I met the Boss. This is hard for a pimp, alright?"


    "Pimpington, I''m not judging you... please, continue."


    "I''m good, I''m good..." He says, panting and shaking his head. "I was wise to what was goin'' on about a year and a half in, but I kept going thinkin'' I could make her actually like me. Dumbass mistake, I know, but here we are. When it came close to three years of dancin'' around, and after hundreds of unpaid quests, I was ready to move on. This pimp prepared himself to hurt, but I was still dead set on telling her I was gonna move on and pretend none of this ever happened. Just my luck, I caught her in a spare room talkin'' to our Guild Master. I ain''t the nosy type, but I heard my name bein'' said, so I eavesdropped through the crack in the door. Mothafucka was handin'' her a bag. Get this- she was getting a hefty ass chunk of gold for lying to me and pretending she was into me. She didn''t look too happy about it, but the Guild Master did. So, I snapped, and I killed him without even thinkin¡¯ about it. I wish there was a mo'' dramatic way of puttin'' it, but... it all happened so fast. I ain''t never been so angry in my life."


    "Just like that...?"


    "Just like that. I lost it all. Family revoked all my ranks and titles in exchange fo'' getting me out of the legal problems it caused. The Association stripped my license and confiscated all the treasure, weapons, armor sets, and magical artifacts in my Guild storage. At the time, I''d done so much pro bono work I barely had any cash left. It¡¯s my own damn fault it happened, sure, but I still saw firsthand that everything I believed in, everythin'' my family taught me about findin'' the one... all of it was horse shit. I took what little gold I had, found the nearest brothel, and lost my virginity to a bunch of nameless hookers this pimp don''t even remember. Best decision I ever made."


    "That''s... all so awful. I''m not about to say you did the right thing, but... I... don''t know if I wouldn''t have done the same in your shoes."


    "Yeah, well... this pimp-" Pimpington is interrupted by the sound of sobbing, only it''s not coming from me. We''re both confused once we hear it, but once I look over my shoulders and see the stoic knight wiping a single, manly tear from his eye, everything makes sense. Except not really.


    "How terrible," Victor says with a shake of his head. Then he regains composure almost immediately, saying, "I''m still going to torture you, though."


    The pitiful criminal laughs, "Lot of good your sympathy does a pimp, then."


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, you soldier types are always just ¡®following orders¡¯.¡± Pimpington shrugs before looking back at me.


    My feelings on the matter are a lot more complicated than Victor¡¯s. Yes, I¡¯m very sympathetic to Pimpington after learning his story, but... I know damn well about how the Association works at large.


    From a young age, my grandfather always talked up the horrors the Association wrought on their adventurers. Their insurance scams, their overpriced adventuring goods which leads into their debt traps, their numerous fees for basic services, the way adventurers are treated like meat in a grinder.


    I know that from hindsight, my grandfather was no saint, but he always bragged about not having to do any of that evil crap.


    This is the first time I''ve ever seen such blatant evidence of their misdeeds, though. I assume everything Pimpington says is true since my eyes didn''t pick up a single hint of a lie anywhere within his testimonial, so my mind is buzzing with questions.


    How high up did this go? Was it just the Imperalis Guild Master''s scheme, or was someone higher up in the Association aware of what was going on, and they signed off on it? And for that matter, how much gold did they even make after three years of stringing him along? Gold-ranked quests aren''t exactly cheap...


    I guess the most pressing question of all I have in mind is- ¡°How did the Association not get in trouble over this?¡±


    ¡°Why the fuck would they? I killed a fuckin¡¯ Guild Master.¡± He laughs.


    ¡°You were a high-ranking nobleman. I find it hard to believe you couldn¡¯t have used that against them.¡±


    ¡°The only noble house who¡¯s got any power over them Guild mothafuckas are the Lundreames themselves. Maybe the Glorigolds, too, thanks to all that cash they throw around... but for the most part, nobility don¡¯t mean shit to the Association.¡±


    The more I think about this, the more hatred I feel brewing inside me toward the system, and illogically, towards myself for being a part of it. "I''m sorry."


    "Fo'' the fuck what?" Pimpington tilts his head, confused.


    "I''m sorry that my institution did this to you. I can''t help feeling guilt by association. Stupid, I know, but..."


    "Master, ya ain''t like them. Not at all. Long as you keep on keepin'' on and doin'' your thing, this pimp feels like everything''ll work our fo'' ya." His words make him sound sure of himself, but I wish I could feel the same.


    "If only I was as optimistic as you. My Guild is no doubt gaining attention from the Association with every passing day, and it''s only a matter of time before they start poking their head in my business."


    "When that day comes, don''t back down. Mothafucka, I seen how you fight with them girls under yo'' belt. Don''t be afraid when the pencil-pushers come after ya. They ain''t shit. And if ya find you can''t walk down their road no mo'', make yo'' own damn road, ya feel me?"


    "That''s impossible."


    "Bitch, then make it the fuck possible!" Pimpington shouts, a wily smile spreading across his cheeks. "This pimp was a simpleton who believed in bullshit like knightly values and chastity, now look at me. Despite all the horrible crap that happened, it''s not like I''m not happier with who I am now! I did what I wanted to do, and damn did it feel good!"


    An optimistic idea for sure, but I counter by telling him, "Happy men don''t often plot out elaborate revenge schemes."


    "That''s different," Pimpington sighs, his sharp eyes growing distant. "Bossman came to me with a plan, and I thought it sounded like a hell of a time."


    "Am I correct in thinking that your revenge is aimed at the Association somehow? I already know that Alvahs Vehl is a former adventurer as well, same as the false Duke''s butcher."


    My knowledge catches the Pimp off guard. He raises an eyebrow before playing it off and looking in another direction. "Told ya I ain''t sayin¡¯ shit. Context clues are yo'' friend, can ya dig it?"


    "Right, right... I admire your loyalty, if nothing else. But from the sounds of it, your loyalty is going to endanger a lot of people. That¡¯s something that I won''t let happen. I''ve been given a bounty quest for every major member of your organization. From here on out, we''re going on the offensive."


    Pimpington reacts to this news with a mix of emotions. Oddly enough, he seems both pleased and annoyed. "That so? Well, good luck with that shit. It ain''t gonna be easy. If ya can pull it off, then good on ya, but I ain''t no snitch, so y''all are gonna get no help from me. Can''t say it wouldn''t be nice if you could beat some sense into ''em like you did for me, though..."


    Like I thought, he¡¯s not totally against the idea of his friend¡¯s being brought to justice. "Does that mean you no longer want your revenge?" I ask, hoping to get him to say more on it.


    "I''m apathetic about it at the moment," He shrugs. "Blue balls''ll make it so a man can''t think about much else, ya feel me?"


    "Pimpington, please. I''m asking you this as someone who genuinely sympathizes with you and who respects you. Is there absolutely nothing you can tell me?"


    After thinking long and hard about it, the pimp struggles greatly with himself, and he eventually offers up, "Don''t get killed, Guild Master."


    It''s not anything useful, but it''s kind of him all the same. "It was nice to see you again,¡± I say before leaving him with a bit of sarcasm. ¡°I''ll come back for you when I¡¯ve split off from the Association and am running a nice little independent Guild of my own.¡±


    "Heh. Lookin'' forward to it, ya feel me?"


    PunishedKom


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 The Court Mage of Castle Mourneheart

    Victor and I leave the confines of Pimpington''s cell, but before we go, he instructs the guards to give the prisoner a brief reprieve before they bring back in his girls for another round of torture. Good for him. Gods know his blue balls could use a break. At this rate, they¡¯re probably bluer than that Frost Dwarf of his. I can tell Victor still feels sympathetic. Otherwise, he definitely would''ve had them go straight back to work.


    Now, the massive soldier escorts me to the lab of Gloomcrest''s Court Mage, Xothan Xolius. As we talk, we start to speak however briefly.


    "Good work back there." He says, dispassionate and quiet.


    I wouldn''t call it good work, personally, but I digress. "If you say so. It''s not like I got anything useful out of Pimpington."


    Victor retorts with a surprising stubbornness, "Your ideals were challenged. His words shook you, yet you pushed on. For that, I say good work."


    His sincere compliment draws a smile out of me. "You''re a pretty nice guy, Victor."


    "Nice... cruel... those are just labels. Nothing more." He shrugs off my attempt at a compliment, only saying, "I am who I am."


    "Abigail thinks highly of you, and now I see why."


    The man in the dark, powerful armor stops right there in the dirty dungeon hallway. He turns to face me, his tattered cap billowing behind him like a plume of smoke behind a giant. "Abigail is... important to me."


    "Yes, that much seems to be a recurring theme here amongst the Duke''s servants."


    "My sister was equally fond of her. Although we were born commoners, I rose through the ranks of knighthood, and we were allowed to live in this beautiful castle. Viola grew up alongside Abigail..."


    "She told me a little about you and your sister. I''m sorry for your loss..."


    "I didn''t lose anything," Victor grunts his words with absolute certainty. There is unmatched anger in his eyes, anger that reminds me of the darkness seeping out of Gloomcrest''s door earlier this morning.  "She''s still out there, and I will find her."


    "I hope this doesn''t sound too opportunistic, but if you ever catch wind of a hint as to her whereabouts, feel free to submit a quest to the Dewhurst Adventurer''s Guild, and we''ll do our best to find her."


    Victor stares at me long and hard, to the point where I worry that I just offended him. As unafraid as I tend to be, I can''t help but feel unsettled as the nine-foot-tall mountain glares at me with unknown intention. Then, right as the tension becomes unbearable, he places his gigantic, plated fist and pats my shoulder as gently as he can. "You''re a pretty nice guy, Guild Master." He says without a smile, yet I feel like he''s trying his hardest to be playful.


    I smile back up at him awkwardly, and the Knight nods before turning around and continuing his path through the dungeon. He goes on without so much as telling me to follow, knowing I''ll do it anyway.


    Just as noted, Xothan''s laboratory isn''t actually that far from the dungeon. Rather than being the type of Mage to lock himself up in a tower, Xothan is apparently the kind who keeps himself underground, far away from prying eyes. When we reach his lab, we approach a massive set of brass doors with alchemical sigils and signs carved into them. Victor knocks, but there is no answer. Opalina must still be upstairs, giving Osbourne a ''strict talking to'' while Xothan might be out.


    "Feel free to wait," Victor says. "Someone will show up eventually."


    "What''s the matter, can''t stick around and chat?"


    "No. I''m always needed elsewhere." Whether he gets my joke or not, the severe knight pays it no mind and merely turns away from me. "One last thing," Victor stops in place and twists his neck to face me.


    "Yes?"


    "Abigail is single."


    "Gods damn it, you too?"


    Victor walks off the way we came with purpose in his stride, leaving me alone in the depths of Castle Mourneheart. As he goes, he raises his gauntleted fist and gives me the coolest thumbs up I''ve ever seen. I thought for sure at least Victor, of all people, would refrain from trying to hook me up with the noble Lady of House Gloomcrest, but it seems I can''t let my guard down for even a moment less I am swept up into a potential marriage discussion.


    As I wait here in the dungeon for Opalina to show up, I''m lucky enough to still have the Bag of Holding she gave me in my pocket. This means instant access to the many books I borrowed from the Duke''s library. So, with nothing better to do, I lean against the wall and get to work. After getting through around ten pages of  ''An Introduction to Dwarves and the Realm of Hal Moldihr'', though, the doors of brass begin to slowly open up with a loud creaking sound. Dust that was once settled on the stone floor now bellows out of place, creating wispy shrouds of filth that fade away to reveal a grandiose laboratory filled with more alchemical supplies and devices than I''ve ever seen in one place.


    Throughout the room lit by hundreds of flickering candles, cauldrons the size of vats bubbling with noxious odors fill the air with the sound of stirring liquids, plumes of multicolored smoke erupting from each one as an automated spell stirs the contents of each one. There are about ten different work desks set up in the middle of the room, and all of them seem to be working on something different. One is covered in spell diagrams and ancient reference books, one desk is in the middle of dissecting a large, scaly drake, while yet another desk seems to be an alchemical coffee-brewing station.  The bitter smell of the coffee, while enticing, does little to cover the scent of the surrounding scenery. Lastly, each lab wall is covered head to toe with shelves holding transparent jars labeled this and that, while some of the pots seem to preserve human body parts or fetuses within them. Lovely. I''m sure Zutiria would find herself in heaven with facilities like this.


    Now, I''m no fool. Just because the doors are open, I don''t assume this means I can walk straight in. Opalina has had nothing but negative things to say about the owner of this lab, so I''m keeping my distance. Albeit faint, my eyes tell me there''s magic at foot. "Is anyone there?" I ask, standing cautiously outside the lab.


    "Come," An echoey, magically-boosted voice belonging to an old man trails out from the depths of the expansive lab. The candles waver to the sound of his call, creating an eerie effect of light and darkness. "Come in, Guild Master..."


    "I have no time for sorcerous shenanigans. Reveal yourself, and drop the mysterious crap."


    After an extended period of silence, the mysterious voice sighs. "Shrewd one, aren''t you? Hmph. No fun, you young folks are. Magic is more commonplace to your generation, no doubt, but it used to be a little trick of the light, and a creepy voice was enough to strike fear in the hearts of the simple folk."


    From out of a row of bookshelves on the far end of the laboratory walks an ancient relic of a man. His appearance is baffling to me. As said before, Mages have considerable control over their appearance and typically stop aging after a certain point that''s often of their choosing. This one, though... this one is old. Older than it should be humanly possible to look.


    Xothan Xolius is around five feet tall but hunches his back forward to the point where he looks much, much shorter. For support, he hobbles on a mighty staff barely clutched by the bony fingers of his left hand. The man wears haggard black and red robes stained in dozens of colors thanks to his many experiments, a large brimmed wizard hat, and from his chin, a long gray beard spills out, which sweeps the floor beneath him as he walks. In his right hand, he holds up a crystal ball matched by four other crystal balls magically orbiting around his body. Each one displays a different scene unfolding, and his saggy, golden eyes dart between each of them, studying one before moving to the next.


    "Sorry, but I don''t consider myself as part of the ''simple folk''." I respond to the old wizard, still not trusting him enough to walk openly into his den.


    "No one ever does," Xothan says with a growl, revealing his apparent dentures. "You''re early, and the Nightshade is late. Where is she?"


    "Why does everyone keep calling her that?" I finally ask, my patience growing thin.


    "Aren''t you her alleged lover?" He laughs. "Ask her yourself. Or..."


    "Or?"


    "I suppose I could tell you myself, although I won''t hold anything back in my account of things..." His eyes glimmer with malice and resentment as he talks about Opalina. There''s a bitterness in his voice that speaks plainly to a longstanding hatred of the witch.


    Might I actually get some clarification here? I wasn''t expecting this... but, much to my luck, my hope is crushed as quickly as it sparked.


    "I would prefer if you didn''t," Opalina says as the sound of her heels clicking against the ground becomes louder and louder. I look down the dungeon hallway to see her coming. Her face has a weary expression, and she seems a lot more annoyed than I''ve ever seen. Seems like her talk with Osbourne took a lot out of her.


    "Feh," Zothan spits a disgusting lob of spit into a nearby jar, unhappily.


    "Damn, and here I was hoping I might actually get to learn about you for a moment..." I cross my arms and look straight at her, indicating that I would actually like some answers.


    Probably not the best time to taunt her, as she sighs, looking stressed enough as it is. Still, she puts on a weary smile for my sake, and as she approaches me, the witch places her hand on my shoulder. "There''s not much point in hiding it any longer. We''ll talk about it tonight."


    "Alright. Did everything go ok?"


    "Not for him," Opalina smiles a murderous smile that unsettles me to my core. "Osbourne won''t be bothering you like that again. Rest assured."


    "About time someone kicked that little brat''s ass," Xothan smirks as he holds the crystal ball aloft in his right hand, changing its display to right outside the Duke''s door. Was he watching my entire business meeting...? And for that matter, what else has Xothan been using those crystal balls to spy on? He looks straight at me as if noticing my apprehension at the implication, then creepily licks his lips.


    Opalina must be reading my mind as she smiles, leans in, and whispers, "Don''t be threatened by him. Our room is protected by all sorts of anti-scrying spells."


    Xothan is clearly annoyed at the witch taking away his fun and shrugs. "Are you coming in, or what?" He asks, his impatience growing more apparent.


    "Disarm your traps, and we''d be happy to." Opalina playfully teases as she confirms my suspicions. I knew this bastard couldn''t be trusted.


    "Feh, I would have put his eyes back once I was done researching them... to think that a bearer of Taskmaster would set forth in my lab..." The Court Mage raises his staff with even more grumbling, and a series of spells fly out the top. Each trickle of magic hits different places throughout the room, dispelling all sorts of magical traps in the process.


    Nowhere was safe here, it seems. Some traps were triggered by walking on different parts of the stone floor, some from books on the shelves, and interestingly, one would have triggered if I took hold of the coffee pot on the coffee table. Is Xothan aware of my habitual caffeine intake?


    Now that everything''s safe, Opalina and I enter the domain of this nefarious, untrustworthy Mage.


    PunishedKom


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 New Defensive Measures

    Even with all the traps disarmed, I still feel far from safe within this laboratory. Xothan gives me the impression that if he had a chance of getting away with it, he really would pluck the eyes right from my socket, all in the name of advancing his wicked sciences. His continual gazes tell me that much, very loudly. I''m not overly threatened, though. Whether it''s fear of Opalina or retribution from Duke Gloomcrest, the Mage is kept in check and cannot enact his scholarly impulses upon me. Besides, I''ve seen similar stares from Zutiria before. At least she''s nicer about it.


    "Is it ready?" Opalina asks as she struts around the lab, inspecting Xothan''s specimens and ingredients like she was perusing a common grocery store. Whenever she finds something particularly interesting, she takes the jar and stuffs it into her magical bra without even asking.


    "It is," The elderly wizard grumbles. "However, I won''t be handing it over unless you cease stealing from my inventory! This has gone on for long enough, and I won''t be having it any further!"


    "Take it up with your boss," The uncaring woman gifts Xothan with a sarcastic smile, all while stuffing a pot of jellied salamander tails into her sweater with the rest of her many pieces of sorcerous loot.


    "Xothan Xolius has no boss!" He raises his voice and his staff, dark energy swirling about him. "He only has the pursuit of knowledge and the people he does favors for in exchange for funding!"


    Before his mood worsens and he decides not to help me out, I try and calm things between them by pulling my attention. "Thank you for agreeing to help my Guild, Xothan. I understand that you''ve crafted a defensive seal?"


    I learn very quickly that this Court Mage cannot be placated. "I have, through no choice of my own..." Xothan goes off to a nearby work desk where many opened scrolls are sprawled about, each one written in languages I don''t recognize and presenting ideas and diagrams I have no means of deciphering.


    "Why, of course, you had a choice, my old friend..." Opalina smiles and joins us at his desk, her hands on her hips as she looks down at the elder. "Just as I have the choice to submit an anonymous tip to the Council of Archsages regarding what keeps happening to all of your research assistants."


    "They should have read the contract if they didn''t want me to-" Xothan snaps back at her, slamming his staff to the ground with strength that belies his age. After realizing the position he''s in, Xothan relents and grumbles something about submitting an anonymous tip of his own. It doesn''t seem to bother her, despite the severity of his threat.


    "Regardless of why you did it, I want to thank you," I say as my last attempt to reason with him like he were an average person.


    "You can thank me by giving me back the six hours it took me to make the damn thing," Xothan then gasps, mockingly, "Oh, wait... you can''t, can you, you little shit? That''s right! All that time that could have been spent on research to better the Realm and improve my-"


    "Non-existent," Opalina cuts in, predicting his next word and adding one of her own before it.


    "Fame!" After her teasing sinks in, the elderly wizard grows red in the face with anger.


    "You''ve been Court Mage for about seven hundred years, you silly man, and the only time you''ve ever accomplished something of note was when you were forced by Osbourne to be MY assistant."


    "I was a crucial part of ending the plague, damn it!" Xothan insists with all of his barely contained furies.


    Opalina is quick to sigh. Something tells me they''ve had this discussion a million times and that the man is never going to drop it. "Yes, someone had to fact check my notes... but it really could have been anyone. You just happened to be in the right place at the right time."


    This is getting to be a bit much.


    "Look, putting aside the revelation that you had a hand in curing the Rotblight, I get the feeling I''m sort of in the way here, so... maybe I can just go...?" I casually point to the exit as the growing tensions start to wear on me. "I''d definitely rather be talking to Abigail than standing around watching the two of you bicker back and forth."


    Unknowingly, I just stumbled onto another sour topic for the Mage. Upon hearing the young Lady''s name, he grows even further embittered. "Ah, yes. The Lady of the house seems fond of you... hmph. How nice. Say, did you know that it''s the job of a Court Mage to tutor any promising nobles of his household in magic? Yet another duty this hussy stole from me."


    "Keep it up, and I''ll steal your life, too." She rolls her eyes, yet Xothan takes this threat gravely and reflexively clenches his staff in case he needs to defend himself. "Just wait a moment, Dear. This won''t take long."


    Albeit with great reluctance, Xothan digs out a large scroll buried beneath all his other scrolls. Drawn onto it is a large diagram of a magic circle, wrought with layers upon layers of ancient writings depicting forgotten incantations. Applying it is pretty easy, I''m told. All I have to do is place the scroll against a wall in the Guild somewhere and think about protecting the building. Then, the magic circle will leave the scroll and transfer onto the wall.


    Opalina reiterates that this seal is not infallible, but it should keep out most people with ill intentions from entering the Guild or sneaking in. This is much better than investing in some new windows and more Dwarven doors, that''s for sure. Nikita proved how useless doors like that really are when she broke in by attacking the building, anyway.


    I am more than ready to get out of here. I take the scroll after the good Doctor checks it multiple times over for traps. She finds nothing, but I''m happy to let her take the correct precautions. I don''t trust this man as far as I can throw him. Before leaving, Xothan offers me a cup of coffee which I politely decline. He looks visibly annoyed, giving me ample reason to feel justified in not taking the drink likely laced with something or other.


    Opalina and I head toward the door, but the old man draws my attention once again before leaving. "Boy," He says. "Those glasses of yours... those are the solution your grandfather arrived at, I take it?" Xothan asks.


    "Yes," I confirm while reflexively adjusting my glasses. "I know it was long ago, but thank you for meeting with him."


    "Hmph." Xothan throws the crystal ball in his hand up into orbit, and another of the orbs floats down to replace it. Inside of the glass sphere springs an image of my grandfather from over twenty years ago, captured from the point of view of the Court Mage himself. I watch, filled with nostalgia, as the wrinkly old drunkard tears into Xothan, slinging insults and demands at him, all in the name of curing my eyesight. "Crude, as is so often the case of Dwarven manufacture, but I suppose that''s all that bastard could get out of anyone given the way he acted..."


    Crude? These glasses are worth a fortune. Then again, his dismissive attitude is obviously fueled by pettiness. Xothan clearly wishes he could have gotten a chance to study my eye troubles when I was a child, but given how my grandfather is currently using his cane to beat him over the head in the crystal ball, it''s plain to see that their meeting didn''t turn out that well. Grandfather always was able to see through everyone''s bullshit, so he probably made a note of Xothan''s less than helpful intentions from a mile away.


    "That''s enough of this," Opalina shakes her head and opens the brass doors. She looks over her shoulder, and I catch her making a sadistic expression in his direction- like she was laughing at him through her eyes. "It was nice seeing you, but I truly hope I don''t have to visit again any time soon, my old friend. Oh, and that little hypothesis of yours you were working on in that red scroll? You might want to recheck it and use a seven-pointed star in the diagram and not a five-pointed one. It''ll strengthen the spell while costing less mana."


    Xothan''s face goes white as he rifles through the myriad scrolls on the desk, looking desperately for the one in question. He scribbles a few notes on top using a corrective quill with crimson ink when he finds it. Once he sees that Opalina''s prediction was correct and that the answer which escaped his grasp was solved so quickly, his face reddens from burgeoning anger. Xothan opens his mouth to speak words of rage, but Opalina shuts the door behind us and hurries me along down the dungeon hallway, far away from the suspicious man''s dangerous laboratory.


    "So," I clear my throat and look up at my ever-so mysterious lover. "You cured the Rotblight plague twenty years ago. That''s cool, I suppose."


    She shrugs. "I didn''t want to make a big deal of it at the time, even to you. My work on the cure was kept secret. Publicly, Xothan received the credit for it."


    "I see how that might cause him some stress, then. Still. You''re getting gratuitous with your secrets."


    "Rest assured, my love, because I think the same. I promise I''ll finally answer most of the questions you could possibly have about me later tonight, Dear, but..." In spite of her continuous strength, I watch Opalina''s expression waver with distress. "It''s not like I haven''t told you because I enjoy keeping secrets for the sake of it. I know it might seem like it sometimes, but it''s not the case."


    "I appreciate it. Look, Opal... I don''t want to sit here accusing you of things... only a fool would look at everything you''ve done for me and think you have anything but my best intentions at heart. It''s just... starting to be a bit much."


    The older woman sighs and nods her head as she leans against the nearest wall. "I was planning on telling you most of the details while we were here, anyway. I knew that bringing you to Dawnstead would raise many questions about my past, but I''m finally ready to let you in and explain myself. Most of it, anyway..."


    "Still planning on hiding yet another secret surrogate child from me, I take it?"


    Opalina laughs a warm, playful laugh. "No," She smiles softly. "I''m only saying that thinking back on my past hurts, and I''m... unreasonably concerned it might change the way you think about me. Ah, well. One way to find out, isn''t that right?"


    I want to tell her that it''s alright and that she doesn''t need to worry, but I want those answers. Instead, I merely nod my head back at the witch and ask what her plans for the rest of the day are. Opalina is determined to get some more shopping done while we''re in the city. After dealing with Gloomcrest and Xothan back to back, it''s a wonder her mood isn''t completely shattered as it is. This makes a considerable amount of time for me to talk with Abigail since the witch is certain she won''t be back until sundown.


    Suits me just fine. I need to talk with the young Lady anyway, especially after all that happened with her father.


    Art by Slimii


    PunishedKom


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 Easing Her Into It

    There are two other big documents that are available to patrons of all levels. One is a 3,000 word overview of Kissuara''s history, its creator Goddess, and how Magi and Djinns work. The other is a 1,100 word document about how Bard magic works in my series! With that said, all of the prework for the spinoff is done except for the first arc outline, which is coming along great!


    I have not yet decided how I''m going to post the new series yet, whether I''m going to put some of it behind patreon for a while until I have enough chapters to dripfeed it out. Probably wise to become at least a $5 patron if you want to read it early though.


    Some notes about the new series. Unlike RotGM, it''s not going to be a super long ongoing romp. It will only be four arcs long, and these arcs are nowhere near the arc lengths of RotGM lol. It has an end point, but the characters will still see use once the main story is done most likely in the form of short stories. There will be lewd, but no actual sex until the finale. I promise the payoff for that will be worth it, though! I hope everyone is as excited as I am to expand the setting just a little bit more, and that you keep in mind this is just the first of many ideas I have in store for the future.


    On my way back to the Guest room, I run into Bertrand as we ascend the secret stairways. Despite my displeasure at the sight of him, he makes up for his presence by giving me the writ of business Solomon promised to have squared off for me. Not only that, but the young noble informs me that the promised gold has been deposited into my account. Having never had so much money before in my entire life, I pull out my magic wallet and check the balance without a care for my current company.


    Bertrand laughs at the number, a little bit over one million gold, but when I ask him how much money a lowly Baron even makes compared to someone like a Count, he shuts his cunty little trap. His family likely owns a chunk of land, maybe a few hamlets or so, but Barons are nothing to write home about. Wealthy merchants tend to have more power than Barons these days- when they aren''t buying the title of ''Baron'' for themselves, that is.


    The time I spend with Bertrand is mercifully kept short. Feeling like torturing the bastard a little before going on my way, though, I thank him for his service and announce my intention to visit Abigail. He promptly excuses himself from my presence, cursing and chattering his teeth like a man on his way to the gallows.


    Sweet, sweet satisfaction.


    The chair I used when talking to Abigail has been placed back where it belongs, with only one key difference. A particular bastard has riddled the seat with tacks. At this point, I''ll court the damn girl just to make Bertrand suffer, that little bitch... though that''s probably too shallow of me.


    I clear up the traps and dispose of them in a bin in the guest room, then go back out to talk with the young Lady. I realize until now she''s been the one to catch my attention and tell me she wishes to speak. Would it be overstepping my bounds to knock on her door and say something? I could slip a piece of paper through her doggy door and hope she sees it, but... no, I''m overthinking it.


    I''ll just knock.


    At the sound of my fist on wood, Woe barks at me from inside Abigail''s room, and he''s far from alone. I also hear the screeching caws of a raven, the neighing of a horse, and some other distinct animal noises that I can''t make out. Her friendly dog rushes outside to greet me while Misery walks straight past us to sit her feline bones down on top of the chair. "Mind telling your Mistress I''d like to talk?" I ask of the calcium canine while giving his non-existent ears a good scratching. He barks, then trots back inside.


    Woe returns as always with a note, although the speed at which it¡¯s delivered implies Abigail prepared it one ahead of time. ''I''m so sorry about my father and what he did to you.¡¯ She writes. ¡®You shouldn''t have had to experience him at his worst... he''s a sweet man, I promise. I hope you don''t hate him now...'' Seems like we''re going to be making things complicated right away this time, fantastic.


    I slink back to the chair and sigh as I scrawl out a conflicted reply. ''No, I don''t hate your father... But it''s hard to say I like him, knowing how volatile he can be. Not to mention the things he''s done to you in the name of keeping you safe doesn''t add much to his charm.''


    ''I don''t understand... Father keeps me safe and gives me everything I could ever need to be happy.''


    ''Except for freedom.''


    ''I could leave my room if I wanted to. I just don''t because it''s dangerous.''


    I''d like to think a fully-fledged Necromancer could damn well take care of herself, but I don''t say as much. The more I openly confront Abigail on her father gaslighting her, the more likely she is to want to hide away from the world. It''ll only have the opposite effect. For her situation to improve, Abigail needs to realize she has to take the first step herself, which may take a while.


    ''Speaking of dangerous, I''m due back in my Guild tomorrow morning, and I''m dreading the flight home. I learned quickly how much I detest flight the last time. I think I''ll swallow my pride and let Opalina knock me out with a spell beforehand this time around.''


    ''I''m going to miss being so close to you...'' She writes shakily. ''Speaking of which, I have something for you. Come to my door and stand outside it, please?''


    Interesting. I do what she asks but try and not to get my hopes up. I''m not expecting her to let me in or anything, but the thought crosses my mind whether I like it or not. "I''m here,"


    The mail slot opens up, and a dark violet velvet-gloved hand extends out from the room. From what I can tell, she''s wearing an incredibly frilly dress with purple trim and black lace on the cuff. She holds a thick journal, black, sturdy, and stacked with pages in her hand. The raven of House Gloomcrest and ''Abigail Gloomcrest'' is displayed in fancy gold ink on the cover. If I''m not mistaken, it''s definitely Opalina''s handwriting. I take it in my hand, and the girl lingers. As we hold the object together, we''re connected, if only for a brief moment in time. Then, she lets go and retreats back into her comforting darkness.


    I open it up on the spot and find nothing but empty pages, except for the front where a few lines have been written. ''I asked Opal to make us this, and she laughed because apparently, you asked her if she could make us something similar. She dropped them off after talking to my father and heading off to see you. It makes me happy knowing you were thinking of me, too... go sit down and write something.''


    Where did Opalina find the time to make this? Hmm... no, I¡¯m thinking about this the wrong way. Knowing how my burgeoning interest in Abigail is all some elaborate game of romantic chess for Opalina, that meddling probably made this journal before either of us even asked.


    Once at the chair, Woe lays down at my feet and curls up into a skeletal ball. He doesn''t look like he intends to get up any time soon. ''Does this do what I think it does?'' I ask in writing, even though I''m confident I already know the answer.


    Handwriting begins appearing stroke by stroke below my response. ''Yes. I have a matching journal with your name on it, and whenever one of us writes something, the other will see it no matter how far away we are from each other.''


    I feel the need to test a little something, so I tease Abigail by writing, ''Wonderful, this is everything I hoped it would be. Though... I can''t help thinking that this gesture is a tad romantic, you know. Two people separated by miles and miles, yet in their desperate attempt to get to know each other better, they resort to magic.''


    This allows me to watch Abigail adorably scratch at her journal for myself. Her shaky handwriting nervously materializes one letter after another as she replies, ''Oh. I see. You could maybe take it that way... if you wanted to... I don''t know...''


    ''Then maybe I will.''


    ''Oh... Ok...''


    I find myself smiling at the journal, enjoying the feeling of teasing this girl, even if it''s through text. To balance it out, I tell her something sweet. ''When I get home, I''ll start writing to you as much as I can throughout the day. Whenever I find myself with a spare minute, it''ll be yours. I''m a busy man, so I can''t guarantee it''ll be for hours at a time like we''ve done until now, but it should be often enough. At any rate, it''s better than having to rely on Mailmages once a day.''


    ''I''m grateful for any time you''re willing to spend with me. It still baffles my mind that you''d enjoy talking to me, of all people...''


    ''Of course I enjoy it. You''ve been nothing but a sweet, genuine, and caring friend thus far. And besides, you''ve done me a great service. You didn''t have to donate all that stuff of yours to the Guild, but I''m deeply humbled that you did.''


    ''Oh, that was nothing... you don''t need to think much of it. I just wanted to help you any way that I could... really, it''s nothing. Your dream inspires me, and I want to help it anyway I can...'' Without actually leaving my room, she leaves out. ¡®I don¡¯t have a dream of my own, so I guess this helps me feel like I¡¯m living vicariously through you...¡¯


    ''It''s not nothing. 500,000G is a lot of gold, Abigail. You just changed my life for the better, and I want you to come and see the Guild you helped me renovate. No matter how long it takes, I promise my doors will always be open for you.''


    ''Thank you.'' She responds curtly but nervously, trying to avoid commenting on the prospect of leaving her room.


    I just had an interesting idea, so I put it to paper for her as fast as possible. ''You know... now that we have this, do you think you would be interested in ¡®meeting¡¯ the other members of my Guild? I could let one of the girls write to you whenever they feel up to it so that even when I''m not available, someone else could get to know you and keep you from ever feeling lonely.''


    If Abigail were to become friends with Sam and everyone else, she might slowly become more tempted to leave the safety of her room to meet everyone. That¡¯s my plan, at least.


    Abigail''s response is slow as she takes her time thinking about what to say. ''I don''t know about that...'' Is all she manages to come up with.


    ''Are you scared?''


    ''Yes... new people terrify me...''


    I think back to my discussion with her father, the one that led to his sudden outburst. Fourteen years ago, a mob broke into the bedroom right in front of me and killed all of Abigail''s beloved pets. It¡¯s no wonder the poor girl ended up with a pretty severe case of anthrophobia... still, she¡¯ll never improve if she doesn''t get more exposure to people who don''t mean her harm.


    ''These girls are different. Each and every last one of them means the world to me, and they''re all fun, interesting people. It doesn''t have to be right away. We could slowly ease you into it at first, even if it takes a while. Does that sound ok to you?''


    ''I... I don''t know... even if I manage to find enough courage to say yes, would any of them even want to? Would they even like me? I''m just a gloomy girl with nothing interesting to talk about...''


    ''They''ll love you, I''m sure of it. Besides- even if you don''t know what to talk about, you can just let the girls do the talking. Ask them all about their adventures and their lives, and I''m sure they''d love to tell you all about themselves. Doesn''t that sound nice?''


    ''It does... I don''t hear much about the outside world and all, but... but I''m still scared. Can you maybe... tell me about them?'' Abigail asks with what I believe to be genuine interest.


    PunishedKom


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 A Brief History of House Gloomcrest

    Hours pass by as I tell Lady Gloomcrest about all the girls in my life. Even though I haven''t known them for very long, I have so much to say about them all, and I enjoy singing their praises every step of the way.


    As always, I have to start with the Lundreame-shaped elephant in the room. To get it over with, I outright tell Abigail that Sam is the missing Princess when telling her about my first lover. As expected, she¡¯s not about to go tattling on me, considering how much more difficult it would make my life. The idea of Sam seems to frighten Abigail since she¡¯s a natural introvert, but she''s grateful to the Princess for pulling me out of my depression and wants to get to know her regardless. I warn the Necromancer about Sam''s horrific handwriting, but someone else could dictate for Sam if it actually came down to it. I¡¯m sure Her Highness will insist it¡¯s not necessary, but...


    Zutiria will likely try just as hard to hook us up as Opalina does, yet Abigail is intrigued by all the lovely things I say about the little lady. The noblewoman thinks she might have a lot in common with my lavender-haired lover, especially once I give a brief description of Zutiria''s condition. There''s also the fact that they both have a predisposition to magics of a darker persuasion, too. The two of them would have a great many things to talk about if given a chance.


    Meri is the sweetest girl in all of Karnalle, so selling Abigail the idea of talking to her is simple enough. If it were up to me, I''d have Abigail start with getting to know the Shield Maiden first of all. Meri would be very straightforward, and it might be eye-opening for the privileged Lady to talk with someone from such a humble background who has had to pull herself up from her tragedy to improve her life. Both girls possess different levels of anxiety, as well.


    Lastly, there are the maids. Considering Abigail absolutely adores animals, she has a great interest in Beastfolk. Unlike Sam, whose father keeps breedable, tailed maids within arm¡¯s length at all times, Abigail hasn¡¯t met all that many of the species. Castle Mourneheart doesn''t have any tailed servants, apparently.


    Cherry is probably the best person for Abigail to talk with as far as my feline friends are concerned. I love Peri with all my heart- truly, I do- but the last thing I need is for her to write page after page of her breeding fantasies out in exhaustive detail for Abigail¡¯s relatively innocent eyes.


    On the same note, I don''t trust Snow to talk with the young Lady without trying to subtly play mind games meant to hook us up... then again, I''m probably worrying too much. It''s not like Abigail won''t talk to everyone eventually. Not if I have my way, at least.


    Every step of the way, the Necromancer asks little questions about each girl. Things like,


    ''How old is Meri? Do you think she''s ever been to Hunnihome?''


    ''You don''t think Sam would hit on me, do you? What should I say to her if she does?''


    ''What are you going to do if Peri ever finds a way to skip out on her weekly birth-control?''


    ''Does Zutiria read anything besides spellbooks? Do you think she likes poetry?''


    ''What does Cherry do to relax? Things sound rough for her...''


    ''Snowball sounds a whole lot like my Misery, only scarier. Is she really that domineering?''


    And so on.


    However, the most recurring question I get from her is about all the adventurers they''ve been on. Abigail asks about each girl¡¯s strengths, weaknesses, exploits, and skills, all while acting like a young child stricken with hero worship. The way she keeps asks actually reminds me of how I used to badger Niall into telling me all the stories I could get out of him.


    Abigail is so interested in adventuring, yet I don''t even know if she''s aware of it...


    And to think that she said she wasn''t sure if she''d like to talk to anyone beyond me. Now it''s like she can''t stop thinking about everyone I''ve told her about. I guess it goes to show just how badly the young Lady secretly wants to have friends who aren''t made of bone.


    By the end of it, Abigail asks so many questions that I just have to tease her over it. ''If you want to know, you should really ask them yourself.''


    After thinking on it for a moment, she finally admits, ''I think I''d like to try... if they won''t mind talking to me, that is...''


    As I watch those words appear in the journal, I feel like a momentous victory was just achieved, and I let out a contented sigh. Interest has been firmly established in the members of my Guild. Now, all I need to do is slowly make her realize her desire to become an adventurer and ensure that she comes to that conclusion herself.


    I see another small glimmer of progress toward a different matter as she asks, ''Is it weird if I find myself feeling jealous of these girls who I''ve never before met...?'' though.


    ''In what way are you jealous?''


    ''It just... feels like you love them all with all your heart. Then I get to thinking, I wonder what that would feel like... being loved by you.''


    Damn. Abigail actually just outright said something so brave and forward. I wasn''t expecting anything like that to come from her so soon. I should- wait... Abigail scribbles ''you'' out hastily in a shoddy smear of black ink. Next to the deleted word, she writes, ''someone like you'' in its place.


    I smirk upon seeing this beautiful chance, then go on the attack. ''I saw that.''


    ''I don''t know what you''re talking about...'' Abigail tries to cover her slip up, but to no avail.


    ¡®You can¡¯t erase what I just witnessed, my dear.¡¯


    ¡®I... spilled some ink... happens all the time.¡¯ She says, despite having never spilled ink a single time in all of our messages thus far.


    ''Would you care to know what it''s like to be loved by me? All you have to do is open that door and let me inside.''


    ''What?! That¡¯s scandalous! I... um... I wrote the wrong thing by accident... no... stay away from the door...! My heart isn''t ready!''


    ''Let me know when it is, and I''ll find a way back to Dawnstead in a heartbeat. Even if I have to crawl through your doggy door.''


    ''Oh, Goddess below... can we please talk about something else? Please?'' I can just imagine the adorable look on her face, even if I¡¯ve never seen it.


    And so with great dismay, I relent my assault, and the two of us we talk about all sorts of things until inevitably Bertrand returns to summon me for dinner with the Count. The look on his face when I tell him to extend my apologies to Solomon and decline his offer all so that I can continue this wonderful conversation with Abigail is priceless. I could have gone without him screaming like a banshee and scratching the sides of his face hard enough to draw blood, though. Amidst searing pain both physically and emotionally, the bitchy Chamberlain leaves me to have food and a table sent up, all while I continue to aggressively flirt with the woman of his dreams.


    In no time at all, the accommodations arrive, and I have a nice dinner alone with Abigail and two of her pets, both of whom still retain their bad manners from life. Misery, especially. For a dead cat, she sure as hell seems to think she''s entitled to my food.


    As for the food itself, it''s a blur. All I remember is drinking some expensive Hunnimead that Solomon personally sent up to me as a gift. Maybe he¡¯s hoping for me to get drunk enough to make an explicit move on Abigail? Regardless, the food and everything else just sort of fades away while chatting with the captivating Lady Gloomcrest.


    Somewhere along the way, I end up asking her about something that''s been on my mind ever since I first laid eyes on it- why in the Realms does Castle Mourneheart look so much different than the rest of Dawnstead? I wasn''t expecting the answer to involve a multi-paragraph history lesson, but the answer is more interesting than I imagined.


    Turns out, House Gloomcrest was not the original Ducal house of Arrark.


    Arrarkia Lightbringer had twin sons to her husband, Rhoivandis Lundreame. One of them continued the pious ways of the Lightbringers and succeeded his mother as the province''s first Duke. At the same time, the other took on a new name and pledged to support the central family from the shadows and do what was necessary to maintain the peace in Arrark. That name was, of course, Gloomcrest.


    For hundreds of years, the Gloomcrests reigned quietly from the southeast coastal city of Vurgestrom until tragedy struck... and by tragedy, I mean a mad King. Giovornus Lundreame, to be exact. The fact that there were seven Great Houses and seven provinces drove this obsessive ruler crazy. He wanted them to be an excellent, even six and claimed that the Goddesses demanded balance.


    The King then summoned the six Dukes and their entire families to Castle Lundreame without giving them a reason and spun a roulette wheel to determine which of the seven houses would be purged entirely from history. Mad bastard that he was, even his own House Lundreame was on the chopping block.


    House Lightbringer fought back as much as they could, but the King prepared for such and caught them in a trap while the other Great Houses assembled just sat there with their heads down. Terrible, yes, but it was out of a justified fear that King Giornus might decide to make it an even four houses should anyone defy his wishes.


    Thus, the lineage of House Lightbringer was brought to a ridiculous yet all-too Karnallian end.


    Giovornus didn''t last much longer than that, at least. When that era''s Count Gloomcrest heard the King''s army was about to march on Arrark and split its territories between Rhoivan and Lillance, he didn''t take it very well. As with many other times in Karnalle''s history, everyone just sort of turned a collective blind eye when the Mad Lion''s head was severed from his body by the very same sword that was just pawned off for my sake earlier in the day.


    Now, I''ve never been to Vurgestrom myself, but I''ve heard the rumors about what sort of dark and depressing place it happens to be. When House Gloomcrest was chosen to replace their distantly related cousins as the new Great House, relocating to Dawnstead was one of the main concessions they had to make. The new King and the remaining Dukes refused to make Vurgestrom the new capital of Arrark.


    Even though Abigail swears Vurgestrom is one of the most beautiful places in all of Karnalle, her ancestors accepted the stipulation. Rather than making the extinct Lightbringer¡¯s dwelling of Castle Shimmershine their new home, an assload of Mages were used to dig Castle Mourneheart from the ground and transport it across the entire damn province. Rich people. Good for them though, Castle Shimmershine is an absurdly stupid name, anyway. Abigail isn''t sure what happened to the old castle, but it''s not relevant.


    Gods, even reading Abigail writing about history is captivating...


    I''m starting to suspect something, but testing it might prove difficult depending on how shy Lady Gloomcrest is feeling after all the time we¡¯ve spent talking to each other. This all just doesn''t feel entirely natural to me, like I¡¯ve been through this dance before, and I know all the moves. That metaphor might upset her, but still...


    Abigail and I fit each other too well like she holds a piece of me that I never knew was missing... and by no means should I be feeling that way over someone I''ve only ever talked with through text.


    ''It''s getting late. As much as I wish for this talk to continue, I''d like to try and get to sleep a bit earlier tonight...'' Abigail says, setting up my chance. ''Even if you''re gone in the morning before I wake, we won''t be apart any longer. Not really...''


    ''That''s fine. I¡¯d enjoy some time to check in with my Guild using my powers before Opalina returns from her shopping trip, anyway.'' It''s almost eight, so I can''t imagine she''ll take much longer... meaning if I want to confirm things, I¡¯m going to have to be bold. ''Before you go, may I ask a favor of you, Abigail...?''


    PunishedKom


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 The Bare Bones of the Matter

    It will be a difficult request for her to consider, but I come right out with it and don''t waste either of our time. ''Please put your hand through the mail slot. It would be a dream come true if you¡¯d allow me to bid you farewell the proper way befitting someone of your status.''


    ''Wait... you don''t mean...? Oh...'' She mulls it over, panic likely building up within her as she rereads the question. ''Oh, I don''t know about that... I''m awfully sleepy, and I told you not to treat me like a stuffy lady, either... you certainly don¡¯t need to do that, of all things...''


    ''Abigail, I beg you. Grant me this one request?'' I push her on it, but carefully. I don''t want her to get upset.


    The Lady asks me, ''...Can I keep my glove on?''


    That''s a good question. Every other time I''ve tested this, it''s been with me staring directly into the girl''s face. I don''t know whether or not I need to actually see Abigail''s skin when I do it, but it''s possible.


    I need her not to think about it too much, so I shift away from her attention by asking. ''What¡¯s the matter, don¡¯t you trust me to behave myself?''


    ''It''s not about trust...'' She says, before eventually scribbling, ''I''m hideous, even my hands...''


    ''Let me prove to you that something like that doesn¡¯t matter to me.''


    There''s an uncomfortably long silence eventually followed by a rattling sound coming from behind Abigail''s door, which I assume is her wheelchair parking. Soon, the mailslot opens, and her velvet-gloved hand nervously extends from the crevice. Abigail is shaking, trembling, even.


    I close the journal, stand from up my seat, and painstakingly cross the distance between us as Misery and Woe follow along behind me. The dead creatures watch with vested interest as I take the hand of their Mistress.


    Abigail''s hand is tiny and fragile in comparison to mine, and the trembling only intensifies the longer I keep her in my grasp. From the other side of the thick barricade separating us, I can hear the sound of a girl hyperventilating in a soft, quiet voice. I don''t think she''d be able to resist right now, no matter what I do to her, so I slowly strip the purple velvet glove from the girl.


    "N-No..." She utters a single squeaky whisper of protest as I pull away the long garment off from under her sleeve. It turns out Abigail¡¯s glove reaches her upper shoulder, so by pulling it, it slowly slips off like a snake shedding its skin. Eventually, the truth of her hesitancy is revealed once the glove slides past her forearm.


    Below her elbow, Abigail''s flesh becomes withered and blacker than night. It''s craggy-textured to the touch, flaky, and there are a few points here and there where her skin has blister-like warts similar to a burn victim. Unlike an actual burn victim, though, the young lady''s shaky hand is dripping with nervous sweat as I hold her.


    It''s also warm. In my experience, it¡¯s no less warm than any other girl¡¯s hand.


    The moment of truth is here- I remove my glasses and look straight down at Abigail Gloomcrest''s hand, despite how convinced I am that I already know what I''m about to feel. Compulsion... longing... an all-consuming desire to keep this girl by my side for as long as I live.


    Worst of all, I''m filled with the feeling that my Guild will never be complete unless this reclusive Necromancer is a part of it.


    Damn it, Luxy...


    ''Look, that witch of yours practically groomed her for you. I gotta capitalize on chances like that when I see them, ok?'' The Goddess replies, pouncing as soon as she hears me mentally say her name. I''m so used to Luxy and her mannerisms by now that I can picture her shrugging at the question.


    And how am I supposed to make her become an adventurer? Are you going to disrupt her life and give her no other choice but to leave home? You know that''d make her condition a thousand times worse, right?


    ''Duh. Play the long game and figure it out for yourself this time! She''s a special case, so you gotta work on it. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I gotta get back to painting those damn miniatures...'' Just as quickly as she appeared to gift me her divine ''wisdom'', Luxy''s internal voice is gone, leaving me alone with only the sweaty hand of a girl who I now officially know is part of my destiny.


    I realize that I''ve just been standing here, holding Abigail''s hand for almost half a minute while talking to myself. This has made her sweat triple during this brief time, and I don''t know how much longer she can hold out for. Better do what I said I was going to do before she faints...


    Bending my right knee and bowing my head, I tighten my grip on her abyssal flesh. Using my lowest and most sensual voice, I whisper to the newest subject of my affections, "You''re beautiful, my sweet Lady Gloomcrest..." and then I kiss her on her hand as I close my eyes.


    A rush of adrenaline crashes through me like a wave of ¡®yes¡¯. As my lips press themselves to the hand once ravaged by disease, all is right with the Realm. I know Abigail feels it too, but she doesn¡¯t know how to react to it.


    There''s a girlish shriek, and then the door in front makes a mighty loud thud. By my side, Misery hisses, and Woe barks out of shock. In just a few short seconds, though, the magical green light covering them dissipates into the air. Each creature collapses into an inanimate pile of bones as Abigail''s hand slips away from me, hanging limply out the mail slot.


    I... I think Abigail just had an anxiety attack, lept out of her wheelchair, smashed her head into the door, and knocked herself out... perhaps this was a bit too much stimulation for a shut-in.


    Before I can leave to find her some help, there''s another loud thud that sounds out from behind me. As I was studying the crippled hand of Lady Gloomcrest, Bertrand apparently entered the hall through the secret passageway. The moment he witnesses me kiss his long-desired lady love, he falls over onto his knees so loudly that it almost sounds like the stone floor shatters his kneecaps.


    In silence, the Chamberlain stares at me aghast, and I''m treated with the haunting sight of every last remaining shred of hope left within him ceasing to be. He has the look of a man who should never again be allowed near sharp objects for the rest of his life.


    "Cuckoldry..." He stammers through tears, his words searching for meaning in this void of sorrow. "There has been a cuckoldry in Castle Mourneheart, and I, Bertrand, the Baron of House Brimley, am fortune''s chosen cuck!"


    "Sure, we could do this, but you could also like... go and find some help?" I stare at him, annoyed and not having any of this melodrama from the delusional Baron.


    "Silence, you... you cuckolder!" Bertrand does everything in his power to vent his emotions, sounding more and more like a whining little puppy dog with a particularly grating voice.


    "Does anyone in this castle know the damn meaning of what it is to get cucked? Abigail was never yours, and she''s not even mine yet, I-"


    "Yet?!" He shrieks, capitalizing on my slip of the tongue. "My Duke! Open your doors! There has been an attack on your daughter''s chastity!"


    Much to my shock, the dark Duke actually responds to Bertrand''s call, but not in the way he wanted. "Thank the Goddess below..." Osbourne replies with a relieved sigh, riddled with tears. ¡°I was worried that my outburst earlier ruined any chance of this happening between you two. Come to my mail slot, Guild Master... I shall gift you the key to my daughter''s bedroom..."


    "NO!" Bertrand falls face-first onto the floor as I cradle my head, astounded that this is even happening. He, too, hits himself with enough force to knock himself out.


    "Are you coming, Guild Master?" Osbourne''s voice becomes sadder, desperate for me to come and take that key from him.


    "No, Duke Gloomcrest. The last time I approached your mail slot, things didn''t go so well for me."


    ¡°Ah...¡± He becomes painfully silent. "Please... If it helps you forgive my earlier episode, I shall permit you to refer to me as ''Father'' henceforth..."


    "That is absolutely not happening."


    "Very well. If you prefer ''Papa'' then you only need-"


    The thought makes me shiver. I know for sure that from now on, I''ll be pursuing Abigail romantically, but today will not be the day I call this man Papa... nor will it ever be.


    "Can you put aside your desire for a grandchild long enough to get Abigail some help? I know you have some sort of dark healing magic."


    "It''s a Dark Knight Art, and it only works on myself..." He sighs before asking me. "Have you ever felt so sad that you found yourself enjoying it, Guild Master?"


    I mean, I¡¯ve had some pretty pathetic masturbation sessions, but... "I can''t say that I have..."


    "A pity," I can almost feel him shaking his head at me. Personally, I''m happy about not being able to relate to something so dismal sounding. "Melancholic Surge... takes all of the despair... and sadness in my heart and then uses it to send my body into an artificial high where it starts healing itself at an accelerated pace..."


    "That''s one of the most depressing things I''ve ever heard." I can¡¯t even imagine having an adventurer with such a dour class in my Guild. How would a party composition even work when one of the party members needs to be kept in a comically foul mood at all times to use their full power?


    "You''ve only begun to get to know me, Guild Master..." He laughs, and I smile back at the Duke''s door before remembering all that transpired. Osbourne is pitiful, yes, but friendly and even humorous in a dry and somber way. Yet... the way he''s shaped his daughter''s mind has done her so much harm and damage that I can''t just excuse it and pretend to be all cordial with him.


    Click, click, clicks coming from the direction of the stairs announce the arrival of a particular doctor wearing heels. Opalina sighs upon seeing Bertrand knocked out on the floor, Woe, and Misery lying limp, and Abigail''s gloveless hand dangling weakly out of her mail slot.


    The witch looks tired from a day spent shopping out in the busy streets of Dawnstead, although not a single bag containing her spoils of war can be seen. How long has she had that Bra of Holding of hers, anyway? I''ve had to carry her shopping haul since I was just a child. Did she just enjoy making me lug her stuff around? I wouldn''t put it past her.


    "Seems I''ve missed myself some fun while I was out and about," With only a quick glance at the situation, Opalina is able to get the gist of it, and she asks, "Learn anything interesting during your chat?"


    "You could say that, yes." I don''t want Osbourne knowing that there''s divine magic interlinking my fate with that of his daughter, so I nod my head at Opalina. She understands my intentions and smiles like she couldn''t be more pleased that her scheme is now justified by the highest power in all of Karnalle.


    "Is that so?" Her voice reeks of smugness, and I get the feeling I''m not going to hear the end of it anytime soon.


    Opalina walks towards me, stepping on Bertrand painfully with her heels as if he were a carpet. There''s a sharp cracking sound as her foot leaves his spine, and the Baron groans in pain before returning to unconsciousness. I''m confident she did that on purpose.


    "Give me just a bit. I¡¯ll help out your little girlfriend, my Love." Opalina smiles then shoos me away from Abigail''s door before pushing the girl''s hand back through the slot.


    She pauses before unlocking Abigail¡¯s door with her wand, then looks off to her left side, "I trust you''ve been behaving yourself, Osbourne?"


    "Y-Yes," Instantly, the Duke fires back with a timid whimper that could rival any of Bertrand''s best offerings.


    "Good." Opalina doesn''t so much as smile when acknowledging his answer. She just turns to me, nods her head, and walks inside.


    One flash of magic later, and I can hear Abigail stirring as the witch pushes her wheelchair away from the door. Soon after that, the pile of animal bones reconstructs themselves into Woe and Misery. The dog gives me a fake lick, and the cat casually rubs up against the side of my leg on their way to the doggy door. They move on without even missing a beat, almost like their souls never left their reanimated skeletons.


    Now alone in the hallway with an unconscious Chamberlain and a volatile Duke, I feel the tension between the two of us brewing. "So... did you enjoy your brief time in Dawnstead, Guild Master?" He asks in a poor attempt to defuse it.


    "It was a mixed bag, but I think you should know, Osbourne. I can''t just exchange niceties with you like this."


    The Duke swallows loudly. "Yes... of course. I''m so sorry about what I did. There are no excuses for my behavior."


    Standing here, I realize a burst of motivation welling up inside of me. It''s not a good sign because I can''t control it. No matter what I''m about to say, I''m about to say it, and the consequences be damned. Opalina drilled it into me that I need to be assertive, and in my way right now stands an obstacle to my very destiny itself.


    There is literal, divine confirmation that Abigail and I are perfect for one another- one hundred percent compatibility, according to that ''app'' of Luxy''s. It''s not just a number, either. I''ve felt it stirring within me ever since the first note she sent to me, yet I took a slow and rational approach to her. Now I know what to do. I used to hesitate while wondering if this was ethical or not, but after the Goddess provided context, and hells, after just looking at what Sam, Zutiria, and Meri have each brought me... I would be a fool for not doing all that I can to ensure that this man''s daughter comes home with me one day.


    Also, I probably need her to fight the Demon Lord or something... but I don''t really care about that. What I do care about is making my intentions clear. "You don''t need to excuse yourself for what you did to me. You should be apologizing to Abigail."


    PunishedKom


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 Sharing the Good News

    A prolonged silence mixes with a hint of cold dread lingering like a noxious odor in the air. I just insulted the Duke of Arrark''s parenting to his face. Well, as close to his face as his paranoia will allow me to...


    I await his response while breathing in the worrisome chill. At long last, Osbourne breaks the quiet with his low, ghost-like drawl. "And here I thought I did everything I could to make you feel welcome in my home... yet you''ve chosen now of all times to question the methods I use to protect my child?"


    "With all due respect, she''s twenty-six years old. Abigail hasn''t been a child for a very long time."


    "Guild Master, please..." Osbourne pleads in a weary voice, his breath ragged with stress. As always, he wishes to avoid confrontation if he can help it. "Be reasonable. I''m calm now, and I''ve already apologized for my earlier outburst... we don''t have to have to do this."


    While the Duke is right, I have trouble holding back my tongue. "I''ve never been very good at turning a blind eye, my Duke. These glasses aren''t just for show."


    He scoffs like he''s amused, yet I detect a hint of trepidation hidden beneath it. "..Is that right? You''ve been here for barely two days, and just because Abigail''s taken a liking to you, you think you know what''s best for my daughter?"


    "No, of course not. I''m only advocating that you start letting her decide what''s best for herself."


    Osbourne is silent, dragging out the thought and mulling it over before deciding silence is the best answer he can offer. He doesn''t think my comment deserves a response, so I intentionally ramp up my taunting to hit closer to home. "You Gloomcrests fancy yourselves as Ravens, don''t you? Beautiful birds like that aren''t meant to be cooped up in tiny cages."


    "Clever wordplay, but cruel. You know damn well Abigail can''t leave her room." Osbourne grumbles as if this were an irrefutable fact. His rhetoric is getting old.


    I clench my fist and take in a sharp breath of air through my nostrils. "Yes, you''ve made that abundantly clear."


    "Then begone," The Duke bitterly demands, forcibly ending further criticism before I can bring any up.


    "As my Duke commands," Even though he can''t see it, I make a show of bowing to his authority with all the sarcasm I can muster. As I step over the still-unconscious Chamberlain, my thoughts dwell on the similarities between Osbourne and myself.


    Nothing he can say to me will change my mind about Abigail, but there''s still that unpleasant feeling in me telling me I''m a hypocrite for criticizing a mentally unstable man who can''t bring himself to leave his room. Maybe I''m only reacting so strongly because I see my past in the depressive Duke? It''s only been a few months since I''ve started to get my life back on track, so the memory of being in his shoes is still fresh in my mind.


    I push the thought away, reminding myself this isn''t about me. It¡¯s about Abigail.


    Once I''m safely behind closed doors, I find my bravado dying down, and I look at our confrontation from a distant perspective. Lost control of my ego again, it seems... I could have ruined everything by talking to the Duke in such a tone. Then it would''ve been goodbye renovations, goodbye political support, and more. Thank the Gods I''m leaving tomorrow. I don''t know if I can continue being around Osbourne without starting more conflicts over Abigail.


    Speaking of, I hope that she''s alright. That sounded like a pretty nasty bump she got on her head. Opalina must have treated it by now, but that makes me wonder if Abigail heard any of our argument? I hope she didn''t, since I probably came off as really pushy. Abigail is used to other people talking like they know what''s best for her, but that doesn''t give me an excuse to do the same. Especially not when my long-term goal is to get her to stand up for herself.


    Seeing as how Opalina is taking her time tending to the young Lady, I bring up Task Master to do my nightly check-in with the Guild. A distraction would be handy right about now, and there are many things I need to tell my girls.


    After deciding on which of my adventurers to call upon, I end up choosing Meri for no reason other than I miss her and I have to choose someone.


    Once activated, the screen pops up, and I see my sweet Shield Maiden once again. This evening, she¡¯s wearing a cute yellow apron over a brown skirt and a simple white blouse. Meri smiles as she works in the kitchen, grilling up some seasoned chicken breasts on a large iron pan. Seems like Peri and Cherry are getting a break from dinner duty tonight, as nearby Snow is stirring a soup with one paw and using the other, the maid is chopping vegetables with her claws. That''s some impressive multi-tasking.


    While they work, the adventurer and the Beastgirl are having a delightfully adorable conversation about cooking. Meri tells Snow that she used to love cooking up a storm with her mom whenever her dad came home from a long day at the forge, while Snow reminisces about all the maids she''s trained in the culinary arts over the years. The two seem a lot closer than they did the day before, although I can''t help but notice Meri is referring to Snow exclusively as ''Mistress'', now...


    When I finally contact her, Meri is startled and accidentally jerks her frying pan off the stove. The chicken would have been sent flying, too, if not for Snow catching it with her tail and swatting it back onto the pan. Luckily, dinner won''t be ready for another half-hour, so there''s plenty of time for the Guild to have a meeting. The two gather everyone up in the entrance hall to tell them the many pieces of good news.


    Zutiria enters from the west wing, once again having been hard at work in her lab. Her fingers are stained in black ink, her glasses are crooked, there are bags under her eyes, and sticking out of her purple robes are random pieces of parchment with alchemical symbols and Mage jargon scribbled all over them. Looks like tonight Zutiria was doing actual Mage things and not studying the Eronomicon. She also doesn''t look too happy, which I''m worried is because I''ve been away.


    Sam and Nikita come in through the back door, the Princess dripping with sweat and the Grekkan looking pleased with herself. Looks like someone was making up for lost time with her training. Sam''s skin has a healthy glow to it, her hair is frazzled, and her cheeks red with exertion. Nikita slaps Sam on the back a bit too hard as they sit down, congratulating her for a job well done.


    Peri and Cherry are already present. They''re both fast asleep on the table everyone gathers at, and no one bothers to wake them up. Just like yesterday, both of their uniforms are covered in accumulated grime. Guess that''s why Meri is on kitchen duty.


    Once assembled, Snow curtsies directly and has the girls run through a brief, orderly summary of everything I''ve missed. Once again, I notice all three girls saying, ''Yes, Mistress.'' whenever they''re addressed by the head maid. Whatever sort of obedience training Snow did to the girls last night, it looks like it paid off in spades...


    Meri and Sam trained on and off all day. Both girls are raring to get back to work, and Nikita reports the two have grown considerably stronger since their recovery. Sam almost has a handle on the three Arts Nikita taught her. Sam struggled with Biding Blade before the Pimpfort raid, but actual combat experience helped her mostly get it down pat.


    I''m proud of my Princess, and she''s happy since this means Nikita will be moving and teaching her some new Arts soon. Meri still has to practice the Art she recently figured out, Stun Guard, but otherwise has to wait for me to deliver the Shield Maiden book to learn more specialized skills.


    Snow was busy by the sound of it. She continued to lead the kittens in their mysterious cleaning project, but she also took it on herself to go to the marketplace. She sold the weapons and the jewels we stole from the Pimpfort, then bought groceries with some of the proceeds. Thankfully she made sure we still have plenty of gold to send to the Association when I get back home to fill out the proper paperwork.


    Zutiria''s day consisted of some light physical training in the morning, a long nap, an hour of staring idly at the ceiling, working on her presentation with Snow, and lastly, some work in her lab. She''s been trying to come up with more ways to be helpful in combat. The Mage has specifically been racking her brain trying to develop a cheap way to put spells in scrolls so she can cast some basic magic without mana. Sounds like her Wishing Star item has her inspired. It''d be great if she could figure out a way to do it, but she says paper for holding spells is super expensive, and the ingredients aren''t easy to find, either.


    I think it''s great that Zutiria is trying to think outside the box and expand her abilities, but she could be going about it the wrong way. We can¡¯t do much about her magic, so why not focus on her alchemical talents?


    At my command, Snow retrieves one of the adventurer class books from my office and hands it off to the lonely girl. While it''s not a fancy option, plenty of adventurers go into battle as ''Alchemists'', using crafted bombs, tonics, oils, and such against monsters. I think Zutiria takes slight offense at this suggestion since the adventurers who go with Alchemist as their class are typically Mages who aren''t skilled enough at magic to use it offensively, but her main complaint is that she can''t do much with her current lab.


    Zutiria''s tune changes immediately for the better when I tell her she doesn''t have to worry about her shoddy lab for much longer, though.


    The Guild erupts into cheers once I announce that we received a million Gold today. Even the sleepy maids jolt awake once they overhear such fantastic news. Sam goes into an uproar about all the cool armor and swords she wants, Peri starts rambling about buying lots of baby clothes for our nonexistent ''kittens'', whereas Zutiria immediately pulls a pen and paper from her pocket before she starts scrawling a complicated floor plan for what she wants her lab to look like.


    While I''m sure I''ll get everyone a present or two, I remind the group that this money is going towards improving the Guild. I tell them about my plans for Gwin''s family, but it comes with the condition that the maids need to clean the rest of the Guild. They won''t come in and fix everything up if it''s not presentable, meaning all the dust, cobwebs, rat droppings, and various hidden mushrooms have to go. It''d be one thing if we were tearing down the Guild and building a new one in its place, but that''s out of the question.


    I ask Snow for an honest estimate of how long she and the kittens can get all three of the Guild''s wings thoroughly cleaned. She thinks it would take a week and a half- faster if they hustled. Peri and Cherry highly doubt they can hustle more than they already are, but I remind them I can start giving them my energizing cum again starting tomorrow. This motivates them to try their hardest. They pump their furry firsts into the air, only for their energy to crash as they yawn.


    Since it''s only fair, I pass on Pimpington''s story to the Guild. I know how badly they wanted closure to his personal history, but the mood is split between the sympathetic adventurers and the maids, who are more conflicted considering what that man did to their kin.


    And then there''s also Nikita, who laughs Pimpington''s tragic backstory off. "Well, that sucks. Women, am I right?" She casually remarks.


    PunishedKom


    I don''t know what to focus on. I really want to get the ebook ready but that''s a lot of work. I''ve already updated two chapters to have more words. Chapter 5 and Chapter 7 were each 1800 words, now they''re 3,200 and 3,000 respectively. These changes are public so go reread if you want! The first volume would probably collect up to the point where Zutiria makes her first appearance, but that''s another three chapters I''d need to rewrite on top of adding more to the existing chapters.


    But, it would be really, really good for my career to do it. Especially right now when I''ve been in a pretty bad depression about money. So don''t be surprised if I slow down a bit.


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 Bonus Lewd – Peri’s Punishment

    For now, even if it''s just filler, please enjoy the new content!


    Cherry opens the door to my office in an uproar, her tanned face covered with sweat and her breath reduced to a series of tired huffs. ¡°Myaster, have... have you seen Peri? Snow¡¯s running me ragged, and I can¡¯t find her anywhere!¡±


    I put down the stack of papers in my hand and adjust my glasses to look up at the poor maid from the comfortable view on my desk. ¡°I can¡¯t say that I have. Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Cherry whines. ¡°Sam made a huge mess, and Meri freaked out and knocked over a table and... and... Agh! I can¡¯t do this by myself! Are you sure she¡¯s not hiding in here? It smells like her!¡±


    ¡°This is my office, Cherry. Do I need to remind you why it smells like Peri, or did you forget what the three of us were up to the night before?¡±


    The exhausted kitten¡¯s cheeks blush bright red, and she turns away. ¡°Ngh... I know, but...¡± Cherry twiddles her thumbs. ¡°Just... tell her to come and help me if you see her, alright?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Take a break if you need to, too.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks...¡± The maid frowns, and her cat ears flop downwards as she leaves, closing the wooden door behind her.


    I look down under my desk to see Peri, quiet as a mouse, kneeling between my knees with my entire cock shoved down her guilty, trembling throat. ¡°She¡¯s gone,¡± I tell her and gasp from pleasure as Peri dislodges me, swallowing a deep lungful of air.


    ¡°I-I was so close to gagging, nyaa... Gods, that was hawt...¡± The blue-haired kitten wipes a tear from her eye and whimpers. With her opposite paw, Peri starts jerking me up and down idly as she regains her bearing.


    ¡°You lied to me,¡± I take my glasses off and give the Catfolk an accusatory stare.


    ¡°Nuh-uh. I said I needed to drink Myaster¡¯s milk inside me right now! That¡¯s NEVER a lie...¡± Peri purrs, rubbing the entirety of my massive shaft along with her nose, her soft cheek, and her luscious pink lips. She ends the movement by giving my raging red tip a soothing suck with plenty of tongue thrown in for good measure.


    Peri¡¯s skillful mouth brings a jolt of ecstasy up my spine, but I push it away to continue chastising the poorly behaving maid. ¡°You also said you didn¡¯t have anything else to do. I can¡¯t help but notice how you conveniently left out that Cherry was looking for you. You know what this makes you?¡±


    Peri¡¯s ears twitch as she swallows down four inches of my rod, sucking me as she trails her lips off. ¡°What does this make me, Myaster...?¡±


    ¡°A slutty little liar,¡± To punish her, I grab Peri roughly by her bangs and thrust my painfully needy erection back into her throat. After holding it there for several seconds, I release my grip and watch her hair fall against her face while Peri smiles a perverted, drooling smile.


    Her voice wavers as the kitten becomes lost in her delusions. ¡°Yes, Myaster... I¡¯m a slutty little liar who¡¯ll say anything if it means making sure you let me suck you off, nyaaaa...¡±


    Leaning into the play, I tilt my head back against the headrest of my leather office chair and hold my cock pointed towards her lips. ¡°Show me how bad you really want it, then...¡± I close my eyes, awaiting the pleasure dangling inches away from my tip.


    ¡°Of course, Myaster...¡± Peri practically squeals from delight. She wraps both of her soft furry paws around the base of my manhood and opens up wide, slurping loud as she slides me back down into her warm and welcoming tunnel of oral delight.


    I give her free reign to pleasure me as she wishes. Peri gets straight to work bobbing her head up and down at a generous pace, swirling her textured tongue every which way. She sucks down hard, then relaxes, then sucks down even harder than she started. ¡°Cock...¡± The kitten moans with a pleasured sigh. ¡°Myaster¡¯s cock...¡±


    The joy of sucking on my shaft corrupts Peri¡¯s feral instincts, pushing all the right buttons on her psyche to drive the maid to seek even more pleasure. While keeping one paw locked in place around my root, her other one wanders south to the valley of pink between her thighs. Peri digs into her black, satin panties and glides her finger across her slit. This sudden sexual exploration makes her purr against my cock, making it that much harder to hold my enjoyment back.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe what I dirty fucking maid you are,¡± I say with pretend spite. ¡°Look at you. Sucking Master¡¯s cock while playing with your pussy? You best count yourself lucky you found the only Master willing to tolerate such a lewd kitten like you, Peri.¡±


    Peri¡¯s eyes become starry and enthusiastic as she shivers from my aggressive roleplay. The dirty Catfolk pulls me out of her mouth long enough to stammer, ¡°Yes, Myaster... thank you, Myaster... I don¡¯t deserve you...¡± before taking me right back down into her forceful, slurping lips. Peri then takes her masturbation to a new level by stroking her clit in time with my cockhead ramming the back of her throat.


    ¡°Fucking Gods, Peri, you dirty... dirty fucking maid...¡± I exhale through my teeth and lean over the desk, the pleasure becoming so great I almost fall out of my seat. Peri sees an opportunity for something kinky, so she shoots for it.


    The erotic maid pushes away the office chair out from under me. She pulls my length out once more, however briefly, just to tell me, ¡°Grab the desk and fuck my naughty, lying mouth like it¡¯s my pussy nyaaaa...!¡±


    Even though I¡¯m supposed to playing the rough Master, Peri¡¯s suggestion leaves me breathless when I consider how cruel and dark it is. I love it, and I love her, so I do exactly what my lying maid wants. I stand and lean over my wooden desk, then grab the edges, so I have something to keep me steady when I start forcibly face-fucking Peri.


    The feline maid sucks hard down on my manhood every time I bottom out so that whenever I pull away, it¡¯s a fight for dear life. She drags her tongue against me when I leave, too, yet I can¡¯t help myself from grunting away and sawing my throbbing cock in and out of her feverish mouth.


    Peri¡¯s enjoyment is amplified not only by my rough treatment but from her own masturbation. The combined sensation of worshipping her Master¡¯s manhood while teasing her needy nub corrodes her willpower until all resistance fades. Like the filthy maid she is, Peri cums from getting facefucked by her Master. Her skimpy panties don¡¯t cover nearly enough of her pussy to soak up all Peri¡¯s escaping honey, so she dirties the floor with her lewd juices.


    I take this as my cue to start humping Peri¡¯s fat, pouty, dick-sucking lips like there¡¯s no tomorrow. After another minute of mindlessly servicing my needs, my cock spasms, and I jizz rope after rope of thick semen into my beloved maid¡¯s velvety mouth. Peri does her best to guide me through the most intense throes of my orgasm, only to wrap her arms around me and glue her lips to my pelvis as it fades.


    ¡°Peri, stop! Fuck-¡± My knees buckle, and I collapse against the desk from above. Despite this, the kitten shows no signs of stopping. Instead, Peri only starts purring as hard as she can, vibrating my rock-hard dick with her throat and tongue.


    Cherry opens the door.


    ¡°Myaster, I still can¡¯t find her! I can¡¯t fucking believe Peri, nyaa, I need help so ba-¡± She looks at me, but due to the angle, she can only see that I¡¯ve fallen over my desk. ¡°Shit, are you okay?!¡± The concerned maid approaches as her counterpart gives me the purrjob of my life.


    I raise my hand and stop Cherry from coming any closer. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. I was just-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sweating like crazy... do you need me to open the window?¡± Cherry tilts her head.


    ¡°No, I was napping, and I had a night terror. P-Poor Zutiria, I couldn¡¯t imagine having them as often as... as her...¡± While I bullshit my way out of this, Peri dials back her purring to be less loud but somehow continues to suck and suck away at my cock.


    ¡°Damn... that sucks...¡± Cherry, sweet, innocent, lovable, Cherry frowns as her worry only grows. ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± She sniffs the air and blushes once the musk hits her. ¡°Maybe... um... I could slip in under that desk of yours and take your mind off everything that¡¯s bothering you, Myaster...¡±


    ¡°T-That¡¯s fine, Cherry, very- ngh- kind of you... you know what? Tell Snow I said that the both of you could have a smoke break. Peri¡¯s put you through an awful lot today. I¡¯m sure you could use a little cat-¡± Peri slides me out of her mouth so she can nibble down on my tip adorably, ¡°NIP.¡±


    Cherry looks me in the eyes, obviously confused but not about to argue with a free smoke break. ¡°Uh. Sure, why not?¡± The maid shrugs her shoulders and turns to leave the office before checking back at me one more time. ¡°Just gimme a call if you need anything...¡± She blushes, and using her claw, the maid scratches the outline of a heart on the wooden door. ¡°An-y-thing...¡± Cherry purrs before leaving the room.


    Peri finally lets go of my cock and gasps violently for air. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuck...!¡± She twitches, tears of joy falling down her cheeks. ¡°C-Call her back, nyaaaa... I wanna see if I can do it a third time without her noticing...!¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up and get on the desk, you cock-obsessed beast!¡±


    ¡°Mmmm, raceplay?¡± Peri purrs, her meek voice dripping with lewdness and sensuality. ¡°Myaster must be feeling really, reaaally lewd! Call me all the nasty Beastfolk slurs you can think of, nyaa...¡±


    I grab Peri¡¯s collar and forcibly lift her up, ¡°I¡¯m not playing, you mindless animal. Cherry is stressed out because of you, and-¡±


    Peri willingly sits on top of my desk and lays down, her bouncy breasts falling to the side of her uniform¡¯s tanktop. It¡¯s clear as day she¡¯s not wearing a bra under there. ¡°You know, you could have told Cherry I was under your desk, nyaa...¡± She giggles, undoing the buttons of her top until her naked tits spill out. ¡°But you didn¡¯t. You want me here. Therefore, it¡¯s not my fault Myaster is keeping me from helping poor, poor Cherry...¡±


    I stare down at this devilish, big titty kitty. She¡¯s really pushing her luck... and a lot of my buttons at the same time. I want her. Seeing Peri adopt this teasing temptress persona is too much for my aching cock to bear, but I¡¯m not just going to let her get away with talking to her Master like that. My hands find her panties and tear them off straight off of her pussy.


    ¡°NYAA!¡± She gasps out of surprise, but right as she tries to say something, I muffle her voice by shoving her own cum-soaked panties into her mouth. Peri whimpers, but the look in her eyes is asking for more punishment. Luckily for her, I have it waiting in my desk drawer.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to act like a damn beast, then I¡¯m going to treat you like one. Here,¡± I pull out a small arcane-tech vibrator wand from its resting place and turn it straight to the highest setting. Without messing around and teasing the kitten, I grind it down straight against Peri¡¯s clit with tremendous pressure. At the same time, I impale my cock deep, deep inside her body and grunt from the pleasure this brings. ¡°Now you won¡¯t be able to think about anything other than getting off, you dirty, fucking, kitty-slut!¡±


    Peri¡¯s entire back arches a foot off the table as the intense attack on her pussy catches her off guard. Her whimpering becomes loud, muffled screams right as I grab her right leg with my hand and use it to slam the entire force of my body against her desperate, quivering slit. Her body makes no attempts to hide its excitement over the rough treatment, no. Peri¡¯s pussy is ecstatic at being treated like nothing more than a hole meant to be bred by her beloved male, and it tightens and sucks me in deeper out of pure joy.


    Every few seconds, her body jolts in a different direction thanks to the magical vibrator hammering away at the kitten¡¯s clit. It churns her sensitive, pink perk to the point where Peri can¡¯t stay still for more than an instant without her big, busty boobs flopping around. The only thing on my mind is carving Peri out with my cock until she¡¯s hollow. My thrusting is forceful, my grip on her thigh is rough, everything action aimed purposefully at devastating this naughty beast.


    Peri cries as loud as she can into her muffled mouth, slightly gagging on her panties in her ever-increasing delight. She won¡¯t be able to take much more, so I start fucking her even rougher while I ask, ¡°Are you getting close, you... ngh... you domesticated whore?¡±


    She whines, arching her back again in an attempt to shove me even deeper into her pussy. Thanks to this, I fully bottom out inside of Peri, and my eyes roll backward as I feel her many pleasant barbs brushing against my hard dick from root to tip. Her tight, scratchy walls constrict off and on, desperately trying to milk me before she cums. From here, It only takes a few more thrusts aimed against Peri¡¯s g-spot for her cunt to cum all over me, and just like before, it¡¯s a wet one. The kitten screams as her wet, sticky sex juices spray out onto the desk, my huge cock, and the vibrator ceaselessly strumming her clitoris.


    The little kitty looks up at me teary-eyed in a mix of ecstasy and panic because she knows full well I¡¯m not stopping. She mumbles something into her panty-gag about fucking her harder, so I reach up and grope her bouncing right tit in my firm grip. My hand sinks into her fat, round globe of flesh and elicits her to scream hard once again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what to do, beast. You¡¯re just an- mnn... an animal who exists to be bred by me, you understand that?!¡± I shout at her, my cock throbbing as Peri nods her head up and down like a complete slut.


    For the next few minutes, I focus on rough nipple play and constant thrusting. I gauge my kitten¡¯s reactions and watch for what to do, mixing up my groping by circling my fingers around Peri¡¯s pink peak only to punish her by pinching her nipple and pulling her breast away from her body. Peri cums a few more times as I skillfully slam away, my balls slapping loudly against her ass each and every time. All this pleasure is made even more remarkable by the vibrator splashing constant droplets of Peri¡¯s juices all over the place. Not to mention I feel the arcane-tech sex toy strumming against my cock every time I pierce the tiny entrance to her narrow, sopping tunnel.


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯m getting closer... I¡¯m gonna... AGH,¡± I grunt and lean over against the table after experiencing a sudden jolt of pleasure thanks to a strategic clamping of Peri¡¯s pussy. ¡°You want me to fill up your womb that fucking bad, huh?¡±


    She nods fast and hard, spasming around my cock in a desperate attempt to coax my seed out.


    ¡°Fucking take it, then... ngh... take my cum! I-It¡¯s the only fucking thing a slutty cat like you is good for!¡± My breathing speeds up as my heavy balls quiver and quake, burning with desire to top off this roleplay by impregnating Peri like the breeding-obsessed beast she actually is.


    My massive manhood explodes inside of Peri¡¯s red, swollen, and pummeled pussy. A flood of my potent semen pours and pours. I scream from the excessive joy this rough orgasm grants me. No matter how long I keep thrusting, my stream shows no end in sight. It gets to the point where Peri¡¯s exposed midriff starts showing a tiny bump, her belly rising ever so slightly from all the cum stored within.


    It becomes clear that if I don¡¯t pull out of Peri now, I¡¯m just going to create an endless loop where her pussy pushes me from one orgasm to the next. As much as I love seeing her swell with my thick seed, I rip my cock out. Peri¡¯s pussy makes a dirty sound when I pull away, her body doing anything it can to keep me lodged inside. Now free to finish my non-stop cumming, I jack off inches above her pelvis.


    My words become incoherent as my cock splurts rope after rope onto the sex kitten¡¯s body. I call Peri a slut, a beast, an animal, a breeding slave, and my adorable pet as her swollen tummy and her fat tits are covered in a truly explosive amount of my steaming jizz. By the time I¡¯m done with her, Peri looks like a brothel worker who just finished up the most life-changing shift of her career.


    Exhausted, I turn off the vibrator and drop it onto the floor, then reach down and remove the panties from Peri¡¯s mouth before falling backward onto my chair.


    ¡°Nyaaaaaaaaaaa...¡± Peri moans amid gasps and labored breaths. ¡°Mya... ster... if you... nnnn... didn¡¯t force me to take that nasty Succu-bye... I would be... like... sooooo knocked up right now...¡±


    I roll my eyes at Peri¡¯s consistency. ¡°Beasts don¡¯t whine about being on birth control. They¡¯re not smart enough. Now catch your breath so you can clean up my cock.¡±


    The naughty feline sighs a satisfied sigh before places both hands on her swollen, cum-covered, tummy. No doubt she imagines what it would be like to bear my kittens, and admittedly, I find myself imagining Peri¡¯s boobs growing even more sizable as they fill to bursting with precious mommy-milk. ¡°Yes, Myaster...¡± She purrs the slow and sensual purr of a cat lost in daydreams.


    Cherry opens the door again, right as Peri begins massaging her tits to bathe her skin with my creamy white cum. She takes a long, drawn-out look at myself and her dear friend before becoming downtrodden and expressionless. ¡°She was under the desk, wasn¡¯t she?¡±


    After a short period of awkward silence, I nod my head.


    The pink-haired maid grows even more distant, her gaze telling us both that she¡¯s not mad, just disappointed. After even more painful silence, Cherry finally speaks in a low, quiet voice, telling us, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go take that smoke break and get really high, nyaaaaa...¡± Cherry leaves the room, her tail drooping limply behind her as she goes.


    I sigh a deep, embarrassed sigh at my lack of willpower when it comes to refusing my blue-haired kitten¡¯s advances, all while Peri continues massaging my cum into her tits with the smuggest look on her face.

 Bonus Lewd – Cherry’s Instincts

    Read it Now!


    Coye is a young, half-elf adventurer who works out of the Cransmere Adventurer¡¯s Guild. He¡¯s strong, skilled at what he does, but none too bright, and on top of that, he¡¯s had one big problem his whole life. He¡¯s way too damn cute. Girls and boys alike have always teased him, and lately, things have only worsened, leading the innocent and naive boy to be lost in a sea of awkwardness.


    He takes on a job leading him into the infamous Gnarled Woods, only for a random encounter with a capricious girl one-eighth his size to insert herself into his life. Shayla, a mischievous pixie, presents the boy with an offer he can¡¯t refuse.


    How will this affect his life moving forward, and how will it change how he sees the world around him? More importantly, how will Coye react when he learns that all the teasing girls put him was not bullying, but rather something else entirely?


    This story contains; A pure, innocent femboy protagonist who, while a competent adventurer, is dense to an astronomical and comical degree. A naughty pixie heroine who serves as his voice of reason and the brains to his brawn. Rapidly declining morals and heightened shame once the door to a new world is opened. Extreme size difference. A focus on women taking the lead, mostly. Forming relationships with multiple women at the same time.


    Nikita got heavily drunk the night before and somehow managed to make a mess of two different spare rooms simultaneously. Remarkably, they''re both evenly wrecked and would take about the same time to clean up. Snow had a fun- if devilish- idea to motivate the maids to make quick work of it, even if I felt it meant Peri would be at a disadvantage. The Mistress suggested Peri and Cherry be timed to see who could have clean up their respective room the fastest. The reward was obvious...


    Some time alone with me.


    Despite my concerns, Peri insisted she would be fine and wanted to try her best to clean up the room for me. Those concerns turned out to be well warranted. Under additional pressure to clean under a strict timer, Peri only ended up botching her progress and making new messes to deal with as she worked on cleaning up old ones. Cherry came out on top, and she was delighted about it. Far from a sore loser, the busty cat maid bowed out with respect, and for her part, Snow seemed amused with the results of her little game. Part of me thinks the sultry feline planned this out as a reward for Cherry and a training session for Peri to begin with.


    Now that the battle is completed, the pink-haired kitten is ready to take her prize.


    I go up to the bedroom to wait for her and strip down to my underwear in the meantime. The door slowly opens just a crack, but Cherry can''t be seen in it. "Are you coming, kitten?" I ask, more than ready to have some fun.


    The kitten groans a stressed meow before answering, "Yes..." and stepping into the room, locking the door behind her. "Before you say anything, Snow made me wear it... she said you''d like it, Myaster..." Cherry stands there, awkwardly posing and averting her eyes from mine as I take in the delightful outfit her boss picked out for her.


    Cherry is wearing a pair of tight, frilly, black, and red crotchless panties with a lacy garter belt snugly hugging her waist. She isn''t wearing any stockings, so the straps dangle down her thighs like cute tassels. The embarrassed maid wears a black open bra for her top, which her cute, lower-end c-cup breasts spill out of. Around the kitten''s neck is a sexy collar with a little plate that reads ''Be Careful, I Bite'', and hooked to it is a leash that she holds in her fuzzy paw.


    "Snow was right," I say, taking off my glasses to fully appreciate the sexy Catfolk. "You look amazing."


    "Leashes are for dogs, though! I feel dumb, and this kind of top would look way better with Peri''s boob''s than it does with mine!"


    "What have we said about comparing yourself to Peri in bed, my dear?"


    Cherry grumbles, her furry brown tail hanging limply behind her. "Can''t help it. Her titties are unfair, nyaa..."


    While she''s distracted being all mopey, I stand up off the bed and take her by surprise by wrenching the leash out of her hand and giving it a playful tug so that Cherry falls face-first into my chest. She looks up to me with nervous eyes before sniffing my body and sealing her fate. Her pink cat nose sniffs once, then twice, until she devolves into a full-on sniff-slut, and her face grows hot with lust. "Myaster... that isn''t fair... pulling me into your scent like that..."


    "You¡¯re not very fair either, my little Cherry. Not when you''re wearing such a sexy outfit." As she explores my smell and wraps her paws around the small of my back, I take her soft breast into the palm of my right hand and fondle her.


    "Oh, come on... you''re just saying that. There''s no way that I''m... uh... am I really that sexy in this...?" She looks up at me while biting her lip, confused and fidgety from the smell.


    "Of course you are. Can''t you feel it?" I pull Cherry closer with the leash so that our pelvises mash together, and I watch with delight as her cat-like eyes open wide with shocking lust.


    "Myaster... Gods, you get hard so fast...! You damn perv...!" Cherry blushes and purrs but nonetheless starts to rub her crotch against the outside of my growing erection, still held back by my tight underwear. "I guess you... um... really do like the outfit, though..."


    "I don''t just like the outfit," I lift her chin up with the leash hand, making sure she has no choice but to stare into my eyes. "I like you." Without giving her time to prepare, I seal the deal with a kiss and enjoy the maid''s reluctant enjoyment of my lips on hers.


    Cherry reacts adorably by moaning and closing her eyes to distract herself from the burning need blossoming between her legs. At barely even a minute in, I can already feel her sharp but mercifully trimmed claws poking at my skin as the kiss deepens. The wet sounds of our lips smacking grow louder, making her kitty ears wiggle back and forth as she absorbs each and every romantic sound.


    She shudders as I lightly run my thumb over the top of her sensitive nipple, purring sensually into my mouth and sending slight vibrations against my tongue when I start to run its length down her own. As soon as she feels my tongue invade, the maid predictably pulls her body closer, squishing her bare tits against me so hard that I lose balance and fall backward onto the bed. Although still shy, Cherry looks down at me and giggles while her fluffy pink hair falls down all over the place, obscuring her features until she pushes the many strands out of her face.


    "I''m not done with you,"


    "Nyaa!" Cherry reacts with cute shock as I pull down again with the leash firmly enough to pull her face back in range for me to continue our kiss. Whatever complaints she might have had are quickly overtaken when I start making out with her more and more aggressively. After only a few more minutes of kissing, the horny kitten finds herself so intoxicated with animalistic lust and passion that she reaches down with her claws to shred my underwear right off, barely missing the skin.


    Cherry smiles a dazed smile, drool leaking out the corner of her mouth as her tongue flaps out. As I stare up at her while reclining on the bed, I smile back, cupping her cheek in my hand before running it down her cheek, her breast, her slim tummy, and all the way down to her dripping cleft. Cherry''s body jolts as I come into contact with her pussy, and all of a sudden, she''s back to being embarrassed. "Myaster...!" She mutters under her steamy breath.


    "Snow must be working you ragged," I shake my head back and forth, teasing her by clicking my tongue. I pull my hand away and split apart my fingers to reveal a thick stream of the kitten''s love juices. "Look how badly your little pussy wants me."


    "N-No, that¡¯s...!" Cherry shakes her head, looking for an excuse but finding only my fingers pressed up against her lips. Too surprised to do anything else, she clamps her lips down on them and sucks up her own juices like a perverted kitten thirsty for milk. In her addled state, the maid grabs my wrist firmly with both her paws and starts sucking on my fingers as passionately as if they were my cock. Speaking of, while fellating my digits, she starts teasing her own body by dragging her naked slit against the underside of my rock-hard erection that throbs like mad for her.


    "Look at you, Cherry... how can I not love you when you''re so naughty and perfect in every way...?" I reward her by shifting up my pelvis, causing it to grind between her pink, steamy petals even harder than before. Both of Cherry''s lips twitch around my meat as if trying to swallow me whole.


    "Ah''m... nyat purr-fect..." She moans around my fingers, shoving them deeper down her throat and sucking like a vacuum, all while her tongue swirls around every last inch of them.


    "You''re so fucking perfect," With her leash still firmly in my hand, I wrap it around my wrist to give me access to Cherry''s right tit. She whimpers and sucks down harder to cover her embarrassment, all while grinding me feverishly and coating my cock in her juices.


    "Noo..." Cherry shuts her eyes, her love becoming aggressive at the drop of a hat as she bites down on my fingers. I saw it coming, so I''m far from taken by surprise and instead use the moment to shift my hips in just the right way to make Cherry''s pussy drop down onto my cock instead of grinding it.


    "NYAA!" The maid shouts, releasing me from her mouth and falling down onto my chest as she feels my invasive length slide up inside her wet tunnel. As always, her scratchy barbs are right there, waiting for me to dazzle me with extra pleasure around every inch. "Y-You... I wasn''t... ngh... ready...!" She whines, even though she starts to eagerly buck her hips up and down on me.


    "With such a wet pussy, you could''ve fooled me..." Happy to tease back, I push straight up inside her and bottom out. Cherry purrs like a beast as the head of my cock pokes against her backmost wall, and her burning lips constrict my base so hard that it feels like she never wants to let me go.


    "Shut... up... and gimme my reward, nyaa..." The kitten bares her fangs at me, biting down around my nipple. The sudden jolt makes me lurch forward and groan, causing me to pound her harder than she was ready for. Cherry screams, and I take the opportunity to begin our game of flipping each other around on the bed back and forth like we always do. Cherry loves to play fight me whenever we''re mating, and I love to indulge her instincts as we play a mock battle for control.


    One moment I''m on top of her, bending her flexible legs back over her head and slamming away at her with a mating press, and the next moment she flips me over, riding my fat cock reverse cowgirl as I pull back on her leash. Every moan is made all the sweeter by the tugging and pulling at her throat. It distorts her bestial calls of satisfaction, never being too rough but never light enough that she can''t feel it constricting her throat. Judging by the number of scratches and bites she gives me whenever I pull on the leash, not to mention how tight it makes her pussy, I can tell she loves the leash- even if it was meant for a dog.


    This loud, primal sex goes on as we take in everything the other has to give. Bite after bite, scratch after scratch and slam after slam leads to me eventually giving her the lead. Cherry strikes when I least expect it, somehow turning me screwing myself into her wet, gushing petals from the side while holding her leg up into her, contorting her flexible cat-like body, and getting me in the reverse amazon position.


    She looks down at me with an expression much fiercer than when we started. Cherry gets worked up and more confident once we really get into it. When we''re mating like animals, Cherry forgets her jealousy over Peri''s boobs, she forgets how much less graceful and skilled she is than Snow, and she forgets anything holding her back. Right now, it''s just the two of us, doing what her body screams at her to do. "I''m... I''m gonna win, nyaaaa...!" She purrs, the sound of her pussy slapping against the base of my cock growing wetter as she fucks me like she means it. "I can feel you throbbing, Myaster...!"


    "I am, it''s... so good..." I grip the bedsheets as my climax encroaches closer by the second.


    "Cum for me, mn... Peri isn''t the only one who wants to be bred, Myaster...!" She shuts her eyes and bites down on her lower lip. When they''re in the heat of things, a Beastgirl can¡¯t avoid making at least one comment about breeding or being bred. And as always, it''s impossible for me to stave off the mental image of Cherry''s belly growing large with child despite knowing well that she''s on birth control. Her lusty magenta eyes open back up once again, and she looks down into my own while fluttering her long, dark eyelashes. "Breed me...!" Cherry demands, pleasured tears falling down her cheeks. "Breed me!!"


    With one last mutual thrust from both of us, Cherry gets her desire fulfilled. While she may not get pregnant, she still gets the sweet satisfaction of her womb being filled to bursting with what her body knows could very well be our child. I explode within her as she pins me down, still holding me carefully in reverse amazon. Cherry''s instincts reward her for securing a creampie from her mate by gifting her an orgasm of her own. She shrieks once her own juices start squirting messily out of her pussy and down onto my body below, some of it even going so far as to reach my face.


    Cherry holds me there as we continually cum against each other, but my manhood desires even more. I take advantage of her climax to regain control one more time, flipping Cherry onto her back. "W-what?! No! Myaster, no! I''m sensiti-NYAH!" The bratty cat protests, but with the sight of her full, round ass wearing tight crotchless panties and that sexy garter belt on display, I have no choice but to plunge inside her pussy and continue to fuck her until my current load is well and done. Of course, since this is me I''m talking about, it takes a full minute of cumming to get me to feel anywhere close to satisfied, and Cherry''s tummy bulges a tiny bit from just how much semen ends up expanding her needy womb. She cries every second of the way, but with her tail in one hand and the leash in the other, she has no choice but to suffer me pounding her orgasming, tight, clenching hole-riddled with pleasurable barbs.


    "Gods, Cherry..." I pull out of her, spent, and allow my massive cock to slap down on her ass cheek with a sticky, wet thud. When she doesn''t respond, I grow concerned. "Cherry?"


    She twitches and looks over her shoulder at me. "Nyaaaaa..." The maid whines, her pussy twitching and oozing a thick stream of my cum onto the mattress. "Not... enough... It''s not enough of a reward, Myaster."


    "Dirty kitten,"


    "NYAN-!" She yelps as I raise my hand and slap my palm firmly against her ass.


    "You want more?"


    "Myaster, don''t make me do this...! Just... giv-"


    Another spank to prove my dominance, coupled with a tight pull on her leash simultaneously.


    "NYAGH-! Yes! Yes, I want more!" Cherry whines, arching her back and wiggling her butt up against my cock in a desperate attempt to appeal to my inexhaustible stamina. It works, of course. I get hard instantly, but my interest may not lie where the maid has in mind. "W-Wait, Myaster... no!" She whimpers as I spread apart her ass cheeks to place my thumb teasingly against the tight ring of her behind.


    "I thought you wanted more of Master''s cock?" I smirk, swirling my tongue around her entrance before trailing it down to dip it in her pussy''s excessive leakage. Now fully lubed up, I push gently into her butt and watch Cherry scream as she engulfs me up to the joint.


    "N-Not there, damn it, and you know that! You know how I feel a-about... about butt stuff!" Cherry reaches for the nearest pillow, then hides her face in it.


    "Yes, yes, I know that it''s not in your instincts and that your mating drive tells you it''s a waste... but we both know it still makes you feel good. Besides, sucking my cock doesn''t fill your womb either, yet Gods know you Beastgirls go crazy for that." As I talk, I taunt her by wiggling around her tight ass, pushing in different directions, slowly warming her up for what''s to come by stretching out her hole.


    Cherry''s asshole sucks on and off on my thumb, responding to the curious pleasure that her animal instincts tell her is wrong but that her body tells her is right. "T-That''s... totally different... not the same... at... all... nyaaa..."


    "Well, I suppose I don''t have to... this is your reward, after all." Pulling my thumb out of her, I watch the intended effect play out almost too perfect to believe.


    Cherry turns her head to look at me, her kitty ears twitching with confusion. "W-Wait! Why did you... ah..."


    "Why did I what? Why did I stop...?"


    "No! I... I mean, yes... er... damn it... Myaster, don''t... don''t do this to me...!"


    "Do what?"


    "GAH!" Cherry hisses at me, and in her frustration, she rips up the sheets with her claws. "Y-You know I want it, but my instincts won''t... won''t let me say it...!"


    "Close enough," I smile down at her and slowly give her what she really wants- an ass full of Master''s cock. I grab her cheeks tight in both hands after guiding my tip, still wet with heaps of semen and love juices, against her anus. Inch by inch, I watch as the strength leaves Cherry''s body, and the foreign feeling in her butt consumes her whole. I take my time for both of our sakes. The sheer size of me threatens to make this painful, while the wicked tightness of her butt threatens to make this quick on my end.


    After several minutes of poking, teasing, pulling back, and pushing, Cherry''s asshole finally expands enough to take me up to my base. "How does that feel...?" I ask, basking in the sinful delight of anal pleasure.


    "Wrong..." Cherry reaches back to her butt with her paws, grabbing my hands and scratching me as she tightens her grip on my wrist. "It f-feels so wrong, but... but..."


    I slowly pull out of her ass, causing her to all but shriek as her claws pierce my skin. "Your instincts say no, but your body says yes..."


    "No! That''s n-not true!" She whines, proving herself wrong by chasing my cock with her ass as she pushes backward and fucks me like herself.


    "Look at what your body is doing," I tease, holding back a groan as Cherry finishes impaling her butt with my manhood.


    "That''s not me. That¡¯s you!" The naughty maid twists reality to avoid the feeling of going against her instincts to breed and be bred.


    "Is that so?" Deciding to play my hand, I pull halfway out and push down on her ass cheeks to prevent her from rising back up my pole of her own accord. While typically much stronger than me, there''s not much Cherry can do with her brain, addled by lust and her instincts, tearing her mind in half with conflicted emotions. She can''t overcome my power, and when she tries to push back, she finds herself unable to force my length back down into her tight ass.


    "Ah!! What are you doing, damn it?!"


    "Nothing. Do you want me to do something?"


    Cherry cries loud and hard, battling her instincts as she searches for a way to justify anal sex to herself. I''m not going to push her too much farther, as this really is hard on her mind. "I..." She starts, only to sniffle and sob weakly. "I don''t want you to... to NOT do something!"


    "You''re just the cutest, Cherry," My lover''s sheer display of adorableness makes my heart melt, and I sigh while I force the rest of my cock back where we both want it to go.


    "NYAH-!"


    With all the teasing out of the way and her asshole fully adjusted to the size of my hard-on, I really start to get to work on her. Slowly, I thrust in and out of her ass while tearing into her buttcheeks with my nails. Then, I go faster and watch as she reacts with confusion and joy. Cherry''s protests start to get more and more unconvincing and unintelligible the quicker I make her ass jiggle. While her words pretend to not enjoy this, her body eagerly accepts every thrusting inch I have to give her as she arches her back and presents to me just as if she were mating normally.


    She''s been a good girl for me, and I love Cherry just as much as any other member of my harem, so I treat her to more pleasure than she knows what to do with. By reaching around her hip to finger her clit and pulling back hard on the leash, every last one of the catgirl''s reservations fades away. The ability to think rationally and even to speak ceases for the maid. Her body reacts like a good little sex kitten, matching my every move and fucking me back as hard as I can give it, but aside from that the only thing Cherry can bring herself to do is moan and scream.


    Soon, Cherry is squirting all over the mattress again. Not even a minute later, and she does it again. Cherry enters a loop of constant orgasm from the combined pleasure of relentless ass-fucking and merciless clit play. When she cums, she squeezes down on my cock with such intensity that my vision fades for the faintest of seconds. I grow addicted to the feeling of almost blacking out from the anal vice grip and stroke her pink pearl fast enough that my wrist threatens to burst. The rewards are worth it, and without even having the chance to warn her, my balls boil over with masculine wrath and angrily explodes down her ass.


    Cherry screams so loud and so high that her throat gives out, certainly not helped by me accidentally pulling back on the leash strong enough to choke her for a brief second. Unlike with her pussy, Cherry''s ass wrings absolutely everything it can get out of me with one single thrust. The vision fading intensifies, sweat pours off my body like rain, and I collapse onto her back as my spasming dick finally finishes unleashing the last of its burning white streams.


    I roll us both onto our backs so that Cherry lays on top of me. Together, we gaze at the ceiling in a confused and cloudy daze of post-coital bliss. I reach around to her tummy and give her a teasing rub once I start to feel my infinite stamina sorting itself out and bringing me back to a degree of normality. As expected, it got bigger. If I gave her three or four more loads, then she might actually look pregnant...


    Hmm. I did get a lot of paperwork done this morning, and the girls are all off on low level quests that don''t require any oversight...


    "You were such a good girl, Cherry, that I think I''ll spend the rest of the afternoon giving you rewards. How does that sound?"


    Even when fucked into a submissive sex coma, fear strikes the simple Catfolk girl. "Snow..." Cherry whines, her weary mind envisioning the Mistress punishing her for letting her reward take too long.


    "You leave her to me. Now, how about we get to it?" I ask, knowing that fully that this will ensure I''ll be punished in her place.


    "I... I would like that very much, Myaster..." Cherry whimpers, eyes glued to the ceiling and drool cascading out of her smiling mouth.


    PunishedKom


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 Let’s Have Ourselves a Soak

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    The meeting soon moves on to discuss the heart of the matter- the bounties we have to bring in to Duke Gloomcrest. Snow, astute as ever, is quick to add the numbers up. She realizes that one bounty shouldn''t have equaled one million gold and asks how much we were paid for Pimpington exactly.


    Seeing no point in hiding anything from the girls, I openly tell them about all that''s transpired with Abigail. From the donation to the magic notebook, all the way to how I want everyone to start writing to Abigail, the Guild is interested in hearing the many developments I''ve made with Lady Gloomcrest. Furthermore, no one seems surprised in the slightest when I reveal that Lux Ultima intends for the young Necromancer to eventually join us at our Guild.


    "I would have been more surprised if nothing happened, really." Snow shrugs her shoulders but smiles gently as if this is all par for the course.


    "Hells yeah!" Sam pumps her fist into the air. "Bag that creepy chick, Boss! If I were there, I''d kick down her door for ya myself!" She says while reminding me precisely why I''m glad she isn''t here.


    ''I see. Well, I did my best, but I suppose one gloomy Mage with mental issues and a strong inclination towards dark magic just wasn''t enough for you, Sir...'' Zutiria stares off into the middle distance with her typical blank expression, making it impossible to tell whether she¡¯s sarcastic or not.


    "Necromancy sounds like it''d creep me out, b-but... um... I''m all for recruiting Abigail if you can, Master! We need more adventurers!" Meri shakes off her nervousness and resolves herself for the greater good. "I''ll do whatever it takes to help, and maybe if I got to know her beforehand, then she won''t be as scary..."


    "Since she''s another rich chick, I bet she won''t care if you don''t pay her, too!" Nikita grins and slaps her knee. I hadn''t even considered that, but it''s potentially true...


    Once everyone puts their word in, I move the conversation away from my developing harem life and back on track regarding the battle we have against the Duke of Dewhurst. When I go over the details of the bounty quests, my adventurers are all equally motivated to earn the rest of the promised gold. That said, they''re just as disappointed as I am when I tell them how little information we were actually given to work off of. Defeating Pimpington has put them in high spirits at least, making the remainder of our opponents less scary.


    Sam then asks an important question. "Which of the targets do ya wanna go after first, Boss?"


    "Opalina bought us some time for the Sage, but I''d prefer if we waited a week or two before fighting him. By comparison, Butcher Bludman would be easier to track down, and he''s not as strong as the other targets. Assuming we get another of Luxy''s emergency dungeons out of it, it''ll make good training for all of you."


    Meri breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, good... I-I don''t know if I can handle another enemy as strong as Pimpington again so soon..." Her anxiety is palpable, but I know that if she were on the battlefield, she''d do her best.


    ''Shame. I was looking forward to seeing this specimen for myself.'' Zutiria frowns. I can almost picture the inquisitive little lady dissecting the drugged-up Elf, with Opalina handing her a scalpel from behind.


    Nikita is quick to remind me that the false Duke is likely to try and attack us soon to retaliate, which I hadn''t forgotten for a moment. Between Nikita, Snow, the kittens, the three adventurers, potentially Opalina, and the defensive seal, I''m feeling confident about our defenses. For once, the Grekkan loosens her guard and admits we''re probably in a good position here. As long as my confidence doesn''t turn into over-confidence, we should be fine.


    This seems like an excellent point to end the discussion for now. Since I''m coming home tomorrow, there''s not much else we need to discuss that can''t wait until then. Just in time, too, since Snow and Meri need to finish dinner anyway. Sam is starving, Zutiria has to be forced to eat and not go back to her lab, and adorably when food is mentioned, both of the napping maid''s kitty ears start twitching.


    We all say our goodnights, leaving me in a much better mood than before.


    Immediately after I close Taskmaster''s screen, Opalina up the door and stretches out her back. "Good work on Abigail, Dear. It was quite an impressive concussion, I''ll give you that." She says seamlessly.


    "Well, well. I hope I didn''t keep you waiting..." I say sarcastically, marveling at the witch''s timing.


    "Just giving you a little space," She giggles. "Mind telling me what happened?"


    "There was something I had to test out. I just didn''t know Abigail would react so... jumpily."


    "She''s fine now. A little hazy, and her pale cheeks are redder than I''ve ever seen them but fine." Opalina assures me with a motherly smile. "More importantly, did you get the answer you were looking for?"


    "I did. Would you care to guess what the answer was?"


    Opalina smirks a self-satisfied smirk. "By the sound of things, it seems like a certain Goddess is trying to capitalize on all the hard work I''ve done over the years, whispering into the young Lady''s ear about you..."


    "Indeed..." I shift away from my comfortable seat on the bed, scooting toward the edge to see her directly. "Like always, it looks like you''ll be getting what you wanted all along. Congratulations. Doesn''t that make you happy?"


    "Yes and no," The Mage teasingly shrugs. "It feels like she''s gone and stolen all the credit for my little pet project."


    "Then you''ll be pleased to know Abigail is in a slightly different boat than all the other girls so far. Given the Necromancer''s mental state, Luxy can''t just upend Abigail''s life and send her to my Guild without ramifications. I need to slowly work on getting closer to her, helping her through her feelings, and getting her to decide on becoming an adventurer for herself."


    "Oh my," Opalina gasps in jest, unable to hide the excitement she feels over Abigail making some progress with her sheltered life. "Think you can handle it?"


    ¡°Of course I can,¡± I look the old Mage in the eyes and adjust my glasses, trying to look serious. "There''s nothing I won''t do for my Guild."


    "Except clean it by yourself or pay your employees," She counters, canceling my attempt at looking cool.


    "Shush," I tell her, crossing my arms and turning my head away.


    Opalina giggles softly, stripping off her purple jacket to hang it on a nearby coat hanger. She kicks off her heels, and they magically land perfectly on a shoe rack. Then, the witch bellows out a weary sigh and removes her glasses. "You know, I''ve been freshening us up with magic for almost two days now. What would you say to an actual bath, my love? I promise it''s very luxurious. It would be a shame if we left Dawnstead without you having used it." She starts walking towards the other chamber, keeping her head trained on me.


    "I think I''d like that... but you promised me that we would have an important talk tonight."


    "Trust me," She pulls her sweater tank top over her head, making her enormous breasts drop even as they''re constrained by her magical bra. "I haven''t forgotten," Opalina says while pulling out an expensive-looking bottle of Bourgeaux Sparkling Gold wine and two wine glasses from the Bra of Holding. "Come."


    I rise from the bed and start stripping down. The harsh sound of rushing water comes after Opalina disappears into the bathroom, and steam quickly starts trailing out the crack of the open door. Considering that the bath doesn''t need to be prepared by servants or Opalina''s magic, it must be arcane tech. Solomon told me that Castle Mourneheart doesn''t have very much of the stuff, yet somehow I''m not surprised that Opalina''s permanent guest room is one of the few exceptions.


    Once fully naked and with my glasses placed preciously on the nearest desk, I follow after my lover just in time to see her in the buff standing at the precipice of the large, square-shaped bath built into the floor. Water gushes from the mouths of the four massive stone gargoyles sitting at the four corners of the tub, filling it quickly and efficiently. The wine and the glasses are at the naked Mage''s feet as she ties up her long, curly brunette hair into a bun so that it doesn''t float off into a million directions while she soaks. Her gratuitous behind is pointed toward me, full-figured and enticing as it always is, yet I subdue my urge to come up behind her and act on lust. At the moment I''m more interested in the discussion we''re about to have. Hopefully, there''ll be time for fun later.


    Opalina turns a dial on one of the nearest gargoyles, causing the boiling water to stop flowing. She then descends into the bath step by step. It''s deep, but like a hot tub, seats are lining the edges. She sits down on one side, submerging her beautiful naked body up to her shoulders, while I move in and sit opposite to her.


    I close my eyes and let the heat soak into my skin to take away the stress from the last few days. Even though they''re both arcane tech, my bathtub back home doesn''t get this warm, so it''s a welcome treat. I guess that''s the difference between higher-end models and the standard-issue ones my grandfather outfitted the Guild with. Our broken-down bathhouse rivals this one, though, but the less said about the state that¡¯s in, the better.


    Opalina wiggles her finger, causing the wine bottle to uncork, float, tilt itself and fill the two glasses with a bright gold liquid that contains lots of fizzy bubbles which shine like tiny diamonds. The witch sends them to our hands, and soon after, I bring the glass to my lips, taking in a deep sip of the rich wine. "Smooth, yet bubbly and rich... not bad. Isn''t this stuff made by House Glorigold''s wineries?"


    "I won''t tell Osbourne if you don''t," She gives me a guilty smile. "I felt like celebrating a little... is that too much to ask?"


    "No, and you won''t ever hear me complaining about a free drink."


    "I thought as much," Opalina takes a long, classy sip from her glass. Steam puffs out of her breath as she exhales her satisfaction. She looks beautiful like this, her hair tied and her flawless, youthful skin turning red from the hot bathwater. "Before you ask me anything, I''m sorry if I''m vague on things here and there. I promise that I''ll answer most questions, but I distance myself from my past for a reason."


    Of course, that would''ve been too easy. "Then this means you won''t just give me a blanket summary, I take it?"


    "Sorry, but no. I''m not even sure where I''d begin, and I''m evasive by nature." She looks away, proving her point.


    "Could have fooled me."


    Opalina laughs but hides her embarrassment behind another sip of her wine. "Yes, yes... If left to my own devices, I¡¯m only saying that I''d be tempted to leave things out and oversimplify things... it''s better to just ask what you want to know about me.


    "It''s alright. We¡¯ll work up to it. I''ll start off small..." There''s something I''ve wanted to know for as long as I''ve known Opalina. Something that I will pounce on now that I''ve been given a chance, no matter how rude it might be. I ask the witch point blank, "How old are you, exactly?"


    Even with her face red from the water, my lover somehow manages to turn an even brighter shade of red.


    PunishedKom


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 Swamp Hags

    "Really?" The adorable older woman sighs before sinking up to her nose into the bathwater to hide her embarrassment from me. She closes her eyes as she thinks quietly under the water for several moments. After her irritation subsides, Opalina surfaces with a stern look on her face. "That''s really where we''re starting? You''re just going to up and ask a woman such a personal question without any concern for her feelings?"


    "I sure am," I raise my glass to her in a mock toast, watching with a smile as she continues to grumble about having to answer. "What does it matter? You''re a Mage. You¡¯ll likely live a few hundred years and only have to look it if you want to. Age shouldn''t be a big deal with you."


    "It matters because you''ve surrounded yourself with cute young girls, and an old woman like me is not immune to jealousy. Far from it." She puffs out her lip. I have to admit, seeing Opalina act all vulnerable and cute is a refreshing change of pace.


    "What do you mean by that? Are you saying you wish you knew me when you were younger?"


    "I don''t know what I''m saying," She grumbles before taking a sip of her wine to calm her nerves. "All I know is that it shouldn''t matter, but my irrational emotions say that it does. I''ve had flings with many women in my youth, but none of them were what I''d call romance."


    "Dodging the question, I see..." I click my tongue sarcastically and shake my head back and forth.


    Opalina frowns and then half-teasingly splashes some of the water into my face, acting far from whatever her age really is. It narrowly avoids getting in my wine glass, which I almost spill amid my own laughter. After struggling with her feelings, the witch sighs and tilts her face far away from me. "Fine, fine. I promised I would be honest with you... so..." The witch mentally groans before finally solving one of the greatest mysteries in my life with just a few words. "I turned seventy last fall. Are you happy?"


    I blink as that number sets in, not knowing what I was expecting. "Seventy? Really. Seventy"


    She groans and blushes, finishing an entire glass of wine out of frustration right then and there. I probably shouldn''t have said it like that. "Yes, really. This is exactly why I didn''t want to tell you!"


    "I thought you were at most around sixty... Not that ten years makes all that much difference, but..." Almost unthinkingly, I blurt out and laugh under my breath, "I suppose you really weren''t joking while constantly calling yourself an old lady."


    "You are not giving me much reason to continue sharing my secrets, Dear." Opalina looks at me with a glare that chills my spine even while submerged in the wondrous heat of this magnificent bath.


    Opalina grumbles while magically topping herself off a fresh glass of Sparkling Gold. "I''m young at heart, damn it, now quit while you''re ahead, or I''ll end up downing this whole bottle by myself."


    "Well, we can''t have that..." I take a long drink of my own and enjoy the rich taste, formulating the following question in my mind. "I guess it''d be good to start things off from the very beginning. Where were you born? You''ve mentioned being from Arrark before."


    Opalina stares into her drink with a forlorn expression. She wasn''t exaggerating. Judging from her body language, she really doesn''t enjoy talking about any of this. Nevertheless, she answers, "Tior... Mithimere, to be precise."


    I guess that''s not exactly surprising. If you took a random, top-tier Karnallian Mage and asked them where they came from, I''m sure almost half would answer similarly. "So you were born in the actual Mage capital of Karnalle?"


    "Shocking, isn''t it?" The witch rolls her eyes and puts on a fake smile to hide her disdain.


    "I guess that means both of your parents are Mages, too." What was meant to be an innocent observation turns out to be yet another


    "Yes," The mature woman pronounces slowly with venom in her voice. "But that''s one of those topics I would rather we avoid."


    "Isn''t someone a little old to still have daddy issues?"


    Opalina looks at me as if I were something she just stepped in. "I should not have given you alcohol for such a serious conversation..." She grumbles, making me think that I was on the mark regarding the daddy issues. She did tell me she used to hate men, so I guess it had to stem from somewhere.


    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry..." I take a deep breath. "No more quips, I promise."


    "Give me the glass," She continues to stare sternly while extending a single open hand toward me.


    "Hey, you need the wine to help you talk, and if it gets heavy, I''m going to need it to listen."


    Opalina considers this before nodding her head and sighing. "Fair enough," She says before expanding on her background. "The short of it is that I was born in Mithimere. I advanced through the illustrious Magicademy as fast as I could. After graduation, I stayed there doing research.... until everything just sort of caught up with me, and staying in Tior was no longer an option."


    A lot of implications there, unsurprisingly. This lines up with all the hints that Opalina is a wanted criminal, at any rate. "Opalina, I''m starting to think that you''re not just an average town healer," I say rhetorically, which gets me a playful smile along with another roll of her eyes. Glad to see she''ll let me get away with more quips as long as they''re tasteful.


    "No, far from average. My specialty has always been in magical poisons, diseases, viruses, and spells that mess with anatomical makeup... that sort of thing. Back in those days, the work I was doing is exactly what Osbourne commissioned me to do for him again during the Rotblight; figuring out cures to magically created illnesses. Of course, I also dabbled in doing the opposite more than I''d like to admit. But that was when I was much younger. That spell I hit the Sage with the other day was just one of the hundreds of different magical illnesses I''ve created in my days."


    "I''m not sure how to feel about that... you can spare me the ''poison and medicine are two sides of the same coin'' metaphor, though."


    "It''s true, though." She laughs softly. "I won''t defend myself, it was a different time, and such contributions to academia made me quite rich and famous. It''s just that all the dubious ways I used to fund my research came back to bite me. In the end, one thing led to another until I eventually burned every bridge I had left. Now, I can''t ever return to Mithimere."


    That sounds awful, but also like Opalina may have had it coming. When she says dubious ways of funding her research, my erotica-addled mind quickly goes south before I remember that''s not possible. Still, I think I''ve read at least one bawdy tale about a desperate witch who would do ''anything'' to fund her research... probably more than one, to be honest. Rather than dig for the details she probably won''t share anyway, I ask, "Do you ever miss living there?"


    Opalina considers this question before admitting, "I used to," Only to then shake her head. "Nowadays, I only miss the research I was able to perform there. Not the bad research, mind you, but the work I did curing illnesses and developing my personal style of healing magic. Mithimere is a magical place where every resource a gifted Mage could ever dream of is yours for the taking if you know where to find it. But... despite that, I can''t say I miss the city itself all that much. For all the creative and ethical freedom it offers, that city and its people eat away at you year by year. It compels you to be the worst version of yourself possible in the name of advancing our understanding of magic... I know a thing or two about the topic, so trust me when I tell you that place is poison."


    "I bet you could do a lot of good if you had those sorts of resources again..." I give her a soft smile while feeling that funny feeling rise up in my chest, the one that makes me want to provide for all of my lover''s wants and desires. Getting Zutiria an alchemy lab is feasible. Getting Gwin a forge, too. But getting Opalina access to resources that rivals Karnalle''s capital of magic? Just the thought of it makes me feel inadequate.


    "I try not to think about that," She sinks further into the bathtub. "Instead, I focus on what I can do with what I have. I''m far from poor, you know."


    "I''ve noticed," Smirking, I guiltily reminisce about all the spoiling she''s done to me over the many years. Goddesses know that Opalina''s bank account is anything but empty. "What happened to you after you left Tior? Did you go straight to Arrark?"


    "No, I went north..." Opalina answers, almost sounding embarrassed of the fact. If she could sink any further into the warm waters without dunking her head, she would probably do so.


    The province north of Tior would be... ah. Well, that explains it. "...Drerland, then?"


    "Indeed," She sighs, knowing the connotation that her confirmation brings.


    Drerland is known as Karnalle''s worst province for many a damn good reason. The entire thing is just one big swamp, preventing any large cities from being built within it. It''s hot, humid, and there are all sorts of creepy supernatural shenanigans going on there. This is thanks partly to its mysterious dungeon and the alleged swamp hags who live amid its bogs.


    That''s not even mentioning the inbred, illiterate, violent, and degenerate Drerlanders who make up the sparse, unfriendly population. Indeed, Drerland produces nothing of value to the Realm and is the butt of every joke. In my childhood, I heard all sorts of stories from adventurers who took on quests that led them through Drerland, and I can safely say I''ll die a happy man if I never have to set foot there myself.


    As if she feels the need to explain herself, Opalina is quick to point out, "Drerland has a special relationship to the Mages of Tior. People like me are always in need of suitable test subjects, and Drerland is full of... well, I would hate to use the word ''expendable'', but... well, it''s just brimming with peasants who would never be missed. If you catch my drift."


    "Bit hard not to,"


    "Yes, well... I found myself a nice little swamp to call my own, and I set up shop where no one would ever find me. Magic works... strangely, in Drerland."


    "I''m a Guild Master, Opal. I know all about Drerland''s biggest dungeon." Every province has a handful of dungeons they''re known for. Arrark has the Labyrinth of Light, for instance, and in Drerland''s case, there''s the Decayed Sky Whale.


    In ancient times, a massive, dead leviathan fell from the stars right in the center of Drerland. It was one of the first pieces of evidence that other Realms existed, and it changed how Karnalle saw its place in the universe. Given how we''ve only ever found realms by traveling along a two-dimensional plane, though, no one is sure where the whale came from anymore.


    Calling it a ''whale'' isn''t entirely accurate, but it''s the closest thing we have to compare with that tentacled monstrosity. In general, magic is more potent near the whale, aside from one specific type. Divination. Whether it''s with crystal balls or otherwise, scrying doesn''t work at all. Same with any sort of remote viewing, dowsing, or fortune-telling spells. If someone were to hide in Drerland, the only way to find them would be the hard way.


    Creepily enough, treasure chests randomly spawn inside this massive corpse, and its half-rotted, room-like organs are filled with monsters, traps, and strange architecture. While close proximity to the whale is far from healthy, it got certified as a dungeon by the Association since people would have explored it one way or another. Might as well make it official and ensure adventurers know what they''re up against.


    All in all, Drerland might have been a respectable province before the whale fell, but that''s a time long forgotten. Now, the dead creature''s horrific influence is felt the second one first steps foot into the mysterious swamps.


    "Most exiled or otherwise shady Mages wind up at Drerland at some point in their life," Opalina explains. "I''m far from the first Mage who ran into trouble with the Council and then sought out the whale''s protection. These days, I no longer need it. I''ve long since mastered how to hide my presence..."


    "As long as you don''t use tons of powerful magic, right?"


    "Precisely,"


    "So then all the tall tales about people being kidnapped by swamp hags or bog witches are really just about Mages like you?"


    "No, of course not. First of all, you, of all people, should know that ''hags'' are a legitimate species of monster that really do exist. Secondly, I let most of my peasants go after I was done with them. I even erased their memories as a courtesy for the... clinical trials I put them through!" She says in a defensive flurry. The word ''most'' sticks out like a painfully red and throbbing sore thumb. "Besides, it''s not like those legends are about me in specific. Although... It''s hard to deny that I didn''t build up something of a reputation for myself..."


    "Does that reputation have anything to do with people calling you ''the Nightshade''?"


    Opalina raises her head, frowning at the mention of this specific moniker. "No, that''s a separate matter altogether. I didn''t want you to ever hear that name."


    "Will you tell me what it means?"


    "It was the name I was born with, and it''s a name I always hated. I changed it when I went into hiding in Arrark, after..." She looks to the side, and everything about her body language suddenly tells me to expect another big topic is on the horizon.


    "...After?" I prepare for yet another shocking revelation by readying my drink.


    She sighs. "After the war."


    I take a long, hard sip and nod my head.


    PunishedKom


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 The Nightshade

    "You took part in the Young Lion Rebellion?" I ask, the words feeling surreal as they leave my lips. Even though I know because of her age that Opalina lived through those ten years of bloody civil war, never in my wildest dreams would I have ever guessed she had a role in it.


    "I just told you I had a reputation, did I not?" She shrugs, still looking embarrassed of the fact. "The father of a certain Princess whom we both know and love sought me out and offered me a deal. Fight with him, and I could keep as many of the fallen bodies of our enemies for my research as I wanted. If we won, he''d use his powers as King to grant me clemency and allow me to return to Tior if I ever wished to."


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you ever talked about knowing Sam¡¯s father before?¡± I ask Opalina.


    ¡°We aren¡¯t exactly friends. I hate him more than I hate Osbourne,¡± Her brow furrows as she remembers her time with the King-to-be. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever find it odd how I recognized Samantha the moment I saw her?¡±


    I shrug. ¡°You¡¯re a mysterious witch. When you make astute observations, I just assume you have a source of magical wisdom I¡¯m not privy to.¡±


    ¡°I do. It¡¯s called experience.¡± She insists, staring at me pointedly.


    Ouch.


    "Since you''re still in hiding, I assume things didn''t quite turn out according to plan."


    "People promise a lot of things when trying to achieve positions of power, my Dear." Opalina reclines against the edge of the tub, her gaze turning skyward as she stares at the ceiling through layers of swirling steam. "Once they''ve made it, they realize they won''t even be able to keep half of them. Theo needed both House Palemist and the Council of Archsage''s approval if he wanted to become King, and that just wouldn''t happen if I was around. It was the best he and his brother could do to keep most mentions of me out of the public records of the war. Officially, they think I was a rogue Mage who participated on both sides of the conflict wherever it suited my research most."


    At this point, I feel like part of me is growing numb. Even if it''s only for a moment, it makes taking all this information that much more difficult. Sighing, I take a long sip of my alcohol as everything my lover has said until now stirs in my head like a maelstrom of confusion and obscure facts. "Opal, I knew that I was in for some heavy subject when sitting down to talk about your past, but ''exiled, swamp-dwelling, peasant-kidnapping, war criminal'' is a bit more than I expected to have to process."


    Hearing it all spelled out like that, Opalina can''t stop herself from a short burst of inappropriate laughter. It''s infectious, so I end up joining along with her. The absurdity is too much, but it doesn''t last forever. As we both settle down, she groans. "Now you see why I''ve always been so evasive about telling you anything regarding my past."


    "Yeah," I utter, staring daggers into my glass of wine. "Hard not to understand your hesitancy about opening up, now..."


    "Do you hate me?" Opalina asks out of nowhere, with a distant, somber feeling packed behind the question. "I wouldn''t blame you if you did. I¡¯ve done terrible things in the name of my research."


    "Hate you? Opal, I can''t even rationalize a lot of what you''re saying... the ''you'' that I''ve known my entire life is in conflict with everything you''ve told me. I''ve never known you to be anything but a kind woman who wants to help people with all her heart, even if you charge a decent pile of gold for each heal." This gets a small giggle out of her, which is a welcome oasis of cuteness amid these dark thoughts.


    "I know it''s a cliche, but the war changed me."


    "It''s a cliche for a reason," I nod my head acceptingly. I¡¯m eager to hear something that will help me easier compartmentalize some of this. "War changes everyone who partakes in it. Nikita''s been in wars her whole life, and she hardly seems better off for it."


    "Right? That poor girl..." Opalina sighs as her mind drifts towards her Grekkan friend. Still, she soon focuses herself on the conversation here and now, dismissing the distraction. "As for me, by the end of it, I wasn''t even mad that I couldn''t return to Tior. All that death and misery... and for what? Another slab of meat on my dissection table? Another tiny step forward on my career ladder or a footnote on my list of accomplishments?" Opalina''s eyes become hazy and unfocused as she stares into her glass, contemplating whether or not to empty it again before she decides against it. The troubled witch places the chalice behind her on the stone floor and looks me straight in the eyes, telling me, "I didn''t want to be Daphne Nightshade any longer. I wanted a home where I could settle down and start doing something meaningful with my life... something that would actually help others first hand."


    "I thought you said your research helped lots of people?"


    "None of it was sincere. I''ve cured many diseases, copyrighted many original spells, and brewed plenty of potions that are now stocked on every alchemist''s shelf, yes. But it all in the name of satisfying my own interests. Everything good that happened because of my work was nothing more than a byproduct of my own selfishness."


    "Alright. That''s how you ended up becoming a healer, then?"


    "Yes... and Arrark was the best place to do so."


    "Why''s that?"


    "I was close to a young noblewoman who served as a healer for Theo''s war camp. She was a depressing and dreary girl, but she always lighted up whenever she healed others. I coveted that fulfillment, I suppose..."


    "I think I can see where this is going."


    Opalina laughs dryly. "I couldn''t see what she saw in him for the life of me, but Deidre fell in love with a certain Dark Knight who was fought in the rebellion.¡± She pauses, then considers her statement. ¡°Well, I suppose he was a bit more dashing back then... what with his edgy brooding and his tragic quest for revenge on King Lucadeus."


    "That very same Duke who hides in his room went on a personal quest for vengeance? For what?"


    My genuine curiosity ends up making the older woman sigh. "Solomon was right, we need to get you a newspaper... you at least know the gist of why Samantha''s paternal grandfather was bad, yes?"


    From what I know about him, her maternal grandfather doesn¡¯t seem much better, but I answer, "Yes, of course. Lucadeus Lundreame was a tyrant convinced that Karnalle should stop worshipping the Twins. For a long time, people pretended to go along with it while still worshipping in secret. Common enough behavior for the Realm to have when dealing with a mad King, just keep your head down and remember he¡¯ll die off sooner or later. Never works in the long run. Ignoring madness only makes it get worse..." I stop abruptly in my mind, remembering that this is an ongoing problem Sam will have to deal with and that there¡¯s little I can do to stop it.


    Opalina senses the cause of my distress but nods approvingly of my surface-level knowledge. She can¡¯t comfort me when she¡¯s like this, so she merely continues talking. "The last Duke Gloomcrest was especially devout to Tenebris Primis, and he paid for his piety with his life. He was killed right before Osbourne''s eyes, and it was one of the major catalysts for the rebellion."


    Gods, my feelings for Abigail''s father just keep growing more complex the more I learn about him. Putting aside what he did to me and what he''s done to Abigail, his father was killed by a mad King. His wife died prematurely, and his daughter was crippled at the same time. Then, his people turned against him a few years later... not to mention, he didn''t even get the vengeance he wanted. Sam said her grandfather is still alive to this day, albeit kept as a prisoner.


    All things considered, It''s a miracle that Duke Gloomcrest hasn''t become a tyrant himself after living a life as hard as his. I''d probably try and keep my daughter locked in her room, too, or worse...


    None of this excuses his actions, but it certainly frames them.


    Opalina then takes us back on track, bringing us to her point. "Because of my friendship with his wife-to-be, Osbourne and I became somewhat friendly. He offered to give me a new identity so that I wouldn''t have to slink back to my swamp, and I took him up on it. I''ve been a simple healer ever since... except for the brief stint where I came out of retirement to help with the Rotblight."


    "So you''re not still secretly experimenting on your patients? I''m sorry if that sounds rude, to just blatantly ask, but..."


    "No," She smiles gently, although her eyes drift away as they fill with a silent sadness. "You''re well within your right to be skeptical after everything I''ve told you. Even to this day, I continue my research on my own time, but only as a hobby and never with human experimentation. If I make a breakthrough on something or invent a new spell or potion by chance, Xothan is given credit for it while I reap the proceeds. Along with occasional research donations from the Duke, that''s my main source of income."


    I figured there was more to her wealth than just charging thugs high rates for healing. "So when you say you want to dissect the Crystal Sage...?"


    Opalina laughs, a bit of warmth returning to her voice. "I''m mostly joking. Mostly."


    "To be fair, I don''t think anyone would miss him." I chuckle under my breath, trying to defuse some of the tension.


    "No one would miss many of Dewhurst''s thugs, yet I''ve never once used them for my own devices. That''s not who I am anymore."


    "I believe you when you say that, Opal. Even if you''re skipping over a lot of the specifics, I can see why you were afraid of telling me about your past..."


    "I know what we have is... weird," The Mage sighs and looks to the side as she stands up, water trailing off her naked body and her heaving breasts. Opalina walks across the bath to sit by my side, leaning into my shoulder right after putting my glass of wine behind me. She opens her mouth to speak, but her words are delayed as she struggles to form them. Eventually continues on to deliver a heartfelt monologue, "I helped raise you... I''m forty years older than you... but damn it, after all the awful things I''ve done... somehow, I still have a heart. When your grandfather died, I didn''t start looking after you thinking it would help atone my sins. I did it because I genuinely cared about you. That motherly love became something else over an appropriate amount of time." She puts extra emphasis on the word appropriate for some reason. It''s not like I, a man who took the virginity of a Princess shortly after she became legal, would be able to judge her.


    "Even as you went through your twenties, I never acted on my feelings for you because if I did, I''d one day have to tell you about my past. Then, things got worse. You grew distant, and I found it harder to help you without getting close again..."


    "I''m sorry that I-"


    "Shush. We''re not talking about that right now. All that matters is that you suddenly came out of your depression and started aggressively flirting with me, and the rest was history. I''ve been happy watching you develop your business and your love life since it happened, but I''ve been dreading this day. It felt like I was just waiting to find out if you''d reject me or not after learning the truth..." Opalina finally gets the ever-present weight off of her chest, and it''s a doozy.


    Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I don''t have to let her words sit for long before I know exactly how I feel.


    PunishedKom


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 Washing Away the Sin

    I wrap my arm around Opalina''s side and pull her closer to my body without any hesitation. The water shifts as she accepts this and presses her side firmly against me. I know my answer, and I tell it to her as bluntly as possible. "There''s not a single reason in all the Realms that would make me reject you."


    Opalina is quiet. She didn''t expect me to just let things go as they are, and she''s unsure how to handle it. "Were you not listening? I think I gave you more than enough reasons." She laughs a sad laugh and turns away, almost like she wants me to judge her even when I strongly believe it''s not my place to do so. "Dear, we aren''t just talking about one or two casualties in my research, nor even a handful..."


    I shake my head, accepting what she has to say but making a crucial distinction about it. "That was Daphne Nightshade," I tell her. "I don''t see any point in judging Opalina Hart for the crimes of a dead woman."


    While she''s far too strong to cry over this, Opalina clings tighter to me as her emotions wash over her.


    A lot of what was revealed to me tonight is indeed terrifying. It''s indisputable that Opalina used to embody just about every trait shared by the evilest and most powerful Mages of Karnalle. She performed frequent human experimentation, possessed little regard for life, and admitted to dabbling in dangerous magic that could''ve hurt many people if mishandled or if it fell into the wrong hands. If all that wasn''t enough, Opalina was apparently so bad that the Council of Archsages themselves cast her out of Mithimere. Sure, she won''t tell me why they exiled her, but I imagine she would''ve at least said something in her own defense if it was unjust.


    The worst Mages are little more than sociopaths who view the world as a puzzle meant to be solved at any cost... yet... the woman sitting here with me naked in the bathtub? She isn''t like that at all. Not for as long as I''ve known her.


    This is a woman who would hold me to her chest for hours on end, stroking my hair and comforting me while my eyes throbbed with pain. Someone who was there for me when I had no one else and who did her best to make sure I had everything I needed to live on my own. She cooked for me, bought me books, helped me study, she came up with quizzes and exams to help me learn how to run a Guild. On top of all that, she never missed a birthday, a holiday, or any other excuse to spoil me with presents no matter how many times I told her not to.


    Is it shallow of me to forgive Opalina of her sins just because I love her? Probably. But I can''t just overwrite the twenty-seven years I''ve spent loving her. I wouldn''t be the man I am today without Opalina Hart. Whoever she used to be before she took that name doesn''t matter to me.


    "I love you, Opal," I say in no uncertain terms. "I always have, and I always will."


    All she manages to say back to me in response is, "Gods, I don''t deserve you..." It''s clear that Opalina doesn''t feel the best about me just moving past it. Still, I don''t think that allowing her to wallow in it and giving in to her admittedly understandable desire for judgment is the best option, either.


    I shake my head and laugh under my breath, water falling off of my hair in tiny droplets. "I''m not that special."


    Opalina looks up at me, raising a powerful eyebrow of doubt and sending it my way.


    "Aside from that Hero of Light nonsense, and the magical sex stamina, and... alright, fine. What I''m trying to say is that I only turned out as ''well'' as I did is because you were there for me every step of the way."


    The Mage laughs, "Now you have me wondering if all the other Heroes of Light were as humble as you."


    "Oh, I wouldn''t say I''m humble. I''m plenty full of myself when it comes to certain things."


    "Is that right?" She pulls away, smiling deliciously with her full lips. "Well, I suppose there are one or two legitimate reasons for you to be full of yourself..." Opalina whispers as her hand finds my abs underwater before she brushes it down my body to teasingly grasp my manhood.


    "Mmm..." I move closer, cornering her against the corner of the tub. "Nothing puts me in a mood for making love quite like heavy discussions about one''s dark and checkered past."


    Opalina blushes, suddenly self-aware but nonetheless still fondling me down there. "It''s only weird if you make it."


    "Then let''s make it weird. Stand up and put your arms in his." I say, pointing up at the gargoyle lingering overhead. It has outstretched, stony arms perfect for use as support.


    "...Really?" Opalina smirks as she rises from the tub. Her wet, mist-shrouded, and curvaceous body glistens while reflecting the whims of the flickering blue candlelight. "You''re a naughty boy, thinking of such kinky ideas..." She giggles as I stare up at her naked form. The witch''s neatly trimmed bush drips down her mound as she spreads her legs, releasing a stream of trickling fluid that makes her womanhood seem all the more inviting.


    I ignore her teasing and instead rise halfway out of the tub, intent on making her feel loved before anything else. Once she picks up on my intention, she smiles nervously and looks down into my eyes. "You did that yesterday, Sweetheart... as much as I appreciate it, you don''t have to eat me out every single... oh... oh, my..." Opalina gets distracted as I spread her lips with my fingers and begin to kiss her as soft and gently as I can.


    I take my love in such a different direction than last night that the Mage is quickly lost amid dreamy coos of pleasure. My lover starts warming up to my kissing advances more by the second until she unintentionally wraps her meaty thighs around my head. As much as I love their softness and their warmth suffocating my face, I have to take my left hand to push one leg aside so I can breathe. With this freedom, I shove my strong middle finger up to my knuckle inside her slippery pink and start rubbing upwards.


    Opalina lets out a sweet cry as soon as she feels the tip of my finger perfectly poking and prodding at her sweet spot. Her adorable noises are made even more precious as I switch the area covered by my sensual kisses to focus entirely on her swollen clit. It peeks out of her hood until I fully free it and begin lavishing it with my affectionate lips and tongue. She twists her hips in reaction to every little thing I do to her womanly body. Eventually, she grips the hands of the gargoyle for stability as I ramp my methods up in intensity over a gradual period.


    It isn''t long before I have her gushing against my finger in a beautiful climax that claims her entirely. Mist steams out around her breath as Opalina moans her satisfaction with glee. Every step of the way, I continue to thrust in and stroke her where she likes it most, my finger getting bathed in her warm, escaping love juices as a reward for its service. The witch looks down on me with glazed eyes, making her look more vulnerable than I''m used to seeing. I guess one takeaway from this conversation is that nobody''s perfect- not even the woman I spent most of my life respecting. Opalina needs love and attention just as much as anyone else does, and there''s no one else but me who can give it to her.


    I let the mature woman rest for a moment as I walk away to where my lover left the thick, syrupy soap she must have been carrying around in her bra. Bringing it back to Opalina, I uncap the bottle and stand on the bath steps so that we''re mostly level. She looks at me with an embarrassed smile, insisting, "I was planning to use that on you, you know..."


    "Too late for that. You¡¯re the one getting spoiled tonight," Lukewarm pink soap oozes out of the bottle onto Opalina¡¯s generous chest as I tilt it on its side. "Think you can handle it?"


    "It''s not how I typically prefer things to go," She gazes lovingly into my eyes, allowing me to take in the beauty of her pleasant purple stare. "But what can I say? Maybe I should trust you..."


    "You should. I trust you, after all." Once I''ve emptied the bottle a third, more than enough for the both of us, my hands seek out her chest. I begin massaging the lotion over her massive breasts and around her shoulders, savoring the sensation of her soft skin. Opalina starts to moan again as the contact between us increases, especially as she feels my firm hands running soap purposefully over her pink, pointy nipples.


    The soap activates the more I rub it into her shoulders and arms, creating a swath of pink bubbles obscuring Opalina''s beautiful and shiny skin. Now that it covers her upper torso almost wholly, I push my body against hers and start grinding myself into my feminine companion. Wasting no time at all, I take her soft, pillowy lips in a long and licentious kiss, equal parts romantic and lewd. Opalina runs her soapy hands along my side as we kiss, ensuring I''m not left out from a good, proper cleaning. With my pressing against her, there''s no risk of falling despite the gargoyle no longer holding her up. Opalina''s hands find more exploratory places to be, however. She trails them both between our hips to take my erect cock in her grip.


    After having her fill with rubbing me down and making me moan into our kiss, Opalina slips me between her thighs. Then, she pushes the small of my back forward, inviting me between her crevice as the top of my shaft grinds up against her lips with every thrust. Seeing no reason to deny the pleasure she wishes to gift us both, I motion my hips back and forth. A surge of erotic bliss takes over my slippery manhood. Opalina pulls away from my lips to rest her head back against the gargoyle''s shoulder, her own lips parted in an open display of satisfaction.


    Her heated moaning increases the more I drag my cock in and out of her meaty thighs until finally, Opalina can no longer rub the soap into the muscles of my back. She''s too distracted by the incessant throttling of her lips coming from my swollen cock. Lewd and slick slapping noises echo into the bath, coupled with sensual groans coming from both of us. Opalina digs her nails into my back before scratching one of the many marks Cherry left on me. Or maybe it was one of Snow''s? It''s hard to tell at this point. It hurts for only a moment before she realizes it and moves her hands back to the gargoyle.


    "Don''t stop, Dear..." She utters with her low, husky voice between feverish moans.


    "Wouldn''t dream of it."


    It''s better like this anyway, as now I can grip her sizable hips with more power and really start pounding those thighs with feverish determination. The rougher I get, the less comprehensive Opalina''s rambling moans become. Glad to see she''s enjoying herself while I spoil her, even if I''m getting more preoccupied with my own growing pleasure by the second. My rushing pays off in the end as Opalina eventually caves before I do, her creamy liquid and her screaming signaling her second climax of the night.


    The warmth of her sexual fluids mixing against my soapy cock pushes me over the edge, and with one final thrust, I shoot my load into her slick thighs. Cum erupts out of me in thick waves, making a total mess of her body. My thrusting continues with every wave, and eventually, my head pokes out on the other side, blasting semen all over the hips of the stone gargoyle situated behind Opalina. Someone''s going to have to clean that, but I''ll let Bertrand figure it out.


    "Did my thighs feel that good, Sweetheart?" Opalina giggles after tilting her head forward to look at me.


    "They sure did," I tell her, sealing the fact with a kiss. "But they aren''t enough to satisfy me."


    "Mmn. It would be a shame if they did... how do you want me?" The witch asks, not satisfied to leave things off here and wash off.


    "How indeed?" I have an idea, but considering she threw her back out yesterday, I''ve got to be careful about it...


    PunishedKom


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 Making Waves

    The way I want to take her is certainly a surprise to the older woman, and she says as much. "We just had a talk about things like this earlier this very morning... didn''t we?" She says, flustered about my suggestion to no end. Not that she''s not interested. It''s pretty kinky and would feel great if we could pull it off.


    "You don''t need to be that flexible for it," I say, trying to convince her. "I''ll keep you in place, and so will the gargoyle. Let''s try it."


    Opalina stares at me with suspicion. She doesn''t seem very convinced, but her lust takes the better of her, and the witch allows me to have my way after letting out an inevitable sigh. "Alright, fine... just don''t make me regret this, you silly boy." She mumbles softly, yet a hint of excitement colors her deep and sexy voice.


    Ceding to my will, Opalina carefully lifts up her left foot out of the shallow bathwater, and I pull it over my shoulder. Her other leg follows suit, the only thing keeping her stable now being the Gargoyle pressing against her back, her hands holding it¡¯s, and my own hands on her hips. Both of her long, shapely legs dangle over my shoulders, wrapping around my neck for support.


    "Feeling ok, there? Not too uncomfortable?" I ask just to be safe before taking my hand away from her hip to help insert myself.


    Opalina relieves me by shaking her head. "It''s not too bad... I think my back can handle it," She bites her lower lip and pushes forward with her pelvis, rubbing up against my ever-eager cock just enough to tease. "Only one way to find out for sure, though..."


    And find out we shall.


    I take her flirtatious behavior as a sign to move forward and enjoy Opalina''s body to my heart''s content. Reaching down between my legs, I grasp the expecting rod and angle it straight upwards until I can feel the dripping warmth of my lover''s welcoming entrance. As much as I want to tease her a little bit and grind it against her, I have to get my hand back to supporting Opalina as fast as possible. With that in mind, I let go of my inhibitions and drop her waiting body straight down on my cock. The slippery mess we made of ourselves with the bubble lotion slides me straight to the back of her pussy in one fell swoop.


    "Gods!" Opalina shouts as I impale her, her hole clenching and sucking away at my invasive manhood as it pushes inch by inch inside. I stare at this beautiful woman as we both adjust to the sensation of each other''s bodies, and the more I stare, the more my love for her deepens. We take the excuse to start kissing, passing straight through the romantic motions and moving on to deeper tongue play, all while I gradually begin sawing my hips back and forth.


    From this angle, it''s really easy for my glans to scratch up against Opalina''s g-spot with every stroke. I focus really hard on it since both of our hands are preoccupied with keeping us stable in this position. One wrong move, and we could both fall painfully into the bathtub, but damn if it isn''t hot. Thankfully, Opalina seems more than satisfied with the attention her g-spot is getting. Her increasingly lewd moans as I ravage her tight pussy are heightened by the delightfully playful way her kisses develop.


    The more I slam myself into her warm, wet, tunnel the more lurid her kisses become. Opalina''s tongue swirls around mine, and her puffy lips move forward to suck on my own tongue at any chance. She all but shoves it down my throat, exploring the roof of my mouth and teasingly licking the sensitive area below my tongue. Every last thing she tries out on my accepting mouth only makes my lust develop further into an unbridled storm. Her kisses push me to thrust harder, and me thrusting harder moves her to kiss even deeper and lewder.


    Suddenly, I stop to take her by surprise. Using my hips, I grind my huge cock in a circular motion. I make use of my glans to explore her folds as best as I can, scraping left and right and stretching her tight hole out with my insistent motions. "Don''t stop, damn it...!" Opalina whimpers, pulling away from my lips to huff and puff.


    "Doesn''t this feel good, though?" Smiling like a smug prick, I angle my tool to scrape her g-spot as hard as I can while trying to hide the sheer pleasure that grinding my sensitive tip against her womanly, pink flesh brings me.


    Opalina is too distracted by my cock to notice how fragile my control over the situation actually is. Her purple eyes roll back as the pleasure claims her. "Yes...! But it''s not enough, you dirty, dirty boy! Keep fucking me like you mean it!" She whines, then loses it as I time my continued thrusting with her begging.


    My boiling lust takes control over my hips. Anything less than a furious pace no longer scratches the itch burning inside me. Knowing that Opalina needs to feel loved more than anything else, I instinctually act to remedy this, showering her in yet another form of affection. My lips zero in on her neck, and I take her skin into my mouth for a passionate, sharp kiss. The mature mage groans from the sharp yet sensual pain, delighting in the shivers it sends jolting through her entire body. Once it dies down, I keep on gifting her more and more kisses of equal intensity.


    Opalina moans loud as I grace her neck with hickey after hickey. Her grip on the gargoyle is growing more challenging to maintain, yet I can''t help thrusting myself harder. Her warmth surrounds my aching pleasure, wrapping it in such comfort that feels far too good for me to ever want to stop. I feel my need boiling over, and so is my lover''s. Her clenching intensifies around me, and Opalina''s flurry of pleasured sounds transforms into an orchestra of loud, sexual satisfaction.


    "I''m so close," She whines, gritting her teeth tight. "So close!"


    Giving her fair warning, I groan out, "Me too... I''m gonna cum so hard...!"


    "Fill me, AH- fill me up already...!!"


    With her full permission, nothing is holding me back. I slam away at Opalina''s curvaceous body, leaning back in with my lips to kiss her with frantic zeal. As our tongues sway against each other and our bodies collide, an enormous climax is achieved. The reward for our love is massive, and a flood of Opalina''s juices gushes out onto my cock before splashing onto the bathwater beneath us. As for me, I lose myself in wave after mind-numbing wave pleasure. My semen blasts out of me and straight into Opalina''s depths, filling her up just as she desires as well as swelling my ego with pride.


    Unfortunately, the pleasure is far too much to expect the old woman to handle. With one final cry, she pulls out of our kiss and wraps her arms around my neck for support, leaving the gargoyle. This takes me by complete surprise, and given how I''m currently cumming without a care in the world, I can''t fight what happens next. Her weight shifts forward, and my foot gives way, causing Opalina and I to tumble back into the bath. A tidal wave rushes out from the sudden impact, overflowing past the edges of the tub and out onto the stone floor.


    Luckily, I didn''t hit my head on any of the bath''s steps, but I came damn well close. Opalina crawls off me and helps me up onto the step. Once seated, I cough up a little water and rub some out of my eyes. Otherwise, apart from the shock, I''m completely fine.


    "I knew that was a bad idea..." Opalina crosses her arms out of frustration but still gazes straight at me with concern.


    "It was fun, though." I smile teasingly at the motherly figure. We both share a laugh until Opalina speaks up to criticize me.


    "Lots of bad ideas are fun," She counters, wagging a finger at me like I were a child. "That doesn''t make them good."


    "Next time, I''ll hold you up against a wall instead of against a bathtub gargoyle."


    Raising an eyebrow, she scoffs and takes the very same finger to trail the bottom of my chin. "No. I think that next time you''ll be the one pinned against the wall, my Dear."


    "You won''t hear me complaining," I smile at the beautiful woman by my side. "Are you feeling a bit better, now?"


    Opalina considers the question, then nods. "Yes, a bit. I''ll always feel guilt over my past, but I''m glad you are willing to accept it."


    "You''ll tell me more details in the future, though. Right?"


    "Yes," She sighs like she doesn''t really want to but resolves herself to do it anyway. "In due time, you''ll know everything, I promise... for tonight, I just want to be with you."


    "Alright. I just wanted to make sure you won''t be playing coy with me from here on out."


    "I do have a small stipulation."


    "And what might that be?"


    "Don''t tell the girls about all of this, please. I''m happy you reacted the way you did, but I can''t imagine having to deal with the stress of so many other people knowing all at once. Not to mention the fact that the more people know, the harder it becomes to keep a secret."


    "No one would rat you out, Opal."


    "Not intentionally. Samantha isn''t what I''d call the best at keeping a lid on things, for one."


    "That''s... very true." Oh, Samilda. "Aren''t you worried about how the Sage knows your identity?"


    "A bit, which is why you''ll have to bring him to justice as fast as you can. Still, I doubt the Sage knew who I was on his own. I''d put gold on it being Fleetfoot digging around, somehow."


    As incompetent as that Halfling proved themselves to be, they were still able to figure out at least some of the details regarding Zutiria''s personal history. Considering how they likely would have had to snoop around in Castle Lundreame, there''s a high chance that Fleetfoot knows Sam is the Princess, too... even more confusing is how they haven''t acted on any of this information. I just don''t get what Fleetfoot''s motive is...


    As we start talking about the problems we have to overcome as a Guild, my mood begins to sour. "I''m sorry, Dear. I know you don''t want to talk about business..."


    "You''re fine," I sigh. "I promise that I won''t let anyone know about your past, though. Not until you''re comfortable telling them yourself. Ah. I should probably point out that I think Zutiria might have some suspicions about you."


    "Somehow, I was expecting that..." Opalina frowns and cups her chin, thinking to herself. Eventually, she puts it aside and says, "I wanted to chat with her anyway, so we''ll schedule a little playdate when we get back."


    "Good. She needs to get out of the house more, and I think she would certainly enjoy hanging around someone that can actually understand her magical and alchemical jargon."


    Opalina smiles and reaches for a bottle of shampoo that was washed away by the tide. "Now that we''ve had our fun, how about we use the tub for what it was actually meant for and clean ourselves up?"


    "Even though we''re just going to make a mess of ourselves in bed?"


    Shrugs her shoulders, Opal says, "Shush. Just be a good boy and let me wash your hair."


    "Yes, Mommy." I roll my eyes and watch her face light up with a somewhat lewd glow at the mention of that word.


    Age-gap fetishes aside, I concede to Opalina''s motherly impulses. Using her magic, she magically reheats the water to enjoy a nice, long bath followed by an even longer night of making love. I''ve grown so accustomed to it by now that as we play with each other hour after hour, I barely even remember we have an audience listening in to our romantic endeavors. That¡¯s not the only thing slipping my mind, either.


    Thanks to Opalina, I''m able to forget all the hardship and effort I put in over the last week. Bringing down Pimpington, convincing Snow, overseeing the girls... everything''s just so stressful. I wish I could have afforded to give them Sam, Zutiria, Meri, and the rest a short vacation like the one I just had. Even if it was for business, I still feel bad about being whisked away while leaving everyone work to do.


    Maybe we can all have ourselves an actual vacation once the Duke of Dewhurst and his cronies are finally behind bars. Not sure where we''d go, but the thought brings a smile to my face. We''ll have the money for it by then, anyway. But that''s a talk for later.


    For now, I''m simply content with concluding my final night in Dawnstead. I fall asleep nuzzled firmly into the sweaty cleavage of a woman who is far from perfect yet is also trying her best to atone for all she''s done- Opalina Hart.


    PunishedKom


    His overworked, stressed and depressed Guild Mistress.


    A local widow who owns an item shop.


    The leader of Coye''s four Gyaru bullies.


    Second of his bullies.


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 A Parting Blow

    "Up," Opalina shakes me by the shoulder, stirring me from my rest. "It''s time to get out of bed for the day, my Dear. We have places to be!"


    I rub the sleep out of my eyes, then arise. Upon first glance, I''m met with the painful realization that Opalina is not in my field of vision. This causes me to briefly recoil out of pain until my companion hands me my glasses. I slip them onto my face gratefully and turn towards her, seeing Opalina fully dressed and looking immaculate as ever. Today, the doctor adorns herself in a black, satin robe with fancy purple trim, a white sweater that fits oh so tight, an equally tight black skirt, and dark stockings. For the life of me, I can''t imagine a sweeter sight to awaken to.


    "Seems like you''ve been up for a while without me," I infer while stretching out and letting a yawn escape my throat.


    "Yes. The thing is, despite your best efforts, you failed to put me in one of those ''sex comas'' you men so often like to fantasize about." Opalina giggles as she looks down at me with playful eyes.


    "This time," I make a point to correct her.


    She raises her eyebrow, then smirks. "I had a couple of last-minute things to do. There were some choice words I wanted to impart Osbourne with and some business things I had to discuss with Solomon."


    "Anything I need to know about?"


    "No, nothing of the sort." The older woman smiles and extends a hand to me, helping me up. "Just a new magical variant of the cold going around that could use a cure, and I agreed to take a look."


    "Sounds like a good use of your time. Speaking of, what time even is it? I feel like trash."


    "It''s a little after eight."


    "Damn. I only had about four hours of sleep, then..." You would think I¡¯d be used to experiencing a lack of rest from having too much sex by now, but I never seem to adjust.


    "Should I have let you rest a tad longer?" She frowns and reaches down with her gloved hand to stroke her fingers through my hair.


    "No, I want to get home already. There''s so much to do, and I miss everyone... I''m just tired..."


    "Fret not," Proud of herself for thinking ahead, Opalina puffs her chest out and proclaims, "You''ll be delighted to know I already sent for coffee."


    She makes it tough to rain on her parade, but I tell her, "I think I''ll go without the coffee, actually," which causes Opalina to stare at me in open bewilderment. Uncertain if I am the man she knows and loves or just some poor imposter, I calm her fears by clarifying, "I''ll have some when I''m back at the Guild. I was planning on swallowing my pride and asking you to put me to sleep for the ride back this time."


    "Oh," She sighs, clutching her hand to her breast with exaggerated drama. "You just about gave me a heart attack, you silly little man. For a moment, I thought you might have bumped your head last night and forgotten your near-obsession with the bitter brew."


    "I still could have hit my head," I lean in, smiling. "It''s not often I say, ''you were right'', either."


    "True..." She smiles, then makes the first move and gives me a light kiss. When Opalina pulls away, I get a chance to stare her in the eyes. She blushes, and at that moment, I feel as if things have changed between Opalina and me. The distance between our hearts seems shorter than ever. Since she isn''t used to being this open regarding her feelings, Opalina seems embarrassed about the fact yet also pleased beyond words.


    She hands me my outfit, and I throw it on quick as can be. Before we go, the witch makes one last pass at some of the books on her shelves, and she flips through some loose notes before deciding she doesn''t need any of them. We exit into the hallway, and I witness Bertrand emerging from the secret passage, delivering a cup of coffee in one hand and a breakfast sandwich in the other. The Chamberlain looks paler than last we met, and his face goes despondent as soon as he notices me.


    "A-ah...!" He stammers, dropping the coffee cup onto the stone floor. It shatters, sending shards of glass every which way and a bomb of scalding coffee to burst out in all directions. I reach out and stop the sandwich from hitting the floor, at least.


    Opalina groans, and I scrunch my eyes as he starts up with this crap again. I don''t know where the bitchy Baron is going with this, but I''m dedicated to nipping it in the bud. "Begone, Butler. It''s early, and I am exceedingly not in the mood for your bollocks at this current time." I say, then take a short series of bites from the sandwich.


    "Goddess below, give me the strength to go on...!" The drama queen falls to his knees, sobbing. "Why has fate molded me into nothing more than a coffee fetcher for the cruel, sex-crazed peasant who has defiled my fair Lady''s bare hand with his rapist¡¯s lips!"


    How does he even know about that? I look to Opalina for answers and find her cheeks turning red and her smile twisting crooked with malice. I don¡¯t even need to ask... Opalina definitely told Bertrand because she thought it''d be funny, that damnable sadist. I can''t deny that I feel a certain satisfaction from seeing the man reduced to such a comically pitiful state, though.


    Knowing I''m responsible for his manic freakout, I finish my breakfast and squat right in front of Bertrand. Down here, we can look straight into each other''s eyes. He recoils, acting as if my mere presence almost were poisonous to his lungs. Instead of backing off, I cup his shoulder in my hands. I¡¯m tired of playing this game with Bertrand. Now¡¯s the time to deal a fearsome blow to his morale in the hopes of ending it once and for all.


    "I want you to do something for me, my friend. Will you listen to my final request?" He stares at me with growing skepticism, as does Opalina. To lower his guard, I play to his ego. "As Chamberlain to the great Duke of Arrark himself, surely you can put aside your distaste long enough to grant me this oh-so-simple favor."


    As expected, he swallows down my sugared words like an addict looking for his next fix. "Y-Yes... why, yes. Of course, I can do that much! What sort of man do you take me for? Ask me anything you desire, Guild Master, and if it is within my power, I shall grant it to you!"


    I change my expression to one much more threatening as I jab my finger into his heart. "That feeling of despair you''ve got stewing deep in your heart... that terrifying, unsettling dread you experience whenever you imagine Abigail and me together? Don''t you dare go forgetting it. Your worst nightmare isn''t something you can run from, Bertrand, no. Far from it. It''s an inevitability. I suggest getting used to it now while you still have a chance."


    The overpaid butler stares at me, his mouth gaping wide as his face drips with profuse and sickly sweat. Clearly, he is stunned and believes his current reality to be an unpleasant fever dream.  "Did I stutter?" I ask, snapping him out of it. Bertrand shakes his head back and forth out of fear, so I reward him with a smile. "Good. You''re dismissed."


    With such speed that could rival even Sir Pimpington himself, Bertrand crawls away from me. He screams a shrill scream as the realization that I fully intend on making Abigail my lover sinks in. I smirk, wipe the dust off my pant leg, and rise. Behind me, Opalina laughs and shakes her head.


    "Good heavens..." She tsks, "Remind me not to mess with you before you''ve had your coffee."


    "I wasn''t going to leave without getting some sort of payback for the way he''s been treating me, and this seemed more impactful than simply punching him in the face." Punching him still would¡¯ve been cathartic, I won¡¯t deny.


    "I''ve taught you well," Opalina chuckles before strutting over to the Duke''s door. "Now, come over here for a moment. Osbourne would like a word." I give her a skeptical look. ¡°I know, I know... just be the bigger man and be cordial.¡±


    Nothing I can really say to turn the request down. Despite all that happened, I don¡¯t have it in my to leave without addressing my host. I nod my head to give consent, and Opalina knocks on the door. In no time at all, the ghostly-sounding man speaks from the safety of his room. "Guild Master... good morning to you."


    "Something like that," I offer noncommittally. After the harsh words we exchanged the night prior, an air of awkwardness hangs this farewell and makes the situation uncomfortable. "What can I do for you, Osbourne? I really must be going, so I hope it doesn''t take too long. My Guild needs me."


    "Of course," He idles. "I hope that your stay in Dawnstead was to your liking."


    "It wasn''t much of a stay in Dawnstead so much as it was a stay in Castle Mourneheart. I can''t say I had much of a chance to experience the highs and lows of the city for myself, but perhaps next time, there¡¯ll be more time for sightseeing." I certainly would¡¯ve liked to scrounge around in the adventurer¡¯s market with a liberal sum of gold, for one.


    "Right, right..." Osbourne''s voice trails off, and I take a glance at Opalina. She''s frustrated at the man as always, hoping he''ll get to the point already.


    Growing impatient myself, I get it over with by asking, "Is there something you wished to say to me before I leave?"


    "Yes," The dark Duke sighs heavily. Even though I can''t see his face, I sense him struggling with his inner thoughts. "I only wished to apologize again for my behavior and for the things I did to you."


    "I see," I close my eyes and rub my brow, stress intensifying. "I''m alright. You should be apologizing to Abigail over the things you said, not me."


    "Trust me, I already have. Apologizing to you is equally as important, however. As a gentleman, I''d be beside myself for missing the opportunity. Guild Master, my daughter and I are both fond of you. There''s no mistaking it- you''ve seen a terrible side of me, and I would hate for you to remember me for my worst."


    My thoughts pause as I consider everything I know about Osbourne Gloomcrest. I don''t think he''s a bad person, but he''s complicated. The kindness he''s shown me is unparalleled... yet I can''t stand by as he perpetuates this toxic stranglehold over his repressed daughter. "I will remember you exactly as you presented yourself. While I''m open to changing my mind in the future, you should know it''s hard to see any other side of you when there''s a sturdy door positioned between us."


    I give him a chance to grapple with my words before he gives me a rather disappointing, "True enough," with no indication that he wishes to change his habit. Osbourne speaks like a defeatist. It¡¯s almost as if the door were a part of his body, and opening it would be tantamount to cutting his own flesh wide. "It was nice meeting you, and I pray that the Goddess below grants you and your Guild with the power to seize your fate."


    I hold back a stressed sigh long enough to thank him, while behind me, Opalina giggles softly to herself. The doctor bids her passive-aggressive farewell to the Duke of Arrark. Opalina then nods her head over towards Abigail¡¯s room, smiling.


    I was dreading this moment, but I remind myself I won¡¯t actually be saying goodbye. Not really. Walking over to the connected bedroom, I knock gently just in case Lady Gloomcrest is still asleep.


    PunishedKom


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 Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

    Before I''m even done with the first knock, Woe barrels out of the doggy door to greet me for the last time. He''s not alone. Following shortly after the canine is Misery, and after the feline comes a brand new sight. A small bird''s skeleton flies out from under the door, seemingly able to flit about the place even though it has no feathers. It flaps its bony wings, flying in circles before settling upon my shoulder. The unmistakable caw of a raven rattles out of its beak.


    From out of my Bag of Holding, I pull out the journal which connects me to Abigail. On the page we left off, the girl has drawn a horizontal line to mark where the last conversation ended. Below it, she''s written, ''Good morning...'' followed by a predictable apology. ''I''m sorry about last night... I know that the whole hand kissing thing is standard for noble ladies like myself, but I... you know... don''t have much experience with that sort of thing...''


    Her words bring excitement to my heart and a grin to my face. Now that I¡¯ve resolved to win Abigail over, I feel less restraint getting in the way of teasing her. ''I should be the one apologizing. When I saw how beautiful your hand was, I had no choice but to give it the kiss it so rightly deserved.''


    Her handwriting becomes shaky as a result of my teasing. ''Right... you don¡¯t have to lie... I know that my diseased skin is hideous better than anyone...¡¯


    ¡®I disagree.¡¯ She won¡¯t believe me, but it¡¯s important to reaffirm to Abigail that I don¡¯t find her blackened flesh disgusting in the slightest. Poor thing. Her hands must have been in the early stages of Rotblight before Opalina developed the cure. At least they still work, as evident by her skill at both painting and calligraphy.


    Abigail takes my compliment with a considerable lack of grace. ¡®Uh, sure... thanks, then... I don¡¯t know about that, but... well...¡¯ She fumbles around, writing filler words as if she were trying to swell up the word count for no reason other than to fill the awkward silence. ¡®Anyway... more importantly, shouldn''t you get going instead of flirting with me...? Your Guild needs you, and we can talk any time we want to from now on...''


    ''I couldn''t leave without saying goodbye to you in person, so to speak. There''s a charming bird here I don''t recognize, by the way.''


    ''Oh. That''s Lament. He''s a pretty little fellow but rather moody if he doesn''t get enough attention... you know how ravens are.¡¯ I don¡¯t, but I¡¯ll trust her on that one.


    ¡®He often brings me trinkets, too...'' Because I''m so close to her door, I can hear Abigail giggling softly inside. She''s as quiet as ever, but the sound of her voice is music to my ears.


    Her mood sours again as she dwells on the negatives. ''I''m sorry that I can''t see you off properly...'' She writes.


    ''This is more than enough for me, my Lady. You''re doing the best you can do.'' We¡¯ll have to slowly work on that negativity, as it certainly isn¡¯t doing her confidence any favors.


    Abigail doesn''t respond immediately, so I take it on myself to follow up by saying out loud, "Farewell, Abigail. Although so much happened during my brief stay here at Castle Mourneheart, making your acquaintance was without a doubt the sweetest memory I''ll be taking home with me. If all goes well, I''ll write to you later today."


    I give her plenty of time to write something back, but I think the words I left her with were a little too much for her to process. I look toward the skeletal raven on my shoulder for any indication of what its mistress might be feeling. Lament only tilts its head in that typical bird-like manner before pecking at its wing. Right before I shut the book turn back to Opalina, I hear something from within Abigail''s room.


    It''s little more than a whisper, but the girl speaks between tiny sniffles and sobs. "P... Promise me t-that you''ll come and see me again...?"


    Gods, I can''t handle this. I clutch my heart as Abigail¡¯s cuteness strikes yet again, and I smile at the door. "Nothing would make me happier,"


    Abigail squeaks like a mouse, nervousness getting the best of her. I don''t think I''m going to get anything else out of the anxious noblewoman, but that''s ok. I probably can''t take much more of her being so charming, anyway. Sensing my departure, the raven on my shoulder flies off to an unknown destination. At the same time, I give Misery and Woe some last-minute petting. I barely even notice the sensation when I touch them now. To my surprise, Somber pokes his massive bear skull out of the doggy door, looking up at me in jealousy. I give him a few pets, too.


    When I rejoin Opalina back at the secret passageway, the older woman is grinning ear to ear. "Sweet, sweet, vindication..." She purrs even louder than Misery when she''s gloating like this. "If only you could see how cute the two of you are from my point of view, Dear."


    I mockingly roll my eyes at her and then mutter under my breath so that the Duke and Abigail can''t hear me when I say, "Just you wait until I lure her to my Guild, then..." I indeed promised I''d come and see her once more, but the true endgame here is trying to get her to come and see me. All in due time.


    Opalina puts away her overactive imagination long enough to lead me down the passageway, and in no time at all, we find ourselves on the first floor.


    Solomon is right there at the grand entrance to the foreboding castle, surrounded on both sides by an escort of three fully armored knights of House Gloomcrest standing at attention. As soon as the knights see Opalina and me, the knights all slam their spears into the ground in salute.


    Seeing him all ready to properly send us off like this makes Count Drisford look much more like a Duke than his master. Solomon approaches us with a warm smile sincerely at odds with his cold, grim face. Then, he offers his hand for me to shake. I take him up on it, knowing that I''ll genuinely miss this man.


    "Guild Master. I see you''re ready to return to Dewhurst?"


    "Solomon. Very astute of you. Yes, I''m restless to go get my renovations sorted out so that work can begin in earnest toward the quests."


    "I wish you good luck in that endeavor," He withdraws his hand, satisfied. His smile grows a bit more wicked as he says, "Ah. Before you go, something odd just occurred that may be of interest to you..."


    "Is that so?"


    "Indeed. Only moments ago, Bertrand was here to announce his intention to take some time off from his duties. He''ll be spending a few weeks recovering at his family''s fortress in Cransmere, apparently."


    "Oh?" I can''t even repress the obvious delight growing on my face. "Did he say why, by any chance?"


    "Only that a grievous wound had been dealt to him, and he isn''t sure if he will ever recover from it." I almost snort like Sam at that, but I manage to hold it back.


    Opalina laughs as she folds her arms and tilts her head, "I was there when it happened. He could have asked me for a check-up..."


    "He''s only a Baron. Goddesses know you would have robbed him blind." I smirk at the witch, who looks away and plays at innocence.


    The excellent mood is lifted when the Count brings up a more serious matter. "Victor wished to be here to see you off, but unfortunately, he had to depart last night to address a border dispute up north. Nothing too serious, mind you, just Duke Glorigold positioning a platoon of knights where they have no right to be." Solomon sighs, great stress evident on his aged face.


    "That''s unfortunate. I would''ve liked to say goodbye..." We didn''t speak much, but in my short time with the Marshall, I found that I liked the man a surprising amount more than expected. "Send him my regards when he returns."


    "I will. Take care on your flight, Guild Master, Miss Hart." Solomon performs a deep, respectful bow for the two of us. "It was an honor to meet you, and I expect great things from you in the coming days. Do not make me regret changing my mind."


    "I wouldn''t dream of it," I hold my head high. I''m not used to being bowed to, but I want to at least act like I deserve the admiration. "Those dungeons of yours will be filled up before you know it."


    With this one last goodbye out of the way, Opalina and I walk out into the dreary courtyard lit up by the beautiful spring sunshine.


    "Would it be safe to assume we''re not going to have a teary-eyed farewell from our friend Xothan?" I ask upon remembering the last of the odd characters I met, which makes Opalina''s cheeks puff out as she holds back laughter.


    "No... no, I don''t imagine we will."


    "Wouldn''t have guessed, since he''s such a social butterfly and all that." He''s probably watching us through one of those crystal balls of his, but who cares.


    The gate loudly closes behind us as the doctor pulls out her wand, wiggles it, and summons that magnificent black broom of hers. It hovers in midair, waiting for someone to board. Remembering my intention to spend the trip back catching up on rest, Opalina turns and points her wand vaguely in my direction. "Still sure you don''t want to take in the scenery, Sweetheart? Goodness knows when the next chance you''ll have to zip around the province like this will be."


    "Yes, I''m sure," Nodding my head with conviction, I go on to proclaim, "Once was more than enough for my tastes. I''ll count myself a lucky man if I never have to be conscious during broom flight again." I laugh and watch as warmth spreads through my lover''s face.


    "Oh? And here I was thinking about gifting you a self-flying broom, too." She giggles.


    Eventually, getting a few brooms for the Guild would be a good idea when the girls start heading to more far-off quest locales. Still, I certainly won''t be the one driving them when that happens. "Appreciate the offer, but I''m going to have to firmly decline."


    Eventually, her glow fades, and Opalina looks at me with a bittersweet expression. At first, I worry that rejecting her offer made her sad, but she corrects me by saying, "I''m almost a little bit depressed we have to go back. I love the girls, but after last night I don''t think I''m ready to give you back to them."


    "You could always move in after the renovations,"


    For a moment, Opalina almost looks tempted. The temptation doesn''t last. "I''m still not ready for that. What we have right now works best for us. I''m not ready to close up shop and become a Guild healer, and..."


    "I know, I know... I was only teasing. What you do is a lot more important than I ever knew, so I can''t in good conscience tear you away from your clinic and your lab." I sigh, but Opalina smiles and leans in with rosy cheeks.


    "While it might not have been a picture-perfect getaway, I''m glad we had this time together... it was like a dream, and the sex was great, too." Opalina smiles almost shyly as she twirls the locks of her gorgeous brunette curls framing the sides of her face.


    "It sure was..." I briefly reminisce about all the outrageous things we did to each other during this span of only two days. Not too bad, as far as debauchery goes. I wasn''t into some of it at first, but that didn''t last long.


    "Have you accepted that you''re an exhibitionist now?" The witch grins smugly.


    "Not entirely. I don''t think I would want another man to look upon the girls in the way only I get to see them, but... I also can''t deny that the sheer wrongness of what you put me through made our love a whole lot more erotic."


    "Close enough," Opalina sighs with played-up drama, and we share a moment where we slow down and just stand there staring at each other''s eyes.


    "Thank you for everything, Opal. I mean it."


    "Don''t thank me yet. You and the girls have a lot of work ahead of you." The voluptuous witch mounts her broom, then reaches behind herself to pat down on the space behind her. "Let''s get you back where you belong, shall we?"


    "Please," I waste not even a second longer before cuddling up behind Opalina on the broom, wrapping my arms tight around her and bracing myself for the oncoming magic. She wiggles that wand of hers, and I feel my arms suddenly unable to move, followed by a second wiggle that sends a wave of drowsiness crashing through my body. Considering how I was already tired to begin with, it doesn''t take long before I''ve passed out ultimately. The last thing I remember a cutaway to darkness is Opalina kicking off from the ground, whisking us into the air for a less-than-romantic flight home to a less-than-romantic city.


    PunishedKom


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 Home Again, Home Again

    Compared to the speedy awakening I received earlier in the day, the second time around is much gentler. "There. That wasn''t so bad now, was it?" I hear Opalina''s voice rousing me my magically-induced slumber, her gloved fingers tracing through my hair.


    With a yawn and a stretch, I respond, "I wouldn''t know. That¡¯s the beauty of it."


    She giggles before assuaging my unspoken fear. "You can open your eyes, Sweetheart. We''re only a few feet off the ground."


    True to the witch''s word, her trusty broom is almost touching the dirt road leading to the Guild. I was worried Opalina might prank me and wake me up while we were still flying over the city, but I''m glad to be proven wrong. With great relief, I hop off the broom and land clumsily on my feet. My performance isn''t precisely cat-like, but it''ll do.


    "Way to stick the landing," She teases. "Best make sure the kitties don''t see you like that."


    "Very funny. Are you planning on coming in and saying hi? I don''t know who all are awake yet, but..."


    Interrupting me, Opalina shakes her head. "You aren''t the only one who has business to attend to. I really must go back and open up the clinic, not to mention take a cursory look at those new samples I promised to examine. Maybe I''ll poke around later in the day. Maybe not. Even if I don''t, I promise I''ll see you all very, very soon."


    "You better," I give my lover a smile, then watch as she blows me a kiss and flies away into the gray Dewhurst horizon.


    Now that I''m alone, I take in a deep breath of stagnant air and relish the familiar smell of this rotten city. It''s almost toxic to my lungs compared to the crisp air of Dawnstead, but hey, it''s home. I''m just lucky that my Guild is slightly off the path from the city proper, but I better not dilly-dally around the entrance for too long. Not while the defensive seal still hasn''t been applied.


    Before heading in, I check the mailbox to see if Snow''s already gotten it or not. Turns out she hasn''t, and there''s a decent surprise waiting for me inside. Solomon works fast, judging by the thick copy of the Karnallian Times sitting there just waiting to be read. I pick it up and become disheartened when looking at the front page.


    ''Missing Crown Princess Still Missing! Where in the Realms is Samantha Lundreame?''


    Pictured is a portrait of my young adventurer, only her hair is straightened, she lacks her freckles, and the bandaid she uses to cover the scar on her nose. In the illustration, Sam''s wearing an illustrious formal gown with an emblem of a roaring lion sewn onto it. The dress is barely able to contain her breasts, and she''s also wearing a pearl necklace as well as a tiara that looks like it''s worth enough gold to buy a fortress and then some. Damn it, Sam, you should have brought that thing with you to Dewhurst, too...


    Her expression looks pissed, so I''ll give them some points for that.


    The actual story doesn''t offer any new developments in Sam''s case, making me think they''re just using Sam''s tits to sell papers on a slow news day. I can''t even blame them for that... she looks great in a dress, but I like her much better as my feisty little tomboy with roughed-up hair.


    Just about the only important thing I can glean from the article is that when the Karnallian Times asked Lord Steward to the Crown, Vandalton Lundreame... who is Sam''s uncle, I believe? Anyway, they asked if the Royal Family was finally considering offering a reward for finding the missing Crown Princess. His response was that it''s unnecessary, and the Family is no longer concerned with Sam''s whereabouts.


    There''s a small picture of Vandalton, and from the picture alone, I can tell that he''s someone I don''t want showing up on my doorstep anytime soon. He has long shaggy blonde hair, not unlike Sam''s, a single, fierce green eye that burns with what looks to be ill-intentions, one of those comically evil-looking goatees which you see villains wearing on the cover of trashy adventure novels, and a black eyepatch covering the other side of his face.


    If such a threatening man is Sam''s uncle, then what am I in for when I inevitably meet her father? Hopefully, King Theostus will have his picture in the news eventually, so I can prepare myself for that...


    I scan the rest of the headlines, but none of them stand out besides a story about that disinherited arcane tech heiress, Evisse Gallois. Apparently, she was spotted in public for the first time since it happened. She boarded a state-of-the-art arcane carriage and left the city of Imperalis. Her destination is unknown, as cloaking magic enveloped the machine once it got out on the main road. Sounds like little more than tabloid, gossip-rag nonsense to me, but I suppose it''s important news considering how her family heads one of the most important companies in all of Karnalle.


    Now that I''m done with the front page, I dig out the rest of the mail and find a large envelope from the Dewhurst Mayor''s Office. Great, Niall came through. Inside the envelope sealed behind a wax signet, there''s a thick stack of local quests. Most of it''s the usual illegal nonsense I''ve come to expect when dealing with Dewhurst''s rabble, but sprinkled throughout are options we could make use of. Ah, progress.


    With the haul of mail in my hand, I walk straight into my familiar Guild and call out, "Snow? Kittens?" expecting at least those three to be up at this hour. It''s only half-past ten, and Snow seems hellbent on putting Peri and Cherry to work no later than eight in the morning. Imagine my surprise when not one of Catfolk answers with so much as a ''nyaa''.


    This is troubling, but rather than getting depressed and assuming the worst, I decide to drop off some stuff in my office and then go check on the master bedroom. I don''t even make it halfway through the hall before the backdoor opens. Zutiria stands at the exit, wearing a fluffy purple bathrobe without her glasses. She idles about, staring at me with those icy blue eyes. After the shock faces, the Mage runs straight at me before leaping and almost tackling me to the floor.


    I drop my mail all over the floor as I catch the little lady in midair and laugh as I pull her close to my body. "I missed you, too, Zutiria..."


    ''Silence.'' She looks up into my eyes with a frumpy frown. ''No words. Only kisses.''


    Who am I to argue with that? She hops into my arms, wraps her legs around me like a sloth clinging to a tree, and brings her tiny lips to mine to bring down a storm of affection. Again and again, she pecks at me with such love and devotion that I''m quickly overwhelmed. Her aggressive kisses make me lose my balance, and I fall on my ass as Zutiria continues to downright molest my face.


    Deciding to show her just how much I missed her as well, I wrap my hand around the back of her head and stop her from doing the repetitive kisses and instead pull her in for one dramatically deep one. The taste of her little tongue lapping away at mine is as sweet as can be, even sweeter still considering it''s been days since last I was graced with its slick, warm comfort.


    I lose track of how long we spend like this, but eventually, Zutiria needs to come up for air. She pants exhaustively as drool dribbles down the side of her face, and her eyes glow pink with Eromancy for a split second, but she focuses herself and refuses to let her impulses get the best of her. ''Welcome home, Sir...'' She says from atop my torso, a hint of a smile forming on her lewd lips.


    "Glad to be back, trust me. I don''t think I could''ve lasted much longer at that place. Where is everyone right now?" I ask before grabbing her fluffy bathrobes'' sleeve. "Does this maybe have something to do with it?"


    Zuzu nods her head and then looks away, embarrassed. The Mage nervously tries to adjust her glasses before remembering she''s not even wearing any. ''Everyone is waiting to surprise you out back, but I lied and said I had to go pee. In reality, I knew you had just returned and wanted to get the jump on you. Forgive me... it was just... so, so, hard going without you...'' Little tears form in the corners of her eyes, but I''m having none of that. I wipe them away with my fingers and sit up, giving her a sincere smile.


    "I can''t stay mad at you, but I can''t speak for the rest of the girls. You ruined their surprise."


    ''I ruin a lot of things, and everyone still likes me anyway.'' She shrugs.


    "True. That''s a very nice bathrobe you''ve got there."


    ''The Gods of Loot were exceedingly kind to us during our time at the Pimpfort.''


    "Also true. Since everyone is waiting for me out back, does that mean Snow did what I think she did and that the bathhouse is ?"


    ''Nothing gets past you, Sir.'' She says, almost seeming sarcastic.


    "It''s not much of a surprise. I expected Snow would do something about it ever since I told her we had one. I''m just shocked she got it working in under two days..." Snow strikes again. I can''t say I wouldn''t have preferred that they spent time cleaning up the rest of the Guild instead of working on a luxury like a bathhouse, but getting a good bath seems essential to the elegant head maid.


    ''Gwin helped with the structural stuff while the maids all cleaned. Make sure you give them plenty of love. Mistress Snow worked the kitties to the bone.''


    "After I give you love, I assume?"


    ''Naturally,'' Zutiria nods her head.


    I sigh and wrap my arm around the selfish Mage, pulling her tight to my chest and standing up. I tilt her at an angle so I can carry her like a fuzzy, bathrobed bride and walk out into the backyard. Zutiria acts as my hands, reaching out and closing the door behind us. "Let''s not keep everyone waiting any longer, shall we?"


    With a deadpan expression, my desperate for attention lover replies, ''Well... I''m sure they wouldn''t mind if I had another minute or two alone with you...''


    "Zutiria," I look into her eyes with a stern expression. She backs off but makes it clear she isn''t happy.


    ''Take me away, Sir...'' She plays up her disappointment as I make my way to the newly repaired bathhouse. I don''t have the heart to tell her or anyone else that I just engaged in some sexy bath play the night before, but hell, I''m always ready for more of whatever the girls want to give me.


    PunishedKom


    Hey guys, I kinda disappeared for a bit publicly but I was still working on stuff. Let me catch you up in spoilers because there''s a lot to say -


    First of all, I''ve finished an outline for Book 2 of The Corruption of Coye! It''s 18 chapters long, currently at 53,000k words but I''ll be editing and rewriting the drafts now which I expect will take it past 100k words. I''m very excited for it, and I think everyone will enjoy it if you like my work. All of the rough drafts are available to read on my Patreon if you want to read it now.


    I didn''t mean for it to draw up my attention the way it did, but I had a weird month last month, especially in the latter half which is when I stopped working on RotGM momentarily to focus on the drafts. My mood dipped considerably and there was a little under a week where I could only manage to get myself to work 2 or 3 hours a day, which made progressing on two things at once difficult.


    Part of my bad mood was over RotGM. I was very frustrated with the story during that time, feeling overwhelmed with the scope and all my plans and how much of it I want to fix and rewrite and add on new stuff to, as well as feeling trapped by some elements that I want to rrite out. One comment kind of set me off on a chain reaction of feeling crappy, despite the comment being very fair criticism that I was open to. It just felt like new chapters was building a house of cards and I was stressed about adding so much to eventually have to fix on top of everything else.


    Ultimately, I think the solution is to just keep writing, not worry about fixing things/forgetting plotlines/or contradictions. Basically, change my mindset so that all of RotGM is a wip and that I''m just building lots of material for eventual rewritten volumes.


    I do think I''m going to be avoiding comments more from now, though, not because of criticism but just because I want to keep moving forward and not stress myself about things. This is a rough draft, all problems will be ironed out eventually, and I shouldn''t concern myself thinking otherwise.


    If you really want to talk to me about things, though, joining my discord or commenting on Patreon is the best way to do so!


    Anyways, I''ll be trying to do more RotGM chapters regularly again but we''ll see how it goes. I''m more focused on releasing the second Coye book right now because money.


    Read 20 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


    Buy amazing Rise of the Guild Master posters and stickers on Redbubble!


    Join the official Discord to talk to me!


    Follow me on Twitter to see Rise of the Guild Master art!

 The Bathhouse Repaired

    The bathhouse is a large building wooden building sitting behind the training yard. The inside is modeled after an Ikkunese hot spring, also known as an onsen. Unlike the onsens of that foreign Realm, though, the water isn''t from a natural source. Instead, the building was created by creative use of arcane tech. The bathing area summons water from the elemental plane of water, and the tech treats it until it has all the natural mineral properties that an onsen would.


    It''s a great resource to have when housing adventurers since natural hot springs do wonders for a person''s health. It was costly, but my grandfather invested in getting one when he bought all the rest of our arcane tech. The only problem was that keeping the baths clean proved impossible for a single person. As I lost more and more staff, the bathhouse was the first of the Guild''s amenities to go.


    The first chamber used to be a reception desk of sorts. Back in my grandfather''s day, we had someone stationed here who would oversee the bathhouse. Like the rest of the interior, the reception room is Ikkunese-styled, and it features tatami mats instead of traditional Karnallian wood or stone flooring. Something has changed since the last time I''ve been in here, though...


    There used to be two doors on both sides of the desk. One had a red cloth barrier that led to the women''s changing room and the women''s bath, and the other was a blue cloth for the men''s side. Now, there''s only one door. The fabric has been changed to white with a stylized red heart emblem painted in the middle. Across the bottom, red cat paws trail along the length to add a bit more flair.


    "So when you said Gwin helped with the ''structural'' side of things..."


    ''I mean that she tore down the wall separating the men and women''s side. We all agreed that it was unnecessary after taking into consideration the type of lifestyle you lead, Sir.''


    "This is so against the Association''s regulations that it''s not even funny..." I sigh and close my eyes, my temples pounding out of stress.


    ''So is sleeping with all of your adventurers and your staff.''


    After searching for the right words to say back in response, I conclude that nothing my witty mind could come up with can deflect me from such criticism. During my brief moment of shame, Zutiria hops out of my arms and grabs my hand. ''You''re overthinking again. Just follow me into the nice hot springs and enjoy all the literal steamy harem sex you have coming your way, Sir.''


    "Yes, yes..." Sighing facetiously, I let the little lady lead me into the newly ''renovated'' changing room. The drawers for adventurers to store their clothes were moved out of the main path, making it more expansive than I¡¯m used to. The room past this one is the onsen itself, which has always been very wide open and echoey. I can hear the girls chattering from here before I even get changed.


    "She''s... um... she''s not going pee, is she...?" Meri asks innocently.


    "Naw. Zuzu prolly went and ruined the surprise. You know how she is..." Sam sighs. "Still, going a few days without Boss has been hard on the poor little nerd. Can''t be mad at her over that."


    "That''s very mature of you, Sam..." Snow giggles.


    Her Highness fires back. "W-What''s that supposed to mean? I''m always mature!" She insists.


    The kitties both laugh at her. "I know how Mistress Zuzu feels... I''d kill to get a whiff of myaster right about now. Especially with all the stinky sulfur in the air, nyaa..." Peri whines.


    Cherry is quick to comfort her partner, "Almost, Peri... he should be here any minute..."


    Zutiria becomes aware of everyone''s affection and starts staring at her feet. Being put on the spot makes the Mage feel embarrassed and perhaps a little guilty, but I can tell she''s also grateful for having such sympathetic sisters.


    I strip myself down to nothing, storing my clothes and glasses away in one of the many wooden drawers. As I do so, Zutiria doesn''t even stare at my naked body. Concerning- that¡¯s very much unlike her. "Don''t feel bad," I move in closer, stroking her short but soft as silk lavender hair. "They understand."


    Frowning, she looks away even as she leans into my touch. ''Do you think I should I go in ahead of you, or...''


    "Now who''s the one thinking too hard, hm?" I ask with a teasing grin. Zutiria tries to make a grumpy expression, but it doesn''t go so well, and for the most part, she stares back at me blankly. "Let''s just go in at the same time, you silly girl."


    ''Kay...'' This makes her happy, and she squeezes my hand tight as we enter the next room together.


    The overpowering warmth of steam hits my face, and the smell of sulfur invades my nose the moment we enter the chamber. The tatami mats stop abruptly beneath our feet as they give way to rocky terrain built to simulate the natural outdoor landscape of an authentic onsen. In the distance beyond all the haze is the vast but shallow pool of crystal clear, sulfur-enriched water.


    The pool stretches out twenty feet wide and fifty feet long. It was built so that the pool would have enough room to be segmented easily into two smaller pools for both genders, but seeing it all laid out before my eyes without a wall in the way makes the onsen look absolutely massive. There are large boulders on the back wall where three small waterfalls trail down, pouring down into the onsen and creating a lovely aesthetic touch. On every other side of the pool, smaller rocks are placed artfully around the border. Four bamboo benches also sit on the edge of the pool for anyone who just wishes to soak their feet and enjoy the steam.


    There are four washing stations on each side of the room, which are meant for adventurers to wash their bodies before entering the bath. It takes some getting used to for people who have never done it that way, but that''s just how they do it in the strange Realm of Ikkuni. Soap and shampoo are stocked at each station, and wooden stools are situated around an arcane tech spigot. After you''re all washed, you take one of the nearby bamboo buckets, fill it up with hot water from the tap, and rinse yourself off. Only then are you allowed to head into the onsen proper.


    At the nearest one of these, Sam, Meri, Cherry, Peri, and Snow are all seated on stools arranged in a circle focused around one other stool presumably reserved for me. Each girl is wearing an identical fuzzy bathrobe to the one Zutiria is wearing, only their robes are all different colors than hers. Red for Sam, yellow for Meri, periwinkle for, well... Periwinkle, pink for Cherry, and white for Snow.


    My Guild-slash-harem all become downright hysterical as soon as they see me enter with the Mage at my side. The way they rush towards me makes me instantly feel appreciated, loved, and treasured before even a single word is spoken.


    "Welcome home, Boss! Took you long enough..." Sam says in her best lewd voice as she runs up and hugs me, everyone else close behind.


    "Couldn''t go a few days without me, Princess?"


    "W-What''s it to you, jerk?" She blushes and punches me in the shoulder but then laughs at her own embarrassed tendencies and continues her hug.


    Peri scampers around so she can climb on my back like a raccoon, then presses her wet cat nose onto my neck. The desperate kitten starts sniffing my skin and then my hair all over. "Gods, Myaster, I missed you so much, nyaa... this smell... mmmm... the titty witch kept you busy, didn''t she?"


    "No comment," I reply to her accusations.


    "I wanna smell, too!" Cherry growls with jealousy in on my blind side. Soon enough, she''s sniffing away at my arm and making sounds, not unlike addicts relishing their first hit in days. "You even kept all our play marks like you promised..." She says, delighted but a bit surprised that I took her selfish little request seriously. Most of them are fully healed by now, but a few marks remain across my body.


    "Of course I did. What makes you think I¡¯d break my promise, Cherry?¡±


    She looks away and shrugs her shoulder, not wanting to ruin the moment with her self-doubt.


    "Master! We were all waiting for you...!" Meri awkwardly orbits around the three other girls hugging me, trying to look for some way to show me affection but growing more desperate by the second as she can''t find a way forward.


    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting, Meri.¡±


    ¡°I-It¡¯s ok... I¡¯m patient.¡± She smiles genuinely in that charming, down-to-earth way of hers.


    "My, my, my... perhaps we should form a line next time, don''t you think?" Snow shows more restraint than anyone, but even she can''t hide her long, bushy tail from sticking straight out and quivering with excitement.


    "Yes, that might be for the best," I laugh while giving Sam a kiss on the lips and then turning my neck to do the same for Cherry and Peri. Eventually, Meri struggles her way close enough for a kiss, too.


    Sam pulls away, and then, with playful sass, she turns to Zutiria. The Princess puts her hands on her hip and narrows her emerald eyes. "Lines wouldn''t work since a certain someone would cut in front every single time!"


    ''I would,'' The emotionless girl admits with a shrug. ''I''d feel bad about it, but I still would.''


    Her Highness doesn''t stay mad for long. She bends over and picks her surrogate older sister up, nuzzling the smaller girl into her cleavage and smiling. "There, there. I get it, Zu. I mean, I don''t get your mental crap, but I get it''s rough and that you had to see him right away."


    Meri squishes her body against Zutiria, too, joining them in a three-way hug. "It''s ok," She giggles dreamily. "No one here is petty enough to actually care about something like that... we all care about you, Zuzu..."


    Amidst the heartwarming display of affection, something is amiss. ''Sir, I require assistance. I am being suffocated in fluffy bathrobe boob hell.'' The mage exclaims as she grows ever more motionless between the two stacked beauties.


    "Sorry, but you have to pay the price somehow!" Sam smirks wickedly and shoves her breasts into Zutiria even harder.


    I''m finally able to shake the horny kittens off of me long enough to go and give the patient Snow the hug and a kiss she deserves. "Someone''s been busy," I smirk, looking around at the place.


    "I told you how important it is to me that I get a good bath, didn''t I?" She purrs, delighted with herself in a stuck-up way. "I deserve only the best, and so do all your weary adventurers and the rest of your staff. Gwin was a great help, too. I''ve met many Dwarves in my life, but she''s just about the sweetest. Very nice girl; I hope we''ll be seeing her around more."


    "Let''s just say that Gwin is one of the first things on my agenda, now that I''m back."


    Peri whines and tugs at my arm. "Forget about Gwin, Snow worked us so hard, Myaster... please, please make her stop, nyaa..."


    "So many labor violations...!" Cherry''s eyes tremble as she looks off into the distance.


    With a wicked grin and a seemingly kind but actually threatening glare, the Boss Bitch leans over, wrapping her paws around each kitten''s shoulder. "Now, now, girls. I only ask of you what I know you''re capable of pulling off... am we understood?"


    Cherry and Peri respond in unison without delay, "Yes, Mistress Snow!"


    The Mistress rewards them with ear scritches and a catty smile. "Good girls," She says in a comforting voice, which is drowned out by both of the maids purring. Whatever labor violations allegedly took place during my brief absence, all it takes to get them past it is a skilled paw.


    Now that she''s free of her air-deprived punishment, Zutiria wanders closer and blankly states, ''Just so you know, Snow dommed everyone with a magic strap-on and trained us to call her Mistress while you were gone. It was fun.''


    I look around the room to see Sam twiddling with her hair as a blush covers her face. The lewd Princess looks conflicted about what happened, with furrowed brows at odds and a pervy smile. Meanwhile, Meri sweats like crazy, staring off into the distance floor below upon remembering her Mistress''s thorough training.


    It must have been pretty easy for the head maid to break them in, given how Sam''s a sub and Meri''s an outright masochist. Not to mention that Zutiria was already wrapped around Snow''s furry little finger by the time I left.


    Snow''s tail droops, and she cracks a nervous smile, averting my gaze. "...Welcome back?" She mews.


    I cross my arms mockingly, shaking my head with heavy, sarcastic disdain side to side. "I''m not mad, only disappointed..."


    ''Disappointed that you didn''t get to watch, more like.'' Zutiria snidely remarks.


    Turning to my adorable little Mage, I press my hand on my heart. "I''m wounded that you that you would think such hurtful things about me,"


    The brunette masochist grabs me by the wrist, leading me toward my seat. "I- um... luckily, I think I know how we can make it up to you, Master..."


    "Is that so? I''m listening..."


    "Why don''t you have yourself a seat, Myaster? We have a surprise for you..." Snow purrs in a tone that implies she''s commanding rather than suggesting and then pushes me onto the wooden stool with her tail. I don''t resist her, and soon six girls surround me as from above. They each put their hands on the straps of their bathrobes, ready to unveil whatever amazing and sexual wonders lie beneath to my awaiting eyes. It takes all of my restraint not to grab my hardening cock, but when the robes fly off, I''m glad I waited.


    PunishedKom


    I have some new art for Corruption of Coye!


    The cover for volume 2 has changed, because writing things went differently than expected. I thought I could get the entire outline I wrote finished in one volume, but it is now going to be three books.  So now there needs to be two other covers before the other one I showed can be used. Yes, those are trading cards. It''ll make more sense once you read the book lol.


    New character! This is Coco, one of Coye''s four bullies turned future love interests. If you want to read her backstory and learn my plans for her character, you can do so here.


    Read 20 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


    Buy amazing Rise of the Guild Master posters and stickers on Redbubble!


    Join the official Discord to talk to me!


    Follow me on Twitter to see Rise of the Guild Master art!

 Six Girls, Six Swimsuits

    One by one, each of the girl''s bathrobes falls to the onsen floor. Their gorgeous and varied bodies showcase a different swimsuit style, all of which are as jaw-dropping as can be.


    "Check this out. Am I ready to hit the beach or what?" Sam smirks, puffing out her chest to show off the bandeau and its effects on her chest. Her bra and bottoms are red with golden trim, the left breast features three yellow stripes running down the side, and the right breast showing off a stylized roaring lion. The bandeau squeezes her breasts together magnificently tight as a strapless bra, and the top half of her pillowy mounds almost spills out.


    ''I tried a bunch of styles, but I found this one to be the cutest. I hope you agree, Sir...'' Zutiria does a lethargic little turnaround, showing me her dark blue one-piece swimsuit. It glistens from the light, revealing loads of glittery purple scales sewn into the design.


    Around her hips are many layers of a frilly see-through skirt. As she turns around, I see both her sexy open back as well as the swimsuits'' behind riding up her cute little butt a little more than she wanted. Seeing me blatantly check her out makes Zutiria purposefully wedges it up her crack for my viewing pleasure.


    "I wanted to wear a one-piece too, b-but Sam made me wear this instead... it... it doesn''t even fit me...!" Meri suffers as she hides her tummy from view with her hands and slouches, but she can''t hide the swimsuit as a whole. The Shield Maiden is forced to wear a snug yellow ruffle bikini with white polka dots.


    Her top, which threatens to snap at any moment, has two tiny straps which tie around her neck. The little bottom digs into Meri''s gratuitous curves, drawing full attention to her wide, meaty hips. The longer I stare, the more awkwardly perverted the humiliation enthusiast''s expression becomes.


    I turn back to Sam to give her a silent nod of respect for forcing Meri to wear something lewder than she was comfortable with, and as Sam nods back Meri whimpers.


    "We picked these out, Myaster... do you like them?" Peri purrs, pressing her squishy body into Cherry''s as she wraps her tail around the other maid''s waistline.


    "Sorry if the matching outfit gimmick gets a little weird, sometimes... I-I don''t do it on purpose, nyaa... I usually just wear whatever Peri''s wearing because it''s easier..." Cherry blushes as her self-conscious tendencies rear their ugly head.


    The two Catfolk are wearing what I believe is called ''skirtkinis'', which are really just bikini tops with bottoms that serve as seaworthy skirts. They''re colored black with frilly white trim, similar to their uniforms. The skirts are mercifully short, giving me ample view of Peri''s comparatively pudgy thighs and Cherry''s more toned ones. Again, just like their uniforms...


    Even in swimsuits, these two are really trying to appeal to my maid fetish. That''s admirable and all, but I''ll have to play dress-up with these cute kitties of mine sometime to show them that they don''t always need to dress as maids.


    For now, I just give them a genuine compliment. "Don''t be so stressed, Cherry. You both look adorable."


    Peri giggles to herself, rubbing her nose against Cherry''s. "Told you he''d think so,"


    "Uh... thank you, Myaster..." The pink-haired kitty blushes and looks away.


    "You can skip the praise, Myaster. I know damn well how good I look." Snow purrs in an adorably full of herself way but poses and shows off for me anyway, hinting that she really does want praise. The head maid''s swimsuit is by far the most risque out of everyone''s, as it''s nothing more than a silvery blue sling bikini that digs tight into her crotch while doing barely anything to cover it.


    The sling part starts at the tips of her bottom, and then they transition into two spaghetti strings that crisscross in an x pattern across her navel. Reaching up to her massive breasts, two long strips of fabric cover her nipples in theory. In practice, I can still see the sides of her areolas plain as day.


    "Stunning as always, my dear." Snow says nothing, but a triumphant smile materializes on her face. She''s proud of herself and profoundly bad at hiding it.


    ''That''s enough eye-candy for now,'' Zutiria suggests with impatience. ''Where''s the lube?''


    "Right here!" Sam reaches for a couple of bottles of lube that they had readied in a nearby bucket and then tosses two containers to the other girls while keeping one for herself.


    "Did you fill those from one of the vats?" I ask, concerned.


    "Uh, yeah. Why''s it matter?" Sam frowns, wanting to already be covered in the stuff.


    "Opalina and I had a mishap while using she took a bottle she filled herself."


    Snow laughs with a knowing gaze. "Faerie Frenzy, yes? There were instructions taped to the vats we stole. It warned not to use that one in large doses..."


    "That information was not properly conveyed to me fast enough."


    ''Lucky old witch,'' Zutiria lifts her head as she dreamily fantasizes about what happened on that wild night.


    "T-This one''s called Slippery Siren..." Meri explains, her eyes twinkling. "It''s a soapy lube used in bathhouse brothels... you know, like the one in Dungeon Sluts XV Legend of the Land of Soap?"


    "Ah, of course..." That one''s going to be fun. It cleans your body just as much as any soap, and it leaves your skin tingling with erotic pleasure. It¡¯s nowhere near as potent as Faerie Frenzy, but they create unique jolts of ecstasy when the tiny soap bubbles pop. I''ve always wanted to try Slippery Dungeon, but using it in the bath alone was a bit too sad for my tastes. Never would have imagined I''d get a chance to have it used on me with six girls at the same time, though...


    "We got to test it ourselves during a break," Peri sighs a lewd, hazy sigh, and steam trails away from her breath. "It works so well, nyaaaa..."


    "I would''ve preferred getting to take an actual break from cleaning, but a soapy sex break wasn''t too bad either..." Cherry sweats while taking a nervous glance at Snow and blushing.


    "C''mon, we''re wasting time! Let''s get this party popping already!" Sam smirks and uncaps the bottle, pouring the soapy, seafoam-colored lube all over her breasts and hands. She whimpers from the cold liquid but then tosses the container to Meri before rubbing it all over her bikini, her tits, and her skin.


    "W... Woah..." The Princess''s eyes open wide the more she lathers it and the more bubbles form. "This junk makes my tits... ngh-" She stops as she rubs it overtop her bikini slow and sensually. "Everywhere feels... awesome..." Sam sighs as her eyes roll backward, her hand diving into her bikini bottoms to spread some where it''s most important. As soon as the bubbles reach the sweet spot between her legs, the young blonde groans, "Oh, HELL yeah... I hope you''re ready for us to clean you top to bottom, Daddy...!"


    "...Yes, I could definitely use a nice, thorough cleaning," I say, transfixed by the Princess slathering magical sex lube all over her curves.


    ''Interesting,'' Zutiria makes a lewd face as she rubs it into her tiny chest through the scaled, dark blue swimsuit. ''It works as advertised, but I must have doubted its powers... this is a... a nice surprise...'' She moans as the one-piece starts shining even harder on account of the lube. It digs past the fabric and starts making her little nipples hard enough to poke through as she runs her fingers against them and bites her puffy lip.


    "Do you want some help?" I ask, my libido going crazy at this sight.


    ''Yes,'' Zutiria responds without delay.


    Snow corrects her, "No. No touching. Myaster has to watch us show off for him..."


    Zutiria groans. ''Normally, I''d be fine with teasing Sir a little, but...''


    "Shhh," Snow gives the Mage a gentle smile. "You just let me have my fun, and I''ll let you have yours, Zutiria..."


    ''Yes, Mistress...'' She sighs as her fingers find their way past her frilly, see-through skirt and between her legs.


    "And what''s stopping me from standing up and helping her myself?"


    "A fluffy tail to your face," Snow smirks, cracking her tail like it were a whip behind her.


    "I''m failing to see a downside..."


    "M-Me either," Meri stares at the mistress''s gorgeous, silky, furred extremity with a desire to rub up against it.


    The sadist rolls her eyes, and the other maids giggle.


    Speaking of, Cherry and Peri are sharing one bottle of lube between themselves. They press themselves together and let out a soft ''nyaa'' as the fluid pours onto their breasts. It collects in Peri''s cleavage for the most part, but plenty of it overflows and falls into Cherry''s smaller valley, too.


    "You''re hogging it all," Cherry whines, then starts grinding her body up and down Peri''s breasts so that the soap spreads further down both of their bodies. I can''t stop staring at their shiny, soapy navels in particular. Pale little Peri is just ever-so-slightly on the verge of having a tummy, while her tanned counterpart is slim and toned. The contrast makes them more appealing, and watching them makes me want to skip to the next part oh so bad.


    Peri becomes awash with pleasure as the Slippery Siren bubbles pop all over her and Cherry''s chests, making her move faster and faster just to rub out a bit more mutual ecstasy from her partner''s body. Eventually, their paws find each other¡¯s shoulders and trail down, spreading the lube through their arms. Then, they run it down the sides of each other''s bodies, hike up their respective skirts, and start rubbing the lube on their partner''s butts. "Nyaa... keep doing that, it feels niiiice... and Myaster loves watching us, too..."


    "I do, but I don''t know how much longer I can wait..."


    "U-Um... can someone maybe help me, please?" Naive and adorable, Meri pipes up as she stands around with the bottle. She''s distracted watching everyone else, and she fumbles her words. "I don''t think I can do a s-sexy little show on my own..."


    Like a bee to honey, Sam practically teleports behind Meri at the slightest chance to mess with her favorite toy. "You called?" She smiles, sharply showing off her fang as her hands glide across Meri''s chubby tummy up into her cute ruffle bikini top.


    "A-Ah! Sam! Nooo!" Meri protests, but in that specific Meri way of protesting where you can tell her humiliation kink is actually screaming ''yes''.


    "Shut up, slut, you know this is what you wanted..." Her Highness playfully growls into Meri''s ear, then gives the Shield Maiden''s hidden nipples a pinch from under her yellow ruffle bikini top.


    "Hwah!" Meri shrieks and her head falls backward against Sam''s neck, the sudden pinch creating a crashing force of joy down Meri''s spine, which she wasn''t prepared for. The lube does its job as Sam lathers it all over Meri''s naked skin, the foamy bubbles forming as she massages the brunette before bursting and sending little jolts all throughout the Shield Maiden''s body. Each and every one of the small explosions makes her shiver and twist back and forth, forcing Meri''s tummy, breasts, and curvy thighs to keep on jiggling endlessly like a plate of pudding during an earthquake.


    Her shame and pleasure increasing in equal measure, Meri pleads, "D-Don''t look at me like this...!" before Sam licks her lips and invades her friend''s bottoms to rub in the soapy lube past Meri''s mound. "NO!"


    "Nothing sexier than a good ''no'', in the right context at least..." Snow giggles, her arousal over watching the Princess tease the masochist obvious. The head maid has barely even started lubing herself, and her nipples are already rock hard, perky, and desperate for attention. Knowing that my eyes are suddenly on her, Snow smiles, bends over, and gets to work.


    She rubs the soap all over her beautiful, white-furred legs until she reaches her milky thighs. The tricky woman makes a show of lifting her bushy tail out of the way so I can see her slowly massage her own ass. It must feel good, as Snow starts sensual purring deep the harder she rubs it in. Not wanting to linger too long, she moves on to trail her paws up against her navel and finally under the skimpy slings struggling to hold in her massive mammaries. Her purring gets even louder as she squeezes both breasts for my pleasure, and I let out a small sigh as the sight becomes too much to bear.


    Taking a step forward, Zutiria interrupts the girls in their various pleasures. ''Careful, everyone. Sir is making cute sounds. It looks like he''s going to burst.''


    "Heh. Little too much stimulation, Daddy?" Sam gives Meri a break, finally removing her explorative fingers from her harem sister''s dripping snatch. The brunette has mixed feelings about the sudden lack of attention, making her prior protesting look even more hollow.


    "Just a bit," Watching six girls rub bubbly lube all over every nook and cranny of their young, supple bodies and asking me to just sit here as it happens isn''t something I can be expected to do for very long. My willpower is not that strong, Goddesses help me. "Someone get over here and start washing me, already. Please."


    "Master..." Meri stares at me and then Snow, rubbing her thighs together as her hand slowly reaches for the area Sam left behind.


    "C''mon, Snow..." Peri whines, pulling her squishy boobs away from Cherry long enough to beg.


    Cherry whimpers, "Yeah, Snow... teasing Myaster is fun and all, but... we all want more...!"


    The head maid breaks from peer pressure, showing a softer side. "Well, a maid can''t ignore her Myaster''s orders now, can she...?" Snow teasingly sighs, making it clear she wishes to continue but will cave to make everyone else happy. "Let''s do this how we planned, girls. Take your positions."


    PunishedKom


    Right now, I have edited/rewritten 11/19 of my draft chapters so I''m hoping to get the book up by the end of the month. I''ll be having it up for pre-order soon!


    In the meantime, here''s what the cover to volume 3 will look like!


    Read 20 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


    Buy amazing Rise of the Guild Master posters and stickers on Redbubble!


    Join the official Discord to talk to me!


    Follow me on Twitter to see Rise of the Guild Master art!

 Getting All Soaped Up

    At Snow''s command, each of the girls rushes to my side, and they surround me in a paradise of soft, sweet flesh. Sam lifts up my left arm and smirks as she straddles it between her legs, Meri nervously following her lead and straddling the opposite side. My legs are soon spread apart so they can be mounted by two enthusiastic Catfolk maids. Meanwhile, Zutiria finishes rubbing bubbly lube all over her cute little butt. The Mage then plops it down onto my raging hard-on as Snow approaches me from behind and presses her entire soapy torso against my back.


    ''Be honest. How long have you fantasized about this happening to you, Sir?'' Zutiria asks as she starts sliding her soapy slit against my cock, bubbles popping left and right, leaving me almost unable to speak.


    "Ah... just... just about my whole life..." I laugh, and the doll-like girl wears a tiny smile. She honors my honesty by slipping me between her petite butt crack, sitting up and sitting down so that blissful pressure runs throughout my entire dick.


    "This feels r-really good..." Meri whimpers as her mouth hangs open. Whatever shyness she held onto is lost as she works her pussy up and down the length of my forearm. My wrist is swallowed by her chubby thighs, which are overwhelming with their softness. "Y-your arm is so big and thick... and this lube is driving me crazy..."


    "It''s great," Sam rattles off a lewd moan as she flips her hair out of her face. Ever the competitive brat, Sam sees Meri going fast and works to outdo her, sliding my arm between her lower lips she were sawing through wood. "I''m so happy we got so much crap to test out... magic lube, tons of toys, endless outfits... not to mention Zuzu''s sex magic... Gods, just think of it all... AH!" She moans, hitting her clit at a surprising yet effective angle.


    "D-Don''t make me think about all that stuff right... r-right now..." I bite my teeth as Zutiria slides my cock to the left with her ass, stretching it out and making me curl my toes from the pressure and popping bubbles. "Are you trying to make me cum early?"


    "Duh. Oh, fuck-" Sam laughs and then gasps, grinding her clit up against my wrist bone and letting her tongue droop in response once a big bubble hits her in a way that she really likes.


    "You can thank me later," Snow smiles, kissing my ear from behind and then licking it. "I wanted to wash off all those unfamiliar smells you picked up in that dusty old castle, so I came up with this fun little welcome back procession..." The head maid purrs, then slides her gratuitous tits up my entire back, licking my spine along the way.


    As much as I want to thank Snow for her creativity, Zutiria makes sure the only thing I do right now is rattle off a series of continual groans. The Mage reaches between her thighs with her hands and delivers splatterings of the magical bubble lube to my balls, massaging it in and smiling as she looks back at me. ''Don''t miss anywhere, sisters. Be sure to get every last spot.'' She says, dozens of bubbly convulsions sending spasms throughout my heavy, packed balls.


    On my legs, Peri and Cherry are holding paws as they take turns going back and forth. First, Peri drags her pelvis up to my knee. When she slides back down, her tanned, bratty partner drags herself up to my other knee. Because of their skirtinis, I can''t see much of the action as it unfolds, but from the heated expressions on their horny faces, it''s clear that it''s affecting the kittens just as much as the rest of the girls.


    "The Slippery Siren is... nyaa... popping and popping all over my little kitty, Myaster..." Peri drools, pausing her grinding to catch her breath. "I think I could get addicted to this stuff..." With her soapy paw, she brushes her bangs out of her face, letting me see those droopy, seafoam eyes of hers which are crying sweet tears of arousal.


    "Don''t stop, Peri... Myaster will love watching you cum all over him..." Cherry winces and leans forward, grabbing me with her paws and digging into my thigh flesh with her sharp claws. She does this to keep herself stable while wiggling her hips against my leg bone left and right, mashing her clit in different directions depending on whatever strikes her fancy.


    "You gotta cum for Myaster, too...!" Peri reminds her friend before meowing lewdly, picking up her rhythm.


    "I-I will!" Cherry bites her lip in a coquettish manner and then looks away, shy, but not before speeding up her thrusting.


    The girls on each of my limbs aren''t going to last much longer. I can see more and more pleasure building within Sam, Meri, Cherry, and Peri by the second. It''s only a matter of time to see who will be the first to fall. All of their moaning voices echo throughout the onsen so loud that I''m almost sure we can be heard from outside the building. I roll my head back to give myself a split second of reprieve from having to look at all their amazing, sexy bodies, but Snow''s head is there to meet me when I do.


    The head maid takes my lips and kisses me deeply, tracing her tongue down mine with a dominant and possessive passion. We dance in each other''s mouths, her paws wrapping around my hips to start spreading more lube all over my abs and, later on, my pecs. Thanks to this and the girls working over my limbs with their pussies, they all make good on Zutiria''s plea, ensuring that not a single part of my body is free from Slippery Siren.


    This can''t last forever. It isn''t one of the girls who end up cumming first. It¡¯s me.


    Zutiria rolls my throbbing cock from tip to balls up her tiny butt crack just once more, and I explode thanks to the efforts of the six girls all smothering me with their special bathing affections. The orgasm is so strong and intense that my body wants to thrash around, but given how all five girls pinning me down are each stronger than me when they want to be, a couple of spasms are all I manage to do. This inability to adequately vent my pleasure only makes me scream, and the thousands of magic bubbles popping every second travel straight to my cock, spurring every last drop to shoot out my tip.


    My steaming cum erupts all over Zutiria''s behind, blasting layer upon layer straight into her frilly, see-through, tutu-esque skirt. Every inch of her ass gets coated in my burning seed, my excessive, magical load glazing her butt like frosting on a cake. Zutiria thanks me by never ceasing her butt grinding, even as I lose myself in cumming. This goes on for so long that I lose my breath, and my vision goes blurry for a brief moment in time.


    ''Hm. Would you look at that,'' Zutiria comments as she lifts her butt, a literal waterfall of semen falling off her round curves as she does. ''I missed playing with you so much, Sir...'' She looks into my soul with those beautiful, ice-colored eyes. With the tip of her slim pointer finger, she scoops off a thick helping of my cum and shoves it through her lips. Zutiria twirls her tongue around it, licking up and then swallowing the small load.


    "Fucking G-Gods, I missed you t-too..." I force myself to say, bringing a smile to her face.


    Sam butts in where she doesn''t belong and says, "He''s got more in him, c-come on, Snow!"


    "Wait, WAIT- I don''t think I can-"


    Snow giggles as he grabs my cock with both of her sadistic paws. She presses down hard with her paw pads which are softer than even the softest of human hands and starts using the lube to jerk me off at high speed. "The Princess is right," Snow purrs into my ear. "You''re not done yet. Give that little lavender cutie some more cum, you sex-crazed pervert..."


    No one listens to my protests, and Snow ends up managing to wring another five entire ropes of cum out of my cock that flies straight onto Zutiria''s open back. She winces as the searing sexual fluid coats her, and it falls down past her minuscule shoulder blades and pools down her spine.


    "So much... of Master''s... Master''s...!!" Meri is stunned by the amount of cum covering her magical friend, and the fantastic sight soon brings her to an orgasm of her own.


    Sam isn''t far behind, mixing in some self-deprecation. "Daddy, I''m- AHN- t-this Princess is gonna cum all over your arm like a t-total sluuut...!"


    And then there are the kittens, who are so overwhelmed that the both of them can only shout, "Myaster...! Myaster!!" on repeat.


    At roughly the same time, four piercing screams of ecstasy ring out in the bathhouse just as four pussies climax against each of my limbs. Sam creams herself against my arm, her eyes rolling back into her skull. Meri loses it on the other side, shutting her eyes tight and squeezing my wrist between her fat thighs so hard I fear she''ll break it. Cherry and Peri both squirt in their swimsuits as their orgasming bodies freeze on my knees. All four of them let loose so much feminine cum that it ends up washing away a lot of the lube they spent so long massaging into me.


    Now that most of us have gotten off, Snow stands up from her dedicated spot behind me. "A moment," She smirks and sashays away, leaving me with the four girls panting and groaning and another one with her entire spine plastered in semen. Snow doesn''t go far, just to a corner of the onsen that I overlooked when walking into the room. She pulls out a big mattress looking-thing, only it''s shiny and... inflatable? Ah, it''s one of those. I''ve never seen one in real life before, only in erotic fiction. Snow starts blowing air into it as she walks back to us, and it balloons out to tremendous size- easily enough for all of us and more.


    Snow presents the inflatable mattress to us, saying, "Let''s make round two a little more comfortable, shall we? I don''t think any of us want to lay down on the rocky floor."


    ''That would indeed not be my preference,'' Zutiria nods, standing there awkwardly while wearing my cum like a cape over her back.


    As hot as the idea of sharing a slippery, slimy mattress with six girls is, a logistical problem becomes evident the more I think about it. "Won''t that thing pop if one of you three have an accident with one of your claws?" I point at the resident Catfolk and ask before taking a sideways glance at Cherry in particular.


    Peri giggles as her partner''s cheeks turn super red. "I-I can be careful if I have to be!" Cherry insists while retracting her claws, but she''s fooling no one.


    "Luckily, you won''t have to," Snow taps her outstretched claw to the corner of the inflatable bed, pointing at a small animal paw design brand. Below, the words ''Beastfolk Proof'' is printed. Well, I suppose that makes sense since these mats are meant to be used in brothels.


    Sam drops my arm and is the first to lunge on the mattress once Snow sets it down. "Damn, Mistress! You sure as shit think of everything, don''t ya?" She laughs, her lubed-up tits and belly making her slip and slide around the frictionless surface.


    "I certainly try," Snow smiles and flips her long, flowing hair back with a satisfied grin.


    One of my hands is taken by Meri, the other by Zutiria. They help me up off the wooden stool. They lead me over to the mattress while Cherry and Peri help Snow add more lube to the surface. "Lay down, Master..." Meri smiles up at me with a confusing expression of lewd and wholesomeness. "I still haven''t thanked you for the Choose Your Own Adventure Dungeon Sluts book yet, a-and... um..." She lets go of my hand so she can twiddle her thumbs. "And I still have to thank you for getting me that book about Shield Maidens... you always do so much for me, Master..."


    "You don''t have to thank me," I lean in and kiss the innocent little Meri. "I do those things because I love you."


    "O-Oh," Meri blushes, and her shyness makes her quiver. "I... um... I love you too, Mast-" She takes a step backward, only to accidentally fall onto the mat when her foot hits the slippery surface. "Hwah!"


    ''So much for standing firm,'' Zutiria remarks, sarcastically shaking her head.


    "T-That one doesn''t- COUNT?!" Meri shrieks as Sam slides across the mattress, then lunges forward to bite Meri''s boob.


    "Titty shark!" Sam declares while nomming away at the exposed mound of fat, showing her age a little more than usual.


    Once Sam gets all the sliding out of her system, the girls have me take the seat of honor at the middle of the inflatable mat. It''s cold to the touch, and it gets my back even slimier than when Snow did it herself, but the magical lube makes it feel absolutely wonderful the longer I lay here. With great excitement, I look up to see my harem congregating on me, and I eagerly await whatever the six girls have planned next.


    PunishedKom


    Read 20 chapters in advance by supporting me on Patreon!


    Buy amazing Rise of the Guild Master posters and stickers on Redbubble!


    Join the official Discord to talk to me!


    Follow me on Twitter to see Rise of the Guild Master art!

 Update, Corruption of Coye vol 2 On Sale Now!

    It will still probably be a few days before the next chapter of RotGM, I''m feeling crappy about it at the moment. But on the other hand, I have a new release over on Amazon that continues to grow and expand my world!


    Corruption of Coye #2 - The Item Shop Widow is 365 pages long and features all the fun, lewd comedy you''d expect from my writing and then some!


    Synopsis -


    Coye''s life had been turned on its head after meeting a beautiful and mischievous Pixie named Shayla. Things happened real quick, as before he even knew it, they made love and pledged to become partners. There was just one little thing neither of them planned on, and that''s how much his libido has been acting up ever since.


    Days later and Coye can barely bring himself to work, his mind addled and his body desperate for more relief than Shayla can apparently give him. Something needs to be done, but what else is there to do but seek out one of the many girls in the village of Cransmere who have their eyes on the cute half-elf adventurer?


    After racking his brain, Coye forces himself to pursue a wild plan. He''s going to try and seduce the woman he performed his first quest for, a beautiful and somewhat mysterious widow by the name of Suzette Lillis. It might be a long shot, but Coye has to get himself under control, or else he won''t be able to perform his job!


    This story contains; A pure, somewhat innocent femboy protagonist who is adorably dense. His ''trusty'' Pixie partner who is both a blessing and a curse. An older woman with a mature body. Voyeurism. Gentle femdom. Developing polyamorous attachments to multiple women.

 Important Update

    I am taking an extended break on Rise of the Guild Master to work on furthering my career on Amazon, but the story will return.


    Since the launch of Corruption of Coye vol 2, I¡¯ve been seeing a steady stream of success. There¡¯s been a little bit of money coming in almost every day, and that has felt wonderful on top of being a massive relief. On top of that, it¡¯s been no secret that I¡¯ve struggled with a large amount of RotGM¡¯s plot elements due to my own inexperience.


    I came out swinging wanting it to be my big magnum opus, but it ended up rushed and haphazard in many, many places to the point where I¡¯ve written myself into loads of corners that I hate having to tiptoe around.


    I wanted it to be this huge clean up of the town, magic destiny, thriller, slice of life but eventually there¡¯s a demon lord hybrid story, despite those things really, really going poorly hand in hand. I want to retool it from the ground up eventually. A large chunk of the nearly 700k words I¡¯ve written is still usable, after rewriting, that is. I just need to excise and simplify lots of things so that the slice of life action/romance/comedy is at the forefront instead of all the other junk. Like, no faction hunting them at every turn making it hard for the characters to go for a fucking walk without having to go in groups or have Nikita babysit them or whatever.


    There¡¯d still be conflict with Pimpington and the other ganglords, but it wouldn¡¯t be oppressive. I¡¯d probably cut the Duke of Dewhurst element entirely if I¡¯m being honest and just simplify it into a conflict against the three ganglords (Pimpington, Crystal Sage and Fleetfoot) one on one into its own smaller scale thing.


    Ah, well. You can see how heavily this has been weighing on my mind- at this point I¡¯m just rambling.


    This is why I¡¯ve been having so much fun doing Coye, it¡¯s much smaller scale and plays to my strengths much better- comedy and romance- while still having plenty of action and adventure. As of right now I¡¯m knee-deep in rough drafts for vol 3 and am talking with an extremely popular lewd voice actress about producing an audiobook of the first volume. So everything is going well on that front.


    The thing is, I don¡¯t know if when I retool RotGM that it should be free. It would be a lot of work, and I need more material for Kindle Unlimited... part of me thinks I should just leave the webnovel version as is and let people experience the original version.


    Either way, I need time to think about the path forward. The Realm of Karnalle has hundreds of stories left to tell, and I need to do the flagship one the justice it deserves.

 Random Thoughts on Reworking Rise of the Guild Master

    Hey guys, before we get started I just thought I''d mention that The Corruption of Coye vol. 1 is getting an audiobook made, and furthermore, I released an updated version that touches up each chapter and makes it even longer! It went from 28k words to 36k words(126 pages to 162), and beyond that, it was a full 3rd draft rewrite so everything is much improved in general.


    Want a preview of the audiobook? Listen to the entire first chapter for free!


    Also, there''s new merch available!


    Been meaning to write something like this, so here it is! There are changes I want to make that would fundamentally change large parts of the story, and I¡¯m going to list my thoughts to better articulate. Changing my mind on these is virtually impossible so I do recommend you not to try and offer alternatives I could do instead, but if you have something to say I¡¯ll still read it. Just telling you up front.


    I want to remove the ¡®Hero of Light¡¯ aspect, but if I did that then I would still need a reason for the Guild Master¡¯s eyes and eventually Task Master since that¡¯s a pretty integral part of the character and backstory.


    It also bothers me how he starts with a normal sized penis and then gets magically big after meeting Sam because of chosen one bullshit, but like... that just makes no sense to me now. If Luxy meant for him to have this power focused around sex and bonds with girls then why would it only activate once he met a specific girl vs just giving him a big dick which would lead to more confidence growing up.


    Further, he can magically look at Sam because she¡¯s destined or w/e, but then it gets expanded to just being able to look at whatever girl he wants ala Opal, Snow, Peri/Cherry. Either he¡¯s always been able to look at women, or something else happens. Not sure. I don¡¯t want him to lose the ability to look at women though.


    It just reeks of my inexperience at planning crap like this out early on. I also don¡¯t like the destined thing in general. I¡¯d rather they naturally be attracted to GM because of his ability to draw people in and his actions rather than having a big magical bonus when it comes to them.


    No magic semen as a result of removing the chosen one shit, too. I don¡¯t think it adds that much(you could even argue it takes away progression/natural development) and is just another stupid level I have to factor in. I really don¡¯t like having to manage time when writing. Like, introducing an element where I have to be like ¡®wait have they had sex in the last 24 hours or is Sam weaker at this moment¡¯ is just something I don¡¯t want. You might think I could just make it into a pill or something, but that misses the point in that I just don¡¯t want a micromanage-y element like that to begin with.


    One of the big reasons I want to remove the hero of light shit is that my plan for the Demon Lord isn¡¯t for like, ages and ages of books down the line and I don¡¯t want the GM to have some destiny that is so far off that it makes him look bad for not doing something about it. This would need to change what the argument was that led to Grandpa¡¯s death, but I doubt I would have much trouble with coming up with an alternative. Perhaps something like he just doesn¡¯t want GM to have to deal with the Association in any way shape or form and is dead set against it.


    Furthermore, having GM connected sets the expectation that this is a Demon Lord centric story when really it¡¯s not. The Demon Lord is meant to be an extremely far off threat that gets mentioned here and there. Lore-wise, there hasn¡¯t been a Demon Lord in over 1,000 years, so I think a lot of people wouldn¡¯t even believe there is one and chalk what happened to Meri¡¯s town as some minor Demon King making a ruckus and then chickening out. Showing a debut chapter featuring the Demon Lord so early was a mistake on my part, but back then, I was including random shit for hype left and right. It really should have only been a background thing that gets brought up here and there.


    Removing the chosen one shit would also remove Luxy from her current role in the story, which some might not like, but I don¡¯t like having a deity on GM¡¯s side who provides help and answers as plot demands but only sometimes. It¡¯s like, I wanted to write an underdog story but yet GM has a deity, magically chosen mates, innate ocular powers, two immensely high level helpers via Opal and Nikita, and so much other crap that I just don¡¯t like it.


    Also, the current portrayal of an out of touch lazy Goddess has strayed very far from how I¡¯ve come to think of Lux Ultima in my lore. I don¡¯t really see her that way anymore. I see her as a counterpart to her chaotic sister, who makes Karnalle worse on every whim, so Lux represents order. Lux would be more overstressed and she thinks more about the big picture and not the needs of the smaller folk of the Realm, which is how she would be out of touch. Same results but very different in execution.


    Some minor shit I want to change in regards to the first book would be adding a lot more to GM and Sam¡¯s early dynamic and making GM becoming more driven not an immediate thing. No sex between them for like a week, it¡¯d be like the last hurdle after a week of improvements to his life.


    Someone also rightly pointed out in a criticism that GM¡¯s ambition and actions are a bit wonky, and I agreed with all their examples. So I want to have him make a lot more sacrifices for the girls in different ways. One way I have in mind is to make getting Sam armor a big part of the first volume. It¡¯d be her current armor- retconned from being made by Gwin which didn¡¯t make sense to begin with. I¡¯m thinking they¡¯d go out toward the end of the week with the intent of picking up something cheap to start with, but they see the set and Sam is super into it but it¡¯d be really expensive.


    I think GM would go behind her back and sell off a lot of his crap, probably like expensive alcohol leftover from his grandpa, to afford it and surprise her and represent that he¡¯s taking steps on his own. Further, Sam would inspire/help him clean a few parts of the Guild early on to show he¡¯s actually trying to improve his life. They might have to wait for Zutiria to help with that, though. It wouldn¡¯t be a good cleaning job, but it¡¯d look better than welp none of us want to do it so let''s just wait to get cat maids.


    So throughout their first week they¡¯d flirt a lot and by the end of it, after the armor, the thing would play out as normal. Sam calls him out on not acting on their obvious chemistry and he¡¯d get the whole ¡®do what you want¡¯ thing, only now there¡¯d have been a week of development to reach that point.


    I have more things in mind for changing other things, but I¡¯m mainly focused on thinking about what would be the first volume with Sam right now.

 Work Has Started On the Reboot + More News!

    I have officially started production on volume one of the rebooted RotGM and expect to have it on Amazon within a couple of months. I have figured out most of the things that were bothering me, and I''m already pretty far into writing the initial outline for the novel. A lot''s going to change, but it''ll still be the same story you know and love. Just bigger and better, that''s all.


    Now''s a very good time to be a fan of my world and setting, because in other news, I have released an audiobook for the Corruption of Coye vol 1!  Three and a half hours of lewd, romantic, comedy fun! Check it out now!


    And then, as of today, Corruption of Coye vol 3 has been released!


    Thanks to a certain Pixie putting pressure on him, Coye somehow landed a date with one of his co-workers- a quirky greenskin girl by the name of Byng. This huntress has been pestering and tormenting him ever since they met, so until now, he''d never given her a second thought and had always tried to avoid her. Now, though? Coye is determined to change as a person and open himself up to new experiences. Who knows- maybe the weird girl who he only ever thought was just a nuisance could end up as a great friend of his if given a chance? Maybe... even more than a friend?


    Of course, Byng has her own agenda, and Coye''s date won''t be so simple as taking her out to dinner. She challenges him to an epic hunting showdown with a prize at stake that''ll change his life! What''s more romantic than a little healthy competition?