To SkyChaser17: I'll try my best to keep my updates relatively quick. But as much as I love to write my story, I still have obligations to fulfill IRL. So I hope you can understand my now irregular update rate. Thanks a lot for your continued support and stay safe from the Coronovirus.
To bloodyredrose1994: I will see what I can do regarding the new information from the Fandom. But I humbly request that you keep any spoilers from me since I really want to still have some surprises to look forward to in the Season 2 of the anime.
To E.T. 2000: Having a cooking contest between Eugeo and Naofumi isn't such a bad idea. But I'm not so sure if I can incorporate your suggestion into the story.
- As for Eugeo asking someone to guard his flowers, I'm not sure about that idea. I already have half a mind of Eugeo allowing the villagers to use his Misty Blue Roses as an additional source of income aside from their fruits. Since the Roses passively release a refreshingl cool air wherever they are planted, they could act as this world's Air Conditioner that is completely Environmental Friendly. Hehehe...
- Eugeo is also not one to deprive his fellow Heroes from any materials that they could absorb to get stronger, so he wouldn't mind sharing it with them. However, because of the stubborn "gamer" mentality that Itsuki and Motoyasu has and their rejection to reality... even if they were presented with one of Eugeo's Flowers, they might not see them as worth their time. And as we all saw in the SAO anime, the Blue Rose Sword's perfect weapon control isn't attack oriented. Being more like a restraining type skill instead of the all-out Direct Attack skill that Itsuki and Motoyasu preferred.
To Tsun: I know, that was a bit of a blunder on my part. In my defense, all of them are capable magic users and I do plan to add one last Party Member for Eugeo who will serve as their main AOE attack Mage.
To joshdougherty0605: I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying my fanfic so far. I hope you continue to support me as I write this story on this site. Especially when the Season 2 of the anime comes out. Although I would be putting this story haitus once I finish Season 1 so I can start on some of my other stories that I have lined up.
To Gabriel Martins1: I somewhat got spoiled about this when I watched one of the anime analysis videos in YouTube. I say somewhat since I cut the video short since I don't want spoilers. But if what you're saying is true, I will try to think of a good reason why Gaelion didn't bother to teach this Dragon Vein Path to Eugeo during their first encounter. I just simply refuse to spoiling myself any further than I already am.
COUNTING OF VOTES:
1.) Cooking Scenes
Yes, part of story - 14
Yes, omakes - 6
No - 0
2.) Eugeo reclaims the Blue Rose Sword
Before Glass battle - 20
After Glass battle - 9
3.) Eugeo recreates the Osmanthus Blade
Before Three Heroes Church battle - 21
After Three Heroes Church battle - 9
RESULTS OF POLL:
1.) Looks like we'll be having some cooking moments in some of the slower chapters.
2.) It seems that Eugeo will be putting more of a fight against Glass. hehehe...
3.) Excited to see how the corrupted Church reacts to this Holy Blade.
ATTENTION:
I would first like to apologize for the long absence. I have been very busy with real life stuff along with my father being put into one Week of isolation due to being suspected to have COVID-19. Fortunately, it turned out to be a false alarm. Just be assured that I will finish this fanfic and will never leave it for dead.
As a way to make up for the long wait, this chapter is approximately 18,000 words long! I hope you enjoy it and think that it's worth the wait.
There would be some Lime in this chapter. The one with the full Lemon scene is still a few chapters away.
This chapter is also a joint effort in collaboration with my co-author "KiritoIRL" now known as "Arementi Revnant" he wrote more than 1/3 of this entire chapter along with the omake that got added at the very end of the chapter. So he also gets major credit for writing this chapter and making it even more amazing.
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It has been about four days after they left Lerno Village.
Somewhere deep within the caves of a certain volcanic dungeon, Eugeo and his party were grinding in the volcanic dungeon as they had originally planned before the detour they had to take for Naofumi.
"System Call: Generate Aerial Element – Tail Wind – Discharge!" Rifana casted her basic Aerial Element skill that buffed her party member's movement speed, as well as be able to jump higher and take less fall damage.
The Sacred Art also has the welcome benefit of serving as a temporary fan that made the air around them swim and take some of the distracting heat of the dungeon away from them.
"System Call: Generate Umbra Element – Form Element, Fog Shape," Kirin charged her dark element spell.
Then, Kirin and Rifana charged at their intended target together – a trio of lava golem monsters. Seeing the girls charging at it, one of the golems raised its rocky fist to strike them down when they got closer. But thanks to their buffed agility, they dodged the attack with ease.
Kirin quickly got behind the golem that attacked them and jumped high thanks to Rifana's Tail Wind. Rifana worked to get the other two golems' attention away from Kirin and lure the monsters closer together at the same time.
When she reached high enough, Kirin unleashed her Umbra Element spell, aimed at the monsters.
"Discharge!" Kirin yelled, and in response, a dark fog clouded the three monsters' vision and they stopped in its tracks and looked around and blindly swung their fists, confused. (A/N: Think of its effect to be similar to the Instant Darkness Powder introduced in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, affecting only the caster's intended targets.)
"Now, Anna!" Kirin yelled.
"I'm on it!" Anna yelled and using the chains of her recently restored and enhanced weapons, entangled the three monsters together, trapping them and leaving them defenseless.
"Now, Master!" Anna called as she tightly held onto her chains.
"Got it! As source of thy power and as Sword Hero I order thee..." a somewhat sweaty Eugeo spoke out his incantations with his right hand aimed towards the golem monster trio, "decipher the laws of nature and blow through my targets with a blast of water..." a glowing orb of water with the size of a watermelon materialized in front of his palm as he finished his chant.
"Faust Aqua Shot!"
Eugeo fired off a highly pressurized water ball towards the "mini-volcano" like monsters known as [Fiery Savaran] like an aquatic cannon ball.
KASPLASH!!!
The Aqua Shot successfully hit Eugeo's designated targets and sent them all flying into the far wall of the cave chambers with a resounding slam – Anna had unbound the chains and returned them to her hands just before Eugeo's attack landed on them.
All of them were now dead as the fairly powerful beginner's spell successfully extinguished the pyro cores that served as the monsters' life force. The chorus sounds of clapping from his companions followed soon after.
"Well done Sir Eugeo!"
"To think you can already use offensive magic in such a short span of time. Just as what I would expect from my Master!"
"And this is how he is when he's still a beginner! I can only imagine how powerful he would be once he moves on to more advanced magic."
'Not to mention if we somehow manage to merge this world's magic system to the one from our home world.'
"You're so strong father!"
Kirin, Anna, Rifana, Alice and Arthur (exactly in that order) all said in short praise before stepping forward to help him finish up today's quota. Arthur cracked open the monster's rock-hard outer shell so the girls can extract the precious magma cores easier. Eugeo automatically walked a few steps away to give them space for their work before sitting down on a nearby rock formation to rest.
For the past four days, Eugeo and his party had spent a large portion of their time fighting inside the dungeon that Anna had recommended. Gaining as much EXP as they can while also using the place as a training ground for Eugeo's steadily developing water magic. Same goes for Rifana and Kirin with their respective wind and dark magic, as Rifana had been using Eugeo's brand of magic for the passed few weeks since she still wasn't educated enough for this world's brand of magic.
Since the dungeon and the monsters themselves were volcanic by nature, it came as no surprise that all of the swords that Eugeo unlocked there were flame-based. Although he didn't receive any new Weapon Skills (much to his and everyone else's confusion), he still gained a significant power boost in his Fire Attack Bonus along with something called a Critical Damage Bonus. Eugeo wasn't familiar with the terms, but he could only assume that it has something to do with increasing his overall damage output. Which was always a good addition for his arsenal.
And, thanks to the remote and somewhat dangerous location of the dungeon itself, they also ended up discovering some precious mineral deposits. Rare metals and crystallized ores that had remained untouched and dormant for who knew how long! Not only will this help Eugeo in the future when he again tries his hand on blacksmithing, but this will also bring him quite the amount of money once he offers some of it up to any interested buyers.
Of course, Erhard would be getting first dibs from him before he sells the rest away, to say thank you for his continued support to himself and Naofumi.
Unfortunately, not all was well in their dungeon crawling ventures as Alice sadly informed everyone the bad news.
The news being the fact that their EXP rates in this volcanic dungeon wasn't as good as they thought it would be. They barely got any increase in their EXP gain compared to any other monster of the outside world. Again, this was partially due to the fact that everyone in their party were so much more powerful than what their given levels imply them to be. Anna couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed that her information didn't deliver the big results that she promised but was quickly consoled by Eugeo.
The blonde swordsman earnestly cheered her up saying that although they didn't get the massive EXP gain that they were hoping for, they still found an unexpected gold mine. Thanks to her tip, if Eugeo ever needs to cut ties with Melromarc's corrupted royalty (and get banned from the Adventurer's Guild as a result), they would have another source of income to fall back on.
"Well… I would say that was a good attack combination," Eugeo complemented the girls.
"Alright then, I think today's haul should be enough to tide us over for the next few weeks..." Eugeo mumbled to himself as he estimated their day-to-day expenses in the foreseeable future.
Seconds after he said that the dungeon's air suddenly got noticeably hotter, forcing everyone to fan their faces with their hands in feeble attempts to cool themselves down.
"Oh, the Wind magic's effects ran out. Here, let me conjure it again," Rifana said, her dominant hand aloft.
"Generate Aerial Element – Discharge!" She casted again.
Ever since Eugeo and Alice had taught her and Kirin how to use the magic from their world while on their way to the volcanic dungeon few days ago, Rifana had been constantly using it in their expeditions to the hot dungeon so she could practice it as well as to keep the heat off them while they fought the resident monsters. Her Wind affinity seemed to make her Aerial Element more effective and longer lasting compared to the other Sacred Art Elements.
Similar story for Kirin with her Umbra Element along with the Aerial Element.
After witnessing the devastation that he indirectly caused back in Lerno Village (Eugeo still felt responsible for that debacle despite everyone telling him otherwise), Eugeo wished to travel to the Northern Territories to check on Itsuki's whereabouts. Hoping that nothing apocalyptic happened during one of his fellow Hero's heroic acquisitions; he just had a hunch that he hoped was wrong.
With their finances pretty much secured for a good long while, Eugeo and his party all decided to depart the town after one more night of rest.
Wiping some sweat dripping from his brow caused by the dungeon's constant heat, Eugeo asked, "Now then, who wants to have another round in the town's renowned hot springs?"
The rhetorical question was predictably met with very enthusiastic agreements and cheers, most especially from the girls. Not only do they want to wash away the sticky sweat from their stewing bodies thanks to their dungeon crawling, but they also wanted to give Eugeo and themselves some much needed relaxation before they had to head out again.
As such, for the passed four nights, Kirin, Anna, Rifana and even Alice encouraged (borderline demanded) Eugeo to enjoy himself and relax his mind. This was the reason why Anna would recommend a different inn for each night that they stayed so Eugeo could explore more of what this Hot Spring Town had to offer. The employees of each inn were also more than enthusiastic to serve Eugeo and his party once they realized who he was.
Strangely enough though, Eugeo couldn't help but feel that Anna was specifically searching for something (as he overheard her once asking the inns if they offered anything "spicy" in their services). Leaving Eugeo (and in extention, Alice) completely dumbfounded on what "spicy service" even meant.
"Hey Master Eugeo!" Anna called out, cutting off his thoughts as she waved her hand to get his attention, "We finished extracting the magma cores! You can collect them now!"
"R-right! I'm on my way!" Eugeo stuttered out and approached his companions, pointedly trying his hardest not to look directly at the direction of the girls of his party. Much to the equal embarrassment of Kirin and Rifana, while Anna (and secretly Alice) was immensely amused. Most especially Anna, as the Serpentine seductress had been purposely putting a little more bounce and sway in her body movements just to tease her Master even further.
Why is the Sword Hero so flustered that he couldn't even look at his female companions you may ask?
Well, the root cause of this predicament had something to do with the dungeon's much higher room temperature. Because of the volcanic caves being so hot, everyone in the party were sweating like crazy despite not being really fatigued by their battles. Forcing everyone, even Arthur (because of how hot his feathers were making things for him, he reverted to his human form) to remove some of their battle armor and garments just so they could cope with the constant heat emitted by the dungeon walls.
Because of this, Eugeo couldn't remain fully clad in his Integrity Knight armor in the dungeon; lest he get a heat stroke. So, he had to take most of the armor off, leaving him in a short-sleeved shirt and the breastplate on top, his gauntlets, as well as a short pants at the bottom.
While Eugeo and Arthur didn't have much trouble with their clothing adjustments... the female half was a whole other story!
Once the girls finished removing some of their clothing to relieve themselves from the heat, they soon realized that their appearances left very little to any straightforward man's imagination! The girls blushed furiously (with the exemption of Anna, who was actually happy to show herself off a bit) as they exposed more of their skin than what they were comfortable of showing to their beloved Hero. Although the embarrassment that they felt was reduced after their first day in the dungeon, it never truly went away.
Although, this condition wasn't all bad news for the girls – after all, they got to see more of Eugeo's physique than they normally did since he would be wearing his Integrity Knight armor most of the time and wear long-sleeved shirts as his sleeping attire.
This was the most skin they saw of their Hero.
They knew that he was in his late teens, but his arms and legs were finely toned compared to other boys his age, making him look more attractive to them. Taking a good look at his arms and legs, they had to wonder how his bare chest would look like.
Every time this thought invaded Kirin and Rifana's heads, it had the more innocent maidens blushing furiously (even swoon sometimes) in addition to their embarrassments for their rather skimpy current attires. Thus, they were grateful for the fact that they had a plausible excuse in the form of the dungeon's heat whenever Eugeo or Arthur asked them if they were alright.
Anna on the other hand, didn't seem to mind too much – as she already had a very good idea of Eugeo's full physique. And it wouldn't be very long until she gets to see it with her own eyes – in fact, she was really looking forward to it.
Through all this drama though, Arthur was left confused of the entire situation. His Filolial way of thinking led him to assume that it was only natural for members of the opposite sex to expose a bit of themselves to each other. Especially if the members in question were already potential mates (like what his father Eugeo and the other girls were officially known as).
"All done!" Eugeo loudly declared as he finished storing up all the magma cores into his Sword Inventory (while still making sure to keep the girls out of his field of vision) before announcing, "Let's get going, I'm sure I'm not the only one who needs a bath."
Arthur and the girls could only agree on this...
"And I know just the inn that we're going to try next~"
...with Anna adding that one last remark.
For some unexplainable reason, Eugeo felt a chill crawl down his spine upon hearing Anna say that, despite the extreme volcanic heat of the dungeon. Especially with that overly innocent look on her face no less!
In a small village not too far away from the hot spring town...
"This is certainly an impressive seed," the chubby merchant said as he analyzed the seed in question with a magnifying glass, "I would be happy to take as many as you could give me, including all of your leftover produce."
"That's good to hear," Naofumi sighed in mild relief now that he didn't have to worry about his excess fruit going to waste.
He received quite a lot of them from Lerno Village to serve as a gift from the people. But there were so much of them that he couldn't sell them fast enough despite spending a few days of traveling to different villages. The only reason why the fruits hadn't started to go bad yet was thanks to Mash-senpai. Using one of her more obscured Shield Skills to slow down the rotting process of the fruits.
But with the fruits now in the merchant's hands, the fruit can now be distributed to the people much faster while also earning Naofumi a bit of money for providing them.
"It's always a pleasure doing business with you Sir Shield Hero," said the cheerful merchant as he hands over a pouch full of silver coins.
"Likewise."
Naofumi replied with a nod as he received his payment. He then stood up with the intention of reuniting with his party (who were waiting for him outside of the establishment) when the merchant decided to ask for his services again.
"Sir Shield Hero, if you're not too busy at the moment, can you assist me with a little errand that I have for you?" the chubby merchant said before said Hero could exit the room, "There is a hot springs town not too far away from here. I need you to deliver some goods to an inn there."
"A hot springs town?"
"Oh yessss... the town is called Springvale. As you can already tell from the name alone, it's quite renowned for having the largest number of natural hot springs in all of Melromarc," the merchant explained before adding a little something to sweeten the deal for the Shielder, "I'm also close friends with the owner of that inn I'm sending you to. So, if you would, I could put in a good word for you so you and your friends could enjoy 1 night in their famous hot springs free of charge."
That last bit at the end definitely caught Naofumi's interest. Having a relaxing soak in a warm bath was a luxury that he hadn't experienced for himself ever since arriving in this world. While he was financially secured for the most part, (having a surprisingly large sum of money safely stored inside his Legendary Shield) he was still hesitant to spend it on random luxurious accommodations. Mash-senpai also agreed on that decision and advised that it was better to save that money for more important expenses in the near future.
Like the supplies and upgrades that they would inevitably spend money on once the next Wave of Catastrophe comes around the corner. So, the offer of having a relaxing night, in what could be the equivalent of a top-of-the-line hot spring resort for free, was a very tempting offer!
'What do you think Senpai?' Naofumi finally asked his Senpai after a moment of pondering as he wasn't really sure on what to do, 'This errand doesn't seem to be all that urgent and we aren't really hurting on money anymore... and we really should be traveling to that village Eugeo was talking about so we can collect those rare ores that he left behind for us.'
'Hmmmm...' Mash hummed for a few seconds with her thoughts before coming into a decision, 'I think you and the girls should go enjoy the hot springs... all of you really do deserve a rest and some time to unwind.'
'But...'
'Don't worry too much Kouhai,' Mash giggled in good humor as she attempted to alleviate some of her Kouhai's worries, 'The world isn't going to collapse if you decide to take a day off. Working yourself to exhaustion with no breaks in between isn't good for an upcoming Hero. Trust me, I know what it's like to experience a burnout – not a pleasant feeling.'
Mash couldn't help but reminisce about the past, the comrades that she fought alongside and the precious memories that she shared with her beloved Senpai. That was part of the reason why Chaldea would often hold various celebrations, holidays and even some events for her Senpai and her fellow Servants. To allow the Servants to take part in some recreational activities and placate some of their built-up stress while in between the more crucial Singularities of human history.
Clueless about Mash-senpai's own trip down memory lane, Naofumi simply chuckled as he turned his attention back to the merchant to relay his decision. Needless to say, Rino was more than just thrilled when Naofumi delivered the news of where they were going to travel next. Raphtalia and Guinevere merely felt intrigued at the idea as both of them hadn't experienced a Hot Spring before.
Hearing this just made Rino even more determined to reach their destination as quickly as possible to rectify that. Considering it to be a great injustice for her two friends and fellow traveling companions to not even know the wonders of a Hot Spring!
While Naofumi and his crew were making their way to Springvale...
Eugeo and his own group were just re-entering said town after another tiring and sweaty day in the dungeon.
The townspeople, having grown used to the Sword Hero's presence for the passed four days, didn't bat an eyelash when Eugeo and his party returned from their dungeon venture. No longer making a commotion over his presence, unlike their initial reaction back when Eugeo first arrived in town. Their previously chaotic reaction over his identity now reduced to a mere respectful greeting as the Sword Hero walked by.
Something Eugeo was very thankful for.
Anna volunteered to search for tonight's accommodations while Eugeo and the others would go to the marketplace to purchase some supplies. Although Alice reported to them earlier that they still had a sizable amount of food stockpiled within her [Item Storage] , Eugeo decided that it was best for them to prepare for the worst.
If their hunch concerning the Bow Hero turns out to be correct and he did unfortunately cause some kind of widespread mishap, they would at least have the extra resources to help the people who were affected by the aftermath.
Unbeknownst to Eugeo and the others however, while they were busy preparing for tomorrow's departure, Anna was also busy with her own plans for the evening.
Since tonight would likely be their last stay in Springvale for the unforeseeable future, Anna decided that it was high time for her to put her little scheme into action while she still had the chance.
Anna's intentions weren't really malicious in any stretch of the word...
calling it frisky or naughty would be a much more appropriate term to use...
as all she really wanted to do is to have some quality boy-girl bonding time with her Master Eugeo with none of the others around! (With the exemption of Lady Alice of course, as she still couldn't be separated from Eugeo from a prolonged period of time) The casual hugging and spooning that they did during her turn of bed sharing with him 3 days prior was just not going to cut it!
She wanted more!
To give some more context to her situation, Anna was originally hoping that the volcanic dungeon that she recommended would cause their party to stay in Springvale for a much longer period of time. For a few weeks at the very least.
The only possible reason for them leaving was to make a quick visit to Castle Town to get Class Upgrades once she and the others reached Level 40 (although there was a high chance that the Three Heroes Church would reject them purely out of principle despite being Eugeo's companions), yet still a much longer stay.
Not only to give Eugeo more time to master their world's magic system (while getting more rest on the side in between battles), but to also allow Anna to go through her mating phase in a much safer and secure location.
One might wonder, "Why would Anna go through all of this trouble just to prepare for her impending lovemaking with Eugeo?"
Well... the answer had more to do with her racial inheritance rather than her own emotional desires.
Make no mistake, Anna really has grown to love Eugeo despite having only known him for a poultry few weeks. With Eugeo's firm yet gentle personality and powerful yet humble disposition, it was nearly impossible for Anna (or any straight woman for that matter) to not develop an interest for the young Sword Hero. Add in the fact that Eugeo saved her from a fate far worse than death, then she would have to be the biggest fool in all the world to not attempt a more intimate relationship with her savior.
But what made Anna's situation even more complicated, is the fact that her race called Serpentines were known to have extremely high sex drives. Their sexual impulses can become so high that a normal Serpentine couple (especially the newlywed ones) can go for 6 hours straight of nonstop lovemaking!
Something a human like Eugeo (no matter how powerful he is and will become as a Cardinal Hero) could never physically and emotionally handle!
So, in order to prevent herself from fucking Eugeo like crazy when her arousal reaches its peak once again, Anna came up with a simple yet effective idea. And that was, to purposely commit some perverted activities with her love interest before her mating phase begins in full swing. Thereby allowing Anna to lessen some of her sex drive and retain some of her rationality once her big night finally comes.
With that in mind, Anna finally decided to call in a few favors...
"Hey there Katheryn!"
from a certain Inn of Springvale that still owed her a great deal for her past services.
"Is that you Miss Anna?! Welcome back!" a young and somewhat attractive female employee (possessing shoulder length brown hair and wearing the standard lime green servant's uniform) cheerfully greeted Anna with a big hug. Something the snake woman is happy to reciprocate, as Katheryn was one of the few individuals that she had grown attached to when she visited Springvale for the first time.
Back then, Queen Mirellia, the true ruler of Melromarc, decided to use the tourism that Springvale provided as an additional steppingstone to foster more peaceful relationships with the Demi-human nations. Bringing in a sizable amount of Demi-human citizens and Adventurers to Springvale with a promise of good fate and that they will be treated fairly by all its inhabitants. And in exchange, Siltvelt would be obliged to do the same for their Human citizens, as to encourage both sides to gradually bury the hatchet that had plagued their societies for so long.
Anna was a rising Rookie Adventurer at the time, so when word got out of how Silvelt was asking for volunteers to be sent to Melromarc, the young Anna was eager to accept. Wanting to broaden her horizons as an Adventurer while also, not so secretly, desiring to experience a genuine hot spring as opposed to the artificial ones.
It took a bit of effort and some back-and-forth persuasions, but the young Anna was eventually able to come up with an agreement with one of Springvale's top Inns. In exchange for her high tier services of collecting valuable spa minerals from the nearby volcano, Anna would be able to enjoy their Inn's renowned hot springs free of charge.
And as you can assume, the rest is history.
"You've been gone for quite a while," Katheryn commented as she and Anna released the hug, "Where have you been after all this time?"
"It's... kind of a long story," Anna's smile became slightly strained as she shook away the unpleasant memories before thinking fast. Anna quickly changed the subject by saying something juicier for a teenager's ears, "Let's just say... I have finally found my man."
Katheryn instantly forgot about asking for what happened to Anna and focused more on what any normal teenager would deem as more important.
Who...? when...? where...? and how she met her destined other?! Leading to Anna enlisting her and a few of her other colleagues' to help in setting up their Inn for tonight's special guest.
" " "This is where we're staying for the night!?" " "
Eugeo, Rifana, Kirin and even Arthur blurted out in surprise as they all stared up at the establishment that Anna had led them to after they finished their shopping. While it wasn't the most extravagant, it was still definitely one of the town's most renowned tourist attractions.
"How much is this going to cost us Anna?!" Kirin blurted out frantically as she could already estimate just how expensive these types of Inns could be on a good day. She is a clan heiress after all and was somewhat familiar with these kind of expenses from her mother's teachings.
Even though she was a noble, Kirin had been taught not to spend money on a whim and use them responsibly by her parents – quite a rare trait compared to the other nobilities that existed in this world, who would likely waste no time spending huge amounts of money on extravagant jewelleries or dresses for their collection. While the act of buying accessories and dresses was in of themselves not a crime, the thing was that many of those bought items may just stay in the wardrobe forever, since the nobles that bought them had many more – maybe even too much to count.
Kirin never saw the need to buy expensive dresses that she probably wouldn't even wear; she only bought them when she knew that she would like the dress enough to wear it from time to time, so she had been good in managing her finances – a rare trait among the other nobilities in the world, indeed.
Which was why their party's treasury advisor had been given to Kirin for the moment so that she could give advice on what to spend or not spend money on, and there hadn't really been complaints so far.
While they were certainly not hurting in the financial department (despite Arthur's nearly bottomless stomach), they were still trying to keep their day-to-day expenses in moderation. They would be needing money to fund their operations for the Waves of Catastrophe after all!
Although Anna's answer...
"Absolutely nothing!"
just made everyone even more perplexed. The questioning looks on Eugeo's and the others' faces promptly made Anna to give a somewhat reasonable explanation.
"Long story short, this particular Inn owes me a lot for its success," Anna exclaims proudly as she crossed her arms beneath her breast, emphasizing their larger than average size before explaining further, "You see, this place is one of the very few Inns in Springvale that use special minerals from the volcano to add some unique properties to the water of their respective hot spring pools. I eventually became their go-to Adventurer since I had proven to be a very reliable fighter and collector. Since my past actions helped their business to grow, the owner and I came to an agreement. As long as I keep my visits irregular and refrain from bringing attention to myself, I can freely enjoy the Inn's hot springs without any need for payment. A pretty good deal, don't you think?"
Eugeo, Kirin and Rifana (and Alice) could only nod in agreement as they skeptically followed Anna and entered the more refined Hot Spring establishment. Arthur simply tilted his head in confusion while walking, as he simply lacked any knowledge about monetary matters aside from the bare minimum.
Like how much a kebab from a street vendor would cost him for example.
Anyways...
Because the main staff were told about their esteemed guests ahead of time (unlike the other locations that Eugeo stayed in for the past few nights), they were able to prepare their more "pristined" accommodations well before they arrived. A sizable portion of the Bathing areas were already put on reserve for the young Hero's use as well as a few high-class guest rooms for them to spend the evening. Something Anna had to explicitly request to Katheryn and her colleagues to never mention to Eugeo, knowing fully well how her man disliked receiving special treatment.
Kirin, Rifana and Arthur were then casually led to a separate section of the Bathing area (as per Anna's request) while Eugeo is pointed to a different direction.
When Eugeo questioned the staff on why Arthur was separated from him, Katheryn smoothly replied with an honest answer about them having a spring specifically tailored for bird type Demi-humans. Successfully settling some of Eugeo's worries, it also helped that Alice didn't sense any ill intent or prejudice coming from any of working staff. So, there's that.
"Right this way Sir Eugeo," Katheryn instructed as she navigates the lone Sword Hero to the hot spring's reserved section while making a few subtle glances towards said Hero.
Curiously observing the man who had caught her Serpentine friend's fancy, and all things considered, she wasn't disappointed.
While the Sword Hero's appearance makes him look a bit too young and immature to be in a relationship with someone like Anna – a young woman who was forced to grow up quickly due to complicated circumstances.
Eugeo more than made up for it with his other qualities:
Not only for his strength...
but for his mental fortitude...
and his moral integrity.
The Sword Hero's eyes, while still holding a certain softness and kindness for others, didn't have that misplaced confidence and arrogance that most Adventurers possessed. The fact that Eugeo was also the one who saved her friend from a dire situation had already placed him pretty high in Katheryn's good books. Although Anna refused tell her the full story and just the bare minimum, as any more information might cause trouble for her Hero and savior.
"Dinner should be ready shortly after sunset," Katheryn informs him as she opened the changing room door before bowing towards Eugeo, "This is where you can leave your clothes. The door at the end of the hall leads to the hot springs outside. I hope you enjoy your stay."
"Thank you," Eugeo responds with a nod as he enters the room and Katheryn proceeded to close the door. But just before the door fully closed, Eugeo managed to hear her soft whisper.
"Thank you for saving my friend."
Hearing this, Eugeo attempted to turn around to give a reply, but lost the chance as Katheryn's rapid footsteps indicated that she hurriedly left upon closing the door.
'Anna sure has a lot of friends doesn't she, Eugeo,' Alice commented in mild amusement.
Eugeo could only nod in agreement with an equally amused chuckle as he began removing his battle armor along with the rest of his clothes underneath. Grabbing one of the white towels and wrapped it around his waist, Eugeo opened the shoji door that led outside. Grey rocks surrounded the rim of each body of water that was scattered throughout the area, forming little mini pools. With some of them even having a little elevation for visitors that wished to have a bit more privacy.
'I think I should do something nice for her once I get the chance. Something special, just to show my appreciation for all her help. Her information and old connections really did help us a lot during our entire stay here in Springvale.'
'Mmmhmm, agreed.'
Aaahhh...
poor and (somewhat) innocent Eugeo...
if only he knew just how much appreciation Anna would be receiving from him...
in more ways than one.
Meanwhile, on Naofumi's end...
"Thank you so much for your delivery, good sir."
One of the Inn's many servant girls said as she finished inspecting the crates that were delivered to them by Naofumi. After taking took a moment to verify the letter that Naofumi received from his business partner, the servant quickly gave Naofumi a confirming nod.
"With this, the order is now completed. As per your agreement as well as our payment, we welcome you to the Inn free of charge for 1 given evening. May you have an enjoyable stay."
"Thank you."
Naofumi replies with a little bit more sincerity in his voice upon hearing this. After learning the establishment's location, the Shielder turns around to see where his party had gone while he handled his business matters.
"Ooouuu... it's soooo warm~!" Guinevere sighs in contentment as she dips her feet into the small "resting spring" that she found not too far away from her father's delivery stop.
"You think this is good? You should see all the other hot springs this town has to offer," Rino bemused as she and Raphtalia seemed to have removed their respective footwear so they could also relax their feet in the shallow water, "I hope the Inn that Master Naofumi got recommended to is a good one."
"Mmhmm, looking forward to it," Raphtalia hummed as she unconsciously wagged her tail in anticipation. Imagining where they could enjoy some luxury like this before they had to continue their journey.
"Hey daddy! This water is so great!" Guinevere beamed as she saw her father approaching them, "Can we go to this Hot Spring thing too? can we?!"
"As long as you stay in your humanoid form, then sure," Naofumi answered with a small smile at his daughter figure before shifting his focus on Raphtalia and Rino.
"It seems our business partner came through for us. Thanks to that letter of recommendation he gave us as insurance, we really do get that 1 free night in the hot springs."
Needless to say, the three girls were more than elated.
"Hooray!" Guinevere cheered as she gleefully ran over and gave Naofumi a big hug, "I love you daddy!"
Raphtalia and Rino could only smile as the watched the much happier Shield Hero fondly patting their youngest member's hair.
After 15 minutes of relaxation on Eugeo's part...
"Haah..."
The blonde Sword Hero sighed in bliss as the steaming water submerged his body in its warm embrace. Letting his towel to loosen just a tiny bit underneath the water. Adjusting his position to get more comfortable.
"Haaaaaaah..."
And right by his side is Alice, now in her naked human form...
"Oh, how I missed this..."
as she finally gets the enjoyment that had been deprived from her for the past few days.
Don't get her wrong, Alice knew fully well that the circumstances wouldn't allow her to enjoy the hot springs with Eugeo. Other male visitors might come along and see her if she chose to materialize, after all.
However, now that they had this part of the bathing area all to themselves, Alice was now free to enjoy this with Eugeo in the privacy of their own pool.
"Hey Eugeo..."
"Yes Alice?"
"Do you remember the times when we used to bath like this... back when we were kids?"
"Yeah... I remember... it's one of my most cherished memories," Eugeo replied with a sigh of remembrance before ending it with a teasing smirk, "I also recall how you acted more like a boy instead of a girl back then."
"Mmmpff!" Alice let out a pout of indignity upon hearing that statement, crossing her arms under her breast as she turned around in childish defiance, "I'll have you know, I grew up to be quite the feminine young lady since then! Especially after we grew out of our toddler years and started training on the Sacred Arts."
"Hahaha... Yes. Yes, you did," Eugeo said with a humorous chuckle before looking at the water to change the subject, "I can't tell how, but this pool really is a lot more relaxing compared to all the other pools that we've tested so far."
"It must be because of that 'special' mixture that Anna told us about," Alice contemplated as she uncrossed her arms and cupped her hands to scoop up a small bit of the water, "From what I can tell, the mixture on each pool is different. Some of the other pools are focused on skin care while others are for treating scars and muscle pains. The pool that we're currently in acts more like a de-stressifier since it partially dulls the senses of anyone who sinks into its contents, making it easier for any stressed-out visitors to forget about their troubles and simply enjoy their time here."
"Wow, that's pretty neat. I bet Kirito would have loved it here," Eugeo commented with small chuckle.
"Considering how much he loves to take naps at every chance he gets, I'm sure he would," Alice agreed with a giggle as they both thought about Kirito and his lazy antics.
The two laughed at the pleasant memories before their laughter became slightly more melancholic as they reminisce about the friend that they have left.
"I hope he's doing okay..." Eugeo mumbled softly as he couldn't help but worry for his black-haired friend. He did, quite literally, perished in Kirito's arms after all.
"I'm... sure he's doing fine Eugeo," Alice answered with the best reassuring smile that she could manage despite not being 100% sure with her claim herself, but still.
"The memory of my other self is hazy at best... but I can confidently tell you that she would help Kirito get through the pain of your untimely departure."
The young Sword Hero couldn't help but sigh as there was nothing he could do other than to believe in Alice's assurance.
"Thank you, Alice," Eugeo whispered in her ear with a much more somber tone as he wrapped his arms around her, gently pulling her closer to his chest, "I'm so... happy that we could share a moment like this again."
"Me too..." a strong shiver crawled up Alice's spine in surprise as she felt her lover's breath caressing her earlobes.
Although it started a bit abruptly, Alice didn't resist Eugeo's advances and was more than happy to cuddle against him while leaning her head against his shoulder. Both of them having small blushes on their cheeks as they shared some more skin against skin contact.
The couple's breathing and arousal getting heavier and heavier as time went on. Although they already shared a night of passion with each other, that still didn't stop them from feeling embarrassed over doing something remotely intimate.
Unfortunately for them though, before things could escalate any further, their moment of intimacy got disrupted as another player decided to jump into the fray.
"My~ my~... getting all warmed up I see~"
The silky voice of one particular Serpentine caused the blonde duo to jolt in surprise.
"HUH?!"
Both Eugeo and Alice let out an uncharacteristic yelp as they released their embrace and inadvertently scampered away from the intruder's sudden appearance.
"I see that you two have been enjoying yourselves~~Hmmm~~..."
Eugeo's entire head was burning bright red at this point as the literal snake of a woman before him giggled at his expense. With an already alluring smile, Anna seductively brushed aside a few strands of her hair away from her face and into the back of her ear. With only a white towel wrapped around her nude body and her ample breasts barely being concealed, even someone like Eugeo would be defenseless against Anna's dazzling allure.
Alice on the other hand was feeling a strong tinge of annoyance and jealousy, as not only did her private time with Eugeo get interrupted, but the sight of the intruder before her was also damaging her pride as woman. Especially when said intruder is purposely exposing her admittedly larger breasts and jiggling them all over the place with every movement of her body!
'I know I shouldn't feel insecure like this...
we all agreed that we'll be sharing Eugeo between us girls...
I already know that Eugeo sees me as attractive...
Our night of passion back in Siltvelt is more than proof of that...
but even so...
why does seeing her flaunting those things on her chest annoy me so?!?!?!?!'
Clueless as to what was going on with Alice's thoughts, Eugeo's gaze continued to soak in the sight of Anna's curvaceous body. Said woman feeling quite proud of herself for inciting this kind of reaction out of her Hero.
But she had plans for tonight and she couldn't delay it any further.
"Master Eugeo..." Anna called out to her savior with a much more serious tone as she tapped her temple, figuratively requesting for a mindscape conversation, "May I have a word with Lady Alice for a few minutes. It's for something a bit... private."
"Uhh... sure?"
Despite the confusion, Eugeo didn't question Anna's request and gave his nod of approval to Alice before embarrassingly paddling away to give the two girls some privacy. In more ways than one!
Eugeo did his best to keep his eyes from wandering as Anna dips her body into the water.
Said Serpentine quickly takes hold of Alice's shoulder as her mind is quickly whisked away into the Sword Spirit's mindscape for a private chat.
Within the mindscape (with Alice in her angelic form and Anna in her preferred sexy attire), Anna didn't beat around the bush and elaborated to Alice the predicament that she was currently in...
how there was nothing Anna could do to stop her own procreating functions from going into heat...
how resisting her snake like impulses for too long might lead to disaster...
and how she planned to resolve this issue by carefully regulating her private times with Eugeo; to satisfy some of her sexual desires while also preventing herself from taking things too far.
Alice felt a bit conflicted upon hearing Anna's revelation. After all, if she truly wanted to, she could instantly solve this entire ordeal in a flash.
She could easily use her [Hormonal Manipulation] Skill that she received when unlocking the [Sword of Procreation] to tone down Anna's impulsive phase and the problem would be solved!
But...
doing so...
wouldn't be fair for Anna.
'Anna has done us a great service,' Alice thought to herself as she recalled the favor that she owed Anna over their time back in Siltvelt, 'It's only right that I return the favor.'
And so...
instead of using her power to resolve the issue on the spot, Alice decided to give Anna her blessings. Agreeing to allow Anna to get an early start of her alone time with Eugeo and would automatically de-materialize herself upon exiting her mindscape.
With this, they were even.
Though, she would have to reveal to Anna about her newfound [Hormonal Manipulation] skill in the future.
Preferably after Anna's peak season has already come to pass.
Eugeo was left beyond confused once the two scantily clad women finished their heart-to-heart talk.
His confusion quickly evolving into panic when Alice immediately transformed back to her Sword form without saying a word.
'Alice?! What...?!'
Despite Eugeo's attempts in questioning Alice on what happened through their telepathic link, Alice remained cryptic. All he got from her was an awkward chuckle and a few parting words...
'I'm sorry Eugeo!But this is for your own good!'
Unfortunately, or fortunately – whichever would you prefer – Eugeo never got the chance to say anything else as the remaining snake woman quickly seized him like her life depended on it. Anna's smooth yet powerful fingers took a firm hold of Eugeo's face and pulled him closer to hers.
"My apologies Master Eugeo~..." Anna murmured with noticeably heavier breathing as her already blushing cheeks darkened even more than it already was, "I promise to explain later... but... I just can't hold myself back any longer~!
Lime Start
Note: The only reason this part isn't classified as a Lemon Scene is purely because Eugeo and Anna didn't go all the way. Skip this part if you so wish.
Anna leaned down and Eugeo couldn't retreat, their lips meeting in a kiss for the very first time. The snake woman all but melted into the kiss in an instant, moaning into the Sword Hero's mouth as their lips meshed together – the instigator eagerly pouring all her emotions and passion into the kiss. The young Hero shuddered as Anna easily dominated the kiss, Eugeo being the amateur that he is.
Eugeo tried to end their lip lock with his hands going wild in trying to push Anna away without touching anything that he deemed inappropriate. Which ironically just made the task even more impossible than it already was...
"Mmmmpphh!" (*Splash!*)
But eventually...
"(*Squeal!~~*)"
Eugeo succumbed to Anna's fangs as his hormonal body started to betray his rational thinking... piece... by... piece!
With thinly veiled excitement, Anna shifted around Eugeo until she was kneeling in front of him. Without missing a beat Anna straddled Eugeo's lap, her arms wrapping around his neck while said Hero's hands reflexively coming to rest on her curvy buttocks. Pulling her delectable body against his own, her pleasantly soft breasts pressing against his chest with only a thin piece of towel separating them from direct skin contact.
A muffled groan escaped Eugeo's mouth as Anna rolled her hips, grinding herself against his now erected manhood. The rider giggled at his reaction, slinging one arm around his neck while the other slipped down, stroking his cock and pressing it against her pussy – not letting him enter her but leaving him so dangerously close to, able to slip inside with a buck of his hips. The prospect only added to Eugeo's bubbling arousal as a strained hiss passed through his lips as he proceeded to grope her plump rear and listening to her erotic moan of delight.
''Master...'' his Serpentine slave groaned in bliss as she broke off the kiss for much needed air.
Anna gasped and flushed a cute red, her expression torn between lust and adoration; both directed at Eugeo. The snake of a woman reached out and cupped his cheeks, eagerly pulling him into another deep kiss; one he gladly returned, devouring her hot moans as he stroked her delicate thighs. She felt so soft and smooth down there, his fingers sliding along her legs as he teased her back, eager to please her too.
''A-Ah... Master Eugeo...'' Anna gasped as they broke apart, spending only a second to utter his name before kissing him again. Their locked lips muffled her deep moan as Anna grabbed her stubborn bathing towel and pulled it off to reveal everything she had to offer for her master without protest. Willingly granting Eugeo the right to do everything he pleases with her curvaceous body.
Anna quivered as Eugeo allowed his hands to roam throughout her body and testing her reactions; shivering at the sound of her lustful moans, her voice so erotic it left him aching with need. Something Anna took note of, smiling into the kiss and grasping Eugeo's own towel before ripping it off to fully expose her beloved's manhood.
The young Sword Hero broke off the kiss and sucked in a gulp of air, quickly burying his head into the crook of Anna's neck. The snake of a woman moaned erotically as he kissed her vulnerable neck, peppering her skin with a flurry of kisses – his attention torn between her entrancing scent, and the warmth that her breasts brought as she firmly squished them against his muscled chest.
''M-Mm~'' Anna moaned as Eugeo's right hand suddenly latched onto one of her ample breasts, giving it a rough squeeze. ''Hyaah~''
Her sexy moans only encouraged him to do more as his other hand squeezed one of her butt cheeks, relishing her hot mewls and moans.
''A-Ah...'' Anna gasped as she grabbed Eugeo's wrist. ''Master... l-let me...''
Taking the metaphorical reins once more, Anna pushed Eugeo back until he bumped up against a flat piece of rock – his cheeks reddening as he took the hint, lifting himself out the water. Anna's smile widened and her eyes glued themselves to Eugeo's exposed manhood as he sat on the edge, an adoring awe in her eyes as she quickly moved closer.
"Oooh~ Master~… You've got quite the impressive 'sword' down here~" She seductively said, her gaze still glued to the object of interest.
The Sword Hero shuddered at the Serpentine's hot breath brushing against his aching manhood and groaned when she wasted no time in kissing the tip of his shaft. Her eyes flickered up to his and she smiled lovingly, licking the underside of his shaft with her snake like tongue and swiftly trailing up to the tip before taking it all in her mouth and giving it a satisfying suck.
''Nn...'' He grunted lowly, twitching when her tongue poked his tip.
Anna let out a breathy giggle, tilting her head slightly as she pushed her head down – her pink lips wrapping themselves around his manhood as she sunk down, engulfing his towering shaft with her hot, wet mouth. He tipped his head back and groaned, taking his eyes off Anna for a moment as the carrier eagerly took more of him inside her mouth, sucking him in with great enthusiasm. Her snake like tongue eagerly slithering at the underside of his shaft or curled around it, covering every inch in saliva and letting her take even more of him inside. Her happy hisses and moans sending pleasurable vibrations travelling through his length all they way up to the rest of his body.
Eugeo shuddered as Anna pulled her lips off his fully erected manhood with a soft but satisfying 'pop' sound.
The young Sword Hero could only stifle a groan as he stared at the snake woman below him. Said woman eagerly cupping her breasts and hefted them up – before smothering his manhood between her heavenly-soft breasts. Anna smiled sultrily at him and squished her breasts against his shaft, the unrivalled softness leaving Eugeo trembling as he held back his groans. It just felt too good; nearly making him collapse into the water on the sensation alone.
Anna let out a quiet giggle, rolling her breasts up and down his erection with aching slowness – completely engulfing his shaft with her soft boobs. The tip of his manhood just-barely poking out from her cleavage each time, his ample length hidden by her large tits, though he certainly wasn't complaining. Not that he could, since his normally gentlemanly mindset was still being overwhelmed by the high level of arousal that the woman before him was forcing him to feel. Even more so when Eugeo looked down and saw Anna leaning over and open her mouth, purposefully drooling onto his throbbing manhood.
''Haah...'' He exhaled slowly, gripping the rock beneath himself, forming small cracks due to his Hero strength – his shaft twitching between Anna's breasts as she moved them faster, the spring water and her own saliva acting as lubricant.
Minutes passed in what felt like moments, the heavenly sensation of her breasts rubbing against his shaft continued to melt his more rational mind – the sensation not unlike doughy pillows smothering his manhood. Anna's lustful smile never faltered even as she did it, going as far as leaning down and licking the tip whenever it poked out; the sensation of her slithering tongue nearly pushing him over the edge.
Eugeo's breathing grew heavier as the burn in his shaft grew stronger, his shaft throbbing with lustful need. Anna took notice and moved her breasts faster, bouncing them up and down his manhood with feverish excitement – giggling adoringly when his erection throbbed strongly, pre-cum smearing against her breasts as he drew closer to climax. Eager to get a taste the snake woman leaned down – and gave a quick, lustful lick.
A lick that proved too much for him.
''Ann- Nna!''
Ropes of cum erupted from the tip of his manhood, splattering all over Anna's beautiful face and coating her large breasts with his cum. Even as Eugeo came, Anna kept moving her breasts, coaxing out as much cum as she could and hissing as he painted her skin white, his cum dribbling back down her cleavage.
She slowed down as his orgasm subsided, dropping her breasts a moment later – smiling silently at his breathless expression. She raised a dainty finger up to her lips and quietly shushed him, her expression sultry as she leaned back into the water, shifting back towards the taller rock. The warm spring water helped wash away the cum covering her face and breasts, her skin cleansed as she rose back up.
The reptilian seductress continued to smile lovingly at him and snaking her arms around Eugeo's neck, pulling him into another gentle kiss. He laid his hands on her bare hips and returned the slow kiss, pressing himself up against her nude body and relishing the feel of her ample breasts against his chest – groaning softly when she reached down and stroked his manhood with a single finger, teasingly making sure he was still hard.
''Anna...'' The young Sword Hero breathed out, his hands sliding down from her hips and around to her ass – pulling her up.
The busty Serpentine wordlessly giggled, letting him lift her up and wrapping her legs around his waist, moaning softly when his manhood pressed against her slick womanhood.
Eugeo shuddered at the lewd contact as Anna rocked her hips, his shaft sliding along her lower lips but not outright penetrating her entrance; so achingly close it was enough to drive him mad.
It took a conscious effort on both sides to remind themselves not to go through with a sexual intercourse.
With Anna thinking that allowing her impulsive phase to reach its peak before going through with this is the best course of action while Eugeo thought that doing such an intimate commitment is far too soon and should also be done somewhere more private.
''M-Mm...'' Anna moaned quietly as Eugeo lifted her up a bit higher, allowing his face to be right in front of her nipples while his erection can prod over her folds.
But...
"Not yet... not now... not like this..."
Eugeo refrained from go for the final blow...
"Ahh..!~" Anna gasped in ecstasy as Eugeo showered her breasts with love and attention as his lips gave each of them some soft kisses and licks.
As Anna muffled her throaty groan by biting her lower lip, her hot womanhood is being caressed by Eugeo's trembling erection – the indescribable feeling almost melting all rational thought for both participants. Eugeo pulled her down along his length and rolled his hips as he listened to Anna's pleasure-filled moans, the erotic sound only encouraging him to keep going.
After spending what seemed to be an eternity of bliss, the young Sword Hero shuddered and tilted his upper body back, Anna's hands sliding to his shoulders as Eugeo simply gazed upon her curvaceous frame – watching her ample breasts jiggle alluringly each time she rode his manhood along her slick folds. Sending mutual shivers of pleasure throughout their spines while savouring Anna's erotic expression as she gasped for breath with her tongue sticking out.
''M-Master Eugeo~!'' Anna moaned his name out, their bodies smacking together again – whimpering when he assaulted her neck with heated kisses. ''Y-Yes~! Keep going~!''
Eugeo groaned wordlessly in response as he continued to deliver the sexual ministrations that the snake woman desired. The repetitive moans and lustful gasp echoed around them, the water sloshing around the duo as he bounced the woman on his lap. Each bounce nearly pushing Anna over the edge until Eugeo decided to grab her swishing reptilian tail and gave its tip a tight squeeze until-
''K-Kyaah~!'' Anna let out a sweet, orgasmic shriek as she finally reached her climax – her partially submerged womanhood suddenly clenching itself as she released some of her sexual fluids.
Eugeo's movements slowed in tandem with Anna's orgasm, a strained sigh passing his lips as he gradually came to a dead stop. Anna felt limp in Eugeo's arms as her heavy panting brushed over his ear erotically and making him shiver; his legs buckling under his own weight from exhaustion.
''Mn...'' The young Hero grunted as he slowly submerged Anna and himself back down into the water.
Anna mewled and continued to hold Eugeo close, nuzzling his neck as she basked in the afterglow – her once powerful legs now reduced to a pitifully numb state due to the wonderful pleasure. ''Ahh... Master Eugeo...''
''Let's just stay like this... for a little bit...''
''Mm...''
Lime End
After taking several minutes to catch their breaths...
with all the grogginess and muscle pains that came with their intense make out session...
Eugeo was finally able to ask Anna about why she instigated this entire scenario. Going so far as to involve Alice into it and her allowing Anna to seduce him into a make out session to such an extent. While he was fully aware of the agreement that the girls had over sharing him, he still wasn't fully adjusted to the thought of polygamy.
It was by this point that Alice returned to the world of the outside and helped Anna in her explanation. Informing him of the peculiar procreation cycle that Anna's race had to live with as well as the countermeasures that Anna had in place. Upon hearing this, Eugeo could only sigh in exasperation as another issue regarding his love life has been blown out of proportion once again. Especially when he discovered how Alice ultimately refused to use her [Hormonal Manipulation] skill on Anna. Saying that doing so would only disgrace the snake woman's feelings and her consideration over Eugeo's wellbeing.
"She made this plan for your sake, just as much as her own. The least we can do is honor it and gift her with the satisfaction that she deserves."
And so, after taking all of this in one big information dump, Eugeo crossed his arms and took a moment to ponder over what he had just heard.
Facing Anna with a much more serious expression, Eugeo finally shared what he had to say, "I will be completely honest with you Anna..."
Said snake slave could only gulp in both nervousness and arousal as her Master and future mate didn't seem to be the kind of guy to show this side of himself often.
"While we all agreed that I will be having more than just one love interest due to my Cardinal Hero status... I still haven't fully adjusted to this world's culture."
Anna nodded.
"Whether it was accidental or on purpose, a part me is still trying to uphold that way of life that I had for so long."
Anna nodded again, her emotions now starting to settle down as more of her logical functions are returning to her.
"While I admit that I physically enjoyed it..."
Anna couldn't help but preen upon hearing that...
"You unintentionally brought back some very bad memories."
Anna instantly wilted upon hearing Eugeo's statement. Alice on the other hand is mentally kicking herself for not thinking things through.
'What have I done?!'
Alice had a front row seat when Quinella violated her beloved, both in mind and body after all. Of course, Eugeo would be mentally scarred by such an experience!
'How could I have been so stupid!'
Seeing the looks of remorse on the two girl's faces, Eugeo continued...
"I'm willing to go along with whatever plan you have come up with for your phases Anna..."
Anna and Alice automatically beamed at that, but only slightly...
"All I ask is that you two to take it slow with the more intimate shows of affection."
This was followed by more subdued nods as the Snake woman and Sword Spirit fully accepted their man's condition and reprimanding.
"Well then..." feeling satisfied that he was able to get his point across, Eugeo decided that it was time to focus on more pleasant matters, "Now that we've established some limits regarding our relationships for the foreseeable future... why don't we all do what we're supposed to do. We came here to relax, not exhaust ourselves all over again."
Seeing their Hero's reassuring smile, the two quickly snapped out of their glum stupor and happily replied...
"U-Understood Master!"
"Q-Quite right Eugeo!"
before both ladies seized both sides of said Hero. Alice leaning her head against Eugeo's right shoulder while Anna leaned on his left, causing the young man to blush once again.
Although they did keep true to their words...
'I guess I can accept this as a form of restraint...'
It didn't stop them from pressing their breasts into a double embrace though.
Meanwhile...
"Rifana?!"
"Raphtalia?!"
" "What are you doing here?!" "
The two best friends exclaimed once they realized who they were sharing the hot spring pool with before happily giving each other a hug.
"Well, this is a pleasant coincidence now isn't it," Kirin chuckled as she waved at her fellow third wheeler.
"Quite so Lady Kirin, quite so," Rino giggled also at how ridiculous their luck is.
They already accepted that they wouldn't be seeing each other for a good long while and weren't consciously seeking the other party out... but they still ended up running into each other without meaning to.
Once the four of them were comfortably soaking themselves in the relaxing hot springs, they all began sharing what they had been up to as well as their group's next course of action.
"I highly suggest that you all wear some warmer clothes when you trek the mountain top that Master Eugeo talked about," Rifana instructed after recalling their short time there, "We managed to endure the cold thanks to a new skill that he unlocked at the time, but I'm not so sure if Sir Naofumi will get the same thing."
"I see, I'll make sure to convey this later to Master Naofumi. Thank you so much for the advice Rifana," Raphtalia replied gratefully.
"I also suggest that you go in the morning instead of the afternoon if you decide to do some level grinding there," Kirin raised her hand as she added, "One of the villagers mentioned to me that the wind starts to pick up once the afternoon air starts to set in."
"Thanks for the tip. We'll make sure to remember that piece of info," Rino said as she thanked Kirin for her advice.
"I guess we won't be seeing each for a good while after tonight, huh?" Kirin mumbled out loud as she stared at the sky.
"No more unexpected encounters for a while this time. Our group is heading Northward while yours is going East, right?" Rifana chuckled as she also stared up at the darkening sky before noticing something peculiar, "By the way, where's Little Ginny? I would have thought she'd be splashing all over the place by now."
"Oh, one of the staff members recommended Guinevere to go to another section of the Hot Springs," Rino answered before explaining. "they said that the waters there is more suited for Avian type Demi-humans. Since Guinevere is a Filolial, she technically fits into that category. I wouldn't be surprised if Anna is also offered a section that's specialized for reptilian Demi-humans."
"I guess that make sense," Rifana nodded in understanding before jolting a bit when she realized, "Wait! Does that mean-?!"
It was by this point that all their attention shifted when they heard the multitudes of splashing and youthful laughter coming from the other side of the stone wall.
"Hahahaha! Take this!"
"Gya! I'll get you for that Ginny!"
All four girls were silenced when they got the confirmation that Arthur and Guinevere really were sharing a pool and were having a total blast in their own youthful water fight.
"Well... at least they're having fun," Kirin awkwardly concluded as they heard more squeals and laughter. Arthur and Guinevere are still far too young and innocent to think about the opposite sex in any intimate way, so it was still somewhat acceptable for them to share a bath together like this.
Raphtalia stood up and was just about to try and take a look over the wall, when she grew curious of the writings engraved on one of the hot spring's decorative statues.
"The origins and benefits of this hot spring?" Raphtalia mumbled in confusion as she proceeded to read the rest of it, "Hm... what does a silver boar have to do with a hot spring?
That's interesting... and its effects are... success in love!"
The Demi-raccoon's flustered reaction caught everyone's attention...
"The couple that enters this hot spring together, will be united eternally! Does that mean that... if I can get Master Naofumi to bathe together with me in this hot spring…?!"
Raphtalia's imagination started to go wild at this point as images of her Master entered her mind. Thoughts of an undressed Naofumi, with nothing on but a towel, going close and personal with her as they shared a hot spring pool... these thoughts caused Raphtalia's face and raccoon ears to go completely red out of sheer embarrassment.
And unfortunately for her, the other girls were already in hearing range to hear her bashful ramblings...
"No! Master Naofumi! We c-can't k-kiss! I'll end being pregnant~!"
Kirin, Rino and Rifana all looked at Raphtalia with incredulous expressions, barely believing what they were hearing! Sure, Rifana had a similar problem of being clueless about some facts regarding procreation, but this was just plain ridiculous!
Deciding to take the initiative, Rino clamped down her hand on her fellow party member's shoulder and said something with a far too bright smile that caused Raphtalia to shiver in fear.
"Raphtalia, I think it's about time we break it to you about the infamous 'birds and the bees' talk…" Rino said to Raphtalia and started to pull her away to another part of the hot spring.
"Oh, and Rifana? Maybe you should come along too. I doubt you're to the point of your best friend here, but you still don't exactly know how biology works, do you?"
Rifana nervously confirmed Rino's suspicion.
"Then, follow me. Now that you've grown by leveling up, you need to at least know how reproduction works," Rino said to Rifana.
Rifana looked at Kirin, almost pleadingly. But Kirin just looked at her apologetically.
Kirin was well aware of the details – she had already been subjected to its horrors by her mother not too long ago – some time before meeting Eugeo.
And no way was she giving the 'talk' to someone, especially someone as young and innocent as Rifana! She would die of embarrassment if Ayane, the other Shadows, or worse – her mother found out about it!
"Sorry, Rifana… but Rino is right… you have to know the details sooner or later…"
And so, Rino almost dragged the two best friends to the other side of the spring to give them the infamous 'talk'.
Needless to say, afterwards the poor raccoon demi-human was at the brink of passing out by the time the entire talking session ended.
Rifana – while she was also blushing furiously by the end – surprisingly took it better than Rino and Kirin expected, since she already had SOME suspicion in regard to the details of procreation.
While Raphtalia and Rifana were being subjected to the so-called horrific talk...
"Aahhhh..."
Naofumi remained clueless to what was happening and is happily enjoying his first warm bath in what felt like forever. While he did have the money to spare for more accommodating inns whenever they were in small settlements, the Shield Hero still tried to keep his expenses at the minimum. Forcing the Shielder and his party to make do with bathing in cold water, oftentimes in secluded rivers and lakes where he was less likely to leave any crumbs for the King's Shadows to find.
But with Springvale being the way it was, being some kind of social experiment that was conducted by the Queen herself, the Trash King would be more than a bit hesitant to make a move against him here. Allowing the normally paranoid Shield Hero to be able to let down his guard and allow his mind to relax for the past few minutes. Which was really a personal record if you think about it.
'Coming to this town really was the right choice.'
'Too bad I can't join you,'Mash grumbled playfully,'Not yet anyway.'
'Don't worry Senpai. I'll make sure to unlock that Skill that Alice was using so you can havesomefreedom outside of this shield.'
'Thanks, Kouhai... but speaking about my colleague,' Mash started to giggle at this point, confusing Naofumi about what was so funny, 'Take a look at the left upper corner of your vision.'
Still confused, Naofumi followed his Senpai's instructions and raised his head to look up at the upper walls that separated his section of the Hot Spring from the reserved one and saw a familiar blonde head...
'Wait! Is that-'
or to be more precise, two blonde heads and one lavender head...
all leaning against each other as they soaked in their own hot spring pool...
while presumably undressed.
Say what you want about Naofumi being insensitive regarding woman, but even he would be flustered when presented with the situation his fellow Hero was currently in.
"Eugeo!" He blurted out without meaning to, slightly blushing at the bare skin of their backsides that Alice and Anna were displaying to him unintentionally.
Naofumi's outburst unsurprisingly caught the trio's attention...
"Naofumi?!" " "Sir Naofumi?!" "
as the trio turned around to see the Shielder gawking at the admittedly scandalous situation that he caught the Sword Hero in. Eugeo, Alice and Anna were all blushing a brilliant scarlet as the girls quickly waddled away from hot spring's edge, leaving Eugeo to be the one to face his fellow Hero.
"W-What a coincidence... right Naofumi?" Eugeo stuttered out as he scratched his head in awkward embarrassment.
"R-Right... strange coincidence…" Naofumi mumbled in reply as he stirred his head at the opposite direction.
Without anyone of them saying a word, the two sides all made an unspoken agreement to keep this encounter to themselves. While everyone was reduced to embarrassed silence (with Eugeo, Alice, and Anna feeling mortified of being seen in such a manner while Naofumi felt like he has just stepped on a minefield for seeing something that he shouldn't have), Mash was left in surprisingly hysterical laughter at seeing her Kouhai and her fellow Cardinal Spirit reduced to such a state. As innocent and as pure hearted Mash Kyrielight might be, even she had a sense of humor regarding the hilarious embarrassment of the people she cared about.
Later that evening…
Kirin, Raphtalia, and Rifana were all happily chatting with each other as they walked down the hallway of the inn (Rino wasn't with them for now since she had decided to send her family a letter since she most likely won't be able to send any money for the next couple of weeks), heading to their rooms.
As their chatter died down a bit, a conversation of two women that were passing by them came within earshot of the three girls.
"Say, have you heard of Latium?"
"Oh, you mean the rare crystal found in this area?"
"Yes. Apparently, love charms made with it works really well."
"Huh, really?"
"Yes, I've –"
That was all the girls managed to hear before an idea invaded their heads. And looking at each other, their womanly instincts told them that they were all thinking the same thing.
"Say, are you two thinking what I'm thinking…?" Kirin asked her demi-human friends.
" "Yes," " They nodded.
"I'll go ask the innkeeper where we can find that Latium. They'll tell me what they know once I tell them that I'm Anna's friend, and that I'm in Sir Eugeo's party," Kirin stated to the two. They agreed and the noble girl scampered on eagerly to find the innkeeper for info.
The two demi-human friends were left alone till Kirin returned with the info.
While they were alone for the moment, Raphtalia had to ask a question that had been bugging her for a while since she had discovered that Rifana was in Sir Eugeo's party after he rescued her and Anna.
"Say, Rifana… Can I ask you something?" Raphtalia asked her friend quietly and tentatively.
Rifana in response tilted her head curiously.
"What is it?"
"I may already know the answer to this, but I need to ask… Have you changed your mind about wanting to marry… well… you know," Raphtalia started but hesitated in finishing her question.
Rifana looked at her friend in surprise. But when she heard the word 'marry', she had an idea of what Raphtalia was trying to ask her.
"What is it? Do you want to know whether I still want to marry Sir Naofumi?" She asked in slight mischief.
"Oh, well… um…" Raphtalia stuttered to answer as Rifana had hit the nail on the head. Rifana gave a small laugh in response.
"You don't have to worry, Raphtalia. I know I've said that before the Waves began, but after everything that's happened, now I want to be by Master Eugeo's side. He saved me and Big Sister Anna, after all, like how Sir Naofumi saved you…"
"Besides, I can see that it's you that want to gain Sir Naofumi's affection now – you're thinking of obtaining that Latium so that you can make a love charm to give to him, aren't you? I mean, who else would it be?" Rifana asked.
Raphtalia became tongue-tied for a few seconds before giving a relenting sigh.
"Haa… Was it that obvious?" Raphtalia sighed.
"Well, I mean… if you've been trying to hide your feelings, then you were doing a very poor job at it. Not to mention, after what you blurted out in the hot spring earlier, wh-"
"Ahh!!! Please don't remind me!" Raphtalia quickly cut Rifana off as the embarrassing fiasco that had happened earlier resurfaced in her mind. She was taking the info a lot harder than Rifana was.
Rifana giggled at her expense, making Raphtalia blush even more.
"Sorry for teasing you, Raphtalia, but I am happy for you… Don't worry about me and go after Sir Naofumi… because I'm doing the same for Master Eugeo… Besides, I don't want to risk our friendship by chasing after the same Cardinal Hero," Rifana smiled as she gave her answer.
Raphtalia in correspondence, smiled brightly as well.
"Oh, Rifana… no matter what happens, you'll always be my friend," she said as she put her hand on top of Rifana's.
"But nevertheless, I'm glad you found someone you like too – and the Sword Hero, at that… Given Sir Eugeo's gentlemanly personality, I think you two would make a wonderful couple!" Raphtalia continued with a new glint in her eyes.
"Oh… do you really think so…?" Rifana asked. It was her turn to blush now.
Raphtalia nodded eagerly in response.
"Yes, I do! But there is one thing that worries me though…" Raphtalia trailed off mid-sentence. Rifana tilted her head in puzzlement.
"I feel that Miss Kirin and Miss Anna are also after Sir Eugeo's heart… So, you have a tough competition… both of them are very attractive as well, and… I'm worried that the three of you might have to fight each other for Sir Eugeo's affection in the future…" Raphtalia finished stating her worry.
Rifana stayed where she was, now completely bewildered.
'Oh, boy… How am I going to explain this?!?!'
She didn't have to worry about competing for Master Eugeo because they had all agreed to share him.
But she had been at a loss as to how she would explain to Raphtalia or anyone else about their party's intention for sharing the noble Sword Hero.
Master Eugeo himself was just as embarrassed as she was at the prospect of having to explain to the world their rather 'unique' relationship.
And the fact that her best friend was bringing the topic up for discussion certainly wasn't helpful in the least.
"Um… well… that is…" Rifana struggled to get even a single sentence out, silently pleading to the Lord above to give her a way out of her current situation.
Raphtalia watched her friend apparently trying to sort out her thoughts as she stuttered on.
But to Rifana's immense gratitude,
"Rifana! Raphtalia! I got the info from the innkeeper!"
Her salvation came in the form of Kirin interrupting their discussion, as if it had been cued for in a skit scenario. And she wasted no time in seizing this chance to change the topic.
"Really, big sister Kirin?! Where can we get them?!" Rifana asked, maybe a little too quickly.
Thankfully, Raphtalia's attention seemed to have been diverted from their current topic at the prospect of finding the Latium to make her love charm for her Master Naofumi.
"Apparently, big birds called Gagocco collect them in their nests. And it just so happens that the mountain near the inn is known to be the home of several Gagoccos! So, if we find their nests, chances are, we'll find several chunks of those crystals there!"
Raphtalia and Rifana looked at each other eagerly, then back to Kirin.
"Since our Heroes will likely have to leave tomorrow, tonight's the only time we'll have to obtain those Latium. So, I suggest the three of us sneak out tonight to go to the mountain together to look for the nest when our Heroes' fall asleep," Kirin suggested.
The other two girls agreed with refined determination.
"Alright, then. Let's disperse for now and meet up at the back of the inn close to midnight. Agreed?"
" "Agreed." "
Rifana and Raphtalia nodded.
So, Raphtalia headed back to Naofumi's room and Rifana and Kirin returned to their own room so they can prepare for their search of the valued crystal.
When Rifana and Kirin arrived back at their room, they found Anna sitting on the bed in a rather giddy manner. Arthur was already asleep on a different bed. Eugeo would be in a different room close to this one – if he had already returned to the room after talking with Naofumi, that is.
So, the two younger girls took this chance to explain their plans to find the Latium crystal to make a love charm during the night with Raphtalia and asked Anna if she wanted to go with them. Given how expressive Anna was when it came to her feelings for Eugeo, they thought she would eagerly agree to accompany them.
But to their surprise, she declined the offer, stating that she didn't believe such superstitions and that she didn't want to rely on a charm to earn her Master's heart. Besides, it was her turn to sleep with Eugeo that night, and no way was she passing up that opportunity.
But she encouraged the girls nonetheless to have fun on the hunt and that she was rooting for their efforts to earn Eugeo's heart as well, which the girls thanked her for.
Not too long after, Anna left the room to go to Eugeo's room, leaving the two girls alone. So, they practiced their Luminous Sacred Arts a bit as they would need a light source to brighten their way in the mountains.
And when the appointed meeting time came close, and were sure that Arthur, Eugeo, Anna and Naofumi were asleep, the girls quietly snuck out of their respective rooms and to the back of the inn.
"Raphtalia!" Rifana softly spoke out as she and Kirin were approached by the late Demi-raccoon.
"What took you so long?" Kirin asked in confusion.
"Sorry... " Raphtalia apologized with a soft clap of her hands before explaining, "Master Naofumi was strangely flustered when he returned from his bath. So instead of going to sleep straight away after getting dried up, he ended up brewing a few more batches of HP potions in order to clear his mind."
"Well, we weren't waiting for very long, so it's no problem," Rifana waved away her best friend's worry before noticing, "What about Rino? Did you tell her about our plans for tonight?"
"I did. But she declined in joining us. She said that she has her own gift that she's working on for Master Naofumi," Raphtalia said before making a humorous pout on her face, "I tried asking what it is, but she just kept telling me that it was a surprise."
"Hmm. I wonder what it could be."
The threesome then quietly made their way out of Springvale and into the forest that their information told them about. Each of them having their own private thoughts regarding their respective Heroes when they bestow their gifts for them.
'Now that I know that I won't get pregnant by just kissing...' Raphtalia shivered as she recalled her horrible enlightenment before shaking the disturbing thoughts and giving way to flustered embarrassment, 'Maybe getting a kiss on the lips is a bit too soon! On the cheek! Yes! Those would be a good first step!'
'Maybe I should ask one of the local jewllers to shape it like a flower. SinceMaster Eugeo seems to be quite fond of flowers.'
'My clan's emblem could be a good design for it... wait no, I should probably make my version to be a little more discrete. Maybe a bracelet or an armband. I definitely don't need any more of my clan's Shadows telling mother about this!'
"Ah, big sis's! What are you all doing here?" As a familiar girl's voice suddenly interrupted their respective little dream worlds.
" " "Huh…?" " "
They turned around to see…
" " "Guinevere?" " "
… the familiar angel-winged girl sitting on top of an elevated rock.
"We… we're actually out to get a gift for Sir Eugeo," Kirin answered, and Rifana agreed.
"Me too, except that it's for Master Naofumi," Raphtalia gave her answer.
"Really? I'm out here to get a gift too, for Artie!" Guinevere cheerfully gave her answer.
The three older girls stared at each other in surprise. They were all out in the middle of the night to find gifts for their respective love-interests?
… And, Artie…?
"Artie…? Do you mean…" Rifana tentatively asked.
"Mmhm, yes, I'm talking about Arthur!" Guinevere eagerly confirmed.
"He always calls me Ginny, so I thought I should give him a nickname too: Artie! I think he likes it!" She explained.
The girls looked at each other again – this time, in amusement and adoration.
She had given the little and handsome Arthur an endearing nickname… That was so cute!
Before the girls could let that fact go to their heads though, they recognized a potential problem…
The three of them were out to get some Latium. But if Ginny was also after it, it might be a problem…
They hoped that little Ginny wasn't also after the Latium… They didn't know if the Gagocco bird nest they were looking for had enough Latium for four people – they were probably already pushing their luck for praying that there would be enough for three.
While this thought entered the older girls' minds, Ginny asked them.
"So, are you all after the Gagocco bird's eggs too?"
"Huh?" The trio looked at her in confusion.
"I heard from the innkeeper that the Gagocco eggs are rare delicacies and that the birds build their nests in the mountains near the inn, so I wanted to get some for Artie so that we can eat them together. Oh, and to give some to daddy so that he can cook something delicious with them!" Guinevere answered.
The three girls relaxed at hearing her answer… So, she wasn't after Latium, but something else…
And conveniently, they all had the same objective of finding the Gagocco bird's nest to get their desired items.
"Okay then Ginny, come with us. We're also looking for a Gagocco bird's nest. But it's not the eggs we're after. We're after some crystals that the Gagocco birds are known to collect in their nests," Raphtalia offered her and gave the explanation.
Now knowing that the trio of big sisters wouldn't get in the way of finding the delectable treats for Arthur and her daddy, she gave a big smile.
"Okay, then let's go~!" Ginny eagerly said as she jumped off the rock she sat on and ran up the mountains.
"Wait, Ginny – slow down!" Raphtalia said as she went after the young Filolial. The other two girls followed them too.
"Yummy, yummy, yummy eggs~!" Guinevere sang on, running faster and faster the more excited she got.
"Come on slow pokes, let's go faster!" Ginny turned around to face them as she continued to go up the mountain backwards.
The three women could only chuckle at the little girl's antics, prompting them to speed up their stride to catch up to the overly enthusiastic Filolial.
"Wait, Ginny! Watch out!" Raphtalia yelled as she saw that Ginny wasn't paying attention to where she was going since she had her back turned.
Guinevere had let her guard down and ended up slipping at the pathway's edge. Raphtalia managed to grab Guinevere's hand at the last second, but due to the momentum, she ended up getting pulled down along with her.
And in a hilarious twist of faith, when Rifana and Kirin tried to help, (the Demi-weasel grabbing Raphtalia's hand and the Clan heiress holding the end of the human chain) but because of the weight of the 3 girls combined, Kirin couldn't hold on and the four girls ended up falling over the edge.
Fortunately, they landed on something soft that broke their fall...
Unfortunately, that soft something turned out to be a very much alive and extremely unamused Wild Boar monster!
" " " "Ahh~!" " " " the girls yelled in terror as they ran as fast as their legs would let them to get away from the berserk boar that was charging at them, clearly not happy about being woken up when they had fallen on it. And unfortunately for them, looking ahead, they found out that the path that they were running lead to a chasm!
"Now what?!"
"Raphtalia! Hop on my back!"
"Rifana! Let's do that Sacred Art spell!"
"Right!"
Raphtalia promptly jumped over on Ginny's back as she transformed while Kirin and Rifana both started chanting.
" "System Call: Generate Aerial Element – Tail Wind – Discharge!" "
With all of them building up speed, they all made the running jump, successfully crossing over the fissure. Looking back, the wild boar snorted grumpily over losing its pray before seemingly giving up its pursuit. Much to the girls' relief.
It was nearly dawn when the group finally managed to locate a Gagocco nest. Good thing too… they were all starting to get exhausted.
Not wanting to startle the mother Gagocco and potentially lose their shared prize, the girls crouched down and ever so slowly approached the nest. The bird noticed them and started to cry out in distress.
"Maybe we should... " Kirin was about to suggest that they should just put the screeching fowl to sleep when they all suddenly heard a familiar growl.
' ' ' 'Oh, come on! Seriously?!' ' ' '
Turning around, they all saw the very same wild boar that was now rapidly approaching them in a full powered charge. They all managed to dodge in time, but the same couldn't be said for the Gagocco and its nest.
" " "Ahh~!!!" " " Kirin, Rifana, and Raphtalia could only watch in disbelief as the boar scared off the Gagocco and destroyed the nest; simultaneously, the violet crystals that they had spent the whole night looking for got launched into the sky. Flying away far out of reach with three comical glints.
"No~! The eggs I was going to give to Artie and daddy…!" Ginny lamented, looking like she was about to cry. The Gagocco's eggs had all been destroyed with their yolks splayed on the ground.
The boar responsible for turning their effort into worthless foam snorted and dragged one of its front legs on the ground, readying to charge again.
Veins ticked on all the girls' foreheads as they turned to the boar with surprisingly threatening glares.
It was only then that the boar seemed to realize what kind of trouble it was in, for when it saw the livid glares of the four maidens in love that were denied their presents for their beloved, it stopped getting ready to charge, turned around, and high-tailed out of there.
Upon inspection, the boar's level wasn't very high compared to theirs to begin with, despite its huge size. Since the girls' objective was to find the Latium and the Gagocco's eggs (added to the fact that in their sleep-deprived state, they had forgotten to check its stats right until now), they judged that it was best to run away from it and not take it down. The boar had been lucky in that regard.
But now… Well, the boar had pushed its luck and practically dug its own grave after what it had done to the Gagocco's nest. And as the old saying goes, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned'.
Especially when there's four of them involved!!!
"Stop right there~!" Rifana yelled, her usual timid but graceful attitude replaced with teenage fury.
"You're not going anywhere!" Kirin shouted at the fleeing predator-turned-prey, her poise as a noble girl forgotten for the moment.
"Don't you dare run away~!" Guinevere screeched, transforming into her Filolial form.
"You think we'd let you escape after what you just did?!" Raphtalia declared.
The girls who had swords drew them and they all gave chase to the boar that had just ruined everything. Kirin and Rifana went as far as to use the Aerial Element Sacred Art's Tail Wind again to boost their speeds to catch up to the boar.
So, the boar learned the lesson too late: Never come between love-struck maidens and the gifts they were trying to give to their beloved.
Not even a minute after, the poor – or otherwise – boar gave a deathly shriek as it was cut down effortlessly by the four love-struck maidens turned amazons that had caught up to it and surrounded it.
Its shriek was so loud that it probably woke some of the people in town instead of the town's rooster, including Naofumi and Eugeo. The earlier going back to sleep shortly after, but the latter losing all sleep when he saw the attire of the other occupant of his bed; or rather, the lack thereof.
After the girls' furious hunt for the boar, they searched the mountain a bit more to look for other Gagocco bird nests. But it may have been because of the ruckus they had caused with the first nest and the resulting brawl with the big boar, they couldn't find any other nests in the vicinity.
They searched until the sun was fully up in the sky, and at that point, they were all too tired to continue their search. So, to compensate they decided to bring the boar's body down to the town with them, hoping that it would at least sell at a good price.
Of course, due to the boar's sheer size, Guinevere had to change into her Filolial form to carry it down.
Unsurprisingly, the girls all felt down that they couldn't complete their self-assigned mission, resulting in them taking turns sighing as they proceeded to descend the mountain back to town.
When they made it back to town, Rifana and Kirin gave a big yawn, seeing as they had been working in the dungeons for the past three days, they were more tired than Raphtalia and Ginny were now that they had stayed up for the night.
But fortunately, when some of the townsfolk saw the boar they had slain, the Silver Razorback, they explained that the boar was the mascot of the town's hot springs and they were used for the town's rituals but were rather difficult to hunt for the regular townsfolks. And thus, they asked the girls to sell the boar to them and that they would pay a good price for it.
And so, they accepted.
Now that they had a good amount of money to make up for the Latium and eggs, the girls went to a nearby shop to look for suitable gifts for their respective heroes. And given their respective heroes' talents for making something, may it be food, accessories, or weapons, they decided to look for high quality tools for those respective tasks.
"Ah~… And after all the trouble we went through to get the Latium to make our love charms for Sir Eugeo…" Kirin sighed, still bummed out that they couldn't obtain the highly valued crystals.
"Well, there are other ways to express our love to Master Eugeo, big sister Kirin. That's why we're here now; to get a gift that he would appreciate," Rifana cheered her friend on.
"I know, Rifana… But I want that to happen sooner than later… The sooner we can make Sir Eugeo see our affection for him, the sooner we can show all the girls that want to get their grubby hands on him, and the other nations that want to take advantage of the Cardinal Heroes that our noble Sword Hero is off limits!" Kirin said enthusiastically.
"I agree… but knowing Master Eugeo, it may be a while before we'll be able to convince him that we all love him all the same," Rifana answered.
"I know… but I'm not giving up trying to get his attention – and neither should you, Rifana," Kirin cheered.
"Thank you," Rifana smiled as she said her gratitude.
After looking over the gifts the shop had to offer, Rifana and Kirin decided to purchase high-quality cooking tools for Eugeo so that they would complement well with his top-notch cooking skills.
Raphtalia and Guinevere on the other hand, decided to purchase high quality anvil and craftsman hammer for Naofumi so that he would have an easier time honing his newfound talent for accessory making.
And lastly, Guinevere decided to visit a food store to buy some variety of fruits to give to Arthur as substitute for the Gagocco eggs. Both Filolials were known for their nearly bottomless appetite; and therefore, would appreciate any kind of food gifted to them.
The girls were satisfied with their purchases. So, they dispersed to give their gifts to their respective Heroes, as well as get some much-needed sleep.
But unknown to the girls, there was someone that had listened onto their conversation regarding their love interest Eugeo. And from what they had heard from Rifana and Kirin's conversation, they gathered that Eugeo Zuberg, the current Sword Hero and rumored to be the most competent yet humble Hero among the current Cardinal Heroes, was currently open to a relationship – or relationships – and that his female party members were apparently doing what they could to receive his attention and affection.
This was one heck of a gossip material that the common folks – especially girls – would love to hear about.
And once they hear about this piece of information, no doubt many of them – the female commoners, nobles, and even royalties of other nations would try to get the attention of the Sword Hero and have him become their spouse.
And for better or worse, to the eavesdropper, politics was the last thing on their mind. And so, would spread the rumor around, having many other women start their likely misguided and futile attempts to receive his attention and become his lover.
"You girls got this for me?"
Eugeo said in awe at the high-quality cooking utensils that Rifana and Kirin had just gifted him.
"Yes! We thought that these combined with your excellent cooking skills, you would be able to make the food you make even tastier!" Rifana answered enthusiastically. Kirin nodded affirmative beside her as well.
Eugeo searched through the gift that he had received: quality pots and pans, kitchen knives, spatulas, ladles, oven gloves, tongs, whisks, and many more.
These would make cooking his food easier, there was no doubt about that!
"I'm grateful that you two got me these gifts but… where did you get the money to buy these? It must have been expensive…" Eugeo asked.
"We actually got the money from slaying one of the Silver Razorbacks in the mountains last night, and – "
"Wait, that's where you've been last night? To go and earn money to buy a gift for me? You could have just asked me for help to get the money you know; and that was a dangerous move too! What if you had been captured or killed by a Three Heroes Church's agents?!" Eugeo said in surprise at Rifana's answer. He and Anna had gotten worried when Arthur had come to his room and told them that he had woken up to see that his two big sister figures were nowhere to be seen, and that a note written by Kirin explaining where they had gone was the only thing they had left behind.
Oh… he had a good point. But since Kirin could sense the Church Shadows or other malicious eavesdroppers, they could have called off their improv mission if that was the case.
"Don't worry, Sir Eugeo. I was making sure that there were no unwanted followers tailing us during our little trip. And we had Raphtalia and Ginny with us too!" Kirin informed him, to Eugeo's surprise.
"Wait, Naofumi's party members went with you to kill this boar…? Was it really that strong?"
"Well actually… hunting the Silver Razorback was never part of our plan… in fact, we were just going out to find some rare crystals that the birds native to the nearby mountain were known to collect… but we failed because that boar got in the way of that so, we ended up killing it instead…" Rifana summarized.
"But thanks to the money we got from selling the boar, we were able to get a gift for you as gratitude for how much you've done for us."
"We really are grateful, Master Eugeo…" Kirin and Rifana finished respectively.
Eugeo smiled at the two younger girls' confession. And he really did appreciate their efforts. And like it or not, they currently reminded him a bit of Tiese and Ronie.
"Thank you – both of you. I'll put these tools to good use the next time I cook," Eugeo said as he patted the girls on the head, to their delight. Rifana's tail began to wag behind her in response.
"But before anything else, go wash yourselves in the hot springs and get some sleep too… You two stayed awake for the whole night to look for those crystals, didn't you?" Eugeo said.
"Besides, Anna told me that her friend that works here, Katheryn, said that the owner of the inn was fine with us staying here for another night. And we've collected enough materials from the volcano's dungeon. So, we might as well savor this chance for relaxation while we can. Because after today, we'll be heading out to the Northern Territories," Eugeo informed them.
The two girls were once again reminded why they fell in love with the young man before them; for his consideration and kindness for those he cared for.
So, they thanked the young Hero and left the room, tired but satisfied.
Anna, who had been waiting for them outside the room congratulated them in their more or less successful efforts in obtaining gifts for their man by giving them a big hug.
They then all went to the hot springs with Naofumi's girls, where Raphtalia and Ginny reported that they were met with similar success with their gifts to Naofumi and Arthur.
They pleasantly chatted with each other, savoring their given time together, especially Rifana and Raphtalia.
The Shield Heroes' party then had to depart at noon since the letter Naofumi had gotten from the merchant was only valid for one night. And so, the girls and their heroes again exchanged farewells and Naofumi's party departed from the town to their next destination.
Meanwhile, Kirin and Rifana returned to their beds to get some much-needed sleep since they were exhausted from their nighttime adventure into the mountains.
And in their sleep, the two maidens dreamed a very pleasant dream –one that had Eugeo accept them as his lovers, get married, and start a family together. It was a dream they hoped would become a reality one day when they woke up from it.
And of course, now that Rifana had the full knowledge of how making a baby worked, although she was happy to have dreamed of starting a family with Eugeo, it still had her face redder than a tomato when she woke up – especially when she remembered the part of her dream where she was holding her baby with Eugeo beside her, and what actions making a baby implied; that she and Master Eugeo laid together and… and…!
She had to stop herself from thinking any further or she might have passed out for the rest of the day. She had to calm her heart down as well to keep it from bursting in embarrassment.
But even so, she couldn't deny that a big part of her mind wanted it to happen in the future.
After spending another night at the inn, Eugeo and all his party members felt well-rested and rejuvenated.
So, in the early afternoon, they left the inn after exchanging farewell with Katheryn and the other inn staff to head to the Northern Territories to check up on Itsuki's whereabouts.
Omake: Just a dream… For now – Part 1: Kirin
Kirin was currently making her way to the reception area of the inn to look for the innkeeper, or anyone of the staff members that likely knew about how to obtain the Latium crystal that she, Rifana, and Raphtalia had overheard in a conversation.
Asking some of the staff of whether they knew where or how to find the crystal, she received confirmation from one of the female staffs that the innkeeper would know more about the crystal, as well as how to obtain them.
And so, after receiving his current whereabouts, Kirin continued to proceed to the reception to find the innkeeper.
When she was near, however, the sight of a married couple in the inn's given outfits that approached from the other end of the corridor leading to the reception halted her steps.
It wasn't because that the couple were enemy spies in disguise, but because the couple had triggered a recent desire that had formed in her mind; after learning of the lore and origins of the hot spring, and its effects for the man and woman in love that enter the springs…
That the couple would be united forever if they entered the hot spring together…
And as the couple passed by her, she then noticed that the woman was pregnant – and in her third trimester, judging from the size of her belly. She had both her hands on her stomach and held it as she walked rather slowly alongside her husband. And Kirin could see that they both had a loving smile directed at each other, probably oblivious to their current surroundings.
As she continued to watch the back of the couple as they walked further away from her, she then heard the woman speak as she stopped walking.
"Oh! The baby…! The baby's kicking!"
"Really? Let me feel it!" Her husband eagerly requested. The woman took her husband's hand and guided it to her round belly to let him feel her baby's movement. The husband seemed to be in awe as he stayed still.
The lovely sight had Kirin's mind momentarily drift away into a dream world… as she imagined herself to be the pregnant mother and have a certain blonde haired and emerald eyed young man be the awestruck father.
Her tour into her own dream world continued for what felt like hours, while in reality it had only been half a minute at most. And by the time she had gotten her mind back to reality, her face was flushed so red that one might mistake that she had soaked in the springs for too long that she was experiencing a vertigo, and the couple had already disappeared from her sight.
But even so, the image of her and the Hero she had given her heart to smiling to each other, excited to meet their future child… it was one that she couldn't erase from her mind…
Eventually though, Kirin remembered her original objective of finding the innkeeper to obtain intel on the Latium crystal – and the fact that Rifana and Raphtalia were probably waiting for her to return with the info!
So, she quickened her pace to make up for the time she had spent in her own dream world to the reception desk. And after finding the innkeeper and obtaining the desired information, she hurried her steps back to her waiting two friends; one of which most likely shared her dream.
As she replayed the image of herself and Eugeo together as a family (this time, along with Rifana, Anna, and Alice in it), she called out towards Rifana and Raphtalia as they chatted together about something.
"Rifana! Raphtalia! I got the info from the innkeeper!"
And with the valued info from the innkeeper, this would be the first of many steps in making that dream a reality.
'Someday… maybe someday…'
NEW VOTING POLLS:
1.) I know that I said before that I won't be asking anymore questions regarding my next fanfic, but an idea just popped into my head after I finished reading someone else's fanfiction and I just had to ask.
When I finally start my next fanfic "Black Lotus Blade Works" (see more info at the end of Chapter 15), Would you readers also like me to give Emilya more magecraft to add to her arsenal?
- If Yes, which one would you prefer... Kiritsugu's time alter abilities or Illya's Wire/Hair Manipulation
- No, Emilya's Unlimited Blade Works is more than enough
2.) As I already mentioned before in one my previous Voting polls, Kurumi and Yamai would be slave victims of Myne. They are currently under the ownership of the corrupt new King of the Northern Territories that Itsuki the Bow Hero unknowingly helped. What I'm debating now is what kind of scenario would Eugeo be getting once he makes his first steps in cleaning up Itsuki's mess.
- A more frontal approach between Eugeo's party against Kurumi and Yamai (along with some mercenaries under the corrupt ruler's employ)
- A stealth mission where Eugeo would be applying his Shadow training with his party to free Kurumi and Yamai from their servitude before tearing the corrupted king's forces apart piece by piece.
- A mixture of both scenarios
3.) When do you want Mash-senpai to make her first human debut?
- After the battle with Glass
- During the battle with the Pope
- After the battle with the Pope
4.) I feel bad that I had to leave you guys hanging for 3 months with no news because of my real-life issues. So, I'm thinking of starting a blogging channel along with my co-author, Arementi Revnant (formerly KiritoIRL) for posting updates for this story.Would you like me to make a blogging channel for the sake of making future status updates, voting polls, sneak peaks, and for the Blue Rose Sword Hero and future stories?
- If yes, which blogging platform would you prefer? Tumblr? Twitter? Or something else and why? And please make sure to follow the channel when we make it.
- No, what you're doing now is just fine.
As always, thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. I'm open for compatible suggestions and any advice that you readers could give. As for those nasty Reviewers who loves to Insult us authors, please just leave us alone.
Stay safe from the Coronovirus and stay indoors as much as possible!
