Vol 4 Chapter 46: A Chat Between Hugo’s Caretakers

Felicia

So, this is Myrilla…

The mind-reading Nerthusia… That’s a dangerous demon to be around…

She’s apparently an adventuring friend of Lord Hugo’s father… and yet… she still looks as young as me...

It’s just not fair… why can’t we humans be a long-lived race too?

Hmph, another beautiful woman. What is up with Milord having so many of those around?

“You know, it’s quite impolite, thinking badly of your guest like that.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by Myrilla, who clearly had read what she had just been thinking.

The two were now inside Hugo and Felicia’s rented workshop, the perfect place for them to have a private chat. Or three, if you counted the crazy priest Myrilla had told to sit silently in the corner of the room. Theo and the others had yet to return so they had the place all to themselves. Felicia opted to have their chat in the laboratory, however, as she didn’t want to bring her to her (and Hugo’s) bedroom. The place had no guest or living room, so this was the best place she could give her.

“Would you stop doing that? No one likes having their minds being read, you know.” Felicia frowned.

"No. Do you believe it's wise to trust a stranger you just met? Especially one that practices the art of necromancy?"

"I've stopped doing that. All thanks to him." Felicia smiled.

"...Hugo Greenwood." Myrilla narrowed her eyes. "I've seen how much you love him. It seems you two have some history, with him saving you from the Church. That foolish boy…"

Felicia bolted up from her chair. "Don't you dare insult him! He is a really brave man, risking his life for my sake—a stranger he just met!"

"He's not a man. He's just a boy. Him saving you means he isn't right in the head. And for a grown woman like you to be obsessed with him, you're not right in the head either."

"How dare you! Take that back!"

Felicia grabbed the woman in the collar, lifting her a few inches off the floor. Fire was burning inside the former's eyes.

And then, all of a sudden, she was shoved away.

"Ah!"

Felicia fell on her butt with her legs wide open, revealing her red thong to Myrilla.

"Look at you." The demoness scowled. "Dressed like a whore to attract a 13-year old. You're a bad influence on him—that much is certain."

He's just like Alan. Easily seduced by any women who came to him, especially busty vixens like her. I still remember that one time where I had to save him from a succubus. He almost lost his innocence to that tramp.

And how about this woman? Has she made him lose his innocence? I have to read her disgusting mind again.

However, she was unable to do so as shadows suddenly came under her and wrapped themselves around her, immobilizing her body.

"You!"

"You say I dress like a whore! Then let's see what you wear under those heavy robes of yours!"

Slash! In an instant, Myrilla’s robes were torn into pieces by the shadows surrounding her.

Revealing her bare, flat chest and her black string panties tightly hugging her crotch.

“Ha! Look at that! You don’t wear a bra and your panties are just as lewd as mine! So who are you trying to impress, hmm?” Felicia let out a victorious laugh.

Myrilla’s gaze turned cold. Even colder than it already had.

“I see it now. You’re too dangerous to be with him. I shall take Hugo Greenwood with me. And I’ll make sure to erase his memories on you entirely. I despise memory manipulation, but for you, to protect his innocence, I shall make an exception.”

Before Felicia could respond, her shadows were banished away by a sphere of wind that suddenly surrounded the demoness. A heavy weight suddenly pressed on top of Felicia, binding her arms and legs into the wooden floor.

“Damn you! You and your telekinesis!” She yelled.

“Now, I shall take away your memories of him. This way… you would never bother him again.”

Myrilla walked a few steps forward. Now standing over the helpless redhead, she leaned over and pressed her left hand onto her forehead.

Felicia tried to cast a spell to free herself, only to find that her concentration was soon disturbed by the blinding headache assaulting her head.

"Aargggghh!"

She was trapped.

There was no escape.

Her memories… her wonderful memories with her beloved Lord Hugo…

It was all going to disappear.

“No! Nonononononono! I won't let you take Lord Hugo away from me! He's all I have in this world!"

Myrilla read her mind again.

And what she found gave her pause.

She saw her childhood, how her loving family was taken away by a plague.

She saw her being molested by her adoptive father, until she couldn't take it anymore and killed him.

She saw how she became obsessed with necromancy, believing that human lives were too frail and short. She even had a small hope for learning how to resurrect her family, even though she would hate him for what she had become.

She saw her manipulations, her giving her body to many men to further goals.

Until one day, that darkness was broken. By none other than Hugo Greenwood.

And then, her happy days came. He treated her gentlemanly and kindly. He even cried to her, telling her of his problems.

They were like family. Lovers, just like Alan and Renee.

And Myrilla… she was about to erase that all.

…

She took her hands away.

She was mistaken.

This woman… she was no mere seductress.

She really was his pillar of support.

"Apologies. I… was wrong."

She summoned a new set of robes from her Dimensional Storage. As she spoke, she wore them one by one, after placing her staff on the nearby table.

“I see now that Hugo loves you just as much as you love him. You’re not just a predatory woman who’s fond of young boys.”

Felicia, still out of breath from the experience, could only respond with a glare.

“Now, stand up and tell me everything about him. You can start by telling me how he ended up on this continent, if he was willing to share that with you, of course.”

---------

Hugo

"Gah!"

The spell exploded, sending me flying a few feet backwards.

Yet another failure.

I looked and saw Xaela looming over me.

"Your control still isn't good enough. You're leaking mana all over."

"Y-yeah, I figured that much." I gave her a chuckle.

She offered her hand. I quickly took it to go to a sitting position.

"Let's take a break. I have another question I want to ask."

"A question?" She tilted her head.

"About magic. It was your masters who invented magic, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"And that magic was lost after they went extinct."

"I believe so."

"And only after Mira standardized and propagandized magic that us humans could use magic in a widespread manner like we do now."

"... Perhaps. I do not know your kind's history."

"And Mira learned her magic from Ilymhyrra, which is a high elf. And you said they are created to be servants of your masters."

"Yes. Ilymhyrra has become much stronger, beyond the capability of a normal Administrator. She was created as an elf, a race blessed in magic, and she had honed that skill for a terribly long time."

Damn. Glad I don't have to fight her. She's sounding more and more like the greatest mage that has ever lived.

"How about you? You're an elf too, right?" I smiled at her.

"...No. I am not."

"Really? What are you then? I don't see any wings, horns or tails on you."

"I will show you. Please, stay there."

She took off her cloak and put it on the ground, revealing the purple dress that she wore underneath. It was a slim, long dress with open shoulders, showing her pure white, flawless skin. Somehow, even though it was only her shoulders that were exposed, I couldn't help but feel ever so slightly turned on by it.

Still, no signs of her being a dragonkin.

She walked away, putting a good distance between me and her. And then…

She transformed.

A strong breeze flew from where she stood as purple light enveloped her entire body.

"Whoaaa!"

If I hadn't braced myself, I would've been swept away for sure.

And before I knew it, a massive purple dragon was now standing right in front of me.

And by massive, I meant, massive. It was easily larger than the dragon I once fought on that icy mountain. Its eyes were larger than me and its nostrils could easily be mistaken as a pair of caverns one could travel into. It had three pairs of wings, totaling six, and purple crystals grew all over its scales.

“This is my true form.” Her voice echoed, almost deafening me in the process. “I am what you call an Elder Dragon."

I was speechless.

To think all this time, this cute girl I had been talking to was a dragon the size of a small mountain.

The dragon soon vanished, receding back to her human form.

Completely nude from top to bottom.

"And this is my hybrid form."

She now had a pair of purple wings and a purple tail, attached to her back and hip.

Still, it did nothing to hide her nakedness, a fact that my perverted mind quickly caught on.

Oohhhh!

Losing all restrains, I ogled the dragoness' body as much as I could. That smooth skin… that thin figure… those small breasts and their tiny nipples… and her hairless girlhood…  ooohh, absolutely lovely!

Thinking about it, I must have made the most disgusting pig-like face then. Probably salivating in the process as well. Why? Because Xaela quickly covered herself with her hands, blushing and looking fearfully at my direction before excusing and teleporting herself away.

Only once she was gone did I return to my senses.

Aahhhh, I messed up…

Damn it Hugo, you already have Felicia. How many times have you seen her naked, sucking on your little man? And yet, you get all excited by a thin, boobless dragon girl?

No, she's different. Felicia's the sexy beauty type. She, on the other hand, is the ethereal beauty type. The difference? I fantasized to fuck the former while I fantasized to cuddle and have an actual relationship with the latter.

Yeah, back in my old life, I'd fap on big-boobed hot chick pictures all the time. But on the other hand, thanks to my crippling loneliness, I made up what you would call an imaginary girlfriend as well.

Heh, pathetic, isn't it?

And that girlfriend… is just like her — a calm, modest beauty with a beautiful but not overly sensual body.

She was also my ideal for an elven girlfriend. That's why I didn't like Victoria much even with her extremely erotic body. As selfish as it sounds, I don't want my wife to be just about her body. I want her personality to be good too.

And now, I have Xaela, who checks all the boxes. She's exactly my type. Even if she's not actually an elf.

Aahh, too bad I already have Felicia and Sherry or else I might have made a move on her.

---------

Isolde

"Finally, took you long enough. Now now, no need to hide. I can sense your presence under that fancy illusion of yours."

"Oh? You're a sharp one, aren't you?"

The illusion faltered, revealing the fox demoness standing a few steps away from where the swordswoman was sitting.

"Of course. I am only the strongest swordswoman in the land after all." She grinned. She stood up as well, drawing her sword from its sheath.

"Interesting." The demoness smiled. "Perhaps you could put up more of a fight than that boy from before."

“Oh, that kid? Yeah, he’s a weakling compared to me. Although—this is just my gut feeling speaking here—I believe he’ll be a worthy opponent once he grows a little older. Maybe even stronger than me. So I’m glad you didn’t kill him back then.”

“...What.” The demoness’ smile vanished. “I killed the boy. Pierced through his heart with my own hand. You must be mistaken. Are you even talking about Hugo Greenwood? He’s a young human male at the age of thirteen. Blonde hair, wielding a wand and a sword.”

“Oh yes, that’s him, alright. But, you didn’t finish the job. Miss Xaela here, the Administrator of this place—she healed him and his lover. Don’t tell me you don’t know that!”

“...I see. This… Xaela… if she can undo such a wound… she’s no ordinary woman. And I assume you’re acting as her bodyguard? The teleporter to the next floor is behind you, correct?”

“Yep! If you want to get to her, you’ll have to beat me first!”

“Very well. Then, I shall take care of you first.”

With a smile, she melted once again into a fog.

Their game had begun.

--------------

Felicia

When Felicia finished her tale (Myrilla actually gave her the courtesy of not reading her mind right away), the demoness was rendered speechless. Her eyes were wide open and her body was shaking on her seat.

Alan… is dead? Murdered by the Magocracy?

No… nononononono… that can’t be...

Him and Renee… gone… and it made Hugo run all the way here to the Demon Continent to fetch Sherry…

Felicia, realizing how pale the demoness had gotten, gently grabbed her hands that were resting on the table.

“I know it’s hard for you to believe, but it really did happen.

“Milord said that… they died protecting him. Which was why he ran away. He didn’t want to face his two sisters for his failure.

“But now… now it's different. He has become stronger. No longer he plans to run away. He instead will go to meet Sherry, and with her help, we will take revenge on that accursed nation."

Felicia's eyes were now blazing with the passion of vengeance, a look that did not escape Myrilla's notice.

"They've hurt you too..." The demoness spoke. "I should've known… I should've known better… I wasn't there when they needed me the most… just because of my foolish, jealous heart…"

Felicia paused. "You're fond of Lord Hugo's father?"

"Yes… I am… but he chose the priestess over me… I… was too cold for him… she was warm… always smiling… always cheerful… And there's the matter of him preferring large-chested women as well…" Myrilla chuckled. "And Renee's chest was easily the biggest chest I've ever seen. I never stood a chance."

"...How big is hers compared to mine?" Felicia asked.

"Bigger. Yours are not even close."

Felicia cursed internally. She had heard somewhere that a man's breast preference is influenced by the size his mother had when she fed him with her milk. To think that her Lord's mother was even bustier than her…

"... Unbelievable. You're thinking about that now?"

"H-hey! What did I tell you about peeking into my thoughts? And it's completely normal! Of course I want to look my very best for him!"

Myrilla sighed as she rolled her eyes.

The two then waited until Tira and the others returned. In the meantime, they had been chatting with each other, with Felicia serving coffee to both of them. Each exchanged stories on their travels. As you would’ve guessed, Felicia would brag often on how close she was with Hugo, which naturally displeased the demoness. She still believed it was far too early for him to be doing such things with a woman.

To both women's surprise, however, they had more in common with each other than they had anticipated. Though not so much that they didn't retain their animosity for each other.

"So, Hugo's planning to marry both you and Sherry. Will never happen. She's an Izurd. Izurd cannot tolerate sharing their mates with another woman." Myrilla declared.

"Hmph, I believe in Milord," Felicia huffed. "He'll be able to make it work."

"If not?"

"Then it's her loss. I'm not going to give him up for sure."

Myrilla's eyes narrowed before relaxing with a defeated sigh.

"He's growing to be an even worse humanizer than his father. At least Alan is faithful to his choice."

"No, it's the opposite. He's a better man than him." Felicia smirked.

"Oh? And why is that?" Myrilla asked.

"Because he can make two women happy, instead of just one. Imagine if your Alan made you his wife as well. You wouldn't be this grump of a woman that you are now. Not to mention that you'd be there when he needed you the most."

Myrilla fell silent. She looked away, down at her cup of coffee.

"I am the jealous type." Felicia continued. "I don't want any woman to get close to my Lord Hugo. But, if said woman loves him just as much as I do, and if she can learn to share, then I welcome her. Milord's mother, Renee… do you think she'll be happy to share Alan with you?"

"...Perhaps. She… has always been a good friend. But that doesn't matter now, does it?"

"...Yes. I suppose it doesn't."

Felicia smiled wryly. She stood up and walked over to the other side of the table, placing her hand on the demoness' shoulder.

"You're now the closest Milord has to a mother. I hope you can give him the love he needs."

"Or…" She giggled. "You can leave it all to me. I'll pamper him both as a mother and a lover."

Myrilla opted not to respond.

"Alright. Where's the kid? I wish to have a word with him."

"Hold on. Before that, how about him?"

Felicia pointed to the crazy priest who had been sitting unattended and unnoticed. Luckily, Myrilla had ordered him to do nothing so he didn't go around breaking Felicia's alchemy equipment.

"Oh, right. I suppose you don't have any potions that can cure his mind?" Myrilla stood up and walked towards him.

Felicia shook her head. "That is beyond alchemy, I'm afraid. If you're going to hand him over to the guards, do so now before we go to the dungeon. Though you should know that he won't be treated kindly there."

Felicia's tone was merciless. She still hadn't forgiven him for what he did to Leila. Or rather, what his wife did. They were peas of the same pod anyway, she told herself.

Myrilla's antennas lit up. "If you would give me some minutes, I'll try to probe deeper into his mind."

"What for?" Felicia replied.

"If I can jolt some of his old memories back to the forefront, perhaps his mind would—"

Myrilla's face turned as pale as snow.

"What? His mind would what?"

"Nicolas Norn… that family name… it's… it's her family."

"Yeah, his name's Nicolas Norn. I know that. I've done my homework, you know. He belongs to one of the Ten Divine Houses of the Church. The Head Inquisitor of the Church. He brought an army with him to this continent all the way from the Holy Land. Heehee, to think he’ll end up like this… how pitiful…” A scary smile now decorated Felicia’s lips.

“No… you don’t understand… this man… he’s… he’s Renee’s older brother! Hugo’s uncle!”

Felicia’s smile disappeared in an instant.

ForestDweller

And that problem will continue onward, as I now have to start working a day job normally, with the pandemic dying down and all that. I started this story around when the pandemic started, giving me more free time than I knew what to do with.  And now, honestly speaking, I don't know if I can continue to write.

And so, if you're subbed to my Patreon, I suggest that you unsub if you find my upload rate to be unsatisfactory. I do not wish to get people's money for doing nothing.

I promise that I will, at the very least, finish this arc. But after that, I have no idea.

There's a chance I might work back from home come January, but that chance seems to be slim.