"Ugh..."
Aster woke up, welcoming another day... with his entire body hurting like hell. "What? Why..." And just as he was wondering about the reason for it, he realized that someone was using him as a body pillow.
"..."
He was lying in the middle of his bed, with Tina right beside him, to his right, wearing nothing but a pair of black lace underwear while hugging his body tightly in a joint lock. On the other side, another cat beauty, Kali, was in similar attire—she was wearing an unassuming pair of white undies while also hugging him tight.
Aster gasped, wondering what was going on. He did remember going to the Yeon Hwa Restaurant last night with them, but everything became a blur after that.
'I'm sure I didn't drink, so there's no reason to lose memory though...' He wondered while trying to figure out how to escape his current predicament.
He was still able to wiggle around, but escape was virtually impossible! Tina's hold was too tight; he wouldn't be able to escape with only his strength. In the first place, it was a joint lock, so regardless of strength, it would be near impossible to break her hold.
While trying to wiggle his way out, he realized that there were two more who were pinning him down. Cassy and Liz, both in the same state as the two catkins, were sleeping while using Aster's thighs as pillows!
With his view covered in the color of pristine skin, he couldn't help but start to feel weird.
'No, I mustn't!'
He tried all he could to escape, but nothing worked. It was only an hour later when Kali woke up, slapped him hard, and helped him out of his predicament with a bit of a grudge.
Aster could only sigh as he was preparing breakfast for everyone.
"It's not even my fault... I think."
---
After that incident, Kali and Liz weren't able to look Aster in the eye, feeling too embarrassed about how they looked. Tina, of course, didn't feel a hint of embarrassment.
"If darling wants, I can even show you everything~!" She teased.
Cassy, on the other hand, simply didn't understand much of what to be embarrassed about. "It's just underwear? What's wrong with it being seen?" She asked with absolute innocence.
Anyway, after they had an awkward breakfast, the party headed to the Adventurer's Guild without delay. As soon as they arrived, a certain person welcomed them immediately.
"Welcome to the team~! Lorelai is too long, so... How about, Lory?"
"Stupid Rabbit. Lei is shorter, and easier to say."
"Wait, but Lei sounds similar to K., and it's going to be confusing when in a fight. I vote for Lory too."
"Lory or Lei, I don't really care. Just remember, darling is mine. If you dare touch him, then... prepare for the worst."
The four girls started chatting immediately, mixing Lorelai's welcome to the team, thinking of her nickname, and giving her a warning.
"Alright, then that's 3-1-1 votes. Lory, it is." Aster concluded. "Again, welcome to the team!"
"Yes, it's a pleasure!" She replied with a sweet smile. "I'll make sure to prove that this choice wasn't a mistake!"
"Good. Then, let's go, shall we?"
With Aster's offer, the six of them started moving, heading toward the dungeon.
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the entrance and lined up to enter. As soon as they entered the fifth floor, they moved on to test out their teamwork now that they had a new member.
To properly gauge her skills, they quickly headed to the nearby forest, where goblins reside. After walking around for a short while, they encountered a large group. There were roughly a hundred goblins in the group, making it a formidable enemy even for them.
"Lory!"
Aster shouted, signaling that it was her time to shine.
"Leave it to me!" She smiled confidently, before waving her staff while chanting. "Tertie Noxis Tiroe Consorie fen Nura Racht! Great Swamp Curse!"
As soon as her casting ended, the ground where the goblins were standing started to move. It became closer to a liquid, turning into a black swamp that slowly pulled them into its deadly embrace.
"Now!"
Seeing the goblins have their movements limited, Aster and Kali attacked from long range.