Volume 1 - CH 2.4

Night—Aine and I were lying on the same bed again. …With just a bit of an awkward mood, we both had our backs on each other, perhaps also because of the matter in the bathroom.

It’d been just washing each other’s backs, but… there hadn’t even been an opportunity of seeing each other naked even when we’d been kids. …She’d done it as a way of expressing her gratitude, so of course I felt grateful—I mustn’t do things to blow away the goodwill of hers.

It’d be a lie to say I hadn’t gotten aroused from seeing Aine’s naked body, seeing her bashful sight. However, if I were to lay my hands on such her, I had a feeling it’d look like that had been my aim from buying her who had fallen into slavery, which I somewhat didn’t want to.

I just, would love Aine to return to her old self, a cheerful and strong woman.

But, it didn’t feel like she’d been pushing herself. Of course, Aine had hung her head down in embarrassment when entering the bathroom, but when switching places with me—she’d said she wanted me to look properly.

I’d thought that whether it was about Aine’s body at that time, but thinking back on it, I wondered if it was about facing Aine properly.

“…Fuhh.” I let out a small sigh. Seeing Aine attached with a collar, I’d moved immediately to save her. Aine was a childhood friend; we’d always been together in the past, so saving her was natural.

At least, I thought so. Even Aine, she would come to my help if I were in a crisis…That was how close I thought we were.

But, I couldn’t understand how Aine really felt. It was no more than me, who’d become her master, unavoidably suppressing her, who was forced to go into heat from the effect of the collar—I thought we’d be building that kind of relationship.

And yet, last night she’d slept as if to touch me, and today we’d even washed each other’s backs. I could tell that Aine was actively trying to touch me.

I mustn’t remember it, but I even ended up remembering Aine masturbating. I also got no courage to strike up a conversation with Aine regarding that, and she surely would not want me to bring that up.

But, perhaps, Aine got a thing for me. I wondered if it meant that I was harboring a wicked feeling for her, having felt so only a short time after our reunion—I wondered if it was with that feeling that I’d thought of saving her.

…I just, thought of wanting to cherish Aine. Making sure she wouldn’t get hurt any further—and that should be enough.

“Lunois, still awake?” Aine suddenly called me as I was pondering.

I thought of immediately giving a reply, but there was also the thing I’d been thinking about until a short while ago, hence me keeping silent. I was pretending to sleep and didn’t answer Aine’s call.

“Lunois?” Aine turned over and called to me once more to make sure. Perhaps, she got something she wanted to say to me. After a bit of silence, as I decided to reply to Aine’s call, “…Nnh,” such a voice of Aine reached my ears, making me instantly stop moving.

I knew what she was doing even without me turning around. She started masturbating after confirming that I was asleep.

“Nn, fuh…!”

A small, suppressed voice of Aine reached my ears. Yesterday it had been when I hadn’t been in the room, but this time she was masturbating so close like this.

Now that it actually came to this, I got no choice but to continue pretending to be completely asleep. After all, Aine was doing this only after making sure that I was asleep.

“Lu, noiiis…” Aine said with a ragged breath, in a voice as if wishing for me. I could feel the small shaking of her body—I knew she was trying not to wake me up. However, contrary to that, both her movement and voice were becoming more intense little by little.

It was enough for me to hear the ‘schlop schlop’ liquid sound from Aine fingering her own secret place.

I wondered what she’d do if I woke up… As a test, I tried to make a deliberate voice. “N, nn…”

“!!” Aine responded greatly with a jolt, and her movement suddenly stopped.

But still with ragged breathing, “phew,” she let out a big sigh, checking on my state. And immediately, she resumed the masturbating.

It seemed releasing her welled up lust took priority over me catching her out.

Instead, perhaps that tension was making her more aroused… Only after some dozen seconds after I’d let out my voice, “nahh, cumm… uwh.” Aine’s body shook greatly once, and she let out a big sigh.

Seeing off Aine headed for the bathroom after lingering herself in the afterglow for a moment, I turned over for once.

…I hadn’t got the courage to call out to her when she’d been comforting herself. But, one vague thing inside me had changed into a conviction—this meant that Aine had a thing for me.

＊＊＊

Dill Soltiness was alone, walking down a dark main road outside of the royal capital. His arm was cut, and probably he wouldn’t be able to do anything as an adventurer for a while.

…That bastard.

Dill’s anger was, of course, directed at Lunois. But, he no longer had the energy to meddle with him. Although taken by surprise, Dill, who’d become even an A-rank adventurer, had almost had his arm taken away without even sensing it—until now, Dill had never seen Lunois openly showing his emotions.

For this reason, he was not pleased with Lunois, who had risen to become an S-rank adventurer. And yet, Dill was able to clearly see the difference in power between him and Lunois.

Though, by no means had he lost heart. Once time passed and his injury healed, he could work as an adventurer again.

There are lots of options—if I make money, I can even get back at Lunois eventually, was what Dill was all thinking about. The same goes for my companions who abandoned me in fear of Lunois—I’ll eventually get revenge on them all… Dill smiled a broad, wicked smile.

“Not just Lunois. That blonde slave… Aine, was it? This originally because that ‘lil girl looked at me like trying to pick a fight. I also ain’t forgiving her…”

“—Excuse me, do you have a moment please?”

“Huuh?”

It was a single man suddenly calling out to Dill; with black hat and a suit—not an outfit fitting for walking down the main road at night.

With a gentle and sweet smile, the man asked Dill. “I’m just looking for someone, you see. And you’ve just come over from the royal capital, correct? You’re an adventurer by appearance… I’m just wondering if you’re well-versed in such information.”

“Huh? The hell are you?”

“Oh! No need to concern yourself about me. I just want some information.”

“Get lost, I’m in bad mood now.”

Dill got no interest whatsoever in the man’s talk. While rubbing his injured arm, DIll tried to go past the man. But then, “Gremarev, grab him.”

“!!?”

Simultaneously with the man’s words, a huge arm appeared from the ground. And, immediately after it grabbed the large body of Dill, a muffled, snapping sound echoed in the surrounding area.

“Gah, guh…!?”

“My, it’s no good… Gremarev. You have to grab him more gently. This gentleman is injured. Be gentle with the injured… Didn’t I teach you so?”

“Never been taught. Domiro, the talk too long.” And then, a man who looked like his whole body made of rocks crawled out of the ground; with red glowing eyes, and replying with a deep voice.

The man—Domiro—sighed at his words, “good grief, we have only talked for just a little bit, haven’t I? You’re really an impatient child.”

“The, hell, are you…!? Argh, damn it…!”

“Oops, my apologies. I am Domiro… We were kind of just traveling here.”

Unable to grasp the situation, Dill could do nothing but endure the pain.

The rocky arm was holding Dill completely, unable to move at all even after he tried to. If the arm were to be put in just a bit more strength, it might break his ribs, making it pierce his internal organs—he had such a feeling.

Domiro stood in front of the suffering Dill.

“I’m sorry, this child… is the type who can’t hold back. If only I had my question answered from the beginning, none of this would have… Oops, I haven’t asked any question, haven’t I?”

With a smile on his face, Domiro, opening his mouth like a crescent moon, said, “blonde slave—Aine, you said that, didn’t you? Do you know where that girl is?”

“W-wha…?”

“Do you know?”

“Guh, argh… I-in the capital! S-she’s with, adventurer named, Lunois Styler…! T-they’re still in the capital, staying in an inn!”

“Oh, an adventurer’s… so she was already bought. Certainly, she’s a skilled one, and might be in demand.”

“…Kh.”

“Ah, Gremarev. That’s already good enough.”

“Got it. Call me again, if you need me.”

Gremarev tossed Dill away—Dill, who had some of his bones broken, fell flat on the ground.

At least, it was clear that the man named Gremarev, who had been using his gigantic hand to grab Dill, had the capabilities easily surpassing an A-rank adventurer. And for some unknown reason, these people were aiming for Aine.

What worth does that slave have—!

Domiro was standing, looking down at Dill falling flat to the ground.

“Haah… guh!”

“Oh my, with those injuries, it might even take you a while to get back to being an adventurer, will it? Ah, of course I understand what you want to say. I’m most terribly sorry for my companion—that – is – why… I will give you this as a token for my apology.”

What Domiro had taken out from his pocket was a bottle with liquid inside. Having it placed in front of his eyes, Dill was staring at it with dubious expression.

“You can choose which you prefer. Drink it and be saved, or not drink it and die…after all, it’s all up to you.” 

While only pain spreading through his body, Domiro’s voice reached Dill’s ears.

And Dill, despite his hesitation, grabbed that bottle with his shaking hand.