Chapter 213 – Adjusted Goals

Chapter 213 – Adjusted Goals

Warm light peeks through the curtains and slowly wakes me up. Taking a deep breath, I stretch myself and notice a soft presence right in front of me as I rest on my side. The moment my hand roams over the delicate skin of that certain person, they subconsciously scoot closer to fill the niche left by their body escaping our nightly cuddle, returning us to the proper position.

Opening my eyes, I take in the adorable sight of my curled-up Dwarf lover peacefully napping amidst the comfortable sheets. The events of the previous evening and night come back to me and momentarily throw me into confusion.

How is there sunlight if we are inside a suitcase?

Then, I remember Sirgia’s brief mention of some artificial light source mounted right outside the windows that imitates most times of the day. You can’t leave the premises of the mansion, but it’s still created in a way that doesn’t give away the fact of being locked in some narrow and restricted space.

Nevertheless, this isn’t important right now. Sirgia’s comfort is. So, it would be nice not to wake her up yet. She wouldn’t mind it in the slightest, of course, but just looking at her peaceful face can ensnare a man. It might have been started by her, but we’ve gone through quite a bit of exercise recently and she deserves a full break.

Now, I would usually just stay with her and snuggle with my lovely mate until she awakens, but I feel like I should get up and take care of my business soon. Plus, I would like to check on Diana. She’s been cooped outside for who knows how many hours. I appreciate that greatly and I want to make sure she understands and that she is alright.

So, giving the charming little lady in my embrace one more squeeze and placing a loving kiss on her tender cheek, I try my best to extract myself from being the big spoon without disrupting the beauty’s sleep. Thankfully, Sirgia isn’t that much of a light sleeper, especially after evenings of hard work, either with her prized tools or with one of mine, where she’s out cold from exhaustion. Not even the boost of my stats is of much help in that aspect.

And I’m glad it’s like that. Thanks to everything, I somehow slip away without waking up by sweet little Dwarf. However, for a moment, I pause to examine the result of my actions as she flips around, reaches ahead with her hands to feel the space in front of her, and grasps the sheets. Instead of waking up with a disappointed sigh, Sirgia tugs on the cover and tucks herself in sweetly, rolling herself into a lovely cocoon.

Damn. I really wish we had cameras here or anything that can take a picture other than quite complex illusion spells.

Well, with how fast Sirgia is progressing with many of our ideas, it might not be that far away from her constructing an artefact like that. It wouldn’t be groundbreaking since such pieces already exist, but they aren’t easy to get and cheap. Most if not all artefacts are quite pricey due to the cost of the necessary materials and knowledge to produce them. Thus, if she were able to figure this out, she might conquer a market or two on her own.

Naturally, I’m not planning to have her recreate all the modern equipment and then introduce it to the world so it can advance. Oh, no, I like and enjoy how things are. The fact that we can take advantage of a few bits of knowledge is of course a fun and beneficial bit, but I would rather not make too big changes in technology. Not that I even assume I could with my limited knowledge. Sirgia is carrying this whole operation with barely any input from me.

But, occasional gadgets for our exclusive use wouldn’t be that bad. It could be our own little secret and benefit. Kind of like this suitcase. Though, I have a feeling that this is only a prototype and she will present a much more advanced version to the world after we solve the issues with her family and clans. It’s not hard to see how much all the merchants and travelling folks would be after this.

And this is only one of the masterpieces Sirgia wants to showcase to her people.

Giving my genius smith and artificer one last glance, I slide off the bed and pull my underwear on from the floor. Since the temperature is pretty much perfect in this whole place, I don’t bother dressing up yet. One could argue that putting on underwear already counts as that, but after living so long with so many incredible women, I’ve learned that you can never be too sure about not walking into anyone in this mansion. Even when you are certain no one should be around or awake at that moment.

Even when you are certain you are in an inaccessible pocket dimension.

So, with my modesty mostly covered, I head out of the replica of our bedroom, hit the toilet, and wander to the main lobby. No one pokes their head from behind a corner or a pillar yet but I’m not getting my hopes up just yet. It wouldn’t surprise me that at least one girl has snuck in here before our departure in hopes of jumping on me when I least expect it.

And no, I don’t mean Hecate. She is quite attached, but the stalky spidergirl takes her orders very seriously.

Making my way into the kitchen, I let out a sudden sneeze, cursing myself under my breath. One glance around reminds me of the moment we bumped into the wall so much while enjoying ourselves atop one of the side counters that a small bag of flour fell out of the cabinet and covered us in white dust. Our entangled forms are still drawn on its surface by the lack of flour, hard evidence of our preposterous deeds.

We are going to have to clean this up sometime soon.

For now, I simply make myself some tasty tea and continue walking around while sipping on the heavenly nectar. I finish my patrol about ten minutes later, not noticing any disturbance in the quiet residence, ending up back in the lobby. Sensing that Sirgia is still sleeping, I turn towards the exit with a certain kind of curiosity whirling in my mind.

Finally, it wins the inner war and I set the mug aside on the fake reception desk. As expected, the entrance doors are nothing more than a decoration, at least in this edition of the enclosed living space, and I can’t affect them in any way. The imitating light flows through the glass parts too, bathing the hall in a pleasant atmosphere. If I didn’t know any better, I could have been fooled into thinking we truly were home.

But, the actual entrance stands just to my right and becomes the actual target of my attention. Slowly making my way up the spiral staircase, I reach the tiny compartment where we stepped inside the suitcase yesterday. The ceiling is low enough for me to touch with somewhat extended arms. Otherwise, there are no signs that this room is anything else than a small attic-like storage space. No cuts are running through the walls at some height.

Still, I decide to follow my belief and give the ceiling a substantial push. A bunch of runic shapes flash into life right away. For a moment, I wonder if I haven’t triggered some kind of defensive mechanism, but after about three seconds, the lid starts moving up as an even gap appears around me. Some real light shines inside the suitcase as I open it wide.

At first sight, I can confirm that it’s still lodged in the niche Sirgia has carved into a random tree as we were setting up a camp. Nothing seems amiss, and I can even sense the faint trace of illusion between me and the rest of the world. The blurry surface is the only thing separating us from the other side and its influence.

Listening in carefully at first, I lean over the edge of the suitcase and peer past the tree’s massive trunk. Seeing no unexpected guests, either humanoid or monster-like, I hoist myself out of the box and land on the moist grass, still partially decorated with morning dew. It doesn’t look like it rained or anything so this must be due to the local climate or lower temperatures over the night.

That thought brings Diana to the forefront of my mind and I quickly scan our surroundings for the loyal, albeit rather ominous, canine. No matter how carefully I study my surroundings, though, I can’t find her anywhere. Her traces are still present here and there, but nothing that would easily suggest a direction or any other hint. Yet, I can tell she is around thanks to our connection.

Perhaps sensing my efforts and presence, Diana makes herself known a moment later.

However, I don’t immediately realise it’s her. And honestly, who could blame me? When a piece of elongated rock suddenly moves, you don’t assume that’s the friend you are looking for but a potential beast or animal that might be aiming to get a jump on you.

In this case, the medium-sized rock formation I have initially dismissed turns out to be my prone companion just raising her wolf head from the ground.

Sirgia might have downplayed the capabilities of the insane saddle she had created.

Why? Because while it certainly did cover Diana’s impressive body with a comfy-looking blanket, it also caused that blanket to assume very realistic colours based on the nearby shades and terrain features.

And so, I’m currently staring at a black snout poking from underneath a sizable collection of rocks while at the western part, the stone wiggles around due to the light brushes Diana’s tail causes underneath the material. She seems happy to see me. That happiness betrays her hiding spot, which happens to be in the centre of the clearing.

As I approach, she snaps her jaws on a string somewhere on the left and the protective layer retreats into the saddle, getting rid of her disguise. They do say that hiding in plain sight is the best and I certainly have to agree in this scenario. This thing, whatever it is, is going to be great for camping and other purposes.

The best part, though? Diana’s fur is perfectly dry, smooth, and additionally warm. Whatever environmental and weather conditions might be present around, this tent can neatly shield the owner from danger and inconvenience. My fingers relish the sensation of brushing through the heavenly coat of my big friend. Diana looks awake, energised, and ready to go at any moment.

“Looks like you too had a good night.” I pet my ferocious steed behind her long ear. “I’m glad to see that we haven’t left you out here to fend for yourself. Any important things to mention? Monsters? People?”

Diana receives my caresses for a full minute before giving my cheek a long lick with her glowing tongue. I can sense the message she is trying to convey and we succeed at properly communicating with visual and eventual clues. There was no trouble at night.

I shower her in appreciation for keeping watch over us and bring out a big and deep bowl, filling it with clean water. I’m aware that she can jump far enough to reach a nearby stream, but I might as well show my big doggo some proper care. She nudges my face with her snout as thanks and greedily gulps down on the gift.

Figuring out something for her to eat would be next, but I can already sense Diana’s urge to hunt. As her partner, I can’t really deny her that pleasure, can I? I’m not trying to domesticate this wolf. At least not in the usual way. I guess it’s something in between, where she remains this fierce hunter and warrior while also helping me out as my steed on the move or a companion in the mansion. Reêad latest novels at novelhall.com

Hopefully, we can achieve the same with the other wolves that we are planning for the mercenary girls. It would be nice to see them form bonds with their animal or beast partners.

“There you were, Master.”

A voice breaks me out of my thoughts and I glance over my shoulder. Sirgia’s petite figure is poking out of the suitcase and a shy pout paints her luscious lips. Additionally, she reaches just high enough for her plump and perky breasts to peek over the edge, her nipples standing proud in the slight chill of the forest when compared to the heated-up confines of the fake mansion.

She easily notices where my gaze goes and a kind smile curls her mouth up. Acting all cute and nonchalant, she joins her hands in front of her while pushing her arms close together. Furthermore, she leans forward and rests her petite frame against the sidewall. All of that just accentuates the pleasant roundness of her charms, emphasising her fair bust for all to admire.

Which, in this case, is all me.

Chuckling to myself, I stroll back to the tree and pick the mischievous dwarf up. Sirgia lets me move her freely and soon wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck, snuggling to me sweetly. I do not miss the fact that she hasn’t donned anything yet as her feminine bits press into me both high and low.

“You’ll get cold without any underwear.” I pull her into an affectionate kiss.

“To think there would be a day where my shy little Dwarf openly admits to enjoying my tongue more in her pussy than in her mouth.” I shake my head with a chuckle at the lithe seductress.

We jump back down the suitcase while Diana goes out hunting. Noticing the state of the kitchen, Sirgia gets all shy again, almost unable to meet my gaze. It was her request to take her in here as it’s one of her favourite places after the forge. We’ve made love throughout the entire mansion, but this spot might have experienced it the hardest.

After convincing my pretty mate to slip into comfy briefs and a t-shirt so that she doesn’t parade completely naked, we band together to prepare a meal. The ingredients are rather scarce since this place isn’t used that often, but it’s still enough to prepare something nice. And, it takes a while since most of the artefact-grade equipment is absent, replaced by the commonly-seen crystal-powered kitchenware.

“Well, one benefit of this is that I’m not going to have to drag you out of your forge at least.” I snicker as we cook.

“I’m sorry, Master. I failed to come out with a proper solution before you took me with you on a journey,” Sirgia apologises with way too much honesty.

“I’ll get angry if you keep that up.” I point a knife at her. “You are acting as if creating a perfectly inhabitable living space is not a miracle in itself. We have a mansion inside a damn tree, for Goddess’ sake. Actually, what would happen if I tried using any artefacts or more complex magical equipment?”

“You can certainly try your spatial ring if you would like to, Master,” she suggests without looking at me, a hint of a smile decorating the side of her face that I have the view of.

Sensing a trap, I still willingly walk into it and reach into my spatial ring... only to yelp in surprise as it zaps my finger with some kind of energy spark as I’m pulling something out. It quickly warms up and flashes with blinding light, forcing me to shield my eyes. After I open them again, the towel I’ve been thinking about rests in my hand.

“Okay, it’s a bit flashy, but I don’t see the problem with—”

And that’s not the only thing I don’t see.

Glancing at Sirgia, I see her standing towards me with her fists on her bare hips. Bare because she is completely naked, displaying her pert peaks and alluring mound almost proudly as a knowing smirk decorates her sweet lips. As her eyes skip down my front, I notice that my own clothing is just as much gone, leaving me hanging before her at half-mast.

“Point taken...” I smile wryly. “Can we... reclaim those lost articles somehow?”

“You can certainly try, Master,” she repeats her earlier challenge with an amused expression. “Just be aware that if there is nothing to suck in the ring’s close vicinity, it might materialise additional items from inside in random unoccupied spaces, no matter how small. If I’m not mistaken, you possess quite a collection of toys inside yours, so it would be wise to consider the risks involved.”

I shudder lightly as she paints the picture.

The sudden arrival of an uninvited guest through the back entrance would not be appreciated without proper warning and preparation.

“Therefore, I think we might be forced to continue our cooking as we are,” Sirgia continues with a fair blush.

“I believe you might be right.” I smirk wryly as I take my spot next to her once more, inhaling in slight surprise as something grazes my member.

Completely focused on her part of the preparation, Sirgia uses her free hand to stroke me daintily, her cheek even darker as she keeps her face directed ahead at the task.

She got me good with that bait, I’m not gonna lie.

But to think this shy little cinnamon roll would turn out to be this lewd in complete private is a pleasant surprise.

We finish cooking more or less at the same time as she finishes me and move to eat in the main hall. It feels quite bold to consume a meal in such a usually populated and public space with nothing covering our privates. Still, Sirgia noms on her sandwiches while sitting in my lap completely unbothered. We take turns feeding each other and eating on our own while snuggled together cosily.

Afterwards, we take a quick dip to clean up and step outside to get dressed.

Yeah. Outside. As in, into the forest. Because most of our stuff is in spatial storages, which work only out there.

I’m starting to think this whole thing has been planned more meticulously than I have imagined with us coincidentally taking off all the clothes atop the saddle yesterday and all the other minute details.

And that’s great. Let Sirgia’s creative mind soar. Her genius will conquer the Dwarf Kingdom in no time as long as it can remain this free and unchained.

With the two of us ready and proper, I watch Sirgia pack up the suitcase, deactivating it skilfully, and mount the blocky rectangle back onto Diana’s saddle. Making sure we’ve covered our traces and cleared the campsite out of any possible trash, we hop onto our valiant steed’s back.

As soon as we hit the road, my scheming Dwarf manipulates the positions of the handles and our seatings, but while everything turns a tad more alluring, it doesn’t reach the same level as it had yesterday. Shooting me a reassuring glance over her shoulder, Sirgia presses her back into my chest and we set into a low-hanging pose but without any improper elements. The real reason behind it becomes clear when Diana surges forward at multiple times the speed we have seen her reach previously.

We become almost a blur as we speed through the trees and reach the edge of the road. Skirting by its side, we travel fast, jumping into the forest to avoid contact with all the other travellers. I briefly worry about the direction we are heading in, but Sirgia reassures me mentally that Diana is following her guidance extremely well, understanding the instructions she whispers into the canine’s ear almost to a single word.

And so, we ride like this for the next five days, stopping for each night to let Diana rest, sleep well in our portable mansion ourselves, and of course, enjoy our own company during the downtime.

And no, it’s not all sex.

Well, it’s the majority of it, maybe, but we still chat a lot and simply interact with each other, making up for all that missed time we often lost due to our responsibilities or other things back at home. We don’t have any excuses now and make full use of that. The further we travel, the more Sirgia opens up about her homeland and family. As always, I remind her that she doesn’t have to relive too painful or sad memories, but she grows more determined and comfortable sharing.

Then, on the sixth day, the environment changes a bit into what you could call a near-mountain biome. It’s still a forest but the trees are getting more scarce and the species are being dominated by pines and other similar families. By then, we fully leave the trail and push through the wilderness.

On the seventh day, I notice the remains of a stone road here and there in the ground. Sirgia explains that it has been a great mercantile highway back in the past, leading to one of the entrances into the mountain’s belly that we are currently heading to. I can’t help but start getting more and more excited at the prospect of witnessing the lost architecture of ancient Dwarves. And clearly, so can’t she. The emotions in her voice are hard to miss.

Finally, before it gets dark, we reach our destination.

A high cliff stands before us, spanning from one side to another without end. The remains of the dwarven road lead into a humongous double-winged gate made of some kind of metal. One wing is easily ten or more metres wide while they reach as high as a three-story building or higher.

Those things are massive and full of neatly arranged runes or scripts. I recognize Dwarven here and there, though some parts of it evade me, perhaps lost in time as the tongue changed over the decades or centuries. I’m not exactly sure how accurate the books I learned from are, just that I’m fairly good with the current Dwarvish.

As for the metal itself, it has an ominous black colour, though bits of grey splatter its surface. After a moment of thought, it becomes clear that those splotches are what remains of the original paint or other coating. Yet, as that coating has faded away, the core structure of the gate looks almost undamaged, like it laughs in the face of time, environment, and any kind of assault. The cliff around it is certainly muttered with signs of martial and magical effort to get through.

“This might be a stupid question, but you do know how to get inside, right?” I ask my lovely mate as we gape upon the entrance together.

Sirgia glances aside and does that adorable tick of digging a hole in the ground with the tip of her shoe.

Which feels like a no.

Sighing softly to myself, I ruffle through her hair and scan the runes carved in the metal. Then, raising a brow at the gate, I tilt my head ponderingly.

“Friend?” I mutter under my breath, making sure I’m speaking Elvish.

Sirgia glances up at me. “Master?”

Chuckling quietly, I shake my head. “Nothing. Let’s get closer and look for any hints before it’s too dark.”

She stares at me curiously for a while longer before trotting to my side and walking with me to the mysterious entrance.