The Ritual Examination and the Orc Ambush
"That's right. You need to take everything off. Only then can we perform the ritual without any issues."
"...Y-yes, I understand... Selton... please don't stare so intently. It's embarrassing."
"Uh, y-yeah..."
In the end, at Minwoo's insistence, Line steeled herself against the shame and began peeling off her clothes one piece at a time. She hesitated briefly when only her undergarments remained, but as Minwoo urged her on with his gaze, she had no choice but to strip off the final piece, her face twisted in distress.
Soon, Line's pristine white naked body was fully exposed, without a single thing hidden.
Gulp...
The Selton Viscount's audible swallow echoed loudly from beside her. Minwoo had to admit the viscount wasn't entirely talking nonsense when he'd claimed she was more beautiful than Aisha. He wouldn't fully agree, but Line was undoubtedly a beauty who could hold her own against Aisha.
True to her Red Fox Tribe heritage, lush, long reddish-brown hair framed her head, with a pair of adorable fox ears shyly poking out. Her figure wasn't as voluptuous as Ernate's or Aisha's, nor as delicate and slender as Siola's—it was perfectly average, one might say. Her breasts looked to be around a C-cup, and between her fluffy buttocks sprouted a plush-looking fox tail, giving off a different allure from Aisha's cat tail.
If he hadn't already encountered so many beauties since arriving in this world, even Minwoo might have been left staring slack-jawed like the viscount. It was a graceful, stunning body.
But feigning utter indifference to her flesh, Minwoo maintained his professional demeanor and continued.
"Good. Now, for a basic physical exam first—please lie straight on the bed."
"...Yes."
Following Minwoo's instructions, Line cautiously lay down on the bed. She was already brainwashed into believing his words were absolute common sense, something she had to obey. Of course, that didn't erase her feminine shame entirely, so she modestly covered her breasts and groin with her hands.
"Lower your arms, please. It's interfering with the exam."
"Eek... Y-yes..."
In the end, all Line could do was flush crimson and squeeze her eyes shut tight.
"Alright, let's begin. Relax your entire body completely—no matter what happens, do not get startled."
"...Yes."
Surprisingly, Minwoo's first touch was her head. He gently stroked her thick reddish-brown hair a few times, then slyly moved his hand toward where her ears emerged.
"...!"
Line's body twitched in surprise. If not for Minwoo's warning, she surely would have let out a cry, she thought.
Minwoo's hands began fiddling with her large ears. Even for humans, ears could be quite a sensitive erogenous zone depending on the person. For a beastkin, how sensitive might they be? That curiosity drove his actions. For reference, Aisha was very responsive. Well, she reacted sensitively to just about anything, though.
"Hngh... Haaah..."
Line seemed to be feeling it too—each time Minwoo's fingers rubbed her ears, her body jerked slightly. Soft moans began leaking from her lips. It wasn't an intense reaction yet, but Minwoo's exam was only just getting started.
"Hmm... I was worried about how roughly you'd been living outdoors for so long, but your fur has a nice sheen, and your physical responses are good. Any particular pains or aches?"
"N-none in particular..."
"I see. Let's continue the exam, then."
Next, Minwoo's hands moved to her breasts. Without the slightest hesitation, he lightly gripped them.
"Hngh!? "
"L-Line..! Are you alright?"
At Line's sudden moan from the stimulation, the Selton Viscount spoke up with a worried expression.
"I-I'm fine... Just startled a little..."
Any woman would react the same way in this situation, but Minwoo put on a stern face and scolded her anyway.
"Didn't I say not to get startled? This is an important ritual. Take it seriously."
"S-sorry..!"
"Just remember that. Let's proceed with the ritual."
Minwoo turned the tables, embarrassing her further, and casually continued kneading her breasts as if it were the most natural thing. His movements were mostly gentle, but occasionally he'd squeeze hard or focus on her nipples, drawing out her reactions as much as possible.
And Line gave him a satisfying response.
"Haaahk..! Hooahh..! Hiiingk..!"
"L-Line..! Hang in there..! I'm right here watching over you..!"
"Se-Selton..!"
As if comforting his wife through labor pains, the Selton Viscount grasped one of Line's hands. It was unsolicited, but Minwoo let it slide. After all, it made things even more entertaining.
"Breast sensitivity is a pass as well. No problems with nursing once you have the baby, then."
"I-is that so..? Did you hear that, Line? No issues with feeding the baby."
"Haa... Haa... Yes... That's a relief..."
Acting as if she'd already conceived, the two rejoiced at Minwoo's words. Watching them, Minwoo smirked to himself.
"Now... on to the most important part of the exam."
"The most... important part..?"
"Yes. When it comes to conceiving a child, what's the most crucial spot...?"
"Well..."
As the Selton Viscount averted his gaze bashfully, Minwoo moved his hand and said,
"Right here, of course."
"Eek!?"
Line's body sprang up like a coiled spring.
...
"Halt!"
Randel, at the front, raised his arm and shouted. The group following behind stopped in their tracks.
"What's up? Something wrong?"
Piria tugged her robe tighter against the irritating sand gusts as she spoke. They were now deep in the barren wasteland. They'd made it this far without mounts or incident largely thanks to Piria's magic. With lightweight spells and movement aids, even treacherous desert terrain was a breeze. That was why she was essential for scouting.
Randel replied,
"Something... feels off."
"Off how?"
"It's too quiet."
"...Too quiet?"
Piria tilted her head at Randel's words. Wasn't it obvious it'd be quiet in an empty place like this? She hadn't heard anything but the wind so far.
"Isn't that normal? Nothing here, so of course it's quiet."
"No. Even in a desert like this, there are animals and insects living here. But right now... it's unnaturally silent, like all life in the area has been deliberately wiped out."
"What? But we're still far from the Demon King's Castle, right? No labyrinths or anything notable around here..."
Piria shrugged, but Randel pulled his cloak tighter and said,
"We should scout the surroundings first. Piria, I know it's a hassle, but could you cast a detection spell? First rank will do."
"Sigh... Fine. I think it's unnecessary worrying, but if it's your request, Randel."
Randel soon took one knight and set off to scout. Piria pulled a small wand from her robes.
"Hey, orc! Chair!"
"..."
At Piria's irritable shout, the orc Nerka silently fetched a small chair from the luggage and placed it behind her. Piria plopped down and began waving her wand in the air, chanting.
"-- --- ---- --."
⟨ Detection Magic — First Rank ⟩
The spell Piria was chanting was a first-rank detection magic. It could sense the number of hostile lifeforms within a certain radius. Higher ranks allowed more precise detection, but the chants grew more complex. Since they just needed to check for enemies, first rank was plenty.
"Hmm... Let's see..."
Finishing the short chant effortlessly, Piria began examining the virtual map visible only to her eyes. A circular map centered on her gradually expanded over time.
As a specialist in support magic, Piria could detect up to five kilometers out.
"Huh...? No way, this is..."
It happened when the circle reached about five hundred meters. Red dots began appearing one by one at the map's edges—markers for hostile lifeforms, of course.
"Wh-what the..."
Piria gaped in shock. The red dots multiplied in seconds, already surpassing a hundred. As the circle widened, their numbers exploded exponentially.
That was when it happened.
"Everyone, battle stations! We evacuate now!"
Randel's bloodcurdling shout rang out.
"What happened, Captain? Enemies for real..?"
One of the knights guarding the spot asked urgently. Randel replied with a grim expression.
"Orcs!"