This Is Where You Get Ravished Next Chapter
"Today's company was truly an honor. Thank you all, so very much."
In front of each other's carriages, our party and the Saintess Order's party exchanged farewells. Risnet pressed her hands together and bowed at the waist toward us.
"Not at all. It was resolved thanks to you, Lady Risnet."
"That's right. If it had been just us, we never would have won."
Valeri said this as she watched Risnet bow her head, and I chimed in with an agreeing nod.
"Yeah, true. If it weren't for Risnet, we'd have— mph!"
The moment something dangerous started slipping out of Fresia's mouth, Valeri and I hastily clapped our hands over it.
"We intend to wait here for the Saintess Order's reinforcements. There are several dozen people who need to be escorted back to the village, so we'll be rather short-handed."
"Then perhaps we could—"
When I opened my mouth, Risnet shook her head.
"I appreciate your warm kindness, but please, leave this matter to the Saintess Order."
Were we really parting ways here? Making Risnet our companion—that was the revelation from that cursed Goddess... As much as I couldn't stand her, if I wanted to defeat the Demon King, I had no choice but to follow her instructions.
As I hesitated, Risnet seemed to read my mind and spoke up.
"You're heading to the capital for an audience with Her Majesty, aren't you? In that case, we shall meet again there."
Right. For now, let's withdraw gracefully. Becoming companions can wait until later.
"Yes, understood. I look forward to seeing you again in the capital."
Doing my best to be polite, I wrapped up our goodbyes, climbed into the carriage, gave one last nod to the members of the Saintess Order, and closed the door.
"Considering how long the dungeon detour took, we should arrive at the capital around sunset."
"First thing we do when we get there is eat."
Valeri and Fresia, seated across from me, said this in turn.
There would be a luxury inn waiting for us in the capital, the one Lord Raking had recommended. Once we arrived, word would be sent up to the royal castle, and once a date and time were set for our audience with the king, word would come back down to us.
Which meant that whether we arrived before dinnertime or after, there was nothing to do today but stay at the inn anyway.
That was the plan...
"And after dinner~"
Fresia narrowed her eyes into a sly smile and began raking her gaze over me from head to toe.
"D-don't look at me like that!"
I flinched and twisted away. I turned to Valeri with pleading eyes, begging for help—but Valeri made no move to stop her.
"I... I too... am looking forward to tonight...!"
Valeri said this with her eyes squeezed shut, a tightly clenched fist resting on her knee.
"Hehehe~" "You did... promise, didn't you?"
These two... tonight... tonight they're not planning on letting me off easy!
A chill ran up my spine, raising gooseflesh. My heart pounded with feelings too tangled to name. Fear and anticipation alike stabbed at it, again and again.
"I... I know..."
I lowered my head, trying to hide my burning face. Also to hide the corners of my mouth, which were trembling in a distinctly odd way.
What on earth was going to be done to me... and by the two of them, no less...
Time passed, and the carriage carrying us drew very near the capital. When I opened the window, a cool breeze flowed in, and beneath the orange glow of dusk, an immense stone wall stretched so far in both directions that its ends vanished from view. We would soon reach its gates.
"Wow..."
Even Fresia, who had been teasing me mercilessly until a moment ago, and Valeri, who had been rigidly holding herself together with a flushed face, both gaped at the sight.
"Forgive me for saying this to the people of Sonta, but that wall isn't even in the same league!"
"Yeah, no way anyone's climbing over that one, huh?"
"Why is 'hiding inside it' the first thing that comes to your mind?"
"Hehehe~ occupational hazard!"
"Panty thievery can never be a legitimate occupation... Lady Fresia."
Before long we reached the entrance, and we waited with the windows closed. It was much like when we'd first gone to meet Lord Raking—so that rumors about us wouldn't spread, the soldiers handled the paperwork on our behalf. When the carriage began moving again, it seemed we'd passed through without any trouble.
We wanted to take in the streets of the capital, but Valeri objected strenuously. Even if it wasn't flashy, our carriage was large, sturdy, and expensive—big enough that it might well draw people's eyes. We'd gone so far as to keep ourselves hidden just to avoid attention on the way in; there was no way we could undo all that now.
Soon the carriage came to a brief halt. After a few exchanges of voices drifted through, there came the creaking screech of metal grinding against metal. The carriage pressed on a little farther, and at last it rolled to a stop at our destination.
"You may disembark now."
At the soldier's voice through the window, Valeri opened the door, and we stepped outside.
Where we had arrived was a five-story inn—spacious, imposing, and unmistakably high-class. Built from red wine-colored stone, the building bore beautiful engraved patterns on every single brick. Even setting that aside, the columns, the windows, every little detail was alive with craftsmanship.
"We're... we're staying here?"
Even Valeri, stunned by an inn beyond anything she'd imagined, stared up at the building with her mouth hanging open.
"And the back is amazing too! It's gorgeous!"
At Fresia's loud cry, I turned around—and there, draped in the sunset, spread a beautiful garden. Meticulously trimmed hedges and trees bloomed with flowers as far as the eye could see.
Beside it, I could see the road our carriage had traveled. The iron gate at its far end was probably why the carriage had paused for a moment earlier.
Even if this weren't a medieval fantasy world, this lodging would have been astonishing. Back in my old world too, my jaw would surely have dropped just like this.
Grrroowl~
Valeri's and Fresia's stomachs growled in perfect unison.
"F-forgive me. I'm just... hungry, haha..."
"Come on, come on! Let's hurry inside! I bet the food's delicious too!"
"Hold it, Fresia! Calm down!"
I grabbed Fresia, who was bouncing in place. Because of the stares around us. Guests of the fancy inn—people dressed in expensive-looking clothes—were all looking our way.
The reason was obvious enough. Right now we must have looked like country bumpkins fresh off the farm—commoners giddy over a fancy establishment. Honestly, that comparison might have been less a metaphor and more an accurate description.
Under the weight of all those stares, I ducked my head slightly, nearly burying my face in Fresia's back, and grumbled in a low voice.
"A place like this is going to charge a fortune for food anyway! Where exactly are we supposed to find money to burn like that?"
"Allow me to clarify that point as well."
One of Lord Raking's soldiers, who had been watching over us, spoke up.
"First of all, everything here—lodging and meals included—will be paid for later by His Lordship. We have already verified your identities, so if you go inside and present the letter of introduction, the staff will take care of the rest."
"Ah—I'm so sorry. You're standing right there, and here we are bickering among ourselves...!"
I apologized to the soldier, who had explained everything so kindly.
"Not at all! Please, think nothing of it!"
Startled by my apology, the soldier snapped rigidly to attention and blurted the words out. Then, after a small cough or two, he loosened up and continued.
"We will now report to the royal castle and then return to the territory. It has been an honor to escort you this far."
"The thanks is ours." "Thank you, truly."
Following my words of gratitude, Valeri gave a bow of her head as well.
"Thanks a bunch~"
Fresia waved both hands, flashing a bright, cheerful goodbye as she looked back and forth between the soldier and the driver.
We stood in place for a moment, watching the backs of Lord Raking's men as they departed. In the meantime, the onlookers who had been gawking at us or smirking at us seemed to lose interest entirely.
"Shall we go in?"
"I-I'm nervous...!" "Food. Let's eat!"
We made our way toward the main entrance on awkward feet. Even the path leading up to it was paved with pretty colored bricks, and the fences twisted this way and that in graceful, intertwining curves.
The front entrance was positively dazzling, what with the gold-leafed pillars and lamps set at intervals along it. When we stopped in front, two uniformed employees took hold of the door handles in perfect sync and pulled them open from both sides.
We—or more precisely, Valeri and I—stepped inside, doing our best to hide our nerves.
Once through the doors, a lobby opened up—small by the building's standards, but plenty roomy. The floor was covered in an enormous red carpet. We headed for the counter, a wide staircase on our left, and on our right a broad entrance that seemed to lead to the dining hall.
"Welcome. Thank you for visiting our Repondremant. How may we assist you?"
An employee in an immaculate uniform bowed to us in greeting. I pulled the rolled-up letter of introduction from Lord Raking out of my leather bag.
"Um... we're acquaintance of his..."
I'd tried to hide it, but there was no concealing my nerves after all. As the employee took the letter and examined it, I caught snippets of conversation around us.
"How shabby." "Looks like some strange ones have wandered in." "New janitors for the filth, perhaps? Ohoho."
People in expensive clothes coming down the stairs, or standing about the lobby. Not all of them—but some were unmistakably mocking us, looking down on us outright.
"Why, you—!" "Do not engage, Lady Fresia."
From behind me came Valeri's voice, quietly holding Fresia back.
Not that we'd come here on our own money, but still... that's just too far! Damn it!
Just as my blood was starting to boil, the employee at the counter handed the letter back and gave a deep, deep bow, and several more staff members came filing out from the back in flawless formation.
"It is our honor to receive you! We will escort you to the finest room in all of Repondremant!"
At those words, an employee attached herself to each of us and took up our luggage, while one more appeared to guide us toward the staircase. The people around us watched our bewildered little procession with even more bewildered expressions.
But then a single thought flashed through my head, and a thrill shot through my whole body.
We get the top-tier room! Take that, you snobs!! You're the ones scrubbing filth! WAHAHAHAHA!!
While the Hero's party climbed the stairs, in a dark room lit only by a few guttering candles and the evening sun bleeding faintly through the curtains, a woman with long pink hair swayed her slender tail with a lazy flick.
"Hmm~ So the Hero has come to this place. How interesting, don't you think, Sukmehek?"
The pink-haired woman said this to Sukmehek, who was bound naked to a chair, gasping for breath.
"Ngh... hnngh... please... I beg you... mercy...!"
"Mmm~ No. You've only had about twenty so far, haven't you? No mercy until you hit fifty consecutive climaxes."
Saying this, she approached Sukmehek, whose body was already soaked and slick with sweat and all manner of fluids.
"F-forgive me, I beg— OHHOOOOHH!!"