Time for a New Kind of Degeneracy, Part 8
The Black Princess looked at Ted cautiously, her face still painted with anxiety. Although she was more relieved than before, she couldn't help but feel afraid of being alone with a man in the dead of night.
What on earth does he want with me...?
The Black Princess realized she could gradually move her body again. Shaking like a newborn fawn, she slowly stood up.
"Why... did you come all the way here...?"
Looking at his face, he didn't seem like a bad person, but still—if he were to demand her body, she had no way to refuse.
She had never found a master, and as a low-performance Intelligence Weapon to begin with, there was absolutely nothing she could do.
Thus, the Black Princess tightly clutched the hem of her skirt, betraying her anxiety. The suspicion that he had followed her to such a place at this late hour for nothing but lewd purposes refused to fade.
And so...
"If... you want to do something lewd... I really won't resist, so..."
Keeping a wary eye on Ted, the Black Princess carefully lifted her skirt. Beneath it, her suggestive black-striped panties were revealed.
Seeing them brought back memories of her meticulously washing her body earlier, and before he knew it, Ted found himself sporting another erection.
"Ah..."
Noticing the prominent bulge in Ted's pants, the Black Princess wore a bitter expression as she reached down to her panties.
Slide.
Without a word, she slid her panties down to her knees, exposing her tightly closed, beautiful pussy.
"I will do whatever you command, so please... just don't kill me..."
If she was going to be subjected to lewd acts anyway, it was better to be the one initiating the seduction. That way, her partner wouldn't turn violent and would focus solely on the act itself.
With that thought in mind, the Black Princess used both hands to spread her pussy wide, displaying her delicate, pink labia to Ted.
"...!!"
Staring at her mesmerizing, highly erotic pussy, Ted felt his mind go blank. A primal urge to pounce on her and ravage her in a messy, passionate session surged within him.
However—
Thwack!
"Kyaah?! W-what are you doing?!"
Ted smacked himself hard on the head with his own fist. He had almost let his dick hijack his brain and commit an atrocity once again.
For a pervert like him, whose libido was far more monstrous than that of any ordinary man, this was an incredibly dangerous temptation.
Fighting off the temptation with every ounce of his willpower, Ted barely managed to snap back to reality.
"No! I mean, you see..."
"P-please... speak casually to me. There is no need to use polite language."
It was better to handle adventurers that way. The more casually they treated her, the lower the chances of something terrible happening. Having learned this through centuries of harsh experience, the Black Princess made her request.
"Um, alright, I'll do that then. And...!"
Ted grabbed her panties. At that, she closed her eyes submissively, resigning herself to her fate. She braced herself for the sexual act to begin, but...
Whoosh!
"Kyaah?!"
Contrary to her expectations, Ted swiftly pulled her panties back up, dressing her once more.
"Huh? Uh... why did you put my panties back on?"
"I didn't come here to violate you."
Ted spoke firmly, wanting to prove that he had no intention of raping her. However—
Squeeze.
"Hah-ah...!"
He had used a bit too much force and yanked her panties up too high. As a result, the fabric wedged itself tightly between her labia, giving her an accidental wedgie.
"Oops!"
Realizing his mistake, Ted pulled the panties back down.
Slide.
"Ah..."
As the fabric slipped out from between her sensitive folds, it delivered a highly erotic friction that made her gasp.
"This! Seriously, absolutely, definitely! I didn't do that on purpose."
Slide.
This time, Ted carefully pulled her panties up to a normal position. Letting go of the fabric, he raised both hands to shoulder height in a gesture of surrender.
"I know my actions just now didn't help build trust, but I'm telling the truth. I hope you can believe me."
At Ted's words, the Black Princess blushed and gave a gentle nod.
"Yes... you do not have to worry so much. I believe you. If you truly had such intentions... you would have already done far worse by now..."
"Ah, I'm sorry. And thank you for believing me."
Feeling relieved, Ted introduced himself.
"It's a bit late, but let me introduce myself. My name is Ted. Ted Isis."
Lowering his hands, he took another step closer to her.
"I really didn't follow you to hurt you. Um, could you tell me your name?"
"Ah... yes, of course."
Seemingly reassured by Ted's earnest tone, she finally let go of her skirt. Instead, she clasped her own hands together and answered.
"...Princess Sword. The moment I was created in this world as an Intelligence Weapon, that name was engraved upon me."
Princess. It was a beautiful name.
"Just as 'Sword' is attached to my name, my form as a weapon is that of a blade."
Delighted that she had shared her name, Ted offered a warm smile.
"I see. Nice to meet you, Princess Sword. And... I know it's rude to ask a lady, but could you tell me how long you've lived?"
"A-a lady... You flatter me."
Pleased to be addressed as a lady, Princess Sword blushed deeply. She hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"This year... marks 1,075 years since I came into being. Because... because I am a weapon of useless performance... I have never... met a master..."
Overcome with sorrow once again, Princess Sword began to weep silently. The tears rolled down her pale skin, pooling at her chin before dripping off. In each falling drop, the agony of her long, lonely existence was palpable.
1,075 years... Princess Sword really is the Black Princess Grandfather talked about.
Ted stepped closer and gently reached out. With a tender touch, he wiped away the tears streaming down her face.
"Ah..."
It was the first time in her life she had ever experienced such warmth. While many had reached out to her with lewd intentions, Ted was the very first to offer a hand of genuine comfort.
Instinctively, she leaned her cheek into his palm. His warmth radiated through her skin. She found herself wishing she could feel his gentle touch forever. Any remaining wariness she had toward him vanished completely.
"You've been called the Black Princess for a long time, haven't you?"
"Yes... not many people know my true name. No one ever bothered to ask..."
Basking in Ted's touch, Princess Sword continued.
"Before I knew it, everyone started calling me the Black Princess. But... even that is fine. As long as they do not call me a monster, they can call me whatever they wish..."
Ted opened his hand and gently stroked the back of Princess's head. For some reason, the gesture came naturally to him. Perhaps it was because he could see how much she cherished his touch. She had likely never received a single gentle caress in over a thousand years.
"I would never say such cruel things to you. Hey, is it alright if I just call you Princess? You can call me Ted, too."
"R-really?!"
Princess gasped, her mouth parting in surprise. Her eyes darted around nervously before she spoke.
"Ah..."
She gently took hold of Ted's hand as it stroked her hair and whispered.
"Yes... thank you. You may call me whatever you like, my... Ted."
"Sure. Thank you, Princess."
"No... it is I who should be grateful."
Seeing her get so deeply moved by such simple gestures made Ted's heart ache. It was proof of just how lonely and miserable her thousand-year existence had been.
"You know, Princess, if you ever dislike my touch, just let me know."
"No! I love it!"
Startled, Princess quickly protested. She leaned even closer to Ted, as if pleading with him not to pull his hand away.
It was a bit of an odd comparison, but she looked exactly like a puppy starved for affection. If she had a tail, it would surely be wagging at a furious pace.
"Hey, Princess. Do you happen to know the name 'Gred Isis'? He's my grandfather."
Princess's eyes widened at the name.
"I see... The Isis family... I thought the name sounded familiar. So you are his descendant."
"Well, he's old, but I'm his direct grandson, not just a distant descendant."
"I see... I still remember him clearly."
Princess recalled the events of decades ago.
"Yes... the 'Sword Demon' Gred Isis. The man who cleaved mountains and split the heavens. In those days, he was as famous as the Sword Saint."
Ted was slightly taken aback by this unexpected piece of information. He couldn't believe his grandfather had been as famous as the Sword Saint.
Grandfather had the title 'Sword Demon'...? He always called himself a third-rate hack, so I thought his nickname was literally 'Third-Rate'...
"Most people had a compatibility rate of under 20% with me. But... Gred Isis. He was the first and last person to have a compatibility rate of a whopping 70%..."
Princess smiled bitterly.
"That is why I desperately and persistently begged and pleaded with him to become my master. I made him so uncomfortable. It was only natural that he hated me..."
So that's what happened.
"I followed him around for ten whole days. In the end, he slipped away from the village while I was asleep, and I never saw him again..."
Princess took a step back. Then, she bowed politely to Ted to apologize.
"I am sorry for being such a nuisance to your grandfather..."
"...No, Princess."
Ted caught her by the shoulders and gently pulled her upright. Looking straight into her eyes, he spoke.
"Grandfather regretted rejecting you for the rest of his life. That's why he tasked me with finding you."
"Huh...?"
Princess's eyes trembled at the unexpected revelation.
"I'm sorry I took so long. If I had to make an excuse, I only reached F+ Rank today, so I've barely just ceased to be a complete novice."
"I can't believe it... I wasn't hated after all... Just knowing that makes me so happy."
Ted lowered his hands from her shoulders and gently clasped her hands in his.
"I promised Grandfather. I told him I would reach out to you in his stead."
"...! W-what does that mean?"
Princess felt her heart begin to race.
"Princess. I might be lacking, but will you allow me to become your master?"
Ted dropped to one knee before her like a knight and gently kissed the back of her hand.
At his words and tender gesture, tears welled up in Princess's eyes once more. But they were different from the countless tears of sorrow she had shed over the past millennium. For the first time in her life... she was crying tears of pure joy.
"Ah, ah... Finally... finally... my master..."
Unable to contain her overwhelming emotions, she threw herself into Ted's arms, hugging him tightly.
"Master! Waaah~!"
As if desperately praying this wasn't a dream, and showing that she would never let him go, Princess wept in his embrace, washing away a thousand years of sorrow with her tears of joy.
After crying for what felt like an eternity, Princess suddenly gasped in realization and looked up at him from his chest.
"Ah, I am sorry, my master... Are you... angry with me?"
Feeling deeply sympathetic toward her timid, overly cautious behavior, Ted held her even tighter. At his warm embrace, the anxiety on Princess's face melted away.
"Of course not, Princess. I swear to you. Even if my life ends in the middle of battle, I will never let go of you until my very last breath."
"Ah!!"
As an Intelligence Weapon, there were no words that could make her happier. To be with her master until the very end of the battle—it was the most ideal end a weapon could ever hope for.
Princess squeezed Ted tightly once more. She wanted to form the contract right this instant. Terrified that he might change his mind, she wanted to rush the process.
Driven by her urgent desires, Princess looked up at Ted with pleading eyes.
"Um... I know this might seem a bit rushed, but..."
"You mean the official contract?"
"Y-yes! May I... ask you to do it now, my master?"
"Of course. But I've only heard about it in stories. You're my first Intelligence Weapon, so I don't know how to do it. I'll leave it to you."
"I am your first Intelligence Weapon?! Yes! I understand!" Princess beamed, nodding vigorously.