Chapter 313: Bed-sharing
Chapter 313: Bed-sharing
After leaving the Chairman’s office, I immediately contacted Iris and told her to pack her things.
I also headed over to Fay’s workshop to help her pack.
Thanks to the advancement of spatial magic, moving in this world usually just involves shoving everything into a subspace pocket… but Fay had several massive pieces of equipment.
To move those with a subspace pocket, you’d need one with an opening wide enough for the machinery to fit through. My Inventory, however, let me store anything just by touching it.
Once everything was ready, I headed to the mansion where Iris was staying.
“You have arrived, Master.”
“Yeah. Is everything ready on your end?”
“Of course. By the way, what do you plan to do with these children? They aren't well-known, but I fear it might be dangerous if it's discovered they are Master’s slaves….”
Iris looked worried as she pointed toward the elf family that had come along with her and Elisha—Pamila, Orlan, and Allen.
Did she really think I’d just leave those three behind?
I chuckled and reached out, playfully stretching Iris’s cheeks.
“Don’t worry. I got permission from the Chairman to bring everyone, not just one person. He even lent us the entire Old Dormitory building.”
“Th-then!”
“Yeah. Since it’s just us, there won't even be any Academy staff there. I needed someone to manage that huge building anyway, and I figured three capable Intermediate Magicians would be more than enough.”
“Thank you, Master!”
Iris squirmed out of my grip and threw her arms around me. Then, she turned and began vigorously patting the shoulders of her former subordinates.
She had to stand on her tiptoes because she couldn't quite reach, which was adorable… but at the same time, she actually looked like a reliable boss.
Well, they were close enough to have attempted a Spirit Summoning together; they were essentially her inner circle. Naturally, she wanted to look after them as much as possible.
And because she was that kind of person, they had likely followed her to the end, even knowing they’d be branded as public enemies of the continent.
It was a mature side of Iris, whom I usually only saw in her "baby form." I knew she was much older than me, but seeing her like this made me feel proud, so I began stroking her head, pressing down slightly on her crown.
“Hmm? What is this all of a sudden, Master?”
Stroke, stroke.
“Ahem. Though we are all currently fellow slaves, doing this in front of my former subordinates is a bit….”
Stroke, stroke.
“H-however… if it is what Master desires, then as a mere slave, I have no choice but to comply. Go on, keep stroking. Do as you wish until Master is satisfied!”
Stop.
“……?”
When I suddenly pulled my hand away, Iris, who had been about to close her eyes, froze.
She tilted her head in confusion for a moment, then slowly began nudging her head toward my palm. I quickly hid my hands behind my back.
“……!”
Iris looked horrified, as if she had witnessed the end of the world—or perhaps as if she’d seen the most sacrilegious chimera in history, one with the bill of a duck, the body of a raccoon, and the tail of a beaver.
Trembling, Iris approached and tugged on my arm.
Nudge, nudge.
“Master…?”
But when I kept my hands behind my back, determined not to give in, she began to whimper and circle around me.
The sight was so incredibly cute that I found myself staring blankly for a moment.
Now, with tears welling up in her eyes, Iris began rubbing her forehead against my chest.
“Uuu. Auuu….”
Seeing her babbling like a literal infant, I had a realization.
If I tease her any more, she’s actually going to cry…!
I quickly tucked my hands under Iris’s armpits, lifted her high, and pulled her into a hug, patting her small back.
“Sorry. I went too far with the joke, didn't I?”
“A… joke?”
“Yeah. You were acting so dignified today that I just couldn't help myself….”
“Was it really a joke? You do not think I am a truly, truly bothersome woman?”
“Hey, now. How could this be bothersome? Here!”
Supporting Iris’s bottom with one hand, I used the other to vigorously stroke her hair.
“Heheee….”
Only then did Iris let out a satisfied hum and go limp in my arms.
Phew. Managed to fix that, at least.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but then I felt a stinging gaze from the side. I looked up.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
The elf family was staring blankly at us.
“…It’s not like I did anything to her. Iris was always like this.”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
Naturally, no one believed me.
Seriously, this is too much. All I did was give her a little "airplane ride" until she gave up.
*
Anyway, shortly after I brought Iris and Pamila’s family over, Iona arrived.
I guess her days of living in her laboratory because she found the professor’s housing too bothersome were finally over.
On paper, she was supposed to be the Dorm Manager of the Old Dormitory, but that was just a formality.
In reality, she was just living with us like the other women.
“Now that everyone’s here and the luggage is packed, shall we go?”
I already knew the location of the Old Dormitory from Rebecca.
Perhaps because it was built before the Academy’s major expansions, the building was located on the outskirts, quite a distance from the main facilities.
It was old overall, but just as Rebecca had said, it had been well-maintained. When we stepped inside, it was surprisingly clean.
“We can use this right away, Master!”
“Agreed. We just need to pick our rooms and unpack.”
“…Separate rooms? A-are we already sleeping in separate rooms?!”
“Calling them 'separate rooms' makes it sound weird. It’s just more comfortable to have your own personal space. You can use it for storage or when you want to be alone. Of course, you’re welcome to stay glued to my side if you want.”
“No… please get away from me just a little….”
Ever since I’d picked her up to comfort her, she had been clinging to me like a koala. I’d tried to put her down once she seemed calm, but she’d just squirm and hold on tighter, so I eventually gave up.
I didn't expect her to stay stuck to me like a burr until we reached the Old Dormitory, though.
Ah, and when I say "stuck to me," I’m not making a joke about Iris’s chest size, so don't misunderstand.
She’s probably bigger than a cracker. Probably.
Elisha poked Iris’s back with her fingertip and tickled her lightly as she asked.
“I agree that we should each have a private room. Do you have a specific layout in mind, dear?”
“No. This is my first time here too, so I don't know the layout. Let’s look around and decide.”
As I nodded and scanned the first floor, Fay raised her hand slightly to ask a question.
“Oh, Junior. Can I use two rooms?”
“There are plenty of rooms, so I don't mind… but why?”
“I want to use one as a workshop.”
“I didn't think of that. Then let’s just say everyone gets two rooms, including a workshop. We can take more later if needed.”
“Yay!”
Perhaps because it was built when the Academy was smaller, the Old Dormitory wasn't particularly massive.
Or maybe I’d just grown too accustomed to the oversized scale of the modern Academy?
Regardless, a quick walk-through was enough to figure out the plan.
The top floor, the 4th floor, would be for my room and the other women’s rooms.
The 3rd floor would be the workshop floor.
The 2nd floor would be where Pamila, Orlan, and Allen lived while managing the building.
And finally, the 1st floor….
“Hey, hey. How about we just cover the 1st floor in traps?”
“Oh… that sounds good. No one’s going to visit anyway, so let’s put up a barrier outside. First, an illusion so it can't be observed from the outside, then detection and alarms if anyone gets close. If they get even closer, we’ll add an automatic interception function.”
“Please leave the defense to me. I shall construct a barrier sturdier than the walls of Solaris.”
“I’ll leave that to Helena. Please tell the Righteous Light I said thanks.”
“It is nothing. Are we not 'Brother' and sister?”
Helena gave me that warm smile unique to clergy members. After smiling back, we began the work of fortifying the place.
With two High Magicians and my own overflowing mana, the magical side of things was finished in no time.
Helena, who had done this a few times before, skillfully performed a Spirit Mediumship and completed the barrier based on Clara’s advice.
Fay was eager to help with something too… but I told her to just focus on her research for the Black Giant Golem.
Since Rebecca would be keeping a close eye on this place anyway, this should be enough to fend off any assassins from the Boiling Silence.
I don't know how long we spent running around like mad.
I thought the work would take quite a while, but it progressed faster than expected, and we managed to finish within the day.
The sun had set and it was now the middle of the night… but at least it was done.
Actually, there were still some minor tasks left, like spatial movement interference and anti-clairvoyance measures, but those were lower priority, so we could do them slowly.
For now, let’s just rest.
“Guegh.”
I had taken beds from the unused rooms and pushed them together, and after a bit of modification, I had one massive bed.
I was sprawled out on it, staring blankly at the ceiling, when Helena slid over and sat down beside me.
Then, she placed her hand, glowing brightly with holy power, onto my forehead.
Whoosh—
In an instant, my fatigue vanished and vitality surged through me. As I enjoyed Helena’s touch with a much lighter heart, I heard her voice murmur softly.
“Brother. Are you very tired?”
“No. It’s not that it was hard, I’m just a bit drained from all the chaos. Now that Helena has cast recovery on me, I’ll be fine in no time.”
“I am glad. …After all, you still have much work to do that requires strength.”
“…Huh?”
Wondering what else was left, I lifted my head and looked around.
I saw the women looking at me with expectant expressions.
Pamila’s family had long since headed down to the 2nd floor.
Click.
I swallowed hard as I watched Iris silently lock the door.
I see. Is it finally tonight?
While my mind filled with anticipation and excitement, Helena slowly slid her hand down.
From my forehead to my collarbone. From my collarbone to my abdomen. And from my abdomen to my crotch.
Helena, her hand still shimmering with holy power, reached inside my trousers and whispered in my ear.
“I shall make you feel energetic in no time.”
Ah.
I was hard.