Goblin Slayer (2): Ahegao Enlightenment
"Ah-he—"
My ahegao double peace sign! The effect was phenomenal! Rydia fell into total confusion...!
"Uh, um. U-uhh?"
She could only gape like a goldfish, unable to string a single coherent sentence together. Rydia had always been someone who kept her emotions tightly under wraps. Seeing her this visibly flustered was incredibly rare.
...Which only encouraged me to push the teasing even further, of course!
Still, it was worth it just to witness a panicked Rydia. I poked her exposed side with my index finger. Because she was wearing that half-bikini armor, a generous amount of her skin was on full display. It was supposed to automatically deploy a barrier when attacked, but apparently playful prodding didn't qualify, since my finger met soft, warm flesh without resistance.
It was surprisingly supple.
"Lady Rydia. Lady Rydia. You were interested in my moment of enlightenment, weren't you? Well? Think you can pull it off?"
"......What?"
"Aww, come on. You're going to keep playing dumb? You clearly got the gist. But since you're such a shy, upright, proper-living virgin knight, Lady Rydia, I'll break it down in even simpler terms just for you!"
With that, I rose onto my tiptoes and whispered directly into her ear.
"I'm saying you should try getting caught by me right at the moment you climax while masturbating all alone."
Sound-Eating Steps
Near-perfect physical control. Movement without sound. Breathing regulated. Heartbeat suppressed. Existence isolated from the world.
In that state where my presence grew incredibly faint, as if an invisible curtain had fallen between me and the rest of the world, I continued.
"...That way, you'll be able to sublimate the shame of wanting to disappear from existence into a proper technique."
"......"
Rydia's eyes trembled. After a long moment of internal struggle, she finally spoke.
"...Is that true?"
"Huh?"
"If you experience something incredibly embarrassing, can you really achieve enlightenment from it?"
"Uhh?"
I hadn't expected that response. Obviously it was impossible. Well, maybe it was possible for some people, but that wasn't how I had obtained the skill. I just pulled it from gacha!
But... if I nodded here?
Wouldn't that mean I might get to witness Rydia pleasuring herself? Was I about to repay kindness with betrayal? Or was turning the Unicorn Dagger into the Bicorn Dagger the real betrayal? Actually, weren't both the same thing?
My thoughts were spiraling dangerously in one direction. I shook my head vigorously to drive out the demons, but it wasn't easy.
"...Like this?"
Rydia formed V signs with both hands while sticking her tongue out as far as it would go, all with that same deadpan expression. It was too emotionless to truly qualify as ahegao, but that only made it better. It had its own unique charm.
Seeing her seriously wag her tongue like that, I realized something. Rydia had been genuinely impressed and truly wanted to learn it herself.
Even I couldn't lie to her about this without my conscience hurting.
"It seems to be lacking desperation. Why don't you start by rolling your eyes upward?"
I had committed that painful act myself.
"Oh. I think I get it now. Not making sound, controlling breathing, hiding your presence... those weren't the important parts. It's about the image of hiding yourself from the world. Completely isolating your very existence from everything else."
And somehow, Rydia had managed to achieve something in her own way.
"???"
It wasn't on my level, but there was a clear change compared to before when she had revealed herself without any concealment. Rydia smiled faintly and patted the top of my head.
"Thank you, Yona. This is much better than the expensive stealth techniques I learned at the guild."
"Eh."
"Yes. It seems this skill relies heavily on sensation. I've already polished my abilities as much as I can through training, so what's left is fusing my natural talent with aura to make practical use of it."
"R-right..."
"It probably won't reach your level, Yona, but it will still be incomparable to the skills I've learned with money until now."
"I... I see..."
"It's all thanks to you. Thank you."
"......"
Don't look at me with those sparkling eyes...! My conscience was spinning like a triangle on fire, practically burning up!
To hide my inner screams, I forced the corners of my mouth upward into a smile.
"Since this is a good opportunity, shall we practice moving in stealth all the way to the Iron Wolf habitat?"
"That sounds good."
Seeing Rydia nod with those bright eyes made my conscience spike up sharply again. I did my best to ignore it and spoke.
"Before that, though. Lady Rydia, could you give me your hand for a moment?"
"Why?"
She tilted her head but obediently extended her hand. I placed the Unicorn Dagger on her palm.
The blade erupted with brilliant light, confirming purity.
The uncomfortable weight in my chest lightened slightly. With my composure finally restored, we ventured deeper into the dungeon.
I dashed forward quickly and leaped onto the massive frame of the Iron Wolf. Then I drove the dagger into the back of its neck.
Shunk!
"Kyaeng?!"
The dagger sliced through that thick hide with almost no resistance. However, the Iron Wolf was simply too large and the blade too short to deliver an instant kill. Not that the beast had any chance of surviving, of course.
Gripping the embedded dagger firmly, I jumped from its back.
Squelch—
Using my body weight as I pulled, I tore open the creature's throat completely. The Iron Wolf, with half its neck severed, poured out blood like a waterfall instead of a howl and staggered violently. Soon after, it collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Its eyes still looked murderous as I approached. Its body might have lost strength, but the hostility burned fiercely. That was what made it a monster, I suppose. On the other hand, staring daggers was all it could do now.
Snickering, I lightly tossed the Unicorn Dagger into the air, caught it by the handle, and hurled it straight at the Iron Wolf's forehead.
Shrieeeek—Thud!
The dagger sank in effortlessly. The fierce glow in the beast's eyes faded away.
Satisfied, I extended my hand. The dagger trembled slightly before pulling itself free from the corpse and flying back to my grasp.
This was apparently the first time Rydia had seen the Unicorn Dagger's performance properly. She stood there with her mouth hanging open in a daze. I proudly raised the dagger toward her, who had been startled quite a lot today.
"Item power is always righteous...! Lady Rydia, I finally understand your grand ambition!"
"Hmph. ...But isn't that weapon a bit too good? What exactly is it made of to be capable of this?"
"Didn't I tell you before? It's made from a unicorn's horn."
"If its performance is this good, the restrictions must be harsh too. ...Wait. Did it shine earlier because you placed it on my hand?"
"Hehe."
I gave her a sheepish grin, but all I received in return was a solid knuckle to the head.
"Yah!"
"Dodging won't help."
When I tried to dodge, she hit me two more times. She was really too much. Pouting, I began dismantling the Iron Wolf's body. This time the hide peeled away smoothly even without Rydia's help. I was careful not to damage it since it was cutting so cleanly.
"There are restrictions, I suppose. There is a usage limit."
"A limit? Does its lifespan decrease every time you swing it or something?"
"That would be a demonic sword. This guy is obsessed with purity, but it doesn't crave lifespan or souls. In fact, it even has the power to heal its user."
Whirr—!
The dagger thrashed wildly at the word "demonic." One good smack and it went quiet again. Some things really could only be fixed with a beating.
Whirr...
Ignoring the dagger's timid protest, I continued stripping the hide.
"There aren't any terrifying restrictions like that. ...It just chooses its owner very strictly."
"Like an ego sword?"
"Of course not. It simply distinguishes between virgin and non-virgin."
"?"
"If I lose my virginity, it splits in half and becomes black dual daggers."
"Ah."
As one might expect, the power of the Bicorn Dagger was far weaker than the Unicorn's. If the current version felt like a 4-star weapon made from 3-star materials, becoming the Bicorn Twin Daggers would drop it to a 3-star weapon made from 3-star materials.
"So rest easy, Lady Rydia! As long as my dagger stays white, it means I'm still pure!"
"...I'm not particularly interested in whether you're a virgin or not."
"Oh dear. I forgot. Lady Rydia is someone who dreams of pure knightly romance! Rather than a noble virgin knight, you're the type who's attracted to your lord's husband!"
"Stop slandering me...!"
Watching Rydia tremble with rage, I chuckled and stuffed the processed hide roughly into my backpack.
"There we go. At this rate, there's no need to obsess over Iron Wolves. Let's go deeper today."
"Is that wise? Just hunting Iron Wolves should provide sufficient growth and money."
"But hunting hobgoblins would bring even more money and faster growth."
"It'll be more dangerous instead. Unlike Iron Wolves that roam alone, hobgoblins... large tribes have over a hundred individuals living together. I'll help you, but I might not be able to respond perfectly to every threat."
"What? Lady Rydia, did you seriously think I was planning to charge the hobgoblin tribe head-on and wipe them all out?"
"???"
Rydia looked at the blood-soaked backpack with an expression that said 'what the hell are you talking about?' I placed one hand on my hip and raised my index finger in a lecturing pose.
"Tsk! Please don't say such cruel things!"
"...Okay."
"I was just planning to assassinate every last one of them like a normal person!"
"......"
They would die without pain. How truly peaceful that was.