16. Red Evil Mercenary Corps
Rumble-rumble.
The wheels of the cargo carriage jolted harshly over the uneven forest path.
“Kyaaak…! Hit another rock, huh! You beast girl! Keep bouncing like this, and my poor butt won’t survive!”
“Sorry, brat. It’s not like I did it on purpose. Cut me some slack.”
At the driver’s seat sat a voluptuous beauty with fiery red hair, exuding raw wildness as she personally handled the reins. Beside her perched a cute girl with light brown skin.
Bella and Dina. The combo of a stunning woman and an adorable girl should’ve drawn every eye around, but unfortunately, they were rumbling through a deserted woodland trail right now. No human shadows in sight—just silence and trees.
“Yeonja drives so well, so why can’t you?!”
“Hey, fuck… I said sorry, why keep nagging? And that’s just Ian being a goddamn genius at this shit. You know that guy—no mana so he sucks at fighting, but he’s a fucking all-rounder at all the miscellaneous crap!”
“Hmm, true enough. Still, didn’t you watch and learn right beside Yeonja? You boasted so confidently, saying to leave it all to you…!”
“Ah, come on! Ian’s passed out cold, Cheong-ah won’t leave his side, so someone’s gotta do it, right?! It’s not like you can, you little twerp! If you’re pissed, get your ass up here and do it yourself!”
“……Hmph, I see. This one apologizes. Forgive me.”
Thinking it over, it did seem like her own fault… Dina quietly settled back into her seat.
“B-but… when will Yeonja come to? I’m worried.”
“Don’t sweat it. Cheong-ah’s got him handled.”
“Mmm… yeah, if it’s that prickly girl, I can trust her with Yeonja.”
“……Who’s ‘that prickly girl’?”
“Who else but you?”
“Ha, you little shit…”
Just as Bella was about to snap, Dina pointed sharply at a fork in the path that had appeared.
“Oh! Beast girl, we go left here!”
“Wh-what…! Fuck, you pick now to speak up?!”
§
While Dina and Bella focused on driving and navigating, the air inside the carriage was heating up intensely, laced with sweet breaths.
“Ha-ut… Nng…. Hubby…”
“Cheong-ah.”
“Nehet…. Hoo….”
At Cheong-ah’s request to blow on her bandages, he carefully unwound the ones tied around her hand and inspected the marks beneath. Clear bite marks—undoubtedly his own. She’d said that when he was grinding his teeth in agony, afraid they’d shatter, she’d shoved her hand in as an impromptu gag before they could muzzle him.
The scabs told of how much it must’ve hurt back then. As he examined it, he unconsciously parted his lips and lick—.
His saliva-drenched tongue caressed the bite marks on her hand.
“It’s just your hand—why make such lewd noises?”
“B-but… it’s your tongue, hubby.”
“Yeah? What’s so special about my tongue?”
“Nng, you know…”
Her face flushed shyly. He played dumb and pressed.
“Dunno. Tell me straight, Cheong-ah. What?”
“My body… it’s so thoroughly tamed by your tongue.”
Praise like that made his lips twitch up unwittingly. He stopped licking the wound, grasped her hand, and laced their fingers.
Then he gently pushed her slender body back and leaned over her.
“Hubby.”
“Yeah?”
Thud. The carriage bounced. In an instant, Cheong-ah flipped him over, straddling his stomach.
……Huh.
A faint activation of mana. A soft sky-blue aura shimmered around her body.
“……Cheong-ah?”
“Hehe, wasn’t aiming for this… but since I wanted it anyway, no harm done.”
Cheong-ah gazed down at him from atop his belly. She didn’t feel heavy at all—not that she was light, nor heavy exactly, but… she’d deliberately lifted her hips slightly off him, knees hovering just enough.
“Today, I’ll serve you instead, since you’re hurting, hubby.”
“Nng…?”
Momentarily thrown by her unusual initiative, he nodded at her offer.
“Sure, whatever. Go for it.”
Cheong-ah taking the lead—how long had it been? In his memory, back in the early days after they met, when her grueling training left her too sore to move. Nothing since.
Mostly because she couldn’t keep up with his stamina and libido as she grew stronger, but still.
“Then I’ll start by removing your top. Bear with me a bit?”
“Yeah, got it.”
With polite, gentle words, she slowly stripped off his shirt. His armor had been removed while he was out, leaving just the shirt. Her slender, scarred fingers—roughened from swinging a sword—undid the buttons one by one.
Once it was open, she traced his exposed chest carefully, then smiled in relief.
“No wounds, good.”
“……Wounds?”
“Yeah, I worried. You were in so much pain… what if something tore? But seems fine…”
Lick. Her eyes half-lidded softly. A cute pink tongue flicked out from her small red lips, wetting her upper lip.
She draped herself over him, her scent brushing his nose. Then soft lips met his. Smack.
“I was worried. That you might never wake up again.”
Smack.
“……Sorry.”
Smack.
“Really?”
Smack.
“Yeah.”
He hadn’t realized his ability’s backlash was that bad. Not that he’d willed it, but…
The ability was activated after confirming the user's will.
……Fuck off.
Anyway, he’d never meant to use it.
“So you’ll never use that again, right?”
“Mmm……”
He’d triggered the Divine Authority rampage but hadn’t seen the results, so he didn’t know how helpful it had been. But knowing his normal buffs’ power, a rampage several times stronger had to be useful.
He’d never faced a true crisis before… but if one hit, he’d use it without hesitation.
Hard to promise “never” outright. As he hesitated, her lips met his again. Smack.
Her moist eyes gazed at him.
“Promise?”
“……Yeah.”
Her worried face made him nod reluctantly. Well, true crises threatening the whole party weren’t common. And he didn’t want that agony again unless absolutely necessary.
Cheong-ah smiled, satisfied.
“Good, hehe…”
Another smack on his lips, then she trailed downward slowly. Lips, chin, nape. Smooch-slurp… Strong kiss marks blooming. Lick with tongue, then smooch.
“Haum…. Hng…. Smack-smooch…”
“Ngh…”
A ticklish groan escaped him unwittingly. Pleased, her caresses grew bolder.
Her fingers on his chest teased his nipples lightly. Meanwhile, she kept licking and kissing his nape.
“Feels good, hubby…?”
“Yeah, good.”
“Hehe… me too. Your sweat… tastes so good…”
“……Uh, yeah.”
He hadn’t showered, so sweat made sense. But hearing it from her felt embarrassing.
“Hehe, you always say my sweat tastes good.”
“Well……”
Hers carried her full scent.
“So what’s mine taste like?”
“Nng, well…. Slurp… a bit salty, lick… exciting… haa… makes my body heat up.”
Her breaths grew ragged. Her tongue slid from nape to collarbone, lower still.
“Now here.”
Smack. Her mouth on his chest—beside the nipple she’d teased hard with her fingers.
Her lips parted slightly. Soft tongue flicked his nipple—tap-lick, lick… slurp…. Sluuurp…
“Hubby, you like it here, don’t you?”
“Y-yeah… good…”
Her hand slid past his abs, downward. Into his pants.
Already rock-hard from her scent alone, his cock strained to burst through pants and underwear.
“Lick… slurp… Hubby’s cock… it’s huge.”
Squeeze. Her hand fondled it inside his pants. Rough palm, but delicate motions.
With such loving, meticulous care, Cheong-ah’s service continued slowly.