The Secret Life of a Cat Daddy
We sent Larilura back to her own room and aired the place out. We decided to change the sheets later. After all, Franc and I were planning another fountain show tonight.
Whoooosh……! In the inn room where the cold air rushed in, Franc and I sat facing each other and meditated. Franc was practicing to become aware of mana, while I was attempting to measure the rune mana inside my body.
Shhhhhhh……. As I closed my eyes and focused, I could feel the foreign mana gathered within me. This was the mana I used for the rune's "enlightenment." For convenience, let's just call it proficiency. My current proficiency was roughly 70%. Once it filled up, I could acquire one more rune letter.
Each golem gave about 1~2% progress. "Golems are pretty inefficient."
They were weak and numerous, but in terms of efficiency alone, hobgoblins seemed to give far more proficiency than golems. Personally, I felt that walking rocks were more valuable than otherworldly flesh-colored jam people.
"Ah. The mana in golems is all concentrated in their cores." That must be why the absorption rate was so low. A golem's core was its heart, brain, and main body all in one. The mana I could steal from a collapsed pile of dirt was only this much. Destroying the core probably wouldn't let me absorb its mana either. When I had shattered cores to attempt enchantment magic, no mana succession had occurred.
"Should I go hunting for hobgoblin shamans?" That was easier said than done. It was about as difficult as finding a jam person who frequented a baduk academy. Goblins waving weapons around were everywhere, like jam people who went to taekwondo dojos or PC bangs. But a hobgoblin who had learned rune magic? Even a 5:5 parted-hair baduk boy would be more common than that. Until I found out their habitat, it was probably best to give up.
"How much did that Tabula bastard give?" I wasn't sure exactly how much proficiency the half-human had provided, but it had definitely helped. Maybe his mana had served as a vessel for learning rune magic. Was there some half-human village somewhere? Once I leveled up enough to beat Berserk Tabula seventeen-to-one, I should go looking.
……Shhhhhhh! I recovered the 70% rune mana and ended the meditation. Franc, who didn't seem to be making much progress, smacked her lips and opened her eyes.
"Tough?"
"Yeah. Hehe. I guess I really can't do it alone."
Franc looked a little embarrassed. I wanted to give her some advice out of concern, but I had nothing useful to say. Most mana awakeners grasped how to use mana through instinct—after all, I had simply woken up one day and could use it—so explaining it theoretically was difficult. If theory didn't work, the only answer was real combat!
"Hehe. I'll help you practice again today."
I smiled kindly and embraced Franc from behind. Franc, who knew exactly what "practice" was a metaphor for, went stiff.
"R-right now? It's only four o'clock."
"We're going to join the golem subjugation tomorrow, so we should start early. If we go to bed around ten…… that's about six hours?"
"──Ah."
Franc seemed to have realized she would have to spend a quarter of the day on climax-endurance training. As my girlfriend stood there with her mouth opening and closing without a sound, I whispered softly into her ear.
"Don't worry. We'll only train until seven."
It was currently 3:58. Three hours until seven. Therefore, the time Franc had to endure without reaching a half-dead state was—roughly three hours! For a man, that meant holding back right before climax for over three hours! Could I endure that? No, I absolutely couldn't. I would have shouted "I'm going crazy!" and pounced on Franc long before that. Of course, I wouldn't mind at all if Franc couldn't hold back and climbed on top of me. That was why I felt no hesitation whatsoever as I stripped Franc and put the blindfold on her!!
—Press. While gently tracing the navel of the bound Franc just like yesterday, I wore a sadistic smile I could never show anyone else.
"Vector-Water Bending."
"Hikkuuuuuh?!"
—Psh! Pshpshpsh!!
And so Franc achieved a new record in climax endurance.
—Total endurance time: 1 hour 31 minutes.
—Mana training result: 3 twitches.
—Additional sex time: 1 hour 20 minutes. Then she passed out.
—Total climaxes: 16 times. (+N times).
"Good work, Franc."
"Hiyuuuuuu……."
I recorded today's results in my notebook, waited for the unconscious Franc to wake up, and then had dinner.
***
That night, I took some fish and headed to the park after dark. I wanted to ask the cats whether anything had changed in Sargadis while I was away.
"Nyaa! Myaaaang! (Food! Good!)"
"Nyanyanyamnyam!"
"Nyamnyam!"
The little ones were devouring it greedily. They looked like they were dying of happiness because I was giving tasty food to the ones who had brought useful information. They ate as if they hadn't eaten in days.
"Shaaat!! Deshaaat!! (Damn it!! Give it!!)"
Among the cats who hadn't done any work at all, one shameless fellow tried to steal another cat's fish. The bastard had crawled out empty-handed and was trying to take the rewards of the hardworking cats!
"Haaak!! I won't forgive any parasite that steals someone else's efforts!!!"
—Bonk bonk bonk bonk!!
While cursing, I grabbed the shameless Khajiit brat and rained honey punches on his head. If I didn't establish proper hierarchy, these kinds of bastards would multiply and information gathering would become meaningless!!
"You damn professor cat!! How dare you try to 'professor' in front of me!! Bastards like you should burn in hell!!"
"Nyaaaat!!!"
—Thud! The stray cat that had been thoroughly beaten ran away in fear. The tailless cat who had recovered his share of fish rubbed against my leg.
"Nyahuang! (Thank you!)"
"Hehe. Cute little thing."
I didn't pet him because he was dirty like a proper stray. Germs and all that. Anyway, I couldn't let the boss cat make his subordinates gather information while he monopolized the fish. Subcontracting wasn't impossible, but if things went that way, the underling cats wouldn't work hard. If it were me, I'd be sad enough to cry if some neighborhood thug stole the fruits of my labor.
"Senior~? What are you doing~?"
"Huh?"
Just then, while I was rewarding the gathered cats with cheap fish and organic dried pollack, someone suddenly spoke to me from behind the bench. It was a girl with pink hair wearing a modest outdoor outfit. For a brief moment I almost didn't recognize her because of her clean facial skin—it was Larilura with all her makeup removed! Damn, I thought she was someone else. Without her hat, with the makeup wiped off her cheeks, and wearing proper clothes, she looked like a completely different person. Had she come out for a night walk? While I was flustered by the different impression compared to her clown version, I soon realized that wasn't the part I should be surprised about.
'I was literally meowing like a cat just three minutes ago?'
Don't tell me Larilura had been watching my entire cat-daddy act?
I froze like an otaku whose department junior had caught him in a nekomimi cosplay.
"Y-you, since when were you there?"
"Huh? I've been watching since you were going 'nyan nyan~ nyan nyan~' to the cats."
"Oh my fucking god."
She had seen everything. The fact that she had slipped past my detection and watched made me feel malice.
"So what were you doing? Senior, you were even talking to the cats?"
Ah, right. She already knew I could talk to animals. In that case, the impact of me meowing might have been slightly reduced. While sprinkling fish pieces, I answered.
"I'm working on raising affinity. Give them lots of items and the secret shop opens."
"Senior? Do you have sleepwalking symptoms?"
"No, damn, your roundabout way of speaking is insane."
How could she make "what the hell are you talking about" sound so elegant? It was a metaphor using the fact that it was nighttime. Nyoooot! Poet!
"I was just talking with them. What about you? What are you doing out so late without Ring Ring No.3?"
"If I walk around with that kid at night, people faint, you know? I don't want to get arrested again~."
"No, have you already been arrested before?"
I could understand Alexandra's hardships. Besides, perhaps because she wasn't in business mode, Larilura's usual playful tone was nowhere to be found. Dressed like a village girl and sitting quietly, she felt very different. Larilura outside of work hours. Should I just call this Priscilla mode? While I was staring, our eyes met.
"Heung~? Ahang~?"
Whatever she found amusing, Larilura brought her hand to her mouth and started giggling.
"What is it~ Senior~? Don't tell me you've completely fallen for my bare face? You can't, really. You're free to fall head over heels for Larilura's charm, but~? If you look at me with such hot eyes, I'll have trouble reacting, you know~?"
"Vector-Stab Stab Stab."
"Kyaaahhyaaat!!"
Since she was being cheeky, I poked both her sides.
—Meow dash!! At Larilura's scream, the cats that had been eating grabbed their fish and scattered in all directions looking for safety.
"Wh-what, what are you doing!! If that had been just a little higher, it would've poked my sideboob!!"
"You're the one who should be asking what you're doing. Because of you, all the cats ran away. Well, it's a good thing we had already finished talking."
"Huh? Why am I the one getting scolded?"
"That's Kitai's ancient culture called 'what goes around comes around.'"
"Something feels off about that? I only used words, but Senior is using direct violence! Isn't that cheating?"
"Don't you remember the permit Alexandra issued?"
"When does that expire?"
"Until you grow up."
"What is that. It's funny, really."
"You say it's funny, so why aren't you laughing? Laughter button ON."
"Kyaaahyahyahyat?!"
—Tickle tickle tickle tickle! With my tickling skills honed since high school, Larilura's laughter burst out and she ran away. Hey now. Don't make so much noise at night. No manners.
"Hik, hyaik, hyaak……."
Larilura crossed her arms below her chest to protect her sides. Then, while panting, she glared at me.
"Hey, you know? You shouldn't treat other girls like this~? Franc unni is one thing, but."
"So it's okay if it's you?"
"Huh? Umm……. If it's Senior doing it to me…… Yeah, I guess it's fine?"
—Bounce! Larilura stood up, dusted off her knees, and spoke playfully while imitating a seductive tone.
"I actually quite like this 'cringe' feeling. So even if I tease Senior and get punished, it's all profit for me~?"
After saying that, Larilura laughed cheerfully. By the way, she was using the word "cringe" incorrectly, but whatever.
"Keke. Anyway, you cheeky little brat."
"Hohoho☆! A first-rate clown is always like a fairy living in dreams, you know? No matter how big the body gets, the heart can only remain a pure child♡!"
"Such bullshit."
After chatting and laughing with Larilura like that, the two of us returned to the inn together.
***
The next day. The three of us headed to the adventurer guild. Yesterday we had been dragged off somewhere and hadn't been able to properly ask about the subjugation party.
—Bustling!! When we arrived at the guild early in the morning, there were tons of people. All of them were adventurers in heavy armor with bags packed. It felt as if they had designated the guild as their gathering place and were about to depart on a request at any moment.
"Kuhahaha!! This winter's gonna be comfortable!!"
"Kids!! If you don't want to roll around in snowy fields this winter, let's work our asses off today too!!"
"What happened to that bastard who stole someone else's golem core last time?"
"He became half-paralyzed and got thrown in prison, I heard?"
The adventurers were making a racket! It was a scene of complete military discipline breakdown, one step away from a Tang Dynasty army. The perfect state to disappoint a company commander. I felt the same atmosphere as a large-scale training session of an army rear unit.
'The golem subjugation party?'
It was strange. I had mentioned yesterday that it might be a trap. It wasn't like they couldn't control the adventurers below them. Moreover, these people even gave off the feeling that they had gathered after receiving permission. Had there been some progress in the investigation during the day yesterday? Thinking that, I headed to the reception desk.
"Ah, Norde? The guild master is calling for you."
Damn, this pattern again. Without even giving me a chance to ask anything, the receptionist dragged me up to the second floor, leaving Franc and Larilura behind. Why did everyone here keep summoning me? At least it wasn't the alliance headquarters, so that was something. I awkwardly passed between the veteran adventurers gathered on the second floor and entered the guild master's office.
"You're here."
The Gold-ranked archer sitting in the office chair. The Gold-class adventurer who served as the Audumla Guild's Sargadis branch manager greeted me in full armor.