The Land Where Magic Was Born (2)
I stepped through the door and called out in a bright voice.
“I’m home~.”
Even while returning the rented bicycle to the ranch and parting ways with the party members, I thought I would die from missing Franc and Dana. The fact that hiding Veronica because she had no identification had been an absolute pain in the ass was a secret I would take to my grave. Thanks to Tirsi noticing my impatience and handling all the reports, we managed to get back a little faster. Of course, it was entirely possible Tirsi had just been too embarrassed to look me in the face, but whatever the reason, getting off work early was never a bad thing!
‘I have a feeling I’ll get dragged to the guild later for another round of questioning, but that’s a problem for future me.’
I had been away from home for five whole days during our honeymoon period. It was only natural to want to rush back to the house where my beloved wives were waiting, even if it was just one second sooner. It was practically a law of the universe.
“Oh, hubby. You’re back ridiculously early.”
As soon as I entered the living room, I ran straight into Dana who had come out to greet me. I charged at her like a little kid who had just found his mom at the lost child center, flailing with pure joy.
“Daaaaanaaaaa!!! I missed you so much!!!!!”
“Whoa?! Hey, hey! Don’t slobber all over my cheek!”
When I hugged her without warning and started planting kisses on her face, Dana pretended to hate it even though she clearly didn’t. I knew she liked it because even while turning her head away, her arms wrapped around my waist.
─Rub rub.
I buried my face in the hollow of Dana’s collarbone. The height difference made it awkward, but all I had to do was bend down a little.
“Ughhh… Dana. I missed you so much. I don’t want to work away from you guys ever again…”
“Stop whining. Yeah, you worked hard. I missed you t─”
─Freeze.
Dana had been gently stroking my hair with a warm gaze, but she suddenly went rigid. There was only one reason. It was because of my Ju-ji, which was suffering greatly from the tight restraint of my monster-hide pants. My cock had pressed firmly against Dana’s crotch like a rifle shoved between someone’s thighs.
“…Look at this bastard. Did you miss me, or did you just miss my body?”
─Stroke, stroke.
Dana smirked and ran both hands along my thighs. Even through the leather pants, her careful touch made my cock roar with precum.
‘Ah, I really want to just throw Dana onto the bed right now.’
If I shoved my unwashed dick at her, she would definitely complain, but I kind of wanted to see that reaction too. I wanted to watch her make every face in the book while cleaning my cock, then get annoyed at the lingering smell and still give me a blowjob. I wanted to lick her rock-hard nipples all night long while she sucked me off with that same mouth that kept complaining about the stench!
“…Khk.”
I suppressed the rising lust and released Dana from my arms. When I did, her eyes widened. She could read my thoughts as easily as rolling marbles in her palm. She must have been surprised because it was so unlike me.
“Why? Want to wash up? Oh, Franc’s in the bath right now. I got off early today so I washed first.”
Dana explained, assuming I was looking for Franc. A plate of snacks and a book lay on the table where she had apparently been reading in the living room.
“Go tell Franc you’re back. Or you can follow her in and enjoy yourself.”
“Ah, I’ll do that. But first, there’s someone I need to introduce. Well… maybe not someone.”
“Introduce?”
“Yeah. Veronica, come out.”
When I nodded and called her name, Veronica emerged from behind the door, creaking like a nervous job applicant visiting a massive corporation. Then she spoke in awkward Britannian.
“Ah, greetings. I am called Veronica Eclipse.”
“Huh?”
Dana stared with her mouth wide open at Veronica, who was bowing at a perfect ninety degrees. It was understandable. Races with horns were extremely rare even in this world. She would never have guessed this was a Bicorn whose curse had been lifted.
“What the hell is this all of a sudden…”
But after stuttering for a moment, Dana regained her composure and looked at me with serious eyes.
“…Third wife?”
“No, you idiot.”
“She is not, madam!!”
Veronica and I answered in perfect harmony. The cat in Veronica’s arms let out a meow. Our answers had overlapped perfectly. Also, what the hell was with calling her “madam”?
Franc finished her bath in just five minutes after hearing I was back.
“Nord!! Welcome home!!”
Franc came running like an excited puppy, but stopped for a second when she saw Veronica. Then, deciding it didn’t matter, she broke into a huge blooming smile and leaped into my arms.
─Squeeze!
She buried her face in my chest, now free of armor. Her hair was still damp from rushing out of the bath and soaked my clothes, but neither of us cared. Franc rubbed her face against me, inhaling my scent deeply.
“Huuu, haaa! It’s Nord! It’s really Nord!!”
“Hehe. Did a fake Nord show up while I was gone?”
“Yeah! He came in my dream! You know how I slept in your room while you were away? That’s when I had the dream about you! Actually, I went to wash the bedsheets, but your pillow smelled like you! It was such a waste I couldn’t wash it! Now that you’re back, I’ll wash it!”
Franc stood on her tiptoes, firing off words like a machine gun. Her tension was much higher than usual. I even wondered if she had snuck a drink while soaking in the bath. Still, knowing I was loved this much made me insanely happy.
‘Once she gets used to it, I might not see reactions this intense anymore.’
So for now, I would enjoy the blind love Franc was showing me. But seriously, was my dick really reacting to the word “wash”? My sex drive truly was legendary. Our wives were practically goddesses.
“Ah, ah! That’s right! So anyway, when I told Dana I had a dream about you after sleeping in your room, she got caught secretly napping in your bed while you were gone too! Isn’t Dana super cute?!”
“Franc!! You, you!! You promised to keep that a secret!!”
“Mmph mmph mmph!!”
─Crash!
Dana jumped up, knocking over her chair, and clamped a hand over Franc’s mouth. In a contest of strength Franc would win, but apparently she had no intention of resisting that hard. Our two wives became one tangled mess. Watching the sitcom, Veronica quietly pinched her own thigh. She was desperately trying not to laugh, which was hilarious compared to the stray cat who already treated our house like her own.
“Pwahaha!!”
Franc finally escaped Dana’s grip, straightened her bathrobe, and asked,
“Anyway!! Nord!! Did you have a safe trip?! You’re not hurt anywhere, right?”
“Of course not. How could I come back injured when you two are waiting for me at home?”
“Bullshit. Looking at the state of your armor, you clearly did something crazy again.”
Dana cut in with her sharp insight. I thought I had hidden it pretty well, but she saw right through me. How embarrassing.
“Ahem. The world just won’t leave me alone. What can I do? You’ll have to endure it, having such an amazing husband.”
“Pfft. Amazing, my ass. Say that without the master’s degree. So fucking funny.”
“Shh! Quiet, you doctoral virgin.”
“Hey, you son of a bitch. Is there anything you won’t say to your wife?”
“Yep, 140% fact, right? No comeback? Kekeke!”
After fooling around with my wives who welcomed me so warmly, we finally got to the main topic. Franc finished drying off and changed into casual clothes. Dana casually poured some tea. As the man of the house, it was apparently Britannian etiquette for me to serve the guest.
‘If this were a polyandrous household, would I have to serve my wives’ male guest?’
It was an extremely high-level gender theory question, so while I pondered it, time flew by. Veronica’s lips grew drier and drier, like an employee dragged to her boss’s house. Her tension only increased when Franc and Dana sat down at the table. Why was she so nervous? Actually, the seating arrangement probably was pretty nerve-wracking. The three of us family members sat together while Veronica sat alone like she was at a job interview.
‘I’m the one who has to explain everything, so why did the seating end up like this?’
But I couldn’t sit next to Veronica with my wives across from us. That would look exactly like a fucking adultery interrogation!
All I had done was see Veronica naked and wave my cum-covered cock in front of her while grabbing her horn! There was nothing I could do. I would just have to ask Veronica to endure it. This wasn’t my fault.
“Alright, now that Franc’s here, let’s talk. Who is she?”
─Poke, poke.
Dana jabbed my cheek with her finger. She seemed tired of waiting.
“Right. I’ll explain everything.”
I nodded. I had thought about how to explain this on the way back. No. To be precise, I had been thinking about explaining this for a long time. I had decided I would tell them before this year was over.
But there was something I had to address first. I put on a serious expression and spoke to Veronica.
“However, to be honest, this is something I cannot tell you, Veronica.”
“W-what do you mean by that?”
Veronica looked flustered. It was understandable. She probably thought I was about to reveal something about the Bicorn curse or Odin’s successor. But I didn’t stop at simply omitting the explanation. I completely dropped my usual playful attitude so she couldn’t argue back, and spoke unilaterally.
“If you are willing to listen to my story, swear an oath with the rune of ᚷ (Gebō). Swear that you will never reveal my secrets to anyone unless I permit it. You don’t need to stake your life. Just swear to keep the secret. That is the condition for staying here. If you cannot follow this, I will arrange another meeting later.”
I endured the awkwardness and kept my dignity. Perhaps because my attitude had completely changed to something imposing, both Franc and Dana watched Veronica in silence. They trusted that I wouldn’t do something like this maliciously.
─Gulp.
Veronica swallowed. If our positions were reversed, the solemnity would have made me want to vomit, but the mental fortress I had acknowledged was different. After only about ten seconds of thought, Veronica activated the magic.
“ᚷ (Gebō).”
The rune floating above her finger connected me and Veronica just like last time. Veronica swore in the language of her homeland toward the rune.
"I, Veronica Eclipse, swear upon the laws presided over by the gods."
"I shall never reveal the secrets of Nord, my benefactor, without permission."
"I shall prove this with the soul of the Æsir and the practice of righteousness."
The oath rune took effect. Veronica’s shadow briefly transformed into the shape of ᚷ before returning to normal. I knew it was the magic taking place, but to be extra careful, I said,
“Can you explain it to Franc and Dana in your own words? I want to make sure I understand how it works.”
Since she had granted my request, I no longer threatened her. This was simply a fact check. Knowing that, Veronica spoke with a much calmer face.
“■■■■■■■■.”
It wasn’t human speech. It sounded like a cassette tape being played in reverse. Veronica covered her mouth with her hand. She seemed the most surprised by her own voice. She tried not to show it, but my eyes widened too.
‘Did the mana cause voice distortion?’
My intuition caught that the rune’s mana was doing something to Veronica’s pronunciation. Dana, who seemed to feel the same, muttered,
“That looks like a Geis.”
“Geis?”
I asked again. I wasn’t asking because I didn’t know. I was surprised precisely because I knew the word well.
Geis. It was a magic that often appeared in historical records. Simply put, it was a curse one placed on oneself. It was a self-curse that set a certain condition and forced the caster to absolutely obey it.
Wasn’t putting a self-curse on yourself a stupid thing to do? Yes, it was stupid. Wasn’t that obvious? The people of this world didn’t have dicks for brains. If it were actually good, everyone would have done it. Think of it like folk beliefs. There was a reason it remained a unique Ulster culture.
Just think about it. Even people who hate China love cheongsam dresses, don’t they? That was cultural victory. If the only effect of Beast Regression had been dick enlargement, who wouldn’t have abandoned their beliefs? Even Ulster-hating bastards would have done three steps and a bow every morning while repenting at Ulster settlements.
Veronica touched her lips and said,
“The oath has been fulfilled. Now I cannot reveal your secret, not only through speech but also through written notes or by breaking the oath itself.”
Since I had seen the effect with my own eyes, continuing to doubt her would be rude. I bowed my head.
“I see. Thank you. For accepting such a difficult request.”
“It is fine. Even if you had forced me, I would have had no choice but to follow. You are in a position where you can treat me however you wish, both practically and morally. Rather, it is I who should thank you for your mercy.”
Veronica smiled, the corners of her mouth lifting. Perhaps she felt relieved that I, who held absolute power over her, had considered her feelings. Her gaze toward me seemed a little softer.
“Then I will begin. It will be quite long, so ask questions whenever something comes up.”
When I said that, Franc and Dana took my hands. I held theirs tightly. Perhaps my wives had already noticed bits and pieces of the secret I had been hiding. I was pretty good at lying, but I had no talent for keeping a lie going forever. That was why I planned to reveal everything this time.
“The truth is… I came from another world.”
The secret I had hidden for three and a half years.