The Island's Hidden Flame
After enjoying a hearty barbecue party for lunch, I followed Veronica to check on the magic circle as the sun began to set. “Let’s see…”
A sand drawing had formed on the Orichalcum barrier, like iron filings drawn to a magnet placed on powdered iron. It reminded me of a middle school science experiment. “I can’t make heads or tails of this. Did it work?”
“It did. Look. The waveform extending southward is six or seven times longer than the one reaching toward the sea.”
“Hmm. It took about ten minutes to reach the sea from here, so the location of the Seidr material should be roughly an hour’s walk from this spot.”
This magic circle was, in essence, a primitive radar. Veronica had infused the Orichalcum with water mana. The fire mana repelling it had pushed the sand on the floor southward. The fact that the sand had shifted south meant the fire mana was blowing from north to south!
‘In other words, the Burning Branch must be on the northern part of the island.’
Given the name, it made sense that the material would be found in a place overflowing with fire mana. “Correct. Once we arrive after about an hour’s walk, we simply need to search for a location where fire mana is likely to pool.”
“That’s convenient.”
Though the island was small, searching every inch without any clues would take more than a day or two. That was why, back in my university days, I used to pull all-nighters before hiring adventurers to locate ruins. Thinking about my time as a research student suddenly brought Yerna to mind, and I felt like shit.
‘Once I can use Seidr, I’ll be able to learn about that woman’s past too.’
With that thought, I retrieved the Orichalcum pillar. Strangely, even though it had been buried in the ground, no sand or soil clung to the mithril surface. Otherworldly ores were truly bizarre. “We can head out to explore once the sun rises tomorrow.”
“Let us do so.”
I placed the Orichalcum pillar back onto the stone slab and returned to the beach. Ursila and her companions seemed to have returned as well; they were chatting with the party members who had put their outerwear back on. She gave Franc a nod mid-conversation before approaching me.
【You have returned. How did it go?】
【I took a look around the island, but nothing much stood out. There’s a dormant volcano—no, more like an extinct volcano. There’s a mountain with a granite zone to the north. Still, no animals in sight.】
Ursila lifted and lowered her collar, the faint scent of tobacco clinging to her. She must have been hot. ‘A volcano, huh.’
The fact that there was a dormant volcano to the north made it a prime candidate for where the Burning Branch might be found. I’d have to investigate it tomorrow morning.
【You all didn’t run into any trouble either, right?】
【No. Surprisingly, there were quite a few creatures in the sea. We caught some fish.】
【Must be the currents. Good to hear.】
I agreed. We needed to conserve the dried rations on the ship. When sailing, it was standard to procure food locally from any islands we stopped at! That said, eating nothing but fruit would be far too cruel for a carnivorous macho like me. I was happy there were plenty of fish in the sea. Blue-backed fish were supposedly good for the brain too. Whether that was fact or not, I didn’t know.
【We ended up catching quite a lot. Let us share them with everyone.】
【Sounds good. We brought back some edible fruit and mushrooms too. More importantly, there doesn’t seem to be a single toxic plant on this Garden Island.】
Garden Island? I blinked at the sudden proper noun, and Ursila explained.
【It’s just a nickname we came up with. The island looks as if someone meticulously tended it like a garden, so… Garden Island.】
【That works. Let’s call it that. This island doesn’t appear to have an official name anyway.】
【Do as you like. Ah, we’re sleeping on the ship, right?】
【Of course.】
I’d said it before, but a ship was essentially a floating mansion. Why would we camp outside when we had a perfectly good vessel? After distributing the fish to Ursila and the sailors, we returned to the ship to prepare for bed. Even though the island wasn’t dangerous, there wasn’t much to do outside once night fell.
Sorry. That was a lie. The real reason I came aboard was because, after filling my stomach, I didn’t think I could endure nearly a month of abstinence. Besides, the other sailors seemed to be having their own barbecue outside, just like us.
There was a room Ursila had privately pointed out for our use. ‘She’s quite open-minded.’ She must have known what a vigorous newlywed couple might use it for, yet she still offered it.
Thus, I sent Dana and Franc ahead first while I gathered my things and prepared to leave the room. “I’m going for a quick walk. If I’m late, just go to sleep without me.”
“……A walk, yet you’re carrying quite a lot of luggage? And no weapons either.”
Larilura pointed out my half-hearted excuse with an incredulous look. “It’s just one bag. What’s the big deal? There aren’t any dangerous creatures around.”
“That’s true, but……”
Larilura pouted, her lips jutting out. What was with that reaction? She was old enough to know everything anyway. If any children were born into our family, we wouldn’t be able to be this open about it—childhood trauma from overhearing parents having sex was a real thing—but Larilura and Veronica were different. Veronica already knew we performed Seidr, and so did Larilura. Especially Larilura; she’d even gone out of her way to avoid coming home often, telling us to feel free to do as we pleased. So the kids could scram. She was sharp like that.
“Return safely, Master.”
Veronica spoke while making a scissor-like gesture with her index finger. The sign probably meant ‘I’ll sever the rune connection.’ If we entered the inner world through Seidr tonight, she would follow us in.
“……Haa. Have a good time. I’ll be playing with Big Sis.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Larilura muttered that after thinking for a moment. I slung the bag over my shoulder and stepped out of the room. Even after closing the door, I could hear our party members chattering away.
“Big Sis Veronica? You know, today I really want to touch an alligator☆!”
“An alligator? Last time it was an elephant. You certainly have a taste for creatures with bizarre textures.”
The two of them seemed to have found an unexpected common ground. Hang in there overcoming your virgin allergy, Veronica.
—Creak.
I headed to the empty room on the ship that had a bed. My wives had already finished preparing and were waiting for me. When I appeared with the supplies, they stood up.
“……Did you tell them? What did they say?”
“Heh. They were considerate about it. Our big sis must be embarrassed.”
“Shit…… Of course she is. Even if we’re close, saying something like that is awkward.”
“Is that so? There are friends who talk about that stuff easily too.”
From the KakaoTalk stories I’d seen back on Earth, that was how it went. If people were truly close, regardless of gender, they’d often share dirty jokes like that. Our big sis must not have any immunity to it. Even Dana, who hadn’t known anything beyond kissing, apparently knew what embarrassment was, and that suddenly turned me on.
“Hehe. Nord, you held back a lot until today too. It’s been a while, so what’s the problem?”
—Rustle.
Franc stripped without a care. Realizing my eyes were glued to her body, she slowly removed her underwear. It was only natural that my cock stood at attention as each layer of Franc’s skin was revealed.
“And I…… got all worked up because Nord was staring so much today.”
Now fully naked, Franc laughed lewdly as she helped me out of my clothes. Ah, women really couldn’t miss the way someone looked at their body. Franc had noticed my arousal at the sight of her and gotten in the mood herself.
“Haa…… Yeah. I figured it would turn out like this even before we applied the suntan oil or whatever. You were alternating glances between me and Franc, weren’t you?”
Dana sighed as she removed her top. Why did her eyes hold a subtle hint of joy? Maybe she was happy that, despite lacking confidence in her figure, I was just as turned on by her as I was by Franc.
“Hey, Nord. Aren’t you a little scared of big sis right now?”
—Tap tap.
Dana embraced me from behind with a sweet gesture and flicked her fingernail against my erect glans. —Thump thump. The sound of Dana’s heartbeat, audible over her small breasts, harmonized with my own. It was a symphony of tension, fear, and anticipation.
“……Back in Sargadis, you were cumming every single day, yet you still acted like that? But today, you’ve been saving up for several weeks here?”
Dana swallowed as if recalling the time she’d passed out from my relentless thrusting. I could feel my big sis’s excitement. I wasn’t the only one thirsty from our sexless period.
“Hehe. I’ve been holding back since before we left for this trip, so maybe two or three weeks?”
“It’s already been three whole weeks? We’re going to die today because of you, Nord.”
—Squish squish.
—Smooch.
As Dana kneaded my balls from behind, Franc kissed my glans as if beginning the foreplay. I could already see her love juices trailing down her thighs. ‘Fuck, I can’t hold back anymore.’
Having reached my limit, I pulled out the mat, swimsuits, and suntan oil from the bag. “We’re doing what we did this morning again. Both of you, put on your swimsuits and lie down.”
“Hng…… Okay.”
When I gave the commanding order, Franc’s breathing quickened. My wives lay face-down on the mat just like they had earlier that day. Without the mat, the oil would soak in and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy it properly. That was why I’d brought the supplies. I cast on all three of us for disinfection. Then, as I reached out to touch their bodies, I frowned.
‘Ah, damn it. I forgot to trim my nails.’
I’d been so used to the long sexless period that it had slipped my mind. I couldn’t scratch their insides like this. ‘—That’s it!’
After a brief moment of thought, an idea struck me. —Shwaaak. I wrapped Beast Regression only around my fingertips. Once my fingers thickened and were covered in soft, paw-like mana, I felt relieved. While Beast Regression could be dangerous if I extended my claws, there was no problem here. There was no way I’d do something like that to my wives.
As I applied the suntan oil to my hands, I spoke. “You two, make sure to hold back your moans properly. If you start moaning like you did this morning just because I touched you a bit, the remaining guards on the ship might hear and come over.”
Ships like this usually had poor soundproofing. Natural disasters or enemy attacks didn’t wait for convenient times. If a typhoon hit and the soundproofing was so good that your comrades couldn’t wake you no matter how much they called, you were screwed. So tonight, we needed to hold back our moans for once.
At my words, Dana muttered face-down in disbelief. “……Says the guy who was grunting like crazy when we were massaging him── Hik!?”
—Smoooch.
I slid my hand between Dana’s buttocks. Honestly, the most effective way to shut my big sis up wasn’t to argue with her, but to press down on her pussy like this.
“……Hng, kh…….”
“Huuu……”
—Plap. Slap slap.
I spread the suntan oil over my wives’ backs and legs before flipping them over. It was the same climax-holding play I’d done with Franc before…… No, not that. It was the same as mana training. I tormented them without ever touching their genitals.
“……Hng, hic……!!”
……Pshht!
The only difference was that today, they didn’t need to hold back. Less than five minutes after I touched her, Franc had already soaked the inside of her micro-swimsuit.
“Huu, hic…… ha……”
“Kh, ugh……”
The difference in their development was clear. Franc, who had been touched by me for longer than Dana, was already covering her face as if she were dying. ‘I’ll need to make her wait a bit.’
It was a form of neglect play. I carefully observed Franc’s reactions right before she came and pulled my hand away at the critical moment.
“Ah……”
……Fwooo……
Franc bit her lip at the ambiguous, interrupted climax. “Why…… why……?”
“We need to manage your stamina. It hasn’t even been ten minutes yet, Franc.”
With that, I slipped my hand under Dana’s slippery swimsuit-covered ass. —Sluuurp. Chuuup. I traced the line up to her waist and shook her sides up and down.
“Ah, kh…….”
Whether it was pleasure or ticklishness, her reaction was so intense that it was worth touching her. I climbed onto her legs to pin down her twisting body and ran my hands from her armpits down around her breasts. —Swoosh. Swoosh.
……Twitch!!
Dana’s body flinched when my hand touched her armpit. I focused on rubbing that spot. —Tickle tickle.
“Huuu, hahaha, huuuuugh……”
Even as she laughed from the ticklishness, Dana trembled strangely, clearly feeling pleasure. I openly embraced her from behind and concentrated solely on her armpits. —Rub rub.
—Squish squish.
“……Hik!! Hyah, hng……!!”
……Phew.
Dana reached climax just from having her armpits touched. —Flop. Dana’s arm, which had been raised above her head, went limp. I laid her down to catch her breath after coming and stood up. Franc’s eyes grew hazy as she looked at me—or more precisely, at my cock.
“Ah……♥”
Oil sex could arouse you just from skin rubbing against skin, not just the genitals. It felt as if our entire bodies had become erogenous zones; simply pressing together was enough to make the urge to ejaculate surge. Franc seemed to feel the same. Without a word, she knelt before me and spread her bikini-clad breasts with her hands.
—Squeeze.
Then she guided my cock between them.