...Teasing and Then Confessing with Heart-Fluttering Words Is Totally Unfair
Three more days passed. Around lunchtime, another letter from Irene arrived. It was basically saying the subjugation force was assembled, so all I needed to do was show up.
"Shall we head out?"
"Yes. I've already packed all the necessities, so we can leave whenever you're ready."
Rita gave a faint smile as she draped my overcoat over my shoulders, her touch as gentle as ever.
"It might be quite cold when we arrive, so please wear this."
"...Honestly, what would I have done without you?"
"Your life probably would have been a lot more arduous. You'd have definitely caught a cold by now."
"Ugh... Can't deny that."
"So, could you give me just one kiss? As thanks for staying by your side."
A kiss was the least I could do for someone like Rita. I gently cupped her cheek with my hand and leaned down to press my lips to hers.
"Chuu, slurp......♡ Mmwah...♡ Mmmwahhh...♡"
Though she'd called it a kiss, Rita couldn't hold back her affection and tangled her tongue with mine in a sloppy, deep kiss. I wanted to convey just how grateful I was, too.
"Hehe. Didn't expect you'd go all the way to a full kiss."
She let out a soft laugh as our lips parted.
"It really was just to say thanks......"
"And also because you wanted to kiss me, right?"
"Y-you already know, and you're still asking?"
"Yes. I do know."
Rita gently grasped my chin and pulled me in, overlapping our lips once more in an even stickier kiss. She held the back of my neck firmly to keep me from pulling away, passing her breath and saliva down my throat.
"Mmmph...♡"
Only when I was on the verge of suffocating did Rita finally pull back her lips.
"There you go. It seemed like that's what you wanted, Miss."
"Haa, huff.... Yeah...♡ I wanted to kiss you, Rita...."
"I love how honest you are."
Rita gazed at me with eyes full of adoration. That look was so captivating that even without going further, my underwear ended up soaked.
"Uwah...."
"In heat already? I can smell your arousal so strongly."
"J-just a little.... You make me feel so good...."
Rita chuckled at my words and headed for the entrance.
"Then let's get going. I'll take care of that in the carriage."
"...! Y-yeah, coming."
We'd already had sex about five times right after waking up that morning. But sex with Rita never got old, so the moment we boarded the carriage, we ended up doing it three more times.
"You lewd bitch of a wife!!"
"Ooooh!!♡"
We went at it so intensely that my moans echoed outside the carriage. I felt really bad for the coachman.
The journey to Irene was quite long. It would take a full two or three days entirely in the carriage. We handled meals with simple rations, and at night, we stayed in nearby villages or inns.
Rita took every opportunity in the carriage to perform maintenance, check her weapons, and inspect mine as well.
"Miss, the calluses on your hands have really softened."
"Guess I slacked off on sparring during our vacation......"
"It's fine. You've built up plenty of stamina with other kinds of 'exercise' instead, right?"
"R-Ritaaa...!"
I yelled her name in embarrassment, and she grinned mischievously.
"Puhuhu. You're so cute."
"You really......"
"But you like it, don't you? Even when I'm being this teasing."
I clamped my mouth shut and hung my head, unable to deny it. Rita, knowing that was affirmation, smiled even more deeply.
"I like it too. No matter what you're like, Miss."
"...I think teasing and then confessing with heart-fluttering words is really unfair."
"Please be lenient since it's the person you love."
We passed the time bantering like that. On the evening of the second day, our destination finally came into view through the window. A temporary encampment in the distance where the subjugation force was gathered. It was packed with demon hunters from all over, including Irene and Lupera.
"This must be the rendezvous point Miss Irene mentioned."
"...That flag over there. With the Silvernandel crest, so yeah, she must've called everyone here."
As soon as the carriage stopped, Rita got out first and offered her hand to help me down. The atmosphere was completely different from our cabin, and I felt a bit tense. Rita whispered softly.
"Now that we're here, it really hits home. We're about to go subjugate a demon king."
"Yeah.... It does."
The moment we reached the entrance, a guard glanced me over and spoke.
"You're Kyle, right? Miss Irene is waiting inside."
"Thanks."
I gave a greeting and stepped in. Not far away, Irene spotted me and waved. Lupera gave a small nod in greeting.
"My bitch Kyle, did you enjoy the inn I sent as a gift? Word is you two fucked like animals."
"H-how do you even...?"
"Just in case my precious friend got in trouble, I posted some guards."
Irene grinned playfully.
"......Thanks a bunch."
Damn this girl. The 'guards' were obviously just to spy on what Rita and I were up to.
"......"
"......"
While I talked with Irene, Rita and Lupera just stared at each other in silence. The air between them crackled with tension—probably leftover from last time.
"Anyway, things are serious now, so enough joking.... I brought one more person to help with the subjugation."
With Irene's words, footsteps approached from behind me. I turned to see someone I never expected. Someone who seemed the least suited for the battlefield.
"......Saintess?"
"Nice to see you, Kyle. I've heard a bit about you already."
The saintess smiled warmly at me. I worried Rita might get jealous seeing me with another woman, but...
'...Huh?'
Unexpectedly, Rita showed no reaction. She didn't even seem to care about the saintess. I'd thought she'd be possessive after all that in bed, but no jealousy at all? It actually left me a bit miffed.
"Everyone important is here, so let's start the strategy meeting."
At Irene's gesture, the saintess and representatives from various branches gathered around the table. Irene immediately pointed at the map and began explaining.
"The demon king has been sighted most often here, in Kardo Valley. Especially around the upstream area."
"And the latest reports confirm the demons' legion is growing in numbers," Lupera added.
"Judging by the legion, it's likely the demon king of the 66th Demon Realm, Kimaras. As a relatively low-ranked one, subjugating it shouldn't be too tough."
Rita's expression stiffened slightly. She still seemed uncomfortable facing Lupera directly but didn't interrupt or argue.
"Confirmed demon count so far is about 200 in small groups. Half are estimated to be Grade 2 or higher, and there doesn't seem to be a legion commander."
Something felt off during Lupera's explanation. Even a demon king would struggle to command 200 demons without a legion commander. The absence nagged at me.
"...Isn't the intel wrong? Even a demon king couldn't control that many without a legion commander."
Rita voiced the same doubt, with a hint of challenge.
Lupera furrowed her brow briefly, then sighed and replied.
"We've checked multiple times. No sign of a legion commander there."
"Hmph. If you're that certain."
"So, we'll strike the demon king as soon as we're ready. Any objections?"
No one spoke up against the guild master's confident call.
Irene crossed her arms and nodded.
"Good. We'll assume agreement. Main operation starts two days from now at dawn. Tomorrow's for final prep, tactics review, and confirming the route based on scout reports. Got it?"
After the meeting, people dispersed one by one. Lupera quietly stood, glanced at Rita, and left first. Rita watched her go for a moment, then turned to me with a smile.
"Miss, don't stress too much. Get some good rest."
"I want to, but facing a demon king has me a little on edge."
"It'll be fine. Our opponent's only ranked 66th, and we have..."
Rita paused briefly before continuing.
"......the saintess, who can heal any wound as long as it's not fatal."
"Yeah. Should be okay...."
I really had no reason to worry. The team was elite, and the enemy was a low-tier demon king near the bottom of the 72.
Still, for some reason, the unease wouldn't fade.
"Miss."
"Yeah?"
"If you're that tense, want to have sex?"
"H-here?"
"Yes. Worrying about getting caught might loosen you up."
It wasn't wrong, but her casually saying that out loud made my face heat up.
"Even so, that's a bit..."
"Just kidding. Don't take it so seriously."
Rita beamed and pulled me into a tight hug.
"Everything will be fine. We're both strong, you and I."
"Yeah, I guess?"
"Yes. If you can't trust yourself, trust me—I trust you."