Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Body Search - Hero (1)
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I wondered where the Hero's obsession with the Empire came from.
Normally, no one's fixation runs that deep.
'... This is my last chance.'
The Hero bitch wouldn't slit my throat to kill me.
She thought highly of me, but that didn't mean she liked me.
Besides, even that high opinion stemmed from some misunderstanding.
I had no intention of clearing it up here.
Letting her believe whatever suited her was actually beneficial for me.
But if I kept playing gatekeeper by her whims forever, I'd never escape the hem of her skirt.
That's why this was my last shot.
Unless my head rolled, I wouldn't even have grounds to resist next time.
"Then, just as highly as you've rated me, Hero, allow me to prove it now."
"Pardon?"
The Hero tilted her head.
She clearly had no idea what I meant by "prove."
"First, wipe those tears."
"Ah... right."
The Hero rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, smearing away the tears.
Traces still lingered vividly on her cheeks.
"Body Search. You seemed curious about it."
"Oh, that... yeah."
The Hero finally seemed to grasp what I meant by proof.
The one situation where I held any advantage over her.
Body Search. Here, I had to seize control from her.
She must have watched every moment of me searching the Saintess and Envy through the rune.
That's why she'd asked me out of curiosity.
Whether I could do it to her too.
It was probably just idle curiosity to verify the rumors.
"Shall we start with the Body Search?"
"......"
The Hero stared at me silently, as if pondering.
"Or should I show you the full inspection from start to finish?"
"No... I've already seen the inspection."
But she shook her head, opting for just the Body Search.
She'd monitored my entire work process...?
The thought of her watching me every moment amid battlefield chaos...
Chicken skin prickled across my body.
-Tap.
To begin the Body Search, I stepped slightly aside from the Hero facing me.
Her eyes followed my footsteps.
The Hero's Body Search.
Anyone who said they weren't tense would be lying.
I only had one shot.
Being near her made my body disobey me.
Even now, my fingertips trembled nonstop.
'Hoo...'
My plan was simple.
Search her using the effect of Hand of Abstinence.
What came after... even I didn't know.
It might seem reckless, but all I had were these two hands and Hand of Abstinence.
This was my only way to turn things around.
If anyone knew another method, I'd love for them to clue me in.
Ultimately, my goal was to Body Search her and introduce her to pleasure.
If luck was on my side, she might loosen up and drop the surveillance.
Or regain her senses and free me from the west.
All hopeful wishes, but I had no other options.
Unlike with Selena, no worry of decapitation here.
From the Hero's perspective, I was just a dog to work in this western outpost.
"Hero... please brace your hands against the wall."
"...Right now...?"
Now, of all times, she started hesitating.
This wouldn't do... I decided to go firm.
"If you don't do it now, Hero, there won't be a next time."
"...Why?"
The Hero furrowed her brow at my words.
Was I reneging on my promise with the Saintess?
"You're not about to bring up the promise with the Saintess, are you? That's between her and me."
"......"
"The moment it was eavesdropped, it stopped being just between us."
The Hero's lips parted as if she had something to say.
But I pressed on faster.
"The reason I'm doing this Body Search now is to prove myself to you, who values me so highly. Not because of any promise with the Saintess."
The Hero just twitched her shoulders, speechless.
She had to have some empathy.
At least the word "ethics" lingered in her brain.
Probably...
"As you said, Hero, I want to serve the Empire too. But we won't have much time together going forward."
"Ah, right... I've been too selfish. It's your shift now. You must be busy, Gatekeeper."
The Empire word hit her dead-on, as expected.
She'd twitched like she had words, but one mention of the Empire and she bought it all.
"Then, hands on the wall."
"......Yes."
The Hero placed her hands on the wall and thrust her hips toward me.
'Isn't that too far out?'
Her first time at this, so it looked awkward.
I circled behind her.
"Um... Hero? You don't need to stick out that far... or hug the wall like that."
The Hero clearly lacked experience with Body Searches.
Come to think of it, she'd ignored inspections when entering the west with me.
The Empire's sword carried its own credibility.
She leaned into the wall with her chest as cushion, hips back.
Her toned waist curved strikingly, typical of an athletic woman.
From behind, her figure balanced every asset better than any woman I'd known.
"Ah... yes... "
Her face flushed, embarrassed.
She hastily pulled away from the wall and tucked her hips in.
Her subtle adjustments, sneaking peeks at me to check, were oddly cute.
If she were a normal woman, I'd think she was flirting...
But she was the Hero.
"Keep facing the wall during the Body Search."
The Hero turned to the wall as instructed.
She still snuck glances back, though.
Having someone behind her must tense her up.
But... if she didn't, I'd be terrified.
When her eyes met mine, I felt like a rabbit spotted by a lion.
Please, just look at the wall.
"Hero, starting the Body Search now. Bare hands, so with the back of my hand..."
"No, didn't you use Envy—no, Marlene's hands?"
Her earlier hesitation gone, she boldly countered.
Which tune was I supposed to dance to?
"That was with gloves..."
"Doesn't matter to me. Use your hands. You did it bare in the village too, right?"
What the hell did Florian write in that letter?
"Uh..."
"It's fine. That's your secret technique, right? I can grant that courtesy."
I'd have to check that letter later.
Should I take this positively?
Still, things were going my way.
I'd worried her dulled senses might ignore Hand of Abstinence, but good.
Like with Selena, palms would be ideal, but no excuse—until now.
This let me go bolder than with Selena.
"Then, palms it is."
I placed my hands on her waist.
Athletic build—slim waist.
Normal women react two ways: flinch or heavy breath.
That's what I expected from her.
But the Hero's was different.
"You placed them... right?"
She asked if she'd felt it.
Disconcerting.
'Never had this before...'
Hand of Abstinence was overpoweringly strong.
Too hard to control—I'd bought gloves, adjusted skin contact.
Yet she barely registered it.
Less than when I'd inspected Selena pre-skill.
Reactions varied this much?
Normal women quivered; she seemed sense-blocked.
Made me grasp the shock she'd once felt.
-Swoosh.
I swept up her waist to test again.
Her body differed from average women.
The Saintess, for example—soft everywhere, even shoulders knot-free.
Holding her felt like warm marshmallow.
The Hero's was firm.
Taut over plush.
Lean, healthy—rare in this medieval era.
My hands reached her shoulders.
Her frame matched mine, slightly smaller.
Arms near horizontal.
Shoulders soft despite training. Traps yield...
-Swish.
From shoulders, I swept down both arms.
"......"
No reaction, as expected.
Most women fidgeted or parted lips by now.
She just blankly stared at the wall.
What now... this wasn't working.
-Plop.
Helpless, I slid hands to her buttocks.
Sensitive spot for any woman.
I figured even the Hero would react...
"......"
Nothing.
Despite a man's hand on her ass.
Just glances back—no gasp, no hip twitch.
Cold sweat now.
Is this really okay...?
I rubbed anyway.
'Different from Selena's...'
Selena's: massive hips and flesh.
Hers: muscle and moderate fat blended.
New texture in this medieval world.
Minutes passed rubbing.
Normally, not this long.
Minutes meant groping, not search.
"......Done?"
"Ah... a bit left."
But she'd leaned chest-pillow against wall, dozing.
Adapted already—tension gone.
What to do... can't ask her to strip.
Body Search avoids undressing.
That'd be harassment, not inspection.
'Didn't want to go this far...'
I clenched and unclenched fists.
Should I? She's the Hero...
I checked her.
Sure enough... dozing against the wall.
Only option left.
Hated risking my neck...
Her buttocks exposed defenselessly.
Finally, I couldn't hold back.
-Smack!
A crisp slap echoed unlike any before.
I'd done it...
Eyes shut, I prayed to survive.
"......"
Her nodding head froze.
"...What was that?"
"......"
Her icy query chilled the gatehouse.
My body shuddered.
"...What, I said?"
Shudders intensified.
'I won't die... right?'
Terror of death overwhelmed me.
-Boom!!
She spun, slamming me against the wall. Classic wall slam.
Her arm pounded above my face.
Slightly different from the tropes.
Heart pounding wildly? That matched.
Eyes closed, I etched my last words mentally.
'Rotten bastard dies here.'
Bragged as isekai vet, yet facing death again.
"Hey. Open your eyes."
Her voice came.
"Open them."
Under her command, I slowly pried eyes open.
Worried decapitation on sight, but no choice.
"Huh...?"
What I saw when eyes opened...
"... What's wrong with my body?"
Was the Hero's deeply flushed face.