A Midnight Consultation with the Priestess (2)
A Midnight Consultation with the Priestess (2)
#
"N-Niniel... I-I think you n-need to try... amplifying her..."
Reni looked close to tears as she said it. That expression meant she was not suggesting something as mild as a massage. Yet she was still telling me to do it.
"...Why?"
"Hic... sniff!"
Reni wiped her nose.
"Niniel has an unknown curse, and..."
"Ah, right. I saw it."
Black veins spread like a spiderweb from Niniel’s solar plexus, and incomprehensible characters had appeared in the Status Window when I looked at them. Reni’s eyes widened at my answer.
"Y-Yoo-jin... don't tell me you already...!"
Her lips trembled as if she were shocked. Both hands clutching me quivered with rage, shock, and... all sorts of emotions...!
"Al-already... you laid hands on her?! In that short a time...!"
This priestess was jumping to another ridiculous misunderstanding! Was she calling me a philanderer?! Well, I supposed I was kind of a philanderer, but still...
"Ah, no! I didn't! She showed me first! I didn't ask her to show me, she called me over and showed me first! I didn't strip her—ow?!"
She bit me! Reni bit me!
She misunderstood all on her own, and as if that wasn't enough, she bit me!
This spiteful, brazen...!
"Ahk?! Hyahht!"
I grabbed Reni’s ass, pulled almost all the way out, and thrust deep into her again.
"I said I didn't do it!"
"B-But...!"
"But nothing! Do you think I lay hands on anyone whenever I feel like it?!"
"Ahk! S-Sorry! I'm sorrryyy!!!"
"You think just saying that ends it?! No way. I'm not letting you off today!"
"Nooo?! Kyaaaagh!!!!!"
...
"Hah... hah..."
"Right. So, why?"
Reni had been tormented by me like that, yet somehow she seemed pleased. This wasn't my imagination. Only her profile was visible because she'd pressed her cheek against my chest, but I could still clearly see the corners of her lips turned up. But at my question, Reni's expression clouded a little.
"Hah... haa... whatever that thing inside N-Niniel is... ah... D-Divine Power has to be able to lift it... haa..."
"Yeah?"
"Yes... hah... even if it is the curse of a Demon God... ngh... st-stop itt..."
After that, an explanation followed that was a little hard to grasp. Only a demon god could wield such a curse, but they were defeated long ago and could no longer affect creatures blessed by the Goddess, or something?
But what I'd seen felt a bit different from a demon god...
Reni, somehow enduring the stimulation assailing her nipples and clit, tried to continue.
"Ngh... s-so, Y-Yoo-jin's Divine Power... inside... h-hng..."
"..."
So, in the end, she was telling me to have sex with Niniel.
...Hm.
Truthfully, it wasn't as if I hadn't considered it. It was just... there were various factors to consider. I'd wondered whether healing through sex was even really possible. But I hadn't expected Reni to be the one to bring it up first.
However, after she finished speaking, Reni became tearful again... and seeing that face made me want to be spiteful for no reason. Tch.
"Ahk? Y-Yoo-jin! We're in the middle of an important conversation... e-even at a time like this...!"
Reni seemed a little angry. Look at her, enjoying herself to the fullest and then making me out to be the only philanderer again!
"N-No! You already did a lot! Stop! Hyaht! Mmph... mmm... mmph!"
...
-Chirp chirp.
Birdsong could be heard, and before I knew it, dawn was breaking. Then Reni suddenly began to thrash about.
"I-I have to go now!"
"No. Where are you trying to go? Today, just like this, all the way—"
"L-Let me go! Let go!"
"You came to ambush me secretly at night, and now you ask to be let go? Not a chance."
"Eek...!"
Abruptly, Reni smacked my chest with both hands—thump—and did something. How could this be, how could she be so violent?!
"R-Reni?"
Why this sudden drowsiness... Reni... don't tell me you...
...
#
"Yoo-jin. Please wake up."
"Hk!"
An unfamiliar face was leaning in over me beneath an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Apologies. You gave no reply no matter how many times I called. I took the liberty of entering."
Rebecca said that and bowed her head deeply. But that wasn't what mattered. Reni? Where had she gone?
"...Was I alone?"
"Whatever do you mean...?"
Rebecca tilted her head as if she didn't understand. But I was so shocked I froze completely.
How could this be? R-Reni had abandoned me... She had left me alone in the bed and gone back! How could she do that? Was this what people called hitting it and quitting it?! Reni had hit it and quit it!
...It was not quite that serious, but waking up alone and forlorn was difficult to describe. She had disappeared without even a morning kiss or morning sex. Reni, how could you betray me?
I clutched my head, and Rebecca looked at me as though I were a bizarre spectacle, then urged me on.
"Breakfast will be served shortly. Please prepare yourself."
"Ah, yes..."
...
After washing up briefly, I went downstairs; everyone was already at the table except Niniel.
Yuri wore an expression of deep thought, and Reni, who had been stealing glances at Yuri, met my eyes.
For the first time in a while, Reni showed a colorful range of expressions.
Her face brightened as if glad to see me, then suddenly stiffened, as if something had just occurred to her, and she desperately shook her head.
...What on earth did that mean? If she had something to say, she should say it with words. This disconnected body language was hard to understand.
Come to think of it...
"Reni. Why did you, at dawn—"
"Kyaahk!"
What the—!
Everyone's eyes went round at Reni's sudden shriek. Why was she screaming all of a sudden? Her attitude seemed almost as if she was trying to cut me off.
After a short silence, Ariel cleared her throat.
Had something happened?
"I-it’s nothing at alll..."
"...I will bring out the meal."
...
Vegetable soup and bread, plainer than the inn...
Were noble elves satisfied with this much? Was this elf vegan too? Wait, if she'd been malnourished and that was why her development was so stunted, I might actually tear up...
"Why are you staring like that? Is there something on my clothes?"
"Ah, no. That's not..."
Damn, I had stared for too long. That elf wore only drab robes outside, but inside the house she had on clothes that showed a little more skin. Of course my eyes had been drawn to her.
But everyone was glaring at me. As if I had impure intentions! These ingrates!
"S-So, anyway, that slime from yesterday. How exactly do you plan to make money from it? Who are you selling it to?"
I desperately changed the subject.
Rebecca, who had been behind Ariel, stepped forward.
"Although Lady Ariel has promised to marry him, ‘unavoidable circumstances’ may arise. We have considered several sales routes for that contingency."
"Though we have fallen, it does not mean our connections have all vanished. It is not for you to worry about."
"Is that so...?"
She said that, but her expression was full of deep concern. Was pride preventing her from speaking? When I stared directly at her, Ariel turned her head away as if my gaze was burdensome.
"At any rate, we have been indebted to you all in many ways, so I have a proposal. The mansion has many empty rooms; perhaps you would be amenable to using them as lodging."
Hm. Not a bad offer. Saving on inn fees was good, and we deserved at least that much. But...
"What about Sivter? What if he attacks again?"
At that name, Ariel's face became a little displeased.
"That man will not extend his schemes as far as you. His attention is focused solely on me, and I intend to remain at the mansion for some time to conduct research. Now that I have the slime, there is no need for me to go outside."
Right. Then there shouldn't be a problem.
"Understood. We'll take you up on that, then."
"Eep." "Ah."
At my answer, the two of them became visibly flustered. What was wrong with them?
Ah... right. Amplification! We had to have sex! Damn it, how could I forget that...!
"W-Wait a moment..."
"W-we look forward to staying with you." "M-me too."
"Mm. This is all I can offer in recompense at present, so I pray you will understand. But should matters progress as anticipated... indeed. Come to think of it, you expressed interest in the armory. You may take whatever weapon you wish."
"Oh, really?"
At Ariel's proposal, Yuri brightened. Now there was no way I could take back the agreement!