The Witch's Coercion (10)
The Witch's Coercion (10)
#
"Daddy?"
I turned to look behind me.
Daddy. I could state with absolute certainty this had nothing whatsoever to do with me. My turning around was purely a knee-jerk reaction, nothing more—never because the word itself bothered me.
No, actually, it felt less like a reflex and more like the voice itself contained some kind of compelling magic that forced me to...
Anyway, when I looked back, I found a young girl gazing up at me. A face I'd never seen before. But I also had the odd feeling I'd seen her somewhere. Who was she?
"Daddy? What are you doing there? Who are those ladies?"
"...."
Silence fell over the forest. I could hear the sound of teeth chattering somewhere, but I didn't have the luxury of paying attention to that.
Who was this kid? Where did she pop out from? Did the Witch have a child? But I hadn't seen any child like this at the Witch's house. I hadn't even seen any trace of one.
No, more importantly—daddy. Daddy? Me? Why?
"Puh. Puh. Puh. Puh."
I felt the arms of Reni, who was hugging me, tremble and shake. And from her mouth came a noise that was neither moan nor word, an unidentifiable sound...!
Yuri's head turned with a creaking, grinding motion. Her eyes, demanding an explanation, blazed as if they'd burn my body to ashes!
"You're going to. Explain. Right?"
"Dah. dee."
Reni stared up at me, uttering those meaningless sounds. But her eyes—the light had vanished from her eyes. Her eyes were dead!
Why were you looking at me like that?! I was just as confused about this situation as you were!
"No, no way. It's not me! I've never even seen that kid before! Today's the first time! Calling me daddy—what are you talking about!"
"Hair color. Hair. Color."
Reni's mouth opened and closed as words about hair color spilled out. The girl's hair was the same as mine, so she was supposedly my child? This was ridiculous... More importantly, why the hell were they making such a flimsy assumption?!
"Get a grip! This is Kongming’s trap!"
"What?"
Yuri shot back incredulously. Right. I'd been so flustered that I'd blurted out something you two couldn't understand. There was no helping it. I needed to explain calmly.
"Think about it! I've never been separated from you two since coming here! You know that! We've practically been glued together! This is definitely a trap. I only did it with you—"
"That's not true! You did it with that butler too!"
Yuri's retort cut me off. Damn it! Why was your memory so good at a time like this? She was right, so I had nothing to say!
"Le-leaving that aside! Anyway, we've been together like that, so how would it make any sense for me to get someone pregnant behind your backs! If anyone was pregnant, it'd be you two!"
"....I-is that so?"
"Yes! I don't know who she is! It's a misunderstanding! A mistake! A trap! No, in the first place, it hasn't even been that long since I came to this world, so there's no way I'd have a kid this big!"
At my outburst, Yuri finally seemed to be somewhat convinced. And Reni? Reni was still trembling. Good. Now if I could just talk some sense into Reni—
"Not necessarily. Differences between species exist, after all."
Ariel stated flatly, her face expressionless. No, wait, what did you just say?
"...Species differences. What exactly do you mean by that?"
Yuri asked what I wanted to say, in my place.
"For instance, while the lifespans of races like goblins are short, their rate of reproduction is incomparably faster than that of humans. Furthermore, events occurring inside dungeons often transcend the common sense of the outside world. One cannot necessarily assume that pregnancy and childbirth require time."
Ariel delivered her explanation in that characteristically flat, toneless voice. No, but why the hell was she saying that kind of thing right now?! Why was she pouring water into boiling oil?! Was she one of them too?!
"Y-Yoo-jin. It's not true, right? Right?"
"Of course it is not."
...Was it really not?
Ariel's words lingered in my ears.
That was right. Nothing that happened inside a dungeon was strange. My common sense didn't apply here; this was a world beyond common sense. It wasn't impossible!
"Daddy?"
The little brat called out to me again at an absolutely impeccable moment. Now that I looked closely, she resembled the Witch.
Right. Something occurred to me.
Right! The Witch wasn't human to begin with, so it wouldn't be strange if she could have a child. Then could all the semen I poured into her have vanished because she used it to make a baby rather than absorbing it?!
Then, was she really my child?!
I fell silent at the ominous thought, and Yuri lunged at me.
"Why aren't you saying anything?! Say something! Say something!"
"Huk, ke-huk."
What was she saying while grabbing me by the collar and shaking me so hard I couldn't even speak!
And Reni? She had collapsed to the ground and wrapped herself around my leg. No, she wasn't merely hugging it. She was fidgeting and doing something, but I couldn't see what because Yuri was shaking me—
"Eu-huk?!"
Yuri hooked her leg around mine and slammed me flat onto the ground!
"Hey! What are you...!"
"You bastard! Do it right here!"
"What?!"
Yuri ground her teeth, climbed onto my upper body, and pinned me down.
"You womanizing son of a bitch... Knock me up. Knock me up too! Right now!!!!!"
"Hey, calm down, calm down...!"
"I'm first! I'm first!!!!!!!!!"
"Eu-huk?!"
A chill came over my lower half, the cold wind of the forest hitting me directly! Reni had pulled off my pants?! This was bad. Those two had completely flipped their lids. At this rate, I was going to get reverse-raped on the spot in the middle of a dungeon!
"Guys, please, calm down!"
"Wouldn't it be wise to mind the time and place? This is the Unicorn Forest. I don't imagine the unicorns will stand idly by and watch such an act."
Ariel remarked nonchalantly. But I had no leeway to pay any attention to that woman. If things continued like this, I'd get reverse-raped while being misunderstood!
There was no helping it. This was no time to be selective. I set Pleasure and Sensitivity Enhancement to maximum output and slammed it into the girls.
"Eung-geu-eu-eut?!"
"Heu-aaaaang!!!"
Under the sudden attack, the two of them collapsed and went limp. But their hands, clenched onto the hems of my clothes, still didn't let go. I was sitting there, stunned and at a loss for what to do next, when I suddenly heard a giggling, snickering laugh.
...There was only one person who laughed like that. No way?!
"Fufu. I'm sorry. You were all getting along so nicely, I couldn't resist teasing you a little."
"W-Witch... It really is you, right?"
The Witch only nodded, smiling.
Right. This child was the Witch, not my daughter. I did not have to bear responsibility without pleasure. At the Witch’s words, I felt as though I might collapse on the spot.
That wicked Witch. Why did she torment me so cruelly? I sternly rebuked the Witch for her misdeeds.
"...Witch. May we impose on you for a while? It seems these two will need some time to wake up."
"You may. I'll have to prepare some tea."
The Witch glided back inside, and I tucked one girl under each arm and followed her into the Witch’s House.
"Is it truly not the case? I thought she resembled you quite a lot..."
"You, please just be quiet!"
#
In due time, the two girls came to their senses, and upon hearing the Witch's story, their faces filled with confusion. Yeah. I was confused too. Why was the Witch doing this?
"Witch, just what is that appearance...."
"I had no choice. I needed to turn my body’s age back."
Her physical age? For what reason?
"Fufu.... That is a secret. Just know that a small problem arose with the state of my body."
As she said that, the Witch winked at me. As if it were because of me.
"....!"
Right. Because I'd taken her virginity, she'd reverted her body to a state where her hymen was intact!
"Th-then, it's not Yoo-jin's child..."
Reni asked quietly in a trembling voice.
"Ah, I'm sorry about that. My physical condition affected my mental age, and I played that prank without thinking. Why did I call you ‘Daddy’?"
Finally, at the Witch's confession, the two girls let out sighs of relief. Good heavens. I knew I was a philanderer, but why did they jump to that kind of misunderstanding?
"Still, 'Daddy.' I wouldn't mind having one sometime. Would you become my daddy?"
This Witch, still not acting her age!
"!!"
The Witch’s eyes flashed sharply for a moment, warning me that it would not be funny if I mentioned her age again.
Damn it. Why was I so powerless!
"Ah, no way!" "Who gave you permission!"
The two girls blocked my path. The Witch laughed quietly, looking at them.
"You seem thoroughly henpecked."
'Unlike what you showed in bed.'
Somehow, I felt as if I could hear her inner thoughts. This Witch, was she sending telepathy now too?!
But the Witch's attack wasn't aimed only at me.
"Anyway, pregnancy, was it. You seem to be quite fond of it. I never imagined you'd throw yourselves at him like that in front of others. Do you truly want a child that badly?"
Yuri's face went bright red at those words, but Reni wrapped her arms around her stomach and gave the Witch a slight glare.
"I-I did!"
"Have what, exactly?"
"I-I am carrying a baby!"
"What did you say?!"
I turned to Reni in shock, but she seemed thoroughly convinced. When?! I did?! I wasn't the only one stunned—silence fell over the parlor.
The Witch's eyes widened, and then she smiled apologetically.
"However, I sense nothing inside you, Priestess."
"....Eh-eh?!"
This time, Reni's face filled with shock.