The Precocious Merchant Trained for Her Dreams

Clatter, clatter.

Before heading to the inn, Sierra mentioned she was hungry, so we decided to grab a quick bite. To satisfy her notoriously picky palate, we ended up at a high-end restaurant in the heart of Hormia, though she didn't show even a shred of guilt for dragging me here.

"You'll understand once you try it."

Slice, slice.

Just as Sierra had so confidently promised, the moment I sliced a thin piece of the mushroom-topped veal steak and took a bite, I realized coming here was absolutely the right call.

The rich, savory flavor coated my tongue, and the meat was so incredibly tender it practically melted the moment I chewed. My hands couldn't move fast enough. Sierra, who was elegantly cutting her own meat, watched me eat with a pleased, smug smile.

"Seeing you enjoy it so much makes introducing you to this place well worth it."

Munch, munch.

Sierra diligently chewed and swallowed with her small mouth. As our meal neared its end, she reached up to remove the napkin tucked into her collar, but her hand accidentally brushed against her own breast.

"Hngh?!"

A lewd, breathless gasp echoed through the restaurant over the soft piano music. The eyes of the other patrons, previously focused on their gourmet dishes, began darting around with predatory curiosity, searching for the source of that shockingly indecent sound in such an elegant establishment.

Her face flushing bright red, Sierra hastily gulped down some water and stood up. She shot a sharp glare at me as I sat there blinking stupidly. "Get up," she hissed, before walking briskly toward the counter to pay. I trotted along behind her, noticing that the tips of her ears visible from behind were burning redder than I'd ever seen them.

Chime, chime~

"Ugh... What is wrong with me...!"

The moment we stepped out of the restaurant, a thoroughly dejected Sierra slumped down right where she stood. Seeing her ears still burning crimson, she must have been mortified. I knelt down beside her as she buried her face in her knees and patted her back, offering a word of comfort.

"Well, I thought it sounded lovely."

"How can you say that! In a place like that?!"

At my teasing compliment, Sierra leaped to her feet as if she had never been depressed in the first place, glaring at me. With her hands on her hips, she began to nag—complaining that this was all my fault, that she'd reacted like that without thinking because of what I'd done to her, and asking what I was smiling at. Watching her ramble, I gently placed my hand under her soft, pale chin.

"W-what are you doing..."

With her chin resting between my thumb and index finger, she let herself be guided by my touch. I stared intently at her face and wet my lips with my tongue. Her eyes, wavering like a buoy adrift at sea, squeezed tightly shut as our faces drew closer.

"Haa... Hoo..."

Closing her eyes and catching her breath, Sierra clenched her fists tightly as if making up her mind, and then puckered her lips. Driven by impulse and raw emotion, we let ourselves be guided by instinct and pressed our lips together.

Smooch.

Her lips, which touched mine briefly before pulling away, tasted faintly of the steak sauce we had just eaten. Perhaps she tasted it too, because as she slowly opened her eyes, she parted her lips slightly, smacked them, and then quickly averted her gaze the moment our eyes met.

Sensing the sudden spark of tension between us, I knew this was my chance. Sierra had crossed her arms, pushing her ample breasts forward as she bit her lip. I stepped closer and gently took her by the wrist.

"What is it? Don't tell me you're satisfied with just that..."

"Let's go somewhere other than the inn today."

"Huh...? What are you planning...?"

"I'm just in the mood for it. Follow me."

"Hey, wait—"

Sierra tried to playfully pull her wrist away, but as I began walking and pulled her firmly along, she shut her mouth and followed. She trudged behind me, shooting me suspicious side-glances, but as the surrounding scenery grew increasingly familiar, her pouty expression slowly melted into bewilderment.

"This place is..."

The place I had brought Sierra to was the cultural plaza near the Merchant Guild. Looking around at the street filled with operas, circuses, curious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠stalls, and fire-breathing clowns collecting cheers and coins, Sierra placed her hands on her hips and let out a helpless chuckle.

"What's this...? You're acting out of character today."

"I just wanted to look around. You'll show me the way, right?"

I shrugged with a sly grin. Sierra tapped her heels on the cobblestones, staring at me, before letting out a soft laugh. She grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

"Well, you picked the right guide. No one knows this place better than I do!"

"I'll trust you once again."

"Fufu, you won't regret it."

Just as Sierra had boasted, everywhere she dragged me was packed with novel experiences I had never seen before. There was a witch's spatial magic show summoning nether-rabbits, a goblin magician's troll dismemberment show (where the limbs were actually severed and regenerated), and even cotton candy spun using the four great elemental spirits.

These sights were unlike anything I'd seen in any other city, and I genuinely regretted not bringing Undine along. I could practically see her eyes sparkling with joy if she were here, but there would be other opportunities. For now, I committed the most fascinating sights to memory and focused on enjoying the present with Sierra.

"Fufu, amazing, isn't it?"

"I thought I'd traveled quite a bit, excluding the Capital, but this is a first for me."

"Of course. Most of these acts came over from the Capital."

Sierra took a few bites of her elemental cotton candy, chatting happily with pink sugar threads stuck to her cheek.

"Since this city trades in so many rare materials, it's crawling with wealthy people, almost on par with the mining cities."

"They're all targeting those deep pockets," she said, happily devouring the cotton candy while getting it all over her face. Knowing it would get incredibly sticky once it melted, I leaned in and kissed her cheek repeatedly, nibbling the stray sugar threads off her skin as she spoke.

"Why are you making such a mess? Is it because your mouth is too small?"

"Wh-what... Hey..."

Sierra stood there with her mouth slightly open, her face slowly turning as pink as the cotton candy in her hand. Watching her reaction, I realized that spending time together like this was incredibly fun, far better than just constantly seeking physical pleasure.

She was still frozen stiff, which was so adorable that I pinched her cheeks and gently shook them to tease her. Only then did she snap out of it, swatting my hands away with her arms.

"You're really mischievous, you know that? Doing something so embarrassing in public..."

"Aren't you the one who was being embarrassing, Sierra? Even earlier at the restaurant... Ack!"

Stomp.

Sierra's heel ground down hard onto my foot. As she smiled sweetly while grinding her heel, I quickly shut my mouth, grabbed her hand, and begged her to lead the way to our next destination.

"...I don't usually show this place to anyone, but—"

She was teasing me, deliberately trailing off to keep me in suspense. I squeezed her hand and shook it, urging her to continue.

"Where is it? Don't leave me hanging."

"Ah, hold still...! You're acting like a child..."

Tapping her foot, she stared at the ground with a conflicted expression, as if weighing her options. Finally making up her mind, she pulled my hand and led me away.

"You have to keep this a secret, okay? Aside from my family... you're the first person I'm showing this to."

The place Sierra led me to was located behind the city walls of Hormia, where a massive mountain loomed. As I stood there, inhaling the fragrant scent of fresh grass and wondering where we were, Sierra gestured to me.

"I mean it, it's a secret!"

"I get it."

"Really!"

"I said I understand."

After our brief banter, Sierra began brushing through the grass, searching for something. I offered to help, but she told me to stay put. As I stood watching, a sharp click echoed, and Sierra looked up with a bright smile.

"Alright, lift! One, two, three!"

Creaaaak.

The moment Sierra ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠strained to lift the heavy trapdoor with both arms, it began to slowly open. I placed my hands over her trembling ones and threw my weight into pulling the door all the way up.

Thud.

Dirt and crushed grass rained down as a hidden passage beneath the door was revealed. Pressing a finger to her lips to quiet me, Sierra slowly made her way down into the darkness.

"Close it once you're all the way down."

"Understood."

I followed Sierra down into the passage, which glowed with a faint indigo light, and pulled the heavy door shut behind me with a dull thud. Following the rhythmic click of her heels, I caught up to her as she felt her way along the wall.

"Ugh... It's been so long since I've been here, it's actually a bit creepy..."

Bathed in the soft indigo glow, Sierra looked ethereal, almost mystical. Though she usually seemed quite young, the dim lighting lent her an air of mature elegance and mystery.

"We're almost there. Hm...? What are you staring at?"

"You look beautiful."

When I voiced my genuine thoughts to the prickly merchant, her shoulders trembled slightly. Though the dim lighting hid her complexion, I could tell she was blushing furiously, overcome with embarrassment just like before.

"Hmph, smooth talker... I bet you say that to every woman you meet."

"Only to my woman."

"What are you talking about... Who's your woman..."

Even I had to admit it was a smooth response. Sierra whipped around and continued forward, feeling her way along the wall. Did I push too far? I wondered, but hearing her continue to mumble to herself as she walked, I knew she was secretly thrilled.

"We're here. Go on out first."

The passage narrowed before opening up. Sierra pointed toward a wide opening ahead and ordered me to go first. I did as she said, stepping out of the hole. With a brief sensation of weightlessness, the scenery around me transformed in an instant.

Once outside, I reached back into the dark opening and gestured to Sierra. Though I couldn't see inside, I felt her hands grasp my arm. I pulled firmly, helping her out of the hole.

"Phew—it hasn't changed a bit!"

Popping out of the opening, Sierra dusted off her clothes and looked around. I took in our surroundings as well; we were in a wide clearing surrounded by a dense forest, with a massive ancient tree standing at its center.

"My father used to bring me here all the time when I was little. In the summer, we'd lie down right here and look at the constellations."

Reminiscing about her late father, Sierra traced the dirt with the toe of her shoe, a bittersweet smile on her face as she looked up at the sky. I stepped up beside her, gazing at the brilliant white stars scattered across the deep indigo canvas.

"I never imagined I'd bring someone like you here..."

"Did you have someone else in mind?"

"I did promise myself that if I ever found someone special, I'd show them this place."

"Someone special, huh?"

I grinned, looking down at her. Sierra, who had been smiling softly at the night sky, gave my arm a playful smack at my teasing question and hastily tried to change the subject.

"Anyway—hmph, I actually had a lot of fun today, which is surprising coming from you. I thought your head was entirely filled with dirty thoughts."

"I love days like this too. Just being with you is enough to make me happy."

"Hmph..."

She let out a soft hum, stealing a glance at me before looking back up at the sky. Watching the stars reflect one by one in her clear green eyes, I took a step closer, pressing my body against hers.

"......"

Feeling her warmth radiating through my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arm, I reached out and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. She flinched, trembling slightly for a brief second, but the tension quickly melted away. Instead, she leaned her weight into me, and I pulled her even closer.

"Haa..."

Leting out a soft sigh, I guided the clinging Sierra over to a wooden bench at the edge of the clearing. I brushed off the dust, sat down first, and then pulled her onto my lap so we could look at the night sky together.

"What do you think...? Beautiful, isn't it...?"

Tracing the stars with her finger as if connecting the dots, Sierra tilted her head back and whispered softly in my ear. She looked incredibly precious snuggled in my arms, and I answered her gently, basking in her warmth.

"It's the most beautiful view in the world..."

"Close... close your eyes..."

At her whispered request, I closed my eyes without hesitation. With the soft rustle of fabric, Sierra slipped off my lap. She cupped my cheeks with her cool hands, gently tilting my face upward.

Smooch.

"Don't open them yet..."

Smooch, smooch.

"Just wait a little longer..."

Peck, peck, peck, peck.

"I told you not to open them...!"

Thud, peck, peck, peck.

I had tried to peek, but a playful fist to my shoulder forced me to close my eyes again. In the darkness, the sweet sound of pecks echoed, followed by the soft, moist sensation of her lips pressing against mine. Amused by her adorable boldness, I smiled and opened my arms wide.

"Mnh..."

Squeeze.

Swept up in the mood, Sierra melted into my embrace, stretching her body as she clung to me. Feeling her soft, yielding curves pressed against mine, I couldn't hold back any longer. With a satisfied smile, I leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"I can't hold back anymore."

"You always ruin the mood...!"

Though she glared and scolded me, Sierra swallowed hard. Her small hand slowly crept down toward my waistband. The moment she brushed against my hard, throbbing crotch, she flinched as if struck by lightning. Pulling her hand back, her face flushed crimson as she gulped and looked up at me.

"Do you really mean it...?"

"You're just too lovely. To the point where I don't care about the contract or anything else... I'm completely captivated by you."

At my blunt confession, Sierra turned her face away, her cheeks burning as red as a ripe tomato. Even swept up in the romance, was her reason still winning over her desire? I wondered if I had spoken too soon, but then, a sweet whisper fell from her lips.

"If you promise it's only for tonight... I suppose I wouldn't mind."

Her permission, accompanied by a flushed, breathless smile, sent a jolt of excitement through me. I pulled her even tighter against ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my chest and whispered back.

"I promise."

I would keep my promise and enjoy only tonight. But I made a silent vow to give her such unforgettable pleasure that she would find herself crawling back to me, unable to forget the ecstasy of this night.