Everyone's Worries
"Full recovery. They said as long as we don't fly too rough for the next two or three weeks, it'll be fine."
Nidroga spun her arm around with a refreshed look on her face. I smacked my forehead as a sudden realization hit me.
"You hurt your wing, right? A dragon's forelimb with wings... in human form, that's...?"
"An arm. If you get hurt in dragon form, the aftereffects linger in human form too, but look at this. All better now, right?"
"Come to think of it, you had your arm bound back then..."
I turned around first to watch my words. There was someone who stuck to me like glue 24/7, except for bathroom breaks.
Fortunately, Islune Storm was off in the distance, introducing herself to the party members. She couldn't just follow me around without any explanation.
I lowered my voice to a whisper and continued.
"Anyway, sorry about that. I should've been more considerate. Didn't it hurt?"
"What a joke. You didn't tie it—I did it myself. You didn't toss me somewhere, so what's a little thing like that?"
"True. Besides, you were crying back then not because it hurt, but because you were pissed."
"Ha!"
Blushing furiously, Nidroga burst into laughter to hide her embarrassment and slapped my back. I went flying forward and face-planted.
Islune came rushing over in a panic.
"Are you alright, employer?!"
The wave of embarrassment hit me intuitively. Nenya and Bilena looked horrified, while Monica and Esen turned away, stifling laughs.
...At least she didn't call me Master.
"I'm fine. Just tripped over a rock..."
The succubus queen issue from Bitsurk was resolved, and Nidroga was back to full health. After the meeting, the party decided to head home. They said there were probably tons of backed-up requests.
"Glad it all wrapped up well."
"Right, Mr. Porter?"
"...Huh?"
"Could you not talk to me?"
The elf Nenya waved me off with a bright smile.
"I thought we were getting close..."
Nenya's eyes went wide as she approached, then she glanced at Islune—who was watching us from about twenty meters away with a smile—and whispered.
"We could've been! Until you started acting like some porter from an illustrated erotic book instead of a real-world one!"
"...No words."
"Tan Bantai. You're a good porter. If you're hauling ten times the weight, your aptitude must be above average. You saved all our lives with quick thinking too! So I won't tell you to get lost or know your place like that lunatic noble Adamanthon or whatever."
Nenya nodded with genuine respect.
Then she moved on to a problem respect alone couldn't solve.
"But how many lovers do you even have?!"
"...Seriously no words."
"The reason I approved when Tena wanted to recruit you... well, she would've dragged you along anyway even if I'd opposed. She's a one-way street like that."
"Exactly! She's so stubborn. If there's a problem, she won't even say what it is. I was just sipping drinks and dozed off for a bit, and when I woke up, we were on a cross-continent train heading to the extermination camp. She never explains or discusses anything!"
I chimed in, suddenly worked up, and Nenya beamed, raising a finger in agreement. Then she scowled and folded it back down.
"Almost let you change the subject. Typical cornered human trick. Trying to fool an elf? A century too early."
"...Never tried to fool you."
"Anyway, I approved because of your work ethic and professionalism. You grew up with a beauty like Tena as your childhood friend and spent years together without anything happening? One of two things: you're impotent, or you've got insane self-control."
"Impo... what?"
"I get it, though. After last time, with... uh, Nidroga... putting on that show... anyway, after the exorcism drove out the queen."
Nenya scratched her head like it ached.
"Monica explained you got tangled up deep with the goddess of lust. Who can blame you? Professionalism be damned—satisfying her saved us all from Bitsurk to now. But, but!"
"I'll hold back."
"Yes, that's it! Hold back! Don't let it slip to normal folks like me who can't accept polygamy!"
Nenya jerked her chin toward Islune urgently.
Islune, puzzled, pointed at herself, then pursed her lips in an "oh" and nodded knowingly.
Once Islune walked away, Nenya sighed and tapped the ground with her staff.
"Sorry for nagging like a broken record, but if it gets out, we're done. Got it?"
"Yeah. The party league would probably boot me. I'd lose my job. And..."
I shrugged, and Nenya shook her head.
"It's not just legal issues or your job. Think about what the party members would hear? They'd whisper we sneaked into an all-women's party pretending to be ironclad, then hired some guy to satisfy our lusts! Over a hundred members, most not even involved with you, all turned into gossip fodder. 'Women who hooked up with the porter'—that's the smear they'd get!"
"...Worst case."
"Even for marriage, they'd have to desperately hide they were ever in the party. Without knowing your circumstances, everyone would just pile on the hate."
Nenya let out a long sigh.
"And that's not all. What do you think their families would do? Some members come from noble houses, military families, even criminals. Lord seems to have overlooked your thing with Nidroga, so she's safe for now. But Morgan? What happened when you touched her? Captain pointed a gun at you, right? And Esen's family? Those wild beasts would rip you apart on a whim!"
People? What couldn't they rip?
Even if I held a massive shield forged from a hero sword, ten Tigresses could probably smash me shield and all.
What Nenya was saying wasn't pointless nagging. It was precious advice, as vital as Mom telling me to brush and sleep early.
"I'm not saying break up with Esen or Monica. But get your head straight. Keep this up, and you'll end up dead!"
I swore I'd hide it perfectly and not add more entanglements if possible. Honestly, fueling youthful passion to satisfy Lady Sister and her goddess was plenty with just Esen and the sisters.
"If that happens, I'll just whisk you to the Dragon's Nest. Who'd touch someone under the Lord's protection?"
Nidroga had snuck up and tugged my collar playfully. Nenya sighed like she was burning inside.
...Two might not be enough. A third with overwhelming presence kept sticking close.
Who knew how life would roll.
"Where's Bilena?"
On the deck of the Handgun, repaired to perfection and even upgraded to an ironclad, Morgan tapped my back as I loaded cargo.
"Need her signature on the passenger manifest, but I don't see her."
"Uh, can't we skip that formality? She's probably captured by the dragons right now. They went nuts wanting to learn her brewing method."
"Hmm. We've got time before departure... let's go fetch her. Dad's been touchy lately—skip it, and my crew suffers."
Morgan shrugged and tucked the paper into her shirt pocket. I almost gawked.
Overly stimulating for a woman, but with her chest bound flat in male disguise, it wasn't awkward.
Morgan smirked.
"What's with you? Heart skipping at the tomboy girl's gap moe?"
"What's a tomboy... Not that, don't worry about it."
"Tch."
Contrary to expectations, Bilena wasn't with the dragons. She'd wrapped up the brewing seminar early and was now on the beach we'd used as our hangout, chugging hard liquor.
Tailored for humans, not dragons, but the stench was brutal.
"Bilena? Nenya said to sign the manifest before we leave. You've been here the whole time?"
"Piss off."
"Oof."
Morgan grimaced. I sighed and squatted beside her.
Bilena, who was grinding sand with her butt, snorted and turned, showing me her back.
"...Something wrong?"
"Nothing. Don't bug me, just go."
"You calling me a bug means something's eating at you. Just tell me roughly what. I can see you're hurting."
"What, gonna play therapist for a defeated heroine's rant?!"
"Defea... what?"
Bilena spun the bottle in her hand, then gripped it like a club and menacingly aimed at me. When I flinched back, she bellowed.
"That! You porter-obsessed idiot! In those smutty porter novels!"
"...Bilena. Hold on."
"The ones where she sleeps with him once and gets dumped! Starts off bratty and gets punished—that's the hook—but without it, she gets utterly abandoned!"
I didn't know if that cliché existed. I preferred pure love stories anyway. Suddenly, the mountain of porn books in her room flashed in my mind.
...Okay, I get you've read tons and it's gotten to you, but not the time.
"You're drunk. Let's get you to the inn."
As I reached to calm her, Bilena slapped my hand away resolutely and jutted her chin.
"At first, she doesn't even know what hit her—total confusion. Days later, her body's itching like crazy! Anxious it's not just a one-night seduction and dump, rage bubbling up, but terrified there won't be another night like that! All this buildup for a tragic fall, but readers hate her, so letters fly to the author: 'Ditch her and give us more big-tits milf story!'"
"Wait—"
"That's how she becomes the abandoned heroine, glossed over with one word: 'obsessed'! Beg enough, maybe a pity fuck or two, but that's bullshit!"
"Don't yell, idiot...!"
"Why get abandoned? Fuck, I know why. Look! Look!"
Bilena rolled the bottle over her body. It glided smoothly like a cart on a road without curbs.
Sympathy surged; I squeezed my eyes shut. Bilena wiped tears and sobbed.
"Sniff. Open your eyes, you bastard! Nothing to see, so you shut 'em?!"
"What on earth are you two talking about?"
Islune, who'd followed me, asked blankly. Bilena startled and dropped the bottle.
I followed Esen's precedent from before.
"Something like that happened. She's really into somewhat smutty novels featuring porters. But the author doesn't seem to love her favorite character much."
"You expect me to buy that? She's way too sincere—like it's her own story."
"Busted. Truth is, before this island, she locked eyes with a charming porter-aptitude guy at the harbor. Didn't go all the way, but right as things heated up, he slipped he had lovers at ports worldwide. Her first pure crush got trampled."
"More realistic. Bilena, right? Truly tragic. Makes you wanna punch the jerk."
"Something like that. Can't say more—girl stuff. Girl friendship. You get it?"
Islune twirled her hair, shrugging off the dilemma.
"Well, escorts pretend not to hear or see employers' private lives, prioritizing safety and convenience... So pretend it's nothing and chat. On my hero aptitude honor, I won't tell."
"Ah, got it. What if I order you to step away?"
"Then I'd have to."
Her face relaxed, and Islune waved she'd be on the ship.
Once Islune was gone, I clutched my chest and sighed in relief. Bilena, meanwhile, huddled shaking, face in hands.
Morgan watched pityingly and spat.
"Sober now?"
"D-don't l-look."
"...Bilena."
"Don't c-call me! If you act like you know, I'll kill myself—!"
Last dregs of drunken courage or madness? Bilena shot up, trembling, and waded into the water.
No way I'd let that slide. Before panicking Morgan reached her, I grabbed her collar and yanked her down.
"Bilena."
"Stop calling me!"
"That's why I don't know what to do!"
Bilena paused mid-hair-pull and looked at me. I nodded and gripped her slender shoulder.
"We've got till departure. About three hours?"
"...Three hours. So?"
"I'll lend you Tan Bantai for three hours. Beat me, talk, play with me—do whatever you want."