Episode 65
Finding a merchant caravan heading to the capital was easy.
Thanks to my name, I was able to join again under favorable conditions this time.
Before departure, according to what the innkeeper hinted at, most caravans heading to the Forest of Temptation depart from the capital.
The reason was surprisingly simple and straightforward.
It's said that requests to go to the Forest of Temptation from places other than the capital pay at least twice as much as those departing from the capital.
The distance is long and dangerous, so there's a lot of additional pay involved.
Therefore, it's more common for caravans to hire cheaper, better mercenaries in the capital rather than paying expensive rates for lower-quality mercenaries elsewhere.
'Come to think of it, that makes sense.'
Just going from Poraka to the Forest of Temptation and back would take a good half year.
But for mercenaries, even the time spent traveling is money.
Because they could be taking other requests during that time.
"What are you thinking about so deeply? Is it something really important?"
While I was lost in serious thought, Aron's voice reached me.
When I slightly turned my gaze, I saw him watching me from the front.
"No, I was just wondering why I couldn't figure out something so simple despite having worked as a mercenary. It turned out to be a much simpler reason than I thought."
"That can happen. You're looking at it from a mercenary's perspective. The caravan's perspective is different."
"That's true. By the way, we're passing through this road again."
"Where was this again..."
Aron stuck his head out of the carriage and looked around as if he didn't recognize it.
I moved beside him and also stuck my head out.
"That's the place. Where we were first attacked by the Cult of the End. I wonder if we'll get attacked again this time?"
"If that happens, I could probably just shatter the entire space and come out."
"But Eri and Seoryeong unni did that too."
"No. They accidentally destroyed the entire pattern that served as the medium for that magic. Now I can shatter the space itself without needing to know about such things."
Shatter space?
What kind of technique is this that I've never heard of?
Is it like cutting through space like the God of Space from PokéXmon?
Or is it like that dimension-cutting heat hunt thing from Japanese manga?
"You have a completely bewildered expression."
"Ah. Was it that obvious?"
"Anyone would recognize that expression."
Aron stretched out his arm and extended his hand right in front of my face.
"The area where I can stretch my arm like this is what's commonly called personal space. Within this, if one's ability permits, they can do anything."
"Attacks or defense... things like that?"
Aron nodded lightly and continued his explanation.
"It's similar for mages too. While preparing and casting magic, the area where their magic and consciousness reach feels like space, so to speak."
"Then aren't mages ridiculously strong?"
"But mages need to chant incantations. If an aura user dodges the magic, they have to defend, which puts them at a disadvantage."
He wasn't wrong.
The stronger the magic, the more preparation it requires, and unless they're specialized, mages have difficulty defeating aura users.
"But as you grow stronger, this space becomes more clearly visible. And the range of the space expands. So ultimately, if a high-level mage and I fight, range doesn't matter."
"Hmm, I don't think I'll understand properly without experiencing it myself. Right now, I can only comprehend it as the range where we can attack each other."
"That's enough for now. You'll understand when you experience it later."
I closed my eyes as Aron lightly patted my head.
Realistically, it's highly unlikely that I'll ever reach that concept of space.
'In the game, all characters learned Sixth Sense at level 90 or Enhanced Sensory Perception at level 95. It seems like one of those.'
My current strength is roughly around level 80 if calculated.
Even after awakening the beastkin power, which could be considered my last hope, I'm only at this level, so additional growth seems unlikely.
So level 90, which represents mastery in a particular field.
Objectively speaking, reaching that level would be difficult.
"Sigh... I still have a long way to go."
As I sighed deeply while looking out the window, Aron smiled.
"You'll reach it quickly. Mia, you're overflowing with talent."
Hearing the word "talent" made me think of Ivy for the first time in a while.
After all, she's the true embodiment of talent.
I wonder how she's doing since she set out to subjugate the Demon King.
Though I occasionally hear news through updates, sometimes I want to meet her in person and talk.
"By the way, is the Demon King very strong?"
"Very strong. Our nearly complete party had to use our full strength to barely win, so he's probably around the same level as the Dragon Emperor."
"Compared to you now, who's stronger?"
"Right now, I would overwhelmingly win."
Apparently, the completed Hero Party's strength is significantly different from before.
The nearly complete party barely won, but after completion, he could overwhelmingly win alone.
Does that mean Ivy is coming back stronger too?
"Aah. I should stop thinking. My thoughts are getting complicated and just flowing with the stream of consciousness."
"Then do you want to rest for a while?"
Aron immediately spread his arms and looked at me.
His expression seemed to say, "Come here, won't you?"
Without a moment's hesitation, I threw myself into his embrace.
Aron naturally wrapped one arm around my back and the other around my head.
"Hssss... Pahaa..."
Aron's intense scent permeates my body.
My body twitches, and as the scent reaches deep within, my entire body becomes languid.
As Aron strokes my head, I hug him tightly and press closer.
"Good..."
Muttering that, I slowly fell asleep.
*
While stroking the sleeping Mia, Aron looked at her.
She had become a bit strange recently.
If he had to pinpoint when, it was right after meeting the Dragon Emperor.
If asked whether she changed for the worse, that wasn't it, but she had changed ambiguously. Ambiguously proactive, ambiguously passive.
"She was much bolder than usual when suggesting sex. She even wanted it more herself."
It was true that Mia was honest about her desires.
She was honest about her emotions, didn't hold back when eating, hugged when she wanted to smell something, and just slept when tired.
She was more honest about her desires than most beastkin.
Yet she had been timid about sexual matters.
'Before, she would run away at just a touch. Even during her first experience, she kept being embarrassed.'
This time, she wanted it first.
She didn't dislike it while doing it, but she couldn't stay focused, so he ended up being somewhat forceful.
He thoroughly stimulated only her weak points and repeatedly brought her to climax.
"Is it because of that woman in the forest?"
The red-haired woman, presumed to be Mia's sister, had been trapped in ice for several months.
When they first met, Mia despaired immediately upon seeing her.
To the point where he worried she might actually commit suicide.
Fortunately, she hadn't died yet, and she clung to Aron, begging him to somehow save her.
'Compared to then, she's completely fine now.'
Thinking that, he felt somewhat relieved.
It was true that Mia usually lived with an empty head, but she inevitably had her own worries.
Convincing himself thus, he stroked Mia's head.
"Mmm... good..."
She was always the same.
Happy with just a touch, honest about her desires even while sleeping.
The corners of her mouth rose, and she moved according to his touch.
"I should keep holding her like this. If I lay her down, she might wake up."
Holding Mia like a doll, he leaned against the wall.
Worried that the rattling carriage might discomfort Mia, he used aura and magic to minimize the shaking while stroking her head.
"Sleep well, Mia."
*
Demon Realm.
The continent of magical beasts and demons, located by going to the southernmost tip of the continent where the Empire is, then taking a boat for over a week.
Ordinary people naturally never come here, and even the famous strong ones of the continent don't venture here.
Only two types of people come here.
One are those who come to kill the Demon King.
The others are those who come to join the Demon King's ranks.
And currently, the Hero's party had arrived in the Demon Realm.
"It took longer than expected. I didn't know strange magical beasts would appear at sea too."
"I didn't know that either. Even the spirits didn't notice them."
"Sigh, the path of hardship is already clearly laid out."
Ivy indifferently turned her head away from watching the Hero and Elf chatting.
Before her eyes lay the Demon Realm.
It was interesting how much more normal it looked than its name suggested.
There was grass, trees, and everything was generally lush and green.
'Maybe I should come here for a picnic with Mia later. If that man isn't around, it doesn't seem particularly dangerous.'
Whether it was because she became the Saintess or simply grew stronger through adventures, she could sense the magical beasts.
Magical beasts that had made names for themselves were scattered everywhere.
Though they would be nothing but ants before that man.
'That muscle, that strength, that presence, even that gaze. Everything was my type. Since I gave him all the necessary information, he must have corrupted Mia by now, right?'
That was somewhat disappointing.
Because she wanted to see Mia, who kept insisting she was a man, being crushed beneath that massive masculinity in real time.
Still, she looked forward to seeing her corrupted form just as much.
"Sigh, our Mia. I wonder how much more feminine she's become."
If possible, she hoped Mia had become not just a woman, but a full female.
That way, they could both be crushed beneath that man and pant together.
"Saintess-nim, do you see something?"
The beastkin warrior from the Hero's party approached Ivy as she stared into the distance.
Though he consistently showed interest, Ivy strictly maintained boundaries.
"No. I was just curious. Isn't it more ordinary than expected? I thought hell would be spread out since it's called the Demon Realm."
"Ah, that's true. It feels like just looking at the Great Plains."
Pretending to soak in the atmosphere while looking into the distance, she thought of Mia in her mind.
The image of cute Mia with her face flushed red, sticking out her small crimson tongue, breathing heavily, drooling saliva.
Her lower lips completely tamed, dripping with sticky drool - the thought made her lower abdomen tingle.
'Ah, I'm wet.'
The Saintess (聖女) who got wet just from thinking about Mia. No, she was a Sexual Woman (性女).