Episode 77
"So we're going to the Azure Forest now?"
As I asked while dangling from Aron's neck, he nodded.
"Mother-in-law... is that the right term? Anyway, we'll travel to the capital with both of them, and then we'll go to the Azure Forest. That works better for you too, right?"
"Yeah. We can't just leave them here."
As Aron moved to put ingredients into the pot, my body swayed significantly.
My legs swung through the air before I clung to him, wrapping myself around him.
"But are you really taking Kyla? I don't want to travel with her. She keeps being annoying."
"Then tell her yourself. I don't have the confidence to leave her behind."
"Hmm..."
It's been almost three days since we started resting here under the pretext of taking a break.
During that time, we had one big standoff.
The reason was trivial.
"Why do only you and Aron always bathe together? I want to join too."
"What are you talking about, you pervert Saintess. I have no choice but to bathe with him. I'm still growing diligently as a beastkin."
"...You? With that feminine body?"
"I'm not fully grown yet?!"
Honestly, I think she's fully grown.
Though her breast size is slightly disappointing, with two fat monsters already around, I'm mentally convincing myself that this size actually has more competitive advantage.
'But she calls herself a Saintess... she's surprisingly lacking. Does she use her thighs as pouches?'
Actually, Kyla's upper body was weak.
Without exaggeration, her divine power pouch was so small that I worried she might collapse from exhaustion.
As I looked at her with a contemptuous expression, Kyla glared at me.
"I don't like the look in your eyes. You're not thinking something strange, are you?"
"No way. I was just wondering if you have enough divine power."
"Divine power?"
"Ah~ Don't tell me you didn't understand? Is it because your pouch is small? Your comprehension seems a bit lacking too."
"My pouch is small?"
Kyla thought for a moment before bringing both hands to her chest.
I smirked as if to say she got it right.
"...Are you talking about breasts?"
She snorted contemptuously.
"What else is there? You have big thighs and hips but no milk to feed a baby, right?"
"Better than being ambiguously large."
"What? My breasts aren't exactly small? I'm different from girls like you who have no front or back distinction. Anyone can tell this is the front."
"What are you talking about. Hips that are good to grab in bed are better than breasts that might as well not exist!"
Eventually, we glared at each other for a while before turning away.
"Hmph! And you call yourself a Saintess with those small breasts."
"Hmph! What does a half-baked beastkin with no outstanding features have to say."
Up to this point, it was the same as our usual WWE exchanges.
The problem started after that.
"Kyaak!"
"Do you really think Aron would be satisfied with hips like these?"
"What are you doing, you pervert!"
"I came to check your hips. I was worried they might be too small."
Suddenly coming in during bathing to grope my buttocks.
"With such small buttocks, wouldn't Aron struggle when you sit? There's no fat so they wouldn't be soft either."
"Aron prefers breasts over lower body."
"Then you'll be overshadowed when Gwijaeng-i and Yeou return? Their breasts are huge. Compared to them, yours might as well not exist."
"Ugh! Shut up! I'll grow bigger too!"
Picking fights during our usual time together.
"Can you sleep with those hips? If I were you, I'd exercise to try to grow them somehow."
"Just sleep! Why are you picking fights since morning!"
"I'm just concerned and asking."
"Come here."
Eventually, she picked fights non-stop every day until we had a big fight that required Aron to intervene.
"...Do you appear in my dreams too?"
And she was the one talking about hips even in damn dreams.
After a huge fight and getting scolded by Aron, she finally actively mediated between us.
Without getting on the bed.
She really only mediated.
I finished reminiscing and smiled faintly.
"Let's just take her. If we don't, she'll probably be more annoying."
"Right? There's a reason Eri and Ryeong-i quickly give up on things involving Kyla."
"Must feel good. Having two more women."
"Eh, eh? You know that's not what I meant, right?"
I tightened my grip around Aron's neck as much as possible.
It doesn't particularly bother him, but at least he should understand my anger.
"No? Don't you remember laying me down on the bed here and having your way with me? You said next time you want to try beastkin style."
"That's... isn't it your fault for making my junior react?"
"Uschi."
Hanging on his back, I now tightened my legs around his waist.
"If you keep that mindset, I won't hold back either. When all four of us are together later, I'll tie you up and have my way with you?"
"Now it's 'having your way'? You've changed a lot~"
My face flushed hot at his words.
It's true I wouldn't have done such things in the past.
'Since when did I become such a pervert?'
I've been exposed to it too much recently.
With that pervert Saintess constantly trying to touch me at every opportunity, it's unavoidable.
Even during baths, she randomly gropes my breasts from behind.
"Hey Kyla! This is because of you!"
"Suddenly? I'm grilling meat for Aron, if you pick a fight I'll burn only yours?"
"Th-that's a bit..."
Meat is definitely an important matter.
"Then it's because of you! How many women are around you, you lecherous bastard!"
Eventually, my anger had to be directed at Aron who was cooking.
Because Aron accepts whatever complaints I make.
"Sigh. Yeah, it's my fault. I shouldn't have listened to my teacher's stories and ended up like this."
"If you think that way, then it's Haim's fault? Bring Haim here!"
"How can I bring my dead teacher?"
"Bring him here!"
Aron, judging that I was too worked up to reason with, focused on cooking.
Meanwhile, I hung on his back and just played around.
*
Leaving the Forest of Temptation, we immediately headed to the capital.
Though she's a pervert, perhaps because she's the Saintess, with Kyla's buff we managed to reach the capital in just two days without much difficulty.
Arriving at the capital, I lightly checked my condition.
"Better than I thought. Since that pervert Saintess occasionally uses strange dark energy, I thought it might be a debuff."
"I'm different from someone like you who's lacking except for female abilities."
"...I'm capable too."
Probably.
It's just problematic because the comparison is with the hero's party.
"More importantly, Unni and Ajusshi are planning to go straight to the mercenary group, right?"
I changed the subject before that Saintess could latch onto it.
Karen Unni and Delit Ajusshi, who had been talking, looked at me.
"Yes, we need to return right away. The mercenary group must have struggled a lot while I was gone. With Delit coming along, we should be able to recover sufficiently."
"Right. So go comfortably. We plan to stay in the capital for a while."
"You're going to the Azure Forest and then to the Great Plains, right?"
I nodded lightly.
"Yes, I'll try to return as quickly as possible."
If the hero's party normally defeats only the Demon King, the Cult of the End will start causing trouble right after, and the Imperial Rebellion will occur, so we need to move quickly.
So whether I like it or not, I have to move fast.
'Should I tell Unni in advance then?'
I've never actually told her I know the future.
When we approached places where events I remembered would occur, I'd say things like 'I have a bad feeling about this place. Let's go around.'
This time too, I told her in a similar way.
"Unni, try to stay together at the mercenary group if possible. Something might happen soon. Don't get involved with strange people."
"Okay. If Mia says so, I should believe it. Then you be careful too."
"Of course. See who I'm going with?"
I pointed with my finger at Aron and Kyla who were playing around behind me.
Glancing at them, Karen Unni chuckled.
"Well, with those people, wherever you go would be the safest place."
"Exactly."
If we gather the remaining two, we could probably start a revolution.
...Should we try it?
I considered whether forcing the story progression might be a method, but quickly shook my head.
Coming to my senses, I waved at the two in front of me.
"Then see you later."
"Yes, no childbirth until I return. I want to see Karen Unni's baby too."
Karen Unni's face turned bright red as she shouted, but I ignored it.
I quickly ran and hugged Aron from behind.
"That was quick? I thought you'd be crying while saying goodbye since it's the last time."
As I hugged him from behind, Aron glanced at me.
"We'll meet again soon anyway. Plus, this damn pervert is bothering me so much I can't even cry."
While I was talking, Kyla took advantage of Aron's momentary distraction and hugged him from the side.
"Why are you bothered. You can cry all day when we get there."
"Who would I do that for?"
"You're strangely perceptive?"
Before another standoff could begin, Aron quickly intervened.
Carrying both me and Kyla in his arms, he started walking.
"Aren't you tired of fighting every time you make eye contact? How can you fight non-stop without resting."
Kyla and I glared at each other.
"This pervert Saintess starts fights first!"
"The half-baked wolf starts fights!"
Aron sighed deeply and moved toward the inn.
Since we used this place when we previously came to the Empire, the innkeeper recognized us and came running.
"You're here again? By the way..."
He looked back and forth between me and Kyla before asking.
"This time, should I prepare two rooms..."
""One room!"
"Yes, yep! I'll prepare one room!"
The startled innkeeper disappeared instantly.
As if we had planned it, we answered at the same timing and glared at each other again.
Aron sighed deeply and spoke.
"You seem to get along but don't like each other. So how should we get to the Azure Forest? Are you joining a merchant caravan again this time?"
"That's the most comfortable. But if we want to go quickly, moving on our own would be much faster."
"Right. I can provide buffs anyway."
"If Kyla provides buffs, I can specially allow her to join the cuddling."
"I can also allow Mia to sleep clinging to Aron if she finds the way properly."
Looking at our satisfied smiles, it was ultimately Aron who sighed.