Chapter 5
Translator - Zofu
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"W-welcome, Candidate."
Si-woo returned to his room after a pleasant banquet, only to be greeted not by a maid, but by Hildear dressed as a handmaiden.
Even for someone who had lived over ten years in his first regression, this was a sight he had never seen before. For a proud knight and noble like her to be wearing not just any dress, but a handmaiden's uniform—it was shocking, though he didn't show it outwardly.
Of course, a handmaiden's uniform was still a dress. Handmaidens were nobles, after all. It was simply a dress that immediately gave the impression of a handmaiden.
"......? What are you doing?"
"I-I have been assigned to attend to you, C-Candidate Si-woo... it's me."
"Huh?"
Hildear stammered out an explanation.
Thanks to Si-woo, she hadn't been expelled from the Royal Guard. Though it was a case of the culprit offering the cure, Hildear was satisfied.
Her official status was still a knight of the Royal Guard, she said. Instead, she had become Si-woo's aide and attendant in the form of a dispatch assignment.
Due to procedural issues, the formal appointment hadn't been issued yet, but it would be finalized before Si-woo left for the Hero Training Academy in three days.
The reason Hildear hadn't been dismissed from the Royal Guard was simple. A regular knight would lose face with other kingdoms if assigned to aid a promising Hero candidate. In short, it was a token gesture to save face. Of course, if her misdeeds were revealed, the situation could change.
"I see. Well, it suits you."
"...Thank you."
Though it could have sounded insulting to a knight by birth, Hildear had a faint smile on her lips, as if something pleased her.
Watching her, Si-woo felt the urge to tease her again. He knew he shouldn't, but his memories from the first regression influenced him too deeply.
Si-woo pulled over a suitable chair from the corner of the room and sat down. Then he asked:
"So, what can you do?"
"...Huh?"
"You're supposed to attend to me. I still haven't adapted to this world, so what do handmaidens normally do? Or what can you do, for that matter."
It was half a joke, but he was genuinely curious. How different the handmaidens here were from those in his first regression. He didn't think they'd be very different, but one never knew. This inverted world had many aspects where common sense didn't apply.
Hildear, now noticeably more relaxed, spoke clearly and distinctly.
"A handmaiden's duties typically include being a conversational partner, advising on attire, and assisting with various tasks."
"Not much different from what I know..."
"Th-that, and..."
"......?"
"...assisting with... sexual gratification."
"...What?"
He doubted his ears. For a handmaiden—not even a maid—to help satisfy sexual urges was absurd. Even for an inverted world where men were rare, it was remarkable. But then he realized something odd.
'Huh? But the men in this world definitely...'
"Hold on, Hildear."
"Yes, what is it?"
"That sexual gratification... surely it's with other women...?"
"Huh? Of course..."
"Of course...?"
"......."
"......."
He roughly understood. The women in this world had stronger sexual desires than the men in his original world. Given how this world worked, sex education was explicit, and by first-regression standards, it could be called lewd.
In contrast, men had less sexual desire than even the women in his first regression. The Queen had clearly said that the pervasive feminine energy had a weak effect on men from another dimension, which meant it still had a strong effect on the men of this world.
'So they relieve their urges with other women. Since the Creator Goddess, the Supreme Goddess herself, summons goddesses from other dimensions to play with, there'd be little to no aversion to same-sex relations.'
He felt like a question that had come to mind earlier in this room before dinner was about to be answered.
"Excuse me, Hildear. I have a question."
"Si-woo C-Candidate. You may speak casually."
"In this world... do women marry other women?"
"Yes, quite often."
'Wow, insane.'
"F-for example...?"
"The Empress of our neighboring Rinefort Empire has one consort for an heir, but many wives besides."
"Huh..."
It was perplexing, but a relief. He probably wouldn't see any queens or empresses who had transitioned into men.
At this rate, most human relationships would likely be as he remembered. Still, it felt too perfectly aligned with his first regression for a simple inverted world.
"I see. Thanks for telling me."
"I'm glad I could help."
"Yeah. I still don't know much about this world, so you'll have to help me in many ways."
"Ah, understood!"
Si-woo chuckled at Hildear's spirited, loud response.
Even in that outfit, a knight was still a knight. Her clear voice revealed sleek, firm muscles beneath the handmaiden's uniform. It was fortunate that female knights in this inverted world weren't brawny.
"But what about your mother? Is she okay with this?"
"Huh? Is she okay... Ah, yes, she's fine. I contacted her earlier and already received a reply."
"She's not angry or anything?"
Si-woo found that part a bit strange. Could a mother really accept her daughter—the heir to their house—becoming little more than a handmaiden, even if it was for a Hero candidate? She might if the situation wasn't properly explained, but that didn't seem like Hildear's style.
"W-well... my mother is a very strict person. And what I did was quite serious. Plus, I'm not the only one in the family..."
"Hmm, is that so?"
The corners of Si-woo's mouth curled up, tracing a quiet crescent moon. Seeing Hildear flustered and starting to deflate sparked his mischief.
He rose from his chair and approached her.
"C-Candidate?"
"Hildear."
"Y-yes."
Hildear couldn't look directly at Si-woo, her face flushed as she bowed her head slightly.
Si-woo asked her:
"Do you resent me?"
"...Huh? What do you mean..."
"You didn't really do anything forced. Even if I'm weaker than you, you had chances to run, and I never told you to stop."
"......."
"If I had spoken up, it would have been investigated, but you wouldn't have been dismissed. Right?"
How would she answer? Si-woo was genuinely curious. Would Hildear hesitate? Would she resent him for not thinking things through? Or would she show a different reaction? Either way was fine with him.
If she wanted, he was prepared to release her and ask the Queen to reinstate her in the Royal Guard. But fortunately, that wouldn't be necessary.
"T-to be honest... I was flustered. Th-that's right."
"Then perhaps I should release—"
"No, no! It's fine!! I prefer the Hero's party over the Royal Guard!!"
She clung to his hand, shouting in alarm, and Si-woo involuntarily flinched. Her intensity, shouting as if she could never give him up, momentarily overwhelmed him.
He hadn't been scared, but he felt pathetic for being overwhelmed by something so trivial. He'd endured ten years mentally, yet here he was faltering over something not even combat-related. But that thought was fleeting.
Hildear's grip pushed him back, and the soft sensation of her breasts beneath the handmaiden's uniform was highly effective at dispelling stray thoughts.
"Hildear."
"Yes, yes! ...Ah. Sorry, I'll let go right—"
"You feel it?"
She flinched.
"......."
The two stood pressed together, hands clasped. Of course, Hildear couldn't miss Si-woo's erection. The bulge in his pants protruded and pressed against her lower abdomen even through the handmaiden's uniform.
With four layers of fabric between them, it was only faintly felt, but Hildear, who had sucked on it just hours ago, could picture it vividly in her mind. It was such an enormous specimen that she could believe it was a dildo rather than a real cock. Anyone who made a dildo this size would be called a perverted freak with excessive fantasies.
"...Hng."
The silver-haired handmaiden let out a short moan. Even trying to think of something else barely calmed her down—indulging in lewd thoughts certainly wouldn't help. The female knight's body, having tasted it once, couldn't forget.
Saliva pooled in her mouth, her groin tingled. Unconsciously, she tightened her grip, not pulling away from Si-woo but rather pressing closer. Si-woo's hand sank into Hildear's breast, and his cock pressed harder against her lower abdomen.
"You're far more lewd than I imagined, Hildear?"
"Ah, ah... No, th-that's..."
"You need to be punished."
He didn't wait for a response. He pulled Hildear's hand and led her toward the bed. Though it was large enough for two, he only sat on the edge like a chair, deliberately not climbing onto the bed to emphasize the punishment.
"Kneel."
"...Yes...♡"
Realizing what was about to happen—what she must do—Hildear's face flushed with heat. She had been secretly hoping for this.
Ever since Si-woo asked her to be his companion, Hildear had thought more about tasting his semen and cock again than about avoiding punishment. Not immediately, but eventually. After all, that's what the relationship between a Hero and party members was.
Si-woo probably didn't know that when he took her in as a companion. He'd just been summoned—where would he find the time to learn the details about Heroes and parties?
Most Hero candidates made blank promises to many women when they didn't know any better. But once they learned the truth, they coldly rejected them and carefully formed parties with only a very select few. Even for men from other dimensions, semen was limited and sexual desire wasn't infinite. When busy on the front lines, they had to ejaculate more than ten times a day—more party members meant more ejaculations needed.
But Hildear was certain. He wouldn't abandon her over something so trivial.
'Candidate Si-woo—no, Hero—will definitely create the strongest party.'
Si-woo was the perfect being in every way for this world's desires.
"I'm too lazy, so could you undress me?"
"Yes. And... you can speak... hah... in short, imperative sentences. Since it's... punishment."
Si-woo chuckled at her rambling and spoke again.
"Undress me."
It was a command.
"Ah, yes...♡"
Whether she had always been that way or not, Hildear looked thoroughly excited by his command. She reached both hands to his pants and carefully unbuttoned them, then pulled at the waistband.
Si-woo lifted his hips slightly to help her undress him. Whether by mistake or intent, Hildear pulled down both his pants and underwear at once, causing the trapped beast to spring free.
"Ah...♥"
Hildear's body trembled. It was truly magnificent and impressive, even on second viewing.
Length, girth, scent, shape, temperature—nothing was lacking. Though not a researcher, she was certain that if measured at the academy, every aspect would rank S-grade or higher. Which meant his basic qualities were guaranteed up to S-grade.
Depending on his efforts, he might even surpass that, perhaps beyond SS-grade, achieving a unique realm on the continent.
And she was that Hero's party member. His companion.
"Hah... hah, heung...."
Hildear moaned at the ecstatic sensation from just imagining.
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