You May Touch Me as Much as You Like
A heavy sensation enveloped my entire body.
Feeling a level of fatigue that made it difficult to even wiggle a finger, I forced my eyes open.
Through my blurry vision, a vaguely familiar sight began to take shape.
It was the bronze wall inscribed with ancient words—the very wall I had been examining right before the sudden battle broke out.
But at this moment, looking at it, I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of dissonance, unlike before.
Until just a moment ago, I had been barely examining the bronze wall by the light of a single, flickering torch.
Yet now, the wall before my eyes was as bright as if it were illuminated by the clear sky of broad daylight.
I wondered at this fact.
And,
I wondered how I was still alive,
And what had become of that woman, Annas.
To get up, I tried to move my heavy arms and press my hands against the ground.
But then...
Squish.
"...Huh?"
The next moment, my palm suddenly sank into something incredibly soft.
Baffled by this strange sensation, I turned my head to see what on earth was going on.
And then, the situation finally registered in my mind.
There was a woman with black horns, golden eyes, and an almost impossibly beautiful face. Her blonde hair cascaded down as she cradled my head in her lap.
And at the same time,
I was firmly grasping her incredibly voluptuous breast with my hand.
"Oh my..."
Instead of getting angry at my actions, she blushed slightly, looking rather embarrassed.
Overwhelmed by intense embarrassment, I stared at her face with a dazed expression.
With her blonde hair and golden eyes that shone like jewels, she possessed a beauty that surpassed any woman I had ever seen. Her appearance instantly shattered the foolish notion I had held until just a few weeks ago—that my former fiancée was the most beautiful woman in the world.
As if possessed, I kept kneading her incredibly soft breast with a blank look on my face,
Unable to take my eyes off her.
She's so beautiful... She doesn't even seem human. And this scent, this touch... it feels like a goddess...?!
At that moment,
I finally realized what I was doing.
I quickly pulled my hand away from her breast and apologized in a panic.
"Ah... I... Um... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make such a mistake with someone I've just met..."
The realization that I had unintentionally groped the woman who had clearly saved me from Annas filled me with deep embarrassment and guilt.
However, in response to my apology,
The beautiful woman smiled warmly, her cheeks flushing slightly as she spoke.
"Please do not say such things, great Adjuster. My body and soul have belonged solely to you from the very beginning. You may touch me as much as you like."
"...Excuse me?"
"Ah, perhaps that alone does not satisfy you? If so, there is a bedchamber just over there. Would you care to spend the night with me? I... though I am lacking, I am always ready to offer my first time to you, my Lord."
Her reaction was a far cry from what one would expect after an apology.
She behaved more like a court lady serving her king.
Struck by a fresh wave of shock, I stared at her blankly once more.
But after barely managing to pull myself together, I decided to try and make sense of this incomprehensible situation.
"Um... excuse me, but could you explain what is going on? It seems you saved my life, and I want to thank you for that. But I don't know anything about you. And... I don't know what this 'Adjuster' business is about either."
To be honest, having a woman of this caliber offer her first time was a massive temptation.
Even so, I didn't want to complicate things unnecessarily, so I asked her as honestly as possible.
In response, she maintained her elegant smile and said,
"Understood. Then allow me to formally introduce myself, great Adjuster."
She slowly stood up and bowed gracefully before me.
"My name is Apollona. I am a servant who has been granted existence in this world thanks to your merciful touch, my Lord."
The woman named Apollona introduced herself in a calm, loyal voice.
Her deferential attitude, like a subject addressing their sovereign, felt quite burdensome. But regardless of my discomfort, she continued to speak—
Or rather, she began to answer my questions.
"To answer your previous question: the Adjuster is our savior, the one who broke the seal that kept us asleep in chaos for eons, allowing us to be born into this world. You are the great being who will adjust the absurdities of this world. In other words, it refers to you, Lord Seton, who stands before me."
"The seal?"
Apollona's grand explanation only seemed to make things more confusing.
However, her words suddenly sparked a connection to my purpose for coming here. I cautiously checked my side—
The spot where Annas's dagger had pierced me.
She must have cast healing magic on me while I was asleep, as only a faint scar remained.
Recalling how I couldn't stop the bleeding during the battle and how much blood I had lost due to the poison, I shifted my gaze to the floor in front of the bronze wall where my blood would have spilled.
! No way... is that it? The thing that broke the seal? Come to think of it, that shape...
Indeed, the bloodstains from earlier were still on the floor.
But at this moment, they looked entirely different from normal bloodstains.
It wasn't just a simple puddle; it looked like a magic circle.
Specifically, the dried blood formed a bizarre magic circle that closely resembled the faint pattern drawn on the map.
Though I didn't understand the exact mechanics, I realized that my spilled blood had triggered something,
And as a result, this being named Apollona had broken her 'seal' and appeared before me.
Just as the situation was starting to make a vague sort of sense,
The word that had guided me all the way here naturally popped into my head.
The seal was broken... Then, could it be? Is this woman the Dummy Data?
It was hard to fully comprehend, but her talk of being awakened made it possible to piece things together.
Moreover, she possessed an almost unnaturally beautiful appearance and emitted an incredibly dense, unusual magic power.
Looking at her, sensing a mystery and strength that felt entirely otherworldly,
I naturally deduced that she must be the power my ancestor had spoken of... the Dummy Data.
Once I had a basic grasp of the situation,
I shifted my focus to the most pressing matter at hand.
"I think... I understand the gist of it. Well then, Miss Apollona..."
"Please, just call me Apollona. You are the one to whom I pledge absolute loyalty, my Lord. There is no need for honorifics."
She spoke with a bright smile.
For a moment, looking at her breathtaking beauty—a sight that could sway anyone's heart—my chest tightened again. I decided to accept her request.
"Alright... I mean, understood, Apollona."
"Yes, my Lord."
Apollona's face lit up with joy when I dropped the formal speech.
Seeing how her every expression and gesture could make a man's heart flutter, I felt my face heating up. But I pushed those feelings aside and asked the crucial question I needed to confirm.
"What happened to her? The assassin who tried to kill me. What happened to Annas?"
"By assassin... do you mean the trash who dared to lay a hand on your noble body, despite being a lowly human?"
The gentle smile vanished from Apollona's face in an instant, replaced by a sharp, chilling anger.
Sensing a strange danger in her attitude—as if she had simply crushed a disgusting bug—I pressed on with my questions.
"Yes, her. What happened to her? Did she escape?"
"No. I could not be so careless with a sinner who harmed you, nor with a pest who might pose a threat in the future."
"Then... did you kill her?"
Since I needed to question Annas, I asked with a hint of concern.
Apollona slowly shook her head.
"I did not kill her. However, I have neutralized and confined her for the time being. Would you like to see?"
"Yes. I have some things to ask her. Can you lead the way?"
"Of course. Follow me."
Guided by Apollona, I began to walk deeper into the cave.
Unlike when I first entered, the interior of the cave was now brightly lit.
Thanks to the light emitting from the blue crystals scattered everywhere, I could see the surroundings in detail, whereas before I could only see the bronze wall.
I didn't realize it earlier, but this place is surprisingly spacious...
The cave resembled an ancient temple.
There were no lavish decorations or sculptures, but it felt clean and refined despite the passage of eons.
It was clear that this place was not natural, but man-made.
Lost in these thoughts, we arrived at our destination.
Stopping in front of a small door that looked like the entrance to a storehouse, Apollona spoke in a calm voice.
"The sinner is inside. Shall I open it?"
I quietly nodded.
Apollona pushed the door open.
"!..."
Immediately after,
I couldn't help but frown at the sight before me.
So that's what she meant by 'neutralized'...