A Big Catch (4)
Sweltering heat, roaring cheers, fighting spirit radiating from warriors poised for blood, and bourgeois spectators steeped in debauchery, gorging themselves on meat and wine. At this point, it was impossible to tell whether this place was a banquet hall or a colosseum.
"Things sure got out of hand in a hurry."
I watched the spectacle unfold, chuckling under my breath.
To be fair, calling all of this my fault felt like a bit of a stretch. The nobles, starved for entertainment like a horde of ravenous ghouls, had whipped themselves into a frenzy, hashed out their own rules, and gleefully kicked off a tournament of their own accord—without so much as asking for my opinion. Could this whole sequence of events be some bizarre form of political maneuvering...? Looking at the absurd state of things, though, that hardly seemed likely. They were probably just bored out of their minds. At any rate, the right to duel Rebecca had become the exclusive prize reserved for the tournament champion.
"Haaah..."
A heavy sigh drifted from beside me. It was Rebecca, who had been swept into the chaos without the faintest clue what was going on.
"What's with the deep sigh?"
"Are you truly asking because you do not know...?"
She cast a sidelong pout my way, looking mildly sulky. I stared at her for a second, then swung my hand down and planted a sharp smack right across her backside.
Smack!
"Hgyaaahn...!?"
Though she desperately stifled her groan out of regard for the onlookers, a sweet, breathy whimper slipped past her lips all the same.
"If I don't know, I don't know. Speak up properly."
"Ngh, that is..."
Flushing scarlet, she fidgeted, stroking the curve of her derriere, which was thrown into stark relief beneath her thin, form-fitting dress.
"I... I had imagined us enjoying the banquet together, just the two of us..."
In the end, she couldn't help spilling her thoughts. That was simply the kind of woman Rebecca was. Being straightforward and speaking her mind whenever she had a complaint was both her charm and her greatest virtue.
"What? Were you looking forward to a date?"
"Yes... You asked that knowing full well, didn't you?"
"Nope. Had no clue."
When I flashed a sly grin and shrugged, her gaze narrowed slightly.
"Hmm. Then how about we set aside some time for a proper date later?"
"...Would that truly be acceptable?"
"Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well... I had assumed Sir Hangil had no desire to enter that kind of relationship with me..."
"...Ah."
She must have gotten the wrong impression from how I had acted in the past. To be fair, I really had pushed her away quite persistently back then. A wry smile tugged at my lips unbidden.
"It wasn't because I disliked you or anything. I just had some personal circumstances to sort out. There's no need for that anymore."
"...Is that thanks to Muriel?"
"Yeah. Thanks to Muriel."
"......"
A vivid flare of jealousy flickered across Rebecca's face.
"Even though you have Muriel, is it truly permissible for you to go on dates with me as well?"
Her jealousy was so blatantly undisguised that I couldn't help but laugh, landing another firm swat on her bottom.
"Hyaaahk!? P-Please stop hitting my backside...!"
"I can't help it. It's so warm and supple that it's practically addictive. Besides, your reactions are hilarious."
"Ngh...! M-My body is not a toy...!"
Despite her protest, her breathing grew noticeably ragged, as if the contact had only excited her further. She really was hopeless. How on earth had she turned into such a degenerate?
"Watching you pretend to hate it is half the fun. If you genuinely despised it, I wouldn't be doing it in the first place."
"Nnngh...!"
Struck dead center, she shuddered, her face a tangled mess of acute mortification and unmistakable bliss.
"Anyway, you asked if it's fine to date you when I already have Muriel, right? Of course it is. The more women, the merrier."
"......"
Her mouth fell open in disbelief.
"Good grief... Wh-What you just said was absolute trash."
"I am trash, though. And aren't you getting a little brazen, saying that right to my face?"
Smack, smack!
"Ahhn! Hyaaah...!"
"...Looks like you've gotten even more sensitive. Did my trashy words strike a chord in your heart? Or does this remind you of the Aljen from your hallucinations?"
"Th-That is not it at all...!"
"Sure it isn't."
Grinning, I hooked an arm around her slender waist and hauled her flush against me.
"Ah...!"
Because of her breathtaking proportions—a small head, a compact torso, and remarkably long limbs—I occasionally forgot, but she was actually half a head shorter than me. Whenever I pulled her into an embrace, she felt surprisingly petite and fragile, catching me off guard every single time. Tucked neatly against my chest, she looked thoroughly flustered, her flushed face glancing up to search my expression. Fierce, bold, and unyielding toward everyone else, yet reduced to this state only before me—it was undeniably intoxicating.
"Cute."
"Ah, c-cute, you say..."
Her already heated skin practically erupted with warmth. At the same time, her sweet, intoxicating feminine scent invaded my senses.
"......"
Without thinking, I dug my fingers firmly into the plush curve of her behind and buried my face into the crook of her neck.
"Ahn! Nnngh...!"
With that sultry gasp, each subtle sway of her wide hips sent her luscious backside rolling against my hand, while the soft, yielding, yet springy mounds of her bosom flattened firmly against my chest. Ah, this is getting dangerously hard to resist.
"Phew...!"
The second I caught myself slipping, my senses snapped back, and I pulled my head up.
"Haa, haa...!"
Her switch already fully flipped, Rebecca clung tightly to my body, panting with moist, dilated eyes. But the air around her had shifted so drastically that my body froze for an instant. A quiet, boiling hunger burned in her gaze—like a predator sizing up trapped prey.
"...Lord Aljen. I heard that you shared a passionate kiss with Muriel here in the banquet hall. Is that true?"
"Well, yes, but...?"
"Then I shall have one as well."
"Wait, what? Mmph—"
Before I could react, she lunged forward, pressing her lips ravenously over mine.
"Mmph! Nnngh! Haaah! Slurp...!"
Smothering my lips entirely, she ground her mouth against mine as if trying to devour me whole, boldly thrusting her tongue inside to plunder my mouth. Or rather, that was what she intended to do. In practice, her movements were awkward, clumsy, and utterly unpracticed—just like a novice packed with theoretical knowledge and boundless enthusiasm who ran into immediate trouble the moment reality struck.
"...Mmph!"
"Ngh!? Mm-chuu!?"
Finding it both endearing and impossible to endure such adorable fumbling, I seized the initiative and pushed back assertively, causing her eyes to go wide in shock.
Her body went rigid with panic. Taking full advantage, I explored the interior of her mouth to my heart's content while kneading the plush flesh of her behind.
"Mmnk? Haa, mmph, sluuurp...!"
Melting away under the onslaught of sheer sensation, she tilted her head back and surrendered herself entirely to my touch.
"Mmph, haah..."
How long did that deep, shameless kiss drag on? When our lips finally parted, our gazes locked.
"Haa, haa... L-Lord Aljen... Does this mean we have reached an understanding...?"
"...Huh?"
"Let us return to your chambers this instant. We can finish the rest in bed...!"
"What? Wait a second. Calm down."
Startled by her sudden leap into overdrive, I tried to soothe her, but with her reason thoroughly short-circuited, she tried to drag me along by sheer brute force.
"Waaaahhh!!"
"The champion has been decided!"
Right on cue, a thunderous roar erupted from the gathered nobles, reverberating through the hall.
Glancing over hurriedly, I saw a knight who had just won his duel throwing both arms high into the air, bellowing in triumph.
"Rebecca. Looks like it's your turn. If we just walk away now, my reputation is going to take a massive hit..."
"...Tsk!"
Frankly, I couldn't care less about my reputation, but fortunately, Rebecca seemed to take it seriously. She clicked her tongue with a fierce, menacing scowl.
Man, she's terrifying. If the timing had been off by even a second, she might have actually hauled me off and ridden me into the mattress like a feral beast.
"...Lord Aljen."
Her eyes bore into me, radiating explosive heat and energy like an erupting volcano.
"I shall conclude this swiftly and return."
"Hold on, I still haven't agreed to do that kind of thing with you...?"
"What did you say?"
A low, tiger-like growl rumbled from her throat, sending a shiver straight down my spine. How a human vocal cord could produce such bone-rattling infrasound was beyond me.
"Uh... ahem. Let's, uh, talk after you win, alright?"
"......"
A cold sweat dripped down my neck under her silent glare. To be honest, if she chose to hoist me onto her shoulder and march straight toward a bed, there was nothing I could do to stop her. It would be nice if Muriel stepped in to hold her back... but knowing that woman, she'd probably just suggest making it a threesome.
...No, surely she wouldn't actually do that... The terrifying part was that I couldn't even rule it out. Why did it feel like every single woman around me was so ridiculously aggressive? Was it just my imagination?
"...Haaah. Very well. I shall secure victory first."
"R-Right... Just don't go too overboard."
"......"
Clack, clack.
A lethal, bloodthirsty combat aura poured from her back as she strode away. Stepping into the makeshift sparring ring, she drew the twin swords resting at her waist without a moment's hesitation.
"Ahem! And now! We shall commence the duel that marks the absolute pinnacle and grand finale of this event! The challenger is our tournament victor, Javis Balan! And the reigning champion is... er... excuse me, could you introduce yourself...?"
"...I am Rebecca, personal attendant to Lord Stanasila Aljen."
"Yes! She introduces herself as the attendant of Sir Stanasila Aljen! The newly risen Sword Master, Muriel, was likewise a commoner attendant under Sir Aljen's service! If Rebecca can display a similar grandeur... then we may take the rumors surrounding Sir Aljen as absolute truth!"
The nameless referee, having backed out of the dueling ring, raised both hands high into the air.
"Should Javis Balan emerge victorious, his master shall earn the right to receive an answer to any question posed to Sir Stanasila Aljen! Conversely, should Rebecca triumph, a sum of one million gold shall be paid to Sir Aljen! Now then!"
His raised hands slashed downward through the air.
"Let the duel... begin!"
"Haaap!"
The knight named Javis Balan neither underestimated Rebecca nor let his guard down. The instant the signal fell, he lunged forward, swinging his massive greatsword with devastating force. Judging by the density of the aura enveloping his weapon, he was clearly a high-tier Knight.
Clang-clang!
"Whoa!?"
"What...!? Did she parry that?"
"How in the world?! She didn't even use aura just now!"
Listening to the stunned murmurs rippling through the nobles, I took a leisurely sip of my wine.
"Hraaaah! Haaap!"
Clang! Cl-clang!
Javis Balan swung his blade repeatedly with momentum fierce enough to cleave mountains, yet every time his greatsword collided with Rebecca's twin blades, the attack was smoothly deflected with a crisp, ringing chime.
"...Impressive."
"Kh, are you mocking me?! A mere commoner!"
"However, you have allowed your own momentum to sweep you away, throwing your stance off balance and exposing openings."
Slash!
"Kh... Gak!?"
With a casual flick of Rebecca's twin blades, his light armor was sliced clean through, hanging in tattered shreds.
"...Y-You wench...! Without even releasing aura...! Fight me properly! Are you looking down on me?!"
"Very well. I was hoping for a swift conclusion myself."
Her expression turning frosty, Rebecca raised her twin swords and unleashed her energy.
"Ooh! Finally, she's getting seri—wait, what?"
"Is that... huh? That's...?"
"Isn't that an Aura Blade...? That can't be..."
Naturally, the energy Rebecca released was no ordinary aura—it was an Aura Blade. The undeniable hallmark of a Sword Master.
"Here I come."
"Wh—I, I yield! I surrender!"
With Javis Balan turning pale as a corpse and throwing in the towel, the duel came to an anticlimactic end. Yet a rush of pure dopamine sent pleasant chills rippling down my spine. The stunned, jaw-dropped expressions of the nobles were so intoxicating that I didn't even need any snacks to enjoy my drink.
"I have won, Lord Aljen."
"Heh heh. Yeah, great job. Now, let's make a run for it."
"...Pardon?"
Grabbing her hand firmly, I slipped away from the banquet hall before the dazed nobles could snap out of their stupor.
"...Hm?"
As we made our exit, my eyes crossed with those of Stanasila Berick, who was glaring in our direction with murderous intent. His eyes were dark and freezing cold, a chaotic vortex churning with jealousy, rage, and a host of other ugly emotions.
"Hmm..."
I hadn't intended to, but it seemed I had inadvertently stoked his inferiority complex and sense of crisis.
"......"
"......"
He kept his venomous glare pinned to my back until I completely cleared the hall. It was sharp enough to make my shoulder blades prickle.
Ah, and for the record, I did manage to rein in Rebecca's libido afterward. Though there were plenty of dicey moments along the way. If Muriel hadn't stepped in to pull her off me, I might have genuinely been drained bone-dry... In some ways, Rebecca might be an even more dangerous individual than Muriel.
The news of a second Sword Master's emergence, once again, brought the Duchess and a throng of retainers knocking on my door.