Heat Season (2)
The term heat season usually refers to the period when animals become sexually receptive. It’s a phenomenon triggered by hormonal changes that increase libido far beyond normal levels and prepare the body for pregnancy. In many species, females signal their readiness to males through physical cues—swollen genitals, powerful pheromones, and other unmistakable signs. Thanks to this instinct, animals successfully reproduce and keep their species alive.
In this world, it seemed that beastmen and a few other races experienced something similar. To me, it was an entirely natural process.
“It’s ugly and filthy!”
Apparently Freya didn’t share my opinion. Maybe it was because she already found beastmen repulsive. Or maybe she simply hated the idea. Either way, her explanation of heat season was quite different from what I had imagined.
“They’re pleasure-crazed demons. They kidnap men to relieve their heat and wring them dry until the very end…”
“Wring what dry?”
“Th-that… um… semen… D-do I really have to say it out loud? O-of course, if Young Master Sieg wants to hear such a word from my lips, I’ll gladly speak it for you.”
“No, I get what you mean.”
“I could have said it clearly and slowly if you wanted. It’s such a rare opportunity, isn’t it? How often does a saintess from a holy order utter such a vulgar word?”
Freya’s face was flushed bright red. She looked far more eager to say it than I was to hear it. I quickly cut her off.
“You really don’t have to. Wouldn’t that technically be sexual harassment if you said it to me?”
“Not at all. It’s merely the transmission of information.”
Even though she was practically begging me to let her say it, I shook my head. “Anyway, they engage in indiscriminate mating. They don’t care about the man’s condition at all… That’s why male beastmen often die during heat season. On top of that, they bite fiercely to leave territorial marks. Popular men end up covered in bite marks and bruises all over their bodies… I absolutely cannot allow Young Master Sieg to suffer such a fate. Never!”
If Freya’s description was accurate, then heat season was indeed extremely violent. It wasn’t an act for continuing the species—it was purely an act driven by lust.
“Those damned heretics would kidnap our Sieg and do all those horrible things? Just imagining Young Master Sieg being pinned down by beastwomen, drained dry, and covered in kiss marks… It makes me furious. This won’t do! Before we head to the Goshura Great Forest, I need to thoroughly clean house.”
After rambling on for a while, Freya suddenly bolted out of the room, radiating murderous intent as if she were about to launch a genocide against the beastmen.
“So please! Young Master Sieg must stay in the capital and behave yourself. I hope you won’t ignore my warning this time…!”
Even as she disappeared, she repeated her cautions several times.
Isn’t this the more dangerous option?
I stared blankly at the spot where Freya had been standing and came to that conclusion. I could fully understand how dangerous a beastwoman in heat could be. At the same time, the thought of an already dwindling race being massacred for that very reason worried me.
Unlike the Church that viewed them as heretics, I had Akasha by my side. I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. I’d feel too guilty toward her.
They’d be dead before they even received any healing magic at this rate.
I decided I needed to urgently inform Akasha about this. And while I was at it, I should ask her directly whether heat season was truly that dangerous. I didn’t think Freya’s information was wrong, but hearing it from someone who actually experienced it would be more reliable.
I headed toward Akasha’s room, where she was probably packing her things.
Finally, I get to spend relaxed time with God-nim!
I’ve waited so long for this moment! Just imagining the time I’ll spend with Sieg makes my tail wag like crazy.
Akasha had felt lonely lately. During their stay in the capital, Sieg had been incredibly busy. Even though the ongoing festival offered all sorts of sights and delicious food, being a beastgirl meant she couldn’t fully enjoy any of it. If her identity were discovered, she would be dragged away by the Church—and worse, it might cause trouble for Sieg. So she had spent most of her time cooped up in their lodgings.
She did go out occasionally, but only when Sieg was with her. And as mentioned, Sieg had been far too busy.
Thanks to that, I spent all day training…
She had acted as Emilia’s sparring partner day and night in Sieg’s stead. As a result, she had grown strong enough to hold her own against a Sword Master. Emilia had even said that someone of Akasha’s level could enter a martial tournament right now and aim for the championship.
It was certainly an impressive achievement. But to Akasha, it was all meaningless.
I’d rather play with God-nim.
Akasha had zero interest in getting stronger. Her desire to spend time with Sieg outweighed everything else.
“Ugh…”
Maybe it was because she kept thinking about Sieg, but withdrawal symptoms were beginning to hit. She needed to replenish him quickly.
“Sniff sniff…”
What Akasha was burying her nose in and inhaling was a piece of Sieg’s clothing she had secretly taken. His rich scent flooded into her body. Nothing calmed her down quite like this.
“Haa…”
Even after taking in plenty of Sieg’s scent, it still wasn’t enough. She wanted to play tag with him, have her fur stroked gently, and eat delicious things together. If she couldn’t have that…
I’m going to lose my mind from frustration.
Heat season came to beastmen once a year. During that time, it felt like they became a completely different person—completely uncontrollable. Until now, Akasha had somehow endured it alone. But after tasting Sieg, the thought of spending heat season by herself was unimaginable.
The filthy desires she had suppressed until now would surely overwhelm her the moment she was near Sieg. She might even pounce on him while he was sleeping. Or maybe she would cling to him all day and do all sorts of shameless things…
“Slurp…”
Drool dripped from the corner of Akasha’s mouth. She quickly wiped it away. She had a rough idea of what it would be like once the season arrived, so for now she decided to handle it as best she could. Maybe using the clothes of Sieg’s that she held in her hands right now would help her endure it. That was the vague thought running through her mind.
Knock knock—
At that exact moment—
“Akasha, got a minute?”
Sieg had come to visit.
“Y-yes! Of course!”
She hurriedly hid all traces of Sieg and answered.
“Sorry if I’m interrupting while you’re busy.”
Sieg glanced at Akasha’s luggage and spoke. She shook her head.
“Not at all. You’re always welcome.”
“That’s a relief. The thing is, I wanted to ask you about something.”
A consultation?!
Swish swish swish swish swish.
Akasha’s tail wagged furiously. She had seen Sieg consult with Soho and others before and had always felt envious. To think the opportunity would come to her too. Akasha puffed out her small chest with pride and declared,
“Ask me anything!”
Though she looked small and childlike on the outside, she was still an adult! Having lived longer than Sieg, she knew quite a lot. Akasha wore a pleased expression as she waited for his question.
“Is it okay to ask about this? I’m… curious about heat season.”
“H-heat season?!”
A completely unexpected question. Akasha felt her heart nearly stop. Had he somehow found out that she had been secretly stealing his clothes and doing all sorts of perverted things with them lately? Overwhelmed by guilt, she froze solid.
“What happens when you go into heat?”
“W-well…”
No matter how sexually open women were compared to men in this world, Akasha had no idea where to even begin. Speaking about such things in front of a man was incredibly embarrassing, and her words caught in her throat. On top of that, because Sieg had been so busy lately, she worried that he might have noticed her increasingly bold behavior and was about to confront her.
“Do you ever pounce on men or anything like that?”
“H-hic!”
Exactly what she had been imagining right before Sieg entered the room—herself in heat, pouncing on him. Had he seen through her? She was terrified. Terrified that Sieg might abandon her. Sieg was a man. He was bound to be more conservative about these things than women. Being sexually objectified could very well feel humiliating to him.
“N-no! It’s not like that for everyone in heat!”
Akasha desperately insisted. She would absolutely never do that!
“It varies by individual, but usually it’s not like that! It just makes your sex drive a little stronger…”
“Is that so? Then… extracting fluids—never mind, that was too much. Anyway, even during heat season, it’s safe, right?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!”
Perhaps her earnest explanation had worked. Sieg nodded as if convinced. Akasha breathed a sigh of relief.
“Then it’s safe even during heat season.”
“Of course! I-I’ll endure it no matter what!”
Even though her heat hadn’t arrived yet and she couldn’t be sure, she declared that she would endure it.
“Then it should be fine to go to the Goshura Great Forest. Freya tried to stop me, saying it was dangerous.”
“Huh?”
The puzzle pieces finally clicked into place. So all this time, he hadn’t been talking about her specifically?
“She said beastmen in heat are dangerous and that she’s going to launch a full-scale extermination. At this rate, the entire race could be in danger.”
So that was it. He had simply been asking about heat season in general for beastmen. She let out a sigh of relief. But that relief was short-lived. The memory of her own people being massacred because of the Church surfaced. Hadn’t her mother also died in the aftermath of that war? A spark of anger flared inside her.
“We can get separate permission, so don’t worry. Let’s head to the Goshura Great Forest together.”
“Yes!”
Seeing Akasha’s expression, Sieg slowly reached out and stroked her head. The moment his warm hand touched her, all her anxiety melted away like snow. It was probably thanks to her absolute faith that Sieg would take care of everything.
“I’ll head out now. I need to get permission. I think if I talk to Nero, he’ll help.”
With those words, Sieg left the room.
Akasha collapsed where she stood. The rush of emotions drained all the strength from her body. She closed her eyes and savored the lingering sensation of Sieg’s hand on her head. Then she let her imagination run wild—imagining that hand not stopping at her head but moving to other places.
“I-I shouldn’t… ♥︎!”
She couldn’t stop. Her mind filled with one shameless fantasy after another. Akasha surrendered to those thoughts and began touching herself.
“Haa… ah…”
She was starting to get worried. If her desire was already rising this much, what would happen when her actual heat arrived? Could she really endure it? She didn’t know.
But there was one thing she was certain of.
“Sniff sniff…”
The masculine scent she caught from Sieg was incredibly potent. And she had no idea what kind of things she might do once her heat fully hit.
“This… this is bad…”
She was trying her best to hold back, but the desire was unstoppable. She had already raised the white flag to that craving. Just thinking about Sieg made her body tremble like this. If she actually spent her heat season together with him, how wonderful would that feel?
As she drowned in pleasure for a long while, her feelings gradually shifted into anticipation. She began to wonder just how good it would feel if her heat arrived and she pounced on Sieg.