A Beating is the Only Cure for a Madman
Three days had passed since we left the Elf's Forest. We were walking along a long, narrow path toward our next destination, the city of Belheim. Though a fierce wind swept across the vast plains that opened up where the forest ended, not a single speck of dust reached us, thanks to the barrier magic Isilia had cast.
"Aren, walk a bit slower. Your body probably hasn't fully recovered yet."
"You can lean on me at times like this, you know!"
Isilia spoke with sweet affection, wrapping her arms tightly around mine. The sensation of her soft breasts pressing against my arm sent a slight jolt through my senses, momentarily distracting me.
"Thanks for worrying, but actually, it's the opposite. I've been feeling so good since last night that it's almost a problem. I don't even know what to do with all this overflowing energy," I replied with a playful grin.
At my words, Isilia's pointed ears flushed a light pink and twitched. Blushing as if recalling something embarrassing, she lowered her head slightly, only to squeeze my arm even tighter a moment later.
"Isilia, isn't the weather absolutely beautiful today?"
"I like you much more than the weather."
"Where is this sudden sweetness coming from? You're making me blush..."
Completely shattering the aloof, dignified image of a High Elf, she showered me with endless, adorable affection.
That night, we set up camp at the foot of a small hill. As the campfire crackled and blazed, Isilia lay with her head in my lap, gazing up at the stars. The soft moonlight bathed her porcelain skin, making her look even more breathtakingly beautiful.
"Brr... it's so cold."
"If you're so cold, why are you wriggling deeper into my arms?"
"Hehe."
She giggled and wrapped her arms around me. Soon, our lips met. The kiss began soft and lingering, but quickly grew passionate and heated. Isilia draped her arms around my neck, tangling her tongue deeply with mine. Her hands began to wander, tracing down my body.
"Haa... Can we... do it here?"
Isilia's voice was already thick with arousal. Instead of answering, I scooped her up in my arms and laid her down on the soft grass beside the campfire. As her thin dress slid off, her naked body shimmered under the moonlight. Slowly, taking my sweet time, I worshiped every inch of her. My lips traced a path from the nape of her neck down to her breasts, her stomach, and the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. Isilia trembled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Ah...! There... right there... it's too sensitive..."
I slipped my fingers inside her.
Squelch—
"Ahnn..."
Squelch, squelch— With every movement of my hand, breathless whimpers escaped her lips.
"Touch... touch my breasts too..."
I cupped one of her breasts in my hand, squeezing it gently, while my other hand continued its rhythmic sliding in and out.
Squelch, wet, squelch—
"Haaah... p-please... put it in now..."
"G-Gently, okay? Promise me..."
"I know."
Before she could even finish her sentence, I thrust myself all the way inside her in one smooth motion.
"Mmmgh... ah! Haah!"
Isilia's body arched, her eyes welling with tears of intense pleasure.
"Haa... ah... I told you... to go slow..."
"I couldn't help it. Your reactions are just too cute."
The wet, heavy sounds of our bodies colliding echoed through the quiet night.
"Ahhn... haa... it feels so good... so good..."
"Ngh..."
As I gripped both of Isilia's breasts, her walls clamped down incredibly tight around me.
"Wait... wait a second."
Thrust, thrust—
"Wait, I... I'm going to cum... haah... ah... w-wait!"
Spurt! A heavy gush of fluid sprayed from between Isilia's legs. Her hips buckled and twitched as she went into spasms of ecstasy.
"Haa... haa... w-wait... my body is... oh..."
"Sorry, Isilia. I'm about to go too."
"What...? Aren, wait... j-just a second..."
Thrust—
"Ahhh!"
"I'm coming."
"Wait, I'm... I'm going again... I'm cumming again!"
Under the open sky, we continued our passionate, emotional lovemaking for a long time. Isilia's sweet moans echoed softly into the night.
The next day, and the day after that, the same pattern repeated. By day, we traveled and talked; by night, we camped and explored each other's bodies. With every passing night, Isilia grew more active and even more affectionate during our intimate moments.
It was the evening of our seventh day of travel when we finally arrived in Belheim. Even from the city gates, the atmosphere felt heavy and unsettling.
"Something's not right here..."
Shuffling through the crowds was a long line of beastmen, elves, and humans, all wearing heavy iron collars around their necks. Wolf beastmen, cat beastmen, elves... their eyes were hollow, filled with nothing but terror and resignation. The citizens of the city treated them like mere objects, handling them without a shred of hesitation.
Isilia's face turned deathly pale.
"What is this...? Slavery was supposed to have been abolished across the entire continent forty-seven years ago... How can this be happening..."
Her voice trembled. As a noble elf, the concept of slavery was a deeply sensitive subject. Seeing members of her own kind chained up like beasts seemed to strike a painful chord within her, and I could feel her distress washing over me.
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and spoke in a low, reassuring voice.
"Calm down. Let's figure out what's going on first."
It was then.
"Oho! Now that is an exceptionally fine piece of merchandise you've got there."
A fat, middle-aged man reeking of wealth waddled toward us. His belly bulged so much it looked ready to burst through his thick, expensive clothes, and three gold rings glinted on his chubby fingers. His lips glistened with grease, and his eyes shone with pure greed.
He stared at Isilia, greedily eyeing her from head to toe as he swallowed his saliva.
"An elven slave... and a High Elf at that, by the looks of it? Her skin, her ears, and that chest size... absolutely incredible. She's top-tier merchandise. How much do you want for her? Eight hundred gold? No, I'll give you twelve hundred gold! Right now, in cold, hard cash!"
The man patted his bulging pockets, boasting of his wealth. Behind him stood two burly bodyguard knights.
My eyes grew cold.
"Sorry to disappoint, but this woman isn't a slave. She's my wife."
"Ha? Your wife? Pfft, a mere mercenary keeping an elf as a wife? Don't make me laugh."
"A beauty like this only truly shines under a proper master. If she were with me, I'd make sure she spent every single night..."
The man sneered filthily, pointing a finger at Isilia's body. Isilia's face flushed red with humiliation and rage. Just as she was about to snap back, I stepped in front of her, blocking her from his view.
"What's your name?"
"Bwahaha! I am the merchant leader, Volak. I handle the largest share of the slave trade in this city."
"If you ever change your mind about selling that elven slave, you know where to find me."
Volak chuckled greasy-faced and turned to leave.
I looked down at Isilia and spoke softly.
"Isilia, could you wait for me at the inn for a bit? I have some business to take care of."
Isilia looked at me with anxious eyes, but seeing the firm determination in my gaze, she slowly nodded.
"Be careful."
I gave her a light kiss on the forehead and turned back toward the direction Volak had gone.
"Hey, you. I'd like to hear more about your offer. Let's talk somewhere quiet."
A greedy grin spread across Volak's face.
"A wise choice indeed! Follow me. We'll head to my manor."
Volak began to lead the way. I followed closely behind, playing along as if I were actually interested in making a deal. Once we had put enough distance from the main street, I muttered under my breath.
"...Isilia, I'm sorry. Just wait a little bit."
The moment Volak and his bodyguards turned into a secluded alleyway, I vanished into the shadows. Thanks to my increased affinity with natural magic, erasing my presence had become incredibly easy.
"Alright, we're almost there. Let's talk business."
"How much do you want for her?"
Slash—
My dagger buried itself precisely into the neck of the bodyguard standing to Volak's right. Blood sprayed out like a fountain.
"W-What?!"
Before the bodyguard on the left could even react, I drew my sword and drove it straight through his heart.
"Gah...!"
By the time a panicked Volak spun around, I was already standing right behind him.
"Y-You... Who the hell are you?!"
Volak tried to scream, but I clamped my hand over his mouth in an instant.
"Shut up if you don't want to die this very second."
My voice was cold and heavy. I whispered quietly into Volak's ear.
"Selling elves as slaves? Did you really enjoy dragging beastmen around by their collars that much?"
"T-That's..."
Volak trembled violently, wetting his pants in sheer terror. A dark stain spread rapidly across his trousers.
"P-Please... spare me... I'll give you all my money! Three thousand gold... no, five thousand gold...!"
"I don't need it."
Squelch—
I drove my sword deep into his throat. Volak's eyes bulged as his body went into violent convulsions. I reached into his coat and retrieved the Slave Market Entry Pass that had slipped out.
Fireball
A blazing sphere of fire erupted from my hand, completely engulfing Volak's corpse. The nauseating stench of burning fat and sweat filled the narrow alley.
A slave market... To think such a place is still operating.
Turning on my heel, I made my way back to where Isilia was waiting.
Isilia was pacing back and forth, her face filled with anxiety.
"Aren! Did something happen?"
"No, nothing much."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I'll believe you then."
Isilia smiled softly and wrapped her arms around me.
"But still... slavery..."
She trailed off, seemingly lost in her thoughts once more.
"Yeah. I'll have to look into it."
"Don't push yourself too hard."
"I'll have to be careful. After all, I'm just a Lowest Class Mercenary..."
"Ah... t-that's not what I meant!"
I let out a soft chuckle.
"Pfft... I know. Still, it feels like my skills have improved a lot since our last night together... Or is it just my imagination?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but getting stronger is a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, let's look at the bright side."
I gazed out the window at the dark, winding alleys of the city. It wouldn't be long before word spread that one of the slave market's biggest players had vanished.
The people running the slave market will definitely sense that something is wrong and make their move.
It seemed I was bound to get caught up in a lot of trouble for the foreseeable future.