The Price of Vitality
"Haa, haa..." Winnie, having barely managed to slip out from under Edward, gasped for air. That body, which had felt so sturdy and reliable, was now nothing more than a dead weight pressing down on her, devoid of any strength. With a strenuous effort, she rolled over, and Edward’s unconscious form flopped onto the bed. Winnie pressed her fingers beneath his nose to confirm he was still breathing, then began to peel off his clothes. She was already completely bare, but Edward was still dressed, his garments soaked through with the sweat from their exertion. I’m only taking them off so he doesn’t catch a cold, she told herself, steeling her resolve.
Once she had stripped him bare, she saw the rugged, muscular body she had felt against her back earlier, and his member, still standing at full attention. Looking closely, she could tell it was definitely larger than usual. The concoction I fed him worked quite well... Still, the fact that he collapsed like this must be due to exhaustion after his awakening. If I subtract this and add a bit more of that... Winnie’s mind raced, calculating the precise mixture of herbs. As she ran the calculations in her head, she wiped the sweat from Edward’s body with a clean towel. It was impossible to turn him over, so she couldn’t clean his back completely, but the firm pectorals, the rock-hard abs, and the arms—thick as two of her own and bulging with veins—distracted her. Every time the solid sensation of his skin pressed against the towel, it disrupted her focus. Before she knew it, her hands and her mind had stopped, and Winnie simply sat there, admiring Edward’s body with her eyes and her touch.
"Haa..." Was I really into women? Winnie felt a sense of confusion regarding her own sexual identity. Perhaps she had simply mistaken her friendship with Monica for love, she mused. If only I’d known sooner... What a useless thought. Winnie shook her head to clear it and began wiping him down again. She hadn’t used any herbs with severe side effects, but if they interacted poorly with a cold, it could be dangerous. Yet, she couldn’t stop her attention from drifting to that rod standing stiffly upright. The way it swayed in time with his body as she wiped him seemed to be hypnotizing her. Eventually, as she finished cleaning his torso and moved down to his legs, Winnie found herself gripping his member with both hands. She could feel the pulse of veins far hotter than her own hands. Usually, she could wrap her hands around it like a handle, but even with both hands, there was still space left on the shaft. As she rhythmically moved her hands up and down, the tip of his member, twitching as if it were alive, jerked in response. Like a trained dog, Winnie took the glans into her mouth.
"Ugh..." Gulp, gulp. Winnie held the semen in her mouth, letting it fill her cheeks just as she had before. It was definitely thicker and hotter today. Like eating warm pudding, it didn’t slide down her throat easily. Maybe these things know that their destination isn't a womb, but a stomach, she thought idly, swallowing the semen down.
"It’s a waste not to use something so good for stamina..." Muttering words Edward couldn't hear, Winnie climbed on top of him.
"Are you awake?"
My head felt clear, likely from a deep, restful sleep. I was alone in the tent, and through the open flap, I could see Winnie watching me. She seemed to have gathered fresh firewood and was boiling water over the campfire, sipping tea.
"Were you that tired? How could you just collapse and fall asleep the moment we finished?"
"...We finished and you fell asleep immediately?"
"Do you have any idea how hard it was when you suddenly collapsed on top of me? You’re unnecessarily heavy, you know."
I slowly retraced my memories. Yesterday, I had felt incredibly full of energy. We did it once with Winnie’s mouth, and then inside... once? Twice? I had no memory after that. I remembered feeling like I had boundless stamina. It was clear we must have gone at it like madmen if I didn't even have morning wood. I hadn't even been drinking, so why couldn't I remember? I didn't have a headache or anything like a hangover.
"What did you feed me?"
"Everything was good for you. Stimulants, stamina boosters, fatigue recovery tonics..."
I cut her off; there were too many. Had I really eaten that much? It seemed I had accepted whatever Winnie gave me without a shred of suspicion.
"Then why did I collapse?"
"That’s... well, I didn’t know your constitution very well. Now that I’ve tested it on you yesterday, it won’t happen again today."
It wasn't an unconvincing explanation. Even if I wasn't convinced, there was no way for a layman like me to know otherwise... Instead, I felt the need to make her pay a price so she’d be more careful next time.
"In return, I’m not doing it with you today."
"I never asked you to, anyway!"
We packed our things and set off again. I hoped we would be sleeping under a proper roof tonight.
The dinner table at the Rystein estate was incredibly quiet. Perhaps it was because one knight, who took up half the space despite there being only one seat, was missing. It had been the same dining scene just a month ago, but to Vera, this seat without Edward felt incredibly empty.
"...Are you that disappointed you couldn't go?"
Her daughter, Monica, asked, having somehow interpreted her expression.
"No, I’m sure my daughter had her reasons."
Usually, Vera would have questioned Monica’s uncharacteristic decision. Until now, Monica had never interfered with or blocked her mother’s actions. But if she asked more and Monica retorted with, "Do you like Edward that much?", Vera was afraid of how she might react. She had fallen in love with Edward, but her desire not to hurt her daughter remained unchanged.
"...It’s the destination that’s the problem. Retinel, of all places—how do you intend to go to such a dangerous place?"
"...How do I intend to go? By horse, of course."
Silence returned briefly at Vera’s dry joke. After cutting and swallowing a piece of meat, Monica continued.
"Free cities generally have poor public order. How can a territory without a lord function properly? All sorts of riffraff gather there, and since you can't filter them out, it’s even worse."
Vera knew all of this. It felt like Monica was dragging her back to reality from the excitement of her planned trip with Edward, but Vera ate her meal in silence, trying not to let that disappointment show on her face.
"I didn't stop Winnie and Edward because I knew I couldn't. I’m sure they can protect themselves. But you’re not them, Mother... I’m just worried. You’re not upset, are you?"
"Do you think I’m a child like you? Your mother doesn’t get sulky over things like that."
"Then that’s fine... And unlike Winnie, who has business there, Edward is going without a reason, so I couldn't let you go with him. Let’s all go on a trip together next time."
It’s only meaningful because we were going just the two of us. But Vera felt she had heard something more concerning than that.
"Did Winnie go to Retinel, too?"
"Hm? Yes. She said she had things to buy, so I thought two was better than one and told them to go together."
"...Then that’s a relief."
A young man and woman traveling alone for a fortnight. Vera felt an inexplicable—no, she knew exactly why—sense of anxiety.
We rode our horses and arrived at a small village just as the sun was setting. Today, Winnie had brought all the herbs she gathered instead of eating them immediately, so there was more luggage than expected. When we stopped in front of a crudely built wooden fence, an old man who appeared to be the village chief came out to greet us.
"Oh my, milord. What brings you to this humble place..."
"I’m looking for a place to stay for the night."
"Yes, of course. But where might you be from, milord..."
Winnie stopped me as I reached into my clothes to pull out the Rystein family crest. Instead of the viscount’s crest, what Winnie held out was a single silver coin.
"Do you really need to know that?"
"No, no, milord. Please, this way."
And so, we paid a silver coin and were shown to a shabby house. I was about to get angry at the outrageous price, but looking at the state of the other houses we had passed, this seemed to be the best one. It was likely the house the chief himself lived in. Regardless of its condition, the inside was quite spacious. There was even a separate guest room in addition to the master bedroom the chief seemed to use. I was relieved there were two beds.
"You sleep in the guest room."
"Don’t you know 'ladies first'?"
"That’s just something the church made up."
As I claimed the master bedroom and pushed Winnie away, she clung tightly to my chest.
"C-can’t we just sleep together?"
"Together?"
"We’ve already had sex, and it’d be a good way to get one more round in today..."
My member seemed to react to her skillful touch, but I had already told her it was off-limits today. Besides, I was tired.
"I said no. And the bed is too small."
"Hmph, fine..."
I sent Winnie out and closed the door. She backed down more easily than I expected. Since I was exhausted, Winnie, who had less physical stamina than me, must have been quite tired as well. I changed into comfortable clothes, lay down, and drifted off to sleep.