Affection (1)

The sun rises. Jjakjjak, birds awakened by the morning sun chirp away. It sounded just like the harmony of angels.

'......Am, am I alive?'

I force my eyes open and look out the window. Warm sunlight spills over the window frame, soaking the room.

Even though I slept like a log until morning, I somehow grab my trembling legs, haul myself up, and pick up the underwear and pants that had fallen to the floor, slipping them on.

Seoyun, who had been sleeping next to me, seems to wake up at the rustling sounds and starts letting out soft groans.

"Mm... where you goin'?"

"You're awake? Sleep more."

"Haaawn— No, I wanna get up too."

She sits up and immediately clings to my body like a snake, all limp and draped over me. Pak, the moment her soft hand touches me, I feel a twinge of fear.

'Ah...... I should've just snuck out.......'

I was being so careful because of this, but I shiver as I feel her hand slyly slipping into my pants.

Thinking that's a sign I'm enjoying it, Seoyun yanks down my pants and underwear in one go.

My utterly spent dick and balls come into view, limp from how much I'd shot last night. Seoyun starts kneading my junk like she's urging it to get hard quick.

"What're you doing?"

"It huuurts...... down there."

"I'm hurting too."

Just three hours ago, she'd been milking semen out of my penis nonstop, but somehow it had recovered in that short time and was slowly swelling under her touch.

Confirming it getting bigger, Seoyun grabs the sack dangling below with a kwak, then starts gently massaging it.

The Baby Seed Factory, feeling her cool touch, goes into overdrive, cranking out even more semen.

Realizing this unavoidable disaster was coming, I try to negotiate.

"......One time."

"Three."

"......Two."

"Four."

"Why does it keep going up?"

I'm horrified watching Seoyun keep upping the number. After squeezing me dry all last night...... at this rate, I'll pass out from malnutrition.

Seoyun casually goes down on my dick like it's breakfast, intent on extorting some semen. Her blowjob skills, honed from sucking dick countless times, are ridiculously good now—she's basically a full-on Semen Extractor.

In the end, I'm freed only after spitting out five loads of fresh semen.

"Leader? You okay?"

"......No. I'm beat."

Seeing my legs trembling, Orion asks. I squeeze my thighs hard for a moment, locking them in place so they stop shaking.

"Phew... Still, I can't show weakness in front of someone new today."

"Don't worry about that. She's my friend. She'll take good care of you."

"Yeah?"

"Right here."

Orion says that and points to the shop. It doesn't look like a smithy at all from the outside.

No sign, nothing on display.

A shop primed to go bust. Orion walks right in and hollers for the owner.

"Ahem, Dwarf—! You there—?"

"Oh, Eared One. You're still alive, huh?"

A voice comes from inside the shop. A woman's voice. It draws closer. But the owner's face still doesn't appear.

"Hyup!"

Then, from under the shop's display shelf, a redheaded woman suddenly hops up. She's wearing overalls that come up to her chest, and aside from those, nothing underneath.

Chullong, her chest—massive, out of proportion to her size, rivaling even the elf Orion's—jiggles wildly.

'Whoa...... what the hell.'

Exaggerating a bit, half her body was boobs. Maybe noticing me staring, she shoots me a displeased glare.

"What're you looking at? First Dwarf you've seen?"

"......Dwarf?"

"Don't bully my leader too much."

"Leader? That thing's an elf? Looks human to me."

"Didn't I tell you? I switched to being an adventurer."

"How would I know if you were dead or alive?"

She crosses her arms as she says that. Normally, you tuck arms under your chest, but hers are so huge they just rest on top.

"So? What brings you here?"

"What do people come to a smithy for?"

"You know I don't take anyone but regulars."

"I'll wipe one of your old debts if you help out a bit."

"......Friend or not, I don't sell my weapons to the unqualified."

Seeing her snort like that, I'm hit with a sudden wave of nostalgia. Back in the day, I'd see bearded old craftsmen pulling that exact move.

Of course, as time passed, those folks started disappearing one by one.

No matter how skilled, in an age of science where factories churn out mass-produced goods better, even artisans had to swallow their pride.

Having run into those rare few craftsmen a lot as a kid, I knew exactly how to win them over. Especially a swordsmith.

"Let's test it."

"Huh?"

"That 'qualification' you mentioned... let's test it. Actually, now I'm curious. If your swords are even worth it for me."

"—What'd you just say?"

"L-Leader?"

The mood shifts. Craftsmen are like that—full of pride in their skills. Some things don't change, even as the world does.

I poke at it a little more.

"I've got money here...... just brought it to buy gear."

Thud, I plop the pouch full of Gold Coins on the counter. About as much as it took to buy the mansion.

Her eyes flicker at the sight of the money, but she's not the type to fold for cash alone. Good. If she were, I'd have walked.

"If you pass the test, make me a sword. Fail, and it's all yours."

"Don't regret it."

Chak, she snatches my Gold Coin pouch right away.

Wait, I said you take it if you win......

Before I can argue, she heads inside and calls to me.

"Follow me."

Lastina's Workshop.

Run by three generations, the most traditional smithy in the city, at least.

Naturally, as the city's best, Lastina's pride as its artisan was top-tier too.

"L-Leader... maybe apologize now while you can..."

"Why?"

"Cuz we don't even know what test she'll give."

"It's fine, it's fine."

Dojin waves it off and looks at Lastina. Arrogant craftsmen like her—sure, some old fogeys give impossible tasks just to mess with people—but she didn't seem the type.

Near-impossible, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not quite. That's the kind of challenge she'd throw down.

And Dojin had pulled off feats no one in the Otherworld ever had. If he chickened out on this, how'd he have survived all the hardships so far?

"Here, pick this up."

Once inside, Lastina hands Dojin a worn straight sword. The blade's fine, but the worn grip tells you it's ancient.

Confirming Dojin's grip, Lastina hauls out a massive round steel shield from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the back. She hides behind it and says:

"Cut the shield."

"......What?"

"Deaf? I said cut the shield."

Lastina snaps at Dojin like, what're you waiting for? Dojin stares blankly at the shield, sword in hand, and replies incredulously.

"You'll get hurt."

"Hmph, you planning to injure the smith who'll make your sword?"

"And anyway, how'm I supposed to cut a shield like that with this junk sword?"

"Then you're not worthy to wield my blades."

"......Aha, playing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it like that, huh?"

Dojin gets it. She's testing his skill.

Someone who can slice a shield even with a cheap straight sword—unfettered by gear—and precise enough to hit only what he wants.

Overdo the power and he cuts her and the shield both—no gear then, smith's dead. Go light and the shield stays whole.

Orion, watching from the side, tries to stop them like they're insane.

"No, Leader. You're really gonna do it?"

"Yeah."

"Lastina! Don't pull this prank crap..."

"Prank? One more word and we're done, Eared One."

Orion freaks out at their antics. This was a pride clash between artisans.

Dojin, who'd made his name with the sword, versus Lastina, famed as a smith.

Two masters brimming with sky-piercing pride—someone's gotta break for it to end.

"Here I go. Don't move."

"Hmph. Swing away, no worries."

"W-Wait, Leader!?"

Even Orion, trained in man-killing techniques, never learned to slice steel shields. Just ankle strikes on exposed feet.

From her common sense, cleanly cutting just the shield with that sword? Impossible.

Dojin raises his sword. Body and mind prepped before even gripping it. He exhales lightly and swings down.

Sreung, Dojin smoothly sheathes the blade. Moments later, the shield splits in two.

"......Impressive."

Lastina, stuck right to the shield, marvels at Dojin's swordsmanship—slicing only the shield without a scratch on her.

Just a few mm gap. Even a lifelong swordmaster'd struggle to nail that.

'A genius......?'

She looks at Dojin. Human, maybe early twenties, reaching that realm at his age.

"......Hey, Eared One."

"Lastina! Y-You okay?"

"Shut it. Where'd you pick that up?"

"Pick up? What're you..."

A sword realizes its worth meeting a master swordsman.

A smith finds life's meaning meeting such a swordsman.

"That...... mind if I keep it?"

"No way."

Orion glares. As if you'd drool over it.

Up on the second floor in Lastina's private room, Dojin and Lastina discuss the sword he wants in detail.

"So, length-wise......"

"Hm, then thickness like this..."

"Can't make it thinner?"

"It'll get heavy."

"Then swap materials......"

Her inviting someone to her room? First time ever. Even with other customers, she'd chat a bit at the first-floor counter then boot 'em.

'That sneaky cat......'

Orion eyes Lastina's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gaze. Not just looking at a customer. The look of a beast starved for ages in its lair.

Dojin seems oblivious, but from a third-party view, Orion sees it clear.

"Leader? Order done? Let's head out?"

"Not yet."

"...Huh?"

"If she makes swords this good, bet she's ace at armor or gauntlets too."

"Hm, that's a specialty too."

"Yeah? Then I wanna order some of those......"

"Aha, gotta take measurements then—."

Lastina's eyes sparkle at Dojin. Orion's not even on her radar now.

"Inside......"

"Lastina?"

"......What? Eared One."

"Can I get measured too? Need some greaves myself."

"Hmph, don't make elf-sized armor. Go to the leather place next door."

"......Aha, right? Then can I measure Leader?"

"No. Gotta be me, the artisan, doing it personally."

Pro smith authority kicks in—she's got nothing. See, Dojin's nodding along.

At this rate, that little beast'll steal first dibs. She and Lastina were tight enough to split a bean, but not dick-sharing close.

"Then measure here?"

Last stand. Couldn't yield this. Lastina seems to get it, doesn't push.

"Fine, wait a sec. Grabbing the tape."

While Lastina's gone, Orion warns Dojin.

"Uh, Leader?"

"Yeah?"

"......Be careful, okay?"

"Careful of what?"

Dojin's eyes sparkle, meeting Orion's gaze. Maybe he'd listen. Orion quickly spills the dangers.

"Dwarves, y'know? Once they pick a target, they never let go—super tenacious, but also gold-digger quick to fall head over heels. Accept her advances and you might get stabbed?"

"......That's it?"

"Huh? No, there's more, but......"

Dojin stares at her, tilts his head like something's off, then says he gets it and he'll be careful.

Dunno if he really took the warning, but better than nothing.

Moments later, Lastina returns with the tape, stands before Dojin, and hums.

"You're tall, huh?"

More like she's short, but Dojin doesn't say it. Reaching out like this'd just measure his ass.

Realizing that, Lastina sits him in a chair, then climbs onto his lap.

"Ugh—?"

"Stay still. Move and it'll be off."

Dojin's speechless, face buried in her massive tits. Boobs as bountiful as Orion's.

Pure fantasy—tiny body, absurdly huge chest—enough to stir Dojin's dick despite her size.

And Orion watches it all, eyes fixed.