Chapter 173
Chapter 173
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Expanding the Garden #3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Swish.
As the cloth covering her lower half slipped down slightly, a blank space untouched by tattoos appeared below Antiope's navel.
Antiope rubbed it lightly with her slender fingers.
"To a woman, this empty space exists. Only strong men can fill it."
Her brown skin, tattoos, and the pipe clenched between her teeth had made her seem a bit intimidating at first.
But that primal, seductive motion sent blood rushing to my lower body.
"The desire to fill this blank is instinctual. In that sense, that greatsword-wielding mage Skizo was potent. A mage, yet equipped with a sword and heavy armor."
That black-armored warrior was a mage? Damn, so I fought a full-on mage without using any magic myself.
Good thing he underestimated me. Then Antiope added a few more words.
"The one who took him down, Samaritan. So, how about it? Want to fill this spot? You seem pretty strong."
That was the dantian, also called the origin point. Anatomically, it was right where the womb sat.
She was asking me to fill that? Was she seriously seducing me right now?
To think a woman would come onto me someday. The situation felt so surreal it was oddly detached.
Hippolyte, who had been listening with her arms crossed, cut in.
"Antiope, enough teasing the man."
"Teasing? Half of it's serious. I knew it the moment I saw you. My lower belly's tingling and throbbing. Like this spot's already reserved for you."
Tingling and throbbing lower belly?
What kind of symptom was that?
As I pondered that, Antiope sauntered over to where I sat in the shaded chair.
She even reached out with her palm toward my waist, stroking my large, firm club.
"Big and thick. A real man's weapon. How many times have you swung this? Getting hit by something like this would leave you gasping for air."
Swish, swish.
Her palm gliding over my club was pure temptation.
But with the tattoos, tanning, and smoking, her strong-woman vibe was overwhelming—almost scary.
It excited me in a different way.
Like she might devour me whole.
Then she slid off my lap.
"But you still reek of greenhorn. You're like a boy just starting out on the warrior's path. No way you could fill my lower belly like this."
Swish.
Antiope quickly put distance between us with brisk steps. She then threw her arms around Hippolyte's waist in a show of affection.
"Anyway, short as a few days or long as a few weeks, we'll see you around. Nice seeing you again, sis—."
"It's hot, so back off a bit."
"You're always so cold to me. Well, now I've seen a friendly face. Time for me to head out. Got work piling up."
"Work meaning that cult business?"
"Yeah, details are secret, though. Heard Pluto's high priest is in the city. Disguised as a famous adventurer, apparently."
Pluto's high priest disguised as a famous adventurer.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my spine.
"Shh, Paranoya! Don't waste that precious sweat!"
Paranoya was sweating buckets too. Only Luna giggled as she busily collected it in a water bottle.
A temple knight order, huh.
No slacking off around her.
"See you later, friends—!"
Antiope tilled the small yard's vegetable patch, fixed the fence, then left, citing a backlog of tasks.
"She's fun. Lots of drawings on her body."
Luna seemed to like Antiope, chattering on about the tattoos. Yeah, she looked a bit wild, but not a bad person.
"V-Very terrifying person..."
But Paranoya's reaction was different. From the moment she saw her until now, she trembled nonstop, unable to calm down.
At this rate, she might as well advertise herself as a cultist. It made me uneasy too.
"She's really strong...! A monster in human skin...!"
Hippolyte chimed in.
"Of course she is. My sister Antiope has a blessing. Seems she's gotten even stronger since last I saw."
Hippolyte was like a human scout. Anyone she rated highly was the real deal. That made me curious all of a sudden.
"Who would win between you and her, Hippolyte?"
"Samaritan, you always ask that. Warrior fights have too many variables to say for sure. But I'd win seven out of ten. However..."
Hippolyte trailed off.
She seemed reluctant, pondering if she should even say it, and fell silent.
"Is there a problem?"
"But I'd lose three out of ten. And one of those, I'd get crushed without even lifting a finger."
Hippolyte, crushed without a chance to fight?
I still vividly remembered her handling Elfriede's party like children underground.
It was so satisfying and shocking, it'd stick with me forever.
But for her to get utterly wrecked by that tattooed woman? Her threat level skyrocketed.
"Of course, talking battles is foolish, Samaritan. You've seen plenty of fields yourself—you know victory's unpredictable."
Swish.
As she spoke, Hippolyte's eyes turned to Luna, planting potatoes on the ground.
Sure enough, her fights with Luna had all ended in losses. It really drove home how unpredictable combat could be.
"Done! Potatoes are all planted. Let's call it for today and rest. Paranoya, get the firewood and grill ready!"
Luna stretched, arching her back.
At her command, Paranoya scurried off, waddling back with log chunks and a metal grill.
"Here... all set... Huff, huff... You're grilling that?"
"Yeah, no inn tonight. We'll cook ourselves!"
Luna pulled out a large sack hidden in the cool shade of the cabin's first floor, between the cold wildling potion jars.
Peeling it back revealed a cleanly butchered pork leg, fresh and marbled perfectly.
I'd hoarded plenty of ingredients and meat—I could tell at a glance this was premium stuff. When did Luna snag this?
As I wondered, Hippolyte, resting in the shade like me, asked.
"What's that?"
"Karimanstos wild boar."
"Karimanstos wild boar? That's one silver per pound, right? Pricey."
"Yep! Should be delicious! Got a yard now, so let's splurge on fancy meat tonight. Paranoya, light the fire."
"Right away...!"
Luna and Paranoya stacked thick logs on the dirt ground, topping them with the wide metal grill.
Grilling meat in the yard with the girls. Who knew I'd enjoy this luxury again.
Whoosh.
Soon the logs blazed.
When the metal plate heated nicely over the flames, Luna sliced pork from the leg with her dagger and laid it on the grill.
Sizzle...
The fat rendering with a racket. The aroma spread instantly, snapping me out of idle thoughts as I approached the fire.
Looks tasty.
Watching the crackling bonfire and searing meat, the Ditch Water Nymph Paranoya muttered.
"That's hellfire itself... Pathetic pork can't withstand it...!!"
Paranoya was probably itching for meat after so long too.
It was a bit hot, though.
But for good meat, a little heat was nothing. Cheap jerky every day—how long since real pork?
It was delicious, and plentiful enough for all four of us to eat our fill. Worth the near-ten silvers for that big hunk.
"Dinner's on me tonight."
"Cleanup's on you, Hippolyte!"
Hippolyte, who ate free without lifting a finger, handled the aftermath.
* * *
Late night.
After a cool shower, I returned to find Luna already curled up under the blankets, fast asleep.
Tending the garden and grilling had worn her out.
I straightened her body, then massaged her arms, shoulders, and waist, pressing firmly.
"Hn, hehe, hihi..."
Luna giggled. Guess she wasn't fully asleep.
"Luna, still awake?"
"Was about to drift off, but you woke me. Feels amazing, though. Can you do my waist?"
Luna rolled onto her stomach, exposing her back nicely. Her thin nightshirt revealed a slender frame and pert rear.
These days, it wasn't rare for her to ask for massages first.
She used to squirm and complain it tickled or hurt.
Now she offered herself up willingly.
This must be massage addiction—once hooked, no escape.
Swish.
I rubbed her waist and back gently with my thumbs.
"Hyaah..."
Luna groaned right away.
"Hn, ah, it hurts..."
"Hurts? I went easy. Gentler?"
"No, it hurts but feels good. Hn, haah..."
She seemed to have mild muscle soreness. Gardening hit unused muscles, causing strain.
Left alone, she'd probably groan through tomorrow with aches.
So I thoroughly worked her waist, back, hard-to-reach shoulders, nape, and neck base with my thumbs.
"Hn, ha...!"
While massaging her nape, Luna clutched the blankets like something was wrong, curling up.
Crumple.
Wrinkles formed in the deerhide bedding on the floor, words emerging.
Ding.
『Cleared Luna Noxdoty's status: Heat Exhaustion.』
『Karma Value +10』
『Current Karma Value: 145』
Hadn't checked her pulse today, but she'd been overheated. Stimulating her neck nerves relieved stress? No idea.
"Hn..."
Luna sighed softly like downy fur, then slumped limp on the bed.
I trailed my thumbs from her shoulders down her back and waist to her rear.
Swish, swish.
Pressing the soft flesh made her quiver like during the ticklish parts.
"Ha, hn..."
Most muscles cluster in the lower body.
But they're often numb, so massages skip them.
Unacceptable for me.
Swish, swish. Press.
I kneaded her soft rear thoroughly. For butts, firmer pressure works best with all that flesh.
"Better? Feels cool?"
"Yeah, ah, hn..."
Luna's reply was vague.
Hard to call it a reply. She always spaced out during butt massages.
Swish, swish.
Curious, I slowly slid my fingers deep into her inner thighs.
Lymph nodes there make it key for lower-body work.
But it requires slightly parting the legs.
I grabbed her right thigh, bending it into an L-shape.
"Hold on, spreading your legs a bit. Nothing weird."
"Hn...!"
Experienced with my massages, Luna accepted without resistance.
Swish, swish.
My hands glided freely over her thighs now. Squeezing and releasing, stroking up and down.
"Ah, ang... Haah..."
Luna let out small, pleasurable moans.
A woman's soft sounds carry a naughty edge—even knowing it's massage, my lower half stiffened.
Come to think, no hanky-panky lately with all the busyness.
So, feigning massage, I brushed my knuckles teasingly toward the naughty space between her legs.
"...Ang!"
Luna reacted big.
Maybe imagination, but my knuckles felt a strange dampness. That rushed blood to my head too.
Swipe, swiiipe.
I kept brushing her inner thighs with my knuckles.
Each time, her back twitched, breaths growing ragged—clear as day.
I couldn't hold back and tugged down her thin underpants. Worried she'd hate it, but no rejection.
Once a woman's body heats up, it doesn't cool easy.
Maybe I aimed for that.
Swish.
I reset her tucked thigh to L-shape, then touched her plump, parted folds.
"Hnng..."
Silky, warm sensation shook me from fingertips to brain.