Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Midnight Afterparty
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We dragged our weary bodies back.
By the time we'd mingled with the villagers long enough to put their minds at ease, the hour had slipped past midnight toward dawn.
The horrors we'd witnessed today. The painful events.
We washed them all away with hot water and emerged into the bedroom.
"What do we do with all this?"
Aba said.
The table was piled high with food and drinks the villagers had given us as gifts.
We'd been stowing them in storage as we received them, and now here they were.
"Want to have an afterparty?"
"Afterparty?"
Had I said something weird?
Aba repeated my words, eyes wide as she stared at me.
"Decal. You haven't forgotten, right? Diana's in the girls' room."
"Of course I know that."
"Knock on the door at this hour, and you'll get a sword to the gut."
"No way she'd chase out a comrade we survived the battlefield with, would she? I'll get permission, so wait here."
I headed to the door of the girls' room.
I could have just knocked normally, but instead, I decided to eavesdrop.
Pressing my ear close to the door, I focused on the sounds.
My heightened hearing picked up the faint noises.
The splash of water, chatter. Diana and Karen's voices.
The two of them had gotten so close already.
I boldly knocked on the door.
No response.
Hadn't they heard?
As I went to knock again, a voice came from the other side of the door.
"Is that Decal?"
Stia's voice.
"Open up."
"Not now... A guy shouldn't come to the girls' room at this hour, Decal."
What? She was pretty firm about it.
Aba was right; showing up at night was a major faux pas.
No way she'd actually refuse to open the door.
But I'd come prepared with a bottle of liquor. A perfect excuse as a gift.
"Could you open the door, just a bit?"
"Decal, this is awkward... Don't do this. Even if we're all in the room together, o-opening the door means..."
Why was she so flustered?
"We got gifts from the villagers. Wanted to share some. For you girls to sip while chatting at night..."
I put on my most wistful tone.
Something told me Stia wouldn't be able to resist.
"No other intentions, right?"
"......"
No answer.
If I stayed silent, we'd negotiate face-to-face once she opened.
"Decal...?"
Unable to bear the curiosity, Stia cracked the door open.
Like a shameless salesman, I wedged my foot in to keep it from closing, grabbed the knob, and swung it wide.
"Ah...!"
Oh, unexpected luck.
Stia had just come out of the bath, completely defenseless.
She had a robe wrapped loosely around her, barely covering the essentials. Her damp golden hair and moist red eyes looked especially beautiful tonight.
She was stunning wielding her estoc in battle, but this relaxed side—one she wouldn't easily show others—stirred my heart.
"No...!"
Stia tried to shut the door, but I held the knob firm.
"Here, take this."
"...Ah."
I dangled the liquor bottle in front of her, and in her haste to grab it, Stia reached out.
Her bathrobe came completely undone and slipped off.
"Eek...!"
Had I ever glimpsed her changing before?
Nothing beat seeing it live like this.
I didn't avert my eyes, openly admiring how her pale skin gleamed silkily.
Her snow-white skin looked impossibly soft just from looking.
I took in her modest patch of hair and her beautifully toned legs...
Burning the image into my mind.
Stia collapsed to the floor in shock.
Then, behind her, Diana appeared like a ghost.
Diana had also just bathed with Karen, naked under nothing but a robe.
"Why are you here?"
"Right next door."
"That's not what I mean. Why show up at this hour?"
"For the afterparty."
"Are you insane? No woman opens her door at night like this. Only after betrothal. Don't you know basic manners?"
Ah, so that's how it was.
No wonder Aba looked so sour.
"Like when Diana called me over?"
Diana raised her hand toward me. Sparks danced at her fingertips.
"Any last words?"
Diana's chantless Lightning Bolt shot straight at me.
I reflexively threw up a barrier to block it.
Perfect aim, straight out of training, but something was off.
"You said you'd listen?!"
"Changed my mind! Die already!"
"Wait, hold on..."
Stia, face flushed beet red, clutched her robe to her chest and pleaded with teary eyes.
"It was my mistake. Decal didn't do anything wrong."
"......"
Defending me in this situation.
I was touched.
"Tch..."
Diana seemed deflated—or maybe just exhausted—and lowered her hand without further hostility.
I extended a hand to Stia and helped her up.
"......"
Stia took it, bashfully casting her eyes down.
A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted from her.
"Sorry, Stia."
"No. I did open the door..."
I observed her calmly.
Her bare skin, barely concealed by the precarious robe.
Noticing my gaze, Stia's blinking quickened, her long lashes trembling.
"How long are you going to keep holding on?"
Her slender white fingers slipped from my grasp.
Stia stepped back, brushing her side-swept hair behind her ear with an awkward smile.
"Decal, could you come back another time?
It's just... too late now."
Karen chimed in wistfully.
"Afterparty with big bro sounds fun..."
"That's why adventurers are like this."
"Why not? Seems a waste to just sleep."
Our little homewrecker. Good job.
Karen's innocent question left even Diana speechless.
"You can't be that loose with your virtue, Karen. With those breasts of yours... Ahem. You've got an alluring figure, so you need to mind your behavior."
"I want an afterparty with big bro."
"I-I'm not saying no. But night magic could do who-knows-what. You wake up and regret it."
Diana dropped some pointed wisdom.
"I'm getting tired of standing out here.
Can't we relax just for tonight? We all had a rough day. Right?"
"...Well, a little might be okay."
"Diana! Love you!"
Karen hugged Diana.
"So stop hugging me with those tits. Hngh...!"
Diana let out a happy squeal as she melted into Karen's embrace.
Karen's breasts were unavoidable.
"Be right there, big bro!"
"Stia's okay with it too?"
Stia nodded.
"As long as you hero candidates maintain some dignity."
"What could go wrong? Stia's here."
"...I'm grateful for the trust, but after that look from Decal earlier, I'm worried."
"What was wrong with my look?"
"......"
Stia protested with silence, unwilling to say it outright.
Busted for ogling.
"We need to discuss the red soulstone too, and there's stuff I want to hear.
I'll come to your room, Decal."
"Skip the stuffy talk."
"......"
Stia gazed at me intently.
"Decal. If you're thinking of making moves on the girls tonight, give it up.
I'll be wearing my sword."
Karen giggled while hugging Diana.
"I'd be fine getting wrecked by big bro..."
"Uh, ahem!"
Stia panicked at Karen's bold declaration, cutting her off.
"Karen...! Don't say things that sound like seducing a man."
I wondered what their reactions would be if they knew Karen was my homewrecker.
Karen and I met eyes and smirked.
"I'll be waiting in the room, Stia."
"W-waiting for all of us, right? Don't phrase it to cause misunderstandings."
A short while later.
The girls came to our room.
"How'd you convince them...?"
Aba said in disbelief.
"Truth is, Diana and Karen are my girls."
"...For real?"
I'd expected them to come in thin nightclothes since it was bedtime, but Stia showed up in her pristine uniform, like she was headed to class.
Blazer coat buttoned up, estoc at her waist as promised.
Compared to Karen and Diana's casual attire, it stood out.
"Who are you planning to fight?"
"...A warning from Mother. Young man and woman alone at night leads to trouble."
Diana shrugged.
"I told her barging in like that would just scare them, but she wouldn't listen.
Dignity comes naturally from within. It's not like I'm excited just because Decal invited me?"
"Diana, you were humming while picking out underwear."
Karen's reveal made Diana's lip twitch.
"Y-you, whose side are you on?"
"Big bro loves this stuff deep down."
"......"
Diana glanced at me.
I should probably be flattered.
"Diana worrying about that for me? I'm so, so grateful."
"I-it's what a lady does, caring down to the unseen parts."
"Showing them would be even better."
"Not tonight."
"Because of Stia?"
Diana chuckled.
"Yeah. Scary student council president's watching over us."
"I just think lewd stuff is off-limits. Besides, I'm wearing the underwear Decal picked for me..."
"...You two actually came to seduce me?"
"Seduce? Absolutely not. I just thought you'd be happy if I wore what you chose...!"
"I came to seduce you!"
Karen threw herself at me.
Whoa. Karen's soft tits pressed firmly against me.
With a mischievous grin like a naughty kid, she rubbed her chest teasingly against me.
Ahh. Strength drained from my body, all rushing southward.
"Karen! No. Even if you're close, that's...!"
Stia panicked and pried Karen and me apart.
"Big bro's hugs feel so good. Wanna try, Stia?"
"No. Absolutely not. I'll stand between you two...!"
"Ahh."
Stia pressed right up against my back, blocking Karen.
"Stia next to me?"
"Yeah. I'll keep an eye on Decal."
"I want big bro's side..."
Karen's embrace, like a female in heat teasing a male.
It must have rattled Stia plenty.
Her ears red, flustered—adorable.
"How long are you gonna make your guests stand?"
Diana said, arms crossed.
"Oh, sit wherever, everyone."
I unwrapped the villagers' gifts—mostly booze and snacks—set them on the table, and took a seat.
Diana sat across from me; Stia really wedged between Karen and me.
I stole glances at Stia, sitting ramrod straight. She tensed up, aware of my eyes.
"Relax. You're here for the afterparty, right?"
"Afterparty? We came because we want answers from you."
Diana said.
"Answers?"
"Who was that crazy woman? What did she mean by 'another world'?"
"Oh. So this is my interrogation?"
"We can't just let it slide."
Stia continued.
"Decal. We have to report everything that happened there in detail.
That we didn't wipe out the bandits who absorbed the red soulstone—it was some mad killer."
"My connection to Park Seo-yeon too?"
"If necessary. But we don't know anything yet.
We'll hear your side first, then decide."
Karen probably had a vague idea.
I'd told her before hero school that I came from another world.
The others would be curious, though.
"Let's have a drink first."
I passed out glasses to everyone.
Diana and Stia eyed theirs reluctantly.
"I'm not much of a drinker."
"...Decal, alcohol clouds judgment."
"This isn't a sober topic, is it? Those scenes from today still lingering?"
"......"
They all reconsidered at my words and took a sip.
"You handle it well. Figured you wouldn't drink to avoid showing a drunk side, Diana..."
"What do you take me for? A little liquor doesn't change who I am."
"Really?"
"......"
Challenged, Diana—who'd only sipped—downed hers in gulps.
"Happy now?"
...Straight to an empty stomach, no snacks.
She wanted to prove it didn't faze her.
I sipped while snacking.
"I don't know much about that woman either. You could say she's someone I met for the first time after coming to this world."