Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: Sudden Pounce
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"Lily's pussy got plenty too, huh.
Guess I'll head out now."
"Off to class?"
"Training."
"See you next time, Investigator."
I kneaded Lily's ass gently as I replied.
"If the chance comes up."
Not quite tempting enough to go out of my way for seconds.
Just the right amount for a one-time fling.
Now it's time to cheer on these two's rosy future and Aba's platonic love.
Sure, they "got together,"
but that didn't mean they couldn't separate while still connected, so once they realize their limits, things will naturally fall apart.
A bond formed by suggestion will end the same way.
I have a bond like that too.
My pretty elf girlfriend.
Esty fell for me thanks to a suggestion as well, so she's got that in common with Lily.
Of course, there are stark differences between them.
Even setting aside the obvious fact that Esty is way prettier.
Esty received a much stronger suggestion.
No turning back now.
Impossible to rewind to how things were when we first met.
Not that there's any reason to.
No plans to let Esty go.
Actually, now she wants to stay by my side of her own accord.
If that's a difference, then yeah.
The suggestion only strengthens the bond between Esty and me.
I form dependent relationships with all sorts of women, but I don't think there's any clear hierarchy.
If I had to rank them, it's just whatever gets me going at the moment varies a bit.
With Lily's pussy as the finale, maybe I can wrap up the "quantity over quality" phase.
Turning investigator let me explore Melbritt's pussies, which was nice.
Eh, I'll do it again if the mood strikes.
I parted ways with the two and went to meet Esty.
Today, as usual, Esty was in the training hall, overseeing the Dragon-rank candidates' drills.
"You're stepping too deep.
Keep your breaths short. Extra movements creep in too easily."
"Yes!"
"Keep going."
Esty's sparring partner was a Dragon-rank candidate.
Even a sidelong glance showed they were all powerhouses on Stia's level.
Three male candidates raised their swords and charged at Esty.
She met their weighty strikes head-on with her bow, brushing them aside like it was nothing.
"Don't try to overpower with brute force.
It means nothing."
"Urgh...!"
"Better to overwhelm with momentum. It might compensate for a lack of skill."
"Uwaaaah!"
...A bow wasn't meant for parrying swords.
Esty could've dodged those attacks easily, but she chose to deflect them.
To make the candidates realize their own shortcomings.
So pretty.
Esty would be pretty tomorrow, and the day after too.
I watched vacantly until training wrapped up.
"Now review the rest on your own.
Thirty-minute break, then we'll continue."
"Yes!"
Esty stepped back with a sigh.
She seemed pretty wiped today—didn't even notice I was there.
"Esty."
I approached quietly and called out.
She whipped around, eyes wide.
"Darling!"
...Her voice tone flipped completely.
Esty pressed right up to me, eyes sparkling.
"I'm so happy you came."
"Missed you, so here I am.
How's teaching the candidates going?"
No Neris today.
Training hall isn't mandatory attendance anyway.
Show up often enough, and I'll run into Herka too.
"Yeah. No real issues.
Still kinda tough living among people, though..."
"Don't push yourself. Just take it easy."
I took Esty's hand and stroked it softly.
She smiled happily.
"Wanna slip into the corner for a bit?"
Esty tensed up suddenly.
"Should I... take off my panties...?"
"...I can tell what you're imagining, but that's not what I meant."
I led Esty to the corner of the training hall and sat side by side.
Watching the candidates' duels from afar wasn't half bad.
"Darling. What's up?"
"I'm wandering Melbritt as a special investigator right now."
"Yeah, heard the rumors."
"Heard something from Noah that stuck with me.
Sounds like there's an issue with Melbritt's personnel management system.
Registered numbers don't match the actual candidate count."
"Personnel numbers?"
"Anything ring a bell?"
"..."
Esty sank into thought.
"Hard to say the system's glitching.
It tracks each person's unique mana signature, so it's precise."
"Then Noah's mistaken?"
"No. If Noah sensed it, something's off from reality."
"Something off from reality..."
"For example, a mana beast hiding in Melbritt."
"What?"
I got chills hearing that.
"That's possible? Mana beasts look monstrous at a glance, and they're dumb."
"Those influenced by the Demon King evolve into semi-human forms.
They have some inhuman traits, but gain far stronger mana and intelligence than regular beasts.
You saw one with Decal, remember?"
"..."
Her words jogged my memory.
Dry Village, mana beast outbreak. Among the orcs that were basically walking pigs, one stood out.
The boss orc with a soulstone. That one spoke human language fluently.
If that's the evolution she means, it tracks.
"So you're saying the Demon King's elites could be in Melbritt?"
"Low chance.
Just considering the worst case...
The Demon King's elites are busy with the invasion. They'd lead beast hordes at most—no way most would infiltrate the school."
Right. Even if Melbritt's a key human-demon war facility,
if their elite forces pulled out en masse, we'd notice and counter immediately.
I've heard mana beast assaults ramping up lately, but nothing about them suddenly going passive.
Unless they're massing everything for a full assault on Melbritt,
no way they'd sneak high-end forces capable of human disguise into enemy HQ.
...
I stared at Esty's profile.
Hit me again: she's a national hero.
Good call coming straight to her.
"Low chance, but worth suspecting."
"Yeah. Since I first got here, I've seen it as Melbritt's weak point.
It relies on mana systems for management, so penalties via points, but no restrictions on coming and going."
"True."
I'm ignoring dorm penalties now.
No big deal losing a few points.
Candidates who care about scores can't think that way,
but for someone who doesn't give a damn, it's come and go as you please.
Enforcers don't suspect as long as you're in uniform.
Esty knew the vulnerabilities in that system well.
"Plus,
faking appearances is easy."
"Just appearances?"
"Yeah. Glamour magic handles looks.
But to cast that, the mage themselves would've had to enter through proper channels."
"Can't you check personally?
Hidden mana beasts or mages, whatever."
"Tough, but doable.
Finding traces would be hard, though. Too much mana swirling in Melbritt—
impossible to distinguish individual signatures by sense alone.
Just shooting arrows everywhere might hit something..."
"..."
Forgot for a sec.
Esty's an elf who despises humans at her core.
That last line was ice-cold—gave me chills too.
If I told her to,
would Esty skewer people with arrows no questions asked?
Nah... probably not.
Her actions show she hates mana beasts more than humans.
She just doesn't like humans much either.
Esty noticed my gaze.
"Was I too harsh...?"
"Nah. People hate other people sometimes. No shock an elf hates humans."
"I've got people I want to protect.
You're number one, Darling. The one I trust and love most."
"..."
I caught how "trust" naturally became "love too."
She'd enriched my suggestion herself.
With that pretty heart of hers.
I quietly took Esty's hand.
"Thanks, Esty."
"..."
We sat there awhile, fingers interlocked, silent.
"Demon King Army's got some talented folks, huh.
A mage who can disguise mana beasts..."
"If one exists, they'd blend in low-profile, low ranks.
You might've even met them first. Anyone come to mind?"
"Hmm..."
Ekaterina...?
What’s she been up to? Same school, but haven't crossed paths.
Didn't see her at the girls' dorm either.
Stia, Karen, Diana—others I haven't seen much either.
Maybe check her out?
"I'll handle the rest.
Got a direction now. Thanks."
"Glad I could help."
"But no shooting arrows into people."
"..."
Esty pinched the back of my hand lightly.
"Ow ow."
I hammed it up, chuckling.
Esty pouted, lips pursed, and stood.
"Gonna go."
"Sorry, sorry. Won't say that again."
I stood with her, and Esty immediately hugged me.
I stroked her head wordlessly.
...Sometime while we were at it, we got an audience—some candidates watching enviously.
Esty says low chance of a mana system glitch.
Are mana beasts really hiding here?
If so, which mage's pulling off that massive scheme?
I left the training hall, heading to the boys' dorm, then abruptly veered off.
Where the hell am I going...?
Habits are scary.
Only one place to relax.
I used the Giant Eight-Colored Shell in the main building to warp to the Shell Castle.
Teleported right to the grand bath for a soak.
Submerged in the steaming hot water for a half-body bath.
"Haa..."
A sigh of bliss slipped out.
Gonna eat what Ellin makes and crash.
Who to call tonight?
Luxurious dilemma as I pull up the Shell Castle menu.
To check who's in the castle.
Could see what absent girls with Eight-Colored Pearls were up to too.
Those pearls double as high-spec hidden cams.
I lounged in the bath, one hand extended, casually manipulating the menu.
Karen was in the castle, perfect.
Wonder what she's doing?
Forgot the thrill of peeping.
Maxed the screen size and activated Karen's room.
Room was still lit. I panned slowly to find her.
Not on the bed...
"Oppa... haat..."
Huh?
Thought she called from behind—turned, but no.
Sound from the room, through the screen.
Karen was squatting naked in front of a full-length mirror.
"..."
Stopped my breath dead—insanely hot.
"Oppa. Oppa..."
Karen was masturbating while fantasizing about me.
In a way totally unlike the usual girl solo image.
Buck naked, legs spread wide in a squat.
Right in front of the mirror too.
Did she want to watch her own lewdness?
Like she was working hard for an even nastier pose.
Karen blatantly exposed her pussy, squatting precariously, one hand on her tits,
the other on her pussy.
"Ha... huat... nn..."
"..."
Karen's live masturbation show.
Just seeing her naked would've been lucky enough.
This is jackpot.
I fixed the screen on her front view and watched.
Karen's fingers rubbed her clit furiously.
Hers were big in my hands too, but watching her grope them made her tits look even larger.
Firm and bouncy despite the size, dangling prettily over her slim waist, jiggling—mouthwatering.
"Haa, haat... Oppa, you jerk...
Loved our pussy-trip travels.
You'd grope my tits every day... huaang... Lately you barely even look... ♥"
"..."
Uh oh...
Suddenly felt like I really shouldn't be watching this.