Chapter 212
Translator: uly
Chapter: 212
Chapter Title: Why I Added Max to the Hero Party
Why did I add Max to the hero party?
Niki had one intention.
She thought Max could bring a bit of vitality to the boring, tedious expedition.
Even without a magic circle, his magic's power would weaken, but based on what she'd seen of Max's skills, she believed he could manage just fine without it.
Max himself had said he could handle everything without a magic circle.
The other party members would just be her and the saintess, anyway.
Yuris had been in the party when they subjugated the Demon King's army, but her role was different.
While the hero and saintess headed to the heart of the enemy to take down the Demon King, she would lead the knights to draw the Demon King's army's attention.
So naturally, Niki assumed only the saintess would come along.
'Eirin is so innocent.'
Her heart raced at the thought of doing things with Max that the clueless saintess wouldn't know about.
She wanted to experience the illusions Max created inside the tent, to feel his caresses and reach orgasm after orgasm.
She wanted to pour out all the things she couldn't do while away subjugating the succubus.
She'd been dying to go to the ero dungeon!
'If I just hold back my moans, Eirin won't notice.'
But then.
-Your Majesty, I'll join you as well.
-We can't let the inferior species handle the dragon subjugation alone. Count me in.
-I think we need at least one mage.
Unexpected additional members joined.
People who had been silent until just moments ago suddenly jumped in, saying they wanted to participate in the expedition.
She hadn't realized it at the time.
She had no idea that they knew about Max too.
She thought they were just getting involved out of a sense of justice.
'These lewd women!'
The moment she saw them spritzing perfume on their bodies and applying makeup throughout the expedition.
The moment she saw them acting coy in front of Max.
Niki realized.
All the women who joined this expedition knew about Max—they just hadn't said anything.
They seemed to know exactly what he did.
Even more.
'They definitely did it. That expression...'
She was genuinely shocked to see Yuris, who never smiled warmly at anyone else, giving Max a playful eye smile.
But that shock was short-lived.
-Of course! We're close enough to link arms like this!
Jealousy surged when she saw them linking arms.
Max had looked flustered at first, but now they were acting like casual physical contact was the most natural thing, even using informal speech with each other.
Niki could tell their relationship was different from hers.
She hadn't even gotten that close.
She was envious.
But what surprised her most was.
-Brother, do you have a moment?
Eirin's behavior.
A soft honey scent wafted from Eirin's body, brushing Niki's nose.
She was truly stunned to see the saintess, who was supposed to preserve her purity, adorning her body to appeal to a man.
Niki wondered if Eirin had already become someone different from the person she knew.
Realizing that all four other women had been to Max's shop, Niki couldn't bring herself to visit his tent.
Just going in there would let the others know exactly what it meant.
At the same time, she blocked anyone else from entering.
It was selfish—she couldn't be that blatant herself, so neither could they.
'In the end, I couldn't do it.'
Her grand plan for the journey was thwarted by the other women who had already experienced it.
She was so disappointed.
Her expectations had crumbled.
'If I just go out on the dragon scouting like this, I won't get another chance for a while.'
She wouldn't even be able to approach him.
Everyone knew that in this standoff, a single tent couldn't hide everything.
But things were different now.
No tent walls blocking the way—they were in separate rooms far apart, arranged by the lord's servants.
Positions where no one could hear, even if something happened.
Niki decided to act first.
She couldn't hold back anymore.
When she opened the door and entered.
"Huh? Ah..."
The moment she saw Max's naked body, Niki's mind went blank.
It wasn't just because it was a man's nude body.
She was shocked by the size—beyond what she'd imagined.
Even Niki, who had seen all sorts of things on countless battlefields, was stunned by its size.
Among imperial folk, the word for a big dick was 'orc.'
People joked that a huge cock looked like an orc's, or was orc-like.
After all, orcs' sizes were genuinely larger than humans'.
But seeing Max's cock—bigger than any orc she'd killed on the battlefield—hanging limply toward the ground left Niki speechless.
"Wow, it's enormous..."
As she marveled, Max asked.
"You said you had something to ask."
In that instant, his exposed cock was covered by the robe.
Even so, it couldn't fully hide that massive size; the outline was still faintly visible.
"Yeah? Ah... Yes..."
Niki still couldn't tear her eyes from that outline.
"Hey, Hero. Snap out of it."
Only when Max waved his hand in front of her face did she come to her senses.
"S-Sorry."
She'd been completely lost.
"So, what was it you wanted to ask...?"
Her mind finally caught up.
She already had a perfect excuse ready.
"We're starting a meeting tomorrow afternoon for the scouting. I wanted to ask who you want to scout with."
"Am I joining the investigation too?"
"Of course! You're part of the team, Max."
"I have zero combat ability."
"If that's your worry, team up with me. I can protect one person just fine."
"Ah..."
"Just trust the hero and follow me!"
"...Is not going an option?"
"Of course not. We can't skip it. The plan is to investigate the five spots with traces separately, then regroup and check the most likely dragon lair."
"Wouldn't that leave us open to being picked off one by one?"
"If they could attack but only threaten, maybe they can't use their power."
Niki pitched herself aggressively.
Come with me.
I'm the only one who can protect you.
"Got it. Let me think about it a bit more."
But this man wouldn't commit.
Just 'got it.'
That vague answer nagged at her.
'I shouldn't be doing this.'
She needed a firm yes before rivals appeared, to maneuver the schedule freely.
"If you're done asking, head back. It's late."
"M-Max!"
She grabbed his shoulder as he tried to stand, pushing him down.
"Urk!"
Max collapsed without resistance.
"Ah, we're not done talking."
It was solid.
His shoulder, his arm.
Hard like a trained knight's.
His whole body was muscle earlier.
Unlike a mage, he must work out consistently.
Why did that image keep sticking in her head?
"Um, hey..."
Her body heated up, her face burned.
Her breath quickened, heart pounded.
She only got this excited before battle.
She swallowed hard and looked at Max.
Brown hair, black eyes.
A chiseled jaw and nose like sculpture.
And those glistening lips.
It was a face that oddly drew her in.
'Not insanely handsome.'
But the more she looked, the more captivating it seemed.
Staring intensely at Max, Niki spoke.
"I-I want to see an illusion."
"Right now?"
"Yes."
"But tomorrow's dragon..."
"It's fine. A little indulgence... will boost efficiency."
Max looked troubled, conflicted.
Niki knew why he made that face.
"You're worried my secret will get out?"
No need.
"They're probably all guessing already."
"What do you mean?"
"You haven't noticed? Or are you pretending not to?"
"..."
"They all put on makeup and perfume. What do you think that means?"
Max looked at her, stunned.
"Everyone has their own agenda."
"And that agenda is...?"
"Obvious. You, or your illusion magic."
Different from usual.
They'd all figured it out.
"Same for me."
Her heart pounded wildly after those last words.
"Is that... so?"
"Don't worry about others coming. I'll block them all."
"...Even so."
"It's fine."
She really couldn't hold back now.
She'd had some patience before coming here.
But the moment she saw that thing.
That massive slab of flesh, like desire molded into cock—huge, pure cock—the instant she saw it, Niki lost control of her desires.
"Alright. Wait a moment, and I'll prepare the illusion..."
"Before that."
Niki hurriedly continued.
"Could you maybe use that cock?"
"..."
"Ah, sorry. That was a tough ask. Haha. Men value their purity too. Got to cherish it."
"Uh, that's..."
Max stammered, looking awkward.
No way.
"You already did it... with someone else?"
Niki bit her lip at Max's silence.
"Haa."
She sighed deeply.
She was angry.
Who?
One of them?
Yuris, probably?
The only one he treated casually.
It pissed her off.
She was dying here because she couldn't, and they'd already done it.
Are they dating?
Probably not that far.
No, that's weird.
Doing it without dating...?
How lewd is that?
Perverts. Sluts.
Unable to contain her frustration at being beaten to the punch, Niki said.
"Max."
"Yes, N-Niki."
Her voice was icy.
"You need to take responsibility properly tonight."
"Responsibility? For what...?"
"I want to enjoy it for real, you know? So..."
Niki's hand gripped that thing whose outline the robe couldn't hide.
"Use this."
"...Hero."
"Refuse, and I'll show you how scary a hero's wrath can be."
Gulp.
Max swallowed hard.
Locking eyes with Niki, Max felt it then.
'The start of the living dildo...'
He thought.
"Got it?"
"Yes."
"You know my tastes, right?"
"Of course."
The fantasy of being ravished by weak monsters.
That was what drove Niki.
Max tore open a portable magic circle and cast the illusion magic right away.
A way without a full circle, after all.
And in that moment, the world changed.
A familiar dungeon.
Familiar attire.
Now a dancer instead of a hero, Niki swallowed as she felt the familiar air.
Gulp.
'It's here...'
Finally, after so long.
She saw it.
Behind her, the orgasm denial trap she'd passed lingered.
And right in front of her.
"Wh-What is this...?"
A new dungeon trap awaited.
[Mimic Dungeon.]
[Find the real treasure chest.]
[Choose a fake one, and the Tentacle Mimic will apply debuffs.]