Chapter 221
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 221
Chapter Title: Permission
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Gleipnir."
Clink—
I pulled Gleipnir out from my mental world, and it had returned in pristine condition, without a single scratch.
I couldn't see its expression, but it somehow seemed brimming with energy, giving off a strange vibe.
Stroking Gleipnir in my hand, infused with atonement, I recalled what had just happened.
An intense self-loathing unlike anything I'd ever felt before.
'...So that wasn't a dream.'
Given that a skill called [Mental World Entry] existed, it had to be reality.
But in some ways, I almost wished it had been a dream... The idea that my sacred treasure was a girl who drank semen to power up was incredibly complicated.
This child, wriggling in my hand as if sensing my emotions, needed not blood or mana, but abundant vital essence.
It was a field I was confident in physically—bordering on convenience-driven—but mentally, it was hard to accept outright.
Honestly, I'd love to store semen in some container and use it when needed, but the chain had no mouth.
And rolling the chain over it after sleeping with my women? Just imagining that scene was dizzying.
The self-loathing from that might shatter my mind first.
"If... if it gets damaged again, I'll have to meet it directly in the mental world to find a solution, right?"
Clink!
It was just the chain twitching slightly, but I could clearly understand its intent from that motion.
In the end, the key issue was that I had to feed it directly.
'I really need to be careful.'
It had consumed that much semen through the scratch, but what if it shattered completely?
'...'
My mind refused to think further.
A mental lethargy washed over me just from the thought.
"Yawn~"
I let out a big yawn and sank back into the sofa.
My body's condition wasn't bad after the brawl and the saintess's healing, but my head felt heavy, and I sensed mental fatigue.
Holding Gleipnir close, I fell into a short but deep sleep.
...
...
'Has time passed already...'
Sensing the familiar presence approaching the mansion, I sat up from the sofa.
I needed to gather with Eclair when she arrived to discuss future plans.
The problem was that my thoughts still hadn't fully organized in my head.
Going in and out of the mental world twice had led to deeper reflection and self-examination, piling up my thoughts.
Creek—
My deliberations ended there.
Seeing the two enter through the door brought a smile to my face.
Tension melted away at the sight of Rike and Chloe, back in their uniforms.
"Good work at the academy."
I returned Gleipnir, which I'd been stroking, to storage.
Still seated, I spread my arms wide, and they trotted over, naturally taking positions on my right and left.
"Is the request done?"
"You must have had a hard time...!"
They nodded happily at my confirmation that it had gone well.
Rike and Chloe might not know the details of the request.
But seeing adventurer Roman return unscathed was enough to reassure them.
They'd worried so much at lunch that Seria had screamed and covered her ears.
"Oppa, you look tired. You're not hurt anywhere, right?"
"...You're really okay, right?"
As if on cue, they voiced their worries simultaneously, and I wrapped my arms around their waists, pulling them close.
With my face buried in their soft breasts while seated, it was pure bliss.
Their amused laughter, as if they couldn't help it, was delightful.
"I'm fine. Just a bit stiff."
Inhaling their fresh scents cleared my head a little.
The two girls stroked my hair repeatedly, saying I'd worked hard.
'This is living.'
The affection in their touch melted away the lingering speck of self-loathing.
At the same time, the tangled thoughts in my mind began to untangle in order.
"Oppa! Let's go inside."
Did my comment about stiffness bother them?
I offered no resistance as the girls, fresh from work and offering a massage, led me to the bedroom.
Bang!
The door nearly flew off its hinges with urgent force.
The woman in uniform burst into the mansion, silver hair whipping as she called out anxiously.
"Roman!"
Eclair had raced straight from work, crossing rooftops—not streets—to reach the mansion in a straight line.
Even during duties, the news of Roman trading blows with the Fourth Knight wouldn't leave her mind.
The Fourth Knight was a man whose raw strength rivaled a massive monster.
No matter how sturdy Roman was, she couldn't help worrying.
"Ro—!"
Following the presence to the bedroom, she was met with a sandwich-like sight.
Lying on the bed was Roman, with Rike and Chloe—still in academy uniforms—sprawled atop him, asleep.
They must have heard her clamorous entrance; rubbing sleepy eyes, not fully awake, they stirred.
"Ah! Sis~ Good work!"
Chloe staggered up from the bed with tousled eyes, not fully roused, and hugged Eclair as she approached.
Eclair checked Roman, under Rike, for any visible external injuries.
As their eyes met, he smiled, rose from the bed, and approached her.
He knew why she'd come in such a hurry.
"Don't worry. The saintess healed me personally."
"Even so...!"
A brief kiss on her lips, emotional from concern, silenced her.
Holding her close, she let out a deep sigh, her excitement subsiding.
"It was a brawl without mana. How painful could an old man's punch be?"
An old man who was the Fourth Knight? Eclair was about to retort at the absurd statement.
But she swallowed her words and let out a hollow laugh as a large hand kneaded her butt over her uniform.
"Yeah... as long as you're safe, Roman."
"I'll be more careful next time so I don't get hurt."
As a Platinum adventurer, some injuries were inevitable on requests.
Expecting him to return unscathed from adventurer work was an unreasonable wish.
"Exactly~ As long as Oppa comes back safe, that's enough."
"Yes...!"
Sensing the mood, Rike and Chloe crept closer and clung on.
The four, chatting in an amusing tangle, naturally collapsed onto the bed in an embrace.
The three women here, lounging sloppily without changing out of uniforms, was a sight outsiders who knew them couldn't imagine.
But for them, it was truly comfortable, faces beaming with happiness.
...
...
After everyone finished their tasks and training, gathering in the bedroom. Once all were in bed in casual clothes.
I organized once more the thoughts I'd sorted all day with my stubborn head.
"Out of the blue, but there's something I want permission from you three for."
"...Huh?"
Three pairs of sparkling eyes turned to me, puzzled.
"Where to start..."
Simply and clearly.
I met Duke Amarans on today's request and keenly felt my lack of skill.
Not acting out of mere frustration, but because I sensed room for growth, desire bloomed—and I confessed it honestly, without hiding.
In a situation where I had responsibilities, it was lacking, but if they permitted, I'd be out and about for a while and might not return home daily.
But what I could promise.
Without fail! I'd return home at least once a week.
'Can't skip academy classes either.'
It wasn't just about training the body. Not for personal peace that I sought power.
While protecting what's in my hands. Abandoning duties and possessions wasn't the answer.
Means mustn't devour goals; I had to properly direct power's use and purpose.
I was confident the period wouldn't be long.
The hidden pieces I'd discarded as useless.
If recovering those with meager effects—left ignored as awkward—didn't yield progress?
'Sparring with Eclair for help or checking backlog Platinum requests would work too.'
In conclusion, it meant venturing outside the capital a bit.
Among the women staring blankly after hearing me out, Eclair snapped to first.
"Ha— So that's what you've been thinking about all day alone..."
Her words made my jaw itch involuntarily.
"...Was it that obvious?"
Rike and Chloe nodding with laughter was quite embarrassing.
I thought I'd mastered enduring pain and shamelessness indistinguishable from iron mask during adventurer life.
'Apparently not at all?'
I was confident at hiding expressions, so even with a complicated head, I thought I'd carried on normally.
I figured sharp Rike might notice something off, but the sisters knowing too?
"Don't worry, Oppa. No one else would notice."
"..."
Were my expressions that varied, readable even in real-time thoughts?
Speechless and silent, Rike unbuttoned her shirt, cradling my face in soft skin.
"Oppa is so cute... Sis, doesn't it still feel novel even after all these times? Chloe thinks so too, right?"
Chloe nodded vigorously in agreement with Rike.
Eclair chuckled softly before speaking.
"Definitely... He feels so different from typical men."
The three here.
Had never seen a family head seek permission rather than notify at a crossroads for growth.
Rike's father, Enoch Skadi, discarded all for advancement.
The Dreitna sisters' parents only sent duty-masked check-ins to Eclair, not Chloe.
Rike was uniquely so. But Dreitna sisters were common in imperial nobility.
Roman, holding mansion and family reins, seeking their permission was extraordinary and special.
Yet Roman wasn't soft or permissive to all.
Wasn't he the Platinum adventurer fierce and prickly to outsiders?
This cautious side, unseen outside, reaffirmed the depth of affection and respect he showed them.
····
'Delicious.'
I stepped out of the mansion, eating a priceless handmade sandwich.
After requests, I always got fussed over about my condition.
Anticipating that yesterday might've made me overthink.
Given my women's natures, they wouldn't block my path anyway, so I figured permission was guaranteed.
Even expecting some explanation for buy-in.
Yet they granted it astonishingly easily, no need for follow-up.
First such women in past or present lives; they were exceptionally precious.
'Gotta cherish them forever. Gifts every week.'
That evening, I devoted myself till dawn, satisfying Rike, Eclair, Chloe without exception.
The next day, piercing damp dawn air, I walked dim streets before sunrise.
Before leaving the capital.
There was a place I had to visit first.