Chapter 99
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Thrilling Sweetness
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We disembarked from the carriage that had raced along in silence, maintaining a triangular formation with the captain at the forefront.
That was how we walked to the Adventurer's Guild, drawing stares from all around.
Maybe because he was conscious of what the female squad members had said, the captain's steps seemed subtly quicker than usual.
After a short walk, a wooden building came into view.
Some primal smell, or atmosphere? The Adventurer's Guild always filled me with a sense of repulsion even before I stepped inside.
The cheap tobacco and booze fumes wafting out through the open door made it hard to keep a straight face, but I endured it and moved to head in—only for the captain to halt right at the entrance without entering.
"I'll report to the reception room, so you two wait outside the building. If you do anything that might embarrass me..."
"A-ah, got it!!"
"...Understood."
Last time, we'd waited outside the reception room door, but now we'd been pushed all the way out of the Guild itself.
The captain's growl carried real killing intent, making my comrade shrink back as he replied.
As for me... well, with my guilty track record and my decision to lay low for a while, I just meekly answered.
Guess I'd just chat with this guy in some corner.
*knock knock knock.*
"Coming in..."
The knock on the reception room door was followed by Eclair's voice. Even though this had happened several times before, things felt different now—a fresh sense of anticipation bubbled up.
'Whoa... this is seriously thrilling.'
The door creaked open.
Eclair stepped in, her black uniform impeccably neat, without a single attendant trailing her. Seeing her enter the reception room alone, I immediately stood from my seat.
"Why... are you standing?"
Step. Step. Step.
As I approached one step at a time, I could see Eclair's flushed face, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard.
*Click.*
For starters, I reached out and fiddled with the reception room door. These doors needed to be locked to keep any sounds from leaking out.
"Come here, Kitty."
"W-what are you doing?! This is... work time!"
I pulled the slightly retreating Eclair into a hug, and she pushed lightly at my chest with her hands.
Her words rejected me fiercely, but her hands held no real strength. That only made her seem all the cuter.
Once the mental chains of chastity were broken in the heat of passion, Eclair would cling to me, promising to bear me any number of children and declaring her love. But until then, she rarely showed it.
If you pushed affection on her boldly at times like this, you got to see all sorts of fun reactions.
"I thought I was gonna die from missing you. Just let me hold you a little."
"Ha... you're impossible."
At my words, her voice tone lifted unconsciously, along with the corners of her mouth. Watching her, I asked,
"Don't tell me—you missed me too?"
"Enough with the teasing..."
Eclair's face turned red as she extended both arms instead of words, wrapping them around my waist and pulling me into an even tighter embrace.
The soft press of her breasts against me stirred my male instincts, drawing a bit of blood southward.
As the mood in the empty reception room grew steamy, Eclair loosened her arms around me.
"Roman... we really need to... get to work now..."
"I'm not even gonna listen to the details."
"Eek—! That tickles... seriously... no..."
I gently scratched her chin with one hand, tilting her head up, and despite her words, Eclair's eyes fluttered half-shut naturally.
Rike dove in aggressively during kisses, pushing her tongue into my mouth and tangling wildly.
But Eclair welcomed mine in timidly, weaving our tongues together shyly while focusing on sucking and licking, savoring my saliva.
"Mmph... slurp... haa... nngh..."
I ravaged the mouth of my long-missed Eclair, my hands sliding down to pat and knead her firm, elastic butt.
Feeling the illicit texture unique to her uniform, we kissed for about five minutes before I pulled away.
I wiped the thread-like strand of saliva from our kiss with my fingers, stroked the hair of Eclair—whose eyes were glazed over—and held her close.
"I love you."
At my words, Eclair trembled in my arms, her face buried against my chest. She hugged me with back-breaking force to hide it.
With that strength, an ordinary person would've had their spine shattered for real.
"...I... l-love you too."
It was a tiny voice, like an ant crawling, but for her to express it this much was a huge step forward. I was deeply satisfied.
"It'd be nice if you could come over to my place for dinner sometimes, even just evenings."
"Then Chloe would be left alone..."
"Can't have four of us—Rike included—eating together either... tricky situation."
"..."
Chloe knew I was Eclair's man, but Rike hadn't told anyone around us yet, aside from me and Eclair. She seemed to have a lot on her mind about it too.
Bringing it up would mean explaining the whole backstory, and neither of us wanted to burden the innocently bright Seria and Chloe with dark family tales.
"Chloe's an adult now too—she could come sleep over at my place sometimes? Sisters don't have to share a bed every night..."
"Th-that... it'd imply I've been sleeping with you..."
Eclair felt intense shame and resistance at the mere idea of hinting to Chloe that she was spending the night with a man.
Even if I snuck into her study at the mansion, she'd never go beyond a kiss if Chloe was around.
"Ah! Then should I visit more often? At least to see your face."
"You don't even come home some days... don't. I'd get distracted at work."
"Tough. Guess you gotta retire soon~"
Eclair, who'd been silent in my arms, suddenly lifted her head as if struck by a thought.
"...Last time, Chloe said she was fine with it, so I could sleep over anytime. Do you know how embarrassing that was?!"
Her innocent little sister had caught her so off guard that Eclair's voice pitched up and down unevenly.
"Chloe's an adult too—she knows all there is to know... why worry so much? It's cute, though. Just wanting some time with the one you love."
Thinking back to Eclair's first time, Chloe probably only had a vague theoretical knowledge... but an adult was an adult.
"I-I know. It's not a crime or anything wrong... still..."
"Yeah. Doesn't mean you go bragging to your little sister about it."
That was the sexual ethos of this world. Leaving aside sisters bantering lightly, she had her position and dignity to uphold.
I gave her a quick peck, and Eclair averted her gaze while pressing firmly against my chest to push me away.
"Roman. Work now! At this rate, we'll never finish..."
She pulled away from my embrace and strode purposefully to the front, seating herself on the reception room sofa. I sat opposite her.
"Right. Work it is... I get the gist of the extra rewards. And the bigwig had something to say too, huh?"
"No writ came down today. I'll convey it orally."
"Sounds good. I get to hear Kitty's voice too."
She cleared her throat at my words, shifting the mood abruptly.
"Ahem! Listen seriously. The additional rewards are, as the term implies, separate from the initial offer—just ask if there's anything you need, and they'll accommodate as much as possible."
"Looks like 'that person' up top is thrilled with the results this time."
Eclair nodded without hiding it.
"I've never seen him so pleased since I started serving... honestly threw me off. If there's anything you need, tell me freely. I'll relay it all without omission."
"Meeting you today is reward enough."
She looked dumbfounded at my words, raising one hand to cover her lower face. Though her lips twitched, she managed to keep a stern expression.
"Really... aren't you embarrassed saying that...?"
"Shamelessness and honesty are basic adventurer qualities, Knight."
"Enough. Tell me what you actually need... if you say nothing, it'll look weird in the internal review. An adventurer with no desires? You're no church ascetic."
"Then elixirs? The good stuff."
As I started listing items, Eclair pulled out a notepad from her bosom and began jotting notes.
"Mm. And?"
"Consumables for recovery would be nice too. Top-grade holy water you can't buy with money from the Church—"
...
...
"...That's really it. Squeezed my brain dry."
I already had most decent items, so naming real needs wasn't easy.
"Mm. This much shouldn't stray too far from reward territory. Practical stuff—feels like a proper adventurer request."
Unlike before, when she'd just listened passively, we'd exchanged opinions as she finished noting. She nodded in satisfaction, glancing at her notepad.
"All done?"
She shook her head, her eyes gleaming with seriousness.
"And now, a message from the Imperial Family. His Majesty said to skip all unnecessary procedures when meeting you, Roman—so I'll convey only the essentials."
Guess a few face-to-face meetings had taught him how to handle an adventurer casually.
"I'm listening."
"The conditions you received for handling the Lymno request... whatever they were, if chatter arises from one side, they'll ensure formalities are in place to smooth things over easily. Remember that."
I understood instantly.
A duel based on a mana contract, honor-bound actions... or nobles tossing down the white glove for a duel?
As adventurers, me or Rike touching a marquis house meant they were offering "spices" to make any fallout easier to resolve.
"Wanna know what we got?"
"...Can you tell me?"
How could she not be curious when only the empty shell had been relayed? She looked at me with barely concealed anticipation.
"Of course. Sit here. I'll tell you slowly."
I patted the empty spot beside me on the sofa. She hesitated, lips pursed, then came over and sat, leaning her head lightly on my shoulder.
"No time—keep the explanation brief..."
"Slowly, though. Wish my always-busy Kitty could relax here as much as possible before going."
"Don't worry... I've rested plenty already. And... mark this. It's my day off, so... I'll come to your place that day."
She whispered, showing me a star marked on the tiny calendar amid her work notes.
"How'd it go with Rike? Chloe, Rike, and Seria all gathering at the mansion again?"
It had to be after coordinating with Rike, but she flushed beet red out of nowhere and butted her head against my shoulder.
"D-don't worry about the details! It's all settled, so... hurry up and start explaining! I have something to show you before I go too...!"