Tent-Sharing Temptations
The caravan escort mission was overall pretty straightforward. Our job mainly consisted of taking turns standing guard outside the wagons to watch for enemies, and fighting alongside the guards whenever monsters or other threats showed up. Unlike the first time, when they'd put us up front to test our skills, Joseph even assigned us positions the next time monsters appeared.
"I know you're capable, but our duty is to protect the merchants and their goods. Stay here and guard this wagon."
Their handling of the situation was seasoned from years on the trade routes, and fighting in sync with them made short work of the occasional monster raids.
"Yeah, draw their attention like this, then circle around for a flank..."
In the process, I picked up basic group tactics and such. For someone like me, who'd only fought in groups of up to four people at most, coordinating with a larger team was a completely new experience.
"You've got some manners on you. Most adventurers are street rats with no respect."
"Haha, not as much as you, Puff."
Not wanting to miss the opportunity, I chatted with them during downtime, learning tips on group combat formations and protecting allies. Even setting aside my swordsmanship and physical prowess, this knowledge and experience would fuel my growth.
Anyway, the mission proceeded smoothly without any real hitches, and I steadily built up my skills and know-how. But...
This seemingly cushy gig had two major downsides.
"Ugh... gonna puke. Three days cooped up in here, and the stench is brutal."
"Even orcs... hell, goblins would be welcome at this point. I'm bored out of my mind."
"Wanna play cards?"
"Nah. Did that on the bumpy wagon last time and hurled right after."
First issue, as expected: the long duration. The constant jolting made my stomach churn, and sharing close quarters with unwashed folks filled the air with a godawful stink. We wiped down with wet cloths for basic hygiene, but it didn't help much. Plus, being stuck in the wagon all day was insanely boring. Even the veteran guards, used to this life, were hoping for a monster attack just to break the monotony.
Still, their boredom let me pry all sorts of advice out of them...
That problem was tolerable if you gritted your teeth. The real issue was elsewhere.
"It's getting dark. We'll camp here for the night."
As the sun set, the caravan halted to let the horses rest and set up camp. Tents sprang up around the circled wagons, and the guards drew lots with dice games for night watch shifts.
And I was...
"We'll pitch here!"
"...Fine."
Setting up our single tent with Kir in a suitable spot.
Yeah. That was the second problem. On day one, folks mistook us for a couple and, in their misguided kindness, gave us one tent.
Grateful, sure...
I'd planned to just unroll a bedroll by the campfire, so a beat-up tent was better than nothing. The catch? It was a one-person tent—tiny.
Which meant...
"...Kir. Seriously, I'll sleep outside."
"Why? We've shared for three nights already."
Yeah. It'd been four days since leaving Rivil, and for the past three nights, I'd slept in the same cramped tent with Kir.
Obviously, when they handed us the one tent, I offered it to her and planned to crash outside. My toughened body wouldn't catch a cold from roughing it.
But...
"Why? Let's sleep together!"
"Kir. I'm a guy, you're a girl..."
"Huh?"
Expecting refusal from any normal girl, I was shocked when Kir casually suggested sharing without a second thought.
Am I overreacting?
Flustered by her nonchalance, I still meant to yield the tent that first night and head out, but...
"Nooo! Sleep together!"
"Kir! Shh!!"
She yelled something that'd fuel misunderstandings and dragged me back inside. No choice but to sleep there.
Is she being considerate, or just carefree with no boundaries...?
Wouldn't any woman be wary of a strange guy sleeping right next to her? I wasn't sure if she trusted me that much, but... it was awkward as hell.
"Phew... the wagon's too hot..."
Failing again to sleep outside, I crawled into the narrow tent. Kir followed, pouting as she stripped off her outer layer.
Whoosh...!!
The concentrated scent from her body flooded the tent.
Curiously, unlike the wagon's foul reek, Kir's smell wasn't unpleasant.
What do you call this...? Musky?
More precisely, instead of human sweat's sour tang, it was like the jelly on cat or dog paws—musky with a mild, inoffensive sweat note. Addictively sniffable, even.
Do I smell?
I sniffed myself, but you can't really smell your own scent. Probing various spots yielded nothing but the wagon's musty haze clogging my nose.
"Sniff... sniff..."
"Hm...? Eek! Kir, what're you doing?!"
Next thing I knew, a curious Kir had sidled up and was sniffing me.
"It's fine! Yuseong doesn't smell!"
Spotting my concern unasked, she reassured me, eyes sparkling as she pressed closer.
"Oh, do I smell? Is that it?"
"No!"
Horrified, I shoved her aside as she offered herself up for inspection. Then I mentally sang the national anthem.
Phew... calm down.
That's why sharing a tent with Kir was trouble. Her natural friendliness kept her too close already; body-to-body contact made it worse. My dick reacted on autopilot.
She's so innocent-looking... feels guilty even thinking it.
But her pure, sunny vibe stirred guilt for my thoughts—especially after she took an ogre hit for me before.
"Let's get in and rest!"
Oblivious, Kir urged me on, wriggling inside and spreading the blanket. She patted the spot beside her expectantly.
...She's really that pure, right?
At this point, I half-suspected the innocent act was a ploy to seduce me... but three nights proved words wouldn't sway her. Squeezing my eyes shut, I slid in beside her.
Our distance shrank; her scent sharpened, her yellow pupils glinting in the dark.
"Heehee."
God knows what thrilled her, but she grinned ear-to-ear just because I lay down.
Phew...
Mentally anthem-ing, I turned my back and shut my eyes.
"Sleep time."
"Huh? Why~? Let's chat first!"
Squish♥
"Cough."
The moment I turned, she whined and snuggled up. Smaller than Karen or Laila, but her soft tits still pressed plushly against my back.
Impulse screamed to spin and grab them, but I clenched my teeth.
Damn. No way to relieve stress mid-mission...
Sharing nightly meant no solo replication relief, no jerking off either. After grueling days, glued to her in sleep? Torture.
Just wait till Steel Fortress...
Proximity had built enough understanding of Kir for replication later—I could tell without testing. Her beastkin fur everywhere made samples easy.
Whatever. Sleep.
Even plotting ahead, surging lust wrecked sleep. Desperate measures.
Replicate. Replicate. Replicate...
Repeatedly using replication on a small, complex magic tool drained my power fast, flooding me with fatigue. Doing it inside my clothes, canceling and repeating, kept Kir clueless.
Good. Eyes heavy...
Exhausted, eyelids drooped; I sighed in relief and surrendered to sleep.
Thanks to that...
"Tch..."
Some sound, maybe—but I missed it, drifting off.
......
And shortly after.
Swish.
The blanket rustled; a slender figure rose.
"Yuseong... asleep?"
She whispered cautiously at the sleeping Yuseong, poking him to check.
Slide.
Slowly, she overlaid her body atop his.