Chapter 47: Give and Take (4)
Chapter 47: Give and Take (4)
It was a dream. The reason I knew it was a dream was that the sight before me couldn't be anything else.
A world of gray concrete.
In a world devoid of people, the reflection in the mirror was Ruji Fermaton.
"A lucid dream, then."
A phenomenon where one realizes they are dreaming and gains the ability to do anything within that dream.
Since dreams are ultimately the product of the brain and consciousness, anything should be possible.
"Finger Pistol!"
Crash!
The moment I thrust my index finger toward the mirror, it shattered.
Beyond the glass lay nothing but a hollow darkness. I stepped over the shards and into the void.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound of my footsteps echoed with every stride through the dark. The gray world gradually vanished into the gloom as I walked forward for a long time.
"Is someone there? Are you looking for me?"
"...How perplexing."
Something appeared.
"Truly perplexing. I never imagined you would be a being like this."
"What are you?"
"..."
In the darkness, a black shadow writhed.
The figure was a silhouette of pure black. It looked like the culprit from a detective story, or perhaps a black mannequin wearing a suit.
"Hmm, I see. I see. Well, I suppose such cases exist."
"What are you doing over there, playing both sides of the conversation?"
"I was merely drawing a conclusion through a internal monologue regarding this sudden, nonsensical situation, Ruji Fermaton."
At the very least, since it wasn't asking me to hold it, it wasn't that kind of dangerous entity.
"I shall give you one warning."
"A warning? Who even are you?"
"Watch out for that bitch, Laura."
"...You son of a bitch."
There’s a limit to the bullshit one should spout after breaking into someone else's dream.
"What did you just call my woman? A bitch? Have you lost your damn mind?"
"You won't even listen to the truth. I am advising you with all sincerity. She will bind you and lead you to ruin."
"Shut up, you lunatic. Don't go insulting my woman when you don't know shit. What, are you her ex-boyfriend or something? Huh? Fuck. Just talking about it pisses me off. Hey, I don't know what the hell you are."
I flipped the bird at the black entity.
"I was the one who took Laura's virginity. I'm going to make her have my kids later, too, so just get the hell out of here."
"...Sigh, you pathetic fool."
What was that? Why was he talking to me like he pitied me?
"Fine. You'll find out when you're fucked. You're the one who'll be ruined, not me."
"You... what are you...?"
"There is no need for you to know."
Snap.
The thing snapped its fingers.
"I have warned you, Ruji Fermaton. It will be too late to regret not listening to me then."
"No, what kind of dogshit talk is this? Speak so I can understand!"
"...Haa. Fine. The thing about Laura is—"
In an instant, the world was dyed white. My consciousness vanished simultaneously.
"...Huh?"
I felt as though I were drifting through hazy clouds before my vision slowly began to return.
"...My room?"
"A-Ah, Young Lord. That is..."
Beyond my blurry vision, Laura's face gradually came into focus. She looked flustered, her eyes darting back and forth, unable to meet mine.
"I-I'm so sorry...!"
"...Ah."
I felt a dampness below. That wretched sensation I remembered from my youth—the one I'd felt back in the military—began to register.
"...What did you do?"
"Ah, w-well... I'm sorry for touching it without permission...!!"
"...You touched it?"
"...W-Well, the blanket was sticking up so high... I thought you might be uncomfortable..."
"..."
A sigh of relief escaped me involuntarily. It felt like she was hiding something more, but I could basically grasp the situation.
I'd had an erection while sleeping. She tried to push it down through the blanket with her hand, and then—spurt.
Judging by the semen smeared all over Laura's hands, she must have been trying to block the ejaculate she'd triggered.
I thought I came because of that bastard.
If I was going to have a nocturnal emission, it should have been about Laura or one of the other women, not some bizarre shadow man. That would have been the worst possible disaster.
But fortunately, that wasn't the case. The dream was just a dream, and in reality, I'd simply finished in my sleep because Laura had been fiddling with my cock.
"Laura."
"Yes...!"
"A guest is arriving soon, so clean my cock quickly. Where is Yurdias?"
"I am here."
Standing beside the bed in a modest suit, Yurdias slightly lifted her skirt toward me.
"I am ready to depart."
"Perfect."
Beneath her suit skirt, she was wearing a chastity belt. Wearing panties under a chastity belt was a bit of an aesthetic mismatch, but considering where she was going, it was the minimum safety measure.
"Go and do as you wish. But remember: I am the only one who can unlock that chastity belt."
"I will surely return."
"Right. Then..."
Smooch.
Yurdias leaned over, pulled back the blanket, and kissed my semen-stained cock.
"...I shall be off."
"Oh, uh, yeah."
The leather I caught a glimpse of inside her collar was definitely that restraint outfit from earlier. To think she was going out wearing that.
...Yurdias, it seemed she had firmly made up her mind to hold onto my cock—no, to suck it.
Creeeak.
After Yurdias left, I cracked my neck from side to side.
"Laura. I'm sure I told you we have an important guest this evening."
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't know you would ejaculate..."
"Well, I understand. But... that's that, and this is this."
No matter how shitty the dream was, I couldn't overlook her making me blow my load under the covers.
"I'll have to punish you."
"P-Punishment?!"
"Yes. It'll be a perfect sight for our guest to see."
I grabbed Laura's cheek with one hand.
"Bring the belts. I'm going to tie you up just like Yurdias."
*
The sun had set.
"..."
The woman, Serica, stood before the gates of the Count's castle dressed in a refined gown. Wearing a dark silver-gray dress that matched her hair, she approached the front gate guards with a calm expression.
"Halt. Who are you?"
"...I am the adventurer Serica. The 'Sword Maiden'."
"Sword Maiden? Ah, the Sword Fairy?"
"..."
Those who didn't enter the Infinite Labyrinth tended to be less extreme in their speech. Still, while she would have preferred to just be called the Sword Maiden, the fact that even a common soldier knew her by that nickname was enough.
"I didn't recognize you since you're in a dress instead of your adventurer gear. What brings you here?"
"I have an appointment with the Young Lord. He invited me to a dinner party as an apology for the incident last night."
"Ah. So you're the guest he said was coming? Hmm..."
The guard scratched his head.
"Look, it's not really my place to say this, but are you sure you're okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"If you get caught in the Young Lord's pace, you might end up in a situation you can't back out of."
"...A promise is a promise."
She had come precisely to see if she would end up in such a situation.
Serica expressed her resolve by taking a step forward, and the guard nodded, clearing the way.
"Pass through. Hey! A guest for the Young Lord is here. Adventurer Serica. She has a dinner appointment."
[Send her in.]
Beep.
A maid's voice echoed from a magic stone mounted on the wall.
Serica entered the main gate and walked along the path that stretched straight ahead. Passing through the gardens and by the fountain, the towering Count's castle didn't look much different from the Infinite Labyrinth she entered so often.
After the old castle became a labyrinth, the new castle had been built to mirror its exterior. They looked like identical twins, but they were different from the very entrance.
People lived in this castle, while monsters lived in the old one that had become the Infinite Labyrinth.
"Have you arrived, Sword Maiden?"
Maid Amy came down to the first floor to greet Serica.
"You've made a difficult journey."
"He extended an invitation; I felt it would be improper to merely send a letter, so I came to speak with him in person."
"...I see. I will escort you inside."
Creeeak.
The doors opened.
As Serica walked past, she couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh at the other maids, who looked at her with mocking eyes as if she were a common prostitute from the red-light district.
She knew exactly what they took her for. She wasn't particularly stung by it, having already dealt with the crazed members of the Adventurer's Guild, but she saw no reason to hide her displeasure.
She decided that if their conversation went well and the technical advisor position seemed viable, the first thing she would do was deal with these maids.
"This is the Young Lord's office. He is waiting inside, so you may enter. ...However."
"However?"
"The Young Lord is, how shall I put it, a very sexually open person. You may see something quite shocking once you step inside."
"...What could be worse than the hellscapes I've seen inside the Infinite Labyrinth? It's fine."
"Understood."
Knock, knock.
The door opened with the sound of a knock. Serica took a deep breath and stepped inside.
"Sword Maiden, the adventurer Serica..."
Serica's words trailed off.
"...Young Lord?"
"Hmm. You're here?"
The Young Lord was...
"Welcome, Miss Serica."
"..."
While sitting on the sofa, he was stroking something resting on his lap.
"Young Lord, that is..."
"Ah, this one?"
He continued to stroke it from the lower back to the buttocks, seemingly unconcerned that anything was wrong.
"It's a rabbit."
"...Is that not a person?"
"If I define it as a rabbit, then it is a rabbit."
The Young Lord, Ruji Fermaton, was stroking the back and buttocks of a bunny girl who was sprawled across his lap.
"Don't worry, she doesn't bite."
The blonde rabbit, Laura, was facing sideways, wearing a blindfold, a mask, and a collar. Her hands were pulled behind her back and bound with a black leather belt.
"Now then, Miss Serica. Shall we have a serious talk about the matter we discussed in the underground dungeon?"
"..."
A certain image flashed through Serica's mind.
An influential figure of the back alleys. An underworld boss of a massive guild looked exactly like this.
"Is there a problem?"
Except, instead of a fat cat, he was stroking a bunny girl.