Chapter 48: Give and Take (5)
Chapter 48: Give and Take (5)
Laura’s condition was as follows:
First, she was sprawled face-down across my thighs as I sat on the sofa.
Second, the undersides of her breasts were pressed firmly against the side of my thigh.
Third, her arms were pulled behind her back and bound tight in a straight line with a leather belt.
Fourth, she wore a blindfold, earplugs, and a mask with an internal gag that rendered her speechless.
Fifth, she was dressed in a bunny girl outfit.
It was a punishment for making me finish with her hand while I was asleep, and at the same time, it was an excellent posture to demonstrate exactly how I treated an adventurer like Laura.
"Why so surprised?"
I stroked Laura’s buttocks with my hand.
Since her stockings only reached her thighs, her rear was, of course, bare skin.
"Is this strange to you?"
"...It is exactly as the rumors say."
"Rumors?"
"I heard you treat women with utter disregard."
The rumors were true.
If someone had told me those rumors properly at the start, I might have moved more cautiously. But since they were already out there, I might as well act the part.
If it was true that I treated women poorly, then I could use that display of mistreatment to my advantage.
"Amy. Could you step out for a moment? I’d like to speak with Miss Serica in private."
"......What about the snacks and the wine service?"
"I’ll handle it myself. There’s no need for formal pouring anyway."
I pointed to the portable cellar stocked full of wine.
"We can just grab a bottle and drink."
"...Understood. Please call for me if you require anything."
"I will."
Amy stepped outside.
She was likely keeping a close eye on the room from the door, but for now, it was just me, Serica—and Laura, who was draped across my lap.
"Have a drink."
"......."
"Do you need a glass?"
"...Yes. I will pour it myself."
They say drinks are meant to be shared, but I still didn't know the sophisticated way to pour wine. Attempting to learn it now would only invite suspicion regarding my identity.
Therefore, drinking straight from the bottle was the "correct" answer for my character. I was about to do just that, but Serica opened the cork with an elegant grace and filled her glass.
...She filled it right to the brim.
I knew it.
I recalled a setting mentioned in passing that she enjoyed her liquor, and it seemed that was spot on.
"Cheers. Let's have one."
"...Thank you for the invitation."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who's grateful you came."
Clink.
The bottle and the glass collided, ringing with a clear sound.
I took a long, deep swig from the bottle, then gripped it by the neck and rested the base of the chilled glass against Laura’s bare back.
"!!"
Laura’s toes curled.
Since I had also bound her ankles, she couldn't spread her legs as she pleased. The sudden contact of the cold bottle against her exposed skin must have startled her.
I set the bottle on the table and used the condensation to trace letters onto Laura’s back.
P. U. S. S. Y. ?
"Mmmph..."
She nodded vigorously.
I immediately reached down beneath Laura and slid my middle finger deep into the crevice of her buttocks.
"Hnnngh...!"
I was only touching her because she asked for it, but to any observer, this was a scene of fiendish play, treating a woman like a mere pet.
It must have been shocking for Serica in many ways, yet she remained composed, silently sipping her wine.
"So. Have you thought about joining the knight order?"
"The adventurers are talking. They say the moment I join this order, I’ll become the Sword’s Whore."
"Calling the Sword Maiden by such a name... those bastards have a death wish."
"But... won't it become the truth?"
Serica glared at me with eyes as sharp as a well-honed blade.
"Even if I join as a technical advisor, won't you violate me? Just like that."
"Violate? That’s a poor choice of words. You make it sound as if I intend to rape you."
"Yes. Am I wrong?"
"You are."
I took another sip of wine.
"I don't violate innocent women."
"Which means you do violate those with 'guilt.' And if they have none, you'll simply manufacture it to have your way."
"When you put it like that, I sound like some piece of trash rapist."
"......."
"Don't look at me like that. I know where to draw the line these days."
Slap.
I gave Laura’s butt a light smack.
"I have no need to go around bedding every woman I see when I already have one like this to take care of my cock."
"...From what I’ve heard, that woman is surely a member of the order..."
"She’s the Captain. And she’s the one you’ll be teaching combat techniques to."
She might look like this now, but Laura was a Goddess capable of growing to 6 stars. If raised properly, she was a being who could break through the 100th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth alone—someone who could carry even a trash-tier character like Ruji to a 100th-floor clear.
"The mage of the Magic Tower, our order’s magic consultant, has already confirmed her talent for magic. She said that with the right growth, she could even walk the path of a Great Mage."
Though that path had been forced open through Sex Magic.
"But magic is magic, and actual combat training is another matter. I want you to teach her how to fight. That is the primary objective."
"Primary?"
"Yes. What I just said was regarding your role as a technical advisor. If you join as a member of the order, you will, of course, have to conquer the Infinite Labyrinth."
Now.
This was the real pitch.
"I am going to find the gems within the Infinite Labyrinth. And anyone who stands in the way of that search will be buried ruthlessly within the depths of the maze."
"...!!"
Serica flinched.
Perhaps the vibration of my voice carried through my body, because Laura flinched as well.
"Saying you will 'bury' them sounds as if you intend to kill."
"If necessary, I will."
"Even if the opponent is human?"
"Even if they are human."
I had to be firm.
"Some say the depths of the Infinite Labyrinth are a lawless land. If so, does that not apply to my knight order as well? Some madman might see the seal of my order and, instead of being intimidated, decide to attack us."
To use a slightly extreme example.
"My knights are so beautiful and alluring that someone might try to assault them once they enter the labyrinth."
"......!"
"I protect my women. Within Fermaton Castle, my authority and my life serve as the shield that guards them. But it’s different beneath the labyrinth. In the Infinite Labyrinth, where the authority of Fermaton does not reach, strength is everything."
Serica had to become the ultimate shield.
She would be my woman, but also the strongest shield to protect my other women.
"But as you know, I cannot enter the Infinite Labyrinth myself."
If I even suggested going in, Serica herself would probably grab my leg to stop me.
"So I thought about it. I decided to find someone who can protect my women. I am gathering people for the order, seeking the most capable individuals to guard my women—my knights."
"...If that is the case, surely among the men—"
"Nonsense."
I cut her off intentionally.
"I’d trust a virgin over any bastard with a dick."
"......."
Male characters were out.
"You want me to bring guys with cocks between their legs into my inner circle? I’m not gay. And those bastards would only harbor lewd thoughts toward my women. I will never accept them as comrades."
Performance?
Top-tier meta?
What if the 'Human Rights Character' was a male?
Female characters are superior.
To me, gender was performance. If two characters were equally essential to the meta, I would always pick the female one.
"So, help me. I will leave all basic authority to the Knight Captain, Laura, but you will become the Sword of Fermaton."
"Are you telling me to take the heads of those who spew their dark desires toward your women, Young Lord?"
"Exactly. You understand perfectly."
I was telling her to become a human butcher.
"Can you do it?"
"That is..."
"For the record."
I downed another bottle of wine.
"It is common practice not to prosecute murders that occur within the Infinite Labyrinth. Without definitive evidence or testimony, a trial is impossible."
I had learned this while investigating the incidents here.
The Infinite Labyrinth was a lawless zone. In gaming terms—
A PK-enabled area.
The so-called Red Zone.
The monsters crawling out of the labyrinth weren't the only things trying to kill the characters. In fact, people were more dangerous than monsters. They might approach acting friendly, only to stab you in the back and steal your gems and valuables.
"Eventually, everyone will have the strength to handle themselves. Until then, be the technical advisor of my order. At least until Laura becomes as strong as you."
"...I am quite strong, Young Lord."
"I know. You conquered up to the 50th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth alone. Laura can become just as strong."
Even though she was currently having her ass and pussy teased by me, I was more certain of Laura’s talent than anyone.
"Because Bunny Girl Laura is the strongest."
".......I don't quite follow your logic or your sentiment, but in the end, the roles given to me are twofold. One is to be a mentor to Miss Laura. The other is to be a guardian when we enter the Infinite Labyrinth."
"Correct."
"Then..."
Serica’s aura began to grow heavy.
"...Are you saying I truly have permission to kill people?"
"One shouldn't kill people. How could one just kill people recklessly?"
Honestly, I was nervous.
"Then are you telling me not to kill?"
"No. Would those who lay hands on my women even be considered human? To attack the knights of Fermaton, to assault those conquering the Infinite Labyrinth... I can only think of such beings as monsters of the labyrinth."
That was why I suggested we drink.
That was why I had Laura draped over me; I was using her weight to keep my legs from shaking.
"Well, occasionally, there are people who aren't like people at all. Or things that merely mimic humans. That is the nature of the Infinite Labyrinth."
One more light sip.
"Talking in circles is tedious, Serica."
I pushed the empty bottle aside and pulled out a fresh one.
"I’ll be blunt. Become my woman. And cut off the heads and the dicks of any bastards who try to touch my women. I will never hold you accountable for it. Not if you become one of mine."
Gulp.
Serica drained her wine in a single breath.
Then, she grabbed a bottle for herself.
"Young Lord."
Serica gripped the bottle tight and, for the first time, smiled at me.
"I will not wear a bunny girl outfit."
I had no intention of making her.
Because her 'Human Rights' version was the [Swimsuit] one.