Chapter 45: The Guard Who Cares for His Junior (23)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 45: The Guard Who Cares for His Junior (23)
I brought Rena to the same inn as yesterday. As expected from the eroge's settings, the food here was incredible. It was bound to captivate the palate of even a noble knight-in-training.
"Ah! Mr. Guard!"
Tiarushi recognized me and came running over. Her movements were filled with anticipation. On the other hand, Rena clung to my side with an expression that seemed to say, 'Another woman?'
I’ll have to train her thoroughly so she doesn't block any women who come my way; instead, I'll condition her to bring new ones in herself.
"You're here early."
"The longer I delay, the more your father suffers, Tiarushi."
"You... you knew my name?"
"You're quite famous. I heard the hunters entering the dungeon talking about you. And here, this is the item I promised."
I pulled the mint from my pouch. Tiarushi’s face brightened the moment she confirmed the quality.
"Wow! These are all top-grade! Thank you so much! Anything below high-grade wasn't very effective, so I tried to find some but failed... To think you'd find this much of something even better..."
They say mint is easy to grow, but that’s only if you don’t care about the quality. To produce high-grade mint, a professional has to manage it meticulously.
However, if you put that much effort into more expensive seeds, you could get a much higher return for the same amount of time. That’s why Serika told me that high-quality mint is hard to come by.
I didn't know that, of course. In the eroge, all mint was just mint. How was I supposed to know? Distinguishing quality is something you do in farming sims.
"I am a guard, after all. I used a bit of my influence."
"I don't know how to repay this kindness... Are you here for a meal with your colleague? We'll provide our evening special for free!"
"That's quite alright. I should pay."
"Oh, heavens. If anything, we should be paying you."
Izumi joined in as well. Seeing the innkeeper's characteristically plump yet curvaceous body, Rena pressed herself even closer to me.
"Senior..."
I liked the warmth pressing against my arm. With three women surrounding me, the eyes of every man in the inn were fixed on us. A good idea struck me.
"Since even the owner, Izumi, says so, it’s hard to refuse. Fine. But could you bring the meal up to a room instead?"
"Of course we can, but may I ask why?"
"My junior finds the stares of other men uncomfortable. I'd prefer a space away from prying eyes if possible."
Rena would likely find more courage when we were alone than in an open space. And I could pounce on her right then and there without needing to move locations.
"Aha."
Izumi licked her lips. It was a small gesture, but it overflowed with sensuality.
"We only have a single room left, though. If that's alright, I'll give you that one."
"That works for me. Rena, is that okay?"
"Ye-yes!"
Once we received the key and entered the room, Rena became noticeably quieter. She busied herself inspecting the interior of the room, which wasn't particularly special.
"Th-there's only one bed?"
"We're not staying the night anyway, so what does it matter? Right?"
"Ah... right..."
She looked visibly disappointed. Innocent girl. As we sat through the awkward silence, Tiarushi appeared with the food.
"I didn't order any alcohol."
"My mother sent it as a service. It's our inn's special fruit wine, so I'm sure you'll like it!"
"Thank you."
"No! I'm the one who's thankful. Thanks to you, my father will be able to spend the next few days in comfort. By any chance..."
"You don't have to be so cautious. I'll keep providing it as long as it's within my power."
"Thank you! I will definitely repay this debt!"
Right. Don't you dare forget it; you'll be repaying it with your body later. Once Tiarushi finished setting the table and left, Rena spoke up.
"That mint you gave her earlier... Is the waitress's father very sick?"
"Yeah. Apparently, his condition worsens unless they use mint that's high-grade or better, but it's hard to find. Fortunately, Iruna is great at farming, so we were able to harvest some high-quality crops."
"Ah, she really is good at so many things."
"She's the ultimate supportive partner. Let's eat before the food gets cold. It won't taste as good once it's chilled."
As expected of a special meal, the spread was excellent. There were various roasted vegetables, including asparagus, and a mushroom soup that felt easy on the stomach. The main course was a meticulously grilled lamb steak.
It seemed they used lamb about eight months old rather than a full-grown sheep, as it lacked any gamey smell and was incredibly tender. How did I know? A wealthy friend used to buy it for me occasionally, so I remembered. The price was enough to rival top-tier Korean beef, so I never would have dreamed of going to that restaurant on my own.
"This is really delicious, isn't it? I think it's better than beef."
"Mmm. It is."
It was a truly great dish, but Rena was only picking at it with her utensils.
"What's wrong? Does it taste bad?"
"No! It tastes good, but..."
"Then you must have something on your mind. Here, have a glass of fruit wine. It'll help you relax."
As I filled her glass, Rena looked flustered. She was clearly remembering the time she drank whiskey and passed out pathetically.
"You don't have to down it in one go, so drink slowly. Yesterday was only like that because you drank too fast."
"Shall I?"
Rena cautiously took a sip of the fruit wine, and her face lit up.
"Wow. It's alcohol, but it's sweet! The aroma is wonderful, and the flavor is so rich. I wonder what kind of fruit they used to make this."
"I know, right? I'd like to know too."
The taste was on par with the expensive wines I'd had in reality. If they sold it separately, I’d have to stock up before going home.
Unexpectedly, Rena was a good drinker. Her appetite seemed to return as she began diligently cutting her meat. I couldn't let her relax too much yet, though. I had to create a certain atmosphere to get her to confess her love.
There’s a finishing move one can use at the dinner table. I cut a piece of meat into a bite-sized portion.
"You're eating well. Is it that good?"
"Yes! It melts in my mouth!"
"Then try this too."
"Uh..."
Rena lost her words when she saw the piece of lamb held right in front of her lips. Her fingers fidgeted.
"Th-this is..."
"You don't want it?"
"N-no. Thank you for the food!"
Closing her eyes tight, Rena took the meat in one bite. It slipped off the fork past her lips and into her mouth.
Without even moving her jaw yet, Rena wore an expression of pure bliss.
"Aren't you going to eat it?"
"Ah, mmpf."
Rena tried to speak and almost spat out the meat. She hurriedly pushed it back in with her hand and chewed away.
"You're cute when you eat. Want more?"
"Gulp. N-no. I'm fine."
"Are you hot? Your face is red. Should I open a window?"
"Now that you mention it, it is a bit hot. I'll open it!"
Rena quickly opened the window and fanned herself with her hand. Her gaze was clearly fixed on me. Now that the fruit was ripe, it was time to pluck it.
"What's bothering you? I'll keep it a secret, so just tell me."
"Ah, well... it's a bit difficult."
"Still haven't found the courage? Here, have another drink."
I poured more fruit wine into her empty glass, and Rena downed it in one shot. She sure drinks it well since it's sweet. The alcohol content is probably similar to the one we had yesterday.
Sure enough, Rena became moderately intoxicated. Her slightly unfocused eyes stared intently at me. Yet, her mouth still wouldn't open.
There was no point in stalling any longer. I’d just take the first shot.
"Actually, I know even if you don't tell me. You saw, didn't you?"
"Wh-wh-wh-what? Saw? What? Not at all. I didn't see anything!"
"People who really didn't see anything don't react like you."
I took my time finishing the lamb. I wouldn't have the leisure to eat once I got busy.
"Yesterday, in the middle of sex, I heard the sound of you running away outside. I'm sorry. If I'd known you were watching, I would have shown some restraint. But I'm a man too, so it was hard to hold back."
"No! It was my fault for peeking."
"True. You were at fault too. I heard from Iruna that you were watching for quite a while?"
Rena’s face turned pale.
"Iruna... told you... everything? About what I did?"
"She just said you were peeking and then ran away. Why? Did you do something else?"
"It's nothing..."
Rena lowered her head. Her shyly joined hands pressed between her thighs. I decided this was the moment and moved to sit beside her.
"I understand how you feel. I was feeling the effects of the alcohol too, and being in the same room as a charming girlfriend and a senior, it was hard to resist. You know how much temptation our profession is exposed to."
"That's true. Even today, some woman was trying to seduce you, Senior."
Rena ground her teeth.
"What's so bad about that?"
"Huh?"
"Being attracted to a charming member of the opposite sex is human instinct. That hunter was just attracted to me, and I turned her down because I wasn't attracted to her. Because someone more charming, someone I've built memories with over the past few days, asked to have dinner with me."
"Uuu."
Rena lowered her head and curled her body inward. Even so, she leaned slightly against me. Her body was as hot as a fireball, and the spot where we touched quickly became warm.
"But... you have a girlfriend, Senior."
Her form of address had shifted from 'Senior' (formal) to just 'Senior' (less formal). A positive development.
"I do. But you saw it yourself. My girlfriend doesn't care if there are others as long as I love her. She considers it natural, just like how nobles have multiple wives and concubines."
"Even that Mehya Senior..."
"Actually, there are others I'm involved with. Iruna knows, of course."
"Wh-what?!"
Startled, Rena looked me straight in the eye. Our faces were so close I could feel her excited breath.
"They were all people who told me they liked me, so it was hard to turn them down. They're all good people, and I couldn't leave them with the memory of a failed first love. I told them there were other women, and they accepted it. That's how our relationship became."
"That's..."
Rena hesitated before gathering her courage and shouting.
"It's my first love too!"
"Whose?"
"Th-that... yours, Senior."
"Is that so?"
I gave a mischievous smile on purpose. I touched Rena’s cheek; it was as hot as a heat pack.
"I can't really tell when you say it like that. Want to be a bit more honest?"
"I-I-I... Senior... l-l-lo..."
"Lo? You want to be 'lo-yal' to my swordsmanship?"
"No! I love you!!"
"Good girl."
I pulled Rena into a tight hug. I could feel her heart thumping. Her body temperature was so high I was worried she might have a fever.
She was practically a human heater. If every household were supplied with one Rena in the winter, there’d be no need to worry about heating bills.
"You were brave. Then I should give you an answer. What kind of words do you want to hear?"
"I want you to... love me too, Senior..."
"That's not a difficult thing. It's harder not to love someone as pretty and hardworking as you, Rena. But I have other lovers too. Sometimes multiple people get involved at once, like yesterday. Can you tolerate that? If not, it'll be hard for me to accept your love."
I pulled away from Rena and finished firmly.
"If you refuse, then nothing happened between us. You didn't love me, and I'll just think of you as a junior I work with. Our conversations will be strictly professional. You know how I treat hunters when I'm working. That's how it'll be for you too."
"That... I hate that. It would break my heart..."
"Just keep two things in mind. First, don't be jealous even if I have sex with other lovers. Second, follow my words unconditionally. You saw yesterday, so you know what I mean, right?"
"...Yes."
"Now, your answer. What will you do?"
The answer came immediately.
"I love you, Senior. If you ignore me, it would hurt so much I don't think I could go on living. I won't be jealous, and I'll listen to everything you say. So please... please accept my love."
"Good."
Now that I’d secured the confession, it was time for the next phase. Time for training sex.