To the Garden
I sat on the edge of the bed and answered nonchalantly, "Ah, did I never mention it? I'm using magic right now."
Lia shot back in disbelief, her voice ringing directly in my head.
What kind of magic? Something like contraceptive magic?
"Yeah. You have no idea how much blood, sweat, and tears I poured into learning just this one spell back in the day."
A horrific memory from the past flashed through my mind.
"Our party's mage was Selene. She was absolutely terrible at teaching... Just thinking about those days makes me not want to look at any other magic."
Wait, do normal mages even handle contraceptive magic?
"Selene wasn't from an ordinary magic tower. She was a witch by blood, so she was well-versed not only in orthodox magic but also in forest potions and shamanism. She was pretty versatile."
My answer sparked a deep note of interest in Lia's voice.
Oho, now that's something to look forward to. If that witch is also one of your coupling targets, you'll be able to devour her without much trouble! After going through all that hell together in the Hero's party and living side by side for so long, you two must've been pretty close, right?
I shook my head lightly at her excited rambling.
"Not really. There was never anything soft or fluffy between us. Selene only joined the party for the sake of her own kind—the witches."
Her own kind?
"Yeah. A long time ago, the Demon King's army trampled the witches' forest and massacred them in the most horrific ways. Selene simply decided to join our Hero's party, cut off the Demon King's head, and get her revenge. She's an incredibly cold and ruthless woman."
The image of Selene's purple eyes as she waved lightly and left after the party disbanded floated through my mind.
After Iris finished her shower and arrived, we were about to leave the mansion when Michelle stubbornly blocked our path.
She insisted that the famous capital desserts she'd mentioned yesterday had just arrived and practically dragged us into having at least one cup of tea before we left.
And so the three of us ended up sitting across from one another on the bright outdoor terrace of the Marquis Valerius estate.
"....."
A strange silence hung over the terrace. To be precise, it was because Iris's aura—fresh from washing off the extreme pleasure she'd tasted behind the training grounds building—was markedly different from usual.
Her black hair still damp and glistening with moisture, cheeks faintly flushed red, and eyes somehow languid and unfocused.
Beneath her usual icy nobility, a strangely sticky and secretive sensuality had been layered on top.
The one who took that destructive force head-on was none other than Michelle.
Michelle couldn't even think about drinking from her teacup. She simply stared at Iris with a dazed expression. Her gaze clung stickily to the long line of Iris's neck and those red, moist lips, refusing to let go.
Gulp.
Michelle swallowed dryly, her face turning crimson.
Iris, for her part, seemed completely oblivious to Michelle's blatant staring. She focused every ounce of her attention solely on me—checking if my teacup was empty, if my collar was wrinkled.
Iris, who looked only at me. And Michelle, who stared fixedly at that very Iris.
The moment I confirmed where that gaze ended, the truth clicked into place.
'....So Michelle likes Iris.'
What the hell! A girl liking another girl? Is that even possible in this world?! I seriously can't wrap my head around it!
At Lia's frantic outburst, I lifted my teacup and clicked my tongue inwardly.
'If I hadn't seen women dating each other in mercenary bands during my adventurer days, I probably wouldn't have noticed either.'
Now Michelle's bizarre behavior finally made perfect sense.
'The reason she sent a maid to my room last night wasn't to make a good impression on me. She was trying to keep me and Iris apart all night.
And all that talk about admiring me and wanting to become my disciple was just a shallow excuse to stay near Iris!'
Unbelievable.
Maybe I should tell the Marquis.
Our short tea time ended, and we stood before the main gate of the Marquis Valerius estate.
"Iris, are you really leaving already?"
Michelle clutched the edge of Iris's collar with desperate fingers, her voice pleading.
"Just one more day. Can't you stay just one more day?"
But Iris's answer was firm, without a trace of hesitation.
"I'm sorry, Michelle. We'll see each other again later."
After delivering that cool farewell, Iris turned to me with impeccable politeness, not even glancing back at Michelle.
"Master, shall we go?"
Iris climbed into the carriage without a second thought. Michelle stood frozen at the gate, hand still outstretched, her face utterly devastated—like the world itself had collapsed.
The carriage left the mansion and began racing toward the Garden of Salvation.
Iris, seated across from me, carefully studied my expression before speaking.
"I'm sorry, Master. Michelle isn't usually this stubborn... She kept bothering you. It must have put you in a foul mood, didn't it?"
I looked at my utterly clueless disciple, who hadn't noticed her friend's desperate feelings at all.
"No. Far from being in a bad mood, I actually found it pretty entertaining."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Without understanding the meaning behind my smile, Iris simply looked relieved that her master wasn't upset and gave a faint smile in return.
'A disciple completely obsessed with me, and a noble lady who harbors affection for that very Iris.'
I gazed out the window at the passing scenery and lost myself in thought. I was genuinely curious how long it would take Iris to realize Michelle's true feelings. It was quite an interesting afternoon.
Before long, the carriage gradually slowed and came to a stop at the Garden of Salvation.
"Sian!"
A warm, graceful older sister was waiting for us at the front gate. The moment she saw me and broke into a bright smile,
I opened the carriage door and jumped down before it had even fully stopped.
"Sister. Why did you come all the way out here? It's tiring."
I lightly scolded her even as I walked straight over and pulled her into a tight embrace.
Her soft body fit perfectly in my arms. Those plush breasts.
Naturally, I buried my nose in the nape of her neck and took a deep breath. The familiar warm scent of her skin filled my lungs, and a sense of peace washed over me.
I was savoring her scent with my eyes closed when—
Hey. You really lose your damn mind every time you see this lady, don't you?
Lia clicked her tongue and started nagging.
No matter what, you should show some restraint in front of your disciple, shouldn't you? She's already insanely jealous. What if her jealousy explodes and something happens?!
Her sharp jab finally snapped me back to my senses.
'Ah, right. Iris.'
The side effect of the coupling energy that had appeared in Iris.
No matter how I thought about it, it seemed her jealousy was being converted into sexual arousal.
Back at the training grounds, she'd gotten soaking wet just because Michelle was sticking close to me.
I glanced behind me.
Fortunately, Iris—who was unloading luggage from the carriage—didn't seem jealous.
She simply slung the bag over one shoulder and gave my sister a polite bow.
Probably because the intense traces and lingering sensations I'd left on her were still fully present, so seeing me hugging someone didn't trigger her jealousy right now.
'I really need to be careful.'
But despite that thought, I grabbed my sister's ass from an angle Iris couldn't see.
"Sian..."
My hand moved before I could stop myself.
**
I was lightly supervising Iris's training at the training grounds when it happened.
"Did you sleep well, sir?"
At some point, Vance had approached from behind. The old man with his closely cropped white hair and worn breastplate stood there with the same straight back and imposing aura he'd had in his active days.
"Ah, Grandpa."
I sheathed my sword and greeted him lightly. Iris also stopped her training and gave Vance a respectful bow.
Vance returned a small nod, and Iris stepped aside to continue her personal training, swinging a wooden sword by herself.
"What brings you here at this hour, Grandpa?"
"Heh heh, I was just curious about Iris's training after so long and came to watch."
Since Vance often acted as Iris's sparring partner whenever I was away on Hero business, the two of them shared a sort of master-disciple bond.
"But... today she seems rather strange. If this old man's eyes aren't failing him, her movements are quite different from usual."
"Really?"
"Her lower body—especially the inner thighs and pelvis—aren't generating proper strength. Her center of balance, which should be rock solid, is strangely shaky and unstable."
I felt a twinge of guilt inside.
'Of course it's shaky.'
I'd pinned her down behind the training grounds, out of Michelle's sight, grabbing her thighs and pounding her pelvis until it nearly broke. She was probably still enduring the throbbing pain while training.
But the sharp insight of Vance—who had once commanded the entire knight order of the territory—didn't stop there.
"Yet here's the truly bizarre part. While her lower body is that unsteady, the sword energy she's emitting is overflowing with an incredible 'vitality' that wasn't there before. It's like... the earth after a long drought, soaked through by a generous rain."
'Spot on.'
Because I'd poured that generous rain all the way into the deepest part of her womb.
Thanks to that, all the useless worries and stress that had built up inside her had been washed away, leaving only pure focus on the sword.
Vance, watching her, suddenly bellowed in a booming voice.
"Iris!! Put more strength into your lower body!"
"Hup...!"
Startled by the old man's shout, Iris reflexively tensed her thighs and pelvis.
But at that moment, pain must have surged through her, because her brows furrowed sharply.
I quickly cleared my throat to divert Vance's attention.
"Ahem! Iris has been overdoing her training lately, so it seems she's developed some muscle pain. Grandpa, don't be too hard on her."
Vance looked momentarily flustered.
"Heh heh heh, is that so? This old man lacked consideration. Iris, I'm sorry. Take it easy."
"...Yes, Uncle Vance."
"Iris, I'm going to the dining hall with Grandpa and the kids. Finish up and join us."
"Yes, Master."
Iris composed herself again and resumed swinging her sword.
Didn't I tell you?
Remaining Energy: 19.1%
Hey, why don't you just fill it to 100% yourself instead of passing it on to others? Honestly, you're enjoying it too, aren't you?
It looked like we were already close to the 20% we'd originally promised. Well, Lia wasn't wrong. I was enjoying it a little.
'Whatever. Like you said, only good things keep happening, so forget what I said before. But I can't guarantee I'll fill it all the way to 100%.'
The Hero who filled it the most only reached 50%, so fill it higher than that. Good things will happen if you do.
Good things? Even if I asked, she probably wouldn't tell me.