Chapter 9. Is It Wrong to Do X in the Dungeon? (3)
Chapter 9. Is It Wrong to Do X in the Dungeon? (3)
It wasn't the first time she'd spent time with a man.
After all, men had been among her guides and her peers up until now.
Yet when she'd been with them, she'd felt nothing out of the ordinary. So why was she so acutely aware of him walking ahead of her?
'W-Well, because we did it.'
Yes, she'd been drunk and had no memory of it, but they must have done it.
A man and a woman, naked under the covers — there was no way nothing had happened.
Normally, of course, she would have been frightened and disgusted by a man who had violated her. But he, instead, had admitted his mistake and apologized earnestly.
On top of that, he'd even thrown his body on the line to save her. Wouldn't it be stranger not to be conscious of him?
'Yes, Dave is a good person. So much so that I want to rely on him from now on...'
As the saying goes, first impressions are half of everything. Finding him likable after what he'd shown her so far wasn't strange at all.
What she should find strange wasn't her state of mind, but the state of her body.
'For some reason, my body feels strange.'
The more conscious she grew of him, the more her breathing became ragged and her body heated up.
No, beyond that, various parts of her body were starting to ache.
Especially from her lower abdomen down to her crotch...
'It's strange, so strange...'
The moment she felt a foreign sensation she'd never experienced in her life.
And yet, that didn't lead to rejection.
Rather, she felt only a surging desire to release this tickling, tingling sensation.
"Serika?"
At that moment, Dave's voice reached her.
Belatedly coming to her senses, Serika hurriedly turned to look at him standing in front of her.
"Y-Yes?"
"I said I'd disarmed the trap..."
Dave held out the block in his hand. This was probably the trigger mechanism for the traps she'd stepped on several times before.
"Ah, yes. Disarmed..."
Only then did Serika pull herself together and speak calmly.
"You know how to disarm traps as well, Dave."
"Well, I'm used to it. Back in my hometown, I earned a living doing this sort of thing. These traps here are practice models, so they're fairly obvious. If we advance carefully, I don't think we'll have any trouble getting through."
Once again, Dave took the lead and moved forward.
As Serika followed behind him, she began to worry that her anxious, troubled feelings might show.
It had barely been a day since they'd met; she was afraid these feelings might seem strange.
'Dave...'
But at the same time, she felt quite curious.
'What does Dave think of me?'
After what had happened, she couldn't help but wonder if he, too, was conscious of her.
"There's a trap here. Disarming them one by one isn't practical... Fortunately, the passage is narrow; if we're careful, we should be able to pass through without trouble."
"Y-Yes... I see."
"Then I'll go first. Please follow carefully, Serika."
Dave stepped into the narrow passage ahead. His gaze swept cautiously over the floor and walls, but his footsteps were bold.
Still, his slow pace was likely out of consideration for her following behind.
'R-Right. For now, I'll focus. Carefully, carefully...'
How long could she stand there dazed while he was working so hard? Belatedly trying to steady herself, Serika steadied her legs and started to follow him.
But right after that.
'Ah...?'
Her body suddenly began to wobble. Her foot, which had been stepping forward, faltered, then moved toward where the trap was set.
That was the moment Dave lunged toward her.
-Fwip-fwip-fwip!
The device activated, and arrows shot from the walls flew at the two of them. Their tips were blunt, but they carried enough force to cause injury on impact.
If he had reached out even a moment later, she would have been badly hurt. Having pulled Serika into his arms, Dave looked down at her and voiced his concern.
"Are you all right?"
"......."
"......Serika?"
Dave asked again, looking at Serika in his arms. But Serika was frozen solid, too flustered to answer.
'The distance is too close.'
In the span of a few moments, this was the second time she'd been this close to a man.
No, when she'd fallen earlier, she'd been too flustered to think, but this was different. They were face-to-face, and their bodies were in extensive contact.
"Are you okay? Your face is red..."
"Ah, um, well... I think I'm feeling a bit feverish."
"Well, you fought so hard earlier and took that fall; it's only natural your body would be in shock. Shall we rest somewhere nearby?"
"Y-Yes... I think that would be best."
Serika moved forward, anxious, with Dave's support.
By the time they reached an empty room and she sank down, Dave offered her a water bottle.
"Here, drink."
"Th-Thank you."
Even as she accepted his kindness, her voice trembled. When she took the bottle and their hands briefly touched, she felt a burning sensation on her skin.
'It felt like my hand would melt.'
Why did simply holding the bottle he'd given her make her feel this way?
'...I don't know.'
First, try to cool the heat, she thought, and drank down about half the water.
When she lowered the remaining water to the floor, Dave brought the bottle to his own lips.
"Then I'll have a sip too..."
"Huh?"
Serika's eyes went round with surprise at his unreserved behavior. But by then, Dave's lips were already on the opening of the bottle.
'Th-That's an indirect kiss...'
Come to think of it, the bottle he now held was originally his.
She realized that she had unwittingly put her mouth on the opening of that bottle, but Dave himself was drinking from it without a care, as if it didn't matter.
Gulp, gulp.
Every time she saw the vibration of his throat as he swallowed, she felt her own throat tighten with a strange tingle.
As if her own saliva were entering his mouth.
"What's the matter?"
Did her staring bother him?
Dave lowered the bottle from his mouth with a puzzled look. Serika hesitated, watching him, then answered with difficulty.
"......ss."
"Huh?"
"A k-kiss..."
The word that came to mind slipped out unconsciously.
"Could I... try a kiss just once?"
When it finally came out as a question, Serika's face went blank as she belatedly registered her own words.
'Huh? Wait, what did I just say?'
A kiss.
Even if she'd thought about an indirect kiss when looking at the water bottle earlier, wasn't this far too direct?
"......What?"
Dave also seemed quite taken aback, his eyes wide.
Realizing her blunder too late, Serika flailed her arms, not knowing what to do.
"Ah, um, th-that's, I mean!! B-Before we came here, that... thing happened, right? And since I don't remember it, it was an accident, but I just got a little curious about what it felt like..."
She was making excuses, but in the end it was just random babble.
Overwhelmed by her own rambling words, Serika felt dizzy and finally bowed her head.
'He'll think I'm strange.'
Wasn't he already burdened by what had happened between them?
If she kept talking, she might only make things more difficult for him.
"So... I've been unable to stop thinking about you, Dave... and I thought if I could resolve this feeling, maybe I'd feel a little better..."
Unable to leave the words hanging, Serika fidgeted with her hands on her knees and continued with difficulty.
'In the end, I've gone and done it,' she thought.
"...Is it weird after all?"
Looking contrite as if she'd committed a crime, Serika flinched, then raised her head toward him and asked.
He'd surely think it was strange, but if, just if, by any chance...
...she could use this as a chance to relieve these feelings, even a little—such was the hope she held.
"......Hah."
Just as that faint hope arose, she heard a sigh.
At the same time, his expression hardened coldly.
"After all this, you're talking about a kiss. You should know your limits when you're teasing someone."
The moment that gentle, considerate voice turned icy cold, a chill ran down Serika's spine, and she reflexively stood up.
"What? What do you..."
-Smack!!
The sound of a slap rang out immediately after.
As her cheek stung from the blow, Serika felt her consciousness growing hazy.
As if she were sinking deep beneath the surface of water.
"Be honest with me."
The sharp voice reached her now-hollowed ears.
"You really think a kiss would be enough to satisfy you?"
"Wh-What do you..."
"Don't play innocent. I know everything. I've been casting suggestions on you the entire way here."
Suggestions? What did he mean?
But for some reason, her lips froze and no words came out.
Was it because she was so confused? Because she didn't know why he'd suddenly changed his attitude?
"Now, let me ask you one thing."
No, at this point, none of that mattered.
"What do you want me to do to you?"
From the moment he'd slapped her, the sensations in her body had become more vivid.
The tightness in her chest seemed to loosen, and the trembling in her voice began to subside.
"Please..."
Yes, in front of this man, she didn't need to hold back.
As if faithfully obeying that feeling, the fastenings of her armor came undone one by one.
"Handle me as roughly as you did before, Master~♥"
At last, having shed her inhibitions, she began to entreat him without a trace of shame.