Chapter 29
Chapter 29
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Princess's Dilemma
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Erina. By any chance, is there no drug in the Elf Kingdom that can revert things back to normal?"
"I don't know. My mom might not even know... Probably not. Who the hell would research a drug that turns a woman into a man?"
That made sense. Considering this was a male-oriented erotic game, a drug that turned men into women might exist, but the odds of some bullshit drug that turned women into men were practically zero. Aei's face fell in disappointment at her words. Since we were standing right in front of the mansion, villagers passing by stopped in their tracks to stare at us.
I needed to catch up on the territory's recent affairs and get the handover documents again, so I headed inside the mansion first.
In the mansion's office, Aei was still lost deep in thought. The handover documents showed that Erina had handled everything diligently and competently. Sieri had processed the accounting as neatly as ever, while Aira threw her arms around me and nuzzled her face against mine the moment I stepped inside.
I stroked Aira's head and sent her and Sieri out so we could get back to the serious discussion. Erina spoke up.
"Peta Lucius. This is a grave problem. We defeated the Demon King, but if I can't marry Aei, then it was all for nothing."
Aei agonized over it for a long while. Finally, he looked up and said,
"Erina. Will you hear me out for a moment?"
Both Erina and I looked up at the hero. She recoiled in shock at his words.
"What are you saying, Aei! Are you abandoning me?"
"No, that's not it. Erina. I think you should head back to the Elf Kingdom and search for a way to turn back into a man, while I wander this continent looking for the same. I want to marry you too, Erina."
"Th-that..."
Erina looked utterly stricken just at the idea of parting from Aei again. He tried persuading her one more time.
"Erina. We promised we'd get married and live happily ever after. If there's a drug that turns a man into a woman, then the reverse has to exist too."
"St-still... I... If we're apart... Do you have any idea how anxious I was when you left to fight the Demon King? I barely slept a wink every night. And now you're talking about another endless separation?"
"It's not endless, Erina. I want to marry you. But I don't want you shirking your duties as princess either."
"Aei..."
The succession really was a critical issue. Aei turned to me and asked,
"Priest. Would it be all right if Erina and I met up periodically here in your territory?"
"If you're visiting as guests, you're welcome anytime."
With my approval, Aei turned back to Erina.
"Then it's settled, Erina. We'll meet here once every three months."
There was no way he could sneak off for trysts with the princess back in the Elf Kingdom. He was basically planning to use my mansion like a cheap motel. Naturally, I had zero intention of sitting idly by to watch. Aei added,
"Just one year. We'll give it a shot like this for a year, then figure out what comes next."
"...All right."
Erina nodded. But the gloom hanging over her face was plain for anyone to see. Aei pulled her into a tight embrace and murmured,
"Then... I'll be going."
"What?"
Erina and I both stared at him in bewilderment. Aei explained,
"Every second counts. I want to start searching right away."
"St-still, at least stay a few days."
"No. That... I'll see you later."
Aei tried to play it cool, but his anxiety was obvious. His burning desire to get his male body back was making him screw up. That kind of stiff-necked attitude was no good when dealing with women. Once Aei opened the office door and vanished, Erina stared at the closed door with a forlorn expression. She stood there in silence for a moment before turning to me.
"......I'll impose on you for a few days."
"By all means."
I inwardly cheered as I replied. This was my opening. Sure, the hero might end up stabbing me, but damn if the opportunity wasn't staring me right in the face. Two days passed. Erina had taken up residence in the last room on the left wing of the mansion. She still couldn't shake off the shock of Aei turning into a woman.
I knocked on her door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me. Lucius."
".....Come in."
Even shrouded in worry, Erina was still stunning. Her long golden hair, her sparkling green eyes, those bursting breasts, and hips every bit as firm and bouncy. It was a lewd figure straight out of a man's wet dreams.
"What do you want?"
"You still seem terribly troubled about the hero."
"None of your business, is it?"
"Actually, I have a pretty good idea."
"A good idea?"
Erina eyed me with piqued interest.
"For instance, if there's an heir, it wouldn't matter who the princess marries, right?"
"True. That's..."
Erina trailed off and fixed me with a stare. This princess was sharper than she let on. She scowled at me.
"Are you serious? You want me to sleep with some other man besides Aei?"
"If the hero can't turn back into a man, you'll need to anyway. A princess has to secure the bloodline."
"None of your concern. And you think Aei would just accept that?"
"So how long are you planning to wait around indefinitely? You really think he'll give up after just one year?"
"That's..."
From playing the game, I knew the protagonist was the type who never quit. If not in one year, he'd stretch it to two. Then three. He could drag this out forever until he actually found something. Erina had no comeback. I pressed on.
"And this continent is crawling with dangers. We only beat the Demon King because he hadn't fully revived yet. What if the hero gets hurt or killed way off in some remote corner? What then, princess?"
"D-don't even suggest that! Ridiculous..."
"Why ridiculous? He could get duped by some scam about a gender-swap potion, or die in the dumbest way imaginable."
"Enough! Don't talk about him dying! Aei won't die!"
"If he does, the blame falls on you, doesn't it, princess?"
"Wh-what?"
"If you just grit your teeth and take another man once, bear his child—then the hero doesn't need to risk his life on perilous quests, and the royal line is secure. Or do you plan to regret it only after he's dead? By then you'd have no choice but to take someone else."
"Nothing's certain yet! There could be a gender-changing drug out there somewhere..."
"So you're really going to keep up this endless waiting game?"
"Th-that..."
"Really planning to meet up every three months for a few pecks on the lips, swap some news, then split off again—and repeat that for a full year? A year's a long time, princess. Can you swear on your life the hero won't run into trouble wandering strange lands for three months straight?"
"Well..."
"He might not make it back exactly on the three-month mark. He could chase some big lead and show up after six months—or if luck's bad, you might wait years. Can you handle that kind of loneliness and nail-biting worry?"
I had to keep the pressure on. Keep her from thinking straight.
"Are you really sure you can tough it out? A bit of humiliation and one little white lie, and you get to see the hero again. If you two love each other, and raise the kid with all that affection, who cares whose blood it carries? As long as Aei never finds out."
"Th-that... Ah..."
"To anyone with eyes, getting pregnant is the far easier road, isn't it?"
Erina clawed at her hair, drowning in turmoil. She groaned and writhed in agony for ages before stealing a glance up at me.
"....You're saying..."
"Yes?"
".....What exactly are you telling me to do?"
I figured Aei's uptight nature had handed me some serious luck.
"I'd like some time to think. It's... too big a decision to make on the spot... isn't it?"
Those were the words she finally wrung out. Push too hard now, and it'd blow up in my face. I decided to bide my time. Time was on my side, after all. While I diligently trained Sieri's pussy and lavishly sated Aira's insatiable cravings in those debauched days, I waited for Erina.
Truth be told, even if she never spread her legs for me, I wouldn't feel shortchanged. Get too greedy, and you end up with a knife in your gut. Two gorgeous women were more than enough to make life blissful. But with the hero gone and no word, Erina was bound to grow more frantic by the day. Aei was the classic alpha-male type: sweet up close, but the sort who never bothered with letters.
Waiting for someone who's vanished into the wilds without a peep—especially in a world teeming with peril—is pure torture. It's only human to cling to a lover heading out the door, by any means necessary. Even if those means are dead wrong.
A week slipped by. I was sorting through paperwork in the office, with Aira assisting at my side. She kneaded my shoulders as I worked and suggested,
"My lord. How about a trip to the seaside?"
"Aira, you can't go outside."