10. Hermaphrodite and Onahole
10. Hermaphrodite and Onahole
Cat search request, initiated—
Isabella wandered around searching for the cat. Starting around the fish market, she thoroughly investigated nearby shops like the butcher's and the blacksmith's.
While doing so, she also asked them a few questions about the elf mage named Noah.
— Despite appearances, they're actually very warm-hearted. Otherwise, would they be teaching orphans at the church?
— They sometimes pat my head! And they smell nice too!
— Heheh... That person is incredibly beautiful. Setting up my stall every morning has become quite the visual treat. The way their hips sway as they walk away... Hey, buddy!
Though one elderly man's answer was a bit (?) strange,
similar to the girl named Rin, most people here seemed to have a generally good impression of Noah.
While searching, Isabella—with the goal of looking for the cat near the church—managed to hide near the wall and sneak a peek inside.
"... That, that person."
Walking out of the chapel with the children.
Silver hair shining dazzlingly under the sunlight, skin as brilliantly white as their hair, characteristically slender and elongated ears compared to humans...
A beauty with an otherworldly appearance among humans.
Simultaneously, blood rushed to her lower half, tightening her pants. Isabella bit her lip, struggling to calm her heart.
"Why am I like this... I shouldn't be..."
She had to repeatedly tell herself that such impure thoughts were forbidden.
On top of failing to find the cat, she couldn't achieve her secondary goal of meeting Noah and having a conversation either. She had been waiting for the moment when Noah would leave the church alone, but...
From the moment they stepped out, a strange orc began following them.
"Argol. Do you plan to keep following me today as well?"
"... If you're going shopping, I'll carry your things. Think of it as a convenience."
"I can't think kindly of it because of your ulterior motives."
"I have no intention of forcing anything, nor could I. Elf, you're much stronger than I am."
"Well, as long as you know."
... What kind of conversation is this?
Hiding in the shadow of the wall, she pricked up her ears. Elf and orc. Nobility and savagery. Considering racial stereotypes, the two least compatible races in the world.
The elf mage named Noah frowned as if annoyed but didn't completely shake off the orc named Argol.
Whatever the reason, it was clear that the orc named Argol was persistently tailing Noah.
'Ulterior motives... I wonder what they are?'
And so, for now! Under the pretense of searching for the cat, she followed the two through the streets. Noah familiarly selected ingredients, and each time, Argol obediently accepted the vegetables and bundles of meat.
Truly, he was just a pack mule. There was no sign of any strange ulterior motives or anything like that.
Only when the sun began to set and they arrived in front of the church did the orc part from Noah. She hadn't found a single trace of the cat Nana, nor had she gotten a chance to approach Noah and say anything.
"... I'd like to stay for about 7 days for now."
"Yes, understood. There's an empty room at the far end of the 2nd floor, so please go there. Ah, what about dinner? Should I prepare something for you?"
"It's fine. I plan to just unpack and go out to explore the city more."
Isabella received the key from a boy named Kal. The room at the top of the creaky stairs wasn't very spacious, but it felt quite cozy, so her impression wasn't bad.
Locking the door, Isabella immediately threw herself onto the bed.
"Sigh... I walked all day... And I still have to find the cat..."
Her body felt heavy as lead. Her clothes were soaked and dried with sweat, adding to the discomfort. She wanted to immerse herself in a bath right away, but
at the same time, a strange guilt weighed on a corner of her heart.
Though she had abandoned her noble name, the sense of responsibility as a noble still remained in a part of her heart. On top of that, the responsibility as an adventurer who had accepted a request.
After all, she had spent the whole day following those two around instead of searching for the cat.
'I wonder if she's still crying...'
Having grown up without receiving love from anyone, Isabella had always cherished the animals that wandered around the estate. Not just puppies and cats, but even birds.
"... I should go out and search again."
She immediately got up and began unpacking.
She took out her few clothes and arranged them neatly to avoid wrinkles, and separately took out the few items holding memories, hiding them under the bed.
She should take a few self-defense weapons with her...
Then, Isabella pulled out an item from the very bottom of her pack.
"......"
An onahole. An item she had tried using once(...) in the city she stayed at before arriving at Bellua.
No, perhaps not just once.
Shamelessly, she had stopped counting after the first time.
The lewd imaginations that surfaced the moment she held the onahole.
Isabella considered herself a woman... but for some reason, only the image of Noah's buttocks from earlier today came to mind.
Could the object of her subconscious sexual desire be a woman...?
"... Ngh."
Those buttocks that shifted to the right then gracefully curved back to the left as they moved.
Sway, sway— sway, sway—
The memory from earlier today that she couldn't tear her eyes away from for a long time.
She shook her head vigorously, but far from erasing the memory, it only became clearer. Simultaneously, the front of her pants bulged tightly.
The way to relieve this pain in such cases...
"No... I, I decided to only masturbate once a week..."
Before embarking on her journey, wet dreams were her only experience... a virgin like Isabella could only allow herself this much.
In this world, there might be people who have never masturbated, but there's no one who's only done it once.
Isabella was no exception to this rule.
"Hoo... For now, I'll go out, get some air, and look for the cat..."
She rose awkwardly, taking step by step to open the door and descend the stairs.
The rough lining of her leather pants scratched against her sensitized glans, stimulating it relentlessly...
But after reaching the first floor, she showed no outward sign, straightened her back, and walked out of the lodging.
There was no sign of the erection subsiding.
===
Far from subsiding, with each step, the lining of the leather pants mercilessly scratched the sensitized area.
She was walking with tense strength in her hips to avoid an awkward gait, but in truth, her mouth was parched.
"Wh-where are you...?"
Isabella deliberately averted her gaze, pretending not to notice.
The desire was creeping up, but if she gave in to 'that act' every time she felt like it, she'd be no better than a monkey consumed by lust.
She hadn't let herself go yet.
Though now impossible, she still held within her the unfinished dream of a debutante...
The former noble young lady, Isabella.
She chose to move through secluded paths where she was least likely to encounter people. The alleyways of night had a different atmosphere than the day, filled with the smell of strong liquor.
Though the night streets could be dangerous,
perhaps due to a baseless confidence that she could handle mere thugs. Isabella emerged from one alley into an even narrower one, wandering around while calling softly for the cat.
"Nana... Nana...?"
Then suddenly...!
A strange sound reached Isabella's ears. She stopped walking and held her breath. What she heard was,
... Mew, meow... meow...
The cry of a cat.
Could it be Nana? Considering the possibility could wait until after she saw it for herself. Faster than thought, Isabella moved in the direction of the sound.
One block, then another.
With each turn of the alley, the crying grew closer.
Finally, when she reached right before it—
Under the moonlight, she could see a cat with a slightly folded left ear sitting on an old barrel.
"Nana... it's you!"
Overjoyed, Isabella called its name and reached out her hand. But the cat lightly avoided her touch and swiftly slipped into the adjacent alley.
"W-wait!"
Though her erect cock should have been a hindrance, Isabella paid it no mind and chased after it.
But the cat went inside through a slightly open back door deep in the alley. Without a moment to check where it was, Isabella followed it inside.
"Uh...?"
"Oh my. A customer?"
The moment she opened the door and entered, she was met with a strange atmosphere.
Strangely, the air felt sweet. Just from taking a breath, more blood rushed between her legs.
"Uh... I... a cat came in here..."
"If it's a cat, are you looking for this one? Young master?"
"Uh, yes! Th-that's right!"
The woman sitting near the entrance held up a cat in her arms. A cat with a folded left ear. It was definitely Nana.
Isabella reached out her hand, but the woman grinned, raising the corner of her mouth.
"... But did you really come here just to find a cat?"
"Huh?"
"You really don't know what kind of place this is, do you?"
Only then... did Isabella look around.
This hall where she and this woman were. And the corridors branching off to both sides. Holding her breath and listening to the sounds coming from inside, what she heard was...
The moans of a woman.
[ ... Haa! Hahng! G, gaah—! ]
"I, I think I came to the wrong place...! J-just give me the cat and I'll leave right away...!"
"Aww, lies. Who goes looking for a cat at this hour? Young master. Since you've come this far, just relax and enjoy yourself. No one will know anyway? The Hips Wall Brothel... you knew what kind of place this was, didn't you?"
"......!"
Hips Wall Brothel...?
Is this the very place written about on the onahole...?
Seeing Isabella's instantly changed expression, the woman named Jane smiled brightly and held out a reservation sheet.
The paper listed room numbers along with their fees.
Starting from the most expensive Room 1, then 2, 3, 4... all the way to 10.
Jane placed a pen in Isabella's hand. But the moment she took Isabella's hand, Jane's eyes wavered.
"Huh? You're not a man, but a woman?"
"......"
If she had thought 'I've been found out...', acting surprised would be normal, but Isabella just silently stared at the paper.
This place that she had only heard about...
A place where even someone like her could try...
Though Isabella had resolved not to become a monkey, she found herself already moving the pen without realizing it.
[ Room 1 (3 gold coins) : V ]
"Uh... w-women can be customers too, right? Probably?"
"......"
"Um. Th-then this too."
What Jane pointed to was the blank space right next to it.
It was the space to write a name.
"Room 1 is a bit special... that person likes to know their partner's name. If you don't want to, you can just write a pseudonym."
"......"
A pseudonym...
Isabella wrote 'Isabella' without hesitation.
Because her current self was 'Ibel'.