Chapter 401: The 4th Floor
Chapter 401: The 4th Floor
And so, as soon as we finished our meal, I immediately called Matilda over.
“Matilda.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Let’s talk for a minute.”
“W-What? Th-that’s… f-fine.”
Hey. It’s painfully obvious what you’re expecting, but that’s not why I called you over.
Although, of course, we might just get around to it after we’re done talking.
I have to break the curse anyway. It’s best to do it whenever we have the chance.
“Th-then… should I get undressed?” Matilda asked, looking around the room as soon as she entered my chamber.
Come to think of it, is this the first time she’s been in my room?
Not that it would be much different from her own room, I thought.
I basically keep all my things in my inventory.
“No. There’s something I want to talk about first.”
“Wh-wh-what is it…?”
As I spoke in a serious tone, Matilda’s body tensed up, though her eyes grew slightly hazy.
No. I told you, it’s not about that.
Seriously, it’s hard to even have a serious conversation with this girl.
“It’s about going to the dungeon. Are you planning to keep coming with us?”
“…What? Wh-what are you talking about all of a sudden?”
Matilda, whose eyes had been glazing over, looked completely startled, as if she’d never expected me to bring this up.
“I mean, you’ve been having a harder and harder time in the dungeon. To be honest, you don’t even need to come….”
It was true. When I thought about it, there was no reason for Matilda to follow us.
In the first place, she was only staying at our mansion to break her curse.
It wasn’t like she was a member of our clan, like Silvia.
The only reason she’d come to the dungeon at all was because she’d insisted on it.
She was probably feeling cooped up since she rarely gets a chance to go outside, but at this point, being in the dungeon had to be harder than just staying at home.
“D-does that mean… you don’t need me?”
Matilda looked incredibly shocked. Clasping her hands together as if pleading, she looked at me and spoke.
Come on, as if that would ever be the case.
I’d gotten so used to treating her a bit rough that my usual attitude might seem that way, but I could swear I’d never once thought that.
“No. Wait. That’s not what I meant. I phrased that a bit confusingly. Of course you’re needed in our party. Just having you with the rear guard is a huge reassurance. Of course we need you. But I have no intention of forcing you to come along when you’re struggling. You don’t have a reason to go to the dungeon, do you?”
“B-but the Goddess….”
“That’s my mission. You don’t need to push yourself.”
“…What if I still want to follow you?”
“What?”
“I, I also…!”
Matilda looked like she wanted to say something, but she seemed to change her mind, biting her lip and stopping herself.
“For what it’s worth, I am quite grateful to you. No matter what, you’re trying to free me from the suffering of this curse.”
Hearing her say that really pricked my conscience.
Because I enjoy it, too, when I’m with Matilda.
It felt pretty strange to be doing something that felt good to me and then be thanked for it like this.
And honestly, while I always said I was breaking her curse, I hadn’t really been trying all that desperately.
For someone who was supposedly trying, the frequency with which I was with Matilda was far too low.
Saying I was worried about what my girls would think was just an excuse.
So Matilda’s gratitude felt all the more uncomfortable.
“So… I want to repay this feeling, even if just a little. If you still need my help, then I want to keep following you. Of course, once the curse is broken, I’ll have to return to the Holy See, but until then, at least…. So….”
But with her pleading with those eyes, I couldn’t just bluntly tell her she didn’t need to thank me and didn’t have to repay me by following us.
“But it’s hard for you, isn’t it?”
“No. That’s not the issue. That’s not what I want to hear. Don’t you understand?”
It wasn’t the voice of someone easily falling in love under the influence of a curse, like usual. It was a truly pleading voice, one that seemed to resonate in my heart.
Could this be the real Cardinal Matilda?
The thought crossed my mind; she had a presence that could stir ripples in a person’s soul.
“…I need your help, Matilda.”
And so, even though I knew there was a problem, I had no choice but to say it.
“…Thank you.”
Matilda smiled brightly, like a flower in full bloom, and offered me her thanks.
“Just hearing you say that gives me the strength to overcome it.”
“But it’s actually dangerous, and willpower alone….”
“No. According to Diana’s explanation, it’s a matter of whether or not I’ve grown accustomed to the dungeon’s mana. You can’t declare that it’s a problem that can’t be solved with mental fortitude alone.”
Well, yeah. But still.
“Besides, next time we’re starting from the 1st floor, right? Even I have no problem with the 1st floor. I can just get used to it starting from there.”
Ah, now that she mentioned it, that was true.
I hadn’t thought of that. Going to the pond on the 1st floor had that added benefit as well.
“Most importantly, I am a Cardinal. My status in the church is second only to the Pope. My pride won’t allow me, the representative of countless priests, to back down after facing a trial of this small a scale.”
And just like that, Matilda had returned to her usual self, speaking with a slightly arrogant tone.
“Alright. Well, I’ll be counting on you for now. But if you become dead weight, I’ll ditch you immediately.”
Thanks to her, I was able to go back to treating her like I usually did.
Phew. That was a relief. The Matilda from a moment ago was strange.
As expected of a Cardinal who was once a candidate for sainthood.
I never would have thought she could exude such a captivating aura.
“Wh-what did you say?!”
“If you don’t want that to happen, just overcome it. Simple as that. No problem, right?”
“N-no matter how you put it, that’s…!”
“More importantly.”
“Wh-what is it? Suddenly setting the mood, which is so unlike you.”
Unlike me… well, maybe she’s right, but I’d rather not hear it from you.
You fall in love with me even when I act like this.
Look. Your eyes are already starting to glaze over.
“The serious talk is over, so… shall we get to it now?”
“G-get to what?”
“What you were expecting from the start.”
“Yeees….”
Wow. Look at her. She’s not even denying it.
Matilda was completely captivated by the rosy atmosphere.
“Then….”
I gently took hold of Matilda’s clothes and slowly began to undress her.
Matilda shifted her body slightly, making it easier for me to remove her clothes, and her wonderful figure, hidden beneath the baggy priestess’s robe, was revealed.
It’s like all the clerics here get a bonus to their Charm stat or something. They’re all beautiful, but the design of the basic priestess robes is just terrible.
Maybe I should get Matilda a robe like Leia’s sometime… no. Even if I used the excuse that it’s for dungeoneering, I’m sure altering a Cardinal’s vestments like that would get me more than just a scolding.
Anyway, once she was down to her underwear, it was Matilda’s turn to undress me.
My clothes, still just plain cloth, were stripped off in an instant. Matilda went even further, her hands reaching for my underwear.
“Ah….”
As she pulled down my underwear, revealing what was underneath, Matilda let out a sigh of admiration.
It was a reaction that always felt good to see.
Besides, my girls were so used to the sight of it now that they didn’t really react like this anymore.
Matilda lovingly stroked me for a moment before taking me into her mouth.
“Mmm… mmm… slurp. Hm?”
But as soon as I was fully hard inside her mouth, I pulled my hips back and slipped out.
“What’s wrong?”
Matilda asked, still holding me in one hand and stroking me gently.
I knew she was only acting this way because of the curse, but even knowing that, I couldn’t help the ticklish feeling in my heart.
When a girl this beautiful acts so utterly devoted, well, as a man, you can’t help it.
“I’d rather be connected with you than just use my mouth.”
“Hehe. Can’t hold back already?”
No. It’s just that this is the most effective way to break your curse.
I was tempted to say that teasingly, but I decided there was no need to be cruel at a time like this and swallowed the words that had risen to my throat.
Besides, looking at Matilda now, there was no way I could say something so mean.
Matilda wrapped her arms around my waist and slowly led me to the edge of the bed, where she perched lightly.
Then, she gently took hold of her own underwear and pulled it down to her knees before slipping one leg out.
She then bent the leg that still had the panties on it, placing her foot on the bed and spreading her legs.
The panties, which had been around her knee, slid back up to rest around the middle of her thigh.
Then she extended her other leg toward me, wrapping her foot around my waist and slowly pulling me closer.
“Then please, come to me. I’m ready whenever you are.”
“Yeah. Just a second. You’re not wet enough yet.”
As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t just rush in and enter her yet.
Matilda wasn’t wet enough.
She was a little damp, probably from anticipation, but it wasn’t enough to accept me. I had to loosen her up properly.
I placed my hand on her mound and, using Saint’s Touch, began to caress her gently.
“Nnngh! Hnng! I-I’m sorryyy. Haaah!”
“Right. So next time, make sure you’re wet enough to be ready at any time.”
“Yes, nnngh! Yees…! Hnnnngh!”
She really is beautiful.
If she was always like this… no. This is because of the curse. If she showed me this side of her even without the curse’s influence, I might….
Wait. What am I thinking?
No, I can’t. I have my girls. This is to break the curse.
Without the curse, Matilda wouldn’t have any romantic feelings for me.
I repeated that to myself over and over, as if to convince myself.
When I felt she was wet enough, I immediately entered her.
“Aahhn! Guwon, you’re inside me…!”
I told you, don’t react with such joy.
You’re going to make me misunderstand.
I tried to move my hips as mechanically as possible.
“Guwon… nnngh… inside me… haah… does it feel good?”
Damn it. How could I possibly be business-like while doing this with such a beautiful girl?
No. I have to think about something else.
Right. I’ll think about Matilda’s curse. It’s already been proven that the system for breaking it is similar to the level-up system.
In that case, I just need to cum a lot. Focus on cumming… no. Wait. It was also proven before that the better I feel, the higher the efficiency.
That means that instead of moving mechanically to avoid falling for Matilda, it’s more important to perform the act in a way that brings proper satisfaction.
Damn it. I have no choice. Girls, I’m sorry. This is definitely not cheating. It’s to break the curse.
Having convinced myself with my own conclusion, I gave up on trying to ignore Matilda.
“Ngh! Ahng! Nnngh! Hnng!”
Matilda whimpered in pleasure, slowly reaching out a hand to gently stroke my chest.
Then she slowly moved her hand up to my face, caressing my cheek as if she couldn’t contain her affection.
“Nnngh! Hnngh! Hnng!”
I responded in kind, gently cupping her full breasts.
“Matilda. You’re beautiful.”
“Ah… nnngh. Y-you too… haah… Guwon… you’re so handsome….”
Right. For now, the best thing to do is to not worry too much about this attitude being because of the curse, and just accept it and feel good.
“N-nnnngh!”
As we looked at each other and moved our hips, Matilda soon reached a light climax.
As her high-leveled insides tightened around me in response, I felt the signal coming for me as well.
“Matilda. Me too….”
“Ngh! Yes, yees! Guwon… inside me… lots…!”
There was no need for me to hold back—in fact, to break the curse, I needed to cum a lot—so I didn’t even think of stopping and immediately shot my first load inside Matilda.
“Nnngh… keep going….”
“We have to do it as much as we can while we have the chance.”
And without stopping even after ejaculating, I immediately began to move my hips again.