Chapter 31: The Desperate Escape
Gael slammed his sword into the wall blocking his path, but even after the strike, there was no mark left on the solid surface. He let out a furious shout.
"Damn it!!"
No matter how he pushed or searched for gaps, it was useless. Calling out to the scattered party members behind the wall only brought back echoes in response.
When all methods failed, Gael's temper flared. He clenched his fist, trying desperately to hold back his anger, but it was no use.
The accumulated fatigue and suppressed emotions finally erupted. He turned around.
Behind him were Ki-ana, who stood there helplessly, and the hostage woman lying unconscious.
'Why the hell that cat...'
He didn't dislike or like Ki-ana. She was a woman he liked in terms of gender, but her usual annoying behavior kept his feelings purely rational.
But the negative side she showed in the party earlier made him dislike her at this moment.
"No traps!"
"Eh, there aren't any nyang!!"
Ki-ana, who had been assigned to search for traps as a thief, flinched and made an excuse.
"Then what is this!?"
Gael pointed at the huge wall behind him and shouted again. Ki-ana, choked up, retorted.
"Do you think I'm a master class? If I could detect all the traps in the dungeon, why would I be in this party nyang!!"
"What...? What kind of nonsense is that. Why are you in this party?"
Gael's face darkened at Ki-ana's slip.
She realized her mistake but pushed on, unable to take it back.
"Don't nitpick nyang! If you say that, you're a warrior, but you can't stop all monster invasions nyang!?"
As the argument escalated, Gael felt his head throbbing.
He wanted to fire back, but his last shred of patience held him back.
"Fine. So what now?"
"Obvious thing nyang! We have to move nyang! Food and water are all with Aria and Rene nyang! Just sitting here is insane nyang!"
"Her?"
Gael pointed at the sleeping woman.
Ki-ana hesitated, which made Gael frown.
Hesitation meant she was thinking of leaving the woman behind, so Gael couldn't look kindly on her.
"...If you carry her, it would be fine nyang?"
"Ha..."
After hesitation, the words or compromise made Gael let out a bitter laugh.
Carrying someone while escaping the dungeon?
That would be the vanguard?
Insane talk.
He might have felt less bad if he said he'd carry her himself.
"Then what do you suggest!?"
"I oppose it. Let's wait here. If it's Serena, she'll definitely come looking for us. We might cross paths if we move, so conserving energy here seems right. At least, we can move after this woman regains consciousness."
"Insane talk!"
Ki-ana shouted at Gael, who sat down heavily.
Whether he sat or not, Gael didn't budge from beside the woman.
Ki-ana glared at him with envy, then suddenly had an idea and sneered maliciously.
"Why? If that woman wakes up later and thanks you, you'll use that to... why are men like this..."
"Are you crazy?"
"Why? Wrong nyang?"
"Stop it."
"I don't want to nyang~."
"You damn cat brat..."
"What!? Damn cat!?"
After several exchanges of shouting, Ki-ana hissed.
"I'm going alone nyang!"
"What?"
"While sitting here to die, why should I die with you nyang?"
"Then what about this lady!?"
"Whatever nyang! She's the first human female I've seen today, why should I care nyang?"
"You bastard! Are you even human!!"
"No~ I'm a cat nyang~ Did you not know I'm beastkin? Then since not human, I'm leaving nyang~."
Ki-ana turned with a spiteful expression and walked alone into the dungeon's darkness.
"Ya--"
"Uum..."
Gael stopped in his tracks when he heard the moan, about to grab her.
The hostage woman was slowly opening her eyes.
Seeing her, Gael knelt and approached the fallen woman urgently.
"Are you conscious?"
"Ah, here...?"
"I'm Gael. An adventurer who accepted the request from Tihana Village--"
Gael received a brief self-introduction and situation explanation from the woman who had regained consciousness.
As expected, she was a resident of Tihana Village who had been gathering herbs in the forest when captured by monsters and brought here.
The brutal treatment she endured showed in her body wounds, and Gael felt a pang in his heart.
"Sniff..."
'Damn, monster bastards!'
Looking at the pitiful woman crying, his sense of justice burned to protect her.
Gael opened his mouth to ease the heavy atmosphere and convey his feelings.
"You don't have to worry! I'll somehow send Elisa back to Tihana Village!"
Gael chest-beating with grand promises.
"Thank you, Gael-nim..."
Slurp...
When Elisa bowed her head to thank him, the hem of the robe she had been wearing slipped naturally.
'Ugh.'
Between the falling robe, her smooth hills and the pinkish protrusion in the center passed before Gael's eyes.
Not explicit exposure, but the bare skin revealed in vulnerability couldn't escape the instinctive male gaze.
Even for a moment, impure thoughts crossed Gael's mind, but he shook his head internally and restrained himself.
He was a womanizer, but not a lecher.
So, to redirect the impure feelings that had arisen, he hurriedly spoke.
"Ah, um, um, is there anything? Uh, are you hungry? I have some bread left, if it's okay..."
"Thank you."
Elisa carefully accepted the only food Gael had and ate it.
'Big problem...'
While watching her with warmth, Gael felt dilemma inside.
It was the last bread he had given her.
Ki-ana had already disappeared from sight, so it was too late to catch her.
Now, he had no choice but to stay put.
If his companions didn't come, or if they had been violated, then...?
'Haah--'
Just imagining it made the world go dark before his eyes.
Leaning against the wall, he sighed inwardly, unable to tell anyone.
"Wait... Is it okay to expect that?"
Elisa, sitting beside him, asked cautiously.
"Ah? Yes?? Ah, um... It's fine."
"Thank you."
Thud.
'Ugh...'
Gael felt dizzy from the weight on his shoulder and the long hair tickling his neck.
Actually, unlike his womanizing nature, he had never experienced proper romance with a woman.
So, he had no immunity to such contact and quickly fell into lewd feelings.
'No! Calm down, calm... Hoo, calm down, calm...'
"Gael...?"
At the cautious call, Gael turned his head sideways and then looked back.
Even sitting, the height difference forced him to look down slightly, and in that gaze, a nipple peeked out from between the open robe.
Moreover, this time the thick crotch area came into view, and his face flushed instantly without a chance to hide it.
He wanted to fix the fallen robe, but doing so would make the situation awkward.
'Damn...'
"Ah, it's nothing! Haha..."
"What's wrong? You look pale."
Elisa, with a forced smile, avoided his gaze and reached out to his cheek.
Touch.
The soft, delicate skin of the woman touching his cheek.
Wet eyes meeting up close.
The lewd scent of the woman carried on the humid air.
'Please stop...'
Unlike the wind, Gael couldn't ignore the series of sensations and felt blood rushing to his lower body.
And that unavoidable physiological response was noticeable even through his pants.
"Ah..."
Elisa saw Gael's swollen crotch and let out a soft voice.
"Ah, um, um, um, that's, this, ah, um, I mean, misunderstanding...!!"
Gael, panicked, waved his hands trying to vehemently deny it—
"Shall I help you?"
Elisa asked in a hoarse voice, with a lewd smile on her lips.
"...What?"
Gael asked back thinking he misheard, and the smile deepened on Elisa's face.
"Even if a little, I can help with my hand."
"W-what...?"
"You've been struggling because of me. I want to repay you a little for saving me. Please."
Swish.
Elisa stroked Gael's crotch with her hand and leaned closer.
The woman's yearning eyes.
The urging voice.
The lewd breathing.
They numbed Gael's reason.
Swallow.
"...Yes."
Gael swallowed hard and answered in a trance.
He didn't notice the foolish smile on his own face or the monster laughing at him while looking at that smile.