Chapter 32: Stranded(3)[R-18]
Chapter 32: Stranded(3)[R-18]
“Woof! Woof! Woof!”
A pack of wild dogs began to circle the cave, barking. Come on in, you bastards.
Kerry stood blocking the cave entrance, dagger in hand. He couldn't show fear. The moment he did, the dogs would sense it and attack with even more ferocity.
The one good thing was that with the cave at his back, he didn't have to worry about being surrounded. If he killed a few, the pack would probably get scared and leave.
The dogs circled, looking for an opening.
He couldn't think of them as pets. These were completely wild animals, hunters skilled at taking down prey as a pack.
“Come and get it, you fuckers!”
The instant Kerry shouted, one of the dogs circling closest to him bared its teeth and charged.
Kerry swung his dagger in a swift arc, plunging it into the creature’s stomach.
Yelp—!
As the agonizing cry echoed through the area, the pack visibly flinched, their tails lowering slightly. You’re no match for me.
In the past, this might have been a dangerous situation. But the special training he’d received from Lina was paying off even here.
I can do this.
He was confident he could take them all down, even if they all rushed him at once. The pack stared pitifully at their fallen comrade, then scattered and fled when Kerry let out a roar.
Fortunately, it seemed they weren't starving.
“Well, we’ve got meat. At least we’ll be able to eat.”
That night, Kerry and Victoria filled their stomachs with the meat of the wild dog. Having grown up on fine food, Victoria had little desire to eat it, but their situation was far from ideal.
When Victoria, who had eaten the dog meat and closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, it was already morning.
All traces of their meal had been neatly cleaned up, and a splint was wrapped around her ankle.
That man… no. Did Kerry treat it?
She waited with her eyes slightly open, and soon saw Kerry returning with an armful of firewood.
“You’re awake.”
“…”
“I looked around while gathering firewood. Things have gotten a little complicated.”
“What do you mean?”
“I saw quite a few monster tracks in this forest. There were a lot of goblin and kobold tracks in particular, but there were also some that felt more dangerous.”
“…Is this cave safe?”
“Nowhere in a forest can be called truly safe. But having a cave is better than not having one. We don't have to worry about being surrounded by wild dogs like yesterday. Besides, a cave makes it easier for me to protect you, Lady Victoria.”
“If you can survive on your own, then go. I will find a way to survive by myself.”
“I would never abandon you, Lady Victoria.”
For one, Victoria was his savior. She was the one who had saved him when he fell from the cliff. He couldn't just abandon her so easily.
“Are you worried about the fortress?”
“…How could I not be?”
“I’m not worried.”
“Are you saying we’re the only ones who need to survive? You’re a colder man than you look…”
“That’s not it. Lina and Natasha are at the fortress. And there are people like the knights who rescued us. There’s no need to worry. That’s what I believe.”
The ones we should be worried about are us. To be honest, he couldn't guarantee he could make it out of this forest alive, even on his own.
“Most importantly, a wounded Lady Victoria and a powerless me would only get in the way if we returned to the fortress now.”
Victoria bit her lip in frustration. Every word Kerry said was painfully true.
To be unable to help when they needed her most. She couldn't face her subordinates.
“For now, we should prepare to stay here for a while. At least until your leg has healed. If we’re lucky, a rescue party might arrive before then.”
“…”
With that, Kerry began to move about busily. Victoria was simply confused, stranded here all alone, but that man seemed completely unfazed.
I just have to think of it as being back when I first fell into this world.
No. This was better than then. Back then, he knew nothing and had no power to protect himself.
But now, he knew a little bit of swordsmanship and had refilled the mana in his Magic Storage Orb. It was as reliable as they come.
More than anything, this might be an opportunity.
He wondered if he was being overly optimistic, but in times like these, it was best to think only positive thoughts.
If I can put Victoria in my debt here, I could receive a great deal of help from her later.
Victoria was one of Lina’s companions from her past life, someone she considered important. It was safe to say she was a talent with a bright future. And in fact, her talent was SS-rank.
If Victoria joined the regressor’s crew, Kerry’s own position would become that much more solid.
If this were a quest, the first objective would be to survive here safely.
The second would be to get Victoria on his side.
“Does the splint fit okay?”
“It fits well. Thank you…”
After that, Kerry continued to move busily. He didn't ask the injured Victoria to do anything, working silently by himself.
He finished butchering the dog they had caught last night and roasted it over the fire. With a bit of a smoky flavor, even dog meat was somewhat edible.
Victoria watched him in silence. She felt uncomfortable just sitting there, but there was nothing she knew how to do.
Raised as a noble, Victoria had never once done such menial chores.
An injured person like me… I must be nothing but a burden, yet he doesn't show a hint of displeasure…
Kerry was a kinder person than she had thought. That’s what Victoria felt, though the reality was a little different.
“It’s cooked enough now. Please eat. It might not be to your taste, but you need to recover quickly.”
“I know. I’m not such a child as to complain about the food here.”
Victoria boldly bit into the dog’s hind leg and tore at the meat. It looked a little unappetizing, but it was more edible than she expected, thanks to Kerry’s careful cooking.
The two of them ate the dog meat in silence.
An awkward air lingered between them, as Victoria was feeling shy, recalling the events of the previous day.
Last night, the two had made love intensely, and when they slept, they held each other tightly. Just like a newlywed couple.
“Phew. That was a good meal. I should get back to work. There’s a lot to do if we want to stay here even a little safely. First, I think I should build a small fence to block the cave entrance for the night.”
“…Is there anything I can do to help?”
“You’re not well, so please rest.”
“Just watching… it’s boring… and I don’t feel right.”
“Then could you please clean up after our meal? If you gather the bones and leftover meat in one place, I’ll take them far away from the cave and dispose of them.”
Only then did Victoria smile brightly. She had something to do now. She didn't want to be a useless burden.
After that, Kerry began weaving a fence. It wasn't a difficult task. There were plenty of materials around. He broke thick branches and wove them together with vines.
It was crude, but he completed a fence that could at least keep small animals out.
While he was at it, he sharpened a large branch with his dagger, making a wooden spear. It felt like he was playing a survival game.
“Lady Victoria. Do you happen to have a water bottle?”
“I do.”
“That’s a relief. I’ll go get some water in it. I saw a river when I went out earlier. I drank from it, but I didn't have a bottle, so I couldn't bring any back.”
Come to think of it, Victoria was thirsty.
“…I’ll be counting on you.”
“Yes. While I’m gone, please stay quietly inside the cave, Lady Victoria.”
Kerry helped Victoria into the cave and blocked the entrance with the fence he had made.
He also pressed his dagger firmly into her hand.
“If you give me the dagger… what about you?”
“I have this wooden spear. It’s enough.”
“…”
“Well, I’ll be back.”
Victoria watched Kerry’s retreating back, then shyly called out.
“B-Be careful.”
Kerry just waved his hand silently. Watching him, Victoria let out a small, wry laugh.
“This is like the newlywed life of some tribal people…”
The sight of Kerry’s back as he went to fetch water for her overlapped with the memory of her father’s, the head of their household.
A week had passed since he and Victoria had been stranded. Kerry felt that things were gradually turning out differently than he had expected.
At first, Kerry’s goal had been to put Victoria in his debt.
He had never wished for a situation like the one they were in now. The problem was their life here.
When they first started living here, there were many things to prepare. They had to build a fence and secure a source of drinking water.
He even built a makeshift kiln and fashioned bowls from clay for them to eat from.
Victoria enjoyed making the bowls, and even now, the shelf Kerry had built was filled with the clay bowls she had made.
The problem began to arise as they ran out of things to do and grew accustomed to this place.
They had more and more time to rest, and during those times, the two of them would talk.
And as they did… there were times when their eyes would meet with a spark. As if something had just clicked.
Whenever that happened, Kerry and Victoria would share a deep kiss.
Slurp— Slurp—
“Kerry… Kerry… Hnngh!”
“Victoria, don’t rush. We’ve only just started kissing. You need to get wetter…”
“I’m already wet enough.”
“You really are. Alright. I’ll put it in right now.”
Even in broad daylight, Victoria and Kerry were mixing their bodies. Victoria’s moans echoed through the cave.
“Haaahng! Kerry! Kerry!”
Victoria rode Kerry, grinding her hips. The first time had been difficult, but the second was easy. The third was even easier.
The two of them had sex whenever their eyes met.
They’d have sex while waiting for the meat to cook if their eyes met.
“Kerry. I want to do it.”
“Didn’t we do it this morning?”
They’d have sex when they were resting inside the cave to escape the hot sun if their eyes met.
“Hah, ngh! Kerry, you’re so lewd. How many times a day do you want to do it…?”
“You’re the one who initiates it more often, Victoria.”
“Th-That’s ridiculous! Haaang!”
Kerry enjoyed being able to touch Victoria’s body as he pleased. But wasn't this like some primitive-era newlywed couple?
Kerry would go out to hunt, and Victoria would cook. And whether it was day or night, they would have sex whenever their eyes met.
I had no idea Victoria would like my cock this much.
Having just awakened to her sexuality, Victoria was a runaway train. It wasn't an exaggeration; Victoria initiated it more often than Kerry did.
As Victoria began to enjoy her sex life, she suddenly remembered. The people who were waiting for her.
This isn’t the time for this… My knights and vassals must be searching desperately for me.
A week had passed since they were stranded, so the battle must have ended by now. If Lina and Natasha were as strong as Kerry said, there probably wasn't a major problem at the fortress.
I have to go back now…
But the thought of returning left Victoria feeling a little bitter. It was because she had already started to like this life.
She could see the furniture Kerry had made inside the cave. There was a shelf and a bed made of straw.
There were also the clay bowls Victoria had made. Her skills had improved over time, and many of them were quite stylish.
The once-bleak cave was now filled with traces of the two of them.
By now, Victoria thought nothing of washing with Kerry at the river.
“Victoria, let’s go wash up.”
“Alright.”
Kerry carried Victoria on his back to the river. Then, without a second thought, they both took off their clothes.
Victoria liked it when Kerry washed her.
“Will you wash me?”
“Yes, yes. Your Highness. I’ll wash you.”
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me Your Highness!”
Kerry washed Victoria’s breasts with the river water. The cool water and Kerry’s hands touched her skin.
“Hnngh.”
It felt good. And not just her breasts. Kerry also washed Victoria’s pussy with the river water.
It was a truly debaucherous jungle honeymoon life. Victoria grew more and more accustomed to mixing her body with Kerry’s. Now, showing her naked body was nothing to her.
In fact, she felt like she would go crazy because she loved Kerry’s cock so much.
So much so that she was tempted to just keep living in the forest like this.
This noble lady has gotten a real taste for my cock.
The woman who had been so shy she couldn't even meet his eyes when they first did it in the cave now pounced on him day and night.
She even liked being washed by him; nothing more needed to be said.
But they couldn't live here forever. Victoria vaguely sensed that as well.
Perhaps because of that, Victoria spoke less and less about the fortress.
“Lady Victoria. Let me see your leg.”
“We agreed you would call me Victoria, not Lady Victoria.”
“Alright. Victoria. Let me see your leg.”
Victoria extended her splinted ankle. As he carefully examined it, Victoria lovingly stroked Kerry’s hair.
“The wound’s gotten infected…”
“…”
He had been too complacent just because Victoria was a mana user. She was certainly a superhuman, but she was also a lady who had been raised delicately in a noble house.
On top of that, they’d been having rough sex every single day… Looking at it now, it seemed the infection was from having too much sex.
“It’s… fine if it’s infected, isn’t it? It will heal eventually.”
“Healing isn’t the issue. A week has passed and no one has come looking for us. It seems we’ll have to get out of here on our own.”
“…”
For some reason, Victoria pouted like a sulking child.
“I don’t want to go back. Kerry, you… do you hate living with me? Carrying me, washing me… feeding me every day… have you grown tired of it?”
“Of course not.”
“…”
“I just don’t want you to be in pain, Victoria. I’m going to go look for some medicinal herbs. You can wait here like always.”
“You know about medicinal herbs, too?”
“Just the basics.”
“You’re amazing.”
To Victoria, Kerry, who could handle anything so capably, seemed amazing. In truth, it was just the menial work of an adventurer, nothing all that special.
Kerry left Victoria in the cave and entered the forest. The forest was full of goblins and fierce wild animals, but there was nothing to worry about.
When things got dangerous, he could always escape using the White Witch’s Seal.
“I need to talk to the White Witch, too… I haven’t paid her much attention lately, she might be pissed.”