Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Slumber
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"Michael, you don't look well. Did something happen with Marie...?"
One of the agents asked after Michael returned from meeting Marie.
Michael's fist slammed into the agent's face.
His face caved in, and he died on the spot.
Michael had already been on the verge of exploding.
A single word from his subordinate had unconsciously infused his fist with aura.
"Tch."
The Cerberus agents' faces tensed up at the sight of Michael suddenly beating one of their own to death in such a brutal manner.
"We head to Slumber as early as possible tomorrow morning. We need to arrive before the surveillance target."
"Yes, sir!"
The agents responded sharply, their discipline tightened by Michael's menacing aura.
"Something good happen? You look happy."
Luna asked as I returned to camp after spending some sticky time with Marie. It must have shown on my face.
Luna had a meaningful look, like she knew something. It didn't seem like she was just asking because I looked cheerful.
Did she figure it out?
"Huh? Uh... yeah... something like that."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Ayla chimed in, our conversation piquing her curiosity.
I couldn't neglect Ayla just because I'd hugged Marie. Time to give her a fair embrace too.
"Alright, it's late. Let's get some sleep."
"W-wait!"
Ignoring Ayla's protests, I dragged her into the tent.
I opened my eyes to find the tent brightly lit.
The sun must have risen.
Luxurious long golden hair tickled my nose.
Ayla lay naked atop me, asleep. My massive tool was firmly embedded in her pussy.
Couldn't skip the lovers' morning greeting, right?
I grabbed her ass and slowly started moving.
-Squish... Squish...
The sensation woke Ayla.
"Mmm... Un-ho... already morning...? Ahh... Ahhn."
The tent heated up in an instant.
After coolly unloading a shot inside her, just as I was about to go for round two out of lingering regret—
"You really do it every damn day without getting tired. Even a horny monkey wouldn't go this hard. Un-ho! Cut it out already. I'm starving here!"
Lilliana's complaint-laced shout came from outside the tent.
Smacking my lips at the interruption, I stepped out.
Lilliana glared at me with a pouty face, her dark circles even deeper than before. Must be from staying up all night working.
"You're extra prickly today."
"It's not prickly. You're the one going too far. We always set out late because of your horniness!"
".........Yeah, let's eat."
The merchants' wagons—those guys who'd camped a good distance away—were already gone.
'Were they really merchants?'
Our wagon interior had doubled in size. Lilliana's achievement from making us sleep outside while she worked through the night.
She was more obsessed with the game than I'd thought.
"Un-ho, hurry up and set up that mana generator thing."
Lilliana with her dark circles urged me on.
I placed the mana generator in one corner.
"Oho... so... how do you charge it?"
She asked excitedly, thrilled at the prospect of gaming soon.
I held out my hand to her.
She pouted at the gesture.
"Sigh... what do you want this time?"
"I want an archmage's robe."
"What's with this archmage obsession..."
Lilliana rolled her eyes and pulled a luxurious mage's robe from her subspace.
"This is one I put some real effort into back in the day. Cleansing magic, temperature and size adjustment, restoration function, and mana sensitivity boost. I guarantee you won't find anything better than this robe right now."
I didn't catch all that, but...
I got that she was bragging about it.
Even from the bits I understood, it seemed packed with features—like a luxury mage robe.
"If you wear this instead of that tacky rag of yours, no one will doubt you're a mage."
Definitely.
It looked leagues above the shabby robe I'd made with mana. Black base with intricate golden patterns etched everywhere, exuding an air of extraordinary craftsmanship.
An archmage deserved no less.
I already knew from coming here how important appearances were.
I'd pried a staff upgrade and two magic items out of her for a cheap handheld game console—profitable no matter how you sliced it.
All items acquired.
"Now I finally look the part of an archmage."
The women shot me incredulous looks, but I ignored them.
With the expanded wagon, we swapped the hard chairs for a large sofa and added a bed in one corner.
It turned into a proper one-room setup.
"Please, no doing it inside the wagon."
Lilliana scolded, eyeing the bed in the corner.
We spent another day sleeping in the upgraded, comfier wagon and finally arrived at Slumber.
"Master, Slumber is in sight."
I went outside at Marie's words and sat beside her on the driver's seat.
"That's Slumber?"
"Yes, Master."
Slumber was huge.
Laventa looked puny by comparison—at least twice as small.
Not just big; shantytowns sprawled even outside the city walls.
A place where anyone with some power flocked to farm mana stones from the labyrinth monsters.
They said it had amassed insane wealth because of that.
We joined the end of the long line of wagons.
There were two entrances.
One for wagons, one for people.
"What? No entry permit? Go get one. You can buy it over there for 1 gold."
A guy trying to enter got turned away by the gate guard.
The spot the guard pointed to was a wooden building beside the gate—the permit office, apparently.
Long line there too, just like the gate.
But that had nothing to do with me.
I'm a mage.
The wagon line dwindled, and soon it was our turn.
"Welcome to Slumber."
The guard greeted us politely.
"Yeah."
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence followed.
The guard, meeting my gaze, broke out in cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"This is a mage."
"A... a mage?"
Doubt flickered across the guard's face at Marie's words.
'I'm wearing an archmage's robe... and he still can't tell?'
Annoying, but no choice.
I pulled the mage staff from my inventory.
The guard's face lit up in shock as he bowed his head.
"Y-you're cleared to pass!"
I was miffed he couldn't recognize an archmage at a glance, but I'm magnanimous.
I'd forgive him this once.
We entered the city without issue, contrary to expectations.
'Even after beating up the lord's son in Laventa...'
Not just any noble—an heir.
'No quick comms between cities? Or did they really let it slide?'
Whatever. One less hassle was good.
That wasn't the problem.
"...I can't understand it."
"Is something not to your liking?"
Marie asked cautiously from beside me as she drove.
"Don't I look like a mage?"
"Pardon? W-well..."
Marie made an awkward face, at a loss for words.
"Who'd believe a muscle-bound brute who looks like he swings weapons is a mage?"
Ayla poked her head out from behind and snarked before ducking back inside.
"Tch. Prejudices run deeper than I thought."
The city interior was packed beyond any we'd visited before.
Roads were neatly paved with stone too.
"Marie, you've been here before, right?"
"Yes, Master."
"Hm..."
"Is something not to your liking...?"
"Calling me Master feels too servile."
"Pardon?"
"We're close, aren't we?"
I subtly groped Marie's ass as I spoke.
"......Th-thank you. Then..."
"Yeah... that sounds good. Call me Master. Feels cooler that way."
"......Understood, Master."
"What's this Master crap! It's the same as before!"
Ayla popped her head out again to nitpick.
I quickly grabbed her cheeks.
"What're you—mmph!!"
I planted a deep kiss on her plump, luscious lips.
-Smooch... Slurp... Mmwah...
"Phah~ Y-you idiot! What the hell in a place like this!! You... you... moron!!!"
Ayla fled inside, her face beet red.
Kissed her as punishment.
"Know any good hotels like in Laventa?"
The one in Laventa had been satisfying, so I aimed for another.
"Yes, I do. But lodging costs double—no, several times more than Laventa."
Can't fight prices in a crowded spot.
No tantrums over expense either.
Plenty of mana stones, so money wasn't an issue.
"Take us there."
"Yes, sir."