Vol 2 Chapter 41: The Next Step

"You sure you're just going to let them go?"

"Of course. I don't go back on my word."

"That cat guy is shady as hell, you know. He's still grinning even with his hand chopped off like that. And I don't like how his bangs cover his eyes like that."

We watched as the assassin party left the way we came. They were walking on foot, since their ride, the transformation specialist mage, was still too weak to attempt any more transformation after I gravely wounded him.

Before they left, the elf decided to prostrate as well, signifying that she too surrendered to Fiora.

It was a complete victory.

Afterwards, Fiora told them that they could stand up. After they did, they introduced themselves one by one. The catkin, still grinning, mind you, was named Nevan. The dark elf was named Olva, the lizardman Graton, the mousekin Fralton, and the still unconscious rabbitkin Mrutu.

I just realized that there wasn’t a single human about them. Now I think I could reckon a guess on how this group came to be, why they would support Fiora’s goal, and why their leader was dressed like a slave with his rags.

They didn’t tell us their life story though. And Fiora certainly didn’t ask. They simply left after thanking FIora once more for her clemency, promising that they would return here one year from now to report their findings.

"I'm worried about you, you know. What if they return with an even bigger force?" I spoke to Fiora once they were out of sight.

"Then it would be a pleasant challenge. Also, you're in no position to lecture me on anything, after that pathetic display of yours."

"Oh… you're talking about the explosive arrow, aren't you?" I grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of my head. "Yeah, didn't see that coming in the slight—oow, what was that for?"

She kicked me in the nuts!

"You could've died there if not for your fairy, you buffoon." She glared, folding her hands under her chest. "And your face would have been gone if your body isn't already used on automatically putting a layer of aura to respond to an incoming attack. And that's thanks to me hitting you over and over while we trained. Why did you think it's a bright idea to charge in like that? You're a mage. You're not suited for close combat."

"J-just thought I could finish them off, that's all… Got too excited and thought 'there's no way I can lose!' and all that…"

I looked down, away from her gaze. She was right. That was really stupid of me.

"H-hey, don't scold Master like that!" My fairy suddenly spoke with a pout, making Fiora turn her attention towards her. She eyed her up and down.

"Uuu… why are you staring at me like that?" She complained. "Master, this girl is bullying me!" She pointed with tears in her eyes.

I sighed. "Alright, you can return now." I told her. "Good job, little fairy." I patted her in the head. She giggled in delight before disappearing soon after.

"A great fairy summon, huh?" Fiora commented. "Pretty decent. Have you learned her name yet?" She gave a glance at my direction.

"N-no…" I replied. "I'm not sure if I want to anchor her permanently with me to be honest."

"Oh, why not?" She smirked.

"I mean… it's a heavy thing, you know. That means I'll have to take care of her for the rest of my life. I'm not sure if I'm ready for that kind of a commitment. And knowing how childish and naive she is, I don't think she'll understand the meaning of becoming my familiar as well."

In short, I don't want to be a bastard that takes advantage of a young girl.

And besides, if she stays with me for the rest of my life, doesn't that sound like marriage? Sherry won't be happy for sure…

"I see," Fiora replied, still smirking. “You really are a nice guy, aren’t you?” She didn’t say anything else on the matter afterwards.

We then turned back our attention to the bridge, having barely any wounds to talk about. My own wounds had been completely healed by my fairy, while Fiora’s tired legs were quickly fixed up by Nicole. The bridge itself on the other hand was not as lucky. It was now hanging downwards on the other side, as it lost its tether on this side. Now that I think of it, that explosion before we fell… that’s from the elf’s exploding arrow, isn’t it? I thought it’s just a fire spell.

Now that it’s out, I suppose we don’t have any other way to cross. Guess we’ll just have to turn back the way we come and have Fiora learn swordsmanship somewhere else.

...Oh, who am I kidding? Of course not.

“Not to worry.” Nicole declared with a confident smile. “I can conjure a bridge for us to go across.”

“Do you still have enough mana, Lady Nicole?” Helen asked with a concerned look.

“Don’t worry.” She nodded. “I can still keep going.”

And so it was decided. We were going to use her barrier spell as a floor for us to cross.

I sighed again. Now that our carriage is gone, we have to actually walk and our progress will be severely delayed, until we can get a new one.

-----------

As I had predicted, we didn't make it all the way down the mountain before the sun had set. And so, we had to set up camp.

Only that all the camping equipment was on the carriage, except for mine, which I stored inside my all too handy Bag of Holding.

And so we had to share one tent. All four of us. Yeah, you can just imagine how overjoyed I was of the prospect. Me, surrounded by these lovely girls (and woman) in a cramped space like that… my perverted mind immediately went into overdrive.

Only for Fiora to ruin it by telling me to just make a makeshift on the nearby cliff wall.

And judging by her I-know-what-you're-thinking-you-perv smile, she clearly knew that she just ruined my perverted dream.

Dammit, we're separating soon, right? At least give me a chance to get a squeeze on Helen's mounds.

We had a deer I sniped with my Boom Rifle for dinner, since we lost our food supplies as well. Helen cooked it and it was delicious. She simply knew how to cook the meat well, making it tender. Even without seasoning, it still had its own flavor.

I then fell asleep first. My watch turn would be just before morning.

--------

...ugo...

...Hugo..

...is Sherry… sending you… message… through dream… using orb...

... can't go… I can't go back home…

...Not strong enough… can't leave…

...Sorry… you and Marina… go without me…

…Don't worry… I'm fine… met my family here…

...Catch up… Find you… as soon as I’m stronger…

--------

I leaped out of my slumber. Almost literally, as I immediately sat up from my slouched-to-the-cavern-wall position.

I was sweating profusely and my pupils were wide open. It was as if I had just woken up from a nightmare.

That’s… that was Sherry, wasn’t it?! There’s no doubt about it! That was Sherry, sending me a message through my dream!

She can’t leave?! Not strong enough? What does that mean? So she’s not going to leave her village anytime soon?

Argh, this isn’t just a dream, is it? No, the atmosphere was too different from one. She said it herself. It was a message. Somehow, she had sent me a message of her tardiness using my dream as a medium.

I stood up, legs still a bit wobbly. I need some fresh air.

I walked outside the cave and saw Fiora, standing there on the open field, gazing upon the black sky. Or rather, she was looking at the full moon adorning it. It was so bright that it swallowed the light of the stars. In this world, without any electricity, you can always see stars clearly as long as the sky isn’t cloudy.

“Hmm?”

She quickly noticed my presence.

“Oh, it’s you, Hugo. Still a bit too early for your shift, I think.”

“...What’s with that grim look? Something happened, didn’t it? You got a nightmare perhaps?” She let out a small smirk.

“It’s… Sherry. I think she just sent me a message through my dream,” I answered, as ridiculous as that might sound.

Hearing this, her attention perked up. She raised her eyebrows and walked over closer to me.

“And what’s this message might be?” she asked.

“She can’t return as promised. She’s not strong enough so she can’t leave,” I replied.

Fiora didn’t respond right away. She turned around, walking away from me. The sound of her footsteps pressing onto the dead leaves and branches were swallowed by the cacophony of crickets that were all around us.

“You’re worried then?” she asked again.

“Of course I am,” I replied with a frown. “I don’t understand her message at all. If it’s even her message, that is, and not just some dream I imagined in myself.”

“...There’s a magic item in this world called the Dream Orb. With it, you can send messages to people through their dreams, no matter how far you are from them. It is an extremely rare item, only found in dangerous places like dungeons and such. It is something the dungeon itself creates. Not even the most skilled gnome can replicate its properties.”

“So you think Sherry used that to contact me like this?”

“Perhaps,” she replied, still looking away from me.

Another veil of silence fell between us. I already know what I am going to say next, and I know Fiora knows it as well. But somehow, I can’t bring myself to say it right away.

“You’re leaving, I take it?”

“...Yes.”

“I see.”

And then, before I could respond, she turned around, grabbed the back of my head, and forced me into a kiss.

It was not just a chaste kiss. It was a passionate one, as her tongue invaded my mouth voraciously like a hungry dog. Even if I wanted to escape, I wouldn’t be able to, as her hands firmly locked me in place.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally released me, with a trail of saliva still connecting our mouths. She grinned, and for the very first time, she was as red as a tomato. Not that I was one to talk. I was pretty sure I was just as red as her.

“You haven’t done that with Sherry, have you, Hugo? Well, tell her then. That if she doesn’t treat you right, I’ll snatch you right away from her grasp.”

She then patted on my shoulder as she walked past me like nothing had happened.

“Well, let’s wake up the others, shall we? Or would you prefer to leave after breakfast?”

-------

We woke up Nicole and Helen early. After I resolved myself to leave, and how Fiora had just french kissed me like that, it would be too awkward for me to linger around for long. We didn’t tell them anything after we had our breakfast. Fiora seemingly was content to let me be the one to decide when I should drop the news. Thankfully, both Nicole and Helen decided not to bother changing out of their nightgowns. Maybe they knew from the expression of my face and Fiora’s that I got something important to tell them.

And then, once our breakfast was over, eating the remains of the deer meat from last night, I decided to not dally any further and just went with it.

“Everyone. I have an announcement to make.” I told them, after I took a big sigh.

I promptly explained to them about my dream and how I was worried about her.

Nicole and Helen both exchanged confused and bewildered looks with each other, before Nicole spoke, “Are you sure it’s really a message from her and not just a normal dream?”

“I’m pretty sure of it,” I replied. “It just doesn’t feel like a dream, you know. And she told it herself that it’s a message from her.”

Still, now that I speak to them like this, I realize just how absurd this whole thing is.

“Oh, Sherry, I wonder if she’s alright…” Nicole said, looking away with a pained expression. She was still wearing her nightgown, along with Helen.

“Don’t worry. She also told me that she found her family there,” I replied with a calming smile. “So I’m sure she’s alright.” Hopefully.

“I see.” Her lovely smile slowly crept into her face. “I am glad to hear that.”

“Lord Hugo, if you’re going to leave at once, then please allow me to express my gratitude for everything you have done for us and Her Imperial Highness.” She bowed. “And please, forgive any rudeness I have displayed to you through this journey. I was wrong to ever doubt you. We wouldn’t have made it this far with your help.”

As she bowed, her large breasts jiggled in the most impressive manner, and I could see her black bra peeking out of the loose neckline of her nightgown.

Aah, I’ll miss the sight of those two mountains for sure.

“Don’t worry about it,” I replied with a smile. “When I first met up with you all, I was quite in the awful state of mind, remember? You guys helped me as much as I helped you.” I turned to face Nicole. “You comforted me when I needed it the most.” And then I looked towards Fiora. “And you pulled me out of my self-pity and trained me in the art of the sword. Quite harshly, I might add,” I chuckled. And you, Helen, you gave so many nice views of your boobs. Not that I can say that to her face, of course.

“You’re the one who pulled yourself out of despair, Hugo,” Nicole replied. “I merely light a lantern to guide you out of it, that’s all.”

“Ha, that’s right! You owe me more than I owe you!” Fiora replied with a grin, putting one hand on her waist. “So you better not run away when I go after you after I finish my training, got it?”

“Oh, speaking of owing things, you haven’t paid me for my service yet,” I replied. “Alright. Cough it up. The thousand gold coins you promised.” I gave a mock frown as I folded my arms under my chest.

“Hmph, I see you haven’t forgot.”

What happened next was a complete surprise however. She began unbuckling her sword from her waist, before offering the whole thing to me.

“Here. This is your payment. My sword.”

I gave her a confused look.

“All of our gold are inside that carriage, so I cannot pay you any other way. This sword is made out of Mithril, in case you don’t know. It would easily fetch a thousand gold coins in the market. So sell it and get the gold you deserve.”

“W-what! I can’t just take your sword and sell it!”

“Then carry it with you then. Use it as a replacement for that brittle sword of yours.”

“But, if you don’t have a sword, then how would you—”

“What, you think I won’t be able to find a new sword? Are you an idiot? This is a land of swords. I’ll easily be able to meet a blacksmith that will sell me a new one.”

“But it won’t be Mithril, won’t it?”

“I don’t need Mithril. With my skill, a normal sword is good enough.”

She gave me her usual smug smile, but I know she was just trying to convince me to take the sword.

I sighed. “Fine. I’ll accept this as payment.”

I stored my current sword in my bag before attaching her sword onto my waist.

“Try to think about me every time you swing it, alright?”

"Nah. Since you don't seem to need it, I'll just sell it. I'm more of a mage than a swordsman after all." I said with a grin.

It was just me teasing her of course. Frankly, I don't know if I'm going to use this sword or not.

Helen then walked forward, before suddenly, she gave me a hug.

Mmmmmphh, boobs! Boobs!

"Stay well, Lord Hugo. And may the Saint be with you. And thank you once again, for all you’ve done for Her Imperial Highness."

Her womanly scent entered my nostrils, and immediately my little guy woke up. It was so soft and so warm, that it reminded me of Renee's own boobful embrace.

She released me with a smile. Huh? Is that a blush I see on her face?

The next one to hug me was Nicole. Slightly teary eyed, she said, "Promise me never to lose your way again, Hugo. It's okay if you blunder. What's important is for you to correct yourself and try to walk on that narrow straight path once again."

Of course, in the process, her boobs were pressing onto my chest, while my little guy was being pressed into her lower stomach. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice.

The last one to give me a goodbye hug was Fiora. And she didn't hesitate. She immediately went for the squeeze down there while hugging me with her other hand.

"Hey, never go back being your crybaby self, alright? You get punched, you punch back. You're a man, aren't you? One with a lover as well. If you really like that girl that much, then you'll train and fight and even die for her. And stop being too much of a perv. You'll easily get taken advantage by women that way. If you cross the line with some whore on the road while having resisted all my flirtations, then I'll be really quite insulted as a woman."

She whispered all those words while practically giving me a clothed handjob.

She released me with a grin. I noticed the little tears pooling at the edge of her eyes, but I said nothing. At this emotional moment, I would be a terrible person to tease her. Even her handjob might be just her way to remember me better.

Heh, you really are gonna miss me that much, huh?

Haah, if only I'm a charming harem protag with a maxed charisma stat. I can make both Sherry and Fiora get along and I'll have a harem. But I'm just an introvert who's not good with women. They'll just fight against each other. Sherry might even decide to leave me right away. And she'd be right to do so. Imagine if I meet her and she's all lovey-dovey with another guy.

...Yeah, I'll most likely spiral into depression once again.

With everyone having said their parting words, I wore my bag, gave one final bow of goodbye, and then took my first step on the next part of my journey.

And this time, I’m doing it with a smile.