Chapter 145 Afterglow The Princess and the Skill’s Dark Philosophy
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Keeping a calm face for Ashley and the others meant getting cleaned up again was top priority. He had to gently scold Marina as her eyes kept straying to his still-desirous shaft, but they quickly finished washing off. As soon as they stepped into the tub together, she immediately turned her back and settled down, as if that spot was exactly where she belonged.
The slick feel of her smooth butt against his stomach muscles almost made him think it might be a good idea to just go for it right now, so he rested a hand on her waist to guide his landing zone. Instead, she grabbed his shaft and pressed it down like a lever, leaving his throbbing proof of desire caught helplessly between her thighs. He was astonished that the pressure from her trained, strong thighs was practically as good as an actual insertion, and then Marina relaxed her body, leaning her back against his chest. She reached an arm behind her and stroked his hair as if to pass the time, but it was a clear plea for affection from the rear.
Granting her wish, he carefully caressed her damp armpits, the breasts that bobbed gently with the water’s ripples, and then traced from her toned waist all the way down to her lower belly, which bore the indelible mark of her crotch tattoo. Marina sighed contentedly, then twisted to brush her lips against his cheek.
”Nfufu¹, that felt so good, didn’t it, honey?” she cooed playfully. “Plus, I got to enjoy seeing you all flustered over the princess!”
”Ugh, trust me, it’s not fun for the person who got played, you know,” he groaned. “The aristocratic world is just too much for me, seriously.”
Marina was in a wonderfully cheerful mood, now that they’d covered up the evidence of her little scheme and could finally talk peacefully. The topic, however, turned to the one thing that still overwhelmed him during their intimacy: the sheer atmosphere Marina exuded. It wasn’t just the respectful language she used with anyone; it was the density of life experience that radiated from her as a princess. He’d feel utterly crushed by the air of someone who had survived political strife, sensing his own insignificance, and end up obeying her every command. That was why he was already dreading the required ‘greeting’ to assume responsibility, but Marina, knowing none of his anguish, just laughed merrily.
”Still, ‘Restoration,’ huh?” Marina murmured, finally quiet in his arms, resting her head on his shoulder. “I thought it’d be called something like ‘Regeneration,’ since your thing just sprouts back up again.”
She probably felt the name was odd, sounding like something you’d use on a broken object rather than a body. Why wouldn’t a skill for the human body be based on the restorative functions of other creatures—the obvious choice? Curious about the skill she’d been given, Marina pressed her thighs together around his shaft, seeking his thoughts with a slow, frustrating pleasure.
”Ugh, yeah… that’s the thing…” he gasped, gritting his teeth. “I actually did plan to call it ‘Regeneration’ at first. But that felt too much like an extension of biological healing, you see. I felt it might be a bit too unreliable, so I went with ‘Restoration’—physically reverting something back to its original form.”
Since he could consider creating it, a ‘Regeneration’ skill likely wasn’t already in the pool of skills Shelm had distributed. Therefore, no one had experienced an arm instantly regrowing after being chopped off. But even if biological regeneration was possible, could an adventurer instantly return to the front lines? In daily life, it would be incredibly effective for surviving accidents, no doubt. However, dungeon exploration is filled with far more severe ways to die—mere Regeneration might not be enough.
Octopus arms, crab claws, and lizard tails—they’re the classic examples of regeneration in nature, but regaining those parts costs them a tremendous amount of energy. Even if a ‘Regeneration’ Skill covered the user’s exhaustion, there was no guarantee the regenerated limb would perform exactly as it did before the injury. The rebuilt body part would likely look the same but might have differences in muscle mass or nerve conduction speed. Even a slight discrepancy would be fatal for a warrior who relied on split-second reactions. Maybe Shelm hadn’t released ‘Regeneration’ as a skill because its benefits were too limited or its drawbacks too significant, regardless of how strong its ability was.
”Oh, I see, I see. …What was that thing in your old world, the creature with the strong regeneration ability that became a joke? You crush it, and its eyes regenerate everywhere… Ugh, I just made myself picture something awful. Considering that, making the body into an object for ‘Restoration’ might actually be more useful for the situation we’re in, you know?” Marina pondered.
”Yeah. The biggest danger with Familial Workshop is that it allows me to do too much,” he admitted. “Just having the power to step into dangerous territory means you could suffer unacceptable changes or losses before you even realize it…”
When he thought about it like that, maybe death, though regrettable, was a human-like benchmark for an end. By adding divine power to himself and doing things ordinary people couldn’t, his human sensibilities would inevitably fade. He felt that inclination growing stronger since he could manipulate tentacles, but the fact that he could still hold onto the strong conscious desire to remain human was thanks to the three girls who loved him and stayed by his side.
He embraced the one he trusted most, feeling her in his arms. To confirm that he still held an interest in human desires, he stroked her breasts and lower abdomen again. Marina’s lovely voice soothed his ears with a sweet moan, and she surrendered her body to him without resistance.
”Kuuugh, mmh²! Heh-heh, we really do need to remember we’re taking risks, don’t we?” she chuckled affectionately. “If, by chance, my head was crushed, would the skill even restore my memories? And if your little thing was ground up, would it bring back the most important function of a husband? That’s an issue too!”
”T-That’s right! I think the greatest reward of this whole adventure is that I’ve been able to start a family with you all,” he declared earnestly. “So, well, it’d be a problem if I couldn’t have children!”
Raising the next generation would undoubtedly be proof of his humanity. As long as he could focus on that, he likely wouldn’t stray too far from human thinking. As if sensing his anxiety, Marina looked up at him with an intense gaze, supporting her husband’s resolve to maintain his human consciousness.
”I know that, honey. I’ll get pregnant for you, properly, once everything is over.” she whispered, heat in her voice.
”Urgh, Marina! You’re the best woman ever!” he gasped, receiving her heated consent to pregnancy. His shaft leaped to attention, and he lifted her body while pinching her nipple, attempting to push in. But Marina was quick—she let out a sweet cry while squeezing the glans with terrifying force, giving him the illusion that his shaft was about to be torn out by the root.
”You mustn’t, Yuuri-sama!” she commanded, suddenly shifting to a formal, authoritative tone. “Or perhaps you want to test the effectiveness of Restoration right away?”
”Y-Yes, ma’am… I’m sorry…” There was nothing for it but to obey when she commanded restraint using her ‘Princess’ voice. He felt like he was completely under the thumb of this younger girl, but he found her strength of will—her ability to hold back from giving into desire—incredibly reliable.
”Honestly, you know. You should stop thinking I’ll just stick my rod in as a general sign of affection,” she chided, her tone softening again. “…And on that note, here’s another thing I have to ask: Restoration wouldn’t also prevent you from dying of old age, would it?”
”Oh, don’t worry about that, pal! I reassured her. “It only brings the body back to its pre-injury state. Slow changes… like aging and building up muscle through training are still adjusted the same as before.”
Marina’s concern was justified. If Restoration trapped him in eternal captivity, unable to even commit suicide to escape, how was that different from being imprisoned in a hideously regenerated body? When he firmly denied that possibility, Marina looked visibly relieved. But then she resolutely changed her position, straddling his waist and staring intently into his eyes.
”That’s good. We’ll get to be old grandmas with Ashley and the others. …But, if… if your aging was somehow stolen from you, I’d be willing to stay by your side too.”
”You mean…” Marina’s powerful gaze held nothing more for him to read. Yet, even without dipping into the eternal life offered by Skills, he already held the monstrous power awakened by the Goddess within him. If he could construct such powerful tentacles at will, perhaps with more practice, his own human body could be freed from the constraints of its lifespan. Anticipating that possibility, Marina put her conviction into her eyes without needing to say much, simply to lighten her husband’s heart.
”I don’t have any plans for that… right now,” he confessed.
”Good. But don’t forget that I want to share the joy and the pain with you, okay?” she pressed.
Eternal damnation sounded like a little too much pain to share, maybe. Still, he was relieved to know that he had earned such deep trust from this revered girl. He pulled her feverish, bath-warmed body close in gratitude, sharing a deep hug.
”Thanks. Well, if it ever comes to it, you can just cut me down with your Holy Sword! If you use Sealing to lock down Restoration, I’ll have the messy, but still available, option of death.”
”If it came to that, I suppose I’d go that far. I understand, I’ll take care of you until the very end. Ah, but… only if you haven’t punished me by then, of course.”
Sharing secrets requires trust—he’d thought he was commissioning her as a failsafe to stop his eventual rampage. But Marina was suggesting that even with the free hand he’d given her, she might still be unable to stop her own master’s downfall.
He cocked his head at her phrasing, then replayed her earlier words in his mind, and finally realized the massive blunder he’d made.
”That look! You figured it out, didn’t you? The fact that Restoration is insurance against Ashley and the others’ potential rampage means that I can’t stop you by force, either!” Marina shrugged.
Unable to look at Marina’s eyes, he plunged his face into the water and let out a deep, defeated sigh. The bubbles escaping his mouth swallowed the sound of his blushing and her laughter from above, but he soon ran out of breath and surfaced to see Marina’s amused face again. Even then, he couldn’t face her directly. After all, he’d essentially told her to kill him if it came to it, and then he’d secretly armed himself with the ability to survive her ultimate move.
Sure, if she used the Sealing skill, her deadly move would still be deadly, but of course, if they were truly at odds, he wouldn’t allow that. He even offered to create a Skill to forcibly Seal skills and give it to Marina, but the girl he adored gently refused.
”Yuuri, you shouldn’t rely on Skills for everything. Even if I’m better at human relations, you are the master, remember? If you feel ashamed of being arrogant, that’s something you need to watch out for, not something you should just dump on me by giving me the means to force you to behave.”
”Ugh, you’re right…” The young girl’s admonishment stung his ears. He was embarrassed to realize he’d been acting like he was reining himself in, but in reality, he was trying to push the responsibility onto Marina.
Was this all-powerful ability truly too much for him? As he sank into dejection, Marina cupped his cheeks with both hands, lifting his lowered face. Before he could even ask what she was going to say, she pressed her lips to his, pushing her perfectly shaped breasts against his chest.
”M-Mari—Mmmph!” he tried to protest.
”Chuuck! Hmph, lerr-up, Chuuuuuuck!” He accepted her forceful kiss without being given a chance to defend himself, waiting for her next words. After a moment of the girl’s comforting affection, she slid the shaft that had been pressing against her buttock and guided the tip to her vaginal opening.
”H-Hey—Ugh!” The pleasure instantly spread through the entire length of his shaft upon insertion.
Marina, who received him, let out a sweet cry and began to move her hips gently, swallowing him all the way to the base.
”Because, Yuuri, you should just do whatever you want to do! You’re the one who’ll bear the responsibility, but I’ll make sure you keep choosing me over any evil deeds! Haaah!”
”How can you say that?! I just told you to stop immediately trying to insert it!” he scolded, his arousal growing even stronger from her provocative movement.
Marina’s hips became more daring, making her golden crotch tattoo shimmer on the tub floor. Even while his erection grew, he had to scold her for initiating intimacy on her own.
”I-I know! But I love you too, honey! And to show that, I just wanted to love you myself instead of just replying with words or always being passive! So, just one time, okay?” Her princessly dignity had vanished, and the girl in his arms was just a sweet young woman now.
He felt an intense awareness: he didn’t want to turn away from the honest affection this girl showed him. It wasn’t something he could force, as she’d said, nor was it something that was guaranteed to always be within his grasp. He’d carelessly provided himself with a way to bypass one of his own restraints, but Marina didn’t blame him for the ritual performed under the banner of trust.
Instead, they used their joined hearts to keep each other anchored, accelerating their mutual ecstasy to the rhythm of Marina’s hips. After a time, wrapped in the afterglow of climax, they held each other, vowing to make this happiness last a lifetime.
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Summary:
Following a close-call encounter, Yuuri and Marina retreat to the bath for an intimate afterglow, where playful banter quickly turns into a serious discussion about the terrifying implications of Yuuri’s new Restoration skill. Marina, with her sharp princess’s mind, dissects the difference between simple Regeneration and Yuuri’s object-based power, questioning its impact on mortality and humanity. Despite the deep philosophical worry, their commitment to remaining human and maintaining their harem family drives them to an even deeper, passionately confirmed bond—one that redefines their trust and their relationship’s beautiful, albeit chaotic, balance.
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Character Insight:
Yuuri’s internal struggle with the godlike power of his Familial Workshop is starkly revealed; he views death as a ‘human-like benchmark’ and fears the erosion of his sensibilities. His desire to have children is his anchor to humanity. Marina, despite her youth and playful nature, acts as his clear-eyed philosophical and moral guide, accepting the ultimate responsibility of being his failsafe, even when he tries to cheat by giving himself a loophole. Her ultimate act of love is her promise of pregnancy and her willingness to stay by his side, no matter if he becomes immortal.
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Behind the Scene:
This chapter serves to deeply explore the philosophical consequences of the Restoration skill, an element of the Isekai world’s magic system, using the post-coital intimacy of Yuuri and Marina. It subtly establishes Marina’s heightened trust and agency by having her not only refuse a skill-based control mechanism but also take the sexual initiative to reinforce her loyalty. This scene also deliberately sets up the potential plot thread of Yuuri’s immortality and its effect on his relationships with the other heroines.
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T/L:
1 [Nfufu] is a common Japanese sound for a chuckle or a soft, teasing laugh, similar to ‘Heh-heh’ or ‘Tee-hee’ in a lighthearted context. ↩
2 [Kuuugh, mmh] are common sounds of pleasure or comfortable physical surrender in Japanese erotica. They translate to something like a deep, contented sigh or groan. ↩
Notes:
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Ai – The recently-formed sub-divinity/ego who manages the world’s Skills. Her sudden, intense burst of divine will (‘ki’) almost bleached Yuuri’s wicked thoughts. Called Yuuri ‘Elder Brother’ and declared genuine affection and trust based on his efficiency with her Skills.
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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