Chapter 24
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After that, the Slimes that appeared from the ceiling and elsewhere cleaned up the scene.
I, who had witnessed it, and the mysterious beautiful girl, decided to head to the inn where she was staying to talk.
As for me, I didn’t have any personal grudge against those guys, but I was feeling down after killing them… but since she said I could touch her as I pleased during our conversation, I agreed.
She was the one who made me feel bad, but she intended to recover my mental energy by playing with her as I liked.
”Please go ahead.”
”Yeah.”
The room behind the opened door was… well, a normal room.
The inn itself was similar to the “Horned Ox Inn” where I stayed, and the rates seemed to be around the same.
The only difference was that there was no ‘clerk’.
Because of that, there were fewer male guests, and more female guests, which was why she liked it here.
We entered the room, and I was invited to sit on the bed.
There was only one small table with a chair, but… well, the owner of the room was kind enough to offer, so I had no reason to refuse.
So I sat down as instructed, and she sat down beside me after taking off her armor.
”Are you going to sit there? Should I sit over there instead?”
”Huh? No, didn’t I say you could touch me as you pleased during our conversation?”
Her face turned red as she said that.
Ah, she was faithfully keeping her promise.
It was right after she was attacked, and I thought she might need some time to calm down… but I couldn’t say that to her after suddenly groping her chest.
The situation was what it was, and I understood it was for my mental stability.
”Ah, that’s right. So, what did you want to talk about?”
I got straight to the point, and she thought I was in a hurry to leave. She hastily lifted the hem of her simple shirt.
”Ah… for now, here.”
Her outerwear was torn and useless, but of course, she had a spare set of clothes, so she was wearing a safe outfit.
After that outfit was lifted, her chest, wrapped in underwear, was exposed.
It wasn’t ridiculously huge, but it was clearly on the larger side. The fabric of her bra was thin, and shadows appeared at the tips.
”Ah.”
I was staring at that, and she thought I was waiting for her to reveal more. She tried to lift her bra, but I stopped her.
”No, it’s fine like this.”
”Is that so? Okay then.”
She offered her chest again, but I wanted to hear the reason I was called.
”No, I can only touch you while we’re talking. So, please tell me the reason.”
”You don’t have to think about it that deeply. Besides, I’m the one who owes you a favor.”
”Ha, if you put it that way…”
I placed both hands on her bra and gently stroked it.
”Mmm…”
”…”
Hmm, it’s got a nice shape and size.
Considering it’s autumn, and the temperature is mild… or is it because we’ve been moving around in the dungeon and it gets hot?
As I thought about that, she let out a small voice with a red face.
She’s doing this after seeing my power, so it’s probably a request to lend her my power.
Depending on how heavy this favor is for her, I don’t want to get too deeply involved… but it looks like it’s going to be a big deal, and I’ll probably stand out anyway.
It’s been 10 years since I was banished, and even though it’s unthinkable that a 5-year-old kid could survive in that forest, it’s possible that someone helped me survive.
So from now on, I want to avoid standing out as much as possible and keep it a secret from my family that I’m still alive.
The feeling in my hands is great, but… I’ll listen to the proposal anyway.
”I’m getting a bit tired of waiting, can I hear the proposal already?”
”Is that okay? Can’t we have a bit more fun first?”
”You’re the one who said we have business to attend to, so we can’t just have fun, can we?”
”That’s… true, I suppose.”
She nodded in agreement with my words and finally got to the point.
”So, about that proposal… to put it simply, it’s about forming a party with me.”
”Uh, I’d rather not.”
*Squish, squish*…
I continued to grope her chest while rejecting her.
She was taken aback, not expecting me to reject her so readily, but she quickly regained her composure and protested.
”Wait, you’re not even going to listen to the details and just reject it?”
”I can earn enough on my own.”
I’ve only cleared the dungeon once, so I can’t say that confidently, but I think I can manage to live normally, and as someone who wants to absorb magic stones, I don’t want to be seen with a partner.
Even if we split the rewards before going to the dismantling area, if we go there together later, there’s a chance I’ll be found out, and my magic stone count will decrease.
That’s why I rejected her, but I kept the real reason a secret.
However, she wouldn’t give up.
”So, if we form a team, you might be able to earn more, and it might be easier to find magic items too, right?”
”I don’t plan on earning more than I need. If I’m too ‘flashy’, I’ll catch people’s attention and get in trouble.”
”Won’t it be okay if you don’t handle large sums of money outside and just wear fancy stuff?”
”That’s not necessarily true. Even if we don’t show off our earnings, there’s a possibility that the information will leak from the guild where we store our money. Some companies have powerful backers, and in that case, it’s not unlikely that someone will leak the guild’s internal information.”
”That’s…”
Because I couldn’t give a clear denial, she fell silent for a moment.
I asked her again.
”If you want to increase your combat power, wouldn’t it be better to join some company?”
”Uh-huh.”
She looked like she’d been hit where it hurt.
Well, considering how she’d been treated like that after following someone who was deceiving their benefactor…
”Weren’t you accepted anywhere?”
”Gu… Well…”
”Why is that? You’re a magician who can use magic continuously, so wouldn’t you normally be welcomed?”
When I said that, she shook her head and began to explain.
”There are 2 reasons. One is that my being a magician is a secret.”
”Huh? Why is that?”
”I want to keep it a secret that I’m living in this city.”
”I see. So, you don’t want anyone who knows you can use magic continuously to find out.”
”Yes, that’s right.”
From what I’ve seen of other magicians, it seems like this girl’s skill is the ability to use magic continuously.
If I’m a magician and I’m active as an adventurer, there will be opportunities to use my magic, and there’s a possibility that someone I don’t want to know will find out.
That’s why I’d want to hide the fact that I’m a magician, but if I do that, I’ll get rejected by the company… Well, I can understand that too, since I also want to keep my true identity hidden.
But then…
”Wait, isn’t it bad if I, a member of the same team, stand out and earn more? Did you invite me just because my earnings are increasing?”
”I didn’t mean to lie. I was going to pretend we’re not together and just take the minimum share I need.”
”Huh? So what’s your goal in inviting me then?”
She looked like she was struggling to answer when I asked that.
”…I can’t say that yet.”
”Then what’s the second reason?”
Since she can’t say, I asked about the other reason she got rejected from the company.
”It’s because of those people who attacked me yesterday and today.”
”Who are they?”
”They’re from ‘Gem Snake’, a part of the company, and they’re backed by a powerful person behind the scenes. They’re a group that causes trouble, and I think that’s why I got rejected.”
Ah, I see. That’s what they’re like.
”Well, it’s not surprising that they’d be talking about you in a conspicuous place like that, and it’s not weird that the rumor would spread… but did all the companies you applied to know about that story?”
”I don’t know? I only applied to one company, after all…”
”One company? Why is that?”
I still don’t know what her goal is, but it seems like she’s looking for fighting power to achieve it. I think she should apply to other companies too… but it looks like there’s more to her story here as well.
”Hmm… if I hide the fact that I’m a magician, I’ll just be a normal female adventurer, right?”
”Yeah.”
”If I had some kind of skill that could be useful to the company, that would be a different story. But if not…”
She looked down, gazing at her chest, which was being tightly squeezed.
”I see. If you’re not strong enough to be of use in battle, then it’s about using ypur body, right? There are other jobs out there, after all.”
”Well, I don’t know much about the company, but from what I’ve heard, it seems they don’t put newcomer women in charge of ‘handling money’…”
So, it’s impossible to entrust a newbie like her with financial management… that’s what it means.
”If you’re not a magician, you can just join the company as a normal adventurer. But, I can understand why you didn’t join other companies. Why did you join that rejected company, then?”
”Because it’s a company that only accepts female members. I heard rumors about it, and I thought I could achieve my goals there… but after yesterday’s commotion, I had to keep my magic a secret.”
”Hmm, I didn’t know there were companies like that. Well, I suppose it’s understandable that they wouldn’t want to take in women who might attract trouble from pesky men.”
From what happened today, it seems like they’re the kind of people who will do whatever it takes to get what they want. Even if she could join their company, they might still try to use her to get to her.
”Yeah, I think that company has considerable power, and it’s not easy to mess with their connections. But I can’t be sure of that either. In any case, you can’t join just any company. That’s why you’re willing to give up most of your earnings in exchange for my help…”
So, I sympathize with her, who’s staring at me intensely, thinking it’s tough for her. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll accept her proposal.
”I can’t accept this deal under the current circumstances.”
”Why not?”
I explain to her, who looks like she’s not giving up.
”There’s no reason to accept it. As I said earlier, I can earn enough money on my own, so it’s not a bargaining chip. Plus, I might get targeted by ‘Gem Snake’.”
”Are you worried about that?”
”There’s a possibility that they’ll target my accommodations or shops, making it impossible for me to live here.”
”Ah…”
It seems like she’s reminded of the company that only hires women, which she got rejected from earlier.
I continue, giving her another reason why I can’t accept this deal.
”And… I can’t work with someone who doesn’t have a clear goal.”
It’s because I have no idea what she’s going to do.
Even if she’s just taking a natural action from her perspective, it might look like an impulsive move to me.
If we shared our goals, we could take proper action and support each other in various ways. But if we don’t share them, the risk of getting into trouble increases.
That’s why I said that sharing our goals is important.
She still looks like she’s struggling to say something.
”That’s… if you hear it, you won’t be able to refuse.”
”I won’t be able to refuse?”
”There’s information that can’t be revealed, and if someone knows it, they have to be an insider… a collaborator.”
Ugh, this is a really troublesome conversation.
If it’s something that can’t be revealed… it means there’s some kind of problem within the organization, and she’s trying to solve it secretly on her own in this city.
This girl must be related to someone important.
I’m the only one who came out, after all. Even if there’s a low chance of being related by blood, I think it’s likely that this person is important and troublesome…
But…
”If that’s the case, why did you leave me a room for refusal? You could have told me everything and made it impossible for me to refuse.”
”If I had done something as cowardly as that, wouldn’t you have already refused and gone home? Even if you knew the details, you wouldn’t be able to keep quiet about it, and…”
”I’m not planning to make any promises or threats, but… from your perspective, there’s no guarantee, is there?”
”That’s right. If you’re willing to make a formal agreement in writing, that’s a different story, but it’s not like I can ask you to do that.”
”As for me, I don’t really care either way.”
She nodded at my continued words.
She’s adding more benefits for me, it seems.
”Ah, ah!”
”Hm?”
”Does the fact that you’ve been touching me this whole time mean you like my body?”
As she said, I had been groping her chest the whole time.
It’s pretty clear what she’s getting at by saying this….
”Are you going to make me cooperate with your body? I do think you have a great body, though…”
”Then!”
I stopped her from getting closer, pushing her chest away and holding her back.
”Calm down. You don’t even know how much time and effort it’ll take to achieve your goal, and yet you’re willing to take it on? Do you plan on using ‘yourself’ the whole time?”
She seemed to understand what I meant by “using yourself,” and her face turned even redder, but her momentum didn’t slow down.
”If you’re willing to cooperate, then… I don’t mind if you use me as much as you want!”
”You’re not still thinking about what happened earlier today, are you?”
”That’s why! I’d rather choose my own partner than have someone forced on me against my will! It’s better to accept someone I’ve decided on myself!”
I think this is the crucial point, and she’s pressing me hard.
But, there’s a high chance this girl is related to some high-ranking noble, and if that’s the case, things might get complicated.
So, I asked her about that…
”No, no! I-I’m not some noble or anything like that!”
”…”
Her reaction was pretty obvious, so I’ve tentatively decided she’s probably a noble’s daughter.
If that’s the case, then if I make a move, it’ll definitely cause problems.
Ugh, what to do…
The problem that occurred at me is that I don’t need money, but rather some kind of material or magic item.
Both of those are possible to buy with enough money, but if I don’t need money, then… maybe I want to avoid leaving a record of the transaction in some form.
If I can create it with my “Imitation” ability, it’d be solved quickly, but even if I can create it, that ability is something I don’t want others to know about.
In other words, it’s unclear how long I’ll have to lend a hand.
”…”
My current goal is just to live a low-key life.
When I’m with this girl in the dungeon, if I cover myself with Magic Armor and pretend to be someone else… even if “Gem Snake” hasn’t given up on her, as “Koji”, I might be able to avoid being targeted, including by those around her.
She’ll probably ask me where I got the armor, but I don’t have a duty to tell her, so I can just keep quiet.
Depending on the content of the goal, it might be easily achieved… but if I leave it and she gets into a terrible situation again, I’d worry about it.
After thinking that far, I confirm with her.
”As long as I consider your physical condition, is it okay if I ‘treat you roughly’ during our collaboration?”
”Y-yes! It’s fine, I don’t mind!”
She accurately understood my words and replied, simultaneously pulling down her bra and exposing her chest to me.
I don’t think I have an obligation to take care of her just because I helped her, but… well, if I think about the reduced expenses at night, it’s not so bad.
Anyway.
”Here I go.”
”Kyaa.”
I pushed her down onto the bed, pinning her down, and asked again while fondling her chest.
”I’m Koji. Who are you?”
I hadn’t introduced myself because I didn’t want to get too involved, but since she’s my collaborator and we’re doing this, I judged that I should introduce myself.
”I-Iris… just Iris.”
The way she said it didn’t seem like her real name, but… I’m similar, so it’s fine.
So, we introduced ourselves.
”Mmm…”
We kissed, and our bodies entwined, savoring each other.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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