Chapter 40 Promise
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Even when one acts out of necessity, one sometimes wonders if it was truly the right choice.
On the stone pavement of the safe zone, Yuuri carefully carried the petrified scout back from the entrance to the fifty-eighth floor and laid her upon a blanket drawn from the Familial Workshop. The plan had been to reverse her petrification through servant conversion, yet leaving her without limbs carried too high a risk. He now regretted having asked Marina to summon the goddess so that he might consult Shelm about a solution.
”Hey~ Yuuri-kun♡ Do you even realize you’re a god’s lover? ♡ After everything you did to me, you haven’t called me once since then…♡ You made me unable to forget your length, yet you summon me just to get free answers…♡ Don’t you think a mere human is asking too much? ♡”
The goddess no longer concealed her desiring nature. Possessing the princess Yuuri cherished, she opened with a brazen demand for unfaithfulness right before Ashley. Her coaxing whisper slid along his eardrums and sent sweet tingles through his body. Only the cold, hard press of armor against the arm she clung to kept his rising heat in check.
”Sure, I’m the one with questions, but Marina—your shrine maiden—is the one who called you. Besides, our clearing the labyrinth helps you too…”
”Boo! Nice try dodging, Yuuri-kun♡ True, I have to come when Marina-chan calls, but I’m not obliged to answer every little human afterward. And I never asked you to clear the labyrinth. You’re just doing it to grow the workshop.”
Before the woman he loved most, Yuuri could show no weakness, even to a divine being. Yet the goddess saw through his stance and offered no opening for compromise.
”Grr… Fine, no unfaithfulness. I know you don’t read the room, but tempting a husband before his wife is too much. I only just got forgiven for last time…!”
”Hmm, Yuuri-kun is such a devoted husband♡ But I’m in trouble—if your wife keeps your desires on a leash, I can’t have fun with you…♡”
She showed no sign of yielding. Without a trace of concern, Shelm let her gaze wander deliberately. Then, as though the thought had only just occurred to her, she clapped her hands and fixed her eyes upon Ashley.
”Oh, right. I just need your wife’s permission.”
”Wait—hold it!”
The goddess leapt past all reason to a reckless conclusion. Yuuri raised his voice, unable to let it pass. She released his arm and nimbly hopped back. Some skill lifted her slightly from the ground, and she glided smoothly to stand before Ashley.
”Hey, Ashley? Your husband is too faithful, and it’s a problem♡ Think of it as repaying the favor for joining you two—can I borrow Yuuri-kun? ♡”
Yuuri lunged to stop Shelm from making improper demands through Marina’s body, but his hands grasped only air. They ended up chasing each other in circles around Ashley. The princess stood straight despite the crude behavior upon her beloved lord’s face. She was not frozen in shock; she simply watched, deep in thought.
A few minutes later, Yuuri paused, out of breath. Ashley stepped forward and blocked his path. Shelm leaned in with a taunting upward glance. Then Ashley spoke a decision Yuuri could scarcely believe.
”—Fine. I give permission, but only if Yuuri agrees.”
”Hey!? Ashley, what are you saying? Don’t let her have her way! If we allow this, who knows what impossible demands she’ll make next—”
A request Ashley should never accept had somehow passed with her own consent. Shelm’s intimate skills were formidable, and workshop functions offered no protection. The lovers’ refusal was meant to be the strongest barrier. Accepting meekly would only encourage the goddess further.
Yet Ashley turned back with a confident smile and gently explained.
”Yuuri, you need to learn a bit of noble ways. We agree to this trade precisely to prevent future impossible demands.”
She spoke as if it were simply business for profit. Raised a commoner, Yuuri had never wished to mimic noble customs. But when the one who stood to lose most supported the deal, stopping her without listening would be pure selfishness.
”Uh… I don’t really get it, but will that stop her?”
”Heh, only if we gain proper payment in return. The weak superiors you imagine would pile on worse terms after this. Someone with as much as Shelm-sama will give fair reward for fair demand—I believe that.”
It made a little sense. In short, even if the first condition was harsh, if it could not be avoided, they should extract more benefit from the other side than the loss incurred. Only nobles with plenty could think that way. Commoners who lost big found it hard to recover; faced with danger, they rejected everything and walked away. Noble society was different, and Yuuri understood that now. Since blocking the goddess was impossible, letting Ashley handle it and taking acceptable gain might be best.
”Hmph. We gods hate most when our divinity is stained. Any contract we make, we keep. So, what payment does Ashley want?”
”Whenever the princess summons you in future, you must answer our questions. If that promise holds, I won’t interfere when I convince Yuuri to lie with you. Of course, using divine power or skills to force Yuuri is forbidden.”
Shelm answered Ashley’s light taunt with instant agreement. Yet she raised one corner of her mouth and added her own term.
”Hmm… fine. But questions come only from Yuuri-kun and his servant. I also keep the right to stay silent on questions that expose mysteries.”
A sly smile, as if turning the tables. Ashley, expecting the safeguard, accepted without protest. Their terms left escape hatches for both sides. Yuuri’s side could refuse the goddess freely; Shelm could dodge any question by hinting at divine secrets. The contract legalized mutual trust. Upset one side, and real benefits vanished, yet the promises remained, keeping restrictions alive. The main goal—curbing the goddess’s tyranny—had been acknowledged by Shelm herself.
Still, the price was Ashley approving the goddess’s misconduct herself. Yuuri bowed his head, ashamed to force an unwanted choice, but his reliable lover answered with her usual calm face.
”Don’t worry. A future Duke like Yuuri is expected to have several wives. …If I can’t allow even one companion, people will call me narrow-minded.”
”What!? Well… you’ve got courage, Ashley. A companion is fine by me. I don’t plan to break Yuuri-kun’s home. Thanks to the bold main wife, I’ll overlook rudeness to a god.”
Her tone practically said she allowed the arrangement because Ashley was useful. Yuuri let out a quiet breath of relief that he had avoided needless anger, but Ashley’s advance showed no sign of stopping.
”Wait. You plan to sneak in and steal a taste while skipping the princess’s turn. That would be unfair to her. Come in your own body when you visit.”
”Ehh, no way. My real body has a small problem.”
True, when Shelm left after their last encounter, Marina’s sadness upon returning to herself had been heartbreaking. Yet Yuuri honestly did not want to face the goddess’s true form either. In those few minutes before being thrown out of the strange space, her beauty had burned into his memory. It went beyond looks—her body was perfect in every way. Likely a form gods alone could create, ignoring human growth to pack only beauty. A finished body from the start would feel strange, even if it drew the heart. Embracing it might leave him limp or lost—he could not guess.
”—My body is too beautiful. That’s why I use Marina-chan as a vessel. I hold back so Yuuri-kun doesn’t burn too hot.”
”You dim the princess’s beauty with her own form—that’s rude…!”
”Right! Marina is an amazing beauty! And if you say your body has issues for me, you admit it’s a flaw!”
It was a women’s contest, so Yuuri watched with held breath, but he could not stay quiet when someone insulted his far-too-good wife. Shelm faltered, bound by her own words, yet Ashley pressed on with his support.
”Yuuri is right! And Shelm-sama, you’re wrong—Yuuri gets hottest for my body, of course!”
Yuuri blushed but nodded repeatedly at Ashley’s slightly off-target retort. Shelm, who had absolute confidence in her true form, seemed unconvinced by the humans’ narrow views.
”—Oh, you say that when only breasts and an easy-to-birth shape can win? And yet, this body was made for Yuuri-kun by me manipulating fate.”
”So, you admit my body is what Yuuri prefers. That a body pleasing to all cannot be his number one.”
Shelm’s pride deeply wounded, she hinted at divine power, but Ashley, who had already accepted the situation, was unfazed.
Yuuri’s heart warmed at Ashley’s dignified posture, and he rushed forward to embrace her. Ashley pressed her chest, which had been teased, against him as if to spite Shelm. The fragrant scent tickled his nose, and even through the thick protective gear, he felt the soft give of her breasts. His lower body heated up. Looking closely at Ashley, he saw her calm face was slightly flushed, and she let out a warm sigh, her crotch tattoo glowing.
”Grrr… getting excited before a god! Ashley, you’ve provoked me too far. If Yuuri-kun melts for the real me, don’t come crying later!”
”Yes, yes, I understand. However, we will set a turn order after the three of you. Please make your request early. More importantly, can you tell me if the scout’s limbs will return?”
Ashley, triumphant, brushed off the goddess’s resolve as trivial and immediately invoked the agreement they had made. Shelm, muttering ominous words about definitely joining the gathering, swallowed her anger and began explaining how to handle the scout.
”—She won’t perish if turned into a servant as is, but she’ll remain limbless. To restore her limbs while making her a servant, you need to connect deeply with her soul and send more servant-conversion magic. Even if the body’s limbs are missing, the soul’s form remains intact. When reconstructing the body, you just need to prepare enough magic beforehand to perfectly replicate the soul’s shape.”
Shelm’s explanation boiled down to sending more magic than usual. Yuuri felt relieved that no special preparations or sacrifices were needed, but it was still different from what he usually did. Since this was the first time, he had to gather the details while he had the chance.
”I see? I get the logic, but how exactly do I do it?”
”Basically, concentrate your magic more than usual as you send it from your hand on her lower abdomen. …Understand? This time, don’t rush to make her a servant immediately; focus on filling her body with magic.”
In conclusion, it seemed they wouldn’t be using any new systems. However, they had to be careful with how they applied it; failure meant the scout’s limbs wouldn’t return. Yuuri nodded as Shelm emphasized focusing on magic infusion. The goddess, clinging to him, looked up with expectant eyes.
”Then, don’t forget the reward. The main wife gave permission, so Yuuri-kun, you can look forward to it too♡”
Saying only that, her body went limp in his arms as if her business was done. He tightened his grip on the blanket and lifted Marina’s body, heavy armor and all, then gently laid her upon the white stone pavement.
”…I feel like I’ve made some terrible promise, but will it be okay?”
”It would have been more problematic to let her continue her pursuit. Besides, I believe Yuuri will love us more♡”
Yuuri embraced Ashley, who was blushing, lightly. Trust and love were heavy burdens. But they were comfortable weights. It was a weight he had decided to bear, a constant pressure he accepted.
He turned back to the scout. Even without limbs, he could tell her body was well-trained. The muscles in her shoulders for swinging arms, her sides for twisting her body, and the faint abs visible were proof of a warrior wrapped in feminine softness.
Her build was very similar to Marina’s. On her large breasts, the peaks were firm from fear of petrification, pointing straight up. He really wanted to touch them directly, but feeling Ashley’s expectant gaze on his back, he reluctantly gave up. Instead, he traced her beautifully rippling abs with his finger, then poked her navel slightly before moving to her lower abdomen. He took a breath, met Ashley’s eyes, and nodded in agreement.
”Alright, let’s do it.”
”Yes. Please don’t hold back.”
With Ashley’s permission, Yuuri sent magic from his palm to the scout’s lower abdomen. With Marina, he would have lost control of his rising heat by this point, but the petrified scout showed no reaction. He deliberately spread the magic tendrils, which should have gone straight to her soul, throughout her entire body. When aiming for magic saturation, the capacity seemed surprisingly large. As Shelm instructed, he focused his consciousness on his palm and just kept sending magic.
Then, as he poured magic in without thinking, just after reaching a state of no-mind, it happened.
”Ah—”
—Being drawn in. His palm touched the petrified lower abdomen, its hard yet smooth curve. His consciousness was pulled toward the half-formed crotch tattoo glowing faintly within.
As if returning to the workshop, his own body scattered into pieces. Only his remaining consciousness seemed to fall into the dark void that opened at the crotch tattoo’s location.
—Dark…!
Was this the sensory deprivation of petrification that the scout experienced? All markers of his position vanished, and he could no longer tell if he was being pulled along. But as if to confirm the sensation was correct, the naked body of a woman appeared before him.
(…This is the scout who isn’t petrified—)
—Beautiful.
That was his first thought, so beautiful was the scout’s body. The trained warrior’s physique, the full breasts, the firm buttocks, and her long limbs, unseen until now, must aid her dynamic movements. He hadn’t realized until seeing them, but she had long black hair. Rare in the Kingdom of Restea, it was so dark it seemed to melt into the surrounding darkness.
He moved closer. His body had flown somewhere when pulled into this dark space, so every motion felt slow and heavy, like crawling.
—Schlurp.
He had no ears, yet he seemed to hear something dragging. And as if it were real, the scout sensed him and opened her eyes.
They were lovely. Those eyes matched her hair in night-black darkness. The narrow shape came from long lashes and red marks at the corners. Far cuter than her stone form, the scout stared at him, eyes wide in shock, then instantly backed away.
(So… fast!)
He had been distracted by her breasts bouncing as she sprang up, but he saw no motion when she twisted mid-air and leapt back. The smooth skill showed a master’s grace.
”D-don’t come near, monster…!”
The scout hurled the insult in clear fear. True, staring at a naked woman he had just met was strange, but being called a monster was too much.
(W-wait… oops!?)
He leaned forward to speak—and literally tripped. The scout let out a short scream and retreated again. He could not tell where he was looking from. His body was gone upon entering, maybe even his eyes. Sounds reached him straight through his skin; he could feel her quick breaths.
—Schlurp.
The dragging sound rang clear. The whole situation felt wrong. He checked the scout the same way he had seen her, then looked at himself—
(Ugh!? Gross…!)
His torso was a jellyfish cap big enough to embrace. Countless fleshy vines stuck out from inside, writhing and crawling around. He had never seen the shape, but he knew it by feel—the inside of the crotch tattoo. The magic tendrils that searched inside Ashley and the others daily were now part of this form. They were half-clear but meaty. Entering this dark space had turned them into a monster with a round jelly body sprouting tendrils.
He had never controlled such a strange form. No wonder the scout trembled to see it squirm.
(Heeey! Shelm, you jerk! Was “focus the magic” a warning for this!?)
He cursed the cruel goddess who was surely laughing somewhere, but no one answered. Then the scout watched the meat-jelly thrash its tendrils and seemed to think something.
(…Oh no)
Battle stance. Her fear-wide eyes turned to a hunter sizing prey. Her mouth tightened; every muscle coiled, ready to pounce.
(W-wait…!)
He waved tendrils in panic, but it only looked like a taunt. Shelm’s prank had stolen his voice—that was certain.
(That girl… next time, I’ll make her regret…!)
The treatment was too mean to call affection. He swore revenge on the goddess while searching for a way out of the danger before him.
Notes:
• Marina – First Princess of Restea—needs labyrinth escort.
• Shelm – Wicked Goddess, reincarnated Yuuri, manipulative, wants him to use his power.
• Ashley – Count’s daughter, royal attendant, has a crush on Yuuri.
• Restea – Yuuri’s homeland.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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