“Ugh… uh. Thanks for watching over me… Phew… is there… nothing else…?”
Not long after, Alterra returned. Her uneasy, shrinking steps; her body still unable to stay still due to the lingering pleasure, drenched in sweat. Her thighs seemed as if something other than blood had flowed down them.
Her half-opened eyes and slightly unfocused pupils. An awkward sigh of breath.
The already revealing leotard, now soaked with sweat, clung to her skin, accentuating her figure even more.
And then, a scent. A strange scent that defied description. Though not exactly pleasant, it was oddly captivating, impossible to ignore.
She tried to speak as expressionlessly and dryly as possible, pretending like nothing had happened, but unfortunately, her body clearly revealed that she hadn’t yet recovered from the aftermath of pleasure.
There was no way anyone could resist such a sight. At least, any man would find it hard not to be aroused. Thankfully, I had my coat closed, otherwise she might have noticed the tent forming in my pants.
“…Nothing happened. You worked hard, Alterra. I’ll take the egg.”
I extended my hand as calmly as possible, trying to act like her current state didn’t affect me at all, and reached for the egg.
It wouldn’t do to let her realize how lustful I felt seeing her like this. Our confession had already become awkward enough; I didn’t want to make the situation worse.
“Yeah… that’s probably better… ugh… I’m exhausted…”
Approaching me, she flinched even at stepping on a pebble, contrasting sharply with how carefree she’d been walking across the gravel just moments ago, showing just how weakened she was.
– Don’t hide your desires, child. You know well what you’re yearning for, don’t you? Or… do you enjoy having your lover stolen from you? As distasteful as it may sound, that too is a form of love. Shall we see? Hmm… Would you prefer Soleo to take her?
But despite my inner turmoil, suddenly, the Beautiful Demon approached me and showed a vision of Alterra embracing Soleo.
Looking at me apologetically, in the vision, she and Soleo were speaking—no—
I reached out and grabbed her wrist. Startled by my sudden action, Alterra tried to pull back, but her weakened state made it impossible.
“Min-ho…? Why are you doing this all of a sudden…? Ow, it hurts… please…!”
When I snapped out of the illusion, I saw myself gripping her wrist tightly while she struggled to break free.
Startled, I released her, causing her to stumble backward before regaining her balance and looking at me questioningly.
“…What is it? You almost scared me! Don’t do that suddenly… phew.”
The pressure of my grip had left red marks on her wrist.
“Sorry, Alterra. That wasn’t my intention. It’s just… suddenly…”
Trying to explain to her why I did it, I hesitated. She doesn’t know that I’ve been learning dark magic. She doesn’t know about my pact with the Beautiful Demon.
Should I tell her the truth? Knowing her, she’d immediately tell me to stop. But I have no intention of giving up my power. I don’t want to watch her get hurt from afar anymore.
“…Suddenly? Just checking if you can feel pleasure through pain?”
She seemed to think I was testing whether the ink spell was working properly.
Without a better answer, I reluctantly agreed with her assumption. She scolded me for not explaining and started rubbing her wrist.
“I’ll carry the egg. Thinking about it, it makes sense for someone as useless as me right now to carry the load… hmm. We’re almost there, right? Let’s hurry. The sun will set soon.”
Alterra suggested we move forward awkwardly, taking the lead. Since we had no intention of stopping either, we followed her.
“…Min-ho, what exactly did you do to Alterra? Didn’t they say laying eggs is painful? This doesn’t seem right at all?”
“…It’s a long story. Let’s go.”
Yuna seemed ready to ask more, but seeing me move, she followed without pressing further.
…From afar, Akashi looked at me with a grin, as if he’d found the most entertaining toy in the world. I ignored him deliberately.
—
“Here it is. Special Fried Rice. What, did you think only you could make it? I watched you make it closely; there’s no way I couldn’t replicate it. Now, take a bite. You’ll realize how much garbage you’ve been making so far.”
Min-ho glared at Akashi. Last time, the egg we fried was plain, but this time, he said he’d put in extra effort.
Who would’ve thought Min-ho’s dish could be rivaled? Despite feeling sorry for Min-ho, Akashi’s version looked far tastier, shinier, and smelled better.
Of course, the improved ingredients helped—it was made from Alterra’s egg after all.
“Come on, stop fighting and eat. It’ll get cold.”
“Mistress is hungry, isn’t she? Let’s eat.”
We could’ve gone to the village to eat, but we were too hungry to wait, even though we could already see the lights in the distance. Now regretting not going straight to the village, we ate where we were.
“…Guys, don’t worry about it. He’s always like that.”
“Yeah… let’s eat.”
Since we’d eaten all the iron utensils when we were in the elves’ forest, we borrowed wooden ones before leaving. Somehow, it felt like they were observing us strangely, but that couldn’t be true.
Definitely more delicious than Min-ho’s usual attempts. The flavors were rich, and the spices perfectly balanced out any greasiness.
I didn’t voice how good it tasted aloud. It might’ve hurt Min-ho’s feelings. So, I maintained an expressionless face while devouring the dish at an alarming speed.
Honestly, I couldn’t say his version was better.
“…Is it good, Alterra?”
Min-ho smiled wistfully as he watched me eat, asking if it was tasty. Almost unconsciously nodding, I stopped and searched for something nice to say.
“It lacks the sincerity of yours.”
Though forced, it seemed to comfort Min-ho somewhat.
“Right? There’s no heart in what he does. Still, no need to hide it. If it tasted bad, you wouldn’t have eaten it all by now.”
Caught. Even he admitted it, so I confessed honestly that Akashi’s dish was indeed better, avoiding eye contact out of guilt.
“…Um. About the ink thing. It worked well. Definitely helpful. So, please don’t suddenly grab me again to check, okay? Got it?”
Given how lost in pleasure she was earlier, there was no need to hold her anymore. Min-ho gave an ambiguous response.
“I’ll try.”
Neither a firm “no” nor a clear “yes,” his reply sounded like it wasn’t entirely within his control. When I asked what he meant, he evaded the question.
Lately, his claim of learning from Akashi also felt off. Something seemed amiss. When I asked if he was hiding anything dangerous, he insisted nothing was wrong.
“There is.”
Something is definitely up. My instincts told me so. Min-ho glanced at me awkwardly, staying silent.
“…I won’t pry. Everyone has their reasons for keeping secrets. It’d be unfair to press as a friend. Still… yeah. Don’t do anything dangerous. That’s a friend’s advice.”
If you want to hide, hide. But don’t do anything reckless. After saying this, Min-ho seemed to acknowledge whatever he was hiding and agreed.
“Alright then. Phew… tea. I’ll prepare it first. Not rushing you, take your time.”
Correcting what might’ve sounded like a rush, I stood up first. Min-ho nodded and continued eating the fried rice.
Would be nice if he enjoyed it. Since it was made with my egg.
Looking up at the night sky, I contemplated what to do next. Controlling my rampages and using mana more efficiently.
Loosening my necklace slightly, I reflected moonlight on it. According to Min-ho, during our descent into the underworld, the necklace didn’t glow, and when it didn’t, I remained lucid.
But that raises a question: why would mother give me something that causes these rampages?
Mother never intended harm. Even in our short three years together, she was always kind, never harsh or cruel. She was tragically killed by that creature. How could the last gift from such a gentle mother drive me insane?
“…I just don’t understand.”
Perhaps she placed a protective spell on the necklace to shield me. If driven to madness, it likely means I’m under attack.
Still, some things remain unexplained. Without someone to ask, questioning serves no purpose. The other matter: improving mana efficiency.
I’ve long felt this, especially during the fight with Ereshkigal. Using either magic or physical combat alone wouldn’t defeat Father.
Using mana inevitably disrupts the protective layer around my body, leaving me vulnerable.
That’s why I can’t use mana mid-combat. But what if I could? Could I maintain the protective layer while manipulating mana?
…A good theory, but I don’t know how. I’ve tried, but without a proper mentor, reaching that level seems impossible.
Back then, survival was priority. Where would I find time to practice?
If only I had a worthy teacher…
At that moment, one name came to mind. Close yet repulsive.
Akashi.
Maybe…
He could teach me something useful.
