W1.A1-15: A Familiar Scent

The location mentioned in the message was quite near the town, and given my speed of travel, it only took me around ten minutes to arrive there.

The area was to the east of the town, far away from the main road that went towards the nearby city.

There were no farmlands on this side, as this was a hilly area. Furthermore, the forest area also began from here, so the dangerous animals inside also made it difficult for the inexperienced to move about here. Only a few of the hunters who knew this place like the back of their hands could make a living by hunting and gathering some wild plants and herbs.

I took a look at the locator and found the position to be around a hundred feet in front of me. It was midnight, and with the dense woods in the way, I couldn't really see that far and could only wait till I reached there.

Not hesitating, I picked up my pace and got ready to meet the teammate I was assigned for this mission.

As I came out of the trees, the area in front of me suddenly cleared up a bit. A roughly built wooden hut entered my sight.

It must have been built by the hunters. I thought.

Just as I was about to walk inside, my senses suddenly informed me of an impending danger.

Swish!

Just as I had jumped aside to dodge the strike aimed at me, I saw the tree behind the spot where I was standing earlier split open.

A black shadow flashed before disappearing from view.

Just as I was about to speak, I felt another strike coming towards me. This time, it was from my right.

The attacker was taking full advantage of the terrain that was suitable for an ambush.

Clank!

Our swords collided as I blocked the attack that was aimed at my neck. But this time, the shadow didn't retreat.

Advancing forward, it launched a flurry of attacks with the sharp sword it was holding.

I kept blocking the attacks easily while feeling a bit exasperated.

"You know that I can identify you through that cloak, right?" I asked the shadowy figure. "After all, I was the one who gifted you this perfume, Lena."

"Eh?" A surprised exclamation came from under the hood of the cloaked figure as its movement suddenly stopped.

Backing away from the fight, the person lowered their hood before yanking off the cloak.

A beautiful girl with blonde hair appeared in my sight.

She had light blue eyes, and her skin was fair with a vibrant complexion. Her slender body looked athletic but also didn't lack in the curvature department, as, although not as good as my mother's, her bust and buttocks added a unique appeal to her already attractive appearance. She was quite tall, and with the slight heel of the ankle boots she was wearing, her height reached up to my ears.

"Damn it!" The first thing the beauty did after opening her mouth was to curse. "Even though I hid my appearance and even switched my sword, my surprise was still ruined!" She had a furious look on her charming face as she spoke while clenching her fist.

Her stressed appearance elicited a chuckle from me.

"What are you laughing at?" Lena barked when she heard my laugh.

I shook my head, and instead of replying, I walked towards her.

As she looked at me coming closer, a faint anticipation could be seen in her eyes. And before I could even complete my walk, she had already jumped forward as she launched herself onto me.

I was caught off guard, and I only managed to catch her after surrendering my balance. As a result, we both fell down with her on top.

Just as she was about to move back, I quickly grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.

Our faces were aligned, close enough for our noses to touch. We could feel our warm breaths colliding as we stared at each other.

"Hmm? You had roasted chicken for dinner?" I suddenly asked, breaking the subtle atmosphere that was beginning to form.

Lena displayed a dumbstruck expression on her face before suddenly turning embarrassed.

"Are you a dog?" she asked furiously. "First the perfume, and now this…"

"No, no, you're misunderstanding." I hurriedly explained. "I wasn't mocking you; I was just saying that I wanted to have a taste too."

"Eh?"

Before she could understand my words, I grabbed her head from behind and brought our faces even closer.

"Mmm…" Our lips joined together. Lena seemed to have forgotten her embarrassment and anger as she responded back fervently.

Soon, we got our tongues involved in the action. As I inspected her mouth thoroughly, a sweet and spicy taste greeted my tongue, making the exploration even more enjoyable.

We kept kissing in the same position for a while before I finally released the kiss. Not because I was tired, though.

"Huff… Huff... You- Waah!" Lena was breathing heavily before she opened her mouth to say something. But before she could even complete her sentence, I startled her by suddenly standing up while carrying her in my arms.

"What is it?" But she didn't panic as her initial panic calmed. We were intimate enough for her not to be surprised by anything I did.

I smiled as I looked towards the wooden hut and said, "Knowing you, this place must have already been transformed into a castle from the inside, right?"

"So what?" Lena raised her head and asked, "You got a problem with that?"

"Nope." I instantly shook my head. "It's just perfect," I said before moving toward the hut.

Lena seemed to have guessed something as a faint redness appeared on her cheeks. But there was also excitement and impatience contained within her watery eyes.

As I stepped inside the hut, the scene that entered my vision met my expectations.

The hut was old, with the wooden panels a bit rotten. But despite its condition, it was surprisingly clean.

Not only that, the interior, which should have been filled with old equipment and firewood, was at the moment decorated as lavishly as the room of a noble.

A big bed with an intricately patterned bed sheet spread upon it was placed in the middle. A small table and chair that were carved with creative and complex carvings were placed to the side. On the table was a beautiful crystal lamp that illuminated the windowless hut. A beautiful carpet that felt soft when stepped upon was placed on the wooden floor, covering almost a third of the floor space.

Although it was minimalistic, the items inside were expensive enough to empty the pockets of a top noble. And even then, one might not be able to get them easily, as they are limited in quantity due to the rarity of the materials involved in their production.

"Which noble did you rob this time?" I asked straightforwardly while examining the stolen goods.

"What do you mean stolen?" Lena, who was still in my arms, said it in an annoyed tone. "I am a noble too, you know?"

"Hmph, I can afford it myself," she declared.

"Yep, you could." I agreed before looking at her and asking again, "Who did you steal it from?"

Lena looked at me in disbelief, as if hurt by my mistrust. But under my unflinching gaze, she finally pursed her lips before saying, "I got in from the Foxmanes."

"Foxmane? That merchant family?" I asked, curious. "What did they do for you to get such a generous bribe?"

"Nothing much," Lena said. "They were just selling part of the armor materials that the royal family had appointed them to buy to a small nation in secret." She then smirked before saying, "I just caught members of their family in the act and recorded the event; simple." She gave me a smug smile, looking quite proud of her achievement.

But I did not smile. Showing a frown, I asked, "But don't they have like four or five master swordsmen in their family?" I asked. "I have even heard rumors of them having recruited a grandmaster swordsman; how the heck did you, a single master swordswoman, get away unscathed?"

"How would I know?" Lena shrugged. But when she saw the serious look on my face, she calmed herself before saying softly, "Don't worry, I had already checked around for any strong opponents before I took action, so it's fine."

"It is so not." I shook my head. "I didn't expect you to get this reckless in my absence."

Lena showed a hurt expression. "So you only brought me in here to reprimand me for my mistakes." She then spoke with forced tears in her eyes, "And here I thought you'd make passionate love to me until my toes curled up."

"Drama queen." I shook my head at her antics. Then I smiled and said, "You're right with that last part, though."

Pushing away my stray thoughts, I focused on the task I had come to do inside the hut.

"Eiyaah!" Lena screamed as I yeeted her off to the bed.

Walking forward slowly, I spoke, "Now it's time for your punishment."