Chapter 92: Beware of Lamias in Spring (2)

Chapter 92: Beware of Lamias in Spring (2)

"Phew… Alright."

As her cold tail coiled around my waist, the chill sent shivers through my body, but it wasn't unbearable. The sensation was more of a light chill than something severe.

I intentionally activated my mana circuits to slightly increase my body temperature. As I hugged the Lamia, she began to squirm, sluggishly wrapping her arms around my back and coiling her tail more tightly around my waist.

"Ugh!"

The pressure on my waist was strong enough to make me gasp, but it didn't feel like she was trying to harm me. It seemed like she was simply holding on tightly to cling to my warmth. I made sure to coat my body with mana to prevent any damage and stayed still.

Squirm, squirm...

Her right breast, which I had uncovered earlier, now pressed against my chest, the exposed nipple brushing against me. Meanwhile, her left breast remained covered by its protective layer, creating a strange, unbalanced sensation through the contact.

"..."

I noticed her eyelids trembling slightly. A moment later, her eyes opened halfway.

'Don't snakes have poor eyesight?'

Even if their vision wasn't sharp, it shouldn't be bad enough to miss something right in front of their nose. With her face so close to mine that our noses almost touched, she must be able to see me.

Through her half-open eyelids, I could make out her vertical pupils. They felt slightly alien compared to human eyes, but the irises, veiled in their color, softened the effect unless one looked closely.

'Her eyes are surprisingly pretty... And her lips, too...'

Unlike the sharp, intimidating features one might expect from a snake, her lips curved gently, resembling the shape of a soft, feline smile. It was an expression that exuded an unexpectedly pleasant and cheerful impression.

Slide...

As her body warmed up, she started to move more actively, pressing herself against me even more. Her face rubbed against mine as she tried to absorb more warmth.

Ssss... ssss...

I felt the tips of her forked tongue brush past my ear. The sensation sent a slight shiver down my spine, but apart from that, it wasn't much different from hugging a dark-haired beauty.

Crack.

"Ugh!"

However, as her body loosened up, the pressure of her coils around me increased, making it harder to breathe.

"Ugh...!"

Thankfully, I had freed my arms in advance. If I had kept them pinned to my sides, things could have gotten serious. I quickly pressed down on the back of her neck, targeting her cervical spine—a weak point for most living creatures, not just snakes. Gradually applying force, I managed to push her away slightly, causing her coils to loosen around my waist.

"C-Cold..."

She trembled, fully opening her eyes. Her irises were a deep, abyssal black that contrasted sharply with her pale skin, giving her an ethereal appearance.

The Lamia stared at me with a vacant expression for a moment before reaching out toward me. This time, I lifted my legs slightly to create space, ensuring I wouldn't get trapped by her tail again. Then, I hugged her once more.

Slide.

Now moving much more gently, the Lamia pressed her face against my chest, savoring the warmth of my body for a long while.

"…Who are you?"

"For someone who's been hugging me for thirty minutes, that's a late question."

"My body was too cold… I couldn't think straight..."

Her earlier, stiff movements had softened, and she now tilted her head curiously, blinking her thick lashes as she looked at me.

"Now that your temperature's back up, could you let go of me?"

The Lamia hesitated, her tail swaying slightly as if reluctant, but she uncoiled herself and moved back.

"Huh? Why is this out...?"

"Ahem!"

Noticing her exposed nipple, the Lamia quickly tucked it back under its protective layer before sitting neatly in front of me, her coils forming a circle. She lowered her head slightly, a gesture that seemed either submissive or cautious.

'Is she signaling that she doesn't want to fight? Or is this just defensive posturing?'

Either way, it seemed possible to communicate with her.

"Wow… You're tall…"

For humans and demi-humans, height is directly connected to their upright posture. Even Centaurs, despite their larger lower halves, usually stood tall. Lamias, however, had a snake-like lower body, which made their "legs" essentially the thickness of their snake torsos.

Although her upper body alone didn't make her look short, I still had to look down to meet her gaze. From her perspective, I probably seemed twice her size.

Slide...

She coiled her tail more tightly around herself, crouching slightly. Her posture was clearly defensive, even to my eyes.

Contrary to popular belief, snakes are naturally timid creatures. Most snake attacks happen when they panic at the sight of humans or animals and lash out in desperation. It wasn't surprising that she seemed nervous.

"Do you live around here?"

"No, I live a little farther away. My home is deeper inside the swamp."

So, she was indeed a resident of the area I was headed toward.

"I'll get straight to the point. I'm looking for the missing men from around here. Most of them are young and seem to have disappeared without contacting their families. Any idea what might have happened?"

Lying often takes more effort than telling the truth, especially when the conversation teeters on the edge of mutual understanding.

'If she's barely able to converse, she's unlikely to fabricate an intricate lie.'

I studied the Lamia's face and body carefully.

'With a body this size, could she eat a person?'

While snakes can expand their bodies to consume large prey, Lamias, with their humanoid torsos, had a throat structure much smaller than that of a snake. Even with a wide-open mouth, they'd struggle to swallow anything bigger than a fist.

Additionally, unlike snakes, whose straight esophagi allow them to gulp down prey, Lamias have a human-like structure with a bent throat. This would limit them to prey only slightly larger than what a person could eat.

'But with arms, she could probably process her prey before eating it.'

Her anatomy wasn't enough to rule out suspicion, so I closely observed her expressions and reactions.

"Those men should be on their way back to the village by now."

"…What?"

Her response was completely unexpected.

I'd anticipated denial, an admission, or even a confession that they'd been devoured. Instead, she casually claimed they were returning to the village.

"…They weren't kidnapped?"

"They came to arrange marriages. But I guess humans find us strange, so things didn't work out, and it ended there."

"Wait, you're not… eating them? Marriage arrangements?"

"Eat them? Why would we? That's ridiculous."

For a moment, I was at a loss for words.

"I mean, human meat might taste better or be considered a delicacy or something..."

"Taste?"

Ah, right. Snakes don't have much sense of taste; they consume prey purely for nutritional value.

For Lamias, "taste" wouldn't be a factor. What mattered would be how easy prey was to consume and digest.

'So, there's no practical reason for them to eat humans.'

Still, it wasn't wise to take her words at face value.

"Are you here to arrange a marriage?"

I decided it might be easier to gain her trust if I pretended to be a prospective suitor rather than openly investigating the missing men.

"Yes. I was looking for a partner and was directed here, but I got lost along the way..."

"Really? Then you're a guest! Come with me!"

Her defensive posture instantly disappeared. She wagged her tail enthusiastically, reminding me more of a puppy than a snake.

"Didn't you have something to do?"

"Oh, I had a task from Hayang, but if I felt like I'd freeze, I was supposed to come back. So, I'm done now."

Hayang? Likely someone in a leadership role within the village—perhaps a chief or a priestess.

Lamia society is said to be primitive and tribal, so it's likely Hayang held a religious or leadership position.

"I'll carry your luggage for you!"

Most people would say "carry," but since Lamias pull things, it made sense she'd phrase it that way.

"It's quite heavy."

My bag contained not only my armor but also Shuru and Mollang. It wasn't something a single Lamia should easily handle.

Slide...

"Let's go!"

She grabbed the bag and slid over the muddy ground with ease, moving surprisingly fast. It seemed my bag wasn't a burden at all.

'Is her lower body that strong? That would explain it.'

She wasn't faster than me at a full sprint, but her smooth gliding through the swampy terrain allowed her to maintain an impressive pace. I had to work to keep up with her, even without carrying anything.

"If you're tired, you can ride on my back."

I wasn't particularly tired, but conserving energy for emergencies seemed wise, so I climbed onto her back without protest.

'Oh... She's soft.'

Her tail, now warm from activity, felt surprisingly smooth and supple, a pleasant sensation despite the faint snake-like musk lingering around her.

Slide, slide—

As she effortlessly navigated the swamp, her speed increased the deeper we went. The weather, initially chilly, soon turned stiflingly warm, leaving me short of breath.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't asked your name yet. I'm Ban."

"You can call me Kamang."

Kamang? It sounded like the name of a countryside dog.

"Only Hayang and I were born without patterns in our scales, so there's no confusion."

Swoosh—!

Gliding over the swamp like a fish in water, Kamang soon brought me to what looked like a village.

'There are people here.'

A few men, their heads at about human eye level despite the Lamias being much shorter, were leaving the village. They held their noses as if trying to block a stench and spat on the ground as they walked out.

'Judging by their faces and demeanor, it doesn't seem like they've been through anything dangerous.'

If that was the case, my mission was technically complete.

'Still, my superior wouldn't have sent me for something this simple. There must be more to this.'

Kamang brought me to the largest and most elaborately decorated structure in the village. While the other homes were simple wooden huts, this one had a proper design with stone stairs leading to its entrance.

"Hayang! We have a guest!"

Excited, Kamang waved her hands as another Lamia emerged, pushing aside a woven curtain made of branches.

"Wow..."

Her white hair shimmered like silk, and her radiant scales gleamed so brightly they almost didn't look like scales, resembling smooth white flesh. Her lower body exuded an otherworldly beauty.

Unlike the other Lamias, who tucked their nipples under their protective shells, this one wore a flowing, elegant garment that covered her upper body.

'She must be the priestess of this village.'

Though not imbued with divine power, her aura carried the blessing of a powerful force, marking her as someone not to be underestimated.

Her golden gaze stood out as she opened her eyes, her irises glowing with a light so radiant it seemed to spill from her pupils, creating the illusion of entirely golden eyes.

"Welcome, Ban of the Mage Knight Order. Did you receive my letter?"

At her words, I pulled the letter from my bag.

"It seems to have reached me safely."

Wait. So the client who requested this mission... was the Lamia standing before me?