47

As we opened the door, a rather luxurious sight greeted us.

There really must have been a reason the host had recommended it with such confidence.

'The bed… there's only one, of course.'

It would have been stranger for a single room to have two beds, but I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.

Still, luckily, the bed was large enough that it looked like the two of us could sleep comfortably on it.

Maybe it was because it had been a while since I'd gone out, but I was feeling a bit tired.

"Athena. Can I shower first?"

I wanted to wash up quickly and collapse onto the bed.

Athena looked at me with a blank expression, then answered in a slightly drained voice.

"…Sure."

Once I got her permission, I immediately headed to the bathroom.

When I entered, I found a surprisingly spacious area before me.

The floor was made of white marble, several luxurious toiletry items were laid out, and there was even a large enough bathtub for two people.

They called it a single room, but it was practically a room-and-a-half.

Humming a little tune, I began taking off my clothes one by one.

Rustle—rustle—

As each piece of fabric dropped to the floor, my white skin slowly began to reveal itself.

After undressing completely, I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection.

I was used to this sight by now, but I still thought it looked beautiful.

It was curious how this body kept the same shape no matter how little or much I ate.

"…This is kind of bothering me."

I slowly lowered my gaze toward my stomach. A pink mark was painted there.

Why did it have to be engraved in such a place? No one would be surprised to think of me as a shameless woman if they saw it.

I really didn't like this mark. It was as if it…

"…Was asking to be devoured."

Thud—

…Hm?

A loud noise echoed, as if something had struck heavily. It seemed to come from the door.

I raised my voice so she could hear me from outside.

"Athena, is everything alright?"

"…It's nothing."

Her answer came back after a long moment, sounding a bit rushed.

Did she trip or something? That would be pretty funny.

The thought of Athena tripping over her own feet brought a smile to my face.

When I finished washing up, a subtle fragrance clung to my body, filling my nose pleasantly.

"Hm? What's this…?"

Opening the drawer to get a towel, I found something unfamiliar.

A white silk garment. It looked like a robe they might provide at a hotel.

'Should I wear it?'

It was rare to stay at an inn, so I should make use of these perks.

Besides, this robe looked incredibly comfortable. If I wore it to sleep, it seemed like I'd have a really restful night.

I placed my usual black dress aside, slipped on some underwear, and donned the white robe.

It felt as liberating as wearing nothing at all.

Looking in the mirror, I saw the delicate white fabric that matched my pale skin. It was thin and flowing, revealing a hint of my skin, but all the important parts were covered. And after all, it was just us girls.

"Athena, I'm done with my shower~"

"You took quite a while…"

When she looked at me, Athena suddenly fell silent.

Her gaze wavered as if shaken by an earthquake.

"…Where did you get that outfit?"

"Hm? It was in the bathroom, and it looked comfortable. Is it weird?"

It hadn't seemed that strange when I looked in the mirror.

Did she not like how it looked on me?

"…No. It's pretty."

After staring for a while, she spoke in a low voice.

Thankfully, it didn't seem that bad.

Maybe it was because I had taken a nice bath, but a lazy feeling started spreading throughout my body.

Impatient to sleep, I approached Athena and gently pushed her back.

"You should hurry and wash up too. Let's sleep together."

"…You're really…"

"Hehe, I'll wait for you. Hurry up and come out."

After pushing her into the bathroom, I threw myself onto the bed.

"Haam… I'm so tired."

The soft bed welcomed me, and the cozy feeling immediately made me drowsy.

Would she be mad if I fell asleep first?

"…Did I dig my own grave?"

Even while she was in the shower, only one thought lingered in my mind.

Her image from just a moment ago.

The way she looked in that flowing white robe was like a little white fox playfully swaying its tail.

And what was etched even more deeply into my memory was…

A thin, white gown revealed her black underwear beneath.

Drip-

A sticky liquid mixed with the water in the bathroom, trickling down her leg.

She recalled the things Hera had said earlier.

-Athena, can I shower first?

-Hmm? I was in the bathroom, and it looked comfortable. Is that strange?

-Hurry and shower too. Let's sleep together.

-Hehe, I'll wait. Hurry up and come out.

"….Ha…"

Wasn't this just a blatant attempt of seduction?

She felt like she was about to lose her mind from her oblivious actions.

"…Could it be?"

Perhaps…

Perhaps she was the one who had been clueless all along?

What if Hera had been sending signals all this time, and she, foolishly, hadn't noticed?

Otherwise, it was hard to believe a person could act so provocatively.

In a situation where they were staying alone at an inn at night, she insisted on showering first, told her to hurry, and suggested sleeping together.

To anyone, it would seem like she was practically asking her to have her way with her all night.

Considering Hera's personality, she knew she probably said it innocently.

But her judgment had blurred at the sight of her tempting figure moments ago.

Drip-

"…."

She kept wiping away the water endlessly flowing down between her legs.

Yes.

Surely, Hera must know, too.

Unless she was genuinely empty-headed, she couldn't miss it.

That she was longing for her body.

That was why she was tempting her like this.

"Shameless woman… lewd woman…!"

She was probably waiting for him outside right now.

She imagined Hera with hearts in her eyes, reaching for her from the bed.

Drip-

It seemed she'd better hurry and share her master's love with her servant.

She quickly finished her bath and changed into a gown just like Hera's.

But unlike her, she wore nothing underneath.

The way her bare skin peeked through the white, silky gown was quite provocative, even to her.

After all, it was going to come off anyway. There was no need for underwear.

Her tried to calm her pounding heart, flung the bathroom door open, and stepped out.

"Hera. Hera. Hera."

But reality can be cruel.

Soft breathing-

There lay Hera, sleeping soundly like a princess in a forest.

She was asleep, comfortably and peacefully, to an annoying degree.

As the despairing sight came into view, her burning desire quickly cooled down.

"Hera… are you asleep?"

The only response was her quiet breathing.

"…Should I just force myself on her?"

So frustrating.

***

The dense forest…

Tall trees stretched upwards, blocking out the sunlight, darkening the surroundings.

"Athena, are you alright…?"

Today, she was unusually quiet.

She looked exhausted; it seemed to be happening quite often lately.

Since she had reached the level of a master, she shouldn't need sleep to relieve her tired body. Yet, why did she look so worn out?

Roar!!

"Athena! Beside you-"

A massive beast, resembling a bear, charged at Athena. Its savage claws swung towards her-

Crackle-

Golden energy surged, and in an instant, the beast turned to ash.

Athena wasn't even glancing at the monsters.

"Next to… hmm… no, never mind…"

It seemed like my worry was unfounded. After all, who was she?

Right now, I was with Athena in the eastern forest.

Rumors about the increase in monster population seemed true; we had encountered quite a few so far.

Though before I even got the chance to do anything, she'd already burned them all away…

Regardless, there was an unusual amount of monsters lurking in this forest.

It was strange how the city we stayed in had remained safe.

"Hera."

"Yes?"

Her voice came, low and eerie.

"We're going in deeper. Follow me."

"Alright…"

She didn't seem to be in a good mood at all.

Her usual aura was dragging me down as well.

'…Should I do something?'

I didn't know what had happened, but I wanted to make her feel a little better.

With Athena in such a sour mood, I was starting to feel down too.

I'd better think of a way to lighten her spirits while we're fighting these monsters.

A lot of time passed like that, and with each step we took, more monster corpses piled up in the forest.

Yet, despite all the monsters we'd dealt with, there was no sign of the demons.

"Tsk. I can smell the demons around here, though…"

Athena clicked her tongue and spoke.

The smell of demons, she said. So her level was high enough to discern such things through scent?

Curious if I could detect anything too, I took a deep breath.

Hmm. Just fresh air, as expected.

I scanned the surroundings a bit more, but still, there was no sign of the demons.

"Hera, let's call it a day and head back."

She spoke in an irritated tone.

Well, after taking down so many monsters without any rewards, I'd feel disappointed too.

…I'll cheer her up.

They say it's a servant's duty to make their master happy.

While I hadn't fully accepted her as my master in my heart yet, she was still someone precious to me.

I had decided on something to do for her while we were fighting monsters.

I wasn't sure if it would lift her mood, but…

Lily had always appreciated it, so surely she would like it too.

***

"Dammit..! Dammit!!!"

The demon army led by the Demon King.

Apart from the Demon King, the highest authority was held by four commanders.

One of them was the Succubus Queen, Sephir.

Right now, she was in this forest on the Demon King's orders.

She had come to investigate the recent surge of powerful magic here.

The shock was strong enough to collapse a cave. This kind of magical eruption was rare.

According to the information, there was a possibility that a dragon hatchling had hatched here.

If that were the case, it was an opportunity of a lifetime that they couldn't miss. If they could tame a dragon hatchling, it would become a tremendous asset to the Demon King's army.

Though young and still unable to fully use its power, a dragon was still a dragon. In just ten years, its breath would be powerful enough to burn down a village.

And so, Sephir had come, leading monsters to scout the area.

If nothing else, she was the best at taming living creatures.

Her enchanting beauty, a seductive body that aroused desire—

It was said that a mere wave of her hand could ensnare a hundred men.

Originally, she had planned to tame the hatchling and bring it back to the army, earning the Demon King's praise.

But—

"Why the hell is she here?!"

Sephir clung tightly to a tree, not daring to move an inch.

If she took even a single step, she knew Athena would notice.

Known as the Sun of Death or the Golden Reaper in the Demon Realm.

Athena Caladbolg.

She was here, radiating an overwhelming aura and standing proudly. The sight had sent chills down her entire body.

By sheer luck, Athena hadn't detected her due to her current unwell state, but it didn't change the fact that it was a dangerous situation.

Could it be that she, too, was here for the hatchling?

There was no chance, then.

This monster was so powerful that even if all four generals attacked together, it was uncertain if they could prevail. How could someone as weak as herself even think about taking it on?

"Came here for an easy score… What is this?!"

She carefully began chanting a spell.

A spell to share the vision of her trained familiar.

As she gained the perspective of a bat flying through the sky, she saw the monster and a certain woman returning to the city together.

…Come to think of it, it kept staring at that woman…

Could the two of them be close?

An endlessly ruthless monster.

That monster couldn't take its eyes off a single woman at this moment.

In its gaze toward the black-haired woman, there was an overwhelming, indescribable storm of emotions.

Almost as if it was craving her.

'…Perhaps.'

Maybe, just maybe.

There might be a possibility.

If that black-haired woman was someone precious to Athena, there was a chance for her.

Athena herself was untouchable. But if it was a human besides her, they wouldn't be able to resist her.

One of the Succubus Queen's powers: charm.

A power to captivate living beings, making them eternal slaves to serve only her.

"If only I could enchant that woman…"

If she could enchant that woman and handle that monstrous woman with her…

It would be an achievement far beyond rescuing a mere hatchling.

Perhaps even enough to be promoted to a direct subordinate of the Demon King.

"Hehe."

Imagining herself strutting around the Demon King's castle, she wore a greedy smile.

'Sorry, but you'll have to become my slave, mysterious black-haired lady.'

"Hm?"

Is someone talking about me?

Why do my ears itch so much?