episode_0192

Erina and Sonya are journeying eastward, maintaining a distance between them. It was much closer than the location where Erina’s church was forcibly relocated, in a different direction altogether. Even relatively close, it’s still a week’s journey by carriage. Sonya had ruled out renting a carriage or horses from the start. Suspected of collusion with the demon race, she had eliminated that option, wary of every possible risk.

They’ve been quietly walking along the main road for three days now, and the awkward silence, with no one to talk to, is more tiring than the physical exhaustion. Erina even finds herself irritated by Sonya’s habit of making abrupt comments, then falling silent, making it incredibly troublesome.

But she doesn’t show it.

For now, they’re still in the central part of the country, a boringly safe stretch of road devoid of even minor monsters. The existence of healing spells makes physical exhaustion a non-issue, which only adds to the frustration. This arduous journey brings back forgotten childhood memories.

The day is ending once more. The sunset stretches long across the left side of the road.

“We should find a place to rest.”

“…”

Even resting just anywhere wouldn’t be a significant problem, but Erina felt uneasy; a comfortable spot was needed. While ordinary monsters were absent, demons could appear unexpectedly, and the thought of those already engaged in battle weighs on her mind. Resting is also uncomfortable, but accumulating fatigue makes things worse. She must also remember one crucial fact: Sonya is not an ally. She’s not a brave warrior like Levi who reliably protects her. Instead, she’s an assassin with a kill order.

Erina lightly begins preparing for rest. She makes a small fire, leaving only embers, and clears the area for sleeping. Sonya has no reason to help, of course. Yet, Erina still prepares a sleeping space for her, a testament to her consideration.

“Thirsty.”

“Just a moment. I need to finish preparing our beds first.”

She silently prepares their sleeping places. Once mostly done, she places a kettle over the meager fire. It’s one of the few items that make up the 10% of Erina’s luggage that isn’t food. Drinking tea is a hobby; and she does so for Sonya as well.

As the water begins to boil, Erina fumbles a small glass vial from her bag, barely large enough to hold in her hand. The contents are, of course, Erina’s special concoction. Even the vial itself was refined through alchemical processes, preserving the freshness of its contents for approximately a month.

*Gulps*— Sonya’s swallow is audible to Erina. She seems to be peeking at it while pretending not to look. It’s cute.

*Creak, creak*. The moment the lid is opened, a coppery smell fills the air. A well-concentrated, almost bouncy, viscous seminal fluid. The odor is repulsive enough to wrinkle one’s nose, but a faint yet lingering floral sweetness gives it an addictive quality.

“Is that…an alchemic ingredient?”

“Yes. I made it myself by hand♡, you see♡.”

“…Made it? Anyway, the water’s boiling, so a cup.”

“Oh, come now. Just because the water is boiled, doesn’t that mean it’s done. It seems that serving the Queen doesn’t include tea?”

The response is almost childish.

“That’s a maid’s job.”

“Aren’t you wearing a maid’s outfit?”

She’s been in a maid’s outfit since their meeting–a very traditional maid’s uniform that would lead anyone to believe she’s a maid.

“It’s my personal preference. It’s my preference!”

“Oh, I see. …Heh heh. You’re an interesting person.”

“…”

She brews the tea, adding a small amount of Erina’s special seminal fluid. Even seeing the seminal fluid added, Sonya doesn’t seem to realize what it is, and Erina finds herself unnerved by the innocence. Her arousal is hidden by her clothing, so she should be fine.. for now. She feels as if she might pounce on Sonya.

“Sonya, do you have a boyfriend?”

Of course, she doesn’t add her own seminal fluid to her tea.

“What?! What is the meaning of this—I, I am a servant devoted only to the queen! A lover is unnecessary!”

“Aha. So, it’s unrequited love for the queen♡.”

“Nonsense!! If you utter such nonsense, I will immediately report that you are a collaborator, and cut your throat!”

“Well, you know that wouldn’t really be for the queen’s sake, right? That’s why you’re quietly traveling with me♡.”

It’s true. Otherwise, she would be causing immense trouble for the queen. From her family’s perspective, it’s a worst-case scenario with no possibility of recovery. That was the situation she needed to avoid, the reason she had to travel beside Erina. The truth has been recognized.

“…Shut up. …*Slurps*”

Further conversation was futile, so Erina quietly sips her tea. The delicate aroma and warmth soothe her fatigue. The sunset sky gradually darkens into night. Only the crackling of the bonfire fills the space between them.

A silent night, devoid of birdsong or insect sounds. A tranquility that belies the urgency of their situation.

Tonight, too, will likely be just another unremarkable day. The pressing need for haste is at odds with the frustrating inability to hurry.

“……?”

Just as she’s about to drift off to sleep in her sleeping bag, she feels something brush her neck—a prickling, unpleasant sensation she hasn’t felt in quite some time. It’s arrived.

“It’s a monster! It doesn’t seem strong…but it’s close!”

“What…. So, you— ”

“Instead of wasting time talking, get up! Don’t you know that monsters lack the organs to communicate?!”

“…”

Sonya has never encountered a monster. She underwent rigorous training and mastered various martial arts, but her activities were confined to the castle. Monster extermination is typically the duty of the clergy, so she never paid them any attention. She has excellent interpersonal skills, yet this monster-encounter is her first. She doesn’t even know how dangerous it is.

“Is it dangerous?”

“Judging by the amount of magic, it’s a low-level monster. Even without divine power, it could be handled. Stay put. I’ll take care of it.”

“It seems you’ve forgotten my role as a supervisor?”

Erina smiles faintly and rises. Her drowsiness has vanished, replaced by thought.

‘This is strange. Showing up suddenly like this…I don’t think this has ever happened before…. I hope my senses aren’t dulled….’

Ordinary monsters lack the intelligence to conceal their magical energy, existing purely on instinct. While extermination can be accomplished to a certain extent if one is determined, total annihilation is impossible. They possess no intelligence, only the primal instinct of survival.

If its undetected magical energy is because she wasn’t paying attention, that’s better. However, if it has intelligence, something like a demon, or if it was capable of sudden apparition, that’s the worst-case scenario. It meant that even in urban areas, a crisis could arise.

“Although it’s a low-level monster, please be cautious. It’s better if you stay behind me as always.”

“Shut up.”

Sonya wants to observe — to uncover the true nature of the threat to the kingdom. She follows Erina to where the monster is. It’s clearly a low-level monster. A viscous mass, glowing faintly in the moonlight, pulsates and moves unpleasantly.

“It’s a slime. Perhaps it’s a native monster.”

“It’s not my jurisdiction, so I don’t know. Even if I did, you would, wouldn’t you?”

“…Swords are ineffective against slimes, but magic can easily take them down. Divine power can eliminate one of them quite easily.”

Sonya looks at her expectantly.

“Slime ecology is only recorded as propagation and survival, they’ll abduct any female lifeform to reproduce. They grant intense pleasure ensuring the prey does not escape.”

Erina says this, and coats her hand with divine power, and lashes the slime with it, like a whip. As if screaming, the slime melts.

“Pleasure…? Is that important right now?”

“Wouldn’t you like to try it once? An unintelligent flesh-rod, no, a jelly monster used to reproduce….”

“You lecherous pig…. You’re a trash woman who’s even horny for monsters….”

“Oh my, oh my. Surely you have never masturbated. Women seeking pleasure is natural. It is also for childbirth. Creating a new life is only possible through sexual intercourse. I am merely working in accordance to the will of the Goddess.”

Even under the faint starlight and moonlight, Sonya’s face reddens.

“I don’t know, I don’t know!!”

“You’ve been spouting all that without knowing what lust and lechery are?”

“Hmph. Even a passing insect knows your abnormality.”

“I won’t deny it. My libido is probably several times higher than the average person’s. But I’m not ashamed. Making children is a sacred act. After all, the only way to create new life is through intercourse. I’m merely doing my duty dictated by the Goddess.”

Sonya falls into thought, unable to refute that.

“Let’s go to sleep for tonight. There don’t seem to be more monsters…and we have to walk hard tomorrow too.”

She nods slowly in reply, silently. Following Erina’s plan, her worldview changes little by little. Until the day she opens her heart and offers herself completely. Little by little.