Ch.107Reward

“A new black blood demon?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“And it attacked you and dented your gauntlet.”

“Yes.”

I stroked my lips for a moment, lost in thought. The appearance of a new black blood demon itself wasn’t particularly surprising.

I had memorized hundreds of types of black blood demons. It wouldn’t be strange at all if a new subspecies appeared that wasn’t among those hundreds.

Just recently, that giant worm that attacked our carriage wasn’t included in the hundreds of types I had memorized.

What was truly surprising was that this black blood demon had attacked Serena and managed to dent her gauntlet, and that Serena had actually admitted to being attacked.

If those creatures had become strong enough to somewhat keep up with Serena, then the Royal Knights, Royal Magicians, and even S-rank adventurers wouldn’t be able to handle them.

If the situation deteriorates to the worst, we might even need to mobilize Christine. No matter how strong those creatures become, Christine’s holy power is beyond anything they could possibly counter.

Though Serena and Charlotte would absolutely hate that.

“I need to hear more details. Explain everything that happened. From the beginning.”

At my words, Serena nodded and spilled everything she had experienced without omission.

The explanation went on for quite a while.

Serena was typically the type to convey only exactly what needed to be said, but since I had asked her to explain everything that happened, she faithfully followed my instruction and truly explained everything.

“I understand what happened now. Thank you for the explanation, Serena.”

“Not at all, my lord. Despite your order to tell everything, I have only conveyed a portion of what I remember, so I am deeply sorry for my inadequacy.”

Serena said this while bowing her head. Fortunately, she couldn’t see my expression souring in real-time as she did so.

Even though what she just said was extremely lengthy by Serena’s standards, she’s saying there was more to convey? Had Serena always been this talkative?

Charlotte, seeing my perplexed expression, moved her lips as if to mock Serena. I quickly stopped her with my eyes before the two could start another quarrel.

Thankfully, Charlotte read the meaning in my gaze and obediently kept her mouth shut.

I managed to intervene in time this time.

“Charlotte, can you use some space isolation magic or something to make sure we’re not being watched? This might take longer than expected.”

“It shall be done, my dear.”

Charlotte snapped her fingers. Instantly, a blurry afterimage overlaid our surroundings. The scenery distorted momentarily before returning to normal.

I doubt anyone would be bold enough to lurk nearby after Serena and Charlotte had razed the area like this, but just in case someone came scouting on the lord’s orders and happened to run into us by bad luck.

“It is done.”

“Good, thank you, Charlotte. Now let’s summarize what Serena said.”

“What is there to summarize? It must be exactly as that woman said.”

For a moment, a sinister smile appeared on Charlotte’s lips as she spoke. It was the kind of smile that sent chills down my spine. This doesn’t feel right.

“Or perhaps you do not trust that woman. Since she has failed to earn your trust, you must be trying to sort through her words to distinguish truth from falsehood. I can fully understand that sentiment. Is she not unworthy of being a knight? How pathetic she is, unable to instill proper faith in the lord she serves.”

“No, when did I—”

Serena jerked her head up at the sudden provocation. Her eyes were filled with murderous intent as she looked at Charlotte.

“What did you just spout?”

“Did you not hear me? Then I shall say it again as many times as needed. I said you are a fool who cannot instill proper faith in the lord you serve, forcing him to sort through your words to distinguish truth from falsehood. Is that clear enough?”

“You say I haven’t earned my lord’s trust? Don’t run your mouth just because you have one, you who spreads nothing but pathetic lies. Surely you must know what our lord would think if he knew about the lies you’ve told?”

After hearing Serena’s words, Charlotte’s eyes also began to fill with killing intent. The atmosphere between them was becoming ominous.

Well, I already knew Charlotte occasionally mixed lies into what she told me. Was that really such a problem?

While I tilted my head in confusion, the atmosphere before me was growing increasingly hostile.

Charlotte twitched her fingers as if she wanted to grind Serena to dust right now, and Serena’s right hand moved toward World Eater at her waist as if she wanted to cut Charlotte down immediately.

“You will have to bear the consequences of claiming that I have lied. If not, I shall personally tear your mouth apart.”

“Try it if you can. I’ll rip out that filthy tongue that insulted me and my lord, and use it as a rope to hang you from a tree.”

“You dare run your mouth when you lack the ability to back it up.”

“Look who’s talking. Don’t put on airs. Do you think I can’t kill you?”

“Both of you, stop.”

As I stepped between Serena and Charlotte, the explosive atmosphere that was about to erupt instantly subsided.

Serena bowed her head toward me with an expression so calm it was hard to believe she had been spewing murderous words just moments ago, and Charlotte quietly closed the distance between us and shut her mouth.

And this is how they behave even with me right here. I let out a small sigh inwardly. I’ve lost count of how many sighs I’ve breathed since meeting these two.

Earlier and now too. For some reason, Charlotte kept provoking Serena.

It seemed she was quite upset about being interrupted by Serena while caressing my cheek.

As for Serena, she was already irritated seeing Charlotte clinging to me, and after continuously hearing such words, it was impossible for her not to lose her temper.

“Both of you, come closer.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“I shall do so, my dear.”

The two approached at my gesture.

Charlotte was already practically attached to me, so there was no distance left for her to close, while Serena quietly rose and assumed her usual posture.

Charlotte was on my left side, Serena on my right.

I grabbed both their cheeks and pulled. The soft, smooth sensation of their skin stretched elastically between my fingers.

“Did I tell you not to fight, or didn’t I?”

“Yesh, mah lohd.”

“Charlotte, you need to answer too.”

“…You did.”

Unlike Serena, whose words were distorted due to her stretched cheeks, Charlotte somehow managed to maintain perfect pronunciation.

I pulled their cheeks even harder. Their bodies followed along as I pulled.

It was more like a reward than a punishment. In fact, the ones having their cheeks pulled were grinning happily.

As I wiggled their cheeks with my fingers, their heads swayed along with my hand’s movements.

The very fact that they were letting me move their heads as I pleased was proof that these two were enjoying the current situation.

“But why do you keep fighting? Hmm? How many times have I told you not to fight, and you still do this?”

“Ah’ll twy, mah lohd.”

“…I shall try to make an effort.”

“Not just effort. You know what answer I want.”

“Ah pwomish not tuh figh—hnnk?!”

Serena’s words were cut off there. I had inserted my index and middle fingers into her mouth, pressing down on her tongue.

The sensation of her tongue, softer and more supple than her cheeks, and the moist liquid falling on my skin enveloped my fingers.

After a moment of surprise, Serena quietly closed her mouth and accepted my fingers. I could hear the sound of Serena sucking on my fingers.

She even closed her eyes, grabbed my remaining three fingers with her hand, and wrapped her tongue around my inserted fingers.

Charlotte gave a sour look upon seeing Serena enjoying my fingers with a happy face. It meant why wasn’t I doing the same to her.

I applied more pressure to the hand pulling Charlotte’s cheek, but this time her head didn’t follow. It was a silent protest demanding that I do to her what I was doing to Serena.

“Answer.”

“…”

Charlotte would have immediately understood what answer I was referring to.

But, perhaps due to pride, Charlotte wasn’t readily giving me the answer I wanted.

I applied more pressure to the hand pulling her cheek. Her pale white skin crumpled between my fingers, taking on a light flesh tone.

“You need to answer, Charlotte.”

“…I… shall… do… so…”

After weighing her pride against my fingers, the scale finally tipped toward my fingers, and Charlotte reluctantly gave the answer I wanted, word by word.

Her voice and expression clearly showed how much she disliked doing this.

‘Is it that hard to promise not to fight with Serena?’

It was something I couldn’t understand, but what could I do? It’s not like I had a way to read Charlotte’s mind.

I just had to accept Charlotte’s reaction for what it was.

Since she had given her answer, I held out my index and middle fingers together as a reward, just as I had done for Serena, and Charlotte promptly took them into her mouth.

With both of them suddenly pacified, I continued from where I had left off before Charlotte had provoked Serena and interrupted me.

“So to summarize what you said, Serena: You were exterminating black blood demons as usual when a humanoid black blood demon appeared in the distance. In the brief moment you slashed past it, it penetrated the mana surrounding your body and slightly dented your gauntlet. And even though you clearly cut its neck, it absorbed the black blood splattered around to regenerate, and only died completely after you obliterated all the surrounding black blood and corpses?”

“Slurp… That’s, *suck*, correct, my lord.”

Serena nodded while continuously sucking on my fingers, somehow managing to give a response despite her mangled pronunciation.

Looking at her, I had only one thing to say:

“Not a big deal.”