Ch.19Jessica and Seti

After resolving the issue of Seti’s Frontier License by having the Sheriff’s Office send proof of our bounty hunter accomplishments to the Pioneer Project branch, we returned to our lodgings with Seti. After completing the additional guest registration procedures, we enjoyed Oxville’s famous beef skewers for dinner.

Tomorrow morning when the Pioneer Project branch office opens, the documents will be delivered, and we can leisurely visit around 10-11 AM to immediately receive Seti’s license card.

‘I’m glad things worked out, but thinking about it, that was really close…’

Sitting on the bed after my shower, I reflected on the day’s events. Although we didn’t receive the bounty, successfully taking down three wanted criminals was quite an achievement. But looking back at the process, I was deceived by Jonathan, endangering not only my life but Seti’s as well. Though we managed to counter-attack successfully, we still fell into Jonathan’s trap at the end.

If Jonathan’s gang hadn’t hesitated to become desperados and had tried to shoot me dead from the start, if my quick draw counter-attack had failed, if my danger detection skill hadn’t activated, if the sheriff had arrived even slightly later—the outcome would have been very different.

Except for nearly being eaten by Scavenger Deer on my first day in Grantis, the journey so far had been enjoyable with kind-hearted companions like Jessica and Seti. Perhaps because of this, I had somehow come to see Grantis as a world embodying my ideals.

But this incident taught me that Grantis, too, is a world where good and evil coexist. The fact that we got through without sacrificing someone precious was merely good fortune.

‘Knock knock’

Just as I was sinking into melancholy, I heard a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

‘Slam’

“…Whaaat!?”

Only Seti entered the room. That alone wouldn’t have been surprising, but the issue was that instead of her familiar travel clothes, she was wearing black see-through lingerie adorned with lace.

Despite her small stature of less than 150cm, she had a distinctly full chest, smooth limbs without an ounce of excess fat, and dark brown skin contrasting with the black underwear. The imbalance between her youthful appearance and erotic attire created a forbidden allure. The black hair slightly covering her nape was still damp, suggesting she had just finished showering.

“S-Seti! What are you wearing…”

“It’s a birthday gift from my mom. She said it’s what you wear to please a man.”

“Isn’t it too early for you to wear something like that?”

“I’m a proper adult. Non-adult beastkin aren’t allowed to leave the village in the first place.”

“I-I see, so it’s safe… No, wait, why are you in my room in the middle of the night wearing that?”

“Because I want to express my feelings to Will.”

Saying that, Seti slowly approached the bed and sat down beside me.

“Will is a good person. Even though we just met yesterday, you brought me to the city, helped me find a way to become an adventurer…”

“W-well, that was just something I could do while we were in the city anyway.”

“You risked your life to protect me. You got angry on my behalf at those outlaws who tried to frame me.”

“…I was just furious at those who tried to trample on someone else’s dream.”

“You gave up the chance to earn a huge amount of money to help me.”

“That’s…”

The words “I couldn’t do something illegal” rose to my throat, but I couldn’t bring myself to say them.

At the sheriff’s office, we managed to gloss over things with various explanations, but Seti, having regained her composure after showering back at the lodgings, seemed to vaguely sense that the story about the bounty collection wasn’t entirely truthful.

“I’ve received so much from Will. You gave me a place to stay, saved my life, and even made my dream come true when I didn’t know when it would happen.”

“Seti…”

“I’ve received kindness that giving my body and soul wouldn’t be enough to repay. So please…”

As Seti slowly leaned into my arms, a sweet fruity scent like peaches tickled my nose.

It wasn’t a fragrance that could come from a human body. Like the scent of a heavenly fruit. I couldn’t take my eyes off Seti’s face as she gazed at me.

“Please let me give everything of Seti to Will…”

‘Slam!’

“Wait just a minuteeee!!”

Just as those words with nuclear-level destructive power were about to melt my brain cells through my ears, Jessica burst into the room with tremendous force.

“Welcome, Jessica.”

“Y-you… I came out of the shower and you weren’t in the room, so I had a feeling, you thieving cat!”

Jessica also seemed to have just finished showering, as her hair wasn’t completely dry yet. Having two freshly showered beauties visit one’s room might be every man’s fantasy, but what was about to unfold here could only be described as utter chaos.

“Jessica is misunderstanding. I’m not a thieving cat.”

“What misunderstanding! You were seducing Will in that lewd underwear!”

“That’s right. But Jessica is still misunderstanding.”

“L-look… both of you, calm down. There are other guests in the inn, so let’s close the door and talk about this. OK?”

When I pointed at the wide-open door, Jessica glared at me once before closing it and sitting down on the opposite side from where Seti was seated.

“Sigh… what’s going on here? Seti, you heard yesterday that I like Will, didn’t you?”

“Yes. But I wasn’t trying to take Will away from Jessica.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“I’m so grateful to Will that I wanted to give him my body and soul.”

“…That’s taking him away from me, isn’t it?”

“Wrong.”

“??????”

Jessica is confused!

It seems I need to clarify the situation or this won’t be resolved.

“Seti, let me ask you one thing first.”

“Yes.”

“Did you come to share my bed just to repay my kindness? Are you saying you have no romantic feelings at all?”

“No. I already can’t imagine becoming another man’s wife. I think only of Will deep in my heart.”

Wow. Such a straightforward confession is hard to find even in movies or comics, let alone experience firsthand.

I feel a tingling sensation on the bridge of my nose, but I see a vein bulging on Jessica’s forehead, so I need to be extremely careful with my expression.

“Ahem, well. I appreciate those feelings. But I just learned about Jessica’s feelings yesterday, and I also have feelings for Jessica…”

“Yes, I know. Will likes Jessica, and Jessica likes Will. You’re precious to each other. I would be satisfied just being your concubine, devoting my body and soul to Will while serving by your side for life.”

“Concubine… I thought your dream was to become an adventurer?”

“Tomorrow when we visit the branch office and get my Frontier License, I’ll officially become an adventurer. So if I follow Will and Jessica on adventures, I’m still an adventurer even as a concubine.”

“T-that can’t be allowed!”

When Jessica objected, unable to hold back any longer, Seti’s expression turned gloomy. Those eyes brimming with tears made it feel like the one objecting was the bad person.

“Does Jessica dislike me traveling with you?”

“That’s not it! But c-concubine… such a relationship is improper!”

“Now, now, calm down. Jessica, don’t worry so much. I won’t leave you for Seti, so rest assured.”

“…Alright.”

“But earlier in the forest, you said you wanted to become an outlaw and would end your relationship with Jessica.”

“Is that true, Will!?”

“No! That was a lie to make those guys let their guard down! And Seti, is it common in beastkin culture to have both a main wife and concubines?”

“Yes. It’s common in beastkin society. My mother’s younger sister, Aunt Rona, is also my father’s concubine.”

Wow, temptation from a sister-in-law! Seti’s suddenly revealed complicated family situation? Let’s put that aside for now.

This is it. There seems to be a fundamental difference in common sense between human and beastkin women when it comes to dating, marriage, or concepts of chastity.

“Seti, Jessica and I aren’t beastkin. Especially me, as a drifter from outside Grantis, I find it difficult to accept the custom of having deep relationships with others while having a girlfriend or wife.”

“…I’m surprised. So drifters really do exist.”

“Yes. And Jessica is also human, so she can’t understand the concept of a man dating multiple women.”

“That can’t be true. Beastkin only have main wives and concubines, but humans can have two or more wives. Didn’t Jessica tell you?”

“*gulp*!?”

“…Jessica?”

When I looked at Jessica, she avoided my gaze and pretended to whistle. It seems polygamy is recognized in Grantis.

“…Setting aside polygamy, I still can’t make you my concubine if we’re traveling together as adventurers.”

“Why not?”

“The relationship you describe as ‘serving me for life and devoting your body and soul’ seems more like a master and slave than a concubine. That can’t be called an equal partnership.”

“Equal partners…”

“You heard what Jessica said yesterday, right? We need to be companions who trust and rely on each other, overcoming difficult situations together. I have no intention of adventuring with a slave. If you want to live as an adventurer, you need to have that mindset first.”

“I hadn’t thought of that… I see. If I serve Will as a concubine, Will can’t treat me as a companion.”

Seti falls into deep thought, looking back and forth between Jessica and me. She doesn’t seem completely convinced, but she appears to understand what I’m trying to say.

“So I’m sorry. I can’t accept your feelings.”

I reject Seti’s feelings with as much sincerity as I can muster.

Although I confirmed Jessica’s feelings just one day before Seti’s, I had been attracted to Jessica from the moment we met. I don’t deny that Seti is pretty too, and I almost fell for her seduction just now, but if I had to choose between the two, my answer was already decided.

“Will…”

Tears well up in Seti’s eyes as she looks at me. It pains me to reject a girl who likes me this much.

“…Thank you…”

Seti is a good girl. Despite being harshly rejected by someone she confessed to liking so much that she couldn’t imagine becoming another man’s wife, she first expresses gratitude for my clear decision rather than resentment or lingering attachment.

This honest-hearted girl’s feelings, I—

“If I can’t be a concubine, does that mean… you’ll accept me as a wife alongside Jessica?”

She didn’t understand at all!!!