Ch.86What I Wish For Is Your Happiness

The series of disguise crimes surrounding Seti were swiftly concluded under Sheriff Jeffrey’s capable command.

The trial of the main culprit, old lady Laila Bolter, was postponed until her mental treatment could be completed. This decision was made because any legal punishment would fail to serve its purpose for someone who had deteriorated to a dementia-like state. If she miraculously recovers her mental faculties, she will be tried according to Grantis law; otherwise, there’s a high possibility she may face euthanasia in the worst-case scenario.

The fruit shop owner and general store owner, who were arrested on emergency charges for accepting large bribes from old lady Laila and conspiring in her crimes, are expected to receive 30-day imprisonment sentences and fines.

After her wealthy husband’s death, old lady Laila had been spending his inheritance solely on war widows and orphans. It was believed that the two shop owners couldn’t easily refuse her requests, as they had previously relied on her donations for their livelihoods.

The perpetrator who carried out the thefts with the tacit approval of the general store and fruit shop owners turned himself in at the sheriff’s office. The culprit was a thin boy of about 12-13 years with tanned skin who, despite not resembling Seti in the face, had deceived people by wearing women’s clothes and fake cat ears and tail.

Those cat ears and tail had been torn from a doll made by old lady Laila herself, who apparently had a habit of stabbing the doll’s chest with a knitting needle every night before sleep while uttering curses.

In the end, the boy was sentenced to 30 days of public service for damaging an adventurer’s honor by impersonating a Beastfolk, with half of his earnings to be paid to Seti as compensation.

At first glance, it seemed like an unsatisfactory conclusion where no one, including old lady Laila, received adequate punishment while Seti was left one-sidedly hurt, but…

“It’s okay now.”

“Really? You were crying so much when they took that old lady away.”

“I was sad that there was someone whose heart was broken because they couldn’t get along with the Beastfolk. But it’s okay now that the sheriff and everyone else understands.”

Since Seti, the greatest victim in this case, said this herself, we had no choice but to accept it.

But accepting something and finding it convincing are two different matters. Seti’s expression after escorting old lady Laila to the sheriff’s office and returning to our lodgings was so painful to look at that Jessica suggested she should stay in Phyllis’s room tonight so I could comfort Seti.

“You know, Seti, I’m actually quite greedy.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I want my women to be unconditionally happy. Even when they’re troubled or sad, I don’t want them to endure it alone—I want them to throw themselves into my arms, cry their hearts out, and beg me for comfort.”

“…Mm-hmm.”

“I know that Seti always makes many concessions and endures a lot for us. For my happiness, and for the happiness of all three of us.”

That was the impression I’d gotten from observing Seti by my side all this time.

The way she stands alone at the front line, despite it being a Beastfolk specialty, trying her hardest not to let even a single monster pass through to the rear.

The way she takes a step back, insisting that Jessica should always be my first priority, even though we agreed to be lovers as a trio including Jessica.

The way she always appears cool and speaks little, yet when we’re together as lovers, she subtly nuzzles against me, trying to fill the void of affection she’s been missing.

Even when the three of us share a bed, she subtly worries that she might receive more love than Jessica.

“So sometimes, I want to give Seti her own happiness.”

“My own happiness…?”

I don’t want to be the kind of man who takes Seti’s patience and consideration for granted, mistaking her kindness for convenience, like she’s some giving tree.

Because she gives so generously, I want her to receive more in return than what she gives.

That’s why, just for tonight.

Even knowing it might cause a small discord in our relationship among the three of us.

“Tonight, I’ll make you feel the most loved person in the world. With your deepest scent, make me as intoxicated with you as you want.”

Saying that, I resolved to let myself be thoroughly drenched in Seti’s pheromones, down to the depths of my soul.

“So you’re saying you reduced her to this state?”

“That’s how it turned out. I’m not sorry about it.”

“Sigh, how enviable—no, I mean, how terrible…”

The next morning, Jessica came to our room later than usual and was quite shocked by the devastation on the bed, she said.

One bed had its blankets and sheets completely ruined, while Seti and I were sleeping on the other bed.

The air in the room was filled with pheromones so intense that Jessica had never experienced anything like it before—so much so that her legs gave out and she collapsed without even realizing it.

Seti, sleeping in my arms, had bright red kiss marks literally from the nape of her neck to her toes, and though not as numerous, my body too was covered with so many of Seti’s kiss marks that counting them would be tedious.

Seti’s face, with tear stains around her eyes, looked nothing but lovable to me.

Even more so because I knew those tear stains weren’t just from the disappointment or pain that had built up in her heart, but tears shed while fainting multiple times, eventually sobbing and writhing with joy.

“You beast, no, monster…”

“Is that a compliment?”

“I don’t know! The Pioneer Administration Office called, so hurry up and get dressed. Your promotion has been decided, and you need to renew your license.”

“This early in the morning?”

“Early? It’s already 11:30!”

Jessica strode over and flung the window open.

While she ventilated the room with fresh air from outside and used Clean-up Magic to make the two sets of bedding pristine again, Seti didn’t move a finger.

“Seti, wake up for a moment. Seti?”

“Mmm… Jessica, hello…”

“Are you feeling okay? Does anything hurt?”

“I’m so happy… Jessica, you should feel this too.”

Seti’s eyes, looking alternately at Jessica and me, were so full of affection they seemed to have heart marks overlapping in them.

Meanwhile, Jessica was trying hard not to make eye contact with me while looking at the traces of last night all over Seti’s body.

Her face was completely flushed, which I found adorable, so I stared at her until she slapped my arm and muttered in a small voice.

“Just so you know, I absolutely decline this sort of thing.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“It’s written all over your face. ‘Next time I should do this to Jessica too.'”

“Oops, busted.”

Exchanging light jokes, Jessica used Heal Touch magic on Seti and me to completely erase the kiss marks that had covered our bodies.

“Oh? They’re all gone.”

“Kiss marks sound nice, but they’re just bruises after all.”

“But Will left them for me all night…”

“We can’t help it if we’re going out in public. Seti’s outfit is already quite revealing, so ask him to leave them again next time.”

While patting Seti’s head to console her, Jessica moved briskly, seeming somehow busy.

Usually, Jessica was in charge of managing the party’s schedule, but she rarely moved this hurriedly…

“Jessica, did something happen? You seem unusually rushed today.”

“Are you upset that only I got Will’s love yesterday?”

“…That’s not it. I was the one who asked Will to take care of Seti. Actually, I just ran into someone I dislike in front of our lodgings.”

“Someone you dislike?”

Jessica, who had been moving her hands busily, let out a light sigh and then looked at me as she continued her story.

“Will, do you remember? That man named Hector who picked a fight with us in Mothertown.”

“Ah… that self-proclaimed genius mage who looked like a thug. He’s in Riverside?”

“He just arrived, apparently. He wants to raise his license grade to B, so he’s starting adventurer activities.”

“Raise it to B… so he’s currently C-grade? That guy?”

Hector was an unpleasant mage we met in Mothertown while shopping with Jessica.

I thought he was an idiot who overestimated his own talent, criticized others without gaining experience himself, but the fact that such a guy held a C-grade license was quite surprising.

“Despite appearances, Hector is a mage highly regarded at the Academy. He’s steadily gained recognition for his achievements in interpreting formulas discovered in ruins and designing new spells. He also has several spells he operates privately without publishing to the Academy.”

“So he’s the type who focuses on research rather than combat or adventure.”

“Yes. As frustrating as it is, Hector’s spell design skills are truly outstanding, acknowledged by everyone. I’ve heard that quite a few mages pay him large sums to learn his unpublished spells.”

Frontier license grades don’t rise based on one’s skill as an adventurer but on contributions to western pioneering.

The fact that a mage who started at E-grade possessed a C-grade license before Jessica through research activities alone meant that Hector’s research achievements were well-recognized by the New Continent Pioneer Administration.

“Wait, if Hector has a C-grade license and is starting adventurer activities…”

“Yes. If Hector visits the Adventurer’s Guild, he might snatch that C-grade limited request. He said he was going to have a leisurely meal and then visit the magic item shop, so we still have some time…”

“So we can’t afford to be leisurely. Let’s hurry, Seti.”

“Is this Hector person bad?”

“Not so much bad as disagreeable. He looks down on Jessica and lives for his own self-importance.”

“Looking down on Jessica… we can’t lose to someone like that.”

Even Seti, who still seemed to have dark circles under her eyes, appeared to have snapped to attention at the emergence of a rival who looked down on Jessica.

After quickly washing up and getting ready, we briefly explained the situation to Mina and Phyllis before heading to the Pioneer Administration branch building.

For the spectacular debut of C-rank mage, Jessica Walter.