Chapter 204

Chapter 204

204th Episode: 『Fragments of the Past』 // A reunion after a long time. But the surprise was only momentary. Seran, who had been staring blankly at me, soon approached with a smile on his face. “…I knew it.” That smile is ferocious. One might even call it sinister. Seran approached and, without warning, reached out and grabbed my butt firmly. “Ah…?” At the roughness of his touch, I involuntarily swayed. I could have easily pulled away, but I consciously controlled my strength and didn’t. Even as I did, my body honestly felt the man’s touch and anticipated it. …But, I’m not alone here. “What’s going on?” Aiden, witnessing the sudden molestation, was taken aback and tried to grab Seran’s arm. However, I quickly reached out and grabbed Aiden’s arm, saying to him, “It’s okay. I know him…” “….” At my sudden use of polite language, Aiden stopped his actions. Did he notice something? Aiden stopped his outstretched arm and examined Seran again. His gaze was directed towards the Lakers emblem tattooed on Seran’s chest. “Huh?” Seran also has eyes. There’s no way he couldn’t see what was happening. He glanced back and forth between me and Aiden, then asked roughly. “What, is he your customer?” “Ah, no. He’s just… someone I met today.” Why did it have to be this guy? Well, he’s a guard, so it’s not strange for him to be here, but still, the timing is a bit off. “…Hmm.” Seran glanced at me and Aiden, then gave another sharp smile. “Ugh…?” I felt the hand that had been grabbing my butt creep towards my more private area. But Seran soon removed his hand. “I haven’t seen you around for a while. I see you haven’t changed your ways.” “….” Does he still think of me as a whore? It’s not wrong, but it felt strange. Was it because Aiden was nearby? Even though I enjoy men, I don’t want to show him this side of me. “…It’s just as well. I have a gift for you.” “A gift…?” “Yeah, follow me.” Probably bullshit, right? What gift would he have for me? But I didn’t refuse. No, I couldn’t refuse. Seran, who had a firm grip on me, didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go. “You’d better come along when I’m asking nicely.” “….” Even if I wanted to shake him off, he’s a Lakers guard. Unlike the slums, where murder and extermination are possible, messing with him would cause real trouble. In the end, I had no choice but to follow him. “….” Of course, there was something I had to do first. Before being dragged away by Seran, I whispered a few words to Aiden through telepathy. 『I’ll go for now.』 『Don’t worry too much. I know him.』 『He’s probably from the Central Guard or the East Gate Guard.』 That should be enough, right? // “Who was that guy from earlier?” “…A customer.” Seran’s promise of a gift was, of course, a lie. Well, it’s not confirmed yet, but it’s definitely a lie. Otherwise, there’s no way he’d be dragging me along so roughly. “Heh heh, you’re still as fond of men as ever.” “….” Seran is connected to Keir in a different way. I don’t have any particular animosity towards him, but it’s not like we have a particularly affectionate relationship either. He’s just a pervert. “Where are we going?” “Your place.” “….My place?” It was nonsense, but I could roughly understand. Given Seran’s personality, the space he would call my place… is probably the guards’ barracks. “Yeah, you like that, don’t you?” “….” What would happen if I said I didn’t like it? It’s hard to say I like it. If I had plenty of time and nothing to do, I wouldn’t mind, but I was just about to see Keir and Jess off today and make plans with Aiden. Seran, who barged in, is nothing more than a nuisance. “Ah, just so you know, it won’t matter if you say you don’t like it.” “….Huh?” “You know? I’m a guard. I can throw you in jail anytime I want.” That’s obviously a lie. No way a guard has that much power. This isn’t some kind of SkyXrim, it’s reality. He could do it, but the aftermath would be difficult. It’s obviously ridiculous nonsense, but I play along with Seran, pretending to be scared. “T-That’s not allowed…” It’s just to boost his ego a little. Then, Seran gives me a lewd smile and says, “I know, I know. Just do as I say. Got it?” “…Yes. I understand…” Now that it’s come to this, there’s no helping it. I might as well go into the guard barracks for a while and get some information. It’s a bit of a hassle, but it’s not a bad turn of events. I can include this in my plans. I helped Keir escape yesterday. If Locard caused any trouble because of that, the guard barracks would be the best place to hear about it. If I use Earth Listening, I can hear the guards’ conversations inside the barracks, so it might actually be a good thing. Let’s think positively. // So, with a positive attitude, I followed Seran,

-Clink.

Before I knew it, a dog collar with a leash was fastened around my neck. “….” “How is it? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Looking around, I saw the familiar sight of the barracks. The East Gate Guard barracks. I used to come here quite often in the past, and I had many exciting memories, rather than pleasant ones. It seemed that Seran had some connections with the Central Guard back then, but it seems he failed, seeing as he brought me here. Well, his method was to offer me as a sexual tribute, so it’s only natural that he failed. I also ran away halfway through. As I was thinking about the past, Seran’s words rang in my ears. “Take off your clothes.” “….Huh?” “I said, take off your clothes.” It was an action that would make one laugh in disbelief. Of course, I thought he would do that, but being subjected to it made me feel dumbfounded. To put it bluntly, his actions are a clear abuse of power. Seran, a mere guard, has no authority to send me, who is not a prostitute affiliated with the Night Rose Manor, to the barracks like this. …But, the world doesn’t always work according to the law. Besides, if we both start throwing laws at each other, I’m the one who will be at a disadvantage. “…Okay.” Lately, I felt like I had to take off my clothes more often than usual. After the Locard Family, I spent a night with Keir, and now it’s Seran’s turn. “….” While unbuttoning my shirt, I looked up at Seran. I was preparing myself to back out, but, “Alright, then…” As soon as I took off everything I was wearing, Seran picked up my clothes and turned around. “Well, see you later.” “….Huh?” …What, weren’t we going to do it? Well, it’s not like I was expecting it, but I was actually expecting it, but not that much. Still, there’s a certain etiquette. If you drag me all the way here, shouldn’t you at least fuck me once? “Um, weren’t we going to do it now…?” When I looked at Seran with a dumbfounded expression and asked, he answered as if it were obvious. “I’m on duty right now.” ….Come to think of it, that was obvious. Wearing armor with the guard’s emblem on it within the city means that he’s on duty. He’s not some kind of guard captain, and if he’s clearly on duty and goes into the barracks to enjoy pleasure with a woman, he’ll get chewed out by his superiors. As I was internally agreeing, Seran put my clothes in a box and continued. “Heh, you still haven’t lost your taste for men. What, do you want to do it?” “….” “Anyway, treat the people who come well. Don’t forget to say it’s on me.” Has he gotten a lot dumber while I haven’t seen him? I never thought he was smart before, but seeing him after a long time, I feel like he’s gotten even dumber. Logically speaking, if you suddenly drag someone here, tie them up like this, and force them to provide sexual services, would you expect the woman to obey? “…Yes, I understand.” Of course, I’m not a logical person, so I’ll obey. When I answered, Seran looked at me with satisfaction as he put my clothes in the box. “….Huh?” Then, he tilted his head. His gaze, filled with questions, was directed towards my body. More precisely, towards my lower abdomen. Wondering why, I looked down and saw a fairly clear pattern. The burn has healed a bit now, but it’s not difficult to recognize it. “What, why do you have this?” “Oh, that’s…” “Tsk. Just like a slut….” “….” Before I could even make an excuse, Seran understood on his own. Does he think it’s related to my escape two years ago? The burn, which has healed to some extent in just one day, is enough to make it look like it’s from the past. I don’t understand how he came to that conclusion, but I don’t really want to ask. // Seran really left. And so, I was left all alone in the empty guard barracks. “….” I had nothing on my body, and a collar and chain were around my neck. I could untie it and run away, but the fact that Seran saw me with Aiden bothered me. Escaping is easy, but it would be troublesome if Seran tried to find me again afterwards. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to just wait until Aiden comes to see me? “Haa…” Rather than me running away and causing trouble, it would be easier to just offer my body obediently for a day or so and be released. These guys have some sense of decency. They won’t keep me locked up for days. I’m not afraid of what’s to come. I’m used to being held by men anyway, and I like to flirt and be taken advantage of. It’s just that the timing isn’t quite right. “….” The reason is a bit ridiculous. It felt like the night I spent with Keir would be erased. It’s a memory that will fade someday, but it’s a shame that it’s fading so quickly. …But what can I do? Now that things have turned out this way, I have to get over it quickly. And there are things I can do here as well. Thump. I put my ear to the floor and used Earth Listening. A martial arts technique that allows one to hear the sounds that resonate. It was to check if there was any useful information in the Central Guard. And what I heard was, 『What’s up, Seran?』 『Ah, Squad Leader Jephs.』 『Why are you here? Aren’t you on duty?』 『Well, that’s…』 『Haa, you’re such a fucking piece of shit…. Did you skip out again?』 『Huh? No, it’s not that…』 『No, my ass. You think it’s legal to stop by the barracks pretending you have something to do? You wanna fucking die?』 “…..” Hmm. Not very useful information. I also feel a little sorry for him. Even though he dragged me here and made me do a naked abandonment play, I can let that slide. But, this. If I just use my words well, Seran might be in big trouble. I don’t know if he has any popularity within the guard, but judging by his appearance, I don’t think so. …Should I just try to get out of here? Just as I was pondering that,

-Thud, thud.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming from nearby. They seemed a little too close, so I raised my head and saw that the footsteps were coming from beyond the open door.

-Thud, thud.

…Come to think of it, Seran forgot to close the door. The sound is getting closer and closer, so it’s only a matter of time before I get caught if I keep going like this. “…Sigh.” Even so, there’s no way to avoid it. Well, there is a way, but it’s as good as nothing since I can’t use it. There’s nothing to worry about. A prostitute’s business trip is like a tradition in the Lakers Guard, and if I get caught, I can just quietly spread my legs. Since I’m going to get taken advantage of anyway, I might as well think of it as enjoying it a little earlier. …The problem is, how do I use my words?

-Thud, thud.

Thud. While I was pondering that, the footsteps stopped in front of the door. Leaning against the wall, I raised my head and looked beyond the open door, and there was an unfamiliar face. “Huh?” Of course, it had to be an unfamiliar face.

Because in the Central Guard, there wasn’t anyone I particularly remembered besides Seran. That should be the case, “…Huh?” But, the person in front of me feels somehow familiar. Not like I’ve seen them many times, but more like their impression was strongly etched in my mind once. Moreover, what they’re wearing isn’t a guard’s uniform, but the uniform only knights can wear. “…I don’t believe there were any field assignments today.” He tilted his head and muttered to himself as he approached me. “….” Doesn’t he remember? I’ve come here quite often, despite appearances. That’s why I know who the face in front of me belongs to. He even slept with me once. The captain of the East Gate Guard, Maxen Handelpon. …In the current situation, he was the last person I wanted to run into. [Author’s Notes] A world where knights in armor carry swords, but also possess the technological prowess to mass-produce glass and supply liquor bottles… Skyrim.