Chapter 215: Welcome back! Hug (1)

Chapter 215: Welcome back!
Hug (1)

Looking
up at the sky after a long time, the blue moonlight illuminated the
ground.

Just
as I thought it had been a while since I enjoyed such a leisurely
moment immersed in sentiment and laid down on the bench, a question
occurred to me.

“Why
isn’t she here?”

Grumpy,
one who said she would come to the library after getting tested,
hadn’t arrived.

Even
though the blessing and curse test queue was long, it shouldn’t take
this long.

I
got up with this small doubt in mind. I was worried if she might have
gotten into trouble again.

Just
as I was about to head to the temple’s main building with Belle, I
noticed a figure trudging towards us from far away.

Complicated
footsteps like walking through a deep forest.

A
black-haired woman approached while looking down at the ground with
her head hanging low.

“Master…”

Grumpy
one called me with a choked voice.

The
moment I heard that lifeless voice, I was certain.

“I…
I received a blessing that makes me stronger the more Master embraces
other women.”

That
she had become aware of the new curse engraved upon her.

“…”

It
was a curse that left me speechless even when viewing it in the
status window, but hearing it directly from her lips made it even
more dizzying.

Grumpy
unfolded the crumpled paper and showed it to me.

On
that paper, which had clearly been clutched in her fist, was written
an explanation slightly cruder than the status window.

[◆
Blessing of Netorare Masochist Corruption Enhancement]

-Grows
stronger the more you witness your loved one embracing other women.

-The
number of women you can accept increases as your feelings of love
deepen.

The
shocking blessing name and description text, no matter how many times
I looked at it.

A
cruel choice between the bond with one’s loved one and one’s own
powerlessness.

The
mysterious malice felt so clear, trying to drag her, already a severe
masochist, down to who knows where.

But
even while thinking this, I felt a sense of ownership as I watched
her revealing her blessing to me without any hesitation.

“…Do
you want to erase it?”

I
asked after slight hesitation.

If
I told her to erase it, Denshi would. If I told her to keep it, she
would.

As
the explorer Balkan, I didn’t want it erased.

That
person called Intert, Grumpy’s master, had given her quite a long
period of freedom. Until the color of the bead she handed over turned
black.

During
that time, no, even after that, she would become a reliable
supporter, so it would be a waste to throw away a precious blessing
that gave +1 to all stats.

Moreover,
since it was cumulative, if it piled up, it would become quite
valuable.

But
as the master keeping a slave named Denshi, it gave me slight
concern.

I
wanted to fully respect her choice. So I asked for her opinion.

“…I
love you, Master.”

Grumpy,
who had hesitated for a moment, expressed her feelings with a serious
face.

Neither
in the status window nor on the blessing verification paper she held
was the object of affection written.

“I
care for and respect Master. I want to serve Master as my master for
life.”

But
she looked at me with such an upright face as if her heart was
directed at only one person.

“Master
is destined to rise high. As always, many will cling to those in high
positions, and Master will not reject the female power holders who
increasingly approach.”

“…?”

Though
it seemed to be words of praise, my head tilted strangely.

Just
what does this one think of me?

A
small question arose, but Grumpy continued speaking with a face full
of determined resolve.

“When
Master reduced even that Explorer Union leader to just another
female, I had already prepared myself. I can accept it.”

“…”

“Other
females taking Master? Ha! No. It’s Master taking other females.
Since the choice is entirely Master’s will, it’s not an area where I
have any say….Though I am a bit jealous.”

“…”

Grumpy
continued speaking with an increasingly excited voice and her hand
gradually moved toward the collar around her neck.

The
collar tightly fastened around her neck. The collar I personally put
on her. The collar she hadn’t taken off once since that day.

Grumpy
carefully grabbed my fingers while placing the collar’s handle in my
hand.

Before
I knew it, her collar was in my hand.

“I
will protect Master. As Master’s sword and shield. I will be Master’s
faithful hunting dog. Master holds this hunting dog’s leash.”

-Squeeze.

The
collar in my hand was gripped tight. I hadn’t grabbed it. Grumpy had
folded my fingers to make me grip the collar.

“As
Master’s hunting dog, I want to protect Master. I don’t want to be
separated again. I want to gain the power to protect Master. So…I
want to become stronger.”

The
image of a man wearing a helmet was reflected in her slightly
moistened eyes.

In
his eyes, barely visible through the helmet’s eye holes, her image
was also reflected.

Grumpy
eyes that had been standing on end softened and held a smile.

Her
figure beneath the moonlight was beautiful.

“I
don’t want to miss the chance to become strong enough to protect
Master’s side.”

I
clearly felt the determination in her words and I finally realized
what those words meant.

“So,
when Master mingles bodies with other females…I’d like you to make
a peeping hole for me to watch.”

She
meant she wanted a peeping hole to voyeur when I had relations with
other women.

“You
fool.”

-Thump!

“Khung…!”

When
I clenched my fist and hit her head, her eyes rolled up toward the
sky and the corners of her mouth trembled.

The
masochist slave who converted even the pain of the knock into
pleasure savored the afterglow while giggling weakly.

“I
wondered why you were talking so long. This was your conclusion?”

“Hehe…Getting
this blessing doesn’t change anything. From what I see, Master is
bound to rise up while crushing various females anyway.”

“…”

I
couldn’t completely deny her words. Because there were already things
I had done.

“As
time passes, the number of females around Master will increase
anyway, so unless I have a blessing like this to become stronger,
won’t Master callously throw me away?”

-Smack!

“Kheut…!”

She
grabbed her head again.

This
time I hit harder because I was a bit angry at her self-deprecating
answer.

“Don’t
say things like that.”

“…”

“You’re
mine. What throwing away? Just don’t run away even if I treat you
harshly.”

“Master…”

-Tug
tug.

I
pulled the collar of Grumpy who was looking at me with a slightly
moved face.

While
she didn’t mind the embarrassing things she had said earlier, this
seemed to make her shy, as her cheeks were as red as when a virgin
had her first experience.

After
rolling her eyes around with a flustered expression, she eventually
grinned and scratched her cheek with an awkward face.

“…My
lord. I… I also want a collar.”

Belle,
who had been watching Grumpy being pulled by the collar, pointed at
her own empty neck and spoke.

“No
no. Junior should stay put. This is a symbol of the senior slave.”

“Th-that’s
unfair. Where is there such a law?”

“Right
here. This was personally put on me by Master!”

Watching
Grumpy and Belle bicker, I couldn’t help but laugh helplessly.

Though
the blessing’s name was a bit questionable, since she had a positive
mindset, my worries were lessened.

Now
that we were done with everything at the temple…

“Let’s
go back.”

It
was time to return to that place that now felt as dear as a real
home.

***

“The
Cozy Winter Night Inn hasn’t been open lately, they say.”

“Right.
Since they’re not open these days, we only go to other bars, but the
taste is really…tsk tsk. The cooking skill is lacking. The cooking
skill!!!”

“Ha.
I know right. There wasn’t a bar like that place in the explorer
district! Haven’t seen that alluring employee in a while either,
wonder if she went to the labyrinth…Huh? That guy over there…”

Late
at night Balkan heard strange rumors among the drunk people on the
street.

Rumors
that Diana’s bar hadn’t been open recently.

For
more than a week, no less.

It
was strange. Usually, Diana almost never closed the shop for more
than a week.

Of
course, there were times when she closed the shop to focus on dealing
with her sexual desires due to the [Curse of Lewd Weakling Corruption
Mark] placed on her, causing her to fall into heat…but that period
shouldn’t be now.

While
trying to calm his inexplicably anxious heart, he ran to the inn.

“Master!
Let me come with you!”

“My
lord…!”

Behind
him, Grumpy and Belle came running.

They
had nowhere else suitable to go. Since they would be together for a
while, he planned to let them stay at the same inn.

With
such thoughts in mind, he arrived at the inn’s entrance, which was
tightly closed.

-Knock
knock.

“Ahem.”

He
cleared his throat while carefully knocking.

“Miss
Diana.”

There
was no need to speak loudly. Just his usual baritone voice.

If
Diana was inside the shop, she would hear this voice and come out.

Sure
enough.

-Click.

Along
with the sound of the door’s lock being undone.

-Creeeak.

The
door that made a small hinge sound opened wide.

He
took in the appearance of the woman standing in front of the door.

Eyes
always warmly half-closed, a gentle and kind smile softly set on her
lips and hair resting on her shoulders, giving off a fragrant scent,
every single element constituted the woman called Diana Ordia.

“Balkan!”

Meeting
her after a long time, she greeted him with a voice higher than
usual, perhaps due to joy.

While
his gaze briefly went to the luggage box she was holding, Balkan
impulsively rushed forward and embraced her.

“Huut…?”

Diana’s
voice, tinged with surprise, was buried in heavy breathing.

-Squeeze.

The
sensation of abundant breasts that gently wrapped around the person
being embraced, warm and cozy temperature that naturally made one
drowsy.

Barely
managing to speak while holding onto his fading consciousness.

“I’m
back…”

Yes.
This scent. Diana’s scent. Diana’s body temperature. Finally, as he
shared a deep embrace with her, it felt real that he had returned
from the labyrinth.

Diana
was feeling similar sensations to Balkan.

Balkan
had returned.

How
long had she waited for this day over the past few months.

As
she felt him in her arms, embracing her without any hesitation or
reservation, a warm and fluffy feeling welled up from deep in her
chest, drawing a smile.

-Thump.
Thump.

Her
intensely beating heart went without saying.

“Welcome…”

While
feeling such sensations and looking at Balkan during their
welcome-back embrace, in Diana’s eyes.

[Number
of sexual encounters (target): 3]

[Status:
Non-virgin]

An
unfamiliar number was reflected.

“…back…?”

The
number had increased quite a bit.