Chapter 40 – Flower of the North Sea (12)

The journey back was smoother than expected.

The Rochear soldiers, who had been prepared before meeting Esther, were horrified to see me walking out, covered in blood, supported by Adela.

However, given the severity of my injuries and the danger of traveling to Parencia by horseback from Adenbury, we decided to rent a carriage and head south.

Every bump on the uneven dirt road caused me to cough up blood-tinged sputum. As I lay there, my eyes constantly closing, Adela used the hem of her dress to wipe my mouth.

“Teacher……”

In the dark of night, Adela would occasionally press her ear to my chest and mutter to herself. It was mostly things like “Don’t die” or “Thank you.” She seemed afraid my heart might stop, but there was no need to worry.

A warrior’s body is resilient. Wounds heal quickly. As long as all three divine powers remain, I can keep moving until the very end.

Clunk, clunk——

After traveling for several days, we arrived at a quiet rural village. It was a place where they cultivated a type of grape called Chateau. From here, it would take just half a day more to reach Alsace.

From there, we could take a horse-drawn carriage to cross over to Parencia.

“Excuse me?”

“Who are you? Oh? Kyaaak!!”

There was a minor incident where the priest fainted upon seeing me at the small shrine in the village, but fortunately, I was able to receive immediate treatment. I heard they even used all the emergency potions kept at the village chief’s house.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself bandaged and lying in a small room inside the shrine.

It was a quiet night, and the priests had all gone home. I looked out the window.

The night in this nameless village, built against the backdrop of a gorge, was breathtakingly beautiful. The sky was filled with a Milky Way so vast it was incomparable to what could be seen on Earth.

The celestial bodies—— the countless stars within the Prium Mobile, were so numerous that the sky seemed too narrow to contain them, and they occasionally faltered and fell.

Some of them would become the light for those studying magic, while others would settle on the earth of this rural village, becoming fruit hanging on the grape vines beyond the fences.

Grumble.

A small sound came from my stomach. Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten anything for days. I got up from the bed.

Except for the wound in my abdomen from the Ice Spear, the minor injuries had already been treated.

Just as I was about to open the door, wondering if there might be some leftover food in the shrine, someone beat me to the doorknob.

“Teacher, are you awake?”

It was Adela, holding a large basket full of grapes.

***

“The village chief and the villagers gave them to us for dinner.”

Hmm, very commendable. This was more praiseworthy than anything Adela had done so far.

A sense of pride welled up from deep within my chest, knowing that I hadn’t raised her in vain.

“Is that so? Good job.”

The thought of the sweet juice bursting in my mouth with just a gentle bite made my mouth water. Ignoring the praise, I reached for the basket, but Adela asked,

“Are you feeling better?”

“I think I’ve mostly healed. Let’s leave for Alsace in the morning.”

Swoosh.

Suddenly, the grapes moved away from me. Adela had pulled back the basket she was holding.

Holding the basket behind her back, seemingly unaware of my hand left hanging in the air, she asked with a slight twist of her waist. The basket behind her back tantalized me.

“Teacher?”

“Yes?”

“What do you think of me?”

Come to think of it, she was still wearing a dress more suited for a ball, even after coming all this way. A dress now ruined with dirt and blood.

Given the kindness of the villagers, they would have likely offered her a change of clothes, considering her current state.

“Hmm… you’re beautiful.”

It wasn’t a lie. Although much worn and dirtied, Adela in her dress was truly beautiful.

The slender waist, the curve of her hips, and even the slightly exposed upper chest were all captivating.

“Is that true? Really?”

“Yes.”

Whether the grapes agreed or not, the basket approached me again. This time, as I reached out my hand, hoping to finally satisfy my hunger, Adela caught it.

“But, teacher. I have one request.”

The atmosphere suggested that if I didn’t agree, she wouldn’t give me the grapes. Moonlight from the window fell gently on her dress, creating blue ripples.

Now that I looked closely, she seemed to have bathed, as a light floral scent wafted from her.

“I didn’t get to attend the ball in the end. I couldn’t make my debut in society either.”

“So?”

Was she asking me to dance? I’m sorry, but I’ve never learned such things.

Adela fidgeted with our joined hands and then passed something to me. I checked and saw it was the earring I had picked up from the store floor earlier.

“I found this in your pocket. It’s something you lost before we came here.”

“……”

“Put it on me.”

Debutante. It’s a term for young noblewomen making their social debut.

Those who haven’t debuted yet and can’t be engaged or betrothed pierce their left ear, while those eligible for marriage wear earrings on both ears.

I held the thin, needle-like part at the end of the earring with its blue gem.

Adela came closer and turned her head to the left.

The white nape of her neck exposed above her chest and collarbone.

And her delicate frame that looked as if it might break if I applied too much force.

My hand holding the needle to her ear trembled. Memories of nearly killing her in the past due to poor control of my strength resurfaced.

“I can’t do it.”

“You can.”

Her clear, serene eyes, like aquamarine, spoke to me.

“Only you can, teacher. For me.”

With trembling hands, I held the earring to Adela’s ear. Since it should properly be done with a sharper tool, I was extremely careful.

Holding her earlobe and taking a deep breath, I applied pressure with my fingertip. With a soft pop, Adela’s expression scrunched up slightly.

A few drops of blood trickled down.

As she wiped them away, she smiled brightly.

“Hehe. I’m a proper lady now.”

She probably had been for quite some time already. My gaze wandered uncomfortably around the room.

“Teacher.”

As I reached for the grapes again, this time Adela dropped the basket to the floor entirely.

Then, once more grabbing my wrist, she said this.

“I’m a lady now.”

“…Alright.”

“Like grapes that have been ripening all spring, I’ve waited much longer and am now fully ripe.”

As if to prove it, my hand touched Adela’s heaving chest. The flower that had endured rough waves and was now wrapped in the finest packaging tempted me with its fruit.

“Do you want to taste?”

Whether the fallen grapes were sour or not, I didn’t know, but the one before my eyes looked incredibly sweet.

Under the starry night sky. In a small room of an inn-like building in an unnamed rural village. A bed too narrow for two and bedding that smelled faintly of river water, freshly washed at the village outskirts.

And blue hair slipping through my fingers. The fragrant scent of Adela, who always smiled foolishly and brightly.

“Mmm, chu——.”

The clumsy kiss and her chest instinctively pressing against me ignited a deep, burning flame in my heart. When I curved my arm around her waist as before, she lowered her eyes and stuck out her tongue like a baby bird.

The saliva that passed between us had a sweet grape flavor, but it was hard to tell if it came from the basket of grapes on the floor or from this audacious girl tempting me.

Despite being ignorant and not knowing how to properly undress her, when I simply pulled down her clothes, she accepted it with a smile.

As her large breasts were revealed under the moonlight, my hand naturally reached for them.

As I lightly twisted her nipples, which grew harder from the cold breeze and my rough fingers, a delighted moan escaped from Adela’s lips.

“Ahh, teacher……”

She leaned closer to me. With a seductive voice and gentle sniffs, she pushed her chest forward, making it easier for me to touch.

“Please, touch me more. Make me feel good.”

Through the rolled-up hem of the dress, her white underwear peeked out. Adela pressed her crotch firmly against my leg while saying only things that were likely to drive me crazy.

“I… I’m such a foolish girl… Ah! Please teach me more. Show me all the places that feel good, and teacher, hnng! Teach me everything that makes you feel good too.”

I never quite grasped the metaphorical meaning of ‘plucking a flower,’ but seeing Adela like this made me understand that expression perfectly.

My once cautious touch grew increasingly insistent and bold.

Each time my fingers curled inside her dress and underwear, her back and waist trembled pitifully.

Every time the obscene squelching sound of her pussy filled the room, I felt a growing desire to make this small, innocent Adela entirely mine.

“Ah, huuh… Wait. Finger, teacher!”

When the caressing grew too intense, making her gasp and part our lips, I firmly grasped Adela’s hips as she tried to pull back.

“Hyaaah!?”

I held her forcefully, somewhat coaxingly. Pulling her back as if to say ‘don’t run away.’

Kneeling on the bed with her lower body forcefully held, Adela clung to my hair, enduring the overwhelming pleasure.

Her white stomach, visible through the tight-fitting dress, and her soft breasts pressing against the back of my head, fulfilled my every sense, both sight and touch.

“Aah! Hhng! W-wait, hold on! Something, something feels weird…!”

She tried to squeeze her legs together, but each merciless scrape inside her shallow vagina made her crumble helplessly. Moaning, Adela suddenly trembled and reached her climax.

“Hnnnnngh——!”

As she collapsed, exhausted, Adela leaned against my chest, her face flushed with embarrassment, breathing heavily.

Her gaze drifted down to my swollen pants. Gently, her cold hand rested there.

Seeing the bandage around my abdomen, she wiped the tears from her eyes and said admirably,

“Hah… Since you’re still hurt, huh, let me try.”

There was a mix of frustration and innocent curiosity in her eyes, and I nodded. What could she, with no experience in sex, possibly do?

As expected, she hesitated after seeing my large cock.

After a moment, she cautiously removed her underwear and climbed on top of me, leaning against the bed’s headboard.

“Wait… you’re going to put it in right away?”

“Of course I am.”

That’s not what I meant…….

At the very least, I expected her to moisten it with saliva or her own wetness, or to use her hand to make it fully erect.

Adela was trying to insert it directly.

“Ah, it’s not going in well. Like this……”

Even though I could move, she insisted on trying to keep her balance from above. Naturally, she wasn’t used to it, so success wouldn’t come easily. Each time she lowered her hips, I felt anxious about the possibility of my member snapping off.

“Oh, I just realized we don’t have any contraception. Maybe we should wait while I fetch something from the village chief……”

“No.”

Squish!

Adela finally managed to insert the tip by guiding it precisely with her hand.

“Such things……”

As I entered her, an intense heat and pressure enveloped me, drawing a sharp gasp from my lips. Adela trembled slightly, her hands pressed against my chest as she leaned in, her warm breath tickling my ear as she whispered.

“Aren’t necessary.”