They Say the Orcs Aren't Smart Enough to Attempt a Night Raid

'Just a little lower….'

I lowered my hand below her waist—to the spot just above her pelvis where her spine ended, past the boundary between her uniform trousers and bare skin, where the smooth curve from her narrow waist toward her buttocks began.

I felt her breathing grow ragged. Slowly but surely, I slid my hand lower and pressed firmly into that deep spot.

"Haaah…!"

When my fingers stimulated the area around her tailbone, Seraphina's back arched like a bow. A suppressed moan burst from her, and the muscles in her back spasmed. It was less a rejection than a reflexive reaction to a sensation she could not withstand.

But that fleeting pleasure seemed to rouse her reason. She twisted her body away from my touch. My hand grasped at empty air.

"…Don't—don't go too far down…… Lieutenant Jaeger."

Seraphina's voice trembled faintly. This was an unmistakable refusal. Under normal circumstances, I would have hastily withdrawn my hand and apologized then and there. But I did not meekly back down.

There was a reason. The tailbone. Anatomically, the area was called the sacrum. It was not her most intimate region, but it was important in its own right.

The bundle of nerves running down her spine branched out toward her buttocks and lower body from there, so even a little use of [Touch of Tuning] could send tingling sensations through her entire lower body.

More than anything, it was like a forward outpost I had to pass through to move my hand lower. Whether I wanted to touch her buttocks or her thighs, I had to get past this point first.

I activated my skill without hesitation.

'Captivating Speech.'

"You misunderstand, Captain. There's an important mana flow around the tailbone as well, so I was trying to loosen it…"

Ding!

[The persuasion failed!]

[The request directly conflicts with the target's core value (physical chastity). The target's resistance canceled out the skill's effect.]

[The negative effects incurred by failing to persuade the target have been greatly reduced.]

"…Treating my back is enough. Anything more is unnecessary."

Seraphina forced the words out. She tried to sound resolute, but she could not hide the faint crack at the end of her voice.

"Understood. I overstepped."

I immediately withdrew my hand and bowed respectfully. Outwardly, I wore the mask of a loyal subordinate, but inwardly, I clicked my tongue.

'No way around her.'

The valley beneath her tailbone, leading to the cleft between her buttocks, was apparently still forbidden ground. It couldn't be helped. Allowing access to her pelvis was an entirely different matter. Even a woman who was liberal with physical contact would have found it difficult, let alone someone like Seraphina.

Pretending to back down obediently, I brought my hand back up to the center of her lower back. I wrapped my palm broadly around the erector spinae muscles on either side of her spine.

This time, I raised the pleasure-inducing intensity of [Touch of Tuning] just a little more. Not enough to seem strange—just enough for Seraphina to gradually grow accustomed to the pleasure.

"Hngh…."

Each time my palm glided over the individual vertebrae, small moans escaped between Seraphina's lips.

The strength slowly drained from her hands, which had been clutching the bundle of clothes tightly to her chest. She bowed her head and drew ragged breaths. Her snow-white nape was exposed defenselessly.

'She's responding.'

The pleasure that began in my palm traveled up her spine, clouding her reason.

"T-the sensation is strange. Jaeger… Ngh… This is, like…."

Seraphina mumbled in a breathy voice. It was far too stimulating to be called treatment, yet far too sweet to reject. Confused by the contradiction, she struggled to make sense of it. I calmly whispered a shameless lie as though I were a competent physician.

"Please rest assured. It's a healing crisis (a rebound reaction). As the frozen mana circuits and sensory nerves come back to life, they're merely becoming temporarily hypersensitive."

"I-is that so…."

She clung to my words like a lifeline. No—she wanted to believe them. Only then could she justify this shameful pleasure as part of the treatment.

[Status: Mana Reflux is temporarily under complete control. Physical abilities optimized.]

[Emotion: Relief at the disappearance of the pain, reluctance to see the treatment end, and the beginnings of blind trust in Max Jaeger.]

[Blind trust.]

The phrase pleased me immensely. This was enough. If I dragged it out any longer, it could backfire. It's best to leave while the applause is still ringing.

I slowly withdrew my hand.

"…It's finished, Captain."

As my hand pulled away, Seraphina's body flinched. Regret practically dripped from her back, as though someone had snatched away a warm blanket in the middle of winter.

"Ah…."

She raised her head blankly. Her unfocused eyes wandered through empty air for a moment before returning to reality. She had become aware of her partially undressed state and the subordinate officer standing behind her.

Startled, she hurriedly pulled the bundle of clothing she had been clutching in front of herself over her shoulders.

"G-good work."

Without even looking back at me, Seraphina began dressing in a fluster. Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she turned around.

"……Ugh. I-I'll get dressed now, so… please wait outside for a moment."

"Yes, Captain."

I obediently stepped outside the tent. The wind was chilly, but I decided seeing the rare sight of the Ice Witch flustered made up for it.

Rustle, rustle.

Faint sounds came from inside my tent. The click of a bra hook, soft fabric brushing against skin, and the fastening of uniform buttons reached me, stimulating my imagination.

Soon, I heard her call for me.

"…I'm dressed. Come in."

A flushed face, disheveled silver hair, and ragged breathing that had yet to settle. No matter how thoroughly she covered herself with her uniform, she could not hide the lingering traces of the intimate act that had just taken place.

Seraphina spoke without meeting my eyes.

"…Thank you again."

Her voice was barely a whisper, but the relief in it was genuine. Ignoring her shyness, I asked in a businesslike tone.

"How are you feeling?"

"Hmm… It really is… astonishing."

Seraphina slowly moved her shoulders and arms. These had been plagued by chronic pain, as though her joints were aching and her blood vessels twisting. But now, she seemed unable to feel the slightest discomfort.

"The pain… has vanished as if by magic. My body… my entire body feels as light as a feather. You weren't lying after all…."

With an incredulous expression, she extended her white hand toward empty air. Then she clenched it tight before slowly opening it again.

Fwoooosh….

At that, blue chill rose from her slender fingertips. This was not the sharp, precarious mana that usually burst erratically from her. Like mist rising over a tranquil lake, it flowed softly and gracefully, coiling around her fingers. It was clearly a stable flow of mana.

'Status Analysis.'

[Emotion: Relief at the disappearance of the pain, shame at having exposed her bare skin in front of a subordinate, tranquility she had not felt in years, and the beginnings of blind trust in Max Jaeger.]

"That's good. But remember: this is only a temporary measure. If you handle your mana recklessly again, the condition could relapse at any time."

"…I will."

Seraphina rose from her seat. Just before leaving, she looked back at me with a conflicted expression.

"About what happened today…."

"It's a secret I'll take to my grave. Please don't worry."

At my preemptive assurance, she gave a small nod, seemingly relieved.

"…Thank you, Lieutenant Jaeger. I won't forget this debt."

Leaving those words behind, she hurried out of the tent as though fleeing. Her back disappeared into the darkness beyond the flapping tent entrance.

I remained where I was and smacked my lips.

"A debt…."

The young ladies of House Stahlberg and House Reinhardt alike—noble ladies really hated being indebted. Well, it suited me. Debts grew with interest, after all.

I sank back in my chair and checked the system window.

[Current skill points: 0]

'When will I reach level 10?'

I wouldn't be able to look forward to reaching level 10 until we had defended this encampment and completed the battle to occupy the forest. I was already excited about which skill I would choose once I reached level 10.

'At level 10… maybe there'll be some kind of perk?'

Gaining a perk at every multiple of 10 was practically a law of the gaming world. I couldn't help wondering if [Harem Overlord Integrated Pack] might have one too.

I closed my eyes and lay down, intending to rest for a while. I was on duty for the company tonight, and I had just given my superior a massage. After spending the entire day roaming the battlefield, I had every reason to be tired.

But I couldn't actually sleep, so I passed the time periodically opening my eyes to check the minimap. I'd close them to rest, open them to check the minimap, then close them again. I repeated that cycle over and over. How much time had passed?

The instant I opened my eyes, something changed on the minimap. Red dots began appearing, slowly approaching from the edge. I immediately sat up. My mind snapped fully awake. The meaning was clear.

'What the fuck…? The orcs are launching a night raid…?'

The orc bastards who had lost Kardor during the day had launched a night raid in a fit of spite. It sounded simple, but this was not a strategy that orcs who knew nothing of proper tactics should have been able to execute. They had even chosen the night after a battle when we were drunk on victory and off our guard, striking just before dawn.

If I were grading it, I would have given the tactic a perfect score. But there was one thing they had gotten terribly wrong.

They had chosen the wrong enemy.

My [Minimap] displayed their positions and every detail of their approach route with perfect clarity, without fog of war or delay. Against an ability no different from a map hack, a night raid was useless.

"Gunther! Hanna!"

I immediately dashed out of my tent.

"Everyone, wake up! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

My shout tore through the predawn silence and spread across the encampment.