Chapter 13
After defeating the monster bird.
We decided to stay in the same village for the next few days.
The reason was that Aris needed to earn her adventurer qualification.
Her previous qualification had unfortunately been invalidated when she became a slave.
“The training fee is 5 credits and 600 coins.”
From adventurer orientation and training to the exam. We had completed everything through the training, and only the exam remained.
“The first exam is scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. That will be 10 credits.”
As was usually the case, even the receptionist here had a rather prickly air.
She raised her sharp eyes over her glinting glasses, then tapped the papers briskly on the desk as if telling me to leave now that business was over.
She was intimidating for no reason, so I quickly stepped aside.
This only happened occasionally, but when meeting a woman for the first time, there were sometimes men who received a smile.
I had never had such an experience myself. But surely, such men existed.
Men whom women smiled at even when they said nothing special.
What they talked about wasn't particularly funny, nor had they made it up specifically to make people laugh.
It was amazing how women would burst into laughter at even the little stories from their everyday lives.
There weren't many women around me, and I had hardly ever seen many smiling faces.
Robina naturally seemed angry. Aris smiled sometimes.
But was that smile a true smile of ‘peace’?
I didn't know.
In everyday life, she was basically expressionless.
I didn't care about another woman's smile, but I suppose I wanted to see Aris's.
The problem was that I didn't know how to make that happen.
Magic. A discipline that cut through, twisted, and altered the gaps in the laws of physics.
Wouldn't this be much easier? Especially since she was a slave.
I had taken her virginity. I couldn't shake the feeling that it must have seemed like I was wielding my authority as her master.
As a Wolpi, she followed me instinctively, but I didn't know what her true feelings were.
I would be happy if she really liked me.
Showing me a genuine smile might be difficult for her after all.
“Would this book be good?”
That was why, just as I always did,
I bought books again today, as though I were exploring and researching magic.
Books about Wolpi. Books about women. Stories about romance.
“Hmm.”
Romance? Could I really call it romance?
The relationship between Aris and me.
Put simply, it was that of slave and master. Nothing more, nothing less.
A master raping a slave was not particularly unusual.
But having sex with a female Wolpi was the most extraordinary thing in one's life.
I had effectively shackled a free girl.
Thanks to that, she was favorably disposed toward me. It was affection born from touching her instincts, not her heart.
We couldn't call this a romance.
We hadn't even properly confessed that we liked each other, had we?
Then did I like Aris?
Maybe…I think I did. I didn't know why.
The clichéd thought, ‘Because she's beautiful and pretty,’ kept circling through my mind.
No, I had seen some kind of sparkle. What had that sparkle been?
At first, I had only been thinking of a strong vanguard who could fight red monsters.
She happened to be a woman, and a female Wolpi.
I'd seen plenty of other slaves. Seeing them chained up and crying pitifully was truly heartbreaking.
But when I first saw Aris, I, who had always been empty inside, felt something.
Some kind of sparkle.
“The three books together are 1 credit and 500 coins.”
The bookstore clerk who handed me the books also had a sharp gaze. She was probably wary of me.
Even if I searched high and low, I couldn't find the slightest trace of a smile.
As always, I walked out of the bookstore.
The clerk's smile was none of my concern, either.
I returned to the inn where we were staying. Aris was probably still in the middle of her training.
I hadn't wanted to leave her alone because of what had happened at the clothing store, but it couldn't be helped.
I took out the books I had bought and began reading. Since studying came naturally to me, I intended to memorize the entire book.
“Women form…bonds through empathy… Hmm. How does one empathize?”
I kept reading, but it still seemed difficult.
A little while later.
Click—the front door opened, and Aris returned.
“Master. I'm back.”
The girl wagged her tail, looking happy to see me.
She was still nearly expressionless, but she seemed much brighter than before.
“Yes, welcome back. You're soaked in sweat. Go inside and wash up.”
The girl bowed and walked to the bathroom.
She glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
“I'll wash up quickly and come out. If you need anything, please call me.”
Although we'd already had sex, it was cute that she was still shy.
If I kept staring, she'd have no choice but to undress, but she was embarrassed, so I decided to refrain.
I sat down in the desk chair again and opened my book.
Rattle—after some time, Aris came out. Dressed, she approached me.
“Sit down and rest. Aren't you tired?”
“I'm fine, Master. Have you eaten lunch?”
“Yes, don't worry about me. Did you enjoy your meal, Aris?”
“Yes, Master.”
I had eaten something simple before paying Aris's training fee.
She had probably eaten what they provided at the training center as well.
The girl sat beside me and stretched as if to show off her flexible body.
When she stretched her arms straight forward and raised her hips, the curve of her waist was quite alluring.
Her tail, sticking straight up, was as fluffy and enticing as ever. Aris was sparkling today, too.
And perhaps by some stroke of luck, Aris spoke to me first.
“Master, do you perhaps need more clothes?”
What was the intent behind that question? Was it because I had bought clothes for her before?
Could this be that empathy thing? Was that it?
How should I answer her here? Was empathy supposed to mean answering, ‘I should buy clothes too!’?
But I didn't particularly need new clothes right now. I wasn't someone who dressed well in the first place.
How could I keep from hurting the girl's feelings…?
“Don't worry. I have some clothes too.”
I told the girl, whose eyes had gone round, and summoned various robes stacked in my void inventory.
“Like this. Ta-da~ Quite a lot, aren't there?”
Swish—swish—
Each time I snapped my fingers, magic changed the robe, and the girl nodded as if fascinated.
But as she stared intently at my face, her expression changed into something troubled.
“Aris…? Is something wrong?”
“Yes. Ah, no, nothing. It's just, Master….”
That initial ‘Yes’ bothered me.
“Yes. Tell me.”
“Aris may be presumptuous, but there is something I want.”
It was rare for her to speak so boldly without watching my mood. I nodded happily, for some reason.
“Yes, what do you need? How much do you need?”
“I believe…it costs 3 credits.”
Had she already looked up its price? She must really want it.
Since she hesitated to say what it was, I simply told her to go buy it.
“Thank you, Master!”
The girl bowed and hurried outside. She was so fast that I didn't even get a chance to suggest going together.
“Will she be all right?”
Despite my worries, she returned quickly. I looked at what she was holding.
It was a sharp implement I never would have expected.
“Aris? What on earth is that…?”
“Master. I've always thought this, but I have to say it.”
Aris pulled out a razor and a pair of haircutting scissors.
“Please let me take care of your messy hair and beard.”
The girl's eyes sparkled as she gently wagged her tail. She looked desperate, as though she really wanted to do it.
I didn't know what had made her like this, but….
“You don't have to. Hair and beards grow back anyway, and they don't bother me.”
“But, Master. I really want to do it. Please….”
The girl's pleading eyes were cute. When I had no choice but to give her permission, she wagged her tail wildly.
Did she really want this that badly? I was glad she liked it, but I didn't really understand.
Was this what girls were like?
“What are you planning to do? Can you do it well?”
“Yes, Master. Long ago—no… It is a skill for caring for males as a female Wolpi.”
Did Wolpi shave beards…? I wasn't sure.
“Then, Master. I will escort you to the bathroom.”
It would be troublesome to clean up if hair and beard fell everywhere. We could gather it all with water and throw it away at once.
I brought a chair, placed it in the middle of the bathroom, and sat down.
“Then I will begin.”
“U-um, yes. Please take care of me.”
The girl nodded with a solemn expression.
“First, I will wet your hair a little.”
The girl approached the shower. Then she turned on the water, and….
Whoosh—! Sometimes the water pressure acted strangely, and water would spray out fiercely.
“Ah…I'm s-sorry, Master!”
Somehow, I got a faceful of water, soaking my clothes.
Aris apologized too, dripping wet.
“It's all right. You're soaked.”
But Aris began taking off her clothes.
“Aris?”
“You should take off your clothes too, Master. Rather than keep wearing wet clothes….”
Somehow, we ended up naked. What exactly was going on here?
Aris stood behind me with the scissors.
In the bathroom mirror in front of us, the girl's large breasts were reflected.
“I will cut it neatly.”
Snip-snip—swish-swish—Aris was more skilled than I had expected.
My long, unruly hair fell away with ease. My face, which had been hidden, emerged looking quite presentable.
“Master. How is it? Do you like it?”
The girl's large breasts swayed behind me, occasionally brushing my head.
Something soft was pressing firmly against me.
“Uh, um….”
To be honest, I could barely hear what Aris was saying.
My eyes were fixed on the mirror, while every sensation in my body was focused on the back of my head.
“Excuse me.”
From behind, she took hold of my chin and cheek and made me look straight into the mirror.
Firmly—her large breasts could be felt not only against my head but all along the back of my neck.
“It's all done. Thank you for your patience, Master.”
Then the girl prepared foaming soap and a razor instead of the scissors.
“Now I will shave your beard. Please come this way.”
Aris knelt on the floor. Then she patted her thigh and said,
“Please lie down with your head on my thigh.”
Her tail swayed gently, and her hips were spread prettily.
Following the slim curve of her waist, I saw her beautiful, teardrop-shaped breasts moving up and down with each breath.
“Like this?”
“Yes, Master.”
I lay my head on her soft, white thigh. Since she planned to shave my beard, I placed my legs toward the front.
Looking up, all I could see were Aris's two enormous breasts. Nothing else…was visible.
“Please tell me if you feel uncomfortable anywhere.”
“T-two huge melons…?”
“Melons?”
If Aris bent forward even slightly, her breasts touched my forehead.
She ignored it completely as she soaped my chin and prepared to work.
Swish—swish—
Soft and yielding. Every time her breasts touched my forehead, I felt my body twitch.
My lower half had already become impossible to control.
“Ari…s.”
“Shh, you mustn't speak. It's dangerous.”
The girl pressed her index finger against my lips. I wanted to lick that soft finger with my tongue.
I could barely see her expression because of her breasts, but what little I could see was the very picture of concentration.
The sight of her working so hard solely for me was incredibly cute.
Even the sharp razor didn't feel dangerous. I simply liked watching her work so hard at something.
For me, at that.
Soft and springy. Unable to resist, I slowly reached my hand toward her breasts.
“Ah, Master….”
I didn't answer. So as not to disturb her, I merely kneaded her breast a little and rolled her nipple between my fingers.
Then even her nipple, slowly hardening, was cute.
“Mmm…that's dangerous….”
Her face reddened, but her hands didn't stop. Scrape-scrape. She diligently shaved my beard.
“Master, it's all finished.”
“Really? Good work, Aris.”
I washed my face and checked my clean-shaven reflection. It was the first time in ages I'd seen my face without a beard.
“How is it, Aris? Does it look neat?”
While she remained kneeling, I turned only my head slightly toward her.
The girl looked up at me. She simply stared blankly, mouth hanging open, without saying a word.
Her tail alone was swishing rapidly. Why was she acting like this?
“H-handsome….”
I turned completely around to face the girl who was mumbling.
But then—whoops. My now-enlarged cock bumped into her face.
“Ah. Sorry.”
“Master….”
With my cock still pressed against her cheek, she blushed, looked up at me, and murmured,
“As I thought…you are handsome.”
“Uh, yes?”
Sniff, sniff. She suddenly put her nose to my cock and began smelling it.
Then she swallowed hard and grabbed it.
“Master…you look much better after shaving your beard.”
“U-um, yes. Thank you, Aris. But….”
She rubbed the head of my cock back and forth against her cheek and stuck out her tongue.
It felt as though she had flipped a switch.