After reading the letter, which wasn’t very long, a wave of nostalgia washed over me. It transported me back to my days in the orphanage, where Sister Lily and the other nuns cared for me. Among the orphans was Alice, my childhood friend whom I grew close to. When I left the village at 16, it had been two years since then. I vividly recalled our parting; Alice’s tear-streaked face as she begged me not to leave. I promised to return whenever possible, though she hesitated to let me go. Eventually, she relented, expressing her hope that after I graduated from the academy and became a magic knight, she would also pursue her dream of becoming a full-fledged priestess. I made sporadic visits to the orphanage, as promised, but as time went on, these became less frequent. It had been nearly four months since my last visit, prompting Alice to reach out to me with this letter.
“I suppose it’s about time I paid them a visit,” I mused. “I should bring along some souvenirs.”
The village I grew up in was Flui Village, situated on the outskirts of the Holy City. It would take a three-day trek from here, the Capital City, to reach there. Thankfully, I could make the journey in just an hour by harnessing the wind and utilizing Levitation Magic to speed through the air.
After a while, a knock sounded at my door. It was Maya. “Master, have you finished reading the letter?”
“Yes,” I replied. “You may come in.”
Maya entered, still clutching the bottle of wine. “M-Master…” she stammered, her cheeks flushed. “I-I want to serve you.”
Raising an eyebrow, I was taken aback by Maya’s unexpected confession. While she had expressed her desire to work as my maid, I hadn’t anticipated such a direct proposition. But then again, she had willingly taken on the role, along with Amon, making them my two maids in total.
Still, I hadn’t explicitly informed her that being my maid equated to servicing me. Sure, Amon fulfilled that role, but Maya was different.
“Maya, are you certain about this?” I inquired, my tone laced with concern. “You’re not obligated to do anything like this, you know?”
“I… I am,” she replied, though her voice lacked conviction.
“Why do you want to do this?” I pressed gently, wanting to understand her motivations.
“It’s because…” Maya hesitated, chewing on her lip before continuing. “Because… I want to express my gratitude somehow. You saved me from a fate worse than death, and while I know I’m asking for a lot, considering you’ve already rescued me from a life of prostitution, I have one more favor to ask. I want to return to the Khrysómallon clan and assure them of my safety. I promise to come back to you afterward. And… I don’t mind being your sex slave for life, but I hope you’ll grant me some measure of freedom in return.”
The Khrysómallon clan. If my memory served me right, they were a clan of ram-like beast people. Unfortunately, many individuals hunted them for sport, relishing in the prospect of cooking their meat afterward. Among the beast races, the Khrysómallon were considered the most appetizing, or so I had heard in the Black Market. It was understandable why Maya wanted to return to inform her family of her safety. After all, she had been abruptly taken by a kidnapper, primarily Norman, and hadn’t been able to contact her family since then.
“You don’t need to do anything for me to allow you to visit your family, Maya,” I assured her. “I’ve said it before, haven’t I? I won’t mistreat you, and I’ll grant you the freedom you desire. It’s perfectly okay if you choose not to return.”
But Maya shook her head, her silver hair resembling a white sheep’s wool swaying with her movement. “I don’t want to leave you, Master,” she insisted. “I promise to repay you with everything I have until the day I die. My body and soul are yours.”
Her unwavering devotion was surprising to witness. After a month under my care, it seemed they had finally warmed up to me.
“Even so,” I reiterated firmly, “you’re under no obligation to engage in sexual activities with me. It should only happen when you’re truly ready and your mind has fully accepted it. I don’t want to engage in intimacy with someone who feels obligated due to a sense of gratitude. Do you understand?”
Maya nodded, her head bowed. “I understand,” she murmured softly. Then, gathering her courage, she met my gaze again. “Um, I think some of the others may approach you as well, asking for the same. I’ll advise them to take their time and come to terms with their feelings, just as you advised me. And then… uh, if we all come to that decision together, I, along with them, will request intimacy with you,” she confessed, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
“All of you, at the same time?” I queried, surprised by her proposal.
“Y-Yes,” she stammered, her blush deepening. “There are five of us, but depending on the circumstances, the number might increase.”
“I think sleeping with five women at the same time would be quite enjoyable. For me, at least,” I remarked, though I doubted it would be as pleasurable for them, given their lack of experience in such matters.
“Are you truly sure about this?” I asked Maya, needing confirmation. “I’m concerned that your first time might not be as romantic, given that you’ll all be sharing me.”
“I’m positive,” she affirmed with determination. “Besides, we’ve come to terms with the fact that our idea of romance may not align with reality. Our minds have been exposed to various experiences, making it difficult to envision a conventional romance. But even so, we don’t mind. As long as it’s with you, I believe it’ll be just as romantic as any dream we could imagine.”
“Why do you think that?” I inquired, curious about her perspective.
“It’s a bit embarrassing to admit,” she confessed, her cheeks flushing pink, “but… we love you, Master.”
I had no idea when it happened, but it seemed that along with warming up to me, they were also beginning to develop feelings for me.
“Thank you for that,” I said to her with a smile, causing her blush to deepen even more. If that was the case, then it seemed imperative to reciprocate their affection. While pondering this, I couldn’t help but notice Maya still holding the bottle of wine. “By the way, Maya.”
“Yes, Master?”
“Why are you holding that bottle of wine? Do you plan to drink, or something?” I inquired.
“Ah! Uh, um, I was planning to pour it on my body as you taste it, Master,” she confessed.
That sounded a bit messy, but also somewhat kinky. I supposed this girl was a bit of a pervert too, huh?
***
When I emerged from the office and entered the main lounge, I found Marie there, with Filia massaging her. Filia, a young half-dwarf, wasn’t short despite the typical stature of dwarves. Marie, on the other hand, bore the appearance of a dwarf, despite being a regular human. Despite her childlike appearance, Marie was actually 99 years old—a loli hag, as some might jest. Marie had been living here since she helped me revive Martha from the dead.
Even though she was petite, I couldn’t deny her appeal. I suppose I have a soft spot for legal lolis, although now that she’s 99, it’s no longer considered legal, right? Still, I think I appreciate lolis more than I let on.
Her bare shoulders, exposed by the pulled-down strap of her kimono, were tantalizing to behold. That smug loli look on her face stirred a desire within me to wipe it away, perhaps by intoxicating her in some way.
The reason for her youthful appearance was attributed to her skill, which allowed her to summon souls. However, it turned out that she could also gather life essences. Similar to mana, life essences were abundant in the atmosphere but couldn’t be naturally collected. Thanks to her skill, she could gather them, which in turn stunted her growth to adulthood. Despite being 99 years old, her appearance and physique remained that of a child.
However, that doesn’t mean her mentality was still that of a child. Her mind was mature, and perhaps even beyond that. She now possessed a wisdom akin to that of someone who might one day become a legend.
That’s why sometimes when she seduced me, it was honestly hard to resist. Looking at her now, with her bare shoulders being massaged and her body covered by a kimono so thin that you could practically see through it from this distance, I couldn’t help but feel a little… tempted to peek. There might be nothing but thin cloth covering her devilishly squishy, loli body.
As I stood there practically gawking at her, she looked up and caught my gaze, a smug expression on her face. “Oh, Leon boy,” she teased, “is my beauty finally tempting you?”
In case you missed it, Zeruel and Marie’s character designs are already posted.
