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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Xrecker
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We were supposed to leave today, but a sudden turn in the weather forced us to stay in this village for another day.
Because of that, the innkeeper, a woman who looked quite resourceful, had a beaming smile blooming on her face.
Taking in a group of this size is no easy task, after all.
And since we weren’t delaying payment and were giving her everything she was owed for our stay, she must have been even more pleased.
At any rate, thanks to the sudden blizzard, the general mood was to refrain from outdoor activities, so our group of several dozen people was stuck crowding together indoors.
And when bored people gather at an inn, the first thing they do is play card games, and among them, the most famous is, of course—
“You knave, draw your sword known as a card!”
“Hmph! You’ve got some nerve! Fine! This body, known as the Two-Headed Serpent of Oz, will be your opponent!”
“Duel!”
“Duel!”
—a folk game called Jongjok-jeonjaeng, commonly known as Brood War.
The main battlefield for this ultimate trading card game, which could be played as long as you had cards and people, was, as expected, the inn.
As a warrior myself, I wanted to join their blood-boiling battle, but regrettably, I had no time for that today.
This was because it was the day for my regular report to the Demon Lord in his castle.
After a quick breakfast of hunter’s stew, we gathered in one room to communicate with the Demon Lord’s castle.
Normally, long-distance communication magic tools are incredibly expensive.
That’s why they are items owned at the national level, not by individuals, but it seems the Demon Lord’s personally appointed Four Heavenly Kings are each supplied with a personal crystal ball.
Dorothea took out a purple crystal ball from her backpack, the kind that looked like it came straight out of an old fairy tale, and placed it on the table.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen a communication magic tool.”
As I said that and stared at it with curiosity, Dorothea spoke with a smug expression.
“With this, the Four Heavenly Kings can exchange information anytime, anywhere.”
“Yes, yes, very impressive.”
After humoring her appropriately, I urged her to connect, and Dorothea nodded, infusing her mana into the crystal ball.
Kiiiiing—
As her mana synchronized with the crystal ball, it began to emit a faint light.
Presently, as if catching a signal, the shape of a person appeared above the crystal.
[Dorothea, I trust you’ve been well.]
The Demon Lord’s dignified face, as always at his office desk looking over documents, could be seen through the orb.
“Yes, Demon Lord. We are currently staying in a village called Widel.”
At that, the Demon Lord nodded and said,
[Widel, is it? It seems you haven’t left the northern continent yet. Continue your hard work. When you arrive near the capital, I will send collaborators there.]
“Yes! Thank you!”
[The operation for the invasion of the human kingdom is proceeding smoothly. The other Heavenly Kings have been touring the Doom Lands and have secured the consent of all the tribal chiefs, so now we just need to wait for spring. Until then, your roles are extremely important.]
“I will keep that in mind.”
The Demon Lord kindly shared various pieces of information for a while longer, then ended the communication with a word of encouragement.
After ten minutes that felt like an hour, Dorothea muttered, her face completely drained of energy.
“This part is always the most nerve-wracking.”
“Reporting to your boss is always the most stressful part of the job.”
As I said that, recalling experiences from my past life, Dorothea made a motion of raising a glass, looking relieved that the work was done.
“We don’t have anything to do for the rest of the day anyway, so how about a drink?”
I contemplated what to do with this hopeless alcoholic.
No matter how much she liked to drink, starting in broad daylight was just too much.
Vanessa, who had been quietly listening to our conversation from the side, offered another option.
“Instead of that, let’s go sightseeing in the village. No matter how small a town is, there must be something to see, right?”
“Sightseeing? I doubt there’s anything worth seeing.”
I glanced down at the street from the window.
The scenery of the small village covered in white snow was as beautiful as a painting, but that was it.
The town itself wasn’t very large, so unless a festival was going on, it didn’t seem like there would be much to do.
But it seemed Dorothea was also intrigued by the human village, as she agreed with Vanessa’s opinion.
“Sounds good. Village sightseeing. It’s not like we have anything to do cooped up in here anyway. Wandering around outside and then coming back in for a drink with some hot soup sounds exceptional.”
Hey, that conclusion is a bit weird.
I watched the two, who had instantly teamed up and were now filled with the thought of wandering outside, and let out a deep sigh.
“Do as you please. I’ll stay here at the inn.”
I figured I’d just join the others and play cards until they got back.
However, my intentions were thoroughly trampled by the two women.
“Huh? Of course you have to come with us, right?”
“What! That wasn’t part of the discussion!”
“A party is one body. Acting alone is not forgiven.”
The two, who often seemed to get along poorly, were now in perfect sync as they each grabbed one of my arms.
To someone who didn’t know, it might look like I had a flower in each hand, but from the perspective of the one being subjected to it, it was no different from being dragged down by spirits.
What’s more, both of them were monstrously strong, capable of twisting the wrist of a frail mage like me in an instant, so I couldn’t escape.
I looked back and forth between their two determined faces and decided to resign myself to my fate early.
“…Let’s go.”
This had better not be boring.
Surprisingly.
Sightseeing in the village with the two of them was a blast.
No, I don’t know why it was so fun, but after looking around the village for a bit, we ended up mixing in with the local kids, casually building a snowman, riding a sled, and having a snowball fight.
I did feel a little pathetic, playing like this at an age where it wouldn’t be strange for me to have two or three kids of my own, but it had been a long time since I’d returned to my childhood self and run around to my heart’s content. We didn’t return to the inn until it was time for dinner.
Thud!
“Kaaah! A beer after working up a sweat is the best!”
Dorothea let out a grunt of satisfaction worthy of a middle-aged man, holding a stein of beer larger than her head.
Across from her, I was nibbling on the peanuts served as a snack and gave her a warning beforehand.
“Don’t drink too much. We have to get up early tomorrow.”
“I know, I know. You worry too much for your own good.”
Perhaps because her hair was in a ponytail just like yesterday, Dorothea’s red hair swayed gently like a puppy’s tail.
In contrast to Dorothea, Vanessa, who was elegantly cutting her steak, shook her brown ponytail and asked me,
“So, how many more days until we reach the capital?”
Hearing her words, I roughly pictured a map in my head.
“Probably about four or five days? As long as we don’t stop in the middle of it like today.”
“I see. Then we’ll arrive around New Year’s.”
“Has it been that long already? Time really flies.”
We started our adventure around last summer, which means we’re returning to the capital after about a year and a half.
After that, we chatted amiably over drinks, and before it got too late, we decided to wash up and go to bed.
Because our journey resumes first thing tomorrow morning.
Click—
It was quite late.
At the sudden sound of a window opening, I, being a light sleeper, shot upright.
“Who is it?”
But the sudden intruder said nothing.
As I cautiously extended my right hand to use magic, a woman who slowly walked out from the darkness put a finger to her lips and said,
“Shhh—”
Only then did I realize the intruder’s identity.
It was Camilla, in her succubus form.
Instead of the maid uniform she always wore, she was standing in front of the window wearing clothes that were close to naked, the kind succubi commonly wear.
“Camilla? How are you here…”
At that, Camilla, in her succubus form, spoke with a seductive smile on her lips.
“This is your dream, Master Kaldrash.”
“A dream?”
Only then did I understand this abnormal situation.
A succubus is originally a dream demon.
And as inhabitants of the dream world, they possess the ability to freely travel between dreams and reality.
Up until now, she had been with me every day, so there was no need to use that ability, but now that she was left alone in the Demon Lord’s castle, it seems she crossed over through a dream for the first time.
Seeing Camilla’s sensual body, my lust began to boil.
I thought I had used up all my energy playing outside all day, but it seems lust is a separate matter.
Camilla slowly climbed onto the bed and approached cautiously on her knees, then grasped the bulge protruding above the blankets with both hands.
“It seems this side is already prepared.”
“Kuk!”
I flinched involuntarily at the sudden stimulation.
What is this? I haven’t done anything, but my body feels more sensitive than usual.
Seeing my reaction, Camilla giggled and whispered in my ear.
“Cute.”
And then, with her sharp fangs, she bit my neck and lightly embraced me.
It was just that simple act, but the urge to ejaculate surged.
As my mind grew hazy, I realized something was strange.
This is somehow different from the Camilla I know.
Wasn’t Camilla’s personality more blunt, the type who was secretly lewd?
It was when I instinctively tried to begin my Vision Breathing to resist the succubus’s unique charm.
[Kaldrash!]
A familiar voice rang in my ear.
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