Viol 33
Do You Want to Be Indulged?
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OUR relaxing honeymoon was over before we knew it.
We hadn’t even originally planned to take a honeymoon. But after arriving at the inn, we had so much fun that time flew by. We accomplished our initial goal of ordering matching hair accessories, and after that, we flew around in the cart, letting our whims guide us. We had all kinds of experiences.
In the forest, I saw a magical barrier device from a bygone era… Something I’ve never seen before. And at the inn, we got to pet some chicks, milk some cows, and even do some fishing.
And, we went to Borden’s demesne and locked ourselves up in the library, poring over books to our heart’s content. Oh, and when we had a spare moment, we went all around the neighboring villages and towns, sampling all kinds of new confectionery.
Our trip was full of new magic, magical disciplines, and local sweets made from local ingredients. A fun and fruitful trip that was completely and totally “us.” And, throughout the whole trip, Seren was way more affectionate than ever. It inspired me to be a lot more touchy-feely than I’m used to, too.
I mean, it’s not like I was withholding affection beforehand or anything, but I was indulging her on a whole other level on this trip.
Like Seren said, she’d lived her life holding back and thinking of others. Seren has a good deal of self-control, and I think she never really felt free to allow herself to be spoiled by anyone.
Now that she had no more reason to worry about what others thought, she had started asking to be pampered, loved, and to have her head on my lap. Seeing her placing such trust in me in such an uncomplicated way… It was so beautiful.
I want to dote on this woman for the rest of my life.
But such a perfect honeymoon couldn’t last forever.
Needless to say, a huge amount of work awaited us when we returned from our honeymoon.
Well, we DID take a whole week off. I knew it would happen, and I had no complaints. But I had gotten so used to spending such a sweet time with Seren on our honeymoon that I felt lonely having less time together each day.
“Sorry about all of the overtime these days. When you’re newlywed and all.”
Disto looked truly apologetic. Although I didn’t think an apology was warranted. Disto’s a highly capable sort, with twenty years experience on me, but when we got back from the trip, he suddenly seemed to have grown a lot of gray hairs.
While I was away, Disto had probably sorted out most of the troublesome issues.
“No, I’m the one who should be apologizing,” I said. “You’ve clearly been putting out fires while I was away. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
“Of course, I handle what I can. But there are still some issues I’d like to ask you to take care of.”
“Of course. What issues are those?”
“Well, namely, the accumulation of magical energy located in Kichul Forest, which we’ve been investigating for some time now.”
“Ah, yes! I was curious about that myself.”
We even flew over that magical pool a bit on our honeymoon, which made me even more curious.
“It seems that the plants there are turning into magical beasts. And now, much more powerful beasts are being spotted in that vicinity than ever before.”
“So, in essence, both the flora and the fauna are changing?” I asked.
“Yes, and also, individuals of certain species seem to be increasing in strength.”
“Fascinating.”
“We’d like to get closer to that magical hot zone to investigate further, but the beasts are too dangerous, and it’s too risky. Using stealth to get as close as possible seems the right call, but magical energy needs to be preserved to make the journey back home safely as well,” Disto explained. “So, you see, I’d like to borrow your strength, if I may.”
“It sounds truly interesting.”
Disto always knew how best to make use of me and my magical skills. Occasionally, he’d direct choice missions like this my way.
“Your magic is highly effective, and with your assistance, we could avoid most battles. That way everyone on the expedition can preserve their magical energy as we investigate the source of the concentrated energy.”
“I see. But, if that’s the case, I think it would be better to bring Seren along as well,” I suggested.
“Indeed?”
“The other day, on our honeymoon, we flew over the forest. There was a spot with a cluster of abnormally large trees, and judging from the strength of the magical power radiating from there, I think that area might be where the reservoir is located.”
“You flew over the… forest? You can really fly so high?”
“And at incredible speeds. And with enough strength to pull a huge trading ship. No doubt, we could carry an entire expedition team.”
“That is truly unconventional…” Disto sounded taken aback.
“I think so, too. But we can’t keep Seren’s power of flight just for us forever.”
“Aha. So then, what do you have in mind?” Disto grinned as he stroked his goatee. He undoubtedly already knew what I was thinking, but he still wanted me to say it.
After discussing things briefly with Disto and deciding on a strategy, I immediately gathered the necessary members.
The survey team, all the wind mages, and Seren. However, even though Disto enthusiastically vouched for Seren’s participation, the others were unanimously against it.
“Just because you’re the Archmage doesn’t mean you can mix business and pleasure and bring your wife on an expedition just cause you’re going.”
“It’s… It’s not like that!”
It was a female member of the team who said that to me, her eyes narrowed, and I rushed to try to explain myself. I hated the thought of being misunderstood in that way.
“That’s the reality of being a newlywed.”
“Don’t be so mean. This fellow’s barely so much as danced with a girl before this.”
Low-pitched voices, but definitely audible…!
I couldn’t stand it if Seren heard this.