Warm, fuzzy—fuzzy, warm, lovely… One fine afternoon—Tama is ensconced between Aria’s breasts, as per usual. They’re on the main street in Labyrinthos’s mercantile district. Today they’re taking a break from adventurer activities, so Tama isn’t wearing his protective gear, and Aria isn’t equipped with armor or weapons—she’s wearing a white blouse and a knee-length black skirt, both with light frills. On Earth, this is known as an outfit that will “kill virginity dead.” Aria’s highly revealing adventurer outfit is super attractive, but the neat and clean aura she’s giving off through today’s getup matches her looks perfectly and is absolutely charming. As a bonus, her melons—a certain point of pride for Aria—are going wild underneath her blouse, bouncing back and forth, and the sheer gap between them and her mature outfit is creating a truly erotic situation. “Tama, what do you want to eat tod—? Wait, what’s that gathering of people about?” As she stares at a line of food stalls and is about to ask Tama what he wants for lunch, a group of people enters Aria’s field of vision. And just beyond them, she can hear an angry, exploding roar. “I have a bad feeling about this, Tama. Let’s check it out.” “Meow!” You got it, master. Hearing Aria, Tama jumps lithely out from her breasts and lands on the ground. Aria makes sure he’s fine before rushing toward the throng, and Tama follows. “You little shit-for-brains! This beggar scum had the gall to bump into me!” “He’s the perfect punching bag!” “Gwah…no…mmmfngh…please!” An appalling scene unfolds just past the crowd. It’s a child, wearing shoddy rags, being beaten to a pulp by two men. Judging from the child’s appearance and the conversation, bumping into the man with dirty clothes on has provoked his wrath. The onlookers are concerned and watch the scene unfold with pity, but nobody tries to stop them. Getting wrapped up in such a troublesome affair is too much to ask of these folk. “Stop it right now!” A delicate and pleasant voice, yet one certainly filled with rage, erupts through the crowd—of course, it belongs to Aria. “Who the hell are you—? Wow, now isn’t this sight…” “Heh-heh, what an absolute babe.” At Aria’s cry for them to desist, the two men turn around, puzzled. The second they see Aria, they laugh lewdly, eyes darting between her buxom chest and perfect legs. Aria screws up her face. It’s because of the way they’re looking at her but also because she can smell their reeking breath from where she stands. It’s obvious they’re drunk, although it’s only just past noon. “What timing. If this rapscallion needs saving, maybe we’ll just take her for a spin instead.” “Uwa-ha-ha! That’s the ticket! She’d probably moan so good… Gwa-ha-ha!” One of the men laughs derisively and reaches out to touch Aria’s hand—but in that instant, a piercing cry suddenly erupts. Looking closely, an opaque spear has pierced the man’s shoulder. “Meowrn!!” Try to touch my master? That’ll be your last move… Tama roars—he’s launched a magic ice spear, Icicle Lance, at the offender. Trying to touch his master, Aria, with such filthy hands is absolutely inexcusable. On top of that, witnessing how they committed violence against a child, Tama’s knight spirit is ablaze with the anger of retribution. “Meowrn!!” Icicle Lance! Tama launches another magic ice spear. This time, he charges it up for a few seconds and pierces the other man directly. “Heh-heh, you did say that you wanted to take me for a spin, right? Well, come on now…?” “Uw-uwa—!!” Aria smiles sadistically to threaten them further. The second man runs like the wind. “Hey…hey!! Wait for me…” The first brute, who took an Icicle Lance to the shoulder, trips from the intense pain and scrambles after his coconspirator. “Now, now—are you okay there?” “Ooh…y-yes…thank you—” “No need to speak. I will fix you right up.” Aria doesn’t pursue the escaping men. She prioritizes helping the wounded child, taking an emergency healing potion from her garter belt and putting it to the child’s lips. “It…it doesn’t hurt. My body’s healed… Thank you so much, pretty lady!” “Heh-heh, that’s such good news. Shall we go together now?” “Together…but where? I’m a beggar—I don’t have anywhere to go.” The child responds to Aria with a quizzical look, and although Aria couldn’t tell from her bedraggled appearance, hearing her voice, she can tell she’s a girl. Master, just what do you have in mind for this girl? Tama is as confused as the young girl. Where exactly does Aria intend to take her? This must be a church… After following Aria for some time, Tama and the girl—he learns her name is Lala on the way—arrive in front of a house of worship. “Excuse me, Sister, I have something I’d like to ask of you…” Stepping inside the vestibule, Aria speaks to one of the nuns nearby. After exchanging words in hushed voices, Aria is led toward the back of the church. “Lala, wait here for us, okay? Tama, stay and watch over her.” With those words, Aria disappears into a room in the back with the nun. “Wow, Tama, you are so darn cute!” “Meow!” Anything to save his master’s life. And Tama doesn’t dislike being around children, either. He doesn’t have a clue what Aria is up to, but for the moment, he’s happy to comfort Lala as she plays with him. He lets her hug him, he chases after her, and he plays hide-and-seek. After he kills time for a while, Aria returns alongside the nun. “Little Lala, come here, please. Starting today, this is going to be your home, okay?” “Huh? My home?” The nun speaks to Lala with a soft smile upon returning, and Lala stares blankly. So that’s what you’re up to, master! What a noble thing you’ve done! Hearing the nun speak, Tama senses what Aria has arranged—as a result of her actions, Lala will be enrolled in care at the church. Saving Lala was just something Aria wanted to do. But what might happen afterward was problematic—left behind as a street urchin, there’s no saying the same thing wouldn’t happen to the girl again… Concerned for Lala’s future, Aria was determined to have her live under the care of the church. Of course, such service is not free, or rather, the enrollment fee is anything but a negligible sum. Aria is by no means rich, but she paid for it herself. The young girl doesn’t understand any of this, but when she learns that she will have warm meals and a place to sleep every night, her face widens in a huge smile. The nun takes her by the hand, and Aria watches Lala disappear into the church while she addresses Tama lovingly. “Meow!” Tama answers her with gusto and dives back in between her breasts. Then he tells himself again—he would do anything to serve Aria, who goes to such lengths to pursue righteousness. One week later— Walking along the main street of the mercantile district, Aria stretches and exclaims with joy, “Yeah! We killed it today, too!” “So true, meow! You’ve really come a long way, Aria, and our coordination is on point!” Vulcan answers enthusiastically and pumps her fist in the air. At the same time, Aria’s melons bounce up and down in rhythm, and Vulcan’s apples also bounce noticeably. The men close by on the street can’t help stealing a glance at their displayed cleavage and side boob. Yet there is one man…no, one beast, who looks at them from a completely different angle. Wow, what a sight for sore eyes… That’s right—it’s Tama. Surprisingly, he’s not being held by Aria but is instead walking close behind her. And just now, he’s looking diagonally upward. In other words…from Tama’s viewpoint, he can see directly up inside Aria’s short skirt. Her white, perfectly taut skin is wrapped by a black thong—as always with Aria—and Tama savors the salacious way it wedges into her curves, along with the pleasant aesthetic contrast of black on white. As a knight, gazing upon my master’s flower garden may sound scandalous, but there’s no telling when a dangerous gang will fall upon her. This is another crucial part of my duties as a knight! And so on and so forth… As always, Tama is making excuses to drink in Aria’s body with his eyes. There’s a reason Aria is in an especially grand mood today, and it has to do with the color of the tag hanging between her breasts. It’s different than a week ago—it’s changed from bronze to silver. In other words, Aria has graduated from D rank to C rank. Just the other day, she handed Kussman—who was also C rank—a loss in their duel, although she was with Tama. Adventurers who have animal companions have their abilities evaluated jointly. Also, Aria has defeated many monsters with Vulcan over the past few days, not the least of which was the minotaur. Her achievements have been recognized by the guild, and only yesterday, her rank went up. Just now, Aria and Vulcan have completed another quest and are on their way back to the guild. “Meowr? What’s that?!” Merely stepping foot in the guild, Vulcan points something out, puzzled. Every adventurer present has gathered in front of the noticeboard that displays quests, and they’re all looking in the same direction. If it were morning, this scene would be normal given that all new quests are posted at the same time, but it’s just past noon… Exactly what is going on here? “Oh, hi there, Aria and Vulcan. Welcome back!” “Anna, thank you. We just returned.” Arnold addresses the pair while walking past, and Vulcan immediately points out the flock of adventurers. Tama is still looking on from ground level, and seeing Arnold’s bondage suit digging into his (?) body from up close has caused some severe psychological damage. “Have you heard the rumor that missing persons are on the rise in the neighboring village?” “Come to think of it…” “Yeah, I think I heard about it from a customer at my shop.” Both Aria and Vulcan have heard the rumblings to which Arnold is referring. The town of Renald lies one day by horse carriage from Labyrinthos, and a not-insignificant number of missing persons have been reported there recently… “Does that mean the notices posted are to find missing persons?” “No, not quite, Aria. Actually…the postings concern eyewitness accounts of a number of monsters and some demons that they are accompanying at a ruin site near Renald.” ““—?!”” Aria and Vulcan collectively gasp, eyes wide as saucers. What?! Demons?! That means… Tama is equally surprised and formulates a theory. Demons are the progenitors of monsters. They have the power to control the minds of a certain level of monster, and they feed on human flesh. In other words— “Did the missing persons from Renald fall into the demons’ hands…?” “Yes, it was feared they were abducted—and now…it’s almost guaranteed, Aria.” Arnold answers with downcast eyes and a sorrowful expression. “Oy! Who’s going to take on this request…?!” “The hell’s wrong with you? You’re talking about demons here! I feel for the people of Renald, but there’s no way I’m going.” All the adventurers gathered in front of the noticeboard are having the same conversation. The quest is to defeat the demons and the monsters accompanying them. Aside from the ability to control other monsters, many demons are born with extremely powerful skills. Facing such fearsome adversaries, it’s no surprise that a regular adventurer would hesitate, no matter how good the pay. But among them— “Anna, please tell me the details of the request.” Aria whispers quietly. “Meowr? Aria, you can’t be serious…!” “Are you for real, Aria?” “Yes. I might not be strong enough alone. But if we can drive the demons away, we’ll prevent further tragedy… I cannot forgive them!!” Master…!! It’s true after all—that you want to become a person who is strong and righteous, just like the Sword Saint… It will be a dangerous quest, but if my master accepts it, all that’s left for me is to fulfill my duties as a knight! Aria’s gaze is piercing as she spits out her words. Seeing this, Tama is convinced, and he remembers something all over again—the absolute sense of honor filling his master, the one he has sworn to protect. “Well meow, if that’s the case, then I’ll take on this quest, too!” “Vulcan! Are you sure?” “Any girl who gives up when her partner shows such courage isn’t long for this world. It’s my duty to be supportive when the times get rough!” Vulcan speaks with conviction. She also has a heart of gold; Tama can tell. “Okay, then! As far as the quest details go, because it’s a request of this nature, there will be an accompanying knight squadron—” “Allow me to elaborate on that part.” As Arnold begins to explain the quest, someone suddenly appears and cuts him off. “Hey now, Anna. Vulcan, it’s been quite some time. And, Aria, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Cedric Ruiné. I’m one of the knights assigned to accompany this quest. I hope we can all get along.” Cedric is a young man with reddish-brown hair and emerald-green eyes. He’s tall, with a long, thin nose and a brisk smile on his face. He’s definitely what the girls would call a hunk. “Hey now, Cedric! Pretty big deal for the knight squadron leader to turn up himself—what’s going on?” “I’m here to ascertain the level of aspiring applicants. I need to know who is really prepared to put their life on the line.” Cedric looks at Arnold and answers with a positively smoldering, handsome smile. Watching the scene unfold, Aria opens and closes her mouth like a stunned fish. What?! That’s…Cedric Ruiné?! Tama is equally shocked, eyes as round as pie dishes. Cedric Ruiné… His name is somewhat—rather, exceptionally famous. Not long ago in this world, there was a massive battle known as Ragnarok between humanity and an army of demonic hordes. The conflict was fiercely violent, but thanks to the service of one man known as the Grand Wizard, humanity came out victorious and restored peace to the land. Cedric Ruiné is one of the heroes who led humanity to victory, fighting alongside the Grand Wizard, who is also his brother-in-law. Although they are both knights, Cedric is well-known as a hero—of course Tama is aware of him, and it’s no surprise that Tama is in shock seeing Cedric stand before him. “O-oh, it’s such an honor to meet you, Mr. Ruiné!!” Aria finally opens her mouth to speak. Her expression is one of true respect. That should also be a given—in fact, while Cedric is a knight, he’s also the eldest brother of the house of the feudal lord who runs Labyrinthos—the Marquis Estate. There is a specific reason he hasn’t inherited the estate as head of the family, but that doesn’t affect his standing. Yet this is the man who’s sworn to protect others as a knight and has made such great achievements that everyone knows him as a hero. Aria, with a righteous heart herself, has no reason not to be absolutely enamored with him. For the record…Cedric’s brother-in-law, the Grand Wizard, is the “magic-wielding girlie-boy from another world” Vulcan previously mentioned…but Aria doesn’t know that yet. Let’s leave that alone for now. “Ha-ha, please call me Cedric, Aria. We’re going to be fighting together soon—best to be on a first-name basis.” Aria looked nervous when she addressed Cedric, but he replies coolly. Hmm. He is theoretically putting on airs, but I don’t sense any disagreeability to him. This must be what they mean by an actual hunk. Absolute night and day from Kussman. “Okay, are there any other adventurers who will take on this quest? If not, I will close the entry here and now.” Having finished greeting Aria and company, Cedric turns to the group of adventurers gathered in front of the noticeboard and addresses them in a calm voice that still rings clear. Each adventurer casts their gaze downward. None of them is willing to sacrifice their own lives to help others, like Aria. “Okay, then. I’m not seeing anyone else, so I will explain our objective. Standing here won’t do—let’s head over there and sit down for a talk.” Cedric doesn’t even feign to put blame on the adventurers averting their eyes, turning instead to Aria and her friends while suggesting they move to the bar and escorting them there. Forcing someone into a quest simply opens the possibility of being deserted just when the battle gets ugly, and that will not stand—Cedric knows this full well. He is a hero, after all. “Okay, where shall I begin? The purpose of this quest—” Cedric sits down and immediately begins laying out the details outlined on a piece of parchment. It has a summary of the quest written on it: • Quest objectives: defeating the demons and the monsters controlled by them. • Quest dispatch: headman of Renald. • Accompanying members: five, including Cedric. • Departure: tomorrow morning. Additionally, because this is expected to be a dangerous endeavor, a very handsome sum is listed for terms of payment. “Excuse me, Cedric, I have a question…” “What is it, Aria?” “Is going up against demons and an unknown number of monsters really advisable with just us?” Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. Even with the hero Cedric with us, our numbers make me extremely anxious. As Aria asks hesitantly, walking on eggshells, Tama can’t help but share her unease. However— “Ah, if that’s what you’re wondering, it’s no problem. The four who will accompany me are all first-rate squadron members—men who fought in the Great Demon War and lived to boast about it… And at any rate, I have an ace in the hole, should we need it.” Cedric explains coolly and smiles at the end, giving an impression of absolute confidence. “Heh-heh, don’t worry, Aria. If Cedric really turns it on, he’s unstoppable.” Arnold chimes in after Cedric. He leans up against him as he does and intertwines his hand in Cedric’s. “Stop, Anna. You promised you wouldn’t do anything like that in front of people, remember?” “Oh, Cedric, you are so bad.” Cedric pokes Arnold on the cheek and reproaches him in a sweet tone. Arnold responds in his telltale loving yet husky voice and looks elated. Ohhh…are these two…that sort of…? Watching Cedric and Arnold interact, Tama and Aria both start imagining… In other words, the reason Cedric didn’t inherit the estate as head of the family is… But let’s leave that alone for now. Cedric is a hero with uncompromised confidence, and he has Arnold’s seal of approval. There shouldn’t be any problems with this plan. While watching Arnold and Cedric grind up on each other, the party officially accepts the quest. It’s decided—they’ll leave Labyrinthos first thing tomorrow morning. Sir Cedric…you are extremely handsome and an upstanding gentleman… You’re an aristocrat and leader of the knight squadron—extremely high status. What an absolute shame. Such are Tama’s thoughts. “Oof… Okay, Tama. Let’s go.” “Meow!” Early morning— After finishing changing her clothes, Aria turns to Tama, sitting on the bed like a li’l chonk, and opens her bosom to him. Tama mews eagerly and leaps from the bed into his regular place, softly ensconced between Aria’s melons. Hmm? Tama realizes something. Aria is squeezing him even more tightly than usual, and her expression is stiff. I see—my master is anxious, it seems. I can’t blame her—this quest may prove leagues more dangerous than anything she’s ever seen before. And accompanying us will be subordinates under the direct control of one Cedric Ruiné…a man who can certainly be called a hero by anyone’s reckoning. Okay—it’s up to me to assuage my master’s anxiety. “Meow—” Tama mews quietly and climbs to the top of Aria’s bosom deftly, careful not to scratch her with his claws, and licks her cheek. “Wha—? Tama, you make me so ticklish. Hee-hee, are you maybe trying to cheer me up because you can tell I’m nervous?” “Meowr—!!” Recently, Aria has essentially learned to understand what Tama is trying to say, just from his mewing and actions. Seeing that she responds with the same sweet smile as always, Tama nods in satisfaction. “Take this as a reward for cheering me up.” It happens so suddenly. So suddenly that Tama doesn’t even understand what has transpired for a moment. Yet, when he feels the crush of warmth against his mouth, he knows—Aria’s lips are quietly pushed against his. Master… For Aria, putting her lips to her cat (at least, Tama mistaken as a cat) isn’t such a big deal. But for Tama, who on the inside has the consciousness of a fully grown knight, taking a kiss on the mouth from the stunning elf girl standing in front of him is an absolutely astounding occurrence. Lub-dub— Tama’s pulse quickens ever so slightly. What is this heart throbbing—?! Tama is perplexed. Before he realizes it, in his heart of hearts, Tama is looking at the girl in front of his very eyes not as someone he’s devoted to protecting as escort—he sees her through the lens of love. That is why his heart is throbbing. …No, this is not the time for such thoughts. I should only be focused on protecting my master to the very end, as a knight! In his previous life, Tama was quite introverted. Even now, after reincarnation, that hasn’t changed. For this reason, he wasn’t even aware of the love awakening in his own heart. He will quell the longings of his heart through unselfish and chivalrous dedication and give preference to his duty as a knight. Well, really…Tama’s desire to protect Aria will undoubtedly reach a new zenith, but he is certainly unaware… “Meowr, Aria, good morning meow!” “Good morning, Vulcan!” As Aria and Tama arrive at their planned meeting spot, the south gate of Labyrinthos, Vulcan waves and calls out to them, having arrived early. Aria responds and jogs over to where Vulcan stands. “Well, well. I guess we’re the last ones here.” As Aria arrives at Vulcan’s side, she hears a soothing voice call out from behind her. It’s Cedric. Compared with yesterday, he’s now wearing light armor and has a sword equipped. Four of his knights, a small group of men and women, are waiting behind him. “Okay. Let me begin by having everyone introduce themselves. Danny, you begin.” “Yes, Captain! My name is Danny. I’m officially second-in-command of this squadron. Pleased to meet you.” Danny has closely cropped hair and introduces himself sociably. He’s equipped with light armor and a sword, just like Cedric. “Allow me to introduce myself next. My nickname is Howard, and I’m a tank, but I am also proficient in hand-to-hand combat. You can count on me!” Howard is wearing heavy armor and is a big boy, carrying a shield as tall as he is. However, he’s not a normal human. His skin is covered in green scales, and his head is positively reptilian. He is what’s known as a lizard man. Just like elves and the tiger-eared clan, he’s a species of demi-human. Next, two female knights come to the front. “My name is Keni. I’m a specialist with this here battle-ax!” “My name is Marietta. I wield this bo. It’s a distinct pleasure to meet you.” Keni raises her ax, voice rife with enthusiasm. She has red hair in a ponytail and sharp reddish-brown eyes. Her equipment includes what qualifies as armor but leaves a lot of skin exposed… She’s wearing what is known as bikini armor. Compared with Keni, Marietta hesitates to even say her own name. Her hair is a short-cut bob, nearly black but closer to indigo blue. Her eyes are also dark indigo. She’s wearing the same bikini armor as Keni. Hmm, so Howard is the tank, Cedric and Danny are the vanguard, and judging from their equipment, Keni and Marietta are critical sneak-attack specialists… Altogether, they’re a bit front heavy, but it’s not a bad formation by any means. And this is all on top of the “ace in the hole” Cedric mentioned yesterday, too. The knights finish introducing themselves. Tama looks at each of their weapons and ascertains their battle formation immediately. At the same time, seeing knights in their regalia for the first time in ages, Tama feels very nostalgic. “My name is Aria. I’m a C-ranked adventurer specializing in knives. And this is Tama. He’s an elemental cat and still a kitten, but he has powerful innate skills.” Aria greets the knights after their self-introductions finish. It appears Vulcan already knows the crew, so she simply says hello. Then, as Aria finishes introducing Tama… “W-wow, an elemental cat—how rare. And with innate skills…” “Wah—he’s so cute!” “Hey, Aria, can I hold him for a minute?” Howard puts his hand to his chin and stares at Tama with deep intrigue. Marietta and Keni are already making requests to cuddle the adorable Tama. Danny gets a glimpse of Aria’s cleavage and Vulcan’s side boob and immediately looks like a hot mess. “Well, well, why don’t we continue on in the horse carriage, in that case?” Watching things unfold, Cedric laughs sarcastically and pushes everyone to keep moving forward. A single large horse carriage has been prepared for them. It will take a day’s journey to reach Renald. Heh-heh, I’m relieved everyone is so friendly. I might just forget that I’m a devoted knight, myself. Aria, seeing the knights’ casual interactions and manner of speech, forgets all about her own anxiety, too. “Um…are you sure it’s okay? Should I really be relaxing in the carriage like this…?” Aria hesitates to speak out inside the carriage—for Cedric, the captain of the squadron and an aristocrat, is working as coachman while Howard and Danny follow alongside as lookouts on two spare horses. Inside the spacious transport are only Aria, Tama, and Vulcan, alongside the bikini armor–clad Keni and Marietta. “It’s fine, Aria. Lookout duties work alternately, and the captain is just…the captain, you know?” “Yeah, it’s so true—what a waste, even though he’s smoldering hot.” Keni and Marietta look dejected as they answer Aria. Their despondency is not aimed at Aria but rather at their captain, Cedric. Both Aria and Vulcan have some knowledge of how to maneuver on a steed or run a horse carriage. They rushed to try and stop Cedric, who immediately went to sit in the coachman’s seat… “Ah-ha-ha, don’t worry about it, either of you. I like it outside. I can’t be in such close quarters breathing the same air as all you women for very long—no thanks.” Cedric rattles off with his trademark refreshing hunk smile. It would appear that not only does he play for the other team, he doesn’t even fancy women much at all. Any girl on the street would do a double take, that’s how good-looking Cedric is… Just as Marietta said, it’s a definite waste. “By the way, Marietta, it’s time for you to give him up already.” “What are you talking about, Keni? I just switched a minute ago.” Tama is ensconced in between Marietta’s breasts poking out from her bikini armor. Keni and Marietta have been waging war on whose turn it is to hold the adorable Tama since the ride began. Tama being Tama, the touch of Keni’s and Marietta’s bare skin feels so damn good, he’s barely conscious. What’s more—both girls have ample bosoms the size of ripe peaches, and every time the horse carriage hits a bump, they jiggle up and down, the sensation rippling through Tama—yes, they’re both really driving the spurs on this exceptionally comfortable ride. Of course, the only reason he can be so calm in another girl’s arms is because Aria commanded it. “Mmm…I love holding Tama, but watching Tama being held by you is really getting me hot and bothered…” Meowr—! Aria, you really do love Tama. Well, you were already a furry, and then he saved your life, so it’s not like I don’t understand why. Me too, in reality… Vulcan can’t help but muse to herself as she sees Aria, eyes ablaze watching Tama being held in such rapture by Marietta. In that moment— “What meow? The carriage stopped.” “Maybe it’s monsters?” The carriage stops on a dime; Vulcan reaches for her gauntlets and Aria for her knives. Meeting monsters along the road is par for the course. “Everyone, it’s a horde of orcs, but stay put. Danny!!” “Yes, Captain!” Cedric speaks to everyone inside the carriage. Just as they expected, the group has encountered some monsters. However, Cedric holds Aria and Vulcan back, instead giving instructions to Danny. Aria and Vulcan stare out the window and see that several orcs are rushing directly toward them. “Hey! Look, swine—over here!!” Danny yells, provoking the orcs while jumping off his horse. Orcs are dim-witted, but they have some manner of intelligence. They become enraged at Danny’s taunting and surge toward him. “Ha-ha, orcs are such simple cretins!!” Danny is now surrounded on all sides, but he gets a running start and slides directly between one of the orc’s legs. The orc’s body shudders, and in that second, it erupts in a bloodcurdling scream—“Snort—!!”—before falling to the dirt. Looking closely, it’s clear one of its legs has been ripped off. Danny grips a bloody longsword in his hand. He managed to slice one of the orc’s legs off while sliding between them. “Incredible! What a stunt… Is that a special skill?” “Ha-ha, what are you talking about, Aria? Danny doesn’t use skills.” Aria unconsciously gasps, amazed by Danny’s dexterous combination of evasion and attack, but Keni laughs lightly at her question. Then Danny puts the death blow to the incapacitated orc, and next, it’s his turn to attack. He steps in, and though the movement looks small, he covers an incredible amount of ground. The orcs recoil and scream in shock at how quickly he closes in on them. “Okay, now!” Danny jumps into the air and does a flip over the orcs, accompanied by a dry snapping sound. When he touches back down—two of the orcs’ heads are rolling on the ground. This time, Aria definitely saw exactly what happened—including the second that Danny lopped off both orc heads while flipping over them in midair. Only two remain—one of them grips a bo and swings it down toward Danny. “Too slow, chump.” Danny speaks coolly and twists his body to evade the strike. The orc has lost its balance from whiffing, and Danny kicks it in the leg, knocking it to the ground before piercing it directly through the heart from the back. The last orc rushes Danny from behind, but by then, he’s already removed his sword again. With his back facing the orc, he rocks it in the solar plexus with the hilt of his weapon, turning around as the orc recoils. Danny slashes through the orc’s torso on a perfectly level plane and watches its body fall in two halves. “Amazing…this is the power of second-in-command to the captain.” “Meowr, he’s another hero himself!” Aria and Vulcan can’t help but voice their wonder. Hmm. Slicing an orc completely in half without any skills. To boot, he’s rushing all over the place without breaking a sweat… He’s fought at Ragnarok and lived to tell about it—for certain. Danny returns to his horse like nothing has happened. Tama, a knight of a similar ilk, is rocked to the core. I can’t wait to see the other knights fight now! “Ah, to thee royal knights—thank you so much for coming here.” It’s evening—after they finished their day-long haul. The town headman exclaims, “How we awaited thee!” Thankfully, the party did not encounter any other monsters after the orcs. “Let’s dive right in—can you please show us the ruins and other places demons have been sighted and explain the situation in detail?” “Of course, my pleasure. The ruins are only a few minutes from town. Regarding the missing persons, in fact just last night, another young girl…” The headman accedes to Cedric’s request. There have already been additional casualties. Aria’s arm flexes as she holds Tama. Her heart is in agony for those sacrificed. “…In reality, we should have been more vigilant from the start, but in any case, our town is still newly founded, and we didn’t have a chance to invest in our own protective measures.” “I see. It’s true that this village is located on the former site of a demon colony.” Hearing the headman’s words, the lizard man Howard whispers to himself, as if recalling the past. This town—Renald—was founded rather recently at this site, where a demon colony was annihilated by a group of brave knights during the aforementioned Ragnarok. What’s more, because Labyrinthos, which has knight squadrons and the Adventurers Guild, is located close by, Renald itself has very weak defenses. “Now, now—everyone, you must be very tired. Please come this way. We’ve prepared the inn and hot springs for you, free of charge.” After confirming the distance to the ruins on a map and the types of monsters that have been sighted, the town headman gestures toward the party. As they bid farewell, the party once again instructs the townspeople to refrain from going outside at all, to the extent possible. “Damn! This meat is delicious!” “These deep-fried mountain vegetables are also legit!” Danny and Howard can’t help but tell the whole world how good the food is at the inn’s restaurant. The dishes are meat and mountain vegetable focused. According to the girl running the establishment, in addition to the ruins, there’s a small mountain near the town, making for a ready supply of fresh food. “The booze really goes down easy when the food’s so good—!” “Take it easy there, Marietta. Our task of defeating demons is waiting tomorrow.” Keni cautions Marietta, who sits across from her and is drinking like a fish. Their captain, Cedric, looks at his four knights with a wry smile on his face. “Maybe it’s just me, but they don’t seem nervous at all.” “You’re right meow. I guess those of the ranks that lived through Ragnarok are simply cut from a different cloth, hey meow?” Aria and Vulcan are seated in the corner, quietly exchanging opinions. Hmm. What to make of this? Seeing them like this, their disposition is closer to adventurers than actual knights. Seeing the way they handle themselves and interact among one another, Tama has fostered this impression of the group since they met. And then… “I’ve gotta know right meow—!” Aria and Vulcan start asking the knights all the questions on their minds. They’ve fought at Ragnarok and lived to become heroes… Aria and Vulcan are dying to know what circumstances brought them to become knights. “What the—? Are you and yours really that curious about such a thing, Aria?” “We don’t mind sharing, but it’s really not an interesting story, ya know?” Having imbibed, Danny’s and Howard’s faces are red as they reply. Aria says that she absolutely wants to hear it, and Danny relents: “Okay—I’ll start. “I was born in a poor home. One day, I borrowed money from a bunch of lowlifes. They put an absurd amount of interest on it, and I couldn’t pay. I was up against the wall, and my mother was prepared to sell herself to them…” Around that time, a squadron of knights just happened to stop by Danny’s hometown on an excursion. Further, the troop happened to be looking for young, capable hands. Danny already had his wits about him when it came to swordsmanship. “I was still a kid, and I challenged one of the knights in a duel, expecting to die an honorable death. I told them to hire me as a knight if I won. Told them to pay my wages up front and take care of the entire debt I’d put on my family. Of course, I thought they’d snort through their noses laughing at me, but one of the knights was a real maniac and took my challenge.” In the end…as expected, Danny lost. But it wasn’t a lopsided fight. The captain of the knight squadron went so far as to actually hire Danny. In other words, they shouldered his entire debt. “If something like that happened to you, you’d agree—you have to pay that person back, no matter what the cost. So I trained harder than ever before and eventually became the first squadron’s second-in-command. I had no idea I’d be sent into the gaping maw of Ragnarok, though! Ba-ha-ha-ha-ha!” After finishing his story, Danny laughs like nobody else is in the room. “……” Aria falls silent. Speaking of the first squadron, she’s heard that only the highest-ranked knights are placed there. She always thought they were aristocrats like Cedric, but in reality, a regular commoner with deep concern for his family also became one…? “I was also born a commoner, like Danny. I became a knight for the same reason—to clear my family of debt.” “I also became a knight to have the cost of my ailing older sister’s medicine paid for.” “I became a knight under the condition that they would save my father, who’d been forced into slavery.” After Danny, Howard, Keni, and Marietta all chime in. “Meowr, this is way heavier than I expected. We’re so sorry to have asked so lightly…” Vulcan nods awkwardly, and her tiger-eared-clan ears, normally a point of pride, droop. “Whatever. Don’t look like that, you two!” “That’s right. We have all repaid our debt of gratitude to our knight squadrons, and we’re here following orders of our own accord.” Seeing Aria and Vulcan looking gloomy, Danny and Howard have the kind sense to return to addressing them like nothing’s happened at all. After Danny finishes, Keni and Marietta continue. “Well, the only reason I was able to return all the money the knight squadron lent me is thanks to Captain Cedric’s little brother.” “That’s right! Little Maiya… Right now, he must be enjoying the harem life with Sakura and them, eh?” Hearing what Keni and Marietta have to say, Aria reacts with sheer excitement. “Yeah, he’s incredible! Maiya…you’re that close with the Grand Wizard? …And just what does it all mean? You’re saying thanks to the Grand Wizard? Wait? And what about Sakura?” She’s more than excited—hearing the name Sakura, which she knows, Aria is now completely flabbergasted. “Meowr? Aria, you didn’t know? Sakura got pregnant by Maiya, meow.” “Ehhh?! You never said a thing about that, Vulcan! Does that mean that you, too, can call the Grand Wizard by his first name?” “Meow…come to think of it, I told you before about a boy who uses magic, right? Well, Maiya was a regular at my shop before he was ever called ‘Grand Wizard.’ For the record, I was the one who taught him how to use a staff, too. Wow…it’s so meow-stalgic…!” “Wha—?!” The strongest young man, who saved the world—the Grand Wizard. A member of Aria’s own party, Vulcan, is an old friend of such a person. Aria faces the greatest shock she’s experienced thus far in life. “The only reason we were able to pay back the knight squadron is because we went on a massive quest with Maiya, who had just come to our world. He split the payment with us.” “Maiya was extremely tough, and a boy with a heart of gold. And he was already strong then—but becoming so strong, he could take out the demons as a lone knight? That’s simply astonishing.” This Maiya took out every last demon all by himself? So the rumor is true. What’s more, these honorable knights all idolize him… Someday, I certainly want to meet the legendary Grand Wizard. A high level of elevated strength and an elevated persona. As a former knight, Tama puts great emphasis on these two qualities. The Grand Wizard likely fulfills them better than anyone else. Tama again wishes to see him even for a moment someday. The party also asks Cedric his reasons for becoming a knight. “I don’t love women, so I can’t inherit my family estate. I became a knight because I was bored. And as a knight, I can not only kill monsters, but if someone is a criminal, I can legally kill them, too. What more could you ask for?” The party receives a really messed-up answer juxtaposed with Cedric’s trademark hunk smile. Aria and Vulcan are absolutely floored. The room had been filled with an emotional aura, but Cedric made a mess of it. “Mmm!” Aria grabs her shirt and rips it off in one go, revealing her heavy, ripe melons that bounce up and down animatedly. She’s in the ladies’ changing room for the inn’s hot springs. The innkeeper encouraged Aria and the girls to take a bath after they finished dinner, so they’ve convened here to rest their travel-worn bodies. Vulcan is also stripping down next to her, alongside the bikini armor–clad Keni and Marietta, revealing their beautiful exposed skin. Vulcan has apples, and Keni and Marietta both have peach-size bosoms. They’re all gorgeous—a true spectacle of resplendent beauty. Oof—my master is one thing, but seeing all these ladies so exposed is absolutely uncouth for a knight. But what can I do? Of course, Tama accompanied them. Hearing they’d be going for a hot springs dip, Tama knew that Vulcan and everyone would be there, too, and turned to leave and wait outside, but Aria caught him and put an end to that. What’s more—she told him that he better be a good boy or she’d have her way with him. What else can he do but obey her every command? “Okay, Tama, time to get in the bath with us!” “Meow—!!” Aria’s removed her panties and stands as naked as the day she was born, legs spread as she addresses Tama. Her porcelain-white skin is as flawless as ever. Simply beautiful. On the tips of her breasts, her ideally sized sakura-pink nipples are fresh and bright, perfectly highlighting the depths of her beauty. Tama leaps onto her breasts, and before he knows it, he’s ensconced between them. “First, we have to wash up alllll over, okay?” Aria addresses Tama as they enter the washroom. She sets him down and picks up a bar of soap, lathering him in a cloud of suds. “Huh—even though he’s a cat, he doesn’t hate getting washed?” “Tama is so cute covered in soapy bubbles!” The stark-nude Keni and Marietta are watching Tama while he calmly receives his wash. Completely unabashed, since only girls and a cat are present, they’re not wearing towels. To that end, Tama is taking in their nude bodies with abandon. Fully surrounded by the resplendent flower gardens of so many nude girls, Tama’s little behemoth threatens to become a full-fledged behemoth, but if that happens in front of Aria, she won’t be able to stop herself from attacking him. Tama controls himself through some form of cold reason. “…Hmm? What’s the matter, Vulcan? What are you doing over there?” While washing Tama, Aria notices Vulcan watching them from the corner. It’s clear she’s touching herself there and rubbing her thighs together—her face is flushed pink. “Meow! I-it’s nothing. Don’t worry about me-ow.” Vulcan replies in a panic. Her voice cracks, and she’s staring at Tama lustily. I—I can’t say it. I didn’t know I would throb this hard at Tama seeing me naked. Even if I was wrong, I couldn’t say a word. Vulcan is screaming inside… She has been holding a secret, it seems. Aria looks at Vulcan quizzically but recommences washing her body and Tama’s anyway, her melons bouncing up and down the whole time. Keni’s and Marietta’s peaches are shaking, and although Vulcan looks quite ashamed, her apples bounce and change shape, too. Tama is doing everything he can to keep his little behemoth from going full monster. He starts counting prime numbers simply in an effort to quell himself. “Phew—okay, Tama, let’s get in, okay?” Tama continues counting. Aria has finished washing herself and beckons to Tama as she slips her foot into the water. Thank god. If we get in the tub, I will be able to at least divert my eyes from my master and her company’s bodies. Tama responds with a hearty meow and gets into the tub with everyone. “Oh god…they’re floating in the tub…”
Chapter 6
38 min read