A Story of a Male Knight (Not a Female Knight) in a Chastity-Reversed World ~The Girls Are So Afraid of Being Disliked That a “Kukkoro” Scene Never Happens~ - 26

Chapter 26: The Third Time?

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The day after the exam, I was swaying in the carriage.

“I’m not entirely sure what it means, but Ray. Your unique magic is the same as the founder of Kukkoro House and clearly a powerful one. Even the Mikado gave you her approval.”

Just like last time and the time before, we had an audience with Mikado, and now we were on our way home. Originally, we would have taken a less crowded road, been attacked by bandits, met the pink-haired girl, and been kukkoro-ed.

But this time was different. I asked Mother to take the main street with lots of people on our way home. This way, I shouldn’t be attacked by bandits or kukkoro-ed.

“Ray. From now on, strive even harder to become a knight.”

“Yeah! Got it!”

“Ah, my son is just too adorable…”

Mother started watching me intently, which made me uncomfortable, so I looked away. But the curtains were closed, so I couldn’t see outside. Since we were on the bustling main street, I could hear the lively voices from outside the carriage, and it made me curious.

“Mother, when will I be allowed outside the mansion?”

“O-Outside… No. I can’t send Ray out into a world crawling with beasts called women.”

“But if I don’t go outside someday, I don’t think I’ll be able to become a knight.”

“That’s true, but… Fine. Once you’re over a hundred years old, I’ll allow you to go outside.”

“That’s basically the same as never going out.”

“You’re right… Ughhh.”

Seeing Mother struggling with herself, I quickly apologized.

“Sorry, Mother. I asked for something unreasonable, didn’t I? It’s okay if I can’t go outside yet.”

I knew better than anyone how dangerous it was out there, so Mother’s worry was completely justified. It wasn’t something to ignore. But the fact remained: staying holed up in the mansion wouldn’t make me a knight. I felt bad making Mother anxious, but someday, somehow, I would have to get her permission to go out.

I decided I’d bring it up again once things felt safer. Just as I thought that, there was a loud clatter, and the carriage tilted sharply. My heart started pounding as the carriage came to a stop.

Could it be… Were we being attacked by bandits?

“I’m sooo sorry! The wheel just came off!”

Elsa-san’s tearful voice came from the driver’s seat, and I felt relieved.

“My apologies, Master.”

This time, Elsa-san and Master were driving the carriage. That alone was a new element compared to last time.

“No, it’s not your fault. We were going to have it inspected tomorrow anyway, so it hadn’t been serviced yet. This was bound to happen… But what should we do?”

Mother looked at me with worry in her eyes. She was probably wondering if I’d be in danger once I stepped out of the carriage. Whether we walked home or waited for repairs, I’d have to get out of the carriage either way.

“…I’ve decided, Ray. I’ll go do some shopping, so wait here for a bit.”

With a resolved look, Mother got out of the carriage. I heard voices outside, and soon after, the sound of hoofbeats reached my ears. Huh, did she ride off somewhere on horseback?

Left alone, I was wondering what I should do when the carriage door opened and Kokoro-san climbed in.

“Message from the Madam. She said you mustn’t leave the carriage under any circumstances until she returns.”

“Uh, understood. Where’s Elsa-san?”

“Senior Disciple went to call someone for repairs. I don’t know about the Madam, but since the workshop is far from here, it will probably be a while before Senior Disciple gets back.”

“I see. What about you, Master?”

“I was asked to guard you, Ray. Seems I’m only good for my muscle.”

Master pouted her lips, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“So it’s just the two of us until they return, huh?”

“Yes, that’s… Right?”

Master looked me up and down, then her face turned bright red.

“Haah, haah, haah…”

“M-Master?”

“Hah!? N-No, it’s nothing!! Whoa!?”

Master jumped up in a panic, making the carriage wobble. The carriage was already unstable on three wheels, so it lost balance completely and tilted sharply—

“Watch out!”

Master pulled me into her arms just as the impact hit. It seemed the carriage had fallen over, and now the window was facing the sky.

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. Thank you for protecting me.”

I looked up and thanked Master, but as I did, the soft sensation of her chest brushed my cheek, making me feel awkward. Even though I’d been through more intense experiences, things like this still caught me off guard.

“Master?”

I felt uneasy when she didn’t answer, so I glanced at her face. Her cheeks were flushed bright red, and her eyes were hazy.

“…Haah, haah, haah.”

Her breath was hot and sweet. Images of Elsa-san straddling me and the pink-haired girl flashed through my mind as Master’s slender, soft legs wrapped tightly around me with surprising strength, pulling me closer.

“Nn…”

Master shivered as if I had touched a sensitive spot. She clutched the back of my shirt tightly, and a sense of danger rose in me.

“M-Master?”

“I’m sorry, Ray. But it’s your fault… You’re just too irresistible…”

Master’s face came closer and closer until she was right in front of me. Then she suddenly widened her eyes. She froze for a moment, then as her red face turned pink, she abruptly pulled back. She pressed her hand against her chest and leaned against the wall of the carriage.

I didn’t know what had just happened, but it seemed the immediate danger had passed.

“Master?”

“R-Ray… I almost did something terrible…”

It looked like she had just realized what she almost did; Master’s face turned pale. I also cooled down and thought back on what had just happened.

It was true that I had feared being kukkoro-ed, but as long as I wasn’t kukkoro-ed, I had no problem with what had happened. Not everyone would go straight for kukkoro like the pink-haired girl. Even if Master had reached her limit just now, I doubted I would have felt bad about it. Honestly, I probably would’ve considered it a good experience.

“It’s alright, Master! I didn’t hate it, so please don’t worry about it!”

“You… You didn’t hate it…?”

I heard a gulp, then Master shook her head vigorously.

“No, no, no! I don’t want Ray to hate me! And it’s so embarrassing!”

She took several deep breaths, exhaling heavily, and then turned a determined, sharp gaze at me.

“Let’s just pretend none of that ever happened, okay?”

It was undeniably uncool, but Master was still Master. As her disciple, I had to protect her dignity.

“What happened earlier? I don’t remember anything like that.”

“Yes, nothing happened at all.”

Even though I had some thoughts about Master’s smooth response, I decided to play along.

“Alright. But Master, what should we do? The door is stuck to the ground. How do we get out?”

“This is a good opportunity. I’ll show you the magic of the demon tribe.”

With that, Master closed her eyes and extended her hand toward where the window used to be.

“Fly away.”

A red magic bullet shot from her hand, blowing apart the window frame. I shut my eyes against the falling splinters of wood. When I opened them again, the blue sky was spreading out before me.

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