As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld

Chapter 46: Chapter Two Interlude: Let’s Go Camping, Middle Part

“Wow… damn, a lakeside campsite? That’s classy.”

“Are you pleased, Goshujin-sama?”

“Hell yeah, it’s perfect. Thanks, Towa.”

Towa puffs out her chest a bit, nose high with pride at Arius’s words.

“When it’s up to me, this is nothing—ow!? Okay, okay, I get it! I get it! Uh, Goshujin-sama? This is Nelba-sama’s land. I talked to Mia, and she worked it out so we could borrow it this time. No one’s coming except the bonding event participants.”

But Mia pinches Towa’s butt, not letting her hog the credit, and spills the beans.

“Is that so? Gotta thank her later… Mia, thanks. When you said the venue was a surprise till we got here, I was wondering what was up, but this kind of surprise is totally welcome.”

“N-No, no! If Arius-san’s happy, that makes me happy too!”

Mia, shyly tracing circles on the ground with her toes, might look like a total stranger to some, but there’s no doubting her genuine joy and relief.

She was worried, honestly.

Since she knows Arius generally dislikes relying on outside help, she was concerned he might not approve of using Nelba to secure a villa for this.

“No, seriously, thanks, Mia.”

“A, uh, yeah… ehehe.”

But it was all for nothing.

Arius’s smiling face pats Mia’s head, and she melts under the sensation.

“Hmph… A-Arius-sama! I’m gonna go get ingredients right now!”

“M-Me too! Uh, um! I’ll grab some veggies!”

“Huh? Oh, nah, you can take a breather first, can’t you?”

Serika and Shuri are all fired up, but Arius wants to check out the place first.

It’s not obvious from his looks or words, but he’s actually super pumped.

Part of it’s because he’s never done much picnicking or camping, even in his past life, but more than that, a big group trip with an overnight stay reminds him of school field trips.

The scenery at Lakeside Merusia, with the Gil Mountains looming in the background, is stunning.

The water’s surface sparkles, reflecting the sunlight, and despite being at the mountain’s base, a gentle breeze flows. The clear air feels like it’s melting away mental fatigue. It’s not even a mountain, but for no reason, he wants to yell “Yahoo!” like a kid.

In a word, Arius is diving headfirst into childlike excitement.

“My dear.”

“Oh, Ririeru-san. Everything good on your end?”

“Yes, everything’s in order. Once again, on behalf of myself and all the employees, thank you for inviting us to this bonding event.”

Ririeru gives a graceful bow, and Arius waves both hands.

“Nah, nah, save the thanks for Towa, Mia, and Serika. I just said, ‘Man, I really wanna do a bonding event,’ that’s all.”

“Fufu, is that so? Then, thank you.”

True to Arius’s words, Ririeru bows to Towa and the others.

Her expression is soft, far calmer than when she was under Eld or even when they reunited, like she’s savoring happiness.

“W-Well, for now, let’s set up the tents. Towa? Got any spot assignments or anything?”

“Nothing specific. Everyone’s free to choose, and if spots overlap, just talk it out.”

“Understood. My dear? What’s your plan after that?”

“Uh, well… it’s for bonding, so saying ‘do whatever’ feels… kinda tough, huh. It’s a bit chilly for swimming, and—oh, no, food prep comes first? Uh, um…”

As he speaks, all sorts of things Arius wants to do flash through his mind.

Campfire, barbecue, fishing. Hell, maybe find a small boat and head out on the lake.

With so many things he wants to try, his heart’s practically bouncing.

“Alright, let’s split into groups for now. Drop your stuff… it’s 9 a.m. now, so meet at that clearing at 10. We’ll sort out lunch crew, ingredient crew, and stuff then.”

“Fufu, understood. See you later, then.”

Ririeru nods with a smile and leaves.

Feeling like his excitement’s been seen through, Arius is a little embarrassed.

He’s here for a bonding event.

The goal is to connect with everyone, not to have fun himself first, he reminds himself, a bit ashamed.

But…

“Goshujin-sama.”

“Yeah?”

Towa flashes a bright smile at Arius, who’s trying to cool down.

“Please show us the real you. That’s what we want to see.”

“Towa…”

Mia, Serika, and Shuri nod in agreement, backing Towa’s sentiment.

“Goddamn, you guys always get me.”

Arius gives a wry smile, realizing the women have him beat by a mile or two.

“Alright! Let’s make today a blast!”

“Yes!”

Everyone charges off together.

Needless to say, a fierce battle over tent spots near Arius’s broke out.

※

It’d be a lie to say there’s no jealousy, but Kazune, at least, has come to terms with it.

“Goshujin! These nieji over here are better!”

“What’s that!? Look, Shuri! This thickness! This length! These are definitely tastier!”

To be precise, she’s been made to come to terms with it.

Sure enough, seeing Shuri eagerly gathering nieji is a version of her Kazune never imagined.

Watching from the shadows, she still thinks.

That’s a Shuri she doesn’t know.

“But… it still pisses me off.”

Being one step closer to Arius than her is definitely something to be jealous of.

But more than that…

“I said I wouldn’t forgive screw-ups… didn’t I?”

She’s sure she said it, face-to-face.

And yet, Shuri screwed up. Unbelievably, she helped kidnap Arius.

Above all, the Rat Shuri lost to her own heart—that’s the failure Kazune sees.

The same person, but a different existence.

Right, that’s how she made peace with it.

She had to, or she wouldn’t have been able to stand it.

“Calm down, me.”

She clamps down on the killing intent threatening to leak out.

The non-Rat Shuri is doing just fine.

Nieji aren’t seen as much of a threat, but Shuri’s keeping a high-level watch without Arius noticing, carefully preserving the fun atmosphere.

Kazune’s even impressed by her skill—there’s no faulting Shuri as Arius’s direct guard.

But seeing traces of the old Shuri, feeling them, makes it hard to hold back.

Every time Shuri shows the skills and instincts honed as a Rat, Kazune can’t help but think, That’s the Shuri I know.

“Not like me…”

She’s satisfied with her current self.

She’s got a reason to work hard, something to live for.

She’s good at playing the game.

This distance, this relationship, is the best, the happiest—she’s supposed to understand that.

She even warned her comrades not to get too hooked on Arius, staying calm.

“But still…”

It’s like standing on a thin, fragile thread.

It could snap any moment, and she doesn’t know what that means about herself.

“—Huh? Kazune-san?”

“Eh, ah…?”

Kazune lets out a dumb sound.

Standing before her is the precious person who taught her what love feels like.

“What’re you doing out here? Oh, wait, you on a job? What a coincidence!”

“Uh, ah, uh… Y-Yeah, I was on a monster-hunting gig. W-Wow, what a coincidence, huh!”

What a stiff delivery.

The Rats around her, sensing her presence, are all clutching their heads, thinking, Oh no.

She got this environment maintenance gig for the bonding event from Towa.

The honor of watching Arius from afar.

“Since you were on it… you done already?”

“Eah!? Uh, um, y-yeah. J-Just finished, but I sensed something and came to check it out… and it was you, Arius-san.”

That’s a pretty weak excuse. The other Rats are practically crying.

Even so…

“Got it, got it! You got any urgent stuff to rush back for?”

“Uh, no!? N-No, not urgent, but—”

To Arius, Kazune’s just a flag shop client, one of many.

He doesn’t know about the Rat team.

“Sweet! Then, wanna join us? We’re camping here—come hang out! Oh, we’ve got spare tents, so you’re good!”

“Huh? Huh?”

“Oh, you alone, Kazune-san?”

“Ah, aua!?”

Kazune’s brain can’t keep up with how fast this is moving.

Needless to say, she’s totally overwhelmed. Not only did she get noticed, but exchanging words like this was way off-script, a screw-up beyond careless.

“Arius-san.”

“Huh? Well, damn, another coincidence?”

“Haha, yeah. Actually, it was a pretty big job, so we teamed up with Kazune-san as our leader and came out here.”

Seeing Kazune struggle, the current sub-leader, scratching her cheek, spins a fake story for Arius.

Kazune’s dying to crawl into a hole.

She hasn’t made a blunder like this since she was a rookie.

“Oh, that’s how it was? Nice work! How about it? Wanna bring your team along?”

“Uh, well… is that okay? There’s about seven of us, including Kazune-san.”

“Hell yeah! Wait, seven?”

“Yup. Probably the seven you’re thinking of.”

“Then you’ve gotta come! Good thing it’s familiar faces—I was worried about inviting strangers. Man, I gotta stop blurting stuff out on impulse… getting too hyped is a problem.”

Arius scratches his cheek bashfully, and the Rats’ maiden circuits go into overdrive gyun gyun.

We must protect him… In that moment, their hearts align with fierce unity.

As the other Rats start showing themselves, surrounding Arius…

“…Kazune.”

Shuri, standing outside the circle, locks eyes with her.

“…”

Feeling the gaze, Kazune pretends not to notice.

Yeah, that’s right, this screw-up’s her fault, and she’s pinning the blame on Shuri.

She’s a bit fed up with herself for that.

“…Right.”

Her feelings about Shuri still aren’t settled.

But even so, there’s an unchanging truth in her heart.

“Arius-san!”

“Whoa!? What’s up, Kazune-sa—mmph!?”

“AHHHH!?”

Like she’s showing off.

Take that, Shuri. Bet you can’t do this.

“—Pwah, ehehe. I’ll pay properly later, so cut me some slack, okay?♡”

“N-No, it’s fine, but… uh, everyone? Your eyes are kinda bloodshot?”

“Haa… haa…♡.”

By getting a little payback, making Shuri feel some of her frustration, Kazune turns that fragile thread into a bridge.

At the cost of sending the Rats into heat.

※

Now, all the Rats have been embraced by Arius at least once.

“Nchuu♡ Pero, reo♡.”

“N’a… nn♡.”

“Ugh… you guys are so unfair.”

Who was it that said no cutting in line?

Kazune watches the Rats swarm Arius’s body, her fingers in her mouth, longing in her eyes.

Was it just chance, or is that why they’re on the same team?

The Rats love pressing their lips to what they crave.

“Pero, reru… Arius-shan♡ Nchuu♡ Feels good, right?♡.”

“Arius-shan’s fingers… fingers♡ So tasty, nju♡.”

“It feels amazing. I’ve got no clue what’s happening to my body, though.”

Arius’s lips, ears, fingers, nipples, cock.

Every one of them has something in their mouth. A full-body harem lip service.

Marking… territorial instinct, maybe? They’re licking so eagerly, like they’re claiming their spot and won’t let anyone else have it.

“Njuru♡ Ngu♡ Juju♡ So good, so good!♡.”

“Haa… Arius-shan, I love you… so tasty, amu♡.”

Outnumbered, Arius can’t move a finger. He’s completely at their mercy.

That said, well, this is kinda bonding, right? It feels good, so whatever—he lets the Rats do their thing.

“Nku♡ A, a, a♡ I’m, I’m cumming—♡.”

“I, I… already, nn♡.”

They’re sucking to their heart’s content and cumming on their own. Arius can barely see, but their moans are music to his ears.

With his cock being sucked so eagerly, he’s more than a little turned on, ready to cum whenever he wants.

Maybe because his sex drive’s spiked lately, Arius has gotten really good at controlling his ejaculation, especially with clients.

It’s basic, but syncing orgasms boosts mental satisfaction. The Rats don’t realize it, but this staged service is definitely ramping up their affection for him.

“Ughhh!”

“Uh, maybe let Kazune-san join in soon?”

“No way!♡ Not till we’re all satisfied!♡ Hamu.”

“Oh, okay.”

That’s what they say, but only three are left.

One’s eagerly licking his nipple, another’s sucking his cock, and the last is on his fingers.

What the hell? Arius mentally quips, but sadly, the Rats aren’t built for multiple rounds. Once they climax, they’re out for a while.

“Nn nn nn♡.”

Suddenly, the blowjob gets intense—she’s probably close.

Focusing on his lower half, he waits for her timing.

“Nnnn♡.”

“There… guh.”