Volume 1 Chapter 13/14 – 1 / 100 | Naruse Aika/ After

“When you’re at the top of the caste, you get all kinds of information. Even first-hand experiences.”

“…Huh?”

It felt like she started out of nowhere.

“Things like ‘it warmed my heart’ or ‘I was happy being connected.’ Those are the most positive opinions, and even those make up about ten percent of the total. You almost never hear anyone say it felt good. That’s their first experience.”

“…?”

“Everything else is negative. It hurt. It hurt, but they wouldn’t stop. It was scary, so I started to feel uneasy. They looked like nothing but a monkey. Too aggressive. Beast. Animal. Their eyes were terrifying. I thought something would break. I was being violated. I was being killed. I thought I was going to die.”

“I-I see.”

“That’s why it felt so strange, feeling that good.”

“…Maybe it’ll be different when it’s for real?”

“But… it’s never been that hard for me to come back down.”

“…I see.”

I couldn’t bring myself to ask what exactly she meant.

Fidgeting, Aika asked quietly,

“Hey, Kyo-chan. Since we broke up, have you… you know, done it? I mean, I know it’s weird for me to ask since we’re not together anymore, but… I, um, I want it, you know?”

What should I even say…?

Should I respond with, “Lady, you’re the perfect candidate for a virgin break?”

Because of my skill in controlling magic, I was often summoned by the owners of brothels.

They requested my services to ensure that at least for their first time, the girls wouldn’t have to endure too much pain.

The rumors spread like wildfire, and before I knew it, I had become somewhat of a legend, achieving a so-called ‘100 maidens’ conquest.’ Some even started calling me a ‘vampire’ in fear and awe.

But, I’m not a demon.

I’m a hero.

“…You might not believe me, but I still haven’t had my first time. I always wanted my first to be with you, Aika. Do you believe me?”

This body hasn’t experienced it either, so it’s not a lie. Not at all. I remind myself that telling lies would disrupt my magic.

“…Okay. I believe you. After all, you’re Kyo-chan…”

“……” “……”

“So, will you take my virginity?”

“Yes. Please, take my first.”

And just like that, we kissed.

“Be gentle, okay, Kyo-chan?”

“I’ll be gentle, Aika.”

The two of us kissed in the living room, slowly undressing as we moved through the house, eventually locking ourselves in my room.

Two hours passed after that.

◆

We embraced each other closely, completely spent. Aika trembled slightly in my arms.

“Kyo-chan… I love you… I love you…”

Breathless, I gently wiped down Aika’s body, damp with sweat, and lovingly fixed her appearance. As we drank the barley tea I had prepared, we chatted together.

“…I can’t believe it.”

“I couldn’t help it, Aika was just too cute.”

“…You said you’d be gentle.”

“I couldn’t help it, Aika was just too irresistible.”

“…You said you’d stop.”

“I couldn’t help it, Aika was just being too selfish.”

“…You bed beast.”

“Did you enjoy it, Aika? I had an amazing time.”

Before I could take any more damage, I decided to change the subject.

“…You’re such an idiot. A happy, loveable idiot.”

“…I’m happy too.”

I lifted my body slightly, our foreheads sticky with sweat, and exchanged a soft, melting kiss, our gazes meeting.

Blushing, she shyly kissed me back.

◆　◇　◆

Although I wanted to cuddle and engage in some pillow talk, I hurried to clean up since it would be bad if Mihane returned. We had already arrived at the station we were headed to, and I was quickly looking for a nearby café.

I had cast a strong recovery spell on Aika at the moment of climax, so her body should be fine.

The lazy afterglow feels good too, but I’ll save that for next time.

Aika hummed happily as she walked beside me, her mood soaring. Her hair, which I had gently dried, swayed joyfully.

While cleaning up, I secretly reached out to her uniform, intending to wash it with a cleansing spell out of her sight.

However, Aika grabbed my wrist, shook her head slowly with a serious expression, and said,

“Don’t touch it, I’ll take care of it at home.”

She was so serious, her tone so firm, that we ended up silently staring at each other for a moment.

…Huh, could it be she plans to use it for something? I joked, and she turned bright red, hurriedly making excuses with frantic hand gestures, just like she used to do in elementary school whenever she was caught in an awkward situation. It made me smile warmly, and I decided not to push any further.

Since everything except her underwear was a total mess, I lent her some of my clothes and a big backpack to carry her things.

Even while walking, she’d occasionally stop, adjust the hem of the clothes, and smile to herself. What’s she doing?

Nevertheless, as expected of the perfect beauty, she adjusted the hem of the oversized clothes and folded the cuffs in a way that made it look like some trendy outfit. She completed the look with a baseball cap at the end.

Surprisingly, I had quite the wardrobe. I always pursued a style that suited me, determined not to be left behind by Aika. That thought resurfaced just now.

But by then, I had completely forgotten what was currently in fashion, so I asked Aika to pick something for me.

As a result, we ended up wearing outfits that gave off a subtle couple look. It was 4 PM. Hopefully, we wouldn’t get stopped by anyone.

At the café we found, hunger got the better of me, so we ordered some light snacks and tea while I pondered.

The first thing I thought when I heard about Kuzukawa was, “She’s experienced.”

It wasn’t the kind of thought process a normal high school freshman would have. Based on what Mihane told me and how Kuzukawa interacted with me, I’m not far off the mark.

She didn’t just do this once or twice. It felt like she was well-practiced. Is there something backing her, or is this just her own accumulation of experiences?

If I were to interpret this in a fantasy setting, Aika’s photoshopped pictures would be like a subjugation item that controls me, and the recent lynching video would be akin to a fairy’s curse aimed at Aika.

Its effect would be something like “people hate her for a set period.”

By the way, when I asked Aika about the nude photoshopped pictures, she was furious. But I was able to confirm they were fakes earlier. I won’t say how I knew.

In a fantasy world, it’d be nothing more than junk without any real power. The troublesome part is the viral nature of it, which gives it a kind of coercive power.

In a fantasy setting, things would be simple — deal with regular folks by either beating them or killing them. But here, we’re dealing with nobles or merchants, so it’s more complicated. The strings attached are the annoying part.

The only bargaining chips and trophies I have are both Aika.

“…Yeah, that’s about it.”

“Thank you.”

I gathered information from Aika about Kuzukawa and the group she’s friendly with, taking notes as I went. I was searching for someone who could become a weakness for them.

From what I could gather, Kuzukawa is the main attacker, with Shimode as the backline support. Ueda seems to be the roaming fighter, and Nakata’s likely their tank.

And the other girls seem connected by someone other than Aika. At the time, I had no idea.

I looked up their elementary and middle schools on my phone. An article caught my eye.

“Middle school girl kidnapped, raped, assaulted, and AV (adult video) sold over a period of six months…”

“Is that Kuzukawa’s middle school?”

“The perpetrator went to the same middle school as Kuzukawa, but the girl was from a different prefecture. Something doesn’t sit right… What do you think?”

“N-No, it’s nothing.”

Aika, who was sitting next to me instead of across the four-person table, hugged my arm, smiling as she peeked at my phone with me.

Well, we had just gotten intimate, and since we didn’t have time for pillow talk, it’s only natural she’d want to stay close.

Finding nothing more, I paused my investigation and took a sip of the tea that had been served. How long has it been since I last had tea? Probably not since my time at the margrave’s. It brought back memories.

“This feels… refined.”

“Hmm?”

“Your manners are so graceful.”

“Do they?”

Well, I did have tea parties with the children of royalty and nobility. I couldn’t afford to show any political weaknesses, so I had been trained by the important figures of the country I was summoned to.

“Somehow, Kyo-chan became an adult without me realizing it.”

“…Aika, didn’t you also become an adult today?”

“Ugh! I knew you were going to say that!”

“Well, you brought it up first, Aika.”

“…Make me even more of an adult, okay?”

What the—she’s just stupidly adorable, isn’t she?