Chapter 10

Welcome to Miranda Company .

The moment I opened the door, all the shop employees gave a simultaneous bow .

Items that are clearly higher-grade than those sold on the streetside were lined up inside the shop .

The price tags are mainly listed in silver but those that cost gold and over werent rare, either .

A boy in front of the door gave me a bow .

Excuse me, but could you let me look after your weapon .

Theres no reason to refuse .

I obediently handed over my weapon .

Its not my fault that the boy fell over when he took it .

Welcome, what will you be looking for today?

I heard that there is a money changer here .

For an instant, there was a shadow over the shopkeepers face .

Money changers probably invite less than upright guests .

But that was only for a moment, the shopkeepers affable expression soon returned .

I will show you, please come with me .

We went to a table at the back of the shop .

It seems to be a special desk for the money changer, there are tools for discernment like scales and pictures of the crests of the gold coins that can be negotiated .

What shall you be changing today?

Id like to change 5 gold coins for silver .

I dont like to seem to have lots of money jangling in my pocket .

This much is probably acceptable .

Understood . So we would like to check the money just in case, so please take it out .

The shopkeeper compared the weight of the gold coin, then shined a light on it, checking the crest .

The standard for gold coins are actually the same so the currency doesnt matter so long as its not a counterfeit .

The shopkeeper confirmed that theres no problem with the weight and size, so he only tentatively checked the crest .

But the shopkeeper suddenly stopped at one gold coin .

Afterwards, he turned the pages of the crest reference book, looking for the crest on the coin but didnt seem to find it .

Im very sorry, but could you please wait a little bit?

The shopkeeper disappeared inside the shop .

Its going to be a pain if he thought it was counterfeit, I cant exactly tell who I got it from .

But contrary to my expectation, what came out wasnt a guard but a neat-looking middle-aged man .

Im very sorry about this . Im the owner of this shop, Ogil Miranda . Im sorry for my employees rudeness earlier .

I dont mind, but is there a problem with the coin?

No, it doesnt seem to be a counterfeit, but he probably havent seen it before, so troubling as it may be, he asked me for my judgement on it .

Ogil took the cold coin on a cloth and opened his eyes wide .

This is!? This may be rude of me, but how did you come across this coin?

I cant say its a farewell gift from a vampire so lets make a suitable excuse .

I got it when I entered Erg forest .

I wasnt lying .

You went to the demon forest and back, thats amazing! But then that would explain it . If its that place .

So what do you mean by that?

Its troubling if he accepts it just like that .

I was taught lots of things in the forest so I cant calm down knowing my ignorance .

This, this is a gold coin made by a long-perished kingdom .

Ogil crossed his arms on his chest and started telling a story .

400 hundred years back, there was a large kingdom that ruled over territory encompassed by our Triea kingdom and the Arcland kingdom, its capital was located in the vicinity of what now is the Erg forest . This is a coin that was used in that kingdom .

If its a coin from a Kingdom thats been gone 400 years, then its natural that the shopkeeper doesnt know of it .

The amount of gold is the same as todays coins . Well, this coin is historical evidence that federation standard casts had been used since those days .

But it cant be used?

Thats the case, isnt it . Even though the gold ratio is the same but since nobody know of the crest it might get mistaken for a counterfeit . I dont think you should use it . The reason I know of the crest is because I once saw it in my grandfathers coin collection .

He regardfully put the gold coin on the table .

The reverse of that coin was half melted from the fires of war, but grandfather talked proudly of it . This coin is the legacy of a great kingdom of the past, he said .

Even though theres a well-preserved specimen right here, Ogil smiled bitterly .

I have a proposal . Would you mind letting me have that coin? Ill give you 10 royal gold coins for it .

I looked inside my money pouch right away and it turned out just I expected .

In my pouch there are nine more coins with the same crest .

Almost half the coins Lucy gave me were this kind of coin .

Just where did she get these coins? Did she pick them up somewhere?

No, I suppose Ill just trade 5 normal gold coins today . Theres a special memory attached to the coin .

Is that so? Thats unfortunate, but very well . If you change your mind please come to this shop .

Im sorry to have taken your time .

No no no, Im glad that you showed me something good . I should thank you for it, normally theres a 10% handling charge for exchanging coins, but Ill give you just the exchange rate .

Looks like I got unexpected profit .

Ill exchange these 5 royal gold coins for 50 royal silver coins . Well then, should you feel like exchanging that coin earlier please come to our shop .

I shook hands with Ogil and took back my weapon from the boy desperately holding on to it .

In the end, there wasnt really anything special about the coins .

I simply didnt want to sell over a special thing given by Lucy to another person, much less to another man .

I seem to have really fallen in love with her, even if I say so myself .

I can almost hear her grinning and laughing loudly .

Finally, I asked the shop owner who went outside to see me off .

Come to think of it, whats the ruined kingdom called?

I cant say for sure since its not really written much in the history books, but as far as I know

Yuktovania Kingdom, was the name, huh

I left the Miranda store and looked for an inn .

Lucy Yuktovania

Theres no way Id forget the name of the woman I love .

This is too much of a coincidence . Her living in that forest, having that coin, and also her name, everything points to the answer YES .

I didnt find it especially shocking .

On the contrary, Id rather say I became motivated .

A peerless beauty, a vampire who lived over 500 years, and possibly a member of royalty from a ruined kingdom .

It seems to be true that Im attracted by enigmatic women .

Becoming a noble, having my own Kingdom, and ruling over Lucys forest .

Luckily Lucy doesnt grow old .

No matter how many decades, Ill definitely go and see her and make her my woman, no, Ill have her as my woman .

But first of all, I have to find an inn with hot water .

My goal is so small it makes me let out a sigh .

*jingle* *jingle*

Welcome

I was warmly welcomed by the voice of a young woman .

Id like to ask, do you have warm water to wash with in this inn?

We have, weve got a big kitchen you see . We boil lots of water~ . But we need to pay for the firewood so there will be extra charges okay~?

Looks like I found it on the first try, lets stay here, the fact that theres a young woman is great as well .

Then please, how much for that and a room?

Well, theres an 8 person room for 10 copper a night, a single room is 40 coppers a night . There is the good room but youll have to ask mother for that .

I dont really need a good room .

A single room will be enough, the important thing is the hot water .

Sorry, its hungry wolf hunting season right now and were packed, so we raised prices .

I dont mind, Im participating as well, after all . Ill have a single room and hot water, please .

Thank you~ Will a normal bucket of hot water be enough? If you want to use a lot well bring you a big bucket, itll be expensive, though?

A big one please, I couldnt take a bath during my travel . I want to really get cleaned up .

But onii-san doesnt really smell that much . There are some really amazing people inside~

Those are the only ones who wont take a hot bath, she laughed .

Shes not a beauty but I think shes a charming girl, shame about her breasts, though .

A single room and a large bucket of hot water will be 45 coppers a night . You may think 5 coppers for hot water is expensive but youll be getting lots for it so look forward to it

Ill be expecting it . Two nights please, then .

I took out a silver coin .

Thanks for your business, please write your name on the register~

I took the change and wrote my name .

Aegir-san is it? You have neat handwriting for a young mercenary .

I was made to write things down thousands of times, you see .

I had certain circumstances in the past . I wonder if youll tell me your name?

That was fast, she laughed . Shes not wrong, though .

Im Maria, daughter of this Little Bird Bowen~

Can I call you Maria?

Dropping honorifics already~, Ill let you if you let me call you Aegir . This shop has me and mother and the worker~ theres three of us .

Looks like shes not the type to fret over the little things .

In seasons like this lots of people come and go and were shorthanded, so we dont make breakfast . You should buy something on the main street to eat, okay~

Ill do that . Anyway, do you know what exactly a wolf hunt is?

So you came without knowing, she laughed again .

I dont know very much about it either, but I think the guard-san gathers up coaches around the north gate at dawn for something .

I see, of course since theyre called hungry wolves theyll be exterminated in a wolf hunt .

Facing wolves at night cant be said to be wise .

That was helpful . Well then, I think Ill take a rest soon, how long will you need to prepare?

Ill do it now~ . Ill get the room ready and boil the water so you go and get something to eat~

The sun had already turned red, itll be sunset soon .

People had already flocked to the street stalls outside .

Come to think of it, Ive gotten used the vampires life of waking up at around this time .

I should hurry up and get used to a humans rhythm .

Besides, I have to get ready for tomorrow and properly fill my belly .

I bought a piece of bread and two chickens-on-a-stick, all costing a total of 3 coppers .

It wouldve been perfect if there was a stew full of vegetables, but I cant expect something so luxurious .

As I was making my way back to the inn with a chicken-on-a-stick held in my mouth, something pulled my cloak from the side .

Wont you buy a tomato?

A little girl showed me a basket full of tomatoes .

The reason she had a grim face was surely because she still has a basketful to sell at sunset .

Looking at them closely, they were bruised and misshapen .

Probably the wholesalers sold her the bad ones because shes a tiny girl .

How much?

Ah! Three sen each!

I bought all eight she put on the platter and handed her three coppers .

T, thank you very much! The change is, um, um

The girl probably couldnt do math, she became confused .

Not being able to do math, she must get tricked a lot, being unable to tell whether one copper for three is enough or not .

When I told her to keep the change she repeatedly bowed to me in thanks .

Umm, really, tha, thank, muguu!

So I stuffed one of the tomatoes I bought in her mouth .

Calm down . Its the tomato you sold, it doesnt taste bad, right?

I tried a bite as well and it was ripe and tasty, contrary to how it looked .

Now that shes sold out, the girl can relax a little and was stuffing her face, but because of her small mouth it seemed like shes taking forever to do so .

Once I looked closely, she seemed barely past 10 years old and still had childish features, she cant be called a woman yet, but her fine features matched well with her blonde hair .

She was dirty all over so her cuteness didnt stand out, but shes definitely going to grow up into a beauty .

I better call dibs while I still can .

Whats your name little lady?

Hyes! Im Ruu!

Seeing her, she looks so tense even I began to feel strange .

Im Aegir . Im staying at this Little Bird Bower . Tomorrow morning, at dawn, if you have anything for a light breakfast come and sell me .

Thank you very much! Ill be here at dawn, so please!

Even though she was a child, its not strange to be doing business at dawn .

The strange one is the vampire and her disciple making love at dawn .

I think shes got plenty of potential, but itll be several years before I can harvest .

Welcome back, what will you be doing? Ive already prepared your room~ . Ill be bringing your hot water soon, okay~

This ones about ripe enough to eat .

What is it? Maria said with a strange face as she guided me . I entered the room while staring at her butt .

The room was quite spacious, it mainly contained a desk and a moderate-sized bed and also a wooden box for storing armor .

The room was almost entirely made of wood but there is a part of the floor that was stone . This part is for washing your body, she explained .

Then, before I had the chance to settle down, she brought a large empty bucket 1 meter in diameter and three small ones filled midway with water .

According to Maria, you get inside the large bucket and pour water from the 3 smaller ones to wash yourself, then pour the water out to the rain gutter by the stone floor .

She specifically said to be careful not to get water outside the stone area since the floor would rot .

For 50 coppers I can give a special back-washing service, she said . I immediately took out a silver coin and she turned bright red and said she was joking .

Ill welcome you gladly, though .

Youre going for the wolf hunt tomorrow right~? Get your mind off the gutter and get some sleep~ . Its for me and my family too .

All right . Ill properly earn money tomorrow and ask for Maria again .

Im not coming in to a lewd mans room like that~ . Im going to wake you up tomorrow so get some sleep once youre done washing, okay~

Maria left, I washed my body and my clothes, then feeling refreshed, I jumped onto the soft bed .

She said this is an ordinary single room but its really comfortable, I think I can probably stay here for a while .

Gold coins are worth more than I thought so I wont be troubled for cash for a while, but fighting wolves while getting experience is also about right .

I havent really had battle these two years and a half, after all .

At the forest I only went as far as training my body, and the kids from today were just childs play .

As I was thinking how nice it would be if my battle sense returned, I felt the sensation of a soft bed I havent felt in a while and drifted to sleep .

I sensed light and opened my sleepy eyes, then I heard the sound of the door being knocked .

Oi! Aegir san! Its morning already~ Get up~

Right, Ive got to get up .

I slept very well last night, must be because of the freshness after having a bath .

The door opened and Maria was there .

Lets give her a morning greeting .

Youre finally up . Good morn UWAAAAAH!

She suddenly screamed, so I checked myself to see whats wrong .

Last night I washed my clothes and went to sleep as-is, so obviously I was naked, furthermore, because of the fate of waking up my thing was standing upright .

Wha!! Why are you naked!? Hurry and put something on! Rather, its thick! Its big! Unbelievable

Maria fell into a huge panic but I just checked my clothes if they were dry and slowly put them on .

Im not particularly against showing my thing to a woman .

Its been certified by Lucy as a splendid adults thing, after all .

And since its a tool for fornicating women, its natural that I would, right .

That said, its not my hobby to happily expose myself .

Hurry up and put something on! Wait, why are you putting your top on first! Cover the important things first!

Sorry, its gotten so big it wont fit in my pants . Id like to wash my face first, so, water please .

I cant believe you anymore~! How can you be so calm!

Maria handed over the buckets of water while she looked to the side .

But even as she was screaming, from the start her gaze wouldnt part from my nether regions .

While I washed my face it settled down so I put my pants on .

You still want to look? I asked, and she replied by slamming the door shut .

I picked up my actual spear and put on my armor and cloak .

Since Maria was sulking and withdrew inside, I raised my hand in the lobby and said, Im going .

From the inside of the inn, a hand came out and waved .

When I got out of the inn another voice called .

Umm! Good morning!

Ruu believed our promise yesterday and waited in front of the Little Bird Bower .

Here! Umm, apples! Theyve only been picked this morning so theyre still fresh!

Shes like that too yesterday, this girl gets flustered easily .

Looks like shes selling two for a copper so I bought four and put one on her head .

Its adorable how she bows with a shy smile on her face .

As I chewed on the apples I went towards the north gate, the opposite one from when I arrived here, and just as Maria said, there were guards and several medium-sized carriages headed by two horses lined in a row .

I heard a familiar voice .

Yo Aegir! You also want to go on the wolf hunt today?

Morning . I found an inn without problems thanks to you, Grey . You saved me the trouble .

What, dont mention it . This may be sudden but we dont have much time until departure . Show your town entry token and get in the coach .

Normally, nobody would participate without asking about the mission and the rewards in detail, but because it seems to be a regular job, people were coming in one after another without asking about the details .

Besides, I believe hes not the type of guy to double-cross me, so I quietly got on the coach .

All right! Lets go!

The six coaches each carrying 10 people started off together .

Luckily, Im in the same coach with Grey .

Grey, truth be told I dont know anything about the wolf hunt other than that were hunting wolves . Can you tell me about it?

Is it your first time? You have quite the appearance so I thought you were a regular Oh well, weve got time while were moving, Ill explain on the way .

Sorry for the bother .

Firstly, the target for the hunt is just as the name wolf hunt says . But the crucial part is that were hunting wolves that are half turned into monsters, in other words, were exterminating hungry wolves .

Its not that strange for animals to turn into monsters .

Genuine monsters rarely come out but ones that used to be animals were relatively common along highways .

Because of that, their strength is no big deal and their threat level is not significant .

Ones that have completely turned into monsters and act alone are quite common, but at the level of hungry wolves, theyre still recognized as allies by other wolves . Yet because of their wide difference in strength, they often become leaders of huge packs .

In other words, it became a pack of wolves led by a monster .

Then come winter the game in the forest dwindles . The starving wolves normally belong to separate packs but comes together one after the other into one large pack, and they would come to open areas like highways and villages searching for food .

Of course, if it were a normal wolf pack they wouldnt be a problem . Everyone around here knows that, merchants and coaches carrying people who go from town to town would increase their numbers by getting armed guards .

But this is not enough against a pack led by a hungry wolf, is it?

Thats right, merchant caravans numbering 50 people would get destroyed, villagers in pioneer villages would all get eaten .

If its a 50-person merchant caravan, then the number of armed guards couldnt be counted on ones fingers .

Being capable of destroying that, the strength of the hungry wolf and the number of wolves it leads must be in the double digits .

So before winter were calling every armed mercenary and strongmen and send them into the forest to lure the wolves out and destroy them . Their numbers shouldnt be too much now when theres still food .

In that case, wouldnt it be easier to let them gain numbers and defeat them when they come out into the plains?

The pack gets amazingly big once winter comes and we would suffer heavy losses . Besides, if the army moved together in large numbers they would quickly run away .

Theres no way we can run and catch up with wolves, he laughed .

Which is why we need to whittle the wolves numbers down as much as possible in this season . Killing the hungry wolves in particular would mean that even when winter comes the wolves wont form a large pack so it gets maximum preference, hungry wolves are rare so replacements dont appear so easily .

However, in this season the pack hasnt gotten large so if we send in a large number of people they will be on guard and wont come out to attack . Which is why were sending in small parties stationed far apart . Of course, with the small numbers the danger gets correspondingly higher .

Well of course, a pack of wolves is like an army with a leader .

They have enough power against small groups of people .

Its like injured people keep coming out every day, this year, more people were found dead each day . Though its rare that a party gets annihilated .

As I thought, Grey is not the type to tell a lie, but there are others in this coach besides the two of us .

I want him to notice the shoulder of the guy next to him shivering .

The rewards also include danger compensation . Doing nothing but stand in the sun from dawn to dusk gets you 50 coppers . If you kill wolves, each body gets you 50 coppers . For us, you should take out the fangs on both sides as proof . Be careful, if you break it too short itll become invalid .

I see, so participating for a day earns me a days room and food .

And the terms say to bring your own weapons, after all, Grey laughed .

Then, for the main part, the hungry wolf, you get at least 2 gold . Extra reward since theyre strong . The stronger the hungry wolf gets, its fangs get redder, so if you bring us the fangs we can quickly see how strong it was .

I see, so Ill get a fortune if I hunt out the hungry wolves .

Its not going to be that easy . Even though its in the name, you actually dont get to see the hungry wolves much . If you do see one, you must be lucky or maybe unlucky . A party meeting a hungry wolves usually mean someone gets injured or died . On top of that they often run away without us being able to hurt them, though being hit with your weapon might take care of that .

I hope so . Can you tell me how to tell the difference between hungry wolves and normal ones?

Of course . The answer is: youll know when you see it . Theyre big, theyre fast, and they have red, shining eyes . You wont miss em .

Rather than fear, I feel more love and lust for red eyes

Well be there soon, anything else you want to ask?

Just one more . You were saying about moving in parties earlier, but you wont mind me moving alone, right?

The air inside the coach froze .

Grey spontaneously was taken aback .

Oi oi! Aegir, dont tell me you dont have a party! You should take care of these things beforehand, or at least negotiate at the north gate before we depart! You should know that you should pass on participating if you dont have a good party!

So while I was showing Maria my thing and eating the apples I bought from Ruu, everyone else were negotiating to form parties .

Taking charge on my own is allowed right?

Well, were not going to say no, but once the wolves come out your lifes over you know . I dont want you to die for nothing .

As far as city guards are concerned, mercenaries should be disposable pawns . Greys really a good guy .

No problem . Even if Im alone

Hey, can I talk to you for a moment .

A female voice cut in from my side .

We have some circumstance and another and were just me and her over there . If youre on your own, would you like to go with us?

The woman who called out looked about 20 years old, she had red shoulder-length hair and a body just slightly shorter than me, which is tall for a woman .

Her body is muscular and tense, and her breasts are so-so .

The other one who seems to be in the party was about the same age as the redhead, she had chestnut-colored hair reaching below her shoulders and her height is on the short side .

Her body seems to be soft as a woman would be and her breasts and butt stand out properly .

She looked my way with a dissatisfied or just disinterested face and lightly nodded .

This woman doesnt seem to be very eager .

What are you going to do? Theyre a two-woman party .

Greys eyes seem to be implicitly telling me to pass on them .

In matters of life and death, having a relatively weak woman as a companion is clearly a minus . TN: Aegir dude, havent you learned anything about judging from appearances from living with a monster of a woman for 2 . 5 years?

Far from assistance, if they get injured and hold you back youll be fighting with a handicap .

All right . Ill be in your care .

I raised a thumb at Grey .

Strong men are probably preferable in battle but if were going to go together, then it definitely has to be a woman .

Whats more, though these two are of different types they are rather beautiful .

My only acquaintances in this town are Maria with tiny breasts, and Ruu whos a child .

Whether or not there are large breasts nearby makes a difference in your spirit .

Well, if you have the leisure to make a choice like that then I guess youll be fine . Now were at the location, were going to let you down one party at a time so starting from the parties on the back of the coach, get ready!

Without saying anything, Grey seems to have read my thoughts .

Im becoming more and more impressed .

Im Mireille, a mercenary from Sheera village . My weapon is this sword . Ill be in your care!

The weapon Mireille showed me was an 80 cm long double edged sword, the blade seemed to be iron but it was thin, it looks to be the same weight as a one-handed sword for men .

She had ordinary leather armor and a metal shield, it looked heavy for a woman to carry so she must have confidence in her strength .

Im Carla, a hunter . I fight with a bow so if the enemy comes to me Im running away .

The bow Carla carries is a relatively large one that looks hard to use, but since shes a hunter then she must be good at handling it .

The quiver next to her contained 10 arrows fletched with differently colored feathers .

She was wearing simple armor made of tanned leather, she probably doesnt expect close combat .

But thanks to that, her ample breast and butt lines were clearly showing and looked great .

Im Aegir, an independent mercenary . Birthplace unknown . My weapon is this .

I showed my signature bardiche and of course their expression changed .

A monstrous-looking spear? Axe? Can you really swing it?

Of course, Im not going to bring a weapon I cant use .

If youre going to tank for me then Im fine with anything, just dont fall over and die first .

As we finished our self-introductions we arrived at the place were in charge of .

The coach returned to town for a while and will be back at dusk .

Acting as guard for the coach, Grey didnt disembark and went back to town as-is .

Weve reached our landmark, but according to what Grey said, the wolves are already perfectly aware of us before we entered the forest .

Now if we had some idle chat to show some carelessness, there will be a high chance of them coming out .

Of course, I welcome the idea of having a chat with two women .

Well then, now weve got nothing to do but have a talk and wait for the wolves .

Oh, before that, it might be too late but for the rewards, can we split the hunt equally? We could split based on who did the finisher but the disputes are a pain .

Looks like her previous party split up because of that .

Thats right . This way, even if youre a showy idiot all will be settled by us getting extra income .

Carla! Quit being sarcastic!

You dont trust me at all, do you . I can prove myself if the wolves come out .

Carla turned away with a huff, saying well see .

Following through for her partner, Mireille proactively started a conversation .

Shes a sociable one .

Thats an amazing weapon you got there . Were you in an army or something?

Nope, Ive been in a mercenary group but I know nothing about regular armies .

Hee . But you still look like youve got some money to spare? Your armor isnt made of ordinary leather, right? Its skillfully stitched and the leather is good stuff .

I got these as a gift from somebody so I dont know much about it but you seem to do .

Well, I once worked in a place where they make leather . I made most of my armor by myself .

The armor Mireille wears looked to have a rough finish but it was thick on the vitals and the easily-targeted stomach, it was made for combat .

It must be good being able to make armor by yourself . If my armor gets worn out will you check it out for me?

All right, but of course Im going to charge you .

With what youre getting for the hunt you sure want to earn money, huh .

Thats about right, I guess . Were barely getting by . The participation fee can get us our lodging fees somewhat, but winter is coming soon, and if I dont buy food and pelts my family is going to be in trouble .

You said youre from Sheera village . You working away from home?

Well I guess so . Though I say Im a mercenary its not like its that far away from here . I go back home often enough . farming villages around here dont have any specialties and the land is not that fertile either . Other than farm work, its hard to get by without going away to work . I went out to work when I was 15 but there wasnt anything but playing mercenary or shaking my ass at men by the roadside . I dont have a hobby of flirting with men so I chose this road .

How about Carla?

She would be bored if we left her out so I chatted her up .

Ive been a hunter since I was born . Whether my prey be animals or humans is just a triviality .

Seems thats the end of it .

Shes from a stray hunter family . Since her father died she had no place or group to care for her so she lives by hunting in the forest and occasionally barters for vegetables . Somehow we got along well and ended up here . Though shes a sourpuss shes good at using the bow so I can trust in her .

Yeah, I trust beautiful women .

Carla turned towards us and immediately called us names as she turned back .

So she can clearly hear our talk .

You got straight to the point, did you . But I think youve got quite a high hurdle to pass before you can get on Carla .

Once again Carla turned, glared at Mireille, and turned back again .

Now its my turn to ask, where did you come from?

I dont know .

Dont I dont know me! I told you a lot about us, wouldnt kill you to tell us back!

Thats not what I mean . I really dont know . For as long as I remember I was something like a slave . I thought I mightve been sold or kidnapped but I dont remember anything .

Ah . sorry, nevermind then .

Shes got a relatively rough manner of speaking but she surprisingly minds these things .

I dont actually think anything of it . After that stuff happened, I ran away and somebody raised me deep in the mountains . I just left a while ago so Im not really worldly wise yet .

Hee, youve got some luck there .

You can say that again . Im a lucky guy .

In exchange for a destroyed mercenary company I gained a mother and a lover, not bad luck at all .

Then today should be

Theyre here!

Carla stood up, nocked an arrow on her bow and ran behind us .

Mireille also took her sword and followed Carlas sight .

I too held my spear in my right hand and set up a stance with my shield in my left, I looked to where Carla was looking but I couldnt see anything .

Theyre there . Theyre coming here while laying low in the grass . 4 in the center, 2 on the right, 2 on the left .

So this is what they call a hunters eye, its a big deal but as for me, I cant do anything other than prepare my spear .

Finally Carla turned down her voice, making her voice into a whisper .

Theyre going to be here soon, the 4 in the center will probably come first321NOW!

Just as Carla yelled from the tall grass (though its called tall its only knee-high at best) four wolves came jumping in .

Immediately one of them received an arrow Carla shot between the eyes, made a high-pitched whimper and died .

Then Mireilles sword also cut a jumping wolfs gut open, scattering entrails all over the grass .

A wolf whose surprise attack had failed tried to regain its posture in confusion, but it was defenseless against the most dangerous entity .

As the wolf were about to roll over a steel blade swung down behind it and cut its front paws apart at the joint .

After destroying the wolf I braced my leg as a pivot, still with my weapon downward, and spun around .

The fourth wolf evaded my bladed spear point and hit the handle, avoiding being cut in half .

However, it was hit on the head and cracked like an apple, collapsing on the ground without so much as a whimper .

Next, both sides!!

Faster than Carlas shout, two wolves each from both sides jumped in to attack .

Mireille put up her shield and dealt with the two on the left, but the two on the right circled further behind that expected, avoided me who was in front and rushed towards Carla .

Carla TN: Ill mark non-Aegir POVs like this from now on

(Crap!! They went in further than I thought!)

I live in the forest .

I was supposed to know well how wolves work!

My bow wont make it in time anymore .

I hurriedly took out the knife on my waist but with my small build theres no telling whether I could fend off the wolfs attack .

The moment the wolf were about to thrust its fangs at me, it abruptly stopped .

The reason is simple .

It was because it was hit with a heavy axe-like spearhead on its flank .

After finally meeting a beautiful woman Im not about to let her get a scar now would I?

I raised my spear, still with the wolf stuck on the spearhead, and swung it down over the head of the other wolf .

With a squelch, they completely became two pieces of scrap .

Now there are only two wolves remaining, Mireille was able to safely fight with them using her shield but she lacked a finishing move against their coordinated attacks .

I continued my fight, standing in front of Mireille and raised my spear overhead as if to say leave it to me .

Mireille seemed a little worn out so she took my backup and switched with me to put her breath in order .

Her moves showed shes not used to battles .

I swung my spear down all at once and struck the ground .

Naturally, the wolves jumped to avoid it, but there was a gap between them being airborne and getting their feet firmly on the ground, so I swung my spear back upwards, taking one and sending it flying .

Theres no need to go after it, something like a wolf shouldnt be able take one of my launches and survive .

The moment I turned towards the last wolf, Mireilles sword had already been lodged in its throat .

Now, that was dangerous, huh, Carla?

*pon pon*, Mireille patted Carla on the shoulder .

The feeling of tension is no longer there .

The pack of 10 wolves from earlier had been annihilated . TN: Yes, I counted 8, too . No, I dont get it either

Then, since wolves are sensitive to the smell of their companions blood, they wouldnt go in that direction .

Furthermore, though in hunting wolves there was a need for us to change locations, it was nearly evening already so we agreed that this was enough for today .

5 silver for 10 wolves, that couldnt be divided to 3 people, so how about we each take one silver for now?

Hee, youre good at numbers, Mireille said interestedly . Carla was silent beside her .

Then Ill take my share for today . Well settle the rest with tomorrows share .

I Im not taking mine .

Carla said so in a mumbling voice, unlike her attitude earlier .

The hell are you saying? If I turned down payment every time things got a little dangerous for me Idve starved to death by now!

Not that! Im a hunter, I shouldve been the one who knows the most about wolves, but Im the one holding everyone back I cant agree to an equal split like this!

You sure worry about strange things, girl

Mireille was at a loss as to what to do with the strangely prideful Carla, so I proposed something that would make all three of us happy .

So you wont take your share because I helped you out, is it?

Right . If you werent there Im sure Id be having it bad . So you can take my share of the payment .

How about we do this . We split the earnings equally, and as Carlas thanks for my help, you let me rub your breasts until the return coach comes .

Wha!!!!!?

Pfff!

Carla opened her eyes wide and Mireille burst out laughing .

If Carla doesnt feel indebted to me then her pride wont get hurt, with the earnings split equally there will be no complaints and the party will be at peace, and I get to have my fill of soft breasts . How about it? Nobodys loss .

I had you for a more scary battle freak but youre unexpectedly a horrible perverted bastard arent you .

A man who doesnt like women aint straight .

My crookedness had just been straightened out recently .

So, whatre you gonna do? As for me, the sooner you decide the longer I get to enjoy myself .

Kuuh! All right, touch as you like! You just want to rub them, right! But do it over my clothes! That, and if you touch anywhere else Im chopping your hands off!

And thus Carlas breasts were ravaged by a perverted man .

Shut up! SHUT! UP! Mireile! . Hey, didnt I say over my clothes!!

Over your clothes doesnt include armor, right? I can at least put my hands inside your armor, cant I?

Wait! Theres just underwear under my armor! Ah! Wait!

A promise is a promise, Ill be in your care until the coach comes .

I sat behind Carla, I put my hands around her sides and started rubbing away on her ample breasts .

I didnt grab them roughly but gently, as if kneading them .

There was thin cloth under her armor but the feeling reached my hands just fine .

Youre quite sweaty .

Cant be helped after all that workout!

Your scent is rather nice, too .

No sniffing!

Carla probably couldnt get a decent bath, there were smells other than sweat coming from her .

I could say it stunk, but since it drifted from a beauty like Carla its not so unpleasant .

As both my hands were rubbing her breasts I blew on her ear and she made a huge reaction .

I can already feel her nipples standing straight at the center of her breasts .

I breathed roughly at her ear on purpose and rubbed her nipples as if pinching them .

Kyaa! Wait! Enough!

Im only rubbing your breasts as promised, no? Were doing it until the coach comes, right?

I did say breasts . but that sensitive spot

Mireille was laughing at first, but now she was gulping at Carla who was starting to melt .

The air became quiet and the only sounds that could be heard were Carlas and my rough breathing, and the regular rustling of clothes, only the sounds of me rubbing her nipples from over her underwear .

Mm! Mmmmm . . Hey, wait!!

Suddenly, Carla raised her voice .

What is it?

Youre hitting it on purpose! Thats not what we promised!

While feeling a woman, I couldnt keep my cool .

My penis grew large and pushed up my trousers, encroaching onto Carlas butt sitting so close .

Its because Im rubbing a womans breasts . Its nothing weird, not like Im rubbing it on you .

But! Ah!! Its hitting my butt its big

Im not in the mood to argue so I caressed her rougher, breathed at her ear from point blank range, and accidentally pushed my erect thing against the crack of her butt .

The sounds Carla was making changed, I can hear her gritting her teeth .

Shes finished, any time now I guess .

I pulled strongly on her cork-stopper-like nipples and licked her behind the neck, breaking my promise .

NnaaaAAAAHHH!!

Carla made a loud shout then uncurled herself, twitching . She ran out of strength .

Her nipples gradually became smaller, and she rested her head on me .

Carla? Seriously? You came?

Thats, definitely not, true

Carla frantically stood up, trying to make an excuse to Mireille, but she then collapsed and fell face down .

The back of her pants was soaked as if she had been sitting in a puddle of water .

Hee, so youre staying in that Little Bird Bower . A private room there costs quite a bit but its rather nice, huh .

Where are you two staying?

Were staying at X Bower, were renting a double room . Carla cant sleep next to someone she doesnt know . We had to spend 20 coppers a night thanks to that, even though we couldve spent 10 for the common room . TN: The name of the inn was omitted in the raw . :/

Thats not so bad isnt it, its money well spent if its for sleep or food .

Thats if youre someone with money! Anyway, youre going to participate again tomorrow, Aegir?

If theyre doing it . Doesnt look like they go every day .

Right, so wont you go with us again tomorrow? Carlas all fired up to fix her reputation, too .

Yeah, please .

So, North Gate again tomorrow, okay! Carlas coming too, hey, youre still giddy? Well, I never seen anyone rub breasts the way he did

In the end, Carla was dead tired and leaned on Mireille on the return coach and didnt say a word, but since she didnt refuse me sitting next to her, she was probably not that angry .

I bought food from a cart and tomatoes from Ruu, then went back to the inn, washed, and slept .

Its only been the second day of me doing this but it had already felt like my daily routine .

Im going to be fighting along with two women tomorrow so to make myself look good I should get enough sleep .

As an aside, in order to soothe my dick that had been in the mood since caressing Carla I thought to settle matters by my own hand, but I was unexpectedly seen rubbing it by Maria who came to bring me more hot water .

Maria broke into a scream, but she didnt release my member from her line of sight .

If I stopped there its going to disturb my sleeping so while gazing at Maria I let loose what seemed to be a buckets worth of cum and asked for additional water, but Maria left the bucket there and dashed away at full speed .

Doing it by myself is unsatisfying after all .

I dont mind prostitutes, so bring out the women already .