Chapter 34: Royal Capital Castle, Day (3) (Patreon)

In the bathroom, I heard the sounds of Iris's gentle splashing as she washed herself.

The fact that she'd likely already bathed today and was only washing herself due to her promiscuity was just another point to the immorality of what I witnessed. And yet as I heard the sounds of water running down her fair skin, I could not help but feel that she wasn't so much cleansing the proof of her cheating from her body, but rather preparing herself for the next time.

It was like she was willingly putting a veil of pureness over herself each and every time, before stripping it away to heighten the act of soiling her. And it was something which I could not help but be mesmerised by each time I saw it.

This time, most of all.

Even more than the memory stone, the image of Iris being taken before my every eyes burned bright in my mind.

No, it wasn't merely because she was taken. It was because she'd given herself away so erotically. Her mischievous smile as she urged me to enjoy myself was lodged in my mind's eye long after she'd excused herself to wash away the scent of sex from her.

I did not need a memory stone to be able to recall that transfixing sight. Even now, I could feel my body not so much reacting, but simply not yet relaxing from witnessing the breathtaking sight of my beloved girlfriend losing herself to another man before my very eyes.

The only thing that could take me away from that … was a firm, but polite knock on the door.

“... Ordained hero, you have been summoned by the King's Council. Your attendance is hereby requested at your earliest leisure within the Dignitary's Hall ...”

I shook my head as only a few of the words spoken through the door registered.

Then, I realised that no footsteps could be heard retreating from the door. They were waiting for my response. Or perhaps to hear if I was even awake.

“Thank you. I'll be there shortly.”

“Understood. The King's Council looks forward to your presence, honoured hero.”

The footsteps marched away from the door in military fashion.

After it had gone, I turned back towards the closet, seeing even from a distance evidence of the mess that had been created in there.

Not wishing to burden a maid with a sight that would tarnish the image of better heroes than I, I walked over to the bathroom door and gently knocked. The water temporarily ceased splashing.

“So … by any chance, do you think you could hand me a towel?”

~ ~ ~

“It's too early for this shit.”

Walking beside me through the grand corridors that made up this castle, Magnus yawned while putting on a grim expression.

By the looks of it, anyone would assume he'd just been rudely awoken in the middle of the night and was now getting his bearings.

Nobody would suspect that he'd been awake for the past hour or more, and that the only reason for his supposed fatigue was due to having spent that time thoroughly emptying himself in the beautiful girl walking beside us.

Iris, despite her early morning special service, looked radiant beneath the passing windows. Her golden hair gleamed so brightly that not even the sunlight could compete. But even the glow from her hair faded when compared to her smile--

A smile she was currently not wearing.

“It is almost midday,” she said, her voice stern as she frowned at the tall man wielding the Spear of the Wayward Maiden on his back. “The king requested our presence after breakfast. It is now almost lunch. This tardiness is inexcusable.”

Magnus turned his outraged expression on her. Clearly, he felt it more than a little unfair that he was being criticised for lateness when at least some of it was in part to Iris offering herself in a swimsuit.

“How the fuck is--”

“I also remind you to temper your vulgarities. This isn't a sailor's inn or a gambler's den. It's the heart of the kingdom. The halls where our forebears walked, and where our current king does. It is inexcusable for anyone, least of all ordained heroes, to sully the dignity of this place.”

Magnus's jaw dropped.

For a moment, he looked like he was going to string together as many curses as his vocabulary contained. Instead, he childishly went against the spirit of Iris's words and swiped an ornamental golden fork from a passing display.

Petty pocketing of goods, he must have reasoned, wasn't going to cause anyone to faint from foul language use.

Iris was having none of it.

I let out a wry smile, finding myself torn between amazement at how normal and abnormal our situation was. Here was my party members, arguing as any adventurers would. And yet the basis for the argument was lateness due to pure sordidness.

I looked at Iris, my beautiful girlfriend, as she attempted to flag down a guard to instigate a criminal investigation on our own party member. Everything from the frown she wore, to her pink lips and her dazzling blue eyes were images that were deeply burned in my mind.

And yet … as I looked at her now, threatening to bring the rule of law down on the man opposite her, I could not help but see her in a different light.

Rather than just her sweet lips, I could not imagine them without thinking of them locking against the handsome man beside us. Rather than her blue eyes, I could not picture them without seeing them gazing seductively at me.

And rather than the adventuring gear she wore, I pictured her in her thin blue swimsuit, smeared with the semen she'd received while at the same time encouraging me to enjoy the immoral display.

I had witnessed my cherished girlfriend giving herself over to another man before my very eyes. And I could no longer think of anything else. Even as I walked through these grand corridors to attend a meeting with the king himself, I could feel my lower body failing to subside in excitement.

It was a scene I wanted to revisit. To experience again and again.

And I wondered, as I watched Magnus begrudgingly toss a golden fork halfway across the corridor, whether even then, that would even be enough.

The sight of Iris's beautiful smile glowed in my mind, just as the girl herself turned to look at me.

As though reading my mind, she twisted her lips and offered me a smile in reality.

But just like the one in my mind, it was tinged with something other than simple kindness.

It was knowing and teasing. A smile offered only to me.

A smile to let me know that she was aware of my every desire. My every fetish. And that no matter how dark or twisted they became, she would proceed to fulfil them.

With my heart thumping heavily in my chest, I led my party down the endless corridors.

~ ~ ~

I had wondered whether even a king's council would be enough to tear my mind away from the debauchery within my heart.

However, it turned out that this would not need to be tested. Because whatever old sages and wrinkled advisors existed to bore me into oblivion, I would have to wait my turn to be seen by them.

“Well, shit,” said Magnus, mirroring my thoughts.

I nodded, unsure of how else to react to this situation.

We had arrived in a grand hallway, usually reserved for large delegations of foreign dignitaries. Or that is what the guard had explained when informing us of our destination.

It was a magnificent room as decorated as a function room within a royal castle could be expected. Even the tables looked more comfortable than beds, made of lacquered wood that was overwhelmingly likely to be imported. The same as the stained windows and the oddly shaped lanterns and chandeliers.

In fact, it seemed ironic to me that most of the goods used in the seat of the kingdom appeared to be produced from foreign lands. But that was a thought few in this room seemed to mind as the large crowd indulged in the amenities available.

“The Storm Lancer, the Shield Knight, the Crushing Ogre ...” said Iris, her keen eyes taking in all the attendees in the hallway. “High ranked adventurers. Ordained heroes. Entire parties. Guilds. This isn't a king's council, it's ...”

“It's a commission,” I finished. “A commission for half the mercenaries in the kingdom to take.”

Iris nodded. Usually, it was poor manners to refer to those in our line of work as mercenaries, as though we were soldiers for hire. But when it came to such a large gathering, it was difficult to see us as anything else.

Here was not a small band of adventurers to waylay a group of enemies or protect a critical convoy. Here was a small army. And armies only fought other armies.

Already, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“Really, now, you should learn to better hide your thoughts.”

Suddenly, I was startled out of my worries as a familiar, amused voice from directly behind stole my attention.

However, it wasn't only because of the proximity of the voice which caused me to spin around in a panic. It was because of who that voice belonged to.

“... Rose Maiden ...”

In front of me, a beautiful girl with long, dark hair stood with her head slightly cocked to one side.

Tall and slender, she wore a playful smile as she folded her arms in front of a bust to match even Iris's. Not even the band of silver armour she wore over her tunic could hide the impressive size of her chest. She made less attempt to hide her legs. Beneath a short, leathery skirt, pale legs led to a pair of black high heels to match her hair colour.

But it was her eyes that were her most famous feature.

Red like roses, she boasted stunning scarlet eyes beneath her black hair, giving rise to her ordained name. Like us, she walked the path of heroes. But unlike us, she had no need for a party.

Carrying a sword by her side, a crossbow on her back, and a belt of potions and magic spheres by her waist, the Rose Maiden was as famous for her independence as she was her skill at combat. Despite her young age, she had gained a reputation for being able to perform tasks that entire parties frequently failed to accomplish.

However, what people did not know, was that independence did not mean she was averse to conversation.

On the contrary--

“Really. Your expression gives away your lack of awareness. Whether in combat or in social situations, you must shield your thoughts so as to avoid being taken advantage of. Your confusion has already been noted by those present, and thus your lesser standing among the king's confidants has been exposed. You may have difficulty bargaining for a better position in the briefing to come. A potentially fatal mistake.”

She could be downright oppressive.

Despite the amused smile she wore, there was no hiding the way her impressive aura bore down on people.

In short, extremely similar to somebody I knew very well.

“Sofia, leave him alone,” said Iris, sighing as she rescued me from the clutches of the talented heroine. “He isn't good at hiding his thoughts. You know that.”

“It's why I know that which makes this a problem. You should be aware of this too, Iris.”

“Naturally, I am. But I wouldn't say it's an altogether negative aspect to him. Truthfulness of thought is a virtue that can often be charming.”

“Enemies are not charmed. They see opportunities and we see death.”

Iris let out another sigh.

“I don't disagree. But you should have more faith in us all. If there are enemies, then there is also me. And Magnus. We cover for each other's weaknesses, as our party dynamics allows. It has saved us several times. None of us are alone.”

The Rose Maiden nodded, not taking that for the suggestion which it quite clearly was. She gave a shrug and a slight stretch of her arms, like a cat yawning in the sun.

“Then I hope you'll continue to cover for his lack of finesse. Even now, I can see him wondering how to respond in a way that will make me see him in a better light, despite every passing second of silence resulting in quite the opposite.”

I opened my mouth to say something.

Sadly, my intentions were not matched by how quickly my wits could function.

Rather than chastise me, however, the Rose Maiden immediately raised her hand to cover her mouth, hiding a small note of laughter derived purely from my awkward reaction. Her scarlet eyes flashed with a playful spark.

Iris sighed once more at the other girl's obvious toying.

There was no recrimination or irritation in that sigh, however. Casual and weary, it was the sigh of someone who was more than a mere acquaintance. It was that of a close friend.

“Like I said, leave him alone. He's not like you … How are you, by the way?”

“Good. Stopped a weapons cartel operating out of a network of hidden cellars this morning. Yourself?”

“We killed a Demon of Greed yesterday. We're still alive. So, fine.”

“Excellent. Shall we discuss our deepest secrets while trading clothes afterwards? I have an agreeable room located near the docks. I find the suites here far too pampering.”

“I would love to.”

The two beautiful girls in our midst shared a smile.

In that moment, I saw neither the Sword Princess nor the Rose Maiden, but Iris and Sofia, two girls barely a year apart in age, whose history together stretched back to having spent their time training beneath the same swordmaster.

For a moment, a new, healthier jealousy erupted in me as I wondered what Iris's time was like back before she was the Sword Princess. I was also filled with a sense of pride. Despite the Rose Maiden's skill with a blade, it was Iris who received the more coveted title among them.

Then again, perhaps that was unfair. I didn't know whether the Rose Maiden's scarlet eyes were always this stunning, but it was possible that once people had caught sight of them, nothing else appeared to matter.

I let out a belated cough.

“Rose Maiden, it's a pleasure to--”

“Sofia. I've told you this before. The moment you began consorting with Iris, you gained the ability to refer to me without my ordained title.”

“I'm, uh, not sure if consorting is the right word for ...”

“Consorting.” All of a sudden, Sofia stepped past me and towards Iris. Flicking her long dark hair behind her, she wrapped her slender arms around Iris's neck and brought her in for a close hug. “A word used for when approval of a relationship is not matter of fact.”

I let out a wry smile as I saw Iris feebly attempt to push the other girl away. I also saw that while hugging, their lower bodies maintained a significant distance apart, due simply to the sheer size of their busts.

It was a sight that more than just one of us enjoyed.

“Yo, Sofia,” said Magnus, stepping in with a stupid grin. “Long time no--”

“I'm busy. Say another word and I'll cut off your mouth.”

Magnus immediately fell silent. A rare thing even when faced with Iris's wrath. And yet maybe that was because unlike Iris, he did not feel a threat to his face when speaking out of turn.

He turned to me, then spoke in a voice low enough to still be heard by everyone, but could still pretend it wasn't on purpose.

“Shit. Almost forgot how crazy this bitch she gets when it comes to Iris.”

I let out a wry smile, mostly since I didn't dare offer an answer.

After a long time, Sofia released Iris from her arms. But not entirely from her reach. The dark haired girl's hands shot up to straighten a crumpled collar, before smiling in satisfaction.

In that moment, I was reminded about how looks can be deceiving. Just as Iris appeared cold and withdrawn, this black haired beauty looked like she could be the daughter to any of the visiting dignitaries which often frequented this castle.

Instead, she was simply a girl who missed her old friend.

“It's a relief you're as cute as ever,” said Sofia, her voice suddenly becoming more tired, as though she'd expended all her energy on this greeting. “But there will be time to discuss pleasantries later. I'm afraid that more serious conversations lay ahead for now.”

Iris stepped back, released from her friend's embrace. She nodded, her expression growing equally serious to match. The comment about her cuteness went ignored.

“I understand. Do you know what this is about? There are so many of us here.”

“I have an inkling, but no more. I'll let you know once I've been called in. Every party is having an individual briefing.”

“Any forewarning would be appreciated,” said Iris, unexpectedly batting her eyelashes.

Sofia fell silent for a moment. I did not know whether she was taking her time to decide a reply, or whether, like the rest of us, she too could be taken in by Iris's cuteness.

After a moment, she leaned slightly in. Her mature smile faded, replaced by a look of seriousness.

“Assignments north,” she said, her voice low. “With no option to decline. The war is being lost. We are to be sent as reinforcements.”

Suddenly, we all fell silent as the gravity of the words hit us.

North. The front lines. War.

This was no mere skirmish.

We were being sent to fight the Demon King.