Chapter 31: Chapter 31
Baran Tower City, Upper Commercial Ring.
The sun outside the tower had vanished but inside the city the lantern-crystals never dimmed.
The heavier the party’s bags got.
The lighter their pouches dramatically became.
Nero’s soul felt like it had been personally mugged by every merchant in the tower.
They had still managed to leave with exactly what they needed for the Spirit King Tomb.
There were items like—
A palm-sized «Sand-Clock of Returning»
Three vials of «Spirit-Warding Mist» was enough.
It cost 4 Sun Coins total.
For that, Lancelot flirted shamelessly with the alchemist until she knocked a full Sun Coin off the price.
Merlin bet some coins that they could’ve gotten it for cheaper if they let Thorin haggle.
"He’d have wasted our time!"
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH, LANCELOT!"
"...You guys are idiots..."
They were still arguing when the party reached the lift to the upper floors.
Nero had tried to suggest staying lower.
"Guys, hear me out. Floor 30 inns are only 8 Ember Coins a night. We could—"
Vivianne didn’t even let him finish.
"Lower floors mean open windows, thin walls, and two hundred adventurers who just watched us drop thirty Sun Coins like it’s pocket change. You want to wake up with a knife in your kidney and your pants on the chandelier?"
Nero opened his mouth then closed it.
He let out the sorrowful sigh of a man whose wallet was already bleeding.
"Upper floors it is."
Floor 87. Skyward Inn.
The receptionist quoted 2 Sun Coins and 40 Ember Coins per night for the deluxe triple suite.
Nero paid without blinking anymore.
His poor soul had already left his body somewhere around the third zero.
Inside the room, warm amber light, floating silk curtains, a bed the size of a small house.
Nero sat on the edge of that absurd bed and opened the nearly-empty coin pouch.
After that, he just... stared.
23 Ember Coins and a handful of Ash Shards.
In a few days his wallet would need a funeral.
That’s when he heard soft footsteps.
Then a sudden weight pressed deliciously against his back with its soft figure.
Two very round, very warm, bouncy things squished against his shoulder blades.
Merlin’s arms slid around his neck from behind as she peeked over his shoulder.
Her messy black hair was all over his face.
She sang, cheek smushing against his.
Nero’s eyebrows shot toward the ceiling.
『This woman is a walking boner provoker...』
He cleared his throat.
"J-, Just... grieving over what’s left after today’s friendly robbery."
Merlin hummed, completely ignoring personal space.
She pushed closer... her entire front now plastered tenderly to his back.
Her breasts squished as her hips brushed his spine.
"Sooo, personal adventuring manual thingy... you gave it to Vivi, right? That was super sweet of you."
Nero nodded with a mild smile.
"I—uh—it’s practical. She goes adventuring the most and they usually need a lot of info, so—"
Merlin’s hands started wandering across his chest to trace the buttons of his shirt.
"You okay? You sound kinda... lost."
She acted like she didn’t know what she was doing.
『This is totally student-teacher encouraged!』
She shamelessly lied to herself.
[Notice! Merlin intimacy level is dangerously high as she’s using "concern" as an excuse to grope you in very inappropriate ways.]
Nero swallowed so hard his throat clicked.
"Just... maybe coming down with something."
Her nipples drilled into his back.
But Nero still looked calm.
Instantly Merlin’s arms tightened as her pretty face pressed into the crook of his neck.
And her luscious lips brushed his skin as she spoke.
"You’re not hot though... let me check properly."
Her palms went across his body in a slow and obviously deliberate manner.
[Ding! Merlin is feeling you up.]
[You’ve gained +10 charm!]
[You’ve been rewarded with a new car!]
Nero tilted his head.
Nero’s knees almost buckled.
He shot to his feet like the bed was on fire.
"I think I just need sleep! Sleep fixes everything!"
He was trying to avoid any more intimacy with Merlin if it meant she’d stop talking to him again.
Merlin’s face fell so fast it was almost comical.
Big violet eyes going wide and watery.
[Notice! Merlin is sad. She wanted to "talk" more. She has missed private time with you for days.]
[Merlin’s affection has lowered by 10!]
[Give a correct response for immediate recovery!]
Nero opened his mouth... just as Vivianne padded in from the washroom, towel-drying her long black hair as she wore nothing but an oversized sleep shirt that barely reached her luscious mid-thighs.
She took one look at the scene and raised a brow.
"Lancelot and Thorin are already asleep. We should get some early sleep too."
Then her red eyes narrowed on Merlin, who still had both arms outstretched like she was trying to catch a fleeing Nero.
"That means letting your student rest, Merlin."
The gentlest tone Nero had ever heard from Vivianne.
It was still flat as a board, but... gentle.
He managed a weak smile at her.
She gave the tiniest nod back... almost shy, and Nero’s heart did a weird flip.
Merlin, however, was not having it.
She bounced forward, inserted herself between them, and threw one arm around Nero, the other around Vivianne.
"Nope! Change of plans!"
She chirped hyperactively.
"Instead of letting Nero sleep in the same room as those two stinky boys, he should stay with us! He’s well-behaved yunno and there’s safety in numbers, right, Vivi?"
Vivianne blinked once. Slowly.
Merlin nodded so hard her hair bounced.
"Of course! It’s not like we sleep naked or anything, so he won’t see any treats~ Tee-hee!"
Nero side-eyed her so hard his neck cramped.
『You’ve literally been naked in front of me more times than you’ve put on clothes, woman!』
Before he could protest, Merlin yanked both of them into a crushing hug.
"Don’t worry, we’ll protect you ~"
Nero’s face was suddenly, gloriously sandwiched between two pairs of the softest, warmest breasts he’d ever gotten the pleasure of seeing.
He smiled peacefully.
On the left, Merlin’s breasts were plush, springy, smelling faintly of frost-mint and mana crystals.
On the right, Vivianne’s were firmer and heavier.
He made a noise that was half wheeze, half prayer.
Lights out. Bed time.
They actually did it.
Merlin on his left, curled up like a possessive kitten, one leg thrown over his. Vivianne on his right, laying straight like a vampire in a coffin, but her generous chest still managed to smother half his face.
Every time he turned, he just... motorboated them.
Merlin kept "accidentally" tightening her hug whenever he moved as she bit her lip with the most perverted little smile that made her eyes glitter in the dark.
Vivianne didn’t seem to care she was practically suffocating him with her breasts.
She just slept, one hand eventually sliding down in her sleep to rest possessively on his butt.
It was a grip of steel.
Two minutes in, both women were out cold.
Nero was wide awake, staring at the ceiling like he’d made a terrible life choice.
『I just wanted one quiet night before we fight an explore an ancient tomb. That’s all.』
His soldier was at full attention under his pants. This update ıs available on novᴇlfire.net
It was quite painful too.
『If this keeps up I’m going to die...』
Then the blue system panel blinked into existence right in front of his eyes.
『User has spent long hours in Phantasia.
Mandatory logout sequence initiating in 10...9...』
[User has spent long hours in-game. Mandatory logout sequence initiating in 10... 9...]
[Miss Adeline has contacted your mother. You’ve been marked absent for 19 consecutive school days... it is deeply advised you return immediately to prevent any real-world complications.]
Nero groaned... muffled directly into Vivianne’s perky cleavage.
The vibration made her squeeze his butt harder in her sleep.
He jerked as his face sunk even deeper.
Somewhere in the dark, Merlin let out a tiny, dreamy moan and hugged tighter.
Nero closed his eyes in defeat.
The countdown hit zero.
The last thing he felt was two perfect, warm prisons of softness pressing in from both sides.
Tomorrow they would descend into the tomb.
[Achievement Unlocked: "Sandwiched"]
[Reward: 100 silver coins!]
[Coins have been converted to real-world currency!]