“Are you out of your mind?”
After I rushed over with Lydia and Karen to explain the situation to Ellie, the response I got was a questioning look at my sanity.
How cruel.
“Ellie, this is really, really important! Can we please do something about this just once? Please?”
“Uh, no. You shouldn’t even be involved in this, Jonah. Just leave it to the higher-ups.”
“But that higher-up isn’t on our side!”
“Well then there’s nothing that can be done. Just pretend you don’t know anything and live quietly. Isn’t that one of your specialties? Blending into situations while seizing whatever benefits you can. Just do that this time too.”
“That’s true, but…”
It had been working until now, but I simply couldn’t do that this time.
The first raid on the Guardian of the First Floor had to be something I either consumed or, if that wasn’t possible, the protagonist should get it.
No, I’d be fine with either Elina or Lydia. Honestly, if it’s someone with a decent character, I wouldn’t mind at all.
It’s driving me crazy with envy and stomachaches, but I can hold it in.
As long as it doesn’t fall into the hands of One Who Devours the Twilight.
Exhaling a deep sigh, I closed the distance with Ellie. No, I eliminated the distance completely.
In other words, I clung to Ellie’s body.
I wasn’t completely engulfed like Lydia, but I had managed to bury my face in her sufficiently large chest.
Instead of softness, a springy sensation wrapped around my face.
But my nose buried in Ellie’s chest in this Pangrave wasn’t that big of a deal. It was just some intense skinship, after all.
What mattered was that my abdomen was pressed against Ellie’s thigh, and my own thigh was rubbing against her.
“…!”
Ellie froze as if she had been struck with a stun. I took a deep breath while buried in her embrace.
A strange mix of the scent of a woman and the smell of a Wolf Hybrid’s fur. And it didn’t smell bad.
Both scents were pleasant, resulting in an even better aroma.
My breathing… to be precise, Ellie’s realization that I was breathing in her scent made her face flush red.
Her ears perked up rigidly. Her tail stiffened. The vertically slit pupils of a beast wandered aimlessly, and I could see her nostrils flaring, indicating that the fragrant body odor she had was working hard.
Ellie had turned into a stiff log like a mouse caught in front of a snake.
On the contrary, I was like a serpent tightening its grip on the prey, whispering softly into her ear.
“Ellie, is there really no way you could help me? You know this is the first time I’m asking you for something like this. It’s that important.”
“T-That’s true, but…”
She didn’t say it, but her throat was gulping as if struggling to swallow. Subtly rubbing herself against me as she spoke further.
“If Ellie helps, if you do… I’ll do anything for you.”
“Anything…?”
“Yes. Anything. Even the restraint play that Ellie has recently been obsessed with is fine, and the reverse or curious play I’ve looked up a few times is also okay. There’s no need to pick just one. We can try them all.”
“Everything…?”
“Let’s exercise a bit of imagination, shall we? First, we take a bath together. You can lather your chest with lots of bubbles and wash me… thoroughly, as if marking your territory.”
“Thoroughly…?”
“Since you washed me, it’s my turn next, right? There’s no need to wash me with a brush, I can just use my hands. Other parts are fine too. For example… rubbing with my belly? No, wait, that might be a bit uncomfortable. There’s another part that fits just perfectly, right?”
As I said so, I wriggled my waist against Ellie’s firm thigh, and in an instant, I felt her breath hitch.
A soft growl emerged from her throat, as if she was trying to suppress something while just swallowing.
I thought that was enough and pulled away without any attachments.
“How about it? If you help, I could do it right now.”
“…….”
Ellie clamped her mouth tightly.
Noticing the buzzing presence behind me, I turned slightly to see Lydia sighing heavily, holding her forehead, and Karen, covering her face with her palms, but peering through the gaps to catch a glimpse of whatever was happening.
I quietly smiled and made a peace sign with my fingers, leaving the two in a daze.
Lydia looked like she had been hit with reality, with a defeated expression, while Karen, for some reason, clutched the Goddess Statue I had given her and started praying.
Seriously, is this too much?
After grumbling internally for a moment, Ellie met my gaze and spoke firmly.
“No.”
“…Huh?”
“Let’s just say I’m okay with helping Lydia and Karen. But you, Jonah, aren’t coming along.”
“But this is something I must do! I can get help, but I can’t let anyone else take over.”
“That’s not a negotiation. You said you’d do anything, and this is my condition.”
“Grrrr…”
Not gonna happen? This is quite a dilemma.
Of course, I could avoid the worst-case scenario where One Who Devours the Twilight gains the power of the World Tree. I could avoid it, but… I want to get in on that too.
At this point, should I call Eve? Though she seems a bit lacking compared to the ultimate powerhouses of the world, she has the background of having lived long enough, so she’s certainly stronger than most adventurers.
Since it’s related to the power of the World Tree, she might help without needing much persuasion.
…But if Eve gets involved, wouldn’t I lose any significant contributions even if I catch the Guardian of the First Floor?
Then, I’d lose the opportunity not just for the first raid bonus but also the chance to gain the power on the first floor.
I pondered quietly, wondering how many times I’d been grappling with this dilemma. Eventually, Lydia, who had regained her senses from the shock, opened her mouth with a pale face.
“Hold on a sec, Ellie. Let’s step aside and talk.”
“What now? Don’t tell me you’re agreeing with Jonah’s ridiculous idea too, Lydia?”
“Just come here for now.”
With that, the two, dragging Ellie along, disappeared toward the storage area on the first floor. Lydia was always keen to separate me from danger, but today, it looked like she was on my side.
Is it because she showed a saint-like move in the temple earlier?
Even if it’s not about becoming a clergyman, everyone in the Pangrave reveres the Goddess of Love.
This could be due to growing up hearing about the Goddess of Love’s achievements from a young age, or it could be because the temple has strong influence, and perhaps due to the nature of the deity, it’s easy to be loved.
Until now, I’ve pushed to deny it in every way possible, but now, it might be okay to start using it slowly.
I might not know if I’m a true saint or not, but the probability is high that it was the Goddess of Love who brought me into this Pangrave and granted me the gacha ability.
So surely she wouldn’t mind if I impersonate a bit. She can’t be that petty of a goddess.
…Or could she?
Lost in thought, trying to discern the correlation between the statue I crafted and the pretty three-star statue currently in Karen’s hands, I was interrupted when Karen, who had been awkwardly silent since I asked Ellie, began speaking tentatively.
“Jonah.”
“Yes?”
“You mentioned your relationship with Ellie once… but seeing it now, it seems to be much more intimate, am I correct?”
“Well, yeah. That’s right. Ellie picked me up, fed me, sheltered me, and later, she does various things… I might have made it sound like a rather one-sided relationship, but it’s actually the reverse.”
“The reverse?”
“That is, I’m the one clinging to Ellie, asking her for food, fun, shelter, and permission to touch her chest, counting the days until I become an adult.”
“Wh-Whaat!”
With hands covering her mouth in shock, Karen realized her own status as a maiden certified by the Unicorn Dagger.
“Yeah, I can see it. You must have trained when you were young and only went on missions as you grew up, right? So you’re immune to relationships?”
“H-How did you know?”
“Well, it’s pretty obvious from a glance.”
“Indeed, you also seem to have the Goddess’s insight…”
“Ehh.”
I shrugged playfully, but Karen mistakenly took it seriously as if I were blessed by the goddess.
Wondering where to correct her now, Karen glanced towards Ellie and Lydia, who had gone into the storage area, and asked.
“By the way, Jonah, I have one question. It might be a bit rude, but is it okay?”
“What could be so rude? Just to let you know, I’m still growing, so I’ll get bigger!”
“I’m not asking about your height.”
“Huh? You weren’t going to ask about… length?”
“?”
“?”
We both tilted our heads, but soon Karen understood the implication, shaking her head in horror.
“How could you be so blasphemous! I didn’t intend to ask such a rude question!”
“I meant you could ask whatever you wanted as long as it wasn’t that rude.”
“Y-Yes? Yes…”
That doesn’t seem right. Is this okay? Let’s consider it correct for now, I guess.
As that thought processed, Karen cleared her throat and began.
“Ahem. Earlier, you mentioned that you love everything in the world, even if it’s an enemy.”
“Yes, what about that?”
“However, today, it seems you regard Ellie exceptionally. I got curious about that. Can altruism and romance coexist? It’s a topic that gets talked about a lot in the temple, so I’m curious about your insight.”
“Aha?”
I get what she’s trying to say.
Because loving everyone in the world sounds impressive and noble at first glance… from another perspective, it means there’s no one special.
On the other hand, romantic love means valuing a few individuals above anyone else.
So, the question is, can these two coexist? And if they do, which is more important? Perhaps that’s what she’s trying to address. The temple might be genuinely studying love, because there could be factions debating this issue.
In my eyes, it seems like a useless rivalry, though.
“Don’t overthink it. It’s not like you have to choose one or the other, right? You can generally love everyone in the world but still hold some individuals dearly.”
“But that…”
“Forget rigid notions like ‘this is how altruism should be, and this is how romance should be.’ In essence, emotions don’t come with a shape.”
“……!”
Karen’s eyes widened as if she had just realized something. Is she some sort of enlightenment machine now? It’s strange how she seems to grasp everything I say.
I couldn’t help but smile at how completely she believed me.
All of a sudden, a wild thought crossed my mind. This is something I need to try out right now.
“Karen, can I ask you a potentially rude question?”
“Of course. Feel free to ask anything.”
“Then I won’t hold back…”
After carefully selecting my words, I smiled.
“Karen, would you value your faith or money more?”
“Of course, it would be my faith.”
“Then how much would you donate to me?”
“All of my assets.”
It came out without a moments hesitation. So, I smiled brightly and held out my hands.
“All of it? Will you entrust it to me? I promise to use it well.”
“If you need it, then yes.”
Nodding calmly, Karen pulled out her wallet.
As she placed the entire thing on my hands, a “Creeeak—” sound reverberated.
“Phew. Jonah, I just heard everything from Lydia. We really shouldn’t be doing this… but this one time…”
Ellie, scratching the back of her head, suddenly froze.
Her trembling gaze fixed on the heavy wallet in my hands.
“Are you seriously going to do it like you did with Lydia…?!”
“No! This time, it wasn’t stolen; I asked for it and received it!”
“Is it like when you took 10 silver from me…?!”
“I’m telling you there was no price! I just asked politely, and she gave it to me!”
“Do you really think that makes sense?”
“Well, when I think about it, it is strange for someone to just give away all their assets at the drop of a hat. But hey! I did it anyway!”
“…….”
Ellie glared at me with a look of suspicion.
Lacking trust, huh?
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