Chapter 218: Interrogation
Annie’s laughter had barely faded when Cassandra looked toward Rias.
The shift in her attention was small, but everyone around Martin caught it. Her silver hair was still perfectly arranged in its low bun, and her face stayed calm. Even so, the slight narrowing of her crimson eyes made Martin’s smile stiffen.
"Now," Cassandra said, "I want to hear about the Monster Hunter Academy of the Endless Rain."
"You already know what happened."
"I know you met Captain Plume, helped the Storm Guild defeat a Sea Dragon Monster, and returned with valuable information."
She stepped closer and rested two fingers against the center of Martin’s chest.
"What I don’t know is what happened between you and Rias while you were traveling without us."
"We weren’t alone," Martin said quickly. "Angel was there the whole time, and Shuri joined us later."
"I said without us, not alone."
Elisebeth straightened at once. Before Martin could pull free, she wrapped both arms around his right arm and hugged it against her chest.
"Yes. Full report," she said. "Don’t leave anything out."
Alexandra came up behind him and draped an arm over his shoulders. Her cheek rested beside his, and her free hand settled against his stomach as if that spot already belonged to her.
Katherine moved into the open space on his left. She caught the fabric near his upper arm and leaned close enough for her breasts to brush him. The fact that she was still smiling only made Martin more nervous.
He glanced at the women closing in from every direction.
I became vice leader five minutes ago, and I’m already under investigation.
Rias folded her arms beneath her flat chest. "You all realize Cassandra is asking because she’s jealous, right?"
"I’m gathering information."
"About how many times we touched?"
"That may be relevant."
A tiny sound escaped Annie before she covered her mouth. Rias noticed and smiled.
"Fine. We held hands."
Elisebeth yanked Martin’s arm tighter, burying it even deeper in her cleavage.
"You what?!"
"It was a handshake," Martin said. "We made a pact."
Katherine’s breath warmed the side of his face. "A pact to do what?"
He avoided her eyes. "Slack off."
Cassandra pressed her fingertips more firmly into his shirt. "You delayed your return while Night Espresso had an active fourteen-day quest?"
"You weren’t online. I thought it was fair."
"You took my absence as permission to bring Rias sightseeing?"
"When you put it that way, it sounds calculated."
"It was his idea," Rias said. "He found out I’d traveled all over the world without getting many chances to enjoy any of it. He decided our walk through Endless Rain should count as actual sightseeing."
Elisebeth’s pout softened, though she kept Martin’s arm pinned against her chest.
Most of Rias’s trips had been for work. She had visited every continent, but airports, meetings, and schedules had swallowed nearly all of them. Martin had heard the regret in her voice and tried to give her one afternoon that felt different.
"That part’s nice," Elisebeth admitted. "I still don’t like the hand-holding."
"It lasted a second longer than necessary," Rias added.
Martin turned toward her. "Why would you mention that?"
"Accuracy matters in reports."
Alexandra tapped her fingertips against his stomach. "What else?"
"Our shoulders touched while we walked," Rias said, her golden eyes drifting over him. "Neither of us moved away."
Katherine’s fingers tightened in his sleeve.
"How romantic."
"We were walking side by side," Martin said.
"There was plenty of room."
"Whose side are you on?"
"My own."
Katherine rested her head against his shoulder and slowly brushed her thumb across his sleeve.
"So Rias got a private sightseeing trip while the rest of us stayed here worrying about you?" she asked in the same gentle voice. "You’re going to make that up to us, Martin."
He swallowed. "How many trips are we talking about?"
"As many as necessary."
Cassandra’s hand slid from his chest to his sleeve and stopped just above his elbow. She wasn’t gripping him tightly, but she had no intention of letting him step away.
Rias glanced at her and looked even more amused.
"We also visited the Rain Goddess."
Martin froze when her smile sharpened.
"Martin studied the local religion with impressive dedication."
"It was an important statue."
"Her breasts were important to you."
Annie’s face turned scarlet. Katherine laughed against Martin’s shoulder, while Alexandra covered his eyes with one hand.
"Problem solved," Alexandra said. "He can’t stare at anyone now."
"I need those."
"No."
Elisebeth lifted her chin and pushed his arm farther into the soft weight of her chest. "He doesn’t need a statue. I’m right here."
Cassandra looked down at Elisebeth’s cleavage, then back at Martin’s red face.
"That is difficult to overlook."
"See?"
Alexandra finally uncovered his eyes. Rias waited until he could see her again before continuing.
"He also stared at my ass after we left the Auction House."
Everyone around him went quiet, and Martin felt his soul trying to escape before the interrogation became any worse.
Rain had soaked through Rias’s fitted clothes that day, molding the fabric to her narrow waist and thick ass. He had stared far longer than he should have, and she had caught him immediately.
Elisebeth slowly turned her head. "Martin?"
"I thought she’d equipped new gear."
"My inventory is not attached to my ass," Rias said, repeating the same answer she had given him in Endless Rain.
Katherine tried to cover her laugh, but her shoulders shook against him. Even Cassandra failed to keep the corner of her mouth from lifting.
Alexandra leaned over Martin’s shoulder until her cheek brushed his.
"At least he has good taste."
Rias raised an eyebrow. "Thank you, I think."
Annie looked between Martin and her elder sister for several seconds before the words slipped out.
"Elder Sister, you really are jealous!"
Cassandra slowly turned toward her.
Annie squeaked, slapped both hands over her mouth, and hurried behind Rias.
Rias glanced back at the red-haired woman hiding behind her. "You’re braver than you look."
Annie shook her head hard enough to make her hair sway.
Cassandra turned back to Rias. "What happened during the battle?"
"That part was professional," Martin said quickly.
"Mostly," Rias added.
He regretted letting her answer immediately.
Rias explained how Plume had mistaken her for Martin’s girlfriend after watching her carve her way across the Sea Dragon Monster. The captain had called her a fine lass, told Martin not to fall behind, and later winked at her like he was proud of helping the two of them along.
Elisebeth’s cheeks puffed farther with every detail.
"And neither of you corrected him?"
"There was a level-seventy monster trying to kill everyone," Martin said. "I had priorities."
"You could’ve shouted that she wasn’t your girlfriend while blocking!"
"That would’ve made the entire guild laugh even harder."
"He’s right," Rias said.
Cassandra kept her eyes on her. "Did anything happen that Plume might have taken as proof?"
Rias waited just long enough to make everyone tense.
"Martin caught me around the waist twice."
Every woman touching him went still, and Martin rushed to explain before their grips got any tighter.
"Angel’s shell tilted. She would’ve fallen!"
"My back was pressed against his chest the second time," Rias continued. "He spoke directly beside my ear."
Elisebeth buried her face against Martin’s shoulder with a wounded groan. Katherine’s hand slid down his sleeve until she could hold his forearm against her side, while Alexandra flattened her palm over his stomach and pressed her thigh closer to his hip.
Cassandra stayed composed, but her fingers moved down his sleeve and closed around his wrist.
"You didn’t pull away immediately?"
"The surface was unstable."
"That wasn’t an answer."
Rias held Cassandra’s gaze for a moment before looking at Martin again. This time, there was no teasing in her expression.
"We became closer," she admitted. "Nothing happened that justifies this many women crushing him at once. We explored together, fought together, and learned more about each other."
Her golden eyes softened.
"Martin treated me normally. I appreciated that."
Elisebeth relaxed her hold slightly, and Katherine’s fingers stopped digging into his sleeve. Cassandra said nothing, though she kept watching Rias.
Martin looked down at the hands still holding him from every direction and let out a tired breath. "Can I breathe now?"
"No," four women answered at once.
Annie burst into laughter again.
Cassandra finally released Martin’s wrist, though she stayed so close that only a narrow gap remained between them. She looked up at him with the same calm expression she used whenever she had already made a decision.
"Once our current obligations are complete, you’ll accompany me somewhere."
Martin swallowed. "Guild business?"
"I haven’t decided."
Her crimson eyes moved briefly toward Rias before returning to him.
"We’ll also be alone."
Elisebeth immediately protested into Martin’s ear and clung tighter to his arm. Katherine demanded equal scheduling rights, while Alexandra suggested they settle the whole thing through PvP.
Annie peeked out from behind Rias, watching the argument with wide eyes.
Rias pinched the bridge of her nose. "You asked for a report and somehow turned it into a declaration of war."
"I gathered enough information and responded accordingly," Cassandra said.
With several women still pressed against him and arguing over his future, Martin could only stare at her.
Becoming vice leader had made his life more dangerous immediately.