Testing My Luck in the New World

Once again, we found ourselves confined within the four empty walls of the inn’s bedroom for a meeting. The day had brewed up a wide set of conflicting emotions that kept us silent, each of which hung over our heads like a shattered lightbulb. Just not for the reasons one might have thought given my report.

Yua had already shared what happened on the top floor of the tavern to the others while I was out training, so I only had to fill in the blanks here and there, sharing the details her ears couldn't pick up. while girls did eventually try and fail to find us, the task of relaying everything that happened with Giulio fell into my hands.

I was sprawled out across the bed, trying to find what little comfort I could in the pillow I propped myself up with. Straddling my hips, Yua gently pressed her glowing palms into the center of my back, channeling her Healing Punch to tend to my training injuries. Injuries that my dear Yua Sensei had forced me to bear with ever since I got back, not because I was late, but as yet more pain-tolerance training. Only once she decided I’d had enough, did she finally relent and hop onboard the healing train.

Despite my pain and suffering – and my one-on-ones with two of the bandit’s top dogs – we still hadn’t learned all that much. And what we did learn boiled down to one inescapable question that none of us had an immediate answer for.

“So, what were Elara’s tits like?”

“Elane…”

“They’re about as big as Yua’s, right? But are they perkier? Did they sag a little?”

“Is that really what you want to focus on?” Lucielle said. Her cheeks had been tinged pink ever since Yua climbed on my back, but they were steadily growing redder by the second. “Another woman just tried to seduce your husband. Aren’t you bothered?”

“Nope. Details, damn you! Were they soft?”

“Like Yua already told you, I didn’t touch her.”

“Seriously!” Lucielle yelled. “Even if he held back, he’s still a man. Shouldn’t you be upset with him or something?”

“Nah. I trust him. So, were her tits…?”

“How can you so blindly trust a man to keep his hands to himself when he can’t even keep his eyes off our chests? He could be lying!”

I sighed and Yua let out a half giggle before stopping herself. Not going to lie, I’m feeling pretty attacked right now. It may be a bit much to call myself a victim, considering, but I didn’t exactly ask for what happened at the tavern.

“I don’t suppose it’d help if I said I found Elara’s actions disgusting?”

“No, not if you’re going to stare at my boobs while you say that.”

Uggh. Yea… I suppose I’m not the victim.

Resignation washed over me and I pressed my face into the pillow. I knew my girls would understand what happened back there, but I never considered having to face Lucielle’s judgment.

“How about we focus on what we’re going to do?” Yua said. “How are we supposed to handle Elara if she’s not actually a bandit?”

She clapped her hands and looked around the room, but nobody jumped to answer. We couldn’t just kill her, that’d be murder. Even if she’s the head honcho of this outfit, she hasn’t actually pulled any triggers herself – she wasn’t a bandit. According to the world itself, if not the law, she was innocent.

“We could report her for another crime. What about conspiracy to commit murder?”

Elane shook her head. “Even if we managed to take out Giulio first, we’d still have to convince his buddies in the guard to side with us. And we have no proof she did anything.”

“Don’t suppose we could get Mina to testify?”

“Not happening. She’s a bandit.”

“But without her, we’d still be guessing at who their leader actually is. We could vouch for her.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Lucielle said. “Even if she’s being forced to help them, the guards would never trust a vampire. Nobody would.”

“But you’re a guard. You could…”

“I’m sorry, but it won’t help.”

“Well, we can’t just let them kill her.”

“Why not?” Lucielle asked. “Helpful or not, she has murdered at least one person.”

“That’s… It wasn’t entirely Mina’s fault. If anything, the blame for what she did lands on the bastard that turned her.”

If it weren’t for that Baron Renaud guy, she never would have flown into a Blood Frenzy. She wouldn't have been forced to kill to survive – her hands would still be clean. Despite knowing this themselves, the others looked at me as though I’d said something crazy.

“Alex,” Yua started. “Even if Mana’s not that great at telling lies from truths, we can’t know for certain if Willomina was lying about all that.”

“She’s a thief and a killer,” Lucielle added, shaking her head.

“Mnn… I don’t know,” Mana said, face scrunching up in contemplation. Lying beside me with her arms dangling far off the edge of the bed, she stared at the ceiling and continued, almost like she was talking to herself. “White Hair is different… probably.”

“Different how?”

“... I don’t know. Maybe I think she’s not a bad person.”

“Kitty… Haven’t you been paying attention? She lost control and hurt someone.”

“Yea but don’t you do that when you get all red and scream a lot?”

This simple factoid had the profound effect of silencing Elane. Her brow furrowed with regret, but Mana didn’t seem to mean anything by what she said. She continued staring at the ceiling as she continued.

“It’s the same, I think. You go red, but you’re still you.” She scratched her head. “I don’t get it, but you’re still you, even if you don’t think you are. I think she’s the same, maybe.”

“Exactly,” I said. “I can’t account for her past, but right now, she’s doing what she can to help us.”

The simple fact that neither Elara or Giulio knew we found her in the fort is proof enough she isn’t working for them by choice. Regardless of her objectives, she at least appears to be on our side. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and so on.

“I don’t think we can discount Mina's help just yet. And if she ends up being the reason why we can do what we need to do, then maybe we should help her.”

The girls – minus one Mana – all shared a look and, while I couldn’t tell what it meant, I knew I didn’t like it.

“Husband, are you feeling alright?”

“Obviously I’m fine. Why?”

“She’s a bandit,” Lucielle said. “Even if she helps, the most mercy she can earn is a swift death.”

“But…”

“No, I think we might be able to work something else out,” Yua said. “But I can’t trust her until I hear her myself. Mana probably just wasn’t listening right.”

“Yes I was.”

Elane nodded. “Husband, I think your heart’s in the right place, but you know – this world’s – not that simple.”

“Thanks for the emphasis, and I get it. I’m not delusional. I know Mina should be punished for what she did, but…”

“But what? She killed someone and, even if we help her now, she might do it again someday. It’s not like you grabbing my ass to keep me from getting pissed off. As a vampire, she needs blood, and her body will go to any length to get it. Even if she doesn’t want it to. She said as much herself.”

“... I don’t think Mina’s foolish enough to put herself in that kind of situation again.”

Even if she hates the act of drinking blood, hates even the taste of it, she regrets the vile act that holding back forced her to commit. She wouldn’t just let it happen again.

“And what’s this Mina business, anyway?” Elane continued. “Why are you suddenly giving the enemy a nickname?”

“Wha… Well, it’s easier to say, I guess,” I said, but even I didn’t know why I made that change. Elane raised a brow at me.

“Is she really that pretty?”

“I mean, she’s pretty malnourished and she looks like she doesn’t sleep much, so...”

“I see. I see,” Elane nodded, coming to her own conclusion. “I get it now.”

“Get what, exactly?”

“You’re pent up.”

“Pardon?”

“Yea… We haven’t been able to have sex since Lucielle started rooming with us and now you’re so backed up that you can’t think straight.”

“… What the hell are you talking about?”

“Quick, Yua! Unleash your tactical blowjob and suck some sense back into this man!”

“Eh? Elane, maybe now’s not the…” Yua started, sounding mostly unbothered, but then Lucielle jumped to her feet. Her face was beet red.

“S-Sorry if I’ve been a burden, but if that’s where this conversation is leading, maybe I should just head home.”

Steam billowed out of her ears as she zipped over to the door and, when the knob wouldn’t turn, she jumped as if the thing were electrified. Trembling, she looked back at us like a cornered rat.

“W-Why can’t I open the door?”

I wanted to sigh, but if the girl was this skittish towards even the mention of a blowjob, she had to be a virgin. So, I tempered my response as I rolled out from underneath Yua.

“You can’t open it because I recast my magic on it after dinner. But thank you for raising that point,” I said, turning to Elane as she smirked at the poor girl. “I haven’t lost it. I sealed the room again so Mina can’t get in, just in case she does turn against us.”

I may have lightened up on her, it’s true, but that doesn’t mean I’ve let my guard down.

“Be that as it may, I still think you’re pretty pent up. I mean, Yua hasn’t even been able to give you her morning wake up call, right? Now, hop to, Yua. Or I’ll have to get Kitty to spread her legs.”

“What?!” Lucielle shouted, causing both cat girls to wince.

Rubbing her ear, Yua said, “Why are you trying to make us do it? If you’re so worried, why don’t you…”

“Because unlike you two, I take issue with performing in front of a guest.”

At this, yua glanced at Lucielle, who flinched. “… I don’t think you care as much as you say you do.”

“Doesn’t matter. Alex wouldn’t want me to do it while Lucielle’s here. That’s why we’re in this mess, remember?”

“Well, he wouldn’t want us to, either.”

“And that’s why you should just shove his cock down your throat and let him bust one or two out. You can do it behind the bed where she can’t see. Besides, we all know you’re the best at it.”

“You’re not making any sense. Even if she can’t see, Lucielle would still be in the room.”

“Wha… wha… wha…”

Lucielle, turned into a stuttering, mumbling mess, followed the conversation by snapping her head back and forth between the two women and myself, all while repeatedly rattling the doorknob. The girls’ unrefined bluntness continued, openly name-dropping her into a lewd onslaught of nonsense that she clearly wanted no part of. I could only imagine what was running through her mind.

Wanting to spare her the same mental anguish that I once felt whenever such topics were brought up back on Earth, I clapped my hands loudly to gain everyone’s attention.

“Alright, we’re done with this conversation. I understand why you guys are so quick to judge Mina, but we still have one more of her hints to look into before anyone can make a final judgement. Matter of fact, it’s about time we get going. You ready, Mana?”

“Mm… Okay…”

With a muted tone, Mana hiked her feet high up into the air before tumbling backwards off the bed and onto the floor. She then quietly went about equipping her bow and quiver – she was already dressed in her ninja gear.

Mana, who’d normally be jumping at the chance to help me relieve myself, had been perfectly and shockingly quiet since dinner. Unless she’d been called on, we hardly got so much as a peep out of her. She just laid there by my side, quietly staring at the ceiling. And this was for one simple reason: she’d been psyching herself up for her next sneaking mission.

She joined up beside me and tried to put on her best war face before pulling up her mask. I did the same and turned to Yua and Elane.

“We’ll probably be out for a while. You two just try and get some sleep.”

Yua crossed her legs on the bed, glaring with a pure concern-driven defiance. “You can’t seriously expect me to sleep when you’re out there, do you?”

“No, but I did say try. There’s no point in all of us being tired tomorrow.”

“Well, I’m not sleeping until you come back to me.”

Yua whipped her face away from me and crossed her arms in a pout. Seeing her act so cutely out of worry for me made my desire to pounce on her triple past its normal strength, but for the sake of the mission – and our guest – I forced my libido to settle down.

“If that’s what you want, then I guess I can’t stop you. But as for you, Elane…”

“Hoho? Yes, my husband, my love, my handsome, handsome man?”

“Stop teasing Lucielle.”

“Tch.”

With nothing but a click of her tongue to show she got the message, she stood from her chair and reached behind her back. I heard the click of her bra being unclasped, and when she started to pull it off from under her shirt, I knew she at least planned on taking my advice.

Unbothered by Elane partially disrobing for the simple fact she barely even knew what a bra was, Lucielle calmed herself enough to ask a question.

“What about me?”

“Just try and get some sleep. Actually, why don’t you let me teleport you somewhere safe like we discussed?”

If everything went according to plan, we’d have most of what we needed by the end of tonight. Meaning things would soon get violent.

“I’ll instruct the maids living there to wait on you hand and foot. You won’t have to lift a finger.”

“Thanks, but no thanks. I told you; I’m seeing this through no matter what.”

I pinched the space between my eyes, but after a quick look at the time on my HUD, I let it go.

“Then just stay here. We’ll be back as soon as we can.”

With that, I threw open a portal and pressed my hand against the small of Mana’s back to walk her through it.