Chapter 155: ☆I Would Have Called Out to You
It was around the time when the clock had passed 23:00.
Leaving through the pitch-dark main gate of the academy, I began walking toward the [Suzuya] inn.
I had thought more time had passed, but surprisingly little time had actually gone by.
I had known since my previous life that enjoyable and fruitful time passes quickly, so I was startled to find it was only near 23:00.
Recalling the delighted faces of Croana and the others, my cheeks naturally loosened and I ended up grinning.
Inside my magic bag was a prototype of the magic tool Croana had given me; she had asked for my impressions after using it in the tavern.
She had handed over two prototypes—one for me, and one she wanted me to entrust to Erika.
Croana was enthusiastic about making it smaller. From my perspective the current version was already wonderful, yet the fact that she refused to compromise here only deepened my admiration for her.
As expected, providing ideas seemed to suit my nature better.
If talk of money came up, that would be Erika’s and Elysia’s turn; even regarding methods of popularization, beyond word-of-mouth I could not think of any particularly good approaches.
The only idea that came to mind was the straightforward one of installing them in the mansions of nobles who held parties, and when Croana heard that she smiled happily and said she would include it among the candidates.
Once it reached 23:00, unless one was on a street with many taverns, people were nowhere to be seen.
Walking a little warily down the main avenue lit by street lamps, I saw someone approaching from the front.
Looking at the figure walking while keeping to the side, I stopped in surprise.
The person who had been walking also noticed me, stopped, and then, smiling happily, came running lightly toward me.
"Raide! Thank goodness—I thought we might have missed each other!"
"Felica...?"
Felica approached, her watermelon-sized breasts swaying, and with that same momentum threw herself into a hug.
I braced myself slightly so as not to topple over as Felica clung tightly with a mugu.
Wrapping both arms around her back and returning the embrace, her firm breasts were crushed against my body and changed shape dramatically.
Most of my upper body was occupied by the sensation of her breasts; if I let my guard down my lower half looked ready to react.
Perhaps because she had been walking, Felica’s body was a little warmer than usual; from her hair drifted the pleasant scent of mint.
There was also a faint scent of sweat, yet combined with the mint it only made me want to keep smelling it longer.
After exchanging a kiss that only touched our lips while looking at each other, I tilted my head and asked the blushing, embarrassed Felica.
"What are you doing out alone at this hour of the night? A woman walking alone in the middle of the night is far too dangerous. Nothing happened, right?"
"Uuu, it’s not as if I have no sense of danger. Look, over there..."
Still wearing an embarrassed expression, Felica glanced sideways and appealed with her eyes for me to look at the shadow of the building behind her.
Looking only with my eyes at the shadow of the building behind Felica, I saw several figures wearing black hooded cloaks.
Confirming there were a few of them, and narrowing my eyes a little, I saw one of them waving a small hand at waist height.
...Those are the maids from that time, aren’t they?
Having confirmed that she had brought escorts, I let out a small sigh of relief.
I knew Felica was strong, yet I could not help recalling the Dwarf Merchant Guild incident.
I wanted to believe nothing would happen... but I was confident that if anything were to happen to Felica next, I would not be able to restrain myself.
That time Erika had been with me so I had held back... but next time I would definitely snuff out their lives.
While thinking such things I felt one cheek being gently stroked, started, and raised my face.
Felica was smiling wryly with a shy expression, gazing at me with gentle eyes.
Had it shown on my face again? I felt embarrassed.
It was nothing new, but poker faces seemed difficult for me.
When Felica stroked my cheek with a sawa sawa and kissed me from her side, she spoke with an embarrassed wry smile.
"I’m happy about your feelings, Raide. But don’t make that kind of face. At this rate, won’t I become a heavy woman?"
"...I don’t mind if you become heavy. Not only you, Felica—every one of my lovers. Heavy is just about right, I think."
"If you say things like that I’ll end up leaning on you..."
"I’m saying I want you to lean on me, Felica."
Perhaps intending to hide her embarrassment, Felica buried her face in my neck and strengthened her embrace.
That reaction was so cute that I decided to rest my cheek against the side of her hair and enjoy the scent.
A dignified woman showing a maiden’s face—it would be stranger not to be stirred.
When I moved both hands from her back to her waist, I felt an attractive sensation that was trained yet pleasant to the touch.
Not muscular in a hard way but a body that felt good to touch; putting a little strength into my hands, I could tell there was well-trained muscle beneath the skin.
While slowly stroking her pleasantly textured waist, I suddenly felt a light kapu bite on the nape of my neck.
Felica separated her face from my neck and, still blushing, spoke bashfully.
"Honestly, you’re touching too much. At this rate we won’t get to the main subject."
"Sorry. ...So, why are you here?"
"Well... I was thinking of inviting you to my house..."
Felica averted her gaze from me a little and began explaining bashfully.
The post-war processing had ended without problems, and she had come to the [Suzuya] tavern to see me.
There she heard from Nimi that I had gone to the academy together with Fia, so she had been walking this main avenue thinking I would use it.
Glancing at my face as if finding it hard to say, she averted her eyes again and continued.
"Somehow... I wanted to be healed... nmu, nnn uun, umuu, chu haa..."
"Felica, that reaction is far too unfair."
"It’s all right to lean on you, right?"
"It is. Lean on me more."
I kissed the Felica who was making such a cute reaction, and we smiled at each other while looking into one another’s faces.
Is there a lover who would not steal a kiss when shown a reaction like that?
I do not think so, and even if the kiss stirred desire I felt it could not be helped.
Separating our bodies, I took her hand and began walking toward Felica’s mansion.
When I interlaced our fingers in a lovers’ hold, I could tell she was faintly sweating.
Squeezing a little more tightly and looking at Felica’s face, she smiled bashfully yet somehow happily.
Her reddish-purple eyes caught the light of the street lamps, giving the sensation of peering into a jewel and being drawn in.
...I end up wanting to keep looking at them forever—Felica’s eyes.
When I told that to Felica, who tilted her head while looking at my face, she was hit lightly with a posu by the hand that was not linked with mine, as if embarrassed.
"We’re already lovers, yet you’re still trying to woo me..."
"Just because we’re lovers doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to woo you, does it?"
"Honestly, honestly! That’s the sort of place you are. You’re unfair too, Raide!"
"Hahaha, true enough."
Incidentally, the maids escorting Felica looked deeply moved upon seeing her state.
Come to think of it, the previous time we met they had also rejoiced at her having a lover as if it were their own affair.
Thinking about it, the mere fact that I had caught Felica’s eye meant I was the owner of considerable good fortune.
Originally we would only have seen each other’s faces at the academy, and any point of contact would have been through Roy.
If asked whether I had ever spoken to her first, I do not think I had.
That might have been because of the prior information that she somewhat avoided men...
"What are you thinking about next?"
"Ah... I was wondering whether, if that incident hadn’t happened, I would still have been able to become lovers with you, Felica."
"...I think we probably would have become lovers."
"Hn?"
Felica pressed her breasts against the arm I was holding and clung close, then looked at me with a troubled smile.
The softness of her breasts felt through my arm threatened to steal my attention, but I restrained myself and gazed at Felica’s face.
"You’re more charming than you think, Raide. Somehow... you catch the eye. So even if that incident hadn’t happened, I believe I would have called out to you myself."
"...That’s embarrassing."
"Fufun, normally I’m the one on the receiving end. Sometimes you should accept it too... nmu, puha."
"I’ll do that."
"Honestly! Raide, honestly!"
I had tried expressing the happy feelings with a kiss, but it seemed to have been embarrassing for Felica.
She lightly struck my body with posu posu to hide her shyness; watching such a Felica with a smile, she began puffing out her cheeks.
A blushing, cheek-puffing Felica was adorable.
Since she was said to be an empress among women the gap was tremendous, and the thought that such a woman had let down her guard for me made me happy.
Personally I wanted her to lean on me even more... though I also understood that she was already leaning on me considerably.
No—perhaps I should just spoil her myself... Right, let’s do that.
On the way to Felica’s mansion I told her about the new magic tool Croana had invented.
Felica rejoiced more than I had expected; when I asked the reason she smiled wryly and explained.
Noble mansions everywhere had poor ventilation and tended to trap heat rather easily, so during hot periods one’s mood dropped.
The royal palace was the same, yet because of the difference in scale it was not as trying; Felica fluttered the hand that was not linked with mine and smiled troubledly.
From what Felica said, wouldn’t it be better to present it to the royal palace first?
I had the feeling that the morale of the knights and soldiers would rise from it...
I thought I would ask Croana tomorrow whether we could install a prototype in the royal palace.
When I told Felica that, she nodded many times with a full smile.
Along with the nodding motion her large breasts swayed with purun purun, but I was careful not to direct my gaze there.
Yet women notice even in an instant, so there was something frightening... I really had to be careful.
Suddenly recalling something Croana had said, I spoke to the smiling Felica.
"I heard from Croana that the academy will reopen in three days. Word should reach you, but I’ll tell you now."
"Three days later... the day after we go to the royal palace, is it?"
"Yeah. I’m worried whether the students will be all right."
"Fufu, more than going to the royal palace?"
"Of course. I’m the combat instructor in charge of the students. Besides, as for myself, I’ll manage somehow."
"...As I thought, I would have called out to you, Raide."
"Hn?"
When I turned the face that had been looking forward toward Felica, her face was right in front of mine and she kissed me.
It was not a kiss that merely touched the lips; she entangled our tongues.
Rather than from my side, it was Felica who initiated it, and I simply let her tangle her tongue with mine.
Separating her face and looking at me who was blankly dazed, Felica dyed her cheeks red, smiled beautifully, tilted her head slightly, and spoke.
"I was interested, so I would have called out to you."
"Felica..."
"And I would have obtained you. Just like now?"
"I see."
"Yes. So don’t go worrying about strange things, all right?"
Looking at each other, Felica and I smiled happily and advanced our feet toward the mansion that had come into view.
Keeping up with lovers who kept growing more and more charming was hard work.
I had once said something similar to Nimi; at the time she had laughed as if finding it amusing and told me "You’re fine just as you are."
Perhaps I should ask Felica later as well—though I had the feeling she would say the same words as Nimi...
Also, the maids escorting Felica who appeared at the edge of my vision seemed to be continuously moved; their joy was tremendous.
There was something a little embarrassing about it, so I would have preferred they stop raising both hands in celebration.