The Great Sword is not the Main Body!-Chapter 116: Master (4)

"Mmm...ugh..."

As I twisted and turned my cramped body, my face bumped into a soft, heavy mass.

"Wanting more as soon as you wake up?"

"Buuh...?"

"It's a bit tough, but... I agree."

A gentle voice chuckled, lifting my chin.

"Good morning, Noah."

"Uh... uh... Lu, um, hm, Ruby...ah."

"Hahaha... what do we do about your hoarse voice?"

"Huh!"

Ruby poked me in the ribs as she chuckled.

"Ruby, did you... sleep well?"

"Yes, I haven't slept that deeply in a long time."

"Ugh... that's a relief..."

Her gentle hand petting my head, I hugged Ruby tightly.

Such a nice scent...

But... why is it so soft and smooth?

"Uh, ah...? Wait a minute... you're, you're all... naked?"

"Yes. You took everything off yesterday, remember?"

"Ah... hiccup-"

"Pffhaha! What's with the surprise now?"

"Eh? Hic, no, that, hiccup- oh..."

Every movement made my behind sore, and, uh, other parts...sting and hurt. My chest, thighs, stomach, back, shoulders, neck. And, why my armpits...?

"Do you hurt anywhere too, Noah?"

"Yes, yes... it stings... it's sore..."

"Endure it."

"Ah, th-thank you...?"

"Just hold on and remember this feeling."

Ruby's lips touched my forehead.

"These are the scars we've made together."

"Ah, uh, oh... ugh..."

The sweet words made my body overly warm, and I felt steam coming off my face.

Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, I buried my face into Ruby's body and embraced her tightly. Then I felt the distinct marks of scratches on her back.

"Why didn't you heal...? Isn't your body supposed to heal itself?"

"I've blocked it deliberately. I want to remember. It would be better if they turn into scars."

"What...? No, you can't have scars. Heal them, quickly."

Still embarrassed... I squirmed up to press my forehead against Ruby's.

"There's no need to remember like that... we can just do it again. Heal quickly. I hate seeing you hurt."

And then, smooch—

I kissed Ruby's slightly parted lips and gently stroked her back.

"...Oh."

"Ah, uh... does it hurt? I'm sorry."

"Teasing me again."

"...What?"

"You've recovered enough, haven't you?"

"What?"

Suddenly, Ruby sat up over me.

Clink—

"Ruby? Wait, when did you...?"

She handcuffed me while exhaling hot breaths.

"Let's do it one more time."

"What...? No, not yesterday, I mean... ah?"

"I forgot. So, just shut up. No, open your mouth."

"I'm still hurt... ugh?!"

"Madam Ruby, why that look?"

"What?"

"If I may say so, it's quite ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) a displeasing expression."

"Oh, my words are harsh. I've always been this way, what are you talking about? Hahaha."

"...It gives me chills."

[It's not just me, right? Something's... Ruby seems too kind.]

"Do you think so too, Lord Cartia?"

"You keep slandering me... I've always been kind. People call me a compassionate priestess, how could I be bad? Right, Noah?"

"Yeah, um... yes, Ruby is kind."

"Noah's testimony is not convincing at all."

We sat around the round table for Sirin's briefing. Well... perhaps not a briefing? Anyway... we gathered for that meeting.

With Sirin in the middle, Cer to the left, and Ruby to the right. And I was on Ruby's lap.

"It's not unpleasant, but as Cer said, your expression has indeed softened."

"Do you think so? I feel the same as always. Right, Noah?"

"Yeah, right... uh, hm... yes."

My voice kept cracking.

Embarrassing...

"Why does Noah look so pale? Didn't you spend the same time together?"

"Eek..."

To hide my blushing face, I turned around and buried it in Ruby's embrace.

"Did you two do it?"

"Do what?"

"Sex."

[Boom boom! Butt-slapping! Mating!]

Boom-boom—Cer's fists and palms clashed, and Cartia's crazy remarks dragged yesterday's memories back.

Flesh colliding. Water overflowing, splashing everywhere. Feeling faint, almost dying.

All those scenes.

"Oh..."

A sensation like a cramp hit my lower stomach again, and I clung tightly to Ruby, shaking my head. Don't answer. Don't answer!!

Knowing my thoughts, Ruby simply smirked at Cer's question without responding.

And then, with her finger along my spine.

Slither-

"What?! What, all of a sudden?!"

"Indeed. That's answer enough."

[What, what? Oh? Really? They did? Oh my god...]

What do Cer and Cartia understand from that? Really, it's so embarrassing I could lose my mind...

"Well, enough chitchat. Let's get to the main point."

Sirin slammed a stack of papers on the table, distributing one bundle to Cer and one to Ruby.

"Ruby, you and Noah had an incident with a criminal organization called Red Scorpion, right?"

"Red Scorpion... yes. There were some issues in Urfear. Noah, you remember? That time... that incident."

"Umm...?"

Red Scorpion? Urfear...? What is that?

"...Don't remember?"

"...No."

"Well, that can happen. Hmm. It wasn't a good situation then."

Ruby chuckled softly, turned my body forward, and petted my head.

"But why bring up that organization suddenly? I thought it was mostly... if not entirely, dismantled."

Then, thunk— a small envelope landed on the table.

"What's this?"

Ruby reached out, rustling the envelope open, and gasped.

"Isn't this the drug the organization members were taking?"

"How much do you know?"

"Well, back then during the interrogation... uh."

Ruby paused, looking down, checking my reaction.

"Why, what...?"

"Um... well, Noah needs to know too."

Ruby, with a resolved expression, began explaining after gently petting my head.

"There was one survivor from the organization we interrogated back then. First, the ingredients and effects of the drug are..."

"Can you explain?"

"Yes... Firstly, the ingredient is a human with magical powers. The effect is a temporary surge in magical power. Even those without any magic could gain at least the magical power of a formal knight if they took the drug."

[What the fuck... people did that?]

"Gasp..."

They made people into pills? And... ate them...?!

"As I thought..."

Sirin sighed deeply and placed another envelope on the table.

"This is the finished product of that drug. The one that produced those monster-like creatures we encountered. Cer, can you identify the ingredients?"

"I am a genius; there's nothing I don't know."

Cer, inappropriately jovial for the situation, started to draw a small magic circle on the table after biting his finger to draw blood.

Slush—swish—

Completing a magic circle the size of a human head with his sticky blood, Cer pulled Sirin's wrist over it.

"I'd appreciate some of your magic power."

"Mm."

Magic flowed from Sirin, absorbed into the magic circle as Cer watched, satisfied. Then he placed the pill on it.

Immediately, a familiar energy burst forth.

"...Indeed."

"That, that's... surely not."

"Yes, you're all correct. It's divine power. Ruby's divine power. It's a bit mixed with murky magic, but the purity is high considering that."

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"How, exactly?"

Ruby hugged me tighter, her voice trembling.

"This is just my guess, but... Ruby. You've been to several villages for missionary work, haven't you?"

"Yes, all over... oh no—"

"It's not certain. But... it's highly likely. That's why I've been going out frequently—to investigate."

Rustle—

Sirin pulled out a map from thin air and spread it on the table.

"You see?"

"These places..."

"Are the villages you visited under the guise of missionary work."

"Oh, no..."

"You must have left a trace amount of divine power in the bodies of those you healed. To prevent any potential relapse of their ailments, right?"

"...Yes."

"It seems they've extracted it."

Ruby's body started shaking violently. The hand stroking my thigh turned cold, and her breathing became rough.

Distressed by her state, I set down the sword and curled around to hug her tightly. Her shaking stopped, and her breathing eased.

"So, so... have all the villages I went to... been destroyed?"

"Yes. Not a single person was left alive. Their bodies were completely drained of magic and organs."

Click—Cer set down his coffee cup.

I could hear Sirin's heavy breaths and Ruby's rapid heartbeat.

"So, my missionary work... everything I did to save people... led to their deaths..."

"Ruby, it's not your fault. Those people would have died long ago without your divine power."

"But still..."

"There's no need for you to feel guilty. Look at Cartia; she's doing just fine."

Ruby's embrace enveloped me even deeper.

"Are there still places... not yet destroyed?"

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"There are a few left. Cities too."

"Hmm... then we might be able to figure out their next target, right?"

"From what we've seen of their actions so far, their next target won't be a small village but a large city.

And that place will probably be..."

Following Cer's gaze, Sirin's finger traced the map until it stopped.

"Urfear and Cartia."

There, it halted.

"These two cities are, I believe, their final targets."