“Taking into account the value of each jewel, the craftsmanship, and the rarity… I’d say about 600,000 gold coins.”
“600,000? If you include the utility value, I think you can do a bit better than that.”
“That’s just an estimate, so… let’s add a little extra… how about 635,000?”
The Trident Trading Company, a weapon shop under the umbrella of the Trident Construction Guild.
The lizardman clerk, wearing a three-horned Viking helm—a uniform for his race—with the chin strap dangling behind his neck, stared intently at the items with his small pupils as he stated the appraisal.
Ariel recoiled at the amount, while Rose and Sieg frowned slightly.
“I think it’s worth up to 880,000.”
“I’d… yeah, even if I’m being generous, it’s 800,000 at most.”
The lizardman clerk flicked his tongue across his teeth with an expressionless face. It was hard to tell unless you were used to him, but this was the equivalent of a troubled grimace.
“Look, the fiscal year-end is coming up, so please have mercy. At this time of year, if the price isn’t high enough to make it easy to move, I’m the one who suffers. Sure, I could drive the price up a bit by soliciting collectors during the sale, but if there’s too much time between now and the sale, the entire amount would be recorded as a loss, and I’d be held accountable.”
“Just act as if I bought it myself out of my own greed. I’ll sell it later, slowly.”
“Boss… well, alright then.”
“880,000.”
“Yeah, yeah. Good grief. I don’t know what kind of obligation this is, but I never thought I’d be processing the same item twice in a single day.”
The jewel knife, which had once been taken by Lyra as payment for her drinks at the tavern, had come full circle to be bought back by the Trident Trading Company.
“By the way, just for reference. How much did you buy it from the tavern for?”
“…180,000.”
“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”
Sieg poked the lizardman clerk. Well, he wanted to believe that this was better than having it bought by someone who truly didn’t understand its value.
“U-Um, excuse me… er… Does 880,000 mean… g-gold coins…?”
Ariel looked up at Sieg and Rose, her eyes full of anxiety.
For reference, a single gold coin of the Celesta currency was worth the price of a drink without alcohol; ten of them could buy a decent meal at most eateries. 880,000 coins could buy a very large house with land, even in a major city like Talc.
Naturally, it was a scale of wealth that made Ariel’s debt look like pocket change.
“Goodbye, my jewel knife…”
“A-Are you sure, Sieg!?”
“I’m sure. I’m a boy who can pull things off when it counts. It was just a hobby piece anyway; no one’s going to suffer because it’s sold… uuugh…”
Sieg continued to bluff while on the verge of actual tears. For some reason, the lizardman clerk seemed to be moved to tears along with him.
“How much is Ariel’s debt?”
“F-Forty-two thousand coins…”
“Well, they’ll probably try to fleece us with interest anyway. Clerk, take 70,000 worth of standard gems and hand them over now.”
“Yeah, yeah. You’re a real man, old man.”
“Yeah. I am a man. But ‘becoming a man’… that hurts…”
Though he was clearly full of lingering regret, Sieg did not retract his actions. The lizardman clerk gave him a look of respect (though he lacked the facial expression to show it) and patted him on the shoulder in consolation.
”…It’s like you’re buying her out of her life.”
Rose teased Ariel, who looked dizzy at the sight of such massive sums of money moving so effortlessly.
“Don’t say things that sound so scandalous. I’m simply severing Ariel’s bad ties so we can have an honorable relationship.”
“Fine, fine. …Anyway, you really need to understand the difference between handing over a sword and receiving one.”
“Huh?”
“Are you contributing the money you just earned? Or are you handing over the sword so that the Dark Elf can claim she sold it? The meaning is completely different.”
“Hmm…” Sieg knew of the custom, but he had to admit he was doubtful as to how deeply he truly understood its gravity. Stroking the stubble on his chin, he turned his gaze to Ariel for the time being. Directly offering gold as a tribute felt somewhat vulgar and distasteful, but he also felt that binding someone to him through a custom he didn’t fully grasp was problematic.
“Well, take it however you like, Ariel. For now, I’ll take full responsibility for wiping your debt. You can think of this as nothing more than the reckless impulse of a man infatuated with you. But, even so, I would be happy if you would stay with me. Give me a little bit of love in my life—even if it’s just a fleeting moment for a dark elf. Please.”
”…Even if you say that…” Ariel looked troubled. Whether it was the fact that he had left the decision regarding the knife entirely up to her, or his suggestion that she could decide how to repay such a great debt at her leisure, the sheer scale of the luck and the weight of the decision she had encountered in just half a day was far too much for someone like Ariel, who had been on a direct path toward misfortune.
”…” Rose, who had been silently watching Sieg’s attempt at seduction, saw the atmosphere grow heavy due to Ariel’s silence. Straightening her posture, she spoke up. “We can discuss that later, can we?”
”…Yes.” After confirming with Ariel, Rose turned back to Sieg. “Then let me settle my business first. …You can’t dodge the fact that you accepted a knife from me, Becker.”
”…Y-yeah, I guess.”
“You’ve been gentle toward that dark elf, but do not expect such treatment from me. …Sieg Becker, you accepted a marriage proposal. You accepted it, and with that realization, you used that knife for something else. You understand that it is no longer in a position to be returned, don’t you?”
”…Yeah.”
In stark contrast to Ariel—who acted like a small animal, burdened by mistrust of humans, mistrust of men, and a lifetime of misfortune—was the former captive princess, Rose Alderia, who launched her proposal like a fastball straight down the middle. She was, if I recall, seventeen when she was kidnapped by the bandit group. Now she was twenty-seven; for an ogre woman, where early marriage was common, she was well on her way to being an old maid. However, her status, her spirit, and the beauty she had gained through the maturity of adulthood were far too striking to be overlooked, even for an ogre. She was certainly no “ugly woman” who had simply failed to marry. Though small for an ogre, the physical robustness that allowed her to send Sieg flying into the air with a single punch would surely meet the passing grade for an ogre “fine woman.” She had likely rejected many suitors to wait for the opportunity to propose to Sieg.
“If you wish, I could present you with that jewel knife again. No—either way, if you are to become my husband, it shall be yours once more. Now, Sieg Becker, you know that your time is up, don’t you?”
“Ugh, ugh…” However, Sieg was not a “warrior of love” like Andy, who would recklessly take every blow. He was an ordinary man: the kind who wants to run when pursued and wants to chase when the other person runs away. Is this really okay? Is it really okay to be caught by this woman? Is it really, reallly okay, Sieg Becker? A voice, completely groundless, rose within his chest, fueling his anxiety.
Sieg retreated inch by inch. Rose stared him down. The lizardman shopkeeper watched with excitement, despite not understanding the situation at all. And then.
”…Answer me already, you absolute piece of—!!”
“E-eh, wait, gack!?”
Suddenly, Rose’s fist erupted in flame. Sieg was sent into a three-meter, tumbling flight, the impact centered on the side of his face. He skidded across the wooden floor with a heavy thud. Leaving the stunned lizardman and Ariel behind, Rose grabbed the back of the fallen Becker’s belt and hoisted him up.
“You’re in the way. Deliver the knife to my house.”
With a brisk stride, she dragged the folded-over Sieg out of the shop.
“Ah, wait, wait! Please don’t leave me behind!?” Ariel scrambled after them in a panic. The lizardman clerk watched them go with a blank expression, his tongue flickering rhythmically. ”…I’m really not a fan of wives who hit,” I muttered. It was a small mercy that no one was listening to my grievance directed at the group’s leader.
When Sieg regained consciousness, he was in a dimly lit room. “Ugh…” “You’re awake.” A ceiling. The color of a sunset sky. A bed. And three horns. ”…Rose?” “Forgive me. But I have made it easier for you to make your decision.” I assessed the situation. The dim room was likely an inn. The furnishings were high-end, so it was probably a luxury hotel in Talc or something similar. And in the bed, there was myself and Rose. Judging by her bare shoulder peeking from beneath the sheets, she was half-undressed. Ariel was perched on the edge of the bed. Her head was bowed slightly, but she was watching me intently from the corner of her eye. “How does it feel, Becker? They say it is a man’s shame to let a prepared meal go to waste. …I don’t know what drove you to do that back then, but I was deeply hurt.” ”…I’m sorry.” ”…And yet, truth be told, I am not that angry. I thought perhaps the song… had touched upon something regarding your past love.” ”…” Having one’s trauma become public knowledge is a real nuisance. And she wasn’t wrong about the gist of it. ”…Yeah, that’s right. I’m not great with someone’s affection when I don’t truly know them. I get anxious that they might be hiding something unpleasant behind it.” “I…” ”…No, it’s not that I doubted you, it’s just that things felt way too easy. I thought, ‘Yeah, when I was obsessed with that woman, things progressed far too smoothly, too.’ I broke out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.” That was the truth. Sieg was nothing more than an orphan—a “paper tiger” Ace Knight who, despite being hailed as a prodigy, had passed his exams without defeating a single enemy. Stripped of his pretenses, Sieg was just a child playing dress-up, but Elsa had loved him—or at least, had pretended to. Behind that love lay espionage, and by the time he realized it, she had probed so deeply into his life that he could no longer feign ignorance. If only he had realized she was a spy a little sooner, he might have been able to give her a chance to flee before the wounds became fatal. That regret had tormented Sieg for years, making him unable to accept any love that felt purely physical. It had started badly. Too badly. To be so consumed by passion that he ended up stabbing her while they were kissing—it was a tragedy too perfectly scripted to be anything but the worst possible outcome. ”…I’m not at an age where my trauma causes me to lose control of my body. I thought to myself that I shouldn’t dwell on the past forever, and it was just then that I met Ariel.” And then… I fell for her. “Then, logically speaking, I should be fine, shouldn’t I?” “N-no, but, I still don’t know the current you very well.” “I haven’t changed since ten years ago. From that morning when you rescued me, I haven’t changed a bit!” With a sudden movement, Rose bolted upright.
Her body was clad in nothing but a single piece of cloth. “……” “……” “…No, wait, I thought you were wearing nice, formal clothes that morning.” “Uuu…” “You weren’t just wearing an apron.” “U-uuuugh, shut up!! You’re the one who shouted ‘I want you to do it’ to that woman!” Looking closely, Ariel was also in a “naked apron” state. …The situation was far too undignified to hold a serious conversation.
“…Let’s start over, you lowest of men. I demand a redo of my worst memory.” Rose, sulking with a bright red face and teary eyes, began vigorously rubbing Siegfried’s member. Ariel watched the scene with a sense of nervous apprehension. “U-um, shall I take over? I’m… quite experienced…” “Uuu…” Because Siegfried’s member wouldn’t progress much past a semi-erection, Rose was at a loss. To put it bluntly, Rose was terrible at it. “Is this… your first time?” “…Yeah.” Rose nodded. Ariel snatched the member from Rose’s hand and, attacking it with her hands, tongue, and nipples, let out a little giggle. “Don’t laugh!” “N-no, I wasn’t laughing, I just thought you were cute, Rose…” “I-I am too! If I had lost my virginity ten years ago, then by now…” As Siegfried stroked her head, his fingers hooking around her small horns, he let his mind wander. If Rose had simply gone with the flow and lost her virginity that day. …If she hadn’t suffered the cruelty of having a loincloth thrown at her face for even hoping for more. Then, she might have kept him in a corner of her heart as a fond memory, and they might well have been properly married by now. “I did something terrible, but when I think that you stayed beautiful and waited for me because of it, it’s not all bad luck. Not for me, at least.” When told she had “stayed beautiful,” Rose looked as if she were about to flash a happy expression, but she fought to suppress it. That small display of pride was incredibly endearing. “It was bad luck for me. For ten years, I agonized over why you did something so cruel to me. Ten years. Give it back, you idiot.” “…Am I allowed to give it back?” “It’s been ten years. It’s not cheap.” “Then let’s run away.” “If you run away this time, I really, truly will never forgive you.” “…Then I’ll pay up.” While they spoke, Ariel thrust the rigid shaft—perfected by the techniques of a courtesan—right under Rose’s nose. Rose was startled for a moment, but then she turned around, dropped onto all fours, and made her demand with her usual dissatisfied expression. “Don’t you run away, okay? If you run, I won’t forgive you.” “Fine, fine… Alright, here I come…!” In her glaring eyes, the wreckage of a long-suppressed love had begun to burn once more, imbued with a bittersweet glow. It was the first time Siegfried had entered a partner who had been longing for him so intensely.
This was the first time he had truly connected physically with someone bound to him by love and affection.
“…Ugh, guoh…!?”
And with that, Sieg truly lost his virginity.
“Ngh, kkh…!”
Sieg squeezed Rose’s large breasts beneath her apron, trying to endure an excitement that felt as though he might ejaculate at any second.
Fundamentally, it was different.
The pleasure of buying a woman’s body was entirely different from the pleasure of being enveloped by a woman’s love.
“H-hey, Rose… are you really a virgin!?”
Sieg faltered, taken aback by how incredible her tightness was.
Since he had only ever dealt with prostitutes, he had never actually held a virgin before, but Rose’s vagina was exquisite. From the very start, it was hot, soft, and provided a rich pleasure to Sieg’s member, greedily attempting to wring the very essence from him.
“Of course I am… wait, that’s not…! Don’t compare an ogre’s body to a human’s!!”
“I see, you are an ogre… Gh, an ogre’s is this…?”
He realized it only now. That’s right, Rose was an ogre.
Ogres possess an incredibly high vaginal capacity. This is because ogre males have massive members, and their anatomy must accommodate them. An ogre’s penis, as large as a human fist, makes sex impossible with a human-sized vagina before the conversation even begins. Because ogre females must be able to accommodate such a member from their first experience, while they do technically have a hymen, it is almost never an issue with a human male.
However, it was by no means loose. It gripped him firmly, and her sensitivity was intense. Barring extreme situations like being gang-raped by both an ogre and a human in short succession, an ogre female’s genitals are perfectly capable of accommodating a human.
That mysterious anatomy was so legendary it even produced “ogre-style” enthusiasts among other races, and Sieg found himself tormented by the double blow of a natural masterpiece of a body and the passionate union fueled by love.
“Ugh, k-kuh… Dammit… Damn it, you feel too good…!!”
“A-ahaha… I’m so happy, I’m so happy, Mr. Becker…♪”
As Rose ground her hips, she gradually became more vulnerable, slowly reverting to the young girl she had been ten years ago. Her resolute tone softened into that of a young girl, and her use of “Becker” reverted to the old, respectful “Mr. Becker.” Drunk on the sensation of being held by Sieg while her now-mature body moved wildly, she began to drain his seed through a powerful, unrefined grind, devoid of any technique.
“Ngh…!! ”
Sieg endured the pleasure. It was almost an unconscious act of sheer willpower.
Finally, after wildly ravaging the inside of her vagina in every direction and attempting to control the pleasure through his breathing…
“Ngh, kuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!♪♪”
He succeeded in bringing Rose to climax.
He withdrew his member from her.
While staring in daze at Rose’s dynamic, unskillful sex—which lacked the finesse of using fingers or a mouth but possessed raw power—he bit his lip and pushed Ariel down.
“Kya!?”
“…I… I… with you… hah, hah…”
He tried to form words, attempting to calm his head, which felt as though it might vent steam from the sheer pleasure.
Ariel lightly stroked him and smiled.
“…That’s fine.”
”…!!”
This girl, too, had accepted me. At the very least, she had tried to accept my embrace—not merely as a prostitute. Sieg, giddy with the excitement of what was effectively his first real experience, grew even more lightheaded, ruthlessly thrusting his member—still sticky with arousal—straight into her sex beneath the bib of her apron.
“Ah, ahh… hehe, I knew it…” “Wh-what do you mean, ‘I knew it’…!?” ”…” Ariel narrowed her eyes. “Sex where someone is actually putting their heart into it… it really is different…♪”
Ariel was feeling the same thing as Sieg. It was messy. It was a orgy. But when there is love, that feeling accelerates the pleasure. Ariel, being sought for more than just her body for the first time in a long while, began to drown in pleasure, her expression turning truly maidenly, in stark contrast to the movement of her hips.
“Z-Zieg… Sieg-san… do you… do you love me…!?” “Ah… I want to love you… I want to love you again and again, forever!!” “Hehe… is it okay…? Am I… allowed to still crave something like this…♪” “Yeah… as long as you’re okay with mine…!!”
A violent bout of sex ensued, with wet, squelching sounds echoing with every thrust of their hips as they ground against each other’s pleasure points. Rose, once again, wanted to join in. “Becker-san, me too… love me too… is that not allowed…?” “It’s not ‘not allowed’… damn it, I’m so lucky, you bastard!!” And then, he thrust his hand into Rose’s vagina.
“Kyauh!?” “There, there, look!!” The sheer presence of Becker’s hand within Rose’s vagina tore through her hymen. Rose arched her back, momentarily horrified by the forceful violation, yet she managed to offer a tearful smile. ”…You idiot… you’re the worst… how cruel…♪”
Ravaging a dark elf between his legs, and an ogre with his fist. Sieg finally lost all control over his pleasure. Connecting himself firmly to the two women entertaining him in their naked aprons, he reached his peak.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!” “Nng, ah, AAAAAAH!!” “UOOOH!!” And then, he ejaculated with great force.
It was well into the night by the time Sieg accompanied Ariel back to her rented house, located deep within the slum’s labyrinth of earthen walls. She had already fully repaid the moneylenders of the Tower Emblem syndicate she had been indebted to, leaving her with no worries about the future. The walk home was spent whispering about how they might change their lives moving forward.
“I can’t offer much hospitality, but I can at least serve some tea.” “Sounds good. My throat is parched.” As they smiled at each other and prepared to open the door, they found a single letter tucked into it.
“What’s… this…?”
Ariel opens the letter. Sieg reads the contents even faster than Ariel. It had become one of his habits from his days in intelligence work, but he regretted it; he shouldn’t have looked.
“What… um, a person…”
A letter from an ex-lover who had vanished, leaving Ariel behind. It stated that now that business was finally on track and they had enough money to pay back their debts, they wanted to come and get them. According to a scribble in the corner of the envelope, they knew they were somewhere in this area, but since they didn’t know the exact location, they had asked a local resident to deliver it.
“That can’t be…”
Ariel’s eyes trembled. Sieg could feel Ariel’s emotions as if they were his own. No matter how selfishly they had disappeared, the time spent with that lover surely hadn’t lasted just a day or two. Behind Ariel’s determination to stay and work without running away, those unextinguished feelings for him must have still been smoldering. Sieg could do nothing about it, and could do nothing to fix it. In the first place, Sieg was nothing more than a homewrecker who had suddenly appeared this morning, confessed out of the blue, and forced his way into the cracks of Ariel’s heart. He was merely an intruder who had used money and power to assert himself. Thinking about it calmly, how much weight could such a person truly hold? That’s right.
It was nothing more than a gaudy daydream.
“Sieg…”
Ariel turned around, ears drooping, looking for salvation, but there was no one left before them. As if nothing had ever been there from the start, even no footprints remained.
”…” Sieg stood in a back alley, staring blankly at the moon. A shadow cast a mocking laugh toward him.
“Heh, heh, heh… Weren’t you supposed to be sleeping in a woman’s bed tonight?” ”…Oh, it’s you guys.”
The bodyguards for the Ace Knight trio. They were covered from head to toe in leather armor and masks.
“That’s pathetic.” “Not as bad as you, though. After you paid the money at the Tower office, the actual debtor showed up. And since you’re here looking all dejected by yourself… hahaha, hyahahaha!” “That doesn’t matter.” ”…Our employer told us, ‘I didn’t hire you lot just to be looked down on’…” “Ah, that’s right. That’s why we were looking for you, Sieg Becker.”
Might let his head drop heavily, his eyes darting around.
“He said if we can’t kill a wandering rat like you, we’re fired. …Ah, for someone with such a dazed look on their face, you certainly set quite a few traps—caltrops, wires, oil slicks, the works.” “It’s a habit. If I’m not thinking, I end up setting them without realizing it.”
Sieg’s tone was as casual as if he were chatting with an old friend. Might drew a new blade and leveled it at Sieg.
“We’ve figured out your tricks. Cheap stunts like needles won’t work anymore. Tonight, we’re looking for a bit of a flashy death.” “Huh? No thanks. Too much of a pain.”
Sieg waved his hand dismissively, his face devoid of any will.
“Just die already, Sieg Becker.”
Might leaps. Leon runs along the wall, while Davis attacks, swinging his mace as if to level the very ground, smashing through traps. Sieg stands up nonchalantly and, in a single motion, decapitates Might. ”!?” As he simply rose, Might’s head and torso seemed to part as if they had been crying away from each other. Davis and Leon froze, struck with horror. Sieg cracked his neck with a series of pops, then flicked his bloodied knife. “Let’s see… I did say earlier today that even as a thug, I wouldn’t kill civilians.” Sieg grinned, his eyes wide. “Just kidding, you pieces of shit. Don’t come at me when I’m in a bad mood; it’s almost making me happy.”
The next morning, their corpses were discovered behind the Tower Emblem office.
“Sigh…” After eating breakfast at Carlos’s estate, Sieg headed toward the shared carriage terminal with slumped shoulders. The time had come to split off from Diane and the others, report on Lyra’s existence and Andy’s treatment, and seek instructions from Minister Ashton regarding their future activities. He was actually glad to be alone at a time like this. He spent the walk mentally berating himself, You can’t just act out like this; think about your age, intending to enjoy a leisurely journey by carriage for a while.
And then— “Becker!!” “Sieg-san!” A hand reached out from behind and yanked Sieg down just as he was about to board the carriage. It was Rose. And beside her stood Ariel. Both were dressed for travel. “Where do you think you’re going, trying to run away on your own? Marriage isn’t a one-day event, you know.” “Um, um…! I… I’ll… I’ll just pretend I accepted the knife! Not the money!” ”…Eh, wait, what?” As Sieg stood there blankly, the two of them laughed. The proposal is a success!
Now, from here on out, he would make up for that terrible beginning.