A steady drizzle fell from the sky.
Another chance missed, thought the lovestruck maiden, sighing. She thought she’d become a sensible adult, but she had to admit she was still shedding her childish skin.
“Haa… I want to see him.”
Even though she knew she should restrain herself, her heart raced. The other party was a soldier, stationed at an outpost that took an hour’s walk from town. It couldn’t be helped if they couldn’t meet often.
And if the weather turned foul, she’d have to trudge through that hour-long journey soaked to the bone. Thinking about catching a cold made it impossible for her to go.
Still…
”…I wish we could see each other even just once a week.”
She found herself wanting to meet only once a week. Like a child eagerly awaiting a picnic, only to be betrayed by the sky—she knew it was childish and impatient of her, but still, the thought of not seeing him for another week made her heart sink.
“What’s with that gloomy face, Silvia? Care for a drink?”
Her mother tapped on the sake barrel across the counter.
“No thanks. It’s not even late afternoon yet.”
“Haha, is it? Well, at nineteen, you probably don’t feel like it.”
“Whether you’re thirty or forty, someone who tries to pick up a girl on her day off in the middle of the day isn’t worth much.”
“You’re so serious. Just like your old man’s only daughter.”
“That has nothing to do with Mom.”
Her mother was a teacher at the Primary Academy, and her father was a bureaucrat. It couldn’t be denied that she came from a strictly proper household, but Silvia thought alcohol was best enjoyed at night, after which she could just sleep.
By the way, drinking was permitted in Celesta from the age of seventeen, so there were no age-related issues.
”…Haa.”
She sighed, gazing up at the dark sky through the doorway. Usually, her beloved Arnie’s massive frame would be standing absentmindedly at that street corner, but today, she felt lonely and ate her lunch—gratin—with a drooping spirit.
Silvia McReynolds (Human Female, 19 years old, 152 cm tall) and Arnie Boyd (Ogre Male, 18 years old, 277 cm tall) had been dating for three months.
An unspoken rule of rendezvous had formed between them.
Around noon on Sundays, they would meet in front of the tavern on the edge of town that Arnie’s unit, the Crossbow Brigade, frequented—if their schedules allowed. Then, they’d spend time together happily, going to the arena or having a picnic in the mountains.
Ideally, they could communicate more often, but Arnie’s Crossbow Brigade barracks were far away. Because it was the military, it was hard to approach, and even if they tried to contact each other by letter, paper was still too expensive for frequent use.
Even if Arnie came to see her, Silvia worked on weekdays. And with strict curfews at home, and both her parents being stiff-necked people, she hadn’t been able to introduce Arnie to them yet. There was no way they could meet.
So, all they could do was wait for their usual rendezvous, and if it went well, go on their usual date.
Since they started dating, their love had only grown stronger, and Silvia, who wanted to be with him every waking moment, found such a waiting relationship unbearably frustrating. But she couldn’t bring herself to take any drastic action for fear of inconveniencing Arnie. Every day, she scolded herself, reminding herself that she was the older one.
“Haa.”
“What’s wrong? You look gloomy in this rain—did you get a boyfriend you want to go on a date with?”
The tavern owner asked Silvia casually as she watched her.
”…………?”
Sylvia looked a little bewildered.
Even though she hadn’t exactly been hiding her relationship with Arnie from her parents, she certainly hadn’t thought she was keeping it a secret. Especially not at this bar—it was right in front of their usual meeting spot; she’d assumed her mother would’ve noticed something.
”…So?”
“Oh my, oh my, oh my.”
Her mother gave Sylvia a lecherous grin in response to her deadpan answer.
“Finally, Sylvie’s got a boyfriend—what a scoop! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
“Tell me what?”
“Well, now.”
Grinning mischievously, her mother pretended to poke her with her plump elbow. Of course, the elbow couldn’t actually reach Sylvia across the counter.
“Sylvie’s such a beauty and so proper—she’s famous for it. The men who’ve been rejected by her are countless. Impenetrable, aloof, pure as the driven snow… the high princess of the neighborhood.”
”…Rejected? I don’t think so.”
Ever since elementary school, Sylvia had certainly had a few persistent suitors. But somehow, she just never felt the right connection and turned them all down.
Looking back, it’s no wonder she found them lacking. They didn’t have that dependable strength to protect her when needed, that gentle warmth to envelop her, that pure sincerity that made her want to be with them, or even that easygoing atmosphere where they could spend hours together without a care.
In that sense, Sylvia had high standards, and Arnie was an extraordinary exception.
But she’d never thought of herself as some unattainable high princess. Most guys were the type to hit on every woman they saw, and she just figured she was a perfectly ordinary girl who kept her distance from romance.
“Maybe everyone else is just more casual about dating.”
“Hmph. Catching a man these days is like going to war. The prince isn’t exactly going to come riding in on a white horse, so if you’ve got a chance to snag one right under your nose, you can’t be too picky.”
”…I guess. Still feels weird.”
He’d come for her. Maybe not a prince, but at least the ideal guy for Sylvia.
Thinking about it, she felt incredibly lucky. And since he was genuinely serious about her, she figured she couldn’t complain about not seeing him for a week or so.
Her mother gave her an odd look as Sylvia suddenly broke into a smile.
“Oh my, the crow that cried is laughing now.”
”…Yeah. I just realized I might be pretty happy.”
”…Well, whatever. Let me know if you feel like telling Old Woman about Sylvie’s *boi—*friend.”
“Yeah… though I think she already knows.”
“Really? The young thing Old Woman keeps watching… hmm… could it be Anzelos?”
”…Who’s that?”
“There’s this super-handsome soldier around here.”
“Nope. Heh heh!”
No matter how handsome or rugged, Arnie was in a league of his own—Sylvia was quite serious about that. Once you fell for someone, their flaws became endearing.
And so, feeling much better, Sylvia stood up to leave the bar.
A beautiful woman with a smile is far more captivating than one with a frown.
Unbeknownst to her, half the men in the bar were already staring at Sylvia.
It was only natural that the drunks stuck inside due to the rain would develop a little lustful interest in a single girl.
“Hey, cutie. Pour me a drink, will ya? You got nothing better to do, right?”
One of the drunks grabbed Sylvia’s arm. Her mom had retreated to the kitchen, so she wasn’t watching.
“Y-You… what are you doing!?”
“What? Can’t a fella get a pour from someone as cute as you? I’m asking for a drink. And maybe some fun while we’re at it, huh?”
“N-No!”
“Just do it, come on!”
Sylvia was yanked roughly. She stumbled and fell to the floor.
“Oops, sorry… my hand slipped.”
The drunk slapped up her skirt with his hand. Her underwear was exposed, and the other drunks cheered.
“Haha, give us a little more service, why don’t ya? I ain’t gonna eat you or nothing.”
“N-No…”
Sylvia shrank back in terror.
She knew for sure there wasn’t a single ally around.
Her mom and the military police would probably get revenge on this drunk eventually, but the thought of what he might do to her before then made her dizzy.
“Here…”
The drunk reached out. Sylvia crawled away just a few centimeters.
Then, a giant hand intervened.
“Huh?”
“Dude… that’s not cool.”
Sylvia had crawled under the table, so she couldn’t see the whole picture. Still, she instantly recognized the soaked hand and the quiet voice.
“Ah… Arnie?!”
She was scared. And now he’d come to help her again.
Inside Sylvia, something that had already been at its breaking point shifted with a click.
The moment when liking someone turned into loving them, and then into love.
Even just the hand was enough to deliver the final blow to Sylvia’s maiden heart.
“You little punk, just because you’re a bit bigger doesn’t mean some half-baked ogre gets to mess with me.”
The man was a mercenary from the docks. He had some skill in his hands.
Even drunk, he wasn’t about to let a young ogre get the better of him.
But.
“Hmph, cheap sword. Not even properly maintained.”
He reached out to teach the ogre a lesson, only to find no sword there. A young man was casually inspecting it.
It was Andy.
“Hey kid, don’t touch someone else’s sword…”
“Oh, uh, put the drink down for a sec.”
Just as I reached for Andy, my head was plucked up by a finger even bigger than the ogre’s from before.
With a crack, my head was twisted and rotated 180 degrees like turning a screw, revealing a massive bull ogre’s face where it had been.
“Ugh!”
I couldn’t help but recoil. Facing two ogres empty-handed was way too terrifying.
Andy, Arnie, and Kelly were cheerfully heading to the tavern in the rain.
Even Andy and Kelly wanted to drink on their day off, just like Arnie. At first, they’d tried to sneak out without him, leaving him in charge of counting the weapons, but Arnie had pleaded with a tearful face, “I was actually planning to meet Sylvia today, she might be waiting!” So they reluctantly finished up quickly and came along.
“Normally, I mess with guys who have girlfriends."
"Show a little maturity for once, Smason. You can bully Void later."
"That’s true."
"… Uh, am I getting bullied?”
Of course, Andy and Kelly thought, but they couldn’t do something as cruel as ditching Arnie while a girl waited in the rain. They were soft at heart after all.
And so, the three of them marched into the tavern singing a marching song in the rain, only to find Sylvia in a huge pinch as soon as they opened the door.
They were pretty pissed off, even more than it looked like.
“Hey, drunkard. There are three things I can’t stand in this world: shops with low ceilings, green parsley, and people who make their subordinates miserable.”
Kelly raised his hand high and lectured the drunkard. A 3-meter-tall bull ogre’s outstretched arm was nearly 5 meters long. Even in a two-story tavern favored by ogres, he could pull the guy up so high he’d hit the ceiling, sobering even the most drunken of drunks.
“Hey! You ogre bastard! Do you think the constabulary will just ignore this?!”
The drunkard ranted and raved. Kelly exchanged a look with Andy and shrugged, chuckling.
“A drunk who tries to assault a woman has a lot of nerve."
"Tell me about it… Remember this, you human scum: in Celesta, ogres can be constables or elite soldiers. Our Arnie might even become an Ace Knight. Here, idiots are hated more than ogres or half-elves!”
Still holding his head, Kelly whooshed the man away.
The drunkard crashed through the wooden window and out into the rain, and Kelly struck a muscle pose without missing a beat.
Overwhelmed by the sheer presence, the whole tavern applauded.
“You scumbag… Hey, Isaac, let’s break this sword."
"Don’t break it. We can use it for drinks and give it to your wife."
"Well, maybe half of today’s tab. … Alright, let’s drink!"
"Yeah!”
Andy and Kelly got hyped up and crowded the counter, immediately getting yelled at by their wives. “You idiots, you didn’t have to break the window!” But even as she scolded them, her voice was a little softer than usual, having watched the whole thing with bated breath since they’d returned around the same time as Arnie.
“Sorry, Sylvia. I’ll make sure we get guards during the day from now on."
"Y-yes.”
Sylvia clung to Arnie like she was holding onto his life. She was blushing bright red, completely smitten with him again.
Finally, even the oblivious wives realized who Sylvia’s “boyfriend” was. They had no idea that the handsome Sylvia would be dating a hulking ogre.
”… More importantly, you ogre kid, you’ll catch a cold if you stay soaking wet like that."
"Oh, well, I’m fine."
"Don’t be shy. Go wipe yourself off in room 3 upstairs. No one’s using it today. There are towels in the closet.”
“Hah, haaah."
"Silvia, you should help him out."
"Eh…?”
That was the best she could muster in terms of consideration. Uncharacteristically for her age, she winked at him.
The second floor of the tavern was half open-air and half lodging.
Andy and other soldiers who loved their drinks but couldn’t handle them often flopped around there, but it was also a place with a rather… unsavory reputation.
In such a simple room, Arnie was being stripped of his clothes and diligently dried off.
”…Arnie, you’re still so big."
"O-Orge…"
"Yeah. So reliable."
"Orge…"
"…Yeah. Including the fact that you’re an Orge, I love you, Arnie."
"Ugh…”
Arnie’s face turned bright red. He was always at a loss for words in the face of Silvia’s straightforward affection.
Smiling at him, Silvia confessed without hesitation or pretense that she had fallen for Arnie all over again.
”You got saved again, didn’t you?"
"I-I just put my hands on her a little bit."
"But I was so happy. You’re always there when I’m in danger. It made my heart flutter!"
"Haha… I left it all to Isaac and Smisson, the squad leaders."
"Both of them were angry for Arnie’s sake, weren’t they?"
"…Yeah. I guess I’m not alone after all. I’m glad I’m in this squad."
"Yeah. Arnie, you’re in the right squad.”
Silvia embraced Arnie, standing on her knees and hanging onto his neck, which was about the size of a person’s torso.
”…I’m so glad Arnie came. I’m so glad I met Arnie…"
"Silvia…-san?"
"…I was scared. When I was really, really scared, Arnie saved me. I really, truly love you… I thought, I’m so happy…"
"…Me too, I’m happy."
"Yeah… Say ‘I love you’."
"…I love you, Silvia-san."
"Say ‘I love you’!"
"I love you, Silvia-san!"
"Then…"
"I adore you."
"…♪”
Silvia shuddered.
“I love you, even before you do,” he said. To a man like that.
Just hearing those words was the greatest joy a woman could feel, and my core burned, wet with trembling.
Arnie found Sylvia so endearing that he gently embraced her.
He wrapped himself around the person whose affection for him was still growing exponentially, and she wrapped herself around him. It was a blissful time.
”…Mm.”
After a while, Sylvia pulled away.
And it was then that they both noticed the seam of his sleeve was slightly torn.
“Ah…"
"Must’ve been when you were pulling me earlier, huh?"
"…Maybe.”
Arnie pondered what to do. Actually, despite appearances, Arnie could sew. “I can fix it enough so you won’t be seen,” he started to offer, but then Sylvia suddenly began taking off her clothes.
“N-No, wait, Sylvia-san! If you’re going to take them off, I—"
"No!”
Sylvia stopped Arnie from rushing up.
He obediently sat back down, eyes still closed, and she climbed onto his lap in her underwear, then yanked open his eyelids with both hands.
“Nwah! But—!"
"Arnie-kun, listen to me. Look."
"…"
"We’re lovers now, you know? We’ve been lovers for three months already… Look, it’s okay, you know?"
"U-uh…”
Arnie cautiously turned his eyes toward Sylvia.
He blushed furiously at the sight of Sylvia’s vulnerable, beautiful form in her underwear, and his gaze darted around helplessly.
”…Yes."
"…Right, Arnie-kun? …I think I’m ready now."
"?!"
"I thought, maybe today, I could become yours alone. …No, that’s not right. It’s not maybe, I want to be yours alone. I want you to truly, deeply love me.”
”…Sylvia-san—"
"Arnie-kun, do you dislike me? Can’t we do this?"
"…B-But, I’m an Ogre…"
"It’s okay. I’m human too."
"…No, that’s not—"
"I understand everything. I know I’m a different race from you. I know you might not find it attractive from your perspective. But even so, I love you. I want to be loved by you.”
“T-That’s not true! Even from my perspective, Sylvia-san is truly… but I’m worried that I’d be a burden on your life.”
“Sylvia!”
Sylvia was at her wit’s end.
Sylvia knew. It was clear from everything but his words that Arnie loved her.
But still, Arnie was too kind, too thoughtful—she couldn’t bring herself to believe he deserved to defile her.
Then.
”Arnie, I’m sorry!"
"…Eh?!”
She yanked down his underwear, exposing his cock.
Plok. A flaccid member emerged from Arnie’s massive frame—a disappointingly small size for him.
“W-wa—"
"Hehe… I’m serious.”
Sylvia smirked playfully at the flustered Arnie before rubbing his cock with both hands.
It wasn’t the first time she’d seen it. Months ago, when Arnie had suffered a severe injury with bruises all over, she’d forcibly helped him pee out of sheer responsibility.
So she wasn’t entirely embarrassed now. But still, this was the first time she’d touched a man’s genitals in a sexual way—and things weren’t going as planned.
“Ugh… is… is this how you do it…?"
"Sylvia…"
"S-sorry, I’m bad at this… I’ve never done it before… but I’m serious!”
Overwhelmed, Sylvia brought her mouth to Arnie’s cock.
She knew techniques existed, but her knowledge was limited to just extending the hand-rubbing—she was lost as soon as she tried putting her mouth on it.
Looking up, Arnie wore a troubled expression—not pleasure, but pure confusion about how to react to Sylvia’s actions.
”…You get it, right? I really like you, Arnie. I could lick your dick all I want like this. But…"
"…But?"
"…Sorry, I don’t really know what to do… but I want you to love me so badly… I want you to rape me."
"…R-rape… even if I—"
"Can I really let you rape me?”
Sylvia’s knowledge of sex had finally caught up with her, and she honestly waved the white flag.
But in return, she’d steeled herself.
”I want you to grab my body like this, force your dick inside, and use me like a tool to rub it. I want you to get off on me, over and over again."
"T-that’s—"
"Even if I tear open, do it. If you love me, then do it…”
From the bottom of her heart, Sylvia was driven by this desperation.
If she ended up unable to stand afterward, so be it. If that meant truly connecting with Arnie, then fine. She wanted to prove she could intertwine with Arnie’s masculine side as a woman—and connect with him even deeper.
Her swelling affection for Arnie had spiraled out of control, bordering on panic in her desire for their love to intertwine.
”…Sylv… ia…"
"……”
And then.
”…Are you really gonna do it? I am a man, you know?”
Under the mounting pressure of Sylvia’s advances, Arnie finally began to loosen his grip on reason.
“Yeah."
"Looks like I’m not just some monster, huh? I’ve got a lot of interest in women, you know? If you let me, I might do some crazy stuff every time we go on a date from now on!”
The desire made Sylvia tremble. The fear of not being able to express her love, of not being accepted—gone. She was so happy she could cry.
”…Do some crazy stuff. Make me experience something amazing every week""
"…Ugh, I don’t know anymore
"I… I don’t know anymore either~!”
She discarded her underwear as well, eliminating all fabric.
Nothing would be hidden between them anymore. Every part of their hearts and bodies, everything shown to the other.
Sylvia spread her hands wide, welcoming Arnie’s grip.
“Yes, right there…"
"Already wet…"
"Yeah… I’ve been so wet because I wanted you, Arnie, to hold me… I was desperately trying to get ready for your dick~?"
"…Haaah… Haaah… Kuh—"
"…Yeah, it’s okay. You can go in. Do whatever you want~"
"S-Sylvia-san!!”
Arnie gripped her waist and thighs with both hands, spreading her legs apart and pressing Sylvia firmly against his hips.
He was careful with his strength, but the Ogre’s powerful arms didn’t allow for a gentle breaking of the hymen. In one swift motion, he pierced through.
”Nngg…!!"
"…Haaah… Haaah… Whoa, it’s so… hot and good~"
"…Yeah, I feel you too, Arnie… inside me…”
Arnie’s dick was surprisingly small compared to his massive body. It was larger than the average human, but by Ogre standards, it was definitely not something to brag about.
However, that worked out perfectly for them. Even fully sheathed, Sylvia wouldn’t be harmed.
They could thrust in and out with all their might, reaching deep.
And from Arnie’s perspective, Sylvia was light and small, truly shaken by his movements. Since this was Arnie’s first time as well, he was lost in the pleasure of sex with a woman for the first time, relentlessly “using” Sylvia.
“Uwah, ah, ahh… Agg, uh… S-Sylvia-san… It feels so good, I can’t stop… Sorry, I’m sorry~! I’m sorry~!"
"A, a, hyaa, aah, aah… Hii, i, iiaaah…!!”
Neither of them had any reason or restraint left after penetration.
Overwhelmed by the experience, they were simply thrusting and writhing for Arnie’s release.
”…Haaah… Nngh… Aah~”
Even so, Sylvia wore a blissful expression.
As a woman, she was undeniably satisfying Arnie’s ideal man, and that made her incredibly happy.
“Uwaaa, aah, a… Uaaaa!!”
Arnie was completely absorbed. He could only think about coming.
And he slammed Sylvia’s hips against his own.
“Smack, my dick slammed against your womb."
"Uwaaaaaaa!!"
"Haa, aah… ahh… ahhh, ngh!”
I came with a spectacular, geyser-like burst.
”…I really did it…"
"S-sorry, man."
"…You’ll get mad if you apologize."
"…S-sorry…"
"Tch.”
Smack. I slapped Annie’s cheeks.
”…Ngh.”
Then I kissed her to shut her up.
”I’m Annie’s girlfriend, you know?"
"Yeah."
"Girlfriends get to have sex, right?"
"…If you say that, I think it’s okay to do it, yeah?"
"Just make sure you at least consider the place."
"…Yeah."
"And be gentle."
"Yeah."
"And be rough too."
"…That’s hard, man."
"It’s not. If I leave you alone, you’ll only know how to be gentle, right?"
"…I guess so…"
"Yep!”
“Yo, Smason."
"What’s up, Isaac?"
"…Hey, do you think they’re screwing?"
"…I vote for the two of them just having a sweet talk session without doing anything."
"I’m voting for the carnal feast.”
※Correct answer: Both.
”Damn it, I’d be pissed no matter what."
"…Let’s tease them when we get home."
"Let’s tease them.”
Just then, Mom came over and gave each of those two a tray to the head.
“Is it your job to mess with your comrades’ happiness, soldier?"
"N-no, that’s not it! This is a legitimate right!"
"You bastards! Happy people should just take their beatings and make everyone around them a little happier!"
"Were you an idiot for getting even a little excited about your performance?"
"Even if an old hag like her gets excited—"
"Yeah, well—"
"…Pay up. The whole damn amount, now.”
“I’m so sorry.”
This was a month before Seren’s arrival.