A gentle, drizzling rain. “I missed my chance again,” the young maiden sighs. She had tried to believe she was a sensible adult, but she was forced to realize that she was still in the midst of shedding her childhood. “Sigh… I want to see him.” She knows she should be patient, yet her heart races with anticipation. He is a soldier, stationed at a lonely outpost a full hour’s walk from town. It is only natural that they cannot meet often. Moreover, when the weather turns bad, he would have to trek that hour-long path through the rain. Knowing he might catch a cold, it is only understandable that he stays away. And yet. ”…I just want to see him, even if it’s only once a week.” She finds herself thinking that a single tryst per week wouldn’t be too much to ask. She feels like a child who was looking forward to a promised picnic only to be betrayed by the sky; she knows she is being immature and impatient, but even so, the thought of not seeing him for another week makes her heart wither. “Why such a gloomy face, Sylvie? Want a drink?” From across the counter, the landlady taps a wooden keg with a rhythmic thump-thump. “No thanks. It’s not even midday yet.” “Ahaha, is that so? Well, I suppose at nineteen, you aren’t quite in the mood for it yet.” “Whether I’m thirty or forty, anyone who starts drinking in the middle of the day—even on a day off—is trouble.” “So serious. Just like Professor McClain’s only daughter.” “That has nothing to do with my mother.” Her mother was a teacher at the elementary academy, and her father, a government official. There was no denying she came from a strictly upright household, but Silvia firmly believed that alcohol was something to be enjoyed at night, once everything else was done and it was time for bed. Incidentally, since drinking is permitted from the age of seventeen in Celesta, there was no issue with her age. ”…Sigh.” She looks up at the dark sky through the window and sighs. She gazes at the street corner where, usually, Arnie’s massive frame would be standing, looking somewhat out of place. Feeling the loneliness wash over her, Silvia hung her head and mechanically finished her lunchtime gratin.
It had been three months since Silvia McClain (Human female, 19 years old, 152 cm) and Private Arnie Boyd (Ogre male, 18 years old, 277 cm) began dating. An unspoken rule for meeting had formed between them. Around noon on Sundays, they would meet in front of the tavern on the outskirts of town, a place frequently used by Arnie’s unit, the Crossbow Corps, provided circumstances allowed. From there, they would spend their time happily, going to the arena or having picnics in the mountains. Ideally, they would be in constant contact, but the Crossbow Corps barracks where Arnie lived were far away. Being a military installation, it was difficult to approach, and even if they tried to communicate via letters, paper was still too expensive for frequent use. Even if Arnie wanted to come to see her, Silvia worked during the weekdays. Furthermore, her curfew was strict, and since both her parents were stiff, formal people, she had yet to introduce Arcius. It was impossible for them to meet otherwise. Therefore, they could only meet through a routine of meeting at the usual spot and, if all went well, going on their usual date. Since they started dating, their level of affection had steadily increased; Silvia truly wanted to be with him twenty-four hours a day. This “waiting” relationship was maddeningly frustrating, but she couldn’t bring herself to take bold action for fear of causing Arnie trouble. Every day, she reprimanded herself, telling herself that she was the older one.
“Sigh.” “What’s wrong? If you’re feeling this depressed by a little rain, does that mean you’ve got a boyfriend you’re dying to go on a date with?” The landlady asked casually, watching Silvia. ”…?” Silvia blinked, momentarily stunned. While she certainly hadn’t told her parents, she had no intention of keeping her relationship with Arnie a secret. Especially since this tavern was directly in front of their meeting spot; she had assumed it would be impossible for the landlady not to notice. ”…I mean, yes, but…?” “Oh! Oh my, oh my!”
The landlady flashed a sly, gossipy grin at Silvia, who had answered with a deadpan expression.
“So, our dear Silvy finally has a boyfriend? Now that’s a scoop. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“What do you mean… ‘that’?”
“Well, you know.”
Grinning, the landlady made a motion as if poking Silvia with a plump elbow. Of course, since they were on opposite sides of the counter, her elbow couldn’t possibly reach her.
“The famous, beautiful, and serious Silvy—the girl who has rejected countless men. The ironclad, solitary, pure, and innocent flower of the downtown district, they call you.”
”…I didn’t… reject anyone like that.”
Ever since her days at the elementary academy, several men had indeed pursued Silvia with relentless persistence. However, for lack of a better word, the “feeling” just wasn’t right, so she had turned them all down.
Looking back now, it was inevitable that those men felt insufficient to her. They lacked the reliability to protect her when it mattered; they lacked the tenderness to envelop her; they lacked the purity that made her feel like she had to be by their side; and above all, they lacked that gentle atmosphere that allowed her to spend hours in their company.
In that sense, Silvia’s standards were high, and Ernie was a rare find.
However, Silvia had never once considered herself a “flower on a high peak.” Most of the men she encountered were the type to throw themselves at any woman they saw, and she had simply thought of herself as an ordinary girl who kept her distance from romance.
“Maybe… everyone else was just dating more casually?”
“Ha! In these times, catching a man is like going to war. A prince isn’t just going to come riding from afar; if you have a chance to snag a man right in front of you, it’s only natural not to be picky.”
”…I see. But… they did come for me.”
He had come for Silvia. He might not have been a prince, but he was, at the very least, the ideal man in her eyes.
Thinking about it that way made her feel like an incredibly lucky woman, and a wave of good spirits washed over her. Since he was dating her so earnestly, she figured she shouldn’t complain about not seeing him for a week.
Seeing Silvia suddenly start to beam, the landlady made a strange face.
“Oh my, the crow that was just crying is already laughing.”
”…Yeah. I just realized that I might be unexpectedly happy.”
”…Well, that’s fine, I suppose. If you feel like it, you should tell your bo-y-f-r-i-e-n-d to your old auntie, Silvy.”
“Yeah. …I’m pretty sure you’ve seen him plenty of times, though.”
“Do you think so? The young lad I see often… hmm… is it Anzeros?”
”…Who is that?”
“There’s this incredibly handsome soldier…”
“No, that’s not him! Hehe♪”
No matter how handsome or ruggedly striking he might be, Silvia believed with all her heart that no one could compare to Ernie. As the saying goes, when you’re in love, even flaws look like charms.
And so, having ultimately been cheered up, Silvia stood up to leave the tavern.
A beautiful woman with a smile attracts far more people than a beautiful woman with a frown. Without Silvia even realizing it, the gazes of half the men in the tavern were fixed upon her. It was a predictable outcome that the men, unable to work due to the rain and lost in their drinking, would harbor slight impure thoughts toward a single young girl.
“Hey, little lady. Pour me a drink. You look like you’ve got nothing better to do, right?”
One of the drunks grabbed Silvia’s arm. It happened in the moment the landlady had stepped into the kitchen, her back turned.
“Ah—! W-what are you doing!?”
“What, you’re too young to know how to pour yet? I’m saying pour the booze. And hey, why don’t we have a little fun while we’re at it?”
“N-no… please…”
“Just do it, hey!”
With a violent tug, Silvia was jerked forward. She stumbled and was pulled down toward the floor.
“Whoops! Sorry about that… my hand slipped.”
The drunk man flicked her skirt upward. As her underwear became visible, the other drunks erupted in cheers.
“Haha! Give us a little more service! It’s not like we’re going to eat you!”
“No…!” Silvia recoiled in terror. She had become painfully aware that there were no allies around her. She knew that eventually, the Madam and the Military Police would deliver divine retribution to this drunkard, but the mere thought of what unpleasant things he might do to her on a whim before then made her head spin. “Here comes…” The drunkard reached out. Silvia scrambled backward, inching away centimeter by centimeter.
Then, a massive hand thrust itself between them.
“Huh?” “U-Um… that’s… not really a good idea, sir…”
Having scrambled to escape under the table, Silvia couldn’t see the full picture. Even so, she knew instantly who that soaking wet hand and that timid voice belonged to. “Ah… Arnie-kun!?” She had been terrified. And he had come to save her again. Within Silvia, something that had already been at its breaking point felt as though it were shifting with a resounding crack.
It was the moment when “like” turned into “love,” and blossomed into “devotion.”
The heroic sight of nothing but that hand was more than enough to deliver the finishing blow to Silvia’s maiden heart.
“Who do you think you are? Just because you’re a bit bigger doesn’t mean an Ogre like you can act tough.” The man was a freelance mercenary. He had some confidence in his skills. Even though he was drunk, he had no intention of being outmatched by a single young Ogre. However… “Hmph. Cheap sword. The maintenance is terrible.” As he reached out to teach the Ogre a lesson, he realized his sword was gone. A young man had taken it without permission and was currently inspecting it. It was Andy. “Hey, kid, don’t touch a man’s sword—” “Whoa there, leave the booze alone.” As Andy reached out toward him, his head was pinched by a finger even larger than the Ogre’s. With a twist of that finger, Andy’s head was spun 180 degrees like a screw. When his vision stabilized, he found himself staring at a massive bovine face. “Eek!” He froze. Facing two Ogres empty-handed was a terrifying prospect.
Andy, Arnie, and Kelly had arrived at the tavern through the rain, full of energy. Even Andy and Kelly wanted to drink on their day off. Initially, they had tried to rush out, leaving Arnie in charge of inventory management, but Arnie had pleaded with a tearful face, “I was actually planning to go see Silvia-san today… she might be waiting for me.” Reluctantly, they had finished their business quickly to join him. “Our style is to harass anyone with a girlfriend.” “Come on, show some maturity, Smyson. You can bully Void later.” “True enough.” ”…U-Um, am I the one being bullied?” “Naturally.” Despite their words, Andy and Kelly were far too soft-hearted to commit the atrocity of letting Arnie stand up a girl who was waiting for him in the rain. So, the three of them had marched through the rain, singing marching songs in competition, only to burst through the door and find Silvia in a dire situation. Seeing what was happening to Arnie’s girlfriend, Andy and Kelly were actually much angrier than they looked. “Hey, drunkard. There are three things in this world I cannot forgive. Low-ceilinged general stores, blue shiso, and people who make their subordinates unhappy.”
Kelly thrust his hand high into the air to lecture the drunkard. When an ox-like ogre standing over three meters tall raised his arm, it reached nearly five meters. Even inside the tavern’s two-story atrium, a favorite haunt for ogres, the arm was hoisted so high it nearly touched the ceiling, sobering even the most hard-drinking patron.
“S-stop it, you ogre bastard! You think the MPs will let you get away with this!?” the man screamed.
Kelly locked eyes with Andy and shrugged with a grin. “Coming from a drunk who tried to manhandle a woman, that’s rich.”
“Exactly. …Mark my words, human! In Celesta, an ogre can become an MP or even an elite soldier. Our Ernie might even become an Ace Knight one day. Around here, fools are hated more than ogres or half-elves!”
Still pinching the man’s forehead, Kelly swung him away with a heavy whoosh.
The drunkard went flying, crashing right through the wooden window shutter, and Kelly immediately struck a muscle pose. Overwhelmed by the sheer spectacle, the entire tavern erupted into applause.
“Tch, piece of trash… Hey, Isaac, let’s just break this sword.”
“Don’t break it. I’m giving it to the landlady to pay for the drinks.”
“Well, it’s worth about half of today’s tab. …Alright, let’s drink!”
“You bet!”
Andy and Kelly leaned into the counter, energized, only to be immediately scolded by the landlady. “You idiots, you didn’t have to break the window,” she said, though her voice was somewhat gentle. She had returned around the same time as Ernie and the others, having been watching the commotion with bated breath.
“Sorry, Silvy-chan. I’ll make sure to call for a bodyguard during the day from now on.”
“Y-yes…”
Silvia was clinging to Ernie’s arm as if her life depended on it, her face flushed crimson as she fell even deeper in love with him.
Even the landlady, who was usually all talk and little perception, finally realized who Silvia’s “boyfriend” was. She had never imagined that the boyfriend of the beautiful Silvia would be such a rugged-looking ogre.
”…More importantly, you young ogre boy, you’ll catch a cold if you stay that soaked.”
“Oh, no, I’ll be fine…”
“Don’t be modest. Room 3 on the second floor is empty today, so go dry yourself off. There are towels in the closet.”
“U-understood.”
“Silvy-chan, why don’t you help him?”
“Eh…?”
This was the landlady’s utmost attempt at being thoughtful. Despite her age, she gave a playful wink.
The second floor of the tavern was half open-atrium and half inn. While it was a frequent haunt for Andy and other soldiers who loved drinking but couldn’t hold their liquor, it also served the less wholesome purpose of a place for trysts.
In a simple room in such a setting, Ernie sat with his clothes removed, diligently being wiped down.
”…You really are huge, aren’t you, Ernie?”
“I-it’s because I’m an ogre.”
“Yeah. It’s so reassuring.”
“It’s because I’m an ogre.”
”…Yeah. Including the fact that you’re an ogre, I love you, Ernie.”
“Ugh…”
Ernie turned bright red. As always, he was flustered by the sheer directness of Silvia’s affection. Smiling at him, Silvia confessed that she had fallen for him all over again, without any pretense or embellishment.
“You saved me again.”
“I-I only stepped in a little bit.”
“But it made me so happy. Knowing you’re always there when I’m in danger… my heart just skipped a beat.”
“Haha… I did leave it all up to Decurions Isaac and Smyson, though.”
“They were both angry for your sake, Ernie.”
”…Yeah. I really feel like I’m not alone anymore. I’m glad I’m in this squad.” “Yeah. I’m glad you’re in this squad, Ernie.” Silvia embraced Ernie’s head—which was about the size of a person’s torso—as she hung from his neck while standing on his lap. ”…I’m so glad you came, Ernie. I’m so glad I met you…” “Silvia… san?” ”…I was scared. When I was so, so scared, you saved me. I really, truly love you… I thought to myself, I am so incredibly happy…!” ”…I’m happy too.” “Yeah. …Hey, say you love me.” ”…I love you, Silvia-san.” “Say you really love me.” “I really love you, Silvia-san.” “Then…” “I love you.” ”…♪” Silvia shuddered. He had beaten her to the words. To a man this ideal. That alone felt like the greatest joy a woman could experience; the core of her body grew hot, damp, and tremulous. Finding her so adorable, Ernie pulled her into a gentle embrace. Enveloped by and enveloping the person whose affection continued to grow like a rolling snowball—it was a moment of pure bliss.
”…Nn.” After a while, Silvia pulled away. It was only then that they both noticed the seam of her sleeve was slightly torn. “Ah…” “I guess it got caught when it was pulled earlier.” ”…Maybe.” Ernie fell into thought, wondering what to do. Despite appearances, Ernie was actually capable of sewing. Just as he was about to suggest that he could mend it well enough to get home without anyone noticing, Silvia nodded toward something and suddenly began to strip. “Wh—! S-Silvia-san, if you’re taking that off, I’ll ex…” “No!” Silvia stopped Ernie as he tried to stand up in a panic. Obeying her, Ernie sat back down with his eyes squeezed shut. Before his eyes, Silvia, now in her underwear, climbed onto his lap and used both hands to forcefully pry his eyelids open. “Wawa! Um, but!” “Ernie, listen to me. Look at me.” ”…” “We’re lovers now, okay? We’ve been lovers for three months already. …It’s okay to look, you know?” “Ugh…” Ernie tentatively turned his gaze toward Silvia. Faced with the sight of the beautiful, defenseless Silvia in her lingerie, he blushed more intensely than ever, his eyes darting around erratically. ”…Yes.” ”…Hey, Ernie. …I thought, maybe it’s okay now.” ”?”
“Today, I thought… maybe it’s okay if I become yours and yours alone. …No, that’s not it. It’s not ‘maybe it’s okay.’ I want to be yours alone. I want you to love me more than anything else in this world.”
”…Silvia-san.”
“Arnie, do you dislike me? Is this… something you can’t do with me?”
”…B-but, I’m an ogre, you know.”
“That’s okay. I’m human, too.”
”…No, I mean, that’s not what I meant…”
“I understand everything. I know perfectly well that we are different species. I know that, from your perspective, I might not be attractive. Even so, I love you, Arnie. I want to be loved by you.”
“T-that’s not true! To me, Silvia-san, you’re truly, so incredibly attractive… but, I just… I feel like I’d only be a burden to your life.”
“Honestly!”
Silvia grew impatient. She knew. She could feel, through everything except his words, that Arnie loved her. But as expected, Arnie was too kind, too much of an overthinker; he believed he had no right to defile her. In that case…
“Arnie, I’m sorry!”
”…E-eh!?”
She pulled down his underwear, exposing his member. With a little boing, his erect penis emerged—looking almost undersized compared to his massive frame.
“Wha—!”
“Hehe… I’m serious.”
Giving a slightly mischievous smile to the flustered Arnie, Silvia began to stroke him with both hands. This wasn’t the first time she had seen him like this. A few months ago, when Arnie had suffered severe full-body injuries, her sense of responsibility had even driven her to assist him with urination. Because of that, she could face it without too much embarrassment. However, this was her first time handling a male organ for sexual purposes, and it wasn’t going as smoothly as she had hoped.
“Ugh… l-like… this…?”
“Silvia-san…”
“S-sorry, I’m bad at this… I’m clumsy, and I’ve never done this before… but I’m serious, okay…!”
Overwhelmed by emotion, Silvia pressed her mouth to him. She knew such a technique existed, but her knowledge was limited to it being an extension of stroking with her hands, so she felt lost the moment she actually used her mouth. Looking up, she saw Arnie wearing a troubled expression. It wasn’t an expression of pleasure, but rather one of pure confusion, as if he simply didn’t know how to react to her actions.
”…Hey, do you understand? I really love you, Arnie. I’m happy to just keep licking you like this. But…”
”…But?”
”…I’m sorry, the truth is, I don’t know what to do… But I want you to truly love me… I want you to take me.”
”…E-even if you say ‘take you’ like that…”
“You really can take me, you know?”
Silvia, whose sexual knowledge could no longer keep up with her actions, simply waved the white flag. In its place, she had made up her mind.
“I want you to grab my body just like this, force yourself into me, and use me like a tool to rub your cock against. I want you to use me to find pleasure, over and over again.”
“T-that’s…”
“I don’t care if I tear… just do it. If you love me, then do it…”
From the bottom of her heart, Silvia was driven by a desperate sense of urgency. She didn’t care if she was left unable to walk. If that was what it took to truly connect with Arnie, it was worth it. She wanted to prove that she could commune with his masculine side as a woman. And she wanted to connect with him even more deeply, more and more.
Her swelling affection for Arnie had become uncontrollable; she craved an exchange of love with him to the point of near-panic.
”…Sil, via… san.”
”…”
And then.
”…I’m really gonna do it, you know? I’m a guy, after all.”
Under the weight of Silvia’s persistent advances, Arnie finally began to let his restraint slip.
“Yeah.”
“I might not look it, but I’m actually really interested in women, you know? If you let me, I might end up doing something crazy every time we go on a date.”
Silvia trembled with joy at that raw desire. The fear that she couldn’t fully express her love, or that it wouldn’t be accepted, had vanished, replaced by a happiness so intense it brought tears to her eyes.
”…Do something crazy. Make me experience something amazing every single week♪”
”…Ugh, fine, don’t blame me then.”
“I won’t… either♪”
They cast aside their underwear, stripping away every last layer of cloth. There was nothing left to hide from one another. They showed each other everything—heart and body alike. Silvia spread her arms wide, welcoming Arnie’s touch.
“Yes, right there…”
“You’re wet…”
“Yeah… I’ve been wet for so long because I wanted you to hold me, Arnie… I was trying my hardest to get ready to welcome your cock… okay…?”
”…Haa… haa… ngh…”
”…It’s okay. You can put it in. You can do whatever you want…”
“Sil-Silvia-san!!”
Silvia’s hips and legs were gripped by his hands and forced apart, her body pressed firmly against his waist. Though he tried to moderate his strength, an ogre’s powerful arms were difficult to control; there was no “slowly” when it came to her hymen—he pierced through it all at once with a sharp snap.
“Ngh… ah…!!”
”…Haa… haaa… God, it’s so… hot… and feels so good…”
”…Yeah, I can… feel you inside me, Arnie…”
Compared to his massive frame, Arnie’s penis was quite small. While it was certainly large compared to the human average, for an ogre, it was a size he could never boast about. However, this worked in their favor. Even when he inserted his shaft all the way to the base, he wouldn’t break Silvia. He could thrust deep and dynamic, pulling all the way out and driving back in. Furthermore, Silvia was small enough in his eyes that he could shake her with true, vigorous intensity. Since Arnie was a virgin experiencing his first time, he lost himself in the pleasure of sex with a woman, mindlessly “using” Silvia.
“Uah, ah, ah… Agh, a… Sil, Silvia-san… it feels too good, I can’t stop… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…!”
“Ah, ah, hya, ah, ah… hie, i, iaah…!!”
Once penetration had occurred, neither of them had any reason or restraint left. Tossed about by the overwhelming sensation, Silvia simply thrust her hips back and forth, driven by the singular goal of bringing Arnie to climax.
”…Ha, ah… n, ah… ah♪”
Even so, Silvia wore a look of pure bliss. As a woman, the knowledge that she could undoubtedly satisfy Arnie’s ideal was a source of profound happiness.
“Uaa, ah, ah… uaa!!”
Arnie was possessed. He could think of nothing but ejaculation. And so, he continued to slam Silvia’s hips against his own.
He slammed his glans against her cervix. “Uaaaaaaaah!!” “Haa, ah… ah, ah… ahh, ngh♪” He ejaculated with a massive, erupting force.
”…I really did it…♪” “S-sorry about that.” ”…If you apologize, I’ll get angry.” ”…S-sorry…” “Hmph!” With a sharp smack, she pinched both of Arnie’s cheeks. ”…Ngh.” Then, she silenced him with a kiss. “I’m… Arnie’s lover, you know?” “Yes.” “Lovers are allowed to have sex, okay?” ”…If you say it like that, I’m going to start thinking it’s okay to do it whenever.” “Just make sure you think about the location.” ”…Yes.” “Be gentle.” “Yes.” “And be rough, too.” ”…That’s difficult.” “It’s not difficult. If I leave you to your own devices, you’ll only ever be gentle.” ”…I… I guess so.” “Yup♪”
“Yo, Smyson.” “What is it, Isaac?” ”…Hey, do you think they’re fucking?” ”…I vote for the side where they’re just having a sweet little talk without doing anything at all.” “I vote for the side where they’re holding a feast of carnal desire.” Note: The correct answer is both. “Dammit, I’m frustrated either way.” ”…Let’s go bully them when we get back.” “Let’s bully them.” The Madam delivered a single blow to each of their heads with a tray. “Is it your job as soldiers to interfere with your comrades’ happiness?” “T-that’s not true! This is a legitimate right!” “Dammit! People who are happy should just let themselves be teased so everyone else feels a little happy too!” “I must have been a fool to feel even a little flutter in my heart watching your exploits.” “Even if an old lady is the one feeling the flutter…”
“Hey.” ”…Pay the tab. All of it, right now.” “I am so, so sorry.” This was sometime one month before the arrival in Selen.