Chapter 126: The north-western border forest
Chapter 126: The north-western border forest
Ryu woke up with a naked Dorothea sleeping soundly in his arms. Large amount of her tears, saliva ans snot had made a mess of his arm but he didn’t mind it a bit. After what emotional turmoil he had gone through yesterday, this was more than tolerable to him. He had a very little room to move around since another set of bust had been pressed tightly against his back. Kira too was sleeping with her arms around him. Gently removing Dorothea’s head from on top of his arm, he slithered out of the bed, not disturbing the ladies out if their sleep. Freshening up he got to the ground floor and found Sophia sitting in the hall with a large sheet of paper. “Good morning, big sister!” Now he didn’t think Sophia had any grievances with him, maybe she was just a bit upset with him helping Lyod disciplining her but nothing more than that. “Good morning!” She responded. It was still not as cheerful as she usually was but at the very least he got an answer.
He approached her to find the sheet containing some markings. It must be the map of the forest they will be visiting today. He sat beside her trying to analyse it. He can see multiple landmarks on the sheet with ‘X’ mark at the center of the forest. That must be the location they will find their flower. “Any details that we need to be familiar about?” Sophia was looking gorgeous once again. Looks like she just took a bath. She was smelling so nice that Ryu took few discreet breaths in her direction. Sophia turned to look at him. A minute passed and she was still staring at his face? “Is there something on my face?” She hurriedly looked away “No. Nothing. Here, keep these.” She took out some fruits and placed them infront of him. “What are these for, sis?” He scratched his head asking. “For yesterday night. I am sorry. I had to force you into doing that but there is no other way that stubborn woman is going to accept anything from me. So I have to pull of these tricks.”
It was Ryu’s turn to stare at her. He can’t help but feel sympathy for this girl. How many people close to her had she lost already? And now she has taken another loss without even knowing about it. Ryu can only imagine what she will go through once she comes to learn about it. The heart pain that he had suppressed from yesterday returned back again. “Ahem.. Is there something on my face?” She tried to mock him back with his own words but Ryu didn’t care. He shook his head before pulling Sophia in a hug, pressing her head in his chest. “Oiii.. idiot. What do you think you are doing?” She tried to struggle but Ryu was holding her real tight, making her confused what was the deal with the boy. “Shhh.. please sister Sophia. Let hold you like this for sometime.” She calmed down listening to his heavy voice. Also, it was a strangely calm position to be in, listening to his heart beats. Suddenly her face started turning red from embarrassment. Why did it felt to her like a parent soothing a child? Wasn’t she the older one here?
But before she could think any further, Ryu began speaking “Thank you, Sophia. Please just know this, even if something really bad happens remember that I will be there for you.” She didn’t know why but his words brought tears to her eyes. She didn’t know what made him say that, but she very much appreciated that. Hurriedly she wiped her eyes clean before breaking away from his embrace. “What was that? Practicing on being a good father? Haha” Ryu too didn’t want to make the atmosphere any more tense. “Haha…you can take it like that. And regarding these fruits I just need one.” Sophia stopped laughing “Why so? Isn’t it usually around 5 Virgo’s?” “Yes, but Dorothea told me she was just a malnourished village dweller, I don’t need to spend that much. Thus had to only spend a single one for a night.” He explained with a grin, like he made a great deal.
She had an intense urge to slap that handsome face of his. Just when Sophia had seen him acting so mature this guy fucks up like this. She put her face in her palms “You idiot!!” Ryu ignored her, going in his own tangent. With a fake anger on his face “Sex was so cheap but trying to get these women to sleep with you for a night is the real deal. Huh.. had to spend full 14 virgos just trying to make her sleep in the same bed. Who do these villagers think they are? I can get a dozen of women to cuddle with me in with those many fruits… Huh..” Sophia’s disappointment vanished in thin air when she heard his fake outrage. The guy really understood her intentions. There was no use of thanking him so she burst into laughter, along with Ryu.
“Then.. about these fruits?” She was in a bind. Knowing the usual rates were 5 pieces of fruit she had brought 7 with her to give them to Ryu. But the boy had gone a step further than her and had spent 15 and now she didn’t have that many fruits to give it to him. They have to save their portions for their next week in the woods. “I already picked the one I had spent in the sex, sis. Getting her to sleep with me was a personal request for me and so I will pay for that myself.” What he didn’t lack right now are these Virgos? He got tons of these fruits in his personal space. Sophia was still not convinced and Ryu had to bring his identity as a milker on granny’s farm for her to she give up paying him back.
“This is the location of the cave. These are some of the paths we can take. If we find any powerful magical beasts that we can’t fight off, we need to immediately switch to a different path. We might take 3 days to reach this place and find the flower. So be ready for that and mention whatever I told you to the other brats and get them up. We will move within next hour.” They will have to leave their horses in the village itself and cover the rest of the distance inside of the on foot. Since, their rides will only slow them down in the dense terrain.
**An hour later**
“How do you feel now Dorothea?” Ryu had done away with the honorifics. The landlady had taken a bath and cleaned herself up. He saw what a beauty she was. If she just had enough nourishment, she can easily give the top women of Korua a run for their money. The aura of death and negativity surrounding her was gone. She smiled lightly. “Thank you Ryu. I feel much better now. Are you guys leaving now?” Ryu picked up her dress form the floor and began putting it on her naked body. “Yes, we are going to leave. Please take care. If all goes well we will return within a week.” She put her hands up letting Ryu strap her dress. “Good luck to you and your team Ryu. I will pray to the goddess for your sucess.” “Haha thank you for that. We will give our best. Also, you have not kept your end of the bargain. So, you need to eat well and put on some weight. We are going have a proper night together once I return. And I like my woman a bit chubby hehe” Dorothea knew he was trying to cheer her on as she took the initiative to give him a hug. “I will do that, little Ryu.” “Good” Ryu rubbed her back.
Kira stood at the bath door with a wide smile on her face. If she had any remaining doubts previously, then now she was certain that she wanted Ryu as her husband at aby cost. She had seen all the happenings of yesterday. She herself would have been a total weeping mess if she had to handle such a situation. But Ryu took care of it so skillfully that she was once again impressed. In her world this brother of her can totally do anything. She giggled before taking her leave.
The gang left the house after Sophia said proper goodbyes to Dorothea. After just a half an hour walk they had entered the territory of the jungles. “From this point on our country’s border ends. The forest is a no man’s land and right across it the beastmen’s territory starts. These woods act as a natural barrier between the two countries. That’s the reason we need to be vigilant about coming across any of those bastards.” Kyro was not satisfied with this much information. “Big sister, I know you can handle many powerful beastmen but what if we come across an more powerful one. Like what if it’s not a young one like us, more like an old guy. Then what?” Sophia turned around to look into Kyro’s eye “Then it’s even more simple. We will just die.” Even Ryu was scared about this possibility let alone Kyro. Just when she turned back around to march ahead, Kyro began looking at his friends with pleading eyes. He wanted them to forfeit this mission with him.
Others might have agreed to him but Jake was never going to back off. But before Ryu could console the poor guy, they all heard Sophia laughing loudly “hahaha.. you idiots. Do you really think an old beastmen warrior will go down to such a low level to kill off the younger generation? They are savages but they are proud savages. They would never do such a thing that will only bring them despise, not only from the humans but from their kin as well. Also, you guys need not worry. We have a treaty in place with them. No side will target a junior of the other side. The battles between younger generation will be resolved by them. It’s just most of the time it gets real bloody.” Ryu was interested in knowing more about these creatures. He had only heard about them in folklores in his previous world. “Did you ever engaged in fight with them, sister Sophia?”
She gave a nod. “I have fought a few. Just like me they will be brought to these jungles for training by their masters. Master will get me to fight them on a regular basis.” Kyro was quick to ask “And what had been the results of those fights?” She only gave a wink before turning back again saying “What do you think?” Kyro’s heart beats dropped down. Her sentence literally pulled him from the depths of hell. What’s there to fear if they had the mighty Sophia with them.
Traversing through the rough topography with their backpacks was not an easy task but the team was enthusiastic. They only required a break once the sun had moved on their heads. “Let’s settle here for a while. We will have a break and then move once the sun is down.” The rookies can’t agree more, immediately settling against the trunk of the trees in cool shade. They pulled out their rations and everybody ate a portion. Sophia’s eyes fell on Kira whose clothes were completely drenched in her sweat. The walk had been specially difficult for this girl. This time she was sensitive enough that girls really liked to remain clean. “Ryu!” “Yes, sister.” “There should be a small lake just a small distance from here. Take Kira with you there. Have her take a bath.” Ryu nodded. He wasn’t even at the limit of his stamina. He could have continued this walk for the full day had it come to that.
But Kira didn’t want to be a burden to the team, immediately refusing the offer. “I am good, big sister. It is nothing. I can keep moving.” Sophia shook her head “Yeah I know you can keep moving, but this will be the last time you can have a proper bath. There are no definite water bodies marked for us after this lake. Anyway we have to travel to there to fill our water supply. I am just giving you guys a head start.” Kira had no problems if it was like that. She agreed to it and they left after their lunch.