CHAPTER 119: TAMAYŌ, SLEEP WITH ME

I glanced up at the sky, raised the sword high, and swung it.

SWISH!

Oh no. Goodness me... I had just landed one hell of a move.

The shockwave that exploded out from the strike was so powerful it knocked several dwarves off their feet and sent them tumbling across the ground. And the sky?

The clouds that had been thick and hovering were suddenly—cleanly—split apart, like a razor had torn the heavens open.

But—of course...

{Master’s magic power has dropped. It now rests at 20%.}

(Thanks for the good news.)

And just like that, I had landed myself into another ridiculously stupid situation.

Something that absorbs 80% of my magic is a straight-up suicide mechanism.

"So, how does my Lord—"

I grabbed his beard before he could say something incredibly stupid, then pulled him to my level.

"Look here, old man," I said, staring into his hollow, dark eyes, "No one mocks me and walks away unharmed."

Levi and the others had to restrain me. I swear, if they hadn’t, I would’ve shaved that millennium-old beard off his wrinkled face without hesitation.

*

He apologized for my dissatisfaction and swore to forge something even better; something superior, he said.

Which, in his cryptic translation, probably means something that would devour all my magic in one single, dramatic gulp, right?

He also claimed he "had yet to forge the Divine weapon, as instructed by the prophecy."

What’s with this prophecy thing they’ve been talking about?

I don’t want to get entangled in some ancient cult drama or whatever mystical agenda that’s cooking up.

Anyway, I was currently lounging in the best building they could offer me.

It wasn’t exactly a palace, but it was definitely comfortable and clearly constructed with pride and craftsmanship. The place was sturdy, warm, and quietly luxurious in its own dwarven way.

The carpet under my feet had a really intricate design. It wasn’t just for show either—it smelled expensive, like freshly woven silks and polished gold threads, and it felt unusually soft.

Like walking on memory foam soaked in nobility.

Beneath this upper chamber was another room—the same one I had the ladies thrown into. Yes, those ladies. I hadn’t forgotten their attempt to sexually assault me.

Hmmm.

What now...

I’ll stay here and slack off for a while.

Then take full advantage of the downtime. And, when I’m ready, I’ll move to the actual human residence.

This one was human-dwarf territory.

But wow, seriously, all the Nor-dwarves here looked stunningly beautiful. Too beautiful, even. Like their character designs were crafted by a completely different artist from the rest of this comic.

Ah—no. Sorry, this is a novel.

I was currently staring out the window, watching a few kids play just outside. It was peaceful—quiet enough to hear their laughter drifting faintly into the room.

Made me remember all the chaos that’s been crashing down over my head the past few days.

Ah, that reminds me.

Tamayō hadn’t said a word to me since the assault incident.

Even Lygari had at least greeted me through telepathy this morning:

(Master Raven, this is Lygari. Just wanted to say good morning, and a big thanks for accepting this worthless and scrawny existence into your family. If you have any dirty work or suicide missions, I’m just one summon away.)

I still worry about his dangerously low self-esteem, but all things considered, he’s a good guy.

Anyway—let’s summon Tamayō.

*

She was seated right there on the ground before me, her eyes lowered with a depressed expression.

It was kind of cute, honestly, the way her fox ears drooped so low like that. Actually, Tamayō is an extremely beautiful woman. Or fox. Or... let’s just call her what she is—an existence that defies plain words.

"Hey," I said, leaning back and getting comfortable on the damn soft bed. "Why are you shutting yourself out like this?"

"I... I..." she stuttered, her voice barely audible. Her lips trembled, and then suddenly tightened. A moment later, tears spilled down her face—those self-loathing tears that came from deep inside her chest.

"I did something unforgivable to you, my Lord!" she cried, bowing her head.

Yes. You sexually assaulted me.

"You trusted me. You allowed me to come close to you, and I repaid that kindness by laying ambush on your innocence. I have no excuse. I cannot be forgiven!"

Sigh.

So she was still stuck on that incident.

It had definitely been a shocking experience for me, and yeah—it messed with my head a little.

But honestly, that sort of thing happens to me almost every other day. If anything, her and Levi’s attempted destruction of Coastelle had shaken me a lot more.

Tamayō was still wiping her tears, trying to keep some of her pride intact even as she broke down.

She was the honorable type, that much was obvious. So when she felt like she’d failed, she didn’t handle it the way normal people did.

Heh. But I’ll admit something here: I’m somewhat happy.

{Master, you sadist.}

No, no, it’s not like that! I mean—I’m glad. Genuinely glad that she can cry like this. It just shows how deeply loyal she is to me. That kind of loyalty isn’t something you can fake.

Now then... What should I do to show her that I’m really not mad?

...Ah, right. Got it.

"Tamayō?" I called her name gently.

"Yes, my Lord," she answered right away, even though her voice was still shaky and her face was streaked with tears. She was trying her best to remain stoic.

"I’ll forgive you," I said, "but only if you do something for me."

"...But my sin—"

"I don’t care about that," I cut in, keeping my tone firm. "I’m the one who decides the level of sin and the punishment it deserves. You belong to me, after all."

She raised her face at that, looking directly at me with those deep dark eyes framed by black, long lashes. The tears had stopped falling. It was like she had shut off the weeping and switched back to full warrior mode.

"As you will, my Lord," she said, her voice steadier now. "What is it you wish of me? The massacre of these scrambling insects who dared expose your nakedness? Say the word, and not a single one shall live to recount their existence."

...Wait, she saw all of that?!

And the expression on her face... It was a terrifying mix of disdain and sadness. That strange combination somehow made her look even more dangerous than usual.

"No, nothing that bloody," I waved her off casually, then extended my hand to her. "Sleep with me."

"...Hai?"