Chapter 6: The Bonds We Forge (with Money)
After meeting Iris, the magus knight, I found myself sitting next to her in her covered wagon, which kept rocking us back and forth. Sometimes we bumped shoulders, and every time, she would blush and look apologetic.
“I’m sorry about the cramped space,” she said. “I expected to be traveling alone.”
“Oh, I’m grateful enough that you allowed me to ride alongside you,” I replied.
The wagon was stocked with large amounts of food and other supplies. Apparently, Iris regularly went on long expeditions, and was planning on heading to some other places after dealing with the demons here. Unlike me, she wasn’t cursed. Just reckless.
“I didn’t expect to be caught off guard,” she sighed. “Must’ve been more tired than I thought. If you hadn’t come along, Crow, I would have died. You have my gratitude.”
“Please, think nothing of it. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met you, Iris.” I’d avoided the execution ending thanks to her, after all. What else could I be except endlessly grateful? Besides, my body had been at its limit. Without her, I’d probably have ended up dead in a field long before reaching the capital. Ah, wagons! I love wagons!
“By the way, we’re going quite fast,” I remarked. “Is that thanks to this aetherborn’s power?” I glanced at the white beast pulling the wagon. On its head was a single, magnificent horn. “That’s a unicorn, isn’t it? The mutated form of a horse?” I asked. “I’m amazed it can pull this much weight, especially with Dáinsleif as part of the cargo.”
“That’s right! Unicorns are many times faster and stronger than regular horses. My Unicoco is particularly outstanding!” Iris declared, proudly puffing her chest.
Holy crap, those are huge! Also, her naming skills could use some work.
There was no coachman, so the unicorn was just doing its own thing. Supposedly, they were clever creatures, and would take the shortest path possible to a destination, provided that they knew the way.
I told Iris how smart the animal seemed to me, and she chuckled uncomfortably and said, “Yes, it’s just a little cold to anyone who isn’t a maiden.”
Gross. “How’s a horse this sexist?” I asked.
“Well, that’s how the legend went, so the aether’s influence must have made that part of the story come true,” she explained. “It’s a shame, to be sure, but they are unusual among aetherborn in that they don’t eat people, which makes them quite useful to us knights.”
Ah, yes. The part about them not eating people was kind of important, wasn’t it?
Unlike dark magi, who made unscrupulous use of goblins and the like, magus knights were keepers of the peace. They couldn’t exactly make use of aetherborn that posed a danger to people. I mean, the headquarters of their chivalric order stood smack in the middle of the capital. It’d be disastrous if the damned things ran rampant.
“Makes sense,” I mused. “By the way, Iris...”
“Y-Yes?” Iris squeaked.
She’d been massaging a liquid onto my leg for some time, her hands making a sloshing sound against my skin.
“That’s a potion, you said?” I asked. “I hear they speed up healing.”
“Yes! They’re effective when taken by mouth, but they work even better if you apply them directly onto the injury, so...” She rubbed my ankle with her slippery hands, her gaze trailing up my leg.
See, when we’d climbed onto the wagon, I’d confessed to her that I’d injured my foot in battle earlier.
“Wait, are you all right?! Don’t tell me—you pushed through the pain to save me?!” she’d asked, panicked, before trying to shove the bottle she’d been drinking out of into my mouth. “Don’t take any unnecessary risks! Now drink! Go on, in one gulp! Like a baby suckling on a nipple!”
“I, uh, Iris?!” In the end, I’d vehemently refused. I mean, drinking straight from her bottle, really?
“Oh!” Iris had exclaimed, coming to her senses. Fidgeting, she continued, “Y-You’re right! That would be an indirect kiss, wouldn’t it?! Oh, silly me, I was so panicked that I just...!”
Aw, she’s such a nice person. She’s so worried about me that she can’t think straight!
After that, we’d decided to just apply the potion directly.
“But you know,” I said, “you don’t need to apply it for me.”
“What are you saying?!” she demanded, incredulous. “You hurt your leg because of me! This is the least I can do! And though it may just be pretend, I’m still your mentor! It’s my duty to take care of my apprentice!”
“Iris...” Man, she’s so nice! That’s why she’s looking at my injury so intently! Silly me, I thought.
“Which means, Crow, you can leave these things to me. If you’re hurting anywhere else, tell me. As your mentor—um, yes! As your mentor, I’ll do what I can to treat you!”
“I see. In that case, please do,” I said, taking off my hood and undershirt, revealing my abs.
I mean, she’d told me to, right? It would’ve been impolite to refuse her offer.
“Wait, wha—?! Crow! What are you doing?!”
“Well, see, I was in a series of battles earlier, and I’m actually sore all over. I would appreciate it if you could apply the potion to my upper body as well.”
“Whaaaaaat?!” Iris exclaimed really loudly, her face red as a boiled octopus.
Oh, right. She’s a bit shy, isn’t she?
An honorable woman such as her probably wouldn’t think anything even remotely weird about seeing me half naked, but it stood to reason she’d still be uncomfortable touching me.
Crap! I messed up!
“My apologies. I shouldn’t have asked—”
“Not at all!!!” she interjected very emphatically, prompting a shudder from Unicoco. “I-I-I’m your mentor! Iris of the White Blade! How rude of you to assume you shouldn’t have asked!”
“Ah. In that case, please go ahead.”
She doesn’t mind at all! What a relief!
I scooted closer and leaned in, offering her my chest, which was at her eye level since I was taller.
“Whuh, wha—?! I-It’s so thick! So tight! So amazi...”
Well, it made sense she was impressed. I used to exercise a lot, you know. All the long-distance running, carrying kids around, and whatnot. On top of that, I’d been pushing myself to the limit this past week, exercising constantly without rest, so I was probably extra toned.
“W-Wow!” she concluded.
Her gaze could’ve burned a hole through me. I figured she must’ve been checking me out carefully to gauge which of my muscles were damaged, and to what extent. I could respect that. A lot.
“Please, my mentor,” I said, “feel free to touch me wherever you’d like. My legs, my chest, my abs, my back...”
“Y-Yesh!” she replied, fumbling her words a little.
And thus, on our way to the nearest village, my pure, selfless, kind mentor, ever so generous to her disciple, provided me with ample healing.
She also gave me some money afterward. No idea why.
The two characters moments later:
“Did she give me money because she noticed I’m broke? Aww, my mentor’s so nice!”
—Titus, Crow / +100 HP / Maxed-out physical condition
“I have to do it! It wouldn’t feel right otherwise!”
—Zehirete, Iris / +1,000,000 Spirit / Lost all reasoning ability
And that’s the story of how Crow became a sugar baby.