Chapter 289 - 289. A Feast of Dog-Eared Folk, and Life in the Margins (Maira☆)
The feast continued. The night grew colder. But the flames soaring from the bonfire blazed so fiercely they seemed to burn the night sky, warmly enveloping the central plaza. After parting ways with Erne and the others, I was now helping myself to the food arranged at each table.
Fam had gone to Lily. Watching the two of them talking from afar, despite their different colored dog ears, they looked like sisters. When Lily met my gaze, she averted her eyes as if frightened, trying to hide from my sight.
I wanted to tell her that the way I'd touched her body was a misunderstanding. I didn't want to spend this awkward time feeling uncomfortable. But even if I tried to clear up the misunderstanding and become friends, I might just cause even more misunderstandings.
Around Mizuki, Marmie, and Nephie, villagers had gathered, and everyone was having a lively time.
I wasn't really engaging with any of the villagers, but it wasn’t like I was being ignored either. I felt like they were just watching me from a distance. Maybe the misunderstanding with Lily had spread, especially among the women, who kept their distance. Maybe they also feared me because I summoned Rachel. Transferees like Mizuki should be in the same boat, but she had completely blended in with the villagers.
Mizuki kept smiling, nodding along with the villagers as if to show agreement with their stories. As expected, a beautiful woman's smile captivated people and dispelled their wariness. Born with different things indeed.
In any case, I felt out of place. I didn't usually feel like drinking, but today I'd just drink and go to sleep early.
While thinking about such things, I noticed Maira standing alone in front of a barrel of mead.
Under normal circumstances, children would be gathered around her. But tonight, she had an aura that kept them away. I needed someone to talk to, so the timing was perfect. I turned my steps toward the barrel where she was.
Maira scooped up some mead with a ladle, poured it into a wooden cup, and gulped it down. She was drinking alcohol with the same nonchalant attitude as if she were drinking water.
'Would you like some, Mash?'
Noticing me, she smiled sweetly.
'Ah, yeah…'
I offered her my cup, and she ladled some in for me. Then she refilled her own.
'Supposedly, it’s been aged for about a year. So it tastes smooth and mellow. The sweetness often fades, but this one still retains it. Maybe the brewing method is different?'
I tipped it down my throat like water. I took a sip. It certainly flowed smoothly down my throat, but there was a lingering aftertaste. That was probably the sweetness that came later. While savoring it, Maira poured more mead into her own cup. Where did everything she drank go? I couldn’t help but pat her stomach, but it didn't feel particularly bloated. Maybe she stored it in her chest. I found her belly button and playfully twirled my fingertip.
'W-What are you doing?'
Maira shrank back to escape my hand. Looking at her face, her cheeks were only slightly flushed. Her dark eyes seemed a little moist.
'Wh-Why?'
'No, I somehow understand why you're alone.'
'Mmph. Aren’t you alone, Mash?'
'I'm not the type of person people like.'
'Don't say such things so casually...'
Maira sighed deeply. I was hurt that she didn’t deny my words, but I decided to remain silent for now.
'Mash, you're feeling a little sick, right? And two people shouldn't wander around the village, should we?'
'Guess so.'
I nodded and looked up at the night sky. The moon was about a third gone, but it was bright enough. This was in the mountains. Maybe that's why the sky felt so close.
'Oh, but please wait a moment.'
She drained the mead from her cup, refilled it, and held the ladle toward me.
'Mash, would you like some?'
'No, I'm good with what I have for now.'
She stood shoulder-to-shoulder with me, and we started walking.
It was a small village. We quickly reached the fence at the edge. Even from there, the light from the central bonfire reached us. The distant howling of the dog-eared tribesmen also reached us, drowning out the sound of autumn insects. We were walking on a narrow path used for field work. The fields weren't very large, and small sprouts were visible, growing like thorns from the black soil.
'Can they really make a living holding feasts like this?'
'They said it's not every day. Feasts are only held on special days or when guests arrive.'
I told Maira what I'd heard from Fam.
'Fam grew up in such a place... If I had been born in a place like this, would I have been loved like Fam?'
'Hey, don't say things that would cause misunderstandings. I love you deeply too.'
'If only that were true...'
Maira's tone was melancholic, but in her hand was a cup of mead. She tilted the cup, but only a few drops fell on her tongue, having already drained it. If one were to think normally, it would be a gesture similar to an old man drinking alcohol, but her movements were strangely alluring. I offered my cup, and after she took it, she peered inside.
'Mash, are you not feeling well? You haven't drunk much...'
'I can't really drink that much, not mead anyway.'
'Is that so?'
She frowned. Then, she poured the mead down her throat. Even though she was trained by the dwarf Aiden, I was worried about the food expenses if she continued to drink so much. However, since she wouldn't pass out from drinking, there was no need to worry about her being taken home drunk. At the fence, I turned around and walked along it. The watchtowers were in two locations, the front and back entrances of the village. One of them was destroyed by the earthquake caused by the giant's gait. The scattered wood fragments were cleared away and gathered in one spot, forming a small mountain. Maira stared intently at the fallen tower.
'Is that really the God of the End?'
'Who knows? But weren't you the one who said Racshell invoked the name of the God of the End against the giant?'
Maira held her cup close to her chest.
'For us, gods are beings who should be the beacon of the people's way. And they are beings who listen to our prayers and stand by our side.'
'Is that so? Didn't the gods, other than the five goddesses, try to destroy mankind in Maira's mythology?'
Maira sighed weakly at my words.
'I used to argue with Aira about that a lot. But after the gods' war, we have continued to offer prayers to them without interruption from generation to generation. So will we not be forgiven? Certainly, the God of the End is a being from whom even that feeling seems impossible to reach.'
'So, are you drinking to drown your sorrows?'
Maira tilted her head, wondering what I meant, and raised her glass curiously.
'I haven't drunk that much, and I'm not having a drinking spree.'
We found a round log lying at the edge of the rubble that we could sit on. We sat down together there. It was in the shadow of the rubble, and the flames of the bonfire couldn't reach us. Instead, the moon and stars shone on us. The air felt clearer than when I came to this world. From now on, as winter approached, the air would become even more transparent, and the stars would shine even brighter.
'But, we couldn't save Fam with the power of the church. In the end, I'm starting to think that the Church's teachings might not help Mash.'
Maira leaned against me as if to get closer because of the cold. I also sat up straight, filling the gap between us.
'Isn't Maira's purpose for traveling to confirm those kinds of truths, so there's no need to worry?'
'Of course I care about that! I've served the church for many years!'
She pouted sulkily.
'In the first place, the gods didn't tell you to worship them, did they? They're the kind of guys who summon people from other worlds and make them fight each other, right?'
At least the Fifty Gods have contact with transferred individuals and give them clear missions. Information about the gods who said that their appearance and language could be understood from transferrees has been passed down. Racshell's appearance, as depicted in the church's frescoes, was similar. It was highly likely that the teachings of the goddess of protection Maira believed in were also brought about by transferrees. Instead of nodding, Maira raised her glass and drank the mead.
'Tonight's Mash is mean.'
'I'm just glad that I know so much about Maira.'
'You're still mean.'
Maira stroked the rim of her glass with her index finger.
'Are you planning to head to the fortress to chase the giant, Mash?'
'I don't really want to, but it'll probably come to that.'
'What would you do if you ran into the fight between the giant and the Crimson Brigade?'
Her eyes, which had been lost to the empty glass, were now fixed on me. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, but she looked like her usual self. There was no sign of drunkenness.
'I'm still wondering. Even if I ran into the situation, I might not be able to do anything.'
In the first place, the giant was not an opponent we could handle by intervening. The mercenaries of the Crimson Brigade alone could not possibly deal with it. The problem was the presence of transferrees. How much could the man named Jinma fight, and the existence of others with special skills other than him would determine the course of the battle. Maira's hand was placed on mine.
'Mash, I am with you no matter what happens. I will see what you do through to the end.'
Our lips met. And then, I forced my way even further into her mouth.
'Nfu... Mash...'
Listening to her sweet breath on the tip of my nose, I intertwined tongues. Feasting on her wet tongue with my tongue, I tasted mead. That alcohol blended with the original sweetness she possessed, melting my brain. I embraced Maira's waist and pulled her close. Soft to the touch. I couldn't imagine her wielding a heavy bludgeoning weapon like a mace. But within that softness lay a solid core, highlighting the beauty of her every move.
'Mash?'
Our lips parted, and she uttered a confused voice. I ignored her and stroked her body, my hands creeping from her thigh to her stomach. Then, I lifted her breasts from underneath as if to support them. They had a considerable weight to them. I could almost believe that I had been transferred to this world just to meet these breasts. Wanting to savor their feel more, when I tried to fondle them, she twisted her body, trying to escape.
'Mash, no more... Someone might see us.'
Maira said, anxiously scanning her surroundings while her face flushed red. Unfazed by her reaction, I put more force on the hand I had wrapped around her waist, and grabbed her breast with the other hand. Soft to the touch. My fingertips sank into her skin without resistance.
'A-Ah... Mash, it's embarrassing.'
'Is someone watching?'
'No one's watching...'
She wriggled her body, trying to escape even further.
'That guy is watching you, right there?'
Maira flinched and stiffened at my words, staring intently at where I was looking.
'You're kidding, right?'
Her body relaxed. Taking advantage of her lack of resistance, I trailed my tongue along her neck. Furthermore, I savored the feel of her breast with the palm of my hand. There was the feel of hardened buds in my palm. When I plucked them, she trembled.
'Uhhh... Mash, really, ahh... are you planning to continue this?'
'I don't mind being seen. I want to show them that you're mine.'
'Is that... serious?'
When I pinched the nipple even harder, she arched her back again. I covered her mouth, holding down her face so she couldn’t look up, and unhanded her lower body.
At first, I had been pawing her crotch over her skirt, but feeling frustrated, I hoisted up the skirt and tried to invade inside when Maira pressed her hands and the hem of the skirt, resisting with force. But as I continued to kiss her lips, her resistance gradually faded. Taking advantage of that, I moved my fingers into her groin. It touched the soft fabric, stroking the mound, and she let out a small, groaning moan. Then, I trailed my fingers from that fabric into her slit. Her secret place was already wet. With no further resistance, I toyed with her protrusion with my fingertips as I moved my fingers further in. More viscous fluid dripped out. I pulled it out and put my fingertip, well-lubricated with her juices, inside her mouth. Maira sucked on the finger as if to lick it.
'Even though you said you hated it, you're all ready, aren't you?'
'Mash... When you push me like this, I also expect something.'
It didn't show on her face or in her actions, but Maira might be drunk after all.
'Aren't you also excited that someone might be watching?'
Her hazy eyes flashed, as if momentarily regaining their focus. Several stars were reflected in those eyes. It was so beautiful like a jewel. I could no longer suppress the desire to make it my own forever.
'Th-That's... Please, don't say it.'
'When we return to Migrutt, I'll strip you naked in the middle of the city and shove my thing inside you.'
'If you do that, I'll be so embarrassed, I won't be able to stay in the city.'
Listening to Maira's reply, I sent my hand towards her lower body again. She shifted her body herself, spreading her legs to make it easier to accept. And then, hesitantly, she reached for my thing. Maira was getting excited and baring herself shamelessly in a place where she might be seen by someone. My erection was already complete, and just being touched made me feel like I was about to ejaculate.
'Mash, too...'
I sealed her lips before she could say anything. And the two of us touched each other's genitals. Maira's underwear was dropped to her ankles. I had unknowingly exposed my penis from my pants, and she was directly holding it. My rod was wrapped in her thin fingers, moving up and down. Each time, a wave of excitement welled up.
'Maira...'
I sped up the rhythm of my hips to respond to her demands. And I grasped and played with her breasts with both hands. Maira, too, wriggled her waist in time with my rhythm. My heart swelled, unable to contain my arousal from that stimulation.
'Mash... I... ah...'
'Maira, I'm going to cum in you...'
'Mash, come on! All of it, to me... Cum in me!'
I swung my hips to the limit, and then, pressing her waist down, I poured myself inside her.
'AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'
Maira let out a particularly loud moan and accepted me. I sent all the sperm that came up repeatedly into her.
After finishing, I turned Maira toward me and exchanged a kiss. And waited for our ragged breathing to subside.
'Maira.'
'What is it?'
'You were making quite a bit of noise, weren't you? The dog-eared folk might have heard us.'
Maira's face flushed even redder than when we were intertwined.
'M-Mash, you have to take responsibility!'
This cry was also likely heard by someone. Thinking so, I looked up at the sky.
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