“Wabid. Forget everything about today. Don’t get involved with Decal or Veil Noah in any way.”
“Yes.”
Wabid will forget it all upon waking.
Even if he finds clues about me—written records or such—he can’t think about or act on them. Hypnosis makes it easy to get close to strangers or erase relationships entirely. Since he’ll block out info about me himself, this security is hard to breach.
Of course, I had questions for Wabid before this.
How does the enforcer’s reporting system work? Was investigating me Veil Noah’s solo decision?
Those kinds of questions popped up but vanished quickly.
I can get the info I need from Noah.
Honestly, Wabid’s out of my mind now.
I flip a secret switch to reopen the passage, slinging Noah over my shoulder like luggage.
Before stepping out, I clap my hands.
Clap!
“Huh?”
Leaving a confused Wabid behind, I exit the dungeon.
It’s already late at night outside.
“Look at that.”
A few adventurers whisper, eyeing me.
I adjusted Noah’s cl0thes to cover her skin, but a guy carrying an unconscious w0man doesn’t look good.
Especially in this world, where thieves target you and adventurers attack outright.
Luckily, no one picks a fight, but it’s different when I reach Dry Village.
Maybe because I look like a criminal, a guard approaches, eyes blazing.
“What’s going on? Why’s the w0man with you unconscious?”
“She passed out in the dungeon.”
“Dungeon? You’re an adventurer. Can I see your license?”
I hand over my adventurer’s license.
The guard jumps, removes his helmet, and bows.
“Mr. Decal! Sorry for delaying you.”
I’m stunned silent by the reaction.
The guard continues being friendly.
“You helped take down those thieves. Captain Salina ordered us to ensure you pass through without trouble.”
“Salina?”
That’s nice of her.
“I’ll head through then.”
“Have a good night.”
A guard I’ve never met knows my name.
First time I feel my fame.
I’ve become a known adventurer in this village.
“Mm…”
Noah stirs, waking up in the middle of the square.
“Can you walk now?”
“Y-Yeah.”
I set Noah down.
“Sorry for the trouble.”
“It’s fine. Wasn’t heavy. Plus, it’s partly my fault.”
“…”
Noah hesitates.
“What happened to Wabid?”
“He’s got nothing to do with us now.”
No need for more details.
Noah nods, understanding, and bows.
“Thank you for your care.”
“Time to introduce you to the others. You’re my b!tch now, right?”
“…”
“No?”
Noah bites her lip, then nods.
“Yes, I’m… Decal’s loyal b!tch now.”
“Good. Oh, I brought a blindfold. Want me to put it on?”
“Please.”
I tie a black blindfold over Noah’s eyes.
“Done.”
“Thank you.”
“Before we go in, we need to talk. About the extra test.”
“The extra test?”
“I don’t care if I fail, but can you pass Karen?”
Noah’s face hardens.
“That’s not possible.”
Figured.
I thought about manipulating Noah to pass her, but I don’t have a reason to go that far. Surprisingly, I’m taking this extra test seriously, ready to accept the results.
“Both of you already passed. I haven’t told you yet.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Can I explain where Karen is?”
“That’d be best. So…”
“Water and Grass Inn, right? Let’s go.”
Noah strides ahead, like she knows my destination.
Right, she’s the enforcer who tracked me. Except for my time at Eight-Colored Clam Castle, she probably knows what I eat and where I sleep.
Scary as an enemy, but as an ally, Noah’s skills feel reassuring.
We reach Water and Grass Inn.
Anais says the two booked a room under my name hours ago and haven’t left.
I head to the second floor and knock.
“Big Bro’s here!”
Karen’s voice rings out.
“Darling, I’m opening it.”
Isti opens the door, spotting Noah beside me and narrowing her eyes warily.
“Noah.”
“Can I come in?”
Isti glances at me for permission.
“It’s fine. Noah’s family now.”
“Got it.”
Stepping inside, I feel suffocated.
Three was bearable, but four in this cramped room is too much.
“You’ve been staying here? Dry Village has better inns.”
“Yeah, we should move. Let’s all head to Eight-Colored Clam Castle.”
I pull the Eight-Colored Giant Clam from my inventory.
“Eight-Colored Clam Castle?”
“Decal, hold on. Before we go, I want to make sure Noah’s done planning to hurt you.”
Isti glares at Noah with open hostility.
I forgot for a sec—Isti doesn’t trust people easily.
Karen’s honest, lively personality and her help in that incident built a solid friendship with Isti, but Noah’s a different story.
Noah secretly tracked us with intent to harm me, so Isti’s not about to accept her easily.
Tension hangs in the air until Karen tilts her head.
“The examiner wants to hurt Big Bro? Why?”
Not intentional, but Karen’s comment softens the sharp vibe.
What happened in that stone chamber doesn’t exist for Karen. She doesn’t know Noah saw me as a high-risk target and planned a summary judgment.
Isti stays quiet, and Noah speaks up naturally.
“I’m an examiner and an enforcer who tracks and judges criminals.”
“So… you came to catch Big Bro?”
Karen’s clueless reaction is cute.
“At first, yes. There were reports of many w0men being harmed.”
“I don’t know about others, but I’m not a victim. I’m Big Bro’s pu$$y s1ave, so no assault here. I wanted it…”
Karen, flustered, spills a jumble of words.
“I understand, Karen. Calm down.”
“…”
This is fun to watch. Noah being an enforcer must’ve shocked her.
Karen defending herself as my pu$$y s1ave was gold.
“Keep going. So it’s different now?”
Isti presses Noah.
“Yes. I’ve chosen to serve Decal as his loyal b!tch.”
“…What!?”
Karen’s eyes widen, shocked enough for all three of them.
“You expect us to believe that out of nowhere?”
Isti snaps, but Noah doesn’t flinch.
These two are opposites. They won’t get along easily.
Bella’s different—she’s a goddess, so she looks down on Isti.
This feels like a problem I’ve been brushing off exploding. Isti only trusts me. Without a connection through me, she won’t accept anyone.
That’s probably why she’s called the “Noble Huntress.”
“Examiner? What’s this about? Big Bro’s b!tch? Big Bro! What did you do?”
Karen suddenly turns her fire on me.
Oh, my turn to talk? Alright, I’ll clear this mess up.
“Had s9x.”
“S9x…”
Awkward silence spreads.
“Nothing beats s9x for a man and w0man to get close.”
“…”
“Relentless 17-round in-pu$$y eruption s9x…”
“I get it, stop saying s9x!”
“I was about to explain how Noah became my b!tch.”
“I wouldn’t get it. An enforcer suddenly being your b!tch…”
“What about you, Isti?”
“…”
Isti, who didn’t hide her hostility, suddenly speaks coolly.
“If it’s s9x with Darling, I get it. Can’t help it.”
“Isti, you understand!?”
“Yeah. Don’t you, Karen?”
“I… thought I was the only one who got all fuzzy-headed during s9x with Big Bro.”
Karen’s shy confession trails off, her voice sinking.
“17 rounds… How was it, Noah?”
Isti asks with a suggestive tone.
“Amazing. I passed out mid-way, lost track of time…”
Karen swallows hard.
Seeing an elf and an enforcer I thought were opposites bond over my story feels awkward.
“Should we talk details inside? This place is too cramped. Isti, you good now?”
“Yeah. I’m sure she won’t hurt Darling.”
Good thing Isti’s not too stubborn. Maybe since that incident with Karen, she’s been preparing herself.
I lead the three to the first-floor hall of Eight-Colored Clam Castle.
Bella’s waiting on her throne, a familiar sight.
“One more person?”
Bella rises, and Noah tenses, speaking.
“This divine aura. Grace rivaling a queen or goddess… Forgive my ignorance.”
Bella giggles.
“You brought someone with decent insight, huh? Master, you’ve got an eye for people.”
“Master?”
Noah looks shocked.
I step beside Bella and introduce her to everyone.
“Meet Bella, my s1ave. Former goddess.”
It’s fun watching reactions each time the family grows.
“I’m Bella, Master’s pu$$y s1ave. Was a goddess, but that’s on hold.”
“A goddess…”
Noah freezes like a statue.
No matter how sharp she is, how could she guess?
A poised, elegant w0man on a throne, once a goddess, now my pu$$y s1ave.
“Time for your introduction. Too stunned by my beauty to speak? Come on, say your name.”
Bella, pleased Noah recognized her as a goddess, speaks with divine arrogance.
“Is she Master’s new pu$$y s1ave? Did the old one get demoted?”
“No, that’s not it!”
Karen loudly denies it.
“I’m Big Bro’s pu$$y s1ave… Right, Big Bro?”
“Yeah, Karen’s the pu$$y s1ave.”
Karen sighs in relief, hand on her b00bs.
“Noah’s the b!tch.”
B!tch, pu$$y s1ave, lover, s1ave… Quite the lineup.
“A lowly b!tch whose only perk is a keen nose.”
Noah places a hand on her wa!st, bowing politely.
“You can lift your head. I like polite kids. Name?”
“Veil Noah.”
“Alright, Noah. Hope you’re happy as Master’s b!tch.”
“Thank you for your kind words.”
I smack Bella’s rear.
“Ooh!”
“Acting high and mighty with your Master right here? We need a place to talk. Lead us somewhere suitable.”
“Yes, Master~”
We follow Bella to a reception room on the second floor.
I’d seen it on the map but never visited. Unlike my empty expectations, it feels warm despite no human touch.
Deep red decorations, like the castle lord’s room, and scarlet lighting softly illuminate the center.
This castle’s really nice to live in. Everything’s meticulously clean.
“Everyone, sit where you like.”
I take the head seat first.
Naturally, Isti and Bella sit beside me, Karen next to Isti, and Noah beside Bella.
This formal setup feels like we’re about to hold a world-changing meeting.
“Noah, let’s start with the extra test. It was about defeating the lich in Bordeaux Dungeon’s lowest floor, right?
We didn’t kill it. Someone beat us to it, and you said that was a shame.”
“Yes.”
“So what’s this about Karen and me passing?”
Karen’s eyes widen.
All attention shifts to Noah.
“Saying it was a shame was literal. The boss of Bordeaux Dungeon wasn’t a lich.”
Huh? Not a lich?
“It’s my mistake. The extra test was unplanned, so I lacked time to investigate. I mentioned the lich ‘as my guess,’ but I didn’t explain enough. My fault.”
Oh, right.
She did phrase it that way.
We were confused by the sudden news, so we didn’t question what if there was no lich.
“The dungeon’s boss wasn’t a lich but a ‘Skeleton Emperor.’ Like the orc outbreak, it was chaos from a skeleton with a red soulstone going berserk.”
“No wonder there were so many bones. Where’d they all come from?”
Karen, thrilled since hearing she passed, fidgets, barely containing her excitement.
“The extra test is for candidates who complete an urgent task but whose process raises doubts. If the examiner judges they have the ability, they pass. The task’s flaws are my error. But both of you showed ample skill heading to the presumed lich’s chamber, so you were already deemed passed. However…”
“However?”
“Back then, I planned to pass Karen but arrest or even kill Decal on the spot…”
Noah confesses her mindset honestly.
Given the situation, it’s understandable.
“It’s fine. It’s in the past. Just make sure no threats come my way going forward.”
“Yes, I’ll gladly take that role.”
“I’ve been protecting Darling…”
Isti pouts, dejected.
“I’m not saying you’re no help, Isti. Danger can come anytime, any form. I can’t stay on edge alone forever. I need Isti’s help when it strikes and Noah’s before it does.”
“So my role is cutting off threats early?”
“Yeah… ‘cutting’ sounds harsh. Don’t eliminate them—just tell me. We’ll figure it out together. Can you do that?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s sum it up. Bordeaux Dungeon had no lich, but Karen and I proved our skills, so we’re recognized for succeeding in the Thin Wolf hunt. Right?”
“Yes, exactly.”
“See?”
“Big Bro!!”
Karen leaps from her seat, rushing to hug me.
Feels like dealing with an overgrown kid. Her momentum nearly topples the chair.
“Haah!”
“Congrats, congrats.”
I hug Karen, gently rubbing her wa!st.
So, Karen’s on track to become a hero candidate. What about me?
With Bella here, it’s a good chance to gather all the info and clarify my stance.
Depending on that, my next stop might be the “Hero Academy.”