Chapter 351 Sitting Together
Chapter 351 Sitting Together
A short while before Ian returned.
The four people remaining at the lodging finished organizing their belongings and gathered in the living room.
Rin, Mika, and Tanya.
The three of them sat in a circle with Airi in the middle.
Maybe I should have followed the Captain instead....
Airi regretted her decision too late; she thought she could just rest quietly in her room, but a drinking session had suddenly materialized.
’Come on, Airi. Drink up!’
Rin held out a glass to Airi, who was sitting across from her.
Airi replied with a flustered face.
’I, I’ve never really drunk alcohol before....’
’Huh? Not even once?’
’I tried one glass once, but it wasn’t very good....’
When Rin asked with a puzzled look, Airi answered hesitantly.
First of all, there was naturally no one to drink with.
She had tried it alone out of curiosity, but it didn’t seem particularly delicious for the price.
Since there was no reason to drink it, she hadn’t touched alcohol once since that first time.
’Anyway, it’s not like you can’t drink it, right?’
’Uh.... It’s not that I can’t, but....’
Airi cautiously accepted the glass.
’Here, try it. This one’s more expensive, so it should taste better.’
’O-okay.’
She wasn’t very interested, but hearing it was more expensive than what she’d had before piqued her curiosity slightly.
At Rin’s urging, Airi held the glass and carefully touched it to her lips.
First, a sip.
’....’
’Ummm....’
Her face was subtle.
Even without hearing Airi’s answer, it was easy to tell what she was thinking.
This... was a variable that hadn’t been expected when making the plan.
To think Airi didn’t really like alcohol.
Third plan, failure.
...But it couldn’t be dismissed that easily.
Rin looked at the other bottles with a determined expression. Fortunately, quite a variety had been prepared.
Surely at least one of these would suit Airi’s taste?
She had heard that they could eat and drink whatever was in the lodging as they pleased. Rin picked up a new bottle, determined to find a drink Airi could enjoy.
’Then how about this one?’
’Well, as I thought, alcohol is just not for me....’
’Then just this one last time!’
Airi continued to receive new glasses from Rin.
As empty glasses began to stack up in front of Airi, they still couldn’t find a drink that she liked.
Watching this from the side, Tanya tilted her head slightly.
Even though she was only tasting a bit at a time, the total amount added up to quite a bit. Some of them were fairly strong spirits, yet Airi’s condition seemed remarkably stable.
...She said she hadn’t drunk before, but isn’t she surprisingly strong?
Rin, thinking something similar, nodded and held out another glass.
Being strong was better than being weak. They needed to create a space for her to talk with Lia, and if she fell asleep before Lia arrived, that would be a problem in itself.
For someone who said she didn’t like it, Airi emptied quite a few glasses.
Of course, Rin’s pushiness played a part, but Airi, who had been shaking her head after a single sip, began to drain her glasses entirely at some point.
’Rin... your glass is empty....’
’Ah, thanks.’
...Wait?
And, from a certain moment.
The roles of who was offering the drinks had switched.
’Here, Tanya, you drink too.’
’Oh, okay.’
Was Airi... always this proactive?
In the end, having sat right next to Airi and continuously receiving glasses, Mika was the first to collapse.
’Ahaha. Mika is weak....’
Airi giggled while watching her.
Tanya followed soon after.
Finally, Rin slumped over the table.
* * *
Ian and Lia sat down.
Airi, with a slightly dazed expression, brought over the bottle and filled their glasses.
’Go, good work today....’
She’s being much more proactive than usual....
Ian thought as he accepted the glass Airi offered.
Was she so drunk that the thoughts she usually kept inside were coming out?
’Here.... Lia too....’
’Oh, right....’
Lia likewise accepted the glass Airi poured for her.
Ian watched the two from the side. They certainly seemed a bit more awkward with each other compared to the other members.
Of course, Airi was still awkward with everyone, but since Lia wasn’t as proactive as the others, it stood out more.
Even knowing it would be resolved with time, the situation felt like it would take forever.
Since things turned out like this, should I try following Rin’s plan?
Ian had this thought while watching them.
He already knew Rin was making such a plan because he’d heard about it before. He also knew that all attempts so far had failed.
Even though Rin had collapsed, right now happened to be a good opportunity.
’Are you still uncomfortable with Lia?’
’Pardon?’
’I noticed you’re the only one who hasn’t dropped formalities with her.’
Airi glanced at Lia with a slightly troubled expression.
Lia also peeked up. Even though she acted like she didn’t care, it seemed she had been mindful of it in her own way.
Normally, Airi would have brushed it off, but now, she hesitated and answered honestly while gauging their reactions.
’Well... because she looks scary....’
’Wait, me... I do?’
Ian’s eyes turned toward Lia. Lia, catching the meaning in Ian’s gaze, shook her head and denied it.
’I’ve never tried to scare her.’
’Still, she might have been scared seeing your usual self....’
’What’s wrong with my usual self!’
Lia looked truly aggrieved.
Ian pointed at Lia and said to Airi.
’You can speak comfortably to Lia too. She hardly ever hits anyone.’
’I’ve never hit anyone except Rin!’
...I feel like I’ve seen it a few times, though. Granted, it was under the name of a duel.
Ian thought this to himself, but since his goal was to reduce the distance between her and Airi, he didn’t say it aloud.
’If anything happens, just tell me. That’s fine with you too, Lia?’
’...Fine. I don’t really mind, so just call me like the others do.’
’Th-then.... I will. Lia.’
Airi nodded cautiously, still checking Lia’s mood.
Well, even if she said that, only the title would change; their relationship wouldn’t get close that easily.
She seemed quite drunk, so whether Airi would even remember today’s events was another matter.
Ian thought he should take this chance to hear Airi’s true feelings.
’If you have any other worries, you can tell me.’
’Worries?’
’Requests are fine too.’
Partly due to her personality, and despite being a member of the mercenary group, she still seemed to be very mindful of her status as a slave mercenary.
Because of that, Airi never said anything even if there was something she needed.
’Is anything okay?’
’Only things I can actually do. Just try saying it first.’
It was the alcohol talking, but she seemed to be answering honestly for now. He intended to listen to her opinions and see if there was anything she wanted.
Airi pondered for a moment.
Something she wanted from the Captain.
Of course there was.
Airi touched her cheek and thought for a bit before answering.
’Then... well, would it be okay if I tried kissing you?...’
’Huh?’
’Heh?’
Lia, who was listening in, spilled her drink.
’It keeps weighing on my mind.... I’m starting to be unable to hold back anymore....’
Airi got up from her seat and approached Ian. After a brief hesitation, she said ’Eit!’ and climbed onto Ian’s lap.
Airi’s face came right up to Ian’s nose.
’W-wait. Wh... what kind of shameless behavior is this?’
’Huh?’
A flustered Lia said, her face flushing at Airi’s sudden action.
Airi looked at Lia with a puzzled face.
Shameless behavior? In this mercenary group, wasn’t this much considered normal?
’I, I saw everything. What the Captain did and everything... Rin, Mika, even Tanya.’
Airi muttered, her gaze fixated on Lia.
’Lia talks like that too, but she must have done it with the Captain often... With that arrogant face, hugging the Captain while making lewd moans and moving her hips...’
Lia’s horrified voice interrupted Airi’s muttering.
’N-no! I haven’t done it yet!’
’Yet?’
’....’
Seeing Lia at a loss for words and looking away, Airi asked.
’Not even once?’
’Just... just with my mouth, occasionally....’
’Then wouldn’t it be okay for me to at least kiss him?’
Is that so...?
Lia backed away with a confused expression.
Airi quite boldly brought her face close.
And just before their lips touched, she hesitated for a split second... then closed her eyes and pushed her face forward.
Airi’s approaching lips made contact. Rather than a soft texture, a strong scent of alcohol arrived first.
The soft and thrilling sensation of lips meeting lips. Airi shivered, feeling that electrifying sensation once again.
Driven by the desire to feel that sensation more strongly, Airi hugged Ian tightly and pressed her lips against his.
Her tongue slipped through the slightly parted lips. Unlike her first experience, this time it was Airi who reached out first.
However, her experience was no match for her initiative. Airi’s total kissing experience was just that short moment with Ian that hadn’t even lasted a minute.
She had acted boldly, but Airi’s tongue wandered inside Ian’s mouth, not quite knowing what to do next.
After watching for a moment, Ian extended his tongue.
As the soft texture touched her tongue, he felt Airi flinch in his arms. Airi realized that was the sensation of a tongue.
The sensation of a tongue. What a lewd and shameless word that was.
Airi trembled as she felt the pounding and thrilling touch entwine with her own tongue.
’Mm, nnh....’
Airi moaned and twisted her body while held in Ian’s embrace.
Ever since experiencing that accidental kiss, Airi had always recalled that sensation and memory whenever she masturbated.
She had lost count of how many times she’d done it with just that short memory, so to actually do it again in person.
Airi’s body burned and heated up. It was a natural reaction following her habits.
Ultimately unable to withstand the surging desire, Airi reached out.
While hugging Ian with one hand, lips overlapped and tongues moving, she reached out with her other hand and slid it inside her underwear.
The desire for immediate pleasure far outweighed the emotion of shame.
To be precise, her reason was half-paralyzed by the alcohol and lust, so she couldn’t even properly feel the emotion of shame.
’Nn, haah....’
Hot breaths escaped.
A pleasure that felt like her head was going to explode. The continuous kissing alone was enough to exceed her mental capacity, and the masturbation she started in the midst of it was the best she had ever experienced.
At this rate, her mind might burn up and she’d turn into a fool. Even with her reason paralyzed, she felt that sense of crisis.
Airi pressed her lips even harder. The rough and proactive kiss soon left her breathless, so Ian and Airi briefly parted their lips to catch their breath.
As if unable to wait for even that short gap, Airi immediately clung to him and overlapped their lips again.
Then, she felt a chilling, electrifying touch.
It was Ian’s hand.
Following her arm, Ian’s hand entered inside Airi’s underwear.
Before she could react, Ian’s hand covered hers.
Ian’s fingers, which wrapped around Airi’s hand, pushed her fingers away one by one and took their place.
The pleasurable spot that only she had known. The touch that entered without permission found Airi’s sensitive place and stimulated it at will.
──!
A sensation like a shock ran through her, enough to make her waist tremble.
It was the same place and the same movement as when she masturbated alone. The only thing that had changed was that it wasn’t her own hand but someone else’s, yet what she felt was entirely different.
It wasn’t a matter of it being several times more pleasurable or anything like that. Something else had come.
Airi almost let out a scream. Perhaps she did scream.
While being violated by a pleasure that felt like her head was on fire, Airi hugged Ian’s body tightly. Her mind went completely blank to the point she couldn’t remember how much time had passed.
After coming with a trembling body, Airi buried her face in Ian’s chest and breathed heavily.
’....’
Airi fell asleep just like that in Ian’s arms.
’....’
With Airi collapsed as well.
Only Lia, her face beet red from watching what had just happened, and Ian were left in the living room.
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