And we're starting chapter 7! Getting close to the finish line, here!
Enjoy!
Chapter 7: Ymir’s Lovey-Dovey Strike Strategy: Mission Impossible (Part 1)
The story so far...
After Michel got involved in a situation between Cattleya and Nyx, Elina reunited with him, and along with Melona, the three of them resumed their journey to the unexplored region of Maramaks to chase after Leina.
Return of the Loyal Subject
The mountain area leading to the north of the Continent. From that point to the north, it was all frozen ground covered in perennial snow, a frontier that hardly ever saw any travelers.
In their aim towards Maramaks, guided by the Magical Flute Cathedral, Elina’s party set foot into this mountainous region.
“By the way.”
Melona started speaking all of a sudden, apparently having come up with something.
“The flute’s effect, how does it actually feel?”
“Huh?”
Michel made a confused expression at her question. He was pretty sure Melona had used it once earlier, after the fight, so he couldn’t think of any reason why she’d bother asking how it felt now.
“Why don’t you try using it?”
“Good, I did want to use it again. Michel, lend it to me, pretty please with a cherry on top?”
Elina’s suggestion only puzzled him further.
The noble girl had given him a brief run-down of what had happened between his kidnapping by Echidna and their recent reunion: always according to her, Melona was travelling with her of her own will, even though she actually was a subordinate of the very Swamp Witch who had sent Airi after his flute.
[Is it okay to hand the flute to someone like this?
If I give it to her and she goes: ‘Score!’ then flees, what will we do? That’d be awful.]
“C’mooon, hurry uup~”
Disregarding his hesitation, she stretched out her body and urged him for it.
“It will be fine. Melona won’t take it and run.”
As if she had seen through his bewilderment, the blonde vouched for the slime girl.
“Yup, I won’t rob a friend.”
The other nodded vigorously.
[If Elina says that much, I guess I can trust her.]
“T-Then, do you want to try?”
He gently handed her the instrument.
“Hmmm, so this is it?”
The moment the girl’s amorphous body took hold of the flute, he felt a different sensation than usual. That sensation of being wrapped by something warm and moist was incomparable to the ordinary contact with human fingers, which only added to his confusion.
Paying him no mind, she morphed her fingertips further, and began stroking inside the flute.
“Auh... aah.”
For him, who shared senses with the instrument, it’s like he was being stroked inside his body.
“T-This is... the first... time...”
He could no longer stand, and sat down on the spot amidst rough breaths.
“Then, what about this?”
Her lips curved into a grin upon seeing his flushed face, and drove the instrument further inside her body.
“Auh... ah...”
The boy could no longer endure the stimulation that came from every part of the flute.
“Would it not be better if she stopped soon?”
Someone called out to Elina out of the blue.
“Yeah... what, Airi!”
The Vance girl turned around while agreeing... and couldn’t but give a surprised voice.
Yes, that is me.”
She smiled and bowed politely.
“Melona, I bring orders from the Swamp Witch. You are to return soon.”
“Eeeh, do I have to go back already?”
The other complained, letting the flute out of her body: *pluip*.
“You need to renew your contract.”
“Whoa, that again?”
The shapeshifter frowned.
“What contract?”
Elina asked.
“Well, when you go and summon a strong evil spirit like me, you need to settle many annoying agreements.”
Melona herself had said so several times already: she had had various restrictions imposed on her. If one considered how she needed to expressly fight a Queen’s Blade and get a wish granted in order to travel with Elina, it only went to show how strong the contract binding her was.
“Can’t you just ignore this?”
Elina didn’t really want to separate from her. The noble girl had never put it into words clearly, but their brief trip together had been fun, a rare experience full of bizarre events.
“If I ignored it... I’d get punished.”
“What kind of things would happen?”
“Err...”
“First of all, Melona won’t be able to hold her shape. Then, she’ll be forcibly brought to the Swamp Witch. That will happen regardless of the person’s wishes.”
Airi replied in place of the stammering girl.
“And then she’ll be seized tighter by the contract, bound even further. Meaning, she’ll become a servant who acts primarily following the witch’s orders, irrespective of Melona’s will.”
“I have to go back at least for the moment so that it doesn’t happen.”
Sighing, she returned the flute to the boy.
“Then there’s not much we can do, is there? Hurry and go back.”
Elina told her, glancing at the maid helping the boy up.
“Eeh, can I go back?”
“You may go back. I shall be taking care of Lady Elina.”
The maid bowed, a smile back on her face.
“Ok, I’ll be going then, just don’t cry now if you miss me.”
“I won’t cry.”
The blonde smiled, waving off to her.
“But I sure will miss you.”
No one heard the soft whisper she added next.
“Now then, Lady Elina, let us hurry ahead.”
“Yeah. I want to arrive before the sunset.”
The mountain area cooled down in an instant as soon as dusk arrived. Sleeping outdoors was something she’d rather avoid, at the very least.
“By the way, Airi... I wonder if you forgot something?”
The maid quickly understood, and kneeled on the spot, lowering her head.
“Thank you for waiting, Lady Elina, your wraith maid slave Airi is here.”
As she introduced herself, she fingered the collar, indicating that she was Elina’s possession.
“Now that I am back, would you allow me to serve you again?”
“I shall. But, never again fail me like last time.”
“Yes, I will make so my mission in life.”
‘In ‘life’? You’re a wraith, though.”
“It’s just a frame of mind, Lady Elina.”
The redhead smiled.
“Well, fine. You may raise your head.”
Given permission by her mistress, the wraith rose up.
“Listen, come to think of it, where are we heading?”
The boy asked, after making sure their conversation had ended. They were ultimately heading towards Maramaks, but they had to decide on an inn for tonight...
“To the Iron Mountain.”
“If we hurry, we should be able to arrive before dusk.”
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