Diana was practically bouncing with excitement as she pressed herself even tighter against me.

For someone like me with painfully low experience points, this incident was impossible to deal with! The scent of soap tickling my nose and the softness of her pressed-up body already had me on the verge of a knockout.

I looked around at everyone as if pleading for help.

Our gazes met. Everyone was watching me and Diana... They were practically gawking.

Even though it was the largest room in the inn, it was still just a single room. Because we had been whispering about secrets, we were all huddled close together. The feeling of awkwardness was indescribable.

The only saving grace was that the room was dim, so the weight of their stares didn't feel quite so piercing. Only two or three of the light spirits Diana had summoned were floating around.

"Destiny...! This is destiny nodesu...!"

Diana murmured into my ear like she was in a trance.

But... well, what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to handle this?

I wasn't mentally prepared. I never expected to be hugged out of the blue and called a "person of destiny." Was it because I confessed about my [Unique Vocation], or because of the skills? There was no doubt that one of them had struck a chord with Diana.

Still, "person of destiny," huh... To be honest, it made me happy. I was a bit bewildered, but there was no way I wouldn't be happy to hear something like that.

However...

Feeling a slight sense of regret, I grabbed Diana's shoulders with both hands and pulled her away. She looked up at me with a stunned expression.

"Hey... everyone is watching."

"That doesn't matter nodesu. Am I not allowed to hug you?"

"No... well..."

Was it not allowed? No, I guess it wasn't a bad thing.

It was just a little embarrassing for me, but it was soft and warm, and honestly, I felt more like encouraging it—but still, however, nevertheless.

"Then Marina wants to hug next, de-arimasu! It's unfair for only the Princess to get one, de-arimasu!"

Marina stood up and made a grand declaration.

What a manly person. Is it because she's a knight that she's so straightforward?

"Oho, then I'd like to volunteer as well. Following the example of my senior slaves."

Even Shamash-san joined in...

What the hell is this? Some kind of slave-led seduction event?

Well, Shamash-san and I haven't actually formed a slave contract yet, but still...

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy... but the way Rebecca-san stared at me with a completely blank face kind of scared me!

"Wait! What is the meaning of this?! Goshujin-sama is my Goshujin-sama nodesu!"

Diana walked over to Marina to complain.

"The Princess's possessiveness is strong, de-arimasu. Aruji-dono is also Marina's Aruji-dono, de-arimasu! That is one thing I will never back down on, de-arimasu!"

"What! For someone like Marina to say that!"

Marina shot back without flinching, and the two of them eventually devolved into an argument.

Compared to the early days, Marina now freely said what she wanted, and since she and Diana spent every day together, they had a pretty relaxed relationship.

Unlike when we first met, Marina now said whatever was on her mind. Since she and Diana were together every day, they had a very familiar relationship. Of course, Marina always maintained a certain line of respect with Diana.

"Hahaha, you're really loved, Ayase-kun. Well, isn't it fine? Just embrace them all."

"Please don't phrase it in such a misleading way, Shamash-san..."

But I suppose she was right. A light skinship hug might be fine...

But would it really be okay to hug a voluptuous beauty like Shamash-san? I couldn't help imagining some scary old guy showing up later and yelling, "What're you doing with my woman?!"

Shamash-san murmured while glancing at Diana and Marina, who were still going at it.

"If you're so inclined..." She hesitantly spread her arms.

"Go ahead... hug me. To your heart's content. If you want, we can even let it develop into something more... There's a bed, after all..."

She licked her lips seductively, inching closer with upturned eyes.

Good grief... she's just a straight-up lewd woman... What is Ion-san doing?

I looked over to see Ion-san sitting on the edge of the bed, curled up with her hands covering her face. But I could clearly see her peeking through the gaps in her fingers... Ah, right. Ion-san really is a sheltered princess, isn't she?

Maybe the mood had gotten a little too raunchy.

Last night, Rebecca-san had gotten fully in the mood, and even Elepipi gave her okay—but from their perspective, Diana and Marina (who already lived with me) were obviously already "my women."

And that makes sense.

Well—Diana's situation is a bit complicated, so even if we hadn't, there were "circumstances." But for Marina... yeah, why not? She's genuinely my slave.

In reality, I tried to make a move early on and failed—but that was months ago.

So maybe there was no need to hold back anymore? Maybe I should just dive headfirst into this scandalous situation?

That kind of feeling started to well up inside me. I mean, if the person themselves is okay with it, there's no need to agonize over it... Look, such a soft-looking demon-san is inviting me...

"H-Hey, Jirou..."

Rebecca-san, who had been silent the whole time, hesitantly opened her mouth. She had been silently staring at me the whole time, and I felt quite pressured.

Is she finally going to scold me?

Maybe she'll yell, "What are you doing in front of the Princess?!"

After all, Rebecca-san knew Ion-san from her princess days and had a much deeper sense of the social hierarchy in this world than I did.

Or so I thought—but I was wrong.

Very wrong.

"If we're talking about order... since I met you first, wouldn't it be okay if I went first...? Just saying..."

"E-Eeeeeh?"

"I also... want Jirou to hug me... or something. Ah, well. Look, I worked hard today. I defeated a lot of monsters... and my Vocation changed too, so..."

As a reward...?

Is that really all it takes, Rebecca-san...?

Of course, I'm fine with it! Obviously!

And the order doesn't even matter anymore! I mean, Diana was the one who initiated it; it's not like I made some "I'll hug you all in order" statement or tried to set that mood!

But I am a man. Neither Diana nor Marina would complain if it was Rebecca-san. She's the Captain, after all. A-A-A-All right. I'll do it. I can't exactly run away after being asked this much.

"...Is it no good?"

"No... If you're okay with someone like me."

I took Rebecca-san's hand, where she was sitting on the edge of the bed, and helped her up. And with that momentum—I took the plunge and pulled her body into a tight embrace.

"Ah..." A small breath escaped into my ear.

Rebecca-san's body was hot. That unmistakable heat was transmitted through our touching skin.

Her back was trembling. Her slightly damp red hair brushed against my neck. Her fingertips, which had hesitantly reached around my back, touched me tentatively. I could feel her nervousness from her warm, flushed body.

Since we were hugging, I couldn't see her expression, but... honestly, I was at my limit too. I didn't think just hugging could transfer so much information from one body to another.

"Aaaaahh!"

"Captain finally did it, de-arimasu!"

Diana and Marina started making a fuss. They had been staring the whole time, but it seemed they were momentarily stunned by my decisive action.

"Well, well, this is good. Really good. Excellent. Just watching makes my heart pound!"

Shamash-san's breathing grew heavy as she circled around me and Rebecca-san.

Ion-san was still hiding her face like before, but she was leaning forward quite a bit.

Elepipi had quietly lined up behind Marina.

Priestess-chan was watching us with a happy smile while sipping tea.

And Etowa... perhaps not very interested, had fallen asleep.

I pulled away from Rebecca-san. Her cheeks were flushed red and hot. Her eyes were moist. Perhaps embarrassed to have me see her face, she immediately looked down and hid it with her hair.

Then, in a voice barely loud enough to hear, she whispered, "Thank you..." staggered back to the bed, and collapsed onto it. Then, while groaning "Uuuhhh~," she hugged herself and wriggled around.

...Phew. That was nerve-wracking. The hurdle is high for a virgin. However, a line was waiting in front of me! It was a mix of happiness and torture.

"Then, it is my turn again nodesu!"

"Ah, that's not fair, de-arimasu! The Princess is on her second round, so she should be last, de-arimasu!"

"W-W-W-What!?"

And so, next up was Marina.

She stood in front of me, visibly fidgeting.

Seriously... this girl...

"T-Then... since today is a day where it's okay to hug Aruji-dono..."

When did that get decided? Also—she wanted to hug me all along...?

Marina's deep purple eyes shone brilliantly. Her expression was a mix of expectation and a tiny bit of anxiety.

Well, naturally, I had the desire to hug her too. I could even say that desire had always existed. Despite living together with Diana and Marina, I had been playing the role of a "home gentleman" without entering that kind of relationship.

It wasn't like I didn't have the desire to suddenly turn into a beast and do all sorts of things right here and now. Of course I did. I'm a man. Anyone would.

"Aruji-dono!"

Just as I was hesitating with my virgin-like awkwardness over whether I should be the manly one and initiate the hug, Marina hugged me instead.

It wasn't a "soft" thing.

I was pulled into a quite powerful, crushing embrace.

"Hawawawa... A-Aruji-dono... haa haa..."

Marina's curly hair tickled my cheeks and neck—it was an indescribable sensation. Without any regard for being watched, she pressed her chest firmly against mine.

This is bad. I'm going to become too "healthy"!

"Aruji-dono, Aruji-dono..."

Chomp.

"Wha—Hey?! Ouchouchouchouch! Marina, you're biting! You're biting mee!"

Perhaps overwhelmed with emotion or having lost her mind, Marina bit down on my neck!

It wasn't a playful nibble... it was a pretty serious bite!

"Munch, munch. Aruji-dono is delicious, de-arimasu..."

"Hey, stop! Stop!"

I pulled Marina away.

She looked satisfied, her cheeks flushed.

How did it come to this? Did I do something wrong in Marina's upbringing? I'm a failure as her master!

Marina collapsed onto the bed in a heap.

"...Next, me?"

"Eh... You too, Elepipi...?"

"...Of course."

With Marina turned into a cocoon on the bed like Rebecca-san, Elepipi stepped forward. She had worked hard today behind the scenes, guiding the residents during the evacuation.

"...Well, go ahead. You can enjoy my embrace, Young Master."

Elepipi spread her arms with a smirk and a suggestive chuckle.

She says provocative things with a sleepy face... Maybe she's quite experienced? She's a stage actress after all; maybe there's pillow-talk business...

"...Hm? You have a face like you're thinking something rude. I am a knight, you know. I've never done anything weird."

"No, no, isn't this act already weird enough?"

"...It's different for the person I serve, right? You know that."

"I really don't."

Nevertheless, Elepipi was ready with her arms wide. I couldn't exactly say, "I'm skipping you." now.

"...Alright. Young Master, just a second. Bend down a bit... yes, like that."

"Mgh!?"

Without knowing why, I bent down, only to have my face shoved firmly into her chest as she hugged me.

"...How is it? My mama taught me this long ago. She said it's how you make a man fall for you."

"Mgh-mogh!"

Forget making me fall — I'm about to pass out because I can't breathe! To be fair, Elepipi does have quite a bountiful chest!

"...Fufu. You look like a little child like this, Young Master."

"Mgghghgh!"

Elepipi was hugging me with surprising brute strength. This isn't fun unless it's gentler!

I struggled to pull away.

"...Ah! ...Nn."

Elepipi's breath escaped her. I took the chance, while her strength wavered, to escape.

"Huufff!"

"...Geez. You're such a pervert, Young Master."

Even though she was the one who did it, she hugged her own chest and gave me a sidelong glare.

You're the one who started it!

"Now, is it finally my turn? Is it?"

Shamash-san stepped forward, busily interlacing her fingers.

Why is this person's tension so high? Is it because she drank?

"Ayase-kun. My race apparently loves this sort of thing by nature. I'd heard many things from my grandmother, but I remained half-skeptical until this very moment. In short, I didn't believe it, but..."

This sort of thing...?

"I can't stop my heart from pounding. My whole body is hot... it's as if my blood is boiling. In all my life, I've never felt this sensation. This pain in my chest, this sweet numbness... I can't stand it — I want to throw it all at you!"

Shamash-san lunged at me with her arms spread, but—

Thud!

"Ouch!"

She hit something invisible and hard, falling backward.

She immediately sat up with a stunned expression and touched the invisible object.

"......"

"W-What is this?"

I touched it too. An invisible wall... of some kind?

"Priestess. This is your doing, isn't it? What's the idea? A Spirit Barrier?"

Priestess-chan was sipping tea with a nonchalant expression. Looking closely, the barrier wasn't transparent but a pale cherry-blossom pink.

Then she stood up and muttered something else.

The range of the pink barrier narrowed further, surrounding Shamash-san. She was literally trapped inside it.

I didn't really understand what was happening, but... did she save me? Was she preventing me from being devoured by the lewd beast known as Shamash-san?

"Hey, cut it out. I can break a barrier like this if I wanted to."

"By using magic in a place like this?"

Priestess-chan spoke.

Then she walked right up to me and, as if deliberately showing Shamash-san, hugged me tightly.

She even stuck out her tongue playfully.

"P-Priestess-sama...!"

T-The elf of my dreams!

To think I'd get to be hugged by Priestess-chan...! I'm truly overwhelmed!

Also, yeah, Priestess-chan really is tiny. Rebecca-san and Marina are on the larger side, so it felt even more pronounced.

The delicate and lovely Priestess-chan.

And now she was in my arms.

Woahhhhhhhhh!!

With a snap, pink fragments scattered and dissolved into the air. It seemed Shamash-san had broken the Spirit Barrier.

"That's cruel, cruel, cruel! We had an order! What did I ever do to deserve this?!"

I felt like the order didn't really matter anymore, but I was certainly curious why Priestess-chan had suddenly acted like this.

It's a mystery... you could say.

Maybe she just wanted to join in after watching the others? Elves think in ways humans can't understand.

"As you can see, if it's about order, I met him first. He's the first Unique Vocation holder since the Great Archmage of Illusion... and I was the one who bestowed the blessings upon him..."

"Nuh... gnu... If that's the case, I suppose I can't argue."

"Oh? You're being surprisingly reasonable."

The two started talking... while Priestess-chan remained clinging to me.

"I am a newcomer, after all. I'll be satisfied with whatever scraps I get."

Shamash-san was being unusually humble. This even seemed to baffle Priestess-chan.

"I thought demons were a more selfish and ill-tempered race. I thought you'd show your true colors if I were a little mean to you..."

"Is that so? I don't know about other demons... but I am like this."

So Priestess-chan had almost no interaction with demons either.

"Well, I've certainly heard it before. That all elves envy our voluptuous bodies and pick fights with us at every opportunity. Is that what this is about?"

In an instant—

SNAP.

—Priestess-chan's aura changed.

"V–V–V–Voluptuous bodies, you say...?"

"Hm? Was Priestess worried about that too? Even though you're so... cute..."

"I take it back! Demons are evil after all!"

Priestess-chan pulled away from me to face off against Shamash-san.

Well... yeah. Priestess-chan is an angel without question, but her attributes are just too different from Shamash-san's. It's a mistake to try and compete on the same ground...

They are literally an angel and a demon. Both have their appeal.

But it looks like a fight—or rather, an apocalyptic war between angel and demon—is about to start. If a magic battle breaks out, this area will turn into scorched earth!

—Or so I thought, but they're both mature adults (appearances aside). They probably won't start brawling in an inn.

"Now, now, Priestess-sama. Shamash doesn't mean any harm."

"Jirou-san, you're being deceived! She's a bad woman. The kind that ruins men!"

"Uh... well, I can't deny that feeling..."

Or rather, I can't help but feel all the women around me are that type.

It feels like I'll be utterly pampered, sinking into infinite tranquility. Well, I know if that happens, the bill will come due someday, so I just won't let it happen.

"More importantly, Priestess. You took advantage of the confusion to hug Goshujin-sama, didn't you?"

"...Eh? D-Diana-sama..."

Diana, who had been watching from nearby, approached the Priestess with an angry expression. Diana is soft on the members of the Knight Corps, but she's quite strict with Priestess-chan.

"B-But, you see. That demon was already raring to go..."

The Priestess offered a faltering explanation.

Just how high-ranking are High Elves? Does Diana view all regular elves as her subordinates? I wondered if the elves of Lucraela who didn't show up today would be disciplined later too.

"That is fine nodesu. She is going to be my junior slave."

"I-Is that how it is?"

"Come over here for a moment..."

Priestess-chan was led away by Diana to be lectured. It was a truly surreal sight.

In front of me stood Shamash-san, whose tension had dropped a bit. Unlike before, she was now fidgeting while playing with her white hair.

Looking at her again, she really was curvaceous. Her figure, illuminated by the dim light, asserted its existence with an irresistibly attractive charm.

"...S-So... what now? I... I still want you to hug me... even just a little... Because... I was already in the mood... If I don't get to touch you at least a bit... I surely won't be able to sleep tonight..."

She murmured as if in a trance... She's erotic in everything she does, and it's a problem.

I took a single step closer and touched Shamash-san's cheek with my right hand. Her eyes widened in surprise, then immediately melted into a dazed look. I ran my hand behind her head as if brushing the hair above her ear.

And then, I pulled her into an embrace—