Chapter 12: Chapter Twelve – Contentment

I was late. So very fucking late!

Having gone so far as to use Gale of the Whirlwind on myself, I made a mad dash towards Alurian’s Bosom, the brothel where my super cute wife was currently indentured at.

When I got there, news that could only make me ill was given to me by the usual receptionist, and not the one I met yesterday.

“I’m sorry, sir. She’s currently occupied.”

I felt a sour taste spread across my dry mouth. It was from the bile in my stomach I was certain. My Kokoro was busy healing someone else right now, and there was nothing I could do but wait.

“H-how long until she’s available?”

The receptionist’s smile was strained as she explained words that refused to enter my ears. Words that crushed my spirit entirely.

“We have plenty of other women, sir. If you’d like to choose another instead for the evening…”

I grit my teeth. It’s not like I came here just to get my rocks off, I came here because this is where she is. Where I’m supposed to be to reassure her that she is the most important person to me right now, and that I’m working hard for her sake as well as mine.

And now, I can’t even tell her why I’m not here.

“We have Junith available currently, she’s our top ranker.”

“No thanks.” I said coldly.

“Would it be possible at least to let her know afterwards that I stopped by? Tell her that I overslept entirely by accident, and that I promise I’ll be here early tomorrow.”

The receptionist’s stare had a bit of a judgmental feel to it.

“I will let Madame know.”

“Please… and thank you.”

I turned around immediately and left the establishment. If it wasn’t going to be with Kokoro, then I wasn’t in the mood. I wanted to talk with her and regale her with the tale of earlier, how we stopped a Horny Rabbit rampage on the third floor by my brilliant idea to cooperate with Sandy who was enlisted by her fellow Darkwolves in the same endeavor.

Yes, I also wanted to be with her, there’s no reason to deny it. I wanted to be held by her, and even taste her sweet status-enhancing milk again, because she spent an important skill point in it just so that she could be useful to me. In a way that only she could.

Now some other asshole probably had his nasty lips around those sweet buds….!

“Randell, you’re back already? Did… it not go well? You look really upset.”

“…I’m sorry, Melody. I troubled you for nothing.”

I fell to my knees and folded myself up tightly fighting back my destructive emotions. If I was Duster right now, that visible yet intangible dark miasma that comes out at the time he goes all Grim Overbone would surely be wrapping itself around me at this very moment.

Melody had volunteered to stay in my room to look after Sandy after I explained my need, when as luck would have it I managed to find her wandering out of her room and downstairs in the middle of the night for a mug of ale from the complimentary barrel which was left out for the patrons of the Blue Robin Inn.

“So, you were late and she sent you packing instead?”

I hadn’t explained to her that my lover worked at a brothel, only that I had a short window of time to see her at night. That she was the very impetus for me to work hard in the dungeon and earn money.

Melody often found herself in hard times with coin, so she interpreted it as me being satisfied at night meant I was focused when it mattered during the day.

I did receive a comforting hug, but not from that brusque titty-monster. Instead, it came from my Darkwolf companion, Sandy. She had hopped off the bed and pushed her head against me eventually lifting my body up and toppling me over to the ground where she proceeded to sit on me, and made some kind of cute yawning thing with her mouth a few times before resting her head on my chest while on the hard wooden floor.

“Ouuuuouuuu!”

I don’t know what she was trying to communicate to me, but there was nothing else to do except to reach up and pet her soft fur, making sure to scratch generously behind her ears.

That petting eventually turned into a melancholy hug.

“I’m sorry if it seemed like I abandoned you, girl.”

“Ouuu ou ouuu ouuu.”

“I suppose the good news is that there is one girl who definitely wants you to be with her for the night.”

“There’s an old saying where I’m from. A dog is man’s best friend. Not that Sandy’s a dog. She’s a smart and intelligent wolf who loves being scratched, isn’t she?”

“Ou!”

I could feel her tail swishing slowly behind her like a time-delayed pendulum. I can’t say the floor was comfortable, but the company made up for it.

“Melody, what do you think the chances of Rennifel being awake are?”

“It’s a possibility… why, you aren’t going to try and coerce her with some coin to spend the night with you instead, are you?”

“Are you stupid? I haven’t eaten since the dungeon earlier, and Sandy’s probably hungry as well.”

“Ou!”

“I just figured since she used to make some late night food, she might be interested in doing so again… since I conveniently now have a bit of unspent money.”

“Food? I’ll go check to see if she’s awake!”

Melody bounded out of my room tits-first to try and solicit the Inn’s daughter, who possessed a fine enough mercantile sensibility to whip us up some late night grub.

I, however, just remained on the floor, numb.

Emotionally.

Physically too, since Sandy wasn’t scrawny at all. In fact, she was close to my height when all stretched out laying down not curled up, and her body mass consisted of fine-tuned muscle fiber that was actually pretty solid . Either way, I wasn’t in the mood to try and get out from under her, so I just rested and stroked her fur until a sleepy Rennifel was looking down at me from above.

“Blue…?”

She quickly pat her pajama-dress to her skin and scowled at me from above. Hey, it’s her fault she positioned herself in such a way that I was freely given an up-view of her goods and services. Melody was standing there as well, but she wore breeches like me and I was wholly uninterested in her anyway.

I extracted two silver coins and held them up in my outstretched hand.

“The whole thing?”

“Well, you’re feeding three hungry people. That should more than cover the cost, and whatever else is left… is yours.”

Those two silver coins quickly exchanged hands. Melody left with Rennifel, but I wonder if she had gotten the wrong impression about what I meant when I said Rennifel would be feeding three people with my coin. Sandy definitely has the appetite of two people, so if I want to eat my fill, I need to make sure she does as well. It’s not like there is pet food for wolves in this world.

“Sandy, I remember once hearing that wolves mate for life, is that how it is for you?”

She stared at me directly and let out a low grown.

“Ah, I don’t mean your encounter with the Variant… I mean like someone you chose to be with by your own decision.”

“…Oou.”

“It’s rough for me because my mate… is in a similar position. Even though she’s my mate, she has to deal with humans that are in the position of that variant every night.”

My companion lifted her head and bit the scruff of my collar, pulling the top half of my body upwards. Then she stood up and put one paw on my left shoulder and then bit down painfully hard on my right.

“Aaaah!”

I struggled to keep my scream as quiet as possible. I could feel her sharp teeth piercing my flesh along with a cold and shocking sensation.

She bit me, but this wasn’t an attack.

I didn’t get the slightest feeling of hostility from her, but I also didn’t understand why she did it. She did withdraw her mouth from my shoulder though, and as the blood trickled out, she began to lick my shirt which was now being dyed in my blood.

I put my hand to my shoulder and prepared to channel Alurian’s Healing, but when the mana began to gather, she bit my hand, gently this time, and pulled it away.

“What, I’m not allowed to heal it?”

“Ou!”

I sighed. Just great, now I’m going to have bite marks on my body. Was this what Hong Feng was talking about when dealing with beasts made from essence without having the Vitamancy skill? Was her reason for doing this because my level in it was too low, like that internationally popular game where you capture wild creatures with special balls and then battle other people with them?

Sandy proceeded to nuzzle my face with her warm snout and let out a low whine.

“Hey, I’m the one who got bit here!” I complained.

It didn’t stop her from continually brushing the side of her face against my own, and I wanted a little payback anyway, so I bit her in return.

“OUU!”

Well, I have a human jaw and teeth so I doubt I could really even damage her skin with all that fur in the way. I thought she might try biting me again, but she immediately left my lap and my company entirely instead, heading right out of my room which had its door left half open.

I grumbled, then put effort into standing up. I lacked the motivation to change shirts, so with a shirt stained in blood on my right shoulder, I proceeded out into the commons where the food was usually served.

Sandy was sitting by Melody who was drinking ale. Since ale was easier to come by and generally not as strong as beer or spirits, I used what I figured was a clean enough mug by the barrel and poured a mug full of the stuff into one of the yet-unused dog–err, wolf bowls that I had crafted by old man Fegi.

Walking over to where the two aggressive bitches were at, I put the bowl down in front of Sandy, who, interested, began to lap it up.

“Sorry girl, ale’s the only thing on hand.”

She didn’t reply, but showed no sign of being put off by it.

“Ale’s plenty good for you, Sandy. Drinking too much water only makes you sick!”

Hearing things like that coming from Melody made me really think that all the nutrition she received from a young age only circulated to a certain part of her chest, avoiding her brain completely.

Since there was plenty of both moonlight and candlelight, I decided to take out the Grimoire written by Hong Feng and see if I could learn anything new. I was nearly done reading it, but try as I might, I was completely unable to focus.

It wasn’t due to Melody or anything… Not at first, anyway.

“What’s that you’re reading, Randell?”

“It’s a Grimoire that touches on a skill I have.”

“What skills do you have, exactly?”

While it’s not considered rude to ask someone what their skills are in relation to party coordination, it is somewhat tactless to expect someone to reveal all their skills if there isn’t a firm foundation of trust between them. I believe this is why my wife and I share a pair of Unique Skills.

Because we have trust.

Trust that I have now broken.

Well, my skills aren’t anything so amazing that I need to keep them hidden, even from Melody who is a party member… Provisionally, as far as I’m concerned.

“I have a high-capacity item box, Grace of the Whirlwind, Alurian’s Heal, and Treasure Sense.”

“Treasure Sense? Isn’t that a skill for a Scout or a Rogue?”

“There were some circumstances on how it was acquired, but it’s not important. What about you? I saw you using Snipe, but considering we didn’t run into a single Kicksie, was there a skill you have that got rid of it?”

“You noticed!”

“Yeah, when Gonzo, Teresa, Duster, and I went to the third floor together for the first time, there was this one pesky Kicksie that kept pestering Gonzo. I was fully expecting it to happen again.”

“It’s called Decoy. It allows me to fool a target into seeing something they dislike. It was helpful to have Sandy around, because Kicksies don’t dare mess with Darkwolves. Every time I would see one, I gave it the impression Sandy was about to attack it. That was good enough to chase any of the smart ones away.”

“Any other skills worth mentioning?”

“Most of what I have are passive skills. Since I’ve had a lot of bad luck in parties over the last year and a half, I’ve made it a point of being able to take care of myself.”

“A year and a half?”

“I also had some circumstances…” She made a motion of covering up her chest with her arms subconsciously.

“Well, the Red Hawks seems to be a party for people with circumstances these days. All I care about is that there are no prejudices in it brought forth by it’s members. As a group consisting of people who have difficulties in other parties, we absolutely cannot have difficulties within our own. I’m an adherent of Alurian, but Gonzo and Teresa are with Grimlock. Even though we have different takes on things, we still need to eat and sleep with a roof over our heads, and for that we need to work together so that we can meet those needs.”

She pulled out her guild card.

“These names that are listed… were they the former members of the Red Hawks?”

I never requested Myria to remove their names, so even though they are dead, Kyros, Jung, Marta, and Relenna are still listed as members of the Red Hawks. I was designated the Party leader, and Teresa, Gonzo, and now Melody were the most recent additions.

“Yeah…”

Rennifel had come out of the kitchen with some food that smelled delicious. I loaded up the one extra bowl I had in my inventory with plenty of meat, since she had one with ale in it near her already, and the other two were in my room.

I received a happy howl in gratitude.

Melody just helped herself without offering the same gratitude, but I made her pay for it by talking about my former party members. Rennifel was also able to add in some colorful commentary on things from her perspective, and this allowed me some cathartic release from my other problem, of which I could do nothing about tonight.

“So Jung also used a bow?”

“Yeah, he was our Scout and able to adapt to any situation with both bow and daggers. I have his equipment in my item box which I took right after the wipe as a memory of him… I have all of their weapons, actually.”

“So the spear you use is also…?”

“Yes. It originally belonged to Relenna. Without this spear, the only thing left of me would have been a guild card eventually found in a treasure chest.”

I ended up displaying all of the weapons, one at a time. When I got to Marta’s Tourmaline staff, Rennifel clutched it to her chest.

“I remember the day she got this staff. It was the day before they challenged the Hell Mother.”

I listened to her explain how the other three helped chip in for it, since with the tourmaline gem as a catalyst, she could start using stronger magic without it causing them to have to constantly wait for her to rest and recover her mana with the Meditate skill. It acted like a battery back for her, and I never really saw her without it more than a handful of times.

Relenna giggled.

“That was something else you both had in common.”

“What was?”

“She liked taking hot baths, too. I bet she would have enjoyed taking one together with you!”

It’s something I would never know the real answer to.

I added more meat to Sandy’s bowl, and watched as Melody did as much damage to the remaining amount. The conversation was kept casual after that, and when the food was gone, Rennifel took away the dishes and I took my wolf companion’s two empty food bowls and put them back into my item box.

I bid Melody a good rest of night, and started heading back to my room.

“Randell.”

“Yes, Melody?”

“Thanks for treating me to a late night snack.”

“You’re welcome.”

My next stop was to my room where I decided the bed was far more comfortable than the hard wooden floor. I was eventually joined by Sandy as well, and since there wasn’t anything else to do, I closed my eyes and waited for the sun to rise.

When the sun’s rays poured in from the window and forced opened my eyes, I found that there was a pair of arms draped around me from behind while Sandy’s warm body was curled up In front of me, near my chest. It was the same pair of thin, frail arms which I had wanted to embrace my body so badly, that I was sure I was going mad.

I knew for certain then that I was dreaming, but that was perfectly fine with me. At least in my dreams, she’s here with me and not forced to be there. I never appreciated how detailed the tactile sensation could be in a dream. But I was grateful for the cognitive delusion.

“Kokoro… I’m so sorry I overslept.”

That’s when I felt something warm press into the space between my shoulder blades.

“Mm… Dell~”

I froze.

A soft and squishy leg draped over my own and captured them enough that I could feel a certain warmth.

“…Koko…ro…?”

A playful giggle that sounded like an angel’s chorus danced melodically into my ear.

“It’s a good thing you told me where you were staying. I didn’t think Sandy would be so territorial about letting me in, though. The only place she let me be is behind you. But she’s a good child, anyway.”

I held tightly to her pale hands and began to weep.

“This is a dream… right?” My voice was shaky.

“Mm… it could be, one day. Just you and I in a nice house with a couple of pets. We can laze about and make love all morning, and then I can cook you a very late breakfast. Then we can go shopping and try all kinds of sweet things at shops meant for nobles.”

I rolled over in place and met the beautiful eyes which were somewhere between hazel and emerald in color that belonged to my love.

“I missed you last night, hubby.”

“I… I tried…”

“Shh…. It’s okay. I was told that you came.”

“It’s not okay! I was supposed to be there… I promised you that I’d… be there.”

“And you were. Even if it was a bit later than you should have, you came anyway, the Madame told me. So, don’t blame yourself, and don’t think that I blame you either. But, if you insist on feeling guilty, then you can show me a good time today!”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that until the sun comes up tomorrow… I’m your honey, and you’re my darling~”

“So… it’s a day off?”

She kissed me suddenly and my mind exploded with joy. But having my wife in my own room for a change with a whole day to be with her…

“Weren’t you up all night?” I broke away from her passionate kiss just long enough to ask. “Don’t you need to sleep?”

“Mmh… I just had a wonderful nap next to my husband. I’m full of energy right now.”

What time was it?

Her hand reached down and caressed my manhood and she giggled cutely again. “I guess Dell is full of energy too, right now. Would you like to do it?”

I grabbed hold of her shoulders and rolled on top of her, pinning her down to the bed. My eyes gazed deep into hers and there was nothing more in the world I wanted to do right now than show her that she was mine.

“Ouu! Ou!”

Suddenly a cute snout, but not as cute as my wife's nose, thrust itself between us.

“Ooouuuooouuuu!”

Kokoro reached up to pet Sandy’s head.

“Do you think you get to complain about me stealing him when you have him all to yourself while I’m stuck being apart?”

“Ou! Ooououououuuu!!”

“Wan wan wanwan wan!”

My wife and my dog… err, wolf companion, argued with each other. Why is it when I’m well rested and finally next to Kokoro, that I suddenly feel a headache coming on? Not once in my twenty-nine years of life did I suffer from a headache back on Earth!

My body which was above Kokoro and pinning her down suddenly lost strength and my head collapsed into her chest. I began to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Kokoro also began to laugh along with me.

“At least you’re in a cheerful mood now.”

“How can I not be. You’re here with me right now.”

“You’re such a silly man, Dell.”

“Silly?”

“Un. Silly! And I like that part of you.”

She thinks I’m… silly?

I can feel her hands moving up my back and her fingers brushing through my hair, and by the gods I want her so badly right now!

“Ouuu ououuu!”

It’s just not fair…

“Since it seems like Sandy doesn’t want to let us have a little morning fun, what would you like to do today with the time I have free today?”

“Mm… want to come with me and see what a gold coin looks like?”

“Do you think I haven’t seen one before?”

“You have?”

“Nope. Let’s go find out together, then we can hunt down a nice shop that sells something sweet, and you can buy your guilty feelings away.”

“It’s that easy?”

“I’m an easy girl. All you have to do is stuff me full of sugar and I’m yours.”

“I thought you were already mine?”

“I am, Dell. And I’ll tell you as many times as I need to, that you are the only one in my heart.”

“Even if I’m not the only one in my Kokoro?”

“Don’t be mean, Dell.”

“Sorry. I…”

Her arms wrapped around me and gave me a healing hug. What I said was childish, but it was the source of my anguish all night long. My wife who should only have to have her bed warmed by me…

“Do I disgust you now?”

“No. It’s just… the thought of other men… having you…”

“I understand. But you aren’t the only one it’s difficult for. Dell, even if I can’t control who comes into my room, I can control who comes into my heart. And the only one I will let in that place, is you.”

I’m such a selfish and pathetic man. I wonder how much I even tried to empathize with what she has to go through each night. No, I know the answer already.

“How many sweets are we talking about to buy away my guilt?”

“Enough to make me regret this world not having any toothbrushes.”

“Can you keep the budget to only a few large silver coins? I still want to spend the night with you.”

“I told you already that you have me until the sun comes up tomorrow.”

“Then I want you when it goes down tomorrow until it comes up again.”

“I want you to fill me with plenty of experience today, Dell. I’m going to make you a very happy man once you do. Also, I talked with the Madame about something… I didn’t let her know the exact details, but if somehow I were to mysteriously reach the tenth level as a non-combatant class, even though I’ve got the penitent mark, I can still go to the Unified Temple and undergo a class change.”

“Are you going to go back to a combatant class if you do?”

“No. I already know that I’m not fit for that kind of life. But, as your wife, I will support you in the best way I can on this side of it. I’ll find a class that will let me do that! Since we’re each other's strength and weakness, let’s shore up that weakness part together, okay?”

“I don’t know how far I can take you past the next level, but I’m pretty sure you’ll gain at least one.”

“Then that will have to be good enough for today.”

I got off the bed oh so reluctantly, and helped my wife to her feet as well. I did notice that she was wearing more than her slip, but it was still obviously erotic clothing from the brothel.

“Koko… do you own any clothes that are a bit more… decent?”

“I do, but they’re kind of in tatters. I picked the one in my closet that covered the most when I came over as soon as the brothel closed. I also cleaned up, so you don’t have to worry about that kind of… stuff.”

“Right. Here, put this on first.”

I took out Marta’s Mage Robes and handed them over to Kokoro. Marta was just a little bit taller than her, so they wrapped loosely around her short frame.

“Are these for me?”

“Temporarily. Let’s see if we can get you at least one outfit where you won’t draw too much unwanted attention.”

“What if I want attention?”

“Then I’ll pay you all the attention you need.”

She giggled.

“See, you’re completely silly!”

“Are you saying you don’t want some decent clothes?”

“I’m a woman, Dell. Or course I do! I love going shopping for clothes! I meant that you were being silly thinking you could possibly ever even maybe slightly give me all the attention I need. Because if you did, we’d never ever leave the bed, we’d make love all day and night and we’d die from starvation and turn into skeletons while we keep making love forever!”

“Now who’s being the silly one!”

“Tee-hee~” She cutely passed it off with a tap to her head and a tongue sticking out.

“Then, shall we get going?”

“Un!” she voiced her desire with a smile. “Sandy will be coming along with us too, won’t she?”

“Ouu!” My Darkwolf Companion responded.

Taking a moment to put on my boots, I was still dressed from last night. Sandy, Kokoro, and I all left the Blue Robin Inn together, and with no sign of Rennifel or Melody in the commons area, we set out from my lodgings and headed for the Dungeoneer’s Guild.

Along the way, we stopped at the food stall run by the bald uncle that Marta introduced me to a while back. I bought a few skewers and make sure both of my girls were properly fed. Kokoro was clinging to my arm happily and it felt so good to be alive right now.

Near the entrance to the guild, my wife’s steps became a little slower. I ended up stopping just to make sure she was alright.

“I’m fine. I just never really thought I’d be back here.”

She gave my arm a squeeze and then detached herself from me. She took a deep breath and then slapped her cheeks to psyche herself up.

“Before we go in, I want to make it clear that I’m not a gold digger."

“Have I ever said you were?”

“No. I just don’t want you to think that I love you only because you need money to see me outside of today.”

“Ah, that reminds me of a question I had for you.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“The… money I pay to see you. Do you get any of that?”

“It’s managed by Madame. I get one fifth of it as my wage, and the other amount goes towards Alurian’s Bosom in the form of operating costs. Three meals a day, baths with scented oils, perfumes, replacement clothes, donations to the Unified Temple when the priest comes to use their contraceptive blessing, things we want that we can ask the Madame to procure for us…”

You are reading story Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG at novel35.com

Only one fifth of the money she earns from what I pay to see her actually goes into her pockets directly.

“But, there are…” She was about to continue, but suddenly became quiet. “Nevermind.”

“Koko?”

“Don’t worry about it, Dell.”

When she says something like that, of course I’m going to worry.

“Is it something you can’t tell me?”

She shook her head.

“It’s not that I can’t tell you. I just think you probably don’t want to hear it.”

She was being considerate. I loved that about her too. She was kind and considerate and loving and I’m so glad she’s not one of those kinds of Japanese girls I’ve seen in Anime and Manga that are afraid to touch and hold hands with their lover easily.

“You can tell me. I can’t say I’m comfortable with everything that you have to do there, but I can’t just run away from the truth of it all the time, now can I?”

But I wanted to do exactly that. I didn’t want to think or even know that my Koko was being made to do those things because of that damn Penitent Mark on her breast.

“Let’s just say, I get tips if I do well… and any tip I receive is entirely mine.”

“Ah…”

“But we’re married, right? That means that eventually what I earn can be used to help you see me more often!”

“You want to use your own money for that?”

“Is it wrong to want to see my husband as often as possible?”

I shook my head.

“No. I just think that if I have to let you pay, then I’m failing miserably as your husband.”

She giggled cutely.

“Then you can think of it as me buying you for change. If I do then, then you have to let me do whatever I want!”

“Whatever you want? Sounds suspicious!”

“Un. And you better believe that I’ll be making sure that I get every copper’s worth out of what I spend on you!”

She then clutched my arm again, and we three entered the Guild building together to see Myria, the receptionist who has been looking out for me since I began my new life as a dungeon diver, and who was currently holding on to my gold coin.

Thankfully, since it was almost the afternoon, the usual hustle and bustle of morning was gone. There were still a few parties assembled, but the guild operated day and night, so there were always at least a handful of parties in the building at any given time.

Myria, once located, didn’t fail to see the cute girl attached to my arm. She gave me a rather smug and all-knowing grin, and I had to accept it for what it was.

“Myria.”

“Randell, you’re sure showing up here late.”

“Ah,” I scratched my head with my free hand, “I overslept.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure you were all tired out from diving in a certain dungeon.”

I was definitely being toyed with.

“Have you come to register a new party member?”

I groaned.

“Myria, I’d like to introduce you to the person who saved me at that time. This is my wife, Satori Kokoro. Koko, this is Myria, it was thanks to this big sister here that I was able to meet you.”

Kokoro only hugged my arm tightly.

“Thank you for sending Dell to me. From now and into the future, I will make sure he stays healthy and strong.”

Myria was just staring jaw agape. It took her a moment to snap back to reality, and with the expected question on her lips. “Did you just say… your wife?”

“I did. We’re joined with Alurian’s blessing.”

Her brows furrowed.

“Randell…”

Before she could speak further, another receptionist came by.

“Pardon me, did I hear it right… your name is Satori Kokoro?”

“Jina?” My cute little wife’s smile grew upon seeing the new receptionist. “How’s Oger doing? Is he walking yet?”

The receptionist immediately hugged my wife.

“It is you! Oh, how I missed you! Are you doing okay these days? Are you eating enough? Is Randell your boyfriend?”

I didn’t deal with the other receptionists much, and this one I didn’t know at all. She was a tall woman in her mid twenties with long sun-dyed brown hair and a smattering of freckles on her face. She was wearing the guild uniform, which is basically how I knew she was a receptionist at all. But I was curious as to how she knew who I was.

“I’m fine, Jina. I’m doing alright. I’m getting three full meals a day and a soft bed to sleep in. And Randell isn’t my boyfriend… He’s my husband!”

“Husband!?”

“Un. We met each other a few days ago and hit it off. He liked me so much that he proposed to me the next day and I said yes.”

“That’s too impulsive! Honestly! Randell makes Myria worry about him just as much as you made me worry about you!”

Jina began to pinch my wife’s cheeks and pulled them apart like taffy.

“I’m sowwwwwwy!”

“So, are you two living together now?”

“Ah… not yet. Randell’s still saving up money so we can be together. I haven’t dived since then, but he always tells me about how hard he’s working for me.”

“So that’s why! Those poor dismantlers…”

“Poor dismantlers?” Kokoro asked.

“Yeah, Randell’s a hot topic this week, girl! He brought so many monsters back from the dungeon the other day, that the Chief had to bring in a few extra people and have them work through a warehouse full of bodies day and night. To top it off, he came back with a huge haul of Horny Rabbits too yesterday. There was so much complaining!”

I looked at Myria who conveniently looked away. The receptionist, Jina, talked with my wife for a bit before getting flagged down by some other divers.

“Stop by once in a while, even if you aren’t diving anymore. We’re friends still, aren’t we?”

“Un. I’ll visit you when I can. Take care, Jina.”

A parting hug between those two left us alone with Myria again. She coughed to clear her throat.

“So, I suppose you want to see what you earned.”

“Obviously.”

“Just so you know, Teresa and Gonzo already came and collected their share. They stuck around for about an hour, but Teresa got a bit annoyed that you hadn’t shown up and ended up dragging Gonzo off with her.”

“Well, ah… she’ll be fine. She’s probably going to get drunk and give Gonzo a good time.”

Myria just shook her head.

“Anyway… Here’s your share.”

Placed into my hand were two gold coins. Two. Not one as I expected, but two.

“How…?”

“The Variant.” She answered knowingly. “It was worth a lot to a certain alchemist.”

“Did Gonzo and Teresa both get the same amount?”

“Yes. Even after the percentage that the Chief asked for, that’s how much you each earned from everything you brought in that day. There’s more coming tomorrow as well, since you brought in that second batch… I’m also waiting for that appraiser to return.”

I just earned a significant sum of money comparable to my level and floor access!

Reaching for my wife’s hand, I opened her palm up and placed one of the two gold coins in it.

“Uwah! A whole gold coin!” She reacted as if I opened up a briefcase with a million dollars in it. “I wonder how many sweets it can buy?”

“Koko…”

“Kidding! Well, maybe not entirely.”

“We’ll be using that as the money for our date. While we don’t have to spend it all, I want to buy you a few nice things, if you’ll let me.”

“Like I’m about to say no!”

She threw her arms around me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek. It’s cute because she has to stand on her toes to do so.

“Dell, even though I have the cooking skill, can we buy something already made?”

“Whatever you want, Koko.”

“Yay~”

Seeing her bright smile is more healing to me than my own spell.

“Then, shall we head out?”

“Un. Leave it to me, I know right where to go!”

I said goodbye to Myria though I got the feeling she wanted to say something more to me. She held her words back though and I was soon out of the guild with my wife and Sandy.

“Ah, can I make a quick stop first before we get started? I had something that I need to buy before it’s too late.”

“I don’t see why not, we have all day to play!”

Ominous words spoken by that shopkeeper from Featherly’s Grimoires yesterday were still fresh in my mind. As I had found the book written by Hong Feng about Vitamancy extremely useful, I thought I should stop by now that I could afford it properly, and purchase the book she originally recommended.

It wasn’t a long walk, and as the company was excellent and the temperature outside was nice along with a cool breeze, I realized I was too much of a homebody back on Earth. If it wasn’t at home, in my car, or somewhere indoors, I genuinely dislike being outside due to it always being oppressively hot year-round and being eternally plagued by mosquitoes because of my blood type.

“Kokoro, do you know what your blood type is?”

“In this body, no. Back on Earth I was an A-positive. How about you?”

“O-negative. I was a universal donor, but I only ever donated blood once. I’m terrified of needles.”

“Why?”

“Childhood trauma. I remember being young and having to get shots, and I was a bit of a weakling when it came to feeling pain.”

She patted my back.

“Be glad you aren’t a woman then. Periods, childbirth, breastfeeding…”

“Ah. I like that last one though.”

She giggled. “Plenty of time for that later, Dell. But seriously, I remember my mom saying that it was uncomfortable sometimes to breastfeed.”

“Were you formula-fed as a baby?”

“No. Mom did it diligently with me, but mom said there was an underlying discomfort sometimes. How about you?”

“According to my mom, I drank so much she went down a size.”

“Pffft! Then maybe I should cut you off now. I’ve finally gone up a cup, and I don’t want to lose what I’ve got!”

“Koko, I promise that I’ll love you even if you’re flatter than a chopping board.”

She pushed me lightly.

“That doesn’t make me feel better! Why not say something like if your cup size falls, I’ll make sure to massage it back up!”

“Is the science on that valid?” I asked.

“Does it need to be?” She replied teasingly.

No. In this world of magic and monsters, there is no need for science to get in the way of possibilities. If there’s a skill or spell that would make her boobs bigger, then I pray I come across it. That would make for a hell of an emergency present in case I ever forget an important date.

Well, I know I’d still love her no matter what size her breasts are or what her body looks like. I’m a guy, so it’s that simple for me to reach that conclusion. She makes me happy, and to me there’s nothing more important than that.

We reached Featherly’s in due time, and upon entering I found the woman there, as usual, enjoying her long pipe stuffed with something that smelled somewhat minty, and a book in hand.

“Hello, Tisa. I came as early as I could to pick up that grimoire today.”

“That’s nice.” She answered after taking a draw from her pipe, slowly letting out a stream of smoky mist mix with the stale air in the dusty shop. Her eyes immediately went from the book she was reading towards my wife and she seemed to be scrutinizing something all the while.

“Now it makes sense.” She said aloud.

“Huh? What does?” I asked.

She took another draw and then tapped out the smoldering contents of her pipe into a ceramic dish.

“Hm?” She replied ambiguously. “Let’s see… where did I last recall seeing that Grimoire…?”

She rose from her chair and began walking around the shop. Kokoro asked me exactly what kind of place this was.

“It sells something called Grimoires. Apparently by reading one, you can learn important things about your skills and whatnot. It’s like an autobiography that’s also a strategy guide.”

“Hmm. Do you think there’s anything that might tell us more about our unique skills?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea, but I’ll ask her if you’d like when she comes back?”

There was a loud crashing sound which caught my attention quickly. “Wait here.” I said to Kokoro before I hastily moved towards the direction of the where I thought noise came from and saw the shopkeeper down on the ground, half-buried under a pile of torn and tattered tomes with a thick fog of dust floating freely in the air just above her.

“Are you alright?” I asked as I extended a hand out to her.

“I’m fine.” She replied and with a simple wave of her hand the books began to rise and replace themselves on the shelves they fell from. All but two, that is.

She gathered both of those books and then took my hand, allowing me to help lift her back to her feet. After patting herself down, which involved sending more dust into the air, she calmly walked back towards the counter by the door.

“This is the one I recommended to you.” She said, putting a very worn looking Grimoire in front of me. Then she placed the other book next to it. “And this one I recommend to the young lady.”

“A book for me to read?” My wife seemed interested.

“It is merely a suggestion of mine that you will benefit from what insights are within. However the choice is ultimately yours.”

“Mm… Dell, should I get it?” She asked, but she was looking at me with big eyes that clearly spoke her desire to see what was in that book.

“Couldn’t hurt. The one I bought before was extremely useful to me, and the worse case scenario is that you have something to read when you’re bored.”

“Okay. Then I’ll buy it! I’ll buy yours too!”

She said it happily, but the money she’s planning on using for this purchase is none other than the gold coin I gave to her back at the guild.

Well, I don’t mind. I worked hard and it’s time to flex my wallet a little in front of the missus.

The gold coin was changed into lesser large silver coins, and I stored both of them away in my item box as soon as we left the store.

The next stop was to a clothing shop that Kokoro had often enjoyed frequenting. Most of the time she would just browse, but she had on occasion bought a couple of things when she was still diving the dungeon before I met her. The stop here consisted of her trying on a number of outfits she always wanted to, and me telling her that she looked beautiful in every single one of them.

She eventually settled on an outfit she liked and changed into it immediately. It was a frock with the top half being something like an off-white and beige mix, and the lower half being wine-colored.

I preferred it simply because it wasn’t nearly as revealing as what she was originally wearing in my bed when I woke up. And those clothes weren’t even half as erotic as the slips she wore at the brothel.

To adapt to the adages of this world, I’d prefer a noble when on the streets and a commoner when in the sheets!

I fully plan on disrobing her later on.

Fully.

Our date continued on with me storing away the clothes she wore into the Divine Treasury, and our next stop was the place she wanted to go all along. A certain bakery is a bit closer to the nobles’ quarters of the city than I’d like to be.

“Dell, if you’re able to make this much money just on the third floor, have you given any thought to purchasing a title?”

“Isn’t that a long way off?”

“It’s good to have a goal to work towards, isn’t it?”

“Ah, but the Nobility are all pretty scummy here, just like the politicians were back home on Earth. They are just worse versions of your Japanese Diet or my American Senate.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean either of us have to be like that. Surely there are a few good nobles in this city?”

“May the gods help them if the other nobles find out who they are.”

I doubt either of us wanted to talk about the real reason that the Nobility here are so disliked, but it mainly had to do with slavery. Yes, there was a slave trade here in Zoma, but it also wasn’t exclusive to this city either. There were skills and spells that aided such practices and forced compulsive actions at times. I’m very cautious with my money and never try to borrow any simply because that can land me into a world of trouble that I might never escape from.

There are many different types of slaves. Some enter into slavery contracts voluntarily hoping that wherever they end up, it’s better than where they were at. This is mostly the case with people from the slums or who have lost everything. Then there are slaves who have no choice but to become one to pay back significant debts they may have accrued with no other means of doing so. There are criminal slaves who rather than rot in a prison lose all their freedoms instead and are often the most mistreated of all, maybe with good reason, or maybe not. Then there are the ones who were unfortunately captured and forced into it. For those, all that can be done is to pity them.

There’s now a new type which I have learned about, and it’s the type of slavery with a different name. It’s the type of slavery that is but also isn’t. I mean, how do you free yourself from being a slave to a goddess? For my Kokoro, it is something I eventually hope to learn how to undo, so she can be mine and mine alone.

“Of course, there’s also the matter of getting a good enough title to do so.” She pointed out. “But if you’re already making gold at this point, it’s not like it’s an unreasonable goal to reach.”

Another thing which exists here are Titles. These are obtained in various ways, the easiest of which involve buying one outright. Nobility starts at either Knighthood or Pagehood depending on whether or not one is a combatant class or not, and unlike in other societies, the titles cannot be inherited. All titles are sealed by a Magister, and once obtained, become bound to the recipient’s status.

In my case, one large gold coin will buy me that title, but won’t change how I’m perceived at the Dungeoneer’s Guild, only that instead of still being trash, I’ll be noble trash.

“Do you really want to be a part of the Nobility though?”

“Un. I want an easy life, Dell. I’m not asking you to risk everything to give it to me immediately, but I’d like to think it could be an eventuality. We can have a small manor and maybe at that time… think about starting a family?”

“Koko… you’re already thinking about that kind of thing?”

“It’s still ahead ways into the future, sure, but do you not want children eventually?”

I had never really given it much thought. I don’t know if I have what it takes to be a good father. I wasn’t exactly the best son to begin with. I don’t feel like I am properly equipped to have this kind of important conversation with her right now.

“It’s not that I’m against the idea, I just never really thought that opportunity would come my way at all, even in this new life.”

“I know what you mean. This body I’m in now is pretty healthy, much more so than my original one. I think I could have two or three children without much risk to my health.”

“Is there a reason you’re spurring the conversation in this direction?”

“Maybe I want to honey trap you?”

“It’s not like that’s hard to do, since I’m already in love with you.”

She giggled.

“It makes me happy every time you say that.”

“That I love you? I’ll say it as much as many times as you’d like to hear it, Koko.”

While clinging onto my arm, she pressed her body closer to me as we walked the remaining distance to Tinny’s Sweets. Upon entering the store, it remained clear to both of us that the concept of a sweets café hasn’t been fully realized in this world.

The establishment was a bakery, but things like tables with chairs and display cases didn’t exist. It was just a plain counter with about three visible employees, all wearing clothes covered head to toe in stained flour.

“This is the place?” I asked my wife.

“Un.”

At the moment, we were the only customers inside. Kokoro quickly got someone’s attention and began to talk with them while ordering each thing they began to describe that they sold. What came next was me seeing the greedy side of a twenty year old girl who loved sweets.

An empty flour sack was used for all the things she ordered, and while they didn’t have everything she came for, she got at least one of everything they had. The total amount in the end was one large silver, three silver and seven copper.

She had two large sticky pieces of bread put aside, and I was asked by her to put the large sack into the Divine Treasury for safekeeping… since it would preserve the freshness.

She forcibly fed me one of those sticky sweet breads and it reminded me of a glazed cinnamon roll without the cinnamon. It was sweet and enjoyable even if it was a far cry from something I could get for far cheaper at a better shop in my local hometown mall or even supermarket.

We left the shop and our next destination was nearby. An actual restaurant that was pretty populated. We sat in and ordered, wasting even more money but getting our money’s worth.

I’m a meat guy. I love nothing more than a grilled steak to the point of being medium-well with some light charring on the outside and any kind of dipping sauce or gravy to add to the flavor.

This place delivered the flavor I wanted so badly over the last month. Not to shame Rennifel or her mother who run the Blue Robin Inn, but the quality of the food here was simply amazing in comparison. There was seating outside for dining, so minus a few flies that were interested in what we were having, I pulled out the pet bowls I had and let Sandy also indulge in the high quality food.

“Ouu!”

Yes, well fed women are much easier to deal with. It was also adorable to see Kokoro giving Sandy and even Melody in my memory a run for their money on how much food she could pack away.

“Jish ish shoo hoob!” (This is so good!)

She said they feed her at the brothel. She gets three meals a day, but do they not feed her well enough? I felt obliged to ask. As it turns out, she’s not missing nutrients, but rather flavor. As it’s not cheap to feed so many women all at once, it’s essentially a plate of salty meat and boiled vegetables or a soup of similar salty quality with brown bread.

This right now was the equivalent to taking her to a restaurant given a Michelin star. Even Sandy was going at her portion with great vigor. After finishing our food, we heard about a dessert option.

“Four servings, please.” She ordered. What was set before us was something very familiar to us both.

“Jellies?” I asked.

They were cool to the touch, but there was no denying that this was a monster I beat with a mace and stabbed with a spear innumerable times in my first couple of days diving in the dungeon alone.

“Uwaaaah! It’s pudding!”

She didn’t even consider the thing a monster. My cute wife taking large bites of it with a spoon and holding her cheeks afterwards made me melt a little.

I love her smile. Seeing her happy is what moves me.

I took a couple of bites hesitantly, but I wasn’t as gung-ho for the stuff as she was. I ended up passing mine to my Darkwolf companion that had just finished her savory meat, and who seemed to enjoy it as a follow up.

“Ou! Ou!”

Sandy was cute too, licking her chops.

The remaining two puddings were put into the old item box and by this point, half of that gold coin I had given her was already spent on our outing.

The three of us continued onward after eating, all of us stuffed, and we passed by a street known for being something of a bazaar. She had found a vendor selling ladies’ accessories and she immediately began browsing the wares.

She had found something like a hair clip, it was coral blue and shined nicely in the sun. Trying it on, she looked beautiful with it adorning her short shaggy hair.

“Dell, what do you think?”

“It looks really good on you.”

“I miss going to accessory shops…”

She looked happy but with a bit of melancholy mixed in. I couldn’t have that.

“Go ahead and pick out whatever you want. I want you to look as cute as you want to.”

She smiled.

“How about you pick something for me?”

“Me? Uh… I’m not the most fashion-conscious person to ask…”

“Even so, aren’t you my husband? Sure I want to look cute, but I want to look that way for you.”

“I don’t suppose it matters that I find you cute no matter what?”

She puffed out her cheeks.

“Alright. How about we get those, those, and that?”

I pointed to the hair clip she originally looked at, a bracelet with amber and green stones, and a well-made comb made out of some kind of mineral or gem.

“You’ve got fine taste, Dell.”

“If you say so.”

“Ouuuu!”

“Hmm, that’s true.” Kokoro answered Sandy. “Dell, don’t you think you should get Sandy something too?”

“Any ideas? I get the feeling a chew toy is a bad gift idea.”

Kokoro laughed.

We browsed further until I found something that I thought looked perfect. It was a collar. Sandy sniffed it a few times, and then howled her approval. I ended up buying It and decided I would get a nametag made at a smithy later on that had her name, indicating she was tamed, named, and my reliable partner.

We had been out for a few hours now, and when we finally made it back to my Inn, I was greeted by Rennifel who was in the main commons doing some cleaning.

My wife immediately left my side and ran over to her. She spoke happily and bowed a few times, then after getting a nod in return, Koko returned to my side.

“She’s the one who told me what room you were in.”

Ah. Now it makes sense.

“She says she can look after Sandy so we can…”

“Sandy! Want to play a little with me?” Rennifel called out to my Darkwolf companion.

“Ouuuu!” Sandy howled and walked over to the Inn’s Daughter on her own. Rennifel squatted down and pet Sandy a whole bunch, while Kokoro dragged me right to my room, the location of which she had apparently memorized already.

The door was opened, and I was pushed inside. While I had managed to fill one of her stomachs, there was a second one that had an entirely different appetite.

This time to my cute and hungry succubus of a wife, one Randell Heart, husband of the aforementioned, was the only item on the menu. With no wolf companion to protect me, the true apex predator in the room came alive and pounced on me eagerly, knocking me down onto the bed. Her eyes bore deep into my own and I instinctively knew one thing with perfect clarity.

I didn’t stand a chance in hell against her right now!

Kyaaa~♥

You can find story with these keywords: Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG, Read Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG, Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG novel, Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG book, Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG story, Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG full, Love & Dungeon: An Isekai NTRPG Latest Chapter