After discussing the matter at length, Elle and Cairn concluded it was best if he didn't force the matter and just went with the flow. She just had him promise that if he found a girl attractive and she showed a similar interest in him, he wouldn't hesitate. On the other hand, if he didn't want to have sex with a girl, he just needed to say no and put his foot down rather than stressing out or making a big deal of it.
In the wake of his and Elle's discussion, Cairn would be lying if he said he felt great, but it wasn't nearly as bad as when he saw her break down and cry. Thus, even though it created an inharmonious disjunction in his mind, he resolved not to hold back but never to cross any lines. He would do his best not to deny his urges, but he would never, under any circumstances, force himself on someone...
...
..
.
Though his expression remained neutral, Cairn's dick was as hard as a steel pipe as Reine held his hips for support, her head bobbing as she gave him an intense deepthroat. She had been feeling and rubbing up against him while they prepared lunch, so with the thought of keeping his promise with Elle, Cairn also started touching her, focusing on his ass and tits. She was surprised at first, but one thing led to another, and now they were in Reine's room, her massive tits bouncy freely as she did her best to get him to cum with her mouth.
Grabbing the back of Reine's head, Cairn prompted her to take as much of his cock as she could handle before discharging his seed directly into her throat. She dutifully swallowed it, proving as much when she released his dick with a plop and opened her mouth, tongue extended as she breathed heavily. She kind of looked like a bitch in heat, but Cairn knew he was just as much a horndog, considering the circumstances...
"Thanks..." muttered Cairn, caressing Reine's head as he adopted a smile and added, "That was genuinely amazing..."
Raising her brows slightly, Reine appeared marginally disappointed as she asked, "Are we done?"
"At least for the time being," replied Cairn, helping Reine to her feet and surprising her with a hug. He didn't have the words to tell her he wasn't comfortable sleeping with her right then and there, but it shouldn't matter if they kept doing things like this. They could just work up to it.
Weakening his hold on Reine's body, Cairn gave her a light smack on her magnificent ask, surprising her with the slap, and even more so when he asked, "Want to take a bath?"
Smiling broadly, Reine replied, "I'd like that," before standing on the tips of her toes and kissing him on the cheek. She was only vaguely aware of what had transpired between Cairn and Elle the previous evening, but she didn't really care about the specifics. Now that she was being allowed to 'repay' him, even just a little, Reine felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from her chest...
...
..
.
After washing up together, Cairn and Reine resumed preparing lunch, this time without being overly zealous. Cairn noticed that Reine seemed much more relaxed, her expression and tone gentle and motherly as she did her best to teach him her cooking skills. This made it easier for Cairn to focus on her lessons, but he felt like a kid with their hand caught in a cookie jar when he felt compelled to caress her ass, only for Reine to give his hand a light smack, followed by her gently chastizing him for getting distracted...
...
..
.
With Elle not showing up to their room, as she was busy repairing both the Abberant Aegis and reforging Mr. Boomy, Cairn lay in contemplative silence for a while before calling out, "Come out, Vira...though it annoys me to have to ask, I need your advice..."
Catching Cairn by surprise, though he didn't startle, Vira materialized beside him in the bed, propping her head up with her left arm and elbow as she traced her right index finger along his chest and asked, "What did you want to talk about~?"
Though he shook his head slightly, Cairn ignored Vira's antics and replied, "It's about the evolution of Fledgling Hero. I'm less than three thousand Experience away from Level 20. You might not be able to inform me of the specifics, but you can at least give me a hint..."
"I can do many things..." replied Vira, narrowing her eyes into a devilish grin as she asked, "The question is, what do I stand to gain by providing such valuable information...?"
"The stronger I am, the more entertaining things will be for you as my observer," replied Cairn. Then, turning to face Vira, he hoped to surprise her, but her expression remained unchanged when he placed his hand on her hip. Even when he slipped it beneath the hem of her crimson skirt, she just smiled as if everything was going according to her plan.
"You're finally starting to understand..." mused Vira, drawing her grinning face closer to Cairn's as she added, "You're in a very 'beneficial' position, one with nigh-infinite leverage. If you use your status as Champion well, there is very little you can't get away with. Even taking over this Kingdom wouldn't be difficult, not so long as you were prepared to get your hands very, very dirty..."
"I'd rather build my own..." replied Cairn, having put a reasonable amount of thought into the matter since it was nearly set in stone that they would be building a settlement of some kind in the Frontier.
"I can help with that..." muttered Vira, leaning in so close that Cairn could feel her lips brush against his own.
"Then, let's make a deal..." said Cairn, placing his forehead against Vira's to prevent her from kissing him of her own accord. Then, with his fingers snaking between her thighs, rubbing against her pussy through the fabric of her pantyhose, he added, "Dedicate yourself to helping me achieve my goals, and before I settle down or prepare to ascend the Tower, I will give you what you asked for..."
"A baby...?" asked Vira, requiring Cairn to be more specific. After all, she wasn't the only one that could circumvent the terms of their contract with clever, overly broad promises.
Surprising Vira ever so slightly, Cairn whispered, "Purpose..." as he slipped his hand into her pantyhose and began fingering her sopping, furnace-like pussy directly.
"That's a bold promise to make..." remarked Vira, narrowing her eyes. But even if there was less than a 0.0001% chance of Cairn being able to keep his word, she was curious to see what he would do. And for Vira, curiosity was her principal motivator.
"I'm going to ravish you now," said Vira, her expression and tone leaving no room for argumentation or discussion. The next moment, Cairn found himself on his back, Vira demonstrating her incredible strength by ripping her clothes off with her right hand. Fortunately, while he was fairly certain she could provide him a replacement set, Cairn managed to unequip his in the nick of time. What followed was the most 'eye-opening' experience he ever had as Vira, possessing Rank 100 Bedroom Arts, Nurturing, and many other 'education-related' Talents, taught him the true meaning of pleasure and indulgence...
...
..
.
While Vira didn't provide any direct hints about Fledgling Hero's evolution, she helped Cairn reach a few conclusions by asking questions and having him explain, in his own words, what he believed the 'essence' of a Hero to be. What he came up with was that a Hero was someone willing to suffer and endure extreme hardships in place of others. If it was simply a matter of courage, anyone could be a Hero by simply standing up for themselves. True Heroes were remembered because they performed some great feat, often at the cost of their life, so after Vira helped him regain feeling in his legs, Cairn made his way down to the first-floor dining area to await Kaia's arrival.
When Kaia arrived, invariably accompanied by Felix, Cairn told the latter to head to the kitchen ahead of them so they could speak in private. Once he was gone, Cairn surprised Kaia by stating, "I'm going to contact Zarah and ask if she's willing to accompany us in investigating why an increasing number of Dungeons are evolving. If she agrees, the four of us, including that chubby rat, will begin our investigation here in the Capital by entering a Level 25-30 Dungeon known as the Subterranean Spire."
"Subterranean Spire?" echoed Kaia, tilting her head as she noted, "I don't believe that's one of the Dungeons we have access to."
"It's not," affirmed Cairn, looking to his side as he added, "But Vira and I managed to reach an 'agreement' last night. The Freelance Company has been charged with conducting the investigation, so she's going to register us as one of the participating Parties."
Never one to pass on the opportunity to mess with someone she had taken an interest in, Vira materialized behind Cairn rather than where he was looking. Then, making it clear to Kaia what kind of 'agreement' they had reached, she linked her arms around Cairn's neck, placing them on his chest as she rested her breasts atop his head, licking her lips as she mused, "Cairn can be fairly persuasive when he stops overthinking and chooses to be forthcoming with his desires..."
Pretending he didn't have a pair of breasts on his head, Cairn did his best to maintain a neutral expression as he said, "So, yeah, we're going to be a 'Special Investigation Squad' for the Freelance Company, at least for now. Sorry for not bringing this up with you earlier, but I didn't think you would mind since we'd be helping to prevent a catastrophe."
Shaking her head, Kaia smiled and assured, "You've done nothing to merit an apology. Rather, I'm glad you have decided to involve us in this matter. I was a little worried we would depart Cliabhaan for the Cave of Wonders, only to return to a monster-infested battlefield..."
"If that happens, it will be the fault of the Kingdom," contended Cairn, his expression and tone firm. He would doubtlessly feel bad for the people of Cliabhaan, but the Runegraad Kingdom had a thousand years to reinforce its foothold in the north. They also had the Twelve Divine Swordships, so things shouldn't get too out of hand even if a massive outbreak occurred. Assuming, of course, there weren't too many traitors among the Nobility...
"Anyways, it's going to be a few days before Elle and Mari finish repairing our equipment," said Cairn. "For now, I intend to contact Zarah, and if she agrees to join us, we'll ask her over and get her fitted for some gear of her own. All in all, I expect preparations to take at least a week, so feel free to use this time to rest, relax, or tour the town with Felix. Just keep your ears to the ground for any useful information."
"I understand," replied Kaia, looking more pleased than usual as she was happy to see Cairn take charge and behave decisively. She wasn't sure it would last, but it was definitely a step in the right direction for someone who would invariably be expected to lead hundreds, if not thousands, of disorderly, adventurous, and opportunistic people into the Frontier...
...
..
.
Though he made a mental note to apologize to Asim, Cairn felt more alive than he had in a while as his hips smacked against Zarah's ass, causing a discernible ripple through her body as he held her tail and fucked her with reckless abandon. She had agreed to come over to the Rainy Day Inn if he footed the bill for a floating carriage, and after hearing the details of their cooperation, including the fact they were 'sponsored' by the President of the Freelance Company, one thing had led to another. Now, thanks to the Rank 21 Bedroom Arts he had acquired from a single 'educational session' with Vira, Cairn's brain buzzed with endorphins as Zarah writhed about as a result of his ministrations...
...
..
.
(A/N: The beast has been unleashed o_o. Also, if you aren't already, please consider becoming a Patron or donating to my Paypal. I'm moving in three days, and money is exceptionally tight this month xD...)