Seth couldn't believe what was happening. After six years of enduring the taunting and judgements. All the glares and pitying looks... it finally happened. He found someone who actually truly loves him! And she was one of his childhood friends! That means the others were doing their best to meet up with him and it truly wasn't a fluke with Centorea and Kijo back then!
Said childhood friend was still asleep next to him happily cuddling to his side with an adorable blush and sleepy smile.
And it is still hard to believe!
But he was getting ahead of himself.
Let's go back to yesterday.
-- Yesterday --
It has been a year since that fateful mutation event. And people were worried. The total casualties of that day were around, 30 D rankers, 45 C rankers, 22 B rankers, and 12 A rankers.
The city had lost a lot of defenders against any monsters. But they would recover eventually.
Seth was just sad he hadn't gained anything new to help him in unlocking more of his true potential. Once you have all Legendary gear it becomes hard to beat that.
But he was coming back from conquering his 40th C ranked Dungeon when he heard it.
"Help! Please! Anyone!"
Seth recognized that type of voice. It was a civilized Goblin. And a woman at that too. He never could just leave someone in need. He raced over to find a pretty and cute goblin girl being attacked by a group of 3 feral Orcs. Each Orc was level 70 and were C- ranked threats at on average.
He rushed down while readying his lighting edge to fry these foolish monsters where they stood.
He came rushing past them all landing 3 hits per orc and one by one the orcs were turned into burnt bodies and fell to the ground in heaps.
Seth turned to the goblin girl and stopped. He recognized her. Her light green skin. Her ruby red eyes, her black hair that was cut to a pixie bob. Her modest breasts that were only around A cup. Her petite frame with some light tonnage on it from her training to adventure. She came up to just around 3 feet and 8 inches. When compared to Seth's 6 foot and 3 inch frame she was tiny. But then again she was about the average height for her race and matched a lot of female hobbits, dwarves, and half lings. So it wasn't too strange.
What was strange was that she was in ranger leathers, with a broken bow in her hand and an iron dagger in her other one.
When she looked up from the floor where she had directed her gaze she saw him. Her childhood friend. Seth Silverfang long time friend to her tribe and the one who she vowed to come and marry one day.
Rin Ko of the Ko goblin tribe had finally found her beloved.
Seth was still stuck staring at her and asked, "Rin? Is that really you?"
Rin began to cry and then ran up to Seth and yelled out, "Seth! It is you! I am so glad yo see you again!"
Seth hugged Rin back as she leaped onto him and wrapped her arms and legs around him.
It was then he realized that she didn't have any boots or shoes on. She was barefoot as her toes and heels gripped his sides for better purchase as she all but encompassed his chest and sides.
He blushes as he feels her skin and feet being just as soft as he remembers despite how rough they should have been from her profession and training.
He happily hugs Rin back. One of the few childhood friends he still has in this world and she was back in his life.
Seth goes to ask a question but is silenced by Rin suddenly kissing him with a heavy blush on her face. He blushes too as he returns the kiss instinctively.
Suddenly he hears a notification in his head.
*An act of true love has been recognized by the curse.
The first pure kiss of a maiden in love given to her hearts first desire and first love.
Level limit increased to 40.
Stored exp and training bonuses applied.
New Level limit max reached!*
Seth breaks the kiss slowly as Rin stares at him with hearts in her eyes showing in the goblin fashion that she does indeed truly hold love for him
Seth... is still processing that he was indeed given a display of true love. By his childhood crush of all people. That's right he cared deeply for Rin and her sisters Kairi and Haru. They even had made promises at age 10 that they would all marry one day and break Seth's curse through that love.
He had crushes on all of their childhood friends growing up as seen by how he kissed the cheeks of Centorea and Kinjo back during his departure on his coming of age ceremony. He thought they all simply had crushes on each other!
He didn't realize how serious they all were when they said they would promise to be with him! Was that why his mother was more than happy to teach the group of childhood girls the tools and skills of a house wife?!
Why was he not told this until he had to figure it out?! Now he had to rush through his own thinking and figure out if he was ready to suddenly marry the spunky and adorable goblin girl in his arms!
Rin suddenly ambushes Seth as she comes down from the high of her first kiss.
Rin meekly asks, "Seth? Are you okay? Should I have practiced more for a better kiss?"
Seth goes to assure her before catching that last phrase, "Practice?! With what?!"
Rin giggles and holds up her hand before clenching it and showing how her thumb and index finger make a false mouth. "Like this silly! We goblins take our vows with our future mates very seriously! I wouldn't practice with any males! That way i remain pure and fresh for you!"
Seth's mind needed to play catch up as he processes it all then asks the key detail, "So when we were kids... and we made that promise to each other to marry when we were adults... that was a real promised vow?"
Rin nods, "Yes! In goblin culture my sisters and I became your betrothed at that moment! And you were already cute! But once we made that promise we were bound to you both body and soul! What kind of training have you been doing until now? Because your body feels much firmer than it did before and looks like it fills your armor out much better as well!"
Seth goes to explain before he remembers his curse, "Remember my weakened body curse?" Rin nods. "That. That is why i trained harder than when I was a kid and how I look much better than i did before."
Rins eyes widen and then she giggles before saying, "Then I am happy to have grown up enjoying your true handsomeness! I am looking forward to marrying you officially if you will still have me!"
Seth knew from the curse, her eagerness, and his own feelings of her that this is something he would want. And he does want. But he wanted to be sure, to also completely think through if he was ready to go from meeting his childhood crush and friend to making her his first wife "Are you sure Rin? Once we marry we would need to go together to fight off any demon lord threats or demonic wars that break out. Can you handle that responsibility? And are you sure you're ready to just leap into marriage? I mean I wasn't sure if we would see each other again let alone jump right into marriage! Are you positive this is what you want?"
Rin without a moments hesitation nods, "To stay by my future husbands side? Absolutely! I will fight by your side and die by your side! A wife never abandons her husband! And if you are uncomfortable with it we can wait! I want to catch up first anyway! We don't need to jump into marriage! Just so long as we are together and our marriage promise is upheld. Then I am happy to marry you at any time in the future!"
Seth tears up and nods happily before kissing Rin again with more force than he intended. She eeps out a yelp from the sudden kiss but quickly melts into it. Causing her to hum and moans slightly into it as Seth gets to roaming her body and enjoying her warmth against his. He quickly controls himself to remind himself that they shouldn't rush into too much too soon. And stops his hands from roaming to too many places too quickly. So he mainly explores her back, legs, and hands. Avoiding any potentially arousing zones for her to keep her in the PG range. Especially when in public like this.
She says with a quick break in the kiss, "Then I am now your betrothed and fiancee fully and wholly by the goblin traditions! Let us marry as soon as we are both feeling ready and comfortable!"
Seth nods and tells her, "Tell me the details of how to do it later. Right now I want to enjoy our current new relationship as courting partners. That is... if that is okay with you? Being boyfriend and girlfriend/fiancees for now?"
Rin nods happily as she continues to hug and kiss Seth over and over. Seth even slips her his tongue once in a while making her whine with glee and moan with excitement. Her toes clench and flex as she feels his hands exploring her legs as they are sensitive from all her training and feeling her muscles get massaged through his explorations is quite relaxing for her.
They finally break after a solid 10 minutes make out and semi unintentional massage time. And then puts her on his back to carry to his house. He puts the Orcs into his magic body sack and runs to his place. Rin shouts with glee at the speed and strength her husband possesses.
As he runs to his house he asks her. "By the way. You said I was cute before... why wasn't I looking like a wimp to you and your sisters even with the curse active? After all I thought goblins liked strong mates?"
Rin thinks before answering, "Well we don't place much value on looks in goblin society. We prefer your actions. If you can hunt, breed, provide safety for the family, and be a kind and loving husband? Then that's enough for us. We goblins value usefulness as our version of handsome and ugly. So the fact you were learning all those skills and could do them so well made my sister's and I fall for you hard throughout our teenage years after our promise together. And the fact that you kept training hard to push yourself further and grow past your limits was just icing on the cake in our eyes. And seeing as you had so much potential and a great personality made our father broker the engagement through your customs as well with your parents. They said they would reveal the whole thing if we didn't manage to meet up again before we were 25. Something about your mother demanding a good chance of grandchildren I believe?"
Seth blushes and silently thanks his mom and dad for all those supplementary daily living skills they forced into his training. While also shuddering at how much his mom wants to hold those future grandchildren.
-- Meanwhile --
Bianca is in a rocking chair studying a tome before she perks up and grins, "Excellent... my long term plans for plenty of cute grandchildren is coming to fruition!"
Dai shudders at his wife as he thinks to himself, 'Now I remember why I could never beat her in any strategy game. She goes hard on the long multi faceted plays.'
-- Back to Seth --
Rin is brought to Seths home and she is in awe at the size and magical ability of it. She turns to Seth with tears in her eyes as she glomps him again saying, "You are a great future husband already. Safe housing, protecting me, plenty of room for a family, and your earnings to feed us. You are the ideal candidate for goblin females to mate with everywhere. And I have no doubt the other girls of our group will love living here once they arrive."
Seth blushes before realizing her words, "Wait the others are on their way here soon?"
Rin nods as she goes, "Indeed they should stsrt arriving one by one over the next few weeks. Some are further out than others but I know my sisters are close. They should arrive some time in the next few days."
Seth grins at that news and was excited to know that all of his childhood friends would be coming to see him in a matter of weeks. He then oerns up at just now noticing a message he missed during his make out with his new fiancee.
*An act of true love has been recognized by the curse.
The acceptance of the proposal to the maidens pure love from her true love.
Level limit increased to 50.
Stored exp and training bonuses applied.
New Level limit max reached!*
Seth promises himself he will be checking those stats later. But for now he had a new wife to show around his home... correction, their new home. And a new wife to officially marry in both capacities of their cultures.
He shows her around the kitchen, dining room, training room, the armory, the bathing room (that one makes her gasp and squeal in happiness), and the master bedroom. Along with the 4 other bedrooms for other wives or for the children depending on how they arrange things. He then tells her thst if their family grows even bigger they can pump the house with magic to help it grow and accommodate the additional members of their family. Which he begins to as he remembers that if he adds it right he should be expecting at least 4 more confirmed fiancees in the near future.
Rin happily hugs Seth once again before they sit together in the master bedroom in their tunic tops and basic trousers. They had stored their weapons and armor in the armory during the tour of the place. Seth asks Rin, "So I will marry you eventually in both ways of our cultures. But what do we do for the goblin wedding ceremony?"
Rin blushes and brings him to the training room, "Well for now what you need to do as the future husband is to show your future wife you can best her in combat to show who will be the leader of the relationship."
Seth looks at her wide eyed but then nods and leads her back to the armory. He readies his gauntlets and sparring armor to avoid doing any lethal hits by using his sword.
Rin smirked as she readied a training bow and arrows she found and said, "Ready?... Begin!"
The two betrothed childhood friends began their duel.
-- Now --
Seth sighed as he remembers how much fun he had. Genuine fun that allowed him to laugh and enjoy the sensation of fighting for fun with someone he cared for. He was feeling his old crush emotions come back. And this time they were genuine affection and care. It wasn't quite love. But he liked her a lot and his heart was already beginning to fall for her a bit. But he knew they would truly be in mutual love for each other in time.
He looked down to his sleeping fiancee as they did so much sparring yesterday to the point of exhausting her. And he enjoyed every part of it. Especially when it came to caring for her after wards.