Back at Hiro's camp…
Furina and Bob were tidying up around the fire. Soon, it would be time to extinguish the flames and prepare for sleep. Leaving the fire burning could attract dangerous monsters lurking in the dark.
Given their current circumstances, productivity at night was difficult.
Meanwhile, Hiro and Tara stood face to face in the nearby woods. Their surroundings were illuminated by the dim glow of yellow mushrooms scattered on the ground. Known as Yelough mushrooms, they added an otherworldly ambiance to the forest.
"It's nice that these mushrooms grow here. In the future, we might be able to cultivate them in our settlement to provide light at night," Tara said.
"Are there any advantages to using them over regular torches?" Hiro asked.
After all, cultivating mushrooms would require effort and maintenance. Torches seemed like a more hassle-free solution.
"There are definite advantages, my Lord. For example, these mushrooms provide light even in the rain. Also, some monsters, like the Cinderveil Wraith, are attracted to fire in the dark. I've heard such monsters are abundant in the Desolate Lands."
Tara's tone wavered slightly when she mentioned the Cinderveil Wraith. She seemed genuinely uneasy.
"I see…" Hiro responded.
"What did you want to talk to me about, my Lord?" Tara shifted the topic and asked curiously.
Hiro had invited her for a walk, saying he wanted to discuss something.
A mischievous grin spread across Hiro's face as he stepped closer and pulled her into an embrace. One hand slid down to her butt, groping it thoroughly, while the other rested on her waist.
Hiro's face moved closer to Tara's, and her cheeks flushed a deep crimson at his bold actions.
"Why do you think I called you here?" Hiro teased.
Tara seemed to suspect that Hiro had more mischievous intentions in mind. In fact, she was not opposed to the idea herself. She stood on her tiptoes and shyly planted a kiss on his lips.
Embarrassed by her boldness, she lowered her head and buried it in Hiro's chest. Slowly but bravely, her hands wrapped around him in a hug.
Hiro chuckled softly.
"That's cute. But there is indeed something I wanted to tell you," he said teasingly.
Tara raised her head while pouting slightly. Her eyes were filled with curiosity like that of a kitten's, wondering what he had to say. Hiro found her actions quite adorable.
"There's no need for you to act as my maid," Hiro said.
Tara's eyes widened in surprise. It was not the pleasant kind of surprise, though. Her face was filled with worry. She thought Hiro was no longer interested in her and was just setting her aside.
Just by looking at her face, Hiro could tell what she was thinking.
"What are you thinking? I'm not casting you aside or anything. Our fling, or hookup, whatever you want to call this, will still continue. In exchange for me not making the first move on your mom, you will keep satisfying my lust. It's just that… there's no need for you to be my maid in order to do that."
Relief immediately flooded Tara's face when she heard that. She truly was 'Ensnared' at this point.
"Then, what should I do instead of being your maid?" she asked. "I can't go out to hunt monsters on my own at my current level."
"Isn't it possible to gain XP just by training if you're a Warrior?"
"Yes… I could train. But that's a very inefficient way to level up," Tara answered.
"Train in your free time for now. Occasionally, I'll accompany you so that you can level up. In any case, it shouldn't take too long for the World to send us new refugees. Perhaps you can party up with some of them to hunt."
People in this world often hunted monsters in groups. A group of people with a balanced skill set who adventured together was referred to as a 'Party.'
Tara agreed with Hiro's words. "You're right, my Lord. I can have an easier time if I join a party. I'll wait for new refugees to arrive and then decide what to do."
With that, Tara gained some clarity on what she would be doing in the immediate future.
"Thank you, my Lord." Tara hugged Hiro tightly. Even without words, she understood that the reason Hiro told her to stop being his maid was because he acknowledged her desire to grow stronger. That was why he had asked her to focus on her training.
Hiro gently patted her head and stroked her hair.
"By the way, my Lord… I'm sure you already know this, but unless you intend to make me your only wife, the fact that we're seeing each other like this should be kept a secret from others."
When she said that, Tara looked up at Hiro with a glimmer of hope. Perhaps there was a small chance Hiro was willing to enter a monogamous marriage with her?
Unfortunately, Hiro instantly shattered her unrealistic dream.
"Sorry, Tara, but I'm going to be laying my hands on many, many women in the future. That's just how I am," Hiro flatly denied the notion. "But tell me this. What exactly would happen if all my flings became public knowledge?"
Hiro asked that question to understand the stakes.
Although Tara was slightly disappointed upon hearing Hiro's words, it wasn't much. She didn't have much hope from the beginning anyway.
"If that happens, it would be a massive scandal, my Lord. Although Goddess Selune is primarily hailed as the Goddess of the Moon, Love is also one of her sub-domains. Fornicators and adulterers are basically considered criminals by the Goddess' doctrines."
"But I am the Ruler, no? Don't I get to decide what I do with these 'criminals'?"
Tara, who was used to Hiro's ignorance at this point, replied without missing a beat.
"The fact that you're a Ruler only makes it worse, my Lord. Most Rulers are appointed by Deities. If you, as the Ruler, do not follow your Deity's teachings, that would allow a Temple Priest to pull you into a Divine Trial. In this case, Goddess Selune might brand you a Sinner. At that point, everyone would hate you, and your life would be doomed."
Hiro groaned inwardly. None of this was great news for him.
'Looks like even though I'm the Ruler, I have to at least uphold Selune's doctrines in my Realm. Why does she have such troublesome doctrines?'
"The Goddess and her Temples are vital for the Realm's operation. Without her blessings, people would have to directly rely on the World for their Classes. For most people, getting the World's blessing is an impossible feat," Tara further explained.
Hiro could easily deduce what would happen if the situation ever came to that.
"And if most of my citizens don't have a Class, the Realm would soon weaken and fall to Monsters or other Realms," Hiro said.
Tara nodded.
"In fact, at that point, it would be a miracle if people were not already fleeing your Realm as refugees," she added.
Then, Tara blushed and spoke in a low voice.
"That is why we must be careful about when we h-have sex…"
Tara hammered her point in one last time. Hiro also understood. To a large extent, it was like the modern world from which he had come. Infidelity was looked down upon, and chastity before marriage was a virtue.
But upon thinking about it a little more, Hiro's worries disappeared.
'Is this really a problem? Doesn't this make things more exciting for me?' he thought.
Hiro looked at Tara and said, "Hmm… I understand what you're saying, Tara. It is going to become more difficult for us to get intimate with each other once the settlement becomes more populated."
That wasn't exactly what Tara was trying to say, but it was also true.
"You're right, my Lord," she said.
Hiro smirked. He pulled her closer, his hands roaming her enticing body freely once more.
"Then it is obvious how we should spend the night, isn't it?"
Tara looked into Hiro's gray eyes and saw the uninhibited lust they contained.
She gulped and nodded. "Mnmm…"
Although a part of her was embarrassed, another part of her was filled with anticipation for that irresistible feeling of pleasure to take over her once more.