While wandering through the swamps of Liurnia, I suddenly stumbled upon a maiden in distress. They show up here surprisingly often, or maybe I'm just that lucky. A somewhat awkward girl, slouching heavily. Still, in her own way, she looked charming. A quirky girl, but cute. Naturally, I couldn't ignore her cry for help.
The green-eyed blonde nervously averted her gaze, fidgeting with the fabric of her green dress, clearly embarrassed just by the fact of talking.
"I… my lady sent me on an errand," she confessed guiltily. "But I was attacked… I'm glad you want to help me… but… the thing is… that scoundrel, he's Tarnished too, like you."
"So what?"
The maiden raised her eyebrows in confusion.
"Aren't you… kin?"
"Do I look like the kind of bastard who robs girls? I asked indignantly."
I do plenty of interesting things with them, but robbing isn't one of them.
"N-no…" my companion ducked her head into her shoulders, frightened.
"Ehh…" I sighed, "rubbing my head. Actually, I'm looking for the way to the Reading Hall right now. But I guess I can take a small detour for your request. I doubt an ordinary bandit could be dangerous enough to trouble me. I'm not very good at searching, though, so if you know where to find this offender of yours, that would help."
"Ah? Yes, I think… he might have headed to an abandoned fisherman's shack to rest."
The girl pointed northwest.
"Alright." I nodded. "I'll check, and if he's there, I'll bring back your necklace."
She gasped in surprise when I took her hand and, leaning down, brushed her fingers with my lips in a gallant kiss. Just as I usually did with Roderika. I really enjoyed seeing that confused, flustered expression on my new acquaintance's face."
"You may call me Chrono. And before I go, please, tell me your name, beautiful.
"I?" the girl squeaked.
Simply adorable.
"Yes, you."
"I… I… Raya!" Raya blushed even harder.
Well, Raya it is—pretending I didn't notice the strange slip. Not for me to pick at such details, when I myself go by a made-up name. And no, of course I hadn't turned into that disgusting kind of hero who helps everyone for nothing. First, I'd find her necklace, and only then maybe have some fun with the girl. Since Melina wasn't giving me any. Though, I could always visit Fia. Or even drop by Irina. When we parted ways, she was surprisingly friendly, clearly hoping for another meeting. But that doesn't mean I'd just pass by and ignore a new skirt! What would that say about an adventurer's pride?
Still, I wasn't a villain.
"Nice to meet you." I nodded to the girl. "But will you be alright here? These parts are full of dangers."
"It's fine… my lady gave me a protective amulet," the girl said confidently.
Didn't help you much with the bandit, though.
"And… if it gets too dangerous, I can return to my lady's manor at any moment!" Raya added. "But… without the medallion… ohhh… no, I must get it back, Master Tarnished, please…"
"Alright then, if I find it, where should I bring it to you?"
"I will wait here."
"Fine."
And that's what we agreed on.
Leaving Raya in the gazebo amid the ominous swamps, I set off in the direction she had pointed. Yeah, it even sounded irresponsible—leaving a girl alone in such a dangerous place, where horrifying Cronenberg-like monsters roamed. Even though she assured me she'd be fine, I started to feel uneasy. Then I hurried, using time-slowing to move faster through the flow of time.
Along the way, Torrent and I did run into two more of those abominations—four-armed, ugly witches with their little bells. Well, more "experience," or rather, runes. Nothing worth mentioning. In a normal fight, these creatures might pose some trouble to Tarnished, warriors and sorcerers alike, but with time-slowing, they became utterly harmless opponents. And I was in too much of a hurry to bother training with them. Besides, ever since encountering the Rune of Death, I had little desire to test unknown magic on myself. Instead of fighting fair and risking wounds that even rewinding might not heal, it was better not to give the enemy a chance to strike at all.
So, I carved through the swamp creatures on the way and finally reached the lonely hut.
Someone was definitely here already, judging by the smoke rising from the fire. Dismounting, I let Torrent go and approached the building on foot.
"Oh, well, another Tarnished soul," a man's voice rang out with a hint of amusement.
I was greeted by a ragged man, his most notable feature being a round iron mask, which muffled his voice and gave it a metallic edge. Sitting by the fire, he was cooking some large crayfish, already boiled enough to turn red.
"Greetings. To save time, I'll ask directly—have you seen a strange girl recently?"
"Huh?" the Tarnished was surprised. "Yeah, sure, I met one crazy chick."
"Hmm, well… maybe that's her. She asked me to get back her stolen necklace."
"Hey, hey! I'm no robber!" the man objected. "It was a trade."
"Really?"
"Straight-up exchange," man. he smirked. "Well, almost… That crazy nut was begging for my shrimp. But I'm no generous soul, kindness must be paid for. And she had no money. So, I took that medallion. Not that it's any use."
"I see." I rubbed my nose bridge. "Did you name the price right away? Or did you just give her shrimp, and only after she took them, hit her with the cost, huh?"
"Kheh… that's just business, man." the Tarnished smirked.
"Alright then, let's fight."
"What?"
"Seriously, I don't have time for this. Either you hand over the medallion and I leave, or we fight and I take it anyway."
"Hnn…"
The man narrowed his eyes, carefully studying me. I could see him weighing the odds. I carried no weapon besides the golden dagger. My armor was just a fine robe. On the surface, I didn't look dangerous. But on the other hand, I strolled casually through the swamps of Liurnia dressed like this. He likely pegged me as a mage strong enough to feel safe here. Still, he seemed confident in his own strength.
"That won't do, Tarnished," he frowned, moving his hand slightly.
That's when I noticed his left hand was basically shackled in an iron gauntlet. Not knightly armor, but more like restraints preventing him from using the hand. Just like his mask. Both looked like the kinds of things put on criminals in medieval times.
"If you want the medallion, I can sell it."
"Hmm, a fair trade? Then how about this—I can take off your mask and that glove."
"What? You're kidding, right?" the man froze. "If you can… wait…"
"Suddenly he jumped back, raising his hands to fight."
You mean you'll take off my head, right? he guessed.
"Not exactly," I sighed.
Slowing time, I closed in on him, making his fears come true. First, I knocked him to the ground. Then, summoning from the sands a hefty two-handed axe, I lopped off his head with one swing, then chopped off the hand with the gauntlet.
With his head and hand separated, the helmet and glove came off easily. Searching his pockets, I found a necklace. Likely the very one. Finally, I used a directed rewind on the Tarnished, reattaching the parts and resurrecting him. The mask and gauntlet, unaffected by the rewind, stayed on the ground. And this time I didn't split spirit and body, so the man retained no memory of this brief episode, even if he had noticed anything during the slowed time.
"W-what?" he stammered, jolting.
Now I could see his face. Younger than I expected, though already gray.
"Fair trade," I smirked, spinning the necklace by its chain.
"You…"
"It's fair. I helped you, and you paid with this trinket."
The man stared in disbelief at his left hand, then felt his head.
"Yeah… alright… you can keep the necklace," Tarnished, he nodded, "impressed. No, you… thank you. Sorry if I was rude. Please, if you like, help yourself…"
He even offered me his crayfish.
And I…
"Hmm, well, why not?"
I hadn't eaten properly in a while.
So soon we were sitting together by the fire, breaking open juicy boiled crayfish, savoring their tender white meat. Though, while I was mostly interested in the meat, my companion greedily sucked out the broth from their innards.
"Ohhh… delicious, right?"
"Not bad."
"Hahaha… damn, you can't imagine how much I've suffered wearing that damned mask! You're my damn savior."
"Was it really that bad?"
"I sometimes thought about chopping my own head off. We Tarnished can rise even after that… but I wasn't sure… and then I lost the light of grace. I don't know if I'd come back to life anymore."
"You've seen grace before?"
"Yeah… hah, ironic. I'm just a filthy bastard, you see? A cutthroat. But the Greater Will chose me along with the others."
"I wondered if I'd done right helping him, instead of just killing him. In the end, even with the necklace, it seemed he had only stolen it. He didn't kill or assault Raya. And honestly, I felt a bit uncomfortable attacking a thinking man like that. It wasn't the same as hacking apart mindless zombies or monsters. There weren't many people left in this world with whom you could simply talk."
"Well, yeah, looks like the Will was truly desperate."
"Hah! No surprise. Just look at the shit-hole this world has become. If I were the Greater Will, "I'd cling to any chance too."
"Hmm… seen from that angle, it doesn't seem so strange that a bunch of vagrants suddenly became the last hope of Elden."
"Hahaha! Exactly!"
"By the way, what about that girl you took the medallion from?"
"Huh? Ah! Well, you saw her—she's nuts."
"She seemed a little odd, but sweet."
"Ehh…" the bandit shook his head. "Kid, you don't know women at all. She only looks harmless. I barely spoke with her, but I felt it… beneath that innocent mask, there's a real beast. And trust me, she's got some very strange eating habits."
"Hmm?"
"I told you, she wanted shrimp… well, she devoured them like a wild animal, cracked them open and swallowed them whole. I'm telling you, people don't eat like that. She's some kind of shapeshifter, or some other beast. No, I knew right away that messing with that psycho wasn't worth it."
"And that's why you robbed her?"
"Well, I…" the bandit faltered. "I didn't mean to steal… it just happened…"
"How so?"
"I offered a trade, took the medallion to look at it. She even bragged about it… and when she started devouring my shrimp, I bolted. Then I realized I still had the trinket on me… completely forgot about it. If I'd known she'd come looking, I'd have dropped it right there."
"Khm… heh… hahaha… "I couldn't hold back my laughter. "Alright, thanks for the meal, but I have to go."
After all, I'd left that girl alone in the swamps. Even though I hurried here, I still stayed to eat. But honestly, it wasn't worth worrying about. I could rewind far enough to avoid trouble. And the return trip wouldn't take even a second—just open a sand portal and warp back to where I'd been.
Still, I wasn't so sure anymore that the girl was harmless. I'd felt something strange in her myself, and the bandit's words made me warier. A shapeshifter, huh?
"Ahhh? M-Master C-chrono!? Raya squeaked shyly when she saw me step out of the golden vortex of the portal.
And froze in time as I approached her.
Narrowing my eyes, I carefully examined the girl. Touching her lips with my fingers, I parted them…
"Whoa, now that's unexpected."
I immediately recalled her manner of speech. How she often covered her mouth with her sleeve, how she always spoke so modestly and shyly that I had never once seen her teeth. And now, there was indeed something to see. Several fairly long fangs. And if it were only that, it wouldn't be so unusual to suspect her of being a monster. But then… at first I didn't quite understand what I was looking at. The inside of her mouth looked very strange, not human at all. The bandit had been right—there was something truly beastly in Raya. Her mouth resembled more a serpent's maw, with a peculiarly forked tongue.
And already spurred on by curiosity, I wanted to see more.
Bending down, I picked up the hem of Rya's dress and lifted her clothes, revealing her slender white legs.
"Hmm…"
It seemed like everything with people was…
Well, I looked her over almost completely and didn't find anything strange, except for what was inside her mouth. And no protective amulet she had spoken of.
Sighing, I stepped back, rewinding time.
"Ahh? Master C-chrono!?" the girl squeaked again, lowering her eyes.
"I found your medallion," I said with a calm smile.
The girl's gaze lit up when she saw her ornament in my hand. Inside the medallion was the image of a beautiful dark-haired girl with a rather sad expression and a faint gentle smile. Rya already took a step toward me, awkwardly reaching out for her necklace.
But then she was quite surprised when, still stretching for the medallion, she suddenly found herself in my arms. I simply raised my hand and caught the girl who had been reaching for the trinket, pulling her closer by the waist.
"Hss… Chrono?" Rya looked at me pleadingly, pressing her lips together.
Simply adorable.
Yes, maybe she was some kind of shapeshifter, but it seemed I had fallen for her charm. Besides, her body was definitely not an illusion. And her reactions felt quite genuine. More precisely, she was clearly hiding something and playing a certain role. But that didn't mean she was pretending. The expression of her emotions was quite real. Even if she wore a mask, when she blushed or grew shy, it was still genuine. And perhaps my perception of danger was somewhat different from that of ordinary people.
"I returned your medallion," I spoke again. "Doesn't that deserve a reward from a fair maiden?"
And, releasing Rya, I unclasped the medallion's chain to put it on her neck myself.
"Ahh?"
While she was staring at me in shock and hadn't yet gathered her thoughts, my fingers lifted the girl's chin, raising her face. And in the next moment, I already pressed my lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Just lips touching, nothing more. And I was ready to react at any moment if she tried to pull some trick. But the girl simply… seemed to melt in my arms. She almost collapsed on weak knees, until I embraced her again and held her close, pressing her against me.
That's when our kiss broke. But this time she was too shaken to maintain her earlier caution. And, opening her mouth slightly, she inadvertently revealed her snake-like fangs.
"Lovely," I drawled contentedly, letting my hand slide a bit lower.
"Yii?"
Apparently, I had acted too aggressively when I couldn't hold myself back and, squeezing her rear, also grabbed the girl's chest, kneading it in my hand.
Rya instantly squeaked in fright and pushed me away with surprising strength that hadn't been apparent before. I barely had time to blink when her palm struck my face. Then she was engulfed in silvery light, from which burst dark streams of smoke and ash.
"F-forgive me!"
And, apologizing, she simply vanished. I was left rubbing my cheek.
"Ha-ha-ha. What a pity," Melina chuckled. "Looks like you scared her off."
"Tsk…"
Snapping my fingers, I rewound time.
From the flares of black smoke, Rya appeared again and once more ended up in my arms. But this time, as I set time in motion, I didn't hurry to grope her all over. Not so fast. And, in addition, I kissed her again.
"Mnn…" Rya whimpered plaintively into my mouth.
But she didn't rush to pull away, allowing my hands some explorations along her young slender body. I felt her hesitation, but also some curiosity. Breaking the kiss, I saw that innocent curiosity in her eyes. The girl clearly had no intimate experience with a man. And because of that, fear and desire now struggled within her. Though, perhaps, there was more fear. Uncertainty and hesitation that made her practically melt in my arms, yielding to my initiative.
Well, it seemed I was starting to understand people better. Not that I could see through them. I couldn't read Melina so easily. She still remained a mystery. But Rya was like an open book. She still had her secrets, but her inexperience in relationships and repressed desire I noticed quite clearly. If I thought about it, Irina also had something similar. But back then I hadn't paid much attention. And besides, I hadn't seen her eyes, which, unexpectedly, made it much harder to gauge a girl's mood.
Here though…
Once again lifting Rya's chin, raising her face so she wouldn't turn away, I looked straight into her eyes. She wanted to avert her gaze, but could no longer do so when I was staring right at her.
"Do you already have a man?" I calmly asked her.
The girl timidly sighed.
"A… wh-what… m-man…"
Somewhere behind me I felt a growl of displeasure. But the invisible phantom didn't dare reveal itself.
"Seems not," I smiled slyly.
Playing with this girl was certainly amusing.
"N-no…"
"Simply adorable. In that case, I'll take you for myself," I told her.
And again, leaning in, I kissed the girl.
And, like the first time, she reacted so touchingly, becoming utterly defenseless and bewildered. But no, after a brief touch of lips, Rya rather hesitantly placed her hands on my shoulders and pressed her body against mine, at the same time increasing the pressure of her lips. She began to respond, even lightly biting my lips with her own, but then quickly pulled away, breaking the kiss.
"Ahh… I… no… I must… return to my mistress…"
"No need to hurry," I whispered tenderly to her, stroking her back.
"I… I can't. My mistress… will be angry…"
"Or is it that you just want to run away from me? Don't you feel that, as a girl, you should thank your savior?"
My hand slid smoothly onto Rya's waist, caressing her.
"N-no… I… not…" she stammered uncertainly.
And before she could slip away, I… well, yes, kissed her again.
"Ahh?" the maiden gasped in surprise.
Because this time I kissed not her lips, but her neck. And only after playing with her a little more, I stopped time. But not to assault the girl, or commit any other lewdness. No, I sat on the gazebo railing and began to think.
I replayed different conversational scenarios in my head, trying to figure out the smoothest way to convince Rya to let me have a taste of her sweetness.
"Hah, all right, let's try."
We return to the starting point. Not the very beginning, but the moment of the kiss, when my lips only touched her neck. Time resumes, and I hug the girl more insistently. Then, stepping back to the gazebo railing, I lean against it.
"You caught my eye from the very first glance, Rya…"
"But… I… you don't even know me…" the girl stammered. "And I barely know you."
"And yet, isn't that enough for us to simply have a good time together? Don't you think?"
"T-that's… not right…"
It turned out somewhat awkward. I had clearly chosen not the most successful line of conversation.
"Forgive me, I can't… I am grateful for your help… but… I need to return to my mistress!"
Didn't work.
Once more.
And then again.
I tried three times to get through to her, but never found the right words. Although I felt that Rya's "defense" was not unbreakable. I was simply missing something to breach her fortress. It even felt like a duel. It seemed that if I found the right words, she wouldn't be able to retreat.
But my patience was wearing thin. This game was no longer as amusing, but began to irritate me more.
And, in another time loop, I lost control, grabbing the girl tightly.
"What are you…"
"You're too attractive for me to just stop, Rya."
Yeah…
Sighing, I let the girl go. Her frightened expression and that sense of innocence left me no chance. I just couldn't bring myself to violate her like that. I mean, I wanted her, but I didn't have the heart to take her by force. The realization of how wrong it was stood like a wall, preventing me from going further. If she were an enemy who had attacked me, then… that wouldn't have been a problem. But she was a maiden in distress.
I could stop time and do whatever I wanted. But that wouldn't rid me of dissatisfaction. And it wouldn't be enough.
So I had to return to my plan, only taking a short break to think over my words.