Teest's expression remained unchanging, as if he had anticipated this conversation. He turned to the side, making a polite gesture of invitation, as if this were his own home.
Nol's shoulders felt warm and tingling, and his feet felt like they were walking on clouds. Even when he was spouting nonsense to Knight Eugene earlier, he hadn't been this nervous. Now, he forced himself to look around the large room, trying to distract himself.
It wasn't like Nol had never stayed in nice rooms since arriving in Tahe. The inn in Whitebird City was impressive and no smaller than this room.
But this place was different.
Its color scheme was cool, mixing a western fantasy setting with a modern apartment vibe. Near the bed, there was a small round table for writing and afternoon tea. A magic orb floated near a small basket filled with blueberries and raspberries, and a vase was filled with blue roses.
Opposite the bed, a reading nook was created with tall wooden bookshelves packed with books. A soft blanket was spread out on a couch with a floor lamp casting a hazy light behind. Next to it, a desk was prepared with stacks of parchment and ink pens, emitting the unique smell of paper and ink.
A well-maintained stove was against another wall, with magic replacing the usual gas and tap water. It resembled a modern stove, even having a magic tool above for purifying smoke. Something was simmering on the stove, and Nol could smell its rich aroma.
A dining table stood next to the stove, with glasses filled with purple grape juice, each containing several ice grapes. The only separate spaces in the room were the bathroom and toilet, which were slightly ajar, so Nol couldn't see inside. Overall, it resembled a western fantasy-themed guest house, without the deliberate decoration, and had a lived-in feel.
Teest's personal belongings were scattered around the room, with his pajamas laid out by the bed. The room felt like a "home". Nol wondered how the Mad Monk had managed that.
"Come."
Teest moved behind Nol and gently pushed him towards the dining table. When Nol sat down in surprise, Teest sat opposite, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers and looking at Nol with a smile.
"Do you like it here? I consulted with your neighbors and guessed the style you'd like."
Nol was taken aback and, after a moment, managed to say, "I really like it. Thank you." He truly loved the place. Apart from his odd personality, Teest seemed flawless.
Teest took a sip of his grape juice. "No need to thank me. Now, let's continue our previous discussion. About our relationship." Seeing that Nol was silent, Teest helpfully prompted him.
"…Actually," Nol began, hesitatingly sipping his cold grape juice, "I had decided long ago that before leaving this world, I'd stay by your side."
"But you kept deepening our connection, even deliberately showing me your death. I guess you wouldn't believe my assurance."
"Indeed." Teest shrugged. "I prefer to add my own insurance. I admit I'm tempted. I kind of like you… in a romantic way."
After hesitating for a few seconds, Nol said frankly, "So I hope you can reduce, uh, your intimate behavior."
Teest smiled brightly. "Oh, considering my twisted psychology only now? Honey, you're so naughty. I thought I had a choice. Emotions aren't controllable."
Nol clenched his teeth. "Since you can't offer real love, treat me as a friend—trust me, the bond of friendship is strong. This way, I can better control my feelings."
"Alright, you can't resist anymore, hoping I won't tempt you anymore." Teest blinked happily. "The question is, why should I help you control your feelings?"
Nol opened his mouth in surprise, hesitating before answering, "If I really fall in love with you, even if I return to Earth, it will be… very painful."
He was starting to avoid thinking about this issue now.
Teest stared intently into Nol's eyes, making him feel uncomfortable. Gradually, Teest's joy became brighter, his golden eyes shining like boiling honey, looking happier than ever.
"Unfortunately, I enjoy seeing you suffer because of me," Teest whispered, raising his glass. "To this wonderful pain –"
This guy was more excessive than Nol thought, almost crushing his glass in anger. Seeing Nol's reaction, Teest stood up and clinked their glasses together. Some juice splashed from his glass, causing ripples in Nol's drink.
"I don't understand why you overthink so much," Teest whispered in Nol's ear without sitting back down. "As I said, you don't need to be responsible for me. You should be more wicked. You're not wicked enough now."
Nol frowned, avoiding Teest's hair that clung to his collarbone like spider silk. "I don't want to board a sinking ship."
"You're too rigid." The Mad Monk laughed near his ear. "If I don't give you love, you can take something else from me. Like…"
'Your body?' Nol thought, readying a retort, but then heard Teest finish his sentence.
"…Faith," Teest said.
For a moment, the room was incredibly quiet—so quiet that Nol could hear the gentle pop of the flames from the stove.
"I am not a god, as I've said," Nol emphasized after a long silence.
"What is believed in does not necessarily have to be a god. Some species in Shiva worship stones and rivers, and the people of Gemino firmly believe that portraits of their benefactors can dispel misfortune… Aren't these the stories you set? Have you forgotten?"
"In my opinion, 'faith' is basically equivalent to 'loyalty' and 'love'. Without them, I wonder what's left," Nol said through gritted teeth.
"What remains are 'obsession' and 'beauty'."
There was a playful tone in Teest's voice. He let go of his cup, his fingertips brushing the back of Nol's hand, tapping lightly. "… My temptation is my prayer. Please accept it gracefully."
Nol's thoughts were in a whirlwind. He had an inkling that Teest was just spouting nonsense, and for a moment, he couldn't find a retort. The touch of Teest's fingertips felt scorchingly intimate. The sweet scent of the juice mixed with Teest's fragrance made it hard for Nol to breathe.
'Forget it,' he thought despairingly. Maybe he should just desensitize himself, raise his "Teest" threshold.
So, grabbing a strand of hair, Nol leaned in for a kiss.
It was their first conscious, deliberate kiss.
To his dismay, Nol realized that, while he hadn't improved much, Teest had become more skilled. For instance, while he was being kissed senseless, just clumsily gripping Teest's hair, Teest still managed to caress his back, enticing him to stand.
They moved toward the bed. Nol tried to resist, but the passionate kiss distracted him. Teest was guiding him, not with force but like being in a flowing stream, making it impossible not to follow.
'Being enveloped in thick honey must feel like this,' Nol thought dizzily.
He tasted the sweetness of the juice. He felt as if Teest's tongue had drawn half his blood to his brain. When they tumbled onto the bed, his face felt hot enough to boil a pot of water.
Teest's shirt was unintentionally ripped open by Nol, loosely hanging on him. Nol's mage robe was lifted, revealing a stretch of his pale and toned waist.
Their skins touched, and the warm friction was intoxicating. Nol's back sank into the bed as silver hair cascaded around his face like delicate prison bars.
His hands rested on Teest's shoulders, and to his relief, he found that the back of Teest's neck was just as hot.
Nol relaxed, his stiff muscles slowly softening. His hands delved under the fabric, clumsily caressing Teest's warm skin, making it even hotter, until it started trembling.
It's over.
As Nol touched Teest, he mused—at this point, there was no alarm about his sexuality. He truly could be attracted to men.
Teest's techniques, however, were hundreds of times more sophisticated. He was well-acquainted with the vulnerable parts of the human body, and Nol suspected that this skill was honed from countless victims.
Back on Earth, even the most expensive masseur couldn't make his body as soft as mud. Now, under those hands, Nol's bones and muscles seemed to melt, becoming a bag of warm wine wrapped in skin.
Even though Nol hadn't seen anything directly, being a well-experienced gamer, he had a general idea of what went on between men.
He struggled to reach out, moving his hand downward along Teest's waist, then hesitated for a moment. Uncertain whether he was happy or worried, he realized he still had a faint resistance to the "key parts of the same gender".
At that moment, Teest suddenly stopped moving.
"The soup is ready."
He briskly pulled away, his face slightly flushed, breathing a bit rapidly. "Cooking time needs to be just right… It's dinner time, honey."
'This guy is definitely doing this on purpose,' Nol thought. He wrapped himself in a blanket, waiting for a certain reaction to subside while placing the gold wheel by his heart.
"What's for dinner?" Nol asked while straightening out his clothes, trying to sound casual, though internally he was screaming.
"Tomato onion meat soup," Teest replied, kissing Nol's forehead. His face felt warm and damp, and his disheveled shirt covered his pants. "Serve yourself a bowl. I'll take a shower."
Before their talk, Nol had decided to set boundaries, but now he felt like he'd been led astray. He ladled the hot orange-red soup while his mind was still in turmoil.
He originally wanted to become immune to daily temptations through "more intimate contact", but the experience just now was too perfect, almost leading him to… Well, this was an acceptable risk.
Teest showered quickly. As usual, he loosely tied his bathrobe with his wet, long hair draping over his chest. Seeing that Nol had prepared two bowls of soup and heated some bread, he gave Nol a playful look.
'Oh no.' Nol couldn't help but glance at Teest's lips and the skin on his chest.
He had never noticed these things before! Now he suspected that his "threshold-raising plan" might have been a massive failure.
"Speaking of 'faith'…" During dinner, Nol tried to bring up a serious topic. "Were your family members convicted by the Temple simply because you were taken by the Eternal Church?"
He would meet Eugene in a few days, and he needed to clear this up.
"Oh, they found some things in my house," Teest replied, picking up a piece of well-cooked tender meat and chewing it with satisfaction. "Although my family didn't worship any evil gods, in that situation, some ambiguous items were enough for a conviction."
"Ambiguous items." Nol raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, items that seemed to be of good omen, nothing significant." Teest glanced at the meat in Nol's bowl but eventually didn't reach for it. "If I had to mention it, something strange did happen the day I was taken. I heard a voice that I shouldn't have. The voice was mumbling something religious."
Nol paused curiously, gesturing for Teest to continue.
Teest nonchalantly took a sip of soup. "At the time, I was busy playing hide and seek with my peers. I followed a set of footsteps into a room and then heard someone speak to me. But when I took off my blindfold, there was no one in the room."
"What did the voice say?" Nol asked, intrigued.
"I can't remember clearly. It was all religious nonsense," Teest replied. "But I remember the voice. I never heard that voice again after that. It might have been a hallucination."
It seemed this matter was unrelated to him. Nol felt a mix of emotions. Since Teest couldn't recall the content, perhaps this wasn't something to be too concerned about.
At night, Nol habitually went to hug Teest's back. The latter suddenly turned around, shifted, and ended up embracing Nol's waist instead.
Teest's head rested against Nol's chest while his arms were lightly wrapped around Nol.
"This is my evening prayer." Teest shifted slightly, finding a comfortable position. "Goodnight, Nol."
Sly guy.
Nol extended his arms, pulling the other into a hug. He was surprised to find that wonderful sense of security returning.
...
"When are you getting a second bed?" The next day, Uncle Ma asked straightforwardly. "Yesterday, Xiao Teest only moved one bed over. Isn't it too small for sleeping? I cleared another room yesterday and can spare a single bed—"
"We both sleep without much movement. One bed is sufficient," Teest quickly replied. "I'm his knight. It's more convenient for emergencies this way."
Uncle Ma frowned, but soon lightened up. "Well, since you two are boys you can make do I suppose."
Nol cleared his throat loudly. "You sought us out this morning for…?"
"Ah, yes, to show you the current state of the tower." Uncle Ma gestured. "With magic, it's very convenient. The succubi are also willing to help, so we've set up most of our facilities. You're the boss here now, so you should take a look, right?"
Upon hearing this, Nol's spirits lifted. He quickly got dressed. "Thank you for your effort!"
Teest followed, chuckling, while spinning the "Betrayer" in his hand.
The first floor, resembling modern architecture, was divided into three main areas.
First, the residential and guest areas, where Nol's room was located. According to Uncle Ma, newly accepted neighbors would stay here temporarily until they mentally stabilized.
Of course, this area also had rooms like "Uncle Ma's guard room", "public restroom", and "emergency medical room". It was small, but complete.
The rooms facing the entrance were merged to form a large dining hall. Some of the residents even set up stalls selling stir-fry, main dishes, fried items, and baked desserts.
Beside the dining hall was a storage area that took up half the floor. External supplies were sorted here, and Witch Lynn even made a cold storage for food ingredients. The Banshee Mother stored a large box of homemade ice cream there.
"The second floor's forest is divided into three parts. Most of it belongs to the succubi. There's a workshop for processing wood, and Elder Wang has set up an orchard."
Uncle Ma pointed to the edge of the second floor. "The third floor is entirely farmland. Due to a lack of manpower, only a few patches of land are cultivated. The soil here is fertile. Throw in any seeds, and they'll grow."
"Lynn claimed the fourth floor's swamp. She set up a workshop there, saying it wouldn't disturb others."
Nol was amazed. He felt that what the neighbors built wasn't just a base but some kind of doomsday fortress—even if their world were destroyed, the Lost Tower could be self-sufficient.
This thought cheered him up a bit. Even if they failed… they still had a fallback plan, didn't they?
Then, without hesitation, Nol decided to take Teest to the dining hall.
It was busier than he expected. At the stalls, the Banshee Mother was making dumplings while playing with her daughter. The Raven Father was using magic to stir the meat filling. At the tables, some monster neighbors were chatting and helping with food preparations.
It was still early, and there was only one diner in the hall—
Turning his head, Nol saw Piel eating heartily.
Piel's lower body was still on a specially-made wheelchair. He tried hard to swallow steamed meat buns, egg cakes, and fruit salad with a big glass of milk beside him. Seeing Nol, he waved eagerly.
"This afternoon, Dr. Julie will treat my bones," Piel said, struggling to swallow his food, his eyes full of happiness. "She asked me to eat more eggs and proteins, saying I was too thin before…"
He looked nervously at Nol. "I don't usually eat this much. I promise!"
"Eat more. We have plenty of meat here." Nol ruffled Little Piel's hair. "You can't become a knight with a frail body."
"I guess I should eat more too." Teest crossed his arms. "Any recommendations?"
"I'm not sure if they have buns, but fried dough sticks are good," Nol said thoughtfully. "I wonder where the plants corresponding to tea leaves are in Tahe? Maybe we could make some tea eggs…"
"It's you."
A hoarse voice suddenly sounded behind Nol, startling him.
He turned sharply to find a harpy perched on the back of his chair, her elderly face close to his.
It was Granny Meng.
She had probably come to eat. Nol noticed broken eggshells behind her. The old woman stared at him intently, her human face showing an enigmatic smile.
"I remember you," she said rapidly, without modulation. "You're the one who brought me here."
"What do you want?"
She tilted her head ninety degrees while fixating her eyes on Nol.
"What exactly do you want?"
The author has something to say:
The General (hinting): Want to keep someone? Then seduce them.
Teest: Got it. Combining interests and emotions, right? Then I'll believe in him!
Teest: (Seduce)
…It must be said, the result is still the same. The General sheds tears of joy (x)