Bell let her drag him across the streets of Rivira. The passing adventurers paused in their activities to look at them. More precisely to look at the Sword Princess.
He felt countless gazes bore into his back from the male adventurers. Jealousy. Resentment. Envy.
These emotions washed over him. It was really unfair. He didn't even want to be close to Ais, and now he had to bear the gazes of these envious adventurers.
He really wanted to say to them.
'I might be thirsty, but you people are dehydrated af.'
But he dared not speak it out loud. Or he'd certainly get jumped on by all these jealous adventurers. And he wasn't experienced enough to reverse jump all of them in response.
Ais stopped at a Jagamarukun shop and didn't release their intertwined fingers. Instead, she used her free hand to order a huge amount of Jagamarukuns.
Though Bell had to say. Her fingers should have been calloused and hard from constantly swinging her sword.
But then why were her fingers so soft and smooth?
Bell wondered while she handed a Jagamarukun to him and dragged him towards a secluded bench at the edges of Rivira. The forest just some distance ahead of them.
Ais sat on the bench casually and dragged him to sit besides her. Her whole focus now was on the food in her hand. Ignoring Bell for the Jagamarukuns.
'You've got to be kidding me. A Jagamarukun is more interesting than me!' Bell wondered with disbelief as Ais literally ignored him. Her mouth starting to make short work of the potato snacks in her hand.
Bell felt very awkward. It was like someone dragged you forcefully somewhere. Then they literally started to ignore you.
Won't you feel awkward too?
He resolved himself to ignore her too and started to eat the potato poppers in his own hand. He had thought about getting something to eat earlier but then the Sword Princess dragged him around for a treat.
Anyway, he was not about to be ungrateful and waste food.
As for the shame of having her treat him for free? If he didn't feel shame, the other person would be the one to feel it.
Truly, as long as you didn't feel ashamed, you were invisible.
Bell finished his food before her and relaxed his body completely. If Ais really wanted to hurt him, he won't be able to protect himself anyway.
His eyelids started to feel heavy as his tired mind caught up to him. Now that he'd eaten, sleep hit him like ton of bricks. His breathing slowly evened out and eyes started to close as Ais continued to enjoy her favorite treats with absolute focus.
Ten minutes passed like that.
Ais finally finished all her treats in the meantime and let out a contented hum.
With her head reclining back and stomach full, she now spoke with her signature stoic face. Her eyes glued to the trees ahead of them.
"I want you to fight me."
She didn't get a reply for some time and started to get restless.
Instead of a reply, her restless movements shook Bell, his head now landing to rest on her shoulder.
"Hnn...?" Ais tilted her head to look at him, her expression blank as she took in the sleeping Bell with his head resting on her shoulder.
Her expression did not fluctuate even after looking at his sleeping face.
Yet, she did not make much movements either. Continuing to stay still like a statue.
...
..
.
Light released from the central crystal on the 18th floor decreased in intensity as hours went by. Night was about to fall.
Bell was still on the same bench. His head still resting against her shoulder. Ais had not moved from her position for three hours straight.
But now, night was about to fall, and she had to go back to her Familia.
Ais looked once again at Bell's peaceful and sleepy face. A calm sigh was released from her mouth as she slowly slipped one arm around his shoulder and other arm behind his legs.
She calmly stood up afterwards with Bell in a princess carry hold. Starting to walk back towards the Loki Familia base.
Bell was too deep in sleep and just squirmed for a bit before his cheek came to rest on her neck. His breathing still even.
So...Ais walked across the main streets of Rivira with Bell in a princess carry. Passing by adventurers paused in astonishment at the scene of Sword Princess carrying someone like a princess.
Many adventurers had the same thought simultaneously.
'Why is it him? Why not me?'
Ais ignored them and felt a little ticklish as Bell's breath ghosted over her neck. Sending confusing sensations down her spine.
...
..
.
Loki Familia Camp
"Ais, Ais...Kyaa~ So cute. Who is this? Come on...Let me take a look." Tiona spoke with her usual enthusiasm after she watched Ais bringing someone in a princess carry to their camp.
The amazon moved with a curious face while bringing her hand close to Bell's cheek to try pinching it.
Ais watched Tiona's hand heading for Bell's cheek and unexpectedly took a firm step back.
"Eh? Ais... Why are you stopping me? Could it be..." Tiona was surprised at her movements and spoke with a hint of gossip.
"He's mine. Until he fights me seriously." Ais spoke with her trademark stoic face. There was no emotional fluctuation in her response.
"Fights you seriously?...You're getting naughty, Ais." Tiona completely misunderstood Ais. Her thoughts went straight towards the adult only genre.
"Hm." Ais tilted her head in genuine confusion at her words.
Lefiya eagerly headed for Ais after hearing that she was back and ran into her at that exact moment.
The elf froze in shock. Her face went through different emotions and colours.
Red. Yellow. Blue. Green.
Excitement. Shock. Pain. Despair.
'Did I just get Ntr'd before even getting into the game?' Lefiya thought inwardly. Her world fracturing like shards of glass.
H-Her Ais. She was princess carrying a boy to their camp. Why didn't her eyes go blind before being forced to watch this reality? Why didn't her tongue loose the sense of taste before being fed this Ntr flavoured dog food?
While Lefiya was going through an existential crisis in the background and Tiona's thoughts were wandering into the R-18 territory.
Bete, that grumpy werewolf was wandering around and accidently laid his eyes on Bell in Ais' arms.
The first thing he felt was a phantom burning sensation in his crotch after glancing at the sleeping Bell. Making his face go pale and his werewolf tail stand on end.
The werewolf snapped himself out of it after a moment. He didn't know why he felt fear when he first laid his eyes on that white haired brat but concluded it was merely an illusion.
How could his mighty werewolf self be scared of a weakling?
The second thing he felt after looking at how Ais held him was pain. So much pain. It was like simping after a beautiful women for years. Resolving yourself to marry her no matter what. But then suddenly she one day bought an unknown man and told you he was her husband.
Bete's face turned green. His pain so great that even the pain of having his dream of little wolf cubs becoming an impossibility was still less painful than this.
Without even doing anything, Bell had already Ntr'ed two people in the Loki Familia.
If only he was awake. He would've pointed at their nose and laughed in their face.
Telling them to change their names from Lefiya and Bete to Simpfiya and Simpte.
As the experienced players of the game say.
Simping gets you nowhere.