Chapter 94: No Pleasure, Only Pain
On a narrow path winding through the woods.
Merazophis sat at the front of the carriage, driving the two Earth Dragons at a furious, galloping pace. Now that Shiro had stowed their heavy luggage into her spatial dimension, the carriage traveled a few notches faster than before.
"Mera... open... drive slower... I'm gonna... barf..."
Inside the carriage, Shirazawa's face was a ghostly shade of green. His eyes were tightly shut as he clutched his stomach, letting out miserable wails of agony.
"Lord Shirazawa, this is already the absolute slowest pace possible!" Merazophis replied in an even, unhurried tone. "Please bear with it. We will reach the next town in two days. Hang in there."
Shirazawa knitted his brows fiercely. A violent wave of nausea surged over him, nearly causing him to black out. *No way! We have to speed this journey up!* Having this agonizing state drag on for another two days would literally be the death of him.
Shirazawa gritted his teeth and endured, cold sweat drenching his forehead. The horrifying dizziness and nausea were pushing him to the absolute brink of a total mental breakdown. At his frantic insistence, Merazophis cracked the reins, forcing the two Earth Dragons to accelerate into a full sprint.
To alleviate his suffering, Shiro offered up her smooth, pale thighs as a pillow, gently massaging his temples with her soft fingers.
"Phew..."
Shirazawa let out a long, heavy sigh of relief, leaning his exhausted head against Shiro's lap. Enjoying the intimacy was completely out of the question; he was doing everything in his power just to keep from throwing up.
Shiro looked down, her gaze landing on the youth's pale profile, a faint ripple of emotion swirling deep within her eyes. *Aze is so pitiful.* Before, the two of them used to share every hardship together, but now Shirazawa was shouldering the absolute brunt of the suffering entirely on his own.
She began to ponder how to alter their current predicament. Though she still wasn't entirely clear on the mechanics of how she had unleashed that magic the previous night, analyzing that problem was no longer important.
Shiro channeled the cataclysmic energy deep within her body, trying to construct a magical formula. Recalling the exact sensation of deploying wind magic in her past life, a vibrant green magic circle gradually unfurled beneath her, anchoring itself directly to the undercarriage of the vehicle.
In a single fraction of a second, a mini-tornado hoisted the carriage off the ground. Their speed multiplied exponentially, sending them rocket-propelling toward the horizon.
However, what followed was a barrage of violently severe jolts. The terrain was incredibly rugged, and she still lacked the fine motor control to adjust the wind output to match the undulating slopes of the road.
Fortunately, Merazophis's sharp reflexes saved them; he frantically pulled the reins to slow down. But this sudden deceleration was the final straw for Shirazawa. He aggressively yanked the window curtain aside, leaned completely out of the cabin, and–*blegh!*–unleashed a spectacular rainbow directly onto the side of the carriage.
Shiro immediately feigned total ignorance, turning her head to stare intently at the opposite wall. *Don't look at me, I didn't do it,* she silently prayed.
Shirazawa coughed violently without pause. After what felt like an eternity, his ragged breathing finally stabilized.
"Shiro..." he rasped in a thoroughly hoarse voice.
Shiro instantly spun her head back, answering with absolute innocence, "I'm here."
"I give you my absolute... highest gratitude..."
"Hehehe~" She bared her teeth in a silly, dorkish grin.
Shirazawa: "..." *If I knew it was going to be like this, I should have just packed my bags and happily gone to the Underworld with D. Now look at me. There are still two to three years of traveling left on this road. When the hell is this nightmare going to end?* He pressed a hand to his forehead in pure sorrow, silently lamenting the absolute cruelty of fate.
Shiro obediently cast
*Mmm... actually, staying right here isn't half bad.*
"Heh, men..." Ariel suddenly let out a cold, sharp snort from the corner, her voice dripping with sheer disdain, mockery, and perhaps a microscopic trace of envy.
Shirazawa was far too exhausted to argue with the little loli, contenting himself with sinking right back into Shiro's comforting embrace. However, before long, Shiro began tinkering with another experimental spell, adding a whole new layer of catastrophic suffering to Shirazawa's already miserable existence.
Ultimately, the caravan managed to reach the next border town right before nightfall.
Taking the initiative, Shiro hoisted the completely unconscious Shirazawa into her arms, carried him up to their inn room, and removed his long dress, preparing to give his body a proper wash. Since she lacked any real practical experience in basic nursing care, she called Sophia over to assist.
Seeing how fragile and weak Shirazawa looked, Sophia brought over a basin of hot water and a fresh towel, meticulously wiping down his skin.
"Wow, he's so beautiful. His skin is incredibly smooth and soft, almost like it's made of delicate tofu," Sophia marveled as she wiped his face. "And Shirazawa's eyelashes are so long and elegant. It's so sexy."
Shiro froze slightly. She couldn't shake the feeling that the gaze Sophia was directing at him was a little... predatory. An awkward sensation welled up inside her, prompting her to stand up to flee this dangerous zone.
Sophia wrung out the towel in the hot water and placed it gently over Shirazawa's cheek, a profoundly regretful expression spreading across her face as she murmured, "Sigh... Shirazawa looks so incredibly delicious. What a shame I'll never get a chance to taste him."
Shiro's footsteps instantly locked up, the tips of her ears burning a bright crimson. *You know what? I'm staying.* She decided it was absolutely imperative to keep a strict, defensive watch over this little closet pervert to prevent her from enacting any highly improper schemes against her man.
In the dead of night, the streets outside fell entirely silent as the local shops locked up for the evening. Only the occasional distant bark of a dog broke the quiet, accompanied by the lazy wailing of a few alley cats.
When Shirazawa finally flitted his eyelids open, the brilliant moonlight was streaming through the window, coating the entire guest room in a hazy, silver hue. He blinked rapidly, only to realize a small, heavy weight was pressing directly down onto his torso.
"Hmm?"
"Sophia?"
A string of crystal-clear drool was cascading down from her delicate lips, dripping right onto the center of his chest. Sophia was sleeping exceptionally sweet and soundly, letting out a dazed, incoherent mumble before plunging right back into a deep slumber.
Shirazawa was entirely caught between laughter and tears. He lifted his arms, fully intending to pry her off his chest. However, no matter how hard he tried to pull, his hands wouldn't budge an inch.
He twisted his neck to check his surroundings. To his horror, his right arm was being squeezed in a vice-like grip right against Shiro's chest, while his left arm was completely pinned flat beneath Ariel's torso.
He froze completely solid. *What in the absolute hell is going on here?! Is this another psychological test?!* Shirazawa desperately wanted to weep, but no tears came. Both of his arms felt completely detached from his nervous system, driven entirely numb by the crushing weight. He attempted to break free, but his physical strength in this infant-like state was far too pathetic, and his waist was being securely locked in place by a certain individual's tight embrace.
*There is absolutely no pleasure here. There is only raw, unadulterated torment.* Shirazawa felt an overwhelming wave of sheer frustration walloping his soul, yet he was completely powerless to change his fate.
Originally, only Shiro was supposed to stay by his side. However, Ariel was thoroughly terrified that Shirazawa would use the cover of darkness to act like a street thug again, so her lack of trust forced her to camp out in the bed as well. Naturally, Sophia, driven by a violent surge of
*(Jealousy: The precursor skill to the Ruler Skill 'Envy'. Effect: Seals the target's skills.)*
As a direct consequence of this strategic layout, even trying to slip away to use the bathroom was a statistical impossibility. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and hold it until daybreak.
*Cock-a-doodle-do!*
Accompanied by the sudden roar of a rooster, the three girls simultaneously opened their beautiful eyes. The very instant their vision cleared, they were greeted by the sight of a red-faced, thoroughly exasperated panda-eyed man, glaring down at them with an expression that suggested he wanted to devour them alive.
"M-Morning..." Sophia offered a thoroughly embarrassed greeting as her eyes landed on the massive patch of drool soaking through his nightshirt. *Whoops... looks like I might have gotten a little carried away last night.*
"Morning my foot! Get the hell off me, I need to use the bathroom!"
Shirazawa furiously shoved the three of them aside, tumbled off the mattress, and bolted toward the washroom at a speed that shattered his physical limits.
The three girls sat up on the mattress, exchanging a barrage of wildly contrasting looks.
"Why does it feel like... he thoroughly detests our company?" Ariel muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose as a strange wave of sorrow hit her heart.
Shiro pondered the situation for a fraction of a second, before raising a finger to point directly at the residual drool glistening at the corner of Sophia's mouth. "It is definitely Sophia's fault!"
Ariel caught the logic in a split second, spinning around to glare furiously at the primary culprit. Sophia shrank her neck back, defending herself with an incredibly aggrieved pout. "That's not fair! I did the exact same thing last time and he didn't get angry at all!"
"Well~ whatever~" Ariel casually tossed the trivial matter into the back of her mind. She executed a thoroughly satisfying full-body stretch, flung the duvet aside, and stood up to loosen her muscles. The remaining two girls followed suit, moving toward the vanity mirror to begin their morning grooming routine.
Three minutes later, a thoroughly relieved Shirazawa walked out of the washroom and immediately delivered a ferocious, non-stop verbal lashing to the three of them.
Ultimately, when faced with the sudden presentation of Ariel's tiny, yet terrifyingly high-stat fist, he chose to execute a tactical retreat, instantly submitting with absolute obedience. Ariel let out a triumphant giggle, her expression overflowing with immense pride.
Clenching his fists in secret, Shirazawa swore a blood oath right then and there: *I am going to cultivate with absolute fury from this day forward. Sooner or later, I will personally pin this arrogant little demon king down and rub her face in the dirt.*
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