I didn’t race anywhere. Just walked, casual as anything, with Maggie and Kassie flanking me on either side.
Silence settled over me like a second skin. I continued through the forest, stepping over roots and undergrowth, but the pain was getting harder to ignore. My shirt had essentially melted into my wounds — fused with blood and whatever else had been leaking out of me. Something close to that, anyway.
My swollen face had at least reduced after a few hours of walking. Small mercies.
Another thing — as much as I enjoyed peeking at Maggie’s rear view while we walked, I had to dismiss her to the Nave due to the spirit essence cost. Kassie was currently here on no spirit essence sponsorship, so she was fine. But Maggie I couldn’t manage. Not when my spirit essence wasn’t exactly full to begin with.
I was going to miss her huge ass trembling with every step she took, but Kassie was no slacker either.
She might not have an ass as pronounced and curvy as Maggie’s, but she couldn’t be dismissed. Hers looked like they were sculpted mid-motion, caught in some eternal moment of grace. That alone made them special in their own manner.
Kassie couldn’t be compared to anyone else. Moreso, while Maggie’s breasts looked like they could fit comfortably into my hands, Kassie’s would certainly spill out.
I wasn’t one to compare. I hated comparisons, actually — each of them served their purpose after all. One must learn to strike a balance with these things, especially if their goal was to create a harem of about a hundred villainesses.
But it was pretty clear I had a favorite.
And who it was knew herself.
Maybe she... didn’t know, but I did.
I stole glances at her as we continued walking. She was silent, cautiously scanning her surroundings while we pushed deeper into the forest. Deeper and deeper still.
Eventually, after catching me stealing glances at her probably three hundred times, her helmet disintegrated into red sparks and she turned to look at me.
"What do you want?" Her expression carried no scorn, surprisingly. Her face was just... neutral. Unreadable.
"You."
Her frown pressed her brows together.
"Piggyback." I pouted slightly.
’I’d take my chances on this one instead.’
She looked lost now.
"A pig’s back? Pigs are very heinous demons — do they still even have those in this era? But why would you need a pig’s back?"
I looked at Kassie and sighed.
’This girl. She should be nicknamed the Cute Empress.’
Not that I didn’t know what was tyrannical about her. Her very existence was a tyranny of some sort. But I’d pretend I didn’t know that, because right now all I was staring at was a gorgeous red-haired lady asking me if I wanted to have a pig’s back, when I wanted her to give me a piggyback ride.
’Cute.’
"What I mean is... carry me. On your back."
Another frown pressed her red brows.
"Calm down, okay? Look at me..." I pointed to my ribs. "Look, walking is becoming an issue for me. I’m sure putting someone like me on your back won’t hinder you one bit, considering how easily you swing that sword of yours around."
She stood in silence for a moment. Her gaze moved to my ribs, to my blood-stained clothes, then up to my face. She seemed to be studying every wound on my body, cataloging the damage.
’If you’re going to refuse me, why don’t you hurry it up already.’
The frown on her face made the atmosphere tense. It was hard standing before that expression. Almost like balancing on the edge of a very sharp knife — one moment it was cutting for me, the next it could be cutting me.
’The irony... God, I hate ironies.’
Her eyes changed subtly. Her brows relaxed. She turned and slowly bent down on one knee, leaving me absolutely speechless.
I opened my mouth a little, eyes frozen in shock.
"She... actually..."
"Get on..." she said, "before I change my mind."
Immediately I heard that, I ran toward her. Jumped. Climbed her back, slung my arms beneath her armpits, and got a good hold of her breasts.
She seemed to pause for a moment, but I just persisted with the hold, acting like I had no idea I’d gripped something soft and important.
She slowly stood up and lifted me with her.
And there I was — a novel and picturesque scene. Being carried on Kassie’s back, resting just above her ass, gripping her breasts.
I smiled sweetly and rested my head against her back too.
’After all that pummeling... this makes it feel worth it. What a reward. I love your back Kasssssie.’
The armor surface didn’t poke at me. In fact, it was smooth. I’d avoided her shoulders because I didn’t want to get pierced by the thorns, although that decision was more motivated by the breasts than by the metal thorns.
Moreso, I’d noticed she could make the thorns disappear, but it was best to act in ignorance of that knowledge.
After I settled in, Kassie bolted off immediately — sprinting through the forest, leaping and landing across little rivers.
With her speed, I had to cling tighter. This caused me to mistakenly activate [Summoner’s Touch] and hold her breasts tighter while squeezing as hard as I could to get a definite grip and not fall.
This was basically survival skills I believed anyone should have.
But first, you gotta know how to ask for a piggyback ride.
Not all men were shameless like me, after all. Many preferred to be the ones doing the carrying. I’d never understood men like those.
’Maybe they were just never blessed with a girlfriend like Kassie.’
I leaned more into her back as she galloped forward.
’This is worth suffering for. I wonder if pretty boy will get stubborn and chase me with his lasso again. Maybe next time, I could ask her to fuck me because I’m about to die again.’
No. I didn’t think that plot was going to work twice. I would indeed need to work harder.
’Sigh. Just fuck me already. I’m in so much pain and it’s making me so horny.’