Magic Gems Gourmet

Chapter 70

Maseguru 70: Was it Her Charm?

The two returned to the same room after they had changed their clothes. Ainz tried to dress a little more elegantly to match the atmosphere of the place.

But it seemed that Chris also has the same idea, and the two of them were dressed like they were at a little party.

The two let out a small laugh when they saw each other clothes.

Chris prepares some drinks then they sat down on the sofa and the conversation about the adventurer's town of Balto began. The conversation, which was coming from Chris' own experiences, was very inspiring to Ainz.

...But then he noticed one important thing. Was it already too late? Or rather the right time...? It didn't matter which, it won't change the fact that he just had noticed it. Because of that, he couldn't really get what Chris was saying.

「And there are still a lot of... Huh, Ainz-sama?」

"Are you listening to me?" said Chris as she looked at him with a slightly displeased look in her eyes. After all, even though his face were facing her, she felt that his mind was not here.

「...Aah, sorry. I was just imagining about what that place would be like」

He has gotten pretty good at making excuses on the spur of the moment. Though it was thanks to his bad role model, Kadyma, he was grateful that it was useful at times like this.

「I see... I'm sorry for interrupting you, I was just...」

What she was unhappy about was the fact that he wasn't paying attention when she was talking... She feels like she was being ignored.

But the reason why Ainz was a little distracted was also actually related to Chris. So, there's no way she was being ignored by him.

What Ainz was looking at a while ago was Chris's hand.

The way she sipped the drink. He paid attention to the little gestures of her lifting and lowering the glass.

It's not that he was particularly conscious of it, it was just that he suddenly noticed her hands and was following them with his eyes. But now that he thought about it, he felt that he often paid attention to Claune and Olivia's hands too.

「(It seems like I just discovered that I have a finger fetish... I-It's not a particularly strange fetish or anything, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?...)」

"I mean, what's wrong with people having different tastes and preferences?" Ask Ainz to himself, but of course there was no one to answer that.

Every movement of Chris's fingers looked fascinating. "Rather, how she moved her fingers was especially 'bad'," thought Ainz in his mind. "Wasn't Chris-san quite erotic?" he can't help but make such a rude guess, but he won't say it out loud.

「Let's continue then. There are still many monsters in the former Demon King's territory. I heard that there are still many powerful and violent monsters living there」

「...I see,」 answer him as he looked at her hand more attentively than before.

Her hand was holding a long, thin flute glass. He pays more attention to her fingers that were holding the leg of the glass. The way how she lowered the glass, she gently placed her little finger on the bottom of the glass to give it a cushion.

Her beautiful white fingers. The manner in which they were moved together was a picturesque scene in itself.

After changed her clothes, Chris was now wearing a dress with a deep slit, which made her look even more sensual.

Ainz thought that her mother Olivia was the very definition of beauty, but Chris's beauty was nothing inferior to that of Olivia's.

He was even surprised and thought "This is the first time I've seen Chris-san like this" in his mind. But he wasn't so insensitive to women's hearts as to say something like that out loud. Besides, he was indeed fascinated by her beauty.

「It's a prohibited area, isn't it?」

He knew it was a bad idea to keep looking at her, so he looked up at the night sky in front of him. There was nothing strange about looking at such a magnificent night view.

「Yes, it's as you say. To be frank, our country doesn't even know how dangerous that area is. However, the monsters that live there do not leave the area. Therefore, Ishtalica's policy is not to interfere with and avoid them」

「Avoid them?」

He thanked Chris in his mind, because hearing the disturbing words had gradually shifted his interest in her and helped him regain his composure.

「We've sent out several investigation teams in the past, but they still haven't been able to get any useful information. There's also a lot of unidentified... sealed buildings. This is the reason why we have not been able to investigate the former Demon King castle yet」

「So, the country has done the investigation but haven't been able to understand it all yet?」

Chris nodded in silence to his question. He doesn't know when it was done, but what it means is the fact that even a country with an advanced technological capability like Ishtalica was not enough to uncover all the mystery.

「I wonder if the seal was made by the monsters」

「It would seem so. We haven't gotten a single clue even though the country was the one who did the investigation... there should be only a handful of such monsters... Speaking of which」

「...Umm, why are you looking at me all of a sudden?」

He had been trying not to directly look at Chris, but it seems like that he was failed.

「I thought I had an idea of a monster that could do that...」

「A monster that could use such a strong seal?」

「Yes. You must have known about it too, Ainz-sama」

Chris said that as he stared at Ainz. He wondered what she was talking about for a moment, and soon after, the answer came easily to his mind. He certainly had an idea about that.

「The Elder Lich...」

「That's correct. Don't you think it should be her that could use such a strong seal?」

「So you're saying that Elder Lich (the wife) who is holding back Dullahan (the husband) in my mind is involved in this... I'm starting to get that feeling too」

"Did you do this from inside me?" asked him to his mind, but there was no particular reply, rather, he immediately regretted that he had called out to Elder Lich rather abruptly and without any preparation.

「Ainz-sama, please refrain from calling her, okay?」

He then recalled what had happened when his body was under Dullahan's control.

「W-Well, besides that sealed area. There were also a few other suspicious things 」

「There's still more, huh?...」

「There is. It was considered a dangerous area after all. According to the report of the survey team, they felt as if they were being watched all the time while they were there」

「But shouldn't they have a lot of escorts?」

He was sure that they're not only bringing escorts, but also a lot of skilled adventurers with them. They're taking excellent researchers to such a dangerous area after all.

「Of course, they were accompanied by a lot of talented people. But they said that there was no one there. In fact, they said that they never encountered even a single monster near the place where the seal was placed」

"This starting to feels like a horror story. They can't see them, but they could feel like they were being watched all the time. If I were to spend a while in such a place, I'm sure I'd go insane" thought Ainz in his mind.

「Chris-san... Have you been there before?」

「I have. But I couldn't find anything there either... Well, I didn't go as deep as where the researchers went though」

When he thought about it, if there were to be an enemy that even Chris couldn't detect, it would be nothing short of a serious threat. Chris was one of the most powerful people Ainz knew. The thought of an opponent who could kill her without even her noticing gave him chills.

「If something were hiding, why didn't they attack?」

「I wondered the same thing too at that time... By the way, would you like a refill, Ainz-sama?」

「Hmm...? Ah, please」

They had emptied their glasses as they were talking. Chris noticed this and got up to pour them a new drink. As she got up, her legs, which now could be seen from her deep slit dress, easily caught Ainz's attention.

「By the way, don't you think our train was different from the one from the other day?」

「Now that you mention it, the interior is slightly different」

「As I've thought. This car smells like incense too, I wonder if they're burning incense」

He didn't notice it right after they boarded the train. When he came back to the lounge after changing, he found a light floral scent wafting through his nose. It was a pleasant scent, not too sweet, and it soothed Ainz's tiredness.

It's rather inappropriate, but he can't help sniffing for the source of the scent.

「I-I'm sorry... that was rude of me」

「Eh? Well, it smells good, and I kinda like it」

Chris puts the glass down once and examines her wrist and shoulder area. "What's she doing?" Ainz thought.

「It's just that I thought it was a good idea to put on some perfume from time to time... so, I used it this time. Did the smell was too strong?...」

Chris looked a little sad when she said that.

She wasn't used to wearing clothes like the ones she was wearing now, or even using perfume. Even if she had a chance to show up at a party, she mainly wore her knight's uniform, so she didn't have many opportunities to do so.

Despite this, she was actually beautiful enough in her dress to make all the ladies in a party look like a compliment for her.

He can't stand it when he saw her looking all sad, so to keep her from thinking about that, even if only a little, Ainz immediately make a follow up for Chris.

「It's not too strong, and I think it suits Chris-san, you know? I even smelled it because it smelled so good. ...W-Well, I'm sorry for not noticing the scent even though you're right next to me. I think I like it so much that I would smell it more if you'd let me to」

He made a follow up while putting his bright smile on his face, a technique from his Crown Prince series. But Chris looked embarrassed now and it puzzled him. He really thought that what he did was the right thing, "but why?" he wondered.

「Eh? W-what's wrong, Chris-san!?」 ask Ainz as he looks at her.

「...I-I'd be more embarrassed if you say you want to smell more... Uu...」

"Have I gone too far?"... he wondered.

Then he realized about what he just says to her. It'd certainly make her more embarrassed.

Every time Chris fidgeted, her tight dress would assert her figure even more, which was bad for his eyes. He hoped that Chris understands that there's also a limit to how impressive this crown prince's mental strength is.

「S-sorry to keep you waiting...」

「Y-yeah, thanks...」

Ainz thanked her for pouring him a refill even though she was embarrassed. Then he heard a deep breath from next to him ..."Haa-h"... and immediately after that, her expression changed.

「...A-are you not feeling well?」

When he said that, Chris came about ten centimetres closer than when she was sitting down earlier.

..."She's close, I mean, too close," "I'd smell your scent even more if you're this close!" thought Ainz in his mind. ...A vaguely sweet, pheromone-like scent then melted Ainz's mind.

Chris's shy but somewhat desperate expression made her look cute despite her beautiful appearance. The way she grabbed Ainz's sleeve and the way she looked up at him were both very attractive.

"Did she aim for this? Where did she learn such a technique?" Ainz thought, but there's actually no point in worrying about such a thing.

After all, it was just Chris' "natural gesture".

「I-I think it's not too strong and it smells good...! I'm not used to smelling it, but it's calming and nice」

「Really!? I-I'm glad to hear that...」

Could she feel Ainz's desperation from his words? After a while, Chris regained some composure. She let go of Ainz's sleeve, which she had been holding onto while muttering "My apologies..." in a small voice. It must have been an unconscious act for Chris.

「This is a perfume from my hometown. It is not sold in the market, that must be why you never smell it before...」

「In other words, it's from the elven villages?」

「Yes. Interested?」

「Well, of course, I'd like to go there, but I think it would be difficult since many of the elven villages are closed off for the outsiders」

He wouldn't ask to be welcomed, but on the other hand, there's something wrong with going to a place that's not welcoming enough. So, he expected that it would not be so easy for him to step into their villages.

「I think Ainz-sama and Olivia-sama would be able to get in rather easily. You both have dryad blood in your veins after all」

「Eh?...」

「The ancestors of the dryads are believed to be the World Tree, so the elves would most likely welcome them... The elves believe in the World Tree, so the consensus is that we'll get along with the dryads who are related to it」

「...I-I see」

What Ainz felt as a problem easily disappeared. So, he decided to go there next time, but he wondered when he would be able to visit.

「I'll go there one day then. Can I ask Chris-san to come and show me around?」

「Of course! Leave it to me!」

Chris replied with sparkling eyes. He could understand her excitement at the thought of being able to show her hometown.

「A-ah... I'm sorry! We were supposed to talk about the former Demon King's territory...」

They were certainly talking about the former Demon King's territory until Chris went to get another drink. Ainz didn't particularly mind about that though.

「Don't worry about it. We have a lot of time, so let's talk slowly. Okay?」

Yes. There is still time... and the ride to the royal capital is still far away. It's a distance that will still take some time even after a good night's sleep.

***

「Master. The carriage is ready for you」

「Finally, huh. Aren't you taking too much time on this?... Hmph!」

While Ainz and Chris were having their "little affair", Viscount Sage was relaxing in his mansion. As a pre-celebration of the event, he was going to have a big party tonight.

「What about the brothel?」

「It's the same as always. I've sent word to prepare a few of their finest prostitutes」

「Then it's good. Sometimes I have to hold a prostitute instead of a maid, they're more skilled after all... fufufu」

As his belly shakes like a water balloon, Sage made his way to the carriage that had been waiting outside the mansion. The pre-celebration was about a certain duel that was to be held the day after tomorrow.

The woman with that boy from the other day was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

A beautiful blonde with white, flawless skin and a beautiful body. Sage couldn't get that woman out of his mind.

He really wanted to devour her body, so he'd use the Kraken to win over her... He wanted her whole. This is the only thing going through Sage's mind now.

He wanted her more than money.

He wanted to end this boring duel as soon as possible and hold that woman.

「What do you think? Can that boy defeat my Krakens?」

「I think it would be impossible... His monster is about to face two Krakens after all. If the stage is as wide as the ocean, there are monsters that could push your monsters with their size and power. But even though it is wide and deep, the stage this time is a river」

「Fufufu... There's no way he'd win this. What about the trap?」

「I've prepared some as per your instructions」

Sage is not a smart aristocrat, but he does have a cunning mind... The river, which is the stage for this event, has already been equipped with a number of traps. Since the opponent is coming from downstream, there were tricks that only he, who is upstream, could take advantage of.

「I should also prepare a new room to keep that woman in. Let's make that room connected to my room, that'll do!」

Sage, relieved by the traps, begins to dwell only on the thought of holding Chris again.

If he were to keep her in the room next to him, he can hold her anytime soon. "Is she a virgin? Or that boy has done it with her?... Well, it doesn't matter which, I can dye her later to my liking," Thought Sage.

「Haah... Haah... I'm very excited... Fuuh... Fufufu... I'm not letting you whores sleep tonight!」

The excited Sage put his vulgar determination into words as a 'small' protuberance popped up between his crotch.