Chapter 0132: Training Still Isn't Enough
Over the next half month, good news kept pouring in—
First, Kayle and Morgana, who had gone to E-Rantel to lie in wait, successfully captured the Jester and the Bald Man three days ago as they prepared to cause trouble. After utterly crushing them with absolute force, they dragged the half-dead pair back to the Sky Citadel's prison.
Next were Gwen and Neeko heading to the swamp region. After witnessing their strength, the lizardfolk tribes chose to submit one after another for the survival of their race. Neeko decided to return to Sky City, while Gwen stayed behind. Following Hisako's orders, she helped these lizardfolk learn farming and cultivation to improve their living conditions.
Next was Shyvana, who headed to the Angelisia Mountains. Upon landing, she was immediately confronted by the frost dragon Olasird'arc Haylilyal, who arrogantly declared, "I am the White Dragon King, Olasird'arc! Female dragon, I have taken a liking to you. Lay down your arms and become my queen!"
Then, in a fit of rage, Shyvana instantly transformed into her draconic form and tore him in half with her bare hands. Nearly half of the frost dragon population was slaughtered by her—only those who immediately raised the white flag and were smart enough to be terrified by her brutality survived.
Thus, bathed in the White Dragon King's blood, Shyvana effortlessly took control of the frost dragon clan and became the new ruler of the Angelisia Mountains. She then proceeded to govern the other races of the region in a style completely different from the frost dragons—
Shyvana: "Dwarves? Love forging? Here's new technology—want it?"
Dwarf Kingdom: "Long live Sky City! Long live Hayashi-sama! Long live Shyvana-sama!"
Shyvana: "Molemen? Need food? Check out potatoes and sweet potatoes—oh, and here's a method to purify salt mines—"
Molemen: "Ooooh! Long live Sky City! Long live Hayashi-sama! Long live Shyvana-sama!"
See? Sometimes it's just that simple.
...
...
"Looking at it this way, only the adventurer group hasn't made any substantial progress—"
Lying on the sofa with his head resting on Erina's lap, Hayashi spoke absentmindedly.
Beside him, Hisako shrugged helplessly. "Well, adventurer levels aren't something that can be raised in just a week or two. We'll just have to take it slow."
"Mmm, it's fine. The focus of our next plan should be on the Theocracy anyway. Progress in the Kingdom can move as fast as it can." Hayashi yawned and muttered, "I wonder how Antilene is handling things over there."
Hisako thought back to her conversation with Antilene half a month ago and barely suppressed a twitch of her lips. "Um, Young Master… were you serious about the promise you made with her last time?"
Hayashi replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. Is there a problem?"
"Kayaba will kill you."
"Keh keh, as if a mere Heathcliff stands a chance? A pure defense tank—what's he gonna do, outlast me?"
"Uh, like modifying the heroine's model in the game you requested into Aatrox?"
"Damn, might as well make it the Tsuchigumo Bro."
The mere thought of Tsuchigumo Bro bashfully saying, "Please look at me, Traveler," before gracefully dancing made Hayashi want to gouge his own eyes out.
He sat up abruptly. "I don't think Heathcliff is that insane, right?"
Hisako averted her gaze, thinking, 'Young Master, you've already pushed him out as a shield and practically forced him into a political marriage. What do you think?'
After a few seconds of silence, Hayashi spoke again, "He wouldn't go that far, right!?"
Hisako patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Accept it. Maybe in the future, when you play a dating sim, the heroine will be a red-haired gorilla."
"Nooo—"
Hayashi clutched his head with both hands and groaned, "Damn it, Antilene is a perfectly legal eternal loli, you know!? And her voice actress is Tamura Yukari, the Demon King of Seiyuu!? That Tamura Yukari!? What the hell is he dissatisfied with, damn it!"
Erina and Hisako twitched their lips. The biggest dissatisfaction is that you sold him out! Sure, the reward was substantial, but you still sold him!!
"Ah, I'm in despair—despairing of this world—" Hayashi collapsed onto Erina's lap again, nuzzling against her thigh-high socks before complaining, "Erina, how about trying pantyhose next time?"
"Huh?"
"Because with these thigh-highs, look—when I nuzzle near the top, they start rolling down from all the rubbing! It's really unpleasant in every way—" Hayashi lifted his head, pointing at the rolled-down sock tops, then said with utmost seriousness, "But pantyhose would be different. They'd wrap around your butt too, so I could nuzzle your butt as well!"
A flustered Erina pinched Hayashi's cheeks and snapped, "How can you say something like that with a straight face!?"
Hayashi pondered for a few seconds before cheerfully giving a thumbs-up. "The courage to express one's inner desires!"
Hisako nodded solemnly from the side, also giving Hayashi a thumbs-up. "As expected of young master, always saying what ordinary people wouldn't dare."
Erina glared at Hisako. "Hisako, you're just enabling his misbehavior all day long!"
Hayashi tilted his head. "How is this enabling misbehavior? It's called adapting to circumstances."
Hisako nodded. "Exactly, exactly!"
Erina crossed her arms and huffed. "I think you're just being perverted!"
Hayashi placed his hands on his hips and declared proudly, "Yes, I am being perverted!"
Faced with such an unapologetic boyfriend, Erina could only feel utterly defeated. She covered her face with her hands. "How did my boyfriend, who used to only sneak glances at my legs, turn into this?"
Hearing this, Hayashi sighed nostalgically. "Ah, now that you mention it, I really did have such an innocent phase! Unlike now, where there's not a single part of Erina I haven't—"
"Ahhh—!"
Panicking, Erina straddled Hayashi and frantically covered his mouth. "Idiot, don't say things like that in front of Hisako!!"
"..."
Hayashi blinked innocently, then gestured with his eyes for Erina to look in Hisako's direction.
"!!"
Realizing something, Erina turned her head—only to see Hisako's utterly shocked expression.
"You... you two..."
Hisako subconsciously covered her mouth, murmuring, "When did you two reach this stage!?"
Doesn't this mean you've done everything except the final step!?
"Ahem, well, Hisako, let me explain—"
"Miss Erina, please begin your excuses."
"Explanations, explanations!"
"Ah, yes yes yes."
Faced with Hisako's teasing, the already guilty Erina couldn't help but kick Hayashi with her foot. Unexpectedly, Hayashi naturally caught her right foot and placed it on his thigh, lowering his head to play with it.
'This damn foot fetishist!'
Erina twitched the corner of her mouth, then turned her head to look at Hisako.
Hisako remained calm. She looked at Erina composedly, as if she didn't see Hayashi playing with her right foot, and said, "Erina, why did you hide it from me?"
"Uh—"
"I've watched your relationship develop all along, right?"
"Mhm!"
"So why hide it from me?"
"Well..."
"Now I feel like an outsider!" Hisako widened her eyes and said discontentedly, "I've always been paying attention to these things!"
"Why should you know about it?!" Erina covered her face with her hands and said in despair, "Besides, how could I possibly tell you about such things?!"
"Why couldn't you?!"
Erina shrieked hysterically, "Do you expect me to run to you excitedly and say, 'Hisako, Hisako, listen to me! Today I let Hayashi touch my breasts—' or something like that?!"
"Ah—"
Hisako fell into deep thought. Only then did she snap out of the overwhelming sadness of "Erina is hiding things from me" and realize that her request might, perhaps, possibly, seem a bit strange.
"Guh—"
Meanwhile, after making such a bold statement, Erina covered her face again and collapsed into Hayashi's arms, saying weakly, "I want to die!"
"Ahem—"
Hisako coughed dryly twice, then said somewhat guiltily, "Well, well, Erina's concerns aren't unfounded! These things really aren't easy to talk about, haha—"
Erina remained curled up in a ball, even pulling Hayashi's coat over her head, trying her best to turn into an adorable ostrich.
Now it was Hisako's turn to feel awkward. She looked at Hayashi with teary eyes, as if saying—
Young master, help me out!
—or something like that.
Hayashi stayed silent for a few seconds, then glanced at the feet that had been on his lap but were now pinned under Erina's butt as she curled up. He extended an invitation to Hisako, saying, "Do you want to squeeze Erina's feet? They feel really nice."
"Do you even know what you're saying, ahhhh—"
The berserk Eva Unit-01—Erina—emerged from her ostrich state and, with tears streaming down her face, grabbed Hayashi by the neck, saying, "Shouldn't you be comforting me at a time like this?! Why aren't you comforting me and instead saying such problematic things?!"
Inviting Hisako to squeeze my feet—what kind of weird play is that?! What kind of carbon-based lifeform could come up with that?!
Hayashi expressionlessly raised his thumb and said, "I'm just speaking as a foot fetishist who thinks Erina's feet are beautiful! Especially the arch—that curve would leave an artistic footprint if the sole were wet and stepped on tiles!"
"Crack—"
With her face bright red, Erina covered her face and collapsed onto the sofa, letting out a wail as if her CPU were about to overheat.
Today's outcome: Erina's defeat.
The shame training is still not enough!