Chapter 138: Knights as a Symbol of Fertility (1)
Delphine's gaze shifted between the semen dripping from Erin and my naked body, her face marked with dark circles. Letting out a deep sigh, she finally spoke.
"So, you said no, but he forced you?"
"I know. I don’t need excuses; I’m fully aware of what kind of person he is."
"You know... how exactly...?"
Erin, still stuck with her horn embedded in the wardrobe, shattered the door as she lifted her head. Her eyes, which were usually a blazing blue, had turned into their ominous, blood-red state.
Ogres are notoriously jealous by nature, and Erin was no exception. Her earlier sadistic behavior was already evidence of that. While she might tolerate Mollang and Shuru as pets, if she found out that I had been involved with Delphine as well...
‘This time, I might really get torn apart!’
"So, here’s the thing..."
"I’ve heard it all from Pandel already. You’re infamous in the mage-knight order, known for causing trouble. The one who’s always embroiled in scandals and indecency, right?"
"...Ah... Is that so?"
The crimson intensity in Erin’s eyes started to fade, gradually returning to their usual blue hue.
"He was famous back at the knight training center too. A senior knight once mentioned there was this perverted rookie who was amazing with a sword but also had a penchant for trouble."
"See? He’s famous, isn’t he?"
The tension in the room eased, shifting into a more lighthearted mood. Still, I kept quiet, observing the two women carefully.
"Younger one, your master is looking for you."
"Yes, I’ll head out soon."
"But maybe you should clean up first?"
Erin glared at me resentfully as she looked down at the semen trickling between her thighs. With a sigh, she opened her wardrobe and pulled out a fresh pair of underwear.
"You’re going to pay for this later."
Once Erin left the room after being summoned, I finally let out a deep breath of relief.
"So, that’s the kind of relationship you have, huh?"
With Erin gone, I was now left to deal with Delphine, who was clearly in the mood for a conversation.
"Everyone here assumes I’m an elf-like figure with no sexual desire, so I don’t mind leaving my spot even if someone’s naked. She’s a naive girl in that sense, isn’t she?"
"Ah, yes, haha... That’s true."
"With that said, meet me in Room 6 in 30 minutes."
"I just saved you from a tight spot, didn’t I? You messed with one of the employees during working hours, and I covered for you. Don’t you think you owe me something?"
"I... think I need some rest first."
In response to my feeble objection, Delphine pulled a potion from her pocket and placed it in my hand.
"30 minutes. Room 6."
The label on the potion read: [Experimental Strength-Enhancing Formula].
With her parting words, Delphine left. I sighed and began gathering my clothes.
"Alright, time to head out."
I didn’t care anymore. Staying here would undoubtedly lead to a mess between Erin and Delphine, and I wanted no part of it. Ignoring Delphine’s instructions, I collected Mollang and Shuru and left the workshop entirely.
‘They’ll sort it out between themselves. I’m staying out of it.’
Blending into the crowd that had gathered nearby, I slipped away unnoticed. With Mollang and Shuru hidden in my bag, I walked past the plaza behind the homunculus workshop and onto the main street. Unlike usual, the street vendors had cleared away from the edges of the road, leaving space for a procession to march through.
A herd of horses, over a hundred strong, marched through the capital. These were not ordinary horses but warhorses—muscular, robust, and bred for endurance. Usually, in such processions, a rider would lead several horses by the reins, but these horses seemed to follow their leader on their own.
‘Wait... not just a leader.’
At the forefront of the procession was a figure with long, flowing brown hair fluttering in the wind. She carried a bow and shield on her back, her attire adorned with intricate nomadic embroidery. She wasn’t a human rider.
She was a centaur—a woman whose lower body was that of a horse.
Among them was someone I knew—Eileen.
"Wait, isn’t that...?"
Angelica, who was riding alongside Eileen, spotted me and locked eyes. I quickly ducked, trying to hide from their line of sight.
"Angelica, what’s wrong?"
"I think I just saw the knight here..."
"Did you? Well, it wouldn’t be strange to see him around this area."
"Fufu... Sister, didn’t you volunteer to lead this procession because you wanted to see him?"
"Wh-what? That’s not true!"
As Angelica and Eileen chatted while leading the procession, I carefully maneuvered through the crowd, avoiding their sharp eyesight. After some time, I managed to make my way back to the homunculus workshop.
With no way to slip out of the crowd swarming toward the homunculus workshop, I stayed low, searching for an opening. Returning to the barracks was also impossible since Eileen and Angelica were heading there with their horses. Left with no other option, I ended up back at the workshop.
Before I could even figure out my next move, Delphine caught me waiting near the entrance and guided me to Room 6. Surprisingly, the room was completely empty—no furnishings, just a bare space. Delphine, having brought a chair, handed me a flask and spoke.
"So, how about giving me a sample?"
"...What do you need it for?"
"Well, ever since last time, when you, you know, finished inside me, I’ve been a bit curious about something."
Her tone suggested a scholarly inquiry, not something personal or inappropriate. If that were the case, even if Erin found out, it shouldn’t cause too much trouble. With that thought in mind, I began lowering my zipper.
"...It’s hard to get started when someone’s staring so intently."
"Wouldn’t it be easier if I watched you?"
"That depends on the situation."
I reached for Mollang to help things along, but Delphine stopped me with a raised hand.
"Don’t use the slime. I need it pure—no foreign substances mixed in."
"No foreign substances means no oral either. Maybe I should just help you out myself. Here, hold the flask for me."
Spreading her slender fingers, Delphine wrapped her hand around me, gently stroking my shaft and glans with calculated precision.
"I may not be very experienced with this, but isn’t it quicker if I handle things for you?"
‘She knows me too well.’
Typically, lube—be it spit or any other fluid—is necessary for smooth, pleasurable stimulation. Without it, the friction from dry hands was more painful than enjoyable, pulling uncomfortably at the skin.
"Hah... This isn’t exactly easy, you know..."
Sensing my discomfort, Delphine blew a soft stream of air over the head of my cock, teasing me lightly. As much as I wanted to resist, the combined sensations of her touch, her breath, and her calm, whispered words started to get to me.
"Look, it’s coming out~"
Despite not taking any enhancement potions, the combination of Delphine’s hands and subtle teasing had me spilling into the flask in no time, quickly filling it halfway with semen.
"Activating mana circuit... Alright, that’s perfect."
"You know, it’s natural for some movement to occur during ejaculation..."
"Ah, so you’ve trained yourself for this kind of thing? Well done. The results should be ready soon; give me a moment."
"What exactly are you trying to do? Are you making a homunculus?"
Since homunculus creation requires semen as a key ingredient, it made sense for Delphine to ask for it. Either she needed it for that, or for some personal reason—but she didn’t seem particularly sexually motivated at the moment.
As I watched her test my semen with focused precision, her expression turned heavy, almost troubled, as she glanced back at me.
"Ban, I need to ask you something."
I adjusted my pants, not expecting anything too serious.
"Do you... frequently sleep with other women?"
"That’s a private matter."
"Considering our youngest recently joined and how things went with Erin, I doubt it’s just her. And you have a habit of finishing inside, don’t you? You did it with me too."
This woman really doesn’t hold back.
"I warned you that habit isn’t a good one. You should’ve changed it already... Actually, no, it’s probably too late. I bet you’ve already caused trouble before now."
"...What are you implying?"
"You know how, biologically, it’s extremely rare for different species to have hybrid offspring, right?"
I nodded. That was common knowledge.
"Yes. Since sperm and eggs are designed to match within the same species, it’s difficult for crossbreeding to occur under normal circumstances."
"Exactly. Even with humans and elves, there are plenty of marriages, but half-elves are still incredibly rare."
"But... what’s the issue here?"
"Well, Pandel and I recently came up with a theory..."
For some reason, I had a bad feeling about this.
"Normally, it’s nearly impossible for hybrids to form between humans and other species because of the differences in protein structures. Even if sperm and egg meet, their structural incompatibilities prevent fertilization, meaning hybrids are extremely rare unless that barrier is broken."
"But here’s the issue... if the sperm contains mana."
"If the sperm is infused with mana, it doesn’t rely on protein compatibility to fertilize the egg. Instead, it uses the shared mana framework of living beings to bypass those barriers and initiate fertilization."
"Wait... are you saying...?"
Delphine paused for a moment to choose her words carefully.
"If your semen is infused with mana, you could theoretically impregnate nearly any species.”