Chapter 147: Woman, You're Playing with Fire
By the time she emerged from the hot spring bath, daylight had fully broken. Wrapped in her yukata, Taeko returned to her room to find Chelsea already back, sharing breakfast with Instructor Babara.
"Come try this! The hotel's breakfast truly lives up to its reputation," Chelsea called out to her senior sister.
Taeko nodded quietly and took a seat opposite Instructor Babara. While calmly cutting her food, she asked with concern, "Chelsea, any new intelligence from the Revolutionary Army?"
"Nothing major. The southwestern branch has safely escorted General Najenda to headquarters after she pledged allegiance. In about two or three days, General Najenda and other high-ranking officials will personally represent the Revolutionary Army to establish cooperation with foreign tribes, jointly resisting the Empire..."
Chelsea remarked casually while popping a small piece of food into her mouth.
"Mmm~ This is the most proper meal I've had in days!" Chelsea was so moved she nearly shed tears.
Having been on missions with Babara these past few days, enduring wind and dew, it was only thanks to the target group staying at this hot spring hotel that she could finally taste normal food again.
"Heh, in that case, the Empire should have taken notice. After all, every move made by a rebel General would attract considerable attention."
Babara paid no mind to her apprentice's reaction.
Chelsea nodded and said: "Yes, the Empire has issued a bounty for General Najenda, but suspiciously, they haven't taken any other action. Meanwhile, the Revolutionary Army headquarters wants us to stall the Imperial Assassination Unit here, worried about a repeat of what happened recently with the governor of Tsukinami City."
"Oh? Just stall them?"
"No, preferably eliminate them."
Chelsea's expression suddenly turned serious as she pulled out a stack of portraits and spread them before the two. Pointing at the young man in the center, she said: "Especially this man. The Revolutionary Army hopes we can eliminate him if possible."
"Has it been confirmed already?"
"Yes, indeed. This man is confirmed to be the head of the Imperial Assassination Unit—Yotsuba Mahiro."
Just as Babara had suspected.
Moreover, this man's abilities seemed somewhat unfathomable.
She remembered how the liaison officer had repeatedly emphasized when handing her the portraits—"Unless you're absolutely certain, do not act rashly."
Was this man really that terrifying?
"Hoh... What's the source of this intelligence?"
Babara narrowed her eyes into slits, studied the portrait for a moment, then looked up to meet Chelsea's gaze.
"I inquired about it—it seems to come from some high-ranking official in the Imperial City."
"Heh, so not only does the Revolutionary Army want this man dead, but even someone within the Empire does too. What a clever move to kill with a borrowed knife..."
Having worked as an assassin for so many years, given the Empire's current situation, Babara could almost guess exactly whose hands this intelligence came from.
Using their hands to eliminate his opponents...
Though it was quite irritating, Babara didn't particularly mind.
After all, their organisation specialized in this work. As long as the payment was sufficient, they would eliminate anyone!
"Are we... really going to do this?" Chelsea sounded worried.
"There's no turning back now. The moment we stepped into this hotel, we were probably already spotted by this man."
"!!!"
Both Chelsea and Taeko couldn't help but gasp in shock.
They'd been discovered so quickly?
But they hadn't even done anything yet!
"Don't worry, though. The other party probably doesn't know our identities yet, so we still have a chance."
Babara chuckled, though her smile carried a somewhat sinister edge.
"But this operation is different from previous ones. It's not suitable to confront the target directly. So Chelsea, this mission will rely entirely on you."
Gulp!
Chelsea, sucking on her lollipop, swallowed hard.
This was the first time in all these years she had heard Babara say something like that.
"Instructor, is this man really that strong? He doesn't seem to have much reputation." The speaker was Taeko—the name Yotsuba Mahiro was indeed unfamiliar to her.
"It's true his name isn't known in martial circles, but we mustn't let our guard down. He might be an exceptionally powerful Teigu user," Babara cautioned gravely.
"I understand."
Taeko nodded, then added with an expressionless face, "But Instructor, last night I encountered this man at the hot springs and gathered some intelligence."
"Oh? Do tell."
Babara was somewhat surprised.
She hadn't expected Taeko to get so close to the target so easily.
"Well, he's in a relationship with Cornelia among them—this girl here."
Taeko pointed to the most mature-looking long-haired girl in the portrait on the table.
Babara looked at the mature young woman in the portrait and couldn't help but smile.
"Taeko, you've done very well! Continue trying to make contact with this girl named Cornelia. See if you can learn other important information from her."
"And Chelsea, you should stop appearing in public recently. Stay by my side for now—I may need to use your Teigu's abilities."
As she spoke, Babara's smile grew more sinister, her withered, bark-like face contorting slightly.
She hadn't anticipated such an unexpected boon, but with this, she now had a foolproof assassination plan.
Over the next few days.
While Mahiro and the girls were enjoying their brief vacation, he noticed something.
It seemed Taeko and Cornelia were interacting more and more frequently—so much so that Cornelia had even introduced Taeko to the others.
To some extent, Cornelia was just as much of an airhead as Poney.
But speaking of Cornelia, there was one thing that had to be mentioned.
Ever since they'd crossed that line, during their stay at the hot spring hotel, this girl had grown increasingly bold.
It was as if having tasted the marrow, she knew no satisfaction—whenever she found spare time, she would drag him to various hidden corners of the hotel to do it.
Sometimes when attendants suddenly passed by in the corridor, you can imagine how tense~ly frightened Cornelia became.
Yet even so, even when utterly defeated every time, she would still diligently seek him out. Eventually, she grew bold enough to do it right in front of the other girls.
Like tonight, Cornelia deliberately made him stay overnight.
Her roommates, the airheads Gin and Poney, were overjoyed—so much so that they completely failed to notice Cornelia's true intentions...
No, even if it were Akame or Tsukushi, they probably wouldn't have guessed either.
The two lively girls playfully lifted the blanket and kept roughhousing, both fighting over the empty spot next to him.
The other side was naturally occupied by Cornelia, but neither dared to challenge their big sister Cole, so the two of them engaged in a royal rumble.
In the end, Gin emerged victorious and slept beside him.
But Poney refused to accept defeat. After the lights went out, she started messing with Gin again.
"Dammit, you idiot! How dare you sneak attack me!"
In the darkness, the dim moonlight was still enough for Mahiro to see certain things—for instance, how Poney was currently tugging at Gin's yukata, causing a perfectly teardrop-shaped breast to playfully bounce into view.
Gin let out a surprised cry and retaliated by pulling at Poney's clothes in turn.
"Whoa, Gin, you've got some nerve!" Poney exclaimed in a hushed voice.
Because her chest was even less developed than Kurome's, Poney's clothes came off much more easily than Gin's. With one swift motion, Gin stripped her completely.
But this wild girl made no attempt to cover herself, allowing her body to remain exposed as she flipped over and pinned Gin's voluptuous figure beneath her, grinning triumphantly.
"Heheh, let's see what you do now!"
"You two idiots, what time do you think it is? Go to sleep already!"
Thump, thump—Mahiro reached out and gave each girl a light knock on the head.
Poney and Gin yelped in pain, adorably clutching their heads.
"Lord Yotsuba, please don't hit Gin's head anymore. What if she ends up as dumb as Poney?"
"Hey, Gin... who are you calling dumb?"
"You, of course, you dummy!"
Not even two seconds after calming down, the two were at it again.
"Honestly, you two need to settle down!"
To separate the pair before they started fighting again, Mahiro wrapped an arm around Gin's slender waist and pulled her backward, holding her against his chest.
Feeling herself pressed against Mahiro, Gin suddenly grew quiet and still.
Across from them, Poney seemed to notice this and puffed out her cheeks in a huff, pulling the covers completely over her head.
Gin, meanwhile, shifted with a soft smile, as if trying to find a more comfortable position in his embrace.
Gradually, Mahiro felt a soft, plush sensation against the back of his hand.
Thanks to their earlier roughhousing, Gin's yukata had come completely undone.
"Tch..."
Clicking his tongue in mild annoyance, Mahiro gathered the fabric and tucked it back around her. But Gin rolled onto her side, pinning his hand in place—preventing him from pulling away while also giving his hand easier access.
"..."
"Mmph...?!"
Gin let out a pained gasp as he gave a firm squeeze—though it sounded less like pain and more like a breathy, suggestive murmur.
It had to be said, Gin was the very picture of big-breasted junior.
Despite her narrow waist, her development was astonishingly full.
That said, the teardrop shape was also the most prone to sagging.
Fortunately, Mahiro had taken care to support and protect them with proper undergarments as she developed, preserving her figure. Over time, they had grown both plump and resilient.
Of course, they still couldn't compare to Tsukushi's firm, spherical shape—but what they lacked in tautness, they made up for in softness.
Gin pressed her jade-like back tightly against Mahiro, allowing his hands to mold and reshape them freely.
"Giggle, that tickles... Lord Yotsuba, you can squeeze harder, just like before."
Her cheeks flushed and her breathing grew uneven as she let out a soft, coquettish laugh. Her movements grew bolder still—she took his hand and, after kneading her breasts, guided it lower to gently squeeze her breast.
It was as if she thought that hiding beneath the covers meant no one would notice their little game.
Meanwhile, her slender body trembled uncontrollably, and she peered downward with a look of innocent curiosity.
However, at that very moment, Mahiro suddenly felt someone grasp his dick!
A wave of warmth and softness pressed against him.
Without even thinking, he knew it must be Cornelia—he just hadn't expected her to be so bold.
"You're really going this far?"
Mahiro barely managed to turn his body and tilt his head, just in time to meet Cornelia's gaze.
Though it was dark, he could still see her sparkling, beautiful eyes, which were filled with amusement.
"What's the harm? Also, Lord Yotsuba, don't stop your movements, or Gin will notice."
Cornelia whispered playfully into his ear.
Mahiro: "..."
Following the usual plot progression, should he now say something like "My temper is flaring up" or "Woman, you're playing with fire," and then forcefully stuff two cream puffs?
Oh, wait—it should be three.
But before he could act, Cornelia had already pulled the covers over her head.
On the surface, it seemed like she was going to sleep, but in reality...
"Hiss—"
"Lord Yotsuba? What's wrong?"
Hearing his sharp intake of breath, Gin couldn't help but speak up, worried that she might have accidentally hurt Mahiro.
"It's nothing. Let's just go to sleep." Mahiro rubbed her head as comfort.
"Mm... How could I possibly fall asleep like this...?"
Gin murmured softly in complaint.
Indeed.
At this moment, in the entire room, aside from the airheaded Poney who was too dense to get involved, the other three had no chance of falling asleep.
Whether it was him, Gin, or Cornelia.
Somehow, he ended up playing the role of the extra-large cup tonight.
And as for Puff, she didn't get filled with cream this night, because the cream was sneakily eaten by a certain Hakiya.
The night passed without incident.
The next day.
As usual, everyone gathered together for breakfast. After Akame, Tsukushi, and Kurome learned that Mahiro had spent the night in Cornelia's room, the three of them expressed envy and demanded that Mahiro spend a night in their room as well.
Mahiro readily agreed while subtly glancing in Gin's direction.
He noticed Gin's face was flushed red as she focused intently on her meal. Poney, curious about why Gin was so red-faced, tried to ask but received no response from Gin.
She had been so bold last night, yet now she was acting so shy.
Just look at Cornelia—as poised and dignified as ever, as if nothing had happened the night before.
Except her appetite had noticeably decreased.
She ended up sharing most of her food with the sisters, Akame and Kurome.
After breakfast, when Akame and the others planned to play cards in Cornelia's room, Taeko paid her usual visit.
"Taeko?! Do you have time to visit today too?"
Cornelia was pleasantly surprised by Taeko's arrival, after all, Taeko was a friend she had worked hard to befriend.
But Taeko's reaction was rather indifferent, merely giving a slight nod.
No one found it particularly strange, as Taeko was known to be a cold beauty. Sometimes they even compared her to Akame.
In some ways, the two were quite similar.
However, when Cornelia took Taeko's hand and tried to lead her into the room, Taeko remained rooted in place.
"Taeko?"
"Cornelia, could you take a walk with me? I'd like to talk to you, just around here."
"Huh?"
Cornelia was a bit surprised, but with her companions' approval, she followed Taeko as they left the room.
Mahiro, who was sitting by the window drinking, happened to glance down and saw Cornelia following Taeko as they left the hotel.
"This fool…"
Mahiro shook his head with a light laugh, then tilted his head back and drained his glass in one go.
He hadn't told Cornelia about Taeko's true identity. In a way, this was a solo test for Cornelia.
After all, in certain aspects, this girl was still too naive. Without experiencing certain things, she would never grow.
But there was no need to worry about her safety.
Not to mention the effects of the Enhancement Drug, which had already pushed her body beyond normal human limits—even a fatal injury wouldn't kill her.
Even Crushing King had undergone a second modification by him.
Secretly, he had installed a disintegration spell within Crushing King.
Just like the Romantic Cannon, the spell would activate whenever Cornelia's emotions fluctuated intensely.
If even this couldn't defeat Taeko, then Cornelia really ought to go back for retraining.
"But that old woman has started making moves too... I hope Nahashu and Green won't embarrass me."
Mahiro muttered to himself while pouring another cup of wine.
However, not long after, the room's door suddenly swung open.
"Um... Lord Mahiro, am I disturbing you?" Cornelia stood at the doorway, speaking to him delicately.
Mahiro was slightly taken aback, staring at Cornelia with some surprise.
After a moment, the corners of his lips curled upward, revealing that most frequently worn smile—an inscrutable grin reminiscent of Maya's.
"Why are you back so soon? Have you finished chatting with Taeko?"
"Well... we just casually discussed some girly topics."
Cornelia nodded slightly, speaking somewhat shyly while entering the room with his permission.
"Oh, private topics between girls... In that case, I won't pry. Come keep me company for a drink."
Mahiro didn't mind, instead picking up the wine pot and taking out another empty cup to fill.
Though rather than a cup, it was more like a large bowl—what you'd call a sakazuki.
It appeared shallow on the surface but could actually hold a surprising amount, directly emptying the entire wine pot.
Watching this made the corner of Cornelia's eye twitch.
"Hm? What's wrong?"
"N-nothing."
Cornelia forced an awkward smile and, at his gesture, lifted the wine bowl and downed it in one go.
Seeing how straightforward she was, Mahiro almost laughed aloud.
It seems we're not the only ones with fools—the other side has one too...