Middle-Aged Man Isekai Summoning - Chapter 46

 After the Subjugation

A week had passed since we subjugated the Shield Serpent, and the three of us—myself, Aria, and Iris—were receiving a luxury massage as a token of gratitude from the local lord.

(It seems they were grateful to obtain the carcass with minimal damage, as it can be put to good use as weapon materials. Either way, I'm really thankful for this treatment♪)

Lying on the bed, I yielded to the pleasant sensation of having my shoulders kneaded.

"This is so relaxing~"

As those words slipped from my mouth, Aria, who was getting a massage on the neighboring bed, agreed with an ecstatic expression.

"Indeed~ This is truly heavenly."

As her back was gently kneaded, she seemed to be savoring the pleasure with her entire body. Meanwhile, Iris was trembling slightly as she received a foot massage.

"Mmm...♪"

Seeing her murmur happily in a small voice made me smile involuntarily.

(To think our reward for the subjugation would come in this form... We even have a meal at a luxury restaurant lined up afterward. They're really pulling out all the stops.)

I quietly looked up at the ceiling, letting my mind and body relax while reflecting on the intense days we had recently been through. Savoring this extravagant time, we each enjoyed our own moment of healing. Looking at the ceiling, I suddenly remembered Giselle and muttered:

"Ah~ Giselle should have come along too~"

Aria, whose back was being kneaded next to me, replied in a relaxed tone.

"It couldn't be helped~ Unlike us, it seems hard for someone in her position to accept this kind of entertainment~"

"Well~ I suppose so~"

Giselle wasn't here. As an ordinary knight, accepting this kind of treatment like we were doing would likely draw resentment from her superiors. Considering her future standing, exercising restraint was probably the wise choice.

Even so, I had met with Giselle several times after the monster subjugation. Together with the knight order she led, we conducted an investigation to find out why the Shield Serpent had been in that place. During that process, an old memory came back to me.

(Come to think of it, a girl who liked reptiles once spent hours explaining the ecology of snakes to me back in the past...)

Perhaps that knowledge came in handy, because when I considered that the Shield Serpent might share habits with water snakes and searched the surrounding area, we found several eggs. It was possible a male was nearby as well, though it might have already departed in search of another female.

(Well, I don't know the full details, so for now I'll just leave it be!)

Furthermore, Giselle seemed to be poor at writing reports and was struggling with how to document such a peculiar case. So, I guided her through the key points and wrote the report together with her.

Because I spent so much time acting alongside Giselle, another problem arose.

(Whenever I was with Giselle, Maya, Yuno, and Sharon would glare at me with super suspicious eyes... It was incredibly tough explaining myself every single time...)

Letting out a soft sigh, I recalled those troubles and stared back up at the ceiling.

[After the Meal]

After finishing our meal at the luxury restaurant, we were walking back to the hotel. A shuttle service had been offered, but we specifically asked to walk back as a group of six.

"Man~ that was delicious~"

As I rubbed my stomach and voiced my thoughts on the dinner, Yuno, walking on my right, leaned forward slightly and agreed.

"It really was! But was it really okay for us to eat together when we didn't do anything?"

In response to Yuno's hesitant question, Aria thumped her chest with confidence, while Iris raised her hand with a smile.

"Of course! We are companions on a journey, so there is no need to worry about such things!"

"Yup!"

Perhaps touched by their kindness, Yuno smiled a bit bashfully and bowed her head.

"Thank you, both of you.../// Still, I didn't expect our stay here—which was only supposed to be a short rest for the horses—to turn out this long♪"

I chuckled dryly at her words.

"Well, it couldn't be helped. Nobody could have predicted something like that."

I shrugged as I recalled the incident with the Shield Serpent. Just then, Sharon, who was clinging to my left arm, let out a small sigh and spoke up.

"Indeed. Rather, how on earth did you manage to defeat it, Lord husband? When I saw the injuries on you and Aria-chan, I was truly shocked. Please run away when things get dangerous!"

Sharon's voice was laced with worry. I gave a light laugh and shrugged my shoulders.

"Well~ I intended to run at first. But Giselle was injured and couldn't move♪"

The moment I uttered the name "Giselle," the atmosphere around us shifted instantly.

"Mmm..."

"Haaaah..."

"..."

Sharon tightened her embrace slightly, Maya grimaced, and Yuno stayed silent with an expressionless face. A tense vibe began to hover over us. Amidst that, Cattlea spoke up in a somewhat displeased tone.

"It's Dai-sama's new woman, isn't it? Cattlea doesn't want to meet her because I'll feel like bullying her if I do!"

Panicking at her sarcastic remark, I hurriedly denied it.

"No, Giselle already has a boyfriend! Even I wouldn't lay a hand on a girl who's taken!"

(Though I did lay my dick inside her, though...)

I kept that thought inside my head, but Cattlea glared at me with deep suspicion, while Sharon clung even tighter to my arm. Maya knit her brows, and Yuno stared at me with cold eyes.

"Just because she has a boyfriend doesn't mean we can rest easy. Dai-sama can be quite oblivious, so before you even realize it, she might be coming onto you..."

Cattlea thrust her sharp words at me while staring intently. Sharon added fuel to the fire:

"That's right, Lord husband. We don't know how Giselle-san views you, and we're just worried..."

Her voice carried genuine anxiety. Realizing I couldn't brush off their concerns lightly, I answered with a serious expression.

"It's fine, everyone. Giselle doesn't view me with any special feelings. She might trust us because we fought together in that battle, but that's all."

Despite my explanation, their expressions remained stern. Maya, in particular, looked at me with half-lidded eyes and muttered under her breath:

"Well, even if that's true... if I catch you with Giselle-san next time, I won't show any mercy♪"

Her smile was unnervingly terrifying, sending a slight chill down my spine. Yuno then added a sharp, deadpan comment:

"Well, knowing Dai, there's a good chance he's unconsciously setting up flag triggers anyway."

Feeling the atmosphere grow even heavier, I shrugged with a forced laugh.

"I don't mean to do anything like that. Everyone, please relax. Giselle is just a comrade-in-arms."

Even as I said it, I couldn't help but feel that their glares were turning colder by the second. Suddenly, Aria noticed something.

"Hmm...? Isn't that Giselle-dono over there? Oii, Giselle-dono!"

Aria spotted Giselle in casual clothes inside a nighttime restaurant and went over to call out to her.

(Huh? Is she with a man? Wait, judging by those clothes, is she on a date?! Oh no! I have to stop her!)

Before I could stop Aria, Giselle noticed her.

"Oh?! What a coincidence. Aria, what are you doing here?"

Aria walked up to Giselle, chatting happily.

"We just finished dining with Dai-dono and the others, and we're on our way back!"

Giselle cast a brief glance toward me and continued with a complex expression.

"I see... Dai is here too..."

"Giselle, haven't seen you since yesterday. Um... sorry if we're interrupting your date."

I scratched my head awkwardly. Giselle widened her eyes in surprise for a moment, then quickly put on a gentle smile.

"I don't think you're interrupting at all. Meeting by chance is—"

"Giselle, are they acquaintances of yours?"

Interrupting Giselle, the man sitting next to her—presumably her boyfriend—chipped in. He had refined features and exuded a calm aura.

"Yes, they're the companions I worked with on that recent mission. This is Dai and Aria."

As Giselle introduced us, the man offered a soft smile and bowed his head.

"Ah, you're Dai-san?! Nice to meet you. I'm Vincent!"

(I see, so her boyfriend is this guy... He seems like a polite and nice person.)

"Nice to meet you, I'm Dai!"

As I introduced myself, Aria chimed in with a cheerful voice to fill the pause.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Aria! Still, I am relieved to see that Vincent-dono, who is dating Giselle-dono, is such a wonderful person♪"

At her words, Giselle's face turned slightly red, while Vincent smiled sheepishly.

"Thank you very much/// Please feel free to call me Vin. Also, thank you so much for saving Giselle!"

"No, no, Vin-san. We were saved by her as well, so it was mutual. Well, we shouldn't interrupt your date any longer, so we'll take our leave. Aria, let's go."

I quickly pulled Aria's arm, intending to leave the spot. However, Vincent hurriedly called out to stop me.

"Please wait! Since we have this chance, why don't we chat a bit as my way of thanking you? If you'd like, how about having some dessert together?"

(Dude, you guys are on a date, right? Shouldn't you prioritize Giselle here?)

Considering Giselle's feelings, I decided to politely decline.

"I appreciate the offer, but we just finished eating our meal, so... please excuse us♪"

As I turned to leave, Vincent added pleasantly:

"But the desserts here are really delicious, you know? Besides, I bet the ladies behind you would love to have some too, wouldn't they?"

Startled by his words, I turned around to find Maya, Sharon, Cattlea, Yuno, and even Iris standing directly behind us.

"Dai! Since he offered, why don't we accept?!"

Yuno puffed out her chest proudly, speaking with a broad smile.

"That's right! Let's gratefully accept such a kind invitation!"

Cattlea pumped her fist enthusiastically, breathing heavily with excitement.

"There's always room for dessert! Besides, turning it down after he went out of his way to offer would be rude♪"

Maya crossed her arms, wearing a relaxed smile.

"Indeed! We should take him up on his offer!"

Sharon held tightly onto my arm, looking up at me with persuasive eyes.

"Yup! Yup!"

Iris raised both hands energetically, hopping up and down in excitement.

Stunned by their momentum, I could only utter a single line:

"You guys just want to eat dessert, don't you...?"

At that, everyone went silent for a moment, averting their eyes and closing their mouths.

"..."

"Haaaah~ fine, I get it. We'll join you for just dessert then."

Sighing at their reaction, I reluctantly agreed. We sat at an adjacent table and ordered desserts for everyone. Everyone started happily digging into their sweets, but things took an unexpected turn.

Cattlea scooped up a bite of her dessert onto a spoon and held it out toward my mouth.

"Dai-sama, this is delicious. Here, say ahhn~❤️"

"Thank you, Cattlea❤️Ahhn~❤️"

As I took the bite, Maya immediately chimed in upon seeing it:

"That's not fair to leave out Cattlea! Here, Dai. Say ahhn~❤️"

"Thank you, Maya..."

Then Aria, blushing slightly, held out her spoon as well.

"Dai-dono, p-please have some of mine too! Ahhn!"

"Ah, yeah... thank you."

(Seriously, can't you guys just eat your own...?)

Even as I thought that, I was overwhelmed by their momentum and accepted the spoon, only for Sharon to offer hers as well without backing down.

"Lord husband, mine too♪ Here, say ahhn~❤️"

(I'm at my limit... I can't eat any more...)

Spoons and forks were brought to my mouth one after another, and in the end, I ended up eating the most dessert of all. With my stomach stuffed with sweetness, I suffered in silence while everyone around me looked utterly satisfied.

"....."

Glancing up, I noticed Giselle staring in our direction. While half-heartedly listening to Vincent talking beside her, she kept looking over at us. Her gaze seemed to carry a mix of subtle jealousy and expectation.

(Giselle... sorry for disturbing you... I feel like we dragged you into something unnecessary...)

Silently apologizing in my head, I kept an eye on Giselle's condition. However, she quickly looked away and flashed a smile at Vincent.

After finishing our desserts, I chatted with Vincent. He conversed casually with an approachable smile.

"I'm glad you're such an easy person to talk to, Dai-san. It seems everyone really adores you too. Giselle never talked about you, so I misjudged and thought you might be a bad person."

Giselle protested with a flushed face at his remark.

"Hey, Vin, that's rude!!"

However, Vin lightly shrugged his shoulders and continued:

"But you talk about Aria-san and Iris-san, yet you never mention Dai-san, do you?"

"T-That's besides the point!"

Seeing Giselle flustered, I stepped in to cover for her.

"Vin-san, Giselle and I only meet in work settings, so there really wasn't much reason for her to bring me up♪"

"Is that so? Still, you seem to have a lot of life experience, Dai-san. By the way, how old are you?"

I answered his question with a touch of pride:

"I'm 40."

""Eh...?""

Both Giselle and Vincent froze with wide eyes. I shrugged with a wry smile at their reaction.

"T-That's unexpected. I thought you were much younger. So it's amazing that you're dating everyone despite being more than double their age!"

"Well, I plan to stay active until I'm 70, after all!"

(In bed, of course!)

Adding that thought silently with a light chuckle, Giselle muttered something in a tiny voice beside us.

"I... with someone the same age as my dad..."

Though her voice was faint, it caught my ear, and I flashed a slightly troubled smile.

"Well, we should head back now. Thank you for the treat."

As I stood up from my seat, Vincent hurriedly called out:

"Wait! Thank you so much. By the way, where are you staying? I'd like to send a gift of gratitude tomorrow, so please let me know!"

(I don't really need it... but it would be rude to refuse.)

Pausing for a moment, I decided to answer honestly.

"Room 502 at that hotel over there."

"Got it. Wow, you're staying at a really luxurious place."

"502... 502..."

Giselle was whispering something under her breath, but without paying it much mind, I waved goodbye. Leaving Vin and Giselle behind, we headed back to our hotel.

[Hotel]

When we arrived at the hotel, the landlady approached us as if she had been waiting, quietly handing over a key.

"This is the key to a room with an open-air bath. We specially prepared it as a gift of appreciation for saving the town."

Looking at the key handed to me, I showed a surprised expression.

"Eh? A room with an open-air bath?"

"Yes. The open-air bath in this room is equipped with soundproof and vision-blocking magic, so whatever you do in there will be fine. Please feel free to enjoy yourselves as usual in the bath. Also, we have prepared various outfits in the closet, so feel free to use them♪"

The landlady walked away with a meaningful smile. Holding the room key, my face flushed slightly.

('As usual'... my room must be officially branded as a play room. She did mention before how hard it was to clean every morning.)

Entering the room, a spacious open-air bath immediately caught my eye. Marveling at the luxurious facilities, I recalled tonight's schedule.

(Tonight is Maya's turn♪ Maya's in luck. Getting to enjoy ourselves to our heart's content in a room with an open-air bath is the best.)

Checking the clock, it was currently 8:00 PM. Maya would be coming at 10:00 PM. I decided to head back to my original room first and think of a way to surprise her.

(We don't have anything particular to do tomorrow, so let's thoroughly enjoy today all day long!)

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