Chapter 10: 2-2: Lust Archdemons Need Love Too part 3

I blinked, turning to look down at the new arrival. Dark skin and blonde hair—Aura Bella Fiora.

Aura Bella Fiora was very different from her canon counterpart, admittedly due to some accidental tampering on my part. All I did was point out a small flaw in Bukubukuchagama's plan to annoy her brother, and suddenly she found the motivation to completely redesign both NPCs without any room to argue.

Aura here still wasn't an adult, but she definitely wasn't a child either. She was in her late teens with a beauty to match. Bukubukuchagama told me quite smugly that she was giving Aura her 'cutesy good looks' from her real-life appearance, which Peroroncino's choked laughter quickly debunked. Regardless, the finished product was a beautifully-made NPC, so I didn't say a word.

Aura had long, blonde hair going all the way to her calves that flowed out in all directions. A navy-blue dress covered her form, lined with black lace and sporting several decorations. Several layers of ruffles festooned the dress's train, though the dress didn't actually go all the way around. It left her legs free to move, a necessity for any Beast Tamer. Leather high-heeled riding boots stretched all the way to her thighs in a way that I suspected she stole from Archer's design, and the stockings below hooked on to an unseen garter belt.

Silk riding gloves went up to her upper arm, held on using leather straps. A whip hung from her white belt alongside several other Items from the Beast Tamer Class. Her dress was low-cut and showed plenty of skin, clearly revealing cleavage that her brother would've despised.

The worst possible insult to her lolicon brother—making Aura a well-endowed, long-legged beauty.

Wide golden eyes stared up at me, her mouth dropping open in shock. I blinked back at her, confused at her reaction for a few moments. Then her mouth caught up with her brain and she began babbling. "Oh, um, Ancient One-sama, I didn't expect you to be here. I'm sorry I'm presuming to feed your pet but he's just so magnificent and impressive and I didn't mean to impose I just—"

I reached out and gently held an enormous claw over her lips to hush her, chuckling. "It's fine, Aura." I said warmly, turning back to the turtle. "I'm more surprised that you dared come up to Floor 8. Most people are terrified to come up here."

"Well…" The tomboyish girl rubbed the back of her head, taking the exact pose her canon counterpart once had. "To tell the truth, I was afraid at first too. But after you showed me that I don't have to be afraid of the World Terrors, this big guy wasn't so bad. Sure he's a bit grumpy sometimes, but inside he's a big softy."

"Exactly so." I agreed, pulling back my claw. "He was terribly uncomfortable in the mountains when I first found him, but he seems to like this soft ground much better."

"I heard that you defeated him in battle." She blurted excitedly. "Is it true that he's actually the most powerful World Threat in all of the Nine Worlds?"

I patted him affectionately on the shell. "It is at that. You should've seen him back when he was still wild, all of Ainz Ooal Gown combined took a full eight hours to defeat him."

"And how long did it take you?"

I blinked, thinking back. "Well, when I properly buffed myself and brought both my Maidens to activate that bonus… near the end of the, um, world, I could take him down in a little under fifteen minutes. It drained all of my Mana and a good portion of my Skills, though, I'm afraid. I'm sure that in time I could learn to do better, but…" I shook my head. "The World Tree lasted as long as it could. I'm just grateful for the time we had there."

Aura gazed up at me with stars in her eyes. "Fifteen minutes?" She squeaked, cheeks flushing. "That's amazing! I heard he took fifteen hours for any other Supreme Being to defeat!"

"Well, I've had a fair bit more practice." I chuckled. "Harold here is very strong, but his attacks are relatively predictable. He's an excellent pet but he's only barely sentient. He can't think to counter moves like another Player could."

"Still, I can't believe you can beat such a powerful World Threat so easily! It takes me hours to beat Baldersnatch-san, and you took him out in seconds!"

I blinked, thinking back. Had I really? Oh, yes, I just pinned him down so Aura could use [Bellerophon's Mount] on him. Not really beating him per se, just using my tremendous bulk to my advantage. "It's really not that big of an issue, Aura." I assured her. "You're still young, you have plenty of room to grow."

She almost seemed to vibrate with excitement. "I hope that one day I can beat even Harold in single combat like you can. You're amazing, Ancient One-sama."

I bore the praise patiently, smiling down at her. At heart, she was still a young girl idolizing her hero. "Actually…" I said slowly, a thought occurring. Momonga would probably be giving Mare a Ring just about now anyway, so… "if you ever feel like visiting Harold to play a bit with him, I don't mind. Just don't let him eat too much, he's a bit of a glutton and he's slow enough as it is."

"My Lord?" She looked adorably confused.

"Here." I reached for a Guild Ring from my Inventory, pausing when I realized it wasn't where it used to be—

Only for my claw to disappear into nothingness.

Huh. Handy, that.

I pulled out the Guild Ring, leaning down and carefully offering it to her. "Here you are. Take care of it, it can be very dangerous in the wrong hands."

Aura looked like she was about to implode from happiness as she took the Ring in trembling fingers and slipped it in. "Thank you, my Lord, for trusting me with such an important responsibility." She said, voice full of emotion. "Believe me, I will not let you down."

I smiled at her, gently rubbing her head with a claw. "I'm sure you won't. Now, go ahead and play with Harold for a while if you want. He'll probably go back to sleep soon anyway, so enjoy him while he's awake. I must go back to my home and ensure that everything there is in order. Farewell, Aura Bella Fiora."

I raised my Guild Ring, silently invoking the Spell within.

'Time to make sure that Noa didn't accidentally blow anything up while I was gone, I suppose. And to finally stop beating around the bush when it comes to... that.'

Aura fell to her knees the moment her Lord left, feeling her dripping undergarments press against her skin. She had never felt more alive than when she was in his presence, speaking to him. His powerful presence made her head fuzzy, and his voice…

If this was what the Maidens experienced every day… she was beginning to get jealous.

She lifted the Guild Ring to catch the light, a wave of pure bliss rolling through her. She had impressed him! He had given her his symbol as a sign of favor! She shuddered in delight, holding the ring close and slipping it onto her ring finger. She giggled loopily to herself, still drunk on his power.

He was just so large and impressive and cool! His power was second to none, not even Momonga-sama's! And not only that, but he was obviously fine with taking multiple wives… caring and loving for all his Maidens equally…

Her fantasies would be running quite wild soon, she knew. And if they happened to feature a tall blue-haired man riding her like a wild beast… well. That was her own business.

"Sorry, Harold." She apologized to the World Turtle, still unable to stop smiling. "I'm afraid I have to go now. I'll play with you some other time."

Despite the clear indication of his approval, however, she still found herself craving more of his attention. His love. His power. She wanted to feel the waves of strength flowing into her from up close, touch the rugged muscles of his humanoid form.

She needed to talk to Albedo-sama. Her brother could handle Floor 6… she wanted to become a Maiden.

For now, though, her fantasies needed her undivided attention.

Noa blinked. "You want me to what." Her deadpan tone made me wince slightly.

"I want you to stay with Shalltear for the night. I promised Archer a date, so I plan to deliver."

The Nature Spirit blinked again. "…Are you planning to have sex with her?"

…Eh. No point in beating around the bush. "Yes."

"Good." She nodded once. "I get tomorrow, then."

I hesitated. "Eh… depending on how tonight goes, Archer could either be extremely open to that or extremely territorial. Either way, I have a feeling you'll need to heal her in the morning."

Her lips curled into a small smile. "I see. Then, if she says no, can we have sex after she's too tired to stop us?"

I blinked. "Only if she's asleep."

Noa fist-pumped. I chuckled at her quiet enthusiasm. "Don't get too excited. We still need to see what happens. For all we know, she might attack you for getting too close."

She raised an eyebrow. "…Archer-nee? Attack me?"

I nodded. "If she's so lost she doesn't recognize you, it's entirely possible."

She frowned. "…Mm. Fine. Tomorrow or the day after. I'm tired of waiting."

"Fair enough." I leaned over, giving her a quick kiss. "I love you."

"Mmm." She wrapped her arms around me, snuggling in close. "I love you too, my Dragon."

I smiled faintly, adjusting my collar and waggling my eyebrows at my reflection. "Hello there, handsome." My reflection smiled back, mimicking my actions as I straightened my jacket.

I wasn't exactly wearing my standard outfit. I decided to dress up a bit for the occasion, donning a fur-lined leather jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans. The jacket had nothing underneath, baring my scarred torso.

Hey. When you spend a small fortune and hundreds of hours designing your Avatar to perfection, you might as well show it off a bit. Clothes are mainly decoration anyway since my human form can literally stand bare-ass naked in the arctic without even feeling the breeze.

But Ko, I hear you saying. Where on Earth did you get a fur-lined biker jacket that you can equip?

To this, I offer a question in return.

Who said I only had one Nemean Lion's skin?

Sure, it was one of the rarest Items in the game. But when you're rich as fuck and capable of farming the boss seventeen times an hour, it's quite simple to gather an entire wardrobe of them. From there, I just had to use one of the cash tools to alter the appearance of each one, and presto. Clothes for every occasion instead of just one outfit. I do have some fashion sense, even if it's most definitely not relevant for the current times.

…As for the pants, those are just a cash-shop accessory. Pants were literally the one thing I could wear that the cash shop sold in any variety. All the available shirt accessories they sold counted as armor, which is a pretty obvious design flaw. Hence my workaround.

Yes, I am stalling. Yes, I am considering changing clothes for the third time. So sue me, I want this night to go well. Not just for the nookie, because Archer is a genuinely wonderful person and I don't want to hurt her feelings by fucking up.

…Whatever. What I have is fine, just roll with it.

On a whim, I equipped a [Chain Pendant], an Event Item that supposedly made NPCs like you more, and pulled on a pair of leather gloves.

There. Accessories complete, rings safely stored in my Inventory, duties safely taken care of.

I mussed up my hair, cracked my neck, and left the room.

Word count 2000