The next day, Gerhart's biological clock woke him up. He felt dazed but refreshed. After a month, he finally released his stress.

"Last night was weird... But nice. Very nice." Gerhart thought about how Hope washed his front while talking dirty.

That memory made his lower half excited again.

"If she doesn't mind, maybe I should ask her to do it more often?" He thought.

Clack*

"Mister Gerhart, are you awake— Oh my~." Coincidently, Havre opened the door and saw Gerhart on the bed. More specifically, she saw his nude, muscular figure and raging junior.

Like many others, unless he slept outdoors or it was cold, Gerhart slept naked. It was especially so since it was summer. And because it was hot, he didn't even use a blanket since it was too warm. Thus, Havre got a full view of his mast.

"Havre, please knock next time," Gerhart said, displeased while covering his member.

"My bad~." Havre apologized while not sounding like it, eyeing the mast Gerhart failed to hide. "Breakfast will be ready in ten minutes, so get ready unless you plan to train on an empty stomach. Oh, and return the buckets and towels." She said and closed the door.

"I wish there were locks on these doors." Gerhart warily thought.

Perhaps because it was an isolated village, no one had locks on their doors since this was a unified community and everyone knew and trusted each other. It might not pose a problem to the villagers, but it was inconvenient to Gerhart, the city dweller.

Shaking his head, Gerhart got dressed and then went to the box filled with magic stones. He saw 90 stones after opening the box, having used ten before sleeping.

After he used those ten stones yesterday, Gerhart felt acute pain in his body, filling the gaps left by his increased stats. He noticeably felt more powerful after that.

"I want to absorb more... But I will wait until evening." Gerhart resisted his urge and closed the box before leaving the bedroom.

"Good morning, master," Hope said, patiently waiting outside with a stoic expression.

"Good morning, Hope," Gerhart blushed, remembering last evening. "Er... About yesterday..."

"Please don't think too deeply about it. I was helping you relieve your stress, that is all." Hope also blushed without looking Gerhart in the eye. "Let us brush our teeth before having breakfast."

Gerhart didn't know how to respond, so he let it be for now.

After brushing their teeth, the duo went to Asher's house. Inside, they saw the family already at the dinner table, eating.

"Ah! Gerhart. We almost thought you wouldn't come, lad. Come, sit." Asher said, pointing at empty seats next to Havre.

"Thank you, Mister Asher." Gerhart nodded and was about to sit next to Havre.

"Oh, Mister Gerhart. I want to sit next to Hope today if you don't mind." Havre said, surprising Gerhart and Hope.

"Wasn't she all over me yesterday? What is up with the change of heart?" Gerhart was skeptical but still respected her wishes.

"What is this seductress planning?!" Hope immediately raised her vigilance.

Despite Havre acting like a flirt, Hope's intuition felt it was somehow fake, that her goal was more than just getting inside Gerhart's pants.

"Fine, I'll play your game." Hope thought and sat next to Havre.

Surprisingly, the breakfast was quiet. Havre obediently ate breakfast without saying or doing anything out of the ordinary.

"Gerhart, I'll ask now, but do you have an aptitude for Aura and Magic?" Asher asked after breakfast.

"Equally both," Gerhart replied.

"Then you will study Aura with Havre today," Asher said. "Havre, teach him."

"Havre will?" Gerhart was taken aback.

"Yep. Havre has a useful ability that can make your training more effective." Asher nodded.

"That's right~. So let's get along well~." Havre playfully smiled.

"Was this her plan?" Hope thought while eyeing Havre.

Of course, she didn't know, so she could only speculate.

"Let's go," Havre said, heading to the door, and Gerhart and Hope followed outside.

Outside, Gerhart couldn't help but look at the village life.

Unlike most villages focusing on agriculture, this isolated village that relied on hunting monsters and foraging produced most of its items, so there were workshops everywhere, especially for woodworkers and butchers. Also, he saw dozens of children training in the training field, instructed by their elders. And he noticed another thing.

"Most people here are good-looking, especially the women," Gerhart noted.

He didn't know why, but the people here were attractive. Or perhaps it was because they were healthier than most.

While walking through the village, the villagers also noticed the tall Gerhart. The men gave an analyzing glance but were more interested in Hope because of her Beastkin features, and the women were more interested in Gerhart, especially those of age and romantically available.

"So that's the new stud..."

"He is so tall and muscular..."

"I wonder if he likes younger or older women..."

"I hear he lives in the guest house..."

"I could use a second child..."

"He is a perfect fit for my daughter..."

"Niece, remember what I taught you..."

The women whispered to each other, eying Gerhart like hungry wolves.

Gerhart vaguely noticed the looks, becoming somewhat uncomfortable. "Hey, eh... Is this normal?" Gerhart asked Havre.

"Yep. That is how this village is. Women here aggressively pursue strong men to bear their seed and contribute. Many of us have children from several unknown men during our lives." Havre said with a calm smile.

"Are you okay with that? Can't you marry someone from a nearby town?" Gerhart couldn't help but ask.

"Hehe... if I were a man, I would do it in a heartbeat. To go and adventure outside, maybe join the army or a guild..." A yearning look flashed in Havre's eyes. "Alas, I am an untalented woman, so I am to bear the seed of strong men I barely know and raise them in the community, or I might be a childless crone when I grow old. It is my purpose, they say." Havre's expression fell slightly before returning to normal.

"I... See. Sorry." Gerhart answered, not knowing how to respond to that.

"She is a prisoner." Hope, who silently listened on the side, realized.

"You know, most men don't even bother asking that, not caring about us or our emotions, just getting drunk off their asses before indulging in us and irresponsibly leaving. You are pretty kind." Havre said with a mirthful smile. "It kinda hurts, though."

"Sorry." Gerhart realized he talked about a sensitive topic, so he apologized.

"It's fine. Most women here don't want to leave and even see it as a virtue." Havre said, her expression returning to normal. "Ah, we're here."

Gerhart saw they were in front of a smallish one-story building.

"Here?" Gerhart skeptically asked.

"Mhm. You will see." Havre said and entered.

When Gerhart and Hope entered, they saw a weird-looking room. There was a weird bed with a head-sized hole, a sizeable tub, mattresses, and incense burners.

"What the..." Hope narrowed her eyes. "A massage room?"

"Oh? You know?" Havre said, surprised.

"I... Had the chance to experience it." Hope said, not telling her family owned a private massage parlor and she was a frequent visitor.

"Oh, I see." Havre nodded.

"So, why are we here?" Gerhart asked.

"That's because I will give you a Nice~ Massage~." Havre grinned, her fingers wriggling like earthworms.

.

.

.

Several minutes later, Gerhart was on the bed, stripped bare save for a loincloth.

"Is this necessary?" Hope, who stood next to Havre, skeptically asked.

"Oh, most certainly. We usually do it for the kids once they turn seven, but Gerhart here is a big boy." Havre said with a smile. "You are next, by the way."

"Me too?!" Hope exclaimed.

"Mhm~. So patiently wait your turn." Havre said and walked to Gerhart.

Hope kept an eye on Havre, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

"Er... Will this hurt?" Gerhart asked while his head was in the hole.

"At first... But you will be begging for more by the end of it." Havre grinned and gently pressed her fingers on Gerhart's back to feel it.

"Hm... Odd. Although muscular, your back barely has any knots. It is also scarless, like a newborn baby." Havre muttered while pressing her fingers in specific areas.

She didn't know that when Gerhart absorbed the Magic Stones yesterday, his body broke down and healed, automatically removing such things.

"Er... Is that bad?" Gerhart asked.

"No, no... On the contrary, it would save you the pain, and we can skip to the nice part. Aura Massage." Havre happily said.

"Aura Massage?" Gerhart asked.

"Yes. I will use Aura to massage your body, stimulating your Aura so you can feel it better. It also promotes the healing of deep trauma." Havre said as her fingers began to shine slightly.

Gerhart felt a gentle energy enter him, making him feel comfortable. "Oh... That's nice." He moaned, enjoying the sensation.

"Hmhmhm~ I'm glad. I am the best in the village at this." Havre said, continuing to massage Gerhart. "Try to feel my Aura entering you. Try to sense your Aura stirring. Remember that sensation." She gently said.

Hope, standing on the side, watched everything like a hawk. "What are you planning?" She wondered.

But surprisingly, Havre didn't do anything except massage Gerhart's back, arms, and legs for ten minutes. She then let go before wiping the sweat on her forehead. "Okay, done."

"Wow, you weren't kidding. I truly do want more." Gerhart said, feeling comfortable all over.

"Glad to hear it. Now get dressed and shoo~. I want some girl time with Hope." Havre said with a grin.

"She was aiming for that?!" Hope turned alert, but she still started undressing herself. "I'll see what you want..."

"Well, okay. Have fun." Gerhart got up and put on his clothes before leaving the house and closing the door.

"Clean," Havre said, pointing at the massage mattress. The sweat marks Gerhart left disappeared.

"She knows magic, too?!" Hope was amazed but didn't visibly react.

"Okay, we are alone. What do you want?" Hope asked while lying on the bed.

"Now, now~ Can't we have a friendly chat?" Havre asked, her fingers gently touching Hope's back.

"That depends on what you want to talk about," Hope replied.

"Oh, you know. How about you tell me about yourself?" Havre asked.

"There is nothing I want to tell you about," Hope replied.

"Oh, don't be like that~," Havre said. "What were you like before that? Before being a slave, I mean? Or were you born one? You don't look or act like it."

"I was a merchant's daughter until a month ago," Hope said but didn't say more.

"Oh, wow! Did you travel often? Where were you from? What was it like?" Havre curiously asked.

"I was from the Osora Kingdom. I was mostly at home, rarely leaving. And then my half-brother sold me when my father died." Hope opened up and revealed a bit.

"So your father died a month ago? Sorry to hear that. But what a scum your brother is. I would never do that to anyone I know, even if you gave me my greatest wish." Havre said, sympathetic.

"Thanks," Hope replied.

"But you know? I had this feeling about you, you know? When I first noticed you? Despite being a slave, you had that air about you, like a kid who got freedom for the first time. Pretty weird saying it to a slave, hah?" Havre emotionally said.

"..." Hope didn't reply, but she knew Havre read herself correctly.

"Well, I checked your body. It is also pretty weird. You barely have any knots. It is as if you two have brand-new backs. What's your secret?" Havre curiously asked.

"Dunno," Hope answered.

"Hm... I see." Havre nodded and didn't press the issue. Instead, she used Aura Massage on Hope's back.

"Oh... That's nice..." Hope moaned, feeling comfortable.

"Yep. Some of the adults also come to have these from time to time. My Aura is D, Magic is F, and most other stats are E or F. The only thing I am proud of is my Dexterity, but what's the point of high Dexterity if I don't have the matching power? I am only good at sewing clothes and wounds or massaging people." Havre mirthfully said.

"Hey, don't belittle yourself like that..." Hope retorted.

"But it's true. I can't even hunt monsters or guard the village. I am one of the weakest girls here, with my only worth being to attract a man and bear children." Havre said, massaging one of Hope's hands. "I am trapped here, and I can't leave this place. That is the fate I was born to. Nice fur, by the way. It feels soft."

"Thanks... But what is the point of telling me all this?" Hope asked. "Are you trying to gain my sympathy so I will convince Gerhart to choose you over the others and give you his seed? I am just a slave, you know."

"A tempting offer, but no. I want something else, something more selfish than that. Crazier, even," Havre said, massaging Hope's other arm. "But before I ask about that, I want to hear more about Gerhart. What kind of man is he? Was he ever cruel to you?"

"... No, he gave me everything I ever wanted. I couldn't ask for a better or kinder master." Hope answered after some thought.

"Are you happier with him than when you were free?" Havre asked.

"Yes." Hope unhesitatingly answered.

"Hm... Then do you think he would mind having another servant?" Havre asked while massaging Hope's leg.

"What?!" Hope was jolted and incredulously asked.

"Just a stray thought, just a stray thought... No need to take it seriously." Havre said and changed the topic. "By the way, did you read The Lustful Mousekin Maid?" Havre playfully asked.

"... You saw it, didn't you?" Hope asked, her face buried in the mattress, flushed red.

"Oh, no. I just overheard it when I came to clean Gerhart's back. But an early bird swooped in and got the worm." Havre said and massaged Hope's other leg.

"..."

"Oh, and what were those things you whispered to him? That my butt was big?" Havre asked and gave a light squeeze to Hope's round rear.

"Hey!" Hope Protested.

"Or that I was a mare to be ridden on by that big stud?" Havre sensually whispered while caressing Hope's tail and injecting her Aura.

"W-Wait... That place is s-sensitive..." Hope shuddered.

"That he would shoot his fertile seed in my defenseless womb?" Havre asked, caressing Hope's inner legs.

"A-Ah..." Hope felt her defenses melt by the pleasant sensation and shuddered.

"You naughty little mousey~. Did you fantasize it was me? Or you?" Havre lightly brushed Hope's dampening loincloth but then stopped. "That is all the massage today."

"..." Somehow, Hope felt both relieved and disappointed.

"Oh, and one more thing," Havre whispered in Hope's ear. "I can help you with Gerhart and push all the right buttons, but I also need your help with something."

"... What do you want?" Hope raised her head and got to the point.

As a merchant's daughter, she knew nothing in this world was free in the truest sense, tangible or not.

"Oh, no worries. You and Gerhart won't lose anything. He might even find the ordeal pleasant. You see, a law in my village prevents women like me from leaving. But there is an exception that allows us to depart under certain circumstances. Only Gerhart can help with that, but it needs his approval." Havre said.

"... What is it?" Hope asked, a bit curious.

Havre smiled and whispered in Hope's ear.

.

.

.

Meanwhile, outside the house, Gerhart was swarmed with young ladies.

"So you're a Dungeon Explorer?"

"Yeah! Tell us about it! What are the monsters there like?" 

"Is it true they drop Magic Stones when they die?"

"Do you have a girlfriend in the city?"

"Hey! Not fair. I was going to ask that."

"Hope. Havre. Help..." Gerhart prayed.

As if on cue, the door was opened by Havre, now fully dressed.

"Okay, you girls! Stop with the nonsense. You will have plenty of time during the weekend feast." Havre chastised. "If you don't, I'll tell on yah!"

"Okay! Okay!"

"Jeez, using your authority as the chief's daughter..."

"Tsk..."

"Don't hug him all to yourself!"

The girls said and walked away, most of them disgruntled.

"Weekend feast?" Gerhart warily asked.

"Yep. You will meet all the available ladies in the village. Plenty of meat and booze, too, so it is a great place for a hookup." Havre said. "Now, come on. Let's go to the training ground." Havre said and walked away.

"Well, okay. Hope, let's go." Gerhart said to Hope.

"Yes..." Hope replied, her mind a bit distracted.