Artus didn’t want to make a joke out of it, but the line kept coming into his head. He knew it would keep bothering him if he didn’t let it out.

“I know what you did last summer,” he muttered to himself.

He chuckled and felt sorry for himself.

Of-the-fucking-course the two women had not totally committed to him. It is the blaring downside in this free-for-all, no risk involved, sex life. Like the beastkins, something was lost.

Its sacrality is gone.

He had never realized it was crucial to him. Others might not care about who the girls sleep with other than themselves but he did. He rather let the woman go, and he also didn’t enjoy watching a woman enjoying a few men.

He is the selfish bastard who wants women for himself and he isn’t ashamed to say it.

Artus thought the two would respect that but who was he to even have that kind of thought? A legendary hero who saved the world or something? He scoffed. He was just an upstart mage. A talented young man who didn’t have any real power to ensure anyone anything at all.

And the world could burn for all he cares.

But he knew dodging the issue would be worse. He decided to confront the girls with the issue and see where it went. If they thought he wasn’t worth leaving behind their beloved activity and so be it. He would face it like a man and maybe cry over it later.

On the flip side, Artus knew that he had crossed the line a little when he smudged and enjoyed himself in Elaine’s naked fluffy chest. She also couldn’t possibly have committed all of herself to him no matter what she had said.

It just doesn’t make sense to suddenly fall for a man like him. A nobody.

He wasn’t sure about her feelings, but he was sure that the girl was trying to use him to escape her prearranged future. Her true opinion of him buried seven feet deep, he had decided that he still wanted to help her to make her choice. He just needed to protect her life.

No one should be forced to do something they didn’t want to do. Not even a scheming rich girl that had made him think with his dick by using her broad fleshy breast.

He was still affected while he went outside to find out the truth. His thought had only cleared when he almost broke his fist over something so pitiful.

Nusia had said this. Sex is a tool that women would use against him if they sense his weakness.

Artus missed her very much.

The only sure way he could see her again was to become too strong or too rich to ignore. He got a few ideas on how and he would only need to work on the math and the spell matrix.

He’ll take her to the larger planet if he has to.

He took out his note and began scribbling. Time flies as one by one the notebook pages were filled with numbers and his writing. He wrote in his old mother tongue language just to kick people in the balls if they dared to steal his notes. Not even Verona would be able to read it.

Warmth filled his back as he almost filled the fifth page.

“Hey,” said Julee. “What are you doing.”

He could tell by the size as Thalia was smaller and Julee was noticeably bigger. He quenched the urge to flip at her after he was reminded of the face she made while being nailed by another guy.

He felt betrayed but technically she hadn’t betrayed him.

“Nothing important,” he replied. “How are you, tired?”

“Why you have something in mind?” she giggled. Her laughter sounded so innocent.

But maybe that is the truth. She sounded innocent because she had not felt any guilt for whatever reason.

“No, but I think you should rest,” he said while trying not to take it personally. She had too many dicks already.

“Artus, what’s wrong?”

He sighed inside. This is his biggest lifetime problem. He couldn’t hide it well enough from anyone, especially women. He also didn't know how to say it to her, and he honestly wanted to know how she had known.

“How did you know something is wrong?” he asked Julee.

Her body shook a little on his back.

“Well, you said no twice,” she tried and her warmth left his back.

“Oh yeah, you are right, Nothing and no, to be exact,” he lamented. “Should I try to say something more positive to hide it better or should I mix it?” he said out loud.

“Artus, please tell me what is wrong?”

“Well, it's kind of hard for me, you know, to say it out loud.”

“You found out, didn’t you?” said another familiar voice. Thalia had just entered the room.

“Found out what?” Julee gasped right after her own question.

“Did she, did the bitch tell you?” Thalia spat.

‘Well, that escalated quickly,’ Artus mused.

“Yes, Lady Eliane had revealed it to me and I’ve confirmed the situation with my own eyes. And for what it's worth, she had even tried to defend you two.”

“Artus, I-” Julee shut her mouth. She opened her mouth again but nothing came out.

Thalia, on the other hand, was trying to pierce him with her sharp stare from those beautiful brown eyes. She was daring him to say something about it.

“I’m not judging any of you, Thalia, Julee, but if you don’t already know, I prefer my partners to keep it between me and her.”

“But how could you have both of us and the other girls, and say that to our faces,” Thalia said while Julee tried to stop her to no avail.

“I’m sorry. I really am. It is my fault,” he stated clearly while something pricked his heart. Both of them were surprised to hear this, Julee especially.

“I should have stated that I have this ‘thing’ stuck in me,” he shrugged. “I wouldn’t have touched anyone who didn’t think I’m being fair.”

“So what now?” Thalia demanded.

“I don’t want to demand anything, but I will ask you to consider leaving that part of your life behind if you find me worth whatever,” he sighed.

“Artus,” Julee cooed. She took him in her hand and tried her best to get him hard. She got him halfway there but to her and his surprise, he couldn’t make it.

Whatever she did, he stayed half erected at best.

“I’m glad you feel sorry, Julee,” he kissed her hair and stopped her attempt.

“I don’t blame you, either of you,” he looked at them one after another. “I’ve made my decision and you two should maybe think about it.”

‘I’m doing it again, ain’t I, an opportunist doormat,’ he chuckled inside. ‘At least I didn’t offer to be a body pillow. It’s an improvement, ha! ha!’

He left the room and rested in the general area while thinking about how this carriage interior was a hack. It literally cheats reality. He might be able to do the same if he figured out the math.

Elaine appeared and she showed him what he had expected to happen. The girls were laughing at him in a separate room. To be fair, Julee hadn’t laughed that much but he was foolishly hoping for the opposite.

“Stop it, Elaine, just stop, please,” he begged her. “They are your friends, right?”

“But they have stolen you from me!” she declared and hugged him. “And they are laughing at you who was so kind to them.”

Generous warm breasts pressed on him, threatening to send his brain highwire again. He just couldn’t withstand the girl who clearly wanted him for whatever reason.

“Elaine, the guards,” he reminded her.

“These girls are bound by their oaths,” she explained.

“They are slaves?”

“No! Why do you say that?” she whispered, rubbing herself at him. “Oath-bound are different because no oath could be forced on others. Losing them would be a great loss to me.”

“What do you mean by losing them?”

Elaine kissed him and again he was defeated easily. He indulged himself in her warmth as nothing else in the world longer mattered. She was all over him as lovers would in public and only short of sticking it in.

Artus was thrown off the seat, Elaine tight in his arms. The carriage spun around them as the maid-guards and anything not fastened were tumbled around.

The shell appeared around him by instinct as he secured the lady with both hands.

Thunderous cracks echoed before he suddenly could see the night sky. The world spun around him and he did his best to keep her safe.

A sudden stop drained more mana than ever until he had to depend on the crystals. The shell spell failed right after they landed on the ground.

Artus coughed up blood right after. His vision blurred but forced himself to stay awake. The realization only came to him as he looked around. They were under attack.

The carriage was much further away, further than he thought possible. Going back would have little use as three big chunks of wood and metal were what was left of it.

Bloody random parts of dead bodies scattered around him. He recognized the torn armor. They are the maid-guards guarding the carriage main entrance. They were flung so hard until their bodies were torn apart in all the collisions.

Elaine gasped before she retched and puked when she saw them.

He could barely feel anything but the cold.