Tales of a Seductress

TOAD – Chapter 18

TOAD – Chapter 18

“If the reports are correct, the goblins are just beyond this hill,” Bradrick stated as he handed his horse to Rio to do all of the proper work, and then looked at me. “Don’t start a fire. They’ll see it.”

I nodded. “Yes, my lord.”

Bradrick gave an empty smile. “You can just call me Brad. We’re teammates now.”

“Yes, Brad.”

Of course, I didn’t believe that at all. We were there to make Lord Brad look good. I was very clear on our place. I still did my best to make dinner, but it was a little better than dry bread with a seasoned oil to dip in it. Still, compared to nothing, the oil took the edge off the bread and made the meal comfortable. Of course, I had also slipped ingredients into the oil that would temporarily increase vitality.

“Are we waiting until the morning?” Rio asked once he finished with the horses.

“No. We’ll rest until it’s pitch black, and then we’ll approach the fortress.”

I raised my head. “Fortress? Not a cave?”

I had assumed we would be walking into a situation not much different than the goblins I had encountered an eternity ago. It sounded like that wasn’t the case.

“Goblins settle in whatever shelter they can scavenge. There was an old abandoned fort located here from a previous war. Father should have knocked it down, but he stupidly left it up.”

“Makes sense,” I observed. “This area sits between his main territory and the Capital city of Dragon’s Mount. If the Demon King ever turned on him, he’d be able to quickly reactivate the fortress as a means of protecting his lands.”

“What are you saying? Are you saying my father is treasonous?” Bradrick frowned.T/his chapter is updated by

“No, it would just be a precaution... ah... sorry, I don’t know what I’m talking about. Apologies, my lord.” I bowed my head, and he readjusted in his seat.

This time, he didn’t bother to correct me about calling him my lord. Rio gave me a cautioning look, and I immediately understood my mistake. Party members weren’t supposed to think or make Bradrick appear foolish. His father was a careful man. Choosing to deal with the occasional monsters that took up residence in this fort was a small price to pay to have it as a security and deterrent. Of course, if he had manned the fort, he could be accused of showing aggression toward the demon king, so this was a strategic choice.

None of that went through Bradrick’s mind. He didn’t have it in him to think of such things as a betrayal. He was a hero who did what was righteous under the demon lord. The politics that had surrounded Lord Typhoon were lost on his children. Perhaps Seris understood some of it, but that probably came from being paranoid and suspicious of everyone.

Bradrick quickly allowed the event to pass, but like always, it was never abundantly clear how much it bothered him. I didn’t think it was at a level where I was in danger, but you wouldn’t know he was dropping you until it was too late to do something about it.

“Then... I guess he’d have to sell it... that’s if he didn’t give it away.” She responded, and then she glared at me. “What does that have to do with my question?”

“I’m like that man. I have too much wheat, and the only way I can keep the vermin from taking advantage is to give it away to whoever I can, as cheaply as I can.”

“Huh?”

I chuckled, reaching out and patting her head. “It’s nothing.”

“

She squirmed under the sudden attention I was giving her. “When we go in there, just stay close to me, okay? I’ll keep you safe.”

“You will?” I licked my lips. “Then I’ll just have to get as close to you as possible.”

I knew this would only encourage her to be more intrusive in the future, but with her body pressed against me, I was finding myself containing excess wheat once again and I needed to unload it. Some people may like the feel of a fireplace on a cold night. I find nothing better than the heat emanating from an aroused woman climaxing. Once she got going, her body radiated heat.

My hands worked their way down into her clothing as I gently nibbled on her ear. Just as she had trapped me so that I couldn’t leave, I trapped her so that she couldn’t either. My fingers plunged in her warmth while I teased her skin with my tongue. I used my deceptive techniques. I was very skilled at Sleight of Hand, so all of my actions went unnoticed by Bradrick and Rio.

Of course, what couldn’t go unnoticed was Beedle’s squeals and moans. She tried so hard to keep herself quiet, but in the end, the sounds coming from under our blanket was unmistakable. Bradrick sat in his spot with his back so straight that one thought he had a stick up his butt. No matter where he looked as he served as the watch, he never turned his head in our direction. As for Rio, he didn’t have Sleight of Hand at all. He couldn’t hide the tent forming in his blanket, nor the movement of his hands as he took care of himself solo.

Dark overtook the camp, and while I couldn’t say I got a lot of sleep, I did feel very refreshed and satisfied. Bradrick waited a good hour after Beedle’s noises settled down before he finally spoke up.

“I-it’s time!” His voice came out as a croak.

I rose from the blanket and stretched comfortably. As for Beedle, she struggled for some time to get her clothes back on while the men made sure to be busy elsewhere. I was far more skilled at taking her clothes off than she was at putting them back on. As for how this would affect her relationship with Bradrick in the future? That wasn’t any of my concern. It didn’t take long for us to pack up again, since we had never officially made camp for the night.

“You stiff?” I asked Rio with a smirk.

He jerked. When I pointed to his back, he coughed and blushed.

“R-right... the campground was...” He stopped and then looked around for Bradrick before leaning to me. “Well, it was downright awful, wasn’t it?”

Bradrick had chosen a rocky area for them to get rest. He was the only one who didn’t lie down in it, so he was the only one who didn’t suffer the repercussions of it. Still, even if Rio couldn’t say that he messed up, or potentially face the wrath of Bradrick. That was the kind of party that it was.

However, up until now, all we had done is ride and camp. Everything had been risk-free. Now, we were going to face real danger. How everyone handled true combat was about to be revealed.