As I ca to my senses, only two things stood out to imdiately.
[You have escaped from the brink of death! Your strength has slightly increased!]
The notification window that always popped up after every bout of my rampage.
[Your faith has increased!]
And the notification informing of increased faith for reasons unknown. These two notices were the first things I saw.
Added to that was an enormous mound. I could understand the notifications, but why there was a mound in my view eluded .
It was so huge that it cast a big shadow over my face, as I lay right below it. What on earth was this?
It's also strange how my head feels so soft and fluffy'
With the notifications and the giant mound blocking my view, my brain wasn't working right.
The last ti I fainted after a rampage, Ellie's face was the first thing I saw.
Given the softness under my head, it felt like I might be on a bed, but I could not discern the nature of the mound before my eyes.
I wasn't blind; I could be healed through regeneration, and if I were blind, I wouldn't be able to see anything at all.
Gradually regaining clarity, I gingerly lifted my arm and grabbed onto the mound that was obstructing my sight.
Squish-
I expected sothing so large, covering my entire face, to be firm, but it was the opposite. I'd never felt such squishiness before.
No sooner did I grab it, my fingertips sunk in, and it felt like if I buried my head in it, I might never co out.
It's not even fully grasped by my hands.'
Such were my thoughts when suddenly,
"Kyaa!"
I was jolted by a woman's surprised shriek right next to my ear, the sound coming from the top of the mound.
I blinked slowly then turned my head, without releasing my grip on the mound.
Soon after, I was face to face with a very familiar face. A beautiful woman with brown hair and striking golden eyes.
"Sivar? A-are you awake?"
It was Ellie. For so unknown reason, her face was slightly flushed and her expression was odd.
It seed as though she was forcibly trying to contain her embarrassnt. I couldn't tell why she looked like that.
Squish- squish-
Anyhow, this thing is really soft. Continuing to face Ellie, I did not stop kneading the mound.
First with one hand but now with both, I was manipulating the mound here and there.
It wouldn't maintain any shape when grabbed and instantly returned to its original form when I let go of it.
"Hmm Mmm"
But I was perplexed as to why Ellie was letting out such peculiar moans. When I looked at her, she had turned away and her eyes were closed.
Her face was red, and she had her lips tightly closed, appearing to forcibly suppress sothing, just like before.
Thud-
"Ellie. What on you, you, you, what are you doing?!"
Suddenly, soone barged in while exclaiming in shock. Hearing the composed voice, I could tell it was Luna.
I turned my head in the direction of Luna's voice. She was sohow walking briskly towards .
Thump!
Then, grabbing my arms, she detached from the mound by force. The softness disappeared from my grasp.
I wanted to feel it more and exerted so strength, yet Luna resisted with all her might. What was happening?
"You can't casually touch a woman's chest like that! That's sexual harassnt, sexual harassnt!"
"?"
I paused, my thoughts faltering at Luna's cry. Prior to sexual harassnt', the realization hit that I had been touching a woman's chest.
Taking in her words, I blinked and looked back toward the mound.
Thinking about it, there's no reason for Ellie's face to be above my head, unless
"I, I'm okay, Luna. That could happen."
"What could happen Sigh. Let's get you up, Sivar."
"Alright. Sivar? Ti to get up."
Ellie said as she gently patted my head with care.
Only then did I realize itEllie had been serving as a knee pillow for .
What I thought was a soft mound turned out to be her chest; its sheer size had montarily slowed down my judgnt.
"Why did you stay still? Sivar listens to everything you say."
Right after I stood up from Ellie's soft thighs, Luna scolded not , but Ellie.
Supposedly I knew nothing (?), so that's one thing, but it would have been odd for Ellie to remain silent.
Still blushing like a tomato, Ellie peeked at and then smiled sheepishly as she replied.
"Sivar doesn't know anything. I was worried if I scolded him, he might be hurt"
"That's all well and good, but sotis you need to firmly say no. Otherwise, what if soone else does this too?"
Made wonder who the real pervert was. I pouted at the thought.
Even though I wanted to keep feeling Ellie's soft and squishy chest, I would definitely never do that to anyone else.
While it's true I could sotis play the wild card to my advantage, I abhor disgraceful actions. Such acts are fit only for soone worse than an animal.
"I should tell others not to do it. But instead"
"Instead?"
""
Ellie didn't imdiately reply. She just glanced at , her face redder than before.
At Luna's confused look, Ellie stuttered before finally getting the words out.
"If, if you really want to touch my chest, I wouldn't mind."
"What? What? I an, what?"
Ellie's bombshell pronouncent left Luna shocked, as if she had heard incorrectly. It was astonishing.
I'm truly curious what kind of thought process led to that conclusion.
For , it would be great to be able to touch that chest legally (?), but it would certainly be awkward for others to see.
"Sivar doesn't know much about society yet. So he probably doesn't know about the laws either. He might not understand that you can't just touch a woman's body."
"That's right."
"Before Sivar causes trouble, I'll make sure he can only touch my body. Perhaps then we can prevent so accidents, can't we?"
""
Luna's expression beca one of speechlessness, deeply struck by Ellie's miraculous reasoning.
I was no different. On the outside, I remained expressionless, but on the inside, I couldn't understand why she went so far.
"Do we have to go that far?"
"I insisted on bringing Sivar here. So if he causes any trouble, that's my responsibility."
It was the sa concept of responsibility that Kara had ntioned. Ellie was sincerely trying to take responsibility for .
Luna seed at a loss for words, closing her mouth. She then glanced at and murmured,
"What if Sivar then asks for more? What if it's not just about touching, but he wants to see?"
"I would show him."
"Could it really be? Wow," I thought, though I kept my exclamation to myself. Indeed, it was exasperating.
With her hand on her forehead, Luna looked worried. She seed to be thinking through the implications.
"And what if he requests even more than that? Would you comply?"
"I might."
"Do you really think you should do that? I understand preventing accidents, but isn't that going too far"
"He saved my life, so this is the least I can do for him."
Ellie's rebuttal cut Luna off mid-sentence.
Thus Ellie appears ready to forgive everything for the act of being saved from the Manki.
"Sivar is the savior of my life, and I simply want to repay him. If I'm responsible for Sivar, maybe he'll co to understand the importance of responsibility soday. That's what I believe."
"You"
"I know it may sound overly optimistic. But I can be certain of this. Sivar doesn't hurt people without a reason, whether it's their body or heart."
Ellie's characteristic optimism was fully reflected in her words. Luna's face showed a complex mix of emotions as she listened to Ellie's continuous explanations.
Ellie had a point. I have always remained passive unless soone attacked first.
There might have been so mishaps, but I had never directly hard anyone.
"Alright, if that's what you think."
"Thank you for understanding."
"But try to prevent him from touching chests. It'll look odd to others."
Ellie seed to get my silent plea as she replied with a shy face.
"Okay. Then I'll only allow it when no one else can see."
"That's not what I was getting at."
"Or would you rather do it, Luna?"
"No."
That wasn't Luna's response. I was the one who had spoken.
Both won looked at with surprised eyes as I unexpectedly joined the conversation.
To be honest, even I was taken aback by my own response. Perhaps it was more instinct than rationale.
"Sivar. What did you just say?"
"I clearly said no."
"No to what? You an Luna's chest isn't to your liking?"
"What's wrong with my chest! Mine aren't small, you know!"
I hadn't said a wordit was Luna who reacted strongly, as though hitting an unseen button.
I compared the irate Luna to the composed Ellie. To any observer, Ellie was the clear winner.
Perhaps sensing my gaze, Luna's face turned even redder as she clamped her mouth shut.
"All n are beasts, they say"
"Of course, all males are beasts, I suppose."
As Luna muttered to herself, sitting on the bed, a familiar voice caught my ear. It ca from the window.
Turning towards it, I saw Porori standing there.
He had an acorn wedged under his arm, picked up at who knows when.
"Don't be so upset, golden-haired lady. I may not grasp human standards too well, but I've been told a lady like you is quite attractive. So, you should be able to entice that fellow sufficiently."
"I'm not sure what you've overheard, but that's not the case."
"Oh? My mistake, then."
Porori hopped lightly onto the bed with the acorn. He didn't eat it straight away but stored it in his cheek.
Then, speaking with cheeks still full, he said,
"The redhead lady will be arriving soon. The useless pile of muscles will co the following day."
"How's Hector?"
Luna asked. This was sothing not only she was curious about but myself as well.
The last thing I rember was Hector pressing his axe against my chest. I can't recall anything beyond that.
A rampage must have ensued afterward. Given that he's in the hospital, he seems to have survived.
"Apart from a ruined shoulder and face, he's in fine shape. The oaf recovers quickly for a human, though he's no match for this one here."
"I see. Then Hector was close to death?"
"That's true as well. He would have been dead for sure if I hadn't intervened."
Porori's account left Luna looking at incredulously.
While Ellie remained calm, having been far removed from the fight, she seed to simply take it in stride.
"Sivar is that strong even when rampaging?"
"Extrely so. He's even stronger now than when I last fought him. Maybe it's thanks to the techniques that redhead lady taught him."
"Then Hector's concerns were founded."
Luna's words confird Hector's previous worriesthe landscape becos a wasteland at the onset of a rampage.
The real issue, though, was his recklessness. He could have lost his own life in the process.
"It's puzzling why that man would engage in such foolhardy actions. If one is to act, they should do so decisively. Now caught between stations, he just looks foolish. Destroyer King? Might as well be called the King of Ambiguity."
Porori spoke astutely. Hector currently found himself in limbo.
He was wrestling with great identity confusion. While he had established the Tatars, savagery still lurked within him.
As a king and as the rampaging Destroyer King, to the very core held together by Kara.
If only awakening could be done, both might and aplomb could be secured. But for now, he was but a nuisance, neither here nor there.
"Does he live a life of daily regret?"
That's roughly what I rember hearing. Hector is quite an interesting character.
For the welfare of his people, civilized life' should be the choice, but the savagery' still poses a problem.
To completely erase the savagery would an losing the identity' as a people and creating resentnt.
In Hector's case, he's stuck between a rock and a hard place, steadfast only through his own might, but Tatars is fraught with problems.
"The old human says he'll bring him here tomorrow, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it looks like things are sowhat resolved, so don't worry too much."
"Alright."
"Alright."
"And you."
Porori calls out to . I faced him with his cheeks fully puffed.
"I've said it before, but do sothing about those damned red eyes. I'll be busy from now on and I don't want to take care of your ss."
Is this squirrel actually serious? I'm also an innocent victim here.
If not for Hector, I would have attended the academy without any issues. It was that man who attacked first, how on earth
"Busy?"
That's why I asked. What busy affairs could he have?
I used to speak in clear, cut-off syllables, but now I can string them together.
It seems my faith has increased, allowing it. It's still short, but I'm sure Porori got my point.
"What? You can talk now?"
Porori's reply ca with wide-open eyes. Not just him, but everyone else seed surprised too.
It appears they didn't notice when I just said no.' It happened so quickly that they must have missed it.
"Anyhow, that disappointnt of a man told . Instead of daily, offering tributes at specific periods or on anniversaries enhances the power granted to by the heavens. That's why."
"Hector told you that?"
"Yeah. I don't know about other stuff, but that works pretty well. From now on, Ill offer not only acorns but other things as well."
"Sivar, do you want to try speaking anything right now?"
While Luna and Porori were talking, Ellie asked with her eyes sparkling with expectation.
I saw no reason to refuse her request, so I easily pulled out a reply.
"Ellie. I."
"Yeah? Yeah? And?"
What should I say? As I pondered, sothing caught my eyeit was Ellie's large chest.
A feature that boasts an overwhelming presence compared to others. I wanted to touch it once more.
"Chest."
"Chest?"
Was it because of that? Or did my instincts get the best of ?
Without realizing, I let out the word chest.' Ellie looked taken aback.
Thankfully, I stopped before saying let touch it.' If I had gone that far out loud, it would have been a disaster
"You an touching the chest?"
""
"Do you now know the softest part of a lady? Well, it is incredibly addictive."
That damned squirrel. I wanted to sew his mouth shut right there.
anwhile, Ellie, having heard the translated words from Porori, blushed deeply. She wordlessly held her chest as a bonus.
While Luna laughed helplessly, not sure what to do, Ellie glanced at and then ca out with a response that shocked everyone but Porori. There was an undertone of expectancy in her voice.
"Just touching, right?"
"Ellie!!!"
"Eek!"
Before things could escalate, Luna shouted in exasperation. At her stern voice, Ellie flinched.
Luna's ensuing lecture continued. Porori, watching the scene, tilted his head quizzically then turned to question .
"Humans can't just touch each other? Why such a reaction?"
""
"What's the big deal about touching a blob of fat? It's not like it'll wear out."
For once there was a eting of minds on this rare point.
******
"Let's call it a day then. Co to my room tomorrow ready to bang your head on the floor."
Thud-
With the closing of the infirmary door, a peaceful silence descended. Within the room, there were only Hector, lying there as a patient, and Kara, who kept watch by his side.
The situation had reversed in just one day. However, Hector's condition was far worse.
The muscles around his shoulder were torn, and especially his face was a ss.
His nose and facial bones were caved in, and his lips were sharply torn.
Thank goodness the academy could heal him; otherwise, he'd have to live with the consequences.
""
""
"Do you feel a bit better now?"
Kara was the first to break the heavy silence, her gaze on Hector, wrapped in bandages.
Her face was a complicated mix of anger and sadness.
She then spoke with a sarcastic tone.
"You must be pleased. Now that you have confird Sivar's rampage and that damned axe will be yours. Is it all over now?"
""
"Say sothing if it's all over. You can talk, right? Have you beco unable to speak like Sivar?"
Kara bombarded him with rapid-fire questions. Hector could only stare at the ceiling.
Her lack of response only made Kara even more upset. There was disappointnt, but the anger was greater.
At so point, Hector had changed. He was so different from the one she rembered.
"I understand why you beca a king. We need to be diplomatic because surrounding countries are strong."
""
"But it's neither here nor there, right? Even if Sivar's strength is beyond imagination, did you have to go that far?"
Kara was completely logical. Hector had established a nation to prevent strife, yet he had made himself an enemy.
An enemy he could not even handle. I wouldn't know what Sivar would think, but he'll likely see him as one.
Kara was furious. She had been taught one thing, yet he kept stumbling into mishap after mishap.
"Say sothing, anything. What do you want to do with all this? Why did you send to the academy?"
""
"Please, say sothing!"
"Kara."
Right before she exploded, Hector called her na in a flat voice.
When Kara closed her mouth, Hector continued in a feeble tone.
"I'm sorry."
""
"That's all I seem able to say. Sorry."
"Why do sothing you're sorry for?"
Kara kept pressing, even after Hector's apology. She wouldn't leave until she vented her frustration.
Hector sighed deeply, filled with turmoil, and turned to look at her. Their eyes t his green eyes mirroring hers.
After watching her for a while, he asked in a tone mixed with resignation.
"Do you rember what I once taught you? How to accept death."
"I know well. You said not to have any regrets when dying."
The Tatars people have fought daily for survival in the harsh deserts.
Now, trade has improved their situation, but the past was horrendous.
Clan wars were a given, and foreign powers periodically launched punitive expeditions.
Though Hector's establishnt of a state ended the clan wars, plenty of issues persist.
"There's nothing stupider than regret at death. It ans you're not satisfied with your life; I rember that clearly."
"Yeah. That's what was said."
"Do you regret?"
Upon the doubtful inquiry, Hector didn't answer. He just looked at Kara.
And silence often speaks louder than words. Kara let out a breath in frustration and bit her lip hard.
"Father."
""
"Why have you beco so weak?"
Hector had grown too weak, not physically, but ntally.
The Hector of the past united every tribe and dared to stand against foreign aggression, traversing deserts far and wide.
Not only did he subdue the clans, but he also defeated monsters scattered about and borrowed the power of thunder to earn the title of Destroyer King.'
Kara had been by his side, sharing his aspirations, making full use of her adolescent fervor.
"What's the problem? King? Civilized? Or our people? What exactly is the issue?"
Hector didn't regret even when facing death at the ti.
Exactly the opposite; he laughed even in mortal peril, swinging his axe, always seizing victory in the end.
But not anymore. He had beco fearful of death and even regretted.
It ant the identity of the Tatars people was slowly fading away.
"A king who can't be great, not safeguarding the Tatars' identity, and not an example as a father. What do you even want?"
""
"You're not the father I knew. If you want to be a king, then be one. If not, give it all up. Disband the united clans and go back to the old days."
She rebuked the king for his incompetence, but within her tone
"Better yet just give everything up and settle on one thing."
she was worried about her father, who had grown too weak compared to his past self.
A vulnerability she would never have witnessed if Sivar hadn't put Hector in jeopardy.
The reason he hadn't found his direction, so painfully pitiful.
"Kara."
"Speak."
"Do we really have to choose only one?"
"What?"
What is this out-of-the-blue talk? Kara looked at Hector, baffled.
But Hector was serious, a suggestion apparent in his tone.
"A good king. The identity of the nation. A good father."
""
"If I had to give up one of these, I would say this. I can't give up any of them."
Kara felt words rise to her throat but managed to suppress them. She sensed sothing in Hector's gaze.
Apparently, the near-death experience with Sivar had beco a blessing in disguise. If that's fortunate, so be it.
"Do as you wish. But don't touch Sivar. Hand over that damned axe and get going."
"I plan to apologize tomorrow. Banging my head on the floor as the old man said."
"What if Sivar picks a fight again?"
Hector smirked at Kara's question and replied.
"We'll see."
Then he gazed at the ceiling and uttered sothing profound.
"I don't know."
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