Chapter 69 Interesting.

Chapter 69: 69 Interesting.

That’s all I needed to hear. I stepped forward, readying my sword. The frost-covered troll turned its attention to me, running toward me sluggishly as chunks of ice fell from its body.

"Return Blade!" I called, hurling my sword with all my might. The weapon spun through the air, striking the troll squarely in the chest and embedding itself deep in the creature’s body.

Rather than immediately recalling the blade, I sprinted forward and launched myself at the stunned troll. My boot connected with the sword’s pommel, driving the blade deeper until it pierced straight through the monster’s heart. The troll staggered backward as a surprised gurgle escaped its throat—along with blood.

As it collapsed, I pulled my sword free and, with one clean stroke, separated the troll’s head from its shoulders. The body twitched, and stinky green blood oozed from the stump of its neck.

I was about to cut out its heart—standard procedure to prevent regeneration—when Juniper slithered forward.

"Allow me," she said, placing her palm flat against the troll’s chest.

Her hand began to glow red-hot. Smoke rose where it touched the monster’s rough, craggy skin. Over about fifteen seconds, she burned a hole through the creature’s hide, muscle, and ribs, finally reaching into the cavity to grasp its heart. The organ smoldered and then crumbled to ash in her grip.

"Not bad," I said, genuinely impressed.

Juniper smiled, even gracing me with a charming blush. "You’re not so bad yourself, Champion."

The blue post-battle notification appeared: VICTORY! XP Gained!

Ayra bounded over, clapping excitedly. "That was amazing! Master and Juniper make a formidable team!"

"Indeed," Elsa agreed, though with slightly less enthusiasm. "Most... efficient."

As we made our way back to the house, I noticed Elsa and Ayra exchanging glances, their tattoos occasionally pulsing on their exposed midriffs. Amusingly, and confidence-boostingly, even Juniper became conscious of her tattoo after making eye contact with me at one point. I pretended I didn’t notice as she adjusted her attire to make sure it was fully covered.

Once we got inside again, the girls settled in the living room while I excused myself to the bathroom. As none of them had physically exerted themselves much during the fight—Elsa and Ayra not at all—they all were predictably content to use the elf’s magical cleaning rather than proper showers. I, however, felt the need for actual hot water and soap.

I slipped into the shower quietly, enjoying the steaming water cascading over my tired muscles. The fight hadn’t been particularly strenuous, but the day’s annoyances—dealing with the sheriff, organizing the fence installation, keeping the girls hidden—had taken its toll.

I had just finished rinsing the shampoo from my hair when the bathroom door burst open.

"Master?" Ayra’s voice held a note of concern. "Are you—OH! OH GODS, NO!" Her dramatic gasp was followed by the sound of uncontrollable sobbing. "You’re being naked without us! What have I done, Master?!"

"Ayra, for God’s sake—" I started, but was interrupted by a second voice who seemed to share her opinion, but expressed it in a different way.

"Hmph!" Elsa stood in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest. Her nose twitched, and she glowered at me like she’d just caught me cheating on her ten years into an otherwise happy marriage. "HMPH!" she repeated more forcefully, as if the first expression hadn’t adequately conveyed her disapproval. "HMPH!!!!" And yet another.

I shut off the water, reaching for a towel. "Can’t a man shower in peace in his own house?"

"No," both women answered simultaneously.

I quickly wiped myself down and wrapped the towel around my waist and stepped out of the shower, finding not just Ayra and Elsa, but also Juniper lurking in the hallway beyond, trying to look like she wasn’t interested in the commotion. Even though two out of the three girls were mad at me, I couldn’t help but smirk at how strategically they were all covering their stomachs.

"I’m going to bed," I announced firmly, pushing past the pouting princess and the sniffling dog-girl. "Are you coming or not?"

"Hmph! Of course I’m coming. And I’ll certainly be cumming, too, as the first part of your six-part penance!" Elsa hissed incredulously. "Unbelievable!"

"Master hates us now," Ayra whimpered as she scampered behind me. "He will surely destroy my bottom in mere moments—"

"How big is your bed?" Juniper’s abrupt question cut through the dramatic overreactions of the other two. Her voice was quieter, almost shy, and next thing I knew, the chaos had stopped, and we were all focused on her.

I turned slowly to face her. The implications were huge, and I wanted to make sure I handled this right. "It’s a California King," I said, eyes widening as I realized what she might be suggesting. "Big enough for two, kind of three—a bit crowded for four. But we could buy a bigger one at the mattress store tomorrow if... if you want."

Juniper nodded slowly. Her crimson eyes met mine briefly before glancing away, making her red curls whip through the air. "I think that would be wise. And practical."

Elsa’s eyes darted between us, her mouth forming a little "O" of surprise. She looked at Ayra, presumably to see if the dog-girl recognized what was going on. Honestly, it was hard to tell. Ayra’s tail was wagging so hard it created a breeze in the hallway, but her tongue was out as she panted and her eyes were a little... unfocused.

"Tomorrow then," I managed, retreating toward my bedroom before the situation could escalate further. Elsa and Ayra looked over their shoulders at the demonkin woman briefly, but quickly wrapped their arms around both of mine, following me inside.

"So," Elsa muttered as she lay on the bed in an intentionally seductive pose. "It seems like things are moving along nicely with Juniper."

I nodded. "It seems so."

"Then tomorrow will be an interesting day, Master!" Ayra declared as she crawled onto the other side of the bed. I looked down at them with a big dumb grin as they patted the spot between them and started taking off what little they had on in the way of clothing.

Tomorrow was going to be very interesting indeed.