19 Chapter 19

Thanks to their ability to backtrack as they pleased, Leon and Mordred managed to search and clear sixteen distinct rooms in a span of two and a half hours.

"I'm starting to think this is a situation where we're trapped until we clear the dungeon or fulfill a certain condition..." stated Mordred, taking a large bite out of the board steak Leon had provided, still as hot and fragrant as it was the moment it was placed in his Storage.

'Well, according to the map we've gradually been filling out, there should be twenty-five rooms in total,' said Leon. 'With this, we've searched about two-thirds of the total. If there's only one exit and one route forward, it's not too difficult to imagine they're in the remaining third.'

"Still, once we return, we should make it a rule that people can't enter the domain of a Floor Guardian without reporting and making preparations for a lengthy expedition," suggested Mordred. "This one seems manageable with just us, but they'll likely become more elaborate and treacherous as we move further up the Tower."

'Agreed,' replied Leon. 'But while this one might seem manageable, we'd be in a pretty precarious position if not for my console.' 

Raising her right brow and grinning, Mordred asked, "Do you want me to praise you...?"

'Nah...' replied Leon. 'Getting to watch you run around and beat the shit out of things topless is enough of a reward...'

"If you say so," replied Mordred, shrugging as she took another bite of her steak, chewing it on the right side of her mouth as she added, "I honestly don't understand how you can find this thin and muscular body appealing. My breasts aren't suited for nursing, my hips aren't wide enough to ensure a safe delivery, my shoulders are comparable to a man's, and my stomach is flat, making me appear starved..."

'Girl, if I had a tongue right now, I'd trace it along that stomach of yours and every single inch of you...'

Rolling her eyes, Mordred remarked, "Yes, I'm well aware...I mean, you already do something similar every night..."

'Only because you won't let me do it during the day...' whispered Leon.

"Hmmm..."

Tracing her navel with the middle finger of her left hand, Mordred appeared to be considering whether she should let Leon demonstrate his appreciation right then and there but ultimately decided against it, stating, "There's a reason those are called night activities. If we get in the habit of fooling around during the day, we could easily descend into depravity and hedonism. I might not be a paragon of virtue and restraint, but I know the difference between being self-serving and self-indulgent. Sex should be a reward for a hard day's work, not a substitute..."

'Then I'll be sure to give it my all so you can give me yours...' mused Leon, smiling as he noticed Mordred's heart rate and blood pressure spike, even if it was only a brief moment.

"That tongue of yours is dangerous..." said Mordred, leaning back as if she were staring up at Leon, narrowing her eyes and smiling as she appended, "In more ways than one..."

'I'll take that as a compliment...' said Leon. Then, releasing his possession, he bent down, cupped the left side of Mordred's face, and kissed her with no resistance on her part...

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"Poyo...?"

Seeing Mordred abruptly appear at the Hidden Temple's entrance, the palm-sized Poring, which had been brooding off to the side, perked up and began bouncing toward her with a teary-eyed smile.

"Ho...? It looks like we found the exit," said Mordred, raising her brows in response to the Poring's actions. She preferred tiny creatures covered in fur, but when the Poring affectionately rubbed its cheek against her ankle, she bent down to pick it up, holding it in her right palm as she rubbed the top of its head with her left index finger.

'Want to wait here while I check on the others...?' asked Leon.

"You're the one who's self-conscious about others seeing my breasts," replied Mordred. "You tell me."

'Mmm...even if I weren't, it would set a dangerous precedent if you or others walked around topless...' said Leon. 'No offense to her, but the last thing I want to see is Presea following your example...'

"Everyone here is someone who's died, Leon," said Mordred. "You really shouldn't be so sensitive about things that only matter because you were told they did. Take a page out of your own book. I mean, you stood up to me and said something similar yesterday. You also pointed out not even an hour ago that this isn't my world, so if you really wanted to, you could mandate that everyone walks around naked. It might be awkward at first, but people can adapt to just about anything."

'You're right about that last part...' admitted Leon. 'But people are also a bunch of perverts. It might not cause any major issues while our numbers are small, but if girls walked around topless or wearing clothes like yours as the norm, it would invariably lead to an incident...'

"If you're alluding to someone raping someone just because of the way they're dressed, you're wrong," said Mordred. "People commit crimes like that because they're repressed or covetous. Even if you dressed up every girl in ten layers of clothing, you can't stop someone who has fallen to the point of choosing to commit such a heinous act. You could deter them by imposing harsh penalties on those who do, but then when someone 'does' act, the crime will be even more vicious..."

'Then...what do you suggest...?' asked Leon.

"What kind of question is that?" asked Mordred, sporting a look of genuine disbelief as she questioned, "Are you seriously telling me the world you came from didn't have brothels or prostitutes? Churches and brothels are the literal cornerstones of a functional society..."

'Well, we definitely had prostitutes,' admitted Leon. 'But the practice was outlawed since it was considered exploitative...'

"Unbelievable..." muttered Mordred, leaning her head back slightly and massaging her forehead as she stated, "I can't even begin to imagine how your society functioned without tearing itself apart. There's absolutely no way in hell the wealthy nobles and merchants of your world didn't engage in organized debauchery. It's literally how they separate themselves from the masses, reinforce bonds, and maintain leverage over one another. Yet they have the audacity to prohibit the practice among commoners?"

"..."

Recalling the multitude of scandals and sex rings that were exposed and brought to light in his previous world, Leon found himself at a loss for how to respond to Mordred's accusations. He still felt it was inappropriate for women, much less young girls, to walk around in scant attire, but he could empathize with the points she was making. After all, he couldn't think of a single politician, at least off the top of his head, who wasn't embroiled in scandals and corruption-related controversies...

"Open your Build menu," said Mordred. "I want to know if there's a brothel among the facilities available. And don't even think about lying..."

'Sure,' replied Leon, opening the Build menu and expanding it to resemble a tech tree. The buildings near the end looked like something from a sci-fi movie, but the path to reaching them was long and ridiculously expensive.

'There is...' revealed Leon. But, as he spent a considerable amount of time perusing his menus while Mordred slept, he wasn't exactly surprised.

"As I thought..." muttered Mordred, nodding as she added. "We shouldn't need one any time soon, but if you want to keep crime low, it's important to provide the people with entertainment and the means to 'release' their pent-up aggression and frustrations. And if you don't take the initiative to provide such means, someone else will unfailingly use the opportunity for profit. That's when the exploitation starts."

'In other words, we should regulate brothels, taverns, and gambling halls to ensure those with malicious or criminal intent aren't able to use them to grow their influence and expand their enterprises...' muttered Leon.

"That's mostly correct," replied Mordred. "But, you see, most commoners aren't too fond of the people in power dictating how they spend their free time. It's also only a matter of time before those tasked with performing various labors begin committing crimes, so the best course of action is to assemble a Thieves, Beggars, or Crime Guild before they form organically. Then, you assign those skilled in covert operations to oversee them, deal with matters behind the scenes, and report to you if there are issues that require a more 'organized' response..."

'You know, you scare the shit out of me sometimes...' said Leon, causing Mordred to exhale a throaty chuckle. She was tempted to tease him by narrating some of the heinous acts she had been required to perform in her capacity as a Knight of the Round Table, but out of consideration for how 'sensitive' Leon could be, she decided against it...

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Sensing a faint but discernible trace of what he recognized as spirit energy, Wil perked up and called out, "Is that you, Leon? Presea and I were beginning to worry."

"Leon...?" parroted Presea, looking around confusedly.

"Yeah, I'm here," replied Leon, pulling out two of the riceless bentos Souma had entrusted to him, asking, "Have the two of you eaten yet...?"

"We have," replied Wil, smiling as he added, "But it was mostly fruit and vegetables dropped by the monsters we've slain. I'm quite fond of both, but they can't compare to the food prepared by Souma."

"Yeah...sorry for arriving so late," said Leon, passing off the two bentos as he explained, "Mordred and I located the dungeon belonging to the Floor Guardian and chose to scout it out. The monsters weren't too formidable, but we got trapped for around three and a half hours."

"Reckless..." muttered Presea, frowning.

"Yeah...Mordred also admitted it was a mistake, so we pulled out the first opportunity we got," explained Leon. "Because of that, I've decided to implement a rule prohibiting people from entering the territory of a Floor Guardian without first informing the group and completing at least a basic degree of preparation. If not for my console, we could have been trapped there for days, if not much, much longer."

"Well, we're glad you're okay," said Wil, speaking on behalf of himself and Presea.

"Thanks," replied Leon. "Unfortunately, while we emerged unscathed, the experience wasn't without incident. Think you can repair this...?"

Seeing the red-and-gold-trimmed band Leon pulled out and held with his imperceptible hand, Wil's eyes widened in recognition. The same applied to Presea, who, imagining Mordred's current state, tilted her head to ask, "Did you see them...?"

Understanding what Presea was referring to, Leon nodded his nonexistent head and replied, "I did. But Mordred and I live together and are at least a little romantically involved. It's fine if I see them...more importantly..."

Sensing Leon's gaze, Wil returned a smile and assured, "I should be able to repair it with the tools I have on hand, but it would only be a temporary solution. Unfortunately, the ends of the band frayed when they were cut, so I'll need to cut it back and reattach them. That will make it a much tighter fit, so I'm afraid Mordred will have to endure some discomfort until I can prepare a suitable replacement..."

"Think you could whip something together using these...?" asked Leon, pulling out the shaggy pelt of a Bigfoot and one of the many blue-furred Wolves slain by Mordred.

Accepting the Wolf pelt, Wil's eyes widened as he asked, "Did this drop from a monster? The quality is superb..."

"It did," replied Leon, subsequently asking, "And your answer...?"

"Of course," answered Wil, smiling confidently as he explained, "I would need to return to my Workshop to prepare a proper garment, but if it's just a rudimentary vest or something akin to a breast wrap, I don't even need half an hour."

Setting aside his bento, Wil wasted no time pulling out a set of leather cutting tools, several spools of thread, and a sewing kit. Then, as if he had entered into his own little world, he began processing the wolf pelt with machine-like precision while Leon and Presea observed with a mix of awe and fascination...

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(A/N: If you're enjoying the story, please consider leaving a Review. It helps the novel gain exposure and helps me to stay motivated. Also, I hope everyone had a pleasant Christmas Eve and happy holidays all around.)