Taking a Stand

"Look..." said Cairn, stepping away from the counter so that he could face Vira and Reine directly. Then, with a heavy frown, he added, "It's not that I don't understand what you're saying. But the simple fact of the matter is that I'm not okay with such 'loose' relationships. I want to be close to the person I sleep with, and if they were to sleep with someone else, it would destroy me..."

Closing his eyes, Cairn shook his head before opening them, meeting Vira's gaze as he added, "You called Alfred a hypocrite. I won't say I'm not one, but there are certain things I won't budge on. I'm a possessive person, so I wouldn't be able to stomach 'my' women fucking other men. If I turned around and fucked other women, I would be living by a double standard at best, a hypocritical asshole at worst..."

Crossing her arms, Vira asked, "So, to surmise, you're saying that, despite wanting to sleep with other women, you deny yourself because you don't want 'your' women sleeping with other men?"

Before Cairn could answer, Vira questioned, "What if the women you're sleeping with reach a mutual understanding and agree to only sleep with you for a set period? If there is no chance of them betraying you, would you still insist on monogamy?"

Though it took him a moment to think, Cairn eventually replied, "I would," in a firm tone.

"Even if it means you can't satisfy the one woman you claim to love~?" asked Vira, causing Cairn's brows to furrow deeper.

"I'll find a way..." contended Cairn, clenching his hands into fists. He was beginning to want to punch Vira in her smug face, but even if he did, he doubted it would have any effect.

Exhaling a faint chuckle, Vira uncrossed her arms and materialized a thin vial of glowing green liquid, tossing it to Cairn as she said, "Drink that. It's a dilute mutagenetic compound that can grant someone the regenerative capabilities of a Lodir. It can't compensate for your ineptitude but should allow you to avoid embarrassing yourself."

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[Shadowflame Draught]

Rank: Unique

Level: -

Use: Grants the consumer the [Shadowflame] Talent.

Description: A mutagenic compound produced by Maa Viraja, the Grand Architect. It has been diluted more than 10,000 times, but its effects are in a league of their own.

Ingredients: [Lodir Flame Essence], [Lodir Shadow Essence], [Heart of the Lodir King], [Compound #384]

Medicinal Potency: 100%

[Shadowflame]

Rank: Unique

Effect: Health regenerates by burning Mana within the bloodstream.

Acquisition Method: Endure the caustic blood of a Level 80+ Lodir for three hours, absorbing its essence.

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Before Cairn could ask, Vira explained, "A person's Health and Mana are correlated to their physical and mental conditions. That's why you see a person's Health decreasing throughout the day, requiring them to rest and recuperate. So long as you can readily replenish your Health, you'll have no problem going two, three, or even twenty rounds. Just be mindful, as Mana Depletion Sickness can make you feel like someone split your head with an axe."

"You had this the entire time...?" asked Cairn, looking up from the vial to stare into Vira's nearly pitch-black eyes.

"I have many things," replied Vira, recrossing her arms and smiling as she added, "What I don't have is an obligation to solve all your problems. That mutagen is a reward for putting your foot down and explaining the reason for your inflexibility. If you want additional rewards, be clear, concise, and cooperative from now on."

Finished with what she had to say, Vira turned, her body fading with each step she took until only Cairn and Reine remained in the kitchen.

Turning to meet Reine's gaze, the severe expression on Cairn's face eased into an apologetic smile as he expressed, "Sorry, Reine. You're a beautiful woman and an incredible mother, but you deserve better than a man who casually consorts with other women..."

"But you don't casually consort with other women..." muttered Reine, lowering her head and pressing the tips of her fingers together as she added, "That's why, no matter how slim the chance of success, I won't give up on you...not so long as you remain within my reach..."

Inhaling and exhaling through his nose, Cairn maintained his smile but with a trace of helplessness visible in his countenance. He felt Reine was being unreasonable, but from the perspective of her, Vira, and pretty much everyone else he had encountered in Plainaire, he was undoubtedly the odd one out. Thus, instead of telling her there was no point in trying, he joked, "Just don't slip any sleep medicine or aphrodisiacs into my tea or coffee..."

Understanding that Cairn was joking, Reine giggled in amusement before staring at him with narrowed eyes and playfully responding, "There go my B and C-Plans. Now, why don't you come over here? We still need to finish preparing lunch..."

Grabbing Cairn's arm, Reine gently guided him back to his position at the cutting board, standing behind him with her breasts pressed against his back as she said, "I noticed you almost cut yourself earlier. Pick up your knife. I'll show you how to cut and dice vegetables properly..."

Without waiting for Cairn's response, Reine placed her right hand over his, holding it gently as she grabbed the knife and handed it to him. Then, as the stew boiled next to them, she carefully and deliberately demonstrated how to hold and use it...

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With little else to do, Cairn was idling about in the dining area, perusing a map of the Capital and periodically flipping through the pages of a thick, ancient-looking book detailing the Dungeons of Cliabhaan. Vira had said she could arrange to let him access virtually any Dungeon he wanted, but there was a catch.

According to the contract Vira had him sign, Cairn was obligated to repay her for the services she provided. However, as she had absolutely no use for money, repayment meant participating in her experiments or allowing her to film and record him as she had done earlier. He was allowed to opt out of her requests, but he would need to provide a justification they both agreed on...

Interrupting Cairn's research and planning, Kaia climbed backward down the stairs, finding it much easier than 'sliding' down them facing forward. When she noticed Cairn, their gazes locked for several seconds, a tense atmosphere permeating the dining area until he adopted a faint smile and asked, "Feeling better? You certainly look it..."

Returning a smile of her own, Kaia hopped over to the table Cairn was seated at before responding, "It feels like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Felix is...very thorough..."

"Speaking of which, where is the little cat...?" asked Cairn, noticing that Kaia had appeared alone.

"I was very pent up..." replied Kaia, her ears flattening as she averted her eyes bashfully.

"Sorry about that..." said Cairn, extending his hand to caress Kaia's head but stopping as he recalled the information he had read in the ecological report.

"It's fine," said Kaia, taking the initiative to rub her head against Cairn's palm, even going so far as to lean into him. Relieving her stress had put her in a very affectionate mood, but more than that, she didn't want Cairn to change how he treated her. They were ultimately the same people as earlier that day, so she would be disheartened if he suddenly refused to cuddle with her...

"You're like a puppy..." remarked Cairn. However, rather than pushing Kaia away, he ruffled her hair with his right hand, pressed his head against her temple, and wrapped his left hand around her abdomen, gently embracing her. A few seconds later, she pulled away to give him some space, smiling brightly as she asked, "What are you doing? Researching Dungeons...?"

"Yeah, but before you offer to assist, go get something to eat," replied Cairn, returning his attention to the map as he added, "Grab something for the cat while you're at it..."

"Understood," replied Kaia, surprising Cairn by touching her nose to his cheek before hopping off. Nose bumping was a way Karakuts showed affection to parents, siblings, and those they were particularly close to, so Cairn couldn't help smiling as he reached up to wipe the slight moisture from his cheek...

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"I'm baaaaaaack~!" exclaimed Elle, bursting into the room she shared with Cairn. The latter was lying down, flipping through the pages of a book, so he had the wind knocked out of him when he attempted to sit up, only for Elle to tackle him from across the room.

"Someone's excited..." remarked Cairn, sporting a somewhat pained smile as he returned Elle's tight hug.

Releasing her hold on Cairn's body, Elle sat back, smiling from ear to ear as she happily recounted, "Grandma told me about what happened this afternoon! She said you drank a Lodir mutagen just for me and told me to look forward to tonight~!"

"Well...she's not wrong..." replied Cairn, feeling uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed due to Elle's excitement. He knew it was probably all in his head, but her behavior made him think she had been frustrated because of his poor performance in the bedroom.

Grabbing the sides of Cairn's face, Elle surprised him by revealing, "I also took a mutagen. So let's have lots of fun from now on, okay?"

Without waiting for Cairn's response, Elle gave him a deep and passionate kiss. She believed Cairn had been patiently awaiting her return the entire day, so she wanted to reward him by getting directly to the point.

Deciding they could talk later, Cairn habitually unequipped his clothes and began undressing Elle. He had gotten used to taking off and even putting on her clothes, so it wasn't long before the diminutive Dwarf was reduced to her custom leather skivvies. Elle preferred leaving these on, so instead of attempting to remove them, Cairn moved his mouth from her lips to the nape of her neck as he undid the clasps keeping the flap of her spats-like shorts in place, exposing her crotch and butt.

Though she would ordinarily let Cairn do his own thing, Vira had tasked Elle with 'teaching' him how to please her. Thus, before he stuck his penis inside of her, she grabbed his head and said, "Wait. Before we move on to having sex, there's something I want us to try..."

Raising his face from Elle's breasts, Cairn asked, "What is it...?" with raised brows.

Leaving Cairn at a momentary loss, Elle beamed as she explained, "I want you to hold me upside down and lick me. I'm a little sweaty after working all day, but since we both drank a Lodir mutagen, my pheromones should get you pretty worked up. I also really like the feeling of blood rushing to my head. It makes me feel fluffy and light-headed."

Though it was an unusual request, Cairn didn't need to deliberate before responding, "If that's what you want..."

Flipping Elle upside, causing her to laugh, Cairn promptly found her pussy a few centimeters from his face. The thought of going down on a woman had been a major turnoff for him ever since he tried it in his previous life, only to discover the woman who had goaded him into it had herpes. Elle's pussy was in a 'much' better condition, almost appearing unused, so after a brief moment of indecision, he brought his mouth to her lower lips and began licking them, tentatively at first but quickly gaining traction as her surprisingly sweet scent spread through his nose and permeated his brain like a warm, staticky fog...

Not wanting to let Cairn do all the work, Elle sucked on the tip of his dick like a flute, using her nimble hands and fingers to work his shaft and play with his balls. In the past, she had been content with letting Cairn figure things out on his own. It was the policy of the Dwarves not to provide too much guidance to Humans and other species, but since Vira had given her permission, Elle intended to teach Cairn everything she knew...

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(A/N: The characters should be returning to the Dungeons pretty soon. The question is, should Cairn take along Reine? Or should I have just him and Kaia enter with Tarou? Elle could go with them, but despite her Level, she isn't really a combatant. She's also at a much higher Level than them, so they can't gain experience from the monsters she kills and vice-versa.)