Chapter 23: Fallout

Swish. Swish. Splash.

The bathroom is steamy. I close my eyes, focusing on the sounds. Vega gently scrubs the dirt from my body, while Hera pours water over me.

‘…This is… surprisingly nice.’

They’re both covered by a single white towel, and I’m frozen in place, acutely aware of every sound, every touch. I initially tried to escape this… situation, but they pulled me back in. And honestly, it feels amazing after a long day of work.

I chant a mantra internally, trying to maintain my composure. Hera and Vega, pleased with my reaction, smile and become more… thorough with their ministrations.

Despite their cooperative facade in front of Jaehan, Vega and Hera are engaged in a silent battle. Both want to… monopolize his attention.

Vega, using her [Life-Giving Black Wings], channels her magic into his muscles, soothing his aches and pains, while simultaneously… enjoying the experience.

But there’s an obstacle: Hera Nemesis, trying to get closer to Jaehan.

Vega knows his magic isn’t for combat or healing. It has a unique effect on Hera: it transforms the normally painful influx of magic into pleasure. Hera, still suffering from the residual pain, craves his touch.

“That feels good…”

Jaehan sighs contentedly.

‘Now!’

Hera tries to slip past Vega and press herself against Jaehan’s back.

Thwack.

‘Ugh?’

‘Not so fast.’

Vega blocks her.

‘…Did you underestimate me?’

Hera releases a small amount of magic to push Vega aside.

“Don’t move.”

‘….’

‘Just this once… please!’

Hera knows it’s shameless, but Jaehan is too important. Without hesitation…

Slip. Thud.

…she drops her towel and approaches him.

“Mmm…”

Jaehan, still lost in the pleasure of Vega’s massage, hasn’t noticed. Now, Hera can finally… enjoy him without interruption.

Let’s recap:

One: Vega and Hera are only cooperating superficially; they’re both competing for Jaehan’s attention.

Two: Vega is channeling her magic into Jaehan, unknowingly creating a direct link between them.

Three: Hera, unaware of this, is about to touch Jaehan, while Vega’s magic is still inside him.

‘…Sorry, Vega, but just a little…’

As Hera’s fingertips touch Jaehan’s skin…

“Eeeek!”

“Mmm!”

Crackle! Pop! Boom!

“What?!”

The unexpected happens. As Hera tries to absorb Jaehan’s magic, it mixes with Vega’s, sending a surge of overwhelming pleasure through her. And because Vega’s magic is directly linked to her, she experiences the same pleasure.

Overwhelmed, they both release their remaining magic, blasting a hole in the ceiling. Jaehan’s old cabin can’t withstand the combined power of two of the world’s strongest beings.

When Jaehan opens his eyes, he doesn’t see the bathroom ceiling.

“…Am I dreaming? Why am I seeing stars in the bathroom?”

He sees the night sky, filled with beautiful stars.

“Welcome to Horizon Real Estate. How can I help you?”

“…Do you have any land where a Star Witch and a Villainess can fight without destroying everything?”

“…Excuse me?”

Vega and Hera are confined to slime-sitting duty, left to their own reflections. As I browse the real estate listings, I can’t help but miss my little cabin, my first home after arriving in this world, the home I built with my own hands.

‘…Be happy in the afterlife, little cabin.’

But I can’t dwell on the past. I need a house, a place for healing and comforting. I wanted a bigger farm anyway, and a dedicated space for the slimes.

“…Forget I said that.”

“Haha, of course. Now then, how can I help you?”

“I’m looking to buy some land. Any good deals available?”

“What’s your budget?”

The agent puts on his sales smile. I’m not sure how much it’ll cost to rebuild the farm and a new, sturdier house…

“Around 100 million gold.”

“…Excuse me? How much?”

“100 million. Is that too low?”

“One… moment, please.”

He rushes off, sweating profusely. Five minutes later…

“Oh, forgive our ignorance! We didn’t realize we had such a distinguished guest! Can I offer you a drink?”

“No, thank you.”

A man, clearly someone important, approaches with a stack of documents and leads me inside.

“Now then, let’s discuss your requirements.”

“Yes, sir.”

He starts listing the advantages of various properties.

“You’re looking for a large plot of land, so this one would be perfect…”

“Hmm…”

“This land is very fertile, excellent for farming. As you can see here…”

“Hmm…”

“And it’s close to central Horizon, ideal for distribution…”

“Hmm…”

After hours of presentations, nothing catches my eye. There are three potential options, but… the first, while large, has poor water access and costs 300 million gold, far exceeding my budget. The second, advertised for its fertility, is too far from Horizon for convenient distribution.

‘And it’s 200 million.’

The third is in central Horizon, close to transportation hubs, but the plot is small and the soil is poor. And it costs 230 million, just because of its location.

“I don’t think any of these are suitable.”

“Oh, I see. Would you like to see some other listings?”

“No, I’ll… look around and come back later.”

As I stand to leave, a document falls to the floor.

“What’s this?”

“Oh, that’s… how did that get in here? Don’t worry about it.”

“No, tell me about this one.”

“Well…”

Located ten minutes from central Horizon by carriage, fertile land suitable for various crops, excellent irrigation systems, three times the size of my current farm… and the price?

“…How much?”

“Well, no one wants to buy it, so… currently…”

2.5 million gold.

Why is such prime real estate so cheap? The answer is simple.

“It’s contaminated by demonic magic. The Saint quarantined it a long time ago.”

It’s a wasteland, uninhabitable by humans.