When I said this, the hero lazily placed their hand on the hilt of their sword and glanced at the goblin. The goblin, sensing the tension, either fled or threw a few stones before disappearing. This was how our journey continued, with a loose yet tense atmosphere.
A.A. had been deep in thought the entire time we walked. Upon reflection, this was a significant issue for them. If A.A. became a woman, they could no longer marry Princess Erina, the elf. It wasn't about whether elves hated homosexuality or not. Erina was a *princess*. Royalty couldn't marry someone of the same gender; they needed to continue the lineage.
"Come to think of it, you won't be able to marry Princess Erina now."
"Yes… that's true."
"I wish I could help you somehow."
"No, I'm grateful just for your concern. You're my savior, Priest."
A.A.'s voice was somber as they spoke. I wondered if this was the right moment to make a move. I glanced at A.A.'s well-shaped hips, thinking about it. My image as a kind priest would be ruined, but their legs were so pretty and sexy that it might be worth the risk. Who cares if their chest is small? Their legs are perfect.
The tight leather pants were driving me crazy. When A.A. was a male hero, the outfit felt too bold, but now that they were a woman, it was unbelievably sexy. As they spoke, I kept staring at their bent knees, firm thighs, and the space between their legs.
"I don't know how to explain this to Erina. I promised to return safely…"
"At least you're safe. Princess Erina will be happy about that."
"But I can't marry her now."
A.A.'s voice cracked as they brought up marriage. Had they become more sensitive since becoming a woman, or were they genuinely shocked by the impossibility of marriage? I couldn't blame them. If I suddenly became impotent, I'd probably go insane too.
I've never even had sex with Siri, and that's unfair.
But there was nothing we could do. Complaining about an unsolvable problem wouldn't change anything. I opened my mouth to say something, but then the hero muttered:
"If only I could bear a child…"
A child? An insane idea popped into my head. Normally, the hero would've stabbed me for suggesting it, but since I'd saved their life and helped them so much, maybe now was the time to try? I asked:
"If Princess Erina were to bear the child of someone very strong, could she still marry?"
"That… no, that's absurd. Erina bearing someone else's child? I could never allow that."
A.A. shook their head firmly. I decided not to push the topic further. I'd hoped to get close to Erina, but it seemed like a "husband-approved NTR sex play" wasn't going to happen.
Pressing further would only raise suspicion. I sighed in disappointment. Betraying a comrade is painful, but since I saved the hero's life, couldn't they give me something in return?
Eventually, A.A. and I arrived at the neighboring territory, filled with monsters. The lord greeted me with a bright smile, but I could tell he was disappointed to see me unharmed.
The lord didn't recognize the hero beside me and asked:
"Who is this person with you?"
"My sister."
I lied casually. It was a cleaner explanation than saying the hero was beaten by the Demon King and I used a forbidden drug. The lord looked surprised and asked again:
"You… didn't come with the hero?"
"Oh, that friend went home."
The hero nodded along with my act. It would've been perfect if they called me "brother," but their pride as a man prevented such a bold statement. Honestly, I didn't want to be called "brother" either. Calling them my "sister" was impulsive.
"I see. Will you be passing through or staying the night? We'll treat you well, so please consider staying…"
I noticed the lord rubbing his hands together, smiling creepily. I glanced at the hero. From what I'd heard, the lord's NTR event only triggered when the protagonist arrived with a "woman." Judging by his employees' reactions, this wasn't his first time.
I decided to kill him then and there. His reputation was already ruined, so killing him wouldn't be a big deal. I happily accepted his offer and whispered to the hero, who seemed eager to leave:
"We should return looking our best, so Princess Erina isn't too shocked. Let's rest here tonight and leave refreshed."
"You're right. I didn't think of that. Let's do that, Priest."
We rested at the mansion. The lord treated us lavishly. We were served luxurious dishes I'd never eaten at my own mansion, and after the meal, servants even gave us massages. I checked my status screen multiple times to ensure there was no poison in the food or tea, but there was no sign of it.
The lord just wanted to impress us. Logically, even a crazy NTR lord wouldn't dare touch the "sister" of a territory breaker. Of course, that wasn't my concern.
Tonight, the tanned, blonde, fat lord would be killed for attempting to assault my "sister."
Late at night, I carefully got up and grabbed my mace. The mansion's hallway was empty. I crept down the corridor to the lord's study. He was snoring in a makeshift bed. I approached cautiously, confirming he was in a deep sleep. His steady breathing and rising chest confirmed it.
Once I was sure, I grabbed the lord's neck and dragged him out of the study. If anyone had crossed my path, I would've killed them too, but luckily, no one did.
"Hmm? Wha… Who's… ugh…"
As soon as the lord woke up, I struck his head lightly, knocking him out. I dragged his unconscious body to the hero's room, took a deep breath, stripped off his pants and underwear, and hurled him by the neck into the hero's door with all my strength.
*Bang!*
"Waaaaah!"
The impact woke the lord, who rolled on the floor, screaming. Startled by the noise, the hero grabbed their sword and pointed it at the lord. The lord clutched his head, screaming.
"Aaaah! Aak!"
"How dare you try to assault an innocent woman?"
"S-sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"
I said whatever came to mind, and the lord, realizing the situation, started begging. Truly a lord with keen instincts. The hero looked back and forth between us and asked:
"What's going on, Priest?"
"This man tried to assault you. I found him at your door."
The lord, lying face down, looked confused. Before he could say anything strange, I smashed my mace into his head.
"Guaaak!"
The lord let out a pig-like squeal and collapsed. No, *crushed* was a better word. His head was buried in his torso, like a honey pot. I left the lord's mangled body and approached the hero. They stared at the gruesome scene and said:
"I could've protected myself… but thank you, Priest."
"You're a woman now. Be careful."
I wiped the blood off my face and said that. The hero looked awkward at being called a woman and chuckled. Their laugh was cute.
I'd never seen a death so unmourned. Even Hitler's suicide probably garnered more sympathy. No matter the reason, killing a lord in someone else's territory was heinous.
The territory's knights looked at the flattened lord with disgust. They seemed relieved he was dead. The servants and the captain investigating the incident all reacted the same way.
"He brought this upon himself with his actions."
The captain didn't even seem interested in hearing my story. Without evidence or the hero's testimony, he simply nodded in agreement. What had this lord been doing? I felt like I could've killed him just for smiling at me, and the captain would've said, "Well, that's understandable."
Regret washed over me for not killing him sooner. The hero was visibly tense, experiencing a knight-level investigation for the first time. The captain concluded the report:
"We'll send this news to the royal palace, so we can't teleport you."
If a lord dies without an heir, the palace assigns a noble without a territory to take over. Hoping the next lord would be decent, we left the neighboring territory.
The hero grew more tense as we approached Peta Territory. I was curious about Erina's reaction too. Would she be shocked or calm? As we entered the territory, a patrolling guard rushed to report our arrival to Lady Ahildern, Princess Erina.
By the time we reached the mansion, Erina was already rushing out to meet us. Her face lit up with joy at seeing her long-lost love. With a teary, pouty expression, she immediately hugged the hero and started rambling:
"Why were you so late? I thought something happened to you… Did you kill the Demon King? Are you hurt? You're okay, right? We need to go back to the kingdom—if there's any problem, I won't let it slide… And… wait, what?"
After a flurry of questions, Erina pulled away, her eyes narrowing. She squinted at the hero, confused. The hero stammered:
"E-Erina… it's… me…"
"Who…?"
Erina was clearly shocked to realize she'd hugged a stranger. The hero had to explain. I chimed in:
"Princess Erina, this is the hero."
"What? Are you kidding me? A.A. turned into a woman? Do you take me for a fool? Where's A.A.? Don't tell me they're… dead?"
Erina's face contorted. She was considering the worst-case scenario. The hero, A.A., grabbed Erina's hand, trying to calm her panic:
"Erina, it's me, A.A. Remember when we first met? You were being chased by three goblins and two orcs. You were out of arrows and dodging, and I was walking through the forest."
A.A. recounted details only they and Erina could know. At first, Erina looked skeptical, but gradually, she had no choice but to believe this woman was the hero. She sighed deeply and asked:
"Why did this happen?"
"I had to use the potion you gave me, Princess Erina."
"That potion had this effect?"
Erina was stunned. She probably didn't know about the side effects. Thinking about how I almost used it on myself instead of the hero sent shivers down my spine. A.A. asked Erina...