"S-s-s-slow doooown—!!!" Ariane panicked and held me even tighter, her large breasts pressing against my back as I ran at full speed towards Diento.
Inari, meanwhile held her little front paws up, enjoying the wind.
I'm not gonna lie, this is uncomfortable for me, too. I'm running at full speed with a raging boner, after all.
It's been a month and a half, and this is the first time I'm feeling such soft boobs against my body in so long… combined with the fact that Astolfo's body is the embodiment of virility.
It's good that I'm a grower, but when it grows, it's an obvious thing through my thin panties… Luckily, I'm wearing a skirt that hides it pretty well.
Within a few hours, we had already made it to the nearby river next to Diento.
"No…N-No way… is that the Lydel River?"
Ariane shakily stood there in shock after I let her down. Meanwhile, I sat on the ground with my knees tucked in, my torso bent slightly forward as I pulled my skirt down to hide my bulging crotch.
"Y-yeah… I guess you could say I'm pretty fast, eh?"
"Are you tired? Sorry, I'm a bit heavy…" Ariane looked at her chest and chuckled nervously with a blush on her cheeks.
"No! You're super light, Ariane! It's just… just give me a moment, I recover pretty quickly…"
Go down, you stupid boner!!!
"Um, you go ahead and start walking to the city gates with Inari, I'll catch up to you in a moment!"
Ariane hesitated a bit, but she agreed and happily took Inari to her chest and walked down the dusty road to the city.
Once out of view, I sprinted to the nearby forest and relieved myself. Luckily, just one time was enough to calm myself down, but I should avoid touching Ariane again…
I washed my hands in the river and ran back to meet my new Elven friend.
"Are you okay?"
I glanced at Ariane's face but immediately blushed in embarrassment and shame and looked away. "Y-yeah. I'm fine! Let's go!"
We made our way to the city, but since it was likely that the Gate Guards would ask Ariane to lower her hood, we decided to sneak into the city using my speed to scale the walls before anyone could notice.
"We made it through… now what?" I asked,
"Danka and I usually meet up just across that bridge leading to the town square. We might as well wait there since we're early."
Luckily, we didn't have to wait long as a hooded figure approached us.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ariane."
"That's alright, Danka. We didn't wait long at all."
I turn my head to the elf, wonder how they'd look like, only to meet eyes with the Elf I came across the other day, the one scouting the city.
"Ariane… why is she here?" He asked, clearly pissed.
"We've been through a lot today, so…— Let's move. We'll draw too much attention if we stay here." Ariane explained briefly before advising us to go.
"Fine…" Danka agreed. He looked at me with the same pissed glare and continued his complaint.
"Didn't I tell you not to get involved?"
I simply didn't say a word and chuckled. It's not my fault I was hired, man!
We walked through the city, stopping by a stretch of road that bustled with many people and street shops.
Ariane offered to get us all food, but Danka insisted he would get it. Ariane and I instead looked for a table outside and soon Danka came back with Diento's signature street dish; beef kebab and honey beer.
As we began eating Ariane decided to formally introduce the male elf. "This is Danka Niel Maple. He's an Elven Warrior, like me. He's been gathering information for us. Danka, this is—"
"Astolfo. I know."
Ariane briefly explained how she and I got acquainted and Danka just sighed. He looked at me with a bit of annoyance but it seems he got more accepting of me since I helped the elven children.
"It seems you're dead set on having this woman come along…"
Ugh… woman… I have a feeling I'll be involved with these guys for a long time, so I probably should tell them, but now's not the time.
"I gather you've found exactly where their base is, Danka?" Ariane asked.
"Yeah. They operate in a building close to the Red Light District. Now that the Sun is down their bound to be busy for a while. They have guards posted outside, and it's safe to assume they have even more inside. We'll plan our infiltration in the dead of night, when there's less foot traffic in the streets."
"How many did they capture?" Ariane asked, referring to the elves who were already taken.
"Four, as far as I'm aware. Though, I overheard them say they were expecting some more today."
That 'more' was probably the four children we saved.
"For now, we will just wait."
I got up from the table and left Inari with Ariane, as she seemed very happy to run her hands through the spirit beast's fur.
"I want to go around and try some more food while we wait, then! I'll bring you some good stuff, Inari!"
"Kyuun!"
After a few hours of going around and trying all the good foods and alcohol, I came back with the sweetest berries and succulent meats for Inari to eat.
"Alright… Are you guys ready?" Danka asked.
"Yes." Ariane gripped the handle of her sheathed sword in affirmation.
"Yeah! Let's go knock some heads!" I whisper 'shouted' while raising my fists in the air.
Danka led us to the target building but stopped once he got a good look at me. "Hold on… Can't you take off those plates on your hips and shoulders? This is supposed to be a stealthy mission… the sound they make when you walk might alert the guards."
"You might be right… hold on, let me try something…"
I stopped and focused on my very being, my current body is set to a perfect combination of 'Rider' and 'Saber'. Can I make myself fully Saber and change my outfit?
A dim light enveloped my body for a moment and my plate armor disappeared, along with my cape, leaving me with the full Saber outfit, which looked inspired by a maid's outfit.
"Whoa…!" Ariane looked at me like she wanted to pet me, but she held back.
"You changed outfits in an instant… You have a magic item?" Danka mumbled, not expecting an answer from me.
"Moving on, let's see how we'll tackle this operation…" Danka steered away from my amazing transformation back to the missions
Ariane pointed to the highest point of the building. "That window there. Astolfo, do you think you can jump us up there with your strength?"
"Not a problem!" I was hesitant about touching Ariane after the 'incident' I had by the river, but since I have to carry Danka as well, he can just act as my 'mood damper'.
I carried Ariane in a princess-style, and she blushed in embarrassment, but I tried my best to ignore her and quickly jumped up with ease.
"Whoa…" I almost cleared the building with that jump. I guess when I'm more Saber than I am a mix of both Rider and Saber, I'm physically stronger?
Now that I feel it… I don't feel quite as fast as before, too…
I'll have to experiment with Rider, the mix of both types, and Saber at some point soon.
Before my little (big) brother down there could rise, I went down to get Danka and it immediately calmed down.
Danka coughed to get rid of the awkwardness of being carried like a princess by me and we all looked to the window.
"I'll head in first…!" Ariane hopped halfway in the window, but her wide hips and large butt hindered her briefly.
I quickly looked away as I didn't want my body to react, and I distracted myself by petting Inari, much to her pleasure.
Danka also looked away like the gentleman he is.
"Oof! I made it through!" Ariane muttered.
I followed her inside with much ease as I'm smaller than her and we both turned to Danka, who was still outside.
"Don't worry, Danka, we'll find another way through to you." Ariane said.
"Hold on, I can probably just do this…" I unsheathed my sword and placed it on the corner of the window.
Without making much noise, I cut the wall like paper vertically down and do the same for the other corner, then slice the bottom horizontally.
I feel like this sword could even cut air molecules in half with this unbelievable sharpness…
"Amazing… that sword is outrageously sharp…" Ariane and Danka both looked at my sword in awe and shock.
Danka stepped in and took a quick look around, surmising that this attic was a storage room, commenting that basements are most commonly used for storage, not the top-most level.
Meaning, the slaves are probably held in the basement. Pretty par for the course, I'd say.
Danka went ahead as Ariane stood next to me, her cheeks were tinged red. "You could've done that before I had to squeeze in like that!" She complained.
"Embarrassed about what it did to your lovely figure? You don't have to be worried!" I hit my chest in confidence, but Ariane just looked at my chest and then her own.
"S-sorry." Ariane looked apologetic for some reason and stopped complaining.
"Come on, let's go." I hurried the silly woman and caught up to Danka, who went down the stairs quietly.
The stench of blood assaulted my nose immediately and we both turned our heads to the first open room we came across, Danka standing in the middle, surrounded by guards who lay dead on their beds, throats cut open.
"How… did you do this so quickly, Danka?" Ariane asked.
"Wasn't me. The blood isn't even dried yet… This must've happened only minutes ago. Don't let your guards down."
Once we walked to an intersecting hallway, Danka stopped and pointed straight down the hall.
"Let's split up and search for the stairwell leading down to the basement." Danka suggested.
Ariane went down the right hallway, and I went to the left.
With soft steps, I tried opening the first door in the hall, but it was locked. I carefully inserted the tip of my blade into the keyhole and the sword sliced into the metal like butter, breaking the locking mechanism.
I open the door only to find more dead guards.
*swish*
My body moves on its own as my hand catches a metal object that was coming at my neck. "A kunai…?"
Without giving me time to process, a shadowy figure came out of nowhere and slashed at me with a thin blade. I ducked and dodged easily.
After a short combo, they jumped back and with the glow of the moonlight, I saw her clearly as she spoke in a quiet voice.
"I made sure the door was locked, yet you still came in here relatively silently. How did you manage to get in?"
"A Ninja!!"
Not just any ninja… she has what are clearly cat ears on top of her head and a tail! A ninja with cat ears!
A Catgirl Ninja!!!!
"Kyu?" Inari popped out from my back, probably feeling my excitement.
The ninja catgirl widened her eyes at the sight of Inari and seemed to relax a bit, putting her sword away and digging into her pocket.
Is she gonna throw another kunai…?
Nope. Instead, she threw some berries and Inari immediately caught them midair, eating them as she came down.
The ninja approached the spirit beast and began petting her.
I-Inari… seriously? That was all it took for you…? "They say spirit beasts are tough to win over, but it took you less than three seconds…"
The ninja stood up after getting her fill of pets and spoke to me casually. "It appears you aren't with their people. Accept my apologies, but… why are you here?"
She's clearly against this slavery situation, and I wouldn't be surprised that beast people, or whatever they're called in this world, would be treated the same way as elves. I guess she may as well be an ally.
"Ah, I know why. You're here to save the elves." She answered her own question as quickly as she throws kunai.
"You'll find two of them in the underground cell. Also, take this." She informed me as she tossed me a rolled parchment.
"There are six more papers in that desk back there. I think you'll find them useful."
"Are you here for elves…? Or…"
"No, I had a different target, this time… Also, you should know that the elves are being held in the Marquis' castle." She climbed onto the frame of the window and looked back at me.
"I expect us to meet again, you and I."
With that parting gift of information, she jumped out and dashed through rooftops, quickly escaping out of view.
"There they go…" I opened up the rolled paper and smirked. It was receipts for people who bought or sold elven slaves.