An Archer's Promise Chapter 89: Return (Patreon)

Not fully beta read yet

Sorry for the late update the lemon took a while to get it right. Also, I will add the link for the Archer x Chloe images provided by Archer Supporter here and at the bottom of the chap too in case ya missed it somehow. Or if you don't want to see it before reading the whole lemon, up to you.

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1seTEhzPeIZwNMYmcVAPqPF3Kyghib4-L

Next update is To Love a Sword.

Of course, Lemon Warning!

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-Feoh-

"This is exhausting."

If there was one thing Serafina had come to realize, it was that Celestine carried far more responsibilities than she had initially expected. With the goddess reborn having left alongside the main group to search for Olga, someone needed to take care of the duties she had temporarily abandoned, and Serafina refused to simply sit around while the Princess Knights handled everything by themselves. Taking on part of that workload meant looking after several orphanages that were still being constructed because of Alicia's efforts to provide children with proper homes, aiding the Knights, as well as tending to people affected by the recent tragedies. Healing spells allowed her to mend injuries directly, while her knowledge of medicine and magic also proved useful when assisting potion makers with concoctions designed to treat various illnesses. None of it felt particularly burdensome on its own, but the sheer number of people requiring help made the days feel considerably longer than she had expected.

"Oh, goddess, please accept my offering. Here is all that I can offer." An elderly man held out his hand, several copper coins and a single silver coin resting in his palm. 

As much as she appreciated this gesture, it was ultimately unnecessary. Thus she gently pushed his hand back toward him and offered a warm smile. "Keep these and use them to feed your family. Keeping them well fed and protected will serve as a greater reward for me." The old man's fingers curled around the coins again, his expression becoming even more emotional as he struggled to find a suitable response.

"Oh, goddess reborn, how can I ever thank you?"

"I am no goddess, just someone who wants to help." Coins meant very little to her anyway. This certainly wasn't the first time people had attempted to compensate her for healing them, whether through gold, artifacts, jewelry, or whatever else they believed might satisfy someone they considered divine. Every offer had been refused without hesitation, yet the population continued bringing whatever they could spare despite being told beforehand that nothing was required. At this point, their persistence had become more frustrating than flattering.

"You have done a great deal, Lady Serafina." A middle-aged priest walked alongside her, dressed in the robes of Celestine's church with the familiar emblem displayed across his clothing. As one of the people responsible for handling the Church of Celestine's affairs in Feoh, he had accompanied her throughout much of the day's work and had witnessed firsthand how much she had been doing.

"It's nothing. I am more than happy to take on these duties and help as many unfortunate souls as possible." A small smile accompanied the response, though she already had a feeling she knew where this conversation would lead. Everyone around her treated her almost like a fragile vase that might break if handled improperly. Considering how little they knew about her actual nature, she couldn't entirely blame them. They were simply trying to perform their duties as best they could.

"Forgive me for saying this, Lady Serafina, but you really shouldn't have turned down those offerings." The unexpected comment drew her attention toward him, clearly puzzled by what he meant. "You see, we treat these people, and they offer compensation for our efforts. Those funds don't simply go into our pockets. They also help fund our activities, allowing us to continue giving back to the community and assisting the poor."

"Why can't you just ask Alicia for more funding?"  

She might not have understood every aspect of the human world's systems, but she understood enough to find it difficult to accept taking the little money these people possessed, especially after everything they had already suffered. Their families needed food, medicine, and shelter far more than the church needed another handful of coins.

The priest gave a small chuckle and shook his head. "The matter is more complicated than that. People should also be allowed to show their devotion to the goddess reborn through these means. Our church has hundreds of thousands of members, and we cannot handle that many people using only the funds provided by Lady Alicia." His explanation carried enough conviction to show that he genuinely believed the system served a purpose, even if she clearly didn't agree with it.

"Then surely you can avoid taking any money after the disasters that have occurred recently. A month or two won't hurt the church's foundation." She still insisted, especially when the people offering those coins could barely afford to part with them. The priest's expression became complicated as he considered the request, but after a moment he lowered his head in reluctant agreement.

"I understand, Lady Serafina."

With that, he departed, leaving the matter behind as far as he was concerned. Serafina, however, couldn't dismiss it nearly as easily. "Why does Celestine even need a church in the first place now?" 

From what she remembered, her sister did not try to create it but simply accepted its existence. With that thought, she went away after an hour, accompanied by several knights assigned to escort her. Having finished everything she could for the day, she still had other matters that needed attention, yet something about the priest's explanation continued bothering her. 

“Hm?” 

Turning her head toward the church one final time, she noticed a large crowd gathered outside its gates. Guards were pushing people away from the entrance, but what caught her attention came a moment later. Several individuals discreetly handed small coin pouches to the guards, who accepted the payments before allowing them through. “This…” Her eyes narrowed as the realization settled in. Apparently, her earlier conversation had been taken about as seriously as a passing suggestion.

Changing direction, she marched toward the gates.

"Lady Serafina?" One of the knights tried to call after her, but a slight smile and a dismissive wave stopped the attempt before anyone could follow.

"It's fine. Let me just handle something before we leave." She continued toward the gathering without slowing down, and the closer she came, the more heads began turning in her direction. The clothing Alicia had given her, garments originally worn by Celestine herself, remained something Serafina had yet to grow comfortable wearing. She had always been accustomed to moving around without clothing, so covering herself from head to toe simply to maintain the image expected of Celestine still felt strange. Oddly enough, standing fully dressed while surrounded by so many staring eyes felt more awkward than being completely naked ever had.

"It's the goddess reborn!"

"Lady Celestine!"

"Please help my child!"

"My mother is ill!"

"I'll give you everything! Please help my husband!"

The crowd erupted almost immediately, desperate voices overlapping as people attempted to push through the guards and reach her. Serafina didn't particularly mind being mistaken for Celestine if that confusion gave these people hope. Her own name carried little value to the masses, and from everything she had learned, the church had already established the story that the goddess reborn had no sisters. Revealing the truth now would only create unnecessary problems for everyone involved. Somewhere behind the crowd, the priest called her name and urged her to return, but she paid him no attention. Her gaze remained fixed on the desperate people gathered before her as a pale golden glow slowly formed within one hand.

The light grew brighter, then expanded outward from her body in a wide dome. It swept across the gathering like an enormous wave, immediately encompassing hundreds of people at once. Gasps spread through the crowd as countless points of golden light appeared throughout the area, shimmering like tiny pieces of starlight. Each particle drifted downward, settling over injured bodies and aching limbs before sinking into wounds and afflicted areas. Warmth spread through those touched by the spell, soothing pain and restoring injuries that moments earlier had left them struggling.

"It's healing!"

"What is this? My leg no longer hurts!"

"This is the blessing of the goddess!"

The golden radiance gradually receded, leaving hundreds of people staring at their own bodies in disbelief as they realized the pain and injuries they had carried were gone. Some touched their arms or legs repeatedly, while others looked toward their families in amazement. The crowd that had moments earlier been pushing and shouting now stood around Serafina with renewed hope, their expressions filled with gratitude. She could feel their faith strengthening, and seeing so many people receive the help they desperately needed brought a genuine warmth to her heart.

Right before their eyes, the wounds, bruises, and other ailments disfiguring their bodies and souls began to mend at a visible rate. Flesh knitted itself back together, bruises faded, and the signs of exhaustion and injury gradually disappeared until, within a matter of seconds, none of the people before her carried the wounds they had arrived with. A large portion of Serafina's mana reserve vanished in the process, the sudden expenditure taking its toll on her body, yet her expression barely changed. She had not used a spell of this scale in a very long time, and the lack of recent practice naturally made her less efficient than Celestine, who had centuries of experience with such magic. 'I should ask Celestine for some guidance. It's been a while since I have used something like this.' The thought lingered briefly before she dismissed it. The spell had accomplished what she needed it to do.

A smile gradually appeared across her face when the first grateful expressions reached her. Some of the people began crying, others cheered, and before long, several among the crowd lowered their heads and started praying while calling Celestine's name. The sight brought an unfamiliar warmth to Serafina, who watched the scene for a moment longer than she initially intended. 'So this is how it feels. No wonder she wants to help so many people.' She had not been given the purpose of aiding these people. Her reason for being here involved helping Archer and the others deal with an otherworldly threat, nothing more. That did not mean she had to ignore people who had been left helpless by the disaster around them. If she had the ability to help, there was little reason to stand aside and watch them suffer.

With that matter handled, she turned around, only to find Lucian rushing toward her with a frustrated expression. "Lady Serafina, what was that? What happened?" The priest stopped a short distance away, still trying to catch his breath after hurrying over.

"Rest now, Lucian. I have merely reduced your workload and healed these people." Her simple response only seemed to make him more agitated, though she continued listening without interrupting as he tried to explain himself.

"Bu-but, the church was more than prepared to handle them! We have our own physicians, our healers inside waiting!" 

His stubborn insistence made the blonde elf wonder why the matter bothered him so much. These people had just survived a calamity, and many had arrived injured, frightened, and desperate for assistance. She could not understand why healing them herself had become such a problem.

"These people have just escaped a calamity. They are willing to give everything and anything to seek help. I cannot allow them to part with essentials they still need to survive, so I went out of my way to help them. I'm sure there are others who will still seek help from you, so it would be best to focus on them. Those who were most desperate will no longer require such aid." 

"But, but, but, this goes beyond what we agreed upon! If no people come inside, then the flow of revenue will disappear and business will slow down. The—"

"—Business?" The single word stopped him in his tracks, and the moment it left her mouth, the reason for his earlier frustration became considerably clearer, "Need I remind you that the Church of Celestine, from what I understand, was made to help those in need without finding compensation? Has my sister lied to me? I told you before, if you really do need monetary compensation to cover the costs, then approach Alicia."

"Lady Serafina, you must understand, we had an understanding with Celestine, and she would have never intervened like this..."

"I am not Celestine." Her tone hardened, the patience she had shown until then beginning to wear thin. It was not often that she found herself reaching the end of her patience. Still, this was not the time to start a conflict with the Church, and she had no intention of involving herself in matters that others would have to handle once they returned. "I hope that is all, Lucian. I will be going now."

Without waiting for another argument, she turned away and parted from the priest. The irritation she could sense coming from him followed for a moment, but Serafina chose not to acknowledge it. There were more important matters demanding her attention, particularly the threat spreading through the surrounding areas, and wasting time dealing with his complaints would accomplish nothing.

Reaching the knights, her attention immediately settled on the brunette leading the group. "Sarah? Have you done what I asked you?" The woman gave a firm nod before reporting what they had accomplished.

"We have surrounded and contained the areas you mentioned. Anyone found with the mark has been either captured or killed." The report confirmed what Serafina had already suspected from the information she had gathered during her time here. The beast possessed the ability to grant others powers similar to blessings, except the gifts came with a corrupting influence attached to them. 

In several areas, more and more people carrying those powers had begun appearing, forcing Alicia to deal with each incident as quickly as possible. Even with Sophie taking on more of the paperwork and administrative burden, Alicia had started showing signs of being overwhelmed, leaving Serafina with little choice but to assist wherever she could.

One way to help involved purifying those affected and cleansing the surrounding areas of the beast's taint. Though, her purification did not mean simply removing the energy altogether. In practice, she had to overwrite the lingering corruption with her own power, replacing what the beast had left behind — which in itself was a challenge. The effects of that influence had already proven dangerous, driving some people toward madness and leaving others corrupted beyond measure. The blonde hoped they could locate the source before the situation deteriorated further, but confronting the beast alone would amount to little more than suicide. "Alright, lead me to them. Any trace of the one I told you about?"

“... Unfortunately no, we tried to find the person of your description but nothing came up.” 

Well, she should have figured that would be the case. “Nevermind then, just lead me to the others.” 

Sarah nodded and started walking, with Serafina following alongside her while the remaining knights kept pace nearby. The group had only traveled for a short while before she finally brought up another matter that had been bothering her. "Speaking of which, what happened with Brynn? I haven't seen her for a while."

"She's probably with Lady Claudia. With how busy we've been, it's been hard to keep in contact with her." 

"I'm sorry for making you do so much."

"P-Please don't say that! We are more than happy to help you, and it is our duty as well. We were ordered by Lady Alicia to follow all of your orders too. You cannot allow the people to suffer through such a disaster once again." She said with conviction, the knights had already accepted the responsibility placed upon them, and Serafina could only respect their willingness to continue despite everything happening around them.

…

An abandoned house eventually came into view, its neglected exterior making it clear that nobody had been living there for some time. Before even reaching the entrance, Serafina could already sense the lingering presence of malevolent energy around the structure. 

“No matter how many times I sense it, this is beyond disturbing and unnatural.” 

Several wounded knights remained nearby, beaten, covered with both burn marks and cuts — due to their conflict against those who had received the beast's powers. 

"Lady Serafina!" Just as she prepared to enter, a voice called out from farther away.

A messenger on horseback approached before dismounting and bowing respectfully. "How may I be of service?"

"I want you to send a message to Claudia. Things have been getting a bit hectic lately, and I would appreciate it if she can help me out. I understand that she is busy helping her husband, and for that, I will be coming to check up on him this evening." 

Ordinarily, there would have been no need to send a message. Serafina could have simply spoken with the Princess Knight directly, but Claudia had been absent from the palace for some time and rarely visited anymore. Neither she nor Alicia had questioned her about it, both understanding what was most likely going through the woman's mind and giving her the space she needed. Showing up at her house without warning would only risk overstepping those boundaries, so sending word ahead seemed more appropriate.

'If I remember correctly, that book should be in Celestine's library. If nothing else works, then that is my only option.' Her thoughts turned toward Klaus, whose condition remained difficult to deal with. His wounds and scars extended far beyond the physical injuries visible on his body. The damage had also reached his mind, and ordinary healing magic could not necessarily repair something like that. There was, however, another method available, though Serafina had never liked the idea of using it.

Forcefully erasing someone's memories could be considered dark magic, and under normal circumstances, it would be an option she would prefer to avoid entirely. Yet the longer she considered Klaus's condition, the more willing she became to resort to it if her next attempt this evening failed. If every memory of the pain he had suffered could be erased, perhaps the Klaus he used to be might return. Perhaps Claudia could finally rest without having to watch her husband continue watching over him with the promise of a slow recovery that had no guarantee.

Her gaze drifted toward the distance, toward the direction where Claudia's house lay hidden from view. Serafina could only hope that it would not be too late for her to use that method if everything else failed. 

‘I pray nothing happens to the others… no, that's unlikely to happen with both Celestine present and Archer. Death is not possible.’ With Celestine's gift, as long as she remained with the main group, the blonde did not fear for anyone's life. ‘I do wonder how Archer is doing, hopefully he is not overburdened.’

{Break}

-Edge of the Fürenstentum Fuchswald forest-

(Present time)

(Lemon Start)

Within the dark forest, surrounded by trees as nothing but the sound of cicadas and singing from the drunken people echoed across the field — including that of a certain red-headed Princess Knight. 

Dancing around the campfire and forcing the others to join in on the fun. 

While this ambiance settled in that area, a completely different atmosphere existed on the opposite end of the forest. Far enough to not be heard and secluded enough for their figures to be hidden by the trees. Water rushing south from the nearby stream and traces of fireflies occasionally illuminating the scene of two bodies pressing against one another.

A certain dark elf’s fingers trembled as they worked at the remaining clasps of her armor. Though then again, Archer was being extremely generous with that description, since there was nothing but a thin film of scaly metal pasted upon her chest — similar to the one Olga had. The only clasp being the one right above her chest, where with a single “click” it fell to the ground.

Her face approached his, strands of blonde hair tickling his noise and skin. "I'm not... good at this," she admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't mean you should look down upon me. This… t-this may not be my first time… but—”

A warm hand gently came to rest upon her head, “You don't have to dwell on painful memories of the past — we can stop at any time, so just follow your heart.” Archer felt her tense body barely relax. Having an idea of the kind of life she must have gone through with Mandeville, he had no desire to make her relive them. So, he figured it was best to keep her distracted with something else like she wanted. “Besides, I do find it funny how only you can think of the act of intimacy as a competition or a duel between us.” As he said that, his hand still resting against her back slowly started to gently massage it. It was effective enough to make her ease up ever so slightly. 

“I just don't like being looked down upon…”

‘Of course, as if that wasn't the most obvious thing in the world.’ 

He did not say it out loud, but his eyes made that point pretty clear. "I figured that along with that lack of experience. Given your clear resentment for humans that’s a big no, and as far as I know there were never any male elves I spotted back in Castle Discordia for you to indulge with as well I suppose."

"Of course there weren't," she retorted, though her voice lacked its usual bite, more muffled with a low tone as she stared at the ground. "How could we allow even a few high elves or light elves to be there as anything but prisoners of war or slaves? Besides, even if by some miracles there were some, I wouldn't have done anything that had me distracted and no longer able to focus on my duties."

“I see.” 

“Humph,” She rolled her eyes, a slow huff coming from her lips, "Speaking of which, don't even think of accusing me of ever trying anything with a demon."

"I wouldn't even imagine it. You're more likely to decapitate one for just looking at you strangely." 

"Well… you're right," she agreed without even trying to correct anything. "And for the record I have done it. Cutting off their heads, I mean."

During their little conversation, he noticed how she kept switching between uncertainty and shyness, but still trying to sound assertive. . Despite the boldness she had shown earlier, clearly that action itself had already taken a large chunk of her courage, as she was starting to falter.

"Good thing I'm not a demon.” 

"Humph, of course you're not," Chloe replied as she descended and pressed her lips against his. "You claim unfortunately to be something much worse that brings shame down to my core. A human.” She told him between kisses as she adjusted herself.

The action itself ended up being pretty innocent and quite shy at first, merely her lips touching his, nothing more. Their softness was an enjoyable sensation, no matter how brief it felt. This went on for several seconds until she released him and distanced herself, looking back at him. "But I wouldn't mind learning a few new things from a human, for now."

"You sure, you don’t just want more reasons to hate humans even more now?" 

She faltered even further. "I-It's different now, and you know it.” Her blush spread. “How was it?"

"How was what?" 

"How was the kiss! You idiot!" 

Archer grinned, deciding that with a face like that, he could never just pass up the opportunity or even ignore his growing need to tease her further even just for even a tiny bit, "It was passable."

Immediately, he saw her reaction, her face now scrunching up, visibly displeased by his assessment. Rather than argue with him, Chloe fired up, descended and brought her face closer once again giving another kiss, her soft lips pressing against his, but this time with more passion than before. She dove into him, memorizing his mouth solely based on its texture and feel. After a few seconds she once more released him. "How about now?" 

"A bit better."

“Humph, pervert.” 

So she said, but that did not stop her from pressing her lips against his once more. Tilting her head slightly, she allowed their mouths to fit together more naturally. Her lips slowly began to part slightly, as he felt the warm, moist tip of her tongue tentatively touch his lower lip. The sensation sent a shiver through his body as she tasted and explored him, her movements growing bolder with each passing second. Archer grew shocked having not expected she would take his comment this seriously.

Just like before, she pulled back, her breathing slightly heavier now, her breath feeling warm on his skin. "And now?"

"Improvi—mmph," Archer did not even manage to finish his sentence before she descended again once more, growing.

—This kiss was different. 

Chloe's hands rose, moving from his shoulders to the back of his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she pulled him closer. Her mouth opened wider, and this time her tongue didn't just touch his lips, it entered before he even had the chance to grant her entrance, finding a defenseless passage as it proceeded exploring his mouth without reservation. He felt the slick wet texture of her tongue against his, tasting her sweetness as she mapped every contour of his mouth. Her breathing became more ragged, small sounds escaping her throat as she lost herself in the sensation.

When they finally separated, a thin strand of saliva connected their lips for a moment before breaking. Her eyes were half-lidded, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. "Better?" she asked, her voice husky.

"Much better. I was waiting for a chipped tooth or a bloody lip.” He said sincerely, this time not even trying to tease her.

“Heh, now I regret resisting the urge to bite your lips. Be amazed, this is the talent of Olga Discordia’s second in command!” Chloe smiled triumphantly before leaning in again. This time, there was no hesitation. Her tongue danced with his passionately, sometimes gently gliding against his own and other times being more demanding. She sucked gently on his lower lip before nipping it lightly with her teeth, causing him to glare at the mischievous elf… this woman. One of her hands moved down his chest, fingers tracing the muscles through his shirt before resting on his stomach.

The kiss deepened, becoming more intense with each passing moment. She varied the pressure of her lips, the speed of her tongue, sometimes pulling back to tease before diving back in with renewed passion. Archer could feel her heart beating against his chest, just like with Olga… this one was no different and started to become more skilled at a rather astonishing rate.

After several minutes of this passionate exchange, she finally pulled back, breathing heavily. Her lips were swollen and glistening, her eyes dark with desire. "How was that?" she asked again, though she seemed to already know the answer.

"You are determined to get an amazing from me?”

“No, I want to make you speechless.” 

“Heh, you're still a long way from that.” 

Chloe's eyes lit up with fire before she descended again. Her hands roamed his back, pulling him closer until there was no space between them, moving to his belt and fumbling with the buckle before finally undoing it. Then she reached for the hem of her own panties, pulling it away without breaking their kiss. Soft mounds of her breasts pressed against his chest, her hardened nipples pressing against his own.

When they finally separated, both were breathing heavily. "My heart is racing. My… my body feels like it's on fire."

"Yeah, I can feel it.”

They continued, Chloe slowly grabbed his hand and shyly pushed it onto her chest. "I-I know it's not as perfect as my Queen's, but if you like it, then you can touch as much as you want. D-Don’t… um… nevermind…”

That comparison, while not something new, it was at moments like these that he remembered that this dark elf truly had an inferiority complex on top of her other many issues. But given the person she used to be compared to the person she was now, she had done quite a bit to get past her previous hurdles. 

‘Eventually, she'll get better with time. It's a slow process,’ he thought to himself before grabbing her breast, making her moan.

“Aaaahn~!” 

Getting up as he continued kneading her chest, this time being the one who planted kisses on her lips, which she enjoyed. Feeling her heartbeat quickening and remembering a particular trait of hers… “Ah!” Archer pinched her nipples, sending a shiver and writhe across her body, Chloe enjoying it and being caught off guard by the sensation.

“Y-You! I didn't like that…”

She was not the best liar, especially when her eyes shined with anticipation. “I believe you.” 

"You could at least try not to sound so sarcastic," Chloe muttered, her cheeks flushing. With a click, she finished unbuckling his pants. Her small hand hesitated for a moment before going there, her cool fingers brushed against him, and he felt a jolt run through his body at the contact. “I-It's a bit d-different from what I remember… warm…” 

She wrapped her hand around his semi-hard shaft. Her pussy was too tight, almost painfully so, and he let out a hiss.

"Ah, s-sorry! To-Too tight?" she asked with a voice laced with anxiety. 

"A little, just don't grip it that hard. I'm not a sword handle.” 

She loosened her grip instantly, but now it was too loose, her fingers merely fluttering against his skin without any real pressure. He watched her face, so concentrated as she experimented that it ended up looking adorable. She tried a twisting motion with her wrist, then a simple up-and-down stroke. Her movements were clumsy, lacking any sort of technique, but in a strange way… the sheer novelty of the touch, the sight of this fierce elf before him and trying so desperately to please him, was intoxicating.

He guided her with a soft groan as her hand found a better pressure. "Like that," he murmured.

This time, her fingers curled around him just right. She began to stroke, slowly at first, her movements still a little jerky. With each pass, her confidence grew. Surprisingly, for someone who trained daily with her swords, her palm remained perfectly smooth, making him wonder if it was a form of magic or just how Dark elves were. Olga was a caster, so he never thought she'd have callouses. 

Her strokes became longer, smoother, from the base all the way to the tip. A bead of fluid gathered at the slit, and she paused, her thumb curiously swiping over it, spreading the slickness down his length. 

“This is your…” The added lubrication made her next few strokes glide effortlessly. "Does it feel good?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes still fixed on her own handiwork as if she couldn't believe what she was doing. “It's sticky.” 

"That it is," Archer breathed out, his head falling back, staring at the stars for a brief moment. “It happened because it felt good. So don't get discouraged and say something like you not being on par with Olga. This is not a competition.” 

“I-I know that!” 

Emboldened by his praise, her pace quickened. Her other hand, which had been resting on his thigh, came up to gently cup his balls, her fingers tentatively rolling them. The dual sensation was electric, enough for him to bring his own hands back to her chest, resuming his earlier ministrations. He rolled her hardened nipples between his thumb and forefinger, pinching them just enough to make her gasp, her hand momentarily faltering on his shaft before resuming its pace.

The area filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing and the slick slap of her hand working his flesh. She looked up at him then, her eyes dark and hazy with lust, her lips parted. Seeing her like this, so lost in the moment, so eager, was pushing him closer to the edge.

"Ah~!” 

A bite to her nipples brought on a louder moan, her wrist flicking faster. She leaned in closer, her warm breath ghosting over the head of his cock. The sight of her face so close, her hand pumping him relentlessly, was the final straw.

With a groan, Archer's body tensed. He felt the pressure build to an unbearable peak before he erupted, spilling himself over her hand and his own stomach in thick, hot pulses. Chloe didn't stop, milking him through his orgasm with a few final, slower strokes until he was completely spent, his body going limp against the bed.

She slowly pulled her hand away, looking at the mess on her fingers with a mixture of awe and trepidation. She hesitated, then brought her hand to her mouth, her pink tongue darting out to tentatively taste him. Her eyes widened slightly at the flavor before a small, satisfied smile touched her lips.

"Was that... okay?" she asked, her voice still a little shaky.

"Hah… do you even need to ask?”

Chloe looked at her fingers, the milky fluid coating them catching the dim light. She hesitated, her nose wrinkling slightly at the unfamiliar sight. “So this is your cum… a human’s essence…” 

“There is a stream nearby if you want to—eh?”

He had spoken too soon, as right before his eyes, she brought her hand closer to her face. Her small pink tongue darted out, touching the substance tentatively. “Aaah,” the glistening milky substance coating the tip of it. The woman froze for a second, processing the taste, before extending her tongue further and licking a larger amount from her fingers. Her expression shifted from trepidation to a sort of curious acceptance.

He watched each change on her face, having a strong sense of deja Vu with the image of two dark elves beginning to merge into one. In the next moment, he propped himself up on his elbows, his gaze fixed on her. Without another word, Chloe leaned forward, her eyes meeting his. She lowered her head towards his still-sensitive shaft. Her warm tongue flicked out, making contact with the tip. The sensation was a jolt, a pleasant tingle that spread through his groin. It wasn't a firm pressure, but a soft, exploratory touch.

“Aaaah~”

She began to lick him more thoroughly, her tongue tracing the ridge where the head met the shaft. The feeling was different from her hand; smoother, wetter, more intimate. She moved down the length of him, her tongue leaving a cool trail of saliva that quickly warmed against his skin. She explored every vein and contour, her movements methodical, as if she was memorizing his shape. Archer let out a low hum, his body responding to her careful attention.

“—!?”

Then, she took the head into her mouth. Her lips closed around it, creating a seal of warm, wet heat. The inside of her mouth was incredibly soft, her tongue swirling around the sensitive tip, probing the slit. Begining to suck gently, creating a light, pulling pressure that made his toes curl. 

Encouraged by his reaction, Chloe took him deeper. She sank down slowly, inch by inch, her mouth accommodating his length. Archer felt the back of her throat against the tip of his member, and she paused, gagging slightly. “Cough! Cough!” In the end, pulling back, coughing a little, a string of saliva connecting her lips to him.

"Sorry," she whispered, her eyes watering. “It's more difficult than it looks.” 

"Don't be," Archer said. "Just breathe through your nose if you really want to keep doing it."

She nodded and tried again. This time, she managed to take him even deeper, her throat relaxing to accept him. The sensation of being enveloped by her tight, wet throat was incredible. He could feel the muscles constricting around him as she swallowed. Her head bobbed in a steady motion, her tongue continued to work on the underside of his shaft as she moved, adding another layer of stimulation.

“Uhn!”

Not wanting to get overwhelmed so easily, he stood up, his erection standing proudly. Chloe looked up at him from her knees on the floor, her expression a mix of apprehension and anticipation. He reached down, his fingers tangling in her blonde hair with a firm grip. 

"Open wider," he commanded, letting himself take on a more aggressive approach given the reaction she was showing.

"Mmph!" She complied, her mouth opening to accept him again. His hands guided her head forward, pushing himself into her mouth. The resistance at the back of her throat didn't make him stop. Instead, he forced his way past it, feeling her gag reflex kick in. “Keu-ugh!” Her throat spasmed around him as tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks. 

Yet, she didn't pull back. Her gaze remained completely glued at him, a flicker of something excited in their depths.

His hips began to move, each thrust being a forceful plunge. 

“Urk, urk, awk!”

The wet, choking sounds of her struggling to breathe around him filled the air, mixing with his grunts of exertion. Every time he drove into her, his balls slapped against her chin. His hands practically forced her face deeper as well, at times forcing him to push her away. The obscene sounds echoed through the room as he used her mouth for his pleasure.

One of Chloe's hands moved between her own legs. Her arm pumped back and forth, her fingers working furiously as she pleased herself. The rough treatment was clearly getting her off. The sight of her on her knees, tears streaming down her face while she pleasured herself as he used her mouth, was the most erotic thing he had ever seen from her.

“Hn, C-Chloe…!”

His grip on her hair tightened, pulling her head back to change the angle. He drove into her even harder, his movements becoming more frantic, more demanding. A coiling tension built in his groin as his climax approached. “Argh!” With one final, powerful push, he buried himself to the hilt in her throat. He held her there, his body tensing as he came, pouring himself directly into her stomach.

"Gack, blarg!" Chloe choked, her body convulsing as he held her head in place, his cock buried deep in her throat. The first thick spurt of his cum shot directly into her stomach, making her gag again. Her own orgasm hit her at the same time, her body shuddering, a muffled cry escaping her lips around his cock. 

“Aa-aah!” 

He pulled back slightly, the next few spurts filling her mouth. Her cheeks puffed out as it filled with his hot, thick release. When he finally pulled his dick out of her mouth, she slumped back, gasping for air, her face a mess of tears and saliva.

She looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed but shining with a satisfied light. Her mouth was still open, and as she panted for breath, a thick, white glob of his cum mixed with her saliva slid from her tongue. It dripped down her chin in a long, lewd string before landing on her breast. Her tongue darted out, licking her swollen lips clean, a small, triumphant smile playing on them. She had taken everything he had given her and asked for more.

“Hah… hah… hah… cough! Cough!” 

Several coughs escaped her, a moment of clarity coming to both. 

‘Did I go too far?’ He asked himself, while she did visibly enjoy it and even smiled. It still felt a bit odd, nearly making her choke like that. She was in pain yet she enjoyed it, relished it and sought more. Her masochist tendencies were not a surprise to him for he knew about them for a while. ‘I just didn't think it would influence her this much and me as well.’

The faces she made, her sounds, the reactions… everything just made him want to tease her further. To test her limits, her actions having similar effects to an aphrodisiac one could argue.

“Are you tired already?” Chloe asked, pushing herself up from the ground with some shakiness to her movements. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, her red eyes never leaving him. “You seem quite out of breath, Archer~” 

“Hehe, guess you were more skilled than I imagined. Lost myself for a bit there.” 

“...” 

Without a word, she turned, presenting her back to him. She walked a few paces to a large oak tree and placed both palms flat against its rough bark. Leaning forward, she arched her spine, pushing her ass out in a blatant invitation. She reached back with one hand, her fingers parting the slick folds of her soaked pussy, exposing herself completely to his view.

"Don't just stand there," she breathed, her voice thick with need. "I'm not finished with you yet. Continue losing yourself even further with me, human."

The look she gave him now no longer belonged to the Chloe he knew, she had long since gotten herself lost in the pleasure with no shyness or even hesitation clouding her mind. “Humph, someone has gotten cocky." Archer closed the distance between them in two strides. He accepted her invitation, but not in the way she expected. His hand rose and then came down hard on the soft flesh of her ass cheek. 

Pa!

The sharp smack echoed through the clearing.

"Ah!" Chloe cried out, her body jolting forward against the tree. But the sound wasn't one of pain alone. It was a moan, deep and throaty, filled with a pleasure that bordered on agony. 

"Do you want me to stop?” 

Even though he asked, the answer was clear as day when she looked back at him with a growing hunger. “...Again." she demanded in a ragged whisper. "Do that again."

“As you command.” He obliged, smacking her other cheek, leaving a matching red handprint on her pale skin. 

Pa!

“Hn~!” 

The strike made her skin ripple, her behind jiggling hypnotically. "You really do like that, don't you?”

"Yes," she hissed, pushing her hips back against him. Not even attempting to deny anything at this point. "I like it."

He positioned himself behind her, the head of his cock nudging against her wet entrance. He grabbed her hips, his fingers digging into her flesh. "You're soaking wet," he noted.

"Just because of you," she retorted, her voice breathless. "Now stop talking and fuck me.! Do it!"

He drove into her in one smooth, hard thrust. The sensation was overwhelming. Her pussy was incredibly tight, a hot, velvet vice that gripped him like a fist. The heat alone was enough to almost make it feel as if fire had touched his skin, her hold on him getting stronger each passing second that even the slightest movement felt impossible. "Hn, you're tight," he groaned with a strained voice. "So tight."

"Ah! It's... it's too much," Chloe gasped, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the tree. Her body tensed, her inner walls clamping down around him almost painfully. But then, a slow, wicked smirk spread across her face. "Don't you dare stop," she commanded. "Give me more."

He began to move, pulling out almost completely before slamming back into her. Each thrust was powerful, driving her forward against the tree. The sound of their bodies slapping together filled the air, mingling with their harsh breathing and Chloe's increasingly loud moans.

"Harder! Archer, harder!" she cried out. "Is that all you've got?"

He responded by grabbing a handful of her silvery hair, pulling her head back. Her back arched even more, changing the angle of his penetration. He leaned over her, his lips brushing against her ear. "I'll give you everything you've got coming to you," he said, his voice a low growl.

The new position allowed him to drive even deeper. He could feel her body trembling, her legs shaking as she struggled to stay upright. His other hand moved from her hip to wrap around her throat, squeezing it. Her breath hitched, her body freezing for a second.

"What are you...?" she started, but her words were cut off as he applied a slight pressure.

"Just feel it.”

Instead of fighting it, Chloe's body responded with a shudder of pleasure. "Hah... yes," she choked out, her voice a strained whisper. "Like that."

He tightened his grip slightly, cutting off her airflow just enough to make her head spin. The lack of air, the feeling of being completely at his mercy, sent a wave of intense pleasure through her. Her pussy clenched around him, her body arching into his touch.

"You like this too.”

"Ah... yes... I like it," she admitted, her voice a breathless gasp.

He changed their position again, releasing her hair and grabbing one of her leg. He lifted it, hooking her knee over his arm. 

Now he was fucking her from the side, the new angle allowing him to hit spots deep inside her that made her see stars. His cock slammed into her, the force of each thrust making the soft flesh of her ass ripple. He could feel her slick walls gripping him, pulling him in deeper with every stroke. The wet sounds of their fucking filled the air, her juices coating his shaft and dripping down her thighs.

"Ah! Archer! Right there!" she cried out, her voice a desperate moan. "Don't stop! Please, don't stop!"

He obliged, his movements becoming faster, more demanding. He could feel the head of his dick battering against her cervix, the tight channel of her pussy stretching to accommodate him. He watched as her breasts bounced with each powerful thrust, the nipples hard and pointed. He reached out with his free hand, grabbing one of them, pinching the nipple between his fingers.

"Ah! Yes! Harder!" she screamed, her body convulsing with pleasure.

He could feel her pussy getting tighter, her muscles spasming around him as her orgasm approached. He drove into her, his balls slapping against her ass, the sound of their bodies colliding like a drumbeat. He could feel his own climax building, a hot, tightening sensation in his groin.

Crk!

“—!”

Despite his focus being entirely on the dark elf, his senses did not completely go blind. A crack, like a dry twig snapping underfoot.

His head snapped up, his eyes scanning the edge of the clearing. And then he saw her. Standing in the shadows, her face a mask of pure, unadulterated shock, was Olga. Her eyes were wide, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

‘This… is going to be awkward.’ 

Chloe noticed his sudden stillness. She followed his gaze, her own eyes widening as she spotted her Queen. A wave of horror washed over her, her body tensing. "M-My Queen!?," she whimpered, her voice a desperate cry. "A-Ah… this is… n-no, this is… Stop... we have to stop..."

A sentiment he agreed with, but unfortunately, right as he tried to pull out — the walls around his shaft held onto him like a vice grip. “Ah!” The sudden pressure was enough to even make a moan come out of his mouth, his body shivering at the sensation. “C-Chloe!” 

“M-My Queen… My Queen… My Queen…”  As if in a trance, her body betrayed her and continued to move on its own. The shock, the shame, the forbidden thrill of being caught, it all coalesced into a wave of intense pleasure that visibly made her head spin. Her hips began to move on their own, her body arching back into his thrusts.

“Chloe!” 

He tried to call out to her but she did not react, his voice not even reaching the woman anymore. "S-She’s looking at us," Chloe breathed, her voice a husky whisper, despite her attempts to stop. "Look at our Queen watching us!" She began to move again, her hips rolling, her movements becoming more frantic, more demanding. "She's watching you fuck me, Archer! S-She's watching you fill my human-hating pussy with your cock."

She lost it, fully engrossed in her lust.

The sight of Olga, the forbidden nature of being watched, it all seemed to fuel Chloe's desire. She became wild, her movements almost desperate as she fucked herself back onto him, meeting him thrust for thrust.

"What should we do? What should we do? N-No… nonono, this is embarrassing," Chloe moaned, her voice loud enough to carry across the clearing. "She's seeing how a human makes me feel."

The sight, the sound, the feeling of her pussy spasming around him, it was too much. He felt his control snap.

"I'm going to finish."

"Inside," she demanded urgently. "Finish inside me, Archer! Fill me up!"

With a final, powerful thrust, he buried himself deep inside her. His body tensed, a thick, hot jet of his cum erupting from the tip of his cock and painting her insides. Another spurt followed, then another, each one filling her more than the last. He could feel his seed overflowing, leaking out around his shaft and running down her thighs in thick, white streams. The feeling of being so completely filled, of his hot cum coating her walls, sent Chloe over the edge as well.

"Ah! Yes! My Queen!" she screamed, her body convulsing in a powerful orgasm. Her pussy clenched around him, milking him for every last drop as she collapsed against the tree, her legs giving out, her face buried in her arms. "Don't look," she sobbed, her voice muffled by the bark. "Please, my Queen, don't look..."

Olga stood frozen for a moment longer, her face a picture of horrified disbelief. Then, with a choked gasp, she turned and fled, disappearing back into the forest as silently as she had appeared.

Archer leaned against Chloe, his body spent, his breathing ragged. He wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her up as she trembled in the aftermath of her orgasm. 

For a brief moment, he swore he heard the sound of wings flapping in the distance.

“...”

Hopefully, Olga was the only one who stumbled upon the scene. But he knew he was being too optimistic.

(Lemon end)

{Break}

(Next day)

The sound of birds chirping in the morning filled the air as several people made their way into the interior of a mountain that had once been nothing more than a hill, its true nature hidden beneath a spell. The place bustled with activity as a little over the dozen people present carried supplies back and forth, as they unloaded boxes from the carriage to the ground. The constant movement and voices gave the hidden mountain an almost lively atmosphere.

"Where should I put this?" 

"Just leave it inside the carriage," Maia replied without looking away from the supplies being sorted nearby. "It will clutter the place if you take out too much!"

For one particular Counter Guardian, the atmosphere felt increasingly awkward, especially with how often he caught people sneaking glances in his direction. Every now and then, someone would look his way before quickly finding something else to focus on, making it obvious that whatever had happened earlier had not gone unnoticed. 

Rather than drawing attention to it, Archer kept himself busy with the work at hand, eventually crouching beside a large crate filled mostly with rations and other essential supplies. With an effort, he lifted the heavy container and carried it over to the circular formation prepared for their return to the Seven Kingdoms, setting it down among the other items with a solid thud.

"Oof." Dust rose from the crate as the man straightened and brushed his hands together. "While it's not really my place to ask, I can't help but grow curious. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to bring all of these things with us if we're immediately going to arrive at the kingdom?"

He had already spent some time helping everyone unload the boxes, with Maia supervising where each item needed to go. From above, Radomira flew across the area carrying several more boxes and assorted supplies, contributing to the preparations rather than leaving everything to the others. His attention eventually returned to the dark elf sitting inside the carriage, who appeared far less concerned with the work around her as she casually sipped coconut water from a wooden flask she had somehow acquired. 

‘Where did she even get that thing? I did not spot anything like that in Fullstar.’

"The teleportation relay only sends us back to another relay. Unfortunately, it wasn't made to drop us off at just any random location." The dark elf said while taking another sip without a care in the world.

"Do you have any idea where the general area of the other portal could be?"

She shrugged, "That would be a question to ask Celestine or Olga. They would be more familiar with it, I didn't even study this formation let alone know anything."

“...”

He supposed that made sense, his attention shifted toward the blonde elf when he considered actually asking her. The moment Celestine noticed him looking in her direction, she flinched and quickly turned her gaze away, choosing instead to remain seated far off with Kaguya. “Hm?” 

Her behavior had been strange to say the least, her avoiding him or appearing flustered at the mere sight of his face began a few days ago. The time when he spoke to her inside the hallway had been the most obvious, but eventually she began to act normally — until now. ‘Did she see what happened last night then? Can't be, I would have noticed her.’

The priestess on the other hand glanced between the two before looking back at him with a suspicious expression, as though she had already decided that Archer had somehow done something to the reincarnated goddess. Considering what had happened earlier, he could hardly blame her for reaching that conclusion.

‘Well, in a way, she is right, but not in the way she probably thinks…this is frustrating.’

Turning back toward the carriage, he let out a small breath of frustration through his nose. "It doesn't look like I'll be able to have a good conversation with her right now. But I suppose I understand now why you're bringing all of these with us, if our journey won’t be over."

With no clear idea where the next relay would place them, bringing enough supplies made considerably more sense. For all they knew, the destination could sit relatively close to one of the kingdoms, leaving them with only a few minutes of travel before reaching their objective. On the other hand, the relay might leave them several hours away, or even farther, making the supplies far more useful than they initially appeared.

"There probably used to be such relays inside the kingdoms," Mistiora explained, taking another drink. "But from what my cousin told me, all of them were either destroyed or dismantled. For some reason, the enemies figured out how to use them for themselves and teleport directly into their enemies' bases. It's a complicated matter."

"War is always messy, regardless of the time and regardless of which fashion is currently involved."

The comment seemed to prompt a different thought from the dark elf, who looked toward him with a knowing expression. "Speaking of which, how did things go last night?”

Confusion crossed Archer's face before she elaborated, leaving little room for misunderstanding. "About you making love to Chloe."

As much as he hoped for this to have been simply him mishearing her words, that was not the case, unfortunately enough. He first looked around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. "Just how many people saw that? We were pretty far away."

"Less than your are imagining but more than just one." 

“Figured out the last part since you know it aside from Olga as well. Is there a third?” 

"Perhaps or perhaps not, hard to keep track of everyone when my focus was on something more important. And even if I didn't know anything, I would know for a fact that something happened to you today if I were to see you."

That explanation immediately caught his interest. "How?"

The dark elf gave him a sideways glance. "After living for hundreds of years and dealing with matters of pleasure and sex, one develops something akin to a sixth sense. That would be the case for me."

"And what about in other cases?"

She shrugged, “A woman's intuition."

Archer rolled his eyes at that, already expecting something along those lines. ‘Of course it is.’

"For me, it might be something closer to a sense because of how many centuries I've spent dealing with such things," Mistiora continued. "But for someone like Radomira, it's practically an ability to figure that sort of thing out."

That caught him off guard, though the explanation also reminded him of a specific occasion in the past when the tiefling had somehow managed to see through him. "Is that so? Are we sure she's not a succubus?"

Mistiora shook her head. "Tieflings are very different from succubuses. In her case, Rado simply happens to be a tiefling whose powers parallel those of a succubus. Unlike a succubus, however, she isn't limited to those specific abilities. She can develop others with a fraction of the effort required by humans and about half the time it would take an elf."

In a way, the distinction made more sense now, and although he still found the whole matter unusual, it no longer seemed quite as concerning as it had at first.

"What is your relationship with Chloe now?"

Crossing his arms, Archer leaned against the side of the carriage and considered the question before giving her a straightforward answer. "Nothing has changed. We're the same way we've been yesterday and the day before that. She simply started becoming a bit more honest about her emotions and feelings rather than responding with violence."

"Does that mean being honest with her feelings means wanting to fuck you every day?" Mistiora raised an eyebrow, apparently finding the question perfectly reasonable. "Because according to the others, she's someone who shouts constantly when she can't be honest with herself."

He choked at that blunt remark.. A hand immediately went to his face as he massaged his temples, already knowing that with someone like Mistiora, the question could have been an attempt to tease him. "It's just a bit of affection that she had bottled up. And after everything that happened, she most likely needed a release.”

Mistiora gave a small huff, “Sure, let’s go with that.”

“Alright people, gather up!” 

Eventually, Maia called everyone to the center as the preparations came to an end. “We'll continue this conversation for next time. Let's go.” He moved away from the carriage and helped Mistiora down, allowing her to step onto the ground as he joined the others gathered around the magic circle. After adjusting his position, he crossed his arms and waited alongside Celestine, while Olga and the others gradually took their places — both of them working in tandem.

“The preparations are complete. Once we begin activating the teleportation spell, it will require a considerable amount of energy, so Olga and I will handle most of it. You will also be helping, although I do not believe it will be necessary.”

Despite that, Kaguya looked over the magic circle and the surrounding arrangements with obvious interest before shaking her head. “It isn't every day that someone gets the opportunity to interact with magic this ancient. I might as well learn something from it while I can.”

That made her smile, followed by a brief nod of approval. “Very well.” Her attention returned to the circle as the final preparations continued, leaving everyone else to take their positions and make sure they remained within the designated area.

Olga lifted her staff slightly, her gaze sweeping across the group. “Everyone needs to remain inside the circle. Anyone who has even half a foot outside of it should not be surprised if they arrive on the other side with that limb missing. Also, do not carry any artifact containing a high concentration of magic. Something like that could interfere with the spell and cause the destination to shift. You could end up being teleported inside an active volcano and die in less than a second.”

The warning immediately drew several sets of eyes toward Archer. It was not only Olga who looked in his direction either, as the others followed her gaze almost at once. Catching on to what had apparently crossed their minds, he glanced around at the group before lifting one hand slightly. “I'm not carrying anything like that on me.” 

For a moment, he considered whether the Holy Shroud might qualify, but it did not radiate any particularly large amount of magical energy, but there was little reason to take chances when teleportation itself carried enough risks. With that thought, the Shroud disappeared, leaving him to look toward Olga.

“There. Satisfied?”

“I was talking about your swords.”

“I don't have any swords on me and those are constructs made with a spell rather than a physical object I keep hidden away. It's unlikely they'll interfere with the spell. You don't need to worry about them.” Not to mention, he couldn't exactly erase them from his soul.

Olga gave him a brief look of suspicion, not like he mentioned any lies. “Fine. Now, don't move.”

She pressed her palm against the floor of the magic circle, beginning the final stage of the preparation. Maia stepped closer to Archer while covering a yawn, clearly more interested in finally returning home than watching the complicated process. “Finally, we're going back. It feels like forever since I left Feoh. Alicia must have missed me. Who am I kidding… I also miss her.”

“Honestly, I feel like she might have been treating this as a vacation with no one there to annoy her.”

“That sounds more like something that would happen with you.”

The response earned no argument. Archer merely accepted the remark with a small movement of his head, choosing not to elaborate further as the atmosphere around them began to change. Celestine closed her eyes at the same time as Olga, both preparing themselves for the spell that would carry the entire group away.

Olga raised her staff, drawing in a huge amount of mana from the surrounding air. The energy gathered around the circle in a visible flow before being pulled toward her, making the atmosphere around the group grow increasingly saturated with magical power. With a firm tap of the staff against the ground, a deep thump echoed through the area as the magic circle responded, its markings beginning to glow more intensely.

Celestine remained, arms extended with her palms open as she began reciting an incantation in a language Archer did not understand. Gradually, the mana filling the air began disappearing back into the ground, drawn into the magic circle as though the earth itself were absorbing it. At the same time, the light spreading across the circle continued to grow brighter and brighter, illuminating everyone standing within its boundaries as the teleportation spell moved closer to activation.

He closed his eyes and tried to push the growing concern from his mind. "Hopefully this doesn't end up with us in Fullstar again." Turning his head a moment later, he noticed Maia had somehow managed to move close enough that her arm rested against his. The redhead had already taken hold of his hand, her fingers wrapped around it as she gave him a somewhat embarrassed look.

"Just want to make sure I don't end up falling from the air. I'm like everyone here, not exactly well versed in magic, nor do I have any wings." Her grip tightened slightly, as though merely imagining herself plummeting from the sky made the decision even easier.

"Can't you just reinforce your body using one of Kaguya's talismans?" Archer glanced down at her, knowing she had access to them.

"Well, yeah, I can, but I don't know if my body will get strong enough to survive a fall from such a big height in case it does happen. So I'd rather not take any chances and stay with the guy who can probably just summon a sword and ride on it." 

A look of confusion crossed his face. "I've never ridden on a sword."

"Seriously?" Maia stared at him as though he'd just admitted to never having seen a sword before. When the question only earned another look from Archer, her expression shifted toward disbelief.

"Why would you think I can do that?" His eyebrow lifted as he waited for an actual explanation.

"Well, you." A finger pointed toward him. "You summon your swords, hovering around you using some sort of telekinesis powers or something, and you can shoot them with a ridiculous amount of strength. Haven't you ever... you know... stood on top of one of them and shot yourself in the air at great speed?" The mental image she described sounded ridiculous enough that Archer could almost picture it himself, though the concept wasn't completely unheard of among Servants. Plenty had used their Noble Phantasms as transportation in one form or another, although most of those Noble Phantasms weren't exactly swords.

"I'd slip off immediately at that kind of speed." He dismissed the idea with a shake of his head. 

"Can't you just use a spell that makes you stick to the sword?" 

"If..." Archer began, then stopped himself with a sigh before continuing. "First of all, I really do suck at other spells, even small ones you could consider minor. And secondly, I don't have any of those kinds of things." There wasn't much point pretending otherwise. His abilities had plenty of uses, but sticking himself to a sword in midair certainly wasn't among them.

"Huh, finally found something that you can't do or is missing from your skill set." A grin spread across her face as she looked rather pleased with herself for finding such an obvious gap in his abilities.

He reached over and pinched her cheek, narrowing his eyes as he looked down at her. "The same applies to you as well." Maia let out a quick yelp when he released her, rubbing the spot for a moment before the irritation faded. His hand then returned to hers, giving it a gentle squeeze as he offered some reassurance.

"It'll be all right. I doubt these two haven't figured out how to avoid that." His gaze shifted toward Olga and Celestine. Whatever personal thoughts and opinions he held about each of them, whether positive or negative, one thing remained certain. Both women possessed considerable magical ability, enough that he trusted them to handle the spell properly. Even if something unexpected happened, at least most of them should be able to get through the situation without suffering any serious harm.

At that time, a particular thought reached his mind when looking over at Chloe who stood awkwardly near Olga. Their eyes met and her face went red, most likely remembering last night. Right, that happened. 

“Listen, Maia. I have something I have to tell you. I don't like to keep it a secret since it may cause a misunderstanding later on. But last night, when I was checking up on Chloe, we—

"—Get ready and stop flirting around."

Olga's glare immediately settled on the pair, prompting Archer to sigh helplessly. Just the other day, he'd gotten the impression that she could kill him at any given opportunity, whether he had actually done anything wrong or not. Judging from that expression, apparently nothing had changed. At this point, that look had almost become her default whenever he happened to be nearby.

‘Not like I'm any better.’ The thought came to him as he remembered the numerous occasions when people had told him directly that he tended to frown far too much. Archer never quite agreed with that assessment. As far as he could tell, it wasn't his fault that the people around him constantly dealt with one problem after another, leaving him with plenty of things to think about and brood over. With a small shake of his head, he turned his attention back toward the magic circle.

"All right then, let's go back. I'll give you the details when we're back in Feoh." Enough time had passed that his concern about Draco could no longer be brushed aside. By now, it seemed almost certain that she had recovered a considerable amount, although Archer couldn't say exactly how quickly her condition had improved. Any progress in her recovery, however, represented something they couldn't afford to ignore, especially with everything else happening around them.

The magic circle began glowing brighter, much like Archer remembered from the first time they had run after Olga. An enormous amount of mana gathered toward its center, rapidly building until the surrounding air began shifting with increasing force. Dust scattered across the ground as the pressure intensified, forcing Archer to raise an arm over his face for protection while loose particles whipped past him. 

Fwoosh! 

The wind continued building around the group, making the entire process look considerably more violent than he had expected.

"Olga, is this thing safe?" 

Not that he did not trust both women and their expertise as mages, but the way things were going really made him question several aspects — including their own safety.

"Given the teleportation is quite ancient and has some efficiency issues compared to modern ones, we have to make a few changes in order to keep it from gathering too much mana. We need just enough for our group and not a single person more, just in case it gets overwhelmed and ends up in an explosion or teleporting us into the sky." Her explanation did little to settle his nerves, especially with the amount of energy continuing to gather around them.

"This doesn't feel that reassuring. Hn!" Another gust swept through the area, only for the wind to grow stronger moments later. Even Olga's expression began to shift as she continued concentrating on the spell, while Celestine stared toward the dark elf with visible confusion. Seeing both reactions did considerably more to concern him than the explanation itself.

‘Damn it, something is not right here.’

The thought barely formed before another violent gust swept through the area, sending more dust skittering across the ground as the magic circle continued gathering power.

While not exactly a mage familiar with the intricate workings and mechanics of spells, much less one involving teleportation, Archer knew something had gone wrong. The feeling came from more than just the strange behavior of the magic surrounding them. Both women appeared to sense it as well, which only reinforced his suspicion that whatever spell they had become caught in was no longer functioning as intended. Rather than risk waiting to see what would happen next, he raised one hand, and a dagger with a twisted blade materialized in his grasp.

"What are you doing!" Olga shouted, her voice cutting through the strange atmosphere surrounding them.

"Stopping this before it gets worse. Clearly, there's something wrong here!" Archer tightened his grip before driving Rule Breaker downward, intending to disrupt the spell completely rather than allow it to continue doing whatever it had started.

The blade never reached the ground. In the instant before its tip could make contact with the intricate magic circles beneath their feet, the entire scene warped around him. 

“—!?” 

The dagger ended up missing the ground completely, cutting through empty air as though the space itself had suddenly become a solid surface. The next thing he knew, the elaborate circles were gone, replaced by a rooftop rushing toward him at frightening speed.

Wind tore against his face and clothes as gravity took hold, leaving barely enough time to understand what had happened. "You've got to be kidding me!" The curse had barely left his mouth before a tremendous boom erupted beneath him. 

Crash! 

His body slammed into the rooftop hard enough to crack the surface, and although reinforcement flared through his body at the last possible moment, the impact still proved too much for the structure itself. The roof gave way beneath him, sending chunks of broken material tumbling down as Archer dropped through the opening.

Splash!

A second later, he hit warm water.

The pool beneath him offered far less cushioning than expected. His back struck the bottom with a painful thud, and the shallow water splashed violently around him before settling across the tiled floor. Steam and mist filled the room, carrying the faint scent of shampoo and other fragrances that immediately told him this wasn't some abandoned building or random chamber. A wince crossed his face as he pushed himself upright, coughing while drawing several deep breaths. His vision blurred for a moment, accompanied by a splitting headache that made the entire situation even more unpleasant.

"From now on, no more teleportation spells." The man dragged himself out of the water and rubbed the back of his head, still trying to clear the lingering dizziness. 

How was it that every time he encountered one of those spells in this world, something went horribly wrong? Granted, he had only experienced two teleportation spells so far, with this being the second, but having both end in disaster seemed like more than enough reason to avoid them whenever possible.

Then his attention snapped back to the others.

‘What about the rest?’

Getting fully to his feet, Archer looked around the room, his concern growing as the realization sank in that he hadn't landed inside some cave or ordinary building. White marble pillars surrounded the spacious room, each one covered in intricate carvings that gave the place an unmistakably luxurious appearance. Small statues depicting women holding vases stood around the bathing area, water spilling from their vessels into the pools below. Everything about the room suggested wealth and royalty, which only made his unexpected arrival through the ceiling even more ridiculous.

His eyes went to the middle of the room, where near what appeared to be stairs leading into the pool or bathroom stood a figure with long, luscious curly pink hair, completely naked. Her breasts were full and rounded, nipples hardened from the warm air and water. Her curves flowed down to narrow hips and long, toned legs. Pink eyes stared back at him from a lovely face filled with shock. One hand pressed against her own breast, fingers circling the nipple, while the other rested below her waist, near her navel, where she had clearly been in the middle of an intimate moment.

"A-Archer?"

Archer immediately recoiled and resisted the urge to smack a palm against his forehead. 

"Hey, Prim. How have you been? Um, sorry about the intrusion." Turning his gaze away as quickly as possible, he fixed his attention on one of the marble statues nearby, studying its craftsmanship with considerably more interest than it deserved. If he could avoid staring, perhaps the situation wouldn't become even more embarrassing for her than it already had. "Is that you over there? I can't see with all of this fo—"

"KYAAAAAAAAH!"

The scream cut him off completely. Prim hurried out of the water, grabbed what she could to cover herself, and rushed toward the door before throwing it open and disappearing through it. Bam! The door slammed shut behind her, leaving Archer standing amid the lingering mist and the wreckage created by his unexpected arrival.

Judging from what had just happened, it seemed the others hadn't fallen from the sky alongside him. That realization brought a mixture of relief and concern. At least they hadn't been dragged into this particular mess, but he still had no idea where they had ended up or whether they were safe. Archer glanced toward the damaged section of the roof, then back toward the closed doorway, trying to make sense of how far the teleportation spell had thrown him.

That question would have to wait.

The door suddenly burst open, and several knights stormed into the bathing room with swords raised, their armor clattering as they rushed inside. 

"Who goes there! How dare you sneak into a princess's castle!? Prepare to die!!" 

Their weapons immediately pointed toward the unexpected intruder, leaving little doubt that they had no intention of listening to an explanation before deciding what to do with him.

Despite the hostile welcome, Archer could only offer a helpless smile before leaning back against the damaged area behind him and allowing his body to relax. "Yeah, I'm back."

Considering the circumstances, he couldn't help wondering who would have thought that returning to this place would come with a nostalgic welcome.

—--------

Here are the images for the Chloe x Archer lemon, thank you Archer Supporter for providing this!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1seTEhzPeIZwNMYmcVAPqPF3Kyghib4-L