Harem-Powered Kingdom Building: Empire of Carnal Sin-Chapter 63: Mental Block

Even though customs around sex were a lot more relaxed in the Shuvlok tribe compared to Selune’s Domain, Barbara herself was quite inexperienced regarding these matters.

"Wh-What are you saying!?"

She used her arms to cover her exposed navel and moved two small steps closer to the exit of the tent. Although she tried her best to put on a ferocious expression, the faint tinge of red that coated the tip of her ears betrayed her true thoughts.

From a very young age, those in the Shuvlok tribe were indoctrinated that strength was supreme. One of the main things that Shuvlok women look for in their partner is strength.

And Barbara knew that Hiro was strong. Very strong, in fact.

Not to mention, she found him to be handsome in an... exotic way. Most of the men in her tribe had very burly, muscular physiques. Compared to them, Hiro almost looked delicate, but she knew that his delicate appearance concealed incalculable power.

As vehemently as she tried to deny it, it was true that Barbara felt a certain sense of attraction towards Hiro.

But faced with such an unexpectedly bold approach...

Aren’t the people in Selune’s domain supposed to be much more reserved when it comes to these matters!? She frantically thought.

Upon seeing Barbara’s flustered but defensive posture, Hiro felt a little bit of satisfaction. Still, he decided to stop teasing her soon.

In the first place, even if she agreed to ’have fun’, there was no way they could get away with doing anything inside the tent right now.

Thinking so, Hiro walked towards Barbara, his exact intentions masked by the unreadable expression on his face.

Gulp.

Barbara nervously took a step back upon seeing this, but Hiro soon stood right in front of her. Then, he lifted his hand and slowly extended it towards her face.

Facing this gesture, it was as if Barbara’s brain had short-circuited.

Should I reject it? Should I accept? I don’t know!

Filled with indecisiveness, and unable to think clearly, Barbara simply closed her eyes shut.

A few seconds passed while she stood still expecting Hiro’s caress. Unfortunately, nothing of that sort happened.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Hiro’s face a short distance away from hers but his hand reached past her face and was holding the tent flap behind her.

With a smirk he said, "What were you thinking about? When I said ’fun’, I was talking about monster hunting. Starius would most likely want you in his exploration party."

"...?"

Monster hunting!? Did I really misunderstand? Barbara thought, wanting to dig a hole to bury herself in the ground.

Seeing her frozen in shock like that, Hiro mischievously smiled and brought his lips closer to her right ear.

He then whispered in a somewhat raspy tone, "Although it is good to know that you’re ready for more..."

Hiro’s breath brushed against Barbara’s ear like a gentle breeze, causing her to feel a tingling sensation. The close proximity of his face made it quite easy for her to smell his natural body odor.

It wasn’t bad...

And then his words finally registered, causing her cheeks to heat up slightly.

Despite her thoughts, she wanted to retort sharply. But before she could recover and say something, Hiro walked past her and simply exited the tent.

It took a few seconds for the stunned Barbara’s brain to reboot, but when it did, she was shaking with uncontrollable embarrassment and rage!

With clenched fists and a trembling body, she seriously considered rushing out of the tent to give Hiro a piece of her mind! Fortunately, she retained enough rationality to realize that she couldn’t beat him in a fight, causing her to not act on her impulsive thoughts.

Truly tragic.

***

Hiro’s citizens were already done with their breakfast.

In the temporary cooking area, Tara methodically stacked the cleaned wooden utensils. Her hands moved efficiently despite the weight of disappointment in her chest.

Around her, several other women kept chatting while they worked. They discussed their plans for the day, but Tara did not join their conversation.

She was feeling a bit... lost.

This feeling again... Just why? I know now that Starius is alive. When I saw him yesterday, when I heard how he spent the time after our separation, when I realized that I no longer have anything to be guilty about, I thought this feeling would never plague me again. So why do I feel so stifled right now?

Tara struggled to understand her own state of mind.

The morning’s sparring session with Starius replayed in her mind. The way she lost her grip over her sword seemed to be etched into her memory.

People were watching too...

CLANK!

Tara wiped down another bowl, this time with more force than necessary.

I want to join the exploration party... That’s the fastest way to grow stronger.

But after that demonstration of her inadequacy, she hadn’t even bothered asking. What was the point? There were several people above level 20. A handful were even above level 30. Why would Starius take someone as weak as her when he could choose from experienced fighters?

As expected, when Starius had made his rounds earlier, recruiting members for his exploration party, he’d given her only a brief nod before moving on to others.

He hadn’t so much as asked her if she wanted to join. Clearly, he had no intention of bringing her along. She’d told herself she was prepared for this outcome, but the feeling of being left out like this still stung.

Tara was so lost in her brooding that when a familiar voice suddenly echoed in her mind, she startled.

’Tara.’

Her grip loosened on the bowl for a moment before she quickly caught it. When she realized that it was Hiro talking to her through the telepathic link, she took a quiet breath, trying to compose herself. Gradually, the tension in her shoulders eased, replaced with faint anticipation.

’Yes, My Lord?’ she responded mentally.

’Once Starius’ party leaves, you’ll be joining me for a while.’

His words sent a small flutter through her chest. ’Of course, My Lord. May I ask what for?’

There was a pause before his response came, and she could almost sense his amusement.

’I think you know exactly what for, Tara. I hope you did not forget our deal.’

Oh... Her pulse quickened as understanding dawned. The memory of their previous act flashed through her mind, and heat began to spread up her neck. She ducked her head lower over the dishes, hoping the other women wouldn’t notice her suddenly flushed face.

But as excited as she was, there was something else she wanted to talk to Hiro about.

’I... I was actually hoping to grow stronger,’ she said through their mental link, her shyness being overridden with a hint of desperation. ’I want to level up, My Lord. I’m tired of being so weak.’

’Hmm... We’ll see about that too,’ Hiro said after thinking for a second, his voice carrying a faint trace of warmth. ’Just be ready when I call for you. Bring your sword.’

With that, the mental link faded.

Bring my sword? Does that mean he agreed to help me train?

As the mental link faded, Tara found herself gripping the bowl tighter. Her mind raced with possibilities. Maybe she could level up after all? The thought sent a thrill through her that had nothing to do with the other activities Hiro had implied.

Well... mostly nothing to do with them.

She couldn’t deny that the prospect of being alone with Hiro again made her stomach flutter with anticipation. The memory of the time she lost her virginity was still vivid in her mind. The way he’d made her feel, the overwhelming pleasure that had left her breathless and wanting more.

Am I getting addicted to this? she wondered, unconsciously touching her lips.

The thought should have alarmed her. But instead, it only made the anticipation burn brighter.

She hurried to finish her cleanup duties.

***

Starius had already finished selecting the members for his exploration party as instructed by Hiro. With that task complete, he turned his attention to something that had been weighing on his mind.

He looked at his quest interface, the familiar blue glow materializing before him.

[

Quest: A Realm in the Desolate Lands

Main Objective: Assist Hiro in establishing a stable Realm

Sub-objectives:

1 – Travel to the Realm that has appeared in the Desolate Lands and become its citizen [Complete]

2 – Survive a night in the Desolate Lands [Complete, ready to claim reward]

3 – Commune with the Goddess and report your findings [Incomplete]

...

]

As a Hero, he had access to special skills that others didn’t possess. [Commune] was one of them; a skill which offered a direct line of communication with his deity. But he’d never used it before. His teacher had been very clear about this skill - only use it if it is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, he must not disturb the Goddess.

But right now, he wasn’t worried about ’disturbing’ the Goddess. After all, the Quest was issued by Her, so there shouldn’t be any problem with using the skill.

Starius was just... nervous.

Unlike Hiro, Starius was a native of this world.

Unlike Hiro, who dared to flirt with and fantasize about Selune, Starius revered her deeply. The same kind of reverence that humans on Earth held for the Gods they worshipped.

Although he had briefly heard her voice when he first became a Hero, he had never properly conversed with her.

So, he was nervous.

Seeing the quest objective now, Starius realized that Goddess Selune really cared about Hiro’s realm. But that only raised more questions in his mind.

In that case, why send a beginner, low level Hero like me to the Desolate Lands? He thought to himself. Is this place not as dangerous as the legends about it make it to be?

Starius had been fully prepared for something crazy to happen over the night – something that would test his strength to the limit and maybe even beyond. But nothing happened, and he ended up getting a good night’s rest.

Starius shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Yes, he had a lot of questions, but couldn’t he just ask the Goddess herself? He could certainly try. Taking a deep breath, Starius activated the skill he’d been hesitant to use.

"[Commune]"