For Some Reason, I'm the Hero Pt. 06

Despite Being a Clumsy, Weak, Masochistic Futanari, For Some Reason, I'm the Hero of a Weirdly Kind World.

Chapter 6: The Town of Beginnings, Eriden

Midday.

Zen stands in front of the town gate, flanked by me and Arryl, the sharp but bemused glare of the two gate guards boring into him.

"Care to explain yourself?" Guard A says with a wry smile, looking up and down Zen's body. The guard's expression suggests this isn't the first time he's seen a lanky mage turn up clad only in thin linen boxers; Guard B has his hand to his mouth, trying to suppress a laugh.

"See, there's circumstances to everything," Zen says nonchalantly, though his ears are burning red. "I gave up my attire for a greater cause..."

The guard chuckles, glancing at me. "A greater cause? That wouldn't happen to be the pretty lady over there, would it? She wasn't with you when you left. Lucky bastard. You must've done something wild if you had to fork over your own clothes after the fact."

"Hey!" Arryl growls, slinging her hammer from her back menacingly.

Guard A backs up, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry. Who is she, though? Some kind of wood nymph?"

"Something like that," Zen says, skirting around the bothersome explanation. "Can we go in now? Soon as you're done laughing at a poor man without even a shirt on his back."

"Ga ha ha ha!! Just a moment." Guard A nods to Guard B, who disappears into a small wooden shed next to the gate, emerging with a dusty old cloak.

"You'd better get this back to me by sundown," Guard B says, tossing the cloak at Zen.

"Thanks," Zen mutters, catching it and deftly slinging the cloak over his body. "Could've given it to me from the start instead of ogling a man's bare chest for fifteen minutes. Made us miss the grocer's sale, too."

"That sale ended way before you got here, lad." Guard A nods to me. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss. Zen's a well-known playboy, so be careful around him."

"So I've heard," I giggle, returning the nod. Despite their heavy armor and brutish appearance, the guards give off an easygoing atmosphere, perhaps a little too laidback for people supposedly tasked with keeping public order. Then again, from what I saw as we approached the town, this place is way out in the sticks; surrounded on all sides by farmland, protected by a simple wooden wall, with the tallest building being maybe three stories. It certainly doesn't seem like a place where you'll find trouble.

"Really, I don't know why Arryl puts up with him. She's a real saint." Guard A glances at Arryl, bowing his head respectfully. Arryl sighs, returning her hammer to her back.

"Seriously, all you men are the same," she grumbles, pushing past the gate guards. "Let's go, Sofia."

I follow her, Zen trailing behind us as we step onto the main road, a long, straight cobblestone path that stretches right down the middle of town. Shops flank us on either side, some with open stalls under wide awnings, others displaying their goods from within clear glass windows. The town isn't all that big, but there's a decent number of people bustling about: people who look human, animal-eared folk like Arryl, and others that scream "fantasy": elf-eared people, lizard people, winged people, tiny people, huge people...

I'm even seeing some very non-humanoid people mingling into the crowd, from giant crabs to oozing masses of tentacles; the diversity is off the charts here. It's like every individual has to have some kind of bonus trait that draws the eye, and my head's on a swivel, drinking it all in...

"Oof?!" I bump into someone, stumbling back. "Oh, sorry--!"

I glance up, paling slightly. In front of me stands a bear of a man, not quite as tall or menacing as the Yorg, but there's a cold glint in his eyes that sends shivers down my spine. He's wearing a cloak inlaid with strange, swirling runes, a tattoo bearing those same runes running down the right side of his face. His bald head gleams in the sunlight, his brow furrowing as he glares down at me like a thug.

Worst of all, he's flanked by three others like him; big, brutish men with a fanatic light in their eyes as they stare openly at my chest...❤︎

But, before I can say anything more, the four of them push past me, disappearing into the crowd.

"What the heck?" Zen steps up behind me. "Rude. These cultists, I swear. Bumping into you and not even having the decency to apologize."

"C-cultists?" I ask timidly.

"Yeah, didn't you see all those tattoos? Dunno what cult they belong to, but only cultists go for that matching look." He glances at my face. "You okay? You look a bit shaken."

"I-I'm alright. Just a bit surprised." I can't tell him I got flashbacks to that first night I met the Yorg. God, what am I going to do with this dumb, slutty body that heats up so easily at the slightest hint of interest from a man?❤︎

"What's the hold-up?" Arryl appears from the crowd, taking my hand. "Come on, stick close or you'll get lost."

"Arryl, I don't think she's going to get lost on a straight road..." Zen mutters.

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried someone's gonna snatch her and take her weird places. Like you, for instance."

"Me? I would never!"

"Yeah, right." Arryl guides me down the road, her steps purposeful, her tail flicking side to side. "Say no to anything that guy suggests, okay?" she tells me.

"Right," I giggle, squashing down the weird feelings I got from those cultists. It was a chance encounter; I decide not to think too hard about it.

After a few minutes, we reach a small building nestled between a noisy tavern and a delicious-smelling bakery. A faded sign on the door reads, "Adventurer's Guild." The building itself is in a somewhat sorry state, the bricks cracked and patched up with bits of wood nailed to the side, the tiled roof sagging in the middle, and the door creaks like a dying squirrel when we walk inside.

Seeing the words "Adventurer's Guild," I was expecting a bustling, rowdy group of ruffians to greet us, but there's only a few men and women milling about a giant quest board and a desk at the back with a bored-looking receptionist. Arryl strides up to the desk, rummaging in her pockets and pulling out a well-worn sheet of paper.

"We investigated the noises from the forest," she says, slapping the paper down on the desk.

"Mm." The receptionist looks utterly disinterested, turning her face slowly with eyes like those of a dead fish. She glances at Arryl, then at me. "And she is...?"

"A woman we... rescued." Just like Zen, Arryl skirts over all the annoying details, her tail puffing up just a little at the memory.

"Mhm. So the noises will stop?" The receptionist pulls out a notepad, scribbling down some words.

"Yeap."

"Good. We'll report to the client. Here's your pay." Opening a drawer in her desk, the receptionist takes out two silver coins, putting them on the table.

"Much appreciated." Arryl swipes up the coins, flicking them in the air before catching and pocketing them. "Zen..."

She and I turn around, our eyes landing on Zen at the same time. He's leaning against the wall, talking with one of the women at the quest board; they clearly know each other, because the woman playfully punches him in the chest, giggling with a light blush.

Sighing, Arryl stomps over, grabbing Zen by the ear. "We're going."

"Owowow!! Hey, Arryl, easy, easy--!!!" Zen yowls as Arryl drags him out the door. I follow with an exasperated smile, glancing over my shoulder just in time to see the woman blow Zen a kiss with a smirk.

"Huh. He really is a playboy." I jog a little to catch up with Arryl.

"Indeed." Arryl continues dragging Zen by the ear, his flailing legs skittering along the ground as he tries and fails to get his feet under him.

"Ow! Seriously, Arryl, that hurts! Hey! My poor ear!!" Zen laughs even as he winces in pain. "We were only talking!"

"Mhm, and then you'll bring her to our room and do her in the bed while I'm right there in the other one. As always."

"Hey, I keep telling you, you can join in if you want--"

"LIKE I'D WANT TO!!" Arryl yanks her hand off, almost ripping his ear straight off his head as she steps away in a huff.

"... Seriously? You do that shit in the same room?" I ask him, incredulous.

"Inn prices are getting way too expensive," Zen mutters, rubbing his earlobe. "And don't worry; even if she's like that, I know she secretly enjoys watching--"

CRAAAAAAACK!!!

I gape as I see the hammer embedded in Zen's face.

"WRONG!!!" Arryl yanks her hammer back, storming away, her tail puffed out to the max.

"..." Zen cricks his neck, touching his nose and coming away bloody. "I guess I deserved that one."

"I'm amazed you're alive..." I murmur.

------------

True enough, they have a shared room at the inn, a tiny place with two beds and an attached bathroom. I step inside, drinking in the atmosphere, the spartan layout, the sunlight streaming through the arched window. To my surprise, their bathroom has a fully functioning toilet and shower, though they're a little different than I'm used to: the toilet has no water in it, instead having a magic circle floating mid-air partway down the bowl, and the shower appears to work off a similar magical formation.

Arryl flops down on her bed with a sigh. "Zen, lunch..." she growls into her blanket.

"I thought you said you wanted to make it?" Zen asks. There's a chest at the foot of either bed, and he opens up his chest, pulling out some new clothes. Shrugging off his borrowed cloak, he starts changing.

"And you told me not to feed you dark matter," Arryl grumbles. "Besides, we missed the sale, so I can't even make what I wanted to. And also, I'm in a bad mood now. Make me food."

Zen chuckles, fastening his belt to complete his outfit. "You were so chipper this morning, too. But this is cute in its own way."

Arryl huffs, though I can see her tail wagging just a bit. "Can you blame me? You tell me we're going on a simple mission, then my poor eyes get burned with the image of a Yorg's... you-know-what... There's no way I'd stay chipper after seeing that!"

"Fair enough." Zen rummages deeper in his chest, grabbing several... cards?

"What are those?" I ask, stepping closer to get a better look.

"Hm? You don't know about item cards?" Zen holds up one of the cards, which has an image of a sandwich on it. "These are super convenient, you know? You can put food in a card and preserve it for as long as you want, or put a weapon in a card so you don't have to carry it around uncomfortably... It only works up to a certain size, though. Rather, I'm surprised you're that powerful but have never heard of something this basic. I even used one earlier; my pocket watch is stored in a card."

"Ahhh..." So that's how he pulled it out of his underwear. "That is super convenient. I'm... I'm rather clueless about a lot of things."

"Hm. Sheltered much?" He chuckles, handing me a card, magic flowing from his fingertips and setting it alight with a warm glow. A moment later, I'm holding a sandwich in my hands. "You've really got a mysterious vibe going on. Silver hair, beautiful features, futanari, holding a crazy strong weapon but having a super kinky fetish for brutal Yorg sex..."

"Wah, wah!!" I kick his shin on instinct, blushing to the roots of my hair as he yelps, hopping up and down on one foot. "You-! That last bit was unnecessary!" I whine.

"Ouch! Geez, Arryl, she's learning your bad habits! Violence is not the answer!"

Arryl chuckles, sitting up in bed. "Kick him harder, Sofia. It's the only way he learns."

Grumbling, Zen tosses Arryl a card, which she deftly catches and pours her magic into. Biting into her newly formed sandwich, Arryl stares at me curiously. "So what is your story, anyway? I'm really curious. But, um, you don't have to tell me any details about your... nightly activities. In fact, please don't."

I giggle, taking a bite of my sandwich as well. "Well, I..." I start to reply, but the flavor bursts through my mouth: sweet tomatoes, smoky meat, a nice crunch of lettuce, and a sauce I can't name that adds just the slightest sour note to tie it all together. "Mm?! This is good!" I say, cutting myself off.

"Why, thank you. Made it myself." Zen walks to his bed, sitting down and patting the sheets next to him. "Come on, sit and eat comfortably."

"No, no, she's sitting with me," Arryl says, shifting to the side to give me room. I glance between them, then perch next to Arryl, chewing with a delighted expression on my face. "So, you were saying?" Arryl asks me, shooting Zen a smug look.

"Right. Truth is, I... um..." I wrack my brains, trying to figure out how to explain my weird-ass situation to these two. "... Actually, I can't really remember..."

I draw a complete blank, so I decide to just play the cliche amnesia card; it's not like I can just tell them I'm from another world. I explain how I woke up in this body, skipping over the part where I got milked silly by slimes for a week and jumping to the night I met the Yorg. Blushing profusely, I try my best to convey how he took good care of me and was the friendliest giant, which is absolutely why I--a frightened young woman with memory loss--fell for him, not just because he had a massive, bitch-taming cock...❤︎

"Huh. Amnesia... were you in some kind of accident? I don't feel any traces of a curse on you, so it's not magically induced memory loss, unless it's some kind of super high level spell." Zen strokes his chin. "You really don't remember anything? You were able to tell us your name, so that's at least a clue." He takes a bite of his sandwich, his pink eyes glittering as he looks at me with intrigue. "Though I've never heard of an 'Omnis' living around these parts."

"Mm... Yeah, I have no idea where this is..." I say.

"Hmmm..." Standing with his sandwich in one hand, he walks over to his chest, rummaging through and pulling out a large map. Spreading it on the floor, he points to a tiny dot in the middle of a vast continent.

"We're here. The town of Eriden, in Gale County, one of the provinces of the Kingdom of Rathania. Probably about as isolated from the rest of civilization as you can get." Zen slides his finger westward. "The capital of our kingdom, Tyrvardan, is here. Four months by carriage, two weeks by dragon flight. And around our borders, there's Rogva, Quilars, Ynfred... you can read the rest. There's also other continents, and though I don't have a map, there's another realm, too, called the Night Realm. Traveling there used to have pretty strict rules, but it's gotten much easier ever since the latest Demon Queen implemented a plan to fully open the dimensional barriers."

"Woah, sorry, that's way too much information all at once," I say, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Demon Queen? Dragon flights? Night Realm? Dimensional borders? This is all just normal stuff?"

Arryl nods. "This is the kind of thing everyone knows, isn't it?"

"Yup, should be. None of this is ringing any bells for you?" Zen asks.

"Nope," I respond truthfully. If this is common sense in this world, I'm waaaaay out of the loop.

"Huh. Is there really nothing else you remember?" Zen tilts his head. "No family? Friends? Lovers? Or anything on how you got to that cave in the first place?"

"No..."

"Hmm... So you woke up, afraid and alone, saw there was a sword by your side, met probably one of the scariest-looking monsters you could, and then you... had brutal baby-making sex with it."

"ZEN!" Arryl whips Zen across the back of the head again as my face explodes with heat.

"OUCH! What?! I'm just stating the facts! I'm trying to think, here!"

"Trying to think, my foot," Arryl quips. "As if you've ever been the type to ponder."

"Statistically untrue, but I'll take it if it means you won't hit me again," Zen mutters, turning his eyes back to me. "Anyway, what are you going to do now? Try to recover your memories? Feels like we'll have to do some detective work. Maybe we should head back to that cave tomorrow?"

"Um..." I feel a slight stab of guilt deep in my gut from the genuine willingness to help in Zen's gaze. No matter how hard they look, they won't find anything about my past here. I didn't exist in this world until a week and a half ago, after all.

Unless...

Now that I think about it, did this body have a previous owner? I just sort of woke up in this world, but could it be I've taken the place of someone else? This clearly isn't the body I had in my previous world; back there, I didn't have a cock, for one thing, and I wasn't anywhere near this sexy. If I've somehow taken over the real Hero's body... and then went and did all those whorish things with it...❤︎

"Y-yeah, let's do that," I reply to Zen, my voice trembling a little. Oh, god, please let me be wrong. Please don't tell me I've invaded the noble, pure Hero's body and turned it into a cock-addicted cumdump...❤︎

Zen nods, ruffling his hair with one hand where Arryl slapped him. "We'll head out first thing in the morning. Which means the three of us will have to share this room tonight... Can't be helped, then." Zen smiles at me, his eyes glimmering playfully. "Sofia and I will share a bed. Really, it can't be helped."

Arryl's fist smacks directly into his cheek, sending him plowing sideways into his bedsheets. "Yeah, right. You can sleep with me, Sofia. It'll be a tight squeeze, but we'll make do."

"Eh? Shouldn't I just book another room...?" I ask.

Arryl shakes her head with a sigh. "Even though this is a small town, there's a bunch of dungeons and old ruins to explore all around this place, so the inns are always full of adventurers. Plus, since Zen and I aren't questing for fourteen hours a day like some crazy people, we're always a bit tight on coins; it's just easier to share as much as we can."

"Right..." I tilt my head at Arryl. "Are you really okay with sleeping with me, though?"

She tilts her head right back. "I don't see what's wrong with it. We're both women, after... all..."

She seems to realize what I'm getting at, blushing as her gaze flicks very briefly to my nether regions. "I... t-that's fine! You're not going to do anything weird, right?"

"O-of course! I wasn't planning on anything, just wanted to make sure you're comfortable...!"

"I-I wasn't thinking about that until you brought it up! Geez, Sofia!"

"Sorry! I just... um..."

Zen laughs, rising from his bed, his cheek swollen comically where Arryl had punched him. "See? That's why Sofia should sleep with me, since I don't mind in the slightest and can even comfort her at night--"

SMAAAACK!!!

Arryl huffs, her fist steaming. "She's sleeping with me! That's final!"

"Y-yes ma'am..." Zen mumbles, his head embedded in the mattress.

"Geez, seriously..." Arryl growls, sighing as she turns back to me, her eyes falling to my open cleavage. "... First things first, though, let's get you some clothes that fit."