Volume Five: Return from the Other Side - Nid's Spring (2)

Loxue was surrounded by several maids, but she wasn't subjected to any near-sexual harassment. The maids maintained a subtle distance from her, their actions remaining purely businesslike, and all of them looked tense. Although Loxue always possessed a gentle and approachable charm that made people feel good towards her, she also had a powerful aura that commanded respect without anger, making everyone who approached her involuntarily tense.

When will I be able to have an aura like my sister? Nid pondered this seriously.

That way, at least the maids will behave themselves.

"Time to measure your hip circumference... slurp"

"What are you drooling for, you stupid woman? Stay away from Lord Nid!"

"I'll do it! I'm a professional!"

"Eek~~~~ I touched a place I shouldn't have touched! It's so big!"

"You guys are so dirty! Let me do it!"

Nid has given up resistance.

Talking to them politely won't get them to listen, and yelling at them will only excite them more.

Why are women such troublesome creatures...? If only they were all like my sister, possessing beauty, wisdom, and emotional intelligence, or like Blood Emperor, Miss Haoyue, and Miss Xiao Wu, who are all cold and aloof towards men, it would save a lot of trouble...

"Tsk tsk tsk, you're quite popular, Nid."

Loxue watched with great interest as the majestic Lord Nid was bewildered by a group of maids, and her sister's gaze made Nid feel extremely ashamed.

How could I let my sister see me in such a sorry state!

And you can't let outsiders find out that you're not good at dealing with women. Go for it, Nid! Show them how capable you are!

Hey! You guys!

What are your orders?

The maids immediately swarmed around him, their eyes shining, their delicate bodies, wrapped in maid outfits, desperately pressing against Nid.

"..."

Nid surrendered instantly.

(Snow, Sister Xue...)

Seeing her younger brother's pleading look, Loxue sighed softly and offered her help.

Hey you guys!

Upon hearing Loxue's voice, the maids froze, and those who had been secretly reaching for Nid's body turned deathly pale.

"Let's stop joking around. We mustn't be disrespectful to the Commander-in-Chief."

"Yes, sir!!"

Then the maids completely behaved themselves and dared not touch them inappropriately again.

The three met again in the corridor.

"... So, Nid has made a fool of himself again?"

Brad, rubbing his forehead.

He had now taken off his usual military uniform and armor and put on a suit-like outfit, which really didn't suit him. His bulging muscles made the clothes look bulging, and the buttons and sleeves were so tight that they seemed like they would burst open if he moved. His large feet and the exquisitely designed shiny leather shoes were completely mismatched, and he even had a strange brooch on his collar.

"Yes, I thought I'd finally become more resistant to women, but I ended up being completely overwhelmed by a bunch of maids." Loxue didn't hold back in her criticism.

"Sister..."

"Calling me 'Mom' won't help; you can't go on like this."

I've only ever heard of leaders who play with women, never leaders who get played by women.

"Then what should I do..." Nid looked completely innocent, which made Loxue furious. She had been tempered into a heart of stone in countless battles, and she only got angry and upset about things related to Nid.

"What should I do... Ah, I've got it!"

"?"

"Come here, come closer~"

"What the hell... Pfft!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nid took two steps forward, Loxue grabbed his hand—then pressed it against her chest.

"So the key is adaptability, huh? As long as you can get used to women a little, it'll be fine, right? How was your first time touching a girl's breasts? You can write it in your battle report."

As she spoke, Loxue pressed down on Nid's hand with an expression that seemed completely unconcerned. Her perfectly sized, rounded breasts deftly deformed under the pressure of her fingers, proclaiming the youthful beauty of her body.

"Huh? Nid? Why have you turned grayish-white?"

Loxue placed her hand in front of Nid's eyes and waved it.

Then,

"Eaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"

Nid's rather girlish scream echoed down the corridor.

"Hey, hey, hey, is it really necessary to shout so loudly! The guards will misunderstand!"

"Sister Xue Sister Xue, Sister Xue's breasts! Ahh..."

"Hello..."

"I defiled Sister Xue... wait, no, it was Sister Xue who defiled me... wait, no, did I defile her or did she defile me? Was it me touching Sister Xue's breasts, or my hand, or my hand? An irresistible reaction under Sister Xue's coercion? Was it really me touching Sister Xue's breasts? Was it the me who touched Sister Xue's breasts a second ago, or the me now? Who is the me that exists here? Who touched Sister Xue's breasts? Why—"

"Calm down! It was just a touch on the chest!"

"$%^%*#$%^$^@$%^$!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"... Brad."

"Exist."

"Let him calm down."

"Yes." Thump!!!

"Are you calm now?"

"I'm sorry, I acted impulsively..."

Nid's face darkened, and he stood against the wall like a schoolboy being punished, his hand still trembling as he touched her breasts.

"They're just two lumps of fat, is that all that makes you so excited...?"

"Because it's Sister Xue's (whispering)..."

"Um?"

"Nothing."

"Give me your hand!"

Loxue grabbed Nid's hand again, but this time it wasn't reverse sexual harassment (?), but rather she pressed it down on --

"Brad, come over here a bit."

"Hmm?" Press!

She placed Nid's calloused hand on Brad's chest.

"..." "..."

Nid and Brad exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what was going on.

"I'm asking you, Nid," Loxue said seriously, "Whose breasts are bigger, mine or his?"

Nid gave Brad a serious look at his massive pectoral muscles, which were practically bursting open with his buttons.

"He's big." Smack!

"Why did you hit me...?"

"I'm really annoyed for some reason... You see, Brad's chest is bigger than mine, but you don't feel anything when you touch it, right? And Brad doesn't feel anything when he's being touched, right?"

"... No."

No.

"No?"

""No.""

"Really, really not? Not even a little bit?"

""No.""

"Not even the slightest feeling of blushing or a racing heart? Not even the urge to rub our muscular muscles together?"

"... Really, no."

"Tsk."

"Sister Xue, you just clicked your tongue, didn't you? What did you mean by that?"

"What's going on, Loxue...?"

"As expected, the contents of those doujinshi secretly distributed by the girls in the publicity class are unreliable... (whispering)"

"Sister Xue, you seem to have said something that's quite noteworthy!"

"We can't pretend we didn't hear this!"

"Don't change the subject! Anyway, since you can be unresponsive to Brad Nid, you'll definitely be able to handle other girls with ease!"

"But Uncle Brad is a rough guy!"

"Just imagine everyone is a man! That way you won't be nervous!"

"... For a fleeting moment, I actually thought it made a lot of sense."

"This is the solution I came up with as the top strategist. Although it's not a permanent solution, it can still be adjusted. Anyway, Nid, you won't be dating for the next few years."

"...(black line)"

"Loxue, I think you've hurt Nid's feelings again."

"Well..."

"Hey, Nid, stop thinking about it. We finally have some free time, let's go grab a drink. Loxue, you still have some things to take care of, right? Let's go our separate ways for now."

Unable to bear watching any longer, Brad said a brief goodbye and led Nid away. Loxue also sighed and left in the opposite direction.

"Wait, you two."

""... Um?""

"Don't you guys ever rub your abs together?"

""Won't!!!!!""

Inside the mansion, in a small room on the third floor, Nid and Brad were standing by the window.

This room was crammed full of all sorts of things. Apart from a desk, a chair, and a single bed, the rest was filled with books and various weapons. The bookshelves, reaching to the ceiling, were filled with military works from ancient and modern times, such as "On Strategy," "General Treatise on Military Strategy," "The Idea of Armament Adjustment," and "An Overview of Modern Warfare." On the other wall hung weapons such as Greatsword, longswords, battle axes, and whips, all of which Nid needed to master. The Greatsword he usually used was just one of them.

This is where Nid lived as a child.

"What do you want? Voltras? Hennessy? Oral explosives?"

"Whatever."

"Then Hennessy will do."

Nid stared blankly as the amber-colored liquor was poured into his glass.

"What are you thinking about?" Brad asked as he poured himself a glass.

"I was just thinking... before I knew it, I've reached the age where I can drink freely now. I used to get really scolded by Sister Xue for sometimes secretly tasting alcohol when I was little."

"She cares about you too much. I remember the first time I drank hard liquor was when I was six years old."

"Ha, you're pretty impressive."

Brad's seemingly rough but actually meticulous nature always made Nid feel at ease, so although they were boss and Direct Subordinate, they were more like brothers with a significant age difference in private, and also drinking buddies.

With a clink of glasses, Brad downed his drink in one gulp, while Nid, whose alcohol tolerance was slightly lower, leaned against the windowsill, sipping slowly as he gazed at the view below. The spicy taste was mixed with bitterness, but upon closer tasting, it revealed a rich and intoxicating aroma, adding a touch of flavor to the otherwise unremarkable scenery of his hometown.

"A home I haven't been to for many years... My sister is still the same sister, but I'm not the same person I used to be."

"Are you saying your sister complex is getting worse?"

"Puff!!!!"

Nid sprayed out all the fine wine he had just drunk.

"You, you... Ptooey! What are you saying?!"

"I'm around you guys all the time, don't I know what you're thinking?"

Brad ignored Nid's wavering and poured himself another glass.

"My feelings for Sister Xue are just... just--"

"Just what?"

"..." "Um?"

"... never mind."

Nid seemed to have given up, downing the rest of his drink in one gulp, his eyes darting around, lost in thought.

Brad sighed as he looked at Nid.

"Although I don't want to interfere in other people's relationships, sometimes it's better to be clear about things."

"God knows... Don't talk nonsense..."

"I'm very serious..."

Brad downed his drink in one gulp, his gaze becoming somewhat unfocused.

The setting sun cast its glow upon him, giving this burly giant a more weathered look.

"... Do you remember my wife and daughter? If my daughter were still alive, she would probably be older than you."

"... Ah, of course I remember."

Nid remembered them; they were very gentle and beautiful women and lovely young girls, their joyful demeanor seemingly untouched by any suffering in the world.

But this mother and daughter were hanged right before Brad's eyes, which brought him to the brink of collapse. But it was because of that incident that Brad became extremely hardworking, repeatedly achieving great feats, and worked his way up from a low-ranking officer to his current position as deputy commander of the 1st Division.

"After they died, I often thought... if only I could have talked to them more back then, if only I could have played with them more, but now it's too late..."

"... I'm very sad too."

"What's the use of being sad?" Brad looked at Nid deeply. "What's gone is gone, there's no going back... So, Nid, instead of hesitating and suffering alone, why not open your heart to Loxue? You've always been the most important person to her."

"Um..."

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