A Chat with A Brat

Authors Note: I’ve updated Adeline’s image (reference chapter here), making her bunny ears look softer and more dynamic.

Clack.

Magic quickly melds the large stone brick into the fortified ‘wall’.

Progress is being made down here, it is just very slow due to the scale of what needs to be done. Compared to what this tunnel was originally like, the significantly narrower passage around the pathway feels positively claustrophobic. And that is saying nothing of the tangled maze of even smaller shafts connecting the various **** holes around said passage.

Clack.

Honestly, just this bit alone feels kind of like overkill. Though maybe that’s just because the work is pretty tedious.

This is, after all, only the first line of defence that Inanna suggested. And while Krvavy won’t be immediately building those other fortifications, they’re still hanging over her head.

Clack.

At least this is levelling up her Earth Magic, even if rather slowly.

Clack.

Maybe Krvavy can take a break soon? Maybe not when her mana is completely diminished, but instead when it is close to running out?

She could get the fighting manual out and run some drills? That isn’t the most exciting, but is still a nice change of pace from what she is currently doing...

Clack.

The cart is nearly empty. Krvavy will have to fill it again, and again, and again...

Though she’ll probably need to find another source of bricks soon. Nearly all of the ones that have been used so far are from the tunnel that the barbarian has been ‘digging’ to bypass these fortifications and reach that empty chamber that she has already sealed off.

But that tunnel feels like it is pretty close to its destination.

Sure, it could be made a bit wider and taller, but the amount of stone she’ll need to fully fill in this significantly wider and significantly taller tunnel out here...

Clack.

Suppose it is only a matter of time until Krvavy needs to rely entirely on her mana. And while that would definitely make the overall progress slow down quite a bit, it would also be a lot less mind numbing. She’d just need to pop down here, burn through her mana, and then be done for the day.

No pulling bricks from a wall, carting them from one tunnel to the next, and then putting them back into another wall...

Soon...

The barbarian reaches for another brick, only to find that there are no more. “Tsk.” She clicks her tongue in annoyance, grabbing the handles of the cart and turning it around.

Krvavy barely takes a dozen steps before the black gem encircling the silver ring fitted snugly onto her lower right horn pulses. She pauses as an impression of just who is telepathically calling her lingers at the back of her mind. A wide grin spreads across her face.

⟨Hey there~.⟩

⟨Explain yourself, degenerate!⟩ Thea’s accusatory voice fills the connection, overpowering Krvavy’s playful greeting.

⟨Well, I just ran out of bricks, so I need to go get some mor–⟩ The Drakling’s innocent explanation of what she is currently doing is quickly cut off.

⟨Not that, you deviant!⟩ The bratty girl hisses back. ⟨You know what I am talking about!⟩

⟨Do I~?⟩ Krvavy continues to grin, ensuring that her smug tone is felt by her fiancée.

⟨Yes!⟩

⟨Really~?⟩

⟨Ugh!⟩

⟨Let me guess~,⟩ Krvavy resumes pushing the small cart, not feeling anywhere near as bored now that she has a brat to bug. ⟨Is this about how I have ‘corrupted’ you into being my lusty little loveslave~? About how I have warped you into being a degenerate who is utterly addicted to my dick~?⟩

⟨No, you pervert!⟩ If Thea were here, then she probably would have just petulantly stomped a foot down. ⟨This is –!⟩

⟨Oh~? So you’re not going to deny any of that~?⟩ Krvavy eagerly interrupts her frustrated fiancée. ⟨You’re just going to let me call you –~?⟩

⟨Sh-shut up!⟩ If only the barbarian could see the blush on her beautiful brat’s face right now... ⟨The book! The filthy book that you gave to me as some sick gift!⟩

⟨What about it~?⟩ A large brick is effortlessly pulled out of the wall and placed onto the cart.

⟨Explain yourself!⟩

⟨I thought you’d enjoy reading a romance novel~.⟩ Krvavy calmly returns, casually avoiding giving the real answer.

⟨Ugh!⟩ Thea quite clearly wishes she was having this conversation face-to-face, purely just so she could throttle the Drakling. ⟨Why is the main character described as having white-blonde braided hair and light-blue eyes?!⟩

⟨Well, I haven’t read the book, only the synopsis, but if I remember correctly~...⟩ Krvavy playfully pauses for a moment, dragging out her response. ⟨She is supposed to be a beautiful Human princess, yes~? How else do you describe a beautiful princess~?⟩

⟨And what about the, ugh, the love interest?!⟩ A faint tinge of embarrassment underlines those words, though it isn’t entirely clear if that is due to what Krvavy just said or what the girl is about to say herself. ⟨Do not tell me that it is a mere coincidence that the... love interest... is a Drakling woman with black scales, snow-white skin, blood red hair, and a... a degenerate dick described in far too much detail!⟩

⟨What? Really?!⟩ Krvavy does a decent job at feigning surprise, but she isn’t quite convincing enough.

⟨Yes, and you had a hand in that!⟩

⟨Wow, that’s quite the bold claim~.⟩ The barbarian pulls on the handles of the now brick covered cart, leading it back towards the unfinished fortifications. ⟨Are you saying I had an entire book written just to play a prank on you~?⟩

Thea is silent for a few, long seconds. ⟨Yes.⟩ She confidently declares, her mentally projected voice sounding ever so slightly cold. ⟨That is exactly the kind of thing that you would do.⟩

⟨Ooh... Well, my dear fiancée, you are...⟩ Krvavy pauses to hold a hand over her heart as if wounded, forgetting that Thea can’t actually see her. ⟨Wrong~! I didn’t have the whole thing written for you~! I simply found an ‘adult romance novel’ about a beautiful Human princess who gets left at the mercy of a Drakling after being shipwrecked, and I felt that it was just too perfect to not buy for you~!⟩

⟨Hmph...⟩ The bratty noble girl does not sound convinced. ⟨Wait... You... You are messing with me... Playing with words...⟩ She ‘mutters’ out, sharing parts of her thought process. ⟨You...!⟩ Realization enters her increasingly accusatory tone. ⟨I know what you did! You may not have been the degenerate mind behind this even more degenerate book, but you paid for adjustments to be made to it! That is why the characters are similar to us in appearance!⟩

⟨Yes~! Exactly~! That’s right~! Good job~!⟩ Krvavy cheers and praises her little princess, more than happy that Thea has finally figured it out.

⟨I knew it!⟩ A victorious feeling of pride oozes from those three words. ⟨Wait.⟩ The noble girl cuts her triumph short. ⟨You personally requested those changes...? Do... do you have no shame?!⟩ Thea sounds utterly scandalized as she realizes the implications. ⟨You subjected your perverted degeneracy onto some poor copier?!⟩

⟨Hey! They were selling that book already, so were clearly fine with making copies of it!⟩ The Drakling defends herself. ⟨And I only requested some minor changes to how the characters look! Nothing big! The ‘love interest’ only has two horns, right?! Not the four that I have!⟩

⟨Then why is her deviant dick described almost exactly as yours would be?! Flared ridges and unwieldy size included!⟩

⟨How would I know?!⟩ Krvavy exasperatedly responds, sharply exhaling through her nose. ⟨The author is clearly a pervert – why else would they write an entire story about sex? So obviously they did their research, or have first hand experience with that kind of thing. Like you do~.⟩

⟨Hmph!⟩ Thea huffs and almost certainly crosses her arms. ⟨Even if that is the case, you are not free of guilt! You still purchased this filthy book, and even went so far as to request immensely personal changes be made to it! Did you not feel even the slightest bit of shame or embarrassment when doing that!?⟩

⟨Of course I was embarrassed,⟩ Krvavy honestly admits, raising a hand up to idly rub the back of her neck. ⟨But I figured that it’d be worth it. And I was right~. Your reaction was amazing, even if I’m not there to see it in person~.⟩

⟨So this ‘gift’ is just a perverted joke!⟩ The bratty girl accuses, sounding ever so slightly indignant.

⟨No, not at all.⟩ The barbarian shakes her head and smiles. ⟨I’m having a bit of fun with it, sure, but this is still an actual gift. I bought it for you to read first and foremost. That said, you don’t need to take it seriously. This isn’t high literature or anything. But I don’t think it’ll be bad either: the girl who made the copy, uh, seemed to really enjoy working on it. It was apparently good enough for her to flirt with me when I paid for it.⟩

⟨Now you are just making stuff up.⟩ Thea’s eye roll is almost audible in her tone.

⟨Nope. I’m serious, ask Beryl if you don’t believe me.⟩ Krvavy confidently responds, grabbing a brick and pressing it into the growing stone wall. ⟨The worker... she quite obviously saw the resemblance between me and the ‘love interest’, and... Well, she straight up asked me if I had a dick. If I remember right, her exact words were ‘big, girthy cock’. Or at least they would have been if her grandma didn’t interrupt.⟩

Thea takes a few, long seconds to respond. ⟨I would believe Beryl even less than I believe you.⟩ She plainly states. ⟨But... I do not exactly doubt that it happened... You have a habit of running into your fellow perverts...⟩

⟨A habit...?⟩ The barbarian pauses her work for just a moment, resuming as her lips spread into a grin. ⟨What, like how I met you~?⟩

⟨Ha, ha. Very funny.⟩

⟨Thank you~.⟩ Another brick is melded together with the countless others before it. ⟨Are you enjoying the book so far?⟩

⟨I have hardly finished the first chapter.⟩ Thea avoids answering the question, trying to hide the hint of embarrassment in her mentally projected voice.

⟨And the descriptions have already gotten graphic enough to rile you up? Wow, it just goes straight into it, huh~?⟩

The bratty girl’s silence speaks volumes.

⟨Alright, enough about the book then. How’s the couch been treating you?⟩ Krvavy casually changes the conversation, content with simply ‘speaking’ to her fiancée regardless of the actual topic.

⟨It... is alright.⟩ Thea seems a little **** to admit that, probably because she doesn’t want to praise the barbarian. ⟨The seats are comfortable enough.⟩

⟨Better than the bed?⟩

⟨For sitting around and reading? Or trying to read, at least?⟩ The silver-blonde noble girl just can’t help but be a little sassy. ⟨I suppose.⟩

⟨You know, for a girl who called me just to complain about that book, you do seem rather eager to read it~.⟩ Krvavy playfully responds, emerald eyes gleaming with amusement as she openly teases her beautiful brat. ⟨Are you, perhaps, enjoying it more than you’d like to admit~? Are you picturing yourself as the beautiful princess and me the ferocious wildwoman~? No one would blame you for that, not with how closely they resemble us~! Do you want to recreate some of those scenes~? Just the two of us toge–~⟩

The Drakling abruptly cuts herself off. She has the distinct impression that Thea just hung up on her.

“Dammit...” Krvavy sighs out, scowling slightly. There goes her source of entertainment... Now she has nothing to keep her mind off this boring and tedious work...

In hindsight, she really should have expected Thea to cut the call like that. The bratty girl has zapped her with lust magic for less.

Clack.

Stone softly hits stone as Krvavy moves an unremarkable brick from the cart to the ever-expanding wall.

“Hmmm...” The barbarian pauses her work. She mostly just mentioned recreating a scene from that book to mess with Thea, but that honestly isn’t the worst idea... Granted, Krvavy hasn’t read the thing herself, but that hardly matters.

Thea is already her little princess, so treating her like an actual one should come naturally.

Krvavy calmly ascends the sculpted stone staircase. Each step is a little on the shorter side, letting her easily take them two at a time. In no time at all, she passes into the tiny and admittedly useless connecting ‘hallway’, and then steps into the living area proper.

The silver-blonde brat glances up, soft-blue eyes glaring through her gold-rimmed glasses. After just a second or two, she rolls those beautiful eyes and returns her attention to the book resting in her lap as she lies back on the cushioned moss.

“What?” The barbarian innocently asks, walking towards the large u-shaped couch. She shamelessly ogles the noble girl, who is surprisingly not naked but instead wearing a simple white sundress. Still, a thin piece of fabric is not enough to hide Thea’s beauty.

“You simply could not leave me alone, could you?” The bratty girl absently sighs out, flipping to the next page.

Krvavy raises an eyebrow and drops down onto a separate segment of the couch. “It’s been over an hour since we talked. Probably closer to two.” Her tail casually curls around and to the side, its tip reaching across the gap between couches.

Thea pulls her bare legs back, dodging the touchy tail. She pushes herself up into more of a sitting position, legs forming a triangle as her knees pull together and her heels press into the padded moss. “And yet you still came straight to me.”

“Of course.” Krvavy shamelessly admits, tilting her head as she takes in the sight before her.

Confusion fills Thea’s already faintly flushed face for just a moment, quickly getting replaced by indignant realization. Her body twists over as she hastily rolls onto her side, covering herself up with her feet and the fabric of her dress. “P-pervert!”

“Says the girl who just flashed me~.” The barbarian grins as she stares unblinking at the bright red blush colouring her bratty blonde’s cheeks. “Looks like you’ve been enjoying this ‘trashy’ story~.”

“Sh-shut up...” Thea mutters out in pure and unadulterated embarrassment, struggling to maintain her heated glare.

Krvavy leans forwards, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. “You’re pretty cute when you get all embarrassed like this~.”

The corner of Thea’s left eye twitches. She takes a deep breath and ever so slightly adjusts her enchanted glasses. “What... What do you want?”

“Do I need a reason to spend some time with my fiancée~?”

“Yes.” The noble girl quite firmly states, regaining her resolve. “Yes, you do. Now out with it.”

“Alright,” Krvavy casually shrugs, leaning back into her segment of the couch. “Well... Our conversation earlier made me want to see you in person.”

“Is that all?” The silver-blonde girl skeptically asks, eyes narrowing into slits.

Krvavy quickly nods her head. “Yup.”

“Liar.”

The Drakling raises a single eyebrow. “I’m lying?”

“Do not play coy with me! I see it in your eyes!” Thea raises her voice, which has the unfortunate side effect of making her accusation sound more bratty than authoritative. “You are scheming! You have some sort of ulterior motive to be here!”

“I mean, yeah?” The barbarian lifts her hands up in a genuine show of bewilderment. “I always have some sort of ‘ulterior motive’ around you, don’t I? Honestly girl, I can hardly look at you, my fiancée, without imagining what it’d be like to just bend you over and make sweet, passionate love at any given moment.”

Thea’s blush burns just a bit brighter at that choice of words. “Do not make it sound so romantic, you degenerate Dragon!” Her hands quiver slightly as she slips strip of silken fabric between the pages of her book, marking her spot.

“You think that was romantic~?”

“Sh-shut up!”

“Mmm... I suppose if I was a bit more, well, tactful...” The barbarian idly taps a finger against her chin. “Rather than just say what essentially amounts to ‘I want to fuck you’, I could have said something more along the lines of... you being so enchantingly beautiful that I cannot help but desire you~... that I want our lips to press together~... for my hands to trail along your soft and smooth skin~... for us to lose ourselves in passion~... to slowly sink into your–~”

A loud clap echoes across the living room as Thea slams her book shut. “I said sh-shut up!”

“Right, I can do better than that...”

Clearly resisting the urge to throw the book at Krvavy, the bratty blonde instead drops it down onto the stone coffee table and instead throws herself at Krvavy.

“Woah, careful~!” The Drakling playfully calls out, effortlessly catching the furious brat and pulling the girl into a tight, inescapable hug. “I have some pointy bits attached to my head, and the last thing I want is to hurt you with them~.”

“Ugh...!” Thea struggles in vain to break free from the barbarian’s embrace. Her arms strain, pressing into Krvavy’s body with all her might. To no avail. “You... are too strong now...” She reluctantly grumbles out, stopping her squirming.

“Now?” Krvavy gently smiles, patting her defeated fiancée on the head. “I’ve always been stronger than you. Not to be rude, but Might isn’t exactly your best stat.”

“I know, but... there was a time when I could at least cause your grip to weaken. When I could push your arms back even a bit.” The silver-blonde girl clicks her tongue once. “Now though... Now I doubt that I could even break your skin if I got a knife and stabbed you with it.”

“Well that’s... a bit concerning that you’re even thinking about that...” Krvavy lightly shakes her head, before leaning in to give her fiancée’s forehead a soft kiss. “You’re not feeling bad about that, are you? That I’m growing more and more powerful and ‘leaving’ you behind?”

“No,” Thea honestly answers. “I have spent my whole life weaker and more useless than all those around me. But with you I...” The slowly fading blush intensifies for just a moment, filling her cheeks with a rosy hue. “I know that no matter how strong you get, I will always be yours. I will always be your first girl – and no, Khalia does not count! She did not even have a name back then!”

Krvavy can’t help but smile as her beautiful blonde’s serious tone shifts into a bratty huff. That is the girl she loves.

“Hmph...!” The noble girl huffs and crosses her arms, taking a moment to calm herself down. “Still, I... am not as weak as I was mere months ago. And, as much as it pains me to admit it, I... I have you to thank for that.” Her shoulders slump and a slow sighs escapes past her parted lips as she reluctantly confesses to that fact.

“I may have given you the means to grow stronger, either literally or by just awakening that power inside of you, but...” The barbarian pauses for a moment, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her fiancée’s embarrassed face. “But I didn’t make you grow stronger. That was all your doing. You are the one who put in all those hours practicing your magic. You are –”

“Ugh, enough...” Thea groans out, turning her gaze to the side. “I do not need you to stroke my ego. I did all of that purely because I had nothing else to do around here. Failing again and again is less mind numbing than just sitting around and staring at a wall all day.”

A single, strong finger lightly presses into the bottom of this bratty girl’s chin, gently guiding her head back up. The eyes of the two lover’s meet, soft-blue staring into verdant emerald. Moments later, their lips press together.

A calm and chaste passion surrounds them both, letting each other share their boundless love.

A delicate hand trails over the Drakling’s cheek. The ring nestled tightly on one finger is cool against her skin.

Strong arms, already wrapped around the noble girl’s body, give a reassuring squeeze.

“Haahh~...!” Thea gasps as she pulls herself back. Her bottom lip quivers in need before she gently bites down on it. A bashful expression fills her heavily flushed face as she once again turns to look away. “I will be q-quite cross if you learn Eromancy and get better at it than I!” She abruptly declares, almost shouting out.

The barbarian blinks once, and then twice. She is still recovering from that wonderful kiss that she freely lost herself in, and has no idea what this beautiful girl is talking about.

“You can surpass me in everything but that, understand!?” The silver-blonde noble girl shudders and sinks into Krvavy embrace, burying her face between the barbarian’s bare breasts. “As detestable and degenerate as that magic is... it... it is one of the greatest gifts that you have given me...” Her voice is hardly audible, fading into a subdued sigh.

“Don’t worry,” Krvavy lovingly runs her fingers through her fiancée’s silver-blonde hair, avoiding the relatively neat braids. “I’ve already spread myself thin enough when it comes to magic, so I don’t think I’ll try to learn even a little bit of Eromancy. I’ll leave all of that to you, my love~.”

“Thank you...”

“No problem~.” The barbarian all but beams with joy. She almost feels bad about ruining the moment. Almost. “And since we’re being honest with each other... You were right, earlier. I am, or at least I was, actually scheming.”

Thea goes completely still in the Drakling’s embrace. After a couple seconds she begins to push herself up. “I... I knew it!” She accusatorily pokes Krvavy in the cheek, roughly pressing down with as much **** as she can muster. Which, honestly, is not much. It is just about enough to be mildly uncomfortable. “You! Out with it!”

“Now, now, it was nothing serious~.” Krvavy grins as smugly as she possibly can, all while resisting the urge to lick her brat’s finger. The reaction that that would draw out would be so entertaining... “It was just an idea~. Something that the two of us could do together~. A bit of fun inspired by that new book of yours~.”