Chapter 143

--- 23rd Day, Late Evening ---

After eating with Zoe, we left Azura and her sisters at the house and headed to the library together. When we arrived, Selira was explaining something to Hannah at the main counter, but both of them stopped talking and turned their gazes toward us.

“Hey, how’s it going?” I asked, approaching them.

Selira was wearing a flowy, light green dress that showed off her slender shoulders and the tops of her breasts. Her green hair flowed past her shoulders, and a grin spread across her face when she saw me.

“Great,” the sea nymph replied. “Hannah is learning really quickly and helps me a lot. I can finally find time for all the things I’ve been putting off. I’m cataloguing new books, and I even had time to restore an old one. It wasn’t completely destroyed - the pages were falling out, but I managed to put it back together. You still need to be very careful while handling it, but now at least I can let people access it again instead of keeping it hidden all the time.”

“That’s amazing. I-” I began, but was cut off when Selira started speaking again.

“It’s about healing spells, and so many people have been asking about it. I had to keep telling them I didn’t have an available copy, and now I can finally let them read it. And it’s so amazing! Wait here, I’ll show you!” she gasped, then ran off to the back room of the library.

“She found her new passion,” Hannah said, picking up books from the counter. “When she was fixing it earlier today, it was the first time she didn’t ask me every ten minutes if everything was okay. And then for the rest of the day, she talked only about this book and all the others she wants to fix.”

I smiled, glad Selira had found something new and exciting, at least for herself. “How are you doing?” I asked Hannah while waiting for the sea nymph to return.

“There’s a lot of work, but it’s not that hard.”

“If Selira puts too much on you, I can talk to her,” I offered.

“No, no,” Hannah shook her head. “It’s really good to be busy.”

I wondered if she had anything to do back when she was held in the laboratory, or if her days had been spent staring at walls or reading books for her daughters. But I didn’t get the chance to ask, as Selira returned.

This time, much slower, she walked over with a rather large book in her hands, holding it like a precious treasure that might fall apart if she moved too quickly.

“I’ll take care of those,” Hannah said, gesturing at the books in her hands as she moved deeper into the library.

The sea nymph nodded absentmindedly and carefully placed the book on the counter in front of me. Its title was Advanced Healing Spells and Rituals.

Only after letting go of it did the focus leave her face, replaced once again by an excited grin as she looked at me eagerly.

I reached toward the book to open it, but before I could even touch it, Selira gasped, “Careful!”

“I will be, I promise,” I replied with a chuckle, opening the first page. It really did look old and fragile, but the text seemed intact, and while the pages showed signs of wear, it could still be used without much trouble.

“What do you think?” Selira asked.

“I don’t see any pages falling out, so you did a great job,” I replied.

“I used super strong glue, so it should hold really well. But I had to work very slowly and carefully so I wouldn’t damage it even more, or glue pages together. I used this tiny brush I had bought months ago but didn’t have time to test it out. It worked really well. It took really long, because I needed to dry the glue after every page. It took me a few hours, but it’s whole again. I fixed it!” she added cheerfully.

“You must really like fixing books,” I said. “And it’s awesome that thanks to you, people can read it.”

“Yeah. And there are so many more I want to fix here, and now I have time for that thanks to Hannah,” she said, then after a short pause added in a whisper, “And you.”

Standing close to her as she showed me the book, now facing each other, I slowly leaned down for a kiss. But before I could brush against her soft green lips, she turned her head away with a small grunt and stepped back.

Her gaze flicked toward Zoe before she looked away, her cheeks darkening.

“Ugh… Did you come for books?” she asked. “I can help you find what you need.”

I wondered what had changed between our meetings - why she suddenly didn’t want to kiss me anymore. Or maybe she just didn’t want to do it in front of Zoe.

“I learned about elementals recently,” I said, deciding not to push her. “Do you know anything about them?”

“Elementals?” Selira asked, surprised. “There’s a small section about them, just a few books. I can show you,” she added.

“Sure.”

“Um… Zoe, could you stay here and keep an eye on the book so no one steals it?” the sea nymph asked, gesturing at the one she had repaired.

“Oh, I’ll keep an eye on your little treasure,” the succubus replied with a grin.

“Thanks, let’s go,” Selira said, leading me deeper into the library. We passed a few bookshelves before she stopped in front of one. “That’s pretty much all I have,” she said, pointing to a single row. “You might find mentions about elementals in other books, but these are the only ones focused on them completely.”

“Hm…” I hummed, looking over the titles, which were all fairly similar, each mentioning something about elements, but none of them sounded like a guide on how to find one.

“What do you want to know about them?” Selira asked.

“Where I could find one.”

“Why do you want to do it?” the sea nymph asked, a small frown forming on her cute face.

“Just curious,” I shrugged.

“Is it somehow connected to you saving the world again?” she asked, a hint of hope in her voice.

“Not this time,” I snorted. “I have more personal reasons.”

Selira nodded, glancing at the books on the shelf. “I don’t think you’ll find a book with the location of an elemental. It’s going to be quite hard to find one.”

“So these books aren’t going to help me?”

“Not directly. Maybe you could learn more about them and figure out some pattern - where they appear, or what they like. Or you could try to find one of the authors and learn how they encountered an elemental, assuming they actually did and weren’t just theorizing.”

I sighed, wondering if it was worth spending time going through those books in the hope of finding a clue, just for a chance to complete one achievement. And I didn’t need just one elemental, but two, so maybe it was already too difficult to pursue right now.

“Did you hear about water elementals when you lived in the sea?” I asked Selira.

“I’ve heard of them, but more like a myth. Not that I actually met one. They do exist, but their bodies are completely made of water, so beneath the surface they’re basically invisible. If they don’t want you to notice them, you have no chance of spotting them.”

“So it’s very unlikely I’ll find one,” I said.

“Yeah… but not impossible, if it’s really important,” Selira replied.

“It’s not. At least not for now. Thanks,” I said, turning toward her, again standing very close.

As she lifted her gaze to my face, we both fell silent, just staring into each other’s eyes. Her green eyes shimmered in the soft light of the library, and she slowly licked her lips as a blush crept across her cheeks.

I tried again, leaning down to kiss her, and this time she didn’t turn away. Instead, she rose onto her toes, meeting me halfway as our lips connected in a soft embrace.

Her lips felt cold, something I hadn’t noticed before when we’d kissed underwater. We moved slowly together, and when I pulled back slightly, Selira followed, making sure our lips stayed connected. In doing so, she pressed herself gently against my chest.

Smiling at how eager she was, I deepened the kiss, placing my hand on her back and guiding her until she rested lightly against one of the bookshelves. As my hand wandered higher, she seemed to grow more confident as well, placing her hands on my chest, then sliding them up along my neck until she cupped my face, holding me close as her lips continued to move against mine.

She was the one to finally break the kiss, though she didn’t move far, her gaze still fixed on mine. “What if she catches us?” she whispered.

“Who?”

“Y-Your girlfriend,” she stammered quietly.

“She won’t,” I said with a smirk, closing the distance again and kissing her once more, which Selira immediately returned.

Even if Zoe did catch us, the worst that could happen was her getting a little upset that we hadn’t invited her, though more likely, she’d just join in. But I was starting to wonder if Selira liked the idea of us hiding. Maybe she thought we were doing something forbidden… something wrong, yet exciting, as our bodies stayed close and our lips brushed together again.

I didn’t shatter her illusion of a secret, forbidden romance by explaining that Zoe wouldn’t mind at all, something Selira should already know, considering I had three girlfriends. But if she wanted to pretend, to play it this way… I was more than willing to go along with it.

My hand wandered along her side until I was cupping her soft breast through her thin dress, though unfortunately there was still a bra beneath it. But my groping didn’t last long, as footsteps approached, and we quickly pulled away from each other just in time for Hannah to step into the aisle.

“So, this one might be what you’re looking for,” Selira said, grabbing a random book from the shelf and handing it to me, avoiding Hannah’s gaze as a deep blush spread across her cheeks.

One look at Azura’s mother was enough for me to know she was well aware of what had been happening before she arrived. She gave me a disapproving look but didn’t comment on it, instead saying, “It’s time to close the library. Can I go home, or do you need me for something?”

“Did you put all the returned books back in their places?” the sea nymph asked.

“Yes.”

“Okay, thank you. You’re free to go. I’ll close the library.”

Hannah nodded, shifting her gaze from Selira to me. For a moment, I thought she might say something, but in the end she just said, “See you later at home,” before turning and heading out of the library.

Selira stood with her back to me, staring toward the entrance to the aisle as if worried someone else might come in. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her from behind.

“It was close,” I murmured, my lips near her ear.

She let out a deep, breathy sound - almost a moan.

“We should head back before Zoe starts to suspect something,” the sea nymph said.

I barely managed to stop myself from laughing, glad she couldn’t see the grin on my face. The moment we disappeared from Zoe’s sight, she’d probably imagined something far naughtier than just kissing and a bit of groping. I put the book Selira had handed me back on the shelf, and then we left the aisle, heading toward the front of the library.

As we got closer to Zoe, she flicked her pink eyes between the two of us with a naughty smile, probably imagining everything that could have happened while we were gone. Or maybe she had been watching - it wouldn’t surprise me if she’d followed us and observed from somewhere hidden.

“Are you still up for helping me with the work contract for Mari?” I asked.

“Of course,” Selira replied. “I looked through some examples, and it’s nothing too complicated. You just need to state a few things. But isn’t Mari going to come?”

“She needs to rest after her healing. We can make a first version and adjust it after she looks through it,” I replied.

“Okay,” Selira said, moving to close the front door of the library.

“Are you feeling okay?” Zoe asked with a smile. “Your cheeks are really dark.”

“Oh… uh…” Selira mumbled. Even if she hadn’t been blushing before, her cheeks darkened immediately as she looked at the succubus, her green eyes wide.

“It gets really hot in the library sometimes, doesn’t it?” I said, stepping in to rescue her from Zoe’s teasing.

“Yeah,” Selira added quickly. “Yeah,” she repeated, before heading back toward the counter. “Um… I looked through some work contracts we have here, and it’s really simple. We can write it up quickly.”

“Perfect,” I said, following her to one of the tables, where she placed a sheet of paper and took out one of those magical pens I had seen before.

“Do you think we can make a final version today without Mari here, or will there be changes?” Selira asked.

“There will be changes,” I replied without hesitation. I had no doubt that, despite our deal already being set, the kitsune would still add some random, unnecessary points.

“Then maybe let’s treat this more like notes, what you and she want in the agreement, rather than drafting the final version. I’ll just write it down as if it were meant to be in the contract.”

“Whatever works best in your opinion,” I replied.

“Okay, so I’ll skip the formal details at the start. Work contracts don’t really have much, there are obligations, payment, and penalties. Let’s start with obligations. What is Mari supposed to do for you?”

“Protect me and my girlfriends - current and future,” I said with a smirk, keeping my gaze on Selira. She, however, seemed fully focused on her task as she started writing.

“Protect you from what?” she asked.

“Any danger, pretty much,” I shrugged.

“Okay. What next?”

“She’s supposed to go into dungeons with us and help us clear them. And if we take any jobs, she’s supposed to help with those too.”

“Okay,” Selira replied, noting it down. “Do you want to include a clause about how often you’ll be going into dungeons?”

“Not really. I mean, it could be seven days a week if we don’t have anything else to do.”

“She might want to ask for one day off each week. That’s a pretty standard clause in contracts like this.”

“Don’t include it yet. If she asks, we’ll add it, but this way I will have something to offer her.”

“Okay,” Selira said. “Any other obligations?”

“Yes. She can’t work for anyone else or accept any form of payment from others without my approval.”

“You want a share of her income from other jobs?” Selira asked.

“No, I just want to know if she has other jobs,” I replied. It wasn’t that I cared if Mari took on extra work, it was more about what kind of work it would be. As long as she wasn’t selling information about me, I didn’t care.

“Okay,” Selira said, writing it down.

“That’s all for obligations for now,” I added as she finished.

“For how long is she supposed to work for you?” Selira asked.

“Five years.”

“Alright. Now payment. You’ll heal her injuries.”

“Yes, or rather, someone else will do it for me.”

“Okay…” Selira said, writing. “What injuries are you going to heal?”

“Missing teeth, ears, tail, scars on her face and across her body,” I listed.

“Anything else she gets?”

“An equal split of any income she helps generate, with a guaranteed minimum of fifteen percent. And I’ll arrange a place for her to sleep.” She had also demanded it wouldn’t be my bed, but I didn’t feel the need to include that in the contract.

“Anything else?” Selira asked.

“That’s all.”

“Okay, now the penalty for breaking the contract.”

“What’s a typical penalty in cases like this?” I asked.

“Slavery,” Selira replied with a slight frown. “Often with an added buyout option. You’d need to state an amount she has to pay to break the contract, and it’s usually scaled over time. Like, if she wanted to leave now, it would be a certain amount, in a year it might drop to eighty percent, and so on.”

“Write that she would become my **** again if she breaks it,” I said. I didn’t like the idea of dealing with her as my **** again, but what other consequence could really push her to honor the contract? “And add the buyout clause, but leave the amount open for now.”

“Okay,” Selira said, taking a moment to write it all down before looking back at me. “Anything else?”

Mari had demanded that I would never touch her, but that was another thing I didn’t feel needed to be written into the contract, though I suspected she might bring it up. Still, I wanted to leave something I could add later, so she wouldn’t come up with even more demands.

“No, that’s all,” I replied.

“Look it over, see if everything’s okay,” Selira said, handing me the paper. It was everything we had discussed, written in a more formal, contract-like form.

“For now. I’ll show it to Mari, and I’m sure she’ll want to change something.”

“Okay, I can add things or rewrite it from scratch if needed.”

“Thank you, Selira,” I said, reaching across the table to take her hand and give it a soft squeeze.

“Oh, no problem. You’ve already helped me a lot, and it didn’t even take that much time. Hannah saves me far more time thanks to you.”

“I have something else I wanted to ask you,” I said. “Do you have an empty book and something to write with? I can pay for it.”

“Do you want to write a book?” Selira asked, perking up immediately.

“No, it’s for… a friend,” I replied.

“You could write down your adventures,” the sea nymph suggested. “Tell stories about all the good deeds you’ve done, how you saved the world, and Amber… and there could be a lot of romance in it too,” she added shyly.

“Hard not to, with so many beautiful women around me.”

“And so exotic-looking,” Zoe added immediately.

“Oh…” Selira blushed yet again. “I-I’ll get you that book,” she said, quickly stepping away from the table, though only behind the counter.

I gave Zoe a soft spank, then groped her ass under the table, sliding my hand beneath her skirt. I wasn’t surprised to find she wasn’t wearing any underwear as I squeezed her bare cheek.

“Master,” she purred quietly, but I had to pull my hand away as the sea nymph returned.

“You don’t need to pay for it,” she said, handing me an empty book and a pencil.

“Thank you. One more thing, did Amber visit you here?” I asked.

“Oh… yes. She wanted to get her swimsuit back and asked what books about alchemy I have. She got really interested in one about freezing potions. It’s quite old and hasn’t had much attention, but she seemed to really like it.”

“Is that all she wanted from you?” I asked.

“Um… y-yes,” Selira stammered, averting her gaze.

I was pretty sure she was hiding something, even without using the Truth Seeking Stone, but I let it go. For now. If I wanted answers, I could always get them from Amber later. Some spanking or a good fucking would convince her to talk.

“Alright,” I said. “If Amber would be rude to you, let me know. I’ll talk to her and make sure she behaves. Sometimes that naughty elf needs a bit of discipline.”

“Oh… she was really nice,” Selira replied. “She even offered to go with me tomorrow to buy a new swimsuit. To the same shop she bought hers from, and she said she saw one that would be perfect for me.”

“Huh…” I murmured, wondering why Amber had been so nice to Selira, and whether it was all just because of that book. “Thanks again for helping me today. Especially for showing me stuff about elementals earlier,” I added with a smirk. “That was really exciting.”

Selira’s eyes widened as she glanced at Zoe, then back at me. “Y-Yeah… elementals are really interesting. I… I can show you more about them another time, if you’d like.”

I chuckled at her attempt to act like nothing had happened, even though Zoe clearly already knew.

“I’d like that,” I said. “Some other day. And we could go swimming too. I’d love to see if Amber has good taste in swimsuits.”

“I’d really like that,” Selira replied, brightening at the mention of the lake.

“Alright, we should get going. Amber and Azura are waiting for us,” I added.

I picked up all our things, and headed toward the entrance door which Selira opened for us. After a short hug with the sea nymph, from both me and Zoe, we left the library heading back home.