Chapter 29

With Senior Tototo pressed against my back as she taught me how to drive, it took about thirty minutes before I finally felt stable enough to operate the dragon skeleton on my own.

We were currently cruising at about eighty “km” per hour. At this speed, it wasn’t particularly scary. Of course, plowing through a village would be a disaster, but as long as we were running through the wilderness, there were no problems.

The Kingdom consists of scattered cities surrounded mostly by vast, empty stretches of wasteland. While the highways are well-maintained, they are essentially just lines; most of the area outside them is raw wilderness. Otherwise, the dragon skeleton transport business wouldn’t exist in the first place.

It seems like the kind of job anyone could think of, but I suspect the number of Dark Magic users capable of actually making a dragon skeleton run is quite limited.

I had gotten used to the driving, but once that stress faded, a different problem emerged.

“Um, Senior… could you please stop pressing your chest against me so much? Now that I have some mental breathing room with the driving, I’ve started… noticing it more.”

“Hmm? But being pressed together makes it easier to give instructions. Oh well, fine. You’re definitely a fast learner, after all.”

Finally, Senior Tototo pulled away. This senior is way too indifferent about the fact that I’m a man. What would she do if an “accident” happened? I mean, I don’t intend to let anything happen myself, but in the heat of the moment, you never know…

Also, I wonder if this is a Dark Elf trait, but they seem much more comfortable with revealing clothes than normal Elves. It’s like they decide “underwear plus a little extra” is plenty. Even though she’s in her nineties, her proportions are incredible. Her arms are lean and her legs are toned, as expected of an Elf. A normal human in their nineties would usually be, well, dead.

But the next problem arrived immediately.

“It’s… it’s freezing in here…”

Right. A dragon skeleton is made of bone. Which means there are gaps everywhere for the draft to whistle through. In fact, by moving at high speeds, we were essentially creating our own wind.

“Of course it is. That’s why I told you to dress warmly, remember?”

Ah, she definitely told me. I thought since we weren’t going to a cold region it wouldn’t matter, but I see now…

“You say that, Senior, but you’re barely wearing anything. You’ve just got a coat over your underwear…”

“I’m used to it. I think it’s still too much for you, though. Our levels of experience are just too different. Hmph.”

I don’t think “experience” has much to do with body temperature, but Senior Tototo looked so proud of herself that I decided to stay quiet. She’s cute when she’s acting smug, anyway.

Regardless, maybe it’s because the President is a woman, but this company has a very high ratio of females. And they’re all high-spec in the looks department. I really did land a job at a great company. If they held a recruitment seminar with all the employees present, every boy at the magic school would apply. But then we’d get the crowd that only thinks about drinking with girls, so maybe it’s for the best.

Now, because I had to focus on driving, I was able to ignore the cold to some extent, but there was someone who felt the full brunt of it.

“Uuu… so cold…”

Cerulia, in her revealing outfit, looked like she was suffering!

“Cerulia, you need to put something on! It’s only natural you’d be freezing like that!”

“He’s right,” Tototo added. “If you stay half-naked like that, you’ll turn into an icicle.”

Well, you’re pretty revealing yourself, Senior Tototo.

“There are blankets in the back. We use them for naps during transit. Just wrap yourself up in those and become a fluff-ball.”

That seemed like a very sensible idea.

“I… I appreciate the sentiment, but no… uuu, so cold…”

For some reason, Cerulia refused.

“Don’t be shy. They’re clean. Or are you a germaphobe?”

“Yeah, Cerulia, just use them. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

“No! This is the one thing I cannot yield on!”

Cerulia was being unusually stubborn today.

“Is there a reason for this?” I asked.

“A Succubus with low skin exposure… such a thing must not be! Even if I am still inexperienced, I am a Succubus!”

Cerulia’s passionate declaration echoed through the skeleton.

“I-I see… Spoken like a true Succubus…”

Senior Tototo looked like she understood. I kept glancing back, but since looking away while driving isn’t great, I mostly kept my eyes forward.

“As a Succubus, I must always be in a form that seduces men! If I wrap myself in a blanket, my body lines will be completely hidden from the outside!”

“I get what you mean,” I said, “but the only man here is your Master. Can’t you compromise?”

“This is a matter of policy!”

Hmm. Policy or not, I didn’t want Cerulia to catch a cold. Should I slow down? But I couldn’t let the transport be delayed just for my familiar’s convenience.

This was my cue.

“Senior, can you take the helm for a second?”

“Sure. I assume you’re planning something.”

I immediately turned to Cerulia, who was hugging her own arms to endure the chill.

“Cerulia.”

“Please do not worry about me. The pain is only at the beginning; I should be able to manage once I get used to it… achoo!”

Even her sneeze was cute. But I really didn’t want her getting sick. I placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Cerulia, you would definitely be cute wrapped up in a blanket, too. So, would you let me see you like that?”

“Eh…? R-really?”

“Of course. Because you’re cute yourself, you’re cute no matter what you wear. Besides, there’s a special charm to girls who dress warmly. Men are attracted to girls bundled up in winter, and… um… there’s also something really heart-pounding about watching a bundled-up girl take off her layers…”

The latter half was pure imagination since I have no experience, but I hoped I wasn’t too far off. Cerulia looked like heart shapes were forming in her eyes.

“I understand! If it is for Master’s sake, I shall give up my nakedness and wear as many layers as needed! I am prepared even to wear the blanket!”

She clearly felt a sense of shame about being clothed!

And so, Cerulia ended up wrapped like a cocoon in the blankets, rolling around on the floor.

“This is actually quite fun in its own way, Master.”

“Good. I’m glad. But be careful not to get motion sickness. Your body doesn’t just belong to you, Cerulia—it’s mine, too.”

“Y-yes…”

Cerulia blushed. That might have been a bit cheesy, but since only Senior was listening, I figured it was fine.

“You two are really lovey-dovey, aren’t you? Just like me and the Tensho-go.”

Having overcome the crisis of the familiar, the dragon skeleton continued its smooth journey toward the seaside city of Suman.