The sound of water echoed in the room as Ryner splashed himself with a bucket. He was taking his bath in the public bathroom for men on the Avalon. White tiles on the floor, sky blue walls and ceiling, the place was designed to accommodate the crew members who came to wash themselves and to relax. There were showers on one side of the wall, a large, warm bath on the other and washing stations in the middle.

Sitting on a small plastic stool and washing his hair with shampoo, he turned the valve of the faucet to fill the bucket with water and splashed it on his head. Since this was a bath, he was completely naked and one could clearly see the numerous scars covering his body. Cuts, bruises and gunshot wounds were easily everywhere, from his arms, to his torso, to his legs. There were also huge ones that showed how close he came to death such as three, long cuts that went from his right shoulder to the left of his lower back.

He brought his right hand before his eyes and closely observed it. It was barely visible and it couldn’t be noticed if one didn’t know it was there, but there was a scar on the back and on the palm of his hand that was the result of having an object stab through it. There were also faint scars around several fingers like rings. There were left after he had them reattached.

Using his left hand that also bore similar scars, he rubbed the left side of his forehead and below his chin. There were also faint scars there which looked like he got hit by a blunt object and cut by a knife respectively.

When he was a child, the doctors from the facility did the minimum work necessary to make any scars he got on his hands and face fade away. After all, he couldn’t always hide them with his clothes like the other ones on his body. Having such things visible for all to see would be detrimental to his work as an assassin.

As water dripped down from his wet, black hair, Ryner thought about his next step. He had teleported to a different room than the one that housed Avalon and it was there that he could check his fortress’ status. He had planned on reprogramming his War Puppets to not attack him on sight and on searching for his Heaven’s Blades’ locations. But, what he saw shocked him.

“(Damn it, I should have known. This place was compromised a long time ago.)” [Ryner]

In the past, inside a small room which had walls and ceiling made of smooth, grey rock, a single sturdy black chair was placed in the middle with the terminal in front of it. It was a black, steeled square that had a right-angled triangle on top. The height was 120 centimeters meter tall and the inclined surface that faced the chair had multiple green crystals embedded in it. Attached behind it was a black pillar that had a diameter of 5 five meters and it was as tall as the ceiling. On both sides of the square, there were four round holes that had a diameter of about five centimeters.

If he sat on the chair, put in the eight “keys” and said the password aloud, the crystals would light up and screens of different sizes would appear as well as a rectangular panel that worked like a keyboard. By using his real form, he could access the terminal and have it display any information on his fortress.

However, when he went there with Maya, the terminal was shattered to pieces. Black and green chunks were lying around the room and even the chair was broken in two. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the specific materials needed to fix it. He would need to find another terminal.

However, for the sake of security, the fortress was built in multiple sections with one entrance for each. The teleportation circles could only take people to various rooms in the same section of the fortress. As such, unless he planned on destroying the place to create shortcuts, he needed to go to the nearest entrance of these “ruins” and find the hidden passageway there once more.

But, more importantly, he now knew that someone explored his fortress and sabotaged his equipment. Alice’s forces only aimed for the power core, so it couldn’t have been her when they fought. She also wasn’t allowed to mess with his gargantuan fortress once he won because of the rules they set up. So-

“(Someone in this world managed to get to the terminal, but that’s impossible for any of the races here. So, it was most likely a god. You’d need to create leylines from the power core to the surface for life to grow, so it’s obvious they reached the center… But, to think they went out of their way to wreck my stuff.)” [Ryner]

Just as he was deep in thought, a voice called out to him from the entrance that was to his left.

“Ryner, are you there?” [Evelyn]

A naked Evelyn suddenly appeared.

“No, I’m not. Leave a message and try the engine room.” [Ryner]

Ryner replied after glancing her way and looked in front again. The vampire was walking in with her head held high. She had a smile on her face and her cheeks were slightly red. With her gorgeous long, blonde hair that reached her hips, her red eyes full of confidence and her charming looks that very few could hope to match, Evelyn could capture the hearts of any man.

Moreover, right now, she was completely naked and showing everything. Not only did she have a beautiful face, she had silky pale skin and a wonderful hourglass figure. Her alluring body would make men insane and women jealous. If Maya was an easygoing beauty that happily drank beer under the sun and who men couldn’t help but try to hit on, Evelyn was the noble maiden that elegantly sipped wine under the moon and who men were afraid to approach.

But, with how shameless her current getup was, they would either freeze in place or lose their mind and aim for her big breasts that swayed with every step she took.

“Really? Then, who’s the person I see before me?” [Evelyn]

“… Evie, you still have a long way to go before you get my sense of humor. Or rather, you’re not supposed to be here. Don’t tell me Maya will be coming too?” [Ryner]

“I talked with her and we came to an agreement. She’s happily drinking in the cafeteria, so it’s only us in here.” [Evelyn]

Ryner said in a tired tone of voice as Evelyn arrived right behind him, happy to hear him call her by her nickname. He was feeling uncomfortable because this was the first time in a long while that someone saw all the scars on his body. But, if he turned around, he would understand that it was actually because of the way the “noble maiden” was looking at him.

“(His… His naked body…! S-so wonderful~!!! I, I want to…! No! Get a hold of yourself! What are you doing getting excited?! Now is not the time! But, soon… Very soon… Huhuhu…)” [Evelyn]

“Why are you naked?” [Ryner]

While both her mind and expression were swirling with desires, Ryner suddenly spoke again and Evelyn quickly suppressed her feelings.

“This is a bath, is it not? I wanted to bathe with you.” [Evelyn]

“Riiight… And, I’m guessing that you heard about my scars from Maya already.” [Ryner]

“I heard a lot from her. She agreed to speak because I was your daughter.” [Evelyn]

“I’ll need to have a word with her later.” [Ryner]

Ryner grumbled in a low voice and Evelyn chuckled lightly without tearing her eyes away from him.

“Fufu, still, no wonder you never wanted to take a bath with me. But, I wouldn’t have minded.” [Evelyn]

“You don’t take baths with your father when you’re no longer a kid. Besides, girls are quite scared of this kind of stuff, so I didn’t want to give you nightmares.” [Ryner]

Ryner scratched his head as he talked, still feeling uncomfortable because Evelyn was gazing at his back as if she was licking every corner with her eyes. But, the desires contained in them were soon replaced by sadness.

“There is no way I would be scared of you because of this. Rather, I feel sad.” [Evelyn]

She kneeled down and put a hand on his scar-covered back. A jolt like electricity ran through her when she touched his skin, but it was overpowered by the pain she felt in her chest. Ryner wasn’t a huge man, but it was a large back that shouldered countless burdens and she knew that from what he told her.

“You went through so much. All those stories you told me when I was a child… It was about you, wasn’t it?” [Evelyn]

“…” [Ryner]

Ryner kept quiet as he sat on the stool and looked down at the faucet. Not minding it, Evelyn continued in a tearful voice.

“All those fights, all that suffering… And you only told me the best parts, didn’t you?” [Evelyn]

“… I was trying to get you to sleep. I couldn’t tell you anything scary.” [Ryner]

“Even if you did, I wouldn’t have been able to understand anything important. Just like when you told me about the time you were forced to fight an army by yourself, I only listened excitedly. I didn’t think about how hard it must have been for you.” [Evelyn]

“You’re taking it too seriously. Instead of feeling guilty, you should still be mad at me for tricking you like that… I stabbed you.” [Ryner]

“THEN YOU SHOULD BE FURIOUS AT ME!” [Evelyn]

Evelyn screamed in a heartbroken voice and tears were already gathering in her eyes. She put both hands on his shoulders and stuck her forehead on his back.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I should have known, yet I-!” [Evelyn]

Although they made up, it was awkward and too quick. They didn’t spend much time together either since Evelyn was busy studying about this world while Ryner was running around to handle various jobs. Six hundred years of anguish couldn’t be solved so easily. It wasn’t enough for her. She still had so much more she wanted to say to him. There was so much more she had to let out. There were so much regret and grief from the past and she couldn’t handle it.

“When Lord Daniel told me the truth, I felt like the world ended! ‘What have I done?!’ My heart was about to stop! The pain was gnawing the inside of my chest! I was going to go insane! *Sob* I killed the man I loved with my own hands! *Sob* I didn’t know *hic* I didn’t know anything! *Hic hic* I! I! I killed you…!” [Evelyn]

She started crying as she spilled her feelings to the unmoving man who didn’t face her.

“*Sniff* My hatred *hic* that was aimed at you… I pointed it at the king of Ceithon. I wanted to rip him to pieces! Tear his head off! Feed his limbs to his dogs! But, he was already dead! *Sob sob* I couldn’t take revenge! The only one I could hate *hic* was me!” [Evelyn]

She tightly held onto him and buried her face in his back as tears fell to the floor. Ryner still didn’t react at all. It was like he was deep in thought or he didn’t know what to say. Not caring about his lack of reaction, Evelyn continued to talk.

“I’m sorry, Ryner! I’m sorry for not helping you when you needed me the most! I’m so sorry for cursing at you! For killing you! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry…! I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry…” [Evelyn]

She repeated herself over and over again in a hoarse and tearful voice. Finally, Ryner moved. Raising his head to look at the ceiling, he told her what he didn’t say three days ago.

“I… Left you. That’s the truth, Evie. So, you don’t need to apologize. I should. Getting killed by you was the least I deserved, but I really didn’t want you to do it. It hurts a lot after, doesn’t it?” [Ryner]

“*Hic sob* Ryner…” [Evelyn]

“I’m the type of guy that’ll suddenly get up and leave you without warning. It’s what I am and it can’t be changed. I killed countless and destroyed many… You didn’t deserve to have trash like me raise you.” [Ryner]

“T-that’s not true!” [Evelyn]

She strongly shook her head and denied his words.

“I was lucky to have met you! I still don’t really know who you are, but no matter what sort of secrets you’re hiding, I still want to know! So, I’ll wait! No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait until you trust me enough to tell me about yourself! And, when I do know, my feelings definitely won’t change!” [Evelyn]

She desperately clung to him as if she was afraid he was going to disappear right in front of her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter what you are! Dhampir, human or immortal! I’ll still follow you wherever you go! Whether it’s to a different world, or a different life! *Sob* That’s why! *Hic* That’s why… Don’t leave me behind again!” [Evelyn]

She told him the second thing she wanted to say the most in a choking voice mixed with sobs.

“*Sob* Let me stay with you…” [Evelyn]

“…” [Ryner]

Besides Evelyn’s incessant “please, please”, silence reign between them. The more time passed, the more frightened the blonde vampire became and her shoulders started trembling. Thoughts of being abandoned once more flooded her mind. But, such fear disappeared with his next words.

“… I can’t guarantee anything. I don’t know what’s gonna happen. I mean, there’s suddenly a bunch of stuff I need to take care of. But… I guess that’s why I’ll need the help of someone really capable.” [Ryner]

“…!” [Evelyn]

“If you want to follow me around in this world, then do as you like. Just, make sure you keep up, Evie.” [Ryner]

“… Yes!” [Evelyn]

At that moment, a smile bloomed on Evelyn’s face like a beautiful flower, brightening her expression and coloring her cheeks in a shade of red. Despite what she did to him, Ryner didn’t reject her. Happiness and relief washed over her and she couldn’t help but let out more tears while smiling from the bottom of her heart.

“(I can still be with him, just like Maya. I can stay by his side… And this time, I won’t let him leave, no matter what fate throws at him.)” [Evelyn]

Finally feeling a weight off her shoulders, Evelyn pleasantly smiled as she remembered their current situation before turning bright red.

“(H-his naked back…! I was…!)” [Evelyn]

Although she was overcome with emotions for a moment, she demonstrated her ability to keep a cool head at all times and went on to fulfill her objectives.

“*Sniff* Well then, Ryner, now that things are settled, why don’t I wash your back?” [Evelyn]

“Huh? No, I already-” [Ryner]

“There is no need to be shy. We’re family, after all.” [Evelyn]

As such, Evelyn ended up washing his back without letting him voice any complaints. With her hands covered in foam from the bottle of soap, she diligently scrubbed his back with all her heart. At the very least, that was how it looked like from the side.

“(I’m washing his back… It’s so big and strong… I want to lick it…)” [Evelyn]

The lady from nobility was harboring various unladylike thoughts as she rhythmically moved her hands to feel his skin. Then, giving in to her desires, she wrapped her hands around him and started washing his chest.

“I need to wash your front too.” [Evelyn]

“No, I can do that mysel-” [Ryner]

“It’s our first bath together. Please, let me do this much for you. It’s also my apology, okay?” [Evelyn]

When she put it like that, Ryner couldn’t find it in himself to refuse, so he let her do as she pleased. But, though he looked calm on the outside, he was a bit mindful of the sensation on his back.

“(Hmm, firm yet soft.)” [Ryner]

Her large breasts were pressed against his back as she moved her slender hands all over his chest. Those two round lumps of fat that men were attracted to were being squeezed against him and deformed with great elasticity. No one would ever get tired of this wonderful sensation. But, Ryner didn’t get excited and evaluated them from an objective point of view. After all, to him, the beautiful lady was just Evie.

“(She’s grown quite a bit.)” [Ryner]

The ten years-old kid that he first met became a splendid woman. According to her, six hundred years had passed since he died. To him, it had been three thousand years since he last saw her. He didn’t show it when they reunited, but he felt like crying. He might not remember everything, but he made sure to never forget those he cared about. Seeing her again made him incredibly happy.

“(Well, I guess this is fine.)” [Ryner]

He relaxed and let her run her hands over his chest and stomach, but he wasn’t the only one who was enjoying it, nor was he the one who enjoyed it the most.

“Haa, haa, haa.” [Evelyn]

While blushing and panting softly, Evelyn continued to cover his well-trained body with lather and tightly pressed her breasts on his naked back.

“(Hugging him without any clothes on… It feels good.)” [Evelyn]

She let go of him for a moment and poured the soap over her chest before rubbing it to make foam.

“Hmm? Evie?” [Ryner]

Since she stopped, Ryner wanted to ask her if something was wrong but she once more wrapped her arms around him and stuck her body to him like glue.

“Ryner… Hold still, okay? Mnn… Ahn…” [Evelyn]

Then, she started moving up and down while moaning quietly. Her breasts covered in lather were rubbing his back and the sensation made her body hot and tingly.

“Y-you-“ [Ryner]

“Ryner, does it feel good? Here, I’ll do it more. Haa, mnn… Nh… Like this…? Ahn…” [Evelyn]

“(It feels good… More… Harder…)” [Evelyn]

Evelyn was moving faster as she strongly squeezed her breasts on his back while releasing hot breaths. She continued to move up and down without letting go of him and her eyes were starting to look dazed. Ryner couldn’t see her, but if he did, then he would immediately understand what the girl he raised for more than five hundred years was hiding from him. After all, her flushed face looked just like Maya’s when she was in heat and pushed him down in bed.

“The hell are you asking me?! Rather, the hell are you doing, Evie?!” [Ryner]

“Mnn…! This, this is to apologize to you. Ahn…! M-men love this, right?” [Evelyn]

“I can’t deny that, but there’s something really wrong with you doing this to me. Now, stop!” [Ryner]

“T-then, I’ll wash your…” [Evelyn]

“Don’t lower your hands! That’s off limits!” [Ryner]

“T-then, if you want me to stop… Please say it.” [Evelyn]

“Huh, say what?” [Ryner]

With her superior strength as a vampire, Evelyn latched on to the struggling Ryner and rested her chin on his shoulder. Then, in a soft voice full of affection-

“You know, Ryner… I love you.” [Evelyn]

She finally said what she wanted to tell him the most.

“As family, of course.” [Evelyn]

But, she had to add in a “small” lie for the sake of her plan. Ryner, hearing her words, stopped moving entirely.

“I heard from Lord Daniel. You wanted to tell me that you were sorry and that you love me. So, please say it now. I want to hear it from you.” [Evelyn]

“… Sorry.” [Ryner]

“Not that. I want to hear the most important thing from you. Could you say it?” [Evelyn]

“… I’m not too good at it. It’s embarrassing and, well, hard.” [Ryner]

“Even so, I want to hear it. Please?” [Evelyn]

Ryner stayed quiet. He was obviously troubled with her sudden request. Evelyn waited for him to say something, still hugging him from behind. The heat in her eyes was gone and she patiently waited for his reply. He had never told her he loved her before, so it was a small dream of hers to hear him say it. Right now, she hoped that it would come true. It didn’t matter if it was just as flattery, it would still make her happy.

Finally, after sighing, Ryner moved. He put his hands on top of hers and slowly pulled them away from his abdomen. Believing that he refused her request from this action, Evelyn instantly became sad and obediently let him go. She moved her body away from him while looking down as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

“(I guess it’s still impossible.)” [Evelyn]

Just as she gave up for today, her cheeks were gently held by two scar-covered hands and she reflexively lifted her head. At that moment, she felt a warm and soft feeling on her forehead. Her eyes opened wide with surprise and her cheeks turned red.

“…!” [Evelyn]

Ryner affectionately kissed her forehead before sticking his forehead against it. He closed his eyes and began speaking in a soft voice as Evelyn, mesmerized and completely at a loss for words, stared at his face from up-close.

“Before, I tried to raise a child. It was a kid that I picked up. I thought I could take care of her, but I failed to protect her.” [Ryner]

Ryner confessed with a pained expression as he remembered the face of the little girl that saw him as a father at the beginning, and then as a monster at the end.

“That’s why I’m so, so happy to see that you grew up safely. Every day, I was afraid that you would meet your end, lose your future. So, when you became such an amazing woman, I was truly relieved… And proud.” [Ryner]

He moved his forehead away from her and looked at her in the eyes with a gentle and loving smile. Seeing him make such an expression for the first time, Evelyn was completely enraptured and felt like watching his face forever.

“I love you. No matter what happens, I love you.” [Ryner]

“… Eh?” [Evelyn]

Her moment of elation ended because of his next words and her thoughts process completely stopped. Her mind went blank. Her emotions were in chaos and her heart was beating wildly. She felt like she was flying as those sweet words echoed in her head.

“(Just now… He…! He said iiiiit~!)” [Evelyn]

Once she understood what happened, the happiness and excitement made her feel like shouting and jumping around. She wanted to celebrate this day every year. She wanted to hug him and bury her face in his chest. But, if she did that, she would probably fail to hold back and would devour him instead. So, she could do nothing but stand there while crying and trembling in joy.

“… That was more embarrassing than I thought.” [Ryner]

Having said all that he wanted, Ryner let go of her cheeks and looked away. At that moment, Evelyn suffered another severe blow to the heart. Ryner was blushing slightly and was obviously embarrassed. That Ryner that always looked sleepy was now making such a meek expression.

“(S-SOOOO CUUUUUTE~!!!)” [Evelyn]

If she didn’t have incredible self-control, she would have attacked him then and there. With her face bright red, she turned around while stammering out an explanation for her hasty retreat. Just to be on the safe side, she had decided to leave quickly. It was a shame she couldn’t see his front, more precisely, his private part, but the information she had gotten was more than enough to fuel her fantasies for a while.

“I-I-I-I-I see! Then, it’s good! Yes! It’s good! Really good! S-So! I’ll take my leave now! Have a nice bath!” [Evelyn]

Visibly shaken up, Evelyn awkwardly began to walk towards the exit. Ryner smiled wryly when he saw such a rare sight of her and just as he was about to get back to washing his body, he suddenly remembered something important.

“Oh right, Evie, it’s been three days. You’ve learnt enough about this world, so I think it’s time for you to leave this place.” [Ryner]

“… Leave?” [Evelyn]

“That’s right. Rest up tonight because you and Maya will be going with me to the capital.” [Ryner]

Evelyn had been cooped up for three days aboard the Avalon while Ryner and Maya went back to sleep at the castle so as to not arouse needless suspicions on where they were going. People were satisfied when he told them that they went out to explore the area. He was also pretty lucky since, after the incident with the Predator, he didn’t need to take care of the heroes’ training anymore.

“Really!?” [Evelyn]

“Yeah, there’s something important happening tomorrow and I want you there.” [Ryner]

He figured that she had learnt enough and should see the world even if people might try to kill her if they found out she was a vampire. Also, many important figures would be gathered for the event tomorrow and he wanted her there to help him deal with them just in case. What better way to handle stuck-up nobles than to leave them to another noble that managed to stop a war with just her words?

“Of course, you can always count on me! But, what exactly will take place tomorrow?” [Evelyn]

“I told you about my Artifacts before, right? Also, you remember the otherworlders called the heroes? One of them is going to try and wield the White Wing. I’ve been told this morning that everything was going to be ready tomorrow for that event. We’re probably going to have to deal with some annoying people, so I’ll need you to help me out. I don’t want to lose my access to their library, so we’ll need to keep things civilized.” [Ryner]

After explaining the general situation to her, Evelyn left and went back to the changing room that was filled with rows of lockers, leaving Ryner to finish his bath. She was in pure bliss and couldn’t help but grin to herself. Finally, Ryner told her that he loved her. Furthermore, she was going to be able to stay with Ryner from morning to night. As such, that meant that she was going to be able to sleep with him which would be a step forward in her great plan.

“(But still, back then, he was soooo cute~! And I washed his back with my…! This is bad, just by recalling the sensation…! My body is becoming hot!)” [Evelyn]

Struggling to keep her emotions in check while rubbing her thighs together, she quickly cleaned herself up with a towel and put her clothes on which were underwear, high heels and her usual black dress. After she slid the straps on her shoulders, she went to another locker and opened it without hesitation. Inside were Ryner’s clothes that he wore during the day and another set that was what he was going to wear after he finished his bath.

With a happy expression that looked like she found treasure, Evelyn grabbed the pile of worn clothes and took out Ryner’s boxers. Gulping upon seeing them, she buried her face in them and deeply inhaled their scent.

“*Sniiiiiiiiiiiff* Annnhhhhh~♥! Ryner~♥!” [Evelyn]

Letting out a voice that was inappropriate for a lady of nobility and showing an expression filled with ecstasy that was inappropriate for a maiden, Evelyn continued to sniff his underwear while calling out his name. With her blushing face and slovenly smile, she didn’t look like a woman of high birth anymore. She only looked like a pervert.

“*Sniff sniff sniff sniff sniff* Ah! I can’t!” [Evelyn]

The blonde vampire couldn’t afford to do anything that might jeopardize her plan. Managing not to lose herself in her desires, she quickly left the place and went back to her room. However, the urge was too strong to resist and after a slight hesitation, she ended up taking his clothes with her. That night, to relieve her stress, Evelyn thoroughly put her newfound treasure to practical use.

That was how Ryner’s bath with Evelyn ended and how he mysteriously lost some of his clothes.

"Author" Finally done. Anyway, I think it went well. I hope everyone sees what a nice person Evelyn is... Sort of.

The test of the White Wing is up next and Ryan is the test taker. Do you think he'll succeed?