HEO 128

Excellent. The first round of weeding was complete. All that remained was the armful of weeds Silver was cradling.

“Care for some wine? Not cheap beer, but the local specialty.”

Wolf poured the wine into a glass and handed it to Silver.

“Wine is the perfect follow-up to cheese. It washes away the saltiness and greasiness. Take a sip of wine, then eat some cheese. You will smell a fresh aroma, like bread straight from the oven. Here, have a drink.”

Once again, Silver took the glass. He drained it in one gulp, and before even setting the empty glass down, he put a piece of cheese in his mouth, and closed his eyes to enjoy it slowly. He wore an expression of reverence, like a saint in a temple mural.

Now was the moment.

Wolf’s hand slid in like a snake. He deftly snatched the bundle of hallucinogenic herbs from Silver’s arms and slipped a soft pillow into the empty space at the exact same angle. It was a sleight of hand that would have earned a standing ovation from professional pickpockets.

“Ah, it’s getting hot in here. I need to air the room out.”

Wolf stood up, while concealing the bundle of herbs beneath his robe. Silver was too lost in the flavor of the cheese to even hear him. Without hesitation, Wolf threw the window wide open and hurled the bundle of herbs out with all his might.

Second round of weeding, complete!

The wind from the harbor blew away the smoke from the hallucinogenic herb. Wolf took a deep breath of the cold air and dusted off his hands. He started feeling thirsty belatedly.

“Well, time for me to wet my whistle too.”

Wolf sat on the bed, picked up the wine bottle, and took a sip. Silver’s eyes flew open, and he shouted angrily.

“Hey, you! Where do you think you’re sticking your snout. That’s mine!”

“I’m the one who brought it. Besides, you’ve had plenty.”

“Since when?!”

“Just a while ago. You polished off a whole keg of beer and then had several glasses of wine on top of that.”

“I never did any such…!”

Silver couldn’t finish his sentence; his eyes closed, and he slumped down. Moments later, the room was filled with the sound of loud snoring. Wolf set the wine bottle down and looked down at Silver.

“… You troublesome hedgehog.”

The blanket lay crumpled at the foot of the bed. Just as Wolf picked it up to cover Silver, his entire body went rigid, like a thief sensing someone behind him.

What is this…?

His grip loosened, and the blanket slipped from his hands. He hadn’t imagined it. The scent of irises suddenly overwhelmed him. It wasn’t coming in from the open window; it was emanating from Silver’s own body.

Wolf swallowed. What is this?

Silver’s heat cycle was over. There was no doubt about it. So why now?

He was already starting to feel dizzy. Wolf took a step back, then another, before retreating into the hallway. He closed the door and spoke in a low, barely audible voice.

“Hey.”

〔What is it?〕

Flea’s voice was as flat and emotionless as ever.

“Silver is giving off pheromones.”

〔A normal physiological phenomenon accompanying the heat cycle.〕

“……But we already did it.”

〔A single act of intercourse does not terminate the heat cycle. The average duration is four days; numerous cases lasting up to seven days have been observed depending on the individual.〕

Calculations raced through Wolf’s mind. It had been exactly two days since he’d spent the night with Silver.

That meant……

〔The current pheromone release suggests a reactivation [unauthorized copy]of heat symptoms that had temporarily subsided.〕

〔The symptoms will automatically cease once the heat cycle ends.〕

Wolf felt the back of his neck go cold, then hot, then cold again. He cracked the door open and peeked through the gap. Silver was fast asleep, his cheeks flushed pink; he spread the scent of irises all around him like an overturned flower cart.

In that brief moment, the scent grew even more potent. Wolf closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face.

“What do I do about this? I mean, how do I handle the situation while avoiding the risk of pregnancy?”

〔A Spruce can easily alleviate the symptoms with any ordinary male individual.〕

“You don’t mean……”

〔Simply introduce a male individual and leave the two of them alone. There are twenty-six available males downstairs. Sourcing one won’t be a problem.〕

Wolf couldn’t believe his ears.

That damn evil spirit…… What did it just say?

Sourcing? The men that Flea had suggested he procure were currently downstairs, dancing barefoot over shattered glass, spinning around while clutching each other’s empty sleeves, and ejaculating onto a filthy mop.

Pick one of those sleazy bastards and toss him to Silver?

You want me to do that? To pimp him out?

“Why don’t I just collect the payment at the door while I’m at it, you fucking asshole?”

〔Logical grounds for objection are insufficient.〕

〔I merely proposed the most efficient solution to resolve the Type 2 mutant’s heat symptoms in the shortest possible time.〕

“You, fuck–”

Wolf barely managed to cut off the curse. He had to steady his breathing before he could speak again.

“Silver is asleep. He’s dead drunk. So…”

〔Consciousness is expected to return shortly.〕

〔A state of extreme intoxication does not increase controllability. On the contrary, it raises the likelihood of him actively seeking out a male subject while his judgment is impaired.〕

He couldn’t take it anymore. Wolf’s hand moved to the pouch on his belt. He pulled out a rusty ring and jammed it onto his little finger. Flea’s voice cut off abruptly. Only the shouting, laughter, and the sound of things breaking drifted up from downstairs.

Wolf clenched and unclenched both hands; he never once took his eyes off the gap in the door. Silver lay motionless, his eyes closed.

The scent of irises grew stronger, but… no, it would be fine. Just look at how much that hedgehog had drunk.

When a person is wasted, they can’t even move a fingertip. They sleep so soundly that they only barely regain their senses when the stinging morning sunlight stabs their cheek.

So, it would likely pass without incident. Silver would remain oblivious, lost in dreams, and the scent of irises would gradually fade with time. By morning, it would vanish completely, like a boot swept away by the receding tide.

Yet, even after a long wait, the scent showed no signs of weakening; instead, it grew only more intense, so potent he started feeling like irises were blooming within his very lungs. Suddenly, Silver exhaled and turned. Wolf’s heart skipped a beat.

Had he woken up?

That wasn’t the case. Silver was still asleep. However, he rubbed his fluhed cheek against the pillow and groped the bed with his hand, as if he were searching for something. Wolf quickly looked away. He wanted to believe those movements were meaningless, just the restless movements typical of a sleeper.

Please, Silver. Please don’t wake up.

In this situation, there was only one way to satisfy Silver’s needs without resorting to sourcing another man: Wolf himself would have to answer that need. But that came with a dangerous price. He couldn’t hesitate here. He couldn’t approach Silver. The moment he crossed that threshold, the guardian protecting Silver would vanish, leaving behind nothing but a lethal blade.

But…

That scent…

With every breath, the iris scent flooding his body ruthlessly melted away the boundaries his mind had set. His fingertips trembled slightly around the doorknob. Finally, as if he were under a spell, Wolf opened the door and stepped inside.

As he approached the bed, the scent grew more intense. Wolf sat on the bed and looked down at Silver. A pungent reek of alcohol wafted up, the kind of stench that suggested the person wouldn’t even move if doused with cold water. The smell seemed to be seeping right out of Silver’s skin. Of all the drunkards Wolf had ever seen, no one had ever been this wasted and yet managed to wake up within seven or eight hours.

Wolf closed his eyes, then opened them again. He felt a sense of relief, accompanied by hollow resignation.

See? Silver is completely out cold. At this rate, it’ll be a miracle if he even opens Read on his eyes by tomorrow afternoon.

Just leave the room now. Stand guard by the doorway until Silver wakes up and stretches.

Just as he was about to stand up, Silver slowly opened his eyes, revealing pale blue irises that seemed to hold the light of dawn. Wolf froze like a statue.

Silver’s gaze, which had been wandering aimlessly and unfocused, landed upon Wolf. His eyes traced the bridge of Wolf’s nose, slid past his strong jawline, and traveled lower, down to a more intimate place.

Wolf gasped. Without a word of warning, Silver’s hand slid beneath the hem of Wolf’s robe and groped between his legs. His cock, which had been resting against his left thigh, was captured in Silver’s grasp.

“Si… Silver.”

A sound, somewhere between a groan and a whisper, emanated from his lips. His cock reacted immediately to the touch of Silver’s hand. The member that had been soft moments ago hardened, creating a thick, prominent bulge against the inside of his left thigh.