Morgana: Everybody Loves Large Chests (Vol.4) Read online

  Everybody Loves Large Chests

  Volume Four: Morgana

  A book by Neven Iliev

  Prologue

  Rowana Slyth was an elf that many people would not hesitate to describe as ‘the ideal woman.’ She was smart, caring, responsible and gentle, a true delight to be around. She also cut quite the attractive figure with her slim waist, wide hips and plump bosom. Her face possessed a refined sort of beauty, with bright emerald green eyes, smooth pink skin and just the slightest hint of makeup to accentuate her features. She also had straight silky hair that she had dyed platinum white, which fell down to her shoulders like a waterfall.

  In short, she was about as feminine as a person could get, though this was by no means accidental. Rowana put a lot of work into maintaining her stunning looks through a combination of eating right, regular exercise and mild alchemical treatments. Her efforts extended into the clothes she wore too, as the elf always seemed to wear something that was both tasteful and practical.

  That day, for instance, she was dressed in a long-sleeved white blouse, tight blue trousers and flat-heeled sandals. She had only just gotten off work and felt too tired and hungry to cook for herself like usual, which was why she was enjoying a hearty soup at a pub near her home. One would imagine a woman like her would prefer far more extravagant establishments than this common eatery, but that was not the case.

  Despite having an air of class and refinement, Rowana was surprisingly frugal. Kind waitstaff, good food and agreeable prices were far more important to her than opulence and luxury. She did occasionally get approached by random men trying to hit on the clearly single beauty in the corner, but she kindly, yet firmly informed them she had zero interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. Granted, that wasn’t entirely true, but it required a lot less explanation than the real reason. Most potential suitors got the message and left her alone, but there were some men that required a bit of extra… convincing. Especially if they’ve had a few pints already.

  In fact, there was one such potential troublemaker in the restaurant on that night. An older elf with oily green hair, dressed in a rather fancy looking robe with several golden rings on his fingers. Rowana had spotted him sitting at a table near the entrance and wisely chose a seat that was as far away from him as possible. Her judgement, while somewhat shallow, had proven to be right on the money as the man ordered one drink after another. With every beverage he consumed, his words grew louder and more inappropriate. The owner even asked him to keep his voice down and seemed to be on the verge of kicking him out for bothering the other patrons.

  The tipping point came when a rather odd sight entered the restaurant. It was a young girl, no more than fifteen or sixteen years of age. She had tan skin, yellow eyes and, most eye-catching of all, bright crimson hair with a pair of triangular feline ears sticking out at the top. A slender tail with short fur matching her hair color dangled from her lower back, making it abundantly clear that she was neither elf nor human, but a beastkin of the cat variety. She also had a cute face, but the weary expression and worn-down travel clothes were not doing her any favors in Rowana’s personal opinion.

  She still stood out plenty though, as the entire pub full of elves couldn’t help but at least glance at the curious visitor. Unfortunately, the aforementioned drunkard did more than simply gawk at her. Though Rowana couldn’t hear his remark over the murmur of the crowd, she clearly saw him slap the catgirl on the bottom as she passed by. Followed immediately by her turning around and clawing at his extended arm.

  “Yeeeow!”

  The man let out a sharp yell of pan as he stood up, clutching his injured hand. The entire pub went silent as a trickle of crimson liquid ran down the man’s arm.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?!” he shouted at her.

  “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you?!” she snapped back at him. “You lay your filthy hand on me again and I’ll do more than just draw blood!”

  “Crazy bitch! Do you have any idea who I am?”

  “You’re clearly a lecherous asshole for one!”

  *SLAM*

  An armed guard in silver-colored plate armor burst into the establishment through the front door, interrupting the loud argument just as it was about to go into full swing.

  “What’s going on in here, then?” he asked loudly.

  “This looney bint just attacked me for no reason!” the drunkard claimed while raising his bleeding forearm.

  “I did not!” the catgirl argued.

  “Then how do you explain my bleedin’ arm?!”

  “I mean, I did do that, but only because he slapped my butt out of nowhere!”

  “I didn’t mean anything by it. It was an accident!”

  “No, it wasn’t. I bet you being born was one, though!”

  The guard let out a tired sigh as the two continued bickering back and forth. He had only just finished his shift when this sudden civil dispute interrupted his walk back to the barracks. Part of him wanted to ignore it, but he wasn’t technically off duty until he reported back to his superior. His patience at an end, the guard grabbed each party by a shoulder.

  “Alright, that’s enough out of you two,” he cautioned. “Why don’t you come with me and we’ll sort this out later?”

  “She started it!”

  “But he was the one who-”

  “Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s a fascinating tale. The boys back at the guard post will be thrilled to hear all about it.”

  He magnificently ignored their complaints and almost literally dragged them outside. He was clearly intending to lock them both up and let the next shift sort this mess out. He had barely made it out of the door, before a soft voice called out to him from behind.

  “Excuse me, sir?”

  The man turned around to see Rowana standing there with a concerned look.

  “Yes, madam?”

  “I clearly saw that man try to molest this girl.”

  “The fuck do you mean ‘molest,’ you cuuuuaaaaaah!”

  The guard squeezed down on the drunkard’s shoulder hard enough to turn his cussing into a painful scream.

  “Quiet, you,” he warned him before turning his attention back to the woman. “You’re certain of this, miss?”

  “Yes, sir. The girl was merely trying to defend herself. He was the one at fault, so could you please let her go?”

  The redhead looked at Rowana, her yellow feline eyes widening in surprise.

  “Even if that’s true, I can’t ignore the fact that she openly admitted to physical assault,” he shook his head. “The law is quite clear on this—once an altercation turns violent, I have to detain all parties involved.”

  “Are you really going to throw this poor girl in a cell after she just got here?” Rowana pleaded.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Look at her, she’s clearly a foreigner that came from very far away. She probably doesn’t know how reliable and honorable our guardsmen are and didn’t think to find one when this guy accosted her. Can’t you give her a pass this one time?”

  “I don’t know, I really shouldn’t do stuff like that…”

  “Think of it this way, is making this spirited girl spend her first night in Azurvale in a dungeon worth the paperwork?”

  “… You do realize I’d have to let them both go, yes?”

  “I don’t think either of them mind.”

  Both the drunkard and the catgirl vigorously shook their heads to show that no, they most certainly did not.

  “Fine. I’ll let it slide this time,” the guard finally conceded. “You’re both free to go, just don’t let me catch you stirring
up trouble again.”

  He released his grip on the redhead, but didn’t let the other one go until after he’d escorted him away from the other two.

  “You, uh, you didn’t really need to do that,” the girl said nervously. “But… Umm… Th-thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it,” Rowana said with a sweet smile. “I’d just hate to see someone locked up over something that wasn’t their fault.”

  “… Actually, wouldn’t I have gotten free food and lodging if I was taken away? Maybe I should…”

  The deadpan seriousness of that grim notion left Rowana momentarily speechless. Was she actually that desperate to find such basic things? No, that look in her eyes as she watched the two men walk down the street made it abundantly clear she was contemplating punching one of them in the face just so she’d get a belly full of food. Though Rowana had only met this beastkin, there was no way she could allow something that pitiful to transpire.

  “Nonsense!” the elf declared, startling the younger redhead. “I didn’t go through all that trouble just to have you throw yourself in chains, did I?”

  “Uh, well, no, but-”

  “No buts, young lady. If you’re really that hard up to get something to eat, then why don’t you come back inside and order anything you want. My treat.”

  “… Just like that?”

  “Just like that,” the woman nodded. “Think of this as my apology on behalf of all elvenkind for that asshole’s behavior.”

  “W-well, when you put it like that, it would be rude of me to decline, wouldn’t it?” she smiled weakly.

  “That’s the spirit. I’m Rowana, by the way. What’s your name?”

  “It’s Keira.”

  “Pleasure to meet you, Keira. Lovely name, by the way.”

  “Uh, you think so?”

  “Absolutely,” the elf nodded. “I dare say it fits you splendidly.”

  “Ehehehe,” the girl let out an embarrassed giggle.

  “Now, let’s forget about that unpleasantry and get to know each other a little better over dinner.”

  “Sure thing!”

  The two of them then went back inside the pub and proceeded to do just that.

  When Rowana woke up the next morning, she felt something soft and warm wrapped around her left arm. When she opened her hazy eyes, the first thing that bobbed into view was a mass of red with two triangular protrusions poking out of it. She blinked once, then twice, then rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with her right hand. It took a few more seconds to sink in, but she was able to confirm that yes, that was Keira currently wrapped around her left arm. In the same bed. Her bed. While both of them were completely naked.

  The elf broke out into a nervous sweat when last night’s memories finally came back to her. This was most certainly not what she had in mind when she told this girl she’d like to ‘get to know each other.’ Yet they still somehow ended up doing lewd things to each other until they passed out, which mortified Rowana. Was she really capable of doing something this sleazy? Granted, she did feel frustrated because she wasn’t brave enough to publicly reveal her sexuality and actively look for a girlfriend, but that didn’t justify taking advantage of this girl.

  This innocent, vulnerable, awkward, sweet, adorable, and surprisingly energetic girl.

  “Hehehe…” Keira giggled in her sleep. “Silly rabbit, that’s not how cows work…”

  Rowana couldn’t help but smile as she pondered what kind of bizarre dream would warrant that sort of remark. The more she looked at how peaceful the girl seemed, the more her own erratic thoughts calmed down. She realized that, while odd and somewhat questionable, this outcome was hardly the end of the world. Just the opposite, actually.

  If the elf played her cards right, then maybe, just maybe, the stray cat she picked up last night might stick around for a while.

  Especially considering how eager said ‘stray cat’ was to get ‘sticky’ with Rowana, though the tortured analogy made the elf feel as if she should apologize to Keira later.

  Chapter One

  Moonlighting

  Part One

  “Hmmnn…”

  A soft groan filled the messy room as one of its occupants gradually woke from her slumber. A slender girl with platinum blonde hair and pointed ears rose from the double bed while yawning pleasantly. She rubbed the sleep from her emerald-green eyes as she lazily looked around her modest, single-room home.

  There was a stone oven embedded halfway into the wooden wall opposite the bed. It had a rectangular brick chimney sticking out of it and up into the ceiling. The corner immediately to the left side of the stove held a plain dining table with three chairs lazily strewn around it. To the right of the stove was a simple wooden cabinet filled with dishes, jugs and other eating utensils. A sturdy-looking desk with a few quills, an inkwell and a small pile of paper stood opposite that cabinet, next to the same wall that the bed was up against. A few chests and drawers were lined up on the other side of the bed, under the only window in the house. Needless to say, those held the residents’ few worldly possessions such as clothes, mementos and-

  “Window?” mumbled the young elf.

  Why was the window important? This was most definitely her window, exactly the same as it was the night before. So, why did it seem so out of place? True, the double-glass panes were so filthy that barely any sunlight got through, but she liked it better this way. Having too much light pour in from that side of the room was annoying, if she wanted to focus on her work.

  “Sunlight?” she mumbled again. She blinked her eyes a few more times before she realized what had happened.

  “Sunlight!” Rowana suddenly shouted. “Keira, wake up!”

  She shook her new girlfriend awake, prompting her fiery red hair and plainly cute face to emerge from underneath the covers.

  “Keira!”

  The cat-eared girl slowly turned her head to face the panicked elf. Her dull expression blossomed into a full-blown, open-mouthed smile.

  “Hehee! Good morning, Roowieee!”

  She leaned forward and wrapped the other woman in a tight hug, her slender tail waving about happily as she rubbed her cheek against Rowana’s.

  “Yes, I’m happy to see you too,” the elf pushed her off, “but you need to go! You’ll be late!”

  “Hmm? Late?”

  “Yeah! The sun’s already out! Didn’t you have a thing to do today?!”

  “… Oh, crap!”

  Keira’s yellow, cat-like eyes became wide as dinner plates as she realized Rowana was right. She leapt out of bed, grabbed the shortbow leaning against the wall and went for the front door at the far end of the room.

  “Wait!” the older woman screamed. “You’re forgetting something!”

  “Ah! Of course! How silly of me!”

  The catgirl ran back to the bed and gave the elf a big, wet kiss on the mouth. Their lips separated several seconds later with a loud smack.

  “I was about to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss!”

  “N-not that!” the blushing elf exclaimed. “Clothes, Keira! Put on some clothes!”

  The red-haired catgirl was about to run out into the street completely naked. Although Rowana appreciated the sight of her girlfriend’s slim figure, tanned skin and small-yet-firm breasts, she didn’t particularly feel like sharing it with the rest of the city.

  “Wow! That was close!” Keira said as she started getting dressed.

  “Honestly! How are you this much of an airhead!?” the elf complained in a huff.

  “It’s your fault!” the other girl shot back while pulling up her custom-tailored leather pants. “If you didn’t want to cuddle in the nude until late last night, then I wouldn’t have overslept!”

  “I-I can’t help it, okay? Your skin just feels way too good against mine!”

  “That’s why you couldn’t,” Keira paused for a second as she pulled her chainmail tunic over her head, “couldn’t get a girlfriend for so long! You’re way too selfish!”
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br />   “Really, now?” the elf raised an eyebrow. “You certainly didn’t seem to mind it last night.”

  “W-well, I wasn’t running late at the time.”

  The pair shared an embarrassed chuckle as Rowana idly watched her new sweetheart get ready. Keira put on a pair of wrist-length fingerless gloves made of the same gray leather material as her trousers. But the more the elf looked on, the more concerned she grew.

  “You be careful out there, alright?” the elf cautioned after a brief pause.

  “I’ll be fine, Rowie,” a smiling Keira reassured her. “Mister Faehorn said we’ll just be doing some light termite hunting today. Our class average is barely Level 10, so I’m sure he won’t make us do anything reckless.”

  “He’s not bullying you, right? I heard some bad things about that guy…”

  “No idea who you were talking to, but they’re wrong. Sure, he acts all tough and distant, but that’s just because he takes his job seriously. He’s only hard on us students because he cares about us. Plus, he doesn’t treat me differently even though I’m not an elf.”

  “Hmmm… I guess he’s unexpectedly a nice guy, huh?”

  Rowana watched in silence as the beastkin pulled a dark-green cloth tunic over her chainmail armor and slung an empty quiver across her shoulder. Once that was in place, she put on a pair of metal-plated bracers on her forearms, and finished up by buckling a set of matching shin guards to her lower legs and ankles.

  “There, all done,” she declared while doing a little spin to show off.

  “No shoes, though?” asked the elf while glancing at her lover’s bare feet.

  “Ah, mister Faehorn says a true Ranger must be in tune with his or her surroundings at all times, so going barefoot is a must!”

  While most of the aged elf’s other students were of the opinion that this sort of thinking was outdated and old-fashioned, Keira took his words to heart. She considered herself extremely lucky to be able to study under a famous adventurer like him, so she wasn’t going to let a single drop of his wisdom go to waste. Besides, she didn’t particularly mind it, as feeling the grass between her toes felt oddly nice and she was already used to pebbles and twigs digging into her soles.