The Herb King

Chapter 28: Skillful Hands

Samira moved closer to Leric. She lightly raised her head to observe his expression and she saw him smiling gently at her.

When she saw his charming smile, she immediately lowered her head, afraid that she would fall completely in trance.

“The long journey would make our spine and neck stiff, but I have learned a massage technique that can alleviate the rigidity of the bones and muscles.” Leric explained as he gently placed his hands on Samira’s back.

When Samira felt his warm and gentle hands caressing her back, she shivered in anticipation and she could not help but let out a moan. “Mn~”

Kathlyn and Skylar who sat opposite them blushed when they heard their young miss’ delightful moan. They could see the redness on Miss Samira’s face slowly spreading.

Leric moved his hands softly as if he was stroking the most fragile of jades.

While gently massaging her back, he sent her small amounts of world essence through his fingertips, making Samira feel pleasant currents that seeped into every fiber of her body. “Mn~”

.....

The stiff sensation on her back was gone and all that remained was a cozy feeling.

Leric brushed his fingers to her back and then moved towards her neck.

Samira yelped in surprise as if she was electrocuted. “Ah!”

She felt ticklish and at the same time, the pain in her neck slowly receded. It felt unreal that a person would have such skillful hands.

Samira could feel her heart beating for unknown reasons and her breathing became hurried.

Leric sensed the change in her expression and the warm air she exhaled blowing onto his hand. ‘Good lord! Am I really doing this?’

It was unthinkable for Leric who had the mental age of an old man to show interest in a young person of the opposite sex. Perhaps he had been holding back for too long that all the accumulated longing and desire were poured into this new life.

In truth, he was holding himself back from touching this young lady’s most sensitive spots. He really wanted to hold her towering peaks and her slim waist, but his rationality prevented him from doing it. He would be labeled as a pervert if does that and the righteous image that he had painstakingly built up during his stay in the camp would be destroyed.

He chanted the only Buddhist sutra he remembered in his past life to prevent himself from showing his carnal desires. He didn’t know why his skill [Demon Heart] was not working properly this time. Perhaps the skill would only activate during special circumstances?

Unknowingly, ten minutes have passed by.

Leric reluctantly pulled his hands off her neck as he said. “How do you feel now, Miss Samira?”

His magnetic voice drifted into the young miss’ ears and she slowly opened her eyes.

She was still blushing furiously. The pain in her muscles was gone and the lingering warmth from Leric’s hands remained on her body. “S-Sir Aethelwolf is truly capable! I no longer feel the stiffness on my back...” She said with her head lowered.

“Good. I’m glad it worked well.” Leric smiled at her. He then turned his gaze towards the two maids and saw the ladies looking at him with a look of longing and anticipation.

Seeing their expressions, Leric chuckled in his heart and said. “It seems like Miss Skylar and Miss Kathlyn also want to try my techniques.”

The two maids nodded their heads right away. They saw the enraptured look of their young miss throughout the whole scene. If even the stoic and stern Miss Samira could show that kind of expression, then Leric’s skill in massaging must be truly great.

Samira didn’t stop them. She also wanted her friends to feel the wondrous sensation of Leric’s hands.

And so, in the next thirty minutes, Leric used the techniques he learned in his past life to make the two maids feel pleasant. The carriage was filled with their delightful moaning sounds. Luckily, the sound of the Equus’ hooves hitting the ground prevented the coachman from hearing anything.

Soon, night came so the group had to set up camp. Although many wild beasts were active during nighttime, this part of the forest was relatively peaceful and with the skilled guards protecting them, they had nothing to worry about.

“Sir Aethelwolf, you can sleep in this tent.” Samira pointed at the tent that she had set up for him. This was supposed to be her tent, but she didn’t want the Level 4 Alchemist to sleep on a sleeping bag.

Leric stared at her and then towards the tent that she had erected for him. He smiled and shook his head gently. “I’m fine, Miss Samira. I can sleep here.” He pointed at the ground that was filled with short grass.

“But...”

“Miss Samira, don’t worry about me.” Leric tactfully declined. How could he let the young miss of a noble family sleep on the grassy field?

“In that case, I won’t force you, Sir Aethelwolf.” Miss Samira bowed her head lightly before she entered the tent with Kathlyn and Skylar. It was large enough to accommodate the three of them.

After seeing them go inside the tent, Leric activated his skill [Virtual Map].

Upon checking it closer, he noticed more than two dozen red dots moving in their direction. From the size of the dots, he could tell that three of them were Level 1 Espers. “Are those guys bandits? Are they idiots? Even if they attack us by surprise, those guards could still kill them easily.” He muttered silently.

The strength of the Reynolds Household’s guards was not to be underestimated. If the red dots were indeed bandits and if they chose to attack their group, only death awaits them!