Claras Misadventures In Vr Pt 04

|| -- Chapter 22 -- ||

"Let's go to the library," Clara said.

After speaking with the nun, she and Abi redressed, then headed out into the streets. They were walking through the town square when Clara made the suggestions, but Abigail shook her head.

"What for? You already have a book on magic, right?" She nodded toward the book Clara carried under one arm.

"I do, but I was wondering if I could find a book on demons. The church gave some useful information, but I feel like there is still more to learn. If I can't figure out how to deal with a demon or two, I might not make it out of this game."

"Why..?" Abigail shook her head, giving her a confused look. "I don't understand why you're so worried about demons suddenly. You're unlikely to meet one, you know?"

Clara slowed to a stop, and she tapped her fingers against her magic book thoughtfully. (Should I tell her?)

(We're telepathically linked.) Abi thought back. (It'll be difficult for you to hide anything, so you might as well tell me.)

(Back when I tried to log out, I met a demon.) Clara thought to her, and Abi's eyes widened in surprise.

(Seriously?!) Abigail glanced both ways, as if to confirm they weren't being overheard. (You ran into a demon?)

"Yeah." Clara nodded, and Abi's expression turned serious.

"You're right. We should go see if there's a book on demons." She turned around and walked in the opposite direction. "Follow me."

She led the way through the crowds, and Clara hurried after her.

--

The 'library' of the village turned out to be a book room of the local governess. Abi requested entrance through the back of a large estate, and she showed her guild card to the guards protecting the mansion. It was a strange process, but Clara assumed it must be necessary to prove her identity.

Unlike her world, it seemed books were much more tightly guarded here.

A butler showed them through the halls of the mansion and into a large book room. It was smaller than any library Clara had seen, but much larger than she would have expected for a private collection. The books filled the shelves from wall to wall.

"It's rare for my lady to get guests to her library," the butler said. "I'll wait here if you have questions. We do limit stays for only one hour. If you wish to look through the collection for any longer, you will need to visit tomorrow."

"That is alright," Abi said. "We shouldn't need more than an hour."

(Have you been here before?) Clara asked through their telepathic link. She glanced between Abi and the butler curiously. Despite Abigail's worn clothes, she seemed at ease in the stuffy room.

(I've done a few quests for the governess of this village.) Abi replied. (I've been in this mansion more than I'd like to admit.)

After replying, Abi began looking through the collection of books, and Clara joined her.

There were books on herbology, potion brewing, swordsmanship, even cook books and photo albums. Anything Clara could imagine was kept in the library, and it only took a short time to find a book on demons.

"This is it," Abi said, and she pulled a tome off the shelf. The spine read 'Demonology and a Contemplation on Demonic Races'.

(Let's pray you won't need any information in here, though.) Abi thought to her. (It's better to avoid demons altogether, but if you're truly in danger of meeting one, perhaps this will help.)

Clara nodded and took the book. She scanned the table of contents and looked for a promising section. At the end of the book was a chapter titled 'Contemplations on Demonic Subjugation', so she flipped to that section.

"""For a mortal to subdue a demon, it is not traditionally possible. There is no way for a mortal to best a demon in magic, physical sport, or intellect. However, in theory, it is possible for a mortal to come out on top by preying on the demon's overconfidence."""

(Okay, now we're talking.) Clara thought to herself. This wasn't anything like the defeatist attitude Abi or the nun shared.

(I'm pretty sure that book said 'in theory'... I doubt we can trust this.) Abigail thought back, but Clara read on, scanning the pages of the book for useful information.

The book described philosophical and theoretical claims about demons. It was unclear what could be trusted and what couldn't, but it outlined a simple process to subdue a demon.

First, challenge the demon to a duel. Demons loved to play games and prove their superiority over mortals. No demon could overlook a challenge from a mortal. The book described it as if a cat were to bring a string toy to a human. The human would be overcome with the desire to play with the cat.

(That's insane!) Abi shouted through their telepathic connection. (Challenging a demon is far too dangerous...)

(Let's keep reading...) Clara thought back.

Second, one needed to make a wager with the demon. All demons enjoy wagers and will take up the bet, no matter how risky it is. The ideal outcome is for both parties to wager their unconditional servitude to the other. This way, if you win, the demon will be forced to obey you.

(Oh, I see... That's smart.) Clara thought to herself. By simply making a wager, one could subdue a demon.

(Are you insane? If you lose the wager, you'd become a slave to the demon.) Abi shook her head vigorously. (This book is insane.)

(Let's read on a bit more.) Clara thought back.

Third, the target of the bet should be a game without chance or skill. All demons possess exceptional luck, skill, stamina, and strength. Ideally, the challenged game should stay away from any uncertainty, and shouldn't require skill, stamina, strength, fortitude, dexterity, nor mental abilities to win.

(It's difficult to find a game that would meet such strict requirements.) Clara thought to herself.

(No, I'm pretty sure there's no game you could win at.) Abi thought back. (Demons are just that strong. They even have luck on their side, so you can't hope to win through chance either.)

Fourthly, if everything went well during the game, one would have subdued a demon. The mortal's first order to the demon should be to not try to trick them. Demons are extremely crafty beings, and even as a slave to a mortal, they are extremely dangerous.

(I see...) Clara thought to herself. (What an interesting book.)

(The only thing I agree with is that demons are extremely dangerous.) Abi thought to her. (I wouldn't trust anything this book says.)

|| -- Chapter 23 -- ||

"Abi! Why didn't you tell me you were visiting?" A woman in a bright blue dress strode into the library. She smiled brightly and spread her arms wide open.

Abigail's expression soured at the sight of her and she hurriedly put the book back on the shelf. "Miss Galeford... I wouldn't dream of interrupting your important duties governing this village."

She took a bow, and Clara followed suit. Whoever this woman was, she seemed important. From her perfectly curled blonde hair to the pearl necklace and form fitting dress, she exuded extravagance, just like the rest of the mansion.

"Oh, you're not interrupting and, please, call me Gretel." The woman approached Abi and grabbed her hand, squeezing it in hers. "By the way, who is this friend of yours? Another adventurer?"

"This is Clara, a member of my party." Abi raised her head and nodded at Clara. "Meet Gretel. She's the... governess of the town?"

"There's no reason to put a question mark after that," Gretel said and turned towards Clara. "I'm the official commissioner of the town's guard, tax collector, and magistrate for Leafglen Village."

"Nice to meet you... Gretel?" Clara shook her hand and nodded. For someone with such important titles and such gaudy clothing, she spoke familiarly with them. Especially since she was older than both of them, it felt odd.

"Why don't we go have some tea," Gretel suggested. "I would love to catch up with you Abi and get to know this new friend of yours better."

"We really should get going," Abi said.

"Nonsense. You've only just arrived," Gretel shook her head, making the blonde drill-like curls on her head bob back and forth. "You'll both follow me to my visiting room. I simply must hear about your newest adventures, Abi."

(If you're just going to overrule me, why ask at all...) Abi grumbled in her thoughts, and Clara smiled to herself.

(It seems she likes you.) Clara thought to her.

(She's a nymphomaniac who's obsessed with getting her cock wet.) Abi thought back. (Dealing with her is exhausting.)

Gretel turned and left, leaving them to follow her. Despite Abi's grumbling, she followed diligently and Clara hurried to catch up. As she walked beside her, she noticed a subtle blush filling Abigail's cheeks.

--

"You know, Abi has completed over fifteen quests for me." Gretel sat across from Abi and Clara, taking a sip of tea.

They were in a tearoom with a table between them. Snacks and cookies were laid out on platters across the table, and a cup of fresh tea sat in front of each of them. The tea had a fragrant herbal aroma, and it stirred Clara's appetite as she drank it.

"Fifteen quests?" Clara asked, and she began nibbling on a cookie.

"I only accepted them because no one else in the guild would." Abi shook her head. She took a sip of her tea with an indignant scoff. "If you actually gave a reward for your quests, more people would take them, you know?"

"Ah, but isn't my company rewarding enough?" Gretel smiled sweetly as she spoke. "We had lots of fun after you brought back those herbs for me."

The red hue in Abigail's cheeks grew darker as the older woman spoke, and Clara couldn't help but smile. Despite the brusque attitude of the rogue, it was clear she didn't dislike Gretel. If she'd come back fifteen times, there must have been something drawing her back.

Clara finished her cookie and began nibbling on another. They had a faint strawberry taste, and she found them strangely addicting. After finishing one snack, she had to try another.

"By the way, Abi, won't you let me buy you some nicer clothes?" Gretel put one hand on her cheek. "You're always wearing that worn out rogue outfit. Wouldn't you like to wear a nice dress once in a while?"

"These clothes are easier to move in, and I don't need your charity." Abi sipped her tea with her eyes closed, not even looking at the older woman. "I appreciate you allowing us to use your library, though. It's come in handy today."

"I'm glad." Gretel's smile widened. "In fact, I got the recipe for these cookies out of the library. I even used some of those herbs you brought back from the last time you accepted my quest."

"Herbs?" Abi's eyes snapped open at the word, and she froze. "It's been three months since I last accepted your gathering quest. There's no way those herbs are still good by now."

"I had them dried so I could use them for a while. I thought it was unfortunate how quickly we had to use them up." Gretel shook her head, and she slipped a cookie into her mouth, eating it with a knowing smile on her lips.

(Crap...) Abigail thought to herself.

(What's up? Is something wrong?) Clara finished her sixth cookie and glanced over at the rogue. The red blush in Abi's cheeks made her face look like a tomato, and Clara couldn't help but smile at the sight. (By the way, these cookies are amazing.)

(The herb I gathered for her is an aphrodisiac.) Abi thought back to her. (If she used them in these cookies, it means they're drugged.)

(Huh?) Clara froze, with the seventh cookie already half chewed in her mouth. She swallowed it slowly and blinked in surprise. (Aphrodisiac, huh?)

She had thought the cookies were strangely addicting, but now that Abi mentioned it, the room felt warmer than usual. Clara's nipples stood stiff beneath her witch's dress, and the inside of her panties felt hot and stuffy.

A stain had been growing at the front of her underwear, and Clara blushed as she realized what was happening. Hurriedly, she squeezed her thighs together, but that only amplified a tingle of anticipation building between her legs.

"Don't worry, the tea doesn't use the herbs." Gretel took another sip of tea, smiling. "I just thought I would keep our party interesting, and I wanted to try out this new recipe. What do you think, Abi?"

"I'm glad I didn't eat any cookies, then." Abigail shook her head, but a deep flush still filled her cheeks.

"Now don't say that." Gretel traced one hand down from her collarbones, rubbing her chest. She gently massaged the spot between her breasts, smiling at Abigail. "Why don't you try one?"

Clara found her own eyes drawn to the sight. Despite the intimate conversation between the two of them, she squirmed in her chair, arousal staining the crotch of her panties. She desperately rubbed her thighs together, breathing heavily.

With each stroke of the older woman's fingers, a strange feeling welled up in Clara's own body. Gretel was rubbing her sternum, tracing her fingers up and down the valley between her breasts, and Clara felt like that own part of her body was oddly sensitive.

Even the air against the middle of her chest made tingles of satisfaction run out of the spot. The arousal in her body flared up two-fold as the hypnotic triggers in her mind amplified her urges. Clara had no recollection of it, but the spot Gretel rubbed on her chest was the exact spot Clara had a subconscious awareness of. It was the erogenous zone induced into her psyche by the magic shop owner.

Just watching Gretel rub the spot was enough to make Clara's eyes fall into a half-lidded lull. Her lips parted as she breathed heavily, and the burning sensation in her cheeks grew into a wildfire. It felt like her face and ears would melt from how intensely she blushed.

"Is something the matter, dear? Your face is so red." Gretel turned to look at her, and the attention further fanned Clara's embarrassed arousal.

"No, I'm fine." She cleared her throat, trying to act normal beneath the older woman's gaze, but it felt difficult. Sitting still was impossible as the tingling urges built in her crotch. All she wanted to do was shove one hand between her legs and rub away the itch inside her panties.

"Are you sure, dear?" Gretel continued to rub the middle of her breasts, smiling at Clara. "I should have warned you about the cookies, I know. My apologies for not telling you ahead of time."

"No, that's alright." Clara shook her head hurriedly.

(I need to calm down.) She thought to herself, and she placed one hand on her chest, taking a deep breath. However, rather than quieting her urges, the breath only fanned the flame of arousal in her belly higher.

She accidentally dropped her fingers into the valley of her cleavage, rubbing the same spot between her breasts as Gretel. The touch sent Clara's mind spinning. Her hypnotic triggers activated and redoubled her already out-of-control libido.

"Mmmmmnnnfh..." Clara moaned, eyes fluttering, and she rubbed the spot harder. The more she stroked the sensitive erogenous zone, the better her pussy felt. Every shift of her fingers made the heat in her body grow out of control, and tingles of pleasure rippled out between her legs. Even without being touched, the mere presence of her underwear clinging to her sex made Clara's mind fall into a downward spiral of pleasure.

"Are you okay? Clara?" Abi snapped in front of her eyes and Clara blinked in surprise.

"Huh? Yes. Oh god." She suddenly realized how she'd moaned in front of the other two, and her burning embarrassment grew even larger. "Please ignore me. I just ate too many cookies."

(Let me know if it gets to be too much, okay?) Abigail continued to look at her with concern, but Clara gave a reassuring smile.

(I'm fine, really. Just pretend like I'm not here.) She took a deep breath and removed her hand from the valley of her chest, and this time, she felt like a fresh wind blew away the fog from her mind. Without the touch between her breasts, it was much easier to ignore her arousal.

"Very well..." Abi turned back towards the older woman, eyes narrowing. "I have a point of discussion for you, Miss Galeford. Perhaps it's good you invited us to this meeting."

"Please, call me Gretel." Gretel gave a polite smile and ate another cookie.

"Gretel..." Abi said the words through a forced smile. "Don't you think the number of visiting nobles is strange? Your village has been experiencing an increase in..."

Their conversation continued in a direction Clara couldn't follow. All she knew was how aroused she was, and it took all her control not to let out another moan. Despite her reassurances to Abi, the fog of lust descended back over her mind, and Clara's eyes fell back into a half-lidded lull.

She breathed heavily, staring off at the far wall. Time turned into a sluggish crawl as she sipped tea and fought back the urges between her legs. Especially her nipples, the way the stiff protrusions rubbed against the underside of her dress made it difficult to think.

Between her legs, her clit was in a similar state, throbbing and needy. No matter how much she rubbed her thighs together, it couldn't quiet down the intense urges building within her.

Clara breathed heavily, unable to focus on anything but the tingle of anticipation growing inside her pussy. For several long minutes, her heart pounded in her ears, and she got lost in the pleasant stuffy warmth inside her panties. However, such a state couldn't last forever.

As she sat there, her nipple and clit bands began to vibrate. They stimulated her most sensitive parts, sending Clara's mind spinning. She drew in a sharp breath, heart skipping at the sudden waves of pleasure washing through her hips and breasts.

The intensity started low, barely noticeable. At first, Clara thought she was going crazy. She felt like she imagined the sensation, or it was a fantasy that she'd mistaken for reality. However, the longer she sat there, the more intense the vibrations grew.

Her pounding heart reverberated in her ears, and she bit her lower lip, barely holding back a moan. As her pleasure continued to climb, she felt an orgasm in the distance, and the reality of the situation dawned on her. If she didn't do something, she was going to come.

She'd have an orgasm right in front of Abi and this highly important magistrate. Clara didn't even want to think about what they would say or do if they found out. Her embarrassment was so high, she felt like she would pass out from the heat burning in her cheeks, but all she could do was sit there as the pleasure continued to grow.

The buzz of the nipple and clit bands grew more intense, and she heard the low rumble beneath the table. Clara's eyes rolled up in her head, and she felt even more embarrassed by the sound, but the waves of pleasure it brought were undeniable.

Her breathing grew faster and ragged. Underneath the table, she crossed her legs into a pretzel and squeezed her thighs together as tight as they would go. With all her effort, she clenched her sex, preparing for the inevitable orgasm.

|| -- Chapter 24 -- ||

Gretel enjoyed being aroused. It was comfortable for her.

The way her cock throbbed in her panties, the drip of precum tingling out of her tip, the way her nipples stood stiff inside her tube dress--she loved every moment of it. That's why she drugged the cookies with an aphrodisiac, so she could have a pleasant afternoon tea with the feeling of hot arousal throbbing between her legs.

If anything more came of it, like having sex with her favorite adventurer (Abi), then that would just be a bonus. However, it came with its risks.

Her thoughts grew distant as the thick fog of arousal descended over her mind. She breathed heavily, cheeks flushed, struggling to think of what to say. The pleasant throb of her cock grew into an undeniable hunger, gnawing at the back of her mind--begging her to pull out the thick member and stroke it.