Hikari placed her underwear into the wash basin.
She had been wearing the pair since they set off from the estate.
Several days march and a battle against the sandworms.
A good washing was overdue.
She poured the water and the soap powder.
It wasn't much but it was just enough to submerge it.
There was a red stain in the middle due to her period.
It happened during a night camping out on the route to Herdial.
She remembers the cramps.
The soap wouldn't remove it.
It would remove enough of the sweat and grim for it to feel fresh again.
The rest of her clothes could be disassembled into small sized sheets that could be washed normally.
Her underwear needed to be made of more sturdy and flexible materials to withstand her wide hip movements.
She lets it soak for a bit.
Her socks piled up on an empty barrel on the side waiting to be washed.
The basin was only big enough for one.
She prefers to wash them herself.
These pieces tend to go missing a lot.
It was a break from the intense battle.
Out on a raid, she tries to rest up as much as she can.
The camp was quiet.
Ria had gone off to tend to some administrative matters.
A hammering sound on an anvil.
The black smiths were working on her sword.
The handle was bent as she had dragged it through the sandworm.
A faint glow of mana.
The RazenHeir enchantors work on her throwing daggers.
The ones she threw at the sandworms are certainly gone.
They would become relics to be dug out of the sand centuries later.
The tannery worked on her wyvern skin.
She could see some light scratches.
Must have been from when she locked against the side of the sandworm titan.
She watches as the tanner recarves the runes embedded into each sheet.
The pushing and pulling does wear them out after a few battles.
She stretches.
Arms up into the air.
Bends down and touches her toes.
Her underwear was done soaking in the soap.
She drains the soap water and replaces it with her socks.
She watches it soak.
Stretching exercises on her arms and legs.
All the jumping makes her legs sore.
Holding her sword plunged into the titan does tighten her muscles quite a bit more than doing drills back at the estate.
The sock was done soaking.
She drains the water.
Now to soak them both with clean water to drain the soap.
She lets them soak.
More stretching.
She looks over the wooden palisade surrounding the RazenHeir camp.
The camp was busy.
Every few minutes, a group of steam tanks leaves or arrives at the depot.
The pile of coal keeps getting used up and replenished by a group of dedicated shovellers.
It appears that the sandworm pass has been cleared.
The steam tanks are now ferrying supplies towards a forward camp at the base of the wyvern peaks.
"Time to cook."
She drains the water and replaces it.
It'll take one more round of clean water to fully remove the soap.
She prepares her cauldron.
It was right outside her tent.
She lifts a water tank and fills up the cauldron to a third.
The ingredients were in crates.
Covered in dried cloth to keep the moisture out.
She groans.
Ivory berries.
The grain color didn't look so good.
She thought the food here would be better since the RazenHeir territory actually imports food from Herdial.
Nevertheless, she must eat.
She poured the ingredients into the cauldron and covered the lid.
A stride back to her washing basin.
Her underwear and socks were just about done soaking.
She drains the water.
The cauldron bubbles in the background.
She touches the cloth.
The soapy feeling is gone.
She squeezes with both hands.
Drain the water.
Squeeze again.
She hangs them up outside her tent.
The dry desert wind would dry them in half a day.
She opens the cauldron.
It was not ready yet.
She ducks into her tent, leaving her flats out the front.
It was tall enough to let her sit up right.
She meditated.
The faint sound of steam tanks rumbling out of camp.
The sound of a hammer striking the anvil.
Her mana levels were still good.
She used up a good amount burning through the titan at the end.
There's nothing scheduled for her for the rest of the day.
Her arms and legs could use a good rest.
Hopefully another sandworm titan wouldn't show up to ruin it.
The cauldron lid bubbled.
Her meal was ready.
She lifts the cauldron and shuffles it so she could eat sitting on the ledge of her tent.
It was bland.
There was a crate of spices.
Plenty of them. High quality too.
Ria had told on the way that the spices from Herdial were in short supply due to the wyverns.
It somewhat makes up for the funny taste of the Herdial grain.
She finishes her meal.
It didn't fully fill her up from the battle.
She'll wait for the next meal.
Time for a snap.
She lays flat and closes her eyes.
She continues to circulate her mana.
The desert wind was cool.
Her socks keep her feet warm.
She rests.
She raises one leg and uses her toe to push the tent skirts together to block some of the sunlight.
She goes to sleep.
A quick nap.
She sleepily opens her eyes.
She could sense a tiny mana presence by her feet.
The rapid heartbeats.
The giantess sits up.
"Ria?"
"Oh! You're awake. I didn't mean to disturb your rest."
Ria knelt upright right beside her feet.
Hikari's toes were up to the tiny lady's face.
Her lady blushes.
Her eyes turned towards her giantess knight's feet.
Hikari tilts her foot to the left.
Ria takes the cue and shuffles before the wall of cotton that was Hikari's sock bottom.
The soft puckering sound of her lips.
Her heavy breathing as her nose was pressed against the tough fabric.
Her glimmering blue eyes raised above her toe line.
"How's the camp? Is it too cold here? Should I order more clothes for you to keep you warm? How's the food? Is it to your liking?"
Hikari purred as her lady rubs her tiny hands against her sock.
She could barely feel them through the tick fabric.
"It's good."
"Oh, that's good to hear. You did a great job out there. Slaying a sandworm titan. Too bad I wasn't there to witness it. How was it? Was it scary? Do tell. How did you kill it?"
Ria knelt up over the toe line.
She tucks her chin in and presses her lips onto the tip of Hikari's toe.
Hikari giggles.
"I'll tell. But first."
Hikari puts up a sound barrier.
Soft puckering sounds.
"My feet hurt."
Ria flinches.
The familiar pressure of Hikari's low commanding voice.
"Massage them."
Ria trembles.
She tucks her arms in and pushes onto the bore of Hikari's foot as hard as she could.
She pushes with all her strength but could barely put a dent in her sock.
Hikari giggles.
"Harder."
"Mmmm…"
Ria puts her back into it.
Even so, there was little she could do to a foot that was wider and more massive than her.
Hikari giggles as she watches her struggle.
"My lady needs more training."
"Mmm…! Yes… Please train me more… Your lady is so pathetic… I am too weak to even massage your feet."
Hikari giggles.
She pushes her messy hair from her nap behind her head.
She looks neater and more beautiful that way.
Ria shivers at Hikari's beauty as she toys with her.
"Enough."
Ria drops to her arms.
Panting.
Just a short burst of exercise had drained her.
"Talk to me."
Ria takes a short break to catch her breath.
She knelt upright again.
Her chin resting on Hikari's toe line.
Her breasts lean against the bore of Hikari's foot.
"Ah… Now that the sandworm pass has been cleared. I would like to think that half of the wyvern raid is done."
"It didn't die."
"Oh, it's dead alright. You set its internals alight before it dives back into the sand. Our flames will certainly consume it. The acid bombs last a long while too."
"Sure?"
"Of course. Don't worry too much. Sandworms don't have a big brain if at all. They barely feel pain and they just hunt and breed on instinct. If it were still alive, it would still be attacking the convoys."
"Ah."
"It's a bummer we won't get to salvage its carcass to earn some money. Its carcass is probably buried so deep under the sand that we won't be able to dig it out. At least you knock one of its teeth out. That material is harder than steel so it'll buy more than a few meals for everyone."
"Nice."
Ria plants a kiss on Hikari's toe line.
"I heard from the Herdial general who was with you. Rey is his name. After speaking with him, I realized that he could see a lot from inside his steam tank."
"Really?"
"Or maybe he's just making all of that up. No matter, I'll just ask you how it went. "
"He."
"A sandworm titan massive enough to swallow an entire steam tank whole. Not just one steam tank, it even pulled several steam tanks up in a wire mesh."
"Yes."
"Gosh. That must have been terrifying. Is it more terrifying than the flesh titan at Carla?"
"Yes, it moves a lot."
"Oh. A massive titan that burrows into the ground and attacks from below. How did you fight it?"
"It almost got me at first."
"Oh dear. How did you stop it?"
"I just dodge."
"That some quick reflexes you have. Did you see it coming?"
"Yes. It's huge."
"That makes sense. Now I don't worry about you taking on titans. They are no match for your speed. You are both fast and strong. So strong."
Ria kisses.
Hikari giggles.
"Smell."
"Mmm…!"
Ria presses her nose against the sock.
"Your feet smell… so strong… so powerful…"
Hikari giggles.
"Titan slayer's feet."
Ria moans.
"Ohh…. yes… a titan slayer's feet. "
She takes another deep sniff.
"It's such an honor to be able to smell a titan slayer's feet… "
"Is it strong?"
Deep sniff.
"Yes… This is the fresh pair we packed I believe… it seems you have done some work in them… they already smell so strong… strong like a titan slayer…. "
Hikari laughs.
"Enough. Talk."
"Oh yes… of course."
Ria turns away and takes deep breaths to calm herself from the excitement.
"Oh, there's some good news from home. Your spidersilk dress sold at the Moradale auction."
"Hmm…"
"What a pleasant surprise. It's usually a mid-level material for women's lingerie. It's actually not that popular as it's very tough and doesn't feel nice on delicate skin. "
"Nice"
"The blood crystals sold well too. Well above their raw price. Maybe the commotion you caused at the ball had something to do with it. But that's not the piece that sold the most. It's your shoes"
"My shoes? "
"Yes… I'm not sure how it would auction. Obviously no one wears shoes your size. But it ended up being one of the hottest bids. It out bid even one of the legendary weapons on auction."
Hikari giggles.
"A legendary weapon"
"One of the most highly prized weapons from the spire workshops. A twenty rune master crafted storm band cleaver. Did I get that right? It has quite a long name."
"Whao."
"Too bad we can never afford a weapon like that that is your size. But that sale really gave us a lot of breathing room. Paid down a lot of our war debts. Well, I would have loved to use that towards your academy fund but that's what we're here for."
"Yes."
Hikari yawns.
Ria shuffles to the side.
Hikari could see her full body.
"I'll leave you to sleep now. There's still more to do in the coming days. It won't be as intense as slaying a sandworm titan. But there is plenty of construction work."