Part 47: Lithisia’s Mouth Shoveling

Part 47:
Lithisia’s Mouth Shoveling

 

AT LONG LAST, the party left the Light Nation and returned to the World Tree Castle to hold a strategic meeting. They needed to plan their next move.

They now had all seven orbs in their possession, and their long journey had come to an end. It was time for Lithisia to reclaim her homeland, Rostir, from the clutches of the evil Prime Minister Zeleburg.

“Wait, couldn’t Alan have just blasted Zeleburg away with his Wave Motion Shovel Blast? Why did we need to collect all of these orbs?” Alice quietly asked at one point, but her presence was so faint that nobody noticed her.

And so, the meeting ended uneventfully. Or at least, it was supposed to.

“Um, excuse me. Uncle Alan, I have a question.” Fio had just finished her elf dinner and still wore an apron. In contrast to the swelling enthusiasm of her aproned bosom, she seemed concerned. “While I cleaned the storage room earlier, I happened to bump into Princess Lithisia.”

“Did something happen?”

“Well, um, she seemed kind of strange.” Fio went silent in thought for a moment before lowering her eyes. “I-I’m sorry, she was so strange that I’m having trouble putting it into words.”

“I see…”

It was indeed true that Lithisia had been acting odd throughout the day. She was normally quite eccentric, but today had been on another level. She hadn’t said a word during the meeting; she had simply worn a sober expression the whole time. She would occasionally glance at Alan only to look away the second their eyes met.

Fio worriedly glanced at the storage room.

“All right, I’ll talk to her,” said Alan.

“Ah! Thank you so much,” Fio said as she bowed deeply, breasts swaying. Then her cheeks turned pink, though she knew what she had to say. “And um, if possible, I’d like you to… Well, I’d like you to shovel her. I think it’d make her happy.”

“Er…”

“I-I’m sorry if I’m overstepping my bounds!”

Before Alan could ask what “shovel” meant in this specific instance, Fio turned and fled while murmuring to herself, her cheeks glowing.

Alan thought to himself for a moment before whispering: “I don’t get it.”

At this point, Alan couldn’t wrap his head around any of the Shovel Princess’s desires. Even so, he knew for a fact that he couldn’t leave her as she was. He didn’t want to.

He gripped the shovel on his back. Alan had no idea what to do—however.

No matter what, I can still shovel.

 

***

 

Inside the storage room on the third floor of the World Tree Castle, a host of shovels were lined in a row.

Alan normally used an adamantine shovel, but he had a ton of spares. Fio kept each of them on an individual stand, almost like they were on display at a museum.

No matter where Alan looked, Lithisia was nowhere to be found. Where could she be hiding?

While searching, Alan passed the shovel stands. One of them had signage that read, “Mythril Shovel.” The next read, “Orichalcum Shovel,” then, “Ruby Shovel,” and finally, the “Princess Shovel,” which sat next to the window—

“…”

Alan stopped and turned back to that last shovel to study it again.

The self-proclaimed Princess Shovel sat on a platform against the wall. In extremely feminine handwriting, the placard below it read, “A perfectly average shovel, but it would be immensely pleased if used.” On the “shovel’s” ample breasts hung a sign with a downward pointing arrow that read, “Shovel.”

There were also instructions:

• USAGE AREA: Anywhere
• USAGE TIME: Any time
• USER: Sir Miner exclusively
• ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: New, unused.
  But will do its best, so please use it.

“…”

Alan felt a headache begin to take shape. This, here in front of him, was what Fio had been unable to put it into words.

Lithisia sat on the platform in her Princess Dress (mini-skirt form), her plump thighs exposed, her cheeks blushing, and her eyes ever so slightly open.

“…”

She glanced at Alan, then immediately closed her eyes.

“I’m a shovel. A shovel…” Lithisia whispered to herself, her hands clasped together in prayer.

What the hell is up with this adorable little shovel? Alan thought to himself. “Lithisia.”

ZIIING!

Upon being called by her name, the Princess Shovel (self-proclaimed) trembled.

“…!!!”

But she still said nothing. She kept her eyes shut and her quivering hands clasped together. “I’m a shovel, I’m a shovel,” she whispered to herself over and over.

Alan only picked up this mantra thanks to his Shovel Ear. To all other observers, Lithisia would have looked just like a sleeping princess, but in fact, she was trying her hardest to become a real shovel.

I don’t get it. This was the second time today Alan had thought that to himself. But even if I don’t understand, I promised to do what I can. Shovel.

And so, Alan picked up the Princess Shovel in his arms in a classic princess carry.

“Ah…” For just a moment, Lithisia let out a sound, but she quickly shook her head and began to work her, uh, magic. She stretched out the fingers on both of her hands to form a triangle. A familiar shape—almost like a shovel head, in fact.

“…”

Was she asking Alan to use her to shovel something? With her hands? Should he? She evidently desired it.

Alan nearly shifted his position, but he paused upon seeing her hands up close. The thin white fingers of a young lady. They were so beautiful. Too beautiful, almost.

“Lithisia, stop this.”

“Huh…?”

“You’ll hurt your fingers and damage your nails. If you’re going to dig something up, use a regular shovel.”

“Ah, um, er.” Lithisia stared blankly at Alan. “I-I’m a shovel. Um, please feel free to use me as you w-wish.”

“Stop this nonsense. How could I possibly use such beautiful hands to dig things up?”

“Eee!”

Swish!

The Shovel Princess’s cheeks immediately pinked.

“Ah, uuurh, I-I’m sorry…” The Shovel Princess apologized with tears streaming down her cheeks. No, this was no Shovel Princess. This was just Lithisia. She was human. But why was she apologizing? “I-I’m so sorry, I’m a failure of a shovel…”

Lithisia’s profound sadness caused Alan nothing but confusion. I just don’t understand her. What is she thinking?

He concluded that he had to ask her directly. “Lithisia, could you please tell me what’s going on?”

“Ack!”

“If you don’t want to say, I can’t force you. But I like you most when you’re happily shoveling.”

“?!?!?!?!”

ZIIING!

“EEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

The second Alan said “I like you,” Lithisia’s heart rate multiplied significantly.

It was over. She had lost. Lithisia’s challenge ended in failure. She was no longer a shovel, but rather a simple young maiden in love—even though she had tried so hard to bury that part of herself.

“Eeeeeee! I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”

 

***

 

In the end, unable to hide anything from Alan, Lithisia confessed everything to him.

“I’m so, so sorry… I’m the worst, just a shovel failure of a human…”

Lithisia had seen Alan digging Catria’s ears, overheard their conversation, and grown terribly jealous. But she didn’t want to cause trouble for Alan by whining, so she had decided to become a Princess Shovel. If she could only turn her heart into a shovel, she wouldn’t be jealous of Catria anymore, and her awful jealousy wouldn’t cause problems for Alan.

“B-but I couldn’t do it.”

Lithisia had failed. When Alan drew close and called out to her, she had wanted him to shovel her like nothing else. In the end, Lithisia was no shovel; she was just a young lass.

“I see…” Having listened to the princess’s tale, Alan thought quietly to himself.

Truth be told, there was a lot about her story that he didn’t understand. Why did she want to be shoveled like no tomorrow? Why was she jealous of Catria? But at the end of the day, Alan had vowed to do everything within his power for Lithisia, which meant there was but one thing for him to do now.

Alan held Lithisia in his arms and sat her down on the floor of the storage room, her head on his thighs.

“Eeee!”

The miner felt Lithisia’s body warmth through her beautiful golden hair, which fell across his knees. Alan inspected the inside of her ear but found nothing at all; it was extremely clean in there. At this rate, he wouldn’t be able to pick her ears.

“U-um, Sir Miner?!” Confusion rang in Lithisia’s voice. She couldn’t wrap her head around what was happening to her. Why was he holding her in his lap? He had already said he would never marry her. She’d been dumped before anything even started. It was as if he had no need for a princess who couldn’t become a shovel. Sure, he’d never said that directly, but this was how his words had translated in Lithisia’s mind.

“Hrm, there’s no point in cleaning your ears…”

“Ah, er, um, right…” On hearing Alan’s words, Lithisia’s confusion finally dissipated. Instead, a wave of sadness flowed over her. It’s fine. I knew this would happen. I knew my body wasn’t worth shoveling—

“All right. Instead, let’s do your mouth.”

“Wha?”

Quicker than the eye could see, Alan modified his Fluoride Care Shovel into toothbrush form. He grasped Lithisia tightly with his left hand to make sure she wouldn’t flee. Her bountiful breasts pressed up against his arm, causing Lithisia to squeal. But Alan wouldn’t loosen his grip.

Alan had vowed to do everything he could for this young woman. He held Lithisia in his arms like a baby and worked open her mouth.

Brush, brush.

“Eeeeeek!”

Brush, brush.

“No talking. Don’t worry, just stay still.”

Brush, brush.

Alan dug into Lithisia’s mouth. More specifically, he got at her teeth. He used his masterful shovel technique to brush all of the teeth in her mouth, one after the other, in true deep-cleaning fashion. He got every last bit of grime off of Lithisia’s already pristine whites.

Alan then placed his Mirror Shovel directly in front of them. Reflected in the mirror, Lithisia was held like a small baby as Alan scoured her mouth.

“Ah, eee, nnnngh.”

Alan was shoveling her mouth…

Lithisia made a point to brush her teeth every morning and night, yet her mouth now overflowed with euphoria. Her teeth weren’t connected to any pleasure nerves, yet each time the Toothbrush Shovel scraped over one of them, her maidenly nerves electrified. Her body twitched in pleasure, causing Alan to hold her even more tightly.

What’s going on? It feels so good. I’m being happily shoveled…

There was no way for Lithisia to resist.

Brush, brush.

Brush, brush.

Swoosh, swoosh.

“Nnnnngh!”

Alan got between her teeth with a Thread Shovel. Everything in Lithisia’s mouth, even her mucous membranes, belonged to him now. That pleasure, that joy, tore her chest apart—the very same chest now pressed against Alan.

It was too much. Lithisia was on the verge of tears. If Alan kept being this kind to her, soon she’d be unable to live without Alan’s shovel.

“Eeeeeaaaaaaaah…”

Finally, after deftly brushing the teeth in the back of her mouth, Alan’s hand came to a stop. The whole thing only lasted three minutes, but they were the most joyous minutes of Lithisia’s life.

The princess struggled to catch her breath. It was over. It was finally over. She wanted Alan to keep going, but… But…

“All right. Next are your upper teeth.”

“HUH?!”

Another three minutes later, Lithisia, now drenched in sweat, fell limp. Her arms and thighs glistened like those of a girl who’d just finished practicing her favorite sport, and her cheeks shone brightly red. The only things on her mind were Alan and his shovel.

Sir Miner. Love. Shovel. Love. Stay with me forever. Shovel me forever. Those words ran on repeat. However— No, I can’t! I mustn’t!

Lithisia used the last of her strength to resist the desire threatening to drown her. She couldn’t tell Alan these things; she would cause him a great many problems if she did. It wasn’t like he loved her or anything, and it wasn’t as if he planned to marry her. If she told him she loved him, he would only be troubled by it.

Lithisia clenched her fists in resistance.

Then Alan gently ran the palm of his hand across her head, over and over.

“Ah…”

Once again, hope rose deep within Lithisia. Maybe she had simply misheard him? Maybe he hadn’t said anything about not marrying her?

The truth of the matter was that she felt an immense amount of love in the hand running across her head, as well as in the arm holding her so very tightly. Both were so tender, and they felt so good… Alan had even shoveled her mouth.

“Ah… Mmm…”

Lithisia wanted to ask him, but she couldn’t. She was too scared. She feared she would die on the spot if Alan told her he didn’t “shovel” her.

But when Lithisia looked up at Alan’s face, she found him wearing a smile that seemed to say he’d accept anything and everything. In that case, Lithisia mustered up more courage than she ever had in her entire human—or perhaps shovel—life.

“Um, Sir Miner…”

“Yeah?”

She was going to ask him. She was going to do it. This was her chance! “Um, would you… Um, would you sh…”

Would you shovel me forever?

Just as she was about to lay it all on the line—

BOOOM.

“Long time no see, Princess Lithisia!”

A video feed of Prime Minister Zeleburg appeared before the pair in a display formed by communication magic.

“…”

A Shovel Aura of deep sadness emanated from Lithisia.

“How goes your hunt for the orbs?” Zeleburg asked. “I come to you today to provide you all with a piece of information that might help: the location of the Purple Orb! Where do you think it is? Hee hee hee… Why, it lies in Hell itsel—wait, why are you holding Princess Lithisia in your arms?!”

“Zeleburg, perfect timing,” said Alan. “We’re heading to Rostir now.”

“What? Who the hell are you? More importantly, get away from my Princess Lithisia—” Zeleburg broke off. His gaze had turned to Lithisia and his expression changed to one of astonishment. “What? Um, er… A toothbrush?”

Zeleburg was bewildered. Apparently even demons could get confused.

“Zele…burg…!”

The air surrounding Lithisia froze as she spoke. Her voice throbbed with tears. She’d been interrupted. She wanted to cry. She had squeezed out every last bit of courage she had, and this was what she got in return? She would never let Zeleburg get away with this. Her deep sadness morphed into pure rage, and with a toothbrush still in her mouth, Lithisia spoke.

“ZELEBURF, I’MF NEBA GUIN TUH FOHGIFF YOO FORF BIS!!!”

But thanks to the toothbrush in her mouth, she was a bit hard to understand.

“…”

For a time, Zeleburg simply stared at Lithisia, his eyes widened. Then he put his hand on his chin.

“Adorable… How very adorable, Your Highness,” he said, his voice racked with emotion.

Tragically, Alan found himself agreeing with the heinous villain.

Still coddled in Alan’s arms, Lithisia glared at Zeleburg, and in the loudest voice yet of the day, she screamed. “ZELEBURG, I’MF NEBA GUIN TUH FORHIFF YOO!!!”

Thus went the opening declaration of the First Rostir Elimination War: The Shovel Rebellion, as it would be recorded in the history books.