That Succubus and those that oppose her

TL: Cannongerbil

Editing: Xenthur, Ulti

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Part 1

“Listen, don’t think that just increasing the amount of skin you show is enough. What’s important is shyness.”

“Shyness? But don’t men like seeing bare skin?”

“It’s true that they like it, but the process is important. Furthermore, having more parts that are covered adds spice, which raises expectations and excitement. Even if you decide to go with revealing clothes, don’t forget this point. In particular, rather than removing them yourself, it’s worth a lot more to let your partner remove them.”

“I got it!”

Loli Succubus took notes as she listened intently to my advice.

It’s good that she’s so willing to learn. She might be underdeveloped in certain key areas, but under my direction she’ll definitely become a first-rate Succubus.

“Hey, you two better cut it out! Stop talking about such indecent matters in front of my shop!”

The old man of the general shop angrily shouted at us with a face that looks like a boiled octopus. He’s a petty old man, as usual.

“We can’t help it. We can’t enter that store right now.”

“Sorry for causing you trouble.”

You didn’t have to lower your head towards that old man. Loli Succubus is really polite at the oddest of times.

“You’ve conned another child into following you again? Ojou-chan, you shouldn’t hang out with this piece of trash. You’ll get devoured right down to your bone marrow and what’s left of you will be used as soup stock.”

“Hey, don’t keep make me sound like a complete villain. I have a mutually beneficial relationship with her. Ah, that really hurt me. My delicate heart has been torn to shreds.”

“Yeah, and then a cold iron heart will grow to take its place, right?”

“You two really get along well.”

“As if!”

The old man and I said at the same time.

I know this man is bored stiff manning his store every day, and is secretly happy to have someone to talk to in order to pass the time. Is this guy a tsundere despite being an old man?

“Seriously, don’t say such strange things. I’m going back inside. Hurry up and go elsewhere.”

Is the old man gone? Right, now that there’s no one to interrupt us.

“Now that the old man is gone… I’ve been meaning to ask you, but why has the store been closed for the past few days?”

For some reason, the Succubus shop has been closed for the past few days. A large segment of the male adventurers, me included, have been getting dangerously restless with our pent up desires.

“Well, about that… I guess it’s okay to tell you, Dust-san. Can you help us? We’ll be very grateful.”

“Oh, is it something troublesome? Leave it to me. I’m quite well known amongst the local thugs, so if you have a problem with them, I’ll help you out.”

“It’s not related to the thugs. Rather, it’s a more troublesome organization…”

Loli Succubus trailed off and stared straight at me.

It’s a serious look that said ‘you can’t back out after hearing this’.

Don’t look down on me. It’s not like the great Dust-sama to tremble in his boots in the face of some random bunch of people.

“Oh, go ahead and tell me. I’ll handle them no matter what kind of people we are up against!”

“If you put it that way, then I’ll tell you. It’s an extremely scary organization comprised only of women… ‘The association to protect women’s chances of marriage.'”

“…Huh?”

I responded flatly after hearing that unexpected name.

The association to protect women’s… chances of marriage? That means, what, they protect women who are of marriageable age?

“The association to protect women’s chances of marriage? Aren’t they completely unrelated to the succubus shop?”

“There’s a big relation. Did you know that Axel has a high proportion of unmarried adventurers? Not only that, but the number of couples are low too.”

“Is that so?… Yeah, now that you mention it, I really don’t really know many adventurers who are married or in a relationship around me.”

Keith, Taylor, and Lynn are all unattached. I also haven’t heard any rumours of any adventurers getting hitched.

I thought that’s just how adventurers are, but I feel like even the middle aged adventurers are also single…

“Well, okay, there are a lot of bachelors in this town, but what does that have to do with the succubus shop?”

“About that, Axel is a town that plenty of newbie adventurers visit to get started, and most of the male adventurers end up becoming patrons of our shop. With only a token fee and a small amount of vitality, adventurers can experience their ideal world in their dreams and take care of their urges.”

“Well, yeah. Thanks for taking care of me all the time.”

“Thank you for patronizing our store. Anyway, with most male adventurers being able to take care of their urges, well… they wouldn’t chase after women as much, right? So, the number of men who actively seek relationships are reduced. Men can seek release using our store, but women have no such services. The frustrations of the women who’ve been unable to find a partner even as they age past marriageable age piled up … and they secretly came together to form the association to protect women’s chances of marriage.”

“This is the first time I’ve heard of the existence of such an association. And I thought I’m quite well connected to the underside of this town.”

“It’s similar to how our shop is only known to male adventurers. It seems like that is a secret organization only known to single women who are close to or past marriageable age.”

Just like how the men have been keeping a secret from the women, the women also have a secret that they keep amongst themselves. You really can’t underestimate the town of Axel.

“It seems like that association has received information about our shop, and some members have started disguising themselves and showing up nearby.”

“Seems like you’ve really caught the attention of some really troublesome people.”

“Yes. That’s why we’ve pretended to be a normal cafe during the day and only let customers place regular orders. There’s nothing suspicious about that, so we’ve managed to fool them until now, but… It seems like the police will be conducting an inspection tomorrow, so we are in the middle of thinking of countermeasures.”

“Hey, isn’t that really bad? Did that group tip the police off?”

Hearing my words, the Loli Succubus frowned.

Is she confirming or denying it?

“We originally thought that was the case, so the plan was to charm some people at the top..”

“Even a police officer will fall quite easily in the face of a succubus’ seduction. That’s a pretty good idea.”

If they were to offer a discount or something for overlooking them, I’m sure they’ll change their attitude in a heartbeat. Personally, I wouldn’t even hesitate to take up that offer.

“Well, see… the one in charge is a female prosecutor, and seems to be the president of the association…”

“Seriously?”

“I’m deadly serious. Though a Succubus can use Charm to control a female if need be, if a police officer and the president of the association were to have a sudden change in attitude, it would be very suspicious, right? Plus, at this time, there appear to be several priests in the association, so they could easily dispel our charms.”

Both the Axis Cult and the Eris Church hate devils. If they happen to find out about the store, they’ll definitely come in force to wipe them out.

“Just what kind of person is that president?”

“The president’s name is… Sena, I believe.”

Hmm?… I know that woman. She’s a prosecutor with long black hair, ridiculously huge breasts, and a really strict personality.

She’s the one who called me a delinquent during Kazuma’s trial. A thoroughly unlikable woman.

“In other words, you can’t go over their heads. But you don’t have to work yourselves up so much over a police investigation. There’s nothing suspicious in the store, right?”

“That’s the case, but… prosecutor Sena will probably bring a magic item that can detect lies during the investigation. If she uses that…”

“That damned magic item! The police don’t trust me at all, so they often use it when interrogating me! The constant ringing noise is always annoying… Yeah, that’ll be bad.”

“Yes… So, I was wondering if you have any good ideas…”

There shouldn’t be any issues with them investigating the store. We should take care of the forms, but since everything is done through dreams, there shouldn’t be any suspicious evidence left behind.

The biggest problem is that magic item. The idiots at the police station will trust it unconditionally. If there’s only a way to fool it somehow…

“If things go well, there’d be some kind of reward for me, right?”

They did take good care of me, but I have no intention of becoming a charity.

“I thought you might say that. Hmm, how about allowing you to use the services of the shop for a week without charge?”

“Right, it’s a deal!”

 

Part 2

On that day, as part of my plan, I pretended to be a customer in that store.

The news that the police will be inspecting the shop came from internal sources, and the actual people who leaked that information were former adventurers who still make use of the store’s services. The police would never have expected that their plans would’ve been leaked in advance.

Only for today, this store provides a service where they listen to the grumbles and worries of men and provides them with advice. It may look like a regular cafe, but it provides an under the table consultation service. That’s the cover story we are going with.

The trick is to include a grain of truth into your lies. That’ll make it harder to see through. Changing the hidden service of this store from erotic dreams to consultation gives it an added sense of credibility.

The succubus are dressed like normal waitresses for today, and are acting like the staff of a normal cafe.

Because it would be suspicious for me to be the only customer, Loli Succubus has arranged for another one of their frequent patrons to act as a customer, and he’s sitting quite some distance away from me… That’s good and all, but who the hell is this guy?

He’s wearing some well tailored clothes, but what concerns me is the full-faced helmet that conceals all of his features. It gives me the creeps.

“Hey, who the hell is that?”

I whispered to Loli Succubus who was sitting in front of me while dressed as a normal waitress.

“He’s one of our long time customers, and indispensable to the plan that you thought up. I won’t go into details, but he can’t reveal his face because he’s a nobleman.”

“Wouldn’t he stand out more if he covers his face like this? And… That helmet looks just like the one I sold.”

“Isn’t it a common helmet design? It looks just like the helmets they often have on sale in armour shops and the like.”

Well, it’s not like the helmet I sold is the only one of its kind in existence, so I guess I’ll put that aside. Still, why would you use a helmet to hide your face? It just makes you stand out more.

“You said he was indispensable to my plan earlier. Does that helmeted bastard have something to deal with that?”

“Yes. He has an item on him that can interfere with the operation of that lie detecting magic item. I’ve heard that it’s a rare, high grade magic item. It’s very popular amongst the nobility.”

“Ha, they sure are dirty all right. As expected of the nobles. Are they using that to cover up their misdeeds?”

Yeah, it’s definitely possible. That magic item would be a serious thorn in the side of the nobility. It’s only natural that they would prepare some kind of countermeasure.

“Please don’t say that. He readily agreed to help us in this operation, you know?”

“Yeah, I suppose. There are a lot of underhanded bastards amongst the nobility, but it’s a different story if they are willing to lend us a hand.”

“Since he’s willing to help us, there’s no need to worry if there’s something else behind this. Yes, you really shouldn’t worry about that.”

Don’t emphasize that part so much. That’ll just make me more suspicious.

“… W-What?”

Feeling someone’s gaze on me, I turned around to find the helmeted bastard staring at me… It’s really unnerving that I can’t see his expression.

Though… I can’t see his eyes, but why does his gaze send chills down my spine? Is he sizing up my value as a partner in this operation?

“Is everyone ready? The police are here!”

Hearing the voice of the succubus who suddenly entered the room, everyone moved to their positions.

Today’s plan has been conveyed to everyone in advance. All that’s left is to successfully fool the police.

 

Part 3

“Freeze! Police!”

The person who suddenly barged into the cafe is the stern gazed prosecutor, Sena.

The other officers who accompanied her are all women as well… They all have serious faces and bloodshot eyes. Is there something strange going on with them?

“… Seems like quite a few members of the police force are part of the association as well.”

I think I get it after hearing Loli Succubus’ whispered explanation. Looks like they are all at the critical age like Sena. The succubi all acted shocked and obediently followed their instructions… That’s some wonderful acting. They really do have a talent for it.

Amongst them, there’s a big-breasted policewoman who’s wearing her hat low… I can’t see her face, but she bothers me for some reason. She’s searching the place far more seriously than her colleagues.

I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere before…

“Have you still not found any evidence!?”

Oh, Sena’s getting flustered. She’s probably expecting some kind of illicit brothel, but, too bad. She isn’t wrong, but there won’t be any evidence for her to find.

“This is odd! The adventurers definitely do frequent this shop.”

“Damn… could-, don’t tell me that the information we received was fake?”

“No, this is definitely the shop that the male adventurers are trying to keep a secret. They often whisper about it in the guild. Everyone’s pretty tight lipped, so we weren’t able to get any more details, but…”

The big-breasted policewoman and Sena were hurriedly discussing amongst themselves.

Judging from their discussion, that big-breasted policewoman is quite familiar with what goes on within the guild. To think that the association has even infiltrated so far…

Right, then, I suppose it’s time for me to raise my voice and see how they react.

“Hey, can we go home now?”

“No, you are all potential suspects… Wait, you are- the person who has been arrested numerous times due to rowdy behaviour, the delinquent adventurer Dust!”

“Eh? Dust-san?”

A prosecutor calling me a delinquent… Sena’s words ticked me off a little, but I’m more concerned with that other officer who called my name. I think I’ve heard that voice somewhere before…

“Thank you for the thorough introduction.”

“Why are you in this store?”

Oh, that’s the response I wanted. Right, here’s where the real plan starts.

“Ah, this is a place where men can vent their worries. They’ll listen to us with a smile, and as women, their advice can be quite valuable.”

“You have worries?”

“Hey, what are you trying to say?”

“Nothing in particular… But is that really the case? Is it true that this store is a cafe that offers under the counter consultation services?”

She sure is asking a lot of questions. Seems like she’s starting to get desperate, if how much she’s sweating is anything to go by.

“Yeah, it is. The nee-chan here are all very big hearted, so it’s quite easy to talk to them. I’m surrounded by strong willed women all day, so I can’t calm down unless I’m here. Big hearted women are the best.”

“Wa…”

“Gurk.”

Sena and the policewoman next to her gasped at the same time.

“Anyway, what did you think this store was up to?”

“Well, err, there are some reports that this seemingly normal cafe was doing some immoral business under the counter. We’ve heard that male adventurers frequently make use of this store on the sly.”

“Well, you can’t really expect rough and tumble adventurers to admit that they complain to women and receive advice from them, can you? Of course they would keep it a secret.”

“I-I suppose so. We were worried that this store might have been the reason why the male adventurers in this town don’t seem very interested in women… but this is what they are actually doing…”

She folded her arms and mumbled to herself. Seems like they’ll go away after just a little more prodding. We prepared a method to deal with that magic item, but it’ll work out fine if they’ll retreat without having to use it.

“There’s nothing suspicious about this store, right? Then why don’t you hurry up and go back? Don’t blame me if they sue you for obstruction of business.”

“Yes, it seems to be a misunderstanding on our part. We’ll apologize to the manager and be on our-”

Oh, is that a success? Seems like we don’t have to rely on that plan after all.

“Hold on, Sena-san. It’s unthinkable for Dust-san to talk about his troubles with women. It’d be a different story if he’s searching for weaknesses of others in order to blackmail them, but this is suspicious no matter how I look at it.”

This girl is speaking as though she intimately knows me. I don’t know who she is, but she sure loves to shoot her mouth off. Does she really want me to fondle her boobs?

“True, judging from his daily activities, he’s a person who would act rather than worry over anything. Plus, there’s no way a man who’s lived a carefree life like him could have any worries…”

“Hey, don’t just shoot your mouth off. Hmph, it’s because you’re so suspicious that you aren’t popular with men.”

I said some provoking words towards the two who were belittling me… and I felt like I heard the sound of something snap.

Hey… all the policewomen turned to glare at me with a murderous expression. Don’t tell me… Are they all members of the association?

Crap, I really stepped in it now. Their bloodlusted glare caused me to sweat profusely, completely drenching the back of my shirt. This is way too dangerous. If I don’t find a way to defuse this atmosphere, I don’t think I’ll be able to remain alive for much longer.

“Ah, but a proper and beautiful woman like Sena would be pretty popular, right? Sorry, sorry, I said something rude. Please forgive me.”

At times like this, it’s best to honestly apologize rather than to try and quibble. That’s what was written in the book I picked up from the general shop, 101 techniques to trick women.

“T-That’s not the case at all. Don’t try and flatter me.”

She says that, but she seems quite pleased.

Was Sena’s anger abated? But the eyes of the other policewomen are still as murderous. Seems like I have no choice but to come up with an excuse that everyone here would accept.

“There really are a lot of beauties in Axel. The police officers are all top notch beauties. If it means getting interrogated by you girls, I wouldn’t mind getting arrested every day.”

Some of them seem to be taken in by my flattery, but most of them still regard me with a suspicious expression. Guess they aren’t that easily duped. But that’s within my expectations.

“Oh yeah, this is just my own impression, but… don’t you think there a lot of single male adventurers in this town? Even though they are surrounded by so many beautiful girls, most of them don’t seem very interested in going after them.”

“We’ve also thought the same thing.”

It seems like they’ve quite a bit of interest in this topic. Not only Sena, but the other policewomen also came closer, forming a semicircle around me.

It’s a little different from what I anticipated, but I guess it’s time to put my plan into action.

“It’s just a rumour, but… I’ve heard that this town is full of gays.”

“Gay… you mean men who like other men, right?”

“Yes, exactly. It’s a bit of a secret amongst us male adventurers, but it seems like Axel is a gathering spot for gays. That’s why there are a lot of men here who swing that way and have no interest in women.”

“Oh…”

I heard someone take a deep breath. Seems like their pride of ‘this is why we aren’t popular’ is fighting with their common sense of ‘this can’t possibly be the case’.

Guess I should put on the pressure.

“Think about it, it’s a town full of beauties like you girls. Normally, wouldn’t you think that the men would be more aggressive in trying to pick girls up?”

“Do you really think that most of the men in this town are gay… I mean, h-homosexuals? Men who act all lovey-dovey with each other and walk down the street hand in hand!?”

“Ah, calm down, Sena-san. Your rotten interests are starting to show on your face! Your last marriage meeting fell through because you let your interests show, right!?”

The policewomen stepped between Sena and me, and desperately tried to calm her down.

It seems like Sena still has some doubts. Though, it bothers me somewhat that her face is flushed and she’s started breathing heavily. Did she get too agitated?

And what did they mean by rotten interests… Well, it’s probably unrelated, so I don’t need to care so much about it.

Right, then, now’s where I show off my skills.

“Yeah, of course. Think about it, you guys are familiar with Kazuma, right? Even though he’s surrounded by beautiful women, he hasn’t made a move on any of them. Don’t you think it’s odd?”

“Now that you mention it… Satou-san is always being referred to as Scumzuma or Trashzuma, but even though he’s living together with three women, I’ve never heard those kinds of rumours about him. Don’t tell me that Satou-san also swings that way… is he a top or a bottom?”

“Your true personality is showing. Sena-san, please try and restrain yourself.”

I couldn’t hear the second half of Sena’s mumblings or the whispers of the big-breasted policewoman, but judging from their expressions, the two of them are deep in thought about something.

Sena nodded to the big-breasted policewoman as if to confirm her suspicions, and the other party replied.

“Umm, it’s true that Kazuma-san doesn’t seem to have that kind of relationship with his companions. If anything, their relationship seems to be more like that of a guardian and ward.”

Well, I know why he doesn’t make a move on them. They might look gorgeous on the outside, but their personalities are, well, that. Only someone who has strange tastes, is a sadist, is really rich, or has a saintlike demeanor can deal with the three of them. Or… Kazuma.

Kazuma’s a wimp though, so he hasn’t made a move on any of them.

Sena, who doesn’t know the true personalities of those three, seemed convinced. I might be laying it on a little thick, but I suppose I’ll keep pushing.

“No matter how you slice it, it’s strange for most of the male adventurers to not even give such beauties like you a second glance.”

“Is-is that so?”

Sena started shyly twirling her hair. She isn’t quite as bad as Loli Succubus, but seems like she’s also easily tricked. The reason why Sena isn’t popular is quite clear. Even if she has a huge rack, she’s still a prosecutor who has many unpleasant interactions with the adventurers. And with her stiff personality on top of that, it’s obvious why no one wants to get close to her.

“Of course it is! Just looking at you beauties is making it dangerous down there. If you want, shall I strip down right now and show it to you?”

“S-Stop, or we’ll arrest you for public indecency! R-Right, if that’s true, why don’t we interrogate one of the customers in here in front of the lie detecting tool? If we determine that there aren’t any falsehoods, we’ll retreat.”

Oh, there it is. I’ve been waiting for those words.

The other policewomen are nodding in agreement with Sena’s suggestion.

“I can believe it if one of the regulars of this store turns out to be homosexual…”

“Umm, prosecutor-san, can I have a moment of your time?”

Loli Succubus raised her voice and stood up.

Because she suddenly stood up, her butt was right in front of my face. Though, with her childish face and her lack of tits and ass, she doesn’t do anything for me.

“Yes? You work here, right?”

“Yes that’s right. Err, how about interviewing that person? He’s a regular of this cafe, and…”

Loli Succubus pointed behind me as she whispered.

Right where she was pointing is the helmeted bastard. Everything is proceeding as planned. All that’s left is to see if Sena will bite or not.

“Hmm, that person huh… It’d be proof enough if it turns out to be the case. Right, where did we leave the magic item?”

“It’s in the carriage outside the store.”

“Please hold on for a moment. I’ll go retrieve the magic item.”

Without waiting for my reply, Sena flew out of the door. Some of the officers went with her, and the others assumed guard positions next to the door, watching us as though they are expecting us to try and escape.

“Well, we’ve managed to get them on the right track. The rest is up to the helmeted bastard.”

“I’m sure he’ll do fine. Please come here.”

At Loli Succubus’ wave, the helmeted bastard cheerfully walked over. He seems to be breathing heavily. If it’s that hard to breathe, you could just remove your helmet, you know?

After sitting down, he extended his hand towards me. Is he asking for a handshake?

“Shaking hands with a guy is just disgusting, but I’ll make an exception for this time. Thanks for working with us.”

I strongly grasped the hand that he offered.

Now that he’s that close, the sound of his breath is bothering me even more. Say, is he breathing more heavily than before?

“Hey, I know you don’t want anyone to know your identity, but why don’t you remove your helmet if it’s getting that hard to breathe?”

The helmeted bastard vigorously shook his head in response.

He’s a weird person, but right now he’s an important collaborator, so we need to get along. As a noble, I’m sure he will be able to mollify that prosecutor who’s afraid of authority.

“I don’t really get it, but I’ll be counting on you.”

The helmeted bastard enthusiastically nodded. He might be a pretty good guy.

“Hey, isn’t it about time you let go of my hand? Hey.”

Why the hell is he still holding onto my hand?

My hand is drenched in sweat and feels really gross. Plus the way he wriggles his fingers is starting to tickle me.

“Hey, let go of my hand already.”

 

Part 4

After I managed to extract my hand somehow, Sena returned.

“Now, let’s start the investigation.”

She placed the magic item down on the table with a loud smack. After going through countless unpleasant experiences with that item, I instinctively raised my guard upon seeing it.

“Um, so… How should I address you?”

“The helmet man would do fine.”

A muffled voice came out from within the helmet. It seems to be a young man’s voice, but I can’t be certain.

“T-Then, Dust-san, please answer our questions along with Helmet-san.”

“Very well.”

“Just to make it clear, I like women.”

I asked about it before Sena returned, but it seems like the item that that the helmeted bastard has is a high value magic item that’s secretly traded amongst the nobles in order to cover up their criminal actions.

It’s only capable of masking the owner’s words. In other words, even if I stand next to him, the lie detecting magic item will still pick up on my lies.

It sure is a convenient magic item. There might be some good folks amongst the nobility, but most of them are scumbags. It isn’t unexpected for him to possess such an item.

“Then, I’ll ask a question. Please answer honestly. Do you like women?”

“Yes.”

The bell didn’t ring. Of course it wouldn’t, it’s an honest answer, after all.

“Then, I’ll ask you the same question, Helmet-san. Do you like women?”

“No.”

The bell didn’t ring. This means that the magic item has determined it to be an honest answer.

Seems like the item that he has is the real deal. In that case, he wouldn’t be revealed no matter what kind of lies he may spout.

“Just in case, Dust-san, please answer affirmatively to this question. Do you like men?”

“Yes.”

The bell rang. The magic item has judged my answer to be a lie.

“Right, now, here’s a question for the both of you. Please answer honestly. Do you like men?”

“You’re joking, right?”

“Yes.”

The magic item… didn’t react to our words.

Though, it bothers me a little that the helmeted bastard keeps stealing glances at me whenever he answers a question. Don’t worry, it won’t see through your lies.

“It’s a little hard for me to understand. Yes, I don’t get it at all. What exactly do you like about men?”

She asked a more specific question. Maybe because she’s used to conducting interrogations, she’s started asking more troublesome questions.

I’m a little concerned that she seems to be oddly curious about that subject, but it really is just a hunch.

It’ll arouse their suspicions if you give a weak answer here. I just have to place my hopes in the helmeted bastard’s acting ability.

The helmeted bastard stole a glance at me and took a deep breath.

“Please don’t misunderstand me. Just because I like men doesn’t mean that any guy would do. Rather than liking men, it’s more like the person I fell in love with is a guy. It just so happens that that man excites me sexually! … It’s possible that he might never know my feelings for him, but, after falling in love with him, there’s nothing that can get in the way of my love! Watching him work up a sweat in such a life-threatening line of work as an adventurer just gets me excited… I just want to smell his sweat-soaked clothes! But I don’t have the courage for that, so I can only look upon his back from a distance and silently curse my lack of courage! Sometimes, I’ll go to sleep while hugging the red underwear I bought for him if that day ever comes that he willingly comes to me! I’ve heard that the Axis Cult acknowledges homosexual marriages, and I’ve been offering prayers ever since I joined–”

“I see, I see. That’s definitely a pure love that transcends genders. Sorry for doubting you.”

Hearing the helmeted bastard’s passionate speech, Sena sincerely apologized.

To be honest, what surprised me most was how readily Sena accepted that.

Still, his acting was so good that even I doubted if he was being serious or not. He’s probably a young master who was aspiring to become an actor.

It’s not unusual for the third sons and further of noble families to freely choose their own paths. There are a few former nobles who became adventurers too.

Sena asked a few questions after that to determine if he really liked men, but the helmeted bastard was never busted.

“It seems to be the truth. But, there have been occasions where this magic item has reacted strangely… It isn’t ideal to rely solely on this. So, could you give me proof that you really like men? This is necessary to the investigation. It’s definitely not because I personally want to see it.”

Why are you making excuses for yourself?

“Huh? What are you saying? Haven’t we already determined that he likes men and I like women? Would it be enough if we rubbed shoulders with each other?”

I placed my shoulder next to the helmeted bastard, but Sena looked at us with half lidded eyes. That’s the gaze of suspicion… Why does she look so disappointed? Also the heavy breathing of the helmeted bastard is annoying me.

Seems like we have to kick it up a notch. Damnit, I don’t really want to touch another man, but this is an emergency. Let us compromise for now.

“… Sorry, it probably feels disgusting, but bear with it. I’ll treat you to a drink later, so touch me like you are actually into me.”

I whispered toward the helmet to prevent Sena from overhearing us.

If he does this after putting on such an act earlier, anyone would be convinced.

I feel sorry for the helmeted bastard, but this is all to prevent the succubus store from getting shut down.

“I’ll be happy to…”

Hmm…? Did this guy… just say something weird? I probably misheard him because his voice was muffled by the helmet. Yeah, that’s it.

The helmeted bastard moved his hands towards my chest and started wriggling his fingers on top of it.

Graaah! It gives me goosebumps, but I have to endure this. This helmeted bastard is really good at acting. If I didn’t know better, I would actually believe him. I just have to endure it…

“H-Hey! Stop! Where are you putting your hands?! Cut it out!”

“*Pant, pant*… It’s fine, isn’t it? It’s just a bit more! Just a bit lower! I just want to pat your head a little!”

“Which head are you talking about?!”

This bastard is really going for it! It’s fine as far as acting goes, but that part is really bad! What would you do if you awaken something strange in me?!

“Hey, Sena! Don’t just stare at me, hurry up and stop him! No, wait, really, officer, officer!”

“A-ah, right. This isn’t a performance, so please continue this in a more private location. We won’t get in your way.”

Sena finally pulled the helmeted bastard away.

“O-Okay, are you satisfied now?”

“…Tsk.”

The helmeted bastard seemed to be quite disappointed as he let go of me. Even if he’s a noble, it still bugs me. He’s not actually doing this for real, is he?… Nah, that can’t be.

It’d be very difficult to get by as a noble or a king without knowing how to put on an act. This guy is just very talented at acting… yeah, that must be it.

“Now then, last question, there are a lot of homosexuals in this town… Is that true?”

Sena calmly asked such a ridiculous question. Yeah, I suppose just the two of us wouldn’t be conclusive proof.

I can’t answer this question, but it’ll work out if the helmeted bastard were to answer it. He has that item that allows him to fool the lie detecting magic item, so there are no issues.

“Well, you heard her, so please give her your answer.”

“…..”

Hey, don’t just stay silent. Did you already demonstrate the effectiveness of your item?

“Ah, could it be that he didn’t hear your question because it was muffled by the helmet?”

Loli Succubus suddenly appeared between us and interrupted.

It was probably meant to help us, but everything would’ve been fine if this bastard would just answer properly. Could it be that he really didn’t hear the question?

“Regarding that question, isn’t that obvious? I’m sure Dust-san feels deep down that it wouldn’t be so bad to be in that kind of relationship! The reason why the magic item didn’t respond is because he hasn’t realized it yet! Yes, I’m sure of it!”

Hey, don’t get me involved in this!

I really want to deny it, but I’ll have to bear with it for now.

The bell didn’t react to the bastard’s words at all. It really is an effective magic item.

He’s so passionate about it that it almost seems like he’s speaking the truth… Nah, it can’t be.

“The magic item… isn’t responding. Seems like there are a lot of men in this town who swing that way… If only I knew about this earlier, I would’ve been able to enjoy pairing them up…”

“Did you say something strange just now?”

“You’re imagining it. Still, to think that you swung that way too, Dust-san… To swing both ways, you really are nasty, aren’t you?”

Grrr! I really want to refute it, but if I open my mouth here, all our hard work will be wasted. Just endure it! Dust! An entire week of free erotic dreams is riding on this!

My anger was just about to boil over, but I managed to restrain myself somehow. In order to calm myself down, I took a deep breath.

Right, calm down. This is just an act. I can’t get angry if I want to go along with the helmeted bastard’s act.

That said… There’s no way I’ll be able to stomach this without at least responding a little.

“Now, please take the magic item back. Sorry for troubling you, everyone.”

After confirming that the magic item has been taken out of the shop by the officers, I breathed a sigh of relief.

There’s no need to worry about telling lies now.

“Sigh– Raiding a store based on false information and making a fool of the guests, is that really how you should act? If news that this store was raided by the police spreads, I’m sure the number of customers will be reduced.”

“Um, I sincerely apologize. It was completely our fault”

She offered a deep bow and seemed to be genuinely sorry, but… that’s not enough. The police have taken care of me numerous times in the past, so I need to properly return the favour here.

“If everything could be solved with an apology, there wouldn’t be a need for the police to exist. Will there be more such false charges in the future? Ah, how scary.”

“I’m terribly sorry! We’ll definitely report to the higher ups that there is nothing suspicious in this store, so please, I seek your understanding!”

“Huh? Talk is cheap, you know? At times like this, you need to demonstrate your sincerity. Yes, your sincerity. The cost of obstructing business and future lost revenue… You get what I’m saying, yes?”

Just straight up asking for money is the lowest ranked amongst the various extortion techniques. It’s better to drop hints to the other party, such that in the event that something goes wrong, you can state that you never actually asked for money.

This way, even if you end up getting taken to court, you’ll be able to absolve yourself..

“Wow… As expected of Dust-san.”

If you’re impressed, then don’t distance yourself from me, Loli Succubus. As a devil, don’t you have the desire to learn from example?

“There’s going to be quite a few customers who will be too scared to visit this store after you policemen raided it.”

“Eh? Who would-”

I lightly patted Loli Succubus on the butt to shut her up.

Don’t glare at me. It’s just a little bit of flirting, you don’t have to be that petty. I purposefully groped your flat ass for you.

“How could that be…. Just how should I make up for that?

Sena is really way too serious. Being devoted to her job sounds nice, but a more accurate description would be inflexible. I feel like things will get really interesting if I exploit that strong sense of responsibility of hers.

I can try to extort money from her, but as hardhead as Sena is, she probably wouldn’t agree to that. Then, I need something else… Something that would serve as an apology… and trouble Sena on top of that… Oh, that’ll do. This will make everyone happy.

“Oh, I know, how about helping out at this store for a day?”

“Eh? Me? Prosecutors aren’t allowed to have a second job, so…”

“They won’t find out if you don’t tell. Wouldn’t it be fine if you don’t accept any pay? That’ll turn it into volunteer work, wouldn’t it? And this is a pretty good deal for you, you know? This store is very popular with men due to the tolerant staff. If you were to work in such a store, well, you know…”

I trailed off in order to observe their reaction.

Sena and the large chested policewoman are listening intently.

Seems like they are interested in it after all. Well, they did join such an organization, obviously they would be interested.

I purposefully slowed my speech in order to tease them.

“That means… You can learn to become popular amongst men.”

“Popular…”

Oh, those eyes are shimmering with expectation. That’s not a bad look.

Seems like this will become more interesting than I thought.

 

Part 5

The succubi needed to have a meeting for tomorrow’s activities. I didn’t have anything else to do, so I’m just wandering around town.

I’ve no money or food, so the only option available is to rely on my friends.

But there’s no way I can ask them for a favour after what happened in the morning. There’s Kazuma, but I haven’t seen him around today.

“I’m hungry… Should I sponge off the old man at the general store, or beat up some thugs and earn some money that way… Ooh, that smells nice.”

Just when I was thinking about what I should do next, the aroma wafting from a nearby bakery caused me to stop in my tracks.

The smell of freshly baked bread is really appealing. All the more so when I’m hungry like this.

I dreamily followed my nose and came face to face with a large glass window in front of the shop.

The delicious looking bread on display almost seemed to be waiting for the perfect time to jump into my belly.

I can probably get some bread crusts for free if I ask, but what I really want to eat is freshly baked bread.

“I really want to sink my teeth into that baguette… It looks delicious, but I have no money. In other words, is god telling me to dine and dash?”

“If such a god exists, I’ll sock him in the face. What are you thinking of doing now? Do you want to spend another night in the care of the cops?”

Hearing someone behind me, I turned around and saw Lynn looking at me with a solemn expression.

Shouldn’t she be at the inn?

“What are you doing?”

“That’s my line. You should probably leave before someone reports you for obstruction of business.”

The owner and customers within the store are looking at me with an unpleasant expression.

Yeah, I think it’d be best for me to leave quickly.

“Don’t tell me, you are after the bread crusts too!? Those are all mine, okay!?”

“Of course not. Sigh… You really are hopeless. Do you want to eat that baguette? If you are that desperate, I can lend you enough money to buy it.”

“What, do you have some kind of ulterior motive?”

“You keep pestering me to lend you money, but when I actually offer to, you immediately start doubting me… I’m just offering out of the kindness-”

“Oh, Dust-san!”

Loli Succubus shouted my name and hurried towards me.

The meeting just took place not long ago. Did something happen?

“About what we discussed earlier… Oh, am I interrupting?”

She tilted her head as she looked at Lynn and me.

Lynn furrowed her brow as she stared at Loli Succubus… She’s not glaring at her, is she?

“Dust, who’s she?”

“Ah, right.”

I can’t tell her that she’s a succubus. I’ll have to whip up some kind of cover story for her.

“Well, I don’t really mind if you can’t tell me. It’s not like I particularly care about your affairs.”

Why did she suddenly start pouting? Does she find Loli Succubus suspicious?

“He-Hey, weren’t you going to lend me money to buy bread?”

“Oh, if it’s just the price of a loaf of bread, I can cover that for you. You did help us a lot, after all, Dust-san.”

Lynn shot Loli Succubus a nasty glare before wordlessly leaving us.

What’s up with her? I really don’t understand her at all.

The next day, Sena, who had a day off, came to the store… That’s good and all, but…

“So this is the store that Kazuma mentioned! You say it’s a store that provides consultation but… Doesn’t it seem a little suspicious?”

Darkness came along with her.

I think I have an idea of why she’s here. I recall speaking about Sena in a drunken haze after Kazuma treated me to some beer last night.

Then Kazuma got interested and said ‘How about letting Darkness work there too’ or something along those lines, and now here we are.

“Lalatina-san, I think it’ll be best if you head back…”

“Please stop calling me by that name. Darkness is fine. I ended up falling for Kazuma’s provocations, but I’ve heard that the female workers here are very popular amongst men. Working here might be pretty good training for me. Kazuma keeps calling me a pervert that looks pretty but is rotten on the inside. Learning the techniques of this store might be useful in getting him flustered!”

She’s surprisingly motivated. She’s a troublesome fellow, but amongst Kazuma’s companions, she’s the easiest to deal with… Right?

Plus, Darkness might be quite suitable for the work here.

“Sena-san, and… Darkness-san, I’ll be your manager for today. Pleased to work with you.”

Loli Succubus, who was wearing a mask that covered her eyes, gave them a quick bow.

I made up an excuse that we are having a masquerade themed event today, so everyone was wearing a mask. This allows Sena to wear a mask too, allowing her to conceal her identity and keep others from realizing that she’s moonlighting..

“Pleased to work with you.”

“I’ll be in your care today… Say, have we met before?”

Darkness pondered as she stared at Loli Succubus’ face.

Oh, yeah, they ran into each other during that incident at Kazuma’s mansion, right? It’s a good thing that she’s wearing a mask, then.

“N-no, it’s probably your imagination. Anyway, I’ll start with a simple explanation of your job. We’ll be listening to the worries of our customers. You must appear interested in them and, no matter what they say, you mustn’t disagree. Then, you give them some advice on what they should do in the future.”

“I see, so it’s that kind of job.”

“It sounds complicated.”

Sena repeatedly nodded as she took down notes. Darkness merely let out an impressed sigh.

“Now then, please change into your costumes. You can use this changing room.”

“It’s fine if you just change right here, you know?”

“Dust-san, please don’t butt in. You’ll just complicate things.”

She’s really been talking back to me a lot recently. Seems like there’s a need to once again teach Loli Succubus how great I am. I’ll teach her a lesson after this is over.

I stared at both of their asses until they vanished behind the door.. Yeah, their bodies really are amazing. But, their personalities…

“Wait, isn’t this just lingerie!?”

“There’re even some wings attached to the top! P-Please don’t push me!”

A scream rang from behind the door. Seems like the two of them are really taken aback.

Today’s costumes are specially made for them. Though, it’s no different from how the workers here usually look.

Accompanied with a loud bam, the door flew open, and Sena and Darkness appeared before me dressed as succubi.

“You look pretty great!”

With just a little bit of cloth covering their chest and lower bodies, it really does look like they are wearing nothing but lingerie. Plus, the way they desperately tried to hide their bodies really adds that extra spice.

The other succubi are already used to being in this outfit, so they wouldn’t appear to be embarrassed, but Sena and Darkness are blushing bright red and acting all shyly… Yeah, this is the best.

“I can’t possibly appear in front of other people in such a shameless outfit!”

“You want me to parade myself in front of lustful men in such a lewd outfit… What a great reward! Er, I mean, how humiliating!”

Sena was pressing down on her chest that seemed like it could burst forth from the piece of cloth holding it at any moment. Looking at her breasts getting compressed like that made it seem all the more erotic.

 

And the pervert standing next to her was excitedly muttering to herself, as per normal.

“It’ll be fine, there are only regular customers here today. And touching is off limits, so rest assured.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Touching is off limits… I see…”

Don’t sound so disappointed, Darkness. If you want someone to touch you so badly, I can… No, I’d better not. I really don’t want to get any more involved with her, and laying a hand on one of Kazuma’s companions doesn’t sit well with me.

Leaving the detailed explanations to the other succubi, Loli Succubus walked over to me.

“Dust-san, what of the customers?”

She whispered to me in order to keep Sena from overhearing.

“Yeah, there are only my acquaintances in the cafe. I’ve also made preparations with the adventurers not to let anyone else in.”

If a customer who doesn’t know anything were to walk in, it would blow the entire act wide open. All the customers who are here today have been instructed to pretend like they only came here to get advice.

“Thank you very much. Everything will be alright if we can make it through today, right? It’d be nice if we can go back to normal in a day or two.”

“The men are getting close to their limits. It’s going to be problematic if this place doesn’t reopen soon, in more than one way.”

“Sorry for troubling you so.”

Seems like the explanation is over, and the two of them are standing next to a wall. Sena had her head down low and covered her chest with the survey form, and Darkness seems to be equally embarrassed, but… her smile isn’t hidden at all.

The shop opened for business, and the customers flocked in. Every one of them are people I know.

They all gave me a nod of acknowledgement as they walked past me. Now then, who would be Darkness’s and Sena’s customers?

Darkness’s customer seems to be a burly man with a mohawk. I often see him in the adventurer’s guild, but he doesn’t seem to be in any parties and nobody seems to know what he does. Just who is that mohawked guy, I wonder?

Now then, what about my original target… Sena was instructed to receive the customers by the succubi, but she seems to be hesitating, constantly stepping forwards and back.

I continued observing her, and she remained in that state for an hour. It seems like she’ll be doing that forever.

Though, she seems to be studying the customers intently despite her embarrassment. Is she studying how to be hospitable? Sounds like the stiff as a board Sena alright.

Oh well, guess I should give her a little push.

“Hey, call Sena over. Let’s have her service me.”

“Eh? Isn’t that kind of horrible for her?”

“I’m helping the lonely Sena out by being her customer, you know? It’s not like I’m getting in her way. She should be thanking me.”

“Well, I suppose… I’ll call her over then.”

Perhaps because she wasn’t fully convinced, but Loli Succubus sure is dragging her feet as she headed off. She whispered to Sena, and Sena shot me a contemptuous look before starting an argument…

After a few minutes, Loli Succubus seems to have mollified Sena somewhat and dragged her over to my seat.

Her brows were furrowed so tightly that wrinkles appeared on her forehead. That really isn’t a face you should make in the service industry.

“Do you need something?”

“Sena-san, smile. I’ll be by your side, so relax.”

“After offering to do this as compensation, it’d be quite embarrassing if you didn’t do any work, now wouldn’t it? I specifically called you over out of the kindness of my heart. You should be thanking me.”

“That’s… thank you… Sigh”

Sena averted her eyes and sighed. What a brazen attitude to take in front of a customer.

Ah, well, I’ll let it slide. I’m in a very good mood today, after all. Now, then, how should I play with her?

“Right, now, listen to my worries and give me some advice.”

“Very well, I’ll give you advice if I understand your worries.”

She sure is being arrogant for a waitress. Feeling her sharp gaze staring at me from behind the mask… It feels like I’m getting interrogated.

“Hmm, then, tell me a way to easily get away with committing petty crimes.”

“No I won’t! Please live a proper life!”

I thought it would be the most appropriate question for a prosecutor.

“Tsk, you sure are petty. Then, tell me how did you get such enormous boobs. I can’t bear to see the pitiful chests that Lynn and that loli over there have. I think they’ll be happy if I tell them a way to grow their boobs. I was planning to ask Luna that question later.”

“That’s none of your business!”

For some reason, Loli Succubus puffed her cheeks and got angry again. Even though I was asking that out of the kindness of my heart.

“Committing sexual harassment right in front of a prosecutor, huh? That’s pretty bold of you.”

“What are you saying? You’re just a waitress today. Would you treat your customers properly? Hurry up and give me an answer. Come on, hurry up and show me all those hidden skills that you use in your interrogations.”

I casually said while placing both feet on the table, and in response, I could see a blood vessel start throbbing on Sena’s temple.

“You little… You better remember this when I catch you again.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m so afraid.”

I’m pretty much used to such threats. You’re going to have to step up your game if you want to scare me.

“Now, now, the two of you are a customer and a waitress today, so please get along. You’re attracting a lot of attention, you know?”

“What are you guys staring at?! This isn’t a performance!”

“You really will bare your fangs at anyone….”

“That’s not true at all. If it’s someone that I can’t defeat no matter what, I’m prepared to get down on my knees and lick his boots.”

“Why are you proudly boasting about something like that?”

“I knew that you’re scum, but I didn’t know you’re this bad.”

This isn’t that surprising. It’s just understanding how the world works.

Only those who understand that will be able to make it in an unstable and dangerous job like an adventurer.

“Dust-san, please ask something a little more proper. It’s Sena-san’s first day, so if you have something easy to understand…”

Even if you say that, I’ve never consulted with a woman before. Something I’m worried about…

“Well, there’s money. I’d really want to strike it rich. Do you know of any good ways to do so?”

“Just work hard at a job. Still, isn’t it odd for you to be troubled over money? The bounty for taking out the Destroyer should be distributed to all the adventurers. With that money, you shouldn’t have any financial troubles for quite some time.”

“Ah, that. I drank and gambled that bounty away. Actually, I still have debts left over from that spree.”

“Why does it sound like you are proud of that?”

“…”

Don’t look at me like that. I thought I would’ve gotten a bigger portion of the bounty, but then most of it was awarded to Kazuma.

Though, I can’t bring myself to envy him. I’d rather not be saddled with that many debts. Kazuma is really unlucky. He’s already deep in debt from taking out the Demon King General, and now he’s pretty much buried in it.

I would be considering giving up on life if I had that much debt, and he still needs to take care of those three “beauties”.

Looking at Darkness blushing bright red and saying something like ‘Don’t look at me! Don’t look at me with those lewd gazes!”, I can’t help but sympathize with him.

So I was really surprised when I heard that he managed to clear off his debts.

“You wouldn’t resort to kidnapping or murder to cover your debts, would you?”

“Don’t say that. I haven’t fallen that far. I’m not going through that kidnapping business ever again.”

Fraud and blackmail is one thing, but there’s no way I would stoop that low.

“Ever again…?”

“Y-You…”

Don’t step away from me with such a frightened expression.

I remembered my past after hearing the word kidnapping and accidentally let my mouth slip. Ah, I was young back then… Though, it’s not that long ago.

“Hey, why are you looking at me like that? Do you really think I’m that low of a person?”

It’s not just Sena, even Loli Succubus is looking at me with a suspicious gaze.

“Leaving that aside, sorry, I said too much. I shouldn’t have suspected you without proof. You might often commit some petty crimes, but there’s no reason to suspect that you’d be capable of doing something that serious…. Hmm, I suppose it’s fine to tell you. You seem quite familiar with the local thugs, so have you heard any rumours of a strange criminal organization sneaking into this town recently?”

Sena suddenly became serious, but I haven’t heard anything like that.

There’s only a couple of recent crimes that I know of.

“Isn’t that just a rumour? Well, if you ask me about recent crimes… Apparently some burglars tried to sneak into the old man’s general shop recently, but they ended up running into a trap he prepared to deal with me and got scared away.”

“Eh? Huh…”

“There’s also the time I got into a fight with some debt collectors after they demanded that I return the money I owe right now.”

“I think I heard about that before…”

“Oh, and there’s the time Darkness got accosted by kidnappers in a back alley. She was really enjoying herself back then. That’s about all I know.”

“Wait, hold on, isn’t that a big deal!? What happened to the kidnappers?”

“Hmm, who knows? You should probably ask Darkness if you want the details.”

“Yeah. I’ll ask her for the details later.”

A criminal organization, huh? Isn’t it a little thoughtless for them to come to this town? Sure, it’s a town for newbie adventurers, but there are quite a few powerful people living here.

Plus, most of the residents of this town aren’t the type to be easily disheartened. If I want to commit some kind of major crime, I definitely wouldn’t choose this town to be my target.

“Anyway, changing the topic a little… Is it really true that most of the male adventurers in this town like other men?”

“Hey, you’re trying to dig up that topic again? Hasn’t that been settled?”

“This is unrelated to my personal interest, it’s an honest question. If there are really so many men here who have no interest in women… would they really be lewdly staring at the girls like that?”

Hearing Sena’s question, I suddenly broke out in cold sweat.

I discreetly looked at my surroundings, and found that every single one of my friends have their gazes glued to succubi’s tits and asses.

Ah… Shit! How could I have forgotten about this!? Everyone here is an unrepentant pervert!

What should I do? It doesn’t seem like any one of them is in the mood to listen to me right now.

“Dust, let me ask you again. Are there really a lot of men in this town who have no interest in women?”

She has a serious gaze behind that mask of hers. Come on, coming up with an explanation to worm my way out of this is what makes me great! Don’t give up yet, there must be a way out of this!

“I can bring out that lie detecting magic item again, if you want. Just for the two of us.”

“Don’t belittle me, Prosecutor Sena. I’m sorry!”

I jumped off from my seat and immediately prostrated myself before her. Now that it’s come to this, I have no choice but to sincerely apologize!

“Why don’t you tell me the details, hmm?”

Ah, this is totally an interrogation now.

 

Part 6

After sending the customers and Darkness away, the succubi and I were left sitting on our knees in the middle of the store. Of course, Sena is here too.

“To think there’d be a shop in this town run by succubi… That’s why a few of our superiors wanted to stop the investigation yesterday. So everything about homosexuality was a lie…”

There are quite a few former adventurers who went into the police force, after all.

Sena crossed her arms and seemed to be quite deep in thought. Seems like she’s still trying to come to terms with this unexpected revelation.

“But, please understand, the adventurers and us have a peaceful, mutually beneficial relationship. Aren’t there fewer crimes committed by men in this town compared to other cities?”

Hearing the sexy store owner’s words, Sena’s expression stiffened.

Cities with a high population of adventurers normally tend to have a higher crime rate. It’s a job that involves fighting with monsters, after all. Naturally, it would attract a rough crowd.

But, thanks to the succubi in this town, the adventurers are able to easily soothe their pent up desires and are thus far less likely to cause trouble. As a prosecutor, Sena should be very well aware of what kind of influence they bring.

“But I can’t just ignore the existence of succubi in this town… If things go on like this, the rate of women getting married would just get lower and lower.”

She won’t let us go that easily, huh. But, that’s within my expectations.

I softly whispered to the manager, and she immediately brightened up, enthusiastically nodding to me.

“Then, how about we make a deal?”

“You’re asking me to make a deal with a devil? Do you think I’m stupid?”

She sounds like she doesn’t even want to entertain the thought, but I wonder if she’ll say the same thing after hearing this.

“If you’ll let us go… It’s possible for us to make Sena-sama appear in the dreams of the men you like every night and make them fall for you. Apart from that, we can let you experience various situations in your dreams. Even those desires that you can’t speak out loud can be realized in your dreams.”

“Please tell me more details!”

Faster than the eye could see, Sena rushed in front of the succubus and grasped her hand.

“Does that mean it’s settled?”

I smiled at Loli Succubus who was tilting her head.

“Seems like it. You sure worked hard today. Isn’t it great that you’ll be able to resume your normal activities soon?”

“Yes. That’s a relief. You really helped us out, Dust-san.”

“I’ll be counting on your service for this week, then.”

“Yeah, for one week starting from today. Don’t worry, us devils value our contracts very highly.”

“Oh, I’ll be looking forward to it. I won’t have to worry about this for the week, then. All I need to do now is find a place to sleep and food to eat.”

Receiving gratitude and a reward, yeah, this really is the best.

Well, it’s good that everything is settled nicely. I’ll be looking forward to having some sweet dreams tonight.

“Oh, yeah, Dust-san, there’s something I need to speak with you about.”

Sena seemed to have concluded her talks with the succubus and made her way over to me.

“What now? Isn’t the issue with the shop settled?”

“It is, but this is a different story. Didn’t you mention something about getting into a fight with some debt collectors earlier? The money lenders reported this case to us some time ago, so I would like you to tell me more details about that.”

With a wide smile, Sena firmly grabbed my shoulders.

“Wa-wait a minute.”

“I will not. You told me to show you the hidden skills that I use in my interrogations, right? Then, for the next two weeks, let me give you a thorough demonstration. Seems like you’ve secured a place to sleep and food to eat. Isn’t that great?”

Crap! She’s far stronger than she looks! I can’t wiggle my way out of her grip!

Does she hold a grudge over what happened earlier?

“Hey, don’t just stand there, help me!”

I shouted towards Loli Succubus who was just enjoying the show. After seeing both mine and Sena’s faces, she smiled and whispered to me,

“If you are being kept in the detention center, we won’t be able to visit. There’s an anti devil barrier after all… Also, we can’t do anything if you don’t tell us what you wish to dream about… Oh, the contract is already made.”

Contract? You’re not talking about our agreement, right? That’s not it, right? What’s with that suggestive smile of yours?

“Hey, you can’t be… the one week of free service you promised me…”

“Yes, it’s invalid. I can’t help it if it’s impossible to accomplish. Devils place a lot of value in contracts, so I can’t change it now.”

“Wait, hold on, you’re joking, right? Hey, don’t just laugh, look at me! Hey, Sena-sama, can we please delay this detention business for a week? Please listen to me! You god damned devils!”

 

“Hey, isn’t the food here yet!? I want to have a full course today!”

I yelled at the guardsman while lying on a thin blanket in the detention cells that have become my second home by now.

“Shut up! You just had lunch not a moment ago! Are you going senile?”

“Then bring me some dessert. There’s a trendy cafe that opened up on the main street recently, right? Just get me something from that cafe.”

Instead of a reply, I heard a bucket crash against the bars of the cell. This bastard dares to throw stuff at me.

I’ve been detained in the cell for two days now. Seems like I’ll be in this cell for a week at the very least.

“Well, I don’t have any money anyway, so I guess it’s fine. It’s a pity I missed out on that one week of free service, though. Will those guys be fine, I wonder? I got thrown in here without the chance to say anything to them. Lynn’s probably fuming.”

She might look mature at a glance, but she can get quite agitated. Last time, she started flinging magic at me without even saying a word… I should probably come up with some excuses.

“Hey, Dust! I got a little a gift for you!”

The guardsman whom I’ve become very familiar with slid a long object wrapped in a white paper through the bars.

When I removed the wrappings, I found a warm baguette waiting underneath.

There’s no need to ask who bought it for me. She probably bought it while complaining.

“A baguette from that bakery, huh…. Thanks.”

Even though she isn’t here, I offered my thanks to that tomato-loving companion of mine.

 

Interlude: The treasure of a certain nobleman

“Good morning. Today’s weather is great, isn’t it?”

I smiled at the photo taped to my body pillow.

It’s a picture of Dust’s gallant expression when he was threatening a newbie adventurer.

It’s wonderful no matter how many times I look at it. It’s the best picture that the thief I instructed to follow him with Lurk gave to me. It’s one of my precious treasures.

“I feel great this morning too. This is all thanks to the Succubi.”

After learning about that store by chance, I’ve been able to experience my desires in my dreams. Thanks to that, I’ve been waking up refreshed every morning. I need to properly express my gratitude.

Those sweet experiences with Dust-san that I could never have in real life. Thanks to those dreams, I’m full of motivation today.

Associating with devils like succubi is unforgivable for a member of the Axis Cult, but I’m sure Aqua-sama will forgive my pure desires. I’m sure of that.

After changing and having my breakfast, I left for the town as usual.

At this time, Dust-san should either be sleeping in a drunken stupor, or perhaps playing some games at the gambling den until morning. According to the report left on my windowsill this morning, he was out drinking with Kazuma until late last night, so he should still be sleeping.

Kazuma is that adventurer with three beauties in his party, right? Even though he already has a harem, he’s making a move on Dust-san. And here I am only able to observe him from afar, only receiving secret photos and daily reports of him…

Cheerfully drinking beer with and putting his arms around the shoulders of the man that I can only meet in my dreams…

“How enviable!”

I don’t mind if Dust-san makes a move on a girl, but I can’t forgive any guy other than me getting close to him.

Wait, no, I can’t lose my cool right now. There’s a huge gap between me and Dust-san in the first place. I need to relax.

Sigh… Will the day ever come where I’ll be able to sit next to Dust-san and chat normally with him?

On my walk, I picked up several items from the shops I passed by. There occasionally are some treasures hidden amongst these antiques, so you can’t discount them.

This necklace is being sold as an item that can block the effects of the lie detecting magic item, but it seems like a fake to me. It’s pretty popular amongst the nobility as of late, but those guys get duped way too easily.

Though, it’s cheap and looks pretty stylish, so I guess I’ll buy it.

“Welcome, feel free to browse. I just got my hands on a high quality helmet recently! It’s going for a bargain!”

That voice is the owner of that general store who constantly gets into squabbles with Dust, isn’t it? He keeps constantly parading how close he is to Dust in front of me… Wait, that helmet on display in front of his store… Could it be?

“Excuse me.”

“Ah, welcome. Oh, a noble? Is there something you need?”

He knew what I am right away. Well, I do have the eyes and hair of a noble, so I guess it’s not that much of a surprise. In order to avoid implicating Dust-san, I shouldn’t reveal my identity here. In fact, it’s probably best to disguise myself when I visit here again.

“About that helmet.”

“Oh, this? You have a good eye! It might be second hand, but it is very well made. I’m sure you can tell what a bargain it is.”

It’s indeed pretty well made, but I don’t really care about that. That shape, that colour, could it be the helmet that Dust once used?

“How did you get your hands on this helmet?”

“Oh, I got it from a delinquent adventurer who often comes to my shop to cause problems. I bought it off him at a high price.”

There’s no mistake! Oh, thank you, Aqua-sama! I’m so glad that I offered prayers every day after joining the Axis Cult. Thank you, my goddess!

I received a report about the magic sword, but I didn’t know about this helmet at all. I’ll have to give that thief some more detailed instructions later.

“Will you sell that to me?”

“You’re buying it? Then I’ll prepare a bag, please hold on for a minute.”

“No, this is fine.”

I don’t want to wait even a second more. Hurry up and give me the helmet that Dust-san used to wear! Come on!

“Is-is that so? Well, then, thank you for your patronage.”

“Here, keep the change.”

I hurriedly handed over the money and snatched the helmet off his hands. The store owner seemed shocked, but I couldn’t care less about that right now.

Hugging the helmet, I rushed into a nearby alley.

There’s no one around…right?

T-T-This is the helmet that touched Dust-san’s hair, skin, and lips, right?

“Sniff This is the smell of Dust-san! There’s the faint smell of his sweat lingering amidst the smell of steel. This is, this is-!”

Just taking a small sniff is enough to make me lightheaded. But it’s not over yet. This is the main event. I’ll do it! I’m really doing it!

I held the helmet with both hands and lifted it to the sky.

Aah, I’m going to become one with Dust-san now… Helmet on!

“I’m surrounded by Dust-san right now! What a wonderful feeling! Ah ah ah ah ah! It’s okay to lick the insides of the helmet, right? It’s mine now!”

I won’t let this leave my side! I’ll definitely wear this every time I go out from now on.

I really want to wear it at home too, but I feel like my parents would object to it.

 

On that day, I gained yet another treasure.

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