Traumatized Succubi and the Orc Lord's Oath
Minwoo opened his eyes. It was a familiar place—the circular room where he had once drilled the succubi in etiquette. The massive bed was still there, and somehow he was lying atop it. He had no memory of returning to the Demon King's Castle. What the hell had happened?
"Have you awakened, sir?"
A deep, familiar voice rang in his ears. Turning his head, he saw Jerome, still dressed like the perfect butler, bowing deeply to him.
"Jerome... and..."
He wasn't alone in the room. At the foot of the bed, lined up on the floor in perfect kneeling form, sat seven women.
As expected, the succubus sisters.
"Hmm... don't tell me this is my dream?"
"Precisely."
A lucid dream, was it? He'd sensed it vaguely from the moment he woke up, but he'd asked just to confirm.
"So, what's the deal?"
"Didn't I mention it before? When you had some free time, I'd introduce the girls to you. You called just in time, so here we are in your dream."
"Ah... right."
As Minwoo had guessed, dream demons could make contact from outside the barrier through a suitable medium. That meant male contractors who'd provided them essence before, or incubi like him who dominated them outright. Physical interference was impossible, though—this was strictly dream-only access.
Jerome continued. "There are a few other matters to discuss, but let's handle the introductions first."
"Mm."
Minwoo nodded, and Jerome gave a subtle glance to Riri, the eldest of the seven succubi. She lowered her gaze demurely and offered a polite bow to Minwoo.
"We, the seven succubus sisters, humbly greet our new master, Minwoo."
Riri bowed from her knees until her forehead nearly scraped the floor in profound obeisance. The other six followed suit. The sight of all seven succubi kneeling in a perfect line of utter submission was nothing short of spectacular. Gone was the flippant attitude from their first meeting, when they'd ignored him and chattered away.
"Huh... well, alright then."
Their extreme deference left Minwoo feeling awkward instead, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. Had his etiquette lessons actually worked that well? He wasn't exactly the picture of upper-class dignity or authority, but in this moment, he felt an unexpected swell of smug satisfaction.
Riri then briefly introduced the sisters, from eldest to youngest: Riri, Nana, Momo, Lara, Bibi, Shasha, and Lulu. Short names, but a pain to memorize individually—better to just call them as a set, Minwoo thought.
Jerome, watching from the side, spoke up. "Master Minwoo, if I may presume to offer a bit of advice?"
"Advice? Sure, spit it out if it's something I need to know."
"Very well."
Jerome explained. "Your exceptional talents have subjugated no fewer than seven succubi—a remarkable feat. But it's a double-edged sword. The mana burden to sustain them grows accordingly."
"Fair point..."
Mana wasn't an issue—he could suck up plenty with the glow stick—but Minwoo nodded along anyway.
"Moreover... forgive my impertinence, but your etiquette training was rather intense, and it's caused a slight... complication with the girls."
"Complication?"
As Minwoo glanced at the succubi in askance, they all flinched in unison, shoulders hunching.
"..?"
What the—? Jerome pressed on.
"It may sound absurd, but the 'ritual' you performed with them left such a profound shock that... it's interfering with their livelihood."
"Livelihood? What're you talking about?"
For succubi, that meant seducing men for essence, right? How could that be a problem?
Jerome's next words left Minwoo dumbfounded.
"Simply put... they've developed a phobia of sexual intercourse."
"...Hah?"
Minwoo let out a stunned bark. Succubi? Afraid of sex? Virgin succubi were a joke, but this was beyond ridiculous—like Pikachu paying the electric bill or Squirtle footing the water tab.
"I know it sounds laughable, but it's true."
"..."
Minwoo eyed the sisters again. Still frozen in their deep bows, he noticed now the faint tremors rippling through their bodies.
"Hey, you lot."
"..!"
They jolted harder. Minwoo slid off the bed and paced before them; they slammed their foreheads to the floor with an audible thunk.
"Whoa..."
He stopped in front of Shasha, the sixth sister—the one they'd teased as the "virgin" back then. (Not anymore, thanks to him.) Half-joking, he tossed out a line.
"Hey, you got some dust in your hair."
"..!"
The instant he touched her, a hissing shiii escaped, and a yellow puddle spread beneath Shasha's rear.
She'd wet herself.
"H-Hey, wait—"
Stunned, Minwoo started to speak, but Riri suddenly cried out.
"F-Forgive us! Master Minwoo! My sisters haven't fully learned their etiquette yet—they've been rude! Please, show mercy... hic! If punishment is needed, discipline me in their place!"
"Sob..."
"Hic..."
The sisters began sniffling at Riri's plea, but terror kept them from openly bawling—they stifled their sobs pitifully.
Minwoo muttered in disbelief.
"Did I go overboard with the etiquette training...?"
In the end, even in his dream, he spent it reassuring the succubi of his "generosity," getting no real rest.
...
Yes! Outside at last!
Tears welled in Piria's eyes at the light seeping into the cave mouth. But she couldn't relax yet. Maintaining her invisibility and silence spells, she cautiously scouted the entrance.
Two orc guards. They hadn't noticed her.
Trusting her magic, Piria pushed forward boldly.
The orcs didn't react.
Good!
She tamped down her elation and kept moving.
This place...
The cave had been a sheer-walled crevice. Outside stretched a vast expanse of cracked, desertifying stone and gravel. And blanketing that open ground: orcs, too many to count at a glance.
Ugh...
Piria quailed at their numbers. But she knew a moment's lapse in focus meant death—she steeled herself.
The horde wasn't as rowdy as their size suggested. This level of noise was nearly silent.
What's going on...? Something feels off...
As time passed and she adjusted to the mood, a strange air prickled at her nonetheless. The orcs looked like they were just resting in disorderly fashion, but they shared one trait.
They're all... staring at the center of the clearing?
Something there? She should be plotting her escape, but curiosity drew Piria toward the middle.
Two women and one orc. The orc was unmistakable: Nerka, the one she'd once enslaved.
The women were strangers. At first, she thought captives like her, but no—they exuded an extraordinary aura.
One seemed mid-teens, golden-haired with red eyes, a young girl. But her presence was anything but childish; she faced the horde unflinchingly, dominating the conversation with Nerka.
The other stood behind her, arms crossed, silently observing. Tall, with faintly purple skin—obviously no human. Piria had never seen a demon up close, but if they existed, she'd look just like that.
Snatches of their talk reached Piria's ears.
"Is this... to be taken as hostility toward us? Orc Lord Nerka."
"No. We bear you no enmity."
"Then leave this place at once. We claim no ownership over this barren waste, but if you seek the labyrinth's treasures like those vile humans..."
Nerka shook his head at Siola's words.
"We apologize for intruding uninvited. But don't misunderstand—we've come to join your banner."
He addressed the purple-skinned woman behind the girl.
"Demon King."
'..!'
Piria, eavesdropping, nearly gasped aloud.