Chapter 48
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: You Opened Your Eyes (For Real)
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I just took care of a poor animal, that's all.
Why did things end up like this?
"Rachel... It's me, Karin. Please snap out of it..."
"Meeeh...♡"
"Aah... Aaaah...!!! You should've messed with me instead... You should've touched me instead...!"
Shring...!
"Y-You...! You beast worse than an animal-!! Toying with a speechless animal that can't even talk back... How dare you do that to our poor Rachel...!!!"
"...Calm down, Karin. I can explain everything."
"Calm down? You expect me to stay calm after hearing that-?!"
"Mehoook...♡ Meheek...♡"
Sigh... This really isn't easy.
A sheep that keeps twitching and moaning, and right next to her, a prior offender (who groped a woman's chest and butt)...
Even if I were Karin, I'd want to subdue her first before anything else.
But that's just because she doesn't know the full context. I'm truly innocent here.
So when I appealed to her with logic and sincerity...
"Karin. I'm not some pervert who gets aroused by animals."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Well, I groped your butt and the PhD's chest. If I were a pervert who gets turned on by animals, would I have done that?"
"Well... That's true, but..."
"Exactly! I like your and the PhD's full, voluptuous chests and butts! So much that I instinctively want to reach out and grab them! This isn't a lie—it's the truth! As a perfectly normal guy, I just like pretty women with big chests and butts!"
"...Is that something to brag about?"
"It's the truth."
...I ended up saying way too much personal stuff there.
But it seems my sincerity got through, because Karin sheathed her drawn sword.
Only then was I able to explain the whole story and clear up the misunderstanding.
"...I see. I've heard of cases like this before."
"You've heard of them?"
"Production-class jobs often have dexterity as their main stat, so they tend to have amazing technique. Especially... at night... My married sisters have said..."
"...Really?"
I didn't think much of it at first.
But dexterity might actually be an incredibly powerful stat.
Think about it—it's a bonus to everything done by hand, so its versatility is unmatched.
Even when I was practicing Lavris's orc-style axe and body techniques earlier, it felt like it gripped perfectly, and it seemed to have a meaningful impact on combat too.
And hearing it straight from married women: 'Dexterity? That's seriously amazing at night... Heh heh...!'
...Ahem. Maybe I should look into this in detail once I get a girlfriend?
Anyway.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, my lord. As punishment for my rudeness this time... Ah, tonight, I'll gladly accept whatever you desire..."
"Got it for now."
It was a situation that was easy to misunderstand, so I decided to let it slide this once.
But... why tonight of all times?
I could guess the reason from Karin's next words.
"So, why did you come here so suddenly? Dinner's still a ways off."
"W-Well... Since it's my first time attending to you like this..."
"Attending to me?"
"I came to ask if my lord has a preferred type of underwear..."
"...?"
What the hell is she talking about... Oh?
"Come over to my place for dinner tonight. I'll give you the rest of the potion then."
"You understand what I'm saying, right?"
"...Understood."
Did she seriously interpret the dinner invite... that way?
"...Karin? Listen without freaking out too much, okay?"
I explained that it was a misunderstanding.
To prove I wasn't that kind of trash, I told her the truth...
"Yes, my lord. No matter your tastes in underwear, I'll endure—"
"When I said come over tonight, I meant the PhD invited us for sushi. It wasn't about any nighttime service."
"...S-Su...shi?"
......?
......!!!
"Ah, th-that, u-uwah...!!!"
Her face turned beet red, and she couldn't say a word.
I could feel her glaring at me even though her eyes weren't visible. Her reaction was kinda cute.
It was the kind of expression that stirred a man's sadistic side.
So I teased her just a little, very little...
"Were you planning to provide nighttime services if I asked, Karin? And if it's your first time... does that mean you're a virgin?"
"Eek...! Uuuh...!!!"
Thud—!
"I'll atone with seppuku...!! Seppuku to make up for this shame—!!!"
"Whoa, don't do that—! I'm sorry! I won't tease you anymore!"
Karin tried to commit seppuku on the spot, saying she had no will to live after such a small tease, so I broke out in a cold sweat stopping her.
Last time, I was just watching from the side...
So this is what the PhD must have felt like...?
Time flew by, and evening arrived.
[I'm here, Iroon... Huh? What the heck is going on here?]
The PhD arrived for dinner as promised after finishing her magic circle.
She was shocked to see me, Karin, and Rachel all together, with Karin calling me "my lord," so she asked about the situation.
I gave her a brief rundown of everything that had happened.
"So much has happened..."
.
.
.
.
.
"My lord. I... have no will to live anymore. So please permit my seppuku...!"
"...Seppuku is banned for life from now on."
"Th-Then prepare the guillotine for beheading..."
"...That too. No self-harm without my permission. Keep it up, and no more potions."
"Un...derstood..."
She kept having breakdowns, preferring death over living in shame, so I had to threaten her into calming down.
"Meeeeh...! Meeeeehhh—!!"
"And what's your deal...?"
"Meeeehhh—!! Meeeng...!"
"I petted you earlier already..."
"Meeeng meeng!"
"Ow, fine, I'll pet you, so quiet down!"
Pat pat—!
"Mehoook...♡"
I petted Rachel, who kept blushing and rubbing against me demanding pets whenever she got the chance.
Then, to climb today's tower floor, I tried entering with my daughters and Lavris...
[Due to penalty effects, tower entry is impossible.]
"Penalty?"
A notification I'd never seen before popped up, blocking our entry to the tower.
Curious, I stared at it, and Lavris spoke up.
'Lavris' explains that it seems to be a penalty from her power not being fully restored, resulting in a one-day tower entry block for skipping floors.
"Oh, that's what's up?"
It's not forever—just for today—so no big deal.
With the schedule wrapping up early, I headed to the kitchen to make sushi...
"My lord, please approve my seppuku...!"
"Meee~♡ Meeeng~♡"
"Arin-nyang! Let's play ninja like yesterday-nyang! It's the hidden fireworks of the fire escape-nyang!"
"In that case, I'll counter with the water escape's ice bullet!"
Shaa—!
"Haha... What a mess."
.
.
.
.
.
"...And that's the situation before you arrived, PhD."
[Iroon, you've been through a lot...? I'm impressed you still managed to make sushi amid all that.]
[Anyway. As you now know, both of them are affected by penalties and not in their right minds.]
[That's why I was looking after them.]
"Ah."
No wonder one kept trying to harm herself, and the other kept whining for pets.
So it was the penalties messing with their heads?
Makes sense—they're both unusual penalties that could affect the mind.
I even have my own hidden tendencies like that.
[But didn't you say you were going to test the potion's effects?]
"I waited just in case, figuring it'd be safer with you watching. I'm about to give it now—want to help?"
[Sure, why not. We can eat after.]
[Seriously, you had it rough while I was gone, Iroon.]
Pat pat—!
"Ahem. I'm not a kid—why pat my head...?"
[Anyone younger than me is a kid. Deal with it.]
I said that, but...
Getting my head patted by the PhD didn't feel half bad.
Anyway.
With the PhD watching, nothing to fear anymore.
I decided to give the penalty mitigation potions to the two of them...
"Seppuku... Beheading... Extreme punishment... Slaughter... Anything... Whatever it takes... Kill me... Gouge out these eyes... These eyes...... These eyes......!!!"
...Starting with Karin, whose mental state was visibly deteriorating fast.
"Hey, Karin. Opening wide."
"...Pardon? What are you—mmph-!?!"
I shoved it in her mouth a bit roughly since there was no time to explain, forcing her to swallow the potion.
"Mmph—?! M... Mmgh... Gulp—!"
Karin was startled at first but realized it was the potion and desperately swallowed it down without spitting it out.
A moment later.
"Pwah... M-My lord...! *Cough cough—!! What the hell was that...! *Cough cough—!!!"
After downing all the potion, Karin coughed up a storm.
Soon, her blue eyes—filled with annoyance—glared at me.
I told her:
"Karin, your eyes are blue too, huh? Such a pretty color, like the sky."
"Wha...! *Cough cough—! What are you...! *Cough cough—!! Wait......?"
It didn't take long for Karin to realize something was off.
And for good reason.
Even though it was just one eye...
She realized she was no longer seeing the world painted only in black.
"...It's been so long since I've seen colors. You must be... this side's man... My lord, right...?"
"That's right."
"Then... this woman... the one who saved me... Benefactor, right...?"
[Finally free of the 'my lord' bit. Yeah. First time talking face-to-face, huh?]
"Ahaha... Ahahaha...!! Ahahaha—!!!"
After that, Karin spent a while looking around like a child, eagerly taking in the sights she'd never seen before.
Soon, she collapsed in place, bursting into sobs that left me flustered.
"Um... PhD. How do you comfort a girl who cries then laughs?"
[Just watch her warmly.]
[She's not crying from sadness—she's crying from joy.]
"Got it."
Instead of doing anything, as the PhD advised...
I just stayed quiet, letting Karin vent all the pent-up frustration she'd accumulated knowingly and unknowingly.
After Karin's breakdown.
"Here's some warm tea."
"Th-Thank you..."
[Feeling better?]
"...Yesh. Much better."
Karin's eyes were puffy, her voice hoarse and nasally...
But she smiled brighter than ever, her mind clearer and emotions under control.
"Quck. I want to give the potion to Rachel and Roon too."
"Got it. But your throat sounds rough—don't talk for a bit."
"Yesh..."
...I get that she's happy. But it's kinda pitiful how she can barely speak.
Guess I'll whip up a quick throat-soothing potion later.
For now.
"Meheuk...♡"
Even after all that, this sheep was still out of it, twitching on the floor.
I decided to deal with her first somehow.
Shoving the potion into her mouth like with Karin...
"Mmph—?! Meookook—♡ Meook...♡ Gulp...♡"
"Ugh, why are you like this!"
For a moment, I thought every action of hers was pure gold.
But remembering it was all the penalty's fault, I held back my anger and let it go.
A moment later.
"Mee...? *Cough—! *Cough—!! *Cough—! *Cough—!!!"
After swallowing all the potion, Rachel started coughing just like Karin had.
And soon enough.
"M... Meee—?! Meeeehhh—!!!!"
Flash—!!!
Was the penalty lifting like with Karin?
Purple light poured from Rachel's sheep body, obscuring our vision.
Soon, the sheep silhouette shifted into something humanoid—but with horns on its head.
A moment later.
All the light faded, revealing Rachel's new form...
"...Ah? Um... H-Hello... Hubby...♡"
[Iroon?]
"Quck?"
"Whoa! Daddy-nyang's new mom candidate increased-nyang!"
"This is...! Cheetah PhD's ultimate technique!"
"No..."
...Why am I your hubby? Who even are you?