You Leave Me No Choice! (2)
“Put those drugs over there... Set that aside for now... You there, soldier! What the hell do you think you're doing?”
“S-Sorry! Lady Seres! I was just fixing my armor...”
“Don't do anything that could be misunderstood. These are illegal substances that could get you summarily executed on the spot.”
The day after Viper's Fang's drugs were discovered in the basement of Maou Castle.
The soldiers, under Seres's command, were transporting the narcotics while blocking off the area to keep people away.
Hoooeek... Summary execution? That serious?
Sure, drugs warranted strict handling, but damn, that was intimidating.
I never imagined Seres could look that dead serious—or that the kingdom cracked down on drugs this hard.
“...Master. You okay with just destroying all of it?”
“Hmm... If it was something that could spice up our mating sessions, I might've considered keeping a bit. But I don't need that crap anyway.”
I'd initially thought drugs just made people loopy and addicted, but these were the nightmare kind that turned users into total wrecks.
Apparently, they'd been punishable by death in the kingdom for ages. Handling that shit? Viper's Fang were real lunatics.
No wonder their funds seemed endless. Drug trafficking... Filthy bastards.
Look at me! Running a clean, legit business!
I didn't need dirty drugs—my yinshuu and livestock brought in the cash just fine!
Learn from the bad stuff? Screw that—hurt no one and live straight like me!
“Makes sense. We already siphoned off one crate anyway...”
Whoa! Lizbet! Someone might misunderstand!
That wasn't siphoning—it was just a tiny sample for Seres and her research. We weren't dealing in dangerous crap, and my horse semen was basically an aphrodisiac for bitches anyway. Why bother with drugs?
Besides, Lady Seres the lord herself approved it. No one else knew, though.
Kukuku... They just wanted to reference it for products using my semen. We were keeping it clean.
“Lady Seres. The first-floor drugs are all cleared. The basement level two has non-illegal stuff like regular tobacco and booze piled up. Should we seize those too...”
“Oh? Viper's Fang is gone now, so that's obviously Master Sema's property. Don't touch a single thing—leave it all be.”
“Y-Yes? ...Ah, understood...?”
Exactly. With their boss wiped out, everything left after the drugs was mine by right.
Clean, righteous confiscation. Nice work, Seres.
But tobacco... Cigarettes, huh...
“Fine with the stuff inside, but we need to think about how to use this basement.”
As I pondered cigarettes and old memories, Klea gazed at the finishing soldiers with a troubled look.
Basement... Windowless spots like this usually suited bars, but we already had them on floors two and five.
Couldn't open a karaoke joint or arcade from Essentia either.
I'd lamented the lack of basement space before, but now that we had one, what to put there?
“Klea. The basement's already decided, isn't it?”
“Hehe. True enough, Liz. Though it'll be tough for now...”
Hm? Why were they both glancing at me like that...?
“What? You got plans for the basement too?”
“...Kukuku♡ It's a secret for now. Right, Klea?”
“Hehe...♡ We'll tell you when the time comes, Master. Just wait a little?”
Whoa, what? They still had surprises up their sleeves?
Hmm... Fair enough. Nothing came to mind for the basement right now anyway. Use it as storage till something fit.
“Puhuhu. Fine, I'll look forward to it. Warehouse for now, then. Can't wait to see what fun you're scheming.”
“Kuku♡ It'll be essential by then. You might even need it before we say anything?”
“Hard to imagine now♡ ...Ah, Sister Seres. All done?”
As their teasing amped up my curiosity, Seres approached with papers tucked under her arm.
“Hehe. Yeah, it's done... Master. Here's the inventory of your new property♡”
“Oh, nice. Let me see...”
Hmm... Fifty crates of pricey booze... Adult toys... Miscellaneous bits... And two hundred crates of cigarettes...
“...Just curious, but do you not smoke because they're expensive? Or 'cause they're bad for you? Never seen any in Radia till now...”
“In Radia, the taxes make them pricey—noble pastime stuff. Never heard they're bad for you, though.”
“Huh, first I've heard of that?”
“Ah, I vaguely recall from magic school—someone researched inhaling mana herbs via cigarettes and found it harms the lungs or something.”
“Weird study. Even so, Master, couldn't the church just heal that?”
Ah... Right. This wasn't Earth. So cigarettes here were just expensive, not smoked much?
“Why the heavy taxes on tobacco?”
“My great-grandfather's time, I think... The king hated the smoke, so he jacked up taxes kingdom-wide. Never went down after.”
“Probably lower in domains with tobacco-loving lords. Inhaling rolled herbs isn't a big deal... But why? Master?”
Hoo... Interesting.
I'd never mentioned it, but back on Earth, holed up in my one-room hell, drowning sorrows in booze and smokes till money forced me to quit cold turkey. Craved 'em bad after.
Puhuhu. My body's different now—no urge. But rummaging pockets for strays? Nostalgic. Wonder what Essentia's tasted like—time to indulge.
Apparently harmless here, just fancy herb smoke...
Long time coming. Let's taste some smokes.
“...Someone grab a crate of cigarettes?”
“Yes! I'll get it!”
I turned, and one of the livestock waiting outside dashed downstairs.
“Oh... Master, you've smoked before?”
“Yeah, a bit back when... Hearing about it made me wanna try after ages.”
“Hee... Master, smoking...”
No big expectations. Just nostalgia. Earth cigs had additives anyway—Essentia's probably just grassy.
But if decent, might keep some. Crave that post-meal itch.
“Back, Master!”
“Thanks.”
Opening the crate revealed dense packs—not cigs at first glance.
Essentia's smokes, huh... Let's see.
“Oh... Shape's close to what I remember.”
Flat case opened to twenty neatly packed cigs. Longer, thicker, no filter—like old-school ones. Potent, probably.
No filters here, yeah. But fancy paper with faint designs? Stylish.
“Hmm... Need a light...”
“I'll light it, Master.”
My yinshuu, intrigued since earlier, watched eagerly. Lizbet drew near as I lit up, conjuring a tiny flame from her glowing magic circle.
With some anticipation, I puffed. Mild smoke, smoky aroma filling nose and throat.
“...Ooh... This is good!?”
Exhaling slowly, savoring—different from memory, but solid cig vibe. Better than Earth's? Rougher, but richer scent...
Damn, exceeding expectations!
“Puhuuu...! Never knew cigs could taste this special after so long...!”
Puffing again, blissed out. My yinshuu nodded, smiling.
“...Next item to stock: decided.”
“Aha...♡ This'll hook Radia's dropouts easy...♡”
“And our treat too♡ Gotta adjust tobacco taxes pronto? Hehe...♡”
They chatted excitedly as I smoked, satisfied. Cigarettes joined their plans.