Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: A Method to Acquire New Prisoners (1)
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I licked the Vampire Princess's feet with utmost loyalty.
It wasn't like I had a foot fetish or anything. I did it purely as a gesture of total submission, like a dog pledging to serve as both horse and ox.
"That was impressive, Trainer."
"It was nothing."
The Succubus Secretary entered my private quarters as a Trainer and gazed at me with eyes sparkling like she was beholding some extraordinary being.
Yeah, I get it.
For a human to kneel before a demon was bad enough, but to lick her feet while begging for my life? That was basically abandoning my humanity.
Not that the Vampire Princess's feet weren't clean or didn't smell—
Ah.
Correction.
It wasn't a smell; it was a fragrance.
I wasn't sure if it was because she was a vampire, but a sweet, fruity aroma wafted from her body.
'Still, I wouldn't do it for just anyone.'
No matter how desperate for survival, I wouldn't lick a goblin's or orc's feet.
Against them, I'd rather talk my way out of death than suck up like that.
Anyway.
"So, does that mean I'm officially a Trainer now?"
"Yes. But there's one issue."
"Issue?"
"Yes. The fact that you're human."
Ah.
"...Should I become a vampire? Or some other demon?"
"No, that's not it. Master believes a human Trainer can corrupt other humans more easily, so she's permitted you to remain as one."
Phew.
"Then what's the problem?"
"My Sex Magic Corps and those under me know you're a Trainer, but the combat units and regular legion soldiers might misunderstand."
"......."
"Humans here are usually either prisoners or disposable toys on the verge of being thrown away."
"Fair enough."
It felt a bit harsh to phrase it that way, but wouldn't people in the Age of Exploration think the same if they saw a Black man in a suit in Europe? That his owner must have some weird tastes?
'Not entirely wrong, though.'
I was a betrayer of humanity.
In exchange for the suit and whip from my master, the Vampire Princess, my role was to capture fellow humans and turn her into depraved souls like me.
"So, how can I avoid misunderstandings?"
"It'd help to mark yourself as a member of the Vampire Legion. Other demons might flinch at seeing a human, but the mark would make it clear."
"What kind of mark...?"
"A tattoo on your face."
A tattoo, huh.
I'd never been particularly for or against them in my past life or this one.
But my ex-girlfriend from my previous life had gotten one—a pair of wings on her ass cheek with the words "Insert here."
It turned me on a bit, but I didn't know other guys would see it too.
"Hmm...."
"Not a fan of tattoos?"
"It's not that I hate them, but if it's covering my face... No, I have to do it. Better safe than sorry."
"...Hehe."
The Succubus Secretary chuckled softly and reached toward my face.
"Don't worry. It's invisible to the naked eye. Only demons will see the mark."
"Something like that is possible?"
"It's magic."
Her finger pressed against my right cheek.
It traced slowly under my eye, drawing a teardrop shape.
"All done."
"Already?"
"Yes. To demons, you'll look like someone bearing this on their face... which makes it even better."
The Succubus Secretary pointed to her lower abdomen.
Bzzz.
As she stroked her belly, the magic activated, and the Womb Tattoo shimmered.
The same one that had glowed on Knight Eris's abdomen.
...No way?
"Pretty, right? Master designed it herself."
"That's... on my cheek now?"
"Yes."
"......."
A guy walking around with the Vampire Legion's Womb Tattoo (invisible to humans) on his face.
'No one will suddenly kill me out of nowhere.'
At least no one would carelessly try to off me just for being human.
"Secretary."
"Yes."
"If someone sees this and still tries to kill me, what should I do?"
"Obviously."
She lightly mimed slicing her throat with her hand.
"Off with their head."
I'd become a Trainer.
But as a brand-new one, I'd only achieved one success so far.
Female Priest Dalia.
And about that success, I had one dilemma.
'Reset the regression timing?'
A full day had passed since my last creampie.
Dalia had fallen, I'd sucked up to the Vampire Princess's feet, and become a Trainer, so readjusting the creampie regression point now wouldn't be bad.
'Or gather more info and buy time.'
Either way, even if I went back, I'd act the same toward Dalia and the Vampire Princess.
Pretend I didn't know what regression had shown me.
Act like corrupting Dalia and licking the Vampire Princess's feet for the first time.
Unless someone could read my memories or knew about my regression ability, I had to milk this power for all it was worth.
So.
"How do you plan to train today?"
A Trainer's morning.
"First, decide on a direction."
Before starting the day's routine, I held up two fingers to the Succubus Secretary who'd brought breakfast.
"Morning: Manage the fallen ones and new prisoners."
"You mean Dalia?"
"Yeah."
Dalia had become a vampire, so she didn't need the Womb Tattoo on her face.
Instead, as a mark of the fallen, it was on her lower abdomen—but she didn't seem to mind.
"She can use holy power."
"...Yes. Corrupted holy power, perhaps? We're still investigating that mana."
The Succubus Secretary scratched her cheek and averted her gaze.
Was she hiding something from me?
'Doesn't matter.'
If it was something to tell, she would have. If not, no need to pry.
I was curious, but no sense making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Dalia says she can still use the goddess's power as before. Proof that even as a demon, the goddess still watches over her faith."
"Proof of the goddess."
"I don't know if all holy power users turn demon and keep it, or if it's mixed with vampire traits."
Probably the Succubus Secretary—or the Vampire Princess herself—analyzing the cause and effect.
"I just want to check if Dalia's the only case, or if other priestesses do too. If she's special, I'll prioritize her. If not, we can mass-produce fallen ones."
"......!!"
The Succubus Secretary's eyes widened.
Looks like my hunch was spot on.
"So, can we get more priestesses?"
Right now, the prison held zero human prisoners.
"Not necessarily priestesses. Any woman with holy power works. The key is having it, like Dalia."
Of the four living female prisoners, excluding Knight Eris and Female Priest Dalia, the other two had been "gulp"ed by demons.
The men?
Dalia had neatly disposed of her for abandoning she's faith.
Vampire slimes had cleaned the room spotless in half a day under the pretense of housekeeping.
I didn't care where the blood and flesh went.
This was the Demon King's army, and I was human yet demon too.
I was just glad I wasn't dead.
"Hate to say it, but is capturing guys like us tough?"
"To be honest, not really."
The Succubus Secretary answered straightforwardly.
"Do you remember how you got captured?"
"Yeah. We thought it was a normal dungeon, entered, and hit a misty area that teleported us here."
I'd said not to go in.
But as a porter, who listens to me? Ignored on the spot.
"Know about dungeon structure?"
"Sure. There's a 'boss,' and entrances can open anywhere in the world."
"Yes. Physical entrances exist, but they're not just doors."
The Succubus Secretary pointed to the full-length mirror opposite the bed.
"There are magical ones too."
"That mirror—is it for spatial transfer or something?"
"I could take you if you want, but no, it doesn't have that function."
I could guess its purpose.
"Dungeons have magical gates. Like the mist you entered—areas transcending space. Demons call them the 'Demon God's Corridor.'"
"Demon God's Corridor?"
"Yes. In human terms, 'Gates.'"
"Ah."
I got it instantly.
Any adventurer worth their salt knows them.
Gates.
Simply put, dimensional doors.
Even if the Vampire Princess's dungeon was in Demon King territory, secondary Gates could pop up anywhere in the human kingdoms.
"The dungeon you entered is a spawn we made separately."
"Spawn dungeon?"
"Yes. We set a trap room, and anyone who triggers it gets summoned straight here."
"......I see."
It clicked.
"So more adventurers could come through there."
"Yes. None have yet, but..."
"Good. I've got an idea."
A good trap.
"No matter what enemy comes, it guarantees capture, right?"
"Unless it's [Hero]-grade or [Diamond]-rank adventurer, pretty much."
"Perfect. Here's my proposal."
This wasn't crossing any lines.
"Use prisoners to lure more humans."
To corrupt, we need prisoners. To supply them, lure in more bait.
"Fallen Dalia won't work... You mean Eris?"
"No."
"Then...?"
"Jake."
I fiddled with my neck.
"They think he's dead, but outsiders don't know our esteemed knight bit it."
"True."
"So I'll write a letter as him and send it out. A last will and testament."
"......Won't they suspect?"
"They will. I'll cover: Arm's busted, porter helped write it."
There's belief stronger than doubt.
"Jake was a noble bastard, after all."
The hope he's alive.
"From his brothers' view, worst-case scenario."
Or the hope he's dead.
"Even a bastard can claim inheritance if alive."
Schrödinger's Jake.
Alive or dead? Can't know till checked.
"Curious, right? Will Daddy send someone to check if his bastard spawn lives? Or half-brothers send to ensure no inheritance slips?"
The Succubus Secretary's eyes on me.
"Whatever the motive, 'people will come here.'"
They sparkled with excitement, glee, and anticipation.