Shadows of the Black Market
“So… you want me to tell you about the black market?”
“Yeah. Chloe commissioned an elixir from one of the shops there, right?”
“...? Did I ever tell you that?”
“Oh.” Only then did it hit me—this was information I’d extracted by hypnotizing Eloise. She wasn’t a fool; she might have suspected I’d done something to her, but I still hadn’t revealed the exact method. I wasn’t sure how she’d react if I told her it was hypnosis, so for now I decided to keep it secret. Of course, I doubted that Maila—who was already utterly devoted to me—or Eloise—who went wild for my scent—would turn against me even if they learned about my ability. Still, I had zero preparations in place for what might happen if word of this power ever leaked. It was simply too dangerous. If they accidentally let it slip to someone else, the consequences could be catastrophic.
So I’ll keep it a secret for the time being. I’d tell her one day when the chance came. With that thought in mind, I tickled Eloise’s chin while she brooded and simply smiled.
“Tsk. A secret, huh? Just you wait—I’ll drag it out of you eventually.”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll tell you myself sooner than you expect.”
I soothed the sulking Eloise as she clicked her tongue, then explained the plan I had organized in my head once more. She listened quietly, occasionally shooting me a look that asked whether this was even remotely feasible, but I simply smiled and continued.
“…So while Chloe is taking the elixir and needs rest, you’ll stay by her side in my place? I can just say I’m feeling unwell and have to rest.”
“Exactly. I mean, I have to walk around wearing this obviously unusual mask anyway. It’s the perfect excuse.”
“That’s true, but… do you really think Chloe will buy it?”
“I already know the real reason you two bullied me was because Chloe wanted me. So it’ll definitely work.”
Eloise hummed thoughtfully and fell silent for a moment. She had agreed to help, but she seemed to be weighing whether the idea was actually viable.
“Well, if I just say it outright, Chloe might not accept it. That’s why I need you.”
“Huh?”
“Tell her you’ve properly disciplined me this time and completely broken me. Say she can use me however she wants—treat me like a servant. Wouldn’t that do it? You were her closest confidante, after all.”
“Hmm… If it’s like that…”
Eloise tilted her head back and forth a few times before nodding in understanding.
“All right, I get it. You must have your reasons. Shall I head over right now?”
“Ah, wait a second.”
I caught Eloise as she tried to leave immediately after grasping the plan. A sly, mischievous smile crept across my face—like a naughty child plotting some prank. Eloise must have sensed the danger; she tried to pull away, but I grabbed her before she could.
“U-um… w-why are you looking at me like that?”
“Hold still. And close your eyes for a moment.”
“Uh… okay?”
She wore a distrustful expression as I reached for her face. With a soft click, the mask’s lock released. I lifted it away, made a few quick adjustments inside, then handed it back.
“There. You can open your eyes now. Put it on properly.”
“Huh? O-okay…”
Eloise took the mask I waved in front of her, eyeing me suspiciously, but eventually slipped it back over her face. As I’d expected, the mask’s design kept the interior completely hidden from outside view.
Sssip— Haaah—
“Eep!”
She inhaled normally at first, then her eyes widened and her body jerked as if she’d noticed something. “You… you didn’t…!”
The familiar scent had clearly hit her. Eloise flailed, desperately trying to rip the mask off, but in her panic her hands slipped repeatedly. After a clumsy struggle she finally yanked it free. When she saw what was inside, she stared at me in horror.
“Y-you… Are you insane? How could you even think of putting this in here?!”
What she pulled out was my black panties, thoroughly soaked with sweat.
“Looks like the effect is exactly as expected.”
Eloise sighed as she watched me smirk at her. I felt like I might have gone too far, so I reached out to soothe her and take the underwear back.
Slap—
“Huh?”
“W-what are you staring at?! Didn’t you give it to me as a gift?”
Her ears burned crimson. She swatted my hand away, shoved the panties back deep into the mask, cleared her throat, and carefully put it on again.
Sssuuup— Haaaaah—
It seemed like she was breathing even deeper than before, but her eyes looked so blissfully happy that I decided not to comment.
“Well, I’m glad you like it.”
“Tsk… Anyway, I’m heading to Chloe’s today. What about you? Any plans?”
“Me? Oh, I was thinking of visiting the black market.”
“Ah, right. You did ask me to explain the rules.”
Once she’d collected herself, Eloise removed the mask again and gave me a quick rundown of the black market. It wasn’t anything particularly complicated: always keep a mask on, avoid causing any unnecessary trouble, and if a problem arises, run immediately. Simple.
“And most of the goods there are fakes with shady origins, so don’t show too much interest. More importantly—do you even have money?”
“Huh? No, not really.”
“You’re going to the black market with no money…? Ha…”
Eloise sighed, fiddled with the ring on her finger, and gestured into empty air.
“Oh, is that an inventory magic tool?”
“Yeah. Just so we’re clear, I can’t give it to you. It’s already bound to me. Even if you cut my finger off, you still couldn’t take anything out.”
“I didn’t want it that badly.”
What did she think I was? Bloody brawls had never been my thing. Eloise must have realized her words had been a bit harsh; she cleared her throat awkwardly, then pulled a rather hefty pouch from her inventory and handed it over.
“Here. I can’t send you off empty-handed. Take this, at least.”
“Whoa, is it really okay to give me this much?”
When I opened the pouch, several gold coins and a generous number of silver ones sparkled inside. Typical rich, big-hearted Eloise.
“That amount won’t hurt me even if you lose it all. That said, don’t actually lose it, okay? Take good care of it.”
She sounded like a mother sending her child to the market for the first time, repeating warnings to be careful. Then she scanned my outfit, opened the closet, pulled out a dress, and offered it to me.
“Change into this, too. Over there, unless you’re fairly well-known, no one recognizes anyone anyway. If you show up looking that shabby, people will just look down on you. I’d rather give you something more expensive, but… as you can see, we’re very different heights. That dress has magic woven into it, so it should fit you regardless.”
“Shabby? This is comfortable.”
“At least there, dressing like that will get you dragged into a back alley immediately… And your figure is… honestly, it makes you an easy target…”
She kept trying to hand me more things. I stopped her with a sigh.
“Enough already. Am I a child? I know you’re worried, but stop. At this rate I won’t even get out the door before the day ends.”
“Ahem… I suppose so.”
Eloise scratched her chin sheepishly, then asked one final question.
“But are you sure you’ll be all right? It is the black market. If anything happens, I won’t be able to help you.”
“Don’t worry too much. I don’t plan on causing any trouble today. I’m just going to check on the state of Chloe’s elixir.”
“…Just to be clear, you’re not thinking of mixing poison into it or anything to hurt Chloe, right?”
I let out a hollow laugh at her anxious expression. “What exactly do you take me for? I plan to sleep with Chloe too, you know. Besides, I don’t go around killing people for no reason.”
Of course, with my hypnotic ability it wouldn’t be that difficult to make someone disappear without a trace. But my goal was a harem of beautiful women, not the life of a blood-soaked murderer who left carnage everywhere he went. Well, if it became necessary, I wouldn’t hesitate—but that wasn’t the plan.
“Ahem… All right. Sorry. I’ll be going, then. You be careful too.”
As the embarrassed Eloise stood, I gathered the money she’d given me and prepared to leave. Before she stepped out the door I pulled her in for a light kiss and waved goodbye.
“What could possibly go wrong? I’m just checking things out and coming right back.”
“…You always say that right before something goes wrong.”
I silenced her lingering doubt with a deep kiss, tongues entwined. Eloise’s mind melted in an entirely different way. She gave my shoulder a shy smack before vanishing down the corridor.
As instructed, Eloise would stay away from Chloe for a while using health as an excuse. I would temporarily take her place.
I stretched lightly, recalled the plan I’d set up, changed into the dress Eloise had given me, and left the room heading for the black market.
“What could really happen, anyway?”
With that carefree thought in mind.
“Hey, you. Those clothes look expensive. How about you come chat with us for a bit?”
“Kuhuhu. Even with the mask on, it’s obvious you’ve got a body that makes me hard. You’d sell perfectly as a slave.”
“What? If you drop everything you’re carrying and leave quietly, we might let you go.”
I sighed at the thugs waving bats in my face.
Ha, fuck. I’m totally screwed.
It was the exact moment Eloise’s foresight proved itself once again.