A Pillow After So Long
Right after the succubus's head hit the ground.
Ichinose, with Rohan in her sights, had a thought.
'Was Rohan a beastkin?'
At first, she'd thought it was some thick tail sprouting out front.
But tails didn't grow there, obviously.
And he sure as hell wasn't a beastkin.
'If not...?'
One conclusion formed in the girl's mind.
"…."
Ichinose possessed a wealth of general knowledge and common sense.
Sexual knowledge was, of course, part of that arsenal.
No hands-on experience, but her theoretical grasp was ironclad. Ignorance only led to embarrassment down the line.
Ridiculous myths like storks delivering babies, or getting pregnant from a kiss, holding hands, or even sleeping together.
They didn't fly with this sharp girl.
So Ichinose Yui knew exactly what had happened down there in Rohan's pants.
The phenomenon where sexual stimulation directed blood flow to a specific organ, causing it to swell and harden.
The function males had evolved to inject semen into a female's body for internal fertilization.
A word she'd known from textbooks but never once uttered aloud—and had no plans to.
'B-b-b-b-b...'
Even staring it down in person, she couldn't complete it in her head.
This wasn't some diagram in an anatomy book. Even censored versions—she'd never seen the real deal before.
How could it radiate such raw heat and power?
Ichinose's body whipped away from Rohan with a sharp whoosh!
An awkward silence settled in.
Rohan rustled around, then approached the frozen Ichinose cautiously.
"Ichinose."
"…."
"Ichinose?"
"Ah, I know... I know already..."
"You say that, but you're not looking my way at all."
"…."
It was an unavoidable side effect of the succubus's charm.
The fact that he'd resisted mentally was impressive enough. Normally, you'd lose your essence the instant you fell under the spell.
Ichinose was trying to process it rationally.
But effort was one thing—her broken demeanor shone through plain as day.
Watching the scene, Rohan took a step back.
"Sorry. Shouldn't have put you through that."
An apology he had no business giving. Ichinose's emotions churned like waves as she kept her eyes averted.
The realization that she shouldn't be acting like this stabbed at her like an arrow.
"Rohan. Just... stay back for a bit."
"Huh?"
Ichinose gently set her sword on the ground.
She spread her empty hands wide, then slapped her cheeks hard.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Her mochi-like cheeks flushed red for an entirely different reason.
And just like that, Ichinose seized a sliver of composure.
"You don't need to apologize, Rohan. That's the end of it!"
"Straight shooter. Thanks."
He'd been dying of embarrassment from the shame and her reaction.
Her forgiveness lightened the load a little.
"Fuuu...!"
Now a strawberry-mochi-cheeked mess, Ichinose grabbed her sword and forced a conversation starter.
"Rohan. What did the charm feel like? I should prepare, just in case."
Common knowledge said succubi targeted men, but women weren't entirely immune.
The reverse held true too.
For heterosexuals, the charm weakened significantly against the same sex.
"Hmm, bluntly? Hostility just... fades. Like a cheat that forcibly cranks up your favorability."
"Hostility fades? Fascinating."
"And yeah, definitely lewd vibes and sexual urges kick in. With total confidence it'd get resolved if aimed at the succubus."
"H-hnng...!"
Her nasal hum wavered at the frank description.
Somehow unable to speak up, Ichinose rummaged through the succubus's shabby lair instead.
Nothing worth salvaging. Confirmed, they hit the road again.
Rohan moved a bit awkwardly.
"...To escape the dungeon, we destroy the monolith inside, right?"
"Yep."
"High chance it's with a host or the dominant entity."
"Yeah. Should be one of the succubi that can actually talk."
Ichinose mulled it over, her face turning grave.
"If the dominant one's a Succubus Queen, we're in trouble."
"That monster... showed up in Tigrova once. Noah's dad took it down, right?"
There were records of a Succubus Queen emerging from a dimensional rift.
The only takeaway was that the Snow Tiger Emperor had butchered it mercilessly, but reports noted it was versatile and brutally strong beyond just charm.
"Right. If a second queen spawned after that, it's no monster for us. Even among the instructors, only Instructor Juyeon could handle it."
"Hmm."
The one he'd just fought was your standard succubus, relying solely on charm.
But a named succubus that could communicate would have unique specialties on top of that.
Plus a high chance of deploying pressure dolls as minions—the more you factored it in, the more of a pain it sounded.
"Eh, we'll find it first. No need to fight. Just smash the monolith."
"...Yeah."
Rohan soothed the worrywart Ichinose as they pressed on.
'What was that succubus's name again? Can't recall.'
Rohan knew the truth.
The succubus ruling the Nest of Dream Demons was just one named monster—not a queen.
The succubus species infested plenty of dungeons beyond this one.
The Nest of Dream Demons was like a village or city in human terms.
"Bedding we can manage somehow, but food's an issue too."
"Eungae Nose. Hungry?"
"Eungae what... I'm fine for now. But later's the problem. Mushrooms and plants everywhere, but no way to tell what's edible."
Ichinose's anxiety showed. Time for Rohan to reveal his hand.
Couldn't have her risking herself for rations.
Like the last dungeon, no clue how long they'd be stuck in the Nest of Dream Demons.
"Eungae Nose."
"Yes?"
"Close your eyes."
"They're already closed..."
"Oh, right."
He cut the pointless chatter and activated his Shop skill.
Purchased bottled water.
-2 Points
Rohan pulled a bottle of water from thin air.
"...Huh?"
Feeling the dissonance, Ichinose's eyes snapped open.
She alternated stares between Rohan and the water, utterly baffled.
"Don't sweat food or drinks. Not infinite, but I've got plenty."
"How is this...?"
"My skill. Telling you 'cause I trust you, Eungae Nose."
"!"
Rohan's face reflected in her pupils.
Shocked by the sudden skill reveal, her lips parted slightly.
"Use it to cool off. Still red? Go ahead and drink."
"Th-thanks..."
"Thirsty or hungry anytime, just say. No need to tough it out."
Ichinose pressed the cool bottle to her burning cheeks.
…
…
Eight hours into wandering the forest with Rohan.
Light finally pierced the fog ahead.
Up close, a gothic-style building loomed faintly.
The cloying sweetness in the air thickened too.
Breathing through her mouth carried a sugary tang on her tongue.
"Rohan. Head in right away?"
"Wanna recover stamina first? Top off mana too."
Husks: hundreds slashed minimum. Succubi: four more down.
None could talk, all dropped before charm—no wounds.
Fatigue was real, though.
Mana drained plenty, and the tension of shuffling through unknown turf wore on the mind.
Unlike Rohan, who adapted fast, Ichinose couldn't drop her guard. She looked especially drained.
"...Borrow that succubus's place from earlier?"
"Solid plan. Had the basics."
Not far. Easy backtrack.
They'd marked the path coming.
"Nap first, then eat?"
"Sorry. You sure that's okay?"
"Sorry for what? I don't mind. You sleep first, Eungae Nose."
"…."
Ichinose walked on, lips pressed tight in guilt.
They reached the lair.
Tossed the headless succubus corpse far off, claimed the spot.
Richer setup than the first one.
Shabby wooden house, but intact. No bed, but floor space aplenty.
"Warm temps are a blessing. No climate shifts by time either."
This world was perpetual night.
Eight hours in, the moon hadn't budged.
It just bathed the world in contemplative moonlight.
"Feels like the uninhabited island all over again."
"Rough end, but fun times. Good memories."
Rohan handed Ichinose his outer jacket, urging her to crash.
He took the room's lone chair.
"Rohan... not there. Come sit here."
Lying under his jacket, she patted the floor beside her, calling him over.
"Sit? Gonna sing me a lullaby?"
He shot back, but rose from the chair anyway.
Sat where she pointed.
"…."
Still lying down, she inched over slowly.
Laid her head on Rohan's thigh.
"...Ichinose?"
"Stay... still."
Her voice a soft mumble.
Her head wasn't facing him—no expression visible.
But the ear peeking through her black hair burned bright red.