Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: EP 4. Paradise - Casino (3) (Lena Deification Brainwashing)
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"Lia...!"
Lena muttered worriedly.
It was because Lia had left at dawn the previous day and hadn't returned since.
She had woken up at the sound of her leaving, but assuming it was just a trip to the bathroom, she hadn't paid much attention.
But when she woke up in the morning and Lia still wasn't back, she sensed something was seriously wrong.
And sure enough, the money she had tucked into her wallet was gone.
"No way, Lia...!"
The place Lena was heading to now was the casino.
Thinking back, Lia had been acting strange ever since they met that genie.
As if she were possessed by something. She had always been greedy, but now it felt like an excessive, almost unnatural avarice.
Lena belatedly realized it might be the genie's influence.
The genie was a spirit of greed. Neither inherently good nor evil, but that didn't mean it was neutral.
Greed could turn even the kindest person wicked at times. And for a being that was a lump of such desire, it was even more so.
The genie followed laws and rules, but it also cleverly exploited them. Just like any sleazy merchant.
That's why, despite its title of "angel," the genie was infamous as a dangerous entity that easily led people down paths of ruin and downfall.
Of course, only if they accepted its deals—
"That idiot...!"
She should have forbidden her from gambling like that.
Upon arriving at the casino, Lena kicked the door open.
"Welcome, esteemed guest!"
The bunny girls bowed deeply in greeting.
"Welcome, guest! Oh... Lena?"
A familiar face appeared from inside.
It was Lia.
Lena's expression froze in shock.
Lia was dressed in the most vulgar outfit, just like the other devotees here. Her breasts, belly, and crotch were fully exposed, with only thin stickers barely covering her privates.
"Lia...? What are you doing here like that? And what's with that outfit?!"
Lena demanded with a grave look.
But Lia didn't show a hint of shame. Instead, she beamed brightly and replied.
"Lord Genie gave me these clothes. I've decided to become a devotee of Lord Genie and Lord Morr! More precisely, I'm [Lewd Bunny Girl Devotee Lia]. Ehehe. Boing boing♥"
Lia put both hands above her head and bent and straightened them like a bunny hopping.
"What are you even...?"
Right then, a hulking man thudded up from behind Lia and stood there.
"Heretic Inquisitor."
"Genie...! Did you turn Lia into this?!"
Lena glared at the genie and demanded.
"I have no idea what you mean."
The genie replied shamelessly, then reached out and grabbed Lia's ass.
One cheek lifted, spreading her legs, and white fluid dripped down visibly.
Lena knew exactly what it was. She had experienced it to the point of exhaustion with that succubus in Yuta, when her mind was taken over.
"Don't play dumb! Did you... to Lia?!"
"I merely offered a deal. Everything was a fair contract. Right, my devotee?"
At the genie's question, Lia turned, flashed a bright smile, and answered.
"Yes, Lord Genie♥ I chose it myself and accepted the deal with you. So please don't misunderstand, Lena. Lord Genie did nothing wrong. If anything, he took my foolish, greed-blinded choice and made me a better person♥"
Lia clung to the genie's chest, acting coquettish.
The way she looked up at him was filled with the affection and reverence of a well-trained dog gazing at its master.
And that stirred fury and jealousy in Lena.
She had undergone rigorous training to maintain composure in any situation, but when it came to Lia, she became emotional in ways she couldn't believe.
This was exactly like that.
"You bastard...!"
"What a terrifying face. Surely a Heretic Inquisitor like you wouldn't think of using violence against an angel like me without just cause?"
"You're no angel! You're just a monster that bewitches people!"
"Lena, that's rude! How dare you speak like that to the fair and righteous Lord Genie!"
Lia flailed her arms in protest.
The genie chuckled and roughly fondled Lia's breasts.
"A bit blasphemous, but I'll pretend I didn't hear that. I'm magnanimous. If you're just going to interfere with business, why don't you leave? The guests are scared of you and can't properly engage in their 'devotional activities.'"
The genie said, looking around at the crowd.
Lena gritted her teeth and stood her ground.
"I'm not leaving until you give Lia back."
"If you're so insistent, how about a wager?"
The genie said.
"A wager?"
Lena asked warily.
"Pick a game you like. If you win, I'll give you that many chips. Use them to pay off her debt, and her devotee contract will be voided."
"I don't need that, Lord Genie! I want to serve the great Lord Morr and Lord Genie here with everyone else!"
Lena bit her lip.
"And if I lose?"
"Obviously, I'll collect that many chips from you."
"I don't have any money."
"Money isn't the only option. There are plenty of ways."
Lena glanced at Lia.
She was starting to get the picture. Lia had probably fallen to this loathsome spirit in much the same way.
As a creation of the god of deals, the genie was a master of bargaining and trickery. It never proposed a deal where it came out on the losing end.
"You look scared. Can't blame you. Unlike this foolish girl, you know full well how reckless it is to challenge me. Knowing when to give up before defeat is wise, Heretic Inquisitor. I'll take good care of your companion, so go fulfill your duties."
The genie sneered, then leaned down and licked Lia's cheek with his thick, drool-dripping tongue like he was slurping it up.
"Ahn♥ Lord Genie♥ If you give me such a reward out of nowhere, my pussy gets wet again...♥ Boing boing♥"
Lia said, her cheeks flushing as she beamed uncontrollably.
"Ugh...!"
"Well then, Lena, we'll part ways here. I'll be living here from now on, serving Lord Genie—who's so much cooler and greater than you. So, bye-bye. Ehehe♥"
Lia gave a perfunctory farewell as if Lena were a nuisance, then clung to the genie and kissed his cheek.
The moment Lena saw that.
Something inside her snapped.
"Fine! I'll take that wager!"
In the end, Lena couldn't hold back and shouted.
The game Lena chose was shell game.
Not the ordinary kind, but magical shell game with special rules unique to this place.
"This is a memory stone."
The genie said, placing a thumb-sized purple stone fragment on his palm.
"It can store a few spells. This one has teleportation magic stored in it. Up to three times. We'll put this stone under one of these three cups and start the game. Then shuffle. If you guess correctly which cup has the stone at the end, you win."
"What if you teleport it out of the cups with magic?"
"I won't do that. Moving the memory stone outside the cups violates the rules."
The genie stated flatly.
His word could be trusted on rules. The constraints on him were absolute.
At first glance, it seemed heavily stacked against the player.
Unlike regular shell game, the teleportation option meant endless variables, no matter how closely you watched the cups.
And with only a 1-in-3 chance, even pure luck wasn't fair.
Still, Lena chose magical shell game out of confidence.
She was a Heretic Inquisitor. Trained to detect even the faintest traces of mana.
As long as she stayed focused, sensing when the memory stone teleported would be easy.
"We'll do best of five, first to three wins. No one wants this dragging on. Bet is 500G. Any complaints?"
"Do whatever. But if I catch you cheating, you'd better be ready."
"Of course. Lia, you deal."
"Yessir♥ As you command, Lord Genie♥"
Lia replied energetically and hopped over to stand at the game board.
"You'd better brace yourself, Lena. For trying to keep me from Lord Genie. I'm not letting this slide."
"...I'll definitely save you, Lia."
"I said I don't need it."
Lia snorted and took the memory stone from the genie, placing it under a cup.
"Here we go."
She began shuffling.
"...!"
It was an insane speed.
Lena, who had let her guard down for a split second, stared blankly at the cups moving at terrifying velocity.
Not just the speed—the technique was incredible too.
Like a pro among pros.
Surprised? With my authority, I can tweak a devotee's mind however I like. This devotee is currently in [Pro Casino Dealer] state."
Pro Casino Dealer.
That meant she was no pushover.
Combined with Lia's exceptional physical abilities, she was the most fearsome opponent possible.
"So, which one is it?"
Lia said smugly.
Lena stared tensely at the three cups with a stiff expression.
She had lost track of where the memory stone was.
First one's a guess, then.
"Far right."
"Heh. Wrong! Ding ding ding!"
Lia lifted the cup Lena pointed to, showing it was empty, then taunted her mockingly.
"It was the middle. You thought you could challenge Lord Genie with that skill? How foolish, Lena!"
"...Plenty of chances left."
"Fine, flail away. I'd have quit early. Next round."
The second round followed.
This time, her focus let her track it.
"Far right."
"Again? Pitiful. I'll give you one chance to change. Just once. Because I feel bad."
"Open it."
"...Lucky guess. Congrats. Pure luck this time."
Lia grumbled, looking dissatisfied.
"Lia. You talk too much. That's your flaw."
Sometimes it made her even more lovable.
But not now.
"One win and you're cocky? Just watch."
Lia puffed her cheeks in annoyance, then shuffled even faster.
A monstrous speed. An ordinary person couldn't even follow the cup with the stone, let alone track it.
But Lena's perception was just as sharp.
Sensing she was being seen through, Lia bit her lip midway, looking anxious.
Then, pop—a faint mana surge.
Proof the stone had teleported.
And faintly, a clink as the teleported stone settled in its new cup.
"So, where is it?"
"Far right."
"Three in a row? Simple strategy okay with you? Not like you're dumb or anything."
Lena ignored Lia's taunt with a calm expression.
"This is really, really, really your last chance..."
"Open it."
At Lena's insistence, Lia clicked her tongue reluctantly and lifted the cup.
The memory stone was right there, plain as day.
"Lucky again. But you know one more left, right?"
"I know."
Lia pursed her lips tensely and placed the stone under a cup, starting to shuffle.
Lena focused intently on the moving cups.
Then suddenly.
"Ugh, so frustrating!"
Lia yelled and peeled off the heart-shaped stickers from her breasts and crotch.
"L-Lia?! What are you doing?! In a public place like this...!"
Lena shouted in panic.
With everyone watching, no less.
"What's the big deal? It's service. The mood's too stiff; no fun."
Lia sucked on her left index finger, then used the slick, saliva-coated digit to tease her nipple.
"Ah♥ Ahn♥"
Lena watched, embarrassed yet gripped by intense desire and impulse at Lia's coquettish moans.
Gulp.
Her face flushed with rising heat, Lena swallowed hard to suppress her arousal.
Meanwhile.
"So, which cup?"
Lia switched to a sly grin and asked.
Only then did Lena realize it was a trap, her face twisting in dismay.
She had been so fixated on Lia's nipple play that she hadn't noticed the cups still moving.
"M-Middle?"
"Wrong! It's left. Dummy dummy dummy! Lena's a big dumb idiot!"
Lia lifted the left cup, showing the stone inside, and crowed gleefully.
"Th-That last one doesn't count! You distracted me...!"
"I didn't do anything. You just got distracted yourself."
Lia whistled innocently.
"She's right. Carelessness is your own fault."
The genie chimed in.
"Exactly! Trying to weasel out now that you're losing? Too late."
"Tch...! Just start the next game."
"Okay. But first."
Lia hopped over the table and sat on Lena's lap.
"Wh-What are you doing?!"
"My legs hurt from standing so long. Sitting's not against the rules, right?"
"Y-You could sit somewhere else."
"Why? Don't you like me on your lap, Lena?"
Lia asked with a crestfallen look.
"I-It's not that I hate it..."
"Then it's fine. Let's start."
Lia pressed right up against Lena and began shuffling, stone under cup.
Her plump, soft ass ground against Lena's thighs.
And with every motion, her massive breasts jiggled hugely in Lena's peripheral vision, asserting their presence.
Realizing Lia was exaggerating her movements to distract her, Lena desperately focused on the cups.
"Lena."
Lia spoke while shuffling.
Lena ignored her.
"Won't you massage my breasts?"
But the next words hit too hard.
"What are you saying?! Here of all places...!"
"But they've been cramped in this outfit forever. If you really hate it, oh well. Guess I'll ask someone else. Who should it be?"
Lia tapped her lip and scanned the onlookers.
"Fine. I'll do it!"
Lena reluctantly agreed.
"Thanks. I love you so much, Lena."
Lia looked up and smiled radiantly.
For a moment, Lena's mind went mushy, nearly losing her grip on reason.
She barely clung on and replied with a prim expression.
"You're just saying that to distract me anyway."
"Nope. It's real. Though I can't forgive your defiance toward Lord Genie."
"Real, huh..."
Lena muttered, cheeks reddening.
"Hehe! Opening spotted!"
Meanwhile, Lia shuffled wildly.
Lena startled—"Ah!"—and refocused on the cups.
"So when are you gonna touch them?"
"Right now."
Lena reached out tentatively and began kneading Lia's breasts.
Especially the nipples.
"Ah♥ Hnng...♥"
Lia let out a delicate sigh, her ass twitching.
Lena's heart raced in response; she fidgeted her thighs anxiously.
She felt herself getting wet down there.
Amid it all, Lena noticed Lia's hands slowing briefly when she felt pleasure.
Maybe I can use that against her.
With that thought, Lena targeted Lia's hardened nipples relentlessly.
"Hyah...♥ Ah...♥ Ahn...♥ Lena... your hands are so naughty...♥"
"Isn't this what you wanted?"
"Yes♥ Hehe♥ Lena♥ Can I have a kiss?"
Lia turned, rubbing her cheek against Lena's neck and whining cutely.
Lena was already so aroused her pussy was soaked and sticky, making the request tempting, but she resisted.
"Once we get out of here together, I'll do it as much as you want until you say stop."
"That'll never happen. Dummy♥"
Lia teased reproachfully, then pecked Lena's cheek.
"Guess now."
The sudden kiss broke Lena's focus for an instant, but this time she was confident.
She hadn't lost track of the cups despite the relentless interference.
She even caught the one teleport midway.
"Left."
"Sure about that?"
"Positive."
Lena replied assuredly. Lia smiled silently and leisurely lifted the cup.
No stone inside.
"Wrong."
"Wh-Why?! It definitely teleported there...!"
"Memory stone teleports max three times. I did one more at the end."
Lia said, lifting the right cup.
The stone was there.
"When...?!"
Lena realized too late after speaking.
The cheek kiss.
If she missed anything, that was it.
"That's three wins for me. Three losses for you, Lena. Lord Genie's victory."
Lia declared triumphantly with a smug grin.