Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: The Forbidden Spell
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With my toast concluded, the banquet seemed to wrap up nicely in a bright and cheerful atmosphere for everyone.
But why was that dragon over in the corner staring so intently at me?
During the banquet, the dragon had vanished before I could greet it, and since it was my first time seeing a real one, I approached.
The dragon looked at me, smirked, and said—
"We'll keep working toward a good relationship going forward."
—before disappearing.
Just as I was about to ponder the identity of this mysterious dragon.
"Lord Balrak, what are you doing standing there in a daze?"
"Oh, Belesa. Do you happen to know who that dragon over there was?"
"Lord Zarkan?"
So the dragon's name was Zarkan.
And on top of that, it was the head of the dungeon merchant faction?!
Did that mean the fantasy tales about dragons controlling the world's economy were true!!
Ah... so that's why the currency is called Abyssal 'Coins.'
A truly visible hand.
Darn, if I'd known the dragon held that kind of position, I should've approached sooner.
Still, with two days left until the official gathering ends, I'd probably get another chance to meet.
Afterward, while chatting idly with the succubus and looking for my younger brother, I ran into the youngest, dead drunk, and the second brother supporting him.
"Groooan..."
"The maknae is completely gone."
"Orek doesn't know his own limits when it comes to drinking."
"Sigh, can't be helped."
He'd said this was his first time drinking in my dungeon, after all.
Plus, I could circulate a strange energy through my body to instantly sober up from alcohol.
Ferguson had a healing factor, making it extremely hard for him to get drunk, but Orek was a pitiful guy without such powers.
"Looks like nighttime strolls together are off the table."
"Brother Balrak, why not ask the servants here for a magic scroll or potion to cure status ailments?"
"No, absolutely do not do that."
"Yes...? Ah, I get it."
As expected, the second brother was quick on the uptake.
Normally, you have to get blackout drunk like this and experience hell the next day to learn your limits.
So, little bro... sorry in advance.
"Uh... Lord Balrak, are you planning to wander around at night by any chance?"
"I was walking the main streets during the day, and the city's scenery was pretty nice. Thought I'd sightsee."
"Huh? What about sleep?"
"It's like inside a dungeon here—fatigue doesn't really build up, so why bother?"
"Wait, no way... Lord Balrak, you haven't slept a single time since entering the dungeon?!"
When I nodded, the succubus looked shocked.
Well... I could force myself to sleep, of course.
But with constant interruptions.
Isn't it better to train or manage the dungeon than waste time?
The succubus, however, gave me a stern warning.
"This time, I strongly recommend you force yourself to get some sleep. You're a race that originally has a need for sleep among your desires, right? Skipping proper rest like deep sleep could cause issues with your body."
"Thanks for the good advice."
She had a point.
Since this gathering lasts three days, it wouldn't hurt to catch some Z's.
With my brothers found, we headed to our assigned quarters, but the succubus helped us out again.
"You don't need to go this far..."
"Ahahaha... I do it because I want to. Oh, and you were looking for Karian earlier during the day, right? He should be arriving here soon."
"Do you know why that guy's so late?"
"Actually, Karian did enter the city during the day. But there was an issue with Sky Island, so he rushed back there."
"To the mini-dungeon?"
"His friends went overboard with the bombing on Sky Island... He's gone to clean it up."
Ah, bombings are unavoidable.
As long as the mini-dungeon gets restored, I don't really care.
Since he'd come later, we could tour the city together then.
We parted ways with the succubus soon after and tossed the maknae into his assigned private room.
The second brother and I decided to rest in our own assigned rooms.
But these rooms...
Shower rooms, bathtubs, and the like—items straight out of my previous life's modern era, all turned into magic tools.
Well... since the city itself was made by the dungeon merchant faction, this level of tech made sense.
Nothing left to do now!
I took a break for the first time in nearly a year.
************
For the first time in ages, I stored my armor in my subspace bracelet and showered.
The power enchanted on the armor automatically kept my body clean, sure.
But washing directly like this felt entirely different.
No TV or phone here, though.
To kill time, I meditated lightly and closed my eyes for a bit.
Not long after.
Knock knock knock!!
"Lord Balrak, it's Karian."
Time flew by already?
Just as the succubus said, Karian had come.
I opened the door, and there stood the succubus I'd just parted with and Karian.
"Lord Balrak, I'm truly sorry for being late."
"It's fine. It was work-related, right?"
"Hahaha... thank you. By the way, it's my first time seeing you without your armor, but why aren't you wearing a shirt?"
"No clothes."
"Ah..."
Right! I'm basically only in armor!
I'd come to this official gathering assuming deadly schemes and mind games among dungeon bosses!
But this atmosphere...
Anyway, I was standing there shirtless in just shorts when the succubus's reaction was weird.
"........."
"Belesa?"
"........."
The succubus in front of me froze like stone, her eyes and pupils dilating massively.
Her pupils were even shifting into snake-like slits!!
Is this okay? As I tried to say something.
The succubus suddenly smiled brightly and spoke.
"Karian, I'll be right back—going somewhere for a sec."
"Y-Yes... yes!!"
She walked off briskly as if nothing was wrong.
Uh... did I do something wrong?
And why did the succubus come here again?
I asked the still-stiff Karian what was up.
"I heard you and Mr. Ferguson were planning to tour the night streets. So..."
To prevent subrace women from swarming us?
When I looked confused, Karian sighed.
"Lord Balrak, never... never overestimate the patience of the various subrace women out there. Especially with all-female races—you'll see things beyond imagination."
His story reminded me of when I first entered the city.
Among them, when I waved at the lamias—women with snake lower bodies...
Oh boy.
And Karian's additional tales were even more shocking.
"They really dash at you like that right in the middle of the city?"
"Plenty get arrested for public indecency even now."
"Wow."
Am I actually a super conservative guy?
Anyway, Karian suggested waiting for the succubus to return, so I put my armor back on and chatted idly with him.
****************
While the three men enjoyed their lively chat.
Belesa...
"Hnng..."
Having moved far from Balrak's room, she leaned against the wall, her legs trembling uncontrollably.
On top of that, her mind destabilized by 'a certain event,' the surrounding space began to warp.
With anomalies occurring in the fortress, the succubi serving as cleaning maids mobilized to find the cause.
They discovered Belesa, her face flushed bright red.
"Queen?!"
"What in the world happened?!"
"F-First, to an empty room—"
Soon, in an unoccupied room, the succubi tended to Belesa with utmost care.
But sadly, they were dream-dwellers, and Belesa was a demigod who controlled those dreams.
The succubi were swiftly swallowed into Belesa's dream—that is, her delusion.
Pew~!
"""Eh...?"""
They suddenly found themselves in a pure white space, with a man bearing black horns standing before them.
A rugged, wild-horse-like handsome man.
Ferocious aura.
Jet-black hair and eyes.
Near-perfect muscles.
A massive physique.
One might call it thug-like.
But his confident smile screamed 'man.'
As the succubi's faces turned red in that moment.
The man grabbed their horns and—
Oh my.
Belesa must really like it hard.
With the succubi retiring, Belesa realized this wouldn't do and, despite her fading mind, hurriedly pressed the emergency call button.
Squeeeze!!!
Soon after, her reliable backup arrived.
The true ancestor who looked like a young girl, Serena.
"Belesa! What the... huh?"
Serena, being of near-equal status to Belesa, wasn't pulled into her delusion.
So in the empty room, she saw the women collapsed on the floor—
"H-Horns aren't handles..."
Better not look closer.
Anyway, while the succubi drooled on the floor, Serena approached the wall-leaning Belesa to ask what happened.
But Belesa wasn't in her right mind either.
First, they had to stop her rampaging delusion.
In the end, Serena whispered the forbidden spell Belesa had once requested right in her ear.
"Auntie."
"Cough?!"
Her delusion cracked like it had been smashed by a giant iron ball.
But the dream was still sturdy, so Serena whispered more.
"Non-virgin."
"Keuk?!"
"Slut."
"Cough!"
"Number one woman Bycon loves the most."
"Grrrr?!"
"Dirty past bitch."
"Ugh!!"
"Second youth my ass, stop being so pathetic—"
"Aaaah!!"
Sprang up!!
"Hey!! You done talking?!"
"Oh, you're back to your senses."
"What was... huh?"
Thanks to Serena's extreme remedy, Belesa snapped to full awareness and realized what she'd done.
"""Hnnng......"""
The succubi trapped in Belesa's dream wore blissful faces, all fatigue gone, as they slept soundly.