Chapter 72

Translator: penny

Chapter: 71

Chapter Title: Grand Operation to Build a Force (3)

"K-Knight Captain...?"

"Yes!"

"Are you... scouting me right now...?"

The Lord of Hell and Queen of Demons, the Succubus Queen, stared blankly at Kairen for a long moment before pointing at herself with a dumbfounded expression.

"But Sis, are you strong?"

"Pardon? Ahaha..."

But when Kairen brushed it off as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and tossed the question back at her, the Succubus Queen burst into laughter for a moment.

"All the maids in the mansion are like daughters to me. Of course I am."

"Ooh."

"The title of Lord of Hell and Queen of Demons is only granted to the strongest demon, you know? Hehe..."

Just like that, she reverted to the arrogant expression she'd worn earlier, as if her fawning demeanor had never happened, and rose from her seat, her tail swishing playfully.

"With that in mind, I'm afraid I can't grant the young master's request."

"Pardon?"

"Sure, I'm a vassal in Belverk terms, but I'm still a lord in my own right."

She slowly circled around Kairen, who stood before her, whispering in a languid voice, then suddenly halted her steps.

"I can't stand the idea of serving under someone."

She murmured it so softly that only Kairen could hear, lifting her eyes in a seductive gaze.

"Instead of such a strange request, I can grant any other wish you have."

"......"

"Is it because you're still too young? My pheromones aren't working. Oh my, how innocent."

She gently stroked Kairen's head, then suddenly pointed behind her.

"Ugh..."

"Kuh..."

Lady Sigrinne and Lady Artel, their faces flushed red, were standing unsteadily, breathing heavily.

"See? Even the ladies are swooning."

"...?"

"Hehe, too little knowledge can be a problem. What if you turn into a boring man because of it?"

The Succubus Queen brushed past Kairen, trailing a sweet scent, her swishing tail teasing his chin as she whispered once more.

"Hey, want Sis to teach you something fun?"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

At first, the situation had been so urgent that she'd been distracted, but now the Succubus Queen had fully regained her composure.

"That fox girl..."

"Stop it, Lilien."

"B-But..."

"Of course, if we help, the situation would resolve easily."

Meanwhile, Lilien, grinding her teeth at the outrageous sight, reached for a knife in her bosom, but Uriel quietly shook her head, stopping her.

"But if we do that, it won't be a force built by Kairen's own power, will it?"

"W-What's wrong with that..."

"To become the head of Belverk, you have to seize your own faction with your own strength."

Uriel's sharp words hit home, and Lilien's eyes flashed with murderous intent for a moment before she bit her lip and looked away.

"...Tch."

She was furious enough to momentarily forget her fear of Uriel, but since she couldn't refute it, Lilien could do nothing.

"She reminds me of the Crown Prince somehow..."

"Pardon?"

"...Schwarz."

At that moment, Kairen, who had been giving the Succubus Queen a somewhat wary glance, quietly called for Schwarz.

"Yes, Young Master."

"I need that right now..."

"...Understood."

Schwarz appeared at his call, listened intently, then melted into the shadows and vanished upon receiving the order.

"Oh my, it's been a while, Schwarz."

"You know Schwarz?"

"I'm the Queen of Demons and their mother, remember?"

The Succubus Queen watched with interest, then suddenly stepped closer to Kairen.

- Sniff sniff...

Like Schwarz, she thrust her face right up to his nose and began sniffing carefully.

"That's weird. Why does she still smell pure when she's your personal maid...?"

Kairen tilted his head at her muttering, teasing his back with her tail in a mocking expression, and asked innocently.

"Pure smell?"

"The scent of purity and innocence."

"Huh?"

"And it's my favorite."

At the same time, her pupils turned pink, as if hearts were floating in them.

"Because..."

"Like this?"

"...Hm?"

Just as her tail slid down Kairen's back toward lower places, Kairen suddenly held something out to her.

- Tzzzz...

She unconsciously took it, then tilted her head at the stone rapidly turning white in her hand.

"What's this?"

"Hold on, let me see your ear..."

"...?"

At Kairen's request, she lowered her posture with a curious expression.

"It's the purity-measuring stone that Marquis Magnaris gave as a gift, which Schwarz just handed over."

"...Magnaris?"

Her expression turned icy cold at the unforgettable name.

"Why is that bitch still alive...? No, wait."

"......"

"What did you just say?"

Realizing the meaning of Kairen's words belatedly, the Succubus Queen blankly asked again.

"You don't seem to understand, so let me explain again."

"......"

"This black stone measures purity based on how white it turns when touched..."

Before Kairen could finish, the Succubus Queen, pale-faced, hurriedly covered his mouth.

"A-Ahaha. Why bring out such a toy all of a sudden..."

"...Mmph."

"S-Sorry."

But when Kairen dropped his innocent expression and gave her a cold glare, she flinched, slowly removed her hand, and bowed her head quickly.

"Aren't you the Succubus Queen?"

"......"

"And the mother of all demons...? That's strange. Why did the purity stone turn white?"

Her cold sweat beaded up more with each word from Kairen.

"Sis, what's your real identity?"

She had realized it the moment she touched the purity stone.

"Um..."

She was no longer just the president of a mere subcontracting firm.

"Sh-Should I go up to the office and report right now?"

From today, she was the female president whose weakness had been seized by the young master treasured by the chairman of the major corporation's prime contractor.

"Then, looking forward to working with you, Fifth Knight Captain Sis!"

"...Yes."

After groveling several more times, the Succubus Queen accepted my conditions with dead eyes and dragged her heavy steps toward Mother's office.

It's been a while since the system tag analysis proved this useful?

And in the first place, when succubi are demon kings or archdemons, they might actually lack experience... It's not a romance fantasy cliché, but it was a common trope in the creative works I read in my previous life.

And in those cases, they consider their purity the most humiliating weakness. That's a cliché too.

But how can a mother be pure? Do demons reproduce asexually or something?

'Alright, now then...'

Anyway, having profited from my previous life's knowledge rather than my romance fantasy reader expertise for once, I felt quite satisfied and moved to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Suddenly, Lady Sigrinne blocked my path.

"The duel hasn't been settled yet."

"...Right. We can't end it like this."

Lady Artel, who had been quietly watching, hurriedly stepped in front of me as well.

"Uh, um..."

They were still breathing raggedly with dazed eyes from the lingering effects of the Succubus Queen's pheromones, but surprisingly, both seemed to have regained some rationality.

'This is a problem...'

As expected of heirs from meritorious houses, their physical abilities weren't the only thing exceptional—their mental fortitude was too.

I'd planned to mediate the fight using the Succubus Queen's pheromones as an excuse, so this was awkward.

"But we have no intention of fighting among ourselves."

"Pardon?"

"Fighting like this would just play into your plan."

But somehow, the conversation was veering strangely.

"In ancient myths, a scoundrel offered a golden apple to three goddesses, leading to catastrophe."

"......"

"You know you're in a similar situation, right?"

Lady Sigrinne pressed me with a cold expression as cold as her breath, recalling a vaguely familiar myth from my previous life that made me break into a sweat.

"If one of us wins and joins the knight order alone, how do you think the other two houses will react?"

"That is..."

"Anyone who's studied imperial history as a successor knows a small spark like this can seed civil war."

Honestly, I had nothing to say.

No matter how it happened, I'd pitted them against each other with petty tricks for my own gain.

"So, I propose the cleanest resolution."

Thus, I was willing to accept Lady Sigrinne's compromise.

"Lady Artel and I each land one strike on you. The one who lands the strongest wins."

"Uh..."

"Lady Lanya, who's unconscious, is automatically eliminated."

But the condition she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠proposed was chilling.

"But why me...?"

"The duel started in passion, but ultimately it's to select the strongest for the knight order, right?"

My instincts were screaming to apologize and flee now.

"Then we should have a chance to evaluate our lord too."

"......"

"A lord must withstand a subordinate's strike effortlessly. I have no hobby of serving someone weaker than me."

But Sigrinne's words had logic, and my reason, thirsty for expanding my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠influence, held me back.

"Of course, this is Belverk territory, so the choice is yours as a Belverk."

Standing there blankly, she finished politely in noble fashion and bowed.

"However, if you refuse, we'll decline joining the knight order."

But her eyes, peering up slightly, remained cold.

"I have no objections either."

Lady Artel, quietly maintaining her sword beside Sigrinne, agreed.

'I knew a situation like this would come eventually.'

Opponents immune to the romance fantasy child-rearing protagonist's ultimate move. I figured it'd happen someday, but isn't it too soon...?

"...I'll agree."

Still, instead of backing down, I quietly nodded.

"I-I'm not out yet!"

"Ah."

"I-I just woke up...!"

At that moment, Lady Lanya staggered to her feet, stammering desperately to join the final test.

'No helping it now...'

Objectively, it was a hopeless situation with no chance of victory.

From overhearing Lilien Sis and Uriel Sis earlier, this time I had to escape the crisis on my own.

Fluffball was an option, but it wouldn't help much. The ladies' abilities were unique powers focused, while Fluffball was pure martial prowess.

'...No choice but to use it now.'

But a romance fantasy child-rearing protagonist always has a trump card ready.

It was the three-friends quest, barely completed by befriending the fake saint recently.

It seemed easy at first, but as a main quest, it was brutally hard.

And the friends were heavyweights: the Imperial Crown Prince, Belverk's second sister, and the framed saint.

So the reward should be leagues beyond that useless first question ticket?

Even if System Sis skimped, it should at least get me out of this pinch.

With that thought, I mentally claimed the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠quest, pushing aside regrets about extra rewards.

System messages rapidly appeared before me, stirring an inexplicable warmth in my chest.

Then, suddenly, my chest felt tight.

"...Guh?"

The next instant, excruciating pain surged through my heart.

"...Cough, cough."

I nearly vomited blood openly like at my birthday, but quickly knelt and bowed my head to hide it.

The next moment, a new-style system window appeared before me.

"Wow..."

I hurriedly pulled a handkerchief from my bosom to wipe the blood from my hand, then gaped blankly at what floated before me.

The names and abilities of everyone I'd helped with my unique powers were all listed there.

Apparently, I could now use the techniques of those I'd assisted through unique powers myself.

About five minutes later. Belverk temporary dueling grounds.

- Rumble rumble rumble...

As the final test began, Sigrinne aimed massive ice spears floating in the sky at Kairen all at once, then realized something and blankly looked up.

"...W-What is that?"

"Heavens..."

Lady Artel also looked up, gripping her sword hilt tightly and swallowing hard.

"M-Mother's here?"

"...No way."

Lilien and Uriel, watching quietly, paled and gazed at the sky.

"Mother's watching from the office right now..."

"Th-Then how is this possible...?"

Uriel glanced toward the office and muttered; Lilien forgot her polite speech and asked in her usual tone.

- Whoooosh...

What she saw were the massive ice spears, robbed of Sigrinne's control, floating aimlessly in the sky.

"Only Mother's unique power could do that, right?"

And as Lilien said, until recently, only Astridje on the entire continent could manage it.

Of course, not anymore.

'M-Me, actually the strongest?'

Kairen extended his hand skyward, levitating ice spears as thick as pillars, glancing around before muttering inwardly.

If not for the red warning flashing before his eyes, his mutter might have been true.

'...Huh?'