Chapter 38
Chapter 38
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Succubus Queen's Ambition
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The place where the unceasing, dazzling lights made even the night look like day—the Demon Realm's Nightmare Theater—was, contrary to its name, packed with people who looked exceedingly happy.
"Hmm... Have I been watching this film for too long...?"
Crunch, crunch.
Sitting sprawled in the best chair of the largest building in such a place, there was a being gazing at something being projected before its eyes.
"It was truly entertaining at first, you see. A pure love that transcends race and past grievances... As one born a succubus, it's something I cannot easily experience, so I savored it as much as I could."
Chewing freshly popped, savory popcorn, a woman with long, straight black hair watched listlessly as something played before her.
Her pupils were crimson like blood, and her pointed ears and fangs indicated she possessed the racial traits of a succubus.
"Lady Bellamora, is there something making you uncomfortable?"
Beside the black-haired woman, a shadowy, indistinct figure pouring champagne spoke with a respectful demeanor.
Half of where its head should be was missing, and it resembled a living flame of scattering black shadows.
They were beings who had sold their very souls to Bellamora, swearing lifelong subservience. Those who had sold their blood, dreams, and even lifespan for their desires, ultimately selling their own souls.
"...How many films remain in our domain right now? Only the highest quality love stories that would interest me. Yes, the kind ordinary people consistently call 'pure love.'"
To that shadow, Bellamora spoke while clapping her hands together. Her attitude was as relaxed as if she were dealing with a normal butler or employee.
"The lives of the audience members, you mean? Barely five, I'd say. We've been scraping together every human life that comes to our domain, but that genre is exceptionally rare."
The shadow receiving her question tilted its head, showing a gesture of counting on its fingers.
What Bellamora now called a 'film' referred to someone selling their life or memories to her in exchange for an ecstatic dream.
"As I thought, going out to find films directly is more vivid and enjoyable..."
Bellamora let out a deep sigh and pulled a small film reel from between her chest and jacket. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the object labeled 'Astal Caisaros.'
The abilities of the Succubus Queen, Bellamora Lyctis, were on a completely different level from those of ordinary dream demons.
Unlike lower-class dream demons who typically show illusory dreams and steal male vitality, she had no need for such troublesome methods.
Bellamora's ability allowed her to reprocess a person's memories or life into a form she desired, changing them into dreams or objects like this.
"Sigh... This man's life was so tantalizing I wanted to binge-watch it all at once someday... Why aren't films like this coming out lately?"
Bellamora slurped her drink, recalling the first time she encountered Astal. A mage with looks handsome enough for even a succubus like her to remark upon.
"When I saw the mage of this Hero's party, I felt excited enough to want to suck a man's vitality for the first time."
At that moment, Bellamora felt the sensation of her own heart lurching for the very first time.
The pounding, constricting throb in her chest—she could only then truly feel the existence of an organ called a heart within her own body.
"Men who look at me, the Succubus Queen, with genuine disgust or contempt are rare, you see. Even the most noble paladins usually have a hint of lust in their gaze..."
At first, she thought she must have been mistaken.
It was the first time someone didn't look at her with lustful eyes or covet her body, but purely wanted to kill her.
"Until then, I thought Hero parties were trash not even worth dealing with in my life... I'd like to see him again."
Bellamora let out a coquettish moan, expressing her regret. It was because she had never felt such an emotion in her hundreds of years of life.
How entertaining would it be to corrupt such a man with strong eyes and make him love and crave only her?
The reason Bellamora, a succubus, became obsessed with the genre of pure love was also due to this. She had long yearned for the love of ordinary couples.
Pure love—sacrificing one's life for another or grinding oneself down to save them—was something impossible for her race, who viewed sexual relations as mere sustenance.
"Astal Caisaros... You mean the famous Harmless Mage? I think I heard of him even in my human days."
"What is it? I surely drained all the necessary or interesting memories from your head."
"He was famously a genius back at the Magic Tower. The only guy who became a mage while working as a janitor because he couldn't even afford the registration fee."
Another shadow filling popcorn beside Bellamora suddenly spoke up, sharing what it knew about the name it heard.
"I know that story too. They say countless daughters of prestigious families proposed or confessed, but he never yielded, right?"
Even after hearing the story about Astal, she showed no particular reaction. It was information she had already obtained countless times while sifting through mages' memories.
"Yes. Magic is generally difficult to master unless blessed with innate talent or bloodline."
"Right. Those eyes are surely the blessing of the main god Odin. Those detestable gods, thinking of the man I've marked as a mere pawn..."
Bellamora crunched her popcorn as she spoke. As a follower of the Demon King, she had some inkling of the secrets the gods were hiding.
The eyes Astal possessed to see magical power were most likely something Odin offered to the Well of Wisdom.
Since the gods couldn't directly influence reality like this, they used indirect methods, you see.
"If it weren't for that lewd milk saint beside him, I wouldn't have needed to conduct reconnaissance first."
A saint possessing divine power was originally an existence antithetical to her.
Thinking of Victoria beside Astal, Bellamora clenched the hand holding the popcorn. The popped corn fragments shattered under her grip and scattered.
Breasts even more enormous than those of her, the Succubus Queen—enough to make a devout saint look like a harlot.
"Even if a saint is Lady Bellamora's natural enemy, was it truly necessary to go that far?"
"Since that woman might make advances on Sir Astal first, I needed to get to know him beforehand."
In response to the shadow's question, Bellamora smiled faintly while holding the sparkling film up to the light. It showed a young Astal crying in a burning village.
The reason Bellamora let the Hero's party go from the Demon Realm last time was precisely this—to peek into Astal's memories and learn what kind of life he had lived.
Only then could she devise a perfect plan on how to coax him and lure him into the snare of temptation.
"The perfect film starring Sir Astal that I envisioned is originally a pure love story of saving someone with a dark, gloomy childhood past and embracing each other's wounds, you see."
Bellamora let out a coquettish laugh, slightly twisting her hand to change the angle of the film she held.
Then, beside the image of Astal crying, the form of a young-looking black-haired girl stroking his head appeared.
"The fact that his parents were killed by demons... can be changed in a dream, right?"
She believed he would surely give her everything for such a wonderful dream. Humans inherently have hidden desires within.
She had seen parents selling their organs, even their children, to her because they wanted to keep dreaming such illusory dreams.
She judged that no one could easily escape her schemes.
"No matter how much that vulgar saint likes Sir Astal, she keeps acting all naggy with her lies..."
Bellamora could read the emotion Victoria harbored for him. It was clearly not disgust, but affection.
"...If she truly loves him, shouldn't she be honest with her feelings and confront them?"
Unlike her, Victoria couldn't be honest with her emotions due to her position as a saint or her life with a time limit.
That's why she saw Victoria, when Bellamora disguised as Astal confessed, faint from overwhelming joy.
"The dreams or memories of the other Hero party members would probably be tasty too, but true gourmet dining means partaking of the most delicious and precious thing, right?"
Bellamora licked her lips with her tongue and smiled.
How entertaining would the spectacle be if she made him dream a changed dream where the past that made him hate demons and monsters was altered, and he believed it was reality?
"...Astal Caisaros, the mage who doesn't believe in love. Someday, I will make you fall in love with me."
Just imagining it made pleasant emotions flow forth, and she couldn't control the corners of her mouth from rising.
"A most fitting statement!"
"Indeed! Lady Bellamora!"
"Glory to the endless dream! Eternity to the Nightmare Theater!"
The shadows, once human, screamed like madmen, crying and laughing.
"Then, I wish you all pleasant dreams for today as well. Everyone."
At Bellamora's words, the beings inside the theater who were also watching someone's life or memories all rose from their seats and gave a standing ovation.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ If there was something that changed after last night, it was Victoria's attitude towards me.
"Did you sleep well, Sir Astal?"
"......"
"Was last night peaceful? Hehe, I have a feeling you might have lost sleep..."
- Because I excited you, Sir Astal...
With a smug, triumphant expression, she looked at me and giggled.
The venom was gone from her attitude and tone. Normally, she would have started with something like, 'Perverted virgin mage, how are you?'
Victoria's attire was still just black lingerie with my robe draped precariously over it.
"Enough. Just give me back my robe already."
Faced with the sight resembling waves of alluring skin, I averted my gaze and spoke to her.
That robe was originally given to me directly by my master, so there couldn't possibly be a spare.
"You showed such a manly side to me last night... And now you have nothing to say?"
"What business do we have to discuss?"
"Well, didn't you say you dislike my venomous or lewd remarks?"
- When tempting you, it seems better not to use forceful or blatant methods anymore.
Victoria spoke while slipping off the robe right in front of me. She acted as if she were deliberately thrusting her chest forward to show me.
- Now that I know you react to me... Naturally...
Since I could hear exactly what Victoria was aiming for, I tried my hardest not to make eye contact.
"If you know, could you stop doing things like this?"
"Have you forgotten why we entered a contract relationship?"
Despite my request, Victoria showed no particular reaction, neatly folding the clothes and handing them to me. Seeing her bright smile gave me a constricting sensation in my chest.
"...It'll soon be the Succubus Queen's domain."
"Only a week has passed, yet it's already ending. What a pity. I was starting to find teasing you quite fun."
We would soon head to Bellamora Lyctis's land, the Nightmare Theater.
If we subdue her, this contract relationship that has been so troublesome for me will end, and Victoria and I will return to our original relationship.
"Do you like the idea of parting with me, or dislike it?"
"Who knows? Why don't you try guessing?"
- Even if we subdue the Succubus Queen, you won't be able to escape being my lover. I'll make sure of it.
Victoria smiled coyly and grinned at me, and for me, who could hear all her inner thoughts, nothing was more nerve-wracking than this.