Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: Wise Dungeon Conquest (8)
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“Are you sure about this?”
“Yeah, it’s my magic, so it’s certain.”
The Succubus Queen suddenly offered her virginity, which startled me, but I quickly calmed down and started binding the surrendered succubi one by one.
With a spell called Mana Chains.
Of course, I had no idea how to use Mana Chains and relied entirely on Laura.
According to her, two hours was the limit, but the fact that she could restrain this many succubi for two hours showed just how skilled she was.
I couldn’t help but admire her anew.
“Move! Heh heh.”
“Eek!”
Laura, having tied up the succubi tight, picked up one of the whips they had decorated with for SM play and swung it with sharp cracks.
‘That doesn’t look like it hurts much.’
Since it was a whip made for sexual purposes, getting hit with it probably wouldn’t hurt.
But Laura, unaware of that fact, swung the whip at the succubi with an innocent smile.
It looked like she was venting the anger from having one more dark mark on her history because of them.
“Hyaak… Sorry!”
“Hyuuk…”
The succubi cleverly let out moans every time Laura swung the whip.
The acting was so realistic that if I hadn’t seen there were no marks on their skin, I would’ve mistaken it for real pain.
It really drove home how cunning a race they were.
“Hee hee hee!”
Pitiful Laura, oblivious to all this, swung the whip while letting out a mad cackle.
Succubi were clear enemies of humanity.
So, there was no need to feel guilty about whipping them.
But seeing that madness made Laura feel a bit scary.
I believe it.
You really are the villainous lady.
“Haak… I’m tired…”
“Let’s head up now, okay?”
“Yeah…”
True to her frail, exercise-averse mage nature, Laura tired out after just a few swings of the whip, so we headed for the newly appeared exit together.
Behind us trailed a line of succubi with their hands bound by mana chains.
That’s when the one who called herself the Succubus Queen, Nania, came trotting up.
“Um, Master?”
“Why would I be your master?”
“Uh… then, Husband…?”
“…”
Suddenly turned into a married man, I was at a loss for words and just stared blankly at Nania’s face.
Nania tilted her head, seemingly unaware of what mistake she’d made.
I wasn’t the only one who heard the “husband” remark—Laura stepped in for me.
“Hey, are you insane?”
Laura couldn’t hold back her temper and bared her teeth at Nania with a demon-like glare.
“Eek.”
Even with her hands bound tight, Nania somehow managed to hide behind me as a shield.
“Hey, slave. Come out.”
“Um, Lady? For now, shouldn’t we focus on getting out…?”
“No. I need to kill that bitch first.”
Laura seriously started gathering mana in her hand, looking ready to kill.
I let out a deep sigh and grabbed Laura’s hand.
Her hand was cold, probably from preparing the spell.
When I gripped both her hands firmly, Laura flinched and cut off her incantation.
“Lady, we can punish them plenty once we’re out anyway. So calm down here.”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…Fine…”
My earnest plea seemed to work, as Laura pocketed the whip in her hand and stepped away from the succubus.
‘She’s keeping the whip, huh…’
I gave Laura a strange look as she tucked the whip away.
Looks like she really took a liking to that whip.
I just hope she doesn’t swing it at me later.
Nania, who had been trembling and clutching my clothes from behind my back, let out a sigh of relief once Laura moved away.
“Thank you. Husband.”
“…”
Husband, really.
No matter how I racked my brain, I’d never agreed to marry Nania.
While firmly gripping the cute little horn of the spouting Nania, I said,
“Hey, why would I be your husband?”
The moment I grabbed her horn, Nania’s face flushed bright red, and she flailed around.
“Eek, um… horn… horns are hiiik.”
“Huh?”
“Horns… horns are sensitive… Husband…”
“Ah… s-sorry.”
When I let go of her horn, Nania let out a sigh of relief, still with a faint blush lingering.
“Um… my body is yours, Husband, but my horns are sensitive, so please be gentle.”
“…”
Nania reacted like a wife on her honeymoon, exhausted by her rough husband and urging him to hold back.
I had no idea what part of this had made this succubus think she was my wife.
I pressed Nania on it.
“Hey, succubus.”
“Yes, Husband.”
“No matter how I think back, I’ve never married you, right?”
“Right, we haven’t married yet.”
“Am I maybe your long-lost childhood friend? We promised to marry as kids, but for some reason you became a succubus and I lost my memories or something?”
I asked just in case, since that kind of plot shows up in novels sometimes.
Hearing me, the succubus giggled.
“Husband, you have such a vivid imagination.”
“No, I think you’re the one with the wild imagination. I have zero intention of marrying you.”
Nania’s face stiffened in confusion.
“What…? Then what kind of relationship do you want? If Master and Husband are no good… do you want me to call you Oppa?”
“What the…”
“I-I can be your little sister! Being your mom might be tough, though.”
This succubus was clearly under some serious delusion.
She seemed to think I’d naturally accept her, and the title was just a minor issue.
I had no clue where she got the confidence that I’d take her in.
“Hey, what makes you so sure I’d accept you?”
“No man… refuses a Succubus Queen’s virginity… right?”
“…I’m not interested.”
Truth be told, as a man, I was a little interested.
But I played it cool.
Laura was glaring daggers at me from behind right now.
“What…? You’re refusing my virginity…? You really won’t take me?”
“Yeah, planning to burn you at the stake or send you to the Church.”
“Eek.”
Nania’s face went pale.
No wonder she hadn’t run away.
She must’ve thought I’d naturally accept her surrender and stuck around.
Succubi really are dumb.
Looking like she’d taken a huge shock and frozen up, Nania’s lips trembled before she shrieked in realization.
“No wonder you have such strong holy power. They cut it off! That’s why you’re refusing me…!”
“…”
“Waaah… Gonna die to an eunuch… waaah.”
“Hey, it’s fully intact, okay? You’re a succubus—can’t you tell?”
Nania stared piercingly at my lower half, then tilted her head.
“Huh… it’s definitely there…”
“See? I’m not refusing because I’m a eunuch.”
“Th-then… no chance you’ll change your mind? I’ll be really good, I promise…”
Led by Nania, over a dozen succubi gazed at me with innocent eyes like lambs headed to slaughter.
Seeing that, my resolve weakened a bit.
So I dodged giving a firm answer.
“I’ll consult the expert first…”
For how to deal with these succubi, Rainy would have the clearest answer.
So I put off a definite decision on their fate.
***
Paaat!
Stepping out of the dungeon exit, fresh air filled my lungs.
It was dark outside—probably late at night.
‘No one’s waiting, I bet.’
In broad daylight, there might’ve been people waiting for us to emerge.
But a pitch-black mountain night was too dangerous, so they’d probably all pulled back.
“Lady!”
“Oh.”
My prediction missed the mark spectacularly, as Yumi came running up from afar, torch in hand.
Yumi must’ve been so worried about Laura’s safety that she chose to stay even at night.
Her loyalty was impressive.
“Mmm.”
Even the usually sharp-tongued Laura couldn’t stay cold to a delighted Yumi and patted the much taller girl’s back.
Seeing their emotional reunion made me a little jealous.
No one to welcome me…
So lonely…
‘Maybe I really should get married?’
Watching Laura and Yumi’s reunion with envy, feeling a desire to start a family.
“Hey, you made it?”
Rainy sauntered over, hands in her pockets.
Damn, I believed in you!
You were waiting for me too!
All those times I’d cleaned up after Rainy flashed before my eyes like a montage.
Looks like it wasn’t all for nothing.
I opened my arms for an emotional hug with my best friend Rainy.
“Huh, you want some of this too?”
Rainy smirked, set down the bottle in her hand, and—emotional hug…
Wait… bottle?
I strained my eyes in the dark to check the label on the bottle.
[Daven Grape Wine (5:1 Diluted)]
Seeing that label, my head cooled instantly.
We’d clearly promised no more drinking.
And the moment I was gone, she’d gone and touched booze again.
At least she picked the diluted stuff.
But still, she’d broken the promise.
“Saintess! We agreed no booze!”
“Huh?”
When I yelled, Rainy tilted her head, then spotted the bottle she’d set down and jumped in surprise.
“No good. You’re banned from meat and bread for a month too, and morning laps around the territory twice every day.”
“No, this really isn’t booze! It’s just in a bottle—it’s a drink. A drink!”
I’d heard alcoholics swear off booze but claim low-proof stuff is just a beverage and chug it.
Looks like Rainy was one of those.
This time, I’d have to punish her thoroughly so the thought of booze doesn’t even cross her mind.
***
Left abandoned all of a sudden, Succubus Queen Nania glanced around warily, hands bound in chains.
In the demon world where the strong ruled, a weak succubus survived by being quick on the uptake.
And what Nania was focused on was the relationship between Raden and Rainy.
‘Such immense holy power…’
Feeling the overwhelming holy power from Rainy, Nania realized she was a saintess.
A saintess and hero combo.
A solid couple, the power players in any hero party, right?
As a powerless, frail succubus, it was only natural to observe their relationship closely.
“No good. You’re banned from meat and bread for a month too, and morning laps around the territory twice every day.”
“No, this really isn’t booze! It’s just in a bottle—it’s a drink. A drink!”
They were the picture-perfect example of a booze-guzzling husband and his nagging wife.
Of course, genders swapped, but as a love expert succubus, Nania could tell they had a marital dynamic.
‘So, the saintess is the legal wife?’
Nania knew that though her marriage proposal was rejected, she’d be in the concubine position if anything.
Since ancient times, concubines survived by winning the legal wife’s favor.
Nania decided to figure out how to get in good with the saintess.
“I know alcoholics swear off booze but insist low-proof stuff is just a drink and guzzle it anyway. Are you like that too, Saintess?”
“No, this is so unfair.”
“Then let me see what’s in the bottle.”
“Huh…? I just finished it…”
“Destroying evidence! How can I trust you now…”
“Ah… no!”
Hmm…
Rainy looked more like the nagging wife and Raden the legal wife, but…
Nania pretended not to notice.