Chapter 88
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 88
Chapter Title: 20. The Second Major Commission (4)
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Beautiful sunset hues painted the lakeside.
Allen, who had spread out a mat on the grass and was leisurely taking in the lake view, glanced at the woman who slyly scooted right up next to him.
The 10th squad leader, Viola.
A seductive smile, uncharacteristic of her, played across her face flushed pink in the orange glow of the sunset. Her neat and modest attire had somehow become loose and disheveled. ...Just like lovers would.
......No, we are lovers.
Viola tugged Allen's shirt toward her, as if desperately craving a kiss. He let himself be pulled in without resistance, sucking stickily on those plump lips.
The light kiss grew deeper and more intense, soon turning lewd and ravenous. He yanked open her top and kneaded those luscious breasts like they were his to claim.
"Aiy, you little rascal..."
Viola laughed seductively before eventually stripping off every last piece of clothing, leaving herself fully nude. Allen wasted no time shedding his own clothes and flopping back onto the mat.
His massive cock sprang up rigidly. He presented his prized possession to her, as if to say, do whatever you want with it.
Heh heh.
Squad leader Viola chuckled lewdly as she slipped between Allen's legs, dragging her tongue thickly from his balls all the way to the tip of his cock. ...An act so filthy it was impossible to imagine from that noble, chaste woman.
With a sultry smile in her eyes, she engulfed the entire shaft in one go and began a slow, sticky caress.
"Feels so good—."
It was pure bliss, like his cock was being vacuumed right in.
And right when he wanted to unload deep inside her like that, Viola suddenly spat out his cock and stood up.
Her sleek, perfectly toned body—without a single ounce of excess fat—was truly magnificent. He figured she'd climb on top, but instead, she slowly wandered off somewhere else.
"...Sis, where're you going?"
"Let's go somewhere even better. Come on."
"Where?"
Viola leaned lightly against a tree, fully nude, laughing alluringly as she kept tempting Allen to follow her somewhere.
"You'll see if you come along. Hurry up..."
Where the hell does she want to go?
......And in that instant, a chill ran down Allen's spine.
Why was he here? And why was squad leader Viola so insistent on dragging him somewhere?
Something crucial was slipping his mind. Leader Allen groaned, racking his brain to remember what it was.
- Don't forget your duty. Just don't forget your duty.
Duty.
The duty he must never forget.
...Money.
To make money, he had to complete the mission.
Mission means money.
Don't forget.
Money is everything.
Allen jolted awake.
Ah—.
The beautiful lakeside and nude Viola had vanished, replaced by a pitch-black night sky. ...And his cock was throbbing furiously, standing at full attention.
He let out a short groan—"Ugh"—and sat up.
This marked the second time already.
Starting from the night four days out from Vermandua, Allen had been tempted by the siren's song every time he slept. He'd carried holy relics just in case, but with his abysmal intelligence and magic stats, they were useless.
Still, escaping twice through sheer willpower before fully succumbing was impressive.
Honestly, part of him desperately wanted to follow......but right now, money trumped sex.
Money's power prevails—!
The skinny gigolo-like squad leader Allen could shake it off, but the burly mercenaries—who could probably crush monsters barehanded—were helpless, dancing to her tune. Mental fortitude clearly didn't scale with muscle mass.
Allen gave up on more sleep and plopped down next to Gis, the hairy guy on watch. The prankster immediately flashed a sleazy grin and cracked a joke.
"Suuuup, I prefer a big, beefy warrior babe—. This charm magic's a total letdown."
The two men chuckled lowly.
After some idle banter, the sky began to lighten. Having pulled an all-nighter to greet the dawn, Allen roused the squad for an early breakfast.
Once the meal was done, the seven squad leaders gathered for their morning briefing. There, Allen proposed a schedule change.
"I think we should flip day and night."
Siren song victims had been piling up since yesterday. A few leaders had been mulling the same idea and agreed on the spot. Sleeping soundly during the day—when black mana wasn't raging—was more efficient all around. Plus, everyone watching each other beat solo night watches.
The proposal passed unanimously. They'd push hard till noon, then sleep till sunset.
Allen relayed the decision to his squad upon returning from the meeting, and they nodded in approval. The guys especially looked pale and drained from all those erotic dreams sucking the life out of them.
The group packed up camp and climbed back onto the wagons. Still no sign of people—or even birds.
Even in broad daylight, the air felt ominous and eerie. It might've been paranoia, but Allen never dismissed even minor hunches on a mission.
No assuming daytime meant total safety from charm magic. Accidents strike the moment you let your guard down. ...Best to relax a bit but stay prepared.
They marched until the horses were on the verge of collapse, then set camp as the sun hit its peak, rolling out mats again. Most had never flipped their schedule like this, but they weren't green enough to fumble it.
The squad filled up hearty, then crawled under wagons or draped cloths and hides over their faces before sprawling on the mats. Naturally, daytime watchmen were posted.
Mercenaries could sleep anywhere their head hit, so they were out cold in seconds. Allen, who'd barely slept for two days, conked out fast too.
......Luckily, no dreams this time.
The mercenaries woke in the late afternoon and scarfed down a simple dinner before departure. The leaders convened again to hash out the next steps.
Deputy leader Palmer—who was standing in for squad leader Viola—swept his gaze over the group and shared his thoughts.
"We're nearing the trouble spot, so walking from here seems best. Roads are too rough for wagons anyway."
"Agreed."
Just a day's walk to the demon realm now. No wagon could navigate the terrain ahead. Time to go on foot.
Problem was, the exact direction remained unknown.
One burly, muscle-bound mercenary leader spoke up.
"But without a precise bearing, what do we do?"
The clever mage leader floated an idea he'd been pondering.
"Just a thought, but...how about letting someone succumb to the devil's temptation and tail them?"
A few nodded, grasping his intent right away. Allen caught on too.
"So, follow whoever falls for it."
"Exactly. The devil or one of its minions has to be that way, right? ...We confirm the direction, then snap 'em out of it. Can't leave 'em too long."
"Solid plan."
Unanimous again. ...No better options anyway. Even the blind saintess, sensitive to auras, couldn't pinpoint it from this distance.
Thus, the mercenaries' march truly began. Darkness soon blanketed everything, with only silvery moonlight casting a hazy glow over the world.
Mages from each squad lit their staves, forming a line of seven bobbing lights.
It wasn't long before the first victim emerged. A hulking bald mercenary with a massive two-handed axe strapped to his back. Grinning like a drunken fool, mouth agape, he broke formation and shuffled off like a sleepwalker.
"Kuhuhu, knew that bastard'd be first—."
His squadmates snickered at the guy stumbling along dick-first like an idiot. Apparently, he'd fallen for the siren's magic multiple times already. ...Looked the type who loved it filthy.
The leaders confirmed the direction, then had him doused with holy water. The milestone first-timer snapped to.
Next was a female mercenary built like a brick house, rivaling the beefiest men. She even cooed "Allen oppaaaang~" in that sugary voice while trailing him.
Allen was already infamous among the women as the pretty-boy leader. The mercenaries shot him lecherous looks and snickered sleazily.
......Seemed Allen's cock was public domain in their fantasies.