45. This is all because of the demonic arts
45. This is all because of the demonic arts
A corridor where golden ornate arches stretched on endlessly.
Sunlight poured through the stained glass, adding color to the artworks.
The Gongnyeo walked down the corridor with an impassive expression, her eyes unblinded by the dazzling light.
-Ttak ttak ttak ttak
Soon after, the Gongnyeo arrived in front of a lavish door.
The knights standing guard at the door gave her body a quick pat-down search before lightly knocking on the door.
-Ttok ttok
"Crown Princess, Hilda Ein Bellatus Gongnyeo requests an audience."
From inside the room, a faint bell rang once.
-Dllang...
As the knights bowed their heads and opened the door, a wave of incense scent rushed out.
A smell that would make anyone grimace, but the Gongnyeo approached the bedside as if accustomed to it.
The Gongnyeo bowed her head to the woman lying on the bed.
"Great Empire's..."
"Cut the crap, Hilda. What did Father say?"
Crown Princess Elaine Marshal Luperideon smiled bitterly.
Faded light purple hair, a face drained of blood.
Yet her purple eyes shone brilliantly, gazing at something.
Seeing the Crown Princess like that, the Gongnyeo said impassively.
"He said the empire's future is dark. And he praised the 2nd Imperial Princess too."
The Crown Princess tapped her lips a few times with her finger.
-Ttok ttok...
"Hmm, assassins will be coming soon then. Could you leak the knights I gave you last time? The 3rd Prince's drug scandal, that one."
"The imperial family will suffer heavy damage too."
"Better than dying, right? Or hide me somewhere. How about Labyrinth City?"
The Gongnyeo thought of the recently noisy internal affairs, closed her eyes briefly, then opened them.
"I'll post the article by the end of today."
"Hoo?"
The Crown Princess saw the unusually compliant Gongnyeo and grinned mischievously.
"Hmm... something happened, huh? Business? Politics? ... Family issue!"
At the uncanny ability, the Gongnyeo replied expressionlessly.
"...No."
"The Duke? Your sibling? Marriage? Hmm? Complicated... Huh? Did you find a spy?"
The Gongnyeo, unable to bear it anymore, furrowed her brow and growled.
"Enough, Elaine."
The Crown Princess finally laughed, satisfied with the sight.
"Kyarruk! Now it's getting interesting. My head already hurts, and being summoned by the imperial family pissed you off big time, huh?"
"If you know that, send me back already?"
"But you came anyway, so you've sorted things out to some extent, right?"
The Gongnyeo wanted to hurl her glove at the Crown Princess's face for always hitting the nail on the head.
Treasonous urges surged wildly, but she held back and nodded.
"Yeah."
It didn't matter to the Crown Princess whether it was curt or flowery.
Because she read people's minds like a ghost.
"Hit a patient like me? Don't just get pissy—tell me some outside stories. Lying here all day is boring me to death."
"..."
The Gongnyeo furrowed her brow slightly at the Crown Princess's playful words.
Seeing her one and only friend reduced to this by illness just made her chest tighten.
But the Crown Princess laughed playfully, as if hating this atmosphere.
"Puhahat! Look at that face! Did someone die? It's just my limbs feeling weak—don't worry~"
The Gongnyeo, whose ability to assess bodies was top-notch, furrowed her brows.
"It's not just that, is it? Your heart is being squeezed by..."
"Hilda..."
At the quiet voice of the Crown Princess, the Gongnyeo clamped her mouth shut.
"I'm fine. Thanks."
"...Yeah."
"So tell me something fun! Have you found that talent you've been desperately searching for?"
For a moment, Ryu-o popped into the Gongnyeo's mind.
A rookie with no rough edges in personality and showing tremendous skill.
Recalling the miracle he caused, the Gongnyeo's lips curved faintly.
The Crown Princess wouldn't miss that tiny change.
Seeing the Gongnyeo's expression, the Crown Princess shuddered.
"Heek! Hilda... smiled? Crazy... who is that guy?"
The Gongnyeo felt an inexplicable irritation and furrowed her brows.
"No such person."
"Tell me, and I'll give you the latest dirt on the 2nd Imperial Princess's weakness—deal?"
The Gongnyeo's ears perked up; she sighed and opened her mouth.
"A little while ago, my idiot little sister ran away from home..."
The Crown Princess's expression changed by the second, her eyes sparkling...
"Oh..."
Seeing the Crown Princess's complexion improve, the Gongnyeo's unease grew even more.
"The Subspace... is full..."
Master bowed her head, looking ashamed.
Too lazy to take it out and move it again, we decided to leave half here.
"I'll stop by the Guild soon."
"Yes... sorry for the trouble."
After handing back the items in hand, I nodded.
"Thanks for today. Thanks to you, I got out safely."
It was true I got out safely thanks to Master, so I expressed my gratitude.
But Master seemed to interpret it differently.
"Safely... Hee... Thank you, Ryu-o-nim."
Just as I felt like I'd unintentionally made her feel bad and tried to explain...
-Pick...
"Huh? Huh huh?"
Master, whose head had been floating around disembodied, turned into a naked girl wrapped in a thin cloth.
Master panicked at her own appearance.
"Ryu-o-nim! If it's not too much trouble, could I borrow some simple clothes? If I get caught with the Banshee's Cloak, my reputation is done for..."
"Wait! Shh! Shh! I got it, so calm down."
I placed a hand on Master's shoulder as she trembled and looked around.
"Haht...♥"
"...?"
"Ahem! Ahem! S-sorry. Q-quickly, please..."
"Ah, yeah..."
I pulled out spare clothes from the Subspace and handed them over.
Master looked around once more, then flung off the cloak dramatically.
'?!? What the—why do women here strip like it's nothing...'
I couldn't figure out why all the women here stripped so casually.
I'd already felt the texture all over my body, but getting hit with another sneak attack like this.
I quickly took the cloak and turned away.
-Busureok busureok
Suddenly, I grew afraid of Mago's side effects.
Master's body, now stuck in my head, wouldn't leave.
A perfectly fleshy body, breasts overflowing like they might spill.
The soft, sticky thighs that wrapped my waist, and the plump, moist mound automatically drew themselves in my mind.
'This won't do. I need to train harder in Mago.'
I'd planned to go home today and practice new abilities...
Looks like I need to visit Cheon Hwa-ryeong after all.
"Phew, thank you, Ryu-o-nim..."
Turning back, I saw Master, relieved in the loose clothes.
When I handed over the cloak, she took out one item from the Subspace and handed it back to me.
"Um... no space..."
"Ah, yeah..."
My first impression of Master wasn't bad.
Polite, efficient with work—like a reliable career woman...
But seeing her blush in such a disheveled state in front of me, what can I say?
'She's got a bit of a ditzy side.'
Thought she was cool-headed, but she's soft-hearted; thought she was thorough, but she's scatterbrained.
"Kuk kuk..."
"Huh...?"
Master saw me laughing, her face paling as she bowed deeply.
"Sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen..."
Ah, my mistake. She thinks I'm mocking her.
"No, Master! It happens. I just thought you were cute, that's why I laughed."
Master snapped her head up at my words, her lips trembling.
"Huh? Just now... c-cute? Me? After showing you all that unseemly stuff..."
"Unseemly?"
Master said, eyes glistening with tears.
"Um... my body is kinda... the type men hate, right?"
??????
This was pure bullshit.
"What are you talking about? Men hate it? I actually..."
Mid-sentence, Master looked up at me with moist eyes.
"Actually...? Come to think of it..."
We were probably thinking the same thing.
The embarrassing memory of our parts rubbing together...
Master's face flushed like it might burst, and mine did too.
The mood turned weird.
The kind of atmosphere I'd learned living with Master... where one glance and we'd pounce on each other.
I was certain.
'I'm crazy.'
It felt like I was in heat.
Just touching would make things stir down there.
I squeezed my eyes shut and yelled.
"I have urgent business—gotta go!"
"Ah..."
I didn't see Master rubbing her thighs together, sniffing my clothes.
I thought I'd be happy just with Master.
Master, who accepted me over and over.
My loving wife.
But my weak will and this healthy body that won't listen are pushing me into the swamp.
Before coming to Labyrinth City, it wasn't this bad.
I'm no stud horse, but getting hard every day like this.
Is it because of the Slime Body?
The Orc's blood?
Or maybe because every woman I meet in Labyrinth City is too damn pretty.
Glamorous beauties I'd never see even in dreams, showing interest in me.
In my old world, I was just an orphan, a toy without backstory, an easy human.
Might sound arrogant, but the world feels too easy now...
Someone envies me. Someone shows me affection. Someone loves me.
Honestly, it makes me so damn happy.
Feels like getting rewarded for my hard work.
The visible stats are great, and so are the comrades hyping me up as amazing.
Confidence is overflowing.
'Omnipotence! Mago! It's all Mago's fault.'
I sprinted full speed to Cheon Hwa-ryeong's house.
To shake off the sensation floating in my head.
"Huff! Huff! Noona!"
I reached for the door, but...
-Dreureuk! Kwang!
The door opened on its own.
"..."
Cheon Hwa-ryeong, standing naked behind the door, said.
"Come in."