Chapter 173
Chapter 173
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 173
Chapter Title: Erasure Squad -2
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"Crazy Wizard, first take them off... No, somewhere far away, no, just take them off first and then we'll talk."
"What are you even saying...?!"
This wasn't a joke. My chastity was truly in danger.
I could read the battle between instinct and reason in Pingbalrez's wide-open eyes. Her hand rose, then fell, over and over.
I could trace the path of that hesitation. She was thinking of tackling me down, then holding back. Pinning my limbs and tying me up, then holding back. I trembled at those menacing movements.
"Just calm down first, Pingbalrez. This is all because of my magic...!!"
"Calm down? In my opinion, it's not calm—it's heat."
"I said calm down!"
"Get heated."
Raw hunger shot toward me. And that... expression.
Seeing her trademark near-blank, listless face melt into a hazy look that screamed how badly she wanted me.
Thump.
In this dire situation... my shameless heart pounded hard.
"Did I ever tell you... that I like your eyes?"
"You didn't, but in this situation, you don't have to!"
"Show me your tongue."
"Why all of a sudden... No, never mind. I don't wanna hear it. Hmph."
I clamped my mouth shut.
All her previous temptations had always carried a playful edge. That's why I could draw a line and step back.
Even in moments when I might have crossed that line, I could hold onto my senses because it was just teasing. Because we were friends. Because it was casual banter without any deep emotions.
I needed to act.
Step. Step. Yuri Lanster drew closer.
I needed to stop her. The pheromones were already spreading, so I had to whip up a pheromone neutralizer and spray it. In the meantime, I could buy time using the Heavenly Demon.
That's what I should do.
"......"
My gaze...
Was I under some demonic eye? Was this a succubus's charm ability? My body froze like ice, refusing to move. Meeting that affectionate stare made my head spin like it was on fire.
Splat.
Pingbalrez's chest pressed against mine as she approached. I even held my breath.
No. Even if it came to that. Even if one early morning we woke up naked in the same bed. Not like this.
Something born from magically induced arousal... wouldn't amount to anything. It'd be like turning on a hypnosis app. Right. Yuri Lanster wouldn't want that either. She might even resent me.
...I whipped myself to move quickly, but...
One corner of my mind was considering alternatives. I—no, my high-performance brain—didn't create spells carelessly.
Inhaling a large dose of pheromones up close meant nose-deep proximity to my body. That's why I didn't want Yuri Lanster caught up in it.
And before the situation escalated, there had been plenty of distance between Pingbalrez and me. My spell would have had only a slight effect.
Which led to the same conclusion as that black mage's emotion amplification spell last time.
A magic circle amplifying just 1% of emotions had overflowed because she was barely holding back her lust.
So this seduction, too, could be interpreted as having an exaggerated effect because she was already susceptible. In other words, maybe...
Yuri Lanster actually had feelings for me—
"G-Get away from him, you crazy wizard! From Senior—!"
Kamanrez raised her voice and snatched up her whip. She'd been dazed watching her senior get seduced in real time, but now she snapped out of it.
For a brief moment, reason flickered back in both Yuri Lanster's and my eyes.
And we both judged instantly: If we missed this timing, we'd cross an irreversible line. We had to cut it off now!
"Molting, 'True Desire Binding'."
⟨ True Desire Binding ⟩
Clang—!!
With the sound of chains rattling, Yuri Lanster and I—who had been pressed tight together—were bound firmly side by side in iron shackles. It must have caught us both due to the close range. I could feel her voluptuous figure with my whole body, but that was irrelevant.
What was so strange about embracing and feeling each other's skin? It was only natural for people in the world to live arm in arm.
My mind grew serene and peaceful. Pingbalrez seemed to have found tranquility in the sage time provided by her Molting as well.
Kamanrez grunted and struggled to pry off the chains binding Pingbalrez and me.
"You bastard crazy wizard...!! Get away!"
We two, enlightened, soothed her in calm voices.
"Oh my, why such jealousy? We're merely sharing warmth."
"Indeed, Seris. Reacting so hypersensitively to mere contact is unbecoming. What meaning is there in the interactions of the material world? And it's none of your business anyway."
"...???"
"Whether I roll around with another man or not, you have no right to interfere, Seris. We're not a thing."
Ah, right.
The emotionless Pingbalrez was a fact machine, answering every question with brutal honesty.
"It's nice to see your familiar face after so long. But your excessive interest has always been uncomfortable since the old days. Looks like I have to voice my 37th rejection."
"Puuueeng...!!"
Kamanrez let out an elephant-like wail and burst into tears. Her crying was cuter than expected. Anyway, I figured that settled things. She'd been shot down right in front of me.
So I thought the wicked plot of the evil Kamanrez to steal Pingbalrez had been crushed. But learning there was a 37th meant there could be a 38th.
Once her tears stopped, Kamanrez straightened her clothes, smoothed her bangs to look prettier, and declared:
"Still, I like Senior the best!"
"Not me."
"Urgh..."
I got a rough sense of their relationship. I inwardly sighed in relief.
Yuri Lanster and I chatted while still coiled tightly in chains. It might look odd to onlookers, but we couldn't undo them until the duration ended, so no choice.
"Allow me to introduce her. This is Seris, a colleague from my previous assignment."
"Previous department? You mean the 'Erasure Squad'? That pitch-black uniform I saw in your closet..."
"Yes."
"You still have the uniform, Senior!! I knew it. I believed you'd return to my side!"
The 38th rejection bounced off as Kamanrez hopped around, chugging gallons of wishful thinking. I quietly conjured an illusion of my middle finger raised high with fantasy magic, and Kamanrez saw it and raised hers too.
"...What did you do in the Erasure Squad to attract a lez like her?"
"Must be because I'm such a magnetic, demonic woman."
"True that."
"...Don't agree so readily. It's embarrassing, Crazy Wizard."
"......"
I hurriedly soothed my heart, still reeling from the 1.5x heartbeat event. Honest Pingbalrez's attacks were brutally potent. I had to tread carefully in conversation, or I might need Lust Suppression Stage 4.
"Well... I didn't do anything special there. Just quietly carried out my assignments. Never tried to seduce anyone."
"Yes, Senior Yuri was the solitary lone wolf of the Erasure Squad. With a near-100% mission success rate and an aura of icy overflow. She was the object of admiration for all the juniors!"
"Solitary lone wolf?"
"Seris is exaggerating. Don't call me that."
Hard to picture.
Pingbalrez had boldly joked with me from our first meeting. I'd assumed she'd been the type sexually harassing junior girls.
But seeing Kamanrez's eyes sparkle with genuine admiration, Pingbalrez's image in the Erasure Squad must have been quite different.
"So... what were you up to?"
"......"
I flinched and shuddered.
I still hoped Pingbalrez didn't know about this incident. It was my arbitrary decision—I hadn't even consulted her, so it was dictatorial. But...
If she harbored that much grudge, the moment I got a lead on tracking the Succubus Queen... she might just leave my side. That's why I didn't want to tell her.
I tried to brush it off vaguely.
"Oh, nothing much... That succubus we found last time. She had underlings left, so we went to clean up..."
"We're searching for paths to the Succubus Queen's lair, the 'Nest,' Senior!"
"...Aha."
Right, Kamanrez was here.
Pingbalrez nodded knowingly and casually rested her chin on my shoulder. In a nonchalant tone, she said:
"Were you being considerate? Crazy Wizard."
Her voice implied she saw right through me. I felt like a kid caught lying, at a total loss.
"...Sorry. I got greedy."
"No need. I understand. I'd have done the same in your shoes."
She understood?
Then... would she stay by my side? Instead of leaving for revenge, just hang out here together forever?
"But."
Her words cut through my hopes.
"This is truly important to me."
"......"
"Working as a Defense Bureau agent instead of living peacefully, never slacking on training, choosing this life... All for one reason."
From the moment her village burned.
"...The days spent with you were enjoyable. I won't deny that. Having a 'friend' relationship... was a first for me. This daily life is precious to me too."
"Then, with me..."
"But I can't prioritize hobbies over duty, can I?"
"......"
How to put it.
Petulance? Betrayal? A sense of deprivation. Those emotions welled up.
She's leaving.
Words spoken in a state of pure honesty carried weight. I felt a firm, deep nail driven by her declaration. Yuri Lanster would leave.
According to the documents Curby handed over, the Succubus Queen's lair had no viable tracking methods so far. No info even after interrogating captured succubi—it was tightly guarded secret.
So... everything had stagnated. Pingbalrez must have been carrying out other missions while waiting for a chance at revenge.
Assigned to the Erasure Squad, handling the riskiest jobs first. Waiting for the day to avenge herself against the Queen...
Waiting, until fatigue set in from the endless wait.
So she left the Erasure Squad and switched to general field agent. Eventually, assigned as my dedicated agent by the Second Prince's orders.
Then, I... I seized the opportunity.
I created a chance to track the Succubus Queen.
Maybe I should've just erased that succubus instead of capturing her. Would've avoided this.
If I'd stolen and hidden her wing-clothes...
Tap.
Yuri's voice snapped me from my thoughts.
"I have a debt to settle with the Succubus Queen. I'm not leaving forever, Wizard. Once I strangle her to death, I'll come back here."
"...You think I'll take back someone who's left once?"
"Yes. I know you will."
"Yeah... I would..."
It was decided. Fine. Accept it. She couldn't rest easy without revenge. And Yuri Lanster was strong. She'd surely accomplish it and return.
Besides, I could help. Yuna would too. The Violet Magic Tower's top two would deploy together and twist that queen into a pretzel.
That'd do it.
Nothing to worry about.
Yuri Lanster smiled and said:
"If you want me to finish my revenge quick and return... you'll have to help hard, right?"
"...Yeah. Guess so."
I steeled myself. Set aside anxiety and regret, and as she said, help her. I reworked the ritual and activated the spell. No need to adjust power. She was under Molting.
"Sugar Lump."
⟨ Sugar Lump ⟩
I unleashed the spell on a scale covering the entire Academy in one go. Pheromones spread anew, and soon...
"That smells delicious here... Huh?"
One succubus appeared, lured by the pheromones. She eyed me—the source—then alternated between me and the chain-bound Pingbalrez beside me.
Then she spotted Kamanrez glaring fiercely with whip in hand.
"...A trap? Already caught one?"
Yeah, it looked suspicious. Lured by the tasty scent, but no matter how you sliced it, we looked like succubus hunters poised to strike.
With even a fellow succubus like Pingbalrez trussed up in chains, it'd be weirder not to spot the trap.
Then Pingbalrez calmly said:
"Yes, it's a trap. So, you won't come?"
"Uh, uhh... No, gotta."
The hypnosis-app-level pheromones overwhelmed her instincts.
The succubus waddled over awkwardly and plastered herself to my side. Pingbalrez then maneuvered the chains to bind her tight too.
Now we were three bound together.
Thus, we caught succubi like sticky traps for cockroaches. Not pretty, but effective.
Once Pingbalrez's Molting ended, we neatly folded up the succubi, extracted info, and learned our next destination.
"Third Prince Sledo Crown has a path to the 'Nest' in his head?"
"Precisely, one of the paths."
"I know that much, man."
Entangled with imperial blood again. That makes the third crown.
Kamanrez, who'd butted heads with Alexon too, gripped sampling tools in both hands for inspecting pheromone-enchanted folk, ready to charge at a prince.
"Then let's storm in and inspect right—"
"Imperial bloodline's imperial bloodline. Even if you're reckless, one slip and your head rolls. Think before you move, Kamanrez!"
As I scolded Kamanrez, Pingbalrez quietly placed her hand on my shoulder and murmured:
"Not like you have room to talk, Crazy Wizard. You know that, right?"
"......"
No words.
The no-backdown alpha male crazy wizard who'd charged at the Fallen Emperor first was gone. I devised a perfect plan where everyone stayed safe and unharmed.
A way to avoid getting royally chewed out by imperial power later.
"We caught succubi, right?"
"Yes."
"So let's disguise as those succubi and meet the Third Prince."
"Pardon?"
Disguised identities.