Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Indoor Date
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An indoor date, huh.
This was practically my first pure love request, so I took a moment to ponder how to weave the illusion.
Should I start from meeting outside and transitioning into coming home?
Or go straight into doing something inside the house from the beginning?
What would be a good location?
How should I design the interior of the house?
I mulled over various options.
Unlike other desires, this one carried a gentle flavor, so the scenario wouldn't deliver intense thrills.
Moreover, it was an illusion close to everyday life.
To heighten immersion, it needed to feel as close to reality as possible.
I had to incorporate diverse details from all angles to evoke a situation that seemed utterly lifelike.
'It's not just about fooling the senses.'
While Eirin was washing up, I calculated every possible scenario, settling on architecture and interior designs from a region she'd find most familiar.
'Where did I store the modeling files?'
I scanned the magic circle, preparing various pre-registered models.
Modeling.
One of the most crucial components for crafting illusions.
Whenever there were no customers, I personally designed and applied object models, movements, and physics calculations.
That was why I couldn't take more than two customers a day.
Without regular updates and tweaks, the realism would inevitably fade.
Like how game developers constantly patch for better experiences.
It was similar.
Research to create superior illusions.
By the time I finished the map design...
"Ahem, I'm all cleaned up."
Eirin stood before me, clearing her throat after her bath.
"Should I sit now?"
She pointed at the magic circle.
"Ah, just stand there for now. I'll show you the scenario you want."
"I see."
Eirin gazed quietly at the magic circle before asking me.
"Um, Brother Max, by any chance..."
"Yes."
"Does Brother Max ever step into this magic circle too?"
"......Yes, usually to create realistic sensations, I enter the magic circle and interact with customers directly."
"I thought so."
Nodding, Eirin spoke in a cautious tone.
"By the way... if, you know, that kind of situation happens..."
She gestured to her clothes.
"Could you... undress me to match the scenario?"
"Ah......"
Her words left me speechless for a moment.
She's been like this from the start.
I couldn't bring myself to say that to the saintess with her innocent face.
'Coming to a place like this in the first place means she's not entirely pure...'
Yet her eyes and shy demeanor retained the pure, pristine image of the saintess, even without her habit.
"Understood."
I nodded, concealing that I'd already done it before.
'Did Eirin not realize?'
She always passed out when the illusion ended, waking up later, so she seemed unaware her body had been stripped and that I'd seen her naked.
That fact stirred a strange sense of taboo.
Knowing that this innocent girl had been unknowingly developed and exposed—while she remained oblivious.
Thump thump thump.
My heart pounded fiercely.
I didn't question whether a saintess should even ask for such a thing.
This was a place to fulfill one's desires.
It didn't matter who the partner was.
'I should've questioned it the first time she saw an illusion.'
Eirin stepped onto the magic circle, visibly tense.
I activated it while watching her.
Whoosh.
Light enveloped her.
"We'll begin."
I told her.
"Just accept the scenario naturally. If you want something, move or ask for it directly. The magic circle and I will adjust accordingly."
"Got it."
With that, the illusion began.
"......"
Entering the illusion, Eirin looked around.
She stood in the imperial capital.
In the heart of it—the bustling cultural district.
Nobles and commoners alike gathered here to enjoy cultural pursuits.
Theater, music, street performances abounded, streets lined with taverns and high-end clothing shops.
Mages performed with novel spells, while Goldmoon and Meister School artifacts dotted the area.
Dessert shops and restaurants crammed every corner—the capital's densest commercial hub.
Everyone came here to have fun, or so the saying went.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the empire's magical engineering heritage lined these streets.
'It was supposed to be an indoor date...?'
Why the cultural district...?
The question lingered only briefly.
"Eirin."
A familiar voice made her turn, and there he was.
"Uh...... Brother Max?"
Max stood there, sharply dressed.
His effortless yet deliberate style featured swept-back hair revealing his forehead.
She swallowed unconsciously at how much more polished he looked than usual.
"Why call me 'Brother' like some nun?"
"Huh?"
"Too swept up in that saintess play from the theater we just saw?"
At his words, she looked at herself.
Not her saintess habit, but casual clothes.
People passed by without a second glance.
No one fawning over her as the saintess, praying to her, or thanking her for existing.
Save for one person, no one paid her any mind—a truly ordinary scene that left Eirin speechless.
It was the situation she'd always longed for.
Not living as the center of attention saintess, but as plain old Eirin.
"Ah...... Th-then, what did I usually call you? Brother Max, I mean Max?"
"You always called me 'Oppa Max.' What's with you today?"
Oppa, huh.
'Oppa......'
Not Brother or Sister, but casually.
"Just like you said, the saintess actress hit me hard. Felt like I became the saintess myself."
She decided to become Eirin, not the saintess, for the first time.
That's what this illusion was for, after all.
"You're so sensitive."
He chuckled, ruffling her hair.
It didn't feel bad.
"Let's go."
"Huh? W-where?"
"Home. Play's over; time to head back."
"Ah......"
Regret suddenly welled up.
She'd asked for an indoor date, but what she truly craved was ordinary life and dating.
Had she known she could have this kind of date in an illusion, she would've asked for it too.
She knew changing desires midway was a big no-no, though.
"Um, listen..."
As she opened her mouth.
"Eirin, want to come to my place?"
"H-Huh?"
"You're all dressed up so pretty. Wouldn't it be a shame to end it here? We don't meet like this often."
A man's home.
She was curious.
Her offices and quarters as saintess were off-limits to men, so she knew little about them.
What did a man's house and room look like? How did they live? What did it smell like?
So many questions.
Her urge to linger outside faded, replaced by keen interest.
And.
"O-Okay."
Eirin nodded.
She could do it next time.
'Max must've spent ages preparing, so asking again would be rude.'
No helping it.
Hearing that, Max smiled and took her hand.
"Eek!"
The sudden skinship startled her into trembling.
She swallowed at his large hand firmly clasping hers.
Such bold contact was too intense for her, inexperienced with men.
'What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?'
What now?
Should I hold back?
Too tight and it'll hurt, right?
Her mind blanked for a second.
But.
"Let's go."
His gentle voice snapped her back.
"Y-Yeah."
Blushing furiously, she tentatively gripped his hand.
And under Max's lead, they slowly strolled the imperial streets.
She loved the quiet—no one commenting on her holding a man's hand.
Crowds bustled, but only one person's attention was on her.
"So anyway, back then at that spot with the others..."
"Remember that talk we had in the outskirts last time..."
Chatting idly with Max felt nice.
She didn't recall exact conversations clearly, but the soft, comfortable vibe was perfect.
Drifting like on clouds in serene peace, before she knew it.
"Here we are."
They'd arrived at Max's house.
Not far from the cultural district.
No flashy decorations, but a cozy home with a modest garden.
"Th-this is your house, O-Oppa?"
The title 'Oppa' still felt awkward on her tongue.
Max laughed at her words.
"Yeah. Kinda embarrassing, though. It's not that great."
"No, it's amazing! The garden's so pretty..."
"Come on in."
She followed him inside.
Entering the house.
'Ah...... A man's scent.'
Even with ventilation, Max's lingering aroma tickled her nose.
Cologne, body odor, the thick, heavy notes from men's grooming products.
A fragrance she'd never smell in her own room—Eirin's heart raced.
'W-what do I do......'
Breathing it in, she unconsciously pressed her thighs together, fidgeting.
'Feels weird.'
Her lower belly warming slowly.
Feeling embarrassed by the sensation, she entered Max's room.
"I'll grab some snacks..."
Was Max embarrassed too?
Blushing, he headed to the kitchen.
Seated in the living room, she waited, scanning the interior.
An impossibly perfect space.
Hard to believe it was an illusion—she wondered if it really was.
'I always think this, but it's flawless.'
Not a single flaw.
Then.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting."
Max emerged with snacks, placing them on the living room table before sitting right beside her.
"......"
"......"
An awkward, strangely charged silence settled.
Sensing it, Eirin swallowed dryly.