Chapter 112: Slave Hunt (1)
Chapter 112: Slave Hunt (1)
I spent my time visiting Nine-Tail, going on dates, and having sex.
A lot of time had passed through these various events.
During that period, we grew significantly stronger, and the Knight Order’s combat power was further reinforced.
And I had been given a sort of mission.
Aside from the overarching goal of conquering the Fermaton Infinite Labyrinth, a specific task had arisen for the conquest of the 11th to 20th floors.
"The goal of this expedition is to collect samples to break Astarotte’s Succubus transformation curse."
I announced the objective of the expedition to the assembled Knight Order.
"We will capture Succubi alive and make use of them."
"Capture them alive, not kill them?"
"Yes. We’ll restrain them, round them all up, and drag them out of the Infinite Labyrinth."
At my words, the knights exchanged glances.
It seemed they felt burdened by the idea of bringing monsters out of the Infinite Labyrinth.
Specifically because they were Succubi.
If it were any other monster, they wouldn't have cared, but since it was Succubi, everyone seemed hesitant.
They were probably worried I’d spend my time having sex with Succubi instead of them!
"Young Lord Ruji. Is it absolutely necessary to capture the Succubi and bring them outside?"
"If it's just for samples to break the curse, couldn't that be handled inside the Infinite Labyrinth...?"
"She's right. Succubi aren't that numerous, making them hard to catch, and depending on the situation, they can be very dangerous enemies."
Listen to them whine.
"In case there's any misunderstanding, let me say this now: I'm not telling you to capture them so I can have an orgy with them."
"Oh, is that so?"
Laura immediately let out a sigh of relief.
"...If it's not for sex, then why capture them?"
Yurdias asked the obvious question, grounded in common sense and logic.
"Hmm... Live capture, huh..."
Serica expressed a hint of regret regarding the capture itself.
Then, the three of them turned their gaze toward the woman whose interests were most intertwined with the capture of Succubi—our magic teacher.
"Miss Astarotte. Is it truly possible to break the curse by capturing and researching Succubi?"
"I'm researching the possibilities. It's not like I can say, 'Capture exactly thirty and the curse will definitely be broken!'"
Astarotte answered honestly.
I didn't intend to lie either.
"I'm capturing them because I believe we might find a way to break the curse through research. And once they're caught, there are ways to utilize them economically rather than just killing them."
"Economic... utilization?"
"Yes."
I retraced my memories of what I had experienced after returning from the Infinite Labyrinth previously.
"Using slaves through Nine-Tail. Increasing mana through Lactation Magic. If it involves Sex Magic, wouldn't it be best to use Succubi?"
The enslavement of Succubi.
The study of Sex Magic for the smooth development of Lactation Magic.
I had reached the conclusion that 'capturing Succubi' was necessary to utilize all of these effectively.
"I need Succubus slaves."
This was a medieval fantasy era.
Succubi were Demonkind; even if they looked human, there was no need to treat them as such.
Throw human rights to the dogs—I needed to obtain a hoard of Succubus slaves for 'research.'
"Where’s the best place to catch Succubi? Right here. This very place."
So, where should I look for these slaves?
"Of course, there are Succubus slaves available on the market. But I don't want worn-out Succubi."
Buy Succubus slaves through Nine-Tail?
"I want fresh, vibrant Succubi."
No.
The slaves I was looking for weren't just any ordinary slaves.
"I am Ruji Fermaton. Even when I buy things, I pay extra for luxury brands. I'm not the kind of guy who buys knock-offs or second-hand goods."
I had a clear research objective, and the type of slave I wanted to purchase was specific.
"I need virgin Succubus slaves."
"What did you say?"
Laura was aghast the moment she heard me.
"Where would you even find a virgin Succubus?"
"Their minds and souls might not be virgins, but their bodies could already be Succubi."
"Wouldn't they stop being virgins the moment they have sex through dreams?"
"By that logic, are all men who have nocturnal emissions no longer virgins? Does that count as having sex? Is it the same for women?"
Laura fell silent.
"Young Lord. Regardless, there's no way a virgin Succubus exists."
"Why declare they don't exist without even looking? There's a possibility that a Succubus newly spawned in the Infinite Labyrinth could be a virgin."
"Isn't that possibility extremely slim?"
"If people didn't challenge slim odds, why would lotteries exist?"
Yurdias, who had once made a fortune through gambling, also fell silent.
"Serica. Do you have any thoughts?"
"They are Demonkind; will it be alright?"
"Everyone will approve of a virgin Succubus. They aren't just any Demonkind; they're virgins."
"Then what about the non-virgin Succubi?"
"Slash."
"Understood."
Serica raised no further objections.
"Young Lord. I have a question."
Laura raised her hand.
"Setting aside how rare they are to find, is it really necessary to gather dozens of virgin Succubi? Wouldn't one be enough for research?"
"That would be fine too, but I've concluded that I need multiple samples for the research. Besides, my long-term plans require several individuals anyway."
There were various reasons, but regardless, I had to secure Succubi in large quantities.
"Serica. Succubi definitely appear in the dungeon zones from the 11th to the 20th floors of the Infinite Labyrinth, right?"
"Yes. They do appear. Their frequency and numbers are low, but they definitely show up."
Monsters in the Infinite Labyrinth basically appear on higher floors if they appear on lower ones.
Like how a Goblin on the 1st floor becomes a Hobgoblin on the 11th and a Goblin Lord on the 51st.
"If Succubi had appeared from the 1st floor, I would have rounded them all up then."
The floor where monsters first appear varies by species.
The floor where Succubi first appear is the labyrinth area we are about to enter—the 11th floor.
"I'll call this operation 'Succubus Farming.'"
In short.
The goal of this expedition was to secure every Succubus that appeared from the 11th floor onward.
"There is one problem."
"A problem? What is it, Serica?"
"The Succubi that appear on the lower floors are Lower-Tier Succubi."
Lower-Tier Succubi.
It was only natural that low-level Succubi would appear starting from the 11th basement floor.
"Will they really be of any value in breaking the Succubus curse...?"
"Are you suggesting we should just cut them down if they have no value?"
"Even if we're capturing them as slaves, bringing Demonkind out of the Infinite Labyrinth without care could cause issues."
"That's exactly why I'm saying this. I'll only bring out the valuable, rare virgin Succubi."
"But they're Lower-Tier..."
"It's actually better that they're Lower-Tier. That's exactly what I'm hoping for. Their grade isn't the issue."
It was a gain for me.
"Higher-Tier Succubi from the deeper floors would have that much more experience. But what about Lower-Tier Succubi? They'd have relatively less experience, or if we're lucky, they might be virgins."
"Uh, well, I've never thought about it from that perspective."
Succubi grow stronger the more sex they have.
If so, wouldn't it mean that the weaker the Succubus, the less experience she has?
When I looked through the records, it seemed no one had ever bothered to find out.
"I'll be the one to find out."
To find a virgin Succubus.
"Is a Lower-Tier Succubus, a rookie Succubus fresh out of the Infinite Labyrinth, a virgin or not? I, Ruji Fermaton, shall prove it."
All of this was to break Astarotte’s Succubus transformation curse.
"Everyone. Please do your best to help break our magic advisor's curse. I will enter the Infinite Labyrinth with Paladin Sonata, so fight alongside me."
The Knight Order’s destination was set.
"Young Lord."
"What is it, Laura?"
"If you break the Succubus transformation curse, you aren't planning on having a 'curse-breaking commemorative virgin sex' session with Master Astarotte as a reward, are you?"
I was so dumbfounded by Laura’s words that I lost my voice.
"How can you say something like that right in front of the people involved?"
"...Is that so?"
"This is ridiculous. Really."
How did she know?
Anyway.
The Ruji Fermaton Exclusive Knight Order.
Expedition, commence.
* * *
While the Knight Order set out for the Infinite Labyrinth at dawn.
Today, I once again called the two mages to my side to help transmit the Magical Signal for entering the Infinite Labyrinth.
"Thank you, Mother."
"...It's been a few days. I didn't expect you to say you were going down so suddenly."
"I'm reasonably prepared."
I followed behind Laura, who was visible through the magic image, and entered the 11th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth.
Whirrr.
[From here on is the dungeon zone. I will take the lead and check for traps, so please follow behind me.]
Yurdias took the lead of the group, and I stuck right behind her.
Yurdias in the front.
Me behind her.
Laura and Shiro in the middle.
And Serica bringing up the rear.
No matter how I thought about it, there couldn't be a more perfect combination with the current personnel.
If Astarotte, the dollmaker Charlotte, or the pure attack-mage Zenith joined, it would be an even more complete composition, but this much power was sufficient for conquering the dungeon zone.
"Ruji."
"Yes, Mother."
"What do you plan to do with the Succubi after you capture them?"
Zenith hadn't been there when I told the Knight Order my plan.
So I briefly explained the situation to her, but Zenith still didn't seem convinced.
"Tell me specifically. How will you utilize the Succubi once the research is finished?"
"Ah, is that what's bothering you?"
"Because you said you weren't interested in Succubi. I'd actually find it more believable if you said you were taking them prisoner to use as sex slaves every day."
"......."
A world where 'Ruji capturing Succubi to fuck them' is the only logical explanation.
How sad.
"Mother. My goal is a 'Mana Factory.' Just like a facility for mining magic stones, I want to create a production facility that mass-produces magic power, whether it's magic stones or mana potions."
"And?"
"The Succubi will be like factory workers. To be precise..."
I pointed out the window, toward the city center.
"A Succubus Public Brothel system."
"......What?"
"I'm going to capture Lower-Tier Succubi and build a red-light district. A Public Brothel operated under the Fermaton name."