Chapter 129: The World's Greatest Breast Container Contest (9)
Chapter 129: The World's Greatest Breast Container Contest (9)
After sending Laura back to the Lord’s Castle.
I made my way to the organizers' lounge set up on one side of the venue—a place restricted only to those running the event.
"I’ve been waiting for you."
Creeeak.
The door closed behind me.
"What is it, Charlotte?"
"I have something to ask you."
I wasn't particularly worried, but I wasn't sure why she had called me here for a private meeting so suddenly.
"The finals start tomorrow. Do you really intend to only show up on the last day?"
"Why? That was the plan from the start. Is there a problem?"
"...I was wondering if we could postpone the Succubus Queen raid until after the contest."
It had been a bit of a struggle to balance the raid preparations with the event management, but all that was left now was the final check before heading out for the raid at the crack of dawn.
"I’ll postpone it if there’s a valid reason. But if the reason isn't sound, we’re sticking to the plan."
"There are several reasons. The biggest one is... the contest is doing much better than expected."
As Charlotte said, the event was a massive hit.
"The number of customers visiting the Dream Factory is growing by the day. The pimps and prostitutes who used to try and pull schemes against us are now too busy dealing with the influx of tourists to cause trouble. The street vendors are working tirelessly every day, and those in the lodging industry are practically screaming with joy at their vacancy rates."
"I see where you're going with this. You're worried that if something goes wrong during the Succubus Queen raid, it might ruin the festival?"
"Yes."
The event I created as a distraction was hitting far harder than intended.
"Talk about the tail wagging the dog."
"It’s worth it. The projected revenue from this festival alone is over 200 million Gold."
"The total prize pool is 10 million Gold, so the economic impact is twenty times the investment."
A 10 million Gold contest generating 200 million in returns?
"That’s insane. I thought we’d be in the red."
It was an incredible figure.
Especially for a first-time event, calling it a 'grand success' would be an understatement.
"If the Succubus Queen goes on a rampage and throws the Fermaton Infinite Labyrinth into chaos, the contest is finished."
"A contest worth 200 million Gold—no, even more—would come to an end. It would all become scrap paper."
"But what if the Succubus Queen is worth more than that?"
"Are you sure about that?"
"......."
Do I go for the guaranteed hit right in front of me?
Or do I go for the lottery ticket that hasn't been scratched yet, but could yield a fortune if it hits?
"No risk, no return. The high risk is exactly why it's worth it, Charlotte. To minimize the risk of the raid, how about this?"
I reached out to her slowly.
"You participate in the raid yourself. Join our knight order."
"...Temporarily?"
"Temporarily is fine, or you could join for real."
"Are you saying that knowing who I am?"
"I don't know the details. I have a rough idea of your bloodline, but I don't know who actually sired you."
A woman born of the Imperial bloodline.
That was the extent of my knowledge.
Even so.
"It’s a chance to make a mountain of money. Wouldn't it be a shame to miss out?"
I knew Charlotte needed a lot of money.
I knew she was gathering funds—capital—even going as far as running a slave trade here in Fermaton.
No risk, no return.
Should I take a risk and ask her?
This wasn't information I knew as a player, nor was it something I read on a wiki. It was a deduction based solely on the information Ruji Fermaton had gathered in this world so far.
"Charlotte."
I leaned in toward her.
A barrier had already been erected around us, so I felt no pressure in speaking my mind.
"You. You’re planning to take the Empire, aren't you?"
"......."
Charlotte said nothing.
But I could feel it.
It was just a hunch, but I could sense a tension from her, much like the nerves one feels when sliding into a virgin for the first time.
"You’re planning a rebellion. And rebellions require an immense amount of money. To build an army, to gather power... especially if your base of support is weak."
Was she silent because I was talking nonsense?
Or... because I hit the bullseye?
"Isn't the reason you're gathering slaves like this so you can use them as slave soldiers later?"
"Young Lord, you certainly have a vivid imagination...?"
"If you can use the slaves captured from the Infinite Labyrinth as 'combatants,' there’s no force more reliable than that."
Gulp.
Charlotte swallowed hard.
The look in her eyes was a mix of suspicion, distrust, and a slight tremor.
"Charlotte. Have you ever thought about this? What if we took the 'demihumans' from the Infinite Labyrinth—the ones who could live as slaves or even equals to humans—and used them as slave soldiers? Or even as a proper army?"
"Why?"
"Using Orcs or Goblins as an army makes you look too much like a Demon King."
"......."
Attacking the Empire with Orcs and Goblins in the vanguard?
It would be far more advantageous to use 'aesthetically pleasing' demonkind like Succubi, Dryads, or Fairies as slave soldiers.
"I’ll be your shield. I’ll shoulder the political risk. You just keep being the slave trader who aggressively pushes the demon slave business and rakes in the cash by using a sucker like me."
"...I thought you were strange ever since you started this 'titty party,' but I didn't realize you were harboring such insane thoughts."
"That image is exactly my greatest weapon."
Utilizing Ruji Fermaton’s infamy.
"When a lunatic does something, people just accept it as part of his character."
That was my greatest strength.
"Even if I capture demons from the Infinite Labyrinth and turn them into slaves, people will just think: 'Ruji Fermaton, that madman is finally trying to stick his dick into non-humans.' For convenience, let's call them 'Monmus.'"
"Monmus?"
"Monsters that make you rationally think, 'Ah, I want to stick my dick in that and blow a load.' There are plenty of them, aren't there? Harpies, Lamias, Sirens..."
"...Succubi."
"Exactly."
There were many unstable elements.
Since it involved mobilizing demonkind, there would be backlash not just from the Empire, but from the Kingdom and even within Fermaton itself.
However.
They were slaves.
"Even if we mobilize non-humans for battle, one thing is certain."
I tapped my temple.
"If they fight like humans and we hide their nature well enough, isn't that the same as them being human?"
The ultimate reason Charlotte came to the Infinite Labyrinth.
I finally understood.
"You. You want to bring the Empire to its knees."
"...Hoo."
Charlotte looked at me with a refreshed expression, as if she couldn't believe the nonsense I was spouting.
"Shall we have a more serious talk after this raid is over?"
She smirked.
* * *
At that same time.
"...Hmm."
A black-haired woman returned to her inn room, avoiding the crowds.
Those who had been following her stamped their feet in frustration as she vanished in an instant. The woman slowly undressed, inspecting her own body.
"I didn't realize humans liked this sort of thing so much."
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock came from the door.
The woman glanced toward the door she couldn't see through and snapped her fingers.
Snap.
A spark-like flame flickered, and the door's lock clicked open. Soon, a maid entered.
"Commander."
"Ah, Amy. It’s been a while."
Amy, a maid from the Fermaton Lord’s Castle, stood before the woman—the Commander—clutching her chest in frustration.
"Why did you participate?"
"Because I wanted the 5 million Gold?"
"You're actually trying to win?"
"Of course. It’s a golden opportunity to get 5 million Gold just by baring my breasts."
The woman squared her shoulders proudly.
"These breasts are worth 5 million Gold—no, even more."
She smiled brightly, fully exposing the very breasts that had left everyone at the preliminaries in awe and shock, the breasts that had proudly advanced to the finals.
"Sigh. Did you really participate just for the prize money?"
"Is there a problem? Does 5 million Gold just grow on trees?"
"Commander."
"I’m going to use it all as a war chest for the revolution. I’ll just... keep about 10,000 Gold for personal use. Honestly, I deserve that much. I won it with my own breasts!"
Amy didn't know what to say.
At least the woman had a justification.
Running an organization always required money.
And 5 million Gold was a significant sum—enough to buy a decent house to use as a base of operations in the Capital or the Imperial City.
"Honestly. Soldiers from the Kingdom and spies from the Empire are all joining in because they think it's easy money, and now even the Commander. What if you get caught?"
"If I get caught, I get caught. For now, we’re just a circus troupe, aren't we?"
The woman gave a graceful, exaggerated bow.
"I want to meet him soon. Ruji Fermaton. I want to see for myself the grand ambition he’s hiding in his pants."
"He might not be the kind of man you're thinking of, Commander."
"Then what kind of man is he?"
"The kind of man who boosts his self-esteem by looking at maid panties every morning."
"Hmm. Self-esteem, huh?"
The woman, 'Yoanna,' looked down.
"So, is his dick big?"
* * *
And so.
The preliminaries ended.
While everyone looked forward to the three-day Breast Festival featuring the 48 finalists.
At dawn.
A group of knights headed toward the Fermaton Infinite Labyrinth.
Accompanied by an armored knight in clanking full plate.