Chapter 30: To Go to the Labyrinth (5)
Chapter 30: To Go to the Labyrinth (5)
Knock, knock.
The sound of rapping on the door echoed.
Much like when I had received Laura, I sat on the sofa—though with much more composure this time—and prepared to greet the applicant for the knight order.
"Enter."
I spoke in a coercive, overbearing tone.
Since Ruji was a character who actually had a voice actor assigned to him, his voice wasn't half bad.
...Probably.
"I am coming in, Young Lord."
That voice?
It was cool and intellectual, yet gentle. Rather than being high-pitched, it was a somewhat low register that I knew all too well.
It’s over.
She was someone I could identify by voice alone. Even before she entered, I felt a sense of relief.
Creeeeak.
The door opened, and a woman in a suit stepped into the room.
"Greetings, Young Lord."
She had navy-blue hair. She wore a black suit over a white shirt, with a necktie the same color as her hair.
Wait, an OL in a fantasy world?
One might ask that, but this was a world that already featured swimsuits, wedding dresses, and bunny girl outfits. In such a world, the appearance of a busty OL beauty was actually on the more normal side of things.
Look at those tits.
She had massive breasts that were obvious at a single glance. It’s a bit much to say, but a beauty I felt like 'subjugating' had just walked in and bowed to me.
"I greet the greatest existence in Fermaton. I am Yurdias Hania, an adventurer capable of soloing the 25th floor of the Infinite Labyrinth."
"An excellent adventurer, then."
I didn't point out that she was only Level 25. After all, she was likely hiding her true strength.
There’s no way Level 1 in the game is the same as Level 1 in reality.
I had already confirmed through Astarotte that a character's recruitment level and their actual level were different. This woman, Yurdias, was no exception.
"Right. What is your primary weapon?"
"Daggers. In parties, I am usually referred to as a 'Thief.'"
"Then you must be skilled at detecting traps."
"Yes. Adventurers who enter the labyrinth with me have a significantly high survival rate."
"You certainly have a great deal of pride in your skills."
"Thank you for the compliment."
The conversation flowed incredibly smoothly. Since I hadn't told her to sit, she remained standing near the entrance, answering my questions while never missing a chance to pitch herself.
She was far too clever.
Exactly the kind of person I desperately needed right now had just walked through the door.
"Come in. And sit across from me."
"...Yes."
I spread my legs. My bare legs were undoubtedly visible through the gap in my robe, and Yurdias gulped as she sat down facing me.
Once.
Her eyes flickered toward my cock, which was still straining against the fabric of the robe due to my erection, before she fixed her gaze near my solar plexus. She acted as if she were looking at me without actually making direct eye contact, maintaining a polite facade.
"So. You want to join my knight order?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
It wasn't a question I really needed to ask, but I was curious to hear her response.
"Why should I trust you and recruit you into my order?"
"A knight works as much as they are paid."
"What?"
"I heard the compensation is generous. That is all."
"Bwahaha!!"
She wasn't wrong.
"Right! The pay is overflowing. You're joining my knight order for the money?"
"At the very least, among the things I can do, it is the most certain way to earn money."
"In that case, why not just sell yourself to the red-light district?"
Even as I said it, I felt a slight pang of guilt. Naturally, Yurdias frowned, but she remained seated on the sofa, maintaining her upright posture.
"It is true that selling my body would be the easiest way to make money. Since I have a decent enough body, I am confident I would sell quite well."
"Hmm. And?"
"If I am going to sell it anyway, wouldn't the wisest choice be to sell it to the person who will value it the highest?"
"Ho. Interesting. Are you saying I would be the one to buy you for the highest price?"
"Yes. If the Young Lord promises me appropriate compensation, I will offer him three things."
"Three things?"
"My loyalty as a knight. My abilities as an adventurer. And my pussy."
"Oh."
Exactly what I needed.
"How suspicious. How can you offer exactly what I need so precisely?"
"I analyzed and re-analyzed what the Young Lord needs most. I concluded that these three things were the most necessary for me to be selected by you."
"It sounds wonderful. A capable woman is always a plus. However..."
I leaned my upper body forward. At the same time, I spread my legs wider.
"Are you a virgin?"
"......."
"Why can't you answer? I asked if you have experience with men. How many people have you slept with until now?"
"......If I may be so bold."
Her hands gripped her thighs tightly.
"I have not slept with a single person until now."
"Perfect. You're hired."
"...Pardon?"
"You passed. You are the ideal woman I've been looking for. I want to rip those buttons off and ram my cock into you right this second."
"......."
I want to.
Since she was a capable woman, there was no way she missed the nuance in my words.
"What about me is a disqualifying factor that makes you say that?"
She was quick on the uptake. Despite her perfect conditions, she immediately noticed my underlying dissatisfaction.
Detecting traps requires a keen eye, but reading people requires more than just observation. Unless you're a mind reader, you have to have seen and judged countless people. Her ability to grasp who her opponent was based on available information was certainly top-tier, but she had picked the wrong opponent.
Sorry, but I’m the guy who raised you to max level.
No matter how much of a 'skip-everything' player I was, I knew the basic lore of the characters. Especially for a woman like Yurdias, who had a hidden side beneath her outward appearance.
"Yurdias Hania."
A 2-star. A decent performance pick.
I crossed my legs and leaned back leisurely against the sofa.
"What business does the Sub-Master of the Thief Guild have transferring to my knight order?"
"......!!"
Her expression shifted instantly. For a moment, I wondered if she would try to assassinate me, but I trusted in the fact that this was Fermaton's room.
She knows she’s fucked if she kills me here.
A thief is one who steals. Not one who kills. Of course, if she were a murderous bandit, it would be a different story, but she wasn't that kind of woman.
Because she was a virgin!
Virgins are trustworthy.
I was halfway certain that even among assassins, a virgin wouldn't kill me. If you had to pick who was least likely to kill you between a male assassin, a slutty assassin, and a pure virgin assassin, wouldn't it obviously be the virgin?
"Calm down. I'm not looking for a fight."
"......How do you know who I am?"
"Do you think there is anything the Young Lord of Fermaton doesn't know?"
Actually, there was a ton. I didn't even know how the main story was supposed to go, so I was mostly winging it. But I wasn't stupid enough to forget the basic settings of a character I had maxed out.
"I know the underworld of Fermaton better than anyone. I haven't bothered to check the specific details, but I know all sorts of sordid things are happening."
"......."
"Of course, your group is just a gray zone that deals in 'information.' As long as you don't cause trouble in my territory, I don't care. I can't exactly tax information, after all."
"...In that case."
Yurdias's posture became even more rigid.
"May I speak to you as the Sub-Master of the Thief Guild and the Information Guild?"
"Go ahead. What is your goal?"
"For what reason did you create this knight order?"
"Hm?"
Reason?
"To gather knights and find the gems, obviously."
"Is that truly your intention?"
"Does the Information Guild suspect some other motive?"
"......."
They probably had many guesses. A piece of trash had turned into a weird psycho overnight, so they must think there's something behind the knight order that served as the catalyst.
"Many people must have commissioned the Thief Guild for information, and you probably can't afford to sell unverified intel. That's why you came. To check for yourself. You, a Sub-Master."
"......."
"Furthermore, the reason you were the one sent out of all those thieves is... well, there's only one."
I couldn't help but chuckle at how predictable it was.
"It must be rare to find a high-ranking woman in the back alleys who is a virgin, a beauty, and relatively unknown. Isn't that right?"
"That is..."
"Am I wrong?"
"...You are correct."
Among the women living in the darkness of Fermaton, like those in the Thief Guild, how many could possibly be virgins? The Lords of Fermaton themselves had been committing rape and murder behind the scenes for ages; there was no way many women immersed in that world of blood and shadow remained pure.
However!!
There’s no way a gacha character isn't a virgin!
Unless they were explicitly introduced as a married woman, a widow, or a total slut, gacha characters were 'unconditionally virgins.'
Not a virgin?
- Fuck, why would I pull if she's not a virgin?
- Performance pick? Bullshit. Who pulls for used goods?
- Why would you pull if she's not a virgin...?
Not only would gacha sales tank, but the game's very existence would be threatened. Even if it wasn't an R-18 game, it was even more true for All-Ages or 15+ games. In an era where even 'Mother' characters are somehow made into virgins, why would a 'dark underworld' character be any different?
Therefore.
The woman in front of me was a virgin. She was a trustworthy character.
"I'll make you an offer."
"What is it?"
"It's simple."
I spread my legs.
"Grab my cock, Yurdias."
It was an alliance.