The Art of Persuasion
Chouka was incredibly competent.
Leaving work.
The Golden Magic Tower Master trudged toward his car with an exhausted face.
"Let's head straight home."
"Yes, sir. Understood."
The car glided forward, carrying him and the driver.
Unlike mana engines that ran on gasoline or petroleum, this engine was powered solely by Elixir. True to its premium fuel, the vehicle moved with exceptional smoothness as it departed the Magic Tower.
As the car continued its journey, it came to a sudden halt near the Tower Master's estate.
"Tower Master, someone is blocking the road," the driver reported.
Hearing the driver's words, the Tower Master instinctively began to channel his mana, only to stop himself.
"It is a goat beastman. She is approaching the vehicle. Shall I drive past her?"
"A goat beastman? No. Wait. Stop the car."
The Tower Master hastily opened the door and stepped out.
In the distance, a face that was all too familiar to him came into view.
"Hey there, Chubby! Hehehe! Long time no see! Has it been seven or eight years? We last saw each other during the war, so that sounds about right! You're still as plump as ever!"
Her face was half-flushed with alcohol.
A pungent mixture of incense, medicinal herbs, and strong liquor wafted from her.
She had four horns, goat ears sprouting from the top of her head, and goat legs.
Though she was a goat beastman—a race despised by all—the Tower Master did not push her away.
"Good work. You may leave for the day. Just park the car and head home."
The driver complied without a word.
Once the car was parked inside the estate and the driver had departed, the Tower Master finally turned his gaze to the goat beastman, who had approached and was puffing away on her long pipe.
"It has been a long time, Chouka. Have you been well?"
"What's with the tone? Ah! We're still outside, aren't we? Yes, yes, I've been great. Shall we head inside first? That is, if you aren't mad at me. I did leave rather abruptly back then without saying a word, didn't I?"
"I know you left to protect my position. Let us go inside. I believe we have much to discuss."
The two entered the estate without further word.
The magic-operated iron gates locked securely behind them. Passing through the garden, they stepped into a pristine mansion devoid of any servants, where everything was fully automated by magic.
And the moment the heavy doors shut, leaving only the two of them inside...
"Chouka! Waaaaah!"
Throwing all social decorum to the wind, the Tower Master burst into tears like a child and hugged Chouka tightly.
"Why did you leave?! Why?! Do you know how much I missed you?!"
It was a grotesque sight—a fully grown man in his sixties weeping and rubbing himself against her—but Chouka merely smiled warmly and expertly embraced him.
"I'm sorry. But it was during the war, and you were entering a very busy period. I didn't think it was right for a woman like me, who hangs around brothels, to be by your side. Were you lonely?"
"Of course I was! Of course! You have no idea how lonely I was without you! How could you do this to me after making me realize how awful it feels to sleep alone in bed at night?!"
As Chouka humored the Tower Master, who was throwing childish tantrums and light punches, a peculiar smile spread across her face.
Seeing that smile, the Tower Master froze mid-swing.
"Do you want to?" Chouka asked.
At her question, the Tower Master's face flushed red, and he slowly nodded.
"Right. It really has been too long. To think my little piggy has learned to throw tantrums like this. I suppose I need to remind you of what our relationship used to be like."
Chouka slapped the Tower Master's cheek with a sharp smack.
Far from being angry, the Tower Master's face grew even redder.
"Ch-Chouka..."
"You forgot the honorific. And is that the right way to address me?"
"M-Mistress. May we go to the bedroom now?"
"Let's go, you little piggy. It's been a while."
Chouka reached into the backpack she always carried and pulled out one of the many fun toys she kept for wild nights.
"Your dirty little backside is getting wrecked today. Got it?"
"Ah! ... Ah ... Yes! Yes, Mistress! Please, break me!"
Filled with ecstasy, the Tower Master stared at the artificial toy made of rubber and leather in Chouka's hand.
The two immediately headed to the bedroom.
And, well...
They spent a rather intense and vocal night together.
Inside the room, which looked as if a hurricane had swept through it, Chouka lay back lazily, smoking her pipe. Meanwhile, the Tower Master lay curled up, trembling and whimpering.
"You're so mean... forcing it in like that..."
"Stop whining like a little girl, piggy. You were squealing with joy when it was inside you."
It was a scene where the traditional roles of man and woman seemed entirely reversed, but to them, this was perfectly natural.
The Tower Master suddenly lunged forward and clung to Chouka.
Chouka gently kissed his forehead and cheeks, and the Tower Master let out a blissful, silly giggle.
"When I heard that a goat beastman had cured one of the tower's mages, I wondered if it might be you."
"Well, goat bitches as skilled as me are hard to come by. Haha!"
"Are you staying long this time, Chouka?"
"Regrettably, Chubby, I can't stay very long this time either."
The Tower Master's face fell in disappointment.
"And here I thought you'd be staying a bit longer..."
"It can't be helped. My clan and I have to head to the North. We must settle there. We have a crucial matter that concerns the very fate of our clan to resolve in the North. Because of that, I have no choice."
Tears welled in the Tower Master's eyes as he snuggled closer to Chouka. Stroking his hair, Chouka subtly brought up her main agenda.
"So, here's the thing. I had a little chat with the Grand Duke of the North. For our clan's grand undertaking to succeed, the North needs to prosper, but they don't have any mages. I heard they're in a position where they need to ask you for help. Couldn't you lend them a hand? Hmm? Chubby?"
At those words, the Tower Master buried his face in Chouka's large chest and rubbed against her.
Though his actions were affectionate, his response was strictly pragmatic.
"They are trying to take the mages suffering from mana-induced psychosis to the North under the pretext of treatment, but that would cause too great a loss for the Golden Magic Tower. If those people leave, their research records, equipment, and the compensation funds we receive must all be returned to them individually."
"Hmm... Is it a loss big enough to make running the tower difficult?"
"Not to that extent. But these are difficult times, Chouka. Voluntarily reducing our sources of income is not a wise move."
Chouka gave up on that angle cleanly. If he was speaking to her like this even in bed, it meant the Tower Master was indeed in a difficult position.
And Volka Adrakin had already anticipated this exact situation.
'He won't be foolish enough to just hand over the mages, their research records, and their equipment just because of a few sweet words. So, try persuading him like this. If it's you, Chouka, you can convince him.'
Chouka stroked the Tower Master's head and spoke once more.
"Then how about this? In exchange for sending mages to the North, what if you get to use Elixir almost for free?"
The Golden Magic Tower Master burst into laughter at her words.
"There's no way such a method exists, Chouka."
"There is. In the North. Demonic beast carcasses pile up almost every single day, don't they? I heard they have a technology that can neutralize the twisted dark mana in those carcasses to extract a large quantity of highly pure Elixir. They said they need mages to commercialize that technology."
The Tower Master, who had been rubbing his face against Chouka's chest, suddenly froze.
"A method to extract high-purity Elixir through neutralization?"
"Well, the Grand Duke of the North muttered something about a technology like that. I heard that's why they need mages."
A look of deep interest flickered in the Tower Master's eyes.
"Theoretically, it isn't entirely impossible. There were a few mages in the North before the war, so it is highly plausible that they conducted their own independent research."
Greed began to swirl in the Tower Master's eyes. What if we steal that technology and make it the Golden Magic Tower's own?
But the moment that look appeared, Chouka playfully slapped his cheek.
"No."
"Huh? What?"
"You're thinking of stealing the technology and making it yours, aren't you? You can't do that. Don't you know my clan has to go live in the North? Show the North some leniency, Chubby. Help them out so it benefits them."
The Tower Master's eyes wavered, torn between greed and love.
And Chouka knew exactly how to tilt the tug-of-war in her favor.
Her hand slid downward, smooth as a serpent.
"Oh?! Ah-ahhh!"
"My little Chubby keeps letting his mind wander. Just give the North a generous hand. I have to go live there, too. Do it for my sake, just this once. Hmm?"
"N-Not there... urgh!"
"You'll help them, right? Hmm? If you agree, I'll let you top me. Where do you want it? Front? Back? I keep both clean, so you can put it anywhere. You want to, don't you? You want to do it? Then just this once, okay?"
The Tower Master's eyes darted around frantically.
He shouldn't do this.
Thinking coldly and realistically, it would be far better to steal their technology rather than cooperate with the North. Acquiring the technology for the Golden Magic Tower and then exporting the finished Elixirs back to the North at a premium—that was the best choice for the tower.
Helping the North master the technology on their own was foolish.
But...
Chouka's handiwork was far too exquisite for him to maintain any rational judgment.
"A-Alright! Alright, Chouka! I'll approve the dispatch of mages to the North! So please!..."
"Good boy. If you keep helping the North, I'll come down to visit you from time to time. My little Chubby, make sure you clean yourself out and wait for me. Got it?"
The Tower Master blushed like a shy maiden and nodded.
Chouka smiled like a predator, licking her lips.
"Now, shall we start round two? This time, you take the lead, piggy. You've been such a good boy, you deserve a reward."
"Y-yes... Mistress!"
The Golden Magic Tower Master's face flushed deep red, like a shy maiden, yet his eyes burned with a mixture of desperate hunger and shame. He fumbled, hands trembling as he reached for the toy, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Chouka merely leaned back against the headboard, watching him with the patience of a predator who knew her prey was already caught in the trap.
As the Tower Master shifted his weight, clumsy and eager, Chouka let out a low, satisfied hum.
"That's it. Don't be shy. You've been holding that back for years, haven't you?"
The sounds that followed—the rhythmic, wet smacks, the Tower Master's pained yet ecstatic whimpers, and Chouka's mocking, sultry laughter—reverberated through the silent, automated mansion. It was a chaotic, primal dance that stood in stark contrast to the sterile, cold precision of the Magic Tower he ruled by day.
Hours later, as the dim light of dawn began to peek through the curtains, the room finally fell silent.
Chouka sat at the edge of the bed, methodically cleaning her tools with a damp cloth, while the Tower Master lay slumped on the mattress, his body covered in sweat and his eyes unfocused, staring at the ceiling in a post-coital stupor.
"You've still got the stamina of a beast, even at your age," Chouka remarked, not looking back. "It’s impressive, really."
The Tower Master let out a weak, breathy giggle. "Only for you, Chouka. Always... only for you."
Chouka tossed the cloth aside and stood up, stretching her lithe, goat-like frame. The atmosphere shifted instantly; the playful lover was replaced by the pragmatic fixer.
"Rest up, Chubby. You'll need your wits about you for the negotiations. I’ve already done my part. If you screw this up with the North, don't expect me to come running back to soothe your sorrows with a little 'therapy' next time."
The Tower Master shivered, not from cold, but from the sudden, sharp reminder of what was at stake. He scrambled to sit up, his expression turning serious for the first time that night.
"I won't. I... I understand. I will prepare the mages and the documents."
Chouka threw a robe over her shoulders and headed for the door, pausing only to wink at him one last time.
"Good. See you in three days."
The door clicked shut, leaving the Tower Master alone in the wreckage of his bedroom, his heart racing—partly from the lingering adrenaline, and partly from the terrifying realization that he had just bet the future of the Golden Magic Tower on a whimsical night with a woman who played by her own rules.
He slumped back down, a small, twisted smile forming on his lips.
Worth it, he thought, before drifting into the first truly peaceful sleep he had experienced in decades.
"I will consider dispatching mages to the North. However, I want to clarify one thing. That technology you mentioned, for extracting high-purity Elixir from demonic beast carcasses—it is true, is it not?"
Chouka! Good god, you insane goat! How on earth did you manage that?
I wanted to do a victory dance, but for the sake of my dignity, I maintained a solemn expression and nodded.
"If there are research records, I would like to take a look at them. I need to know exactly how valuable they are so I can send the appropriate scale of support."
Upon reading the research records of the original female lead that I handed him, the Tower Master burst into laughter.
"Innovative. And it’s a research trajectory that clearly had a lot of effort poured into it. Don't worry too much. This isn't the kind of technology you can copy just by glancing at it once. I just wanted to see what the general direction was."
The Tower Master returned the research records to me.
"I will provide all the mages suffering from mana-induced psychosis, and on top of that, I will send four of the Golden Magic Tower's top magi-engineers as additional support. I acknowledge that the practical application of this research and the operational expertise belong entirely to the North's know-how and assets. The Golden Magic Tower will not lay a finger on them. However, I do wish to receive a portion of the Elixir produced once this technology is commercialized, free of charge."
I nodded immediately.
This was an incredibly profitable deal. An immensely profitable one!
"We shall do exactly that. Of course."
"It is a brilliant piece of research. I don't know who it was, but it's clear they poured their entire life into it. I hope you make something great out of it. The Magic Tower will shoulder the costs for the necessary research facilities and equipment. I will consider it an investment."
The Tower Master and I immediately drew up the contract.
The departure was set for three days later.
Finally, the moment had arrived to resolve the North's long-standing, chronic problem: the shortage of mages.