Giant Subjugation Quest #3
Giant Subjugation Quest #3
"That blonde floozy is at it again?"
I shot Kate a look of disbelief. Just like last time during the caravan escort quest, a line of adventurers had formed in front of her. They were shaking her hand and pressing little gifts on her.
And naturally, Kate never turned down a gift. Well, there was exactly one time she refused—when some young adventurer who'd appeared out of nowhere tried to hand her a goblin fang.
"Sister! This is a goblin fang I dug up yesterday in Morris Forest! Please, accept it!!"
"A goblin fang? I'm sorry, but junk items under ten copper are not accepted as gifts."
"Huh...! I-is that so?"
The young adventurer pocketed the goblin fang with a disappointed face. At that moment, Kate took his hand, flashed a warm smile, and spoke.
"I'll gladly accept your sentiment, adventurer. If you get another chance, let's hunt together sometime. I'll remember your name, too. Mr. Hans."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The young adventurer's face lit up in an instant as he departed the square. He probably wasn't part of the subjugation squad—just some adventurer who'd spotted a nun from afar and wandered over.
Like a moth drawn to a flame.
I couldn't keep my mouth shut at Kate's technique—shooting him down flat and then sweet-talking him right after.
Is that what they call keeping a stable?
She's obviously done this more than a few times.
"Why the hell is everyone going nuts trying to give that nun presents?"
Rebecca stared at me like she was watching something bizarre.
She'd arrived late for the last escort quest, so she hadn't seen people swarming around Kate. It was only natural she'd find the sight of adventurers hitting on a nun strange.
"They're sweet-talking her so they can party up for a quest later. Nuns are incredibly rare, so they're grinding favorability ahead of time. In the adventurer business, we call that 'Favorability Work.' You keep at it and eventually recruit the nun into your party."
"Sounds like a bunch of fools."
"Agreed."
Nun Favorability Work!
The tearful ass-kissing show adventurers put on just to form a party with a nun. Because a lot of adventurers out there are cripples who can't hunt without a heal.
Of course, that had absolutely nothing to do with a chad dealer like me.
Rather than suck up to heal-sluts, I'd just head out with dealers only.
Just dodge instead of planning to get hit and rely on heals.
You ship-gay bastards.
"Do we have to do that too? Am I supposed to shake hands with that bitch?"
"No need. That shit's for ship-gays. If you've got confidence in your skills, you don't have to."
"Thank goodness...."
Rebecca wore a relieved expression when it happened. Our voices must've been pretty loud, because Kate, who'd been busy shaking hands, suddenly looked my way.
My eyes met Kate's for an instant.
"......!"
Honestly, I didn't think anything would happen just because our eyes met. Kate was currently surrounded by people accepting handshakes. I waved at Kate, intending to offer a light greeting.
At that moment, Kate's voice suddenly rang out across the square.
"Apologies, everyone! Today's handshake session ends here! My thanks to Mr. Rufus, Mr. Adel, Mr. Alan, Ms. Barbara, and all the many others who gave me personal contributions! I'll see you next time!"
Kate swung her arm from side to side, signaling the adventurers to disperse.
The stragglers at the back who'd been waiting in line could only scatter with deflated expressions.
Kate's dismissal was certainly rude, but all the adventurers backed off with smiles on their faces.
"The adventurers are scattering like ants! That's amazing-!"
Rebecca gasped in admiration as she watched them dissolve in an instant. I was impressed too, watching from the side. That she could make rough adventurers back off with a single word—
The power of a nun was indeed formidable.
But I soon realized this was no time to be admiring her. Kate, having dispersed the adventurers, was walking toward me for some reason.
Kate stopped in front of me and spoke.
"Mongma-nim-! So nice to see you again. Are you also participating in this subjugation squad, Mongma-nim?"
"...Yeah."
A warm smile was fixed on Kate's lips as she looked at me.
I had no idea why this blonde nun was suddenly acting so familiar.
Weren't we on distant terms back when we parted ways at the church?
I thought we were at the stage of exchanging awkward head-nods when our eyes met?
I furrowed my brow and opened my mouth toward Kate.
"What's with you all of a sudden? You and I aren't on friendly greeting terms. You on drugs or something?"
"Drugs? You're as rough-spoken as ever, I see."
The smile on Kate's lips stiffened.
But Kate was looking at me with an expression that said she had something to say. Abruptly, she took my hand and spoke.
Her soft touch flustered me in an instant.
"Could we move somewhere quieter for a moment? I'd like to speak with you one-on-one, Mongma-nim."
"Wh-what kind of talk?"
"You'll find out once you follow me."
Kate gently tugged at my hand.
The soft, yielding sensation of her palm made me unconsciously relax the strength in my body—
and at that very moment, Rebecca, who was right beside me, spoke up.
Rebecca wore an expression of utter disbelief.
"Excuse me. What exactly are you doing with my party member?"
"Pardon? We were just going to have a quick talk, the two of us...."
"Why do you absolutely have to be alone? Just say it here."
"I'd like to have a calm conversation with Mongma-nim."
"That's a bit of a problem, don't you think?"
Was she thinking of interfering with Kate?
Rebecca grabbed my other hand, just like Kate had.
Before I knew it, I was wedged between two women.
The sensation of soft hands had doubled.
"Why? We're just going to have an ordinary conversation. I've no intention of harming Mongma-nim."
"Even so-."
Was this really something worth interfering over? I wondered.
Still, I could understand Rebecca's feelings to some degree.
If I were in her shoes and some blonde clergywoman showed up trying to coax Rebecca into a one-on-one chat, I'd be fucking pissed too.
As Geum Tae-yang, being on the receiving end of reverse-NTR was absolutely intolerable.
"Rebecca, calm down."
"...You're not actually going to follow this blonde, are you? Luke."
It was while I was holding Rebecca back.
Kate, who'd been listening to our exchange, spoke up.
On Kate's face as she looked at Rebecca was a meaningful smile.
Like she'd just realized something.
"Hohohoho."
"What are you laughing at? It's creepy."
"Nothing at all. What might your name be, by any chance?"
"It's Rebecca."
"I'm Kate. A nun of the Luminous Church. I see. As Ms. Rebecca says, I'll just speak with Mongma-nim right here. It's nothing worth hiding, really."
Kate let go of my hand discreetly and looked at me.
She really did start spilling what she wanted to say right then and there.
"Mongma-nim, do you remember the time you filled Holy Water bottles with water last time? I asked you for water created with magic power, didn't I?"
"Ah, that?"
I immediately recalled what Kate was talking about.
Matters involving money are hard to forget.
The time I filled Kate's Holy Water bottles in the church's underground storehouse.
Back then, Kate asked me to fill the bottles for two copper apiece. She said water created with magic power was slightly helpful for manufacturing Holy Water, or something.
"I remember. I got paid correctly and all."
"After that, I went ahead and crafted Holy Water with the water I received from you, Mongma-nim. The thing is, the effect was far better than I expected. Enough that the Holy Water's efficacy rose noticeably-."
"It worked better? Isn't that completely different from what you said back then? You said water containing magic power didn't hold any real meaning."
"Well, upon further investigation, it turns out it's not entirely meaningless. First, would you care to see the Holy Water I produced?"
Kate pulled a Holy Water bottle from her bosom and held it out to me. The moment I took the bottle, I immediately understood what she meant by the efficacy rising 'noticeably.'
Something like a divine aura was emanating from the bottle.
It was genuinely radiating a holy energy befitting the name 'Holy Water' (聖水).
"What the? This is completely different from the one you gave me before...?"
"Yes. You could say the Holy Water's grade went up by one tier. It rose from the lowest-grade Holy Water to low-grade. The lowest-grade Holy Water can only restore a person's stamina slightly. But low-grade Holy Water can even exorcise weak minor spirits. This means the Holy Water I can now produce is capable of damaging the undead."
"Oh."
I gazed at the Holy Water in my hand with an impressed expression.
So if you throw this water, undead melt like snow, right? I'd definitely heard that adventurers who hunt undead carry Holy Water around.
"Why would this change have occurred, Mongma-nim?"
"How the hell should I know? I'm not a church member."
Kate spoke in an energetic voice.
"Compatibility, that's why! Your magic power, Mongma-nim, achieved harmony with my holy power in the process of creating the Holy Water! It's a miraculous phenomenon that occurs when the compatibility between magic power and holy power aligns perfectly!"
"What kind of nonsense...."
What the hell is she on about?
Good compatibility between holy power and magic power?
I know a thing or two about magic power compatibility, but what even is holy power?
"So there's energy compatibility on top of sexual compatibility between men and women?"
"Yes, it genuinely exists."
"You've got to be kidding me. Do the energies merge and have sex or something?"
"Please refrain from such vulgar expressions."
I ground my teeth toward Kate.
"Don't give me that bullshit."
"It's not bullshit! I'm telling you, it's real!"
Kate shrieked as she snatched the Holy Water back from me.
The way she yelled at the top of her lungs was filled with sincerity.
After her outburst, Kate swept her hair back and extended her hand toward me.
I stared blankly at her hand.
She seemed to be asking for a handshake.
"I look forward to working with you from now on, Mongma-nim. What I'm saying is, please keep producing water for me. With Mongma-nim's water alone! I can advance to a high-ranking nun! I can escape this shitty promotion omission!! Jesus-!"
Crazy bitch.
So she ultimately resolved to deceive the church's examiners?
The gist is she's going to cheat on the promotion exam using Holy Water whose efficacy is amplified by my water.
No matter how I thought about it, it was a risky move.
Forget getting promoted—she could get kicked out for fraud.
In a few months, Kate will probably have her nun's veil stripped off and end up as a field manager.
Not that it's my problem, though.
My part ends once I fill the water and get paid.
"You're telling me you came to me just to say that? Even dispersing all those gathered adventurers?"
"Of course! Right now, Mongma-nim is more important to me than a handshake session. So, in that regard, I'll be counting on you for water later. I want to practice making Holy Water a bit more."
Shaking hands with Kate, I could only put on an awkward expression. Honestly, I would've made her water regardless of whether she'd confessed the change in the Holy Water. As long as she paid me on the dot, I was confident I'd become Kate's personal water purifier instantly. Ice water not included, by the way.
"I look forward to working with you, Mongma-nim!"
Kate bowed her head deeply to me and returned to her original spot. Even back in her spot, she was staring at me with a face full of smiles. To flip her attitude like flipping a palm—she really was a woman crazy about promotion.
Would she lick the soles of someone's boots if they guaranteed her a promotion?
Surely not to that extent.
Probably....
Once Kate left, silence flowed for a while where Rebecca and I stood. It felt like a typhoon had swept through.
"So, what you're saying is, that blonde nun needs your help?"
Rebecca was staring at Kate with a displeased expression.
"Something like that. She says she needs water infused with my magic power? All I have to do is make the water and it's over. No need to fret. I'll buy you a meal or something with the money I squeeze out of that nun."
"I can't really help but fret...."
"Why?"
"She said that blonde nun has good compatibility with you. Even if it's magic power and holy power compatibility... this feels exactly like the story about you and me."
Rebecca spoke with a voice tinged with anxiety.
"Don't tell me—if she does lewd things with that blonde nun, something happens or something. ...That's not going to happen, right?"
"Oh-."
A fantasy instantly sprang to mind at Rebecca's words.
A fantasy of Kate performing obscene services for me to gain holy power.
If that haughty blonde nun were to suck me off, it truly would be a taste of heaven.
At least her looks were a pretty blonde nun.
"Luke. What are you thinking about right now?"
"Imagining going to heaven."
Rebecca looked at me with quizzical eyes.
Before she could probe deeper, I quickly decided to change the subject.
"Speaking of compatibility, it got me thinking. We're going to do it on this quest too, right? Mana charging, I mean."
"Do what?"
"Kissing."
Only then, as if grasping my meaning, did Rebecca's face flush instantly.
We'd had kissing time every night during the caravan escort, too. There was no reason not to do mana charging on this quest. Though with so many people in the subjugation squad, we'd have to be a little more mindful of eyes. Just thinking about Rebecca getting lewder with every kiss already put me in a good mood.
"You gonna do it, or not?"
Rebecca nodded her head at my question.
The look in her eyes as she gazed up at me held a faint hint of anticipation.
"...If it's mana charging, I guess it can't be helped. I'll do it."