I'm Only Interested in Virgins
It was nearing 3 AM anyway—a time when customers might still drop by, even in the dead of night. I'd hung up an "Out for a bit" sign, but there were bound to be folks wandering into the convenience store at dawn, hoping the manager would show up any minute. For even that one customer, the store had to stay open. Plus, during the quiet night hours, I needed to get some cleaning done and empty the trash ahead of time. So, make this as quick as possible. Oh, and the air and smells here didn't suit me at all, either.
The lobby on the first floor was a bit better than before, but aside from the piercing cheap perfume being replaced by a more subtle, high-end fragrance, not much had changed. The flashy backdrop didn't matter to a mere convenience store manager like me.
"This is dew tea I gathered personally from the forest."
Dew tea. A premium brew made by boiling dew from ancient forests rich in spiritual energy together with moss flowers that only bloom at dawn. Just drinking it purified the body and refined one's mana. A single cup of mid-grade dew tea cost over 100 gold, or so I'd heard.
'The name sounds just like booze.'
Damn good dew, though. It was one of our flagship products, beloved by the common folk—like our soju for the masses.
"Cheers."
As the Madam reached to pour tea into my cup, the naked women who'd stripped bare earlier to greet the Fried heir froze in confusion. They seemed shocked that she was doing their job. Hesitating, they slipped into sheer outfits that barely concealed their crimson nipples and tried to sit beside me.
"You can go now. This man's not interested in you girls."
At the Madam's words, they turned to me with wide eyes, faces full of surprise as if wondering why not us? Well, they were stunning enough to draw gasps just from looking—each one a knockout, even if not quite on Luna's level. But they had one fatal flaw.
"I'm only interested in virgins."
I said it flatly, taking a sip of the warm tea.
"Mm."
Delicious. A clear energy spread through my whole body the moment it hit my tongue—the effect was incredible.
"This isn't from some ordinary forest."
"Right. Picked it from the elves' forest."
"Ho, quite the treat."
"Thanks to you, I got through that crisis."
"Cheers."
Slurp.
My body warmed right up. Yeah, customers would forgive a short closure for this.
"He still hasn't gone?"
"Ah, no, not yet. Well then..."
The lake women—practically naked—bowed to me and scurried out of the room one after another. Once they were gone and the door fully shut, activating the soundproofing magic, I finally asked the Madam,
"What happened? It's not like you to let your mask slip like that."
"Nothing. I let my guard down because he was just a kid."
She closed her eyes, savoring her tea. Golden eyes flickered beneath the fox mask.
"That's not something that breaks from a little carelessness, is it?"
That mask—what was it, exactly? A magic artifact crafted by dwarves and elves pooling their power to contain her immense mana. It had a touch of coercion, sure, but they'd handed over their masterpiece willingly.
"Don't tell me it was because of the Crown Prince?"
Her hand paused mid-sip at my words.
"Spot on. What kind of order did that guy give to stir up waves in your peaceful lake?"
"That'd be lese-majeste against the imperial family."
"You gonna report him?"
"Who knows. If the palace forces an oath activation, maybe."
Oath. The contract the Madam, owner of Moonlit Lake, had made under imperial protection. The lake's Madam obeyed imperial commands. Once in her life, the one who wore the crown could issue her an absolute order she couldn't refuse. That's why this place was the empire's intelligence hub. No way they'd waste a one-time oath on mere lese-majeste.
"Guess you'll never speak of it."
"Heh heh heh."
"Anyway, what made you lose your composure enough to crack the mask?"
"He just gave an annoying order and left. Caused some hassle too."
Her golden eyes gleamed forlornly, a vortex of deep mana swirling within.
"Hassle, huh. No need to say it."
I could guess. There was only one reason the Madam would shake like this. She possessed immense mana no ordinary human could handle—and with it, the ability to glimpse the future.
Future sight. Right now, those forlorn golden eyes could catch fragments of what was to come, if only briefly. The Crown Prince must have sought her out, commanded her to look, and she'd obeyed. Probably something tied to that future sight. My guess was that the emotional turmoil from what she saw rippled into her eyes, and the Fried heir sensed the surging mana, cracking the mask.
The whole story clicked in my head. Even if the Madam was off her game, tearing a dwarf-elf mask? Impressive.
'The Fried ducal house has a bright future.'
Ah, the second son—maybe not so bright? I thought of the power struggles ahead for House Fried and gave a wry smile. Things were about to get messy. Better keep my distance from the Frieds.
"So that's why the tea? Lonely and wanted some company?"
"That, and I'm grateful you rushed over the second I called."
The corner of her mouth curved up, untouched by the fox mask. A bittersweet smile.
"Not curious? About the future I saw."
"Not really into peeking at futures that haven't happened yet."
I'm no voyeur. Better to focus on the storms of the present than wonder about unripe tomorrows.
"The manager really is unique."
"Takes one to know one, Madam."
"Heh heh."
She covered her mouth with the back of her hand, laughing softly. Looked like her mood had lightened a bit—good.
"By the way, how's Elena doing?"
"Great, as always. Too healthy, even—kinda worrying."
She's always trying to work nonstop. I don't want her turning into one of those overtime-loving corporate drones from her childhood.
"Glad to hear. When I first saw her, I thought she'd never make it."
"She grew up fine on her own."
"Must be thanks to her excellent manager."
"She'd have thrived under you too, Madam."
"A convenience store beats this place by miles."
Sadness flickered in her eyes, for reasons I couldn't fathom. We drained the warm dew tea, and by the time the cups had cooled,
"Time to head back? Customers are waiting."
"Yeah. Call me like this if trouble hits again."
"Will do. And..."
As I stood, the Madam added,
"If you ever want to see the future, just say the word. I owe you one—anytime."
I knew how taxing future sight was for her. And that she'd never offer it first. Smiling at the fox mask hiding her alluring face, I replied,
"If I ever need it, I'll ask."
She nodded. I donned my wolf mask and left the room.
Following the attendant down, the lavish lake lobby came into view. As we walked, I felt eyes on me. The lake women's gazes were thick with blatant seduction. My guide whispered low,
"The lake girls prefer young, fit guys like you, Manager. Easier to handle."
"Figures."
Even if they sold love for coin, they'd want a handsome partner. Even the masked female guests eyed me. But these stares were getting uncomfortable. Then,
"Excuse me, sir. Looking for a partner? I know a great spot to relax..."
A woman without a mask tapped my shoulder. Her head sported furry cat ears—a beastkin. Different race, but still a total beauty. Her sticky-sweet voice didn't faze me.
"Sorry. Just finishing up business."
"Ah, my apologies. Have a good time."
At "business done," she bowed gracefully, like a noble lady. The standard lake farewell. The Madam did the same for the Fried heir.
'Come to think of it, she never does it for me?'
Does she see me as an on-call employee she can boss around? Fair enough—I come running when she calls.
'Gotta hurry.'
Customers waiting. Luckily, no one had shown up while I was out.
***
"Ugh, I'm dying."
Thirty minutes left in what felt like an eternally long night shift. The streets teemed with empire citizens heading to work. Sure, we were in front of a brothel district, but DG Convenience sat on the central boulevard linking Oscar's commercial hub to residential areas. Prime real estate, thanks to the empire's top brothel claiming the spot. That's why I benefited too—built right in front of it.
Try sticking a convenience store in some alley brothel. No way it'd thrive like this. Night: red-light playground. Day and evening: commuter artery. Perfect location.
Which meant...
Ruuush!
"Hey, boss!"
This madhouse.
"Welcome! DG Convenience!"
"Sir, you can't mess that up!"
"How much? One gold. No picture? Sorry, the picture comes standard."
"Please line up!"
Chaos. Save me. Morning shift Sylvia, hurry!
As I flailed in the customer wave,
"Manager, good day to you."
A beauty with striking red twintails entered, greeting me. My savior from the frenzy—Sylvia.
"Sylvia, help, quick."
"Understood, sir."
Ah, saved.