“Red, why do you look like you’ve got kidney deficiency?”
Inside the riverside tavern, Mason stared at Red’s heavy dark circles with a puzzled expression.
He asked, “Don’t tell me… you really did it with Litt…”
“Mason, I advise you to watch your words. If you keep talking like this, someone’s bound to end up dead.”
Red, who had been drowsy beyond help, suddenly perked up when he heard this.
If Mason kept going, Red was sure he’d end up buried behind the hill by Tos.
Red glanced around for a moment, only relaxing when he confirmed Tos hadn’t come out of the restroom.
“So why do you look like a panda?”
“That’s a long story…”
Red sighed.
He couldn’t very well say that last night he hadn’t slept because his mind was full of those white silk pantyhose, could he?
Wouldn’t that make him look perverted?
Wouldn’t that make him seem like some kind of white silk fanatic?
“Don’t tell me Litt wore those white silk tights and showed them to you?”
“Yeah…”
Still lost in his thoughts, Red replied absentmindedly.
Though he quickly realized and tried to cover up, it was already too late.
A strange chill ran straight down his spine, and Tos, who had suddenly appeared like a beast, laid his hand on Red’s shoulder with a broad smile.
“Red, the weather’s been pretty nice lately, hasn’t it? I know a place off the beaten path, deserted, wild, with lots of fish. Let’s go fishing together, shall we?”
“You just want to get rid of the evidence, don’t you!”
Red hurriedly removed Tos’s hand from his shoulder.
At the same time, he changed the subject.
“Let’s talk business. About that Black Church thing from before—any leads?”
Red had been investigating these past few days.
He’d learned the organization that caused trouble during the White Church’s Open Day was called the Black Church.
But Tos just shook his head and said, “Talking business here… not a great idea, too many eyes and ears around.”
Seeing Tos so serious, Red’s mouth twitched.
“So you want to talk on Succubus Street?”
“Knew you’d get it, brother~”
Tos gave Red a big thumbs-up.
“Just as well, I haven’t gone in ages. I’m dying of boredom.”
At this, Tos looked at Mason and Red and asked, “What about you two? Want to come? I heard Succubus Street has a really good roleplay game.”
“Is it legit?”
Mason pushed his glasses up.
He couldn’t deny that ever since he got to know Tos and the others, he’d become interested in these sorts of activities.
Back in the Capital, even if he’d wanted to, he couldn’t have tried, nor would they let him.
“There’s both legit and not-so-legit stuff.”
“Both legit and not-so-legit… naturally, there’s both.”
Tos stroked his chin with a thoughtful look, as if recalling some academic report, then said solemnly to the two, “If you want something proper, there’s that too. Very proper, actually. Lots of people who aren’t succubi work part-time there—real students from the Magic Academy, earning money, performing but not selling themselves.”
“I’m not really interested in that…”
“White Silk Maid Outfit.”
“White Silk Student Uniform.”
Hearing Mason and Tos, his two scoundrel friends, echo each other, Red froze at the door, then quietly walked back, face grave.
“What do you take me for? Really… where is virtue? Where is your conscience? Where is the address?”
Heh~ x2
The three exchanged glances in the air, instantly reaching a silent, “comrade-in-arms” kind of understanding.
Under the Boss Lady’s all-seeing, seven-parts-knowing, three-parts-disdainful gaze,
Tos, Mason, and Red all simultaneously extended their right fists—thud!—their three fists bumping together midair!
“Follow me!”
“Hurry up!”
“Lead the way!”
***
Compared to other dungeons, Nightbright Town was much livelier, with plenty of Adventurers willing to linger here.
Red hadn’t really understood why before, but now he got it.
Wasn’t it because Nightbright Town had Succubus Street, with everything you could imagine on offer!?
Honestly, the looks and quality of the succubi here really were something else, but as a Great Magician of Creation, he was especially sensitive to the smell of magic.
Sensing the jumble of scents wafting from the succubi, Red couldn’t help but sigh.
No matter how pretty a woman was, if he could smell traces of countless other men on her, it really… killed the mood.
So looking was one thing; according to Tos, the ones working proper shifts here never touched the shady side of the business.
Most of them were Magic Academy students—pretty poor, desperate for cash, so they did this.
Like the maid cafés in the Capital, it was mostly roleplay—performing, not selling themselves.
If those doing the shady business played the roles, Red honestly wouldn’t have come.
“Boss!”
As soon as Tos, the old hand, entered the shop, he strode over to the counter and called to the young-looking succubus there.
“We’ve got three. For you.”
Tos pretended to act like a VIP, proudly handing over his Platinum Succubus Card.
“Paying up front.”
The little succubus at the counter swiped Tos’s card, and after seeing the balance, was visibly startled.
“You three… together?”
“Yeah, what else?”
Tos casually jerked his thumb at Red and Mason behind him.
“No way I’d let my brothers stand around doing nothing, right?”
“But…”
The little succubus seemed hesitant and mumbled, “Most of our staff are human, you know… I don’t think anyone can handle a one-on-three.”
Tos’s brain hadn’t caught up yet.
“No, no, you misunderstand, it’s not one-on-three, it’s three singles. Don’t worry, we’re not that hardcore.”
The little succubus nodded as if she got it, then Tos couldn’t help but lean in, almost touching her face, speaking in a flirtatious tone.
“Of course, if it’s you going one-on-one with me, I wouldn’t mind at all.”
“Ah, sorry,” the little succubus declined politely with a smile.
“Sir, you don’t have enough balance on your card for me. And you can only book one round.”
“…Huh?”
“That’s why I thought you meant one round, three people.”
With that, the little succubus showed them the balance on Tos’s Platinum Card.
The balance… was only five hundred.
That was just enough for one session.
“Sir, if you want to book me, it’s five thousand Luen Coins.”
“How did it get so expensive?!”
“Because now I’m the Succubus Shopkeeper,” the little succubus smiled politely.
“It’s normal for the price to be higher. But since you’re a regular, I can give you a little discount.”
Her gaze toward Tos now had a trace of pity.
Trying to act like a big shot, Tos couldn’t take that look.
He whipped out a bank card and gritted his teeth.
“It’s just five thousand! Swipe it! Today’s my treat—get the best for these two as well!”
Hearing this, Red didn’t know whether to pity or admire Tos.
Not many people would go this far just for pride…
But since it was Tos’s own decision, Red didn’t bother to say much.
Judging from the little succubus’s scent…
Tos had probably booked her quite a few times before.
“No need, we’ll pay our own share.”
After Red and Mason each paid for themselves, the three went into the back room.
Once inside, Tos mysteriously shut the door and looked around warily, as if checking for surveillance or bugs.
After confirming there were none, he lowered his voice to Mason and Red.
“You two… didn’t really think I just brought you here to play, did you?”
“What else?”
Mason curled his lip, clearly not buying Tos’s words.
“Heh…”
Tos grinned triumphantly.
“You two are too shallow. I didn’t bring you here for no reason. In fact, after my careful investigation…”
With that, Tos leaned in close, whispering just for the three of them to hear.
“In reality… this place is run by the Black Church.”
Tos’s words made Mason and Red instantly more alert.
Makes sense really.