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“I see!”
Venus finally understood the situation. Bash wanted to know what kind of man women liked to have another chance.
“If that’s the case, I’ll help you… but it’s complicated. I don’t know much about women from other countries.”
“Mmm…”
“However, I’m sure the demons were helped by Sir Bash as well. If the ‘Orc Hero’ wants to take a demon wife for the sake of a future friendship, they won’t say no.”
“Are you serious?”
“There are many conditions, but I think the demons are also going through a difficult time right now and would like to have a more direct relationship. Demons are too proud to say so… and since the Succubi and we are under human surveillance and cannot conduct diplomacy freely, I’m sure they would appreciate a compromise from the Orcs.”
Bash’s heart swelled with anticipation. But he was a veteran warrior. He had lost many battles on this journey. There was no way he could be optimistic in such a situation.
“It won’t work like this.”
“…Maybe. Demons, like succubi, despised orcs, perhaps even more than us.”
As Venus spoke, she thought of the demon women she had encountered in the past. They looked down on all kinds of opponents. It was especially bad when Gediguz was still alive. They even looked down on succubi and ogres, who were considered the superior species. It was a sad memory when she thought about it. But the demons were in decline now. She figured they wouldn’t be as bad off as the succubi, but she felt a little better now that she knew they must be suffering.
Just as she thought that, Zell, who had been unusually quiet and listening, raised her hand.
“Yes, demon women and the proud succubi are very much alike! How about we practice with Venus imitating a demon woman?”
Venus tilted her head.
“What do you mean by imitating a demon woman?”
“You know, ‘Lowly Orc, get out of my sight’ or something like that.”
Venus felt the blood drain from her face.
“I can’t do it. I just can’t. Please don’t make me. Sir Bash is really my hero, I don’t want to have to think of him as food, and I don’t even mind if he uses me as food if that’s what he wants! But please don’t make me! Besides, if another succubus sees such a scene, I won’t survive. After Sir Bash leaves the country, I’ll be beaten to death in an alley.”
“Really?”
“I know I would. Because it’s unacceptable for a succubus to treat Sir Bash like any other orc… Or if the queen found out, she’d put me to death.”
Then Venus bit her lip. But, she thought to herself, I could do it. I could imitate a demon woman. I could imitate those haughty but capable warriors. Torn between pride and gratitude, Venus said with a sour face:
“But if Sir Bash understands and wants to use me for practice, I… I…!” Blood flowed from her lips as she bit them.
“No, I wouldn’t want you to go that far.”
“I see.” Venus breathed a sigh of relief.
“But how have you been working so far?”
“I have followed the paths of humans and elves, worked to make them fall in love with me, and then proposed to them.”
Venus’ eyes widened and her gaze shifted from Bash’s crotch to his face. It had never occurred to her that the Orc hero, the strongest warrior of the race, who r̲a̲pe̲d and impregnated every woman they saw, would go around doing something so transgressive. But at the same time, she was impressed and convinced. Bash thought a lot about it. It was no wonder he had come to visit the Succubus Nation through human trickery, and even cooperated with them to improve the “food” situation.
“So wonderful… but yes… as I said, I’m a succubus, so I don’t know much about women of other races… Sorry I can’t help you…”
“But you are also a woman, aren’t you?”
“No, Sir Bash. We are not women per se. We succubi are certainly feminine in appearance, and we have feelings for men, but that is to satisfy our appetites, unlike other species, which is to reproduce.”
“But you do reproduce, don’t you?”
“That’s a little different…” Venus nodded and put her hand to her chin a little, thinking. “I don’t think that’s useful. We succubi focus on strength when we make a child. Stronger mothers produce stronger offspring…”
“Mmm…”
If strength were enough to attract women, Bash would already have a human wife, an elf, a dwarf, and a beastwoman. It wouldn’t be surprising if he had already lost his virginity in the past and taken a succubus as his fifth wife with a relaxed expression on his face. By now, Venus would have a full belly and a satisfied look on her face.
Frizcop: I love how Bash think so high of himself.
“I am impressed by your attitude, Sir Bash. Yes… indeed, in this day and age, we succubi must also strive to be liked by men. Without resorting to charm…”
“But aren’t your usual words and gestures meant to please men?”
“Do you think so? I don’t know myself, since we are all born that way… But it is true that before the war I heard that charm was not as strong as it is now, and maybe they had to make men like them with their language and gestures…”
“Language and gestures, eh?”
Thinking back, Bash had never worried about such things since he left the country. Of course, he spoke formally when necessary, but he didn’t know anything about gestures.
“Venus, what gestures would you prefer from a man?”
“That would be him naked, of course, with his hands on his hips… no, that’s nothing. Forget it.”
“It’s all right. I’ll forget it.”
“Well… I don’t know, but if succubi’s gestures and habitual language are such that men like them, I think there’s a clue there. Since we are like that, we resemble all races… but what would you think of a woman like us in our usual state, Sir Bash?”
“Mm. I think she would be a good woman who would conceive a child immediately and without complications.”
“Even if you take away the Orc’s point of view, as long as the person is alive, I suppose it would stimulate the reproductive instincts.”
“You mean it happens to women too?”
“I’m sure it’s the same.”
Next, Bash would go to the land of demons. He knew it wouldn’t be an easy task, no matter how many letters of introduction he had. But here he seemed to finally see a glimmer of hope.
“But what gestures and language make a woman feel good? Especially demon women.”
“…Wh-Who knows. But for succubi, it’s considered best for a man to be defiant or confident?”
“Much like what orcs want in a woman.”
“Succubi and orcs are races that r̲a̲pe̲ other races, so their tastes would be similar…”
“And what about demons? So I should be submissive and insecure?”
“No, demons do not see their submissive opponents as equals. You have to act in a way that makes them think you are their equal in a reasonable way.”
“What does ‘equal’ mean to a demon?”
“That would be…”
But in the end, they never got to the answer… The glimmer of light he thought he saw was all in his mind.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”
“That’s okay, no problem.”
He knew from the beginning that there were differences between the races. Bash had always tried to be flexible.
“We’ll just have to carry on as usual, won’t we?”
Bash nodded and went back to thinking about the demon princess he hadn’t seen yet. He was not discouraged. It had been the same during the war. It wasn’t every day that a strategy or a secret weapon appeared that could turn around a difficult situation. In the end, they had no choice but to go their own way and become stronger.
■
One day, while Bash was spending his days like this, an incident occurred.
Frizcop: You know? I love chapters like this, chapters were characters just stay sit, just talking casually, that’s my s̲h̲i̲t̲.