chapter 68

Toku, toku, toku…….I awakened to the sounds of a gentle heartbeat. When I raised my head, I saw Rico’s face amongst the dim light of my room. It was the face of a dignified and intelligent lady, but only during these times, she had a tinge of innocence on it. Sunlight shone on her beautiful cheek through the window. What a beautiful scenery. I marveled at this splendid sight.

After that, Rico slowly opened her eyes and found me with her unfocused gaze.

「Good morning」

「Good morning, Rico」

「Yes, it’s already morning, isn’t it?」

She tried to cover herself with a sheet in embarrassment. I stopped her hand and fixedly stared at her.

「Beautiful」

Rico turned red in the face and tried to avoid her eyes. When I saw her embarrassed appearance, I felt a bit of moe. I embraced Rico once again and left the bed.

After breakfast, we teleported back with the same crew as yesterday. Upon our arrival, we accidentally found the guys having breakfast too, how noisy. Kuena was beautifully taking care of this noisy bunch.

「Good morning」

Kuena, who discovered us, greeted us.

「How is it? Did something change? 」

「Yes. The girl from yesterday is still asleep. The small geryuon drank some milk but didn’t show much of an appetite」

When I looked at mini-geryuon, he was already telepathically conversing with Ferris.

「Kyuuu. Ki~yuu~u~u~u」

「It seems that he didn’t sleep well」

「Because geryuons prefer to act in a group. It might be hard for him to be separated from everyone else」

「Oi, what happened to your herd? I can bring you back if you know the location」

「Ki~yuuuuu」

Mini-geryuon powerlessly swung his head.

「……..Because he was chased out, he has no place to return to……But he wants to beat everyone who hurt his mother when he grows up」

This mini-geryuon’s mother led a group of 30 of his kind. However, six months ago she lost to a male geryuon from another group and was chased out with her child. Not just that, it seems that she lost one of her wings in the fight. Apparently, the wings weren’t just to fly in the sky but also to retain the overall body balance. She had a hard time hunting after being chased out. Seeing this, the child geryuon went hunting himself. Then, he was attacked by the bandits and caught.

「What were they trying to achieve by catching him?」

「They probably intended to sell him as materials or food. I never heard about geryuon’s meat being particularly delicious, but there are plenty of nobles with weird tastes」

It seems that his mother pushed her injured body and reached the hideout. However, she didn’t succeed and was dismantled before his own eyes. A picture from hell.

「…..He is afraid of going outside, or so he says」

「No wonder. Your mother was killed in front of you. But you have to go outside. Living longer and happier than you mother will be the best revenge against those who hurt you. You’ve suffered enough, nothing will happen to you in the future. You just need to stand up. Only happiness awaits you from now on」

「Kyuuuu」

Mini-geryuon burst into tears. It seems that Ferris was ready to follow-up, so I left everything to her. Meanwhile, I approached the sleeping girl.

She was calmly sleeping. She looked like a normal girl except for the deer horns on her head.

「Such a mysterious creature. First time I saw something like that」

「She has the horns, can’t she be a deer beastman?」

「The horns of the deer beastman are a bit bigger. The shouldn’t be this short. Their hair also isn’t blue」

「It seems that I have no choice but to leave her be until she wakes up」

We left the girl where she was and headed to see the succubus.

I mentally prepared myself as I opened the door. Back then, I saw a kingdom-toppling beauty. After the three aspects of beauty, ero, and moe, nothing can faze me anymore. Whatever she does, won’t be able to affect my state of mind, probably. I’m not going to lose to a demon, most likely. The delusions of her doing this and that, ~ehehe, are completely under my control, I’m sure of it.

I opened the door in one go. The succubus was listlessly facing us with her back inside of the barrier. It seems that she rampaged quite a bit. My prided barrier had an uncountable number of small cracks. With her doing that for one more day, it could have become dangerous. That is, is she has the necessary endurance and MP to continue.

I approach the succubus. In response to my footsteps, her body moved with a twitch.

「…….Energy, give me the energy~」

When I saw her face, she looked like an old lady. Wrinkled face, droopy breasts……..can I have a refund for my excitement?

I dispelled the barrier around her. Of course, considering the possibility of an attack, I didn’t release the barriers around us.

「Energy……energy…..ener…gy……」

She fell down with a thud. Apparently, she died. From the old age.

「The succubi age without men’s vital energy. I thought that she lived for at least a few hundred years and I was right」

As expected of Gon. That’s why she gathered a hundred men here to engage in Fever Hustle every night. Although this demon didn’t do any good, her victims weren’t innocent either. Truly, no good people lived here. A bunch of vulgar bastards. Know some shame!

「Amazing, Rinos-san! To suck all of her energy within a day. Please, teach me too! 」

「….It’s still too early for you Ferris. You will understand when you become an adult, don’t ever become like that demonic woman, okay? 」

Ferris made a confused face. Looking closely, the succubus’ body is gradually turning into ash. Do they naturally turn into ash upon their death? She was determined until the end. Some people should learn from her, from a certain perspective.

When we returned to the mansion, Kuena flew to our side.

「That girl is about to wake up」

I hurriedly went to check her condition. The body that was completely motionless just a while ago was now turning from left to right. After some time, her eyes slowly opened.

「Uunn, I slept well」

Seems like a comfortable awakening.

「Hello there. How do you feel?」

「Ha? Who? 」

「I’m Rinos, the current manager of this territory. I discovered you when I intruded into bandits’ mansion. I didn’t want to leave you there, so I took you with me. Who on earth are you? 」

「Who ~ knows」

She seems rather defiant. Is she an enemy? For now, let’s appraise this girl.

Luara (Princess Poseidon, 15 years old) LV19

MP: 74

Wind Magic LV2

Sword Arts LV2

Mana Absorption LV1

Dancing LV3

Singing LV2

「Ha? Daughter of Poseidon? A daughter of the sea monarch? 」

「How did you!? Could it be that I was found? No, it shouldn’t be like this! I was always together with the succubus once I reached the shore」

「For now, how about telling me about your background?」

「Don’t know. Why don’t you find out yourself? More than that, I’m hungry. Give me something to eat」

「This girl, let’s cut her down」

Ferris is releasing her bloodlust. That Luara woman raised her nose up high with a humph. Apparently, she is still behaving like a daughter of Poseidon. I might need to punish her.

「For now, give her some milk」

「Fuun, that’s how it should be」

The woman drank the milk and asked for more. She calmed down after asking for a refill three more times.

「First things first, you aren’t on the same side as the bandits, right? You said that you’ve met the succubus, were you planning something? There is also a baby geryuon, is this your doing? 」

「Who knows? What do you think? It seems interesting, can you tell me? It will help me to kill some time」

Fufun, proudly grinned the woman. I silently left the room.

「This girl is so not cute」

「Rinos, this woman should be cut down」

「She is a daughter of Poseidon. We can’t just do it. Well, just leave everything to me」

When I asked later, I learned that I made a face of a villain back at that moment.

After a while, I heard her vibrant scream from the other room.

「What is this?! What!? I can’t get out! Let me out immediately! Let me out! Let me out! 」

「What? Dou you have an errand to run? 」

「Let me out! Let me out from here! 」[1]

「I will let you go if you answer my questions. Your relationship with the bandits, your relationship with the succubus, about the baby geryuon, these three」

「…..I said I don’t know! 」

「Then stay here for a while」

I turned around intending to leave the building.

「Wait! Please! Let’s me go to the……t-toilet……」

「Answer and you are free to go」

「Uu, please……」

「Answer」

「…….About succubus…..she said that she wanted to make a base here and invited me to join……that’s why, summon the esaraharu, she said…….The bandits were gathered by the succubus, so I don’t know. The geryuon was captured by the bandits on their own, so I don’t know. I really don’t know! 」

「Esaraharu? What is that? 」

「This is a delicacy, A fish that rots before you know it. It has sharp teeth and eats almost everything. It acts in flocks and quite dangerous to meet in a sea」

「Ho, so it’s a delicacy. I want to try it sometime」

「Please, toilet…..」

「Well, all right. Exit the room and turn left. Come on」

I released the barrier. At that moment, the woman dashed towards the door.

「It doesn’t open! This door doesn’t open!!」

「Don’t push it, pull」

「I-It opened!」

Jobabababa.

With a sound that could be heard even here, this woman leaked in a grand fashion.