Chapter 8 – The Decision
<span style="font-weight:400">I frantically move my eyes all over the new status window, jumping from one category to another and back.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Sexmancer? Love Contract? Charm Affinity? Harem Lord? What the hell is all of this?</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">I finally realize why everyone has behaved weirdly after my awakening. During everyone’s turns, those different things were materializing, like wind or darkness, but in my case, the pinkish mist had to somehow affect their bodies. It’s not hard to guess in what way.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is there some problem with your awakening, Sir Carter?” the Archpriest speaks again.
<span style="font-weight:400">Honestly, I’ve been preparing myself to receive some trash ss since the first day here, when everyone shared their stats and had a different race from me, but man, who would have expected a result like that.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">There’s nothing I can do about it right now. I need some time to get through all this and then judge my situation, but… How the fuck am I going to announce that my ss revolves around sex!? I don’t even have to check the details of any skills. It’s clear as the sky on a sunny day!</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">With an ufortable smile, I turn to the priest and the King. “It says Sexmancer here. You have any idea about it?” I try to awkwardly present it like it’s nothing special.
<span style="font-weight:400">Silence.
<span style="font-weight:400">More silence.
<span style="font-weight:400">I can literally see tumbleweeds rolling between us. Or it’s just my nervous imagination.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pshhhhhhht… Hahahahahaha… What in the flying fuck?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">A suddenugh echoes through the chamber. I don’t even have to move my eyes to check for the source. It’s obviously Kamil’s. Everyone looks his way, myself included. He’s holding his stomach with one hand andughing while nudging Marcia with his other elbow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hahahaha! I always knew you were a fucking creep, but to this extent?” He can barely stand on his own legs.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a slightly sour and confused expression, the King speaks up. “I’ve never heard about a ss like that… It’s almost impossible to even judge what branch it might be. Is it offensive, defensive, support? What does it even do?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ha… Hahaha… Haha…” Kamil tries to calm himself to the point where he can speak again. “Isn’t that obvious? He is going to fuck enemies to death! Hahaha! Better hide your girls!”
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">He’s slowly starting to get on my nerves, not gonna lie.</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oi! Are you perhaps hiding something from us? How many students back on Earth have yo—”
<em><span style="font-weight:400">*FWOOSH*</em>
<em><span style="font-weight:400">*THUD*</em>
<span style="font-weight:400">“Guh?!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Suddenly, his legs are up in the air and the back of his head ms into the floor with a great force. Beside him, Shino is standing with her leg to the front after a shoving kick; her hair fluttering. She sends him a cold, murderous re.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Just a second ago she was standing on the opposite side of the room. How did she move there in an instant?</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">She quickly walks towards me and the priest.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sensei…”
<span style="font-weight:400">I put my hand on her head and ruffle her hair a bit more forcefully than usual. She does not back off though.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haha. You stole a bit too much of my luck back there, don’t you think?”
<span style="font-weight:400">Shino drops her gaze to the ground and her expression darkens.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry, that was a bad joke. Remember? Whatever happens, happens. Don’t worry, it’s not the end of the world.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I try to reassure her a bit with a smile, but honestly, it’s more like I’m convincing myself. She looks back up at me with concern.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">I’m getting a bit too irritated here… Better leave to cool down before I lose more face.</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">I stop ruffling Shino’s hair and move a few steps towards the exit. I wave my hand and speak without turning back.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That weird pink mist made me a bit dizzy. I’ll go get some fresh air before I faint. Don’t wait for me, I’ll be back at the castle before midnight.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wait!” The King stops me before I reach the door. “I want to have a personal meeting with each one of you this following week to discuss your sses in a bit more detail. We’ll try to gather some information from the archives before you all move out.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fine by me. Just call for me whenever.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I pull therge doors and leave the chamber.
※ ※ ※
<span style="font-weight:400">I’m walking through the streets back on the way to the castle. It’s an hour or two after noon. The city is bustling with people.
<span style="font-weight:400">While I’m deep in my thoughts, someone leaves an alley to my right and bumps into my side. I watch as two big crates drop onto the floor while the carrier falls onto their butt. Fortunately, the boxes don''t break.
<span style="font-weight:400">In front of me, there’s a muscr man with grey furry skin and the head of a tiger. I also notice a tail sticking out from behind him. He’s what people here call a pure-blood Beastkin.
<span style="font-weight:400">He nces over the boxes in a daze and then spots me, instantly jumping to his knees and cowering in front of me. He speaks in Common, in a low and growly voice, befitting of his image.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I apologize, My Lord! This one was not paying attention to the road ahead! Please, forgive this blunder!”
<span style="font-weight:400">For a moment, I’m the one in a daze, but then I remember how Humans are the ruling race here.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As you can see I’m fine. What about you?”
<span style="font-weight:400">While speaking, I extend my hand to him. The hair on his tail stands up and he slightly trembles while backing off a bit. I notice a leather cor on his neck and everything clears up.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Abour ve...</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">Seeing his reaction, I retract my hand. He’s definitely afraid of Humans. Nothing I can do here.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Stop kneeling and proceed with your task. I have no need to punish you.”
<span style="font-weight:400">It pains me to speak in such a cold manner towards him, but he most likely will only get more confused by any kindness. Without waiting for his reaction I walk away.
<span style="font-weight:400">On my way to the castle, I summon the summary window and focus on every new thing that appeared there, starting with titles.
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<span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-weight:400">『<strong>The Embodiment of Lust</strong>』
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">You are an adonis amongst the gods. Your perfect body is being adored by everyone, disregarding their race or gender, and any female will have a hard time averting her gaze from your muscr chest.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">All your bodily fluids are the highest quality heavenly aphrodisiac and just your sweet scent will make any girl weak in their knees. You can control the power of it with your will and the higher your Tier, the more powerful and irresistible its effects get, piercing even the strongest resistances.
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<span style="font-weight:400">「...」
<span style="font-weight:400">「<em>O</em><i><span style="font-weight:400">kay, what the fuck? Is even my sweat an aphrodisiac now?</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">I try to sniff myself, but I don’t notice anything special. Just in case, I try to think about this <em>effect</em> being non-existent orpletely turned off. I move onto another title.
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<span style="color:#ffffff"><strong><span style="font-weight:400">『True Harem Lord</strong>』
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">You are an open-minded and kind-hearted person who wees into his embrace any girl that develops feelings for you, and it’s not just love, but adoration, gratitude or respect and admiration. You value their happiness higher than your own.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">You gain 10-50% bonus stats of a registered Partner that willingly offers you their body, and they benefit from it too, for as long as any kind of positive feeling towards you resides in their soul. The bonus depends on the strength of the bond between you, but no rtionship will ever reach a higher benefit than one of the mutual lovers.
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<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Now I see why all my stats were so low, but damn, this looks broken as fuck. Literally, the more girls I sleep with, the higher my stats will be. But, what is a registered partner? At least there’s that part about consent, so whoever gets this ss can’t just jump at any woman on the street. Feels kinda reassuring. But it’s not like I’ll suddenly find tens of girls who will fall for me in some way, and by the description, any kind of Charm Magic or such won’t work. Whatever! Let’s check out thest one. It sounds the most normal of them all.</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
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<span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-weight:400">『<strong>The One Who Controls Life</strong>』
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">You are in perfect control of your own body, even to the point where you can decide if your seed is fertile or not at the moment of ejaction. You can control the time of your release at will.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">Your body regenerates faster than that of your usual Human and you are immune to diseases spread through procreation.
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「<i>...</i>」
<span style="font-weight:400">I shake my head and rub my temples.
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">What the hell have I been even expecting from this...</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">Time to take a look at the ss skills. I try to summon all of them at once.
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<span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-weight:400">【<strong>Actives</strong><span style="font-weight:400">】
<span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-weight:400">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Love Contract - You can form a bond with another person to use and share the benefits of your ss and its skills. Every contracted person will appear in the【<b>Partners</b><span style="font-weight:400">】menu. The stat bonus from the『<b>True Harem Lord</b><span style="font-weight:400">』title will only work after you both join your bodies together. Not all skills require that condition to be fulfilled. For more information, check each of them separately.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Rejuvenate Lv. 1 - Focusing your internal mana you can speed up the process of natural regeneration and quickly restore fatigue, stress and calm the body. Focusing on a single body part will increase the strength of the effect. Can be applied to external targets with a touch. Effectiveness rises with the skill level and the user’s Tier.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Carnal Mist Lv. 1 - You can release a strong aphrodisiacal purple mist, which greatly boosts carnal instincts of the target, instantly making them go into heat. Targets with weak enough resistances will lose their minds and throw themselves at others to satisfy their urges. You can control its power with your will. Effectiveness rises with the skill level and the user’s Tier.
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<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Great, the registered partner mystery is solved. I don’t get bonus stats from any random girls I sleep with. They have to ept me first. So, even if I wanted to, nailing a whole brothel’s worth of prostitutes would give nothing, since they wouldn’t ept the contract, even though they would ‘willingly’ do it with me. And it sounds like there might be some skills that don’t require me to have sex with the girl, but just register her as my Partner to use them.</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">The second one looks like a weak healing spell. Any healing is good healing. Thest one though… Might work pretty decently as a debuff. A surprise attack, diversion or ass-saver in a tough spot. Obviously, I wouldn’t have any actual offensive skills...</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
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<span style="color:#ffffff"><span style="font-weight:400">【<strong>Passives</strong><span style="font-weight:400">】
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Lover’s Intuition - You can vaguely feel the presence of your Partners. The shorter the actual distance between you, the more you can feel, including details like their mood, state of the mind and body or feelings. If a Partner dies, gets hurt or encounters a psychologically taxing situation, you feel their distress over any distance, also boosting your awareness of their location.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Sensual Strengthening - Physical contact with a Partner will slightly strengthen their body and mind permanently, and moderately for a period of 24 hours. The strength of the effect depends on the intensity of it, beginning with a kiss and ending on the lovemaking process leaving the Partner fully satisfied. The amount of strengthening achieved by acts in quick session is subjected to a rule of diminishing returns.
<span style="font-weight:400;color:#ffffff">?<span style="text-decoration:underline">Charm Affinity - You have a high affinity for Charm Magic and possess great resistance against it. Only charms of the highest Tiers can affect your mind.
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<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">WOW! All of them sound really good! But first, I can sense others being in danger from any distance! I wonder if I’d be able to confirm if they are telling the truth when I’m close enough, like a lie detector.</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Then, the strengthening. It’s like a buff you get from food in games, only that I have to actually do lewd things to others… It says it can even improve them permanently, so like training, but… I don’t think I’ll get to use it that much… I can’t imagine being in a party and just before a fight, I kiss all the girls in turns so that they can be a little stronger… Hahaha… What a joke...</i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">「<i><span style="font-weight:400">Thest one is all kinds of useful though. Even if I don’t know any Charm Magic at this moment, just the resistance is great. Haaaaaaaaaah… What the hell is wrong with all this… </i><span style="font-weight:400">」
<span style="font-weight:400">I sigh heavily just as I enter the premises of the castle. It’s already getting dark. I took some time to arrive here. I bet others arrived much earlier than me. I don’t really pay attention to where I’m going and I end up in the library. Since I’m already here, I’ll try to find some information and maybe figure what to do.
<span style="font-weight:400">After a few hours, Cornelia passes by and decides to join me but I excuse myself saying that I’m not feeling well today and quickly leave. I don’t know if I’m able to control all those skills properly yet. On my way, I grab something to eat from the kitchen area and move to my room to lie down and think about everything that had recently happened.
※ ※ ※
<span style="font-weight:400">Five days pass. I spend that time in the library, trying to figure out what to do now. Shinoes to check up on me at least two times a day, but I assure her that everything is fine. She is really worrying too much. Even Natalie goes out of her way to visit me during that period. Fortunately, it seems that I’m controlling my ss just fine, as none of them gets weird around me. Well, maybe besides the usual weird when you learn someone has a ss literally about sex and he was your teacher once.
<span style="font-weight:400">On the sixth day, I’m finally called for by the King. I arrive at the familiar meeting room with the balcony. He gestures to me to sit down and I follow with a light bow.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Your Majesty.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He waves his hand.
<span style="font-weight:400">“At ease. We’ve known each other long enough to drop the stiff titles. We are alone here and I would rather have a pleasant chat with a friend rather than another official.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“If you are fine with that, why should I argue,” I speak more openly, then he continues.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’ve already spoken with the other Heroes and provided them with whatever information we could find about their or simr sses. After that, I asked everyone if they are still willing to help the kingdom and they all agreed. I n on sending you into one of the weaker outbreak areas to gain some experience with the Abyssals first.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Pardon me, but I don’t think I’m suitable to be a member of that party,” I interrupt the King.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Is that because of your ss?” he asks.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hmmmm… We’ve tried everywhere, but we haven’t found any records about anything like it. Would you tell me what you know?”
<span style="font-weight:400">I briefly summarize what the ss is about, mentioning how I can strengthen others and myself and what kind of skills I have at the moment, but without going into too many details about the titles.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As you can see, it’s all about indecent acts, and as you can imagine, I can’t casually kiss and grope the girls in the party. Even forgetting that they were my close students, how do you think the other guys would react? At the same time, I have nobat skills besides that mist and the only decent magic I know is the one boosting regeneration. I would just drag them down hard,” I exin.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes. It’s really unfortunate for you to receive such a different ss from the others…” The King ponders a bit.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Each one of those guys is special in some kind. I might have had a lot of knowledge and stuff, butpared to them, I was just a teacher. They all have strong backgrounds and bloodlines.”
<span style="font-weight:400">He nods at my words. “That’s true. Especially that ck-haired girl. Whenever I speak with, her she emanates this dignified aura and is very polite.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Right, that’s Asakura-san for you. By her family, she’s basically an equivalent to a royal princess in this world. And also a priestess upholding many traditions and secrets of an imperial bloodline. And she’s trained in her family martial arts and the way of the sword. Being a Hero fits her like a glove.” I smile at my own words, imagining Shino being revered by the masses.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh. I didn’t know that. She is always so shy and quiet.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah, that’s true. Well. Inparison, there’s me. Your usual teacher, son of a prostitute who was a total bitch and abused me for years, while acting meekly in front of my father just to get as much money from him as she could, who was a soldier, gone missing during one of his tasks when I was like fifteen.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I stop for a moment and frown.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Now that I’m thinking about it… If the sses are somewhat hereditary, she might be the reason behind mine. Ugh... Goddammit! Why couldn’t I get an Archer or something after my father!” I cover my face with my hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">“While this might be true to some extent, we all believe the sses given to us are always fitting our innate talents. I’ve seen your manly trained body and how kind you are to everyone around you while being cold and crude towards anyone you deem evil. If I were to be bold… you give a feeling of someone who would be really… sensual.” The King tries to shine some positive light on my situation.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Thanks. And don’t worry, I don’t n on beating myself over this. I ain’t gonna give up just because of a little bump on the road. Besides, I’ve been preparing myself for the worst-case scenario ever since my first day here. I always felt that something was not right with me.” I sh a light smile at him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Then… If you aren’t joining the Hero team… Do you have any other ns?” he asks semi-curiously and concernedly.
<span style="font-weight:400">I pick up a ss of wine from the table and stand up. Slowly walk towards the balcony, I support myself on the balustrade, beginning to speak.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What else should I do other than what I am best at.” I take a sip. “I will start a business. My knowledge from both worlds will be at least somewhat helpful in that.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. Do you need a certain permit for that? Or perhaps it requires a royal sigil to conduct?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. There’s no need for any of that. I’ve researched the business trade in this world quite thoroughly.” I pause for a moment. “You see, in business, it’s important to properly grasp and utilize all of your strengths. Also, it would feel wrong to just ignore and throw away the Hero blessings.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I turn around to check up on the King. He is sitting with his hands joined under his chin with a thoughtful expression. He must be trying to figure out what I am thinking about. With a smile, I reveal my idea to him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’m going to open a brothel.”
<span style="font-weight:400">His brows rise, but he does not speak anything, so I continue.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don’t n on it being some kind of a lousy establishment hiring random whores and weing anyone with just a bit of money at hand. I want to thoroughly scan the iing clientele to assure the girls'' safety and wellbeing, while also introducing clear rules and ‘menu’ of services.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I take another sip. The King doesn’t interfere, so I gaze out of the balcony and move to the main point.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Since I’ve arrived in this world, there was one single thing I really couldn’t stand. I mean, I get it, Humans are the domineering race and the strongest one now. They won the big war and are in control, everything is great, but… all the other non-human races are now being treated like lower lifeforms. The monster races have it even worse, usually being forced to a life in eternal very as a heavybour force, disposable pawns or meatshields for the adventuring parties or caravans.” I sigh in disappointment.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I know that I can’t save everyone, but I will reach out my hand to any mistreated non-human, ve or not, girl and perhaps men too, that I encounter, and provide them with a safe ce to stay, recover from wounds and live. If they wish to leave for any reason, that’s fine, I’ll try my best to help them. If they''d want to stay, they can live a sheltered life. And if they are willing, I’ll offer them to work under me.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I turn to face the King before continuing.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Back on Earth, prostitution was publicly viewed as something obscene, only for the most desperate or depraved. But that only rtes to the shady businesses. It’s just a line of work like any other. As long as it’s out of your own volition and not forced through ckmailing, abuse or other stuff, there’s no shame in it. Naturally, not everyone is suited for it. I’ll offer my utmost support and guidance to those who decide to work with me, assuring they won’t experience anything unpleasant. And with that, I’ll establish the most exotic and highest quality brothel, employing non-human races in the whole continent! With both happy girls and happy customers!”
<span style="font-weight:400">I start walking towards him.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You think it won’t work due to them not being Humans? Men’s minds are simple. I guarantee you there are lots of those lusting after other races. There are plenty of beautiful girls amongst them, much more sensual than Human ones. I’ll turn right over the humanity''s image of other races through pleasure, and possibly one day, it will improve their standing in this society and fix this horrible situation.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I ce my empty ss on the table with a melodic clink. Standing straight in front of the King and spreading my arms wide like someone who just finished exining his evil n, I look him straight in the eyes. Then, I continue with a grin.
<span style="font-weight:400">“So. What does humanity''s King think about those heretic thoughts and ns to bring the dirty non-humans to the same position as the mighty Human overlords? Does he n to kick me out of the castle? Banish from the kingdom? Lock in an underground dungeon to prevent from spreading such heresy? Or perhaps act like nothing''s wrong and then send assassins after me?”
<span style="font-weight:400">He leans his back onto the sofa he is sitting on and extends his arms behind, to the sides. He closes his eyes and ponders, while I start sweating more and more with each passing second.