"Now all the rooms are taken."
"Sorry, Mariabel-san. It's a bit cramped, isn't it?"
"Not at all. A bed and a desk are quite sufficient. Please don't worry."
Things progressed quickly, and by early evening, Mariabel's move was complete. Since the beds, desks, and closets were already built-in, she only needed to transport a few personal items, which was effortless thanks to the Storage skill.
The living room table was now much livelier.
"Being with younger people makes me feel rejuvenated myself."
"Please tell us if you have any inconveniences. We asked you to join on short notice…"
The conditions Mariabel proposed were not bad for Ren's party either:
Condition 1: Work at the brothel a few times a week.Condition 2: Participate in dungeon conquest only when it is convenient.Condition 3: Generally sleep until noon due to a nocturnal work schedule.
The primary purpose of adding a party member was to secure safety at home. They needed a fighting force to counter an invasion, whether it came from Takuma's group or anyone else. Mariabel was one of the older transfer students, so she was high-leveled. Just having her sleep at home provided a deterrent effect.
"No, we must help each other when we are in need. Also, I am often misunderstood because I manage a brothel, but I consider myself more of an ally to women than men."
"Yes. Thank you so much."
"Oh? Ren, you're not saying 'I'm a man' this time."
"Why would I say something that would make Mariabel-san uneasy?"
"Just call me Maria, please. My full name is a bit of a mouthful, isn't it?"
"Then, Maria-san."
Mariabel—Maria—smiled and said, "It's nice to have more acquaintances."
"The brothel will also attempt to address Takuma and his companions. Depending on the situation, we may consider banning them from the establishment."
"Oh, that's great! Those guys will definitely be upset."
Being banned from their regular spot, especially their favorite, would be painful.
"But won't they retaliate? Will that cause trouble?"
"Don't worry. We are superior in skill, so we will administer a firm punishment if necessary."
"Wow. Maria-san, you're so dependable!"
Physically, she looked like a perfectly ordinary woman. A beautiful one, at that. She had semi-long hair with gentle waves. Her chest looked to be around a C-cup, and her demeanor exuded cleanliness and adult charm.
When Ren inadvertently glanced at her chest, Maria met his eyes and casually crossed her arms.
"I am not a prostitute, so I promise not to bring men into this house. …And, I am a bisexual woman who leans towards being homosexual."
That was an abrupt bombshell.
"Oh, then are we also targets?"
"Uh, um…!?"
"Please relax, Iris-san. Of course, I wouldn't direct indiscriminate affection towards my companions. Isn't that true for heterosexuals, too?"
"Guys seem to be okay with pretty much any girl, though."
"Is that true, Ren-san?"
"Please, don't put me on the spot."
Facing Iris's pure gaze was difficult, even more so than Fuuri's.
"…That depends on the person. Even I have enough sense not to look at Fuuri and the others that way."
"Hmm, really?"
Fuuri, finding it amusing, leaned closer, so Ren poked her forehead to push her back. He kept it a secret that he briefly remembered the kiss. Besides, an approach initiated by a girl shouldn't count.
Maria looked at Ren and gave a small laugh.
"To be honest, Ren-san is right up my alley. If you're ever having trouble finding a partner, please tell me anytime."
"…Huh?"
"Um, Ren-san, are you what they call a femme fatale…?" Iris mumbled with half-closed eyes, and Fuuri laughed with a troubled expression.
"Hmm. You're not a girl yet, but you might be a femme fatale anyway."
--------------------
The scent of alcohol hung in the air of the party's residence.
Alcohol could be generated by certain classes' skills. While ingredients were necessary, the process was significantly simplified, making some types cheap to acquire. Since coming to the Isekai, Takuma had developed a taste for alcohol. When he was in Japan, he had only tasted it a few times during New Year's and didn't think much of it. Now, however, he couldn't do without it.
He exhaled an alcoholic breath and bit into the remaining third of a pickled cucumber in his hand. He chased it down with red wine. While the pairing was debatable, it was a cheap and thus standard combination for him.
His snack was gone, so he opened his Storage and rummaged inside.
"Damn it, I'm out of snacks. Hey, one of you go buy some."
Takuma called out coarsely to his companions. Two men in just their underwear were in the needlessly cluttered living room, doing much the same thing as Takuma. They groaned in annoyance.
"Lately, people have been giving us grief like 'take it easy' when we go shopping. You go for once, Takuma."
"Huh? Why should I, the leader, have to go shopping?"
"Hahaha! That's why Ren and Fuuri ran off, because you kept making them run errands!"
"Hey, what did you just say? Say that again."
He stood up and reached for his axe. The former track and field and soccer club members, both "enjoyment players" who hadn't been serious about their sports, yelped and forced a smile. Takuma accepted the cheese they offered as an apology, which they claimed was their "secret stash." It had been a while since they bought expensive snacks to save money. It was delicious, and most importantly, it went well with the wine.
The reason they were being frugal was that they had other things they wanted to spend money on.
"Hey, Takuma. Should we go to that place again?"
"Oh, that's a great idea! What do you say, Takuma?"
"Again? …Well, I still have a bit of money left."
He was looking for a way to vent his frustration anyway.
It had been a while since Ren and Fuuri left the party. He thought he could easily replace the members, but no good women seemed to be interested. He reluctantly tried to bring Ren's group back, only to find they had a beautiful Half-Elf girl with them, and they rudely rejected his offer. Last time, he even went to the dungeon to "persuade" them, but they fled without even showing their faces.
He hadn't intended to ambush them. He only wanted to show them the difference in power and then "convince" them. But they had apparently tattled to the townspeople, and now he couldn't stake out the Temple or ambush them. There was a constant guard presence, and people even called out to him when they saw his face.
He felt angry all over again just thinking about it.
"I'm going to heat up the bath now."
"Ugh. Hauling the water and heating it is a huge pain."
"Can't be helped. We'll get yelled at if we go smelling of sweat."
The women at the brothel were beautiful and skilled, but their pride was just as high.
"…Ugh. I wish Ren were here."
"If those guys would just be reasonable, we wouldn't have to pay to go to a brothel."
"We just have to figure out a way. They can't keep running forever."
Grumbling, they fetched the water, heated it, and poured it into the bathtub. The water they put in first would cool down, so by the time the tub was full, the temperature was decent.
This made him realize how convenient life in Japan was, where he could take a shower whenever he wanted. Still, he had no intention of going back now. In this world, power was justice. Those who didn't fight were looked down upon. Some girls allegedly skipped leveling up, saying things like, "I can't kill living things," but they would only realize their mistake after being forcibly subjected to the power of stronger people.
"Women are weaker than men anyway, so they should just obey."
At the brothel, he was lucky enough to be able to request his favorite prostitute. Three men and one woman. It was partly because buying a woman for each of them was expensive, but surrounding one woman with his companions was a powerful feeling of conquest. Since it was a place for sex, the women didn't get angry if he squeezed their breasts or touched their legs.
They usually didn't rush into sex here, but often started by drinking and talking. The quality of the snacks and alcohol was much better than what they usually bought, which put him in a good mood and naturally made the later acts more intense.
"I mean, a Succubus is a race meant to screw guys, right? So she should stop saying 'I'm a guy' and just accept it. Right?"
The beautiful woman in lingerie smiled, confirming Takuma's complaints. Her made-up face was enchanting, and the perfume she wore enhanced the atmosphere. Her seductive lips lightly touched her wine glass.
"But he's actually a boy, isn't he? Do you boys get turned on by a man?"
"It's totally fine when he's that cute."
"Exactly. He's basically a girl already. And a guy can still use his mouth fine, anyway."
"He smells good for a guy, too. …He's so hot when he's changing clothes. I can't count how many times I wanted to just take him right there."
Fuuri wasn't bad, but she wasn't special. And given that she was into Ren even before he became a succubus, she had bad taste in men. Even Takuma could probably have her if he put his mind to it. Subduing Ren and molding him until he was obedient would be better.
"If we just do it enough, won't he turn into a girl eventually?"
"It's the best experience point for a Succubus, after all!"
"Hmm. Well, you'd better hurry up and woo him. If you delay, another man might snatch him up."
"Yeah. I know that."
Takuma grinned. These women here really get it. The pleasantries of Japan didn't apply in this Isekai.
Feeling much better, Takuma and his companions, fueled by alcohol, fully discussed their "plan." Next time, they were thinking of just breaking into the house. The door was locked, of course, but it was made of wood. It couldn't be helped if they accidentally applied too much force and broke it.
Then,
"…I see. So it's true that you tried to attack them inside the dungeon."
A cold voice, completely different from before, sounded.
"Huh? What's the big deal? We wouldn't have been rough if they had just cooperated."
He laughed and reached for her chest, but his hand was strongly slapped away. He was confused. All three men stared blankly at the woman who had just been their ally. In the meantime, she quickly stood up and started brushing herself off as if to remove dust.
His blood rushed to his head.
"Hey! We're customers!"
"So what? Do you think you can do anything you want just because you pay?"
"Wha…!?"
They had been having a fun time drinking. Had they really said anything to make her that angry? As he hesitated, wondering how to refute her, he heard footsteps.
The owner of the establishment, Mariabel, had entered the room. She was an attractive woman with a large chest, despite her age. But her mood today was not one that suggested she would join them.
"Sis, you heard them, right? These guys are completely guilty."
"Yes. …I apologize, gentlemen. We will refund your payment for today. Please leave and do not enter this establishment ever again."
"…What. What is this?"
"It means you're banned. Obviously, right? Your manners are terrible, you're arrogant, and you were not well-regarded among us prostitutes."
This was the first he'd heard of it. Had they been secretly mocking him behind his back, even though he was paying them to hug them? His companions were trembling, too.
"…Storage."
He muttered the spell and reached for his beloved weapon. His two companions, shocked, also pulled out their weapons.
"Are we doing this, Takuma?"
"Yeah. I won't stand by and be insulted. …I'll make you regret this."
"Ha! That sounds fun!"
The two women stood silently before the enraged Takuma and his companions. They might be scared. Even though they were much older, they were still just women. People who avoided dungeon conquest to earn money here couldn't possibly fight.
"Don't kill them! We're going to make them apologize and entertain us…!"
He would strike them with the blunt side or break some furniture. He let out a loud threat and swung his axe high—and a figure leaped into his space with blinding speed.
A finger touched his shoulder.
"…Gah!?"
"Takuma!?"
A shock in his abdomen. His knees buckled, and he collapsed easily onto the rug. Looking up, he saw Mariabel, her clothes and hair barely moving, staring down at Takuma. It was a knee strike, with the added courtesy of holding his shoulder to prevent him from flying away. It was a perfect blow, unimaginable from a woman, and something he couldn't replicate.
"My class is Striker. While it's not well suited for dungeon monsters with various characteristics, it doesn't mean I can't fight."
"No way."
He couldn't even stand up, let alone fight. His companions had already been subdued by the prostitute and disarmed. The dropped weapons couldn't be returned to their Storage or equipped unless they picked them up.
"Too bad. Not just the Succubus, but we also get experience just by doing our jobs, you know?"
Takuma and his companions experienced being "arrested" for the first time in the Isekai that was supposed to be a place of freedom.
============
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