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Chapter 309

A few days after the dreamlike 『Jayanne’s Thanksgiving Party』, the forest garden finally produced a bountiful harvest of eggplants and cucumbers.
I went out into the garden, picked up a cucumber, which was glistening in the morning sunlight, and plucked one.

「As expected of you guys. It’s exactly as I requested.」

I held it up in front of my eyes and looked at it carefully with one eye closed. The large, curved shape resembles an ancient Greek sickle sword called a harpe.
『I want you to make it curved, but not too curved』 was a difficult order, and my familiars had successfully made it to reality.

「This will definitely satisfy even Unicorn!」

While imagining the cold but beautiful Medusa in my mind, I swung the cucumber as if I were Perseus.
I slammed it into her lower mouth and relentlessly pushed it up more than a dozen times. Cool-san in my mind collapsed, screaming in agony.

「How wonderful.」

Wiping the sweat from my forehead with my hand, I look at the dirt under my feet and see a caterpillar and a dung beetle looking up at me. The waves coming from them says,『Right? Praise us more!』.
I crouch down, place the cucumber in a basket woven of wisteria vines, and pat the backs of the two.

「I’m really proud as your master. You both are my pride and joy.」

Hearing my words, Imosuke and Dangorou released a joyful wave to the surroundings.
I felt a gaze directed at me and looked over to see a turtle squinting at me from inside the pond.

「Alright, let’s start harvesting ‘em.」

While Imosuke and Dangorou were dancing around happily, I reached for the overflowing vegetables.
No matter how properly curved they are, everyone has their own preferences. It’s necessary to utilize all the data I know.

「The one that has a swift curve at the end is for Unicorn. And the one that has a more gentle curve is for Light Cruiser-sensei.」

The reason I’m giving them eggplant and cucumber is to make Cool-san realize the 『Horror of double stick』.

『Devouring virgins in wickedness to the defeated.』

Since that was her motivation for becoming a Knight pilot, she must also consider the possibility that she could be on the receiving end of the wickedness to the defeated.

(She is nearly invincible on the bed, but that was because she relies on her spinning technique. Once she’s on two axes, she won’t be able to spin anymore.)

And then she will just be passed around unilaterally by a group of enemy pilots. And this is also true for Light Cruiser-sensei.
That’s what it means to ride a Knight, even if you’re not wishing for wickedness to the defeated.

『How about this one?』

『It’s also great, you know?』

Imosuke and Dangorou also choose for me, but they are all intense high-end models. Those would not be suitable for them.

「That looks so good, I’d rather eat it myself and not give it to someone else.」

When I told them so, they turned their heads at each other. The waves coming from them were 『he praised us again』、『he said it looks delicious』.
They continue working in harmony, and soon my basket is full. While rotating my shoulders, I sighed and spoke.

「That’s quite a lot. Since we’re at it, let’s also share it with Explosive onee-san.」

It was a thank-you gift for the fun and pleasure I had at the Thanksgiving party.
I had been warned by Cool-san not to underestimate her curiosity and hunger for knowledge. However, out of the three people who played with me, there was no way I could just leave out Explosive onee-san and give her nothing.

(Healthy and tasty summer vegetables produced by Spirit Beasts. I’m sure the ladies will be delighted!)

I made up my mind and stood up. I take the leader of my familiars, Imosuke, in my hand and place him on the branch of the medicinal tree.

「I’m going out, so I’ll leave the house to you, alright?」

『Leave it to me!』, Imosuke nodded and said, while Dangorou still sitting on the ground and Zaratan swimming in the pond. I grabbed the basket and headed back to the living room to change.

(It’s nice to live so close to the red-light district.)

If I leave my house and head north, Jayanne is not that far away. It doesn’t take long for my feet to reach my destination.
It is just before noon. As expected, the store was not open yet. But the staff should be there, so I decided to go in through the back door.

(It’s regrettable, but I can’t bring it in during working hours.)

As I knock, I think about the reason I came so early.

『Dr. Slime, carrying a basket full of summer vegetables, breaks through the sea of people and makes his way down the center of the lobby.』

It won’t look good no matter how you look at it.
The young concierge who opened the door saw me and tried to let me in. I politely declined and lifted the basket to chest height.

「Could you please give this to the three people who have been taking care of me the other day? Also, I would like to give this note to two of them.」

I handed a folded piece of paper to the young concierge, who received it and thanked me for it and continued. The content of the paper was a request to 『be determined for wickedness to the defeated』.
After bowing to each other, I left the place and headed for the central plaza.

(There’s still time before lunch but, what should I do now I wonder?)

I think while walking, but nothing comes to mind. I decided to visit the merchant guild for a cup of tea.

(Who knows, they might have some new information.)

I feel bad treating them like I’m checking news headlines, but oh well. As an E-rank merchant, I too pay a not-so-expensive monthly membership fee.
I walked eastward along the street and crossed the central plaza to arrive at the guild headquarters. The guild master seemed to be free, and I was taken to his office on the third floor.

「Looks like you’ve made your name more famous again, didn’t you?」

A small old man that looks like a goblin sitting on the sofa across from the lounge set grinned and told me that he had heard about the 『Jayanne’s Thanksgiving Party』 that had become the talk of the town.

『Fed up with Dr. Slime’s overkill play, Jayanne decided to crush him by throwing the top stars at him all at once.』

The content seems to be something like this.

「And he fought them all back. What a frightening man, isn’t he?」

The old goblin, perhaps unable to hold back his laugh any longer, starts to laugh out loud. On the other hand, my expression is one of bewilderment mixed with bitterness.

「No, that’s not exactly what happened. It’s true that I played with three people, but I’m not at odds with the store.」

“I know, I know.” The guild master said while waving his hands.

「Most likely, the customers who saw the top stars leading you up the stairs must have misunderstood the situation.」

“But,” he continues, his amused expression still intact.

「It’s true that you defeat them all, right? There’s a basis for every rumor. Well, you’re famous, so it can’t be helped.」

Right now, there’s even a rumor that goes around, saying,『Dr. Slime is targeting Cionne and Cassabell next』.
“It’s a price of fame, so give it up”, the guild master said.

「I guess I’ll hold off on going to any of the top three brothels for a while except Jayanne.」

I said with a deep sigh and drank the lukewarm tea in one gulp.

***

After that, a few hours passed, and it is now late in the afternoon, and the place was Jayanne’s employee waiting room.
Among the women taking turns to take a break were Light Cruiser-sensei and Cool-san.

「What’s this basket full of vegetables?」

The one who asked was Light Cruiser-sensei, who had just arrived. Cool-san sat on the sofa, looking down at a small piece of paper with the basket on the table in front of her.

「It’s a gift from Dr. Slime. He said thank you for making him feel so good the other day.」

Looking up from the piece of paper to answer, the cool beauty reaches for a pile of green and dark purple vegetables. Taking the eggplant in her hand, she gently rubs it and blows hot breath on it.
If a man had caught sight of her, many of them would have tensed up and covered their crotches.

「….What are you doing?」

Cool-san pointed at a piece of paper on the table with her chin to her rival from the flower arrangement club in her student days who widened her eyes. Light Cruiser-sensei took the piece of paper as Cool-san prompted and followed the words written on it with her eyes.

『When you decided to ride a Knight, there was always the risk of being a subject of wickedness to the defeated. Think of all these vegetables as if they were men, and see if you can handle it.』

After confirming that she has finished reading, Cool-san opened her mouth.

「Wickedness to the defeated is when the victor rapes the loser. It is a recognized right on the battlefield.」

She explained to her because the lecture at the pilot school is not that advanced yet. The reason why Light Cruiser-sensei wants to be a pilot is different from Cool-san, who wants to be a pilot exactly because she wants to have this right.

「If all of these were men with no experience, I would gladly keep them company until my last breath.」

She rubbed her cheek against the firm, almost black eggplant and exhaled again with a moist breath. She reached for the basket once more, and grabbed a cucumber, holding it up vertically in front of her eyes.
A mighty eggplant and a cucumber that curves gracefully. The cool beauty’s brow creases as she gazes at the two vegetables.

「….It’s true that I won’t be able to use my spinning technique if two of these stabbed me at the same time.」

Being perceptive, she understood what her boss was trying to convey.
No matter how much experience she had in winning the Divine Tournament, it was still a one-on-one result. If she is attacked by a large number of people at the same time, she will have no choice but to be at their mercy.

(Surrounded by a large number of first-timers, they attack me all at once and use me as they see fit by force.)

She felt her stomach start to get hot and wet at the thought of it. When she squeezed her thighs tightly together, she noticed the other person’s reaction.

「Haah, looks like you still don’t understand.」

Cool-san shook her head in an exasperated manner at Light Cruiser-sensei, who just kept blinking at her.
She held out the vegetable in her hand and began to explain.

「You who had just been defeated and captured by the enemies will be forced to swallow this from your front entrance.」

Cool-san said as she pressed her right cheek with the eggplant.

「The other men, who are unable to hold it anymore, will stab you from your other available entrance, which is your rear, with this thing here.」

A cucumber pushed against her other cheek, and finally, a light of understanding flashed in the eyes of Light Cruiser-sensei.
Her weak point and taboo is her rear gate. If she is breached there, she will fall, not only her body but her mind as well.
Just like that time when she was defeated by Dr. Slime.

「Even if you say no and resist, it will be no use. On the contrary, they might even force you to use your mouth, hands, and breasts to please them.」

Light Cruiser-sensei just stares silently as she picks up the cucumber that had deformed her face.
She must be imagining it in her head. Her face reddened and her eyes closed, then shook her head vigorously from side to side.

「To be a pilot is to embrace that possibility. And here, Dr. Slime is asking us if we are prepared for that.」

The two of them are engulfed in silence. There are other women in the room, but none of them have the guts to join the conversation of the leading figures.
However, the one who just opened the door and entered the room was one of the few exceptions.

「Oh my, what’s with the atmosphere? And what’s with that pile of vegetables?」

It was Explosive onee-san. Cool-san invited her by the hand to sit down on the sofa right next to her.

「A gift from Dr. Slime?」

The two nodded. Explosive onee-san is not aiming to be a pilot, so there is no note for her. It is purely a courtesy gift as food.

「It looks really good, despite its shape. It looks shining.」

After picking up the eggplant and cucumber and staring at them, she held them up to the light in the room and expressed her impressions.
The next moment, her smile faded and her expression turned serious.

(This thing was brought by Dr. Slime, was it? The very Dr. Slime, who owned that 『Ambrosia』.)

A number of possibilities appeared one after another in her mind.
In front of her were eggplants and cucumbers, not Ambrosia. But the quality is the most magnificent thing she has ever seen.

(Potions made from eggplant or cucumber. I wonder if such a thing existed?)

None. To be precise, she doesn’t know.

(Is it possible that it is just a fruit that looks like an eggplant or cucumber, but is mentioned in the legend under a different name?)

She doesn’t know the answer to this either. But still, she thought it would be worth looking into.
She furrowed her brows and turned her head toward her two colleagues.

「Hey, do you mind if I take a lot of these for myself?」

Light Cruiser-sensei and Cool-san looked at each other in silence. After a short pause, Cool-san poked Explosive onee-san’s belly from the top of her mini-skirt with the eggplant she was holding.
Then, she brought her face close to the person who was gasping for breath and asked her questions while twisting the eggplant as if to rub it.

「You… Is this job alone not enough to satisfy you?」

With an indescribable expression on her face, Light Cruiser-sensei stared at Explosive onee-san. The room was suddenly noisy because of the women who were listening to the conversation even though they were unable to join in.

「N-No! You got it wrong! It’s not like that!」

Explosive onee-san’s face turned bright red as she denied that statement while waving her hands in the air.

***

At the same time that was happening, I was walking alone on a back street in the red-light district.
I was heading to 『Uniform Specialized Brothel』 to ask about Ponytail’s schedule.

(Hm?)

But then, I felt something strange and looked around. After a short pause, I realized the cause.

(The neon signs are not glowing.)

It is still early evening and the weather is clear today. Although the sun is shining down from the sky, the light from the neon signs should stand out only because it is a back street.
And that light is now missing.

(Just what in the world…)

As I approached the entrance of the store, I saw a sign on the door. The sign posted on it read—

『We will be closing temporarily due to circumstances beyond our control.』

What I felt was a mild surprise. The reason was that I had never once come right when they were having a day off before.

(….Well, I guess there is also a day like this.)

I shrugged my shoulders and turned on my heel, but for some reason, a hint of uneasiness crept into my chest. I shook my head lightly to dispel it and started walking again.