“Crazy Wizard, first undre⋯⋯ No, let’s get out of here first—no, wait, let’s talk after we undress.”“What are you talking about⋯⋯?!”
This wasn’t a joke—it was a threat to my chastity.
I could see the conflict between instinct and logic reflected Pink Haired Lesbian’s wide-open eyes. Her hand kept moving up and down, hesitating.
I could trace her internal struggle—the urge to pin me down, then pausing. The thought of binding my arms and legs, then stopping again. I shuddered at those threatening movements.
“Calm down, Pink-Haired Lesbian. This is because of my magic⋯⋯!!”
“Calm down, you say⋯⋯ But it looks to me like things are just heating up.”
“Calm down!”
“Heat up, you say?”
There was an unmistakable hunger radiating from her. And that expression.
Seeing what was pretty much her trademark apathetic, almost emotionless look being changed to a groggy one that seemed to say I want you unbearably. Thump.
In the midst of this serious situation⋯⋯ my foolish heart skipped a beat.
“Did I ⋯⋯ ever tell you that I like your eyes?”
“You didn’t, but in this situation, it’s not necessary!”
“Please show me your tongue.”
“Why all of a sudden⋯⋯ No, nope. I don’t want to hear it. Hup.”
I quickly covered my mouth.
There was always a teasing playfulness to her seductions, which had helped me fend her off until now. That’s why I had always been able to maintain some distance and hold the line.
Even in moments where we could have crossed the line and done this and that, I had managed to hold onto my sanity because it felt like a joke. We were friends—it was just banter, light touches without real weight behind them.
But now, I had to act.
Step. Step. Yuri Lanster was closing in.
I had to stop this. I can’t do anything about the pheromones already in the air, but I could still release a neutralizer to counteract them. I just had to summon Heavenly Demon and buy myself some time.
That’s what I had to do.
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
Her eyes locked on me.
Was I under the influence of a Mystic Eye? Or was this some kind of succubus charm? My body wouldn’t respond, frozen in place after seeing her affectionate gaze. My head spun as if engulfed in flames.
Squish.
Her chest, the Pink-Haired Lesbian’s chest, pressed against mine. I stopped breathing altogether.
No. Even if things went this far. Even if one morning we woke up naked beside each other. It shouldn’t happen like this.
Not under the influence of magic-induced arousal, I mean. Wasn’t it pretty much like I had turned on some hypnosis app? Yes. Yuri Lanster wouldn’t want this either. Perhaps, she might even resent me for it.
⋯⋯Even though I kept telling myself to move, to act quickly.
A small voice in the back of my mind made a different suggestion. I—with my high-performance brain—would never cast magic carelessly.
“Inhaling a large dose of pheromones at close range” would require her to practically bury her face in me. I hadn’t intended for Yuri Lanster to be caught up in this, even as a possibility.
And before things escalated, there had been a significant distance between Pink-Haired Lesbian and me. The effect of my magic would have been minimal at best.
That means… it’s the same conclusion as before with the black wizard’s Emotion Amplification Spell.
The magic circle, which only boosted emotions by 1%, had overwhelmed her because she was barely controlling her sexual urges.
So, this seductive behavior—it could be interpreted as an exaggeration of feelings she already had. In other words…
Perhaps Yuri Lanster might have feelings for me after all──
“G-Get away Crazy Wizard! From my senior!”
The shout came from Black Lesbian as she raised her whip. She had finally come to her senses now, after being shocked by the sight of her senior being seduced in real-time.
A flicker of sanity returned to both my eyes and Yuri Lanster’s.
And we both reached the same conclusion. If we didn’t stop this now, we’d cross an irreversible line. It had to end here right now!
“『Sexual Desire Suppression Level 3』.”
“Metamorphosis, 『True Desire Restraint』.”
The incantations intertwined.
Sharurururruru──!!
With the sound of metal scraping, iron chains wrapped around both me and Pink-Haired Lesbian, binding us tightly because we were extremely close to each other. Entangled by the chains, I could feel her voluptuous form with my whole body, but it meant nothing.
What was so strange about feeling embracing each other and feeling each other’s skin? In this world, wasn’t it common for people to live with their arms around one another?
My heart was calm and peaceful. Pink-Haired Lesbian also seemed equally at peace, having found post-nut clarity provided by her Metamorphosis.
Black Lesbian was grunting, trying to remove the chains binding Pink-Haired Lesbian and me.
“Crazy Wizard, you bastard⋯⋯!! Get away from her!”
Both Pink-Haired Lesbian and I, who had now attained enlightenment, tried to calm her with gentle voices.
“Child, why must you be so jealous? We were merely sharing some warmth with each other.”
“That’s right, Seris. There’s no need to be so sensitive about a little physical contact. What meaning is there in the interactions of the material world? And it doesn’t seem to be any of your business.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯??”
“Whether I mess around with other men or not, you, Seris, do not have the slightest right to interfere with that at all. Because you and I are nothing to each other.”
Ah, there it was.
Pink-Haired Lesbian, who had reached a state of spiritual enlightenment, was now a machine of brutal honesty.
“I do feel glad to see a familiar face after so long. But your excessive interest has always been uncomfortable. I’ll now offer my 37th rejection of your confession.”
“Buwaaaahhh⋯⋯!!”
Black Lesbian burst into tears, her crying oddly similar to an elephant’s trumpet. The sound was much cuter than I’d expected. In any case, I thought that resolved everything. Because she had been rejected directly.
I figured that the evil Black Lesbian’s attempt to claim Pink-Haired Lesbian had been crushed. But I soon learned that if there was a 37th rejection, there could easily be a 38th.
After she stopped crying, Black Lesbian composed herself, adjusted her clothes, and even fixed her bangs, trying to make herself look more prettier before saying,
“But even so, I still like you, senior!”
“I do not.”
“Ugh⋯⋯.”
I could roughly guess the kind of relationship they had. I couldn’t help but be secretly relieved.
===============================================================
Pink-Haired Lesbian and I spoke while still bound by chains. From an outsider’s perspective, it might have looked odd, but there wasn’t much we could do until the spell’s duration ended.
“Let me introduce you. This is Seris, a colleague from my previous department.”
“By previous department, you mean the『Extermination Squad』right? That⋯⋯ black uniform I saw in your closet.”
“Yes.”
“You kept the uniform, senior! I knew it. I always believed you’d come back to me!”
The 38-times-rejected Black Lesbian was practically bouncing with excitement. I conjured an illusion of a hand with the middle finger raised, and without missing a beat, she returned the gesture with her own middle finger.
“⋯⋯So, what exactly did you do in the Extermination Squad to attract all these lesbians?”
“Well, it’s probably because I’m such a charming, irresistible woman.”
“Well, that much is true.”
“⋯⋯If you agree that quickly, it’s a bit embarrassing, Mr. Crazy Wizard.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
My heart skipped a beat, raising my pulse by 1.5 times. The honest Pink-Haired Lesbian’s attack power was extremely high. If I wasn’t careful with my words, I might have to use 『Sexual Desire Suppression Level 4』.
“Well⋯⋯I didn’t really do anything special there. I just did the tasks I was given and quietly passed the time. I didn’t try to seduce anyone.”
“Yes, Senior Yuri was a lone wolf of the Extermination Squad. With an almost perfect mission success rate and her cold aura, she was admired by all the juniors!”
“A lone wolf?”
“Seris is exaggerating. Don’t call me that.”
I couldn’t really picture it.
Wasn’t Pink-Haired Lesbian the one who first cracked jokes with me when we met? So, I always figured she was the type to sexually harass her junior women.
But judging by the look in Black Lesbian’s eyes, filled with admiration, it seemed her image in the Extermination Squad was quite different.
“So⋯⋯ what exactly were you doing?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I flinched and shuddered.
I still didn’t want Pink-Haired Lesbian to know about this. It had been my decision alone, and I hadn’t asked for her opinion, so it was egotistical. However…
If she harbored any resentment, the moment she caught wind of a lead on the Succubus Queen’s whereabouts⋯⋯ I was afraid she would suddenly leave my side. That was why I didn’t want to tell her.
I was about to make up an excuse.
“Oh, it’s nothing much⋯⋯ You know the succubus we found last time. They said there were some spies left, so for some cleanup and⋯⋯.”
“We’re tracking down the path to where Succubus Queen is hiding, the『Nest』, senior!”
“⋯⋯Aha.”
Right. I’d forgotten Black Lesbian was still standing there.
Pink-Haired Lesbian nodded as if she understood everything, and comfortably rested her chin on my shoulder. Then she spoke in a calm voice.
“Were you trying to be considerate, Crazy Wizard?”
Her voice carried a weight that suggested she saw through me completely. I felt like a kid caught in a lie, suddenly flustered.
“⋯⋯I’m sorry. I got greedy.”
“No, I understand. I would have done the same if I were in your shoes.”
She understood?
If so⋯⋯ would she stay by my side? Instead of seeking revenge, would she simply remain here, teasing and joking around with me?
“But.”
Her next words shattered my hopes.
“This is really important to me.”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
“Living as a Defense Bureau Agent, instead of settling for a peaceful life, not neglecting my training… I’ve chosen this path for one reason.”
Since the day the village burned down.
“⋯⋯The days I spent with you were enjoyable. I won’t deny that. Having what people call friends⋯⋯ it was the first time for me. This day-to-day life we have—it’s precious to me. But…”
“Then, with me⋯⋯.”
“But still, you can’t prioritize a hobby over your real work, can you?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
How should I express this?
I wasn’t sure if I should call it stubbornness, betrayal, or a sense of loss, but I felt all of it at once.
Was she really going to leave?
When words are spoken with raw honesty, they carry a certain weight. Her declaration hit me like a nail driven deep. Yuri Lanster was leaving.
From the documents Kirby handed me, it was clear that up until now, there had been no reliable way to track the Succubus Queen’s hideout. It remained a very tightly hidden secret that wasn’t discovered even when several succubi were captured and interrogated.
So⋯⋯ because nothing was progressing, it seemed like Pink-Haired Lesbian had been waiting for her opportunity for revenge while carrying out other missions.
Assigned to the『Extermination Squad』 the group deployed for the most high-risk missions. Always waiting for the day to take revenge on the queen someday⋯⋯.
She must have grown tired of waiting for a promise that never came.
That’s why she left the『Extermination Squad』 and opted for a more standard field agent role. Eventually, she got shuffled around and ended up assigned to me by order of the Second Prince.
That’s right—it was me. I gave her that chance.
I created the opportunity to hunt down the Succubus Queen.
Should I have just made that succubus disappear instead of taking her alive? Could that have prevented all of this?
What if I had hidden the wing suit1 ⋯⋯.
Tap.
Yuri’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“I owe a debt to the Succubus Queen. But I’m not saying I’ll leave forever, Mr.Wizard. Once I’ve strangled the Queen to death, I’ll come back to you.”
“⋯⋯You think I’ll just take back someone who left once?”
“Yes. I know you will.”
“Yeah, I would take you back⋯⋯.”
If it’s already decided, then fine. Let’s accept it. They say you can’t rest easy until you’ve settled a score, right? Besides, Yuri Lanster is strong. She’ll surely achieve her goal and come back.
And I can always help her. Yuna would help, too. If the two highest-ranking mages of the Purple Magic Tower teamed up, we could easily turn that queen or whatever into a pretzel.
That’s all it would take.
There was no need to worry.
Yuri Lanster smiled and said,
“If you want me to finish my revenge quickly and return⋯⋯ you’ll have to do your best to help. Isn’t that right?”
“⋯⋯Yeah. I’ll have to do that.”
I pulled myself together. I had to set aside the unease and regret, so that I could support her, just as she said. I reactivated the spell by weaving the technique once again. There was no need to tweak the power. Pink-Haired Lesbian was already in Metamorphosis.
“『Sugar Lump』.”
I cast the spell, expanding it to cover the entire academy. The magical pheromones dispersed again, and I waited for a reaction.
“Mmm… something smells delicious⋯⋯ huh?”
A succubus appeared, lured in by the pheromones. She glanced at me—the source of the smell—then at the Pink-Haired Lesbian, who was tightly restrained in iron chains beside me back and forth.
Her gaze shifted to Black Lesbian, who was standing nearby with a whip in hand, glaring at us.
“⋯⋯A trap? Looks like someone’s already been caught?”
Right, it did look suspicious. She had come because of the delicious smell, but no matter how you looked at it, we were positioned like people trying to catch a succubus.
On top of that, Pink-Haired Lesbian, who was also a succubus, was bound in iron chains, so it would’ve been more surprising if she hadn’t realized it was a trap.
At that moment, Pink-Haired Lesbian spoke calmly.
“Yes, it’s a trap. So, are you not coming?”
“Uh, uh⋯⋯ no, I have to come.”
The succubus, already overwhelmed by the hypnosis app-level pheromones, couldn’t resist her instincts.
The succubus approached with an awkward gait and stuck right by my side. Then, Pink-Haired Lesbian moved the iron chains and bound her tightly as well.
Now the three of us were tied together.
What can I say⋯⋯ in a way that felt like catching cockroaches with sticky traps, we had snared the succubus. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
After Pink-Haired Lesbian’s Metamorphosis wore off, we restrained the succubus properly and extracted the information we needed. Finally, we had our next lead.
===============================================================
“The path to the『Nest』 is hidden in the mind of the 3rd Prince, Sledo Crown?”
“More accurately, one of the paths is there.”
“I know that too, you idiot.”
Once again, we find ourselves tangled up with royalty. This would make it a triple crown achievement.
Black Lesbian, who had previously faced down Alexon and now seemed prepared to confront a prince, had completed her preparations. Armed with tools to sample and examine those bewitched by succubi, she was ready.
“Then let’s charge in and examine⋯⋯.”
“It’s royal blood. Royal blood . No matter how reckless you are, this is one situation where you could easily lose your head if you’re not careful. Think before you act, Black Lesbian!”
As I scolded her, Pink-Haired Lesbian gently placed her hand on my shoulder and murmured quietly.
“I don’t think you’re in any position to be saying that, Crazy Wizard. You know that, right?”
“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”
I couldn’t say anything to that.
The Crazy Wizard who once charged ahead like a gigachad, shouting “Hey, Wither Emperor”—he was long gone. Now, I came up with flawless plans where everyone could be safe and no one would get hurt.
A plan that would keep us from being scolded until our tears dried up by the royal authorities later.
“We’ve captured the succubi, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s disguise ourselves as them and meet the 3rd Prince.”
“Sorry?’
It was the perfect disguise.
1. reference to the story of the nymph and the lumberjack. Where he finds and hides her wing suit so she couldn't escape and marries her