Chapter 124 - 122: Sylvia, Who Became Unable to Speak
A week after the exchange students departed.
The carriage Shua had ridden in headed toward the royal capital with only the coachman and a maid aboard. I had placed Slave Marks on the coachman and maid, and they drove the carriage as if Shua were still inside. During that time, I was enjoying a sweet newlywed life in the Water City Aqua.
I was also conducting information manipulation in the Kingdom of Rhodesia. In the newspapers...
[Duke Wali's second son, Gala; Count Ina's son, Kari; Viscount Abiru's son, Zame — a showcase of criminals. It has come to light that they used illegal drugs and routinely committed murder and rape. Who is the culprit who sent such scum to the Altmea Empire?!]
[Altmea Empire's Chancellor, His Excellency Klaus, raged, 'Our country is not a dumping ground for criminals!' Just when another war seemed imminent, it appears the crisis was averted thanks to the strenuous efforts of Princess Shua.]
A week later, I decided to serve Shua's cooking to many people in the plaza before the royal capital.
"My cooking is humble, but it's a dish I learned in the Altmea Empire! Would you like to try it? We have chairs and tables prepared!"
Hearing that they could eat the home cooking of Shua, who had become even more beautiful and wore a miniskirt, a huge crowd flocked in. The maids acted as assistants, and while I helped out, I also threw the guys with red dots into the jail one after another.
'The princess's home cooking is the best!'
'I-I've never eaten anything this delicious before!'
'That's just because you're poor. But it really is delicious!'
'Princess! Teach me the recipe too!'
Shua made the dishes with all her might, my semen dripping down her thighs.
"Delicious things are wonderful, aren't they? They make you smile, or make you think you'll do your best again tomorrow. But honestly... I wanted... to study more..."
People cried in sympathy, saying, 'We know! It's because of those idiots, right? The princess isn't to blame! Don't cry...' about her having to return home so suddenly.
Thus, the people of the royal capital praised Shua as something like a [pure and beautiful goddess], and the three families that produced the criminals lost their noble status through riots and became fugitives.
"As expected of my beloved husband♡"
"With this, the royal family shouldn't be able to treat Shua poorly."
"Next year you'll become a Papa, so don't forget about me♡"
"Forget Shua? Do I look like such a senile old man to you?"
We laughed loudly, said "Let's meet again!" and saw her off.
When I visited the dormitory cafeteria for the first time in a while, the aunties were holding their heads in worry. When I asked, "What's the matter?" they said one after another with lonely expressions, "This year's first-years bluntly say the food is terrible. Shivans and the others put up with it even when it was bad, though."
Their cooking skills are low, and the ingredient budget is probably limited. So, I prepared the ingredients, seasonings, and a recipe. I chopped up wild cattle trimmings and a vegetable similar to paprika, added sake, soy sauce, mirin, and sugar, and made a simple stir-fry.
"If you put this on rice and make it a bowl, wouldn't the students eat it?"
I never dreamed that this would later become famous as the student dorm specialty, the 'Cattle Bowl,' and spread throughout the world. Even in the hot summer, it unexpectedly became popular with the students. I made a large quantity and stored it in my Inventory.
In the mornings and afternoons, I occasionally attended classes, but I was mostly in the laboratory. Using monster materials and Alchemy, I made not only chemicals but also weapons, armor, and even did sewing. I used the laboratory almost as my private room. I could freely sleep over, and it was fully equipped with a bath, shower, and toilet. I had remodeled it to be livable, even installing a walk-in closet, so I lacked nothing.
The reason I'm allowed to do such things at school is largely due to the influence of last year. Teachers and students alike still call me 'Devil' and avoid me. The only ones who visit this place are Kate and Aria. If I had to name others, Aristo, Indigo, and Frank come about once a month, I guess?
However, there was a great change among the teachers and students. They had created things like an Agricultural Research Club, a Society for Considering Noble Tax Revenue, a Fishing Club, and a Cooking Club, formed by both teachers and students.
Aria would come by and tell me various things, but many were related to Aristo.
"The last time he held me was after we went to that dungeon. There's a rumor that ghosts and zombies are appearing in that dungeon this year! Aristo started a club activity because he wants to see them."
Apparently, there's a rumor that they appear in the dungeon at night. It seems they heard that several adventurers challenged it at night as well.
The conversation returned to Aristo again.
"After the dungeon, he misunderstood that he was popular with many women, and he caused trouble for Shivans during the summer training camp, right?"
"That time was rough, wasn't it? After all, I didn't even remember his name..."
It's been a year since then. Thinking about it makes me feel nostalgic. After that, he seemed to learn his lesson and held Limone and Carla for a while, but Aria says that was only for a short period.
"It seems Limone and Carla are being largely ignored now too. Even when they consult me, asking, 'Has he grown tired of us?' what can I say? Apparently, my father-in-law Windam told him, 'If there's a woman who wants to be held, just hold her. That's how I've lived my life.'"
Aria told me with a wry smile. Is Aristo aiming to be like his father? He boasts to people around him, bragging that he has 'held over 200 women.'
Thinking that Windam should also be up north for the fort construction, I asked about it, and she told me he had returned.
"I think it was just yesterday? Perhaps because Grandmother Marino and Mother-in-law Aqua gave birth?"
I can't imagine Windam being that admirable, but if he's back, should I at least greet him? However, I was more concerned about the articles that had been filling the newspapers day after day.
It was an article stating that the two northern countries bordering the Altmea Empire were at war.
Hazard Country, which had allied with the Duchy of Walujava and attacked 19 years ago, seems to have escalated a border dispute with Kieff Country to the east into a full-blown war.
Because of that, residents near the border appear to be fleeing toward the Altmea Empire.
(It feels like skirmish-like conflicts have been continuing for quite a long time. Though, this country was also in conflict with the Kingdom of Rhodesia until last year, so it can't be helped if we didn't know...)
The actual situation was that we only realized a war was happening when the refugees came.
As it seems to be a situation that can no longer be called a fire across the river, I decided to head toward the northern dungeon, where young people were said to be coming for work.
When I headed to the dungeon, it was overflowing with excitement.
Apparently, they're coming here aiming to strike it rich.
I went to a tavern to gather information, and a large number of adventurers, men and women of all ages, who had finished their dungeon exploration were drinking.
"Hey, young man, you're young. How about spending tonight with me? Five small silver coins will do?"
"Thank you. Maybe next time!"
When I treated her to a mug of ale and asked for information, she told me, "The old men over there know more about it." They complained, "Who's an old man!" but when I treated them to ale, the old men's tongues loosened.
"You're an unfamiliar face, young man?"
"My name is Shivans. Is something happening in this dungeon?"
Then another old man, in high spirits, said, "Well, I don't know if it's true or not," and what he told me was a story like an urban legend.
"In the treasure chests of the dungeon, there's something — should I call it a spiritual medicine? Or perhaps a divine medicine? There's supposedly a drug that cures all illnesses. And deep within the dungeon, a secret elixir of immortality is hidden. Merchants come almost every day, saying they'll buy it if it's discovered!"
Everyone knows that the panaceas in this world aren't truly all-purpose, but they cling to them like praying to the gods in times of trouble. Thinking it was a story of that level, I listened, but everyone unanimously said, "It's different."
"Well, it's a story that never goes beyond the realm of rumor. It's what you'd call a dubious tale. If I had to say, it's a super panacea. I've been in this dungeon for over 15 years, but I'd love to lay eyes on such a thing! Gahaha!"
"What are you saying! You've only been here 15 years! Well, we can't even reach the floor boss either... After all, it's a vast dungeon."
Then another old man spoke up, saying he had different information.
"From what I've heard, if you defeat that floor boss, the secret treasure of an ancient king is hidden underground!"
"I've heard that story! There's even a rumor that the previous ruler of Kieff Country hid treasure in this dungeon. That's why those Kieff Country guys are called Ancient Treasure Hunters, right?"
They say they haven't reached the floor boss in over 15 years, but that's half a lie.
(They are adventurers called 'Scrounges.' They pick up and collect monsters discarded by others. They fight low-level monsters like goblins and kobolds near the entrance to earn daily wages and drink like this. They've lost their pride as adventurers, but maybe they're better off than becoming criminals.)
As I was thinking about such things, one said with a laugh, "Shivans, are you having trouble with women? That woman earlier said five small silver coins, but that's a lie. At most, if you give her two, she'll happily spread her legs! Gehehe."
Another old man frowned and warned him.
"Hey, hey! You and Shivans will become hole brothers! Is that okay?"
"It's fine! I don't even know that woman's name!"
I could imagine he was probably trying to get me to treat him to drinks as a referral fee, and I absolutely refuse to become hole brothers with this old man.
"I appreciate the invitation, but I'm all set."
"Is that so? That's a shame... But if you ever want to know something or want a woman to hold, just tell us! We're on Shivans's side!"
While thinking it was the drunken rambling of fools, I left the tavern, feeling excited, and ran into the captain of the Military Police, who should have been in the imperial capital.
"Yo! Long time no see!"
I didn't know his name, but his nameplate said 'Warren,' so I said, "It's been a while, Captain Warren," and we shook hands.
Wondering why he was here, I asked, and the captain couldn't stop complaining.
"It's the fault of those barbarians from Kieff Country and Hazard Country! They're supposedly at war, but it's a huge nuisance for us! Because so many men died in the war, women have come here as adventurers. Just look! It stinks, right?"
He was furious that they would take off pants like hot pants by the roadside, casually piss standing up, and shit with their pussies fully exposed.
"Isn't it also because there aren't enough toilets?"
"That may be... but it's unthinkable for women to relieve themselves just anywhere, right?"
The captain continued grumbling. Getting nowhere, I asked his reason for coming here, and it turned out it was originally complaints from prostitutes who had their work taken away.
"I told them! If you're losing to women who shit in the wild like that, then quit the business. But as I investigated, I noticed some suspicious characters lurking around."
"What kind of people are they?"
"The ones who dive deep... they don't come back."
The Military Police also sent a few people in, but the monsters were strong midway, and they got injured and gave up.
"My gut tells me there must be an exceptionally strong monster in there!"
"I see. You may be right, Captain."
I'm not unwilling to investigate, but I decided to do something about public sanitation. I cleared an area near the dungeon and decided to build public toilets using earth magic.
(While I'm at it, shall I build an inn too?)
However, thinking it would be troublesome to hire and train people, I put the inn on hold and was considering exploring the dungeon when the captain spoke to me.
"Don't tell me you came here believing those tall tales?"
"What do you mean?"
The captain also seemed to know about the spiritual medicine, the elixir of immortality, the treasure of Kieff Country, and the ancient treasures, and he laughed them off.
"You mean those stories? I heard them too after coming here."
"People come here believing such dubious stories. They lose their lives, and we, the Military Police, are ordered to mobilize — it's a real nuisance! Well, putting those stories aside, if a giant monster or a fearsome monster is lurking, it's beyond the ability of adventurers. We'd have to request the military, but no one has seen it. Can I ask you to handle it?"
The captain bowed his head to me.
"I also came because I have something I want to investigate. I'll do my best."
"Sorry about this. Let me know if you find anything!"
Without asking what I wanted to investigate, the captain left.
What I want to investigate. It's this: Ghosts are definitely the dead, but are zombies the dead? Or are they viral in nature? Would the specific medicine I have be effective? I wanted to experiment.
(If they become like ghouls or vampires, I want to take flesh pieces back and research them! Are zombies just bodies, with their souls becoming ghosts and floating around?)
Inside the dungeon, for some reason, glowing stones were embedded.
It's certainly dim all day long, but knowing that ghost-types are more likely to appear at night, I waited for night before infiltrating.
I can create and view a map.
But other adventurers are different. Without a map, it would be impossible to traverse this place in a single day. And there were many intruders besides me.
(How many adventurers come here knowing this dungeon is a giant labyrinth? Even though the dungeon at night is said to be dangerous, look at all these tents. Well, near the entrance, there's probably no worry of being attacked?)
They probably came here begrudging even the cost of an inn.
Monsters don't appear much near the dungeon entrance, but it still can't be called safe. They seem to have people on watch, but I worry if they're okay. There seem to be some people who came here treating it like a haunted house...
I planned to thoroughly patrol while looking at the map floating before my eyes.
(They're all idiots... They're fucking inside the tents! That's it! I'll humiliate these guys!)
I used Instant Movement to send the idiot couples who were fucking at the entrance to a place with relatively many red dots. The guy on watch had slumped down asleep, so he suddenly took an attack and woke up.
"Uwaaaaaaaah! Monsters! Monsters are attacking!"
The tents were also attacked, and I alone watched, laughing uproariously, as completely naked men and women panicked. Moreover, it was exposed that in the next tent, a guy was taking advantage of his girlfriend sleeping to fuck another woman.
"What are you doing! You got me drunk and were doing it with that woman?"
"N-No! This woman came onto me! So I had no choice..."
The moment he said that, the woman he was cheating with flew into a rage.
"Huh? You were crying that your girlfriend died, weren't you! Was that a lie?"
In a situation where monsters were attacking, a love triangle turned into a scene of carnage.
"You guys, fight later! Run!"
Told by their companions, the men and women fled naked, but the cheating man was kicked by the two women and offered as a human sacrifice.
"You shitty bitches! Go to hell!"
"Shut up! You con artist bastard!"
"That's right! You go to hell!"
But they were quickly caught up by the monsters, and the men were captured by monkeys called Killer Gay Apes and taken away to a forbidden world.
One of the men who spotted me shouted, "You... don't just laugh, help us!"
"Until just now, you were completely underestimating the dungeon, deceiving women and fucking around, yet you act so high and mighty. Please receive your proper punishment."
"You heartless bastard——————!"
The secretion of the Killer Gay Apes is said to captivate men, so tonight will surely be a fun night for them. Will this make everyone understand the danger of sleeping overnight and fucking in the dungeon?
The women were also captured by erect goblins, crying and screaming, "Nooo!"
"Please... I'll do anything, help me!"
"Rather than being impregnated by a goblin, I'll do anything!"
For some reason, it's said that contraceptives don't work on goblins, and intercourse results in 100% pregnancy. The women who believed this tearfully begged me for help.
(The men are captured, and I'm the only one here. It would be pitiful if they really had goblin children.)
I rescued the women and put them inside a barrier. They were relieved but trembling violently.
"If you've learned your lesson, it's better not to sleep overnight in the dungeon."
The women nodded deeply at my words.
I dealt with the goblins and stored them one after another in my Inventory.
Meanwhile, the men were becoming prey to the Killer Gay Apes one after another.
"Uwah... my boyfriend is being fucked by a monkey..."
"My boyfriend is happily sucking a monkey's dick..."
"My boyfriend ignored me, yet he's fucking a monkey's ass! Unforgivable!"
Saying that, they got angry and told me, "Hold me in front of him!" They started stripping, undressed me, and performed fellatio to show off to their boyfriends.
"Are you happier holding that monkey than me?"
"This guy's ass is way better than your loose pussy!"
With tears of frustration, she said, "This handsome guy's dick is bigger and nicer than yours!" and turned to me, saying, "Feel good with me! I don't want to lose to a monkey!"
"That's right! Because of that cheating bastard..."
"You stole my boyfriend, didn't you!"
While holding a woman, I also had to mediate their fight.
"Now, now. If you're adventurers, you have to enjoy yourselves!"
Seeing my erect cock, they gulped and stopped fighting.
(They were interrupted halfway earlier, so they must still be hungry!)
While I made one cum over and over with manual stimulation, I put a vibe slime inside the other woman and left her writhing. The woman who had never had an internal orgasm was made to cum many times by me and cried out in joy.
"I... it's the first time I've cum this much!"
"Is it because you're handsome? I'm cumming again!"
"Rather than being raped and impregnated by a goblin, I'd rather be impregnated by your semen, handsome!"
Thanks to that, I was able to enjoy myself until the next day.
But... I realized I hadn't accomplished any of my original objectives.
I woke up both the men and women and made them change clothes.
"Hurry, or other adventurers will come!"
"Aww! Hey, let's have sex again if we meet!"
I don't ask if their boyfriends are okay with it.
I kissed the women and said goodbye.
The men also sluggishly changed clothes while gazing with reluctant faces at the Killer Gay Apes, who had disappeared before anyone knew it.
I also changed clothes and checked the map.
Then, ahead in the direction I was heading, I saw four red dots.
(Failed adventurers, failed soldiers, failed mercenaries, bandits, or criminals, probably.)
Using Presence Concealment and Concealment, I approached and found one woman being violated by four men.
"Coming into this dungeon with just the two of you — what idiots!"
"I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them! It was like a duck carrying a leek on its back!"
The woman wore a vacant expression, as if she couldn't hear the men's voices, but she also seemed to be faintly shedding tears.
"Tears of joy, huh?"
"Hey, hey, lady! Be happier!"
The woman was unresponsive to the men's words.
The man who seemed to be her husband was in a state where his head and torso were separated.
The men moved away from the woman and were changing clothes to find their next prey.
"What do we do with this woman?"
"What do you mean? Kill her?"
The woman's face became frightened, but the man who seemed to be the leader said, "Leave her! Let's go!" The other three nodded and quickly left.
I revealed myself, approached the woman, and called out to her.
"I've come to help."
But the woman glared sharply at me and covered her body with her hands.
I cast Heal and Clean on her to clean her up, but due to the extreme shock, she seemed to be in a state of what's called 'aphonia.'
(She became like this because she was killed — I don't know if it was her husband or boyfriend — right before her eyes, and was violated by four men. On top of that, it seems all her valuables were stolen.)
In game terms, those four from earlier are what you'd call PKs. They steal money and weapons, but this is reality. Should I quickly chase them and finish them off?
Using Presence Concealment and Concealment, I pursued them from behind and heard voices.
"Was she really a good woman?"
"No doubt about it! She headed this way!"
"It's easy to lose sight in this darkness. Raise the torch higher!"
"We only have two. If we lose these, we won't be able to get back, you know?"
When I extinguished the lights, the four lost consciousness just as one started to say, "You idiot! I just warned you! Quickly, light the..."
(If I recall, there was an antlion trap up ahead.)
I stripped the four men naked, placed them at each of the four corners of the sand, and set up a barrier so no one could escape. I returned two lights to them, and when they wake up, they can regret their past deeds as they fall into the giant antlion pit.
I went back to get the naked woman from earlier and asked, "I'm thinking of killing them while making them suffer. Is that alright?" She smiled brightly and nodded, as if her earlier glare at me had been a lie.
"Oi! You bastards! You trapped us! Let us out of here! You've trapped us with an invisible wall! What kind of magic is this?"
The four naked men making a fuss was nothing short of comical. As I laughed loudly, one man started crying, "Please... let us out! There's an antlion nest here! If we fall asleep, we'll fall in, and there's no water or food... I'm reflecting on it... Help!"
I appeared and said, "You're not reflecting at all, are you? You've killed many people and assaulted many women like this up until now, haven't you? Isn't it countless by now?" They retorted, "Shut up!"
"It's you! You trapped us! You little brat! I'll kill you!"
They were bloodshot-eyed and looked ready to bite.
"That's fine! If you can break my barrier, come take your revenge!"
When I waved with a smile, they started begging for their lives, "Wait... wait! We'll die like this... We'll apologize!"
"Have you four ever forgiven anyone, even once? You've laughed as you killed people who cried and begged for mercy, and continued to assault many women, haven't you? If you want to reflect, do it in hell. Will you starve to death? Or be eaten by the monsters there? Choose whichever you prefer!"
I put up a sign for the four criminals as a spectacle.
People passing by laughed, saying, "What's this? 'These four are criminals specializing in murder, rape, and robbery. Please do not feed them'!"
"You bastards! Don't just laugh, help us!"
When the four naked men got angry, they were laughed at. Even when they appealed with a tragic air, they were only scorned, and no one extended a helping hand.
I decided to take the woman who couldn't speak to my room in the White Castle and let her sleep.
I cast Sleep on her and let her sleep soundly.
In the meantime, I built an inn near the dungeon using earth magic.
The first floor had a tavern/dining hall, guest rooms, a public bath, and toilets. The second floor had slightly more upscale rooms with unit baths. The third floor was my room, luxuriously made. On the third floor, I prepared a room for Sylvia, and in the walk-in closet, I prepared clothing, underwear, shoes, and accessories.
An inn with Cold Protection, Insulation, and Soundproofing applied to the walls.
In the kitchen, I prepared a Magic Box-style warehouse and packed it with ingredients and seasonings. I also lined up alcohol on the shelves and prepared for the opening.
The woman with aphonia had a torso plate, so she was C-rank.
Her name was Sylvia, but she seemed unable to read or write, and apparently her husband had written for her at the Adventurer Guild.
(It would be troublesome if she ran away or committed suicide.)
Feeling sorry for Sylvia, I placed a Slave Mark on her.
Sylvia woke up completely naked.
Remembering that her boyfriend had been brutally murdered and she had been violated by four men, she began to cry, but noticed she couldn't produce her voice.
Remembering that I had saved her, she wanted to thank me, but her voice wouldn't come out.
"It's okay. It's just psychological shock that's preventing you from speaking. I'm also a doctor, so I'll definitely cure you."
She looked relieved, but there must be a lingering unease.
For a while, her life would consist of nodding or shaking her head to my questions.