Chapter 126: A Pillow Found After a Long Time

Right after the Succubus’s neck was severed,

Ichinose, taking in the sight of Rohan, thought,

Was Rohan a Beastkin?

At first, she thought he had some thick tail attached to his front.

But how could a tail be attached to the front?

Naturally, he wasn’t a Beastkin.

If not, then?

A single conclusion formed in the girl’s mind.

“…”

Ichinose possessed a wealth of knowledge and common sense.

This, of course, included sexual knowledge.

She lacked experience but was well-versed in theory. Ignorance would only lead to embarrassment someday.

Ridiculous tales like storks bringing babies, getting pregnant from kissing, or even just holding hands while sleeping—

None of these held any sway over this clever girl.

Therefore, Ichinose Yui knew exactly what had happened to Rohan’s lower body.

The phenomenon where a specific area becomes engorged and hardened due to sexual stimulation.

A function developed in internally fertilizing males to inject sperm into the female’s body.

A word she had never uttered in her life, nor intended to, despite having the knowledge in her head.

P, P, P, Pen…

Witnessing it firsthand made it impossible to even complete the word in her mind.

This wasn’t a picture from an anatomy book. Even though it was partially concealed, it was the first time she had seen it in reality.

How could it exude such heat and intensity?

Ichinose’s body whirled around, unable to face Rohan.

An awkward silence fell.

Rohan rustled and cautiously approached the frozen Ichinose.

“Ichinose.”

“…”

“Ichinose?”

“I, I know… I know, so…”

“You say you know, but you’re not even looking this way.”

“…”

It was an unavoidable consequence of the Succubus’ Charm.

It was remarkable that her mind had withstood it. Normally, the moment one is charmed, their essence would be drained.

Ichinose was trying to rationally understand this fact.

However, effort was effort, and her malfunction was clearly visible.

Rohan, observing the situation, took a step back.

“Sorry. I made you see something you shouldn’t have seen.”

An apology was offered even though he wasn’t at fault. Ichinose’s emotions, which had been averted, churned like waves.

The thought that she shouldn’t be acting this way pierced her like an arrow.

“Rohan. Please… step away for a moment.”

Ichinose gently placed her sword on the ground.

She then spread her empty hands and slapped her own cheeks hard.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Her mochi-like cheeks turned red for a different reason, and Ichinose found a crack in her composure.

“It’s not Rohan’s fault. This ends here!”

“That’s straightforward. Thanks.”

Rohan had been filled with shame and the desire to die because of Ichinose’s reaction.

Her words eased his embarrassment somewhat.

“Phew…!”

Ichinose, her cheeks flushed like strawberry mochi, picked up her sword and somehow started a conversation.

“Rohan, what does Charm feel like? I need to be prepared, just in case.”

While Succubi were commonly known to charm men, women weren’t entirely immune.

The reverse was also true.

A Succubus’s Charm was simply much weaker on a human of the same sex who was heterosexual.

“Well, simply put, it feels like hostility fades. It’s like cheating, forcibly raising your likeability.”

“Hostility fades? That’s strange.”

“And there are definitely sensual feelings and sexual urges. It also comes with a certainty that those urges will be satisfied by the Succubus.”

“H-Hmm…”

The girl’s humming wavered at the blunt explanation.

Ichinose, somehow unable to speak, rummaged through the Succubus’s shabby dwelling.

After confirming there was nothing to salvage, the two started walking again.

Rohan seemed to be experiencing some slight discomfort in his movements.

“…To escape the Dungeon, we need to destroy the Monolith inside, right?”

“Right.”

“It’s highly likely that it’s with the host or the dominant entity.”

“Yeah. There should be a Succubus we can communicate with.”

Ichinose pondered for a moment, then her expression turned serious.

“If the dominant entity here is a Succubus Queen, we’re in trouble.”

“That Monster… appeared in Tigrova and Noa’s father took care of it, right?”

There were records of a Succubus Queen appearing through a Dimensional Rift.

While the records concluded that it was hunted down by the Grand Emperor of Snow, there was data suggesting it was versatile and powerful, beyond just its Charm.

“Yes. If a second Queen has been born since then, it’s not a Monster we can handle. Even among the Instructors, only Instructor Juyeon could possibly deal with it.”

“Hmm.”

The individual Rohan had just faced was a common Succubus that relied solely on Charm.

However, Named Succubi capable of communication possessed unique skills in addition to Charm.

Moreover, there was a high probability they commanded Pleasure Dolls as subordinates, making them increasingly troublesome opponents.

“Well, let’s look for it first. We don’t necessarily have to fight it. We just need to destroy the Monolith.”

“…Okay.”

Comforting the seemingly worried Ichinose, Rohan continued walking.

What was that Succubus’s name? I can’t remember.

Rohan knew.

The Succubus ruling the Succubus’ Nest was just one of the Named, not a Queen.

The Succubus species had various other Dungeons besides this one.

The Succubus’ Nest was a place comparable to a village or city in human society.

“And while we can manage sleeping arrangements, food is also a problem.”

“Aeng-ae Nose. Are you hungry?”

“What Aeng-ae… I’m fine for now. But later will be a problem. There are a lot of mushrooms and plants around, but there’s no way to tell which are edible.”

Ichinose showed her anxiety. At this point, Rohan had no choice but to reveal his hand.

It would be troublesome if Ichinose did something dangerous trying to procure food and water.

Just like the last Dungeon, they didn’t know how long they would be in the Succubus’ Nest.

“Aeng-ae Nose.”

“Yes?”

“Close your eyes.”

“They’re already closed…”

“Oh, right.”

Cutting off her absurd remark, he opened his Shop Skill.

Rohan pulled the water out of thin air.

“…Huh?”

Ichinose opened her eyes wide, sensing the anomaly,

and looked back and forth between Rohan and the water as if wondering how this was possible.

“Don’t worry about food and drinks. It’s not unlimited, but I have plenty.”

“What is this…”

“It’s my Skill. I’m telling you because I trust you, Aeng-ae Nose.”

“!”

Rohan was reflected in Ichinose’s eyes.

Her lips parted slightly, surprised by Rohan’s sudden revelation of his Skill.

“Use this to cool down your face. It’s still red. You can drink it too.”

“Th-Thank you…”

“If you’re thirsty or hungry, just tell me. There’s no need to endure.”

Ichinose tried to cool her flushed cheeks with the water he gave her.

··

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Eight hours after Rohan and Ichinose started wandering through the forest,

light finally began to appear through the fog.

As they drew closer, a building with a Gothic-like structure faintly came into view,

and the sweet scent in the air intensified.

It felt like breathing through their mouths would allow them to taste the sweetness.

“Rohan, are we going in right away?”

“Should we rest and recover our Mana first?”

They had cut down at least hundreds of Husks and dealt with four more Succubi.

None of them could communicate, and they were all dispatched before they could use Charm, so they were unharmed.

Still, they were definitely fatigued.

They had used a considerable amount of Mana, and the tension of wandering through an unknown place was mentally draining.

Unlike Rohan, who quickly adapted to new environments, Ichinose seemed particularly tired, unable to relax her vigilance.

“…Should we use the dwelling of the Succubus we just defeated?”

“Good idea. It had the basic necessities.”

It wasn’t too far. Returning wouldn’t be a problem.

They had left a trail as they came.

“Should we eat after we get some sleep?”

“I’m sorry. Is it okay to do that?”

“Why be sorry? I don’t mind. You sleep first, Aeng-ae Nose.”

“…”

Ichinose walked with her lips tightly pursed, as if ashamed.

They arrived at the dwelling.

They disposed of the headless Succubus corpse far away and settled in.

It was more affluent than the first Succubus they encountered.

Although the wooden house was shabby, it was in decent shape. There wasn’t a bed, but there was definitely space on the floor to lie down.

“It’s fortunate that the temperature is comfortable. There doesn’t seem to be any climate change based on time either.”

This world was perpetually night.

Even after eight hours, the moon hanging in the sky hadn’t moved.

It scattered moonlight as if observing the world.

“Being like this reminds me of the Uninhabited Island.”

“It was fun, even though it was a bit rough towards the end. It’s a good memory.”

Rohan handed Ichinose his outer garment, urging her to sleep, and sat down on the single chair in the house.

“Rohan… Come sit here instead of there.”

Ichinose, lying down and covered with Rohan’s outer garment, patted the floor and called him.

“Sit? Are you going to sing me a lullaby?”

Even as he asked, Rohan got up from the chair and sat on the spot Ichinose indicated.

“…”

Ichinose, still lying down, subtly shifted and rested her head on Rohan’s thigh.

“…Ichinose?”

“Stay still…”

Her voice was a soft murmur.

Ichinose’s head wasn’t facing Rohan, so he couldn’t see her expression.

However, her ears, peeking out from her black hair, were bright red.