Chapter 131: The Important Thing is Avoiding Charm

“…?”

Rohan furrowed his brows, rereading the notification window.

Even after reading it carefully from the beginning, he couldn’t understand. He understood the content, but not the context.

Still, he was grateful for the sudden question.

Even for a moment, this mystery made him forget his embarrassment.

All familiar and welcome names.

Including Ichinose, who was with him, were names he missed and worried about.

I wonder if they’re doing okay.

He wondered if Shion and Clara were eating well. Did they realize he’d been caught up in the Monolith by now?

If they understood the situation, what kind of life were they living?

Both were worrisome and sentimental girls, so Rohan was extremely concerned.

So.

Back to the main point.

What does Perpetrator mean?

Not comrade or party member, but the title of Perpetrator.

He didn’t understand why.

Didn’t all three have personalities that had nothing to do with crime?

They were definitely not the type to secretly plan or carry out bad deeds behind his back.

From Rohan’s perspective, he couldn’t understand the designation of Perpetrator at all.

The achievement name too… Is it expressed in a light and cute way? Or is it related to my unknown past?’

The title, Sweet Crime You Don’t Remember.

Perhaps the answer was hidden in memory fragments like those marked “Do Not Access.”

That was the limit of Rohan’s reasoning right now.

“Sigh.”

He finished his contemplation and gave up.

When you don’t know something, isn’t it best to assume the best?

Even if he didn’t know the conditions for completing the achievement, the reward was amazing.

This is crazy.

Nevertheless, he sighed deeply. He hesitated to go back inside the house.

Even though Ichinose was pretending not to know, Rohan felt extremely uncomfortable.

If the other party were a villain who needed to be deceived, it would be different, but it wasn’t easy to put on a thick skin in front of people he liked.

Because of those Succubi…

If it weren’t for Bianca’s Charm, it would definitely have been fine.

To leave such a huge Dark History after death, he had to admit he’d let his guard down and been hit hard.

“Tsk.”

Rohan clicked his tongue and took heavy steps.

Returning to the shabby house, he asked Ichinose as naturally as possible.

“How are you feeling?”

“Ah… I’m fine.”

Usually, even with her eyes closed, Ichinose would face him as a sign that she was listening, but now she slightly avoided his gaze.

Rohan only felt sorry for her actions.

Feeling guilty, the nickname Aeng-ae Nose wouldn’t stick to his tongue.

“Ichinose. How about we move somewhere else to rest?”

“…Where are you thinking of going?”

Ichinose still avoided his gaze, but she didn’t object to his suggestion and got up, picking up her Sword.

Her voice was quieter, but he could still hear it.

“The Succubus lair we hunted before arriving at this house? I was thinking of going there.”

There was another abandoned shack nearby.

It was smaller than this one, but it still had a roof and windbreaks.

“Mmm…”

At Rohan’s suggestion, Ichinose clenched and unclenched her fair hands, groaning softly.

She seemed lost in thought.

“If there’s somewhere you’d prefer, Ichinose, feel free to tell me.”

He waited for the nodding girl’s answer for a while.

Having roughly finished organizing her confused thoughts, Ichinose finally glanced at him.

“How about, um, going beyond the Succubus Mansion we just captured and looking around…? We have to go that way anyway.”

“If you have the energy, Ichinose, that would be good. Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. My, my stomach is full, so I want to walk a bit… to lighten up…”

She still felt full even though the lunch wasn’t that big.

Truly a fuel-efficient body.

“Okay. But if any Husks or low-level Succubi appear, I’ll handle them. You should conserve your energy, Ichinose, just in case.”

“Okay… I understand.”

The two left the dwelling and started walking.

The Mansion remained silent, the scene of carnage untouched, and a few Husks wandered nearby, which they hunted.

Afterward, they crossed the border that was Bianca’s Mansion and reached a new area.

It was still a forest setting, but this area bordered a large river.

The flowing water wasn’t blue, but a light purple.

No fish or anything of the sort were visible within.

When he stirred the water with a long branch, only unknown plants filled it, suggesting it shouldn’t be drunk.

“Ichinose. Behind me.”

“Be careful.”

Naturally, this area was also overflowing with Husks, and they occasionally encountered Succubi who couldn’t communicate.

They found a house suitable for a short rest. After sending the resident Succubus to the afterlife,

It was Ichinose’s turn to rest, and she lay down.

As Rohan unpacked his equipment and sat down, Ichinose naturally used Rohan’s thigh as a pillow.

“…”

“I’ll just rest a bit. Tell me anytime if it’s uncomfortable.”

Ichinose felt immensely embarrassed and hesitant inside,

But knowing Rohan wouldn’t refuse, she couldn’t stop her impulsive action.

This pillow is 100 points today as well.

The fact that she was able to quickly organize her thoughts about what happened while Rohan was asleep and face him head-on like always was,

She believed, largely due to her honestly confronting her feelings.

Having assumed such a satisfactory position, Ichinose,

With her eyes closed, opened her mouth.

“Rohan.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not still worried about that, are you?”

“….”

While reaching this point, the two had continued their conversation.

Ichinose no longer avoided Rohan’s gaze when they talked.

However, Rohan hadn’t completely escaped the thought that he had subjected Ichinose to an unpleasant experience. While the shame had long since faded, he kept recalling Ichinose, who had protected the room permeated by that thick stench.

Because of that, whenever Rohan showed the slightest unusual behavior, Ichinose was also reminded of that thick taste stuck in her throat.

Feeling like her head would explode every time she dwelled on it, Ichinose felt the need to completely repair Rohan’s guilt here and now.

“Rohan, you’re too hard on yourself.”

“Me?”

“Just surviving the Succubus’s Charm is something to be proud of. It really is amazing, you know? Be proud of it.”

“….”

“So, don’t worry too much. It’s not like you committed a sin, Rohan. It’s a natural bodily function for a healthy male… right? I don’t think anything of it.”

Rohan chuckled as he watched Ichinose defending him.

She really was a good woman.

The ominous word “Perpetrator” didn’t suit her. The Achievement definitely meant something else.

“Aeng-ae Nose isn’t an Aeng-ae.”

“Of course not!”

The sight of the girl confidently speaking while using his thigh as a pillow was a little unconvincing, but

Rohan placed his hand on Ichinose’s shoulder with sincere gratitude.

“Thanks.”

“Thank you? I’m the one who should be thanking you…”

Conveying her gratitude laden with various meanings, Ichinose closed her lips tightly.

The unforgotten memory, once again occupying her mind, brought heat to her cheeks.

“Get some rest and let’s move again.”

Rohan’s hand patted her gently.

The girl found a sense of calm surprisingly quickly and drifted off to dreamland.

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After their rest, Rohan and Ichinose set off again.

Rohan gave Ichinose a Potion in preparation for any sudden battles.

If they could clear the Dungeon with a healthy body without using the Potion, that would be the best-case scenario.

Even if it was used at a necessary moment, the Points would have been well spent. The Points spent on preparation weren’t wasted.

“Aeng-ae Nose. Do you feel it?”

“I have a feeling.”

Following the stream while defeating Monsters, they spotted a Mansion.

Rohan was certain it was the residence of a Named Succubus.

As before, they circled around, observing the inside, and the two armed themselves and stormed into the Mansion.

After quickly dealing with the Pleasure Dolls standing blankly, a Succubus, who had been absorbing Essence in the bedroom, rushed out.

Appearing filled with rage, the Succubus, as expected, widened her eyes upon seeing Rohan.

“This man…!?”

Were there no exceptions?

This Succubus, too, coveted Rohan’s special Essence.

Seeing her offer a contract with the same actions as the previous Succubus, Rohan responded with bullets, and

The battle commenced immediately.

This Succubus’s specialty was using her large, sturdy wings as both a weapon and a shield,

But Rohan was like the Grim Reaper to such an opponent.

He inflicted Weakness Induction through the wings that blocked the bullets instead of dodging them, and

Unlike Bianca, he deftly avoided the less wide-ranging Charm and swung his Sword.

The narrowed-down Charm must have been potent. Since the user was a Named Succubus, being hit by it could turn the tide of battle, and there was a high probability of Rohan’s social death.

Ping!

With the Debuff triggering in a single blow, the conclusion came much faster and more anticlimactically than expected.

Rohan sheathed Radiance, which had Severed the Succubus, and continued his thoughts.

The next Succubus is the last one. The Monolith is there.

Meeting this Succubus confirmed it.

Rohan’s memories became clearer.

Making a resolution to avoid being directly hit by the Charm, just like in this battle,

Rohan and Ichinose started walking again.