Ch.262262. Really? You noble beings would stoop to humans?

-“Kyaaa! It’s Lord Selden Alphonse!”

-“He’s the one who gave us sanctuary, we’re so grateful to him.”

-“I thought humans were inferior beings… but he’s the one who awakened my perception.”

-“He’s so handsome… If I were human, I would have married Lord Selden Alphonse…”

-“Come on, maybe I couldn’t, but it’s impossible for you to win Lord Selden Alphonse’s heart.”

-“What!? Are you done talking? I might be slightly less attractive than you, but do you know how firm my body is?”

-“Everyone be quiet! Lord Selden Alphonse is trying to speak!”

Sigh…

Why are succubi so talkative?

The phrase “not living up to one’s looks” naturally comes to mind.

With a short sigh, I placed a sheet of paper on the table in front of Evarin, who was sitting across from me.

“Here, this.”

“What is this?”

“You all will be working in the Miracle Forest.”

“Work?”

“Did you think you’d live here for free forever? Surely you didn’t think that, did you?”

At my words, Evarin flinches and clears her throat awkwardly.

“We are noble and dignified beings who do not act in ways that harm humans.”

“That’s a great mindset. It’s all about mutual benefit.”

“So this is where we’ll be working?”

“Yes, I’ve made a list, so you can assign the succubi to places you think are suitable.”

Evarin scans the paper listing the workplaces and furrows her brow.

“A… fish shop? By fish, do you mean those smelly creatures that live in the sea?”

“That’s right.”

“We are noble beings, how can you ask us to sell smelly fish?”

“Do you know how noble a food fish is to humans?”

When I asked this with a straight face, Evarin slowly relaxed her furrowed brow.

“…Is fish a noble food for humans?”

“Yes, and surely mere humans cannot be allowed to sell such noble food.”

“Hmm… I understand about the fish shop then. But working at a tavern is too much! We are not playthings for humans!”

“Sigh… See, I knew you’d misunderstand again.”

“Wh-what misunderstanding are you talking about?”

“You’d just be bringing food and drinks to the tables at the tavern.”

At this, Evarin makes a pouty face.

“I still don’t like it.”

The succubi standing behind her start whispering among themselves.

I put on a mask tinged with pretense and continued.

“You are noble beings, so I can’t make you do difficult work.”

“…That’s right.”

“If you were to work on reconstructing the defensive walls or other construction jobs, you’d be sweating profusely in this hot weather. How could noble beings be made to sweat like that?”

After thinking for a while, Evarin points at the paper with her finger.

“Then what’s this? Wearing a rabbit costume and handing out balloons to children?”

“What about it?”

“Isn’t a rabbit an inferior animal!? How can you ask us to wear rabbit costumes and hand out balloons?”

With my arms crossed leisurely, I looked over the succubi carefully before speaking.

“All of you are succubi with excellent beauty and figures that anyone can see.”

“…That’s right.”

“However, you’re not cute, are you?”

“Wh-what did you say!?”

“Among humans, children adore animals like rabbits. So if a succubus wears a rabbit costume?”

I raised my chin as I asked, and Evarin made a puzzled expression.

“What happens then?”

“Beautiful, with a great figure… and if you add cuteness to that, you become a perfectly noble being.”

Despite my baseless nonsense, the succubi behind her turned red-faced with delight, jumping up and down in place.

These creatures are so simple.

Just casually slip in the words “noble being” and everything works out perfectly.

Evarin also nods with a tomato-red face.

“F-fine! If it’s work that noble beings should do, I’ll reluctantly accept it.”

“Good, you’ve made the right decision. I won’t skimp on your wages either, so work really hard.”

“…But what if there’s friction with humans?”

That was a valid concern.

Flowers naturally attract bees.

And if we’re lucky, it’s just bees—insects of all kinds will be drawn to them.

Have I only seen men hitting on women once or twice in other domains?

I removed the smile I had maintained until now and put on a serious expression.

“The knights and mercenary corps will patrol every hour in shifts. If you find yourself in a difficult situation, never handle it yourself—ask for help.”

“Why should we ask for help? We could resolve it ourselves.”

“Really? Noble beings like you dealing with mere humans?”

“…I see. We can’t dirty our noble hands.”

It seems to have been resolved easily.

As I was about to get up, Evarin looked over the succubi behind her and spoke in a low voice.

“…Um.”

“Yes?”

“Since this is for mutual benefit, I’ll let it go, but is there anything else you’d like to ask of me personally?”

I tilted my head at Evarin.

“Why?”

“I’ve been missing your touch at night lately.”

“…If I have something to ask you personally, I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“Thank you.”

Evarin shook her head slightly, seemingly embarrassed.

I sighed briefly as I stood up.

‘There really is no one normal here…’

*

-Welcome! We have everything at our general store! Hey, handsome guy over there! Would you like to come over here for a moment?

-We have fish, a noble food for humans, in all varieties! I’ll slice it deliciously for you, so come taste it!

-Hey mister! If you’ve come to the Miracle Forest, you should have a drink! I just love men who can hold their liquor. Would you like to come in? How many in your party? Oh my! Five people!? Just a moment!

The entrance to the Miracle Forest was packed with people.

The place was already full of energy.

Children ran through the streets among tourists, holding hands and laughing.

Freshly baked bread and sweet fruits tempted the tourists’ appetites.

‘Now it finally looks like a proper tourist destination.’

Even the sound of tourists haggling with merchants pleased my ears.

While I was wearing a satisfied expression at the lively atmosphere, Jawill Wilson beside me opened his mouth wide in admiration.

“Wow… It seems even more beautiful than the Lumestia domain where the Imperial Family resides.”

“That much?”

“Yes, I overheard tourists coming in earlier, and they were laughing and chatting, clearly very satisfied.”

I never thought my decision to properly invest in making this a tourist destination would pay off so well.

The corners of my mouth wouldn’t come down at the thought of recouping all the money I had spent.

“It’s quite environmentally friendly to transform a forest once filled with the energy of death like this.”

“Indeed. By clearing out the dead trees and preserving as many living ones as possible, it’s hard to tell if this is a forest or a city.”

“It’s thanks to Patherix doing a proper job with the construction.”

“That’s not all. Do you know what people are whispering about now?”

“What are they saying?”

“They’re saying that Lake Domain is filled with beautiful women, and some tourists are even talking about moving here!”

Succubi positioned throughout the stores.

However, since they could take human form, they were able to blend in with people.

They even concealed their aura so well that I couldn’t tell without using my spiritual sight.

I couldn’t help but smile seeing men completely entranced by the succubi, unable to come to their senses as they opened their wallets.

“If we keep this up, we won’t have to worry about money anymore.”

“…But young master, even with all this wealth, you still want more?”

“Don’t you know that the more money you have, the better? Besides, this place will steadily generate income if managed well, which is perfect for someone like me who wants to live an easy life.”

Jawill Wilson shook his head several times as if he couldn’t understand, then his eyes suddenly lit up as if he remembered something.

“Ah! I also happened to hear that you summoned Clara…”

“I did.”

“May I ask why you called for her?”

“Don’t worry. It’s not related to you.”

At that, Jawill Wilson let out a sigh of relief.

“Ah… I see.”

“It’s for the establishment of the Guardian Corps.”

“So Clara will be included in the Guardian Corps?”

I opened my drowsy eyes toward Jawill Wilson as he asked the question.

“Yes, which means if you two get married, you’ll both be earning. How about it? Does that make your heart lean a bit more toward Clara?”

“Wh-what are you saying? Dual income has nothing to do with marriage.”

“Come on, I’m just giving you something to consider. Why are you getting so worked up?”

“Because you keep teasing me, young master.”

“Well, make a decision soon. You should settle down too.”

“…I understand.”

I placed my hand on Jawill Wilson’s shoulder as he became gloomy again at the mention of marriage.

Then I stretched my hand into the air and raised my voice.

“Let’s go establish the Guardian Corps!”