"How are Takuma and the others doing?"
"They're working diligently. No signs of them acting out so far."
Maria, who woke up in the early afternoon, answered with a smile, holding the tea that Fuuri had brewed.
"They didn't get blacklisted, but if they can't come in as customers, it's the same thing, isn't it?"
"Haha. I never thought those guys would end up working at the brothel."
Fuuri laughed, genuinely amused. While Ren thought their fate was slightly pitiful due to the lack of mercy, he agreed with the sentiment.
"Three class-change items cost us quite a bit."
"But those are loans the men have to pay off, right?"
Iris interjected. She, too, seemed to have no mercy for those who threatened them.
"They'll probably be working for free for a long time."
"Three meals a day and a place to sleep, with two days off a week; those aren't bad conditions at all."
Two days had passed since the Takuma incident was resolved. The three men were (forcibly) given class-change items as Ren wished, and their former classes were replaced with "Prostitute."
"W-what is this…!?"
Their immediate despair after the change was, frankly, satisfying. Changing classes meant their level reverted to 1, and their stats dropped significantly. While their skills remained, their effectiveness was reduced. Combat classes could return to their original level with some time, but non-combat ones would struggle.
Incidentally, unlike Ren's Succubus transformation, becoming a Prostitute did not change their gender.
However, the decrease in stats reduced their muscle strength, and the class characteristics slightly altered their physique. This was a shock to Takuma and his crew, whose pride lay in their athletic ability. Their looks didn't improve, either. The outfits they were given with the class change were akin to underwear, and several people burst out laughing at how ridiculous they looked.
Of course, they couldn't attend to customers dressed like that, so their jobs were errands like moving luggage and cleaning rooms. Even if they tried to act out, the other employees were all women, and they were all high-leveled. Stripped of their boasted muscle strength, in an unfamiliar environment, and at the very bottom of the hierarchy—they were being forced to work without question.
The more they worked, the more experience they gained (albeit inefficiently), and they acquired skills and abilities appropriate for a Prostitute. They would eventually become the male equivalent, where "actions to naturally please the same sex spontaneously come to mind."
"I'm sure they won't dare to cross Ren-san anymore."
Maria smiled with calm beauty.
"The charm is working to some extent, and you are very popular with the girls at the establishment."
"You're popular with the girls in town too, Ren."
"My sisters also said they 'want to see you again.'"
"I'm happy, but that's more like being treated as a friend than being popular, isn't it?"
Takuma's group were "enemies of women," and Ren was a "friend of women." It was natural to want to associate with people who were friendly rather than hostile.
"It's nice. The girls who were worried about Ren getting snatched up by a boyfriend are quite relieved now."
"Since I have no plans for that, please tell them to relax."
"Yeah. Right now, it seems like the guys are worried that their girlfriends will be snatched up."
"I have no plans for that either!"
Where would he even find the time to cheat? While there were hotel-like places in town, rumors would spread quickly if he rented a room for questionable purposes.
"I'd rather be liked by girls than disliked by them. I'm going to have more chances to talk to them from now on, anyway."
"We need to level up, after all."
He gained experience after the fight with Takuma and again when he used the Hypnotic Gaze. The latter gave him a surprisingly high amount of experience considering the difficulty. The idea that "Succubus-like actions yield good returns" might have been accurate in a way.
"Or should Ren change classes too? Not Prostitute, but something else."
"Ah, that might be an option."
Ren was currently in the state of "Race: Succubus" and "Class: None." Race and Class had separate levels, but 'Race: Human' and 'Class: None' had no levels. Instead, experience points were concentrated on the other aspect, strengthening the base stats. Iris's mother, for example, was an Elf and a Spirit Mage.
"If you change classes, it will delay your transformation into a Succubus, won't it?"
The Half-Elf girl blinked her blue eyes.
"On the flip side, my combat ability will decrease for a while. I've stopped complaining about 'not wanting to become a girl,' so I think we should be careful about changing classes."
Of course, a good class change would boost his strength. He could become a Mage to increase his variety of spells, or a Warrior to compensate for the lack of a front-liner. Given that he used magic, becoming a Striker, like Mariabel, who could fight with open hands, was also an option. Since it was a big decision and they didn't have a class-change item on hand, he decided to think about it for a while.
Then, his companion (a title he could now comfortably use for Fuuri) grinned at him.
"Then why don't you take off that stuffy robe?"
"You really enjoy this, don't you?"
"Of course. It's fun to put a cute outfit on a cute person. Right, Iris-chan?"
"Yes! I think Ren-san should be even cuter!"
Furthermore, the party's only adult not only didn't stop them but actually agreed.
"I would certainly like to see Ren-san looking cuter. …The girls at the establishment would be jealous."
A house full of women was very lively. However, this house was comfortable. Life was much more enjoyable and fulfilling than when he lived with Takuma's group. He wanted to continue adventuring with these girls.
The dungeon conquest had just begun. Ren and his companions had to keep fighting until the day they reached the bottom floor and found a clue for their return. In a sense, the adventure was just truly beginning.
--------------------
"By the way, Ren-san? How is the Succubus body in terms of sexual desire?"
"Maria-san, what are you suddenly talking about?"
Several more days passed, and Ren's party had cleared the third floor of the dungeon. The third-floor boss was a Goblin Warrior. This enemy, armed with a two-handed axe and possessing superior attack power and HP, was defeated with their usual preemptive strike, yielding items, money, and World Fragments.
They acquired six fragments on the third floor. They had been told that the four fragments from the second floor were "more than enough" to cover the cost of the sawdust needed to fill half the basement with ice, so they decided to save these six for now. Since selling them would fetch a decent amount of money and they didn't take up storage space, they were like a reserve fund.
I mean, they're Iris's fragments, so she should be able to use them however she likes.
Exactly. You can sell them and buy cute clothes or eat something delicious, Iris-chan.
Oh, no. If Ren-san and Fuuri-san weren't here, I couldn't delve into the dungeon, so this is shared wealth.
Since their junior was so humble, the decision on what to do with the fragments was put on hold. They might use a large number of them all at once when they wanted to do something special in the future—for example, if Iris's parents needed to expand their forest.
Since the other spoils also provided a decent income, they were having a small celebration at home. But Maria, who was joining them for dinner since she wasn't working at the brothel today, brought up an outrageous topic. Ren almost spit out his drink but managed to swallow it.
"Please don't joke like the Sage would."
"My apologies. …But I was wondering if you were having trouble."
She tilted her head. She was a gentle, intelligent adult woman. She was affectionately called "Sis" by the prostitutes and paid some rent to Ren's household. While she generally kept out of the conquest, she was a great help and was respected. However, perhaps due to her involvement in managing the brothel, she was quite open about sexual topics. Or maybe her comfortable relationship with Ren, due to their shared gender, applied here as well.
"Since men tend to accumulate physically, restraining yourself is not good for your health. You should probably release it once every two or three days."
Her explanation was strangely specific.
To this, Fuuri responded with an awkward expression, "Oh, I see."
"I was wondering why Ren's room never smells bad, but were you holding back? You don't have to worry about it."
"That's right. My father also sometimes does something with my mother at home when we're sent off to the forest. My mother said, 'Men can't help it.'"
"Well, I think Iris should have a word with her father."
If the Sage heard this, he'd probably say, "I can look forward to a fourth child."
Ren turned back to Mariabel.
"No, I'm genuinely not having much trouble. It's strange, but I don't feel that desperate. …Although, I do have some feelings about being openly propositioned."
"Is that so? That's mysterious… Or, could it be that your male and female sexual desires are canceling each other out, or in balance?"
This could be rephrased as being torn over whom to desire.
"That might actually be the case."
In fact, he felt the balance was starting to tip toward the feminine side. Lately, he woke up feeling calm more often.
"…Could we at least discuss this when we're alone?"
"Oh? Isn't it better not to let other women hear about such invitations?"
"Hmm? You say that after telling me 'marry me if you can't get a girlfriend'?"
"Huh!? Wait, Fuuri-san, when did that happen?"
"Hold on, Fuuri, you changed the wording! I did say something similar, but that's not the point! I meant this as a consultation, like with a school nurse!"
After the commotion subsided, they came to the conclusion that "hiding things in this house is pointless."
"…Um, so, this is about whether I feel like attacking men, despite being a Succubus, right?"
"Yes. In Ren-san's case, since you are a male with the Succubus race, your situation is quite unique. However, you should consider the possibility that your racial characteristics will become stronger in the future."
Would a male incubus target women, would his sexual desire remain low, or would he start to find men "appetizing?"
Ren, who imagined these possibilities in order, quickly shook his head at the last one.
"Should I really release it regularly?"
"Yes. Or perhaps you should say 'satisfy' it."
Although the nature of the Succubus in this world was largely unknown, if they were considered beings where the two biological desires, "sex" and "appetite," were directly linked, then releasing sexual desire would satisfy appetite.
In short, Energy Drain. Ren processed the conversation so far on his own.
"…So, I need regular Energy Drain, huh."
After saying it, he realized he had used a somewhat extreme phrase. He looked up to correct himself, but Iris was blushing, and Fuuri looked strangely happy. He needed to apologize to the former, but the latter seemed to have misunderstood several things and was, somehow, too assertive.
"Then, Ren, should we sleep together from now on?"
"Um, well. I'll try not to come into your room at night…!"
"Ren-san. If possible, you should acquire a spell like Silence that can be cast on a space. Our current level of technology doesn't provide very effective soundproofing."
"No, wait. This is a misunderstanding, or… maybe it's not a misunderstanding?"
He was getting confused as he spoke. He certainly needed Energy Drain, but he didn't know how much and how often he needed to absorb. If the contact from just holding hands wasn't enough, then extensive physical contact might be necessary.
As he pondered, Fuuri put a hand on his shoulder.
"Relax. I know Ren isn't the type to force anything weird. If you're okay with it, we'll cooperate. Right, Iris-chan?"
"Huh!? Y-yes! If I can help!"
"Fufu. Ren-san, of course, I will also help in any small way I can. Just let me know when you need it."
"…What is this?"
He wasn't genuinely popular as a man. It was closer to the casual closeness between girls. Close female friends sometimes sleep in the same bed... maybe. Thinking about it that way slightly hurt his male pride, but when cute girls were so openly affectionate, he started to think, "Maybe this is fine."
I see. Maybe Takuma's group will reform if they experience this, he thought idly, and tentatively replied to Fuuri and the others:
"Well… okay. Relying only on Fuuri might be too much, so could I ask you in turn?"
He had intended to say they should test the amount of drain needed by slowly increasing the volume, but he realized after he spoke that it had sounded surprisingly suggestive.
============
🚀 Want Early Access & Bonus Content?
"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my P4tr3on!
✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel
✨ No waiting for daily updates
✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)
Only $5.99 for the full experience!
🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!
Free readers - don't worry, I'll still be posting daily updates here. But Pa4r3on members get the VIP treatment!
Your support helps me create more wild stories like this. See you on the dark side! 😈"