Furi muttered, "It's started, has it..." at the sounds and voices beginning to emanate from Ren's room.
"Iris-chan was really motivated today."
Although the sounds were somewhat muffled, it was difficult to make them completely inaudible given the thickness of the walls. Since they were all in the same boat, they decided to be forgiving.
While Furi was gazing at the stars for a while with the window open, there was a knock on the door.
"Would you care to join me for a little drink?"
Mariabelle came in with a bottle of wine and glasses. For some reason, Mei followed behind her. Of course, Furi didn't mind inviting them into the room.
"Are you drinking too, Mei-chan?"
"No, I am merely here for company, or perhaps as a lively addition. If we are to drink, I'd prefer something with a high alcohol content. It might be able to warm the body if burned."
"That sounds more like fuel than alcohol, doesn't it?"
The wine Mariabelle had prepared was white. After the clear liquid filled the glasses to about seven-tenths full, they lightly clinked them together and toasted. The rich aroma filled Furi's nose as she sipped it, bringing a sense of happiness.
In return, she offered some nuts for snacks, and Mei diligently shelled the ones still in their shells. After saying "Thank you," Furi put one into her mouth and asked,
"Could it be that you couldn't sleep either, Mei-chan?"
"No. In my case, the primary activity is organizing my memories and adjusting my body, so even in that state, I can pick up ambient sounds if I choose to listen. So, I wouldn't say I'm bothered by it; rather, I wholeheartedly encourage it."
"Is that so? ...Wait, does that mean you were listening to mine too?"
"I must politely decline to comment."
Mei blatantly averted her gaze. Furi was glaring at Mei, wondering if there was any way to make her forget, when Mariabelle chuckled.
"I'm relieved to see you so composed."
Apparently, they had been worried about her. Furi let out a wry laugh, "Aha-ha," and looked down at her glass.
"I don't get jealous over things like this. It's not like I intend to monopolize Ren."
"...Indeed, perhaps I didn't need to worry after all."
Mariabelle herself occasionally flirted with Ren. If it were about jealousy, she should also be a target, but Furi bore no ill will.
"But I'm happy you came. And I got to drink some delicious wine."
"I'm glad to hear that. I want to continue being good friends with you, Furi-san."
"Me too."
Talking to people made the sounds from outside less noticeable. It was a great help because if she had been alone and quiet, she would inevitably have noticed and felt strange.
"I wish Ren would hurry up and learn a sound-silencing spell."
"Perhaps we should borrow some equipment from the brothel. It's an item used for customers who want to have private conversations."
It was a magic item called a Sound-Absorbing Stone, which, when imbued with magic power, absorbs sound in a certain range so it doesn't leak out. It was perfect for confidential meetings or when making noises one didn't want others to hear.
"That sounds great. Are you sure you can borrow it?"
"We have spares, so I can take one out under my personnel authority. ...However, if you break it, you will have to pay for it."
"Oh, wow. Can our income cover the cost of a magic item replacement?"
They would have to handle it with the utmost care to avoid going into debt. Still, it seemed worth borrowing. ...For both of them. Although they were speaking in hushed voices, perhaps this was a kind of girls' night. (Although this house only had girls to begin with.)
"...I've been wondering this for a while, but Furi-san, why are you able to be so open-minded?"
"You too, Maria-san."
Furi finished her first glass of wine and was poured a second, and she, in turn, poured for Mariabelle.
"I never intended to be the main partner in the first place. It's enough for Ren-san to fill her human loneliness."
"I'm similar... well, that's a little different. My case is a bit special, too."
The alcohol might be just the right catalyst. Furi decided to ask Mei to keep quiet later, as the golem was sending her an intensely curious look.
"You see, Ren and I have known each other since before we transferred here, right?"
"Yes. Ren-san told me that you had been approaching her before."
"Ren said that?"
She felt both happy and slightly embarrassed. Of course, what Ren had likely said was closer to, "She used to flirt with me," but still, it was accurate. Even now, she thought she probably had a crush on Ren back then, but Furi's feelings at the time were still light. It was more about having fun teasing him than anything serious.
"Then we came over here, and Ren became what she is now. That's when I thought about it."
Should I continue the same relationship with her—him—from before?
Since the environment had completely changed, there was also the option to reset the relationship. But the moment she decided to continue, Furi had made up her mind.
"I was okay with Ren being in an ambiguous state or becoming a perfect woman. I decided I would stick by her no matter what."
In fact, her romantic feelings hadn't changed even now. Now that they were both girls, she didn't have to hold back, and their relationship became easier. She even thought that their current dynamic might suit them better.
"So, it's fine. I also like Maria-san and Iris-chan. I'm happy with things as they are."
"...I see."
Mariabelle let out a soft, mature smile.
"Then, may I occasionally ask you to keep me company as well, Furi-san?"
"No. I don't mean 'like' in that way, though."
"Furi-san. Could you say you like me, too?"
"Oh, yes, of course, I like you, Mei-chan. I wasn't leaving you out!"
Since the energy drain seemed to work like a simple exchange, there was no need to even consider the possibility of "romantic rivals."
After a while of drinking wine and chatting like this, Furi started to feel pleasantly sleepy. After parting ways with Maria and Mei, she had a sound sleep.
--------------------
"Mana Bolt"
The amplified magical light pierced the goblin, instantly blowing away its life force.
Ren took care of the second goblin, which was closing in on her, in the same way, then leaped back to evade the attack of the slightly delayed third one. She eradicated it with another boosted Mana Bolt.
"Yeah, I can manage."
"Well done, Master."
"You too, Mae. Sorry to drag you along on your day off."
"Not at all. I am merely accompanying you."
The first floor of the dungeon. Today, on her day off, Ren was exploring with only Mae. Since her stats and skills had improved, she could now defeat a goblin with a single blow.
Mei would step on and bypass the traps, and Ren would cast "Heal" if any damage was incurred. Ren would generally handle the combat alone, and only if she couldn't finish an enemy would she have Mei blast it away. So far, she's managed to handle about three enemies at once, so this method might be quite effective.
"However, Master. In return, I request the promised item."
"I know. I've secured the storage space for it."
Mei's reward was stone. Ren could generate stone by converting her attack magic to the Earth attribute, and she could break it by hitting it against a wall. This method allowed her to procure extra food for Mae. Since Mei uses it for enhancement as well as body maintenance, there was no harm in having extra.
"But why did you suddenly start this personal training?"
"It's not sudden. I've been thinking about it for a while. It was just too dangerous before."
The goal was, naturally, to level up. Ren's growth was essential to make the dungeon exploration even a little easier. Since defeating monsters yielded better experience and a little money compared to just using magic, she decided to try this method. Ideally, she would like to be able to dive alone, but dealing with traps and ensuring safety in an emergency were the bottlenecks. It seemed like two people was the limit.
Mei shrugged dramatically.
"You are quite the hard worker, Master."
"'Hard worker'—that sounds kind of cute."
"That was not my intention."
When it was just the two of them, the movement was quieter than usual. If they didn't speak back and forth, it would fall silent, which felt a little lonely. Though that quietness also felt professional, which wasn't bad.
"I imagine you're hoping to achieve Iris-san's goal even a day sooner."
"...How do you know that?"
"I know that much. You two are easy to read."
Recently, Ren had advanced her relationship with Iris. They didn't talk about dating or marriage, and the practical change was only that Iris had become a little clingier than before. Since they were both women, Ren hadn't technically "damaged" the girl, but she still wanted to take responsibility to the extent possible.
"Iris-san, on the other hand, seems more relaxed, or rather, she seems to be taking a submissive stance toward you, Master."
"That's exactly why. It makes me want to do something more for her."
"...After saying such high-minded things to those boys, is this what the Master herself is like?"
"I'm thinking about safety properly. I can manage the fatigue with Heal and Energy Drain."
Considering only efficiency, she would be on the tenth floor or so. She wouldn't actually do that, as injuries would be constant unless she managed things extremely well. Mei spoke in her usual calm, detached voice.
"Well, yes. That's why I'm here—to prevent you from doing anything reckless."
"I appreciate that. If you weren't here, I'd have to ask Maria-san."
A golem girl, who has a faint concept of fatigue, can move smoothly with Ren. Since her transformation into a Succubus, Ren doesn't even need to use the toilet anymore, which makes her worry about acting inconsiderately when moving in a party. With just the two of them, she doesn't have that concern.
After several more battles, Ren casually asked,
"Hey, Mae. You want to have kids, too, right?"
The reply came without hesitation.
"Yes. The preservation of the species, or rather, the production of sub-units, seems to be a golem's instinct."
"Sub-units?"
"It's not that my Mother has mandatory command over me, but due to the production process, more than half of our children are copies of ourselves."
Whether it was like copying a program or if a soul resided there, Mei and the others inherited a tremendous amount from their mothers. Their personalities also tended to be similar to some extent, and "instinct" was included in that.
"Wouldn't that be even more true for humans? Because a child is 'the partner's child,' even more than 'their own child.'"
"The partner's child, huh?"
"My father sometimes laments that his children don't look like him."
"...That's a little sad."
It couldn't be helped, though, since they weren't providing genes.
"That's the thing, you know. Never mind me, but it's not okay for Furi and the others to be unable to have children."
"If they are personally fine with it, then I think it's fine."
"No, I plan to return to Japan someday."
Even if it was permissible in this parallel world, it wouldn't be in Japan.
Mei paused for a moment before replying.
"You don't have a male organ now, Master."
"You went straight for the heart, didn't you?"
"Incidentally, I can reproduce the shape, at least."
"What would be the point of that?"
After giving her a deadpan look, Ren sighed.
"Actually, I can get a skill to grow one."
"This is the first I've heard of it."
"It only appeared recently."
The trigger was probably acquiring "Drain Kiss." It seemed that by increasing the Succubus-like skills, further possibilities had opened up. It was complicated to think that the more she was influenced by her transformation, the more sexual skills increased, and this was the result.
"In that case, why don't you acquire it?"
"Well, I should, but it's completely useless in combat, isn't it?"
She felt that the precious skill points would be wasted. She could just postpone it, and there was no need to acquire it immediately.
"Hmm. ...Could it be that, little by little, your preferred type is shifting toward men, Master?"
"Don't say such terrifying things!?"
Absolutely not. It shouldn't be. Ren, who had a mental image of the Sage and Shou when the word "men" was brought up, firmly decided to acquire the skill in question to shake off the unpleasant thought.
============
🚀 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! 😈"