After leaving the main area and returning to her room, Yukine, the second daughter of the Houjouin family, could not hide her irritation.
“What’s with him!!?”
“Yukine, please calm down.”
“Aren’t you frustrated, Taka? Our Charm and Seduce didn’t work at all!”
“…Of course I am.”
Even as she chided her younger sister, Takane also felt irritated by her feelings of powerlessness.
“This is a first!”
“Yes… Only a man with no desire towards us would be unaffected by this power. Someone with an incredible amount of self-control would also not be affected, but his eyes definitely wandered to our chests.”
“Right!? He definitely ogled when my chest touched him, and yet it didn’t work… If he’s not a lolicon, then what? It’s destroying my confidence.”
Neither had ever encountered a man their powers could not beat. But despite them working together and really trying, they failed. It was something brought about by skills, but the fact that the power they shared with their mother failed to conquer someone dealt a big blow to their egos.
“…But Ayane is loved.”
“…Yes. It’s not like I heard. And that intimacy… They’re definitely having physical relations.”
“She found true love. I’m a little jealous…”
“And it’s Ayane too. I’m jealous…”
Both sighed.
“Ahh, Ayane is surpassing us both in men and dungeons.”
“I guess so.”
“I don’t care about the dungeon race anymore. I’m dropping out.”
“Oh? So suddenly?”
“I want a proper boyfriend already.”
“What about your subordinates?”
“I’ll think about it after stopping Charm.”
“You’re serious. Maybe I’ll have to think about my future too.”
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
After greeting Shouta and the others, Sakuya was left in the room alone, looking off into the distance.
“Amachi Shouta… To think a find like that existed in this country. My web of information has room for improvement.”
Said Sakuya with an enchanting smile, as she traced a photo of Shouta she got secretly with her finger.
“Despite having no idea, he gave his fiancees those special accessories. Was he just born under such a star?”
Sakuya’s True Appraisal told her the secret effect of those love necklaces.
“Clears away malice, and shares experience between those united by their hearts, regardless of participation in battle. He was so surprised when I told him… Fufu, what a cute reaction… If he could not see it, his True Appraisal must still be around three or five. I don’t know how he got True Appraisal, but I will try to make sure he sees me in a favorable light.”
As she updated a list of information Shouta might like on her smartphone, there was a knock on the door.
“Mother.”
“Takane. Come in.”
“Excuse me. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t entice him.”
“Oh my, that’s fine. I wanted you to fail.”
Takane was quite shocked, not picking up on Sakuya’s intentions. But she desperately tried to contain those emotions, and prompted her to continue.
“…What do you mean?”
“A combination of carnal pleasure and skills is a common technique employed by foreign agents to scout talent. Many promising individuals were snatched by such things… If he did not fall to the both of you, there is little worry that those methods will succeed in taking him away.”
For Sakuya, her daughters’ test was perfect. She would win whether they were successful or not. Still, for the sake of future challenges, this was the preferred outcome.
“Ah… I’m sorry for not reading your intentions and jumping ahead.”
“Fine. But the three of you lose points for not realizing he was not someone who could be so easily swayed.”
“What will be our punishment?”
“I am not in the mood for that now. I will follow up on that later. By the way, where is Yukine?”
“She apparently wants to drop out of the competition.”
“I see… I allow it.”
“Thank you, mother. I will make sure she knows not to bother him.”
“Do that. So none of you checked that boy’s footage? If you don’t want to be left behind by the times, make sure you do. And make sure Yukine does as well, even if she is leaving the front line.”
“Understood. May I ask you a question?”
“Oh my, ask away.”
Takane felt a little jealous, as she saw her mother in an uncharacteristically good mood.
She had not been in such a mood since she got a trophy.
“You seemed to be convinced of something when we entered there and you saw him. I took that to mean something else, but what did you feel?”
“Oh my, you saw. Good job. Both auras emanating from him were exceptional.”
“You can see the rarity of someone’s skills, and the power of their fate…”
“Yes. And it was truly wonderful.”
Takane seemed satisfied with her mother’s reaction, and left after bowing.
Sakuya looked at Shouta’s photo again.
“…My new son. Mother will do her best to make sure you become this country’s holder. And eventually… Fufufu, I can’t wait.
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