After a while, Aira sees Maki is feeling calmer, and clears her throat.
“Well then, since it seems that is done, let us settle this as well.”
She says while taking out today’s loot from her pocket.
Maki slowly gets away from me, and puts on her receptionist face.
“You mean the items we don’t know how to use?”
“Yes. I heard there was no effect from golden cups, so I’m referring to golden nectar and golden incense.”
“…Ahem. I saw the footage before, and I can say neither item is in the database. They are completely new.”
“Hm, come to think of it, I didn’t check. Maybe I’ll learn something if I have a look? True Appraisal.”
Name: Golden cup
Description: Gold shaped into a cup?
Name: Golden nectar
Description: Shiny gold nectar gathered from flower fields by a Golden Swallowtail Butterfly. A first-rate sweetener
Name: Golden incense
Description: Perfume with a golden fragrance?
…Hn? What? Why are there question marks in the descriptions?
I haven’t used True Appraisal on most of the items I have, so I don’t know what that means… Maybe there’s information I can’t see at my current level. Maybe the golden cups even have a hidden effect.
And then there’s golden incense too, but I don’t get a bad feeling from either item.
I tell the girls what I see, and reach towards golden nectar.
“Let’s try the golden nectar first.”
“Eh? Shouta!? That’s dangerous!”
Yells Maki.
“It’s fine it’s fine. Ayane, heal me if it’s poisonous.”
“Y-yes!”
This item dropped in what looks like a jam jar, so I open the cap, scoop up a little with my finger, and taste it.
“…It’s so good!”
This is flower nectar. A sweet, refined aroma spreads in my mouth, but it’s not overpowering, and melts in my nasal cavity. I don’t know if I’m qualified to comment on its taste, but it’s good to me.
This might be good to use instead of sugar.
“…It doesn’t look like there’s a problem. Try it too.”
Everyone reluctantly reaches towards it, and enjoys the golden nectar.
“Aira, can you use it on tea from now on?”
“Yes, understood.”
“If it’s good, let’s hunt more.”
Next, golden incense.
This one comes in a spray bottle, so it feels like it assumes it’s going to be sprayed on people. I’ve never held one, let alone used one, so I just sort of grab it.
Pshhh.
“Uwah, Phh phh!”
I guess I held it wrong, because the perfume lands a clean hit on my face.
Hm…? I feel like I’ve smelled this recently.
It doesn’t smell bad at all, but I grimace without thinking. But where… Then I notice everyone’s looking at me.
“““…”””
They’re not looking at me with concern, it’s more like… With vacant eyes.
And just as I’m questioning what’s up with them, they slowly approach me with ragged breaths.
“Eh? Uoh!”
Aira suddenly gets behind me and binds my arms.
“Wha!? Aira, what are you…”
“Looking at you makes my heart race, darling…”
“Hey Shouta… I like you…”
“I love you Shouta…”
“!?”
Their eyes are now shining, not vacant, but they’re clearly not all there.
This smell that’s glued to my face… I know where it’s from, it’s from the Golden Swallowtail Butterfly scales!!
The effect isn’t quite the same, but am I the one charming…!?
“Wait, everyone calm down…! Aira, let go of me!”
“Ahn, don’t struggle, master.”
“Guh, too strong!”
She probably bound my arms with that same rope she used before. And since Aira is pushing me without holding back, I can’t move a muscle.
And in the meantime, the other three are so close that I can feel their breaths.
“Hnfufu, give it up, master. Why would you need to resist in this situation anyway?”
“…My life isn’t in danger, but this isn’t what the girls really want…”
“No, this is exactly what they want, they simply held it back, and everything being repressed is being released. They all really do want a deeper connection with you.”
It’s not like I really hate this either. Part of me is even happy. Although the fact that a drug is exciting them isn’t good.
But still… Isn’t Aira speaking in a pretty rational way?
“Aira, you’re actually fully yourself, aren’t you?”
“…Dear me, whatever could you mean?”
You’re having fun aren’t you?
“You were just feeling remorseful for being charmed. I can’t imagine you’d fall for the same trick so easily.”
“Fufu, you overestimate me, but thank you.”
She really is sober.
“Why are you on that side anyway?”
“Because otherwise, it seems it would not advance much. Master, you are too focused on dungeons, and your ladies gladly accept that and support it, but… At this rate, there won’t be a change in your relationship for years. Surely you are aware of this, correct?”
“Mu…”
Aira is implying that without a strong drug, our relationship won’t advance. And I can’t argue.
I’ve never had a girlfriend, and all of a sudden I have four beautiful girls. I still don’t know how to approach them, or how to gauge the distance between us.
“I think it’s about time to stop talking. They look like wild beasts starving and waiting to feed.”
Everyone is breathing heavily, but their eyes are focused on me. I can sense a smell that’s even better than usual coming from them, and once I notice that, I also sense magic energy that fixates my eyes on them.
Is this a side-effect of the golden incense?
“Everyone, master has given permission!”
“““!!!”””
Aki, Maki, and Ayane let out sounds, and jump at me.
“Shouta, Shouta!
“Love love love love love!”
“So warm.”
It seems they have enough reasoning left to stop right at the edge.
I think about that as they take turns pecking at my face, but accept the way they’re craving me.
This is a perk.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
“Success. The hurdle for kissing has surely gone down drastically.”
Says Aira with a slick smile.
Sure enough, Aira guessed what the effect of golden incense would be, but purposefully kept quiet. The other tree just sobered up, and are now silent with their faces bright red. Just as I was getting used to the onslaught of kisses and started to fight back, they returned to normal.
Our eyes locked on, and all three were unable to recover from that.
“I knew about Lady Ayane, but it seems Miss Maki and Miss Aki, are quite the innocent ladies as well. They are quite unaccustomed to the opposite gender. I look forward to further developments…”
“That’s clearly too far.”
“Is it?”
“It is. It’s not like I don’t think that will happen, but no drugs this time.”
Everyone flinches when I say that, and slowly turns my way. And they turn away again when our eyes meet.
“…All right then. I wanted to build a physical relationship quickly so no one else jumps the queue, but it is true that it would be meaningless without feeling behind it. I will be satisfied with this for now.”
Says Aira, and as if realizing the idea that the hurdle has come down, she kisses me on the lips.
“Hnmuh!?”
“““…!!?”””
Unlike what happened earlier that was momentum taking over, this surprise attack with feeling surprises me. And the other three girls, that were just sunk by Aira, look a little annoyed.
“Hnfu, so let us summarize the effect of golden incense. I would not go as far as to call it an aphrodisiac, but it has the effect to increase pheromones. Compared to the Golden Swallowtail Butterfly’s scales, the smell and effect are not as potent, so it is most likely a mild version of the undiluted solution.
It lasts approximately thirty minutes, and when used between lovers, it causes an unstoppable flow of romantic feelings. If used between a man and woman not in that sort of relationship… I think at worst, it could be classified as a temporary love potion.”
“Uhe…”
Isn’t that really dangerous? Aira nods like she knows what I’m thinking.
“Yes. It would most likely be classified as a class two, maybe quasi-class one ‘designated dangerous item’.”
‘Designated dangerous item’.
These are items that can be acquired in dungeons, but the association prohibits from reaching the general public. Many items from dungeons are helpful to humanity in general, but among them are ones that are dangerous if misused.
It’s my first time seeing one, but I know all too well how dangerous this is after experiencing it.
Wait, this maid knew all that and used it on her master.
“We should report this to the association.”
“Yes, but we should do that later.”
“How come?”
“If we report it, Golden Swallowtail Butterflies might be designated as ‘dangerous hunt’, and it could lead to the prohibition of hunting them.”
“Geh, that’s not good.”
That’s what you call monsters that are more dangerous when you fight them than when you leave them alone. For example, I’ve heard of a monster in another dungeon that releases an aroma when beaten that attracts other monsters.
In this case, the problem would be the increase in production of a prohibited item, so the monster itself might end up on the forbidden list.
If Golden Swallowtail Butterflies can’t be hunted, Golden Worms might also be on that list by association. That would stop the mass production of golden seeds, not to mention that I want more of that tasty golden nectar. That one doesn’t seem toxic either.
Then there are the useful skills… Yep, I need to keep my mouth zipped!
“Let’s keep it a secret then!”
“Ah, Shouta, please tell our mother if no one else.”
“Eh, but Maki, I don’t want it to be a ‘dangerous hunt’…”
“Yes, but if that were to interfere with your work, that would be a blow to the associations. And don’t worry, the association grants special permissions to A ranks. There will be a strict warning associated with the use of golden incense, but I don’t think you will be forbidden from hunting them.”
“Who knows what might happen if a third party finds out. It’s best to get the association involved and split the responsibility.”
“…I see. Okay, I’ll leave that balance to you two.”
“Leave it to us.”
“Yep, don’t worry.”
They say as they smile. Their faces are still scarlet, and look beautiful to the point of me being unable to look away.
Ah, I can’t get that out of my mind after what happened earlier. I think I like them even more now.
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Did they just have a 5P??😏
Thanks for the treat.
Aira seemed too used to this, at least the other girls aren’t tainted.