Chapter 38
“...Virgin... Imprint.”
Mion muttered in a voice as tiny as a mosquito.
I couldn't hear her clearly.
“What kind of imprint is it? Please speak clearly, Ms. Mion.”
“The... the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint!!”
Mion shrieked.
What?
Jeong Yushin's strength left him, and he collapsed into a seated position on the floor.
“Female what?”
Informal speech slipped out.
“V...Virgin Female Corruption Imprint.”
“Heh heh heh.”
Jeong Yushin stared blankly into space.
“Ska! You were hiding an imprint like this?!”
Karin shouted in shock.
“...I only found out about it today too, so how could I have hidden it?”
Jeong Yushin answered listlessly.
“Hmm? There's one more imprint. It's the last one.”
There's another?
Wait.
Jeong Yushin cautiously asked Mion,
“Ms. Mion, is it possible for someone to obtain two imprints simultaneously from a single trip to the labyrinth?”
“No. You obtain one imprint per trip to the labyrinth. Of course, the chance of obtaining an imprint isn't all that high, either.”
Jeong Yushin groped through his memories haltingly.
He had obtained the Sacred Weapon Imprint on his first trip to the labyrinth.
Had he obtained the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint on his second trip?
He remembered killing a hobgoblin warrior with the bottom-tier party and losing consciousness.
When he had been rescued by the labyrinth investigation team and brought outside the labyrinth.
‘Ah.’
Was that when he had obtained the imprint?
When he woke up in bed, Luke had been looking down at him.
‘No. That old man should've taught me if he'd seen the imprint. He just let it slide.’
Had that old man gotten back at him for treating him like a senile old man?
It was karmic, but he felt terribly wronged.
Mion nodded little by little, seeming to have guessed something. Karin seemed quite shocked, her complexion pale.
Now fear took precedence over curiosity.
What sort of nasty imprint would the last one be?
Jeong Yushin said hesitantly.
“Do I really have to know?”
“This time, it's a good imprint.”
“What is it?”
“It's the Revenger Imprint.”
Mion came to her senses and calmly explained.
“It's an imprint that restores your body if you inflict damage of some kind on a target you've attacked physically or magically.”
Mion continued.
“‘Restoration’ means increasing mana, stamina, and the body's regenerative power. Of course, it isn't complete recovery. There's a certain fixed amount of recovery, and missing body parts can't be restored, either.”
Mion had regained her composure before he knew it.
If you get hit, then hit back, you restore your body?
It was literally a ‘revenge’ imprint.
There was a limit to the recovery, but even so, this much was a blessing.
Jeong Yushin, who had regained his senses, asked.
“If I injure myself, do I become a target of revenge as well?”
“Self-harm is an exception.”
“How can I tell whether the Revenger Imprint has activated?”
“I hear ghost fire burns in your eyes.”
“Understood.”
“Ah! I'm in the rear, so I don't know the Revenger Imprint's exact effects. If there's someone in the vanguard who knows, go ask them.”
Swordsmanship Guild Master Ashur flashed through his mind.
‘I should ask that elf sometime.’
He had obtained the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint and the Revenger Imprint.
It felt like someone had mixed dung and honey together and shoved it down his throat. Bitter and sweet.
Jeong Yushin stood up.
Karin and Mion each took a step back.
“Why are you doing that?”
“W...what?”
“Why are you looking at me like I'm a piece of shit?”
“I never did that. You're being overly self-conscious.”
Jeong Yushin casually took one step toward Karin.
“Eek!”
Karin took two steps back.
“E...even so, the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint isn't a bad imprint, at least.”
Mion said, stepping forward.
???
What did she say?
It felt as though he had been struck on the head with a hammer.
Jeong Yushin's mouth opened and closed. The outrageous words caught in his throat, leaving him unable to speak.
Clinging to his reeling consciousness, he barely managed to open his mouth.
“Why? This is the nastiest imprint I've ever seen in my life. Please erase it.”
Mion answered.
“Please think about it again. You have to endure an imprint this negative.”
What on earth was this priestess saying?
Could there really be an imprint even more horrific than this?
Mion said,
“Compared to the worst imprint I've seen, this one is fine.”
“What's the worst imprint?”
“Phew.”
Mion placed a hand on her chest and took a deep breath.
Mion's actions made Jeong Yushin tense.
“An imprint that turns you into the under...underwear of someone you like.”
“...”
“It was a really serious incident.”
Embarrassed by what she'd said, Mion repeatedly fanned her reddened face with her hand.
After a moment, Mion's complexion returned to normal and she spoke again.
“Ska, this is what I'm trying to say. There are many devastatingly negative imprints in the world. If you keep erasing negative imprints just because you dislike them, you'll end up unable to erase an imprint when it really matters, and suffer a terrible misfortune.”
Mion stopped speaking and smiled at Ska.
Mion's smile concealed a trace of sorrow.
“How about leaving it for now? You don't know what the future holds. Really.”
Jeong Yushin and Mion's eyes met across the empty space.
Jeong Yushin nodded.
“Understood. If it's not an imposition, could you explain the Female Corruption Imprint? I'll be careful about the things I need to watch out for.”
“It's the ‘Virgin’ Female Corruption Imprint. Please be careful with the name.”
“Yes.”
“The virgin becomes sensitive to the saliva, breath, scent, and touch of the person who has this imprint, becomes aroused, and eventually falls into corruption, becoming that person's se...sex slave. As proof of the co...corruption, a vulva forms around the womb.”
Mion's face reddened again, and her hands fluttered.
I understand.
It was embarrassing enough to listen to; how much more humiliating must it be for the person explaining it?
“E...even so, Student Ska, don't worry. We have a secret spell at the Earth Mother Goddess's temple. I can't speak for Lady Karin, but I definitely won't succumb to female corruption.”
Mion spoke first.
Veins bulged on Karin's forehead.
“I have a method too!”
Jeong Yushin let out a deep sigh.
No matter how these two prepared, he would have to make preparations of his own.
He couldn't go around doing something insane like carving a vulva into the belly of some respectable virgin walking down the street and turning her into a dick slave.
“It sounds a little dangerous.”
“It's all right. There are two important conditions for the Virgin Female Corruption Imprint to activate.”
“What are they?”
“The other person has to have at least some ‘affection’ for the person with the imprint, and has to be a ‘virgin.’”
Hmm.
‘Huh?’
Silence filled the small room.
The three of them stood without saying a word.
A sidelong glance.
Karin sneaked a glance at Jeong Yushin.
Receiving Karin's gaze, Jeong Yushin stole a sideways glance at Mion.
“Eek!”
Mion clasped her hands over her chest, fidgeted restlessly, then glanced at Karin.
Karin looked down at the floor for a moment, then glanced at Mion.
Mion stole a glance at Jeong Yushin.
They exchanged silent sidelong glances in the silence.
'Could they like me?'
Jeong Yushin's shoulders rose slightly.
Karin crossed her arms and said,
“W...well, then there's nothing to worry about. Who would ever feel affection for a Barbaroi?”
The sudden put-down twisted Jeong Yushin's expression.
“Why do you think there could be no one like that?”
“Let me ask you the opposite. Why do you think there would be someone like that?”
'No? Figures. Just because someone has affection for me doesn't mean they like me. Phew. Yushin, get a grip.'
He mustn't mistake a woman's smile for proof that she liked him.
Jeong Yushin's shoulders slumped again.
“...I'll be going now.”
Jeong Yushin lowered his head weakly.
“Yes. Take care.”
Mion awkwardly smiled and returned Jeong Yushin's farewell.
Karin looked at Jeong Yushin and said,
“I'm going to talk a little longer, so wait at the temple entrance.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yushin answered absentmindedly and left the room.
Thud.
The door closed.
Karin glared at Mion and growled.
“Tuck your nipples away. Why are you walking around with them sticking straight up like that? Have you already succumbed to female corruption?”
“Eek!”
Mion pointed at her own breasts and counterattacked.
“K...Karin, you were rubbing your tail against Ska's waist, just barely brushing it! Like some vulgar female.”
“That was natural contact. I'm the daughter of the Beastkin Alliance's representative. I won't succumb to corruption over something that trivial. Ska even licked my belly and kissed my cheek this morning, and I'm perfectly fine!”
Mion's body stiffened as if she'd suffered a tremendous shock.
After a moment, Mion's body began to tremble.
“H...how?”
“Curious? I can't tell you that.”
“I...is that so? But what should I do? Ska touched my breasts, you know? He stroked them softly and tenderly with his strong hands, but you haven't done that yet, have you, Karin?”
Karin's smug expression crumbled in an instant.
“W...what did you say?”
“Hmm.”
Mion lowered her hands from her chest and boldly faced Karin.
The warning against corruption had transformed, due to a strange competitive spirit, into boasting about where Jeong Yushin had touched them.
The two women glared at each other in silence.
Karin gritted her teeth and said,
“I won't lose.”
“Neither will I.”
Karin whipped around and left the room.
Their appearances and races were different, but the two women's thoughts were the same.
Because corruption required affection, rather than the imprint blindly inducing it, their doubts disappeared.
They did have feelings for him.
The problem was that a rival had appeared.
That Ska, wary of his imprint, would keep women away on his own.
She knew well that Ska would do that.
She had spent enough time watching him from the side.
Karin and Mion rapidly racked their brains, coming up with a plan.
It was a scheme full of the underhanded intent to find a way to prevent corruption, reassure Ska, and enjoy his touch a little more.
Thud!!
Karin left the room, and the door closed.
Mion placed a hand on her chest and sighed.
There was an imprint more horrific than the Underwear Transformation Imprint, but after seeing Ska's expression, she had held her tongue.
In this labyrinth city filled with selfishness, she wanted to protect the kindhearted mixed-blood Barbaroi's heart.
And from that irritating red-haired bitch, too.
Mion gritted her teeth.
* * *
Jeong Yushin and Karin left the temple and walked through the streets to Darmong's inn.
Karin stood at the inn entrance with her arms crossed.
“Ska, have you ever touched Mion's breasts?”
The sudden bombshell made his head spin.
“I...I haven't.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
They had brushed against each other, but he had never fondled them as if kneading dough.
“Hmm. I see. I'm off.”
“Yes. Take care.”
Jeong Yushin parted from Karin and entered Darmong's inn.
“Darmong.”
“What is it?”
“···I got an imprint like this.”
Jeong Yushin sat at the counter and explained it to Darmong.
Enough time passed for a cup of tea.
Darmong folded his arms after hearing the explanation.
“Hmm...”
“Should I leave the inn?”
“I'll talk to the lodgers first. It'll probably be fine. They're all men.”
“Understood.”
“Go upstairs and rest.”
“Yes.”
Jeong Yushin returned to his room and lay down on the bed.
He wondered if it was time to start preparing to leave.
He had acquired a godawful imprint. He didn't want to interfere with Darmong's business.
Since Karin had given him money too, it might not be a bad idea to find somewhere else to stay.
But would there be anywhere that would accept him?
He thought it over carefully, but couldn't come up with a suitable answer.
There had to be somewhere in the city where Barbaroi stayed.
He had no idea where.
The more he thought about this and that, the more his head throbbed.
His head had been a little foggy ever since leaving the labyrinth.
His consciousness flickered, and he fell asleep for a while.
Bang bang!!
At the sound of knocking, Jeong Yushin opened his eyes. Seeing that the room was dark, he realized it was evening.
He got up and opened the door.
Darmong stood there.
“The lodgers said it's fine. You can stay a little longer.”
“Thank you.”
The door of the next room flew open, and a one-eyed rat beastkin poked its head out.
“You're the only Barbaroi who's been quiet for nearly four months. Be proud.”
At the sudden praise, Jeong Yushin scratched his head.
“Ah, yes.”
“No matter how I think about it, it's a miracle. Don't tell me you like men?”
“I like women.”
“I see. Don't let that feeling change.”
The rat beastkin finished speaking and closed its door.
Darmong shrugged.
“They trust me rather than you, really. Still, your conduct did influence their decision, too.”
“Heh, thank you.”
A quiet warmth stirred in his heart.
Despite all sorts of slander, he had worked tirelessly to behave sensibly.
So this was how he was rewarded.
Jeong Yushin smiled. Darmong faintly smiled too when he saw him.
After Darmong left, Jeong Yushin lay down again.
He couldn't sleep. He drifted through his thoughts again until they came around to imprints.
There were all sorts of strange imprints in the world.
An imprint that turned you into the underwear of someone you liked.
Jeong Yushin thought carefully with one arm beneath his head.
‘To become Mion's thong...’
Hmm.
A certain twisted little-sister lover briefly came to mind, then vanished.
To be able to rub his face freely against Mion's soft, plump private parts.
Jeong Yushin stroked his face.
‘Phew, maybe it's not so bad?’