It’s okay because it’s not human

Chapter 6: why no one summons succubi in the Army? (02)

It wasn't feasible to leave a succubus standing where the night patrol might pass, so I brought her inside.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Normally, if the door opened and someone entered, the others would sense it and wake up. But tonight, they were sleeping like they were unconscious.

"I put them to sleep ahead of time since they'd get in the way of what we're about to do."

"That's possible?"

"It's difficult if they resist, but they were already trying to sleep, so it was quick."

As she spoke, she removed the hood covering her body, and her appearance was nothing like the succubus I had imagined.

'Wow... she's so plain...'

Her face was freckled, giving her a human touch, and her skin wasn't like fine porcelain but rather showed signs of real life. Slightly tanned by the sun, it was even a bit cracked in places from exposure.

Her hair wasn't neatly styled either; it was roughly cut, making it look messy. Honestly, if I hadn't seen her wings and tail earlier, I might have mistaken her for a maid playing a prank.

"You're disappointed because I'm not what you expected, aren't you?"

"H-How did you...? Can you read minds too?"

"It's written all over your face."

Was I too eager about summoning a succubus? Honestly, I couldn't deny the hint of disappointment.

Of course, from my perspective, as long as she was a woman, even if she looked like Dane...

No, not Dane. That's too much.

"Shall we begin?"

"Uh, I... need to mentally prepare myself..."

I had mocked Dane for fumbling nervously in this situation, yet here I was, saying the same thing.

But unlike Dane, who would dither endlessly, I could take a deep breath, compose myself, and steel my resolve.

"So, how should we... should I undress?"

"Just lie down."

'Ah, is she going to undress me herself?'

I lay down, my heart pounding, and waited. She approached my bed and placed her hand over my eyes.

"...Um...?"

"When you fall asleep, we'll begin."

"I can't stay awake for this?"

"That would defeat the purpose."

Something felt off.

"Wait a minute. So we're not actually doing it?"

"Doing it? Are you seriously asking for my body?"

"Well, isn't that the whole point of summoning a succubus...?"

Her expression turned icy as she stared down at me with disdain.

'What... what's going on?'

"Succubi don't do that."

"What?"

"Do you even know what 'incubus' means?"

"So then..."

"I'll give you a dream. Just tell me your preferences, and I'll tailor it for you."

Hearing that, all the excitement drained out of me.

'So, we're not actually doing it?'

Of course, it made sense. Summoning a succubus requires a virgin's essence. If a succubus actually had sex with someone, they wouldn't be a virgin anymore, and summoning them again would be impossible.

It's inefficient but logical. I had assumed they'd make it work somehow, given all the desperate virgins out there. Turns out, that's not the system.

"Just tell me your preferences, and I'll make it happen."

"..."

I couldn't think of anything.

Despite being perpetually aroused and indulging in my fantasies often, my tastes were broad. I simply enjoyed whatever was in front of me at the time.

"Hmm..."

Even though she seemed plain, I figured with some effort, she could be alluring.

There was a subtle musk emanating from her, which wasn't unpleasant. And her ordinary, real-life appearance had its charm—perhaps undressing her would reveal something unexpectedly appealing?

"Just so you know, even in a dream, you can't use my appearance."

"Why not?"

"Because it would gross me out."

What a finicky succubus!

But with nothing specific in mind and no urge to sleep, the session stalled.

"Sigh."

Eventually, she sighed and removed her hand from over my eyes.

"We're out of time. It's almost wake-up hour, isn't it?"

Snapping out of it, I realized it was nearly 5 a.m.

In just 30 minutes, everyone would have to get up.

"If you fall asleep now, the dream will end before it reaches its climax. I'll come back another time."

"Another time...?"

"I'll come at the right moment. Think about what you want by then."

Should I find a portrait of a beautiful woman?

"You just need to think about it. I'll handle the rest. I'll see you when the time's right."

"And how will you know?"

"I've already left a trace. When the time comes, I'll know."

With that, the succubus opened the door and left. Astonishingly, despite the night patrol being nearby, she managed to sneak in and out of the training grounds without causing any commotion.

"...Damn it."

And so, I spent the night wide awake, filled with unfulfilled anticipation.

---

"Starting tomorrow, we enter the five-day Holy Week."

Holy Week commemorates the time when humanity was saved from demons and monsters by the divine powers spread through a chosen saint. It's basically a temple holiday.

Last year, during Holy Week, everyone was thrilled about visiting the temple for free food, blessings, and healing.

But as the phrasing suggests, people 'were' thrilled. For knights, Holy Week isn't so pleasant.

'Damn it.'

Senior knights say the temple gives plenty of food during Holy Week.

However, the ascetic lifestyle of the temple means the food is bland: plain whole-grain bread, meat boiled until it's tough and tasteless, and soup cooked until it's mushy.

It's worse than the meals we get at the training camp.

And receiving blessings means spending an entire day with the preachy temple priests. Knights are expected to set an example, so you can't even relax—you're on duty the whole time.

"Let's start with volunteers. Who wants to go to the temple?"

Naturally, no one raised their hand.

Even Wade, from the 7th barracks, who once aimed to be a holy knight due to his devout faith, avoided making eye contact.

"One trainee knight must represent us. Any takers?"

Everyone silently hoped someone else would volunteer, throwing furtive glances around. I, too, hoped someone like Wade, with his deep faith, would step up.

"Second barracks trainee knight, Ban. You're going."

Why me?

Of all 150 trainee knights, why did it have to be me?

Was this a one-in-150 stroke of bad luck? Or had I been marked by the senior knight?

"Me? Why?"

"Let's take a vote. Who thinks Ban should represent us?"

Everyone except me raised their hands.

Honestly, if someone else had been picked, I would have raised my hand too. But being the victim felt terrible.

"Sir, I'm not feeling well... Cough, cough! Maybe it's a cold?"

"Perfect. You can get blessed and recover quickly."

There was no way out.

"Pack your things and get ready to depart immediately. Dress in formal attire, and I'll prepare a ceremonial sword for you."

Unlike the mana saber, which felt weightless save for its handle, the ceremonial sword was absurdly heavy, made entirely of solid metal. Just having it strapped to my waist made it hard to breathe.

Sold off to the temple by unanimous vote from everyone but me, I grumbled as I set off on the journey to the temple alongside the senior knight.

Though, to be fair, it was only a 30-minute walk.

"Hmm?"

As I approached the temple's grand entrance, a sharp, prickling sensation suddenly ran through my body, almost like static electricity.

"Is something wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Inside the temple, right next to the entrance, stood a statue of the goddess of love, adorned with countless flowers in celebration of the holy week.

The Goddess of Love and Marriage, Medeira.

The statue depicted a benevolent and beautiful goddess, and beneath it was a priestess who bore a striking resemblance to the statue, handing out sweets to children.

"I'll go notify the saintess of our arrival. Wait here."

"Yes, sir."

"...And don't you dare talk about slimes or, heaven forbid, anything related to self-pleasure."

I wasn't stupid enough to spout vulgar jokes in a place like this, but clearly, my senior knight didn't trust my discretion.

'The young saintess, huh?'

The current saintess was older, so they'd chosen a successor through a rigorous selection process five years ago. This year, they'd unveiled her to the public.

'She's beautiful.'

The young saintess was arguably the most stunning girl I'd ever seen, a picture of youthful charm unmatched even by the statue of the goddess standing nearby.

'Of course, they probably picked her for her looks.'

The selection process for a saintess supposedly involved divine blessings and other such criteria, but rumor had it that it boiled down to how much she resembled the goddess—essentially, how beautiful she was.

The temple officially claimed it was all guided by divine revelations, but it seemed a little too convenient that a new saintess was always chosen without any gaps whenever the previous one grew too old.

Whatever the case, the important thing was that this young saintess was a breathtaking beauty.

'If only she were a little older.'

Not that it mattered. Even if she were older, she was still a saintess—a woman completely out of reach.

Unlike the other priests who worshipped different gods, those who served the Goddess of Love and Marriage were allowed to date and marry. But the saintess was the sole exception, forbidden from marrying.

The reasoning seemed contradictory, given the goddess they served, but it was apparently to prevent any political influence through a husband.

"Knight! Hey, knight!"

Once the children had taken their sweets and dispersed, the young saintess gestured to me with a playful wave.

"Me?"

"Would you like a sweet?"

She offered me one with a wink, as if sneaking me something she wasn't supposed to.

I smiled and stepped forward to accept the sweet.

Zap!

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity surged through me as I reached out my hand.

'What the...?'

The young saintess looked startled by my reaction, and as she extended her hand toward me again, I felt that crackling static sensation run along my back, leaving me utterly bewildered.

"Could it be...?"

"What's going on?"

Hearing my groan, the senior knight and the nosy templar knights approached, alarmed by the commotion.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just some static electricity..."

"Yes, just a little shock," the young saintess quickly chimed in, hiding the sweet behind her back.

Luckily, the senior knight and the others seemed too busy with holy week preparations to pry further, so they soon left us alone.

"Knight."

"Yes?"

Her youthful face still carried a hint of baby fat, but her expression was surprisingly solemn, leaving no room for me to dismiss her lightly.

"You've been marked by a demon."

"Marked? Huh?"

Was this because of the succubus from before?

"You must have secretly fought off a demon and been cursed in the process, right?"

'No, I secretly summoned a demon to fool around and even scheduled a second meeting...'

"I'll help you. Follow me."

Whispering in a conspiratorial tone, the young saintess led me to a secluded spot away from prying eyes, apparently intent on cleansing the "curse."

We ended up behind the temple, where it was quiet. That's when I remembered—having the saintess remove this mark might not be the best idea.

'Wait, if she cleanses it, the succubus won't be able to find me anymore!'

But before I could stop her, she grabbed my hands.

"Oh, Goddess of Love, please drive away this demonic energy!"

Zzzzzzt!

"Ahhhh!"

It hurt—a lot.