9 MARKET RESEARCH Several days had passed since Bash arrived in the land of the succubi. The rain still showed no signs of stopping. Ludo was steadily gaining strength, but his skills were still lacking. During the days of pure stagnation, Bash had been doing a little training of his own for the first time in a while, but he still seemed to have a lot of time on his hands. However, Bash was not the type of person who can endure stagnation. After holding a strategy meeting with Zell, he took action. “Lord Bash… What is it you’re saying here?” Venus, escorting Bash and the others, as usual, seemed stunned by what Bash had just said. “I want you to tell me what kind of men women like.” As soon as Venus heard that, she gulped and let her gaze wander around her surroundings. She was sure this must be some sort of test. Otherwise, there would be no way that the mysterious and attractive man in front of her would say something so obviously tempting. “So…what do you mean?” Venus needed to tread carefully. If she said something like, “You, completely naked!” then she’d end up on the execution stand. “I’m looking for a wife.” “Being an orc’s wife… I hear that means, uh, never missing a meal, so to speak.” She responded evenly but with some hope. Venus was a first-class soldier. If she’d been any girl on the street, she’d have found herself on the chopping block already. Head, say good-bye to body. But if he meant what she was hoping he meant… Then Venus wouldn’t need to be asked twice. She would immediately take off her clothes and throw herself against Bash’s manly chest. “Lord Bash, are you thinking of taking a succubus as your wife?” That said, Venus had to be very careful here. She hadn’t lost wings and tail due to being careless and running ahead of the pack during the war, after all. “Hmm? Indeed, if I took a succubus as my wife, I would be able to brag to the others when I returned to my homeland. But you all hate orcs, don’t you?” “Ah…well, erm, that’s true. We have a lot of respect for you, of course, Lord Bash, but we don’t think too much of the majority of the orcs…” To be an orc’s wife is to become an orc’s sex slave. Treated like objects and shown off as trophies. Treated as a completely inferior being, in other words. Most succubi considered all orcs other than Bash to be lower creatures. Belonging to an orc was something a proud succubus would never do. But in today’s scrappy world, a young succubi might actually accept such a position gladly… It’s not all fun and games for the orcs, either. If an orc married a succubus, that orc would be duty bound to feed his wife almost every night. At first glance, this might sound like a win-win, but it’s not a good thing for the orc race overall. Because that orc would not be able to have new children. It’s no big deal if a few orcs do it, but if all the hungry succubi flocked to the orc country, it would spell the end of the orc race. “Of course, Lord Bash, if you were after a trophy to prove you had subjugated a wife… I mean a succubus, I think there would be many volunteers. Myself included…” Venus’s gaze went to Bash’s crotch. Venus was living with a lack of food every day. And being Bash’s wife would not hurt any succubus’s pride. In other words, Bash could get it. “…But that’s not what you’re after… Is it?” Venus asked to confirm. She was a very proud succubus, after all. If she’d been a younger succubus, she’d be up in heaven right now, happily chasing men in the afterlife. “Right. I would love to have a succubus wife, of course, but I need someone to birth my children.” “Ah yes, of course!!!” Bash was an Orc Hero. Venus, knowing the orcish sense of values, understood perfectly how a succubus would not be suitable as an orc’s wife. “Of course, if you weren’t a succubus, I would have proposed to you when we first met, but with things being as they are…” If Bash had the ability to see sound, he would have been able to see Venus’s heart pounding in her chest. But even Bash didn’t have that kind of ability. “Ahem, Lord Bash. I am a proud succubus soldier. I have endured harsh training, fought through fierce battles, and have a will of steel. However, you tempt me too much. In the succubus country, we’re taught that viewing a respectable man as food is an act that tarnishes one’s pride.” “Hmm? Ah, yes. I understand.” The confused look on Bash’s face as he nodded struck Venus as so cute, she wanted to yell, “It’s when you do stuff like that!” but of course, she could make no sound. “So, I’m on a quest to find myself a human or elf woman who might be able to bear children as my wife, but nothing seems to be working out.” “But, Lord Bash, you are an orc. Why not just fight a woman, defeat her, drag her to a secluded place, defile her, and then take her home as your own?” “The Orc King’s orders prohibit sexual intercourse without consent, so that’s not an option.” “Ah. Even the orcs face restrictions from the higher-ups…” Venus muttered, then looked at Bash again. Orcs were under constraints, just like succubi. The succubi starved from limited food, and orcs were prevented from multiplying by restrictions placed on reproduction. Despite this, Bash had decided to go along with human rules in his quest to find a wife. No doubt he’d experienced tremendous discrimination and oppression throughout his journey thus far. Much like Carrot, the succubus general who was currently away on a diplomatic mission. Traveling, with great determination. “Once I’m done helping out the kids, I’m going to go to the demon country. I received a letter of introduction to the demon race from the human prince Nazar. I’ve failed many times in the past, but this time, I want to get a wife for sure.” “I see!” Now Venus understood what was going on. He wanted advice on what women liked, to boost his chances for his next attempt. “In that case, I’ll help however I can. Only… I must confess, I don’t know much about women from other countries, either.” “Mmm…” “But no doubt the demons are indebted to you as well, Lord Bash. Why don’t you just go and tell them you want a demon wife to strengthen friendly relationships between your two races? The demons won’t be able to say no then.” “You think so?!” “They may have requests of their own, but I think the demons are having a hard time right now, too, and strong connections could help them. The demons are a proud people, so I can’t really comment, but connections must be something they want. Like us succubi. We can’t have free diplomacy because we’re being watched so closely by other races, so we’d appreciate stronger bonds with the orcs.” Bash’s chest swelled with anticipation. Still, Bash was a veteran warrior. And on his journey so far, he had suffered many defeats. Under the circumstances, he harbored no delusions. “I doubt it would go all that smoothly.” “…Maybe not. Just like us succubi, demons look down on the orc race. Actually, they look down on them even more than we do.” As Venus spoke, she thought of the demon women she’d encountered. They looked down on everyone. It was especially bad when Geddigs was still alive. They even looked down on the succubi and the ogres, too. It wasn’t a nice memory to think back on. But now the demon race was suffering a decline. Not as bad as the succubi had it, maybe… But no doubt the demons were suffering right now. That gave Venus a sense of satisfaction. As she was mulling over this, Zell, who had been listening quietly for a while, suddenly piped up. “That’s right! Demon women and succubi have a lot of pride, and even besides that, they’re a lot alike! How about we have Venus imitate a demon woman, and you two do some role-play as practice?” Venus tilted her head. “What do you mean ‘imitate a demon woman’?” “You know, you say something like, ‘Get that arrogant orc out of my sight!’ or something like that.” Venus could feel the blood draining from her face. “I can’t. I cannot. Please, spare me. Lord Bash, you are truly my hero. I don’t want to look at you as food. I’d rather it be the other way around, with you thinking of me as food. But please don’t make me do this! Also, if another succubus happened to see, my goose would be cooked! The moment Lord Bash leaves this country, I’ll be taken to a back alley, tied in a sack, and beaten to death.” “Really?” “If it were me, that’s the punishment I’d come up with. Treating Lord Bash the same as any other orc… Looking down on him… It is something no succubus should ever do! I mean, if the Queen found out, she’d hand out a sentence of capital punishment!” Venus bit her lip hard. But a certain thought occurred to her. She knew she could do it. Imitate a demon woman, that is. Imitate one of those arrogant yet capable warriors. Wavering between pride and gratitude, she screwed up her face and spoke. “But if you understand all that, Lord Bash, and would still like me to serve as a practice partner for you, then I… Then I…!” She sprayed bloody spittle between her lips. “No, I would not insist.” “Oh, all right.” Venus breathed a sigh of relief. “…So then, how have you been going about it so far?” “I have followed the human and elf custom of wooing in advance of an official verbal proposal.” Venus opened her eyes and shifted her gaze from Bash’s crotch to his face. She’d never dreamed that the strongest warrior of the orcish race, a race that indiscriminately impregnates any woman they see, would pursue such long-winded methods. But at the same time, she was very impressed. Lord Bash put a lot of consideration into his actions. And this provided even more context behind why Lord Bash had come here as an inspector to appraise the succubi’s handling of the human’s food provisions. “How wonderful… But yes… As I said earlier, I’m a succubus, so I don’t know much about women from other races… I’m sorry I can’t be of more assistance…” “But succubi are women, are they not?” “No, Lord Bash. You cannot lump us in with women. True, we succubi are no doubt female in appearance, and we are attracted to men, but unlike other races, we do not seek children. We seek only to feed.” “But you have your own children, too, don’t you?” “That’s a little different, though…” Venus nodded and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I don’t think our values would help you there. When we succubi create children, we place emphasis on strength. Stronger mothers give birth to stronger children.” “Mmm…” If women were wooed by mere strength alone, Bash ought to have a whole harem of wives including human, elf, dwarf, and beastkin by now. In that case, he would have already handled his virginity and would by now have no doubt found himself a succubus as wife number five, and would be lounging with a blissful expression on his face. By this point in time, Venus, for her part, would have already had her fill and would be lying back full and satisfied, casually picking her teeth with a toothpick, as it were. “However, your attitude impresses me, Lord Bash. And, well… It’s true that in this day and age, we succubi also have to make an effort to be liked by men. We can’t just rely on our charms…” “But aren’t your everyday words and gestures designed to make men like you?” “Are they? Everyone’s just born like that, so I don’t really know… But I do hear that before the war started, our charms weren’t as strong as they are now, and we had to use our words and gestures to turn a man on…” “Your words and gestures…?” Come to think of it, Bash had never once thought about such things since he’d left the orc country. Of course, Bash tried to use polite speech when he could, but the significance of gestures was beyond him. “Venus. How ought a man act in order to entice you?” “Well, you should be naked, with a hand on hips… Ah, no, ignore me. Just forget it.” “Okay. Let’s forget it.” “I mean… I don’t really know, but if you think succubus behavior leads to a positive reception from men, then there may be a hint there. We act like that toward all races… So, Bash, if there was a woman around who acted like us, what would you think?” “Hmm. I’d find her sexy. I’d assume she’d be able to produce a child right away, without much resistance.” “Even from an orc’s perspective… My guess is that signs of vitality probably stimulate the reproductive instinct.” “And then women get stimulated, too?” “No doubt it’s the same.” The demon country was up next. Even with a letter of introduction, Bash knew it would not be easy. But he felt like he was finally starting to see a ray of hope. “But what kind of gestures and words should I use to make women feel good? Especially demons.” “…Well now, I don’t really know myself… We succubi tend to like it when a man fights back a bit or seems confident…” “It’s similar to what orcs look for in a woman.” “Succubi and orcs are both races that traditionally enjoyed subjugating other races, so I think our tastes and preferences are similar.” “The same goes for demons. But in that case, isn’t it better to be obedient and lack confidence?” “No, demons don’t view submissives as equals. You have to act in a way that makes you seem like their equal.” “What is equality for a demon?” “Well…” But in the end, the answer to Bash’s initial question did not seem forthcoming. It seemed that the ray of light he’d thought he saw was completely in his imagination. “…I’m sorry, I really don’t think I can help you.” “Ah, it’s no problem.” Bash knew from the beginning that there were differences between each race. And until now, Bash had always tried to respond flexibly to the given situation. “In the end, I have no choice but to continue on as usual.” Bash nodded, girding himself once more for the demon princesses he was on his way to meet. He did not feel disappointment. It was like this during the war, too. A sudden strategy or secret weapon designed to reverse the tide of a difficult battle… Those things were in short supply. In the end, you had no choice but to stick to your guns and just try to become stronger. Then one day, as Bash continued his stay in the succubi country, an incident occurred.
Chapter 32
13 min read