Chapter 40: Bountiful encounters
We found our first divine crystal on the fifth day around floor twenty-five.
“What’s this? I’ve never seen a golden colored crystal before.”~Amy
“That’s probably a divine crystal, there’re new.”~Sofy
“What’s a divine crystal and how do you already know about it if it’s new?”~Brit
“Lily told me about them. You’re aware she’s a priestess, right? She received a message about them when we first entered the dungeon. They have various purposes, but have to be charged with divine energy first. Give it to Lily and let her check what this one does.”~Sofy
I’m handed the crystal and probe it with my divine energy revealing it to be a lie detection blessing. I go ahead and put a few points of divine energy into it to charge it and hand it back.
“It’s lie detection blessing, Mistress. I’ve charged it. Have her use it so they can see how they work.”~me
“Amy, try putting a little bit of qi or mana in it.”~Sofy
“Woah! I just gained a lie detection blessing. That didn’t happen the last time I tried putting energy in it. Ah, it fell apart!”~Amy
“They’re one time use after charging, but you can probably imagine how useful they’d be if you stocked up on lots of healing or buff types.”~Sofy
“These will likely be classified as the army’s strategic resources by the council.”~Jill
“I don’t see how, the Magic Forest region has very few priests and priestesses available to charge them.”~Tiff
“Geh! Actually, Kat told me to ordain a few more priestesses for her if I could in order to help correct this possible imbalance of power.”~me
“You really didn’t want to tell me that did you. Let me guess, Goddess force your tongue? Worried about Tiff finding a kindred spirit or the other way around?”~Sofy
“BOTH! Mu, please stop laughing.”~me
“Hahaha, not stopping. Anyways, I don’t think you have to worry so much about Tiff and Kat getting to know each other. I had a chat with her and nothing terrible happened then.”~Sofy
“You started experimenting!!!”~me
“She did tell me that nothing in the curse would cause you any lasting harm. Something really nice came out of that though.”~Sofy
“Ugh, that might make me happier if I didn’t know you weren’t just talking about the discovery of synced mode.”~me
“Well, that’s also nice. I’ll ask the others about being ordained after we’ve settled in for the night. We’ll wait till after leaving the dungeon to ordain them since it takes a lot of divine energy and they wouldn’t be useful as new priestesses with the starting amount.”~Sofy
We make it to the twenty-eighth floor before stopping for the night. Everyone ended up agreeing to become priestesses. Tiff was interested in experimenting with the new crystals and Jill liked the thought of having a power her family didn’t. The other two saw it as a means to make money. We made sure to tell them that increasing their own spirit power would increase how much divine energy they could recover naturally on their own. I also gave each of them some spirit crystals, enough to get each of them up to stage two.
We spent another five days getting to floor thirty-nine before turning back. We made it out on Fireday of the week before the next academic season started, giving us a little more than a day to sell our spoils and buy things before needing to return. Tiff and Brit wound up being the first to get ordained. It takes about a third of my energy for each person, so I’d only finish with our group tomorrow since I didn’t want to be completely without. Jill found her brother and asked him to arrange some people from her family to buy up the crystals at a cheap price before anyone realized what they could do. We spent the time before leaving relaxing while shopping for local goods and unique luxuries. And once again, Sofy managed to find the local novelty shop on our last day.
This shop has loads of great items. Everything is exceptionally well made and beautiful. That last part was mostly for the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper is a fairykin, most likely a high ranking one if the powerful illusion is any indication. If all fairykin have such a powerful glamour, it’s no wonder that nobody hardly ever sees them. Sofy only sees a slightly above average elf woman while the combination of my perception senses show me that her view of the woman is very wrong. She actually has an alluring figure with a mature aura that seems to scream an invitation for a night of hot sex. While the other girls are looking around, the shopkeeper noticed my strange expression and approached me.
“Well, aren’t you adorable. Have you become captivated by my beauty, little one?”~shopkeeper
I nod my head to affirm her comment. That’s when she starts to notice some of my own oddities.
“Huh, are you blind little girl? Then you’re using some sort of skill to see. Ah, wait! Can you see me, I mean really see me?!”~shopkeeper
I pull out a booklet of blank paper I carry with me and write a note for her to read. She smiles at the first part, but frowns as she finishes and even emits a small amount of killing intent.
“You’re really beautiful, I especially like your wings!”~me(note)
“Huh, are you mute too. How terrible!” *Sigh* “There’s no way I could bring myself to hurt a little girl like you. You won’t tell anyone, will you? My kind like to keep to themselves, so you shouldn’t go around revealing that you can see through glamour. Name’s Susan and you?”~Susan
“Lilia, I won’t tell anyone other than my Mistress. She’s not likely to tell anyone though. Nice to meet you, Susan.”~me(note)
“Forced into a servant contract too! Hey, I’m actually pretty strong, want me to help free you. You could stay with me afterwards.”~Susan
“No thanks! I’m serving my Mistress by my own choice.”~me(note)
“Since it’s a mistress you serve willingly, then it should be fine.”~Susan
“Would you by chance be interested in a threesome?”~me(note)
“Oh my, aren’t you a cheeky little beauty. What makes you think I might accept your offer?”~Susan
“Your aura is oozing sexual desire. So, what time do you close shop?”~me(note)
Just to emphasize that I can see through her pretense, I use the active version of my soul divining gaze which makes her shiver slightly.
“Brrr! Alright, you’ve proved your point. Please stop whatever you’re doing. If you come back at eleven, the shop will be closing then.”~Susan
“Great! Now, do you sell any unique items that can’t be found anywhere else? Perhaps something that only your kind know how to make?”~me(note)
“Hm, unique items huh? I have three that might fit.”~Susan
She proceeds to show me a few items she’d kept behind the counter. One is a batch of ten potions that can permanently enhance a person’s skin, elevating their looks and amplifying their sensitivity. BOUGHT! Next is…disappointingly just a strap-on with quake beads. It shocked her to learn that I had been the origin of this new innovation and she was furious when I told her what the price was in the capital. She apparently overpaid. The last item turned out a small vial containing the blood of a succubus, known to be the most powerful aphrodisiac. BOUGHT! Oh, I wouldn’t be wasting it by using it on the others. On the way back to the hotel, I can’t help having a great big smile on my face as I fantasize about the wonderful benefits I might obtain from the traits of a succubus…
“You’re awfully happy, Lily. Just what great spoils did you manage to obtain this time?”~Sofy
“Mistress, you’re smiling as well.”~me
“I found some new oils and incense. Come on, spill! What did you get?”~Sofy
“A skin care potion and a small vial of succubus blood”~me
“S-succubus blood?! You’re not planning to use that on me are you? I’m ordering you right now not to ever dose me with that stuff.”~Sofy
“Wow, didn’t expect such a big reaction from you. Something happened in the past that I don’t know about?”~me
“Just some rumors about my third brother. He wasn’t able to perform and was cross about it. He would use that blood on anyone who he caught talking about it behind his back and lock them up. They would end up going insane from being unable to relieve their bodies. It wasn’t a pretty sight. How effective is the potion?”~Sofy
“How cruel! You needn’t have ordered me. I had never intended to use it on you anyways. It’s blood after all. The potion is said to permanently increase the quality of a person’s skin, including their sensitivity. I want to have it looked at by an apothecary first though.”~me
“Oh! You’re planning to drink it yourself. How daring! I’ll make sure to properly satisfy you when you do, unlike my abominable brother. That potion sounds wonderful! I hope it’s not a scam. What were you discussing with the shopkeeper?”~Sofy
“Huhu, she’s a fairykin! A very beautiful one too. I saw through her illusion when we entered the shop. She asked that we not tell others about her.”~me
“I totally didn’t notice. Fairykin are quite well known for being elusive. If they all use such illusions to hide themselves, it explains why they’re so rarely seen.”~Sofy
“Want to know something else she’s hiding? A normal appraisal skill might not have seen it, but she’s actually only a half fairykin. The other half of her bloodline is a succubus!”~me
“A demonkin! Perhaps we shouldn’t keep quiet then?”~Sofy
“No, she’s predominantly a fairykin in appearance and she has probably already lived here for a long time. She seems nice and I don’t want her to get hurt if other people start persecuting her. Plus, I got us a date with her tonight at eleven.”~me
“…WHAT THE HECK!!! Don’t just make arrangements like that without letting me know first!”~Sofy
“Should I just go by myself then? Tonight will definitely be loads of fun!”~me
“Gunununu. FINE! We’ll go together. I can’t help it, can I? You’ve already obligated me for the night, after all.”~Sofy
“Just admit it, we’re both curious about her sexual prowess from having a succubus’s bloodline. Plus, I’ve not been punished at all since our conversation started which proves exactly how not mad you really are, hmph. OWOWOW!!!”~me
“I’ll admit that I am interested in what promises to be an enthralling night, but your cockiness is definitely pissing me off now!”~Sofy
“OWOWOW!!! SORRY! I’ll behave, please stop! OWIE! Boohoohoo, Mistress is bullying me!”~me
“Little brat, come back here!”~Sofy
A playful game of cat and mouse quickly ensued as I got chased around our hotel suite. We’d long arrived back there during our conversation. It seems as though we’ll end up having a session of foreplay before our date later tonight.
