3.4. Rediscovering Oneself

The enforcer course was a 3 year curriculum, nine semesters in total. After each semester, there was a one month break in which the students may return to their home to visit their family, or go out to enjoy life in the city streets of Rika Nation.

Of course, the timing of the holidays differed depending on the course, it just happened that the holiday had begun for those working hard to acquire their enforcer license.

The new trianees were now entering their first month-long holiday, a well deserved break after the grueling exams.

Much to everyone's surprise, no groups had failed this year. The only time the emergency crew had to mobilize was during the hero's incident whereby they had ventured into an unknown passageway not recorded in the map.

The hero's team had been given a passing mark for reasons unknown. In any case, all that mattered was that Sequencee would advance a semester without needing to repeat anything.

Examinations aside, an exploration team had been put together to investigate this new location in the dungeon– just to realize that the passageway had disappeared entirely.

While the explorers remained puzzled by contradiction, Shiro and Risa kept the fact that the path would only open up when reacting to a special key to themselves. They weren't simply going to allow the people to access Rika's library– was the decision they came to.

And speaking of the heroes, they were currently outside room A312.

"We'll apologize to him in earnest. No letting him get away with his excuses, it's our fault that he almost died," Evelyn waved her fist.

"I know.." Shiro sighed with a sullen face.

"I wonder how he's doing. He didn't even go to the hospital," Risa mulled.

"Hm? That's.. right, how did I not think of that," Evelyn knitted her brow.

The fact that Sequencee had been heavily injured left her mind completely. Even more mystifying was how he.. wasn't showing any injury when the rescue team finally reached the cavern.

The aftermath of the incident left her absolutely desolate. It was fortunate that Judy had given her some good advice, otherwise Evelyn wasn't sure if she'd even be standing here today. Worse case scenario, she might've even quit the hero's party altogether.

Evelyn cursed herself for her oversight, she should've managed her emotions better.

"We can't let him leave the party," she convinced herself.

In the case of them abandoning someone just to save their own lives, it was undeniably a preposterous act. In the heat of the moment, the brink of life and death, incidents like this were inevitable. Issues like these were often what led to the disbandment of a party, something Evelyn did not wish to see happen.

'I'm sorry..'

He had saved her twice. Yet, what had she done for him but bring trouble?

Evelyn stood right up the door with room plate A312. Loosening a sigh, she slapped her cheeks twice before knocking.

It was late afternoon, the second day since the announcement of the official holidays. Sequencee should be in his room recuperating. After all, it had only been 3 days since the incident in the dungeon.

Risa had even gone all the way to buy cake(?) to wish him a healthy recovery– though it would be a question of cultural misappropriation to give something like this for a patient.

It was a squawking silence, Evelyn flinched a little.

'This can't be right.. they should be in, right?'

Evelyn knocked again.

No response.

Feeling the pit of her stomach sink, Evelyn turned to Risa.

"Do we break in?" She asked.

"Linzy, do you sense anyone inside?" Shiro asked.

The beastkin shook her head, her pigtails slapping her face.

"Did something happen..?"

"I'll go in and see," Shiro placed his arms against the door.

[Scientific Magic: False Physics]

Since the return from Rika's study, he had been awarded with a large amount of points, enough to acquire two of the three bookmarked gifts in his system. However, he chose to activate only one while leaving the remainder of the points for emergency use; or if some better skill shows up in the next refreshing of the gifts catalog.

Pouring a good amount of mana to activate the system magic, the surface of the door began to glitch.

"This is only going to last a few seconds max. I'm going on," Shiro phased right through the door.

"W-W-Wait, is it even alright to enter someone's place like this," Evelyn wanted so much to pull his hair right now.

"Evelyn, don't take too long," Risa hoped right through. Linzy followed without hesitation.

An intense internal struggle ensued within two seconds. Before she could make up her mind, someone grabbed her arm from the opposite side and pulled her in.

"Shh.." Shiro placed his fingers on his lips.

"There's no one around though?" Risa looked around the living room. Though there were clear signs of the room being cleaned, each person's personal items remained, "Look, my pillow is still here, ufu–"

Risa placed the cake on the table and went to snuggle up to her long time no see pillow.

"Their rooms are all closed. Did they go out?" Shiro pondered with his knuckle to his chin.

"I smell Miss Iona," Linzy pointed at Schwii's room.

"Hm?"

Shiro and Evelyn approached the door, a big red 'NO ENTRY' sign hung on it. It was a double sided plate with the opposing side with the word 'PERMITTED' in black. The two looked at each other. An impossible telepathic message was conveyed.

'Should I make the door incorporeal?'

'Don't you dare..'

Shiro looked away from Evelyn's critical glare.

"Do you hear anything?" Risa asked from the couch.

Shiro and Evelyn sharpened their ears– it was pin silent for some reason.

"Linzy, are you sure Miss Iona is inside?" Shiro asked.

"Her smell is very strong," Linzy confirmed at once.

"Hm.. then we'll just have to knock?"

Evelyn found it a little suspicious how the maid had overlooked their attempt to sneak in. Moreover, they were talking quite loudly. Their voice should've reached her ear by now.. so what was going on?

While an uncomfortable sense of fear tugged at her mind, she gave the door two light knocks.

"Is anyone in?"

Evelyn knocked again, this time, louder.

"No?"

"That's really odd."

"Miss Iona is definitely inside. Miss Schwii also," Linzy folded her arms, ears perked up in denial.

"Then.."

"Could something have happened.." the confusion in Evelyn's grew even more intense.

"Evelyn, do you think I should.."

"Could you make the door just invisible for a short moment? We'll peek inside and see if something is going on."

"Altering the opacity of the door. Got it," Shiro placed his hands on the door once again.

[Scientific Magic: False Physics]

The door turned invisible. The licentious mood of the room struck them at once. For the next ten seconds, Shiro and Evelyn remained unmoving, eye affixed, cold sweat pouring. The door returned opaque.

"What did you see?" Risa, curious of their silence, asked.

"Shiro.. that was a big.. mistake.." Evelyn's face had already become bright as a tomato.

".. What the hell.. did I just witness.." Shiro's complexion turned to something similar.

"What?" Risa hopped off the sofa.

"W-We need to get out of here, S-S-Shiro.." Evelyn pushed his shoulders.

"Y-Yeah.."

Evelyn and Shiro tip-toed, wishing to quickly escape out of this love nest when the door opened behind them.

Like an unoiled machine, the two of them turned around.

There stood Iona naked in all its glory. Her luscious skin, wet and sticky from her fluids mixed in with Schwii's. Black wings grew from her lower back, fangs peeking from her thirsty red lips and a heart-shaped tail swaying behind her.

It was a R-21 scene that made Shiro wonder if what he was seeing was even real– short answer: yes it is.

"My. Uninvited pests? How dare your eyes lay bare on my master's body," Iona's eyes scintillated in a mucky red light.

– Making love with her own maid.

Yes. Iona and Schwii had been caught 'in the act', with Schwii currently hidden underneath her bed sheets shivering in unknown pleasure, the kind of pleasure one could only get from being exposing by others,

"It's yuri!" Risa caught on to the riff quite fast.

===

It came as no surprise to Risa, Shiro and Linzy that both Schwii and Iona were succubi. However, the same couldn't be said for Evelyn who, just realized that Sequencee had been living with two ticking time bombs all this time.

"For what reason do you disturb our time together?" Iona spoke in a chilly tone.

She had the consideration of wearing the minimal amount of clothing, hiding the important parts of her body while sitting brazenly with her legs crossed. Schwii too had quickly put on an oversized shirt.. likely Sequencee's. Where she got that was a mystery. She was covering herself in a blanket, Schwii's only showing her face.

"U-Uh.. w-we were here to find Sequencee," Evelyn fumbled with her words, the effects of the remnant sweet aphrodisiac wafting from the succubi's skin wearing down the logic circuits in her mind. It was a good idea to have everyone else leave the room.

"I see. Then you should leave. He will be away for the duration of the break," Iona replied indifferently.

"W-What?"

"I will give no remarks regarding his location. Scram."

"B-But.. wasn't he just.. he hasn't recovered yet so why.." Evelyn's voice trembled.

"No remarks."

"..."

"Get out before I kill you," Iona hissed.

"..."

Evelyn stood up and with her head hung low. She was just about to walk out of the room when Schwii's trembling voice rang out.

"Sequencee is.. fine, somewhere outside the academy. He just.. wants to become independent.. he's fine.. don't worry."

"I.. see. Thank you for the information," Evelyn said doubtfully. She walked out and shut the door behind her.

Out in the hall, she staggered by the side of the wall and breathed out heated breaths. Risa quickly supported her. Evelyn felt hot and stuffy, limbs were heavy and limp. The world seemed to swirl around her.

"No luck..?" Shiro asked with a gulp.

Evelyn shook her head.

"You look really hot," Risa said.

"I hate this.." she gritted her teeth, bearing through the itch affecting her entire body.

"Hm.. Ro and Lilian weren't in, were they now? Maybe they're out working?" Shiro said.

'Working? While those two are working, their home is being smeared wet by the two succubi i-inside.'

Evelyn shook her head wildly to rid of the naughty thoughts surfacing in her mind. To those beside her however, it looked like she was squirming.

"Big brother, I think.. I'll bring Evelyn home just in case. She looks like she's going to... Um, you try to find Ro and Lilian. Maybe they have a clue."

"Alright."

Risa supported Evelyn whose condition was worsening by the second. Shiro watched as their figure left off, then he turned to the door one last time.

"I almost lost myself there too.." Shiro sighed. Recalling Iona's naked figure, he felt like his mind had turned to mush.

If it were not for Linzy's quick intervention, he might've really died there.

"Miss Iona's smell is strong," Linzy said, shivering.

"You can say that again.. well, let's go.." only after Risa left with Evelyn did Shiro try the elevator.

===

"Linzy, stop it.."

"Un."

The small beastkin being pigged-backed by Shiro was licking his ears.

'Darn it.. she's a hit.'

The effects of the aphrodisiac was the slow burn kind, increasing in intensity over time, gradually wearing down the reasoning of the affected individual. It had just started to show signs in Linzy.

'Maybe it's because I'm an otherworlder.. or I have a blessing.. so I'm fine?'

Shiro hypothesized as Risa remained unaffected, or perhaps..

'Hold on.. or could it be that the aphrodisiac only affected girls? Even Linzy, who wasn't in contact with the smell for a long time..'

Shiro's expression cracked at the possibility.

He decided to abandon his trip to the cafeteria and head straight to the pagoda. The gazes he received from the students were a pain to bear. Incidentally, no matter how much Shiro tried to coax Linzy to stop biting him, she wouldn't listen.

He crossed the bridge. But before he stepped foot inside the foyer, the sounds of pleasured moans rang out. His legs froze on the spot.

"What's.. going on..."

Shiro didn't know. He kept examining himself internally but couldn't really determine if he too was hit by the effects. Whatever it was, he had to find a way to prevent 'that' from happening.

He resolved himself and stepped inside.

Rolling on the red carpeted ground was Risa and Evelyn, the princess on top. Risa below desperately trying to resist her advances. Risa noticed her brother and paled.

"G-Get o-off!" Risa pushed Evelyn away with her meager strength.

"Ugh.. ng," Evelyn tripped over and fell to the floor.

Risa wanted to run, but the effects of the aphrodisiac got the better of her as the trembling of her legs came to a point where she couldn't even stand straight. The crazy thought of perhaps she would enjoy doing 'that' with her own brother flashed through her mind. The fear and excitement of such a possibility shackled her in place as her breathing grew heated.

Seeing how Risa's gaze was beginning to tempt her own brother, Shiro's warning bells blared at him to stay away at all costs.

"Miss Teo! Miss Dora! Please come to the foyer, I need help here!" Shiro shouted, hoping that the maids managing the pagoda was around.

"B-Big brother.. help me.."

"S-Shiro? Why are you here.. aren't you.. ah.."

"Nmm.."

Linzy tickled the back of his back of his neck with her tongue. Evelyn rolling on the ground with disheveled clothes. Risa's gaze locked onto him in expectation.

'Shit..'

Shiro definitely wasn't affected by the aphrodisiac. But the scene and gestures were enough to provoke uncanny delusions.

"Linzy. I order you, get down on the ground and don't touch me."

"A-Ah… m-master w-why.. master.. master.."

'Cover your ears and don't listen.. where are the maids?'

Linzy reluctantly dropped to the ground with her knees bent into a W. Just then, Evelyn stood up and staggered in Shiro's direction.

'Ah.. this is darned bad..'

"Shiro.. I can't.. hold it, I want it.." Evelyn's eyes were painted in lust. She was a goner.

"N-No.. big brother is mine, stay away from him.." Risa complained in a lewd voice.

Shiro retreated as Evelyn advanced. From the corner of his eye he could also see Risa getting up in desperation. Linzy shut the sliding door behind him, closing all routes of escape except forward.

"Shiro.."

"Big brother.."

"Master.."

"Shit.."

'Someone save me..'

Just then, Aaron peeked from the interior.

"Did something happen.." his voice trailed off.

"Sir Aaron! They were hit by an aphrodisiac, help me!" Shiro shouted.