A Trade Offer

"Kazuma, you're back! Here's something you should be happy about; tonight's dinner is going to be splendid! It's crab! Darkness's folks sent someone over, saying that if Darkness was going to stay here from now on, they should send a gift, and that's the super extravagant Snow Crimson Crab! And a magnificent top-class wine too! They wanted to thank us for taking care of their daughter!"

Back at the mansion, Aqua welcomed me with a big smile. Crab seemed to be a high-class item in this world too. I never had a proper meal of crab back in Japan, and I never imagined I could eat it here…

"Hee, so Crabs are fancy meals huh?" I asked them while staring at an array of crabs on the table. They look beautiful, like something you'd find in a very, very expensive restaurant.

"What do you mean Kazuma? It's crab! CRAB!!" Megumin played around with its claws beside me. "Someone with an impoverished career of adventurer can only dream of eating something like this," she cracked a claw open with her bare hands before sucking up the crabby goodness inside it.

I followed her lead, snapped the crab legs, took out the meat with white and pink stripes, dipped a bit of vinegar and put it into my mouth.

"!"

– I was surprised by that unusually wonderful taste.

It was slightly sweet, and the strong taste of crab meat spread in my mouth. I looked at the others, and the three of them were eating crab without making a sound.

This is the best!

I peeled off the shell and was about to eat the crab paste off it…

"Kazuma Kazuma, use Tinder here. I'll show you the most delicious way of drinking this top-class wine."

Aqua, who had eaten the crab paste clean, put charcoal in a small pot, and placed wire mesh on top of it. Simply said, she made a roasting pot.

I followed what she said and lit the charcoal on fire. Aqua placed the shell that still had a bit of paste onto the wire mesh. She then poured the clear wine that looked like Japanese sake into the shell.

Aqua happily roasted the shell, picking it up when it was slightly charred and sipped the warm wine…

"Fuu…"

I can't help but notice that she looks like a high class beauty right now. Heck, this is a high class food! Just what kind of people are Darkness's relative anyway? Is she a daughter of a wealthy merchant or something?

I was about to ask her about her family when a knock came from the door.

"Eh? Do we have a guest?" Megumin asked suddenly.

I stood up from my position and nodded a little. "Yeah! I was meaning to tell you this, but the crab was a dangerous distraction," I took a deep breath and prayed silently to Paradox. "You see, I met a nice succubus earlier today and asked if I can learn some of her Dream Control skills."

Both Megumin and Darkness took that explanation without a second thought. They're both already used to my quest of power. The only one who has anything to say about it is…

"Hold on! First lich and now a succubus!? No, I will not let my follower learn such dirty and disgusting tricks of undead and demons!"

It's just Aqua, no big deal.

"Okay, I'm gonna let her in, Aqua open the barrier!" I told them before walking out of the living room and downstairs to the entrance.

When I get down there, I saw the succubus onee san in her business attire knocking on an invisible wall. "Ah Kazuma kun, good evening," she said with a smile. "My name is Chary, may I come in?"

"Welcome Chary san, wait for a moment, alright?" I turned around to the mansion. "Aqua! OPEN THE BARRIER!!!"

After a moment, the barrier opened and Chary managed to step inside. I led her into the mansion to the living room where everyone else is having a dinner.

Darkness and Megumin welcomed Chary politely while Aqua just glared at her silently from her seat. I motioned Chary to sit next to me and I took out my adventurer card. "What do you think Chary san? How many skill points do I need?" I asked while winking at her.

Chary took a look at my adventurer card and her cheeks reddens a little. "Oh my… That's an amazing vitality…" she muttered to herself. Then she looked at Megumin sitting on my right. "Are you sure she can…" her words turned inaudible.

"Uhh, Chary?"

"Dream Control is an advanced subject, it requires a hands on demonstration to properly learn it," Chary explained. "To learn this skill I have to show you how it feels like to have their dream manipulated and teach you from the inside."

I nodded a little. Chary's really good at lying it seems. "So I have to be sleeping during the process then?"

"Yes and I have to be in the room too…"

Megumin stopped eating and looked at me with a mouthful of crab. She quickly swallowed it before asking "So you're not sleeping with me tonight?"

I turned to Chary.

The succubus smiled at the little girl. "Don't worry, Megumin chan, you can still sleep next to him if you want, you can even watch the whole process if you're curious," she said.

"Oh, okay then, are you going to sleep too Chary san?"

"Ara, I don't want to intrude in your business," Chary replied. "So after the whole process I will leave you two alone," she explained. "You don't mind, do you?"

"I don't mind," Megumin then cast her a dark look. "Though if you do anything indecent, I will formally challenge you to a fight to the death."

Chary held up her hands. "Don't worry Megumin chan, I won't do anything indecent to him…"

Does giving indecent dream counts as doing something indecent? Anyway, I gotta make sure Megumin has no idea what's happening, lest she kills Chary tonight.