Otherworld TRPG Game Master

171 – A Lump of Sugar

Bubble, bubble, bubble.

In a medieval fantasy induction, a kettle boils with feverish magic. Trrrring. The sound of liquid being poured, clink, clank. A teaspoon strikes a porcelain teacup.

Scent molecules waft gently in all directions, conveying information to my brain. Soon, I’ll be sipping sweet honey water.

I can almost feel the warm, sweet liquid sliding down my throat, warming my stomach. It’s about to happen. Anticipation soon turns into excitement.

With a fluttering heart, I hide under the covers, waiting for the moment.

And I brace myself. Today, I feel like playing a bit childishly. Whether it’s the remnants of alcohol or a sudden change of heart, I can’t tell.

Nor does it matter.

Tap, tap.

Light footsteps approach.

Thud. Someone sits on the bed, and I feel the mattress compress slightly under their weight. Indirectly, I sense her presence.

Clink. The sound of her placing the teacup on the shelf next to us. The target is unarmed, the danger just eliminated; it’s safe to play a prank.

She taps on the blanket as if knocking, then asks tenderly,

“What did you drink so much of?”

From noble mtl dot come

“I’m not a mad sorcerer.”

At my philosophical denial of existence, she chuckles softly. A hint of laughter catches in her voice. Holding back giggles as if resisting a tickle, she asks,

“Then who are you?”

“The blanket monster. Rawr──.”

I throw off the blanket, stretching my arms wide as I stand. Like a flying squirrel. And I pounce on Yuna, who’s staring with wide eyes in surprise. The blanket monster has captured the tower master.

“Eek.”

Yuna lets out a deflated sound, relaxing her body. I pull her into the blanket with me, and a soft warmth seems to fill me completely.

Sometimes, Yuna feels like a certain kind of flower. A bud clenched tight, but at the slightest touch, it blooms beautifully.

Just a breath is enough.

I press my lips to the top of her head and smile. The tremble of my lips tells her it’s a smile, and Yuna giggles along.

Wriggling in my arms, she rubs her crown against my chin, then lifts her head to look up at me quietly, as if asking what’s wrong.

I say with my eyes, nothing’s wrong.

She seems skeptical. Both of us have a habit of clinging to each other when we’re feeling down or troubled. Usually, we stick together all day.

So she’s convinced something’s bothering me.

Last time, Yuna did the same. After I was attacked by Roderus, I clung to her, whining as I regained consciousness. My chest must have gotten wet several times.

Even when going to wash, she didn’t want to part, so we ended up washing each other’s hair. After lathering up with shampoo, we styled our hair into dragon shapes.

That day, Yuri Lannister also acted strangely. Three times stronger than usual, or should I say, nearly bulldozed through like a truck.

But fortunately, we’re both cowards. No speeding for us. We just played jump rope with my patience.

As the days went by, my magical control over my desires grew stronger and stronger.

Honestly, I felt good. It was as if I had finally overcome my worries and was feeling relieved, albeit slightly embarrassing. I had a dream.

Last night was a memorable night. I had consumed a lot of alcohol and my memories were hazy. However, I managed to recall some of them, but only the faintest residue remained.

I seem to have made a significant decision in the past. A decision that was worth a great deal to me. And I had given up many things for it. It was undoubtedly a bold decision.

Now, when I think about it, I’m just filled with uncertainty. Was I really a person who could make such a decision?

I don’t want to lose this happy life. I want to be with the two people in front of me. I don’t want to be the story of someone sacrificing themselves, but rather a story where everyone lives happily.

I don’t mind being called selfish.

Yuna patted my chest gently.

“Is the honey sweet…?”

“It’s fine. I’ll warm it up with my magic.”

“Ah, you’re just joking again.”

“Okay.”

I slowly lowered my hand to Yuna’s waist.

As I went down, the part of her body that was slightly curved caught my attention. Her body began to tense up, and she took a deep breath, her face flushing.

When my finger reached the top of her hipbone, I couldn’t help but laugh. I stopped just a little further down.

It was a precarious position, close to falling into the abyss.

Just then, Yuna stopped breathing. I cautioned her carefully.

“Breathe.”

“……”

Tap. Yuna lightly hit me with her hand, which was held loosely. It seemed to mean that she was annoyed at not being able to do it earlier. I hesitated for a moment, but then stopped.

In the long run, my goal was to touch her tailbone, but if I did it now, Yuna might get caught in a trap. I thought.

If I were Phoenix, I would have changed genres into a thrilling chicken game in an instant. But Yuna didn’t have the strength to counterattack, so it was exciting.

It’s usually fun to attack unilaterally.

I put my hand back to a neutral position, and Yuna, who had regained control over her physical body, gave me a stern look and threw a punch.

“This is…!”

“Ugh.”

It wasn’t painful, but the reaction was big. We played together for a long time, holding hands, forehead to forehead, and trying out various ways to share each other’s body heat.

Yuna seemed embarrassed at first, but later became more active.

We tested each other’s reactions, trying out different methods to share our body heat, and played together.

He tries pulling my hand to his cheek.

Eventually, the honeyed water had cooled.

—

The buzz from the alcohol was gone.

“……”

“……”

“……”

And a silent trio filled my office. It was so awkward and murky, I didn’t know what to do. What on earth happened?

When I look at the Tower Master.

“……Oh, there’s dust. On the table. I should clean it up, yes. Clean it up.”

He enters this unnatural cleaning mode.

And, when I look at Phingballez.

“……Tower Master, it seems this part hasn’t been cleaned properly.”

He starts giving cleaning advice, something he never did before.

The common thing is they’re both trying hard to avoid my gaze. I could understand the Tower Master; he vaguely remembers playing around with me. But why Phingballez…?

Did I do something rude during the blackout? Did my libido suppression break and I blurted out harassment? No, that can’t be it.

He’s not one to avoid eye contact over something like that. He would have teased me all day using it as an excuse.

“Hey, Phingballez. Did I last night…?”

“I have urgent business to attend to outside.”

Phingballez quickly executed an evasive maneuver and disappeared from the office. I blinked and muttered to myself.

“The crystal ball didn’t even sparkle…”

“Ah, ah! I’ll go contact Lorei regularly, don’t look for me!”

“……”

Even the Tower Master vanished with a whoosh. I sat there dumbfounded, like a child who had their Christmas present stolen, then got up from my seat.

It seems both of them needed some alone time. Well, then I should enjoy some time to myself too.

I casually threw on a robe and left the office.

The sun was shining brightly. It was a good day. I decided to wander aimlessly around the academy grounds to stock up on materials. Sometimes, it’s necessary to enjoy moments of leisure like this.

I looked up at the academy’s giant King Dragon, scanned the central forbidden area from afar, and eventually drifted into the commercial district.

It’s usually bustling and lively since it’s a place for buying and selling, but today was a bit different. There was a murmuring noise coming from somewhere.

“Who is that…? I don’t remember seeing them at the academy.”

“Isn’t that a giant monster disguised as a human? How can a person…”

When I listened closely, it seemed there was someone… someone extraordinary. I strolled leisurely towards the source of the murmurs. And at the end of it.

I could see a woman in a suit, elegantly eating a mountain of Mont Blancs.

I don’t know her name… but her face is familiar. She was always busy with paperwork next to Irid, bustling around. I’m sure she’s an agent from the Defense Bureau.

It’s oddly unsettling. If she had business with me, she would’ve contacted me through Pingballez, and if it wasn’t for work, if she was here on vacation, she wouldn’t be wearing such a conspicuous suit.

Could it be related to Pingballez?

“……?”

As she held the Mont Blanc and moved her mouth, one pastry disappeared after another. It wasn’t gluttonous, but clearly restrained movements. Yet so fast.

Is she human or a hippo?

When I looked at her with curious eyes, she seemed to notice my gaze. Then, she greeted me politely.

“Identification name, Mad Wizard, we meet for the second time. I am C, the attendant secretary to the Second Prince.”

Expecting a lengthy conversation, I decided to give her a nickname for smoother communication.

“Ah, nice to meet you, ‘Kirby’.”

“Eh? Oh, you mentioned you had a disability. So that’s my identification name? What does it mean?”

“That’s a secret.”

“A secret, huh… Please, have a seat. The Mont Blancs at this dessert shop are exceptional.”

A figure from the Defense Bureau, close to the Second Prince. Could something have happened near the Academy? Accepting her invitation to join, I sat opposite Kirby.

…The mountain of Mont Blancs blocked her face. I had to lean to the left to carry on the conversation.

“What brings you to the Academy?”

“There’s a matter to attend to… It’s confidential, but upon reflection, it seems to be related to you, Mad Wizard. Would you like to hear about it? You might need to join in.”

“No.”

I refused flatly.

“It also involves Agent Yuri Lanster.”

“…Tell me more. Don’t leave anything out.”

—

[Imperial Defense Bureau Dangerous Individuals Report]

Name: Unknown

Identification Name: “The Virgin Who Indulges in Pleasure”

Rank: First Class

Active Period: Lion Calendar ??? Year ~ 453 Year (Active)

※ The information in this report relies entirely on the eyewitness testimony of “Witness C21,” and thus requires critical review and cross-verification.

She is the leader of the succubi, possessing powerful enchantment abilities, residing in a subspace (hereafter referred to as “The Nest”) that the Defense Agency has failed to detect, with most of her information remaining concealed.

She has white hair and appears innocent and divine. It seems she possesses the power to seduce minds with just a glance.

Most succubi are under her control. However, this is not due to voluntary loyalty but rather due to brainwashing by potent pheromones, like ants before a lump of sugar.

Therefore, there are succubus factions in conflict with her, but the power difference between the two forces is clear.

Hereinafter, she will be referred to as “The Queen.”

The Queen and her succubi are overtly hostile to the empire. They siphon the vitality and souls of people, using them to augment The Queen’s power.

It is said that The Queen’s influence even extends to the narcotics circulating in the shadows.

Under The Queen’s command are three succubi of the highest order, and while The Queen’s own combat abilities are unknown, it is pessimistically assumed they could be of the highest tier.

Countermeasures against enchantment are necessary.

Due to the nature of the succubi, tracking and extermination are extremely difficult. Therefore, caution is imperative when dealing with them.

+

“Witness C21” belongs to a group of succubi opposed to The Queen’s rule. Having lived among humans in a village with their family, they harbored resentment towards The Queen after the village was erased and subsequently defected to the Defense Agency.

“Witness C21” has developed an enchantment immunity due to these experiences and is passionately committed to their duties, making their testimony in this matter highly credible.

+

A minion of The Queen has been captured at the Academy. This suggests the possibility of an entrance to The Queen’s “Nest” within the Academy, necessitating a thorough investigation, for which the dispatch of field agents and the “Annihilation Squad” is requested…