The next morning, August slowly opened his eyes to find himself surrounded by women.
Last night had been a whirlwind of activity—twenty women, none left untouched, the revelry stretching into the early hours of dawn. August was somewhat taken aback by his own audacity; to have spent an entire night with twenty women was truly historic.
Observing the women still asleep beside him, August decided not to disturb them and quietly left the small world.
It was already past ten o'clock. After a quick wash, August headed to the nearby tavern, which was still relatively empty due to the early hour.
"Hmph~"
Upon seeing August, Meidri gave an irritated snort, refusing to acknowledge him. She hadn't yet recovered from the events of last night, where not only had she been forcefully kissed, but the tavern owner had witnessed the entire incident. She was still bewildered by how she managed to get through the night.
"Meidri, where are Stunk and the others?" August asked.
"They're out on a mission. Not everyone is as wealthy as you are," Meidri replied tersely.
"I see."
August realized that Stunk must have tried to assemble a team, but due to his absence, they had likely left without him. He felt a pang of guilt for seemingly having stood them up.
Unbeknownst to August, Stunk and Zel had never actually sought him out. They had seen his strength and decided against inviting him, feeling that such a disparity in power made a team-up impractical.
After sitting for a while, as noon approached and the tavern began to fill up, Meidri became increasingly busy, leaving August unable to converse with her. Deciding it was time to leave, August exited the tavern.
Instead of hunting magical beasts, August chose to seek out Lucini. Upon returning to the dairy farm, he drew the admiration of all the dairy maidens, who were all too aware of Lucini's recent happenings.
"You've finally come to see me, darling," Lucini exclaimed, immediately throwing herself at August.
August once again experienced the sensation of 'waves crashing,' and it was as exhilarating as ever.
"Do you have time today? I need to discuss something with you," August asked.
"Hmm? What is it?" Lucini inquired.
"This isn't the right place. Come with me," August suggested.
"Oh~"
Lucini followed August as they left the succubus tavern, and no one attempted to stop them.
In the succubus tavern, the maids operated on a basis of cooperation rather than hierarchy. They worked there, earned their share, but were free to leave whenever they wished—this was a mutually agreed arrangement.
Finding a suitable spot, August ordered some snacks and drinks, and the two of them sat together like a couple.
Lucini was infatuated with August, wishing she could be by his side at all times. Even though their time together had been brief, she felt thoroughly captivated.
"Lucini, you must know quite a few of the female dairy folk, right?" August asked.
"Yes, most of the village is female—about eighty percent. Only less than twenty percent are male," Lucini answered.
"Find me a clean dairy maiden. I need someone truly pure, not from the succubus tavern."
Lucini's first reaction was one of alarm, fearing that August was about to discard her, despite their lack of a formal relationship.
August was immune to Lucini's concerns, noting her resemblance to a scheming woman.
"I'll be straightforward. I need beautiful women, as many as possible, not just from your kind but from other races as well. For each beautiful woman you find, whether from your race or another, I'm willing to pay you 10,000 gold coins."
The offer made Lucini's eyes widen in surprise. Ten thousand gold coins was no small amount. She had joined the succubus tavern primarily for the money, and earning that much would take her a long time. Beyond August, no one else sought her out, given her notorious reputation in the town.
"Can you tell me what you plan to do with them?"
"I'm building a harem of beauties from all races, exclusive to me alone," August explained.
"And that's why they must be pure."
Lucini stirred, recognizing the underlying male dominance and possessiveness August exhibited. Yet, her concern wasn't about this. If August were to establish a harem exclusively for himself, she would become expendable.
"You're not the only one. I can seek others as well," she said, realizing that she was not in control of the situation.
"So, what can you offer in return? Simply saying that you're a good person won't suffice," Lucini challenged.
"Money. I'm not stingy with my women. I have plenty of gold. For one month, it's 20,000 gold coins. If you agree to be mine forever, you can spend the money as you please."
Lucini was taken aback, deeply tempted. She regretted ever joining the succubus tavern. Had she met August under different circumstances, her future would be secured without worry.
But regrets couldn't change the past, and the benefits August offered were tantalizingly out of reach.
"Lucini, for any race you can find for me, I'll provide a reward. And if I'm particularly pleased, the amount can be increased."
"It seems I really can't refuse. But will you still come looking for me in the future?" Lucini asked.
"I won't add you to the harem, but that doesn't mean I'll abandon you. From now on, you belong only to me," August assured her.
"Understood."
Lucini nodded, now fully aware of August's intense possessiveness.
August wasted no time and pulled a large emerald from his pocket.
Upon seeing the emerald, Lucini's eyes widened. Such a large gem could fetch hundreds of thousands of gold coins if sold.
"What does this mean?" she asked.
"This is a down payment for your future with me. Like I said, I have more than enough money," August replied.
"It seems I've encountered a wealthy man. My luck is truly extraordinary," Lucini said, holding the emerald in her hands, her eyes practically turning into currency symbols.
It wasn't that Lucini lacked willpower; it was simply that the offer was too generous to ignore.
August was pleased. For him, problems that could be solved with money were no issue. He had the means to make such promises.
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