47 – Mating Season #2
Soo’s gaze changed. I could sense a simple desire, a possessiveness that could be expressed in words.
I reached out and held Soo’s hand, but now she was gripping mine as if she wanted to crush it. The pain slowly crept up.
I looked up at Soo, tears welling in my eyes.
“It hurts.”
“…I’m sorry!”
Soo let go of my hand in surprise. As if to say it wasn’t intentional, she hugged her own arms.
“…Is it completely uncontrollable during the mating season?”
“I don’t know either.”
In response to my question, Soo lowered her head.
It didn’t seem like she was hiding anything. It was simply that she didn’t know how to answer.
“This kind of heat is new to me…. I’m realizing now that this is the symptom my mother told me about during the mating season. I wonder what will happen next….”
“For now, let’s go back to the inn. The sisters of ‘Dokdangeom’ will understand.”
I assessed the situation. I didn’t think there was anyone better to handle this.
Soo’s condition was more serious than just being speechless and drunk. The person holding her was abnormal.
We immediately returned to the inn. There were women there casually drinking alcohol.
They were neighbors who faced each other every day.
She greeted them with a nod and headed upstairs. Even if she was in heat, she could still walk, so she climbed the stairs with her own legs.
This part was easier than dealing with the drunkards.
“Except for the fact that their gazes are too obvious and uncomfortable.”
Today, I learned for the first time that there is physical power in a gaze. Or maybe it’s just my imagination.
She locked the door to her inn room. Suu walked tiredly and sat on the bed.
I wonder if her heat has subsided a bit from walking the streets at night. I secretly hoped and looked at Suu.
“…What should I do?”
It wasn’t at all. Suu still looked at me with a dazed expression.
Her breathing became rough as if it was getting harder to endure.
I subtly drooped my head. I sent her a pleading look, wondering if there was a way, a known method.
Houfuki shook her head hesitantly.
“Lord Rei, the heat of a werewolf cannot be controlled. They have to satisfy themselves after receiving seed.”
“…Are you saying there’s no other way?”
“There are other ways. But they are dangerous.”
“Other ways?”
Houfuki drew a kunai from her bosom. She aimed the blade, which looked like a short dagger of unknown origin, at Suu.
“It’s about subduing the aroused werewolf. By force.”
“…Is it possible?”
“I will do my best. I have no intention of watching Lord Rei commit a crime.”
Houbuki spoke firmly and rushed at Suu.
In an instant, the outcome was decided. Houbuki was subdued in the blink of an eye.
There was no sound of a thud.
“Huu….”
Suu exhaled as he pinned down Houbuki. Houbuki groaned while lying on the floor.
“…A human who is not bound by the darkness of the Labyrinth… is indeed extraordinary.”
In the Labyrinth, one must control their strength due to the “Heat” skill. However, outside the Labyrinth, one can flaunt their power freely.
It seemed like overpowering a ninja who was somewhat weak was nothing.
“So that’s how it is….”
As an adventurer, the “Heat” skill threatens the entire party, and as a person, he tries to attack the boy because of the “Heat”.
If we were to express humans and beasts who have only the worst conditions for maintaining a group, we could say that.
“It’s not for no reason that there is so much beast hatred in the Labyrinth City, Labyrinthus. The stares of the world were not created in vain.”
“…Is there no choice but to do it in the end?”
Doing it itself is not bad. Suu is a good woman in many ways.
If she embraces me, I am prepared to welcome her at any time.
But that is the worst choice. Why?
What is the “Heat”? It is a state of abnormality where the reproduction mechanism imprinted in the genes is blindly followed.
Right now, Suu is resisting, but before long, she will be overwhelmed by her instincts and lose control.
The fact that the production factory has started means that the outline of the sales route has been roughly established. At that time, the factory churns out goods to meet the demand.
“Heat is ovulation. A dangerous time.”
Allowing the body is easy in itself. But what comes after is the problem. My “Soul Protection” is EX rank.
The moment I hit it hard, it’s truly f*cked.
I have to somehow calm Su’s ovulation. So that Su can hold onto reason and suppress instinct.
“Su, how are you feeling right now?”
“…I feel like I’m going crazy.”
Su didn’t look at me. They clenched their teeth to regain composure.
Am I going to become a father? The moment the children of Baekho Kemomimi flash before my eyes.
Someone knocked on the door.
It was the innkeeper.
– Su’s gaze earlier was strange.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to worry.”
– No, it’s not that. There’s something Anna entrusted to me when she went down to your labyrinth.
“…?”
Alchemist Anna. Who used Su’s blood to create a good potion and saved Sakura, making a great contribution.
“In fact, Fubuki should go with Anna….”
She opened the door first.
The innkeeper had a potion in her hand. It wasn’t the typical red color of a potion, but white.
It was a potion with a thick texture.
“The people in the hall were talking about Su’s heat. So suddenly, I remembered.”
It was a week ago when Anna came to deliver the potion. I completely forgot about it until just now.
“Anna said she’s not sure if it will have any effect or not. But she seemed sincere, though.”
The innkeeper said that and left the room. She didn’t say anything even when she saw the potion lying under the bed.
“Soo!”
Let’s start by giving her this. Maybe it’ll make her feel a little better.
* * *
“Hmm, hmm… I’m going to become rich….”
In her dream, Anna the alchemist was running a business. She was selling potions to the adventurers lined up in front of her.
─ One bottle for 100 million gold! It’s the Elixir of Immortality, so it’s worth that much!
From Noble mtl dot com
Anna had grown tremendously and even created the Elixir of Immortality. She had reached the pinnacle of being an alchemist.
And Anna became famous.
Even the Imperial Palace came to buy her potions. Anna made even more money and became incredibly wealthy in the Empire.
Thump, thump, thump!
Why can’t pleasant dreams last longer? Why does someone always come and interrupt at the perfect timing?
Anna woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Ugh…”
A cramped room. A small house that served as a workshop, bedroom, and store.
Anna, who had been crouching there, got up.
Thump, thump, thump.
The door was knocked again. Finally, she snapped back to reality.
Who on earth could it be at this hour?
I glared at the door with a sense of caution. I heard a voice from outside.
– Anna, it’s me!
Anna stumbled and approached the door, opening it. Ray was standing there.
“Why are you here at this hour…?”
“The potion you made. Do you have any left?”
“Potion?”
Is he interested in healing potions? Finally?
“Yeah, why not take advantage of the opportunity to make money. I’m glad you finally decided to do it. Come inside.”
Ray hurriedly entered the workshop. If anyone saw him, they would think he was being chased.
“I have a plan. I want to dilute Suh’s blood to create different grades.”
To make the prices different. And raise them significantly. If the effects are proven, they’ll sell like hotcakes.
Anna giggled and chattered away.
The problem was that Ray wasn’t listening.
“Anna, not that. Do you have any more of the potion to suppress the werewolf’s heat? The owner lady said you gave her some a week ago.”
Upon hearing Ray’s words, Anna grabbed him by the collar.
“You came here because of that, not the healing potion?”
“Yes. Suh went into heat.”
“……?”
How did you escape from a horny werewolf? My curiosity reached its peak.
From Anna’s perspective, Ray should have already passed his rutting season and calmed down. So the potion should have been useless.
“To begin with, the potion has minimal effects. Almost nonexistent.”
Does it only weaken the desire by about 5%? The problem is that reducing it from 100% to 95% is meaningless.
The production process and usage are also highly inefficient. With the cost of making just one of those, you could make four bottles of recovery potions.
You could become rich with that.
Nevertheless, Anna made the potion to impress Ray. To think positively about the potion partnership.
“Please make one more.”
“…Not right now…”
“The potion that Anna noona mentioned. Let’s make it together.”
“……”
A suppressant for the rutting season. It was effective in a different way.
Beyond considering the potion partnership positively, she’s asking for a signature?
Anna smiled brightly.
“I’ll make it quickly. Just wait a moment.”