world of inverted chastity, however, men have no human rights

"Lord Deabolica, the doctor has requested a meeting. Prior to that, he has also sent an envelope."

　Deabolica's fingers, which were working on paperwork, stopped for a moment when he heard a report from his subordinate.

　But he immediately resumed writing and gave orders without looking up.

"Permission granted. Summarize."

"I... I demand an explanation about the commotion yesterday."

　The doctor's letter continues:

　I have been invited by the head of the family to stay in this rural area, and it is extremely regrettable that my duties have been invaded by such an uneducated commoner. What's more, this commoner is said to be under Lord Deabolica's command. Unless a sufficient explanation is given, I will assume that Lord Deabolica has rebellious intentions, and I will not hesitate to negotiate directly with the head of the family.

　Also, according to rumors, the outcast claimed to be an angel. I believe this is a very serious religious issue. I have a friend in the royal capital who is a religious person and a member of the National Holy Church, and I would be happy to discuss this with him.

　Based on the above, we request payment of compensation.

"You damn con man!"

　Deabolica lost her temper and slammed her quill down on the desk, ink flying from the nib and staining the document black, but she ignored it and slammed her fist down on it.

"What do you mean, your duties as a charlatan who has never even cured a single patient? If mother hadn't hired you, I would have kicked you out of this town a long time ago! And now you're even threatening me, you filthy piece of trash...!"

　Deabolica roared, the blue-black veins bulging from his temples.

　Deabolika had always hated the doctor in question. He was an incompetent loser who only excelled at currying favor with those in power and protecting himself, and who would force phony treatments on others. When she caught a cold as a child, the doctor gave her emetics and an enema, saying it would expel toxins from her body, and she has refused to be treated by him ever since. Malnutrition, combined with the cold, left Deabolika on the brink of death. Of course, most people calling themselves doctors in the Naropa region today are more or less of this caliber, so it wouldn't make a difference if they replaced him and called in a new doctor.

　That doctor, who loved money more than his patients' health, had probably made this threat, thinking that she, who ran the adventurer's guild, would be able to extract a lot of money from him.

　However, Deabolica has no money at the moment.

　When explaining the whole story to her mother, the feudal lord, she said, "Yuji, who was the cause of this incident, was simply on the verge of being made a political prisoner. The true nature of the angel's miracle that the people were making a fuss about is a cure for various ailments. He is a talented alchemist, and we must keep him alive. As proof of this, Yuuji has been administering cures he has concocted using alchemy to citizens, earning 50 gold coins as medical fees, and he has offered to donate the entire amount as compensation for this incident."

　That's a big lie.

Yuuji was no alchemist, and all he had earned was 1,500 silver coins, or 15 gold coins. The remaining 35 came from secret funds that Deabolica had been desperately saving up behind the back of the family head. It was a heartbreaking blow to Deabolica. But 15 gold coins was not nearly enough to move his mother, and Deabolica had to make up the difference.

　There is nothing that money cannot buy, even life.

　Since he had already bribed the lord, it would be fine for the doctor to make false allegations, but it would be bad if he was begged by religious figures in the capital. In nine out of ten cases, it would be a sure thing that the doctor was bluffing, but in the remaining one case, it would be really bad if the lord knew the doctor.

　This is because the Great Vrishab Empire experienced great internal turmoil several decades ago, triggered by religious conflict, with civil wars breaking out, the parliament expelling the king, the parliament members destroying each other and sparking more civil wars, and the situation getting out of hand, leading to the king who was supposed to have been expelled having to abdicate and be asked to return - a period of extremely chaotic turmoil.

　Currently, the country is experiencing a degree of stability under the rule of the King, but as a result, religion-related matters have become very sensitive in the country. There is no way that a disturbing element who calls himself an angel and incites the people, plotting a coup, would be overlooked.

　Yuuji hadn't called himself an angel, he had simply been enshrined, so the lord barely showed any mercy. The people had gotten too excited after being manipulated by a con man, and the con man was to be placed under observation by Deabolica.

　The fact that this city was a fortified town in the countryside meant that the feudal lord's family could easily control information worked to their advantage. If this had been a large city with a lot of people coming and going, it would have been impossible to fool the eyes of religious figures. And so, Yuushi's head was hanging on by a thread, or at least it was...

(...Wouldn't it be easier to just erase him after all...?)

　Deabolica rested his head on his desk, replaying the same questions that had been coming up over and over since yesterday.

　It is certainly a unique and valuable being in this world. Being able to cure any disease with just the wave of one's hand is truly a reincarnation of the ancients. He said that he didn't actually cure it, but only removed the symptoms, and that it would take some time for a full recovery, but his ability to cure diseases is incomparable to that trash doctor.PanaceaGod of Healing

　The problem is that he's a real human being. He's also a troublemaker, a weirdo with no empathy whatsoever. He's a naive idiot, but sometimes his mind is so quick that it's impossible to predict his actions. He's a kind-looking, slim-muscle Asian guy with a sex appeal that the guild members are competing to make him their husband, which is pointlessly ferocious. Well, that's 90% Deabolica's fault for inciting them.

Let me explain!

　The three most important sex appeals of Vrishavian women are their exotic black hair, slim and muscular build, and kindness! (According to the Great Vrishavian Empire Census)

　Just as Japanese men admire blonde beauties, Brishabian women, tired of seeing blonde and red hair, love jet black hair! Even in another world, the grass is always greener on the other side!

　And because they have a strong desire to reproduce, it's really appealing to see their kind expressions and cooking skills, as if they'd love and raise your child! Just like how a Japanese otaku man would say, "You're my wife," a Brishabian woman will say, "I'll make you a daddy♥"!

　Yuuji, who has all three elements, is like a saint with sparkling blonde hair, a selfish body, and a homely personality in our world - like a full-course Manchu Han banquet, a man's ideal!

　He has flaws, such as being naive and stupid, but in the eyes of a virgin-obsessed wanker monkey, this is interpreted favorably as an innocent boy who can be dyed in his own colors as much as he wants! It's the same as how men in our world welcome a beautiful girl who is cute, sexy, homely, and kind, even if she's a bit of an idiot! In fact, there's even a demand for naive girls, like, "I can train them to my colors, hehehe!" Beautiful girls are an advantage! ...Is it an advantage?! ≫

　Incidentally, Deabolica finds Yuuji very sexy, but she has no desire to sleep with him. She doesn't want to make a fool of herself and become a relative of such a troublemaker, and fame and power are far more valuable to Deabolica than sexual love.

　If only he had no personality and was just a machine that healed as ordered, I wouldn't have had to worry so much. Ah, I wonder if there's a way to make him do what I want. Is there some way to erase his personality using poison or magic or something?

　...The moment he thought this way, Deabolica was undoubtedly an evil person.The nameDevilish Woman

　If he can't bend to his will, then he has no choice but to either try his best to hold the reins, or to just get rid of him. He has just pleaded with the head of the family to spare his life, but burying him is the easiest solution.

　Furthermore, there was no way to turn Yuuji's abilities into money. The doctors were strict about their territory, and they couldn't stand the thought of him being used as the leader of another coup, so they couldn't use his abilities in this city anymore. They had thought of a way to make some money, but they didn't have the connections to put it into practice.

　Deabolica's position was merely that of the third daughter of a local city's lord. Within the territory, she could act like a princess, but to other nobles, she was just the third daughter with no title, and not even the heir. She was by no means a significant presence.Country aristocratGentry

　And for a young girl from a rural aristocracy, Yuushi's presence was too much for her to handle. Of course, she would never admit it even if someone pointed it out to her, but the fact that she was unconsciously thinking about eliminating Yuushi showed the limits of her capacity.

　In any case, Deabolica is under pressure from the doctor's threats and needs to find the money quickly. He will need to be prepared to take risks he would not normally take. And the person who will be the source of this money-making opportunity is Yuji. Although there is currently no way to convert his money into money, Yuji's ability is a huge vein of gold that could produce infinite wealth.

　He is faced with two choices: eliminate Yuushi and ensure his own safety, or swallow the deadly poison that is Yuushi and use him as a tool to achieve his ambitions.

(Erase it, or let it live...)

　As Deabolica was absentmindedly thinking about this, his eyes dropped to his desk, the door to his office suddenly slid open. Wes opened the door and peered inside.

"Diabolica, there is a customer. Please attend to him immediately."

"Customers? If you're a customer who shows up without an appointment, just turn them away. I'm busy cleaning up after yesterday's incident."

"Unfortunately, it appears that your client has urgent business."

"Ah, that's fine. Sorry, but I'll just go ahead and enter."

　Wes bowed in response to his visitor's words and opened the door to his office wide to let him through.

　The man who entered was an elderly man. He was wearing a finely tailored tailcoat, a top hat, and a cane. He was dressed in formal attire that would make a man proud anywhere, and his face, which must have been over 60 years old, had a strong sense of dignity.

"Old Man Goldon..."

"Please pardon my sudden visit, my lady. Please forgive this rudeness as a favor for dismissing the meeting yesterday."

　He was what Yuji called a "slum grandpa."

　However, his appearance was completely different from the worn-out loungewear he wore yesterday. Not only his clothes, but his gaze was piercing and full of vitality, and he seemed a completely different person from the energy-depleted old man who looked as weak as rotten wood yesterday.

　However, Deabolica knows that the figure before him is more like him.

　Old Man Goldon, a great man lurking in the slums.

　He is the king of the poor, controlling the slums of several cities, providing food, shelter and safety to those with nowhere to go, while also making a lot of profit from the trafficking and smuggling of arms and drugs.

　Although smuggling and contraband are crimes under the law, many nobles would not be able to run their businesses or maintain public order without them. Therefore, their existence is overlooked as a necessary evil, and they are called "Dark Guilds" or "Thieves' Guilds."

　Goldon's predecessor was a nobleman known for his ability despite being a man. However, when many nobles were overthrown in a coup d'état known as the Glorious Revolution a dozen years ago, he also lost his territory and became a free man.

　However, he was not discouraged and rose to his success in the underworld, and is said to now have more wealth than he ever did as a nobleman.

　A few years ago, he developed a leg injury and stopped appearing in public, and it was said that he had lost his energy and his former vitality. Deabolica had only seen him in person once, and at the time, he had thought of him as a "finished man" with the eyes of a sallow old dog...

(What is this all about? What a look in his eyes. Is this the old man who was sick until yesterday?)

　Goldon stroked his long, well-groomed beard as he gazed intently at Deabolica. He seemed to have the gaze of an experienced collector of fine art, appreciating it from every angle. Feeling uncomfortable, Deabolica gave a pleasant smile.Curatorcurator

"My goodness, Mr. Goldon. You seem to be feeling much better today. If there was anything I could help you with, I would have asked you. I'm sure it's been a while since you've been out in the sun, but it must be hard on you."

　A rough translation of Deabolika's words would be, "Don't let a criminal living in the shadows just come and visit the guild. What if they suspect your connection?" This is the typical sarcastic remark of a great Brishab noble.

"Well, my leg is feeling much better now. I owe it all to that lady at your place. I came here today to express my gratitude. I didn't expect this to happen."

　Goldon's gaze became as sharp as a drawn blade.

"You're not thinking that because he's gotten out of hand, we should just pretend it never happened, are you?"

"..."

　The hairs on Deabolica's spine instantly stood on end. Even though it was already autumn, he felt cold sweat slowly trickle down his sides.

"No way. He's a capable person. Disposing of him would be..."

"If that's the case, then I hope so; it's just an old man's worry. Well, I heard a rumor that the head of the family received 50 gold coins as a gift from his daughter. That's about three times the amount he earned in medical fees, so where did that money come from? If that's what made him decide not to keep her under his control, then that's a bit of a problem... I thought."

　Goldon had a gentle smile befitting his age, but Deabolica had the illusion that he was being slapped across the cheek with a drawn blade.

　What kind of rumors are you talking about, old man? How could a secret conversation between just the two of them at the lord's mansion have become a rumor? This old man knew everything. He even knew that Deabolica, unable to deal with Yuushi, was considering eliminating him.

"I have endured many hardships in life. Of course, losing my fortune and having my honor denied was painful. But what I found most unbearable was the coldness of society towards those who had been chased away from their former status. Everyone was cruel to me and my daughters, we had nothing to eat and nowhere to sleep, and there were times when we waited outside the city, shivering in the cold, for morning to come. Eventually, we began to gather together others who had lost their homes and give them food, but our hearts always went back to that dark, cold night."

　The old man closed his eyes and spoke at length.

"...Only he. He alone treated us as fellow humans. Our hearts have finally been able to welcome the dawn. ...We outcasts will never forget the kindness we have received. If we were to forget even that kindness, we would lose our pride as humans and descend into beasthood. We know this, so we cling to kindness. In order to live as humans, we must respect our companions. He reminded us of this."

　Goldon's eyes widened and he spoke with a stronger tone.

"If you dare harm such a benefactor because of your petty nature... we will not hesitate to exact revenge. No matter what the cost, we will exact revenge down to the last person."

"Ha...hahaha. It's just hypothetical, right?"

　Goldon nodded slightly as Deabolica's clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

"Of course. But you already know that this is no joke, right?"

　This was before Old Man Goldon washed up in this city and lost the use of his legs.

　His beloved granddaughter, whom he had chosen as his successor for the next generation, fell ill with a fever.

　However, the doctor employed by the family refused repeated requests from Goldon, a slum resident, and the granddaughter died without receiving any medical treatment.

　Two days later, the doctor's body was discovered in a pigsty, his body covered in countless marks from branding irons, and his fingers and toes had been eaten by pigs.

　The young Deabolica at the time had no idea what had taken place between the lord and Goldon, but he had been told never to anger the old man.

　Now that he's grown up, Deabolica is about to be confronted with the reason for this.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of resorting to violence. However, regarding the 'boxes' that we sell to this city... we have received repeated requests from other cities to increase the volume of transactions. I'm currently thinking about what to do. It may be time to reconsider the volume of transactions."

"Wait a moment. I told you I have no intention of harming Yuji. The reason for the reduction in trading volume is..."

"What? It's just something I think about in my head. Just like what you're doing with her, right?"

"ingredient..."

　The "box" is a code word and refers to the cargo being smuggled.

　Deabolika was involved in smuggling through a dark guild. With the flexible private army of the Adventurer's Guild, smuggling was a very easy way for her to make money.

　The hole in the castle wall that the slum children used to hunt the big-horned rabbits wasn't actually made by the children themselves. It was a route prepared by Deabolica to allow the dark guilds and adventurer's guilds to transport goods. The children just happened to come across the hole.

　Of course, this was kept a secret from the lord. If it were discovered, even the daughter would face severe punishment. After all, the lord was smuggling away the customs duties that should have been his. However, it was also true that the city was thriving thanks to this smuggling.

　The merchant guilds handle official imports and exports between cities, but the shadowy guilds that have influence in many cities offer a wider selection of goods than the merchant guilds: food, weapons, medicine, magic items, and even prohibited goods like drugs.

　If the Dark Guild were to restrict trading volume, the damage it would cause to Deabolica would not just be that it would be unable to accumulate wealth. The amount of goods circulating in the city would decrease, hindering commercial activity. If the feudal lord became suspicious and investigated, it would lead to the downfall of Deabolica.

　It would be easy for Goldon to end Deabolica's fate without resorting to violence.

"What does the old man want me to do...?"

"Don't worry. Reassessing the trading volume means there's a possibility of increasing it. If you're generous enough to grant our modest request, we'll fully support your ambitions."

"Ambition?"

　Deabolica's heart skipped a beat.

　No, it's okay. I'm sure you've never spoken about your secret ambitions. People still think you're just accumulating money for your own personal gain.

"I have old friends here. I have connections not only with many city governments, but also with titled nobles. Even with the king's close associates."

"...You want me to use Yuji to get close to them?"

"There are many people suffering from illness, regardless of their social status. They would be willing to pay any amount of money to be freed from the pain of illness… I'm sure they would be grateful. You could then indebted yourself to the nobles of the central government."

　Goldon leaned forward and looked into Deabolica's eyes.

"You want to enter the political world, don't you? As the third daughter of a provincial lord, I don't want to rot away unknown. I don't want to end up with just the status of head of the adventurer's guild. I want to make my name known to many people and carve my name into history. Isn't that your ambition, Deabolica-dono?"

　Why would he have to do that? Deabolica swallowed hard.

　I have never told anyone about it. Even my mother and sisters probably only think that I am aiming to become the successor to this territory.

　No way! I don't need this rural territory. I want to aim higher and higher. I have limitless talent, and the only place I can put it to good use is the Central Council. Having his ambition correctly guessed, Deabolica clenched his fist.

　Goldon's expression softened, and he assumed the gentle, kind-hearted look of an old man.

"Well, at my age, I understand. I've seen eyes burning with ambition like yours many times before. I used to have those eyes too."

"...What do you want in exchange?"

"As long as he is safe, that is enough for me. That's right... Then, as proof that he is safe, I would like to invite him to my home once a month and treat him well. Many people in the slums would also like to meet him. I'm sure everyone would be happy."

　Deabolica snorted in response to Goldon's words.

"Whatever hospitality you can offer will suffice. You're gathering those who can't see a doctor and having Yuji treat them, right?"

"...We will limit the number of people to around ten, and only those suffering from serious illnesses. If that person seems tired, we will respect his condition."

　Deabolica, sensing weakness in Goldon's words, suddenly breaks into a fearless smile.

"You are originally a noble, after all. What happened to the speech you gave in front of everyone yesterday?"

"If you want to move many people, you have to use expedient means. Besides, the feelings I put into that speech were my own."

"Well, it's fine. It'll give us peace of mind if we can see his true colors a little better. Let's settle this with that agreement."

"Thank you for your generosity."

　Goldon chuckled as he bowed deeply to Deabolica.

　--If you want to get others to do what you want, it's best to make them take the initiative and choose the only option available. And if it doesn't cost anything, then there's no need to. I'll bow as much as I want to, even to a young girl who thinks she's a genius.

　This is how he motivates people, even when he was a marquis despite being a man, when he was demoted and reduced to commoner status, and even now that he has returned to power as the boss of a criminal organization.

　Even a young, talented woman burning with ambition is nothing more than an immature girl in the face of cunning tactics honed over decades.

　Goldon was also well aware of Deabolica's tendency to immediately look down on others if they showed even the slightest bit of weakness. Although his character was somewhat questionable, Goldon thought that his talent as a guide for Yuushi was more than adequate.

　If there was anything unexpected, it was that Deabolica was short of money for reasons Goldon didn't yet understand, and that her bad habit of looking down on others had gone a little too far. At the time, Goldon had no way of knowing that this choice would later lead to a situation that nearly turned the city into a sea of fire.