Chapter 334 The Familiar Merchant ②
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Sera-chan, representing the Merchant Guild Tasogare¹, had poured her heart out during the “Project Harvest” interview. Now, she was being ushered into the venue for the third stage – the practical exam – well ahead of the other candidates.
To be honest, it wasn’t even about the exam anymore. My love-slave, Lily, had essentially lit a fire under me, giving me a blunt “Just go take her already” kind of nudge. Regardless of the reason, it seemed I had to take responsibility for her.
”So, uh, Sera-chan… have you ever used any of our shop’s products?” I asked.
”The aphrodisiacs and a few other items, yes. But, um… as for the ‘Ddo-Buddy’², I haven’t been able to use that yet…” Sera-chan replied.
We were in the practical exam room, situated right next to the interview hall. I scanned the array of our products lined up on the shelves, trying to keep the conversation alive. The room was even furnished with a bed; it felt less like a testing center and more like a boutique love hotel.
”I see… I’ll be gentle, but if you get scared, just tell me,” I said.
”Okay… I’m sorry I’m such a handful…” she muttered.
”Why would I ever think that?” I asked.
Sera-chan’s self-esteem was through the floor. I pressed a kiss to her forehead and rested my hand on her shoulder. Discreetly, I reached for one of our shop’s long-standing bestsellers, “The First Lesson of Breaking”³, and we moved toward the bed. As we sat down, I saw the sheer nerves written all over her face. I racked my brain, wondering how to play this.
My well-worn instincts as a womanizer had brought me this far, yet for some reason, I was struggling. Maybe it’s because I’ve known her since before I started crafting Erotic Magic Circuits. Or maybe it’s her “proper” aura – the kind that feels worlds away from the lewdness of magic circuits – that’s throwing me off.
Watching her fidget on the edge of the bed, a strange sense of guilt – a delicious, illicit thrill – began to well up. Suppressing it, I slid my hand onto her thigh. Her sturdy merchant-grade trousers were thick, hiding the softness I knew lay beneath.
She let out a sharp, tiny gasp.
Sera-chan was paralyzed. I leaned in, my nose brushing against her signature braids. She smelled clean and fresh – not a scent meant to seduce a man, but the professional fragrance of a merchant who didn’t want to offend a client.
”Sera-chan,” I whispered.
”Yes…!”
”Is this your first kiss, too?” I asked.
”…Yes,” she replied, her voice a mere whisper.
I cupped her soft cheek, adjusting her glasses as they slipped. I stroked her skin until she quietly closed her eyes and tilted her chin up. I pressed my lips gently against hers, her mouth tight and hesitant. I felt her shoulders give a tiny, involuntary shiver.
”We… we really kissed…” Sera-chan said softly.
”We did. But I’m planning on doing things much more intense than that, you know?” I said.
”H-Hya… y-yes…” she stammered.
I tried to keep it light, teasing her with my usual brand of s*xual harassment, but Sera-chan turned beet red and locked up again. Yeah, this definitely feels like I’m doing something I shouldn’t.
What am I supposed to do when she just accepts the harassment? My inner voice gave me a shove – Just hold her – and I wrapped my arm around her waist. She stayed still, offering no resistance.
Taking that as a green light, I began to stroke her thighs. I let my hand wander upward, tracing the line of her body, passing over her stomach until I could cup her breast in my palm. Again, the heavy fabric of her uniform masked the sensation, but she gave a violent, full-body flinch.
”A-A-Um! I-I’ll take them off! Okay!?” Sera-chan cried.
”Eh? No, don’t rush. I’ll undress you slowly…” I said.
”I can’t! If you do that, my heart’s going to jump right out of my throat! P-Please look the other way!!!” she shouted.
”Oh, uh, okay…” I said.
Yeah, this is probably how a normal girl reacts. The women I usually deal with tend to surrender to pleasure or anticipation in the blink of an eye, so this was incredibly refreshing.
I obediently turned my back. After a moment, I heard the fumbling of buttons. The metallic click of a belt being undone. Then, after another pause, the slow, rhythmic rustle of fabric sliding against skin.
Dammit, now I’m getting nervous. I didn’t need my long-lost “virgin soul” to make a comeback at a time like this. The sound of her clothes hitting the floor made the back of my ears feel hot.
This is bad. This is way different from my usual rhythm. If only she’d act all spoiled and girlish like Her Majesty. In my flustered state, I started stripping off my own clothes. I thought it might help me settle down, but…
”W-Why are you naked too, Kento-san!?” she shrieked.
”I mean, obviously? We can’t exactly do this with our clothes on…” I said.
”Oh… R-Right…”
”Yeah…”
Great, now I’m even more on edge. While Sera-chan was taking her sweet time, I’d already shucked my top and bottoms. I stared down at my “Ddo-Buddy” straining against my underwear and waited as patiently as I could. Then…
”U-Um… do I… have to take off my underwear, too?” Sera-chan asked.
”Well… if you really don’t want me to strip you… unless you want to show me what’s underneath?” I replied.
”Ugh… when you say it like that, it makes it sound like I wore my special occasion set⁴ because I was expecting this!” she huffed.
”Right… well, I really want to see it, so is it okay if you keep it on for a bit?” I asked.
”Kento-san, you lecher!!!” she cried.
Yes, I am a lecher. And knowing she’d actually worn “victory underwear” for me made my heart race. Actually, I couldn’t take the tension anymore. The air was so thick with awkwardness I thought I’d suffocate. I turned around.
”Ah! Hey! Why are you looking!? I’m not ready! My heart isn’t ready!” she protested.
”Whoa…” I muttered.
A panicked Sera-chan stood there in risky white lace. Unlike the “exposed” sets Her Majesty favored, this bra was tiny but dainty, and the panties sat incredibly low on her hips.
It was lingerie clearly designed for one purpose. Yet, the lace gave it an air of elegance – the mark of a master craftsman. It was likely from the same workshop Lily and the girls used.
Did Lily recommend it? Or did Sera-chan, the merchant, scout them out for the girls? It didn’t matter. One thing was certain: I was done holding back.
”You’re beautiful,” I said.
”D-Don’t look…” she pleaded.
”You wore this for me, didn’t you?” I asked.
”I told you not to say it like that…!” she cried.
”I can’t help it. You’re too cute. Let me see more,” I said.
”Ah…!”
I caught her hands as she tried to cover herself and tackled her onto the bed. She looked up at me, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, her face a chaotic mask of shame and desire.
Looking down, that tiny lace bra was struggling to contain her breasts – about three-fifths of her was spilling out over the edges.
So this is what Sera-chan’s body looks like. All my previous hesitation vanished into thin air. I couldn’t stop myself. I pressed my lips unreservedly against her exposed skin.
”Hyaa!? W-What…!” she squealed.
Sera-chan let out a high, undignified cry as I teased the breasts no one had ever touched before. She tried to push me away, but the strength left her arms almost immediately. She must have realized exactly why she’d put herself through all this embarrassment in the first place.
I watched her sense of morality flip in real-time. The sight of her offering up her body – something that should have been forbidden – to the man she’d chosen. The honor of being picked by him. I let my hands slide up from her wrists, over her forearms, up to her shoulders, before finally settling in to knead her chest.
”Ha… hah…! Ahh… U-Um, if it really gets to be too much, you’ll stop, right? You said you’d stop if I was scared! You did!” she panted.
”Hmm? I think I only said ‘tell me if you’re scared’…” I teased.
”You idiot!!!” she shouted.
She started playfully thumping my head at my smart-ass remark. Fortunately, she was pulling her punches this time. God, I love this. I felt like I could spend the rest of my life watching Sera-chan get flustered and angry like this.
”Ow, ow… I’m joking! I’ll stop, I promise. As long as you don’t make it too hard on me by being so damn cute,” I said.
”Wha—!”
I kissed her chest with a loud, deliberate sound, and a bright red Sera-chan gave my head one last, resounding thwack.
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Summary:
Kento takes Sera-chan to a private room for her ‘practical exam’ after Lily’s encouragement. The tension builds through a slow, awkward undressing sequence where both characters are unusually nervous. The chapter ends with Kento initiating intimacy after discovering Sera-chan’s secret ‘victory’ lingerie.
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Trivia:
- Sera-chan is an old acquaintance from before Kento started making Erotic Magic Circuits.
- Kento is experiencing a resurgence of his ‘virgin soul’ due to Sera’s ‘proper’ atmosphere.
- The ‘Ddo-Buddy’ is a specific product from Kento’s shop that Sera hasn’t used yet.
- Lily is the one who implicitly pushed Kento into this situation
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Character Insight:
Sera-chan shows significant vulnerability, struggling with her low self-esteem while simultaneously revealing she prepared for the encounter by wearing special lingerie. Kento finds her ‘normal’ reactions refreshing compared to the more aggressive or quickly-yielding women in his circle.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘victory underwear’ (shoubu shitagi) is a classic Japanese trope used to signal a character’s hidden intent or preparation for a romantic climax.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Sera – A young, earnest salesperson from the Tasogare Merchant Guild, Kento’s supplier. She is characterized by her braided brown hair, large round glasses, and freckles. She’s serious about her job and easily flustered, especially by Kento’s adult goods business. Looks like Onodera from certain series.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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