Chapter 224 The ‘Help Stick’ Experience ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Despite many twists and turns, I found myself giving business advice to ¹Lord/Lady Nixfen. In my previous world, you’d call this being an external consultant.
”To be honest, I wish I could do something to repay you properly…” Nixfen said.
”Well, my shop caused you some trouble too, so don’t worry about it for now. Once the business is better and the problems are solved, I’ll ask for a favor then,” I replied.
”Yeah, I’ll definitely pay you back!” Nixfen said.
Actually, it wasn’t just ‘some’ trouble; it was mostly our fault. But since it was largely out of my hands, I hoped she’d forgive me. Now that I’d taken the job, I planned to work hard. Besides, this deal had some good points for me too.
”So, first, can you teach me how to use this thing?” I asked.
”Eh?! T-That… you mean…?!” Nixfen stammered.
”No! That’s not it! I’m not trying to harass you! I literally just want to know how to use it! And how it’s made, the types, that stuff!” I explained quickly.
”O-Oh, I see…” Nixfen muttered.
I had accidentally slipped into some ‘natural’ sexual harassment and had to explain myself fast. Luckily, the Lord/Lady Nixfen nodded. Sure, ‘collaborative research’ (wink wink) wouldn’t be bad, but now wasn’t the time. No, I mean it—just normal research. Not the ‘nighttime’ kind.
Basically, the benefit I wanted was info on a rival’s product. Until now, there were no rivals, so I didn’t think about it. But now that a potential rival like the Nixfen house appeared, I needed to learn to be different—taking their good points while making our own style.
”I assume you don’t use this as it is, right? Do you soak it in water first?” I asked.
”Yeah, if you used it dry, you’d get hurt. In our house, we suggest lukewarm water. If it’s warm, it feels better…” Nixfen explained.
”I see… And the raw material is a mystery. Actually, is this thing soaked in something?” I questioned.
”That’s right. The material is the dried stem of the ²Nix Potato, which grows on our land. We’re growing it now. It’s soaked in a mix of ³Shibire-take powder and hot water. The stems already have aphrodisiac parts, but the mushroom makes it stronger. We’re trying other things too…” Nixfen said.
The Lord/Lady Nixfen seemed happy to explain the goods. It looked like she really inherited the craftsman spirit of her father.
She told me many stories after that. On a hunch, I asked and found out she’d been working on improvements even since coming here. I remembered a rookie adventurer—a regular at my shop—taking a job to find ‘Shibire-take,’ and she was clearly the one who asked for it.
Since neither ‘Nix Potatoes’ nor ‘Shibire-take’ existed in my old world, the ⁴Help Stick was very different from ⁵higo-zuiki. I remembered the old ones didn’t use soaking, and the effects of this one seemed much stronger.
Comparing it to our shop’s goods, the big difference was that the tool itself had medicine in it and used no magic. But if you use it a lot or don’t clean it, the power fades or it might rot, so there’s a limit. Some are even disposable.
Our ⁶Ddo-Buddy focuses on being strong while using drugs and lotions for the effect. Actually, the liquids are our best profit makers. In contrast, the ‘Help Stick’ is all-in-one. While profit comes from the unit, it probably makes repeat customers easily. It’s an interesting business.
”What do you think? Any ideas on how to sell it…?” Nixfen asked.
”Well, I have some ideas, but I should try it first… Aerith, would you mind helping me with an ‘experiment’ after this?” I asked.
”Yes, Master! It might be hard to sell them at our shop, but I can definitely help with that!” Aerith replied.
Aerith, from the ⁷Garou Merchant Guild, was very excited. She probably felt bad for turning the Lord/Lady Nixfen away earlier and wanted to make it up to her.
”An ‘experiment’…?” Nixfen asked.
”Yeah, just checking how it works. By actually using it. We check our own products during development and do regular ‘experiments’ for quality control,” I explained.
”Quality control…! I see, so that’s how ‘Ddo-Buddy’ stays so good… Even with our loyal users, your goal to test even a rival’s product… you really want to know everything…” Nixfen muttered.
”Well, you won’t know until you try, right? We do other things too, but…” I said.
”Yeah, I see… right…” Nixfen said.
Whether she was listening or not, the Lord/Lady Nixfen just kept nodding, lost in thought. While I was thinking about what to do, she looked at me with a serious face.
”Would it be possible… for me to watch that ‘experiment’…?” Nixfen asked.
* * *
So, Aerith and I ended up at the home of my elder sister-disciple, Barbara. We were testing the ‘Help Stick’ and other things while the Lord/Lady Nixfen watched us.
This happened because the ⁸Elder Sister prostitutes were mad. “You’re definitely going to do something weird to Ray, aren’t you?!” they yelled. If I went back to the shop, they wouldn’t know what I was doing.
To be fair, I know I’ve been with many women for ‘experiments,’ so I couldn’t really say they were wrong.
”Aerith, come here,” I called.
”Bark!♡” Aerith replied.
When I called from the bed, Aerith jumped up and snuggled into my arms. Her tail was wagging hard even with an audience. Since we’ve done this so much over the year, it’s just a reflex for her now.
”Y-You’re very close, aren’t you…” Nixfen whispered.
Blushing and looking around the room, the Lord/Lady Nixfen spoke softly. We were already in our underwear, but she was standing by the bed fully clothed. Usually, I’d ask, “Want to join?” but I held back today.
”Of course. We’re ‘mates,’ after all,” I said.
”I-I see. We have many beastkin customers too, and they’re always close…” Nixfen said.
She mumbled while looking away from Aerith, who was kissing my cheek. She didn’t seem truly upset; she was just talking because it was awkward. Then she spoke up with a bit of hesitation.
”E-Er, well, first, let me explain t-this.” Nixfen said.
She pulled a bundle of ‘cords’ out of a bowl of warm water. She had been soaking them with the ‘Help Stick’ stuff.
They looked like cords made from the same ‘Nix Potato’ as the other tools. I guess by braiding these, you make the shapes for the tools or rings.
”It’s a part, but it’s also a product. We call it the ‘Help Cord,’” Nixfen explained.
”Interesting. I guess you wrap it around… things?” I asked.
”Yeah, it’s popular in brothels. It helps with ‘function,’ and apparently it just feels good. Plus, everyone seems happy when it’s wrapped on them…” Nixfen said.
That’s some advanced play… But I get how some people like having a condom put on, so it’s probably like that.
”Wow! In that case, I have to learn how to wrap it!” Aerith cried.
”Right, there are many ways to tie it and tricks to learn. I… well, it’s my first time wrapping the real thing, though…” Nixfen admitted.
”Eh?! I-Is that going to be okay?” Aerith asked.
”It’s fine. I’ve done it on ‘Help Sticks’ many times and I taught the prostitutes, so it’ll be okay,” Nixfen replied.
I don’t think that’s what Aerith was worried about, but the Lord/Lady Nixfen didn’t notice. She’s got guts for coming here alone. While I thought about that, she asked me quietly.
”So, um… could I wrap it for you…?” Nixfen asked.
Naturally, I gave her a strong nod.
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Summary:
Ray agrees to consult for the Nixfen house and learns about their unique ‘Help Stick’ products. He decides to run a live ‘experiment’ with Aerith to test the quality and potential marketing strategies. They move to Barbara’s house under the watch of the brothel’s Elder Sisters and the Nixfen Lord/Lady. Nixfen prepares to demonstrate the ‘Help Cord’ wrapping technique on Ray himself.
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Character Insight:
Nixfen displays a ‘craftsman first’ mindset, where her professional pride eventually overcomes her virginal shyness. Aerith’s loyalty is shown through her immediate willingness to be part of an ‘experiment’ for Ray’s business goals. Ray continues to balance his role as a savvy businessman with his ‘beast-like’ tendencies, though he shows rare restraint by not immediately inviting Nixfen into the bed.
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Behind the Scene:
The ‘Nix Potato’ stems are a fantasy twist on the real-world ‘Higo-zuiki,’ showing the author’s research into historical Japanese sexual aids. The ‘Help Cord’ introduces a more ritualistic/bondage-lite element to the Nixfen product line.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
• Ray – A Viscount with flaxen-gold hair in a men’s wolf cut. Possesses a sweet mask and a prince-like aura. It is revealed at the end that Ray is actually a woman. She has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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