Redungeon 2

Chapter 2 Bad Name

---

Edited by: Kanaa-senpai

---

 I woke up three days later.

 I lay on clean white bed sheets, but my heart wasn’t at ease. My body felt heavy. My strength was gone. I was falling apart like an old man. For her sake, they treated me gently.

 There was no blue sky here. No green nature. No windows. Just an endless corridor of sterile white.

 I didn’t even know whether this place was above ground or below. But they didn’t treat me carelessly. The hospital room was luxurious.

 Oh, and that woman in the white uniform—Small-Breasted Lady—she was still alive.

 The older sister who’d turned a dagger into a sprinkler by stabbing an artery had been rushed away, but she somehow survived. Her body was healing. But she still seemed to blame herself somewhere in some hospital room.

 Anyway, my mind had broken. Doctors told me I probably would never see her again.

 So, I resolved, in my heart: I’ll never badmouth small breasts again.

 Now that I think about it, the town I was from was strange. My range of movement had been limited to the neighborhood, the town streets. I had no memory of going out shopping even two or three train stops away.

 There should have been people entering and leaving, but the faces in the town neighborhood always stayed the same.

 My family was weird, too. I remembered their faces, but I didn’t know their jobs or where their estate was. Maybe it had never been defined.

 Thinking about these things made me uneasy. The more I thought, the more I felt: that wasn’t reality.

 Perhaps the oddness had been erased bit by bit.

 Let’s stop. That was then. This is now.

 This world’s gender ratio is 1:1000. And perhaps the technology here is from a far future.

 Now, a day passed.

 Sometimes I felt nothing, like tasteless gum. I tried to count falling dead leaves through a window—then remembered there were none.

 There’s no use thinking now. I’ll get out of bed.

 ”Is there anything you need?” she asked.

 ”No, I’m fine. Thanks.”

 ”…Your Lordship, you are our entire being. Please, do not take drastic action…”

 That was Second Generation Lab Coat Woman speaking, concerned for me. She had been caring for me since that day. Our contact was minimal, but she handled meals, support, and all those intimate tasks.

 She was one of the nine who had been there that day. She always showed so much apology it pained me.

 Her words always felt heavy with concern. And I was a little grateful.

 Three days of lying in bed wears you down. I was starting to feel a little better.

 I decided I’d try to get closer to her. She was beautiful. And the second generation had large breasts.

 I’m weak to the Big-Breasted Lab Coat Woman concept.

 Every time she visited my hospital room, I made a point of looking sad. Her shoulders would slump, and her breasts would shift inward. In that moment, the Cleavage Lab Coat Lady concept was born.

 But it felt cruel. I saw her shiver as she left. I wanted her to look at me—face me instead of turning away.

 ”Hey,” I said.

 ”H-Yes. Do you need something!?” she stammered.

 This was the first time I spoke to her unprompted in days.

 Her face lit up like hope.

 ”Can I… touch your breasts…? No, that’s wrong,” I flinched.

 ”Um, what is it—?”

 ”Uh, n—never mind. Not that. I mean—”

 Damn, I messed up. Living in the simulation world so long, my brain glitched. It was like game sickness rather than seasickness.

 ”Um, the small breasts I mentioned before… no, that’s wrong! I mean the older sister!”

 ”Pl-please remain calm.”

 We both flailed.

 Then again, maybe it wasn’t that. Maybe it was a built-in bug. Because right now, this refined Yamato Nadeshiko–style big-breasted older sister was trembling in front of me.

 No wonder my language center misfired.

 Because I bugged out, the large-breasted older sister was shaken again.

 ”About the older sister… I just wondered how her health is. At that time I panicked. I don’t really remember what I said. I may have said something terrible. I didn’t even know her name then.”

 ”You are kind,” she said with relief.

 Big-Breasted Lab Coat Woman exhaled in relief, then responded with some comfort.

 ”She is recuperating. Her body is fine… but her heart… if she learns of your thoughtful words, I believe she’ll show signs of recovery.”

 She brought one hand to her chest, gently supporting her shifting breasts as she explained.

 ”Yeah, yeah. That’s okay.”

 In a world with reversed gender ratios, there’s no need for women to be hated or driven to suicide. If recovery is possible, she should have that chance.

 And besides, I think their target of anger was wrong. It wasn’t towards them.

 Though I had talked with her only a few days, she probably knew by now that I wasn’t the type to hate all women when I was angry.

 Somehow I felt she wouldn’t misread my emotional state.

 The healing big-breasted lady concept is often the one good at giving care and managing exchanges—so it fit in this trope world.

 Anyway, I was tired of lying down, too.

 I wanted to know what world this was.

 In the simulation, gender ratio was 1:1. But 1:1000 is a completely different world. Since I was reincarnated into another or parallel world, I wanted to know how the environment here worked.

 I wanted to understand how to treat people around me.

 ”By the way, about your question from earlier… her name is Sow.”

 ”…Sow?” I asked, surprised.

 ”Yes. Sow.”

 I couldn’t help asking again.

 ”Why that name? Am I weird? Is that her real name?”

 ”It’s not. We nine, originally, all changed our names.”

 She prefaced her explanation, knowing I’d be confused.

 ”These nine are your Imperial Guards, trained elite attendants. They were supposed to be your closest aides. But they never met you. The nation never contacted them about your whereabouts, and our own search failed.”

 The nine had real names. If I asked, they said the original names were cute, old-fashioned, Japanese-style. But they despaired of themselves as useless, so they renounced them and renamed themselves.

 The condition was: their new names must be below “human being,” meaning “useless.” Why that was so? I don’t know.

 I was fairly taken aback. Wait, am I the strange one here? I can’t grasp the women’s values in this world.

 Still, I regretted bullying her these past few days just to see that cleavage. That was cruel. I should be kinder.

 I managed to ask what had been on my mind.

 ”Can’t you change your name back?”

 She answered calmly. Asking about customs like these was a good way to learn how this world worked.

 ”Women born in this nation are allowed one lifetime name change,” she said. “It’s a precious gift received when serving a man, reflecting the bond between them. Because of that, renouncing a granted name is strictly forbidden.”

 Her eyes were sincere. So, no name rerolling here.

 Watching her, I thought—if the First Generation Lab Coat Woman had the sharp beauty of a Yanagi knife, then the Second Generation was warm like autumn leaves swirling in the wind. Her light brown hair waved gently, calm and graceful—she looked like the origin of the words modesty and gracefulness.

 Then I noticed something terrifying.

 If the first one was named “Sow,” what kind of name did this large-breasted older sister have?

 ”By the way, what’s your name?”

 ”Maggot,” she said.

 That was… horrible.

 ”Couldn’t it be something better?”

 ”It’s a punishment,” she said quietly.

 For someone this beautiful and gentle, “Maggot” was too cruel.

 ”I don’t want to call you that. Every time I say it, it’ll sound like, ‘Hey, Maggot!’”

 ”…”

 Maggot lowered her face and stayed silent. Maybe she’d truly become the name itself—so crushed she couldn’t even speak.

 The Yamato Nadeshiko of the Big-Breasted family, Maggot, seemed to choke on her breath, opening and closing her mouth as if searching for words. Her eyebrows drooped into a helpless arch.

 ”It’s custom. I can only ask for your forgiveness,” she said softly.

 ”Doesn’t it bother you?” I asked.

 ”My failure is unforgivable. Compared to Your Lordship’s suffering, this punishment is light. I accept it willingly.”

 ”The others too?”

 ”Yes. All of them. If not for this guilt, they might have taken their own lives.”

 ”But I never wanted this.”

 I sighed quietly so she wouldn’t hear. If she did, it might hurt her more—and I didn’t want that.

 ”It’s true, I was angry about being left behind in that machine. But I’m not angry at you.”

 I kept my tone gentle. I’m not the type to hold grudges. Maybe that’s escapism.

 ”Not being hated… hurts,” she whispered.

 She probably knew she was contradicting herself. Yet even as she breathed like an insect gasping for air, her will remained unshaken.

 Troubled as she was, she spoke again.

 ”It must displease you. If you dislike ‘Maggot,’ please call me ‘that one,’ or simply, ‘hey, you.’”

 That was my first selfish wish in this world. But she looked so pained that I couldn’t say anything back.

 If she’d resolved herself that far, I had to respond.

 ”I’m sorry. So there’s really nothing that can be done.”

 ”Yes, Your Lordship.”

 ”I hate it, but fine. I understand… Maggot.”

 ”Yes.”

 I’d been reborn into a reversed world, expecting to become a kind, popular man surrounded by women. Instead, I’d ended up the villain who called them “Maggot.”

 What a farce.

 As she turned to leave the hospital room, I called after her.

 ”I hope I can leave soon. Bring the others tomorrow. We need to talk about what comes next.”

 ”Y-Yes!”

 Maggot smiled through tears.

 The next day came.

 At last, I began my real activity in this world. I summoned the eight Imperial Guards—excluding the hospitalized first generation, Flat-Chested Lab Coat Woman Sow—into my room.

 I greeted them all and told them I wanted to understand this world’s common sense, since I’d been trapped inside a machine. I also asked: what exactly is a man’s role here?

 It didn’t seem like all I was supposed to do was have sex. The atmosphere said otherwise.

 I had endless questions—population, social systems, even practical ones like, Is there any place I can touch myself in peace?

 Especially that last one felt urgent. This hospital room was definitely under surveillance. I’m a lively sixth grader inside, remember?

 The women before me looked young—late teens to early twenties—and stunning. I bowed slightly.

 ”Please forgive my inexperience. I look forward to working with you.”

 ”Once again, I am Maggot,” said the first.

 ”I’m Vocal Slut.”

 ”I’m Crybaby.”

 ”I’m C*m Bucket.”

 ”I’m Cult Slut.”

 ”I’m Trash.”

 ”I’m Flatty.”

 ”I’m C*mslut.”

 ”…We’re honored to serve you,” they said in unison.

 I cried.

 They weren’t just insults. These were pure, self-inflicted curses.

 And yet they looked at me with genuine concern, as if I were the one to be pitied.

 Two days later, I started piecing things together.

 This nation’s name is the Great Japanese Empire. The territory is exactly Japan. The era feels like Taisho to early Showa, maybe with a touch of fantasy.

 It’s a model German-style constitutional monarchy. Its history follows Earth’s almost exactly—until a point. For example, the Warring States Period here literally featured Real Sengoku Princesses. Apparently, during raids, the single man in each village suffered terribly. I almost wished I’d been born in that time.

 Still, I can’t believe early humanity survived with this gender ratio. Maybe like Canadian snakes, mating a hundred to one.

 But then, the timeline starts to diverge.

 Things changed around the First Sino-Japanese War. I’d thought this was some far future, but I was wrong. The white hospital, the endless corridors, the learning device that kept me alive for eight years—it could’ve been a spaceship for all I knew.

 By the time of the Second World War, this world had completely diverged from my past life’s timeline.

 Japan remains an imperial government. Mysteries now spawn everywhere. Dungeons exist.

 The nation never fully unified. Assemblies exist in name only. Regional lords rule freely, fighting whenever they please.

 It’s practically another Warring States Era. People kill each other often. Anyone who’d want to live in such times must be insane.

 Our current location is Kazusa Province—that’s what they call it here. I had no idea where that was at first.

 Turns out it’s Chiba Prefecture, along the Sotobo coast.

 Kazusa Province sits on the back of Chiba’s head. Easy way to remember it.

 In my previous life, the region was called Kujukuri. They had amazing hard clams—worth visiting at least once. Though, true clam prices were too high for me back then.

 Among all the regions, Chiba Prefecture stands out for its sci-fi atmosphere. Other areas still keep the look of Meiji to early Showa-era towns. I’d love to see them someday. Apparently, the regional atmosphere doesn’t really decide status or wealth, though.

 The entire population of Chiba Prefecture is around five hundred thousand—roughly one-tenth of what it used to be. Out of that, only five hundred are men.

 All males are managed collectively and granted by imperial decree from the Chiba Provincial Lord, one boy per region, usually to Kujukuri. Each boy is raised carefully by the community and, once of age, surrounded by academy valedictorians or noble daughters chosen for him.

 I vanished right around the time I was supposed to be granted.

 There are about thirty boys my age. Once they reach awareness, each leads his Imperial Guards and studies abroad at Ichihara Elementary School, the capital region’s academy. They spend six years there, learning everything they can before returning home to serve society.

 Technically, I’m already in the second term of my sixth-grade year.

 And now—the most important part: the nation’s views on chastity.

 Boys here look down on women—deeply. Before puberty it’s mild, but once they mature, most see women as beasts consumed by lust, cursing their existence. Even sisters and mothers aren’t spared from contempt.

 To me, that’s unthinkable. Attacking your own protectors makes no sense. You go with the strong—always.

 Still, history explains some of it. Before the world wars, men were powerless and treated like property. Those scars linger.

 ”Please call me Trash,” said a trembling voice. “Punish me for my foolishness.”

 I sighed. “No. After names like Cult Slut, that’s already more than enough.”

 ”You’re right… I almost made you say such filthy words,” she murmured, near tears.

 I left the hospital accompanied by Cult Slut. She was slightly taller than me, a teenager probably in her last year of high school—young, pretty, and far too self-blaming. Among my Imperial Guards, she served as education officer.

 Still, what a cruel name. She’d chosen it herself, out of guilt. When I disappeared, she broke down, joined a strange religion, and punished herself by renaming.

 ”Well then, congratulations on your discharge,” she said carefully. “The others are preparing your quarters. Let’s head to your new home.”

 ”Got it. Thanks for taking care of me.”

 As we left the hospital, the doctors and nurses—all women—lined up to see us off. There were no male staff, so even the word “nurse” didn’t really exist here.

 They were all beautiful, but every one of them kept her face lowered, careful not to meet my eyes. To prevent discomfort, no woman was allowed to gaze directly at a man. Even a simple look could be taken as an insult.

 I wondered if they heard my quiet thanks. One woman’s shoulder twitched—so probably yes.

 Outside the hospital grounds, I called out to the woman walking ahead of me.

 ”Hey, Cult Slut. You kept searching for me all that time, didn’t you? Sorry it took me this long to say it. Thank you.”

 She froze.

 ”Huh?”

 I meant it—my voice soft and honest. But she suddenly stopped walking.

 ”C–Cult Slut?”

 She twitched violently, gasping for breath.

 ”Wha—what’s wrong!?”

 It hit like a seizure. Cult Slut froze mid-step, hyperventilating.

 ”Forgive me… I must say this…” she stammered between gasps.

 ”Y-Yes!?”

 ”I am nothing but a gutter woman of trash,” she choked out. “I failed to find Your Lordship for years.”

 ”Uh, right…”

 ”You mustn’t waste kind words on filth like me.”

 ”Got it, I’ll be careful,” I said quickly.

 Her intensity was terrifying—eyes rolled white, drool at the corner of her lips. I nodded out of pure reflex.

 Then she whispered in a tiny voice, “We got to talk a lot today. So cute… so cute…”

 Okay, that was unsettling. I stepped back slightly.

 Even I’m not that dense—I understand what kindness means in this world. Here, men never thank women. Kindness itself can be mistaken for possession. I’d just broken that unspoken rule.

 Still, her reaction was… extreme.

 Cult Slut served as the education officer. She’d taught me most of the world’s customs before discharge. I wanted to keep working with her to understand my new life better, help her adjust too.

 Her nervousness wasn’t only about chastity laws. She’d once been an ordinary, kind-hearted girl. After I disappeared, she broke. Started praying. Fell into a new religion. Destroyed her family. She was damaged—just differently from me.

 Poor girl.

 ”But really,” I said, following behind her along the white corridor, “was it okay to skip everything?”

 Even as a man, I couldn’t block roads, but from afar I saw townsfolk bowing, faces lowered as we passed.

 ”I canceled six years’ worth of ceremonies. Won’t they be mad?”

 ”Doesn’t matter,” she said flatly. “A nation that failed to protect its men deserves no respect.”

 She was serious—and strangely dignified as she said it.

 Post-discharge greetings had piled up: meeting the town mayor, attending national loyalty ceremonies, local men’s councils, inspectorate receptions. A normal man’s schedule was buried in obligations. All these traditions, all this etiquette—I’d never learn them overnight.

 It felt like suddenly trying to live abroad with no preparation.

 Then Cult Slut spoke again, voice firm.

 ”No one will ever approach Your Lordship again.”

 Full cancellation, all events deleted. Apparently the entire Imperial Guard agreed.

 ”That’s a relief,” I said. “I was nervous about adapting to society. Thanks.”

 ”…! O-of course,” she stammered, blushing bright red. Cute.

 Also—why were there so many beautiful women here?

 I tried to keep the conversation polite—careful not to raise her emotional temperature.

 ”So, you prayed for my safety, right?”

 She smiled faintly. “Yes, though most of those prayers didn’t work.”

 ”They didn’t?”

 ”I tried them all. Never again.”

 Strong woman.

 We walked for a while until the path opened up. A vehicle—something car-like—waited ahead. Naturally, I took the back seat.

 After about an hour, my new home came into view—a residential zone where only men and their attendants lived.

 The car stopped sharply at the front door.

 ”Here we are,” Cult Slut said, unlocking three separate locks. The room next door had only one. Her idea, clearly.

 The white hallway stretched endlessly, doors spaced evenly along the walls. It felt sterile—almost unreal.

 ”The elder women already cleaned your quarters,” she said. “You’ll find a furniture manual on the desk.”

 ”You’re not coming in?”

 ”That would be improper.”

 She looked straight at me, her expression hardening.

 I barely reached her shoulder—my height like an elementary schooler’s. Her gaze felt higher, heavier.

 ”I understand you’ve been confined a long time,” she said gently. “You may not yet grasp gender differences. But it’s dangerous to trust women so easily.”

 ”Right, the boys-only education program,” I recalled. “That one-month course designed to help us experience a balanced environment, reduce bias toward women.”

 ”Exactly. You learned kindness there. We, your Imperial Guards, are proud of that.”

 Her tone softened. Then she said quietly, “But reality can be far crueler than ideals.”

 Her voice had a calm authority, like a mother teaching a child—steady, patient, firm.

 ”You may not realize it yet, but women also have something called sexual desire,” she continued. “It’s a strong urge to claim you—to touch your body. Many women would give up anything for it.”

 ”Sexual desire?” I repeated.

 ”Yes. Even if they start pure, a man’s charm can corrupt their hearts. Careless closeness benefits no one—not you, not society.”

 Sexual desire, huh. Never heard it described that way before. I nodded deeply, pretending to understand—though, honestly, I knew exactly what she meant.

 ”Right. So letting a woman casually enter a man’s room isn’t proper, huh?”

 ”I’m glad you understand.”

 At moments like this, Cult Slut looked amazing. Too self-punishing most days, but when she lectured me, she stood tall—teacher-like, dignified. (And I totally forgot the right word for “dignity.” Doesn’t matter.)

 I smiled. She exhaled slightly, relieved. It was the longest conversation we’d had yet.

 ”Well then, I’ll come to pick you up at four in the morning,” she said.

 As I turned toward my door, I glanced back. For all her guilt and fragility, Cult Slut had one absolute, unbeatable quality.

 She was breathtakingly cute.

 Her face was perfect—almost too perfect. There was a freshness about her, like cool air near a mountain waterfall. It felt like the air around her was cleaner than anywhere else.

 She wasn’t just “interesting.” She was captivating—easily the most beautiful girl I’d seen in both lives combined. Even fair-haired fairy types didn’t come close.

 She looked puzzled when I stared too long, and before I could think, I grabbed her slender wrist.

 Maybe I’d lost control a little. Maybe I wanted proof this world was real. If this bizarre, gender-twisted place was reality, then show me.

 So I said it.

 ”Hey, let’s have sex.”

 ”…”

 Cult Slut froze. Her eyes dropped to where my hand held her wrist.

 Then her gaze shifted right. Tilted her head slightly. Then left again.

 Her face said it all—filled with giant question marks.

 ”…!?!”

 Her eyes flew wide.

 ”Hu—huh!?”

 She stared at me like I’d just said the most forbidden thing in the universe. Her cheeks flushed crimson.

 ”Wh–what… wha—?!”

 Steam metaphorically poured from her head. Total panic. I stepped forward, heart pounding, and pulled her arms toward my chest.

 She was close—too close. Her scent hit me hard. Clean. Soft. Girl.

 From her hair, from her skin—it surrounded me.

 ”Wh–what are you—ah—ack—!”

 ”Didn’t you hear me? Let’s do it.”

 Cult Slut started shaking violently, then broke free, stumbling back.

 ”Wh–what are you saying!? Are you hurt? Did I mishear!? That’s—oh, that’s unthinkable! Where did you even learn such words!?”

 She was panicking completely, frozen and wild-eyed.

 ”Please, forgive me for allowing such an environment to corrupt Your Lordship! But you must value yourself more!”

 ”Well, I just thought—”

 ”No excuses!”

 Her system rebooted instantly. She blushed, then began a fierce scolding.

 Ah well. My plan failed. I’d hoped for sex—or at least a chance to touch her chest. Maybe her butt. Something.

 Honestly, after several days of abstinence, my brain was boiling. Add a cute girl who clearly liked me—yeah, disaster.

 Apparently, men here are expected to stay virgins until marriage. Common sense, they said.

 Sure. I’d find a loophole later. Definitely.

 Still, one thing was obvious: every woman in this world was beautiful.

 While I was stuck in that hospital bed, that’s all I kept thinking about.

 I didn’t know why, but in this reversed world, women were stunning—beyond reason.

 So why not just accept it?

 Stop overthinking. Live among beauty. Be loved, and love back.

 That’s what my second life was supposed to be about anyway.

 Inside or outside a machine, that doesn’t change. Forget revenge for lost years. I’ll live this life for real.

 There’s plenty of time to rot later.

 I made up my mind.

 Still… this was a gamble, so I had a backup excuse ready—just in case.

 ”It’s from the education program,” I said smoothly. “They taught us that girls like it when you say that.”

 ”What… what did you just say…?” Cult Slut’s face turned pale with horror.

 Cult Slut dropped to her knees.

 She mumbled, pale and trembling.

 People stared. Some women who’d overheard her words blushed and gave me feverish looks.

 Then she stood again.

 ”No woman will ever approach you,” she said firmly.

 ”Huh?”

 ”You’re too defenseless. Until your basic education finishes, you’ll have no contact with women. Not even the Imperial Guards.”

 ”Wait, that serious? Isn’t that a little extreme?”

 But she was dead serious. Her teacher’s fire was lit again.

 I sighed. Damn it. I’d triggered her educator mode.

 A few women on the street looked disappointed. So was I.

 Yeah. Cults are bad.

 ”I forbid outings,” she added. “I’ll lock your room from outside. If you need anything, call me through the terminal.”

 She brushed the dust off her clothes, then bowed her head.

 ”Lastly… I’m truly sorry for what you’ve endured. From now on, I’ll protect you—from anything.”

 She coughed to hide her emotions, turned, and left.

 A faint, refreshing trace of her scent lingered. Beautiful girls always leave that behind.

 I watched her go, then stepped into my room.

 The door shut behind me.

 Normally the woman closes the door after seeing the man inside. She forgot that. Guess she’s still in shock.

 Behind the sound of her locking up, I started exploring the room.

 It was large, sterile white, almost clinical.

 Everything—walls, furniture, floor—was clean plastic or resin.

 The space was divided by partitions into three sections: a living room, study, and bedroom.

 There was a bath and a toilet, but no kitchen. Women brought meals. Fire and knives were “too dangerous.”

 First things first—I used the toilet.

 Big-breasted Maggot, perfect-faced Cult Slut…

 Yeah. That did it.

 Afterward, I lay flat on the bed and thought.

 This “Kujukuri Town” stretched sixty kilometers along the Pacific coast—a reinforced plastic corridor city.

 Seen from above, it looked like a chain of white, sealed boxes. Locals called it The White Serpent’s Belly.

 The “hallway” I’d walked earlier? That was the national highway.

 Each side of the road lined with living quarters.

 The structure was near unbreakable—soundproofed except for faint wave noises seeping through the east wall.

 Weird.

 What the hell even was this place?

 No one had explained the outside world yet. Still, if I was supposed to attend Ichihara School, there had to be some connection beyond this box.

 We needed food, air, light, power—some replacement system must exist.

 I rolled over, staring at the white wall.

 It felt soft, almost damp. Resin, not metal.

 Whatever it was, it didn’t exist in my previous life.

 A mystery.

 Like the dungeons. Like everything else here.

 But this wasn’t a simulation. My hand moved, my skin hurt when I pinched it. This world was real.

 Still, losing my family suddenly… yeah, it was lonely.

 ”Sleeping alone sucks,” I muttered.

 The wall felt smooth. Comforting. I touched it absently.

 Too easy to remember how soft her hands were, how she smelled.

 Stop.

 If I let my mind wander, it goes straight there. I’m in a twelve-year-old’s body, and puberty hits fast.

 I didn’t want to make another bathroom trip, so I forced myself to think about something else.

 Experience told me once you start, you can’t stop. And if I actually died from overdoing it, my Imperial Guards would probably all commit ritual suicide.

 Bad way to go.

 Imagine tomorrow morning: a woman unlocking the door, calling for me, rushing in—

 —and finding me sprawled out like a dried-up fish.

 No way. Too tragic.

 That dumb fantasy at least cheered me up a little.

 I moved to the study room to escape my thoughts. Sat down. Pulled out a pen and paper.

 Thinking weird stuff wouldn’t help. Tomorrow would bring new facts. I might as well enjoy this world while I could.

 So I decided to write.

 Not about lust this time.

 A letter.

 To the First-Generation Flat-Chested Lab Coat Woman—Sow.

 I’d tell her I wasn’t mad. That I was sorry for what I’d said about her chest. Maggot had probably already told her, but hearing it from me mattered.

 If my words had driven someone to break down, I wanted to help her heal.

 I didn’t understand what being an Imperial Guard really meant, but if she’d cared for me once, I owed her that.

 So I wrote. The pen moved easily, faster as I went.

 ”Maybe I’ll write to the others too,” I said.

 Besides Maggot and Cult Slut, I hardly knew the rest.

 And all of them were beautiful.

 That alone was reason enough to get closer.

---

Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!

Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.