"?"
The moment he heard Mary's words, Kurose Akira froze where he stood, his mind thrown into complete disarray as he struggled to come up with any sort of response.
This was the first time he had ever heard of a request this bizarre.
Akira glanced toward the hole in the wall. The wall itself looked like it had been carved from something resembling white jade—its surface smooth, glossy, and gently rounded. Judging from the material, the wear caused by holy light should be practically negligible.
Even so… no matter how he thought about it, the situation felt strange.
"Don't be so nervous. This is nothing more than a routine physical examination."
Mary pushed up the thick red-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. Her gaze flickered slightly, betraying a hint of guilt.
"Oh… if it's just a physical exam, then that's a relief."
Akira relaxed a little, though Mary's evasive eyes still left a seed of suspicion lingering in his mind.
"Since it's only an examination, Mr. Su—"
Ivsha paused for a fraction of a second before continuing smoothly,
"—Mr. Kurose Akira, please go ahead and begin."
As she spoke, Ivsha gently looped her arm around his, guiding his large hand forward until it rested softly against the pristine white surface. A faint smile curved across her lips.
"Let's finish quickly so we can head back to the guild sooner."
"Uh… right."
Akira nodded.
Before he even had the chance to do anything himself, Ivsha had already revealed the Holy Light.
"!"
The instant that dazzling radiance entered Mary's field of vision, the instinct buried deep within her succubus bloodline surged violently.
Her skin flushed a vivid blend of crimson and violet, like flames burning beneath the surface.
Even the lenses of her red-framed glasses fogged over in an instant—as though a thin veil had descended to hide the impurity of her thoughts.
Perfect.
That was Mary's very first reaction upon seeing the Holy Light.
She could hardly imagine how blissful a succubus blessed with such a Holy Light would be.
No wonder Lady Edis had specifically appointed Akira to handle this commission.
There truly was a deeper meaning behind her decision.
Of course, it wasn't just the size that satisfied Mary.
What truly captivated her was the dense life magic radiating from it.
For succubi, what they pursued was not simple largeness.
What truly mattered was the scent—the aura capable of stirring their very souls.
The more intoxicating the life essence, the more irresistible it became.
Although Mary herself had never personally experienced the intertwining of life, from the moment she first met Akira, she had already sensed the extraordinary vitality emanating from him.
"I'll… excuse myself first!"
After staring at the radiant light for roughly ten seconds, Mary suddenly lowered her head in haste and fled the room.
Her abrupt departure made Ivsha raise an eyebrow in mild concern.
Something about it felt off.
Her intuition told her this probably wasn't merely a simple physical examination.
But—
What intrigued her even more was the woman Mary had mentioned earlier.
Lady Edis.
The relationship between that noblewoman and Mr. Akira…
…seemed unusually close?
These thoughts swirled through Ivsha's mind.
Yet her hands never stopped moving.
Her fingertips glided lightly across the surface, and almost instantly, the brilliant Holy Light reached its peak brilliance.
"Come now, Mr. Akira."
Ivsha smiled gently, anticipation flickering within her eyes.
"According to the terms of the commission, let's proceed to the next step."
"…Alright."
Akira nodded and carefully inserted the Holy Light.
Although the contents of this commission felt absurdly strange, the actual process turned out to be unexpectedly simple.
The wall was smooth and cool to the touch—surprisingly comfortable.
He could vaguely sense that the wall was only about five or six centimeters thick. Sliding the Holy Light inside felt almost like dipping his hand into a refreshing spring of clear water.
As for what existed on the other side of the wall—
Akira had absolutely no idea.
Even his senses couldn't reach through.
For now, the only thing he could confirm was that the Holy Light simply rested suspended within the wall… without any unusual sensations.
"Mr. Akira, how does it feel?"
Ivsha asked curiously, her eyes fixed on him as she eagerly awaited his answer.
"I don't feel anything."
Akira shook his head calmly.
At least so far, he was fairly certain there hadn't been any reaction from the other side of the wall.
Probably.
What Akira didn't know was that on the opposite side of that wall…
…there existed an entirely separate space.
Inside that space, hundreds of pairs of eyes were staring intently at the radiant Holy Light.
Curiosity and confusion filled their expressions.
They felt an instinctive love for that sweet-smelling light—
Yet mixed with it was a faint trace of fear.
"What is that?"
"It smells so good~"
"I don't know why, but I suddenly want to eat it!"
"Is this what the seniors meant by life magic?"
"M-My heart is beating so fast! I feel like I might lose control and pounce on it!"
"Don't rush! Let's wait for Sister Mary first!"
"..."
The succubi imprisoned in this space by Edis whispered among themselves, circling around the sacred light that had quietly risen from the darkness.
Their curiosity burned intensely.
As newborn succubi who had never stepped beyond the Abyss, they had absolutely no knowledge of Holy Light.
They had never encountered it before.
But the instinct buried deep within their bloodlines whispered to them—
This was something good.
Of course, Akira knew nothing about any of this.
He had no idea that on the other side of the wall, hundreds of burning eyes were watching him.
Creak—
At that moment, Mary stepped into the chamber through a concealed entrance leading into the space where the hundreds of succubi were confined.
The moment she appeared, the young succubi immediately rushed toward her.
"Sister Mary! What's that glowing thing?"
"Is it the Source of Life the seniors talk about? Succubus food?"
"Can I taste it?"
"It looks delicious—I want to bite it!"
Seeing this scene, Mary couldn't help letting out a faint sigh of helplessness.
Once upon a time, the succubus race had been incredibly powerful.
They had been the undisputed rulers of the Abyss of Lust.
But now…
They had fallen to such a miserable state that even the younger generation had never seen the very sustenance their race relied on to survive.
Tragic.
Truly tragic.
"Everyone, calm down for a moment."
Mary raised her hand gently, signaling the restless young succubi to quiet themselves.
They were surprisingly obedient.
The little succubi quickly settled down, gazing at Mary with eager eyes as they waited for instructions.
Mary took a deep breath before explaining:
"I know you're all curious… but this isn't for you to eat~"
"Then what is it for?"
The little succubi asked one after another, their eyes locked onto the dazzling Holy Light shining in the darkness.
Their expressions were full of anticipation.
Mary smiled slightly.
Then, suddenly, a strange container appeared in her hands.
The container resembled a translucent pale-pink jellyfish.
Its texture looked incredibly soft, and each of its delicate tentacles was dotted with glistening droplets that emitted a faint, alluring fragrance.
"He's been overworked recently," Mary explained calmly.
"So he needs a bit of… maintenance."
"Maintenance?"
"Yes."
Mary nodded solemnly.
"He's one of the most important components in Lady Edis's plan. Nothing must go wrong."
"So before leaving, Lady Edis specifically instructed me to perform maintenance."
The moment they heard that explanation, the little succubi immediately refocused their attention on the radiant Holy Light.
Sparkling excitement shone in their eyes.
Ever since Edis had brought them out of the Abyss, their living conditions had improved tremendously.
Compared to the brutal environment of the Abyss, life here was comfortable.
For the first time, they had experienced peace and satisfaction.
Because of that, they deeply respected Edis and were willing to serve her wholeheartedly.
And if that radiant Holy Light was an important part of her grand plan…
Then they were naturally willing to cooperate.
"Sister Mary, do you need help?"
"We're really capable too! We can help!"
The little succubi eagerly raised their hands, their eyes shining with excitement.
They wanted to help Mary share some of the… Holy Light.
Mary simply smiled and shook her head.
Holding the strange container, she slowly walked toward the brilliant Holy Light.
As she stared at it, her body trembled slightly.
Her pupils quaked as if struck by an earthquake, and the shock filling her heart was impossible to describe.
"Gulp…"
Mary swallowed hard, forcing herself to calm down before speaking to the little succubi behind her.
"This is extremely dangerous."
"…So I'll handle it myself."