Chapter 44: Loyal Maria

Maria gently held Dounia, cradling her like an infant, her entire body resting flat on Maria’s soft thighs.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! Stop, stop, stop!” Dounia’s face flushed crimson. “How can you be so shameless? We’re still outside!”

‘You Pleasure Faction followers, always (pointing fingers).jpg’

“I’m sorry… I thought you were hungry…” Maria’s alluring purple eyes, however, showed a pure and kind light, looking aggrieved as if she had done something wrong.

Dounia’s small face was beet red from holding her breath, unable to utter a single word.

‘Am I a baby? Am I really a baby?’

“…Be careful next time,” Dounia said, stiffening her face, trying hard not to show a pleased expression.

“Thank you, Dounia-sama, Dounia-sama is the best.” Maria reached out to hug Dounia again, but Dounia quickly dodged her.

‘What’s wrong with this woman… she’s always charging into people with her “balls.” This is too much! Where’s the referee!?’

“Still fooling around! Do you believe me or not…” Dounia’s face was flushed, her hands on her hips, stamping her foot angrily. “I’ll spank your butt!”

A hint of surprise, then ecstatic anticipation, showed in Maria’s narrow purple eyes, scaring Dounia back several steps.

‘Wait, Maria said earlier that I always avoided her, acting cold. Could it be that she really is some hidden BOSS? Was she one of the masterminds behind blowing up the energy tower?’

In a short time, Dounia experienced why Pleasure Followers were universally disliked; there were a million ulterior motives in their conversations. Her lament about never being close to Dounia didn’t seem fake, but a Pleasure Follower’s words couldn’t be fully trusted. What if she was just playing a trick on Dounia? What if she turns around and says, “Hehehe, she believed it, she really believed it!” What then?!

Dounia put on a stern face, trying to figure out a countermeasure.

Regardless of whether the other party was truly her subordinate, before the lie was exposed, she needed to work hard to maintain the facade, meaning local control was necessary.

“Let’s get to the main topic first,” Dounia said seriously. “State your current sequence, and your previous sequence.”

But compared to Maria’s mature and voluptuous figure, Dounia’s delicate figure, feigning seriousness, only made her appear even cuter. Maria forcibly suppressed the urge to pinch Dounia’s small face, nervously clenching her legs and rubbing them together.

“I am Sequence 8—Imp.”

‘Where’s the “imp” part…’
Dounia muttered in her heart, staring at the exaggerated snow-capped peaks.
‘It doesn’t fit the sequence name at all! She must be messing with me! Instead of Imp, it should be called Great Succubus!’

Maria blinked innocently, seemingly noticing Dounia’s gaze, “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize, hey!” Dounia said, blushing.

Her flushing wasn’t just because of the other party’s exaggerated size, but also because she inexplicably felt a displeased… sense of jealousy? ‘Damn it! She’s a pure man! Why would I be jealous… Could it be that I really have…’

“My previous Sequence 9 was called—Dream Weaver,” Maria added. “Would you like me to briefly describe my abilities?”

‘Hmm… related to dreams?’
“You may,” Dounia said.

“Sequence 9’s Dream Weaver can greatly enhance mental control, personal charm, and gradually achieve lucidity in dreams, or randomly intrude into the dreams of nearby neighbors. In normal circumstances, I can use ‘Pleasure Infusion’ to increase others’ goodwill towards me, improving the effectiveness of negotiations, and also use ‘Mental Whiplash’ to temporarily put enemies into a state of pain and dizziness.”

‘Quite comprehensive skills… a mental type.’
Dounia nodded slightly.

“And at Sequence 8, Imp, my abilities are ‘Mental Telepathy’ and ‘Dream Creation.’ You should have already heard the former; its effectiveness diminishes greatly with distance. ‘Dream Creation’ means I can forcibly make others fall into dreams and intrude into their dreams, actively acquiring information or performing ‘Pleasure Infusion’ in advance…”

Although her offensive capabilities in the real world didn’t seem strong, they were already quite good.

“Does your Sequence 8 only have two skills?”

Dounia noticed that each sequence seemed to have at least three skills, and some of them were passive skills, just like how she could gain more information through the “Reflection World.”

“And some improvements in physical qualities…” Maria awkwardly smoothed her purple braid, seemingly trying to cover the fabric below, which was so strained it looked like the buttons would pop.

Dounia was dumbfounded.

‘Are your Pleasure Faction’s physical boosts a bit too much?’

“You said earlier you needed instructions; what happened?”

“As you know, although we of the Pleasure Faction are generally quite amiable and friendly, our individual interests and hobbies differ, and we don’t always gather together. Although we have also joined the alliance…” Maria gently poked her fingers together, turning her head away. “But the mission to sabotage the Snow Country Express, I failed to complete.”

‘She couldn’t possibly tell the Emissary that she was making a life-sized doll of the Emissary at the time, could she!?’

Dounia blinked.

‘So you’re the culprit who caused the heroine’s train to be late, huh?’

“I’m sorry! Emissary-sama!” Maria bowed deeply, which made the cleavage at her chest even tighter, making Dounia worry if the purplish-black fabric could withstand the weight. “Please punish me!”

‘Me, a Sequence 9, punishing you, a Sequence 8, huh… And who knows what intentions this woman harbors! My going to punish her would be like a lamb entering a tiger’s den!’

“…I’ll let it slide this time,” Dounia huffed, crossing her arms.

Maria looked up in surprise, a joyful expression on her face.

“I knew Dounia-sama wouldn’t blame me!”

“I have another plan for you to redeem yourself,” Dounia said. “You can forcibly pull others into dreams, right? I have only one request: when I sabotage the train, delay Adelle—that gray-blue haired maid next to me—and ensure your own safety. Can you do that?”

Having a subordinate outside the Anomaly Bureau was very important, and joining the loose alliance formed by evil god followers would also help her cause trouble. She couldn’t let anything happen to Maria.

Maria widened her eyes slightly, covering her mouth, tears of emotion sparkling in her gaze.

‘Dounia-sama actually cares for her so much!’

Not only would she personally fix the loopholes in Maria’s work, but she also arranged such a safe mission for her, fearing she would get hurt.

‘So… so worried about her.’

‘Dounia-sama is truly a good child.’

“Hey, hey!? What are you doing!”

Maria swayed her graceful figure; her voluptuous build didn’t hinder her swiftness. Before Dounia could escape, Maria tightly embraced her.

Pat, pat—

Dounia’s small hands beat against Maria; she was suffocating…

“I won’t disappoint Dounia-sama… never…”