After showcasing our good points, we were able to explain away our bad points, which brought us closer. The atmosphere was starting to feel like a proper marriage hunting party.
It was worth securing the budget, allocating personnel, and arranging for the luxurious meat, which we would never normally be able to eat.
When we first ate it, the male participants reacted dramatically like in cooking manga, but that has calmed down now.
The masquerade party is also having the effect I predicted.
Since everyone’s appearance has changed, there’s a tendency to prioritize conversation content over looks. Thanks to this, we’re seeing compatible pairings form, and no one is left standing alone.
I thought the male-to-female ratio might be a bit skewed towards women after Tachibana and his group left, but that’s been resolved by having multiple women paired with a single man in several places.
We’ll leave it like this for a while, and when time has passed, we’ll take off our masks and see how things go based on our judgment of each other’s appearances.
As I watched the scene unfold, where rather than a scramble for meat, it served as delicious bait to lure the men, I was finally able to get my hands on some alcohol.
That said, the alcohol they gave me from the staff had a low alcohol content. Furthermore, it was poured into an elegantly looking glass, so the amount was small.
Ah, I want a beer in a frosted mug. However, I can’t drink in such a casual izakaya style; I have to maintain a dignified demeanor given my current position.
While feeling a sense of dissatisfaction with drinking differently than usual, I suppressed my desire to drink and sipped the alcohol little by little.
I looked to my right and left, and saw men and women chatting. The initial tension had disappeared, and the cold atmosphere Tachibana had created had warmed up.
“So good!?”
The venue became even more lively with the voice of a man who had just eaten the first portion of liver.
Men and women switched partners frequently, discussing their hints and asking their questions. And without being swept away by these changes, some pairs naturally moved away from the meat area to chat privately.
“…Yeah, everything’s going well.”
“It’s not going well.”
“!”
A voice, like a shadow cast on this happy flow, made me jump and straighten my back. I hadn’t let my guard down, yet the voice of a presence that bypassed my senses and approached from behind was familiar. When I glanced behind me, I saw a beautiful woman with glossy, long black hair glaring at me.
“Keiri-san?”
“Correct. So, what are you going to do about it? The person I was aiming for has left the venue.”
“Um, could it be that you’re referring to Tachibana?”
“Not him, but his entourage. There was a slightly intellectual-looking companion with glasses, right?”
“Ah, yes. He had a look that suggested he was prone to hardship.”
“He’s my chaperone. He kept sending me apologetic glances the whole time.”
It’s impossible not to understand who she was referring to. In fact, if I couldn’t understand, the consequences would be terrifying. Keiri-san, holding a wine glass and having secured some bull’s liver, had apparently come to make a complaint, her expression unchanged by its deliciousness.
It seems the person Keiri-san was targeting had left with Tachibana. I can recall it without having to search my memory. I think there was someone who seemed a bit cool. I didn’t know Keiri-san was targeting him, but I felt like no woman was approaching that group.
“Well, if that man Tachibana wasn’t out of the picture, it would have been difficult to approach him. It’s good that he left, as he was ruining the atmosphere, but him leaving with that person was an unexpected miscalculation.” Keiri-san exuded an air of frustration rather than exasperation.
“Are there no other men you’re interested in?”
“No. Even if there were, there’s no man who would break the agreement and make enemies of other women to pursue them.” She said this with a hint of recklessness, as if she had no choice but to eat good food and go home. She desires marriage but has no interest in a love triangle. Because her appearance has changed, the men who were approaching her moments ago don’t notice her situation.
“I see. By the way, how are the other women doing?”
“About ten percent are seriously invested. Most are still observing because there’s time left, but they don’t seem to have formed any negative impressions.” Keiri-san consciously thinned her presence and hid her own feelings, perhaps feeling she could vent her frustrations a little here. Only a select few in the Demon Lord’s Army possess such an ability.
“The most actively engaged is that one over there.”
“Ah, the Dryad.”
“She must really like that boy. At this rate, she might be married by nightfall.”
“That’s too extreme.”
“It’s not extreme for a Dryad. Didn’t you know? Dryads are just as assertive in that regard as Succubi.”
“…Seriously?”
“Why would I lie? It’s common knowledge, but you didn’t know?”
“This is the first I’m hearing of it.”
The leading success story is the pairing between the man I encouraged and the Dryad. They are now sitting next to each other on a bench in the designated rest area, engaged in lively conversation.
“She might look innocent, but her usual tactic is to attract men with that appearance and then ensnare them.”
“That seems like it would make it hard for her to be short of men.”
“Like I said, it’s common knowledge. Speaking of species, Dryads are a monosexual species. Therefore, they need men of other species to reproduce. And their method of attracting them is that…”
“So men who are wary of that wouldn’t approach her.”
“Indeed. Even a Succubus would experience a night so hot it would leave them parched.”
While the scene looked heartwarming, hearing Keiri-san’s explanation made me worried.
“Is she alright?”
“She has enough common sense not to cause international incidents. In a way, they are a more devoted species than Dark Elves. However, the boy’s common sense might be irrevocably altered. After experiencing a Dryad, only a Succubus might satisfy him.”
“Should I pray for that young man’s happiness, or should I stop it?”
“The moment you try to stop it, you’ll have made an enemy of the entire Dryad species.”
I believe in “discretion is the better part of valor” and have no desire to interfere in romantic relationships and get kicked like a horse. I made the sign of the cross in my heart and fervently wished that he would accept a fate where he might not be unhappy but might see the sun as yellow.
“By the way, are there any girls who have booked rather expensive hotel rooms in the underground facility?”
“…Aren’t there too many predatory women among the participants Kirie-san gathered, considering they’re mostly innocent men?”
“Marriage is that desperate in this world. The idea of men coming to you passively is something out of a fairy tale.”
“By the way, what’s the romance scene like in your world?”
They are all earnestly facing their futures. I hope they find happiness there. While I’ve become more knowledgeable about the romantic lives of women recently, I realized I’ve rarely heard about the romantic lives of men.
The instructors are all married, but thinking back, I only vaguely touched upon their courtship stories during that cherry blossom viewing party. Many of my acquaintances in the underground city are also married, but I’ve never heard about their romantic endeavors.
“Who knows? If I knew that well, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
“That’s true.”
Even Keiri-san doesn’t know everything. Shrugging and giving a self-deprecating smile, she accepted the refill of alcohol I offered from a waiter. “Thank you,” she said.
“So, what are your plans for the rest of the evening?”
“For now, after I finish this meat, I’ll return to the group. There are a few things I’m curious about.”
“…Could it be that you’ve found them?”
“Several. As potential candidates, I mean. I don’t have any concrete proof, of course.”
And with that, Keiri-san completely abandoned her personal romantic pursuits and switched to work mode. If Tachibana, whom she had just driven away, was a problematic male participant, then the ones Keiri-san is concerned about are problematic individuals on our side.
This party’s participants were thoroughly vetted by me, Muil-san, and Keiri-san, with Amili-san conducting background checks. We anticipated that some factions might slip through, despite our thorough screening. No matter how strictly we screen or what methods we use, there will always be those trying to secure their own routes. If they don’t discriminate by means, they can likely break through our screening. We anticipated this, and Keiri-san was asked to investigate if she had the opportunity as a participant.
Ideally, it would have been best if everyone just enjoyed themselves, but she contacted me because she found suspicious individuals.
“What are the numbers?”
“Three and nine, then twelve and twenty-three. At this point, they’re just slight suspicions. Even if they are involved, I don’t think they’d drop the pretense of coming to find a marriage partner, so I can’t do anything from our side yet.”
“I understand completely. I don’t want to ruin the atmosphere of this party.”
I felt a pang of guilt for turning this event into work for her, but I thanked her for diligently carrying out her task and memorized the magic power of the women at the numbers she gave me. Two Beastkin, one Demon, and one Dragonkin – I pondered which factions they belonged to.
As the meal progressed and everyone’s stomachs became full, I decided, “Let’s introduce the next event and see how things go.” The next event is a performance by the orchestra. While dancing is an option, this time we’ll create the atmosphere with live music and hold an event that utilizes the unique characteristics of this dungeon. That’s convenient in a way. The orchestra’s performance and the establishment’s unique演出 will make conversations difficult to overhear. In other words, the intention is to create an atmosphere where people can talk in private, and this should be a very beneficial time if there are participants from infiltrating factions. While there are limited ways to form relationships through legitimate means. We can’t simply punish those we suspect, so I instructed the staff to begin preparations for the orchestra.
“Oh, it seems to be progressing faster than planned.” At that moment, Kirie-san returned. “How did that go?” Her return meant that Tachibana’s matter was concluded. We have no way of knowing the outcome, but the smile she hid behind her kimono sleeve suggested it was better not to ask. “No, it’s fine.” “That’s probably for the best. For us, it’s not a particularly interesting story to discuss.” I briefly worried about potential repercussions on future relations with Japan, but since Kirie-san would likely handle such matters meticulously, I felt reassured.
“It seems like a very good atmosphere has developed while I was away.” She hadn’t overheard my conversation with Keiri-san. I had kept track of her presence the entire time and noticed her re-entry into the venue. However, from this point on, I needed to uncover the dark underbelly on our side without Kirie-san’s knowledge. I thought marriage hunting parties should certainly not be jobs that involve such sordid activities, but when political elements are involved, this is what happens, I thought with a bitter taste in my mouth.
Word of the day: Once you fit in, the atmosphere warms up, but darkness always lurks beneath. Thank you for your continued feedback and typo corrections. If you find it interesting, please leave comments, ratings, and bookmarks. I am also currently serializing another work, “Pandora Pandemic Panic.” The Pandora’s Box has been opened again, but we are fighting back with various things at our secret base!! Please check that out as well!!
