As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld

Chapter 18: Is an adult’s selfishness pathetic?

The priest, who had left halfway through and returned, came back with his shoulders drooping.

He looked very depressed, not even looking at us, and seemed to be cursing his own misfortune.

It’s really irritating.

“Ah, Arius-sama!”

“…”

With an air of pure happiness, Serika’s soft chest pressed close against Arius.

There was not even a hint of relaxation in his face as he felt the touch.

“What are you happy about?”

“Eh, eh?”

Oh, I’m at my angriest ever.

It’s incredibly insulting, I feel like I want to declare bankruptcy right here and now.

Of course.

I don’t know what happened to the priest, and I don’t want to know.

It’s a windfall, it’s lucky.

The wallet I prepared, thinking that this amount would be enough, is completely undamaged.

But I’m not happy at all.

“Celica, you know, they said you’re a woman worth one silver coin?”

“…”

I understand well enough.

I was taught by Towa and Mia that the money needed for redemption doesn’t even require gold coins. At the same time, I also learned that there might be a little color added.

“Celica, I’m really, really annoyed.”

“Eh, ah, um…”

I guess it’s a bit out of place. Rather, for Celica, it might be a good thing to be called a woman worth one silver coin. That she is worth at least one silver coin.

But.

“I didn’t come to buy a woman worth one silver coin.”

I understood, I did.

The slight tint added by the priest… Ah, if it’s Serika, I thought, well, I guess it’s only natural for her to captivate that much attention.

But what’s this?

I don’t know what happened, but his mind was easily changed.

Even if this priest wanted something from me and threw an outrageous price my way, or if he just wanted to line his own pockets and presented me with an absurd amount…

“Hey, you.”

“…”

“You said that Celica is a woman who is perfect in every way except for her appearance.”

He nodded silently.

If he had denied it right away, I would have gotten angry. Good thing he didn’t.

“So, what’s your reasoning for saying she’s worth one silver coin? Tell me.”

“Huh, huh?”

“It doesn’t matter what you think of her as an ugly woman. But at least you thought she was useful, right? You made her work… no, you made a profit from her. Are you satisfied with letting her go for just one silver coin?”

Oh, it’s a mess.

I know, I understand. Celica can’t be satisfied with that either.

“You should take advantage of the situation. The wind is blowing in your favor. A woman you’ve used up has come to you with a delicious offer, as if it’s her last favor. You should take advantage of it. Otherwise… well, if you don’t do that…”

I look like an idiot, don’t I?

The amount of 20 gold coins—there was also a sense of relief in knowing that this was the most I could manage to come up with right now.

I was working hard to immerse myself in my little world.

It all seems meaningless and worthless, doesn’t it?

“Hih!?”

I slammed the coin bag I had brought on the table.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t follow the proper etiquette. There are various fees, including inconvenience fees and redemption fees. There are 20 gold coins in there.”

“What!?”

“Ah, Arius-sama!?”

Shut up, don’t stare at me with your eyes wide open.

“If you say one silver coin, then that’s fine. The rest of the difference is my feeling, my stupid little pride. Don’t worry about it, I won’t let anyone complain. With this, I will redeem Celica.”

“…”

The atmosphere in the room froze.

I felt a sense of discomfort as the blood that had risen to my head rapidly fell.

“Let’s go… no, come with me. Celica.”

“Ah, ah… yes!”

That’s enough, I won’t come here again.

Oh, I feel better now.

It ends in self-satisfaction again.

Should I be happy that I was able to settle it with self-satisfaction? I’m not quite sure.

“Ari…us-sama”

“Hmm, I’m sorry, Celica. I surprised you.”

I can imagine how surprised you would be if the one next to you suddenly got angry, and I deeply regret that I’m still a kid.

If I think calmly, 20 gold coins is a huge expense.

I won’t be able to take my time for half a year and learn the tricks of the trade.

“U-Uhm..”

“We’ll be busy from now on… what should I tell Towa and Mia? Can you think of something, Celica?”

Maybe the priest changed his mind because of the power of the two of them.

I don’t know about Towa, but Mia is a power-hungry little girl.

“Ah, um…”

Then I don’t know what to say. Should I apologize first?

No, no, that might be rude.

I don’t know what to think.

“Arius-sama!”

“What! ? Oh, sorry. What is it? Celica”

I was too absorbed in my thoughts.

Yeah, I bought Celica, my focus should be on her. I should listen to her properly.

“I-I’m sorry… B-But why?”

“Huh? About the 20 gold coins?”

She nodded slightly.

But why?

“Hey Celica. How much do you think I’m worth?”

“Huh! ? Eh, um, um, that is…”

“Three silver coins a month. A man who can barely get a gold coin if he sells his body in a month.”

My monthly income when I worked at Master’s store was about that much.

And I was satisfied with that income.

“T-That’s not true, it’s a lie. Arius-sama is worth more than 100 gold coins.”

“Thank you. Putting aside whether that’s true or not, what did you think when you heard my price?”

I felt her eyes, hidden behind her bangs, flicker.

“…”

“I don’t think it’s exactly the same. That’s how I felt at that time, Celica.”

In the end.

It’s like wishing that the toy that was out of reach in my childhood would still be out of reach when I become an adult.

Reality and the flow of time are cruel, after all.

A price is put on my work, and its value is determined.

Its value is increasingly visible and will continue to be so.

The toy I saved and saved my allowance for… and still couldn’t reach and had to give up on.

Now that I’m an adult, looking back, I realize I could buy it without a moment’s hesitation. In fact, more often than not, I’d probably just think, “I don’t even need that kind of toy.”

“Not knowing the value of something can actually be a good thing. It holds a kind of joy, like a jack-in-the-box surprise waiting to be discovered. But at the same time, it’s only natural that, because we don’t understand it, we end up measuring it with what we do know.”

It’s the same for things and people.

Just like some random girl who finds me a bit charming, and once she opens her legs, it turns out to be way more enjoyable than she expected. So much so that she can’t let go.

Just like that one time with a downright unattractive girl who, surprisingly, had incredible technique. I could close my eyes, and it felt so good that I could climax just from that alone.

“Profit and loss are secondary, Celica. I want to live within the rules that I set for myself. I want to be an adult who can’t be reformed, no matter how long it takes. That’s the kind of selfish man I am.”

That’s why I want to be a shut-in.

That’s why I want to make my surroundings comfortable.

“Arius-sama”

“Hmm? Are you disappointed that your master is more childish and selfish than you thought?”

I can’t help but laugh at how childish I am, even as I think it.

But Celica just looked at me intently.

“I’m… really glad to be Arius-sama’s property…”

“Uwah!”

It’s not dark yet, and there are still a lot of people on the way home.

Nevertheless, Celica knelt down.

“Please… please use me. I will do anything, anything. It’s not about repaying a favor or anything. I want you to use me, and create a place where you feel comfortable.”

“Huh?”

I mean, there are people around, right?

Wait a minute!

“Chu…”

I was kissed on my shoe? Eh? What’s this? A humiliation play?

“Arius-sama, my god. Please use me as your property, as you wish.”

“Ah, yes”

I really don’t understand anymore.

Huh? What?

Wasn’t this talk like, “Arius, you know, kids are allowed to do that until they’re P years old, right?”

The story you just told—are you serious? Kyahaha! Kids only get away with things like that until they’re, what, pee-pee years old? Kyahaha!

Wasn’t it a story like that? Did I just end up exposing something super embarrassing? Shouldn’t someone finally tell Peter Pan Syndrome to get it together? Yeah, they really should.

“Arius-sama…!”

I give up, let’s go home, let’s do that, okay.

“Master!”

“Arius-san!”

“What the… ?”

We came home running.

When I opened the door and came in, I was greeted by a passionate embrace, which felt good.

“Um, what do you want to do? Have sex?”

“No… no! Of course I want to though!”

“I’m full, I’ll die if I have more!”

“Awawah”

As I looked at Celica, who was hugging me, she was scratching her cheek in a troubled manner.

What the hell is going on?

“Thank you for your hard work, master. I’ll prepare dinner right away.”

“Mia will go and prepare the bath!”

Saying that, they both went their separate ways with big smiles.

I mean, um?

“Arius-sama”

“Huh, yes?”

“I think… they were relieved that the talk went well.”

Well, our money is in trouble, but that’s another story.

“It’s okay. I mean, of course I am, but those two are also very enthusiastic.”

I mean, I don’t understand why their enthusiasm is increasing.

Celica seems to understand, but maybe I’m the only one who doesn’t understand?

“Um, I think… you don’t have to worry about it.”

“Oh, I’m used to it, so it’s okay.”

Celica’s atmosphere has changed too.

She still speaks in a stutter, but it’s a soft and warm respect, I think. She’s giving off that kind of air.

“Ah, um. I feel like I was reborn. I’ll try to speak normally someday.”

“It’s okay if you can finally speak more easily. Don’t push yourself.”

“Understood… um I mean… yes”

Well, anyway, it’s all settled.

I got pretty tired from being annoyed for the first time in a while.

“So… d-do you want to use me to let off some steam?”

“Why?”

I feel like she’s expecting something.

I mean, she’s a masochist, a perverted sister.

“Eh, um. Whatever you want, Arius-sama.”

“Stop saying that my wish is your wish. I mean, I don’t mind having sex with Celica. But I want you to feel more like I’m your master first.”

You should keep yourself wet so that I can fuck you anytime!

I can’t say that yet, I still need to sort out my feelings, but maybe I’ll say it someday.

To be honest, there’s also the 270 gold coins issue, and I have a strong sense that our relationship is even, apart from the nominal relationship.

“One silver coin”

“Huh?”

“One shot, one silver coin, repayment.”

Celica, you want to have sex with me that much eh?

Everyone’s head is pink, damn it.

“If I do that, I’ll pay my debt off in less than a year. What will you do if I say I won’t fuck you anymore after you’ve had 270 gold coins’ worth of sex?”

“Ah, um… um, um, I… I’m… I’ll be troubled.”

She has a cuteness that is different from Mia’s, with her head drooping.

“Hmm, I understand. How about this? When I want to do it, I’ll buy Celica separately from the repayment.”

“…”

She nodded vigorously.

Huh? Wait a minute? Can I say the line I wanted to say earlier?

Yeah, it’s a man’s dream! Let’s say it, let’s say it!

“Keep yourself wet so I can fuck you anytime.”

“…”

I slipped! I slipped so badly! Thank you very much.

“Ah, um, Arius, sama?”

“I’m sorry.”