Chapter 12

“The ‘lewd’ type, you say…!?”

I asked back with a completely straight face.

“So, does that mean, um… doing ‘good things’ with Cerulia and waking up in the morning all shriveled up like a raisin…?”

It was embarrassing to say such a thing in front of Cerulia, but since she’s a Succubus, I figured it wouldn’t count as sexual harassment.

“Oh, there’s absolutely no life-threatening element involved. I take great care to ensure it doesn’t fall under the ‘3D’ categories of Dirty, Disgusting or Dangerous. It’s just… well… how should I put it? Depending on the person, sexual matters can be perceived as gross or dirty the moment they’re brought up…”

The President seemed to find it difficult to talk about as well.

That made sense. At the very least, it wasn’t a topic that was socially acceptable to discuss lightheartedly in public. It was the kind of thing that could lead to being shunned or looked down upon.

“In certain branches of Dark Magic, there are spells that are inherited by the user performing sexual acts with the person transmitting the knowledge.”

That sounds exactly like something that would exist, I thought. It fit the image of witches dancing naked during a Sabbath.

“I’ve been trying to think of alternative methods for those as well, but because these involve physical contact, they are much harder to substitute compared to things like sacrifices… So, some necessary parts still remain.”

“Is it really that difficult to learn them without doing it…?”

“If a mage performs ‘naughty’ acts with a Dark Magic expert according to the formal protocols, they can learn thirty-five types of Dark Magic instantly.”

“That’s incredibly efficient!”

Thirty-five types—that was more than the total number of spells in the curriculum for the first two years of magic school. Of course, some professional mages can use over a hundred, but even so, adding thirty-five all at once was absurd.

“I truly believe the efficiency is wonderful as well. Originally, it was done to save the time spent on traditional transmission. However, the industry has pointed out the high risk of this being exploited for sexual harassment, so we’ve decided to only use this method when both parties have given clear consent.”

The President continued to explain everything in great detail, but it seemed the following rules were strictly mandated:

One must not allow a refusal to learn magic through this method to affect salary or promotion. Nor can it be grounds for dismissal.
One must not blabber about the inheritance process with the partner to others.
Alternative educational methods for the magic must be provided.
The successor must be informed in advance about where they can report or seek consultation regarding harassment.

Given the nature of the content, I could see why the Dark Magic industry was being so sensitive. However, the fact that they cared this much was a clear sign that the industry’s transparency was improving.

“That’s how it stands, so are you alright with this, Franz-san? If it scares you, we can skip it.”

I took a quick glance at Cerulia. Although she was technically my familiar, to me, she was as good as my lover.

“If Cerulia says she doesn’t want me doing something that feels like cheating, I’d rather not do it. I want you to tell me frankly how you feel.”

But Cerulia simply smiled.

“The fact that you would go out of your way to consider my feelings makes me happy enough,” she replied.

“Your growth as a mage is a source of pride for me as your familiar. Please, by all means, go ahead.”

“I can trust those words, then?”

“Besides, it’s a bit contradictory for a Succubus to say that cheating is forbidden—ah, of course, I am your familiar, Master, so I would never cheat on you! I am devoted only to you!”

The way she panicked was incredibly cute. If the President hadn’t been there, I might have tried to kiss her right then and there.

I decided to treat this as strictly professional.

“I understand. President… as long as it doesn’t involve doing strange things with writhing, octopus-like creatures… I intend to do it.”

If it was just doing something lewd with an imp, I could probably endure it.

“I see. Understood.”

The President seemed to relax a bit at my words, and her expression softened. Looking at her like that, she just seemed like a dog-eared girl slightly younger than myself.

“Well then, Franz-san, I look forward to working with you.”

“Right. So, where and with whom will I be doing… what exactly?”

I was still a bit scared if I didn’t confirm the details beforehand.

President Kelkel placed her left hand over her heart.

“Well, that would be with me.”

“Ehh!? With you, President!?”

My voice cracked.

“Yes. To use this method, the instructor must be a seasoned expert. So, as the President, I have decided to handle it myself.”

Based on what she said earlier, that made sense. Since she was the President, she was likely the most knowledgeable person in the company regarding Dark Magic.
At that point, the President looked a bit embarrassed and scratched her cheek with her index finger.

“Um… if you’re opposed to doing it with someone who has dog ears and has lived for five centuries… I can consider finding a substitute… but would I be acceptable?”

“O-of course. In fact, I’d be glad to.”

I didn’t think there was a man alive who would turn down such a cute President.

“Also, my chest is quite small… is that alright as well? You aren’t one of those people who refuses to acknowledge anyone who isn’t well-endowed, are you?”

“No, not at all! I don’t discriminate based on things like that!”

“I understand. In that case, we will perform it tonight in the training room. Could you please kill some time somewhere until then? You’re welcome to read a book or something.”

President, I’m way too restless to focus on a book!

I tried reading a book about Dark Magic in a vacant room, but as expected, nothing was sinking in.

“So this is what Master looks like when he’s being teased,” Cerulia noted, scribbling something down in a notebook.

“I shall keep this for future reference.”

Please don’t learn weird things like that…

“But with this, it’s like you’re obtaining the entire foundation of a Dark Mage. Please do your best.”

I ended up being cheered on by my own familiar.