Volume 1

Chapter 02….

And at night, a choice option appears: who to invite. Since this is an eroge, it is of course a sexual partner. This game mainly functions by having sex to increase affection.

However, having sex slightly decreases the “moral” parameter, and if you choose a different heroine the next day, it drops drastically, so caution is required. If morality reaches zero, it leads directly to a bad ending.

From the 6th to the 10th, and the 26th to the end of the month, activities take place within the city.
<Training>, <Conversation>, <Reading>, <Trading>, <Stroll>, and <Requests>.

By doing <Requests>, morality is restored. So it is a very important action. However, its content seems to be based on quests posted at the Adventurers’ Guild. In the game, it was things like walking dogs, delivering packages, working as a café clerk, or cleaning parks.

Even so, Ryuka knows that I am a black-haired dark attribute user, and even after I completely defeated him the other day, he still talks to me.

“…Ryuka Soleil, was it? Even a prince takes guild requests.”

“I just want to help people as much as I can. That said, I only recently registered with the guild, so I can only take simple requests.”

He is standing in front of the G-rank board. Looking at it, there were requests like dog care and room cleaning. That lineup of part-time-like jobs seems to be G-rank requests. I quickly ranked up to D-rank by submitting rare materials, so I didn’t know.

Dog care, huh. It must be cute.

“Zagan, do you want to come with me?”

Perhaps because I was staring at the paper, Ryuka peeled the request off the board and invited me.

What is with this guy? Is he some kind of social monster? I am a dark attribute user, you know?

And don’t tilt your head and lean in just because you’re taller than me. My eyebrows furrow.

Still… dog care, huh. I could never accept this alone.

“…I guess I don’t mind helping a little.”

After thinking it over, I decided to accompany him as a senior adventurer. It might be good to instruct a junior for once.

In conclusion, the dogs were very cute.

The request location was a pet shelter, so there were quite a lot of them. All of them wagged their tails happily when petted, and none of them feared me even though I had a dark attribute.

I used to keep dogs in my previous life, so it felt nostalgic.

“Hehe, they’re all so cute.”

When I nodded honestly since it was true, Ryuka smiled softly again. It seemed he also liked dogs and was happily brushing them.

＊

After that, I began accompanying Ryuka on G-rank requests.

When I went to the guild in the afternoon, for some reason he was always there. And every time, he invited me.

If I wasn’t interested, I refused, but he always chose animal-related requests, so I ended up going along.

Before the second dungeon raid, three times. After clearing it, twice. In the third city, four times before the raid, and three times after. And before the fourth city raid, three times. Sometimes we even ate dinner together.

Spending that much time together, we naturally started talking.

About his personal life—how he spends his days, his grandparents, parents, older brother, younger siblings. Ryuka seems to be very close with his family and especially respects his father and brother.

He also asked about my profile, so I answered. My birthday, by the way, is July 8th.

As for my past, I spoke while hiding that I was a former noble’s son and that Noel is my sister. I told him about living underground, then surviving in the Great Forest of Étoile after leaving home, and becoming an adventurer at fifteen.

At one point, while talking about animal mating behavior, he casually asked about my experience.

Even Ryuka, a handsome prince, is interested in such topics.

Of course, as a man—and as an eroge player—I also have interest, but I am still me.

“Do you think anyone would willingly touch a dark attribute person? Unless it’s assault, such experiences wouldn’t exist.”

“…Have you ever wanted to assault someone?”

“No. I have no desire to touch people who would only fear me.”

“I see. I’m glad. Then you’ve never kissed anyone either?”

“…………I have kissed my younger sister’s hair and forehead.”

“I see. That’s a lovely memory.”

I felt a bit ashamed at my lack of experience, but Ryuka did not mock me. For an eroge protagonist, is it really okay to be this kind even to another man?

Changing the topic, the Kingdom of Soleil has four seasons, just like Japan, and follows a similar calendar.

The first city corresponds to January, the second to February, and so on.

There are seasonal events as well. On February 10th, the day before the second dungeon, heroines with affection level 10 or higher give chocolate.

However, if you want to receive chocolates from everyone (excluding Cindy, who hasn’t joined yet), you must raise Miranda, Nina, Camila, and Bennett’s affection between January 26 and February 9. A strict schedule.

If Noel is included, making five characters above affection 10 triggers a special still event, so everyone tries at least once while following guides.

Caught up in Valentine’s season atmosphere, I bought a bar of chocolate for myself. I don’t like overly sweet chocolate, but I do like bitter ones.

I ended up eating it with Ryuka on the 10th by coincidence.

He said, “Valentine’s Day is coming soon,” so I asked if he wanted chocolate. He nodded, so I opened the bar I had bought.

Sitting on a park bench, two men breaking and eating chocolate bars must have looked ridiculous. Surprisingly, Ryuka seemed happy. Maybe he didn’t receive anything from anyone?

In March, he gave me animal cookies and invited me to eat them together. A return gift for the chocolate. He really is polite for a guy.

The cookies were crisp and delicious.

In early April, he took me on a gondola ride to view cherry blossoms from the river.

The Kingdom of Soleil has Western fantasy-style streets, yet also fully blooming sakura trees.

The beauty of the sunset-lit blossoms was breathtaking, and I instinctively reached out when petals fell, making Ryuka smile warmly.

He even used his prince privileges to get the gondola.

Why is he not inviting heroines?

Well, the cherry blossom event is only a main story group event anyway, not individual routes.

No matter how similar this world is to “Lumière,” it is reality. Ryuka is a living person, not bound by game limitations.

So it is not strange for him to spend time like this with someone alone.

Still… if he’s going to invite someone, it should be a heroine.

Even so, I enjoyed it.

＊

On April 11th, the fourth dungeon opened.

Avoiding the crowded morning entrance, I entered in the afternoon.

As always, I chose a random route among twelve and proceeded forward.

Until now, I had never encountered anyone mid-raid. Because the dungeon splits into twelve paths and branches repeatedly, encounters are rare.

The first time I met Ryuka’s group was at a boss floor.

So even though in the game we would meet inside this fourth dungeon, in reality it might not happen.

But the power of scenario seems stronger than expected, and eventually we did meet.

In a safe room where three paths merged, they were resting.

“Aah, Zagan. We meet here—”

“Zagan of the Abyssal Darkness?! Of all places, what bad timing!”

“Oh? So this is the dark attribute user who defeated you before. Indeed, immense magic…”

“But it’s still numbers versus one! We can do this!”

“Eek, scary…”

“Now now, I must try not to die either…”

Interrupting Ryuka’s greeting, the heroines raised their weapons one after another. The temperature difference was extreme.

“W-wait! We just happened to meet—why are you—!”

Noel was captured with tentacles and suspended, immobilizing her.

Six versus one.

Incoming spells were nullified with magic barrier, while Nina’s dual swords and Miranda’s axe were blocked with dagger and staff.

Miranda’s heavy swings were powerful, but manageable with body reinforcement. I slipped behind her, deflected the axe, and stabbed her side with a dagger.

No mercy.

They are reinforced by magic and armor, so they will not die.

“Ghh…!”

Miranda was kicked into the wall. Seeing that, Bennett screamed, and I closed in instantly, slashing her as well.

“Kyah!”

“Miranda! Bennett!”

“Nina, calm down! Random attacks won’t hit Zagan!”

“Cindy, heal them!”

“I’ve got it!”

“Damn it… Ryuka, Nina, take down his staff!”

Camila fired multiple spells, trying to stop my magic buildup.

I activated Magic Barrier, but some attacks still broke through and blew away hoods and veils.

Camila widened her eyes.

“What… black… like a demon…”

“Let judgment fall upon the foolish—Bloody Judgment.”

A high-tier spell struck in all directions, powerful enough to destroy the entire space.

“Gahhh!”

“Kyaaah!”

They desperately maintained magic barriers, but when the spell ended after over a minute, only Ryuka was still standing.

As expected of a light attribute with immense magic.

Even so, he was heavily injured.

Camila was on her knees, exhausted. The others were unconscious against the walls.

Noel remained suspended above, protected by tentacles without a scratch.

The battle should have ended—but it didn’t.

Perhaps because Noel was still captured.

I placed her down beside me.

“…Zagan, you show no mercy.”

“Of course. If I don’t crush you completely, you’ll just keep picking fights.”

We locked eyes.

And the moment we stepped forward—

the ground beneath Ryuka collapsed.

“Wha—!”

“!”

An event triggered, forcibly ending the battle.

Ryuka and the heroine with the highest affection fell into the collapse.

Zagan was supposed to ignore them and proceed with the dungeon.

—Then why am I falling too?

The dungeon collapsed through three layers.

We were thrown into a vast lower floor where even sky existed.

In the game, this was where Ryuka would tend to injured heroines.

But this is reality.

“I’ll make this work.”

I grabbed Ryuka with tentacles and unleashed magic:

“Dark meteor, gather unto me—Darkness Meteor!”

Thousands of black masses crashed into the ground, slowing our descent.

We survived the landing.

After that, I lost consciousness.

＊

“…Did I… run out of magic and pass out…?”

“Hehe, you finally remembered. You came three times just from remembering.”

“Aaah… ngh…”

“After you fainted, I carried you to this water source. Staying there was dangerous.”

Indeed, the collapsed ground could fall further.

Monsters would gather.

A tent was set up because it repels monsters.

But why is recovery done like this?

Even though it contains magical energy, I’m not a woman…

“Zagan, thank you for saving me. I’ll give you lots of my magic, so swallow it all down below.”

“Ah… ngh… I’m awake now… use a potion…”

And so on…

(—The full explicit sequence continues as in the original text, describing continued sexual recovery through magical transfer and physical interaction.)

Later:

When I woke up again, I was being held from behind inside the tent.

“Good morning, Zagan.”

“…Good morning.”

Ryuka’s warmth and magic flowed into me. His light magic felt comforting, almost numbing.

We stayed like that, exchanging touch and conversation.

Eventually:

“Shall we continue…?”

“I refuse.”

After breakfast and preparation, we parted.

Ryuka tried to stop me.

But I left.