1. Bestowed upon me is the power of absolute charm.
"What...
is this...?"
I should have been asleep, but when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a place that wasn’t my room.
In fact, I couldn’t even be sure if this was Japan. The stone walls around me were covered in strange symbols and unfamiliar emblems. What the hell is happening...?
"So, you've appeared, you damn otherworlder!"
The woman standing before me was a knight, wielding a longsword. As I glanced around, I realized I was surrounded by a group of at least twenty others, all similarly armed.
Each one of them was beautiful, with sharp, striking eyes and finely sculpted noses—there was no way they looked Japanese.
—Otherworlder.
The knight had definitely called me that. If this wasn’t some kind of dream or elaborate prank, then it seemed I might have been transported to another world.
Now that I thought about it, I could vaguely remember hearing a strange voice just before I fell asleep. There was something else, too, but the details were hazy.
...Could this really be an otherworld summoning… or perhaps some kind of trip?
I’d read plenty of stories like this in novels and seen them in games, so it wasn’t exactly shocking. Still, I never imagined I’d find myself caught up in one.
"You're unusually calm. Can you speak?"
If this really is another world, it’s strange that I can understand their words. Then again, it must be some kind of magic... I suppose I’ll have to test it out...
"Yeah, I can speak."
"Y-You spoke...!"
"You shouldn’t be surprised. We’re both human, after all."
"...Tell me your name."
"Miura Ryuta."
"Miura Ryuta?"
"If you don’t understand, just call me Ryu."
I’m
just an ordinary office worker who loves otaku culture, the kind of guy you
could find anywhere. That said, I’ve become jaded about most things, so I’m the
type who doesn’t easily panic.
"Our
mission is to eliminate you here."
"Eliminate, you say?"
Hey,
wait, are they really going to kill me here? The fact that the female knights
are armed tells me they’re serious. This sudden turn of events is making me
feel uneasy.
If
this is a summoning, someone must have called me here on purpose. Even if it’s
a trip, some god must have had an intention behind it—there has to be some
reason. I didn’t end up in this world just to be killed.
No, I’ll worry about the reasons later. Right now, I need to focus on getting out of this situation.
There are about twenty knights surrounding me. Behind the sword-wielding knight, I can see others with bows and staffs. They’re likely archers and mages.
Since I’m facing women, I figured I might be able to handle them, even with weapons in their hands. But if they have ranged attackers, moving might not be the smartest choice.
Looks
like I’ll have to negotiate.
"Hey,
if you’re here, that means my appearance was anticipated, right?"
"Yes, we sensed the surge of magic power that happens during a
summoning."
"I see."
That’s
a relief. They might have said they’re here to eliminate me, but it seems
they’re at least willing to listen.
I
mean, it’s only natural they’d find it unsettling—seeing an unarmed man
standing this calmly in front of them. Anyone would be wary.
I am an otherworlder, after all. From their perspective, who knows what I might do? No wonder they’re this cautious. Still, as long as they’re open to conversation, I’ll make good use of it.
"For
the moment, could you put down your weapons? I have no intention of hurting any
of you."
It was obvious, but this was a bluff.
I'm
just an ordinary human—I can't wield magic or summon any strange energies. But
they likely see me as some kind of unpredictable force. A simple bluff can
sometimes have far-reaching consequences.
As
I spoke, I saw the female knight’s hand tense, her fingers curling around her
weapon in reaction to my words.
"You bastard, a man—are you really planning to lay your hands on us women!?"
"I
never said anything like that... In fact, it's quite the opposite..."
"Don't
get so full of yourself. There's no way a man could ever be stronger than a
woman!"
What
does that even mean?
If
she’s a knight, then she must have undergone some serious training. So, does
that mean someone like me—just a guy who goes to work and spends the rest of
the time holed up at home—could never stand a chance against her?
If
that’s the case, I can understand. But judging by the way the female knight
reacted, it seems there’s more to it than that.
I’ll play dumb for now, pretending not to catch on. Maybe feign a bit of ignorance, like I’m not fully aware of what’s going on.
"But
if you just take a look at the size of my arms, it’s pretty clear. Mine are
definitely bigger."
"Ahahaha!"
Out
of nowhere, the female knight burst into laughter.
"Are
you an idiot? Strength isn’t measured by the size of your arms. Women possess
more magical power than men!"
I
see now. That must be it. My guess is that their magical power amplifies the
physical strength they already have. That’s how they’ve gained power greater
than men’s and were able to form something like a knight order.
If I think about it logically, it would be strange for them to be guards without a single man among them. The only reason that isn’t odd is because they’ve been carefully chosen as guards.
And the way they’re acting with such caution? It’s clear they’ve gathered a formidable force.
In other words, the female knight’s words are probably true.
As I processed all of this, the women began to make unusual movements.
"Hehe, is it because he’s an otherworlder that he doesn't know? What an idiot."
"Yes,
it’s a relief he’s such a fool."
The
women around me are whispering, quietly mocking me.
"Heh.
Looks like I was just overthinking. To think you’re so oblivious to your own
limits."
The
female knight in front of me shrugged nonchalantly and turned to speak to the
other female knight standing beside her.
"I’m
heading back. I don’t have time to waste on someone like him."
"Captain?
Are you really just going to leave us here to slack off?"
"Don’t
be foolish. I don’t have the time to waste on a man with such pitifully weak
magical power. You all can handle the mission yourself and still claim the
credit."
"Eh?
You mean we’ll get the credit just for dealing with someone like him!?"
It’s
obvious from their conversation that they’re treating me as weak. Even if I’m
only pretending to be an idiot, it still gets under my skin a little.
But
if I snap now, they’ll kill me for sure. I’ll have to keep the negotiation
going—for now.
"How
about we exchange some information first? I’m sure you’re curious about my
world, right?"
"Don’t
get cocky, you’re a man!"
"It’s
a hundred years too soon for a man to speak to us as equals!"
They keep looking down on me simply because I’m a man.
If they were just trying to degrade me as a person, they’d be emphasizing
that I’m an otherworlder instead.
"For
now, he’s no threat. Take care of him. I’m heading back."
"Ah—Captain…!"
The
woman they called “Captain” walked out of the room.
Now then… what to do? As I was thinking, another female knight leveled her sword at me.
"That’s
enough talk. I’ll kill you—just as I was ordered!"
Tch.
So they’ve figured it out—that I don’t really have any power.
If I’ve had all this time and done nothing, that can only mean one thing: I’m useless. Looks like my stalling has reached its limit.
Everyone shifts into battle formation. Knights raise their blades, archers draw their bows, and mages brandish their staffs.
Am I… really going to die here?
I’ve
only lived a little over twenty years. There’s still so much I haven’t done.
And
now I’m supposed to die—after being dragged into another world by people I
don’t even know?
To
make matters worse, those women laughed at me. Mocked me.
…Like
hell they’ll get away with that.
I
won’t die here. Not by the hands of those arrogant women who sneer at me.
If
anything, I want to violate every single one of them here and make them my
women. I’ll ruin them completely, and make them my sex slaves.
And
just then—a voice echoed in my ears.
‘I wonder, would you like to change the way things are right now?’
Who are you?
‘I’ll
tell you about myself later. For now, the question is—will you form a contract
with me…?’
A
Contract?
‘I
can grant you the strength to overcome this situation.’
Power…
Is that really true?
‘If
I were lying, I wouldn’t have gone this far. I would’ve abandoned you.’
You’ve
got a point. In a situation this dire, there’s no reason for you to toy with
me.
But if this is a lie… remember this.
If I die here, I’ll curse you… along with everyone else in this place.
‘If
you can speak with that much resolve, then there’s nothing to worry about. So—tell
me. Do you want power?’
How
intriguing. I don’t know what kind of power it is, but I’ll take it.
‘Then—make
a contract with me.’
A
contract? Fine, then. I’m not in a position to question the terms.
‘What
I’ll bestow upon you is—the power of absolute charm!!’
Understood. I’ll be sure to put that power to good use.
A
burning sensation welled up from deep within me, spreading through my body. And
as if by instinct, knowledge of the ability surfaced in my mind.
“Ku
ku ku…”
"W-What’s
so funny!?"
The
female knight asked, her weapon still pointed at me, unwavering.
"Have
any of you ever had sex with a man?"
“Wha—!?”
Everyone
there wore expressions of shock and humiliation, their faces betraying their
discomfort.
"That
reaction… tells me you’ve either never done it, or you’ve barely any
experience."
"You filthy man! How dare you insult us! We won’t stand for this—we’ll
kill you!"
"Go ahead. Try it if you think you can!"
A
magic circle flared to life on the floor, spreading outward from beneath my
feet.
To
activate this ability, the target had to be inside the circle.
I
extended its reach, the glowing patterns widening until every female knight in
the room was caught within its radius.
And
then—
"Now—crave!
This me!”
—The power of absolute charm had been activated.
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