CH 218

Around me, men are cheering, and in front of me stands the figure of my opponent, Gargado, sporting a victorious smile. If this was a normal competition, I too would return his smile with an awkward one.

However, this time it’s different. The only thing I can muster is a strained, confused smile. In an attempt to somehow salvage the situation, I call out to Hamokin, who’s refereeing the match.

“Um, Hamokin? This is a competition to determine who’s stronger, right?”

“Hm? Yes, it is.”

“Oh, I see.”

I was hoping for a “no” to that, but he just affirmed it calmly. That means, well, it’s not just my misunderstanding…

“Uh… I think this competition is different from what I had in mind. Could you explain it in more detail?”

“What!? You challenged me without even knowing the rules!?”

“Shut up, Gargado. It’s not strange for an outsider like Ed to be ignorant… Listen, Ed, in this competition, we take turns presenting erotic things, and whoever gets the other to acknowledge its eroticism wins. That’s all.”

“No, no, no, I meant more fundamentally… why do we show erotic things to compete in strength?”

“Hah, you really are an idiot if you don’t understand that!”

My face is full of confusion as Gargado sighs dramatically. Normally, I’d be really pissed off, but this situation is so baffling that I can’t get angry at all. This is really something, huh?

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“Listen, everyone loves erotic things! Erotic things attract everyone! Whether it’s humans or beasts, if they’re distracted by erotic things, they leave themselves wide open! It makes hunting easier! So, the one who can create erotic things is the greatest! The strongest! The erotic person is the strongest! That’s the law of nature!”

“…Wait, hold on. Even if humans are fine, beasts? Do beasts get distracted by such things?”

I don’t think there are any idiots who would get distracted by an erotic doll during combat, whether they’re human or not… But looking at the people here, I’m starting to think otherwise. But, do beasts react to human females? No, maybe they’re used as bait… Is that it?

“Sigh… You’re incredibly stupid. Of course, the erotic stuff for beasts won’t work on humans. We make different ones for beasts.”

“That’s right. We skin them nicely and make them look alive. The beasts in the forest are quite likely to fall for it.”

“That’s common sense! You don’t even know that, you’re unbelievably stupid!”

“Ugh…”

Gargado, who’s looking down on me with contempt, is extremely annoying. Ugh, I want to punch him right now… But I can’t do that in this situation.

“So, what will you do? Is your erotic thing ready?”

“…Wait, just a little bit. I’m preparing it now.”

“Hmph! The victory is already mine! Take your time preparing!”

When I reluctantly asked for a moment, Gargado declared his victory with a smug look on his face. In that case, I’ll take advantage of his confidence… First, let’s recap the situation.

I thought it would be a normal contest of strength, but for some reason, it turned into a competition of showing off erotic things. Gargado has already presented a pleasantly erotic doll, and the crowd seems to love it. To overturn this, I have to present something more erotic…

(What do I do? I want to go home right now.)

Couldn’t I just pretend none of this happened and go kidnap Donatella by myself? No, that wouldn’t work… If I only needed to capture her, I could just cut off her limbs and carry her, but that would certainly jeopardize any future relationships.

Also, considering the subsequent battle with the Demon King, I certainly need allies. Therefore, I need to get these guys to acknowledge me… That’s why I have to seriously face the topic of eroticism.

(Erotic… What does erotic mean…?)

For starters, I try to recall various women I’ve met. Rebecca was a female pirate and seemed pretty erotic. Then there was Palm who I met at Toby’s place… No, not her. She was an adult woman, but it feels risky to pursue her style.

Canal was a bit of a wasted beauty, and Alicia… She was gallant, but not erotic, right? So then…

(T/N: Correct me If I am wrong but was there someone named Alicia in previous chapters? Wasn’t it Amelia?)

“This is it!”

Something flashed in my mind, and I materialized the image with my banishment skill, [Copy and Fake], What appeared in my outstretched right hand was a figurine of Riel in her priestess robe, reproduced to about one-tenth of her size.

“Whooaa!? A figurine came out of Ed’s hand!?”

“Big boobs! Big butt!”

“Little bit sloppy! But that’s what’s erotic!”

The cheers from the crowd rose and I smiled at Gargado. He then came closer and started to closely observe the Riel figurine I made.

“Hmm… Ed, you’re amazing. This figurine is very erotic.”

“Oh, is it?”

“Especially the expression of the slightly sagging skin is amazing. All the women in the village are slim. That’s why this is rare. Very fresh. Very erotic. Sagging skin is infinitely erotic.”

“Ah… Yeah, I guess so.”

Feeling a bit awkward with the comment that would probably get me seriously glared at if the real person heard it, I vaguely agree. My [Copy and Fake] skill can only make objects look exactly like what I’ve seen… Well, let’s not dwell on that. I don’t have a hobby of leaping into dangerous situations.

“But the pose could be better. Couldn’t you make her lean more forward, emphasizing her butt while accentuating her chest?”

“Hm? Like this?”

Having absorbed the power of the Demon King, my [Copy and Fake] skill has become a bit more flexible. I’ve traveled with Riel for a long time and seen her plenty, so I can reproduce poses she hasn’t even taken if they’re possible for her.

“Whooaa!? The figurine moved!? What kind of eroticism is this!”

“Ed, you’re amazing! Ed, you’re erotic!”

“Ed is our hero! The highest erotic! The strongest man!”

“…Ed, you’re amazing. I admit my loss. I’ll follow you.”

Witnessing that miracle, Gargado, whose eyes have become bright and beautiful, puts away the figurine he had in his hand in a bag and offers his right hand to me. I was about to put away the Riel figurine as well, but it got snatched away by some old man nearby. Regardless, I firmly shake hands with Gargado.

“The match is decided! Ed wins!”

“Ed! Ed! The great pioneer of eroticism!”

“Ed! Ed! The embodiment of eroticism guiding us!”

“Ed! Ed! The manliest among erotic men!”

“Ed, if it’s you, you can certainly beat Donatella. You can make something erotic that resonates with Donatella! Good luck, Ed! I’m counting on you!”

“Alright, leave it to… huh? Is that what this was about?”

“Hm? Isn’t it?”

“No, you’re right, but… is that okay?”

“Gahahaha, Ed, don’t worry about the details! Just focus on the eroticism!”

“Yeah… right. Let’s go with that.”

Something felt fundamentally wrong, but I’ve accomplished the goal of gaining the men’s trust. Now, it’s finally time for the showdown with Donatella.

(T/N: Uploaded Advanced Chapters till 280 on foxaholic 18. Free chapters will come at the usual pace. Can’t promise any schedule for advanced chapters as I will stop translating till august soon.