"You've become slightly stronger? With just four people?"
Eris found it absurd, but Sanguinius was already expecting this.
The power of "trust" doesn't depend solely on numbers.
There are other factors to consider, such as the quality or strength of the "trust."
'The four people here must have great confidence in me, or at least some of them do.'
He had no unit of measurement to evaluate the quality or power of trust, and even less someone with whom to compare these elements.
However, Sanguinius could surprisingly guess the identity of those who gave him their trust.
It made sense, as it must be possible to renounce a specific "trust" in case of emergency.
This option was requested by Sanguinius to avoid visions or misinterpretations developed by Trust donors about him.
He wanted to prevent a scenario similar to that of the heroine named Xiao Yueqing or Moon, who originally could go anywhere (teleportation), but ended up being limited to only going to Hero Nice, because her fans constantly wanted to see them together.
Another example: if some people only perceive the 'Asura mode' aspect of Sanguinius, he would risk developing multiple personalities permanently, like the Greek and Roman gods in Percy Jackson.
That's why the option to reject specific Trusts exists: it allows him to secure the future evolution of his power without it being altered in an undesirable way.
Of course, this limits the speed of his future development because of his selectivity, unlike the heroes of To Be Hero X.
'I'm not surprised about Mittelt, but Kalawarna, Aura, and this little boy are unexpected.'
The little boy he had saved from human traffickers gave him incredibly pure trust.
On the other hand, Aura's was rudimentary.
It was similar to an animal depending on you out of necessity to satisfy a need.
Of course, Mittelt's "trust" was the most powerful in the group.
"I have trusted friends, haha."
It was a sincere answer, given straightforwardly.
However, Sanguinius felt slight frustration at Serie's absence among his supporters.
'Even if it frustrates me, it remains logical.'
Serie had only met him once during her very long existence. Their bond remained purely commercial for now.
It was unrealistic to expect her to develop genuine trust with so few interactions and without concrete proof of his reliability.
Thinking otherwise would be arrogance.
It's rather Aura who is abnormal in her view of things... But after all, she is a demon from the Frieren universe.
She's a predatory creature with a "human" appearance, who only respects the strong, aka powerful mages possessing a large amount of mana.
"I'm happy for you."
Eris sketched a happy smile after hearing his words.
'I thought he would be disappointed by such a low number... but I worried for nothing.' Eris thought, satisfied with Sanguinius's reaction.
Angels lived very long lives, being celestial creators living in heaven.
At first, Eris had found the number on Sanguinius's arms ridiculously low for a creature with centuries of existence.
But listening to him and remembering his fallen status, she found herself admiring his positive outlook.
"I'll have to leave you now, and I hope to receive good news from you soon," she declared, referring to the conflicts with demons.
Sanguinius simply thanked the goddess disguised as a thief during her departure.
He had no real reason to prolong this discussion, risking inadvertently revealing his ruse.
"Thanks to you, things will be easier," he muttered, looking at Eris's back.
He didn't waste time leaving the alley, before finally finding the place of desires for any healthy man.
"Hello young man, you seem to be new here."
"Indeed, miss...?"
Once he arrived at the succubus establishment thanks to directions from a male adventurer, Sanguinius was quickly approached by a beautiful succubus.
(Image)
She didn't seem to have detected his sacred power, which was pleasant news for Sanguinius.
"Haha, are you really sure you're interested 'that way' in a succubus?" she said, licking her lips in a sensual and captivating manner.
But in her gaze shone a predatory gleam, as she fixed on a very specific "area" of Sanguinius's body.
She had interpreted Sanguinius's attempt to converse as flirting, and his attractive appearance hadn't helped matters... or perhaps the opposite?
Unfortunately for the succubus, Sanguinius had no such intention in asking her name.
He just wanted to know out of pure curiosity.
'I just want your skills, not you!'
Despite his fallen nature and his first "angelic" sin, he refused to lower himself to "eating" a succubus.
He had standards! And this woman simply didn't meet them.
"Frankly, you're sexy and attractive, but I'll pass," he said honestly to kill the misunderstanding in the bud.
The guild's head receptionist? Yes, why not.
But the receptionist of a succubus establishment? No, I'll pass.
She seemed to appreciate the beginning of his phrase, but displayed a disappointed look afterward.
"Are you here only for our services, in that case?"
She handed out a form to fill while giving a brief explanation about their establishment.
In summary, if there are practically never cases of sexual harassment or worse in this city, it's thanks to this place.
Male adventurers pay a small sum of money, as well as a negligible share of their vital energy, to enjoy erotic lucid dreams created by succubi.
Thus, almost all adventurers can release their repressed desires in a dream illusion, without assaulting random young women in the street.
'Oh damn, they even offer a reverse rape scenario with the client in shota mode...'
Despite the temptation of the establishment's "menu," Sanguinius controlled himself.
He hadn't come for that, and nothing prevented him from creating his own dream scenarios later, if he succeeded in his negotiation here.
"Thank you for this pleasant proposal, but I came here for something else."
She looked even more confused at this new rejection, but maintained a professional attitude, despite her particularly revealing outfit.
"Something else? What else could you want from a succubus or an erotic dream, here?"
A legitimate question... but slightly embarrassing to hear so directly.
"*Cough*... I wanted to pay to learn some skills."
"...What?!"
It took Sanguinius a few minutes to explain his situation, with some subtle tweaks to avoid coming across as a pervert... or a workaholic.
"I see. You're a scholar, and you want to study the usefulness of lucid dream abilities in daily life," she said after a moment of assimilating the received information.
"Not just lucid dreaming. I also want to study the effects of charm, and any other skill of your race... I'll pay half now, and the other half after."
Money often speaks better than words.
Sanguinius placed on the table 10% of his funds, a total of 20,000 Eris.
A huge sum, when you know that a high-ranking undead under the Demon King's orders named Beldia is worth 300,000 Eris.
"If you're really willing to pay so much... why not. But certain skills require a demonstration..."
She sketched a tempting smile, before whispering in his ear:
"...More intimate~"
A warm breath brushed his ear.
And, as a healthy man, he of course got a strong erection.
But he let nothing show on his face.
"Hmm~ despite your neutral expression, your body remains honest," she said, slowly sliding her hand toward that rebellious "zone."
Unfortunately for Sanguinius's second brain, the first had just regained control.
Caught.
"I'll be content with the skills... without more intimate demonstration."
Despite the pitiful expression and negotiation attempts of the succubus, Sanguinius did not yield.
He didn't want to, and wasn't going to become the dinner of an awakened-appetite succubus.
Finally, he left the establishment after learning five skills for a total of 14 points.
Of course, he paid the rest once the transaction was finalized.
"They'll be useful to me... but I'm skeptical about the last one," he said while consulting his guild card.
Name: Sanguinius
Species: Human (active transformation magic)
Age: Top secret
Class: Adventurer
Statistics:
- Strength: 24,000
- Speed: 10,500
- Durability: 9,000
- Mana: 7,483.5
- Luck: 10
- Intelligence: 6.5 (IQ 130)
Total stat points: 51,000
Total unused skill points: 80
⸻
Active Skills:
- Charm: Level 1
- Dream: Level 1
- Act: Level 1
- Pheromones: Level 1
Passive Skills:
- Trust: Max level
- Birth Control: Max level
Magic: None
"I should check the details of the skills and not rely entirely on the vision that natives of this world have of them."
Sanguinius began reading the details about the skills, thanks to the group chat.
He wanted to know if there were any undisclosed details in the guild card.
During his little experience, he was heading towards Kazuma's inn.
Unfortunately, he wasn't attentive enough.
He hadn't noticed the young girl dressed as a witch, standing in front of the inn.
She seemed to be hesitating about entering.
-Ouch
[Name: Charm (Rank B)]
[Level: 1]
[Category: Active skill (semi-passive)]
[Description: Your gestures breathe grace and a hypnotic aura that attracts the attention of your interlocutor.]
[Effect: If the possessor of this skill wishes, they can temporarily, or even permanently, control a creature possessing less mana than them and being inferior in appearance.]
[Warning!!!: Does not work against undead or inanimate creatures.]
[Name: Dream (Rank B+)]
[Level: 1]
[Category: Active skill]
[Description: You can shape, modify and control your target's dream.]
[Effect: Creates or manipulates dreams.]
[Warning: The target must already be asleep.]
[Name: Act (Rank D+)]
[Level: 1]
[Category: Active skill (semi-passive)]
[Description: You enjoy playing a role and you know how to stick to it in a coherent and convincing way.]
[Effect: Your role is more convincing.]
[Name: Pheromone (Rank D)]
[Level: 1]
[Category: Passive skill (semi-active)]
[Description: Some creatures emit an odor for various reasons, such as communication, influencing their prey, or attracting a reproductive partner.]
[Effect: Emits a scent according to the intention of the skill's host. The power and range depend on magical power.]
[Name: Birth Control (Rank: Unknown)]
[Level: 1]
[Category: Passive skill (semi-active)]
[Description: Some creatures don't have a female or male counterpart in their race, and must therefore use individuals of other races to reproduce.]
[Effect: Guarantees conception of offspring with any race.]