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Prologue
In the dimly lit room, lascivious splashes echoed.
The room was filled with the intoxicating scent of a girl in heat, making my head spin.
Amidst all this, the girls leaning on me wore melty expressions, each uniquely enchanting.
Elio . . .
Mr. Elio . . .
Lord Elio . . .
My beloved childhood friend, a beastwoman, a half-elf, a former criminal, and even non-human girls, all intensely desired me. The scene was overwhelmingly stimulating, lewd, and taboo.
I was supposed to become a proud holy knight protecting the country. How did it come to this . . .
I wanted to hold my head in despair, but there was no room for such gestures in front of these fully aroused girls.
Using the perverted skills that manifested in me, I responded to their feelings while reminiscing about the distant past when my fate was sealed.
One
▼Episode 1: The Granting Ceremony
That night, the royal capital was bustling with glamour.
Today was the annual Holy Birth Festival.
A significant holiday where boys and girls of a certain age received their Gift from the heavens.
A Gift was a talent bestowed directly from the heavens.
There were various types, such as 'Swordsman' or 'Blacksmith', and the type of Gift one received dictates their life.
In the central square in front of the cathedral in the royal capital, people of the appropriate age lined up, receiving their Gifts one after another.
Oh, I'm so nervous.
I, Elio Scarlet, was also in line, my heart pounding with excitement.
Everyone must've been nervous, but I think my anxiety was particularly intense.
After all, my family was one of the most distinguished in the royal capital—the Scarlet noble house.
The Scarlet family was known for receiving the Gift of the 'Holy Knight', and with their power, they protected the royal capital as a sacred noble lineage.
Naturally, as a member of this family, there were great expectations for me to become a Holy Knight. From a young age, I'd been given various educations by top-notch teachers. The thought of receiving a strange Gift made me anxious.
There's no need to be so nervous, Elio.
The one who gently placed a hand on my shoulder was my father.
The current head of the Scarlet noble house—my father, continued with a friendly smile.
It may sound odd, but the Scarlet family already has your two brothers who have received the Gift of the 'Holy Sword Knight'. There's no issue with the succession. I hear tales of nobles who easily disown their children for receiving odd Gifts, but I am not so heartless. No matter what Gift you receive, you are still my beloved child, so go and receive your Gift with pride.
Yes, Father!
The words of my father, who was both dignified and kind, lightened my shoulders.
Just then . . .
Ooooooooh!
A cheer rose from the front.
I wondered what was happening.
Amazing! It's a Holy Knight!
The commotion among the townspeople made me widen my eyes in surprise.
A Holy Knight?!
This was a Gift that surpassed even my brothers' Holy Sword Knight status.
No, not just surpassing.
It was the legendary Gift, said to have played a major role when the demon race once conspired to annihilate the human race.
Whoever received it was hailed as one of the strongest warriors of their generation, without exception . . .
I craned my neck to see who had received such an incredible Gift.
Hmm . . . the youngest daughter of the Blueeyes family. She's always been exceptional, but to receive such a powerful Gift . . .
Eh . . . the daughter of the Blueeyes family. Could it be Alicia?!
At my father's words, I jumped to see, and there in the center of the commotion was indeed Alicia.
A girl of breathtaking beauty with distinctive silvery hair and ethereal blue eyes.
She was the youngest of the Blueeyes noble family and had been my playmate since we were children.
Alicia, as usual, received the admiration of those around her with an inscrutable expression, making it hard to guess what she was thinking.
Indeed, Alicia had always excelled in both swordsmanship and her studies, and I had always felt a bit envious . . .
Seeing Alicia, I felt a competitive spirit flare up within me.
I won't lose either . . . !
My father looked down at me with a mischievous grin.
Gifts often run in the family. As the Scarlet Family, tasked with protecting the royal capital, we would very much like to welcome that child. I have high hopes for you, Elio.
What are you talking about, Dad . . . ?
I felt my face turn red as I retorted.
For some reason, Alicia always clung to me, making it easy for others to get the wrong idea.
That's why I was used to shrugging off this kind of teasing.
. . . or at least I should've been, but it was harder now that Alicia had become noticeably more beautiful.
On top of that, the seriousness in my father's eyes made it impossible for me to respond properly.
Elio Scarlet! Step forward!
As these thoughts filled my mind, it was suddenly my turn.
Most of the gift ceremonies had already finished, so the attention on me, a member of the Scarlet noble family, was extraordinary.
The pressure that my father had briefly lifted was now heavily weighing on my shoulders again.
I hoped to receive a decent Gift, if not one as outstanding as Alicia’s . . . !
With that wish, I entrusted myself to the priestess.
Then, I felt a heat rising from within me.
This is what it feels like to receive a Gift . . . But, hang on? Why does it feel unusually hot around my lower body . . . ?
I was perplexed, but it seemed the gift ceremony was complete.
The female priest was about to read out the Gift that was bestowed upon me.
Elio Scarlet! The Gift is . . . eh?
Something was off about the priestess.
She seemed terribly confused, struggling to find her words, which was evident even by her aura alone.
What was going on . . . ?
As I stood confused, my father spoke up as if to voice my own question.
What is the matter, priestess? What is my son's Gift? Say it. Even if it's a non-combative Gift, I do not mind.
Yes . . . then, I shall announce it. Elio Scarlet. The Gift is—
After much hesitation, following tradition, the priestess finally announced my Gift out loud.
The Gift is 'Incubus'! Initial skill is . . . Unmatched Stamina!
Huh?
With those words, the hall of the ceremony fell silent, as if time had stopped.
▼Episode 2: Did I say I wouldn't banish him? That was a lie.
It is with a heavy heart . . .
The day after the ceremony.
I had been holed up in my room, stunned, until late afternoon when my father called for me.
Normally, at this time, I would be in the dining hall chatting with everyone.
But that day, I was summoned alone to my father's office.
Only my father, Duke Scarlet, and our family's veteran butler, Sebastian, were present.
I love you. I intended to show you a path to happiness, no matter what Gift you received. But . . . well . . . the Scarlet family is both the king's sword and the church's symbol, a lineage of Holy Knights. There are limits to everything.
My father's usual cheerful demeanor was gone, his words faltering.
The whole city is already abuzz with rumors about your, well, unusual Gift. Both the king and the church have sent direct orders to 'do something about it.' With all this commotion, it would be difficult for you to remain in this city.
Father was right.
The gift of the 'Incubus'.
My skill: Unmatched Stamina.
With such a perverted gift known to those around him, it was impossible for me to live a normal life.
The very reason I had stayed indoors all day today was to avoid facing anyone who knew about me.
Therefore, as of today, I disown you. Leave this city and make your own way.
So, my father's proposal wasn't unreasonable at all, it was actually something I had hoped for myself.
But remember, even though I say disown, it's just a formality. If you ever find yourself in trouble, you can always count on us for help. I'll give you a generous amount of money for now, so head west where it's safe. Recreate yourself as a new 'Elio,' one unknown to the capital, and establish yourself in the remote lands where the city's rumors can't reach.
Yes.
Thus, I parted from my loving family and was exiled from the royal capital where I had grown up.
* * *
The departure was at midnight.
Choosing a time when everyone was asleep, I left the capital without anyone but my family and a devoted servant named Gil knowing, who volunteered to drive the carriage.
At home, I had learned about various things such as swordsmanship, economics, and the workings of the city in practical forms, so I wasn't overly anxious about the future despite being exiled. I also had quite a bit of travel money.
Still, at unexpected moments, a sense of despair and loss from having lost everything would overwhelm me.
It was all because of the 'Gift' I received yesterday.
Haa . . .
As the carriage rocked, I listlessly gazed down at my status card.
It was a mysterious plate given by the church on my fourth birthday, displaying my level and skills.
Elio Scarlet Human 'Incubus' Level 1
Skills Possessed: Unmatched Stamina Lv1
No matter how many times I looked, the reality did not change.
Embarrassing Gift, embarrassing skills.
Since yesterday, I'd lost count of how many times I'd sighed.
Even so . . .
As I muttered, I looked at the skills displayed on my status plate.
Could it be that this intense heat in my lower body since yesterday is because of this Unmatched Stamina skill . . . ?
Since yesterday, I'd been consciously feeling a persistent heat emanating from my lower body.
Shocked by the embarrassing Gift I received, I hadn't paid much attention before, but in the current situation where I could only sit in a carriage, it was hard not to notice.
Once I started paying attention, it was unstoppable.
Feeling an unprecedented urge, I quietly reached down to my lower body.
What was there had become significantly more prominent than just the day before yesterday.
Could this also be the effect of the Gift and skills? Ah, no wonder I was cast out . . .
The profoundly lewd effects of the Gift.
While falling into a great self-loathing, I comforted myself as if to escape from reality.
Anyway, I was the only one in the carriage, and due to the bumpy road, even the driver, Gil, couldn't hear any sounds.
I had lost everything, so there was no point in fretting over the details anymore.
Ugh.
With such a resigned feeling, I dealt with my raging desires.
Eh . . . what is this . . . ?
I let out a voice of confusion.
Despite having taken care of it properly, the throbbing in my lower body hadn't subsided at all.
Just one time is not enough . . . ?!
Of course, being at that age, my recovery was quick.
But to feel the urge so soon again; this was a first for me.
Ugh, what's with this Gift? It's really the worst . . .
I truly detested it.
Hoping for some mistake that might change my Gift, I looked down at the status plate again, though I knew it was futile.
Huh?
At that moment, I was so shocked I thought I had gone crazy.
After all, the display on the status plate had changed from before.
Elio Scarlet Human 'Incubus' Level 2
Skills Possessed: Unmatched Stamina Lv1
Eh? Why did my level go up . . . ?
I let out a bewildered voice.
▼Episode 3: It Just Happened
Level up.
It was said to be a phenomenon that increased the strength of one's soul.
The higher the level, the more one's physical abilities, magical powers, and skill potency improved, elevating their status as a living being.
Of course, as the expression goes, leveling up typically required strict conditions.
If it was a combat Gift, you might need to slay dozens of monsters, or if it was a production Gift, extensive training over a long period might be necessary.
Of course, right after receiving a Gift, growth could be quite rapid . . . but leveling up without doing anything was practically unheard of.
Especially considering I was just lying down in the carriage.
No, but in my case, it's not exactly true that I did nothing.
Could it be . . .
An absurd hypothesis.
Yet, unable to think of any other reason for the level up, I followed the throbbing in my lower half and comforted myself once more.
How much time had passed since then?
Elio Scarlet Human 'Incubus' Level 10
Skills Possessed:
Unmatched Stamina Lv1
Wow.
Faced with this unbelievable outcome, I didn't know what kind of expression to wear.
Even I was taken aback by myself.
As it turned out, each time I comforted myself, my level increased by one.
What an absurd rate of growth.
Sure, at first, any Gift leveled up quickly.
It was said that reaching around level 30 was quick for anyone.
But even that usually took about a year, assuming daily training and combat.
To think that just handling a few urges could lead to such rapid leveling, it might be blasphemous to the Gift bestowed from above.
No, but . . . it's definitely strange, maybe it's easy to level up but doesn't make me much stronger or something.
That's how it was with production Gifts, and maybe the Incubus was similar.
GRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!
Suddenly, multiple beastly roars could be heard from outside.
Just as I thought, the carriage shook violently, and Coachman Gil shouted.
Whoa?!
Then he screamed.
Startled, I looked outside to see several shadows under the moonlight.
Why on earth are there man-eating boars now?! Master Elio, please run!
Gil shouted.
Heeding his voice, I leapt from the carriage, but there was nowhere to escape.
In the darkness, numerous sets of eyes shone through, completely surrounding us.
There must have been nearly twenty of them.
Escape was simply not an option.
Damn it, Gil! I'll hold them off, hurry to the next town!
Young master?!
I gripped my sword and glared at my enemies.
Though I hadn't received a combat gift, I had still trained up till now.
Self-defense, at least . . . No, I should've at least been able to protect Gil, who took on the job of transporting someone like me.
However, the average level of man-eating boars was certainly around 7.
It was difficult to handle them without being at least the same level or higher with a combat gift.
Moreover, fighting such numbers was reckless, but . . . I had no choice but to fight!
Yaaaaaah!
To make it easier for Gil to escape, I charged first at the boars blocking our path, striking a controlling blow as I had once learned.
But then . . .
Gyuu?!
Huh?
For a moment, I didn't understand what had happened.
A man-eating boar, larger than me, was sent flying by a blow that barely carried any weight.
And somehow, the movements of the man-eating boars seemed unusually slow . . .
Confused, I continued to strike at the surrounding boars.
"Dogooh!"
Gyuuuuuu!
It was over in an instant.
I had swung my sword three times.
A hole appeared in the circle of man-eating boars.
Eh?
Gil was there, eyes widened in surprise.
What just happened?!
And I was more surprised than Gil himself.
I was indeed now at level 10.
It wouldn't be strange if I could overwhelm level 7 man-eating boars.
But that would only be if I had received a combat gift.
A gift that levels up just by dealing with lust shouldn't be this powerful. It was absolutely absurd.
What on earth is going on . . . but if I'm strong, that's all the better!
While repelling the approaching boars, I raced down the night road with Gil.
As expected of you, young master! I've heard that with enough training, even those without a combat gift can hold their own against monsters, but I never expected you to do this well!
Perhaps because we managed to get out of a pinch, Gil shouted excitedly.
But then, it happened.
Gooooooooooooooooo!
The herd of man-eating boars suddenly let out high-pitched screams.
Then, suddenly . . .
What the-?!
Out of nowhere, a massive shadow burst from the side of the road.
It was a man-eating boar, twice the size of the others, and I couldn’t help but widen my eyes in shock.
The boss of the herd . . . ? Could it be that this was their plan all along?!
The initial encirclement would have been ideal if it worked.
If escaped, the strategy probably included the boss lying in wait ahead to cover the rear.
Faced with the cunning of a monster for the first time, cold sweat broke out on me.
The herd was pressing from behind and the boss was ahead of me.
Facing such a formidable individual left me with only one choice.
Uryaaaaaaah!
I leapt from the carriage, charging at the boss with all my might.
But—
GRRRAAAAAAAAARGH!
Whoa?!
It was too strong.
As expected of a leader who could command such a large group, its speed and strength were on a different level.
It wasn't going as well as before.
Suddenly at a disadvantage, the carriage was quickly blocked and caught up by the man-eating boars.
Young master!
No good, Gil! Run!
Gil, the coachman, tried to help by grabbing a spear from the carriage.
I tried to stop him, but knowing there was no way out, Gil decided to take a desperate charge.
Damn, we were both going to be done for at this rate . . . !
Just as I braced for the worst, the wind blew.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
The sound of the wind slicing through the air followed.
Next, the sounds of the man-eating boars collapsing without even a death cry filled the air.
And just when I thought the massive boss’s body had been split in two—
I'm glad I followed you after all.
Huh?
Standing before me was a girl with eyes as blue as gems and distinctive silver hair.
When I heard that Elio had been driven out of town . . . I ran away from home too.
The sound of a sword being sheathed echoed crisply as Alicia Blueeyes, my childhood friend I’d been with since we were young, finished her swift action.
▼Episode 4: The Beast of Lust
Alicia?! What?! How did you find me here?!
Didn’t I tell you? I heard you were driven out of the capital . . . so I ran away from home too.
With a startled expression, I asked, and Alicia answered nonchalantly.
Her usual expressionless face made it hard to read her thoughts, but her tone carried an unusual firmness this time.
Running away from home . . . That's not right! You're a Holy Knight, aren't you, Alicia?! You're supposed to protect the capital—Mmph?!
More importantly . . .
Alicia silenced my confused protest with her finger.
Isn't there something else you want to say?
At that, I looked around.
I saw the many man-eating boars cut into pieces and the boss creature split in half.
Then, after confirming that Mr. Gil was alive without a scratch despite collapsing from shock, I said.
Thank you for saving me.
Hehe. You're welcome.
I thanked my childhood friend, who smiled faintly back at me.
How could Holy Knights be this strong . . . ?
* * *
For now, I think we should head to the next town immediately. I was attacked by monsters several times on the way . . . Their behavior seemed unusual.
Following what Alicia said, we hurried towards the neighboring town.
Being close to the royal capital, this place was quite prosperous, and we were able to find a fairly large inn quickly.
Given our limited funds, we should have opted for a more modest lodging, but having a beauty like Alicia with me made it hard to argue for simplicity.
After parting ways with Mr. Gil for now, we rented two rooms, and then I decided to have a proper talk with Alicia.
Listen, Alicia. I really appreciate you saving me. But running away from home . . . My family, as well as the Blueeyes noble family, won't allow it. The escape of a Holy Knight is a major issue; they'll surely bring you back.
It was late at night, and I was facing Alicia in her room.
I was truly happy that she followed me despite the disgraceful gift I received . . . but Alicia was too good a person to throw her life away for someone like me.
And no matter how strong a Holy Knight she may have been, she couldn't stand against the adult knights. I wanted her to reconsider before causing a major issue and burdening many people.
However . . .
It's okay. I've told them it's a training journey to become stronger quickly. My family, the Blueeyes noble family, is a lineage of hard-fought nobility. If I say it's for training, they'll be deceived for a while . . . And I've thought about how to avoid being brought back in the long run.
What?
Alicia asserted this confidently.
She had thought this through . . . ?
Considering she was embarking on a training journey without an escort, it's hard to imagine how she could prevent being brought back as a Holy Knight indefinitely.
Just as I was taken aback—tug.
Alicia pulled my hand with incredible force. What?!
Fah?! Wait, Alicia?!
Before I knew it, I was flung onto a fluffy bed, and then Alicia loomed over me!
Having mounted me like a horse, Alicia quickly removed her gear, and in an instant, she was down to her undergarments. Her cheeks, illuminated by the magic stone light, glowed enticingly.
What?! What was this?! What was going on?!
The Holy Knight serves the king and the church, and protects the people with a divine Gift . . . It's said to be the highest of all Gifts. If someone like me, driven out of the capital, were to bear the child of an outcast . . . I suppose they couldn't bring me back, could they?
Wait, wait, wait, wait!
Alicia is acting strange!
Well, she had always been a bit peculiar, but today she was on a whole new level of weird!
This was leaping way too far in logic, and there were so many problems with this scenario to begin with!
You need to take better care of yourself! I don’t know why you'd go this far for me, but this isn’t something you should decide so rashly!
Alicia was a girl, and a noble at that. Moreover, she was a bearer of a legendary Gift.
In many ways, she was not someone who should be doing this kind of thing recklessly.
So I yelled out while resisting Alicia’s constraints.
This isn’t reckless.
Alicia said this while firmly pinning me down.
I couldn't move my body at all.
The physical abilities of a Holy Knight were just too great!
You once said that my white hair was beautiful. Everyone else found this white hair creepy. And you were kind to me when others avoided me because they couldn't figure me out . . . and you included me in everyone’s circle.
That was nothing special.
. . .
As Alicia explained her reasons for following me, I countered her.
You've always been kinder than anyone. Maybe a bit clumsy and misunderstood, but you’ve helped injured animals and couldn’t leave people in trouble. It was only natural to help someone like you. Even if it weren't me, someone would have noticed your charm and helped you. So I don't deserve all this just because of that.
With the worst Gift of all, the Incubus.
It was wrong to follow me for such an ingrained reason.
That's what I desperately pleaded, but . . .
After all . . .
Somehow, my argument seemed to have had the opposite effect.
Elio is all I have. I will never return to a capital without Elio.
Eh, wait, were you listening?! Wait, Alicia . . . ?!
A little later.
Like a wild beast, Alicia consumed me with excitement, and by the time the sun rose, even my Unmatched Stamina skill could not compete with how drained I was.
It seems that the combat prowess of a Holy Knight also included extraordinary stamina.
