Oliver and Luke (Part 3)

Wait. Wait a second. Wait a damn second. He… knew? Not only that I had some sort of power, too, but that those came from a Spirit of Lust? HOW!?

“And… what makes you think I can help you, sir?” I tried to pretend like I didn’t know what he was talking about, but I knew I was failing horribly already.

“Many clues, like I said. For starters, and I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, I find you to be… unnaturally attractive.”

“Hah…!?”

Mr. Allen winced. “Oh boy, that does sound like I’m coming onto you, doesn’t it? Let me explain further. You are indeed a handsome man, but there’s an aura around you that draws the eyes, let’s say, and that is what feels unnatural in an otherwise regular young man. I’ve done my research, and I hear that is a common trait of incubi a succubi, prime candidates to become a ‘spirit of lust’, as they are called. My biggest clues, however, came in the form of your reaction to my girlfriends, and my own reaction to yours.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

Mr. Allen smiled. “You find it strange, don’t you? You found it odd that I so easily admitted to having three girlfriends and that no one batted an eye.”

So he noticed. That day at the hospital I did find his admission strange, but the fact that Mila and Thomas didn’t question it at all until I pointed it out was even stranger.

“It was the same for me,” he continued. “Ms. Milana is your girlfriend and you’re now seeing Diana, too. I wouldn’t have thought much of it if not for the sensation that something was interfering with my perception of traditional relationships. You have a spell, an enchantment that alters the way your relationship is seen, don’t you? Same as me. And the fact that we both noticed means our resistance to these magical effects is particularly high.”

I wanted to protest, but not knowing what to say only left me with a half-open mouth. He knew everything already. Or at least he knew more than me about all this supernatural stuff and could guess what was up with me with just a few clues.

“Mr. Brooks, I truly am loath to drop all this on you like this. I considered a slower approach, but I believe that revealing the truth of my intentions to you would, ideally, show you that I hope to negotiate in good faith. I’m indebted to you, so asking you to deal with me is not the first thing I wanted to do, but I’m afraid to let an opportunity like this slip by me.”

Mr. Allen… talked a lot. It was like he was the opposite of me. His voice and demeanor made me want to believe him, his willingness to speak and answer questions made me want to believe he was being truthful. However…

“So before we continue, would you mind telling me if I was correct? Do you have a connection to a Spirit of Lust?”

“...” I hadn’t forgotten the incident with Julian, much as I wish I could. If magic existed, it could be used against me. Against the girls. We had taken precautions already, but would they be enough? There was just so much I didn’t know. So with that in mind… What was my out? Did I have one? I… couldn’t think of one. Mr. Allen had money, magic abilities, knowledge of the supernatural and he wanted something from me. I seriously doubted he would easily give up if I said I didn’t want anything to do with him, especially if the spirit possessing him was one fueled by greed.

It was like having a gun pointed at me, except… it looked like a water gun. A water gun-shaped firearm that didn’t look threatening at all but very much could be. Or maybe it really was a water gun and I was just being paranoid.

Shit. If Grace or Alice were here, they’d know how to handle this. They knew how to trick people into believing they had the upper hand even when they didn’t.

…

Ah. That’s what I had to do, huh? In a way, I did have the upper hand. I was the one who had something Mr. Allen wanted. The supplier to his demand. In that sense, I did have leverage. I just had to be careful not to get carried away and push too hard. However, I’d have to admit that I did have the… ‘product’ he wanted.

I tried my best to put up a confident act, sighing dramatically as if my cover had been blown. “It’s true. I am possessed by a Spirit of Lust, or so she claims to be.”

I was taken aback by Mr. Allen’s reaction. His eyes went wide and almost seemed to sparkle, his smile was that of a child on Christmas day in its innocence and purity. He put a hand to his chest and let out a nervous chuckle. “R-Really? Oh… Oh wow. I… I’ve been looking for almost five years now. I…” He cleared his throat with a fist over his mouth, now suddenly looking embarrassed. “I’m very sorry about that.”

I couldn’t help but find that kind of endearing. “It’s okay, sir. But what is it that you want from me, exactly?”

Mr. Allen sighed deeply. “Like I told you, my abilities come from greed, from wanting things and getting them. Not everything is material, however, and what I want the most right now… Is being able to fully satisfy my girls. For as much as my powers have been a boon to growing my businesses, they… do not help me in bed. I looked for answers to the question, hoping that money could buy me the solution to the problem. Supplements are not effective enough for the risks they bring, and it’s not a problem of libido, but simply human limitations. That was when a contact of mine told me he learned something. Using the magical energy from a Spirit of Lust, a being heavily aligned with sexual magic, one can create a performance enhancing potion. I know the process, I know capable alchemists and can procure every other ingredient… save for the most important one. That is what I need from you, Mr. Brooks. I need you to provide the magical energy to complete the potion.”

…

Well, there went Frey’s efforts to keep me away from supernatural crap. It was my first glimpse at understanding why she tried. This all sounded way too complicated for my liking.

“I need to clarify, too, that I don’t expect you to help me for free, nor would I even dare to deceive you and offer you an unfair deal. The nature of your magical energy is exceedingly rare. More so than the rarest and most valuable precious metals and gemstones. I can go into details, if you’d like.”

I swallowed hard. “N-No. That’s… fine for now.” My stomach turned. I imagined cartoonish mountains of gold and jewels and shuddered. I simply could not properly imagine high amounts of money.

“So, with fear in my heart, Mr. Brooks, I ask you… Would you consider working with me?”

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