"Excuse me! Please let me marry Hisui!"
The moment I entered, I flattened myself to the ground in a deep bow, starting with an apology for any offense I may have caused.
Since this was the lobby of a traditional inn where shoes weren't allowed, it wasn't physically painful—but it was certainly humiliating.
Even my senior, Kotori, had joined me in prostrating herself.
"Hmm… You can bow all you want, but I don't see how that benefits me," said Unno Yata, the ruler of this hot spring town, sounding completely uninterested.
"And bowing doesn't cost anything, after all," added Unno Tsugumi, piling on.
"Besides, even if you want to show sincerity to us, it's Hisui who has to decide, no?"
That was true, of course. But even so, it was painfully obvious that we had to go through them first if we wanted any chance of success.
"By the way, Hisui is currently out with Misago and his bodyguard, Hachikuma. As for paperwork and health screenings… If it's a man's first time, it'll take a full day, at least."
The fact that Yata was even willing to share this information suggested there was no hostility involved.
"Come to think of it, if he had fasted, they could've started with a stomach endoscopy, right?"
"Well, last night, Misago messed up the schedule and started before dinner. She's still not fully settled in here, and skipping two meals would've been too harsh on her."
"He ate a lot, though. The kitchen staff was thrilled—they said it was rewarding to cook for him."
"Well, that's good to hear."
"Apparently, he eats quite neatly, too, so they think highly of him."
"I suppose that's what you'd expect from someone who was a working adult in his world."
"How many vaccinations does he need again?"
"Beats me. Between potential side effects and his body adjusting to this world, he'll probably need to visit regularly for a while. But I bet they'll be happy about that, so it all works out."
"Let's hope he spreads his seed generously, then."
They had completely abandoned the conversation with us and started casually chatting among themselves.
Of course, if men willingly went around impregnating women, the government would celebrate it as a major success.
For us Protection Bureau officers, though, such situations were rife with potential trouble—yet, officially, we were expected to encourage it.
So despite their conversation seeming like idle chatter, there was actually some critical information in there, which was why Kotori and I were both quietly straining our ears to listen.
I ignored the fact that my legs were starting to go numb.
The Burden of Prostration
I nearly let out a cry of pain as some cats unexpectedly began kneading the soles of my feet. Were they being considerate or just messing with me?
Just as the numbness was becoming unbearable, Yata suddenly sighed.
"Ugh… this is such a hassle…"
Then, in an exasperated tone, she continued, "How long are you two planning to stay flattened like that? I'll put you up in a nice room for now—talk to Hisui directly."
That was as good as permission.
"Alright then, that'll be one night in a premium room for 100,000 yen per person," Tsugumi added smoothly.
"We'll need a three-night advance payment," she continued.
"Understood. Please proceed," Kotori replied without hesitation.
I flinched at the thought of dropping 300,000 yen so casually, but refusing wasn't an option, so I followed her lead and nodded.
A Luxurious Prison
"Two guests arriving!"
"Welcome!"
"Please enjoy your stay!"
In the blink of an eye, we were surrounded by inn staff.
Before I knew it, we were being escorted to our room—an unmistakably high-class one.
"This seems… about market rate. Not a rip-off, at least," Kotori mused, tilting her head.
"Did… we actually succeed?" I muttered to myself.
Considering how easily they could have rejected us outright, the fact that we were even allowed inside felt like a step forward.
"Who knows?" Kotori replied, looking just as uncertain.
"Are you okay financially?"
A 100,000-yen-per-night stay was no small expense. However, as a working adult with decent savings, it wasn't impossible to afford. Besides, if I thought of it as an investment to negotiate for direct insemination, it was actually quite cheap.
After all, securing a man's seed through direct arrangements could cost hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of yen.
Of course, due to strict prostitution laws, such transactions had to be conducted through discreet, underground channels, making it nearly impossible for government officials like us to utilize them.
"I have enough savings, so I'm fine," Kotori reassured me.
She then retrieved two government-issued gold credit cards from the payment binder.
As a public servant perk, we could obtain these cards with no screening and no fees, though they were directly linked to our payroll accounts to prevent delinquency.
"How long should we stay?"
"About three days, as they suggested? I get the feeling we're intruding on their honeymoon, though."
"True… Maybe we should've waited."
But at the same time, I knew I wouldn't get another chance if I hesitated now. For women past their early twenties, every opportunity counted.
"More likely, they're giving us three days to either win him over or create an undeniable situation," Kotori mused.
"Can we, though? Hisui seems physically affectionate, but…"
"I don't know, but we have to try. Kiyora, do your best too."
"Yes."
I took a deep breath, steeling myself.
"By the way, we booked a single room for the two of us. Is that alright?"
"Honestly, I'd rather not handle him alone, so I appreciate it."
I admitted it openly. If I were alone, I'd probably just end up crying in confusion.
"You still have a lot of unused vacation days, right?"
"Over ten, I think."
"Then we're fine."
"Alright, first things first…"
"Strategy meeting?"
"Report writing and a remote meeting. We need to at least pretend we worked through the morning."
Reality came crashing back as Kotori made it clear she was trying to save on leave days.
"Do it now while it's still fresh, or you'll forget details," she instructed.
"…Yes."
And so, we remained the ever-dutiful corporate employees, even in the midst of personal affairs.
Author's note:The Price of Adaptation
Hisui's apparent frailty isn't just due to his age—his body is still adjusting to this world.
Because this setting exists in a different timeline and world, the local viruses and immune responses are vastly different from what he's used to. His body is undergoing significant stress, especially in his internal organs and metabolic systems.
It's a real struggle, but part of what makes his presence here so unusual.
This novel has been lovingly translated by https://www.patreon.com/Jenuinez_translation