Volume 12 - Yomi-no-kuni: Chapter 22 â Identity Lottery
At the mention of elimination, the hearts of the ninety or so women present grew heavy. Including Hyozuhi, six of the hundred maidens had already been eliminated. Some had died in the Empty Spirit Cave, while others were defeated by other women there. Since the victors found it cumbersome to accept the defeated as slaves, those unfortunate women were dragged off for hard labor.
Although a few months had passed with few eliminations, witnessing someone elseâs downfall from time to time reminded everyone of their precarious situation.
And now, they were going to eliminate ten people, which meant one out of nine would fail! It was no wonder the hundred maidens felt heavy-hearted upon hearing this.
Lily felt anxious too.
âIf itâs a competition of strength or comprehension, I wonât be afraid. But when it comes to pleasuring women, itâs hard to sayâ¦â Although Lily didnât think her skills were bad enough to place her in the bottom ten among the hundred maidens, this wasnât as straightforward as strength. Lily didnât have full confidence, but she couldnât afford to lose!
Renka stepped forward to explain, âThe Yomi female kingdom in the Abyss of Parting Sorrow is relatively far from here. Weâll send you there. Although tens of thousands of subjects live there, the sudden appearance of a hundred strangers would raise suspicion. Thatâs why weâve prepared various identities for you to blend in seamlessly.â
Renka waved her hand, signaling Wakaki, the guard with short blue hair, to bring over a large wooden toad with its mouth wide open.
âTo ensure a natural and seamless entry, the identities weâve prepared vary. Some are advantageous, some are not. If we allowed you to choose freely, issues like fairness might arise in the selection process. So we decided to let you draw lots to determine which identity youâll get. Whether you gain an advantage or not will depend on your own destiny,â Renka explained.
Luck is also a part of oneâs strength. Female warriors whoâd reached this level understood that. Although not everyone was happy with the arrangement, they didnât complain.
Thus, the hundred maidens drew lots in the order Renka called them.
âA recruit of the female kingdom?â a blade maiden said after drawing her lot. âItâs fine. Although the status isnât high, it should be helpful for getting close to the generals of the female kingdom, right? The position of a general should be pretty high.â
âThe daughter of a merchant in Yomi?â A red-haired blade maiden stated impassively before stepping aside.
âThe descendant of a great Yomi clan who came from far away to settle down in the female kingdom and purchase a house? Hahahahaha, this identity isnât bad. It suits me perfectly!â Tamai was thrilled to draw such a favorable lot. Many women cast envious glances at her.
âWhat? A prostitute???â Masako exclaimed in shock upon drawing her lot. âThere are prostitutes in the female kingdom? This isnât fair! I want to draw again
1!â
âShut up! If you arenât satisfied, you can choose to drop out now. That way, the number of eliminations will be reduced to nine, and I believe others wonât object.â Renka threatened Masako, holding a whip against her chin.
âTch⦠how excessive! Jerk!â Masako muttered, but it was still better than giving up. She was a promiscuous woman who had lost her virginity long before coming to Yomi. She had many lovers and didnât care about her reputation, but this was too humiliating. Masako wanted to stand out among the hundred maidens and even dreamed of becoming a female overlord, with many gods and goddesses of Takamagahara serving her.
At that moment, a gentle-looking woman with a ponytail, standing around 1.7 meters tall and dressed in celestial maiden feathered garments, stepped forward to draw her lot.
âLook, isnât that Takiri Rie from the northern quarters?â
âIsnât she a descendant of the Takiri Clan? They say that the Takiri Clan is a truly terrifying force in Yomi. Why was she captured?â
âWho knows⦠Such a big force probably has fierce internal struggles. Hmph, what Takiri Clan descendant? How laughable it would be if she drew the prostitute lot!â
Several female warriors began to gossip.
Takiri Rie didnât seem to hear their deliberately loud conversation and calmly drew her lot.
In each quarterâbe it the eastern, western, or northern quartersâa woman could easily become the target of public criticism and gossip among the hundred maidens, either naturally or through circumstance. This was the case for Lily in the western quarters, and in the northern quarters, Takiri Rie found herself in a similar position.
Takiri Rie was very fair and beautiful, with a virtuous and graceful demeanor. When in a crowd, she wasnât particularly eye-catching, so Lily hadnât noticed her before.
Takiri Rie drew her lot, took a look at it, and remained expressionless. Her heart didnât seem troubled. She didnât announce what she had drawn, leaving quietly after collecting her lot.
Now it was Lilyâs turn to draw her lot.
Lily had always been lucky, but now she could only leave it to fate. Lily reached her hand into the toad. There werenât many lots left. She wouldnât dare cheat, so she just pulled one out at random.
She opened her lot.
âEh?! A slave??!â Her face flushed, and her heart raced with surprise and anxiety. âHow⦠how could this happenâ¦â
âHahahahahaha!â Tamai burst out laughing. âThe lot you drew really matches your identity!â n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âThisâ¦â Lily glanced toward Rakshasa-Onna, her master. Right now, she could only hope for her help.
Rakshasa-Onna wore an expectant expression with a touch of mockery. âDonât worry, this is just an entry identity. What happens next depends on the opportunities you find. Itâs not like youâre a real slave, so why worry?â
âMasterâ¦â Hyozuhi came over and took Lilyâs hand.
Most of the hundred maidens gloated over Lilyâs misfortune. The news of Lily being personally instructed by Rakshasa-Onna in the way of pleasure had spread. Her performance in the Empty Spirit Cave also made others wary. Such notable achievements provoked a lot of jealousy, and they hoped she would fail, suffer, or even be humiliated.
âCaptain Renka, what should I do? I want to accompany my master!â Hyozuhi said firmly.
âSince you are Lilyâs slave and sheâs going to infiltrate the female kingdom disguised as a slave, you should also pretend to be a slave and go with her.â
âHmmâ¦â
Once everyone had drawn their lots, a female guard rolled in a wooden cart filled with strange bottles.
âI assume you all know your identities now. Although my Rakshasa Dojo has some influence in the female kingdom, itâs not an area we control. If you try to escape, it will be troublesome. Each of you will leave a Big Dipper stellar soul in one of these bottles. Donât worry, weâll take very good care of them
2.â
âWhat?!â The hundred maidens were shocked.
âBut leaving a stellar soul behind will weaken our strength! I only have two!â
âWhy do you need strength when youâre showing off your pleasure methods? If youâre this narrow-minded, you might as well go straight to hard labor!â
Wealth and honor came with risk. Besides, they had no choice. Although the hundred maidens were unwilling, they could only comply.
This development left Lily in a quandary. She was still at the Throned Stage, so where could she get a Big Dipper stellar soul?
The hundred maidens hesitated and were reluctant to accept the arrangement, but they eventually gave in under the coercion and inducement of the Rakshasa Dojo. Only Lily stood there, frozen in place.
âKagami Lily, youâre the only one left,â Renka urged.
âThisâ¦â Given Lilyâs nature, even if she had a Big Dipper stellar soul, sheâd never hand it over. But she really didnât have one!
âKagami Lily, whatâs the matter with you? Are you going to comply or not? If not, Iâll sell you to a brothel right now!â Renka threatened.
But what could Lily say? If she revealed she was only at the Throned Stage, it would cause an uproar. The mirrorâs secrets might also be exposed, putting her in even greater danger. Besides, stellar souls carried the unique energy of oneâs soul and couldnât be faked. Given Rakshasaâs strength, sheâd surely see through any deception.
But Lily really didnât have one!
âWhat should I do? What should I do?â
âKagami Lily, do you want to defy my orders?â Renka threatened. Even though Lily had stood up for her before, Renka blamed her for the death of her lover, who had been struck by lightning. She harbored resentment toward Lily and hoped sheâd be sold to a brothel to suffer.
The hundred maidens watched Lily with anticipation. She was asking for trouble by defying orders.
âEnough, restrain Lily first,â Rakshasa-Onna ordered.
Renka was pleased. She ordered someone to separate Lily and Hyozuhi, bind their hands, and lead them away. They were taken to a claustrophobic room, where disobedient women were kept. It was dark and small, with barely enough space to stand or sit. Thanks to Lilyâs good physical fitness, the confinement wasnât a big deal for her. Her main concern was figuring out how to pass this trial.
Rakshasa-Onna was a bit puzzled. Did Lily refuse to hand over her stellar soul because she didnât trust them? But Rakshasa had no intention of using the stellar souls of the hundred maidens for anything.
âKagami Lily, Iâve taught you in vain. With such a narrow mind, your potential is limited. I donât know why The Madam specifically spoke up for you.â Rakshasa-Onna paced around her residence after returning.
âYour Highness Rakshasa-Onna,â Renka said, approaching, âthat Kagami Lily openly defied orders. I suggest selling her to the biggest brothel in Yomi. Theyâre offering a high price!â
âThat wonât work. The Madam promised Wakarai that sheâd allow Lily to compete with his men in three years. Lily should still be a pure maiden. If she gets sold to a brothel and abused, wouldnât that cause The Madam to lose credibility in front of the gods of Yomi?â Rakshasa frowned. Although she phrased it that way, deep down, she was also reluctant to sell Lily to a demon brothel.
âYour Highness, The Madam only said that sheâd allow Lily to compete with Wakaraiâs men, but she didnât say her chastity had to be protected. Even if she gets sold to a brothel, wouldnât she still be able to compete after three years? If she loses, and Wakarai truly loves her, he can redeem her and marry her, right?â Renka suggested.
âWhat??!â Rakshasa-Onna looked at Renka with a hint of shock. âYou⦠you⦠Renka! As my chief subordinate, how did I usually teach you? Youâre strict and harsh, which is fine for managing the hundred maidens, but I didnât expect you to be so vicious! Your heart is as poisonous as a snakeâs! Kneel down!â
âHuh? Your Highness?â Renka stammered, suddenly flustered and trembling all over.
Footnotes:
Robinxen: Well I guess I can support this? Somebody wave the flag!
LazyButAmbitious: Lily hasnât reached the Big Dipper Stage yet, lol.