"Alright. Who wants to start? Just to be clear, this is meant to be a fun, team-building activity. The goal isn't to be the last woman standing." I informed while glancing at each participant for a moment. Aurora and Ayame were carefree, probably expecting to have great success.
Lucille, on the other hand, seemed like she was already getting ready to black out and deal with a terrible hangover the next day. Blossom was busy molesting my hand. I made sure she also understood the rules, though. It took a few attempts.
"Never have I ever thought of the Fujimori clan and its members as weirdos." Ayame started, her question having some sassy undertone to it. She used this chance to see our true thoughts, it seems. After all, the first rule of the game is that you can't lie. It has no meaning otherwise.
No one drank. They are a great clan of honorable warriors as far as I'm concerned, just because Kaede, Ayame's sister, turned traitor doesn't make them appear in a bad light. The success of their arms export trade to other duchies is also telling that the general populace holds no ill will against them just for their oriental features.
"Never have I ever thought of beast-kin as lesser beings!" Blossom yelled her strong 'question' similarly having significant meaning to it. Damn, this is turning out more serious than I wanted.
The three women exchanged glances with each other, then looked at my cute Pupcake with looks brimming full of guilt and each gulped a shot down. "Huh?! All three?!" blossom yelped in great shock.
"Excuse me, Luna. I've not interacted with a member of your kind before you, and we were told while growing up that you were filthy subhumans. Seeing beast-kin exclusively in chains, serving their human masters didn't help in clearing up such a thought either.
After getting the chance to know you, I realized that you are not lesser than us in any shape or form." Lucille hurriedly stated before tears of betrayal could begin flowing down my beloved dog-kins cheeks in earnest.
Propaganda is a must in this country, I imagine, since they've been constantly at war with the two neighboring countries, the Beastkin Confederation, and the Alliance of Elvardia, the nation made up of elves and dwarves. If the king and his vassals began spouting about equality and stuff the populace would quickly become disillusioned with the current state of national affairs.
"Same for me."
"Yeah."
After staring at each of her teammates for a while, she nodded and then lifted my finger to her eyes to clear the moistened parts. "Luna understands!"
"Never have I ever thought of Alchemists as pathetic, or just lesser life forms compared to combatants," Aurora spoke up this time.
This time only I drank, chugging an entire bottle of a liter's worth of heavy alcohol down my system, which caused a shocked yelp to escape from my gorgeous plump girl's heavenly lips.
I couldn't help but laugh at her cute reaction. "I love having an Alchemist in my party, but as a lover, it would've been troublesome. Truth be told, I was on the fence about accepting you, but thankfully you got the Enchanter class, so the decision was made for me.
I can't have my women grow old and die while I still look like a 25-year-old guy, so I think I'm only adding combatants into my harem going forward. Or I will just force them to start leveling up."
"Hmph." Ayame snorted with dissatisfaction.
"Reasonable." Lucille nodded in understanding.
"I guess I can understand your point of view…" Aurora also accepted my reasoning.
The light caramel-haired beauty with a borderline fetish for brutally murdering monsters with her bloodthirsty axe spoke up next. "Never have I ever thought that a middle-aged woman wouldn't fit into our party." ℝãƝ∅𝐛Ëᶊ
I can't help but let out a tired groan. "What is this, insecurity clearance party? It was meant to be lighthearted fun, girls."
Lucille responded defensively; "Your rules stated no such thing."
"I guess…"
"Sorry for being such a boorish old woman…" She sighed with pretend dejection, to which I could only chuckle.
No one drank. I have no issue with her age, especially since she is in such amazing shape. Now that she started leveling in earnest she will also remain youthful for the foreseeable future.
"Alright, since this was an insecurity lifting round from the boring ladies, it's up to the man of the house to show you how it's meant to be played."
I ignore my Ayame's cheeky "technically it's Robert's house, you are just a paying guest." comment and continue. "Never have I ever wished I was born as a member of the other gender."
I don't have to drink. When I imagined becoming a woman, at first I thought it might be hot to masturbate while touching my big boobies and stuff, but then I realized that to have intercourse I would have to do it with a man, so the prospect instantly became unappealing. I also don't want to bleed.
Lucille was the first to raise her glass to her lips, tilt her head back, and swallow its contents effortlessly. Despite it being her second shot, she was holding on well.
To my great surprise, Blossom followed afterward, and she tossed the drink down her throat decidedly, though I could already see her getting drunk after a single shot. I don't think she's had much chance to build alcohol tolerance throughout her life.
My other two ladies remained still. I asked for an explanation. "I'm completely fine with being a woman. I love my body and wish nothing to be changed." Ayame declared confidently.
"As an Alchemist, it mattered not what my gender was, and now that I've met you, Quinlan, I would hate turning into a man…" Reasonable.
"Male beast-kin have higher base stats, so Blossom thought it was unfair while she was a growing little pup and was very jealous!" Oh. I see. Another understandable response.
"My life would've been much easier had I been born as a man, let's just leave it at that." Lucille decreed lastly. It was evident that she didn't wish to elaborate on her answer, making me even more curious about what kind of backstory she was hiding.