162nd Episode
New Business
Scratch-scratch.
The hand of the receptionist lady stopped mid-sentence. Then, as if the strength had left her hand, she dropped the pen, letting it roll on the table.
“…Mr. Hassan, when was the last time we measured this? You’ve been a member for about two months now, right? That was the last time, wasn’t it…?”
Daphne wiped the sweat dripping from her forehead with a trembling hand.
“Um, something seems wrong here. Can we measure again? Maybe try a different finger.”
Daphne’s reaction was not what I had expected, and so my brows furrowed as well.
“…So, what exactly is the issue here?”
“Your stats shouldn’t have changed this much in just a month or two. This growth rate is almost comparable to Ms. Hippolyte’s…”
leveling up at a rate similar to Hippolyte. It was indeed difficult to believe—truly remarkable.
So, I allowed Daphne to prick several of my fingers with the pen point as she had suggested.
Scratch, scratch—
But the result remained unchanged.
“Your Boon field has also changed to ‘Hand of Light.’ Honestly, this is beyond my authority to interpret.”
Daphne seemed hesitant, trying to avoid saying too much. Even so, her eyes remained fixed on the figures changing in front of her.
“Mr. Hassan, may I just ask… Is there any royalty with divine bl**d in your family? Perhaps you’re the son of a famous clan leader from the Samaria Wilderness…?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Are you certain both your parents are still alive? Were you ever raised by only one of them…?”
“Only one parent?”
For a moment, I felt my scalp tingle, as if I’d just heard an absurd insult. Asking if my parents were an ‘odd number’—quite an old-fashioned insult in this world!
Of course, Daphne didn’t seem to mean it as an insult, but hearing it directly still made me feel quite awkward.
“Both of them are probably alive. I haven’t seen them in a while though.”
“Is there even a chance that one of your parents might not be your biological parent?”
“Hey, what are you getting at?”
“It’s part of the standard procedure. Mr. Hassan, I suspect you might be a Demigod, just like Ms. Hippolyte.”
“Demigod? Me?”
“Yes.”
“Huhuh—”
For some reason, hearing that made me burst out laughing, a sound bubbling up from the pit of my stomach. When was the last time I heard something this amusing?
“Hassan, try to breathe while you laugh.”
I laughed for a while until Luna patted my back to calm me down.
“There is absolutely no way, so you don’t need to consider it.”
“Hmm—”
Daphne frowned deeply at my answer, her expression serious.
“Well, it seems there are too many things beyond my authority here. Mr. Hassan, have you considered going to Delphi?”
“Delphi?”
I had heard of Delphi—it’s the city that worships the God of Light. It’s famous for its massive Sun Shrine and is a top tourist attraction.
Cassandra, the priestess I once did guard duty with, also came from there. She once invited me to visit Delphi someday.
“Why should I go to Delphi?”
“Many people go to Delphi to receive divine oracles to awaken their divine powers. The Church of Light also handles such tasks.”
“Ah.”
I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but are you offering some kind of genetic test through an oracle? Of course, since I’m a Korean native, I don’t need such a test anyway.
However—
“Luna, what are you doing?”
“Shh, be quiet. I’m catching fireflies here! They shouldn’t be around this place. Shoo… 20 coppers…”
Looking at Luna crouched under the tent, catching insects—I thought she might need an oracle herself, considering she’s definitely the daughter of Lord Nox.
Of course, it’s not my place to decide such things.
Why is Lord Nox trying to keep Luna’s identity a secret?
Still, there are all kinds of family structures in this world, and there’s probably something I don’t know about their circumstances. It’s not my place to meddle or break it apart.
But if being the daughter of a god would grant such respect here, why is Luna catching fireflies in a place like this?
I was curious about the reason. There’s still so much about Luna I don’t know.
Because there’s still so much about Luna I don’t know, it feels uncertain and unsettling, like it might harm our relationship.
“Daphne, I’ll see you next time!”
Anyway, after a long break, my guild business was mostly over.
“If you’re planning to go to Delphi, let me know. The guild can cover the guard fees—!”
Delphi.
Although we’re extremely busy right now and I don’t know when it will happen, visiting for tourism at some point might not be bad.
A rare day off.
I had quite a lot to do while enjoying this leisurely time.
For instance, I haven’t received the gratuity from the job where I delivered the strange black spring water to the Venus Shrine.
So, I decided to visit the Venus Shrine on this lazy afternoon, which could also serve as a date with Luna. However, I had to return without seeing the shrine maiden of Venus, as she was out on other commitments today.
Swear! Is she trying to steal my gratuity?
I’m starting to worry.
Therefore, caution is necessary when dealing with private contracts outside the guild.
Although I doubt the shrine maiden of the Venus Church would embezzle an adventurer’s money—
Surprisingly, even high-ranking people sometimes do reckless things, ignoring the law and the heavens. That’s true in both my past world and this uncivilized one.
“Hey Hassan, look! Blue roses!”
Just when I was boiling inside worrying about how to get my gratuity, my mood lightened up a bit by watching Luna skip happily through the colorful garden.
A garden filled with flowers, butterflies, and bustling bees. The white swans around the fountain create gentle water sprays and form faint rainbows.
Between the bright sunlight, Luna looked very lovely and cute, almost like a fairy or a young goddess—if I exaggerate a little.
Gulp, gulp.
However, I couldn’t help but notice that Luna was munching on something since a while ago. Finally, I decided to ask.
“Luna, what have you been eating since just now?”
“Roses!”
“…I see. Are you hungry?”
“…Yeah! How did you know?”
Luna ate a rose petal and laughed shyly, as if embarrassed.
“Now that you mention it, let’s go grab some food?”
“Sure!”
We planned to have lunch together. Luna mentioned she hadn’t eaten lunch because she’d been moving barrels due to her busy schedule. I realized I had been thoughtless bringing her here without proper planning.
They say people who have experience with dating do better, but clearly I lack skills in crafting date plans. d*mn, this stupid Hassan.
Still, I was lucky Luna wasn’t a prickly or demanding person.
“Let’s pop by your place first! I’ve got something to show Hassan!”
Initially, I thought we could go to an inn or to the fancy restaurant street. However, Luna wanted to stop by her cottage.
What does she want to show me?
With a faint sense of curiosity and anticipation, I headed toward Luna’s little cottage.
Once we arrived, I noticed Luna’s cottage had been slightly expanded on one side. Thin wooden planks were clumsily attached, making the space appear stretched out from one tatami to almost two.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a bathroom! I built it this whole morning—it was so tiring!”
Luna pounded her shoulders and arms, emphasizing how exhausting it was.
Since I knew how clumsy Luna was with manual work, I could vividly imagine how much effort she must have put into expanding this mere extra square meter or two.
“Luna, did you build it yourself?”
“No, Paranoi did. I just watched.”
“That makes sense. I thought you had worked hard.”
I thought back to the recent days when Paranoi had been downstairs working with Luna to brew potions—almost like a part-time job. Who would have guessed she had skills like this to even do such renovations?
I always considered Paranoi to be rather foolish, but she turned out to be quite capable. I decided to raise her score in my mind by half a star.
Still, I wondered if she was getting paid properly for her work. Would Luna and Paranoi sort it out between them?
Anyway, so this is the bathroom then.
“Check it out!”
You could enter the bathroom via the ground floor. It’s spacious enough for about two people. While it looked somewhat rough on the outside,
the floor surprisingly features a well-installed drainage system and tiles.
“You… installed water pipes? Isn’t that supposed to be costly and require lots of paperwork?”
“I managed to get it done cheaper than usual! Isn’t it great? Apparently, the prices dropped after the Thief’s Guild was dismantled!”
I wondered what the dismantling of the Thief’s Guild had to do with water pipe prices—but then I recalled the Hydra thieves had been controlling the central underground water systems for profit. The lack of maintenance probably caused a foul sewer-like smell throughout the city. Now that the Hydra is gone, maybe the city will get a little cleaner.
“Turn this, and cold water comes out! Haven’t you seen this before? That’s what they call a faucet!”
Creak, creak.
The rusty faucet groaned as it turned. Soon enough, a steady stream of water flowed from a metal pipe installed above.
It’s strange that in this world, without being rich, we ended up with our own private bathroom. Quite amazing, actually.
Still, getting a bathroom added to Luna’s house was a pretty big deal for me.
In this uncivilized world, cleanliness and hygiene are among the most important things. Now that we won’t have to trek all the way to the distant baths, it feels like our quality of life has improved.
What’s more, living together and showering together sounds like a soft and intimate possibility now.
Just imagining it makes me a little excited.
Given how good Luna looks today, perhaps if I treat her to a nice dinner tonight and set the right atmosphere, we might end up doing something a little risqué…?
Even though we haven’t eaten dinner yet, I already feel quite satisfied.
Nymph’s Wings Inn.
Inside, the place is bustling with customers. The evening hours, when the inn and tavern business really start picking up, become even livelier.
I had been truly shocked back when I unexpectedly reunited with Elpride here.
The rumor that the Silver Rose Adventure Guild fled from the Hydra Thieves’ Guild spread quickly, and their group has been missing from Sodomora since. They likely retreated to avoid losses. But since reputation is crucial for adventurers, they might lay low until the heat dies down.
Maybe they’ll even disband the group.
Going into hiding or disbanding—these are tactics that, much like in idol groups, often work to resolve issues quietly.
But whatever the case, it had nothing to do with me.
“Did you decide yet?”
I kindly inquired while watching Luna carefully consider the menu. Though my voice sounded surprisingly smaller and softer than I’d imagined.
Fortunately, Luna didn’t seem to notice.
“Did you really decide on something?”
“Yeah, just pick something. I’ll treat you today.”
“Tsk. Did something good happen to you today, Hassan?”
“Not really, nothing special.”
“Hassan is poor.”
“Money will come in eventually.”
First of all, as a hero who vanquished the Thieves’ Guild Hydra, I had won against the Silver Rose. Surely, the Baron of Sodomora would reward me handsomely.
How much money is coming my way? Maybe it’ll be enough to cover Hippolyte’s energy blast training cost.
That way, Luna and I decided to try all the dishes on the menu. Even ordering everything, it costs around 2 silver for two people, which is a great deal in terms of taste satisfaction.
“I just swung the enhanced Silence Totem and all the thieves ran away! If only you were there to see it, Hassan!”
Enjoying the delicious free food and drinks, Luna seemed very cheerful with a flushed red face. Today, she was definitely tipsy compared to her usual self.
Seeing her this happy made me think—perhaps when we return home and take a bath, I might get a chance to touch her soft br*asts.
Soft, pillowy br*asts.
Maybe if she’s in the mood, Luna will reciprocate with something sweet. Just imagining it, bl**d rushes to my nether regions.
As the atmosphere and intoxication increased, the noise of drunkards singing in the tavern gradually became a natural part of the ambiance.
CLACK.
Suddenly, a voice called out from the sound of the shop door opening.
“Baron Fleur will be arriving shortly! Everyone, please show proper respect…!”
Baron?
A baron is a noble, isn’t he?
This isn’t the East Gate Street where the rich live, nor even some backwater area in the west of town. Why is a noble coming here unexpectedly?
All the customers looked bewildered, glancing at each other’s faces.
Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Soon afterward, armed soldiers filled the inn. By the lack of insignia or flags of Sodomora, they seemed to be mercenaries hired by a noble.
“Put your weapons away!”
“Move all sharp objects!”
“Hey, what’s this pointed thing in your bag?”
“It’s mine!”
“Ah, right then.”
They scanned around sternly, acting quite domineering as they seemed to secure the space and our safety.
For the drunken patrons who were enjoying their meal, this was aggravating. But seeing the numerous armed, shiny armored soldiers, their anger was naturally suppressed.
SWOOSH.
Soon enough, a long red carpet was laid on the floor, and a man stepped on it, entering the room.
The man, dressed from head to toe in black, wore a wide-brimmed hat like those worn in Mexico.
On such a hot day, covering up completely in black? Is he d*ath incarnate? Looking at him makes me feel scalded.
The innkeeper, frowning as if wondering what this was all about,
“Mr., Baron Fleur!”
At the innkeeper’s words, the man with a dark veil draped over his hat shielding his face spoke.
“If an appointment is made, it must be honored, correct? My patience has reached its limit today.”
“That… it’s…”
The innkeeper’s frantic gaze eventually met mine. He was in the corner drinking. His urgent-looking eyes reminded me: I had an appointment with this ‘Baron Fleur.’ I had forgotten because I’d been swamped, but I hadn’t imagined he’d come this way directly.
The man, Baron Fleur, spoke.
“Hurry and call that talented healer. My daughter needs urgent treatment for her illness.”
[Postscript]
Why is ‘Cult’ included in the title…? There’s something I want to show you… Finally, after passing 160 episodes, the reason behind the title…
I’ve done something wrong!!
And I have no idea when I’ve already reached Episode 160… Starting from May 5th, to 162 episodes on July 14th…!!!
During this long series of episodes, thank you all so much for following along! Because of you, I’ve had a lot of fun writing!
No matter what, I’m committed to finishing this story until the end!!
!
