380 – Nectar of the Gods #10
Sshh, Sshhh-.
Elpride’s long silver hair. It takes quite a bit of care and time to maintain it properly.
During her free time, Elpride often spends her moments gently stroking her hair, and it rarely stops unless there’s a significant reason.
But then, her hand froze abruptly.
“What did you say?”
What was the intent behind those words? Did she not hear them, or was it that she couldn’t believe what she’d heard?
Just a few minutes ago, she had been praised for her long and exquisite ears, so the latter seemed more likely.
Therefore, I decided to rephrase my question to her more clearly.
“Have you by any chance been meeting with other elves?”
Of course, I didn’t elaborate further.
It’s confidential.
But upon hearing that, Elpride frowned deeply, as though she’d been told something most unpleasant. A mere question had already brought her to a state of mild irritation.
“Ha? What kind of question is that? Are you implying I’ve been fooling around with other elves?”
“No, that’s not what I meant-.”
“Work for the Minerva Guild was conducted with the Silver Rose team. They also helped in the reconstruction of the burned city. They found lost cats and repaired fences.”
“Ah, I see.”
It seemed Elpride interpreted my question as, “Are you seeing someone else?” judging from how she reacted with indignation, it was clear she hadn’t been seeing anyone else. Also, it seemed unlikely she had anything to do with other elves.
Elpride then asked me.
“Hassan, are you trying to monitor me now that I am no longer your master?”
“Monitor?”
“I read it in a book. When men think a woman is theirs, they forbid her from wearing short skirts or meeting other men. Is that what you’re doing?”
Sshh-.
Her question made me glance around at the piles of books scattered haphazardly nearby. For someone like Elpride, who loves reading regardless of genre or subject, this was nothing new.
However, the titles of the books stacked around her were surprising considering their antique hardcover appearances:
‘The Ruined Princess Grasps the Collar of the Tyrant Duke’s Son.’
‘D: The Dark and Sinister Demon Lord and His Wretched Maid Salome’s Survival Story.’
‘Melony, the Pitiful Elven Slave Sold to an Ogre.’
‘The Villain Who Wouldn’t Leave Me Alone – My Gentlemanly Hero and the Naughty Noble Ladies He Punishes.’
Even someone as unrefined as me could tell these books were popular among young or adolescent women as entertainment. These were similar to the dramas my younger sister used to watch, filled with rich and powerful men who exhibit peculiar obsessions toward women.
Sshh-.
I picked up one of the books lying on the ground and opened it to find:
“Hey, from now on, you’ll wear skirts only in front of me. Don’t show your legs to anyone else.”
“What do you think you are? Just because you own me, you can’t restrict my freedom? Even if you are my master, do you think you can control my heart?”
“I am your master and prince of this country. If you don’t follow my orders, your family in the prison will suffer the consequences.”
“Alfred, what a despicable man. I can’t believe I was once engaged to you.”
“Coward? You shouldn’t speak to me like that. Correct yourself. There’s no need to wear a skirt in front of me. So take them off, one by one. That’s our rule.”
Oh my, there’s nothing but pure domestic violence in these stories – beastly men oppressing and restricting innocent women. How amusing.
Then again, I wondered curiously about the part where the woman is told to undress. What happens next? As I was flipping through the pages…
“What are you reading without permission?”
Elpride snatched the book from my hands and hid it beneath the blanket. She added afterward:
“It’s just research for understanding romance and relationships between men and women. I’m not reading it for entertainment. Don’t misunderstand and make it weird.”
“Alright, sure. Anyway, you haven’t met any other elves, correct?”
“Yes, why would I? I’m the one being chased by them. Such a foolish thought.”
As Elpride stated, she’s more of a wanted criminal to her fellow elves.
The idea that she would conspire with them to assassinate a god is preposterous. That thought gave me some relief.
While I silently exhaled, Elpride, who had just stuffed her book collection under the blanket, asked,
“So, why the sudden curiosity about elves? Did something happen?”
“No, just that I’ve been hearing many rumors that elves are planning something suspicious. Wouldn’t it be better for you to come with me to Ideope rather than stay in this chaotic city?”
“Hmm.”
Elpride sat cross-legged on top of the now bulging blanket stuffed with books, appearing to consider my words.
“That does make sense. Hassan, since you want me to come so badly, fine. I was supposed to meet Delphina and a few others next week, but if you insist, I’ll cancel it.”
With a haughty demeanor, Elpride acted as though she was granting me a favor. Leaning back with her arms crossed and legs crossed, her crimson eyes lazily glanced at me—she looked every bit the part of a noble young lady. Much like the villainous young ladies in the novels she adored reading.
However, knowing that a remark about her acting like those characters might infuriate her instantly, I decided to keep quiet.
“You’re currently thinking something very stupid. If you’re pondering anything about the word ‘villain,’ remember that those thoughts may get you killed.”
“No, I’m not thinking that. Honestly.”
“Don’t lie, man!”
*
And so, the following morning.
Equipped with about a month’s worth of travel supplies, I stood in front of the shrine, a place I had often viewed as nothing more than a dreadful graveyard. Now, as I was about to leave, I strangely felt a tinge of nostalgia.
Taking a moment to steady this peculiar emotion, I addressed the priests who had lined up to see me off.
“While I’m gone, carry on the duties diligently. I’ll be back, so don’t slack off. Keep gaining more believers. The more you contribute, the more your standing in the temple will rise. Understand?”
“During the time Lord Hassan and Sister Paranoi will be away, much will be accomplished. This is your first mid-term exam in the real world…!”
Fortunately, the priests showed no signs of worry and instead displayed great enthusiasm for our absence.
With the steady growth of our followers, nothing would go wrong unless a meteorite suddenly struck Sodomora and destroyed the city.
It seemed we were ready to go, but Paranoi still had more to say.
“Announce it to the believers as well…! Those who actively spread the faith will advance in the ranking chart created by Paranoi…”
Paranoi’s ranking system was modeled after the Adventurer’s Guild’s structure.
Starting from the lowest rank of Apprentice, Iron to the highest rank of Platinum. Your position would rise based on how many new converts you brought in or the amounts of donations given.
“Everyone should work hard to reach the level of Platinum…! Those who achieve Platinum membership will surely secure entrance to the sacred paradise of Elysium…!”
Paranoi’s method was undeniably a pyramid scheme. It worked wonders. In fact, many had started increasing their donations to climb the ranks.
“Lord Hassan, Brother Bartholomew of Blue Feathers Guild, who recently reached the Silver rank, has permanently lent us a magnificent carriage pulled by four horses as a gesture after hearing about Lord Hassan’s schedule…!”
“Oh, is that so?”
I had once entertained the idea of having my own personal carriage—this was certainly an exciting development.
“Alright, let’s get going.”
Just as I was about to wave goodbye to everyone and board the carriage…
“Lord Hassan…”
At that moment, Marda, dressed in her robe, shyly extended a small basket toward me.
“What’s this?”
“These are some meringues I made for your journey. I hope you’ll find them tasty.”
Peering inside, I saw meringues or some sort of confectionery that smelled quite appetizing despite being cold.
“Lord Hassan has done so much for us, and I realized I had never properly expressed my gratitude…”
“Ah, I understand. Thanks for the effort.”
“Give it here.”
However, Elpride swiftly intercepted the basket and peered inside with a narrow-eyed gaze.
“Do you have any other intentions with this?”
“Oh, how could I! It’s utterly inappropriate! I simply wanted to express my gratitude…”
Marda trembled nervously under Elpride’s scrutinizing gaze.
The word had gotten around among my followers, probably thanks to Paranoi’s gossip, that Elpride would become my first wife without an official wedding ceremony.
In a sense, Elpride was in a position akin to the lady of the shrine, even though she didn’t seem interested in taking on that role.
“Work hard then.”
“Yes, yes!”
Still, there appeared to be some sort of unspoken understanding between women that I couldn’t grasp.
“Alright, let’s get moving.”
After my priests had spent the night packing, I loaded the travel supplies into the carriage and settled into the soft, comfortable seats. Compared to the supply carts I rode when I was a Bronze Adventurer, this carriage felt like an entirely different realm in terms of space and luxury. My rear was even tingling from the plushiness.
“Money certainly makes things better.”
As I muttered, Paranoi chuckled beside me.
“Thanks to Lord Hassan’s blessing of wealth, many rich people are coming to the shrine…! With this trend, their donations alone could easily generate a monthly income of 10 golds…!”
Which means the shrine could potentially earn around 120 golds per year.
With such funds, we could afford to pay the priests and make donations to the poor while still having plenty left over.
“Perhaps with these savings, we could build a grand estate or even a castle under Lord Hassan’s illustrious name…! Once the castle is built, we could gather mercenaries, forming a kingdom under Lord Hassan’s banner…!”
A castle, hmm? Although the concept of a castle or estate didn’t exactly excite me, as Paranoi added a final comment smoothly, it sparked my interest.
“And within that castle, we could construct a harem just for Lord Hassan, the Sultan of Hell…!”
Oh, now that sounds promising.
Suddenly, the idea of building a castle became more alluring.
How much land and gold would it take to build one?
A thousand?
Ten thousand?
Certainly, with the nation’s current resources, it seemed feasible with just a matter of time.
“Excuse me, may I take a brief nap? I haven’t slept since yesterday due to the preparations…!”
Paranoi yawned widely, and I momentarily wondered if inserting my finger into her mouth would cause any trouble.
But then I thought of her seemingly infinite squirrel pouch and decided against it for fear it might swallow my finger.
Snore, snore.
As Paranoi drifted into a peaceful sleep, with only the soft sound of her breathing audible,
Clak, Clak, Clak-.
The rhythmic sounds of hooves and the rolling carriage wheels on the paved road filled the silence. Elpride, seated across from me, then spoke.
“I thought it would just be the two of us. I wasn’t expecting this noisy nymph to come along.”
“Didn’t I mention it already?”
“No, you didn’t.”
It seemed that Elpride was starting the day with a slightly sour mood. To lighten her spirits, I teased her.
“What? Did you want to travel alone with me then? I had no idea.”
“Wh-what did you say? I just… don’t like the idea of that loud nymph rattling on and on. With my excellent hearing, her shrill voice is particularly grating.”
“I’m not asleep yet! And I wasn’t loud at all! Besides, I’m trying to be quiet for Paranoi’s sleep…!”
“Hmph!?”
This response drew a sharp glance from Elpride, but upon seeing the snoozing Paranoi, she seemed to accept it and remained silent.
Thus, our carriage steadily made its way toward the city of Babel, a vast place where various religions and beliefs converge, uneventfully.
