Chapter 143

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 8, 2025

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143th Episode

Hotshan and an Old Nemesis

—

Hippolyte and I decided to part ways right after leaving the barn.

For some reason, she seemed emotionally agitated, and it felt like we needed to stick together until she calmed down. I ended up spending quite a bit of time stroking her back.

“Samaritan. It’s best if today’s events remain a secret between the two of us.”

“…That seems like a good idea. Yes.”

“I… I believe I acted rather out of character. Perhaps it was something like an illness. Yes, that must be it. Don’t take anything I said to heart.”

Hippolyte stumbled over her words, making excuses. Was this a sort of ‘cool-down’ period after her emotional upheaval? The loose tone in her voice hardened again, as if she had put her armor back on.

“Well, uh… I have somewhere to be. Let me go ahead, then. Samaritan, before I go… um…”

Hesitant Hippolyte.

“Is there anything else you wish to say?”

“A while ago, didn’t I ask you if you liked me or not?”

That reminded me of something that happened earlier. My face heated up with embarrassment. What question had I asked again?

“It was just a casual question, but…”

“What about you?”

“Me?”

“Do you like me?”

“That, um…”

“Not like this! You’ll have to give me an answer in a different way.”

With that, she placed her palm over my left chest.

Hippolyte’s palm was like a fiery brand, burning hot, but since the barn itself was cool, it didn’t feel overly uncomfortable.

“What are you…?”

I had no idea what Hippolyte was about to do. She suddenly sighed with relief.

“Ah… Is that how it is? Yes, that’s right. Life is truly fascinating. There’s still so much for me to learn; my abilities must be able to grow even further.”

“That’s true.”

“Recently, everything has been so new. But at the same time, I’ve reaffirmed something else. Deep down, I still have a strong competitive spirit. If there’s even a shred of possibility, I cannot let go.”

I couldn’t quite follow what she was trying to say, so as I assumed she was getting sentimental with the early morning hours, I let it slide.

“…However, this time the possibility seems quite high. I’ve heard your response clearly. Hmm. I’ll see you tomorrow. Come to the guild tomorrow. Hmm, harrumph… hum… hum…”

With those words, Hippolyte swiftly exited the barn.

What was that all about? Was she still recovering from her emotional turmoil?

Once Hippolyte left, the barn felt eerily empty. It was hard to believe I had spent some intimate moments with a woman admired by so many. It almost felt like a dream.

Was that all just a dream?

As I stepped outside to gather my thoughts, the two moons that had been high in the sky were now fading slowly. By now, the public baths that opened early in the morning would probably have started operating.

Swishh.

I made my way to the regular bathhouse and splashed water all over myself with gusto. I didn’t forget to scrub every corner of my body with a sponge-like loofah.

Once I had finished a quick yet thorough shower, I stepped outside. The fresh morning air touched my skin, bringing with it the faint warmth characteristic of summer’s pre-dawn.

Summer here, without air conditioners or even fans, was truly dreadful, and I was anxious about what was to come.

“Hey, isn’t that Samaritan? Is that him?…”

“…Why the heck is he only wearing underwear?”

On the way back to Luna’s cabin, someone spotted me and started whispering. Just like the saying goes, “the early bird catches the worm,” the people of this poor neighborhood cut their sleep short, taking to the streets early to chase after opportunities to make money.

In consideration for these diligent children of the neighborhood, I growled threateningly.

“Who are you lookin’ at, punk? I’ll flay your skin and wear it! And hand over all you’ve got!”

“Kyaaa! It’s true! The rumors were true! He’s a psycho barbarian…!”

“Run! Your skin’s gonna be peeled off!”

My threats worked, as the people scattered like mice with their tails on fire. Thanks to that, I managed to avoid unnecessary attention.

Is my intimidation getting better?

It was true that I was currently only in my underwear for some reason. This was bound to attract attention. If someone asked why I’m in this state, the only answer I could give is that I lent my clothes to Hippolyte. That’s exactly what happened, after all. She had taken the old blanket I used as a cover.

All I had now was a pair of underwear-like shorts and some ointment made from the oil of Thunder Mandarin duck feathers.

Huh…

I tried to calm my heart, which was fluttering with excitement, tension, and fear. Luna’s cabin would be in sight soon.

Luna must be waking up about now.

Luna is a deep sleeper, to the point where she wouldn’t notice if someone were to carry her away. But she had an odd habit of sleeping very little in the mornings and usually woke up earlier than me.

What should I do…

My heart was pounding harder than when I used to secretly take coins from my mom’s wallet as a child. In fact, what I did today was far more clandestine.

“Huh…”

This endless sighing and racing heart might drive me insane.

What if Luna notices the scent?

What should I do?

I could see Luna’s cabin coming into view, and I was falling into a full-blown panic. Perhaps I’m the type who struggles with wrongdoings?

Popp.

I twisted off the cap of the small flask containing the Thunder Mandarin Duck ointment. The last time I visited the Venus Shrine, I’d been too preoccupied to use it.

Today, I had to make sure to use it properly on my body.

There’s no future for me unless I use this.

Gurgle, gurgle.

The reddish liquid inside the tiny perfume-sized bottle swirled around, and I dipped my pinky into the top to dab some on.

When I cautiously sniffed it, there was no noticeable fragrance. Is this really a perfume? Could it be scentless?

But how exactly do I use this?

There’s no spray device like in perfumes, so I guess I’ll just have to smear it on my body.

It probably should be applied like oil, spread across my skin…

But how much is appropriate? Without much thought, I decided to slather the entire contents all over my body.

Better to have too much than too little. After all, this is the only day I’ll use this. So, I coated myself from head to toe with it.

Actually, the oil was much more slippery than I expected, and a little went a long way. It was almost as if I had fallen into a sea of mucus.

Nevertheless, the application process was complete.

“Huh…”

All that was left was to carefully pick the lock on the door and slip inside.

After a few repetitions of inhaling and exhaling to steady my racing heart, I finally decided it was time to activate my boon.

“Lord Nox, grant me your power…”

Whoosh…

As I held my breath, the words materialized before me.

The boon, “Cloak of Night,” has been activated.

It consumes your mission points to reduce the chances of your stealth being detected.

Remaining mission points: 92.

91.

90.

Alright, it’s working properly.

One of my boons, the Cloak of Night, does exactly what the name suggests—it helps with covert actions to avoid being detected. It doesn’t make me invisible, it simply reduces detection by muffling sounds or concealing my presence more effectively than usual.

When I tested it with Luna on my days off, it even seemed to hide my distinct magical energy.

Anyway, it was unparalleled for sneaking around.

I’m a naturally gifted thief.

Hitoshi Hassan, the assassin who moves stealthily in the dark.

With those thoughts implanting themselves in my mind, I grabbed the doorknob.

And pulled it open…!

Creak.

The wooden door made a louder noise than I anticipated, causing me to clench my jaw unintentionally.

Is Luna awake?

Could she be awake right now, suspecting why I and Hippolyte were both absent during the night?

All sorts of thoughts entered my mind as I pushed the door open.

Swish.

The narrow opening was just wide enough for my body to fit through, and I squeezed inside. The first floor of this cabin felt as calm and quiet as any other morning.

Little bits of dust floating through the air.

The wooden statue of Goddess Nox, which oddly made me feel guilty just looking at it.

Big and small jars scattered around the cabin.

Keng, Keng!

And then there was the wolf spider coming out from the depths.

For some reason, the critter crawled onto a jar and made its signature sound. In all sorts of ways, it reminded me of a dog. Almost dog-like.

sh*t, a giant, rainbow-colored spider as big as a human palm! It was horrifyingly terrifying!

Keng Keng!

Its loud noise was surprisingly big, making me even more scared of Luna waking up. To calm down the excited dogs, so to speak, I extended my palm toward the spider.

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

The boon “Cloak of Night” has been deactivated.

Remaining mission points: 79.

Hiong…

Then, the spider climbed up onto my palm with an eerie growling sound. Hell no! A spider with fangs as large as fingernails was now sitting on top of my hand!

Just the sight of this alone was enough to make me want to scream and faint, but I couldn’t allow myself that. Goddamn it, this spider was terrifying.

Why was I suffering such torment? It felt like a punishment for some past misdeed. Perhaps this was the penalty I deserved?

Grrr, grrr.

“At least the spider’s calming down…” was a somewhat fortunate thought, but my sanity (SAN) was plummeting rapidly, and I thought foam might start dripping from my mouth.

“Hhhheeeee…”

Why was I so terrified of spiders? I knew the reason, but it wasn’t a memory I wanted to revisit. Goosebumps erupted across my body, and I felt queasy, unsure of what to do.

Skrrrrrrt.

The wolf-spider Keng Keng seemed to have no intentions of getting off my palm. sh*t!

“Hey, come on, get down already…”

Grumble.

“No…?”

Grumble…

Alright, talking to a spider was absolutely absurd, but somehow I felt I understood what it wanted. Luna often stroked the spider on her palm with her other hand, and it seemed this spider wanted something similar from me now!

To stroke a spider? There was no way I’d willingly do such a thing, but in this situation, I had no choice.

So, I slowly moved my fingers toward the spider sitting on my palm.

I extended my index finger and slowly… slowly… approached its body. Hell, what if it suddenly gets pissed off and bites me?

“Hassan, you woke up first?”

“Wha—! sh*t, you scared me!”

Grumble!

At the sudden sound of Luna’s voice, I was so startled I instinctively flung the spider off my palm.

With a flick, the wolf spider Keng Keng collided with the wall and then growled fiercely as it disappeared into a jar.

d*mn it, Spidey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.

My heart was pounding painfully in my chest.

“Hhhhh…”

“Hassan’s playing with Keng Keng this early in the morning? What a surprise! What’s gotten into you? Hassan, you hate spiders, right! Where did you suddenly get that courage?”

“I… don’t know…”

Luna, who had just woken up, was brimming with more energy than one could imagine in the morning. Then, she looked around the cabin.

“By the way, Hassan, did you see Hippolyte? She left her armor here but didn’t say where she went. We slept side by side.”

“Huh? Uh, well, maybe she went out to take care of some urgent business. She is a Gold-tier adventurer.”

“Could be. But still, I didn’t get those three silver coins from her. We didn’t even get to plan the potion promotion. When I see her next, I’ll have to give her a strong lecture.”

“That’s right. Huh…”

“Hey, Hassan, why do you look so pale? Did you have a bad dream? Maybe you have a fever?”

Whoosh.

Luna extended her palm toward me. I almost tried to evade it, but then I thought avoiding it would raise unnecessary suspicion and create more trouble.

So, I meekly allowed her touch.

Luna’s fingers grazing my forehead were unexpectedly cool, so pleasant it was refreshing. Yet, it also sent a strange flutter through my chest.

“Hassan, you’re running a fever…”

“Fever? I have a fever?”

“Yes. You also seem to have a bit of a cold. Your face is a bit red too.”

A fever? Me? I had never caught a cold since I was born, yet now I was told I had a fever? I couldn’t believe it.

“Maybe because you’re only wearing underwear. By the way, what is all this on your body…?”

Luna placed her palm on my body. Soon, a sticky string of the viscous liquid stretched thin between my body and Luna’s palm.

“Huh? What is this?”

“What? What is it?”

“What the hell is this?”

Luna clearly didn’t recognize the substance on my body. After a moment, she leaned in close and sniffed.

“Smells like oil, maybe. Hassan, are you maybe a toad? Why is oil coming off your body…?”

My mind went completely blank. When you’re utterly panicked, your head feels as if it’s been painted black—not white but pitch black.

Would the Thunder Mandarin Duck ointment given to me by the Venus Shrine work?

As I stood there trembling with a mixture of tension and anxiety…

“Hassan, have you been to the baths today?”

“Oh, yeah, just now. Right after I woke up. I went. I thought I’d just try smearing this stuff on. Supposedly it’s good for the skin.”

When Luna asked if I visited the baths, I blurted out a response without much thought.

“There was something like this at the baths? But your smell disappeared completely. That’s crazy. How can a person’s smell vanish entirely?”

Luna kept sniffing me, amazed by the phenomenon. Apparently, I hadn’t been caught for the incident with Hippolyte.

Thankfully, the authentic mandarin duck oil given by the holy maiden of Venus was worth its price. Luna must have never seen anything like it, either. Anyhow, I had made it out alive.

The feeling of relief as my vitality returned was so overwhelming that my legs momentarily gave out.

“Huh…”

“Hassan, you look exhausted. Should you lie down and rest today? We were going to visit the Underground Market, but I guess we’ll have to skip it for today.”

At Luna’s words, I recalled the day’s plans.

The gold coin we received from completing the Venus Shrine’s request while we were out in the field. I had agreed to meet Malco at a tavern to spend it, and today was that day.

“I’ve never used a gold coin before. What can I buy in the dark market with it…!”

Jingle.

Luna pulled out the gold coin marked with an X from a corner and cheerfully exclaimed.

Gold coin.

My share was eight shining coins, which suddenly made me feel incredibly happy. Although it’s called black money since it can only be used in the underground market, it’s gold all the same.

Gold.

Yellow gold.

In English, gold (Gold).

Its symbol in the periodic table… well, I don’t know what it is, but regardless, gold is a precious metal both here and on Earth.

In modern times, I believe it’s not just used as a fine metal in jewelry but also as an essential material in electronics.

But as a regular person from the 21st century, I was completely unassociated with gold—until now. Apparently, I’m someone who really likes shiny gold pieces.

“Haha.”

“Hassan likes spending money, too, huh? Have you thought about what to buy?”

“Not really! Let’s see when we get there! Let’s go!”

And so, Luna and I headed toward the Nymph’s Wing Inn, where we often gathered.

I’d buy something nice for Luna with the gold coin. Maybe even splurge two coins.

Anyway, as we were about to grab a table at the inn for breakfast while waiting for Malco, we unexpectedly ran into people we hadn’t anticipated.

“Are those the people of that rumored Silver Rose group or something?”

“Strangely, they’re all women. They don’t look incredibly strong.”

“But they’re all Silver-tier adventurers, right? A relative of mine in Kolkata mentioned their strength, saying they’re well-known even there.”

“What’s the Silver Rose doing here in Sodomora?”

Amid the murmurs of the crowd…

At the round table where the all-female adventurers were gathered…