Chapter 145

145th Episode

Hassan and an Old Grudge

145 – Hassan and an Old Grudge #3

“Hahahaahat-!”

The fairy, Elpride, burst into loud laughter.

Without any concern for how her face might look, she laughed with her mouth wide open, appearing rather hearty and masculine.

However, such laughter was rather out of place amidst the atmosphere that had momentarily frozen due to the sound of a teacup being slammed down.

As a result, people merely blinked their eyes, confused about what was going on.

Some may have even tried to recall if there was anything funny about the recent stories.

After laughing for quite a while, Elpride finally wiped away the tears streaming from her red eyes with her finger.

“Ah, sorry. I laughed too much. It’s been months since I laughed like this, I think.”

Though she seemed not particularly bothered, her distinctive grace as a fairy of Albrheim made her appear quite elegant.

It was becoming slightly clear why so many adventurers vied to become her followers voluntarily.

Of course, I, for one, had no intention whatsoever of returning to her, whether as a follower or a slave.

With the laughter somewhat subsiding, Elpride spoke.

“Hassan? Was that guy really like that? I thought he was someone different than the Samaritan I knew.”

“Ho, so the adventurer from the outside knows Samaritan, eh?”

At the innkeeper’s question, Elpride’s red eyes darted around the inn, momentarily locking with mine, causing me to hastily lower my head.

What exactly was going on here?

I wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. Or hide in a rat hole.

“Hotan of Samaria. Do you know about that guy? Hmm, well, there probably isn’t anyone who knows him as well as I do. That guy isn’t really as barbaric as he seems. He knows how to use a fork and kn*fe, after all.”

“Barbaric?”

“Barbaric but not barbaric? It’s like saying a fish doesn’t live in water, makes sense, doesn’t it?”

“That’s a lie. I saw him tear into meat with his bare hands last time. Fork and kn*fe? That’s not barbaric!”

At Elpride’s claims, the inn seemed to sway as though it were tilting. Enjoying the reaction, Elpride continued with narrow red eyes.

“Also, I’m not sure if he’s a homicidal maniac who kills people, but he’s definitely a heinous criminal. Did you know he came from the Desros Arena?”

“…Desros Arena, you say?”

The innkeeper shivered, as if he had just heard something incredible.

“Desros Arena…?”

“Is that true? If it’s true, then it makes sense why he fights so well.”

“Then the story about him being Kairos’ disciple might be a rumor, since those places were total opposites.”

The tense atmosphere that had previously frozen everyone had now thawed like warm water was sprinkled over it. It seemed everyone was trying to show off what they knew, throwing in comments here and there.

Even Luna, who was sitting in front of me, quietly asked me with a soft voice:

“Hassan, what’s the Desros Arena…?”

Shiver.

Of all people, I never expected those words to come from Luna’s mouth. My chest felt cold, as though someone had cold hands massaging my heart.

The one lucky thing was that it seemed Luna wasn’t trying to confront me, but genuinely asking out of curiosity.

Though I hadn’t exactly tried to hide it, there was no reason for me to go around boasting about my past.

When I first arrived in this world, it wasn’t as if I immediately became a slave to Elpride.

The first ones to find me were the ruthless human-hunting Desros Arena people who pushed me into the arena, using me like some angry monkey. Honestly, those memories weren’t ones I wanted to revisit. There weren’t any good memories there at all.

Absolutely none of them were good.

“Miss Elf, do you mean the Desros you’ve mentioned?”

“Yes, surely there can’t be another place as terrible as that in the world. Hassan—this guy is from there. And the one who set fire to it—.”

“Excuse me! Please stop! Foreign species!”

As Elpride continued, someone in the inn suddenly shouted, drawing everyone’s attention to the corner.

There, a girl with an ash-gray robe wrapped around her body stood. She looked to be about 14 or 15 years old.

Her head was crowned with radiant scarlet short hair like an angelic ring,

along with porcelain-white skin and short pointed ears.

It was a nymph.

A converted nymph, Paranoi.

Paranoi was standing trembling in a corner of the inn.

“Hassan, I see Paranoi was here first!”

“Eh, uh, yes.”

Why did Paranoi suddenly appear? I didn’t quite understand it.

Swoosh.

“Ha-.”

A slight wrinkle appeared between Elpride’s brows upon seeing the small nymph.

“Did I hear that right? Hey kid, what did you just say?”

“I-I won’t tolerate any more slander against Master Hassan…! Master Hassan is a barbarian among barbarians who doesn’t even know how to use a fork…!”

“What? Master Hassan? Hah. This is a pretty strange city. Strange characters just keep popping up. Is it the bad air?”

Creeeak.

Elpride pushed her chair back and stood up. She stood proudly in front of Paranoi, who had challenged her, looking down at the little creature.

A height difference of one head.

Elph, the goddess of youth, versus

the tiny nymph of ditch water.

Two species from different continents that dominate their lands clashed right now.

Elpride spoke.

“What are you? You, by any chance…? No, it’s not that important who you are. What’s your relationship with that Hassan guy?”

“G-Gosh, I-I can’t say that…heeeek-.”

Paranoi’s words dragged on. The reason being the wicked and wicked-minded Elpride had grabbed Paranoi’s cheek and pulled it upwards.

Not sparing even the small younger girl, treating her with violence – Elpride was truly a nasty girl.

“It hurts AAAAAHHHHH! Please let go…!”

“Staffs made from nymph bones are said to enhance magical output.”

“H-Hiiieek! That’s… that’s hate speech against nymphs!”

The nymph, scared to d*ath, began flailing around and screaming. However, being gripped by Elpride, Paranoi ended up being caught and lifted up helplessly.

Elpride kept pulling at the little nymph’s cheeks, ears, and other parts.

“Hiii, hi, kheek!”

“Wow, this is my first time seeing a nymph. It’s cuter than I imagined. Should I take you home and grow you? I even have a leash spare.”

At this rate, Paranoi might get dismembered into pieces, turning into a stick of sorts.

“Ha, Hassan! Paranoi is being hurt! You need to help!”

Luna struck the table and spoke to me. But I, honesty, was scared.

Fear for someone who had used me as a slave for two years doesn’t fade easily, even after experiencing many things over the past month or so.

I know better than anyone else in this room just how strong Elpride really is.

Someone like me would turn into black ashes the moment she opens her mouth. To face her, you’d need someone like Hippolyte at least.

Sorry, Paranoi, but I’ll just hope for the best. That’s what I was thinking when…

“Kheeeeek! P, my arm is going to be pulled out! Please, stop! F, Frule, ah, not, ha, Hassan-sama help me! Kheheek!”

“What? Why are you making such a fuss, kid? I didn’t pull you that hard. I feel offended by you calling me bad.”

“Kheeeek!”

The sight of the nymph screaming like she would faint, while an elf grabs her arm, ears, and fingers. Then something swiftly jumped between them.

It was Luna.

Luna had jumped right in front of Elpride.

What the hell? The worst thing I was most worried about just happened. I wrapped my head in funny cloth to prevent this.

This is literally hell. Also, what does “claimed” mean, and what does “follow the order” mean?

So many thoughts whirled in my mind that I decided to stop thinking altogether.

“Interesting inn, huh? Strangers causing trouble keep popping out, don’t they? It’s because they don’t know who I am.”

As she said that, Elpride turned around and looked at her companions with her crimson eyes.

“Kinda hurts my pride, though. Delphina, did we promote ourselves properly?”

“Well, yes. But there are fools everywhere, you know. Eli, maybe this is fun in its own way?”

“Fine, I’ll let go of her. Come on, go. Nymphs are rare, so they shouldn’t fall into the hands of bad people.”

Elpride casually dropped Paranoi on the floor. Then Paranoi shouted “G, thank you…” and quickly hid behind Luna.

But hiding behind the weakest-looking dam in the world wouldn’t improve the situation much.

“What are you? Do you know that Hassan guy too?”

Swoosh.

Elpride’s red eyes swept from Luna’s head to her toes.

“Bronze…? Yet, you’re interesting. What’s that bone on your head? Trying to hide your face? Do you lack confidence in your appearance?”

Elpride’s expression was full of leisure. She didn’t consider Luna her rival or someone worth taking seriously, a typical attitude of high-level adventurers.

However, Luna, who had overpowered Hippolyte and experienced many things, thus growing, either lost her fear or just shouted loudly.

“I am the Great Luna, Daughter of the Night! This is not to hide my face, but an amulet, idiot!”

“What? Luna?”

Keegeet.

Elpride’s expression suddenly twisted. That’s the face she makes when she’s genuinely pissed off.

When she’s like this, her ultimate move – whipping – typically comes out.

Why is she angry upon hearing the name Luna? I couldn’t understand. But soon, her face relaxed again.

“Great match. Great match indeed. You’re her. You really look good with Hassan.”

“…R, really? Thanks. You’re pretty too. Your hair flickers. While we’re at it, can I have one strand of your hair?”

Luna, twisting her body with her neck cracking. She wasn’t used to compliments from Elpride. Yet, Elpride responded to Luna’s comment as if she had heard something completely different.

“Thank me no thanks. Loser. It’s not a compliment. It’s just that loser types go well with each other!”

Sweek.

Elpride clearly angry now, she pulled a small whip-like leather tool from her waist. This was the whip.

The whip that turns people into slaves by beating them. Is she trying to do her “Whip Flailing Ultimate” here?

I, Hassan, wouldn’t have minded getting hit by that, but Luna shouldn’t.

So, trembling with fear and dragging my uncooperative body, I rushed between them.

“Huh, another one? Ambush?”

Thinking she would be attacked, Elpride braced herself.

But ignoring that, I stepped forward and hid Paranoi and Luna behind my broad back. Fortunately, it’s broad, d*mn it.

“You-”

Elpride narrowed her eyebrows as she looked at me. She’d spent two years with me, so she must recognize me just by my build.

I no longer needed the cloth hiding my face and revealed myself. In response, people who had silently observed this chaos finally chimed in.

“Samaritan was here.”

“From the Desros Arena, you say?”

“What will happen now?”

“Who knows, let’s just quietly watch. Innkeeper, more beer, please.”

Amidst the commotion where everything seemed shaken, Elpride’s crimson eyes intensely focused on me.

This is a grudge.

A grudge so dreadful it’s even beyond the word “grudge.”

“You’re that famous Hassan of Samaria?”

Elpride asked, sounding as if she were meeting me for the first time. But as she said, is there anyone in this world who knows me better than her?

She knows I’m not strong, that I am timid and fearful.

So, even though I stand in front of her so boldly, she must know my heart is quivering terribly.

“Have you been doing well lately? Hang around with young girls. Though, they’re not as pretty as me.”

Did she originally promote her own beauty so much? No, I don’t think she was that type of person.

Just a feeling, but Elpride appears uncharacteristically confident in her looks today.

It must have been a while since we parted ways. It’s not unusual for peculiar quirks or habits to develop during that time.

Still, I need to say what I have to say.

“…Luna is prettier than you.”

“… There’s no way. Stop lying.”

“It’s not a lie. Luna is kinder too.”

“… Stop lying!”

“H-Hotan-. In front of so many people-.”

Gooouuuk.

Luna grabbed my back as if she was embarrassed to be praised in front of everyone. Elpride’s eyes narrowed even more.

Still, now that I’m here in front of Luna, I don’t have any clear solution on how to handle this situation. Any good strategies come to mind?

Seeming either aware or unaware of this predicament, Nymph Paranoi hiding in the back shouted.

“Master Hassan was relying on you…! That wicked foreign witch should be punished by you!”

“… She deserves to be punished?”

“Master Hassan is the Samaritan resurrected from hell! The chosen great warrior! He’s capable of defeating her with one blow…!”

And not forgetting to shout at Elpride.

“E- Elf! Leave our continent! Here belongs to our nymphs since ages ago!”

Spouting nonsense like that. I could see Elpride’s expression getting more and more irritated.

I felt like the world in front of me was getting darker. Elpride opened her mouth to me.

“Hassan, it must be nice to be so popular. But I’m not idle enough to deal with you guys right now. It’s also not a proper match.”

The fairy’s eyes, red like flames, shimmered.

Elfi has high pride.

She won’t usually bother with random disputes unless they’re with decent opponents. This hasn’t changed it seems.

Thankfully, it saved us. I sighed inwardly and responded,

“So, how about we part ways here amicably? So we don’t have to meet again soon.”

“But for some reason, my mood got worse. So, why don’t you all attack me together? I’ll take you on.”

The fairy’s crimson eyes flickered like wildfire.

[Afterword]

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