Chapter 155

<.. Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief ..>

155 – Hassan and the Nine-Headed Thief #6

“There’s someone about to jump out from below…!”

Nymph Paranoi of Ditch Water was scared. So scared, in fact, that she couldn’t even take care of her personal needs alone on dark nights.

She seemed to also suffer from a bit of paranoia.

One couldn’t help but feel sorry for how hard her life must have been leading up to this, but at the same time, it was quite annoying.

“So what, you want me to hold your legs?”

“P-please…! It feels like I’m about to burst, but I can’t go like this!”

The clear voice of the nymph was tinged with terror and anxiety. Truly, it must be painful if she can’t handle her urgent business.

“Hassan-sama…”

“Hey, just do it.”

I had woken up groggy, wondering what I was getting myself into.

“Then let’s go inside.”

“Yes, yes…”

When I opened the barn door, I saw Paranoi hopping from one foot to the other. She was fidgeting with her thighs, looking entirely unsure of what to do, and I began to feel tense myself.

What am I doing exactly? The slight embarrassment was lessened somewhat by the fact that I’d had a drink earlier.

“How exactly do you want me to hold your legs?”

“Like this, from behind… If you could lift my thighs, that would be enough… This is the position my mother used when I was little…”

From behind, she wants me to hold her thighs?

I wondered if I understood her correctly. From the front, it would mean her private moments would be completely visible.

“So let’s just finish quickly, and you can go back to sleep.”

Whoosh.

I pulled up her rough gray robe to just above her thighs.

Her slender, soft calves and thighs were exposed, but she felt like a younger sister, and I didn’t feel anything strange.

Whoosh.

I grabbed her thighs from behind.

“Ah-aaa!”

“What, why are you making strange noises?”

“Hassan-sama, your palms are so hot…!”

“There’s nothing I can do about that. Bear with it.”

In contrast to my hot palms, Paranoi’s thighs were surprisingly cool. They were smooth, soft, and tender—so delicate and fragile that it made her feel almost breakable.

Dribble.

Still, this was a bit embarrassing and awkward.

I considered saying nothing and staying quiet, but I ended up asking a random question because I couldn’t stand the tension.

“So, how old are you?”

“I’m a nymph of ditch water…”

Why does the nymph of ditch water come up when I asked how old she was?

“No, I mean, how old are you? Your age.”

“The nymph of ditch water is as old as a small palm tree… When we grow older, like larger trees, we will become the nymphs of stream water…”

The nymphs and humans seemed to have very different ways of calculating age. I’d heard nymphs lived quite long lifespans, so even if she looked this way, she might already be an adult.

Not just nymphs but other races in this world also possessed life spans longer than humans. For example, elves could reportedly live for about two centuries on average.

A lifespan twice as long as a human’s.

“Huh… Hassan-sama…”

Having finished her business, Paranoi asked me to lower her down. When I lifted my head, I heard various sounds as she finished up.

“It’s all done. Thank you very much… I miss my mother; it makes me feel good…”

Her mother.

Paranoi occasionally spoke of her mother like this.

Since the nymphs are a female-only race, and only female nymphs are born from them, her mother must have been a nymph very similar to her.

“My mother was kind…”

On the way back, as if noticing that I was thinking about the female nymphs, or maybe just making conversation, Paranoi continued to chatter.

“My mother and I used to hide in mountain caves. One day, she went out to pick fruit and never came back…”

“What happened? Did something bad happen to your mother?”

“No, she probably just forgot her way back… The reason she couldn’t find her way home is because our mother had received the ‘Blessing of Chaos’ and suffered a bit from mental instability…”

“The Blessing of Chaos?”

A somewhat familiar word stirred a sense of déjà vu in me.

“…Glory to Chaos.”

As I muttered quietly, a text appeared before my eyes.

『Name: Hassan Lv. 22

Strength: 12

Agility: 4

Health: 61

Merit: 60

Grace: Blessing of Chaos』 Glowing Hands』 Cloak of the Night』

The word ‘Blessing of Chaos’ was unmistakably present within the text.

“What exactly is the ‘Blessing of Chaos’? Can you explain it?”

“All I know is what mother told me… A long, long time ago… when the boundaries between deities, humans, and beasts didn’t exist… the world was filled with an empty void, like a black and round egg… Void… The primal abyss…”

Paranoi started crying, unable to finish her story.

“Hey, why are you crying all of a sudden?”

“I miss my mother…!”

Her sobs grew louder and louder, and I started to feel flustered.

Did I ask something I shouldn’t have? As I tried to calm her down, I pressed the wrinkle on her wrist, the Sinue Point, with my thumb.

“Ah-ah! It hurts…”

For people under heavy stress, pressing this area helps with mental and physical relaxation.

Ding.

『Name: Paranoi Lv. 21

Condition: Curse of Developmental Delay』 Loneliness』 Sugar Addiction』

The characters appeared as if I had pressed her pulse. Her conditions hadn’t changed from the last time I checked—loneliness and sugar addiction.

Did her loneliness stem from the cave where her mother never returned? And could I cure her loneliness by simply massaging her palm?

Surprisingly, it was possible.

There’s an acupressure point specifically used when someone feels lonely. I couldn’t help but chuckle at how ridiculous the whole thing seemed when I was reluctantly learning it.

“Ah-ah! It hurts…!”

I pressed firmly on the soft red spots, the Laogong Point, that had appeared on her palm.

This point is excellent for calming the mind and strengthening the stomach’s function. No matter what, pressing it should help somewhat.

“Huff! It hurts, it really hurts…!”

It shouldn’t normally hurt so much from gentle pressure. It felt like Paranoi was overreacting. Could it be that her tiny, delicate palm was more sensitive because of its small size?

Thinking about it, my Strength attribute had grown more than twice as strong compared to before. If I used the same force from the past when doing acupressure, it wouldn’t work.

Acupressure doesn’t work solely on strength.

Sweeter.

So I eased the pressure on my grip. Paranoi relaxed somewhat as a result.

“Huuu…”

At the same time, the text popped up again.

『Cured Paranoi’s condition: Loneliness』

『Merit increased +10』

『Current Merit +70』

The merit increase made this a fairly satisfying wake-up in the middle of the night.

“Feeling better?”

“Since Hassan-sama held my hand, I feel much better…”

“Good. Then let’s head back to sleep.”

“Um… but…”

But Paranoi started fumbling with her words again as if something else was bothering her.

“Why again?”

“Could you… hold my hand on the way back? Just until we get there…”

My hand?

Is her loneliness from thinking about her mother still unresolved?

It’s strange anyway; the idea that pressing someone’s palm could so easily change a person’s emotions is bizarre in and of itself.

So I decided to hold her hand on our way back to the cabin. Several moments passed that reminded me of an innocent younger sister.

“Hassan-sama, your palm is so big…”

“Yes.”

“It reminds me of Pluto-sama when I was little…”

We were just walking along, but an unexpected name slipped from Paranoi’s mouth, and I felt a bit more awake.

“Have you met Pluto before?”

“It seems like a dream now, but yes. Thanks to that person, I survived. Hassan-sama also looks like that person… big palms and a robust build. His hair and eyes were jet black.”

She claims to have met Pluto. Whether or not that’s true, did this person save her life?

“So, that’s why you became a follower of Pluto?”

“When I brought skeletons to life, it felt like I had many friends. But since I wasn’t very skilled at necromancy, all I could do was make a single golem from mud…”

Why exactly she became a follower of Pluto wasn’t clear, but reflecting on it, I remembered that false religions on Earth often preyed on the vulnerabilities in people’s hearts.

Targeting those who were struggling, lonely, or poor, they subtly worked their way into the hearts of the vulnerable, ensnaring them.

Indeed, even those who knew their beliefs were wrong stayed because that was the only place they felt cared for and respected.

Certainly, while these cults and heresies exploit difficult and vulnerable people, it’s somewhat ironic that I, the son of a disreputable health center, am making such observations.

Anyway, the cabin was already in sight. It was truly time to go to sleep, and preparing thoroughly for the coming days would be wise.

Just as I thought that, Paranoi gently spoke to me again.

“Hassan-sama, by any chance, are you interested in necromancy…?”

“Necromancy?”

“You’re such an exceptional individual that all you need to do is say, ‘Rise’…”

“Hey, rise… Rise if you want, but why are you still stuck on that necromancy stuff? You need another smack to snap out of it.”

“Eeek!”

When I grabbed her other hand, Paranoi panicked and quickly fled upstairs.

Truly, appropriate discipline is the best therapy for those who stray onto the wrong path.

A proper physical therapy in the truest sense.

The miraculous physical therapist, Hassan…

I chuckled at such a silly thought and drifted back to sleep.

*

The next morning.

When I went to the Mars Guild, Hippolyte was leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, waiting for Luna and me.

“Hippolyte, good morning!”

“…Noksdotty. You’re unusually energetic for this early morning. Did something good happen?”

“I’m making Wildling Potions! Once completed, they’ll be incredible! No more annoying trips to the bathhouse!”

“What potion is this? Hmm. Anyway, today we’ll investigate the Thieves Guild as planned and gather some leads.”

“Since the leader of their group doesn’t show their face despite all the rumors, it might end up being a long-term investigation, possibly extending over a month or more. It won’t be easy.”

But Luna seemed more interested in something else than Hippolyte’s plans. Luna closely inspected Hippolyte’s face.

“…Why are you staring at me like that?”

“Hippolyte, you’re wearing makeup! This is the first time I’ve seen you do that!”

“Hmm, well… T-that’s true. I don’t usually do it… There wasn’t much cause to.”

Hippolyte fiddled with her armor, clearly unsure of what to do. After a while, she glanced at me, and I noticed her unexpectedly long lashes and the subtle shimmer on her face, which made me flinch in surprise.

In my moment of startled silence, Hippolyte too hesitated, glancing around before finally turning her face away.

“Anyway, the Rose Gang, or whatever it’s called, is already investigating the underground in Kolkata. We can’t afford to sit around idly either.”

Rose Gang probably refers to Delphina, Elpride, and their Silver Tier adventurer team, who are also competing with us to exterminate the Thieves Guild. If they’ve started moving, we need to act too.

However, I still had a noticeable advantage.

“So, I mean… Hippolyte-dono.”

“W-what is it? Samaritan?”

Hippolyte shivered at the sound of my call.

Though I thought I might have been exaggerating things in my mind, looking at her reaction now, it was clear she was also fixated on what happened that night in the barn.

I guess any normal person would be.

But in this case, it was an official matter. It could even put Hippolyte’s life in danger.

Thus, I collected my thoughts and, without any hesitation, began sharing the information I had gathered the previous day.

“So it seems they’re targeting Gold Tier adventurers.”

Upon hearing this, Hippolyte furrowed her eyebrows tightly. The flustered demeanor from a few moments ago was nowhere to be seen.

For all the human side she exhibited lately, she was still an exceptionally skilled adventurer on the verge of becoming a true hero, and she knew well how to distinguish between what’s private and what’s public.

“Do you know who knows about this matter?”

“Only here so far.”

“That was wise. If this spreads, the crumbling reputation of the guild will plummet even further. Likewise, the stocks I own in Mars Guild will drop as well.”

“What? Hippolyte, did you invest in the Mars Guild?”

“Indeed. Instead of my fee, I take shares in the guild as payment. One day, this will surely return as a larger fortune.”

“The Mars Guild isn’t even listed publicly yet!”

“They soon will be. Once we successfully clean up the Thieves Guild and I handle more higher-tier commissions, it will happen.”

Luna and Hippolyte spent some time chatting about the Mars Guild shares.

It didn’t seem particularly relevant to me, so I half-heartedly tuned them out, until Hippolyte asked me a question.

“So, these thieves gather underground in the central street of the guild buildings. Do you happen to know which Gold Tier adventurer they’re targeting?”

“That, I’m not quite—”

“Perhaps it’s that guy, Aktaieun? That guy wanders around in his underwear, so people tend to look down on him, calling him a bit of a loser.”

Hippolyte didn’t seem to think she would be the target herself.

Her pride simply couldn’t accept the notion of being seen as vulnerable or easily targeted.

“Well then, it’d be smart to wait until evening falls.”

And so…

Time passed.

Evening.

—————————= Afterword ————————

Mr. KuAnIceCream! Mr. JoIjang! Mr. HonchungChul! Mr. Atarac! Mr. UengNyamNyam! Mr. CheE! Mr. Jetto! Mr. Kadeom! Mr. Yeonghun’s Box! Mr. PotatoServer! Thank you so much for the supportive coupons…!

And the royalties? Always delicious and well received…!! I’m so addicted to them…

Coupons don’t just come from generous benefactors but also from everyone who leaves comments and recommendations. To you all, I’ll cast a slow-passing-Sunday-charm…!!

Heeeeeyyah!!

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