Chapter 188

188th Episode

The New Paladin

BANG BANG BANG.

I woke up from the sound of someone fiercely knocking on the door.

I was sleeping so soundly, almost like I had fainted, but here I am, awakened by this racket.

Looking at the sunlight streaming in through the window, it seemed to be around noon or lunchtime.

I probably slept for five or six hours, but I’m still sleepy.

“Hassan-sama! Luna-sama! Is no one home…? The door, the door is locked!!”

BANG BANG BANG.

Listening to the persistent knocking, it was likely Paranoi. She was supposed to have been sleeping at the cabin with us. When did she go out and come back?

That kid has a habit of leaving without warning and showing up unexpectedly, so it’s not very surprising.

She’s less like a wild cat and more like a weasel or a squirrel—something along those lines.

“Luna, Paranoi’s here.”

“… Hassan, can you go down? I want to lie down a bit longer. I’m sleepy…”

Luna wasn’t usually a heavy sleeper, but last night there were so many events that exhaustion caught up with her.

It’s strange to see Luna acting so tired, but I guess she must be quite exhausted.

Now that I think about it, Luna’s stamina has always been weaker than mine.

With that in mind, I got up, having no choice, and headed downstairs to open the door. There I saw Paranoi as usual, wearing her purple robe.

“Hassan-sama, you were still asleep even though the sun is high in the sky?”

“Yes.”

“Well, now that this has happened, could you give me some food? You see, I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday, and I’m starving!!”

I can’t figure out why the conversation suddenly shifts to food, but Paranoi frequently visits the cabin to eat.

She works in exchange for meals, so I suppose it can be considered a kind of barter relationship.

I searched the cabin to see if there was any food left, and found a few dried meat slices and leftover potatoes. I handed them to her, and she devoured them as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

“Ahhh, now I feel like I can survive…”

“So, what’s the matter today? I told you to stay put and not do anything for a while.”

“Isn’t today the second day of the festival? We shouldn’t just sit by when so many spirits gather at Sodomora’s festival! We need to use them to take out those bad Shrine Knights…! There’s still one more bad guy left in this city!!”

Sweep, sweep.

Looking around, Paranoi seemed to realize no one else was nearby and continued in a low voice.

“Hm? I clearly told you to stay quiet.”

I lifted my fist and struck her small head.

THUD.

“AHHHH!”

With a loud sound, Paranoi, the nymph of ditch water, clutched her head. The events from yesterday already had me on edge and exhausted, and to have her come over and wake me up for nonsense was simply unacceptable.

“Ah, it hurts! You hit me in a sensitive spot…”

“I’m going back to sleep. If you have nothing to do, just tidy up the yard. Be careful of the traps. Pay us back for the free meal, Paranoi.”

Sweep.

I glanced at the yard through her shoulder. Due to the intruders from last night, the traps and fields in the yard were in complete disarray.

I had been planning to do it myself, but since Paranoi is here, I might as well have her take care of it.

“To tidy up the yard, the territory of Hassan-sama and Luna-sama, are you giving such an important task to me?”

“Is it okay for me, your premier disciple and right hand, Paranoi, to tidy up the yard? Is this a task you’ve entrusted to me?”

Her over-the-top reaction baffles me, but she seems eager, so I decided to go along with it.

“Sure, something like that. I’m going to sleep for about another hour, so wake me up when you’re done. Make sure to keep those strange peddlers out.”

“The task entrusted to me! I will certainly do my best!”

“Good.”

Can Paranoi really clean up the yard well?

With lingering sleep in my eyes, I took a better look at the yard. It would be nice to set up a parasol and a long chair in front of the cabin, where I could lazily nap in the afternoon.

I’ll have to look into that later.

…

…

After some time passed.

“Hassan-sama, Hassan-sama…!”

Someone whispered to wake me up. Opening my eyes, I saw Paranoi’s crimson eyes right in front of my face. I almost screamed in shock.

“What is it, Paranoi.”

Waking someone with your face inches away is the epitome of surprise. My sleep was completely ruined.

People in this world seem to have no concept of personal space, and it appears the nymph of ditch water is no different.

“Paranoi, that was a real shock. What’s the matter? What’s going on?”

“All the yard work is finished… What else should I do?”

“You’re already done?”

“For someone as accomplished as me, Paranoi, it’s as easy as eating cold porridge. So what else should I do?”

Paranoi seemed brimming with enthusiasm for work.

“Well, then clean the cabin and the workshop on the first floor.”

“I figured you might say that, so I’ve already done it! The materials are all sorted and stored in jars according to type!”

“… Really? Did you feed Keng Keng?”

“Since Hassan-sama would likely ask for that, I had mice caught for him to eat! With two caught, I think he’ll be fine for about a week without feeding!”

Honestly, she anticipated and completed all my tasks. Her efficiency has made me fully awake now.

Since Paranoi was so productive, I tried imagining what else she could tackle, but nothing came to mind.

“Well, then, take a rest.”

“Could I pluck one strand of hair from Hassan-sama?”

“What?”

“It’s needed to make a wand with a monkey’s bone… with Hassan-sama’s infernal power, I’m sure it will result in something quite useful!”

I recalled the monkey’s hand bone Paranoi bought underground—it was practically free—and it seems she plans to use it for the wand.

Still, I wonder how plucking my hair will create any magical effect.

“You worked hard, so why not?” she pleaded.

Her desperate plea made me reluctantly give in.

“Alright, just one strand.”

“Thank you… How honored I am. A strand from Hassan-sama who defeated the Shrine Knights, bestowed directly to me, his right hand…”

Closing my eyes, I feel her small hands combing through my hair, the sensation oddly ticklish and waking me up further.

“Not a single white hair… truly remarkable… It’s entirely black. Which one shall I choose…?”

Like monkeys grooming each other, I felt as though I had turned into one of them.

SWISH.

Suddenly, a sharp sensation ran through my head.

“Ouch! You missed.”

“… I, I accidentally didn’t pull it out…”

“What are you doing making such mistakes? Your role as my right hand doesn’t allow for errors.”

“Th-this time, I will not fail! Let me try with the one on your crown…”

SWISH.

Soon, I felt a single strand of my crown hair caught. Another sharp feeling followed.

“Ahhh…”

“Again… failed…! It’s harder to pull than expected…! It’s definitely not my fault…!”

“Alright.”

I got up, grabbed a random strand of my hair, and pulled it forcefully before handing it over to her.

“Here.”

“Huuu…”

Receiving it, Paranoi trembled as if she’d been handed the most precious treasure. She took out a handkerchief from her bosom and carefully wrapped the strand of hair.

“Hassan-sama, thank you so much… that you would bestow such a holy relic to me… I will dedicate my utmost loyalty henceforth…”

Who knew receiving a strand of hair could bring so much joy?

Paranoi is truly in a delicate mental state. Each time I see her, it worsens. Is she really going to end up insane someday?

While contemplating Paranoi’s mental health seriously, she spoke up after carefully storing the handkerchief with her hair.

“By the way, Hassan-sama, what about the person tied up on the first floor…? Should we just leave them like that?”

“The person regained consciousness?”

“Yes… Would you like to see?”

Sweep.

I fully rose and looked at Luna, who was sound asleep. Despite Paranoi’s loud voice, her exhaustion from last night was so deep that she didn’t wake.

It was Antiope who had worn her out.

Antiope was tied up in the cabin’s first floor under my control.

*

I roughly equipped myself with clothes, a club, and gauntlets before heading downstairs. In the corner, I immediately noticed a trembling figure.

Kneeling and bowing her head, she held her head with her arms, shivering uncontrollably, which made me uneasy about the well-being of her spine and neck.

“Antiope.”

I addressed the woman who had endured such a shock that her hair had turned white overnight.

Hearing my voice, Antiope, curled up in the corner, suddenly flinched in terror.

“AAAHHH, please spare me, please spare me… Don’t offer me as a sacrifice… Don’t offer me as a sacrifice…!”

It was obvious.

Her condition was not good.

She repeated the same phrases like an uneducated parrot, making me feel a chill of fear.

Turning to Paranoi subtly, I asked,

“Hey, was she like this since she woke up?”

“No, it wasn’t… I threatened her with sacrifices, and then she ended up like this.”

“Ugh, because of you. Why did you do that?”

“Hmph, the hound of the Shrine Knights, the slave of the lewd Jupiter… Now they must realize the full horror of Hassan-sama and his right hand, the premier disciple Paranoi!”

“You brat…”

Looking at Paranoi always makes me want to hit her on the head. But considering she might become even stranger if I keep doing so, I decided to hold back.

Anyway, what’s important now isn’t Paranoi but the visibly trembling and distressed Antiope.

“Hem, hem.”

I cleared my throat and addressed Antiope again.

“Antiope, can you hear me?”

“Ugh, ugh… I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

It seemed she was too deep in panic to properly converse.

“Hey, Paranoi, what did you do to scare her like this?”

“Hm…”

Paranoi frowned at my question, glaring furiously, then yelled admonishments at Antiope.

“Slave of Jupiter! Can’t you hear what Hassan-sama is saying? Hassan-sama is different from someone like me. He is truly ruthless and terrifying!”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Paranoi’s intimidation seemed partially effective as Antiope, who previously only shook with her head covered, began to slowly lift her head.

Sweep.

Amid her white hair, her blue eyes were stained with terror and tears, meeting mine briefly.

But as our eyes met, Antiope seemed even more frightened, frantically scratching the wooden floor with her nails.

Crunch, crunch.

Perhaps due to her basic form still intact, despite her level reduction from the erased tattoos, the wooden planks were gouged like soft chocolate under her nails.

At this rate, holes might appear in the floor. I grabbed Antiope’s wrist, pressing the acupressure point, forcing her to stop.

Grogg!

“Ahhh!”

She struggled violently, trying to escape my grip, resembling a wild wolf girl captured from the wild and forcibly socialized.

At that moment, DING—an indication appeared.

“Healed the condition of Antiope, Keeper of the Pictures, from extreme Fear.”

“Mission count increased by +10.”

“Current mission count: + 185.”

As Antiope’s abnormal condition was resolved, the mission points came in. Soon, I’ll reach 200.

At 200 mission points, so much can be done—my chest tingles with anticipation.

“Huuuu…”

A deep, drawn-out sigh escaped Antiope’s mouth, like a feeling rising from the depths of her soles.

Her overt regulation of breathing suggests that she is starting to feel better. Having dispelled the overwhelming fear, communication should now be feasible.

“Are you feeling any better?”

In an attempt to soothe her panic, I spoke to her as kindly as possible. Even though I realized how overly saccharine and annoying my voice was, it effectively calmed her down.

“Uh, uh… yes…”

She seemed to regain some composure.

“Antiope, have you forgotten the agreement we made last night? The promise not to divulge us. You swore on the Styx, so you must keep it, right?”

“Yes… um…”

With a timid, almost inaudible voice, she finally responded. Meanwhile, Paranoi looked quite displeased.

“You fool!! How dare you not use the honorific with Hassan-sama! This person is not an ordinary mortal like us, this person is…!!”

At that, Antiope flinched violently, looking thoroughly startled.

“Is he… not a mortal?”

—

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