Chapter 207

Chapter 207

A Short Rest Before Advancing Six Spaces

“Hassan! Look at this! It looks like my story is written here!”

Luna pointed at one page of the leather newspaper with her slender index finger.

“Let’s see.”

Looking where her pink-tinted nails pointed, there was indeed a row of text written in a cramped corner, thin and tucked away.

“Last month, a suspicious potion began circulating in the market. We take a closer look at its effects and true nature. – Potion Master.”

The first thing I saw appeared to be the headline, and from the looks of it, it seemed to be about Luna’s potions.

Is “Potion Master” the reporter’s name?

“Hassan, what does it say?”

But Luna seemed to lack the courage to read the article herself.

Well, I’ve grown accustomed to other people’s opinions and evaluations living in the 21st century, but for someone like Luna, seeing an article written about herself must be a first.

I can understand why she hesitates to read it out of anxiety. She must be worried about what ill words might be written.

So, I decided I would read the newspaper article for Luna, who was tense.

“Wait, I’ll read it.”

Surely everyone has heard about the nauseating potions that began circulating in the market from the town and the Alchemist Guild. This Ideope potion that, although quite repulsive, supposedly keeps you from sleeping for a day to two days is preserving your stamina.

“Oh, it’s a pretty factual account.”

“What does it say? What does it say?”

“It talks about how well the stamina potion works.”

“Really? Then it will help with more publicity! Is there anything written about the shop? Like where it’s made or who makes it?”

“I should keep reading.”

Driven by Luna’s hopeful urging, I returned my gaze to the small letters. And what was written there made my eyebrows furrow.

Curious about this miraculous effect, the writer requested a component analysis from the Alchemist Guild to find out if it was correctly made using proper ingredients. As a result, 12 unholy ingredients were identified.

Unholy ingredients?

I’m not quite sure what they mean, but from the gist of it, after a thorough analysis of the content, it was clearly something unpleasant.

The faint shiver of unease climbed up my spine.

Moreover, the contents were filled with keywords such as illegal, harmful to the human body, and unsound, all seemingly malicious.

“Hassan, what does it say?”

Now, how should I tell Luna about this? If I tell her the truth, she might be severely shocked.

After all, it’s only natural for anyone to feel disheartened when something they worked hard on is harshly evaluated.

Her heart would probably race just thinking that something bad might be written about her.

Therefore, I decided to read the newspaper article in her place while she was nervous.

“Just wait, I’ll read it.”

“Alright? There’s also some pretty harsh critiques.”

“So? Then I’ll read it myself!”

“Well, that is…”

But if Luna read it herself, she would inevitably be shocked, so I was lost on what to do.

“Oh, never mind. It’s probably better if I don’t read it. I might get too full of myself. They say humility is important when making potions.”

“Humility?”

“That’s right! You must brew them with dedication!”

I knew Luna poured her dedication and enthusiasm into making potions.

She may be a bit clumsy in everyday life, struggling to keep things tidy, but she is incredibly efficient in her professional field.

“You can’t cut corners or the quality won’t be good!”

“Is that right? Oh, and do you use good ingredients? You know, like freshness?”

“Of course! Even if it’s expensive, I always carefully select only the best!”

Honestly, I couldn’t imagine Luna using illegal ingredients in her potions, judging by her confident response.

The jars of ingredients on the first floor mostly contained mundane items like bones and plant roots.

Could it be the secret ingredients she uses with Paranoi?

I had no idea.

Soon, I’d have to visit the newspaper company.

*

It had been two days since the expedition to defeat the Goblin King.

Though two days had passed, during that time, all I did was wander around the cabin, tend to the potatoes in the yard, and get a back massage from Luna.

Listening to it, it sounds like I’ve been lazing around.

And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

Not because I’m lazy, but because a kind of listlessness has taken over from my toes to the tip of my head.

Is it the backlash from the intense training I did for a few days?

Or could there be considerable backlash from practicing necromancy?

According to Gogriad, the Goblin King, necromancy involves sharing one’s own vitality.

If that’s true, it makes sense why my body is suffering so much from this debilitating listlessness.

Meem, Meem, Meem-.

Ioo, Ioo-.

Zzzzizzzj-.

Listening to the cicadas noisily chirping outside, I looked out the window on the second floor. The cloudless burning sun reminded me of summer.

Even though I’m currently resting at home, it’s clear that summer is approaching its peak.

It seems that guild duties and government office jobs also take extended vacations during this time to escape the heat.

It’s curious how the entire city feels quiet as if sitting in the shade to avoid the heat. Perhaps I can consider this my first vacation since coming to this world?

“Hassan, it’s your turn now.”

“Ah, right. One card!”

“Ah, Hassan, that’s cheating!”

“In the world of competition, there’s no such thing as fair or unfair.”

“Miss Luna, please play your joker…! If Mr. Hassan wins, he’ll get a painful spanking!”

“Hey, what’s this scheme going on behind my back?”

“There’s no such thing as fair or unfair, right? Hehe, One card-! That’s it! Shet! I win! Paraoni is last place! Bang bang!”

“Hhmm, I don’t want any more spanks…”

Bang!

“Eeekk-!”

In the cool shade on the second floor of the cabin, we played various indoor games.

Things like carving chess pieces from wooden blocks, making poker cards from hardened leather to play a game, etc.

Since there are no cell phones, TVs, or even radios in this world, to enjoy fun times inside, we have to rely on board games like this.

This seems to have been very amusing for Luna and Paranoi, who were familiar with 21st-century refined and evolved entertainments.

Even memory-forged board games, which might be chided as outdated by someone accustomed to 21st-century electronics, were seen with sparkling eyes by Luna and Paranoi like they were seeing them for the first time.

“It was fun! It’s nice to have some leisure time!”

“That is absolutely correct.”

Luna and Paranoi also seem to have free time lately since the potion orders have decreased.

Could the decrease in potion orders be related to the newspaper article? Should I tell Luna the truth after all—?

While I was slightly worried, Luna pulled out a thin wooden plate from the corner.

“Hassan, let’s play Horomable now!”

“We already played that last night. Is it alright to play again? It takes a long time per round.”

“This is my favorite! We’ve got plenty of time anyway!”

Although it’s a game I’ve grown quite tired of, I was enjoying it quite well with the ladies.

Considering that I’m experiencing an event that typically happens only with in-crowd university students, I feel quite satisfied.

I mentally crossed off the part in my bucket list about having a board game café date with a girlfriend.

“Hurry up and set the board! Since Paranoi last took last place with One Card, we need to organize the Copper, Silver, and Gold!”

“It’s hard to organize…!”

Paranoi grumbled as she tidied up the money. Of course, the money being referred to here is the fake currency from the world-travel board game called “Horomable.”

Fake money carved from wooden coins.

The board is a thin wooden slab with squares drawn in black ink, and cities from this world like Sodomora, Delphi, and Kolkata are marked on it.

While it’s unfamiliar to me, it seems that the board is enjoyable for Luna and Paranoi, who are familiar with the place names in this world.

While we were preparing, the sound of the doorbell ringing rang out with a tingling sound. It’s the doorbell I installed in the yard yesterday.

I said,

“Someone must’ve come.”

Looking out of the window at the garden, I saw a woman with long hair, glowing red skin, and wearing light clothing.

“Samarian, you haven’t come to training for a few days. Is everything alright?”

“It’s been impossible to move a finger lately.”

“You shouldn’t complain just because you killed a few Goblins. Thanks to your work, Mars Guild is overwhelmed with visitors from Minerva Guild.”

Visitor Hyppolyte seemed to have come by herself after noticing that I’ve missed my training for a few days.

Hearing that, Luna peeked her head out from the upstairs.

“Hassan, who’s that? Who has come?”

“It’s me, Hyppolyte.”

“Ah! Did you come to collect my three silvers?”

“Well, that’s not why I came….”

“Then come up! Let’s play Horomable!”

“Horo…?”

Hyppolyte raised an eyebrow in confusion. However, out of curiosity about the vibes she felt from upstairs, she climbed up to the second floor of the cabin and glanced at the game board laid out on the floor.

“What is this? Tell me what you’re doing with these people.”

“Well, it’s a kind of board game we play on the board. I made it, but it’s actually fun when you try.”

“A game? You’ve been skipping training for this, Samarian? You’re getting too soft.”

“Hyppolyte, join us! The more people, the more fun it is!”

“Miss Luna, the money is all sorted… We can start now…”

“Money? Surely you didn’t make those wooden circles into money?”

Her interest was piqued when she heard the word ‘money.’ But Luna quickly covered the wooden coins so Hyppolyte couldn’t see them.

“Hyppolyte, don’t steal them! I carved them with great effort!”

“…Even if I’m short on cash, I wouldn’t steal something like that. Still, playing a game using fake money… It sounds rather sophisticated. I believe I’ve once seen a similar gaming board in noble salons.”

Thus, the board game began with four of us playing.

Clatter.

The bone dice are thrown, and Hyppolyte rolls a stunning 12.

“Great, doubles of sixes! A warrior of Mars always moves forward without hesitation!”

“Shet! Hyppolyte, you’re going to Tartarus again! Your dice are confiscated for three turns! I’m super happy! At least I won’t finish last!”

“d*mn….”

“I have an Argonaut’s pardon for Tartarus for 50 gold. Interested?”

“What? 50 gold? Not necessary.”

“Escaping from hell for just 50 gold is cheap! Or you can just stay stuck over there! Hehe, hehe… Now it’s Paranoi’s turn.”

Paranoi throws the dice again.

Clatter.

“A golden key…! Hmm, let’s see. ‘Congratulations! You have been invited to the Argo expedition. Once you complete a round of the map, head to the Ideope Islands.’ Oh, am I becoming a hero of the Argo?”

Paranoi places her token on the Ideope Islands. With that, Hyppolyte, who was stuck in Tartarus, becomes enraged.

“What? Someone as soft as you, Paranoi, gets invited to the Argonauts’ expedition, which even I couldn’t get an invitation to? That is unthinkable! All passengers on the Argo were glorious heroes!”

Nearby, Luna frowned.

“Hyppolyte, this is just a game. Why are you so immersed?”

Nevertheless, Paranoi took possession of the land deed of Ideope Islands.

“Hehe, I will purchase the Ideope Islands for 50 gold pieces. Now, I, Paranoi, own an estate as large as a baron’s in this kingdom! Everyone, please be prepared to pay the toll when you pass through my territory!”

“My hometown! Why do you own it, Paranoi? Return it at once!”

“It’s all Paranoi’s land now! Crying and yelling won’t help. I’ll erect my statues all over this land…!”

Though everyone was talking over each other, the noise was pleasing as it felt like we were truly enjoying our vacation. If every day could be like today, it’d be wonderful.

Still, I can’t help but feel guilty about playing around like this when there are still several pending issues.

Take the story about the Lord of Hell, for example.

Eventually, while Paranoi was setting up the next game after finishing last place, I casually asked Hiipolyte, who was reading the golden card.

“Ms. Hyppolyte, have you ever heard any stories about Named Monsters?”

“Named monsters? Like the Goblin King you supposedly defeated?”

“Do you believe that story, Ms. Hyppolyte?”

“Believe or not, that kind of Namemad monster is pretty common. It was called Gogriad, wasn’t it? You did quite well to defeat such a powerful enemy. Did your training pay off?”

I couldn’t outright tell her that I had defeated Gogriad with the help of necromancy minions.

“Well, you could say that. So, do you happen to know where similar monsters like that one are located?”

“Hunting named monsters isn’t something you should be concerned about yet. Once you reach the rank of Silver Tier adventurer, you’ll be given information about such creatures.”

“I see…”

“Still, it looks like you’re getting antsy for more battles despite all this resting. You dislike training but love the real fights – the Samarians…”

Actually, it’s not that I love real fights but there’s a reason why I’m curious about named monsters.

I realized through the story of Gogriad that the Lords of Hell—called Gagas—use powerful monsters as vessels to appear in this world.

So, wouldn’t it be enough to eliminate all potential vessels for them?

But as Hyppolyte said, hunting named monsters is usually the job of seasoned adventurers who have reached the Silver Tier.

I’m not there yet.

“By the way, Samarian. Antiope mentioned that someone called Vice Vein is looking for you.”

“Vice Vein?”

The name rang a bell. I remembered Antiope mentioning someone from the Shrine Knights residing in this town.

Vice Vein.

One of the nine esteemed members of the Shrine Knights.

A follower of the God of Wine, Bacchus.

“Why would that man want me…?”

“He’s researching the Goblin King, so it’s probably related to that. Anyway, Noxdoti, it’s my turn. Pass me the dice.”

Clatter.

“One, two, three. Wow, Hyppolyte, you’re trapped in Tartarus again! Your dice are confiscated for three turns!”

“Thi…this is rigged! My dice must have been tampered with!”

“Yeah, nope. Hyppolyte, you didn’t do well! Puh, hahaha! It’s Hassan’s turn now.”

Taking the dice handed over by Luna, I casually rolled them on the floor.

Clatter.

The result was a robust double six.

“Hassan, it’s a golden key! What does it say? What did you draw?”

Having landed on the golden key space, I picked up one of the small cards and started reading aloud what was written on it.

“You were invited to Bacchus’s enthusiastic party and enjoyed a night of indulgence. However, due to a terrible hangover, you cannot roll the dice for your next turn.”

“That’s amusing!”

[Postscript]

Bzzneong! Thegodenel! Ku&KIceCream! Student Sir! CCM! Qaisha! Potetoserver! Strauss141! And Hayat123 for the King Sponsor Coupon—thank you so much!

Many original coupons were sent too… Expect cute drawing of Paranoi soon!

Comments and recommendations are always welcome!

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