Chapter 230

230th Chapter

Preparations are meticulous, but the baggage is light

230 – Preparations are meticulous, but the baggage is light #4

The personnel assigned to this urgent mission of destroying the Abyss Rift and rescuing the missing individuals are a total of four people.

Me.

Hippolyte.

Antiope.

And one more person.

The final member hadn’t been confirmed yet, so we were told they’d join us at the North Gate before departure.

I thought it would be someone reliable and dependable since Hippolyte had carefully chosen this party. Curious about who this person might be, I was looking around the North Gate area when a familiar voice called my name.

“Hassan.”

It was Luna.

Luna in her robes.

“Luna, what are you doing here?”

Could she be the last member? Did Hippolyte change her mind? When I glanced at Hippolyte, she seemed to have read my thoughts and shook her head slightly.

Then Luna spoke.

“Still, I thought I should at least see you off since you’re going on such a dangerous mission.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Here, take this.”

Luna extended something toward me. I looked at it and saw a small doll about the size of my palm, made out of cloth. It had buttons for eyes and nose, and its pink hair in two braids was crafted with threads.

“A small… Luna.”

“Yes. It’s a small protective charm. Since I can’t go with you, I wanted to send my heart along with you, Hassan.”

“Protective charm?”

“It’s just a charm to ward off bad luck. It might not have any effect, but… Anyway, I’m sorry Hassan. If I were stronger, I could’ve joined you.”

Luna seemed genuinely troubled by her perceived inadequacy.

I opened my mouth to respond with “I’m not strong either,” but stopped myself. Wondering if there was a cooler or more appropriate thing to say in this situation, I simply stated what came to mind.

“We don’t apologize to each other.”

“Huh? That’s right?”

“That’s right. Just saying ‘be safe’ is enough.”

“Hmm, yeah. Now that you mention it, that does seem like enough.”

Even in the faint pre-dawn light, I could see that Luna, who had looked so deflated before, brightened slightly.

She still had a tired look, though.

“I’ll take good care of this.”

Showing off the doll Luna had made by shaking it around, I said this to her.

Then Luna said, somewhat sternly, “It took me all night to make it, so don’t just toss it around recklessly!”

“Alright, I understand.”

“…Well, I’ll be going now then. Since I shouldn’t cause too much commotion.”

Luna lingered, hesitating.

I thought it would’ve been nice to give her a hug, but since Hippolyte and Antiope were there, I felt too self-conscious. So we parted ways as somewhat awkward friends.

Occasionally, as Luna moved away, she would turn around and look back at me. I waved enthusiastically at her whenever she did.

“I’ll bring you back something when I return. Stay safe!”

Finally, when Luna was out of sight, Hippolyte leaned beside me and said softly,

“That was quite touching. You all had expressions I’ve never seen before.”

“That… Yes, I suppose. Somehow, I’m sorry.”

“…Hmph. Never mind. So, is Actaeon not here yet?”

Hippolyte looked around as she spoke. When she mentioned Actaeon, I felt a slight uplift in my mood, which had been somewhat somber moments before.

If it was Actaeon, it must be the hero with the two golden necklaces in Sodomora. That meant I’d be in good hands, almost like a field trip.

However, stepping silently out of the morning shadows wasn’t Actaeon.

“That man? He won’t come. Apparently, he’s busy. Instead, I’ve decided to participate in this expedition.”

With the removal of her robe, what was revealed was silvery-white hair.

Not the ashen grey of Antiope but hair that had always lacked pigment, gleaming like countless stars.

A pale face and bright red eyes.

A fairly long rod in her hand.

Elpride.

Seeing Elpride, Hippolyte slightly smiled.

“Decided to take action yourself, have you?”

“My party. It’s also, sort of, my fault that the accident happened. If I had been with them, maybe none of this would have happened.”

“Didn’t you say your body isn’t in good condition?”

“It’s fine. I drank some miraculous potion. I should be good for two to three days.”

“Hmph. A mage’s physical abilities are unnecessary anyway, but it’s good if you have them. Just don’t get in our way.”

While Hippolyte and Elpride were having this rather business-like conversation, Antiope, who had been standing in the corner crossing her arms, as if overseeing the situation, began to move.

Antiope paced around Elpride like a predator.

“An elf. A white elf. I’ve met several elves, but this is the first time I’ve seen a white elf. Rumor has it you have some strange powers-.”

“…”

The sharp eyes between Antiope and Elpride locked onto each other momentarily, and it felt like a silent battle of wills. Then Antiope smiled mischievously.

“Better not try anything that’ll disrupt the kingdom’s decorum, alien.”

“Why don’t you just relax?”

I was told this expedition would likely take no more than two days.

It was looking like it might be a pretty dreadful two days.

It was true that I was somewhat worried about what the strangely tense atmosphere between Antiope and Elpride might lead to at the onset.

Yet, surprisingly, as soon as we stepped out through the North Gate, they seemed to shut their mouths as if the prior hostility and tension had never existed.

We walked silently.

And we kept walking.

After half a day of walking this way, we would reach a canyon that looked as if an enormous plow had gouged out the earth.

Thud, thud—.

The only sounds we heard were footsteps and the clinking of our equipment and luggage. Of course, most of the luggage noises came from my end.

Crunch, clank—.

Whereas Elpride, Hippolyte, and Antiope only carried a water bottle, holy water, and some weapons, my pack was stuffed with various items Luna had carefully packed for me. While the bundles jostling against each other weren’t necessarily loud, they did make some noise.

Still, it wasn’t because Luna’s careful preparation was genuinely noisy—it was the silence that made it irritating. I wondered what thoughts she had while packing all these items.

In the silence, I pondered such things.

Certainly, working with this group was awkward in every possible way.

The client, Elpride, was personally joining the expedition—something unexpected. And then, Antiope and Hippolyte were both women who seemed to know quite a lot about me in various ways.

It was quite nerve-wracking.

An awkward and tense atmosphere.

It’s said that people usually fall into one of two behaviors in such situations, right?

One type can’t bear the silence and starts talking incessantly. The other closes their mouth until someone else speaks.

I belonged to the latter group.

And so, as I was hoping this silence would continue, Hippolyte, who was walking at the front, spoke to those of us at the back.

“Elpride, right? You’re supposed to cover the right and the rear.”

“The B-type tactic. Got it.”

“Good to see you catching on quick. Your reputation as a high-tier adventurer in Kolkata isn’t undeserved, I suppose?”

“You might not be on par with you, but I’m somewhat well-known, yes.”

Just as Elpride was about to deliver a nonchalant response, Antiope beside her gave a snort.

“Hmph! And what good is it bringing along party members who disappear into the Abyss anyway? A rookie, really.”

“Antiope.”

“Big sister, am I wrong? Thanks to this, we’ve just got more trouble to deal with. High-level adventurers should know their limits, right?”

It seemed Antiope’s first impression of Elpride was rather poor.

From Antiope’s perspective, this expedition had cost her one of her rare days off due to Elpride. So it was natural to feel annoyed.

Still, it wouldn’t help to irritate Elpride.

Watching with interest to see how the ill-tempered Elpride would respond,

“….”

Elpride surprisingly said nothing. Not a blockage of words, but rather an intentional disregard, leaving Antiope looking even more annoyed.

“Ugh, mages are all the same. Just think they’re perfect. Really irritating.”

Did Antiope dislike mages?

I had heard that some warriors disliked mages, but this was the first time I was witnessing it in person.

Since magic was said to be a talent granted only to the chosen few, I suppose such disdain could stem from feelings of inferiority about their own lack of such talent.

Yet, didn’t Antiope herself receive divine grace and belong to an outstanding demigod lineage?

Some people just like to criticize others despite being blessed themselves.

“Probably, they’ve descended about here.”

When Luna, Paranoi, and I explored the Manticore Rift, we discovered a hidden entrance among the rocks with the help of the two-headed snake.

That said, this Manticore Rift had an official entrance through which people frequently passed.

A steep path was carved into the cliff side.

In front of it, a water lily flower was engraved into the rock.

“Pluto’s mark—is it? I can’t believe I have to come to a place like this.”

Antiope grumbled as though being here displeased her. However, Hippolyte remained calm, carefully scanning the surroundings and narrowing her eyes.

“These were the paths used by Pluto’s high priests when they were patrolling. There are more marks here.”

On the rock, a ? X ? symbol was carved below the lily flower, seemingly done with a sharp blade or sword.

“The carving is relatively recent. Elf, do you know anything about it?”

“It’s the mark of my fellow companions.”

Elpride peered closely at the mark, reaching out with her palm as if detecting some hidden code or magical residue only they understood.

“Fairies, it’s likely such marks will be found every certain distance. Lily’s marking system is special.”

“So, Lily refers to the stern gauntlist, right?”

“That’s correct. Edwin is a sorcerer. Lily is a fighter. And Delphina is a swordsman. That’s the trio.”

“Anyway, following these marks until they end will begin our search. Luckily, this isn’t as difficult a task as it could be.”

We gradually moved along the narrow cliff trail.

This “trail” was perilously dangerous—like the rugged mountain paths featured in the Continent series, requiring delicate steps and attention.

Thump, tumble—

The slightest twist of the ankle could send one plummeting into the abyss below.

Sometimes, we had to hug the cliffside and shuffle sideways, making it exceedingly uncomfortable.

Swoosh, swoosh…

Just as we’d been shuffling sideways for a few minutes, Antiope voiced her complaints.

“Ugh, my chest keeps rubbing against the cliff, it hurts. I don’t understand why I even have these things.”

As Antiope shuffled sideways with her body pressed against the cliff, her protruding chest under her leather armor kept rubbing against the rock.

Hippolyte responded, “You’d be comfortable if you wore armor like me.”

“I don’t like tight, suffocating things. They used to say Amazon warriors cut off their chests. I’m starting to understand the reasoning now, even though I don’t sh**t arrows or anything.”

“Which part of history are you referring to, Antiope? Anyway, shut it. If we slip here, even we won’t survive.”

Swoosh, swoosh…

Elpride also had a substantial chest. Curious about how she managed, I glanced toward her as she moved ahead. When she swung her arms wide, her armpits became visible for a moment, and I caught a glimpse of her full, pale bosom.

Swoosh, swoosh…

“Ugh…”

Apparently, Elpride’s chest was also rubbing against the cliff. She groaned with each step, clearly in some discomfort.

Being a woman must be inconvenient.

While I was thinking this, I realized I’d messed up.

Did staring at Elpride’s armpits cause this problem?

I noticed something dangerous starting to bulge between my legs.

d*mn, I messed up.

“Why have you suddenly stopped, Samaritan?”

Hippolyte, who was following directly behind me, stopped walking and looked at me with evident confusion.

“Is something wrong?”

There was indeed something wrong.

How do I explain that my crotch sticking out makes it hard to shuffle sideways?

“Big sister, what’s going on?”

“Hmm, Samaritan has suddenly stopped.”

“Uh, wait a moment. Just a sec—”

I desperately tried focusing on the national anthem to regain composure. But maybe because of my increased stamina attribute, the thing that had risen wasn’t shrinking back down easily.

Walking sideways along the cliff in this state? Oh, sh*t—I didn’t feel up to it. As I debated what to do, I remembered Paranoi’s face.

Master Hassan, those ants are trespassing on the yard…!! Let me, let me chase them all away…!!

As soon as I recalled Paranoi’s expression, everything started shrinking as if nothing had happened before.

Paranoi is indeed helpful in more ways than one. Maybe I should buy her a candy later.

“Alright, let’s proceed again.”

Thus, more side-shuffling resumed.

Finally, we stepped onto a relatively wider section of the slope.

How should I describe it? It was like a cave carved into the middle part of the cliff. I think the Skeleton Knight’s hut might have been built in a similar spot.

“Fairies, there’s a mark here too. Do these marks belong to your companions?”

Hippolyte brushed off dust from her clothes and pointed to a corner with her finger. At the end of her gauntlet, there was a dark hole, like a bear’s lair, carved into the rock with jagged edges, accompanied by an X-shaped mark nearby.

“Right. They went in here.”

“Hmph, the real exploration begins now. Before that…”

Drip…

Antiope unzipped her leather outfit, revealing rather large and soft br*asts. She seemed to check for any chafing they might have suffered.

“Ugh, they’re all red. Ow ow…”

Squelch, squelch…

Antiope even lifted her chest and licked it with her tongue. She can do that because of her large chest. I never thought I’d be witnessing something like this.

Naturally, I was quite flustered by the sight.

My face and lower body were flushed.

Was Hippolyte equally flustered?

“There’s a man here. Don’t expose yourself recklessly in public!”

“Why, it’s not like anything is going to wear out. And they’re not feet. It’s just br*asts, right? Besides, I’ve already shown him various things. Feet and all.”

As she fondled her own chest with that lazy gaze directed toward me, Antiope was clearly teasing me. Perhaps she was seeking revenge for my earlier joke about being new to the underworld.

While I was quite flustered, Elpride, who had been examining the mark, furrowed her brow.

“What is it…?”

[Afterword]

A luxurious party lineup… Is Hassan about to get on a bus?

On a side note, I intend to prune some of the intertwined storylines that have become a bit messy in this episode…

Transitioning to a mid-length novel seems more complex than anticipated, requiring thorough consideration…

As I write, I realize how much more there is to accomplish, but at the same time, the feeling of potential for further development gives me a bit of hope…

Nevertheless, thanks to all the readers who continue to enjoy and support the story, I’m having fun writing…

Lying prostrate, I bow deeply…

I’d love to offer a deep bow, but it’s too hot to bow, so please forgive me for this!

Heeeeeeeyooonng…