Chapter 247

247th Episode

The Fairies of Albrheim

247 – The Fairies of Albrheim #7

I asked.

“Hey, Elpride. Do you maybe like me?”

Even as I thought about it, it was quite a bold question.

No matter what response comes back, it’s probably something I won’t forget until the day I close my eyes for the last time.

I was fully aware of that, and often in the past, I had woken up kicking the covers after asking such a question. But despite that, here I was, asking the same old question once again.

People, like history, tend to repeat their mistakes and errors.

Alright, what kind of reaction will I get now?

I was so tense, it felt like my chest was about to explode. My heartbeat was so loud that it seemed like it was ringing in my ears.

It was as though simply uttering that one sentence that had been swirling in my mouth had made the entire world around me change.

“…What?”

The body of Elpride, who had been gripping the railing and trembling, appeared to lose some strength.

I could only see the back of her head, so I had no way of knowing what expression she was wearing.

“Huh, what?”

The next voice that followed was considerably sharper.

Only then did I suddenly become aware of the question I had just asked. What was I thinking—no, why of all people did I have to ask Elpride this?

Still, there were suspicious signs.

Elpride had cooked for me, given me pocket money, and even let me massage her shoulders.

Based on my limited understanding, I thought that women were quite picky about befriending a man they didn’t consider a serious romantic option. They would weigh whether it was appropriate to be friends with me or not.

I didn’t know how true that was, but given that I had no friends of the opposite s*x, it seemed a plausible opinion.

If they were that cautious about being friends, what did it mean when someone let me massage her shoulders or feet? Was it not an unusual level of affection?

Was her scolding me, hitting me on the head, and yelling at me perhaps a twisted way of showing love? Similar to how elementary school kids torment or tease the boy or girl they like but can’t openly admit it.

Maybe that’s what Elpride was doing.

She was only twenty-one or twenty-two, in elf years. That meant she was roughly ten in human years.

So it was possible.

“Hey, do you like me?”

“I like you? Are you an idiot?!”

“What?”

“Did you eat something bad? Why would I like you? I feel like I’m going to puke! No, I completely detest you! How ridiculous. Phew… I can’t believe I have to hear such nonsense.”

Elpride’s reaction was, as expected, exactly what I predicted. And now, there’s another reason I’m going to wake up kicking the covers at night.

I can already see it—etched in my mind like a permanent scar: ‘Hassan of Samaria foolishly asked Elpride if she liked him.’

I want to run away from this spot right now and shout as I wander the streets, but I can’t, and my ankles and knees are trembling.

The aftermath of abrupt actions always arrives late, doesn’t it?

Why did I have to ask that question to Elpride of all people?

I thought I had already mastered the lesson in university that not every kindness shown by a woman meant romantic feelings.

But maybe because of the cases with Luna and Hippolyte, I’ve developed a sort of crush syndrome.

When I realized Luna’s cuteness or Hippolyte’s skills as an adventurer and found out they had feelings for me, it subtly instilled the thought in me: Are other women also secretly harboring feelings for me? Maybe this is the start of a popularity explosion?

My confidence soared, but now, as it plummets back to its original place, I start to fully realize how embarrassing my question was.

d*mn it.

I want to smash my head against a wall.

Should I just run away?

Various torments and thoughts rush into my head like a wave, sucking out my sanity. In situations like these, what can I say or do to diffuse the atmosphere?

Let me just call it a joke?

While pondering these complex thoughts, Elpride finally spoke up with a voice still tinged with anger.

“I like you? Seriously, how ridiculous. Based on what did you even think that? It’s a little damaging to my pride, you know. Do I have to hear such things and still live like this? Honestly, I feel like dying right now.”

I could see Elpride’s long ears glowing bright red from the side of her neck. She must be incredibly angry.

But is this really a question that warrants so much anger?

She could’ve just said no straight out.

I’m getting angry too.

“No, like, if you don’t like me, say it. Why are you blowing up so much? I didn’t ask anything inappropriate.”

“Now you think I’d like someone like you? Do you think we’re compatible or something?”

“Compatibility? What, like because I’m a slave and you’re the master, or something like that? In a few hours, I’ll be back to being the guy who gets whipped. All this resentment you’re building now? It’s just adding to your own karma.”

“Karma?”

Slip.

At that moment, Elpride turned her head towards me.

Her face, flushed red as if it was about to burst, had her usually composed Elpride squinted eyes, and they looked incredibly wet, as if she was about to cry.

Did I mistakenly think that Elpride liked me, annoying her this much?

I’ve heard that women’s self-esteem can rise or fall based on the men who pursue them.

When a man who doesn’t meet their standards comes after them, they might think: Is this all I’m worth? Is this guy so confident because he sees me as a low standard?

In this case, it seems like my pursuit has damaged her self-esteem.

I’m taking a lot of hits myself, thinking like this, and I’m getting angrier as a result.

“Hey, I didn’t just make this up. You’ve done some things, haven’t you? You probably did all that because you like me, right?”

“What did I do?!”

“You got me to massage your body, didn’t you?”

There was a short moment of silence after my words. Was it one second or two? Though brief, in the noisy situation, that gap felt quite unsettling.

Of course, the silence was quickly broken when Elpride raised her voice.

“That was a massage, you idiot!”

“Yeah, a massage, but seriously, do people typically ask someone to massage their feet too?”

“…What?”

The assertive tone Elpride had just moments ago, like an agitated lioness, seemed slightly dented.

I took this opportunity to launch another jab at this proud and stubborn girl.

“I know you thought I’m a clueless Samaritan who doesn’t understand the customs of this world, but I know everything. Women don’t casually show their feet to just anyone, right? Why did you show them to me, wasn’t that some kind of flirting?”

“Not really…?”

“Then what is it?”

“Feet are just parts of the body, you know. Showing them isn’t that strange.”

“Really? Then, have you shown them to other guys too?”

“That… Of course. You idiot, why are you even saying such stupid things? It’s not like talking nonsense with an open mouth makes sense.”

“You seem quite flustered for someone with nothing to hide.”

“I’m not. I’m not flustered at all. Aren’t you the one that’s flustered? Why are you asking such random questions?”

“Your ears were moving up and down just now. You’re trying to hide it.”

“Ears?”

Elpride touched her own ears.

I pointed out to her with a jab.

“You move your ears when you’re nervous or flustered. You ear-flapping witch.”

“What? You called me an ear-flapping witch? Uncultured barbarian! How dare you? You’re really asking for it, aren’t you?”

“Ear-flapping and proud.”

“I told you not to call me proud! You need some education!”

She couldn’t hold her anger any longer. Elpride lunged at me, fists tightly clenched.

Swish, whoosh!

Her tightly clenched right fist formed a wide arc, sweeping toward my face. Strangely, her movements were slightly sluggish, clearly visible to my eyes.

So, I tilted my head slightly backward.

Whoosh!

Her fist barely grazed the tip of my nose.

“Eh-?!”

She mustn’t have considered the possibility her attack would miss. Elpride’s body turned like a spinning top, off balance, falling toward me.

I didn’t miss the opportunity, hugging her waist tightly like a carnivorous plant.

This is what you call Hassan’s bear hug.

I applied force, and her back joints popped alarmingly loud.

“You’re not even a proud person. You’re weaker than Bronze Tier. Keep this up, and your life is about to be trashed.”

“Ugh, grrr, let go! You stupid, let go! You idiot!”

Embarrassed by being held like this, Elpride began pounding my chest and shoulders with punches.

It was painful but nothing unbearable compared to when she’d thoroughly beaten me before.

I’d grown stronger, and so had she—but weaker.

Pudak, Pudak-, Pudak.

But Elpride, unable to accept that fact, thrashed around wildly like a pheasant that had its beak caught by a weasel.

And while she flailed around, I hoisted her up on my shoulder and marched down the stairs, into the healer’s hall.

“What is this? What’s going on?”

“Look at that. That barbarian is trying to drag a girl around forcibly, isn’t he?”

“Kidnapping? Shouldn’t we report it to the guards?”

The scene of Elpride screaming and resisting while I held her tightly looked pretty criminal to the others.

I casually reached into my pants pocket with one hand and pulled out my jade identity badge.

“I am Hassan from Samaria. I apologize for the interruption, but I’m hurrying to take care of an urgent mission.”

People around started looking at each other, muttering under their breath.

“Mission?”

“I think I’ve seen him somewhere. Isn’t he one of the quite famous adventurers these days?”

“Ah… I thought something had happened.”

“Let me go! Let go of me! Anybody, hit this guy! This guy is trying to kidnap me!”

“No, it’s not kidnapping. I’m here to carry out a commission.”

Murmur, murmur…

What should I do?

Forget it, getting the guard involved would be a hassle.

Why would some rising famous adventurer commit a crime in broad daylight on a main street?

The opinion seemed to lean in my favor.

Had this been Kolkata, Elpride’s base of operations, it would have been unthinkable. But raising my reputation in Sodomora by successfully resolving multiple incidents and affairs had proven helpful.

“Arg, you bunch of ignorants! Someone stop this guy, stop him! Hurry -! Urgh-!”

I covered her mouth with my hand and then asked the onlookers,

“Is there an empty room somewhere? I need it for the mission. I assure you, no one will get hurt. I swear it on my honor.”

Honor?

I wasn’t sure I had anything warm like that, but I decided to bank on the reputation built by the good Samaritan song that Malco had spread around.

Seeing a big, dark-skinned man carrying a woman like he was going to kidnap her—this was a tense and unsettling situation. But what if that man was Ma Dong-seok?

If a movie actor like Ma Dong-seck was carrying a woman on his shoulders, shouting, “It’s for the movie shooting—,” I would have easily accepted it.

I might not compare to a movie star, but it seemed to have some effect.

“There’s an empty healing room. Go to the corner on the right!”

Someone called out kindly to me. Turning my head, I saw a female healer with her hair cut short like a young girl, looking at me. Her face carried an unmistakable look of anticipation.

“You’re Hassan from Samaria? I’ve heard of you. We’d like to hire you for a mission. Would you have any time later?”

“Ah-. If it’s about missions, we’ll discuss that next time.”

I entered an empty treatment room in the healing center, still carrying Elpride over my shoulder like a sack of grain.

Closing the door and looking inside, I saw a room with a couple of beds. With no one else around, the mood was perfectly dark with curtains drawn.

“I’m letting you off with a warning. You’ll burn in flames!”

“Then let it burn.”

I threw Elpride, who was flailing around, roughly onto the bed. She tumbled off and rolled on the floor.

“Ahk!”

Bang.

I thought I would place her gently onto the bed, but she rolled onto the floor, causing a bit of panic. From the sound, it seemed quite painful.

Of course, none of that mattered right now.

“Stretch your feet out.”

[Author’s note] PotatoServer, Kadeom, Gruni, Inbang, DaechungjigeunNick, Chasal, Ssalnun, Jongja, Tongho, Haruk! And to Tashierd, Gahi, and Ryu Miyeon for sending the King Support Coupon! Thank you all…

Many of you sent in writing coupons for this chapter, so we’ll engrave your names on the bricks of the Save the Nymph Foundation!

You nymphs, get to work!

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