Here is the English translation of the provided novel excerpt, adhering to the given glossaries and maintaining the original tone and style:
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### Episode 273
Entrance of Fall 273 ? Entrance of Fall #9
Lately, I’ve been bothered by the constant stream of thugs and human hunters coming after me.
But today, strangely enough, not a single one of them was in sight.
And for good reason—those who knew who stood beside me wouldn’t dare approach. After all, the warrior next to me was Hippolyte, one of the few in the city who could stand against such foes.
Clink.
The golden necklace around her neck was nothing short of a symbol of supremacy.
If someone like me, a mere Samaritan, were to challenge her to raise my own standing—
The sheer intimidation radiating from Hippolyte, adorned with that golden necklace, was enough to make most think twice before even attempting it.
Thanks to that, tonight was unusually peaceful. Was there any place in this city safer than by Hippolyte’s side? The thought made me a little uneasy.
“Who stands beside Luna these days?”
“Antiope went to the cottage to meet Paranoi. Lately, those two have been meeting often to talk. I don’t understand how a former cultist nymph and Antiope became so close.”
“Is that so?”
“Do you happen to know the reason, Hassan?”
“Not really.”
Paranoi and Antiope—what an unlikely pair. But it wasn’t a bad thing if they got along. Anything resolved peacefully was good in the end.
“So, what’s the deal with that kid?”
Hippolyte suddenly asked about the young Samaritan girl I was carrying on my back. She seemed reluctant to bring it up at first but must’ve finally given in to curiosity.
Though, to be honest, I was curious too.
“She rushed at me, so I knocked her out. I couldn’t just leave her lying there, so I took her to an inn. I’ll return her to the shrine tomorrow.”
“The shrine? An orphan under Juno’s care, then. I thought you were kidnapping a new bride. You know, since Samaritans are known for abduction marriages and all.”
I had heard about Samaritan abduction marriages before.
Samaritans, who lived in tents out in the wilderness, would apparently kidnap those they fancied as marriage partners and take them back to their tents.
Most cases involved women abducting men, and the reason was simple—Samaritan women were unusually stronger and more physically capable than their male counterparts.
d*mn, they’re practically Amazons.
Though the real Amazon was the woman walking beside me right now. Either way, I replied:
“By now, you should know I’m not like other Samaritans. And what do you mean by ‘bride’?”
“You don’t know? That child is a girl, Hassan.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Seriously—? Anyway, yes, she’s a girl. I’m sensitive to the scent of strong women. That girl has the potential to become a formidable warrior.”
Hippolyte sniffed the air with a twitch of her nose.
d*mn. With her messy, tangled hair and ragged appearance, I’d assumed she was just some scrappy boy.
Kids all have that same youthful look, so I couldn’t tell. Honestly, it never crossed my mind that she was a girl. Then again, gender didn’t really matter.
After booking a room at the North Gate inn, I laid the unconscious little savage on the bed. Then, Hippolyte and I headed downstairs to the dining area for a quick meal.
As she absentmindedly poked at a dried sausage with her fork, Hippolyte spoke.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about you lately. Seeing you in person, though—you look terrible.”
“That’s about right.”
“When I was still a girl, I was exactly like you are now. Thugs swarming from all directions, endless slander. Sigh. It’s nostalgic, in a way. Back then, every day was a bloody mess—it was fun.”
How could daily life being a bloodbath be fun?
As always, Hippolyte’s values seemed drastically different from mine. Did she, as a warrior of Mars, see my daily struggles as some kind of thrilling, action-packed life?
So I cautiously asked:
“Did you go through a phase like mine, Lady Hippolyte?”
“Mine was worse. All sorts of ugly rumors swirled around me. Not that I ever let them shake me. In the end, I proved them all wrong and came out on top.”
“I see.”
Given that Hippolyte was a famously beautiful adventurer, it was only natural that scandals followed her. There must’ve been countless insulting stories that would make anyone cringe. In this world, being a beautiful woman came with both advantages and disadvantages.
Hippolyte continued:
“Reputation is like a reed. No matter how endless the hell of criticism seems, people don’t actually care as much as you think. If you keep pushing forward and show results, your critics will fade, and supporters will rise in their place.”
I’d been feeling a little lost on how to turn things around, but Hippolyte’s encouragement gave me a boost of motivation. Had she sought me out just to cheer me up?
“Cherish this moment, Samaritan. Gold is purified through hammering, becoming true gold. This crucial time will be the most important crossroads of your life.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Still, you’re a complete mess. Like this, you’re hardly fit to call yourself a warrior.”
At her words, I glanced down at myself.
I’d rinsed off my clothes and body after leaving the incinerator earlier, but the fatigue and grime embedded in my skin weren’t so easily washed away.
“Many overlook the importance of appearances, but how you present yourself is an extension of your inner self. Your disheveled exterior reflects a disorganized mind. And that only makes you prey for those looking to tear you down.”
Hippolyte had a point. Keeping up appearances was important in any world.
Even Hippolyte, who didn’t seem particularly interested in grooming, was known to train rigorously and put effort into her looks.
For Amazons, beauty was strength, and strength was beauty.
Glance.
Without being too obvious, I studied Hippolyte’s appearance. It had been weeks since I last saw her, so she looked somewhat unfamiliar.
She now wore teardrop-shaped crystal earrings I hadn’t seen before, and her makeup seemed different—her eyelashes looked longer.
“Are those earrings new?”
“Y-Yes. Do they not suit my armor?”
“No, they look good. Are they some kind of artifact?”
At Hippolyte’s level, even earrings wouldn’t just be for show—they’d likely be enchanted to boost strength or magic. I’d heard such accessories could cost several gold each. Was this one of those?
Plus, hadn’t Juno’s priest mentioned that wearing artifacts related to water and fire was beneficial? Was this something similar?
As I pondered, Hippolyte hesitated before answering.
“No, they have no effects. I just… bought them because they sparkle.”
“I see.”
I’d been smugly theorizing, only to be completely wrong. Feeling awkward, I focused on cutting my sausage when Hippolyte suddenly stood.
“I can’t focus with you looking like this. Come with me—I’ll clean you up.”
Hippolyte borrowed a chair, a washbasin, a mirror, and something resembling an apron from the inn. After setting them up in the room, she spoke.
“Sit. I’ll tidy you up.”
Holding a dagger in one hand, she tapped the back of the chair with her palm—an oddly intimidating sight.
“I appreciate the offer, but I can handle grooming myself.”
“I doubt you wield a blade better than I do.”
Ugh.
I had no rebuttal.
Was there anyone I knew who could handle a blade as well as Hippolyte? If so, wouldn’t that make her the best barber imaginable?
Resigned, I sat in the chair and let her tie the apron around me. Soon, she applied a strange gel-like liquid to my face and chin, working it into a lather.
“Ugh, this feels weird. What is this?”
“Shaving cream. It’s good for shaving or hair removal. Don’t savages use this?”
Indeed, nothing beats a proper lather for a smooth shave. Did Hippolyte have some expertise in hair removal? Curiosity got the better of me, and I asked casually:
“Do Amazons shave too?”
Now that I thought about it, Hippolyte was impeccably smooth. Antiope had been the same. Did other Amazons follow suit?
Just then, Hippolyte unsheathed her dagger with a shing and replied coldly:
“Hassan, don’t forget I’m holding a razor right now.”
A poor choice of question, it seemed. Soon, the sharp edge of her dagger slowly traced from the nape of my neck to my chin.
“I’ve never done it myself, but I’ve helped many of my sisters.”
“Ah, I see.”
Sskkrt—
The sensation of my stubble being shaved off was strangely profound—especially since it was someone else’s hand guiding the blade.
The cold steel against my neck felt unnervingly vivid, sending shivers down my spine.
One wrong move, and my throat could be slit. Even a small nick on the carotid artery, and I’d bleed out in seconds.
In that sense, entrusting my neck to Hippolyte’s blade was my own way of showing trust. And she likely felt the same.
Sskkrt, sskkrt—
Her skill was so refined that after the initial tension, drowsiness began creeping in.
Clink.
If not for the hard breastplate pressing against the back of my neck, I might’ve dozed off comfortably. When was the last time I’d felt this relaxed?
Ah, d*mn.
As the tension melted away, my eyelids grew heavy. The sleepless nights I’d spent curled up like a thief cat, always on edge, were now catching up to me with interest.
Just as I was drifting into a hazy half-sleep, Hippolyte spoke again.
“Actually, I came to see you for a reason. Like it or not, you’re Mars Guild’s pride. If you fall, the guild’s reputation falls with you.”
“I see. What are you getting at?”
“It’s not a bad offer. As I said earlier, the best way to restore a tarnished reputation is through action. Achieve enough, and it’ll settle itself.”
“Achieve enough…?”
“Soon, the Entrance of Fall will open. And lurking there is a monster that’s been giving people quite the headache.”
“The Entrance of Fall? What’s that?”
“The remnants of Ceres’ wrath—the lingering traces of an endless winter. A rift in the world, like the dregs of resentment.”
I asked because I didn’t know, but her explanation only confused me further. If a monster was lurking there, was it some kind of dungeon?
“Hassan, you’re familiar with Inquisitor Vice Vein, aren’t you?”
“Vice Vein…?”
The name rang a bell. A member of the holy knight order that served Bacchus, the god of wine, revelry, and madness.
Why was his name coming up now? As I wondered, Hippolyte continued:
“That man is looking forward to joining you on the journey to seal the Entrance of Fall. You leave tomorrow—this leather scroll has the rift’s location marked.”
“Ah. So you’re saying I should defeat the monster there to prove myself.”
“Exactly. Nothing builds a reputation like slaying monsters or demons. Me, Theseus, Perseus—even that terrifying Samaritan woman who once rampaged through the Black Wilderness—we all made our names by felling beasts.”
True enough.
Was there any better way to gain fame than taking down a Named Monster?
It wasn’t for nothing that specialists like dragon slayers and lion hunters existed. Even I had made the papers when I took down the Goblin King.
But Named Monsters didn’t just fall from the sky—opportunities to face them were rare. This was an incredible stroke of luck, a chance I couldn’t afford to miss.
“If you handle this well, you’ll be promoted to Silver Tier without question. The guild’s higher-ups have already agreed on it.”
“But my rating hasn’t even hit 30 yet?”
“Ore users, like offensive mages, have their ratings calculated differently. Survive this rift, and you’ll prove you can wield Ore. That’s all that matters.”
“…”
“Of course, that’s if you survive. d*e there, and it’s all over. d*ath or glory—the choice is yours, Samaritan.”
“Then the answer’s obvious.”
There was nothing to deliberate over.
Living under constant persecution was no different from being dead. With nowhere left to retreat and nothing left to lose, I took the scroll from Hippolyte’s hands.
“Let’s give it a shot.”
“May Ceres, goddess of autumn and harvest, not forsake you, Hassan. If you d*e, I might actually be a little upset.”
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[Author’s Note]
The Entrance of Fall…!!! The mystery behind this chapter’s title is finally revealed…!!
I wrote this hoping that after the typhoon passes, cool autumn weather will arrive soon…
By the way, I love female characters brimming with vitality…! In that sense, Hippolyte might just be my favorite…
And there are two* illustrations this time—both of Luna and her!
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Let me know if you’d like any refinements!
![[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered](https://i3.wp.com/novelhitam.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/1743806812-5548-TS-The-Protagonist-is-Conquered.png?resize=85,105 "[TS] The Protagonist is Conquered")
