Chapter 357

356: Revival and Reunion #7

Antiope and Hippolyte resemble each other.

Their skin tone leans toward a reddish hue, with quite delicately arched eyes. Their bodies are noticeably well-trained, exuding a sense of health.

Even though their mother says otherwise, they really do have that sisterly vibe.

Still, if you were to find a difference, it would be that Antiope’s frame is slightly slimmer and smaller compared to Hippolyte’s.

While Hippolyte wields a strong sword that blends skill and power effectively, Antiope, who uses a short spear, focuses more on speed and technique, and thus has honed her body to be agile.

You could compare Hippolyte to a cheetah and Antiope to a wildcat. They are similar, yet distinct.

“Here, I’ll just lie down. Could you press on my thighs and calves mainly?”

Eventually, Antiope lay down on the very blanket that Luna and I had lain on to sleep.

“Well, I worked hard, so it’s only natural to give me a reward, isn’t it?”

Hippolyte might have been more reserved and made excuses, but Antiope, being the assertive woman she is, wasted no time.

And through my gaze, I could see the slender yet firm thighs of this woman protruding slightly beneath her gown. As my hand approached them, Antiope trembled slightly.

Squelch, squelch.

“Ummmm…”

As soon as I started the massage, she melted like whipped cream left under the sun.

“Ugh, this… This kind of pleasure can’t be found even in the capital. That’s why I can’t leave Sodomora… because of this…”

Antiope greatly enjoyed the massages I gave her. She had since the first time we met.

And for her, exhausted from her busy schedule, this time was no different than replenishing her HP with a healing session. It seemed that with the new shrine I had built, she hadn’t had much rest.

I recalled the notes about Antiope that I had seen under the follower management section. It had said that she was fatigued and struggling with cumulative exhaustion.

Hence, while trying to relieve her old fatigue, I began pressing her thighs and the area near her buttocks with the flat, solid parts of my palms.

“Mmm, it feels kind of strange.”

But the buttocks seem unfamiliar to her. Every time I touch them, her body tenses up and shivers slightly, which appears uncomfortable.

So, where exactly should this massage start and stop?

I’m hesitant to press her back because the tattoos might fade. And the ankles or the soles of the feet are considered precious areas for women, so I can’t easily touch them.

The most approachable area seems to be either the buttocks and thighs or the back of the neck.

“Yeah, definitely don’t touch the… b*tt—too… heh, it’s too ticklish.”

The b*tt is forbidden due to its ticklish nature, so all I could do was slowly press her thighs, from the inner to the outer parts.

However, just by touching her thighs, it’s inevitable to brush naturally against the inner groin, and that made my “judge” rise.

Antiope is my brother-in-law-to-be.

I thought of this and had to mentally fight against myself. Antiope is Hippolyte’s cherished younger sister, someone I need to look after.

If word reached Hippolyte that I had caused such a situation by touching her sister’s body… surely, various things would be cut off.

“…”

That is why I remained silent, focusing on calming myself internally. But the firm sensation of her thighs beneath the gown kept flashing images of an older memory.

Back when I still had the ability to use necromancy.

More precisely, the time when I was under the influence of the chaotic power of Hell and could not regain my senses. It was then that I committed terrible acts against Antiope, acts that could have easily left her with a deep trauma as a woman.

Thinking about it now, I suddenly feel extremely apologetic.

“So, what do you think?”

Just as I was reflecting, Antiope began speaking to me.

“What do you think about what?”

“Hey, you haven’t been listening to anything I’ve been saying so far, huh?”

Had Antiope been trying to talk to me? In my preoccupation, I hadn’t heard a word.

“I didn’t hear.”

“Of course, I’ve been chatting away by myself.”

“What did you say?”

“It’s nothing serious…”

For a moment, Antiope hesitated. This girl, who usually speaks directly and had once attacked us with a spear when she mistakenly accused us as cultists, now seemed unusually reticent, making me naturally tense.

Is she trying to get me to guarantee something?

However, what Antiope said next was a bit different than what I had imagined.

“You’ve probably spent a lot of time with my sister recently, right? So, you must know a lot about her, huh?”

“My sister?”

“She means Hippolyte.”

“Hmm…”

I did know quite a bit about Hippolyte—like how she reacts when you lick her armpits or the back of her neck.

“So why are you asking?”

“No reason, really. Earlier, you saw me fighting with that spider, right? If my sister and I were to face off right now, who do you think would win according to you?”

Grawr…

I paused, clutching both hands on her thighs, deep in thought. Antiope had indeed been battling the giant spider with strange lightning and her spear.

“Hmm…”

If Antiope and Hippolyte were to fight, who would win? I couldn’t have guessed before, but now the answer seemed clear. Most likely, Hippolyte would win.

Still, if I admitted that, Antiope would surely get upset. So, I decided to hedge my answer.

“I’m not sure. The fight between two powerful warriors involves many variables.”

It was apparent to me that Antiope harbored some latent inferiority toward her sister, Hippolyte. It seemed Hippolyte represented a wall that Antiope, as a younger sister, desperately wanted to surpass.

And that wall was quite high and sturdy.

“Maybe I’m still not ready—”

Zzap!

“Even though I have this much strength.”

Antiope’s hands sparkled with lightning.

“Is my sister still getting stronger as we speak?”

Antiope looked quite frustrated at the thought that she couldn’t overcome her sister. This inferiority complex was likely driving her to push herself too hard every day.

But people need to know how to take a break. It’s normal to stop, take a look around once in a while, feel the breeze, and rest for a day so that efficiency doesn’t drop. That was what I believed at least.

“Relax, Antiope. Lie around and just rest tomorrow at this cabin. You could also play around with Paranoi.”

“I don’t have the time. I really want to beat my sister. If only I could use magic…”

“The daughters of Mars can’t use magic, right?”

“Yeah, the daughters of Mars cannot. Even if we try to grow mana herbs, it’s hard for us to even sense mana.”

Mana herbs. I recalled the tobacco-like item Delphina had given me.

Apparently, those were doping items that temporarily enhanced the mana of warriors and swordsmen, allowing them to use basic magic.

And Antiope’s pipe that she always smoked—those were likely mana herbs, not marijuana or regular tobacco.

Then came another remark from Antiope.

“Still, since I’m different from my sister, I have no memory of meeting my father. I’m not even sure if I’m truly Mars’ daughter.”

“…”

Antiope was divulging something she usually didn’t, which slightly caught me off guard.

Perhaps it’s because the massage relaxed her muscles and loosened the mental locks she had tightened due to exhaustion.

Or maybe, like in a confession, she felt the need to share her inner thoughts, much like how people confess sins to priests in a cathedral. Sharing one’s inner troubles can sometimes be good for mental health.

“Why didn’t my father ever appear before me? Hassan, you’re not a demigod but a real god, right? You probably know why Mars never showed up to me.”

I recalled stories Hippolyte had shared with me.

Hippolyte, who once lived as a ruffian extorting money in back alleys, met Mars during her impoverished days. This encounter awakened her divine qualities and set her on the path to becoming a powerful warrior.

Yet, Mars had never appeared to Antiope.

Was it a feeling of favoritism toward her sister?

“Your sister is special, even among Mars’ daughters. If she continues on this path, she might truly become the Queen of the Amazon River.”

“The Queen of the Amazon River? What’s that?”

“Oh, haven’t you heard from your sister yet? Various daughters of Mars are spread across various places in this world. Every ten years, the daughters gather by a great river, deep in the jungle.”

Antiope continued her explanation.

“During the gathering, the daughters hold a tournament-like event. The winner becomes the queen of the Amazons and receives the right to challenge Mars.”

Ah, so that’s how it is.

Hippolyte wasn’t the kind of person to share such stories about herself, so there were many things about her that I didn’t know.

I tried to imagine a scene where sporty women resembling Hippolyte and Antiope gathered in large numbers. Something like the Olympics perhaps.

“Soon it will be that ten-year mark. I want to defeat my sister and meet my father in that tournament. I want to ask him why he never appeared to me.”

“Ah, I see.”

It seems there are complicated family matters here.

While I don’t understand everything, I could sense Antiope’s melancholy mood.

She had worked hard these past few days helping me, and I felt some guilt for my past transgressions against her. I wanted her to regain her spirits.

Though I wasn’t good at delivering grand speeches or anything special, as I was pondering what nice offering I could give her, I quietly summoned the Favor Shop.

“The Favor Shop—give blessings to your followers!”

“Single Golden Coin Finder: Increases the probability of finding coins while walking. Cost: 100K”

“Single Enhanced Potion Effect: Increases the effectiveness of potions. Cost: 100K” – New!

I noticed that there was a new item labeled “New!” where the area-wide Golden Touch Favor used to be.

Apparently, if you buy an item from the Favor Shop, a new item is added to the stock after it is purchased.

Still, what was this “Enhanced Potion Effect”?

A favor that improves the effectiveness of potions?

That sounded incredibly useful.

If the favors I buy can be gifted to followers rather than being for my personal use, I’d definitely want one for myself.

“Do you want to purchase this Favor?”

Ding!

“Current Merit Value: +0”

I bought it. For the first time, my merit value dropped to zero, but it was okay since I could accumulate it again later.

“Antiope, you’ve worked hard, so I will bestow a divine favor upon you.”

“You’re giving me a divine favor? It hasn’t been that long since we built the shrine, and you’re already able to do this? Besides, what kind of favor is it?”

“I’ll explain later.”

I dragged the purchased favor and inserted it into Antiope’s Keeper of the Pictures listing in the Follower Management section. It gave me a strange sense of déjà vu, as if I was inserting one file into another.

“What’s this? An unfamiliar word appeared. What’s this ‘Enhanced Potion Effect’? What kind of favor is this?”

Antiope grumbled, sounding a bit underwhelmed. Still, I put on an air of regality, teasing her as if I were a king bestowing a treasure upon her.

“It is a favor that enhances the effects of potions. Accept it with gratitude since you’ve done such good work. Antiope, Keeper of the Pictures.”

“What? A favor that enhances the effects of potions!? Is that real!?”

Antiope jumped up in surprise as if powered by a spring—it was so sudden that even I was startled.

“Goodness, we can’t just waste time here!”

Kang! Kang!

Antiope swiftly rushed off somewhere in a hurry, like someone who had just turned on a gas stove.

True to her form as a warrior wielding powerful lightning spears, she moved at an incredible speed, leaving me no time to react, and all I could do was blink in astonishment.

Hmm, what’s going on?

I waited, wondering if she would return shortly, but she didn’t show up until I woke up when the morning sun broke through my slumber.

Thus came Saturday.

The first holiday since the start of my life of coexistence with the world.

I originally planned to do nothing and just sleep all day in the cabin for this inaugural holiday, but after receiving a stern warning from Elpride the previous day, I got up slowly, washed myself, and changed clothes.

“Why are you so late? If you hadn’t come, I would’ve waited here forever!”

Indeed, Elpride was already waiting in front of the cabin, fully prepared.

Jingle-jangle.

The staff she brought with her indicated that she was ready for battle or some sort of conflict.

“Hey, are you really going to meet her..?”

“What? Is it wrong for me to meet that woman? I’m just checking out the level of the witch working in this city.”

In the end, I had no choice but to lead Elpride to the west gate of the city.

We finally arrived at a door that we might have been better off not reaching.

Creak…

“What?! An elf came to see me?! Elf customers are rare because elves are so picky…”

“I’m afraid I’m not here as a customer. More like someone aiming to torch the shop.”

The two witches meet.

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