Chapter 360

359 Revival and Reunion #10

There is no one in the world who dislikes being praised.

Elpride would be no exception.

“I like you, Elpride. Put together all the kids of the Silver Rose, but you’re still the prettiest.”

I don’t know where that courage came from.

I felt as if there was a subtle thread of emotion connecting Elpride and me.

And since it was clear that it was more inclined toward me, I was able to speak without hesitation.

“Wh-what-!?”

Of course, Elpride looked greatly flustered. She probably never expected me to say something like that.

It’s always surprising when someone behaves contrary to their usual nature.

“Honestly, what is this dog-eating-grass nonsense? Is something wrong with your head?”

I could see Elpride’s guard rising sharply. Indeed, Elpride was no ordinary girl.

If Hippolyte was a girl who seemed tough on the outside but was actually soft on the inside…

Elpride was quite the opposite; she looked delicate and fragile but had steel-like resolve inside.

I slowly approached such an Elpride.

With my bold demeanor, Elpride retreated into a corner of the alley like a timid middle school boy being cornered.

“What, what are you doing? Are you crazy?”

There was a slight tremor of fear in Elpride’s voice. Looking closely, this girl was about a head smaller than me.

Thinking about it, this presence that always seemed so large emanated from such a small, frail body— it was slightly amusing.

Was Elpride shrinking?

It might be that, but the fact is, I’ve grown bigger— both in confidence and presence, thanks to my heightened stats.

After cornering Elpride, I mustered up more courage and delivered a decisive line:

“It’s not a lie. You’re prettier than the girls of the Silver Rose.”

Someone once said confidence is key when dealing with women. It didn’t resonate much back then, but now I can somewhat understand it.

Indeed, successful men generally exude confidence. Whether they became successful because they’re confident or became confident because they were successful is debatable.

Regardless, everyone can agree that guts are important for men.

“Just hurry up and get out of the way. Don’t think I’ll let you touch me just because you say some sugary smooth words.”

But Elpride reacted like a porcupine with her spines up. The only injustice here is that my words weren’t hollow flattery at all.

The team of the female adventurers, the Silver Rose.

They’re beautiful enough to deserve the glamorous epithet “silver” and the name of a rose.

From the leader Delphina, the fighter Liri, to the mage Edwin— each of them would be celebrated as the only female member in any other adventuring group.

So perhaps calling them a girl group wouldn’t be too far off.

Still, among such a star-studded group, there’s usually someone who stands out.

In the case of the Silver Rose, that person is none other than Elpride.

The impressive epithet “Silver” attached to the team’s name might as well be credited to Elpride, the albino elf.

In reality, Elpride is stunning.

Her presence alone transforms this dim, shady alley into something akin to an exciting photo sh**t location.

Swoosh.

I slowly moved my hand and gently grabbed Elpride’s wrist.

Shiver.

Unlike her usual self, who always bossed me around like I was under her, her arms trembled like a newborn fawn’s legs.

Puff.

She quickly shook off my hand.

“Don’t try to control me.”

Her expression was genuinely angry—as if she were at the precipice of losing her temper, her face and ears reddening. One might say my actions were dangerously close to pressing the button of her fury.

Now what should I do?

This felt like the first challenge of Sultan Hassan, the ruler of his harem.

Should I leave Elpride alone, now that she appears visibly upset, or should I continue my advances with confidence?

“Move aside already.”

At that moment, my right cheek tingled. Instinctively, I jerked back my head just as Elpride’s sharp slap narrowly missed my nose.

Sh-iiii.

Had I been any slower, my cheek would have swollen bright red.

Feeling disoriented, my chest was forcibly pushed back by Elpride’s palms.

“Huh…?”

She pushed with considerable force.

Thanks to this, I stumbled a few steps back but tripped over some debris or pebble on the ground and ended up sitting hard on the pavement.

As I sat helplessly trying to process the situation, Elpride glared down at me with a furrowed brow.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, you fool. This doesn’t mean I’m yours.”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Hot-headed Hassan, trying to rise above me? That won’t happen.”

With her crimson eyes, Elpride coldly stared down at me. It was so menacing that it brought back memories of her slave past.

As a result, my confidence waned slightly, and I could only timidly ask:

“…But you did say you’d be my wife, right?”

“Even so, that doesn’t mean you can treat me however you want. And certainly not in some dirty back alley. That’s a no-go.”

What exactly is this?

Is this some kind of women’s specific language?

Even after my brain processed simultaneously in both hemispheres, I still could not comprehend what Elpride was trying to convey. The only sure thing was that I couldn’t casually touch her chest.

Elpride’s chest.

Thinking about never being able to touch it again after just handling it one fine day made me incredibly disheartened. Knowing this now, I should’ve indulged myself all day then.

Realizing how dejected I was, Elpride’s tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly.

“…”

Though still silent, I could sense some subtle inner conflict in her.

The superhuman intelligence of Hassan, the aspiring god of wisdom, recalled something— that women tend to have something akin to maternal instincts, drawing them to pitiful and helpless men.

And wasn’t that the most critical aspect in this moment?

Stimulating maternal instincts.

Elpride, after all, shows a great deal of maternal care, playing well with children. The larger the bust size, the more female hormones secreted, and such women are often said to have wider, warmer, and more gentle hearts.

“Uwaa, this is baby Hassan, give me a mamama—.”

“Urgh! Jesus, you scared me—!”

Elpride jumped in genuine surprise.

She immediately unsheathed the staff strapped to her back.

“Say that again, and I’ll teach you a lesson!”

“Ah… sorry…”

*

“Look, Hassan, it’s a street performance.”

In the central area of Sodomora’s city.

Elpride pointed at something.

There, many people had gathered around an open-air performance troupe with torches. They were doing a juggling show.

“…”

“Look at the fire twirling. How much practice must they have done for that? Isn’t it amazing?”

“That’s true.”

“Hey, why are you so unenthusiastic? You used to love street performances, didn’t you?”

“That’s right! They’re amazing!”

I forced myself to put on an exaggerated reaction as Elpride suggested, though she clearly wasn’t buying it, giving me a look that said “What a guy.”

The truth was, I was feeling slightly disheartened.

Thinking about how Elpride had rejected me drained my motivation— leaving me so deflated that nothing inspired excitement anymore.

It’s hard to explain clearly, but it felt like that.

Less because I couldn’t touch her chest, and more because it seemed our relationship with Elpride was progressing nicely until this sudden brake made it feel rather dispiriting.

Though, upon reflection, it might as well be due to not being able to touch her chest.

Be that as it may, Elpride either didn’t notice my mood or was deliberately ignoring it, and continued pointing out interesting things in the central street.

“Look, it’s a dragon bone!”

Elpride pointed to something this time—a massive and grand fossil or skeleton on display.

“Here we have the skeleton of the ancient dragon species excavated by the archaeologist team of the Minerva Guild! You won’t find a skeleton preserved this well anywhere else— Come and see, everyone!”

Oh—.

It was a fascinating sight, indeed. It evoked a sense akin to seeing a T-Rex fossil—a grand spectacle.

The skeleton had no wings, but was instead characterized by a sturdy pair of back legs and relatively small forelimbs.

Is it a real dinosaur?

There’s no avoiding dinosaurs.

“Alright, the name given to this skeleton is Rex! Rex is already listed for purchase at 20 Gold. Anyone interested in buying should consult the exhibition manager!”

A petrified skeleton four meters tall for 20 gold—it wasn’t entirely clear whether it was an expensive or a cheap price. But if I had the money, I could imagine wanting such an impressive fossil as an ornament in my shrine.

And, come to think of it, I also had my Bone Wyvern Agumon, and Achilles, the d*ath Knight. I wondered what they’d say upon learning I was Pluto’s son. Maybe I should visit them when I have the time.

Thinking about this, Elpride let out a snort.

“Archaeological adventurers, huh? They’re digging up fossils well, but they’re penny-foolish. Naming it Rex— that’s just a male name.”

“Wouldn’t that imply it’s a female?”

“That’s right. The skeleton is female.”

Hearing Elpride’s words, I was somewhat intrigued. Could one really tell if a skeleton is male or female just by its dry, stiff appearance? I inspected it closely but, naturally, found nothing.

Her finger rose slightly.

“Look at the base of the neck. Around the neck bones. There are some small marks, don’t you see? It’s slightly dented.”

Following Elpride’s indication, I observed near the neck bones of the fossil. Sure enough, there were some tiny indentations scattered around.

“What are those?”

“They’re teeth marks. Lizards and dragons, during mating, the males bite the neck of the females to anchor themselves, which leaves those marks.”

“Wow, you’re really knowledgeable and amazing.”

“Not really, this is just common sense.”

Elpride brushed it off casually.

“Everyone knows this much, don’t they? It’s not that I’m especially well-informed.”

Yet despite her casual dismissal, she seemed more embarrassed and discomfited by my simple admiration than she was by all the compliments of earlier.

After a prolonged pause of awkwardness, Elpride changed the subject, asking me:

“Anyway, have you stopped being sulky?”

“What? Who’s sulking?”

“You, stupid Hassan.”

“I wasn’t sulking, really. Just lacking energy, and didn’t feel like talking.”

“That’s exactly what we call sulking.”

d*mn, there’s no way to counter that.

I ended up being branded as a narrow-minded man who sulks easily. While I was brooding in self-pity, Elpride said something as she was walking through the city center.

“My legs hurt after walking around for so long. I’m going back to the inn. Can you take me?”

Certainly, after being cooped up in the inn room for about a week, the day’s activities must’ve felt like a harsh march for Elpride who wasn’t quite used to it anymore.

Thus, our day of wandering outside together ended rather uneventfully.

After escaping Nemea in panic and also fleeing abruptly from our meeting with Edwin who wanted to help us, there was no tangible gain from today.

Even if we consider it as just a date, it ended on a somewhat disappointing note.

Whoosh—.

The cool evening breeze of autumn began to pick up.

I decided to shake off my slight sense of yearning and escorted Elpride back to the inn in the north.

Upon entering the inn room and checking that nothing was missing or out of place, Elpride finally said:

“Alright, you can go now.”

“Sure, then. Take care.”

Our conversation ended there.

Nothing else to add, and no reason to stay longer here.

Elpride sat on the bed without changing her clothes and began reading the book she was previously reading, slowly leaning against the wall.

If I left now, it would be the end.

However, for some reason, I hesitated to take the step.

Today, from morning to evening, I spent the entire day with Elpride.

Yet, there was no visible progress in the relationship, nothing particularly exceptional. It was just a repetition of a plain old day.

After going through all that with Elpride, it felt a little disheartening to see that nothing had changed.

Was the event of that night just a dream?

Or was it merely a hallucination caused by the pain of the mana seal on my head? Such thoughts inevitably arose in my mind.

“What are you doing, not leaving?”

At that moment, Elpride’s voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

“Alright, take care. We’ll definitely meet again.”

And just as I was about to leave, Elpride, while casually turning the pages of her book, said:

“It’s a holiday today anyway. If you don’t have anything planned for the evening, come in and sit for a bit.”

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