Chapter 376

376 Nectar of the Gods #6

Nymphs are mysterious and peculiar beings.

Right now, Paranoi is by my side, and I’ve spent a lot of time with her, but if someone were to ask me what I truly know about nymphs, I wouldn’t be able to give many answers.

They’re small like adolescent girls, they love sweets, and they seem to enjoy living around flowers or trees in nature.

Also, their bodies are considered precious due to their innate affinity for mana, which is why they were excessively hunted at one point, leaving their population quite low.

That’s why an organization was established to protect and support these nymphs.

The Nymph Relief Foundation, they call it.

I’ve heard about this group here and there, but ask anyone what the foundation actually does, and no one can give a clear answer.

A group shrouded in so much mystery—it’s quite suspicious.

“Alright, show me the way to this so-called Nymph Relief Foundation. The chances of finding a Nymph of Ditch Water there are pretty high, aren’t they?”

“B-but… must we really go to the Relief Foundation…?”

I am already aware from Luna’s testimony that Paranoi was once a part of this foundation.

She complained about something related to nymph rights being annoying, but at the same time, Paranoi doesn’t want to talk about what happened there.

No matter how much I pinch her cheeks, she refuses to open her mouth.

“Gghh… I-I don’t know anything at all…! I-I didn’t see anything! It’s true, I swear!”

Her reaction is extremely suspicious, and even a child could tell she’s lying.

“Do you really want to taste the honeyed beatings?”

But no matter how much I interrogate her—

“If you talk, I’ll give you candy.”

Even tempting her with candy doesn’t make Paranoi want to talk about the foundation.

Paranoi, originally known for her rebellious spirit, is one who wouldn’t break under torture. I know how hard it is to get her to talk.

“I-I don’t know anything!”

There’s even a sense of fear emanating from the trembling Paranoi. She looks like a shiba dog that has encountered a tiger doll, filled with dread.

Because of this, my curiosity and suspicion about the Nymph Relief Foundation continue to grow. Would another nymph know anything about it?

“The Nymph Relief Foundation, you say?”

At the Nymph’s Wing Tavern, the innkeeper Echo leaned her cheek on the table as if deep in thought. A married woman emanating such a mature aura is truly like a moment frozen in time.

Echo, the nymph of brook water, was the first nymph I met on the Gaia Continent. She was also the only nymph who undid the curse of weakening on me.

Perhaps she might know something about the Nymph Relief Foundation.

“Well, come to think of it, I might have heard of it before…”

Echo, like Paranoi, only gave vague answers. Unlike Paranoi, however, she seems genuinely unaware rather than deliberately hiding something. But the inability to provide answers remains the same.

As I felt a hint of disappointment, Echo suddenly remembered something.

“Come to think of it, someone from some sort of foundation did visit once.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I distinctly remember that. Someone from some foundation seemed interested in me when I suddenly underwent a change in appearance.”

Echo covered her chest with her palm.

Her deeply plunging purple dress makes her look more like a tavern owner than a demure married woman.

Now I understand why the innkeeper’s white hair at this tavern keeps growing.

I asked,

“What exactly did they say?”

“Hmm… they asked if my husband mistreated or abused me… you know, the kind of misunderstandings that men who marry nymphs often face.”

“Do men who marry nymphs face misunderstandings?”

“Yes. While that’s not the case with my husband, unfortunately, there are quite a few wicked men out there. There’s this perception that men who marry nymphs are those who corrupt and h*rass innocent girls… like Paranoi.”

Indeed. While Echo and Paranoi are both nymphs, they are very different. Their ways of speaking and thinking are clearly distinct.

“Men who marry nymphs are often seen as those who h*rass and torment innocent girls. My husband is not one of them, but there are indeed quite a few wicked men out there. Myths and legends are filled with stories of nymphs who were abandoned and cried, aren’t they? The heroes may be called such, but they were terrible people. And the same goes for the gods.”

There wasn’t much I could say except nod.

Nymphs, perhaps because they’ve been targeted everywhere, often bear a common sort of paranoia. Even someone like Echo, the nymph of brook water, couldn’t escape it.

After a while of recounting the hardships nymphs have faced on the Gaia Continent at the hands of heroes, gods, and men, Echo cleared her throat and laughed.

“Ah, look at me rambling uselessly and wasting the time of such a busy and noble guest.”

“It’s fine. Rather, can you tell me more about the foundation?”

“Hmm… Now that I think about it, I chased them off for being rude by treating my husband like a criminal. They did leave behind a business card, though. Do you happen to have one?”

At that, the innkeeper, who had been cleaning the floor with a mop after the customers left, stood up.

“If I look, I think I might still have one. Please wait a moment.”

With those words, she disappeared somewhere, and after a while, I heard some rustling. She then reappeared, handing me something.

“Here, I’ve kept it because the people were quite impressive.”

Slick—

What the innkeeper handed me was a small piece of iron. It was square, hard, but thin—an iron plate that perfectly resembled what a business card would look like if made from metal.

Engraved on it were embossed letters.

『Gaia Continent – Nymph Relief Foundation, Sodomora Branch.

Sodomora City, South Gate 45th Street, Venus’s Dance Building, Room 302.』

It was an address. Contrary to what I had imagined, which was a secluded and hidden location, they had taken residence in a building within Sodomora itself.

South Gate 45th Street wasn’t far from this current Nymph’s Wing Inn.

“If you need it, feel free to take it. It’s of no use to us.”

With the innkeeper’s permission, I tucked the card into the inside pocket of my coat and was about to leave when—

“Hmm, hmm…”

I noticed the innkeeper hesitating for some reason, as if wanting to say something but holding back.

“Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“Hmm, well…”

Why is he pausing so much? Is it regarding Echo, his wife? Are they saying they’re troubled by nobles and adventurers making advances?

“Hmm, well…”

My guess dissolved as soon as the innkeeper began to speak.

“It’s just that business has been extremely slow lately. Hardly any customers come. Look here. It’s lunchtime, and there aren’t enough customers coming in, are there?”

Slurrrp—

At his words, I looked around. Indeed, there were only a few occupied tables, and flies were buzzing around endlessly.

The innkeeper continued,

“It’s been like this since the other day. The situation is pretty serious. Our inn is a drinking spot, but now all the alcohol has gone bad and is unusable. It’s become impossible to run things normally.”

“What do you mean? Could you explain more?”

“The taste of the alcohol has all changed. The grapes no longer ferment; they rot easily. Not just our inn—most others are having similar issues. The alcohol isn’t being properly produced.”

“Isn’t that impossible?”

“It’s possible. Just like how the winter was brought by the goddess Ceres, if the god of wine, Bacchus, stops extending his power to the world, it would happen.”

“That might be true.”

“Didn’t you recently set up a shrine and meet Bacchus directly?”

I recalled my encounter with Bacchus in the Deer Forest.

“Yes.”

“In that case, can you ask Hypos about whether something has happened to Bacchus? If alcohol isn’t being properly made, it’s a terrifying situation. I’m dying to know what’s happening.”

“…

I silently thought for a moment.

At this point, Elpride’s words about Bacchus’s dwindling power came to mind. Is the inability to produce alcohol related to what Elpride mentioned? Am I overthinking it?

“I’ll find out what’s going on.”

“Hmm. Thank you so much. It’s a relief.”

As I stepped outside the inn, sunlight beamed down on me.

It was lunchtime.

And I had roughly two tasks ahead of me.

One was chasing the information about the Nectar of the Gods by pursuing the Nymph of Ditch Water, Ignoy. The other was investigating why the wine isn’t being properly made by consulting Bacchus.

I might be able to find out about Ignoy from the Nymph Relief Foundation, whose address is already in my possession via the business card.

As for information about Bacchus, I don’t know who to ask. Should I go to a shrine? Where is Bacchus’s shrine located?

Given this, I decided to start with what I could immediately tackle. Thus, I headed to the building of the Nymph Relief Foundation located in the southern gate of Sodomora.

The building—an impressive three-story structure made of marble—revealed that the relief foundation had no shortage of funds.

Knock, knock.

I climbed up and reached room 2 on the third floor, then knocked on the door. However, there were no signs of movement from inside.

“Is anyone there?”

Knock, knock.

I knocked again.

“If no one is there, I’ll just come in.”

After all, wasn’t I the successful candidate for the Guild’s officer recruitment drive? If I could skillfully unlock a Titanium lock, this rather crude doorknob should pose no challenge.

Clatter. Clack.

Just as I was fiddling with the doorknob, someone inside finally spoke.

“Who’s there?”

The voice was thin and weak, belonging to a female. It was hard to guess her age due to the thickness of the door.

“I’ve come on some business with the relief foundation. My name is Hassan.”

Hassan? Is he the one who set the city ablaze?

“Yes, that’s right.”

The young god of the recently established shrine, known as a high-class adventurer, is he?

“That’s correct.”

Why has a person of such stature come here?

“I’m looking for someone.”

Looking for someone? A nymph?

“Yes, a nymph named Ignoy…”

Rustle—

Is it the name Ignoy that caused the response? I could clearly sense a movement from the inside that had been absent until now.

Do you know anything about Ignoy?

I don’t, never heard of it.

“Unlikely. I heard Ignoy was last spotted near the foundation in Sodomora. Ignoy is actually a criminal. You’ll get in serious trouble if you’re hiding her.”

We don’t know of any nymph like that. Whatever crime she committed or whatever she stole, it’s none of my concern.

The woman’s tone became quite agitated.

At that, I forcefully pushed the door in front of me.

Creak—

Bang.

The doorknob broke off, and the door collapsed helplessly towards the inside.

In front of me was a rather dreary interior. There were only a few pieces of furniture, while small clusters of documents were scattered on the floor.

It felt as if someone had fled in the middle of the night.

And that someone would be this woman, right?

I furrowed my brow as I looked at the small woman.

“Hello. Excuse me. We’ve already done this.”

“Y-you’re trespassing! You can’t just enter without permission! Why did you break the door?! This is a titanium-reinforced door. How did it break so easily…!?”

The woman was very short in stature. She was wearing a gray robe covering her face, likely a nymph.

Though I don’t have a nose as keen as Luna’s, the sweet scent similar to that of Paranoi made it impossible not to notice.

I looked down at the girl and said,

“I just said ‘crime.’ I didn’t mention theft regarding Ignoy.”

“Th-the thing is…”

“You must know something, right?”

“Gr…

The woman hesitated considerably.

“Look…”

Just as she seemed about to open her mouth beneath the robe, there was a clicking sound from behind me. A significant presence also appeared.

“Ditch Water Nymph, Ignoy. I knew you were hiding here.”

It was Silaya, a Gold-tier adventurer and an Amazon. She had traced this foundation building as well.

And then, she added an unimaginable remark:

“Ignoy, you are hereby arrested for the charges of attacking Bacchus, as well as the attempted m*rder of a deity.”

The question I had pondered over—Ignoy’s whereabouts and Bacchus’s wellbeing—was merging into one definitive moment.

---