Chapter 441

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 8, 2025

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Here is the English translation of the novel excerpt, adhering to the provided glossary:

—

### Heaven Singer #1

Hippolyte soon emerged wearing a thin, red dress in a one-piece style.

Over it, she draped a white fur stole she had bought in Zeruite, the capital of the Kingdom—looking every bit like the young wife of a wealthy household.

The change from her usual stiff armor or light training attire felt refreshing.

The only downside? The bizarre feathered mask covering more than half her face.

“This way, people won’t recognize me. They won’t even imagine I’d wear something like this.”

Hippolyte wanted to hide her identity.

Because of that, I followed her lead, dressing in formal attire I wouldn’t normally wear—deeply hooded robes and a mask—to conceal myself as well.

After all, Sodomora was a city where mask-wearing strangers wandered even on ordinary days, thanks to the ongoing masquerade festival.

With this disguise, we could pass as nobles casually attending the ball, easily blending into the crowd.

Even as we stepped into the bustling city center, no one recognized us or tried to greet us.

Look at those two. They’re so tall.

Must be nobles from a distant land.

Tsk, must be nice, out enjoying themselves on a weekday—

Listening to their murmurs, it seemed no one suspected this masked pair to be famous figures.

“Good. As expected, no one recognizes us.”

“True, but—was all this effort really necessary?”

I asked why we had to go through such an elaborate dress code.

Hippolyte responded as if it were obvious.

“Because I want to hide my identity. Hassan, now that you’ve gained fame, you should understand my desire to stroll quietly once in a while.”

Stroll quietly.

That made some sense.

Both Hippolyte and I had become so famous in this city that we drew attention wherever we went.

Though that itself could be an amusing experience—

There were times I just wanted to walk freely, without the weight of expectations or public scrutiny.

Occasionally, even Luna grumbled, ”These days, walking with Hassan means getting stopped all the time. It’s annoying.”

Sometimes, I missed our Bronze Tier rookie days, when no one knew us.

Of course, that was a luxury problem.

At any rate—

Hippolyte was already an Adventurer well-known across Sodomora.

The leader of the Virgin Corps, a hero admired for her discipline and restraint.

That’s why she occasionally indulged in these little escapes.

“The place we’re going? If people knew the Adventurer Hippolyte was visiting, it would raise eyebrows. Hassan, I don’t know if you’ve been there before…”

It seemed Hippolyte wanted to take me somewhere.

Judging by the elaborate disguise, it definitely wasn’t some respectable government office.

I pointed out, ”If you’re trying to hide your identity, calling me ‘Hassan’ would give us away, wouldn’t it?”

“Ah, now that you mention it… This is my first time bringing someone along like this. So, what should we do?”

“Hmm. If you want to stay hidden, maybe we should create false identities.”

“False identities?”

“Just wearing masks isn’t enough. We should also act and speak in ways we normally wouldn’t.”

“I-I see. Hassan, you seem quite experienced in this.”

Experienced?

Looking back, I’ve had plenty of moments where I concealed my identity after becoming an Adventurer—

Infiltration into Cultist gatherings, sneaking into a thief’s guild, even acting like I was the Grand Duke of Hell when facing Antiope or Paranoi.

You could say I was something of an expert at crafting fake identities.

My veteran brain whirred to life, quickly piecing together a plausible cover.

“Then, let’s say we’re a newlywed couple from a distant province, visiting the city for our honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon?! Hmm. That could work… but I don’t know if I can pull it off…”

Hippolyte fidgeted nervously.

With the mask, I couldn’t see her expression, but she was probably flustered.

Still, she was sharp—soon adapting and even making suggestions.

“Ahem, well, newlyweds… then we should decide how to address each other. We can’t just use our real names.”

“I don’t mind using aliases.”

“No, aliases might get confusing. But, um—how do newlyweds even call each other? Darling? H-honey? Ugh, no, this is too much.”

She shuddered mid-sentence.

For someone forged in the scent of bl**d and sweat on the battlefield, this level of softness was beyond her endurance.

“Do whatever feels comfortable for you.”

—

### [Market Stroll]

We first wandered through the South Gate market.

As Sodomora was one of the largest cities in the Kingdom, its market district was filled with fascinating stalls and merchants.

“D-Darling, look at this—a strange seashell!”

At one point, Hippolyte stopped in front of a stall.

Her finger pointed at a multicolored spiral shell, but what fascinated me more was the shopkeeper—

A figure with an animal’s face wrapped in a turban-like cloth, dressed in silk, more Beast than Human.

“Welcome!”

Covered in thick fur, standing on four legs, with beast-like ears and cat whiskers—

The creature was a bizarre hybrid, about 30% Human, 70% Cat.

Fascinating.

What is this thing?

A Monster?

“I feel your sharp gaze, big man. Never seen a Desert Catfolk before?”

“Desert Catfolk?”

“That’s right! We hail from the western sands. Selling rare desert salt, seashells, the Aurora of the Sands—even lazy husbands. Everything’s for sale! Go on, browse all you like.”

I’d heard of the vast western desert—this half-human, half-beast merchant must be from there.

Well, with Dwarves, Gnomes, Nymphs, and even Gods walking around, a cat-like Human wasn’t the strangest sight.

The Catfolk asked, “You two married?”

Hippolyte flinched.

“Y-Yes.”

“Aha! I knew it! Tall and slender, a perfect match. Still a bit awkward, so newlyweds, I bet? In that case, I’ve got just the thing for you—”

The cat rummaged through jars and pouches—

Red scorpions, shattered glass fragments, bizarre necklaces—until finally pulling something out.

“Ah! Here it is—Sandroot! A 300-year-old rhizome. Eat this, and you’ll have five, even ten kids!”

It was a bizarre root, wriggling like an octopus.

“For you honeymooners, as a blessing—marked down from 30 Silver to 45 Silver! A steal!”

I thought I misheard.

Why was the price higher after the discount?

Hippolyte chuckled.

“30 to 45 isn’t a discount.”

“Ah, what a sharp smile hidden under that mask! Clearly, a stunning beauty. And wise with money? A fine wife indeed! For you—20 Silver, final offer.”

The Catfolk was oddly slick for such a weird-looking creature.

Not that I cared, but Hippolyte seemed swayed.

”A fine wife”–Hmm!

“If you don’t like that, I’ve got Gelmarium health stones—or a wealth-boosting bracelet—”

At this rate, Hippolyte might buy useless pyramid-scheme goods.

“We’re good. We’ll look around more.”

I grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her away. She made a surprised noise but didn’t resist.

Our “rebellious” shopping spree continued—mostly snacking and sightseeing.

“D-Darling, look—a squirrel!”

We gawked at strange Beasts in cages.

Honestly, it wasn’t even rebellious—just mundane fun.

But the thrill of hiding our identities made it feel like mischief.

”Newlyweds? Here, try this sample!”

”Ah, newlyweds! Reminds me of my youth.”

Our fake “newlywed” act charmed the vendors, who gave us free samples and discounts.

—

### [Resting Time]

We sat on a bench, grilling skewers of seasoned fish hearts—sweet, spicy, and perfectly tender.

Thanks to the “newlywed service,” we had extra portions.

Munching, Hippolyte mused:

“Lying about being married… feels a little wrong. Normally, I wouldn’t do this.”

“You seemed to be enjoying it, though.”

“Hmph. Unlike you—”

She gestured at my neck, draped with useless trinkets I’d bought.

“Why buy so much junk? You look like some foreign shaman.”

Beneath the mask, she grinned—radiant even if unseen.

Seeing Hippolyte laugh made the 5 Silver wasted on junk worthwhile.

(Not that I’d say that out loud.)

A cold breeze swept past, cooling us down after our laughter. Hippolyte stretched and sighed.

“Nghh— Today was fun. Since becoming a Gold-ranked Adventurer, I haven’t had a carefree day like this. Always busy—yet I never wanted this rank for its burdens.”

“Really? I thought you were a workaholic.”

She scoffed.

“Who likes working?”

“I see.”

“But like food tasting better after hard work, breaks are sweeter when earned.”

“Nah. Fun is fun anytime.”

“Quiet. Ahem. Still, thank you for indulging me today.”

She looked up—

Though it felt like we hadn’t wandered long, the winter sun set early, darkness creeping in.

Then I remembered—

“Wait, what does ‘Heaven Singer’ have to do with today’s market trip?”

“Nothing.”