Chapter 53

53rd Chapter

Star of Sodomora Hassan

053 – Star of Sodomora Hassan #4

“…”

Daphne blushed as a small burp escaped from her mouth. She seemed genuinely unaware of what had just happened and turned to ask me.

“What… what was that? What just happened?”

It seemed Daphne was puzzled by the sudden improvement in her indigestion. Hiding my own shock, I calmly responded.

“Within the human body, there are pathways where energy flows. Stimulating certain points helps remove blockages, restoring vitality to the body.”

“Energy? Like Mana?”

Is energy similar to Mana? I honestly don’t know. The truth is, I’ve never felt the “Qi” or the “Mana” that people in this world talk about.

Maybe they’re similar since both are things I don’t fully understand. It could be that they share similar properties. While it sounds like a miracle when I think about it, alternative medicine often works by convincing the patient.

“They’re similar. Maybe even the same.”

Still, to leave some room for escape, I intentionally phrased my answer vaguely.

“Manipulating Mana is considered a form of healing, right? Is it… perhaps illegal?”

At Daphne’s question, my mind filled with countless worries. d*mn, I’d rather avoid getting involved in anything controversial.

“It’s, well, just a massage. Surely that’s fine, right?”

“Hmm, you’re probably right. It was indeed an unusual massage. At one point, I almost punched you, but I’m glad I restrained myself.”

“From now on, please try to be a bit more understanding about things involving me.”

“Wow, this is really amazing. My stomach feels incredibly clear. What is this? Totally refreshing. Would you teach me how to do it? Since I often feel discomfort, knowing this kind of massage would be perfect.”

Our chat at the Guild stretched longer than expected due to the waning activity as the day ended. Anyway, since I was waiting for Luna and had nothing else to do, I figured it was a good chance to learn something new and engaged in a conversation with Daphne.

“Is this the spot you press?”

Daphne pointed at the area I had pressed. She began pressing the meaty part of her left hand with her right hand.

“Indeed, it is a bit painful.”

The Hégu point on the hand is quite simple to stimulate; even beginners in massage know it well. I mentally recalled the human anatomy charts and old-fashioned diagrams I saw in my father’s study.

d*mn, I didn’t realize it would be so hard to remember them now since my interest back then wasn’t strong. If I’d known, I would’ve memorized them.

“Hmm, if you feel bloated or have mild indigestion around the sternum, press this point. If it doesn’t work and you feel heaviness or pain around the lower abdomen, another spot should be pressed.”

“Another spot? Is there one?”

“It’s located on the top of the foot.”

“On the… foot?”

Daphne tensed up immediately, looking at me suspiciously. In this world, people take protecting their soles very seriously, regarding them akin to private areas.

Although it isn’t as taboo as the most private parts, it still carries some resistance.

“Y-you mean, you’re suggesting touching my feet?”

“No, no, I didn’t say that. I just mentioned that it exists. Still, it really is very effective.”

“Effective… huh?”

Daphne glanced at me, biting her lower lip. Then, she looked around cautiously at the quiet Guild lobby and her receptionist colleagues chatting here and there. Swiftly, she stood up.

“Hassan, follow me.”

“Wha… Where are you taking me?”

“Shh, quiet. We need to keep this a secret.”

Taken aback but not sensing any immediate threat, I followed her without resistance. After a moment, Daphne led me to a dusty room stacked with scrolls, resembling a warehouse or a storage area for documents.

“Hassan, can you promise me to keep this a secret?”

“Keep what a secret?”

“The… the fact that I let you touch my feet. If this becomes public, I won’t be able to get married. Or unless, Hassan, you’d take responsibility for me?”

What’s all this sudden talk about responsibility? Despite her somewhat absurd and erratic behavior, Daphne is a diligent and pleasant beauty. Any man who gets attached to her could easily become a stalker.

Even in this cramped space, hearing her ask about taking responsibility, something in me stirred—d*mn it, this “jujugeul” feeling keeps cropping up lately.

“Of course, I was just kidding. I’m not some innocent Kore, nor do I plan to lure men with such things. Anyway, I’m asking you to keep this a secret.”

Having secret dealings with a woman is quite an exciting matter. Additionally, there’s a peculiar sense of guilt, like we’re doing something wrong, which makes it even more thrilling.

“Well… then, let’s go for it.”

“Then, swear it. Swear on the River Styx that you won’t reveal this.”

sh*t, that’s unpleasant. Do you want me to relive that terrible stomach pain? I’m politely declining that.

“Th… that’s a bit…”

“You don’t want to? Then I’ll scream now. Do you know what will happen if I scream?”

Daphne started unbuttoning a few buttons of her neatly fastened uniform.

“If anyone sees this, there’ll be no way out for you.”

“sh*t… please reconsider.”

“Then, make the promise. Say, I swear on the River Styx.”

“Alright, I understand. I swear.”

“Good.”

Satisfied, Daphne smiled. I was worried her infamous “status effect” might reappear, but fortunately, no words floated in front of me.

Swearing on the River Styx doesn’t automatically give you a status effect it seems. Maybe there’s some condition involved?

“Then… let’s continue.”

Silently, Daphne sat on a pile of documents like a chair and began removing her sandals that covered her small white feet.

Her foot, distinctly Greek, had a second toe longer than the big toe—an elegant sight. She probably wears a size 230 or so? Though I’m not sure.

“Since it’s embarrassing, please press quickly. Also, I can’t be away from my post for too long.”

Daphne extended her foot towards me, her legs exposed due to her skirt-like uniform. Her long, pale legs and thin ankle glistened. Her feet, damp from being in shoes all day, had a subtle moist quality.

Kneeling on one knee before her, I gently grasped her foot. Despite my calloused hands, her foot felt remarkably soft, like that of a baby.

In this world, people care more about the hidden beauty of feet than frequently visible hands.

Cough.

There’s a hint of sweat odor. Does she have hyperhidrosis? It’s not severe, just a subtle human scent that I can overlook.

“Then, I’ll press the Taichong point.”

Holding her right foot, I used my thumb to press about 2 centimeters above the gap between her big and second toe, precisely where the toes start to divide on the top of her foot.

This is the Taichong point, a crucial spot in acupressure known for its effectiveness in treating various ailments.

While explaining each point’s significance, I might sound exaggerated, but most acupressure points are truly important. That’s why I have trouble trusting alternative medicine. Anyway…

Push, push.

“This might hurt a bit.”

Pressing the Taichong point generally causes pain. If the stomach feels bloated or the body energy is stagnant, pressing here can be incredibly painful.

“Hum… it does hurt, a bit.”

Push, push.

With my thumb, I continued stimulating her soft sole and the Taichong point above it. Around ten seconds should suffice.

“Aah, though it hurts, it’s rather refreshing… I… hmm, this feeling is so new to me. Aah… Ee… Hmm…”

The sight of Daphne moaning in pain and pleasure equally was quite captivating for me. Even though I knew this was a massage, there was no denying the effect it had on my arousal, especially since touching the feet in this world is akin to stimulating a sensitive erogenous zone.

“Nng… Ha… Ah…”

“Shall we stop pressing now?”

“No… a little more, please. It’s… it’s kind of thrilling… really good, Hassan… a little stronger, Ha…”

In the confines of the room, as I pressed Daphne’s foot and heard her moans, a wave of excitement coursed through me. My palms sweated.

Of course, it could be from Daphne’s sweat, but either way, my hands and her feet were now quite damp, slippery to the touch.

“Nng… Ha, Hassan, a bit more, just a bit stronger, Ah… Haa… Haaa… It feels… tingling!”

A bit stronger? In truth, I was already pressing the Taichong point with significant force. Pushing too hard could harm her foot’s health, so it’s not just about raw strength.

But, if I upset Daphne, who knows what might happen? So, I pressed harder as requested, pressing the point with my index finger as if flattening her sole.

“Ah… Aaa… Nng… Something… something big, Nng…!”

Daphne’s foot stretched out stiffly and curved as she writhed like a drawn bowstring, causing her to slip from the pile of documents and land with a slight shiver on the floor.

“Ha… Ah… Mmuuhh…”

She continued to spasm as if her back was bouncing like a rubber band.

At that moment, characters floated in my vision.

Ding!

“Daphne’s Hyperhidrosis has been healed.”

“Mission Value +10”

“Total Mission Value: +57”

Ah, the mission value has now exceeded half of 100. So, it seems pressing other areas also works to contribute to the mission.

In any case, it was an incredibly beneficial experience for me—right around the time I thought that.

“Hassan… I… Hmm… A…”

Still enveloped in the aftereffects of the massage, Daphne lay atop the stack of documents, her green eyes glistening with moisture. She stared at me with a dreamy expression.

Sweat trickled down her neck, her slightly unbuttoned blouse revealing prominent collarbones and the beginnings of her chest’s swell.

She murmured with parted red lips.

“My… this was an incredible experience.”

“Ah, yes. I’m glad you’re satisfied.”

“Next time…–”

Just as Daphne was about to say something further–

Knock, knock.

We were startled by a knock on the door of the document-filled storage room.

Hey, Daphne, are you in there? It’s not yet quitting time, so leaving your counter unattended is unacceptable. Your customer has arrived – it’s Luna, you know, the one with the pink braided hair, resembling Kore.

“Er, uh, Nia, I’m here! I was just looking for documents! I was tidying up. I’ve found everything.”

Then hurry out.

After calling out, Daphne hastily straightened her disheveled clothes, quietly advised me: “Hassan, please wait a moment before coming out. People might misunderstand,” and left the room.

As a result, I was left alone in the storeroom, wondering what had just transpired.

Recalling what had just happened and briefly taking a deep breath by holding my palms in front of my face–

No particular smell lingered on my palms. Anyway, after roughly one or two minutes of listening for any activity outside–

With no one passing in the corridor, I began creeping out of the warehouse by cautiously opening the door–

“Hassan, what’re you doing here?”

At that moment, I met emerald eyes in the hallway as if they had been waiting for me, and for some reason, I felt a chill down my spine.

“Lu… Luna! Wh-what’re you doing here?”

“We agreed to have dinner together, remember? Besides, why’re you sweating so much? Is something wrong?”

And then, Luna sniffed the air near me. An inexplicable shiver ran down my spine, and I hastily pushed her cheek away with my palms.

“Hey, why’re you sniffing me!”

“Guh! Well, I just like Hassan’s smell. But… his scent’s a little different from usual. Haven’t I smelled this somewhere else recently? It’s familiar…”

Again, Luna brought her face close, sniffing at me. With her highly sensitive nose, she might detect Daphne’s scent on me.

And why am I feeling so anxious in the first place? I don’t know. But for some reason, I feel like I’d be in trouble if I get caught.

“Maybe it’s just the scent of scrolls. The room is full of ancient scrolls with a lot of mold.”

“Scrolls…”

Upon muttering the word, Luna’s eyes opened lazily before narrowing with suspicion.

“What, what’s wrong? Why’re you looking at me like that?”

“Scrolls!”

She proclaimed and suddenly thrust a tightly rolled piece of parchment at me, marked with red wax seals.

“What… what’s this?”

“It’s a scroll!”

But, which scroll?

[Epilogue]

I had plans for a modest harem, but it feels like it’s turning into a one-man show with Luna.

Luna, can we tone down your allure a bit?

—Luna: Understood, sir.

Of course, it’s all in jest.

Anyway, wishing you all a pleasant day!

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