Chapter 74

74th Episode

Descendants of Pluto

074 ? Descendants of Pluto #1

“She may not regain consciousness for half a day, but it’s still best to secure her with restraints, just in case.”

At bald monk Kalidur’s suggestion, all of us, who had been stunned, quickly sprang into action. We pulled out the thick ropes and wooden sticks we had packed with us and tied up the delicate nymph’s body, hanging her from a tree.

Her appearance, closely resembling a sacrificial victim dragged away by a cannibal tribe, certainly stirred pity in us. Yet, this woman was genuinely a terrifying necromancer—let’s not let our guard down.

“We must also gag her, she might chant spells.”

Even Luna took a small stick and pushed it into the frenzied necromancer’s mouth as a makeshift gag.

Dingle—

While confirming the tightness of the knots at her wrists, a floating piece of text appeared.

『Name: Paranoi Lv. 21

Condition: Unconscious』『Stunted Growth Curse』『Loneliness』『Sugar Addiction』

According to the text, Paranoi’s level was 21.

In other words, it was about twice my own level.

While Hippolyte mentioned that levels didn’t definitively indicate strength, the difference was evidently significant enough to have been quite a struggle.

“She couldn’t summon the stomps, but her skill in combat is quite decent. They say that the Elven martial arts rival magic… I guess it’s true?”

Rene, sliding her sword back into the scabbard, threw a few casual remarks. In response, Kalidur simply stroked his beard.

“It’s only one of the meager talents this humble monk possesses, unworthy of praise or accolades.”

Kalidur spoke modestly, but the technique he used—a whip-like motion with his staff that struck accurately at the back of the neck—was, in my unskilled eyes, rather refined and sophisticated. He looked more like John Wick Bald than anything else.

The question marks that appeared in the initial glimpse of his level were intriguing.

Could Kalidur possibly be a super-strong adventurer pretending to be a beginner?

There’s this unmistakable feeling that he might be a deep-level veteran pretending to hang out with rookies and having fun.

Come to think of it, he did mention that he came from Albrheim to pursue Elpride. Since she’s a powerful witch, it’s fitting that the hunter sent after her would also be quite strong.

In any case, the bounty-hunting job of capturing the necromancer was brought to a light end by Kalidur’s spear skills.

Mmmmm……

On the way back, the stomps we encountered stood trembling, frozen like motionless trees, not daring to approach or attack us.

Perhaps this was because their commander, the necromancer Paranoi, had been captured by us, or perhaps for some other reason. But with no one to explain it to us, I simply accepted it as it was.

After walking for about half a day, we returned to the office where our boss Joseph was enjoying a cup of sugar-rich tea.

“You got her! The Stomp Queen! That pestering nymph caused such a disturbance about tree strikes and labor laws, making us suffer so much!”

“We’ll make a report to the Mars Guild and have her locked up.”

“That’s good, that’s good. Honestly, flat nymphs are none of my concern. Hmm, stomps. You’re all doomed now. You guys are in for a week of unpaid overtime.”

The way he eagerly rubbed his palms together in anticipation of future events made him come off as an absolute villain. Luna asked him.

“Do stomps work?”

“Why, of course. They’re excellent workers. They don’t demand a paycheck and uproot weeds night and day. We reward them by collecting their worthless lives, turning them into timber for beautiful furniture and houses. It’s a win-win situation.”

Apparently, Joseph the lumberjack’s concept of symbiosis was somewhat skewed and twisted. Now, it kind of made sense why the stomps in this logging yard were always so angry.

Not that it concerned me much.

“Indeed, hiring the Adventurer Guild works like a charm! You’ve all worked hard, and your remuneration will be paid out directly by the Guild! As a bonus, I’ll give you some usable timber, so feel free to take it if you need it.”

“Timber!”

At the word timber, Luna excitedly cheered. After all, we came here not just to make money but also to get cheap lumber.

Thus, we loaded up our carriage to its maximum capacity with the timber we received, and made our way back to Sodomora.

*

From the mushrooms we harvested to the timber, the load was heavier than when we started the job, but our hearts were lighter, as if we might float away.

The pay for the job is 40 silver coins. Divided four ways, that comes to 10 silver coins for each of us. With that, I’d have about 44 silver coins in total, and if I sell the mushrooms and other items, I’d be close to 50 silver coins.

50 silver coins! Can I even carry such a large sum of money? I’m getting really excited.

With that kind of money, I might not be able to get a full set of plate armor yet, but perhaps I can get a chest guard with a wide iron cover.

In a world where everyone carries a sword at their waist regardless of qualifications, reducing the likelihood of being stabbed in the chest is significant.

Besides, adventurers seen wearing armor are often regarded as proficient adventurers, which certainly brings more money-making opportunities.

By increasing our achievements and contributing to the Guild, it will certainly help us to upgrade to Gold Tier.

I’m growing really smoothly. This is quite satisfying.

“Which item should I make first with the planks? A bed? A chair? A desk? No, no, a shield first.”

Luna was also delightedly considering what to do with her acquired wood. Despite encountering more surprises than expected, this mission was undeniably successful.

While we were exchanging thoughts about what we had already obtained and what we still needed, we soon caught sight of the tall castle walls of Sodomora.

“We won’t be able to enter or leave through the gates with this late hour.”

Due to the weight of our baggage, we didn’t move as fast, and as a result, our return was later than expected. The west gate of Sodomora had already been firmly closed.

“Are you kidding me?”

Rene, stepping down from the carriage, started arguing with the guard.

“Didn’t we have a good two hours of leeway normally? Why close the gate so early?”

“It’s a directive from the Viscount. After the Pluto Cultists’ raid on the gates the other day, security has been heightened. A memo was sent out yesterday, didn’t you hear?”

“What, how were we supposed to hear about it when we left the city the other day?”

“Hmm, come to think of it, that’s a good point. Even so, there’s nothing we can do. We guards just follow orders from higher-ups…”

The guard lamented the struggles of being civil servants. Protest all you want, but the tightly shut castle gate isn’t about to open.

“I can’t believe it. Should we camp outside the city gates? I want to take a bath.”

Rene clicked her tongue, clearly exasperated. Then, the bald man who had been silently muttering incantations or prayers got up.

What’s that? Is this guy going to strike the guard’s neck again?

Because of his past performance, I was rather looking forward to something dramatic, but instead, Kalidur had a normal conversation with the guards.

“Our carriage carries a priest of the Cultists. It’s safer to bring him inside as quickly as possible.”

Then, he secretly handed over a shining silver coin to what appeared to be the lead guard.

“A priest of the Cultists?”

The guards’ eyes widened significantly beneath their helmets at the mention of a Cultist priest.

Soon, they carefully inspected the contents of our carriage, chatted amongst themselves, and people hurriedly ran around.

Seeing it might be resolved, we waited with some anticipation, and indeed, as the command “Open!” sounded, the tightly closed castle gate was pulled upward by its hinges.

Thanks to Kalidur’s timely judgment and mediation, at least we avoided camping outside the city walls for the night.

“Good company it’s been. I will now depart for the city of Kolkata.”

Kalidur was about to leave, without any farewell celebrations. He probably intends to pursue the criminal Elf Elpride in Kolkata.

I asked him,

“Uh, if you’re hunting the criminal Elf, what will you do when you find her?”

“That is something that will become clear only as the time comes. Since she has committed great sins, an appropriate retribution must follow, I assume. Farewell—.”

With that, Kalidur deeply bowed and swiftly disappeared into the crowd.

His demeanor appeared relaxed, but his speed was like running, and soon his figure vanished among the people.

“What a fascinating bald guy. His skills seem extraordinary, so why is he still in the Bronze Tier?”

Without quite knowing what to say in response to Luna’s question, I was pondering some suitable words when Rene added a few sentences.

“It’s because he doesn’t feel the need to advance higher levels, right? Kalidur, I wonder who would win if he fought against Sister Hippolyte?”

Considering that Rene, who usually trains under Hippolyte, said this, the Kalidur who subdued the necromancer was certainly an extraordinary powerhouse.

“Anyway, I’ll bring the necromancer to the Guild. I don’t feel like celebrating, and I don’t want to intrude on your plans.”

Because Rene took care of the annoying tasks, Luna and I could spend at least the evening as we pleased.

I wanted to sell the mushrooms and herbs I had carefully collected, but it was getting late, so I figured most stores must be closed.

So what we should do first is move the stuff on the carriage to Luna’s cottage.

We gave an extra 50 copper coins as a tip, so the driver parked the carriage in front of the cottage, and moved all the boards inside.

The already cramped storage was now so full of logs that there was hardly any room to walk. Is there even space for furniture?

I don’t know what blueprint Luna has in mind, but honestly, a bed and a desk will fill the place up. Can we even place pots and stoves there?

“Luna, isn’t it a little too cramped?”

“Hmm.”

Responding to my question, Luna ponderously hummed. Then, she asked me, as if something came to her mind.

“Should we make a second floor?”

“Second floor? Is that even allowed? What about the law?”

“Was there such a law where Hassan lived? Since this is my land, I can do what I like.”

If it’s legal, a mezzanine is undoubtedly the best option for space utilization. With all this wood, we have enough material to build a second floor.

“But, Luna, do you know how to build a second floor?”

“No idea! Hassan, do you?”

“I don’t either.”

“Hmm, what should we do…”

Feeling baffled, we finally hired Benjammin, a Bronze Tier adventurer and carpenter dwarf the next day via the guild.

“Build a second floor, you say? We have all the materials and this is manageable within a day if pressed. But it will be quite expensive. I’ll need ten silver coins.”

Gulping, 10 silver coins!? I was about to object to this exorbitant human cost when,

“Here, take this 10 silver!”

Luna handed over all the 10 silver coins from the logging land bounty to carpenter Benjamin.

She is so meticulous when dealing with her money, labeling every single copper coin with her name, but when it comes to spending, she becomes incredibly generous—making it confusing to figure out which side is the real Luna.

Or, perhaps I shouldn’t judge Luna by my meager standards in the first place.

Even my own younger sister, who I’ve lived with for 20 years, is different every time I see her. Luna, whom I’ve just met, must surely have a lot of sides I still don’t know.

“Alright, I took ten silver as upfront. Sir Samaritan, you seem strong enough; could you lend a hand? That will save time.”

“I’ll help too!”

And so, the three of us spent the day helping Benjamin the carpenter expand the small cottage to two stories.

“One floor renovation was a free add-on. You can pay extra later if you want plaster walls.”

After constructing the supports, building walls, and adding a new roof, despite the chaotic work, with Benjamin’s masterful carpentry skills, it only took less than a day to create a second floor to the cottage.

Gulping, there’s a reason they charged 10 silver. It does prove that learning a skill like this ensures you’ll never starve.

“Wow, it’s really a second floor. I’ve always wanted to live in a two-story house! We can place beds and wardrobes upstairs!”

Looking at the newly finished second floor, Luna grinned in delight. When I laid down soft deerskin rugs on the floor, the upper floor felt quite cozy. Honestly, it looked good enough to make me satisfied too.

The lower floor of this shack in the poor district was somewhat insecure, with only one thin wall separating the inside from the outside. There wasn’t anything truly robust about the locks, so anyone set on it could break in anytime.

However, if we placed the bedroom on the second floor, even if an intruder did somehow manage to break in, the gap between the first and second floors would give us time to prepare.

“There’s a window up here! Wow, the view is different. I’m the owner of a second-story house!”

Luna leaned out of the window with her torso. From my position behind her, her protruding bottom, barely concealed by a thin cloth, drew bl**d rushing to my lower body. I’ve been feeling a recent surge in s*xual desires.

Should I say, since I now know how warm and soft Luna’s body is, I can’t control myself anymore?

But, isn’t her reaction cute?

Yet, if I quietly approached her and touched her, I’m sure even Luna would get angry.

Dong, dong.

At that moment, someone knocked on the wooden door of the first-floor shack. It startled me out of my thoughts.

“What’s the matter? Someone must have come.”

“Who is it?”

Apparently, Luna was equally flustered.

“Did someone knock on the door just now?”

Given Luna’s reply, I closed my mouth and listened for any movement downstairs. However, after the knock, there were no sounds of movement or voices.

Was it a mishearing of the wind? Just as I thought that,

Dong, dong, dong.

Somebody knocked on the shack’s front door again.

Three precise knocks, spaced evenly apart, were enough to send shivers down my spine.

It’s natural to get tense when someone knocks on your door late in the evening as bedtime approaches.

“Is someone coming? Do you expect any visitors?”

I started thinking that maybe Luna had told someone about her workshop without my knowledge, possibly a friend of hers. But does Luna even have friends?

“Visitors? I don’t remember anyone coming to mind. Hmm, what is it?”

But Luna shook her head, negating my suggestion. Indeed, it seemed she had no friends.

If so, the only thought crossing my mind was whether carpenter Benjamin had forgotten his tools and came back.

“Hassan, what do we do? Shall I open the door and see who it is?”

“I’ll check first.”

“Then let’s check together!”

Thus, we descended to the first floor and stood in front of the door. As if sensing our presence,

Dong, dong, dong.

Somebody knocked again.

“Uh, who is it at this late hour?”

I questioned loudly, perhaps using the most intimidating voice I’ve ever used. The kind of tone that would instantly trigger complaints if an employee used it—intentionally unfriendly.

Of course, it was just a bluff, like a cat puffing up its fur to appear threatening, carrying a connotation of “Talk nonsense, and you’ll get kicked out.”

At that moment, I wondered if I was overreacting, consumed by unnecessary fear and anxiety.

“Hassan, you’re kind of scary.”

Feeling Luna shaking behind me as she clutched my sleeve, I became even more uneasy. Prepared to draw my sword at any moment, I asked again through the door.

“Who is it? I’m asking you for the last time.”

Schizo.

At that point, an utterly unexpected reply came from behind. Schizo? What on earth is Schizo?

The voice, which sounded like it had been pitch-shifted, was so deep it made my eyebrows furrow.

It’s me, Schizo. Comrade, is this the agreed-upon meeting place? This crumbling wooden house in the darkest corner of the slums suits hiding perfectly.

Listening to the voices outside the door, I looked at Luna. Luna also shook her head, indicating it was the first time she was hearing this.

“Looks like you made a mistake. There’s no meeting place here, so scram. I’m not your comrade.”

It can’t be. Here, I can feel the power of dark magic from the depths of Tartarus. Dark and ominous, like the very night.

Ggrrrr!

Luna clutched my sleeve tightly, quivering. At this rate, her hysteria might be triggered again, so I shouted in a truly angry voice.

“Quit it! That’s final! If you don’t leave now, you’ll taste my blade. This is just a regular house!”

How strange.

The man who called himself Schizo said those words and then, with resolute steps, the sound of his footsteps disappeared into the distance.

A few moments later, after the footsteps faded away, I carefully unlocked the locks inside and opened the door. As usual, only the dimly lit back alley showed up, with scattered trash and rats scurrying around. There was no sign of a person.

What on earth, what kind of person is that?

Is it because we live in the western slums? If I earn a lot of money later, moving to the southern commercial district wouldn’t be so bad.

“Nobody, it seems to be a person who came with a misunderstanding.”

After searching the entire area around the house, I finally said to Luna in relief.

Luna, who had been trembling with her emerald-like eyes filled with fear, also seemed to have calmed down.

“Pfff, I was so scared. If Hassan wasn’t here, something big could have happened to me alone.”

“The slums have poor public safety. We need to pay more attention to the locks and security. Or…maybe…”

Or should I live here with her? I wanted to ask, but the words didn’t come out. What if Luna declines?

A cute young girl and cohabitation. It’s something any man might fantasize about at least once, waking up together in the morning and sleeping together at night.

Naturally, we’d end up doing some intimate things too. I want to have s*x with Luna. Luna felt so warm and soft when I hugged her.

“Um, I think Hassan can stay here for the night. It’s getting late…”

[Author’s Note]

I failed at adjusting the length, so the second part turned out too long… I apologize…

But I believe the generous Novel readers will likely prefer longer parts… hahaha…

Much love… Signing off…

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