Chapter 75

75th Episode: Pluto’s Descendant

075 – Pluto’s Descendant #2

“Uh, so Hassan, you’re spending the night here today. It’s late already… .”

“Really? Is that okay?”

I had been lost in various thoughts when Luna’s words made me feel incredibly happy, as if flipping through the air. Spending the night here?

Truthfully, I had been trying to find various excuses for how I could stay here longer with Luna. In this unexpected turn of events, I even found myself feeling grateful to that man, Schizo or whoever, from earlier.

And so, I lay down next to Luna on a deerskin atop the second floor of the wooden cabin, which smelled faintly of freshly made birdhouses.

Sniff sniff.

I’m not sure if it was my imagination, but I could feel a lingering sharp smell coming from the deerskin. This was due to Luna’s “accident” from the previous night. Of course, this happened because I wouldn’t let her go to the bathroom.

“So, did you seriously clean this carpet?”

“Y-Yes, absolutely. I washed it three times.”

“But why does the smell still linger a little?”

As I sniffed around, Luna also leaned her nose toward the carpet laid on the floor and sniffed.

Sniff sniff.

“…It’s probably just your imagination.”

“It doesn’t feel like just my imagination.”

“…If you keep sniffing like that, I’ll curse you.”

“Curse!?”

“My voodoo skills have improved, so my curses should be quite effective.”

The mention of Luna cursing was surprising.

Voodoo, a collection of various superstitions, typically encompasses everything from crude medical practices to curses and rituals. But Luna and curses? It didn’t feel very fitting, and it was hard to believe.

“So, how exactly does this curse work?”

“You create a voodoo doll and stab it with needles. Or recite incantations on a moonless night to summon malevolent spirits. I know some simple curse magic.”

“Wow, that’s incredible. Can you show me?”

“Well, I don’t really recommend it. Without proper protection, I can’t guarantee the effects… .”

Luna’s voice trailed off, unsure whether it was embarrassment or lack of confidence. My briefly heightened anticipation fell a little.

“Come on, you’re lying, right?”

“N-No! It’s real! Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Hassan.”

Suddenly sitting up, Luna pulled out a sharp needle and a scrap of cloth used for patching clothes from somewhere.

She pricked her pinky finger with the needle, drawing bl**d, and proceeded to write my name on it with her crimson red bl**d.

“That’s a curse spell!”

“What is this supposed to be?”

“Writing someone’s name in red means that person will come under a curse!”

Seriously?

Still, in case something happened, I cautiously sat up, tense, to see if anything would happen. But nothing did.

“Huh, nothing happening.”

“…It’s because there’s no protective charm. So, sleep well, Hassan.”

Luna, having failed her magic, couldn’t overcome her embarrassment and turned her back on me with a simple goodbye.

As I thought about whether something soft and fluffy might happen while we slept, the exhaustion from building this two-story house caught up with me, and I immediately fell into a deep slumber as soon as my head hit the pillow.

*

“Get up. It’s morning-.”

Awoken by the sensation of something thin and soft tickling my face, I blinked and emerged from sleep.

I had a dream of a giant rabbit, about my size, sitting heavily on my stomach. My body didn’t feel entirely rested, and I wondered: was this some sort of aftereffect of her curse?

“Hassan, get up.”

Opening my eyes, I saw Luna hovering above me, gently shaking her hair across my face.

“Did you fall asleep immediately? Looks like you were really tired. I thought you had died.”

“Lately, I’ve been using my body a lot. I guess fatigue has been building up.”

My physical strength has been going up, but my stamina doesn’t quite match the level.

If Father were here, he would have brewed some kind of tonic by now… I corrected that thought quickly. Who would’ve thought I’d miss those tasteless and suspicious juices?

Anyway, I needed to build more stamina.

If I get another chance to boost my stats, I might invest a little into stamina instead of just brute strength. It could be more efficient to spread it out evenly rather than focusing on one area.

Luna spoke.

“Your stamina’s decreased? Come to think of it, Hassan, I did make something I wanted to give you!”

Luna quickly dashed downstairs and soon returned holding a small bottle.

“Here, take it!”

It was a small pottery vial about the size of a soy milk bottle, sealed with a leather cap tied tightly at the top. It looked suspicious.

“What is it?”

Still half asleep, I took it with a bit of hesitation. Mysterious words appeared before my eyes.

『Small Night’s Devotion – Low-level Stamina Potion』

『When consumed, it can enhance specific values for a certain period of time.』

So Totems weren’t the only things being created; now she’s making potions as well?

No, wasn’t her main focus always potion-making rather than Totem carving? She did mention this building is used as both a forge and alchemy workshop.

“Drink it, Hassan! I worked really hard on this! Tell me how it tastes. If it’s good, I plan to sell it as a product!”

Luna looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes, so I hesitantly untied the leather cap.

Sniffing, a smell hit me, like yogurt that had been smashed into a locker and left untouched for a year. Instantly, I was wide awake.

“R-Really, do I have to drink this? This smell is no joke. Honestly, it’s making me feel sick.”

“You wouldn’t feel sick if you didn’t know what’s inside. Let me tell you what’s actually in it, and you’ll see.”

“Alright, fine. So, what’s inside?”

In response to my question, Luna hummed thoughtfully, scanning her eyes around as if recalling the recipe.

“Crushed hornet larvae, goblin teeth, troll bl**d, I added some sequoia sap for flavor… And, uh, my secret special ingredient too… How does it sound?”

How does it sound? Is she serious?

“Knowing exactly what’s inside makes me feel even worse.”

“Not at all, knowing it might’ve seemed fine?”

“Not for me. You’ve made it sound worse.”

“Considering the cost of ingredients alone, it’s worth about 1 Silver. I put a lot of effort into this… even borrowed the bakery’s kiln nearby…”

Luna’s spirit was dampened after my critique. For a moment, I could picture her struggle making these potions.

“Alright, fine, I’ll drink it.”

Who would have thought that without Father around, Luna would be the one handing me these kinds of concoctions now?

Huff…

Plugging my nose, I gulped it down. Instantly, my body shook from an indescribable sourness.

The harsh taste shocked my mind awake, like a window shattering in my consciousness, driving away the last traces of morning grogginess. d*mn, is this an adrenaline drug?

『Stamina value temporarily increases by 3.』

『23:59:59』

The taste was truly indescribably sour and astringent, yet the effects were incredibly potent. A stamina boost for 24 hours?

“How’s it? How’s it? Do you feel stronger?”

“Yeah, I do feel stronger, but couldn’t you make it taste better? It would sell much better that way.”

If I struggled to drink it, how would others even touch it? For it to sell well, a bit of care on taste would do wonders.

“There’s no one who drinks potions for the taste. This is for health maintenance. Anyway, I’m glad you liked it! I’ll make more next time!”

“U-Uh… thanks anyway, Luna. It does feel like I’ve gained some strength.”

After stirring awake suitably, we both gathered our weapons and ventured outside the cabin.

Just as Luna was about to step out, she gasped softly, “Oh—.”

Turning to look at what caught her attention, I saw an X-shaped mark carved into the wooden door, as if gouged out by a kn*fe.

“Hassan, was this always here?”

“No, it doesn’t seem familiar.”

Neither of us had seen this mark before. Was it made last night while we were asleep?

Luna shuddered.

“Feels creepy.”

“Well, let’s just erase it.”

Remembering an old sandpaper left inside from yesterday, I grabbed it and wiped the strange marking off.

“Hassan, look over here. There’s one here too.”

As we walked through the village, Luna pointed out other homes that were marked with the same X-shaped symbol.

What’s happening? Did someone do some kind of census? My mind raced, but no logical conclusion came to fruition.

Feeling quite perplexed, we finally reached the Mars Guild building located in the city center.

“What the hell happened here?”

“Hassan, what is going on…?”

Luna was thoroughly shaken by the sight of the guild building, half-destroyed.

Of course, I felt equally astonished. The Mars Guild was both a temple and renowned for its grandeur, but now it looked like it had been struck by a bombardment. The marble columns and roof were shattered into pieces.

“Was it a dragon? How does a sturdy building like this get destroyed?”

Luna, visibly trembling at the idea. A dragon? Wings, fire spewing from mouths… Such creatures even existed in this world? Absolutely terrifying.

“Ahh, you’re back? The guild’s in a terrible state.”

A female voice approached us out of the rubble. Daphne, the guild’s receptionist, distinct with her green hair and short ears, walked towards us.

“What exactly happened here?”

“Pluto Cultists attacked. Thanks to Hippolyte and the Silver Tier adventurers, they were repelled. Seriously, who would’ve thought the cultists would dare attack the city’s temple? Their fear of divine wrath seems to have vanished.”

Even to Daphne, a resident with a peculiar sense of world understanding, this incident had evidently crossed a line.

But with the guild in this state, how would we handle commissions? Would we earn no money for a while?

As I thought about this, Daphne directed her words at me.

“Also, Hassan, someone named Valtma is looking for you in the guild’s basement. You should head down quickly.”

Recalling the name “Valtma,” I pictured a middle-aged man with a balding head and an eyepatch. A man of high standing within the Mars Guild, wasn’t he?

Despite the guild being half-torn apart, the underground prison seemed to have escaped significant damage.

Why am I back here in this guild basement?

The memory of being captured and slapped by Daphne made me reluctant to return to this dungeon.

“Hassan, let’s go quickly!”

Urged by Luna pushing me from behind, I found the entrance to the basement among the debris and descended.

Once below, the dungeon, unlike the top floor, appeared relatively untouched, reeking only faintly of mold.

“Ah, you’re here, Samaritan. And the cute pink-haired girl has come too. You’ve been active lately, haven’t you? Maybe you’ve found your own secret methods?”

“I-I don’t know much, really.”

“Hmm, well, we can talk about that later. There’s more pressing business.”

Baltra stood before a cell, arms crossed, scrutinizing something intently. Beside him stood Hippolyte, equally cross-armed, covered in wounds and bleeding.

Her magnificent bronze armor, now torn and shredded like paper, hinted at the fierceness of last night’s battle.

“What do you want with me?”

Hippolyte spoke for Baltra, her voice heavy.

“We didn’t summon you. This guy wanted to see you.”

She pointed toward the cell where I caught a glimpse of something inside.

There was a figure encased in multiple restraints, including eye patches, gagging devices, and shackles. The person was tightly tied like a mummy with restraints winding around their body.

Their arms, bound with shackles, were tethered to the walls on either side, forcing them into a spread-eagle position. The shackles on their legs were tied to the floor, forcing them into an M-shaped spread, which appeared somewhat… well, erotic.

This must be the Pluto Cultist captured a while ago in the logging grounds. Her name was Paranoi, if I recall correctly. A Nymph Cultist I’ve not previously encountered, so I took care to remember her unique feature — auburn short hair and sharp-pointed ears that were not easily forgettable.

“Why would she want to see me?”

“We want to know that too. Anyway, you two talk things out.”

With that, Hippolyte and Baltra left, leaving me alone in the basement with this strange Nymph Cultist.

“H-Hassan-.”

“You should come too, half-pint. This Nymph wants to talk to you and Samaritan privately. Seems we’ve got business with you too, Noxdotty.”

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