Chapter 88

88th Chapter

Hassan’s Day Off

088 ? Hassan’s Day Off #1

A stick.

A stick as my reward?

I was quite disappointed, to be honest, as I had high hopes for this reward. It was a sturdy-looking stick, but it was so common that if I stuck it in a field, I might never find it again.

Of course, I couldn’t openly show my disappointment. If I did, they might take away even this stick.

“It looks decent…”

“One of my companions used something similar. He was a fearsome warrior. There wasn’t anything he couldn’t break with that club.”

At the mention of a fearsome warrior’s club, I glanced at the stick in my hand once again.

“What exactly is this thing?”

Is it some kind of magic wand? Or maybe if I chant a spell and strike the ground, gold coins will pop out? Sh. Even that sounds too far-fetched.

No matter how I looked at it, it seemed like an ordinary club. While I was squinting in doubt, Actaeon explained.

“A blessed olive tree by Lady Minerva. It’s been cut down and compressed with a hammer. Though it looks light and thin, essentially, you’re wielding an entire tree.”

“R-really?”

Sh, upon hearing those words, the club seemed slightly more impressive. This is really a compressed tree? Honestly, it sounds like exaggeration, but in this world, stories that seem like exaggerations often turn out to be true.

It’s a world where magic and sorcery exist; it’s a world where dwarves can build houses in a day.

Anyway, as I was marveling at that, Actaeon continued.

“The more astonishing part is that despite cutting its root, this tree is still alive. It’s because it’s blessed by Lady Minerva.”

“Is it… still alive?”

“Not just alive. Over time, it will absorb your karma and continue to grow stronger. Moreover, as your friend grows, this club will also become tougher and more resilient.”

A weapon that grows with its owner. Such a thing exists in this world, huh.

Actually, I was thinking that I needed a new weapon. Just the other day, my two swords were reduced to scrap metal when I fought a Black Warrior of the Cultists.

Should I attempt to repair them, or is it better to buy a new one?

Hoo-wooong!

I swung the club in the air a few times.

It didn’t cut through the wind with the sharpness of a sword, but compared to swords that require specific techniques, skill usage, or maintenance through oiling, I found it refreshingly simple, rugged, and pleasant to handle.

Just with brute strength, I could wield this easily enough.

“Looks like you’re pleased?”

“It’s good.”

“This club has also been personally named by the Young Lady of the Count. A named weapon—something even this Actaeon has never possessed.”

Actaeon smiled slightly before shoveling some kind of dessert into his mouth in one go.

Then, he stood up and muttered quietly, “Symphony, Harmony. I leave this to you.”

Rustle rustle.

At his signal, two sky-blue twin-tailed women servants, who were waiting behind him, pulled out some clothing from the bags they were carrying and draped them over Actaeon’s body.

Soon, the guy who had been wearing just underwear disappeared, and a man in a neatly pressed suit similar to a tuxedo appeared before me.

His appearance carried such a peculiar charisma that I inadvertently felt a little intimidated. Sh, he seems like a completely different person, doesn’t he?

“At least I have some wings on these clothes.”

“Though it’s a shame to cover my beautiful physique, it can’t be helped. Today, there’s a meeting with the upper echelons of the Mars Guild regarding the Cultist issue. It wouldn’t be appropriate to show up in such an informal manner.”

“Understood.”

“Anyway, the Young Lady personally bestowed a name on the club. She has a talent in these aspects. The club is called Fear Crusher. Moreover, this is another title that will precede you, as Samarian Hassan.”

Fear Crusher, Hassan?

The name alone was enough to give me goosebumps. It’s like the kind of name someone in middle school would jot down in a notebook alone, proud and brash.

But for some reason, nicknames in this world carry such weight. Do people enjoy those?

Anyway, an ominous name was attached to a rather plain club. Honestly, I doubt I’ll ever be calling this name out myself.

“Friend, I’ve got some urgent business regarding the Cultist handling, so I’ll leave early. Continue enjoying the meal with Lady Ideope.”

As Actaeon was about to leave, he paused momentarily, trailing off.

“Is there something else?”

“Hipolyte, how is she doing? If you’re a part of Mars Guild, you must have come across her once or twice.”

It seemed Actaeon and Hipolyte were acquainted. Well, both being influential adventurers in Sodomora, it isn’t odd if they know each other.

Of course, I know Hipolyte too. Although, it’s a one-sided story where I’ve gotten the worse end of things.

“Just… she’s doing fine, I think. Should I pass on a message when I see her later?”

“Not necessarily. The relationship between us and her isn’t exactly great. However, delivering one message wouldn’t hurt. Let me think—”

Actaeon seemed to be choosing his words carefully, muttering “Hm,” and “Hmm,” as though pondering. After about a minute, he seemed to have come up with something suitable.

“The Warrior’s Quest is not yet over—That should suffice.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Just saying that is enough?”

“Hipolyte will understand from that much. Anyway, it was nice meeting you, friend.”

Luna finished eating about thirty minutes after Actaeon left.

The snail connoisseur was munching away like someone grieving over a lost loved one, until she made a groaning sound akin to severe anguish.

It was almost like the sound was the snails in her stomach crying out in protest.

“Alright, let’s head out, Hassan.”

Even so, she seemed reluctant to leave, carefully stashing snails here and there in her garment’s folds. I’ll have to take her to a buffet someday if I make a lot of money.

So, together, we left the Minerva Guild and returned to Luna’s cabin.

Once we’d filled jars from the snails in both our pockets, Luna finally exclaimed with relief.

“For a few days, our food is secured!”

“That’s great.”

“Anyway, Hassan! What’s this stick?”

Only now, after focusing on her food, Luna noticed the club hanging at my waist.

“This is supposed to be the reward I got.”

“The reward is just one stick? That seems way too stingy.”

“Apparently, it’s not just any stick, according to him.”

“Hassan, it seems like you’ve been tricked. You’re quite gullible to fall for lies. Hmm, I should’ve been here.”

Luna, whose sleepiness was evident as she stared at me, remembered how a few times earlier I had indeed been tricked by her. It felt like a distant memory now, even though it wasn’t that long ago.

“Alright, Actaeon says it’s good stuff. Want to try touching it?”

I handed the club, the Fear Crusher, to Luna. As soon as she held it with both her hands, her eyes widened in astonishment.

“It’s, it’s thick!”

“Right?”

“And sturdier and heavier than it looks… Plus, it feels… alive? Is it just me, or do you feel it too?”

“Nah, I don’t think it’s your imagination. Supposedly, it’s really alive. It continues to grow by absorbing my karma, or something they said.”

“Wha-? That’s practically a Living Weapon! That’s extremely rare! Goodness, then it’s worth the reward. In fact, it might even be too generous…!”

Luna examined the stick from various angles. Her emerald green eyes seemed to gleam, almost greedily, as if she wanted the item I received as a reward.

Seeing her shift from disappointment earlier to this kind of reaction makes me believe the item itself is legit.

“Hassan’s club…”

“The Young Lady named it, they said. The, Fear Crusher…”

For some reason, saying the name out loud feels somewhat embarrassing. Would it sound better in English? How do you say Fear Crusher in English?

While I was pondering that, Luna was meticulously examining the club, turning it around.

“Fear Crusher. Thick, sturdy….”

She muttered under her breath before bringing the club close to her nose and sniffed it.

“It has a scent.”

Then, she even licked it with the tip of her tongue.

“Slurp.”

“It tastes like wood.”

“It’s wood, so it would taste like wood. Anyway, I think this reward is sufficient. Honestly, I was somewhat hoping for coins.”

“Coins can be earned by anyone who works hard. But a Living Weapon is not something anyone can obtain despite hard work. It’s way better!”

“True, then I’m glad.”

Does this mean Actaeon was properly considerate?

“Anyway, Hassan now has a Silence Totem too. We’re a pair now!”

Luna seemed happier that this weapon belonged to the same category of bludgeons as her Silence Totem rather than being impressed that I had received such a rare, valuable item.

Imagine the first couple items to be matching are not rings or t-shirts, but matching couple weapons. Such a fantasy setup seems improbable anywhere else.

Of course, I wasn’t entirely against it either.

Having something similar or the same as Luna makes our relationship seem to progress better, which I like.

In this way, another day turned into a deep night.

I suggested sleeping together with Luna, as there could still be another Cultist attack.

Luna seemed to consider it for a moment but ultimately agreed, thinking it was a reasonable judgment.

Frankly speaking, I was hoping if the darkness of the night would present a chance for some romantic escapades.

Surprisingly, the mood didn’t swing that way, and we ended up just sharing a blanket.

How do other couples create such an atmosphere? For a beginner like me in love matters, it was entirely unknowable.

Is it about bold, forceful touching that starts things?

No, that would surely make even Luna dislike it.

I’d be heartbroken if her response was something like, “Never touch my body again for the rest of my life!” Just imagining it made me feel uneasy.

Thus, I was lost in thought about how to create the right atmosphere with Luna for such moments. While simulating scenarios in my mind, it happened.

“Pfft.”

Luna suddenly burped softly.

“Hum, humming.”

Caught off guard, she started humming a little tune unexpectedly.

“Luna, did you just burp?”

“N-no way! I didn’t!”

“Stop lying, I heard it clearly.”

“No! I didn’t!”

Luna was genuinely upset with me for hearing her burp. While I thought it was adorable, from her perspective, it might’ve been embarrassing.

After such intense episodes between us, ending up blushing over something like this was surprisingly refreshing.

“Huff…”

She stopped sulking and took a deep, rugged breath. Concerned, I gently held her wrist.

Ding!

(Name: Luna Noxdotty, Level 11

Strength: 3

Agility: 6

Vitality: 2

Quirks: Loves Mess》 Noshing》 Nocturnal》

Status: Cursed by Nox》 Cursed by Erebore》 Acute Indigestion》)

As I took her pulse, it was evident that Luna had overeaten, leading to an overloaded stomach. One might say she had indigestion.

I should’ve known.

So, I pressed on the fleshy part between her thumb and forefinger hard. This is the Hegu point.

Previously, it had effectively helped Daphne with her indigestion. It’s a multi-purpose acupoint. Pressing it when you’re feeling bloated not only relieves discomfort but brings great satisfaction.

“Agh! Ow!”

But Luna squirmed in apparent pain as if she was dying. Some people do feel quite intense pain here when their stomachs are in bad shape.

“Just bear with the pain a bit.”

“Ah-aaaah! Pain!”

I was perplexed by how much pain she seemed to be in despite not pressing too hard.

To understand why, I pulled the blanket aside and held her hand closer to view under the light of my glowing hand.

In the dim light, I noticed tiny spots on Luna’s palm, not the usual thumb-sized ones, but very fine spots, barely visible, on the points known as the Shixuan points.

These are located below each fingertip and are often pressed with needles to relieve indigestion.

What did this mean with those fine spots on her Shixuan points?

There was only one explanation that came to mind.

“Luna, where’s your needle?”

“H-Hassan, why do you bring up needles!?”

With her hand still in mine, Luna started trembling violently. She looked terrified, as if about to cry any moment.

[Author’s Note]

I should start collecting opinions or voting for the next illustration now.

Yesterday, I uploaded too teasingly, so I’ll upload the rest now.

---