Chapter 188
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 188
Chapter Title: Mana Man Kim Katt
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I finally managed to calm Karin down after kneeling and kowtowing repeatedly, begging over and over. Or had I really calmed her? Her face looked far from normal after seeing what I'd splattered on the wall.
At best, it seemed like she was willing to hear me out before killing me, since I was her disciple, after all.
I kept my head bowed low and followed her.
The place was on the second floor of the office, a room she apparently used personally—it had a lived-in feel. I sat on the sofa as instructed. She locked the door and approached.
"...I'm sorry."
I apologized first.
I'd been a total scumbag.
"..."
Karin sat down across from me.
...Her face was gravely serious.
After a brief silence, she looked at my face and spoke.
"Don't tell me... because of me?"
Our eyes met for a moment, and I caught a glimpse of deep cleavage above her tank top. Noticing, she blushed again and covered it with her hand.
"Ah, no! That's not it! Guild Master! I know you won't believe me, but please hear my explanation—just once—and trust me! There were circumstances that made it understandable!"
I quickly turned my head away. I heard a faint rustling. After a bit, I looked back at Karin. She had put on her top and had her hand over her chest.
"...G-Guild Master?"
"Kyaa!"
Calling her name made her scream suddenly and tremble in disgust. Th-this... What the hell had I done! If I'd only done it twice instead of all those times, this wouldn't have happened!
"G-Guild Master!!! Are you okayyy?!"
"Uh, uh? Oh, no... a little."
I desperately flailed around, gesturing that I was harmless. Watching me, Karin finally let her guard down.
No, for someone who'd probably cut down hundreds of people to react like this...
It was...
A bit...
An awkward silence hung in the air.
"...Ugh."
Karin spoke first.
"Wh-whoa, it's huge? I thought it was some kind of blunt weapon... Ahem! Anyway, that's not what I meant! What the hell? Why'd you do that in your own house—leaving it empty? If you don't explain properly, I'll treat you as an exhibitionist criminal and chop you up."
Karin cleared her throat awkwardly and spoke sternly. Still, as my master and the guild master, she seemed willing to hear my side. I was incredibly grateful, but guilt gnawed at me too.
I'd shown her something she shouldn't have seen.
How shocking must my hideous act have been...!
I'd done something unforgivable!
"Well... it's not like that..."
"No beating around the bush—explain. I'm not a patient person."
I gathered my thoughts and opened my trembling mouth. How should I even phrase it? Pent-up frustration? That it'd built up so much, and with an empty space handy, I just lost it?
"...It was pent-up frustration."
"What?"
"I... couldn't relieve my urges... and that spot was perfect since it was empty... I just lost my mind right there. I swear I wasn't thinking anything weird. Please believe me."
Tears poured out. Looking at her with my teary eyes, Karin blushed and spoke, as if my sincerity got through.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
"Sniff... sniff...! That's exactly what happened. Lately, the frustration had been piling up... and that place was totally deserted..."
As I started bawling, pity must have kicked in because she listened without interrupting. I exploited that opening in her heart.
"Anyway... so it wasn't because of me, right?"
After my fervent excuses, she seemed to buy it a bit, summarizing as she regained some composure. I could feel her relaxing.
"Absolutely not your fault, Guild Master. This is entirely my own doing... More importantly, why do you think it's your fault? You did nothing wrong."
"N-no. I mean, maybe my outfit or when I corrected your posture earlier... our bodies touched a bit? I didn't think anything of it, but did you?"
As expected of a swordswoman honed to the extreme.
She nailed the core of the issue.
That brief contact had ignited my desire.
"Not at all, so please don't worry. Nothing like that happened. I'm just grateful you believe me!"
It was 100% because of that, but to ease her burden, I denied it. She seemed to be fretting over whether her attire had stimulated her disciple unnecessarily.
So I had to reassure her it wasn't.
No matter what, masturbating was my fault.
"...Not at all?"
Karin narrowed her eyes and asked again.
I raised my voice confidently.
"Yes! Not even a little! No lies—zero!"
"...Really?"
"Of course!"
"You didn't feel anything at all?"
"Exactly!"
"No thoughts whatsoever?"
"Obviously!"
Her repeated questions felt a bit suspicious, but to relieve her guilt, I answered assuredly.
Karin really was a good person. Even so, worrying if she bore any responsibility was so admirable. Practicing martial arts meant cultivating the mind, perhaps?
"..."
—The atmosphere shifted then.
Suddenly, Karin's aura turned ominous, rippling with something eerie. Fear? No, killing intent?
Huh?
What was this?
"...Guild Master?"
"So it's fine to say I have zero appeal as a woman, right?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah... fucking hell. After leaving the knights' order and doing mercenary work, I hooked up plenty... Men? What men in that pack of shitheads? Even if I've aged, those bastards should've been fine, right?"
Muttering bitterly about her past, she started rambling incoherently, like talking to ghosts.
Terror gripped me.
What the hell was this?
"But fuck. Even after quitting mercenary life, no decent guys? And why no men who like me? No feminine appeal? Or because I'm mixed-race? What? My killing intent scares them? My eyes look like they could kill? Murderer vibe? Bullshit! How delicate I am as a woman!"
The rampaging Karin shot to her feet and started berating me!
Wh-what the hell was happening!
My mind flew off to the cosmos in this beyond-human comprehension crisis! C-calm down, Kim Katt! I don't know what's up, but this totally unhinged Karin might stab me!
"All men are fucking idiots!"
Her self-deprecation escalated to outright man-hating...! I didn't know her age, but she seemed like a spinster with tons of built-up resentment!
I had to calm her down!
"I'm that unappealing?! All you men are blind! Fuck! Should rip 'em all out!"
To soothe her, I desperately clung to her calf as she thrashed and showered her with overwhelming flattery! To calm someone like this, I needed a lethal dose of intense praise!
"N-no! Guild Master, you're fucking gorgeous! I told you before! You look like late teens! I've not seen tons of women, but you're top five beauties easy!"
"Let go! I said let go! You said nothing earlier!"
"Uwaaaaah! Centrifugal forrrceee—eee!!!"
As she shook her leg, I dangled from her calf, flopping wildly like I'd lost gravity. I hugged tighter with all my might to not fall!
"Uwaaaa!!! Yeees!!! You've killed tons and you're super strong!! But where else is a woman like you?! Talented!!! Pretty face! Great body! And youthful!!! It's insane!!! You're a beauty, Guild Master!!!"
In zero gravity.
There, I groveled with praises for ages to calm her. What? Wasn't this supposed to be my confession for public outdoor masturbation?
The genre shift hit so hard, it felt like I'd become a tragic boy head of household wailing in the third world.
"Uwaaaaah!!!"
How much time passed?
Until my mouth dried up and my tongue gave out, her frenzy subsided.
"...Really?"
She cautiously asked me, sprawled on the floor.
Women are weak to looks compliments, after all.
"Really! You're so pretty, Guild Master!"
I answered energetically again.
Boosting her self-esteem was the only way.
And she was genuinely beautiful.
If anything, Cloudy had a better figure and was prettier, but Karin was a stunning beauty. Her healthy, alluring body, and especially that long, ebony hair. Ponytail too... Gotta ask Cloudy to try that sometime.
"...For real?"
Karin asked again.
"Of course! Wow, seriously! You're Miss Isvant! How are you this beautiful! Divine beauty! Goddess level!"
At that, she blushed and let out a weird giggle. Thought I was done for today.
I survived.
This should be enough.
"I-is that so... Heh heh. Guess so?"
"Yes, exactly. Karin Bestat is pretty! They say Isvant Sword Guild Master is gorgeous! Folks around town! She's this beautiful!"
"Heh heh, heh. Heh heh heh! You do have an eye! Hey! I'll let the jerking off slide!"
Beaming, she hauled me up and smacked my back hard. "Thwack!" It felt like my esophagus would spew out. Cheap price for my life, though.
"Cough cough."
Regaining her cheer, she muttered and laughed. The issue resolved in a twisted way, but it was settled. I swore never to outdoor masturbate again and headed for the door.
—Grab.
"...Guild Master?"
She grabbed my shoulder as I turned.
I looked back.
"But..."
Hesitant, her face beet red, avoiding my eyes. Something left to say? Her grip was so strong my shoulder might pop off.
Please stop!
Please! It hurts so much!
"...Could you show me once?"
"Pardon?"
"No, you messed up first... Seeing that... I'm curious, y'know? First time seeing a guy's thing..."
If ominous vibes had words, it'd be this.
My knees buckled.
No way... right?
"Just wanna see it again..."
"Hold on."
My brain spun.
What? Show you?
What did this imply...?
"Guild Master. I get what you're saying, this is totally my fault, and you're incredibly beautiful and charming—that's true."
I assumed the worst. Moistening my dry mouth, I thought of what to say next, seeking the best solution.
"B-but that doesn't make sense... right?"
I said, heart pounding.
"...Doesn't make sense? You did that on the guild backyard wall, and now it doesn't?"
"Huh? B-but you forgave that just now...?"
"This is separate from forgiveness."
I backed away slowly. —Click. Door handle touched my hand. Slowly, very slowly, I tried turning it without her noticing.
—Boom!
"Eek!"
Her wall slam stopped me!
Trapped!
"Pants off. Let me see it once more."
Pressing close with her chest and face, she issued a shocking order!
"Wh-wha?"
"Huh?"
"Leh?"
"Play dumb and you're dead."
Killing intent poured out.
I shrieked reflexively.
"Wait!! This is no good! It's not something to show others anyway!"
"Then what's your deal? Exhibitionist?"
"I explained earlier!"
"Don't care anymore."
Face flushed, hot breath heaving, she stepped forward and grabbed my waistband. What was this spinster doing!
"Just looking, okay? It's so big, I'm curious."
"No!"
"What's no? Trust your guild master?"
"Th-that's!"
"Don't show, and who knows what I'll do. Your fault, remember?"
"...Guh!"
No excuse left!
No, even so, caught jerking off doesn't mean show it...!
But no way out.
I rolled my eyes.
"Th-then really just looking?"
"Yeah."
—Gulp.
Think... Kim Katt!
How to survive this crisis!