Chapter 119: He’s a Strange One
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: He’s a Strange One
“Where on earth did you meet that person?”
“Ah, that’s…”
Wait, is this something I should even talk about?
I wouldn’t say I’m the most experienced guy out there, but I do have a sense of decency. Bragging to others about sexual encounters with a woman isn't just bad for my own image; it’s disrespectful to her as well.
And my current company is a woman, too. Boasting about one's philandering even among male friends is behavior deserving of criticism, but doing it in front of a woman?
“I saw her in the Northwest…”
“Hooooh…?”
As I tried to brush it off with a vague answer, Theodora suddenly leaned forward and buried her nose in the crook of my neck. She’s been doing this a lot lately—does this gesture actually mean something?
—Sniff, sniff.
“Hmm…”
Leaving behind a meaningful hum, Theodora tilted her head and stared at me intently with half-lidded eyes. It’s not like I was lying. Besides, I was certain Theodora wouldn't want to hear that kind of story anyway.
Theodora and I are… well, we’re basically just friends. Platonic male and female friends. There’s no need for us to go around sharing our sexual histories.
“Is that so? Well, if it was the Northwest, I suppose that’s possible.”
“Anyway, I can’t believe that person is the head of the Antonio Brotherhood.”
If I had known beforehand, I would have tried to size her up with my Evil Eye. To be honest, I didn't sense anything from her in terms of mana. She just looked like a young girl.
Now, I’m not some creep who judges a woman’s age solely by the size of her chest, but even putting that aside, her stature and appearance were quite youthful. My image of the Antonio Brotherhood above the surface wasn't great to begin with, but still.
“Wait, Aven. You aren't thinking anything… weird, are you?”
“Huh? What weird thoughts?”
“Ah, never mind….”
It wasn't that I was looking at the Antonio Brotherhood in a new light just because their leader was a young-looking girl. It was more of a… prejudice? In reality, things might be different.
After all, this is a world where someone could obtain a skill and suddenly become a gender-swapped elementary schooler.
I had expected someone with a clean-shaven head, a burly build, and maybe three or four scars on their face. Someone with a thick cigar in their mouth and gold rings on every finger. Perhaps I was a victim of the stereotypes seen in fiction…
“Anyway, that doesn't matter right now. Let’s go see my mother.”
Theodora dismissed my complicated thoughts with a clap of her hands. Since we were already at the Lymain Treatment Center, I figured I should handle my business first.
“Mother, it’s been a while.”
“Hmph. Who are you calling ‘Mother’?”
Seriously, though. Who is the mother? If Theodora just changed her outfit, speech pattern, and makeup slightly, they’d be twins. Whether looking from a distance in the same clothes or up close, there was barely any difference between them aside from their hairstyles.
“What do you find so fascinating?”
“Ahaha… could you hear my inner thoughts?”
* * *
Meanwhile, to the Lymain mother and daughter, Yoo Eon was a being who was incredibly idiosyncratic yet guaranteed a primal sort of entertainment.
“Where on earth did you meet that person?”
“Ah, that’s…”
Because Theodora could hear all of Yoo Eon’s inner thoughts through the scent he gave off.
‘This is complicated! How do I say this!’
“I saw her in the Northwest…”
“Hooooh…?”
It was rare for Yoo Eon to hide things, but since her sense of smell told her he wasn't exactly lying, Theodora—who placed quite a bit of trust in him—didn't pry any further.
‘She looks weak! I can hunt her!’
Instead, that was the scent wafting from Yoo Eon as he watched the passing Mystery Antoinette.
“Wait, Aven. You aren't thinking anything… weird, are you?”
“Huh? What weird thoughts?”
“Ah, never mind….”
She was worried that because the head of the Antonio Brotherhood looked weak, he might suddenly go find her, declare his grievances, and start a riot. She didn't think Aven was a man so lacking in discernment, but the fact remained that he had looked at the head of a massive family and thought, ‘What a pushover.’
As Renart Lymain approached after finishing the follow-up on the conversation she’d had with the head of the Antonio Brotherhood in the small meeting room, Yoo Eon’s inner thoughts reached them.
‘Amazing! This is incredible!’
Renart Lymain’s reaction to that scent was only natural.
“What do you find so fascinating?”
“Ahaha… could you hear my inner thoughts?”
Yoo Eon was marveling internally at Renart Lymain’s incredibly youthful beauty.
While it’s true that beastkin can use a primitive form of communication through pheromones, it’s impossible to convey a large amount of information that way.
At most, it only transmits the fleeting, fragmentary emotions of the person emitting them. Of course, the mother and daughter duo who led the Golden Glove Syndicate usually had to hide even those fragmentary emotional cues.
“It’s just… well. I was thinking once again how youthful you look.”
“Hmph…! You rascal. What are you hoping will drop out of my pockets with that flattery?”
One might think he was just sucking up, but pheromones are what they are. They were originally a means of communication for beasts.
‘You’re pretty! I’m attracted to you!’
What else would beasts need to talk about? Hunting, sharing emotions, confirming bonds, and so on.
But the most important of all—even among people whose communication is vastly more sophisticated than other animals—is when the most intimate dialogue is required: when looking for a mating partner.
“A-Aven?!”
“You brat! W-what are you thinking?!”
“No, wait. Why are you both acting like this?!”
Yoo Eon had simply thought ‘She’s beautiful’ in his mind, but after passing through the beastly pheromone-triggering algorithm functioning inside his body…
It had been transformed: Pretty person → Excellent genes → I’m attracted to you.
Naturally, Renart was just as dumbfounded to have the male her daughter had set her sights on expressing attraction toward her. As she clenched a fist imbued with Divine Beast Power, Yoo Eon panicked and began an explanation that sounded more like a desperate plea.
“No, I just meant you’re so beautiful…!”
“B-be quiet!”
Just as his thought of Mystery Antoinette looking ‘weak’ had been simplified into ‘huntable target’ and caused Theodora distress…
His thought of Renart Lymain being ‘beautiful’ was equated with recognizing a female with superior genes, unintentionally resulting in a display of romantic interest.
This was the side effect of translating the vastly more complex emotions of a human into mere beast pheromones. It was like a high-resolution photo being forced into extreme compression, resulting in a pixelated mess.
“Aven…?”
“No, I really wasn't thinking anything like that.”
“Youuuu….”
Naturally, Yoo Eon had absolutely no intention of becoming a MILF hunter. However, since Yoo Eon, who possessed the functions of a Direwolf Alpha, was indeed reacting to a female with superior genes…
‘This is bad! I’m scared!’
Instead of looking for a mate, Yoo Eon—now more concerned for his physical safety at the thought of being thrashed by the Divine Beast Power he’d seen before—quickly withdrew his display of attraction.
“Whew. Just what kind of thoughts are going through that head of yours?”
“I really wasn't thinking anything….”
Yoo Eon had managed to save his own life just moments before becoming an isekai MILF hunter.
* * *
“Right, you’ve arrived early. Have you made your preparations?”
“Ah, about that.”
I hadn't come to the Lymain Treatment Center to be misunderstood by Theodora’s mother. Of course, I still didn't know exactly what misunderstanding I’d caused, or what Theodora and her mother had seen that made them both look at me so strangely.
Is there some kind of beastkin intuition? Even if there is, I don't get it. It’s not like I insulted her; I just said she was beautiful…
“Right now, I don't have the financial leeway to purchase a Gargoyle.”
To be honest, telling a rich person “I don't have money” isn't exactly a pleasant experience. It’s not like I followed Theodora around because she’s rich, and even now, I’d feel a bit awkward accepting money even if she offered.
I know it’s a bit late to say this after I greedily devoured everything I needed at the workshop and even took that expensive Dragon Heart.
But at the workshop, I only ate things that weren't valuable, and even then, it was in exchange for going to the Labyrinth with Theodora. As for the Dragon Heart, I refused it repeatedly until Theodora practically forced it down my throat, even showing off her Divine Beast Power to make her point.
“So, you’re saying you won't go to Roanmarie because you can't afford to buy anything even if you go?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Theodora, sitting next to me, let out a “Hmm” and stroked her chin. Lady Lymain was looking at me as if I were a peculiar creature, holding the letter she had sent me in her hand. I had brought it with me to return it to her.
“Then what did you come here for? I wrote that you didn't need to come if you intended to refuse.”
“No, well, you went to the trouble of sending me a letter because you were thinking of me. I thought it was only polite to come and tell you in person.”
At those words, Renart raised an eyebrow and slightly revised her impression of Yoo Eon.
‘At least he seems to have manners.’
He was a young man who possessed a level of respect for his elders that was hard to find in this generation. After all, Yoo Eon had inherited the power of the Confucian Dragon in addition to Tenebrax the Purple Flame Dragon.
If only it weren't for that MILF hunting incident just now.
“You rascal, I told you there was no need to come all this way. Were you hoping for something to fall into your lap?”
“Ahaha, no. Haven't I received too much already?”
Renart found it commendable that Yoo Eon had traveled a long distance just to politely decline. Since he had come in person, she couldn't exactly say, “You’re refusing? Fine, then leave,” right to his face.
Of course, merchants usually didn't care about such things, but this was the man who might become her youngest daughter’s partner.
“Get ready. It will take about two weeks. Do you have any other plans that might interfere?”
“Pardon…?”
“Why so surprised? I heard you needed Gargoyle wings.”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“Our syndicate handles those items from time to time. If there’s stock, I can buy one and easily tear the wings off for you.”
“R-really…?”
She had reached this conclusion partly to resolve a few lingering questions she had.
“Thank you…! My deepest thanks…!”
He bowed his head repeatedly.
Eventually, after Yoo Eon and Theodora had left together, Renart sat quietly in her office, twirling a pen as she thought.
“To look at a woman with a child his own age and feel that… He’s a strange one.”