Chapter 168: A Boisterous Morning
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 168: A Boisterous Morning
“First of all, congratulations. Shall we shake on it?”
“Don’t try any funny business and keep your hands up.”
“My arms hurt.”
“You’re supposed to reflect on your sins while savoring the pain in your aching arms.”
As penance for using a person as a floor mop, Iris was currently kneeling on the table with her hands raised in the air. Is this woman actually insane? I thought that if someone collapsed on the floor, she would at least move them to a cleaner spot.
I wasn't expecting her to carry me to a bed or give me a lap pillow, but what kind of person just dumps water on someone who’s passed out? And if it had just been plain water, that would be one thing, but she’d sprayed me with her own bodily fluids.
“No using physical enhancement magic.”
“But...”
“No 'buts' allowed.”
“Still...”
“No 'stills' either. I told you to at least do that when no one is watching.”
At my words, Iris tilted her head as if confused.
“But no one was watching?”
“I was right there.”
“You were passed out. Your eyes were closed.”
“Five more minutes of holding your hands up.”
“That’s just mean.”
“Sigh...”
According to Iris, I had been out for about ten minutes. Was that place a Hyperbolic Time Chamber or something? It felt like I’d been unconscious for months. The back of my shirt was soaked, clinging unpleasantly to my skin. It was a truly disgusting sensation.
“Do something about this.”
“Okay.”
Whoosh!
With a flick of her raised hand, black flames erupted over my body. I panicked for a second, but I didn't feel any heat. Seeing how all the moisture vanished instantly, it was a pretty convenient spell.
“Phew, alright. You can come down now.”
“Okay.”
Iris braced her hands on the table and clambered down to the floor, her thin, reed-like arms trembling violently. And that was after only five minutes. I’m pretty sure I made her do this last time, too—is she just the type who never learns?
“You successfully absorbed the Knight Lord’s mana core.”
“You can feel it?”
“His presence has vanished.”
“...I see.”
Having crossed blades with him hundreds of times, I suppose I’d grown attached to him in spite of myself. Would I never see him again? Regardless, there was no denying that our sparring matches had become my blood and bone. And my mana, too.
“The Knight Lord I met was human. What exactly are they?”
“What are what?”
“The Necro-type monsters... do they all have a human original?”
“It’s a long story. Isn't your wife waiting for you at home?”
“Ah, right...”
Now that I thought about it, Sera had said she’d stay up and wait for me. Since I’d already been unconscious for ten minutes, I couldn't keep her waiting any longer. I’d have to come back later to hear what Iris knew about her identity and the rest of the information.
“Hoo, alright. I’ll be going for now.”
“Yeah. Take this with you.”
“This?”
Iris tapped a navy-blue cloak with her index finger. Was she giving me the sword and shield on top of it, too?
“They belong to you now.”
“...Right. I understand. How do I undo the shrinking magic?”
“Can’t you just put them in there?”
Resting her chin on her hand, Iris pointed her finger at the middle finger of my left hand. She meant I should put them in my storage artifact and take them back out.
“You can’t undo it yourself?”
“It’s been too long.”
“Fair enough.”
Following Iris’s advice, I put the cloak, sword, and shield into my storage artifact. They were ancient weapons, so it was unclear if I could even use them. Still, considering they were the Knight Lord’s mementos... there was no harm in keeping them.
“I’m off.”
Splash.
As I turned to leave, I immediately heard the sound of stepping in water.
“Make sure you clean this up.”
“Okay. Bye-bye.”
Just as I was about to walk out the door, I remembered something Iris had said to me before I lost consciousness. I couldn't remember the exact words, but I could still hear the echo of her voice.
“Iris, what did you say to me right before I passed out?”
“Nothing in particular.”
“Hmm, really? Well, whatever. Let’s talk later.”
“Okay.”
Click.
Inside the magic item shop after Yoo Eon left and the door closed, Iris gently stroked her left breast where it had been pinched and whispered to herself.
“Goodbye.”
* * *
“Sera!”
“Yoo Eon!”
Just as I thought. Even though it was past midnight, the lights in the first-floor dining area of the Mounted Goat Inn were dimly lit. The reason was Sera, who was waiting for me by the light of a single lantern. She was already in her pajamas with her hair down, looking completely ready for bed.
I could see the exhaustion in her eyes, which made me feel quite guilty.
“I’m very late. I’m sorry.”
“Hmph...”
Sera did that thing she always does when she’s dissatisfied—puffing out her cheeks. It was a rare and precious sight, but since it meant she was upset with me, it wasn't exactly a good omen.
“Yoo Eon, what did I tell you you’re supposed to say at times like this?”
“Ah, um... thank you?”
“Pfft, that’s right. You’re supposed to say thank you for waiting.”
Only then did Sera cover her mouth and let out a smile.
“You look very tired. I appreciate you waiting, but you need to be scolded for cutting into your sleep.”
“Pardon...?”
When I placed my hand on Sera’s head and gave it a good rub, her light body swayed back and forth. As I ruffled her hair, the scent of the high-end soap she’d received recently wafted up.
“Y-Yoo Eon?!”
“Sera, you need to go to sleep right now. You’ll have to wake up even later tomorrow to make up for the sleep you lost tonight.”
“I can’t do that...”
She was wearing a long, ivory-colored one-piece nightgown. When I scooped her up into my arms, her scent hit my nose full force. Perhaps because she’d just taken a warm bath, her body was toasty, and the thin fabric of her pajamas didn't leave much to the imagination.
This is going to drive me crazy.
“Ah, Ravi and Tresha are probably already asleep in the room...”
“Really? Hmm, then what should we do?”
I had no desire to go into a room where two kids were sleeping and wake them up. And for some reason, Ravi seemed to be sneaking into Sera’s bed quite often lately.
Since my bed wasn't very large—maybe enough for one person and a half if I lay perfectly straight—I wondered if it would be uncomfortable, even if she was thin.
“It can’t be helped. For tonight, sleep in my room. Where did Sola go?”
“Sola? She’s probably invisible, watching the guests sleep...?”
Apparently, Sola had recently developed a hobby of watching the sleeping faces of the inn’s guests. Since wisps naturally have the ability to pass through non-magical inorganic matter, she could easily slip through the old wooden walls.
She was invisible to others anyway, and she said she was just watching quietly, so I let it be.
Flump.
I quietly climbed the stairs and laid Sera down on my bed. Since I hadn't used the bed in a while, it shouldn't be uncomfortable from my scent or anything. Seeing how Sera stayed still, she didn't seem to mind.
“Y-Yoo Eon... wait a moment...”
“Hmm? What is it?”
Sera tilted her head slightly and gestured for me to lean in. Thinking she had something to say quietly, I brought my ear close to her face.
Chu.
“S-Sera...?”
“Where are you going to sleep? Yoo Eon’s bed is right here.”
“Well... I was just about to figure that out...”
“Go wash up. There are no spare rooms left.”
“...Understood.”
* * *
This is a total miracle.
It was an unintended miracle morning. Looking at the clock on the wall, it wasn't even 8:00 AM yet. Sera must have been truly exhausted; as soon as she welcomed me back from my shower, her eyes drifted shut, and she was still sleeping soundly now.
The room was filled with the faint scent of her body and soap. Because Sera had turned her head slightly in her sleep, her quiet, steady breath was hitting me, making the back of my neck feel ticklish and distracting.
“Hmm.”
I carefully extracted my arm from Sera’s tight embrace and laid her flat on her back. Watching her chest rise and fall shallowly with every breath made my mind go blank.
Snapping out of it, I tucked the blanket up to her chin, stepped out into the hallway, grabbed a sunstone lantern, and headed down to the first floor.
“Auntie, you’re up early.”
“Yes. Mornings are easier now that my body feels lighter.”
“Ahaha, is that so? You look beautiful today as well.”
Auntie Marta, who had woken up even before me, gave a disinterested look at my compliment and headed into the kitchen. Just then, Sola came down from the second floor. Looking behind her, she had turned today’s firewood into tiny Ents and was leading them into the kitchen.
From the Ents' perspective, isn't this a march to their own execution?
Whatever the case, it felt good to see that the ones I’d brought in were being helpful. Tresha was a hard worker, needless to say, and Walter was efficiently handling all the small, tedious errands.
Sola only really moved firewood, but she was a powerful wisp who had received mana from Rumianabrixi. Maybe later I could create Ent employees to handle cooking, serving, and cleaning.
“Ah, Sola.”
“Hero! Did you call for me?”
“Are you helping Auntie?”
“Yes! That’s right! She said moving firewood was a chore!”
“Good girl. If you make Ents out of better wood, do they work better?”
“Um, I’m not sure, but probably! What kind of work do you want them to do?”
“I don't have anything specific in mind yet.”
The backyard of the Mounted Goat Inn was surprisingly spacious. I heard that Sera used to play there when she was little. Now, it was being used for a food waste pit and a small patch of peppermint plants to mask the smell.
There was also a small clothesline for laundry on one side, and I’d even had a sword session with Sera's father there recently.
“I’ll let you know if I think of something.”
“Okay! I understand!”
It would be nice to expand the building into the backyard. Unfortunately, I was completely ignorant when it came to architecture; my house-building knowledge was stuck at the Minecraft level.
I guess I’ll have to bring some diamond blocks.
I hung the lantern outside as I always did and returned to the first-floor dining area to move around a bit. Soon, the breakfast guests began to trickle down.
Most of them were faces I recognized from seeing them once or twice. During dinner, Auntie rarely had a reason to leave the kitchen. Usually, once Sera woke up, she would take breakfast orders and help with the prep, but unfortunately, Sera was sleeping in today.
“Auntie. I’ll help out a bit.”
“Where’s Sera?”
“She’s still sleeping.”
“Just take the orders.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
The breakfast guests consisted of a party of three and a party of four. I took all seven orders and passed them to Auntie. When the food was ready, Auntie brought it out herself.
“What are you staring at?”
“W-Where did that fat lady who used to be here go...?”
“That’s me. You got a problem?”
“A-Ah... no! Thank you for the food!”
The shocked expressions on both the men and women were a sight to behold. One man stared blankly at Auntie until his female companion smacked him on the crown of his head.
“Hwaaaa-am...”
Tresha was the second to wake up. Letting out a long yawn, she headed to the backyard. She gathered five or six blankets—each as big as herself—from the clothesline, folded them skillfully, and carried them into the storage room on her head with a half-asleep face.
Then she went into the kitchen, rubbing her half-closed eyelids, and gave Auntie a deep, respectful bow.
She’s diligent.
The third was, surprisingly, Ravi. She waddled out in a slouchy tank top, frowning and rubbing her forehead.
“Ravi, what’s wrong?”
“Walter pecked my forehead...”
So that’s why she was up early.
Anyway, the fourth was Sera. With a startled face, she rushed down the stairs while trying to fix her hair. Every time she stepped down, her ample maternal charms swayed, which was... quite something.
“Yoo Eon! Why didn't you wake me up?!”
“I wanted you to sleep a bit more.”
“I-I slept way too late...!”
It was only about 8:30 AM, but she was making a big deal out of it. As she ran to the dining area in her pajamas to complain to me, the guests' eyes all fixed on her. Only then did Sera feel embarrassed and retreat to her room, reappearing in her usual dirndl.
“Please wake me up early next time...”
“Sure, depending on the situation.”
Sera puffed out her cheeks and went into the kitchen. More guests came down from the second floor, bringing the total in the dining area to thirteen. Tresha scratched her head as she took the new guests' orders to the kitchen. For the record, Ravi was included in those thirteen.
Creeeeak.
The main door of the Mounted Goat Inn’s dining area was usually kept closed with a set of saloon doors after opening in the morning. While many guests stayed and ate breakfast here, it was rare for someone to come in from outside just for breakfast at this hour.
Who is it?
The guest was dressed in a rather stylish suit. It was a woman, but she was wearing a man’s suit, which was unique...
“Katrina?”
“Aven, do you have a moment?”
“You’re all dressed up today.”
“It’s my business attire.”
“Is something the matter?”
It was Ms. Katrina, the senior guide of the Southwest Branch Guild and the resident salary thief. With her jet-black ponytail and glasses—and as I’d noticed before—she was quite tall.
“I heard you subjugated the boss on the 3rd Stratum. I need to hear the details. A guild investigator was dispatched yesterday and returned around evening, and they said the state of the 30th floor was serious.”
“Haha... is that so?”
Katrina continued the conversation while stroking Ravi, who was sitting at the same table as me, munching on food that was half-hair and half-meal.
“This is the first time an irregular entity of this scale has been observed. I’d like to hear an explanation of the situation.”
“I see.”
Creeeeak...
Not long after, another guest entered. I remembered seeing this person somewhere, too. That distinctive purple hair was hard to forget...
“Ephira Seclaire.”
“It’s Sepira Eclair. The leader of the Mayerbridge Union wishes to see the explorer Aven.”
“What? That’s going to be difficult. Aven has to come to the Guild with me.”
Sepira frowned slightly and looked to her side, only to realize who it was. She seemed to recognize Katrina.
“Y-You! The Black Wolf...?! Why are you here?!”
“The Stratos Clan can wait a moment, can’t they? The Guild comes first.”
“B-But this is a request for an audience from the leader of the Mayerbridge Union! The Guild can wait, but the leader is a busy man...!”
“The Guild is busy these days, too. Can’t you see I came here in person?”
While the two were bickering, Sera's father was the fifth to wake up. He let out a long yawn, stretching his short arms out wide.
He poked his head into the boisterous dining area, took a quick look around, scratched his belly, muttered a single sentence, and quietly disappeared.
“I gotta take a crap...”