Chapter 220: Rest (3)
Chapter 220: Rest (3)
“Gwaaaaah….”
I thought if I could do three days, I could do four.
Turns out, I couldn't.
I hate the me from yesterday who gallantly shouted, "Bring it on!"
Even Captain America said he could do this all day, not for four days straight.
The women had all passed out with satisfied expressions, their skin glowing radiantly. I staggered to my feet from among them.
Innate mana? The elixirs I’d consumed? The Sun God’s Blessing? It all felt futile when I was being drained at five times the normal speed.
…Still, I’m the one standing at the end, so it’s my victory!
With a sense of pride swelling from deep within, I managed to stumble toward the window and cracked open a Vitality Potion from my inventory.
Pop!
The stopper came out with a cheerful sound. This was the new lemon-flavored carbonated potion Fay had recently developed.
Surprisingly, despite the added flavor and carbonation, the effects remained the same. It seemed only possible with low-grade potions for now, but still—carbonation is a game-changer.
Basking in the morning sunlight with my whole body, I took a sip.
Gulp, gulp.
“Kaaaaah….”
When you're tired, that sour taste really seeps into your bones. The unique refreshment of the carbonation also delighted my mouth and throat.
As the sunlight hit me and the recovery power of my blessing fully activated, strength began to surge through me like water being poured onto a withered leaf.
I’d be fully recovered in just a few hours at this rate.
As I stood there dazed, soaking up the sun like a photosynthesizing plant, a languid voice drifted from beside me.
“Ah… Junior. Are you going to sleep there?”
“Yes. I think this will be better for my recovery.”
“Right. You have that blessing, don't you? Then you’ll need this.”
Fay crawled toward the pile of discarded clothes. The way her plump bottom wiggled was actually quite cute.
I casually covered my lower half—which was trying to peek out despite having nothing left to give—as Fay tossed something she’d pulled from her white coat.
I caught it with telekinesis. It was the tanning cream she mentioned making a while back.
“This is…?”
“Hehe. You know what it is, right? Slather that on before you sleep. And make sure you keep your underwear on. The tan lines create a nice gap, you know!”
“…….”
I’m sure I satisfied her all night, yet here she was, laughing mischievously while looking forward to tomorrow.
I looked out the window in silence. The sky was blue, and the sun was bright.
Seriously, what would have happened to me if I didn't have the Sun God’s Blessing…?
I offered a silent prayer of thanks to the Righteous Light and began slathering on the tanning cream.
*
“…Brother Yandel? What on earth happened to your appearance?”
“Solaris is home to the Grand Temple of the Righteous Light, so the sunlight is quite intense. I decided to get a bit of a tan.”
As I shrugged, Helena’s golden eyes shook as if an earthquake were happening behind them.
Yeah… I know. I look like a total 'Black Sun' right now. Everyone burst out laughing when I woke up….
Just you wait. I have plenty of tanning cream left; I’m going to make sure they all get tanned just like me.
Specifically, I plan to make Fay wear a micro bikini while she tans.
As I scratched my head a bit irritably, Helena, who was desperately stifling a laugh, cleared her throat.
“Ahem. Your image has certainly changed. That perfect bronze skin is truly… slurp.”
“Lady Helena? Did you just… drool?”
“Y-you must have seen wrong. At my age, why would I go around drooling?”
“No, I definitely saw it. Look at your lips.”
I grabbed Helena’s chin to tilt her head up for a closer look, but she quickly wiped her mouth with her sleeve.
“You did drool! That’s why you’re trying to destroy the evidence!”
“T-that is a false accusation! A Saintess does not drool!”
“What are you talking about? Why don't you just go ahead and say you don't use the bathroom either?”
“That is correct! A Saintess does not go to the bathroom!”
“…Liar! Fine. I’ll have to verify this right now. To the bathroom!”
“Ah, ahhh… that’s…!”
Perhaps remembering what happened in the chapel, Helena flinched and pulled her hips back awkwardly.
Well, it’s not like she hasn't sprayed love nectar in front of me a dozen times. It’s a natural reflex.
With a smirk, I pressed closer to her.
She took a step back for every step I took forward. Eventually, she was backed into a corner of the hallway with nowhere to run. I slammed my hand against the wall beside her.
It was the 'wall-slam' pose I’d practiced many times because Carla loved it so much.
I whispered to Helena, whose eyes were darting around, unable to look me in the face.
“Make your choice, Lady Helena. Will you confess the truth, or will you come into the bathroom with me to prove your purity?”
“Ugh….”
Helena twitched for a long moment before finally closing her eyes tight as if making a grand resolution.
“F-fine! It’s true! I looked at you and, embarrassingly, I drooled! But I couldn't help it! Showing off such tantalizingly tanned skin…!”
“Eh?”
I blinked at her sudden outburst, and Helena didn't miss the opening. She actually took a step toward me.
“Do you have any idea, Brother Yandel? This perfectly tanned skin is overflowing with the traces of the Righteous Light, who is also the Sun God.”
“What does that…?”
“Ah! To be tanned such a beautiful brown without a single blemish, and to have such a healthy sheen! How wicked and enviable…!”
This time, Helena moved half a step closer. Our foreheads were touching now, so close we could feel each other’s breath.
It was a position where our lips might touch if she just tilted her chin up slightly.
In that state, Helena let out a long sigh. For some reason, she smelled like sun-dried laundry.
“Followers of the Righteous Light do not get sunburned or tanned by the sun. Perhaps that is why we all have a sort of fantasy about tanned skin.”
“I… see.”
“Yes. So, please, absolutely do not show this appearance to other female believers.”
“…….”
“I-I’m not talking about the other ladies who came with you, Brother Yandel. I’m strictly talking about new people, understood?”
“Oh.”
It seemed her embarrassment had finally caught up to her, as she began rambling with a bright red face. Seeing her like that, I realized something.
“Telling me not to show other female believers… is that jealousy, Lady Helena?”
“Hup!”
She seemed unaware of it herself, as her eyes went wide and she clamped her mouth shut.
Then, she hung her head low like a child being scolded.
“How cute.”
I cupped Helena’s cheeks and tilted her face back up. This time, I leaned down.
Chu.
A light kiss, like a bird pecking. Helena, who clearly hadn't expected me to go that far here, looked utterly flustered as I whispered into her ear.
“If it’s you, Lady Helena… I think you’ll get along just fine with my other women.”
“That’s….”
Helena wore a complicated expression, unsure whether to be happy or not. I kissed her forehead one more time and pulled away from the wall.
“Are you free today?”
“Huh? Y-yes. Our goals are clear and we have sufficient funds, so the meeting should end quickly. Lunch might be difficult… but this evening should be fine.”
I spoke to Helena as she nodded blankly.
“Then please come to my room this evening. Everyone was wondering how to get closer to you. A good topic of conversation just presented itself.”
“Ah… yes. I understand. I will visit after dinner.”
“Great. I’ll see you then… You’re busy now, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
“It can't be helped. Good luck with your work, and I’ll see you tonight.”
“I shall see you then.”
When I smiled and patted her shoulder, Helena responded with a soft smile of her own.
We walked down the hallway together for a bit, engaging in light small talk.
However, we soon reached a fork in the road. As Helena headed toward the conference room again, I asked her a question.
“Ah, Lady Helena. Is there a place around here where I can practice magic?”
“Of course. Unlike the other priests, the Holy Knights need a place to train their bodies.”
With that, Helena gave me detailed directions to a training ground reserved for high-ranking Holy Knights.
“…I appreciate it since I can blast intermediate magic without worrying about people watching, but is it really okay to just lend it out like that?”
“Fufu. You worry too much, Brother Yandel. I am a Saintess now, remember? This much is well within my authority, so please use it without concern.”
Helena gave a confident smile and a wink.
Right. Helena was a Saintess now. She was practically higher than the Pope, so lending out a training facility really was no big deal.
“Thanks. I’ll make good use of it.”
After parting ways with Helena, I returned to the VIP room, gathered the others, and headed to the training hall.
And then, Elisha reached the level of an Intermediate Magician.
“Wait, what?”