Sabotage Operation (3)
The moment I confirmed her face, I muttered blankly.
"Galatea?"
"Oh my, you know me?"
How could I not?
She was a character who aided the hero party mid-story during the battles against Talon. Even against an absolute, unwinnable gap, her appearance was portrayed as the thing that restored the balance. Her overwhelming area magic in particular left you with nothing but pure awe. A legendary-class witch who had lived for hundreds of years, and one of the named figures whose name you could actually find in the history books.
And one of the vanishingly few characters with breasts as large as Layla's.
Just looking at them made my chest feel grand and expansive. Via's eyes were sparkling at the sound of her name as well.
I have no idea why she's showing up here, but…
I kept my expression carefully managed. If Hex was a legend of the underworld, she was its living history. Every resident of the underworld — persecuted women especially — lived under her protection. In short, if I got on her bad side, I was fucked. I spoke as politely as I could, doing my best not to look despicable.
"I've seen a statue commemorating your achievements."
"Is that so. I know you too. Hex, right?"
When Galatea recognized me, Via's face lit up with surprise. While I was busy showing off to Via — See? This is the kind of guy I am — she continued.
"When I heard the rumors about you last time, I was debating whether to kill you."
"…."
"Looks like I don't need to."
"What kind of rumors…."
"Rumors that you ruin the lives of perfectly decent women."
Galatea laughed as if to say you couldn't trust a rumor, but cold sweat ran down my back. For the first time, I truly felt that what the original Hex had done before I possessed him could strangle me by the throat.
Galatea looked me over, eyes gleaming.
"But your body looks fine. Free today?"
"Is there something you need?"
"Oh, come on. When a man and a woman meet, is there anything else to do?"
She made a thoroughly suggestive gesture.
…Hold it together, pure-love soul within me. This woman is a flying toilet who's lived for hundreds of years. Her entire way of thinking is different from ours.
Via, who had been listening, asked with a puzzled face.
"What is that?"
Galatea looked at her as if she were adorable and whispered something into her ear in a tiny voice. Via, who had been listening with a bright expression, flushed scarlet and looked shocked.
"Sex…!"
"Shh. A young lady shouldn't say things like that."
Is she one to talk?
Then Galatea smiled and looked somewhere. Following her gaze, I turned my head — someone was walking this way.
"I felt a large surge of mana and came to check, but it seems it's already over."
Beyond was looking our way with a thoroughly displeased expression. At his gaze, Galatea stroked Via's head and said,
"You owe me one?"
"Hmph. Think whatever you want."
Sensing something from their exchange, Via carefully asked,
"What kind of relationship do you two have?"
At Via's words, Galatea answered with a mischievous look.
"Your dad's first love."
"What!?"
Via recoiled in shock, and Beyond answered coldly.
"Nonsense."
"Why? You even grew flowers for me by hand in the garden, saying you'd give them to me."
"Shut up."
Seeing the usually mild-mannered Beyond get that serious, there was clearly something there. I glanced at Via's expression. Her face held an emotion that was hard to put into words.
"I don't really want to hear about Dad's love stories."
Not exactly a comfortable story for a child to listen to. Behind Beyond, I could see soldiers running this way. They had successfully stopped the magic workshop sabotage operation.
On the way back to the Agra family mansion, Galatea propositioned me for sex several times — temptations so over-the-top that Via beside us kept blushing. I finally couldn't take it and firmly stated my refusal.
"Please stop. Sexual acts without love between a man and a woman are nothing more than excretion."
"Yep! So let's do it — excretion."
"…."
I refused with the best logic I could muster, and she casually fired right back.
"It's one of humanity's three basic needs, right? Nothing special about it."
"Guh, this cunning witch…."
Too logical. I tried to find some way to argue back, but nothing came to mind.
"You seem to have some kind of complex. If you're fine with me, I could listen."
"In bed?"
"You catch on quick."
Then someone tugged on my sleeve from behind. It was Mela, cheeks puffed out. She had wrapped up the situation faster than us and come back. But Layla, who had been on the same team, was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Layla?"
"She said she's repairing the collapsed building before she comes."
What a good kid, as always.
Galatea looked at Mela and beamed.
"Hello, cute little lady."
At her greeting, Mela showed signs of wariness. Did they know each other? Galatea looked back and forth between me and Mela, then grinned.
"Aha! So this man is…."
"…!"
When Mela panicked, Galatea cackled and said,
"Sorry. You just looked like someone I know, so I was teasing a bit."
"How about we head back now?"
At Beyond's cold words, Galatea chuckled and turned around. Before leaving, she whispered to me,
"Oh, and I was serious about doing it? Come find me anytime."
Mela and Via's gazes burned into me. I told them with a resolute face,
"Don't worry. I have no intention of going."
But later, after hearing from Mela that she ran a specialty adult goods shop, I resolved to definitely visit someday.
"Lady Galatea!?"
While everyone was gathered sharing what had happened during the operation, Layla reacted intensely to Galatea's name. I'd never seen Layla this excited.
"You know her?"
"Of course! Even the first Mage Tower Master was her disciple."
Apparently, back when the Mage Tower still lagged several steps behind the great magic houses, Galatea's help had gotten them through crises more than once. The Mage Tower had even erected a statue of her to commemorate her achievements for all time, so Layla — who had grown up hearing those stories — was practically her fan.
Layla fretted and asked,
"Did she say where she was going?"
Layla looked desperate, but Mela and I exchanged glances and shook our heads. If she found out her object of reverence was running an adult goods shop, wouldn't that destroy her innocence? Instead, I soothed her with something appropriate.
"She seemed to be hostile toward Talon too, so I'm sure you'll meet her someday."
"Is that so…."
Actually, you'd run into her while doing Talon-related quests, so it wasn't a lie.
Kyle, who had been listening, asked with a puzzled face,
"Is she really that amazing?"
"Yeah. Someone like me couldn't even reach her toes."
I probably shouldn't mention that certain body parts had already caught up.
Once our side of the story was done, we got to hear about what had happened elsewhere too. After the discussion ended and I was heading back to my room, I saw someone walking toward me from the opposite direction.
It was Beyond.
Awkward.
He and I weren't the kind of people who could chat amicably together. I might want to get closer since I'd receive his help later on, but Beyond didn't feel the same. The human known as Hex was exactly the type of person he despised most.
So I tried to slip away — but Beyond's gaze was fixed on me. A clear sign he had business with me.
"Is something the matter?"
I made no effort to hide my reluctance, but Beyond answered in a calm tone without any particular reaction.
"Nothing much. Just a few things I wanted to ask."
Then he continued.
"On your first day here, what business took you to the garden?"
At the word "garden," I felt a twinge of guilt, but answered as if nothing were wrong.
"The garden? I'm not sure what you mean…."
"You don't know? I heard from Via that you came out of there."
Had he figured out the magic crystal thing? But I had zero desire to take credit for that. If he asked how I knew to destroy it, I'd have no answer. So I decided to play dumb all the way.
"Is that so? I must have wandered in without thinking while walking."
"That's strange. That place is designed so you can't enter unless you deliberately leave the path."
Who designs a path like that?
When I was at a loss for words, Beyond shook his head and said,
"I have no intention of prying into that part. Doggedly digging into something someone doesn't want to talk about isn't the behavior of someone who received help."
Apparently he was certain that I was the one who destroyed the magic crystal buried in the garden. And he called it help.
"If you ever need assistance, come find me anytime."
Beyond looked at me and said,
"The Agra family does not forget a debt of gratitude."
"…."
This was the line Beyond said after declaring Talon his mortal enemy and destroying one of their branches. In other words, affinity had risen above a certain threshold.
Without hesitation, I said to Beyond,
"In that case…."
It was a chance to easily raise Affinity Levels with my companions.