Chapter 91
Chapter 91
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Aspiring Master's Doormat and Punching Bag
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"Oh..."
I picked up the small, adorable creature from Wind Valley named Flutterflutter, as if entranced.
Sparkling golden blonde hair and golden eyes.
Ears slightly shorter than Elf's but longer than a human's.
A simple outfit wrapped in burlap cloth.
A bow of light swaying at her waist.
Overall verdict.
Cute.
"Mmph! You there! How dare you! Ah, that hurts! Be gentle when you pick me up!"
"Whoops. Sorry about that."
I'd grabbed her by the wings, and she let out a big yelp.
I obediently followed her instructions.
It felt like watching a cute little creature throw a tantrum, and it melted my heart.
When I carefully lifted her onto my palm, Flutterflutter from Wind Valley finally nodded in satisfaction.
"Hrm. Ahem!"
Flutterflutter from Wind Valley tapped the lines on my palm with her tiny feet, nodding repeatedly.
"A hand as thick and sturdy as a boulder deep in Wind Valley! A physique no ordinary man could possess! Just as that wicked woman described!"
I quietly tilted my head.
It wasn't flattery about my character, but sudden praise for my hands—it left me a bit dumbfounded.
'And who is this "wicked woman'?'
"Who told you about me?"
"Eek...! Th-that's not important right now! Your name! It's Balkan, right?!"
"Yeah."
"Then you! Join our party right now!"
The spirit shouted with a confident face. Her wings trembled with sheer audacity.
The sudden invitation threw me off, but I knew exactly what to say.
"Sorry, but I'll have to pass. I've already got a party I'm with."
The party of Joy Hog, Juber, Hitollis, and Ramel.
I didn't know how long it would last, but they were a likable bunch—top 1% explorers with solid character.
"Wh-what...!"
At my refusal, Flutterflutter from Wind Valley collapsed onto my palm in shock.
"W-well, can't be helped then... Parties are precious... Hic... I-I'm heading back...!"
Flutter flutter!
Flutterflutter from Wind Valley flapped her wings furiously and flew off into the distance.
Even from here, I could see her shoulders slumped in defeat.
"...What the hell was that?"
I was baffled. She'd suddenly invited me to her party, and when I turned her down, she bolted like it was no big deal.
"To catch a spirit's eye like that. What a pure-hearted child."
A low, raspy voice came from behind.
I turned to see a hunched old woman leaning on a wooden staff, chuckling warmly as she looked at me.
The coin pouch at her waist suggested she was a client here to post a request with the Explorer's Union.
"Do you know that fairy, Granny?"
"Not a fairy—a spirit, dear. Beautiful like elves, handy like dwarves, with hearts purer than humans'."
The old woman chuckled.
"Far better than fools lost to envy, jealousy, greed, and impulse, wouldn't you say? Might be worth following her. Heh heh heh..."
The old woman chuckled throatily as she shuffled toward the counter.
I shot a glance at the mysterious old lady before looking in the direction Flutterflutter from Wind Valley had flown.
"Hmm..."
She'd piqued my curiosity.
'Kakchi definitely had that blessing that boosts affinity with wind spirits.'
🔗 Enslaved Slave:Densi LV.29
It had been a while since I'd checked on Kakchi, and her level had shot up quite a bit.
The party invite, the "wicked woman," and how Flutterflutter dodged questions about the others.
"No way?"
It was a long shot. But worth chasing down.
I glanced at the watch on my wrist—Dina's.
I had a little time before heading to Zirnier's.
"Goddamn it. She's fucking fast."
I lost her.
Maybe it was the frantic wing-flapping, but her speed was insane.
Plus, the training with Edelbert had drained my stamina and strength. I couldn't keep up.
In the end, I came up empty-handed.
"...Weapon district?"
I looked around at the familiar sights.
Explorers shopping for gear, nobles browsing fancy weapons for their mansions, guards patrolling the streets.
In my blind chase, I'd ended up here already.
I checked the watch again. Time had flown—night was closing in.
"Guess it's time to go."
I gave up on finding Flutterflutter from Wind Valley.
She seemed like an explorer who'd sought me out first, so we'd probably cross paths at the Union eventually.
"Ah, you've arrived. Please wait a moment. I'll contact Mr. Zirnier."
I pushed open the door to Zirnier's Armory, and a staff member who recognized me greeted me politely.
She notified Zirnier via that finger-shaped communication artifact.
"...Maid. Why does that guy get to see Mr. Zirnier right away without waiting? Even I, a noble, have to queue up. Why the VIP treatment for staff?"
"I-I'm not sure either. But anyone who can meet Mr. Zirnier immediately must have some connection, right?"
"Ugh...! So even in Labyrinth City, it's all about who you know?!"
There was a minor scene with a blonde noble lady in dress armor glaring daggers at me, but it was nothing major.
"We've got through. Number One will be up shortly."
Whoosh!
As the staff spoke, the door to the underground workshop burst open with a torrent of heat and steam.
Clank! Clank!
The sound of mechanical arms hopping clumsily up the stairs echoed. That little one's pretty cute too.
Soon, Number One emerged from the stairs, accompanied by a very ordinary-looking woman.
'What the fuck?'
I nearly drew the axe at my waist on instinct but barely held back.
The uncanny dissonance made me frown and scrutinize the woman.
No footsteps. Even without activating Perception, that was too quiet.
And the aura around her clashed horribly with her plain face—straight-up chilling.
👤 IntertLV. 6█
✨ Current Blessings Owned by Intert:█ 개
Censored status window. Level 60s powerhouse.
Blessings and curses hidden in detail.
"Hoo."
As I scanned her status, she looked at me and grinned.
"You reached for your axe, huh?"
I read it as a death threat. Dare to draw on me?
Drawing first against an unknown opponent handed her justification.
A clear blunder.
"Sharp instincts. You'll go far. Should've been my pick instead of wasting it on that spoiled little bitch... Tsk."
But her response was unexpected.
The plain-faced woman clicked her tongue and brushed past me.
"Pick your weapons wisely. Sometimes drawing first is the bigger mistake."
I whipped around.
She'd vanished like a mirage.
"Looks like a commoner, but he's got real poise! Explorer, maybe?!"
"He has direct access to Ms. Zirnier's workshop, so he's clearly skilled, but hmm... Never seen the face before. Might not be an explorer."
"Dude's got mad swag."
The dress-armor noble lady and her maid chattered away. I tossed in a casual line too.
'...What the hell is today?'
Flutterflutter from Wind Valley. The eerie old woman. Now this plain-faced creep.
Felt like I'd run into one ominous figure after another.
Snap! Snap!
I snapped out of it as Number One clapped to get my attention.
Number One scribbled on the floor with her finger, then deftly led me to the underground workshop.
I mulled over the chain of events as I followed her down the stairs.
The massive furnace visible even from afar.
The heat-laden wind blasting from it instantly set my body ablaze.
Even the summer of 2055 would feel air-conditioned compared to Zirnier's forge.
Gulp. Gulp.
"Phaa!"
As I trailed Number One, I spotted Zirnier sprawled on an anvil in the distance, chugging from a bottle.
She was quite a ways off, but the booze stench hit hard.
Empty bottles—about twenty—rolled around her.
"What... How much did you drink?"
"Hic. Urrgh... Oh! Balkan! You made it?! Hic."
Zirnier was visibly hammered, her face flushed from the forge's heat as she turned to me.
Flowing golden blonde hair.
Tanned skin, a shade darker than Edelbert's healthy light brown.
Sweat beading on her exposed straight abs.
Chest wraps symbolic of a smith.
Flushed, drunken face.
Slightly glazed eyes.
No safe spot to rest my gaze.
I sat on a nearby anvil and asked,
"What the hell happened? Why this much booze...?"
"Haa. That fucking bitch. Hic."
Zirnier ground her teeth, slurring through her stupor.
"The one who just left?"
"Yeah! Her! I patched up her busted limbs, saved her sorry ass, and she doesn't even appreciate it—! Hic."
Zirnier this worked up? Unusual.
'Wait, no—she's always been passionate.'
Still, she'd never sworn like this in front of me.
Now she was sloshed beyond reason, waving a bottle wildly while draped over the anvil.
Thinking of that plain-faced, creepy woman, something had clearly gone down.
As the thought crossed my mind, Zirnier bellowed with her beet-red drunk face.
"That bitch! Had the gall to ask me for a crossbow and dagger...! Hic...!"
Zirnier hiccuped, clamping the bottle between her thighs like a teddy bear.
"A crossbow... Not even a proper bow... My pride won't stand for that shit...!"
"Huh..."
Not the disaster I'd feared. Just a lame reason.
Zirnier, master of greatswords, axes, heavy armor—and romantic weapons.
Spoons? Hell no.
Intert entered a nondescript inn near the weapon district.
Click.
She opened the door to the soundproofed, illusion-warded room. Her face gradually reverted to normal.
From plain woman to a weary beauty with deep dark circles.
Two extra mechanical arms emerged near her shoulder blades—four in total.
"I-I did the party invite like you said...!"
"For real?"
"F-for real...! I swear on the honor of a wind spirit!"
"What'd he say?"
"H-he said he already has a party he's devoted body and soul to!"
"...! Really?! Heh heh. As expected of Master. He still remembers our time together."
Two more voices echoed in the inn room besides Intert's.
"Already going solo?"
Intert poked at the spirit perched in her palm, then addressed the woman.
The woman smirked, lost in pleasant fantasies.
"Nah, later. First, revenge in the lawless zone. Those Blaz clan fuckers."
"Don't go overboard. Moderation in all things."
"Yeah. And clearing Labyrinth floor 10 gets me a month off, right? Didn't expect it'd happen so soon, huh? Heh heh."
The woman smirked.
"Even I'm scared of my one-of-a-kind talent. How blessed must Master be, collaring a body and soul like mine?"
Snap!
She yanked tight on the collar around her neck.
Intert forehead-palmed as the woman lay back on the bed, hand sliding between her thighs.
"You're fucking insane. Crazy bitch."
"Heh heh. Think what you want~"
"Eek! L-let me go and explain! Where are you taking me?!"
"Oops."
In the rowdy inn room.
Densi, the woman tugging her collar while fantasizing about Master's large, strong hands, murmured softly.
"Your core party member will come see you soon. Just wait a bit longer, Master... Heh heh..."
Just imagining her long-missed beloved Master's face was enough to bring her to a light climax.