Guild Massage Service (2)
"Hmm~. Settle this for me, Guild Oppa. I brought two Hook Boar tusks."
"Ah, yes. Please wait a moment."
The red-haired female warrior sauntered up with easy familiarity, addressing me by the title of "Guild Oppa." Anyone looking at her would have said she was the older one between us, but I didn't bother pointing it out. The women of this world probably shared the same desire to look younger, I figured.
Her bikini armor left so little to the imagination that I never knew where to put my eyes—yet even that had become familiar by now. Working at an adventurer's guild in this world meant constantly running into female adventurers in revealing outfits.
Of course, none of them wore anything quite as skimpy as this red-haired warrior, but my threshold for exposure had risen enough that I could handle it with a reasonably straight face.
"Two Hook Boar tusks. That comes to one gold coin total."
"Hmm, thanks~. …Huh? What's this? Upper-body massage, one gold coin?"
"Ah, that's a service our guild started offering today. Adventurers often build up fatigue without even realizing it, so we work out the tension that's settled into the shoulders and back."
"…Even so, isn't this price way too high? Who in the world pays a whole gold coin for a massage?"
"…There have been people, actually. They said it was well worth the gold and left thoroughly satisfied."
Of course, in Coco's case she hadn't just gotten an upper-body massage—she'd enjoyed the full course of tail massage, lower-body massage, and even Erogenous Massage—so there was no way she wouldn't have been satisfied.
Hearing that someone had already paid a gold coin and walked away happy, the female warrior crossed her arms beneath her ample chest in a way that only emphasized them further, her expression turning thoughtful.
"Hmm~. She was satisfied?"
"Yes. Extremely so."
"I've been feeling a little stiff lately myself, but still… one gold coin does seem a bit steep~."
……Huh?
Unlike every previous customer, this red-haired warrior was showing genuine, deep interest in the massage itself. She seemed focused more on the act of receiving a massage than on who would be giving it—a reaction that felt distinctly different from the other adventurers I'd dealt with so far.
And judging by that attitude, maybe her goal was…
Could it be that she's not interested because a man—me—would be massaging her, but simply because she genuinely wants a massage?
If that were the case, it meant her muscles were seriously knotted up—which also meant she was exactly the kind of person who needed a Vitality Massage the most.
Until now I'd written her off as just another of the many female adventurers who flirted with me. But now that things had taken this turn, a desire to actually get my hands on her body and work it over began to stir.
In that case, there's no need to emphasize that I would be the one doing the massage.
If she signed up purely wanting a massage and only then discovered that I was the one providing it, the delight would be twice as sweet.
With that thought in mind—and hoping she would go ahead and request one—I leaned a little harder into selling the benefits of the upper-body massage.
"Once you've had it, the fatigue will be completely gone. Everyone who's received it so far has been thoroughly satisfied."
"What, so it wasn't just one person?"
"Since it's an official guild service, the Guildmaster herself needed to verify what kind of massage it was. For the record, Guildmaster Aisia said it was more than worth selling for a gold coin."
"Hmm~. If that stiff Guildmaster unnie said so, it does sound pretty trustworthy~."
"As a female warri—er, as a warrior who regularly swings a heavy double-sided axe, you must get that throbbing ache in your shoulders and arms sometimes. Wouldn't it be easier to move on your next expedition if you got it all worked out properly once? Other professions might be different, but for an adventurer, the body is your greatest asset."
"You're right about that, Guild Oppa. An adventurer's body is their asset. Yeah."
She nodded along with the words, and it didn't take long for agreement to leave her lips.
"The material payment was one gold coin, right?"
"Yes."
"Then this time, instead of the money, I'll take this~. Do this for me."
With that, the red-haired warrior pointed a finger at the "Upper-Body Massage" listed on the menu board.
She would be the fourth customer of my Vitality Massage.
The first customer to visit after the guild massage was officially opened as a service.
The red-haired warrior, Nanav Tarcun, looked more than a little startled when I approached to begin the massage.
"Wh-what?!"
"Is something wrong, Miss Nanav?"
"No, it's just… I didn't realize the upper-body massage was something Guild Oppa would be doing~."
"Yes. I'll be the one doing it. I may not look it, but I'm quite confident in my massage skills."
"I-is that so? I had no idea and went ahead and asked for it~?"
"……."
What was this subtle reaction?
Surprise that I would be the one massaging her when she'd been expecting a female masseuse—that much I had anticipated.
But the look that followed was somehow… underwhelming.
Facing Nanav as she wore the expression of someone who'd just been handed an unwanted gift, I couldn't help but lose a little of my own confidence.
Well, thinking about it, there might be people who feel uncomfortable about a man giving them a massage.
In this world, Unique Abilities existed—so it was entirely possible that someone else out there possessed the same "Vitality Massage" ability I did. Or even if it wasn't identical, massage-related Unique Abilities or supporting skills that aided them almost certainly existed.
Nanav had probably paid her gold coin fully expecting a professional masseuse of that sort. The idea of a man kneading her shoulders might have been the part she didn't care for.
By this world's common sense, a man with a Unique Ability seemed to be limited to me alone, after all.
"I'm sorry. Should I have told you in advance?"
"Nah, well~. I didn't check properly either, so it can't be helped~."
"If you're not comfortable with me massaging you, I can just refund you. Feel free to say so."
"I-I already said I'd take it. Backing out for a reason like this would look a little pathetic~."
…Truthfully, I was confident that once the massage began, I could satisfy her more thoroughly than anyone else. My Unique Ability was Vitality Massage to begin with, and after working the shoulders of several women over the past few sessions, I'd gained a solid measure of confidence in my own technique.
Once I got my hands on her shoulders, I was certain I could conquer her so completely she wouldn't be able to voice a single complaint. So I made a slightly bold play to keep Nanav from walking away.
"Then just receive the massage first and evaluate it afterward. If you're truly unsatisfied, I'll refund you double."
"Wh-what?! Why would you go that far?"
"I put you in an awkward position by not explaining properly, so I figure I should show at least this much sincerity. Of course, even if you're satisfied, I won't charge you extra—so you can rest easy on that point."
"……."
"So then… may I start with a shoulder massage, Miss Nanav?"
Once the massage began, I could absolutely leave her satisfied.
The reason I hadn't had massage customers until now was the somewhat burdensome price of one gold coin—but according to Coco, the first person who'd actually paid for it, my massage was worth ten gold coins or more.
Hearing the offer of a double refund made it even harder for Nanav to back out of the situation. What she chose was to quietly entrust her shoulders to me.
"Fine. Then start with the shoulders, Guild Oppa~."
"Yes, Miss Nanav. Don't tense up—just relax."
"Tense up? Please~. I took down a mountain-sized boar just this morning. Why would something like this make me nervous?"
Fair enough.
The image she'd always projected at the adventurer's guild was that of a somewhat rough, overflowing-with-confidence barbarian warrior. A woman who radiated wildness from every pore wasn't about to get nervous just from receiving a massage from a man, I thought, as I brought both hands to rest on her shoulders.
Entering Vitality Massage Mode.
Massage Mind Reading has been activated.
The moment I fully entered massage mode, the ability that had been shrouded in mystery until now—Massage Mind Reading—activated alongside it.
I figured it was probably a convenient support skill for peeking at which spots the client wanted worked on most. That was the thought I had… until a familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears and left me thoroughly flustered.
Aaaah, wh-what do I do?! I genuinely had no idea it was going to be Guild Oppa giving the massage!
"Pardon? What did you just say?"
"……Huh? Wh-what?"
The voice of Nanav reaching my ears, paired with a flustered, over-the-top tone completely different from anything I'd heard from her before. The unnatural combination caught me so off guard that I reflexively asked her about it—only to receive her usual composed reaction in return.
"Just now, I got the feeling Miss Nanav said something to me…"
"……Wh-what are you talking about, Guild Oppa~? I didn't say anything. I was just sitting here quietly."
"…I'm sorry. I must have been imagining things."
…I was certain I'd heard Nanav's voice, yet she herself insisted she hadn't spoken. It didn't take long to grasp the true nature of that mysterious phenomenon.
Whew, that scared me. I zoned out for a second and thought I'd accidentally said my inner thoughts out loud.
"……."
It doesn't show that I'm nervous, right? Damn it, if I'd known it would turn out like this, I would've at least washed up at the inn first. I just got back from hunting, so the blood and sweat smell is bothering me…
…So this was what it was. Massage Mind Reading.