Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Finding the Hero (1)
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As soon as I woke up, a shop window popped into view.
I just blinked.
What the hell is this?
'Purity Object? Why the hell is big sis showing up here?'
Isn't she in charge of the Virginity Purge mod?
Why's she peddling shop bundles like some fallen salesgirl?
'This has gotta be the goddess's doing.'
Naturally, my thoughts turned to the goddess.
The one who's supposed to handle the bundles in the first place...
"......Ah!!"
'That smug bitch!!!'
I finally pieced it together.
Come to think of it, the goddess had smacked me.
"Don't blaspheme," she'd said, telling me to get a brain or something.
It was just a poke with her finger,
'But that simple tap made Lerazier explode!'
The goddess's attack power was insane.
I figured at least one bone of mine had shattered.
I yanked the blanket off in shock.
'Am I hurt anywhere!?'
I patted myself down everywhere.
Checking if any part of me was fucked up.
And then,
-Bang!
"Yi Hyun! Are you awake...?"
"Lumine!? Why'd you stop... Uh, um."
"...Um? What's with everyone?"
I was in the middle of inspecting my lower half.
When the Hero's party duo burst in.
"Y-You're up? Good, but... do you really wanna do that first thing?"
"Mmm♡ L-Looks like a lot built up, huh♡"
"It wasn't masturbation."
As if I'd mistake her for Lumine.
I'm innocent, you two.
There was a brief commotion, but anyway.
Minerva quickly got to explaining.
"You've been out cold for a full three days..."
"Hmm."
Long story short:
The moment I took down Lerazier, I passed out.
With a mangled arm and covered in bruises.
"Normally, your bones would've been shattered to bits, but miraculously, you're fine..."
Luckily, no fractures or anything.
Probably counted as a status ailment.
The Improved Convenience mod must've blocked it.
So basically, I'd just taken a brutal hit and blacked out...
"You could've just left me; I'd have healed on my own."
"Shut up!! Do you know how many priests they brought from the capital just to heal you!?"
"Her Imperial Majesty was furious. She said if anything happened to you, she'd execute everyone involved."
"......"
'Luna, that's kinda scary.'
I shuddered a bit at Luna's scale,
but in the end, I was healed, so all good.
I quickly changed the subject.
I had a ton of questions about the demons.
"What about Lerazier?"
"Exploded. Her bones were turned to dust."
"Saleos is..."
"Healing his wounds in prison. Can't use holy magic on a demon, so he's doing it himself."
"Wait, why's he locked up?"
"He's an evil demon, right? We didn't know what he might do while you were out, so we isolated him."
"Tch."
Got some work to do.
Head to the prison and pick up Saleos.
I've gotta take care of my own slave, obviously.
"Next question... That attack back there, was it the Hero?"
I asked about the final blow that downed Lerazier.
Lumine and Minerva exchanged glances.
Their expressions were odd.
"Our Hero."
"Yes, it was definitely Ariel. Her skills haven't rusted at all."
"So we found the Hero?"
"...No."
"Huh? Why not?"
"No idea. I searched every village, shouted till my throat was raw, but nothing."
"Feels like she's avoiding us."
"Hmm."
Still dodging them?
She's not hurt or anything, and she supported us at the critical moment?
Doesn't make sense.
What the hell happened with this Hero...
[Interpretation complete after 7 days. The Hero has the highest probability of visiting Eisenhardt's shabbiest hot spring, especially at night.]
"Hm."
'Perfect timing.'
A hint popped up right in front of me.
This was from asking Minerva's blessing, aka my "O-Shiri."
With this, I can find her quick.
I'll ask the rest directly.
"Guess I should meet her in person and say thanks."
"Hyun, if the Hero keeps dodging us, there's no way to meet. That's just how she is."
"You doubting me? I'm Yi Hyun, the guy who took down three high demons."
"...Yeah, got nothing to say to that."
"Hehe, we'll leave it to you, Yi Hyun. She seems to hate us."
Lumine gave a bitter smile.
Seemed like she thought the Hero had it out for them.
'If that were the case, she wouldn't have helped me... Anyway, moving on.'
That cleared up most of my questions.
I sat up casually.
My body felt incredibly light.
'They said the priests focused their healing on me. Must be that.'
[Skill - 'Savage Rampage' is currently active.]
(Current effect: Level +6)
"......"
'It really was building up, huh.'
There was another reason my body felt light.
But I decided to ignore it.
I had way too much to do right now.
"Alright, Lumine, Minerva. Let's go."
"Go where...?"
"To let the girls know I'm okay."
First things first, reassure my women I'd worried.
First stop: the Knight Order barracks.
Blanc came sprinting over at top speed and hugged me.
-Squeeze.
"Yi Hyun!!!"
"...Sorry for worrying you."
"Y-You idiot!! Even for the subjugation, who uses their arm like that!!"
"R-Right...!! Never do that again, promise!!"
"Hilde and Silpi are right! Promise me you won't use any more self-sacrificial techniques!!"
"......?"
What are they talking about?
"Self-sacrifice? Me?"
"Yes!! Your right arm that attacked Lerazier, ugh, even thinking about it...!!"
"Aha."
They got the wrong idea.
They thought the injury from the goddess's smack was from some suicide attack.
'So that's what she meant by "convenient to lie about"...
I got what the goddess said, belatedly.
But I wasn't exactly grateful.
Instead, I warmly hugged all three.
"That wasn't the plan."
"...Yi Hyun?"
"Why would I do something reckless when I have you all—my precious Second Knight Order ladies?"
"Then what was that?"
"An accident. Not on purpose."
"R-Really...?"
"Yeah. Won't happen again. Promise."
Real man's special. No bullshit.
It worked wonders.
All three sighed in relief.
"For real? Never again, right?"
"Do it again and I'll spank your ass. Full force."
"M-Me too, punishment!!"
"Got it, got it."
Survival report to the Knight Order: done.
Next: the lord's castle.
The marquis came running out barefoot.
"Y-You're alive, Yi Hyun!!"
"...Why the formal speech?"
"Don't ask!! Her Imperial Majesty... ugh, do you know what I've been through these three days!!"
"Ah."
Chaos here too.
Why do my premonitions always hit?
I sighed and asked for the communication orb.
Straight to the imperial family, of course.
Didn't take long to connect.
[Eisenhardt Marquis, what now... Yi Hyun! You're awake!]
"Lilliana, sorry for worrying you. I'm totally fine now."
[Really, do you know how worried I was!? I won't allow even a hint of that nonsense again!!]
"That stuff?"
[That blessing that costs an arm...]
"Agh."
Here we go again.
I explained diligently.
Accident. Won't happen again.
Luna, crown still on, nodded along eagerly.
[Seriously, treasure your body from now on. You're not alone anymore.]
"...Huh? Ah, yeah."
'What’s that "not alone" mean?'
Luna seemed a bit prickly for some reason.
But I brushed it off.
Head back to the capital, fuck her brains out sloppy, and it'd be fine.
[When are you returning...]
"I got sidetracked by the demons, but my original mission was Hero search, right? Gotta find her before I go."
[So when? I have a message to relay!]
"You're extra picky today. I'll find her quick and go. Few days tops?"
[Promise? I'll give you a week. No results, you return first!]
"Yep."
Imperial sisters sorted.
Pretty much took care of all my girls.
[Right. Your squire's heading to Eisenhardt now.]
"Huh? Clara? Why?"
[Thought you'd be laid up long, sent her to tend you... but she's fast as a warhorse. Arrives in two days.]
"......Ugh."
She's running here—no teleport.
Squire's supposed to do that, but my eyes still mist up.
When she arrives, I'll gently fuck her.
"Anyway. Quartermaster Lee Hyun will now return to duty."
[Return even a day sooner. All the citizens are eagerly awaiting your return.]
"I'll be there soon! Ah, and please stop tormenting the Marquis!"
[That was Mother... No, understood.]
With this, it was truly over.
Leaving behind the Marquis's 90-degree bow, I moved on.
Towards the prison where Saleos was locked up.
"Halt! Who..."
"It's Quartermaster Lee Hyun."
"W-we greet the Hero of the Empire!!!"
"No, bowing is a bit too much. Where is Saleos?"
"I will guide you right away!!!"
I moved under the escort of the territory's knights.
Thanks to that, reaching the prison took no time at all.
Among the cells, I arrived at an unusually fancy one, completely obscured by curtains.
"My slave? Your master is here."
I called out carefully.
Then I heard a bustling sound.
The sound of something being sprayed around, and soon, Saleos pulled back the curtain.
Not completely, just enough to poke her face out.
"......M-Master!!?"
"Yo, sorry to make you worry. And thanks for helping subjugate Leraje."
"P-please don't say that♡"
"Yeah. You went through a lot, didn't you? Let's get out of here now. You'll be fine as long as you're with me, so don't worry."
Any worries about her trying to pull some trick...
Yeah, that's the most useless worry in the world.
She helped take down Leraje, after all.
And she also has the status effect 'Subordination' placed on her.
I was planning to take her around and, when the opportunity arose, devour her to level up, but...
"N-no you can't♡"
"...Eh? Why?"
"Well, my arm♡ is still healing...♡"
"Ah right, my slave!! Is your arm okay!?"
I immediately got serious.
Come to think of it, my slave's arm was rotting away.
I wondered if it was something serious, but...
"Hieeeeng♡ That's what I should be saying♡"
"No, stop with the nasal voice. I'm being serious right now."
"I'm fine♡ See, I'm healing it...♡"
Slide—
Saleos pulled back the curtain a little more.
A pale white left forearm was revealed.
When we were fighting, it was definitely rotting all the way to her shoulder...
Yeah, it's healed a lot.
"That's a relief... I was worried because they said holy magic wouldn't work on you, but as expected of my slave."
"Hieeeeng♡ I love it so much when you treat me like a slave even though you're weaker than me♡"
"Don't go into heat. Anyway, you're saying you'll come out when your arm is fully healed?"
"Yess♡ That purple-haired human woman told me... if my flesh is rotting, Master wouldn't want to hold me either..."
"Well, that's true. Then do that. I'll drop by every day, so tell me when you're all better."
Relieved, I turned around.
If she wants to enjoy a 'Wise Prison Doctor Life', I'd let her enjoy it.
"Ah, right. She's my slave, you know? Please pay a lot of attention to her. I'll cover any additional expenses, so give her whatever she asks for."
"Yes!!! We will serve her with the utmost devotion!!!"
I took care of her behind the scenes a bit.
Though Saleos probably wouldn't know.
After taking care of this and that.
It eventually became late evening.
And I.
Made my way to a certain hot spring.
Shaking off the hands of the women looking at me with eyes that wanted to devour me, I went alone.
"This is the shabbiest hot spring...?"
'Strange, they said there was only a men's bath here, but this is...'
The place with the highest probability of meeting the Hero.
I came here after 'clicking' with Oh-Siri...
Is this really the right place?
Half in doubt, I entered.
An old grandfather welcomed me.
"Oh my, I'm sorry you came all this way, but we're not open for business anymore."
"Eh? Why?"
"W-well, I can't tell you..."
"Bingo."
I found the right place.
I immediately placed a gold coin on the counter.
Clatter— As soon as the sound rang out,
"I am Lee Hyun, Quartermaster directly under the Imperial Family. I request your cooperation in the search for the Hero."
"A-are you trying to bribe me with money? I'm sorry, but I already received a down payment..."
"It's an Imperial Order."
"The key is right here."
"Good."
The old man handed me the key.
It was the key to the locked bathhouse door.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
"Excuse me, but that person..."
"Imperial Order."
"......."
"Don't make that kind of face. I'm not going to harm her or anything."
I slowly took a step.
I put the key in the door and, Creeeak—
I walked along the path of a medieval men's bath that felt strangely familiar yet foreign, and...
"I knew it was you from the footsteps, Lee Hyun."
I had finally.
Found the Hero.
'Wow, they are actually bigger than her statue.'
I was deeply moved, but...
———This emotion didn't last long.
Tight squeeze.
"I will trust you to take care of Lumine and Minerva. Thank you."
"Huh? Wait, what are you doing— Gaaah!?"
"I have given my thanks, so now I will erase your memories."
While I was distracted by her huge breasts.
The Hero put me in a rear naked choke.
"Ugh, gaaaah...!"
'Fainting a second time is really dangerous!!'