Chapter 103
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 103
Chapter Title: Searching for the Hero (2)
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I ended up passing out.
Not for long, just a moment.
When I came to, I was at the entrance to the hot spring.
"Oh dear, oh dear... You're awake, sir?"
"...Yeah."
Damn, she's got some serious strength.
I glanced around quickly.
The Hero who'd knocked me out.
I wondered if she was still nearby.
Unfortunately, it didn't look like it.
"Someone carried you here after you collapsed, sir."
"Where'd that person go?"
"No idea."
"Hm."
Knocked me out and bolted, huh.
Probably thrilled, thinking she'd wiped my memory.
But what to do about this.
Memory erasure doesn't work on me.
Thanks to my Installed Convenience Improvement Mod.
It's god-tier and invincible.
I got up without hesitation.
Today's haul ends here, I guess.
"Got it. Let's head out."
I left the hot spring right away.
If I lingered here pointlessly?
The Hero would up and move her hideout entirely.
I had to prevent another game of hide-and-seek with her Blessing.
And above all...
-Bulge.
Whoa, seriously turning me on. How do human tits get bigger than watermelons?
...I'd built up a lot over the past three days.
Starting to not hold back on sex anymore.
Whatever I couldn't do for three days, I'm doing plenty today!!
I went back and had sex.
To let them know I was fine, and plenty of it.
Fortunately, no need to bounce around multiple places.
"How's this? I'm totally fine now, right? No need to worry?"
"Hiiiiiik♡ Y-Yes, got it♡ I get it, so♡ Hilde, you♡ Blanc, switch♡ with me alreadyyy♡"
"I-It's too much... Hold on just a bit longer..."
"M-Me too, just ten minutes..."
"You said that ten minutes ago toooo!!!"
First up, the knight trio.
4P was the default now.
Even three weren't enough to handle me.
They'd finally realized it—no catfights, just getting along.
Thanks to that, I blew off a few dozen loads refreshingly,
-Creak.
"Lady Lumine, and Lady Minerva."
"Hyun! Any harvest...? Kyaa!!?"
"Mmuut♡ Waking up and full of energy already♡"
The Hero party's duo, also a 3P.
I scooped up Minerva, and Lumine started stripping on her own.
Just like the past few days, as if it were natural.
One thing different from usual...
-Squelch squelch.
"Answer me. What's the right thing to do when an enemy falls?"
"Don't say stuff♡ like 'Did I get 'em?'♡"
"The day before an important battle?"
"Don't say things♡ like 'When we get back, I'll...'♡"
"Good girl."
...Not that Lerajie got involved because of her, probably.
Still, it rubbed me the wrong way.
Might as well give them proper private tutoring.
"You knew too, Lady Lumine?"
"Mmuut♡ S-Sorryyy♡"
Lumine got some education too.
No doubt she'd stop with the "After this battle" talk before fights now.
We pulled an all-nighter, and the next morning.
That was why I showed up at work feeling refreshed,
-Creak.
"Huh? Where's Lady Blanc?"
"Sick leave. Hilde and Silpi too, apparently. Something happen?"
"Uh, well."
Did I go too hard?
No one else had made it to work but me.
Lumine and Minerva passed out too. Hmm.
Is it normal to end up like this after unloading three days' worth?
It was a moment where my stamina scared even me.
Still, thanks to that, the search should be easier.
I left the castle lightheartedly.
First order: that hot spring from yesterday.
Gather info on it.
Of course, I wasn't running around on foot myself.
"Adventurers' Guild... Y-Yi Hyun!!?"
"From the Imperial Palace. Got a commission for you?"
Adventurers' Guild Eisenhardt branch.
I placed a gold coin on the counter and waited.
Soon enough, they came swarming—
Adventurers, lured by the gold as informants.
"I went there all the time!"
"Hm."
Most were D-rank adventurers at best.
Some lied for the pay,
[Interpretation complete in 0.1 seconds. It's a lie.]
"Don't bullshit me. Next."
"It's true, I swear! I..."
"Get caught lying, and you lose a hand? Wanna see mine?"
"...If you won't believe me, nothing I can do! Sorry without proof!"
The bullshitters got filtered by O-Shiri.
What remained was solid intel.
I dismissed the adventurers and sank into thought.
"Hmm."
Suddenly closed three years ago.
The Hero must've rented the whole place.
Chose a rundown one to avoid suspicion.
No need to hear it confirmed.
The real question,
Why a place with only a men's bath?
Why was the hot spring rundown?
The owner lacked the stamina and means for big baths.
Just one small men's bath.
Apparently, the old man made it for his own casual soaks—basically self-indulgence.
Even the most rundown, why would a woman pick a men's bath?
Feels off, right?
If I were a woman, no way I'd soak in a men's bath.
Sure, she'd clean before entering.
Still feels iffy.
Need to dig deeper into the Hero.
That's where I stopped thinking.
And headed straight off.
To Lumine and Minerva.
The resting pair welcomed me.
"H-Hiiiik!! No more, I can't!!"
"Mmuut♡ S-Sorry♡ Feels like I'll pass out even now♡"
A brief panic from the two aside,
"Not here for that. Tell me about the Hero."
"Mm? Not for sex?"
"Still working. Anyway, info."
"Oh, fine. Our Hero, Ariel, is..."
She spilled all the details on the Hero.
A former comrade, after all.
Packed with useful info, but...
After hearing it all, I scowled.
"Androphobia?"
"Yeah. Hate to say it, but she's got a backstory for it."
"What kind?"
"Grew up in a brothel."
"Gasp."
My horns nearly throbbed for a sec,
"Just so you know, she didn't work there. Ran away as a kid."
"Super pure lady. Body and soul."
"Ah."
Makes sense—she wouldn't have met me otherwise if not a virgin.
Blanc's mom still hasn't either.
That part was fine.
I scowled for another reason.
"With androphobia, no way she'd go to a men's bath, right?"
"Duh? Why would a woman."
"Buy out a men's bath for herself?"
"Depends on the person, but our Hero? Never. Hates even touching men."
"Tsk."
A girl scared of men in a men's bath?
And she didn't seem scared of me.
What the hell is going on.
My head was a mess.
Even with my overwhelming 190-point Intelligence.
No clue what was up, but...
-Halt.
...Buy Intelligence?
A thought flashed by.
Don't I have points now?
Buy some, bump it up 0.4 points easy.
[—But Intelligence is...]
Even Kanp said so.
Perfect, I'm marked by the Goddess.
Need it to reconcile, even more reason.
I pulled up the shop window.
And bought 'Intelligence Boost Stage 3'.
The 2500-point one...
-Boom!!
[Object - 'Purity' discourages purchase of this item!]
"......?"
———Right as I was about to buy.
Brush-script font appeared before my eyes.
Telling me not to buy Intelligence.
What's this? Why the mixed signals.
Conflicting advice.
First, the Goddess.
Urging me to buy Intelligence.
Then 'Object Purity', the black-haired sunken-chest big sis.
Trying to stop me.
...Now this is giving me a headache.
Which tune am I supposed to dance to?
Who to trust.
Felt like a cheap Chinese game.
Thirsty-for-discipline Kanp Goddess vs benevolent black-haired sunken-chest sis. Who to believe?
No contest.
Purity sis!
The sis who gave me head pats and stroked my hair.
Choosing the former? Only masochists or demon-possessed martial artists.
Of course trust sis. Closed the shop window.
-Ding.
[......?]
['Intelligence Boost Stage 3' strongly recommended.]
What's her deal? Can't she see the brush-script window?
Then the BM sales popup.
I mouthed vaguely into the air.
Busy now, buy later. Something like that.
Not sincere, of course.
-Boom.
[Object - 'Purity'....]
I'll play it smart for now.
A brush-script alert the Goddess can't see?
Even telling me not to follow the Absolute's orders, listen to her instead?
Like a car yelling "No time to explain! Get in!"
Hold back on this? Not a real man.
Put off buying Intelligence for now.
"...Hyun? Why so quiet?"
"Did you find a clue!?"
"Nothing."
Bonus: No sharing Hero search status.
Might just torture them with false hope.
Tell you once it's solved.
"I'll keep searching hard!"
After that, chatted with Saleos, took Luna's hysterics via crystal ball, etc.
By the time I wrapped up, it was night.
Headed straight to the hot spring.
"Sorry, but... y-you!"
"Quartermaster Yi Hyun. Here to search for the Hero."
"Oh man, you passed out yesterday—why push it! If you collapse again..."
"Oh?"
Her reaction said she was here today too.
Good thing I came.
"I'll handle it. Grandpa, you just count ceiling stains."
"But..."
"Imperial order."
"Key's here."
"Thanks for cooperating."
Grabbed the key and dashed.
Planning a preemptive strike before she bolted.
Luckily, she hadn't fled.
-Creak.
"Hero!"
"Hah, persistent."
Her brown eyes turned to me.
No shame despite being naked.
Figured she'd erase my memory anyway.
Before she could stand, I struck first.
"Memory erasure doesn't work on me."
"...Really?"
"Remember everything from yesterday. From trusting others to knocking me out."
"Said you were like me, but even in this? Troubling."
She sat back down.
Gave up on knocking me out.
Got her.
That's the conviction I felt, but...
'Observation!'
-Ding... zzzt.
[Target is blocking info access.]
[Target's level vastly exceeds player's. Skill activation failed.]
"Trying something on me? Give up. Won't work."
"......"
My ace skill dudded.
Mythic-grade, and it's been ages since it flopped.
"Looks that way. Been a while since I faced someone like this."
Can't detect curses or such with Observation.
'O-Shiri' useless on her.
No 'click' reveal.
Hm, very...
———intriguing.
Takes me back to early possession days.
Before eating Blanc, this was daily life.
Always guessing Common Sense Alteration.
Skills were just Nipple Development one-tool.
A woman evoking those tough times.
Skills don't work, stronger than me too.
Hero Ariel.
"Intriguing."
"Coincidence. I've been intrigued too."
"Meaning?"
"Been a while, so bathe together. Seems we have much to share."
Our eyes met.
"You might understand what I've become."
"I'll strip quick."
The Hero conquest, longer than expected.
Begins.