Chapter 32
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Priestess of Light, Gloria (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I'd wondered if Alensia might have gone out, but lately she'd cut back on outings and was doing light rehab exercises in the courtyard all by herself at the mansion.
"Sia sis~"
The first to react upon entering the mansion and spotting Alensia mid-workout was Clara. When Gloria mentioned heading to Alensia's place, Clara had begged to tag along, so Gloria brought her.
"Clara? What brings you here?"
"I came too."
"Gloria... miss."
She'd almost called her "sis" just now. But the moment she spotted me standing behind Gloria, she quickly switched it up. If they're close, isn't calling her sis fine? Why change it all of a sudden?
"Gloria... miss, what brings you here? Didn't we already do today's treatment this morning?"
"I have something to discuss regarding Ian."
"Then let's head to the drawing room."
"Hold on a sec. Clara, mind waiting downstairs? And, uh, Ian, could you wait with her?"
"I'll keep an eye on her."
It made me uneasy to be sidelined for a talk about me, but it wouldn't feel right inserting myself when they wanted to chat privately anyway.
"Alright, Clara. Shall we go with big bro?"
"Yeah. Mister."
.......Do I look that old?
We arrived at the drawing room where Alensia usually met guests, and the moment tea was served, Gloria unleashed all the words she'd been holding back.
"Sia! Ian says he's living at your mansion—is that true?"
"Huh? Yeah, it..."
"Good heavens! I knew you were taking care of a guy, but cohabiting with a man? Have you lost your mind?"
Alensia had expected talk about Mana Circuit treatment since it involved Ian, but Gloria's unexpected topic threw her off.
"I told you before. Anyone following my training gets to stay and train at the mansion."
"Back then, I figured no one would sign up for that nonsense! Plus, training's supposed to last a week, but you let Ian move in full-time!"
"........."
When Gloria called it "that nonsense training," Alensia unwittingly shot her a sullen look. Gloria was equally stunned by the reaction. She'd heard Alensia had been scolded multiple times and even disciplined by the Labyrinth Guild—yet she was still at it!
Ian had said he was training under her, so Alensia must've switched to normal methods by now—or so Gloria thought. But no, she was still force-feeding poison!
"I told you! I get your obsession with Poison Resistance, but doing that to a beginner adventurer is torture!"
"It's not torture! It's fine as long as the person consents, and I got consent!"
To be precise, she'd omitted the poison-feeding part and just gotten agreement to "follow the training," but Alensia defended it boldly. The results were good, after all.
Gloria rubbed her temples. Alensia was sharp as a tack usually, but ever since getting poisoned, she'd fixated on "resistance training" and gone off the rails. But had Ian really consented to that madness?
"And anyway, for treatments, we need regular sessions. Rather than always inviting him on my schedule, I figured living together would be more efficient."
"The massages, right?"
"Yeah. You heard?"
It might be better than summoning him constantly, but cohabitation as the solution? Why hadn't Ian refused? Did he just jump at the chance to live with a woman?
"Nothing weird happened, right?"
Gloria saw Alensia like a little sister, so worry was natural. That's why she'd rushed over after hearing from Ian. If anything shady had gone down, she'd separate him from Alensia immediately.
"No. Nothing like that. You know about elves' senses, sis."
The elven sense that detects malice. Having partied with Alensia before, Gloria knew its reliability firsthand, so she asked Alensia first instead of grilling Ian. If he harbored ill intent, Alensia would've sensed it.
"I already heard about the treatment method from him—massages, right? So obviously, Ian has to touch my body."
That was another issue. She'd stayed calm when Ian explained, but inwardly she'd been seething. She appreciated the treatment, but the method was just...
If Ian were a woman, fine—but a man massaging a woman? He'd surely harbor lustful thoughts!
And understandably so. Alensia, whom she'd known for years, was among the most alluring women Gloria had ever seen. She kept a stoic, expressionless facade in public, but even that added to her charm because she was so beautiful.
"Even with hands on my body, I still sense no malice."
".....Even with hands on you?"
"Yeah. I've had multiple massages from him so far, and not once has there been any. If anything, he acts completely indifferent, like he feels nothing at all."
She vaguely described it as detecting "malice," but the elven sense picked up intent to harm—including threats to one's chastity. Skin contact made it even clearer. As an advanced adventurer now, such issues were rare, but back when she was less skilled, plenty of men had lusted after her, placing hands on her shoulders or making contact.
"Oh my. Does that even make sense? Is that guy impotent? Or maybe he likes men, or has very specific tastes?"
Knowing this full well, Gloria couldn't help blurting it out despite the rudeness. Touching a woman with Alensia's looks and figure without lust? Gay, or into non-humans only, or something?
Hearing that, Alensia recalled the faint sexual desire she'd sensed from Ian last night—right at the moment she'd cried out in ecstasy. It was just an instant, but he'd definitely reacted to her.
"If even you say that, I believe it. Wow. A man who touches you directly and harbors no dark desires."
Leaving Alensia suddenly quiet and pensive, Gloria let out a wry chuckle, relieved deep down. Her fondness for Ian grew; he seemed trustworthy.
The reassured Gloria finished her tea and stood.
"Leaving already?"
"Yeah. I rushed out just to ask about this. Gotta head back."
Heading downstairs, she saw Ian playing with her daughter Clara.
"Whoa! You made a dragon with string!"
"Haha! Pretty cool, huh?"
"Yeah! Mister's amazing!"
".............Mister..."
He seemed great with kids—Clara giggling freely, while Ian looked shocked at the "mister" label. Seeing the honest child interact without reservations made Gloria trust him even more.
"Clara, time to go."
"Okay, Mom. Bye, Mister!"
"Heading out already?"
"Yes. Just came to ask what I needed to."
She studied Ian's face as he greeted them. Hmm... better than average-looking? Nice pale skin. Maybe he really does prefer men? No, don't think rudely.
"Take care. I'll drop by often to see Sia."
Sia had shared her real name during the contract, so Gloria used it casually. Next time, she wanted to witness the massage herself... ah, right.
"Could I maybe get a massage next time? I'd pay, of course."
"Pardon?"
"Hehe. Touching an old lady like me would be a bit much, huh?"
"No, not at all. Of course it's possible."
"Just kidding."
Savoring Ian's slight fluster, she promised a next time and left Sia's mansion. Meanwhile, a corner of her mind wandered.
'He barely reacts even to Sia's body, so an old lady like me probably won't faze him either.'
Curious about that advanced Massage skill, she secretly looked forward to it. He seemed reliable, so her wariness about a man massaging her faded.
'Did she approve of me?'
I'd figured Gloria, who seemed tight with Alensia, would disapprove of me living in her house and tell me to leave. But contrary to expectations, she left looking relieved, her gaze toward me full of goodwill.
And she even requested a massage later. Understandable, since it's an advanced skill—she probably wanted to try it once.
But calling herself an "old lady's body"... just a joke, right? She had the biggest chest of any woman I'd seen so far...
"Not heading into the Labyrinth today?"
Once Gloria left, Alensia soon came down from upstairs. Her expression had softened a bit when greeting Gloria earlier... or was that my imagination?
"Yes. I already visited the Temple, and it's getting late, so no Labyrinth today."
"Then, care to join me for a meal? You've treated me to cooking every time, so let me buy."
An unexpected invitation from Alensia. Eating together... like a date? Nah, her tone and face were still stiff. Just literal dinner, probably.
Not one to turn down free food, I meekly followed her. She seemed to have a spot in mind already—heading straight into the commercial district without hesitation.
Wonder what we'll eat? No complaints from the freeloader here, but recalling Alensia's cooking skills from that breakfast made me a tad anxious.
"Here."
Dispelling my worries, Alensia stopped at what looked like a rather upscale restaurant. The patrons inside didn't seem ordinary either—prices had to be steep.
"Let's go in."
Unlike me, who shrank at the facade, Alensia entered confidently and got seated. I shuffled after her and sat at the corner table.
"Uh... isn't this place pricey?"
"Expensive for a beginner adventurer, but no burden for me. Don't worry. You still have plenty left on your treatment balance. Pick whatever you want."
A bit relieved, I opened the menu... whoa, even the cheapest is nearly a gold coin. Insane? Back at the clinic, I'd have to save a year's pay for the cheap stuff.
"The owner here reached level 8 in Cooking. That's why the flavors are exceptional, and buffs sometimes apply after eating."
"Buffs from food?"
"The ingredients aren't ordinary, apparently. Hence the high prices from material costs and the chef's reputation."
True to the non-standard ingredients, all dishes had unfamiliar names. Menus listed components, though. Let's see...
-'Today's Special': Guess ingredients correctly for free meal. Wrong? 100 gold coins.
What? 100 gold for this? Guess the ingredients?
"What're you staring at?"
"Oh, just a weird menu. 'Today's Special'..."
"Ah, that's this place's signature. They make a different dish daily. Taste it and name all ingredients correctly for a free meal plus a prize—big publicity stunt."
"Anyone succeeded?"
"Heard two have. Prize details undisclosed."
"With all these never-before-seen ingredients, no way I'd guess."
"They provide 100 ingredient samples. Taste them, then pick which ones are in the dish from the 100. Accounts for folks not knowing food names."
As I gawked curiously, Alensia misinterpreted and promptly ordered.
"One 'Today's Special,' please."
"?? Alensia?"
"Your face is full of curiosity. Give it a shot. They say it's among the shop's best, even if it varies daily. If you fail, I'll cover it."
Is this okay? 100 gold if wrong? How much do advanced adventurers even make to burn that on one meal?
"Ooh! Look over there! A challenger's tackling 'Today's Special'!"
"That woman's a knockout. Trying to impress her?"
"I know her! She's an advanced adventurer!"
"Guy looks pretty average, though."
After ordering, nearby tables grew noisy. I'd be curious too if someone ordered an event dish like this.
The dish arrived surprisingly fast—a stunning woman personally bringing the covered tray.
"Ooh! Owner's creation today? Chef's out in person!"
Chef?
Per the patrons' chatter, I examined her closely.
Pink hair tied back for cooking, matching pink eyes, pointed ears.
Two curved horns on her head, bat-like wings with membranes poking through her clothes...
.........Wait, isn't that a succubus?