Chapter 163
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: New Senses
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Hard to tell if it was a joke or serious... No, knowing her, it was probably sincere, but anyway, Murel shattered the touching moment with those words and stared blankly at my face for a while.
"What are you looking at like that? Still not used to it?"
"That's part of it, but... Hmm. To be honest, it's just because you're so handsome."
Her bluntly direct words left me dumbfounded at times.
"Uh, um... Th-thanks for being honest, but..."
"I didn't hate your previous appearance, but since it was one of the causes of your suffering, I did resent it a bit... But seeing your face now, I like this one much better. Plus, you're so handsome you practically glow. My heart is overflowing. Honestly, I feel like I picked a good man. Oh, and just so you know, I've already sunk my teeth in, so I won't let you go."
"......"
Saying something like that with a straight face was a talent in itself.
I had no idea how to respond, so I let out a deep sigh.
"Fine, whatever... Do what you want. What about the others?"
"They're having dinner."
"They all know I've changed like this?"
"Yes."
"Got it... Ah, but what were you thinking, leaving just me and Charhella behind? If I hadn't woken up at the perfect timing, I would've been done for."
"Pardon?"
She tilted her head, then finally noticed Charhella standing behind me and gave her a sharp, sidelong glance.
"...Lady Charhella. You said you were going to the bathroom, but you were here."
"Th-that's..."
"Did you force everyone to gather for dinner just to pull something like this?"
"Uh, ahahaha... Ahem. Anyway! This isn't the time for this! We need to let them know Han-gil's awake!"
Charhella raised her voice awkwardly, but Murel just shook her head lightly with a faint smile and took my hand.
I was drawn along by that soft warmth, meeting her gaze directly.
...But now, it felt like I was looking down at her from even higher up.
My height must have increased a bit too.
"We should go, then. Han-gil, are you hungry?"
"Not starving, but I feel like I could eat something."
"I see. It's hard to believe you've been lying down for a week—you look perfectly fine."
"...What? Hold on, a week?"
At my question, Murel tilted her head and glanced at Charhella again.
"You didn't tell him?"
"Ah, uh~ Well, you see..."
"What on earth were you doing that you couldn't even share basic information like that...? No. Never mind. I can guess."
"Urk...!"
Charhella trembled with embarrassment and frustration but had nothing to say, so she clamped her mouth shut and averted her eyes.
"Let's go, Han-gil."
"Sure."
Murel turned primly and firmly pulled me along by the hand.
"......"
But the moment she turned, a complex, stimulating fragrance wafted from her swaying hair, filling my nose.
"...Murel. Did you put on some perfume?"
"Perfume? No, I haven't. Does it smell strange?"
"No, not at all..."
I sniffed closer, following the scent, and absentmindedly buried my nose in her pale, slender nape.
"Han-gil?"
"Hm... No, Murel. You smell amazing..."
"It's the same as always... Maybe your senses have sharpened, so it just seems that way."
"Ah, is that it? My senses at their peak sensitivity... No, but this feels different from that..."
I tilted my head and buried my nose deeper, trailing up along her nape.
"Mm, definitely. This isn't that kind of thing. It's like I can pick out so many more scents..."
Curiously, I could smell the earth, grass, meat grease, spices, alcohol, even traces of other people who had passed by—everything distinctly separated.
It felt like I'd become a dog.
"Sniiff, haa..."
But above all, the most intense was Murel's natural body scent.
Sweet yet somehow seductive... A lustful aroma that made my loins stir just from inhaling it.
"...Is this Cubel's influence too?"
I instinctively pulled her body close, breathing deeply in a daze, until I bit down on her shoulder blade and snapped back to reality.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to... Did it hurt?"
"No, it didn't hurt... You've really turned into a puppy."
Her expression remained impassive, but for some reason, it looked subtly amused as she stroked my head and started walking like that.
Unlike her calm exterior, her heartbeat raced wildly.
My superhuman hearing picked up the frantic pounding clearly.
That urgent rhythm betrayed her true feelings far more honestly than her blank face.
"......"
This is turning me on a bit too much.
"Hey, Kang Han-gil. Why don't you do that to me? Is it because my chest is small?"
"Sis, just shut up for a sec..."
I waved off Charhella glaring from the side and looked toward the ger where the group seemed to be gathered.
"...My senses are going wild."
Vision, hearing, smell, touch... Plus intuition and instinct.
All my senses fired intensely, flooding my brain with information, giving me a slight dizzy spell.
Heightened senses aren't always a good thing.
Daily life will be tough until I adapt.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, haa... I'm fine."
"Let's go in."
"Sure..."
Following Murel, who still held my hand tightly, we entered the ger. The group's eyes turned to us all at once from their quiet dinner.
"...Ah! Master! You're finally awake!?"
"Han-gil! You've come to!"
"Haan-gil!"
Kachiora and Rebecca greeted me joyfully first, while Rampon Pashutra shot up from her seat and threw herself at me.
"Urk...!?"
I panicked for a moment, but my unknowably strengthened body caught her plump form effortlessly.
...Actually, on second thought, even before the transformation, I probably could've handled her weight.
'Eternal Flesh' and 'World Tree Fruit' weren't that easygoing elixirs.
"Sniif...!"
Anyway, that wasn't the issue.
Sure enough, a deep, complex fragrance assaulted my nostrils like a bombardment, making me lose my reason in an instant.
"Han-gil! I'm so glad you're safe! I was so worried about what might happen to you... Han-gil?"
Her hand stroked the back of my head, buried deep in her long cleavage, in confusion.
"Sniif, haaa...! Sniif...!"
"Uh, um... Han-gil? Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"...No, I'm fine. Just... stay still for a bit."
"Ah, o-okay..."
I could feel her tilting her head even without looking.
"Sniiiiff...!"
I inhaled her scent so greedily it disgusted even me.
It basically smelled like flowers, but the strongest note was a sweet, nutty milk aroma.
The milky scent piercing through her breast skin was so intense it felt like biting down would make milk fountain out.
"......"
"Eek!? Han-gil!? Wh-why are you biting...!"
Unfortunately, no milk came out.
"Ah, sorry. My senses are a bit off right now."
"Y-yeah...?"
"Master. Aren't you done? How long are you going to keep your face in there? The kids are watching."
"Ah..."
At that moment, a strong grip seized my nape and yanked me up.
I could've resisted, but I lifted my head obediently to see Kachiora with a prim expression.
"...Kachiora."
"Seriously... First thing after a week unconscious, you shove your face in cleavage? Why not go to that ger over there and merge already? We were all moping in a serious mood, and here Master is..."
"You smell good too."
"Huh? What? Wait—!?"
I buried my face in her cleavage, and Kachiora's body stiffened in shock.
A rich fruit scent with a tangy acidity.
If Pashutra's scent was sleepy and comforting, hers sharpened and awakened the mind.
"Hey, Alzen. Cut it out."
"...Sniif, ha, sorry."
Weller's sharp voice finally snapped me out of it, and I surveyed the group.
They all looked at me with mixes of confusion, worry, joy, and more.
"My body's changed so much my senses are messed up too. It's not bad, but... it'll take time to adjust."
"That doesn't sound like something to brush off lightly."
"Huh?"
"Hey. Do you know how shocked we were when your body reconstructed? What are you going to do now? You can't go back to the duke's castle looking like that."
"That's... um..."
She must've been worrying about the same thing.
The worries I'd forcibly shelved resurfaced, furrowing my brow.
If I returned to the duke's castle with this face, would they welcome me?
...Probably not, but I'd bet my balls on it.
Still, even so.
"...Eh, it'll work out somehow. Honestly, I'm relieved to be like this."
"You would be. You damn idiot. Sigh... And on top of that, your left arm is still hideous..."
"...Yeah, true."
I stroked my left arm, perfectly wrapped in the 'Silk of Atonement'.
The bumpy, hard, alien texture seeped through the fabric.
I'd grown so used to it I ignored it, but even during the full-body transformation, my left arm remained demonized.
"Hey. This is a serious problem. You'll get mistaken for a demon like this."
"...That bad?"
"That bad! Did you forget your promise with Father? If there's even a hint you're a demon, he'll cleave you in half!"
"Ah... Yeah, we did have that promise."
I nodded thoughtfully.
A son whose left arm demonized—already suspicious—who goes on a long trip and returns completely changed?
Plus, wielding some eerie power that's neither magic nor aura?
...Straight-up demon vibes.
I'd suspect myself too.
"So what do we do?"
"That's why I'm freaking out... Argh, you moron..."
I shrugged at her head-clutching frustration.
"Whatever. We'll figure it out later. For now, I'm hungry after smelling the food."
I averted my eyes deliberately.
Thinking of Starnassila Pitra made my chest ache uncomfortably... But hadn't I decided to prioritize myself?
Just focusing on me was overwhelming enough now.
"Th-this way, Lord Alzen!"
Thud!
At that moment, Ratifi shoved Murel aside with her hip and quickly guided me to sit beside her.
Her eyes sparkled excessively with reverence and adoration as she fidgeted.
"......"
More importantly, Murel, blasted away like a cannonball by the hip-check, wasn't moving.
Did she die...?
Ah, she's alive.
"Murel. Put the dagger away. I don't want food with blood on it."
"Haaa... Ratifi. Step outside. While we're at it, let's sort out the pecking order."
Murel glared murderously, but Ratifi ignored her and stared only at me.
"Wh-what would you like first...? I'll feed it to you myself if you choose!"
"Huh...? No, I can eat it myself... Why are you like this? You seem even worse off than before?"
"Pardon? Th-that's...!"
"It's because of the divinity and dignity emanating from Han-gil."
Nemes had slipped into the seat on my other side, pressing close.
"Divinity and dignity...?"
"Yes. Han-gil's presence was already so gracious and overwhelming for an elf to handle... Now with that lofty divinity and dignity added, it feels no different from the World Tree itself. But unlike the World Tree, you're right here—within reach, at eye level..."
"Oh... really? What about you?"
"...Yes. It's hard to bear."
Nemes's face flushed red as she exhaled ragged breaths and stealthily stroked my thigh.
It was the first time I'd seen her so forward, and it flustered me a bit.