Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Samaritan of the Black Rock Mountain
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The saintess sat down on the sofa in her private chamber, right across from us. She crossed her long legs, which stretched out beneath the side-slit dress.
Her movement carried a sense of leisure, or perhaps seasoned elegance, that made her look incredibly refined. I wondered if Luna could pull off the same pose and exude that kind of aura.
Luna would just look cute.
“The reason I called you to this private chamber is simple. You are warriors of Mars, men among men. I am a woman of Venus. So, there's only one thing for us to do when we gather like this.”
“As expected. Saintess, I may lack experience, but I'll give it my all.”
Malco began untying the knot at his waist to take off his pants. I panicked, wondering what the hell this guy was about to do.
Then it hit me—this wasn't just any temple; it was a place dedicated to pleasure. So that's why the Shitty saintess had summoned us to her private chamber.
A holy saintess? Or a sexy saintess? The cultural shock left my mouth feeling numb.
Ssslruk.
Reacting to Malco, who was hesitantly pulling down his pants, the saintess uncrossed her legs and recrossed them the other way.
“You have quite a prominent nose. They say a big nose means a man's pride is equally impressive down there. But I'd prefer not to verify that myself.”
“Is that so? I thought it was odd myself.”
Malco pulled his pants back up and tightly retied the knot. The guy caught on quicker than I expected.
“Very well. Anyway, the reason I called you here is this: I have a favor to ask for our Venus Temple.”
“Y-You're saying... you have a commission for us?”
At my question, a soft “Hehe” chuckle came, accompanied by the jingle of a bell.
The paintings on the wall depicted bells around necks, so I figured the saintess's neck was trembling.
“Exactly. It's something adventurers from the Mars Guild used to handle. But after the Pluto cultists' attack collapsed the building, everyone's too busy, and our Venus Temple's requests got pushed down the priority list.”
I knew the Venus Temple and Mars Guild had a close partnership.
But we hadn't come here expecting a commission, and now the temple's leader, the saintess herself, was entrusting us with a job. It was quite bewildering.
“A famous Samaritan whose songs are passed around by word of mouth. And your exclusive bard. That should be trustworthy enough to hand it over. Of course, I won't ask you to do it for free.”
Sruk.
Jingle.
The saintess seemed to bow her head toward us. Afraid I might accidentally meet her gaze even a little, I bowed my head lower and squeezed my eyes shut.
When the jingling returned from behind, accompanied by her presence shifting back, a small scroll lay on the table.
Malco reacted first.
“G-Good heavens, that's not a ticket to the Venus priestesses' ball, is it?! No way! Even nobles are desperate for those!”
From Malco's reaction, whatever a Venus priestess ball ticket was, it seemed incredibly valuable. The saintess let out a short “Hehe.”
“As expected of a big-nosed man—you appreciate it. And for you, Samaritan hero, I'll give this.”
She extended a small glass vial toward me.
A small glass vial.
To be precise, a transparent glass bottle slightly larger than my thumb, filled with swirling red liquid.
At first glance, it reminded me of nail polish or tint—some kind of cosmetic. But it wasn't; it seemed like something else.
I carefully took the vial and examined it closely.
“What is this, exactly?”
“It's perfume extracted from the beak feathers of male thunder mandarin ducks. Not the fakes on the market—this is genuine, hard to obtain unless you're someone of stature.”
Male thunder mandarin duck perfume or whatever?
Giving me something like that as compensation. This saintess had no eye for people. I preferred money over perfume.
I was seriously pondering how to ask for cash instead without offending her when the jingling bell sounded again, and she continued.
“The thunder mandarin duck. Symbol of Juno, goddess of marriage and family. They mate with one partner for life and live happily ever after... or so people think. Do you know that's not true?”
“Y-Yes...?”
“Most people don't know. Male mandarin ducks are actually philanderers. They fool around with countless females but act like they've only ever had one.”
“...I see.”
I suddenly couldn't grasp what this woman was getting at. What did mandarin duck perfume and this story have to do with me?
As my thoughts grew a bit tangled.
“Samaritan, you must have a lover, right?”
“Uh, y-yes? What did you just say?”
“Your surprised reaction tells me everything. Among all creation, only those with lovers would turn down the chance to see the world's most beautiful face.”
“I-Is that so.”
“Because after seeing my face, your lover's would look like a pachycephalosaurus squid, cooling even a thousand-year love. Hassan of Samaria—you must have refused my favor to stay faithful to your lover, right?”
I had no idea how to respond. If I said I was staring at the floor panties, that holy knight from earlier might pop out and snap my neck.
So I just nodded along.
“S-Sort of.”
“As I thought. That's why I prepared this for you. The perfume from male mandarin ducks excels at erasing the karma traces of women from your body. With this, you can cheat more boldly without getting caught.”
An item to mask women's scents and perfumes on my body, avoiding suspicion from my partner? That was my understanding, at least.
Damn, I don't need this.
But just in case, I tucked the vial safely into the inner pocket of my leather top so it wouldn't break. I'd try it later.
Truth be told, I'd been worrying how to explain to Luna, with her sensitive nose, that I'd visited a Venus Temple reeking of women's body odors and perfumes.
Saying I went for on-site learning about Venus faith activities wouldn't fly, even with Luna's innocent side.
Lately, with Luna's mood intensifying, crossing her could mean my neck getting bitten off.
Anyway, damn, perfect.
“So, giving us such precious items—what exactly do you want us to do?”
I've always felt there's no such thing as selfless favor in this world. If the reward is expensive, the job's proportionally tough and dangerous.
Receiving something the saintess hyped as rare made me worry on one hand.
The saintess laughed, her neck bell jingling.
“What I just gave is merely a gift. The real reward comes after the commission. I've been long-winded. What I want to commission is this.”
The saintess extended a glass cup filled with black liquid toward us. Malco's expression hardened instantly.
“...Saintess, that's the Black Spring Water, isn't it?”
“Correct. You know your stuff, as befits a wandering pleasure-seeker. Few encounter it outside Venus priestesses.”
“Ahem, well, yes. But that spring water...”
“It's in a mountain tainted by Pluto's energy. A valley where death's aura flows ominously. In those high, treacherous peaks. Lately, cultists have been sighted too.”
Whooooosh.
A high-pressure gaze drilled into my bowed head. Sharp enough to bore a hole right through.
Fuck, my head's not turning to stone, is it? Haven't used my brain much lately; maybe it's getting dull.
“With you, who felled Pluto's holy knight and Skizo of split mind, it should be no problem. Assuming the rumors aren't exaggerated.”
Shit, it screamed hardcore difficulty at first glance. I was about to refuse when—
Clink.
A round, shiny something extended toward me nearly made me yelp.
“Advance payment: 1 gold.”
Ragged Hassan.
Finally walking the golden path.
Five hundred qinggo fish swirled in my mind at the gleaming gold coin.
Kukurukuk.
* * *
“Brother, you took an outrageous commission. Black Spring Water—that's work for bronze adventurers on the cusp of silver tier.”
Leaving the Venus Temple, Malco and I stepped out. The sky had turned golden with a beautiful sunset. Gold.
“To put it crudely, it's insanely dangerous. That valley—”
Gold has a way of stirring the heart. Just looking at it eased my hunger a bit.
Crunch.
I bit into the gold coin I'd received. High purity—it dented under my teeth.
Damn, a gold coin.
Holding my first earned gold, I felt like I could fly. Was this how Luna felt earning her first fairy tale book coin?
Thirty silver opened so many possibilities.
One gold? unimaginable feats. What could I do?
Damn, nothing came to mind but buying five hundred qinggo fish right now.
“Hey, Malco. What can you do with one gold? If I gave it to you, what would you do?”
“One gold makes a man bark like a dog. Arrrkarrr karr. Two, and he'd crawl on all fours.”
“Damn, that's badass!”
Controlling people at will? This tiny gold coin was a magic item in itself!
Shit, slaved two years for 30 silver. A month into adventuring, and here's a gold.
Maybe this is my life's peak. Thinking past hardships were for this gold made them bearable.
Gotta show Luna.
“Brother, meet at the west gate tomorrow morning then. Kehhehe, more tales for new songs firsthand.”
“Fuck off.”
After our heartfelt parting with Malco, I dashed to the hut where Luna waited.
Luna, who rolled in dirt picking 20-copper, 30-copper herbs to save money—what face would she make at this shiny gold?
Imagining it, my legs wouldn't stop despite shortness of breath.
Clunk.
Opening the door.
On the first floor, Luna's pink back faced me as she ground grains on a small millstone atop a blanket on the floor.
“Luna, I'm back!”
“Hassan, I thought you were studying. Not at the library either. Where were you? I checked the library hoping to come back with you.”
“N-No, uh, that is—”
Her cool response left me fumbling excuses when Luna rose smoothly and approached.
Then she sniffed—sniff sniff?
As expected.
Prepared for this, I'd gotten the thunder mandarin perfume from the Venus saintess in advance.
A bizarre magic perfume hiding women's traces!
Right in my pocket!!
But damn, in excitement over the gold for Luna, I forgot to apply it!!!
I was an idiot!!!!
Sniff sniff.
“Rose scent. What smell is this? Where have you been...? A bit more sniffing and I might remember... Pigeon smell too...”
...Damn.
With the noose tightening, my mind blanked. I had to try something.
So, like facing the saintess earlier, I scowled exaggeratedly, bowed my head, and covered my eyes.
“Argh, bl-blinding! Luna, you're so dazzling I can't look at your face!”
“...What're you saying all of a sudden? Hassan, you sick?”
“Ugh, Luna, your face is too radiant to behold! What happened outside...!”
“R-Really? I tried Paranoya and wisp powder makeup earlier. Thought light makeup wouldn't show. Hassan notices! Any other changes?”
Peeking through slitted eyes at her question.
Now I saw faint powder on Luna's naturally pale face. That's why it blended.
Other changes? Panic hit.
“Y-Your bangs... shorter?”
“Right! Paranoya said you wouldn't notice. Hassan does!”
Thrilled I spotted it, Luna hugged my waist fiercely. Her small frame—how strong could it be?
Squeeeze.
Grown from recent karma gains, her grip choked the breath from me.
“But that's that, and this is this. Hassan, you went to the Venus Temple! Too mean...!”
“C-Commission... gold...”
[Author's Note]
One gold coin's worth is about 10 million won...
10 million won....
Enough to make a person bark, right...
This mutt barks for a precious donation coupon of 100 won...
Woof woof.