Chapter 214
Chapter 214
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: Rose of White Silver #2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Delphina slurped down the tea poured into her small glass cup.
"Ah, hot—."
It seemed to have been scalding since it had just been boiling moments ago, and she quickly set the cup down with a start.
For a competent Silver Tier adventurer, she showed quite a few openings, which gave off a strong sense of humanity.
But right now, I had a more pressing issue gnawing at my head.
"You want me to touch your body? Me...?"
"Heh, yeah."
This was the first time in my life I'd heard such a request in a cafe. I'd thought I'd graduated from reading too much into women's casual words and actions.
But at this point, suspicion crept back in, and I couldn't help but let my imagination run wild.
Why does she want me to touch her body?
Does she like me or something?
Come to think of it, earlier when she called me over, she said something like, "Would you spare some time for a handsome guy?"
I'd made plenty of blunders and gotten my hopes up falsely in life, but wasn't this a reasonably suspicious situation?
Even if women in this world had relatively open minds, they wouldn't ask someone they weren't into to touch their body.
My throat felt parched from all the thinking, so I picked up my teacup and gulped down about half its contents.
The hot liquid burned through my body, making my head spin a bit.
"If you want me to touch you, where exactly?"
"Every nook and cranny."
I was certain.
This girl likes me.
Had I done something with her? Nothing came to mind. But could she like me anyway?
Thinking about it, I'd heard that popular people started dating after just one day of meeting. I'd only heard it as talk, but it turns out it was realistically possible.
Maybe the currently rising hot guy Hassan was unknowingly radiating charm outward.
I never knew I had a talent for seducing women.
And Delphina wasn't just any woman—she was quite pretty. Even now, just sitting here in the teahouse drinking tea together had several men glancing our way.
A woman like that liking me made me feel a bit good, but on the other hand, I wondered if this was okay. I already had Luna.
I'd decided to live a pure life free of infidelity. I had to refuse this.
"I get how you feel, but I'll pass. I already have someone in my heart."
"What? Someone in your heart? What does that mean?"
Delphina raised an eyebrow, as if she had no idea what I was talking about.
Was she unable to accept her proposal being rejected? If it were me, I'd probably want to deny it once or twice after a confession rejection.
As I pondered how to softly refuse, Delphina let out a short "Ah—" of realization and set her teacup down on the table with a clack.
"Ah, what? You took that the wrong way? I meant I want you to massage my body."
"Massage?"
"Yeah. I heard your massage skills are pretty good."
What the hell. It was about massage.
I suddenly felt extremely embarrassed.
I wished this wasn't reality, wished I could crawl under the table. But since I couldn't, I just kept sipping my innocent teacup.
"What's this? You're embarrassed? You have a surprisingly innocent side. So, how did you interpret what I meant by wanting you to touch me? Hmm?"
Delphina prodded relentlessly, like an adventurer who'd found a monster's weak point and was pressing the attack, refusing to let go of the opening I'd shown.
As expected of Delphina the Needle Blade.
True to an adventurer who wielded a dagger like a thin needle, she stabbed at gaps aggressively.
"No, well—. That was just—."
"Were you thinking something naughty? Hehe, you're sneaky—."
"Ahem, well, yeah."
"...But now that I think about it, it's infuriating. I asked you to touch me in a lewd way, and you refused. Now I'm getting competitive."
"I'm busy. Let's drop this and get to the point. So you want a massage from me?"
I tried to twist the conversation to escape this awkward situation.
"Busy? You've got half a day waiting for Pink Hair, don't you?"
Delphina yanked the conversation back like a seasoned coachman reining in runaway horses.
At that moment, I realized.
Delphina was addicted to teasing naive guys like me.
Maybe she was the tomboy who ruled the alleys as a gang leader, smacking boys' heads.
If I got caught in her pace like this, I'd end up mentally stripped and toyed with.
I had to seize control of the conversation.
"If you're just gonna keep sidetracking, I'm leaving. I don't give massages to just anyone."
"Oh? I was even going to pay you properly. I heard you're on the verge of promoting to Silver Tier, right? It'd be really helpful."
"What's that?"
* * *
The Alchemist Guild had a ton of rooms.
Among them were on-call rooms for staff on night duty.
They were sparse rooms with just a bed and a few drawers.
"This room should do nicely."
There was no better place for massaging Delphina's body.
"You've been to the Alchemist Guild a lot?"
"Yeah."
Delphina sat lightly on the bed and answered my question.
"Doping is essential for adventurers. And there are lots of situations where you need various potions."
As expected of a high-tier adventurer. Low-tier Iron or Bronze adventurers like me didn't buy potions often because of the cost.
But Silver Tier adventurers who earned big could afford to plaster themselves with doping agents, expensive enchanted gear for protection and efficiency—it wouldn't be strange.
Now that I looked, the leather light armor and shoulder guards Delphina wore were in pretty good condition. Probably enchanted with protection reinforcement.
How much would one of those cost?
As I casually scanned her,
Delphina hugged her own body, covering her chest with her arms.
"Where are you looking? Pervert—. Women are pretty sensitive to men's gazes, you know."
Shit?
I couldn't let my guard down even a little.
Every word from Delphina's mouth felt like it shaved a minute off my lifespan. Like piercing defense ignore damage.
But this was a sealed massage parlor.
Here, the authority belonged not to the client, but to me, the masseur performing the massage.
"Anyway, lie down on your stomach first."
"On my stomach?"
"Yeah, you asked for a massage. I'll do a full-body 30-minute course."
"Full-body 30 minutes?"
Delphina furrowed her brow slightly, as if she didn't understand what I meant.
"Yeah, whatever. Just lie on my stomach? Can I keep my clothes on?"
"Take them off if it's more comfortable."
"Heh, nah."
"Fine. At least take off your shoulder guards."
"Okay. Looking forward to it."
Shing, clunk—.
Delphina removed her gauntlets, shoulder guards, and greaves. Then she took off her leather light armor.
What emerged was a sleeveless ochre shirt, quite loose and showing signs of use—unexpectedly casual.
Below that, her chest was moderately sized, similar to Luna's.
No. Snap out of it.
I'd been staring unconsciously, and before Delphina could tease me with "Pervert—," I hurriedly looked away. She just laughed instead.
"You do have an innocent side. Not much experience with women's bodies?"
"Does that matter? Anyway, on your stomach."
I patted the bed. Delphina flashed a playful smile, seeming about to say more, but then stretched out on the bed as instructed.
From this view, her body's balance was impressive. Most people leaned left or right.
"Are you ambidextrous?"
"How'd you know?"
"Just a hunch."
"But actually, I'm not. I was left-handed, but trained to use both."
"I see. Forced correction?"
"Most gear is for right-handers. Formations in mercenary groups are too. I'm from the Palakia Mercenary Corps."
I didn't know what the Palakia Mercenary Corps was,
but I got the idea: a lefty facing life's inconveniences, getting used to her right hand, eventually becoming somewhat ambidextrous.
Yet her joints and muscles were so straight and balanced—she must've put in bloody effort.
High-tier adventurers above Silver were mostly workaholics.
Talented and hardworking.
Addicts to effort.
That's why low-tier adventurers like me couldn't catch up no matter how hard we flew with ordinary methods.
"Alright, touching now. 30 minutes starts."
I flipped the large 30-minute hourglass in the room.
Srrrrk—.
As the sand slowly drained, I gently grasped Delphina's right wrist first.
"Why there?"
"Be quiet."
Ding—.
Name: Delphina Goldseeker lv. 32
Status: Chronic lower back pain》
Whoa. First time seeing such a clean status. High-tier adventurers usually had curses and debuffs plastered on.
Did that mean Delphina was skilled at managing her body?
Level 32. Exactly 10 above me.
Come to think of it, Gogrid I took down was around level 30. Could I fight this one with necromancy? I imagined briefly.
But all I pictured was a thin needle dagger piercing my heart.
"What're you doing?"
"Oh, your lower back's pretty bad?"
"Yeah, it is. You can tell from my wrist?"
"Yeah, something like that. Anyway, starting for real now."
I cupped her side with both palms.
It was very slim, but through the thin sleeveless shirt, I felt densely balanced, firm muscles.
"Aahn...!"
"W-What."
"Just testing. You start massages from the back, huh."
"Seemed like your back needed it."
I hadn't planned where to start. Just thought her slim, firm back looked good to begin with.
Squeeeze—.
"Hng, feels pretty good. Decent—. Circular, rolling upward with thumbs...."
Delphina commented on my massage like a critic. Almost like she was studying techniques.
Actually, experiencing it firsthand was the best way to learn massage.
Stealing my secrets?
Fine by me. With that attitude, I pressed firmly from her waist to tailbone with my thumbs.
Each time, her firm glutes tensed—quite a sight. Healthy reactions.
"Ugh, ah, hurts?"
"This'll hurt more. Might snap if you tense. Relax."
"Tense?"
I pushed up hard on the hand on her pelvis.
Crack—.
A sharp sound like a beam breaking.
"Hngggh—!!"
Delphina gripped the bedsheet in agony. Before my eyes, text said chronic lower back pain cured, and Karma Value incoming.
My current Karma Value: 255.
No spending soon, so tonight home, ask Luna for totem to level up.
Two levels would be at least 24. With luck, straight to 26 from 25.
Even without mastering aura, I'd be close to Silver Tier level 30.
Once necromancer pursuit eases, release main goblins in monster forest for auto-farming Karma—sounds good.
As I spun happy circuits,
"Hnggg, hurts so much...."
Delphina, who'd twitched from the adjustment, slowly sat up. Brow deeply furrowed—she must've been in real pain.
The sound was huge, so pain too.
"Back shouldn't hurt now, right?"
"Wait, yeah, it feels better.... Amazing. Hate to admit it, but I do. Samarian, for that, can you use my remaining 20 minutes on someone else?"
"Someone else?"
"If things go well, our party's named monster location info."
Named monster.
One thing I'd been most interested in lately: named monsters.
Killing them secured Luna's safety and gave huge monster corpses.
I regretted not reviving Goblin King Gogrid's body yet.
Could've gotten a maxed main goblin.
Skeptical, I asked back.
"Not Elfreede, right?"