Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Swamp Native Hassan
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The women surrounding Luna were all armed to the teeth with swords, shields, and gleaming suits of armor.
Unlike street thugs or Iron Tier drifters, their gear was well-maintained and properly fitted.
The more copper, iron, or whatever metal plates their armor covered, the pricier it got.
Judging by the way they clanked around like Roman soldiers, these women seemed to rank among the higher-earning adventurers.
Wearing good armor meant they made good money, and making good money meant they were skilled adventurers—that simple formula checked out.
And skilled adventurers were usually ruthless killing machines who’d slice through people, beasts, or monsters without a second thought, conscience be damned.
“Hey, Luna. You know better than anyone what kind of people we are, right? You’ve gotten plenty of help from us.”
“T-that’s true, but…. I never asked for your help. You just—”
“Listen to this cheeky little thing. So now you’re trying to cut ties with us? You’ve been dodging us lately. What, now that you’re doing okay, you think you can ghost us?”
They hemmed her in, speaking in low, calm tones.
From afar, it might’ve looked like a friendly chat among women, but up close, Luna’s trembling form was downright pitiful.
It reminded me of a scene from some old documentary—a gazelle trapped by lionesses looked just like that.
“You might not be one of the Twelve Gods, but you swore a vow of chastity to the Goddess. You qualify to join our Order of the Sword Maidens. What’s a soft girl like you gonna do on her own?”
“I-I’ve got a fixed party now.”
“A fixed party? You haven’t learned your lesson yet. Hey, grab her! Take everything she’s got!”
Fuck, what kind of cult recruitment is this? The people around just glanced over from a distance and kept walking, not wanting to get involved in the hassle.
If Luna weren’t someone I knew, I’d have walked right past too. No point picking a fight and ending up with a knife in my gut.
Me jumping into a pack of vicious women like that would just add one more victim. Fuck, they’re all Bronze Tier. Way too scary.
“What’s this? Hiding something good?”
“N-no, don’t! That’s my parasite potion! Give it back!”
“Toss it, toss it. Why the hell are you carrying this around?”
“No—!”
Luna finally burst into tears. Seeing her like that reminded me of how I’d been bullied by Elfriede and her followers, and it pissed me off.
So I let my anger override any rational thought and charged in.
“Hey, fuck off. Why throw away something that valuable? If you’re tossing it, give it to me, you bitches.”
“What the—? Who’s this giant fucking bastard? Shit, I thought he was a troll.”
I snatched the bamboo flask from the stunned woman and uncorked it. No need to sniff or taste it first—I just chugged it down.
“F-fuck, this guy’s insane!”
“Is his tongue shredded or something?”
The women freaked out at my bold display.
Luckily—or unluckily, depending—it wasn’t half bad for something that had scared them so much.
Felt like drinking spicy tea? Compared to the weird juices my dad used to give me, this was like cola.
No, more like Dew or milk tea. How the hell did they nail this flavor?
“Not bad at all.”
*Ding-.*
『Your Stamina stat temporarily increases by 1.』
What’s this? Doping? Anyway, something more important right now.
“Hassan!”
Luna looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. Like finding a lifeline in a pit?
Unlike her hopeful expression spreading with relief, the women around us looked more and more pissed.
“Hassan? Oh, so this is the Samaritan everyone’s been talking about. Built like a tank, alright.”
“This is the guy you’re relying on, huh? So if we take him out, you’ll join the Order of the Sword Maidens?”
*Shing, shing-.*
They all drew their swords in unison, looking downright murderous.
I’d been in a pinch like this just a bit ago.
Back then, it was three Iron Tier adventurers, and I figured I could handle them.
But seven this time.
Seven armed Bronze Tier women warriors at once? Fuck, this might be my grave.
Still, I wasn’t going down without a fight. I grabbed my two swords from my belt, one in each hand, and bellowed.
“Fuck, whoever comes at me first is dead!”
Even I thought my voice boomed. The noisy plaza in front of the guild went dead silent for a moment.
But the silence didn’t last.
“Check that spirit. Kinda hot.”
“What do you think we should do with him? Rene? You wanna go first?”
“You yielding to me? Thanks.”
“I said the first one to rush me dies! I warned you!”
Despite my all-out warning, they didn’t flinch—in fact, they seemed thrilled. Made me realize this world was full of psychos as I gritted my teeth.
Should I charge first before they do? Or run? Sweat soaked my back as I debated.
“Enough—.”
Someone pushed through the women and stepped in to mediate. It was a tall woman.
First thing I noticed: her tousled dark brown hair. And sun-kissed bronze skin.
Her lips pursed in indifference, jaw set firm for a woman. Yet her blazing brown eyes burned sharp.
A Samaritan? No, not quite. Samaritans had skin like mine, yellowish. She looked more South American.
And what’s with that skimpy armor? Just bronze guards on her chest, wrists, and ankles.
Belly and thighs fully exposed—how is that not dangerous? Does it even count as armor?
As I thought that, something metallic glinted around her neck. And I learned firsthand that “my mind went blank” isn’t just a cliché.
*Clang-.*
Fuck, a Silver Tier adventurer? Same rank as that dangerous fire witch Elfriede. A veteran among veterans.
The gap between an Iron Tier like me and a Silver Tier was bigger than between a conscript trainee and a special forces sergeant.
Anyway, I was totally fucked now!
“H-Hippolyte.”
“…This isn’t for you to step in, sis. We’ve got this.”
Even those tough, scary Bronze Tier women turned into puppies before their Silver Tier leader.
*Step, step.*
But the Silver Tier woman didn’t spare them a glance. She strode straight up to me.
Despite being a head shorter, the pressure she exuded was intense—Elfriede or witch Nemea levels.
Up close, her ripped muscles and scars everywhere gave off a dangerously alluring vibe, teetering between woman and warrior.
First woman I’ve seen in this world where “female warrior” fit so perfectly. Anyway, the Silver Tier warrior said to me.
“Samaritan. Bravado and courage are different things. But you’re an intriguing man—the most interesting I’ve seen in a while.”
Her voice carried a bold edge, but her face up close was pretty—beautiful, even. Made me more nervous for some reason.
“You the Samaritan who beat a lion to death barehanded and butchered a hundred goblins with his handblade?”
“T-that’s… kinda me, but not really. That whole thing…”
I’m gonna kill that Malco bastard. Smash his nose flat with a rock.
“Impressive. You smell like my father—reeking of strife and savagery. The scent of a lion weeping in your grasp. You must be favored by the gods.”
She took a deep breath—*sniiiif*—and let it out with a booming voice.
“I am Hippolyte, daughter of the great god of strife, Mars. What’s your name?”
“I’m Hassan of Samaria, for now…”
“Hassan of Samaria. I, Hippolyte, will watch over you.”
*
Before a raging storm, all a little wildflower can do is sway in the wind.
That was me right now.
Tossed and turned by the chaos until the wind finally died, leaving me not knowing where I’d ended up—flung far away.
My legs gave out, so I just sat on a bench, resting until my mind cleared. Nothing else I could do.
“Fucked up big time.”
Getting marked by a Silver Tier adventurer. Shit, might have to leave town over this.
“Sorry, Hassan. You got on the Order of the Sword Maidens’ bad side because of me.”
Luna kept apologizing beside me. I almost snapped at her for a second, but rationally, it was those maiden whatevers’ fault, not hers.
I’m not just Samaritan Hassan—I’m 21st-century cultured Hassan. Gotta direct my anger at the right target.
“You seemed to know them. What’s their deal?”
“The Order of the Sword Maidens? Super dangerous bunch. It’s a fixed party mostly made up of girls from the Amazoness Isles.”
Amazoness, huh? Like an otherworld feminist group.
No wonder—combat-strong women legally running around with swords and shields. This place is hell.
“Hey, why are you tangled up with them?”
“When I first got to the city, I took some help from them. But we didn’t vibe, so I bailed.”
“Ah.”
“Their leader Hippolyte is terrifying. Ripped a guy apart with her bare hands, they say. Rumors she’s really Mars’s daughter…”
“Daughter of a god?”
I’d met a few who claimed divine blood.
Closest memory: some M-shaped balding Iron Tier asshole I couldn’t even name.
People here loved exaggerating—claiming blessings or saying they’re sons or daughters of this or that god to hype their badassery.
Of course, it was usually bullshit.
But when it’s a veteran Silver Tier adventurer? Different story.
“Fucked up.”
“B-but you were kinda cool back there, Hassan. Chugging that parasite brew without flinching. I couldn’t do that…. Most people dilute it with water.”
“Oh, that. Gulped down 6 silvers worth just like that.” What a waste.
For some reason, my body started buzzing with energy again.
Blood rushing to my crotch felt like that time in school when friends snuck in stamina pills as a joke and I swallowed one.
No sign of it going down. Fuck. Gotta stand up with my hands in my pockets?
“By the way, Hassan, you cut your hair again. And there’s a weird smell—”
Luna sniffed me—*sniff sniff*. I panicked, thinking she’d sniff out last night’s witch escapades, and shoved her face away hard.
“Hey, quit sniffing!”
“It’s fine, I like Hassan’s smell. All boiled and fermented. Smells just like back home in Ideophe.”
“You like my smell? Don’t go saying that out loud. Guys will get the wrong idea.”
“But Hassan’s the most refined guy I’ve met.”
Should I be happy she trusts me like that as a man, or sad I lack manly presence?
More like, if she found out about my witch romp last night, would her innocent face change? Does she even know about that stuff?
“Hey, just curiosity.”
“What?”
“Do you know how babies are made?”
“…”
Luna turned beet red and fidgeted without a word. That said enough.
I mentally bumped up her IQ a notch.