After a Satisfying Night
After a thoroughly satisfying night, Seong-il woke to the morning sunlight, rubbing his eyes. Beside him lay a silver-haired beauty, her face nestled against his chest as she slept. The memory of their incredibly sticky, passionate sex sent a fresh wave of ecstasy through him, and he found himself smiling before he even realized it.
Still replaying the previous night in his mind, Seong-il pulled Pirina closer and began kneading her firm backside. The stimulation woke her. She looked up at him with a smile and murmured, "Hehe... Are you awake now, Young Master Seong-il?"
He pressed a light kiss to her forehead. "Good morning."
At his greeting she rose from the bed and stretched luxuriously. The sight of her voluptuous breasts, pert nipples, tousled silver hair, and the pale, smooth skin of her armpits made Seong-il's heart pound. Fully awake now, Pirina leaned in and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
"Hehe... How was last night? Did you enjoy yourself?"
"Of course. Without a doubt, it was the best night I've ever spent."
Seeing the genuine sincerity on his face, Pirina let out a bright laugh. "Really... It's been years since I retired and took a customer. I was a little nervous, but I'm glad you liked it."
Seong-il asked carefully, "Could we... see each other again next time?"
Pirina gave him a playful, ambiguous look. "Well...?"
"I'm not a woman who sells her body anymore, so strictly speaking I should say no. But if you promise not to see any other prostitutes and only come to me, I'll consider it. The price would stay the same as yesterday, of course."
With that, she gracefully knelt before him, veil held between her lips. Using both hands, she swept her silver hair behind her back, deliberately displaying her ample breasts and pale armpits without the slightest hint of shame as she tied her hair. She slipped on a top that was little more than a bra, knotting the shoulder straps, then stood and turned away. Bending at the waist until her torso formed a perfect ninety-degree angle, she positioned herself so he had an unobstructed view of her pussy.
In that exposed pose she pretended to search for something, swaying her hips in slow, tempting circles. Finally she picked up her panties, slid her legs through, and drew them up with agonizing slowness, inch by inch. She dressed in the same deliberately seductive manner with her pants, then turned her head to look at him and smiled without a word.
Still smiling, she lifted her veil, planted a quick kiss on his cheek, replaced the veil, and left him lying there on the bed as she walked out.
Her words and actions had already made up his mind long ago. Two gold coins? So what. He had plenty, and the money hadn't been earned through hardship anyway. Wasn't it only natural to spend easily earned money just as easily?
Besides, other prostitutes? Even if the brothel offered him a fortune, how likely was he to find another woman with a body like hers? Not likely at all.
Having settled his thoughts, Seong-il washed in the bathhouse, dressed, and left the establishment. He had slept late, but with no special classes scheduled today he could wander the city at his leisure. He stopped by the dormitory to pick up his student ID, then headed for the official guild in Adenheim.
"Hmm? New face. From the East? A merchant?"
Another merchant, huh. The line had become so familiar he barely noticed it anymore.
Is there some stereotype in this world that all Easterners are traders?
Seong-il said nothing. He simply took out his student ID and held it up in front of the receptionist.
"Oh? You're a student? The date says you're a new freshman."
Having confirmed his identity, she asked, "What brings you in today? An alchemist quest? Freshmen usually don't have many suitable tasks..."
The plump, red-haired receptionist rattled on without waiting for his answer. Tired of her attitude, Seong-il sighed. "I'm not here to take a request. I'm here to make one."
She blinked in surprise. "Ah! Goodness, I went on and on without even asking. I'm sorry. What sort of request did you want to make?"
"I'd like to be introduced to a real estate agent."
She shrugged as though that were convenient. "We can handle that directly. Our guild has been granted brokerage authority by Adenheim City Hall. You'd be safer going through us than an independent agent—far less risk of fraud."
"I see. There's a particular house I'm interested in. Could you check whether it's available for purchase?"
She beamed. "Of course! Even better that you've already chosen one. Which house?"
He gave her the address of the 'cursed house' he had researched beforehand.
"Uh...?!" Her face paled and her voice trembled. "Do... do you know about that house?"
"Yes. I hear it's drowning in ridiculous rumors. That's why it's so cheap."
She shifted uncomfortably, then spoke with obvious reluctance. "...My job is to present properties favorably for the guild's benefit, but this is a matter of conscience. Sir, that place is truly sinister. At least eighty percent of those rumors are probably true."
Seong-il smiled. "So the remaining twenty percent are false? Haha! That's how rumors work. We Easterners don't believe in such superstitions. Fearing a string of coincidences as some kind of curse is what's truly ridiculous."
Her expression hardened. "Sir, your ID says you're barely of age. Living with your ears closed to warnings like that could cost you dearly one day. That house is the real thing."
Seong-il's face grew even more brazen. "Whether I'm twenty or thirty makes no difference. I'm an adult either way. And if I were the type to be swayed by gossip, I wouldn't have left my homeland for the Nelke Kingdom."
"I appreciate the advice, but my life is my own responsibility. If you're that worried about your reputation, shall I write a statement? Something like: despite the guild doing everything possible to warn this customer about the house's terrible rumors, the customer insisted on the purchase."
Faced with his unyielding attitude, the guild employee fell silent. After a moment of internal debate she said, "This... this isn't something I can decide alone. Could you wait here?"
She disappeared through a door. Soon she returned with a middle-aged man who appeared to be her superior.
"So... you're the Eastern exchange student who wants to buy that sinister house?"
"Correct."
The man stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "I'll be frank. The terrible incidents that occurred there are all real. Knowing that, you still wish to purchase it?"
"I intend to prove those incidents were nothing more than coincidence. I'll show that such superstitions crumble easily before reason and logic."
The guild employee glared at him incredulously. "If you're going to be that stubborn, we'll proceed with the brokerage. But I want a written statement exactly as you told our receptionist—we informed you fully of the risks, yet you demanded to buy it anyway."
"As you know, trust is the foundation of this business. Selling a house like that and having something happen to the buyer would damage the guild's reputation. Frankly I don't want to handle this, but refusing would violate national law, so I'm doing it under protest."
Seong-il nodded. "Don't worry. I'll provide whatever statement you need. Ah—I don't have a seal. Would a thumbprint suffice?"
The man gave a helpless laugh and nodded, producing the statement and contract. Following his instructions, Seong-il completed the paperwork, paid the deposit, and agreed to return the next day.
Right... Time to go find some holy water to break that curse.
Seong-il made his way to the temple of Olta, God of Light.
The Nelke Kingdom was polytheistic, so the city contained temples to many deities. He had chosen Olta's order for a simple reason.
Among all the gods, Olta's followers are most renowned for exorcism, curse removal, and breaking necromantic arts...
The orders of Justice and Earth had some skill in curse-breaking, but their reputation paled beside that of Olta, who embodied light itself.
With these thoughts he entered the Temple of Light and asked, "How should I inquire about requesting a blessing or purification?"
A strikingly beautiful nun approached. Oh... Was there a character like this in the original story? She's stunning. Her jet-black hair and sapphire eyes stood out beautifully against her pure white hood and robes.
"Greetings. I understand you were asking about blessings and purification, brother. Are you a follower of Lord Olta?"
"No, I'm not. But Olta's power is so famous in this area that I came anyway. I know it's presumptuous, but I need help."
The nun smiled gently. "Of course. How could we refuse a brother in need? Tell us your situation and we'll provide an appropriate bottle of holy water."
Seong-il waved his hands. "Ordinary holy water won't do. If I show the utmost sincerity, could I purchase the highest-grade holy water? Please, Sister."
She looked troubled and thought for a long while. "Normally we don't sell highest-grade holy water to non-believers... Excuse me, but could you wait a moment?"
She turned and disappeared. Does everyone here run to their superiors the moment someone asks a question? Seong-il sighed inwardly and waited.
Before long she returned with an elderly priest who appeared to be her superior.
"So you are the one who wishes to purchase our order's highest-grade holy water?"
"Yes."
The priest frowned. "Generally, highest-grade holy water cannot leave the church unless the recipient is a devout believer. I'm sorry, but I must ask you to withdraw the request."
Seong-il opened his pouch and showed them the contents. "Father, here are ten gold coins. If I offer them as a donation, could you show me mercy?"
Both the priest and nun looked stunned. One gold coin equals half a year's wages for an ordinary commoner. Ten would be shocking. The elderly priest's voice actually trembled with surprise, but Seong-il caught the flash of greed in his eyes.
Better to work on the priest than the rule-following nun.
"Father! If you provide me with one bottle of highest-grade holy water each day, I'll donate ten gold every day in return. Please, I beg you."
The conflicted priest asked, "Exactly what problem requires holy water, brother?"
Seong-il explained with a few embellishments. "The truth is, I unknowingly bought a house in Adenheim famous as the 'cursed house.' As an ignorant Easterner, I moved all my belongings in and had been living there for several days before I learned of its sinister reputation."
"I moved out in a panic, but I've been suffering terrible nightmares every night. I thought Lord Olta's holy water might solve the problem. I'd also like to sprinkle it on the furniture I left behind as a precaution against the curse."
"If you help me, I'll visit this temple every day and donate ten gold until the nightmares stop. It's a matter of my life. I implore your mercy, Father."