Chapter 120
Chapter 120
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 120
Chapter Title: Squishy Prisoner # (Interlude)
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Elga's attitude had softened noticeably.
“Lady Elga, you're drenched in sweat. Time to go wash up.”
“…….”
Her unfocused gaze floating in the air was a bit concerning, but I figured it was just the afterglow of sex's pleasure. Nothing too strange about that.
Did I do that well?
Do I have a talent for sex?
“I'll help you wash.”
Splash, splash.
By the time we finished bathing and came out, Elga—now wrapped in a clean white robe—poked my side.
I turned my head, thinking she wanted her hair stroked again, but she stared into empty space and muttered something odd.
“I thought you were hallucinating from being out of it. But it's still there even after the bath.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Theo, can you see this too?”
“Lady Elga's breasts?”
“What are you talking about? This right here.”
“What do you mean, see?”
“There are letters here. Written in midair.”
“Letters in midair?”
It was out of left field, but not entirely without clues. So, just in case, I asked,
“Can you tell me what it says?”
“My name, my job, noble lady, stuff like that.”
Just as I thought.
Elga had clearly unlocked the system—her status window. I'd suspected as much when she mentioned letters, and now it was confirmed.
“What is this? Theo, do you know anything about it?”
“Well... probably...”
I hesitated at her question. Should I tell her straight, or gloss over it...?
“It's probably the system.”
“System?”
“Also called a status window.”
“Status window?”
Elga furrowed her brow like she couldn't grasp it, then plopped down on the bed and let out a short “Ah-” as if something clicked.
“The blessing the heroes had!”
She suddenly acted thrilled, so I had to ask in turn.
“What do you mean? The blessing the heroes had?”
She looked at me like I was a bit slow and chided,
“What's with you, Theo? You don't know everything after all? And here I thought you knew more than me.”
“So, what's this blessing?”
When I pressed, she said it like she was doing me a favor.
“The heroes who defeated the Angmar Demon King—what were they guided by some divine revelation or whatever that let them grow endlessly strong? That's what these letters are!”
The heroes who beat the Demon King—those would be the old heads of your own family.
Wise Isabel Tarantela, valiant Bald Lioness, free-spirited Opal Bellhock, devout Judas Draco.
From Elga's explanation, it seemed they all had status windows.
Makes sense.
To take down an absolute like the 10th Circle Demon King, the heroes needed some special edge.
If they had status windows and trained relentlessly based on them, ripping the Demon King apart would have solid logic.
The question is how the Demon King's status windows—made for his minions—ended up with the heroes, and why they're suddenly visible to Elga now.
I had a few guesses.
Like how I got these strange letters as a gift from Imp Marmar—maybe I gifted them to Elga somehow.
Nothing else fits.
Probably right.
「Composed Situation Assessment!
Gain experience from Talent 《Composed Thinking》.
All job experience +5」
Yep.
Elga said,
“To think I've awakened the same power as the heroes...!”
She seemed absolutely giddy after getting her status window.
“With this power, I might even take down that nasty bitch Mirna—or maybe even Aira...!”
No trace of her earlier gloom; she was like a kid unwrapping Christmas presents.
I wonder if I looked that excited when I first got mine.
But worried she'd do something reckless in her hype, I laid her down and stroked her hair to calm her.
“Sleep first. It's late.”
“Yeah! Hehe, tomorrow I'll experiment with all sorts of stuff—.”
I lay with her on the freshly made bed. But then she let out a short “Ahng.”
Ahng?
It had a naughty ring, so I wondered if I'd accidentally brushed her breast or something.
“What? Why make that sound?”
“No. Saying it like this brings up the letters.”
Ah, so the status window trigger is “Ahng.” Short and simple, but kinda weird. Ahng, of all things.
Elga kept going “Ahng, ahng—”
Opening and closing the window like it was the most fun game. Felt like she'd already slept enough.
* * *
It took a while before Elga lost interest in her status window.
Exhausted from the day's events, I'd been dozing off while stroking her hair.
“Hey, Theo, you listening? You're not falling asleep, are you?”
She shook me awake. I snapped out of my half-melted drowsiness and wiped the drool from my mouth.
“Yeah, I was listening.”
“I thought you were asleep.”
“…….”
If you thought that, let me sleep....
The words buzzed in my throat but didn't come out. I knew it'd upset her.
So I just yawned silently until she spoke.
“You probably heard, but I'm thinking of sending messenger birds to my dad. Hawks over pigeons? Faster.”
“Messenger birds? What for?”
She looked up at me from my chest, frowned slightly, and pinched my stomach hard.
“So you weren't listening.”
“...Ow.”
“Knew it. Guess you missed the part about sending them to Father?”
She'd said that?
I'd dozed off.
I decided to be honest.
“Was half-asleep, so I missed it. Sorry.”
“How can you fall asleep talking to me? Doesn't being with me make you tense or excited?”
“No, it's...”
“It's your stamina. Starting tomorrow, special stamina training at dawn with me. Two laps around the Ark ruins, got it?”
Stamina training.
The horror made my vision blur.
As I said before, this half-fairy body has weak stamina—gets winded from the slightest rush.
“Anyway, sending a few birds to Father. Lots to ask, lots to report.”
“You'll tell him about us too?”
“Are you crazy?”
She bristled at my question.
“If Dad finds out about you and me now, he'll rip your head off!”
“Duke Reinhardt would rip my head off?”
I pictured the giant man grabbing my head. His dignity and build made it all too easy to imagine.
That guy could twist my neck like opening a soda cap. But Reinhardt was cultured, in his way.
“Would Duke Reinhardt really kill me?”
“What do you think? Dragging home some unknown guy as a son-in-law? Of course he'd rage! A weakling who whines about no sleep—fit for the Lioness family? If Father saw you—.”
“…….”
I paused, hit by facts. Elga shuddered, realizing her slip, and quickly added,
“I mean, that's what Father would say. I don't think that.”
Then she stroked my stomach.
It looked like comfort, but clumsy—probably her first time trying.
“But you are frail. You need to beat Father in a fight. He'll definitely come for your head!”
“No, Lord Reinhardt's Prime Minister in Monarch City right now. You think he'd come all the way here just for that?”
“Yeah!”
Who'd look after me then?
If the Lioness family—ruling Angmar and keeping order—mobilized troops, who knows what chaos would erupt domestically.
We'd just stabilized things, and now my messing with Elga causes bigger mess? Horrifying. Sweat trickled down my back as I said calmly,
“We have to keep it secret from Duke Reinhardt.”
“Yeah! At least until you can hold your own against Father for a few exchanges. Until we can beat him together.”
“You'll fight alongside me, Lady Elga?”
At my question, she buried her face in my side like it was embarrassing.
“...Yeah. I'll fight with you now. You're so damn weak.”
I see.
Elga had mustered her courage to confess, in her way. What bigger confession than fighting together?
Her heart was melting soft, so I decided to be honest too.
“If you're in danger, Lady Elga, I'll fight with you.”
“Hmph, as if. Worry about yourself.”
She nibbled my side—ahng—not hard, just ticklish, almost making me laugh.
Nice mood.
I figured I'd confess a few more things now.
“Lady Elga, another confession.”
“Confession...? What now... So embarrassing.”
She fidgeted. I said to her,
“Actually, less a confession, more asking forgiveness...”
My throat suddenly clogged.
Pure survival instinct—I felt she'd kill me.
“What? Forgiveness? Did you do something wrong?”
Her attitude was soft. In this good mood, she'd probably forgive anything.
But what I had to say wasn't a bomb—it was a massive meteor.
Still, can't run forever.
This meteor had to drop sometime. Now felt optimal, my composed thinking insisted.
But better buckle up first.
“Lady Elga. We're family now, right?”
“...Yeah, you could say that.”
“So if I took another wife, how would that work with you and the others?”
“We'd be family...”
Elga stopped. She sat up slowly and looked down at me coldly. Her sea-blue eyes seemed icier than icicles.
“You have another woman.”
“…….”
Her instincts were sharp as a starving beast. I sat up too, facing her squarely. No running like a man.
She sighed softly and shrugged helplessly.
“You're really something, huh? Didn't expect another woman. But whatever—who could be that great?”
“Uh...”
“Guess I have to accept it graciously? Wide-minded, cultured high noble and all.”
She spoke like suppressing rage—more a low growl. But I saw her trying to forgive me, so I relaxed a bit.
She continued.
“Have to embrace it as the main wife. Open-mindedly. I'm the legal wife anyway. The rest are concubines. I'll have the highest status? Concubines are just... body without heart?”
Her words rambled; her patience teetered on the edge. Finally, she stared straight and asked,
“So who? Not that weird imp who stole my pork cutlet, right?”
“Not Marmar.”
“Then who? Never seen any other woman around you besides that imp...”
Was she clueless, or denying reality? She circled the topic. I had to tell the truth.
“Lady Elga, you're family with Lady Mirna now.”
“Like we're really family.”