Chapter 30
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Karen's House
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Karen's House
A full-grown adult woman telling me to stay the night at her place in the dead of night.
For a split second, my heart fluttered, but when I looked into Karen's eyes, brimming with pure kindness, I shook off the dirty thoughts that had crossed my mind.
"No, I couldn't impose that much..."
"It's fine. I've got plenty of empty rooms anyway. At this hour, you'd have to pay extra just to find one, you know?"
I'd politely refused out of courtesy, but Karen brushed it off casually and invited me in.
"Come on. It's an order from your sky-high master. Hurry up and get inside."
"...Yes, ma'am..."
Refusing further would be rude, and honestly, after everything I'd been through today, I was pretty worn out. So I quietly accepted her kindness.
Come to think of it, I'd been training in the mansion's courtyard for weeks now, but I'd never actually stepped inside the place.
Click.
Karen led the way, opening the mansion door, and as I followed her in, the surprisingly spacious and comfortable interior came into view.
"...Wow."
"What do you think? First time letting a guest in."
"...It's huge... and kinda cool."
I was too absorbed in the mansion's interior to notice Karen's slightly smug expression.
It was worlds apart from the musty inn rooms I usually crashed in.
'What's that... a fridge? A fridge in a fantasy world? Holy crap. How many rooms are there? Those swords on the wall... they all look top-notch.'
"That's a refrigeration magic tool. It keeps food and drinks cold inside. Over there's the bathroom—no need to fetch water; just pull the lever and it comes out..."
Karen started explaining each fixture my eyes landed on.
A fridge, lights powered by something like bulbs instead of candles, a bathroom with hot water...
'Is this heaven...?'
Seeing a living standard that wasn't much different from Earth's, I felt like I might tear up for no reason.
"...Master, how much does a house like this cost?"
"This place? Just the house itself is around 2000 gold?"
"Gah!!!"
Caught up in the opulent scenery, I'd absentmindedly asked how much it'd cost to buy one like this, and her answer was beyond anything I'd imagined.
"What, surprised over that? The magic tools inside are worth even more."
"...How much are th—never mind. Forget I asked."
I dropped the question about the magic tools right there. Hearing the price would've crushed me, and I might've bolted out of the mansion in shame.
'Still...'
It was an unimaginable sum for the me up until now... but as I looked around the mansion, I set a small goal for myself.
'Someday, I'll live in a place like this.'
Before, I'd just scraped by day to day, hoping only to get back to Earth someday...
I still wanted to go home, but now I had some little goals to chase first.
Like living in a mansion like this, or getting stronger... or maybe satisfying my lust.
Pretty one-dimensional goals, but they didn't feel bad at all.
People need goals to keep moving forward.
"Use this room for sleeping. Bathroom's that way, and if you're hungry, grab whatever from the fridge magic tool and eat."
"Got it!"
I answered more energetically than ever.
Karen burst out laughing at my sparkling eyes fixed on the mansion, then headed upstairs via the central staircase.
"My room's on the second floor, so come ask if you need anything."
"Yes, ma'am! Sweet dreams!!"
I gave her a deep bow of genuine gratitude, something I hadn't done in ages.
Maybe because my body had gotten stronger, my form was perfect, without a single wobble—and perhaps sensing my sincerity, Karen's eyes lit up.
"Hmm, no. Extend your arms more from there... yeah. Hold it with your core..."
"...Uh, this is supposed to be a bow of thanks, not training."
"Oh... right?"
No, it wasn't my sincerity; she just wanted to correct my form.
Karen headed upstairs with a faintly disappointed look, and I happily made my way to the bathroom first.
'How long has it been since I last showered with warm water?'
Unlike other adventurers who bathed maybe once a year, I washed relatively often.
But without hot water, I'd always shivered in the cold stream, scrubbing with icy water...
Shhhhw aaaah!!!
"Nuuuugh...!!"
As I entered the bathroom and operated the magic tool like she'd shown, warm water poured over me, and some weird groan escaped my lips naturally.
My muscles melted into relaxation, fatigue washing away.
While enjoying the hot water for a bit, I closed my eyes and reflected on recent events.
'Why do I keep running into Evil God followers in such a short time...'
This time, I got lucky.
If that follower had been more skilled in combat, or had any attack methods beyond controlling undead, I'd have died there.
And... my Duplication ability. Without it, I'd have been done for.
Last time too. What saved my life both then and now was this bread-and-butter skill of mine.
'Speaking of which, what's this energy I burn when using Duplication?'
Thinking about the ability brought back Karen scanning my body with mana earlier.
That moment when a faintly warm, misty energy shifted shapes around inside me.
Karen had called it mana.
But it felt different from the energy I used for Duplication.
Like the energy I normally expended wasn't mana at all.
'Come to think of it, even after scanning me with mana, Karen just said everything was normal.'
When she scanned me, that energy... calling it "energy" every time feels off; maybe I'll just dub it "Duplication power." Lame name, I know, even by my standards.
Anyway, did she not notice it? If she'd sensed it, she'd have said something.
'It feels so clear to me, though.'
Even this time, duplicating those corpses in the sewer and the greatsword—it grew again.
Not as much as the first time duplicating a person, Laila, but it definitely increased.
If this much power is inside me and she didn't mention it... does that mean even direct mana scanning can't detect it?
Creeeak.
"Whew... whatever. Time to rest for now."
Too much had happened; I desperately needed a break. No more overthinking.
I used the nice-smelling soap to scrub clean, turned off the water, and stepped out.
Drying off with the bathroom towels, my eyes fell on the belongings I'd gotten back from the temple.
"Ugh..."
Among them were the clothes I'd been wearing in the sewer—reeking so badly I nearly cursed.
'Gotta toss this...'
No way I could wash and wear it. Lucky the temple gave me these thin white prisoner clothes or whatever.
My sword's in bad shape too. Covered in blood, brains, filth, and left like that—it's a mess.
"Where's the trash spot?"
Wait, if I dump it here, Karen might have to clean up later? Nah, with all these magic tools, maybe there's one for trash?
Worst case, take it outside and burn it.
'She said come upstairs if I have questions.'
Recalling her words, I climbed the stairs to ask about trash disposal.
Reaching the second-floor hallway, I hesitated, not knowing which room was hers...
Bang.
Suddenly, a door opened behind me. I turned to speak to her, but...
"......!!!"
She'd just come from the bathroom, towel wrapped around her wet hair, her pure white naked body fully exposed—and our eyes met.
"...Eek...!!"
"Sorry!!!!!!"
I whipped my head away, but the voluptuous sight of her body wouldn't leave my mind.
A hasty door slam echoed, and Karen's voice came from the other side.
"Ah, no! I forgot you were here and just went straight to my room after showering like always..."
Her slightly flustered voice was... kinda cute, even if I shouldn't think that in this atmosphere.
Usually low and casual to match her laid-back vibe, but now it was higher-pitched?
"A-anyway. What is it?"
Clearing her throat from beyond the door, she tried forcing her tone back to normal and asked.
"Oh... uh. Just wondering if there's a place to toss trash..."
"If it's not hazardous waste, open the kitchen door—there's a small incinerator. Just chuck it in."
"Roger... s-sorry again."
"........."
I blurted out my question and bolted from the second floor.
And shortly after Yuseong went downstairs.
Creeeak...
"Agh..."
Karen stepped out, face slightly flushed, hands covering it.
'I knew Yuseong was here... but habit kicked in...'
Due to her unique circumstances, she had a habit of wandering naked when home alone.
Especially right after a shower...
Even knowing he was around, she figured it was fine for a quick trip and stripped down...
But of all times, he comes up exactly while she's moving from bathroom to room...
'...It's fine, right?'
After squirming in embarrassment, hands over her face, she decided to treat it as a minor mishap and forget it.
'Yeah. Yuseong'll shake it off too. A scarred-up body like mine isn't much to look at anyway...'
Assuming he'd feel the same and push it from his mind.
.
.
.
.
"Holy shit."
Back in my room, I replayed the scene over and over, searing it into my brain so I'd never forget.
The fatigue from all those ordeals vanished in an instant, replaced by surging lust.
'I was just gonna sleep...!!'
This was all Karen's fault.
After a rare hot shower, I'd planned to crash hard... but after seeing that, how could I just sleep?
'Doing this in someone else's house is kinda wrong...'
Screw it. Holding back after that would be a crime.
After dodging death, my urges felt especially strong today anyway.
'Plus... maybe right now.'
As I prepared to indulge like always, a strange anticipation welled up.
Right now, with Karen's nude form burned into my retinas. And especially now, having touched her bare skin—which she'd never allowed before—and absorbed her mana!!
'The duplication quality might be even higher...!!'
I might finally perfect her duplicate beyond just the chest.
Yeah... maybe even down below...!!
'And this is inside Karen's mansion.'
When duplicating Laila or Karen, I'd used their hair as a medium.
Duplicating living beings differed from objects; without something like hair, it was impossible.
But here in her mansion, a thorough search should turn up plenty of her hair.
'As quiet as possible...'
I crept silently through the first floor, even swinging by the training grounds where I learned swordsmanship, gathering strands.
The mansion was surprisingly clean—maybe Karen tidied obsessively, or some magic tool handled it—so hair was scarce inside. But the training area, with all its vigorous movement, yielded a few strands.
Back in my room, I checked for soundproofing, shut the door, gripped the hairs, and focused.
Not just one strand, but several.
'Not sure if more helps the duplication...'
But my concentration would be top-notch.
Clutching multiple strands, I vividly recalled Karen's image.
Her swaying black hair, her scar-covered body. Taut and toned, without an ounce of excess fat.
Inverted nipples sunk inward, the feel of her skin I'd experienced today...
'Mana.'
I even recalled the mana she'd poured into me during the scan.
Replaying it all in my head, I whispered one word.
"Duplication."