The Hero's Indecent Journey
Arno bowed deeply with impeccable courtesy, showing no sign of surprise as I approached. As expected from the head of the continent’s top merchant guild, his instincts were sharp.
“It’s good to see you, Guild Master Arno.”
“I didn’t expect you to wait until the banquet ended. Is there something you wish to discuss with me in private?”
Curiosity gleamed behind his gentle smile. I jerked my chin toward the ancient vault sitting alone on the dais and spoke briefly.
“Guild Master. Clear the room and leave only those who can keep their mouths shut.”
Arno’s eyes widened as they met mine. He remained silent for a moment, then gestured to the attendants and guards standing behind him.
“Only my three closest aides will stay. Everyone else, leave and lock the doors behind you.”
The sound of footsteps faded, and silence settled beyond the firmly closed doors. In the now-empty banquet hall, only Iris, Arno, his trusted subordinates, and I remained.
Arno swallowed dryly and spoke with caution.
“Don’t tell me… you know how to open the vault?”
“I’m not entirely certain, but…”
I shrugged lightly and walked toward the dais.
“Let’s give it a try.”
As I stood before the massive ancient vault, I could hear Arno and his aides swallowing nervously behind me. Even Iris held her breath, staring fixedly at my back. They all seemed to think I was about to unleash some tremendous divine power.
- Just shout it. “My eternal sun, Elenia.”
“My eternal sun, Elenia.”
“…Pardon?”
Arno’s dumbfounded reply echoed through the hall. The expressions of those who had been watching with anticipation froze. Even Iris blinked in confusion at the sudden third-rate romance line.
But it was the vault that broke the awkward silence.
The moment I finished speaking, the ancient runes covering the vault’s surface all glowed with a soft light at once.
Clunk. Creeeeak—
The door that no one had managed to open for centuries swung open effortlessly to both sides.
“…! W-what is this…!”
Arno stammered, unable to hide his shock.
“How did you know? It was a voice password…!”
“I just… happened to come across it while skimming through records of the previous Heroes.”
When I answered evasively, Arno clapped his hands as if he had realized something.
“Ah! Now that you mention it, I recall records saying the first Guild Master was on very close terms with the Hero of that era. I should have come to you sooner and asked for help!”
Convinced, Arno approached the inside of the vault with deep emotion. But the moment he saw what lay beyond the opened door, his face twisted in utter dismay.
“W-what… is all this…?”
What was supposed to be an enormous emergency fund for the Golden Scales. Yet inside the vault, there were only a few scattered gold bars and coins.
Instead, the majority of the space was packed with extravagant women’s dresses woven from the finest silk, along with jewels, accessories, and every kind of gift clearly intended for a woman.
"Puhahaha! That old man stayed single-hearted until the day he died!"
⟨ LIA'S SUMMARY ⟩
Lia burst into uncontrollable laughter and neatly summed up the situation.
- That stingy old geezer only ever spent money without hesitation on a woman named Elenia. But wouldn’t you know it, that woman fell in love with his best friend—the Hero—and married him instead? In the end, he never even confessed. He just hoarded all those gifts and stuffed them in this vault before he died. This is killing me, seriously!
After hearing Lia’s kind and thorough explanation, the lavish dresses piled inside the vault suddenly looked rather pitiful. The five-hundred-year-old relics of the continent’s greatest merchant were nothing more than the traces of a heartbreaking, unrequited love.
I quietly stepped forward and patted his shoulder.
“It seems your ancestor never imagined these personal belongings would be passed down to future generations in such a grandiose way. Cheer up.”
“…Sigh. Yes. For now… thank you for opening it.”
Arno rubbed his face vigorously, trying to pull himself together. He soon returned to his thoroughly businesslike merchant’s expression and bowed to me.
“As promised, I will give you items equivalent to twenty percent of the contents. I heard that the Hero recently returned to the Garden of Salvation with a lady by his side.”
Arno glanced at the dresses inside the vault and continued.
“I will personally select the finest garments and accessories from among these that would suit her and have them delivered to your residence.”
“That would be good.”
Since I now had a gift for Marina Nuna, I had no complaints. I nodded and turned to Iris, who was standing quietly beside me.
“Iris. If there’s anything you like, pick one for yourself.”
Iris stared silently at the dresses inside the vault for a moment, then lowered her head slightly and said,
“In that case… Master, would you please choose one that you think would suit me?”
I should choose it myself? I wasn’t exactly an expert on current fashion trends, but since my disciple was asking, I figured I should do my best.
Whether it reflected the first Guild Master’s taste or the woman’s own preference, the vault was filled entirely with dazzling dresses covered in extravagant frills and lace.
After rummaging through the hangers for a while, my eyes fell on a dress tucked away in the corner. It was a clean, elegant piece made of deep navy silk with no excessive decoration. It seemed like it would go perfectly with Iris’s long black hair.
“Let’s go with this one. It’ll match your hair color nicely.”
“…Thank you. I will cherish it.”
Iris carefully accepted the dress I handed her. Her expression remained as blank as ever, but the way her fingers gently stroked the soft silk told me I had chosen well.
We left the banquet hall and climbed into the top-tier carriage that had been waiting for us. As we traveled from the capital’s splendid inner walls toward the outskirts, I silently gazed at the dark night scenery rushing past the window.
Before long, the main gate of the Garden of Salvation came into view.
After greeting old man Vance and reaching the main building,
“Sian, you’re back.”
Marina Nuna was standing there beneath the soft glow of a magical lamp.
“Nuna. Why aren’t you sleeping? It’s cold outside.”
At my question, she fiddled with the hem of her skirt and smiled shyly.
“You were working so late outside… I thought I should at least come out to greet you…”
Her thoughtful and adorable answer made me let out a small chuckle.
- Looks like she’s getting used to her position as the lady of the house.
Just as Lia said, the sight of her acting like a devoted wife made the corners of my mouth lift on their own.
I stepped closer, pulled her by the waist, and hugged her tightly.
“Have you finally decided to behave like you truly belong by my side?”
The moment I embraced her firmly, she buried her face in my chest and squirmed bashfully.
“Um, Sian… just a moment…”
Nuna glanced over my shoulder with a flustered expression and gently pushed my arm away. When I released her and turned around, I saw Iris standing a polite distance away like a shadow.
Perhaps embarrassed that someone had seen her being held, Nuna hurriedly straightened her hair and greeted her.
“Iris, you must be tired after your long day as well.”
“…Did you rest well, Mistress?”
Iris gave a light, expressionless bow. At that moment, Nuna’s gaze fell on the luxurious box Iris was holding preciously in her arms.
“Would you like to see it?”
Unlike her usual self, Iris opened the box as if showing it off and revealed the navy silk dress.
“Oh my, what a beautiful dress.”
At Nuna’s pure admiration, Iris hugged the dress closer to her chest and answered in a strangely firm voice.
“Yes. Master personally chose it for me, saying it would suit me.”
Nuna glanced up at me once, then crossed her arms with a gentle expression.
“…Is that so? How nice. Sian, you must be tired. It’s cold out—let’s head inside.”
Without asking any more about the dress, Nuna naturally took my hand and led me into the mansion.
“I will take my leave here.”
“Good work today.”
After Iris headed up to the third floor,
“You should rest too, Nuna. It’s late.”
“Okay.”
Once Nuna had disappeared as well, I immediately headed for the bathhouse.
I sank deeply into the wide, warm tub, and all the fatigue I had accumulated outside melted away with the rising steam.
‘Haa, this feels good.’
I was enjoying the pleasant drowsiness that came with the warm water, eyes closed, when—
Click.
The bathroom door opened, followed by cautious footsteps. Thinking it was one of the mansion’s maids, I spoke without opening my eyes.
“I don’t need anything, so you can leave.”
But even after I spoke, the footsteps did not stop. Instead, they drew steadily closer at regular intervals. The moment I opened my eyes and turned my head—
“Oh, Nuna?”
A thin gown slightly damp with moisture clung to her body, faintly revealing the mature, voluptuous curves unique to a married woman.
“Did you think it was one of the maids?”
Nuna let out a soft, gentle laugh and carefully sat down on the edge of the tub.
“The bathhouse is really big. After living in such a spacious and wonderful place, how on earth did you manage in that cramped inn of ours?”
She rested her cheek on my shoulder and looked around the enormous bath with curious eyes.
Hearing the apologetic tone in her voice, I slipped my hand out of the water, lightly wrapped it around her waist, and answered.
“I don’t know. Since you were next to me, I didn’t really feel any discomfort.”
“My goodness, you really know how to say the right things.”
At my reply, Nuna’s eyes curved happily as she hugged me a little tighter. Her breasts floating above the water looked incredibly tempting.
“Sian. I saw earlier that you have quite the eye for choosing clothes. The dress you picked for Iris really seemed to suit her perfectly.”
Was she jealous? From the look in her eyes, it didn’t seem so. After all, just as I felt possessive of her, she probably felt a sense of belonging toward me. There was no room for jealousy in that.
I brushed her hair back and answered.
“I made sure to prepare plenty for you too, Nuna. The guild will send them in a few days, so don’t be too surprised. And don’t sulk about me coming back empty-handed earlier.”
Nuna giggled and lightly pinched my cheek in playful protest.
“Oh please, when have I ever sulked at you over something like that?”
She smiled brightly as she nestled in my arms and looked up at me. Those tender eyes made me feel my cock growing hard.
“Still… being close to you like this reminds me of the inn’s bath. It was so tiny that the two of us could barely fit, right?”
As Nuna’s voice grew moist with old memories, we naturally drew closer to each other.