Chapter 345: Guwon's Counterattack
Chapter 345: Guwon's Counterattack
Once we finished our meal, we were suddenly left with nothing to do.
It was still broad daylight—far too early to be cooped up in the inn.
I considered using a teleport to go back up to the surface for a bit, but I quickly gave up on that idea.
Once we went up, I knew it would be a pain to come back down again.
I could say with absolute certainty that we’d use “it’s a hassle” as an excuse not to return to the dungeon for several days, opting to rest comfortably on the surface instead.
After all, we had been in the dungeon for quite a while.
If it weren’t for our goal of breaking through to the 4th floor, we would have already gone back up.
If that happened, our good girl Diana would surely suppress her desire to investigate the giant magic stone and wait until the rest of us were ready to return to the dungeon.
So, no going back up.
But that didn't mean we had anything else to do.
“I’m bored.”
“Hnghhhhh.”
“I told you, stop tormenting Silvia just because you’re bored.”
Sara spoke with an expression that said she was tired of repeating the same thing over and over.
I say this every time, but I’m not tormenting her.
Silvia likes it, too.
I looked down at Silvia, who was wriggling in my arms, her limbs flailing forward in a desperate attempt to escape.
Yep. Just look at that blissfully slack expression.
How could anyone see that face and say I’m tormenting her?
“We have a rare day off. Why not just relax instead of trying to do something?” Diana said with a leisurely expression, sipping her warm tea.
Normally, she should be the most restless one here. But from the outside, she looked like she was the most relaxed of us all.
As expected of a grandm—her vast experience gives her a calm heart.
“That’s right, Guwon. Let’s just relax.”
As she said that, Leia pulled her chair closer to the fireplace and held out her palms to warm them by the fire.
It wasn’t even cold in here thanks to magic, but it seemed Leia really loved the warmth.
With that fluffy tail of hers, you’d think she’d be the last one among us to feel the cold.
Well, she has such a warm heart, so maybe that’s why she dislikes the cold so much.
This angel, who seems like she would never do anything another person dislikes, had spent the entire time in the dungeon clinging tightly to a reluctant Diana.
Then again, from the midway point, Diana had given up and started healing her mind by fiddling with Leia’s tail, so maybe she didn’t hate it that much.
In any case, everyone except me seemed to be enjoying this relaxing time at the inn.
No, it’s not that I don’t like it, but I’m feeling a bit antsy.
We just came back from roaming the dungeon, and even I have to admit I’m bursting with energy.
“Well… I guess I’ll go check the bulletin board.”
Just like the guild wall was plastered with requests, the town square’s bulletin board had requests that could only be completed on the 3rd floor.
I’d only looked at the rescue request before, but maybe there was another quest we could do on our way to the layer boss.
Yeah. Let’s do that. It seems better than just sitting around here.
Having made up my mind, I loosened my arms to get up from my seat, but for some reason, Silvia didn’t try to run away.
Come to think of it, she stopped vibrating a while ago.
“Silvia?”
I looked down at her and called her name, but there was no reply.
Not just her flailing limbs, but her entire body had gone limp, and she was leaning completely against me.
She wasn’t making any strange moaning sounds, either.
Th-This is…
“Sh-She’s dead…”
“And I told you to go easy on her.”
As I stared down at Silvia, who had fallen asleep with a blissful expression, and muttered grimly, Sara shot back a cold retort from the side.
No. That’s not the part you should be retorting to.
You should first point out that she’s not dead. …She’s not dead, right?
Just in case, I pressed my ear to Silvia’s chest.
Yep. Her heart was beating properly.
“And on top of that, you’re secretly touching an unconscious person’s chest.”
No. Anyone can see I was just trying to listen for a heartbeat.
I stared intently at Sara, who kept retorting.
Aha. You want some attention, too, don’t you? You cute little thing.
“No. In the first place, she doesn’t even have a chest to touch. But I see. I can’t touch an unconscious girl, huh? Then can I touch your breasts?”
“What’s wrong with small breasts?!”
Suddenly, Diana, who had been relaxing off to the side, exploded.
“C-Calm down. I didn’t say it was a bad thing.”
“Then are you saying it’s a good thing?!”
“Yes! I absolutely love small breasts with nothing to grab!”
“This one still has something to grab!”
“I never said I only like breasts with nothing! I love all breasts! Bountiful breasts like Leia’s! Breasts like Sara’s that fit perfectly in my hand! Breasts like Diana’s that leave a little space in my hand! And completely flat chests like Silvia’s! All of them…!”
“I get it, so calm down! You pervert!”
As I shot up from my seat and delivered a passionate speech, Sara started slapping my back, trying to pull me away.
I glanced around and saw that, at some point, most of the people in the dining hall were staring at me.
Ahem. The topic of breasts came up, and I got a little carried away.
“What are you looking at?! Never seen a man who likes breasts before?!”
But if I act embarrassed now, I lose.
I decided to be even more brazen.
“Just sit down! You idiot!”
Though all I got for it was another smack from Sara.
“Honestly, you men…”
“It’s because Diana needlessly doubted my love for her breasts. I love Diana’s breasts, too.”
“F-Fine, I get it. It was my mistake. So please, just stop.”
When I said it so openly, Diana seemed to have become too embarrassed to talk about breasts any longer.
If you’re going to be like that, you shouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.
“If you know you were wrong, then let me touch your breasts.”
“H-Here?”
“So you’re saying it’s okay if it’s not here?!”
“I told you to calm down, you pervert. Weren’t you going to check the bulletin board? Let’s go, quickly.”
Sara must have decided that persuasion was better than force, because she grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward the door.
Well, I guess that’s enough joking around for now.
“Are you coming with me, Sara?”
“Huh? That was the plan. Why?”
“No, it’s nothing. What about you guys?”
“Mmm. You two go on ahead,” Diana said, picking up her teacup again and taking a sip.
At a glance, she seemed to have regained her composure, but the way she was subtly turning her upper body to the side told me otherwise.
She was probably thinking that if she followed us, I might try to touch her breasts outside.
“I’m sorry. I’ll stay here, too. Someone needs to look after the unconscious Miss Silvia.”
Leia said this as she helped the fainted Silvia into a chair next to her, then turned back to warm herself by the fireplace.
She seemed to have taken quite a liking to it.
I felt like the fireplace had stolen my angel from me. I know it’s just an object, but I can’t help but feel jealous.
Anyway, Diana and Leia were staying here, and Silvia was unconscious. That leaves…
“I see. Then Sara and… and Matilda. You come, too.”
“Wh-What?! Me too?”
As I said that, Matilda, who had been unusually quiet lately, flinched.
“Of course. What are you going to do if another man hits on you while I’m gone?”
“Ah…”
Matilda stood up slowly, her expression once again downcast.
Ever since she showed that side of herself to the Beastkin, Matilda had been acting strangely intimidated around me.
The only exception was a moment ago, when she objected to my plan to go straight to the dungeon without resting in town.
Even then, her assertion seemed weaker than usual.
“Oh, come to think of it, I had something to talk to Diana and Leia about.”
Just as Matilda stood up, Sara suddenly let go of my arm and sat back down.
“Huh? What about?”
“You don’t need to know, Guwon. It’s girl talk. So, you and Miss Matilda can go check the bulletin board together.”
I’m not an idiot; I could see Sara’s intentions clearly.
Matilda had been too down in the dumps ever since the incident where she almost fell for that Beastkin, and Sara wanted me to cheer her up.
Honestly, she’s just too damn nice.
You know, it might be because of attitudes like yours that women keep flocking to me.
Well, no matter how you look at it, I’m probably the biggest problem.
In any case, I couldn’t refuse Sara’s kindness, so Matilda and I ended up leaving the inn together.
But even if she wants me to cheer her up, what am I supposed to do?
I glanced at Matilda’s dejected face.
Does the fact that she’s this dejected mean I can assume her feelings for me are a bit more genuine than for others?
To be honest, when I made Matilda fall for me, I acted like a punk and used her personality to force the issue, so I really don’t think she’d see me as special.
No. But since I’m the one who can break her curse, maybe she does see me as a little special?
Could it be that easy… well, she’s always been an easy woman.
My head was a mess.
On top of that, I was aware that I’d felt a flash of anger myself when Matilda showed interest in that Beastkin, so it didn’t feel right to just simply cheer her up.
“Ah… I-I… I’m sorry.”
It seemed Matilda could no longer bear my staring.
After fidgeting for a moment, she finally offered a weak apology.
“For what?”
“Wh-What?”
“What are you sorry for?”
I was genuinely curious why she was apologizing.
We weren’t dating, and if we were going to blame the curse, then her confession of love for me was the same thing.
So why was she apologizing to me for what happened with the Beastkin?
Of course, by that logic, my anger toward her was also unfair, but let’s set that aside for a moment.
“I mean, I-I don’t want to be like this either. But… but ever since I was cursed, I can’t control my emotions…”
But my question of what she was sorry for must have sounded like an interrogation to her.
Matilda spoke, on the verge of tears.
“Matilda.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Tell me. Do you genuinely like me?”
“Yes… I really like you.”
I asked because I truly wanted to know her real feelings.
But Matilda’s face simply melted into a dazed expression as she answered easily.
See, this is why I can’t tell if she’s being sincere or not.
“No. I’m not trying to seduce you. I’m being serious.”
“Yes. I genuinely like you.”
Saying it with such a sweet voice isn’t very convincing.
Ugh, I can’t have a proper conversation with her.
It all felt so pointless. My anger at her, her apology, all of it.
So I scratched my head and said, “Forget it. Hey. You have nothing to be sorry to me for. It’s because of the curse, right?”
“Ah! Y-Yes. It’s because of the curse… It’s the curse’s fault.”
As the sweet atmosphere shattered, Matilda’s expression became downcast again.
Honestly, based on Leia’s explanation, the curse’s influence didn’t seem to be that strong.
But it seemed Matilda was determined to insist it was all because of the curse.
“So stop making that face. You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry for getting angry for no reason. So just go back to your usual sharp-tongued self. Don’t be so dejected.”
I offered a half-hearted apology to Matilda.
It felt less like I was comforting her and more like we were forcing a mutual apology to end the conversation, but for now, this was the best I could do.
As long as I had no way of knowing her true feelings, there was nothing else for it.
If I ask her seriously, she just says she likes me.
“Wh-Who’s sharp-tongued… Ugh…! Th-This isn’t right!”
What in the world isn’t right?
Seriously, how can she be so annoying to deal with even when she’s not under the curse’s influence?
At this point, it’s a talent. A real talent.
“That story about you originally being so kind that you were like a goddess to everyone—that was a total lie, wasn’t it?”
“Wh-What’s that about now?!”
Ah, right. Matilda never said that about herself.
I only heard it from Leia.
“I might not be kind, but I can assure you, this isn’t my original personality.”
“Then just act like your original self. I’m not cursed, so you don’t have to act like that with me, do you?”
“Th-That’s because this is…”
“This is?”
“I mean… I’ve been like this for so long that it’s become a habit… A-Anyway, this isn’t my original personality!”
“Whatever you were like originally, it sounds like this has become half your real personality now.”
“Urk…!”
Matilda was at a loss for words, unable to argue.
“A Cardinal who falls for people easily and is also sharp-tongued. What kind of woman is this…?”
“D-Do you think I like being this way…?!”
Matilda glared at me as if she truly hated me.
“So, you hate me? I, you like this…”
“I like you, too…”
Is she for real? She’s not messing with me, is she?
For the record, I didn’t say I liked Matilda. I haven’t betrayed my girls.
Anyway, I continued to tease Matilda like this as we walked to the bulletin board.
Yep. Not a single interesting request.
The only decent ones were requests for materials that could be gathered from monsters, but I didn’t feel the need to consciously take them on.
It would be a pain to go around searching for specific monsters.
We could just hunt normally, and if we happened to gather enough materials for a request, we could just accept it then and turn it in.
I gave the board a quick look-over, then headed back to the inn without taking any requests.
At this rate, it feels like I just came out to talk with Matilda.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.