Chapter 356: Guwon's Counterattack
Chapter 356: Guwon's Counterattack
“Alright, you. First, put this on.”
After our tea time ended and before we headed to the blacksmith, Diana pulled something out and handed it to me.
“Is this… a robe?”
“Mm. Think about what happened at the guild. You’re a celebrity now; most people will recognize you when you go outside. It’ll be tiring to walk around with your face exposed, so I had Vanessa fetch one for you.”
Diana puffed out her chest with a proud little ehem.
She had a point. I hadn’t thought that far ahead. As expected of Diana.
I decided to accept the robe with a grateful heart.
“But you look strangely happy about this.”
“O-Oh? Do I? Hmm. I suppose it’s because I get to go out alone with you.”
Diana gave another admirable answer, but judging by her reaction, that wasn’t the only reason.
Don’t tell me she’s happy that I’m in the same boat as her now?
After all, she always wears a robe with the hood up whenever she goes out.
In any case, I immediately put on the robe she gave me, pulling the hood down low.
Only after I had it on did I realize why Diana had seemed so strangely excited.
“This is…”
“Do you see?”
The moment I muttered that, Diana’s face lit up, and she clung to me.
It seemed she had been playing coy earlier, hoping I would notice on my own.
How could I not? It was identical to the one she was wearing.
Diana’s robe was the result of repeatedly enchanting the plain, functionless one I had bought for her when we first met, and it now had its own rather ornate patterns and decorations.
But where on earth did she get an identical one in just a day?
Of course, it only looked the same on the surface; as a piece of equipment, it was just an ordinary robe with no special effects.
Comparing them closely, I could tell that while the color was the same, the texture was definitely different.
“You managed to get this in just one day.”
“Mm. Vanessa is quite skilled at sewing, you see.”
Our super-butler could do this too?
Then what? Don’t tell me she was making my robe right up until what happened between us yesterday?
Startled, I glanced over at Vanessa.
Hmm. Still a perfect poker face. I couldn’t read her expression at all.
“Well, anyway. Shall we go?”
“Mm!”
Dressed in matching outfits, Diana and I headed outside.
The blacksmith shop was located deep within the shopping district, so as we walked through the crowded streets, we naturally overheard all sorts of conversations.
Most of it was just idle chatter, but certain topics particularly tickled my ears.
“You’ve become quite the popular man.”
Diana must have heard it too, as she commented in a carefree voice.
The talk of the town right now.
The story was that the Saint was curing the cursed Cardinal and saving all the impotent men in the world. And once all the impotent men were saved, he would then move on to save the men who couldn’t properly satisfy their women.
“I never thought it would become such a hot topic. Once Lady Matilda’s treatment is complete, the church might genuinely make a request of you.”
“…Maybe I just shouldn’t break Matilda’s curse?”
“Now, you…”
“I know, I know. It’s a joke.”
But even for me, hearing the entire town buzzing with such rumors was a little burdensome.
What should I do? I don’t have the slightest intention of saving them. I don’t even have a way to do it in the first place.
Right. First, let’s hurry to the blacksmith and beat the shit out of the bastards who started this rumor.
I quickened my pace.
“Welco—HIIIIK!”
The moment I entered the blacksmith’s shop, I charged menacingly toward the little guy who was greeting me as usual.
Terrified, he stumbled backward and fell on his ass.
“You said ‘welcome,’ so I came. What’s with that reaction? The service here is terrible!”
“Th-That voice… Guw—Mmph!”
This little shit. Does he have any idea I’m wearing a robe to hide my face because of him? And he’s about to shout my name for everyone to hear?
“Where’s Hanna? Get her and lead us somewhere private.”
As I whispered the threat, the little guy’s eyes welled up with tears, and he nodded.
The place he led us to was the workshop.
Perfect timing. Hanna looked like she had just finished her work; she was setting down a large hammer and taking off a thick apron laden with tools.
“Johan? What’s wrong?”
“‘What’s wrong’ is what I’d like to ask. Why don’t you start by telling me why a rumor has suddenly spread through the entire town that I can save every sorry bastard who can’t satisfy a woman.”
“Ah…”
As I took off my robe and spoke, Hanna looked at me with an apologetic expression.
It’s too late for that face now.
“First, I’ll apologize. So could you please let go of Johan’s collar and listen to the details?”
“If you try to run, I’ll make you impotent on the spot.”
After whispering that final threat, I let go of Johan’s collar.
“Alright, explain. What happened?”
“…At first, people who saw the change in Johan started getting curious.”
“Huh? You changed?”
“You didn’t notice?!”
I asked, looking at Johan, but it was Hanna who shouted in an exasperated tone, as if she couldn’t believe it.
“What?”
“He’s gotten so much cuter! You can’t see the change?”
“I don’t know about that. Why would I care about some guy’s face? Talk to me when he’s better-looking than me.”
“Ugh…”
Johan seemed to have taken considerable damage from my words, practically whimpering as he buried his face in Hanna’s arms.
You little bastard, you only look like a kid. Don’t act like a baby when you’re a grown man.
“Anyway, let’s just say he’s gotten handsome, though not even a fraction as much as the dirt under my fingernails. So what?”
“…Everyone was curious about how Johan’s level suddenly went up, so I just told them the truth. I never thought it would cause such a commotion… I’m sorry about that.”
Though she bristled when I dismissed Johan, Hanna knew she was in the wrong and apologized.
“Hey. If a simple ‘sorry’ solved everything, we wouldn’t need police… or guards in this world! How could you—!”
“Now, now, you should calm down a bit, too. What’s done is done.”
Diana, who had been watching quietly, stepped in to soothe me.
“Why don’t we take care of our reason for coming here first?”
“Our reason?”
“We’re going to the 4th floor, so we need a waterproof coating on all our gear. You can do that much, can’t you?”
“…Of course. I see. Then, as a token of my apology, I’ll do it all for free.”
This time, Hanna seemed offended that her skills as a blacksmith were being questioned, but she managed to restrain herself and agreed.
“I’d appreciate it if you could do it as quickly as possible. Would it be possible by tomorrow?” Diana asked Hanna, as if she had something planned.
I was thinking we wouldn’t go to the dungeon for a few days, like usual. We were in there for quite a long time this trip, after all.
What’s she up to? I’ll have to ask her later.
“You need the gear for your entire party coated, right? I see. If I focus on it starting now, I can have it done by lunch tomorrow. I’ll make it my top priority.”
“Is that so? I’m counting on you. Guwon, hurry and give her the equipment.”
“Uh, oh. Okay.”
I dazedly handed over our gear, and Hanna took it, immediately sitting down at her station as if to start working.
Diana suddenly jumped in, and the conversation was over in an instant.
What about my revenge? Where am I supposed to unleash this pent-up rage?
Well, to be honest, I wasn’t that angry, but if you don’t punish this kind of thing decisively, they’ll just keep pushing their luck.
I shot Diana a look with that thought in mind, but she just shook her head as if to say, ‘let it go.’
It’s because you’re too nice that those people at the Mage Association cling to you and bother you so much.
No, well, I guess that’s one of Diana’s good points.
But I don’t think I can be that good of a guy. I have to at least threaten him.
“Hey. Kid.”
“Look, if you’re going to say something, say it to me, not to our Johan…”
“Quiet. Stop coddling a grown man like that. He’s a man, too. He needs to take responsibility for his actions. You’re paying for your part by working on our gear for free, but he isn’t, right? Isn’t it because you’re always babying him that he’s usually so timid and can’t perform at night?”
As I spoke, I grabbed Hanna’s shoulders as she tried to shield Johan and sat her back down.
Then, I spun her around to face the workbench and gave her shoulders a few firm pats.
“If you get it, then get back to work. We have something to discuss, man to man.”
The part about him not being able to perform at night must have been particularly effective.
Hanna reluctantly started her work.
“Alright, Diana, you wait here for a moment too.”
There was no need for my beautiful Diana’s ears to hear my dirty threats.
I grabbed Johan, dragged him to a corner, and prepared to intimidate him.
Atmosphere is key for this kind of thing.
The optimal attitude for dressing down a subordinate.
That’s right. From this moment on, I am a soldier.
I will become a sergeant chewing out a new recruit.
With that thought, my hands naturally found their way into my pockets, and I shifted my weight onto one leg.
Then, with the most scornful expression I could muster, I opened my mouth.
“How dare you repay my kindness with this shit? What, you tell everyone I helped you so I have to go from house to house, watching other guys fuck and giving them lectures? Helping you was shitty enough, you know?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“If sorry was enough, then military service would be… Is sorry all you have to say? Huh? Are you crazy? Do you even think? When you make a normal judgment call, does revealing the identity of the person who did you a favor seem like the right decision?”
“Ugh… H-How can I atone for this…”
“Do I have to think of that for you, too? I don’t want to think, so why don’t you figure out what you’re going to do?”
“N-No… that’s not…”
“Fine. Whatever. I’ll think of something for you. What would be a good punishment? Right. How about I undo what I did for you? It seems you and Hanna are getting along well in bed these days. Should I make you impotent?”
“P-Please, anything but that…!”
His face went pale as he clung to me.
Don’t touch me so casually, you bastard.
“What, you don’t like that? You’re saying you weren’t impotent before I helped you? So you want me to make it so Hanna can’t feel anything? Fine. I’ll just have to fuck Hanna myself. Her level will go up, and she won’t be able to feel you anymore, right? Well, even if you manage to match her level again, once she’s experienced the pleasure I can give, she might not be able to feel anything from a guy like you ever again… Hey. Wait. Why are you getting hard?”
“Ugh… Uuuugh… P-Please… please, not that…”
The guy was actually shedding tears, his member swelling so much it looked like it would burst through his pants.
“You son of a bitch, don’t tell me…!”
“You there. I don’t know what you said, but that’s enough.”
Hearing Johan’s crying, Diana approached me.
“He’s probably gotten the message by now. Isn’t that right?”
At Diana’s gentle voice, Johan wiped his tears and nodded frantically.
“Yeah. I’ll do that. This should be enough.”
I immediately agreed with Diana, as if I’d been waiting for her to say it.
To be honest, it occurred to me that what I thought was helping might not have been helping at all.
If that was the case, didn’t I just do something I should be sorry for?
Was this not a case of repaying kindness with enmity, but repaying enmity with enmity?
No, I don’t think I did anything wrong enough to be considered an enemy, but still.
“Ahem. Anyway, what I mean is, think before you act from now on. It felt like I got stabbed in the back after helping you, so I was a little worked up too. Don’t worry about it too much.”
Before he could say anything, I cut him off and smoothed things over.
I got a little too into my role as a hazing sergeant, and my words came out harsher than I intended.
Especially the part about fucking Hanna. If Diana found out, she would be furious.
“Hic… Yes… I’m sorry…”
My threat must have been too effective, because the guy was completely cowed as he muttered his apology.
Being cowed is fine and all, but why is your thing still hard?
This bastard really did awaken to a strange fetish back then…! Don’t do this. You’re making me feel guilty.
“It’s okay. It happens. Stop crying, you’re a grown man. You want your big bro to go buy you a drink?”
“Sniffle… I’m 30 years old…”
What?