Chapter 357: Guwon’s Counterattack
Chapter 357: Guwon’s Counterattack
“Even for a Dwarf, isn’t that face just cheating? How does he look thirty?”
After dropping our equipment off at the blacksmith, Diana and I decided to walk around together since it was a rare chance for us to be alone.
“Still on about that? Well, I suppose his attitude was a bit childish,” Diana said, as if wondering what the big deal was.
Sure, to you, he and I probably look about the same age… No. I should stop thinking like this.
My Diana is the cute and adorable girl in charge of being the physically youngest in our party.
Just as Diana said, I decided to stop thinking about that little guy.
Why am I wasting my time thinking about some dude anyway?
I should use this time for more productive and wholesome thoughts.
“By the way, Diana. Why did you ask if the equipment enhancement would be done by tomorrow?”
“Ah. I suppose I didn’t tell you. I am thinking of going to the Dungeon tomorrow.”
“What?! Wait a minute. By yourself?!”
“Do you really think I would? I plan to go with the children from the Mage Association.”
“What for?”
“Did I not mention it before? I believe there are likely giant Magic Stones located where each Layer Boss resides. If that’s the case, shouldn’t we check the stones on the 1st and 2nd floors as well? We can postpone checking the 4th and 5th floors for when I go with you later. Besides, on the 1st floor, the path to the Layer Boss is short thanks to the secret location we discovered, so it should be easier than ever to investigate the giant Magic Stone. The children are already stationed where the Queen Ant appears, conducting their research.”
“If that’s the case, do you really need to go…?”
“It would be quite difficult for anyone but me to detect the location of a giant Magic Stone. Even I failed to notice them until now, you see. I must go myself to confirm those faint mana ripples.”
“Still, do you have to go right away? We just got back from the Dungeon. You need to rest, Diana.”
“Hehe. It’s quite all right. I do not consider researching magic to be work. Besides, is not spending time with you like this a form of rest?”
Diana stood on her tiptoes and patted my head, looking at me as if I were a praiseworthy child.
She was the one saying all the praiseworthy things.
And do you really have to stick your hand inside my hood to pat my head?
I’m wearing this hood to hide my face, you know.
“And it feels weird for you to be the only one from the party to go. I mean, I know you won’t be in any danger on the 1st or 2nd floors with the ladies from the Association, but still… Should I come with you?”
“Hehe. Are you not just worried about me, but anxious when I am out of your sight?”
“Yeah, you can put it that way. So I’m coming with you.”
“No. It is fine. You should remain here.”
“What? Why?”
“I have no intention of dragging everyone into my personal affairs. You just returned from the Dungeon. How would Leia feel if you immediately went back in before you’ve even spent a night with her? Do not worry. It will be a very brief trip, so it will not take long. If I depart tomorrow, I should be able to return just in time for my next turn.”
What are you, Guan Yu? It’s not like you’re vowing to bring back Hua Xiong’s head before the wine gets cold.
In any case, now that she’d brought up the others, I couldn’t stubbornly insist on going with her.
Just as Diana said, I felt too sorry for Leia.
“…Ugh. Fine. But you have to be careful. Don’t you dare get hurt by rushing just to get back quickly.”
“Hehe. And what will you do if I get hurt?”
“That body is mine! If you get hurt, I swear I won’t let you off the hook!”
“I understand, I understand.”
Even as I said that, Diana just kept patting my head as if she found me cute.
You know, from the side, the sight of you on your tiptoes, stretching your arm out just to barely reach my head, is far cuter and more heartwarming, you know?
And on top of that, she’s such a good girl, planning to go do magic research while still making sure to keep her turn… Wait. In that case?
“Does that mean you’re leaving tomorrow because today is your turn? And you rushed the equipment enhancement so you could be back for your next turn?”
As I shouted, finally grasping her intentions, Diana’s body flinched.
“H-Hmph. Were you not the one who said you would do your absolute best tonight?”
Diana said it as if it were no big deal, but her face turned bright red, clearly embarrassed at being found out.
“Jeez. You’re the one doing all the cute things while pretending to be so mature.”
I also reached a hand inside Diana’s hood and placed it on her head. Then, through the gaps in the hood, I began to playfully mess up her silver hair, which shimmered dazzlingly as it reflected the sunlight.
“W-Would you stop that?! It is not proper to touch a woman’s hair so carelessly! And I am an adult!”
Diana was clearly embarrassed, shouting as she tried to push my hand away.
Usually, she just stays still when I touch her hair, as if she enjoys it.
“Of course. Our big sister Diana is an adult.”
“There’s something about that tone…”
Diana tapped my chest with her small fists in frustration, but when I didn’t remove my hand from her head, she finally gave up and stood still, as if to say, ‘do as you please.’
“Well, anyway, we’re done with our errands. Should we go grab a bite to eat somewhere?”
“Mm. Escort me.”
“Yes, my lady. As you command. Is there anywhere you’d like to go?”
“Being able to eat alone with you is more than enough for me.”
Diana’s words made me incredibly happy, but that didn’t mean I could take her to just any restaurant.
It was a rare opportunity, so I wanted to have a meal at a nice place.
So, we first headed back to the noble district, then made our way to a high-end restaurant I had never been to before.
As expected of a restaurant in the noble district, they had a strict identity check, but we passed easily enough when Diana briefly pulled back her hood and revealed her identity.
“This is a surprise, however. I did not know you were aware of this place,” Diana said, looking at me with that same praiseworthy expression.
If we weren’t sitting with a table between us, she would have definitely tried to pat my head again.
“Hehe. A man like me is always prepared.”
The truth was, I just happened to remember it from when I was wandering around with nothing to do, but I decided to act cool for now.
“So, have you been here before, Diana?”
“It is a famous enough establishment to be located in the noble district. I have, of course, been here once or twice.”
Diana gestured around us as she spoke.
Indeed, even considering it was lunchtime, the fact that the place was this packed meant it was a famous restaurant. And what’s more, all the customers appeared to be nobles.
“But a Saint… I heard a rumor that he turned a man who couldn’t properly satisfy a woman into a fully functioning, proper man in an instant. What do you think of that rumor?”
And even in a place filled only with nobles, my story was being told.
“Ah, that story. I’ve only heard about it myself, but it seems to be true. There’s even a rumor that he’s a messenger of the Goddess. The Holy See hasn’t denied it, and there’s another rumor that Cardinal Matilda has truly vanished from the Holy See.”
“Hoh… so there’s a chance it’s actually true.”
“If so, perhaps the Goddess is bestowing her blessing upon us to bring about an era for us men once more.”
The noblemen exchanged words and clinked their glasses as if making a toast.
An era for men, my ass.
I couldn’t care less about that crap. I’m just going to live well and eat well on my own.
“Hmph! A Saint, what a joke! Just some fucking fraud popping out of nowhere.”
While the two men were toasting, another man sitting at the same table with a sour look on his face muttered to himself.
His attire was certainly that of a noble, just like the other two, but his face was painfully average.
The other two at least had reasonably handsome faces befitting of nobles, which made his plain looks seem almost ugly by comparison.
“Haha. Why are you so angry? If the rumor is true, shouldn’t you be the happiest one here? Am I wrong?”
“What did you say?!”
“Haha, calm down. This one here seems to be on edge from sexual frustration since the princess won’t give him the time of day.”
“Haha! Is that so? But I’m not wrong, am I? Why don’t you go pay him a visit? Who knows? The Saint might take pity on you and prioritize you even over the Cardinal’s curse. Hahahaha.”
“Y-You… Shut up! I don’t believe that fucking fraud’s words! Where did a piece of trash like that even…!”
The man’s body trembled with rage, but unable to curse the noble who was mocking him, he began to spew insults about me instead.
Seeing this, Diana let out a deep sigh and quietly rose from her seat.
She quietly apologized to me, then walked toward the table where the men were sitting.
“Should you really be speaking so carelessly? If someone were to hear you, the Saint might not deign to save you, you know? Besides, is there not a rumor that even the Great Archmage has acknowledged him as her beloved? To dismiss him as a mere fraud is…”
“Fuck! The Great Archmage is just some…!”
“Did you call for me?”
“Who the hell are you… Ugh! N-No way?!”
The provoked, average-looking man was about to curse again, but he froze in shock when Diana threw back her hood.
“It sounded as if someone called for me. Is there something you wished to say?”
“N-No… that is… I mean…”
The man was clearly flustered. His earlier arrogance vanished as he fidgeted nervously.
“And I believe I also heard you insulting my beloved. If you have such a complaint, why not say it to his face?”
As she spoke, Diana glanced in my direction.
So this is what she was apologizing for.
It wasn’t something she needed to apologize for.
I immediately took off my hood and gave a light wave.
“Did you have something to say to me?”
“Eeeek!”
When the man saw my face, his own face contorted with rage for some reason, and he glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.
I had completely dismissed him because of his plain face, but his killing intent was no joke.
Is this guy actually a high level?
So he’s high-level but still has a face like that? Then what about his Charm stat…?
Rather than getting angry at the man, I just felt sorry for him.
Yeah. With a stat distribution like that, you wouldn’t need any other reason to hate the world.
“Grrr… N-No. I have nothing to say. I apologize for causing a disturbance.”
Receiving my gaze, which was now filled with pity, the man ground his teeth even harder but managed to grit out the words.
“Is that so? Then it seems I must have misheard.”
Diana said this and returned to our table without another word of apology.
This was an attitude I’d never seen from the usual Diana.
“It seems we cannot enjoy a meal in peace in such a boisterous place. Let us go.”
She then took my arm and led me right out of the restaurant.
After we left, Diana looked up at me and muttered with an apologetic expression.
“You went to the trouble of escorting me, and I ruined it. I am sorry.”
“No, you did great. If you hadn’t stepped in, I probably would have, and it would have just turned into a fight.”
To be honest, I wasn’t even angry at a guy like that, but I said it to comfort Diana.
“Besides, you got angry for my sake, right? Aww. Did our Diana hate hearing her man get insulted that much?”
“O-Of course I did.”
Diana made a fist and lightly tapped my chest with the palm-side, as if telling me not to tease her.
“In any case, that man is famous for being like that. So you need not pay any mind to what he says.”
“Huh? You know him?”
“We are not close enough to be called acquaintances, but I know his name and face. He is quite a famous figure, for both good and bad reasons.”
“Huh? Famous for good and bad reasons?”
“Mm. Despite his personality, he is, after all, the world’s only… known Hero.”
Diana started to say “only,” but then she looked straight at my face and corrected herself.
But I was so shaken that I barely even registered her change in demeanor.
What? A Hero? The same as Sara? Wait, if that’s the case…!