Chapter 405: A Meal with Rachel
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 405: A Meal with Rachel
“Ugh…”
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“…You…! Haaah… Never mind.”
Diana, who had been glaring at me the moment she woke up, started to say something but ended up just sighing and shaking her head, refusing to answer.
“What is it? You’re making me curious. Tell me.”
“Eek…! Are you really asking because you don’t know?! You…! You could have at least let me win when it was a punishment!”
But when I persisted, Diana’s face turned beet red as she shouted and lightly tapped my head over and over.
Of course, they were just light taps. Even though my head was the target, there was no damage whatsoever.
But I see. So Diana knew she would lose, but she chose that punishment thinking I would let her win because it was, well, a punishment.
I mean, Diana’s no fool, and it’s not like we’ve only slept together once or twice. She had to have known this would be the result if I got serious.
Wait. Then does that mean Sara, too?
Could it be that she used Diana as bait to pick on me this morning because I didn’t let her win?
Haha. Cute little things. As if I’d ever lose when it comes to our nightly affairs.
It can be fun to throw a match every now and then, just to play around, but I fundamentally prefer to be the one in control.
“Aw, come on, Big Sis Diana. I always let you win during the day in exchange for what happens at night.”
“D-don’t try to act cute! D-do you really think something like that would work on me?!”
Yes. Absolutely. Your voice is trembling right now.
But it looks like I’ve gone and opened a can of worms.
I should have just let it go when Diana tried to drop the subject earlier.
Seeing as she was about to let it slide, she’s probably only acting this way because I brought it up and made her think about it again. I doubt she’s genuinely angry.
In times like these, it’s best to just gloss over it.
“More importantly, Diana. Aren’t you going to call me your dear husband now?”
“Hmph. If you want me to call you that, you should be a little more—oohng!”
“Ow. That hurts. Stop hitting me.”
Timing it with her words, I gave my hips a slight thrust. Diana let out an involuntary moan and started tapping my chest silently.
In any case, with this, I’ve now been punished by both Sara and Diana.
I guess that settles that.
I’m glad they both forgave me so easily.
Honestly, I was terrified of how Diana would scold me after we did it in the dungeon.
In the end, I had one more round with Diana first thing in the morning before heading down for breakfast.
“Guwon-ssi!”
As I went down to eat, the one who greeted me first with such a bright voice was none other than my angel.
“Did you sleep well?”
Leia always had a warm smile, but today it was exceptionally radiant.
Did something good happen?
Her tail, wagging furiously from side to side, was a clear indicator of just how happy she was.
“Yeah. Good morning. You seem to be in a particularly good mood today.”
“Hehe. Yes.”
Leia said, snuggling up and hugging my arm tightly as she sat beside me.
Mm. Still a magnificent sensation.
But just last night, she seemed normal—no, actually, a little less energetic than usual.
What kind of change of heart did she have overnight?
I stared intently at Leia’s face, but she just met my gaze and offered a gentle smile.
So pure. No, that’s not it.
It seemed Leia had no intention of telling me why she was so happy.
“Ahem!”
As Leia and I were pressed against each other, smiling and staring into each other’s eyes, I heard a pointed, clearly intentional cough from the side.
Oops. Diana’s breast trauma is acting up again…!
“Still, it feels a bit empty without Lady Silvia in the corner.”
But for once, Diana let it slide without commenting on me and Leia.
Did spending the whole night with me give her a little more peace of mind?
She even brought up Silvia.
Well, I have no idea why Diana would feel her absence.
Surely it’s not because her emotional crutch is gone, right? Mainly in the breast-size department.
“‘In the corner’… Just say you miss her since she’s not here. I mean, she is always in the corner, but still.”
Silvia needs to start showing the results of her special training soon.
Of course, her trembling is cute, but it shouldn’t interfere with her daily life.
The ideal outcome would be for her to not tremble when she shouldn’t, and to tremble when it’s okay to.
Well, it’s not like she can change to be so perfectly convenient for me.
Anyway, we had our meal without Silvia.
She’s usually quiet in the corner, but it really does feel lonely when she’s not here.
Still, she’ll probably be back today, so there’s no need to feel too sad.
For now, I should focus on the task at hand.
“Oh, right. I’m going to be heading out for a bit later.”
After finishing the meal, I stood up and said it casually, as if it were nothing.
“Huh? W-where are you going?”
But the one who reacted first and stopped me was, surprisingly, Leia.
I would have expected Sara or Diana to be the ones to stop me; I thought Leia would just smile and say, ‘Have a safe trip.’
Not only was Leia stopping me unexpected, but she was even making a somewhat pleading face, which flustered me even more.
Fortunately, her question was exactly what I had anticipated from Sara or Diana.
Thanks to that, I could feign composure and deliver the line I had prepared.
“Hm? Oh, I’m just meeting up with a friend for a bit.”
“What? What friends do you have, Guwon?”
“I have friends! At least that many! Do you really see me as that antisocial?”
“But Guwon, whenever you see a man, you’re always going on about ‘filthy bastards’ this and that.”
N-no. That’s only for the wicked fiends trying to get their hands on you girls… Well, sometimes, very rarely, I might say it to guys who aren’t like that, but…
Besides, I said a friend, but I never said it was a man.
Of course, I’m not going to tell them it’s a woman—specifically, the beautiful Elder Sister Rachel, whom I talk to often—that I’m taking out for a meal. They’d explode if they found out.
No, I have nothing to feel guilty about.
I’m purely repaying her for helping me find Diana.
And if you think about it, calling her a friend isn’t exactly a lie.
I’m just not saying anything because I don’t want any unnecessary misunderstandings.
“No. I actually get along surprisingly well with other guys…”
“That Tigerkin adventurer we saved on the 3rd floor. What was his name?”
“……”
Hey, asking a question like that is a cheap shot.
“It’s Greg. As you know, even I, who dislikes men, remember that much. But you can’t even remember that, Guwon? And you get along well with other men?”
“I-I just don’t remember him because I didn’t like him! I get along with the others. Like, you know, Brin…”
“Who’s that?”
What do you mean, who? He’s the guy who tried to act all friendly with me on the 2nd floor and got put in his place.
After I learned about the rules among male adventurers, I properly apologized, and we’ve been on good terms since.
Besides Brin, it’s not like I don’t talk to other male adventurers.
Believe it or not, I do things like exchange information and greet them.
Like inside the guild after I’ve exchanged my magic stones, or when we occasionally run into each other on the street.
In fact, among the men in this world, adventurers are the easiest to deal with.
Especially these days.
“A-anyway, I’m going to go hang out with my friend.”
If this goes on any longer, I’ll be forced to lie.
And the longer you talk, the more holes a lie develops.
Knowing this well, I said my piece and hastily escaped the mansion.
Damn it. I panicked and left the mansion already.
My appointment with Elder Sister Rachel is… my appointment is… come to think of it, we never set a time.
This is awkward.
Should I just go over right now?
No, it’s probably too early for that.
Seeing how hard she works, I doubt she’s still asleep, but she might be enjoying a leisurely meal since it’s her rare day off.
Besides, I just finished eating myself.
If I go to treat her to a meal now, I’ll just be sitting there watching her eat without touching any food myself.
That would be pretty rude.
In the end, I decided to visit Elder Sister Rachel around lunchtime and take a little walk for now.
Though even calling it a walk, this damn robe is making me feel like I’m suffocating.
Ultimately, my feet led me to none other than the guild.
The inside of the guild is a sanctuary where almost no one but adventurers and related personnel enters.
Of course, many people come to post requests, but they are handled in a separate area from where adventurers come and go.
And even besides that, causing a large-scale disturbance inside the guild is strictly forbidden.
It is, after all, the place that surrounds and manages the dangerous dungeon.
That’s why those poor men who couldn’t get any action in the bedroom were surrounding the outside of the guild before.
They couldn’t do anything like that inside.
Anyway, for all those reasons, once I’m inside the guild, I can finally take off this robe.
Diana, who was happy we had matching outfits, seemed quite satisfied with my robed appearance, but unfortunately, I wasn’t a big fan.
No, I’m happy about matching with Diana.
It’s just that I’m not used to it, so it feels cumbersome.
Especially having to keep the hood pulled down low.
It narrows my field of vision, too.
Finally arriving at the guild, the first thing I did was quickly pull off the cumbersome hood.
Out of habit, I glanced toward the receptionist desk where Elder Sister Rachel always was, but as expected, it was empty since she had taken the day off.
And in the brief moment I was looking, two male adventurers had already walked up to Rachel’s desk, only to walk away with disappointed expressions.
She really is popular.
All the receptionists here are beautiful, but Elder Sister Rachel definitely stands out among them.
I mean, I did the same thing when I first came here, looking for the prettiest receptionist.
Anyway, alright. It’s good that I’m here, but what should I do to kill time now?
Should I check to see if there are any decent quests available?
“Huh? S-sir Guwon?!”
Just as I was about to walk over to the quest board, a voice called out from behind me.
Calling my name with a ‘sir’ attached, and a man’s voice at that.
Oh, for fuck’s sake! Don’t tell me there’s a guy trying to hit on me even inside the guild?!
“I-it’s been a while! Have you been well?!”
I spun around in alarm, but thankfully, it wasn’t the type of person asking for help with their sex techniques.
“You bastard, Krang! Perfect timing! How dare you go around spreading rumors about me?!”
He was, however, annoying in a different way.
It was that Tigerkin bard who had come up in my conversation with Sara just a moment ago. Krang.
Along with that legal little lady at the blacksmith’s, he was the one responsible for the strange rumor that I was going to save all men.
“W-wait a moment, Sir Guwon! Perhaps you’ve mistaken me for another Tigerkin? My name is Greg! The one you saved on the 3rd floor…”
“Yeah, you bastard! It’s you! We meet again! What was that about a Saint who will save everyone?! Do you have any idea how much trouble I’ve been in because of you?!”
“What?! I-I’m sorry!”
The guy looked completely clueless, but he bowed his head deeply and apologized first.
“If ‘sorry’ was enough to end your adventuring career… Haaah. No. Forget it.”
Damn it. When he comes at me like this, I can’t even chew him out properly.
Besides, it’s not like berating this guy is going to change the current situation.
“If you don’t mind, may I ask what this is about?”
Bastard, saying it like that is the same as asking the question.
What do you mean, ‘if you don’t mind’?
“You really don’t know? The rumor has spread all over the city. Besides, you’re a bard, aren’t you? You should be up-to-date on all the gossip.”
“I’m sorry. To be honest, I’ve been a bit out of it myself lately…”
“What? What’s a bard so busy with… Come to think of it, where are the companions you were with before?”
“Well… the party disbanded. It seems the incident left a trauma on the other two…”
Krang… Crack? Ah, whatever.
The Tigerkin guy wore a bitter smile as he spoke.
Ah, right. He did say a few had already died before we saved them.
Having seen people he was close to die right before his eyes, it’s understandable that he’d want to quit being an adventurer.
Come to think of it, the paper this guy is holding… looking closely, it’s a notice for recruiting party members.
So his party disbanded, and now he’s desperately looking for a new one.
Even after going through something like that, he’s determined to keep exploring the dungeon without giving up.
In a way, he’s a pretty amazing guy.
“I see. Well, see you around.”
Of course, that’s none of my business.
Did you think this was the start of some cliché event where a male party member finally joins? Too bad for you.
My party doesn’t accept anyone who isn’t a beauty.
Even if I were to accept a male party member, it wouldn’t be this guy.
Not this guy, who, regardless of his intentions, spread rumors about me and caused me harm.