Chapter 552: For the Goddess's Advent
Chapter 552: For the Goddess's Advent
“What about it?”
What did she mean, wasn’t I bothered?
Other than her talking about something like that with another man right in front of me, was there something else I should have been upset about?
As I tilted my head in confusion, Leia muttered in a voice that was on the verge of tears.
“But… but I… I might absorb other people’s abilities through life force absorption!”
“What’s wrong with that? You only sleep with me, anyway. You’re not hurting anyone.”
“That’s not true! I’d be hurting you, Guwon!”
“No, you wouldn’t. My skills weren’t absorbed.”
I see. So that’s what she was worried about.
Leia could be such a fool sometimes. Why on earth was she anxious about something like that?
Looking at the teary-eyed Leia, I told her as much.
“…Huh?”
“Leia, have you forgotten that I can see all of your skills? Don’t worry. You didn’t absorb anything. And even if you had, I wouldn’t care at all. What, did you think that because you might absorb my skills, I’d start to hate you or become reluctant to be with you? As if. If anything, if you told me you wouldn’t sleep with me anymore, I’m confident I’d start crying right this second.”
As I spoke, I deliberately lowered my gaze and glanced at the valley of her breasts.
Damn right I’d cry. I’d cry and beg to fix our relationship, no matter what it took.
And it was true that none of my skills were in Leia’s skill window.
I had meticulously examined her skills today because of yesterday’s failed Goddess Advent incident, but even if I hadn’t, there’s no way I wouldn’t have noticed if she’d absorbed one of my skills. Her skill window was clean, with only the Priestess and High Priestess tabs.
No, wait. If she absorbed the High Priestess’s skills, shouldn’t the High Priestess tab have been there when she was still just a Priestess? …Was it?
Hmm… I can’t remember.
Maybe it only activates once you learn the job? Or maybe you have to completely kill them with life force absorption to take their skills?
Well, whatever. It’s not like Leia’s going to sleep with anyone but me.
And it wasn’t like any of my skills had lost levels, either.
I checked my own skill window pretty often, after all. Even I would have noticed if a skill’s level had dropped.
I mean, how long have Leia and I been together?
The fact that there hasn’t been the slightest hint of it until now meant that it wouldn’t cause me any harm in the future, either.
Well, to be honest, I wouldn’t have a problem with it even if Leia did drain a few of my skill levels.
Who cares about a few skill levels? I can just raise them again.
My relationship with Leia is far more precious to me than something like that.
“G-Guwon… Oh, you…”
Leia, who had been looking at me with a touched expression, let out a watery chuckle when I pretended I was about to start sobbing. She gently stroked my thigh with her tail.
“If you’re always this kind…”
“Why? Did you fall for me all over again?”
“Mmm… that’s impossible. Because I can’t possibly fall for you any more than I already have.”
After saying that, Leia pressed a light kiss to my lips.
When she pulled away, she didn’t even think to wipe the tears welling in her eyes as she murmured in a playful voice.
“If you’re always so unconditionally kind, you might get taken advantage of someday, you know?”
She was saying the very words I always told her.
“Don’t worry. I’m only kind when I’m with you girls. I may not look it, but I’m actually a heinous…”
“Hehe. You have such a kind face, Guwon. You’re not scary no matter how hard you try.”
…No, Leia. I think you’re seeing me through some seriously rose-colored glasses.
I’m really not that good of a guy… I should try to live a little more virtuously from now on.
No, this isn’t the time to be reformed by an angel. I mean, of course, living a good life is a fine thing.
“Besides, I don’t mind losing out if it’s for you, Leia. You could absorb all my skills for all I care. Getting dominated by a Leia who can use the Saint’s skills… that has its own appeal… heheh…”
“Honestly! Guwon, you’re too much! Such a pervert!”
As I said that, I casually reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes. Leia finally broke into a wide smile and tapped my thigh with her tail, a little more forcefully this time.
This time, she didn’t pull her tail away. Instead, she began to move its tip like a paintbrush, tickling my thigh.
“But for you to have such thoughts… I suppose this means I’ll just have to prove that I can satisfy you completely, even without the Saint’s skills.”
Then, with a look of pure seduction completely different from before, she pressed her lips against mine.
That night, Leia never once asked me to use my skills.
I didn’t care about checking her Gumiho state or anything else; I just purely enjoyed my time with Leia.
And as a bonus, Leia properly proved that she was more than enough, even without the Saint’s skills.
My angel. You were amazing. I love you.
And the next day.
After finishing our meal, we all finished our preparations and gathered in the mansion’s lobby, ready to head to the dungeon as planned.
I’d told my girls in advance, so it seemed they had Vanessa prepare all the necessary supplies yesterday.
So Vanessa really had been busy yesterday.
“Vanessa, thank you for your hard…”
“Well then, Lady Diana. I shall take my leave.”
Well, she still refuses to even make eye contact with me.
What is this feeling bubbling up inside my chest?
Whatever. That’s not what’s important right now. The dungeon comes first. The dungeon.
“About time you showed up!”
When we arrived in front of the Guild, we found some familiar faces standing there as if they’d been waiting for us.
It was Alicia, an executive of the Arachne Clan, and her three lackeys.
Isn’t that a weird way to greet someone?
The way she acted like she didn’t care at all, despite how we parted ways not long ago… well, I guess that’s just Alicia for you.
In any case, upon seeing Alicia, my girls immediately went on guard.
Haha. I guess they’re instinctively wary of the one who took my first time, huh? Honestly, why are my girls so cute?
In contrast to them, I wasn’t the least bit wary as I casually greeted Alicia.
When all is said and done, it’s comfortable being around her, like hanging out with a guy friend. She’s so easygoing.
“Hello. Just get back from the dungeon?”
“As if! You just saw me the other day!”
Right. I did think it would be strange for her to have gone to the dungeon and back so quickly.
But if that was the case, it meant they were on their way to the dungeon now, which was also strange in its own way.
Putting aside Alicia, who I doubted ever got tired, the other three already looked completely worn out.
As if sensing my gaze, Kanna opened her mouth, her expression haggard.
“We’ve been in front of the Guild ever since then… Aaaaaaaargh!”
Before she could finish her sentence, she suddenly screamed and collapsed to the ground.
What’s she doing, grabbing her foot like that? Did she stub it on a rock? No, she was just standing still, wasn’t she?
“Anyway, is your party heading to the dungeon too?”
“Uh, yeah. We are. So I guess you guys are too?”
“Well, yeah. You guys are heading to the 4th floor, right? We’re going to the 4th floor, too!”
Alicia declared this in a voice slightly higher-pitched than usual, a savage grin spreading across her face like a predator eyeing its prey.
Not that I thought she was actually trying to be threatening.
Anyway, Alicia was already on the 4th floor? No, to be precise, the surprising thing was that the other three were on the 4th floor.
It seemed Alicia wasn’t lying when she called them promising rookies.
Even though my party lost time because I was shipwrecked, I never thought the day would come when those three would catch up to us.
“Is that so. Then maybe we’ll see you in the dungeon.”
Noticing Alicia’s subtly different attitude, I played along.
“Y-Yeah! We really might! Well then, shall we go!”
“Yeah, sure.”
Following Alicia’s lead, I also entered the Guild.
She’s acting like we’re going together.
Well, since we’re heading in the same direction to report our party members at the reception desk and then go to the teleportation circle, it’s not so bad to walk with people we know.
“Hello, Elder Sister.”
“G-Guwon! Hello. What brings you here today?”
Elder Sister Rachel, who looked a little surprised when I greeted her, quickly composed herself and greeted me back with her receptionist smile.
“We’re heading to the dungeon today.”
“A-Already? Will you be okay?”
Worried about my mental state, she looked at me with a hint of concern.
“Yep. Perfectly fine. Being thick-skinned about that sort of thing is one of my strengths.”
“Oh, honestly. That’s not something to brag about. And showing up without any notice again.”
At my words, she switched back to her friendly older sister mode and lightly tapped the tip of my nose with her finger, putting on a mock-angry face.
Come to think of it, right after she told me to be more organized, I’ve gone and made another surprise visit.
“My apologies. It just seems to turn out this way.”
“Hehe. Well, it’s fine. I’ll forgive you. But in return, you have to promise to come back safely this time, okay? If you don’t…”
“If I don’t?”
“This big sister will come find you and give you a scolding herself!”
Elder Sister Rachel said, furrowing her brow again in a deliberately angry expression.
She really is the perfect older sister.
Well, Sara’s revelation from before keeps popping into my head, but still, an older sister is an older sister.
“If that’s the case, I’d be more than happy to ask for that again…”
“Guwon!”
“Sorry, just kidding. Well, we’ll be off.”
With that, I reached over the counter, took her hand, and placed a light kiss on its back.
As if her previous demeanor had vanished into thin air, Elder Sister Rachel’s face turned beet red and she began to fluster.
“G-Guwon! There are other people watching…!”
“That’s why I did it. To tell everyone this woman is mine, so back off. You’re popular, aren’t you? I have to stake my claim early.”
“G-Guwon!”
Seeing Elder Sister Rachel, who was so red she could only call out my name, I leaned down and brought my lips to her ear.
“Elder Sister, you’re getting way too flustered. Why? Did you perhaps not imagine something like this, so you weren’t prepared for it?”
“I-If-If your business is finished, please step aside…! N-Next person! It’s the next person’s turn!”
As if I’d hit a nerve, she shoved my face away with both hands and hastily called for the next person in line behind me.
“Haha. I’ll be going now.”
Maybe I teased her a bit too much.
She always tries to maintain her ‘older sister’ persona in front of me.
But well, I just wanted to see her cute side before heading into the dungeon.
Anyway, mission accomplished. Now then, shall we get going with vigor!
“……”
First, I’ll have to placate my girls, though.
Hey, Alicia. What are you doing mixed in with my girls, sending me a cold glare too?
After somehow placating my party, we walked with Alicia’s group to the teleportation circle.
They must have finished their party registration long before I did, but the fact that they waited for me, even watching me flirt with Elder Sister Rachel, just goes to show how loyal Alicia is.
This must be what they call the bonds of manly friendship!
“W-Well then, see you later!”
“Yeah. See you later.”
But once we reached the teleportation circle, we had no choice but to part ways.
Watching Alicia’s party teleport to the 4th floor, it really sank in that they had made it that far.
“Wow… they really made it to the 4th floor. Their grit is amazing. Alright, shall we head to the 3rd floor?”
“To the 3rd floor, you say?!”
The moment I said that, Diana, as if she could hold it in no longer, retorted.
“Huh? Of course. We’re going to the ice cave. There’s no reason to go from the 4th floor, right?”
Sure, with Diana in her current perfect condition, she could pour her mana into stopping the water flow and go through the 4th floor, but there was no need for that, was there?
“But you just said you’d see them later!”
“Huh? That’s just a normal farewell, isn’t it? We’ll probably see them again someday while exploring the dungeon.”
“You… you’re really…”
“Alicia-ssi… after she tried so hard…”
“That’s a little… yeah…”
“I feel bad for those three, too…”
“Ugh…”
Hearing my answer, not just Diana but everyone else started whispering amongst themselves, their faces filled with pity.
Why?