Chapter 77: The Beastkin Priestess
Chapter 77: The Beastkin Priestess
“So, Diana, are you only going to provide support when necessary now?”
“Hm. That’s the plan. Does that bother you?”
“No. I trust your judgment, so it doesn’t really matter.”
“O-Of course you trust my judgment! That’s only natural.”
Despite her words, Diana blushed.
Just like her to boast about trivial things but be discreetly considerate about important matters. It seemed she got embarrassed when praised so openly. How cute.
“By the way, Guwon, why didn’t you dodge earlier? It seems like your fighting style has changed,” Leia asked.
“I figured this would be better for raising my job levels.”
It seemed to be helping raise not only Leia’s Priestess level, but my Martial Artist level as well.
I was defending by taking moderately strong hits only in places where it wouldn’t hinder my movement. In a way, it required better body control than dodging.
So, Guwon fought the same way in the next battle.
As soon as the fight ended, Leia immediately came over to heal him.
“Raising your job levels is good, but aren’t you overworking yourself like this?”
“Don’t worry. This is nothing.”
“I know you’re dependable, Guwon, but it’s still heartbreaking to see you get hurt like this.”
Leia said this while stroking me, her expression as pained as if she were the one who’d been hurt.
She really was a born priestess.
Leia probably would have become a priestess even if she hadn’t been an orphan abandoned at the temple.
“But in exchange, I get more time with you taking care of me after battle, right? I’d almost want to keep fighting like this just for that.”
“Oh, my. You’re too much, Guwon. Sara and Diana are watching.”
Leia lightly tapped my arm as if scolding me.
Just as I thought, Leia doesn’t completely shut me down even when I’m this forward.
Sara and Diana would just reject me outright if I got too aggressive, but with Leia, there was a certain fun in the conversation.
“Haha. Then let them watch. I’ll even show off…”
“Hey, that’s enough.”
Diana spoke coldly to me as I got cocky and was about to push my luck.
Huh? Wasn’t she in a good mood from this morning until just now?
But now, Diana’s eyes were blazing with anger.
Don’t tell me she thinks a little flirting is letting our guard down in the dungeon?
Well, I guess it was wrong of me to say it like I was showing off to Sara and Diana, but still, isn’t this too harsh?
Of course, I didn’t make the mistake of saying what I was thinking out loud.
“Yes. I’ll restrain myself.”
But the flames of anger didn’t disappear from Diana’s eyes.
On top of that, perhaps because of how I had spoken so boastfully, Sara, who was walking beside me on scout duty, kept shooting daggers at my face with an icy glare instead of looking forward.
Uh… Sara? What I meant for you to see wasn’t this…
Ah, would saying that just provoke her even more?
As she walked, glaring at me, it seemed Sara just couldn’t calm her anger.
Suddenly, she pulled an arrow from her quiver, nocked it, and began infusing it with mana.
Unlike usual, when only the arrowhead would glow, the entire arrow was now surging with an intense blue light. This was no ordinary attack.
Is the Hero job one that gets stronger with anger?
“S-Sara? C-Calm down! Let’s talk! People can understand each other through conversation!”
FWOOSH!
But the arrow flew not toward me, but in the direction we were walking.
It pierced straight through the head of an Orc that had just popped out from around a corner.
Immediately after, a massive fire spell flew past, turning the Orc that followed into a roast.
“Oh my, I put a bit too much power into that. I’m sorry. Looks like you won’t be getting any healing this time, will you?”
The attack must have taken a lot out of her, because Sara’s face was slightly pale as she glared at me and spoke.
She was that angry, huh.
“I-I guess so. B-But Diana, you helped out this time?”
“Hmph. I was getting antsy just standing around doing nothing.”
Sara’s glare was so terrifying that I turned to look at Diana, but even though her words were casual, her eyes were just as scary.
What’s with these two?
I don’t know if they were annoyed by the flirting or offended by my showing off, but couldn’t you just tell me if that’s the case?
Still, Sara and Diana knew when to draw the line, so they didn’t go as far as obliterating the monsters the moment the next battle started.
I, too, did my best not to provoke them, keeping a straight face even while Leia healed me. Though, of course, I was inwardly enjoying her touch.
We continued fighting in this new way, exploring and revealing the map all day, but we made no particular discoveries and had to return to the secret base.
If there was one silver lining, it was that reoccupying the secret base reduced our chances of encountering Werewolves, which in turn allowed us to gather plenty of Orc meat.
“Just as we thought, blocking this area has reduced the number of Werewolves appearing over there.”
Back at the secret base, as I was grilling Orc meat, Sara, who was picking at the pieces beside me, muttered this.
“Yeah. I guess there isn’t a Werewolf settlement over there after all.”
“In that case, shouldn’t we stick to the main route starting tomorrow? It’s more efficient for raising our job levels.”
As expected of Sara, who prioritizes growth above all else, to make such a suggestion.
“Yeah… If we’re only talking about growth, you’re right, but…”
“You’re still curious about what’s over there, aren’t you?”
“Yeah. I can’t help but wonder.”
There must be a reason the Werewolves are so fixated on it.
And while this place isn’t a game, this dungeon has many game-like systems. In games, there’s usually something hidden in secret places like that. It feels too large to be just a simple shortcut.
But no matter how many reasons I list, in the end, it’s just a feeling.
It’s entirely possible that we’ll search the whole place and find nothing.
Maybe it’s better to just focus on leveling up quickly instead of taking a gamble?
In terms of profit, too, it would be more beneficial to move on to the 2nd Floor quickly rather than obsessing over a potential secret on the 1st Floor.
“I-I think we should trust your intuition, Guwon, and explore that area a bit more.”
But Leia insisted, clenching both fists in front of her chest.
“Huh? Y-You think so?”
“Yes. It might even be the Goddess’s guidance.”
Leia said, smiling at me.
Ah, she’s talking about how I might have the Goddess’s blessing.
But this isn’t something I can decide on my own.
Even as the leader, I have to respect the opinions of all the party members when deciding our direction.
“I-I see. Then let’s do that for now.”
But Sara immediately changed her mind.
Huh? Did she really change her mind because of that ‘Goddess’s guidance’ stuff?
She doesn’t seem that devout…
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Fights with Orcs end faster, so we can just hunt more of them. Come to think of it, there probably won’t be that big of a difference.”
She says there won’t be a big difference, but there’s still a definite difference.
Maybe Sara chose to go along with it rather than create a conflict.
She’s surprisingly considerate, unlike how she appears.
“Alright, let’s check it out for a few more days, and if there’s nothing, we’ll switch to the main route.”
I offered a compromise, taking Sara’s feelings into consideration.
“Y-Yes! Let’s do that, then.”
For a moment, Sara’s expression brightened, but she immediately composed herself and spoke coolly.
So she was just being considerate.
“Hmph.”
Still, she seemed happy that her opinion was partially accepted, as she started humming while picking up another piece of meat.
“Guwon, don’t just grill, you should eat some too. Shall I take over?”
After the conversation ended, Leia, who had been diligently eating meat, spoke to me again.
No, I appreciate the thought, but can’t you see I’m grilling with my bare hands? You’ll burn yourself if you do it.
For the record, I washed my hands with Diana’s magic before I started. Perfectly sanitary.
“Huh? No, I’ve been grabbing pieces while I cook…”
I looked up to say that, but stopped short.
Because right in front of me, Leia was holding out a piece of meat on her fork.
This is it! The legendary ‘girl feeding you’ move I’ve only ever heard about! I can’t believe it’s real.
Truthfully, while I said the girls ate a lot, I had been eating just as much. It just wasn’t obvious because I was snatching pieces with my hands as I grilled.
But there was no way I’d be stupid enough to say that in this situation.
“Ah, ahh! Come to think of it, I am hungry! I’ll have a bite, then.”
I said this exaggeratedly, steadying my trembling voice, and ate the meat from Leia’s fork.
Leia beamed, then used the same fork to pick up another piece of meat and bring it to her own mouth.
Perfect. Who on earth sent this perfect angel down to us?
Of course, we’ve kissed during sex, but this fills me with a completely different kind of happiness.
Seeing this, both Sara and Diana had a sharp intake of breath, looked down at their own forks, and blushed.
That’s right. Be more ashamed. Be ashamed of yourselves for selfishly gobbling up meat without a shred of consideration.
How could you, as human beings?
So hurry up and offer me some meat, too.
Unfortunately, it seemed that inner thought showed on my face.
“Leia. Consideration is a fine virtue, but it’s also important to cultivate your powers of observation. Are you aware that this man has eaten far more meat than you have? And yet he shamelessly accepts your kindness. He should be telling you to eat more! Do you have any conscience? Unbelievable!”
Diana, who seemed quite angry, fired off a volley of words at me like a machine gun.
“I-I’m fine. Just seeing everyone else eat their fill makes me happy.”
“No. You’re too soft. The more you act like that, the more this shameless bastard will walk all over you.”
“That’s right. Guwon gets cocky if you’re even a little nice to him, so you need to be a bit strict,” even Sara chimed in to agree.
Walk all over you… I mean, it’s not like it’s untrue, but…
“S-Strictly…”
Faced with Sara and Diana’s assault, Leia gave a vague smile and murmured.
No! My only sanctuary! Don’t take away my last remaining spiritual haven!
“Y-You guys are too much. I was just joking around. Of course Leia should eat more than me. Here, Leia, eat up.”
To prevent Leia from being corrupted by Sara and Diana, I quickly picked up a piece of meat and brought it to her lips.
“Th-Thank you. Ouch, hot.”
Leia, though flustered, accepted the meat without losing her smile.
“Ah! Sorry! I’ll blow on it this time. Here, foo, foo. Eat up.”
“Thank you.”
Leia chewed the piece I gave her thoroughly, then accepted another with a smile.
However, her smile seemed somewhat desperate.
Yeah. Maybe I was feeding her too fast without giving her time to chew. I should calm down.
But with this, my angel has been protected.
From now on, whenever Sara and Diana’s evil clutches reach for her, I’ll be the one to save her.
Leia has to keep this personality forever. I won’t let you two corrupt her.
“H-Hey, are you defying me now?”
But for some reason, Diana became even more furious.
H-Huh? Defying you? What? Why are you angry?
I was being considerate and showing some conscience, just like you said!
Of course, such words didn’t get through to Diana, who was blinded by rage.
She started lecturing me all over again.
And the topic of her lecture was, of all things, consideration. Consideration! As I listened to Diana berate me about thinking of others’ feelings, I thought to myself.
I might have been a bit too forward, but I was trying to be considerate in my own way. To get a lecture like this for it… It’s so unfair…