Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Acceptance
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"I was kidnapped, but I barely managed to escape on my own. Please help me. My little sister is still there."
An anxious-looking woman pleaded desperately.
Albert's face turned deadly serious the moment he heard her words.
"Human trafficking? We should report this to the city guard!"
"Adventurer, sir, that would take too long. Now that I've escaped, they'll realize it and move their hideout right away. Then we'll never find my sister! Please, help us!"
Her voice was thick with guilt over leaving her sister behind.
Seeing her pitiful expression ignited a sense of justice in Albert. He knew every minute counted with his disciple exam approaching.
But Albert couldn't just walk away from this.
Reporting to the patrol would definitely take too much time.
Every second mattered.
He had no choice.
Albert decided to check out the place alone first.
"Can you tell me the location? I'll go ahead and scout it out. Miss, you go report this to the city guard."
"No. The place is too complicated to describe—it's in a maze of alleys. I'll guide you."
Thinking about it, the hideout wouldn't be on a main street; it'd be in some twisted back alley, impossible to find solo.
"Hmm... I suppose there's no helping it."
"This way."
The woman dashed toward a narrow alley, urgency in her steps.
Albert followed, tense for any potential fight.
She wove through the shadowy lanes, leading the way.
Albert had to admit he'd never have found it without her guidance.
(It's right around this corner.)
The woman stopped and whispered, holding her breath.
Albert pressed against the alley wall and peeked around the bend. A single door came into view, guarded by one rough-looking thug.
The classic back-alley criminal face.
Didn't look like any powerhouse.
'Is that their slaver den?'
Albert had trained under his mercenary father's swordsmanship since childhood.
A mere street punk like that? He could handle him.
Albert shuffled forward with a naive, lost expression, scanning around.
"What the hell are you?"
The thug scowled menacingly right away.
"Oh, sorry. I, uh, got lost..."
Albert approached, playing the bumbling fool.
"Huh? Lost? Not my problem. Scram!"
'Now! Quick and clean!'
Albert exploded forward with leg power, closing the gap in a burst of speed.
"You bast—!"
Before the thug could yell, Albert's elbow slammed into his gut.
"Guhk!"
He spun and followed with a fist to the jaw. The thug's eyes rolled back as he crumpled unconscious.
'Lucky. They don't seem like heavy hitters.'
"A-Amazing."
The woman's face lit up with hope watching Albert dispatch the thug effortlessly.
Something warm and inexplicable swelled in Albert's chest alongside his pride.
His exam might run late—even fail—but this was right. No regrets.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes, adventurer sir."
Albert cautiously entered the slavers' hideout.
The interior guards weren't that tight-knit. Her escape hadn't been discovered yet.
Albert swept through the emerging slavers with stylish ease, freeing the captive women one by one.
There were just over ten. All women, all beauties.
Definitely a slaver den.
Before more could show, Albert led them out in a hurry.
"Th-Thank you."
The rescued women bowed gratefully to Albert.
Albert felt elated having single-handedly wiped out the den and saved them.
"Now, head home."
He beamed contentedly.
A few thanked him repeatedly and left.
But ten remained.
"And you all?"
"Hic... sniff..."
Tears streamed silently down their faces.
"Why the tears?"
He couldn't fathom why they weren't rushing home.
"We have nowhere to go."
"What?"
"Our families... those bastards..."
He didn't need to hear the rest.
Fury surged anew at the slavers.
But even Albert couldn't take responsibility for ten women.
'W-Wait... th-this!?'
A bolt of genius struck him.
"Uh, do any of you have skills? Anything you're good at?!"
They answered as if waiting.
"I can cook."
"I managed a noble's garden once."
"M-Me too, cooking..."
"I sew clothes."
"I..."
Albert inwardly cheered.
These beauties were suspiciously talented, but he harbored no doubts.
'With them!'
"If you have nowhere to go... how about maid work at my estate?"
Ignis would stay in the Hero's Haven for now.
The place's time flow bent to my will—as long as I didn't enter. I'd set it to crawl, so even days later for me would feel like a blink for her.
Back in my room from the Haven, an unexpected guest awaited.
Lilliana.
"You never cease to surprise me with new tricks."
She sipped tea at my table.
She'd let herself in, but a beauty's visit was always welcome.
"Not even going to explain that bizarre stunt just now?"
Not much to explain, really. Just a skill activation on my end.
Telling her it was a system skill? She'd never buy "Oh, right" that easily.
"Anyway, what's up?"
She wasn't lounging here for nothing.
Not here to throw herself at me, either.
"Keep your promise, Un-ho."
"Promise? What promise?"
"Playing dumb? You promised me your blood."
Right, back when I erased that tracking spell on her staff.
"...Didn't forget, huh."
"Of course. My memory's sharp. And now I have a proper lab for research. Time to uncover your secrets."
Lilliana smirked confidently.
I had no intent to break it.
No skin off my back; I'd just plain forgotten.
Borrowers forget debts faster than lenders.
I was riding high from summoning Ignis—hell, willing to squeeze out more than blood.
'But... can I even give blood...?'
My body, super-enhanced via skills, beyond measure.
Doubting if it could even bleed was natural.
But it worked surprisingly easy.
With my 'permission,' even enhanced flesh wounded readily.
The cut healed in seconds.
Confirmed my regen, too.
"The scent... not ordinary blood. Something fragrant. Intriguing."
Lilliana remarked, collecting it in a beaker-like vial.
-Sniff sniff.-
Definitely not normal human blood.
Sweet, almost candy-like...
"Look forward to it. I'll crack your secrets, Un-ho."
I was curious too.
If my semen had effects, why not blood?
Hell, I hoped she'd uncover something useful.
"Yeah, I look forward to it."
Albert, beaming ear-to-ear.
Ten beauties hovering shyly behind him...
The fool had rescued future maids in not a day—not even half.
My post-Ignis high crashed hard.
'This possible? How...?'
Impossible.
'His face?'
Hated admitting it, but with luck, that mug could charm plenty.
He bragged about soloing the slaver den—none sank in.
Only Eirin listened raptly.
"Heh, served you right, Un-ho. Not backing out now, are you?"
Lilliana gloated.
Albert and Eirin stared expectantly.
Their pressure mounted.
Backing out after my words? Too spineless for a man.
"Sigh... Albert... I accept you... as my disciple."
I spat the dreaded line.
"Yes!!"
Albert thrust his arms skyward in triumph.
Bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Congrats, Albert!"
Eirin cheered, oblivious to my pain.