Chapter 203
Chapter 203
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Disciples
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-Gulp. Gulp.
I woke up from a pleasant ejaculation.
This wasn't a wet dream.
The sensation of a warm, curly, soft mass of flesh repeatedly licking my member proved it.
-Slurp. Slurp.
I opened my eyes and saw a pink-haired maid with her face buried in my crotch, shaking her head.
'Chloe today?'
I gently stroked her head.
"You've woken up, Master."
Chloe wiped the thick white fluid dribbling from her mouth with a handkerchief and greeted me politely.
I reached out and caressed her thigh wrapped in white stockings.
"Master, your disciples are waiting."
Chloe spoke up, reading my intent to take the next step.
Yesterday's events came to mind.
"Tch."
I had no choice but to rise from the bed.
The blanket slid down, revealing the artistically chiseled muscles etched across my robust body. Chloe's gaze on my naked form grew hazy.
"Really... you're so handsome, Master."
It might have been lip service, but praise from a beauty still felt good.
The sunlight streaming through the window suggested it was a bit late for morning.
They might have waited a little.
But it was fine.
With Chloe's assistance, I dressed leisurely and headed outside.
The mansion's front garden.
There stood Eirin and two men.
"Your presence here means..."
"Yes! Master, we've steeled ourselves to take the trial."
After spending the night at Albert's cabin, the two had indeed decided to accept the trial.
I'd expected as much.
Albert and Charles's faces brimmed with confidence, as if they'd exchanged some words in the meantime.
I had no idea where their confidence came from, but by now... whatever.
I'd grown accustomed to Albert's baseless self-assurance.
In contrast, Eirin's face was profoundly gloomy, as if she were attending a funeral portrait.
That's the look of a normal person.
'Tch... no helping it...'
I needed to console Eirin.
I pulled a book from my inventory and tossed it to them.
"Master, what is this?"
Albert carefully caught the book and asked.
"A decent basic aura training method. I was planning to use it for your next training session. It'll help in the labyrinth."
"M-Master..."
Albert sent me a touched, burdensome gaze.
I glanced at Eirin.
Worry still lingered on her face.
'Not enough after all? No choice then.'
I decided to add them to my party.
'What?!'
I hadn't assumed I could add party members without limits, of course.
But why now, of all times?
Five was the limit, excluding me.
'Five per party... one skill point per member? And I have to spend skill points on these guys?'
I suppressed my rising anger while looking at Eirin's cute face.
"Hoo..."
Before coming to Pantera, in that short time in the zombie world, the reliable Ignis had earned me two skill points.
Thanks to her, I had six spare points.
Biting back tears, I used the skill points to increase my party creation limit.
"Master, strange letters are floating in the air. It says you've invited us to a raid..."
"......Magic."
"Master!"
Only then did Eirin's face brighten fully.
She knew just how valuable this skill was.
She probably hadn't expected me to support these two with party magic.
Sorry, Eirin, but I had no intention of supporting them, of course.
It was just a performance to show off what a caring master I was, since Eirin's face had been so gloomy about sending Albert off.
At least with the party status window, I could check their life signs, so even if they went missing, there'd be no lingering anxiety about whether they might return.
"Master, then we'll be off!"
Moved by my send-off, the two men clutched the [Basic Aura Training Manual] tightly in both hands and bowed deeply.
They departed the mansion with resolute steps.
"M-Master."
Eirin watched their confident backs with a worried expression.
Her face had softened from the look of sending a lover to certain death to that of a mother sending her son off to the army.
"Eirin, don't worry. I gave them party magic and a solid aura training manual. They'll make it through fine."
I subtly draped an arm around her shoulders and offered comforting words.
"Yes..."
Eirin leaned into me slightly, seemingly reassured by my consolation.
She'd grown much less resistant to my casual touches.
Perhaps the distance between master and disciple had shortened.
Putting those guys into my precious party slots and giving them the training manual seemed to have worked.
She'd finally taken a step forward as my disciple.
After sending the two to the labyrinth and returning to my chambers, I hurriedly opened the party window... no, raid window.
The two activated parties were visible.
My party led by Ayla, full of women, and the two-man Albert party.
Having their windows side by side irked me. I shoved Albert's party window to an out-of-sight corner of my vision.
A simple condition status showed next to their names.
『Condition: Good.』
Unfortunately, neither seemed in poor shape.
I naturally skewed their experience gain ratio as far toward me as possible. That way, I took 70% of their experience.
Even so, they got a full 30%. Wasn't 30% of hunting experience way too generous for them?
Was there no way to take it all?
Some method...
I clutched my head and pondered.
Dimensional Shop.
There might be something there!!
Suni, who'd searched the Dimensional Shop on my command, delivered thunderbolt news.
"Ha...... Guess it's unavoidable..."
These lucky bastards...
A sigh escaped me unwittingly from the regret.
That lost 30% experience...
As I sank into despair, Suni materialized, hugged me, and patted my back.
The soft swell of Suni's breasts against my face eased the knot in my heart a little.
After shoving Albert and Charles into the labyrinth for the time being, I grabbed the water supply artifacts and headed to the zombie world.
Entering the zombie world, I handed two water supply artifacts—crafted with my blood—to Lilia via Seolhwa.
"M-My lord.... th-this is..."
"Take them to Cheonbu Sect and Im Gu-seong."
"Everyone will be deeply moved by your boundless grace, my lord."
Seolhwa bowed, impressed.
"You know it's valuable without me saying. No spares yet. Forget to return it, and that group will be hauling water from the river."
Forgetting was entirely their responsibility.
Of course, it wasn't free.
The survivor camp was nominally under me, so no choice there, but Cheonbu Sect would pay.
Price: 20 low-grade Corrupted Being mana stones.
Low-grade Corrupted Being stones equated to D-rank mana stones back home.
I gave them a discount since it was Seolhwa's family clan.
No installments.
Rental fee: 5 low-grade stones per month.
If the rental felt too pricey, they'd buy it outright.
Though after all the miscellaneous purchases they'd made from me, I doubted they had spares.
"Understood, my lord."
Seolhwa departed cherishing the water supply artifacts, and I opened the system window.
System messages of Ignis's successful hunts in Cheongju poured in nonstop.
It was the kind of good news that filled you up without a bite to eat.
She was truly reliable.
I'd also provided Ignis with a small inventory.
Inventories weren't so abundant that I'd given them to anyone besides Ayla and Eirin.
But Ignis deserved one, naturally.
I was the one more thankful.
Was this what they called a pillar husband?
A warm feeling swelled that I should cherish Ignis even more.
In contrast, Cheon Su-ho and those prisoner bastards...
No mid-grade Corrupted Being kills from them in days.
"No way... are they slacking off like idiots?"
What to do with these prisoners?
Thanks to Ignis, they'd become like chicken ribs now.