Chapter 122: Flowers in Both Hands and a Shell on My Back

Vinesha glared at Sharin without even calling her name.
I could feel the intense malice, urging her to get away from me immediately.

Regardless, Sharin simply stared at Vinesha for a moment before snorting.
“It was Hanon who asked me for help first.”

“What?”

Vinesha’s eyes widened as she whipped her head toward me.
Her gaze was demanding confirmation, asking if what Sharin said was true.

Vinesha always had to be number one when it came to anything involving me.
Whatever it was, the fact that I had asked Sharin for help was utterly unacceptable to her.

“Is… is that true, husband?”

The windows in the corridor began to tremble.
The golden hues of the sunset had vanished, replaced by the dark curtain of night.
Beyond the window, an unknown presence flickered past.

“Vinesha, that’s it!”

I exclaimed in joy.

“W-What?”

Vinesha was visibly startled by my sudden delight.
She never expected me to be pleased about the power she had just unwittingly revealed.

“We have to go to the Otherworld right now. We’re bringing Grantoni back.”

“G-Go to the Otherworld? Husband, do you even understand what you’re saying?”

The Otherworld was the realm of the dead.
Crossing into it was no different from choosing death.
But I wasn’t acting recklessly.

“It’s fine if we have divine relics.”

Divine relics — tools imbued with the power of the gods.
Anyone possessing one carries the blessings of the divine.

I had the Lightning Magnet.
Of course, even with a divine relic, we couldn’t stay in the Otherworld for long.
We’d have to accomplish our goal within that time.

“Besides, Sharin has the Mirinae.”

The biggest threat in the Otherworld was the wandering dead.
But Mirinae, which sees through all things, would keep the dead from approaching us.

“And Vinesha, you’re a contractor of the Otherworld.”

The Otherworld was home to transcendent beings and various other entities.
Vinesha had made contracts with those dangerous existences.
The dead would flee in terror at the mere sight of her.

With the three of us, we could do it.
I wasn’t asking for help without reason.

“Vinesha, right now, you’re the only one who can open the gate to the Otherworld.”

If she didn’t help, the boundary between the Otherworld and the real world would collapse.
She was supposed to play the role of a mid-boss, but just this once, she had to act as our ally.

“I don’t really understand what’s going on, but…”

Vinesha approached the window and reached out her hand.
Her fingers passed through the glass as if dipping into a viscous liquid.

“If my husband desires it, how could I refuse?”

Rather than questioning the circumstances, Vinesha chose to help me first.
Sharin and I stepped closer to her.

“By the way, husband, this Grantoni… it’s not another woman, is it?”

Vinesha smiled dangerously as she prepared to open the gate to the Otherworld.

“Vinesha, take this.”

Before answering, I handed her a pendant.
Vinesha accepted the old, worn pendant and her eyes widened in surprise.

“Husband, are you giving me a present?”

As expected, Vinesha’s memories were completely shattered.
She no longer remembered Grantoni, nor the pendant.
And one day, when even more time passed, all her memories would be gone.
There would come a day when she remembered nothing at all.

“Yes, it’s a present.”

It was a gift, not from me, but from your teacher long ago.
A gift I hoped would help you remember.
Without knowing any of this, Vinesha gently wore the pendant, cherishing it.

“I’m so happy! A gift from you! I’ll treasure it forever!”

That pendant had already been your treasure.
And it was also the last thing Grantoni left behind.
But I couldn’t say that.
Even if I tried, Vinesha would only be confused by my words.

Just then, Sharin tapped my side.

“What about meee?”

I blinked.
Was she asking for a gift too?

“I’ve bought you plenty of bread until now.”

“But it’s all gone now.”

Well, of course, she had eaten it. It was probably nourishing her by now.

Sharin had a surprisingly competitive streak when it came to Vinesha.

“I’ll buy you something once this is over.”

“I want a house!”

“That’s impossible.”

I didn’t have nearly enough money for that.

Sharin shot me a dissatisfied look, then glanced at the pendant hanging around Vinesha’s neck.
After a moment, she poked my side again with her long fingers.

“Then I want some other jewelry.”

I alternated my gaze between her fingers and her languid expression.
Did she even realize what she was saying?

I had spent enough time with Sharin to understand her personality to some extent.
Her actions now were completely subconscious.
Not a single one of them was intentional.

‘When she realizes this later…’

I had no idea how she would react.

“Husband?”

Vinesha had completed the portal to the Otherworld using the window.
But her face was twisted, more devilish than the ghosts lurking in the Otherworld.

“Why do you keep whispering with her? You’re acting like you’re so close.”

Vinesha’s jealousy was reaching its limit, and her teeth ground audibly.
Before it could erupt, I turned to Sharin.

“I’ll get you something when we return.”

“Promiseee!”

Sharin’s mood instantly lifted, and she even started humming a cheerful tune.
Vinesha, on the other hand, was clearly unhappy.
But with me standing beside her, she held back her irritation.

“Ha-non Airei!”

Right then, Eve arrived, climbing the stairs just in time.
The final piece was in place.

I had waited long enough.

Eve glared at me, her face full of things she wanted to say.
But given the situation, she simply let out a sigh.

“We’ll finish this conversation later.”

And with that, Eve joined our group.

This was the best team I could possibly assemble for the Otherworld.

“Let’s go.”

I would definitely bring Grantoni back from the Otherworld.

* * *

The Otherworld.

Also known as the realm of the dead, it was a colorless, ashen-gray world.
It resembled the real world in many ways, but with one distinct difference:
A pale white moon always hung in the gray sky.

And here I was, walking through this bleak world, my arms and back firmly restrained.
Two beautiful women clung to my sides — one on each arm.

On my left was Vinesha, dressed and made up like a femme fatale, her appearance reminiscent of a dangerous beauty.
On my right was Sharin Sazaris, her elegant and languid expression radiating an air of noble sophistication.
Both women held onto my arms tightly.

Please, don’t.
It felt like my arms were going to burst.

But they weren’t the only ones holding onto me.
On my back, yet another woman was clinging desperately.
Her name was Eve.

It all started the moment we entered the Otherworld.

As soon as we arrived, Vinesha immediately latched onto my left arm.
Her ample chest pressed against me, causing a brief moment of fluster, but it wasn’t a big deal.

After all, I frequently shared a bed with Iris.
She had a habit of cuddling up to me in her sleep, and by now, I was well accustomed to the warmth of a woman’s embrace.

‘Though, is this really something to be proud of?’

A bitter taste lingered in my mouth.

Anyone else would probably look at this scene with envy, overwhelmed with jealousy.
But with my heart severed from love, I felt nothing but frustration.

‘Those cursed Veil Bandages. What a terrifying thing.’

Just as I tried to adjust to Vinesha’s grip, my right arm was suddenly seized.

Even without looking, I could tell who it was.
Since the beach trip, I’d already noticed that Sharin had a soft, generously proportioned figure.

She didn’t even bother looking at me.
Instead, her sharp gaze was locked on Vinesha, burning with fierce rivalry.
It seemed like Sharin had decided to act out of sheer competitiveness.

What an absurd situation.

Somehow, I had ended up with a woman on each arm.

And then there was Eve.

The moment we entered the Otherworld and she saw her first ghost, it happened.

“KYAAAAAH!”

With a shrill scream, she threw herself at my back, clinging like a leech.
Ironically, the ghost had been so startled by Eve’s scream that it fled immediately.

But even after the ghost had disappeared, Eve showed no intention of letting go.

Only today did I truly confirm Eve’s greatest weakness.

She was terrified of ghosts.
Unreasonably so.

‘I suspected it when she reacted strangely upon seeing the wraith before, but now I’m certain.’

After entering the Otherworld, it was undeniable.
But what baffled me even more was why she had agreed to come here despite that fear.

‘This is practically a trauma.’

It made me wonder if something had happened in Eve’s past involving ghosts — something I wasn’t aware of.

“All three of you are making it hard to move.”

“Exactly! Fox-face, husband says you’re making him uncomfortable. Let go already.”

“Who are you calling Fox-faceee?”

“…….”

The tension between the two was escalating.
It felt like it could erupt into a full-blown fight at any moment.

Eve, still clinging to my back, remained silent.

“Vinesha, how’s the pendant?”

To mediate and change the subject, I decided to ask her.

Upon hearing my question, Vinesha straightened her posture, making sure the pendant was clearly visible.
Despite my best efforts, instinct pulled my gaze elsewhere for a brief second.
Still, I felt no emotional stirrings.
Even I found it strange.

“Since it’s a gift from you, I absolutely love it!”

Vinesha proudly flaunted the pendant, clearly directing her show of joy at Sharin.
Sharin merely narrowed her eyes and silently fixed her gaze on me.

“Anything else about it?”

“It’s so beautiful!”

It was far from beautiful, though.
The pendant was a worn-out relic, more of a worthless antique.
Yet, it seemed Vinesha didn’t feel any particular emotions from it.

‘Was my theory wrong?’

I had formed a hypothesis regarding the pendant Vinesha was wearing.
But maybe I was mistaken.

‘Or perhaps it’s just not time yet.’

There was no need to feel discouraged.

What I did need to worry about, however, was the increasing pressure on my arms.
Both Vinesha and Sharin had started squeezing even harder.
It was probably time for me to say something.

Just as I was about to speak—

[ Well, if this isn’t the very picture of a philanderer. ]

A voice, deep and rough, echoed directly into my ears.

Startled, I looked up.

There, standing before us, was a burly man with bulging muscles.
A ghost of the Otherworld.

The moment Vinesha and Sharin laid eyes on him, their expressions changed in an instant.
Eve, still pressed against my back, began squeezing me with terrifying strength.

Stop.
I’m serious.
If you keep this up, I’ll die.

Before Vinesha and Sharin could act on their murderous intent, I quickly raised both arms — as much as I could while they were still clinging to me — to stop them.

“Barcabarán.”

[ Ah, I knew your presence felt familiar. I thought perhaps you’d been struck by lightning and died already. ]

Barcabarán — the original owner of Lightning Magnet, the divine relic I now possessed.
And now, he had appeared before us in the Otherworld.