Chapter 66: Catch Them (4)

Chapter 66: Catch Them (4)

I
woke up at dawn, before the early bird and began preparing for the
day.

I
carefully stretched the joints and muscles that would suffer for the
next few weeks, scrubbed myself down with lukewarm water, and washed
my face.

It
was a luxury I wouldn’t have for a while.

After
a quick routine, I checked my equipment one last time. It’s an
important task that never gets old.

The
opening of the helmet that Zirnier had fixed opened and closed
smoothly without creaking.

I
could now eat while wearing the helmet. This was very positive news.

The
eye sockets were slightly wider, which made it much easier to see.

Other
than that, it’s been touched up with dings, scratches, rust, and
grime from its long, rough ride.

It
was Zernier, the best craftsman in the Labyrinth City, and she didn’t
miss a single detail.

‘And
most of all⋯
this axe.’

It’s
different from the way it feels in my hand. The leather wrapped
around the handle is well-made and the finish could not be better.

The
blade, forged from a relic alloy, glowed a brilliant blue. It could
easily cut through the tough hide of a minotaur.

‘Furthermore,
the artifact is enchanted with the soul stone of the Boss Minotaur⋯’

I
don’t need to say much more about its performance. I’ve gotten
myself a tremendous weapon that can be used in the mid-tier.

However,
the design is not as refined as the axe that Idelbert gave me.

It’s
crude to say the least, a raw axe that reeked of iron.

‘You
have good taste.’

-It’s
a masterpiece. I haven’t had so much fun making weapons in a long
time.

I
remembered Zirnier leaving with a smirk on her face, clutching the
flask of dwarven brew she’d bought from Diana.

“I’ll
put it to good use.”

I
strap the twin axes to my waist, checking them in the mirror, and
they tickle me a bit.

Next,
I took the leather armor Diana had given me and added gaiters and
limb guards.

All
of my decent gear from the last battle with the minotaurs was ruined,
so I replaced it with some crappy stuff.

It
was about 80 silver coins but I got the most advanced gear I could
afford for a beginner explorer. Armor can mean the difference between
life and death.

‘When
I didn’t have the money for better gear, I could get by with the
helmet, but not anymore.’

Every
time I looked at my money pouch, I felt calmer.

I
stashed the rest of the money under my bed and left the room with a
backpack full of food and other supplies.

I
came downstairs to the savory aroma wafting from the kitchen, and
Diana poked her head out of the kitchen as soon as she heard my
footsteps.

“Morning.
Balkan.”

“Good
morning, Diana.”

I
thought I was up pretty early, but Diana was awake much earlier than
I was today.

We
had our usual morning chats and prepared an early breakfast.

Since
I’m going to the labyrinth so early, I wanted to make sure I had a
full stomach.

“It’s
carrot stew for some reason.”

“Yeah.
I just thought I’d try it out for something new⋯
don’t you like carrots?”

“I
eat them.”

Carrot
soup or potato soup, it doesn’t matter.

The
important thing is that Diana made it early in the morning.

She
ladles the soup into bowls and gathers the utensils.

“Go
upstairs and eat first.”

She
probably said this because I always went up to my room to eat.

I
chuckled and opened and closed the opening in my helmet.

“Now
I don’t have to go upstairs, we can eat at the table.”

Diana’s
eyes narrowed at my words, then she smiled broadly.

“Well,
are you sure that’s okay⋯?”

“Sure.
I wanted to share my first meal with you.”

I
remembered eating alone and lonely like a dog.

Farewell,
old me. No more solo meals for me now that I’ve donned my new and
improved helmet.

Diana
stared at me blankly, then swallowed hard.

She
quickly put another bowl of soup in front of her, looking quite
impatient in case I changed my mind.

“Thank
you,” I said.

“Enjoy.”

In
the darkness of dawn, Diana and I sat across from each other at the
table and ate an early breakfast, warm, creamy carrot-based soup and
moist, soft bread.

The
soup was nutritious and warm, and the bread was buttered and dipped
into the soup.

Paaaaaaan-.

As
Diana ate, she kept looking at me, munching away.

Her
eyes are obviously closed, but it feels like she’s staring right into
my mouth.

The
opening is not too big and not too small, as it’s meant to hold food.

I
thought to myself, “Maybe it’s just my dirty lips.”

By
the way, the reason she keep looking at it like that is because⋯

“Did
I get soup on my helmet?”

“Huh?
No⋯
ah⋯
yes. You did. Hold on, I’ll wipe it off.”

After
saying no and then saying yes, Diana pulled out some tissues, stood
up from the table, and leaned in close to me, bending her upper body
slightly.

‘Wow.’

The
baby mama dispenser, precariously wrapped in a gray dress, filled my
vision.

I’m
glad I’d widened my helmet field of vision. It was one of the best
things I’d done in recent months.

The
stimulating sight that greeted my eyes early in the morning was
energizing in more ways than one.

“Mmm,
It’s all cleaned up now.”

Then
my heart sank.

Diana
carefully gathered up the tissue she had used to wipe my helmet. Was
she going to throw it in the kitchen trash later?

With
that thought in mind, I finished the soup. It was so delicious that I
wiped the bowl clean with my tongue.

It
was a very satisfying meal, both gastronomically and visually.

I
felt energized for the rest of the day.

“I’ll
help you with the dishes.”

“No.
You have to go early. Go ahead but remember to be careful and alert
in the Labyrinth.”

I
offered to help her with the dishes, but she refused with both arms.

Instead,
she told me she was worried about me.

My
heart was instantly touched.

Every
time I see Diana like this, I feel countless emotions.

As
an orphan, I have never felt this way, but I wonder if this is how a
son feels when he is worried by a loving mother.

At
the same time as my heart soothed, an unknown impulse surged through
me.

I
reflexively open my arms wide and look at Diana.

Diana.
Give me a hug.

She
didn’t speak, just stared, but as if reading my mind, the corners of
her eyes fluttered open.

In
the dark dawn, the air was still and cold.

Diana
hesitated for a moment, looking around as if she were embarrassed,
then swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around me.

“Huh.”

I
could feel Diana’s breasts gently crushing against my thin, light
leather armor. It’s incredibly stimulating.

Slightly
embarrassing, but more than that, it was incredibly motivating.

After
feeling the hug without saying a word for a long time, I finally
regained my senses and carefully pulled away from Diana.

“Huh.”

She
exhaled softly and gradually pulled away.

Her
ears and cheeks were flushed red, which I thought was cute, given her
normally relaxed expression.

“Bye,
Diana.”

“⋯Yes.
Take care⋯Balkan.”

I
didn’t want to leave, but I had a job to do.

Feeling
the leather armor warmed by Diana’s body heat, I headed for the
labyrinth entrance.

***

Diana
watched Balkan recede into the distance, her heart sinking.

She
still hadn’t asked him today about his relationship with Zirnier,
about his relationship with Idelbert and about his relationship with
Ellie.

Zernier
had explained that it was merely that of blacksmith and client.

Idelbert
dismissed it as that of master and pupil.

His
intentions, however, were less than flattering to Diana, who knew
Idelbert curse.

More
recently, Balkan had returned from training with handprints all over
his body.

They
were faint, but not so faint that Diana didn’t notice.

‘Those
were definitely not handprints from dueling.’

It
was a lustful handprint, the kind that only comes from sticky contact
and most of all, his relationship with her daughter, Ellie.

‘I’m
the kind of person who slaps you until your ass hurts⋯’

It
was an impure relationship that Diana’s common sense wouldn’t allow
her to accept.

The
knight’s words about Balkan being Ellie’s boyfriend kept replaying in
her head.

At
the same time, she remembered Ellie looking at Balkan with happy
eyes.

A
sigh escaped her lips as she felt a strange sensation.

Diana
swallowed hard, feeling a stifling, mushy emotion she’d never felt
before in her life.

She
wanted to ask him about his relationship with them.

She
wanted to ask him about them, about herself.

But
inside, she felt a growing fear.

‘What
if I’m just someone who feeds Balkan all the time?’

As
she thought about it, a part of her ached like it was going to
crumble.

Reflexively,
she pressed her hand to her chest and felt something warm.

It
was Balkan’s body heat, the one she had just hugged so tightly.

At
the realization, the tightness in her stomach eased slightly, and she
smiled.

When
she realized that it had been him, after all, she felt foolishly
relieved, but only for a moment.

-Thud.

Just
as Diana was about to rise from the table, a wad of tissues landed on
the floor.

A
tissue that, along with Balkan’s helm⋯she
had
wiped the corner of his mouth so quickly that she
hadn’t even noticed.

-Thud.

Diana’s
body stiffened in shock.

-Pounding,
pounding.

At
the same time, her lower stomach clenched and quivered, and her body
temperature began to rise slightly.

She
hadn’t been able to resolve the Curse of Decadence recently, and she
was stressed out.

This
meant that her libido had built up like crazy.

And
now, just in time, Balkan had given her a heartfelt hug and left her
with this.

Diana
picked up the tissue, mesmerized, and looked up to the second floor.

‘⋯Balkan’s
room.’

Swallowing
hard, Diana immediately shook her head.

She
shouldn’t have done it, and if she did it again, she would never be
forgiven.

If
she did, she’d regret it later. Right now, she’s in her right mind
so she should hold back.

⋯she
should hold back, but.

⋯⋯She
needs to make sure Balkan has a clean, fluffy bed to sleep in when he
comes back from the labyrinth.

She
needs to clean it up.

With
that thought, Diana opened the door.

It
would be a long time before Balkan returned.