Ch.79Pheromone Showdown (3)

[“You’re getting flower pollen on you.”]

[“It looks just like snow.”]

[“Garbage falling from the sky.”]

[“Isn’t it strange that it’s suddenly falling?”]

David’s last comment was right. As soon as the flower pollen began falling, my body started feeling strangely itchy. A suffocating, hot feeling, like my breath was rising up to my chin.

Sensing something wrong with my body, I turned my head. Valkyrie was frowning as she looked up at the sky.

“What is this?”

“Valkyrie.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s get out of here. This doesn’t seem like ordinary flower pollen.”

I communicated my intention with a hand gesture. Valkyrie nodded and stood up.

Very suddenly.

A stream of water dripped down. A curved line like an orchid filled my vision.

I hurriedly turned my head away, but my eyes had already seen everything.

“……”

“……”

We’d just agreed not to be awkward minutes ago, but conversation immediately ceased.

Valkyrie and I got dressed without even drying ourselves. The flower pollen was falling like rain. Some inevitably entered my nostrils. Sneezes erupted one after another.

With each sneeze, fatigue accumulated. It became increasingly difficult to control my reason. I kept having thoughts about wanting to turn everything around me into chaos.

Like an animal’s instinct.

I endured it, if only for Seomrok and Yumun waiting at home. I would rather die and turn to stone than live as a being worse than a beast.

I hurriedly ran to the Holy Maiden.

“You’re not feeling well?”

“…That’s right.”

My heart rate wouldn’t drop. My chest was pounding as if I had an arrhythmia.

Because I saw Valkyrie bathing?

No, that’s not the reason.

The Holy Maiden, who had been examining various parts of my body, spoke.

“Fever rising, heart racing… feeling like you want to go wild? If this started when the flower pollen began falling, then the cause is clear.”

The Holy Maiden’s hand caught some of the falling pollen.

“As I thought, it contains mana.”

“I just confirmed that myself.”

It’s quite a sophisticated technique. Since mana is the cause, normalization is possible, but the problem is that whoever spread this pollen has calculated that as well.

The moment I use Mirkil with the surrounding mana…

My reason would fly away instead.

“I encountered this while studying at the monastery. Some monsters spread mana widely to mentally confuse or seduce their targets.”

The Holy Maiden continued her explanation in awkward Magic Kingdom language.

“This monster’s leader is definitely an insect, probably a bee or butterfly. According to Holy Spirit medical texts, only healing divine power can help. That’s the only thing that can cleanse this area.”

“So you can help me, Ms. Kasten?”

“Yes, of course.”

The Holy Maiden removed her veil and embraced me.

“…Ms. Kasten?”

“Don’t think it’s strange. I need to extract the poison directly.”

Her gentle touch wrapped around my nape. The Holy Maiden positioned my nose against her crown.

“Continuing to inhale the pollen is dangerous. My body naturally contains purifying divine power. If you sm-smell my scent… you’ll feel better.”

The Holy Maiden stood on her tiptoes. Her skin and body scent came even closer. With my nape firmly held, I couldn’t turn my head away.

Strange.

Despite surely being grimy from long island life, the Holy Maiden smelled good. Fragrant like she used high-quality fabric softener. The more I inhaled, the more addictive it became.

If I had to compare it, well…

The Holy Maiden’s hair was similar to the fox sisters’ tails. Soft, fluffy, and even warm.

[“That’s it, that’s it, that’s it!”]

[“Senior. I didn’t know you were such a pervert, Erich senior. Please come to your senses and be a gentleman.”]

I know. I know I’m acting strange right now.

But the Holy Maiden is a medical professional. Even if she has feelings for me, I believe she’s not the type to request strange things to satisfy her own desires.

The Holy Maiden’s treatment was effective. The violent urges were subsiding. My heart was still pounding, but it was much better than before.

“—.”

The Holy Maiden, who had been infusing healing divine power into my body, looked up.

“How do you feel now?”

“Much better.”

“I’m glad. Seems like it worked.”

The Holy Maiden’s eyes were a very deep pink. I’d never seen such a saturated color before.

Of course. Despite it being a medical procedure, she must have been very embarrassed.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble.”

“N-no. Trouble? I was… quite thrilled. This is something we should naturally do between us.”

Something we should naturally do between us.

I couldn’t help but smile. Those words made me happy, but also embarrassed. I wasn’t sure what kind of relationship the Holy Maiden and I had right now.

The flower pollen continued to fall.

The Holy Maiden, as well as Valkyrie and the fox sisters, seemed fine from the beginning. I was the only one showing an abnormal reaction.

[“It seems to be magic that only affects men.”]

[“I see. Got it. This island’s leader is definitely a female. Looking at this lustful magic, she clearly wants to seduce Erich and make clam chowder with him.”]

[“Senior, please stop with the strange jokes. This is no time for pranks. I think it contains a neurotoxin that only affects magic users, using mana as a medium.”]

[“I’m serious. Want to bet?”]

[“Why would I?”]

[“The loser has to do twerking once they get a body.”]

[“What an idiotic ideaaaa.”]

[“So, are you in or not?”]

[“Let’s do it right now.”]

Just as I thought things were easing up, the Holy Maiden embraced me again.

“Mage, it would be best if we stay like this periodically until the flower rain stops. I’ll, I’ll protect you. So don’t worry, okay?”

A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.

Think pure thoughts.

***

She hadn’t lied.

There’s nothing better than healing divine power for curing people affected by various forbidden spells. Knowing this fact for a long time, Tiria quickly healed Erich’s abnormal condition.

Of course.

That didn’t mean she needed to lean her entire body against him.

Tiria kept repeating to herself while embracing Erich.

Goddess, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry for being such a lewd and shameless woman…

Despite her ears and face turning bright red from embarrassment, Tiria absolutely refused to loosen her arms. She didn’t want to let go.

This was an opportunity.

An opportunity to have Erich all to herself under the pretext of healing.

“Ugh.”

“……”

Look at that. Riyo was groaning in frustration, and Rachel was biting her lip with her eyes tightly shut. If yesterday’s battle was Rachel’s victory, today’s protagonist was Tiria herself.

Tiria felt smug.

And embarrassed.

Seeing herself go this far to please a man, and an enemy from the Magic Kingdom at that, brought up all kinds of emotions.

“Nngh.”

She moaned and leaned against Erich’s chest. As she infused more divine power while subtly pressing her body closer, she felt more of him.

Firm, hot, and something hard too.

Wait. Something hard?

Could it be?

“Um, Ms. Kasten… could you please move away a little?”

“Huh? Kyaaaah!”

Seeing Tiria screaming as if having a seizure, even Rachel was startled. The only one who remained calm—or rather, was drooling—was Riyo.

Riyo stroked her tail and licked her lips.

Tonight, she would go hunting.

***

The worker bees who had sprinkled the flower pollen returned and landed in front of the queen’s nest.

[“Welcome back. How did it go?”]

[“Well, about that…”]

[“That male properly went berserk, right?”]

The queen bee’s pollen has the property of maximizing male violence. By now, he should be highly excited and beating his companions indiscriminately.

Queen Bee Virzoneh’s plan was to divide them this way, then bring the weakened man to feast on him.

[“I have something to report.”]

[“Proceed.”]

[“There’s a woman with healing divine power among them. That woman… neutralized the pollen’s effect with her massive divine power.”]

[“What?”]

Virzoneh raised her voice, flapping her wings rapidly.

[“So! It had no effect at all?”]

[“Yes, nothing happened.”]

[“So what are they doing now?”]

[“We saw them getting food and returning to their camp.”]

[“Hmm.”]

The queen gave instructions.

[“Send a reconnaissance team to survey their base. We’ll sprinkle more pollen at dawn and observe the results. It’s night, so the particles won’t be visible, making it harder for them to respond.”]

[“A wise decision.”]

And so, small honeybees carrying containers full of flower pollen took flight. The night shift bonus was one royal jelly made from human fingers each.

Hours later, the reconnaissance team returned.

[“How did it go?”]

[“Well…”]

[“Speak.”]

[“We sprinkled the pollen while the woman with healing divine power was sleeping. But there was a fox beastkin among their companions, and that was the problem.”]

[“Continue. What was the problem? Can she also use the healing Sephiron?”]

[“No, it seems that beastkin is in heat?”]

[“…And?”]

The bees hesitated before continuing. To summarize their report:

[“She’s marking with her tail so the man can’t smell the pollen…?”]