Chapter 91: Aspiring Master’s Foot Scrubber and Sandbag

Chapter 91: Aspiring
Master’s Foot Scrubber and Sandbag

“Oh⋯”

I
was entranced as I lifted the small, cute creature named “Prickly
One of Wind Valley.”

Shiny
blond golden eyes, ears slightly shorter than Ellie’s, but longer
than a human’s.

She
was lightly dressed in a loincloth and a bow of light fluttered from
her waist.

General
assessment: cute.

“Uhhh.
Sorry.”

I
grabbed her wings and lifted her up, and she made a loud noise.

I
obediently followed her instructions.

It
was soothing to watch the cute creature’s antics.

I
gently lifted it in my palm, and the Prickly One nodded in
satisfaction.

“Hmph.
Hmph!”

The
Prickly One nodded again, tapping the palm print on my palm with her
tiny paw.

“Hands
as thick and hard as the stony rocks deep in the Wind Valley, a body
that no man can easily possess, just as that wicked woman said!”

I
shook my head in silence.

I
felt taken aback by the sudden compliment.

‘Besides,
what do you mean, a vicious woman?’

“Who
told you that about me?”

“That’s
not the point, Ji, that’s not what’s important right now, your name,
Balkan, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Then
you should join our party right now!”

The
spirit shouted with a smug look on her face. Her wings fluttered with
such pride that they flapped.

I
was taken aback by the suddenness of the offer, but I knew what to
say.

“I’m
sorry, but I must decline. I have a party at the moment.”

A
party consisting of Joy Hog, Jubeel, Hitolis and Lammel.

I
don’t know how long it’ll last, but they’re in the top 1% of
explorers in terms of personality, and they’re a pretty likable
bunch.

“Well,
what the hell!”

I
declined the offer and the spirit collapsed into the palm of my hand
with a shocked face.

“Well,
then I can’t help it⋯
the party is precious⋯
hee hee⋯
I’m going back⋯!”

-Papapapap!

The
Prickly One of Wind Valley flapped its wings eagerly and flew off
somewhere in the distance.

Her
shoulders were slumped, and the dead eyes were clearly visible even
from here.

“⋯What
the hell was that?”

I
asked, dumbfounded at the sudden party invitation, and then at the
instantaneous flight when I turned her down.

“You
have a good heart, my child.”

A
low, muffled voice said.

I
turned around to see a wiry old woman with a wooden cane looking at
me with a big smile on her face.

Judging
by the pouch of money at her waist, she was a client of the
Explorers’ Alliance.

“Do
you know about that fairy?”

“She
is not a fairy, but a spirit. They have the beauty of elves, the
dexterity of dwarves, and hearts purer than those of men.”

The
old woman chuckled.

“Far
better beings than those fools who fall prey to envy, jealousy,
greed, and impulse. You’d do well to follow them.”

The
old woman laughed in a deep voice and headed for the window.

I
glanced at the mysterious old woman, then back at the place where
Prickly One of Wind Valley flew away.

“Hmph.”

My
personal interest was piqued.

‘Apparently,
Denshi was blessed with an increased affinity with the wind spirits.’

[Bonded
Slaves: Denshi LV.29]

The
last time I checked, she had leveled up quite a bit.

A
party, a mean woman, a bumbling girl who asks people to join the
party but then ignores everyone around her.

“No
way?”

The
odds are slim, but it’s worth pursuing.

I
glanced at Diana’s watch on my wrist for a moment and I had a
little time before I had to get to Zirnier.

***

“Holy
shit. That was fucking fast.”

She
was flapping her wings, but her speed wasn’t normal.

My
training with Idelbert had drained me of stamina and strength so I
couldn’t get up to speed.

In
the end, it was a waste.

I
looked around and saw a familiar scene.

Explorers
searching for armaments, dignitaries inspecting fancy weaponry for
display in their mansions, and guards patrolling the streets.

In
my frantic chase, I’ve already come this far.

I
looked at my watch again. It was already getting late and it was
almost night.

“I
should get going.”

I
gave up trying to find the Wind Valley’s Prickly One.

She
seemed to be an explorer, and since she found me first, I figured
there would be another chance to meet her in the Union someday.

“Ah.
You’re here, please wait a moment. I’ll contact Ms. Zirnier.”

I
pushed open the door to Zirnier’s Weapons Shop and was greeted
politely by a staff member who recognized me.

She
then used a courtesy finger communication artifact to alert Zernier
to my arrival.

“⋯Maid.
What’s with that man, he doesn’t even wait to see Zirnier as soon as
he arrives, even
I, a noble, am in the queue. Why is he treated so well?”

“Well,
I don’t know about that, but I’m guessing he must have some sort of
relationship with Zirnier to be able to meet her so quickly.”

A
blonde bun-haired noblewoman in dress armor glared at me in
exasperation, but it was no big deal.

“Number
One should be here any minute.”

-Puhhhhhh!

At
the same time as the employee said that, the door to the underground
workshop opened with a tremendous burst of heat and steam.

-Ding,
ding, ding!

The
sound of a mechanical arm jumping back and forth and climbing up the
stairs could be heard. He’s so cute, too.

Soon,
No. 1 emerged from the stairs and revealed itself, accompanied by a
very, very plain-faced woman.

‘Fuck.
What the fuck?’

I
instinctively reached for the axe in my waistband, but stopped
myself.

Feeling
strangely uncomfortable, I instinctively furrowed my brow and scanned
the woman.

I
didn’t hear any footsteps. It was too quiet, even for me, even if I
hadn’t activated my perception.

Furthermore,
the aura around her, in contrast to her plain face, was very creepy.

[Inte■t
LV. 6■]

[Blessings
currently possessed by Inte■t:
■■:
■]

The
status was censored which means she’s a level 60 great powerhouse.

Even
the details of blessings and curses were hidden.

“Hmm.”

I
looked at her through the status window, and she smirked at me.

“You’ve
got an axe, huh?”

I
interpreted it as a death threat. “How dare you hold an axe in
front of me?” I thought.

Grabbing
the weapon first in front of an unknown opponent is like conceding
the point, an obvious mistake.

“What
a nice guy. You’ll be great. That guy should have been taken care
of, but why on earth did it take that many years…Tsk.”

But
there was an unexpected reaction.

The
plain-looking woman clicked her tongue and walked past me.

“Don’t
draw your weapon until you’ve seen your opponent, sometimes it’s
better to shake hands first.”

I
glanced back and the woman’s figure had vanished like a mirage.

“She
looks like a commoner, and she’s in good form! Could she be an
explorer?!”

“She’s
obviously skilled, as she has access to Ms. Zirnier’s workshop, but
hmm⋯
at least I’ve never seen her before. She might not be an explorer.”

“Gosh,
you’re really catchy.”

The
mannered bun-headed dressed armored lady and the maid chatted. I
chimed in from the side.

‘⋯What
the hell is going on today?’

First
was Wind Valley’s Prickly One and now an old woman with a strange
atmosphere.

I
feel like I’ve been meeting strange people one after another.

-Bam!
Bam!

When
I woke up, No. 1 was flicking my hand, drawing my attention.

[Follow
me].

Scribbling
on the floor, No. 1 skillfully led me to an underground workshop.

I
followed him down the stairs, my mind replaying the sequence of
events.

The
enormous furnace was visible from a distance and the wind blowing in
from the furnace instantly heats me up.

Even
the summer of 2055 in the future will be as cool as an air
conditioner in Zirnier’s workshop.

-Gulp.
Gulp.

“Phew!”

As
I walk along the first street, I see Zirnier in the distance, lying
on an anvil, cracking open a bottle of wine.

It
was quite a distance, but I could already smell the alcohol.

There
were about twenty bottles lying around with not a drop of alcohol
left in them.

“No.
How much have you been drinking?”

“Heh.
Ugh! Balkan, are you home?! Hehe.”

Zirnier,
obviously drunk, looked back at me, her face flushed from the heat of
the workshop.

She’s
bouncy blonde with tanned skin and a slightly different tone than
Idelbert’s healthy pale brown skin.

Sweat
beaded on her flat abs and she wore a blacksmith’s trademark chest
bandage.

Her
face was flushed with alcohol and her eyes were slightly open.

It
was hard to keep my eyes on any one of them so I sat down on a nearby
anvil and asked.

“What
the hell happened to you? What did you drink?”

“Ha
ha. That bitch. Hmph.”

Zernier
drunkenly grinds her teeth.

“You
mean the one who just left?”

“Yeah!
That bitch! She’s a dying bitch, with all her limbs, and she doesn’t
even realize how lucky she is to be alive-! Heh.”

I
can’t believe Zirnier reacted so passionately.

‘No,
now that I think about it, she was always a bit of a fighter.’

At
least she didn’t use such harsh words in front of me but now, Zirnier
was lying on the anvil, waving a bottle of wine in the air.

Given
the woman’s plain face and cheap air, I could only think that
something must have happened.

Just
as I was thinking about it, Zirnier burst, drunk as hell.

“That
bitch! How dare she ask me to make her a crossbow and a dagger!
Hmph!”

Zirnier
hiccupped drunkenly, hugging the bottle tightly between her thighs.

“A
crossbow? Not even a bow…My pride absolutely cannot tolerate that…”

“Huh.”

As
I feared, it wasn’t for the wrong reasons.

Greatsword,
axe, heavy armor—romantic artisan Zernier despised making mere
spoon weapons.

***

Intert
walked into an ordinary inn near the weapons shops.

Intert’s
face gradually changed back to its original state as he opened the
door to the inn that had been soundproofed.

From
a plain-looking woman, she became a tired-looking beauty with dark
circles under her eyes.

Two
more arms sprouted from her wing bones, revealing a total of four
mechanical arms.

“Ma,
I invited him to a party, like you said.”

“Really?”

“Yes,
I am! I can promise you on the honor of the Wind Spirit!”

“What
did he say?”

“Yi,
he said that he’s already in a party!”

“…!
Really?! Hehe. As expected of you, Master. You still remember our
memories together.”

Two
more voices could be heard in the inn room besides Intert’s.

“You’re
already trying to get personal.”

Inert
said to the woman who was poking and prodding the spirit in her hand.

The
woman smirked, as if she were imagining something pleasant.

“No,
a little later. First, we need to get our revenge in the outlaw
district. Those Blues Clan bastards.”

“Don’t
make too much of a fuss. Do everything in moderation.”

“Oh.
And you said you’d give me a month off if I cleared the 10th floor
of the labyrinth. Why? Didn’t you expect me to achieve it so soon?
Hehe.”

The
woman smirked.

“I’m
afraid of my unique talent too. How blessed is my master to have my
body and mind on a leash with such talent?”

-Boom!

The
woman pulled the leash taut around her neck.

Intert
raised her eyebrows as she watched the woman tug on the leash, then
lie down on the bed and reach between her thighs.

“You’re
crazy. Crazy bitch.”

“Hmph.
Think what you will⋯”

“Heeeeek!
Let me go and tell me! Where are you taking me!!!”

“Aha.”

Inside
the tumultuous inn room, tugging at her leash, the woman, Denshi,
remembering her master’s large, strong hands, muttered quietly.

“A
member of the original party will be with you soon, please wait a
little longer, master…hehehe.”

Just
recalling the nostalgic face of the master she hadn’t seen in a long
time, she was able to lightly climax.