Pseudo Resident’s Illegal Stay in Another World

Chapter 164: New Business (4)

The group of men, whom I thought had left, also turned back towards me.

"Hey, are you Hassan of Samaria? Can you give me an autograph?"

"An autograph?"

"Here, you can make a mark on my axe. They say you disbanded the Thieves' Guild this time. I was really freaking surprised."

"Ah, I see."

Adventurers always kept their ears open to rumors and gossip.

It was because they needed to be sensitive to what could be a profitable venture and when to withdraw their foot from some issues.

So it seemed that these men were aware of my feat in defeating the Thieves' Guild Hydra. That was why, one by one, they had something to say to me.

"I can’t believe this. You're still in the Bronze Tier. We will soon hardly be able to see you walking around the Western streets, won’t we?"

"Soon, you'll be heading to the East Gate district, where only the rich live!"

"Before that, how about signing our weapons to commemorate this meeting... Also, please share some of the Warrior's Blessing, hehe."

Some adventurers who seemed quite skillful and looked not much younger than me gathered around and flattered me. It made my heart tingle and fluttered beneath my chest.

I felt my face glowing even brighter with pride from the compliments I received than when I had been drinking.

So, I pretend to nonchalantly make small scratches on those men's axes and blades, creating marks.

Drrrk— Drrrk—

I put in some effort to carve the word "Hassan" on them, and those men's faces lit up with delight.

"Heh, damn, I'll go show this off."

"It's amazing that we got to meet the Samaritan in this tavern."

"I just got an autograph, but I already feel so damn stronger. It's like my weapon has been enchanted."

Each man left the place, chatting as if receiving my autograph was a remarkable event.

Furthermore, they had apologized several times to my companion Luna for the flirting incident, so my initial anger had subsided considerably.

I couldn't understand why they were so thrilled just to receive my rough autograph.

But I imagined I would have been equally delighted if I had received an autograph from one of my favorite pro gamers or YouTubers.

I guess I'm now a famous figure too.

I'd often wondered how famous celebrities, YouTubers, athletes, and pro gamers feel living in the limelight. But now that I found myself in that position, I couldn't quite grasp the reality of it.

It was quite something.

I collected my thoughts and sat back at the table. Luna, who had been watching me with her chin resting on her palms, spoke up.

"Hassan, suddenly, it seems like more and more people are pretending to know you these days."

"Yeah, it looks like I've become somewhat famous."

"But you know what? I kind of expected this to happen. I have an excellent eye for recognizing raw materials, don’t I? I’m telling you, since I first saw you, I have felt this tingling sensation in my mind!"

"...Is that so?"

Her words left me feeling rather awkward, so I covered my expression by sipping on an empty glass.

I considered ordering another drink, but both Luna and I had already had enough. If we drank any more, we might blank out, so I decided to just savor the taste.

"Hassan, you'll definitely reach the gold tier!"

Luna raised both hands in excitement as if celebrating her own achievement. If it weren't for Luna, could I have become this strong?

If I hadn't been able to level up using Luna's totem, what would I be doing right now?

I became curious.

Why could I level up using Luna's totem in the first place?

Could it be that Luna and I's meeting was something pre-destined?

Drinking tends to make thoughts turn sentimental, and I couldn't think of any plausible explanation other than fate.

Also, it felt more romantic that way.

That was why I couldn't quite understand why the daughter of a god, Luna, was hanging out in a shabby tavern drinking cheap beer.

Baron was the lowest rank among nobles. Even his daughter received lavish treatment in this world of nobility. So why was Luna, the daughter of the enormous being named Knox, wandering in such poverty?

I was curious.

However, there was nowhere to ask, so that frustrated me.

If, at some point, Luna and I were to be separated because of her birth origins…

For example, as Luna mentioned before, she had to leave my side due to a strategic marriage with the gods, would I be able to bear it?

I doubted whether becoming a gold-tier hero would solve all these complicated issues.

So, I asked inwardly.

Luna, who are you really?

#

Luna was so drunk that she could hardly walk properly. I had to carry her on our way back to the cabin.

My strength had certainly increased, and Luna herself wasn't that heavy, so it wasn't too difficult.

Creak—

I opened the locked door of the cabin and entered. Inside, I was greeted by the sight of the first-floor living room cluttered with various elixir ingredients left unorganized. Then something rainbow-colored legs appeared with a clattering sound.

Kong! Kong!

"Yeah, I'm home."

Hiong...!

Having experienced various events, my courage seemed to have grown, and now I could have a conversation with that spider without trembling.

Come to think of it, talking with a spider, huh? It seemed more like not because I had grown my courage but rather because my sanity had become more questionable.

Anyway, I gently laid Luna, who had fallen asleep, on the deer skin on the second floor. There, having arrived before us, Paranoy was already asleep.

Since the last time she stayed here, this little nymph had become more often thought of this place as her home.

Still, I simply let her because she had been tirelessly working like a part-timer, helping Luna make elixirs day and night.

At some point, she looked like a graduate student working in the professor's research lab.

"Sleep beside Paranoy."

As I was about to cover Luna with a blanket, she unexpectedly stirred and woke up.

"I... I need to take a bath before going to sleep...!"

Indeed, it seemed that Luna, who usually liked cleanliness, couldn't sleep well while feeling dirty.

However, looking at her like this, Luna seemed surprisingly immaculate for someone who regularly rolled in the soil, gathered insects, and dug up herbs as part of her daily life. Her skin was also fair and flawless.

Luna's body always emitted a subtle minty fragrance, so there was never a reason to frown upon her presence.

I wondered why that was. Was it genetics? Was it because she was a goddess's daughter? While I was lost in thought, Luna staggered up and went back downstairs into the bathroom.

I could hear the sound of her clothes rustling as she undressed, and my schlong became so much more excited.

Come to think of it, we were in the same house right now, and there was an adorable girl taking a bath.

The combination of tension and excitement made my heart pound.

Creak— Creak— Gush—

"Ah, it's cold...."

The sound of turning the faucet and the water running filled the room. Just thinking that Luna was pouring water on her naked body made me want to take a peek.

But before I could act on that thought, Luna spoke first.

"Hassan, you shouldn't look—!"

"Don't worry."

Sometimes Luna seemed to be able to read my mind or even predict my thoughts, which could be quite surprising.

They say that when a man and a woman are in a relationship, their thoughts become similar. Maybe it's something like that?

Creak— Creak—

As I filled my mind with such thoughts, I heard the sound of her closing the faucet. Soon, the sound of fabric brushing against her body followed.

Squeak—

The makeshift bathroom door made of wooden planks slowly opened outward.

"Hassan, you should wash up too! It's very convenient to have a bathroom in the house, isn’t it?"

"It sure is. It feels like we finally made it."

"Later, I'll create a garden for growing herbs and make a furnace myself. I'll buy all the warehouses around here and... expand the property...."

Even after taking a bath, Luna was still half-awake and perhaps slightly tipsy. She then went upstairs while chattering away.

I also entered the bathroom and cleaned myself up.

The water was quite cold since the hot water wasn't working, but it was just the right level of coolness for my body, which was heated up from the summer and drinking.

Feeling refreshed and the heat dissipating from my head, I came out in a happy mood. Luna was already snugly tucked under the blanket with Paranoy, sound asleep.

It was a bit disappointing, but I decided to head back downstairs and get some sleep too.

Swish—

There was an exposed leg outside the blanket. The slender calf and the soft-looking, tender thigh immediately caught my attention.

Thump— Thump—

Just that sight already made my lower body stiffen considerably. Today my blood kept rushing excitedly as if I was a middle school student going through puberty.

Luna didn't really like it when I touched her body without permission.

But she was sound asleep like this. Was it okay to lightly touch or caress her? After all, once Luna fell asleep, it was hard to wake her, no matter who carried her.

Slide—

So, I slowly reached out my hand towards Luna's sleeping body.

My heart was pounding as if I were doing something terribly wrong. An electrifying sensation ran through me, from my waist to my back, then from my neck to the tip of my head.

Ssk— Ssk—

What I touched was Luna's thigh. It was a slightly soft flesh that my hand could grasp.

As much as I appreciated a well-trained body like Hippolyte's, I also liked these soft, tender legs. How wonderful it would be to lie down on such softness.

Rub— Rub—

I could feel the smoothness of her skin clung to my hand.

Although she showed a solid wall to other men, I couldn't help but think that someday this soft skin would be all mine. Just thinking about it already filled me with excitement. How would it feel like on my first official night together with Luna?

It made me feel so good.

Heuh, I wanted to quickly become stronger and reach the gold tier. This had now become a firm and unwavering goal that boosted my will to live.

Rub— Rub—

I gently caressed Luna's thigh and calf as if I had been starving for days.

Today, after walking back and forth between the Mars Guild and the Venus Temple all day, her calf muscles and soft soles now felt quite swollen. It must have been quite tough. But they somehow felt like someone else's legs.

"Hyaaah...."

A woman's yelp could be heard as if she was in distress.

Did sleeping Luna react to me touching her leg? Did she wake up? Therefore, as I was slightly nervous…

Ssk—

Something stirred her head and raised her body in the darkness.

"My leg... feels strange...."

It was the scarlet, short-haired nymph, Paranoy. Just moments ago, she was peacefully sleeping next to Luna, but now she was rubbing her eyes as if she had just awakened from a deep slumber.

What the heck?

I couldn't help but be extremely flustered.

However, as Paranoy got up and the blanket slipped, I finally realized the truth. The thigh I had been touching wasn't Luna's; it was Paranoy's leg.

Multiple legs protruded outside the blanket, and the surroundings were dark, which must have been why I got confused.

As Paranoy's eyes met mine, they widened significantly. I instantly sensed a freaking bad premonition.

"M-Mr. Hassan? Uh–!"

Paranoy noticed that I was touching her leg, and her eyes widened as she was about to make a loud noise. I covered her mouth in case her voice woke Luna up.

"Aheup–!"

"It's a misunderstanding. Ssh. Ssshhh… Calm down. You got it?"

However, I was so flustered that I accidentally covered both her nose and mouth at the same time, causing her to struggle for breath.

Feeling sorry, I released my hand, and the ditch water nymph immediately let out a deep sigh, seemingly relieved.

"...Mr. Hassan, wh-why were you touching my body…?"

What could I possibly say to explain this? I thought it was Luna's leg, but it turned out to be yours. Would such an excuse even work? To be honest, it was a completely absurd explanation.

Also, it was more strange to touch Luna, who had taken a vow of chastity. What would be the best explanation for this?

As I pondered for a moment, Paranoy decided to speak first while still trembling.

"I knew you always look at me with wicked eyes, Mr. Hassan…"

"What? When did I ever look at you with wicked eyes?"

I felt a bit unjustly accused. Paranoy's physique was more petite than Luna's, which was why she wasn't exactly my preference,

Also, her facial features made her look even younger. That was what made me even more hesitant about her.

"Small nymphs like us can feel such things... I've always known that the way you looked at me was different."

Paranoy usually got herself trapped in her own little world.

She tended to give ultimate-move-like names to my actions as she wished. Also, she often trembled and feared that a palm would suddenly jut out from the darkness.

Her paranoia seemed to be at work right now.

Anyway, I thought I had to clear up the misunderstanding. So, since making noise next to Luna might cause problems, I grabbed Paranoy and took her down to the first floor.

"Hu, heuuuhhhh..."

The ditch water nymph was shivering as if she was caught in serious trouble.

"W-Where are you taking me...?"

"Come, sit here."

I calmly told Paranoy to sit on a chair I brought to the first floor.

"First, let me explain. You misunderstood. I was giving you a massage."

"...A massage, you say?"

"Yes."

"Why would you give me a massage while I'm asleep…?"

That was a bit of a pickle. I was just thoughtlessly saying something to make an excuse. But now, to think about her question, why would I give a massage to a sleeping Paranoy? So, I tried to find a better way to handle the situation while scratching my head.

"It is because you've been going through a lot lately. So I was planning to reward you."

"Going through a lot...? Reward...?"

Since Paranoy had a somewhat naive side to her, if I told her something plausible, she might believe it, right?

"Yeah, a reward. Lately, you've been quite active. You've been a great help in dealing with the undead in the underground. And then..."

I quickly racked my brain, trying to recall Paranoy's heroic moments. But perhaps it was because I was drunk and flustered; nothing else came to mind except for the magical circle she drew in the underground.

Had she even done anything remarkable?

As I was struggling to come up with another example, Paranoy chimed in with another comment.

"T-That's right, isn't it? If I wasn't there, everyone would've been killed by the machine-like birds...!"

Machine-like birds? I wondered what Paranoy was talking about, but then I recalled the merciless killer drone bastards we fought during the quest from Venus Temple. Her children’s song back then had saved us too.

"Yeah, Paranoy, we couldn't have done it without you. So, I rewarded you for your efforts."

Damn, I couldn't believe I was saying this dogshit nonsense. I really I’m my worst enemy. Even someone as naive as Paranoy wouldn’t believe such nonsense.

"But, Mr. Hassan, why is you touching me a reward?"

As expected, Paranoy wasn't buying it. She was smarter than I thought. I raised my evaluation of Paranoy by half a point in my mind.

And then, Paranoy added a few more words.

"Hassan, are you truly a great person...? Perhaps you could bless me just by touching me?"

But it seemed she had a less smart side too.

It was like finding a gap between enemy lines. I decided to break through that gap and make a decisive shot.

"Uh, yeah, you see. Actually, I can be considered a great person, but at the same time, I might not be."

"A-As expected, are you truly the son of some god? I secretly thought you came down to the mortal world to enjoy some amusement..."

"The son of God?"

"Black hair, large build, and jet-black eyes like the depth of Tartarus. Are you perhaps the son of Pluto?"

Am I Pluto's son? I never expected to be asked such a question.

Still, I thought it would be better than Paranoy having a strange misunderstanding and telling Luna, "This bastard touched my thigh while I was sleeping."

But of all the many gods, why Pluto's son? I really couldn't stand Pluto, that bastard.

"Well, you see..."

"Last time during the fire divination, didn't you put out the bonfire? It was clearly the magical power of hell and death... I've never seen any other follower of Pluto being loved as much as you!"

Putting out the bonfire, what did that even mean? Trying to recall my memories, I remembered the superstitious ritual we performed by sprinkling sand on the bonfire the day before we fought the headless Minotaur.

That night, I had put too much sand, and the fire went out.

But Paranoy seemed to interpret it differently. Indeed, her attitude had changed a bit since then.

"Mr. Hassan, could it be... are you the Overlord of Hell, here to bring forth the hell on this land? Am I thinking it right...? That must be it, right...?"

Unlike the person who was flustered until just a moment ago, currently, Paranoy kept throwing me questions as if she was a detective interrogating a suspect.

Honestly, I couldn't understand what she was talking about, so it was hard to respond to it.

But Paranoy was indeed a fool. Since it turned out this way, I had no choice but to take advantage of the situation.

"Yeah, that, um... I am Pluto's son. I came here to bring forth hell on the human realm."