Volume 1 Chapter 11 ： Elf Sister And A One-Night Lover Contract I♡
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
After returning home for a moment, the next place Kian headed to was the Western Church building located on the outskirts of town.
It was a mysterious, spindle-shaped structure that gave an overall impression of being white.
The surrounding brown earth had been compacted by people coming and going, and in a space divided by stone steps, several types of lush herbs were planted.
Beyond the building, a vast vineyard stretched across rolling hills like waves.
’It’s just an ordinary church, naught remarkable in any way. It seems they make quite a profit from winemaking… So, what brings you hither??’
”I’m preparing for a quest──came to buy painkillers and hemostatic ointments. I always use this place.”
’They sell that at Sophia, right? Then why dost you need to come all the way here to acquire it?’
Kian made a sour face at the glasses-wearer’s question.
”Unfortunately, I don’t have any money. I gave the silver coins I stole yesterday to Esther. Since there’s a risk involved, I don’t want to steal money too often… I plan to get a discount from a sister I know here.”
’You have a friend who will make a deal with you!’
”It’s not a deep relationship, though. After nearly ten years of gathering herbs and deer livers, I somehow became a regular customer.”
After answering, Kian entered the herb garden in front of the church.
In the back, a slender figure dressed in the deep blue robes of the Western Church was picking herbs and placing them in a basket.
Her long, golden hair flowed down to her waist, almost translucent in the light.
Noticing Kian’s footsteps, she stood up from the rows of the field before he could close the distance of 50 meters.
In the twilight, her slightly wavy golden hair swayed in the wind.
The scent of rosemary and thyme wafted gently through the air.
”Oh…”
The woman brushed her golden hair back with her hand and turned her gentle green eyes toward Kian.
She squinted as if trying to see through the dim light of dusk.
”That outfit… Could it be Kian?”
Kian pushed up the bridge of his glasses and smiled.
”Good evening, Ms. Aliona. Do you have a moment?”
The blonde nun, Aliona, smiled with a hint of relief.
”Oh… it really was Kian. I couldn’t recognize you with your glasses on and your neatly shaved beard. Yes, I just finished picking herbs for dinner. Did you bring some leftover medicinal herbs from your quest?”
She approached as she spoke.
Her figure emerged in the twilight.
A beautiful adult woman, like a sculpture of a goddess.
With almond-shaped eyes, a perfectly straight nose, and plump lips.
Her wavy golden hair swayed in the wind, revealing her pointed ears.
An elf──specifically, a high elf with a strong bloodline of the spirit race (normal elves have light green hair).
Sister Aliona had a few wrinkles around her eyes.
”I’m sorry for looking so messy. The rain clouds came from the Rose Labyrinth the day before yesterday, right? Because of that, the soil in the fields is damp.”
As she spoke, she rubbed her rolled-up sleeves against her white apron, as if wiping off mud.
The way her habit was pulled accentuated her full chest and the curve of her waist.
She was taller than Esther and had a much more mature beauty and physique than Serena.
It was hard to tell how old she was.
She hadn’t changed at all since Kian first came to the East End.
Kian shook his head.
”No, it’s different today. I was hoping to buy some medicine from you, Ms. Aliona.”
”Well, is that so? That’s fine. I have some stock ready.”
”That helps. By the way, I only have about one and a half copper coins on me right now. If that’s not enough, would it be alright to trade some clothes instead?”
He offered the shirt and pants he had stolen yesterday.
The high elf sister chuckled as she tucked her golden hair behind her ear.
”That’s fine, no need for money. If you don’t have it, I’ll give it to you for free.”
”Really?”
”Yes. But only this time as a special favor. I do have a qualification as an elf sage, after all. According to the guild’s rules, I can’t work for free.”
”Of course. Once I complete the quest I’m currently on, I’ll earn about 3 silver coins, and I’ll pay you back then.”
When Kian said that, Aliona placed her hand on her lips and chuckled softly.
”So I’m saying you don’t have to pay this time. You always use my services, after all.”
”That helps a lot.”
Kian smiled brightly, showing his white teeth, instead of his usual apologetic expression.
Aliona tilted her head slightly with a smile but passed by Kian without saying anything.
”Come with me. I’ll show you to the room.”
From her body came the fresh, green scent of freshly stacked herbs mixed with the old aroma of herbs that seemed to have been stored in a box for a long time.
It wasn’t a particularly feminine fragrance, but it was a comforting scent that felt nostalgic.
Kian followed Aliona’s long blonde hair around to the back of the church.
There, he found a white staircase leading down, made of construction materials from the sea.
It was the entrance to her workshop, made by Sage herself.
It wasn’t locked, allowing anyone to enter, but Kian had never seen anyone enter without permission.
It was likely uninteresting to the young nuns, and there was nothing valuable enough to attract thieves.
Truly valuable and dangerous items must be sealed and stored somewhere else by her.
”Alright, come in.”
Aliona opened the stone door.
Dust swirled as the dry scent of herbs wafted out.
As Kian entered the basement, lanterns mounted on the walls lit up in sequence with a soft “flick, flick, flick, flick.” The sister behind him silently chanted to ignite the flames.
Inside the room, handwritten parchment was piled high, and test tubes filled with herbs and parts of monsters were lined up neatly.
It was organized, but there were so many items that it felt very cramped.
”I’m sorry for the mess. So, what kind of medicine do you need?”
Aliona slipped past Kian and walked to a large desk at the back.
She opened a drawer and took out a ledger and a quill.
”I need a pain relief potion and a hemostatic ointment. The ointment should be made with the liver of ‘Spoon Wing’.”
”Got it, the usual.”
”I’m glad you’re such a kind person, Ms. Aliona. From the first time I met you, I thought you were as beautiful and gentle as a goddess, and today I think that even more.”
”Oh, what’s wrong all of a sudden?”
She chuckled wryly while pulling out jars of ointment and test tubes of painkillers from the cupboard.
It didn’t seem like she particularly disliked it.
In fact, she didn’t seem to change her emotions at all.
To her, Kian probably felt like a small child no matter how old he got.
”I’m sorry. I let my true feelings slip because you were so kind.”
”Flattering an old lady like me won’t get you anything.”
”Old lady? But Ms. Aliona, you look beautiful──like a woman in her prime.”
”Kian, what’s really going on?”
Aliona glanced at the glasses Kian was wearing.
However, it seemed she only sensed a faint charm effect, as she quickly averted her gaze.
She divided the painkillers and ointment into containers and returned to Kian.
Under the light, she clearly wore a worried expression.
”It seems like you don’t have a fever… but something feels off. Why are you all dressed up with those fancy glasses? Is it a trend among the young people?”
”Heh, do you see many people walking around the main street wearing glasses like these?”
”I haven’t been to town recently, so I wouldn’t know…”
After a moment of contemplation, she lifted her face.
”You mentioned earlier that you were taking a job for 3 silver coins, right?”
”Yes.”
”Is that request properly through the adventurer guild’s Sophia?”
”Of course.”
”…”
Aliona placed her hand on her cheek, making a troubled expression without probing further.
She must know that Kian was a low-ranking adventurer.
Though it had never been explicitly stated, after ten years of acquaintance, she should be able to tell from his equipment and how he bought potions.
And a quest of the lowest rank wouldn’t reward 3 silver coins.
”I took on an average Rank 7 quest. It’s something like treasure hunting, not a main combat mission.”
”Rank 7!? That’s a difficult request even among the lower ranks. Kian, your rank is…”
”As you might imagine. But it’s okay. I have a chance of success.”
”I see…”
The elf sister said no more and handed him the container of medicine.
Her medicine was incredibly effective, but it didn’t have the miraculous powers to restore lost limbs or bring the dead back to life.
He might be feeling uncertain about the medicine he prepared.
Although Aliona did nothing wrong by just handing over what was asked, he probably thinks that if Kian dies now, he would feel bad about it.
”I came here all dressed up to… properly thank you for your help and to express my feelings.”
”Feelings?”
”……”
Kian was silent for about ten seconds.
Then he smiled brightly.
”But I stopped. It would be a bother. If I return safely from the quest, I might say just one word along with the silver coins… Well then, take care.”
”Wait, Kian.”
The voice calling out to Kian, who had turned his back, was surprisingly strong.
Aliona stepped in front of Kian.
Her usually gentle golden eyebrows were now sharply raised.
”You have your own circumstances, so I can’t say much, but if you’re going on an adventure, at least eat until you’re full first. Did you think I wouldn’t notice your stomach growling repeatedly since earlier?”
Aliona’s ears, which poked out from her blonde hair, twitched.
Kian pretended to think for a moment before nodding.
”I’ll do that. Thank you for the advice.”
”That’s not it. You should eat here tonight. I can’t let you into the dining hall due to the rules, but I’ll make something and bring it to you.”
”Is that okay?”
”Of course. You wouldn’t want to be so hungry during your adventure that you can’t move, right?”
”…I’m sorry for everything. I’ll take you up on your offer. What about the payment?”
”I don’t need any money!”
It was the first time he heard her slightly angry voice.
Then she relaxed her expression and winked.
”Wait here. I’ll bring you a nutritious wine along with the food. The thick, undiluted kind.”
With that, she left the room.
Left alone, Kian stood frozen in place.
’Such an occurrence is unexpected.’
”I was just thinking of miraculously surviving and gaining an advantage in the next deal… but Aliona seems too much like a goddess.”
Kian said this and shook his head lightly.
(This might be… bad.)
Kian had always felt gratitude and affection for Aliona, who had treated him like everyone else.
It wasn’t uncommon for him to daydream about wanting to be with Aliona, forgetting about Sarah, even if just for a moment.
Of course, he couldn’t propose due to financial issues, and it would be a lie to say he had no lingering feelings for Sarah or his hometown…
In Kian’s life, where everything seemed to be falling apart, Aliona was almost the only sensible and peaceful presence.
Even though he felt more confident with his glasses on, his faint feelings of love for her had not disappeared.
In fact, they had intensified.
As he prepared to embark on a quest that was a matter of life and death, his emotions were running high.
(I’m not a crude beast. It’s easy to exercise self-control.)
Kian told himself this and adjusted the position of his p**is in his pocket to avoid any embarrassing moments.
* * *
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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