Volume 1 Chapter 43 Hiring Thorns
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Hmm! Hmm! Hmm!”
In a room of the monastery.
In Aliona’s private room, which is not very furnished, Kian and Aliona were having s*x on the bed.
Outside the window, the night was about to end.
In less than an hour, the monastery’s day would begin.
”Hmm! Kian! Soon! I, I have to get ready!”
Aliona, with her golden bangs sticking to her forehead and her ample breasts bouncing, spoke up.
”Hmm… Ah, yes, it’s already that time. Time flies.”
”Haha, It really does! Hmm!”
Aliona let out a small climax.
Kian also came for the tenth time.
”Haa…”
”Hmm… Haa, haa… So good…”
The two embraced each other and kissed lightly, not in a deep kiss but rather a gentle touch of lips as if to confirm their love for each other.
”Hmm… I might have some muscle aches tomorrow since we used muscles that we don’t usually use.”
”Your voice is a little hoarse too. It’s only natural after making erotic sounds throughout the night.”
”Really? Can you heal me?”
”Should I try?”
Aliona playfully rubbed her forehead against Kian’s chest, even though she could heal herself with her magic.
Kian channeled his energy and gently injected it into her throat.
”Is your magic power sufficient?”
Aliona, now with her clear soprano voice restored, asked.
”Yes. Despite staying up all night, I feel more energized than ever.”
Kian opened and closed his right fist, which had absorbed a significant amount of life force from Aliona throughout the night.
Thanks to this, he had accumulated magic power within his body equivalent to the volume of the monastery’s dining hall.
It was impossible to count how many bathhouse buckets it would fill.
(With this much magic power, I can freely control the crows. And I can even fire as many ‘shots’ as I want.)
”Be careful not to release your magic power unintentionally. If you release too much, you might attract something unpleasant, lured by the dense magic power.”
”You’re talking about a powerful monster, right? I understand. Controlling the release of magic power is a piece of cake for me, so leave it to me.”
”I hope so… For today, let’s call it a day. If the magic power naturally dissipates and you run out, come to my place. I’ll be available to help you anytime at night.”
Aliona smiled as she said this and sat up.
She brushed her golden hair, which was stuck with various bodily fluids, off her back and wrapped the sheets around her body as she stood up.
She probably intended to clean herself up and change into her sister’s outfit.
’Hey, Kian. Aren’t you going to invite her to the party? Did you forget?’
(Of course, I remember… It feels awkward to ask for this after causing trouble all night, but it can’t be helped.)
’You know about being considerate, don not you?’
Ignoring the rude comment from the glasses person, Kian called out to the elf sister who was using magic to prepare hot water.
”Ms. Aliona.”
”Hmm? What is it? …By the way, did you just come to get some magic power today? If you want me to trade herbs or something, just let me know. I’ll give you a special service today.”
As she said this and winked playfully, Kian shook his head and continued.
”No, actually, I have one more request besides the magic power. It’s about my quest.”
”Oh?”
Aliona blinked in surprise.
”It might take a little while, is that okay?”
”That’s fine. As long as I can get ready while you talk.”
”Of course. Then──.”
He sat on the bed to create a comfortable position for the conversation.
Aliona placed a bucket of water on the floor and knelt down in front of him, starting to comb her hair.
Kian politely watched her as she carefully cleaned her magnificent golden hair with her fingers, and he began to summarize his current situation from the beginning.
He explained that he had unknowingly violated the guild’s new regulations.
As a result, he might be kicked out of the adventurers’ guild.
To avoid being fired, he would have to take on several high-difficulty quests.
One of those quests──currently, they are tackling the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ in search of treasure.
”…So, the other day, I went with my companions to investigate the ‘Labyrinth of Roses,’ but it seems that the maze itself is under some strange magic, and we couldn’t even find the entrance to the maze before we had to turn back. Since it’s created by Roses, we could have forcibly destroyed it with herbicide or explosives to reach the mansion inside. However──.”
”That’s dangerous.”
In the middle of the conversation, Aliona, who had just finished drying her hair, quietly said that.
She sat down on the nearby sofa in her thin nightgown.
”It would be better to hire a magician. If possible, it would be best to bring someone familiar with barrier magic or weather manipulation magic. Your companion is a swordsman, right?”
”Yes.”
”It’s suicidal for amateurs to challenge a barrier without relying on experts. If it’s an aggressive barrier, there’s a chance it could take your life.”
”That’s true. So, we discussed hiring a magician temporarily. However, I’m the lowest-ranked adventurer. Even if we recruit members, the magicians who come will be at best low-ranking. There’s no way an advanced magician would show up.”
”That’s to be expected. There’s no way a nationally certified magician would participate in a quest for a lowest-ranked adventurer. It’s clear they would end up being the ones protecting you.”
”Of course, there might be low-ranking magicians with enough specialized knowledge to solve the maze’s mysteries. However, the chances of us being that lucky are slim. As a result of our discussion, we decided to make recruiting a last resort and first reach out to our acquaintances.”
”…I see.”
Aliona let out a sigh, seemingly satisfied with the explanation.
”So, Kian wants to hire me as a party member.”
”To put it simply, that’s how it is. Of course, we’ll adjust the schedule on our end, and regarding the reward, I can give all of my share to Ms. Aliona after splitting it into 3. I’d rather take a sure way to clear the Quest than hire a lousy magician and end up dead.”
”It seems you have a high opinion of me, but does Kian really know the extent of my abilities as a magician?”
”No, that’s… But I’m confident you’re quite skilled. The magic in your workshop, the golem guarding the bathroom… Ms. Aliona must be a pretty high-level magician, right?”
”────.”
When Kian leaned forward and asked, Aliona fell silent with a serious expression.
The hourglass on the desk dropped its last grain of sand and flipped over on its own.
Outside the window, a rooster from the monastery crowed loudly in the morning.
After a moment, Aliona returned her jewel-like green eyes to Kian.
”I have my duties at the monastery. No matter how much my lover asks, it’s not easy to agree.”
”Just to clarify, I’m not asking you to join the party because of this. It’s just for this one time, as a special case.”
”That’s true. Both you and I are independent adults. We each have our own positions and jobs, so to encroach on each other’s territory requires appropriate compensation or conditions.”
”It takes about 2 hours by horse to get there and back. It would be enough to see the magic of the labyrinth and get Ms. Aliona’s opinion on the spot. You can decide the compensation. If I can pay for it, I’ll give anything except my life.”
When Kian said this, Aliona smiled wryly.
”Come on, I’m not some fairy tale demon who takes lives or souls. Especially since it’s Kian asking. I want to help as much as I can.”
”Then──.”
”There are 3 conditions.”
Aliona held up 3 fingers.
”First, the time is this evening, wait until my work is done. You’ve been having s*x all night, so take care and get some sleep. Second, you should definitely refrain from hiring me in the future. I’m sorry, but I’m not the kind of elf who can easily lend my power to just anyone.”
”I understand. I was fully prepared to break the promise and show up 2 or 3 more times regarding s*x, but I will only invite Ms. Aliona to the party this once.”
”Hahaha, regarding s*x… you’re quite honest.”
”So, what is the third condition?”
When Kian asked, Aliona’s expression became serious.
”Absolutely do not enter the mansion in the ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’ Only search for treasure in the garden. Even if you can’t find what you’re looking for there, you must decisively give up and go home.”
”Do you know anything about the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ mansion, Ms. Aliona?”
When he asked suspiciously, Aliona shook her head.
”No, I don’t know the details. But it’s a place with a reputation… It’s said to be where the remains of an ancient vampire lie. You know the story, right? About the Countess who tried to maintain her youth by drinking the blood of virgins and bathing in blood?”
”I’ve heard that legend from an informant.”
”That Countess was a vampire. She drank the blood of virgins for entertainment, and those who lived in the mansion, including her husband the Count, began to spread rumors about her not aging at all. Eventually, the reclusive lady suddenly disappeared from this world one day. No one knows what happened to her, and it’s said that she still sleeps in a hidden room of the mansion.”
”Is that so?”
When Kian slightly widened his eyes and asked, Aliona shook her head as if to avoid further questioning, saying,
”It’s an old story. I only heard it from someone However, there’s more to the story. This is something that seasoned adventurers would know──about 16 or 17 years ago, a party of elite adventurers decided to challenge the ‘Labyrinth of Roses.’ Their goal was to kill a high-ranking evil spirit known as ‘Leanan sídhe,’ who was under the command of the Countess.”
”‘Leanan sídhe?’”
”She’s a type of vampire. Unlike the more monstrous kinds, she belongs to a species of vampires that possess reason and intelligence, just like us. It’s a bit complicated. In our understanding, since she’s an evil spirit, you can remember her as an evil spirit.”
Aliona snapped her fingers and moved the now-cold bucket of water to the corner of the room.
She continued.
”‘Leanan sídhe’ has a good side; she loves arts like singing and poetry, but she also has a malicious side, as she possesses the ability to drain life force from others. Her role──’Leanan sídhe’──was to tend to and keep the garden of roses that the Countess loved. Think of her as a gardener. Even after the Countess disappeared, she was bound by a contract and couldn’t leave the garden of roses, so she stayed there. To survive, she lured other monsters──ghosts──and killed the foolish ones who dared to challenge the labyrinth. As long as no one approached the labyrinth, she posed no threat, so she was left alone for a long time. But one day, a hunt order was finally issued for her.”
Aliona clenched her hands tightly on her lap.
”At that time, the most skilled party of adventurers set out to hunt her. But… none of them returned. The scouts sent by the Guild also disappeared in front of the labyrinth. No one could get close. If you approached, you would be swallowed by the labyrinth and never return. So, a discussion arose about what to do, and it was decided that the ‘Knights of the Sun,’ who served the Margrave of the castle, along with a rather unusual person known as the ‘Thorn Magician,’ would go for rescue.”
”‘Knights of the Sun’? You mean the ‘Knights of the Sun’ from Izerland Fortress──the deputy commander of the frontier knight order?”
”No, it’s her father. It was before the succession. The ‘Knight of the Sun’ is known as the strongest knight in the borderlands. The Adventurers’ Guild took the situation seriously enough to send him out. But just before the rescue was dispatched, the leader of that high-ranking adventurer party returned alone. He was dressed in noble-looking clothes, but his body was drenched in blood. He was exhausted, drenched in sweat, and his face was a mess from crying… it was a terrible sight. He cried as he handed over ‘Leanan sídhe’s’ hair to the Margrave and the Guild Master at the time, reporting that he had defeated the monster. Since that day, the ‘Labyrinth of Roses’ has been pouring rain as if it were crying, and truly, no one has dared to approach it. It seems that high-ranking adventurer also quit his family business. Poor thing, losing his companions must have been a huge shock for him.”
”…….Is that so?”
As Kian murmured, Aliona chuckled softly again.
”That was quite a long time ago. At least for you humans. …But even though the guardian of the labyrinth was defeated, I think this story conveys that it’s still a rather dangerous place. I had been meaning to investigate it later, but somehow I completely forgot. This might be a good opportunity.”
The elf sister concluded her story, stood up from the sofa, and opened the wardrobe.
She took out a clean sister’s outfit.
”Kian, you were lucky. Our goals happen to align. So, I will temporarily accompany you on your quest. As you can see, I’m a fragile sister, so make sure to protect me like a proper boy, okay?”
”Of course. I actually aim to be a magician, but while Ms. Aliona is here, I will do my best as a vanguard swordsman.”
”Show off your good side in front of the auntie. I’m counting on you!”
She said that with a bright smile.
Kian smiled back and approached her for a handshake.
”Then, I look forward to working with you. As for the reward──.”
”Money isn’t necessary. I told you that before, right?”
”Haha. That’s right, I was scolded before. But this is business. Could you please accept the payment to create a contract?”
”Then, I want to use my share to go on a date with Kian.”
”Eh?”
”A date! I want to walk through the town like a young person. We could even go for a picnic in the western town street.”
”That doesn’t really sound like a reward anymore…”
”Come on. I’ve been a little envious. You know, of youth.”
”I see.”
Kian nodded and continued.
”Then I will do my best to escort you. It will be my style of date, but I’m confident I can satisfy you.”
”Oh, I’m looking forward to that.”
Aliona said this with an attractive smile.
Outside, the sound of chickens crowing echoed in succession, and the main building of the monastery became suddenly busy.
The sisters in the room were starting to wake up.
Kian hugged Aliona, who had gently leaned against him, and said, “I’ll come back later,” before jumping out the window.
”Kian.”
”…?”
”Good night.”
”You too, have a good day.”
”Hehe, it feels like I’m having a love romance with a vampire. Well then, let’s meet again when the sun sets.”
With that, Aliona waved her hand lightly, and Kian nodded back before jumping out the window.
Using ‘Leap,’ he blurred his body like mist and left the monastery.
In the distance, beyond the castle wall surrounding the East End town, the dazzling morning sun was peeking out.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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