Chapter 199
"What are you planning to do now?"
Kiriya kept his expression casual as he glanced at the elf beside him.
"Return to the tavern and have a proper dinner made by Mama Mia."
Ryu rubbed her flat stomach with a faintly helpless look.
"But before that, Syr and the others will probably lecture me for being reckless."
"I imagine they will."
Kiriya smiled.
"You go on ahead. I have something to take care of, but I’ll join you later."
"...All right."
Ryu was slightly surprised, but she nodded without asking questions.
The two parted ways.
Ryu did not leave immediately.
Instead, she watched Kiriya’s retreating figure with a slight furrow in her brow.
He was not heading toward Hearthfire Manor.
Nor was he going in the direction of the Guild.
’What is he doing?’
Curiosity stirred within her, and she quietly followed.
...
After turning through several streets, Kiriya entered a secluded alley.
He stopped and looked toward a stack of wooden crates in one corner.
"Come out."
A figure stepped from behind them.
The stranger was completely concealed beneath a black robe. A long hood covered their face, while black gloves hid even their hands.
Kiriya naturally knew who this was.
Fels, the mysterious mage known as the Sage.
Born in a nation renowned for magic, Fels had once created the Philosopher’s Stone and briefly approached the realm of the divine.
Now, the ancient mage served as a secret agent under the great god Ouranos.
Of course, Kiriya could not reveal that he knew any of this.
Fels rarely appeared in public, and almost no one in Orario knew their identity. If a recently arrived adventurer acted overly familiar, it would invite unnecessary suspicion.
Besides...
That appearance was practically begging to be mocked.
"Um..."
Kiriya covered his face and shook his head.
"You do realize that in most stories, anyone dressed like that is either a villain or the secret mastermind behind everything, right?"
He adopted a fighting stance with exaggerated seriousness.
"Have you come to collect my head?"
"There is no need for alarm. I mean you no harm."
Fels’s voice carried a faint mechanical quality.
"I have come on behalf of the Guild to request that you keep the Juggernaut and all related information confidential."
"I’m certain you understand the danger."
"If that knowledge became public, hostile Familias and adventurers would inevitably weaponize it against one another. Neither the Dungeon nor Orario would know peace again."
"Adventurers are essential to protecting the stability of the world. There is no reason for countless lives to be lost over such a secret."
"That makes sense."
Kiriya agreed readily.
"I’ll keep quiet, but I have one condition."
"Name it."
Fels had clearly expected as much.
"It’s very simple."
Kiriya smiled.
"The former Level 4 adventurer known as Gale Wind—Ryu Lion—tragically perished while eliminating the terrorist Jura and his accomplices."
"Since she is now officially dead, there is no reason for the Guild to continue offering a bounty for her, is there?"
"Young people sometimes lose their way. Considering everything she has already endured, there’s no need to keep punishing her forever."
During Ryu’s campaign against the Evils, she had not limited her attacks to their members.
Several Guild employees connected to those factions had also been caught in her purge.
Although the Guild had suffered greatly at the hands of the Evils and knew those employees had been corrupt, it still needed to preserve its public authority.
As a result, it had placed an enormous bounty of eighty million valis on Ryu.
In consideration of everything the Astrea Familia had once done to defend Orario, the Guild had never seriously attempted to hunt her down.
Even so, the bounty itself remained a chain around her neck.
Ryu could not live openly.
She could not operate legally as an adventurer, accept missions, earn supplies, or update her Falna to increase her level.
And those were only the mildest consequences.
More importantly, the bounty made her a target for anyone desperate for money.
The moment her location became known, bounty hunters from both sides of the law would close in.
If Kiriya could use this opportunity to remove that burden, there was no reason not to.
"...Your request is reasonable."
After only a brief silence, Fels nodded solemnly.
"Beginning today, the bounty on Gale Wind Ryu Lion will be permanently withdrawn."
"Her past offenses will also be considered settled."
"As expected of the Sage."
Kiriya applauded.
"You’re remarkably reasonable."
"..."
Hidden nearby, Ryu felt her heartbeat quicken.
Heat rose into her cheeks again.
’That idiot...’
’He had the perfect opportunity to demand a reward from the Guild, and instead he asked them to remove my bounty.’
She bit gently at her lower lip, warmth filling her eyes.
Once their agreement was settled, Fels departed.
Hearing Kiriya’s approaching footsteps, Ryu panicked and tried to slip away.
The moment she turned, she nearly collided with him.
"Ah!"
Startled, she lost her balance and began falling backward.
"Careful."
Kiriya caught her around the waist and pulled her into his arms.
"You’re a Level 4 adventurer. How are you still this clumsy?"
"You knew I was here?"
Ryu stared at him in surprise.
"Of course."
Kiriya inhaled lightly near her hair.
"How could I forget your scent?"
Ryu’s face immediately turned red.
She pressed both hands against his chest and tried to push him away.
He did not move.
"Then what you said earlier..."
She looked up at him.
"Was that meant for me to hear?"
"Yes."
Kiriya admitted it without hesitation.
"From now on, you can live openly as an adventurer again."
"You can accept missions, enter the Dungeon without hiding, train, and continue growing stronger."
"Why?"
Ryu asked quietly.
"Isn’t it obvious?"
Kiriya lowered his head.
Their faces drew closer until each could feel the other’s breath.
"Because I’m trying to win you over."
Thump. Thump.
Ryu’s heart pounded wildly as she met his open, unwavering gaze.
Seeing her flustered expression, Kiriya felt encouraged and leaned in a little closer.
He was moments away from stealing a kiss—
Bang!
The world suddenly spun.
Ryu threw him over her shoulder and slammed him into the street hard enough to leave a crater.
Fortunately, Kiriya’s base physical abilities were exceptional.
Otherwise, the impact might have knocked him unconscious.
"What the—"
He looked up just in time to see the elf fleeing with both hands covering her bright red face.
She vanished down the street like a gust of wind.
"Hiss..."
Kiriya rubbed his aching back.
"Well, they don’t call her Gale for nothing."
Remembering her desperately embarrassed expression, he began chuckling.
"I should visit the Hostess of Fertility tonight. That could be entertaining."
He’s going home first to change his clothes.
The moment he arrived, however, he received news that ruined all of his plans.
"What? We’re attending a Banquet of the Gods?"
Kiriya looked genuinely surprised.
"Yes. Freya is hosting it."
Hestia held several dresses against herself, comparing them in front of a mirror.
"The invitation says each god may bring their favorite child. I received it while I was working this morning."
She eventually selected an elegant white evening gown and held it up.
"What do you think of this one?"
Hestia looked at him expectantly.
"It looks wonderful."
Kiriya walked over and wrapped an arm around her slender waist.
"Good enough to make me hungry."
"Behave. We have something important to do tonight."
Hestia slapped away his wandering hand.
Then her nose twitched.
She looked at him suspiciously before suddenly throwing herself against his chest and sniffing him repeatedly like a suspicious puppy.
"Wh-What are you doing?"
Kiriya stared at her in confusion.
"You!"
Hestia pulled away and glared at him like a betrayed wife.
"I’ve been working myself to death, and you’ve been running around with another woman!"
"Tell me who she is!"
"What other—"
Kiriya started to protest, then realized what she had smelled.
"Oh. That."
He smiled.
"I ran into Ryu in the Dungeon. Her clothes were destroyed, so she borrowed my coat for a while."
He then recounted everything that had happened underground.
Although Kiriya had promised Fels to keep the Juggernaut confidential, he did not consider Hestia part of the general public.
For all her occasional foolishness, she was still a dependable goddess when it truly mattered.
"And that’s the whole story."
Kiriya spread his hands.
"You told me Ryu had taken care of you at the tavern. I couldn’t exactly ignore her when she was in danger."
"Hmm..."
Hestia had no response.
She remembered Ryu’s quiet, slightly awkward kindness and felt her irritation fade.
"If it was Ryu, then I’ll let it go."
She nodded.
"She really is a good girl."
Then Hestia recovered and began pushing Kiriya toward the bedroom.
"Now hurry up and change."
"Tonight, I’m going to make every god at that banquet stare in amazement."
---------
Read 30+ Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator