Chapter 501: Can I Hug her?
The dwarf was shorter than her sister and slender, but powerful, her massive axe still resting against her shoulder in a posture that suggested she was ready to use it at a moment’s notice.
She continued: "Forgive me for calling you something not human."
Her tone was apologetic, and there was shame in her eyes. She had been wrong, and she was not afraid to admit it.
"Ahaha, not like you were entirely wrong!" Benjamin cackled then hit the nail on the head, his laughter fading into something more thoughtful. "But say, how come an Amazon and a Dwarf are sisters? And aren’t dwarves supposed to be thick, heavily build, bulky, and muscular? I know a certain red haired dwarf king who seems to be into guys."
"Eh?!" Nearly all the adventurers there showed visible shock, their eyes widening and mouths dropping open in unison.
Aria stepped forward, her deep almost male voice cutting through the stunned silence. "You’ve met with the Dwarf King, Mótsognir?!"
Her expression was one of astonishment.
The dwarf king was a legendary figure, someone who had ruled over the dwarves for what seemed like eternity. The first and still ruling Dwarf King.
To have met him even once was remarkable.
"Yes. I’ve met him twice now," Benjamin casually answered, his tone light and unconcerned. He shrugged his shoulders, a gesture of nonchalance that only made the adventurers stare at him harder. "He seems like a good, though weird, guy. I also met the elven empress you know! As a god-touched, I can’t help but know these people."
His voice sounded with a clear note of pride
The mention of the elven empress caused another ripple of shock to pass through the group. The elven empress was even more reclusive than the dwarf king, a figure of myth and legend who rarely appeared in public. To have met her was to have achieved something that few could even dream of.
The Adventurers felt like they were looking at a high profile celebrity people almost never see around, and it made Benjamin’s ego inflate as he held his head higher.
His chin lifted, his shoulders squared, and a self-satisfied smile spread across his face.
He was enjoying the attention, basking in the awe and admiration of these battle-hardened warriors who were now looking at him with something approaching reverence.
[Hehehe. People are such slaves to status! Maybe with this conception I can make some more human friends] Benjamin schemed in the comfort of his mind.
His thoughts were playful and mischievous as he considered the possibilities that this newfound respect might open up for him.
"Ah, then you being out here... Are you on a mission?" The Amazon asked, her voice curious and now very respectful. Her eyes studied Benjamin with renewed interest, reassessing him in light of his revelations. "Because I don’t think Amazons are friendly enough to let such an asset roam so freely."
Her tone was careful and measured. She was trying to gather information without seeming too intrusive.
"I said... get away from me!!" Katana, reaching her breaking point, landed a solid punch across Heka’s face.
The sound of impact echoed across the clearing, a sharp crack that drew everyone’s attention.
Heka’s head snapped to the side, her body following the force of the blow, but she did not fall. Instead, she stood there, her cheek reddening, a look of pure bliss spreading across her features.
"You misunderstand!" Heka immediately turned to Maria with a gleeful face, her voice bright and cheerful despite the violence that had just been done to her. "Amazons of Verdant Spire are not as the rumors state. We’re a kind and welcoming village. And we certainly don’t rape men and dispose of their broken bodies as manure for our vegetations."
Her words were delivered with such sincerity and pure enthusiasm, that for a moment, the adventurers were stunned into silence.
The juxtaposition of her cheerful tone and the horrific content of her words was jarring, unsettling, and more than a little confusing.
After the people got terrified from the notion, Benjamin stepped forward to explain the whole thing to them.
He told them about Izra, a legendary Amazon who had left Verdant Spire after she found a Master to serve. He explained that her former actions were not representative of the village as a whole, that she has been something of a stain on their honor, and the Amazons have been happy she left.
Though, the rumors still stood strong. Reproduction with other race’s men have been extremely difficult even after she left.
The adventurers listened, their expressions shifting from horror to understanding, and slowly, they began to relax.
"Our names are Sophia and Sapphire! We’re twin mages!" The two young individuals chirped from below, their voices bright and eager.
They wore matching mage robes, one white and one yellow, and they looked up at Benjamin with wide, adoring eyes.
They were cute and somewhat childlike in their enthusiasm, and Benjamin found himself smiling down at them.
Their faces were round and innocent, their eyes sparkling with curiosity. They had clearly been impressed by his healing magic, and they wanted to learn more.
"Can you teach us that magic you used to effortlessly heal the party?" Sophia asked with puppy eyes. She clasped her hands together, a gesture of pleading that was too adorable to resist.
"If you can understand the ancient language, sure!" Benjamin replied, his tone playful but serious.
The ancient language was not something that could be understood easily; it required years of study and natural talent. But if these two were willing to put in the effort, he would be happy to show them some things.
Then the last person came up, the one most disapproving of the encounter.
Yuki stepped forward, her white hair flowing in the breeze, her blue eyes narrowed with suspicion.
Her posture was rigid, defensive, and there was a coldness in her gaze that seemed to cut through the warmth of the moment.
"You shall know me as Yuki..." She squinted some more at Benjamin, suspicion clear in her tone. Her voice was cold, crisp, like the frost she commanded. "The rest of my friends seem very open-armed, but I assume you I will keep watching you because I do not trust you."
Her words were a warning, a declaration of intent that left no room for doubt. She would not be won over by charm or status. She would watch, and wait, and strike if she saw the opportunity.
"Noted. But wow, you’re so pretty up close! Are all of it natural?" Benjamin immediately pivoted to her appearance, his tone shifting from serious to flirtatious in an instant. "And you were totally badass with that dragon. Punching it was something I really didn’t expect. Your friends must be privileged to have you as an ally, yes?"
Her pale face began to show red under her eyes as she blushed, a faint flush that spread across her cheeks and down her neck.
She tried to maintain her stern expression, but the blush betrayed her. "Don’t think you can win me over so easily! I’ll have you exposed in no time!"
"How adorable." Benjamin responded, all smiles and fighting the urge to hug the cute girl. He found himself wanting to wrap his arms around her, to squeeze her until she stopped being angry. "Can I cuddle her?"
"Hm...? I suppose," Eric shrugged, his voice indifferent. He seemed amused by the situation, his crystal green eyes twinkling with suppressed laughter.
"Eh?! Why are you selling me so cheap?!" Yuki yelled at her leader as Benjamin’s arms quickly embraced her, rubbing their cheeks together.
She struggled against him, her protests muffled, but there was no real force behind her resistance. She was embarrassed, flustered, and more than a little surprised by the sudden physical affection.
It was all chaotic, but it was the good kind of chaotic.
***
Ignoring and deflecting all of Heka’s cries that Renard would be pissed, Benjamin decided to follow the adventurers to the Adventurer Guild for world building reasons.
He was curious about the guild, about the system of adventuring, and he saw an opportunity to learn more about this world and its inhabitants.
Heka trailed behind him, her expression a mixture of frustration and resignation. She knew that Benjamin would do what he wanted, regardless of her protests, and she had learned to accept that.
She would follow him, protect him, and ensure that he did not get himself into too much trouble.
The adventurers led the way, their voices rising in excited chatter as they discussed their plans for the future.
The battle was over and they had survived yet another quest.
And at the center of it all was Benjamin, the strange and wonderful god-touched who had appeared in their midst and changed something.