Volume 3 Chapter 25 People Are Not What They Seem
For now, I decided to let Mr. Suisen into the house.
To be honest, I was feeling tired today, and I wished we could discuss the request tomorrow.
However, it wouldn't be right to keep him waiting for so long, so I decided to settle various dates today.
As an apology for making him wait, I offered some nice tea and snacks, and then I asked Mr. Suisen again.
"Well then, can I confirm the details of the request?"
Mr. Suisen slowly brought the cup to his lips, as if enjoying the aroma of the tea or creating an elegant atmosphere.
It certainly looked picturesque, especially with his handsome appearance, but after getting to know his personality, I couldn't feel genuinely impressed.
Eventually, Mr. Suisen placed the cup back on the table and quietly smiled at my question.
"Heh, there's no need to be so formal. From now on, we're going to share 'important secrets' and become close friends. Besides, we seem to be around the same age. Let's definitely speak casually to deepen our friendship. I'll call you 'Roezé' too."
"Uh, well, if you say so..."
It felt a bit strange to call him "Mr. Suisen," so I decided to speak casually from now on.
I wondered what 'important secrets' meant, but I moved on without mentioning it.
"So, you said you want me to make you stronger as a Nurturer, but does that mean I just need to help you grow?"
Then Suisen snapped his fingers for no reason and nodded.
"Exactly, Roezé. I definitely want you to make me stronger as a Nurturer. No, to be more precise... I want you to be my love angel (Cupid)."
"Huh?"
A love angel? I thought, what is this guy talking about?
I dropped my customer service attitude and let out a genuine "Huh?"
I really had no idea what he meant.
"...How am I supposed to respond to that?"
"I'm not joking. This is an undeniable fact. Before being a Nurturer, you are the love angel (Cupid) who will help me achieve my romantic path."
"...S-sorry, can you say it in a simpler way?"
As I pressed my head, trying to endure the headache, Suisen finally spoke concisely.
"The reason I'm trying to get stronger is... to confess to someone."
"C-confess?"
"I have someone I like. It's a person named Alium Groke who works at the adventurer guild's reception. Don't you recognize that beautiful name? If you've been to the adventurer guild, you should know her."
"J-just wait a second."
I dove deep into my memories, desperately trying to recall the past.
I definitely recognized that name.
Soon, I remembered.
'I am Alium, the one in charge of this exam. The content of this exam will be a mock subjugation using my power.'
A woman in a black jacket and white shirt, with deep blue long hair, floated in my mind.
That's right.
The person in charge when Rose took the Rank 4 promotion exam was definitely Alium.
I remembered her as a very reliable woman with a sharp face.
...Wait a minute. Did he just say he 'likes' Ms. Alium?
"Ah...! Just thinking of her beautiful figure makes my heart feel like it's filled with clear skies. She's truly a sinful person. My beauty could also be etched in history, but hers is on another level. Eventually, her beauty will be deified, and statues will be built all over the country."
"H-hello, Mr. Suisen?"
I wish he wouldn't get lost in his own world.
The conversation isn't even progressing, so I hope he doesn't hinder it any further.
Could it be that this important secret was about this?
"So, I want you to make me stronger."
"What do you mean...? I don't understand anything."
"You're not very perceptive, Roezé. Being insensitive can express a certain charm, but being too dull might upset the other person, so be careful."
"Don't change the subject any more, or the conversation won't go anywhere!"
I was getting more and more flustered, and finally raised my voice and scratched my head.
Kanna and Eric, who visited this morning, were such good clients that I couldn't keep up with how the customers were changing.
Then Suisen finally seemed to get the hint and moved the conversation along.
"As I said earlier, the reason I'm trying to get stronger is to confess to Ms. Alium."
"I don't really get that... Why do you need to be strong to confess? Can't you just say 'I like you'?"
"That won't win over the pure and strong-willed Ms. Alium. It seems that many male adventurers have approached her because of her beauty, but all of them have been shot down without exception. The reason is..."
Suisen continued while twirling her blonde hair with her fingers.
"She won't be attracted to anyone who isn't a 'strong person'."
"A strong person?"
"That's why Ms. Alium has been dueling with each adventurer who confesses to her. It seems she publicly states that she will date the winner."
In simple terms, it means 'she will date the person she wins a duel against.' Despite her serious appearance, she seems to be quite bold.
But I suppose if she's looking for a stronger man, dueling would be the quickest way to find one.
I think many women are attracted to strong men, and when you think about it, it might be a rational and swift method.
Above all, this seems to be the most effective way to discourage the male adventurers who approach her.
If they realize they can't compete with her strength, they probably won't keep bothering her.
It might be a duel thought out to that extent.
"However, Ms. Alium is so powerful that she doesn't even consider a mere adventurer as a match, and it seems she has defeated every male adventurer who has approached her."
"Oh..."
By the way, she was really strong, wasn't she? Her job class is 'Summoner,' and she's skilled at using 'Summon magic' to bring monsters to life using her own Magic.
It's not an especially rare job class, but she had an extraordinary amount of Magic.
Because of that, she could summon some really powerful beasts.
More than anything, during Rose's exam, Ms. Alium was the only one who could accurately catch her strike, which I couldn't even follow with my eyes.
That proves she has considerable strength.
It's even strange why she's working as a guild receptionist.
Defeating her wouldn't be something that could be done overnight.
"Oh, that's why you came to me..."
"Yeah. I want to get stronger with the help of Nurturer Roezé, so I can be stronger than Ms. Alium. If I do that, my confession will probably succeed, right?"
So that's what the love angel meant.
Indeed, to succeed in this romantic endeavor, a great deal of strength is needed.
To defeat that overly strong receptionist, you would need at least the strength of a Rank 1 adventurer.
"So, what do you think? I was hoping to start getting help with my growth from tomorrow..."
"..."
When Suisen asked me that, I thought for a moment, resting my chin on my hand.
Then I glanced at Suisen and answered with a bit of hesitation.
"I can't just agree right away."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because I still don't really understand what kind of person you are."
Suisen's bright blue eyes widened in surprise at my response.
It was understandable that he didn't grasp the meaning of my words, so I quickly provided further explanation.
"To put it simply, your request is to get stronger to be with the person you like, right? I don't intend to deny that feeling, but if you have any ulterior motives in trying to get close to Ms. Alium..."
"I see, in that case, you can't just agree right away."
Suisen nodded in agreement with my opinion.
While secretly feeling relieved about that, I continued.
"I've only recently opened Nurturer, so I haven't had that many customers yet. And luckily, everyone I've dealt with so far has been a good person, but I've been thinking about what I would do if a customer with 'impure motives' came along..."
"..."
"Of course, I don't intend to assume that Suisen's motives are impure. So if you don't mind, could you tell me? What do you like about Ms. Alium, and how much do you like her?"
I thought I couldn't help with his growth until I heard that.
Everyone I've worked with so far has had a pure heart.
But what if that person had a bad heart, and I ended up helping their growth? It would clearly lead to an irreparable situation.
So I shouldn't just help anyone; I need to determine whether they are truly deserving of support.
Recently, as the number of customers has started to increase, I've begun to think this way again.
"I'm not doubting Suisen or anything, and I don't want to sound like I'm being suspicious, but..."
"No, I understand what Roezé is trying to say, so you don't have to worry. Yeah, when you mention it, it's hard to judge whether my motives are pure or impure. If I had a twisted affection for Ms. Alium, then Roezé would be complicit in wrongdoing. It's not unreasonable to be concerned."
It seems Suisen understood as well, and he quietly smiled.
Then he gave me a firm nod in return.
"So I'll tell you. The reason I was 'charmed' by Ms. Alium. How much I truly care about her."
Suisen began to speak, gazing into the distance as if reminiscing about a long time ago.
"I was captivated by Ms. Alium because she was the only one who kindly reached out to me when I was treated like an outcast in the guild."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)