Chapter 40 A Bad Cook
2.6k 19 83
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

A week later I was in Hephaestus’ office in the early hours. She too had just woken up and was tiredly sifting through papers while drinking a cup of coffee.

“So to the Eighteenth Floor then?” She asked.

Despite her casual words I could tell that she was worried for me.

“Yeah, almost a whole week with more than a dozen beautiful women to keep me company.”

“Oh the horror,” she said, rolling her eyes.

“Don’t worry Hehpaestus I’ll be back with my chastity intact. Those vile harlots won’t be able to take what is rightfully yours.”

A slight blush appeared on her face.

“Kova you should just find a mortal girl to go after. I believe there is an elven girl around your own age in the Astrea Familia you should see if you can woo her.”

It’s always been apparent that while Hephaestus had great confidence in her smithing ability she didn’t think much of herself as a woman. Even after honestly declaring my pursuit of her (as well as others ehehehe) she still thought I’d grow out of it. Which was weird seeing how she was a Goddess and they were literally made to perfection. A single eye really shouldn’t be that big of a deal.

I grabbed her gloved hand and lifted it to my lips, pretending I was some knight going to slay a dragon.

“I’ll be back for you soon Hephy.”

“Y-yeah, see you soon,” she said, embarrassed by my display.

I was embarrassed too, but it was worth it. I was going to continue getting close to her and when she eventually showed me her eye I would make sure not to have any bad reaction, hell I might even try to cure it, and if not I could… kiss it? I don’t know, I just wanted her to feel good about herself.

I left and headed for Babel. I had told Rose that I was going to the Eighteenth floor and she had spent the past week drilling me all about the monsters in the Middle Floors as well as checking to make sure that the Monster Rex wouldn’t be spawning when I went through.

I was early to the meetup so I sat down and double checked all my rations and equipment. I would be playing a rear supporting role, protecting the mages healers and supporters, so I had made a shield that rested on the top of my bag that I could easily access if needed. I also brought plenty of potions and a few Sticky Bombs. I wasn’t going to poison myself this time as it would be too risky.

I even got a cloak and covering for my bag made of Salamander Wool. It was hella expensive, but I was also hella rich nowadays.

“Heeeey Kooooovaaa!!!!” A familiar voice called out.

I leapt aside as a small figure rammed face first into my pack.

“Ow, Kova, why'd you dodge,” Syr asked, rubbing her nose and tears leaking from her eyes.

The same familiar chill that I constantly got when dealing with the young girl. One of her Simpguards was unhappy with me not getting my stomach impaled by the young torpedo girl. Their gazes had been so unnerving that sometimes I thought I could feel someone watching me even when she wasn’t there with me.

“Because I thought I was being attacked.”

“Liar,” she pouted.

“Yeah,” I admitted easily.

“So I heard you were going on an expedition.”

Where the hell did she hear that from.

“Mhm.”

“With the Astrea Familia.”

“Mmhhmm.”

“Filled with beautiful flowers that would dazzle even the most faithful of men.”

“Mmmhhhmmmmmmm.”

I was slowly leaning away from Syr, her eyes swirling into darkness.

Yandere eyes.

Then they disappeared and she smiled happily.

“Good I know how much you love beautiful women!”

Not good at all, she was going to tie me in some basement and drain me dry if things continued like this. Thankfully she was still just a kid and probably didn’t really have any knowledge on sex otherwise I really would be worried for my chastity.

I had tried to make her dislike me by telling her my plans to make a harem, but once I saw the eyes I made sure to never mention who exactly I was planning to have in said harem. Hephaestus and Tsubaki were the leaders of a strong Familia, but Rose was just a normal person, and Syr had some sort of guard on her that could very easily kill the chronically tired werewolf.

She had seen Rose before, so it was already a risk.

“Yup, I sure do.”

“Well I wanted to give you some food to keep you well fed while down there,” she said, pulling out a basket filled with sandwiches.

“Did you make it taste better than paper this time?”

“Come on, I’m still learning,” she pouted.

I had found out that Syr was not the best at cooking. The first thing I ate of hers had about three pounds too much salt in it, the second tasted like it had been left out all night, which it had. She said something along the lines of, it enriches the flavor, like cheese. It was not cheese, it was a burrito.

After that she had somehow bled all the flavor from the food making me feel like I was eating soft cardboard, how somebody could make a kebab taste like nothing was beyond me.

“Hey Kova, are you saying goodbye to your girlfriend?” Alise’s voice rang out.

The Astrea Familia gathered around me, all of them geared and ready to go.

“Yes! He was promising me not to mess around with any of you while he was down there.”

“No, she’s stalking me and I need an adult.”

Syr watched Kova leave with the Astrea Familia, her pout disappearing into a grimace. She didn’t know how to feel about Kova spending five days with a bunch of women. On one hand he was seven, on the other he was a pervert.

“Lady Freya, do you wish for us to intervene? We can make them return from their expedition early,” a man said approaching the young girl.

“I have said when I am in this form, call me Lady Syr,” Freya said cooly.

“M-my apologies Lady Syr.”

Syr thought for a few moments.

“No, I will be watching them with my Divine Mirror. I want to see how he handles the Middle Floors.”

Kova wasn’t stupid, if she attacked his group in the Dungeon he might find out it was her. That was also what kept her from initially lashing out at the other girls that he was close with. Now after knowing him for a while she knew that if not for his womanizing side he would spend every second either in his forge or in the Dungeon.

“I’m going to practice my cooking, will you be my taster?” Syr said, getting to her feet.

“Uh I- Yes Lady Syr,” the man said with a bit of reluctance in his voice.

Her cooking skills had spread to the rest of the Familia, and they all both dreaded and loved being the ones to be the taste testers.

83