May 5, 4033, 5:01 a.m.
Aster woke up at the usual time.
He raised his body from the bed and stretched lightly, yawning, before drawing his first deep breath in the morning.
*Huff!*
"...?"
But unlike what he expected, his nose wasn't filled with the smell of air freshener used on his room, but rather with a floral aroma. Scanning his surroundings, he noticed that he wasn't nestled in the center of his plush king-sized bed but instead on a makeshift bed made of folded bedsheets.
"What...?" Aster cocked his head, pondering the situation.
He turned toward the bed, barely visible from his vantage point on the floor. Slowly, he stood and peered over, finding an almost half-naked rabbit woman sleeping peacefully.
She wore a white shirt, borrowed from Aster's wardrobe, rolled halfway up, revealing her cute, flat tummy. Tracing her contours, Aster found a thin, pink garment concealing her private parts.
"... Right. I remember now." He scratched his head. "Cassandra stayed over last night."
Of course, nothing happened. Despite her vulnerable appearance, Aster didn't lay a hand on her. Rather, the very reason why he divulged his secret to her was to give her "something" to use against him, trying to put her at ease.
'And if I touch a girl out of my own volition, I can't imagine what Mayor Magnus would say to me.'
But recalling the sad, lonely expression she had last night made Aster's heart ache a little. Although it wasn't due to "like" or "love" or anything like that, rather, Cassy simply missed her time sleeping with her cute little brothers and sisters.
'It's a heartwarming story, but the way she started it was misleading.'
*Huff!*
He took another deep breath before opening his eyes wide, recalling something. "Oh, I don't need to mind my breathing starting today." He turned to the black chain bracelet over his left wrist as he smiled lightly.
Without staring too much at Cassy's body, Aster stowed away the makeshift bed and left the bedroom. He first headed for the bathroom, splashing cold water, which felt room temperature to him, while trying to fully wake up. Then, he went to the kitchen and began cooking breakfast.
As the "man of the house," naturally, he could cook.
While his skills might not rival his nurse's, he could prepare decent meals. As he bustled around the kitchen, he couldn't help but glance at the bracelet he had every so often.
"So I'm truly liberated from that curse..." he muttered, pondering his illness.
Throughout, he had been attempting to breathe rapidly, disregarding his usual breathing technique. However, despite this, he didn't feel lightheaded or lethargic at all. In fact, he felt invigorated with the increased oxygen circulating through his body, vivifying his cells!
As Dr. Zellbrook explained, he could now breathe normally. The sense of liberation, something he had never experienced before, felt amazing!
"Phew. I'm fine now."
Finally catching his breath and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his scarf, he approached the guild door. It swung open automatically, revealing a group of rugged-looking men who stared at them, emitting gruff sounds.
One, a Mohican with red and white hair, pointed at Aster and raised his voice. "Oh, look who's here, the weakling from yesterday! Ready to quit being adventurers already? Kakakaka!"
Yesterday, Aster merely lowered his head, ignoring the voices around him. But today was different. He turned to the man, gripping his backpack strap tightly, and retorted, "Get lost, you ugly jerk."
"""..."""
The guild fell silent.
Even the insulted man seemed unsure of how to respond. After a moment, he flushed red with anger.
"What did you say, you brat?!" he bellowed.
He slammed his fist on the table, causing it to topple, and advanced toward Aster. "You've got guts; I'll give you that! But can you handle this...?!" With a few words, he swung his fist at Aster's face.
Naturally, Aster couldn't react. He was weak, and that was a fact. It was impossible for him to change so drastically in such a short time! Nonetheless, he didn't flinch, facing the incoming blow with a burning gaze.
"...!"
Just before it connected, a slender arm shot out, seizing the man's fist.
"That's enough!" Cassy shouted. "If you don't stop, I'll be your opponent!"
As he struggled to escape her hold, the Mohican turned toward Cassy and was astounded by her strength. 'What power!' he thought before snorting.
"Kah! You're that dud priest? A weakling, teaming up with a useless... You're a match made in heaven, aren't you? Kakaka!"
He jeered again before withdrawing, soothing his hurting wrist.
"Bah, I've lost my appetite. Let's go, bastards! We'll clear the first floor today!"
Aster watched them exit the door.
As they departed, the guild became almost empty but also peaceful at the same time.
"That was quite a racket, wasn't it?" A woman's voice broke the silence.