Chapter 162

162 Caution with the hot springs temperature, please! part Ryu found himself between a rock and a hard place, or more like he was rock hard in a place.

Words are a funny thing, they are simple thoughts without shape or physical manifestation, yet they hold the power to take a life, bind people together for life and also shake a person to the very core of their existence.

“Sera... I love you”

She was stunned, those ephimeral words resounded inside her mind and she couldn’t tell if she had imagined them. There was not a trace nor a record of those words and she couldn’t be sure unless she asked, but the words refused to come out of her mouth.

“I really love you Sera, but I don’t think it’s what you’re thinking. I don’t have any memories of any people from my past and, even though I’m an adult, my memories don’t go too long in my past. That’s why every single person I’ve met has left a deep impression on me. You’re one of the first friends I made and I appreciate all the things you’ve done for me so far, but I really don’t want you to make an effort for me. You’re not supposed to try hard to be loved”

“Then what am I supposed to do? should I simply give up? is that what you’re telling me?”

“Yes”

Sera fell from the highest cloud to the deepest abyss with a single word.

“Is- is there really no hope for me?”

.....

“No, I mean... I don’t know. I’m just... that came out wrong. What I mean is, you’re drunk now and we shouldn’t be talking about these things like this”

“But I need an answer”

Sera bit her lip so hard, only a lost health point kept her from drawing blood.

“It’s just like I said... You’re precious to me and I’d do anything to keep you safe and to make you happy. I would never abandon you and no matter who asks me to, I wouldn’t budge on that. I just don’t know if we can become a couple and keep things as they are”

“I’m not asking for marriage, just some... relief”

“Relief?”

Sera grabbed Ryu’s hand and placed it in her agitated chest, giving him a clear idea of what she meant, he found a hard spot in between the softness of her touch and his mind went blank. Sera guided Ryu’s hand along her waistline as a soft moan encompassed the soft motion.

“Sera, you said you would do anything I asked of you, right?”

“Yes!”

she replied faster than the speed of light.

“Then, I’ll ask you to be patient. I really can’t do this if you’re drunk. You must understand me, I can’t even think on taking advantage of someone, even less if it’s someone I care about so deeply”

Understanding Ryu’s feelings, Sera finaly relented, but not without a condition.

“I understand, but I want to ask something in return”

She said as she turned on the lamp, revealing her magnificent body that could easily start a fight in between different countries and every single fallen soldiers would have died with a smile on their face knowing their cause to be fair.

“Yes?”

Ryu asked still unsure of what she was going to say.

“I want you to give me my first kiss”

Ryu couldn’t believe how lucky he was and couldn’t keep himself from feeling just a little bit stupid for refusing having sex with her. But he knew very well that if he took advantage from someone like that, he would never forgive himself.

“If it’s just a kiss...”

He said leaning in closer. She grabbed him by the neck and pulled him so softly that it was as if he floated towards her, he placed his hand on her waist and kissed her lips with the touch of a feather.

The kiss was so subtle they both broke into shivers, their skin reacted as if asking for more and their breaths sychronized as they stayed really close, each breathing the air of the other.

Although it was but a minute, time had seemlingly stop for both of them. Their minds raced in between rational thought and emotional actions in a constant struggle for control, but their minds held control of the situation. It was only thanks to their passive skill, calm mind, that they were able to resist the undeniable attraction they felt towards each other.

Ryu found comfort in sera’s embrace and she felt like she could finally rest assured that she wouldn’t be abandoned by him. Naked as they were, they slept hugging each other in the most innocent way without going any further.

Waking up in the morning with a smile on their faces, they found themselves naked in front of each other. Sera herself didn’t know why, but she hurriedly covered herself with a blanked to keep Ryu from looking at her. Last night she wouldn’t have minded if Ryu stared at her all night, but right now she found herself deeply embarrassed.

Someone knocked on the door and they both got up as fast as they could ready to plead guilty as charged, just as if they had commited a crime.

“Ryu, open up, it’s me!”

Anne shouted at the door and by the time she ended her sentence they were aleady dressed.

“Yes?”

Ryu opened the door shyly, but Anne pushed past it and found a deeply flushed Sera trying to look casual but failing miserably.

“What’s going on in here?”

“Uh, no- nothing really”

Ryu tried to avoid her gaze, he didn’t know why he was behaving like a child but he couldn’t keep himself from stuttering in front of Anne.

“Uhhh, listen guys I don’t care what happened in here, just be ready, Heimar wants to speak to us all”

Anne’s words brought them back to reality, they weren’t on vacation but on a quest and it was their duty as adventurers to help as much as they could.

They were all summoned in the hall, where Ryu and Sera had drinks last night. Once everyone was present, Heimar came along with his daughter, a beautiful brunette dressed in what looked like a traditional dress with a flower pattern, giving her a refined and lovely look.

“Good morning dear adventurers, I would like to start by thanking you all for coming in to lend a hand when needed, it’s hard to find dutiful adventurers such as yourselves. This is my daughter Hana and she’ll be the one to explain matters to you as I’m not feeling well”

Heimar said in a standing position, but then he sat on a chair that the hostess placed for him. Hana, his daughter, took a step forward and bowed in front of the party. She was so young it seemed impossible for her to be that old man’s daughter, but she did resemble him even if just a tiny bit.

“As my father told you, I’ll be explaining everyhing to you, if you have any questions I’ll gladly answer after I tell you what’s afflicting us”

Hana looked at each and every party member to confirm if they understood, she was young but very imposing. Although she wasn’t a noble, she was more than accustomed to them and part of her behavior was because of that.

“We at the Quarrydew take great pride in our hot springs, they have excellent medicinal properties and they soothe all the stress away from people. Be it magical or not, they’re highly sought after by nobility and the wealthy which made us the most profitable business in town for decades. You see, this town used to be a simple quarry, hence the name, but once the wall was built many people were left without a job.

When my ancestors found this place, they founded this inn and they worked hard to become a successful business. All the buildings, all the services we provide, would be completely useless if we didn’t have the hot springs to draw in our customers. And, as you may have guessed it, we lost them.

We are unsure about what happened, but now the water that comes off is boiling hot and people can’t even dip on them without being harmed. Not even my father who possesses an exceptional hot resistant skill can get into the water. This has brought our business down, but that’s not everything!”

After losing control of her emotions for a second, Hana made apause to compose herself and then continued.

“My father is old and very ill, if he doesn’t dip into the hot springs everyday he won’t be able to get better. Every passing day his health is compromised, but he refuses to rest in bed until we find someone who could help us fix this problem.

Your mission will be to investigate the matter, try to find out what’s causing the sudden change in temperature and fix it if possible. The reward we offer... it will depend on your performance.

But I’ll make this promise, if you do fix our hot springs you won’t regret it. We are wealthy enough and well connected too, you can’t even dream of the rewards that await you should you succed.

Any questions?”

Hana looked perplexed at the many hands raised in front of her.