She placed the porcelain bottle on the table and pushed it toward Lynn.
“This is a specialty of our Mist-Hidden Village, an ancestral secret recipe.”
The Proprietress lowered her voice, speaking in a tone that suggested she understood exactly what a man needed.
“Drink this, and you’ll be full of energy all night long.”
Lynn looked down.
It was a dark brown porcelain bottle without any label. The mouth was sealed with a cork.
[System Notification: Item ‘Kidney-Strengthening Potion (Inferior)’ detected]
[Item Description: Made from various potent herbs and the glands of unidentified creatures, this potion can briefly stimulate the user’s physical potential. Side effects include soreness in the waist and knees, as well as mental exhaustion for three days. Warning: The ingredients are complex and may cause unpredictable chemical reactions with other substances.]
A chill ran down Lynn’s spine.
‘This thing will kill me if I drink it!’
‘I’m not being metaphorical; I’ll really die!’
His body was currently weak, and he was only holding on by a thread.
If he drank this mystery concoction and then spent the night being tormented by these three women, this inn would be hosting a funeral by tomorrow morning.
“Proprietress, you…”
Lynn tried to refuse.
“No need to thank me.”
The Proprietress interrupted him immediately.
She patted Lynn on the shoulder with considerable force.
“I know how it is with men; I understand. You young people like to play hard, but your health is your capital. You can’t go emptying yourself out at such a young age.”
She didn’t speak loudly, yet everyone in the room heard her clearly.
The air froze once again.
Vivian’s face darkened.
As a Knight, she had an instinctive repulsion for such crude, worldly banter.
Alicia’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
She looked at the small porcelain bottle as if she were staring at something filthy.
Ignis curiously picked up the small bottle, shook it, and asked, “Master, does this taste good?”
The most terrifying one, however, was Lilith.
Her smile vanished.
She released her hold on Lynn, slowly stood up, walked to the low table, and picked up the potion.
“Proprietress.”
Lilith’s voice was as soft as a feather.
“Are you saying this medicine is for my Brother?”
“That’s right.”
The Proprietress had yet to sense the danger, still smiling cheerfully.
“I saw this young man surrounded by you girls and was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
The official commentary was the most lethal.
Lynn wished he could find a hole to crawl into and hide.
Lilith twirled the small porcelain bottle, turning to look at Lynn with her eyes curved like crescent moons.
“Brother, do you need this?”
Lynn shook his head like a bobblehead.
“No… I don’t need it! My body is perfectly fine!” he said with absolute certainty.
“Oh?”
Lilith tilted her head, her gaze shifting toward Vivian and Alicia.
“Sister Vivian, Sister Alicia, what do you think?”
Vivian snorted coldly.
“Nonsense.”
Alicia stated calmly, “God will grant him strength. He has no need for such external aids.”
“See, Proprietress?”
Lilith spun the bottle around her fingertip.
“My Brother doesn’t need this.”
The Proprietress finally realized the atmosphere was off.
The smile on her face stiffened, and she let out a couple of dry laughs.
“Is… is that so? Then I must have been mistaken. Hehe, please, enjoy yourselves.”
With that, she turned to slip away.
“Wait a moment.”
Lilith called out to her.
The Proprietress’s body stiffened.
Lilith walked up to her and shoved the small porcelain bottle back into her hand.
“We appreciate the sentiment. However, there are no ‘weak’ men in our party.”
Lilith spoke each word slowly.
She leaned close to the Proprietress, her breath like lilies.
“So, don’t bring things like this around again. Otherwise, I might think you are questioning my Brother’s capability… or perhaps, questioning our ability to ‘take care’ of him. Do you understand?”
The last sentence was whispered so low that only the two of them could hear it.
For the first time, the Proprietress’s expression changed.
Her worldly and lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a look of gravity.
She took a deep look at Lilith, then at Lynn, and finally nodded.
“I understand.”
Without another word, she pulled the door open and walked out quickly.
Once again, only Lynn and the four women remained in the room.
Though the lethal potion had been taken away, the impact it left behind remained.
The previous question was back on the table.
Who would “take care” of him tonight?
Furthermore, after the Proprietress’s interference, the nature of the question had become even more volatile.
Now, it wasn’t just a matter of claiming ownership.
It had become a matter of their “capability” and “dignity.”
None of them could afford to lose.
Lynn looked at the gazes they were casting back toward him and felt his head spin.
This hot spring inn truly was a Strange Tale.
And the most terrifying Strange Tale of all was himself.
—
A sleepless night.
Or rather, Lynn never had the chance to sleep.
The struggle for “care-taking rights” from the previous night had ended in a bizarre fashion.
He was placed in the center of the room, surrounded by Vivian, Alicia, and Lilith in a triangular formation.
Ignis curled up at his feet like a cat.
The slightest toss or turn would draw three deathly stares.
He had spent the entire night playing dead.
The next morning, as the sky began to brighten, Vivian was the first to stand.
She stretched her stiff joints, the slight friction of her metal armor sounding exceptionally piercing in the silent room.
“Lynn, get up.”
Her voice lacked even a hint of warmth.
“We must find that item today.”
Lynn opened his bloodshot eyes and sat up.
His waist was sore, his back ached, and his spirit was withered.
He felt even weaker than he had before coming to the hot spring.
The ‘Holy Artifact’…
This lie he had concocted on a whim just to escape the Academy had now become another blade hanging over his head.
“I can sense its energy fluctuations. It’s somewhere near this Mist-Hidden Village.”
Lynn braced himself and repeated the excuse he had already given countless times.
Vivian didn’t say a word, merely staring at him with those sharp eyes.
She didn’t believe him.
Lynn could read those four words from her posture alone.
A Knight’s patience was limited, especially after searching for three days without a single lead.
Alicia also woke up.
She elegantly straightened her white robes, her movements meticulous.
“The aura of a divine object is indeed difficult to capture.”
She spoke, her voice as calm as ever.
“But a miracle will eventually manifest before the devout.”
It sounded like she was helping Lynn out, but he heard the underlying meaning.
‘If you can’t find it, it means you aren’t devout enough and are a liar.’
Only Lilith yawned, stretched, and walked over to Lynn’s side, intimately taking his arm.
“I believe everything you say, Brother,” she said with a giggle.
“Even if we can’t find it, I’m happy just being out here playing with you.”