GILF Hunter

Chapter 456: 456 New Memeber

Everyone sat gathered inside the Ian Mercenary Group’s tent.

Ian and his members. And... one new member who had just been added.

The members inside the tent were all kneeling before Frenda like people who had committed a crime.

...Strictly speaking, showing such a scene to a high priest might actually be considered a crime. Even if it was an accidental mishap, considering the place and situation, one couldn’t conscientiously hold their head up high.

Similarly, Frenda had a somewhat troubled expression.

In a sense, she even seemed slightly angry.

’That... between a man and a woman, such things can happen, but.... To satisfy your desires in this situation, with exhausted members...?’

’It’s a misunderstanding.’

Frenda looked truly aghast.

’My master said one shouldn’t judge a person by their face alone, and it was true. To think you were that kind of person.’

’This wasn’t forced by me, there are deep circumstances involved....’

’That story again.’

Frenda, who had heard a brief explanation of the circumstances, naturally didn’t believe the story at all.

That... doing something so scandalous could purify the erosion and recover mental power.

Frenda recalled the scene she witnessed when she looked into the tent.

To lick that with the mouth, ha... lick it. How could one even think of that?

Frenda’s face flushed bright red. For Frenda, who spent most of her time studying in the monastery, it was an incredibly unwholesome act she had never even imagined.

Well, even the members didn’t believe it immediately when they first heard it. Asking someone else to believe it might be an excessive demand.

Seeing Ian’s expression, Frenda sighed.

Of all things, to come up with such an excuse in the short time she stepped back to give them privacy to fix their clothes.

It was a typical claim of pseudo-priests caught in a rural village. Such an excuse seemed worse than saying nothing at all.

Frenda tried to look like she understood everything... but eventually, with a face that didn’t fully comprehend, she spoke to Ian.

’Even so, you should choose the time and place. In a place like this, and even to mercenaries who aren’t in good condition? Look, even Miss Airi is like this....’

As Frenda pointed, Airi awkwardly avoided Frenda’s eyes.

Airi’s condition was perfectly fine.

Perhaps thanks to her profession as a priest, Frenda had a sensitive sense for checking the health status of others, and her gaze accurately captured Airi’s state.

’This fine... no, how on earth?!’

Frenda reflexively stood up and grabbed both of Airi’s cheeks, pulling her close. Airi was dragged in front of Frenda, letting out a flustered groan, ’Ueeee.’

Airi’s condition, checked closely once more, looked truly fine. She was just excessively nervous in front of a high-ranking person like a high priest.

’And the others...?’

Frenda’s gaze hurriedly swept around, checking the condition of the other members one by one.

The other mercenaries were all the same as Airi. Even if not as much as Airi, the state of the other members, who should have had a certain amount of mental power depleted, was as fine as if they had never held a torch.

As a priest, Frenda had been closely monitoring the members’ status all along, so she could clearly feel the difference.

Even the knights couldn’t hide their signs of struggle.

The ’mental exhaustion’ here was not something that could be discussed simply as enduring with willpower. It wasn’t something that could be withstood just because a person had strong will.

In that sense, the appearance of these mercenaries looking so fine was, in Frenda’s mind, absolutely impossible.

Unless one single conclusion was true: Ian’s words were real.

’For real...?’

’Yes. Though it’s a difficult thing to talk about anywhere.’

Everything she had found suspicious until now seemed to click into place.

From Ian’s deliberate assignment of difficult roles to his own members, to the reason for not revealing that important means that would play a decisive role in this expedition.

...Of course he couldn’t have said it. It wouldn’t have been accepted kindly by the knights.

So, was it shared only among the mercenaries who already knew, silently bearing the burden on behalf of the knights?

Although it was a relationship that hadn’t been established for very long, she prided herself on having a fairly accurate eye for people. Every part that felt out of character for him was now understood.

After agonizing for a long time, Frenda finally nodded.

’...Fine. I understand. It really must have been unavoidable.’

’Phew.... I’m glad you understand. Then, please keep this a secret from the other knights....’

’If that’s true, I’ll have to receive it directly myself as well.’

’Pardon?’

Ian couldn’t finish his sentence and asked Frenda back.

With a serious expression, Frenda made an absurd demand of Ian.

’Use it on me too. I need to confirm for myself how effective it is.’

’Pardon?’

Ian stepped back slightly from Frenda.

’No, I couldn’t possibly....’

’I cannot acknowledge it until I experience it myself. If it’s a legitimate method, then do it to me too!’

’It’s not a ’legitimate’ method, and I have no intention of getting it officially recognized....’

He had no desire to receive official recognition from a high priest.

Rather, he was currently in a situation where he had been caught by a person of a rank he absolutely shouldn’t have been caught by. If there were a save-load function, this was a situation that required loading.

’How could I do such a thing to a priest...’

’Does that mean you would have done it if I weren’t a priest?’

’How can you interpret it that way.’

Interpreting a sentence in one’s own favor was a fundamental skill for a priest.

Even if Ian refused, Frenda sat before him without wavering, as if she had no intention of backing down.

’Why do you even need to check personally? It’s not exploitation, so you don’t need to worry....’

’No. That’s not it.’

Frenda had withdrawn her suspicion, but for that very reason, she was in a position where she couldn’t accept it.

’I understand that this was a difficult thing to tell others. No matter how helpful an ability it is, you couldn’t reveal it to the expedition. But... even so, I cannot let only you all bear all the burden.’

Because it was something somewhat difficult to tell others... very difficult, wasn’t it a situation where Ian and his members were bearing a one-sided loss and burden?

She didn’t know until now, but having learned of these circumstances, she couldn’t just let it pass.

’If Leader Ian’s words are true, then as the one responsible for planning this expedition, I should naturally assist in that task.’

’...So, is it just because of a sense of responsibility?’

’If I am able to use holy magic more actively, the expedition will become much safer. If I can do that, I can handle that much.’

Fortunately, there had been no major injuries so far, but how long could that be maintained?

As they went deeper into the Labyrinth, this place would become more dangerous, and Frenda couldn’t guarantee how many knights would be able to return safely.

If there was a way to reduce that risk, she was prepared to do anything.

Ian still shook his head.

The number of knights was sufficient, and just the current activity level of the members was enough to reach the end of this dungeon without issue.

The intent was truly admirable, but even so, touching a high priest was out of the question.

Assaulting a priest was something that, if caught, would immediately turn friendliness with the temple faction into a hostile relationship. Furthermore, as he had never done this with a high priest, Ian didn’t even have data on what would happen.

For now, he could only predict that it was something that would lead to being caught by knights and hung from a temple pillar.

’If you won’t do it... fine.’

Seeing that Ian had no intention of doing so, Frenda spoke as if it couldn’t be helped.

Ian, thinking Frenda had finally given up, was about to let out a sigh of relief, but Frenda did it first.

Suddenly, light burst forth. It was the light of recovery magic.

The pure white light of holy magic that bloomed inside the tent swept over Ian and the members. Their depleted stamina was recovered in an instant, and their bodies returned to peak condition.

So this was the extent of recovery magic unleashed at full power by a high priest. Everyone was reflexively impressed before they could even be flustered.

Since she had used such recovery magic on so many people in an instant, naturally, a great backlash immediately surged over Frenda.

’Wait, what have you done....’

’Ugh... phew.’

Frenda’s mental power was consumed as a backlash of the holy magic. She could feel her mental strength gradually being drained.

I see... so this is how it felt.

Frenda, feeling it directly, nodded.

She hadn’t quite understood what the expression ’mental power is consumed’ that Ian mentioned meant. Now she knew.

It wasn’t something like mental fatigue or a burden... it was literally ’consumption’. It wasn’t a phenomenon that could be resisted or endured.

Frenda could understand the reason why the knights had struggled.

It didn’t seem like something that could be hidden with mere effort to endure fatigue or willpower to not show signs of struggle.

In other words, the appearance of these members looking fine was proof that the ability Ian spoke of was real.

’Now, I’ve used up a great deal of mental power too. At this rate, I won’t be able to fight properly when we reach the final room. If you don’t recover me, the expedition ends here.’

Frenda spoke to Ian with a face that said she had already done it.

’...And, don’t misunderstand. This is strictly for the sake of our knights.’