༺ Hassan – Sodomora’s Rising Star (4) ༻
“Buuuurp…”
Daphne blushed, her face turning beet red, as she let out a soft burp. This seemed to be something new to her as she bombarded me with questions right after.
“W-what was that? What was that just now?”
Daphne seemed to be wondering how her indigestion condition suddenly improved. Hiding my surprise, I tried to calmly answer her queries to the best of my abilities.
“There is a distinct place where energy passes through a person’s body. If you stimulate that area, the congested energy circulation will improve, and your body will feel energized due to the improved circulation.”
“Energy? Is it like Mana?”
Was energy something similar to Mana? I honestly had no idea about that. In the first place, I was never able to sense the energy that was coursing through my body, the same was the case for the Mana the people of this world can sense and manipulate.
Both of them had similarities that were beyond my understanding. However, from what I can understand, their attributes seem to be similar, so maybe we can say that they’re the same thing? Even though I believe that this concept is too absurd, in alternative medicine, half of the truth can be covered as long as the bullshit you spouted was convincing enough.
“You can think of it as something similar. Who knows, it could be the same thing too.”
Still, just in case, I answered as vaguely as possible to leave some leeway if I ever were to need it in the future.
“Treating Mana falls under medical practice. You didn’t do any illegal medical practice out there now, did you?”
Hearing Daphne’s question, I could already see the vision of innumerable pebbles flying toward me. Fucking hell, I absolutely don’t want to become persecuted at a Stone Festival like that.
“Well, i-it’s just a massage, nothing more. It’s okay to give a massage, right?”
“Hmm, that’s true. Anyways, it was a very interesting massage session. I almost slapped you there because, at some point, it suddenly started feeling really weird. I’m glad I believed in you and held it in.”
“Well, please be more trusting of me in the future.”
“Wow, but it’s really amazing. I feel so refreshed. What is that even? It really hit the spot. Can I also massage myself as you did just now? I often feel uncomfortable in my stomach, so it would be perfect to know such a massaging method.”
As the sun had already settled behind the horizon, the guild had become empty and quiet, devoid of the bustle of the adventurers. Due to that, my talk with Daphne lasted for quite a while.
Since I still had to wait for Luna, who was supposed to meet me here anyway, and I had nothing left to do, I agreed to Daphne’s request of teaching her that massaging method. Besides, it was a good occasion to dig up all the facts and stories of this world that I was unaware of, at least the ones that will be beneficial for me.
“Should I press here?”
Daphne pointed at the part where I had previously pressed with my thumb. She vigorously pressed on the thick flesh of her left hand with her right hand.
“It does hurt!”
Actually, the Hegu acupoint is a spot that anyone can easily stimulate with their opposite hand, so even someone who has zero knowledge about massaging can also use this technique. I kept reminiscing about the anatomy of the human body alongside the antique drawings that I saw hanging in my father’s study.
Damn I wasn’t interested in that shit previously, so I couldn’t remember them well because I saw them such a long time ago. If I knew something like this was going to happen, I would’ve done my best to memorize those things.
“Yes, if you feel a slight bulge or moderate discomfort in the pit of your stomach or have mild indigestion, just press on that part. If pressing on that spot doesn’t work or if the indigestion is particularly severe, you’ll need to apply pressure in another place.
“Another place? Is there really another place? Where is it?”
“It’s on your feet.”
“F-Feet?”
Daphne stared at me again, suspicion brimming in her eyes, as she felt flustered and anxious about the mention of “feet.” The people of this world were very conservative and sensitive about their feet. In fact, the level of their awareness and the subsequent importance and protection they related to it was comparable to their nether regions.
But, of course, the opposition here, when asked to show them their feet, was significantly lower than in that area.
“A-are you going to touch my feet now?”
“No, I didn’t say that. I just laid out the fact that there’s a spot in the feet. And pressing there does work really well.”
“It works well…?”
Daphne gazed at me while biting her lower lip. Soon, after glancing around at the lobby of the quiet guild and her receptionist colleagues who were chatting at the back, she rose from her seat.
“Then, Mr. Hassan, let’s go this way.”
Grabbing my arm, she started leading me somewhere else.
“Well, where are you trying to drag me now?”
“Shh, be quiet. You have to keep it a secret.”
I was taken aback by the abruptness of her actions. Yet, I followed her calmly because I didn’t think she was trying to kidnap me or take me to a place to get me beat up by bad guys.
Soon enough, Daphne led me to a room that looked like a typical warehouse where all kinds of scrolls were covered in dust and piled up everywhere. Was this like an archive room? It didn’t look to be a significant place anyway.
“Mr. Hassan, can you promise to keep this a secret?”
“What? What for?”
“B-Because you’re going to touch my foot now. If that fact spreads around, I can’t get married anymore. Or will you take responsibility for me then?”
Why are you telling me to take responsibility all of a sudden? This green-haired woman was being ridiculous right now. She often had the habit of misunderstanding and then going full throttle after that, it was a little hard to deal with.
Yet, she was still amiable and pretty enough that stalkers would follow her.
Hearing such a woman ask if I would take responsibility for her in such a cramped space unconsciously made my little brother very excited. Damn you bastard! Why are you rising up so frequently these days, huh?
“Of course, it’s a joke. I’m not like the innocent Kore. I don’t want to seduce a man by using that move. Anyway, I’m just asking you to keep this a secret.”
I couldn’t help but feel immensely excited at the thought of being able to share a secret with a woman. Moreover, the guilt of perhaps doing something questionable made me feel even more thrilled.
“Uh, okay, I promise to keep this a secret.”
“Then, swear by the River Styx that you will keep what will happen from here on a secret.”
Ugh, I didn’t really like this part. Did she want me to experience that hellish stomach ache again? I’d really like to decline that part.
“Well, that’s a little….”
“You don’t want to do that? Then I’ll scream right now. Do you know what would happen if I were to scream in this situation?”
In the next moment, Daphne quickly tore off some of the buttons neatly fastened to her work clothes.
“If you get caught like this, you won’t be able to get out.”
“D-damn it… Just a second, please.”
“Then, you just need to promise me. Now, say you swear by the River Styx.”
“Okay, I see. I swear.”
“Good.”
That’s when Daphne finally smiled contentedly. I was nervous, thinking that the cursed state would show up again in my status. Fortunately, no words appeared in front of my eyes.
Swearing by the River Styx doesn’t seem to automatically give you that status. Was there a specific condition for that?
“Well, then…”
Ssk— Ssk —
Daphne sat on a pile of papers and began taking off the sandals that covered her feet.
Soon, her tiny white ankles were revealed before my eyes. It was a typical Greek foot in which the second toe was longer than the big toe. Is her feet size 230? I wasn’t sure but that should be rather close.
“I-I’m feeling very embarrassed, so hurry up and press that spot already. I can’t leave my seat for too long.”
After that, Daphne reached out her foot to me.
Since it was a skirt-type work uniform, her smooth white legs, and skinny ankles were clearly revealed for my eyes to witness. Moreover, as she had been wearing footwear for a long time, her feet were slightly sweaty.
I sat in front of Daphne, balancing my body on one knee, and gently grabbed her feet.
Compared to her rough palms, the soles of her feet were soft and tender, somewhat like a baby’s skin. I often wondered just how the people of this world tended to take care of their feet, which were hidden inside footwear, more thoroughly than their hands which would often be visible to the eyes.
Sniff— Sniff—
It smelled like sweat. She did have an excessive sweating condition, after all. Of course, it was not at a terrible level, but it was just a natural thing as a human, so it’s not worth paying attention to. So, I kept going.
“Then I’ll press down on your Sham acupoint now.”
After wrapping Daphne’s right foot with my hands, I proceeded to press my thumb on the top portion of her foot, about 2 cm deep between her big toe and second toe.
The exact place of this acupoint was where the second toe and the big toe started to divide.
This is called the Sham acupoint. It is a vital point in the meridian massage technique and a good spot for eliminating all kinds of diseases.
It always felt strange whenever I exaggerated an acupoint as a vital acupuncture point.
Damn, but it was true that most acupuncture points were indeed considered to be important. There were virtually no unimportant acupuncture points. That’s why you can’t trust alternative medicine.
Squeeeeeze—
“It’s gonna hurt a little here. So, bear with me for a bit.”
Just pressing the Sham acupoint was already painful for most ordinary people. However, bloating due to indigestion or unclear body circulation would increase the resulting pain of pressing on the acupoint by a lot.
“Ah… Argh, it hurts….”
Squeeeeeze— Squeeeeeze—
With my thumb, I kept stimulating the soft soles of her feet and the top part of the Sham acupoint. I think I can stimulate it for another 10 seconds before it becomes too painful for her to endure.
“I-it hurts, but I have to say that it feels so refreshing. I feel good. W-what is this? It’s the first time I am feeling something like this. Oh… uh… oh…”
A woman moaning in either pain or pleasure was quite the spectacle to me. Although I understood that this was nothing but a massage, blood had already rushed to my schlong, making it throb in eager anticipation.
In the first place, feet were somehow a kind of erogenous zone for the people of this world. Being allowed to touch that part was already a crazy thing.
“Oh… Ha… Oh… Oh…”
“Should I stop pressing it now?”
“N-no… please press a little more. I-I feel a strange sensation… But it’s in a good way. It feels so good. Mr. Hassan, p-please press it a little bit harder. Has…”
Pressing her feet in a small room like this and listening to her moan somehow excited me to no end, and my hands eventually started to sweat from the tension and the atmosphere.
Of course, there was some sweat coming from Daphne’s feet as well. Nonetheless, my hands and Daphne’s feet were both now wet from each other’s constant sweat.
“Oh… M-Mr. Hassan, p-please press it a little bit harder. Uh, oh, oh, I feel something tingling!”
She wanted me to press harder? Damn! To be honest, I was already simulating the acupoint rather strongly.
Pressing with further strength would be harmful to her feet. Using more strength didn’t always give better results, after all.
“H-hurry, hurry up, a, a little more… Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yes!”
However, I was quite unsure of the consequences of defying Daphne’s wishes, so I resolved myself and kept pressing as hard as possible, just as I was asked by her. Using my index fingers, I vigorously pushed her acupoint as though pushing a stamp on a piece of paper.
“Oh, there’s something big, something big, something… big… Oh, Ah, Ah, Ah! Oh!”
Then, with her toes stretched out toward me, Daphne’s body curled up hard, her body arching like a bowstring. Due to the sudden movements of her body, she slipped from her seat atop the pile of papers and fell on the floor. Her body started flinching violently as soon as she fell on the floor.
“Uwaaaa!”
Flinch— Flinch—!
Her curvy waist kept bouncing up and down, her whole body twitching with no signs of stopping. It really looked like she was having a seizure. At the same time, a stream of letters appeared in front of my eyes.
Ding—!
『Daphne’s Excessive Sweating has been healed.』 『Task Points + 10』 『Current Task Points: +57
Oh, the task points I’ve accumulated have exceeded the halfway mark of 100. So, it was not only for pressing the red spots. It also worked when I pressed on other places too.
When I was thinking about how it was also a beneficial experience for me…
“M-Mr. Hassan, I-I… ugh….”
Still feeling the effects of massage, Daphne laid on the pile of papers and then gazed at me.
Her green eyes were moist and somehow full of satisfaction.
As she gasped for air, sweat dripped down from her nape, and her slightly unbuttoned front revealed her prominent collarbone and bountiful cleavage.
She opened her red lips and said in a breathy voice.
“I, oh… Mr. Hassan, i-it was a great experience.”
“Oh, yes, I’m glad that you’re satisfied.”
“N-next time-”
Just when Daphne was trying to say some more words…
Knock— Knock—
Startle—
Daphne and I were utterly startled to hear someone knocking on this storage room full of scrolls.
Hey, Daphne? Are you inside? It’s not time to get off work yet. How could you leave the counter? The visitor you are in charge of has come. The girl with pink twintails hair, the one who looks like Kore. 1Koreis the Greek word for Young Maiden or Young girl, it, however, could also refer to Persephone, Queen of the underworld. It was the name she used to have as a human, before getting kidnapped by Pluton/Hades. In this context, it just means naive.
“Oh, yes, yes! I’m here! I was searching for something! I’ll clean up a bit and return in a jiffy! I have found everything I want now!”
Then, come out soon.
After shouting to the staff member outside, Daphne hurriedly tidied up her messy appearance and softly warned me, “Mr. Hassan, please come out a while after me. I don’t want to get into any misunderstandings and I assume neither do you.”
Speaking till there, she hurriedly left me behind.
Thanks to that, now I ended up alone in this archive room.
When I thought about the things I did just now, I couldn’t help but put my palms in front of my face and take a few whiffs of my hand.
Sniff— Sniff—
Surprisingly, my palm didn’t smell at all. Then, I checked the situation outside after waiting inside the room for a while.
After roughly noticing that no one was walking through the hallway, I secretly opened the door and pushed myself out of the storage room.
“What are you doing here, Hassan?”
At that moment, somehow, I felt a cold shiver run through my body when my eyes met a pair of emerald-colored ones waiting for my arrival in the hallway.
“Lu-Luna, how did you get here?”
“We promised to have dinner together, didn’t we? Why are you sweating so much? What were you doing?”
Then, Luna suddenly sniffed my body. I shivered at that move, so I pushed her cheek away from my body.
“Hey, why are you suddenly smelling me like that?!”
“Hngg… That’s okay. I like your smell. But, you smell a bit different from usual. Where did I smell this before? This smell is rather familiar. I think I smelled it recently too….”
Sniff— Sniff—
Luna continued to sniff the smell around my face. This girl’s nose was more sensitive than I previously thought. I didn’t even know that my body was emanating Daphne’s scent.
More than that, why was I feeling so scared about her smelling me like this? I’m not sure why, but I was suddenly feeling like a sinner who got caught doing something terrible.
“I-it must be the smell of scroll papers. There was a lot of mold on the papers inside that room.”
“Scroll paper…”
Luna’s bleary eyes suddenly opened wide after murmuring a bit about the scroll paper, and then she furrowed her brows in thought.
“Why, what happened? Why are you looking at me like that?“
“Scroll paper!”
After saying that, Luna brought out a scroll paper with a seal made out of red wax and placed it on my hand.
“W-what is this?”
“It’s scroll paper.”
I know, but what kind of scroll paper is this?
We’re back to a stable release rate, lets fucking gooooooo.
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Footnotes:
1Koreis the Greek word for Young Maiden or Young girl, it, however, could also refer to Persephone, Queen of the underworld. It was the name she used to have as a human, before getting kidnapped by Pluton/Hades. In this context, it just means naive.
