Chapter 617: A God-touched’s Worth

"Flowers are the embodiment of nature and beauty!" she declared, her voice filling the space. "Every living thing should worship them by now!"

"You see...? This is why he doesn’t have any girlfriend."

Sapphire’s words slipped out quiet and clear; he had turned his head away as he spoke, his eyes fixed on some distant point near the wall, but his voice went just far enough to reach every ear at the table.

"What?!" Erica’s head whipped around so fast that her short green hair fanned out and then settled again.

She planted both hands on her hips, squaring up to face him.

"I’ll have you know I am always proposed to, by both male and female adventurers every single day!" The words came out fast, almost overlapping the end of Sapphire’s sentence, tumbling over each other in their rush to be heard. "And I have even paid an agent to help me reject them!"

Aria’s hand came down on the table with a sharp, bright clap.

"Ah," she said, her eyes widening with the particular delight of someone who had just pieced together a puzzle, "so that is who the creepy guy following you around is?"

The silence that followed was brief and eerie.

"C... Creepy?" Erica’s voice had gone small.

The pink in her cheeks drained away, replaced by something that made her look genuinely uncertain for the first time all evening.

"Aria. What are you talking about." Her eyes narrowed slowly as she turned her head toward the dwarf, her brows drawing together.

By Aria’s following snicker, I realized she might just be teasing Erica.

The sound was low and knowing, a private little laugh that curled up at the corners of her mouth.

She didn’t answer the question, because the joke had already landed, and she was content.

[Erica DID have a lot of professional stalkers that try to clear their traces. I and Heka also did], I thought, watching the exchange continue, [but I doubt Aria knows about that].

"Benjamin, have you started receiving marriage proposals as well?"

Sophia’s voice came out a little too high and quick. The blush that rose across her cheeks was slow but visible, spreading from her collarbone up to her hairline.

She leaned forward just enough to make the question feel closer, her fingers curling around the edge of the table.

"Hm?" I blinked, pulling my attention away from Erica’s shocked expression.

"I get lewd looks every day," I explained, keeping my voice even, "and some have tried approaching but losing heart. But I haven’t received anything official."

I shrugged one shoulder, letting the motion finish the sentence for me.

"Ah, yes." Maria’s voice cut in, calm and certain, like she was explaining something obvious to a child. "They would want to play around with you. But no one would want to marry a person that is so consumed by a lewd curse, they’ll do it with monsters."

"Say what?!" I shook my fist at her, the motion sharp and exaggerated, but Maria just chuckled.

The sound was low and satisfied, rolling up from somewhere in her chest, and she made no effort to hide it. She didn’t even bother to look away.

I shot Erica a look, but she quickly turned away.

If she hadn’t told the entire guild that I have a curse which forces me to remain extremely horny...

The memory sat heavy for a moment, pressing down on my chest, but then I let it pass.

Heka was still in emotional shock. Her face had taken on a permanent flush that refused to fade no matter how many times she blinked or swallowed.

She was chewing her food a hundred times before swallowing, each bite taken with the same careful, almost mechanical focus.

Yuki was acting all high-class lady-like, not really speaking much, and also spending eons on one steak.

She had cut it into smaller and smaller pieces with slow, precise movements of her knife — each slice measured, deliberate.

It looked like she was thinking about something else entirely. She never once looked up for long. Her gaze stayed low, fixed on the meat as it grew smaller and smaller beneath her blade.

Katana had... almost finished her meal actually.

I see it’s me she has a grudge against, not the food.

Her plate was nearly clear. Just a few scattered remnants remained, pushed to one side.

She had eaten quickly and quietly, her movements efficient, her attention fixed entirely on the task in front of her.

But also, she hadn’t looked at me once since she’d sat down.

***

It had gotten pretty late.

Possibly due to Heka being involved in the kitchen and making dinner later than usual.

The air in the hall had cooled a little, with the faintest hint of something crisp and distant.

So I guess it’s the bedroom from here.

Ah... I still wanted to associate with them more.

The warmth of the table, the sound of their voices, the way the whole room had felt full and alive... I wasn’t ready to let that go yet.

But I still have a year or so to spend here...

Just kidding. Renard will body me if I keep breaking diplomatic laws.

However, the truth is, if I were not under the protection of the Interracial Alliance, I would have met several antagonists and adversaries by now.

So Renard and the other leaders were doing me a real solid.

God-touched are practically nuclear warheads in Elyndor.

And everyone wants a warhead, even if secretly.

That said, "the rat" really shouldn’t know a god-touched is in Thaad; they might set their sights on me and bother my vacation.

On second thoughts, let them know.

Maybe it’s arrogant, but I don’t think anyone can just walk up to me and defeat me in a fight.

Perhaps as I am suppressing my true self, they could score a win in round one. But the only people I can think of who could face me in my complete form and probably win are few:

Renard, Sakura, Ren, Violette, Rahab, Elara, Mótsognir, practically everyone in the Interracial Alliance; the crafty Lotus; believe it or not Princess, Lily; Marina; believe it or not, Deva; King Leorin’s wives, if they joined forces; Kuzunoha; Seraphina; Izra; Titania; Tesa and Tera; Vaelora; if my six titan children are dead set on it, probably yes; with the way Sara has been morphing into some overpowered beast, she is no longer beneath me in strength.

Okay, these aren’t just a few people...

And there are probably many others I haven’t met in this world, including the demons.

So yes, the Interracial Alliance was a great shield for me... for now.

Ah.

Katana seems to be getting ready to leave.

Her chair shifted slightly, scraping against the floor with a soft sound that drew my attention.

She was gathering herself now: her hands moving to straighten her napkin, her posture shifting, her shoulders squaring as if preparing for something.

She had the same quiet focus she’d given her empty plate, the same deliberate care in every movement.

And she still hadn’t looked at me even once.