Ryan watched as the elven girl he had just met continued massaging his foot, completely unable to stop herself.
He gripped the root of the tree where he was sitting tightly.
The elf's fingers moved firmly over Ryan's foot, traveling from his heel to his toes and back again.
She brought her face so close that her lips rested on the top of Ryan's foot.
Helen and Mirian covered their faces with their hands, though their fingers were parted just enough to see everything that was happening.
"Looking at it like this... It's very erotic," Helen commented, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
"No. How embarrassing," Mirian replied, her cheeks flushed. "Did I look like that in the dungeon?"
"Stop staring... don't look at me..." The girl began to complain in a low voice, unable to stop her hands. And her lips. And after a few seconds, she was finally able to move freely.
[Debt collection applied]
[Debt Bonus: +50 points]
[Debt Bonus: +45,000 EXP]
"Kyaaaa!" the young woman screamed and leaped backward. "What on earth did you do to me, you filthy, perverted human?!"
Ryan frowned, glaring at her with an irritated expression.
'Here we go again... I'm sick of being called that.'
The girl attempted to slap Ryan, but he caught her hand.
"Enough!" Helen intervened. "Even acknowledging how absurd this situation is, I won't allow you to lay a finger on Ryan."
Helen placed her hand on the hilt of her sword, and Mirian was already aiming an arrow at the elf with her bow.
"Eek..." The young elf let out a panicked whimper upon noticing the heroines' menacing aura.
"Calm down, calm down," Ryan said, raising his hands to defuse the tension. "It's natural for her to react like this. And as for you, elven girl, that happened because of a curse. Because I healed you, you are compelled to fulfill an order, and since I didn't give you one, your body reacted on its own."
Helen and Mirian lowered their weapons.
"Are you serious?" the young elf murmured, her anger giving way to shame. "No... I'm sorry. Even though you helped me, I tried to attack you. Please forgive me."
She cast her gaze down in remorse.
'Did she really buy that and calm down so fast? How gullible.'
"It's fine. Don't worry about it, it's no big deal," Ryan replied, slipping his boot back on.
'What surprises me is that Helen and Mirian defended me, especially after those punishments...'
The young elf stood up.
"Pardon my manners. I forgot to introduce myself; my name is Irina," she said, smoothing down her attire. "Let us head to the village, then. I will thank you properly."
After introducing themselves to Irina, they headed straight toward the village.
In reality, the village was not within the forest itself; the entrance was through a hollow in a tree. Passing through it felt like stepping into another dimension.
Ryan couldn't help but compare its mechanism to that of the dungeons. The so-called Elven Village appeared remarkably spacious. Upon entering, two guards stationed at the entrance pointed their weapons at them with suspicion.
However, Irina explained that they had actually saved her life, and after a few questions, they let them pass without issue.
"Stop harassing our guests," an elderly elf with a very long beard intervened. He wore glasses and held a staff, though he didn't appear to need it to walk.
"Grandfather!" Irina shouted, her face lighting up.
"Hello, my dear granddaughter," the old man replied warmly.
"Granddaughter?" Ryan blinked, looking between the two of them.
"Yes," Irina replied with a proud nod. "He is the village elder and an advisor to the King, my father."
Helen gasped. "What! You're an elven princess?"
"Yes," Irina replied timidly. "What, did I not mention it?"
"Of course you didn't!" Helen and Ryan shouted in unison.
Irina chuckled faintly. "I forgot."
'I just hope no one saw this elven princess massaging my feet.'
"I knew right away she was a princess from the necklace she wears around her neck," Mirian chimed in, crossing her arms with a smug air.
Helen glanced at the elf, then at Ryan, and then back at Mirian.
"Yeah, I noticed it too," Helen added.
'Liar,' Ryan thought, glancing sideways at Helen. He then stepped closer to Irina, whispering in her ear.
"You're not going to tell anyone what happened in the forest, are you?" Ryan asked.
Irina's eyes widened, and she took Ryan by the arm, pulling him away from the others. She let out a sigh, her cheeks turning pink once more.
"Of course I won't say a word. That was terribly embarrassing; I don't want anyone knowing what I did."
'I certainly hope so. I don't need any trouble with this elven village.'
After agreeing to keep silent on the matter, they returned to the group, who looked at them quizzically over their whispering. Just then, the elder stood before Ryan.
"It is an honor to meet S-rank heroes," the elder said, bowing his head slightly. "It has been many years since humans last set foot in these lands."
"S-rank heroes?!" The guards gasped and made a commotion, as did Irina.
"Indeed," the elder nodded. "I used Inspect on them."
Irina puffed out her cheeks. "Awww... I want to learn how to use Inspect."
"Ho, ho," the elder chuckled, stroking his long beard. "You wouldn't be able to even if you trained for a hundred years; it is a skill exclusive to the support class. Unlike Analysis, which appraises items and creatures," the elder explained.
The heroines remarked that in the capital, only the leaders of the Adventurer Guild and the Merchant Guild had individuals capable of using Inspect, and only because they relied on specialized scrolls for it.
Any class could use Analysis to check the attributes of items and creatures. Inspect, however, was the ability to evaluate the individual stats of a person.
Due to the scarcity of support class members, it was not a skill one saw every day.
'I see. It makes sense that nobody wants to be just a support member, so it doesn't surprise me.'
"Enough talk for now," the elder said, waving his hand. "It is clear you are weary from your long journey. Irina, take them to the quarters in the east wing; you will find yourselves comfortable there."
"Yes, Grandfather. As you say," Irina replied.
Irina guided them to the east wing, leading them into a small lodge built inside a massive tree. It was quite cozy. They entered and took their seats. Irina stayed with them for a moment, letting them know they could remain for as long as they liked.
She took her leave, mentioning that she needed to inform the king of their arrival and that a banquet would be arranged to thank them properly.
She left, and the three of them were left alone in the small lodge.
A couple of hours later, Irina returned. She announced that the banquet was ready and that the king was eager to meet the heroes who had aided his beloved daughter.
When they arrived, their hosts welcomed them warmly, and the rest of the elves murmured in astonishment, as it was the first time they had ever laid eyes on heroes of such high rank.
Even though the only one in the village capable of using Inspect was the elder, he never mentioned that Ryan was actually just a B-rank support, unlike his S-rank companions.
Ryan found that odd, but decided it wasn't particularly important.
Just as everyone was celebrating, a guard rushed into the gathering, pale-faced and severely out of breath.
"We are under attack!" the guard screamed, gasping for air. "The forest is burning!"