The sensation of the blanket was unusually warm and soft, with a pleasant aroma. Without thinking, Nox hugged and brought his face closer to the protective cover, where his nose touched a soft, fibrous material that tickled him.
“Hmm?”
As he slightly opened his eyes, he found a white, soft skin in front of him. Raising his gaze a bit, he saw Nana’s somewhat disheveled face in her night clothes, closer than usual.
“…Good morning, Nox-sama.”
“Ah, ouch!”
Suddenly realizing he had been resting his face on Nana’s chest, Nox quickly sat up and fell off the single bed he was on.
“Nox-sama, are you okay?”
From above the bed, Nana peered with a sleepy expression. With the buttons of her blouse barely containing the lower part of her chest, the deep neckline was impossible to ignore.
“…Did I spend the whole night using Nana as a pillow…?”
“Yes…”
With his hands on his waist and armpits, Nox’s hair touching his neck, Nana, who was quite ticklish, was more concerned with staying silent than sleeping deeply. Although she tried to free herself several times, her nightgown was disheveled and she was still held tightly until finally, exhausted both physically and mentally, she found peace in the situation.
“Oh, right, I fell asleep while we were talking yesterday! I’m sorry…!”
Gradually, Nox regained memories from the previous night. The comforting sensation of being caressed at a slow pace along with Nana’s calm voice were so comforting that he ended up falling asleep unknowingly.
“Did I… do anything strange while I was asleep? Has your condition been affected by the curse?”
With her worried confusion, Nana began to feel a wave of guilt.
“I’m fine. You just used me as a pillow,” Nana replied.
Although in reality, she had been touched and groped in slightly compromising areas, it was part of the joke that Nana had started, so Nox had nothing to worry about. Having anticipated what would happen, Nana felt that Jenny should take at least ten percent of the responsibility, as Nox was not at fault.
“Really? But you couldn’t sleep well, right? We’ll just go shopping today, so you can rest comfortably.”
“But…”
“Sometimes you need a break too.”
“Understood…”
Despite the chance to go shopping together, Nana couldn’t resist the fatigue she felt. Although it was an unrepeatable opportunity, it was a lifetime mistake.
However…
“…Your reaction was quite good.”
After Nox got ready on his own, he left the room, and Nana got into bed.
Remembering Nox’s blushing and surprised expression, she whispered satisfactorily to herself.
***
With the feeling and image of Nana still fresh in his mind, Nox walked restlessly through the bustling city streets.
Among the nobles, many married upon reaching adulthood, and it was not uncommon for couples to have children in their teens.
Inappropriate thoughts like “if it weren’t for the curse, perhaps we would have already kissed” crossed his mind, and he shook his head to dismiss them.
“I can’t go on like this. It’s better to focus on work.”
To ward off distractions, Nox walked quickly towards a building on the outskirts of the capital.
The Adventurers Guild headquarters in the capital oversaw all guild locations in Akol. The number of requests was overwhelming, with busy employees performing administrative tasks behind the long rows of reception counters on the first floor.
“Which one to choose?”
Nox examined the job postings on the wall. Due to the quantity, the jobs were color-coded: monster hunting requests in red, public and civilian agency requests in blue, and dungeon exploration and collection missions in green.
Nox, or rather Astra, always chose the jobs in red. Part of the reason was because he was accumulating Red Vacations eventually to exchange them, but mainly it was for the efficiency and high reward of short-term, high-paying missions.
But with high reward comes high risk. Nox always ventured into dangerous missions that other adventurers avoided or had already failed multiple times.
The way to distinguish them was simple. Because they had been hanging for a long time, the ink faded due to sun exposure.
“The oldest one is… dragon hunting in the mine… Could it be that one?”
The presence of the dragon that had taken residence in a silver mine within Akol’s territory, born around the same time as Nox and Lano, was one of the mentioned causes of the cursed children’s afflictions.
If the cursed children’s curse truly drained the host’s vitality, the dragon’s emergence could simply be a coincidence. Nox considered that it might be good to resolve the long-standing dispute of sixteen years, but…
“There really is no way to do it in a day, right?”
The opponent was a dragon. It wasn’t something he could easily face like the Spiders. Due to the concern that Nana would worry if he didn’t return by evening, he decided to put that job on hold.
“Well, then… I suppose this will do.”
For now, any simple and quiet job would suffice. He tore off a pest extermination job in the agricultural fields near the capital, which were always available like the Spiders, and took it to the reception counter.
***
On the upper floor of the headquarters after the boy in the black hood completed the application procedure and left.
“What? Is the ‘Foolish Mage’ Astra taking a pest extermination job that anyone could do easily?”
The headquarters director, a muscular man who showed he was still active, was surprised to hear the report from a staff member.
“It’s better not to mention that nickname directly to the person concerned.”
The subordinate sighed. “Foolish Mage” was the unofficial and dishonorable nickname used within the guild to refer to Astra.
“According to the records, it seems Astra was walking from Galaxia to the capital, taking jobs along the way that were similar in nature each time.”
The director carefully observed the completed task records that seemed only intended to renew his adventurer’s badge, and asked:
“Could it be that he has started a family?”
It was a precise assumption that was not far from the truth.
