Saint, You’re So Vulgar!

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#022. You Should Call Me Darling

Those unfamiliar with the mining city of Pured think it’s just a dusty laborers’ town.

However, anyone even slightly interested in commerce or precious metals would know otherwise.

Pured is a prosperous and glamorous city.

The size and quality of the precious metals excavated from the nearby mountain range are among the best in the entire continent.

It’s a land where jewels flow instead of milk and honey.

Naturally, wealthy individuals with an eye for jewels frequently come and go, and the money flowing in has significantly developed the city’s economy.

The result of this is the Street of Treasures.

Asher and Bershia stood at the precious metal exchange.

“It’s spectacular. It’s as dazzling as Count Heisenberg’s bald head.”

“…Why that comparison?”

“Was there no better comparison? Or was it just the most dazzling thing I’ve seen recently?”

Asher’s mouth fell open.

Is this person devoid of human feelings?

“…That’s quite disrespectful. Please be more discreet.”

With a sigh, Asher moved on.

It took them four days to reach Pured.

Fortunately, it wasn’t far from their destination, and nothing particularly special happened along the way.

If one were to nitpick, the only noteworthy incident was Bershia clumsily groping all over while trying to wash herself, but I’d rather not dwell on that.

Regardless, they had arrived at their destination.

Now, they needed to gather information.

Originally, the plan was for everyone to come out together, but that failed due to Rubena refusing.

– “I’m tired, can’t you just leave me alone?”

Having been riding a low mood since departure, Rubena eventually shut herself in a corner of the inn just after arriving in the city.

Given her penchant for luxury, Asher expected her to throw aside her responsibilities and go shopping. This was quite the unexpected development.

Well, she probably wasn’t used to such a long journey.

He thought nothing of it and realized even Saturn, who was supposed to stay by her side, was now absent.

Asher walked alongside Bershia.

So, they were acting like “lovers.”

“My waist itches…”

“Endure it. It’s part of the mission, isn’t it?”

Asher stiffly trudged along, hands clasped in front of him.

After all, Bershia had her arm around his waist.

Whenever she playfully poked him in the side with her finger, the tension increased.

Yet, there was no escaping this situation.

After all, the key to undercover work was not to create any discomfort.

Even in a bustling city, there still exists a sense of discomfort that locals might feel.

With numerous comparisons, any hint of suspicion would draw attention.

They needed to stick to their original plan.

As a couple planning to get married, their purpose for visiting the city was to choose a jewel for their wedding ring.

Thus, Asher had to present a lovey-dovey facade.

If they did, people would naturally lose interest and pass by.

– That was the idea, anyway.

“Wow, there are so many people staring at you, Knight. Truly a mesmerizing woman!”

“……”

Asher was attracting all the eyes around him.

More than 80 percent of those glances were from men.

And they were staring at him openly.

There was a reason for it.

First, Bershia’s appearance was stunning.

With her sky-blue hair, lake-colored eyes, and alabaster skin, her delicate features alone were enough to radiate a distinctive presence.

Of course, under normal circumstances, the cold aura of Bershia would have only resulted in people stealing glances.

However, Asher was now the one in control of the body.

This was where Asher was clueless, but several changes emerged as a result.

Being unfamiliar with a woman’s body, the reddening she exhibited was more of shyness than anything else.

The fluttering hem of her skirt made her steps small, supporting her modesty.

Confined within Bershia’s embrace, her blushing ears and bowed head surely reminded the men of a long-lost first love.

This was the reason for all those gazes, and Asher felt discomfort.

“…They’re staring way too openly.”

It was a flustered voice.

The onlookers’ gazes felt like they were licking her body.

Even as she lowered her head, she instinctively noticed it.

Her body felt prickly all over.

“This is why clothes that reveal the body…”

She grumbled, but it fell on deaf ears to Bershia.

“How else can I cover up? The blouse and skirt aren’t even showing any skin!”

“B-but you can see the shape of the body.”

“If it bothers you, why not just wear armor?”

Asher’s eyes narrowed in frustration.

How could the original owner of this body say something so irresponsible?

Yet, the reaction that came back was quite unexpected.

“Just stick closer. Let them know you’re taken.”

With a tug! Bershia pulled Asher closer.

Asher yelped!

His face turned even redder. His body stiffened like a wooden puppet.

Why was he so conscious of every action?

It had to be because of that incident in the flower garden.

With Bershia appearing completely unfazed, Asher’s embarrassment only intensified.

After wandering the street for a while, they entered a jewelry shop, and Bershia began chatting with the owner.

“We’ve come to look at rings. It’s for my future wife.”

“Oh my, yes! My lady!”

The owner, dressed in affluent clothing, appeared at ease.

Bershia’s natural commanding tone allowed her to easily gain the upper hand in such conversations.

Asher regained his focus.

It was time for him to actually do some work.

“The atmosphere on the street is nice.”

He started with trivial topics.

How the city felt, what kind of people lived there, and so on.

Then, as if recalling something late, he asked her.

“Is there a place known for good food?”

“If it’s about that…”

They were deep in conversation when suddenly, Bershia added,

“Oh, by the way, I heard some rumors while walking around.”

“What rumors?”

“I think I heard that the number of missing persons is increasing these days…”

“Oh, you mean the ghostly spirits in the mines!”

The jeweler laughed heartily and poured forth relevant information.

It dawned on Asher, but it was convenient to have a woman’s body during such times.

He had never experienced local residents so willingly offering up information during his previous undercover missions.

Maintaining a harmless and feminine demeanor was a downside, but so what?

Wasn’t this all part of the “job”?

To sum it up, they had gathered a bit of local information.

1. Locals refer to the missing persons case as “The Ghosts of the Mines.”

2. In fact, 70% of the people who go missing are miners. Others include herbalists traversing the mountain ranges near the mine or individuals disappearing from nearby small towns.

3. The city guards have dispatched search parties, but so far, not a single body has been found.

They had merely solidified the information they had already gathered.

They visited several more jewelers, but no additional information surfaced.

However, it couldn’t be said that their efforts were entirely fruitless.

Asher could clearly determine the next subject for investigation.

“I need to hear the stories of the miners.”

Rumors tend to get exaggerated and distorted as they pass from one mouth to another.

The most reliable method is to ask those who are on the scene.

So, where did they need to go to meet mine workers?

To the mine? Or the slums?

Incorrect.

“Hey, owner! Bring me more drinks!!!”

“Today, I made a big score! I just dug up a ruby the size of my fist!!!”

A tavern.

Miners in Pured are definitely not lower-class.

After all, about 10% of the minerals they extract are precious metals.

Excavating large jewels in pristine condition from Pured’s land is a skill.

Especially when they dig up gems of significant size, these workers receive corresponding rewards.

The tavern is where they gather after finishing their day’s work, boasting about their harvests or sharing their experiences in the mines.

Asher sat in a corner of the tavern with Bershia, listening to their tales.

Sipping on beers while doing so.

“No worthwhile stories… haven’t been shared yet.”

“Hmm, the food here is good.”

“Se-…”

“Darling.”

“……”

“You should call me Darling.”

Bershia propped her chin, winking with her eyes.

Here we go again. It’s a soft voice that no one could hear anyway.

Asher chose to ignore it.

He had learned that giving her a glance was futile by now.

Using a fork, he poked at the meat and shoved it into his mouth.

With his cheeks puffed out while chewing, glaring at Bershia would have appeared quite adorable from a third-party perspective.

That’s right.

Asher was attracting attention even here.

A pouting beauty is captivating in its own right.

Moreover, flowers with pleasant scents attract insects.

“Hey there, miss.”

A swaying, drunken man approached.

Behind him, his companions made lewd whistles and remarks.

Asher furrowed his brows.

‘Ah, I’ve gotten tangled up in useless troubles.’

This was inconvenient as a woman.

Should’ve just sent Bershia in here alone.

No, she couldn’t be left alone to fetch information.

She wasn’t trained to filter information, after all.

“I’ve been watching you eat, and you really enjoy your food. Looks like you like booze too. Did you like the food here?”

He chuckled obnoxiously.

His gaze slid up and down Asher’s body.

Disgust flooded in.

A choice lay before him.

Endure it or leave.

It was unfortunate for Bershia, but Asher was leaning towards the first option.

This was an unexpected opportunity to share a table with him.

Since this drunken man might provide information about the ghostly spirits in the mines.

If he tried to lay a hand on him, it wouldn’t be too late to handle it then.

After all, he was just a miner. One finger was enough to deal with that gang.

He could apologize later for having exposed Bershia to such filthy gazes.

– That was what Asher was thinking when he swallowed his nausea and tried to force a smile.

“Hey.”

“Hmm? What do you….”

Bang!!!

“Gah!!!”

Suddenly, Bershia punched the man squarely in the face.

Asher’s mouth hung open in shock.

Bershia grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the tavern.

“Let’s go.”

“W-wait a moment…”

Asher was taken aback by her sudden action.

Yet, Bershia remained silent.

She led him away as if dragging him along.

Eventually, they had arrived at a deserted street.

Only then did Bershia stop, letting out a long sigh full of irritation.

Asher could do nothing but flinch.

“Knight.”

“Y-yes…”

“You need to be careful.”

Was she displeased at being subjected to sexual gazes?

It was indeed rude for him to continue gathering information without consulting her.

Just as Asher was about to stutter out an apology, she spoke again.

“I only said that to you.”

Startled, Asher slowly raised his head.

In an instant, he felt his heart drop.

She was surely smiling.

It was her usual bright smile.

Yet, for some reason, in her gaze,

“It’s okay for you to be frivolous, but only to me.”

There was a murky wave, binding him in place.

Asher didn’t know this side of Bershia.