Hermes jumped off the cliff to save the Priestess. Before she hit the water, he embraced her tightly and sacrificed his body to shield her head.
For a few seconds, the slime body armor activated its regeneration ability. Hermes opened his eyes and he noticed that the girl weren't on his side.
He searched for her whereabouts, and he found her body between two rocks. After he confirmed her location, he came out from the water first, and he took a deep breath before he submerged into it. He swam faster to take her out from the water. The unconscious young maiden was safely returned to the surface thereafter.
"Hey, hey, wake up," he slapped her cheeks but no response.
He checked her pulse, and his face turned pale when she's not breathing. He didn't know what to do. He's frustrated, but he couldn't do anything. He wasn't ready for this moment, totally.
Not only that, he wasn't educated for any kind of first aid from his former world. The school didn't even teach him this kind of event.
He was desperate.
The young maiden saved his life by surprise. He was grateful at first for her bravery but he couldn't deny the fact, if she died, he's totally screwed forever. Stump G would punish him severely.
Despite the fact she's a pretty annoying and naive woman, he couldn't help but felt sorry. She's carefree and fair girl and right now, he couldn't hide his anger for his incapability to do anything in this situation. He's freaking useless in terms of basic medical treatment.
'If only my country taught us how to perform the first aid, I could do something about it somehow. Damn it, I'm so useless. Fuck,' he slammed the rock on his side out of guilt.
He embraced her body and apologized for everything. He hoped he could correct his mistake, but no matter what, she's no longer be able to hear it.
'W, wait, there's gotta way. Right, the slime,' he thought.
"Slime, can you resurrect her? Slime, answer me. Can you do it?" he asked, gravely. "Negative, master. The requirements for the revival process is insufficient. First, you need to upgrade the armor to level 5 to perform a necromancy and believe it or not, you could resurrect her once you reach the level 10. Second, you need at least a ten thousand sinner souls to do that. Unfortunately, you're lack of proper ingredients to do it, master. I'm so sorry for your loss," the slime answered.
"Fuck," he grimaced.
He closed his eyes and heaved a grieving sigh. Then, he gently put her head down on the small rock and checked her pulse again.
'I need to save her or else, that son of the bitch will punish me. Oi, Venus. Please wake up, will ya!' Hermes prayed.
"Justin, right. Justin, I need your help!" he audibly called his servant.
"Goddamn it, Justin. I need you here right now!" he commanded.
The wind blew from the east and his hair danced as it followed the flow of the breeze.
A blonde-haired butler appeared on his side. He placed a hand on his chest, knelt down on one knee and he bowed his head in respect to his master.
"My don, I'm here," he said, Justin the head butler of the Archnemesis clan.
"Master, oh, no," Mambo arrived and he knelt down on the ground after he saw her current state.
"What should I do? I don't know what to do. Help me, guys. Help me," Hermes begged, panicky.
Looking at the situation, Justin used his eyes to scan her status. He could see the flow of her mana was fading away from her body. But he wasn't worried at all.
This situation gave him a new plan to get the two virgins together.
"My Don, there's only one way to save her," said Justin, lips upturned.
"H, how?" asked Hermes, gravely.
Mambo noticed the butler's face turned dark. Then, he felt worried somehow when he realized he's up to something.
"Don't worry, my Don. She's still alive. The only way to save her is to perform the cardiopulmonary resuscitation," Justin declared, smiling.
Mambo placed a hand on his forehead and heaved a sigh.
'This guy is really shipping these two together. Sir Justin is really a manipulative man. Wait, isn't this a great opportunity for her? Man, he's a great schemer!' Mambo said inside his mind, guts pose.
"Huh? What the hell is that, huh?" inquired Hermes as he tilted his head with a confused face. "To make it simple, sir. You need to put your lips to her mouth and then perform the so-called, mouth to mouth resuscitation," Justin answered.
"W, what? Is that for real?" Hermes, surprised, conveyed his thoughts. "Yes, master. It's the only way to save her," Justin nodded, hiding his smile inside his mind.
"H, how can I do that? Teach me now. We're running out of time," Hermes insisted. "All you have to do is to do this. Watch me closely, master. Let me show you how to handle a simple kisu- CPR," he moved closer to the Priestess, and he put his hands on her chest area. "Press your hands on the center peak where the heart is located, then, you've got to keep pushing up and down like this. Then, you have to do the last part," Justin elaborated properly.
He stepped away from her body and gave his master to perform it by himself.
"Why didn't you perform the CPR? If you know how to do it, then do it. Save her, Justin," Hermes commanded. "Negative. You should've known that there's always a requirement for that. I have limited authority to do the CPR. Not only that, she's a minor. It will not only ruin my career but her life too," Justin explained, gravely.
"What's the big deal for that? Just fuckin' do it. There's no one would even dare to ask that. No one other than Mambo and I here. Just save her, Justin," Hermes insisted.
Mambo gulped with cold sweat. He finally realized the butler's plan. He quickly covered his mouth to hide his smile.
'I see it now. I will help you, Sir Justin,' Mambo thought.
"Sir Aljen, there's a tradition in the family of the priestess. Only those who are the leader of a high-ranking organization could pull it. Not to mention, it should be performed by the same league of the priestess, same age of my master, and someone who is very closed and affectionate by her," Mambo explained further beyond Justin's expectation.
"In short, Master Aljen is the only person who should perform the sacred CPR. It's part of the 'tradition.' And also, don't forget my status here, sir. I'm just a commoner, so she's out of my league," Justin seconded.
"Huh?" Hermes hollered. "Master, calm down," Justin said, calming him down.
"I have never heard such a thing. Does it really exist in the books of Italia? Seriously, this is madness," Hermes screeched.
'This is bad. He's getting angry. I need to take a picture at this moment. He needs to kiss her!' Justin thought.
'We need to hurry up. Master will seriously meet the God of Creation if he doesn't perform the CPR right now. He needs to do it now,' Mambo said, biting his lips.
"Master, you need to hurry up. It's now or ever, master," Justin stressed.
"Sir Aljen, we're running out of time. Save her now. Kisu- CPR now," Mambo begged.
Hermes went into deep thinking as he closed his eyes.
If she died, he would fail his mission that the newspaper stated earlier in its content. Then, he would suffer a heavy price that one day should kill him someday.
Not only that, once she's gone, then there's no way for him to make good terms with the church. He won't be able to diminish the bad reputation of his name in the village. Moreover, the church won't be able to save his life from the villager's rage once his disguise got busted out.
He wanted to save her life, but there's an important thing he needed to sacrifice. It's none other than his, 'My first kiss is this? How pathetic,' he cried inside his mind.
"F, fine, I'll do it. Mambo, turn around. I will remove my mask. If you want to see your master again, turn around now," Hermes ordered. "Roger, sir," Mambo agreed, following his command immediately.
Justin covered his smile after he saw the young Don finally gave in. He watched him perform the basic, whilst he held his breath in this heartwarming scene. To make this moment immortalized eternally, he secretly pulled out his hidden camera from his chest pocket.
"Shit, wake up. Please," implored Hermes, pushing up and down her chest nonstop. Then, he performed a mouth to mouth. He's doing it nonstop by repeating the same method, vice versa.
"Sir Justin, you're really good at this part, huh," Mambo whispered. "Oh, ho. For the greater good. I will do everything to see the next generation of our clan," Justin giggled, taking a picture whenever his master kissed the girl.
"Mambo, crap. I forgot to teach my master the French kiss. Man, this is bad. She's waking up," Justin grumbled. "Sir Justin, I'm starting to question your sanity in this situation," Mambo worried.
"I hope this is her first kiss," Justin prayed. "She's still a teenager, though. I guarantee that this is definitely her first kiss," Mambo gurgled with laughter.
"Yes," Justin exulted, guts pose.
"How about your boss?" asked Mambo. "Unfortunately, my master is no longer a virgin in this kind of situation. This will be his second," Justin answered.
"What? Man, he's a player, huh. But I will keep it a secret to my master. I don't want to ruin their relationship because of that," Mambo sighed. "Right, good idea. Just shut your mouth. This moment is the first commemorative event of the year. Man, I can't believe I witness this personally," Justin simpered.
"Wake up, shit. Please wake up," Hermes begged, kissing her twice before he pushed her chest again.
Finally, Venus showed signs of consciousness and her fingers started to move. She coughed out the water before she woke up. Then, she got surprised when a handsome man appeared in front of her. She blinked her eyes several times before she said something.
"W-Who are you, sir?" she asked, anxiously. "It's me, you naive girl. Holy shit, it works," Hermes exulted as he embraced her.
The priestess blushed at first, but since she couldn't identify Hermes because of his face, she slapped him before she pushed him away.
"I, I, I don't know who you are. But, I'm not a bitch. I won't dare to betray my love. P, please get away from me," Venus trembled in fear as she quickly covered her chest with her hands.
She looked at him with disgruntled gaze.
"Why the hell did you do that, woman? What was that all about?" Hermes complained. "Hiiie, please don't hurt me. P, please, I know I'm cute and beautiful. You're a fine man and a healthy handsome man, so I know you couldn't resist it," Venus shivered as she kept a distance.
"Huh? Hey... Don't be afraid. I am not going to hurt you," Hermes got perplexed. "Any woman will fall in love with you, but not me. I, I beg to differ. I'm different from the other women you can play with. I already devoted my body and life to one person, so please don't do anything from me," she said as she genuflected on the surface.
'This girl... She doesn't recognize me at all. How stupid she is,' Hermes was disappointed.
"Ah, shut it. Calm down for a minute."
She covered a hand on her chest and lower area after she saw it revealing too much of her forbidden spots.
"Kyaa, please turn around. Turn around. Only my lover shall be the first one to see this. Not you. Not you," Venus' eyes welled up with tears. Her lips trembled in embarassement.
'Since when did I become your lover, Venus?' Hermes said inside his mind, crinkled eyes.
"Shut it. Is that how you treat your savior?" Hermes argued. "Please don't misunderstand. My apologies, thank you very much, sir. But please, please look away and stop lusting my body with your perverted good-looking face," she begged.
'Is that a compliment or insult? This girl is really... Cute in her own way, huh,' Hermes simpered.
Justin and Mambo chuckled after they saw the romantic comedy scene between the two love birds. The priestess, surprised, finally noticed them. Then, she pouted when she saw her attendant laughing together with Justin.
"Why aren't you doing anything, Mambo? A handsome guy molested me but you didn't do anything at all," Venus said, bulging eyes. Lips downturned.
"Didn't I order you to never turn around?" Hermes argued.
"Oh, please. Sir, madam, let me enjoy this little show, please," Mambo laughed.
"This is not the time for your jokes. I'm in the middle of my feminine crisis," Venus complained.
"Ah, shit. This is getting out of hand. Justin, can you do me a favor and try to clarify the situation?" Hermes gave in and heaved a sigh.
"Oh, boy. Let me enjoy this. It's really fun to watch," Justin chuckled. "This guy, grrgh," Hermes grimaced.
"W, What's going on? By the way, where's Sir Aljen? Is he safe? How about the kids? Are they safe too? Please, where are they? I want to see Sir Aljen," Venus begged as she kept questioning them.
"I told you, sir. She's a fine lady. All I could see from her side is your mother," Justin tapped his shoulder. "What the hell? My mother is a scary woman, stupid. Yes, she's devoted but she will kill any woman on the spot," Hermes argued.
According to his game record, the mother of Hermes was one of the psychotic loving parents. She's toxic to the commoners but a loving mother figure to her children, especially to his character.
"Master, remember this. Not all women are the same root in the tree. She's a fine woman and I won't doubt that one day she would become a great asset to your ambition, so take this chance, sir," Justin whispered.
'Ah, I see,' Hermes commented inside his mind.
Hermes was truly amazed by her personality. He believed that every woman was all the same kind in this world. Consequently, he realized his mistake for distrusting her affection because he feared that she's thinking of him as a collectible.
He thought she's faking it from the start, but he was wrong. The moment she spoke out her hidden side, he couldn't hide his appreciation. The girl didn't know who he was, but she kept believing him.
A woman like her was very rare to find. But he knew that her love would fade away.
"Justin, I know you want her to become my fiance. But I hope you haven't forgotten that she only loves Aljen, and not the real me. The time she discovers the truth about my identity, her love will disappear like a falling star. It will vanish like this rock fallen on the river," Hermes explained promtly.
"Oh, well. Who knows. Love is powerful after all," Justin winked an eye.
"Ah, shut it," Hermes pushed him away.
"Oh, you're really a shy type of person, aren't you?" Justin teased. "For real? Are you my consigliere or a stupid cupid?" Hermes' eyebrows raised as he asked it. "Oh, I'm just an ordinary butler who is looking forward to the bright future," Justin declared, smiling.
"Shut you fuckin' mouth," Hermes sighed.
The priestess approached them with a worried face.
"Sir, can I have your attention please?" asked Venus. "Yes, you can," Hermes permitted.
"I don't know why Mambo is not looking at you. But thank you very much of saving me. I truly appreciate your efforts," she thanked. "Ah, it's nothing. Anyone will do it since it's part of 'tradition', though," Hermes scratched the back of his hair when he said it.
The two servants covered their laugh whilst the priestess tilted her head with confused face.
"Tradition, you say," she commented.
"Oi, lady. You really don't have any idea who am I?" Hermes pointed his thumb at his face.
"Unfortunately, yes. I really want to know your name, however, I don't want to cause any kind of misunderstanding here. You see. Uh, eh. Let me clarify our position here. I have a lover. His name is Aljen. He's a merchant of I don't know what the name of his company is. He's a brave, religious, and friendly man. I know you save my life, but this moment is just an accident. I hope that anything happens here shall remain a secret between us. I don't want to make him jelly, you see. He's a type of stubborn man and he could easily get mad when he's too worried. But even though he's like that, I truly like his treating me like a normal girl in front of everyone," she simpered as she grasped her hands together.
"O, oh, really? He must be a lucky man," Hermes worried with cold sweat.
'Oi, slime. I thought I got friendzone. Why this girl is insisting that we're lovers?' Hermes trembled.
"Yes, and I hope we become friends. Only friends. Got it?" she requested. "Aah, yes. Friends only. You truly want to become friends only?" Hermes responded. "Yes," she beamed.
'Gaah, I knew it. This is bad," Hermes coughed blood inside his mind.
"You really only want me to become your friend?" Hermes sighed.
"Yes. Anyway, I will introduce myself. I'm Venus Aphrodite. The new High Priestess of Neue Fiona Village. So, what's your name?" asked Venus, smiling.
Hermes put his mask on, and the young maiden flinched after she saw it.
"I'm Aljen the merchant," Hermes answered confidently.
"Eh?" Venus's eyes turned blank.
"Eh?" Hermes tilted his head.
"Are you serious?" Venus trembled as she said it. "Yep, I'm Aljen," Hermes confirmed.
"Kyaaaa! No way! I want to redo that moment. I'm so sorry. I didn't recognize you. Not only that, I literally called you my personal lover even though we're not. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me," she begged.
"Pff, I'm sorry too. Okay, you said it to yourself. You want me to become your friend, right? Then, we will stay like that," Hermes teased, holding his laughter. "No, give me a chance," Venus embraced him.
Two smooth melon touched his body. He shivered.
"Y, you're going to get cold. Cover yourself properly. It's fine, I already forgive you," Hermes pushed her gently away in a distance and gave her his jacket.
"T, thank you. How could I even do that? I had no clue that you're Sir Aljen. Oh my gosh. Please let me redo it again," Venus insisted.
"Ah, please. Put the jacket in front of your chest, lady. Justin, lend me your coat. Her underwe- I mean something is showing up and I need dry clothes to cover it. I need to help out this pitiful lady here," Hermes commanded.
"Wait, something ain't right. I feel like my lips are a little bit soaked," Venus noticed it. "Yep, you're almost dead down there. But since I saved your life, you're now safe," Hermes confirmed.
She blinked her eyes several times and her legs trembled.
"D, d, d, don't tell me, you, you kissed me? H, how despicable," Venus said as she raised a hand on the sky and readied to perform a memory wipe spell to herself.
Justin and Mambo realized that she's going to erase her memories, so they decided to use a non-lethal method to stop her.
"Master, this is bad. The priestess needs a new medical treatment. You need to kiss her on her forehead," Justin directed as he pointed her forehead.
"Eh?" the priestess, dumbfounded, was unable to convey the situation.
"Huh?" Hermes tilted his head with a confused face.
"Sir Aljen, do it before it's too late, and say something like romantic to cast a healing spell," Mambo insisted. "A, ah, right!" Hermes nodded.
With this, he grabbed her hand and embraced her. Then, he touched her forehead by his lips, and he whispered to her ears, "Just cover yourself properly or else, I don't know what I would do next."
The priestess covered her mouth and her pupils trembled in shock. Then, she collapsed.
"Fuck, I think I overdid it," Hermes murmured and he pressed a hand on his forehead thereafter.
"Good grief, master," Mambo heaved a disappointing sigh.
"By the way, Mambo. Where are the kids?" asked Hermes. "They are in the safe zone, sir. A group of village guards led by Sir Richarde arrived to save us all. They are the people that the chief ordered to check us in the Seerside garden. Then, I excuse myself to their party to tell this to you, sir. That the kids are in the safe hands now, and we need to rendezvous with them," Mambo politely answered.