kscans

Chapter 37 - The Dog-Eared and the Black Panther Races

"Grrrr..."

Myra found out she'd been set up the next morning, in the inn's dining hall. The shopping groups were being decided, and with a majority vote of 4 to 1, it was decided that Famu and I would be one group, and everyone else would be the other. The grouping was almost painfully blatant. For some reason, I didn't get a vote.

"Famu and Mizuki, that's so mean! I want to go with Mash too!"

This automatically made her enemies Cecily and Aira. It seemed her sister, Aira, wasn't counted as an ally. The darkness of sisterly bonds was right there. Speaking of which, Aira's skin was glowing today. Cecily, on the other hand, seemed a little down.

"Well, I mean, you can't really be alone with Mash in this city, can you?"

Mizuki answered, grasping at straws.

"That's not true! I'm sure everyone would welcome us as a charming, heartwarming couple. Right, Mash?"

"..."

I didn't know how to respond to that plea for agreement.

"...Huh? Right, Mash?"

Sorry, but an old guy like me wouldn't be welcomed. I'm self-aware.

"Myra, you should really consider your position in this city,"

Aira said.

"What's that supposed to mean? It's not wrong for me to have a boyfriend, just like you, Aira."

"Hah... what's so great about an old guy like this?"

At Aira's words, the gazes of Famu, Mizuki, and Cecily all focused on her. Aira fell silent and looked down. Myra, not understanding what had happened, looked around in confusion. Her gaze then stopped on a bruise on Aira's neck.

"Huh? Eh? Aira? No way... Why am I the only one..."

Myra's eyes filled with tears. I started to feel sorry for her.

"Myra, you're a virgin, right?"

I asked in a low voice.

"Eh? ...Um, I don't have any, experience,"

Myra nodded.

"Then let's gather the townspeople in the arena and have a public deflowering ceremony for you. From the elderly to the children, everyone should be delighted."

"Myra, this is where a charming, heartwarming couple ends up,"

Mizuki concluded for me.

"Mash, I have a favor to ask,"

Aira said to me.

"What is it?"

"I want you to help Reed. I want you to get him out of jail."

Aira bowed her head deeply. Mizuki, Myra, and I exchanged glances. Famu lowered her gaze.

"Cecily, is this both of your opinions?"

I asked Cecily, who was looking awkward.

"...I feel the same way. But I don't think it's right to ask you, Mash, when Reed has no intention of apologizing. So, no."

I nodded at Cecily's words.

"Aira, he's actually being protected by being in that cell. He is an enemy of the gods. Can you protect him?"

Myra said to Aira.

"He can just leave the city. He can live quietly in a city far, far away."

Could a guy like him really live like that? Well, he was a noble, so it might be possible for him to live hidden away deep inside some building.

"There's a condition."

As I said that, Famu glared at me. Sorry, Famu. Just wait a second.

"I don't like the way he treats his slaves. I know I'm being soft. But he shouldn't treat people as disposable more than necessary. Aira, if you take responsibility and make him stop, then after we get to Miglutt, I'll ask Myra to talk to the church about getting him released."

"..."

Aira seemed to be contemplating.

"I'll say this now: even if you break your promise, Aira, I won't do anything to you."

Once Reed was released, he would undoubtedly go somewhere beyond Aira's reach. If he returned to high society, she wouldn't be able to do anything. So, I made it impossible for her to get him released with the intention of breaking the promise from the start and being let off by taking the punishment herself. If she broke her promise, Cecily would turn against her. That should be what hurts her the most. Besides, since this problem was likely to repeat itself, I'll just throw the choice and responsibility onto Aira. If she likes the guy, I want her to try her best.

"Master... if you trust Aira, then I will forget about him."

It seemed she had no intention of forgiving him. I didn't trust Aira at all on this matter. But I trusted Cecily, so I was giving her the choice. It was all based on gut feeling, but that couldn't be helped. I couldn't say it here, so I'd have to tell them later. Mizuki and Myra too.

"Well, you have until we get to Miglutt to think about it,"

I said to Aira.

At an open-air stall, grilled corn on the cob was being sold on skewers. It was a soy sauce glaze. Famu and I ate it together. The kernels were perfectly aligned. It was incredibly delicious. A transmigrator must have brought it over. I bought some corn, soy sauce, and mirin and put them in my storage. Since time doesn't affect the condition of things in storage, it's really convenient. You can even store cooked food. It's gotten smaller since I made partitions for Famu and the others, but I feel like I still have about as much space as a 31-foot container. It seems like it could get messy if I just keep putting everything in there, but for now, anything fits. I say anything, but living things don't seem to work. Corpses are fine. But aren't things like raw meat still living cells? Come to think of it, raw eggs went in too. I don't understand the selection criteria. By the way, Famu and the others' partitions are about the size of a 12-foot container. That should be enough. I thought it would be better for someone with the Adventurer profession to just pack their storage and travel instead of forming a caravan, and apparently, some people do that. It's inconvenient to take things in and out since only a limited number of people can access it, but it's easier than transporting by carriage. There are risks. If the adventurer dies, the items in their storage become unrecoverable. The items don't seem to vanish, but apparently, they can appear in a treasure chest in some dungeon. The thought of Mizuki's panties appearing in a treasure chest in the deepest part of some dungeon after I die makes my heart pound. However, it seems that surprisingly few people can become adventurers. I got this profession through Laciel's power, but even though it's like a beginner's deluxe package, few people can get it as their first profession, and in many cases, you have to have experience in other professions first. It seems the conditions for getting a profession aren't well understood. And even fewer of those who manage to become adventurers would willingly make a living as a merchant. It's mostly done by people as a side job for quests or pocket money.

"My inner thighs are sore from the muscle strain. Mizuki said hers hurt too,"

Famu said.

"Don't tell me you two were with another man yesterday..."

"...Please don't lump me in with you, Master. At least I'm faithful! Weren't you with them this morning, Master?"

"Was I? Actually, my inner thighs hurt quite a bit too."

"N-no way, did Cecily and the others take you from behind?!"

Famu's face turned bright red. Then, worried that she had shouted, she looked around nervously at the people nearby.

"Hehehe, maybe so,"

I laughed suggestively.

"...It's because of the horseback riding yesterday, right?"

Famu didn't seem convinced.

"We've bought everything we need, right?"

"Yes."

Famu nodded. We still had plenty of time.

"Is there anything you want, or any place you want to go or see?"

"I want a spare pair of arm covers."

"You won't need them anymore once we leave this city, will you?"

If anything, I feel like there's a greater chance of being mistaken for a slave and getting into trouble.

"Hmph, I like them."

"Alright. Let's go buy some then."

"Yes. After that, shall we try crossing the bridge in the center of the city? And also, let's climb the bell tower again."

"Sure, let's go."

I started walking, led by Famu. Famu took my hand.

"Do we look like a couple?"

"More like a father and daughter,"

I said. A young girl and an old man.

"...I want to grow up quickly too."

"You're better off not. It's really tough."

"Hmph, you're always so negative."

"N-no, to be honest, the current Famu is the cutest. I want you to stay just the way you are. Of course, I'm also looking forward to the grown-up Famu."

Famu peered into my face. It's the truth. I'm not lying. We bought a spare pair of arm covers and, after walking for a while, came out onto a road along the river. On the other side of the river was a massive stone structure. It was the palace of the Lugul family, who ruled this city. A covered corridor extended from the palace, crossing the river.

"Is that it?"

The bridge was made of stone with a triple-arch structure for its supports, and the upper part had a two-story structure. The second floor was a long, house-like corridor extending from the palace. The first floor was open for citizens to pass through. It was probably about 50 meters long. It was huge. I felt like I'd seen it somewhere before, but I couldn't remember where.

"That's amazing."

"I wonder if it will fall."

Indeed, the upper part was so large that it looked unbalanced.

"See how the bottom is arched? That structure disperses the force and supports it. That's why it's strong. ...Probably."

Famu peered into my face. I did say probably. I'm not confident.

We reached the bridge. It was crowded with people. Both sides of the bridge were lined with stalls. The upper corridor probably served as a rain shelter. A good business space. Most of the people were shoppers at the stalls. We also walked while looking at the goods displayed at the stalls. There were many shops dealing in metalwork and accessories.

"Actually, I'm very envious of the necklace Mizuki is wearing."

Was she asking for one? She has a little devilish side to her, doesn't she? As I grinned, Famu puffed out her cheeks.

"That's true. Is a necklace okay for you too, Famu?"

A ring would probably get bent while gripping a weapon, and there didn't seem to be any earrings or piercings for the dog-eared race for sale.

"Is it really okay? But I want the headband with the character for 'Sincerity' on it."

Famu pointed at a headband and wagged her tail excitedly. Why was something that looked like a Kyoto souvenir being sold in a place like this?

"...Let's stick with a necklace for today. If you're worried about money, half of what I have is yours, Famu. Don't hesitate."

Regarding money, Famu and I share it, while Mizuki and the other members manage their own.

"Then please pay for it from the half that isn't mine."

"Mmm, very well."

This had to be Mizuki's idea. I thought it would take a while, but Famu found a necklace she liked right away. It was a leather cord necklace with a teardrop-shaped crystal. The crystal was a light blue color. Her choices are as consistent as ever.

"I can imbue it with magic too, you know,"

the seller, a dog-eared boy about Famu's age, said.

"Two gold coins."

For a trinket from a stall, it was a pretty steep price. It was a shame I couldn't tell if it was real or fake.

"...It's a little expensive."

Famu sadly tried to return the necklace to the shopkeeper.

"Ugh, for a fellow dog-ear. One gold coin."

The fact that it was suddenly half price was highly suspicious, but what mattered was that Famu liked it, so I decided to buy it. Famu handed the necklace to me. With a proud expression, she presented her head, and I put the necklace on for her.

"Does it look good?"

"Yeah, it's incredibly cute."

I nodded.

"Yay!"

The dog-eared boy had been glaring at me the whole time.

We were climbing the stairs of the bell tower. A dim, narrow staircase continued endlessly. This was the memorable place where Famu had confessed her feelings to me. She probably wanted to visit it one last time. So did I. Light was shining from above. We were almost at the observation deck. There were two people already on the observation deck. One was wearing a black robe with a hood. The other was a beast-kin woman. From under her short black hair peeked black, pointed ears, her skin was brown, and her eyes were silver. And she had a long black tail.

"Cat-eared race?"

"Sorry. Black Panther race."

The woman calling herself a member of the Black Panther race smirked. She was wearing a black tank top and khaki pants. Her muscles looked supple and flexible. A Slave Mark was carved on her arm.

"You're Mash, right?"

The hooded person spoke to me too. They had their hood pulled down so I couldn't see their face, but it was a woman's voice.

"Too bad. I'm Mish. You've got the wrong person."

"Then the girl next to you must be Fham. A little hard to say."

The woman in the robe laughed.

"...Something like that."

I gave a vague nod. I don't like being called out by name by strangers.

"I don't like this. My master is gracing you with her words, and you give a fake name."

As the Black Panther woman growled, Famu stepped between me and her.

"Oh, what's this? Dog-eared race. You want to fight me?"

She crossed her arms, and four-pronged claws extended from them. Cool. Famu responded by drawing her sword and taking a stance. I had to stop her.

"Woman of the Black Panther race, you know my real name, and you plan to fight me with a toy like that?"

"...No matter what you do, these claws will slice your throat faster."

The Black Panther's voice dropped an octave.

"I won't let that happen!"

Famu lowered her stance, ready to move at any moment.

"Hey, stop it. What are you going to do if he really summons a goddess? That man should have other special skills to kill you with."

The woman in the robe stopped her.

"...Tch."

The claws retracted. Still cool.

"Sorry about that. This one is incredibly short-tempered. She's always causing trouble."

"...Yeah."

I nodded.

"We shouldn't disturb you two. Let's go down."

The woman in the robe said to the Black Panther woman. The two of them started down the stairs.

"Hey, I haven't seen you around. Are you staying at the Asuka Inn? I'll buy you a drink tonight."

"Hehe, are you hitting on me? Unfortunately, I'm in this city on a quest for a certain noble. I'm staying at their mansion too."

The two of them left.

"Well, the mood for flirting has been completely ruined."

"Master, the person in the robe..."

"She's either a transmigrator or knows one."

She knew about having multiple special skills. I couldn't tell if her intentions were hostile, but the quick-to-fight Black Panther felt like trouble. She looked physically capable and strong in a fight. As for the woman in the robe, just like I have Mizuki, she probably has a partner. I want to investigate, but if I'm discovered and it's seen as a hostile act, we'll be in direct conflict. In the end, there's nothing I can do from my end. It's frustrating. It seems standing out was my biggest mistake.

"Master..."

"Hm?"

"I thought I couldn't win. I'm still shaking. I was protected by you again, Master. I want to become strong. I want the power to protect you."

I think this was the first time Famu had killing intent directed straight at her.

"Famu, you're strong enough. You're rushing things. Let's keep doing this together."

The day I bought Famu from the slave trader and the day I kissed her here feel like a long time ago, but it was just the other day. Please don't rush. Besides, she can also acquire a special skill. But Famu didn't nod. She was holding back tears.

"...May I hug you?"

"Yeah, I want to hug you too, Famu."

I hugged Famu. Her body was small. She was still a young girl. Famu was crying in my arms. I want to become strong so she doesn't have to cry.