Chapter 15

As the trio of the girls were about to leave the beastkin to their work and go to the other building, where they were supposed to stay the night, one girl hesitated—Olivia.

“I think I’d rather spend the night outside,” she muttered.

“Terrific,” Ember said before adding, “Just don’t get into another argument with Bernard or you’ll also end up on somebody’s plate.”

Olivia did not even have it in her to form a retort.

“Nobody’s spending the night outside,” Beatrice put a stop to any more foolish ideas. As much as she wanted to keep Ember and Olivia separately, she also didn’t want Olivia to get into more trouble, which seemed more and more likely, especially when the ninja girl is distressed.

“But ... That house,” Olivia muttered weakly.

“Don’t worry—you’re in good company with Samuel and his sweet, innocent little child,” Ember chuckled. “Just like all the other—”

Beatrice glared at Ember and the redhead stopped.

“Sorry,” Ember apologized insincerely and walked toward Samuel, who just came out of his storage.

Beatrice sighed, walked up to Olivia, and put her hand around the listless girl.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Beatrice whispered. “But if you’re going to keep that attitude up, you’ll never be able to sleep with anyone in this city ever again.”

“That’s exactly my intent!” Olivia said and grit her teeth in new-found determination. “I’ll gut that pig Belmot like the subhuman swine that he is! Then I’ll free Emily and take her as far away from this revolting city as I can!”

“By all means,” Beatrice said quietly. “But in the meantime you’ve got to keep it together. And remember—just like you—that girl inside this house is a victim of circumstance. Just like you, I was disgusted with them all at first. But now—I feel sorry for her. Having to grow up in such a world, not even knowing any better...”

“And you’re supposed to be the ‘Savior’ that’ll make everything better, right?” Olivia chuckled bitterly.

I will certainly try, was what Beatrice’s old self would say. Beatrice paused for a second before answering, “Without a doubt, I will make this city a better place!”

“Good luck with that. Some places ... Some people are beyond salvation,” Olivia said and looked at Ember who had just walked up to Samuel.

“You did have the time to prepare something edible for us, right?” Ember asked her brother, clearly having not lost her appetite despite what she witnessed.

“ ... Jenny has the table ready,” Samuel said without even making eye contact with Ember.

“Great!” Ember cheered and clapped her hands. “Oh, and don’t worry—we’ll be out of your hair tomorrow.”

“Fantastic,” Samuel said flatly and went with the giraffekin to the carriage to unload another bag.

“Alright, we’ll leave you guys to it,” Ember lightly waved to Samuel, Bernard, and his wolfkin.

“Wait!” Bernard called out to them and ran up to Beatrice.

The giant lionkin grabbed the succubus’s hand and asked, “If you wait for but a moment, wouldn’t you rather spend your night with me?”

“Haah?” Beatrice’s mouth dropped wide open.

“My place might not be much, but it is certainly far more luxurious than this isolated butcher shop!” Bernard continued making his case. “A beauty such as yourself deserves a good company, and someone who not only can protect her, but also take care of her every need.”

Ember cleared her throat to get Bernard’s attention and gave him a challenging look.

“Are you saying that I’m not a good company?” the redhead asked and crossed her arms.

“You are a perfectly adequate company,” Bernard said with a straight face. “And I would be glad to have you join us as well! However, there are certain things that even you cannot do.”

Ember snorted and said, “Do tell,” while trying to hold back from laughing out loud.

“I am not the same lionkin you knew when we parted ways!” Bernard explained and turned back to Beatrice. “My dear, I’ll have you know, that I’m the holder of the rare and prestigious A rank in the S.E.C.R.E.T. Guild!”

“My, my, the horny bastard has been moving up in the world,” Ember laughed, half-impressed.

“Ah ... Wow! That’s ... Impressive.” Beatrice tried to formulate a response while also not looking into the eyes of the horny beastkin. “You’re only the second person I’ve met today that has an A-rank in that guild.”

“Bwahaha!” Ember laughed out loud. “That’s a rejection if I ever heard one.”

“B-but why?” Bernard asked, heartbroken. “You and I, we are made for each other! Think of what beautiful children we would have one day!”

Oh boy! Beatrice realized it was time to get out of this animal’s grasp before he really tried to impregnate her, while Ember continued laughing in the background.

“I’m sorry, but I simply cannot take you up on your proposition,” Beatrice tried to be as kind as she could to the lionkin. “It’s ... It’s not you—it’s me!”

“I ... I don’t understand,” Bernard seemed crushed and visibly got a foot shorter as if the entire world was on his shoulders. However, he did not press the issue and let go of Beatrice’s hand.

“Sorry big fella,” Ember clapped on Bernard’s back. “There’ll be other big-breasted women for you to fertilize.”

“Impossible!” Bernard cried out and turned his back toward the girls. Rejected and betrayed! “Where will I ever find such a heavenly creature ever again?”

“Is he going to be alright?” Beatrice quietly asked Ember.

“Yeah, don’t worry—he does this all the time,” Ember smiled.

“Alright, maggots, back to work!” Bernard growled at his henchmen.

Olivia, Ember, and Beatrice went inside Samuel’s home.

The moment Beatrice stepped through the door, Tabitha jumped from the table, knocking the chair aside, and ran right into Beatrice’s face.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL THIS TIME!?” The skinny, half-naked, green-haired mage screamed.

Beatrice pushed Tabitha back and wiped the mage’s spit off her face before saying, “Calm down! We’ve been gone for like an hour or something.”

“It felt like years!” Tabitha cried out.

“Don’t exaggerate,” Beatrice said. She felt like she had to calm down her companions a little too much lately. I might need to find some more-level-headed partners, she thought.

Tabitha then switched her gaze from Beatrice to Olivia. The ninja still had her head lowered. But what was actually disgust and sickness due to Olivia’s recent discovery, Tabitha interpreted as after-sex shame.

“You,” Tabitha hissed. “Don’t tell me ... You hadn’t ... Don’t tell me you did it and you didn’t even let me watch!”

“Don’t forget your place!” Beatrice said firmly, but slightly raising her voice involuntarily. The succubus did not intend to raise her voice, but she simply couldn’t handle another fight right now. Beatrice also noted that Tabitha had started to develop some possessive traits. As if she already doesn’t have enough unhealthy personality traits! Beatrice thought.

“Eh?” Tabitha squeaked like a mouse and dropped to the floor. “I beg your forgiveness! I don’t know what I was thinking! When I imagined you at what you do best, I just...”

“It’s fine,” Beatrice sighed. “It’s been a very, very long day.”

“Then may I offer you some supper before you all go to bed?” the butcher’s little twelve-year-old with a single, thick red braid falling to her feet cheerfully asked, reminding of her presence, and gestured to the table with a humble array of food. Beatrice looked and saw several plates with boiled potatoes, carrots, some more apples, bread, and filled cups.

“Exactly, what I wanted to hear!” Ember said and rubbed her hands, excited to fill her belly.

“Oh! It’s great!” Tabitha jumped to her feet with excitement. “Everything’s fresh! I don’t know who these guys are that they can get this type of stuff, but it’s incredible! We should come here more often! And you absolutely have to try the stew!”

“What?” Ember asked and froze in place when she heard Tabitha’s suggestion.

“The stew! The little kid didn’t even bother offering it, and just kept eating it in the corner by herself, mumbling something about her father’s instructions not to offer it to the guests ... But she didn’t mind sharing, and it’s delicious! By far the best I’ve eaten in ages!

Oh, no, Beatrice’s heart sunk. She had a bad feeling. And for a good reason—the mood in the room went sour. Ember stood in like a statue, not taking another step to the table. Jenny looked away and nervously played with her fiery red braid. Olivia looked paler than a corpse.

“Did the stew have any meat in it?” Ember asked.

“Oh, some of the very best!” Tabitha exclaimed, trying to share her joy. “Not like that smelly old stuff they serve at the Limp Pony!”

“I’m guessing you weren’t paying attention to what’s been going on outside?” Ember asked Tabitha.

“Why?” Tabitha wondered. “There was this big lion that came and talked with the girl’s dad. He couldn’t fit through the door so they talked outside. The dad said he had a delivery to take care of, but that he’d be back real soon, and that his daughter would arrange the food for us. I-I’m sorry, Beatrice! I tried waiting for you! I thought you’d all be right back! But it smelled so good! And I was so hungry!”

“Did you forget that Ember asked not to eat any meat here?” Beatrice asked.

“B-but she wasn’t here, and I thought...” Tabitha’s voice trailed off.

“Look, Samuel is a butcher,” Beatrice stated calmly. “But where do you think the meat in your stew came from?”

Tabitha shrugged. Then, as if a lightbulb lit up above her head, she raised her hand and called out, “Oh, I know, I know! That delivery that just arrived!”

“Very good,” Beatrice congratulated her like a teacher her pupil. “And do you know where that meat came from that they delivered?”

Tabitha thought for a couple of seconds and then answered, “Does it matter if it’s actually delicious and not the half-spoiled garbage I usually have to live on?”

“Ah,” Beatrice thought about what the mage just said. What must life be like when one of the most basic of human needs is met with about the same quality as what bums would get back in her old, modern world?

The succubus walked up to the little girl, patted her on the head and made a silent vow—I’ll make this world a better place!

“I think I’ll just go lie down somewhere,” Olivia mumbled with a broken spirit. Clearly, she would not have an appetite for quite some time. Beatrice wondered if Olivia got enough nutrition from their time spent together in the woods—No! Concentrate! Beatrice reminded herself.

“For once, you might have the right idea,” Ember said.

The fact, that her bodyguard said that, really surprised Beatrice and clued her in that this evening was truly over.

“Eh? Seriously?” Tabitha seemed the only one that could not (or simply refused) to read the mood. “You won’t even try it?”

Whether it was her succubi nature or the fact that she had not been fooled into unwittingly consuming corpse meat, Beatrice was not as squeamish about trying some fresh vegetables. She went to the table and filled her plate with a little bit of everything that clearly was not meat, nor was it at any point close to any meat.

“Do we have some rooms we’ll be staying in, or—?” Beatrice asked the little girl, Jenny.

“We do keep several rooms prepared at all times,” Jenny answered quietly with a lowered head.

“Since people come here often with new deliveries and to take the processed ‘product’, it is part of their job to also have lodgings available at all times,” Ember explained and also walked up to the table to grab a few things to eat, her hunger getting the better of her. “Though I thought I was clear about the meat.”

Jenny squeaked like a mouse and bowed deeply, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Don’t terrorize the poor girl,” Beatrice scolded Ember.

“‘Poor’, eh?” Ember said.

“Also, make sure to keep these two” —Beatrice pointed at Ember, and then at Olivia—”As far away from each other as possible.”

“Understood!” Jenny replied. “There are three free rooms upstairs and one more on the first floor.”