Chapter 41
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Squirrel's Tears (3)
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The sticky, chewy texture felt in my palm.
Not too soft, not overly elastic... exactly like glutinous rice cake.
I thought I'd groped too roughly, but apparently not.
A vibration ran through my arm.
It was Lulu's trembling hand that was causing it.
I hadn't expected her to be this bold.
As I stared at her blankly, Lulu's eyelids fluttered anxiously.
"...Sorry."
Lulu bowed her head deeply, trying to push my arm away with her hand.
As if she'd suddenly felt ashamed of her own actions.
"Uh... um."
I felt strength in the soft hand touching my arm, but I resisted by tensing my own.
Lulu's eyes widened in surprise as she looked straight at my face.
We'd already come this far—what was the harm in a little cheek fondling?
Without a word, I slowly moved my thumb.
As I gently brushed under Lulu's eye, her shoulders twitched.
"Ah?"
Here, actions would speak louder than words.
Part of it was that I didn't like how she'd burst into tears just because my response was a bit late.
Lulu's eyes gradually closed at my touch.
The force pushing my arm away weakened bit by bit.
The tail attached to Lulu's butt swayed gently.
Probably a sign she was feeling good.
This wasn't what I wanted—it was what Lulu wanted.
For the next 30 minutes, I planned to grant whatever she desired.
I had no idea why Lulu had suddenly become so dependent.
Aside from suspecting it had something to do with that guy named Hospil.
But if I kept indulging her like this, her favorability would surely rise.
I soon stopped my moving fingers.
"Ah...."
A sigh of regret escaped Lulu's lips.
Even after just a brief touch, her disappointment was plain to see.
I could feel her hand fidgeting on my arm.
As if debating whether to pull or push.
To spare her further hesitation, I pressed my palm firmly against her cheek.
Her rice-cake-like cheek squished right under the pressure.
"Eee...."
Lulu's face molded to the shape of my hand.
Yet she didn't pull away—instead, she just quietly gazed at my face.
Her eyes looked so desperate.
The sobbing, wailing girl from moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
Now that I knew the answer, I kneaded her cheeks like dough.
Her cheeks deformed freely in my grasp.
Lulu's tail swished left and right faster than before.
She wasn't rubbing her face against my hand like earlier, but every time my hand made contact, she seemed to feel better and better.
Thinking about it, I hadn't done much for Lulu lately... yet her reactions made her seem like a pet.
She showed no sign of rejecting my touch, so there had to be a reason.
Time Limit: 24min 20sec
Goal: Lulu Favorability '50', Pleasure '70'
Temporary Status: Favorability (25) / Pleasure (0)
Her favorability, which had dipped, was steadily climbing.
Lulu's tearful expression had brightened dramatically from before.
......Well, did the reason even matter? Maybe she just liked my looks, or maybe the situation left her no choice.
At this rate, just fondling her face would be enough to meet the favorability goal.
But I also needed to raise her pleasure level, so I couldn't stop here.
This wasn't a Body Search, so her pleasure wouldn't budge at all.
I'd have to get bolder, create an opening, and finish with a Body Search.
That's when her ears atop her head caught my eye.
I'd seen elf ears and human ears, but animal ears like these were by far the most intriguing.
Ears on a human head—what romance.
Lulu's ears, covered in soft fuzz.
I moved my resting hand to her ear.
Lulu's pupils followed my left hand heading toward the top of her head.
"W-Wait... not there."
Lulu startled when she saw where my left hand was headed.
But with no intention of stopping, my thumb stroked the edge of her ear.
The fuzz on her ear tickled my thumb.
Lulu fidgeted restlessly, staring at my face with a desperate look.
I couldn't tell if she wanted me to stop or keep going.
'If she hates it, she'll say so.'
Lulu's lips parted, then she bit her lower lip hard.
Her moist lips dented under her front teeth.
Her eyes slowly closed—probably feeling good.
With my left hand, I massaged the rim of her ear; with my right, I kneaded her cheek like dough.
"......"
"......"
How long had I been kneading? Her tail fluttered from left to right, right to left, catching my eye.
A tail as big as my lower body slicing through the air right in front of me—it was impossible to ignore.
'I want to touch it.'
A desire welled up from deep inside.
The first beastkin I'd seen since arriving here, and that tail was impossible to overlook.
The way it swayed so temptingly made me want to grab it just once.
"Eh...?"
Just then, Lulu tilted her head too far and lost her balance.
She'd been too focused on the sensation.
Lulu toppled toward my left leg with a thud.
Fortunately, she clung to it, eyes wide in shock.
Her posture had her gripping my leg while thrusting her butt skyward.
I felt her warm breath on my leg.
Her moist lips pressed against it, the sensation penetrating even through my clothes.
But even in this moment, I couldn't pay attention to the fallen Lulu.
Her massive tail was blocking my entire view.
A hole in her waist above her butt.
Lulu's fluffy tail emerging from it.
The tail that had been swaying seductively moments ago now stood perfectly still.
Right in front of my eyes.
I couldn't hold back my desire any longer and roughly grabbed Lulu's tail.
The fluffy fur enveloped my entire hand and more.
"Eeeeek!"
As I yanked it, Lulu's back arched like a bow downward.
Startled, she chomped down on my leg while still holding it.
Even for a small girl like Lulu, her chipmunk beastkin bite hurt worse than the saintess's.
The saintess had only sucked blood.
Lulu seemed intent on tearing my leg off.
The sudden pain in my leg made me yank her tail straight up.
Her hands released my leg with a snap.
"Hweee...."
One hand still gripping the tail, I used the other to sit Lulu up straight.
Then I pulled my leg away from her to check the painful spot.
The new uniform from the Hero had a hole chewed through it after just two days.
Blood oozed red from the gap.
"S-Sorry... I'm so sorry...."
Seeing the wound, Lulu's body trembled violently.
Blood was slowly soaking my clothes.
The wound itself didn't look too deep.
Our size difference probably helped.
The saintess could heal it later anyway, so it was fine.
But Lulu had no way of knowing that.
"......"
Lulu fidgeted, breaking out in cold sweat.
Her gaze was fixed on the wound on my leg.
It was my fault for grabbing her tail too hard, but Lulu's face had drained of color.
She seemed deeply shocked at having hurt someone directly.
And suddenly, an idea flashed through my mind on how to exploit this situation perfectly.
"Haah...."
I let out a deep sigh and turned my back to Lulu.
Without a word, I headed to the desk.
"You can go now."
"Huh?"
I spoke in a flat tone, then sat in the chair.
My eyes fixed on the documents on the desk, not Lulu.
"I'll write up a document in your name."
"U-Um...."
"Oh, and I'll open the trade route right away, so don't worry."
It was a gamble.
If Lulu agreed and left now, I'd fail both quests.
But this gamble had solid grounds.
Time Limit: 12min 02sec
Goal: Lulu Favorability '50', Pleasure '70'
Temporary Status: Favorability (35) / Pleasure (0)
Favorability at 35.
In just 18 minutes, it had risen quite a bit.
This was close to the level of a close friend—one of the highest possible.
Even chatting all day made raising it by 3 tough.
This growth rate was absurd.
But time was critically short.
12 minutes to raise favorability by 15 and pleasure by 70.
I needed some kind of variable.
I slowly filled out the document on the desk.
"......"
Lulu said nothing.
I was curious about her expression, but I kept my eyes glued to the document, not sparing her a glance.
After roughly finishing it, I stood and approached her.
Truth be told, I was nervous.
Failing this quest would hit me hard.
No—restarting from suicide might be better.
So I avoided her gaze as best I could to hide my emotions.
"Here."
"......"
Her skin was pallid, her shoulders shaking.
I held out the document in front of such a Lulu.
She flinched and met my eyes.
Tears welled up in her eyes, ready to spill any second.
Her lips quivered as if desperate to say something.
But the moment she looked at me, I whipped my head away.
"We're not doing anything noble here, so we won't hold you accountable. Just go."
I spoke to her in the coldest tone imaginable—no trace of mercy.
"No... ah."
Lulu snatched the document with trembling hands.
"Next time you visit, I'll write down your wish for that Hospil guy."
"......"
As the paper left my hand, I stepped toward the door.
"You're about to become guild master, Lulu—you must be busy."
"Wait...."
Lulu seemed to be holding back bursting tears, trying to speak.
But I ignored her, placing my hand on the doorknob.
As if to say I'd open it, so hurry up and leave.
"......"
Lulu bit her lip and slowly walked toward me.
-Click... click...
Her small frame meant tiny steps.
It took a while.
And finally, Lulu stood before me.
"Goodbye. Lulu... no."
"......"
"Miss Shasha."
For the finale... I drew a line with Lulu.
As if once she stepped through this door, we'd be strangers again.
Tears finally streamed down Lulu's cheeks.
In under 30 minutes, I'd become trash who'd made a girl cry three times.