The Place Where a Beast's Bitches Belong! (3)
The lively laughter of rowdy patrons echoed through my pub, Horse Hof. Word that a Divine Beast owned the place must've been great advertising, because we'd moved past the opening rush and were doing steady business now. The tables were nearly full. Most of the customers looked like adventurers... not bad at all. If sales kept up like this, I could just buy all the ingredients wholesale without a hitch. Sure, because of the business license I'd registered, I had to hunt once or twice a month myself, but even that was bringing in enough to live comfortably. Perfect. It wasn't some massive moneymaker like a fancy tavern, but this was solid retirement income.
"Haa... it's been a while since I've been in an atmosphere like this."
While I soaked in the satisfaction of watching my customers, Seres gazed around at the adventurers with a nostalgic look, like she was lost in memories. It was just a light beer to go with her meal, but it was enough alcohol to loosen her up. Her eyes held a faint wistfulness as she stared at the crowd, as if old memories were surfacing.
Hmm... she'd mentioned being an adventurer before. Had she hung out in dives like this back in the day?
"Seres sis, have you been to pubs like this before?"
"Before I reclaimed my noble title, I was just a regular adventurer. I came to places like this pretty often back then."
Klea, who'd finished her work and joined us, asked Seres as if reading my mind. Looked like my Seres had quite the life experience... might as well hear some stories over drinks tonight.
"Whoa, I always thought you were born for nobility, sis."
"Hehe. I was born into a noble house, but my parents passed before I could inherit the title. No choice but to make do. In the kingdom, if you don't meet the conditions, your noble status can be stripped away overnight."
Seres gave a wry smile and took a sip of her beer.
"Ah~ brings back memories... Back then, I was so prickly, I'd freeze any guys who hit on me in a place like this..."
"Pfft! For real? Our noble lady Seres did that?"
"Radia was still rebuilding back then, so the adventurers were pretty low-quality. Most of the shops were rundown compared to this place."
"Poor Seres, you had it rough... Here, drink up. Drink."
"Hehe. Yes, with you and Master Sema too♡"
"Kyaa~ Sis, cheers!"
We clinked glasses at the table with my bitches and downed another round. Grr... my Seres drank so elegantly. Even with all her stories, she was noble through and through.
"Puhah... but I still can't wrap my head around a monster turning Radia into such a mess. What the hell came out?"
"It was a monster invasion numbering over ten thousand. And mixed in were powerful ones like dragons."
Ten thousand? Plus dragons? All the monsters and demon beasts I'd encountered so far wouldn't even hit that number. Where the fuck did that many come from?
"No wonder you hate monsters, Seres. They swept through like that... makes me feel bad."
"Oh my. You're nothing like those monsters, Master Sema♡ Meeting you has made me so incredibly happy♡"
I patted her shoulder reassuringly, and she leaned into me with a smile. That expression was full of affection, like she was gazing at a lover—not a monster.
Yeah. For this bitch, it didn't matter if I was a monster or whatever. Seres was my devoted female now, bound to me.
...But Lizbet and Klea at the table had weird looks on their faces. What was up? Jealous that Seres was leaning on me? Nah... they were staring at her like they were enjoying something...?
"...Radia must mean the world to you, sis, since you protected it like that."
"Yeah... it's like my whole life."
"Hehe... so humans causing trouble in Radia are basically your enemies?"
"Of course, Liz. Back in the day, I even punished nobles for illegal shit myself."
"What about the Master? More precious than your husband?"
"Hehe... Lately, my husband's just seemed so pathetic... I don't even care what happens to him anymore."
"Ahaha♡ Got it♡"
Hmm? Why were they asking that now? Seres would swear loyalty to me soon anyway. Why the probing...?
"But why ask—"
"Ah, fuck! Just sit down!!"
Before I could finish, a rough male voice boomed through the pub.
"Haa. I said let go."
"Fuck, just have one drink with us! Why you gotta play hard to get!"
"I'm not interested in customers. Let go."
Looking toward the voice, I saw Luna—my bunny girl employee and one of the Beast's slaves—with her wrist grabbed by two drunk-looking adventurers.
"Aigoo. Just when I thought we were done with this shit..."
Obvious drunk assholes. Even if our slaves were beauties, back off when they say no. Ugh... always some pricks like this. Just eat and leave nicely.
"Ah, M-Master... I mean, boss!"
"Boss...? Huh? W-What the fuck, a monster...!"
"Hands off my staff. Unless you wanna die."
The cocky-looking adventurers flinched at my glare and let go of Luna. I nodded for her to head to the kitchen, then sized them up. New faces... wait, they hadn't even drunk much? Tsk. Harassing without being wasted? Impressive assholes.
"No charge for you. Get out."
"W-What!? This fucking Divine Beast-run place is actually run by a monster?"
"Don't know me? Newbies, huh? We don't serve crazies. Out."
"Ah, fuck you monster bitch, who the hell do you think—!"
Oh? Getting into stance? These fuckers weren't here for booze or girls—something else?
"Let go, you monster fuck! Who the fuck do you think you are—!"
"Hey, hey, shut up and leave~. Unless you want dragged out..."
"Fuck that!!!"
With curses, their fists flew at me. Child's play. Coming at me barehanded? Wait, shit—they had knives.
"Ah, fuck!"
I dodged the dagger quick, but it grazed my shoulder, slicing my clothes. A bit of dark red blood seeped out. These motherfuckers drew weapons!? Die...
- Craaaack!!
Before I could counter, a freezing sound rang out, and the table with me and the assholes iced over. Everything but me—precise magic targeting just them. Turning, I saw Seres with a furious glare, hand extended this way.
"You trash... dare...!"
She approached with sharp clicks of her heels. Standing beside me, she spat curses at the frozen duo.
"Daring to harm Master Sema... in my city no less...!"
"F-Fuck! Who the hell are you!"
"U-Unfreeze us now! Do you know who we—!"
"Ha...! Do you know who I am!?"
"Fuck! Dressed like a whore...!"
- Boom!
Seres stomped the floor in rage, a magic circle blooming under her as countless ice shards materialized in the air. The adventurers paled, trembling at the sharp ice aimed at them.
In the now-silent pub, a murmur slipped out.
"I-Ice Witch... n-no, the Lord's wife...?"
Oh ho... some still recognized her? My Seres was famous, huh? That's right, folks. This is my bitch, the Ice Witch.
"You filthy trash! By my authority as Radia's Lord's wife and Countess, I sentence you to summary execution!"
"W-What...? Lord's wife...? Countess...?"
"H-Hey, this ain't what we—"
"Yess~♡ Sis♡ Hold on♡"
As enraged Seres reached to finish them, Lizbet intervened, stopping her.
"Liz! Trash like this needs to be iced now—!"
"Hehe♡ True, but lots of eyes here, and magic might wreck the place? This is Master's pub♡"
"...R-Right... can't destroy Master Sema's pub..."
"Hehe♡ Klea's fetching soldiers. I'll hand 'em over, so calm down and check Master's wound♡ Be back with Klea soon♡"
"I-It's just a scratch... I can handle—"
"It's fine♡ I'll deal with this♡"
This was nothing compared to what Cecilia dished out... anyway, my Lizbet worried too much.
"...Sis. Even among humans, there's so much trash, huh?"
"Really. Haa... I thought Radia's citizens had leveled up, but these guys still..."
"Looks like Radia needs a purge, right?"
"Yeah. Who knows how many like this are in the city..."
"Humans are hopeless, aren't they?"
"...Yeah. Humans... hopeless..."
Lizbet stroked Seres gently, her words laced with seductive temptation. Hmm... my bitches' chats were sometimes beyond me.
"Hehe...♡ I'll hand off the trash♡ Wait a sec~♡"
"W-Wait, Lord's wife...!"
"W-We just...!"
"Shut up♡ Let's go♡"
"Gah! Ah, w-wait...!"
Lizbet snapped her fingers, dragging the still-frozen pair outside. As the troublemakers left, whispers filled the quiet pub again.
Hmm. My customers must've been spooked. No choice—time for the boss to comp 'em big.
"Ah~. Unexpected guests, sorry for the noise. Folks! As apology, free beer for everyone here tonight!"
"Ooh! Divine Beast bro, you're the man!"
"Protecting your staff? Hot~"
"Lord's wife still got it! Come back to adventuring!"
The pub buzzed back to life at "free beer." Seres shyly ducked her head at the middle-aged adventurers calling her. We returned to our seats, laughing as we waited for Lizbet and Klea.
"L-Lord's wife...! What the hell...!"
"W-Wait! Miss! We were just...!"
"Yess~♡ Shut your traps♡ You trash♡"
In an alley a short walk from Maou Castle, the red-haired mage flicked her hand, leading the two men deeper into the shadows. A dim back alley where even moonlight faded, utterly dark and deserted.
After walking far enough, a golden-haired woman appeared ahead.
"Ah~ heavy. Useless trash weighs a ton."
"Good work♡ Liz♡"
Lizbet giggled as she dropped the pair before Saintess Klea.
"S-Saintess! This ain't what we agreed!"
"You said church outcasts causing a scene— not Lord's wife!"
"Now nobles have our number! What now!?"
The men crawled, bodies half-melted, protesting to Klea. She ignored them completely, not even glancing as she asked Lizbet.
"One each?"
"Hehe♡ Gonna burn 'em anyway♡"
"Hehe. You used a lot of Esser dragging 'em? Just torch the corpses♡"
At the ominous exchange, the men sensed something wrong. The women felt inhuman, chills crawling over them, teeth chattering.
"S-Saintess...? W-Why...?"
"W-Wait... miss, why raise your hand..."
- Boom!!
- Spurt!!
"Gaaaaahhh!!!"
"Kek...!?"
One man burst into flames. The other gushed blood from his throat. Lizbet's hand held a fire magic circle; Klea's, a sharp dagger. Like clockwork, the two women snuffed out the lives of the adventurers who'd come to Radia dreaming of glory.
"Gaaah! W-Water!! Aaaah!!"
"Kek, glrk...! S-Saint...!"
"Screaming louder than expected. Okay?"
"Hehe. That's why we trained the slaves, right? Cheap sound-dampeners blocking the alley—enough for here."
Looking back as they laughed, hazy figures of women appeared deeper in—holding low-grade magic tools to muffle sound, spread out guarding the alley.
"Gaaaaah! Aaaah!!"
"Louder than pigs. Die already."
"Humans even make dying annoying."
The two beasts gazed coldly at the dying men, eyes full of disgust and revulsion.
"......"
Just like that, the two adventurers became corpses. Kicking them aside, Lizbet and Klea stretched, job done.
"Hehe. Luxurious death for humans."
"Yeah. They tested Seres sis—honorable mission♡"
"Giggle♡ That's all humans are good for?"
"Exactly, Liz. Hehe...♡ Now torch the bodies and head back."
"Yeah♡ Master's waiting♡"
The red-haired mage laughed wickedly in the alley, reigniting the corpses. Done, the two bitches exited the shadows.
"Seres sis verified—fun weekend ahead♡"
"Her status opens doors♡"
"Can't wait. Hehe...♡"
The beasts' crime faded quietly into the night.