A Maternal Touch
Step, step, step.
After taking a refreshing bath, I stripped the bedsheets, took a brief nap, and headed down to the dining hall. Though I had managed to catch my breath, my main goal was simply to grab a bite and kill some time until Rachel returned to the inn.
Buzz, buzz.
"Did you hear it last night?"
"Of course I did. I seriously wondered if those were sounds a human being could even make."
"Tsk... To think it was that intense..."
At a table in the center of the room, three burly men were gossiping so loudly that everyone in the dining hall could hear them. Judging by their lewd expressions and hand gestures, they were clearly talking about my passionate encounter with Rachel last night.
Slam!
"Could you please stop talking about such vulgar things first thing in the morning?"
Sophie, emerging from the kitchen with food, slammed a plate onto their table. Sauce and bits of food splattered slightly. The men glared at her at first, but when they saw her glaring back with narrowed eyes and gritting her teeth, they chuckled sheepishly, scratched their heads, and apologized.
"S-Sorry."
"Were we being too loud?"
"Let's just eat. Looks delicious."
"Unbelievable. Hmph."
Turning her head away haughtily, Sophie began stomping back toward the kitchen when her eyes met mine. Her brown hair tossed as she gasped in surprise, her delicate face flushing a deep crimson. She quickly shielded her chest with her tray and bowed politely.
"Oh, h-hello."
"Good morning."
When I bowed back, Sophie gave another quick nod and scurried off to the kitchen. Scratching my head at her hasty retreat, as if she were being chased by something, I took a seat at an empty table.
"Um... Excuse me..."
As I sat there idly tapping my fingers on the table, a soft voice called out to me from the side. With her head lowered, Sophie hesitantly held out the menu. After I took it with a nod, she didn't walk away but stood by, waiting for me to order.
"I'll have the chef's recommendation for today."
I pointed to the dish on the very first page, which had a large thumbs-up icon next to its name. "Y-Yes, right away!" Sophie squeaked, snatching the menu back and dashing into the kitchen.
"What's gotten into her?"
"She seems awfully excited."
I heard the men behind me clicking their tongues and muttering, but I ignored them and kept tapping the table. Once Rachel arrived and we wrapped things up here, we would head to the village. Once there, I needed to pay Minerva a visit. I had many questions for her, and I also owed her a proper thank-you.
Just as I was getting lost in my thoughts, the rapid patter of footsteps echoed. Sophie came running back, her face flushed red as she carried a plate. Hurrying so fast I thought she might trip, she stopped in front of my table and set the plate down with a soft clack.
"Hmm..."
The recommended dish was a beautifully roasted, glistening whole chicken leg garnished with steaming herbs, served alongside a side of mashed potato salad. Since I personally loved chicken, I gave Sophie a nod of appreciation and picked up my fork.
Nod.
Returning my nod, Sophie scurried back to the counter and stood there, stealing glances at me. I wondered why she was acting like a dog that desperately needed to go outside, but I soon brushed it off and focused on my meal.
Jingle, jingle~
"Welcome—oh, Sister!"
Just as I finished stripping the chicken bone and set my fork down on the empty plate, the door chimed. Sophie's bright voice rang out. The rowdy men instantly fell silent, staring blankly with goofy smiles at Rachel as she swept into the inn, her cape fluttering behind her.
"Sophie, I told you to pack your things."
"What luggage? All I need is myself!"
"Oh, you silly girl... Ah, Ma—I mean, Mr. Casano."
Pouting as she scolded Sophie, Rachel's face lit up when she saw me, and she came jogging over. Stopping in front of me with the clicking of her boots, she glanced at my empty plate and leaned in close, radiating warmth.
"How was your meal? Was it delicious?"
"Yes, I quite like chicken."
"Ah, is this the gentleman you mentioned...?"
As I was chatting and smiling with Rachel, an unfamiliar voice suddenly cut into our conversation. Looking up, I realized someone else had entered with Rachel, hidden from my view when she first walked in.
"Ah, yes. Mr. Casano? This is the gentleman who will be purchasing our inn."
As soon as Rachel introduced him, a blond man with a genial impression offered his hand. I took his hand with a smile, giving it a firm, slightly crushing squeeze as we shook.
"Ahem...! Well, we shall proceed with the paperwork, and I will arrange the payment immediately. The terms remain unchanged, correct?"
Wincing slightly at my playful display of dominance, the man quickly withdrew his hand and hid it behind his back. He then turned to Rachel to discuss the sale. Rachel nodded, gesturing around the inn with her hand, inviting him to look around as much as he liked.
"Please keep the current staff employed as agreed, and I will only be taking Sophie with me. May we proceed with the final steps now?"
"Yes, you may collect the payment at our merchant group's local branch. I shall take a look around the premises."
I watched them discuss business matters I cared little about, quietly stepping up behind Rachel. Once they finished, Rachel smiled warmly, linked her arm through mine, and gently led me away.
"I just need to pack up my room, and then we're ready to go. Sophie says she doesn't have any luggage to speak of."
"I'll carry it for you. Where is your room, Rachel?"
"Come with me—there are a few more things to pack. Sophie, dear? Keep our guest company and show him around, would you? We'll be right back after grabbing my things!"
"Okay~!"
Leaving Sophie behind to answer cheerfully, we headed up to Rachel's room. Aside from a wardrobe bursting with an immense collection of clothes, her room was surprisingly sparse. After gathering all her miscellaneous belongings and garments from the minimally furnished space, I stuffed everything into an expansion pouch Rachel had prepared and slung it over my shoulder.
"You've really made it, haven't you? To think you're using something like this."
Surprised by how light the bag felt despite its contents—clearly enchanted with high-grade magic—I looked at Rachel and offered a compliment. Rachel blushed slightly at my praise, though she spoke as if it were only natural.
"Well, I did have a lot of funds to start with. And I was luckier than I expected."
Chatting idly, we left her room and called out to Sophie, who was still guiding the guest—or rather, the new owner of the inn. Sophie really didn't seem to have any luggage; she grabbed a single basket and followed us as we made our way out.
Jingle, jingle~
"Sigh... We're really leaving."
Letting out a deep sigh, Sophie stared wistfully at the inn's sign. I had heard she had been helping Rachel ever since the inn first opened. Unlike Rachel, who looked relieved, Sophie's eyes were filled with a lingering, sorrowful attachment.
"Are you sad to leave, Sophie?"
Rachel, unable to take her eyes off Sophie like a caring older sister, patted the dejected girl's back to comfort her. I couldn't easily empathize with women's sentimental moments, but knowing that opening my mouth at the wrong time would only get me scolded, I kept quiet and watched them.
Step, step.
"They say a new place brings new encounters."
"But Auntie Randy and Mr. Hobbs were always so nice to us..."
"But they have their own families here in the city, don't they?"
Deciding to take a step back and watch Rachel gently coaxing Sophie, who kept looking back until the very end, we made our way toward the merchant group's branch to collect the payment.
Chime.
"Welcome."
The receptionist, a woman neatly dressed in a sky-blue uniform, bowed to the three of us as we entered. She smiled warmly at Rachel.
"How may I help you today?"
"I'm here to collect a payment."
Rachel handed over a certificate. The receptionist's eyes widened slightly upon seeing it, and she bowed once more before speaking.
"I will need to verify this with the branch manager before releasing the funds. Would you mind waiting for a moment?"
"Of course."
"Sure~"
As the receptionist hurried into the back room, I slumped onto a bench against the wall and looked at Rachel. Sitting down beside me with a beautiful smile, Rachel slipped her hand onto my thigh, shielding it from Sophie's view, and spoke affectionately.
"Once this is over, everything is settled. Let's go home."
"Yes, you did a wonderful job."
"It was nothing. Hehe, are you bored?"
Was it that obvious? Feeling a bit embarrassed, I shook my head and looked around the branch office.
"Not at all. There are so many interesting things here. Wow~"
At my obviously fake acting, Rachel covered her mouth and giggled, giving my thigh a playful slap. Hearing the fleshy smack, Sophie's ears perked up, and she shot us a suspicious look. Sensing her gaze, Rachel quickly withdrew her hand and turned her attention back to Sophie.
"But are you really sure about this? Following me..."
"If it weren't for you, Sister, I wouldn't have been able to get a decent job in this city anyway. Those useless mercenary bastards kept spreading rumors about me—"
As Sophie ranted on about how she wasn't easy and how chasing after love shouldn't be a crime, Rachel watched her with warm, maternal eyes. She pulled out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at the corners of Sophie's mouth as the girl spoke passionately.
"Oh, hush now—a lady shouldn't use such language."
"Oh, come on, Sister~"
Watching their dynamic—which felt like a mix of eldest sister and youngest sibling, yet also mother and daughter—with a warm smile, I tapped Rachel's shoulder as I caught the faint sound of approaching footsteps. Rachel turned her gaze away from Sophie toward the door just as the receptionist emerged, placing a fist-sized pouch onto the counter.
"Here you are."
Clink.
Taking the pouch, Rachel reached inside to count the gold coins one by one before bowing politely in gratitude.
"Thank you very much."
"Not at all. Thank you for doing business with our branch. Have a safe journey."
"Thank you."
Chime~
"Whoa, how much is it?"
Sophie, who had been greedily eyeing the pouch while Rachel counted, gasped and clung to Rachel's arm. Rachel gave a wry smile as she slipped the pouch into her handbag.
"About thirty gold coins."
"Whoa... Wow, that's insane!"
"They paid that much?"
When Rachel first arrived in the city, she had less than five gold coins. To think she had sextupled her initial capital... I was astounded by her business acumen. Feeling embarrassed by my reaction, Rachel looked away and explained.
"I met some good people, so I was able to get ingredients and land quite cheaply. And a portion of this payment is for handing over the business connections I built up while running the inn."
She looked so adorable, peering up at me with her head lowered in embarrassment, that I reached out and gently stroked her chin. Rachel leaned into my touch like a purring cat, but she quickly pulled away when she remembered Sophie was watching. Unfortunately, it was already too late.
"I already know you two are in that kind of relationship, so you don't have to hide it, you know?"
"Oh dear..."
Avoiding Sophie's mischievous grin, Rachel blushed furiously and hung her head. I pulled the bashful Rachel into a warm embrace and extended my other hand to Sophie.
"Let's head out. Take my hand, I'm going to use a scroll."
"O-Okay."
Flustered, Sophie reached out and grasped my hand. Feeling her palm, which was slightly rough from years of hard work, I gave it a gentle caress. With my free hand, I pulled a teleportation scroll from my breast pocket, pierced it with my thumb, and ripped it open. Instantly, our surroundings blurred and rippled, and our vision shifted in a flash.
Whoosh.
"Ugh, I feel dizzy..."
"That felt so weird..."
Having never traveled by scroll before, both of them struggled with the sudden vertigo, but I was perfectly fine. I supported Rachel as she stumbled, waiting for them to adjust before leading them toward Tsuruka's house.
Step, step.
Meeting the curious gazes of the passing beastkin, Sophie shrank back slightly and whispered to Rachel.
"Wow, they're real beastkin...!"
"Of course. I told you, Mr. Casano is the Chief of this village."
"But aren't you two in love? Why do you call him so formally as 'Mr.'?"
"Oh, Sophie, please..."
Chatting as they followed me, we arrived at Tsuruka's house. I opened the door and stepped inside. Unlike the quiet foyer, the faint murmur of voices and the heavy presence in the air suggested that everyone was gathered in Tsuruka's office.
Creak, creak.
Stepping onto the creaking stairs, I headed up to the second floor. I signaled for the hesitant Rachel and Sophie to wait outside, then knocked on the door of Tsuruka's office.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
The moment I knocked, Tsuruka's unusually cold voice granted permission from within. Signaling the two to wait, I pushed the door open. Once I sensed the presence of the people inside, I finally understood why Tsuruka's tone had been so icy.
"Y-You're back?"
Sierra, who had been nervously tapping her fingers on the desk under the weight of an inexplicable hostility, brightened up the moment she saw my face. Meanwhile, Tsuruka, who had been glaring coldly at Sierra, stiffened even further when she saw Sierra greet me.
"You have returned, Seobang-nim."
Her golden tail, which usually wagged so gently, was puffed up to twice its size and stood completely rigid. Seeing her tail bristling with such intense irritation, I could practically feel her anger radiating across the room.
Eruka was avoiding my gaze like a scolded puppy, and even Haruna looked away, having clearly failed to explain things to Tsuruka despite my prior warning. Faced with this absolute disaster of a welcoming party, my head began to throb, and I found myself averting my eyes from Tsuruka's piercing glare.
"I already knew you were a libertine, Seobang-nim, but to bring other women here without a single word of warning..."
I shot a desperate look at Haruna, pleading with her to do something, but she only mouthed 'S-Sorry' and sheepishly hung her head. As I stood there sweating, wondering how on earth to defuse Tsuruka's hostility toward these unfamiliar women, a clear, melodious voice rang out from behind me.
"Mr. Casano, why are you just standing at the door? Oh my, hello! It is a pleasure to meet you all."
Nudging past me as I hovered awkwardly in the doorway, Rachel stepped into the room. She didn't bat an eye at the icy atmosphere, offering a bright, warm greeting instead. Even Tsuruka, who had been maintaining her stern posture, blinked in surprise at Rachel's radiant presence and took a step back.
"W-Who might you be?"
"I am Rachel. Mr. Casano asked me to come and live here in the village. Oh, you're a human! How lovely to meet you. You can call me big sister."
"Ah, yes... Nice to meet you, Sister...?"
"And what a lovely group of beastkin ladies! Oh, are you the eldest daughter...? It's a pleasure. This is my first time meeting beastkin, so please forgive me if I make any social blunders."
"Ah... Y-Yes. Likewise."
Chatting warmly, Rachel greeted Sierra with a bright smile before immediately approaching Haruna, who had been watching with her arms crossed.
Rachel eagerly offered her hand. Haruna, taking it in a daze, shot a bewildered look at me standing behind Rachel, but I merely shrugged in response.
"And is your name Tsuruka, dear? Mr. Casano has told me so much about you. You are absolutely gorgeous~ Just look at how glossy your hair and tail are. Why were you looking so upset earlier?"
"O-Oh, it wasn't that I was upset, it's just..."
"Well, instead of standing around like this, why don't we all have a cup of tea and chat? I brought some wonderful tea leaves with me."
Proving she wasn't just making empty conversation, Rachel pulled a packet of tea leaves from her basket. She gently guided the hesitant Tsuruka into a chair, greeted the timidly watching Eruka with a warm smile, and made sure to share a friendly word with everyone in the room.
"Could you wait outside for a bit? Mr. Casano, would you mind taking my luggage up to my room? We girls would like to have a private chat."
"Ah, yes, of course. I'll get right on that."
"Sophie, dear. Come and help me."
"Yes, Sister!"
Sophie, her face flushed with excitement, scurried after Rachel. Even Sierra, who had been looking thoroughly displeased by Tsuruka's hostility, relaxed her expression and began observing the other women with a poised, elegant air.
I had thought about stepping in to resolve the tension myself, but doing so would have wasted Rachel's thoughtful effort. Respecting her wishes, I gathered the luggage and quietly slipped out of the office. As I closed the door and headed toward the stairs, the faint sound of soft laughter drifting from the room brought a smile to my face, and I went on my way.