Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Beast's Pride # 1
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Elga basically likes pretty and beautiful things.
Whether it's men or women, animals or objects, she has a hobby of wanting to collect anything beautiful that catches her eye.
Of course, Elga herself was backed by the wealth to buy most things.
It wasn't on the level of the Belhawk family, but the Liones family was still one of the major conglomerates renowned for its affluence.
"Hey, Theo. What do you think of this? A white hat. Think it'd suit me?"
As always, dressed in her red dress, Elga placed a wide-brimmed, tall white hat on her head and asked me.
My hands were already laden with over a dozen hats and clothing items, and the thought of adding one more made me feel like I was dying inside.
Of course, with the sudden appearance of such a big spender, the young madam of the clothing store "Winged Garb" didn't bother hiding her delight as she chattered on about the merchandise.
"That's a hat made from Barbury lion's silver mane fur. It lets air through in the summer. Naturally blocks rain and dew too. The feather is from a long-tailed peacock—"
"Lion mane? Nice, I have to buy this too. Perfect for the eldest daughter of Liones."
In the end, from morning until lunchtime, Elga had spent roughly 30 gold coins.
Using up over two and a half years' living expenses for a family of four in half a day.
"Alright, Theo. Next, how about a shoe store? I saw a place nearby displaying some shoes I liked. Glass slippers."
Glass slippers?
Just how extravagant and pricey could those be?
Anyway.
Being dragged around while accompanying a woman's shopping was far more boring and tedious than imagined.
What made it barely tolerable was the hint Elga had given me that morning as she left her chambers.
—I'll give you a nice reward once the shopping's done.
A nice reward.
—Are you planning to kiss me again by any chance?
—No, not that.
A reward that wasn't a kiss.
I couldn't help being curious about what it might be.
It could really be something good.
Something nice.
I wished the shopping would end quickly.
But looking at her now, Elga seemed intent on scouring the entire Holy Kingdom of Gracia until sunset, buying up jewels and clothes galore.
"Hey, Theo. What do you think? These glass slippers. Try them on for me."
At that moment, Elga, seated on a chair in the shoe store, extended something straight toward me.
It was her leg. A leg stretched out slenderly like a giraffe's neck.
Beneath the side-slit red dress, Elga's thighs and legs looked smooth and glossy.
Especially the beautiful ankle flowing from her calf and her small, white foot—they were like works of art.
I slipped the glass slipper on and asked,
"Won't it be uncomfortable? It feels like real glass."
"They say it's enchanted by dwarf magic? Not too bad. But what I want to know is, does it look pretty? Does it suit me well or not?"
No matter what I said, Elga already seemed set on buying them—what was the point of asking?
Dizzy at the sight of the 50-gold price tag, I knew I shouldn't but ended up snarking anyway.
"Lady Elga's legs are long and slender like a deer's, so anything would look pretty on them anyway."
"What, stating the obvious?"
「Fatal Charm!
Job: Lecher's level has risen.
Lecher Lv. 3 → Lv. 4
You can now skillfully perform even more obscene seductions!」
"Alright, then I'll buy them. Charge it to the voucher. Put it on the Liones family tab."
Elga whipped her flushed-from-shopping face to the side and stood up.
The bearded dwarf shopkeeper, who had been watching anxiously from beside her, spoke up awkwardly.
"Um... this item is already reserved for a distinguished customer... for 50 gold..."
"Then I'll take it for 100 gold. That settle it? And is there anyone more distinguished than me, Elga von Liones? If anyone complains, just name-drop me. I'll take responsibility."
"Oh, thank you—"
The beaming shoe store owner.
—Hehe, time for a few years' vacation!
As soon as Elga left, he shut the shop door. Probably thrilled at the pile of gold he'd made today.
"Alright then. Shopping's done for now. It's about lunchtime—shall we eat? Theo, know any good spots around here for food?"
I'm new here too—how would I know?
Of course, while trailing Elga, I'd scoped out every corner of Gracia city.
The clean, planned streets were arranged in neat circles around the grand cathedral and the Academy Arc like a dartboard.
With highly advanced magitech, the streets were spotless, and even a ground-level circulator train ran through. No clue how it worked. That's fantasy for you.
If it were a vacation trip, it'd feel great.
"No good places in mind? Then we'll go where I scouted earlier?"
* * *
I followed Elga into a rundown alleyway.
I'd expected somewhere slicing meat and swigging wine where a single meal cost ten gold.
But Elga kept heading into seedier areas?
Squelch, squelch.
The road was potholed and muddy, and I could see Elga's glass slippers getting filthy in an instant.
"Pretty sure it was around here somewhere..."
But Elga's eyes were too busy scanning signs to watch her step. At this rate, she'd step right into that puddle.
I kinda wanted to see Elga freak out over getting muddy, but taking the full brunt of her rage sounded horrific.
"Pardon the intrusion."
So I grabbed Elga's arm and pulled her toward me.
"Whoa—"
Her body lurched dramatically into my arms but she barely regained balance and looked up.
"What the hell?"
"No, there's a puddle right there. Your glass slippers would've been ruined."
"...I saw the puddle. More importantly, they really are dirty already."
"Rest your foot on my knee. I'll clean it."
I knelt on one knee to the ground. Then placed Elga's foot on my other knee and wiped off the mud with my handkerchief.
Swipe, swipe.
"Hey! Everyone's staring! They'll think I'm some prissy bitch!"
Elga seemed flustered, her hair standing slightly on end, but having done this with Aira before, it wasn't embarrassing for me.
It was common for squires, after all.
Just seemed Elga, unladylike as she was, had no tolerance for it.
"Don't do this again. Got it? It... doesn't make much difference anyway..."
Getting scolded after helping. Shouldn't have bothered.
「Indifferent aid. Lewd gentleman's virtue.
Gained job experience for ‘Lecher.’ +50」
Still, the points went up, so I felt pretty good. Wasn't intentional, though. Does this count as skinship?
"Anyway, here it is. I scoped it out earlier!"
The place Elga led me to was your standard adventurer inn doubling as a tavern on the first floor and lodging on the upper floors.
Yeah, like it evoked the "Nymph's Brookside Tavern" on the outskirts of Angmar Monarch City?
—I'll sacrifice five pawns to summon the Obelisk's giant pawn. That wipes out all your knights.
—Eeeek!
The first floor was packed with patrons already—playing card games or chess, drinking, or drunkenly belting out songs.
It was utter disorder unfit for the Liones lady, making me grimace.
But Liones grinned, flashing her fangs like she was thrilled.
"Nice, packed house. Places like this often hide real gems."
And with the click-clack of her glass slippers, she strode inside.
At Elga's entrance, the eyes of the drunken men instantly locked onto us.
—Hey, check her out. Who is that? Was there a girl that pretty around here?
—Dunno. Some noble's daughter? Nah, no noble daughter comes here. High-class whore maybe? Got a servant with her.
—Isn't that Mirna Draco? Heard the Draco family's only daughter was visiting Gracia...
A beauty draws stares and speculation wherever she goes.
Felt it wandering with Aira too—stunning women attract excess attention. And they pegged me as the servant. Kinda irksome.
Guy and girl together, and no one thinks lovers?
Slightly miffed.
"Right this way—!"
Under the cheery waitress's guidance, Elga and I sat at a wiped-down table.
Wiped-down, sure, but with a rag, so it was still greasy and slick.
"Here's the menu—pick what you want and call me!"
Peeking at the menu, the priciest item was 10-copper pork.
5-copper stew. 3-copper beer. Reminded me of cheap college-town dives.
"Wonder what's good. I'm great at picking these."
I watched Elga pore over the wooden menu. Finally, I couldn't hold back and asked what was bugging me.
"Never expected Lady Elga to eat commoner fare like this."
"What, you think I'd sip wine daintily, slice meat with a knife, dab my mouth with a napkin?"
"Well, yes. As the lady of a great noble house, luxurious things suit you better..."
"Yeah, fair enough. Can't blame you. I do look elegantly noble."
Saying that about herself should come off obnoxious, but Elga pulled it off. She really was elegant.
"But I've chewed on tasteless jerky in the field plenty. Compared to outposts piled with barbarian corpses, this is a hotel."
Ah, right.
She's like a battle-hardened high school girl vet.
Anywhere's tolerable compared to warzones.
In the end, Elga sliced into the sizzling meat served on a hot stone plate and devoured it.
It was like thick pork belly—sizzling away, surprisingly tasty.
Juicy chunks dipped in a sauce like ssamjang? Pure bliss. Gracia, church city, has damn good food.
Elga polished off two plates and ordered a third to finish.
Where does all that food go?
To her chest?
Slide—.
Naturally, my eyes drifted to Elga's bosom.
Hidden by the dress now, but recalling licking and sucking them yesterday got me all riled up.
In hindsight, wished I'd savored the view longer.
Truly nymph-friendly, ample and alluring shape... Wait, nymph-friendly shape? Why am I phrasing it like that?
I shook off the nymphish thoughts and refocused.
Soon, having emptied all the plates, Elga wiped grease from her lips with her fingertips and stood.
"Let's head out now."
"More shopping? Still stuff to buy?"
"Nah. Shopping's over. For now, anyway. Promised, right? Nice reward if you stuck with me today."
"Ah—."
"Innkeep, got a room upstairs?"
Elga rented a room upstairs with surprising deftness. A corner room on the second floor with a wardrobe, table, chair, window...
Nah, none of that mattered—it had a big bed fit for two. Freshly laundered quilt looked fluffy.
Alone with a woman in a room like this, I couldn't help tensing up.
Rustle.
Then Elga removed her white lion-silver mane hat and hung it on a hook in the corner.
She gathered her hair behind her head with both arms, tying it up.
Stroke, stroke.
Revealing her smooth, white armpits that stabbed at my eyes.
Maybe I'd get to fondle her breasts again if lucky?
Undeniably nymph-friendly beautiful ones.
Thinking that got me hard again.
「Such nymphish thoughts...!
Gained job experience for ‘Half-Fairy’...! +50」
「Job: Half-Fairy's level has risen...!
Half-Fairy Lv. 3 → Lv. 4
You can now take even more nymph-like actions and thoughts...!」
What the— this Half-Fairy thing racks up XP at every chance.
No idea what it is, but more XP's good, right?
Anyway, hoping for a glimpse of that tender flesh—and.
Elga's blue eyes narrowed like a beast eyeing prey, but her words weren't what I'd expected.
"Theo Gospel. No matter how I think about it, it doesn't seem fair. Me showing you alone feels kinda humiliating as Liones eldest daughter."
"What are you getting at?"
Elga's eyes narrowed even thinner.