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Their food was delicious…. So much that I actually cried. I’ve just fully experienced the reason why hunger’s called the greatest spice. Wait, so even in this kind of state I still couldn’t eat the bandit’s jerky, huh.

Seeing me crying in bliss, they gave me various food in succession. But honestly, even if I’m hungry, my body’s capacity is just how it seems. Not only is my stomach small, but my mouth’s also pretty small too, you know? So I can’t really eat that much.

In small bites, I restlessly eat the sweets they gave me like some small animal. Then suddenly, I felt a strange presence. I instantly moved away, and without dropping the food from my hands, I took a defensive position. Immediately after that, I was hugged tightly from behind.

「Ah~!! What’s with this cute little thing!?!? Grim! This girl! Can we keep her!?」
「Wh-what’re you-!?」

Behind me is the robe-wearing Arisa, hugging me tightly while rubbing her face on my cheeks. The soft things resting on my back and the fact that a woman’s lips are right by my side is making my heart race. Ahh, amazing, so soft.

「We can’t! I mean, she’s our benefactor too so…」
「Nonono, Leader, the way you’re saying it sounds wrong too, you know.」
「That right, Lily’s not a pet!」
「Nn~, so smooth~」

Grimhart opposed Arisa’s irresponsible request, but Grey and Lysha also objected to what his answer implied. That’s right, I’m not a pet you know!? But, well, if I can enjoy this softness then… Ehehe. Ahh, it feels like paradise.

「W-wait, stop!! Lily’s eyes are turning white!! Arisa, it’s too tight, you’re choking her!!!」
「Smooth~……Eh? A-ahhhhh!!」
「cough…cough…」

Rather than it just feeling like paradise, I was seriously about to go to paradise… Wait, the place where that Pig God resided was called Heaven, right? Well either way, in just two days I was about to die a second time, huh…. That was really close.

「Arisa, hugging is now forbidden!」
「Ehhhh!?」
「Forbidden!!」
「…..Yesh.」

And so, I was forced to order Arisa’s Hugging Ban. Not being able to enjoy that softness is really regrettable, but if it means risking my life, then that’s a bit of a problem. Also, I feel like I’m going to lose my self-control….

「Hahaha, at any rate, it’s good that we’re all safe. As the client, I would also like to offer you my gratitude.」
「Ah, well, I just did what was natural.」
「Natural, you say?」

As he said so, he narrows his eyes and glances towards the now frozen goblins. He’s the wagon’s owner, Mozes Breut. It seems like he, along with his wife Daria, his son Theo, and his assistant Matt, were on their way home traveling from the Empire to the Kingdom. Mozes is the Breut Company’s President, and he was heading to the Empire to stock up on goods, he said.

「If I may be bold to ask, Lily, which Guild are you affiliated to?」
「Guild?」
「…Well then, may I ask for your Rank?」
「Rank?」
「……」

Even if you ask me about my Guild or Rank, I don’t have the slightest idea of how to answer. In the first place, I don’t know anything about this world’s organizational structure at all. There’s really no reason for me to hide that, and to begin with, the reason I approached them is because I want information after all. So there’s no reason for me to act like I know anything.

「Dear me, it was truly rude of me to ask. So you say you’re not an Adventurer nor a Merchant. No affiliation with any country, and no backing as well.」
「Nn, well, that’s right.」
「So what I want to say is that, you just arbitrarily stole a march on them and took the goblins that they were hunting, which means…」
「Wha…」
「Mozes! That’s-!」

It’s true that I did declare my intent to assist them, but I didn’t receive a reply. It’s an emergency after all, and I concluded that I wouldn’t make it in time if I waited for a reply. If I look at it that way, it’s true that I can be seen as stealing their prey.

「Wait a minute, please listen to what I have to say. There are malicious people out there that would bring up that kind of argument. When the raid was happening we hid inside the wagon but still, that amount is something I can’t possibly see them be able to handle on their own. If Lily didn’t arrive, we would’ve been inside their bellies and my wife and the others would’ve become their playthings by now.」
「……」
「…It’s frustrating, but it’s as you said.」

I keep quiet and listen to what Mozes has to say. It’s probably something I should really listen to.

「However, you’re quite young and seem to have some unique circumstances.」
「Well, that’s true.」
「Haha, there isn’t anyone who belongs to either the Empire or the Kingdom who doesn’t know about the Guilds, you know? Besides, you’re not human, are you?」
「You can tell that much?」
「Though I may look this way, I have confidence in my judgment, you know? I’m not just a merchant for show.」

I’m surprised. My body looks practically the same as a human’s. My wings and tail are even sealed right now, so I can’t even let them out at all. And still, he managed to see through the fact that I’m not human. I can’t even begin to imagine how much effort he’s made to reach this level of skill.

「And so I have a proposition for you.」
「A proposition?」
「Yes, we will be heading towards the Kingdom’s Motsi City, so let us travel together until there. I humbly offer to teach you various things.」

As he said, he flashed me a smile. I see, so what he means to say is that in exchange for teaching me what I need to know, I’d be escorting them for free, huh. Sounds like a good enough payment for the education I need.

「Alright. Ah, but no lewd things, m’kay!?」
「O-of course not!!」

When I teasingly added that, Mozes got flustered more than necessary. Your capable merchant feel from before is getting ruined, you know? And your wife’s eyes are really scary. Ah, it’s my fault, huh.