As I heard the noon bell toll, I reached the crossroads and headed toward the church courtyard.

There were straw piles against the walls of several houses — probably drying laundry from beds.

"Hm?"

The area right in front of the kitchen/dining hut looked a bit off.

It was normal for the beast girls to swarm around Rafilia-san for food, but today it was different.

Normally, they lined up in the order of dog girls, capybara girls, and the two macho guys.

Letree-san helped Rafilia-san, but the hungry beast girls rushed in ahead of her, so she ended up organizing the group.

Ifelasuki moved at her own pace and would come by when a spot opened.

She seemed to have no idea what she was doing, but she clearly understood her own body was heavy and her leg power was strong, so she didn’t get too close to the smaller capybara girls.

On the other hand, when a capybara girl came near, Ifelasuki would stay still.

It made sense that horse girls were praised as kind and intelligent.

The two macho guys were gentle at heart and felt guilty for their past with slave traders, so they let the beast girls go first.

It was only natural for the dog girls to eat before the capybara girls — their agility, sense of smell, and larger bodies meant they’d win even in a push.

The capybara girls knew this and didn’t compete with the dog girls.

However, among themselves, the capybara girls always fought fiercely.

Normally, they would all gather at once, stretching out their round bodies with their short arms and legs, desperately trying to get closer to Rafilia-san.

It was like a bunch of bargain-sale aunties fighting over the last kimchi.

When someone won the battle and stood in front of Rafilia-san, she would introduce herself and receive the food.

That was...

Today they were lined up vertically.

What the hell? A free-spirited capybara girl was making a line?!

Letree-san approached me.

...Eh? She’s coming toward me?!

She had a childish smile on her face — the kind that doesn’t suit a 30-year-old widow — and her tail was wagging as she drew near. Her breasts were bouncing up and down.

Letree-san, who’s always busy like a doujinshi sales staff member trying to handle the entire capybara group, is coming toward me?!

"Welcome back, Master Masharu."

"Welcome. Letree-san. The capybara girls made a really nice line. What’s going on?"

"The hierarchy has been decided."

"Hierarchy?"

"Yes. Like animals in a group, they formed a hierarchy."

"Ah, I see."

The dog girls had Letree-san as their boss. Basically, no one disobeyed her. When I returned, Letree-san was the one greeting me as their representative.

The hierarchy went dog girls, then the Rian sisters, 14-year-old Sheba, and 12-year-old Petit Letree.

Their age order matched their ability order and became the hierarchy. You could tell from their usual behavior.

Like the dog girls, the capybara girls also had a hierarchy now.

Ah.

Those who already received food and were eating — that’s Kemolori.

Three capybara girls were eating, but the one eating cabbage — Kemolori — was clearly the most ahead. Maybe she started first.

"Is it possible that Kemolori became the boss?"

"Yes. Kemolori is the oldest, she’s big, she has seniority in the church’s daily life, and she talks with the great boss, Master Masharu, a lot. Plus, she’s the only one with a four-character name, so everyone looks up to her."

"Second place... is that Pika?"

"Yes. It’s Pika. Originally, they were named Strong, Pika, Paba, Pira... from strongest to weakest."

"I see."

"The top six — Pika, Paba, Pira — are called the Upper Capybara, and they have more power than the lower ones."

"Upper Capybara?! Lower Capybara?! Even with Pika as boss, there are lower ones?!"

"Yes."

Upper Capybara and lower Capybara. I hope the lower ones don’t get power-harrassed and executed by Kemolori...

While I was talking with Letree-san, the capybara girls received their cabbage and left the line.

Only two remained.

"I’m Raba. Give me some cabbage."

"Coming right up, Raba-chan. Here’s the cabbage."

Rafilia-san peeled the outer leaves of the cabbage and handed them to Raba. Thanks to her skill, the cabbage never decreased.

Raba was the smallest and had the lisp — second from the bottom. Who was last? From the back view, I couldn’t tell at all.

"I’m Baka... I want some cabbage too..."

It’s Lucia!

Why is the dragon god at the very bottom of the hierarchy?!

I lightly bowed to Letree-san and left, heading toward Rafilia-san.

"Rafilia-san, this is a souvenir."

I handed her the apple A bought me.

"Thank you."

Rafilia-san took the apple, peeled more cabbage, gave it to Lucia, and then cut the apple in half and handed her half a slice.

"Then I’ll borrow Baka for a bit."

I picked up Baka (Lucia) and carried her to the corner of the courtyard.

"I heard about the group hierarchy, but why is Lucia at the very bottom?"

"My Capybara Power... is the weakest..."

It’s a concept that sounds complicated in English but becomes "Capybara Power" when written in Japanese.

"Look."

I followed the direction Lucia pointed.

Two capybara girls had the same idea and walked toward Rafilia-san at the same time, looking like they wanted seconds.

When they noticed each other, the smaller one stopped and let the larger one go ahead.

"The strong one gets food first. I can’t push in front of a child who’s hungry... I don’t want to get in the way of the capybara girls..."

"I see... The stronger one eats first. So that’s why Lucia, who gave up her turn for food, ended up at the bottom of the hierarchy..."

"This is the law of the group... But I’m not planning to stay at the very bottom forever."

"Eh?"

"I’m challenging the decisive battle for reversal...!"

Lucia’s sharp eyes glinted. Rafilia-san called out, "Everyone~ There’s apples!"

The dog girls quickly gathered, and the capybara girls followed later, chattering as they walked toward Rafilia-san.

They moved slowly and chaotically, but a line was forming. Lucia slid out of my arms and approached the small capybara girl at the back of the line.

I followed behind Lucia.

The girl she was aiming for — that’s Raba.

Lucia, 12th in the hierarchy, probably planned to beat Raba to take 11th place.

I didn’t think she’d hurt Raba, but what exactly was she planning?

Raba noticed Lucia’s approach. Feeling the unusual presence, she turned toward Lucia and braced herself.

Shaa.

Raba raised her short arms in a threatening pose. Maybe she was trying to make herself look bigger, but her arms and legs were too short, so it probably had no effect.

Gash!

They collided head-on. "Colliding" sounded too dramatic — they just pressed their cheeks together and stretched out their short arms.

"Faaah!"

"Faaah!"

This was the capybara girls’ version of a bad sneeze. Zero intimidation.

"Faaah!"

Mofu.

"Faaah!"

Mofu.

They were making adorable squeaking noises and rubbing cheeks together.

Is this the decisive battle for reversal?

Their arms were too short to punch the other’s face, and they couldn’t wrap arms around each other to throw.

They had no other attacks. They could only push.

But what would happen?

"Faaah!"

Mofu.

"Faaah!"

Mofu.

Ah!

Lucia fell backward!

Raba immediately sat on top of her.

This... means Raba wins, right?

"My win!"

"...I lost..."

Even though she lost, Lucia looked happy. Well, she was happily cuddling with the capybara girl, enjoying the fluffy belly, so of course she’d be happy.

"Good job, Raba."

"Ehehe."

I squatted beside them and stroked Raba’s butt.

Capybara girls’ butts were round and cute. Touching a girl’s butt felt more like petting a dog or cat’s ass than a human girl’s.

Hm?

Another capybara girl approached. Then two more, then three, and so on. They all stared at me. It seemed they wanted me to pet them too.

Can’t be helped. I’ll stroke them one by one.

In the end, I ended up petting the capybara girls, so lunch was last.

This is ridiculous — I’m being petted like a meal, and I’m basically at the bottom of the hierarchy now.