Chapter 87: Chapter 87 - Doesn’t Look Half Bad

Point-of-View: Argent Stryker

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"Hey, you’re in luck...these were the last three skewers of White Stag meat remaining," I remarked, as I handed it to her.

"Hm? Oh, it’s cooked. I’ve only eaten White Stag meat raw before...I remember the first time I tried cooked meat, it was cow meat, I was taken aback by how much better it tasted than eating it raw," She responded with a look of fascination and anticipation, gulping as her mouth began watering.

I kinda lied...there were actually five skewers left, I ate two on the way here. Even though she can transform to appear more like a human, I decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to take her into town while she’s wearing my old, raggedy clothes.

So I went into town and bought her a new outfit, before getting the meat skewers. I had her hiding out in a small grove of trees on the outskirts of town, which she agreed to.

I feel kinda bad about lying to her about the skewers...she seems to be openly trusting me already. She did say that Demons are averse to lying, so she probably assumed I’d be the same, without really thinking about it.

I should try to be as honest as possible with her...but I’ll keep quiet about the skewers, it’s a pretty minor thing as far as deceit goes. Hm, wait...technically speaking, it’s not a lie. I mean, after I ate those two skewers, there were only three left.

Anyway, I’ll have to go back into town again shortly...I didn’t want to keep her waiting too long, so I didn’t stop by the Guild since it looked really busy and crowded. I also need to get some new clothes and battle gear for myself.

"Here, I also got you some new clothes, you should change-...," I began to suggest.

"I’ll do that after," She interrupted me, sitting down on a rock before taking a bite of one of the skewers.

Her eyes-...or, well, eye...- lit up as she munched on it, a cheerful smile appearing on her face as she let out a contented sigh, her legs swaying carefreely as she hummed slightly, taking another bite.

Woah...now that I look more closely, I have to say...she’s really cute. She had a pretty blank expression this whole time, until she took a bite of the meat skewer.

"Looks like you’re really enjoying it, glad you like it," I remarked, as I took out a bottle of water and gulped down a bit, my throat feeling kinda dry.

"Yes, this is amazing...this meat is so much better cooked, and there are other flavors I’ve never tasted before that enrich it even further," She nodded eagerly, a bit of sauce on the corner of her mouth as she took another bite.

"That’s probably the spices and the sauce...you’ve got a bit over here," I informed her, gesturing to the spot.

She mumbled something in response, which I couldn’t understand because her mouth was full, before she licked the corner of her mouth, cleaning up the sauce.

I laid down on the grass and stared up at the sky as a pleasant breeze blew across, stretching my arms out wearily. Hm, what should I do next? It’ll probably be for the best if I leave this town after I submit the gatherings from my successful quest and receive the payment for it.

Oh, as for the Knights I killed, I had Izzozon wipe out all trace of them by burning them to ash aftering tossing them up in the air so that there wouldn’t be any burn marks on the ground. I used Elemental Earth to cover up all the blood, and now there’s no signs that a fight took place outside the Labyrinth.

"It’s over...I should have eaten more slowly," She sighed with a disappointed look on her face as she stared at the empty skewer sticks, before tossing them away.

"How about this, let’s look for White Stag meat in all the places we stop by, I plan to keep traveling for the foreseeable future, so there’s a good chance we’ll come across a place that has more. Or, you know, we might come across some White Stags ourselves. I won’t be able to cook it as well as these skewers were cooked, but still," I pointed out, as I awkwardly patted her shoulder.

I’m really not sure how to interact with her, she’s a bit hard to read. Also, we could probably get more White Stag meat if we check all the restaurants in town, but they’re bound to be really expensive. Even these skewers were really pricey, and I don’t want to burn through my funds too quickly.

"Hm, I suppose you’re right. And it’s probably good to have something to look forward to and strive for," She sighed wistfully.

Hm, striving to eat more White Stag meat isn’t exactly the grandest of objectives, but she seems to be okay with that, so who am I to deny her?

"Mhm, that’s right. Now, then...I’m sorry to do this again, but would you mind hiding out here while I go back into town and wrap things up? I’ll be back as soon as possible," I remarked sheepishly.

"That’s fine, my concept and sense of time is likely different to how humans feel it. When you left earlier, it felt like hardly any time had passed by the time you returned," She shrugged in response.

"Oh, cool. Well, regardless, I’ll still be back as soon as I can. Ah, and before I forget...here, put these on. I had to guess what sizes would fit you, I played it safe so, at the very least, it shouldn’t be too tight," I replied, as I took out the outfit I’d bought her.

I’ll pick up some new clothes and armor for myself after I’m done with my business at the Guild, hope I get a solid bonus for the extra Monsters I killed, especially the Minataur. Well, okay, technically I wasn’t the one who killed it, but I can’t exactly tell them what actually happened.

"Can’t you just put them on me again?" She frowned apprehensively.

"Uh, if at all possible, I think I’d prefer not to," I averted my gaze awkwardly.

I’d gotten her a sleeveless top that was mostly grey, with a v-neck, the part of the top around her shoulders was black, extending up into a black high collar. The fabric was thin but durable and flexible, she should get used to it pretty quickly...I hope.

For the lower half, I got her a pair of jeans, made of a more flexible and less heaty material than regular jeans. I also got her some light, green shoes with rubber soles, though now that I think about it, with her tough skin she probably doesn’t need shoes.

"These look so much harder to put on that a robe," She frowned, as she inspected the clothes curiously.

"Oh, wait, here...Manifest Soul Weapon: Dragon Fangs," I chanted, as I took the top from cut and cut a couple of slits in the back, by the shoulder blades, and another smaller slit towards the bottom, "There, this should help accommodate your wings and tail without tearing the fabric."

"Okay, then that means...that this side should be on my back," She surmised, after a brief uncertain pause.

Uh...maybe I should help her put it on, after all...

...

Crap, that took longer than I expected, the sun is starting to set. After I helped her get changed, which was seriously nerve-wracking and my chest was pounding for a while afterwards, I headed back into town.

I first bought myself some new clothes and sold my old ones that were too small or too tattered to use anymore, and then bought myself a fresh new set of armor and battle gear.

It was a little expensive, but it looked really good and I couldn’t resist...it consisted of a thin but durable black leather armored t-shirt and trousers, along with a reinforced pair of black combat shoes.

And finally, a sleeveless, bluish purple hooded jacket that I left unbuttoned over the armor...yeah, the jacket is just for show, it’s not armor, but it’s light and I like the way it looks. I couldn’t resist buying it, it was pretty cheap too.

After that, I headed for the Guild, which was still quite crowded. It took a while for me to get to the reception desk and claim my reward. The bonus was okay, not great, but better than nothing, I guess.

I rushed out of town once I was finally done, and I’m finally back at the spot where I told Izzozon to hide, but it’s been almost two whole hours.

"Hey, sorry to keep you waiting," I remarked, as I approached her hiding spot, a row of bushes.

"Oh, you’re back. Where are we going next?" She inquired, as she popped her head up, before stepping out from behind the bushes.

"Uh...why’s your trouser all torn up?" I frowned in bemusement.

She’d torn off the right trouser leg from about halfway down her thigh onwards, and had also ripped the spot around the ankle of the left trouser leg.

"Ah, because my ankles felt really restricted, so I tore a bit off the bottom. And then I noticed it was also a bit restrictive around the crotch area, I was about to tear that spot but then I remembered that that area is highly distracting for you. So instead, I tore off more of the fabric on one side, now it’s a lot more comfortable," She explained, as she raised her right leg up high to demonstrate, before asking with a tilt of her head, "Should I not have done that?"

Wh-wha-...that caught me off-guard, that head tilt was adorable! Okay, calm down, I could maybe go back into town and buy some looser trousers-...huh, actually...

"Hm, you know, what? That actually doesn’t look half bad, it’s kinda stylish," I mused thoughtfully, as I took another look at the outfit.

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