Volume 6, Chapter 40 – The Unaware Fool

Probably a method to win over big customers.

Giving a small, valuable-looking item as a gift after selling a high-value item makes the customer feel they’ve gotten their money’s worth. Fia hadn’t paid the gold coins yet. If she went back on her word because she felt the clerk’s attitude was bad, the clerk would miss out on a rather handsome commission.

Fia’s gaze lingered on the ring for a moment. The ring looked like ordinary jewelry, a white-gold band inlaid with a magic crystal. It wasn’t particularly outstanding, being an item that valued utility over decoration. According to the clerk, this ring could allow a beastman to detect if they had entered estrus, thus allowing them to prepare in advance.

Unfortunately, these brooches and rings weren’t gifts for beastman friends—specifically, mature beastman friends. So even if the clerk gave this ring to her, she had no use for it. It would have been better to give that cat ring as a small gift; that would be cheaper too.

However, receiving a gift was one of those things where you could refuse, but refusing would make the other party awkward. Most importantly, the act of refusing itself was very troublesome. Often, even if one didn’t like it, accepting it was the way to save a lot of time spent declining, avoiding pushing it back and forth only to reluctantly accept it in the end due to the other party’s enthusiasm.

She took the exquisite goose-yellow gift box containing the ring from the Charm Cat clerk. Then, as if remembering something, she turned her gaze to Nola, who was frowning and seriously selecting jewelry on the counter. Nola’s expression at this moment reminded one of a little girl holding a small amount of pocket money, comparing the prices of various dolls through a glass window.

If she just dropped her unnecessary principles and let me pay, everything would be fine. This amount of money isn’t even enough to be considered a favor for me; I might forget about it in two days. Yet she insists on picking and choosing with her meager personal savings, not knowing how to use her beautiful appearance to gain benefits at all. What an idiot.

Thinking this, Fia poked the bent-over Nola with her index finger. Nola’s tail was swaying back and forth like a pink cat paw teasing the heart.

“Does Nola have friends who can use this?”

“Huh? You mean the ring that predicts estrus? No.”

Nola first looked up in surprise, then continued to look at the jewelry in the glass display case with a lack of interest.

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“Ying hasn’t reached the age of adulthood yet, so she can’t use this. Further along are Tsukuyomi and the others, but they are cat-people who have been adults for a long time and know what it feels like when estrus comes. This ring is only suitable for beastmen who have never entered estrus and don’t know what it feels like, like something parents buy for their children. We often have young beastmen here who enter estrus without knowing it and cause all sorts of trouble.”

“This lady is right. If a child who doesn’t know what estrus is enters it, they will be troubled by their body becoming strange, or even completely unaware that their body has become strange. Like mood swings, sometimes excited and sometimes depressed, suddenly becoming interested in people around them, always clinging to people around them and acting spoiled. Also, the body becomes unbearably hot, senses become much sharper than usual, and they like to dress up, exuding a charm they usually don’t have, and so on.”

“Even the most ascetic sage cannot resist the body’s instincts. When I was at my worst, just seeing a handsome man would make my heart pound non-stop, unable to control the urge to approach them.”

As she spoke, the Charm Cat clerk blushed shyly, holding her embarrassed cheeks with both hands. Combined with the heart-shaped symbol unique to the Charm Cat race on her cheek, her cuteness level rose several notches.

Truly worthy of being a Charm Cat, the succubus among beastmen.

Fia criticized inwardly.

Thinking carefully, when she was eating with her companions and Ying in the Hunting Grounds earlier, she had seen cat-people unable to control their desires during estrus. Even though beastmen discriminated against same-sex marriage, those two cat-person maids still performed a scene that made people blush and their hearts race in public. This was enough to show the power of estrus.

Then if this girl enters the period, will she make a move on Ying beside her…

Unable to resist glancing at Nola, who was sticking her butt out and wagging her tail beside her, Fia imagined the scene a little.

Nola, relying on her rank and strength surpassing Ying’s, pushes Ying down against Ying’s will, and then, like she’s drunk, pecks Ying’s cheek with her lips again and again.

—I feel like Ying would play hard to get, blushing and saying no, shyly turning her face away, while not resisting at all, instead enjoying the feeling of being pinned down by Nola with her hands restrained, being dominated.

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No, Ying said she is a woman with a normal sexual orientation. Making baseless jokes about Nola is purely because Nola’s reaction is interesting; my imagination is a bit too rich.

As for why she imagined this, it was probably because this cat and snake had an atmosphere of loving each other to the point of crossing the line—for example, Nola, her whole body burning with flames, shouting “Ying, for you, I wouldn’t hesitate even if I became an enemy of the world!”, and then Ying, captured by Fia, the Demon King, being moved to tears. Finally, Fia, as the Demon King, was moved by their true feelings and voluntarily released Ying. So Nola and Ying, dragging their exhausted bodies, poured out their hearts to each other on the ruins and finally achieved a happy ending, holding a grand wedding amidst everyone’s expectations.

The more she thought about it, the more it felt like that atmosphere. Fia couldn’t help but want to quickly arrange such a stage play for Ying and Nola to perform. In fact, Nola and Ying had staged a similar scene. When Nola saw Fia treating Ying roughly in Count Yureidon’s territory, she dragged her Flame Greatsword ready to fight Fia to the death. These two really looked like a couple.

“What are you thinking?”

Suddenly, Nola looked at Fia with a deep frown, obvious vigilance in her eyes.

Fia hurriedly retracted her curled lips, snapping out of her fantasy.

“What thinking?”

“The way you looked at me just now was like a tomcat in estrus on the roadside, sticky and gross. And that smile, I suspect you’re possessed by something unclean.”

“No such thing. Nola must have seen something wrong.”

Fia wouldn’t say she was fantasizing about Nola and Ying even if it killed her.

Since Nola still looked suspicious, Fia had to pretend nothing happened and change the subject. Taking Gem Coins out of her pocket to pay, she said casually.

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“Are Nola and Ying really just good friends? I feel like you’ve slept together and had deeper exchanges. Back in the castle when you saw me dragging Ying back, the hatred in your eyes could kill.”

Nola glanced at Fia with a face full of disdain. The look she revealed for that instant made Fia feel like Nola was treating her as a fool.

“You’re wearing your elf glasses. Ying does like to make jokes with me that only lovers would say, that’s true. But she and I are just friends close enough to entrust our lives to each other. She’s like that with everyone she’s close to, speaking unreliable words and making people revolve around her. Imagine two male beastmen; even if their relationship is good enough to risk their lives to save each other, isn’t it just friendship? Thinking two people will develop a romance just because they have a good relationship—only you elves are like that.”

Because of the existence of [Mana Surge] among elves, same-sex marriage wasn’t uncommon. Other races didn’t have [Mana Surge], so naturally, they didn’t have the atmosphere of not discriminating against same-sex marriage like elves. Fia, being one of them, unconsciously put on a special filter, thinking people around her were like that too.

“But has Nola never had thoughts about Ying? What if you can’t control yourself during estrus and suddenly make a move on Ying? I don’t think Ying is your match. No, I should say there is no match for you in the entire Fire Cat Tribe. It will definitely turn into an unbearable scene then.”

Fia could already imagine the beautiful cat girls in the entire Hunting Grounds being ravaged by Nola, with Nola even mistaking those cat girls for Claire, shouting Claire’s name while committing bestial acts. Even worse, according to the beastman custom of respecting strength and everyone worshipping the strong, maybe those cat girls would be delighted by Nola’s favor and be submissive to her.

That’s too good—too terrible…

Fia felt her body temperature rise, hot blood flowing across her cheeks, her brain heating up.

Nola naturally didn’t know what kind of person the imaginative Fia had fantasized her into. Or rather, even if she knew Fia had a rich imagination, she couldn’t imagine how bad Fia would think of her. Compared to Fia, she was still an innocent girl.

She snorted contemptuously, her voice full of disdain.

“Hmph, being unable to control oneself during estrus is just an excuse the weak find for their ugly acts. People who can’t even control their own desires are not qualified to be the clan chief of the Fire Cat Tribe, let alone call themselves Holy Son. I am not one of those incompetent people. I believe a firm will can suppress all improper thoughts.”

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“Oh…”

If anyone else said this, Fia would definitely scoff. But coming from Nola’s mouth, it was quite credible. Nola was indeed a strong-willed fire cat, and the kind who wouldn’t turn back even if walking on the wrong path until she hit a wall and bled.

However, estrus probably wasn’t something so easily suppressed; otherwise, there wouldn’t be the saying that even ascetic sages could break their vows. Blushing and heart-pounding should still happen to Nola—if Nola entered estrus, she must be vigilant and not let her get close to Claire. Otherwise, once Claire showed concern for Nola, Nola’s psychological defense might collapse instantly.

Alarm bells ringing in her heart, Fia teased verbally.

“You haven’t entered estrus yet; how do you know you can resist the power of estrus? Speaking of which, Ying said before that you are close to adulthood but haven’t come of age yet. When exactly will you come of age?”

“This year, but it could also be next year. During the time I was fleeing, I didn’t know if a year or two had passed. Every day I only thought about what to do for the next meal, so I forgot whether I am sixteen or seventeen now.”

“If it’s seventeen, wouldn’t this year be the age of adulthood?”

“That’s right… I was born in winter. What about it?”