episode_0015

“Is this really Meruvia’s border gate?” Eliza’s first impression upon seeing Libra was.

Despite being a place where a significant transient population and residents had accumulated considerable wealth, Libra still retained its appearance as an unremarkable agricultural settlement before becoming Manchester’s command post.

Of course, it had grown in scale since then. Inns and taverns had sprung up, and in the heart of Libra, equivalent to a “downtown,” merchants from various places, whether permitted by the Manchester security forces or not, set up stalls to sell rare goods, making the streets noisy with the cries of merchants and prostitutes, along with the sounds of carriages and vehicles moving about.

However, due to Manchester’s affectionate yet restrictive “management,” Libra was subject to various constraints. Restrictions on residents’ migration, prohibition of Meruvian city dwellers and outsiders residing in Libra, prohibition of constructing new buildings over two stories or exceeding 200 square meters, excessive taxes, and more.

While acknowledging Libra’s potential, Manchester, as a reward for dealing a blow to the once invincible mage faction, imposed restrictions on its development.

“There are too many humans. Disgusting. The foul stench is making me nauseous.”

Bine looked out at the humans bustling through the city with a gaze filled with disgust, leaning out of the truck.

“Bine… please, just bear with it. It’ll only be a moment…”

Eliza pleaded desperately with Bine.

Though Mayza’s truck didn’t attract much attention in easily visible Libra, those who happened to glance at the truck’s cargo hold saw Bine glaring at them with eyes full of disdain, and their eyes met.

The onlookers either averted their gazes or stared in astonishment at the unfamiliar species until the truck passed by.

The truck entered a building with a high adobe-colored wall topped with iron bars. Once a small folk museum before the days of hardship, it now served as the headquarters of the Libra Militia.

Mayza parked the truck in a parking lot where a pickup truck and two sedans were already parked, and Victor and Bine disembarked simultaneously.

“We’ve arrived! You can get off now!”

Before Mayza could tell her to disembark, Bine leaped out of the cargo hold, and Eliza followed suit, trembling.

“Ugh!”

The rough landing caused her chest, constrained by the T-shirt she wore, to rub against her stiffened nipples due to lactation.

“Are you very uncomfortable? Should I loosen it now?”

Bine casually reached out towards Eliza’s chest.

“I-I’m f-f-fine! Y-you don’t need to loosen it, Bine! I’ll do it myself later!”

Eliza wrapped her arms around her chest and stepped back.

“I keep saying this, but Elza has no choice. I won’t leave her to loosen it herself.”

Bine spoke coldly, showing no consideration for Eliza, in a voice as chilly as a mere speck of dust.

“Eliza! What are you going to do now?”

To steer the conversation, Mayza called out to Eliza loudly.

“Huh? Oh… I’m planning to meet one of my mother’s friends for help.”

Two days before her mother passed away, she handed Eliza a broken knife piece, saying, “If you ever lose everything, go to Libra. That person will gladly help you.” By revealing her identity as Mireyu’s child and showing the knife piece, she would abandon her current tasks and take care of her.

Luckily, the knife piece was wrapped in a white handkerchief in the thin summer jacket pocket she was wearing, and after changing into women’s clothing, she tucked the knife piece into the front pocket of her shorts.

“I heard you run an inn… but I didn’t catch the name. I can’t seem to remember it…”

As mentioned earlier, there were many inns in Libra.

“Anything else you heard from my mother? It feels like I should know the inn well.”

Maya threw a question to help Eliza.

“Hmm… Mouse… Homunculus? Is the owner….”

“The wind of a mouse!”

Before Eliza could finish speaking, Maya and Victor shouted.

“What? Really?”

Eliza blinked her eyes, looking at them in disbelief.

“Yes. I don’t know what a Homunculus is, but there’s only one skilled enough mouse to run an inn!”

“…Moreover, that inn happens to be where I work.”

“…It’s an incredible coincidence.”

Eliza marveled at the unexpected convergence of events.

“…Ominous.”

Bine muttered so quietly that it was almost inaudible to the three.

Given the nun’s involvement in this expedition, it seemed less like a coincidence and more like a carefully orchestrated design.

While the nun (according to her own claims) was the only one among the Aelenis who supported Bine’s expedition to rescue fairies from the depths of hell, Bine did not trust the nun.

Bine saw the nun as a future enemy.

For the true liberation of the fairies.

“Alright, Victor, please guide us to the inn. I’ll report to Captain and then head over.”

“Oh? Are you sure about that?”

“It’s fine. Victor needs to assist at the inn immediately, but I can relax at home. Please ask for my van too.”

Eliza’s face lit up.

“Thank you! May blessings be upon your kindness!”

Maya casually waved back in response to the greeting and opened the glass door to walk into headquarters.

“Follow me. We’re not far, so we’ll arrive shortly with a little walk.”

“Yes! Things are finally starting to work out…”

As Eliza happily tried to follow Victor,

“…Bine?”

Bine grabbed Eliza’s arm so tightly it felt like it might break.

“B-Bine… Why are you doing this… Let go, please…”

“You won’t go?”

Upon hearing Bine’s words, Eliza sighed in confusion and exasperation.

“Why are you acting like this? Don’t you want to go where humans are bustling?”

“No. It’s not that…”

Bine intended to talk about the nun and the ominous feeling she had, but she remembered the terms of her contract with the nun.

“Yes. Humans bustling around is something I dislike. Let’s stay in a secluded cave where no one will find us.”

“Bine, please stop saying unreasonable things.”

As Eliza’s anger began to rise, she stopped trying to read Bine’s expression and started speaking bluntly.

“Unreasonable?”

Bine’s expression turned fierce.

“Yes. Unreasonable. I’m not like you, Bine! I can’t live like you, hunting animals and living off the land! I need civilization!”

“…”

“And how long do you plan on bossing me around? Are you going to be my mother now? And your talk of draining milk from my chest is disgusting!”

Eliza unleashed her pent-up anger on Bine.

“I guess I’ve been too lenient with Elza.”

Upon hearing that, Eliza frowned.

“Lenient? Don’t talk nonsense! I’m being treated like a milk dispenser by Bine! Do fairies consider treating others like this as ‘leniency’?

“Milk… dispenser…”

Victor muttered while looking at Eliza’s ample chest.

Although Bine didn’t understand what “dispenser” meant, she realized it wasn’t a metaphor used to praise her.

“Shut your mouth. If you don’t, I’ll make you pay for the insult you spat out without manners.”

“Try it! Your constant nagging is getting old anyway…”

Elaiza splashed spit in Bine’s face, expressing her anger. In response to her fury, Bine accepted it and said, “Hey! What are you doing?” before slapping Elaiza’s cheek.

Victor grabbed the staggering Elaiza after she was slapped. Elaiza defiantly faced Bine, saying, “…Fine. Hit me! If it makes you feel better, hit me! Would you rather just kill me here than make me your sex slave?”

Undaunted, Elaiza confronted Bine without fear. Bine, with a cold expression, silently struck Elaiza’s cheek again.

“Eek!” Elaiza couldn’t bear the pain and screamed. Onlookers noticed the commotion and gathered around. Some pointed fingers and whispered upon seeing the unfamiliar scene.

Among the bystanders unwilling to intervene, a Samaritan who recognized Elaiza was slowly approaching Bine with a revolver in hand. The Samaritan wore a pretty dress reminiscent of a maid’s outfit and had mouse ears and tail.

“Hey, Victor. Step aside. I’m here to correct Elza’s behavior today.”

“Shut up. I won’t forgive Libra militia members for using violence against civilians… even if they’re not human but some other being.”

Noticing Victor looking behind him, Bine asked, “…What are you up to?” and abruptly grabbed the Samaritan’s right arm wrist as they approached, raising the arm upwards.

The Samaritan, wielding a silver revolver using .44 Magnum rounds, dropped it, saying, “Victor, you’ve caused trouble. You should have managed your gaze properly.”

With those words, the Samaritan punched Bine in the stomach with their free left hand.

“…Ugh!” Bine, struck by the knuckles shining with a gritty hue, involuntarily released the Samaritan’s wrist due to the sharp impact and pain.

Seizing the opportunity, the Samaritan, wearing black military boots that clashed with the dress, kicked Bine, who was bent over in pain.

“…Ugh!” Caught off guard by the sudden kick, Bine fell without being able to resist.

“Victor! Quickly grab the legs!”

To prevent any resistance from Bine, the Samaritan held both hands and tied them with a rope bought from a general store for well maintenance at the inn, ordering Victor to hold the legs.

Without a word, Victor pinned down Bine’s legs with his entire body weight.

The fairy princess, now immobilized, silently observed the Samaritan. Despite Bine’s cold stare, the Samaritan remained unfazed.

The kind Samaritan, Cantaloupe, aimed the revolver at Bine. The spiral barrel holes stared coldly at the target.

“I apologize. However, given the situation where someone could end up dead, I had to respond firmly. I would appreciate your understanding.”

Cantaloupe spoke in a voice as cold as Bine’s usual tone.

Elaiza, mesmerized, watched Cantaloupe subdue Bine.

Between the orange-tinted elegant twin-tailed blonde hair, gray mouse ears peeked out. A pink mouse tail swayed excitedly.

There was no mistaking it. That creature, or rather Muse Homunculus, was a friend of Elaiza’s mother who had traveled a long way to meet her.

“By any chance, are you a friend of my mother…?”

Elaiza cautiously addressed Cantaloupe.