Ch.394Retreating NPC. (7)

After setting off the bomb and taking the hit myself, I realized it. The smoke that rises from an explosion isn’t as hot as I thought.

*Slurp.*

*Slurp.*

It’s just fucking cold. It’s almost summer now, but it feels like summer in Antarctica here. It’s so cold that my fingertips are trembling…!!

I set off a bomb, but Chikuyo and Miho aren’t moving their ears or tails at all—they’re just moving their wrists to drink the tea in front of them. P-please. Get angry instead!! Throwing a punch or pulling a knife would hurt less!!

“Um, excuse me.”

“Hmm?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you… are you angry? I was talking on my own, deciding on my own, about your feelings…”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“Why aren’t you saying anything? I was waiting for Jack to continue speaking.”

Like a thief pointing at his own footprints, when I ask why they aren’t angry, both the starlight-golden eyes and the sun-like vermilion eyes look at each other in genuine confusion before turning back to me. Huh? They’re not angry?

*Sip.*

“Hey, can I order another cup of tea? And cake too.”

“Sis, I told you to eat in moderation… Hmm. Then I’ll have this. Macaron? That’s a name I’ve never heard before.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll order both.”

No, they must be angry. The two said they were waiting for me to speak, so they must be holding it in now. From the start, Chikuyo was confrontational with Gor as soon as she joined, and whether it was her beast-person instinct or just natural, she tried to call Rei, who had sex with me first, “big sister.”

In other words, it became clear then that they care about the hierarchy among those who received my affection as a male first. But on top of that, I’m telling them I’m prioritizing Gor, a golem, over them. They should definitely be angry…

*Munch munch munch.*

“*Gulp* Hmm? Cheesecake? This is delicious too. Miho, want a bite?”

“Mm? Mmm. I’ll eat it later since it’s chewy. Sis, try one of these. They’re tasty.”

Are they really not angry…?

Miho looks almost happy as she puts a macaron into her sister’s mouth and rinses with tea, while Chikuyo’s ears perk up, apparently liking the macaron, and asks to order another one. Um, well. But they did say they were waiting for me to continue.

“So, to continue what I was saying earlier. As you both know, I started my journey from Ponia with Ira, and I first met Gor, then Rei, and then Ragni. The three of them have been with me for 5 years now…”

A person’s feelings can’t be expressed in objective numbers. If a status window showed something like [Affection 0~100♡] and displayed that Ragni and Rei were at 100, Gor at 80, and Luxriana, Miho, and Chikuyo sisters also at 100, I might have followed that.

But there’s no such convenient feature in reality. There’s no combat power meter like what Lord Freezer wears over his eye. In the end, the hearts of all women who say they like me should be considered 100. Of course, subjective judgment is possible. For example, if someone asked if I could die in Ira’s place when she’s in danger, I’d definitely say OK.

If it would give her a happy future, I could die for my little sister. But now, this doesn’t just apply to Ira anymore—it applies to Rei, Ragni, and the Chikuyo sisters too. I could die to protect you all. I could even destroy a continent.

And I’m certain that Ragni, Rei, and Gor wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice themselves for me either. I know that all three of them clearly understand what’s most precious to me.

This is the trust built over five years together. That’s why I prioritized Rei and Ragni. I don’t think there’s a difference in my feelings. It’s just that I, who tried to keep my distance for so long, and they, who overcame that time and captured my heart, allowing me to hold them in my heart—I wanted to give them that much priority at least. That’s why I consider Gor next. This isn’t a decision that disregards your feelings, I earnestly explained my sincere but inadequate excuse to the two.

“…Ponia is close to Siltra. If you had come there first, we could have been prioritized?”

“And 5 years. That was exactly when I was debating whether to leave the village after listening to my sister.”

“I can’t give a definite answer. Like I said, at first I tried to push away both Rei and Ragni because they were bothersome. I even told Rei to stop following me, that there was no debt of gratitude, and to please get lost. As for Ragni, I only put the collar of servitude on her to protect her temporarily, and I actually planned to go to a slave trader to cancel the contract and let her live freely once things calmed down.”

In other words, even if I had met you first, the me back then would have run away, begging you not to follow me. That’s how I was then, and now I’ve just grown a little and gained a different perspective. After I explained this, Chikuyo fell into thought while poking at her cake with a fork, and Miho ordered another cup of tea and placed it in front of me. And then.

“…I see. I understand. Honestly, I thought we were still in a position to compete with other females. But thanks to what Luxriana said and what Jack just told us, I understand the current situation, your feelings. That’s right. The time spent together is precious. So precious that you’d want to cry if it went unrewarded.”

“Chikuyo…”

“I think I’m fortunate. My first meeting with Jack and his companions was terrible, wasn’t it? But now, Jack is thinking of me so preciously that he’s willing to sincerely explain all this. Well, someday if he says he’ll embrace me along with my sister, the order doesn’t really matter to me.”

Besides, I’m so happy to be back to protect Miss Ira’s side!

Miho smiled brightly as if she really was fine with it, and Chikuyo also raised the corners of her mouth a bit bitterly, as if understanding her younger sister’s reaction. However.

*Slide.*

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for making you endure this. For being a womanizer who talks like this but still selfishly wants to remain as your man, your male. I’m truly sorry.”

Neither Miho, who usually wags her tail when truly happy, nor Chikuyo, who would have perked up her ears in understanding, showed any reaction. I’m not so insensitive as to not realize that they’re both just rationally understanding and enduring. So I reached out to both of them and stroked their heads as gently as possible, with gratitude.

“Purrrr~♡”

“…Tch. If Miho is satisfied with this, I don’t mind eith… Nyaaa~♥”

I didn’t stop until both were satisfied. Occasionally scratching their animal ears, the sisters who nuzzled their heads against my hand were truly adorable. Honestly, just like with Rei, I feel like I want to embrace these two right now.

But that would be too unfair to Gor. She didn’t choose to be born with a golem’s body or with a status window. I know better than anyone that she, who always insists she’s female, is constantly enduring. I can’t ignore her feelings.

So, after moving to sit between the two, I kept stroking Miho’s tail, Chikuyo’s tail, and their ears for several minutes until they started moving.

“Ahem! AHEM!!”

“?”

“Sir. I’m sorry, but this isn’t that kind of establishment. There are students around, so I’d like to ask you to restrain yourselves!”

“Kyuuu~♡”

“Kyooong~♬”

“…Oh.”

Somehow Miho’s tail had started rubbing against my thigh, and Chikuyo’s body was pressed against mine, creating a rather suggestive atmosphere. A female café employee had come out and was glaring at me intensely. Ah, um. Yes, we’ll leave. But we didn’t order that much, did w—

“Look at that. Is that the technique he uses to enchant women?”

“My goodness, how many did he say earlier? Three?”

“No, no! He mentioned Rei, Ragni, and Gor, and these two are Chi-something and Mi-something, so isn’t it five?!”

“…Calling women ‘females,’ he’s an enemy of women… I want to say that, but why is he so handsome? Wait, could he be a male prostitute?”

“…I’m so fucking jealous. He has so many beautiful women that he can postpone these two for other women?”

“Where are you looking?! I’m right in front of you and you’re jealous of another man?!”

“S-so erotic! Were beast-people always this sexy?! I feel like I’m discovering a new door…!!”

“Their cries are kind of cute too? Do we have female beast-people at our academy?”

“I think there’s one in the second year of high school. She was definitely a cat beast-person, I think? But that man has a fox beast-person. And the other one is a cat beast-person? They’re really beautiful.”

“Here’s the payment, keep the change! I’m sorry!! We’re leaving!! Chikuyo! Miho! Snap out of it!! No, don’t nuzzle, I said snap out of it!!!”

I was so absorbed in giving them skinship out of guilt that I didn’t notice my surroundings!! Some people are openly asking if I’m a male prostitute, and if they find out I’m Ira’s brother, her academy life will be ruined!!

I shouted, but when they couldn’t regain their senses, I hoisted both Miho and Chikuyo over my shoulders and dashed out of the café, heading straight home.

It seems like today’s date score, even being generous, won’t be able to break above negative points.