After that, Sorte and the others ended up deep in conversation with a female adventurer swordswoman named Freda.
By the way, Freda was a cheerful, friendly girl with cute wavy hair. Bright and open, she spoke easily with anyone, which made her quietly popular.
「Ah, so you managed to confess!」
「Yeah. Thanks for cheering me on.」
「Not at all! Just seeing that happy face of yours is enough for me! Still, all three of you together… you’re quite bold, oniisan…」
「Well, we’re the ones who went and fell for him…」
「That’s right… even I didn’t think it would turn out like thisssu.」
「Oooh! …But wait, is that really okay?」
「…It can’t be helped. He’s our lord after all…」
Were Sorte and the others talking about something?
I had the feeling they were, but for now I had to focus on what was in front of me.
「Alright, that’s all done.」
「Fwaaah… th-thank you very much…」
The dog beastkin girl gave her thanks and, her steps unsteady, returned to her party members.
「Yeah, thank you too. Now then…」
In front of me stood a line of about ten beastkin adventurers.
In exchange for letting me check the fluffiness of their tails and ears, I had been taking care of their grooming. But… wasn’t this getting a bit excessive?
「P-Please, me next!」
「Uh, I asked the last girl too, but are you sure about this? A beastkin’s tail is precious, right?」
「It’s fine! Please make it feel good!」
This one had small, adorable ears and a long, sleek tail… a weasel-type beastkin, maybe?
Well now… that was quite the promising tail.
Alright then, just as you asked, let’s make you feel good.
「Okay, let’s start with some skin care.」
「Y-Yes!」
I set a chair beside me and had her lie down on her stomach so her tail rested across my lap.
With both hands coated in Riito-san’s special No. 1 skin care solution, I began working it deep into the base of her tail, carefully massaging to loosen the skin.
「Fuwaa…」
「If it hurts, just say so.」
「N-No… it’s fine. It feels… good…」
Her eyes narrowed, her expression melting with comfort as I slowly guided the weasel girl into that dreamy drowsiness born of pure pleasure.
「Alright, let’s start brushing now.」
「Yes… um, it’s my first time having someone do this for me, so please… be gentle…」
「Of course. I’ll be gentle.」
Alright, let’s start from the base, slowly.
Switching from a coarse brush to finer ones, I made sure not to miss a single strand, even lifting the tail to carefully work along the underside.
「Hmm… ah… there…」
「Hm? Here feels good?」
「Yes… it feels so good… ahhh!」
Her face gradually flushed red, her voice slipping free without restraint.
But stopping halfway wasn’t my style.
Once I knew where it felt best, I focused there, working that spot over and over, because that was my kindness.
「…Isn’t that basically cheating?」
「Just let it be…」
「I-I see… but, beastkin girls really get like that, huh…」
「You don’t get it, master’s brushing technique is insane. If he opened a shop, he’d be fully booked with reservations…」
「Th-that much…?」
Alright, time for the finishing touch.
With both hands I worked in Riito-san’s No. 3 tail-care oil, rubbing it gently yet thoroughly into the entire tail until it shone with health.
「Okay, all done.」
「Ahaa… ahh, th-that felt so amazing… could I… ask you again sometime?」
「Of course. I’ll drop by again, so next time then.」
「Yes! Wow… it’s so beautiful…」
The little weasel girl hugged her tail forward, her eyes sparkling with delight as she admired how silky it had become.
Alright, time to take care of the rest one by one… each one precious, each one carefully groomed.
But then,
「Oraaaaaa! Get back here, damn it!」
「H-hold on, spare me! I’m a guy!」
「Like hell I care! You lined up, so I’m taking care of you too!」
I tore through the adventurer’s guild chasing down a beastkin male adventurer.
He claimed he’d only lined up as a joke after seeing the girls’ reactions, but his tail was so poorly kept that I just couldn’t ignore it!
「Gwaaah! Y-you tripped me, you bastard!」
「Heh heh heh, let him do it, it looks fun!」
「Shut the hell up! Wait, ah!」
「Caught youuuu!」
He went down, and I pinned him firmly, straddling his back.
「Hyahahaha! Time to make you beautiful!」
「S-stop! Stop it already!」
「Oh? You sure about that!? If you thrash around, I’ll die! And if that happens, you know full well Aina and the others won’t let you live it down!」
Even if I’d started training, I was still weak!
If this seasoned adventurer fought back for real, I’d be dead in an instant!
「D-dammit… guh… Aaaaaahhh!」
「Hahaha! So male beastkin tails are a little stiffer than the girls’, huh! But yours is so poorly kept the texture’s awful! Don’t worry, I’ll fix it right up!」
「Ghhhaaaa… what the hell is this… it feels… too damn good! I can’t… resist, Uoooooooohhh!」
How’s that! Even your neglected tail has its luster back!
The cuticle’s shining, and the texture’s on a whole different level!
From now on, don’t you dare skip your daily care again!
「…That’s the man you love, right?」
「Don’t say it… I’ll start to have mixed feelings, so just don’t…」
「Master just really, ‘really’ likes tails, that’s allssu…」
「By the way, if you ask, he’ll do hair too. With Riito-san’s special hair-care oil. That one feels amazing as well.」
「…Huh. Maybe I’ll try it sometime.」
Good, good.
Now that tail’s looking great!
Just moments ago it was rough and dull, but now it has a glossy shine.
If he keeps up with the care, it’ll turn into a magnificent fluffy tail for sure.
「Alright! I’m satisfied!」
「Hic… ughh… I can’t get married anymore…」
「Whoa, but look at it. It’s beautiful…」
「Exactly! It’s way more attractive than before!」
「R-really!? Well… yeah, I guess…」
「Now then, who’s next…」
「My lord, maybe that’s enough for now?」
「Hmm, true. Looks like I’ve just about finished everyone here… too bad.」
Since every beastkin tail in the room was now pristine, I swore to come back next time for those who weren’t here, and returned to the seat where Aina and the others waited.
「Still, you were at it for quite a while… did you enjoy yourself?」
「I did! This was a great day!」
「So… you prefer beastkin, then?」
「Nope. I just love tails! I can’t resist the fluff!」
Spinning the comb in my fingers like a pen, I looked around.
Every single beastkin tail in sight seemed to gleam with radiance, shining from the care I had given.
「But tails are really important, aren’t they? Even if I asked first… was it really okay?」
「Of course. I mean, Sorte-san praised you so much. The very first girl, she really respected Sorte-san… I think she just wanted to try it because of that.」
Ah, right. That ‘Damn it, I’ll kill you’ type girl.
『Hmph. Letting you touch my tail is a shame I’ll carry to the grave… but since my respected Sorte-san vouched for your skill, I’ll let you try!』
『Kuh… do it quickly, get it over with!』
『Aahh… ahhhaa…』
Yeah, she gave up in two frames flat.
Even afterward, I could feel her sultry gaze boring into me… and I doubt that was just my imagination.
「Did I really praise him that much…?」
「Yes, absolutely. Ever since we came back from Yutopola, it’s been nothing but bragging about him.」
「No way! I don’t think I went ‘that’ far…」
So that’s how it was at the Adventurers’ Guild, huh.
Lately she’s been clinging to me whenever she gets the chance, but this was a side of Sorte I didn’t know.
「Sorte-tan’s really easy to readssu」
「No no, Renge-san, you’re the same. Your smile was shining about thirty percent brighter than usual」
「Eeeh!? R-really!?」
「Yes. As for Aina-san…」
「I’m fine, right?」
「Well, yes. But… just look at yourself right now」
「Hm…?」
At some point, Aina had pulled her chair right next to mine.
When I lifted my head, her face was so close it nearly touched mine.
「S-sorry, my liege…」
「You don’t have to move away. …Though I might smell a bit, I’ve been sweating」
「No, it’s fine. In fact… I don’t dislike it」
When Aina leaned her face toward my chest, I gently stopped her.
Later, after we bathe together, she can do that as much as she wants.
「See? You three are way too obvious」
「And you, Freda. Haven’t you been fussing with your hair this whole time?」
「Ah, well, you know. He said he likes fluffy stuff… and my hair’s kind of wavy, so I thought maybe… he might like this sort too…」
「Oh? Want me to do it? If so, I’ll need this one」
I took out a comb for hair.
It’s finer and different in firmness from the one for tails, so it has to match the use.
By the way, I also keep separate combs for Sorte’s and Renge’s tails.
「…Freda? Don’t tell me you’re falling for my lord?」
「Don’t be silly. Of course not. I’m just curious, that’s all. I don’t fall in love that easily」
「Hah. I’d bet ten gold coins that confidence of yours is gonna shatter」
「Oh, is that so? I’ll take that bet! If I lose, I’ll give everyone here an Amatsukuni-style deep bow」
Later, Freda was seen paying Renge ten gold coins and performing a dogeza before everyone.
Incidentally, I neither saw nor heard about that scene, so even when I went to the Adventurers’ Guild afterward, I kept combing her hair without realizing anything.
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