My god… Is there a more beautiful human form…? The behemoth is incapable of looking away. The lingerie-clad girl… Her proportions are perfect, her skin utterly smooth white porcelain. A beautiful form, unlike any other… Before the behemoth can even get sexually excited, his heart is plucked out of his chest from her sheer aesthetic beauty. Just as the behemoth becomes fully enamored with her presence, it happens. “Unnngh…!!” Her melons drop out and bounce rhythmically—impossibly light and effortless, despite their size. The girl continues to remove clothing from a hook on the wall and changes her attire. The behemoth can hear her putting on her shirt and the sound of her knee-high socks snapping against her skin… As her melons continue bouncing around while she changes in the nude, the behemoth, despite his greatest intentions, can’t help but feel that he’ll go full-bore behemoth any second… Finally finished with her tantalizing nude wardrobe change, the behemoth looks at the girl and remembers. That’s right—from what I heard yesterday, this girl is definitely an adventurer. Her shirt’s midriff exposes the lowest part of her stomach. Her skirt is extremely short, to facilitate ease of movement, and she finishes off the look with a pair of high boots. Damn…her underwear was provocative enough, but this is also purely lascivious. Her shirt doesn’t leave only her midriff exposed. It also fully exposes her bountiful bosom, what you might call a valley between twin peaks. And her skirt—in addition to being incredibly short, it also exposes the soft lines of her rear every time she moves, bouncing up and down. She’s wearing a knife belt around her waist, equipped with two blades. Finally, she also has small pouches attached to a garter belt on each of her plump thighs. Hmm. At first, she looks quiet and reserved, but she’s clearly part of the advance guard… Wait, the advance guard?? Could she be one of them?? From her equipment, the behemoth has ascertained that the girl is a member of the advance guard. But he’s not convinced. And he should be suspicious. How does she expect to maneuver around the world with those melons? “Okay, I’m ready to go. Now, kitty, I’m going out, but I’ll leave the window open so you can come and go as you please. Okay? Oh, that’s right! I’ll put out some milk for you before I go. I’ll just go down to get some from the innkeeper.” The behemoth is stunned, but the girl doesn’t notice and leaves the room. Milk… The second he hears the word, his stomach growls, Grrrrllll—it’s downright cute. After a while, the girl returns with a saucer full of milk. Thupp-thupp-thupp-thupp… The behemoth drinks from the saucer with gusto. The girl speaks to him affectionately, saying, “Heh-heh, you must have been hungry!” After the behemoth finishes a portion of the milk, the girl leaves, saying, “I’ll be back!” The behemoth is now alone in the room. That girl saved me when I was injured…and that’s not all. She held me close and slept with me and gave me milk. Judging from what she said earlier, if I don’t run away from this place, she’ll take care of me forever… In that moment, the warmth from in between her breasts rushes back into his mind. It’s decided! I will protect this girl, no—my master! My master is an adventurer, and if I, a behemoth, can manage to guard her in secret, she’ll never fall to defeat down in the labyrinth! The behemoth has certain conviction. He will become the knight serving his benefactor and protect her to the full extent of his life span. If that’s my decision, I can’t laze about here! I must follow after her! The behemoth leaps from the open window to follow after the girl he’s sworn to protect… As he runs through the city of Labyrinthos, his profile shows the same features it did as a knight in his previous life: unabated pride and valor. Ta-ta-ta-ta— Moments after leaving through the open window, the behemoth finds the elf girl, thanks to her highly revealing adventurer outfit and unique, sweet fragrance. Even in the busy city streets, finding her is a piece of cake. “Hey, check this girl out…” “Oh my god, she’s fine as hell. And check out those tits…” Every single man on the street turns and unintentionally cries out in amazement at the girl’s beauty, which is simply a cut above the rest. What vile creatures…staring at my master with such lecherous gazes… If we were in the labyrinth, I’d strike you down in an instant. The behemoth imagines the worst-case scenario in his mind, conveniently ignoring the fact that he thoroughly drank in the elf girl’s immaculate figure while she got undressed to change and enjoyed the feeling of her breasts against his fur. After following her for a while longer, he sees the girl arrive at an aqueduct. A few gondolas are docked and waiting. “Hey, Aria. You on another quest today?” “A fine morning, good sir. Yes, please take me to the labyrinth’s vicinity.” A man standing on one of the gangplanks faces the girl—Aria—as he speaks to her. Aria smiles congenially and raises the bronze-colored tag hanging from her chest. Seeing this, several perverted boatmen relaxing on their gondolas overreact and click their tongues at her. They’ve definitely schemed to get her on their own boats in the past. Wow, my master’s name is Aria, is it?! A lovely name for a lovely girl. And it seems that here in Labyrinthos, you can ride the gondolas for free if you have an “adventurer’s tag”… As the behemoth watches the proceedings unfold, his expression shows pure satisfaction, having learned the name of his master—the girl everyone worships. Regarding the adventurer’s tag he also learned of, all adventurers are fundamentally classified into rank from E to S, with a different mineral denoting that rank. The specific breakdown is as follows: E rank = stone D rank = bronze C rank = silver B rank = gold A rank = platinum S rank = diamond As a ranking of strength, this breakdown is slightly loose, but adventurer ranks are treated approximately the same way as monster classifications. Aria is D rank. In terms of strength…she’s just graduated from the novice adventurer stage. “Okay, Aria, give me your hand…” “I’m fine. I can get on board myself.” The boatman extends his hand to lift Aria onto the gondola, but she smiles and refuses him, jumping onto the gondola with an effortless leap, landing with a quiet thump. Hmm. In contrast with her fashion choices, my master is very physically gifted. I’m quite relieved. The behemoth sighs in relief. “Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha…” The boatman’s hand falls on thin air, and he laughs to cover his embarrassment, scratching his head. However, interestingly, he does not look dejected whatsoever. And he shouldn’t be. You see, it’s because he didn’t miss Aria’s bouncing breasts the second she landed on the boat deck. Men are simplistic, period. “Okay, Aria, we’ll be taking off now.” “Okay! Thank you.” The boatman pushes off with a single stroke of his oar, and the gondola moves forward smoothly. But the behemoth can’t be left behind. He leaps onto the gondola, just out of Aria’s line of sight, and hides himself in the shadow of a piece of baggage on its deck. “Haaahhhhhhhhhgh—!!” A girl’s voice reverberates through the labyrinth. A single knife slash dances toward a goblin, and sanguine blood gushes from its throat. Before the blood hits the ground, Aria rushes off in a flash toward her next kill. “Gu-gyahhh—!” “Gi-giii?!” Her next targets, two goblins waiting in the rear, let loose cries of terror at Aria’s blinding speed. That said, they won’t go down without a fight. The goblins grip their daggers and wait for Aria’s dash to reach them. But then— An instant before she steps in toward them, Aria stops on a dime. Just like that, she puts the knife in her hand back into her knife belt and reaches both hands toward the garter belts wrapped around her thighs. In the next instant, she brings her hands down in a silver flash of light, and her daggers fly and rip into the goblins’ bodies. ““Gu-gyahhhhhhhhh?!”” The goblins’ screams resound from the immeasurable pain. Two tiny throwing knives, with small rings as their handles, are stuck into the goblins’ stomach and shoulder, respectively. “Kill us!” The goblins are now in a state of shock from the extreme pain. Aria takes two additional knives from her knife belt and falls upon them. Using the momentum from her dash, she takes a blade in each hand and plunges them into the goblins’ hearts, securing her victory. What the hell did I just see? The behemoth has been closely watching over the fray from the shadows and is stunned. Aria’s knife skills include regular and throwing knives, and she’s not bad with them, either. That said, she’s still rough around the edges. Put into words, it’s like she’s just mastered the basics, essentially. The issue isn’t with Aria’s handling of her weapons but rather her speed. The speed of her dash. The speed with which she switches blades. And the speed with which she draws her knives to strike. Her velocity is on another plane, in every regard. This is truly unfathomable. She must be activating some sort of skill. The behemoth begins hypothesizing that Aria’s speed is derived from a skill. And he’s correct. Aria has a special skill called Acceleration. For a few minutes after activating this innate skill, all actions performed by the user are sped up. Aria only has average knife-wielding skills, but the speed she gains from this innate skill allows her to proceed alone through the top levels of the labyrinth (the first sections) and take out the monsters there. The behemoth now understands the reason behind Aria’s highly revealing outfit. It’s not a fashion choice but rather a choice to reduce her weight as much as possible in order to maintain speed. Well…her panties must be a fashion choice…but forget that for now. “Phew…finally got them all off. The hardest part of a quest isn’t taking out the monsters—it’s this annoying task.” Aria wipes sweat from her brow and sighs. The corpses of the three goblins she just defeated lie in front of her…and she’s cut off all their ears. Why is this necessary? It’s dictated by the Adventurers Guild that monsters are only deemed defeated when one returns a body part as proof. The goblins she’s slain are confirmed as kills by handing in their ears. Ohhh…my master, why are you getting those pretty hands dirty for such nasty work…? Dammit, if I could just show you my true form, you’d never have to do such a thing… The behemoth, watching from the shadows, is heartbroken that Aria has to sully her hands with the blood of goblins. He has the skill Storage, which he obtained from a slime. If he could just put it on display, he could take their full corpses home, negating the need to cut off their ears. “Heh-heh. That said, I’m now finally able to take down three goblins at once! I must be almost ready to step foot in the next level of the labyrinth.” Aria sounds delighted as she tucks the goblin ears into her leather pouch. In the majority of cases, the stronger the monster, the higher the compensation for defeating them and the price that their raw materials fetch. This is the reason Aria looks so pleased knowing she can now move on to more dangerous areas. No, my master! Any hesitation will lead to certain death in the labyrinth! A fine lady like yourself should remain satisfied fighting low-level monsters on the top levels!! The behemoth is not himself, and this is because the girl he has pledged as his master is threatening to go deeper into the labyrinth, when she does not yet have the required skills. Come to think of it, why do you delve into the labyrinth alone, my master…? Entering with two or more is common sense… The labyrinth is deadly. In the upper levels, it’s quite rare, but there are hordes of goblins that can completely overtake you. If you fall in defeat to a goblin and become captured, it will not be pretty…especially for a young female adventurer. Goblins are weak, with low life expectancy. On the other hand, they have one strength—their capacity to multiply. Male goblins can conceive with females regardless of species. This means that if a female adventurer is held captive by a horrendous goblin, she will become its nurse mother. This information is common knowledge. For this reason, it is most common for female adventurers to delve into the labyrinth as a formed party, even in the upper levels. “But I think I’ll hold back for today. I still need to take down one more goblin anyway.” Aria starts moving while the behemoth is still lost in thought. It seems she’s given up on plunging down to the next level. He sighs in relief. After proceeding a bit farther, Aria comes across another lone goblin. “Acceleration—!!” Aria immediately activates her innate skill, Acceleration, which boosts her speed. Just as earlier, she moves with quickness untraceable by the human eye and approaches the goblin. Before the creature can slash with its dagger, she pierces its eyeball with her knife and plunges the blade up into its brain. Guh?! Is this really what I’m seeing? Watching Aria’s string of movements, the behemoth notices something. It’s the way her chest moves. When she runs, it’s a given that her melons bounce up and down with abandon. This is pure eye candy. But when she approaches the goblin to attack, something happens. When Aria takes her knife from her belt— In perfect coordination, her melons bounce out of the way, to the side. When Aria brings her knife down through the air— Again, her melons bounce out of the way to avoid obstruction. The behemoth had wondered how Aria planned to attack in close quarters with those bouncing beauties, but now the mystery has been solved. The reason Aria can attack in close quarters, despite her breasts, is that they can be activated as a three-dimensional object. The behemoth is floored by this turn of events. It’s miraculous! My master’s bosom contains a sacred power! Aria begins dismembering the goblin’s ears, still not noticing the behemoth at all. Just then, as she finishes removing one of the goblin’s ears… “Gi-giii…” Another goblin appears. “Another one. I’ve defeated as many as I planned, but no matter… Bring it on.” Aria has noticed the goblin’s approach and grips her knife as she squares up toward it. She’s about fifteen feet away. No! Haven’t you noticed, my master?! That’s a—!! The behemoth quickly becomes flustered with Aria as she waits for the attack, planning to try out a counter. The reason is that the goblin in front of her is holding a staff. “Gu-gyahhh!!” Fireball! The goblin—no, the shape-shifting goblin mage—casts the low-level fire elemental spell Fireball from its staff. The fireball sears through the air: “Gwohhh!” Aria is completely shocked by this turn of events and is frozen stiff. The second the goblin casts Fireball, the behemoth leaps from the shadows and uses his own Fireball, acquired through Skill Absorb from the minotaur. “Meow!” Fireball! Wrrroooosh—!! The two fireballs collide in midair and cause a small-scale explosion. I’ll clean this chump up in no time! Eat my Icicle Lance! The behemoth strikes again immediately. The frozen ice spear launches toward the goblin mage and punctures his guts with an icy hiss. Just as the behemoth delivers the final below, he hears a voice from behind. Of course, it’s Aria. “My…kitty?” “……” The behemoth turns around silently. There is no way he can explain this. First and foremost, because he can’t even speak. “It is you, isn’t it, my kitty? Why are you here…? And you used magic? Oh my god, can you really be…?!” “…………” Aria’s eyes are welling up as she asks him, and the behemoth can only hang his head in silence. “Heh-heh, you are so darn cute!” Just after leaving the labyrinth, Aria addresses the behemoth in high spirits as their gondola sways back and forth. His face is flushed, for reasons he can’t explain. But why?! Just what is she on about?! The behemoth simply cannot comprehend the turn of events. Seeing his master in danger, he leaped in front of her instinctively and activated one of his skills. When he did, Aria’s eyes were wide as saucers. Of course, the behemoth assumed he’d been revealed for the monster he is, the very thought causing him to hang his head in shame. But in response, Aria said, “Can you really be…?” The behemoth assumed Aria would distance herself from him…but instead…she picked him up and sandwiched him between her breasts in a hug. M-master…what are you doing? Aren’t you afraid of me now that you know I’m a…monster? The behemoth was befuddled. Yet Aria simply said, “Thank you for saving me…” Expressing thanks to the behemoth, at the time balled up perfectly between her breasts, Aria headed toward the exit of the labyrinth, without even batting an eye at the goblin mage’s corpse. Back outside the maze, the boatman cursed the behemoth, seeing him balled up between Aria’s resplendent melons. Shit!! You little kitten prick; that’s where I should be! Yet, at the same time, he was also thankful to the behemoth. Stuffed between her breasts as he was, the supple melons were squashed together, looking particularly luscious. Men are truly complicated creatures, aren’t they? Before long, the gondola reaches the mercantile district of Labyrinthos. Aria expresses her thanks to the boatman and jumps lithely off the boat, with the same grace as when she boarded. The boatman’s voice can be heard trying to reach Aria, saying something like “Perhaps dinner tonight, or…?” but she doesn’t hear a word of it, being too entirely involved in rubbing the behemoth’s head. From an outside perspective, it’s clear that the boatman was shut down, and his gondolier compatriots all point fingers and laugh. “Hey, love! Bring me another ale!” “Heh-heh-heh…what an ass. Let me cop a feel!” “Hey! Don’t even think about it! I’ll slap you sideways!” The Adventurers Guild stands in the center of Labyrinthos’s mercantile district. There’s a bar inside where adventurers finished with their day’s labor and young female waitresses commonly interact. The door opens quietly. Normally, all the men inside would lose interest after casting a glance and return to their feasting, but these are not normal circumstances. Why? Because the unrivaled and beautiful elf girl Aria has opened the door. “Hey, look, it’s Aria.” “She looks as good as ever.” “Her tits bounce up and down with every step!” “Wha—? It looks like she has a cat between them, doesn’t it?!” Whispering voices can be heard coming from seats at the bar. Since the day Aria arrived in Labyrinthos to become an adventurer, over half the men in the Adventurers Guild have been absolutely obsessed with her. Witnessing this vulgar chatter, the behemoth’s mood turns foul…or so he thought— Ahhh…it is soooo warm between my master’s breasts… The comfort of Aria’s embrace and the warmth passing directly into his body from the valley between her twin peaks undermines his awareness. Even after one night, the behemoth cub yearns for her warmth and cuddles up to her. To that end, even if he wanted to lash out at someone or something, he is completely incapable. That said, something is about to happen that will awaken the behemoth’s dulled senses. “Wha—? Ha-ha-ha-ha!! Now, just what’s this, Aria? Your appearance is blinding me again today.” “Kussman…” As the speaker approaches Aria with a smile, she lets out a muffled “Oof…” The man wears light armor over an expertly crafted leather tunic. His comeliness is lower mid-level, at best. He has a bunch of product in his hair, which is slicked back. Kussman—the son of Labyrinthos aristocrats and just one of many others in love with Aria. Even though he’s an aristocrat, he decided to become an adventurer and currently sits at C rank. He believes that money talks and has attained his current rank by collecting high-quality equipment. He started making advances at Aria a little while back. His lines include, “What do you think—do you want to join my party?” Most of his approach centers on asking her to join his party. But Aria knows what he’s really after—that he doesn’t see her as a fellow adventurer but as a girl. This is obvious through his gaze, which is constantly focused on her cleavage or running up and down from her rear to her legs. “I’m sorry, Kussman. It’s generous of you to invite me, but as I’ve stated before, I am not interested in forming a party with a man.” “Don’t say that, Aria. It’s okay—I’ll be gentle with you.” Kussman reaches out as he says it, going for Aria’s waist. Kussman’s behavior makes Aria want to sock him in the face, but she stops in her tracks. He’s aristocracy. If she’s defiant, she doesn’t know what will happen to her. This scumbag! How dare you lay a hand on my master! In reality, the behemoth is a monster, and matters of this nature don’t concern him. Additionally, he’s unaware that Kussman is a member of the aristocracy. The behemoth jumps out from between Aria’s breasts, and in that second, Kussman seems to reach right for them—but the behemoth chomps down on his hand. “Gyaaaa!! What the hell is this cat? Get outta here!!” Kussman rushes to swat the behemoth away with his free hand. “Meowwwn!” This is my chance! Just as Kussman lifts his arm to strike— The behemoth releases his jaw’s grip and uses his momentum to leap into the air. “Kitty?!” Aria sounds extremely worried, but it’s no use. As the behemoth starts tumbling down, he flips over and dives straight for Kussman’s face. His scream resounds through the room. “Waghhhaaaaaaaa—?!” The behemoth sticks to Kussman’s face and scratches him repeatedly. “You f—!!” Kussman raises a fist to bring down on the behemoth. “Meow!” Nice try! There’s no chance the battle-worn knight behemoth would take such a pitiful blow. The second before Kussman’s punch lands, the behemoth pushes off his nose and artfully flips back onto Aria’s chest. Crack—!! That instant, a sharp sound rings through the bar. Kussman has bashed his fist into his own face—an act of suicidal terror. “Youuuuuuu mangy rat!! I will tear you to pieces!!” Kussman spews vitriol as blood gushes from his nose. And in an unbelievable moment, he draws his sword from his waist. He has reached apex rage—intending to kill his assailant. Gyah! The behemoth’s face freezes. But what to make of this situation? His gaze is fixed…on something behind Kussman. “Now, young Kussman, what do you think you’re doing, drawing your sword inside the guild?” The voice reverberates to the deepest psychological core of everyone in the room, as if it were speaking directly to each individual’s consciousness. “You…just… Who…um…?” Kussman turns slowly and trepidatiously. Deep-seated fear is etched into his expression. It’s…a…a ghost! The behemoth attempts to process what he’s seeing. “Anna!” Amid the fray, Aria’s face is the only one lighting up. “Aria, are you okay?” “Yes, as you can see, I’m fine.” “Yes, it seems as much, thank goodness… And now for you, Kussman—are you going to say anything? Depending on what it is, you might end up earning yourself a new asshole, so be careful, okay?” “Ahhhhhh—!!” Threatened by the individual who’s appeared, Kussman shrieks from the depths of his soul. And for good reason. The figure in question…is a bona fide monster, no question. Aria called him Anna…but his real name is Arnold Holzweilzenegger. His six-foot-plus towering frame is covered from head to toe in bondage gear, and atop the neck extending from his gimp suit emerges a skinhead geezer’s face covered in technicolor face paint. While this character’s actual role is that of receptionist, he (she?) is nevertheless a formidable B-ranked adventurer. He wields high-level ice magic at will and, during his heyday, was a true abomination, preferring to be called by his second name, “Ice Queen Anna.” Of course, her (his?) hobbies are extremely peculiar. Whether guy or girl…well, that’s all beside the point, because anyone who misbehaved within the confines of the guild could expect to be quickly reprimanded with the menacing phrase, “I’ll bury you.” …That’s the type of person they’re dealing with here. “U-uh…I w-was just showing off my sword to Aria! Ah! And I’ve just remembered, I had an important meeting scheduled. I’ll be on my way, then!” Seems like he has experience getting reprimanded?! The color drains from Kussman’s face as he hastily strings together lies and excuses before skittering out the door. “Unbelievable. Rushing off in a huff. He deserves a good licking.” Arnold is struck with disbelief as he sighs deeply. “Thank you so much, Anna. You really helped me out.” “Aria, not a problem, honey. If you’re ever in trouble, don’t hesitate to let me know.” “Okay!” Hmph… Just who is this Anna character? He looks absolutely absurd, but it appears he’s close with my master. And he’s of solid character, from what I can see. The behemoth was wise beyond his years in his past life, and he would never portend to judge the content of someone’s character based on their looks. Anna’s conversation with Aria, the fact that he saved her, and above all else, reading her tone and expression, the behemoth has decided that she (he?) is a good person. “At any rate, what’s with the cat? He’s quite the piece of work, isn’t he? He protected you from getting groped by Kussman, right? He’s like a knight in shining armor!” Hmm. So Anna was watching the whole time. Rather, the fact that he saw through my monster appearance almost immediately is…certainly formidable. As the behemoth ponders the situation, Anna stares deeply into his eyes and winks subtly. “Yes, and that’s not the only reason he’s special. In the labyrinth earlier, I was overtaken by a goblin that could cast magic, and when I had my back to the wall, he used a magic skill to protect me!” Oh no! Tension runs through the behemoth’s body. It doesn’t appear Aria has any aversion to the fact that he’s a monster. Yet if anyone else finds out, he could…likely be killed. “A magic skill…you say?” Hearing Aria’s claim, Arnold looks suspiciously at the behemoth. And then… “A cat…that uses magic…and he has orange tabby fur… Could he be—?” I’m finished… The behemoth is convinced he’s done for. “—an elemental cat?” Yes, yes, that’s right. I’m whatever that’s supposed to be. The behemoth expected Arnold to claim he could be a monster. But instead, he used the term elemental cat, a term he’s never heard before. “Do you think so, too? Oh, that’s great! I was sure of it!” Hearing Arnold’s opinion, Aria can’t conceal her glee. In this world, there exists a very rare creature called an elemental cat. They are more intelligent than normal cats, and in some instances, they can even understand human speech. They have one other major attribute that differs from normal animal species—they can wield elemental magic. These animals, due to their intelligence, will become attached to the human they claim as master and, due to their strength, will always attempt to protect that master. Having saved Aria’s life in the labyrinth, the behemoth now worships her as his master and has followed her, using two different elemental magic skills to protect her when she fell into danger. In summary, Aria doesn’t think the behemoth is a monster but has rather confused him for a young elemental cat. Hmm, uh-huh… Now that I recall, elemental cats do have the same orange tabby pattern that I do… Remembering this, the behemoth begins to feel weak. “I’ve decided that his name will be Tama! And from now on, I’ll officially raise him as my pet.” Ignoring the fact that Tama is slumped over, Aria announces her decision in a shrill voice. What’s this?! This must mean that, from now on, I can brazenly follow my master and accompany her anywhere?! The behemoth’s eyes are shining with delight. “Hey, Aria—are you sure about that? When elemental cats grow up, they’re about six feet long, and they can also crossbreed with other species, so he might even assault you when he’s in heat!” “What are you talking about, Anna? That’s exactly what I’m hoping!” …Oh dear… So that’s what Aria had in mind all along… Hearing Aria, Arnold has nothing else to add, looking slightly disturbed. In other words, what Aria wants is… No, let’s leave that alone for now. “Tama…hurry up and get bigger, okay? And then someday, you can be my first… Heh-heh, then we’ll go meow, meow a lot together, okay?” Aria’s face is beet red as she…she kisses the behemoth—Tama—on the head. Shiver. A sensation he’s never felt before surges through Tama’s entire being. “Okay, Aria. I need to get back to the receptionist counter. You’ve come to the guild to declare your goblin quota, no?” “Yes, that’s right. I’m sorry—I got excited…” Aria had been staring heatedly at Tama, fit snugly between her breasts, and finally looks back up at Arnold as he speaks to her. As if in apology, she reaches down and strokes Tama’s head ever so lovingly. Maybe it’s just his imagination, but her caress is even more sensuous than the night before. Master…did you really mean what you just said earlier? No—there’s no way a young, innocent girl like my master could be… Dammit! What the hell does go meow, meow mean? Tama is soliloquizing ad nauseam regarding what Aria said about you can be my first… “Well then, go ahead and bring out your proof.” “Okay. Here you go—” As Tama anguishes over Aria’s words, Aria and Arnold have moved to the reception desk, where they’re confirming that Aria has met her quest requirements. Aria removes from her leather pouch the goblin ears she cut off and lines them up on the counter. “Two, four, six…okay. I confirm ten ears from five goblins. This completes your quest. I’ll assess their condition and prepare your payment, so take a seat on the bench or go ahead and kill some time in the bar like always, sweetie.” Aria smiles at Anna and replies, “You got it, Anna.” Arnold’s words—assess their condition—mean that the monster parts brought back from a quest can be assessed for buying and selling as raw materials, on top of the payment for defeating the goblins themselves. Monster skin is used in a number of daily commodities and, depending on the type of meat, often as food. Other applications are also possible, including monster materials used as ingredients in healing potions and more. In this case, the part that will be repurposed as raw material is the skin of the ears. Goblin skin can be used for wallets or weapon handles, as well as scabbards—there are many different applications. Assessment involves a professional appraiser in the back of the guild who decides if the materials retrieved will fetch value on the market or not. “Okay, what should we do until the assessment is finished? I’m a little hungry for an afternoon snack, so relaxing in the bar for a bit could be nice…” Aria puts her finger to her lip and looks perplexed. Just at that moment… “Hey, Aria, come have a drink with us, eh?!” “Heh-heh, yeah, we’ll buy you a drink!” A group of male adventurers drinking in the bar surrounds Aria with mugs of ale in hand. Hmph… Again, eh? My quests always end like this. Aria sighs quietly to herself, covering the fact that she’s quite annoyed inside. Aria is very fond of the food served in the bar attached to the guild. If possible, she would eat here every day. However, as of now, she’s unable to do so due to the throngs of men crowding around her with their best pickup lines. “I’m sorry; I appreciate the invite, but I have business to attend to after this…” Aria gently refuses their advances with what seems like a reasonable excuse. “Oh, I see. Well, maybe next time…” The men don’t pursue Aria that aggressively this time. After all, the world’s toughest, macho receptionist girl (?) is waiting close by. They’re especially hesitant now, after seeing how pathetic Kussman looked minutes ago. Hmm. It seems my presence is also a strong deterrent to these pieces of filth approaching my master. I’ll continue to drive them away zealously. Tama is sending a sharp glare out from between Aria’s breasts, nodding contentedly at the spooked looks of the men in the room. “Ah, what can I do? I guess I’ll wait here on the bench again… Heh-heh, but starting today, Tama is with me, so I don’t need to be sad, right?” “Meowww—” Although Aria looks disappointed for a moment, the second she peeks down at Tama snuggling in her cleavage, she smiles broadly. Tama mews loudly in response, to say, Of course! I would never let you become sad, my master! A few minutes later— “That’s right! Good boy!” “Meow!” S-stop, please, master… Tama has been turned on his back on Aria’s knee as she sits on the bench, and she’s rubbing his furry tummy to her heart’s content. “Heh-heh…your tummy is so soft and cute, and down there is soft, too!” “Meow—!!” Yelp!! Master, that’s my… “It’s so squishy—!” “Meow-gwhaaaaaa—!!” Tama’s cry resounds throughout the entire guild. “Wow, it’s already early evening…” “Meowr—” The main street of the mercantile district is dyed bright orange. Aria walks among the commotion of people out shopping for groceries for dinner, Tama tucked between her breasts. The item assessment was very busy today, and Aria ended up waiting for quite some time. Tama was subjected to belly rubs—and rubs somewhere that shouldn’t be mentioned—the entire time, and his voice has lost all energy. “What to do for dinner…? Going into another restaurant and getting hit on will be a hassle. Let’s buy something and go home. Elemental cats are omnivores, if I recall, so let’s get something for you, too, Tama!” “Meow!” Hearing this, the exhausted Tama’s vitality is restored. Because he was reborn as a monster, he thought he’d have to go his entire lifetime without another chance to eat human food. “Hey, Aria! Want to take home some shish kebab skewers from my shop? I just grilled ’em!” “No, no—you need some spare rib from my shop! I’ll give you a special price, Aria.” As Aria walks along the street, the open-air shop owners all call after her in competition. Some of them openly ignore the customers they were just helping… Aria’s popularity is obvious. “Wow, everything looks so good! Okay, I’ll take five skewers—chef’s choice—and two orders of the spare rib.” “Okay!” “Thank you always!!” The shop owners are elated with Aria’s orders as they pack them up for her. They’re totally overdoing it—including over double what she actually asked for in the order. “That’s so much… Thank you, as always.” “Not at all! Don’t even worry about it.” “That’s right—you’re a regular, Aria. And oh, it seems today you have a supercute kitty with you, don’t you?” Aria is overjoyed at their kind treatment and the extra food as she thanks them. The shop owners force ungainly smiles her way. The shop owner who sold the spare rib looks at Tama…but Tama’s already onto him—onto the fact that he’s pretending to look at Tama, but he’s really leering at Aria’s cleavage. This bastard… Does he really want to meet the same fate as those before him? Tama’s thoughts are disturbed as he waits, feline rear twitching back and forth, ready to pounce—when something happens. “Oh no. Both my hands are full now—I won’t be able to hold you, Tama… Oh, of course! On the way home, make sure to stay still and quiet, okay?” With that, Aria picks up Tama and—shoop—slips him right between you-know-where. Wh-what the hell?! Both shop owners’ bodies are gripped by a hair-raising shudder. Her valley between twin peaks…yes…her cleavage. Tama’s body is tightly squeezed in between Aria’s ample bosom, with only his head peeking out. Tama keeps his body stiff, shocked at this turn of events. Overwhelmed by the visual appearance of a kitten staring at them from between that valley, the two shop owners can only stand gobsmacked, swallowing their saliva. “Okay, if that’s all, we’ll be on our way now.” The shop owners have gone stiff as two boards, and Aria looks at them quizzically before placing a few copper coins down for payment and leaving. “Hey, shish kebab.” “What’s up, spare rib?” “I…wish I was born a cat…” “You’re telling me!” Ahhh…this place is truly heaven… Having returned to the inn, Tama can’t stop thinking this, even after he’s released from between Aria’s breasts. Warm, fuzzy, cuddly sensations rack his body with each step. As an added bonus, Aria was a bit sweaty after finishing her quest and secreted more of her sweet fragrance than usual, inviting Tama to doze off and lose himself in her. “Okay, Tama, come here. Let’s eat together.” “Meow-ow!!” Aria lines up the food she purchased on the table in the room. The sauces and spices attack Tama’s olfactory sense, and his stomach growls. He leaps in a single bound onto the table, and Aria grabs a skewer, pointing it toward him while saying, “Open wide!” Chomp—! Tama hasn’t eaten anything since the milk this morning, and he rips into the skewer with abandon. The meat, cooked over charcoal, is rich, delicious, and incredibly juicy. The sweet and spicy sauce fills his mouth. This is what I’m talking about! How long has it been since he had real food? Overly excited, Tama devours an entire skewer in one bite. “Heh-heh, you’re really going to town… Eat as much as you want and get bigger soon, okay…?” Aria looks at Tama enthusiastically, but this time, she lets him prioritize chowing down on the meat. “Tama, you helped me in the labyrinth, and what’s more, you’re an elemental cat… I was so lucky today. I think I’ll have a drink to celebrate.” Tama is now tearing into the spare rib. Aria stands and retrieves a bottle from the corner of the room. Judging from the label, it’s fruit liqueur. In this kingdom, men are recognized as adults at age fourteen and women at age twelve. Aria looks like she’s about fifteen or sixteen years old. That means she’s a full-fledged adult. Hmm. Master. Should a young girl really be drinking by herself? Wait—I guess it’s vastly preferable to her going out for a drink and letting some smug bastard try to have his way with her. These are Tama’s thoughts as he watches a drop of the fruit liqueur spill from Aria’s mouth into her ripe, busty valley. “Heh-heh, I feel so good…” Aria has the liqueur bottle in one hand, her eyes now vacant. There are three empty bottles on the table… This is overdrinking. She must be absolutely overjoyed to have Tama as her pet. In this moment, Tama has gotten sick of drunken Aria and decided he can’t watch any longer. He’s on the bed, grooming his fur with his tongue. “Tama, how can you leave your master all by her lonesome and endlessly lick yourself? You’ve gone cold… If you keep that up, I won’t take you to the bath with me, got it?!” The…bath…?! Tama stops dead in his tracks at words he cannot ignore. Aria dismisses him for now and starts cleaning up the empty bags on the table before putting a change of clothes and a towel into a basket beside the bed. “If you’re coming along, now is the time!” Aria looks at Tama with forlorn eyes and pushes the basket toward him. It means…If you’re coming, get in this basket, he surmises. Thi…this cannot be helped. I am my master’s knight. I cannot leave her side, for what if something should happen to her, at times unexpected? There is no choice in this matter! As a proud knight, entering the women’s bath is a preposterous proposition. However, he has reason to assume that the unmatched beauty who is his master could be assailed by a man incited by carnal desire at any moment. In that case, he must let go of his pride and escort his master… Tama forces himself to agree with this rhetoric and hops into the basket…without a care and light as a feather. “Hey there, Aria. Down for a bath?” “Yes. It’s a bit later, but can I still use it?” Descending the stairs from the second floor, Aria engages in conversation with a woman carrying a tray of food. The second floor of the inn houses all the guest rooms. The first floor includes reception and a bar. The woman Aria is speaking to is the proprietor of the establishment. “Sure, that’s not a problem. You’ll be the last one in. Take your time, sweetie. And go ahead and wash your kitty really well, too.” “Thank you very much!” Aria expresses thanks at the proprietor’s congeniality before heading toward the back of the inn. Guests take turns using the washroom, but it’s big enough to include a large washing area and tub. One of the men in the bar sees Aria heading for the bath and starts following her, but the proprietor shoves a fist toward him and stops him in his tracks. They’re…they’re floating… In the changing room, Tama is again watching Aria’s enchanting clothes-changing ritual. Then he gets the satisfaction of scrubbing Aria down in the washing area. Aria’s physique is absolutely flawless, but on top of that, her skin is without wrinkles—truly a perfect body. Nonetheless, something happens in front of Tama’s very eyes that nearly makes him forget this sight. They’re floating. Aria’s melons are floating like two buoys out to sea in the bathtub. Tama floats in the tub, too, absolutely overtaken by this splendorous sight. “Tama…?” “Meowr?” Drunk and perfectly warm in the bath, Aria is staring blankly at the ceiling before suddenly speaking to Tama. He replies, seemingly in haste. He is now fully self-aware of just how deeply he’d been enraptured by the ridiculous scene in front of him, the beauty of Aria’s body and the fact that her massive breasts are floating in the water. “Tama…will I get stronger?” “…Meow?” Hearing Aria’s question and seeing her eyes shuddering with insecurity, Tama mews worriedly. Aria continues opening up to him. “There was a demon army invasion in the kingdom I used to live in. At the time, I was so small and couldn’t fight. I just hid from everything for as long as I could…but demons have really good noses, and they found me quickly…” Aria recalls how she felt at the time, and her whole body shudders—but only for a split second. After the moment passes, a smile spreads across her face. “But in that moment, a Sword Saint appeared…! They were dual-wielding blades in both hands and appeared before me, slashing every one of the demons to pieces. They saved my life.” Sword Saint…could she really be talking about that Sword Saint? Tama knows of the Sword Saint of whom Aria speaks… Some years before, a demon army invasion overwhelmed a certain kingdom, and from out of nowhere, the Sword Saint appeared and slaughtered every last one of them, saving the kingdom, according to the legend that the elf girl Aria is referencing. Aria was saved by this mysterious Sword Saint. She continues: “Then I made a decision. Someday I will become as strong as the Sword Saint, capable of helping others when they’re in need… That’s why I started practicing with knives and became an adventurer to study as an apprentice.” My master… Tama is struck deeply in his heart by the noble way Aria is leading her life. “However…” Stopping suddenly, Aria looks despondent and submerges half her face. Tama has a pretty good idea what she wants to say next. Even though she’d like to help as many people as possible, just today, she was set upon by a goblin, although it was a sudden shape-shifting type, and Tama saved her. Tama assumes that is absolutely mortifying for her. It’s okay, master… You are still young. With your mettle, you will definitely get stronger! And you have me with you. Until you become much, much stronger, I will stop at nothing to protect you with my life. Seeing Aria become despondent, Tama pledges again from the bottom of his heart to protect her for as long as he lives. He skillfully swims to Aria’s side and climbs up onto her shoulder, careful not to scratch her skin with his claws before rubbing his face into her cheek lovingly. “Tama…hee-hee, you are such a sweetheart.” Thanks to Tama, a bright smile returns to Aria’s face. In this moment, a young girl and a behemoth cub have deepened their bond.
Chapter 3
38 min read