Chapter 34

□ Duel City Gideon - North Gate 【Holy Knight】 Ray Sterling

After being drugged by a mysterious penguin, I returned to the city with dog ears sprouting from my head.

Even with the dog ears, the guards at the gate didn’t say anything, as this city has many sub-humans. At most, I heard a mutter, “Huh? I greeted you this morning, but your head didn’t have any ears then… Maybe I was still half-asleep?”

“What should I do now?”

According to my original plan, I was going to visit Alejandro’s shop, get some new equipment, and if Luke or Marie were logged in, go hunting with them.

But now, I don’t want to meet anyone.

I don’t want anyone to see me in this embarrassing state with dog ears on my head.

“I think you shouldn’t worry too much about it.”

Nemesis, who is now back in human form, says this, but from my perspective, it’s strange not to worry.

Imagine it.

Imagine seeing your friend suddenly with dog ears sprouting from their head.

I’m confident that if I saw something like that, it would stick with me for life.

And if it sticks with me for life, I don’t want to see anyone right now…

“Ah, good morning, Ray and Nemesis.”

“…………”

I didn’t want to see anyone!?

“It’s Marie, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s Marie, Nemesis. By the way, why does Ray have such a unique expression…?”

Marie’s gaze is fixed on my head.

It’s bad, she’s staring at me. She’s staring at me intensely.

This makes me look like someone who happily wears a dog ear item.

“…Marie, this isn’t my hobby or anything…”

“Ray, stop right there!”

“Huh!?”

Marie’s stern command leaves me frozen.

While keeping her gaze on me, Marie takes something out of her wristband-type item box.

That’s…

“A sketchbook and a pen?”

Marie starts drawing with incredible speed.

I’m not an expert in art, but I wonder if paintings are usually drawn this fast.

The outline, the hair, the facial features, and the dog ears are all beautifully depicted.

And two minutes later.

“Phew.”

Marie puts down her pen with a satisfied look.

In her sketchbook… there’s a beautifully drawn illustration of a blonde young man with dog ears (topless).

…What? Is this me?

I’m not topless, though?

“Good job.”

“Good, but… good, but… good, but…”

It’s good, but I don’t know how to comment on a topless dog ear illustration of myself.

The style is so good that it could fit in a monthly shonen magazine with a predominantly female readership, which makes it even more awkward.

“Do you have a skill like ‘Drawing’?”

“I have a sense skill, but this is my own talent.”

Ah, so Marie is naturally good at drawing.

“Then why do you have such lovely dog ears, Ray?”

“…I was drugged by a penguin.”

I explained the incident with Mr. Flamingo to Marie.

“That penguin has excellent taste. If it were sold, I’d buy it too, the ‘Kemonomimi Drug’.”

“Not stopping you, but… are you serious?”

“I’m serious. By the way, Ray, the dog ears suit you, but what about tiger ears or fox ears?”

“Don’t even think about using them on me!?”

“…Tsk”

This glasses-wearing reporter just clicked her tongue!

“So, the effect wears off by this evening. What are you going to do until then?”

“I was thinking of visiting Alejandro, whom I met during the ‘Galdoranda’ incident, but I can’t go with these ears.”

…My wish to avoid seeing anyone was quickly shattered.

“Hmm, I don’t think you should worry about the ears.”

“But… but…”

“‘Master’ wouldn’t be surprised by sudden kemonomimi. According to Tian, ‘Master’ is generally considered to be beyond common sense.”

Is that how it is?

…Well, the ‘Destruction King’ did make a forest disappear overnight, so maybe it is beyond common sense.

“Then, shall we go to Alejandro’s place?”

“I’d like to visit too, but I’m a bit busy right now. I’ll pass this time.”

“Busy?”

“With various arrangements. Ah, Ray, don’t forget our appointment tomorrow.”

“Ah, it’s fine. By the way, what are you preparing for tomorrow?”

“That’s a secret. See you tomorrow!”

With that, Marie ran off somewhere.

I wonder what kind of surprise she has in store for tomorrow.

◇

After parting ways with Marie, Nemesis and I visited Gideon’s Fourth Street, known as the “Market.”

We were heading to the address Alejandro had given us yesterday.

Fourth Street is lined with countless bazaars, forming a maze of goods and people, but we managed to reach Alejandro’s shop safely.

A large sign reads “Alejandro Chamber of Commerce” above the shop.

Inside, there were a moderate number of customers, staff, and a wide variety of goods.

Not only weapons, armor, and recovery items, but also paintings, statues, fruits, and even [Jewels] were displayed.

It’s like a department store.

“Excuse me.”

When I called out, a young woman who looked like a staff member approached.

“Is Alejandro here?”

“Oh! It’s the ‘Master’ from the day before yesterday! Thank you so much! You’re here to see the president! Please wait a moment!”

The young woman ran back to the back of the shop.

From her reaction, she seems to be one of the people who were on the carriage when ‘Galdoranda’ attacked.

I vaguely remember her… but it was chaotic at the time.

“By the way, she’s a clumsy girl. I can tell from her aura.”

Attributes… I don’t think it’s a good idea to categorize people like that.

By the way, what attribute is Nemesis?

“Goddess.”

The name suggests that, but…

Nemesis is more like a loli with a tsundere personality.

“Hey!? What were you thinking just now!?”

“HAHAHA, don’t shout suddenly. You’ll bother the other customers.”

“Your laugh is fake!?”

While we were joking around, Alejandro appeared from the back of the shop.

“Ray, welcome. Thank you for coming.”

“Hello, Alejandro. I came to see the goods, if that’s okay.”

“Of course, please take your time. I’ll also learn the prices from you.”

“Thank you.”

I was due to change my equipment because of my level, so a discount would be very helpful.

And I noticed something.

Neither the young woman nor Alejandro mentioned my dog ears.

The young woman glanced at them but didn’t say anything, and Alejandro didn’t even look at them. He’s a pro.

…Or maybe, as Marie said, this is a common occurrence when dealing with ‘Master.’

Either way, it’s a relief not to have to explain the dog ears to everyone. It’s a hassle to explain to every person I meet.

I just hope the dog ears disappear before I meet Luke again.

“Ah, good morning, Ray and Nemesis. You’re already logged in?”

“Hey! ? Ray, what’s with those ears?”

Luke and Babi, who were apparently shopping in the shop before us, were there.

“…………”

Hey, my hopes were just crushed.

Is this a curse? Is the dog ear a curse?

“Considering the events of this morning, there’s a possibility that the [Searing Flame Gauntlets] are cursed equipment.”

…It’s possible.

“Ray, those ears suit you… but…”

“Blah blah blah blah blah”

“That won’t get across.”

“I see, so you were tricked by a mysterious person and drugged, resulting in this?”

“‘Nine-tenths of it got across!?’”

Luke is a psychic!?

“No, it’s not a psychic ability. It takes some practice, but you can get to this level with training.”

“Responding to my thoughts as naturally as Nemesis!?”

“Oh… my identity…”

Nemesis, who seemed shocked, fell to her knees.

“Wow, Luke. You’re the best at reading minds.”

“Reading minds… but I can only do this with people I know. For others, I can only read basic emotions and intentions.”

I think it’s still impressive.

◇

After being surprised by Luke’s unexpected talent, we decided to look around the shop.

“What brings you here, Luke? Greetings and buying equipment, right?”

“Yes. Not only for Babi and me, but also for Marilyn and Audrey. And we sold the items we dropped from yesterday’s hunt.”

Wow, they even sell equipment for monsters.

The variety of goods is really impressive.

“Hunting, huh? What level are you now?”

“48.”

…You’re almost at the max level for a lower-class job, right?

Almost double my level.

That’s frustrating.

“Wow… impressive.”

I can’t find any other words to say.

I guess the efficiency of hunting with Marilyn and Audrey is really high.

Luke and Babi are also incredible in group battles.

“Thank you. I’m almost level 50, so next, I need to aim for an advanced job.”

“Do you have a target in mind?”

“Yes, I looked it up, and the advanced job for [Pimp] is [Rogue].”

[Rogue], huh.

I think it means someone who has lost the eight virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, loyalty, trustworthiness, filial piety, and brotherly love, as seen in the ‘Nanso Satomi Hakkenden.’

It’s also a term for the owner of a brothel.

“The conditions are as follows:”

Luke showed me the [Rogue] page in the [Catalog].

1. [Pimp] level must be 50.

2. The combined stats of subordinate female monsters and slaves must be above a certain level.

3. The money earned from brokering subordinate female monsters and slaves must be over 1 million rils.

“Wow.”

Unlike [Holy Knight], which requires interpersonal relationships and special achievements, these conditions can be met over time.

The fact that [Pimp] is not primarily a combat job might be the reason for these conditions.

…Well, in Luke’s case, it’s a more terrifying job than a combat job.

“The first condition will be met soon, and the second is already achieved. The third is still a long way off, so I need to work hard.”

“Yeah, it sounds tough.”

How will he broker jobs for Marilyn and Audrey as a [Pimp]?

“Construction sites seem to be the most efficient.”

“Then it’s like the first game of ‘Monster Farm.’”

It’s about making the monsters work part-time while they’re being raised.

I played it with my brother’s retro game collection when I was a kid.

There were so many old game media like CDs and cassettes that are hard to find now (2045)…

Well, Doraemon is immortal, both now and in the past.

FC Doraemon is too difficult.

Back to the topic.

“By the way, Luke, your new equipment looks great.”

I commented on the silver coat Luke was wearing. It wasn’t equipped when I went to sleep last night.

The detailed decorations are intricate, and the metallic shine is cool.

The different sleeve lengths on each side are stylish.

Combined with Luke’s face, it’s a very well-completed fashion.

“Yes, I really like it.”

I can see why.

［♪］

Huh? Did the clothes just move unnaturally?

◇

While we were choosing the items to buy, we decided on the [Searing Flame Gauntlets] for both arms. This time, we didn’t choose a set of armor like the [Riot] series that works together.

The most important part is the body armor, but since I liked the coat Luke was wearing, I chose a coat-type armor.

It’s called the [Blaze Metal Scale Coat].

It’s a coat made from the skin of a red wolf-type monster called [Blaze Wolf], with many scale-like metal plates attached.

It has two skills: [Fire Affinity] Lv1, which enhances fire attribute attacks by 10%, and [Fire Resistance] Lv1, which reduces fire damage by 10%. It’s suitable for using [Inferno Flame], which is why I chose it.

It costs 80,000 rils, which is quite expensive, but I have no regrets.

After choosing some other equipment, we headed to the counter to pay.

“Huh?”

There, next to the counter, was something I often see in real life.

A transparent square case with a lever, containing many round capsules.

A machine that dispenses a capsule when you insert coins and pull the lever.

—It was a gacha machine.

“…Alright.”

To be continued

The next update is at 21:00 tomorrow.