Stranger’s Handbook - Page 140/147

Chapter 139: A Battle Called Reception

“I’m a dog kemonobito, but I’m herbivorous, you know!”

“A-chan, you’re interesting-nya!”

“No good, I laughed so much that my stomach hurts……”

“Bu!! A herbivorous dog kemonobito!!”

A-chan, meaning Albert, told the sure thing joke material line ‘I’m a dog kemonobito, but I’m herbivorous’ so he gained lots of popularity.

…..As always, I had no idea what was funny about that.

“So?…..Hey! Are you listening?”

“Hey, until when do you plan to keep the monopoly?”

“She’s right! I also need advice!”

In contrast to the laughter from over there, on my side we were having an advice meeting.

In my attempt to escape the honey trap, I used my sales abilities to the max and this was the result.

“Then, that customer, you know?”

“Right, right…..What happened with that customer?”

Their everyday irritation piled up considerably…..So I heard these girls’ complaints as I drank some sake 1.

The sake prepared for us was something similar to whiskey.

It appears that this is a special product from the neighboring Dwarves’ Kingdom.

“Zest-sama is so strong! This sake has the reputation of being quite intense.”

“Hm? It truly is intense, but it is a good sake. Can you buy it in this country? I’d like to buy some as souvenirs.”

In the middle of our complaint meeting, the leader of the girls, a dog kemonobito, started to talk.

She’s the woman who commanded both the girls sitting at my table and those sitting at Albert’s.

She was perhaps in her later twenties? Still, she was older than the other girls.

She was a beautiful woman with gorgeous blue hair which dropped to her shoulders.

“Besides, prime minister-sama said that you liked beautiful women……Do you perhaps like older women more?”

“How did you come to the conclusion that I like older women……Ah, because I went to an air trip with Kachua-dono?”

The women in this room were all beautiful women.

I do think that they’re all cute, but unfortunately I can’t see them as such.

I’d rather spoil them likewise to a daughter.

“Talking and drinking with these girls is quite enjoyable. However, if we’re talking about taste, then I like mature women more.”

“Fufu, it is a good refusal reason…..but I thought that this might happen.”

The woman made a sign and the girls around us withdrew.

In their stead, mature and beautiful army women showed up.

“This way, Zest-sama can enjoy himself as well, right?”

The leader said and laughed, and she somehow resembled Suu.

……Are you that type as well?

And so, the reception party’s second division rushed inside.

“So, I told them…I am a dog kemonobito, but I’m herbivorous!”

“Ahahaha, as expected from A-chan!”

“He said it! The herbivorous line is here!!”

“A-chan is so cool!!”

I couldn’t understand why they got so excited.

A-chan was in an absolute good mood as he drank and made merry.

Does he even understand the situation?

“Next! I am next!!”

“You’re after me! I am older than you after all!”

“Eh? You, didn’t you say you turned seventeen last month?”

It looks like in this world they use the ‘I’m seventeen’ practice as well.

I have no problem with this though……Besides, if I were to interfere, it would most likely hurt me, so letting it go is much safer.

“There’s no need to worry. Even if I use healing magic on everyone present, I’ll still have much of it left. Don’t fight each other and wait patiently.”

“No way! Zest-sama, you’re lovely!”

“Amazing……My burnt marks are all gone.”

“Eh!? My skin is so smooth now, isn’t it!!!”

My table became a beauty clinic.

I am using healing magic on adult women who all say they’re seventeen.

As for the women with very dry skin, wearing lots and lots of makeup, I changed them all with my magic power to a lively state very much appropriate for the age of seventeen.

“Since I last used cleansing magic, your face has no makeup anymore. Look in the mirror and check.”

“Eeh!? I’m too embarrassed to see my unpainted face……..Hmm, what is this!!! Who is this!!??”

The self-proclaimed eternal seventeen-year-old was clamoring.

Can I now take a short break? As I thought about this, a woman called out to me.

“You truly…..can do anything.”

“Anything is a bit impossible. I can only do what I can.”

The leader of the girls sat down next to me, and made the girls who were too noisy retire for the moment.

She didn’t have the same courtesy smile on her face as before.

She continued, her face now grave.

“Zest-sama, what do you want to do with this country?”

“Nothing really, I am here only to attend my daughter’s wedding ceremony.”

“I am the one who…….controls and looks after the girls in the underground world of this country. Can you believe it?”

She wore a faint grin, but this grin was ice cold.

“Your excellency, should I dispose of this woman?”

“Albert, hold down your killing intent for a bit. She’ll lose consciousness.”

Albert was standing behind the woman, expressionless, pointing a sword to her neck.

His face was dangerous…….He was really going to kill her.

“Don’t move, all right? If possible, try not to breathe either. If even for an instant I feel suspicious about you, you’re dead.”

“Albert-sama, you’re exactly like the rumors say. Zest-sama’s right hand……..”

As I thought, she was not an ordinary person.

She was still very composed even though she received Albert’s intense killing intent and a sword was pointed at her neck.

Besides, the girls who remained in the room…….they didn’t even shriek.

“I’ll tell you all just in case, don’t do anything strange, all right? Even though you seem to have battle experience, it doesn’t look like you can win this fight……Right, Tasel?”

“Precisely. We can finish them off at any time, your excellency.”

Behind my back, a black clothed person was standing.

I knew that the intelligence unit came along, but there was only one person whose position I didn’t know.

Tasel was the only person whose presence I couldn’t detect.

So, his 2 maternity leave ended? I can feel assured now that he’s here with the reinforcement unit.

“Is everyone inside this room?”

“No, there are five men outside. If it comes to it, we can escape at any time, your excellency.”

“I see. So, what do you want to ask me? And also, what do you want to do from now on?”

“His majesty, the King of Elves was a very kind person who received us, the kemonobito people, inside this country. It will be our greatest pleasure to die for his son. Are you an ally of the prime minister?”

“I see. You possess a strong sense of duty that is characteristic to the kemonobito folk. So, even the underground world believes that I’m part of the prime minister’s faction……..Fufufu, he’s quite loathed, isn’t he?”

“There are no fools among the proud kemonobito folk who would follow that guy.”

“Hoo……You really hate the guy, don’t you? Then, don’t you understand the reason why Albert is following my orders? He’s also part of the kemonobito folk, you know?”

“……..Don’t say that you’re his highness, prince Mars’ ally!?”

The girl moved her head energetically and, reacting to this, Albert put more strength into his sword.

Blood started to drip from her neck, but she didn’t seem to be bothered by that.

“P-Please! I beg of you……let us become prince Mars’ strength! We will do anything!!”

She said and took off her clothes.

It wasn’t only her, all the girls left in the room took off their clothes.

Then, they knelt down in front of me.

“We will do as Zest-sama pleases. We will do anything. We won’t refuse any order…….So, please…….please……”

“We beg of you!”

“Please show mercy!”

“Please save us!”

A bunch of naked girls who begged me to let them serve ‘His highness, prince Mars’…..

As expected, Albert understood the situation and moved to my side.

I didn’t know that his majesty the king had so much popularity…….Prince Mars has to work hard.

“Don’t worry, I do care about my son-in-law. Therefore, put your clothes back on…….I don’t need this kind of thanking.”

“I see. Your excellency won’t do something like this. At any rate…….”

I informed the girls who stood up, but Albert moved quickly.

He unfastened my belt and pulled my trousers down.

“Look! He’s naturally wearing the marking of deep affection, done by a kemonobito woman! He gladly accepted the deep affection feelings shown by the kemonobito woman through offering him her own worn underwear! Do you need any other reason to trust this person!?”

“This scent!!”

“Aah, it’s like the legend said!”

“He’s a human, but he accepted the deep affection marking…….”

I stood up, revealing these pink string bikinis for everyone to see, and the naked kemonobito women started to worship me.

In such a chaotic room, I stood stock still…..

“Everyone……Rest assured. Leave everything to me.”

“ “ “ “Yes!! Zest-sama!!” “ “ “

Weeping, I informed the girls, and they started crying as well.

Most likely they were crying for different reasons, but this was a trivial matter.

This was also the moment I acquired some new subordinates.

Weeping, I looked outside the window, and saw that the full moon was bright red today as well…….

I…..might not recover from this…….

1. In case you didn’t know yet, sake refers to the Japanese rice wine, as well as any alcoholic drink.

2. Remember that Tasel is a he-female ^^