What appeared before us was a gloomy stairs leading downwards. It was so dark outside and inside so I can't make out what lies beyond the blackness of this place. Just when I was wondering what to do next, Pellet spoke.
"Let's head back... The goblin subjugation quest is over..."
She turned around to head back to the village. If she's just going to leave like that, then what did we almost die for?
"Eh? Then what about this thing?"
"I have already put a tracking magic mark on it. My subordinates from the Magic Tower will take care of it. Our investigation here is over, let's go."
Listening to her orders like she was the leader, I followed her who was walking away.
Owh wait, I should bring these lycan statues with me. It will fetch a high price in the city, I bet. Obviously since it's made of gold and it looks like it was made by an excellent sculptor.
"Wait, Pellet-chan."
I called out to her, she turned around to face me with her bored green eyes. She didn't say anything but only stared at me waiting for an answer.
"Let's bring these golden statues with us!"
Her eyes were set in attention by the gold lycans I pointed at and approached them all whilst carressing their unmoving bodies. She later averted her gaze to me to ask a certain question.
"Are they made from real gold?"
I nodded to her in reply. I'm sure they're made of gold since it's what I wrote. Her eyes widened a little and she pulled something out of her pocket. It looked like a ring with ornate flower designs made out of silver with a red jewel as it's main icon.
She pointed the red jewel on the ring at one of the lycans and it disappeared without a trace after getting sucked inside the jewel. So that's how she did it?!
I thought it was some sort of magic bag but to think it was a ring, it's strange how she just keeps it on her pocket.
After finishing to acquire all the golden statues, she walked over to me and urged me to head back with her.
While walking back through the unpaved roads leading to the city, I found out from Pellet that every high ranking adventurer had atleast one. Any adventurer can buy them, they just costed alot of money.
Even though I had atleast two gold coins now from this quest, it's still not going to be enough to purchase one. I heard from Pellet that the storage ring stores things depending on their weight. Hers for example had a weight limit of 10,000 kilograms. Ofcourse there were rings with smaller space but the prices jumps higher in the opposite because of how harder it is to produce storage rings with larger spaces.
▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️
"We're back."
I casually said after entering the guild hall. We didn't need to call out for Nina-san for her to notice that we're back, she gave us a relieved expression with that sweet face of hers.
Along with Pellet and the pleasure of victory for achieving our separate but allied jobs, we reported to Nina-san about the completion of my quest.
"Ara? Why is Seven-chan with the famous Lake Witch?"
Although she sounded lively and respectful, Nina-san looked a bit troubled while putting her palm on her beautiful white cheek.
"Lake Witch?"
I asked sincerely, I knew from the start that Pellet-chan isn't an ordinary person and it had me curious as someone who admires her.
"Those are unimportant. Please attend to this first and belate your trifle discussions."
Pellet-chan greedily forked out the two leather sacks from earlier that contained the goblin ears and presented it to Nina-san who was startled, but she didn't lose her cool and began checking the bags and counting the number of goblin ears we've obtained.
"A total of 30 goblins." She muttered while playfully putting her index finger against her lips. She picked up something like a device that I suppose is a calculator and began typing.
We waited in silence for Nina-san's next response. I noticed that Pellet-chan was looking away from me, she had already put away her staff in the storage ring. Is she still feeling awkward about earlier? I think it's cute but I shouldn't tease her for now. I have to be careful, I need to secure my source of Affection Points. I'm afraid she might be mad at me. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth to just take someone's first kiss and not take responsibility.
"A total of 450 Mithras."
Nina-san handed the reward to me who took it gleefully. It was a pouch with 4 gold, 2 silver, and 10 copper coins inside it.
However, the moment Nina-san distributed the reward money, Pellet-chan seemed uninterested and told me to keep all the money. The reason for that was because she came with me not to hunt goblins and earn a 'pitiful amount of money'(According to her) but to accomplish the task given to her by the Magic Tower.
With that, I finished my goal to obtain myself some money to buy dinner. Pellet-chan left quietly without even informing me but I followed her out.
"Where are you going?"
We are currently in the main streets, I don't know where we're heading so I'll just follow her without thinking much about it. If I lose her now, I don't know if we'll ever meet again.
"To an inn nearby. Tomorrow I shall report my findings to the Tower."
I asked her and I was responded to by Pellet-chan who didn't seem troubled that I didn't part ways with her after our quest was over.
"I'm still searching for an inn to stay in. Can I come with you to lodge myself there as well?"
"Hmm... Okay."
We continued walking around the streets until we eventually reached an ordinary looking inn. We entered inside, I realized the atmosphere here almost resembled the one from the guild, naturally, almost everyone looks at the entrance when they hear someone step into the place then resume what they're doing if they didn't find it fun or interesting.
Pellet-chan who seemed used to it, didn't mind the attention and nonchalantly walked towards the counter.
"You don't have to worry about the money, their prices are fair."
She informed me silently while asking the counter for a room for two. It gave me a tinge of curiosity so I asked her immediately who that person is, that's going to be her roommate.
"You ofcourse. Pay half of the price on your own. We will have dinner later so let's take a bath before that."
My cheeks flustered without my consent. Is she, is she asking me to take a bath with her? We just kissed earlier so she should be cautious of me, right? Or does she like me?!
I continued dozing off in my delusions that I got stuck in place. Until I was fortunately interrupted by the man at the counter who made me pay 250 mithras. I actually couldn't care less about the price since I couldn't think clearly and the ones we killed were only goblins which would naturally give us a low amount acceptable to a newbie adventurer.
After paying, I climbed up the wooden spiral staircase and looked for the room at the third floor that I was told we were to stay to.
Seeing it finally, I opened the door open and what met my eyes was—
Pellet-chan almost completely naked.
"Kyaaaaaa!!!"
First off, you would think the one who screamed was Pellet-chan, but no, it was me.
"Learn how to knock. And close that door immediately."
She was as composed as ever. Just as she said, I closed the door and looked around frantically to see if anyone saw that, theres no way anyone else but me should see that!
"Why did you even open the door if you are not going to come in, idiot."
I opened the door again and this time came in. I have steeled myself. Goodbye my virginity, I'm sorry mother and father.
I soon began taking off my clothes just like Pellet-chan.
"My body is ready... Please go easy on me..."
I seductively allured her with all my might.
But she didn't seem to hear me and instead took out the storage ring that she had and showed it to me.
"The golden statues are with me, remember?"
"A-Ah, yes. It is."
"It is a good thing that we are in the same inn and room, let us visit the city's tradestore tomorrow to sell them for profit."
"Y-Yes, that will be so."
Like that, my expectations were crushed and I was left with a blank expression after thinking of some naughty things that I shouldn't even think of doing with a child. I felt guilty.
When I and Pellet-chan finished taking off our clothes, we entered our room's bathroom together. It was spacious enough to fit the two of us without any problems.
Ofcourse, I volunteered to wash her body and she agreed quite easily.
Right now, I am stroking her beautiful hair with some shampoo from this world using my delicate fingers. Surprisingly, the shampoos here might just be as good as the ones from Earth.
And I also noticed something else.
The moment I stepped in to the bathroom, there was a mirror already in front of us. There I finally saw my reflection, just as the people I've met so far has claimed, I looked astoundingly beautiful to the point I can be proud of it. It's even to the point I would fall in love with a woman so easily if it was someone who looked like this.
With this body, gaining more Affection Points by attracting the same sex won't be a pipe dream anymore. And since this was a different world, theres bound to be a different kind of thinking. But just to be sure, I think I should ask Pellet-chan about the preference of girls in this world.
"Pellet-chan, can I ask a question?"
"Go ahead."
"What type of preference do women in this country like?"
"...Hm."
She's taking a while to answer, I didn't ask her how the women is in this world since ofcourse it would sound odd. Hopefully she's not one of those heterosexual supremacists back on Earth.
"Just like any other country, the girls would be the same. Ofcourse we want them to be strong, rich, kind and has a good looking face. Are you somehow different for you to ask this?"
I felt a bit embarrassed, she was staring at me coldly from the reflection in the mirror. I was currently washing her back using soap with an admirably sweet fragrance.
"Yes. Instead of men, I prefer girls."
It would be best to be blunt, I didn't like the idea of giving excuses for my sexuality. I just find men somehow disgusting and can't bring myself to even touch them, while girls smell nice and are cute. That's why I prefer them. But Pellet-chan didn't seem at all disturbed by it.
"I see. So you prefer women."
"? Aren't you worried that I may not bear a child if my partner is a girl?"
After I have finished washing her back, I moved to the front but I didn't necessarily have to be in front of her because there was the mirror to look at anyway. I started by gently caressing her still undeveloped chest from behind, but it wasn't completely flat which made me happy.
"Th-That is, that's... There is a way to have children with magic even if it's the same sex."
I can tell why she's stuttering. Even the well composed Pellet-chan can't resist it if I touch her this way. I guess she can't act all cool forever.
"H-Hey, stop that at once!"
I didn't mean to arouse her, I was only cleaning her chest. Yes, just cleaning. No dirty thoughts.
"F-First, you kissed me and now you're groping me? W-What's wrong with you, really?!"
"So you do remember that we kissed earlier."
"That was one sided."
"Well, didn't you prepare a room for two people so that we can do this?"
"Tha-That's..."
I blew on her cute, sharp, little elf ears which made me hear a 'Nya!' from somewhere.
I was somehow getting Affection Points by doing this.