"I-I'm sorry... sniffles It's just... so hard to talk about... sobs
My name is Lyra, and I-I was part of the Moonclaw tribe... We lived peacefully in Therandria, in harmony with nature, but... cries but then the Human Empire... they came, and everything changed.
sniffs That dreadful night... they attacked... I watched in horror as they slaughtered my family, my friends... everyone... I was the only one who survived... I... I can still hear their cries... sobs
And then... they captured me... enslaved me... forced me to work... *sobs* I felt so powerless, so helpless... There were times I wanted to fight back, but... *sniffs* I was so scared... they were so cruel...
Living in fear each day... it was unbearable... *cries* I-I didn't know I had any magic abilities... I-I never used them... I thought I was just a normal wolf girl... *sniffs*
I-I just wanted to forget... to forget the pain, the loss... *sobs* But I couldn't... I couldn't forget my tribe... *sniffs* They were everything to me... and they were gone...
The moon... it became my only comfort... *cries* In the darkness of my enslavement, it was the only thing that felt familiar... that reminded me of my tribe... *sniffs*
I-I just want... *sobs* I want to find a way to break free from this despair... to rise above all of this... *sniffs* to find the strength... to honor the memory of my people... to ensure they're not forgotten... *cries softly* "
After hearing her out, I couldn't help but feel pity for her and her lost tribe. She lost everything to the humans. I feel her pain, honestly. She's been through a lot.
"Hey, it's okay now..."
She was kneeling on the floor, crying. I can't seem to ignore these disgusting stares all around me from the customers.
In this world, Demi-humans are treated like garbage by the humans, lower beings that aren't meant to exist.
I know how that feels... my whole life has been like that.
I raised her head up so I could look at her crying face. I then smiled at her.
".... you've been through a lot. I can't bring back those you've already lost in the past, but I can guarantee that if you stay by my side, you'll have a great future to look forward to."
She looked at me with tears still pouring out of her eyes.
"....but...*sniffles* why are... you being so nice... to me... *sniffs* I'm a... Demi-human... don't.... Don't you feel... disgusted?"
She really has a low evaluation of herself, huh?... hm... what to say... alright, I'll do this...
"You're Lyra, right?"
"y...yes I a-am... *sniffs* "
""""huh!!!????"""" Everyone in the inn around us had that reaction. But why wouldn't they? After all, what I'm doing right now was completely unbelievable in their eyes. But for me, she's just a helpless girl.
I dove in for a deep kiss, which made her face completely red.
"mn~" I then broke the kiss and patted her on the head.
"I don't care if you're a Demi-human. It really doesn't bother me. And I think you're really cute, even cuter than all the girls in this inn right now."
"wh... what?!"
"stop looking down on yourself... you're more amazing than you think."
She couldn't look up because she was embarrassed. All she could do was give a small nod.
"good!"
I then turned my attention to the one who's been quiet for a while now.
"you're really something, Kazuto... for a boy who got transferred to a whole new world, you're really confident."
He shrugs.
This way, he could gain her trust and improve her self-evaluation a bit.
"Say, goddess, why don't you tell me why Demi-humans are forced into slavery despite them having an affinity to use ethereal flux? Can't they fight back or something?"
Just curious.
"In this world, Demi-humans possess magic abilities, but unfortunately, they can only access weak or limited forms of Ethereal flux. This aspect may have contributed to their enslavement as those in power saw them as less threatening and therefore more susceptible to control. The dominant societies might have exploited this perceived weakness, subjugating Demi-humans for cheap labor or to harness their meager Ethereal flux talents for specific tasks, further perpetuating the cycle of oppression."
"I see... but..."
I turned my attention to the Demi-human girl still kneeling on the floor in embarrassment.
"She possesses an immense amount of ethereal flux... so...?"
"Yes, she's a different case, it seems. She's blessed with great power."
She must not have been aware of her capabilities yet. She could be a valuable asset in helping me take down the Heroes.
Rumble~
... ... ...
"um... s-sorry... this..."
"you must be hungry. Here, come eat."
I requested she come join us at the table, but she shook her head.
"n...no I... I couldn't..."
"enough already, you're hungry, so come eat with us."
She looked at me for a short while before nodding and standing up to sit next to me.
"Th...thank you."
"Don't mention it."
As she was about to dig in, it seemed like one of the customers felt really irritated by her presence and wanted to approach me, maybe to pick a fight.
But I gave him a death glare which made him think twice before sitting down and continuing to eat his meal.
I began to stroke Lyra's hair as she ate her food. She really is cute.
I've gained one companion. I wonder what's gonna happen after this.
"Oh, and goddess."
"Yeah, Kazuto?"
I interrupted the goddess as she was having her meal.
"Tomorrow, let's get new clothes that won't stand out, alright?"
"Hm? Sure, okay."
She tilted her head towards my question, but after that reply, she continued eating.
I really can't handle seeing her in a high school girl's uniform.