In the relatively small room, August and Meidri stared at each other in silence.
In the end, Meidri decided to believe August. After all, good looks are a kind of justice. Whether you admit it or not, when you see a handsome man or a beautiful woman, your first impression will undoubtedly be much better than when you see an ordinary or unattractive person.
"Fine, I'll believe you this time. But if another person finds out about what happened today..."
Dark energy began to swirl around Meidri, her expression hinting at the possibility of her turning sinister.
"I promise, today's events will only be known by you, and me!" August assured with a serious tone.
"Hmph, it had better stay that way."
However, as August glanced at the three eggs on Meidri's bed, his mind started to wander.
He couldn't help but wonder—do birdfolk lay eggs to have children, or do they give birth like humans? It was a puzzling thought indeed.
"Hey, what are you staring at?"
"I'm looking at the eggs."
Thud!
Before August could finish his sentence, a large chair came crashing down on his head, sending him sprawling to the floor.
Though he wasn't hurt, the feeling was far from pleasant.
At this moment, Meidri was emitting dark energy from her entire body. Her eyes were blank, filled with murderous intent, and she was holding a wooden stool in her hand.
August quickly realized that he had crossed a line. He had been staring at the freshly laid eggs, and this birdwoman might actually kill him for it.
"Can you avoid hitting my face?"
"Die!"
Bang!
What followed was a relentless beating.
After about ten minutes, Meidri was panting from exhaustion, while August sat on the floor, looking completely unscathed.
"Who… what are you? How are you this resilient?"
"Hey, stop accusing me. I didn't fight back because I knew I was in the wrong."
"You…"
Meidri glanced around the room. Several chairs had been smashed to pieces, and yet, the man before her remained unharmed. She had to admit—this man was incredibly strong, far stronger than she could have imagined.
Though Meidri wasn't an adventurer, she had some skills of her own. But now, she couldn't even manage to break his defense.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"Didn't I already introduce myself?"
"I forgot. Say it again. What's the big deal, you pervert?"
"Please stop throwing labels at me. If you keep calling me that, I might just do something to deserve it. After all, you've already accused me, so why not?"
"You… Fine! I won't call you names anymore. Now tell me your name."
"August."
"August? That's a strange name."
"Thanks for your lovely critique," August replied with a hint of sarcasm, glancing at Meidri.
Despite her temper, her figure was undeniably attractive. Plus, she had wings, though her bird-like talons were a slight drawback. Overall, though, she was still a high-scoring monster girl.
"My name is Meidri," she said.
"Meidri? That name sounds familiar... I feel like I've heard it somewhere before."
"You know me? Didn't you say you were a traveler?"
"I didn't say I knew you. I just said your name sounds familiar, like I've heard it somewhere."
"This is the Ale & Eats Tavern. Maybe you've heard some adventurers mention me."
Meidri didn't think too much of it. After all, the tavern was a bustling place filled with people coming and going daily. It wasn't unusual for someone to have heard of her in passing.
Meidri was confident in her own charm; among the winged people, she was considered quite a beauty.
"Ale & Eats Tavern? Is that a pub?"
"That's right, and the best one at that."
"Well, aren't you proud of your establishment, Miss Meidri."
"Hmph."
With a cold huff, Meidri felt she had gained a preliminary understanding of this man. Although he seemed a bit frivolous, he didn't appear to be a bad person. If August really intended to do something to her, there wasn't much she could do to stop him. During their brief scuffle, she realized that August was incredibly strong—superhumanly so.
"By the way, I just arrived here and don't have a place to stay. Since this is a tavern, do you have any rooms available?"
"No."
"That can't be. Isn't this a tavern?"
"You still think this is a tavern? Does your tavern offer lodging?"
"Yes, it does."
For a moment, Meidri felt her blood pressure rising. This man was infuriatingly annoying—a waste of such a handsome face.
"I don't know where you're from, but we serve drinks, food, and fruit here. We just don't offer lodging."
Thud!
August pulled out a gold brick. Yes, a pure gold brick.
In August's treasury, these gold bricks were so plentiful they could be used to pave roads. He had no idea how many he possessed.
Meidri was stunned by the sight. A gold brick? Although she couldn't be certain if it was real, it certainly looked genuine.
"What are you trying to do?"
"I think your place is quite nice. This should cover the rent. How long can I stay?"
At that moment, Meidri's anger flared up. This was clearly an attempt to provoke her. Was he trying to pick a fight?
"Sir, we don't rent rooms here, nor do we offer shared accommodations."
"Not enough? How about two bricks?"
Thud!
Another gold brick appeared, making Meidri's eyelid twitch. Two gold bricks—how long would she have to work to earn that much?
"I'm truly sorry, but we don't offer lodging."
"What if I add one more?"
Thud!
Another gold brick. Meidri was filled with resentment. Curse those wealthy people!
August didn't stop there. He continued to pull out gold bricks, one after another—four, five, six—until there were ten gold bricks in total.
Meidri had never seen so much gold in her life. She felt like she was about to crack under the pressure.
"Well, if it's not possible, then never mind."
Just as Meidri was about to give in, August suddenly stopped and put all the gold bricks away.
For a moment, Meidri was dumbfounded. In just a few seconds, she experienced what it felt like to fall from heaven straight into hell.
The most infuriating part wasn't that August stopped—it was that he had clearly done it on purpose.
He had waited until she was on the verge of agreeing, only to walk away. That was the most aggravating part.
However, the self-control Meidri had honed over years of working at the Ale & Eats Tavern allowed her to suppress the anger rising in her chest.
Buzz!
"Meidri, the customers outside are starting to gather. Are you done with your task?"
From the other side of the room, a voice came through something resembling a speaker. It was a woman's voice.
August wasn't particularly concerned, but Meidri froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the speaker. The fact that there was a voice-transmitting device here meant that the tavern's owner had heard everything that just happened.
___
If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my patreon which already contains 30+ chapters:
https://www.patreon.com/XElenea