Meidri's ears perked up the moment she heard Stunk's voice. She turned around, immediately spotting the scruffy face of the man who had been testing her patience for far too long.
In modern society, his rugged, weathered look might have been considered attractive, but here, in this world, it only made him look messy, even shabby.
"Stunk, did you take August to the succubus house yesterday?" she asked, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
"Yeah, we went to the 'Cowgirl Ranch.' You wouldn't believe it, August here is something else—he—"
Oblivious to the storm brewing behind her, Stunk failed to notice the dark aura that had begun to rise from Meidri.
Before he could finish his sentence, she struck him down with a ruthless iron claw, sending Stunk flying across the room.
August could only look on, feeling a mix of pity and amusement. Stunk had clearly underestimated the wrath of a monster girl like Meidri. Unlike humans, monster girls had far greater strength.
"What the hell, Meidri?! That really hurt!" Stunk protested as he picked himself up.
"You perverted fool! It's bad enough that you're beyond saving, but now you're corrupting others too!" she snapped back.
"Who's corrupting anyone? What's wrong with appreciating a cowgirl succubus? Their sizes—well, they're even bigger than your head!" Stunk replied, not realizing just how much worse he was making things.
At that moment, even August had to avert his eyes. He knew Stunk had just signed his own death warrant.
"What... did... you... just... say?" Meidri growled, her entire body now radiating a lethal aura.
One of the unwritten rules of life: Never, under any circumstances, compare a woman to another, especially when you're praising the other. That's a death sentence waiting to happen.
"Me-Meidri, wait! What are you planning to do?" Stunk stammered, panic creeping into his voice as he watched Meidri's fury take a dark turn.
August, standing off to the side, did nothing to intervene, merely turning his head away. He knew that there was no saving Stunk now, and trying to help would only drag him into the crossfire.
"Stunk, you deserve to die. People like you are a waste of space," Meidri declared, pulling out a spiked club from seemingly nowhere.
August could only blink in astonishment. Where did she even get that? It was as absurd as something straight out of a slapstick comedy. This world certainly had no shortage of surprises.
"Meidri-san, calm down, let's talk this out!" Stunk pleaded, his voice tinged with fear.
"Say goodbye, Stunk," Meidri growled, raising the club high.
"August, help! She's lost her mind!" Stunk shouted in desperation.
"Divine Retribution!" Meidri yelled, swinging the club down on Stunk with a powerful blow. Stunk couldn't dodge in time.
Stunk... perished.
When the dust finally settled, August walked over and helped the bruised and beaten Stunk to his feet. Meidri had been relentless, aiming every hit straight for his face. The sight was almost too painful to look at.
"August, are we even friends? You just stood there and watched me get beaten up!" Stunk moaned as August guided him out of the tavern.
"Stunk, if I'd stepped in, we both would've been beaten up. Better one of us than both," August replied calmly.
"A true brother would face hardship together!" Stunk groaned.
"We only met yesterday," August shot back, his voice flat.
"Wow, I can't believe you just said that..." Stunk mumbled, his heart thoroughly crushed.
As August led Stunk back into the pub, Stunk's beaten-up state caught the attention of many onlookers. In this town, Stunk and Zel were well-known figures. Not only were they top-tier adventurers, but they were also notorious for their frequent visits to the succubus houses. Other adventurers often sought them out to share stories and experiences.
Today, however, Stunk was far from his usual self, and it didn't take long for everyone to realize just how much trouble he had gotten himself into.
"Stunk, where have you been? Did you get jumped or something?"
Just as Stunk sat down, a figure resembling a child approached. It was none other than Kanchal, a halfling thief. His height barely reached half that of an average person, and like most of his kind, he had the appearance of a cute, youthful boy or girl.
But much like Stunk, Kanchal was notorious for being a regular at the succubus houses, spending most of his nights there.
"It wasn't a gang beating; it was Meidri," Stunk grumbled, rubbing his bruised face.
Kanchal raised an eyebrow. "What did you do to provoke her this time?"
"I didn't provoke her! I just took August to the succubus house, and she lost her mind and beat me up."
Kanchal glanced over at August, sitting quietly nearby, and took a moment to size him up. One look at Stunk's battered state and August's unscathed appearance led him to a clear conclusion.
"Stunk, I think I know why you got beaten," Kanchal said thoughtfully.
"Huh? Why?" Stunk asked, confused.
"Look at August here. How would you rate his looks?"
Kanchal pointed at August as he spoke slowly.
"To be honest, I've never seen anyone as handsome as him. You should've seen the way the receptionist at the 'Cowgirl Ranch' was eyeing him yesterday—she practically wanted to eat him up."
"There you go. You took someone like him to the succubus house and then got beaten up by Meidri. Think about it for a second. Really think."
"Ugh..."
It didn't take long for Stunk to realize what Kanchal was hinting at. He turned to look at August, the pieces of the puzzle finally falling into place.
August raised an eyebrow, slightly taken aback by how quick-witted the small halfling was. For someone so diminutive, Kanchal certainly had a sharp mind.
"So, what you're saying is that Meidri's got a thing for August, huh?" Stunk muttered, rubbing his stubbled chin as he eyed August's strikingly handsome face.
Neither August nor Kanchal said anything, but their expressions spoke volumes. Especially Kanchal, who was practically giving Stunk every warning look he could muster. Yet, as usual, Stunk remained oblivious.
"Wow, I never would've guessed. Meidri, into handsome guys all along," Stunk mused aloud, his tone completely casual.
"Ho? And how exactly would you know that?" a voice asked, dripping with menace.
The voice was painfully familiar. Stunk's body froze in place, his face—already bruised—turned an alarming shade of pale. A cold sweat broke out across his forehead, pouring down like a floodgate had been opened.
"Uh, M-Meidri-san, I was just rambling! You're such a kind and magnanimous person, surely you wouldn't hold it against me!" Stunk pleaded, his voice shaking.
"Stunk, you're absolutely insufferable," Meidri growled.
Crash!
Without hesitation, she grabbed a nearby table and smashed it directly onto Stunk's head. The poor man crumpled to the floor as August and Kanchal watched in exasperation.
Once again, Stunk's inability to learn from his mistakes had earned him another beating. And once again, it was inside the very tavern Meidri managed. The Hostess of Fertility wasn't the place to test her patience, yet Stunk did so time and time again.
"Meidri... that really hurt," Stunk groaned as he slowly got up, clutching the back of his head.
August and Kanchal exchanged looks of disbelief. No matter how many times Stunk found himself on the receiving end of Meidri's wrath, his resilience was something to be admired. If nothing else, he could certainly take a beating—quite fitting for a top-tier adventurer.
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