"Hyarr… that was refreshing."
Hazuki stretched his arms, feeling cleaner and more relaxed than he had in days. Stepping out of the bathhouse, he glanced down at the dirty clothes in his hands, now replaced with fresh ones.
"Err… this stuff…" He frowned. "Where the hell am I supposed to wash it…?"
After a brief moment of thought, he shrugged and stuffed it into his bag.
"Eh, I'll figure it out later."
With that problem temporarily ignored, he resumed strolling through town, taking in the sights.
The beautiful, bustling streets.
The well-crafted stone buildings.
The lively merchants selling their wares.
And most importantly—
"Ohhh~ Nice boobs."
…Inside his mind, of course.
His eyes shamelessly locked onto the 'assets' of the many gorgeous women passing by.
Elegant ladies in tight-fitting dresses.
Adventurer girls in leather armor that hugged their curves just right.
Beastkin women with fluffy ears and jiggle physics beyond human comprehension.
Hazuki's soul ascended.
Bless this town…
Of course, he was totally admiring the town. Absolutely. Nothing else.
"Oho~ nice lady… well, beastlady… and beast 'assets'…"
Hazuki's eyes trailed shamelessly as a tall beastkin woman walked past, her curves perfectly accentuated by her outfit. The way her fluffy tail swayed with each step almost made his brain short-circuit.
But then—
"Ughh…" His expression twisted.
The fur.
Damn it. They had nice bodies, great curves, and soft tails… but…
"I'm not into full-on furry girls," he muttered under his breath. "Fluffy is nice… but that's too much."
He quickly shook his head and continued walking, eyes still scanning the "scenery."
"Alright, back to sightseeing the wom— I mean, the town."
Yes. The town was very nice.
As Hazuki said that, his gaze followed another passing woman's 'assets' like a homing missile.
Truly, a town worth admiring.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine.
"Eeekkk!!"
Hazuki froze mid-step, his body stiffening as an unsettling sensation crept over him.
Slowly, he glanced around, scanning the area.
Nothing. Just the usual townsfolk going about their day.
Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling—like someone was watching him.
"Ugh… don't tell me it's Ellyn…"
The thought alone made cold sweat drip down his back.
Of course, she wasn't actually here. No way. She was still traveling with her mother, right?
…Right?
Then why did he feel like her presence was looming over him?
A terrifying possibility crept into his mind.
Could this be… the 'blessing' of the pinky promise?
Hazuki gulped.
Maybe—just maybe—this damn oath let her sense whenever he was up to no good.
And considering where his eyes had been wandering all morning…
"Crap."
For the first time, he felt true fear.
"Ugh, fine!" Hazuki groaned, rubbing his arms as the eerie feeling refused to go away.
"At least let me just look at them!"
He clenched his fists, making a solemn declaration to the universe—and possibly to the unseen force watching him.
"I promise I'll be faithful! Yeah… just looking. No more. Just… ogling."
His eyes locked onto another passing beauty, drinking in the sight of her elegant stride, soft curves, and well-fitted dress.
"Eheheh…"
Hazuki grinned to himself, nodding as if he had found a perfect loophole.
Admiring wasn't cheating, right?
He wasn't touching.
He wasn't flirting.
He wasn't breaking the pinky promise.
Just… appreciating.
That was totally fine.
Right?
…
So why did the shiver down his spine just get worse?
"Alright, damn it!" Hazuki groaned, throwing his hands up in defeat.
He tilted his head back, staring at the sky as if making a dramatic vow to the heavens.
"I won't… loo—"
…Ooh, nice legs.
His head instinctively turned, his eyes zeroing in on another passing beauty.
"Okay, okay! I won't!! Loo—"
…Damn, that dress really highlights her cu—
BOOM!!!
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck the ground near him.
"EEEEKKKK!!" Hazuki jumped back, yelping like a kicked dog.
Smoke rose from the scorched earth, the crackling energy still buzzing in the air.
The townspeople stared.
Hazuki froze, his body stiff, his mind racing.
Slowly, he looked up again.
Was that… divine punishment!?
The shiver down his spine from earlier returned with full force.
He was being watched.
And whoever—or whatever—was watching him?
Was not amused.
"Haaa…" Hazuki let out a long, defeated sigh, still staring at the sky.
"So this means… I won't even get kissed by a girl, huh?"
The thought stabbed him in the heart.
A future with no harem.
A future with no kisses.
A future where he was just a loyal, ring-wearing fool.
"Why!?" he shouted at the heavens, clapping his hands together in desperation.
"At least let me look! I swear, I won't do anything other than look!"
He clutched his chest, his voice filled with pure, unfiltered despair.
"I promise! I'll be faithful!"
The sky remained silent.
The townspeople watched in amusement as Hazuki stood in the middle of the street, pleading with an unseen force.
Some shook their heads. Others snickered behind their drinks.
And somewhere
"Achiu!"
Ellyn sneezed, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand.
Her mother glanced at her. "Ellyn?"
"My nose feels itchy…" Ellyn pouted, twitching her ears. "Maybe it's nothing."
Her mother chuckled softly. "If you say so. We'll be arriving soon."
"Okay, Mom!" Ellyn beamed, kicking her feet excitedly as she looked out the carriage window.
Somewhere, far away in Yumia Town…
Hazuki kicked a small stone as he strolled lazily through town, his thoughts weighed down by regret.
"Haaa… if only I made a pinky promise to an adult… I'd be lucky. I'd get kissed every day."
He sighed dramatically.
"I mean… I don't mind having just one girl… but…"
His face twisted.
"Ugh. Damn it!"
He plopped down onto a big stone near a quiet stream, resting his elbows on his knees as he gazed at the flowing water and lush scenery.
"Well… at least this place is nice."
The gentle sounds of the stream bubbling mixed with the chirping of birds, creating a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere.
"And the women here are—"
His lips curled into a smirk.
"Ehehe."
With a satisfied sigh, he lay back on the stone, enjoying the warm sunlight.
After a moment, he pulled out his Adventurer Card, finally deciding to check his status.
Adventurer Card
Name: Hazekaya Hazuki
Age: 24
Class: ????
Level: 4
Skill Slot: Empty (10 Slots Available)
EXP: 709 / 1500
Skill Points: 4
Hazuki stared at the card.
His brain froze.
"Huh? When the hell did I level up to 4!?"
"WOOOOOOO!!"
Hazuki leaped up from the stone, fists in the air.
"I GOT SKILL POINTS!!"
A huge grin spread across his face. "Now I can learn skills! Finally! My suffering might actually pay off!"
But then—
"…Wait."
His excitement froze mid-celebration.
"But… how?"
He stared at his Adventurer Card, blinking.
There were four glorious skill points sitting there, waiting to be used.
But no button.
No menu.
No instructions.
Hazuki squinted.
"Where the hell is the 'Learn Skill' option!?"
He poked the card. Nothing.
He shook it. Still nothing.
He even rubbed it against his forehead.
"OI! HOW THE HELL DO I USE THIS!?"
A few passersby turned to look at him, confused.
Hazuki slumped onto the stone, groaning.
"Damn it! Even in this world, there's no tutorial!"
( End of Chapter )