I learned that Emmett’s father had died in the Hunter Harpy village we headed to next.
We were invited to a meal, so we decided to go. Escorts like her gathered in a crowd. They started grilling a large piece of meat on a huge grill. It was so big, you’d mistake it for a steak.
“They are guests, so entertain them.”
“Oh! Well, well, it’s good to be alive. Aren’t they all beautiful older sisters?”
One of the escorts approached with half-cooked meat in hand. Seeing him up close, he was certainly imposing. He was a head taller than me, and his shoulders were much wider. Compared to the slender Flower Harpies, his large wings made him feel intimidating.
“That’s rude! Hey!”
A petite girl from the side pushed away the man who was leering. When I say petite, she was only relatively so, and she was only slightly shorter than me.
“It’s fine. The women around here are as tough as this meat. Haaa, so soft. Please let me suck on your breasts, it’s a lifelong wish.”
“Can I kill this guy?”
Before permission was granted, the girl landed a blow to his stomach. The man doubled over, and the meat he dropped was snatched by a dog.
“Damn it, this bastard, he’s really going at it.”
Laughter erupted. As the village chief had said, they were good people. The girl bowed her head apologetically.
“I’m sorry, please excuse my rudeness. My name is Linde. I’m an escort in this village.”
“No, it’s fine. I was a bit nervous, but that’s okay. My companions can be ruthless too. I’m Hiroaki, nice to meet you.”
As I bowed, Linde smiled brightly and happily.
“Here, have some meat! My brother caught it. It’s a bit tough, but it’s delicious.”
I received a large bone-in piece of meat from her. It was indeed tough, but I didn’t mind at all anymore. Rather, I was grateful just to have food. After all, we had almost become food ourselves.
She seemed satisfied watching me eat.
“Speaking of which, you said a King Bear appeared, and that Emmet defeated it.”
“Ah, it was amazing. He lured it to the cliff edge and then jumped onto its neck and knocked it down. And then…”
I felt an intense gaze from Linde. Her eyes opened as if she could shoot beams. He must be famous in this village.
“And then, what happened?”
“This guy, he likes Emmet.”
As if for revenge for being punched in the stomach earlier, the man lightly hit Linde on the head.
“Shut up! It’s not that I like him, it’s because he’s strong, I respect him as a warrior.”
“Oh, respect, huh? If it’s just that, then it would be fine if he dated someone else, wouldn’t it?”
Her face turned red, and she pouted. Her companions chided her not to tease her too much. But this might be a little sad. She’s a Hunter Harpy, would he open his heart to her?
“It’s fine, because that’s natural. Emmet dislikes me.”
“Well, a clumsy woman like you probably wouldn’t be popular with them anyway.”
“Shut up,” she hit the man.
“They like gentle, domestic, and kind girls.”
“I know! I’m kind too, and I can cook… well, meat. And vegetables too.”
“So, there are preferences for who is popular depending on the race.”
The man nodded at my words. In my world, there were also techniques for attracting the opposite sex, I wondered.
“Our race is said to find strong and straightforward women most attractive. Well, I’m different. Dark Harpies like sexy women, right? Naga like women who are good at lying. Centaurs, uh, women with large breasts?”
I felt like about half of that was wrong. Moreover, I wanted to say that’s just your preference. If that’s the case, then the opposite, men’s preferences, must also exist. Well, I probably wouldn’t fit any particular race’s preference. Just as they were talking about something fun, Philiana entered.
“Linde-san, why do you like him?”
“Uh, well, I wanted to be an escort, but as you know, my physique isn’t blessed. On the other hand, he’s strong even though he’s a half-breed, and his unwavering spirit is cool, or rather. Well, we haven’t talked much, but I want to learn from him.”
I see, even though she’s a normal size to me, she’s considered small among her own race.
“Then this is a good opportunity. It’s a chance for him to come to like Hunter Harpies.”
“What kind of chance? Will he come to like me?”
“Fufu, Emmet-san dislikes his father, doesn’t he? That’s why he dislikes everyone of the same race. But what if the person he likes is a Hunter Harpy? His perspective might change.”
Linde looked up at Philiana’s suggestion. Yes, depending on her efforts, he might come to like her. However, the road to that point seemed arduous.
“I’ll try my best! Maybe I should talk to him next time.”
“That’s right, women need courage. And he probably likes meat too. How about inviting him to a meal?”
While they were talking, another escort whispered something in Linde’s ear. Her once sparkling face turned grim in an instant.
“Everyone, I apologize for interrupting your meal, but please come with me.”
