We finally arrived at the next village, amidst research into bugfolk.
Well, there are bad areas everywhere. Even in any magnificent city. The problem is whether we can gather the necessary supplies to continue our journey. We need at least food and water.
Stepping in a little, we saw Dark Harpies walking around. Some were sitting by the roadside drinking sake, others were carrying bags on their backs, and some were shopping at stalls. The public order seemed bad, but not as terrible as I had thought. We could also see families with children. They were happily talking about what they would eat today.
Among them, we could see not only Dark Harpies but also Centaurs, Satyrs, and other races. And the most surprising thing was that there was electricity even in such a remote land. Moths were gathering around the old-fashioned neon lights of a small shop’s signboard.
They glanced at us, who were clearly outsiders, but showed no signs of attacking.
“Let’s finish shopping as soon as possible.”
“Yeah, it’s a bit uncomfortable here.”
We entered a nearby shop. There, various snacks, sake, and tobacco were lined up. The shopkeeper was also smoking tobacco behind the counter. To avoid suspicion, we threw items that seemed likely to last, such as food, water, matches, and towels, into a basket.
When I placed it on the counter, the female shopkeeper looked up listlessly. For some reason, I broke out in a cold sweat. With a sigh again, she looked at the price tags and started working on something like an abacus. When she finished calculating everything, she exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigarette.
“You’re buying quite a lot… Here, this is a freebie.”
Saying that, she placed a gummy that was nearby on top of the pile of goods. After paying, we left the store.
“He was a surprisingly nice person.”
“Indeed, I thought we’d be told something.”
They might be surprisingly normal people, despite their rough demeanor. After that, we visited other stores and did some more shopping. After all, buying too much at once might make us suspicious. Besides, if it became known that we had money, we’d be in trouble if we attracted unwanted attention.
Finally, after finishing our shopping and accumulating quite a lot of luggage, I realized I hadn’t eaten dinner. I glanced at Sharin and saw a similar expression on her face.
“Hahaha, so this is what they meant by taking a break. I was so tense I forgot.”
“Me too. I was so focused on being cautious that I forgot the important thing.”
“How about we grab some coffee?”
We shouldn’t let our guard down, but a little tea break should be fine. We’re tired from shopping and want to sit and rest.
However, I had no idea where we could get coffee. It’s not like there’s a fancy cafe here, is there?
“Hey, Arisugawa, how about that place over there? It seems to be a relatively large establishment, so I think we can get some food.”
In the direction Sharin pointed, there was a neon sign that read “Bunny’s Heaven.” The garish pink light and the silhouette of a rabbit caught our eye. It looked a bit suspicious, but it should be okay. Customers were still entering right in front of us.
As we opened the entrance door, we were hit by bad quality bass sound, a stage illuminated in pink, a glossy floor. And then…
“Welcome to Bunny’s Heaven, for two?”
Before I could even look at Sharin’s face, we were addressed by a staff member.
“Uh, yes.”
Damn it, I answered reflexively like at a family restaurant. This, this is a host club. No, I didn’t know that either, I never imagined it was this kind of place. I’m starting to sweat unpleasantly. A bunny girl walked past us, the sound of her heels echoing.
We sat in a booth seat along a round table. I slowly looked at Sharin. She didn’t seem to care, her expression unchanged. And without a word, she took a menu from the staff. The contents were reasonably diverse, and the prices were reasonable. I thought we’d be ripped off more, but it was unexpected.
“I think the grilled chicken would be good. What about you?”
“You’re going to eat quite a lot. I’ll have… coffee and bread.”
Sharin smiled, saying she felt bad for everyone. Perhaps she hasn’t noticed. It’s just me looking at the bunny girls with a lecherous gaze. It’s a sad male instinct to have my eyes drawn to the bare legs of the girls serving our meals.
“Coming right up, big brother. Bread and coffee, here you go.”
With a clunk, the food I ordered was brought to me.
