Mash woke up. The dog-eared girl sleeping next to him was gone.
He moved his head. She knelt beside the bed facing him, hands clasped in front of her chest. It resembled the way people prayed in church in his original world.
"?"
When she noticed he was awake, she stood up, sat upright in a chair, and looked at him.
He got up and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Good morning. You seem to be feeling better."
"..."
Couldn't she understand his words?
"Woof, woof, woof, woof!" He tried talking to her in dog language. When translated, it became "Woof, woof, woof, woof!"—in other words, meaningless.
"I'm a dog-eared person, but I'm not a dog."
"Thank goodness. I was worried that you wouldn't be able to speak the language."
He wanted to make her laugh, but it didn't seem like that was the mood.
"Tell me your name."
"It's Fam."
"Famdes?"
"Fam!"
"Sorry. I knew it. I just wanted to lighten the mood. I'm Mash."
She didn't even chuckle. She seemed quite angry, perhaps because his dog talk had backfired.
"Are you my master?"
"No, I'm not. Take the bandage off your arm."
Fam removed the bandages and looked surprised and confused to see that there was no slave crest.
"I should have told you first. Unfortunately, your illness hasn't been cured. It will recur in a few years."
"Is that so... The village couldn't heal me, so I kept hiding for a long time."
"How long?"
"About four years."
It was too long. Those days must have been difficult.
"It's been a while since I've had such a refreshing morning."
She felt refreshed yet seemed angry.
"That's good." He took out five gold coins from storage.
"I'll give these to you. You have no master. Go wherever you want and do as you like."
"Huh?"
He gave her a thumbs up.
"I can't accept it. I was in a daze, but I remember. I was rescued from the prison and given treatment. I am indebted to you."
"Then why is the atmosphere so heavy? I think you hate me."
At that moment, for some reason, Fam's face turned red.
"That's because I woke up and we were sleeping together and before I knew it, you'd taken my virginity!"
"Didn't you get treated badly when you were a slave?"
It would probably be best to keep quiet about touching her breasts.
"No, I wasn't. The curse was thought to be contagious, so I was kept in isolation."
So that's how it was. He had been planning to find out about it eventually, but he was glad to hear it from her own mouth. His lips curved into a smile.
"Hmm, what are you laughing at?"
"No, there was only one bed so I just had you sleep next to me. You're still pure. I haven't done anything to you yet."
"I have knowledge too! I've checked it thoroughly."
That couldn't be true. Did he attack her unconsciously? Or was she attacked while he was sleeping next to her? Either way, this was the worst. He panicked.
"How did you check?"
"Th-there's still blood from the defloration."
There was nothing but despair. He held his head in his hands.
"W-why is my master in despair?!"
She was shocked when she saw his attitude.
"May I see it?"
"Huh? N-no, that's obviously not okay."
"I really have no idea, but you think I attacked you. You think you've already seen me, so I guess it's okay to look."
"That's a ridiculous argument... You didn't even know my name... You didn't have to do that while I was sleeping, it's really cruel. I couldn't resist anyway..."
She started touching her crotch while grumbling. When she noticed that he was staring, she quickly turned around in her chair.
"This."
The index and middle fingers she held out were covered in sticky blood.
"Does breaking the hymen really produce this much blood? It's an incredible amount."
"This is my first time too, so I don't really know, but this blood... Ah!"
She seemed to have remembered something, as her face turned red and she began to panic.
"What's wrong?" It seemed he wasn't the culprit after all. Maybe something else had happened.
"Uh, I'd like something to wipe, and if possible, I'm sorry to say this to a man, but I'd like some sanitary products..."
She fidgeted and looked down. She tried to hide her bloodied fingers, but they got so dirty with blood that she had nowhere to put them, so she ended up placing them on her lap. The deep red color exuded a strange unease.
She had mistaken her monthly blood for evidence of lost virginity. He handed her the small packet that Myra had prepared for Fam.
When he checked inside, he found something that looked like a napkin. Was that even available here?
"Sorry. I didn't bring any spare underwear."
She had a desperate look on her face. It was a little funny. He took out two pairs of underwear from storage.
"Do you want these light blue ones or the white ones?"
He held up Mizuki's panties in his left hand and Lachsel's in his right hand.
"Ugh, they both smell like women. I don't want to choose."
Amazing—she could sense it. Maybe only dog-eared people had a dog-like sense of smell.
"It's better than the smell of an old man. If you don't mind, I'll make you wear my underwear."
"...The women's are fine."
"Are you sure? Choose one."
"Uh, then light blue please."
"Sorry. This one is a one-of-a-kind item that's hard to find. Please use the white one."
Mizuki's panties were from the previous world. They had been worn by a high school girl, so they had a special meaning. If he gave them away, he would never have another chance to get them. He gave her Lachsel's panties.
"These look very expensive. I might get them dirty."
"I don't mind. I'll get more."
Fam turned away again so he wouldn't see her and busily changed.
During this time, she continued to wag her tail, perhaps to hide her behind.
"A tail. It's real."
Naturally, the tail grew from around her tailbone. He thought it might be fake, but he was wrong.
"? Do you dislike it?"
She turned her face toward him as if to check his expression.
"Well, it's really cute, and it might sound weird, but it suits you."
"Is that so?"
"By the way, is Fam really a virgin?"
"Uh, yes. Sorry for the trouble," she said, bowing her head apologetically.
"That's good," he said from the bottom of his heart.
"Why is it you, Master, who is relieved and not me?"
"Well, that's right. There were medicines in the bag too. A lot of them. Maybe they're medicine for some illness?"
To ease the situation, he changed the topic to something else.
"...It's not medicine for illness."
"Really? Do you know what kind of medicine it is?"
"...That's a contraceptive pill that women take. You know that!"
The Myra in his mind was making a victory sign.
After she finished changing, Fam turned bright red and looked down. She was worth teasing. Cute.
"Excuse me, is your master a pimp?"
"No, why would you think that? And stop calling me Master. Just call me Mash. It's okay to talk informally."
It had been bothering him for a while. He didn't like being called "Master."
"Master says naughty things and has a lewd look on his face. And he seems to have money."
It was a terrible assumption, but it felt like the shadow dwelling in her heart had cleared a little.
It seemed she had no intention of stopping calling him "Master."
"You're the one who started the fuss with the erotic talk. Besides, I'd rather have a woman for myself than arrange one for someone else. I'm hungry. And lastly, I'm an adventurer."
"Um, sorry about what happened earlier. But, adventurers... is it a sign of something naughty, like comparing a woman to a dungeon?"
"Let's get away from eroticism for a moment. I'm just an adventurer. Before you embarrass me, I should say that I'm quite weak. F rank."
"Adventurer..."
She seemed to be pondering something about his words.
"Um, can I really go wherever I want?"
"Yes."
"Then I will become an adventurer and follow you wherever you go, my master. Please let me join your party."
"Is that okay? Actually, I was thinking of asking you once you had calmed down."
That was unexpected. He didn't anticipate that. He was wondering how to get her to join him, but this saved him a lot of trouble.
"I was also in trouble by myself."
"Is that so?"
He nodded to Fam.
"But there's one thing I want you to promise me."
"What?"
"The village where I used to live is near the border with the Demon Kingdom. Would it be okay if I stopped by when I'm in the area?"
"Got it. I'll definitely stop by."
Upon hearing this, Fam stood up and bowed deeply.
"Fam, I want to perform the ritual to make you my companion."
"A ritual?" Fam tilted her head.
"That's right, I want to become friends with you."
"That's true. I would also like to know more about you, Master."
"What we're going to do now is for that purpose."
"Yes," Fam replied curtly.
He held up the index fingers of both hands and showed them to Fam.
"I'm going to poke you in the chest with these index fingers."
"What are you talking about? I'll be angry if you do that. And it's morning now, you know?"
He understood what she was trying to say, but listening to Fam's breathing all night had made him feel frustrated and like he was going to explode.
"If I can successfully poke your nipple, I win. You lift up your clothes and show me your breasts. People call it the nipple guessing game."
He grinned meaningfully. Fam looked stunned, but also seemed to be pondering.
"Gulp, I've only lost out, but I owe you a debt of gratitude. Very well then. I'll take it on!"
From the conversation earlier, he thought this approach would be acceptable. Fam was very curious about the opposite sex.
He carefully examined Fam's small breasts. Two modest curves promised they would grow in the future. The more he looked at them, the more ideal they seemed. She squirmed and looked uncomfortable, but she didn't run away.
"Here!"
The moment a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, he poked both her breasts with his index fingers at the same time.
"Ahh! Too bad, it's here and here."
It seemed both guesses were wrong. She bravely touched the positions of her nipples with her fingers to tell him the correct answer. He lost, but he was very satisfied.
"Okay, see you tomorrow. Let's have breakfast and then go pick some herbs."
"Yes? See you tomorrow?"
"Every day until you win, okay?"
"Ugh, there's no other way. I feel like my feelings are drifting away from being friendly, but I'll go along with you."
After the solemn ceremony, they headed to the dining room.
After breakfast, he added Fam to the party and checked her character sheet.
To his surprise, Fam's occupation field was empty. She had no special skills. She seemed to be just an ordinary villager.
"I've never been on an adventure. I've always slept."
"That's right. For each profession, you pray to the god that governs that profession at church, right? Let's go to church first. I want to show Myra how healthy you are."
"Yes. I would like to thank the people who helped me."
"Why don't you become an adventurer for now?" Lachsel would be happy too.
"No, being an adventurer is a profession that only humans can have."
Lachsel, discrimination is not good, he thought.
"Is that so? Do the dog-eared people have their own jobs?"
"Yes, it's a combat type, either a dog warrior or a Mibu wolf. I would like to become a Mibu wolf."
The dog warrior sounded cute, but a little weak. Still, Mibu wolf was an impressive title.
"That's super cool, but what's that like, the elite warriors of some group?"
"The elite?"
It was only natural that Fam didn't know about his world, so she didn't understand what he was saying. If he thought about it, the god who gave jobs knew about both worlds. But was that really okay? For now, he was going to protest to Lachsel.
He met Myra at church.
She was very happy to see Fam looking healthy.
"Kyahaha!" she cried as she hugged her and bounced up and down. Fam seemed embarrassed and just let it happen. He'd have to learn the feeling of breasts later.
"So, Fam, you're changing jobs. Well then, I'll show you to the job change room right away."
The room she led them to was an open-air room on the second floor, with majestic and solemn frescoes of various gods painted on the walls and ceiling.
The majesty felt overwhelming.
"Please come up to the central altar and pray while thinking about the job you would like to have."
"Can you become it just by imagining it?"
"There are some jobs that require you to have learned another job beforehand, or have a certain level of status before you can become one. Jobs that use magic, advanced jobs, etc. are examples of this. But before that..."
Myra held out her palm.
"One silver coin."
He handed over the silver coin. Fam ascended to the altar and began to pray. It was the same pose she'd been in when he woke up this morning. He wondered if she had a strong religious faith. Or was it just a custom among the people of this world?
Nothing seemed to change, but she returned after praying.
The three of them checked Fam's status sheet and saw that her occupation had been changed to "Mibu Wolf."
"I did it."
Myra was the first to jump on Fam, just like before. Where did the mature big sister character go? He wanted to jump on them too, but thought it would be painful if he was labeled a pervert by the church, so he refrained.
"By the way, what kind of weapon would be good?"
Was it a Japanese sword? Did they exist in this world?
"Any striking weapon will do," Fam replied.
"That's appropriate. What do you want, Fam? For now, try out your favorite weapon in the field and find one that suits you best."
"Favorite weapon? I can't think of anything. Myra, any suggestions?"
"Hmm, if you're a monk, just shut up and use a mace. If you keep hitting it, you can crush anything."
She was a dangerous lady. Be careful when rubbing against her chest.
"Fam, leave the mace out."
"Well, I wanted something that matched Fam's style."
Fam was small and wouldn't be able to handle heavy weapons.
"That's right, Fam, close your eyes."
"Yes."
"Imagine this. I'm attacked by a monster and in a pinch. Then you dash in and defeat the monster. In that image, what are you equipped with?"
Nodding at his words, Fam closed her eyes and began to daydream.
"Mm, ha, toh, hahaha, yay!" Fam smiled proudly with her eyes closed.
"Come on! Hey! Hehe, thanks!"
It seemed quite a fierce battle.
"Ngh! Ugh... Ugh... Grrrr..."
It was a long daydream.
"Hey, aren't you about to get beaten? You're making a 'grrr' noise."
"Yes, that's right. It was a great scene. When I was helping my master, a lot of monsters appeared and it became a big problem."
"So, what weapon did you use?"
"It's an amazing magic sword, and when I swung it, it killed a monster with some kind of incredible power. It's an amazing weapon."
The weapon shop didn't have any enchanted swords or armor. The trading company might have them. He'd ask Mateo.
"Magic swords are out of the question. They're not sold. But, is this the situation you're in while holding such a sword?"
In the end, he settled on a short sword, which seemed easy for her to handle.
After parting ways with Myra, he went to the weapon shop and bought a sword with an even shorter blade than the one he was selling.
He also bought two shields, and he wanted to try out a two-handed sword, so he bought one of those too.
He also bought some leather armor.
He bought light blue arm covers to match Fam's job. They came in a set of two, so Fam and he each put one on their arms.
Then he headed to his usual spot to collect medicinal herbs.