章節 99: Chapter 97: New City, New Locals, and New Girls (?)

The city of Palocaesy. Compared to Dondegarm, this one has more tall buildings and the roads are paved, but the boundaries take up less space. From what Julius and Sue explained, Palocaesy is about an eighth smaller than Dondegarm, but the number of tall buildings makes up the difference. The reason why the size is different though is highly likely because of the mostly bipedal demographics of the population that live here.

With my Size Up skill along with Hyper Perception and Hyper Thought Processing, I quickly surveyed my surroundings and skimmed through some of the passersby's statuses as we walked. Imps and Arch Imps I'm starting to see as the common race that makes up the majority of demons as I saw more here than I had in Dondegarm. Some Centaurs and Harpies also pass by that look to be in the middle of making deliveries with the kinds of carts and bags they were holding.

Then there are new ones I saw like Lilims despite having different physical traits that make up other demon races. According to Sue, like Lamias and Harpies, this is also an all-female race who actually have no problems mating with other races besides humans, despite being so human-like themselves. Their flexibility with who they sleep with is apparently a strong mindset to have that's perfect to work in brothels as prostitutes, and so it wouldn't be surprising to see some in those establishments around the Demon-Kin's Territory. I actually saw a couple of these back in Dondegarm as well but I was too overwhelmed by the culture shock for me to get a good look at their statuses.

The appearance of Monoeyes, people that are similar to Cyclops with having one eye but with smaller statures relatable to human standards, was also an eye-opener for me (pun not intended).

There is also a wider range of Insectoids like Lili's and Margaret's—I mean Beelzebub's subraces, Arachnes and Flyrans respectively, plus Mantises, some Giant Ants in the middle of construction work, and apparently Beetles that are mostly covered in exoskeleton armor and 'pincers' for horns while still being able to walk on two feet.

There are even a handful of Werebeasts like Werewolves such as Ren, Kitsunes like Konjiro, plus Wererabbits, and Werecougars. I got to see both female and male forms of all of them, and again, I'm grateful to the Immortals for making the former of the sexes so pleasing and attractive to the eyes.

Then there were Orcs … they're just as 'attractive' as one may see in doujinshis, both males and females, unfortunately. With builds larger (and 'rounder') than a human's, both sexes have legit pig faces. Ears, snout, 'tusks,' and all, plus thin coiling tails, all resembling a pig's. Not to mention they're so scarily similar that the only thing that sets them apart between a male and a female are the chests and maybe their choices of attire. The best word that could describe this race would be 'grotesque,' and that may be me being generous.

In this world when it comes to 'beauty,' the Orcs' perceptions are apparently the reverse to the majorities. To clarify, if Elves are one of the most beautiful of existing races in Raizen, then even though the Orcs are on the opposite end of the spectrum, they see themselves as such while others look hideous, with Elves being the 'worst' of all. While it's unlikely to see an Orc in a relationship with someone outside of their race, they do have their 'needs' being one of those with higher libidos than others, especially the males, and so they won't mind 'letting off some steam' on some Lilims in brothels if there aren't any Orc prostitutes available.

All I can say in this is that there is nooooo way I'm touching any of that from the girls' side and thank god Nyra's on the same page. I had lost the appetite for pork after just seeing one for the first time.

Anyway, I've seen plenty more different demons in Palocaesy compared to Dondegarm, enough to level my Size Up skill to 8. I even examined my surroundings with Street Smarts fast enough to bring that up to 7 (and yes, that's 2 levels from when I last mentioned that skill) as there were many more unfamiliar objects in detail I had yet to learn more of. It was a little overwhelming though, enough for me to get a bit of a headache from the influx of information coming in at once.

"Master, are you all right?" Ren asks.

"Yeah, I just got a bit of a headache. I think the exhaustion from all that has happened today has caught up to me."

"Here. Down this with some water," Sue then says as she takes out a glass jar of round pills. She pours one out and holds it up to me. "Healing magic is impressive but illnesses are another story. It's important to keep yourself healthy when you can, and try not to overwork yourself, too."

I quickly appraise the pill with Street Smarts and confirm that it's indeed a medicine that's made with herbs and other ingredients I'm not familiar with to treat headaches, among some other symptoms that are similar for cases of migraines. No hint of poison whatsoever or serious side-effects unless the dosage is abused.

"Wow, thanks, Sue." I take the pill and pop it in my maw before downing it with the water I have in a canteen. "Do you have something like this often since you carry those meds with you?"

"More or less. It's usually when I get too pent up that my body takes a toll on me. Not that I'm feeling like that right now, of course. I especially had a blast in Lady Krauss' cottage."

"At least someone had fun back there. There were moments I thought I'd lose all my feathers from molting too early." [Tyvera]

"Agreed. That was the first I have been in a noble's home and I had to be careful my 'body' did not bump into anything valuable." [Kalline]

"Considering Jinma's track record so far, that may be something thou will need to get used to quickly, Kalline," [Eugus]

"We'll need to be on our best behavior so that we don't embarrass Master. Eri, that goes especially for you with being so prone to getting into 'accidents' lately." [Ren]

"Uugh. It's embarrassing when you put it like that, but you couldn't be more right … though that isn't so bad in itself if it was Master who scolded me." [Erizora]

"I'm worried for this group." [Kenaka]

"For once, you and I can agree on something." [Mametama]

{Seriously. There were so many tense situations back there that I'm amazed I didn't get this headache sooner … whoa, it's gone. That's some effective stuff. Maybe I should look into getting a medicine making skill, too, or at least find someone with it who's willing to join our party. If neither of those, maybe we should find a go-to pharmacy for any medicinal needs.}

"Well, once we get to this inn, we'll be able to take it easy a little bit," Julius says as he takes the lead. "It's just a few blocks down from this pub here—"

Just as I'm looking straight ahead, my Hyper Foresight activates and I foresee an incoming danger in slow 'before-images.' I react quickly by tugging on Julius' collar to stop him to a halt, then stretch out both arms to my sides where Sue and Ume are occupying each, suddenly blocking their paths before those following behind them stop in kind.

KSHAAAAAAN!

Just a couple centimeters away from Julius' path, a blast of shattered glass breaks out in front of him. A figure is seen amidst that, screaming as if he comes flying out of the building a couple ways ahead of us by a broken window of the pub that Julius was just pointing at moments ago.

I'm seeing it all in slow motion as if I'm watching a movie with special effects. My Hyper Perception and Hyper Thought Processing skills really know how to make what I see look more interesting.

With the danger quickly passing, the frame rate speed goes back to real-time as the figure hits the ground and rolls to a stop like a rag doll. The trail of shattered window glass is left in his wake as he groans in pain.

I sigh a breath of relief. "*Haa,* that was close—"

Munya munya.

Just as I get my bearings, I realize my hands are gripping something with two different variations of softness and firmness. Both of them are rather large but the one on my right has more weight and size with only a thin, smooth silk getting between the hand and fingers, while my left is gripping something with a few layers of soft fabric, yet I'm still getting a good sense of the firm texture of the object as it's being supported.

It takes me a few seconds to realize I'm gripping Ume's and Sue's respectively massive chests. While I tried to react to the foreseeing danger as fast as I could, I didn't really focus on what my hands were doing, and so they just subconsciously grab the first thing they can get a good grip of. They both stand there as if afflicted with the stunned ailment.

"I'm sorry! I was trying to stop you both but I didn't know where my hands were going!" I exclaim to both of them while bowing deeply at 90 degrees.

The two girls take a bit to register what just happened before I hear a light hit of a palm in realization.

"Oh! I see now! From the crash, right? Okay, I get it, but really, there's nothing to apologize for, Jin. If you wanted to indulge yourself in my boobs, you're more than welcome to at any time and place. I am your wife, after all." [Ume]

"A-And, um, as a very happy fan … if you g-give me time to ready my heart and move us to a private space, I-I don't mind … p-prepping my boobs for you to cop a better feel … and maybe then some." [Sue]

{Oh my god … this is definitely not a manga if I'm not getting hit comically for doing something lewd like every unlucky harem protagonist in history, and my LUCK is shit, no less. I was even prepared for it with my stupidly high defenses from my cheat ability, but … I feel like it's been tragically wasted for some reason.}

<"I have not looked into enough of your memories involving those things to even know what the fuck you're talking about, dude. More importantly, you might want to take a better look at the guy that came crashing out the window.">

With Nyra's help regaining my senses, I look to the guy that tumbled on the ground as he groaned and got up. The biggest thing about him that stands out is the light blue skin that encompasses his body. Then there are a pair of black horns curling back and behind his head, almost resembling a gazelle's of some sort, jotting out of his wild, short navy-blue hair. He has a lean build covered by brown leather jacket over a t-shirt with black fingerless gloves, trousers, and boots. Jotting out some slits from the jacket's back are a pair of black bat-like wings, and out of a hole behind his trousers is a large black tube tail with an arrow-shaped tip.

"A Devil …" Kalline mutters behind me.

I check his status with Size Up and confirm that he is indeed from the Devil race, bearing a Monk class, the same as that old drunkard from the raid at Dondegarm despite his looks. Going by some of his skills, he must be one that likes to use his fists to fight, but unlike the old drunkard with his Drunken Style brawling that I copied, this Devil that went by Klash has a fighting style skill called 'Kickboxing Style.'

{Kickboxing is an established martial art back on Earth. Could it be that recognized martial arts can make or break what advanced class you can promote to as a Pugilist? If that's so, maybe that old drunkard had mastered an actual martial art alongside his Drunken Style brawling to get to where he was then. Compared to my Merciless Style brawling that I just polished on the fly as I learned how to fight from Mom and my aunts, this guy must've been taught by a professional or spent some SP on the skill that suited his tastes … despite how low the level of mastery in the Kickboxing Style he's in right now.

{Even so, this is the race my Devil Eyes originate from, huh? I would need to find someone like this to help me learn more about it.}

"Hah?! More humans?! Just who the fuck do you think you are walking in our territory like you own the place?!"

Klash's yell snaps me out of my thoughts. Going by his tone, I don't think he'll be willing to help me anytime soon.

"Boss!" Another Devil quickly runs up to his side, coming out of the pub along with a couple of Imps and Arch Imps. All of them looked like they had just been through one hell of a beat down from their roughed up clothes, bruises, and traces of blood. "We shouldn't stay here for much longer! She's coming this way!"

Klash looks over towards the pub and clicks his tongue before jolting back to us with gritted teeth. He accusingly points a finger in my and Julius' direction. "Mark my words! The next time you run into me, you will regret living to this day, so get the fuck out of our territory!"

With that, Klash flaps his wings and flies off in a hurry, his cohorts follow along.

"… Well, that was pleasant," Julius says as he smooths out his pink attire and fixed his hat before turning to me. "You stopped me from getting caught in that crash, didn't you, Jinma? That was some impressive reflexes. You have my thanks."

"Don't mention … it," I drawl as I look to where Klash's gang was running away from and my thought process screeches to a halt.

Stepping outside of the pub is a girl. I can only say that much going by the curves of her frame, especially the breasts despite their modest size, as it's entirely covered by a black leather suit with a large zipper line down the middle. Along with matching gloves and boots is a shiny scarlet-covered dome for the head, a visor blocks the majority of her face, and looped around her torso is what looks like a chain whip with the handle dangling loosely over her left shoulder, ready to pull and strike with at any time.

Scanning the entirety of her form twice over as she looks my way, I can only come to one conclusion.

{O-Oi, no matter how you look at it, that's a motor cycler's outfit, right? The one-piece leather suit is debatable but there's no way such a helmet could exist here unless someone from the outside has seen it at least once, and as far as I know, motor engines shouldn't even be invented yet, so motorcycles can't be a thing here.}

<"Jinma! That chain whip! I'm sensing a powerful, ethereal aura from it! It's similar to what comes from your bracelet and the Immortals' Monuments!"> Nyra exclaims.

I glance above her head and my heart stops at what I'm seeing … or to be more technical, what I'm not seeing. I activate my Size Up skill to try and pull more details. I even tried using Street Smarts to see if I can get a hint from anything on her person.

[Size Up's appraisal has been blocked]

[Street Smarts' appraisal has been blocked]

{J-Just like Sue … I can't see her status or the details of what she's wearing!}

"Mistreeeess!"

Coming from the direction that gang flew off is a girl with a bit of pep and happiness in her tone. When I look over, my eyes widen in shock.

Fleshy pink skin with a curvy, slightly pudgy frame that isn't too fat yet looks soft to the touch—especially her tits that look to be on par with Sue's on cup size—thick but strong hips as well as arms, plus a cute little button nose.

From what I had seen today, one wouldn't even think of this girl having floppy pig ears and a matching tail, and yet there she is having both of those while wearing a daring pelt miniskirt, matching croptop that supports the bust very well, leather bracers for shins and forearms, and sandals. The big kickers she has on though are not only the knapsack strapped to her back that clearly resembles mine that Erizora's currently carrying, the large war axe strapped to that despite the girl not taking any notice in its weight at all, and a necklace that's hiding something in her impressive cleavage, but it's the blue ring around her neck, the trademark brand for slaves in this world, that has my head spinning as she approaches the motorcycle girl with a smile.

"I got some great ingredients at neat prices from the market today! I'm going to cook something that will knock your boots … off? Who are these people, Mistress?" she asks as she shifts glances between the motorcycle girl and our group.

{Is this girl seriously a freaking Orc?! There's no way an Orc can be this fucking cute, let alone be a slave! Desperate to know her name, I use Size Up and Street Smarts on her immediately without questioning.}

[Size Up's appraisal has been blocked]

[Street Smarts' appraisal has been blocked]

{Again with this?! Just what is going on here?! And if that bag the Orc has on is the same as mine … with that modern look and our common items, there can be no question.}

I look over to the motorcycle girl once more who I don't think has shifted her gaze away from me the whole time, despite not seeing what's under that scarlet helmet.

{This girl … no, this Champion, just who is she?!}