The Gates of the Trading City

“Hurry up! If you catch me, I’ll let you… hehehe…”

With a sudden burst of speed, Liyahiss closed the distance in a few short bounds. The girl’s shoulder was within reach, and she lunged for it, aiming for an unbreakable grasp.

“Ah!~”

She made a swift grab and caught it. Giving it a squeeze, she found it was soft and delightfully bouncy. Something about the texture felt off, however, and the yelp had sounded surprisingly coy.

Liyahiss blinked, her eyes fluttering open to the sight of two majestic peaks before her. She then realized she had, at some point, been resting her head on someone’s lap and had just groped Hillisa’s chest.

“Master, we have company! You should at least wait until we’re alone…” Hillisa whispered, her face flushed.

“It’s fine. She can’t see us, and even if she could, she wouldn’t object.”

Just five more minutes of kneading, Liyahiss thought to herself, but half an hour slipped by in a flash.

Recalling the beautiful scene from her dream, she found she couldn’t remember the place at all, nor could she conjure a clear image of the blonde girl. Yet, she vividly remembered the unprecedented sense of carefree joy she’d felt, a feeling completely unburdened by worries.

No matter how hard she pondered, she couldn’t make sense of it and decided to set the thought aside. Perhaps the dream would continue next time. It wasn’t until a town appeared on the horizon that she reluctantly released her grip.

“Belzebub, let’s head down. We might cause a panic if ordinary people see you. It’s best we keep a low profile.”

“As you command, my Master!”

Liyahiss and Hillisa descended to the ground first. A moment later, Belzebub followed, having reverted to her human form.

Belzebub was now dressed in a black and white maid outfit, just like Hillisa. However, Hillisa’s petticoat was quite wide, while Belzebub’s was much smaller, giving her the appearance of a trainee maid. Curiously, the fluorescent green components on her skirt remained, a detail she seemed insistent on keeping.

Liyahiss walked between them, holding Hillisa’s hand to her left while tugging on Belzebub’s metallic tail to her right.

“Master, why aren’t you holding my hand?” Belzebub whined.

“What’s the matter? It’s all the same, isn’t it? Oh, but there is a slight difference. If you walk too slowly, your tail might get yanked right off! Haha!”

Hearing this, Belzebub felt a sudden clench between her legs and said no more.

They drew closer to the city gates as they chatted and laughed. Though it wasn’t the main entrance, this was a border town, and it bustled with all sorts of beast-folk engaged in trade. At a glance, she could see bear-folk, dog-folk, pig-folk, and minotaurs.

Some were cloaked in black robes with their hoods drawn, others were dressed in revealing attire, and one was seated in a lavish carriage—though it wasn’t pulled by horses, but pushed from behind by maids.

A robed figure paid the toll to the guards and hurried into the city.

“Her Ladyship is arriving! Everyone, make way!”

With a huff, the scantily clad person shot a disdainful look at the ornate carriage and flew into the city. The lavish carriage didn’t slow, barging straight into the city. The two guards made no move to stop it; they knew better than to trifle with such people.

Only after the maid-pushed carriage had passed did Liyahiss and her two companions approach at a leisurely pace. Of course, Liyahiss had no desire to be ogled by passersby, so she had deliberately donned a small, red-and-white fox mask just before leaving the forest.

With two maids trailing behind her, anyone would mistake her for a noble lady from the royal capital out for a pleasure trip. And they wouldn’t be entirely wrong.

Liyahiss’s current persona was that of a proud and willful young mistress, one who looked upon commoners with disdain and couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge them. Although the mask hid her face, her magnificent attire made her noble status plain to see. The passersby, however, only dared to steal a quick glance from a distance before turning away, terrified that a longer look might bring disaster upon them.

When she reached the city gates, the two guards only glanced at her before immediately straightening their backs and staring straight ahead. They were desperate to make a good impression, but their hearts hammered with nervousness. After all, they had only taken this guard post to earn a living. Their skills were average at best; they were essentially window dressing. If any real danger arose, it was anyone’s guess who would be protecting whom.

And so, the trio passed through the gates of the trading city unhindered—despite the fact that none of them were human.