But come on, kid, don’t you know how to comfort someone? Listen to this guy saying things like "Your grandfather’s soul will return to the Golden Prairie, and one day, we’ll meet there again"... Can’t you pick something nicer to say... Watching Matilda use the kid’s jacket as a handkerchief, Malin finally couldn’t help it.
This guy was more than just an emotionally clueless man; he was completely hopeless.
However, Malin couldn’t really say anything. Feeling rather powerless, he could only drink his coffee and watch the two dummies at the next table, while internally complaining about how all the Paladins under the name of the Nameless Lord of Justice are fools.
Pulling out a fairy messenger from his pocket, Malin sent a message to Faye. While waiting for a reply, he noticed that the two big-eared foxes had suddenly started arguing in their mother tongue, which Malin couldn’t understand at all. In the end, he saw the big-eared fox girl slap her kin and then, crying and furious, head towards him.
Stop it, you two should stick together. I gave out her dowry already. What’s so great about that damn fox girl who likes to nibble on her own head? Don’t come any closer or I’ll scream. I’ll call the police. If you come any closer, I’m going to accuse you of assault... "Malin, take me back to the hotel."
The big-eared fox’s ears drooped on either side of her head. Seeing her pitiful state, Malin’s heart softened after all.
"Okay." With a simple reply, Malin stood up and took the girl’s hand, giving the foolish boy an apologetic look before leading her out of the store.
Dadapami gave Malin a helpless expression in return.
What are you apologizing for? With the kind of idiot you are, it’s a miracle your deity hasn’t been angered to death by you.
As Malin pushed open the door of the shop, he noticed the fairy messenger had returned, carrying a very simple message— "Meet at the Royal Residence in the Central District, just head north along Mowish Avenue."
Faye had provided a pass with her name and portrait on it.
A pass photo is a horrifying entity in any world.
With that thought, Malin started heading north, leading the fox girl by the hand.
Matilda had stopped crying, but the trembling transmitted through her hand occasionally reminded Malin of her emotions. The death of an elder family member had ultimately broken her. This damned world, whether mortals or transcendent beings, children or the elderly, everyone was just struggling to survive.
After a while, Matilda finally spoke up: "Where are we going?"
"To find Faye. Since you’re no longer a Paladin and have no home to go to... why not just become my maid? You seemed quite happy doing it before." Malin wanted to comfort Matilda by offering her a job, so she could have fun with the other girls and forget about all these terrible misdeeds.
At least she wouldn’t have to wither away in pain and self-denial.
Matilda didn’t reply, allowing Malin to lead her obediently. The half-blood and big-eared fox reached the gates of the inner city. The City Guard looked at the pass Malin handed over with some suspicion. He scrutinized Malin and Matilda, trying to find any possible connection to their princess, until Malin lost patience, "Faye and I are both Apprentices of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest." He pulled out the Holy Emblem of the Church.
The guards checked the emblem and the captain nodded, "You’re clear to go, but what about her?"
"She..." Malin was a bit troubled, seeing that the girl had just been stripped of her Paladin status and her Paladin Holy Emblem had grown dim. Taking it out would likely lead the guards to draw their swords against them— if there’s anything more fearsome than Chaos, it’s probably a Paladin who has broken their oath. "She’s my friend, is that not enough?" Malin looked at the guards.
The guard shook his head, his subordinates began to disperse, forming a semi-circular formation that surrounded them: "Every person entering the inner city must prove their identity; it’s our duty. Either show some proof, or leave."
Malin stepped back and released his messenger.
The guards drew back, satisfied with Malin’s cooperation. In their eyes, Malin’s identity was valid, and although the big-eared fox from the Fox Clan didn’t have proof of identity, Malin’s ability to produce a messenger suggested there should be no issue, after all, they were only two youngsters.
Shortly after, a little Rat-man maid appeared on the inner side of the city gate: "My lord has sent me to escort Mr. Malin and Miss Matilda inside."
The City Guards immediately made way, seemingly recognizing the Rat-man, which finally let Malin breathe a sigh of relief.
Following the little Rat-man into the inner city, Malin saw another side of this great city—the Capital was nothing more than a fortress-like castle at first, something humans used to defend themselves from different kinds and Spirits during the years when civilization was declining. The city was a later development. So, as the Rat-man maid led Malin through the streets and alleys, he noted that these buildings were from a different era than the castle; these must be the Noble’s villas.
Speaking of which, these were a little small, but considering the era, humans had to cluster together, or else they were just walking chunks of flesh in the eyes of Spirits and different kinds.
"Does anyone live in these buildings?" Malin asked, looking at the small buildings. Though they seemed crowded, they all maintained clear lines of fire and gaps. Some obviously had soldiers on duty, making Malin curious about the purpose of these constructions.
"Yes, some are watchtowers for the City Guards, and others are the Noble families’ ancestral homes. That’s all I know about human history." The little Rat-man girl’s voice was a bit shrill, but she spoke the common language well, which surprised Malin—if one could set aside her status as a Rat-man, he thought her language skills were quite impressive. There were even first-graders in Carterburg who managed to spell their own names wrong.
"We’re here," she said, and Malin lifted his head to see a building that looked very... how to put it, Malin thought as he gazed at the three-story structure that stood out amidst these tube-shaped small buildings.
Completely unplanned, utterly whimsical, but... considering the Mowish family was nothing more than a duke over a hundred years ago, and this building appeared quite old, it really was a question who built it.
Following the Rat-man inside the gate, Malin saw some familiar decorations, which made him feel nostalgic about Carterburg.
While reflecting, Malin also saw Faye and Maya, "Maya, what are you doing here?"
"I checked out the venue and then came straight here to Sister Faye’s place. The Rat-men are so cute," Maya said, enjoying the feeding from the Rat-girl maids.
"You see, I’ve already settled the relationship between my maid and Maya," Faye said as she walked up to Malin’s side, taking Matilda’s hand. "Dear Matilda, I have heard about your situation, don’t be sad. Every one of us has a fate that leads us to the other side of life, and everyone has their day. The important thing is, your grandfather finished his journey like a hero, and you are still young, Matilda."
"Um... thanks," the Fox Girl finally looked a bit more lively, not as deathly still as before.
How nice, Malin thought and noticed a little Rat-man holding a pastry tray running over, standing still in front of him, lifting the box of treats.
"Thank you," Malin took a piece.
"You’re welcome, I’m Little Horn, nice to meet you, Mr. Malin," the Rat-girl maid said, smiling with twelve visible teeth... she looked just like a child.
Malin took a glance at Faye, having heard that these Rat-men should be older than Faye... well, considering her hair color was different from the other Rat-men, perhaps she was from a different litter.
With that thought, Malin reached out and touched the Rat-man’s ears, big and round, the standard rodent ears.
The Rat-girl maid named Little Horn ran back to Maya with the tray of pastries, which made Malin worry a bit about Maya’s weight.
Silly leopard, if you keep eating , you’ll be able to squeeze water out of the flesh on your waist.
But then... forget it, let’s just call it a reward for my sister today, everyone has seen Maya’s efforts.
As Malin pondered, he noticed the Rat-girl maids looking at him; upon closer inspection, the little maids were quite pleasant to look at, the only drawback being their rather short stature, which felt even shorter than Malin himself used to be.
At that moment, a fairy messenger landed on Malin’s head, and on reading the message it brought, he saw it was from his tutor, Aemeth Selkirk, who, having heard that Malin and Matilda had left, asked if Malin and the Big-eared Fox Girl were going to return to the inn.
"We won’t go back to the inn, I’ve sent someone to pick up Jessica and the others, tonight I’ve prepared a special dish from the Central Administrative Province for you all," Faye said.
Thus, Malin unhesitatingly abandoned his tutor Aemeth Selkirk.
After informing him of his current situation and his plans, Malin released the fairy messenger and also noticed another one landing on Faye’s head.
"Looks like you’re quite busy," Malin said with a smile.
No sooner had he spoken than several more messengers flew over.
"It seems you’re really busy," Malin remarked with a sigh, "That’s the seventh one."
"Those are invitations to various banquets, from my cousins, including my first cousins and second cousins... I never realized I had so many relatives during my years in Carterburg," Faye replied, responding to the fairies one by one, then sent them out the window. "They didn’t figure out who is the hunter and who the prey."
Turning to Malin, Faye continued, "I am the hunter, and you are the biggest prize I’ve caught in the jungle of human sea."
Malin smiled back, "I’m glad to be your prey."
There’s an expression, ’to share in the honor,’ and it probably refers to just this sort of thing.