He continues to maintain his mental space.

　Mei Fan is no exception to this view.

　After she came to live with us, the impatient atmosphere she used to wear was greatly reduced, and she often showed a calm face.

It's a good thing that you're back, Gerald. Mr. Meir.

　When we returned to the inn after finishing our duties for the day, she greeted us with a smile.

　Dressed in her silver-colored animal ears and silver-colored tail, she is dressed in a cleaning apron and triangular rag as she works on cleaning the front door.

　Mei Fan, who was unable to register as an adventurer, is now allowed to help out at the inn. Perhaps working like this has had an effect on her softening mood.

''Mei-chan, tadaima!''

　It's Myl who returns a cheerful voice even though it's after she's done her mission.

　When it was first mentioned that he would accept Mei Fan, Myl surprisingly accepted her willingly.

　Maybe he felt some compassion for Mei Fan's upbringing. And since they were both born and raised in small villages, they couldn't leave anyone in need behind.

　After they came to live together in this way, the two girls gradually became closer, and by now, Meil had come to call Mei Fan by the nickname 'Mei-chan' instead of 'that woman'.

''Yes. ''Mil-san, thank you for the day.''

　........Mei Fan is still 'Mr. Meiru' though.

　Well, I guess she's also very conscious of being taken care of. It will take some time for her to get to know us better than she does now.

I'm home, Mei Fan. I'm back, Mei Fan.

No. Compared to Mr. Gerald and his friends, I'm not...

No, I don't think so. I'm sure my dad would say. 'If you can find out what you can do now and do it, that's just fine.'

You're a good father. But yes. I'm sure my father would say the same thing.

　Mei Fan grinned a little nostalgically and cupped the hand holding the broom. Maybe he was remembering his late father's face now, too.

''So, Mei Fan, you're very admirable. You're finding out what you can do, and you're doing it right.''

'Oh....'

　When I stroked her head ruffling her head as I called out to her, she sounded startled and turned over with a blush on her cheeks.

　Then she softly looked up at me with an upward glance.

Yes. Well, thank you, Mr. Gerald.

　He muttered in an embarrassed voice.

'Mm-hm. I can see that you're trying so hard, Mei. I don't want to lose, either!

Oh, really, Mr. Mill.

'Really, really!　I have to work hard too.......I want Gerald to pet my head a lot!

'I don't feel like patting the head of anyone who unabashedly speaks of such things.

'Eww!　I mean, that's cold, isn't it?

You're always so high-strung and hot, why don't I just cross you off and let you get the temperature right?

So we're perfect for each other, right?　So this is exactly how it was meant to happen!

　Say what you want.

　Well, even with this, this guy has grown up only because his attitude towards Karius-san and Mei Fan has become more rounded.

　........and it's kind of a pompous thing for me to say, after being lectured by Karius-san early on in my first mission. I'm sure it's a good trend for Meil to be on good terms with Mei Fan.

''Does Mei Fan still have some work left to do?

'Oh, I'm almost done cleaning up, and when I'm done, he says you can go up for the day.

Okay. Well, Meir and I are going to wait a little while longer. Give us a shout when you're done.

'Yes!　I'll do my best to get this over with as soon as possible!

　With that, Mei Fan rushed back to work.

''Wow!''

　

... "Well, just take it slow and be careful.

Yes, I'm in a hurry!

　Why can't the women around me talk to each other sometimes?

　And so Mei Fan returned after finishing her work, her knees and elbows were dirty.

''Here you are!''

　Mei Fan's tail was wagging happily from side to side as she spoke. He must be really looking forward to what the three of us will be doing from now on.

　Well, I guess I'll just have to take care of her until she can't get her feet wet again today.

　* * * *

　--and.



　The place was the guild's training ground. A sweaty Mei Fan was kneeling on the ground with a gulp of sweat.

　His breathing was erratic, and his chest was busily rising and falling in search of air. His hair was stuck to his sweaty forehead, which was a testament to the intensity of his exercise.

'What, Mei Fan. It's like this?''

'Yes, Mei!　It's just the beginning!

"Agh, I can't lose!

　With his wobbly knees trembling, Mei Fan stood up and gripped the hilt of his practice wooden sword with both hands in a desperate manner.

　He then held the sword in his grip in front of him and slashed at me.

''Sweet.''

　I catch her attack with a thunk.

　And then, while catching it away, I launched a front kick towards her stomach.

''Huh!''

　Mei Fan avoids that kick by stepping to the side.

　But the kick is a check. The main goal is to attack with the sword, which exploits the gap in consciousness that is distracted by the linear movement of the front kick.

''Ah........''

　And the coordination of the attack is beautifully done. Mei Fan, who had been distracted by my kick, raised her own wooden sword to defend against the sword fight that came from an unexpected source, but she was unable to get into a decent position to defend herself.

　You can't help but surrender as Mei Fan, whose sword was flicked by me, is thrust directly at your throat with the tip of the sword.

''Ugh, ugh~''

'Your readings on attacks are still not very good. You are getting better with the sword, but there are also kicks and fists flying at you. It would be good to learn to deal with various gaps.

　As a pusher, I would comment on Mei Fan's moves.

　Although her movements have improved quite a bit, her fighting style is still a bit naive. Well, that's why Meil and I are practicing like this.

It's not a good idea. I'm not good at all, right?

Not really. It's a bit of a crap shoot, but I'm making progress.

'Yeah, yeah...' 'No one is strong to begin with, I don't think there's anything to be so downhearted about, do you?　Well, there are perverts like Gerald.

　What do you mean by pervert? You need to be more careful with the word.

So next time, Mei, you'll be with me. Come on, let's go!

No, do a little bit, man.

　Meil, who relies more on instincts than I do to fight in a way that relies more on instincts than me, isn't very good at taming. In a way, he's more animalistic than the beastman Mei Fan.

''I'll be fine. If you get injured, Gerald will fix you up.

　After vivaciously saying that, Myl readied her own wooden sword.

　

　For the past few days, Meil and Meil have been Mei Fan's training partners.

　However, this training was neither our idea, nor was it requested by Mei Fan.

　The fact that a non-adventurer Mei Fan is able to use the guild's training grounds in the first place is more of a thoughtfulness rather than an intention of the client.... Otherwise, Mei Fan without an adventurer registration card would not even be able to enter this place.

　The person who requested Mei Fan's training was me. That person was...

Oh, dear. You're really getting into it. That's a good thing.

Mr. Noel.

　The head of the Zeto City Adventurer's Guild, Noel-san, is that person.

　This person asked us to train Mei Fan. This was a good opportunity for Mei Fan to obtain enough power to defeat Gant and take back the dojo.

''But it doesn't seem to have achieved much.

'No. I've gotten a lot better with the sword and I'm a better swallower. Maybe you have more pure fighting talent than I do.

　I'm only a magician. I can only use magic to enhance my physical abilities and read the movements of my opponents by sensing their magical power, but I don't stand out with other talents.

　But Myl and Mei Fan have very high bare physical abilities. In that sense, it would be possible to say that they are 'genuinely stronger' than them.

''You seem to be a bit mistaken.''

　But Noel-san seemed more than a little unhappy that I had described Mei Fan as such.

'A misunderstanding?'

'Yes. I thought you, who can sense magic, could help her develop her talents.

''Oh, so that's why you asked me to train Mei Fan instead of Karius and Mr. Gardner? So that means that Mei Fan's main goal is not to become stronger.

''Yes. It would be nice if it resulted in you becoming stronger, but just becoming stronger isn't enough at all.

　While exchanging words, Noel-san and I turn our attention to the fight between Meiru and Mei Fan.

　Mei Fan is being swept around by Myl, who has a gun-moving, gun-beating style, but he's still getting pretty solid if he's just defending himself. I think he's holding his own well despite being tossed around.

　Although it's a leap of faith considering that he was only able to play his sword in one or two games at first.

''.........You're still far from reaching Xiao Lan's realm, aren't you?

Xiaolan?

He's Mei Fan's father, and he's quite a user. And he's the one who defeated the demon when it appeared before.

　So that was it.........

　Taking advantage of Meil's gap, Mei Fan goes on the offensive. She slashes sharply at Meil from above and from the side with her sword.

　That sword strike is dodged by Myl with her amazing reflexes. At a stroke, Meil closes the distance towards him, and Mei Fan tries to attack him violently--.

　That's when Mei Fan's magic power begins to flow in a different way. It's the same kind of movement we saw several times in the adventurer registration mission, where it seemed to contract and then swell up all at once.

　But that too ends up being a butt-load. It's halfway through the contraction, and halfway through the swelling from there. Instantly, Mei Fan's movement slows down, and Meil leaps into it.

　The rest of the time, Mei Fan is no longer able to surpass Myl's attacks after just one or two strikes. I'm out of gas.

　As if to rekindle the fight with me earlier, Mei Fan's sword is flung away with a kang.

Heh heh heh, I win!

　High and mighty Meir declares his victory. No, but, dude, this isn't a battle, it's practice.

　I was a little worried about whether or not Myl understood that.

''Well, take care of Mei Fan-chan. In various ways.

Yes. Now that I've taken the job, I'll do it right.

"Looking forward to it, Mr. Gerald. I'll get back to work then.

Thanks for your help.

Oh, and I'm sorry.

Yes?　What is it?

'How dare I say that you seem to be mistaken. I guess I was right in my decision to leave you in charge.

'Isn't that bragging rights?　Also, we don't have any results yet as to whether we were wrong, and I think it's too early to say for sure.

　When I replied that, Noel-san gave a wry smile.

If the client has assured you of that, isn't it only natural for the person who accepted the job to do it right?　I'm counting on you.

　After leaving such words at the end, Noel-san lightly turned her back to us and walked away from the training ground.

''........Yes. I will make an effort.''

　He is a completely inedible person. Well, maybe that's why he's able to handle the guild leader of an adventurer's guild.

　--

　After finishing the day's training, we decided to go to the bathhouse to wash off our sweaty bodies.

　It's not a public bath or hot spring facility.

　The bathhouse is located not far from the training grounds, and for a copper coin, you can rent a tub full of boiling water, a towel, and a washing area separated by partitions.

　After training, it is surprisingly pleasant to wipe yourself with a towel soaked in hot water. The bathhouse is usually crowded with adventurers after their missions and training, as if the rest of the adventurers feel the same way.

I'm going to go ahead and get one.

　Because it was crowded today as usual, I only got a tub and a towel first, so I waited for a while.

　Then, because one of the customers who had entered came out, it was decided that Meir would go in first.

Oh, go ahead.

Yes. Enjoy.

　Me and Mei Juan send them off.

"Would you like to join me, Gerald?

Stop being a dick and get out of here.

Ew, you're boring. I'm dull.

　Myl disappeared into the washroom while muttering something like, "I'm not going to be able to do that.

　This is the kind of place where he's still the same guy with no growth.

I'm not going to be able to get rid of it. I'm not sure how long he's going to last....

　As I was sighing one sigh in disgust, Mei Fan spoke to me.

''The two of you are very close, aren't you?''

Well we've been friends since childhood. It was a small village and the only children of our age were each other, so that's part of it.

I'm kind of jealous of that kind of partner.

Really?

Yes. I don't have anyone else to do that for me.

　Mei Fan's appearance as she said such things seemed a bit sad.

He said, "In my world, there was only my father and my father's training days. I didn't have any friends, childhood friends... or lovers at all... oh...

　He patted Mei Fan's head as she said such a backward-looking thing with a pout.

　You know, it's hard to hold back when you look so down on me.

　You can't help but feel like you need to cheer up.

Meifang is very fond of his father. Not now, not ever.

'Yes, yes!　Yes, that's right. I was, because you've always been so good to me...

Yeah, I know. He was a good father, wasn't he? So, you know, I'm sure he'd be happy to have me and my friend Meir in Mae Fan now.

'Oh....'

　Mei Fan makes a face like she's been reminded.

　........How come he doesn't realize it's so simple unless he's told? This guy.

So, you see. It may be difficult to say, but it's good to laugh when you're happy. It's better to fill your heart with joy than with sadness, of course.

Gerald, Mr.....

So don't look so sad. And it's not just us. There are many other people like Karius and Noel who will take care of you. You're not alone, Mei Fan.

　Ever since Meil and I took on the role of Mayfang, Karius-san and Noel-san have been paying attention to us. Karius-san often brings me sweets and food (a hobby, apparently) as a set of unsympathetic lines, and Noel-san, who was too busy with work to take on Mayfang, often asks me how Mayfang is doing.

　So please, please don't say that my father is the only one who is around. I don't want you to think that I am alone. Please don't think that I must be alone after losing my father.

　It seems that Mei Fan has understood my wishes correctly.

　Her face has changed from a forlorn one to a happy shy smile.

''Thank you, Mr. Gerald,''

　With that look on his face, Mei Fan thanks him.

''Thanks to Gerald, I feel a little better now.

That's good. Well, I'm going to be next.

　One of the guests who had come in before me comes back from the washroom again.

　I thought it was my turn to go in next, so I stood up with a towel and washbasin in my arms.

　Then he said, "Mr. Gerald.

Mr. Gerald. Well ... well ... well ... ........can I come in with you?

　Mei Fan, who stopped me from standing up and pinching my clothes with her fingertips, said such a ridiculous thing.

''............''

　I was speechless and stared intently at Mei Fan's face.

　Finally, I twisted out the following words.

''Um.........what did you say?''

　For some reason, my tone was also extremely polite.

'So, um, Mr. Gerald is going into the washroom next... right?

'Oh, yeah. Yeah, but...

So, you see, I'd like to go inside with Mr. Gerald!　I want you to rub your back, Gerald, and, you know, rub my back, too.

"No, but, you know, Mei Fan. You see, I'm a guy and Mei-fan is a girl, so, um... you know the rest, right?

"...?　What, no, what?

　Slowly, tears came to Mei Fan's eyes. She put her hands on her chest as if she were praying and looked up at my face as if she were begging me.

'But Mr. Gerald said it earlier. "But Mr. Gerald said that I'm not alone. He said he would take care of me. And we can't wash each other's bodies together?

That's not...

I want to wash. I want to scrub various parts of you. I want Mr. Gerald to scrub me clean, too. ...Is that wrong?

　I can't help but flinch as she looks into my innocent eyes.

　For example, if this is Meil, his ulterior motive is so obvious that a simple "don't be silly" would be enough.

　However, in the case of Mei Fan, she doesn't seem to have such an ulterior motive. That's why it's awkward to refuse so strongly here.

''Wow, okay.......if you say that much, I'll come in with you.''

'　Wow, really!

　When I nodded reluctantly, Mei Fan's face lit up with happiness with a puff of joy.

　--

　And then--

Then I'll rub your back!

Mm-hmm.

　I ended up going into the washroom with Mei Fan.

　We were both naked as a matter of course. I had a cloth wrapped around my waist, but Mei Fan was unashamedly exposing everything without any shame.

　And the cloth that was supposed to protect Mei Fan is now in her hands.

　Mei Fan dipped that cloth into the hot water and gently knelt behind me, who was sitting directly on the floor.

　The washroom is about one meter square and is separated by a cloth. When you try to wash your body in such a small space, naturally the distance between your bodies becomes so close that they are close to each other.

'Nonsho,'

　Because of this, Mei Fan's body heat, which was kneeling behind me, seemed to be almost directly transmitted to me....

　Unknowingly, my body was unconsciously stiff with tension. Also, the one between my legs is becoming a bit fierce.

　Please hold back just for now, my son.

Now, if you'll excuse me.

"...Ugh...

　Something warm and soft pressed against my back.

　But it was different from the heat I had imagined. It was more like the warmth of human skin than the heat of hot water, and the softness felt different from the cloth.

　It was smoother and smoother than the coarse-textured cloth, and yet it had two hard, sharp points...?

　I didn't think it was possible.

'Oh, um, Mei Fan ... okay?'

Huh, hmmm... oh, yes, what is it?

Now, how do you, like, wash my back?

Well, I'm using my breasts.

　Mei Fan's answer was just as I expected, yet how destructive it was.

　My head, which had been getting hot earlier, was finally about to boil over.

''No, um, yeah!　I don't know why you decided to do that again!

The washroom here is a little too small for a cloth to wash your back...

For that reason?

Yes. Oh, and I thought that if I washed you like this, you could wash my breasts and belly with me... well, was that a problem?

Oh, no, no, it can't be!

　It is more bliss than annoyance.

　However, where did he learn how to wash like this?

''........This kind of thing, had Mei Fan ever done this kind of thing before?　Well, you know, when we were downtown or in the red light district, you know?

'What?　Why?

You know, they get paid for this kind of work... This is the kind of town we live in.

　There are many shops in the downtown and entertainment district of the Adventurer's Town that sell spring for the adventurer's money.

　That's why I couldn't help but let that kind of imagination run wild.

Oh, no, that's not true. In fact, I'm a beastman, and in a town full of humans and elves, it's hard to get customers.

"...?　Really?

Yes. Although we beastmen are proud of our ears and tails, it doesn't seem to make a good impression on other species, so we lived for a while looking around for coins in back alleys and other places. So for a while we lived by looking for coins in the back alleys, and if we couldn't find anything like that, we would rummage through the trash to see if there was any food.

　My mood sinks a little bit as I'm again plainly confided in by the heavy past.

'But even while I was living like that, I never thought of giving my body to a man. My father gave me this body, and I couldn't imagine doing whatever he wanted with it. That's why Mr. Gerald is the first time I've ever done that to a man.

Oh, yeah. Oh, please. How do you know how to do this, anyway?

There was a woman in the water business who took care of me sometimes. She used to tell me stories like that.

　Mei Fan's tone of voice was a bit nostalgic as he said this.

　Even as we were talking, Mei Fan finished washing my back (and my own chest and stomach).

''Then, this time, Gerald-san, please do the same for me.

Can you do it?

　As I said it, I picked up the cloth that Mei Fan had just wet in hot water after all. I'm determined to protect my own waist.

　I soaked the cloth in the warm water and squeezed it tightly. Then he placed the cloth against Mei Fan's back and rubbed it hard.

An.

Don't talk like that!

No, because they're so strong.

　Mei Fan writhes in the dog's spoiled voice. As for us, it's hard to do.

　With an iron heart, I endured the feeling that I was about to be aroused.

Oh, and Mei Fan. And also, Mei Fan. When I was listening to you earlier, I was thinking--

Hmph. Oh, why is that?

I don't think Mei Fan would ever have no customers. I don't think I'll ever get any May fans, because those ears have beautiful silver fur and that silver tail is really cool. It's so noble, I love it. Mei Fan's ears and tail.

Oh, really?　Do you feel that way about me?

Yeah, I think. ...Well, so what?

'Not really!　I'm so happy for you!

　As if to show that those words weren't a lie, Mei Fan's tail bobbed from side to side.

''Oh, geez, stop wagging your tail!　It's hard to wash your back!

I can't, I can't, I can't stop...

　And Mei Fan shouted pathetically.

　In the end, I had to wash her back, struggling with Mei Fan's tail as she swung me around until the end.

　Meiru found out that Mei Fan and I had entered the washroom together and said, "Next time, come in with me!　He annoyed me greatly by saying things like "now".