“Hmm? Inn?” (Hikaru)

“Y-Yeah. A cheap one though.” (Rifreya)

“I see~.” (Hikaru)

She brought me to her lodging. 

Hm? Why an inn? 

“Here, here. Let’s go in before the people of the inn notice us.” (Rifreya)

Rifreya goes up the stairs while still holding my arm with unbelievable strength.

I followed her lead just like that.

My head felt light, and my brain couldn’t process anything properly right now. 

She might be drunk herself.

She opened the door to the room at the end, pushed me into the room, and locked the door with her hands behind her back.

I would say her room is slightly better than the one I am staying at. 

Rifreya looked like a rich girl, but that might not actually be the case.

She lit the lamp in the room and sat at the bed.

The swaying and fleeting light was accentuating the beautiful body of Rifreya. 

“…I told you I wanted to thank you, but…I actually don’t have that much money.” (Rifreya)

“I-I see. Then, there’s no need to push yourself.” (Hikaru)

“No, I want to thank you. And so…uhm…I couldn’t think of anything but this…” (Rifreya)

She says this as she unbuttoned her shirt one by one.

Below that shirt that she hesitantly took off, there was only a thin petticoat. 

The lines of those white and plentiful breasts of hers were revealed, and I averted my gaze.

I didn’t expect it to turn out this way. 

I could feel myself sobering at mach speed. 

Rather than happiness, confusion took over me faster. 

“Rifreya, I haven’t been around these areas for long. Is this a normal way of thanking others around here?” (Hikaru)

“No…it isn’t that normal…I think. But I somewhat understand that this has value… Ah, but I have no experience, so uhm…I don’t know if I will do well…” (Rifreya)

Her eyes were damp as she said this. 

Her voice, her shoulders, even her fingers were trembling, and even with that, she faced my way, and invited me as if she had resolved herself.

“It is true that it may have value. If it is someone like you, Rifreya, it would go for who knows how much gold… No, you can’t even put a price to it.” (Hikaru)

“I-I don’t think there’s as much value as you say it has, but…but I am happy that you think that… Also, it is true that I think it would be fine if it is you, Hikaru.” (Rifreya)

She placed her fingers on the string of her petticoat, and closed her eyes.

I sat by her side and stopped her hand. 

“…In the first place, I saved you on my own volition. You didn’t ask me to save you…no, not only that, you could even say I stole your kill.” (Hikaru)

Hitting an already aggroed mob is even considered bad manners in MMORPGs.

This world is obviously not a game, but there’s the need to apply some of that logic to it.

“N-No, I asked my servants to call for help, and it is indisputable that you saved me, Hikaru.” (Rifreya)

“Then, let’s say I did come to save you under your call. Does that mean that from now on, when people save you, you are going to continue thanking them in this manner? This time it was me, but if it had been another man, they would have taken you without hesitation. Aren’t you an explorer? This is almost like prostitution.” (Hikaru)

“N-No way… A prostitute is just…!” (Rifreya)

“But am I not right? Is it that different?” (Hikaru)

I am giving her a sermon here when I am not even from this world…is what I thought, but I have to say this.

She is an idiot. She has the appearance of someone that’s a bit intelligent, but sadly to say, she is imprudent, thoughtless, and too self-conscious, and…way too good of a person.

I have always been worried about the boldness of my little sisters who grew up fast in both mind and body, so I can’t leave girls like this be.

Her appearance might be top tier, but that’s exactly why I have to tell her this.

More so because I was pissed. 

“…Cause…I can’t think of anything else. Also…I thought it was fine if it was you, Hikaru… When you showed up from inside the darkness…you were cool…” (Rifreya)

Rifreya was muttering excuses while looking down.

I must have looked a bit nicer because I saved her life. It was dark too. 

The cleavage of her breasts was accentuated from her curling up, shaking my heart, but I want her to understand this properly. 

“Rifreya, an explorer is a job where you save and are saved. There’s no need to owe anything to anyone on every single instance. If you want to thank someone no matter what, treating them to a meal really is plenty enough.” (Hikaru)

I actually don’t know how explorers operate. 

But helping each other out in the battlefield that is the dungeon should be a given. What we are doing is hunting. It should be normal for hunters to help each other.

“But but…my family precepts tell me that I should return a debt…” (Rifreya)

“That’s why I am talking here about the way you return that debt. Returning that debt with your body is the thought pattern of a psycho. If you were to save an explorer…and let’s say that person is a handsome man. What would you do if that person told you that they want to return the debt with their body?” (Hikaru)

“I would kick them…” (Rifreya)

Rifreya looks down and goes silent just like that.

This type of convincing is difficult. There’s no knowing if she has understood the real meaning of the word, and it is not like I am certainly on the right here. 

The side of me pushing my own values on her is stronger here. 

“…I am a man myself, so if I were asked whether my feelings are wavering here, I would say they are. You are beautiful and charming… But I…am not happy being thanked in this manner.” (Hikaru)

I say this, but I don’t know what to do. 

She has her head drooped and completely silent.

I took a deep breath and opened the Status Board.

I myself need to cool my head down too.

(The viewers…have increased. Even a situation like this is being watched…) (Hikaru)

At some point in time, my real time viewers have increased to over 200,000,000.

It is around 10 times as much as the standard recently. 

The time I spent with Rifreya was fun.

It probably doesn’t have anything to do with her being beautiful. I simply missed human interaction.

I was lonely on my own.

I wanted someone who would laugh together with me. 

But that’s my weakness.

I am still drunk, and this situation doesn’t feel real, but there’s no doubt I will be regretting what I did now tomorrow morning. 

Rifreya herself gets watched by being involved with me. 

That would trample on her very dignity. 

“…Anyways, I have managed to accept my own feelings thanks to you having a meal with me. If you are going to continue being an explorer, don’t do something like this ever again, okay?” (Hikaru)

I don’t know if she will actually change. 

But I am sure my connection with her will be severed with this. 

She has been silent this whole time, but I am sure she is angry. No one would want to be preached like this. 

In the end, I might have hurt her with my own selfishness.

But that’s fine.

In the first place, we are living in different worlds.

I stood up from the bed just like that.

If I were to leave just like this, that would be the end of it. 

“…Wait.” 

…My hand was grabbed.

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