The snowfall in the lake center has lessened considerably. Although there are still some scattered snowflakes falling, it is at least not as cold anymore.
"Lilith, you should go out and take on a job."
After much pleading from my wallet, I finally opened up about what I had been holding back for so long.
"No! People will freeze to death!"
After hearing what I said, Lilith slowly opened the window. A gentle breeze blew in, but she shrank her ears and pretended to shiver from the cold as she spoke to me.
"You should at least wear two more layers..."
Her reason was clearly not going to fool me, after all, I know this guy too well.
Poor acting skills coupled with a poor lie—it's exposed with the first touch.
"Little Leon... I'm dressed so scantily so that you can enjoy yourself after you've worked so hard to complete the mission!"
"Come on! I'm not falling for that anymore."
After getting to know this orc thoroughly, I realized she was completely dependent on me.
but……
I'm clearly not the kind of person who blushes and gets flustered by just a few sweet words anymore; in a sense, I'm almost immune to them.
"Hey! Kid! You're acting all innocent after getting the benefit, or I'll bite you!"
When Lilith realized that her teasing wasn't working, she simply lay down on the bed and gave up.
"Ugh... how did I end up with this guy?!"
I rubbed my head, feeling utterly overwhelmed. Now, let alone Anna's tuition fees, even raising a pet is proving difficult.
I used to be able to see her taking on some jobs every now and then, but ever since she started staying with me and refusing to leave, all she does every day is eat and sleep, sleep and eat again. She's really become a pet.
but……
I don't hate Lilith because of this, not because she saved my life before, but because she has a sisterly feeling towards me.
She would scold me if I did something wrong, she would care about me if I got injured while carrying out a task, and she would worry about me if I didn't come home in the middle of the night.
Most importantly, she would act like a little girl and act coquettishly towards me, even when faced with meat, making her mouth water.
I think this is probably what it would feel like if I really had an older sister.
"Hey! What are you thinking about, you brat!"
Seeing me acting foolishly, they obviously think I'm thinking something filthy.
Only Lilith's expression seemed most out of place.
I was stunned for a moment, then asked in return, "What are you thinking about for dinner?"
"Hmm...what do you want to eat..."
Upon hearing the word "dinner," Lilith excitedly jumped out of bed.
"Are all orcs like this? Their eyes light up at the mere mention of food."
Aside from Lilith, there probably isn't any other creature with such a simple mind.
"Let's eat fried rice!"
Upon hearing the words "fried rice," Lilith felt as if she had been doused with cold water, instantly becoming listless and limp like a cucumber that had been dried out by the sun.
He lay on the bed, looking at me as if he were dying, as if he would die if he didn't eat meat.
"If someone takes on a commission or something, I'll consider adding a steak or chicken leg or something."
"You said it!"
Upon hearing that there was meat to eat, Lilith practically pounced on me.
"Yes! I said it!"
A gentleman's word is his bond!
"A swift horse, a whip!"
"Yay..."
"It's so easy to handle!"
Are such simple-minded creatures not worried about being tricked by just two pieces of meat?
Thinking back to the first time I met Lilith...
"Ew...how scary!"
I shooed that strong-willed Lilith out of my head; it seems I'm just an easy owner to bully.
...
Lilith's fighting skills are truly impressive; when facing the Taralu bear pack, she really displayed the prowess of taking on a hundred men single-handedly.
In the Adventurers' Guild, many teams begged her to join, but in my opinion, it didn't seem like they were after Lilith's strength.
...
"What! You're actually living with Lilith?"
I watched as Philip, on the verge of tears, gulped down his drink in silence. Hearing my complaints, he incredulously yelled at me.
"Hey! Philip, keep your voice down, or I'm dead."
"Damn brat! You're so lucky!"
Philip, however, seemed not to hear him and continued shouting.
I could feel the guild's eyes suddenly focusing on me, but thankfully, the noisy environment prevented them from hearing what Philip said.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
After I got up and apologized, they continued drinking their drinks while grumbling, and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You almost got me killed!" I muttered.
"Huh... what did you say?"
I saw Philip down two more glasses of wine, making it his seventh glass already; his alcohol tolerance is truly impressive.
Before we knew it...
I've become quite familiar with the Philip brothers, and we'll get together for drinks from time to time. Pro would come over when he had time, and being the outgoing one, he and Philip would always try to outdrink each other, but they would both end up completely drunk, with neither of them able to hold their own.
"The Swordsman's Tsundere"
This is my assessment of it...
The Philip brothers often invite me to carry out commissions together, and I am happy to do so, but I usually decline.
It's just a D-rank team anyway, with five people sharing such a meager reward. It's better to just take on a C-rank mission yourself.
This is what I really think. After all, there's not much time left, and besides raising Lilith, I also need to save on Anna's tuition.
After saying goodbye to the Philip brothers, I returned to the hotel.
The Adventurers' Guild and the inn aren't too far apart, but you still have to go through two alleys...
I walked through the alley by moonlight, and every now and then a cold wind would blow by, making me wrap my coat tightly around myself.
Clang...
As we passed through the second alley, a sound suddenly came from the corner...
"They're probably stray cats and dogs from the neighborhood!"
I remember there was a trash can in the corner, and stray cats and other animals would often climb into the trash can to look for food.
"Damn brat!"
It was a man's voice, his tone full of anger and impatience, sounding as if he were scolding someone.
"..."
I didn't stop. It didn't look like stray cats or dogs. Judging from the man's words, it was probably his drunken father throwing a tantrum.
This is someone else's family matter, and I don't want to get involved, since it has nothing to do with me.
"Help……"
Cries for help came from the corner...
"That sound?"
I feel like I've heard this somewhere before; it sounds familiar...
I stopped in my tracks, feeling a sense of déjà vu about this situation.
"Someone, please save me..."
The sound began to fade...
I realized I had no choice but to intervene, so I turned and ran into a corner.
As soon as I reached the alley entrance, I saw a middle-aged man forcefully choking a girl by the neck.
"Help me..."
The girl's voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.
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