This person bore a considerable resemblance to Ghislaine, and his pectoral muscles were also quite well-developed. Beside him followed an elderly beastman who exuded a calm, steady aura.
When the two adult beastmen appeared, the group of children immediately ran over in delighted surprise.
Among them, the three girls, fox-eared, dog-eared, and cat-eared, even seemed to call that man "Dad," which made Ash immediately sense trouble.
"...Why can a single beastman father three children of different breeds?", Ash, suddenly left out in the cold, wanted to flee but couldn't help watching the surrounded man with a bit of small envy... after all, just moments ago he was the one surrounded by girls.
"You're not actually jealous, are you?", Roxy reached out and placed her hand on his shoulder, looking at him with an expression somehow full of worry, as if deeply afraid he was about to fall into some strange heresy, "Tell me honestly, you're not....."
"Although I don't know what you're trying to say, it's definitely wrong. I'm really just a little curious."
"...He married three different types of women, right? What else is there to be curious about."
"That... does seem to be the case."
Actually, he wasn't truly curious. Or rather, it was simply that now that someone else's father had arrived, he could no longer keep petting the beast-eared girls, so he felt slightly regretful.
Still, he was somewhat relieved. After all, thankfully no one had witnessed him demanding "payment" earlier, otherwise he'd never be able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River. And at least now he didn't have to look after these children anymore.
After all, just playing around, petting... petting a bit, hugging a bit, that was all fine. But if he actually had to take care of them, it'd be quite troublesome. Looking after so many children at once, he couldn't handle it.
So, when the man and the old man behind him both showed expressions of relief, Ash silently stepped forward and forcibly separated Eris from the rabbit-eared girl.
"W-wait! What are you doing?", Eris struggled with an unwilling look on her face, but he grabbed her by the back collar, carrying her along as he walked into the distance, "We're going back. If we don't leave now, it'll probably be hard to leave later."
"Why? Shouldn't they be thanking you?"
"...Don't worry about it."
"What? Not telling me just makes me more curious!", Eris, being carried along, looked utterly baffled.
Whether Ash was unwilling to say more or not, Roxy quickly caught up beside them and quietly offered the necessary explanation, "This guy casually touched other people's tails, and two at once... It's basically the same as openly harassing them."
Hearing this, Eris immediately turned on him the same contemptuous gaze she once reserved for Roxy, "Even them... you're awful!"
"It's not harrasment, just their tails.... Wait, no! For beastmen, even touching their butts should be fine, right?"
"What do you mean by that?", His strange defense made Roxy think of something, and she couldn't help but frown.
"Because Ghislaine doesn't mind."
"Don't use Ghislaine as the standard for beastmen! Speaking of which... you didn't touch Ghislaine's butt, did you?", Roxy couldn't help but blurt out the question.
"No, no, I was just making an analogy!"
Although he'd only seen it, that wasn't something appropriate to mention either, so he could only keep shaking his head and quicken his pace to get away from the group of beastmen, avoiding unnecessary trouble.
Ash tried to slip away quietly while no one was paying attention, but before he'd gotten far... the other party caught up.
Or rather, it was the old man who caught up, and he bowed deeply to Ash, "I heard you saved my granddaughter. Please, let us properly express our gratitude. If we simply let our benefactor leave like this, our honor would suffer."
"Don't worry about it, I just did it in passing..."
"The long rainy season is about to arrive. After that, travel will likely become impossible, and inn prices around here will skyrocket. If possible, please, benefactor, come to our tribe to take shelter, so we may fulfill our duties as hosts and properly repay your great kindness."
The old man's words were earnest, his eyes full of sincerity.
Ash originally intended to firmly decline and avoid unnecessary trouble. Seeing this, Roxy beside him gently tugged at his sleeve and said in a low voice, "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to go. This is their heartfelt gesture. Refusing too many times might embarrass them. And free accommodations aren't a bad thing, right?"
"...You haven't forgotten what I just did, have you?"
"It's fine~ I was just scaring you. They probably won't kill you... Probably."
"...Why won't you look at me when you say something that important?"
"This.... Maybe never mind?", Roxy awkwardly scratched her cheek. Ash reached out and placed his hand on her head, about to scold her when, "Of course, if..."
"Big brother... Are you leaving?", The fox-eared girl from earlier had somehow appeared beside him, looking up at him from below, her big watery eyes full of reluctance and grievance. Her small hand gently clutched his hem, and her playful, nimble fox ears now drooped dejectedly.
"Don't go~! Big brother, come play with us, meow!", The silver-haired cat-eared girl also grabbed his hem, and even the golden fox tail and cat tail instinctively wrapped around his legs, making it truly hard to refuse, and hard to let go of that fluffy softness.
"Cough... On second thought, traveling during the rainy season is too risky. I can't swim, and if I run into a flood that'd be terrible! Mm-hmm, the rainy season is too dangerous! And Eris really wants to go too, so I suppose we'll accept your hospitality!"
Although he really wanted to refuse firmly, he couldn't bear to disappoint the children. He scrambled to find a pile of excuses, trying not to look like he'd been swayed by beast-eared girls, and put on a righteous expression. He silently handed Eris over to Roxy, then grasped the old man's hand and shook it up and down.
"Although I really want to go! But you.... Why did you just dump me?", Eris, realizing she'd been used as a shield, ground her teeth and couldn't resist trying to kick him.
Meanwhile, the wobbly Roxy had just steadied herself and set Eris down when she noticed his hand, as if by instinct, had once again found its way to the two girls' beast ears. For the second time, a worried expression appeared on her face.
But this time, she was worried about his future on a whole different level.
As Ash's hand unconsciously stroked the soft ears of the two beast-eared girls, Roxy took in his comfortable, enjoying expression from the side.
This left her conflicted for a long time. After hesitating again and again, she ultimately couldn't help but speak bluntly, "...Are you really okay? I'm already worried about your future."
"Hm? What are you talking about? What could possibly be wrong with me?"
"...Really? Didn't you used to say you didn't like beastmen?", Her eyes held a trace of doubt, and more so a faint worry, as if she saw Ash teetering on the edge of a strange path.
"That's different! Because....."
Ash's expression instantly became somewhat complicated. He opened his mouth, but still forcefully swallowed the rest of his words.
This appearance caused an dissatisfied look to immediately appear on Roxy's face. She raised her voice, "You, please apologize to me properly later."
"Hm? Why?"
"Because at first I thought you were really just being kind! I was deeply moved and proud of you! But you..."
"Wait? Don't project your weird delusions onto me, okay?"
Towards this master who always let her imagination run wild, excessively adolescent, even Ash felt he was being terribly wronged.
He hadn't had any strange thoughts about beastgirls initially.... Of course, not now either. At least he didn't think his thoughts were strange. When something cute is right in front of you, wouldn't you want to touch it and play with it? Isn't that just human nature?
Though his beastgirl filter had been broken, that was due to Ghislaine's bizarre behavior. But now he knew she'd just been starving, which was why she'd done those incomprehensible things, so he could more or less understand.
Besides, if he had to make an analogy: an adult crocodile is terrifying, sure, but aren't baby crocodiles cute too? Just like these beast-eared girls before him, their innocent, pure cuteness was truly irresistible.
Although he wanted to firmly cut off his beastgirl filter, well... how should he put it? These girl beastgirls had instantly put the filter right back on. What could he do about it? He was helpless too.
Humans are truly pitiful, even their perceptions can be so easily overturned. He lamented inwardly, yet unconsciously, under everyone's puzzled gazes, he stroked his chin and muttered in a voice only he could hear, "No, let's just categorize them separately for now, divide them into different species. When they grow up, we'll say goodbye.... Ah, no, that's not right either. That feels even more dangerous somehow.... What do I do, have I been turned into a terrible person by beast-eared girls?"
He tried to organize his thoughts, attempting to reflect on himself three times a day, but the more he thought the more something felt off.
[T/N: New Novel guys. It's an original. Super good kinda. Here's the synopsis:
Title: Transmigrated Into an Eldritch World, I Am the Strongest?
Synopsis:
Transmigrated into another world where Eldritch run rampant, Lynn finds he's become a knockoff pseudo-god whose divine power has run dry and who's about to fade away.
Outside the church, indescribable horrors are pounding on the door, and the despairing countdown begins.
To save himself, Lynn grits his teeth and fabricates a full-dive VR online game called [Old Gods Awaken], summoning a batch of hardcore players from Blue Star to be his believers.
He figured this bunch would tremble in fear under the Eldritch's torment, but things spiraled completely out of control...
Player A (fanatical): "Guys, this headless wraith's physical hitbox is bugged! Block it with a door and take turns chipping at it for the first kill!"
Player B (excited): "This Great Old One's tentacle has a drop check! Eat it raw for +5 poison resistance, come bite!"
Player C (pensive): "If we tie up all the NPCs in this town, the cultists won't find anyone to sacrifice. That's what you call a logic clear!"
Watching the Eldritch monsters outside the door literally scared shitless by the players, and the local natives staring at him with awestruck, crazed eyes and worshiping him as the "Supreme Lord of Chaos", Lynn, sitting on the divine throne, looks majestic and unmatched on the surface, but inside he's panicking like an old dog: 'Stop filling in the blanks! I really am not some indescribable source of horror, I just couldn't hold back this Fourth Calamity bunch!']