Chapter 33: Back home

"We did it-"

Before Louise could finish her words like usual, calling Leon through the title he wasn't personally fond of until now, Leon tightly embraced her and squeezed her. Pushing her scarlet hair against his chest, Leon leaned down and inhaled her smell while his another hand invited her for an even closer embrace.

Louise instinctively reacted and wrapped her arms around him, sniffing him, too.

"I thought you were gone." Leon's sorrowful tone, mixed with great relief, sliced Louise's heart, for she couldn't ignore his sadness.

But she was also happy to return and defeat the black skeleton with her master. Because of him, Louise no longer feared The Human Emperor, and she could face him in her riddled memories. She couldn't recall what exactly happened in her mind when she had been unconscious, but Louise knew Leon helped her immensely.

He saved her.

Feeling him stroking her hair and his hand pushing her against him, Louise's heart burned with affection and fond emotions. She felt needed and treasured.

"I'm here, all lively and safe… Master has saved me…" Louise whispered, her voice bouncing off Leon's chest. "And I saved master, too, so we're even."

Leon just faintly smiled without letting her go and with his nose still in her scarlet hair. "Right… We're even."

He missed having someone so close to him. This feeling of embrace and warmth heating him up from inside and outside was part of human nature that everyone needed. But Leon had suffered so much, and he even thought he'd gone through the same thing again, only for Louise to return with even more strength.

After killing the black skeleton, those feelings hit Leon like a truck, and he couldn't stay idle. He wanted to confirm Louise didn't die and would be with him again.

And as she spoke with her sweet voice, her warmth and feelings touched Leon, too. Both of them realized that they needed each other more than they thought.Leon's conscience hurt, though. He was still scared of the broad world.

And another thing pressed his mind. "What did I say for you to blank like that? Was it that… monster stuff?"

"Yes." Louise didn't hide that from him, but her heart grew restless, too, and she didn't dare to look up.

"In my eyes, you aren't a monster. You're an adorable woman whose lovely vibes can heal everyone," Leon spoke from the bottom of his heart, "It's true that I made a clear border between monster people and just monsters."

Leon began his story from the start to properly explain all of it. When he caught the first blue crocodiles, he'd felt their feelings. Those overwhelmed him, and he was worried enslaving monsters for breeding and fusion would become a mental struggle.

Leon didn't want to limit himself and his options.

Thus, after some thoughts and questions to Louise, Leon drew a line between monsters and monsters with a humanoid form. The latter were people like Louise, whom he could understand and interact with as equals. In the former's case, he'd become apathetic to them and treat them like a living stock or sacrificial resource.

"I understand you, Master." Louise slipped away from her master's arms, took a few steps back, then looked into his eyes. "We don't get meat from nothing. That's the part of the world, right? That's why I understand you, Master! I know you'd never hurt or enslave people like us, which is fine. It's like you said, we aren't heroes or charity!"

"Thank you, Louise." Leon smiled from ear to ear.

Louise grinned. "Master, you know, I conquered that fear! I properly faced The Human Emperor! His chains no longer hurt or appear traumatic. I'll be able to assist you every time."

"I told you, right? You are a strong girl."

"Yes!"

Leon then glanced at the chains, finding a new effect as a system window flashed before him.

They received more rewards than just the system quest's reward today, didn't they? Leon knew that much, which hurt his conscience more as he still wasn't sure what he really wanted to achieve in another world.Hiding those feelings, Leon wrapped the chains around his right arm and turned around. "Let's leave. I want a good sleep."

"Me too, Master!" Louise chuckled and ran to her master.

Standing abreast, the duo returned home.

-

-

-

-

Leon and Louise returned to the village as though nothing had happened.

Because they had inventories, no one could tell what had occurred on their short adventure. They just returned in new clothes, nothing more. Of course, Leon was known as the otherworlder, so villagers inferred he was blessed with the inventory system — their hearts grew more jealous.

pAn,Da-n0v e1,c Well, it wasn't like they suspected it for the first time.

Leon and Louise also hid their levels, making it hard for others to see through them.

After returning to their inn, Leon courteously shoved Louise to the bathroom, telling her he'd rather bathe second than have her waiting for her turn in his mind. He rolled her eyes at her as Louise showered as fast as possible.

At last, Leon and Louise donned their pajamas and went to bed.

"Good night, Master."

"Good night, Louise."

Today's events fixed Leon a little. He no longer felt bothered by Louise calling him master, growing fond of that nickname, too. He also knew that he was one foot on the ambitious path — all because of this fox girl sleeping in the same bed.

Leon gave more thought to it, then closed his eyes, drifting to dreamland.

And while both of them slept soundlessly, Leon and Louise suddenly turned around at the same time and extended their hands to cuddle.

Since Leon usually woke up first, he'd be the first to find his shirt wet with her saliva and tactfully slip away from the scarlet fox.