Chapter 69: Shameless Bear

The black animal hides looked especially gloomy compared to the stylish outfit Sora was wearing.

With a sigh, Sora motioned for Damien to follow her toward the wild kitchen. Once they reached the bathing area, she pointed at the wooden bathtub hidden among the tall grass.

"Tell me honestly," she said. "Do you really think hanging all those black hides around here would look good?"

Damien studied the area with utmost seriousness, imagining the hides draped from tree branches like giant curtains. After a long moment of careful consideration, he nodded confidently.

"I think it would look great."

Sora closed her eyes.

Of course he did.

This man’s fashion sense was truly beyond saving.

Taking a deep breath, she patiently explained, "I’m a female. I don’t like everything to be black."

Damien immediately nodded.

"Oh!"

He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Then...should I hunt white animal hides instead? Or maybe giant chicken feathers?"

Sora almost choked.

Chicken feathers?

Was he planning to turn her bathroom into an oversized bird’s nest?

She rubbed her temples before answering, "White would probably be...more versatile."

Damien’s eyes lit up.

"Got it!"

"I’ll hunt white ones!"

Watching him happily accept the new mission, Sora couldn’t help becoming curious.

Only now did she realize something she had overlooked.

Those black hides hadn’t been easy to obtain.

Most beastmen needed an entire day—or even several days—to hunt that many large animals.

Yet Damien had returned before the sun was fully up.

Just how strong was he?

Could his beast rank actually be higher than Xavier’s, Ace’s, Lucas’s, and the others?

While Sora was quietly wondering about Damien’s true strength, the black bear suddenly shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

His ears twitched slightly.

"Kaelira..."

Sora looked up.

"What?"

He smiled shyly.

"Can you make me a new animal-skin outfit too?"

Sora blinked.

That was certainly straightforward.

Before she could answer, Damien leaned in a little closer with a hopeful smile.

"Oh...and there are a lot of mosquitoes in the trees."

"So..."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Sora nearly tripped over her own feet.

"What?!"

Before she could recover from the outrageous request, another voice drifted in from outside.

"Oh?"

Ace strolled into the kitchen, casually tossing a duck egg from one hand to the other.

"So you’ve already started making shameless requests this early in the morning?"

Damien smiled brightly.

"It’s okay, Brother Ace."

"You can join too."

Ace froze.

"...What?"

Sora froze even harder.

These beastmen...

Were they all this open-minded?

Before Ace could respond, Xavier, Lucas, and Lukan arrived one after another, apparently drawn over by the commotion.

Within moments, everyone was standing inside the wild kitchen.

Damien looked around at the group and suddenly clapped his hands.

"I’ve got it!"

Everyone looked at him.

"If everyone wants to spend time with Kaelira..."

"Why don’t we make a rotation schedule?"

Silence.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Sora’s smile slowly disappeared.

"What did you just say?"

Damien looked increasingly pleased with himself.

"A duty roster!"

"We’re all your beast husbands."

"So every day one of us gets to stay with you."

"That way nobody argues, nobody gets jealous, and everyone gets equal time."

"The six of us can simply rotate!"

The more he explained, the prouder he became.

"What a genius I am."

Sora stared at him as though he had suddenly grown another head.

This black bear...

No.

This walking disaster...

Had somehow come up with an even more terrifying idea than the black shower curtain.

A rotation schedule?

Absolutely not!

She had worked so hard to slowly improve everyone’s affection toward her.

If she suddenly forced them into awkward one-on-one interactions they didn’t even want...

Wouldn’t all her progress disappear overnight?

She could practically hear the system deducting points already.

No.

She refused.

Without hesitation, Sora folded her arms.

"You haven’t even finished bringing me proper shower curtains."

"And now you’re making demands?"

Damien instantly looked wronged.

"I was only hoping..."

"...that you could also make me a few nice outfits."

Sora looked him up and down.

"Weren’t you already wearing animal-skin clothes?"

Damien lowered his head.

"But..."

"You said you don’t like black."

"If I keep wearing black..."

"...you won’t think I’m handsome."

Sora was speechless.

Was this giant black bear actually worried about his appearance?

She shook her head firmly.

"All my clothes are made by Lukan."

"I don’t know how to make beastmen’s clothing."

Damien immediately brightened again.

"Then just draw the designs."

"I’ll ask Brother Lukan to make them."

"No."

"I only design female clothing."

"I can’t draw outfits for beastmen."

Sora rejected him so quickly that there wasn’t even half a second of hesitation.

If she designed clothes for Damien today...

Tomorrow Xavier would want one.

Ace would ask for one.

Lucas definitely wouldn’t stay quiet.

Soon she’d be running the tribe’s first fashion studio.

No, thank you.

Damien lowered his head pitifully.

"I see..."

His shoulders slumped dramatically.

His ears drooped.

He looked exactly like an abandoned puppy.

Normally, seeing such a dejected expression would soften anyone’s heart.

Unfortunately...

Sora had already become immune.

She looked away without even blinking.

Nice try.

That green-tea act might fool someone else.

Not me.

If I ruin my mission because I spoil you, the system will probably bury me alive.

After several awkward seconds of silence, Damien slowly lifted his head again.

"So..."

"About the rotation schedule..."

"Should we draw lots?"

"Or will Kaelira choose?"

The other four beastmen had originally been watching the entire scene purely for entertainment.

However...

The moment Damien brought up the rotation schedule again...

Their expressions remained calm.

Their ears, however...

Very obviously perked up.

Sora noticed immediately.

You hypocrites.

Pretending not to care while secretly listening with both ears.

Earlier, none of them would have shown the slightest interest in spending extra time with her.

Especially Ace.

Back then, Sora’s body had been overweight, her skin dull, and her appearance completely neglected.

He had barely wanted to look in her direction.

But after yesterday’s accidental bathtub incident...

Things had subtly changed.

The image of Sora standing in the water, wrapped in sunset light, with her newly toned curves and smooth skin...

Kept replaying inside his head.

He frowned slightly.

Why was he remembering that now?

Beside him, Xavier quietly coughed into his fist, pretending to be completely uninterested.

Lucas calmly crossed his arms, looking away as though the conversation had nothing to do with him.

Only Lukan lowered his head, silently examining the bone needle in his hand, though the faint redness creeping toward the tips of his ears betrayed him.

Sora looked from one beastman to another.

Then at Damien.

Then back again.

She suddenly felt an overwhelming headache coming on.

One black bear with too many ideas...

Five beastmen pretending not to listen while secretly listening...

And one mission that was becoming harder by the day.

She sighed dramatically.

"Absolutely no rotation schedule."

Damien looked disappointed.

"Not even every other day?"

"No."

"Every third day?"

"No."

"Once a week?"

"No."

"Once a month?"

"...Damien."

"Yes?"

"If you ask one more question..."

"I’ll make your shower curtain pink."

Damien’s eyes widened in horror.

"...I won’t ask anymore."

The kitchen instantly fell silent.

A moment later, Xavier burst out laughing.

Soon Ace couldn’t hold it in either.

Even Lucas covered his mouth to hide a grin.

Lukan quietly lowered his head, his shoulders shaking.

Sora folded her arms triumphantly.

Finally.

She had found something that could frighten the fearless black bear.

Apparently...

Nothing was more terrifying to Damien than being forced to live surrounded by pink.