The next day Ryan headed out early with the two of them.
Maeve followed behind him in high spirits; she'd slept well and eaten well, and acted nothing like a slave — more like a schoolkid about to go on a spring outing.
Ellie was as listless as the day before, still plagued by insomnia.
"Didn't sleep well again?"
She rubbed her eyes lightly and nodded. "Mm."
Maeve scratched her cheek, a smile on her face. "I slept great. It's way more comfortable than sleeping in a cage — quiet and roomy."
She'd clearly adapted fast; this morning she'd even refused to get up, and Ryan couldn't wake her no matter what.
Before long the three reached the tavern. Ryan had meant to grab a commission and go, but Maeve and her bottomless stomach kept whining that she was hungry, so he had no choice but to stay for a simple breakfast.
Though it was only black bread, Maeve ate it happily all the same, baring her teeth in an endless grin. "Being a slave is great — I finally get to eat my fill!"
Passing mercenaries, drawn by her words, cast puzzled looks her way.
There was no telling whether the girl was a born optimist or just dim.
They were sitting near the counter, and hearing this, Evelyn remarked offhandedly, "That's because you're lucky enough to have a halfway decent master. Most slaves live a life worse than death."
Maeve looked at Evelyn, envy all over her face. "What's your master like? Running a tavern, you must never go hungry — must be amazing."
Evelyn ignored her and turned into the back kitchen.
"She's not a slave, she's the owner here." Ryan put a slice of black bread in his mouth, and after a few chews that sour, salty taste came through — truly hard to get down.
"Really? But we're the same kind — won't she get caught and taken away?" Maeve grabbed the ears on her head and waggled them back and forth, looking both dumb and adorable.
"Not sure. Maybe she's a noble from some demi-human kingdom." Ryan shrugged and glanced toward the back kitchen.
Ryan had only been here a little over half a month and was unclear on a lot of things; he only knew Evelyn was different from the demi-humans in the slave market — in short, she was a citizen recognized by the Kingdom of Elysia.
Once the three had eaten their fill, they casually took a goblin-clearing commission, planning to head outside the city and earn a bit more.
Lately goblins had been a constant problem north of the city; these monsters from the dungeon had begun to run rampant, and he reckoned they'd be dealing with them for a long while to come.
Since Ryan knew nothing about how Maeve's skills were laid out, the moment they left the city he subjected her to an interrogation worthy of a census.
But after just a couple of questions, Ryan was about ready to give up.
Because Maeve was the polar opposite of Ellie — one could do almost anything, the other almost nothing...
"Can't use a knife, can't use a sword, can't use a bow... can't even use magic. What in the world can you actually do?"
Ryan sighed. Come to think of it, Maeve had only cost ten bowls of stew — you get what you pay for — so he'd stop expecting her to be able to do anything...
He just hoped her Luck would count for something, so he could at least keep her around as a mascot.
"I'm great at farming." Maeve looked at Ryan and earnestly mimed swinging a hoe. "Before I was taken, I used to help my mom farm."
Ryan shook his head and sighed. "We're mercenaries, not farmers. We don't need farming skills."
Being a mercenary meant licking blood off a blade's edge, often running into all sorts of bizarre dangers, but the income was far higher than that of a settled farmer.
Having had the luck to cross into another world, Ryan had no intention of quietly farming. He was determined to carve out a great enterprise here — and gather a whole pile of flower-fair beast-eared girls.
And Ellie and Maeve were his startup capital.
"I can do laundry too — does that count?" Maeve mimed scrubbing clothes.
"Forget it... you just be the mascot. I won't ask anything of you — just don't die, that's all." Ryan shook his head helplessly.
"Got it!" Maeve nodded happily and bounced around Ryan, in quite a good mood.
Ryan sighed and reached out to pinch Ellie's ear; perhaps because it came so suddenly, her dainty frame gave a slight shiver.
Ellie kept one eye shut and one eye on watch, her big fluffy tail swaying gently behind her.
Ever since touching her ears last night, Ryan had a new objective.
Given the chance, he wanted to thoroughly play with Ellie's tail.
Seeing this, Maeve hurriedly shied to the side, terrified that Ryan would set his sights on her wolf ears too. "You touched hers, so you can't touch mine anymore..."
"You won't even let me touch your ears?" Ryan raised a brow, paused, then added sourly, "Makes me want to sell you off."
"No!" Maeve suddenly threw her arms around Ryan, runny snot quickly streaming out. "I finally get to fill my belly — I don't want to go hungry again!"
In the middle of crying she seemed to remember something, rubbed her eyes, and went on, "If you really do want to sell me... could you sell me to Evelyn? With her I'd definitely get fed."
She had a deep obsession with eating her fill.
According to what Maeve had just said, she had family, but she'd been abandoned because she ate too much.
When the slavers caught her, she'd been searching all over the forest for someone, and in the end carelessly fell into a trap.
"You're getting picky now? You're a bottomless rice bucket — you think someone as shrewd as Evelyn would want you?" Ryan looked Maeve up and down, finding her remarkably plump. "Honestly, you don't look the least bit like you've ever gone hungry — those two big slabs of fat on your chest..."
How would a malnourished person be hauling around two cantaloupes? There'd be no nutrition to grow them in the first place!
"It's because I have to feed these that I'm always going hungry! Useless things!!" The more Maeve talked the angrier she got, and she suddenly gave her own behemoths a slap; clearly already bound tight with cloth, yet still as soft as jelly.
Ryan wanted a slap too, but the moment he raised his hand Maeve dodged.
She covered her chest and said warily, "What are you trying to do?"
"It's my turn now."
"No way... go slap Ellie's, she's got them too."
At those words Ellie immediately turned to look at her, and that icy stare frightened Maeve into shutting her mouth.
Ryan shrugged it off.
As the saying went, you can't eat hot tofu in a hurry.
He couldn't touch them now, but that didn't mean he never could.
One day Maeve would surely seize hold of the future.
"I don't even want to touch those fatty things of yours." Ryan gave a couple of dry coughs and went on, "But you can't just be good for nothing either. You need to learn at least a little something to protect yourself. Let Ellie be your teacher — I'm sure she'd be more than willing."
Ellie didn't make a sound, but she nodded; she seemed quite willing to train Maeve.
"Fine." Maeve wiped her sweat; barely two kilometers in and she was already getting tired. "Master, when can we take a break? Walking's exhausting."
Ryan was a little speechless and flatly rejected her request. "Tired after a few steps — you might as well just ride on my head..."