And right then—
“Oh? A drinkin’ party, is it? Deal me in, deal me in!”
“Hey, Arisa. What brings you here at dusk? Today wasn’t a scheduled visit, right?”
“Salvager work brought me nearby, see. Figured if ya had materials in stock, lucky me… an’ if the stars aligned, maybe I’d score a free dinner. The food here’s stupid good, after all.”
Maria was directing a flat, arctic stare at Arisa.
Honestly, my own feelings were in the same neighborhood as Maria’s…
“Sorry, but no materials today.”
The guild bought everything.
“Aw shucks, that’s a shame. Well then — mind if I join ya just for dinner?”
I was about to suggest she call it a night — when Maria nodded, deeply.
“I shall prepare a special menu item, just for dear Arisa.”
“Special menu?”
“Dragon meat, you see. Unless it wouldn’t suit your palate?”
“D-D-DRAGON?! I’m eatin’! I’m EATIN’! Course I’m eatin’, whaddaya take me for?!”
Maria nodded lightly, picked up a frying pan, and vanished into the kitchen.
…Wait, she can cook?
Well, she did adventure for years and years. I suppose she’d have to be able to.
Ten or so minutes later, she emerged with a seared dragon liver steak.
“OHH! Grilled dragon liver?! Ya can’t get this even at the fanciest restaurants in the imperial capital — not but once in a blue moon!”
“Please, please. Eat freely. Don’t hold back even slightly.”
Chomp chomp chomp… Arisa tore through the grilled liver at ferocious speed.
And Maria, beaming, began refilling Arisa’s wine glass. Attentively.
…Huh?
Something registered as off.
Why is MARIA playing the gracious host to Arisa?
She was in smiling-fury mode not two hours ago…?
“Hn…? Somethin’s… weird?”
Liver demolished, Arisa tilted her head, cheeks flushing scarlet.
“What’s wrong?”
“My body’s… gettin’ all hot, like…”
Her fox tail swayed heavily; her fox ears twitched and flicked.
Fanning her face with one hand, Arisa let out a distinctly sultry breath.
“It’s not weird at all, you know~?”
“Meaning what, Sonya?”
“Arc dragon liver, riiight~. It’s different from regular dragon~. It’s basically a magic item~”
”…Hm?”
“Eating it sends beastfolk into heat~♪”
And there, Maria grinned.
“Lord Tatsuya is… too formidable, in every respect, for merely the two of us to endure. I had my own thoughts on the matter, and so — THIS is my sanction against the fox ears!”
“Ufufu~. Tonight Arisa joins in~♪”
“Now — tremble before the formidability of Lord Tatsuya!”
At which point Arisa turned a smoldering look my way.
“This is BAD! When my heat kicks in, I really, truly can’t—!”
“I mean, but—”
“Do ya… hate me or somethin’?”
To which I answered with my most honest feelings:
“No. I don’t hate this at all.”
So, one way or another, that night became a serious incident.
The next morning, Arisa — dark bags stamped under her eyes — departed for town with the parting words: “Tatsuya-bro… yer an absolute menace, y’hear me.”
As for how the rip-off case ultimately resolved—
—from that day on, Arisa never overcharged me again. In exchange, she now demands grilled dragon liver on every single visit.