"P-Please cover your ears."
"It's fine. If you want, I will turn away."
"Yes, yes. Thank you."
"Is it okay now?"
"Yes. I-It's okay now. P-Pl-Please don't let go of my hand."
"Mage. You smell strange."
"Ah, th-that's because... I haven't learned the Clean magic..."
"It's fine. I can understand since you're disabled in the back. Now where should I take you? If you don't have anywhere to go, I'll take you back to the workshop."
"T-To the church, please! To the church! And please let me meet with that Sieri!"
"A nun? Got it. Hold on tight."
Elsi kicked the bathroom door open. Passing by, Erina was startled and looked back and forth between Elsi and Soya. Erina clutched her stomach and frowned.
"You startled me. Announce your presence when you move about."
"Sorry. The mage has become disabled, so I have to go quickly."
"Become disabled?"
"That's right. I'm busy now, we'll talk later. Elf."
Erina didn't like that Elsi called her 'elf'. She was officially the acting lord, so she thought that Elsi, being a lord's escort guard, should call her Lord or Acting Lord. But before she could bring it up, Elsi ran off like the wind, carrying Soya on her back.
"What's this? Are you performing filial piety?"
Cellu, who had been leisurely swimming in the pool outside, asked. Walking slowly out of consideration for Soya on her back, Elsi shook her head. She said.
"The mage is strange. Her back is injured. And something grew between her crotch."
"Something grew in her crotch?"
Cellu was horrified by those words and backed away. Then, after looking uneasily at the dildo she had placed next to the swimming pool, she threw it far away. Soya hastily shouted.
"I-It's not like that!"
"But I touched it and felt it. It was very hard and protruding....."
"Waaaaah! Waaaaah!"
Soya screamed, her face turning red. Elsi frowned and said to Soya.
"Don't scream. Beastfolk have sensitive ears, so shouting so loudly is painful."
"Ah, ah, yes, I understand. P-Please hurry, Elsi."
"Got it, mage. Seeing your face all red and your body constantly trembling, you seem to be in a lot of pain. I'll hurry."
"Yes, yes....."
Elsi left the lord's manor and went outside. The sight of Elsi, who rarely left the mansion, running with a mage on her back, was drawing people's attention. Soya was so embarrassed by people glancing at her and Elsi that she buried her head in Elsi's back, waiting only to arrive quickly.
In front of the church door. A new recruit priest guarding the gate of the Archdeity Church briefly stopped Elsi from entering and asked for her business. Elsi showed him Soya on her back and said.
"She's a patient. I need a nun."
"Ah, could you please wait a moment?"
The priest went inside, and a nun who happened to be free came forward. She was a very fat but gentle-looking nun, a veteran who had worked in this territory for over 10 years. Her divine power was higher than most priests, and she was a woman well-versed in medicine. Elsi shook her head.
"That nun is not the nun I'm looking for."
The priest was a little taken aback by Elsi's words. So he asked again.
"What do you mean, she's not a nun?"
"A nun is a nun. I need the nun who gets massages from the cleric. She lives in the mansion."
"Ah, I know who you mean. I'll call for Sister Sieri."
The priest didn't understand the part about a massage, but the mention of living in the mansion immediately made him think of Sieri. Upon hearing Sieri's name, Elsi nodded.
"Right. Her name was Sieri."
Soya, still on her back, spoke to Elsi with a dumbfounded expression.
"You should at least remember names."
"But everyone understands even if I call them by their class. And names are too difficult."
"D-Do you remember my name?"
"Mage."
"My name!"
"I don't know why I need to learn your name when you're the only mage in this territory."
Elsi shook her head and grumbled. Soya decided to ask about Lusius's name as a last resort. She thought that even Elsi would know Lusius's name.
"What about the Lord's name?"
"What was it. Petasius?"
"It's Lord Lusius. Peta Lusius."
"Ah, I remember now. The cleric is Peta Lusius."
Soya wondered if she really remembered but didn't press further. The door opened again and Sieri came out. It seemed she had been in the middle of something, as she came out wiping her hands. Sieri saw Soya on Elsi's back and asked in surprise.
"Mage! What happened to you?"
"Something grew in her crotch and her back is....."
"Waah! Waah! Elsi! I'll explain!"
Sieri gave a very gentle expression to the flustered, screaming Soya and said.
"It's okay. Mage. Quite a lot of people come here because they've caught an STD, you know. So...."
"N-No! That's not it! L-Let's go inside and talk!"
Elsi frowned and grumbled.
"The mage is ungrateful. I carried her all the way here, and all she does is scream at me."
"S-Sorry. Elsi. But, um.... this is a very embarrassing matter....."
Soya felt she had been too harsh on Elsi and showed a sense of apology. As soon as Soya apologized, Elsi's anger subsided and she nodded.
"I understand. If something like that grew in my crotch...."
"No! I mean! That! No! Anyway!"
When Soya got angry again, Elsi's ears quickly drooped and she frowned. Sieri tried to lighten the mood with a smile. She gently massaged Elsi's shoulder and said.
"Now, Elsi. I need to start the treatment, so could you please step outside for a moment? Um.... the affected area is in an embarrassing place, so she seems to feel some repugnance."
"Understood."
And so, Elsi left Soya and went outside the church. In front of the church door, the new recruit priest was still guiding people who came to make donations or seek treatment. With a beastfolk standing at the church entrance, people cast curious glances as if looking at a doll set up for Christmas.
When Elsi twitched her ears, some people would flinch and create distance, while others would try to touch them. Elsi, waiting with her eyes closed, spoke to the children who were trying to touch her.
"You can't touch. I am not a toy."
Seeing Elsi speak, the fascinated children screamed at each other and ran away. The priest awkwardly struck up a conversation.
"Um, you're having a hard time."
As the priest scratched his head and said that, Elsi looked at the street and said.
"The mage is incomprehensible. Just as the mermaid said, they are undoubtedly untrustworthy bastards."
"Ah, is that so."
The beastfolk before him was the lord's escort guard. And the mage this beastfolk brought was the only mage in the territory. So the priest found it difficult to agree with the beastfolk's words. When he gave a vague response, Elsi didn't say anything more. How much time had passed? The door opened and Soya came out with her head bowed low. Beside her, Sieri was comforting her.
"It's okay. Um, everyone has those... you know... moments. Right?"
"Thank you for your kind words. Heuk....."
Soya was limping badly and walking awkwardly, but she was walking nonetheless. Elsi said.
"Mage. You are no longer disabled. I'm glad."
"Y-Yes.... B-But I'd still like you to carry me."
"If you can walk, then walk."
"I-I'm not fully recovered yet, so I can't walk for long! Please......"
Soya, who had slightly raised her voice, quickly realized that Elsi disliked loud noises and whispered in a small voice. Elsi nodded, turned around again, and squatted down. Sieri waved goodbye, fanning her flushed face.
"This thing in my crotch still hasn't come out."
".....Even Ms. Sieri couldn't get it out."
"Let's go to the office. We need to gather and discuss countermeasures."
Soya felt like she was going to die of embarrassment, but there was no other way. Elsi and Soya returned to the mansion. As soon as they arrived, Elsi headed straight for the office with Soya on her back. As it happened, Eve and Erina were talking in the office.
"I mean, why can't I eat fish? Fuck, I'm a sea person. A sea person who eats fish. Did I say let's eat fish every day? I'll eat it where you can't see, so just ease up a bit, will you? What the fuck is a total ban on bringing fish into the mansion!"
"I can't help it! I-If I smell that fishy smell, my stomach turns and I feel like I'm really going to throw up! I'm pregnant, so please cut me some slack!"
It was the same old pointless argument. Eve and Erina, who had been arguing for a while, stopped their argument when Elsi came in carrying Soya and looked at her. Erina asked.
"Elsi. What is it?"
"Mermaid. Bullying a pregnant woman. So mean."
Eve flared up at Elsi's single remark.
"What nonsense, fuck. Just state your business. Why are you carrying the mage on your back? Are you going to dump her somewhere in the mountains?"
"Something grew in the mage's crotch."
"Something grew in her crotch?"
Eve looked at Soya with a very uneasy expression. Erina, too, at that one phrase, subtly pushed her chair back and cleared her throat. Soya said urgently.
"N-No, it's not like that! Um, Elsi. Could you put me down for a moment?"
When Elsi put Soya down, Soya, her face flushed red, lifted her skirt. The dildo, still vibrating faintly, was blocking her vagina.
"Whoa."
Eve let out a small laugh in surprise, and Erina gave her an even more contemptuous look. Soya really wanted to die. With her head bowed low, she said.
"Um.... I was alone..... d-during an experiment, it just wouldn't come out.... so...."
"I'll pull it out by force. Come here."
"Hey, hey, it'll fucking hurt if you pull that out by force."
As Elsi reached out, Eve stopped her. Elsi looked at Eve and asked.
"How do you know."
"Because I've done it before."
"Who did you do it to."
Eve shook her head at Elsi's question.
"I don't know either. I did it when I was on the ship, but I didn't ask her name."
Erina shook her head from side to side. She really couldn't get along with that mermaid. Erina glanced at Soya's private parts, her skirt still lifted, and asked Eve.
"So, what should we do about that?"
"Right. Should we wait it out?"
Eve said. Soya muttered with a panicked face.
"H-How long do I have to wait?"
"Should we make you come? It might come out if you do."
Eve said, rolling up her sleeves. Soya shook her head, her face pale.
"N-No! It's okay! I-I'll wait by myself!"
"Really? Well, do as you please."
Eve nodded and readily backed down. She, too, had no preference for giving foreplay just to remove a dildo. Since a very neat solution of waiting had come up, Soya now had nothing to do in this office. Erina asked.
"Perhaps a priest or a doctor....."
"N-No, thank you."
"Your body is precious, so don't treat it so harshly from now on. What would you do if something serious happened?"
"Ah, yes.... T-Thank you."
Despite her contempt-filled expression, Erina was still concerned about her physical condition. Soya felt her nose tingle at just that one phrase. She felt a bit bad for having been wary of the mansion people until now.
Elsi asked.
"Mage. I'll take you to the workshop."
"T-Thank you."
Elsi nodded and took Soya back to her room. Eve and Erina started their verbal argument over the fish problem again. And so, Soya returned to her workshop bed. Lying there with a dildo stuck inside her in a place that was a complete mess, she felt on the verge of a suicidal impulse.
"Well, let me know if you feel sick anywhere. I'll help."
"T-Thank you."
As the room door closed, Soya started to sniffle. The kindness she had received from Elsi in this mansion was the greatest she had ever received, second only to Lusius taking her in. The people of the mansion were much better people than she had known.
Soya decided to forget all the prejudice and fear she had held against Elsi, a beastfolk. It was because she had received such warm kindness. Soya resolved to be a little kinder and warmer to Elsi from now on.
Sieri, too, had tried to cover up Soya's shameful part with her considerate words. Eve, though her words were rough, also tried to solve Soya's problem.
This mansion was full of good people, unlike the ones Soya had met so far. Soya, who had been living in seclusion and had little interaction with the mansion people, decided to open her heart to them a little. Through the dildo, Soya came to know the goodness of the mansion people.
The next morning, Soya succeeded in removing the dildo. Of course, she didn't tell anyone. That was still a bit much.