Catgirls And Dungeons (Yuri)-Chapter 71: Emotional payment

And once again, my embarrassingly pathetic stamina gets the better of me. In less than an hour, my legs turn to jelly, and I can barely shuffle forward without gasping for breath. My heart hammers like an overtaxed engine, and I can't even manage a coherent sentence.

Sensing my struggle, Eris comes to a halt and leans forward, beckoning me. "Hop on," she says.

Tears of relief well up in my eyes.

"H-huuhuu… Erisss…" I sniffle, then climb onto her back, settling my arms around her shoulders. I could tough it out if we took a break, but then we'd risk not reaching our destination before sundown.

Of course, Eris is strong!

She doesn't appear bothered at all by the extra weight—she's barely breaking a sweat.

Ahhh~ this is nice!

I relax myself on Eris' back.

No need to walk, enjoy the scenery.

And most importantly, hugging Eris!

However, a few minutes later, as we continue through the forest, she suddenly pipes up, "You know you can't just ride me for free, right?"

"Eh?" I squeak in surprise. "W-what do you mean by that?"

She gives me a mischievous grin. "I mean you owe me some sort of… payment. Yes, payment!"

"Aha!" I exclaim, then quickly pause. "W-wait, but what kind of payment do you want?" I barely have any money—being unemployed and all—so I'm essentially broke.

"Hmmm…" Eris taps her chin theatrically. "In that case, I'll take an emotional payment."

"Emotional… payment?" I echo, blinking a few times. Then the realization hits, and my ears perk up. "Oh! Right!"

Eagerly, I lean over her shoulder and plant an enthusiastic kiss on her cheek. "Mwah!"

Then another one.

"Mwah! Mwah!"

I pepper her with loud smooches. "Mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah, mwah—there, that's ten kisses! Enough?"

"Ehhhhhhh…" Eris laughs, shaking her head.

"Ah, so you want both cheeks!" I declare, sliding to the other side to do the same. "Mwah, mwah, mwah… times ten again! That's twenty kisses in total—satisfied?"

To my dismay, she just giggles. "Hehe, nope!" she says, eyes dancing with amusement.

"Eeeeeeh? How is that not enough?" I wail. "How many more kisses do you need? W-wait…" My cheeks suddenly burn, and I shake my head. "Don't tell me you want… that?! Eris, we're out in the open!"

Honestly, no matter how… horny she might be, doing that outdoors would be a complete disaster if someone saw us!

"Heeeeh?" Eris narrows her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling mischievously. "Hey, hey—what are you even thinking about? Heh…"

"W-what do you mean?" I stammer, feeling my face grow even hotter. "I—I mean… if you really wanted to, then…"

My gaze drifts to the side.

The forest floor is blanketed in tall bushes—pretty high, actually.

We could slip behind them.

As long as we keep our voices down…

But still… doing this in the middle of the day, in nature…

Aaaaa~!

That would be sooo shameless!

But..

But—!

I don't know why…

I kinda …

want to…

do it…

That would be so … wild…

Eris chuckles. "Haha, silly, I know exactly what you're thinking. But that's not what I meant. Unless… you're feeling really adventurous—"

"N-NOOO!" I yelp, face practically on fire.

Eris suddenly clicks her tongue. "Anyway, if we tried anything now, we'd be late."

"Y-yeah!" I squeak. "We… we don't have time!"

Mortified, I bury my face in Eris's cloak, wishing I could vanish on the spot.

Damn it…

Damn it!

Since when I've turned into such a naughty girl?

Aaaa!

I'm such a big perv!!!

I want to find a hole already!

"W-well then," I venture, "what do you want for an emotional payment?"

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"Oh," Eris says, brightening. "I was thinking… you could sing me a song?"

"Heh? A song?" I blink.

"Yeah. You're from another world, right? I'm curious about the music there. What kind of songs do you like?"

I pause, recalling how I used to belt out tunes in the shower back on Earth. "I'm… not that great at singing," I admit sheepishly. "I mean, I do it sometimes, but—"

"That's okay!" Eris laughs. "I promise not to judge."

"Alright, but don't blame me if your ears start bleeding!" I huff, half-joking, half-worried.

Settling more comfortably on her back, I mull over what songs to try. My favorites back on Earth were J-Pop and the occasional heavy metal track, but there's no way I can replicate that here—let alone in Japanese.

After a moment, I inhale, clear my throat, and announce, "Okay, I've got it! Ready for my song?"

I feel Eris's ears perk up in anticipation. "Ready," she says.

And so, I start singing—quietly at first, then with more confidence—some of the familiar melodies I remember from Earth. A few English pop choruses and catchy tunes spill from my lips, echoing through the forest path as Eris carries me onward.

———————————————-

Moments later…

"Uoowowowowoooooo!!

Baby, baby ohhhh!

You know the rules, and soooooo do IIIII!!!"

Eris chuckles quietly, trying to keep her shoulders steady so I won't slip off.

"Hey!" I huff. "How was that? Amazing, right?"

"Absolutely," she nods enthusiastically. "The lyrics are… something else."

"Right?" I beam, feeling proud.

Never gonna give you up!!!

Never gonna let me down!!!

Never gonna run around and

Hurt you!

The lyrics are so beautiful that it perfectly captures my love for Eris!

"Hehe, and I'll never let you down either," Eris replies softly. "I'll stay with you to the end of time."

"Aww, Eris!" I give her an extra-tight hug.

After a moment, I pipe up again. "Hey, Eris—can you sing for me too?

Yeah…

Now that I think about it, I'm in a whole new world

That means, new culture and music!

Then.. what's the better way to explore ones culture through it's music?

I'm excited!

And curious!

"Alright, wanna hear my songs?" Eris announces.

"Ohh?" I perk up. "Wait, your songs?" My ears twitch in anticipation.

"Ah, no," Eris clarifies, "Not my original song, but it's a folk song I love. My mom and dad used to sing it to me when I was little. And apparently, they learned it from my grandparents…"

"Oh, so it's a traditional tune, passed down through generations?"

"Exactly—it's a classic Cat Furren folk song."

"Ayyy, sounds perfect!"

I'm excited already!

Eris clears her throat, pauses for a heartbeat, then begins to sing.

….

As Eris's voice resonates through the forest…

What…

The actual…

Heck???

It's… good????

No, not only good.

It's amazing!!!

I'm struck breathless by how angelic it sounds. It's as though the entire woods are holding their breath to listen. The melody cradles me in a warm embrace, brimming with hope, love, and pure happiness. Goosebumps dance across my skin as I rest my head against her shoulder, feeling a cozy sense of belonging.

I can't stop smiling.

"Eris… your singing is so good, I absolutely love it," I murmur.

"Then, would you like to hear another?" she asks, a tender light in her eyes.

"Nn!" I nod enthusiastically.

And so she does—one song flows into the next, each more magical and majestic than the last. Meanwhile, she carries me through the narrow, winding forest path, weaving around thick tree trunks and over brush-strewn ground. Everything around us feels so vibrant, like nature itself is tuning into her voice: small rabbits emerge from bushes, ears perked curiously; butterflies flutter overhead, as if they're dancing in time with her melody. Shafts of sunlight pierce through the leafy canopy, creating a dreamy, natural stage just for us. Even the raspy crunch of fallen leaves beneath Eris's feet seems to match the rhythm of her song.

Lost in the magic of her voice, I hardly notice the time passing, until the sun's final glow leads us to a spacious outpost in the heart of the forest, arriving just before dusk.