Reincarnated as a Princess's Pet: With Trash Stats, but SSS-Rank Skill-Chapter 57: Bloodleaf Village (2)

Max walked down the inn’s stairs.

The reception area was quiet.

The group was already there.

Varis was leaning against the counter.

Sophie was talking with the demoness who ran the inn.

Neros stood in a corner with his arms crossed.

Moon was looking out the window.

Max walked over.

"Ready to head out?"

Moon turned around.

"Dad!"

Sophie also looked up.

"I thought you’d take longer."

Max shook his head.

"I was just organizing my things."

Varis looked behind him.

"And the healer elf?"

Max sighed.

"I think he’s going to take quite a while."

Neros raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

Max shrugged.

"He’s... busy."

Moon raised her hand.

"I know!"

Everyone looked at her.

Moon spoke with complete innocence.

"I saw three women go into the healer’s room together."

She paused.

"I thought something terrible had happened to him."

Silence.

Varis covered his mouth with one hand.

Then he started laughing.

"HAHAHA!"

Sophie covered her face with one hand.

"...Unbelievable."

Neros sighed.

"I’m not surprised."

Max shook his head.

"That sleazeball..."

Then he looked at Varis.

"Alright. Tell me about that contact of yours. The one who’s supposed to get us into Morningstar Castle."

Varis adjusted his beard.

"Well... I don’t actually know him that well."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

Varis shrugged.

"He’s a smuggler. But he’s got a good reputation among people who want to get into the kingdom."

He lowered his voice a bit.

"They call him... the Ghost."

Max frowned.

"The Ghost..."

That name sounded familiar.

Very familiar.

But he couldn’t remember where from.

’Was he an NPC? A quest? A boss?’

Nothing.

The memory wouldn’t come.

Varis continued:

"They say he can cross the demon border without anyone noticing. And that he has contacts inside Morningstar territory."

Max nodded slowly.

"Alright. How do we find him?"

Varis pointed toward the street.

"There’s a tavern. The only one in town. We need to go there."

He paused.

"And order the night special."

Moon tilted her head.

"Night?"

She looked out the window.

"The sun is still high."

Varis smiled.

"Exactly. You have to order it while the sun is shining."

Moon blinked.

"...That’s confusing."

Sophie crossed her arms.

"And can we all go together?"

Varis shook his head.

"Not a good idea. It would attract attention."

Max thought for a moment.

Then he sighed.

"Alright."

He looked toward the stairs.

"Dorian is already taking too long."

Varis chuckled.

"If he paid for three..."

Max finished the sentence.

"He’s going to take a lot longer."

Neros nodded.

"Then we go without him."

Max looked at the group.

"Let’s move."

The group left the inn.

The wooden door closed behind them.

The streets of Bloodleaf Village were still full of devils and succubi walking around peacefully.

Varis began guiding the group.

"This way."

They walked along the main street.

Until at the end of the road a small building appeared, louder than the rest.

The tavern.

***

Varis stopped in front of the tavern. The place was small, but loud. Laughter. Glasses clinking. A few shouts.

The dwarf looked at the group.

"Alright."

He adjusted his beard.

"I’ll go in."

Then he looked at Neros.

"And I’d prefer if the big guy came with me."

Neros raised an eyebrow.

"Me?"

Varis nodded.

"If something goes wrong, I need someone who can break a table in half."

Neros sighed.

"I suppose that’s me."

Max raised a hand.

"So... the three of us stay outside?"

Varis nodded.

"Yeah."

He pointed at the door.

"If you want, keep an eye on the entrance."

Then he shrugged.

"Or just don’t attract attention."

Neros and Varis entered the tavern.

The door closed behind them.

Sophie crossed her arms.

She sighed.

Then she looked at Max.

"Thanks, Max."

Max blinked.

"For what?"

Sophie looked at the street.

"For coming with us."

She paused briefly.

"If it weren’t for you... I’m not sure we would have defeated that Slime."

Max scratched the back of his neck.

He had blushed a little.

"It was nothing."

Moon raised her arms.

"My dad is amazing!"

Max blushed even more.

"Moon..."

But then Moon saw something.

Her eyes lit up.

"Oh!"

She pointed down the street.

A group of little devil kids were playing with a leather ball.

One of them kicked it hard.

The ball rolled away.

Straight toward Moon.

Moon caught it.

She looked at Max.

"Can I go play with them?"

Max looked at the group.

Then at the tavern.

Then at Sophie.

"I guess so."

He shrugged.

"We don’t have anything to do."

Moon smiled from ear to ear.

She ran toward the children.

She tossed the ball back to them.

"Can I play?"

The little devils looked at her.

Then one of them shrugged.

"Sure!"

They started playing.

One of the kids looked at Moon’s horns.

"Why are yours white?"

Moon paused for a second.

She touched them.

"I don’t know."

She smiled.

"I was just born like this."

The boy nodded.

"Cool."

And they kept playing.

Sophie watched the scene.

Then she looked at Max.

"It’s surprising."

Max raised an eyebrow.

"What is?"

"How quickly you adapted to this world."

She looked at him curiously.

"And how much you know about it."

Max stayed silent for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"In my world..."

He paused.

"This world is part of a video game."

Sophie frowned.

"I don’t understand what that means."

Max shook his head.

"It’s nothing."

Just then, a devil ran past behind Sophie. His hand moved quickly, and he snatched the bag from her shoulder.

Sophie took a second to react.

"Hey!"

She tried to grab him.

But the devil shoved her. Sophie fell to the ground.

The thief ran toward an alley.

Max helped Sophie up.

"Are you okay?"

Sophie nodded.

But her gaze was furious.

"My bag!"

The two of them ran after him.

The devil was fast.

As he ran, he threw things behind him.

A barrel.

A box.

A chair.

Max dodged carefully.

Sophie jumped over the obstacles with agility.

They turned a corner.

The devil threw a garbage bag.

Sophie jumped over it without a problem.

But Max—

STEP.

He slipped.

"WOAH—!"

He fell on his back.

Sophie tried to stop.

Too late.

She fell on top of him.

Silence.

Max was against the ground.

Sophie on top of him.

Her hands resting on Max’s chest.

Their faces inches apart.

Nose to nose.

Both of them froze.

Both blushed.

Sophie jumped up immediately.

"I–I’m sorry!"

Max sat up.

Red.

"No—I—sorry."

Sophie was nervous.

"The thief!"

She ran again.

Max stood up.

"Wait!"

They turned into the alley.

And stopped.

The thief was there.

Frozen.

Literally.

Covered in ice.

Moon stood in front of him.

With her sword in one hand.

And Sophie’s bag in the other.

The little devil kids were jumping around.

"WOOO!"

"That was amazing!"

Moon smiled.

"I chased him through the other alley with my new friends."

She handed the bag to Sophie.

Then she tilted her head.

"Why do you both look so nervous?"

She looked at their faces.

"And why are your cheeks red? You didn’t run that much."

Sophie grabbed the bag.

"Thanks, Moon."

She cleared her throat.

"It’s nothing."

Max walked over.

He ruffled her hair.

"You were amazing."

The little devils nodded.

"We’ve never seen a girl with a freezing sword!"

"That was awesome!"

Moon smiled.

Completely proud.

The group walked back toward the tavern.

They stopped in front of the door.

Max crossed his arms.

He looked at the entrance.

"...They’re taking a while."

Sophie nodded.

"Quite a while."

Moon looked at the door.

"Do you think Mr. Neros also found three women?"