## Chapter 553 – The Little Match Girl

To summarize, the story goes like this.

Sasquatches, rarely seen in this area, have begun to appear.

Monsters moving around as they please isn’t new, so it could have been overlooked. However, there’s a growing suspicion that the Sasquatches relocating and the recent capture of heretics are somehow connected.

If that’s the case, it can’t be ignored.

But the paladin who first raised this suspicion, while interrogating a captured heretic, lost his temper and killed him.

According to the priest who was present, the interrogation seemed normal at first, but in less than five minutes, the paladin started screaming and turned the heretic into mincemeat.

The report stated that the priest who witnessed the interrogation also joined in on the murderous act with fanaticism. Anyway, the Sasquatch-related information was what the heretic spat out during those brief five minutes of seemingly normal interrogation.

Since no further information could be obtained, they seemed to have decided to use me.

Whatever the case, if heretics are involved, an investigation is necessary.

“And what was mentioned in the process was the god the Sasquatches believe in.”
“They have a god?”

Orcs are said to worship their own gods, and lizardmen are said to revere dragons. Any creature with a basic brain is bound to create its own idols.

But a Sasquatch god…

“Are you familiar with the Ice Giant?”

I know it’s a huge ice bastard.

“No, I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a giant in the shape of ice. There are records of various heroes joining forces to destroy it during the Idol War. Well, there’s a legend that its destroyed body formed an ice mountain, but as with all legends, its credibility is questionable.”

Since Sasquatches are monsters, it seems they believe in such inhuman beings.

They probably can’t comprehend abstract concepts with their limited intelligence. They probably just believe in something huge and powerful.

“I hear it’s a fairly common story up north.”
“Further north than the Dodens Barony?”

If you go north from the Dodens Barony, the temperature drops sharply. Eventually, you’ll reach a snowy mountain range.

I’ve never been there, so I don’t know much about it.

“By the way, the Sasquatch habitat is also in that direction.”

That’s too far.

Surely they’re not asking me to go all the way there in this winter.

If they are, I’m going to throw a fit right here.

“So, the Sasquatches believe in that ice bastard, I understand. But how is that related to this incident?”
“Well… we don’t know the details yet. It’s just that the captured heretic’s last words were about that.”

The clues are too vague.

Heretics were captured, Sasquatches are appearing, and those words came out during interrogation, so I know there’s some connection, but that’s it.

It’s all because that paladin bastard killed the heretic. In my opinion, those people just can’t suppress their homicidal urges when they see a heretic. Interrogation should be done by someone with a cool head like me.

“What this Saintess asks of Quasi-Priest is to investigate the reason why the Sasquatches have crossed over and information about the heretics coming down from the north recently. Paladins can’t help but kill them, so they’re not suitable for this kind of work.”

Can this be called a simple investigation mission?

“There’s no specific goal for this mission. We’ll compensate you financially based on how much you investigate. Think of it as a taste of what it’s like to work before becoming a Paladin.”

Saintess Kadia, legs crossed, leaned back in her chair and pulled out a cigarette.

“Hehehe, is my becoming a Paladin already a foregone conclusion?”
“Or are you not planning to do it?”
“Actually, I’ve already decided to do it. But I was thinking of doing a few more things you ask me to do before giving you an answer.”
“Hmph, you can answer now, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Well, do as you please. By the way, the paperwork is already prepared.”
“What?!”

Anyway, heretics are coming down from the north. Sasquatches are also moving south. Well, there’s no need to know the details. If they’re related to demons, I’ll just call Hilde and have them all caught and killed.

It would be better if they weren’t related, though.

“Still, this mission is a bit vague, so it might be a bit difficult. I’m telling you that in advance.”
“This Saintess is aware, so don’t feel pressured. It’s just that the paladin submitted a report, so I thought I’d look into it. Personnel like Quasi-Priest are very useful in situations like this.”
“Hehehe, that’s good to hear. Ah, can I take these documents with me?”

The Saintess nodded at my question.

I immediately took the documents, greeted her, and went outside. Now, let’s do some grocery shopping and go home.

“Sasquatch, huh.”

As I walked out, I read the records about the Sasquatch’s specs.

These guys are bigger than orcs. They have horns on their heads, their entire bodies are covered in white fur, they’re omnivorous, ferocious, and often attack humans.

Their skin is thick and their muscles are large.

They’re probably cruel killers who beat people to death with their huge fists or squeeze their heads to make brain-juice.

Are they similar to owlbears? They seem similar to trolls. Either way, I’m not worried.

I know my own skills best.
Those kinds of monsters are no match for me anymore.

* * *

“Investigation mission? Nearby?”

I went grocery shopping, returned home, and told my woman about the job. Winia looked somewhat dissatisfied.

“It seems like I just need to investigate why the Sasquatches have moved south. And it seems like there’s something going on with the heretics too.”
“Hmm… isn’t that dangerous?”
“Well? It’s just an investigation for now.”

If it seems dangerous, I can always back out. The Saintess said she wasn’t expecting much. If she wanted results, she would have given me a more specific goal.

“She said there’s no need to do this perfectly. She told me not to feel pressured and just do some investigating, so I said I would. If it’s dangerous, I can just back out.”
“Why do you always have to do something in the winter when you should just be resting…”

Winia sighed.

“Your diligence is really a strength, but sometimes it feels like a weakness.”
“Hehehe, what can I do? Then let’s just take it easy on this job.”
“What do you mean take it easy again? If you’re going to do it, you have to do it properly.”
“Ah.”

She’s right.

“If you end up hunting a Sasquatch, be sure to bring back its heart. It’s one of the magic ingredients that’s hard to get.”

Risha, who was listening to the story, showed interest in the heart. It looks like it could be worth money. A magic ingredient, I’ll keep that in mind.

“Risha, what are you going to give me if I bring it back?”
“Hmm… this one has nothing to give but love and affection. Surely that is not enough?”
“No! It’s enough!”

That’s all I need.

“Then, start the day after tomorrow. I’m off until tomorrow.”
“Of course.”

Karin said, stroking my head. That’s what I was planning to do anyway. There’s no specific deadline, so I can take my time.

“Sasquatch… it’ll be nice to see a new monster for once.”
“But I don’t know if we’ll be able to find them right away.”

Anyway, I need to stop by the Adventurer’s Guild before starting the job. I spent a warm weekend with my wives, rubbing against each other.

After the weekend, I visited the Adventurer’s Guild.

I looked for Copson, who I can use comfortably in times like this, but he wasn’t around. So, I went to the counter and asked if there were any requests for Sasquatches, and I heard that requests were pouring in from the Magic Tower and the Alchemist’s Guild.

The difficulty level is about C-rank, enough for a party to handle. Since it’s a rare monster in this area, there’s a special bonus.

Well, that was about it for the information.

Unlike last winter, the adventurers weren’t very excited. Sasquatches are unfamiliar monsters. And they’re strong. So, it’s understandable that the adventurers are being cautious. There have been a lot of deaths lately due to demons and such.

After gathering some information, I went to see Liztina for a while.

“Y-you…! It’s embarrassing if you come during the day!”

Today, I made up an excuse about Karin and went up to her room. She seemed a little flustered since I came during the day.

“Am I your secret lover? I’m your husband.”
“No! Still! It’s a little…! I’m not ready to go public yet, really!”
“Ah, damn. That hurts.”

It hurts to be rejected.

“Why, why are you hurting! More importantly, why didn’t you come this weekend? Do you know how long I’ve been waiting?”
“I came to apologize for that. I’m sorry.”
“Honestly, I’m the fifth one, but this is a problem. This won’t do. I should go talk to them soon.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“It’s something I have to do anyway. But what did Karin say? About me?”
“She just told me I did a good job? And told me to treat you like an older sister now.”
“Eek…!”

I chatted with her while drinking tea and told her about the job I received from the Saintess.

If I’m busy with work, I won’t be able to come for a while.

“If it’s work, there’s nothing I can do… haa. It’s amazing that the Saintess is making you work. Am I really going to be a Paladin’s wife?”
“That’s what will happen as soon as I accept.”
“This is a success in its own way. Anyway, I understand if it’s work. But if you keep not coming, I might kill you, so be warned.”
“Hehehe, okay. Then, sister. While I’m here.”

I immediately approached Liztina, put my hand in her panties, and gently caressed her vulva.

“Aah…! You really…!”

This has been my recent daily life.

Whenever I have to go out, I stop by to see Liztina, or I go to the Adventurer’s Guild to gather information.

About four days after receiving the request from the Saintess, I finally went outside the city walls for the first time. The members were Claudia, Winia, and me.

First, I identified the location based on the documents the Saintess gave me and searched the mountains for Sasquatches. But I couldn’t expect to see results in just one day. I just killed a few monsters that were hibernating and returned.

It would be better to call Hildegard, but Risha is currently playing with that crystal ball. She said she would block the demon’s aura from being exposed to the outside without damaging the communication magic. I’ll have to wait until that’s done to use it.

But I’m glad it’s not snowing much.

Anyway, after a few days of just striking out…

“Hey, not even an owlbear, let alone a Sasquatch? Do we have to go really far? Honestly, I don’t think it’s a good idea to go that far in this winter.”
“Katt… that’s right. Should we just play under the covers with Mama this winter?”

Since there were no results, Winia and Claudia seemed to be tired of it.

They didn’t want to move at all this morning.

“Claudia. Winia. Let’s just try for a few more days. Ah, but is today not the day?”
“Yeah. Don’t go today. Let’s go when we hear news that they’ve been found.”

I was going to rest, but I still want to do more.

To get into Saintess Kadia’s good graces, it’s better to get this done somehow. I would have given up normally, but I can’t just let this one go. I was going to take it easy, but I’m getting competitive. You have to show results when they’re not expecting it to get a better evaluation.

“But it’s a Saintess request, so I can’t. I’ll just go for a little bit today. You two stay home today.”
“What? You’re going alone? If you’re going to do that, I’ll go with you.”
“It’s cold, why bother. Rest today. I’ll rest with you tomorrow. Is that okay?”
“Well… I don’t mind then…”

I had them rest and decided to just grab someone today and scout the areas I didn’t see yesterday.

“Since Katt’s stubbornness can’t be stopped… then be careful. I’ll be waiting quietly?”
“I’ll be back soon!”

They both seemed to agree, so I prepared to go out.

“Are you leaving now?”
“Ah, Risha.”
“Take this.”

As I was putting on my equipment, Risha handed me a pink crystal ball. It was the Hildegard calling device that I had been entrusting to her.

“The phenomenon of the demon’s aura being released to the outside has been resolved. Perhaps you will no longer be detected by it…”
“Thanks, Risha!”
“Aah!”

Since she said she solved the problem, I immediately put it in my pocket and hugged Risha.

Now I can easily call Hildegard.

After saying goodbye, I went outside. I stopped by the general store to prepare some things and left the city gate alone. After entering the mountains alone, I checked the surroundings and took out the crystal.

I just need to inject mana into this, right?

ㅡGoooo.

I immediately created a mana vortex while holding the crystal and tried to inject mana.

Then,

ㅡZiiing.

A small pink gate opened, and as it gradually widened, something popped out from the inside.

“Katt-niiim!!!”

It seemed the connection was successful. What popped out was Hildegard, and I lightly dodged the demon friend who was trying to hug me.

“You’re really! Late! Do you know how long I’ve been waiting! But you called me like this! Thank you, Katt-nim!”
“Oh, long time no see. How have you been?”

Hildegard, who appeared after a long time, was fawning over me in her complete succubus form.

She was wearing black high-heeled long boots that went up to her thighs, and the black heart patches that barely covered her nipples and vulva were shiny like latex. She’s dressed quite lewdly, but I guess she’s not cold.

Wow, but I want to try putting this on my wives.

A full succubus set.

“A-are you asking how I’ve been now?! I love you, Katt-nim! Let me kiss you! Let’s live together now!”
“No, stop it, you crazy bitch.”

I pushed her face away as she suddenly tried to kiss my cheek.

“But, Katt-nim?”
“Hmm?”

Suddenly, Hildegard’s eyes became extremely sharp. I thought she was finally showing her true colors, so I tried to draw my dagger, but she said in a cold tone.

“Why do you smell like a strange woman’s fluids…?”
“What?”

What the hell?