Another two weeks pass. We completed a few more F-Rank quests during that time. Thanks to the silk merchants recommendation we got a lot of quests from merchants, asking specifically for us or I guess me to go on them. We managed to complete six F-Rank and two G-Rank Quests during that time. Getting us to forty points, enough to be allowed to have a discussion about our first promotion!

  Kra is looking at us with a wide smile as we turn in our quest to help move some boxes,“Alright, congratutions on completing what is hopefully the st G-Rank quest of your lifes! You are now going to be allowed to get into your promotion interview. How do you feel?”

  “Absolutely amazing! How about you Ray?”

  “Kekeke! It was only natural that we would make it! No need to feel proud or anything.”

  “Eeeh~ Your tail says something else though. Don’t lie to me with a wagging tail like that, haha.”

  “Pfft, you caught me Thoma. Good job detective Charcoal. I’m but an open book to you, haha.”

  “Do you want to go to the boarding house now? Nekara said she was going to make us something special for today!”

  “Sure, I’m just gonna get a small meal here before we go, I’m starving.”

  “But didn’t you already eat two meals from that street food vendor on our way here?”

  “Hmm you're right…”

  “Ray do you think…?”

  “Yeah, probably! I think it’s finally starting! I’m going to get an adult body soon!!!”

  “Oh my gosh! Congrats Ray!”

  “Thanks! We should totally go to the boarding house now or else I’m going to waste a bunch of money here. It’s a good thing you noticed, haha.”

  We then go to the Cat’s Den. On my way I try my best to make sure that Ray doesn’t lose all her money buying street food but even so her coin pouch is a lot lighter when we do finally get to the Cat’s Den.

  “Nekara, we’re back!”

  “Eyyyy, if it isn’t my favorite two adventurers. Congratutions on your promotion!”

  “Well, technically we haven’t been promoted yet but we will soon! Also I have more exciting news!”

  “Oh? What is it?”

  “I’m starting my final growing phase!”

  “Really!? Congratutions! Such great timing too!”

  “Hehe, if there is one thing I have, it's good timing!”

  “Thankfully we have enough saved so you can just rex these next two weeks. I’ll also start helping you with your business Ms. Nekara. That way you can make sure Ray is well cared for.”

  “Daaw, you’re such a good kid Thoma. It’s such a shame that you look more and more shifty the more you grow. You deserve to look a lot more handsome with a personality like that.”

  “Have I been growing too?”

  Ray ughs, “Wait, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed? You have grown by at least four cm or so since the first time I met you. Also your physique got a lot better. Nekara is right though. You’re starting to look a bit like a corrupt mercenary or a bck market bodyguard.”

  “Wh-what!? Why?”

  “Eh…It’s kind of hard to say exactly why but you just give off that vibe. But don’t worry! Anyone who talks to you for more than a minute knows you’re not like that! It’s also probably just because of your curse, once we free you you might look super handsome again!”

  “But I’m going to look like a creep until then?”

  “I mean…There are upsides to looking like a creep too! For starters you don’t look like an easy mark despite being one, so you’ve got a bit of extra protection from being scammed or mugged. Also, if we’re going to have to go to the slums or a high crime area it will look like you’re my bodyguard so that’s good too! And if things get really dicey you can take off your amulet and they’ll be so disgusted and intimidated they won’t even want to approach us.”

  “Somehow everything you said there that’s supposed to make me feel better just made it sound worse…”

  “Yeah Ray, that was really tactless. You don’t need to rub salt in the wound even if it is true! I mean…You’re hungry right? Let me get the surprise I made for you!”

  She then leaves for the kitchen and returns with two ptes filled with a giant fatty piece of meat and cheesy fries covered in a meaty cream sauce on the side.

  “These are the highest quality thighs of a long hair mountain pig fed on a herbal diet I could find. Enjoy them! If you want, I have two more of them prepared as well as more cheese fries and sauce. You two can eat until you vomit today, haha!”

  About half an hour ter I’m about halfway through my first pte while Ray is already done with both thighs and four portions of fries.

  “I don’t get it. This should have been more than enough even for someone in their growing phase, how are you still hungry!? Do you intend to grow into a giant?”

  “I dunno, I’m just hungry…Do you have more?”

  “Of course I do! I just haven’t cooked it yet. You can go eat the stew of the day until then.”

  Nekara puts a giant pot down right next to Ray who instead of getting a bowl just starts eating out of the pot instead.

  “Is Ray going to be alright, Miss Nekara? Where is all that food going?”

  “She’ll be fine, dear. Her body is going to convert all that food into fat which is going to be stored in her tail. She’s going to need it for when she starts growing.”

  Over the next one and a half weeks I spend my time almost the same way everyday. In the morning, I wake up early to help Nekara prepare breakfast. Then I go to the guild to do my daily training and after I wash up a little I help Nekara with some housework and cooking. And in the evening I practice my writing and reading. I even managed to unlock minor boost strength and minor boost speed during that time, though most people in the guild didn’t seem as excited about it as I was. As for Ray, her actual growth started about three days ago so I’m sleeping in Nekara’s room for the time being.

  As Nekara leaves Ray's room I ask her, “Is she okay? Is she still in pain?”

  She gives me a warm smile and answers, “Actually she’ll be able to tell you herself. She’s done, I’m just going to prepare her new clothes and afterwards you can come in.”

  “Really!? How many tails did she grow?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Excited, I sway from side to side as I wait for Nekara to get the clothes. She then goes inside the room and after a short time she says in a sing-songy voice, “You can come in now~!”

  When I come in I take a good look and really and she is absolutely stunning! She grew to about 180cm in height, has a perfect hourgss figure, most likely due to her rigorous training each day, and her bust size changed to a C. Her facial features also look a lot more mature, you can really tell she is older than me now. And as for her tails…

  “Six!? That’s way too many! That’s totally going to throw off my fighting style! And… I don't think I’m being too prideful here but don’t I look way too pretty!? Like, I don’t think anyone in my family looks like this.”

  “You look like an absolute celebrity Ray! Even your voice sounds super pleasing and mature.”

  “Right!? Nekara you would tell me if my parents just found me somewhere and adopted me right?”

  “Hahaha, don’t worry about that. I saw you come out of her, I can assure you you’re her kid.”

  “First of all, eew. Second, this completely throws off my fighting style. Like I look super hot but it’s also way too impractical!”

  “But with six tails you’ll have a lot of mana, right? So maybe you can compensate with magic!”

  “I guess…But I really look good right? Do you think I can get a lot of hot guys with this body Thoma?”

  “Yeah, definitely. You’ll get so many proposals you’re going to be able to swim in them.”

  “Kekeke, right!? Alright, I’m gonna try something you tell me if it suits me Thoma.”

  “Okay!”

  “Ara ara, what brings you here on this fine day? Me~? Oh my~…I was just wandering around looking at the flowers.”

  “Hmm…I think I can see what you’re going for and it does fit your voice and appearance but it totally doesn’t fit your personality. You’d basically be lying to people.”

  “I mean…But it’s sexy right? A little bit of lying isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

  “But you can’t build a retionship on lies, Ray.”

  “I mean…Fair, but I don’t need to go into retionships with men I just wanna sleep with, so that should be okay right?”

  “Ray!”

  “Oh come on Nekara, I’m an adult now, of course I’m curious. What do you think Thoma?”

  “Hmm I guess if you just want to sleep with men it’s fine. I mean we’ve been sleeping together for a while now and I don’t have any intention of marrying you.”

  Nekara looks at me shocked and yells, “You little rascal! I trusted you!”

  Ray then starts ughing loudly.

  “And what are you ughing about? You’re as guilty as he is!”

  “No…Hahaha, That’s…That's not what I’m ughing about, hahaha. I just realized something, hahaha.”

  “What is it?”

  “Thoma, what do you think sleeping with someone means?”

  “Well, obviously it’s when you sleep together with another person in the same bed.”

  “Ahahahaha!”

  “What’s so funny?”

  Nekara looks at me with a concerned look on my face and asks, “Thoma, dear…Where do babies come from?”

  “Well, obviously the man saves up and buys a magic seed for the woman. The woman then eats the seed and the baby grows inside her belly, then when it’s time, a pnt grows out of the belly button and the baby will be in the blooming flower.”

  “Ahahaha, no way, ahahaha, stop it Thoma I’m crying, ahahaha.”

  “Why are you ughing!? Stop making fun of me!”

  “Sorry Thoma I just… Ahahaha… Gimme a minute I hahaha I need to catch my breath!”

  Nekara then hugs me, “I’m so sorry Thoma, for every accusation of you potentially being a pyboy. I take it all back!”

  “Can someone please just expin to me what's going on!?”

  “It’s uh…It’s…”

  “It’s an inside joke between Beastkin. You wouldn’t get it. Right, Nekara?”

  “Yeah…Exactly, haha. Sorry we weren’t ughing at you, we were ughing with you!”

  “Hmm…Okay then.”