Chapter Thirty Three: The pervert who became rich

While I was busy having fun with Leila’s so-called “friend-enemy,” the door to my room at the inn slowly creaked open.
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.
I froze, realizing the situation I was in: crouched just above her hips, one hand holding her twitching tail, her hands pinned lightly under my knees, and a cloth still in her mouth.
It looked… bad. Really bad.
Before I could even think of jumping off her, the door swung open completely.
“Umm, I’ve brought back Duddul—…?” The girl who opened the door stopped mid-sentence, eyes widening in shock.
“I-I’ve brought him back!” she shouted suddenly, then slammed the door shut with a deafening BAAM!
“Wait—!” I called after her, but it was too late.
From where she stood, she would have seen my back hovering over the girl on the bed. Worse still, with that short shirt barely covering her thighs and the tail flicking upward, she could have easily gotten the wrong impression.
But the biggest question haunting me was… did she see the cloth in her mouth!?
I’m doomed if she tells anyone about this!
While I was panicking, the girl beneath me wriggled free. She spat the cloth from her mouth, slipped from my hold, and darted out of the room without a single word or glance back.
“Ah…” I muttered weakly, watching her disappear. I didn’t even get to see her expression.
“I’m the worst…”
I collapsed face-first onto the bed. Her warmth still lingered on the sheets, along with the faint scent of her hair.
She was so soft… I could pet her tail forever.
Sigh… what’s wrong with me? I let myself get carried away by curiosity and playfulness, and now I’ve probably ruined everything. She’ll never speak to me again. I was glad to have made another friend, and instead, I scared her off. Luckily, I came to my senses before things went too far.
And yet… my mind betrayed me. I couldn’t help but remember the curve of her hips. My hand twitched as if reaching for them.
“No, no! What the hell is wrong with me!?” I shook my head furiously. “I’ve already done enough damage—I don’t need to add to my crimes!”
But another thought struck me. What if she tells Leila?
If Leila were to glare at me with teary eyes and say, ‘I hate you, don’t talk to me again!’ … I’d die on the spot.
I’m the worst.
I lay there sulking for several minutes until I remembered something important.
“Duddul… where am I supposed to keep him? I can’t leave him tied in front of the inn forever.”
Dragging myself up, I left the room and went downstairs. In the dining area, I ran into the cat-eared waitress from earlier. She carried a tray in one hand and a jug in the other. When our eyes met, she quickly looked away.
I’m doomed. She hates me now. There goes my chance of ever… befriending her. (Yeah, that’s the word I’ll use.)
I sighed and headed outside. Duddul was tied near the entrance, and even before I reached him, I heard his muffled growl.
“Gmmn!”
He stomped his hind legs up and down like a soldier marching.
“What is it? Do you need something?”
He stopped, rubbed his head against my shoulder affectionately, then looked straight into my eyes before lowering his body to the ground.
“You… want me to ride you?”
“Gmmn!”
Just how intelligent is this creature?
I untied him and swung a leg over his back. The moment I sat down, I noticed people watching us. From their windows, from the roadside, they all stared with wide eyes.
They weren’t staring at me, of course. They were admiring him—my magnificent red dragon.
Once I was settled, Duddul trotted out of town at a steady pace. The moment we crossed the boundary, he sped up on his own, running toward a bush I recognized. It was the same one where those elven couples had been enjoying themselves a few days ago.
He stopped behind it, leaves hiding us from view. Just as I wondered what he was planning, I heard it.
Frrt!
He pooped.
“…Seriously? You went through all that trouble just to take a dump?” I muttered, pinching the bridge of my nose. “I swear you’re part human.”
After finishing, he stood tall and gave a proud snort.
“Gmmn!”
I didn’t understand his language, but his meaning was clear: Your turn. Take the lead.
So I steered him back toward the town. People smiled at us everywhere we went. I realized then that riding a red dragon gave me something I’d never had before—respect.
If I took off this mask, though, their smiles would vanish.
Still, I used the opportunity to tour the town. On the left side, I passed fields and humble homes, even spotting a seamstress working skillfully with her needle. She reminded me of grandma.
Further on, I found myself in the elves’ district.
Elves! Elves everywhere!
Golden-haired, fair-skinned, elegant… every step brought me past another beauty. My heart thudded as I thought, If only I could touch those delicate ears…
If I’d had some charm skill in my old world, I’d have made a harem by now. Instead, I was just a no-level nobody.
I sighed and moved on, soon arriving at the dwarves’ quarter. Short, stocky, bearded… and then I saw a fat one.
A fat dwarf.
I nearly fell off Duddul laughing. “They look like potatoes!” I muttered, quickly steering away before anyone noticed.
After circling the town, I finally returned to the inn. Duddul’s eyes sparkled when he saw a stall of apples, so I bought twenty with five silver coins. They were surprisingly expensive, but the joy on his face made it worth it.
I decided to keep him hidden behind the inn, where a narrow space would give him cover. He listened perfectly when I told him to sit, and after eating apples and drinking from a bucket of water, he lay down contentedly.
By then, the sky was dark. I returned to my room.
Inside, Leila was asleep on my bed, wearing short pants and a tiny top that barely counted as a shirt. She shifted cutely in her sleep, her tail flicking lazily.
Flat as always… she really should learn a thing or two from her friend.
Still, she looked peaceful. I sat by the window and waited until she stirred awake.
“Hnn~” She rubbed her eyes, yawning. “I fell asleep…”
“I didn’t want to wake you,” I said softly.
She blinked at me, then at the empty food bag. “Did you eat the food I kept for you?”
“Yes… thanks. I haven’t been here long.”
A knock at the door interrupted us.
“It’s the shopkeeper,” came a voice. “I’ve returned—with great news.”
Leila and I exchanged a glance. I opened the door, and he stepped inside, grinning.
“Hello, my rich friends! I hope you haven’t forgotten our promise. I did my part—now it’s your turn to keep yours.”
Leila straightened. “Did everything go alright?”
“It went great. I had to meet many people before finding the right buyer, but we struck a deal: 579 gold coins in total.”
My eyes widened. That was exactly the price we’d calculated.
“…Now all that’s left is to deliver tomorrow. But if we fail…” His smile faltered. “Our heads will roll.”
Gulp. So it was someone important.
I forced a confident grin. “Don’t worry. Everything will be fine. I guarantee it.”
After explaining the details, he left us.
“The buyer will be here at 8 a.m. sharp,” Leila murmured, folding her arms. “So… what do we do?”
I leaned back, thinking. “I’ll go fetch the items from the mountains now. They’re already packed in cloth, so it won’t be much trouble.”
“I… I can’t go with you,” she admitted, eyes lowering.
“Then I’ll go alone. Don’t worry—I’ll be back before dawn.”
We left the inn together. I revealed Duddul, and Leila nearly screamed when she saw him.
“A—a red dragon!?”
“Shhh! Keep it down!”
She lowered her voice, though her eyes were still huge. “Where in the world did you get one of these?”
“It’s… a long story,” I said carefully.
She narrowed her eyes, but let it slide for now.
I mounted Duddul, and in just minutes, we were soaring across the fields. His night vision was flawless. I guided him toward the mountains, and soon, we reached my old hideout.
I retrieved the cloth bundle from under my bed, relief washing over me when I found it untouched.
This cave… it had been my home once. Compared to it, the inn didn’t feel like home at all.
But there was no time for nostalgia. I mounted Duddul again, and we returned swiftly to town.
By the time I crawled into bed, I was exhausted. I fell asleep instantly.
The next morning, before dawn, I was shaken awake.
“Wake up! I knew you wouldn’t get up on your own,” Leila said, tugging at my arm.
The shopkeeper was waiting for us outside.
Now then… time to get rich.