Chapter 152 Scuttling in The Rain

The aroma of delectable dishes wafted through the air, igniting a ravenous hunger within Suzuka's belly. She gracefully placed a beautifully presented plate in front of her, an enticing masterpiece of culinary artistry. Her eyes widened in anticipation, and a satisfied smile crept across her face.

She delicately picked up her silverware, the clinking sound resonating in the air as she brought a morsel of succulent meat to her lips. The flavors danced upon her taste buds, an exquisite symphony of savory and tangy notes that transported her to gustatory bliss. She closed her eyes momentarily, savoring the tender texture and the explosion of flavors that seemed to burst inside her mouth like fireworks.

Meanwhile, across the table, Hermit's plate was a stark contrast, a plate heaped with remnants of putrefied leftovers. The sight alone would make the hardiest stomach churn with revulsion. 

With his tiny hands, Hermit dug into the vile mound of decaying food, his actions mirroring that of a gluttonous swine. Greedily stuffing his mouth, bits of foul sustenance spilling over his disfigured lips, he resembled a beast in the throes of insatiable hunger.

Each bite seemed to suck the remaining moisture from the air, leaving his putrid mouth a parched wasteland. Disgustingly smacking his lips, his tongue flailed desperately, attempting to produce saliva to moisten the dry recesses within. The gross sounds of gurgling and gagging filled the air as he struggled to push down the loathsome sustenance.

A cycle of swallowing and regurgitating ensued, a never-ending battle within the recesses of his repulsive throat. Each attempt to swallow the abhorrent morsels met resistance, causing him to retch and gag, only to relent and swallow once more. His grotesque hands mashed the gaged food, desperate to force it down his wretched throat. He showed his tiny hands in his mouth and pushed down his through the food that was getting stuck in his mouth.

This abominable display of gluttony and digestive distress continued, creating an atmosphere of repugnance that permeated the surroundings. The scene was a nightmarish symphony of repulsive sounds, a grotesque ballet of wretchedness that defied all notions of decency and civilized behavior. Even pigs had better manners that this goblin.

Suzuka savored every delicious bite of her exquisite meal, relishing the flavors that danced on her tongue. She completed her culinary delight with a cup of elegant tea, the fragrant aroma wafting through the air, bringing comfort and warmth to her senses.

Meanwhile, Hermit sat there, his lips smacking together in disappointment after forcing down his wretched meal. His throat, as dry as the desert sand, left his mouth feeling parched and devoid of moisture. Desperate for relief, he frantically floundered and clicked his tongue, hoping to moisten his desert-like mouth with a struggling tongue and clapping lips.

His mouth resembled the cracked earth of a land suffering from a severe drought. The tongue, like a desperate explorer, slid against the barren terrain of the mouth, desperately seeking hydration. But no matter how hard it tried, the dryness persisted, cruelly mocking its feeble attempts.

The struggle intensified as the tongue valiantly lashed against his mouth walls, determined to coax forth even a precious droplet of saliva. But the dry conditions persisted, denying the tongue the relief it sought.

Once Suzuka finished her meal, she headed to the counter to pay the bill. As she prepared to leave, she grabbed her raincoat and called for Hermit to follow along. However, as Hermit jumped off the chair, his rag tunic got caught and ripped, leaving him completely naked. The tunic, already worn-out, now hung lifelessly from the chair.

Hermit couldn't help but cry out in sorrow, weeping at the loss of his precious cloth, a gift from his friend. "Wreee! Hermit's precious tunic, a gift from his friend. No!"

The goblin tightly hugged the torn rag, shedding tears and expressing remorse. "Larry, my friend. I'm sorry I ruined the precious gift you made for me. I'm sorry."

Suzuka, observing the sobbing Hermit, rolled her eyes and spoke dismissively. "It was just a rag that he quickly put together from an old blanket. Don't be so overly dramatic, jeez."

Hermit, his voice trembling and cracking, responded, "This tunic is a symbol of our friendship, a token of goodwill. It wasn't merely a piece of clothing; it held great value as one of Hermit's cherished treasures. This was the first and only gift that Hermit had received from someone in his entire life. And now it is ruined... I couldn't protect it. I'm so sorry, Larry!"

Suzuka took the torn rag from Hermit and placed it in her pocket.

 "Give me that, crybaby. We'll figure out how to fix it later. But for now, I can't have you walking around naked, trailing behind me like some disgusting creep, you Naked Scuttle! You will make me look like some pervert and ruin my name in town. Ugh!"

Hermit gazed at her with sad, puppy-like eyes, reaching out his arms with a shy demeanor. "Would master give Hermit a hug now? Will you cover Hermit with your marvelous cape? Let him bask in your warm embrace?"

Suzuka cringed with disgust, replying emphatically, "Ew! No! I'll rather get you new clothes than let you touch me! You stink worse than a wet dog and you're filthier than a sewer rat. I will not place even a finger on you until you are clean."

As they stepped outside, they were greeted by a scene that seemed stuck in a never-ending loop. The rain poured down relentlessly, soaking everything in its path. The sky crackled with dazzling bursts of lightning, illuminating the darkened surroundings, while the thunder roared with a force that seemed to shake the very ground beneath their feet.

Hermit, driven to the brink of desperation, leaped onto the soaking ground. His parched throat screamed for relief, a gnawing thirst that consumed him from within. With a bestial thirst, he lowered himself to the ground and, with a twisted sort of fervor, plunged his mouth into a murky puddle. Like a deranged creature of the wild, he lapped at the dirty water with insatiable desperation, his tongue greedily scraping the surface, oblivious to the repulsiveness of his actions.

Suzuka yanked on the leash, dragging Hermit across the street towards the clothing store. With Hermit in tow, she walked in and asked, "Hello, can I get some clothes for my pet? His old ones got ripped and become unusable, I would like to get something to cover him up." She pointed at Hermit as she spoke to the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper was surprised by the sight of a naked goblin on a leash and hesitantly replied, "Uh... I might have some... um... children's clothing, perhaps? Is that a goblin?"

Suzuka shrugged and replied, "Yes, it is. It's my pet and he needs some clothes, anything will work, just give me the cheapest stuff you have."

While browsing through his stuff the owner said, "Ah! Isn't this the same goblin from yesterday? The one David was inhumanely butchering in the middle of the street? Oh, poor fellow. He did not deserve such cruelty, even if he is a goblin."

"I safely assume you saw the act. Yes, David was a bit overreacting there. Clearly, he has some hate toward the goblins."

Reluctantly, the shopkeeper gathered a few clothes and placed them on the counter.

 "Here, this is all I've got right now for the lowest price, take your time," he muttered.

Suzuka rummaged through the clothes and randomly selected a gray t-shirt that resembled a tank top, some tiny dark violet shorts, and little brown leather shoes. She also grabbed a small raincoat. She marched up to the shopkeeper, paid the bill, and stuffed the clothes into her pocket. Then, she carefully dressed Hermit in the raincoat.

Hermit couldn't contain his excitement. To him, these clothes felt like majestic garments fit for royalty. 

"Thank you, Master! Hermit is beyond happy, this is the first time I am dressed in such a luxurious raincoat. We slave goblins never had such a luxury as getting clothes. And even if we managed to make something out of animal skins we would be striped naked by our masters. Thank you for letting me wear such a fancy garment."

Suzuka let out a sigh and said, "Oh, spare me the gratitude. I'm just trying to save you from looking like a naked mutt on a leash and me looking like some creep walking the naked goblin in the rain. Do you even comprehend how that looks from the side to other people?" 

"B-but Master, Hermit spends most of his life naked. It is normal for me to walk like this."

"Shut up you creep! Tuck your meaty ears under that hood and let's go before I decided to take away that raincoat."

"Yes, Master. I will follow your order, please, don't take away the gift." 

She glanced at Hermit, who was meticulously folding his chunky ears and pulling the raincoat hood over his head. With the raincoat on, he seemed more at ease, the chill of the washed-off blue cream fading away. They ventured out into the rain, making their way back to the guild as the day slowly transitioned into the evening.

Upon reaching the guild, Suzuka wasted no time and approached Lisanna. 

"Hey, did Larry swing by? It's getting pretty late and I'm afraid that I will get stuck with this creep," she asked.

Lisanna nodded. 

"Yeah, he was here, but he left. He showed up shortly after you two went out for food. Waited for a bit, but then had to go. Apparently, he had some pressing matters to attend to and couldn't stick around. He left the coins he owed you with me, though. I'll hand them over. Oh, and he mentioned he won't be back today. He'll be waiting here tomorrow. In the morning he'll take Hermit from you."

Hermit peeled off his raincoat, shaking off the water, and carefully hung it on the corner of a nearby chair imitating Suzuka's action he saw in the eatery. 

He cast a mournful gaze at Suzuka and pleaded, "Master, could you please unleash Hermit? I'd like to get dressed if you don't mind. Hermit feels a bit c-cold. We goblins don't particularly like rain, it makes us feel cold. Many of my kind had succumbed to the rain coldness and suffered long and painful deaths."

Suzuka unfastened the collar and handed it back to Lisanna while raising a valid concern. 

"But then who will look after the goblin overnight? We can't just leave him alone here in the guild, can we?"

Lisanna chuckled, seemingly amused by the situation.

 "Oh no, you'll have to take him with you and bring him back in the morning. Simple, right?"

 Suzuka let out a sigh with frustration evident in her voice. 

"Seriously? I have to bring this disgusting goblin with me to my room. Ugh! Are you serious? He stinks worse than a wet dog and he is dirty."

The goblin pleaded desperately, clutching her leg with its naked body.

 "Please, Master! Don't leave Hermit alone. Hermit is scared and lonely in this unfamiliar place. What if the tormentor comes back and tortures me? Please, don't abandon me. I promise to behave. I don't take up much space. Just give me a corner to sleep in, and I won't bother you, Master. Please!"

With a slight shake of her leg, Suzuka pushed Hermit to the side, grimacing as she said, "Ew! You Naked Scuttle! Stop clinging to me. You feel like a slimy frog. That's disgusting."

As Suzuka hesitated to answer his plea, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. She remembered how she had once been lost in the forest and stumbled upon Bill's cave, begging him for shelter. She mumbled to herself, "Huh? I wonder if Bill felt as annoyed with me when I asked for his help for the first time. Now I can understand how he felt about me back then."

Lost in thought, she pondered for a moment, and finally relented, saying, "Alright, alright. I'll let you stay the night. Just don't make me regret this decision."

Hermit leaped with joy, expressing his gratitude.

 "Thank you, Master! Hermit will be a good goblin, and Hermit will behave, I promise."

With the coins in hand and all preparations complete, Suzuka led Hermit back to the cozy confines of the Mystic Oasis Inn, making their way to her room. Suzuka approached the attendants with a hopeful request, "Hey, do you mind if I bring my pet here into the room? It's just for one night, I swear!"

Being a regular guest and having stayed at the inn for quite a while, Suzuka had developed a rapport with the attendants. They decided to turn a blind eye to the presence of the goblin and replied, "Well, Helen, since you're a familiar face and it's only for a night, we'll let it slide. But remember, no trouble from that critter of yours, okay?"

Suzuka chuckled and reassured them, "Oh, you don't have to worry about Hermit. He's about as pathetic as they come. He couldn't even fend off a tiny kitten if his life depended on it. Trust me, he won't cause any trouble. I promise."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Hermit dropped to his knees and expressed his appreciation, "Thank you, kind souls! Hermit is nothing more than a humble servant, a loyal pet to his Master. Thank you for allowing me to stay the night. Thank you, truly."