The Handbook for Completing Demi-Human Girls

Chapter 258: Complaint

After Aoxi intermittently spat out those words, the entire room fell into briefly into silence. Even Fisher, who was recording her external physical data, didn't immediately react to what exactly she had said.

It wasn't until Eimhart—who had originally been watching the show on the desk behind him—truly couldn't bear to watch any longer and began continuously banging his perfectly square face against the tabletop, that Fisher snapped out of his brief daze.

He cast a glance at Aoxi on the bed. He saw that she was still obediently hugging the parrot Steel Knife in her arms, just calmly looking at Fisher like this. That cute appearance deeply beloved by Naris gentlemen was nevertheless mixed with a bit of the fortitude of ladies from the Sardin Matriarchy, making her aura extremely complex and endearing.

Especially when Fisher's gaze involuntarily landed on the airy shorts below her lower abdomen, he would always recall the low, enduring moans transmitting from next door when they were in the dining hall that night, and would also always recall that smooth bird egg with a bit of water stain attached to its surface.

Academically speaking, Fisher was actually quite curious about how exactly the Cangniao-kin laid eggs; on a personal level, he was even more so a Naris gentleman who was extremely fond of ladies.

Following the emergence of such thoughts, the scorching heat within his body that had only just cooled down considerably began rearing its head again at this very moment. But the discomfort brought by that scorching heat only lasted for a few seconds. In the next moment, Fisher opened his mouth and laid the fountain pen horizontally on the notebook used for recording, pressing down that bursting desire along with it.

He rubbed the space between his eyebrows, having a bit of a headache as he asked Aoxi.

"Dating... wait, Aoxi, I might as well ask first, do you know what dating someone means?"

Aoxi once again lifted Steel Knife slightly and placed it in front of her face, using its little head as part of the cloak that originally concealed her face. This seemed to make her words flow more smoothly.

"Mhm, maybe I do... On the ship, I saw Alajina constantly looking at you, speaking intimately with you, and finally... even holding your hand. Does that count as dating? It feels... different from talking and conversing with the other crew members. I don't know why, but seeing Alajina's appearance, my heart itches a bit, and I also want to try... So..."While speaking, Aoxi's two legs also curled up increasingly tight, just like a wild bird tightly gripping the tree branch beneath it. This made Fisher feel somewhat not knowing whether to laugh or cry, looking at her and asking.

"Is this the dating you're talking about?"

"...Is it not?"

Hugging Steel Knife, Aoxi slowly sat up from the bed, and along with the Steel Knife in her arms, they both tilted their heads to look at Fisher, asking so.

Facing such a gaze, Fisher didn't immediately answer. Only after pausing for several seconds did he nod—as if having understood something—and placed the pen and paper recording data in his hands to the side.

"I understand. Then let's try it..."

"Eh? Try... try what?"

"Holding hands."

Perhaps even Aoxi hadn't expected Fisher to agree so readily, thus appearing somewhat caught off guard. Only when Fisher truly stood up did she realize after the fact, tugging her body to proactively move a bit closer to Fisher.

Behind him, Eimhart spun his body around with wide eyes, wearing an expression of being unable to bear looking straight at it, just that it was unknown if he was silently condemning Fisher's atrocious conduct in his heart.

Alajina oh Alajina, when I previously said I wouldn't stand with you, I was joking! Look, you only just left! You only just left and this kind of thing happened! Living under this fellow's roof, I have already reminded you to the utmost of my benevolence and duty; you absolutely must not blame me...

Fisher wasn't clear on what Eimhart was thinking. Regardless, standing before the bed, he merely gently extended his hand toward Aoxi. As his palm fell and slowly stroked across Aoxi's feathers, Aoxi's breathing also began to grow rapid. It wasn't until his hand rested at the folded position of her wing that her accelerating breathing rate simultaneously reached its peak.

Aoxi blinked her eyes. Even she hadn't expected that the feathers on her body would actually begin trembling slightly under such stroking right now, tilting like wings adjusting during a glide.

Unlike what she had imagined, Aoxi appeared extremely unaccustomed to such touches. Those feathers that stood up slightly—seeming ready to support her taking flight at any moment—were proof enough. But she still pursed her lips and endured it without saying a word, letting Fisher continue stroking her wings.

She can still hold on?

Taking her reaction into his eyes, Fisher intentionally moved his hands to stroke backwards against the more tight-fitting feathers higher up on her wing. When his body temperature truly drew near her body, that electrocution-like sensation finally made Aoxi unable to endure any longer, fiercely spreading her wings fully open.

"Whoosh!"

The massive wings of the Cangniao-kin made this already cramped room overwhelmingly crowded. Those broad, azure tail feathers also trembled wildly along with the biting cold wind brought about when she spread her wings. A gust of wind surged, forcing back the palm Fisher had rested on her body.

Hearing the commotion, Eimhart—who couldn't bear to look in the back—thought greedy Fisher had received the retribution he deserved. Thus taking pleasure in his misfortune, he turned his head back, only to see him retracting his hand as if nothing had happened, and couldn't help but feel greatly disappointed.

"Hah... hah... sorry, Fisher..."

Aoxi, who had already spread her wings, panted. She cast an apologetic glance at the Fisher before her and the complete mess all over the room, apologizing to him.

Fisher, however, didn't reveal any superfluous expression. He merely nodded, picked up the experimental records and fountain pen blown to the floor by the strong wind, and sat back in the chair from just now.

"It's fine."

Eimhart also flew back to his shoulder from the desk behind him, watching Aoxi slowly fold her wings bit by bit with extreme curiosity.

Just as she was folding her wings while worrying about personal gains and losses, Fisher suddenly opened his mouth.

"Actually, Aoxi... regarding my touch, you didn't feel anything at all, and even felt extremely resistant, right?"

The content Fisher suddenly spoke of was regarding their holding hands just now. Aoxi understood this. After hesitating for a second, she nodded.

"Mhm..."

Only after her response did Fisher continue what he was going to say.

"This isn't surprising... there's no affection between us, and we aren't even considered familiar with each other. The dating you want to experience naturally can't be obtained through such a method. It's equally impossible for you to experience what Alajina felt... Or let me ask you another way, Aoxi; do you truly want to experience the feeling Alajina experienced... or, do you want to give Alajina a tiny bit of revenge through this method?"

Aoxi's eyes widened slightly, as if some place in her heart had been poked by Fisher's words. But the movement of him holding the pen and paper remained light and graceful.

His gaze swept over the content recorded on it. Regarding this research on Aoxi's external data, nothing was lacking anymore. What remained required placing a bit of focus on her wings.

"Aoxi, the way I see it, deep inside your heart you actually harbor some complaints towards Alajina, right? Saying these things to me today, including saying you wanted to experience the feeling of dating me, actually stems from that complaint in your heart."

"Alajina took all her subordinates, including you, and left the Sardin Matriarchy, yet the person who was originally closest to her and most trustworthy didn't receive her utmost care. As the only demi-human on the ship, she knows nothing of your special circumstances, nor of your reasons and needs for wanting to make contact and converse with others, or wanting to collect those relics."

"She arrogantly assumes that the fiercely loyal and taciturn guard in her impression should always be like this. Thus, she also always treats you in that manner, thinking that giving you money and having you continue playing her guard is enough. This, however, causes you to stay atop the ship's mast every day, enduring loneliness and solitude all by yourself, accompanied only by the parrot Steel Knife..."

Aoxi, sitting on the bed, gazed at Fisher and opened her mouth somewhat sorrowfully. The Steel Knife in her arms seemed to have also sensed her mood, hurriedly rubbing its little head against her embrace, attempting to alleviate the unease in her heart through this method.

"I... I just..."

She had the heart to defend herself, yet inwardly she believed Fisher was right. During the past period, she did harbor some complaints towards Alajina.

After leaving the Sardin Matriarchy to become pirates, they stayed on the vast, boundless sea all day long. Naturally, it was different from being in the Sardin Matriarchy, where they had to face the pursuit and surveillance of Alajina's mother at all times.

A rising legendary pirate captain didn't need a loyal guard who never left her side. But after circumstances changed, Alajina didn't arrange other things for Aoxi to do. Not to mention, she had never been familiar with these human soldiers from the military. This was what led to her current predicament.

Of course, this wasn't to say Aoxi shirked all the problems onto Alajina, nor was it to say Aoxi was completely disloyal to Alajina.

She knew deeply that her cowardly personality didn't fit the mainstream of the other matriarchy women, making it extremely difficult for her to communicate with others. That was why she kept that tiny bit of complaint—born from Alajina's neglect—at the bottom of her heart, until today when it was discovered by Fisher, an outsider.

"I understand... Alajina has too many things to consider: the matriarchy's pursuit, various bounty orders, the safety of the Iceberg Queen... It's just... she clearly has so many things, yet after you boarded the ship, she was still able to wholeheartedly place her gaze on you. Then why has she been so slow to notice that I also need her help?"

She folded her massive wings a little, wrapping her body within the wings, her gaze also looking toward the parrot Steel Knife trying to comfort her in her arms, her voice also appearing somewhat low.

Seeing Aoxi once again wrap herself up into the shape of a dumpling just like on the Iceberg Queen, Fisher put down the fountain pen in his hand.

"It seems our deal needs to add another item. Aside from helping you integrate into your ship, I also need to resolve the little problem between you and Alajina."

Without even lifting her gaze, Aoxi merely asked softly.

"Will you tell Alajina about what happened today?"

"I won't."

"...Thank you."

After hearing Fisher's decisive answer, Aoxi finally raised her head and cast a covert glance at Fisher, who was still looking down at the experimental records in his hand.

For some unknown reason, after that sentence, a strange feeling began spreading in her heart.

It wasn't quite acceleration, nor did it match her usual calm rhythm; it was more like a bit of scalding heat spreading along her heart, gradually warming the spot on her wing where Fisher had touched just now...

Originally it was merely a tiny bit of revenge against Alajina for ignoring her. But at this moment, recalling the gentle touch of this human on her wings just now, she suddenly understood a little bit why Alajina would so greatly adore such contact...

Her small face hidden beneath her wings grew slightly flushed. That sense of betrayal towards Alajina mixed with her current newly-born pleasure, gradually forming a complicated, contradictory emotion within her heart.

But... she didn't hate it.

"Alright, this problem isn't thorny for me. We'll talk about it after Alajina returns. Before that, let's finish up this secret research, okay? It won't take much longer."

"Ah? Mhm, right, research... By the way, Fisher, aren't you going to eat? It's going to get cold."

"Right, there's still the lunch you bought me, I almost forgot."

Once Fisher started doing research, he appeared extremely thrilled. Although purely academic research on demi-humans appeared somewhat dry, occasionally obtaining a little story regarding the experimental specimen as seasoning from within was also not bad.

Having finished speaking, he turned his head to look at the eel rice she brought back to the room. However, right at this moment, Fisher suddenly realized that besides bringing up two plates of eel rice earlier, Aoxi had actually also brought up two standard-style coffee cups.

There were no superfluous markings on the white coffee cups, only a pair of rather cute furry cat ears. This, however, aroused Fisher's vigilance, because that was the logo of the "Cloudtop Cafe" where the Cloud Cat-kin maid they encountered earlier belonged.

And the location of the Cloudtop Cafe should be at the end of this street. With Aoxi's personality, it was absolutely impossible for her to run over there to buy coffee herself.

Thinking of this, Fisher hurriedly asked Aoxi.

"Wait, Aoxi, where did this coffee come from?"

"This is... when I was ordering food just now, there were maids from the cafe in the hotel lobby promoting their samples, saying it was a gift for us to drink... Don't worry, I just checked. No extra money was spent, and there's no poison inside..."

Looking at Aoxi's cautious demeanor, it seemed she explained it this way because she was worried she had spent too much of the money Fisher gave her.

Fisher smiled silently. Only after indicating he wasn't fussing over her spending, did she seemingly let out a sigh of relief and poke her head out from her wings a bit.

It was normal for Aoxi to be unaware. Let alone ordinary people, if Fisher didn't have the practically cheating playback function of the Demi-Human Completion Handbook, he wouldn't have been able to discover that there was something wrong with those Cloud Cat-kin maids either.

But the problem now was, Fisher was momentarily somewhat unsure whether this delivered coffee was truly a coincidence, or if that group of spies from the Northern Border had set their eyes on his group.