Demi-human Girls Completion Manual Chapter 1 - 1 1

The heavens were completely shrouded by ominous, dark clouds. Though it was midday, the sun's rays fought a losing battle against the endless layers of gloom, casting a desolate, almost deathly light upon the land.

Beneath this oppressive sky, the terrain was rough and appeared completely devoid of life. However, with every gust of wind, the very earth seemed to tremble slightly, revealing fleeting glints of light that winked towards a distant cluster of colorful, billowing tents.

These tents, vibrant and ostentatious with their riot of colors, were bedecked with strings of glittering ornaments. Prominently displayed upon them, in the script of the Western Continent, was the text:

“Kexie Ning Circus.”

This was a traveling circus, its performances following the traditional and well-known formats as it journeyed from country to country.

Between the tents, circus handlers guided various exotic beasts, while performers, resplendent in bright face paint and sporting voluminous wigs upon their heads,

“Mr. Colin, all preparations are nearly complete; we can set our course for Brian City.”

At the circus's entrance, a staff member, clad in a clown costume, addressed a middle-aged man who was holding a cup of coffee.

The man's hair was a disheveled mess, his beard grown long and unkempt. His considerable belly strained against his suit, giving him the unappealing silhouette of a barrel.

“Ah… Indeed, if everything is in order, let us prepare to depart… Yes, we shall wait a while longer for the buyer. If he fails to appear by nightfall, we will leave.”

“Understood, I shall relay your message.”

The clown departed, and the man, identified as Colin, rubbed his nose.

The wind sweeping across the Brian Wilderness felt like razor blades, its harshness almost unbearable even for those accustomed to constant travel.

Saint Nali remained the most welcoming place to reside, he mused, taking a sip of his coffee.

There, with its unparalleled standards in education and healthcare, the very stones of the city streets seemed to radiate the brilliance of human civilization. For transient wanderers like them, simply entering the city brought a sense of immersion in its comfortable and beautiful ambiance, almost compelling one to kneel and kiss the immaculate flagstones.

It was a stark contrast to being here, arranging deals, with a tardy buyer showing no inclination to arrive.

Colin’s gaze drifted to the sparkling points of light beneath the soil, only to see them vanish back into the ground like mischievous sprites in the very next moment.

His eyes narrowed marginally, a flicker of intuition crossing his features as he directed his attention towards the distant, boundless expanse of the wilderness.

A growing thunder of hooves, echoing like a storm, erupted and shattered the prevailing quiet of the plains.

Across the trackless landscape, a minuscule black speck, accompanied by the resonant sound of pounding hooves, made its approach towards the circus.

“They are arriving…”

Colin puffed out his considerable stomach—ahem, his slightly protruding belly—finishing the last of his coffee before turning to hand the empty cup to an attendant.

With a quick rub of his hands, he smoothed his rather portly appearance and then positioned himself at the circus entrance, a polite smile gracing his lips as he anticipated the arrival of the distant visitor.

Two powerful black stallions, drawing a carriage, galloped swiftly towards the assembled tents.

As they drew nearer, Colin could finally discern the figure seated at the forefront of the carriage, deftly holding the reins.

The man, attired in a impeccably tailored Saint Nali suit, his hands encased in light gloves, guided the horses. His visage was young, handsome, and undeniably masculine, framed by a black gentleman's hat. However, his expression was stern, radiating an aura of cool detachment that seemed to infuse the air with a palpable chill.

“Hiss!”

As the distance diminished, the man appeared to gently tug on the reins. The two magnificent black stallions, as if encountering an invisible barrier, whinnied and lifted their heads slightly, halting a short distance from the circus, their sides heaving with exertion.

Colin, quickly recovering from his initial admiration of the man's striking appearance, felt a prickle of apprehension but maintained his welcoming smile.

He ambled casually towards the approaching carriage.

“We are honored by your arrival; welcome to the Kexie Ning Circus. I am Colin, the ringmaster. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, a genuine pleasure…”

The man disembarked from the carriage, clutching a cane-like accessory. His polished leather shoes met the soil of the Brian Wilderness, firmly pressing down upon the curious Earth Spirits below that were attempting to surface.

The ground pulsed a few times and receded in a small ripple as the little spirits seemed to dart away in haste.

With an impassive expression, the man removed his hat and addressed Colin,

“Greetings, Mr. Colin. I am Fisher, here to complete a previously arranged acquisition.”

Colin took a moment to appraise the individual before him, his eyebrows suddenly contracting before he offered a hesitant and apologetic smile,

“Um… A moment, if you please…”

I had expected Orn from Philone City to be finalizing this transaction, not a gentleman such as yourself. Or perhaps you've only come to observe our exhibition? If so, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until we reach Brian City - Ah!

Before Colin could conclude, Fisher gently tapped his Handcane, a subtle smile gracing his lips as he stated,

"It is the order, not the performance, Mr. Colin."

"Uh, well, we do have our principles, and by principle, since the order was confirmed, then we..."

"Principles?"

Fisher lightly rapped his Handcane against the carriage's side, and a hidden compartment sprang open, revealing a sack emitting a faint, bloody odor. Judging by its size, it seemed capable of holding an adult man, though fitting someone as portly as Colin remained uncertain. As it slid, the sack settled at Colin's feet, its opening slightly ajar, exposing a bloodied, terrified face within. It could only be Orn, the original buyer.

Colin quickly sealed his substantial mouth, fearing the metallic tang of blood might contaminate him. His eyes darted nervously as he observed the distinguished gentleman retrieve another sack from the same hidden compartment. This one, however, jingled merrily, packed to the brim with Saint Nali gold coins. The quantity surpassed the initial agreed-upon sum.

"Ah... ah! That's right, principles!" Colin gulped, clapping his hands with vigorous, righteous conviction. "In our line of work, principles are paramount. Since we agreed to a trade with Mr. Fisher, naturally, we wouldn't hand the deal to someone else... Hahaha... Hahaha, wouldn't you agree?"

"Mr. Colin is quite the humorist."

Mr. Fisher, still holding his Handcane, regarded the stout man before him with amusement twinkling in his eyes. While his gaze remained impassive, Colin hesitated briefly. He then scooped up the sack brimming with gold coins from the ground, verified its contents were indeed authentic currency, and completely disregarded Orn, who lay ensnared in his sack on the floor. True to his word, he was a man of principle, his guiding principle being the glint of gold, which directed his conscience.

Mr. Fisher donned his hat, paying no mind to Colin's actions, and simply stated,

"Let me inspect the merchandise."

"Absolutely, Mr. Fisher, right this way, please..."

Colin tucked the substantial bag of gold coins into his inner coat pocket. His bulky frame contorted as he shoved it in forcefully, and remarkably, despite the vigorous effort, the large sack of gold coins managed to fit within his coat, or more accurately, within the expanse of his belly. He seemed to have gained a bit more girth, even letting out a full-bodied belch.

"What manner of magick is this?" Mr. Fisher inquired, curiosity piqued.

Noting Mr. Fisher's gaze, Colin offered an awkward smile and explained,

"Just a minor sleight of hand, nothing compared to true magick..."

Mr. Fisher nodded, refraining from further inquiry. Even if it were genuine magick, it was likely this man's closely guarded secret; there was no need to probe deeply, as that was not his objective. As long as he could successfully acquire what he came for, Colin was of no consequence to him.

"We have guests arriving, prepare to welcome them!!" Colin suddenly bellowed towards the front, clapping his hands lightly. As the sound dissipated, the tent behind them seemed to awaken, unfurling like an immense maw to reveal a host of performers, intricate machinery, and fantastical creatures within. Amidst them, a miniature elephant capered playfully in an actor's grasp like a common rodent; an ethereal steam train, its carriages filled with indistinct spectral figures, shrieked mournfully; an actress drew a deep breath and then expelled endless torrents of flame skyward, from which, within that inferno, another humanoid figure emerged, descending to the ground.

"They are all in rehearsal... especially those spirits, we haven't applied the Revealing Powder, so they are hard to discern clearly; that substance is far too expensive, we seldom use it except for official performances." As Colin led Mr. Fisher inside, he described the signature attractions of their circus.

Spirit Crossing Train, the locomotive was an expensive replica of a true steam train, ingeniously crafted from a Spiritual Body. Shrinking Technique, employing magick to diminish the size of large creatures to enhance the spectacle. Fire Spirit, the humanoid figure within the flames was a fully realized Fire Spirit, akin to the Earth Spirits found dwelling beneath the ground.

Mr. Fisher's gaze briefly rested upon the deep purple emblems, glowing faintly within the folds of the actors' attire, before he nonchalantly averted his view. Slave seals, once engraved, granted the owner absolute dominion over the slave's life and actions, signifying that every individual working at the circus was, in fact, a slave. The master of these individuals was none other than the stout man accompanying him, Mr. Colin.

"These individuals are all slaves."

“Ah, haha, you understand, it’s a matter of expenses,” Colin said, awkwardly rubbing his hands together. “Ever since those country bumpkins on the council passed the Schon Charter, the cost of hiring laborers within the city has surged dramatically. Not to mention the fees for vaccination emblems and such…”

“For a small, honorable businessman like myself, these are not insignificant sums…”

He appeared quite displeased with the Human Rights Schon Charter enacted by the Kingdom Council. His plump face quivered slightly as he mused, “What was that saying again? Those scoundrels on the council, so sanctimonious, bleeding us dry, invoking God’s name to ensure everyone receives a uniform minimum wage standard…”

“‘We and our successors hereby vow to God, by this charter, to allow adult workers to receive an equal minimum wage…’”

Mr. Fisher recited the original text of the charter next to him. Colin applauded enthusiastically, prompting him to exclaim,

“Precisely, precisely! Damned scoundrels on the council!”

The charter supposedly protected all the kingdom’s free and equal citizens, irrespective of gender or age…

Excluding slaves and those wretched demi-humans, of course.

“We have arrived, Mr. Fisher…”

Having reached the conclusion of the circus grounds, a dark tent loomed before them. Colin rubbed his hands once more and pulled back the curtain for Mr. Fisher.

Inside, the dimly lit tent was illuminated only by a faint, hanging lamp in the center. Around it, shadows whimpered and cowered in filth, a mixture of excrement and discarded food, within stacked iron cages. The deep purple slave emblems adorning their bodies gleamed faintly, highlighting their non-human features.

Mr. Fisher instinctively covered his nose and mouth. Seeing this, Colin bowed and apologetically stated,

“Mr. Fisher, you may wait outside. I shall have someone bring out the merchandise… As we discussed, five female Dragon-man Species, correct?”