"So... you had your fun?" Kaeya asked dryly.

Tyler stepped down from the wooden walkway, looking noticeably refreshed. A faint smear of milk lingered at the corner of his lips. He noticed her gaze, paused, and wiped it away with the back of his hand as if nothing unusual had happened.

"Well, it’s been many days since I last saw them, so..." His voice trailed off, deliberately vague. Before Kaeya could press him further, he smoothly shifted the topic. "Anyway, what do you think of this place? I even asked the Fruit Tribe villagers to build a house for you if you decide to stay."

Kaeya glanced around again, this time more carefully. Morning light filtered through the branches, scattering warm gold across the fields. The air carried the scent of flowers and damp earth, clean and comforting. Giant butterflies drifted lazily above the crops, and the low hum of bees blended with birdsong.

"It’s... surprisingly peaceful," she admitted. "And the food here is incredible. Everything tastes fresh, like it was harvested just moments ago."

Tyler smiled faintly. "That’s because most of it was. Even the fish are from the forest river nearby. Caught the same day they’re cooked."

As they spoke, a flash of orange dropped from a nearby tree.

An ordinary-looking cat landed lightly on the ground, padded forward, then—mid-step—its body shimmered and reshaped. In the next breath, a curvy cat-eared girl stood there, stretching her arms before leaping straight at Tyler.

He reacted instantly, catching her mid-air with practiced ease.

"Good mornyaaa~" Serena chimed cheerfully, her tail swaying behind her.

Tyler sighed, shaking his head with a mixture of disbelief and resignation. "I still can’t believe that’s you, Serena."

She pouted. "You say that every time."

He studied her for a moment. Compared to the quiet, almost emotionless green-haired girl she used to be, this version of Serena was overflowing with personality. Lively. Expressive. Too expressive, if he was being honest.

He muttered under his breath, "I think I preferred when you barely reacted to anything."

Serena gasped dramatically. "Cruel!"

Kaeya cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem. Perhaps you two can continue your... reunion later?"

Tyler carefully set Serena down. In a blink, she reverted back into an orange cat, flicked her tail at Kaeya, and trotted off as if nothing had happened.

Kaeya crossed her arms. "Can you help me with something important now? I need clues about this druid."

Tyler’s expression grew thoughtful. "Alright. I’ll ask Kristina to speak with the Fruit Tribe villagers. She’s been handling most of the trading and negotiations anyway."

"Only them?" Kaeya asked. "Or can you reach out to the other tribes as well?"

Tyler shrugged. "I don’t have direct ties with all of them. But information moves fast in forests like this. We can offer rewards. I stocked up on plenty of useful goods when I was in town."

Kaeya studied him quietly for a moment. He spoke of supplies and rewards as casually as if they were spare coins, yet she knew how valuable these resources in the forest.

"...Thank you," she said at last, her tone sincere. "I’ll repay you when this is over."

Tyler nodded once. "No rush. Let’s just focus on finding what you’re looking for."

---

Soon after, Tyler asked Chole where Kristina had gone, only for the answer to arrive on its own.

A knock echoed from the gate.

Kristina had just returned from outside.

Tyler and Chole walked toward the entrance together, but both of them slowed to a halt when they saw what awaited them beyond the fence. Kristina stood at the front, calm as ever, while behind her waited a small group of women—seven in total—of different races and ages. They were all wrapped head to toe in simple white sheets, standing quietly in a line.

Before Tyler could ask a single question, a man stepped forward from the side. He wore the light leathers of the Fruit Tribe, with small deer horns rising from his head and soft deer ears flicking nervously as he bowed deeply.

"Honorable sir," the man said respectfully, his tone careful and sincere. "We of the Fruit Tribe are deeply grateful that you have allowed us to settle within your territory. We heard that you have returned, and so we wished to offer our assistance."

He gestured toward the women behind him.

"These are volunteers. Helpers. No one has been forced. They have come of their own will, to work, to serve, and to build goodwill between our tribe and you. Please use their help as you see fit."

Tyler froze.

His mouth twitched slightly as his mind raced to understand what was happening—and more importantly, how to refuse without offending an entire tribe.

Before he could speak, Kristina stepped closer and whispered quietly, "They believe you are a druid. Among forest tribes, offering food is a way of forming a bond. To them, this is respect, not... anything else. But I never heard of offering women, maybe it’s better not to refuse them."

Tyler exhaled slowly.

"Alright," he said at last, keeping his voice even. "Let them enter."

Relief washed over the Fruit Tribe representative’s face. He bowed again, clearly grateful.

As he turned to leave, he paused beside one of the women— a graceful middle-aged lady with deer ears and calm eyes.

"Mother," he said gently. "Please ensure no one offends our host."

Tyler’s mouth twitched again.

Then the man moved to another woman, younger but equally composed, standing close beside her.

"My wife," he added. "Please make sure everyone works diligently."

Tyler felt his expression stiffen.

Finally, he approached a smaller figure standing quietly near the back—someone who looked young, though Tyler knew better than to judge age by appearance in this world.

"My daughter," the man said, resting a hand lightly on her shoulder. "Learn well. Help your mother and Grandmother."

With that, he bowed one last time and departed.

Tyler stood there in silence for a long moment, forcing his face back into something neutral.

Once inside the compound, Chole looked at the group with gentle curiosity.

"Why were you all covered in white sheets?" she asked softly.

The women exchanged glances, then one by one dropped the cloth.

They weren’t completely naked the way Tyler had fantasized, but heck, he wasn’t far off.

Each woman wore next to nothing: just two pitiful green leaves tied together with thin string. The leaves were small, barely palm-sized and positioned so carelessly that they only half-covered their nipples. The dark areolas peeked out on both sides, and the undersides of their full breasts spilled free with every tiny movement. The string dug slightly into the soft flesh, making the leaves ride up even higher.

Lower down, another crude string was knotted around their hips like a makeshift thong. A single leaf hung in front, barely wide enough to cover their lower lips; the edges curled inward from the humidity, letting the smooth outer folds and a hint of their slit show on either side. Behind them, an identical leaf was supposed to hide their rear. but it did an even worse job, sliding upward so the cleft of their cheeks and the tight pucker between them were almost completely exposed.

A faint breeze slipped through the trees.

The front leaf lifted and fluttered sideways like it was teasing. For a full second their bare lower lips was on display, glistening slightly, lips parted just enough to show the wet pink inside. The back leaf flipped up at the same moment, baring the round curves of their ass and the shadowed line running between them.

Tyler’s brain short-circuited.

"Okay... what the actual fuck?" he breathed, voice cracking somewhere between shock and raw hunger.