"I'll go."

Looking at Ogre's outfit, even Mima started to feel that the clothes she bought were too flashy.

But she knew it was an illusion—when someone is good-looking, anything they wear looks good.

'If the girl who sparked the Trojan War looked like this, it wouldn't be surprising. Even the legendary succubus couldn't compare.'

Mima silently admired and lamented in her heart.

Admiring the beauty, lamenting the identity.

When transcendent beauty falls upon an ordinary person, it's often not a blessing but a disaster, like obtaining a treasure that doesn't belong to you.

"Aunt Mima." Seeing the door open for the third time, Macal smiled, "Is Miss Geling okay?"

Macal felt more pity than anything else for Geling.

After all, Ogre was in disguise at the time—his altered face wasn't as attractive.

"Brother Geling is fine, give me the stuff." Mima pretended to be enthusiastic as she took the basket from Macal's hands.

Macal didn't think much of it and handed over the basket, after all, it was his aunt.

As an orphan, after his uncle's death, Mima was the closest person to him.

"Alright, little Carl, you can go eat now." Mima left a word and closed the door again.

"Huh?!"

Macal stared blankly at the door that opened and closed three times, feeling that something was off...

No...

Why was he suddenly being disliked?

For a moment, he felt like he was being kicked out.

'Could it be that Miss Geling did something?'

Macal wondered in his heart. He was sent to protect Geling, but now he couldn't even meet her.

Wasn't this failing the mission?

What if something happened?

"No, I can't let Aunt Mima have her way this time. They don't understand what the Grand Knight's emblem represents... But what if something really happened?"

Macal was torn inside.

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...

"Maybe I shouldn't disguise myself..." Maggie thought that if she were this pretty, she definitely wouldn't hide it.

Why cover up such beauty?

"My dear daughter, being pretty isn't necessarily a good thing..." Mima sighed.

"Why, Mom? Isn't it good to look nice?" Maggie asked, puzzled.

She hadn't inherited Mima's youthful beauty and instead resembled her late father.

Though not ugly, she couldn't be called pretty either.

"You, you haven't read as many books as I have. Have you forgotten the fate of the Fox People? It was their beauty that led to their downfall."

Mima began to tell the story while carefully undoing Ogre's hair.

The Fox People were a branch of the beastmen.

Short, cunning, and fierce were their trademarks.

Sounds like a certain green creature, doesn't it?

That's right, the early Fox People weren't much different from Goblins, except the Fox People were predominantly female, unlike the male-dominated Goblins.

So they relied heavily on males from other races, often draining them dry.

This wasn't much of an issue.

At most, they were just fox-like Goblins.

But until a mad sorcerer discovered another trait of the Fox People—by breeding three generations of hybrids with the same species, the Fox People could give birth to offspring with nearly pure bloodlines.

Soon, a creature known as the Fox Girl was born.

Short-lived, docile, beautiful.

These were the traits of hybrid Fox People, and aside from the ears and tail that revealed their original race, they were almost indistinguishable from humans.

Once they appeared, they were loved by the nobility.

Thus, traditional Fox People quickly disappeared...

Leaving behind only the hybrid Fox Girls, who were slaves for generations—a popular commodity in the Black Market slave trade to this day.

This could be considered an extinction.

It's worth mentioning that because of the 'successful' case of the Fox People, sorcerers later tried with Goblins...

But it seemed to have failed.

'Isn't this just a story...'

Ogre had read about the Fox People, and he seemed to remember that Fox Girls were created by feeding them shapeshifter fluid...

Yes, regardless of gender, drinking it would turn them into Fox Girls.

Which version was true and which was false, Ogre wasn't sure.

He only remembered the evaluation in the encyclopedia—Fox People, meat as sour as rot, not recommended for consumption, of very low value.

"Hmph, just a story made up by disgusting old noblemen." Maggie snorted in rebuttal, "Elves are so beautiful, and they're fine."

'That's because Elves are strong...' Ogre silently retorted in his heart.

Dragon-shaped girls are also very beautiful, and they're fine too—is it because nobles don't like them?

No, it's because they're too dangerous.

Only some dragons are fond of humans, and they only fancy brave heroes, most of whom are silver dragons.

These dragons transform into various beautiful girls and join heroes, becoming their partners.

They're not only excellent companions but also powerful mounts.

However, Ogre remembered that the male-to-female ratio among dragons was about 1.5 to 1, so among those dragon girls... statistically, quite a few should be male.

After all, dragons are known for being bisexual, with an appreciation for all races...

To this day, no book has dared claim it has cataloged all drake species.

'In a sense, humans with dragon blood might also be considered mutants.' Ogre thought to himself.

This is probably the only type of mutant recognized by the Church of Dawn.

After all, aside from being lustful, humans with dragon blood are completely controllable—unlike werewolves, vampires, ghouls, and shadow demons, who either linger between madness and cruelty or have various defects.

"How can you compare Fox People to Elves?" Mima glared at Maggie.

Maggie just playfully stuck out her tongue, "Mom, you're going to spoil Sister Geling."

"Just because I don't talk about it doesn't mean these things don't exist." Mima snorted.

Maggie looked a bit heartbroken at her carefully styled hair being turned into a simple ornament, "I just think it's better to be pretty, right, Sister Geling?"

"Mm..." Ogre shook his head, indicating his protest.

If he hadn't disguised himself, he would have become a commodity long ago.

"Hmph, you don't understand how important looks are to a girl." Maggie pursed her lips.

'I only know that Goblins prefer to capture the pretty ones first...' Ogre sighed silently.

People always romanticize and fantasize about what they can't have.

But in reality, all beautiful things need strong power to support them, or these advantages will only end up as measures of a commodity's value.

Ogre wasn't sure which story about the Fox Girls was true.

But Fox Girls in the slave market were indeed one of the best-selling types of slaves, even more popular than strong troll servants.

But no matter how well they sold, these slaves shared a common trait—the value they created didn't belong to them.

"Oh, no matter how important, in the end, you still have to get married. Maggie, look at the other girls in the village, they're all married off, but you're still so unserious. At your age, I was already three years old."

Mima chided with a hint of exasperation.

She knew better than Maggie the benefits of beauty, but she also knew that the benefits gained from beauty would eventually fade away with it.

Temporary beauty often blinds one to their true self.

"Not at all, my true love must be a strong adventurer, at least stronger than me, or I'd rather stay single." Maggie looked at Mima's slightly darkened face and finally smiled sheepishly, "I just want to spend more time with my mother."

Mima was amused and scolded, "You cheeky girl."

Watching the mother and daughter who were like friends.

Ogre couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for something so ordinary.

It's often only after losing something that you realize its value.

'If I could trade this face to bring Father back... I would.'

There's no better deal than that...

At least, that's what Ogre thought.