I don't want to be an elf!

"I...I abstain."

With her head hanging low and limp, Tohka Yatogami bit her lip in resentment and declared her surrender.

The centaur girl ate the hot dog on her plate and let out a burp.

"So, I hereby declare the winner of the 87th Eating Contest at Corinnatilchi Food Street."

Seeing that the two competitive eaters had finally decided the winner, the host, who was usually quite shrewd, finally breathed a sigh of relief and quickly shone the spotlight on the centaur girl.

"Winning by the margin of a hot dog, let's give a round of applause to this year's competitive eating contest!"

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Girls' Wishes

In the end, the ten copper coins were wasted.

After the competitive eating contest ended, Tohka Yatogami gently rubbed her stomach as she walked down the street, supported by Nephren.

"Damn it! If that centaur hadn't interfered, I would definitely have won this eating contest." Tohka Yatogami waved her fist in frustration. "Even the Cyclops couldn't eat me. If I had to compete with her again on an empty stomach, I definitely wouldn't lose!"

“I always wondered if there was something wrong with your stomach when I saw you eating so much before,” Nephren said casually. “But seeing you eat even more than me today makes me feel at ease.”

"Waaaaah, gold coins, my gold coins!"

What do you want the gold coins for?

"Isn't money a necessity if you want to buy things?"

"That's true, but you're already full, so you can't eat anything else for a while. Is there anything else you'd like to buy?"

"Um......"

Tohka Yatogami said somewhat dejectedly, "I originally wanted to win this match and then use the gold coins to buy Ren some gifts, because I've been the one spending the money, and Ren hasn't bought anything."

Upon hearing this, Nephren blinked and glanced at her with some surprise.

I never expected that this was the reason she participated in the competition.

Nephren thought she just wanted to eat it.

However, upon closer reflection, it's not actually that surprising.

Rather, it does seem like something that Yatogami Tohka would do.

At first, I was attracted by the various foods in the food street, and all my energy was taken away by the dazzling array of goods. After calming down a bit, I found that I had spent most of the money, while Nefertion had not spent a penny.

He participated in the eating contest to make amends to Nephren, hoping to win the prize money to do something for her, but in the end he lost and failed to win first place.

"Idiot." Nephren sighed softly. "Just take care of yourself. You don't need to worry about me."

“But Ren must also want something, right?” Yatogami Tohka touched her forehead, which didn’t hurt at all. “The money William gave us was for the two of us to spend, but I spent it all. I feel like I’ve let you down.”

"It's okay, didn't you share the food you bought with me?"

“That’s true…” Yatogami Tohka scratched her head in distress. “There’s no other way now. Is there anything you want to do, Ren? I’ll do anything for you, as a small compensation.”

“What I wanted to do, I’ve been doing from the very beginning.” Nephren looked around at the scenery. “Exploring the unknown things in the city, that’s what I want to do now, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

"I feel like this argument is a bit dishonest."

"This is true."

"Is there anywhere else Lian wants to go?"

"Where do I want to go... let me think."

After thinking for a while, Nephren suddenly remembered something and said with some interest, "I read about it when I was in school. There's a wishing well in Corinthians, and if you make a wish sincerely, it will come true."

Wow! I didn't know there were such convenient places!

"I want to go there and see, even if I can't actually fulfill my wish, I can at least settle one of my long-cherished desires."

"Okay, let's go there then!"

Her stomach felt a little better, and Tohka Yatogami was able to walk on her own.

The two asked local residents along the way, hoping to find out the location of the wishing well.

Most of the residents here are very friendly, and they soon learned the location of their desired destination from them.

Walking along the road, Yatogami Tohka asked curiously, "If the Wishing Well is real, what wish does Ren have that he wants to have granted?"

Yes, there are many.

If you could only have one wish granted, which one would you want to come true?

Nephren fell into deep thought.

She did indeed have many wishes, such as not being troubled by the corruption of her past life, surviving every battle, Chtholly and William living happily, her cooking skills becoming as good as Nigolan's, and the children of the Fourth Fairy Warehouse growing up healthy...

But if I could only choose one, then it really would have to be that one.

“I hope the Seventeenth Beast can disappear from this world,” Nephren said.

This wish is not actually uncommon among people in this world.

Rather, it would be more accurate to say that, regardless of whether they are beastmen or non-humans, many of them wish for the disappearance of the seventeen beasts that wreak havoc on the world.

As a Golden Fairy, Nephren's reason for wanting the Seventeen Beasts to disappear is obvious.

“If they disappear, the Golden Fairies won’t need to fight anymore,” Nephren said. “After world peace, they can continue living like ordinary people.”

"Hmm, it seems like a wish that Lianhui made."

Yatogami Tohka slowly nodded, then rolled up her sleeves and made a muscle-flexing gesture: "Although the gods of this world may not be able to hear Ren's wish, it doesn't matter, I will fulfill Ren's wish!"

"what do you want to do?"

"Of course, we should drive out all seventeen beasts, leaving not a single one alive!"

Upon hearing this, Nephren simply shook her head with a hint of helplessness.

The Seventeen Beasts have occupied the earth for over a hundred years, and their numbers are unknown.

It is impossible to completely eliminate them.

However, she had no intention of seriously refuting Tohka Yatogami, taking it as just a joke.

"What about Tohka?"

Nephren didn't dwell on her own wish, but instead asked, "If you had one wish that would come true, what would you wish for?"

"Hmm... let me think..."

Yatogami Tohka fell into deep thought.

Her expression was very conflicted, her eyebrows furrowed together, as if she were really thinking about something very important.

"Ah! That's right!"

After a long while, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, she excitedly exclaimed, "I want a stomach that can never be full, no matter how much I eat!"

"I thought you already had one."

"No way! If I really had, I wouldn't have lost to that centaur girl!"

"To me, your stomach is already a bottomless pit. If the gods really grant your wish, not only Nigolan, but even I will have a headache."

"Hmm...then I'll change my wish."

Yatogami Tohka scratched her head, and this time she didn't think for long before changing her wish and saying, "I hope Ren's wish can be fulfilled, that's my new wish!"

"I feel like this argument is a bit dishonest."

"That's the truth."

Yatogami Tohka smiled and gave two thumbs up: "If Nephren's wish can come true, won't I have more time to learn cooking? That way, my late-night snacks can be more plentiful. It's a win-win situation!"

"That's right."

Nephren nodded slightly, gazing at the sky as if imagining that kind of future.

"If only it could really happen."

Chapter Thirty-Eight: An Invitation from the Sage

Guided by local residents, the two walked through the streets and alleys and finally arrived at the legendary wishing well.

This is a fairly formally constructed well, carved from marble.

For a well, this was far beyond its value.

The wishing well looked very clean, with no trash around it and no moss on the well itself.

"Oh!"

Upon seeing what she had longed to see for so long, Nephren quickened her pace with a hint of excitement and arrived at the wishing well.

She stuck her head into the well and saw clear groundwater, as well as some coins stuck in the silt that had not yet been washed away.

"Looks like we haven't come to the wrong place."

Although she still had a blank expression, Tohka Yatogami could clearly sense the satisfaction in her tone.

It's like a child finally getting the toy they wanted.

Although she always tried to act mature and like a guardian in front of Yatogami Tohka, that didn't mean that was her true role.

Whether on the battlefield or in the Fourth Fairy Warehouse, Nephren was always the one being taken care of, but when facing Yatogami Tohka, she had no choice but to become the one taking care of others.

This is not because it is a job requirement like Nigolan's, nor because it is an obligation like Chtholly's.

Simply because someone has to take care of Tohka Yatogami.

Therefore, Nephren, who was closest to Yatogami Tohka, had no choice but to take on this responsibility.

Essentially, Nephren and Yatogami Tohka are both just children who need to be taken care of.

"Wow! There looks like there's a lot of money inside."

Yatogami Tohka, mimicking Nephren, lay down by the well and stuck her head inside: "Anyway, nobody wants me, right? In that case, let me—!"

However, before she could finish speaking, she was pulled out by Nephren.

"What are you thinking?" Nephren sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Why do you think this money is left here? Be careful, or you won't be able to get back up."