4 Bane of Men, Envy of Women

The adventurers stopped in their tracks and stared at each other. They don't want to hurt the girls, they just want to teach Kei a lesson. The adventurer with above average looks stepped forward to mediate between the two parties.

"Ladies, we don't want to hurt you so please step aside."

Tifa raised one of her beautiful eyebrows and looked at him. "If we refuse?"

"Why must you girls be like this? We only want to teach that brat a lesson." A skinny adventurer said.

"How about you accompany us instead of that guy? If you do, we will forget about this little incident." A middle aged man spoke from the side.

"That's a great idea! Our party is looking for new members. Join our party instead!" A suave looking adventurer leered at the two of them.

"Hmmp! I thought you were righteous men, but all of you are just horny dogs." Kei said. "The handsome me is disgusted with all of you! Pitui!"

His spittle flew far and hit the suave looking adventurer's face.

"You Bastard!" The suave looking adventurer lunged at Kei with a vengeance. He was met with Milfa's fist and flew to the other side of the room hitting tables as he pass by.

"Don't try our patience little girls! If you want to play rough, this daddy will accompany you!" The middle-aged adventurer swung his broadsword.

"Guys, let us all calm down! How about I give all of you my autograph? Sounds good right?" Kei said.

All the adventurers including the bartender glared at him.

"You know, this wouldn't have happened, if you weren't envious of my handsome looks." Kei paused and gave everyone a smile. "I mean, I know I'm good looking, but what does it have to do with you people?"

The adventurers flinched at Kei's question. They tried to recall what happened when Kei's party entered the tavern. All he did was say that "he was handsome" and nothing more.

He might only be slightly better looking than a goblin, but so what? Can't someone with those kind of looks call themselves handsome? If they can't call themselves handsome, then who will?

They got agitated because there are twin beauties by his side. They felt like it was a waste that they are accompanying someone like him, instead of someone like them. They all glanced at each other in dismay. Even the bartender were deep in thought.

They all realized that the one who was in the wrong was them and not Kei.

"Handsome young master, you don't have to say anything. These men won't understand." Milfa said.

Kei tapped her shoulder with his hand and shook his head.

"Master, I'll pay for the damages I've caused in your establishment". Kei stepped forward and headed towards the bartender. Tifa and Milfa stood in place and remained vigilant.

The adventurers made a path for him. They felt ashamed of themselves for getting riled up because of envy and jealousy. They went back to their tables and resumed their drinking. Kei arrived at the counter and placed a gold coin on top of it.

The bartender almost choked when he saw the single gold coin on top of his counter.

The bartender muttered something in a low voice that only Kei can hear, "You expect to pay the damages in my tavern with a single gold coin? Do you want me to slap you?!"

Kei chuckled and added another gold coin. He smirked at the bartender as if saying "See? I added one more, I'm not only handsome but generous as well."

The bartender snorted, "You call this generosity? It will cost me ten gold coins to repair all the damages your party has done to my store, and you only give me two gold coins?"

Kei's lips twitched. He pondered for a bit and added eight more gold coins and one copper coin on the counter.

The bartender didn't know whether he should laugh or cry at this young man's "generosity." He grudgingly accepted the compensation and sighed.

"So what will you be having?" The bartender asked.

"Give me your specialty of the day. Please make it good for three people. No wine, but fruit juice will do." Kei said.

The bartender nodded and left.

Tifa and Milfa occupied a vacant table and Kei sat beside them.

Kei winked at the two ladies in front of him. "Mmm, we always get in trouble because the two of you are beautiful. It might be a great idea if both of you wear veils or masks the next time we go on a trip."

"Handsome young master, most of the time we get into trouble because of you." Tifa said, smiling.

"Yes, handsome young master you are a troublemaker." Milfa supported her sister.

Kei rolled his eyes at the two of them and brushed his eyebrows with his finger. Tifa and Milfa are identical twins and the only way to differentiate the two of them are their eyes. Both of them have light-brown eyes, but if you look close enough, you'll see the difference.

"Excuse me, here is your order." A young man in his teens accompanied by the bartender gently set down a tray of sandwiches on their table. His eye lingered on the twins for a few seconds, before he turned around and went back to the kitchen.

The bartender, on the other hand, set down a small tray of salad, and a jug of fruit juice. He gave Kei a brief nod and went back to the counter.

"Poor lad, I bet he'll be dreaming of the two of you tonight." Kei said.

Tifa chuckled and Milfa gave Kei a wink. The twins are simply the bane of men, and their curvaceous body is the envy of women. Kei can't recount the number of incidents, that had transpired during their journey because of the two women accompanying him.

He knew that there will be a few more incidents along the way and it gave him a headache.

"Later, we're going to buy masks for the two of you." Kei commented.

"As you wish, handsome young master." the twins said at the same time.

Kei grabbed a sandwich and took a big bite.

"Mmm, roast pork and pickled cucumber sandwich, not bad." Kei said.

He briefly glanced at two ladies who were eating their sandwich. He can tell that the cook gave them special treatment and prepared "smoked salmon salad sandwich" just for the two of them.

He decided to turn a blind eye on the cook's discrimination and asked Tifa a serious question.

"Will we meet Little John in the next town?"

"Yes, handsome young master. One of the messenger hawks arrived yesterday while you were writing letters. Little John and her sister Little Daisy will be waiting for our arrival in the next town."

There was a tinge of excitement in her voice when she mentioned Little John's letter.

Tifa has liked Little John for years, but he's too dense to understand her advances. Kei decided to just watch from the side and let nature take its course. He hoped that Tifa won't get impatient and beat the crap out of Little John for being a dense protagonist.

'I hate dense protagonist the most.'

[A/N: I hate them too.]

Kei asked, "Oh? He brought Little Daisy as well?"

"Yes, he's too worried about leaving her sister alone."

"He did the right thing. I too will be worried if he left Little Daisy alone."

Milfa listened to the conversation while eating her sandwich. It didn't take long before the three finish their breakfast and left the tavern. Kei headed to a craft artisan's shop and bought the twins suitable masks to hide their faces.

He pondered for a bit and decided to buy a few expensive masks with special abilities. Kei had a nagging feeling that they will be needing them soon.