Jodi
"WHAT." 

*Was the response the Oni gave, loud enough for the entire room to hear and half of the tavern to turn around looking. The Oni seems to be in shock. He lifted his hand to his head, and blinked a few time, scratching his black hair.*

"Uh... Yes, right, ok. Well, you see, my kind is not really well liked around here, but I have important works as a craftman. Specifically, I specialize in crafting ice-infused delicacies, and I serve numerous local lords. The problem? Some of them think I am a really, really bad influence at court, but of course I have the patronage of my clients.."

"Still, some of their more paranoid family members wouldn't like me around, so I could use your protection while I am on my way to prepare an icy feast for Lord Bogginton the next town over. His uncle doesn't like me."
Jerry
*The shocked response he gave actually earned him a brief chuckle from Yumiko. Though she meant it as a sarcastic joke, the reaction really was priceless. Maybe she should do this for all her clients in the future?*

*She listened intently to his explanation and raised an eyebrow. Iced infused delicacies? That was unexpected. Yumiko had him pegged for someone who did heavy labour, not a delicate chef. Surprises can come from anywhere it seemed.*

"I understand. Oriates are often given strange looks, though our appearance elicits more positive reactions than bad. I bear you no prejudice, and I promise to be your sword and shield until the contract is fulfilled."

*Yumiko flashed him a warm smile, hoping to put him at ease if he did feel any nervousness at all. For the duration of the job, they needed to at least trust each other.*

"My name is Yumiko. Would you like to leave now or would you like to finish your drink first?"
Jodi
*The Oni seems to have recovered his nerves after the terrible joke.*

"You may have it a bit easier than us. I know some tribesmen in the Empire revers Oriates, and in many case, I know many Macens like you kinds look. Us on the other hand.."

"Big scary burly demon. Not the type you expect to be serving iced drinks or iced cream, right?" *He chuckled and finished the rest of his mug in a single gulp.*

"I'll not waste your time any longer, let's get on our way." *The Oni stood up and walked outside of the tavern. A few feets before he reach the door, the tavernkeeper's raised voice would echo around the tavern.*

"CARE FOR THE BEAM!" 

*Too late, it seems, as a loud thud indicated the Oni managed to hit his head on one of the supporting beam.*

*A chorus of laughter followed from the tavern, and the Oni lowered his head with a pained look, wandering outside with the Kemonomimi behind.*
Jerry
*Yumiko shrugged and followed him outside, keeping up pace so that she walked alongside him and not behind him.*

"Are you okay?" *She asked, a hint of concern in her voice.* "I would think that such an incident would happen often consdering your imposing size."
Jodi
"I've been serving iced creams for years, but Macen buildings still get me from time to time. Back where I came from, the roof tends to be much higher."

*He rubbed his head and walked toward a stable next to the tavern, and then talked to a stable boy. Moments later he came out with a pair of draft horse and a wagon attached to it, with a large amount of goods covered by canvas cloth.*

"Hop on the front, we'll be sitting side by side." 

*Now that they are in the open, she could notice that the Oni carried a long sword, though it seems to be designed for a one-handed grip and is longer than usual. A shield and a crossbow with a goat's foot lever was also present on his cart, along with bolts and a quiver.*

"We're delivering food!"
Jerry
"I've actually never had the luxury of eating ice-cream before. What does it entail exactly? Like... How is it made? I know it's sweet."

*She inquired, hopping up onto the front of the cart with the graceful agility of a Kemonomimi. Yumiko's fingers brushed against the front of the wagon, making a few audible taps with her fingers.*

*Yumiko had never ridden atop a wagon either. A horse yes, but not a wagon. Though she didn't want to admit such an embarassing fact. It felt like everyone had ridden wagons except for her by now.*

"Huh..." *She glanced over appreciatively at his weaponry. It seemed like he was capable of defending himself— that was good. Yumiko respected that strength and willingness. It also meant that she didn't have to babysit him throughout the journey, thank the forest.*
Jodi
*The Oni grabbed the reins of the horse and drove it forward. It started moving on the road out toward the town gate. The road was quite steady, though occasional bumps could make the ride uncomfortable. Still, this town's road was quite well-maintained.

The Oni looked to the side and observed her tapping against the wagon briefly.*

"Well, first, I use my magic to conjure the ice and breaks them down, and then I would break them down and mixes various sugar, spices and such, make them into a creamy texture. I know some who uses salt and tin pots, but I have the assistance of magic to make the creamiest, fattiest cream from it."

"I also make different type of iced delicacies, and part of my business is to use my magical techniques to preserve food, so they could be brought into place they would never be seen before - Today I bought four cod caught off the coast, with shellfishes, and they are all in the back preserved by magic and will be served to the lord."

*The Oni started explaining his work and food happily, and before they know it, they are already out of the town and travelling toward the town. So far, so good, nothing happening.*
Jerry
*Yumiko listened on with keen fascination. The use of the Oni's magic was admittedly rather creative. She learned a few things today; magic could be used in a lot of lucrative ways. Her village had always taught her spells that contributed in some way to bloodshed and warfare. Many often say that an Oriate's appearance was not indicative of their age— though for Yumiko she was still young and inexperienced. The city, the people she met, and the magics she discovered were all still new to her.*

"That's amazing! I didn't realize that meats could be preserved with cooled down temperatures. Back in the village, we used salt instead." *She said, eyes wide and bright with excitement.* "I honestly don't see the problem Macen have with you. Anyone who'd think up something so clever is bound to be useful. What else can y-"

*She stopped her speech abruptly— thousand moons, she almost forgot she was on a job! The Oriate flushed upon the realization and decided to focus her senses towards their surroundings. Keeping alert for danger should've been her first priority from the start.*

"Ah.. A-Ahem. Forgive me. I probably shouldn't be speaking to you so much. The job! The job. You mentioned Lord Bogginton's uncle yes? I'm curious, what made you think you need protection?"

*Yumiko couldn't help but shoot glances over back to the Oni however, cheeks still reddened from the exposure of her earlier outburst.*
Jodi
"Mhmm. It often becomes very hot up north, and our tribe need to preserve precious food. Some of the tribe's best food are preserved in underground chambers we dig out, stored together with ice conjured by ice magic. I got a bit creative with this tradition, and developed a whole new line of iced desserts with a few fellow Blue Oni mage. Then I travelled south to richer land and started earning plenty of money. Soon I can afford my own house!"

*The Oni seems to be infected by the Oriate's eagerness, and seems remarkably happy, with a wide, beaming smile plastered on his face.*

"Right right, we might be in unexpected danger, you are correct." *He looked around, but there was still nothing to be seen...*

*Another mile of travel later, the Oni would stand up on the wagon after halting it.*

"We're almost there, just two more mile before we reach the town."

*He sat down and continued driving the wagon forward, and stopped moving once he saw a felled tree in the way, 300 feet away*

"Ah shit, here we go again." *The Oni murmured to himself, and then grabbed his crossbow immediately.*

*The surrounding is clear, with a few sparse trees lining the side of the road. The road is elevated above an endless expanses of farmland. It is the middle of spring, and the rice planted here are short, barely enough to cover a person's lower leg.*
Jerry
"Enemies?" *She asked, drawing Hashimoto from its scabbard and taking a look around her. Yumiko had a few suspicions on what was happening. Either it was a bandit attack or a mercenary hired by unwanted party. If it was the latter, then it was rather laughable, considering she'd be tangling with one just like her.*

*Yumiko activated her sword technique; the Meandering Dance. Magic blossomed around her and luminescent petals swirled. Hopefully the display of her magical ability would be enough to drive the enemies away. If not... Well, if they were going to run afterwards, she wouldn't let them get away. Yumiko didn't know many people who could outrun a bloodthisty Oriate.*
Jodi
"Yes, enemies." *The Oni pointed at two blurry figures behind the trees. And as soon as he pointed at them, two more emerged. It seems they have number on their side.*

"Looks like they're hiring extras!" *He exclaimed. Upon closer examination one would realize all of them were equipped with lightly curved sabers and kite shield, except for one person with a pair of spears. All of them wore aketon or gambeson, and three of them had a set of sallet and almain-rivet armour, covering their chest and upper arms, once again, except the guy with a spear.*

*The four started to approach in formation quickly, and the Oni loaded a bolt onto his crossbow, drawing it with his bare hand, then loosened a shot in their direction. The shot missed.*

"Suppose it'd be melee time then."

*The attackers doesn't seems to be intimidated at all. They are 200 feet away. The road is roughly 14 feet apart, and has a 2 feet wide slope descending onto the farmland to the side. The farmland are somewhat wet, muddy rice paddies.*
Jerry
*Yumiko's grip tightened on her blade as she observed the advantage of numbers they held. She was not going to earn an easy victory, even with her magical abilities.*

"How many of them can you take a time?" *She asked, glaring towards them. There were a few ideas forming in her head already...*

"Actually, don't answer that. I'll take half and you take the other half."

*Yumiko rushed forwards, sprinting at full speed towards the ambushers.*
Jodi
*The Oni quickly dropped his crossbow, and grabbed, then strapped the oversized kite shield to himself. With the other hand he drew his "Short" Sword and charged besides her. He was remarkably slower than her.*

"Oi! Don't outrun me!" *The Oni called out, worried that she would end up fighting four to one before he get there.

With the Kemonomimi sprinting toward them the distance between the two group would close to 50 feet, with the Oni some 100 feet away, still trying to catch up. He'd rather not run and exhaust himself early.*

*The group of four braced their shields and formed a loose shield wall, with the spearman standing behind them. Now that she has closed in, she could notice that the three swordmen looked somewhat older and experienced, while the spearman seems to be a young Macen, with a bit of hesitation in his eyes.*
Jerry
"I'm the mercenary, no sweat off your back if I'm the one getting injured!"

*Besides, she really didn't want these Macen getting their way at all. The loose shield wall they formed was a common strategy. Cowards. She was going to enjoy this very, very much.*

*As she got closer and closer, Yumiko abruptly stopped just short of several feet and jumped high above them. As she soared above them, she prepared a talisman in midair, launching it downwards onto the spearman.*

*Immediately it flew forwards at high speeds, reaching its destination in almost an instant given their close proximity. A bird of blue energy rushed downwards and exploded, causing an electrical blast which travelled through armour and into his bodies. Should this maneuver have succeeded, the target would suffer a severe shock and be stunned for the next turn.*

*Regardless, Yumiko would land gracefully several feet behind the shield wall. She entered a stance as she landed, casting a Mana Burst which strengthened her muscles with mana.*
Jodi
*The talisman flew forward and landed onto the shield of one of the swordman. Blue, visible energy coursed through the man as he shook and shuddered, with a slight burn appearing on his shield-holding hand, though it wasn't visible from this angle. He fell onto the ground, dazed with his mouth open wide.

The other two swordman turned toward the kemonomimi that landed behind them. Since she would be recovering from the strike, they both charged with sword raised, each preparing to make a horizontal slash at her.

Meanwhile the spearman backed off from her from his position behind the shieldwall, aiming his spear, held in his two hands, at her.*

"Y-..You better run!" *The spearman screamed in an unusually adolescent voice. But it looked like he wasn't advancing anytime soon.*
Jerry
"Sluggish." 

*Yumiko murmured, the magic enhancing her reflexes allowing her to duck downwards to dodge their slashes. She retaliated with a counterattack with her sword, angling it just right to stab upwards into the crotch of the one at her left. The sword would proceed to ignite into flames the moment she felt any impact, hoping to at least catch his gambeson on fire if it didn't hit and give him a very, very painful shock if it did.*

*The man whom she shocked probably was most likely going to recover soon, but hopefully the Oni managed to arrive on time by then. For now, she was dealing with the brunt of multiple experienced mercenaries— except for the boy, whom was most likely a fledgling like herself.*

*She wondered if she could keep him? The Empire allowed slavery did it not? Having a Macen at her beck and call would be amusing.*
Jodi
*As the sword went toward the crotch of the swordman on her left, he would bring his shield to block or parry it. Unfortunately for him the girl's sword was travelling faster than expected, so he only managed a partial deflection, with the sword making a loud noise as it was barely parried into the bottom of his breastplate, cutting him partially through his gambeson.

The swordman, fearful for his life, continued swinging the shield sideward to control her weapon. His experienced comrade covered his center of mass with his shield, and made an upward thrust with his sword at Yumiko's sword arm. The flame seems to have caught on, but it barely ignited his gambeson - perhaps more contact is needed.

The man she shocked recovered, and stood up to be met by the Oni, who immediately cleaved at him with his sword. Luckily for the mercenary the strike missed, but with the swordman simply backing off from one strike after another, it was clear who has the advantage in the fight.

The spearman finally mustered the bravery to launch an attack, and let out an exaggerated war cry, charging toward her, and tried to stab his spear at her other hand.*
Jerry
*Yumiko let her sword go immediately as she felt the shield push it away, producing two Barrier Talismans and having them manifest. One Talisman formed a semi-transparent screen which curved around her, securing her safety against the attacks the two men. The other Talisman subtly flew towards the Oni's opponent and formed a thin string right behind his legs— with luck, that would trip him up and allow the Oni to secure the kill.

The Barrier was to be immediately broken against the impacts of two attacks, though she used this time to back away several feet and resummon Hashimoto back into her hand. The effects of her strengthening magic was dispelled for the time being, though she kept the flower petals to be able to dodge.*

"You men are working awful hard just to hurt someone. Wouldn't it have been better to hire an assassin to take care of him instead, or did he choose you guys because you were the budget options?"
Jodi
*The screen broke apart against the double attacks, and the two prepared to follow up with another. One swordman approached her steadily from the front, while the other moved to the side of the road, approaching her from the left.

The unsteady boy approached her from the right, eager to surround her.

Some dozen feet away from her, the duel continued on. The Oni braced his shield and charged toward the smaller Macen, aiming to knock him down and finish him off. The Macen nimbly jumped backward to dodge his strike, and then-

Tripped on her talisman.

He fell onto the ground loudly, and the Oni rammed the bottom of his shield into his leg, followed by a powerful slash that cut off one of his foot, leaving him screaming in pain. As if to add insult to injury, the Oni kicked his stomach before he continued on. He would arrive the next turn to intervene in Yumiko's fight.*
Jerry
*Yumiko smirked as one of the mercenaries was taken down. That left only the three that stood before her. In the few seconds of respite and planning she had, she tried her best to analyze the situation in front of her; two experienced warriors, and one hesitant boy. Should his other two comrades fell, he would most likely lose morale and rout.*

*Though that was easier said than done...*

*She clicked her tongue as they approached from all sides. But the odds were starting to become more even now that she had a demonic hunk of muscle on her side. Yumiko gripped her sword tightly and sucked in a deep breath.*

*The Orient surged onwards, poised to tear into the mercenary on the side of the road. She cast a Barrier talisman right into the one in the middle, forming a dome which would serve as a temporary means of containment. Yumiko began the assault by throwing her blade right at her opponent, and was now seemingly rushing forwards unarmed and a determined look on her face.*
Jodi
*Once again the enemy has been surprised by her talisman. And once again she has prevailed because of it. With the mercenary out of the picture wailing and swinging at the talisman, the other one was left alone to deal with her, with a somewhat useless spearman on his side.

The mercenary blinked his eyes as he watched her throw the sword at him, and blocked it seemingly easily with his shield, not knowing what is in stock.

The Oni charged toward the spearman, who seems unaware of a flanker from behind. The mercenary in the dome called out toward him.*

"Watch out!" 

"Huh!?" *The spearman shouted, and let out a loud, pained scream mere moments later, as the Oni cleaved one of his lower leg off, leaving a bleeding, red stump on the floor. Another down. It seems he was aiming for the legs deliberately.*

*The mercenary in the dome looks quite nervous now.*
Jerry
*As the thrown blade was simply blocked, Yumiko used the opportunity to utilize her superior physical capabilities. Yumiko vaulted upwards, one hand on shield as she somersaulted over him. In midair her blade was summoned back into her hand— with it, she attempted to stab right into his neck for a lethal maneuver.*
Jodi
*The mercenary reacted quickly as soon as he felt her hand on his shield, he immediately pulled back his sword, and thrusted it upward into the way of her sword for a parry, hoping to cut the girl's wrist before he could stab his neck.

There was a small gap between his breastplate and helmet. However, hitting it mid-air would be quite difficult to do with him counterattacking Yumiko.

The domed mercenary managed to break out of the dome, and turned toward the Oni, who immediately bellowed out.*

"OVER HERE!" 

*The Oni charged at him with his shield forward.*
Jerry
*Fortunately, her wrist was protected by her metal gauntlets, which defended against the attack easily enough. Yumiko commended his reflexes however, and decided to up the ante by utilizing a spell. She drew a talisman and slammed it right into his armour, the Thunderbird manifesting at point blank and electrifying him.*

*In his hopefully stunned state, she raised her sword and attempted to to cut off one of his legs for a non-lethal takedown.*
Jodi
*The parry was successful, and he managed to save his neck literally. The mercenary's eyes widened in surprise as a talisman appeared - He knew what was going to happen. But unfortunately, it is a bit too late to react.

He fell onto the ground stunned and burnt, and let out a muffled, incoherent scream when one of his lower leg was cut badly. As it was a non-lethal strike, it is assumed that she didn't sever his femoral artery or something like that.*

"I SURRENDER!" *Was what came from the last mercenary, followed by him dropping his sword and shield and raising his hands. Clearly the day wasn't going too well for the four.*

"Miss... Us... Yumiko, can you watch over this one and make sure he don't do anything funny? I will get the rope from the wagon." *The Oni said.*
Jerry
*Yumiko approached the last mercenary, giving him a threatening glare as her sword burned brightly within her hands. She was careful to appraise him and made sure he didn't try anything devious while her friend was gone.*

"You heard the man. No funny stuff, and you can keep your life— and all your limbs too."

*She also gave a few glances towards the others members of the mercenary party. Macen weaponry was quite troublesome to fight against. Especially those damn shields... Yumiko was honestly shocked at their general effectiveness.*

*Yeah, she needed to invest in something that dealt with those.*

"How much were you promised?" *Yumiko asked, curious as to the price of the Oni's head.*

``MANA actually 40, I forgot it regenerataes.``
Jodi
*The mercenary gulped nervously as the girl glared at him with the flaming sword. After she destroyed her comrade and shocked him earlier, he was not inclined to resist whatsoever. The Oni came back with a length of convenient rope, and tied him up.

Then he repeated the same processes for the other three mercenary.*

"You have any healing magic? It would help a lot - Wouldn't want them to die on the way home." *The Oni asked as he kneeled down and started removing the mercenaries' purse, armour, weapons, and everything short of their clothes. He beckoned his horses to come over with the wagon, and started putting the loot on top of it.*

"Don't worry, you'll have a fair share of the loot." 

*The interrogated mercenary finally answered her question.*

"Uhh, a man with a large bag of money offered to hire us at a tavern, gave us fifteen gold as down payment, and promised twenty-five more once we get the job done."
Jerry
"Yeah, I know some healing magic. I don't think I'll be able to heal the legs though, I'm not as skilled as the more dedicated healers."

*Restoring and reattaching lost limbs was sadly outside of her realm of capabilities. However, she was at least able to pour in some mana to stop the bleeding and ease the pain. Yumiko went over to each of the mercenaries, pouring in her mana and mending their wounds.*

*The loss of a limb was probably a lesson well-learned for attempted assasination. She was pretty sure such a thing was illegal in the Salvain Empire, given they had their sickening creed of honour and brotherhood.*

"They could be testimonies to your attempted murder you know?" *Yumiko glanced up over at the Oni.* "You can have them and the person who hired them put in jail for this. Though... You're an Oni, so they probably wouldn't listen you."
Jodi
"That's fine. They just need to be kept alive until we reach the city, I am sure we can find a healer that can fix their limbs."

*He grabbed their body and laid them down on an empty area on the wagon.*

"I'll have to thank you for saving my life today, I'll give you a tip once we've arrived at the city, for now, let's continue on the last two miles."

*The Oni walked over to the tree and with great difficulties, started to push it aside and clear the way for his wagon,*"Lord Bogginton is my patron and doesn't like his ice cream making chef assassinated. I am sure he will bring them to justice. If I may be honest, he might be eager to find out who is behind and get rid of them with this as an excuse."
Jerry
"I'm just doing my job." *Yumiko responded nonchalantly— or at least tried. The praise she got still brought a flush to cheeks.*

*She patiently waited as she watched Everethil push the tree away. Yumiko wasn't the strongest person normally. She utilized magic to level the playing field. It annoyed her that the only edge she had over others was her reflexes and general agility. Though sometimes she wished she could just swing a giant warhammer and crush breastplate like duck eggs.*

*Perhaps in another reality. Yumiko sighed as she waited him to finish so they could get on their way. The quest still wasn't completed after all.*
Jodi
*The Oni got back on the wagon, and invited her to sit together with him. The four mercenaries were binded in a pile securely to eachother with their weapons concealed and tied to the back of the wagon, in case they somehow freed themselves.

In any case, after the last two miles of journey were complete, they arrived at the town. The first order of business was to head straight toward the local Lord's castle. A guard waved at the Oni from a street away.*

"Hello there Mister Ever! Here to serve our Lord food again?" *The guard called out in a friendly tone - Like most people here the guard was a Macen, but he seems to be quite accepting.*

"Yes, yes I am." *He chatted as he handed over a stamped document, which the guard gave a cursory look to.*

"You may enter." *The guard replied. At this point the Oni dismounted and turned toward Yumiko, while a few guards took the four prisoners inside to whatever fate await them.*

"We'll have to part way here, but I should split the loot fairly with you. Here, let's see.."

*He counted the amount of equipments left on the wagon - Three breastplate and helmet, plus three swords and shields. The spear was barely worth anything. But they could fetch a decent amount of money. Of course, there's also the four human goods.*

"I'll split you three gold for the equipments here, as for the bounties on the men, that'll have to wait for the Captain to come out."

*He took out five gold from a belt and handed it over to her.*

"80 silver for the fee, 120 silver as a gratitude and three hundred for the equipments."
Jerry
*Yumiko obliged, and rode together with him in silence whilst she meditated. She had her mana replenish along the way, and she was visibly restless until it was at moderately decent levels. Magic was the only edge she had against others. Without it, she felt vulnerable.* ***Weak.*** *Perhaps it was just a silly thought, but she rarely dared to tread the unknown without a decent supply.*

*As they arrived, Yumiko took to taking in the breathtaking sight of a real, actual castle! The lumbering stone buildings were a rarity in her eyes. The cynic in her dismissed it as some gaudy and pretentious display of wealth and prestige. Though the light of excitement in her eyes betrayed that part of her.*

"Woah.." *She murmured, frozen in her seat.*

*She almost didn't notice that the Oni was offering Yumiko her share of the reward. To which she quickly recovered from her daze.*

"Ah, thanks! It was no big deal. I hope you succeed in your ventures, I'd really like to see your frozen treats commonplace someday **Mister Ever**."

*Yumiko smile was genuine as she took the five gold into her hands and slipped it into her bag. The equipment was... Useless to her, unfortunately. She wasn't a Salvain Knight, she was an Oriate swordswoman.*

*At the mention of the mercenaries, her ears perked up in interest.*

"Oh... You don't think they'll be executed do you? I think one boy didn't really know what he was doing, unlike the other three. They seemed to be experienced mercenaries in contrast. He should be given a little more leniency at least."

*Well, it wasn't like she cared for Macen lives. She just figured that the humans should show a little compassion and understanding in the matter. Nope, she didn't care.*
Jodi
The building was relatively simple, nothing that could be called exceptionally grand, but it had tall, stone walls with four stone towers in the corner. It had a water-filled moat, and is partitioned from the rest of the town. It was the tallest building in the entire town, and had a commanding position that seems to show the Lord's authority. Multiple flags fluttered in the air.

"Of course! I have many, many colleagues that've been wandering around the world, spreading their treats and even teaching their secrets - I've had multiple lords try to buy me into making it their exclusive property. In fact. Let me treat you to something."

He opened one of the canvas-covered box and took out three pots. All pots were made out of clay and sealed.

"Extra tips for you. This one is a pot of iced cream, made with creamy buffalo milk and flavoured traditionally, the other one is flavoured with strawberry. And this one is magically preserved sliced salmon fillet - You don't see them around here a lot - they should be served on rice with soy sauce and sea weed."

He handed her some of the ingredients for what we would know in modern day as sushi. The ice cream were made in a way similar to Kulfi from the indian continent. The pots had a volume of roughly 1 litre, and keeps their contents temperature stable, much like a more powerful, fantasy version of thermal bottles - Once she opened it she would realize that it was 80% salmon, with ice that have never melted in it. All food were of high quality.

The Captain came after ten minutes, and indirectly answered their question.

"The four will be handled by our lord and he thank you for bringing them to justice, they'll be sentenced to the mines, and as gratitude he has ordered me to grant you two bounty money in his name, totaling fifteen gold coins, split evenly between you two."

The usagimimi would be handed seven full gold coin and a half-gold coin for her troubles. Shiny and polished.
Jerry
"W-Woah..." *Yumiko stared down at the gifts presented to her with disbelief. These were high quality treats— all of them! The look of the fish reminded her of the ones made at home. Oriates in her lands often ate fish in a similar manner, though they utilized magic to make it edible.*

"Thanks! I.. I guess. I didn't think I would be able to taste something like this so soon, let alone have it for free."

*She looked up towards the Oni and nervously chuckled, unsure of what to say to express her feelings at the moment. It was mixed between shame, shock, happiness— Yumiko eventually began having second thoughts before remembering the words from her past. Her Uncle Han always told her graciously accept gifts given. It would be disrespectful to reject them.*

*Right! It would be rude to reject the gift!*

*Yumiko gratefully took the jugs, smiling ear to ear— though that phrase probably didn't work for an Oriate.*

*The money was good, but the good-natured gesture of the demon warmed her heart. She took the remaining gold and stuffed it within her coin purse. The jugs were probably going to be a pain to carry. Yumiko probably needed horse to carry it all back to new Salvania.*

"I suppose I'll be seeing you around then. If you need anymore escorting I'll be happy to guard you again." *She offered as such with an embarrassed look on her face. Yumiko collected the jugs into her backpack and went off to try and find a horse to buy.*
Jodi
*The demon smiled and tilted his head slightly as the girl smiled at his gifts.*

"No problem, generosity is part of my tribe's tradition." *And indeed it was, for many tribes amongst the beastkins operated on a gift economy system. Although the Oni is now a part of high society, he never forgot his own tribal roots. The girl looked quite happy about her reward - And that is to be expected, given how much the money amounted to.*

"Indeed, I will be in the castle preparing a feast. If I need another escort, I will be sure to ask to hire you again too. Good bye."

*The Oni waved at her and let her go, turning around to watch the happy rabbit prancing away from him. He can't help but be reminded of the name of the inn they met in.*

"Interesting." *The Oni murmured to himself before he disappeared into the castle.*