Refusing My God’s Advances

"Where are we going now?" Lyra asked.

"We need to get some new clothing for you, and Shelli. After that, I want to go get some food, and a few other supplies like blankets and such that we would need to camp out in the cave.

"Clothing for me too?" Shelli asked, and I nodded.

The dress Shelli was wearing was cute, but it was stained from the slime. The girls also needed undergarments, but they could pick out what they wanted.

I was temptd to let them go alone, but I was still leery of the humans in this town. I didn't even like leaving the other demons. Part of me wanted to just take them all back to the cave, and then come here to get things, but the sun was already starting to set.

"You girls need changes of clothing so we can wash the previous pairs," I explained as we reached the tailor shop.

"But what about you?" Lyra asked, and Shelly nodded.

I looked down at my clothing and shrugged. I had my slime-stained white shirt Shelli had worn, and I had a pair of black sweats. The only thing close to knowing were the red and black Fike Lordans I had bought last month since they were on sale.

"Yeah, maybe I will get something, but I am more worried about you girls. If I can just get some underwear and socks, that would be good. Maybe a couple pairs of pants, and another shirt, but I need to see the prices of the clothing first," I explained as Lyra pushed open the door to the shop and we entered.

The inside of the tailors was neat and organized, with various fabrics and finished garments on display. The shopkeeper, a middle-aged woman with a measuring tape around her neck, looked up as we entered.

"Good evening! How may I assist you?" She greeted us with a warm smile, but then she noticed Lyra. "Oh! You are the little demon?"

I nodded, feeling slightly tense for a moment, but the woman shook her head. 

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried that she wouldn't want to serve us, but the woman walked over to the far wall of her store, and pounded her fist on the wall. Then there was the sound of banging from the other side of the wall.

"Before you get these women to try on any clothing, I think you should take them next door to Betty. She will fix both of their hair and let them bathe in warm water," The woman said.

At the mention of a hot bath, both girls started to get excited. 

"Can we really have a real hot bath?!" Lyra exclaimed, and I smiled at the excited girls. 

This felt a lot better than how I had felt before, but I still needed to keep my head on straight. There was still a chance that Garland might try something before I gave Shelli my mark of love.

With the tailor's recommendation, we headed next door to Betty's bathhouse. The exterior of the building had a soothing, warm glow from the lanterns, and the sign above the entrance displayed an image of steam rising from a bath. Excitement filled the air as we stepped inside, greeted by the pleasant aroma of scented oils and soap.

A kind-faced woman, presumably Betty, welcomed us. "Hello there! Are you looking for a relaxing bath?" she asked with a friendly smile.

"Yes, well the girls are," I replied. "We were also told you can help with hair as well."

"Oh? Well if Candi thinks you are good people, I don't mind," Betty said, and I pointed to Lyra.

"You are fine with having a Demon in your shop?"  I asked, making both my girls flinch, but Betty smiled at me.

"I watched you from a distance while you were fighting them all. You made sure not to hurt them. I found that very strange, but I just heard about the guard that was removed from town patrol... you stopped him from killing this little girl, right?" Betty asked, and I nodded, but I was surprised that she called Lyra a girl, and not a demon.

"Yes, but I still don't understand why you are so accepting?" I questioned, but Shelli grabbed my arm.

"Do you really think that it is necessary to ask so many questions if she is willing to help?!" Shelli pleaded, but Betty started to laugh, making us all look at her.

"I think this is why I trust you! The hero doesn't just make choices like other people. I think that if it was someone else, more people could have gotten hurt. As far as I know, demons only destroy things, and rarely attack people unless attacked," Betty explained, and I shrugged.

"I never have been the type to just decide something without giving it deep thought," I said, and Betty nodded.

"The sun is already setting, so if you would like to leave the girls here, you can go visit some other shops before they close," Betty suggested, and I looked back at the girls.

"Are you both okay with this?" I asked, and both of them nodded with overly determined looks. It was a bath after all.

Turning back to Betty, I changed my expression and hardened it to ice. "I will leave them, but just remember. If anything happens to them, I will wipe this town off the map."

Betty nodded, her smile not faltering, but I could see sweat form on her brow. "Of course! I will take care of these girls like they were my own children. MARY!"

At the call, a red-headed mature woman with a foxy look on her face walked out of the back. Rather than go for the girls, the woman walked up to me until her well-endowed breast pressed into my chest.

Needless to say, my ice looked melted like an ice cube in the sun, and I took a step back, feeling slightly awkward.

"Who's this handsome man?" she purred, giving me a sultry look.

"Mary, this is Leon. He's the one who saved the town from the demons," Betty introduced, and Mary's eyes widened with interest.

"Oh, a hero, huh? Well, aren't you just my type," she said, running a finger down my chest. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with the sudden attention.

"Uh, nice to meet you, Mary. I'll be back later to pick up the girls," I stammered, trying to extract myself from the situation.

"Oh, don't be a stranger. I'll be looking forward to your return," Mary said with a wink, and I quickly made my exit.

Heading out into the dimming light, I  leaned against the closet wall and gave my head a shake. Shelli had tried to come on to me more than a few times, but that woman was something else. I felt like she was going to eat me up!

"Umm... Mr. Hero?" A female voice asked, and I looked up to see one of the average-looking healers.

"Umm... hello?" I replied, still feeling a bit out of sorts from that woman.

"Umm... Thank you for saving the town!" The girl exclaimed, and then bowed to me, holding the position.

"Cha-cha! Lift your head up," I said, putting my hand on the girl's shoulder.

The girl lifted her head to face me, but with a bright red face, making me pull my hand back. I straightened up and scratched the back of my head awkwardly as the girl stood there awkwardly, dancing from one foot to the other.

Finally, I broke the silence. "Is there something that I can help you with?"

"Umm... Are you looking for certain things?" She asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I need to grab a few things," I said, and the girls suddenly grabbed my hand.

"I can show you to any shop that you need!" The girl said frantically but then pulled her hand once she realized it was still holding mine.

This girl clearly liked me, but I had two girls, and I planned on printing more soon as I could. Harem or not, I couldn't overload my team right at the start! One of the greatest founding rules in harem novels is to have the proper ratio of girls! This meant that I not only had to pick the best girls, but they all had to be unique!