[Author’s Note] Thank you for your early support and recommendations.
106th Chapter
35. Magical Beasts and Humans
105 – Magical Beasts and Humans #3
[Village on the Border: Sinai]
As I stepped into the village, words floated before my eyes.
Turning my head, I saw houses made of wood, plaster, dry straw, and stones stacked together—about ten to twenty of them. If I were to describe it, I’d say it looked like a small village, charming if you will, or just a dump if you won’t.
The ground was paved with stones, but mud stuck to my front paw like a stubborn friend. Women pouring water from wooden buckets onto the ground added to the ambiance.
“Ugh, at least sprinkling water makes it feel livable.”
“Don’t splash it on me!”
A man outside, sharpening his weapon, yelled at the woman. Ignoring him, the women shrugged and retreated back inside.
‘So that’s why the ground is all wet, huh?’
Men sharpened blades on leather while women tended to a pot of bubbling something that looked a lot like soup or stew. Their faces occasionally turned to glance at me and my companion.
Their eyes sparkled with curiosity and wonder. I too surveyed this amusing little village with fascination.
The delicious aroma of food being prepared, the sound of burning firewood, and the chatter of humans brought my sleepy civilized instincts back to life.
‘Wow, there are a lot of humans here. This might actually be a decent place to live.’
━This is madness; there are way too many humans! This is hell….
Rif, my raccoon friend, trembled as the crowd stared. It looked like he was trying to wrap the blanket draped over his shoulders tighter around himself.
“Rif, they’re all just deciding how they want to eat you. I hear humans love raccoon stew.”
━Oh, no!
Rif hid behind me, hissing at the people. His growls that sounded like a mix between a cough and a sneeze had them tilting their heads in confusion.
“Is something wrong with that one? Batus is even putting a leash on him….”
“He looks fine, though. Poor thing.”
The older folks clucked their tongues at Rif. Of course, my joke about humans eating him was just that—a joke.
Walking through the village, it became clear to me that these humans had a decent, down-to-earth quality.
Just as the other animals had said, humans were without claws and fangs, living their lives like the soft-skinned creatures they were.
Ordinary humans, commonplace—much like the ones I’d seen in my previous world.
‘Thank goodness not everyone here is a bloodthirsty hunter.’
“Oh my, how cute! Can I give it something to eat?”
Some folks handed me crumbs of bread or fruit. Mainly it was kids and young women showering me with kindness.
“This was freshly baked this morning; do you think it might like this? It’s a little salty….”
A young country girl, her face smudged with soot, extended a half-piece of bread toward me.
Warm, nutty, and slightly salty—it was like enjoying a salted baguette.
‘Delicious!’
I accepted the apples and bread offered, wagging my tail in gratitude a few times.
“What’s with that fluffy tail!”
“It’s white and so soft!”
Even my simple actions had them squealing with delight. I wondered if stars or famous idols ever experienced something like this.
When I was human, I had imagined being popular, but I never thought it would be in this form.
‘Living like this isn’t too bad, I guess.’
But unlike me, who was having a blast, Rif was howling like he was on the brink of d*ath.
━D-Don’t touch me! Please don’t! I’m not tasty! You’re just trying to fatten me up for a meal, aren’t you?!
Seeing the fruits the ladies offered, Rif shuddered as if they were explosives about to blow.
“Why are you shaking so much? Are you cold?”
“I have an extra blanket at home.”
The women in the village seemed overly helpful, bringing clothes and rags from all around to wrap around Rif’s body.
Wearing only a makeshift blanket, Rif soon donned pants and a jacket made of patchwork, looking like a proper village girl.
Without that leash around his neck, he could easily blend in with the locals.
━W-What are they doing?! They’re trying to dress me up to cook me!
Rif began to growl, tearing at the clothes draped over him as if they were made of sticky traps.
It appeared my earlier joke about humans wanting to eat him had struck too close to home.
Watching such a silly sight for too long dulled my interest, so I gave him a few gentle taps with my front paw.
━Settle down. If you really don’t want to get eaten, then don’t take off the clothes.
It was easy to spot the boys sneaking glances at Rif’s face.
They seemed to be around middle school age, twinkling with wonder as they beheld Rif, tethered by a leash.
‘Not much else is clear, but judging by the food and clothing, this looks a lot like a medieval European world. A girl my age would probably be considered fully grown here.’
Any young woman would attract attention if she started shedding her clothes in public, no matter the world.
━So, where are we headed now?
I asked Adam and Batus, who were leading us deeper into the village. But Batus walked on in silence, ignoring my question.
Other than responding to some friendly greetings from the villagers, he had no further words for me.
‘He must be pretending not to understand the talk of beasts.’
Just as it’s unusual for beasts to understand human speech, it seems humans also don’t generally grasp the language of beasts.
From what I gathered while wandering the village, Batus played the role of a steadfast hunter yet tossed in the mix was the ordinary human who failed to comprehend beastly talk.
Giving up on receiving a response, I decided to just wag my tail at the villagers suitably, when suddenly, Batus whispered a small voice just for me.
“We’re almost there. That’s the house.”
In front of Batus stood a house built from mud and logs, just like the rest; but this one had one peculiar trait—most were single-storied, and even the tallest were merely two stories, while this building reached three!
Unlike other homes, where curtains covered window frames haphazardly, this edifice sported well-crafted glass and iron grilles.
‘This doesn’t look like your average building. Is it the chief’s house?’
━Wow, it’s tall! Is this what they call a palace? How did they stack it so high?
Rif stood in front of the three-story house, jaw agape.
Having grown up among tall trees, a three-story structure was an impressive sight for him.
To be fair, for Rif, a “house” mostly consisted of a burrow, cave, wooden hut, or a poorly made shack.
As Rif curiously inspected the outer walls, Batus knocked on the door’s handle.
Knock, knock.
The handle was adorned with the head of a bird of prey, whether a hawk or an eagle, I couldn’t tell.
It wasn’t poorly made; it gleamed, suggesting significant craftsmanship had gone into it.
Soon, with a creak, two thick, heavy doors swung open inward.
“Who could it be? Ah, Batus, my dear! We’ve been waiting for you.”
Inside stood an elderly man sharply dressed in black, his glasses twinkling. Upon seeing us, he narrowed his eyes.
“Who are these guests…?”
“They’re my guests. Especially the girl; treat her like royalty. She’s of Steiner’s lineage.”
“St-Steiner’s lineage?!”
The composed, calm old man raised his voice as if he’d just seen a ghost.
Clearing his throat with a cough, he adjusted his glasses and leaned in closer to Rif.
“Well, she does look a bit like the late duchess… Batus, I can hardly believe you! Is this real?”
“You wouldn’t believe it, of course. But take a look at this, and your thoughts might change.”
Batus reached for a pouch on his belt and pulled out something shiny—a jeweled tiara!
“Old friend, you, of all people, should recognize what this is, right?”
“Oh my….”
The old man took the crown from Batus’s hand, gaping as he looked it over, and a smile slowly appeared.
“This craftsmanship! And the gem set here, this must be the royal treasure ‘bl**d Tear’—lost since the duke’s disappearance! Where did you find this?!”
“Found it in the Ancient Nest’s forest. Of course, this girl also came from there. She’s probably around fourteen. A found crown, a child from the same forest—doesn’t it seem a little too perfect?”
The old man alternated glances between Rif and the crown. He then gently placed the crown atop Rif’s head.
━A gem!
Rif exclaimed, clutching the crown on his head, bursting into joy. The old man smiled warmly at him, like a grandparent would.
“You have an affinity for opulent gems, just like the Steiner bloodline…. It’s almost like seeing the young duchess herself. So, who else knows about this?”
“Only you, me, and this little creature here.”
A thick, burly hand patted my head. The old man kneeled and locked eyes with me.
“You seem to be a very quiet one. So, Batus, it’s just us who know?”
“I’m tired of being put in charge of this remote area. It’s about time I returned to the royal palace, don’t you think?”
Batus’s words had the old man chuckling heartily. Soon, he proffered a sweet or cookie—something from his pocket—to me and Rif.
He dusted off his trousers before rising.
“I’m an old man already. I’ve led a different life than you have. Does that mean I ought to dream again? Pouring logs into a candle won’t make it burn better; it just snuffs it out.”
“Picture it! The duke’s child is back. There’s a chance he’s alive out there somewhere. If there’s even a slim possibility…”
The old man interrupted, “They’d send scores of soldiers into the forest searching for the duke. Batus, are you thinking of gathering a large expedition again?”
“An expedition? Just a reconnaissance team. It’s just a handful of men to find the duke, who might be alive somewhere—about ten thousand or so.”
“That’s something the king would love to hear. But do you think he’ll believe the girl is his granddaughter? She does bear a resemblance, but still.”
“That’s for you to tell the king convincingly, old friend.”
With that, Batus and the old man shared a hearty laugh, almost like a promise was made. I could only deduce what was happening with bits and pieces of the conversation.
‘What’s this duke and royal bloodline about? Apparently, Rif has some grand secret about his origins!’
I looked over at Rif, who was now biting down on the crown as if it was candy.
He was grinning with delight, the platinum crown sparkling.
━Heehee! A gem! A gem! It’s mine!
‘Can this silly guy really be…?’
I struggled to believe Rif was once human. He wasn’t just a raccoon; he was a raccoon disguised as a human!
━Hey, Rif.
I called out to him, who was glowing with happiness while clutching the crown. He tilted his head and looked at me.
━What? This is mine! No way I’m giving it to you, even if you’re the White One!
Rif swiftly hid the crown behind his back. Wanting to say something more, I sighed deeply, choosing silence.
‘Regardless of how he looks, his insides definitely scream “not human.”’
The old man, intrigued by the banter between me and Rif, chuckled cheerfully.
“Is the little lady unable to speak the human tongue? She makes quite the animal sounds.”
“Well, living with animals for over a decade might do that to someone. But give it a year, and she’ll be a proper little lady.”
“Her eyes are the same amber as the late duchess. Though they might be a tad dirty, her face is clean with no scars… If you’ll excuse me.”
The old man grasped Rif’s cheeks and opened his mouth.
“Her teeth are even, and she has no yellow ones—pure white! This young gem, she’s something indeed. Teaching her will surely be a delight.”
━W-What’s he talking about? Why is he looking inside my mouth?
Rif, seemingly scared from having his mouth pried open, clung to me, trembling slightly.
“Hmm.”
The old man gazed back and forth between a hidden Rif and me while stroking his mustache with his gloved hand.
“But what kind of beast are you? You said you brought this one from the Ancient Nest too, right?”
“Just a normal creature from the Ancient Nest. It’s close with this girl, so I brought it along too—nothing to worry about.”
“Hmm, with those horns and white fur… I feel like I’ve seen something like it before.”
“Just your imagination, old chap. By the way, I’ve already contacted the count. You should prepare to head to the royal capital soon. Don’t forget a fast, spacious carriage for the girl and the beast.”
