[Author’s Note] If you enjoyed reading, please press the recommend button at the top of the mobile screen! With just 2 seconds of your time, you can gift a happy day to a writer! @[emailprotected]107th Episode
36. Magical Beasts and the Peculiar Void #1
Adam and Batus had brought me and Leaf into a building.
The three-story structure, adorned with a magnificent eagle decoration on the doorknob, was the Hunter’s branch in the village of Sinai, strategically nestled against the World Tree forest, the Ancient Nest.
Hunters, ranging from steel proficiency to bronze, silver, gold, and platinum levels, were like government employees whose job was to deal with magical beasts. In a kingdom that idolized martial arts, the Hunter profession was seemingly even more celebrated than the knights—perhaps that’s why even the far-off Hunter branch in Sinai boasted some luxurious facilities.
Among the amenities, the most grandiose was none other than the bathhouse.
In the bath, with a beautiful mermaid sculpture, the captivating sound of cries had been echoing for a good ten minutes.
“Ahh, ahh! Save me, Whitey! My skin is getting peeled off!”
Leaf screamed like the world was ending.
Swish, scrub, swish, scrub.
Young women mercilessly scrubbed Leaf’s body with sponge-like loofahs lathered in soap.
“Hey, hold still!”
“Trying to escape again! Grab him!”
Half-submerged in the massive bathtub, Leaf flailed around as if he had plunged into lava.
The bath was hot and humid, so it was no surprise that sweat began to bead on the foreheads of the women washing Leaf.
“Ugh, it’s so hot.”
“Let’s just strip down too, shall we, Nidali?”
“How splendid.”
I smiled with satisfaction as I watched the women’s clothes come off layer by layer. After working as a Hunter, it was clear that these women’s bodies were sculpted without an ounce of excess fat.
Sure, there were scars and marks, but they even seemed charming in their own right.
I continued observing as the women washed Leaf from a distance.
“Meow, meow!”
Leaf pretended as if every touch felt like a steel brush scraping his skin.
Well, in this pre-modern world, some countries had treated bathing as a punishment, so as a wild beast, it would only be natural for him to feel like he was being punished.
“I can’t take it anymore!”
With a splash, Leaf bolted out of the tub, sending water flying everywhere. He jumped out, soaked, and hid behind me while glaring at the women Hunters.
“Those, those ladies are trying to boil me alive and peel my skin off!”
“Dummy, they’re just trying to wash you!”
“Wait, wait, are you serious? They really want to eat me?”
Leaf was taken aback by my answer.
I couldn’t help but wonder why he reacted that way. Why would he associate being washed with being eaten? Then it hit me—Leaf was a raccoon.
Raccoons love to wash their food in rivers or water before eating, so it made sense that for him, washing could be perceived as a process of cleaning food before munching on it.
“Look, he ran to Alpha again.”
“Strangely enough, he calms down whenever he’s near you.”
The female Hunters approached me and dragged Leaf, who was clinging to my tail for dear life.
“We’re almost done. Just need to wash his hair.”
“Let me go! I can’t wash if you don’t let go…!”
Leaf wasn’t willing to release my tail, as if it were a lifeline.
“Hey, let go. You’re stretching my tail!”
“Why is he so strong?”
“He’s not budging an inch.”
The Hunters tried to pry Leaf’s hands off my tail, but he clung to it like a rock, refusing to budge. His special ability, “Dexterity,” seemed to give him a grip even I found impressive. I sighed deeply, thinking my tail might just end up in pieces if this continued.
“Ugh, what a hassle.”
As I stepped toward the bath, Leaf was reluctantly dragged along. Clinging to my tail, he dunked himself back into the hot spring.
So, having Leaf accompany me to the women’s bath was unavoidable since he wouldn’t cooperate unless I was nearby.
“Alpha, he’s surprisingly smarter than I thought.”
“Right? He’s adorable too. I heard you tamed him, right?”
The female Hunters giggled as they poured water over Leaf’s head.
Of course, I couldn’t help but smile either. Being close to their curvy waists, smooth backs, and napes was a sight straight out of a dreamy paradise.
“Since we’re bathing anyway, should we wash him too?”
“Hmm, that’s a good idea. It’s a bit odd to have an animal inside the building anyway.”
Suddenly, the women splashed hot water on me. I almost jumped out of my skin!
They soon began to lather my fur with bubbles. My eyes stung a bit, but other than that, it felt rather pleasant.
“Meow.”
Cloudring, who had been clinging to my neck, seemed to shiver, unable to bear the heat of the bath.
“Hey, that’s a Cloudring!”
“When did it get here?”
Only then did the women notice Cloudring’s presence, causing quite a commotion. Cloudring quickly darted away to escape their grasp.
I knew it would come back to me, so I wasn’t worried.
“Is that Cloudring your friend?”
“I’ve never seen one before. Where did it run off to?”
Even though they knew I couldn’t speak, the women kept trying to chat with me. It felt akin to talking to a pet.
Knowing my answers wouldn’t make sense to them, I simply relaxed on the bathroom floor, accepting their gentle touches.
Bathing in bubbles, I felt clean and pure. The mild massage made my eyelids grow heavy.
‘Is this what a fancy full-body massage feels like? My body is melting in the bubbles…’
“Whoa, look at that! He’s a male!”
“Ugh, don’t startle me like that!”
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my sensitive spot and jolted awake from my drowsiness. Startled, the women widened their eyes.
“What was that? Did you scratch it with your claws?”
“N-no, I just touched it. It’s so soft…”
“You shouldn’t touch an animal so carelessly, Vitali. You messed up—apologize!”
“I-I’m sorry, Alpha.”
The short-haired Huntress shrugged awkwardly. I calmed my startled chest and wagged my tail slightly, indicating it was okay.
After a long bath filled with various twists and turns, my fur ended up cleaner and fluffier than ever. Standing in front of the mirror, I looked positively dapper.
I stood on my hind legs, checking myself out from different angles. Standing like this, my size was like that of a typical upper-grade elementary school student.
“Whoa, look! He’s standing on two legs! How is he doing that?”
The short-haired Huntress gasped, enthralled by my simple feat. It seemed anything a beast did intrigued her.
Soon, Leaf stepped out of the changing room, freshly dressed. A long-haired woman beside him sighed as if she had put in a grueling effort.
“Huff, finally got him dressed! How does he look? It’s my sister’s clothes.”
Leaf had neatly combed hair, sparkling like amber in the light.
Dressed in a white dress and flip-flops, Leaf looked like an innocent girl—much like a noble lady.
“Wow, what a transformation!”
I was stunned to see the wild girl become so refined. Perhaps it was the long soak in the hot spring or the new attire that made Leaf shyly blush and fidget with her lips.
“Y-you can tease me all you want!”
“Nah, you look great. Honestly, you look just like a human. From now on, dress like this when you’re human.”
I gave my honest opinion, making Leaf’s face brighten a bit with a smile.
“Yay! I’m glad!”
*
In the village of Sinai on the border, the first floor of the Hunter’s branch had a reception area, a spacious hall, and a dining room filled with tables and chairs.
The restaurant used meat from beasts caught in the nearby World Tree forest, as it was sometimes hunted during sneaky poaching trips, or obtained by chasing out the beasts escaping the woods.
“Whoa, that’s Tartarian wolf meat. You can’t get this anywhere.”
“Right? Nobles might get rare chances to taste this, but here in Sinai, we can eat it to our heart’s content. That’s why I can’t leave this place.”
Hunters sat at the tables, enjoying their food and drinks.
Leaf and I were led by the female Hunters to an empty table.
The long-haired woman pointed toward a corner.
“How about over there, Vitali?”
“Hmm.”
The short-haired Hunter, Vitali, nodded, satisfied with the corner they had chosen.
“Sounds good, Nidali. Let’s go there.”
Vitali and Nidali had similar names, making me wonder if they were sisters, but their faces didn’t resemble each other at all.
Although they mainly spoke respectfully to people, it was clear that the short-haired Vitali had an incorrigible prankster spark in her.
With her blonde hair glimmering like an angel’s ring and a mischievous smile, she was undeniably quite charming.
On the other hand, Nidali had pulled her dark blue hair into a messy ponytail.
Her languid eyes and slightly tanned skin made her look like someone you’d refer to as “big sister,” radiating a unique beauty.
“Ladies, why not sit with us?”
“No, come sit next to me. There’s an empty seat here too!”
The tipsy men, flushed from drinking all day, occasionally threw flirtatious comments toward the female Hunters.
Perhaps they were used to this, as the women simply smirked and rolled their eyes at their drunken advances.
“Sit here.”
Short-haired Vitali made Leaf sit on a wooden chair.
As I moved to sit next to Leaf, Vitali slapped my nose lightly.
“Hey hey, no putting your paws on the table!”
“Seriously? Am I supposed to eat on the floor?”
I found it a bit absurd being treated like a beast. Sure, I looked like one on the outside, but inside, I was a modern individual who enjoyed refined dining.
Looking around, I noticed all the Hunters had stopped what they were doing to stare at me.
“Having an animal on the dining table is a bit…”
“Yeah, it’s a bit off to even bring one into the restaurant. They let us in because we’ve cleaned him up, though…”
The Hunters murmured amongst themselves, each adding their opinion.
It felt like the obvious admonition of ‘No animals allowed in restaurants,’ and I had no retort for that.
‘It can’t be helped.’
I decided to compromise with social norms and hopped down from my chair, laying flat on the floor.
That elicited laughter from all around.
“Look at him, he’s looking so defeated. Can he really understand us?”
“No way, a beast wouldn’t understand! But it’s pretty sad seeing him like this. Here, have this!”
An older Hunter at the table offered me an apple-sized piece of food. I quickly gulped it down, crunching on the core.
[Experience points gained.]
“Whoa, did you see that? He swallowed that apple whole!”
“He eats like a champion. Can he eat this too?”
“Seriously, that’s alcohol. Come on, that’s going too far…”
“Is it?”
Just as the guy who had offered me the drink sheepishly scratched his head, I strutted over to his table, confidently rising on my hind legs. I grabbed the cup with my forepaws and gulped down their drink.
It didn’t give experience points, but it tasted refreshing like a fizzy drink. It felt like the perfect blend of cola with alcohol, probably similar to what mixing them would taste like.
When I placed the empty cup back on the table, a sudden wave of laughter and cheers erupted.
“Whoa, just downed that strong drink in one go? What a man!”
“Hey, eat this too!”
“Have mine as well!”
Food and drinks, like sausages, bread, and meat, were handed to me from every direction. I trotted around the table, taking small bites of everything.
‘Delicious!’
After living solely on raw, wild food, these properly cooked meals, seasoned just right, tasted like a feast for the gods.
Above all, the most gratifying thing was the constant notifications of experience points popping up.
‘So eating cooked meals gives me experience points too!’
I trembled with excitement at the prospect of becoming stronger without having to sneak around the forest. Just as I immersed myself in this culinary bliss, someone grabbed the scruff of my neck.
“Hold on, I’m taking this fellow with me.”
It was Batus, the leader of the Hunters, who had left me and Leaf with Vitali and Nidali.
“What the! Leader! I want to pet him too! It’s my turn now!”
“Let’s pet his back, come on!”
A bunch of scruffy men looked at me, their faces turning red. I felt chills run down my spine, eager to escape this situation.
Batus smirked.
“If you want to pet him, follow me. I’m heading into a dungeon. Anyone want to join?”
“A dungeon, you say?”
“I’m good. No thanks.”
“Yeah, I was just asked to help Hans at the mill up ahead.”
“Too bad. What a shame.”
As soon as those eager to feed me and pet me heard the word ‘dungeon,’ their interest flipped dramatically.
“I suppose it’ll be just you and me then. Vitali, make sure you take good care of the kid for today.”
“Wait, Leader, you want me to watch this rascal alone? He’ll throw a tantrum!”
“Figure it out. If it gets too difficult, offer him something shiny, and he’ll behave.”
With that, Batus grabbed the scruff of my neck and led me out of the Hunter’s branch.
“What’s this ‘dungeon’ you keep mentioning?”
When I asked, Batus set me down on the ground. Instead of answering, he just grinned at me.
I wouldn’t understand the meaning behind that smile until a little later.
