No, humans were clearly animals just like them, but… how did they end up like this?
Could these suspicious bipedal creatures have changed in the hopes of coexisting with humans? Or is it that humans now desire to share love with these animals?
There’s no way I can understand how any of this is possible…
Of course, if you trace back the roots, everyone does stem from the same source! And though the branches split not too long ago—wasn’t it about a thousand years?!—
Still, this feels kinda weird, right?!
Or maybe some other element got involved somehow.
For instance… magical power. If magical power reacts to will and brings about changes, then perhaps creating offspring between humans and animals isn’t entirely impossible.
But seriously, no matter how I think about it, I still don’t get it! Why are normal humans ignoring each other and going for animals instead?! Honestly, I have no clue!
And on top of that, the kids born from such unions are also strange! Some only have animal ears and tails but otherwise look human, while others resemble bipedal creatures covered in thick fur. What IS this? Are their genes unstable or what?!
Is this really okay if we just leave things be? Could problems arise? Can these hybrid children even produce offspring properly? After all, mules, which come from horses and donkeys, can’t reproduce, so could these kids face something similar?!
No, let me calm down first. Calm down. Not all humans are into animals like this—it’s just some weirdos showing unique sexual preferences!
It seems these bipedal creatures are living happily alongside those oddball humans. They occasionally reveal their wild side, but it’s just minor issues overall.
If they integrate into human society… well, what can I do about it? It’s their choice after all.
All I can do is hope no problems arise because of them.
—
After some peculiar fur-loving individuals joined certain groups of humans, subtle changes began to occur.
First off, let’s call humans mixed with beasts “beastmen” to avoid discrimination.
With the arrival of beastmen, humans gained another option: rather than just hunting or farming, they could raise animals and obtain various by-products like meat and fur.
In short, livestock farming began.
At first, humans only hunted wild boars and buffalo, but the integration of beastmen opened up new possibilities.
Since beastmen could somehow communicate their intentions directly to animals, some of them started gathering stray animals to raise. This marked the beginning of livestock farming.
Humans realized it was more profitable to raise animals for resources like wool, milk, and eggs rather than simply hunting them.
Of course, there was more to it than that. Humans also learned to use oxen to make farming easier. Anyway…
Through this process, the potential of beastmen became evident.
Beastmen were natural-born hunters and shepherds.
Perhaps due to their innate animal blood, they possessed instinctual senses for hunting, could relay their thoughts to animals, and protected livestock from predators. They blended into human society better than I expected.
Seriously, how did we end up here? I’m baffled.
Beastman hunters, skilled at tracking prey with their innate understanding of animal behavior, set traps and supplied humans with plenty of much-needed meat.
They also guarded livestock against predators with great bravery. As a result, humans who didn’t judge them based on appearance welcomed them warmly.
Of course, not everyone accepted them.
After all, their appearances were alien, and in other worlds, people often discriminated against each other just for differences in skin color. How could they not discriminate against beings that looked like an entirely different species?
Moreover, even among beastmen, the types varied widely depending on which animal they descended from. It wasn’t easy for them to unite as one group either.
Still, their efforts to become part of humanity were commendable.
Anyway, since there wasn’t much need for me to interfere with beastmen, I’d just watch until major problems arose.
—
Surprisingly, hybrids born from unions between beastmen and humans faced no issues reproducing.
That said… there were complications when the animal traits inherited from beastmen came into play.
For example, rabbit beastmen tended to have lots of babies frequently.
As for male rabbit beastmen… hmm. Let’s keep that under wraps out of respect for their dignity.
Sure, there were issues like heat cycles and shedding, but the biggest problem was still hybridization.
Take this question: What happens when a wolf beastman mates with a rabbit beastman?
One is a carnivore, the other an herbivore. Their ecologies and appearances are completely different. Yet, miraculously, they form a pair.
What kind of offspring would they produce?
The answer seems to be that the child inherits traits from one side.
I don’t fully understand genetics or chromosomes, but…
And sometimes, transgenerational inheritance occurs. For example, when a wolf beastman descended from a rabbit marries a sheep beastman, they might have a rabbit beastwoman daughter.
Thanks to this, there was almost a scandal about infidelity, but luckily someone passing by mentioned that the wolf beastman’s mother was a rabbit and explained that traits from grandparents could resurface. Thanks to that, the couple avoided breaking up.
Seriously, that moment gave me chills. Otherwise, why would I, who was merely observing, have rushed to intervene?
Fortunately, it seems transgenerational inheritance only goes as far as the second generation, meaning traits from grandparents. If we keep good genealogical records, confusion should be minimal.
Anyway, that’s how beastmen lived among humans.
—
But wait. What about horse-human hybrids or cow-human hybrids? Centaurs and minotaurs exist, after all…
—
Beastmen live between the forms of animals and humans.
Their appearances can be classified into three categories: close to human, close to beast, and somewhere in between.
First, there are those closest to humans: humanoid beastmen.
Except for tails and ears, they look nearly identical to humans. Due to their resemblance, their beastly instincts are somewhat dulled.
Of course, as beastmen, they possess greater strength and agility than humans, but compared to other beastmen, these abilities are weaker.
However, their near-human appearance allows them to blend seamlessly into human society without much discrimination.
Second, there are those closer to beasts: bestial beastmen.
These walk on two legs, use their hands, and can speak, though their facial structures and oral anatomy make their speech slurred. Many have reverse-jointed limbs, making them appear quite alien. At first glance, they’re often mistaken for monsters rather than beastmen, and in some regions, they’re attacked because of this.
That said, their intelligence far surpasses that of beasts, and their combination of animal bodies and human intellect makes them excellent hunters.
Though accidents caused by overwhelming feral instincts do happen frequently, they still make fine adventurers when considered carefully.
Lastly, there are those in the middle: hybrid beastmen.
They perfectly embody both extremes, inheriting the strengths and weaknesses of each. Their faces resemble humans, but their bodies are covered in thick fur, obscuring their skin. Their skeletal structure is close to human, but their muscles mimic beasts, granting them superior strength over humans.
Unfortunately, their intermediate appearance makes them hard to accept from either side, leaving them somewhat lonely.
Of course, there are those who prefer their mix of human-like features and animal fur, but such people are few.
Strangely, many of these rare individuals tend to be wealthy or powerful. Could it be that those who greedily fight each other like beasts instinctively crave beastmen with animalistic appearances?
—
A guidebook for adventurers exploring the world.
Chapter on Ain Race: Beastmen Edition
