The cloak had melted long ago, so there was no way to cover my chest with it. Fortunately, my lower garments, fur skins, and accessories like the insignia and belts were intact. However, I had no way to conceal my scale-covered hands.
I couldn’t turn around either since Yuna and the villagers were that way, which would only result in more people seeing me. In the end, I surrounded myself with a short earthen wall.
Myungho’s face was as red as his shirt, and he looked everywhere but at me. Only after I gestured did he finally look at me.
“…Did you happen to see this during the fight?”
If it had melted in the slime, that meant it was already in this state when I escaped from the explosion’s recoil. That kid must have known; he’d asked if I was okay nearby.
“No… I didn’t see properly because of the chaos. Really!”
Judging by how desperately he denied it, he probably hadn’t seen anything. Honestly, if he had, he’d likely have forgotten the fight and stuttered just like now.
“Alright. That’s fine.”
An awkward silence followed. The villagers seemed unaware of my condition and were celebrating normally, while Yuna was checking on the unconscious Akashi. His expression didn’t seem too serious, so he must be alright.
“Uh… Alterra, please wear this at least. I’m not sure if I have any spare bandages, but if not, I’ll get them from the villagers for you.”
“I appreciate the clothes, but I don’t need the bandages. I carry my own.”
The kid took off his coat and handed it to me over the wall. I was considering whether to smear mud on myself to cover up, so this was timely.
“Uhm… Alterra. About the scales on your hands. Did you almost lose control again this time?”
As he said this, Myungho glanced at me subtly—not shyly like before, but with genuine concern in his eyes.
…If this could be called a weakness, then perhaps. But it felt more like a handling precaution, so maybe it was okay to tell him.
Not that it was much of a weakness anyway. Besides, these guys had already countered one of my supposed “losses of control” before. It should be fine.
It is a critical weakness, but it’s not something they can exploit at will.
“…When I use too much magic or receive a shock, scales like these appear. If my arms and legs are completely covered, horns start to extend, and if pushed further, scales grow all over my body. After that point, I lose consciousness—like that night.”
Meaning, with the scales reaching only to my wrists, I’m still safe. I told him this and extended my hand, indicating that this extent was manageable.
Normally, I wouldn’t show this kind of thing to others, but it felt different with him, so it was alright. This was about giving precautions, after all.
“If you exert yourself too much, this happens, huh… I’ll keep that in mind. By the way… shouldn’t you put some clothes on soon? The villagers are looking over here…”
Ah, I was so caught up in the conversation that I forgot to put on the coat. Even though the wall blocked their view, I was self-conscious, so I slipped into the coat he offered.
It was slightly big on me, swallowing my hands a little in the sleeves, but the lining was soft and comfortably warm, suggesting it wasn’t cheap. I draped it around myself and headed alone to where the village chief’s house used to be.
This village was in better shape than the one we visited earlier. Instead of straw, the bed was stuffed with some kind of fur or leather.
…Maybe I should just wear real clothes again. When I tried wearing something in the past, my body felt so awkward that I stopped.
So it’s complicated. Initially, I started stripping because my old clothes were worn out and torn. Back then, surviving in the wild was hard enough—I didn’t have the means to mend or even care for my clothes properly.
Wearing something worse than nothing led me to go naked. Later, when I went down to the village and picked up some clothes, they didn’t feel right. Most importantly, they felt suffocating.
…Perhaps, subconsciously, I’ve been flaunting what I possess ever since then. Maybe I just became aware of it recently.
I carefully removed the borrowed coat without wrinkling it and retrieved bandages from my belongings, wrapping them tightly around my chest.
Tight enough to feel slightly constricted, I wrapped several layers strongly and reattached my mantle. Now I’m running low on fabric for the mantle, so maybe I should take it off too.
…No way. I was already half-naked; I didn’t want to take off the last bit. My rationality screamed against it. I also wrapped my wrists and ankles with bandages, holding the coat and stepping outside.
People rushed toward me, expressing gratitude with bowed heads and emotional faces. Uh… so…
They’re… thanking me? For what? I didn’t do much.
I waved my hands trying to shoo them away, but they didn’t seem to understand.
“Altera, they want to say something to you. They’re grateful for saving the village.”
Myungho parted the crowd gently and approached me, explaining why they were acting this way.
“…But I didn’t do much.”
Honestly, all I did was get drenched in slime and escape, throwing dirt around. Akashi and Myungho finished things off. Why are they thanking me?
“It’s probably because you stood out the most… Could that be the reason? If it makes you uncomfortable, let me know. I’ll explain to them.”
…It does feel a bit burdensome, but being celebrated like this isn’t entirely unpleasant. Hearing his reasoning made sense, so…
I returned the coat to Myungho and looked around at the humans. They remained in place, watching me with their gazes making me somewhat restless.
Embarrassing as it was, I thought I could handle it now. Taking a deep breath, I let my body do as it wished and roared at the top of my lungs.
“UUUUUUUGHHHHH!!!”
Though startled by my sudden roar, one person followed suit, and soon everyone joined in.
Their mimicry made it feel like they admired and acknowledged me.
It was enjoyable. I’d forgotten how rewarding it felt to receive positive attention after such a long time. How happy it made me to be recognized this way.
Had I been in full control, I might not have done this. Clearly, it was due to instinct.
But it felt good. Intoxicated by the exhilaration, I roared again, thinking that instincts weren’t necessarily bad.
—
—
“Please let us know if you require more! We’ll gladly boil more stew for our esteemed heroes!”
There was no grand feast like in the previous village. There was mourning for the dead, and the village lacked sufficient food.
Nevertheless, they willingly provided lodging and meals. Since we resolved their problem, this was fair… right?
Alterra still wore a faint smile, lingering from the recent celebration. Every time she drew attention from people, she acted differently than expected. Her spontaneous, exuberant roar surprised even me.
Above all, she genuinely seemed to enjoy it. Even when eating Akashi’s food, her joy didn’t feel as sincere, so perhaps Alterra has a strong desire for approval.
Maybe, exposing herself is a twisted form of seeking that approval.
While entertaining such thoughts, I observed her. The scales on her hands had disappeared, leaving only her smooth brown skin and metallic nails visible.
Her nails were likely iron. She ignited the fire for the stew by scraping a flint stone with her nails.
Despite her hands and feet being weapons of iron, her tail an axe blade, and her immense strength capable of overpowering beasts, why did she seem so pitiable?
“What did you ask?”
“Nothing… Enjoy your meal.”
Her ability to crush formidable monsters with sheer force despite having no visible muscles made me realize how truly fantastical this world was.
Alterra kept refilling her bowl, savoring the soup. Akashi was still a bit unsteady, swaying slightly.
“It’s delicious. Myungho, could you pass me those spices? Adding them would make it even tastier.”
Yuna seemed to enjoy it too. Despite the dish being mostly vegetables, it tasted excellent, and I had already eaten several servings.
“Hey, don’t overdo it with the spices… Ugh, I feel dizzy. I might throw up if I eat now. Leave some for me. I’ll head outside to gather useful information for our mountain journey…”
He staggered off to collect information. Yuna rose as if to follow but sat back down upon noticing her bowl.
“…Let him be. He’s in no state to plot anything. Rather, how could that creature find and consume people without a core?”
“Some demons are born with the talent to control monsters. Perhaps someone was remotely controlling it. Or as Akashi suggested, they might’ve extracted and manipulated the core separately. Though we’ll never know for sure.”
“It would be best if that demon doesn’t interfere while we traverse the mountains…”
Exactly. A true demon might even prove challenging for Alterra. High-ranking demons are said to rival dragons in power.
…Speaking of which, should I help her achieve her goal?
Even though she’s strong, I’m unsure if she can truly defeat a dragon. Having never encountered one, I agreed to assist her initially…
Well, it doesn’t matter now.
I finished the last of the soup and decided to postpone pondering such complex issues for later.
