Previously: The Sacred Beast was a mistake after all
I decided to go to the Great Forest with just the three of us—me, Linia, and the Sacred Beast Leo.
Eris wanted to come too, but since her belly was getting bigger, I had her stay behind.
Lately, Eris had been building up stress again because her toys had gone missing.
If I took her to a place with so many beastfolk around, she might just bring home another child as a replacement.
On the other hand, Linia threw a tantrum about not wanting to go, saying she'd be forced into becoming Pursena's subordinate if she did. But I felt she wouldn't trust me if I went alone, so I took on the role of persuader.
Ideally, I should have sent a letter the moment I summoned Leo.
That was a mistake on my part.
Well, the beastfolk are stubborn, but this time I've matured too.
There shouldn't be a repeat of what happened before.
I'll explain everything properly and bring both the Sacred Beast and Linia back home.
I left the mercenary group's affairs to Aisha.
She'd basically been running the business by herself from the start, so there wouldn't be any problems.
The group members had originally come looking for Linia, but they respected Aisha now too.
With Linia temporarily away on business, there shouldn't be any issues.
Honestly, Orsted's work schedule would be slightly thrown off.
But it's better to take care of things like this early on, or they'll snowball into bigger problems down the road.
Like, a massive horde of beastfolk showing up a year from now or something.
That would be a real pain.
I tried making that argument, but Orsted didn't seem particularly bothered. He even offered to watch over the house while Leo was away.
Apparently, because of my presence, he'd been able to place more pieces on the board than usual, so there was no issue at all.
And so.
From the teleportation circle in the basement of our company's office to Doldia Village.
Well, that's where I wanted to go, but that magic circle didn't quite reach all the way to Doldia Village.
So I decided to pay Perugius a visit and ask for his help with the greeting and all.
He might even know the location of the abandoned teleportation ruins in the northern part of the Great Forest.
---
When I came to see him, Perugius was surrounded by ten spirits and one Silvaril, looking as imperious as ever.
The one who was missing was the one currently dispatched to Ariel as a representative.
"The Great Forest, you say?"
"Is there a problem?"
"You're going right away?"
"The sooner the better."
When I told Perugius I wanted to go to the Great Forest, he hesitated for just a moment, but quickly agreed.
He'd even let me use him as a taxi.
As expected, Lord Perugius was a generous man.
"Still, the Sacred Beast… brings back unpleasant memories."
Perugius looked at Leo with a complicated expression.
He should have known about the Sacred Beast being summoned, but I supposed this was technically their first meeting.
Leo, upon receiving Perugius's gaze, simply sat down with an innocent expression.
Linia, on the other hand, was the one who was intimidated.
She'd apparently met Perugius once before with Aisha, but she still wasn't used to him.
"The other day, my sister must have caused you some trouble."
"Not at all. I don't dislike those who are wise."
When I apologized for Aisha, Perugius waved his hand dismissively.
But judging by the fact that he didn't seem particularly displeased, Aisha must have handled things well.
"By the way, it seems you've had a daughter."
"Yes. Did Aisha tell you?"
"Hmm. Good thing it wasn't a boy with green hair."
Perugius said that in a probing tone.
"…Yes. I'm relieved she's not a reincarnation of Laplace."
When I gave that reply, Perugius grinned.
"Oh my, so it sounds like Orsted told you about the Dragon Race reincarnations?"
"Yes."
"Then remember this—if Laplace is born, I will kill and devour the child, even if it is your own son."
Perugius bared his teeth in a grin.
Terrifying.
"…All I can do is pray that it doesn't come to that."
I hadn't really formed a stance regarding Laplace.
According to Orsted, Laplace was the last great warrior who had fought the Human God for ages. In that case, he'd be an ally of mine.
But Laplace, after being defeated by the Human God and split in two, had deceived Luigerud and earned Perugius's hostility. In that case, he'd be my enemy.
If someone like that were born as my son…
Even I wouldn't know what to do.
That said, I wasn't too worried about it.
Orsted had spoken as though he knew when, where, and into whom Laplace would reincarnate.
There was a possibility my presence had changed the future, but…
Laplace's destiny was probably strong enough that it wouldn't be so easily swayed.
"Still, I have no desire to cross blades with you either. If someone who appears to be Laplace is born, come consult with me beforehand."
Perugius said that reassuringly and rose from his throne.
I wasn't sure what kind of advice he'd give in a consultation.
But his attitude made it clear that he had no intention of letting Laplace go.
The fact that he wouldn't kill the child immediately—that might have been his way of showing mercy.
"Very well. I shall begin preparations for the teleportation circle now. Wait in your rooms for a while."
With that, Perugius left the throne room.
---
The teleportation circle would take some time to prepare.
I thought about paying Nanahoshi a visit, but she wasn't in her usual room.
When I asked Yulze, who was making her rounds of atonement, where she'd gone, she said Nanahoshi was currently studying various applications of teleportation magic circles.
There was apparently a lot she needed to learn, and it sounded tough.
I'd help out if anything came up, but…
For now, I'd leave behind the potato chips and salted rice balls I'd made at home.
Food is healing.
After that, I moved to one of the private rooms and settled in to wait.
Linia's eyes lit up at the luxuriously appointed room, and she dove into the plush sofa in an instant.
"Haaah… The boss is one thing, but Aisha is really fearless, nya. To think she could talk on equal footing with someone that scary, nya…"
Linia stretched luxuriously and grumbled.
I had no idea what kind of conversation Aisha and Perugius had.
I didn't think Aisha would have any problems, and Perugius hadn't been in a bad mood.
But Aisha did have a habit of casually dropping sharp remarks from time to time.
I was a little worried.
…I should lay some groundwork.
"Linia, it's not equal footing. We're beneath him. The only reason Aisha got away with speaking a bit rudely was because Lord Perugius is generous."
"Really, nya? It's not because she's intimidated by the Dragon God boss of bosses? I've never met him, but he's gotta be terrifying, right? Even Cliff was seriously scared, nya."
"Cut that out! There's no way that's true!"
You're the one who's fearless.
Perugius could hear this entire conversation, you know.
What if he puts mop water in my tea?
Good grief…
While we were having that conversation, a slightly grumpy Silvaril appeared.
She must have been listening after all.
"Lord Perugius is a generous man, and he considers Lord Rudeus to be a good friend."
She gave us that little warning.
Of course, I wasn't going to let that go to my head.
Please don't hold what this stupid cat said against me.
Well, being treated as a friend by the great Lord Perugius really is an honor.
I tried laying it on thick with compliments, but I must have overdone it, because Silvaril's mood didn't improve much.
"…Preparations are complete. Please come with me."
Silvaril, still looking sour, ushered us out of the room.
She led us underground, into the floating fortress.
It was that dark, labyrinth-like area we'd used when traveling to the Demon Continent.
In one of those dimly lit chambers, Perugius and Nanahoshi stood waiting.
In front of them, as always, was a teleportation magic circle.
But for some reason, the circle wasn't glowing.
It didn't seem to have been activated yet.
I was wondering what was going on when Nanahoshi took a deep breath and held mana crystals in both hands.
"It's been modified, but just do it as usual."
"Okay…"
Nanahoshi said that as she stepped forward to the magic circle.
"Rudeus, get on. If this fails, I'm sorry."
Nanahoshi indicated us with a tense expression.
So this time, Nanahoshi would be activating it.
A practice run for her lesson.
I wouldn't complain. I was the one who'd barged in.
"Silvaril, did you give them the map?"
"Oh, I forgot."
At Perugius's words, Silvaril pulled a map from her sleeve and held it out to us.
I took it and looked inside.
Seeing Doldia Village marked at the edge, this was probably a map showing the location of the ruins we'd be teleporting to.
About half a day's journey to Doldia Village.
Maybe because it was in a forest, it looked pretty close on the map, but…
For now, I showed it to Linia.
"Oh, I know this place, nya. Don't worry, it's close, nya."
She said.
Then we'd be fine.
Even though she'd been gone for over a decade, it was better to rely on a local.
Actually, Silvaril.
If nobody had said anything, you were planning to just not hand over the map, weren't you?
That's not very nice. That kind of underhandedness is uncalled for.
I'll report you to Lord Perugius.
"Then, begin."
"Yes."
Nanahoshi crouched to the ground, brought the mana crystals close to the magic circle, and began drawing something on the ground with a brush.
"In case something goes wrong, I'll activate the circle for just an instant.
Once you're on the other side, figure it out yourselves. Understood?"
"…Sure."
I reflexively answered Perugius's words as the preparations continued.
Were there monsters or something?
Wait a second.
This time of year—could it be?
"Oh, right now—"
At the same time, Linia realized it too.
But by then, Nanahoshi had already finished her preparations.
She placed the mana crystals on the spot where she'd drawn with the brush.
The moment she did, the magic circle began to glow faintly, and my body was pulled into it.
---
"Uwah-pu!"
When I came to, I was submerged in water.
Up to my stomach, with the magic circle at the bottom.
The magic circle quickly lost its light.
"Nyaah! It really is the rainy season!"
Linia shouted, lifting Leo into the air.
Leo wore an expression that said "obviously" as he was being held up, but he was completely soaked.
Our luggage was wet too.
Oh no—the box of apology sweets might have gotten wet as well.
The water was cold.
I needed to get to dry ground quickly, or I'd catch a cold.
Well, a cold could be cured with a detoxification spell, but still.
As I thought about that, I looked for stairs but couldn't find any going up.
Which meant…
I summoned a fire spirit and searched the room. The stairs were below us.
It seemed this was the top floor of the building.
"Boss, do something, nya!"
"Give me a second."
First, I needed to go up.
If the water was this high, there shouldn't be water above.
Thinking that, I used earth magic to create footholds on the wall and reached the ceiling.
"Hmph!"
I broke through with magic and made a hole.
I emerged outside.
A torrential downpour.
Gigantic trees stood as far as the eye could see, and looking up, the canopy blocked out the sky entirely.
Below, muddy floodwaters surged as if trying to wash everything away.
A forest so dense with water it felt like being in the middle of a great river.
No doubt about it—the Great Forest.
I was currently standing on top of the ruins.
The entire building was submerged.
"This is bad, nya. What do we do? I didn't account for this, nya."
Linia climbed up alongside Leo.
"We could freeze the water and walk on top, or build a boat and maneuver it with magic."
"Whoa, as expected of the boss, nya."
"But with this rain, I can't tell which direction we're going."
"I can't tell the way like this either, nya…"
Of course.
After all, the ruins were submerged nearly to the top floor.
The water was about five meters deep.
There were no landmarks visible.
"Wh-what do we do, nya?"
"Should we wait here until the rainy season ends?"
"When the rainy season ends, mating season comes, nya. And if that happens, I'll probably be useless, nya."
Ah, right. Mating season.
Even indoors it would be manageable, but on a journey like this, even I might not be able to hold back.
Maybe we should move after all.
Wait, should I head back and borrow some useful magic item from Orsted or someone?
"Woof!"
Leo barked.
He puffed out his chest and looked up at me expectantly.
What did he want?
"Really, nya?!"
Linia responded.
"Woof!"
"As expected of the Sacred Beast, nya!"
Leo barked and Linia understood.
Good thing I brought Linia along.
A Bow○ngar really is essential after all.
"Linia, what did he say?"
"He says he knows the way, so get a boat ready, nya."
"Roger that."
As expected of the Sacred Beast.
Thinking that, I made a boat with earth magic.
The earth magic I created got heavier the more mana I put into it.
But if I lowered the density, I could make it lighter.
I'd use a honeycomb structure to maintain reasonable strength while keeping air trapped inside for buoyancy.
While pondering all that, I finished the boat in about an hour.
An ugly, square raft.
Well, it floated, and the propulsion would be magic-powered.
No problem.
"Alright, let's head out."
"Are you sure, nya…? Boss, you got enough mana? Don't sink halfway, please, nya…"
"If it looks like too much, we can always climb a tree and rest halfway."
I said that as I stepped onto the raft.
It was a bit unstable, but I could fix it along the way.
"I'm worried, nya…"
"Woof!"
"Oh, boss, he says it's that way, nya."
"Roger. Then, full speed ahead."
I manipulated the water around the raft and began moving in the direction the Sacred Beast Leo was pointing.
---
Two days later.
We arrived at Doldia Village.
It wasn't that far in terms of distance, but we'd gotten a bit lost after being attacked by monsters along the way and swept away by the water.
If we hadn't been lucky enough to be washed toward the Holy Sword Highway, we might have wandered for another ten days or so.
"Hey, look!"
"It's the Sacred Beast!"
"Go tell Geus!"
The Doldia tribe's village erupted into chaos at the sight of us.
Warriors swarmed out like a disturbed beehive.
All of them were armed.
"A human man."
"Don't tell me he's the one who kidnapped…"
"Now that you mention it, there was a kidnapping incident ten years ago too."
As we brought the raft closer, the beastfolk's wariness intensified.
At this rate, they might detain us without even asking questions.
What now? If I got caught again, I might end up thrown naked into a cell.
Just as I was worrying, Linia stood up.
"Everyone! It's your daughter, Linia Dedoldia, home at last, nya!"
"Huh?"
Linia's declaration froze the warriors in place.
Then, after staring intently at Linia's face, they all began sniffing the air at once.
"It's true. It's Linia."
"She's gotten big."
"It's been about twelve, thirteen years?"
The atmosphere shifted to one of nostalgia.
I was feeling relieved that things would be fine when, in the next instant—
"You! I heard from Pursena!"
"What was all that about becoming a merchant?!"
"Go fulfill your duties in the village!"
Jeers flew from every direction.
"Aaaah, I knew it! Boss, back up! Back up please, nya!"
Ignoring Linia's words, I pressed onward into the Doldia village.
---
The Doldia village was unchanged from my last visit.
Closed off, with a strong hostility toward outsiders.
That said, this time Linia was with me, and quite a few people actually remembered me.
I'd come to this village ten years ago.
The children from that time had joined the warrior ranks, and they recognized me right away by scent.
Even among the veteran warriors, there were those who remembered me.
For instance, the guy who'd dumped water on me back then.
Apparently, he'd spent ten years having five children before returning to the warrior ranks.
That was one industrious man.
They welcomed me, but they also bashed Linia.
"You're the chieftain's daughter, and you abandoned your duties!"
"You bring shame to the entire clan!"
Linia shrank behind me.
In a small voice, she said "This is exactly why I didn't want to come here, nya…" with tears in her eyes.
Of course, she'd brought this on herself.
The beastfolk growled at Linia for a while, but when the Sacred Beast shook his wet body, their attention shifted to him.
"Who cares about Linia? It's the Sacred Beast!"
"That's right! You've finally returned!"
"Where have you been all this time?!"
After that, the topic turned to the Sacred Beast I'd brought with me.
Where had he been? How had I brought him back?
From those questions, the looks from those who didn't know me gradually shifted to suspicious glances, thinking "Don't tell me he kidnapped the Sacred Beast."
This was familiar too.
If someone said "Come to think of it, ten years ago, he was totally infatuated with the Sacred Beast," I'd probably be thrown in jail.
Just as I was thinking that, a particularly loud voice rang out from the crowd.
"Everyone, quiet, nya!"
"Silence!"
Two female warriors emerged.
Their faces were familiar.
The beastfolk girls I'd once rescued.
Minutona and Terseena.
They took charge like leaders, holding back the crowd, and made their way to me.
"There's no point in causing a scene here, nya!"
"First, we'll hear the situation at the chieftain's house! Make way!"
And so, I was escorted to Geus's home.
---
Geus had become the chieftain.
The former chieftain, Gustav, had been seriously injured in a fight with monsters during a rainy season a few years ago and retired.
Now, he'd left the village in Geus's care and was living leisurely in another settlement.
Maybe that was why Geus had acquired a certain gravitas.
He looked much more composed than the last time we'd met.
With him in charge, it seemed unlikely I'd be arrested on false charges right away.
Feeling relieved about that, I handed over a set of smoked meats I'd bought in Sharia and explained the situation.
That I was fighting a powerful enemy.
That in order to fight that enemy without worry, I had summoned a being to protect my family.
And that the Sacred Beast had appeared as a result.
That the Sacred Beast had become our guardian.
When he finished listening, Geus wore a skeptical expression.
"That's a hard story to swallow."
Fair enough.
Even I had been surprised when the Sacred Beast Leo showed up.
"Woof!"
"But the Sacred Beast himself is saying the same thing."
I couldn't understand what Leo was saying, but the Sacred Beast, sitting properly at my left side, was surely vouching for me.
"The Sacred Beast is only saying that your family's cooking is good, you know."
"Oh my?"
"I'm kidding. He says, 'I went to his daughter's side to fulfill what must be done.'"
Geus sighed as he spoke.
He was kidding?
Since when did Geus crack jokes?
But anyway—my daughter.
Lucy? No, he meant Lara.
Leo had grown attached to Lara.
From what I could see, unless something happened, Leo wouldn't leave Lara's crib.
Orsted had said "Lara is special," too.
"Woof!"
"Oh, fate, you say?"
Geus faced Leo and they had some kind of conversation.
But since Leo's language was bark-speak, I couldn't understand it.
"Linia, could you translate?"
"Hm? Sure, nya."
I asked Linia, seated at my right, to translate, and listened in.
"Indeed, according to legend, the Sacred Beast is said to assist the one who saves the world, one hundred years after being born…"
"Woof! (Your duty as the Doldia tribe, nya!)"
"The Doldia tribe's duty is to protect the Sacred Beast until the savior appears."
"Arf! (I've found one! This fellow's daughter is the savior!)"
"That may well be true. But it's unprecedented. The savior's father summoning the Sacred Beast and having the Sacred Beast guard her from infancy…"
In Linia's mind, the Sacred Beast apparently used "boku" as a first-person pronoun.
It reminded me of that muscle-bound demon king.
But anyway—my daughter was the savior?
That bratty little Lara was the savior?
Orsted had been acting mysterious about it too…
So that was it…
But I couldn't really feel it.
Should I have had her learn martial arts from an early age after all? The kind passed down one-on-one.
"Bark, bark bark bark! (In the legend, there was also mention that the savior might die before growing up! What happens to us then?!)"
"…According to the legend, if the savior dies, the Sacred Tree withers, and the Sacred Beast wastes away and dies."
"Grrrr! (My master is being targeted! Are you trying to kill me?!)"
"…N-no, that is absolutely not—"
"Woof! (Then there is no problem whatsoever!)"
Geus wore a bitter expression.
After that, he glared at Linia, who was translating with far too much enthusiasm.
Linia shrank down and hid behind my back.
Come on, I asked you to translate, but you're the one making it worse.
Face your own punishment for your own sins.
At that moment, Geus spoke.
"Linia, is what the Sacred Beast says true?"
"Y-yes, nya. The Sacred Beast is indeed watching over Boss… Lord Rudeus's child, nya."
Linia using formal speech was a rare sight.
Even the delinquent girl I'd made cry in Sharia—was her father really that scary?
"A human daughter… I thought there would still be eighty years left after the Sacred Beast's birth, but…"
"She's half-human, half-demon. I think she'll live a long time, nya."
"I see, so the possibility of the demon race existed too…"
Geus crossed his arms in thought.
Over the past ten years, he'd become a much more thoughtful person.
Ten years ago, he'd had the vibe of a hot-headed young man who didn't think things through.
But now he seemed more composed.
Did beastfolk calm down once they passed thirty?
At that point, two young men standing behind Geus shouted:
"A demon race savior is impossible, nya!"
"She said she used summoning magic, so the Sacred Beast must have been tricked by some strange spell!"
Minutona and Terseena had more of the old Geus about them.
That was strange—I thought they'd have been more grateful to me for saving them back then. Had the beastfolk culture rubbed off on them?
Setting those two aside.
I had, in fact, summoned Leo using a magic circle made by Orsted.
That circle apparently contained a formula for absolute obedience to me.
It was possible Leo had been deceived by that magic into mistaking my daughter for the savior.
"That possibility is unlikely as well.
If that were the case, Lord Rudeus wouldn't have come all the way to our village.
His current residence and the Great Forest are on opposite ends of the world.
He wouldn't have gone to such trouble if he had a guilty conscience—he'd simply have ignored the matter entirely."
"Th-that's true."
Honestly.
…I'm sorry. I was actually planning to ignore it.
My apologies.
"We'll consider the Sacred Beast matter settled for now."
"Really?"
"If the Sacred Beast himself says so, then it is our duty to comply."
"Woof!"
Leo placed his head on my lap with an expression that said "obviously."
I reflexively patted him, and he looked pleased.
Minutona and Terseena looked like they couldn't believe it, but that wasn't my problem.
Still, if the Sacred Beast said it was fine, then it was fine.
It all came down to what Linia had said after all.
Come to think of it, Ghislaine had said something similar.
"However, Lord Rudeus.
In… let's see, about fifteen years.
When your child has grown, please bring her here.
We wish to perform the Sacred Tree ceremony in accordance with our traditions.
It will be a journey of one year each way, so it will be difficult, but I ask this of you.
We too have our duty to fulfill."
"Understood."
A ceremony.
I didn't know what they'd be doing, but it was probably something formal.
I'd better not forget.
Fifteen years from now, at Doldia Village, Lara's coming-of-age ceremony.
…I should write it in my diary so I don't forget.
And with that, the matter of Leo was settled.
That was surprisingly smooth.
I let out a sigh of relief, and Geus relaxed his shoulders.
The tension in the room dissipated.
Then, Geus suddenly turned toward Linia.
Linia shuddered.
"So then, Linia… why is our stray cat at Lord Rudeus's place?"
"Oh, that—this one tried to go into business, but she racked up a huge deb—"
"Great question, nya!"
Linia cut me off and pushed herself forward.
"So, I'd broken up with Pursena and was planning to start a business, but one day, something like a divine revelation descended from the sky, nya! I followed it and returned to the Magic City of Sharia, and what do you know—it was the Sacred Beast! I knew this was it—I was meant to be here! The heavens sent me to serve the Sacred Beast! So I didn't abandon the Doldia tribe's mission—rather, the opposite! I stayed away from the village to fulfill my duty as a warrior, nya!"
Incredible.
How she could so brazenly come up with a lie like that.
She might have been planning this for a long time.
Geus looked half-skeptical, but Minutona and Terseena bought it completely.
Moments ago, they'd been looking at her with contempt. Now they gazed at her with admiration.
Simple creatures, these two.
But I'd read somewhere that when you despise someone, you stagnate, but when you respect someone, you grow… or something like that.
Finding something good in a hopeless person was the key to your own growth.
…Well, lying was still bad, though.
"Geus, she was trying to start a business but racked up a massive debt. She was about to be sold into slavery when I stepped in to help. Well, I just covered the debt, really."
"I see."
"Nyaah! Boss, don't tell the truth!"
The expressions of Minutona and Terseena shifted back to contempt.
"Now I have her working at my place to pay back the debt."
"That would make her… Lord Rudeus's slave, wouldn't it?"
Mm.
Come to think of it, Linia was Geus's daughter.
Hearing that his daughter was someone's slave—how would any father feel about that?
If it were me and Lucy had been enslaved, I'd kill the master and make the whole thing disappear.
No, but lying was still bad.
"Um, in a manner of speaking, yes… but I'm certainly not treating her as a slave. I'm helping her rehabilitate as a friend, you see…"
"No, it's fine. She abandoned her duties, ran off to make money, racked up a debt, and caused trouble for our clan's hero, Lord Rudeus. It brings shame to the entire clan. Boil her, roast her, do whatever you want with her."
Oh my.
Geus had become a remarkably understanding man in the time I hadn't seen him.
No, wait—that expression was more like lamenting his daughter's failures.
"Dad, aren't you being a bit harsh, nya? I was in a pretty serious jam, nya. I was this close to becoming some perverted noble's plaything…"
"Now then, Lord Rudeus, you were known for being quite vigorous even as a child.
Mating season is about to begin, so please feel free to use Linia as you wish."
"Nya! Dad, what do you think of your daughter's chastity?!"
Linia raised her fist in anger, but Geus shot her a piercing glare.
He roared a single command.
"Silence. If you're Doldia, repay your debts with your body."
"U-ugh… f-fine, nya… I was in the wrong, nya…"
Linia instantly cowered and hid behind me.
It was fine to hide, but stop pressing yourself against me.
I have no intention of doing anything to you during mating season.
"In any case, someone needs to look after the Sacred Beast, and we don't have the means to pay off Linia's debt. Please take her with you."
"Understood."
A caretaker.
I didn't think Leo needed one, but the Doldia tribe had their own duty.
If they wanted to take care of him, I had no reason to refuse.
And honestly, it would be a problem if Linia returned to the village right now.
The mercenary group had only just gotten on track.
"However, I'd be worried about Linia going alone."
"Of course you would."
"Boss, please don't agree with him, nya…"
Linia said miserably, but I understood how Geus felt.
Linia wasn't a bad person, but lately she'd been leaning heavily in that direction.
"Someone else… how about taking Minutona or Terseena here along as a companion?"
At those words, Minutona and Terseena stepped forward.
Both were dressed in typical beastfolk warrior attire.
Leather armor, thick-bladed swords.
Trained bodies, and ample bosoms.
They'd been big-chested as children, but they'd gotten even bigger.
The beastfolk were truly a race that would drive any lover of large breasts wild.
"I'll go, nya."
"No, I'll go."
"I'm better with the sword and smarter, nya."
"Lies. We both attended the school in Zanzeptort, but my grades were higher."
Did they want to be the Sacred Beast's caretaker that badly?
Being away from this land for fifteen years would pretty much eliminate any chance of becoming chieftain, wouldn't it?
Or was being the Sacred Beast's caretaker more prestigious than becoming chieftain?
"Terseena's magic grades were better, but I beat her in everything else, nya."
"That's not true. Tōna's a liar."
"You're the liar, Terseena."
The two of them competed and argued just like the Linia and Pursena of old.
Oh, right.
"Has Pursena… not come back yet?"
The instant I asked, Geus's face twisted in pain.
---
I was led to a building at the edge of the village.
It was a familiar building to me.
Quite familiar, in fact.
I myself had lived here for a period of time.
It was actually quite comfortable.
From a certain point on, I'd shared a room with a middle-aged man with a monkey face, and even then it had been comfortable.
The security was especially tight—actually, never mind.
In short, it was a jail cell.
Linia apparently had bad memories associated with this building and didn't go inside.
"…"
Pursena was lying on the built-in bed in a rather disheveled state.
She wasn't stripped completely naked like I had been, but her outfit was quite revealing.
A thin shirt that couldn't care less about modesty, and three-quarter-length pants.
Dressed like that, with her back to the iron bars, she had one hand shoved through the gap in her pants and was scratching the base of her tail.
Her feminine appeal had plummeted.
"Hey, Pursena, get up."
"Mmm, I can't eat anymore…"
Called by Geus, she responded with a generic sleepy mumble and flapped her tail.
"Time to eat."
"…Nngh!"
Then, with a textbook reaction, she jerked upright.
"Fwah…"
She stretched, and her thin shirt was pushed forward by her chest.
As big as ever.
Tight and straining.
A sight for sore eyes.
A poison that detoxification spells couldn't cure.
"Huh? I don't smell any food…"
She twitched her nose while looking around with half-closed eyes.
Then she noticed us.
"Pursena, you have a visitor."
Pursena was sitting in the cell with a blank expression.
But when she saw me, she leaped at the iron bars.
"Boss! It's not what you think! I'm innocent! Please help me!"
I stared in astonishment at Pursena, who was clinging to the bars and screaming.
Geus let out a deep sigh.