CH 28

28 To The Beastmen continent

――――――Beastmen continent…… It is a continent where mainly beastmen live in, races that are like a unity of humans and animals. These beastmen possess beastlike ferociousness and instinct.

Their physical strength are high compared to humans and demons, but in exchange the amount of magic power within them is not so much.

Instead of saying in exchange, it is a handicap equivalent to being unable to use the convenience called magic, or having difficulty in using them.

In order to compensate for such handicap, the beastmen possess skills that is characteristic to their race.

In the case of felines, they can acquire skills which would strengthen their body’s flexibility, leg strength, nails etc. As for the canines, they can acquire skills which could strengthen their olfaction, leg strength and special vocal chords.

They use those skills freely and compete with the other races.

There are doesn’t exist any races anymore that would look down on them for not being able to use magic.

Currently one beastman had just put their foot in the continent of such beastmen.

The body was concealed by a black robe and the head covered by a hood until only the shape of the mouth could be faintly seen.

Judging from the shape of the mouth, the gender is likely female.

Because her body was small, one would get the impression that she was young.

The moment she started walking in the port town of the beastmen continent <Leo Port>, she took off her hood.

What is attached to her head was a pin and mere white cat ears, and the girl’s hair itself was completely white.

Her face still looked childish and she appeared to be the same age as Ruri, who was with Setsu for a while. She could be called a junior high school student by Japanese standards.

An old man selling the fishes he had fished in a store called out to that girl.

“Ooh! If it ain’t Shironeko! Come take some of what I just fished today!”

“I will take it -desu”

The black robe wearing girl called Shironeko was given fresh fish who were jumping around even now.

“Oh! If this isn’t Shironeko! Come take some of our vegetables, okay!”

“I will take it -desu”

This time the middle-aged greengrocer lady threw in several types of vegetables.

The girl took everything in her hand.

“Woah there! If it ain’t Shironeko! Take some of our meat, will ya!”

“I will…… not take it -desu”

“It ain’t good to be picky ya know!”

“I, I understand -desu”

On the stacked bags in her arms was put a bag of fresh meat by the butcher’s assistant.

Shironeko made an unpleasant face, but endured it one way or another and once again started walking.

When the girl walked in the city, people would greet her.

That is because Shironeko was currently the strongest in this city.

A beastman’s instinct is to be fond of someone stronger than themselves.

For that reason the residents of the city respected her and loved her.

Despite being respected, their interaction felt like she was being treated as a child, but perhaps her appearance was to blame for that.

Shironeko held a large quantity of bags and went towards a tiny house on the outskirts of the city.

“I’m home -desu”

When she nimbly used her foot to open the door to the tiny house, she carefully went in so as not to drop the bags.

The room inside is spacious enough for at most two people to live in and there are absolutely no unnecessary furniture.

This is the house of the one who is popular in the city, Shironeko.

“Mineko, I’ve just returned home -no desu”

Shironeko called out to the girl on the bed in this cramped house.

“Welcome home, big sis”

Lying on the bed, a young girl with long black hair called Mineko responded to her voice and lifted up her body.

Judging from appearance, she would look older than Shironeko.

Her long black hair was disordered and jumped up here and there, but she boasted an exquisite innocence and her well featured face felt adultlike.

And then, the black cat ears growing on her head looked lovely.

However, no matter how one perceives them, they won’t realize from Shironeko’s appearance that she is the older sister.

“You don’t have get up -desu”

“I feel good today so I will be fine you know”

Mineko who said so had a cheerful appearance, but her body appeared weakly.

As a matter of course, she is currently being afflicted by an illness.

There was an illness that gradually weakened the body, its origin was unknown.

Even the city doctors had given up hope and couldn’t grasp the hope of curing her for about several years.

“First of all, today you will take the medicine too -no desu. Yesterday’s medicine was gone, so today we received new medicine -no desu.”

“I’m sorry for having you do this every time…… big sis”

“You’re my little sister, so you can act spoiled -no desu. Mineko, I will absolutely find a way to cure you -no desu.”

“ …… okay”

Mineko smiled.

Shironeko may be a slightly unsociable girl, but this time she showed a seemingly sad smile on her face.

Shironeko took out a bottle with black beads from the pocket of the robe she was wearing.

She opened it and dropped one bead on her hand.

It’s as large as a tablet in Japan.

“Swallow this -no desu”

“Okay……”

Together with water created by a simple water magic, the black bead went inside Mineko.

“ …… I will absolutely return you to your energetic body -no desu. Not medicine that only delays the symptoms, I will find proper medicine -no desu”

“Big sis…… Please don’t do anything unreasonable okay?”

“I won’t -no desu. I am――――――strong -desu”

Shironeko stared at Mineko with strong eyes.

At that time, Shironeko’s ears responded to something with a twitch.

“ …… some work has come in -no desu. Mineko, I will be away from home for a little while, so lie down in bed -no desu”

“Okay, big sis”

She softly stroke Mineko’s head once and left the house.

Walking to the port town once again, Shironeko glared straight towards the direction of the sea.

In order to save her beloved family, her younger sister, she will turn her fangs to one man today――――――

◇　◇　◇

“You can see it now――――――the beastmen continent”

“Hm…… Yeah”

Lying down on the Levia’s head who is advancing on the sea, I feel nostalgia upon seeing the beastmen continent in front of me and unintentionally leaked out a stupid voice.

“Uhhee, how nostalgic” (T.N. Any stupid sounding english word I could use for uhhee?)

“I’m no good at appearing like beasts though……”

“Endure it okay, endure…… Your cat ears are dog ears you know?”

“What does that matter……”

It looks like this girl doesn’t understand the merit of animal ears.

Even though it would have increase your cuteness by 20% if even you put it on, how wasteful.

“At any rate, are we going to directly look for the lion king when we arrive at the beastmen continent?”

“Yeah, we have to end this troublesome war and make it easier to spend time in this world.

…… and track down Alize.”

“ …… You’re right.”

I was able to confirm the fact that everyone in Alize’s village was dropped somewhere because of Area Summon.

After that we frantically investigated the village, but I couldn’t even find a single person.

We investigated the surroundings of the village just a little, but they’re not there either.

I understood they were kidnapped.

The problem is, to where.

“ …… Wouldn’t it be nice if they’re in the beastmen continent……”

I murmured softly and grasped my fist tightly.

“――――――We’re here”

I put my feet on the deserted coast that’s separated from the port town.

Levia also changed herself into a human form before she stands out.

“It’s been five days or something since we left that place! Either way, I so want to lie down on a bed since a long time. We couldn’t do anything but sleep outside these days after all.”

“That would be fine, I like soft beds, you know.”

“Then, how about we try and stay at an extravagant place for once!”

As I walk in high spirits, Levia walks together behind me.

The air at the beastmen continent is different from both the human continent and the demon continent.

It feels like it smells a little of animals, but if you get used to it it will calm you down rather than become troublesome.

We started going forward while we breathe in the air of this place since a long time, but we stopped after taking three steps.

“Nyaa”

“Huh?”

“Nyaa” “Nyaa” “Nyaa” “Nyaa” “Nyaa” “Nyaa” “Nyaa”

Lining up before us are a cat, a cat, a cat, a cat, a cat ……  (one of them is spelled nuko, not sure if intentional or a reference to a certain manga)

There were all sorts of cats ranging from small to large, but every one of them is looking at us.

Why are we welcomed by cats right after we get here…… ――――――

*T.N. As you can see, Shironeko always adds in -desu/-no desu in her sentence, but I can’t find any replacement to make it more characteristic to her, so I left it as is. If you have any suggestions, feel free to post it.

**I used felines/canines for cat and dog tribe. It’s my own twist to it. Good or not good? I thought it was nicer than just going with cat or dog tribe/race etc. Makes it more grand and something more for the people of the race itself to be proud of.