Inario Dungeon (7)
“Kyaaaak!? What’s that!? You scared me-da!! Why are Kirgil-nim’s eyes like that? Eek……”
Hmm, calm down. My eyes must’ve looked like a baby boar eyeing a wolf. No, no. I’m way too excited right now.
I need to find some mental comfort to cool this excitement down.
“Eeeek!? W-what is it!? Why’s Kirgil-nim touching my tail? It… it feels… weird-da…. Kyiiiing……”
Sorry, I can’t help it. I don’t know if you’re a boy or a girl, but just walking past such a cute beastkin tail would be rude.
That’s not how you enjoy fantasy!!
“When you… scratch my tail like that…. Hairil… Hairil turns into Hairilka… Kyiiiing……”
Aah, this is nice. So healing.
The soft feel of the fur brushing as I stroke gently, the springy bounce when I grip harder, the way the tail sways when I sweep it all at once…. Hehehehe.
“Kirgil-nim…. If you do this… Hairil… Hairilka…. Kyiiiing.”
“Kirgil-nim!! What the hell are you doing?!”
“Whoa!”
Ashu smacked the back of my head, snapping me out of paradise and back to reality—or this other world, anyway.
Sorry, Ashu. You must be jealous because I was doting on Hairil too much.
…Or not?
“Right now, Kirgil-nim is doing something you absolutely must never do to someone from Kataril. Hairil-nim is already on this adventure to decide their fate, and this is just beyond rude!”
I was really getting scolded.
Hairil’s expression didn’t look all that displeased… Wait! No, that’s something the perpetrator should never say. Swallow those words.
In the middle of this grim dungeon crawl, spotting that cute tail must’ve gotten me way too worked up without realizing it.
I know it’s rude to touch someone’s body without permission. But apparently, beyond that, I’d done something huge to a beastkin… no, a Kataril tribesman.
I know next to nothing about other countries or races. So Ashu started explaining about the Kataril tribe from the basics.
The most shocking fact among all the stories about the Kataril tribe was this.
Hairil…. Hairil….
“They’re neither male nor female—they’re non-binary!?”
“Yes. When Kataril people ‘decide their fate,’ it means they decide their gender.”
Incredible! This really is another world! Beastkin alone are surprising enough, but their gender can change as they grow!?
“For commoners, it happens naturally as they grow, deciding their fate and gender. But for someone of Hairil-nim’s status, they must choose carefully, and the trigger for that decision is extremely important. It could even become the basis for becoming tribal chief.”
I see. So what I did wasn’t just sexual harassment—it could’ve changed their life, toying with one person’s fate.
The fate of a high-status heir, no less….
“Kirgil-nim, remember this well. In Kataril, the most insulting and cruel act is when someone else forces a person’s gender to change against their will.”
Ashu’s lecture dragged on, and before I knew it, everyone except me, Ashu, and Hairil had gone to bed early to prepare for tomorrow.
Hairil, since it was about them, hugged their tail shyly while listening.
I… wanna touch Hairil’s tail too. Coming in here stressed me out so much; I need some healing.
“I know Kirgil-nim meant no harm, but if Hairil-nim became Hairilka from some irresponsible man’s touch, it’d spark a huge international incident.”
“So, Hairil-nim.”
“Y-yes.”
“Let me touch it too.”
“Y-yes! ……Wha!? Wait… then Hairil might… become Hairilan…. Kyiiih!?”
Ashu wrapped both hands around Hairil’s adorable tail.
Genius!! Ashu’s so smart!!
One man touching it alone is bad, so a man and woman together to balance it out!!
Matching Ashu, I stroked Hairil’s soft tail fur too.
“Ashushikara-nim and Kirgil-nim too…. Haaang!? Kyiiiing… Th-this feels weird-da. Hiiing, I dunno-da……”
“Hehehe, Hairil-nim’s tail fur is so warm and soft. I could hug it and sleep like this. Hehehehehe……”
Ashu, you were pent up too, huh. I get it. After hugging and squeezing you instead of a teddy bear, I totally understand.
“Hairil, I’ll groom the stray hairs for you. I’ll stroke it just right so the shine doesn’t fade. Aah… the feel against my palm is too good. Aaaaaah……”
Hairil shook their tail in frail resistance, but what good is that without moving the main body!?
In the end, Hairil’s tail went limp in surrender, leaving everything to our hands.
“Hairilan… Hairilka… Hnnyaang, dunno-da. Don’t know what’s what anymore-da. Kyiiiiing…. Hiiing……”
This should avoid any unwanted fate-sealing.
Hairil flopped down right there with a dreamy expression.
They looked about to fall asleep, so I covered them with a cloak. While stroking their tail.
Anyway, Ashu and I had spent the most rewarding time since entering this dungeon.
Ashu’s smile had a new glow. Probably mine too. My heart felt full.
As the first watch, I confirmed Ashu’s satisfied face and spent a pleasant time watching Hairil’s tail sway.
I should cover the tail with a robe or cloak.
Not right now!
If I can’t touch it, I’ll stare!
But I did cover it properly before switching with Hodo.
Just as I hoped they’d have sweet dreams….
Another attack hit.
When Panash was on watch, over a dozen monster dogs appeared again. Repeated raids like this wear on your nerves.
“…Damn bastards, every last one of ‘em!!”
For the first time since the adventure began, crude profanity slipped from Inadia’s mouth.
It burst out while fighting the monsters.
Once we killed over half, they fled again.
Hairil, who hadn’t woken in time, got bitten on the leg. Hodo got bit on the arm from a pincer attack front and back. Ashu healed them right away, so no scars remained, but the psychological shock and stress kept building.
Thanks to Hairil’s tail, I’d regained some mental leeway. But those two who got hurt this time—will they be okay?
Hodo….
He gave up sleeping and started tinkering with something. Says you can relieve one stress with another.
Looks like he’s fine, getting that absorbed.
Hairil….
“I-it’s okay-da.”
….That’s what they say, but they’re hugging their tail and leaning against the wall. I wanna hug the tail too… no.
Early in the adventure, Hairil hid their tail from others. Showing it so openly now means their mental state’s weakened somewhere.
In other words, like a dog curling its tail—scared and withdrawn.
They wanna act tough as Kataril’s hero, but that pose lacks conviction.
Separate from the fate-finding journey, their parents probably named them a hero and sent them here to grow strong through adventure.
When I sat beside them, Hairil glanced at me shyly and whispered a request in my ear.
They got attacked sleeping alone, so it’s scary; they wanna sleep nearby next time.
For that cute tail, sure!
Truth is, with different races and statuses, we space out to avoid awkwardness.
Obviously, I keep maximum distance from Inadia, while Ashu stays close. I told Hairil to camp near Ashu too.
Still, to avoid accidentally brushing their tail in sleep and messing with their fate, a hand’s-reach distance is best.
Even just one or two hours, but moving spots let Hairil sleep soundly. They didn’t stir at wake-up time.
The rest of us figured half-assed sleep was pointless; better to stretch or do hobby stuff to relieve stress.
Panash on final watch, Hodo crafting, me writing letters, Ashu watching me.
Ashu peeking at my letter content and smirking suspiciously is kinda scary. But more concerning is Inadia, doing nothing.
If he were sleeping, fine, but he grimaces at others when he thinks no one sees, mutters inaudibly. His glance when our eyes meet is outright hostile. He’s giving off a harder-to-approach vibe.
Like that saying ‘won’t last seven days in the dungeon,’ he might snap soon too.
At departure time, we moved in the usual formation: Inadia leading, me and Hairil at the rear.
“Alright! Let’s push to the end! The time’s near when we all become dungeon conquerors!”
The gloomy guy from earlier stood at the front, shouting with a refreshingly casual smile.
Optimistically, strong mentality. Pessimistically, shameless. Politicians or nobles might need that skill. Young but seasoned.
Not sarcasm—this is real praise. Holding back and hiding at that age is impressive. As long as it’s not used for evil.
We left the hall and trudged another two hours down the long passage until front-runner Inadia halted.
Ahead leaked light so bright, no torch or magic needed.
“Everyone, weapons out.”
That confirmed our fears: a powerful monster guarding the dungeon core ahead.
“I’ll take the front. Hodo-nim left, Ierpanashi-nim right—spread out. Ashushikara Princess-nim, rear. Hairil-nim, join this time. We… need your prowess too.”
For the final battle, he wants to give everyone solid credit, like a proof-of-victory photo.
Of course, I’m excluded, waiting in the passage.
The glowing space at the dark passage’s end.
Can’t see much from the rear, but even the visible part was stadium-wide—room for several to charge.
Inadia signaled countdown with hand signs. Then raised his shield and charged. Hodo and Panash flanked left and right behind him. Ashu and Hairil prepped prayers and spells from rear.
I peeked from the passage end.
As announced, far ahead loomed a man-sized monster. Body maybe ten meters long.
It was….
Like a giant lizard with six legs, razor-sharp spines from head to tail.
Damn it….
How could I forget that familiar shape?
Once mistaken for a Komodo dragon variant—the basilisk!
The whole party charged straight at the death-gaze beast!