Isn't It Only Natural for the Strong to Do as They Please? Guard Warrior Eruka
I ran at full speed, following Undine as she urged me on. If the source of the noise turned out to be exploring adventurers, it would be a great opportunity to share information and put them in my debt. If it was demi-humans, it would be even better.
Flying above me, Undine closed her eyes and used the water droplets she had scattered to project the surroundings, giving me a brief rundown of the situation. In front of a place where logs were piled high, a massive pack of saber-toothed tigers and giant insects were facing off against someone. The fact that "someone" was human-shaped was reason enough to help.
Wiping the sweat from my brow with the back of my hand, I ran onward. Gradually, the sounds of shouting and clashing weapons reached my ears. As the din grew louder, I quickened my pace.
Clang! Clang!
"Get behind them! Just cut off their heads!"
"Katumaka keep moving even if you cut off their heads! Aim for the legs first!"
"The other entrance is under attack too!"
The "piled-up logs" Undine had mentioned turned out to be a wooden palisade. When I arrived, I saw a chaotic swarm of saber-toothed tigers and giant insects pushing through the entrance and over the walls, desperately trying to breach the defenses. At the gate, a group of defenders stood back-to-back, hacking away at the beasts and bugs to hold the line.
Looking closer, their appearance was quite peculiar. They were all women, dressed in what could only be described as primitive fashion—tight-fitting outfits made of leather and bone that accentuated their voluptuous figures. And without exception, every single one of them possessed animal ears and tails.
"Beastkin?"
Things were going so smoothly it felt like a stroke of incredible luck. To find the elusive beastkin, whom everyone said were so hard to spot, in just a single day... I decided to celebrate later and rushed toward the entrance where the beastkin were holding their ground back-to-back.
Grrr... Yelp!
I drove my blade straight through the skull of a saber-toothed tiger that was growling blindly at the defenders. Whipping my longsword out of its skull, I sliced through a buzzing, fly-like insect in one fluid motion, spraying green ichor in every direction.
"Gah!"
"Eek!"
It seemed the beastkin standing opposite me had caught the brunt of the splatter, but there was no helping it. Leaving them behind, I rushed to deal with the saber-toothed tigers wreaking havoc near the palisade entrance.
Running around up a sweat, I moved from one spot to another, ensuring each beast was put down with a clean thrust to the head or a decapitating slash. As the battlefield slowly came under control, the beastkin—who had initially eyed me with suspicion, unsure of what was happening—began to work alongside me, systematically clearing out the invading monsters.
Slash!
A saber-toothed tiger lunged at the back of a beastkin girl who was panting with her tongue out, but I sliced its snout clean in half. She watched the beast's corpse collapse to the ground with a heavy thud, then shyly offered her thanks.
"T-Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
After running ragged to the point where I felt my underwear was completely soaked in sweat, the saber-toothed tigers and insects near the palisade were either crushed or left writhing with severed limbs. The gates of the palisade swung open, and the defenders from inside rushed out to begin clearing away the corpses.
Undine and I stood to the side, watching them work, when the three beastkin who had been fighting back-to-back at the start approached me to express their gratitude.
"Thank you, human. We held them off easily thanks to you."
"The other side was in danger too, but you cleaned them up in an instant!"
"You're pretty strong..."
Hearing them chatter excitedly, I sheathed my longsword and shrugged.
"It was nothing. Actually, I was looking for the beastkin because I need some help."
At my words, the beastkin girls whispered among themselves before speaking up as if they had realized something.
"You look decent, but are you secretly a pervert...?"
"There are always guys like that, coming all this way just to get a taste of a beastkin woman."
"Most of them can't even make it this far, but you actually did."
Can't make it this far? I had Undine's help, but it really hadn't taken that long. Her words felt a bit ominous, and as I was pondering them, one of the girls reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me slightly.
"Halt!"
Just then, the beastkin who had been clearing the corpses of the saber-toothed tigers and insects marched toward me in unison. I gently slipped my wrist out of her grip, raised both hands above my head in a gesture of surrender, and waited as they approached.
"Are you a human from the outside? What is your purpose here?"
"I came here looking for something. I don't have any ill intentions."
"We will be the judges of that. Keep your hands up. We will conduct a search."
A wolf beastkin with long, grey hair and wolf ears approached slowly, clutching a spear in one hand. She reached out and lightly patted down my waist and thighs, before sliding her hands directly inside my trousers and shirt.
"Nothing particularly dangerous... except for the sword at your waist..."
However, as the search went on, her words trailed off, and her touch grew increasingly sensual. Confused, I glanced down at her. As she rummaged through my clothes, she had pressed her nose close to the opening of my shirt, sniffing deeply while her face flushed bright red.
"Ah... this is dangerous... I-I need to search more thoroughly..."
"Excuse me... aren't you done? I think you've searched everywhere."
"W-What are you talking about? I need to sniff—no, search more! Stay still."
When I tried to step back, she grabbed my wrist to keep me in place. What was I supposed to do? I looked around for help, but the other beastkin, including the three who had spoken to me earlier, were just watching with glittering, fascinated eyes.
Thud!
"Step away from the human, Ludella! I will conduct the interrogation now. Human, who are you?"
A tall beastkin woman pushed through the crowd and stepped forward. She was about a head shorter than me, with silver hair tied up to reveal a pale, slender neck. Baring her fangs, she glared at me with sapphire-blue eyes as she demanded answers.
"I'm a human mercenary from Hormia. I came to the jungle on a quest."
"A mercenary? Ah, those errand-running human pests. I've heard of them."
Pests. Being looked down upon right off the bat was quite refreshing. Her posture was proud, and her tone was incredibly firm. It's always these proud ones that break the most spectacularly once you bend them. Indulging in these idle thoughts, I waited for her next words, only for her to give a completely absurd response.
"Fine. You may leave now."
"...? What do you mean, leave?"
"I know who you are now, so we're done. Do you not understand human speech?"
This bitch... A surge of irritation welled up inside me, but I forced a smile. She simply tilted her head with a genuinely puzzled expression, asking, "Why aren't you leaving?"
Just then, another figure stepped forward through the path opened by the beastkin.
"What do you think you are doing, Eruka? To a guest who just saved our village!"
"Ts-Tsuruka... I mean, Priestess...!"
"I asked you to bring the guest who saved our village, so why are you chasing him away on your own authority?"
"...He seems like a dangerous human. He killed those magical beasts so easily..."
"Then we should treat him with even greater respect! Return to the village! I will escort our guest myself."
Eruka, the bitch who had been glaring at me with disapproval, bowed to Tsuruka before sullenly walking back into the village.
"Please forgive her rudeness. I am Tsuruka, the humble priestess of this village..."
Tsuruka bowed politely, her hands clasped gently over her stomach. Her luscious golden hair cascaded over her bent waist, nearly brushing the ground.
She slowly straightened up, and our eyes met. She had golden hair like a sunset, bewitching red eyes, plump pink lips, and cute little fangs peeking out. It was a face that possessed a unique blend of beauty and cuteness unlike anything I had ever seen. For a moment, I stood dazed, unable to take my eyes off her.
"Hehe... You must be exhausted. Please, come inside the village. We would be honored to host you as our guest."
"Really...?"
"The warrior from earlier is my guard, Eruka... As you can see, she has a rather rough personality. Please, for my sake, forgive her..."
As Tsuruka bowed again, I waved my hands to stop her.
"It's perfectly understandable to be wary of an outsider. I'm just grateful for your hospitality."
"How modest of you..."
"Allow me to show you to the village." Tsuruka turned gracefully to lead the way. Walking close beside her, I subtly pressed in and watched her reaction.
Keeping her eyes half-closed with a gentle smile, Tsuruka stole a glance at me and took a deep, discreet breath through her nose. After inhaling for a long moment, she let out a soft sigh, her cheeks flushing with a faint pink hue.
Do beastkin really like the scent of humans that much? I pulled at the collar of my sweat-soaked shirt to let the air circulate as I walked. The sensation of the cool breeze brushing against my skin was always refreshing.
Sniff, sniff...Inhale...Sniff...
As I walked beside Tsuruka, pretending to be oblivious while cooling myself down, the sound of her sniffing continued. I stole a glance at her. She would tilt her head innocently, but the moment I looked straight ahead, she would lean her nose slightly toward me to catch another whiff.
"Excuse me, do I smell that bad?"
"Yip?!"
Her large ears twitched in surprise, and she quickly covered her mouth, waving her hands in embarrassment.
"N-No, not at all! If anything, it's quite pleasant... Ah, no, that's not what I meant! It's just that we beastkin use scent to understand others. I was only trying to get a sense of our esteemed guest. If I have offended you in any way..."
Seeing Tsuruka ramble in a panic, I waved my hands to reassure her.
"No, it's fine. I was just worried I might be causing discomfort. I've been sweating quite a bit..."
I loosened the straps of my light chest armor. Exposed to the cool air, my sweat-slicked torso radiated a wave of heat. Tsuruka watched my movements, swallowing hard, before quickly bowing her head and continuing to lead the way.
Seeing the reaction of the beastkin who had searched me earlier, and now Tsuruka's behavior, I had a pretty good idea of what was happening. It seemed my sweat and natural scent had a highly favorable effect on them. Are beastkin really this easy? No wonder they became the safest race after slavery was abolished. Lost in these idle thoughts, I continued to walk by Tsuruka's side.
"It is humble, but this is my home. You will be staying here during your visit."
"Humble? It's far more charming than any mansion in the city."
"Hehe... Thank you."
"If you don't mind, the reason I came here actually concerns your people. I was hoping to ask for your help."
"Ah... I am aware that you came here in search of something. Your name is Casano... correct?"
Hearing my name from her lips when I hadn't even introduced myself was surprisingly chilling. I slowly drifted my hand toward my waist, though I kept a smile on my face.
"Ah... Yes, that's correct. Do you also know what I'm looking for?"
"There is no need to be on guard. I only learned your name because I constantly monitor the surroundings of the village with my abilities, and I happened to..."
Tsuruka glanced up at Undine, who was hovering blankly above my head. I realized she must have witnessed me playing around with the spirit. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I looked away and apologized.
"I'm sorry. You've been so welcoming, and here I am doubting you..."
"Please, do not apologize. Raise your head. Thanks to you, Casano-nim, the other palisades and entrances were not breached."
"Is that so..."
"We experience these attacks occasionally, but today their numbers were exceptionally high... I must thank you once again."
She bowed deeply.
After straightening up, Tsuruka slipped her hand out of her long sleeve and offered it to me. As I stared at her delicate hand in confusion, she shyly covered her mouth with her other hand.
"Ah, I offered my hand to guide you... but if you dislike it, it is fine."
"No, not at all. Well then..."
Grasp.
Her small, delicate hand fit perfectly inside mine. Feeling the softness of her skin, I followed behind her. As we walked, I explained the purpose of my visit to the village.
"Actually, I'm looking for a flower called the Dalburmi Flower. I was told that only the beastkin can obtain it."
"That is correct. We cultivate them and manage their habitats, so we are the only ones who know where they grow... Is the Dalburmi Flower all you require?"
"About ten blossoms should be enough. Would that be possible?"
"The Dalburmi Flower is a highly precious commodity in our village... and the amount we can harvest is strictly limited."
"At most, we find one a day. Often, we find none at all, so we must check the cultivation fields and wild habitats daily."
Tsuruka's somewhat serious tone made my heart sink a little. If she was putting it like that, did it mean she couldn't give them to me?
"However, we can certainly provide that much for our guest. My only concern... is that it might take up too much of your time."
I shook my head at Tsuruka's considerate worry.
"It's much better to wait and get what I came for than to return empty-handed. Thank you for your help."
"Hehe... I am glad to be of assistance."
Captivated by her shy smile, I gently squeezed her hand. Tsuruka, who had been looking ahead as she guided me to my room, turned to look at me at the sudden pressure. Meeting my deep, intense gaze, she gasped in surprise and quickly looked back forward.
A deep blush was visible on her cheeks, and I followed behind her with a silent smile.