Beastkin from Beyond the Gates
Sophia let out a deep sigh while seated in her chair. "Aigoo."
She'd heard it was a prospective king with a wild yet gentle heart, but to Sophia's eyes, the girl was nothing more than a poor, frightened child. She probably hadn't been all that old even before the change. En Sia and Argo must have mistaken her for one upon seeing a homeless kid wandering about. It was the kind of error only beastkin—those who judged everything by raw power—could make.
What to do with her... A timid child like this didn't suit the role of beastkin king. At least not by the standards of "ordinary" beastkin. Yet Sophia, who was herself called a mutant among her kind, didn't dislike the girl before her. She placed greater value on a wise ruler than a mighty one. With such a mild temperament, if raised well, she could become a benevolent king. The Blessing had softened both her body and mind, so she'd absorb lessons like a sponge.
Sophia decided then and there to raise the girl into a fine king.
At least she's under the protection of Yeomyeong Guild... It was a relief to have someone safeguarding a prospective king, but why on earth was Yeomyeong Guild making the child live outside the building? To nurture her beastkin wildness? Without knowing the reason, dissatisfaction bubbled up. It was stingy of them to leave such a precious bearer of the Blessing out in the cold like this.
"That Yeomyeong Guild really has no manners."
"Why...?"
"To treat a prospective king who's consumed the Blessing like th—!"
Before Sophia could finish, Han Yeoreum appeared out of nowhere and clamped a hand over her mouth. She gripped hard enough that Sophia flailed her small hands up and down in protest.
"Whale Lady, mind if we have a quick chat?"
"Mmph! Mmrrph...!"
Startled by the sudden intrusion, Sophia swung her cane at Yeoreum, but not a single strike landed. Yeoreum dodged every one with movements bordering on the divine.
Winter watched Summer and thought, She's not a whale—she's a shark.
"Winter, sweetie, your big sis is just gonna step away and talk with Whale Lady for a sec, okay?"
"Y-Yes..."
Yeoreum scooped up Sophia and dashed off to a spot quite a distance from Winter's tent. Even so, just in case, she whispered softly.
"Winter, can you hear your big sis?"
Winter, far off, reacted to the faint voice and nodded. How sharp are those ears now? Since the Blessing was something Winter couldn't know about, Yeoreum ran even farther—to a place where Winter absolutely couldn't hear.
Put the pot here... Left alone in the tent to sort her things, Winter suddenly remembered the loaches she'd brought from the stream. She'd grabbed a few to raise in the pond—hopefully they were still alive. Curiosity drew her toward the bucket as she approached it—only for two girls to come walking up from afar.
"Doesn't Yeomyeong Guild know to respect their elders...?"
The girl with the shark tail grumbled, flashing sharp teeth. Han Yeoreum fidgeted nervously at her side.
"S-Sorry... I didn't realize you were that old..."
"Aigoo, my poor back."
Thud thud. The shark girl thumped her lower back as she approached Winter. From her actions and speech, she might be far older than Winter had guessed. How old is she, to act so much like an old lady? Curiosity won out, and Winter decided to ask directly.
"Grandma, if you don't mind, how old are you?"
"...Don't call me grandma."
"Huh?"
But hadn't she just called herself an elder? Puzzled, Winter tilted her head—and the shark girl hobbled to the chair with her cane and sat down.
"My appearance is still quite youthful, isn't it?"
"But you're using a cane."
"My roots are in the sea, so I can't draw my strength on dry land."
Ah. Like a human floundering out of water. Concerned for her condition, Winter pointed to the nearby pond.
"There's a pond over there—want to hop in and rest?"
"No need. I can't stand water."
A shark who hated water? Bizarre, but Winter decided not to pry into personal matters. What mattered now was why the beastkin had come looking for her.
"Um, so... why did you come here?"
"...To teach you the basics, now that you've only just become a beastkin."
Sophia glanced sidelong at Yeoreum as she spoke. Some signal must have passed between them, for Yeoreum gave a small nod.
"Do I have to learn something specific?"
"Plenty. Beastkin use mana differently from humans."
"Ah, mana..."
Winter had planned to refuse anything weird, but mana handling? Hard to turn that down. It was her one lifeline to changing her life. Resigned, she agreed to the lesson—after asking the one thing burning in her mind.
"Um... so, what exactly is a beastkin...?"
"...You don't know what beastkin are?"
"No. This is the first time I've ever seen one."
Was her answer that odd? Both girls blinked in unison.
"What kind of life have you been living to not know about beastkin?"
"S-Sorry. I've mostly lived in the mountains..."
Eight years on the run, and she'd never spotted one. Maybe beastkin were more common in this world than she'd thought.
"No need to apologize. Now you know."
Ahem. Clearing her throat, the shark girl traced a circle on the ground with her cane's tip. Then came the bombshell from her lips.
"We beastkin came through the gates. Otherworldly beings, as it were."
"G-Gates? Aren't those the paths monsters come through?"
The steady supply of monsters in the Beginner Hunting Ground? Gates bringing them over. But beastkin too? Her jaw dropped in shock. If she could master the gates, maybe—just maybe—she could return to her original world.
"Can I enter a gate too?"
"Possible, but you'll need to build your strength first."
"R-Right...! It's a monster dungeon...!"
"Indeed. Until you clear the dungeon, you're trapped in that world forever. Be careful."
Trapped forever. That single phrase made it click. The beastkin were prisoners in Earth's dungeon. And perhaps Winter was too—in much the same way.
I can go home. That tiny spark of hope alone set her tail wagging side to side. It made even the grueling cleanup feel effortless.
Clear the dungeon, and I can return to my original world.
A lead on getting home. For the first time in ages, pure joy welled up as she sat outside the tent with tape and a metal chain necklace. She planned to turn a goblin manastone from the Beginner Hunting Ground into a memento necklace.
Riiip— She tore off a long strip of tape and roughly stuck the manastone to the chain. Crude-looking, but it was for her own satisfaction—no need to fancy it up.
"Whatcha doing, Winter?"
"Making a necklace. First manastone I ever got, so I wanna keep it as a souvenir."
"Hmm... Mind handing it over for a sec?"
The girl extended her hand. No way she'd steal a mere goblin manastone, so Winter passed it over without a second thought.
"What're you gonna do?"
"Big sis'll make it look prettier."
Tap tap. As the girl tapped the manastone, searing heat burst from its end—enough to melt part of it.
Whoa.
The molten edge touched the metal chain and fused seamlessly, like they'd always been one.
"H-How'd you do that?"
"Used the energy inside the manastone. You'll be able to do it too someday, Winter."
With that, the girl blew gently on the still-hot stone. Just then, Sophia emerged from the tent carrying the bucket of loaches.
"What are these things? They're wriggling like they're begging for their lives."
"Ah! My loaches!"
Winter had gotten so caught up she'd forgotten. She rushed toward Sophia in a panic.
"You brought these to raise?"
"Yeah. Gonna grow 'em in the pond and eat 'em later."
"Ho... Quite the wild instinct you've got."
Wild instinct? Did beastkin like that sort of thing? So many questions, but first things first—release the loaches into the pond.
"C-Can I go put the loaches in real quick?"
"Sure. Item's all set now. Just need to fetch some fish."
"Okay...!"
A fishing spot with all kinds of fish in the pond? Her tail swished on its own at the thought. Buzzing with excitement, she grabbed the bucket and bolted for the pond.
"Oh my, what's that beastkin kid up to?"
"Beats me...?"
She felt the stares of people strolling near the pond. A bit scary, but this was about to be her front yard. As a paying resident, she'd act the part.
I'm the pond manager now.
Splash splash splash. Tilting the bucket, she poured the loaches into the pond, and dozens scattered to every corner. Give it time, and they'd multiply into hundreds, thousands. Lost in pleasant daydreams, she turned around—only to lock eyes with a woman resting in a chair.
The woman was frozen mid-bite into her sandwich. Winter froze too, right in front of her. It was the mean lady who'd cackled as Winter fled from the horn rabbit.
"Ah."
Having bumped into the woman, Winter instinctively stumbled back—forgetting the pond was right behind her.