Episode 22
Episode 22
At Ryeong's casual remark, even the beastkin around us had a change in their expressions. Even the women who had been looking at me with lustful eyes now gazed with contempt.
I was actually the one who became flustered by that statement.
I had possessed this body as a newborn baby and was now past my mid-20s - practically an old maid by medieval standards. I just looked a bit younger thanks to my appearance.
But I hadn't reached adulthood yet?
In the subdued atmosphere, I was the first to ask a question.
"I'm over 20 years old. I'm not even in my early 20s to begin with."
"Isn't that just by human standards of adulthood?"
"Well... that's true? Don't beastkin also age one year per year?"
"So I'm talking about mature form by beastkin standards, not just age. It's not about numbers but whether you're capable of reproduction right now."
At the word "reproduction," I pondered for a moment and then understood.
It made sense - for some reason, I'd never had a period. Until now, I'd thought it was just a benefit of being a Transformed Bishoujo.
'Well, I'm a Transformed Bishoujo, not someone who turned into a non-human.'
I had worried about it a few times, but even when I visited numerous doctors, they were all nonchalant. Their reactions were like "Why are you even coming here when it's not a big deal?"
"The timing can vary from person to person."
Since I only got answers like this from everyone, I had accepted it and moved on quite a while ago.
"Then how do beastkin distinguish mature form?"
"First, growth has to be complete. There's no way someone with a frail body like yours could compete for males. And..."
Ryeong came right up close to me.
She pressed her nose against my neck and sniffed the scent.
"Your pheromones are too faint too. With pheromones this weak, other beastkin would think you have a pet, not a lover. You're that weak."
"Anyway, by beastkin standards, my growth isn't complete yet. Is that it?"
"That's how you should see it. But it's strange that you're past 20 years old and still not fully grown. Are you a special case? Though you do have a strong wolf scent for that."
Aron, who had been listening to our conversation, interjected.
He slipped between me and Ryeong and explained.
"She's a quarter who grew up among humans. So she never ate magical beast meat and doesn't properly know about beastkin abilities. That's why I brought her to you."
"...So you're asking me to educate her?"
"It's almost laughable to call it education. Just help her grow to mature form. And it would be good if you could teach her about beastkin."
After briefly looking around, Aron added.
"She says she hasn't even had her first estrus yet. So just help her a little."
"That's... a bit serious. But she should experience it at least once around adulthood. I'll take her in for now. Where are you going to stay?"
"Can't I stay at your place too? You have plenty of rooms."
"Well, that's true... but you'll come visiting at night again."
At those words, Aron looked at Seoryeong as if it were obvious.
"You like it too anyway. You were the one who started it first, yet you act like you dislike it. Who was it that came to me in the middle of the night during our adventure saying she was in estrus and pounced on me?"
"That was instinctual. You shouldn't have stimulated my instincts."
Mia, who had been watching the two whispering behind Aron, finally lightly kicked Aron's leg.
"Stop talking between yourselves and tell me too. Isn't this something I need to know anyway?"
"We were just having a personal conversation for a moment."
"...Really?"
When I looked at them with suspicious eyes, Ryeong approached.
The woman who was a handspan taller than me lightly put her arm around my shoulder and started walking.
"In short, you'll be staying at my house from now on and learning about beastkin... that's what this means. It's been enough time, so just a little help should suffice."
"Is that so? How long will it take?"
"Maybe half a year at most? It could end in just a few weeks if it's short."
Since this was my first explanation from a beastkin, I was both interested and had many questions.
By the way, Leo. That damn lion was proposing to me every time even though I wasn't even in mature form?
"There's a lion beastkin outside who kept asking me to marry him - did he say that knowing I wasn't in mature form?"
"That could be. Or he might have thought you were a special case."
"And other beastkin outside never told me I wasn't in mature form when they saw me?"
"That's because you're human. Usually, quarters don't inherit beastkin characteristics as strongly as you. At most, just better hearing."
"So I'm special, right?"
Ryeong nodded her head.
"A very special case."
I had many questions I wanted to ask next, but I decided to ask the most bothersome one.
"By the way, what's your relationship with Ryeong-ssi and Aron? Even at a glance, you're not just friends."
"Hmm... travel companions, close friends, crush? It's complicated to define in one word."
"So are you just friends now?"
At Mia's persistent question, Ryeong looked down at her.
The faintly drifting sweet, thick scent. Instinctively, she was emitting pheromones to protect the male from the strong rival in front of her.
Apparently, she had inherited much more bloodline than expected.
'She said she hasn't learned about beastkin, but she's very faithful to her instincts.'
Ryeong admired this thought.
Even the current action was clearly visible in intention to Ryeong, a gumiho.
The most basic wariness to claim a desirable male.
Of course, to Ryeong, a veteran who had been fighting a tug-of-war over Aron for years, Mia's wariness was nothing more than cute coquetry.
"We are friends. But perhaps somewhat special friends."
Mia felt slightly uncomfortable at Ryeong's coquettish smile and seemingly secretive eyes but didn't ask further.
'Well, whatever. Whether that damn guy has many women or not. It's none of my business.'
Mia turned away from the first psychological battle that had arisen.
She didn't even properly understand why she felt displeased. She just thought Ryeong's smile was somewhat irritating.
After grumbling to herself for a while, she changed the subject.
"By the way, what do I need to learn? Hunting methods? About estrus? I don't have any sense of it."
"You'll naturally learn if you just live with beastkin? I'll teach you the theoretical aspects roughly, but ultimately it's sensory and instinctual."
"Is that so. Then what's the fastest thing I can learn?"
"Pheromones, of course. Do you know how to smell pheromones? Humans usually can't smell them."
I had heard about pheromones many times.
In my previous life, there were pheromone perfumes, and in this life, I'd heard about them in passing when meeting beastkin.
But if you ask if I've ever smelled them, the answer is no.
"No, I've never smelled them before. Are they different from ordinary scents?"
"A bit different. When you smell them, it's not that you recognize them through your nose, but your whole body recognizes them, should I say? You'll understand when you smell them later."
"Are you emitting pheromones right now, Ryeong-ssi?"
At my question, Ryeong flinched momentarily.
Her gaze briefly turned toward Aron who was following behind us.
"Well, just a little bit? But I might need to readjust. There have been many annoying things around lately."
Ryeong swished her tail left and right.
Then it somehow seemed like an unpleasant scent was emanating.
*
Ryeong's house was larger than I expected.
For a house meant for living alone, it had many rooms, and the bed in her room looked like a king size.
And Ryeong's name was Seoryeong. Ryeong was apparently a nickname Aron used.
Because of that, I also started calling her Seoryeong Unni.
'Calling her unni is still uncomfortable though...'
I refused at first, but I was convinced when she said it would be better to act femininely to reach mature form.
I can't ignore what an expert says.
"Seoryeong Unni, so what should I do now?"
I changed into comfortable clothes and came out to the living room.
In the living room, I saw Seoryeong Unni lying on the floor rolling around.
"Huh? Do what? Just rest."
"Weren't you going to teach me about beastkin?"
"Ask if you're curious about anything. But this is something you naturally learn while growing up, so it's hard to provide education for it."
"Then what exactly is this estrus I keep hearing about?"
"It's the moment you want to have sex."
When I just stared blankly at her overly simple answer, she continued explaining.
"So to put it simply, it's the process beastkin go through to get pregnant when they meet a suitable opposite sex. You lower your rationality a bit to claim that target."
"So you really just have sex for several days?"
"If you have good stamina? When that time comes, males also become incredibly virile."
"That's amazing."
Originally, they would collapse exhausted after just one round.
"Then what's the relationship between estrus and mature form? They keep getting mentioned together."
"Well, having estrus means you're ready for pregnancy. So we consider it as being a mature form ready to carry a baby and reproduce."
"Then all beastkin must go through estrus at least once?"
"That's right. You can do it with a desired opposite sex at that time, or if that fails, relieve yourself alone."
Hearing that made me more curious about estrus. I plopped down beside her and continued questioning.
"What exactly does it feel like? Does your body really heat up and become unbearable?"
"Similar. Should I say it's the feeling of wanting to get pregnant immediately? Your lower abdomen pulls intensely, your head hurts, and your body feels hot and restless."
"What happens if another man comes then? Don't you want to pounce on them?"
"You go into estrus to make a baby with your desired target, not because you want just anyone."
I understood at her firm answer.
Even if you haven't dated for 20 years, you still want to see the right person and date.
"So it's literally that state where you can't resist when your desired target is present?"
"Right. When you see that target then, your rationality breaks. It's not something you can resist, should I say. Anyway, you can't resist."
"Have you experienced that, Seoryeong Unni?"
"Me?"
She rolled her eyes around for a moment and licked her lips.
Perhaps because she was a gumiho, even that looked like she was seducing someone.
"Back when I was a virgin, I couldn't resist and pounced once. Even though I was the one who pounced, I've never beaten him even once in sex."
"Really? Who was that?"
Seoryeong Unni's eyes briefly turned toward outside the door.
"That's a secret."