Episode 23

"But that kid... when you look at them, they seem so feminine?"

Seoryeong muttered while watching Mia, who had woken up early and was cooking breakfast.

She seemed awkward about being called "unni" (older sister), yet did household chores as if it were the most natural thing. Many of her gestures were quite feminine too.

'Every single action pulls men in, yet she says she dislikes men? At that level, isn't she basically a succubus?'

Her walk was light and graceful—who knows where she learned it—her speech was usually gentle, and her behavior was modest. Though her way of speaking was a bit intense in comparison.

Despite acting like that, she only ever gave indifferent answers when it came to men.

Aron, who had been listening nearby, chimed in.

"That's why when I first saw her, I thought she was definitely in heat. I had no idea she wasn't in her mature form despite being so feminine."

"After watching for a week, I think I roughly understand what the problem is."

"What is it? Is it the food after all?"

"The food is part of the problem, but..."

Seoryeong trailed off and approached Mia.

Just before her hand could ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠touch Mia, Mia reacted first. She turned her head sharply, stared at Seoryeong for a moment, and spoke.

"Are you going to help? I'd appreciate it if you did."

To that question, Seoryeong gave a completely unrelated answer.

"Mia, you're always on guard, aren't you."

"It's like an occupational hazard. More than being on guard... it's more like I'm just a bit worried."

Working as a mercenary meant facing danger often, so it was natural.

"No, it's not just being a bit worried—you're constantly using aura, aren't you? I came over after hiding my presence, yet you still noticed."

"...Is that so?"

She had been like this since experiencing a few dangerous situations after becoming a mercenary.

She only thought her reaction speed had gotten a bit faster and didn't pay it much mind.

Seoryeong unni nodded and said.

"Your body is unconsciously using aura. It's using up all the energy your body needs to stay vigilant of your surroundings."

"But I've never really felt any major problems because of it."

"Since you're always like that, you probably don't feel the difference. But your body is in a state where it can't grow because it lacks energy."

"Then what should I do? It's not like I can control this at will."

After pondering my answer for a moment, Seoryeong unni placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Stop using aura completely. You know how to do that, right."

"Well... yes."

"If you stop using aura completely, the nutrients that would have been used for aura will go to your body instead."

"So if I do that, I'll be able to grow?"

Seoryeong unni nodded and gestured to Aron behind her.

Aron, who had been quietly watching, stepped forward.

"If you feel uneasy, stick close to him. Whether you use aura or not, you can't beat him anyway. So what's the difference?"

It was strangely irritating, but it wasn't wrong, so I accepted it.

"Alright. Then I'll give it a try."

I slowly let the aura that had been circulating hotly within my body settle.

My heightened senses faded away one by one, and gradually, I returned to an ordinary body.

The sounds that had been audible from afar diminished, and the presence of living beings around me disappeared. My body, which had felt light, now felt heavier than before.

Soon, I had returned to the body of an ordinary woman.

'It feels like my field of vision has narrowed tremendously.'

What I could see with my eyes hadn't changed much.

But my sensory field—what I could perceive with my body—had shrunk enormously. I could previously sense what was around me, but now I couldn't.

If I focused a little, I could faintly perceive things through hearing or smell, but that was it.

"Done. And..."

I glanced at Aron.

He noticed my gaze and looked at me, and for a moment our eyes met.

"You take responsibility and protect me. Don't go touching me just because I'm weaker now. Understood?"

"Of course I will. But I haven't laid a hand on you once in the past week. Can't you trust me a little now?"

"Isn't it just because you've been busy going around hugging other women?"

It had been a week since I arrived here, but Aron hadn't touched me.

He just made me smell his scent every day.

All I did was spend 30 minutes a day in his embrace, smelling his scent. That alone made me feel strange and was a bit difficult.

"...Probably not?"

At Aron's ambiguous answer, I glared at him before turning away.

Seoryeong, who had been watching from the side, perked up her ears.

"Un...ni, by the way, is it normal for your body to feel a bit weird when you smell someone? How should I put it? It's like your body remembers the scent?"

"You're probably just still getting used to the scent. When that feeling gets a bit stronger, it's called an engraving. Why? Whose scent ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is bothering you?"

At those words, my face grew hot.

I shook my head vigorously, not wanting to seem like a pervert who enjoyed smelling Aron's scent.

"It's not like that. A beastkin I met before mentioned it, so I was just asking. I don't know when I might experience it too."

"Oh? Then that makes sense. More importantly, doesn't it feel really awkward?"

"Yes, it's like feeling exposed or something. It's uncomfortable."

If at first it felt like my field of vision had narrowed, now it felt like I had become incredibly weak.

It made me want to be protected, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Since we're just staying home anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's eat first. It's all ready."

I set the finished bread, salad, and meat on the table one by one.

Just as I was about to carry out the soup last.

"Huh?"

The pot, which I could normally lift easily, felt overwhelmingly heavy as soon as I picked it up.

My body staggered, and I began to fall along with the pot. Normally I would have reacted, but because I wasn't using aura, the difference in sensation was too severe.

'My body is too slow. I can't react.'

Even trying to use aura felt too slow.

It would take time for the completely shut-off aura to circulate through my body again.

Just as the pot and the hot soup inside were about to spill onto me.

"That was close. You've gotten weaker, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet you thought you could lift this?"

Aron came over and saved me.

He held the pot with one hand and gently pulled me into an embrace with the other. My tense body instantly relaxed and went limp.

"...What are you talking about? I can lift it just fine. I just slipped."

For some reason, I felt reassured by his comforting scent and warm body heat.

*

I stopped using aura and simultaneously began physical training.

To borrow Seoryeong unni's words, a body strengthened by aura and a body strengthened by beastkin muscles are different.

'Is that why beastkin who use aura were so strong?'

I had once gone to the Great Plains where beastkin live and met their Beast King there.

He had a hearty personality, but his skills were monstrous.

Even compared to Knight Captain Rex, it would be hard to determine who was stronger. Considering that beastkin have their own master NPC, this was also very powerful.

"By the way, I don't see Seoryeong unni today. Do you know where she went?"

Aron, who had been training with me, flinched.

"She said she was tired today and would sleep in late and come out later?"

"Then should I go to her room after training..."

"Why would you go looking for her? She'll come out and eat like usual after resting properly. You should go rest too."

"Is that so?"

Last night, I thought I oddly heard voices from unni's room all night.

Because I wasn't using aura, I couldn't hear it clearly.

It was just faint moans, barely audible.

"More importantly, should we stop training here? She said it's useless if you overdo it."

"Right, then let's stop here and you should come hug me now?"

"I'm sweaty though, does it have to be now?"

"Or should we go to the bed for the first time since coming here? We haven't done it once since arriving."

"Ah, no! I'll hug you right away."

I hurriedly ran over ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and buried myself in Aron's embrace.

Since I had been moving and sweating, my clothes stuck uncomfortably to my body. At the same time, a stronger than usual body odor wafted from Aron.

When I took a light breath, my body shuddered.

'Just smelling his scent makes me feel so good.'

I tried to breathe as little as possible, but even the slight scent I inhaled made my body react.

Because I wasn't using aura and had become weaker, I even felt like I wanted to be protected.

I wanted to hug him tightly and rub my face against him.

I wanted to lick him just once.

I wanted him to look only at me.

While having such thoughts, the 30 minutes ended in an instant. It felt like less than a minute had passed.

As I pulled away from Aron's embrace, I spoke.

"Phew... Should we head back now?"

I dismissed all these thoughts as being due to beastkin instincts.

Once I learned to control my instincts here, these awkward sensations and feelings would all disappear.

It's just because it's still new.

Aron nodded lightly.

"Let's head back quickly. By now, Ryeong is probably up and lounging around the living room again."

"Probably? Then I should ask her to help with cooking today."

"Just let Ryeong do it for one day."

"Huh? But since we're both staying at Seoryeong unni's house temporarily, we should at least do this much."

Aron made a face like he didn't understand but didn't argue.

Shortly after arriving home, we saw Seoryeong unni.

She was sprawled on the floor, lazily swishing her tail.

"Back from training?"

"Yes. By the way, unni, what were you doing yesterday that was so noisy? I heard voices all night."

"Huh? Huh? V-voices?"

Her tail stood straight up.

Her gaze, unusually flustered, turned toward me.

"I, I had to prepare some magic in advance... I was concentrating all night, so I guess my voice carried. I didn't realize it would disturb your sleep. Sorry."

"It's fine. If I wasn't concentrating, I wouldn't have heard it. More importantly, could you help me with cooking?"

"Shall I? What are you making?"

"How about... steak and some grilled vegetables today? I'll go get the ingredients."

Mia immediately left the house to get ingredients from the storage.

As soon as she left, Seoryeong got up from her spot.

Her legs trembling, she approached Aron.

"She heard us! I told you to use soundproofing magic like usual... You said you wanted to make it thrilling, and we almost got caught! You perverted bastard!"

"As long as you enjoyed it. More importantly, your eyes looked murderous earlier?"

"She probably didn't sense the pheromones, so she managed to stay calm... But will you be able to handle it later?"

The house was filled with female pheromones.

If another beastkin had entered, they would either go into heat as well or flee upon realizing the power difference.

In that environment, Mia had unconsciously been on guard and reactive toward the other party.

Aron shrugged.

"I'll just have to try. And besides, I have helpers anyway."