Episode 5
Episode 5
Keeek! Thump!
The last remaining wolf magical beast collapsed under Ivy's attack.
"Phew... That's the last of them."
"Good work, Ivy. Shall we rest now?"
I laid my shield on the ground and sat on it.
Ivy, who had come out with me, sat beside me, and Delit Ajusshi plopped down heavily on the ground.
After glancing at me, the ajusshi snapped at me.
"Here's a disciple sitting cleanly on her shield while leaving her teacher behind. This teacher is heartbroken, truly heartbroken. Saddened by such cold treatment from a disciple."
"Can't you even yield this much to young girls?"
"Ah, whatever. I want to be treated like a teacher too. In my day, even if we got beaten every day, we took care of the teacher first, gave them warm things first, and saved the best for them."
"I didn't expect to hear this here..."
Ivy, who had been watching our conversation from the side, chimed in.
"They say anyone under 19 is invincible by law!"
"Did Mia say that again?"
"Yes! Mia said girls under 19 are absolutely invincible, so we're innocent!"
Thanks to me spouting strange things every day beside her, Ivy had learned the same way.
I didn't expect her to remember even the things I said jokingly.
But it's not exactly wrong either.
'Since it's a game company, it's probably because of laws, but while child exploitation might be possible, anything sexually related to children isn't allowed. Even that thief doesn't touch young children.'
What's more surprising is that even magical beasts like goblins don't touch those who aren't adults.
Ahh... This is exactly what the Youth Protection Law is.
Of course, since it's about sexual matters, if captured by magical beasts, you can still experience being torn apart and eaten.
If it doesn't violate the law, pretty much everything is permitted.
"Not exactly wrong. Adults can be used for any purpose, but children can't be used as sex slaves. There is a difference."
Delit Ajusshi muttered as if convinced and got up from his spot.
"Let's make one more round and head back."
I got up with Ivy, slung my shield over my back, and followed behind him.
Due to his stride, I had to walk quickly to keep up.
"Ajusshi, do we really need to make another round? I thought we'd already checked thoroughly."
"That too... but I have something I want to think about."
"What is it? More magical beasts?"
"No, not that. When I look at you, I'm reminded of beastkin. So I thought I'd check a few things."
"Beastkin?"
The ajusshi nodded his head leisurely.
Looking at his expression, I asked as if I couldn't understand.
"Don't they live in a completely different place from where I am? The Great Plains are exactly the opposite side from here, right?"
"Well, you might be a quarter."
"Then that means one of my grandparents was a beastkin."
Humans can have children with any race.
The pregnancy rate is higher than with goblins or orcs, and their appearance is the most neutral, so that's why.
That's how the concepts of half and quarter came about.
Half means having a non-human parent, quarter means having a non-human grandparent.
"I wouldn't know that. But looking at your physical abilities, you're definitely not human."
"You mean my dynamic visual acuity and reflexes?"
"Yeah, that's closer to instinct... Even without being able to use aura, only beastkin are that fast."
"But aside from that, there's nothing similar, is there?"
The biggest characteristic of beastkin is their innate physical abilities.
When beastkin become adults, they're similar to well-trained knights, and if they advance a bit further, they can match aura users.
"That's why I said quarter. Quarters sometimes only resemble the appearance, you know."
"That's true."
"And you don't know much about your grandparents either, right? Commoners usually don't know."
"Are you looking down on me for being a commoner now?"
"No, that's not it. Anyway, have you ever met your grandparents?"
"I haven't met them, but my parents said they only lived with them when they were young."
From what I've occasionally heard, my father was separated from his parents when he was young and doesn't remember them, and my mother only remembers that her side were hunters.
They became independent young, so they only vaguely remember.
"Then you don't know. For all you know, one of your grandparents could be beastkin. Honestly, beastkin marry humans the most."
"That could be possible."
Honestly, even I wouldn't have been able to resist.
A bunny girl girlfriend with real ears and tail that goes into heat.
A puppy girl girlfriend who hugs you saying you smell good and wags her tail.
A cat girl girlfriend who acts aloof but comes close and purrs.
Plus you can taste different experiences by race.
"So don't completely rule out the possibility. And it's not a bad thing either. If you're thinking of living as a mercenary, it's definitely an advantage."
"Thinking of it that way, it doesn't seem bad."
"Then think positively and develop it. If you meet beastkin sometimes, ask them about this and that."
"Yes, if I meet any later, I'll ask."
Though I don't know when I'll get to meet any.
Since we were having a somewhat serious conversation, I casually asked.
"By the way, have you ever tried beastkin, Ajusshi? They say beastkin are so delicious. Especially hyena beastkin are supposed to be such a delicacy."
At my question, the ajusshi looked at me for a moment.
Ivy tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
Belatedly, the ajusshi let out a deep sigh, and Ivy's face turned bright red as if about to explode.
"Hey! Mia! What on earth are you talking about!"
Ivy screamed and the ajusshi shook his head as if he'd heard something he shouldn't have.
No, I was just genuinely curious.
"We're at the age where we're getting curious too! Right, Ajusshi?"
"Aren't you just 12 years old?"
"Ah, is that all I am? Then it might be a bit early."
Being on my second life, I guess it's inevitable that my sense of age is strange.
But early sex education isn't a bad thing.
In many ways, this medieval era is disappointing.
*
We made one more round around the village and slowly headed back to the village.
If you think about it, the ajusshi with only one leg moved faster and more comfortably than us.
I subtly tried putting my foot where the ajusshi's empty foot should be.
Of course, nothing was there to step on.
I subtly moved closer to him.
"Ajusshi, can I step on your foot?"
"Is that even a question? You already quietly tried stepping on it?"
"But you walk so well that I was seriously wondering if you might be hiding it with magic."
"To have such a child as my disciple... Sigh..."
Accepting a disciple is also the teacher's skill, so it's his own fault.
"Actually, more than that, what about over there? The castle and location seem good, and with mountains all around, it looks like it would be good for blocking magical beasts, doesn't it?"
Recently there's been talk of moving the village, so we've been looking for suitable spots on our way back.
Magical beast attacks are the biggest reason.
Looking in the direction my fingertip was pointing, Ivy tilted her head slightly.
"Wouldn't that mean we'd all die the moment it's breached?"
"Our capable teacher will block everything, so it's fine. If you station our teacher in a place like that, it's no different from Jangpanpa equipment!"
"Jangpanpa equipment...? I don't know who that is, but does it mean they fought well?"
"You could say that."
Delit Ajusshi, who had been seriously examining the terrain from the side, shook his head.
"The accessibility isn't great... and it's too narrow to farm. At best, it's only big enough to barely fit the village, so no."
"Aww... You're so picky."
"Isn't it the village where you'll live? Then of course I have to be picky."
Since he was right, I quickly changed the subject.
"How many disciples have you trained so far, Ajusshi? Since you said you were a famous mercenary in the past, didn't you train dozens?"
"I haven't trained a single one."
"Huh. Lies. You're teaching so many kids in the village right now."
"Are they disciples? That's just mass-producing soldiers."
"Hmm... That also sounds right."
Certainly, unlike me who receives individual instruction, the village boys feel much closer to large group classes.
And Ivy is more like picking things up on her own rather than receiving education.
I poked the ajusshi's elbow with a sly smile.
"What~ So I'm your first? We're each other's first, right?"
"What kind of talk... Sigh... Why did I accept such a rascal as a disciple and suffer like this."
"But you're lucky I'm a girl."
At my words, the ajusshi looked at me with a worried expression again.
"Why."
"If I were a boy, I probably would've been hit a lot. I probably would've been hit even now. Honestly, you're not hitting me because I'm a girl, right?"
The ajusshi thought for a moment then gave me a flick on the forehead.
With a thwack! sound, pain spread across my forehead.
I rubbed my forehead with both hands and glared at him.
"Just wait until you're a bit older. You'll learn while getting hit every day. I'm not hitting you now because you're still young."
"Then I should quickly learn everything and run away~"
"This kid..."
The ajusshi swung the sword he was holding, scabbard and all.
I quickly moved my body but.
Whack!
I ended up getting hit one more time.
I really can't dodge this.
*
Back in the village, I hugged Menisa from behind as she was preparing dinner.
"Mom, by any chance, is there a beastkin among my grandparents?"
"Beastkin? Your maternal grandfather was a beastkin. I remember he was a wolf beastkin, why? Are you growing a tail or something?"
"No, it's just that my sense of smell has been a bit sensitive."
"Then that might be an influence. Since you're a quarter, that would be just right."
Actually, I've really noticed my sensitive nose recently.
An ability I usually only used when cooking turned out to be useful for finding magical beasts too.
'Originally, a human nose shouldn't be able to smell something dozens of meters away.'
As I grew, the identity of my strange abilities was revealed one by one.
Apparently, my nose and eyes are innate talents.
"So there was a reason I acted like a dog."
"This child... Stop talking nonsense and quickly help me prepare dinner."
"Yes~ I'll do it right away."
I threw my shield to the side and immediately put on an apron.
Time to return to being a domestic and pretty daughter.