Molting & Treasure Hunting
◆ Molting
Before I transmigrated into Edenia, there was a massive boom in the genre known as TS (gender bender). It was surreal to witness that phenomenon firsthand. There was a time when there were so few works available that I had to hunt down translated SS* just to find something new to read...
*A term used in Japan for secondary fan fiction, sometimes translated as "short pieces."
The genre showed such terrifying growth that it solidified its status as the "major" among minor genres. There is one episode that is absolutely essential to that genre: the one where the protagonist learns how to manage their new body. It usually starts with learning how to wash one's face and apply makeup, eventually leading to learning how to pick out clothes. It’s an episode that captures both seriousness and hilarity—the seriousness of taking the first step toward a new life, and the lightheartedness of showing a shy, flustered side in front of one's underwear.
If I had known I would become a woman, I would have read more of those stories. They would have served as a guidebook for my life. Regardless, compared to the protagonists in those novels, my situation was much better. I lived in a world where I couldn't manage myself even if I wanted to, so there was nothing to learn anyway. The extent of my self-care was just washing my face diligently with water and drying it off.
However, there was one thing I paid special attention to: my fur. The ears on top of my head and the tail sprouting from my tailbone were covered in fluffy fur. At first, I just left it alone, but as the fur grew coarse, it became quite bothersome, and my quality of life plummeted. So, lately, brushing my fur with my hands after drying off had become part of my post-wash routine.
Today, as usual, I finished washing and was brushing my tail.
“…?”
Something was wrong. Every time I ran my hand through my tail, a massive clump of fur came out. Thinking I might have seen it wrong, I did it again, and another clump appeared. I tried again. And again...
When I finally came to my senses, a mountain of fur had piled up in front of me.
What is this? Is it a terminal illness? I suddenly remembered a story about a patient undergoing chemotherapy. When I was young, I had watched a documentary where the protagonist was a patient whose hair fell out, leaving them increasingly haggard. I remember being so terrified by the visual depiction of death slowly approaching. That night, I couldn't sleep alone and ended up crawling into my parents' bedroom. It was etched into my mind so deeply that even now, nearly 20 years later, I remember it vividly. Looking back, it was a cute, innocent time that makes me laugh.
...I tried to end it on a positive note, but this was no laughing matter. Why is my fur falling out?
◆ The reason I went to Woman's Smile to find the cause was simple. Elves are a race that lives in harmony with the forest. I figured they might know a thing or two about animal ecology. Should I go through the front door? Or the side door? Last time, Madam was with me, so they let me through the side door, but...
I don't know. If they won't let me in, they'll stop me. Surely they won't kill me, right? With that "manly" spirit in my heart, I headed toward the alley. The side door was guarded by the tiger beastkin and the mysterious muscular race I had seen before. The tiger beastkin glanced at me and asked, "What brings you here?"
His low voice resonated through my body, making my muscles tense up. This must be infrasound... The weakness of a man... I'd lose if I fought a tiger...
As I stood there trembling, the giant behind him tapped the tiger on the shoulder. He said, "Ah, excuse me," and swapped places with the giant. With the tiger beastkin completely hidden behind the giant, my tense body began to relax. Being next to this giant made me feel at ease. As my mind relaxed, my body seemed to loosen up even faster.
"Please forgive him. It's instinct, so it's hard to control."
"I-it's okay." I stuttered, but I hoped he understood my feelings.
"Are you looking for Flora?"
"Yes, or Madam... I have something to ask."
My mood improved, and my tail wagged back and forth. As it moved, fur flew everywhere. The giant saw this and spoke as if something had just occurred to him. "You're molting."
"Pardon?"
...Molting? Are squirrels animals that molt?
"I was worried because my fur kept falling out, is this molting?" I brought my tail forward, brushed it a few times, and showed him the fur caught between my fingers.
"Yes."
"You know a lot about this."
"Well, I am an Orc."
"Pardon?"
He was an Orc. But what did that have to do with anything?
"Orcs are a race that branched off from Elves a long time ago. Orcs formed a bond with the Oak tree among all trees."
"Ah... so that's why..."
"They say they have a long-standing relationship with squirrel beastkin. I became a slave when I was young, so I never had the chance to interact with them directly, though."
The Orc watched my reaction for a moment and continued. "You didn't know."
"Yes... I don't really remember my childhood."
Molting. I'm glad it's nothing serious. "Thank you for letting me know. My business here is done, so I'll be going."
"Flora will be disappointed."
"Flora is a grown adult, too. Surely she wouldn't be—"
Hearing that, the Orc shook his shoulders and laughed as if he'd heard a truly funny joke. Even then, he laughed without making a sound; he was a true professional. Once his laughter subsided, the Orc cleared his throat. "Excuse me, I suppose you could see it that way."
"Yes. Well, I'll be going."
The Orc gave me a light nod. Just as I was about to leave the alley, I ran into Madam.
"Did you come, little one? Why don't you come inside and have some almonds?"
"Yes!" My tail wagged vigorously. Brown fur flew in time with the movement.
<Molting COMPLETE>
◇ Treasure Hunting
"I need a staff. One for a kid this size." I gestured roughly around my waist. "You mean the kid who came by before? She wasn't that old." The blacksmith old man said. What a grumpy dwarf. Even if what he said was perfectly normal.
"What kind of budget are you thinking of?"
"It's roughly this much." I pulled a sack from my chest and handed it over. "If it's not enough, I'm willing to pay a little more."
The old man peered into the sack for a long time. Was I being too stingy? After a while, the old man said with a look of genuine confusion, "Is this... some kind of prank popular among the young folks these days?"
"Pardon?"
I looked inside the sack the old man returned. The sack was filled to the brim with sunflower seeds.
◇ Hazel has been receiving nuts from somewhere lately. This much is fine. I feel sorry that I haven't been able to buy them for her myself, and watching her crunching on nuts makes me feel at peace. The problem is that she scatters the sacks of nuts everywhere. "Scattering" isn't quite the right word; maybe "hiding" is better. Yes, like she's playing some kind of treasure hunt.
When I asked her about it once, she replied, "If I keep them all in one place, they might all disappear at once if something happens!"
What is she talking about? She was such a mature child, but she loses her mind when it comes to nuts. Is there some kind of hallucinogenic ingredient in them? Is there some special mechanism that only affects squirrel beastkin? I even tried eating them myself to see if there was a problem. They were just ordinary nuts.
【Tidy】 【Darkvision】 【Spell Adjustment】 【Staff Proficiency】 【Magic Theory Mastery】 【Level 0 Spell Mastery】 【Level 1 Spell Mastery】
Luck: 0
Even looking at the sheet, there was nothing strange. 【Tidy】? No, that can't be it... Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I checked her sheet. She has truly become a full-fledged wizard now, Hazel. She had already mastered magic theory, and all her spells up to Level 1 were fully mastered. She grew faster than I thought. This meant I could potentially speed up my plan to search for playable characters.
But setting Onyxia aside, where on earth are Rubica and Topaur? Even if Rubica doesn't have a home, where is that crazy dwarf Topaur wandering off to instead of coming home?
"Ha." I kicked at the air, feeling my energy drain away. Why was I worrying about this again? In the end, I decided to just leave Hazel's eccentric behavior alone. It didn't seem like she was worried about the nuts at all. It must be my imagination. It seems to be a habit of squirrel beastkin, and since she's already an old soul in a child's body, isn't it actually good for her to do something child-like? It's not like what she's doing is strange; it's actually quite cute. I have no choice but to watch over her with a generous heart.
◇
"Um, adventurer...? I don't think this is dungeon material..."
Hazel! <Treasure Hunting COMPLETE>