A Casual Hunt and Spreading Legends
As we drew closer to the Einiss Magic Kingdom, jewel of the continent's fading light and master of the finest magic and magitech, about two days remained on our journey. We were setting up camp near the heart of Soldon Forest, where monsters lurked that posed only a mild threat to even rank-5 civilians.
Dr-r-rk—thunk! Raysilla hauled over a log as thick as her own body and propped it up with a grunt. Watching my little sister brim with energy lately filled me with pride, tinged with a faint unease. I opened my mouth.
"You don't have to push yourself like that, Raysilla. I'll handle the firewood. Why don't you go hunting with Selina?"
"...I want fire."
"You wanna light it?"
"...Yeah."
She nodded slightly, signaling her intent. Without hesitation, I handed her a small handaxe and thick leather gloves.
"Then put these on and get that campfire roaring. Big brother'll go hunt with Selina."
"...Got it. Be careful."
"Yeah. Keep all the artifacts on you."
"Got it."
After double- and triple-checking Raysilla's safety, I headed toward the forest's edge with Selina, who had been quietly observing from the side, to forage for food.
"...Let's go."
"Ooh, hunting just the two of us after so long..."
"Don't get excited. Follow quietly."
"...Ung."
Even as we moved from the forest's depths toward the entrance, the undergrowth remained dense. Most monsters hunted lost adventurers or civilians at the fringes, so the forest had evolved accordingly.
Selina and I kept a steady distance, slipping silently through the brush. Her silver tail brushed branches now and then, rustling softly, but otherwise, a calm quiet held.
A bit farther toward the entrance—
"There, red moss under that rock. Good for stopping bleeds."
Selina pointed ahead. I approached wordlessly, scraped the moss free with my dagger, and tucked it into a leather pouch.
Our hunting and gathering efficiency was as seamless as in our hero party days two years back. She'd track signs and flora; I'd harvest on cue... That was all there was to it.
Then—
Puh-sassak—!
Something stirred cautiously beyond the bushes, rustling the foliage. Selina's cat ears perked toward it.
Before she could signal, I whipped a small dagger from my belt and hurled it dead-on at the noise.
Pfook.
—Kweh-ehk!!
A short groan, and the bushes stilled. A plump horned wild boar lay there, dagger buried in its brow, dead on impact.
"Good haul."
I drained the blood routinely, butchered the usable meat, and stuffed it into my pack. I grabbed a handful of wild berries from nearby bushes too—enough for a solid dinner.
But we weren't done. Raysilla ate more than her size suggested, so we needed extra. Just then, as we covered the boar's blood scent with dirt—
A spooked rabbit bolted straight to my feet.
I snatched its long ear on reflex.
—Kiiik!! Kkip!
"Hm..."
-Kkigehk!!
As the thrashing rabbit fought for life, an old, idle question bubbled up from a corner of my mind.
One I'd wanted to ask since hero party days, but demon raids left no room for chit-chat. Later... betrayal stole even the chance.
"Selina, got a question."
"...Hiiik!!"
Selina, scanning our surroundings, jumped and whipped around. I rarely initiated talk when alone, so her sky-blue eyes mixed clear bewilderment and odd anticipation.
She gulped, nodding vigorously, expecting orders.
"Y-Yeah! Ask anything! I'll answer everything!!"
I dangled the kicking rabbit by both ears, hesitating before speaking.
"I know it's a weird question for this situation, but... do beastkin ever feel like cannibalism eating animals? Like humans eating monkeys—family vibes?"
"......Huh?"
Her eyes went wide at my dead-serious nonsense. Way off her guesses.
As she gaped, searching for words—
Bus-sruk—!
A wild deer, spooked by the boar's blood, bolted through nearby brush.
Selina spun, drew four daggers in a flash, leaped, and flung them like scattered seeds.
Pfuf-pfuf-pfuk—!
Each blade hit a leg joint perfectly. The deer screamed, rolled, and passed out.
Thup! She landed and turned to me.
"Not at all. Zero feels like that."
Her tone was light and baffled, belying the deadly throw.
"We're not beast-like humans; we're humans with beast traits mixed in. Humans don't see monkeys—their supposed ancestors—as cousins. Just unique meat. Plus, I'm feline; that's a rabbit. Family? Nah."
"So beastkin count as totally separate races? No black-white-yellow-minority splits?"
"...They're all just human, not different species. Humans divvy that up in their discriminatory world. For us, it's cat beastkin, tiger beastkin—done."
She yanked the daggers from the deer, wiped the blood, and added,
"If you're monkey-analogizing, ask a gorilla beastkin later. Might piss 'em off."
Her clear explanation flowed effortlessly. Made perfect sense.
"Gotcha."
I nodded and snapped the rabbit's neck clean.
Haul: boar, deer, rabbit. Overflowing for one night's camp.
"Time to head back. Raysilla's waiting."
"Yeah."
Selina shrugged agreeably, hoisted the deer by the scruff onto her shoulder effortlessly.
We packed to stem the blood drip, then turned toward the faint campfire smoke of our camp.
"First... I've gathered only the most credible rumors, as requested, Your Highness."
Under brighter moonlight than usual, Adelin Aynis gave a small nod of thanks to her maid—who had truly delivered on the intel about Kail five days prior.
Before the night deepened further. Before another involuntary death-like sleep claimed her.
She began reading the reports.
The first: eyewitness account from Rant Village, the sole settlement near Tarnas Ice Plains.
A demon thought vanished for good appeared recently, scorching the village with jade flames. From that inferno emerged the exiled fake hero, fresh from banishment, who cleaved it down in one stroke.
The second: a massive storm from the continent's southern edge, the beastkin kingdom of Talien.
Details unknown externally, but hero Kail saved Talien from annihilation. In response, Cardan and leaders of 13 tribes declared blind loyalty to him.
"......"
Too detailed to dismiss as mere gossip. Knowing Kail's raw power and ingrained nature made them believable.
Adelin strained her petrifying fingers to turn the page.
The final entry was far more alien and audacious than the prior two.
The continent's hegemon, Failer Empire's emperor and crown princess, abruptly reversed course. They formally atoned for failing to aid the fake hero on his downfall day. Further, they declared they would await hero Kail personally in the next conquest, Jeres Kingdom.
"......"
Adelin let the papers slip from her grip.
Tok. They scattered limply across the bed with a rustle.
Inside her chest, sharp gems scraped veins, unleashing agony. Her heart's petrification had advanced another inch.
"Hoo... Hoo......"
She clutched the sheets, gasping raggedly, then stared blankly at the moonlit window.
"If I go to Jeres... will I see you one last time?"
The fading woman's voice echoed in the silent room before dissolving.