Author: Himezaki Shiu	Original Source: Syosetu
Translator: Jiro	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“You girls have ears you don’t see very often. For a moment there, I thought you were humans.”
“We haven’t seen any other Beastmen outside of our family, so all of your ears are rather unusual to us.”
“Now that’s a problem,” the guard said with a chuckle.

In the station we were led to, there was a large man with bear-like ears. Compared to my current stature, he looked like a mountain. Judging by his status, he could easily be considered an A Grade adventurer based purely on physical capabilities. He was big, yes, but was also quite fast.

However, his Magic-related stats were relatively weak.

“It’s only recently that things have gotten harder. Be that as it may, I don’t know much about the Beastmen situation. But are you still planning to attack the Elves?” I asked.
“That’s the consensus among the Beastmen clans. I mean, most of us here are preparing to attack the Elves.”
“I see. I’m glad to hear that. My parents were killed when they were found out to be Beastmen so…”
“I see…”

Even if I didn’t say everything, the man interpreted my words on his own, likely due to my appearance. I decided to explain Lullus’ silence by attributing it to the shock of past traumatic events.

“But we’re finally going to meet the king. Our family’s efforts will be rewarded, won’t they?”
“Oh, yes. That’s right.”

The bear-eared man spoke with tears in his eyes. I didn’t know whether it was because of my godlike acting skills or just his naturally sentimental nature.

Regardless, I spoke with such certainty about meeting the king because I hoped it might sway him to cooperate. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to meet the leader of this settlement in my current position, but by expressing heartfelt determination, I aimed to gain his sympathy.

Even if I couldn’t meet the leader, I was banking on the possibility that this bear would pity me enough to turn the situation in my favor. I had no idea what this bear’s social standing was, but if he turned out to be competent, having him as an ally would be a significant advantage.

And so, when things didn’t go my way, I put on a show of disappointment and acted thoroughly dejected.

◇◇◇

That was what I thought would happen, but instead, they informed me that they would take time out tomorrow for a proper meeting and that I was free to spend today as I liked.

But they also mentioned that I would be monitored. As long as I didn’t act suspiciously, there wouldn’t be any trouble, and this level of caution was to be expected. They assured me that the monitoring wouldn’t interfere with my activities, which was acceptable.

Honestly, I had prepared for the possibility of being placed under house arrest until tomorrow, so this treatment felt generous in comparison. Still, I couldn’t help but feel that my lack of interaction with Lullus—or anyone else, for that matter—must have made me seem suspicious.

“Well, then, let’s just look around the stalls at random,” I said.
“You do love to eat, don’t you, big sis?”
“I’m happy when I eat good food. You eat too, don’t you, Lullus?”
“I eat, but I only find it interesting.”
“Maybe that’s just how you are, Lullus. I’m just an extension of my former life, so I know how to have fun. Or at least I think I do.”

We walked through the Beastmen’s settlement, carrying on this slightly dangerous conversation. The settlement itself was lively, with many food stalls lining the streets, and it seemed the houses had been expanded over time as the population grew. The food sold at the stalls was simple. Grilled meat, raw vegetables, fresh fruits, and even raw meat.

Overall, the food here didn’t seem to involve much in the way of seasonings or spices.

The biggest difference compared to the Elves’ place was the prevalence of monsters over animal meat. When I struck up a conversation with a woman selling the meat, she explained that it was because they exclusively hunted monsters. It was easier to kill the monsters that came at you rather than chase the animals that ran away.

“The people here seem really motivated.”
“We’re preparing for a fight with those hateful Elves soon, so I can understand them.
But sometimes, we do hunt for something more palatable.”
“This is delicious.”
“Of course it is. We put effort into making it taste good. It just takes a while to prepare properly.”
“Then I’m very lucky. All I have to do is pay to enjoy it.”

Lulus and I continued wandering through the settlement, casually chatting. The only food I ended up buying was grilled meat, some vegetables, and fruits. While eating raw meat wouldn’t upset my stomach, and I could manage it if necessary, I couldn’t shake the instinctive aversion I had developed in my previous life. Some of the raw meat looked especially unappetizing, practically dripping with blood. The sight alone was enough to make me avoid even considering it.

Yet, there were plenty of people eating it enthusiastically in front of the food stalls. Watching them, I couldn’t help but feel the stark cultural difference between us.

As I wandered through the settlement, I noticed there weren’t any fields of crops. It seemed they relied on hunting and gathering even more heavily than the Elves did.

What surprised me most was that herbivorous Beastmen would eat meat, while carnivorous Beastmen didn’t hesitate to eat vegetables. It was a contrast to the assumptions I’d made—they weren’t strictly tied to their animalistic traits. I had expected tiger-like Beastmen to exclusively eat meat, but that clearly wasn’t the case.

Thanks to this, no one questioned that we were eating meat.

The food walk was also an excuse to gather information, but I didn’t learn much of value. The only things I gathered were that all the Beastmen here held deep hostility toward the Elves and that their leader had a formidable reputation. People spoke of him with unwavering confidence, saying things like, “If you follow him, there’s no way we can lose to the Elves.”

Apparently, the leader’s charisma was a significant factor in uniting the Beastmen here. Conversely, I realized that if the leader were defeated, their morale would likely plummet. It seemed to me that the outcome of this conflict hinged on whether or not the leader survived. If he were killed, the elves would likely emerge victorious. If not, the future remained uncertain.

(I guess tomorrow’s discussion will decide how things play out.)

With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I wrapped up my activities for the day and prepared for what awaited tomorrow.

⇐ Previous

Next ⇒

⌈ Index ⌋