Author: TA☆KA	Original Source: Kakuyomu / Syosetu
Translator: Jiro	English Source: Re:Library

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The girl resembled a doll.

Her skin was white, translucent, and beautiful. She had a small, pointed nose and small, glossy pink lips. Her eyes, large and captivating, sparkled like green jewels and seemed as though they could envelop one entirely. Her hair, shining like rubies, peeked out from beneath a hat.

This girl came running toward me.

(Who the hell is she?) I thought.

While I stood there frozen, the girl approached the wagon and peered into its back.

“This… two-headed boa?” she asked. I silently nodded, unsure how to respond.
“W-Who are you? Where did you come from?” I asked.

In situations like this, big bro Bert always said it was important to know who you were dealing with first.

The girl tilted her head slightly as she looked at me and answered, “Me… Susie. Together… Sir Cloud… came…”

(Huh?! Why did my heart skip a beat just now?! Her eyes are so large!)

“I-I-I see. So your name’s Susie?! M-My name’s Irvine. You mentioned Sir Cloud, right? They did say it was Sir Cloud who took care of this one. Did you come to see it with him?” I rambled, struggling to make sense of the situation.

The girl simply nodded, a soft “yes,” escaping her lips.

“What… do… with this?”

The girl known as Susie asked, poking at the boa’s skin.

“This? You mean the boa?” I asked. Susie nodded confidently.
“We’re planning to take it to the town hall first. After that, we’ll probably process it.” I replied.

(She seems to be stuttering when speaking. Maybe she’s not from here. Is she Sir Cloud’s relative or something?)

“Process? Food?”

(She’s not from here. Natives wouldn’t think about eating Demonic Beasts!)

“Course not! You can’t eat Demonic Beasts! Don’t you know that?”
“Can’t… eat?”

Her wide eyes reflected genuine surprise. It seemed she truly didn’t know anything about Demonic Beasts.

“If you hunt a normal beast, you have to bleed it immediately, or the meat loses its flavor, right? Otherwise, it will start to smell over time. However, when it comes to Demonic Beasts, there’s an extra process known as Mana Bleeding.”

“Mana… Bleeding?”

“That’s right, Mana Bleeding. Demonic Beasts are incarnations of Mana. If the Mana is not drained right away, it will stagnate and reek. So, if you want to eat them, you’d have to bleed them and perform Mana Bleeding immediately. Otherwise, they begin to stink and become inedible. But honestly, even if it’s technically edible, no one would willingly eat something made of Demonic Beast these days!”

When I explained all that, Susie looked visibly dejected.

(Huh? Did she want to eat it?)

Feeling worried for her, I asked if she was okay.

“I… fine… no… deal…” She replied with a faint, powerless smile.
“You… know… much… Irvine…” she added, smiling at me.

At that smile, I felt my heart skip a beat once more.

“T-T-T-T-That’s not true!”

(Ah! She smiled again! That smile is dangerous!)

“And so! When we take apart these beasts, the skin and bones can be processed and used, but the meat can’t even be used as fertilizer. So, we have to get rid of it!”
“You… really… know… much…”
“T-That’s… Thank you.”

(This is bad! I’m having so much fun! What should I do?!)

With various thoughts in my head, I asked Susie her age, and she shyly answered, “Thirteen.”
“Same as me!” I exclaimed¹, and Susie looked up, saying, “Really?” with a surprised look.

I felt even happier knowing that we were the same age. I’d expected we’d be of similar age, but knowing for sure made me even happier. I wanted to speak with her even more, but Sir Cloud suddenly called her over.

“Sorry… Must go… Thanks, Irvine.”
“No worries! See you!”
“See you…”

Susie replied with a smile before heading over to Sir Cloud. As she left, I couldn’t help but notice a strange pressure coming from Sir Cloud. His face was smiling, but the atmosphere around him felt intimidating.

(Ah! I’ve experienced this before!)

Last year, when I went to pick up Bibi from her house during the harvest festival. Her dad had the exact same overwhelming aura around him. I remember feeling quite scared at the time.

It was the same now. Although he was smiling, Sir Cloud looked terrifying.

Yesterday, when Pops told me I’d have to wake up early to help Mister Long, I felt like I’d drawn the short straw, but it seemed like I’d gotten the longest one!

(Susie… How long will she stay in the village? I hope I can meet her again… Ah! Fred is looking at Susie. His eyes look like they’re about to pop out. Haha! He’s coming here. Seems like he wants to ask me something. Might as well brag to him.)

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