Mil flapped her arms in alarm. “Wait! Hear me out!”
All Mil wanted to do was touch her, but she wasn’t going to get a chance if she remained this wary. How can I make her let her guard down? Mil wondered.
The beastkin’s nose suddenly twitched a few times, and she said, “There’s a smell of meat coming from your bag.”
Meat? She means this? Mil took out some dried meat from her bag. “You want meat? Here, come get it.”
The sound of the beastkin’s sniffing was soon accompanied by a rumbling sound from her stomach.
Hey, this might actually work!
“You can have it... Why not come closer?”
The beastkin edged closer and then accepted the meat. It was too much for Mil to take.
Now’s my chance! I can’t resist anymore! Mil pounced at her prey.
“Got y—huh?”
“Hm?”
“Let me pet you!”
Unfortunately for Mil, beastkin reactions were exceptional. Even as her nose continued its twitching, the beastkin leaped a great distance back, evading Mil’s attempt at a hug with no problem.
“Ah ha... Just as I thought! You’re naught but an apparition in human form! I’ll cut you down!”
“Uh-oh! Now I’ve done it!” If I’d just kept my cool a little longer!
The beastkin charged at Mil without giving her another chance to speak. With her body low to the ground, she closed the distance between them like a bolt launched from a crossbow.
“She’s fast!” Mil quickly drew her own sword and then parried a slash from the beastkin.
“Not bad, apparition!”
“That’s not what I am!” Mil continued to parry attacks from the beastkin while trying to explain herself.
“Ngh...”
“Haah haah... You’re quick...”
After being tired out by the long walk, this was a grueling fight for Mil. The beastkin was a powerful opponent. At the very least, she was a cut above all the orcs that served in the Demon King’s forces.
Just how strong is she? Mil cautiously held out her hand at the beastkin.
Name: Kuro / Level: 105
HP: 1135
MP: 755
STR: 1004
DEF: 638
INT: 756
DEX: 1242
SPD: 1276
LUK: 200
Passive Skills: beastkin, quick footed, detect presence, sense danger, katana proficiency (high), light equipment proficiency (mid), fire resistance (low), ice resistance (low), lightning resistance (low)
Active Skills: bewitching dance, cross slash, draw slash, spirit breath
She really is strong...
After finding it so easy to tempt the beastkin with dried meat, Mil had mistakenly assumed she’d be easily won over.
As Mil was still trying to get over the high stat line, the beastkin adopted a new stance, facing Mil straight on with her katana held at chest height and pointed toward Mil’s face.
“You will never set foot in our village.” Grrr. “Sorry, but I’m not going to hold back.”
“Huh...? Did that growling sound come from your stomach?”
The beastkin’s expression remained serious as ever, but she was turning bright red. “You heard nothing!” Grrr.
There it is again!
The beastkin vanished. Or so it seemed. She was suddenly inches away from Mil, who quickly backed off while blocking an upward katana swing with her sword.
She’s so strong... She might be even faster than me.
It wasn’t just the beastkin’s speed that posed a problem, but also her swordplay. She was so skilled that Mil began to think she had no chance of winning the fight without resorting to spells. Forbidden magic would surely give her the edge here, but her opponent was just a girl trying to defend her village. Mil didn’t want to risk hurting her.
But it’ll hurt real bad if that katana hits me. Maybe just a little magic.
Just as Mil was about to cast a spell, she was interrupted.
“M-Mil! Are you all right?!” Yulia came running from the trees, panting for breath.
“Another apparition!”
“Wha?!” Overwhelmed, Yulia began to tremble beneath the hood that hid her face.
Mil spoke up in Yulia’s place. “I’m sorry! I got carried away... We’re not monsters or anything.”
“Then what brings you here? You’re too well-trained to be a pair of humans who just happened to wander up to our village.” Grrr. When her stomach rumbled once again, her eyes remained serious and fixed on Mil, but her cheeks were again turning red.
Yulia replied in a trembling voice. “I-I... Um... I’m Yulia from a nearby village. Y-You always treated my dad well... Here!” She was trembling like a frightened kitten, but she held out the wooden staff for the beastkin to see.
The beastkin suspicions remained strong as ever as she stared at the staff.
Yulia grew all the more afraid. “Ah wah wah. Th-The staff isn’t enough...? Dad said I’d be fine if I showed it to them.”
The beastkin girl gulped. She must have finished chewing the dried meat. “Well... It certainly is the staff of sacred wood that our village chief gifted to a human... Did you say your name was Yulia?”
“Y-Yes.”
Yulia was trembling so hard it seemed she might foam at the mouth and pass out. The beastkin didn’t trust her any more than she’d trusted Mil.
“You said you’re from the neighboring village?”
“Th-That’s right... We’d like to stay here tonight... If we may.”
“But what if you’re an apparition with a fake sacred staff?! I cannot let you pass!”
“Whaaaa?!”
“What’s all the noise?” A woman had appeared from within the village. She was another beastkin with animal ears, wearing flowing robes colored white and red.
Mil had read about this style of robes. It was an outfit worn by shrine maidens when performing religious rites.
“Chief! It’s an apparition! It’s disguised as a human!”
Rather than reply to the first beastkin, the shrine maiden looked over at Yulia and smiled. “Oh my. How you’ve grown, Yulia.”
“H-Huh? You...know me?”
“Graham once brought you to visit when you were very small.”
“Oh... I don’t remember that.”
“You wouldn’t. You were very young. But let’s not stand out here. Please follow me into the village. You too, Kuro.”
“Oh. Okay. But what about the other one?” Kuro glanced suspiciously at Mil.
“I’m Mil! Yulia’s friend. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Ah. I am Kuro. I apologize for my rudeness.”
She bowed her head low and then the two shook hands.
Mil was relieved to know that Kuro wasn’t a bad person. She was just serious about her work.
“And forgive me for asking, but...” Kuro hesitated for a moment. “Do you have any more of that dried meat?”
It was cute how Kuro couldn’t help but show her appetite.
✧✧✧
The room the village chief led them to was different from anything Mil had seen in the royal capital or the Demon King’s Castle. Instead of carpets, the floor was covered by mats made of woven rushes, known as tatami. The doors too were unfamiliar structures lined with paper and cloth that slid sideways to open. There were no chairs—only a low table in the center surrounded by cushions.
“Is it your first time seeing this style of room?” the chief asked.
“Yes,” Mil replied as she sniffed at the air. “It smells really good in here.”
“That’s the smell of rushes. If it’s to your liking, I’m honored. Now please, take a seat.”
Sitting on the fluffy cushions on the floor was relaxing in a totally different way from anything in the royal capital.
“And Yulia,” the chief said, “I’m sorry for the rudeness from one of my people.”
“Oh, no, it’s nothing.” Yulia folded her legs beneath her as she sat down, her gaze facing nervously downward.
“That was my fault,” Mil said apologetically. It had been her rash actions that created the misunderstanding. “It was my first time meeting anyone with animal ears.”
“Animal ears?” The chief’s ears twitched. “Do you mean people with ears on their heads?”
“I got overly excited by my first sight of a beastkin and acted terribly rude.” Mil looked across the table at Kuro, who was sitting opposite.
Kuro still looked a little wary.
“So that’s what happened. Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Irie, and I serve as the chief of this village. Kuro here is my niece.”
“I’m Kuro. Sorry once again for my rudeness.” Kuro bowed her head low.
“I’m Mil Arphilia. Was the dried meat good?”
Kuro responded with a gulp.
Well, that’s what really matters.
“Arphilia?!” the village chief replied with alarm. “Um... Forgive me for asking, but might you be Princess Mil Arphilia of the Holy Arphil Kingdom?”
“Yes. It’s a long story, but I was imprisoned in the Demon King’s Castle for a while. I escaped just recently.”
I didn’t think she’d know my name. Am I that famous?
“This place might be remote, but the rumors reached here long ago. It’s an honor to meet a holy princess who’s loved by the goddess.”
Mil bashfully scratched the back of her head.
Kuro lurched forward and yelled, “A holy princess from the royal capital?!”
“Kuro, please,” the chief scolded.
Kuro was undeterred. In fact, she was growing increasingly excited. “Then you must have tried the royal capital’s food? Do they really have chocolate cake and cheesecake?”
“Kuro!”
“They do,” Mil replied. “There are mille crepe and strawberry cakes too. Do you like cakes?”
“To be honest, I love all food!”
I figured that much.
“Especially sweets, however. I heard that cakes are even sweeter than manju or ohagi. I must try them!” Kuro was leaning across the table as she spoke, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Manju? Ohagi? Have you ever eaten those, Yulia?” Mil asked.
Yulia shook her head gently in response.
Mil hadn’t even heard of them. Apparently it wasn’t just the rooms that were different here, but the food as well.
“If that just piqued your interest, then I could serve some for you,” the chief suggested.
“You wouldn’t mind?” Mil replied. “I’d love to try them!”
“Please give me a moment.”
Once the chief left through a sliding door Kuro began, “Um... Princess Mil.”
“You can call me Mil.”
“Then you may call me Kuro too. I was just wondering what other foods they eat at the royal capital. Please tell me!”
“Let me think... There’s so many delicious things. Besides the cakes we just mentioned, there are cream puffs, creme caramel—”
“Cream cuffs? Creme caramel? What sorts of food are they?”
“Cream puffs are soft cream packed into a crispy dough. They break apart and release all the sweetness the moment they’re in your mouth.”
Mil heard a clear gulp from Kuro. Behind Kuro’s back, her golden tail was swishing to and fro.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’ve brought the manju and ohagi.” The village chief entered and placed a bowl on the table with two types of food. One was small, white, and round while the other was coated in little black lumps.
“Please help yourselves,” the chief urged. Mil picked up one of the white objects while Yulia chose a black one, and both were equally delighted by the taste.