“It’s so good!” Mil said. “I thought it looked tough, but it’s really soft! How’s yours Yulia?”
“Mmh, mmh... Mh? Oh, it’s...sweet.” She’d been so focused on chewing, she almost hadn’t heard Mil.
The village chief smiled. “That’s a manju you’re eating, Princess Mil. And yours is an ohagi, Yulia. I have plenty, so please eat as much as you’d like.”
“Thank you!” Mil replied. “I’ve never tasted anything so delicious!”
Mil had already eaten two of them and was starting to wish she had a drink to wash them down.
Thankfully, the village chief was already pouring tea into cups. “This is green tea. It’s hot, so please take care.”
Mil took a sip and found that the slight bitterness complemented the manju perfectly.
“It’s getting late, Chief,” Kuro said. “How about we begin making dinner?”
“You’re right. I’ll put in some extra effort tonight and we’ll all have something special.”
“We’d really appreciate it!” Mil bowed her head.
“Y-Yes please.” Yulia bowed too.
“Please wait here for a little while.” Irie rose to her feet.
“Chief, let me help,” Kuro said, moving to stand as well.
“I’m sure the three of you have a lot to talk about. I can handle it by myself, so stay here and talk with our two guests.” Before leaving the room the chief turned to Mil and Yulia and said, “Please enjoy yourselves in the meantime.”
When they were left alone, Kuro cleared her throat. “So, Mil... Is adventuring fun?”
“It sure is! Are you curious about it?”
Mil had only been traveling for a few days, but the outside world had been a never-ending source of excitement—full of new experiences.
“It’s just not the royal capital... I’d like to try good food from all kinds of places.”
It was as though there was something more Kuro was struggling to say.
“Like cakes?” Mil asked.
“Especially the sweet stuff! I’m sure there are countless dishes that we don’t have in this village!”
The village had good food like manju and miso soup, but if she wanted to try a wider variety of things, she’d have to travel.
“Sounds like you want to go adventuring,” Mil said.
This could be a good opportunity. Mil decided she’d ask Kuro to join them.
“If you wanna try it, then why not come adventuring with us?!”
“You’re inviting me to join you?”
“Yep! Yulia’s okay with it, aren’t you?”
Yulia gave a few firm nods.
“Oh. Thank you, but...I couldn’t.”
“What?! Why not?” She clearly wants to!
“The village code says that villagers must never leave,” Kuro explained.
“Code?”
“The code has existed since long before I was born. We have more contact with outsiders in recent times, but over a hundred years ago, people with ears and tails like mine were treated like curiosities. It’s said that humans would often kidnap our kind.”
So they decided to keep out of trouble by not going outside? Come to think of it, people might have mentioned beastkin in the royal capital, but I never once saw one. Disappointing as it was, Mil figured she’d just have to give up.
Kuro noticed Mil’s reaction. “Please don’t feel down. I’m happy that you invited me. Oh, I know. Why don’t we visit the hot spring together instead? It’s the pride of my village.”
“There’s a hot spring?!”
She’d heard about them from adventurers in the royal capital, but she’d never visited one. Bathing in a hot spring supposedly felt amazing, and it had long been high on Mil’s bucket list.
“I’m sure you’ll love it. Come with me, and we’ll pass the time relaxing there. It’s my way of apologizing for not joining you on your adventure.”
Mil and Yulia were in high spirits as Kuro led the way.
✧✧✧
“Something so delicious truly exists?!” Kuro’s voice echoed off the fences that surrounded the open air bath beside the village chief’s home.
A refreshing breeze was blowing across the water, and they could hear the chirps of insects from every direction. Experiences like this couldn’t be had in the royal capital.
“Yep, and there’s another really good one called a mille-feuille. It’s a combination of pastry and custard cream.”
Mil described the various desserts available in the royal capital as she scrubbed Kuro’s back with a towel. It was her first time washing someone’s back like this. Kuro’s skin was smooth, and her long, thin tail was joined to her lower back. It was the real thing, after all.
Ugh... It’s hard to resist when it’s right there. I wanna touch it! I want to grab it right now, but...
“Um... Kuro.”
“Hm?”
“I can’t resist your ears or tail anymore!”
I can’t stop myself. Without waiting for a response, Mil began ruffling the fur on Kuro’s ears and tail. These ears are so soft! And her tail’s so fluffy. Even when wet, Kuro’s fur remained sleek and her ears squishy.
“C-Could I try it too?” Yulia finished washing herself and grabbed Kuro’s tail. “Wooow! It’s so fluffy!”
“Her ears are just as soft.”
They both lost themselves in ruffling, scratching and feeling up Kuro’s fur.
“Gah ha ha ha!”
After the groping had gone on for about five minutes, the three finally enjoyed a soak in the spring’s water.
“Ooh. This feels so good,” Mil sighed. “They don’t have hot springs in the royal capital, so this is all new to me.”
“Really?” Kuro, sitting beside Mil, was surprised.
A short distance away, Yulia was floating on her back with her arms spread wide.
“We’ve got a bath back home, but it’s just a big tub. There’s no hot spring.”
It was also Mil’s first time in an open-air bath. She’d never known how good it felt to soak in hot water while exposed to a cool breeze.
“Tell me more about the royal capital! Can you eat all you want whenever you feel like it?” Kuro was excited again. She got all fired up whenever the conversation turned to food.
“Ah ha ha. No, I can’t just eat whatever I want. That said, though I’ve never been there, I’ve heard there are restaurants near the castle where they’ll bring out huge portions if you have enough money to pay for it.”
“Ooh! Do they serve meat like that?”
She’s interested in meat now?
“And there are buffets where you can pile up as much on your plate as you can eat.”
“Do those exist for cakes too?”
“I think I’ve heard of cake buffets, so probably...”
A trail of drool was forming at the side of Kuro’s mouth. Her favorite foods were obvious to anyone—meat and sweet treats.
“The ice cream’s good too,” Mil added.
“What’s ice cream?”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that!” Yulia flipped onto her feet and splashed water all over. “A merchant told me about it! It’s a way of eating frozen milk, isn’t it?”
“You can freeze milk?! Doesn’t it turn into ice?” Kuro stared at Mil in a demand for answers.
Yulia was interested too; it was rare to see her this excited.
“I don’t know how it’s made, but some types are really soft and sweet. And some are used in parfaits together with fruit.”
The name alone was enough to excite Kuro. “Parfait?! Just from the name I already know it’s delicious!”
“I have to admit, I’d like to try these things too,” Yulia said.
Yulia had never set foot outside her village, so she couldn’t have tried any of the royal capital’s food either. Although she’d never said so until now, there was a good chance she’d been looking forward to trying new food the whole time.
“The outside world sounds incredible. It’s more than I imagined.” Kuro sent waves across the surface of the water as she fell onto her back and looked at the sky with a contented sigh.
I know that feeling. Mil was reminded of herself and the way she used to indulge in fantasies of the outside world.
“I’m glad I had the chance to make friends with both of you,” Kuro said.
“Friends...?” Mil replied. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m happy too.”
“This village doesn’t have much contact with outsiders. It’s the first time I’ve really talked to anyone about the outside world like this.”
“Now you’re embarrassing me.” It pleased Mil to hear Kuro call her a friend. She’d never never known anyone like her.
Likewise, Yulia laughed bashfully.
“If you’d remember me and my village once in a while, I’d be quite happy,” Kuro said. “And if you’re ever passing near, drop by and we’ll give you a grand welcome.”
“Sure! Thanks, Kuro.”
Mil was glad to have met her. Even if she might never see her again after that day.
✧✧✧
In a bedroom so large that it took ten tatami mats to cover the floor, the flickering flame of a single wax candle was all that held off the darkness of the night. Long after everyone else was sleeping, the village chief, Irie, was still reading the book that lay on her bookrest.
She reached out to turn the page but stopped when something caught her attention: the chirping bugs outside had all fallen silent at once.
Irie sensed she wasn’t alone. Beyond the sliding door, someone was approaching, keeping their footsteps silent as they moved through the pitch black corridor.
It wasn’t Kuro. Nor was it either of the guests. Irie could sense wickedness. She felt a thick, black presence characteristic of an intruder intending harm—intent to kill. The intruder was making no attempt to conceal it.
“Who’s there?”
“Chief Irie, might I have a moment of your time?”
The door slid open, slow and silent, to reveal a demonkin, fully covered by a black robe. Their skin was red and a single horn protruded from their forehead. Judging by their rugged, angular features, the intruder was a man, and an ogre.
“Are you from the Demon King’s forces? But why? What business could you have here at this hour?”
“Rather than waste your precious time, I’ll get right to the point. I would like you to hand over Mil Arphilia. If I’m not mistaken, she’s in your care at present.”
“Princess Mil?”
Mil had said something about escaping from the Demon King’s Castle. This ogre must have been sent to take her back.
“It would displease me greatly were it necessary to resort to violence. I do hope we can reach an amicable resolution. Might I assume that you’ll cooperate for the sake of your village’s safety?”
“You’re threatening me? Let me guess. The Demon King wants to make use of Princess Mil’s powers as a goddess’s priestess?”
“It seems you understand the situation already. Then you must know you have no reason to shield her from us.”
This ogre was no mere underling. He was someone high-ranking—probably one of the Heavenly Four. Someone so important wouldn’t have come to handle this personally unless Mil’s powers were considered crucial.
Irie braced herself. “Princess Mil is a guest in our village...and a friend of Kuro. Handing one of our friends over to a barbaric fiend such as yourself is out of the question.”
“I see... You’ve got courage. What a shame. I had hoped to avoid kidnapping anyone.”