We ventured into the forest before dark.
For a while, I thought Kyo wouldn't speak to me, but as she drove the car a bit further, she popped her head out of the window and looked at me.
"Hey, that promise. It's not true, right?"
"?"
"Using people's lives from the town as bait to turn Faye-san into livestock, a slave?"
"Survival, slave, not want."
I replied, and Kyo seemed relieved as she withdrew her head.
I didn't need livestock, let alone slaves as I needed to feed them. What I needed were companions who could help and travel with me. To be frank, I didn't even need a sex slave because I could have anyone, anywhere, anytime. Unless it is me who becomes someone's sex slave.
"Kyo."
"Yes?"
"Tame, beast, catch."
"Yes, that's right. Some of the beasts, not all, can be tamed."
"Catch, beast. eat. free?"
I wondered if the animals she had tamed before were somewhere in the town. It would be great if we could eat them. That's what I thought.
Suddenly, Kyo hit the brakes.
"Awful!"
Tears welled up unexpectedly.
"That's too much! Barbaric! Inhumane!"
"Sorry."
I apologized without really understanding why.
"Those animals I tamed and followed me.....All of them could have enjoyed their freedom in the wild if I hadn't captured them! Yet, they willingly served me and even let me eat them when I got hungry!"
She seems to be getting compassionate.
"Tame, animal. Where?"
So, where were these tamed animals that she mentioned? I didn't spot them in town. When I asked, Kyo bit her lip and looked up at the sky. It was getting close to dusk.
"Cookie....Brittle...Pudding... they took my place to protect the town while I was away or patrolling for traps. They... they're all gone now...Uuuuuug!!"
I see. There, there. I gently pat her head to comfort her.
"Ugh..... When I left town, Chips also came with me and was also killed in the cave....my fault...it's my fault... Uuuwaaahhhhh!!"
"Feel, understand."
"Huh... Rea...really...?"
"Really."
Losing friends is tough. I get it.
I licked away her tears with my dark tongue and stuffed a butterscotch candy into her quivering mouth.
"*Munch*... *Crunch*..."
I kept petting her until she stopped crying, waiting for her to calm down.
"Hehe, Gevaudan's tongue is long and warm. It reminds me of Chips."
"Chips?"
"He's a bipedal frog called the Frogman. He had cute round eyes."
That description has nothing in common with Chips. Her naming sense was terrible.
Oh... I might have seen something like that near the cave. A human-sized frog. Wait, that thing walked on two legs?? You had quite a creepy pet...
"Hmph! Well then, let's hurry up."
Kyo switched her mood back and grabbed the steering wheel. She seemed to have cleared her mind. She's usually a bright person, but she must have had some things bottled up.
We drove through the forest for a while, and then we stop Yakky.
"I've set up traps around here, but there are too many trees. Yakky can't get any closer. So I'll go take a look myself. I'll be quick, so you two wait here."
"Be, careful."
"I'm used to this area."
With that, she left us and climbed up the slope with sure steps.
For a while, it was just Yakumo and me.
He seemed to be into origami lately, tearing pages from a notebook and folding them into various shapes. He had folded all sorts of animals at Shigeaki's house, and his skills were master-class. Right now, he was folding a frog. Chips, was it? By the way, Yakky had stocked up a ton of new notebooks from Australia. Feel free to use as many as you want.
Watching him, I started a fire and boiled water. Then I made tea. Here you go, Master, mushroom tea. He took a sip of the tea I offered. His lips moistened, and he continued to play the Oni flute.
For the first time in a long time, it was peaceful.
Since we separated from Titania and her group, I had the feeling that there had always been someone's voice nearby. I didn't used to be such a busybody. Have I changed a little?
As I idly thought about this, I suddenly remembered leaving Titania's precious AV tapes in the cave and regretted it intensely. And then, the flute abruptly stopped.
I looked up, and he was gazing up at something.
I followed his gaze.
*wriggling* *wriggling*
The figure provocatively displayed the soles of her feet towards me, wiggling her bare toes.
The person wiggling her toes had a noticeable chest and long hair, indicating she was likely a woman. She either hadn't noticed us or was pretending not to, as she sat on a tree branch, gazing into the distance.
She had a veil covering the upper half of her face.
A black veil with a golden frame. Thanks to it, only her lips were visible.
But what stood out even more was the bandages wrapped around her entire body. She was entirely covered in bandages from the neck down, with tattered scraps of fabric in between. She was practically wrapped head to toe in bandages. Her rust-colored, wavy hair hung down, swaying in the wind.
She had only one arm. Her right arm was missing from the shoulder down, and the bandages on it were torn and frayed. The other arm hung loosely, with greenish liquid coming out from under the bandages. That arm also didn't seem to work properly. Was she injured??
——A one-armed woman in a black veil, covered head to toe in bandages.
Her attire made one think of the dead, but strangely enough, an intense vitality seemed to emanate from beneath the veil, even though her face was hidden.
It was eerie. I hadn't noticed her presence at all, but for some reason, I didn't feel any danger. Who could she be?
*wriggling* *wriggling* I couldn't take my eyes off her feet. Her movements were so captivating, like a cat toy. I felt an urge to pounce on her and nibble on it.
And as I continued to gaze at her mesmerizing soles, it seemed that she finally noticed our presence. She turned her head and appeared to fix her gaze on us.
"――――Hey little rascal, remember me?"
The woman moved her thin lips, and despite the absence of wind, her black-veiled frame swayed.
Her voice was delicate and had a hint of cracks in it.
"What's your name?"
"Gevaudan."
As I reflexively introduced myself, the bandaged woman softly repeated "Gevaudan" under her breath.
"Good name, but your self-proclaimed name is but a tautology."
"?"
"The sweet honey of the forest spirit, it's quite pleasant. It gets into the cracks."
The conversation didn't make any sense, but she didn't seem to be a malevolent presence.
"Want, candy?"
I reached into my apron and pulled out a butterscotch candy, attempting a diplomatic approach.
"Candy? Is that what it's called?"
The bandage-wrapped woman tilted her head and looked hesitant, but in the next moment, she gracefully leaped from the branch.
She descended to the ground like a feather, and then, with measured steps, approached. Her eyes felt cool and piercing behind the veil. She was taller than an average woman. The way she walks is graceful.....
The bandage-wrapped woman stood before me, and we silently locked eyes, separated by the veil. But she just stood there, do you want candy or not?
"Hey."
"Yes."
"You're not a smart guy, aren't you? Look at my arm."
Both of her arms were non-functional.
I brought the butterscotch candy closer to her lips, and she sniffed it.
"Ahhh..."
The bandage-wrapped woman opened her mouth, revealing a tongue that was vulnerably exposed. Perhaps because her eyes were hidden by the veil, her lips stood out even more seductively. I placed the candy between her beautifully aligned teeth.
She clamped down on it, even taking my fingers with it.
"Mmm, delicious."
I could hear the sound of the candy rolling around on her teeth. A small bulge moved on her cheek, and her mouth relaxed slightly.
Somehow, I found myself licking my own fingers, which were still moist with her saliva. Mmm, delicious. It was so sweet, with a remarkably rich aroma, almost like honey.
"Hey."
"Yes."
"Why did you lick your fingers just now?"
"Candy, good, don't want, waste."
"I see. In that case, I won't blame you. This candy seems to be quite valuable. I may not have the means to repay you."
It was just an excuse, but it seemed to satisfy her.
She seemed to think she had received the candy unilaterally, but that was far from the truth. How about another one? Open wide and say 'aah.' Go ahead, take my fingers with it too.
With devious thoughts in my mind, I reached into my apron pocket to grab another candy. Just then...
"Little rascal, I'll be back. Get along."
"Get along? What?"
"Cute little warrior is coming."
Warrior?...
I was about to ask when suddenly...
"Ge~~~vaaooooouuuu~~~daan!"
Kyo came crashing through the trees,
Her abrupt entrance caused my thought process to momentarily freeze.
We ventured into the forest before dark.
For a while, I thought Kyo wouldn't speak to me, but as she drove the car a bit further, she popped her head out of the window and looked at me.
"Hey, that promise. It's not true, right?"
"?"
"Using people's lives from the town as bait to turn Faye-san into livestock, a slave?"
"Survival, slave, not want."
I replied, and Kyo seemed relieved as she withdrew her head.
I didn't need livestock, let alone slaves as I needed to feed them. What I needed were companions who could help and travel with me. To be frank, I didn't even need a sex slave because I could have anyone, anywhere, anytime. Unless it is me who becomes someone's sex slave.
"Kyo."
"Yes?"
"Tame, beast, catch."
"Yes, that's right. Some of the beasts, not all, can be tamed."
"Catch, beast. eat. free?"
I wondered if the animals she had tamed before were somewhere in the town. It would be great if we could eat them. That's what I thought.
Suddenly, Kyo hit the brakes.
"Awful!"
Tears welled up unexpectedly.
"That's too much! Barbaric! Inhumane!"
"Sorry."
I apologized without really understanding why.
"Those animals I tamed and followed me.....All of them could have enjoyed their freedom in the wild if I hadn't captured them! Yet, they willingly served me and even let me eat them when I got hungry!"
She seems to be getting compassionate.
"Tame, animal. Where?"
So, where were these tamed animals that she mentioned? I didn't spot them in town. When I asked, Kyo bit her lip and looked up at the sky. It was getting close to dusk.
"Cookie....Brittle...Pudding... they took my place to protect the town while I was away or patrolling for traps. They... they're all gone now...Uuuuuug!!"
I see. There, there. I gently pat her head to comfort her.
"Ugh..... When I left town, Chips also came with me and was also killed in the cave....my fault...it's my fault... Uuuwaaahhhhh!!"
"Feel, understand."
"Huh... Rea...really...?"
"Really."
Losing friends is tough. I get it.
I licked away her tears with my dark tongue and stuffed a butterscotch candy into her quivering mouth.
"*Munch*... *Crunch*..."
I kept petting her until she stopped crying, waiting for her to calm down.
"Hehe, Gevaudan's tongue is long and warm. It reminds me of Chips."
"Chips?"
"He's a bipedal frog called the Frogman. He had cute round eyes."
That description has nothing in common with Chips. Her naming sense was terrible.
Oh... I might have seen something like that near the cave. A human-sized frog. Wait, that thing walked on two legs?? You had quite a creepy pet...
"Hmph! Well then, let's hurry up."
Kyo switched her mood back and grabbed the steering wheel. She seemed to have cleared her mind. She's usually a bright person, but she must have had some things bottled up.
We drove through the forest for a while, and then we stop Yakky.
"I've set up traps around here, but there are too many trees. Yakky can't get any closer. So I'll go take a look myself. I'll be quick, so you two wait here."
"Be, careful."
"I'm used to this area."
With that, she left us and climbed up the slope with sure steps.
For a while, it was just Yakumo and me.
He seemed to be into origami lately, tearing pages from a notebook and folding them into various shapes. He had folded all sorts of animals at Shigeaki's house, and his skills were master-class. Right now, he was folding a frog. Chips, was it? By the way, Yakky had stocked up a ton of new notebooks from Australia. Feel free to use as many as you want.
Watching him, I started a fire and boiled water. Then I made tea. Here you go, Master, mushroom tea. He took a sip of the tea I offered. His lips moistened, and he continued to play the Oni flute.
For the first time in a long time, it was peaceful.
Since we separated from Titania and her group, I had the feeling that there had always been someone's voice nearby. I didn't used to be such a busybody. Have I changed a little?
As I idly thought about this, I suddenly remembered leaving Titania's precious AV tapes in the cave and regretted it intensely. And then, the flute abruptly stopped.
I looked up, and he was gazing up at something.
I followed his gaze.
*wriggling* *wriggling*
The figure provocatively displayed the soles of her feet towards me, wiggling her bare toes.
The person wiggling her toes had a noticeable chest and long hair, indicating she was likely a woman. She either hadn't noticed us or was pretending not to, as she sat on a tree branch, gazing into the distance.
She had a veil covering the upper half of her face.
A black veil with a golden frame. Thanks to it, only her lips were visible.
But what stood out even more was the bandages wrapped around her entire body. She was entirely covered in bandages from the neck down, with tattered scraps of fabric in between. She was practically wrapped head to toe in bandages. Her rust-colored, wavy hair hung down, swaying in the wind.
She had only one arm. Her right arm was missing from the shoulder down, and the bandages on it were torn and frayed. The other arm hung loosely, with greenish liquid coming out from under the bandages. That arm also didn't seem to work properly. Was she injured??
——A one-armed woman in a black veil, covered head to toe in bandages.
Her attire made one think of the dead, but strangely enough, an intense vitality seemed to emanate from beneath the veil, even though her face was hidden.
It was eerie. I hadn't noticed her presence at all, but for some reason, I didn't feel any danger. Who could she be?
*wriggling* *wriggling* I couldn't take my eyes off her feet. Her movements were so captivating, like a cat toy. I felt an urge to pounce on her and nibble on it.
And as I continued to gaze at her mesmerizing soles, it seemed that she finally noticed our presence. She turned her head and appeared to fix her gaze on us.
"――――Hey little rascal, remember me?"
The woman moved her thin lips, and despite the absence of wind, her black-veiled frame swayed.
Her voice was delicate and had a hint of cracks in it.
"What's your name?"
"Gevaudan."
As I reflexively introduced myself, the bandaged woman softly repeated "Gevaudan" under her breath.
"Good name, but your self-proclaimed name is but a tautology."
"?"
"The sweet honey of the forest spirit, it's quite pleasant. It gets into the cracks."
The conversation didn't make any sense, but she didn't seem to be a malevolent presence.
"Want, candy?"
I reached into my apron and pulled out a butterscotch candy, attempting a diplomatic approach.
"Candy? Is that what it's called?"
The bandage-wrapped woman tilted her head and looked hesitant, but in the next moment, she gracefully leaped from the branch.
She descended to the ground like a feather, and then, with measured steps, approached. Her eyes felt cool and piercing behind the veil. She was taller than an average woman. The way she walks is graceful.....
The bandage-wrapped woman stood before me, and we silently locked eyes, separated by the veil. But she just stood there, do you want candy or not?
"Hey."
"Yes."
"You're not a smart guy, aren't you? Look at my arm."
Both of her arms were non-functional.
I brought the butterscotch candy closer to her lips, and she sniffed it.
"Ahhh..."
The bandage-wrapped woman opened her mouth, revealing a tongue that was vulnerably exposed. Perhaps because her eyes were hidden by the veil, her lips stood out even more seductively. I placed the candy between her beautifully aligned teeth.
She clamped down on it, even taking my fingers with it.
"Mmm, delicious."
I could hear the sound of the candy rolling around on her teeth. A small bulge moved on her cheek, and her mouth relaxed slightly.
Somehow, I found myself licking my own fingers, which were still moist with her saliva. Mmm, delicious. It was so sweet, with a remarkably rich aroma, almost like honey.
"Hey."
"Yes."
"Why did you lick your fingers just now?"
"Candy, good, don't want, waste."
"I see. In that case, I won't blame you. This candy seems to be quite valuable. I may not have the means to repay you."
It was just an excuse, but it seemed to satisfy her.
She seemed to think she had received the candy unilaterally, but that was far from the truth. How about another one? Open wide and say 'aah.' Go ahead, take my fingers with it too.
With devious thoughts in my mind, I reached into my apron pocket to grab another candy. Just then...
"Little rascal, I'll be back. Get along."
"Get along? What?"
"Cute little warrior is coming."
Warrior?...
I was about to ask when suddenly...
"Ge~~~vaaooooouuuu~~~daan!"
Kyo came crashing through the trees,
Her abrupt entrance caused my thought process to momentarily freeze.
