"Would you care to explain why you decided to drag me with you this morning to your little shop today?" Reta asked, twirling her finger through her blue hair as the slight breeze in the wind caused a few blue strands to tickle her face. She swiped her hand across, fixing her hair back as its recent growth in length has made it easier for her to keep it tucked in a topknot style, leaving a few blue strands hang from her widow's peak. Leaning back against the front bench, she sat patiently looking to Janette as the carriage they rode in rocked gently in the dirt path, with nothing but the clok-clo-clok sounds of the horses hooves.
Janette pursed her lips and closed her eyes, taking a moment to herself before answering with a sigh. "I left some things at my shop that I wanted to bring along. I figure that it may be best to keep the shop closed for the time being, until we sort this out."
"None of this could wait? And you've yet to tell me why I am here." Reta leaned to her side, resting her face on her hand.
"In truth, I asked you here for protection. I don't want to see those men by myself again."
"Oh, so a bodyguard then?" She grinned in amusement, "In my home village, our clan would assign only the best fighters as personal bodyguards, it was a role that my brother frequently had as he watched over our Shonen."
"Hm, you never mentioned your brother. I thought you didn't have any family."
"I don't, not anymore." She added, looking off the side of the road. "How is it that a woman like yourself got into this business, Janette?"
"What do you mean?"
Reta met her eyes, catching her in a glance. "Not many woman that I've seen own their own shops, and the few that do often inherit them from their husbands, fathers, or in-laws. I did not see any signs of a spouse in your house, so that leaves me to assume you have never married. Am I correct to say that the shop is yours, or your father's?"
"The shop is my own, but the house and name belong to my dad." She corrected her, looking straight at the road with a determine expression. "I learned a lot about marketing and selling by my dad's own teachings. My parents wanted a son, but I was born instead. Only they loved me all the same, I was considered their miracle child as it was believed that my mother could not have a child before. My birth was all they asked for, a healthy child for them to love and raise. Dad gave me the opportunity to start my own thing, and admittedly my first shop did not do well. The Farmer's Den is my second attempt, and I have the luck and fortune to say that it's age and existence is a show of its success. It's nothing incredible, but it manages a comfortable living on my own."
"And your parents, are they still around?"
"Yes and no. Mom and Dad are alive and well, or so I hope and pray, but they went on to travel abroad and explore the world while they can. Dad still owns a few shops of his own, but the fields we have back home are more than enough to sustain ourselves. They've been gone for a few months now, but they write letters back home."
"So I see, you're a lone child. But you're older then the rest of us, have you not had any partner or children?"
"No, and it's something I'd prefer not to discuss. That is a personal matter." She replied in a cold yet abrupt tone, her frown reassuring her desire to end that discussion from starting.
Reta raised her brow and acquiesced to her feelings, choosing to move on as she fidgeted and crossed her leg for a more comfortable seating position.
"Tell me, all this talk about a Monster Hunter coming through. I can see the impact of such words taking its toll on you. But I am not familiar with what this Hunter entails, care to explain what they are?"
Janette licked her lips and hunched forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she considered her request. "Sure, it could help pass the time until we get there."
Reta nodded and sat up straight, waiting for Janette to begin.
"From my knowledge, everyone I've seen and known survive in this world through the skills they have to offer. They say that profit and money is essential to survive, but profit is a language recognized in the marketplace alone. I've read about entire villages and clans that have managed without any currency, relying on trade and community work alone to survive, usually through agricultural work and livestock. Felix."
Reta nodded in agreement, recognizing her home village to be one of these examples due to their rejection of outsiders.
"But in more populated settings, the rules to survive change. It's not about working to sustain your food, it's about finding the currency to purchase it from someone else. Anyone who didn't have enough in their pocket would find other means to get by. You got yourself a skill? Exploit it for profit. Good at fishing? Start selling salmon. Got a thing for knitting? Clothes might be a good way for you to manage. Got a body you're proud of and good at nothing else? Well, I've yet to know a city without its block of whores for the locals and travelers to enjoy."
"Along came the customers, the consumers, the clients of all ages, race and sex. You got your locals, humble people who've been around for gods know how long, maybe they were born and raised here or maybe the moved in young enough to see the plants sprout into trees. You have your travelers, people coming and going about their business doing who knows what and who cares to even ask. You have your younglings, adolescent kids old enough to have a mind of their own and full of dreams and promises. But sometimes, in this small city that gets by with not much to gossip about, sometimes you get something good."
Janette paused and breathed in, sitting back against the bench before continuing.
"They say it is a small world we live in, well I never believed in that nonsense. The world is large and far, full of many lives carrying so many unique stories with them."
"True, this isn't any average world and it was no secret that there are monsters among us, some just happen to hide better than others. See that's a problem for some people in this world, you don't feel safe if you don't see the danger you're in. Now, you can live your life in blissful ignorance and make along your merry way, find yourself a good wife, settle down and have a family. Sounds like the good life, right?"
Reta shrugged, watching as Janette raised her finger with a serious expression.
"What would you say if that wife of yours was a succubus in disguise, and that the reason you can't seem to have an heir is because Monster Girls can't give birth to baby boys? After all, it's only the girls that are cursed, so why would a Monster girl not want a baby girl to carry on through their genetics? They want to survive just like us, can't fault them for living like we do."
"Now here's a small question, who do you ask when you have a Monster problem? You call a Monster Hunter."
"Monster Hunters have been a thing for decades now ever since the political fiasco of King James went haywire, gotta make sure no monster reaches that high up the chain again. They became known world wide, and I admit they have quite the advertising gimmick on their hands. Want to live in a safer world where you can trust all women are monster-free? Or do you find that your town, village or city is getting pillaged and attacked by Goblins? Or what if your town is having disappearances throughout the night, who do you look to, who do you call for help? Oh yes, you can bet your ass every village, city and country knew how to call for them right away to handle any Monsters around."
Reta contemplated her words. "So are they in charge of killing both Monsters and Monster Girls?"
"They specialize in Monster Girls specifically, but it's not uncommon for them to deal with Monsters too if the village offers them the right price."
"They seem like warriors for hire, mercenaries almost, exempt from any clan or people to protect. They see loyalty only through profit." Reta said.
"Close, but not quite. They have their own loyalty amongst themselves, a place where they train Monster Hunters from early adolescence to adulthood. Some people call it a Hunter's Guild, but no one has managed to see one from within their borders and live to tell the tale.."
"Ah, so a clan where they serve to fight someone else's battles. Intriguing." Reta replied, touching her lips.
Janette frowned. "I'm glad you're taking this very lightly, but I assure you that it's not laughing matter. We're not only dealing with a Hunter, but those soldiers as well. I might take a moment to ask around, see if anyone knows or hears anything. Which reminds me, what do you think about KuliKuli's family?"
"The Nekomata's?" Reta gave it some thought before answering back. "Most peculiar. The siblings lack any fighting experience, and I can only hope that the lost lover's anger matches her prowess or else she may be a liability in a fight as well."
"What of the mother, Emyri? She doesn't seem like she's telling us everything."
Reta looked at her with interest, waiting for Janette to catch on. "You noticed it too, right? She said we've only one hunter to fear, but they made no mention of the men who harassed me at the Den."
"It was the older sibling who said such, but the past lover confirmed her words as well. It could be that the men are newcomers, venturing out to collect this bounty that our feline friend has found herself in. That could explain why the Nekomata's words do not line up with what we know. Whatever blood she had spilt must be one of royalty to merit this kind of response." Reta spoke softly while looking outward.
Janette gasped in shock. "It doesn't have to mean that, right?"
"It could not, I know little of bounties but in my village, we rarely kept prisoners unless it was for information or retaliation. Either KuliKuli did something, or she knows something. Or... hmm."
"Spill it."
"It could be that she is wanted alive because she has something of value, knows something of value, or is herself the value that they seek, whoever it is. Perhaps we can find out when you ask around." She mentioned, giving her a look.
Janette swallowed and looked ahead, taking a deep breath as the Farmer's Den could be seen above the rising road. But as the carriage moved forward, unbeknownst to them there lies a white cat hiding beneath them, tucked out of sight under the carriage with a paw covering her snout to avoid breathing in the dust as they entered Farmer's Den.
"Would you care to explain why you decided to drag me with you this morning to your little shop today?" Reta asked, twirling her finger through her blue hair as the slight breeze in the wind caused a few blue strands to tickle her face. She swiped her hand across, fixing her hair back as its recent growth in length has made it easier for her to keep it tucked in a topknot style, leaving a few blue strands hang from her widow's peak. Leaning back against the front bench, she sat patiently looking to Janette as the carriage they rode in rocked gently in the dirt path, with nothing but the clok-clo-clok sounds of the horses hooves.
Janette pursed her lips and closed her eyes, taking a moment to herself before answering with a sigh. "I left some things at my shop that I wanted to bring along. I figure that it may be best to keep the shop closed for the time being, until we sort this out."
"None of this could wait? And you've yet to tell me why I am here." Reta leaned to her side, resting her face on her hand.
"In truth, I asked you here for protection. I don't want to see those men by myself again."
"Oh, so a bodyguard then?" She grinned in amusement, "In my home village, our clan would assign only the best fighters as personal bodyguards, it was a role that my brother frequently had as he watched over our Shonen."
"Hm, you never mentioned your brother. I thought you didn't have any family."
"I don't, not anymore." She added, looking off the side of the road. "How is it that a woman like yourself got into this business, Janette?"
"What do you mean?"
Reta met her eyes, catching her in a glance. "Not many woman that I've seen own their own shops, and the few that do often inherit them from their husbands, fathers, or in-laws. I did not see any signs of a spouse in your house, so that leaves me to assume you have never married. Am I correct to say that the shop is yours, or your father's?"
"The shop is my own, but the house and name belong to my dad." She corrected her, looking straight at the road with a determine expression. "I learned a lot about marketing and selling by my dad's own teachings. My parents wanted a son, but I was born instead. Only they loved me all the same, I was considered their miracle child as it was believed that my mother could not have a child before. My birth was all they asked for, a healthy child for them to love and raise. Dad gave me the opportunity to start my own thing, and admittedly my first shop did not do well. The Farmer's Den is my second attempt, and I have the luck and fortune to say that it's age and existence is a show of its success. It's nothing incredible, but it manages a comfortable living on my own."
"And your parents, are they still around?"
"Yes and no. Mom and Dad are alive and well, or so I hope and pray, but they went on to travel abroad and explore the world while they can. Dad still owns a few shops of his own, but the fields we have back home are more than enough to sustain ourselves. They've been gone for a few months now, but they write letters back home."
"So I see, you're a lone child. But you're older then the rest of us, have you not had any partner or children?"
"No, and it's something I'd prefer not to discuss. That is a personal matter." She replied in a cold yet abrupt tone, her frown reassuring her desire to end that discussion from starting.
Reta raised her brow and acquiesced to her feelings, choosing to move on as she fidgeted and crossed her leg for a more comfortable seating position.
"Tell me, all this talk about a Monster Hunter coming through. I can see the impact of such words taking its toll on you. But I am not familiar with what this Hunter entails, care to explain what they are?"
Janette licked her lips and hunched forward, resting her elbows on her knees as she considered her request. "Sure, it could help pass the time until we get there."
Reta nodded and sat up straight, waiting for Janette to begin.
"From my knowledge, everyone I've seen and known survive in this world through the skills they have to offer. They say that profit and money is essential to survive, but profit is a language recognized in the marketplace alone. I've read about entire villages and clans that have managed without any currency, relying on trade and community work alone to survive, usually through agricultural work and livestock. Felix."
Reta nodded in agreement, recognizing her home village to be one of these examples due to their rejection of outsiders.
"But in more populated settings, the rules to survive change. It's not about working to sustain your food, it's about finding the currency to purchase it from someone else. Anyone who didn't have enough in their pocket would find other means to get by. You got yourself a skill? Exploit it for profit. Good at fishing? Start selling salmon. Got a thing for knitting? Clothes might be a good way for you to manage. Got a body you're proud of and good at nothing else? Well, I've yet to know a city without its block of whores for the locals and travelers to enjoy."
"Along came the customers, the consumers, the clients of all ages, race and sex. You got your locals, humble people who've been around for gods know how long, maybe they were born and raised here or maybe the moved in young enough to see the plants sprout into trees. You have your travelers, people coming and going about their business doing who knows what and who cares to even ask. You have your younglings, adolescent kids old enough to have a mind of their own and full of dreams and promises. But sometimes, in this small city that gets by with not much to gossip about, sometimes you get something good."
Janette paused and breathed in, sitting back against the bench before continuing.
"They say it is a small world we live in, well I never believed in that nonsense. The world is large and far, full of many lives carrying so many unique stories with them."
"True, this isn't any average world and it was no secret that there are monsters among us, some just happen to hide better than others. See that's a problem for some people in this world, you don't feel safe if you don't see the danger you're in. Now, you can live your life in blissful ignorance and make along your merry way, find yourself a good wife, settle down and have a family. Sounds like the good life, right?"
Reta shrugged, watching as Janette raised her finger with a serious expression.
"What would you say if that wife of yours was a succubus in disguise, and that the reason you can't seem to have an heir is because Monster Girls can't give birth to baby boys? After all, it's only the girls that are cursed, so why would a Monster girl not want a baby girl to carry on through their genetics? They want to survive just like us, can't fault them for living like we do."
"Now here's a small question, who do you ask when you have a Monster problem? You call a Monster Hunter."
"Monster Hunters have been a thing for decades now ever since the political fiasco of King James went haywire, gotta make sure no monster reaches that high up the chain again. They became known world wide, and I admit they have quite the advertising gimmick on their hands. Want to live in a safer world where you can trust all women are monster-free? Or do you find that your town, village or city is getting pillaged and attacked by Goblins? Or what if your town is having disappearances throughout the night, who do you look to, who do you call for help? Oh yes, you can bet your ass every village, city and country knew how to call for them right away to handle any Monsters around."
Reta contemplated her words. "So are they in charge of killing both Monsters and Monster Girls?"
"They specialize in Monster Girls specifically, but it's not uncommon for them to deal with Monsters too if the village offers them the right price."
"They seem like warriors for hire, mercenaries almost, exempt from any clan or people to protect. They see loyalty only through profit." Reta said.
"Close, but not quite. They have their own loyalty amongst themselves, a place where they train Monster Hunters from early adolescence to adulthood. Some people call it a Hunter's Guild, but no one has managed to see one from within their borders and live to tell the tale.."
"Ah, so a clan where they serve to fight someone else's battles. Intriguing." Reta replied, touching her lips.
Janette frowned. "I'm glad you're taking this very lightly, but I assure you that it's not laughing matter. We're not only dealing with a Hunter, but those soldiers as well. I might take a moment to ask around, see if anyone knows or hears anything. Which reminds me, what do you think about KuliKuli's family?"
"The Nekomata's?" Reta gave it some thought before answering back. "Most peculiar. The siblings lack any fighting experience, and I can only hope that the lost lover's anger matches her prowess or else she may be a liability in a fight as well."
"What of the mother, Emyri? She doesn't seem like she's telling us everything."
Reta looked at her with interest, waiting for Janette to catch on. "You noticed it too, right? She said we've only one hunter to fear, but they made no mention of the men who harassed me at the Den."
"It was the older sibling who said such, but the past lover confirmed her words as well. It could be that the men are newcomers, venturing out to collect this bounty that our feline friend has found herself in. That could explain why the Nekomata's words do not line up with what we know. Whatever blood she had spilt must be one of royalty to merit this kind of response." Reta spoke softly while looking outward.
Janette gasped in shock. "It doesn't have to mean that, right?"
"It could not, I know little of bounties but in my village, we rarely kept prisoners unless it was for information or retaliation. Either KuliKuli did something, or she knows something. Or... hmm."
"Spill it."
"It could be that she is wanted alive because she has something of value, knows something of value, or is herself the value that they seek, whoever it is. Perhaps we can find out when you ask around." She mentioned, giving her a look.
Janette swallowed and looked ahead, taking a deep breath as the Farmer's Den could be seen above the rising road. But as the carriage moved forward, unbeknownst to them there lies a white cat hiding beneath them, tucked out of sight under the carriage with a paw covering her snout to avoid breathing in the dust as they entered Farmer's Den.
