July 8th, 2023
Leona and I ended up in the usual restaurant just as you would expect—a place with thorough soundproofing. Originally, we planned to have coffee, but since the conversation seemed like it would be lengthy, we chose the restaurant instead.
“Uh, wow…”
Upon arriving at the restaurant we often visit, she looked around the interior with a mix of surprise and curiosity. It seemed like she had never been to such a restaurant before.
Meanwhile, I approached a server and asked for a room.
“Could you book a room for two? Here’s 2 gold. The 50 silver is for the tip.”
“Thank you. I will serve you with utmost sincerity.”
When I gave a 50 silver tip, the server’s face noticeably brightened. With a tip like that, they might provide us with complimentary tea after we finish our meal. It’s a win-win situation.
Before heading to the room, I glanced at Leona. She was still looking around restlessly.
‘Well, she probably hasn’t been to a place like this before.’
Leona tended to go out alone most of the time. As a beastmen, she found comfort in keeping her identity hidden.
She couldn’t easily make friends, and naturally, it would be challenging for her to dine together in a place like this. Except for weekends, I know she fills her stomach with cafeteria food every day.
I briefly thought that it was tough for her, but for now, I decided to focus on going to the room. If I left her like that, her ears might unintentionally perk up.
“Leona.”
“… …”
“Leona.”
“Huh, huh? Me?”
Only after calling her twice did Leona finally look at me. Pointing at herself with her finger she looked rather silly.
“Who else could it be if not you? Since we’ve got the room, let’s go quickly.”
“Uh, uh… Alright… Sure.”
Even while trembling, she looked around as she walked towards me, and she did the same when following the staff to the room. She hesitated even when entering the room, hesitating before I finally extended my hand as if to assure her that it was okay to enter.
“Wow…”
Finally, as we ended up in a room for two people, Leona exclaimed in admiration.
While she was looking around the room with curious eyes, I took a seat. The sight of Leona, who was usually cynical and sharp, acting like this, resembled a country girl visiting the city for the first time.
Seeing her innocent and curious expression, I began to doubt if she was the Leona I knew. But there was no choice but to go on. I picked up the menu and spoke to Leona.
“Don’t just stand there, take a seat. Let’s order from the menu.”
“Huh? Oh. Got it. Should I sit here?”
Contrary to the polite speech just moments ago, she returned to her original cynical tone.
Instead of answering, I nodded. Then Leona sat across from me and started to glance at the white tablecloth on the table. Perhaps even the tablecloth itself was fascinating from her perspective. I couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh, feeling slightly bewildered.
“Is this your first time in a place like this?”
“Of course, it’s my first time. How could I come to a place like this when I can barely make ends meet?”
Leona observed the table carefully and responded clearly. Then I realized that during the vacation period, she didn’t return to her hometown but worked part-time instead.
I’m not sure if she didn’t receive support from home or if there’s some other reason, but she seemed to live a lifestyle distant from the nobility.
“Hey. Isn’t this place quite expensive?”
Pong!
Leona slowly raised her head, questioning the expensive-looking appearance of the double room. At the same time, a pair of unique ears on top of her head made a distinctive sound as they perked up.
I stared blankly at Leona’s animal-like ears, which were making restless noises. It was difficult to take my eyes off them since it had been a while since I last saw Leona’s ears.
“Well… it’s not that expensive. You don’t have to worry. I’ll pay for everything.”
“But, still… Is it really okay?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm…”
Leona made a skeptical expression at my brief answer. Somehow, it seemed to hurt my pride, so I casually opened my mouth.
“Even though I may not look like it, I’m a noble. I receive about 30 gold as my living allowance.”
“30 gold…! I worked part-time throughout the vacation and barely earned 20 gold…!”
Leona exclaimed in shock, her mouth wide open. I smirked when I saw her reaction, but hearing that she earned 20 gold piqued my curiosity.
What kind of part-time job did she do, and how much was her hourly wage that she earned an amount comparable to 2 million won? From my perspective, that was even more surprising.
“I’m more surprised that you earned 20 gold. What kind of work did you do?”
“I worked as a cafe waitress. When the owner saw me, they decided to raise my hourly wage. It was easy for about a week, but after that, the number of customers increased a lot.”
“Hmm…”
Usually, cafes tend to hire employees who have good looks. There were many opinions that said the store’s sales increased after hiring good-looking part-time workers, especially beautiful ones.
And Leona’s beauty could be considered quite impressive. She has brown hair and brown eyes, which may seem ordinary in itself, but her atmosphere covered it all.
When she keeps her mouth shut, she becomes a calm and intellectual beauty, but when she reveals her true self like now, she becomes a strong and cool lady. She really exuded two very different charms.
It was quite fascinating how her impression fluctuated with just one change, but judging solely based on her appearance, it can be asserted that Leona is a highly attractive woman.
“I think I understand now. Anyway, enough about that. What do you want to eat? There’s a menu, so choose something.”
“Um…”
Flap, flap.
Leona unfolded the menu, covering her face, but she couldn’t hide her perked-up ears. In fact, her ears were flapping, making it impossible for my gaze not to be drawn to them.
After a while, Leona, who had been staring at the menu for a long time, raised her head slightly and met my eyes. Unlike before, she asked me in a voice that lacked confidence.
“…Isn’t it too expensive?”
As soon as the words were spoken, Leona’s ears twitched. Though only her eyes were visible due to the menu, I could roughly sense her expression.
Even the cheapest meal in this restaurant costs 80 silver, which is equivalent to 80,000 won. For an average student like Leona, it’s an expensive price that couldn’t help but be burdensome.
However, as I mentioned earlier, I receive a generous allowance. Moreover, whenever I have a meal with acquaintances, including Marie, they usually pay instead of me.
This much didn’t bother me.
“You can order the most expensive thing if you want. Just choose without rushing.”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“It’s fine. Just pick something from the menu. But don’t choose more than two items.”
“I can read the situation too. Well then…”
Leona quickly lowered the menu, as if she already had a dish in mind. While I was looking at the menu, she pointed to a dish with her finger.
“Th-this one, is it okay?”
“It’s a steak. How do you want it cooked? Well-done?”
“What’s well-done?”
“There are different levels. Well-done is when the steak is cooked until there’s almost no redness on the surface, rare is lightly cooked on the surface while the inside remains mostly red. Medium is right in the middle.”
“Make it medium, please.”
“Alright. Now that we’ve chosen the order, you can hide your ears.”
As I rang the bell to summon the waiter, Leona immediately hid her ears. The sight of her ears, which had been raised just a moment ago, naturally disappearing, always fascinated me.
Afterward, once the order was placed, I decided to have a question time until the food arrived. Since this was the original purpose, I didn’t forget to bring my notebook and pen.
When I took out my writing tools, Leona revealed her previously hidden ears once again. I unfolded my notebook and started pulling out the questions I had prepared in advance, one by one.
“Before we start with the questions, it’s okay if you don’t answer honestly. Just remember that I might write the thesis in a strange way as a result.”
“Don’t write it too strangely.”
“Alright. Then the first question. In the beastmen world, there are various races, or should I say ethnicities? Anyway, there are many beastmen such as tigers, lions, cats, dogs, wolves, and so on. Aside from these, there are also deer, cows, rabbits, sheep, monkeys, and many other races compared to humans.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, what happens if a tiger beastman and a deer beastman have a child?”
There is a perception that beastmen are savage and aggressive, but that applies mainly to carnivorous animals. Beastmens like deer, cows, and rabbits generally lead peaceful and gentle lives.
Due to this, carnivorous beastmen used to reject and prey upon them, but since the establishment of Animers, they have united as one. It means they live together without distinguishing between carnivores and herbivores.
Naturally, there have been cases of intermarriage between different races. I was curious about how children born from such unions would turn out.
Would they inherit all the characteristics of the tiger beastmen or the deer beastmen, or would they be a mix of both, like elves and humans?
It seems like an intriguing passage for Xenon’s Biography. Although it was already mentioned in the story, the appearance of half-elves has piqued curiosity even more.
“Interesting question right from the start. The answer is quite simple. It’s either a tiger or a deer. There’s no combination of the two. In fact, even if a rabbit and a sheep were to mate, there’s a low probability of a tiger or a lion being born due to their ancestors.”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes, that’s why no one finds it strange. They just accept it as it is. However, you can confirm if my child is yours or not through ‘divination’.”
It seems like genetic inheritance was much more pronounced in the beastmen compared to humans. If Mendel were to hear about it, he would be enthralled by the race that sets his research on fire.
“That’s fascinating. Now, the second question. There are various kinds of beastmen, but sometimes there are beastmen that appear to have the faces of animals. On the other hand, there are beastmen like you that are closer to humans. In what cases does this occur?”
“That’s the result of interbreeding between humans and beastmen. The animal faces you mentioned are closer to purebred individuals, while I am a hybrid. In fact, it’s similar to what I mentioned earlier. One could be born in a form closer to humans, or it could be the opposite. Long ago, the beastmen used to plunder humans. Elves were too powerful, and dwarves were better suited as skilled slaves rather than sexual ones. Demons didn’t even exist back then. That’s why hybrids were treated as slaves at that time, but now they’re recognized as valued members.”
“What? Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“It was a custom that occurred before it was recorded in books. Perhaps it remains in the form of pictorial murals rather than writing.”
Wow, this is truly valuable information that cannot be overlooked.
I found myself gazing at Leona with sparkling eyes and quickly scribbled down notes in my notebook.
Why didn’t the scholars notice this? Was it because they considered it too obvious? Or perhaps because the relationship between the beastmen and humans wasn’t good?
“The reason it’s unknown is due to the racial war that happened 300 years ago. Many of our kind were slaughtered during that time, and naturally, such historical records disappeared. Humans wanted to erase their shame.”
“…”
“Fortunately, there are a few murals left in Animers, but even those are just a few. Original history should continue being passed on, but it was cut off during the racial war.”
It was all because of the wickedness and treachery of humans. Leona spoke calmly, as if it were no big deal, but I suddenly felt sorry.
The beastmen have a history of being brutally slaughtered by humans, just like the Jews during World War II. No matter how strong the beastmen were, it was impossible to overcome the united humans.
Animers was established around the time the racial war ended. If the legendary hero and wealthy benefactor, ‘Hick,’ hadn’t appeared back then, the beastmen would have lived as slaves to humans.
“Why don’t you write it down? You said you’ll write a thesis, right? It wouldn’t hurt to include something like that.”
“…Are you absolutely sure there’s not a single lie?”
“I may as well not have a conscience to tell such lies after enjoying such an expensive meal.”
The strangely convincing words made sense. It was a story that couldn’t be found even in books, so it somehow gained trust. Above all, the truth was always possessed by the victims.
However, the book I’m writing is Xenon’s Biography. If I include unnecessary historical facts or other details, it could create significant confusion in the world, especially when it comes to the conflicting relationship between humans and the other races, particularly the beastmen.
‘For now, I should search for more books at the Sanctuary’
It seemed like a wise decision to ask Siris to find books related to beastmen. With a sense of unease, I moved on to the next question.
“Next question. In Animers, carnivorous and herbivorous beastmen coexist. Wouldn’t that cause conflicts?”
“That’s just nonsense created by humans. The distinction between carnivorous and herbivorous beastmen is practically meaningless. Both races have their preferences, whether it’s meat or vegetables. Conflicts arise from various other reasons, such as those who believe in the need for interaction with humans and those who can’t trust humans due to their history of slaughtering our kin. In essence, it’s similar to humans.”
“I see. But there’s no difference between carnivores and herbivores? Normally, there would be some distinctions, right?”
“No, not really. Unless you’re talking about elite ones like the Tiger Clan, Lion Clan, or Bear Clan, who possess incredibly strong physical abilities, the differences are negligible. But you can’t even let your guard down. I, too, once got kicked by a deer beastman, and all my ribs were crushed. I had to recuperate for a whole week.”
“Ah… What? A week?”
“Yes, a week. What’s wrong with that?”
If it were a human, they would have suffered at least serious injuries, but she managed to recover in just a week. It’s unbelievable how absurdly fast their recovery abilities are. Leona also realized this a bit late and changed the topic.
“Oh, right, you were a human. Beastmen have exceptionally remarkable recovery abilities, just as much as our physical capabilities. Even if we sustain injuries that would be considered serious for humans, they are mere scratches to us.”
“Then what counts as a serious injury for you?”
“Losing an arm or leg or having a hole in a vital spot? That would be a bit dangerous if left untreated.”
A human would die even if just from shock, but a beastman would survive. No matter how different our civilizations may be, it was puzzling how we managed to massacre those monstrous creatures.
“A little… no, it’s quite astonishing. Beastman are incredibly strong.”
“If it weren’t for that, we would have gone extinct 300 years ago. Don’t you know how terrifying your kind is? You wouldn’t hesitate to use any means necessary if you have a goal.”
On the other hand, it seems that Leona perceived humans as a mighty race. It feels strange to have different thoughts emerging from different perspectives.
Knock, knock.
Someone knocked on the door. It seemed like a staff member bringing the meal. As soon as Leona heard the knocking sound, she quickly concealed her ears, and I got up from my seat when I saw her covering her ears.
Since the room was soundproofed, I had to open the door myself.
“Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you.”
“Wow…”
Eventually, the meal arrived on the table as we had ordered. Leona admired the sight of the sauce enhancing the perfectly cooked and flavored dish. It was so tempting that she could devour it instantly, and I noticed the fangs, which I couldn’t see a while ago, distinctly shining.
It seemed like she had sharp fangs, perhaps because she was a beastman. If she were to bite into it, wouldn’t it create a hole in it?
“Before eating, first tie a napkin around your neck.”
“A napkin?”
“It’s something like the handkerchief in front of you. Just hang it around your neck and use it to wipe off any sauce or juice flowing down your mouth. Do you know how to cut a steak?”
“No. I don’t know.”
Eventually, after teaching her step by step, Leona was able to have her meal. At first, she watched with sparkling eyes, but as I instructed, she held the fork and knife in both hands…
“Ah!”
“… …”
Throwing away the knife, she stabbed the steak with the fork and took a big bite. I wanted to criticize her barbaric way of eating, but seeing her so happy, I couldn’t bring myself to scold her.
During that time, Leona, with her mouth full of steak, spoke with a voice filled with happiness.
“Mmm. Mmm. This is delicious!”
“…Yeah. As long as it’s delicious.”
I also started to eat with laughter. As I sliced the steak with a knife and chewed it, Leona widened her eyes and asked.
“Oh? So, it’s used like that?”
“Did you think there was another way to use it?”
“I thought you were supposed to cut the bone into small pieces and eat it. There are bones here too.”
“…Did you eat the bones when you had school food?”
“Yeah.”
“… …”
It’s a miracle she never revealed her true identity.
Translators note:
3/5
Man… Leona is so damn cute.
