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Beast Tamer Who Got Kicked Out From the Hero’s Party Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3: THE ULTIMATE SPECIES

There are entities in this world collectively called the ‘Ultimate Species’.

They are races possessing powers that rival or even surpass that of the S-ranked Adventurers.

Dragon Tribe.

Spirit Tribe.

God Tribe.

In this world, there are numerous races dubbed as the ‘Ultimate Species’……

But the one that stands out among them all is the so-called ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’.

It’s a race that might have a pretty confusing name, but they are not Nekomatas, although people might think that.

They are just that —— a ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’.

They look just like regular humans, with the exception that they have cat ears and cat tails growing out of their bodies.

They tend to live in seclusion, but as a whole they have cheerful personalities and are really friendly.

They are so cute in appearance that it’s hard to believe that they are actually beings considered the ‘Ultimate Species’, and it’s said that at some point in time they were revered as idols by the people.

That’s what the ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’ is. They might not seem like much, but their potential is actually tremendous.

They can split the earth with their bare hands, jump up to the top of the clouds without using any tools, and move beyond the speed of sound with ease.

It is rumored that because they can’t use magic, their physical abilities seem to have evolved to the extreme, and they could even defeat the Demon Lord in a sheer melee fight.

However, due to various wars and conflicts that occurred in the past, the population of this species has decreased dramatically.

They seem to be on the brink of extinction nowadays, and it is rare to actually see beyond their settlements.

They are so hard to find that it’s said that if you encounter one, it would be an encounter that would bring you tremendous luck.

And it was a girl from this very same and elusive ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’ that was right in front of me at the current moment.

「Haguh, hague, hague! Amuh! Amuh! Paku, paku, paku, paku, paku, gokun!」

At the current moment, the girl from the “Cat Spirit Tribe” was eating through the emergency rations I had brought with me.

She was really wolfing it all down, eating with all of her might.

No, to be frank, she was devouring it like crazy.

Judging by the sounds that her stomach was making earlier, I had assumed that she was on the brink of starvation.

And it was something that was actually easy to believe, after what I have witnessed.

A member of the ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’ would never be cornered by a Killer Tiger just like that under any normal circumstances.

「Puhaah!」

After eating all of my emergency rations, the girl from the ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’ finally seemed to be satisfied and smiled at me.

…… Looking at her closely, she was very cute.

Her hair was beautiful and silky, like a bundle of light shrouding her head.

Her green eyes shone like a pair of jewels in the morning sun.

If it weren’t for the cat ears and tail, I would actually think that she was some sort of princess from some remote, far away country.

「Well? Have you calmed down now?」

「Yeah! Thank you, you’ve really saved me back there…… For a moment I really thought that I was done for just like that」

「Surely you’re exaggerating.」

「Oh, believe me, I’m not over-exaggerating here! It’s been days since I last had something to eat or drink, and I could swear I was able to see my departed Grandma and Grandpa waving their hands at me from the other side of some strange river not all that long ago!」

It would seem that the girl’s situation was way more dire than I had initially thought it to be.

I’m so glad I was able to at least help this girl out, even though it might have not been all that much.

「Aah! Come to think of it, I am yet to introduce myself, right? I’m really sorry that you had to step in like that and save my life! I’m Kanade. As you can see, I’m a girl from the ‘Cat Spirit Tribe’♪」

「My name is Rein Shroud. I am an Adventurer-to-Be.」

「…… To-Be?」

「I was actually in the middle of taking an exam to become an Adventurer. That’s when I happened to come across you.」

「Hey, rather than ‘you’, I wish you could call me Kanade. Just like that♪」

「Well, in that case, you can call me Rein as well. It’s only fair that way.」

「Yeah!　It’s nice to meet you, Rein♪.」

And that was how Kanade and I first met.

…… This was actually the first meeting with someone who would become my dear Partner for life.

***

「Heee, so, you used to belong to the Hero’s Party, Rein?」

I was just about to head back to town to turn the exam in, and Kanade offered to come along with me.

And since I had no problems with that, I agreed and the two of us were on our way.

While we were on our way back……

I was telling Kanade about the things that had happened to me recently.

Essentially, it was a pretty lousy and depressing memory that I hate to even remember, but……

Kanade’s cheerful personality made it so that before I even knew it, I was telling her the entire story.

「Mmmhh……」’

For some reason, Kanade looked really unhappy.

「…… Hm? What’s wrong?」

「You are such a good person, Rein! and yet, that Hero banished you from the party! What a jerk! I cannot forgive him for that!」

「…… You would really go as far as getting angry on my behalf?」

「Why, of course!」

I see. It seems that Kanade is a really kind person, isn’t she?

We just happened to meet one another, and she was already getting angry on my behalf. That’s not something that you would normally do for a total stranger.

「I mean, it was something that really couldn’t be helped. After all, it was a fact that I have been holding them all back, you know.」

「But still, that doesn’t feel right, nya!」

「Thank you, for getting angry on my behalf like that. But I feel better now, I really do. If I had stayed in that Party, I would have probably continued to experience such a bad treatment. So now that I think about it, it was actually a good thing that I left. I am really glad I did.」

「Hmmm … if you don’t care about that all that much, Rein, then I don’t care about it all that much, either!」

「Well, that’s a good girl.」
.
「Nyafuh!?」

Before I even realized what I was doing, I couldn’t help it but to reflexively stroke Kanade’s head in a gentle manner.

However, Kanade didn’t show any signs of disgust or repulsiveness, but rather narrowed her eyes as if she felt really comfortable with me doing that.

「Ooh, but you know, you know? Let me correct you on one thing, okay? You are not useless, Rein. On the contrary, I think that you are very strong.」

「Thank you for your kind words, even if they are only a consolation.」

「They were not a consolation! I meant what I said, you know!?」

「Well, you can say that all you want, but my power is not really all that impressive to begin with……. Since I’m a Beast Tamer, I’m only capable of using animals and beasts to fight……」

「That’s what’s so great about you! I can tell! Rein, your Beast Tamer powers are really incredible!」

「How can you even say that with such confidence?」

「Rein, I think that if you tried, you could even form a contract with me! Probably.」

「Say what now?」

I stopped dead in my tracks when Kanade said something I hadn’t expected her to say at all.

But Kanade only looked up at me with a smile on her face.

「Hmm, how should I put it? The moment I saw you, Rein, I felt something like a jolt of electricity running through my spine. And I thought to myself……I thought that if it was you, Rein, you could perhaps tame me. There are only a handful of people in the world who can tame people of the Cat Spirit Tribe, you know? That’s what makes you such an amazing person, Rein!」

「I mean, even if you say that……」

For me, it was something utterly incomprehensible.

Taming a member of the Cat Spirit Tribe?

I have never even thought of something like that……

「Would you like trying to see if you can tame me?」

「H-Huh, a-are you sure? But, I don’t know if I can do it……」

「Since it is you, Rein, I’m sure that you can♪! And since you must be curious about it, too, then there is nothing else to do here but to give it a try, right?」

「……………」

If I would be able to tame and form a contract with a member of the Ultimate Species, there would be nothing more in this world that would be more reassuring.

But it was all in the realm of maybe. There was no guarantee that I would be able to succeed.

But…… a part of me wanted to get to know Kanade better.

And if we were to form a contract, it would be a bond that would certain allow us to grow a little bit closer.

And that is why……

「Okay, let’s give it a try.」

「Alright……♪! That’s what I’m talking about, Rein! I’m rooting for you!」

「Well then, in that case…… Can you just stand there and hold still for a moment?」

「Huh? Is it really okay for me to just stay still like that?」

「Yeah. I’ll do all the work for you, so you don’t have to worry about anything, all right?」

And so, I bit my thumb and let the blood flow down from it.

Using my blood, I drew a special magic circle on the palm of my hand that only Beast Tamers could use.

Then I held my hand out towards Kanade.

‘「My name is Rain Shroud. From this moment forward, a new contract and a new bond will be formed here. With an oath in my heart, with hope in my heart, with power in my hands. Answer me: what is thy name?」

This is it. If Kanade answers her name right here and right now, the contract will be sealed.

But if she was not to do it……

「…… Kanade……」

Despite my anxiety, Kanade spoke her name.

The magic circle drawn in blood shone with bright light.

The light started to overflow and flooded in…….

Being sucked right into Kanade’s body.

「…… Nyah?　Is that it? That is all?」

「Yes, the contract has been completed. Here, look at your palm for a moment.」

「Hmm……? Ohhh! There are some weird patterns on it!」

「That’s the magic circle that binds me to you, Kanade. And with that…… we now officially have a contract that binds us together.」
「Ohh, I see! So in other words, this is a proof of the bond that we share, Rein♪! Ehehe, I’m so happy!」

「A bond……」

「Huh…… Was I wrong?」

「No, no, no, you’re right. This IS the proof of the bond between you and I, Kanade.」

「Yeah♪! I hope for our relationship to be a good and prosperous one, Rein!」

「Thank you. I hope for it to be that way, too.」

And thus……

I had unintentionally tamed one of the ‘Ultimate Species’.