Back to the Start – Part 04
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Translator: Kell
At the entrance of a small inn with a red lantern, a woman was waving at us.
“That’s my wife,” the man said. “As a Beasfallen, you should know how happy I am.”
“Are you trying to rub it in? How about I strangle you to death?”
The man let out a hearty laugh. He didn’t even flinch from my threat. That’s a former Beastfallen, all right.
“Let the man talk,” Zero cut in as she finished eating. “You may not have a wife, but you do have me. Am I right?”
“What do you think, squirt?”
I turned the conversation to Lily.
Lily gave a jerk. “What?! Me?!” She started panicking. “Um… I, uhh… I-I don’t know…”
The priest poked Lily’s head with his staff. “You don’t have to give him a serious answer. Just say something like ‘Don’t ask me, dimwit!'”
“Who’re you calling a dimwit?!”
“I thought you’d realize what a dimwit you are by now. You’re not as good a learner as I thought.”
“I don’t mean to interrupt your friendly banter, but can we move on?” the man said, appalled.
The priest immediately disregarded the whole conversation. “I’ll take a room by myself,” he said, then strode inside the inn.
“I am sharing a room with Mercenary,” Zero added.
“Uhm… I… I’ll stay in a storage room, then…” Lily said.
“No, silly,” I said. “You’re staying with us in the same room.”
Lily’s ears and tail stiffened. Her gaze wandered. “But… it’s dangerous… You might be fine, but what about her?” She looked genuinely distressed.
She was worried about spreading a disease, apparently. Rats carry epidemics. She was still bothered by the fact that she basically killed the children of her village and her own parents a long time ago.
Since she joined us, we’d been sleeping out in the open or in stables. We had never stayed at an actual inn. She was probably worried about spending too much time with someone else in the same room.
Zero smiled at her. “Fret not,” she said. “Unless you bite someone with clear intent to harm them, you will not spread any disease. If a little saliva caused problems, you could not have lived with your step-parents for years. No matter how careful you were.”
“R-Really?”
“Above all, I am an extraordinary witch. Your power will not kill me. You might not believe it, but I am stronger than Mercenary.”
Lily looked relieved. She pretty much followed us on her own, but perhaps that’s why she was careful not to hurt us.
So the three of us ended up staying in the same room.
The inn was built by hollowing a cave, like an ant’s nest. It was much larger than it looked from the entrance. Red and blue lanterns lit up the bare earthen walls, giving the whole place a strange hue.
Lily scurried around the room, searching for things, and then ran to a corner, carrying some cushions.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Making a bed.”
“There’s one right over there.”
Fortunately, the room had two beds. Zero would get into my bed anyway, so Lily would have the other one.
Eyes glistening, Lily was about to climb to the bed, when she stopped.
“I’m dirty.”
“What?”
Lily held out both her hands, and sure enough, they were dirty. Her white fur seemed to have darkened somewhat from absorbing dirt and dust.
Sensing a gaze, I glanced to the side to see Zero staring at me with a smirk.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.
“If she is dirty, then you must be filth.”
“Filth?! Can’t you choose your words more properly?! You’re actually hurting my feelings!”
“You are covered in dried blood and dirt, Black Beast of—”
“Aaaaah! Stop saying that name already!” I barked, baring my claws. “It has a gruesome history, okay?!”
Zero laughed. “Now, now. No need to get furious,” she said without a hint of shame.
She was right, though. I had not washed the Ebl Boar blood off my head with water, only wiped it. I must look miserable with all the bugs and leaves sticking to the dried blood.
“I need a bath.”
“Indeed. Even I feel reluctant to sleep in your arms at the moment.”
Then all of a sudden, a knock came at the door. I opened it, revealing the man who led us here.
“The hot water’s ready, boss. You need a tub too, right?”
That’s a Beastfallen for you. He knows just what I need.
As I went to take the huge wooden bucket, the man frowned and pulled it away.
“This is for the ladies,” he said. “You will wash yourself in the washroom.”
“Why just me?”
“I have a better question. Are you planning to bathe with them?”
I quietly left the room. That was close. I almost took my clothes off in front of Zero and Lily without batting an eye. Clearly a bad influence from Zero.
“Besides, that’s blood, isn’t it?” the man said. “You have to wash it off, or it’ll dye your fur.”
“You’re absolutely right. Kinda late for this, but I’m surprised you decided to rent us a room. Normally, you’d turn right around when you see a Beastfallen bathed in blood.”
“Call it a survival strategy. If the other inns don’t want you, you’d be willing to pay a little more than usual to get a room. This inn basically caters to Beastfallen.”
“Right. And you used to be a Beastfallen as well.”
He laughed. “That’s right.”
“Do the owners know you used to be a Beastfallen?”
“Yeah, I told them. That’s why my wage is a little lower than the others.”
“They think you’d be willing to work for less money because you were a Beastfallen? Well, ain’t that a great survival strategy.”
“Oh, don’t be so cynical. I’m just grateful to be hired. I can’t really complain. Actually, my Beastfallen habits are quite ingrained in me that I’m prone to making some crazy mistakes.”
“Such as?”
“Such as appearing naked in front of a guest or smelling a woman I’ve never met before.”
I burst out laughing. But when I thought about it, it wasn’t all that funny. I could end up doing the same.
“Still, I’m managing. I feel completely naked ’cause I don’t have fangs, claws, or fur, but I’m starting to think that this is normal.”
“Say, how do you become human again? Do you just listen as a witch chants a spell or something?”
He laughed. “People always ask me that when they find out I’m a former Beastfallen.” He pointed at his chest. “You die once. You kill your Beastfallen self. Then you’ll be born as a human.”
“Quit exaggerating.”
“I’m telling it as it is. In fact, my last words as a Beasfallen was, ‘You witches tricked me.’ I really thought I was a goner.”
Zero said she could turn me human like it was nothing, so I thought it would be easy. Now I learned it was quite dangerous.
Nevertheless, he was clearly human.
My dream was to become human one day and open a tavern in the countryside. I’d get me a pretty wife, some noisy kids, and spend a quiet and peaceful life.
This man was living my dream. Yet I didn’t feel envious, nor did I wish to be him. I was simply curious. Questions gnawed at my mind. Did he really have no regrets? Had he ever thought about becoming a Beastfallen again?
Was it worth giving up the power of a beast to live as a normal human?
I am here.
Zero’s daring yet teasing smile flickered in my mind.
Isn’t that right, Mercenary?
“What are you standing around for?” the man said. “Here, take the soap. After you’re done washing, you can use whatever cloth lying around there to wipe yourself. We’re gonna throw them out anyway, so don’t be shy.” The man left the bathroom.
“Hey,” I called, stopping him. “Take this.” I tossed him a lump of meat wrapped in a cloth. It was the tastiest cut of meat I took from the Ebl Boar. “Use that for dinner. Your family can have the rest.”
“You sure? Thanks! My wife’s in charge of the kitchen. You can look forward to dinner.” He flashed a broad grin.
I sighed as I watched him go.
I surveyed the washroom. The horse care products stacked on the shelf indicated that it used to be a place to wash the guests’ horses. There was a huge wooden tub filled with used water in the corner. It seemed to be left over from cooking and cleaning. Since there was no other water in sight, I was probably supposed to wash myself with it.
“I guess that’s good enough for me.”
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