GalaxyTL
After breakfast, I bid farewell to Maryla-san, who seemed a bit lonely to see me go, and headed for the hall with Gil-san. We were meeting Kei-san in the hall after breakfast. But before that, there was something I had to ask.
“Gil-shan.”
“What is it?”
“Are you and Kei-shan… close?”
“………………”
Silence. Did I… ask something I shouldn’t have? Gil-san placed his hand on his chin, deep in thought…
“…We’ve known each other for a long time.”
In the end, I received a very vague answer. I wouldn’t know until they met, it seemed. My heart pounded as we arrived at the hall.
Kei-san was already waiting when we got there. They were sitting in the dining area, sipping from a cup. Noticing us, they smiled and stood up, walking towards us.
“Hey, good morning, Meg-chan. And Gilnandio, sorry to ask you to be her escort.”
Kei-san looked so stylish today! They were already stylish, but their casual outfit was even more amazing!
They were wearing a simple black striped shirt with a high collar and a black scarf, held together with a red stone ornament, the same color as their eyes. Their white skinny jeans accentuated their long legs, and their black high-top boots stood out. A black, see-through, sleeveless jacket was draped over their shoulders, the long hem reaching their knees, swaying gracefully with every step.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
“Well, you’d probably come back even without being her escort. As expected of a guardian, so overprotective.”
“…Be quiet.”
Kei-san was teasing Gil-san. I wasn’t sure what they meant. But first, greetings!
“Good mowning, Kei-shan. You wook sho cool!”
So, they had a perfectly normal relationship. I’d gotten a little wary, you see, after seeing Maryla-san’s reaction to Juma-kun, and everyone’s reaction to Kei-san, but it seemed my worries were unfounded! Relieved, and struck by Kei-san’s stunning appearance, I blurted out a compliment.
“Thank you. It’s an honor to be told that by the adorable Meg-chan. Let’s make you even cuter today, shall we?”
“…Kei.”
A deep voice called out Kei-san’s name as they casually tried to flirt. I’m sure he meant, “Don’t flirt with a child,” but Kei-san didn’t seem to understand. They tilted their head, genuinely confused, asking, “What’s wrong, Gilnandio?”
“Haa… never mind.”
“Is that so? You’re strange, Gilnandio.”
…Kei-san, you’re amazing.
And so, we set off for town. A handsome man on either side! Or was it Gil-san who was surrounded by beauties? But both of them were like handsome guys… Ah, this is so complicated!
Outside the guild was… well, straight out of an isekai. I had the same thought when I first went outside, but back then, I didn’t have time to properly observe, with all those eyes on me! And it was the same this time! But this time, I had two guardians flanking me. I decided to brazen it out and observe everything.
“Wow…! Everyone has fluffy ears!”
That’s right. Everyone walking around town had animal ears and tails! Ah, some didn’t have fluffy ones. Some had reptilian tails, horns… Ah, and scales too!
“Oh my, could it be… that the half-demon form is rare?”
“Half-demon?”
Kei-san seemed a bit surprised by my musing and asked this, so I asked back,
“Yeah. Demi-humans can transform into three forms: beast form, half-demon form, and human form.”
Apparently, the half-demon form was the natural state for demi-humans. It seemed like they could handle things more skillfully in their human form. It made sense. You couldn’t do delicate work with paws or hooves. They said it was probably due to evolution.
“Come to think of it, demi-humans really are fascinating creatures. The more rational they are, the more human-like their form becomes, and the more primal they are, the more they revert to their original beast form. While they can consciously control their transformations, their emotions can also influence it, so they have to be careful.”
“That’s why demi-human children, whose hearts are still immature, often transform into their beast form and run wild. They say raising a demi-human child is fraught with constant injuries.”
“It’s a good thing Meg-chan is an elf. Though I’m sure she’d be able to control herself, being so smart.”
Constant injuries… ! Raising a child is hard enough, but raising a demi-human child must be even more challenging! So, carnivorous demi-human children could bite you when they throw a tantrum, and those who could fly could just fly away. And their parents could be of different races, right? If the parents were herbivores or couldn’t fly… Ugh, I felt sorry for them just thinking about it.
“Well, children are precious, so everyone helps out, even if it’s tough for the parents. It takes a village, you know?”
I see. So everyone helped out, even if the parents couldn’t handle it themselves. That was somewhat reassuring, but it didn’t change the fact that it was challenging. Demi-humans really are fascinating.
“By the way, their beast form is stronger in terms of raw power. It allows them to fully unleash their abilities. But their personalities become a bit… wilder.”
“They can learn to control it with training. But the risk is high, so most don’t willingly transform into their beast form.”
“But sometimes, drunks transform into their beast form, which is a pain. I dislike people who can’t hold their liquor.”
Ooh, so alcohol-related incidents were a thing here too. My former boss would cry and complain about his family after drinking too much. He was adorable. …I wonder if he was doing okay now, if he found his place at home.
Kei-san continued to explain all sorts of things. Apparently, humans were considered the weakest beings. Well, that made sense, considering all the demi-humans and monsters with their various abilities. You could say their greatest weapons were their intelligence and cunning, but demi-humans were also intelligent, and in terms of reproductive ability, they couldn’t even compete with rats.
And demi-humans could perfectly mimic the weakest beings, humans. In other words, their human form was a way to contain their great power within a weak vessel. It was like… stuffing a suitcase full of things, barely managing to close it. Just like how the lid would pop open and everything would spill out if you bumped it too hard, demi-humans would transform into their half-demon or beast form if their emotions fluctuated too much.
That’s why being able to maintain your human form was a testament to your strength. It meant you were strong enough to conceal your power within a weak vessel. Apparently, most couldn’t completely conceal their power; their beastly traits, like ears and tails, would still be visible. …Ears and tails representing overflowing power. It seemed kinda cute. I wondered if Gil-san and Kei-san ever accidentally sprouted wings or tails. But they both seemed far too competent to make such a blunder.
“That’s why, Meg-chan, the human form stands out. Because only those who are powerful… or rare races, like elves, can maintain it.”
“The human form is an easy target. Those who aren’t powerful like us… They fetch a high price, you see.”
I see, so that’s how it is. This world had its dark side too. So human trafficking existed… When I’d heard that humans were sold on the Demon Continent because they were rare there, I couldn’t help but frown. First of all, I was surprised to learn that there was a continent where demons resided, separated from the human continent by a sea. So that’s why I hadn’t met any humans in the guild.
“But you don’t have to worry. That’s why the rule at Ortus is to always be in our human form.”
“Eh…?”
Always be in your human form? What did that mean?
“Sauradite, Schlie Letziano, and others are human-form races, right? And there are a few others living in town, though they’re rare. It’s to protect them. Because you can’t tell just by looking at someone whether they’re powerful or simply a rare race.”
“We’ve spent years making the world recognize that powerful individuals are in their human form. To protect the rare races, even if it’s just a little.”
Rare races like elves, gnomes, and dwarves, who were naturally in human form. They existed all over the world, though they were few in number. And they weren’t all strong enough to protect themselves. Ortus was working to protect them.
“Ortus isn’t a fan of human trafficking. It’s fine if it’s a legitimate organization that recognizes human rights, but we won’t tolerate illegal activities.”
“Many of our members were once victims of such organizations.”
Gil-san and Kei-san looked proud as they said this, and I felt like I understood a little about what kind of guild Ortus was.