"Hey, young man, what did you get arrested for?"

"I hit a disobedient pig and got arrested."

"As the saying goes, disobedient animals should be disciplined with a stick."

The young man nodded in agreement.

"And what about you, old man? What did they nab you for?"

"I got caught… well, forcing myself on a goat."

"Well, goats are understandable."

They both nodded again, this time turning their attention toward me.

"Hey, black-haired outsider, what did you get arrested for?"

"I abandoned beastfolk."

"What? Look at this piece of trash."

"Abandoning beastfolk? Do you have no heart or soul? Didn’t you think about the feelings of the abandoned beastfolk?"

Wait, these bastards?

They abuse people and have sex with beastfolk, and now they’re ganging up on me for abandoning one?

"I didn’t abandon them! I just set them free."

"People who abandon always say that. ‘I let them go back to nature. I set them free.’ But in truth, it’s because they didn’t want to take responsibility anymore, so they threw them away."

"No! I fed them, raised them, gave them a place to sleep, and safely sent them back to their homeland. How is that abandonment? Where in the world is there a master as kind as me?"

"Hah! Beastfolk slaves belong by their master’s side. If you can’t take care of them till the end, you shouldn’t have taken them in the first place! Ugh, crazy bastard who doesn’t even understand the feelings of others."

The old man looked at me like I was something foul, then turned his head away in disgust.

And it wasn’t just him. Everyone in the prison turned their eyes away and distanced themselves from me. To them, I must’ve looked like some kind of poisonous toad.

‘How is freeing beastfolk considered abandonment?’

Common sense says it’s good to let them go, right? Who in their right mind would want to stay a slave unless they’re a masochist?

These beastfolk ingrates! After everything I did for them, they repay my kindness with contempt. This is outrageous.

‘So what happens to me now?’

Am I going to rot in this dark cell for the rest of my life?

I don’t have time to waste here. The situation feels suffocating.

On the third day of my imprisonment, Seira came to visit, carrying some documents under her arm.

"Open it."

One of the beastfolk guards unlocked the cell and pulled me outside. Seira gestured for me to follow her.

"You’ll be punished! You evil bastard!"

"The abandoned beastfolk are sharpening their claws, waiting for you!"

The prisoners stuck their faces through the bars, spewing curses. I brushed off the spit that landed on my clothes.

‘They’re not going to execute me, are they?’

As I followed Seira, my brain raced with thoughts.

‘Could I escape if I use the invisibility cloak?’

I still had enough points to buy it.

The problem is that we’re too close, and I’d likely be caught even while invisible. Beastfolk have sharp senses, especially their sense of smell. Even if I hide, they’ll sniff me out immediately.

Considering how weak I am, I wouldn’t be able to shake off Seira alone. It’s impossible to escape.

So, my best bet is to use my tongue and talk my way out of this.

"Uh, Seira? Can’t we clear up this misunderstanding?"

"What misunderstanding?"

"The part about me abandoning beastfolk. I love them so much, there’s no way I’d abandon them!"

Seira didn’t respond, nor did she glance my way. Despite this, I put all my energy into conveying my sincerity.

"I mean it! Even now, I’m holding back the urge to stroke your tail."

Her tail, which had been swaying back and forth, stopped abruptly.

And then… she pulled it tightly into her arms. She turned her head, finally looking at me, her eyes filled with contempt.

"Pervert…"

Things just got worse.

‘Sorry, slaves. Looks like this is the end for me.’

We walked down a long corridor, and Seira stopped in front of a room.

"Go on in."

Who could be inside this room?

With a sense of unease, I opened the door. I peeked my head in, and the person waiting inside was…

"Hey, Karamir, the Slave Reaper!"

“Furry Bolt Dung-gay?”

"What?"

"I-I misspoke, Mr. Bolt."

"Seems like prison has messed with your head. It happens."

Inside the room was none other than Bolt, the Beastfolk Enthusiast. This was my first time seeing him since the Slave Carnival.

"Why are you here, Mr. Bolt?"

"I love beastfolk, so I visit Bestia often. But when I heard you were arrested, I rushed over immediately."

"Well, I appreciate it, but what difference does it make that you came?"

Seira interrupted.

"Mr. Bolt is a benefactor who rescues beastfolk slaves from all over the Kingdom of Traoul. He’s a revered figure in our nation of Bestia."

"Well, I do that too. In fact, Bolt here…"

Furry Bolt Dung-gay only rescues beastfolk slaves to satisfy his creepy desires. Am I not a hundred times better than him?

But Seira’s face twisted with disdain.

"What matters is how the beastfolk view you. They prefer to be loved, not abandoned. Unlike someone like you."

"Karamir, abandoning those cute kids? How could you do such a horrible thing? Beastfolk fear abandonment more than death. You really live up to the title of Slave Reaper."

"..."

I gave up trying to argue.

In this world, I’m considered worse than the guy who has sex with beastfolk. What a waste of my life.

"You were supposed to rot in prison, but Mr. Bolt has come to defend you."

"Defend me?"

"While staying in Bestia, you’ll spend time with Mr. Bolt and learn how to properly treat beastfolk. If you change, we may reconsider the charge of abandonment."

"..."

I have to learn from this guy?

Furry Bolt Dung-gay smiled brightly.

"I’m counting on you, Karamir. I’ll help you become a true lover of beastfolk."

As we left the building, Seira followed closely behind. Ever since she floored me, I’ve been on edge, noticing her every movement.

"Why are you following me?"

"It’s part of my duty. I need to make sure you don’t cause any trouble and that your attitude toward beastfolk changes. I’ll be watching and evaluating."

"Look, I’m innocent..."

No matter what I said, she wasn’t going to believe me unless I laid my brain out for her to see. My only option was to prove how good of a slave trader I truly was.

I sighed, but I decided to be thankful I had made it to Bestia in one piece.

"Thank you, Mr. Bolt."

"Haha, no need to thank me. Us humans have to stick together in foreign lands."

I guess the only person I can rely on is Mr. Bolt.

As we stepped outside, a beastfolk approached us.

There are two main types of beastfolk in Taosle. One type barely differs from humans, with just ears and a tail—cosplay-like beastfolk. The other type has a much higher percentage of beast-like features, perfect for furry enthusiasts.

The woman before us was somewhere in the middle. Her long, flowing green hair spread out like a fan on both sides of her head. Her arms resembled bird wings, and her feet were similar to those of a bird. She was an avian beastfolk.

"Mr. Bolt!"

"Oh, my buddy! Why didn’t you wait for me at the shop?"

"I was worried about you, Master… Is this the famous Slave Reaper?"

"That’s right. He’s my friend. He’ll be staying with me for a while. Karamir, meet my slave, Buddy."

"Nice to meet you. I’m Karamir."

“B-Buddy…”

The avian beastfolk named Buddy looked at me nervously. She seemed scared of me but was reluctantly dealing with it because I was Bolt’s friend.

The atmosphere was awkward, and Bolt offered a suggestion.

"We’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, so there’s no need to be so uncomfortable. Karamir, why don’t you give Buddy a pat on the head?"

"All of a sudden?"

"Buddy loves having her head patted. It’ll help close the distance between you two."

"Uh…"

"Remember, you can’t treat beastfolk the same way you treat humans."

Is this for real?

I glanced at Seira, but she didn’t object. If I backed off now, I’d probably lose points in her evaluation.

‘Fine, when in Bestia, do as they do.’

Each species has its own culture, and beastfolk are even more diverse than humans. Following Bolt’s advice was probably the right move here.

"Alright, excuse me. If you don’t like it, just say so."

"Okay…"

Cautiously, I placed my hand on Buddy’s head, watching her reaction as I began to stroke her hair.

"Ugh."

"Oh…"

It was a strange sensation. It didn’t feel like regular hair, but more like soft, well-maintained feathers.

I started thinking it wouldn’t be bad to have my own avian beastfolk someday, given how nice it felt.

“Hah…”

Wait, what’s that sound?

While I was focused on patting her head, something strange was happening below. Buddy was squirming, unable to stay still. Her face flushed red, and soft, erotic moans escaped from her lips.

“…Mr. Bolt? Why is this happening?”

“Buddy is a parrot beastfolk. She really loves having her head and neck patted. It’s the best way to bond with her.”

Is this really okay? It feels like something’s off here.

“Hah… haah… It feels so good. Buddy… Buddy feels so good…!”

…What?

Her breathing suddenly became rough, like that of an old man, and—wait, did she just refer to herself in the third person?

Buddy is a parrot beastfolk. Parrots are known for mimicking speech.

So, these moans and lines she’s saying… she must be mimicking someone else.

As soon as I realized that, I quickly pulled my hand away.

“So, how is it? Do you feel like you’ve gotten closer to Buddy?” Bolt asked, smiling, as if nothing unusual had happened.

Seira simply nodded her head and scribbled something in her papers. The onlookers around us seemed pleased as well.

But I couldn’t bring myself to smile. All I did was stroke her head, yet it felt like something precious inside me had been tainted. An indescribable sense of unease washed over me.

I realized something.

‘I can’t stay here for long.’

This isn’t a paradise for beastfolk—it’s a den of beasts. If I stay here too long, I’ll lose my humanity and become just like them.