Hisaba Nekokage

Erect beast ears sat atop dull, dark yellow hair, but… beneath a hairstyle that could be described as a single-eye fringe, the left eye peeking through the strands—or rather, the place where the left eye should have been—revealed only a patch of swollen, rotten skin that looked as if it had been corroded.

“……?”

She showed a moment of confusion, seemingly thinking I hadn’t understood the language she spoke.

This was my chance to hide the fact that I had just frozen because of her appearance. I took it as a matter of course, quickly adjusting my breathing and wiping away all surprise from my face. I replied in a steady tone:

“No, it is quite alright… on the contrary, allow me to express my gratitude for providing me with a place to stay. Thank you very much.”

Settling the other survivors, huh. In a very short span of time, I made up for the seconds wasted by my surprise. Recalling what this woman had said, my brain began to churn rapidly.

“There is no need for thanks. It is merely my duty.”

As she spoke, she placed her left hand on her right shoulder and bowed respectfully.

Not judging by appearances—this habit had saved me once again. Watching this woman, whose behavior and demeanor stood in stark contrast to her outward attire, I felt glad for my polite opening sentence, but at the same time, I felt a strong sense of wariness toward her.

“Then, allow me to introduce myself first. My name is Leni. As you can see, I am just an ordinary traveler.”

This was my usual excuse. In reality, my clothing and gear—at least from a human perspective—did not feel out of place for a traveler.

Of course, from the very first sentence I spoke to her, I held my Adam’s apple high; in other words, I was communicating with her using a female voice.

“Greetings, Miss Leni. This one is named Hisaba Nekokage. You may simply call me Hisaba.”

Straightening her back, the woman, who was roughly the same height as me, looked straight at me.

“Well then… Miss Hisaba, I won’t beat around the bush and will ask directly.”

The most important thing right now was without question.

“Could you trouble yourself to tell me the sequence of events—”

My voice cut off abruptly.

There was certainly nothing wrong with my female vocal cords, nor could there be, as for the reason…

Gurgle.

My stomach was apparently lodging a violent protest.

“……”

I felt an indescribable warmth climbing from my throat to my cheeks. Unable to speak for a moment, I felt too embarrassed to meet her gaze.

“Breakfast is already prepared. How about Miss Leni comes to dine with us, and I shall recount the events to you then?”

With a mature smile that differed from her petite frame, Miss Hisaba offered an understanding look.

“I shall trouble you then.”

With a face full of shame, I lowered my head and agreed to her proposal.

Stepping out of the main door, air even colder than that inside the stable hit me head-on. The boundless night sky was magnificently spread out overhead. Under the light of the grand river of stars neatly arranged in the night, a cracked mud road lined with wooden houses on both sides stretched out from beneath my feet.

The mud road, which could not be called wide, was full of small puddles, especially within the two deep carriage ruts where rainwater had accumulated even more. Unlike the interior, the outside air was filled with dampness amidst the severe cold, looking entirely as if it had just rained. On both sides of the road, figures with various types of beast ears would occasionally walk out of the houses. When they noticed Hisaba and me, they would stop in their tracks and cast their gazes our way.

Is this… a Nako village? But this sight is inevitably a bit too…

Desolate.