24 - Chapter 20: Three Idiots Exploration Series ~In Order to Enjoy the Fluff, We Flew to the Beastfolk Village!~
A subtitle in the style of the Fuji◯ Hiroshi Expedition Team.
Now, the Three Idiots party proceeded toward the beastfolk village in such a manner, but...
"You suspicious lot! Be still!"
"This hurts! ...Hmm... perhaps it would be better to just use force here?"
"No, no, absolutely not! These fluffy ones are just trying to protect their home!"
They were surrounded by beastfolk guards at the entrance of the village and were being rolled around, tied up like sushi rolls.
And for good reason. The carriage they were riding in was a bit, no, quite suspicious, so much so that it would not be an exaggeration to call it a carriage fit for the Demon King. It was a luxurious carriage drawn by shadow horses... if I say they look like the Black◯ Number from a Ban'ei horse race, flickering like flames rather than having actual fur, would that get the point across?
No matter how you look at it, it was not a carriage a merchant would use. If you asked if they were nobles, the horses pulling it were far too sinister for that. When they stopped them and checked who was inside, it was just a group of boys and girls of adolescent age. The suspicion level was at a maximum. If one could overlook this, they would not be suited for the profession of a guard.
"Well, we're in a bind. It feels like they won't listen no matter how much we try to explain..."
"Oh? That is unusual for you, Geo. You always say might is right, so why not just force your way through?"
Honestly, with the power of the Three Idiots, this level of restraint was nothing, and if anything, they could have a discussion after knocking them down once. Marianne thought it would be a hassle and was about to do just that, but Later put a stop to it. For him, unless it was a battlefield or an unavoidable circumstance, he did not want to cross swords with beastfolk who were simply fulfilling their duties.
Since Geoglyph also seemed to agree with him, Marianne tilted her head in wonder.
"...If an elf-san were here, they would think I am a barbarian human...!!"
"You're one to talk, Sensei."
"That is not a line you are in a position to say, is it, Ray?"
"Shut up!"
The guards shouted at the Three Idiots, whose personalities remained intact even while bound like spring rolls or fried shrimp, but they remained nonchalant, as if the wind were blowing elsewhere. For the time being, it seemed a comrade had run to inform the village's influential figures, so the Three Idiots thought they would offer their explanation there.
"What is going on!?"
A dignified girl's voice rang out. Turning their gaze, they saw a miko outfit with a white top and scarlet hakama. Pale orange fox ears and a tail. The Three Idiots knew her. They did not know her name, but they knew she had been among the refugees attacked by the herd of Earth Dragons.
"You must not, Kazuha-sama! To show yourself before such suspicious people...!!"
Ah.
The fox beastfolk miko... Kazuha also seemed to notice, and she looked bewildered, not understanding why her saviors were tied up like sushi rolls.
●
"I am truly sorry...!!"
"No, no. Please do not worry about it."
Having been released from their bonds thanks to Kazuha's explanation, the Three Idiots were invited to the village chief's house, where they received a formal apology in the hall.
"Honestly, to tie ropes around a maiden's soft skin."
"I am truly, truly sorry... To treat the saviors of our lives in such a manner..."
"I'm sorry, Big Sister."
"Marie?"
"It was a joke. ...Sakura-chan, you do not need to worry about it~?"
Marianne showed a mischievous side, intending to tease them a bit, but when even Sakura, who accompanied Kazuha, bowed her head, she felt it had gone too far and covered it up with a smile.
"U-um, and that person is...?"
Among the group, there was one man who remained motionless in a formal seiza position, staring intently in one direction.
"Listen, me, stay, stay... If I move according to the limits of my libido right now, I will definitely regret it... So stay, stay, stay stay stay stay stay stay...!"
It was Later.
"I have a request, please do not touch my companion. He is enduring this with everything he has."
"He is certainly desperate."
The target of his gaze was neither Kazuha nor Sakura.
It was an oversight unbecoming of a kemoner, but both Geoglyph and Marianne thought that in this case, it could not be helped. Yes, in the place where the village chief sat, that was there.
Then once again, welcome, guests. I am Kureha, the chief of this Mahora. Let us all welcome you as a village.
A powerful voice, golden fur, nine tails, and a form close to human, though the body and even the bone structure of the face were naturally close to that of a fox... at the words of the village chief, Kureha, Later instinctively clutched his chest.
"Gu, uh...!!"
"This is a critical hit for Ray. Even I want to touch it a little. In terms of kemo-level, I would say it is around 3 or 4."
"Well, it is a specialized attack against kemoners. Even so... hmm, it is incredibly fluffy..."
If Kazuha and Sakura were at a kemo-level where hardcore kemoners might tease them as being cosplayers, Kureha, who was one step away from a four-legged beast, was at a level 4 that deserved a thunderous round of applause. In terms of size, she was about the same as a human, but it would be easiest to describe her as a bipedal nine-tailed fox wearing a miko outfit. Moreover, she was plump enough to exude a bit of adult allure.
Since such a specialized creature was sitting using her fluffy nine tails as a sofa, it would not be strange for a kemoner to suffer heart failure.
Are you that interested in me? I believe I am a rare existence, but.
"Yeah, it is my first time seeing one. Was it called Holy Beastification?"
Indeed. With this, I have lived for a little over 1500 years. If I live a few hundred more years, I shall become a Divine Beast.
"I read in a book that among beastfolk, those exceptionally gifted in magic power can very rarely achieve this... and indeed, the amount of magic power is tremendous."
According to myth-level legends, beastfolk were originally the children of the Beast God. It is said that if a beastfolk accumulates virtue and training in this world, they gradually become closer to that of a beast, and after becoming a Divine Beast, which is a complete beast, they are welcomed by the Beast God in the celestial realm.
As for the truth, it is at a level that makes one raise an eyebrow, but for the Three Idiots, who reincarnated into this world via the god Refill, it is difficult to flatly dismiss it as fake. Especially since Kureha exists, who has become a Holy Beast, a state one step before a Divine Beast.
Furthermore, it seems that Holy Beastification naturally increases abilities and significantly extends lifespan.
Now then. I was originally a court mage of the beastfolk nation that existed long before the founding of the Empire. After the nation collapsed in a civil war, I traveled through various lands while training, and before I knew it, I had become like this.
It is said that about 800 years have passed since the current Empire was founded. It is the oldest in the continent, but she is a literal living dictionary who has lived since before that. It seems Kureha also helped during the founding of the Empire. That is the reason why this Mahora, while within Imperial territory, is clustered only with beastfolk and remains almost autonomous without being tied to any noble.
By the way, is that guest interested in me?
"Oss!"
"What happened all of a sudden?"
"Why are you acting like a sports club member?"
Kureha, perhaps intrigued by Later, who directed bloodshot eyes toward her while exercising self-control with a spirit of steel, addressed him, and the kemoner shouted. The tactless interruptions from the sidelines no longer reached his ears.
Hmm. From the look of it, you are quite the warrior. You possess a good aura.
"That is right, Kureha-sama. Later-sama was slashing through the herd of Earth Dragons with such vigor."
"Big Brother was amazing, Mother!! Slash! Slash!!"
Kazuha and Sakura tried to convey his exploits with gestures, and Kureha softened her expression, looking at them with eyes as if seeing something heartwarming.
I see. So Kazuha and Sakura were saved directly. ...I thank you once again, guest. This child and Sakura are my distant descendants. Since their parents passed away early, I have looked after them instead, and they are like daughters to me.
I see, Later nodded.
(Plump female kemo-mom... the attributes are stacked...!?)
Just how deep is this kemoner's karma?
Is there anything you desire? I shall do <
Ah.
And when Kureha announced that she wanted to give some kind of reward, Geoglyph and Marianne realized.
"Then, please..."
Later smoothly put his hand in his pocket and grabbed it. What he pulled out was a brush. However, a brush favored by a kemoner could not be just any brush.
A high-end product made from a composite of carefully selected mad boar and rare Aria horse hair. The handle was made of Trent material, and he even obsessed over the varnish. On top of that, he had poured his knowledge from his previous life into the design, making it a one-of-a-kind item that does not exist twice in this world.
Holding it, he declared.
"Let me... brush you...!"
Kureha tilted her head at Later, who had an expression like a hero challenging the Demon King.
Is such a thing truly enough? If that serves as a reward, then very well.
She wondered if such a thing could really be a reward, but the following is the change in her state of mind.
Hmm... quite a skill...
Oh... this is quite...
Ah... it feels good...
Nn-fuu...♡
Hafuu... guest, any more is... ah♡
...Oho♡
...! Aaaaaaaah~~~~♡
Perhaps it was the benefit of her age that she did not fall instantly in two panels.
Furthermore, for the sake of the honor of the two, it is noted here that it was a wholesome brushing session.
To be continued tomorrow.