episode_0037

1.

“What, when did you wake up?”

It’s a surprise.

I realized too late that Taina had turned her head and was looking at me.

As I was rambling, Taina pointed to my eyes and said, not knowing what to do.

“Who, tears…”

“Huh? What the… What the… What the…”

Before I knew it, tears were running down my cheeks.

How can you shed tears in front of a girl you’ve never spoken to before?

I felt embarrassed and uncomfortable as I wiped my tears with both hands.

“…Are you feeling better?”

“Yes, yes? What does that mean?”

Taina’s eyes transformed from those of a dull beast to those of an intelligent intellectual.

And Taina’s voice, which had only repeated the howls of a fox, now began to speak normally as a human being.

It looks like the half-penny has escaped the beast-like state.

“Do you remember anything about what happened?”

But perhaps because she felt pressured by my question, Taina began to glare at me and become wary.

His eyes are looking at me a little more fiercely.

It’s a natural reaction, since there are many things you don’t know why you are here or who this person is.

“…First of all, who are you? Why am I here?”

And he responded to my question with another question.

I knew that he wouldn’t be willing to reveal his story.

Because the red fox tribe is not used to revealing their feelings.

But one thing is certain.

‘As expected, you don’t remember anything from the early morning. Then this is how you would react.’

This is identical to the symptoms of beastification.

Because there are no memories left during the beast transformation.

First of all, I thought that we should move and have a more honest conversation.

“Kai……? Are you okay?”

Yuli approached from behind with a serious expression.

The sun has risen, so I guess Yuli has woken up too.

When Taina, who had escaped from my arms, looked at Yuli, I opened my mouth again.

“Yulli. Let’s go to the cabin first. Hey, student? Should we go to the cabin first and talk? I have a lot to tell you.”

“…Okay.”

Taina’s eyes are full of wariness, but she frowns as if she’s thinking of something.

Are you starting to remember even a little bit?

You could call it a blessing, but I thought it was more important to explain the whole story in the cabin.

…

We arrived at the cabin with Taina and Yuli.

Yuli asked them to wait outside the cabin for a moment, and only brought Taina inside.

Taina dressed Yuli in her blood-stained white dress instead.

Since Yuli’s limbs are short, Taina’s thighs were slightly exposed, which felt a bit empty.

First of all, I have something to say.

“Student, do you know what a beast painting is?”

“I know it’s a disease that occurs in some people of the Suin tribe. It’s said that when the fox’s blood becomes thick, they lose their reason and act like beasts…”

I guess you have the general idea.

Then the story becomes easier.

“The student was beast-ified.”

“Yes!? Why me?”

“Really?”

I don’t know that either.

I have to find out from now on.

A beast-like creature ‘runs wild’ as if it were a rabid dog.

The suppressed instincts of the beast run wild and destroy the surrounding area.

“But the student had some strange parts for a beast transformation. If he were a beast transformation, he wouldn’t be able to speak, but he spoke briefly and didn’t show any aggression.”

“Then it’s not a beast transformation…”

“But it’s strange that the student lost his memories during the night and acted like a fox, as that’s a symptom of beast transformation.”

I’ll bring up a story that’s been bothering me for a while.

Because it is clearly different from Altina’s beast transformation.

“Have you ever experienced these symptoms before?”

“Ah…!”

It looks like he knows something.

Taina opened her mouth, clutching her head and thinking deeply.

“When I was young, something similar happened the day after I read a book all day. I don’t remember it clearly, but my mother said she had a dream that I was eating meat from the pantry.”

…

It’s similar, but somehow different.

Taina thought I didn’t understand so she explained it in simpler terms.

“…I think I might be sleepwalking.”

“Sleepwalking…?”

I feel a little puzzled when I think of a disease that has nothing to do with beast transformation.

Sleepwalking… that is.

It’s not completely impossible.

But Taina wasn’t in a hazy state of consciousness like a sleepwalker.

He was very clear about what he was doing.

If he was sleepwalking, he would have just been struggling to get away from me, he wouldn’t have been able to act.

Could it be said that the night self and the day self are divided?

“Yesterday was a bit of a tough day. I think the problem was that I overworked myself with the written test, the sparring, and the mysterious intrusion.”

“What does that have to do with sleepwalking?”

Taina hesitated for a moment to gather her thoughts, then opened her mouth again.

A little cautiously, but with some confidence.

“This is just a guess… I learned that the red fox beast tribe has fox blood and human blood coexisting and has the characteristics of the beast tribe.”

“Yeah.”

“My elders in my family said that my constitution is thicker than human blood.”

Fox’s blood.

Human blood.

It is an abstract concept that exists only among the Suin tribe in this world.

Roughly speaking, how much of it is from mom’s genes and how much is from dad’s genes.

Just like this, a person’s characteristics are determined by their parents.

If the fox’s blood is thick, the strength becomes stronger like that of a beast, and the fox’s characteristics become more distinct.

They have better hearing and sense of smell than humans, and stand out as hunters and warriors.

Conversely, if a person’s blood is thick, his intelligence will be stronger and his human characteristics will be more distinct.

However, the red fox beast tribe rejects the beast tribe with thick human blood.

Because there is a culture that values the abilities of warriors and hunters.

“But I admired Altina, so I trained, studied, and used my brain like Altina. Altina was someone who applied wisdom to fighting.”

“………I see.”

There have been more than a few instances where Altina’s afterimage was superimposed over Taina’s appearance.

Was it because I intentionally wanted to imitate that appearance and resemble my idol that it seemed to overlap?

“I think my thick fox blood is holding me back as I follow Altina like that. It’s like… I feel pressured like a prosecutor following a wizard.”

“Wait a minute, so the beast transformation was caused by too much fox blood?”

“I think so. When you overuse your intelligence, it puts a strain on your already lacking human aptitude, and in order to restore that broken balance, the fox’s blood becomes thicker at night. Like a wild beast.”

To sum up.

Unlike Altina, Taina has thick fox blood.

However, since she preferred fighting using her intellect like Altina rather than her innate condition, she stuck to that method.

Naturally, things get tough for Taina.

Then, in order to restore the balance of the broken blood, the beast of half a penny combined with sleepwalking, and created this tragedy.

To quote Taina’s explanation:

Could this be the process of the inspector trying to follow the wizard but failing and trying to make up for lost muscle?

“Hoo…”

My stuffy mind feels a little relieved.

Beastification is a disease.

A disease unique to the Suin tribe that disrupts the balance between humans and beasts and causes the beast blood to become excessively thick.

If the fox’s blood gets thicker, wouldn’t it be better to have warrior characteristics?

“Anyway, it’s fortunate that it can be said that it’s an effort to escape from beastification… rather than beastification itself.”

“I think it’s close to sleepwalking. But it’s just the process of balancing my blood that interferes.”

Fox blood, human blood.

It means that depending on the specific gravity of the blood, one has the characteristics of a fox or a human.

Most of the Aquarius race have half beast and half human characteristics.

Foxes have four times better ears than humans, while water people have twice as good ears as humans.

While foxes have hearing that is 7 to 14 times better than humans, the mermaids have hearing that is 3 to 7 times better than humans.

But it’s not always the case that they have abilities superior to humans.

The lifespan of a fox is 15 years, and the lifespan of a water racer is half that of a human and a fox, dying at the age of 52.

The beastification further accelerates its short lifespan.

That is why beastification is a disease of the beast race.

“Then what if something like this happens again today?”

“……Haha. That’s right.”

Roaming the forest howling like a fox.

And hunting in the river.

They also attack people.

But… this entire process is to return the fox’s blood to its original state.

“It’s not a disease that needs treatment in the first place, it’s a regeneration process.”

Just as people sleep when they are tired, Taina needs to relieve her stress in this way when she uses her head.

Just as Srenya walks around the forest, Taina will also wander through the forest as a fox.

Things are getting more and more complicated.

“Is there anyone who can help? First of all, I need to let you know that I have this problem…”

“Oh, no!!!!! If you go hunting like a crazy bitch and hitting people every night with this kind of shit!!!! Absolutely, absolutely, it has to be a secret!”

When Taina heard what I said, she jumped as if her tail had been stepped on.

Oh, wait a minute.

“…Do you remember what happened?”

“…hahaha.”

“Yes, where did you kick it too…?”

I only recalled it briefly, but it seems like the pain from that time is coming back to me.

The pain is still vivid…

When you are wondering how to respond to the anger that is coming back,

-Deeeng~ Deeeng~

The Academy’s preliminary bell rang.

‘…Is this deja vu?’

I feel like I’ve felt this way before.

At the same time as the paper was slapped, Taina jumped up.

This time, he showed a truly bewildered expression, wondering if it was an act.

“Oh, it’s late! When did time pass like this…!!!”

The distance between our cabin and the dormitory is approximately 10 minutes by running distance.

And the distance between the dormitory and the main academy building is also about 10 minutes.

But from our cabin to the main academy building… it’s relatively close.

Taina looked at her dress, the one she had borrowed from Yuli, in confusion.

“…..!”

Not the academy’s uniform.

…Coincidentally, there is an Academy uniform that someone left behind in the dresser of our cabin.

“Me, a student?”

“Huh?”

“Here’s the uniform. Can you return it to me this afternoon?”

Sorry, Srenya.

I couldn’t help it.

So I handed over the academy uniform…

Taina looks at me with suspicious eyes.

mom.

I agree that it’s very, very odd that a janitor would be wearing an academy girl’s uniform, but this is an urgent matter, so please ignore that.

“…Yes. Thank you.”

Fortunately, my intention seemed to have been understood, and Taina accepted the uniform without saying a word.

I came out of the cabin so Taina could change her clothes.

-Tap, tap…

…?

Yuli was grilling fish on wooden skewers.

Despite my bewildered attitude, Yuli handed me the grilled fish as if it was nothing.

“It’s all cooked. Here, you eat first. Just take a bite and give it to me.”

“Huh? Really…”

Oh, I guess he must have regretted skipping breakfast so much last time that he prepared breakfast himself this time.

Take a mouthful of the grilled fish belly.

“Ahem… delicious.”

Although trout is low in fat, its flesh is firm and has a mild flavor.

Because it is freshwater fish, its unique scent fills the nasal passages, and the rough texture of the fish flesh falling into pieces lingers in the mouth.

While I was enjoying such a lonely meal, Taina, who had finished changing her clothes, came out of the cabin.

“…..Eek……!?”

The face looking at us as if to say thank you is strange.

The hair on his head was sticking out and his tail was creaking as if it was broken.

“…!!!!!!”

ah.

this.

Did Taina pick it up???????

“What are you doing Kai? Give me the fish and go see Taina off.”

This idiot…!

When I was embarrassed, my face turned red and I couldn’t continue speaking, Taina lowered her head and said.

“That, today, oh, oh, in the afternoon, I’ll return the clothes!!!!! Thank you!!!!!”

Taina ran towards the academy in her uniform.

Even though I had plenty of time, I ran with all my heart and soul as if I was already late.

“…Yulli. Where did you get this?”

“?I picked it up.”

“That’s what Taina hunted.”

“…uh.”

Only then did Yuli realize the seriousness of the situation, and her face began to turn pale and she began to sweat profusely.

Yuli also noticed what she had done.

Because for the red fox tribe, the only person I can share what I hunt is my lover.

Moreover, this culture is often used as a cliché confessional line, such as, ‘I want to make you breakfast with what I hunted.’

It went beyond an indirect kiss and was more like, “Do you want to eat ramen at my house?”

-Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!….

We could only watch Taina’s back as she walked away.