Chapter 191: Watchman

The interior of the house, carved out from the inside of a tree, was as peculiar as its exterior suggested.

For starters, the ceiling was incredibly high, and perhaps because it was a residence for large Beastkin, most of the furniture was much bigger than what humans use.

Once inside the house, we were immediately guided to the kitchen.

“Have a seat wherever you like.”

“Ah, yes.”

Feeling as if I’d stepped into Wonderland, I looked around before accepting Walter’s invitation and sitting down at the large dining table. Unlike the long dining table I remembered from the Demon King’s Castle, this was a common round table used in homes. Contrary to the image one might have of a Lion Beastkin only eating meat, the table was laden with plenty of vegetables too.

“Since I didn’t know what the delegation’s representative would prefer, I’ve prepared the food we usually eat. Please understand that it’s simple.”

“This is more than enough! I’ll enjoy it.”

As I said that and picked up my fork and knife, Walter chuckled contentedly and crossed his arms.

“Try some of this too.”

The one who said that and served a large beef steak onto my plate was a Lion Beastkin who appeared to be Walter’s wife. Unlike Walter, who had a half-human, half-beast appearance, she looked like a human with lion ears on her head, and she was quite beautiful.

“Ah, thank you. Are you perhaps Walter-nim’s wife?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

She nodded and smiled kindly, then personally served the food, which looked homemade, onto the plates of the other members of our party.

“Wow! That looks delicious!”

Along with Dorothea’s candid admiration, the dinner began in a warm and friendly atmosphere. The two elves, who were guests alongside us, and even my Master were eating without any complaints. Honestly, it would be harder to find someone who doesn’t like meat.

“Your wife has excellent cooking skills, Madam.”

As I said that after quickly clearing my plate, Walter, who was drinking beer as a palate cleanser, let out a hearty laugh with white foam clinging to his mouth.

“Just as you say, my wife is the best cook in our village. I married her precisely because I fell for her cooking.”

“Oh, you.”

Walter’s wife playfully punched his shoulder as if embarrassed, but she clearly didn’t mind.

‘They seem to have a very loving relationship.’

Thinking that, I chewed on my salad and suddenly asked about something that came to mind.

“Speaking of which, you mentioned assigning someone to guide us through the Great Tree Forest, who would that be?”

Walter’s eyes widened as if he’d completely forgotten, and he said,

“Ah, I did make that promise to the Demon King-nim. I completely forgot in my excitement. Now, don’t look so worried. The one guiding you this time is my cousin’s daughter.”

“Walter-nim’s cousin’s daughter?”

“She usually serves as a watchman for the forest. She’ll be back soon after finishing her patrol, so I’ll introduce her then.”

Just as Walter said that and moved a chunk of meat onto his plate.

BANG!!

“Uncle!”

The door suddenly burst open with a loud noise, making me flinch. Walter sighed tiredly and said,

“Speak of the devil.”

I turned my head towards the source of the commotion. Standing there was a young female Beastkin with orange hair, patches of black fur, and a tail swaying behind her pants – quite an impression.

“She really is a tiger.”

I hadn’t expected that.

The Tiger Beastkin who appeared so suddenly introduced herself as ‘Hild’. Apparently, she was the daughter of Walter’s cousin. Well, lions and tigers are both felines, so it wasn’t entirely illogical…

“Are you Patraash, the one famous by the nickname ‘Demon King’s Hound’?”

This person seemed very interested in me.

“Yes. I am known by that nickname in certain circles.”

“You don’t look as strong as I heard.”

Hild said that, sniffed the air, and then abruptly started touching my body.

“…What are you doing?”

“I was curious about how much muscle you have.”

Not knowing how to handle this woman, who looked like a total battle maniac, I glanced at Walter beside me. Walter seemed to understand the meaning of my gaze and cleared his throat with a growl, saying,

“Hild, that’s enough. Step back. You’re making him uncomfortable.”

“Tch, fine.”

Ultimately, perhaps unable to achieve her original goal, Hild stepped back with a click of her tongue, standing beside Walter with one leg crossed and glaring at me menacingly. Confused, I asked Camilla, who was next to me.

“Can you explain why she’s acting like that?”

Camilla leaned in and whispered into my ear,

“Hild-nim is a childhood friend of Ozma-nim and Gabriel-nim. The three of them played together often since they were young. Perhaps she’s interested because those two are involved with Patraash-nim.”

‘What is she, an elementary schooler?’

Disliking it when her friends get close to someone else besides her.

Anyway, once that strange standoff ended, Walter cleared his throat again and reintroduced her,

“This is my cousin’s daughter, Hild. As you can see, her species is Tiger Beastkin, and she also works as a watchman protecting the village, so she can navigate the Great Tree Forest like the back of her hand. There couldn’t be a more suitable candidate to guide the delegation.”

“Riiight…”

Honestly, based on that description, she could have earned a ‘pass’ necklace. Someone working as a watchman among the Beastkin, known for having many strong individuals, would surely possess the combat ability to fend for themselves, and if she’s also good at guiding, that would be the icing on the cake. If only she didn’t harbor that strange hostility towards me, she would have been perfectly suitable.

Perhaps sensing my lukewarm response, Walter, who had been explaining enthusiastically, paused and asked,

“Do you perhaps dislike this girl?”

“No! Of course not! I think she’s great!”

I couldn’t possibly say I disliked his niece and ask for someone else, so I hastily denied the suspicion.

“Then it’s settled. Hild will be guiding the delegation.”

“Riiight…”

The guide was decided as smoothly as a snake slithering over a wall. Even if it’s just for a few days, the thought of having to share meals with that intimidating-looking woman already made me sigh.

‘Oh, my fate.’

After finishing dinner at Walter’s house, we were moved to the guest accommodations. Fortunately, since some of the village warriors had gone hunting deep into the forest, there seemed to be quite a few empty houses available for immediate use. After assigning individual accommodations to the guards who accompanied the delegation, we ended up spending the night in houses hollowed out from dead trees, just like Walter’s home.

“I’m taking the second floor?”

“Do as you please.”

Glancing briefly at Dorothea climbing the ladder, I untied my belt, which contained potions, and asked,

“So, where will you sleep, Master?”

“Are you asking the obvious? At my age, sleeping on the floor makes my bones ache from the cold.”

Saying that, my Master naturally lay down on the only hammock available. His actions were infuriating, but as a reincarnator from South Korea who respects elders, I couldn’t possibly argue. Naturally, the rest of us ended up laying out blankets on the floor to sleep. Come to think of it, everyone except me was a Maid. The two elves, who got along so well, decided to use a different house.

“Well then, shall we get ready for bed too?”

I snapped my fingers and pulled out sleeping bags from my subspace. Actually, I had brought several from home just in case something like this happened. After distributing one sleeping bag per person, I made the air in the room circulate. This way, a cool breeze blows while sleeping, making it pleasant.

“Next… bathing here seems difficult.”

Generally, Beastkin don’t bathe very often. Therefore, there wasn’t a separate bathroom in the house, which was a downside for me, someone who prefers a clean lifestyle. In this situation, the only solution was to entrust it to Sophia, the Water Mage.

“Sophia.”

When I called her name, she nodded and took out the staff tucked into her garter belt.

“Animato (animato)”

Then, a spray of water, feeling like slime, appeared in the air and engulfed me from head to toe.

Bugeureureureureung!

As I stared with wide eyes, Sophia told me I could breathe.

“Ah, it really works.”

Perhaps because her magic had reached a high level, I could speak normally despite being submerged in water. The stream of water that engulfed my body spun like a washing machine, with a whirring sound, absorbing all the dust accumulated from marching all day and washing it away from my body. The only downside to this utility magic was that my entire body became damp. I generated a warm breeze myself to dry my damp body and then slipped into my sleeping bag, feeling much fresher. A cool breeze was blowing from all directions due to the magic used earlier, and perhaps because I had just washed, my whole body felt pleasantly tired.

When Camilla blew out the single candle that served as the only light source, the room was instantly plunged into darkness. It was considerably earlier than my usual bedtime, but considering we had to leave the village early tomorrow morning, I needed to get at least a little sleep. I spoke towards the presence I felt around me.

“Sleep well.”

Camilla replied in a small voice,

“Sweet dreams.”

Coming from a Succubus, I felt a surge of confidence in her words. Just as my heavy eyelids were about to close, I heard the greeting, “Good night.” I didn’t know who said it, but it was undoubtedly a very sweet voice. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have found it so memorable even as I was falling asleep.