episode_0055

0.

“Huh. What is it?”

A hazy feeling made me question things without me knowing.

I clearly fell asleep while arguing with Yuli.

It’s an inn now.

The old wooden floor is dented in places and the window frames are covered in cobwebs, as if they have been broken for a long time.

An old inn that seemed to have only one or two guests.

‘…It’s so vivid.’

I just sat down at the inn and my legs are starting to feel numb.

Even though my body is tired, I feel refreshed… Did I do some light exercise?

“Kai? The expedition was successful today, so why are you so absent-minded? ”

“…Huh?”

Altina?

Ah, this is that inn.

It’s that town.

Crimson hair that matches the crimson sunset streaming through the broken glass windows.

Altina pushed her face in, feeling burdened.

“Hmm, I guess it’s because the real warrior party is starting. Right before entering the land of the demons.”

“You’re feeling emotional today. Well, that can happen.”

Altina sat next to me, resting her chin on her hand and staring blankly.

And then she turned her back to me, tossing her hair, and silently making her appeal for what she wanted.

“…Okay, I understand, so just wait quietly.”

“Hehehe.”

This is a hair care routine that I’ve become accustomed to.

You could have ordered Casselina, but why did you order me…

Although he grumbled, he took out an ivory comb from his bosom without saying a word.

-Crash, crash…

He always took care of Altina’s silky hair.

The more you comb your hair, the more vibrant and shiny it becomes.

He said this while looking at Altina’s hair, which was now neat enough to be called a hair model.

“Okay, that’s it.”

“I’ll do your hair for you too.”

Altina turned her head, her hair fluttering.

Sticking out his fangs, which no one could tell were out of place in his grooming.

-Tub

“Oh, no. I don’t need it.”

“Ugh!”

He covered Altina’s face with his hand and refused.

Humans don’t have as much fur as foxes and are at risk of hair loss, so each hair is precious to me.

-Bite

“Ouch.”

Altina bit my hand with her exposed fangs and turned around.

“Then braid my hair instead.”

I don’t know why the word ‘instead’ was used in this situation.

Thinking about it, I realized it was only my loss, so I kept my mouth shut and reached for my hair again.

I started braiding the hair, dividing each fine strand with my fingers.

-Sarak.

“Hehehe.”

-Sarak.

“Phehehehehehe.”

He was shivering and laughing hysterically at the thought of something so funny.

I tried to braid my hair, but I couldn’t help but laugh and see that he was being sincere.

-Sway sway sway

Now the tail is the problem.

When I went down to the big house, the Sigor Jabjong I saw didn’t wag its tail this much even when it saw me.

Altina’s tail was wagging wildly.

“…What’s so funny.”

“Huh? I don’t know~.”

-Sway sway sway

As he says that, his tail wags, so there’s definitely something going on.

It’s like being pranked into saying words you don’t know when you were in elementary school.

I don’t know what I’m talking about, but the kids know it and are laughing, it’s a situation where they can’t relate.

-Gently

“There’s definitely something there.”

Altina’s tail is like a metronome moving at 154 bpm.

There was a time when I was thinking about pulling the tail because it wouldn’t stop.

“How rare it is to see our tribe wagging their tails. Rather, I am grateful.”

“What’s so great about this? If the Red Fox Tribe doesn’t live up to its name and doesn’t wag its tail, then what is it wagging its tail at?”

“Most humans can’t even see the tail wagging.”

“A.”

I dismissed it as nonsense and took advantage of the gap in my tail that was still there to quickly move my hands in a way that was different from my mouth and somehow braided my hair.

But Altina ignored him and looked at me over her shoulder, saying:

“Have you ever seen a fox wagging its tail other than me?”

“The fox tribe is rare to begin with, so what do you think?”

“No?”

“…Have you ever seen your family and relatives wag their tails when they first meet? Okay?”

As soon as I finished saying that, I finished braiding my hair.

Altina burst into laughter again, and before Tails could get in her way, she pulled the butterfly-shaped hair tie out of her bosom.

-Whack!

I finished braiding my hair with a snapping sound.

“Phew…Eeheehee~ Eheehee!”

“…Why are you so scary.”

Altina laughed, burying her head in my lap.

I know full well that I’m having a seizure while holding back laughter, but from my perspective, I’m just possessed.

Just look at the way he’s shaking like an aspen tree trying to hold back the laughter that’s about to burst out.

“Ah, ahhhh… I’m sorry Kai. I can’t help but laugh because I’m so happy.”

Altina could barely contain her laughter.

Then he turned his body slightly and looked at me.

Her face was red from holding back laughter, and a teardrop was hanging from her eye.

“Oh, right. How far did I leave off?”

“You said it was hard to see the fox’s tail wagging.”

“Isn’t that what you saw when you first met our family?”

“Is that so?”

Now, let’s recall our first impression of the Sukeros family.

It has a human-like appearance, but its ears and tail are noticeably different from those of humans.

And I thought that the tail was elegant and swayed softly.

‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tail wag before.’

Since they are all nobles in the first place, I don’t think they would wag their tails frivolously.

“It’s a fox’s nature to hide its feelings.”

“You can tell just by looking at it.”

“But can you show me the tail wagging?”

“…That’s right.”

When the tail wags, it is one of the expressions of great happiness.

In human terms, this would be like jumping around and waving your arms?

It’s a bit strange to show that kind of appearance to an unspecified number of people.

“There is a moment when even our red fox tribe shows us howling their tails. When is that?”

“Is that only the first time you say hello?”

“Yeah!”

Before I knew it, Altina had turned her body around and was looking at me.

Maybe it’s because he likes explaining things one by one like this, but he’s resting his chin on his knees and giving me a proud look.

“It shows by wagging its tail once that it means, ‘I’m glad to meet you.’ It’s a way to share trust by revealing a little bit of what’s inside.”

“It’s like a handshake. It’s like saying, ‘I don’t have a weapon to attack you.’ ”

“Right? Even if there are cultural differences, there are universal agreements between communities.”

The conversation, which had gotten lost in that way, led to a rather pointless story.

There’s a story about a kid who got in trouble for riding a motorcycle.

The food my grandmother gives me is always rice with a high filling.

After talking about things we would have definitely talked about as children, Altina managed to bring the conversation back to its original topic.

“That’s right. What did you mean when you wagged your tail just once?”

“I said it meant nice to meet you.”

“What happens if you shake it twice?”

“…How do you know? I told you I’m not a fox.”

“If it wags its tail twice, it means ‘I love you.’ Remember that.”

huh?

Doesn’t that mean you’ve bitten me dozens of times today?

As I froze in a situation where I couldn’t express myself, Altina hit me on the shoulder.

-Thud thud thud!

“Ah!”

“Poohahahaha!!! What are you thinking! You’re supposed to wag your tail when you greet people!”

oh.

As the conversation went off on a tangent, I forgot something important.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I patted my shoulder, which didn’t hurt, and talked about something else.

“It hurts.”

Altina looked at me like that, hugged her knees and greeted me.

“….Hello, Kai.”

-Gently

He covered half of his reddened face with his knees and wagged his tail.

Exactly twice.

On her half-revealed face, there was a seductive smile and a bashful frown.

“…what.”

I feel like my face is going to turn red too.

A confession of love that hit me so hard that I wondered if I had ever been so flustered.

When both of you are embarrassed and can’t say anything, just hanging your head.

“What are you guys doing…?”

A cold, yet bewildered voice was heard.

uh.

I turned my head to look at the owner of the voice.

Then Altina’s face disappeared before my eyes.

I felt as if a mirage was rising and I felt extremely dizzy.

“What, what is this…..”

The sunset that always seems to set the whole world on fire.

But instead of a warm orange, there is only a desolate aura, like a meteor crashing at the end of the world.

Here and there, craters were dug out as a result of the impact.

We’re in a desolate empty lot with nothing around us.

The green that symbolizes vitality is not visible.

There, there is only a red burning sunset,

“Coolook……!!!”

Only the blood of the warrior party was scattered.

“Wow…!!!”

A pungent, sticky stream of blood pours out of his mouth.

I feel like my muscles are being torn apart by a strong blow to my stomach and I can’t straighten my body.

My eyes are dizzy.

How did it end up like this?

I barely managed to raise my head and look at the being in front of me who was the culprit of this incident.

“……Krrr…..”

It’s an ant.

But the ant stands upright on two feet, nearly two meters tall, making the lower idiom pale in comparison.

The exoskeleton covers the entire body, sleek and sharp, like armor.

The wings, which are folded behind like a cloak, allow for agile maneuvers.

Moreover, its sharp, helmet-like jaws seem like they could easily crush a human skull.

I was afraid of the enemy in front of me, but I looked back because I was more worried about the safety of my comrades.

“It’s okay guys, kekekekekekeke!!!!!”

-Pfft!!!!

But he was hit in the head by an arm that swung so quickly that he didn’t notice, and he fell down.

“Kai…!!!!!!!”

“Kai-kun!!!!!”

At the same time, the worried cries of the party members who are lying helplessly are heard.

No, I guess you could call it a scream.

But I can’t come to my senses because of the shock that makes the world spin and the echoing, rumbling voices.

“Nonsense, that’s impossible……”

It was the beginning of the journey of the warrior party.

and.

We were in danger of death.