Leonard was self-aware.
He was just an ordinary person. Not the type suited to being the protagonist of those cliché stories—he wasn’t soone special who could change the world. He was just Leonard. A man who had been unemployed for two years, who liked to rant about the governnt on the internet, who failed to protect his own dog.
Because of that, he had never truly expected to experience things like those in isekai novels. eting a goddess, gaining overpowered skills, building a harem, becoming a king—those were nothing but fantasies.
But right now, in Borami’s embrace, Leonard felt sothing he never thought he would feel again. Warm. Safe. Like when he was little and his mother held him while he had a fever.
Borami didn’t say much. She simply held him tightly, gently stroking his back. Her large, soft chest pressed against his face, and strangely, it only made him calr. Her heartbeat was clear, slow and steady, like a soothing rhythm.
Leonard didn’t know how long they stayed like that. Ti blurred within that warm embrace.
Eventually, his tears stopped. His shoulders no longer trembled. His breathing steadied.
Leonard took a deep breath and tried to pull away.
Borami didn’t move.
He tried again, pushing slightly. But Borami’s arms remained firmly wrapped around his back, like soft steel chains.
"Rami," his voice was muffled against her chest. "I’m calm now. You can let go."
She still didn’t move.
Leonard pushed again, but her body was like a massive stone. Embarrassed and frustrated, he blurted out without thinking, "Rami, you’re hugging too tight. I can barely breathe because your chest is so big and it’s right in my face."
The mont the words left his mouth, Leonard froze.
What did I just say?
Borami froze as well.
For several seconds, neither of them moved. Then slowly, a blush crept up Borami’s neck, spreading across her cheeks and all the way to the tips of her furry ears. She released Leonard abruptly, almost as if shocked by electricity.
"S-sorry," she mumbled, her voice suddenly small and embarrassed. "I didn’t an to—I an—I just wanted to—"
She couldn’t finish her sentence. Her face was bright red.
Leonard was red too. He lowered his head, staring at his own hands, not knowing what to say.
Silence.
An awkward silence filled the small room. The faint crackling of the fire was the only sound breaking the emptiness. Leonard could feel his heart pounding wildly. Incredibly embarrassed. Idiot. Why did you have to comnt on her chest? At a ti like this?
After a mont, Leonard beca aware again.
This is humiliating. I—a grown man—just cried in this woman’s arms. Like a child.
She must think I’m the biggest crybaby in the world now.
Leonard bit his lip. The pride that had already been shattered since arriving in this world now felt trampled again. Yet strangely, it didn’t hurt that much.
Leonard stood up. His body was still weak, but he forced himself to remain composed.
"Rami," he said hoarsely. "Once again, thank you. For everything. For last night, for this morning, for..." He couldn’t finish. "If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead. Sorry for troubling you."
He bowed his head slightly. "I’ll be going now."
He turned and walked toward the door.
But after only two steps, his stomach growled.
A long, loud, unmistakable rumble echoed in the quiet room.
Leonard froze in place. He didn’t dare turn around.
He closed his eyes as embarrassnt surged back over him. No, no, no...
Behind him, he heard a small sound. Borami giggled softly.
"Wait a mont," she said.
Leonard heard her rise from the bed and walk toward the corner of the room. Clay pots shifted. A wooden spoon stirred sothing inside one of them.
"You haven’t eaten yet, have you?" Borami’s voice was closer now.
Leonard turned around. Borami stood near the hearth, scooping sothing from a large clay pot. She poured it into two bowls—also clay, simple but sturdy.
"Co here," she said, patting the bed beside her. "Eat first."
Leonard hesitated. His pride whispered for him to refuse, to leave imdiately, to stop burdening this woman any longer.
He hesitated. His pride scread at him to refuse. He had troubled her enough—with his midnight arrival, his humiliating tears, his inappropriate comnt. He couldn’t accept more kindness.
But his stomach growled again, louder than before.
I really have no dignity left, huh? he thought bitterly.
Leonard walked back to the bed and sat beside Borami. She handed him one bowl—still warm, thin steam rising from it. Leonard looked at its contents.
So kind of soup. The broth was light brown, with chunks of tubers resembling potatoes, green vegetables he didn’t recognize, and several pieces of at—maybe deer, or wild boar, he didn’t know.
The aroma... God, it slled like heaven.
Leonard took a slow sip. Warm. Savory. There was a strange but pleasant spice on his tongue.
His eyes widened.
This is delicious. Extrely delicious. Maybe because he was starving, maybe because it was his first al since arriving in this world, maybe because Borami cooked it, but this was the best soup he had ever tasted in his life.
Leonard ate heartily, barely caring about manners. Borami beside him ate more slowly, occasionally glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
They ate in silence. But this silence was no longer awkward.
After several spoonfuls, Leonard began thinking. His gaze shifted to Borami, then to the at in his bowl.
Borami was a Cow Beastkin, right?
But she eats at.
Leonard frowned. So they’re omnivores? Maybe because their bodies are human-like, they can eat anything? Wait a second—does that an there are normal animals in this world? What kind of at am I eating? Don’t tell it’s another Beastkin?
A chill ran down his spine.
"Rami, by the way... what kind of at is this? It’s not at from another Beastkin tribe, right?" he asked hesitantly.
"What kind of at?" Rami looked at him with obvious confusion. "Of course it’s mutated beast at. Why would you think we eat our own kind?"
Mutated beast?
"I was just joking," Leonard said, exhaling in relief before continuing to eat.
"That’s not funny."
Leonard’s thoughts wandered further. If herbivorous beastkin like cows and rabbits ate at, then what about carnivorous beastkin? Wolves, tigers, lions—what did they eat? Did they prey on other beastkin? Was that why they were hostile?
Cannibalism?
Leonard almost asked, but stopped himself. He would be seen as an idiot and a weirdo for asking such strange questions again. He decided to stay quiet and set it aside, focusing instead on his food. He was far too hungry to care.
After finishing the soup, they drank plain water from clay cups, fresh and cool. Leonard felt his body recovering. His strength slowly returned. For the first ti since arriving in this world, he felt... satisfied.
Borami set down her cup and looked at him curiously. "Are you feeling better?"
Leonard nodded. "Yeah. Thank you."
Silence again.
Leonard looked at Borami. She was beautiful. In the morning light, with the sunlight filtering softly in, she looked like a painting. Her black-and-white hair, her gracefully curved horns, her honey-brown eyes, her full lips.
And her body that... yeah, that.
Leonard quickly looked away. Don’t. Don’t think like that again. You’ve embarrassed yourself enough.
But the earlier questions still lingered in his mind.
And without thinking much, Leonard said, "Rami, would you believe if I told you I’m not from this world?"
Borami raised an eyebrow. "What do you an?"
Leonard continued, the words flowing strangely easily. Maybe because he already felt comfortable with her. Was it because that hug made him feel safe?
"I co from a very different place," he said quietly. "Where I’m from, there are buildings so tall they reach the clouds. There are tal boxes that move without animals pulling them. There’s light that shines without fire. There are things that fly in the sky, bigger than any bird."
He looked at Borami. "Where I’m from, there are no beastkin. Only humans. Ordinary humans, like . And we live in massive stone houses, with millions of people in one city."
Borami looked at him with a strange expression. A mix of disbelief, confusion, and perhaps a bit of worry.
"Leo," she said softly. "Are you... imagining things? Because of your injury? Or the blow to your head?"
Leonard smiled bitterly. "You can think of it that way."
He sighed. Why am I telling her this? She must think I’m crazy. Or at least that my head is truly damaged.
But after saying it, Leonard felt like a door had opened. He had already started, so he might as well continue.
"If that’s the case, then I have a lot of questions," he said. "What is this world really like? I need an explanation."
Borami leaned forward, listening.
Leonard began firing off the questions that had long been piling up in his mind.
"What beastkin tribes exist in this village? From what I’ve seen, there are rabbits, cows, monkeys, sheep, deer, squirrels... but no predators like wolves, or tigers. Not even cats or dogs."
Borami opened her mouth, but Leonard wasn’t finished.
"Are those tribes hostile to each other? When I was first captured, Alice and Emma thought I was a spy from the wolf tribe. That ans the wolf tribe exists, right? But where are they? Do they have their own village? Or are they nomads?"
He took a breath.
"And besides this village, are there other villages? Cities? Other civilizations out there?"
Leonard paused. Then carefully asked, "One more thing... do predator beastkin eat your kind? I an, do they prey on other beastkin? Like... cannibalism?"
Borami’s eyes widened. That last question clearly shocked her. She looked at Leonard with an expression that was hard to describe.
"You... really don’t know anything, do you?" she muttered.
Leonard nodded. "That’s the problem. I don’t know anything about this world."
She fell silent, clearly unsure where to begin. It was obvious she wasn’t used to explaining things like this. She scratched her head awkwardly.
"What kind of world is this?" she repeated quietly. "I... I don’t know where to start."
Reviews
All reviews (0)