Satou here. I've heard rumors that different people are different depending on who sees them, in old yōkai stories. Most of the time, I guess it's a guy who says "I see the real thing and it's a dead tail flower".
◇
"It's full of fluff balls!"
Pochi looks a little happy even though she's surrounded by the catkin villagers who were intent on killing her.
"Tama is the only one~?"
"Of course. Tama Uchuu ・・・・you're the only one in the world! "
Hearing the protest by Tama, Pochi immediately retracted his previous statement.
" what aio mess Tea mess Teasaid Teru Eu! "
The short-tempered tiger-striped cat-man yelled at me.
It's a little hard to hear, so let's correct it appropriately in our brains.
"Hi, hello. We are—"
"Noisy! Humans, hurry up and get out of the village!"
The tiger-striped cat-man doesn't even let me finish speaking.
The cats behind him are also furious, with agricultural tools such as hoes and sickles in their hands.
"Well"
I don't think they can harm us, but it seems better to start over.
"Nyu!"
Tama stepped forward and greeted me with a stunt pose.
――Greetings, right?
""Nya!"""
The cats raised their cat-handed hands, stood on one leg, and shouted in unison.
Yeah, I don't understand.
"Nyo!"
""Nure!"""
"Nee!"
""Nyoah!""
"Cheer! That's it!"
After that, the gesture battle that I don't really understand repeats――Pochi also participates in the middle.
At the end, the two, who were drenched in sweat, exchanging fast hand-signs.
"Very well. If it's a group of people who know the etiquette of the cat people, let's allow them to enter the village."
A catman who looks like a village chief with a crescent moon pattern on his forehead said so.
This is the first time I've heard of such a method.
It seems that Tama's acquaintances, including the cat people, have increased in the labyrinth city, and she may have learned about it from one of them.
"Tama, you're doing a good job."
"Nihehe~, did you do your best, Tama~?"
"That's great, Tama."
I stroke Tama's head round and round.
"Pochi too! Pochi worked hard too!"
"Yesuu~, support, thank you~?"
Pochi jumped up and down and insisted, so I stroked Pochi's head with my other hand.
◇
"So what did the Tama-bo and the others come to this village for?"
The crescent moon cat person asked Tama.
It's a nickname like a boy, but in this village, regardless of gender, small children seem to be called "~bo".
"Draw a picture of the sacred beast's shrine~?"
"A shrine? Why would you do that?"
"Hmm~, because someone asked me~?"
Tama tilts her head sharply.
"Can I draw it~?"
"Oh, I don't mind."
"Senkyu~"
Tama threw her legs out and sat down, took out a sketching tool from her fairy bag, and began to draw a picture of the shrine.
Good as ever.
Judging from the direction of the shrine and the arrangement of the villages with the shrine, the holy beast is probably in the blank area to the west from here.
Strangely enough, it was the direction of the black shadow I saw earlier.
"I wonder if the black shadow just now is a sacred beast?"
When I was looking over there, Arisa said that she thought the same thing.
"Is that the Holy Beast-sama!?"
Says the calico boy cat person to bite.
"is it wrong?"
"There's no way a monster like that could be Holy Beast-sama!"
"-Even if you said that, we've never seen a monster or even a holy beast-sama."
I soothe the angry calico boy.
"What does Holy Beast-sama look like?"
"It's amazing! It looks big and strong, and it's really amazing!"
The calico boy desperately talks about the greatness of the sacred beast with his limited vocabulary.
"I know it's amazing, but what kind of beast does it look like?"
"That's decided!"
The calico boy declared in a defiant tone.
"Pure white tiger!"
"--It's a pure white stag!"
The middle-aged beast man's voice overlaps with the calico boy's voice.
When I turned around, there was a deer.
"No! It's a pure white fox!"
Beside the deer man, the woman who claims that is the fox woman.
"No! It's White Tiger-sama!"
"You're a brave stag-sama."
"Fox-sama!"
Three people argue.
"What do you mean? Are there three types of holy beasts?"
Arisa says with a confused face.
"There's that possibility, but let's do something about this one first."
Tama's ears, which had been drawing a picture of the shrine, was nervously twitching.
I don't want to disturb Tama's concentration.
"You guys, don't go get involved with the guests."
Before we left, the Crescent Cat Man came to mediate.
"That's not how you say it!"
"That's right! It seems that Kurokage has gone to Nekomura, so I came to check on you!"
Deer people and fox people protest against crescent cat people.
"No, I'm grateful for that, but--"
"Looking like this, it doesn't look like there's been any damage."
"Good, good. But I can't give up on Holy Beast-sama's appearance."
"So don't do that.
"That's right"
"Stop it. Didn't we quarrel for three days and three nights from now?"
When the crescent catman call for calm again, the deer and the foxman reluctantly put their spears back.
"It's kind of like the mushroom-bamboo war in Japan."
Arisa muttered such a thing.
Certainly, I've heard that they often argue on the Internet.
"Hey hey, where do you see Holy Beast-sama?"
"It's a forbidden area in the west.
"Hey you deer! I told you it was a secret from the rest!"
The deer carelessly answered Arisa's question and was scolded by the crescent cat.
After all, it seems to be in the blank area in the west.
After Tama finishes drawing the shrine, let's go see it.
◇
"Meow meow meow"
"Wait wait!"
"Oni-san, this way! That's it!"
Arisa and Pochi started playing with the catkin children, perhaps because they got free time from looking at Tama's drawing.
"Larvae, I tell you that this is a 'chick' stuffed toy."
"Daaaa"
Nana is soothing a cat-man baby with a stuffed toy.
"Larvae, I warn you that this is not food."
"Huh? Huh?"
"I think cute things should be treated more kindly—"
Nana looks like she's having some fun while its being swung around by the baby.
"Mia-sama" "Play" "Fun guy"
"Hmm"
Mia played a happy song at the request of a catkin girl.
It seems that Tama, who is concentrating, can hear it, and is drawing in a relaxed atmosphere.
"Strange guys"
The crescent moon cat people called out to us.
The quarrel between the deer and the fox seems to be over.
"Are there any problems in the village?"
Since I was free, I asked if there was anything I could do to help.
"If I tell you, will you do something about it?"
The crescent moon cat person answers sarcastically.
"I'll stop by for things, but--"
"Food!"
"Not enough meat!"
The deer man and the fox man sprang up to cover my words.
"Is that so?"
The south of this village was a wasteland, but the west has a rich forest.
It's strange that beastmen who seem to be good at hunting can get as many prey as they want.
"There aren't that many grains and legumes, but if it's plateau wolf or bear meat—"
"Really?!"
"Will you share the meat?!"
Deer people and fox people are desperate.
Rather than that――.
"Do deer people eat meat too?"
"I'll eat it. Well, I prefer vegetables and grains."
Even though they have teeth like herbivores, deer and deer people seem to be two different things.
"It's helpful to have meat shared, but as you can see, it's a poor village. There's not much for compensation, you know?"
"There's no need to worry about that. It's enough if you tell me the picture of the shrine and the legend of the sacred beast."
When I said that, the crescent cat person made a face of relief.
"We haven't dismantled them yet--"
While saying that, I take out the corpses of bears and highland wolves from the storage via the [magic bag] that I use to transport prey.
Liza and Lulu start dismantling the meat we took out.
"Oh! That's amazing!"
"I'll bring the man and the donkey to carry right away!"
"Crescent! Don't keep it all to yourself! I'll be right back!"
The foxman and deer man looked flustered and tried to return to their villages to collect help.
"Please wait"
I stopped them and told them that I would be visiting their respective villages tomorrow, so I would give them to them at that time.
"Is that so! I don't mind."
"Umu, it's for the meat. That's how cheap it is."
Deer people and fox people readily agreed.
The power of meat is great.
◇
"Be sure to come!"
"Because we'll ready to welcome you!"
Saying that, the deer and the fox went back to their respective villages while looking back many times regretfully.
All the adults in the village helped with the dismantling, so it looks like it will end sooner than I thought.
The wives of the village started cooking the bear meat that had been dismantled first, so I went to help with Lulu.
"Is it stew and grilled meat?"
"Oh, it's a banquet item."
When I was cooking while talking about such things, children suddenly stopped playing and gathered.
They stare at our hands while drooling.
Occasionally, they would reached out to the cooking table to grab a bite to eat, and handed over to the ladies. hitting flag. They had been driven away.
When a good smell comes, Tama's tail hits the ground as she draws.
It seems that Tama will be getting hungry soon.
Before long, the adults who finished dismantling will also come.
"Oh, isn't it a feast?"
"You'll be able to do it soon, so don't try to pick it up like a child!"
"Oh, how cool."
Listening to the conversations of the cats reminds me of Bon festivals and New Years in the countryside.
"--Onii-chan, let's drink together until the food is ready."
"Come on. We don't have enough people here."
I was invited to drink by the Striped Cat Man, and was urged by the lady in charge of the cooking, so I went there to mix.
Since it felt like drinking unrefined sake that looked like local sake directly from the bottle without any side dishes, I handed out cups for the number of people and dried meat for side dish from the storage bag.
"It's delicious."
Pochi seemed to want dried meat, so I distributed dried meat and candy to the children.
While drinking sake, the adults told me stories about the sacred beasts.
In this village, holy beasts seem to be objects of faith.
I came to believe in--
"It's over~"
Tama raises her voice and stretches.
"Good work"
"Did you draw well~?"
"Oh, very good."
It's strange that the shrine looks delicious for some reason, but it's drawn exactly like it.
"The food is ready~"
"Then let's eat."
Lulu called me with a big wave, so I joined the banquet with Tama.
"Delicious!"
"It's full of meat!"
"More luxury than autumn festival!"
The cats are having a blast.
We also ate the standard dish of Nekojin Village, the wild vegetable and meat stew, and munched on BBQ-style grilled meat on the bone.
It's pretty wild, but I like how wild it feels.
After the meal, I passed through the plaza where adults and children who were full and were rolling, and went out for a walk to the west forest with my friends after the promise that it would be just before the forbidden area.
◇
"--that?"
In the depths of the western forest, we came to the border with the blank area.
I just took a step into the blank area and tried using all map exploration, but the holy beast is nowhere to be found.
"What's wrong~?"
"Are you hungry?"
"I'm fine, it's nothing"
Tama and Pochi looked up with worried faces, probably because of the sudden silence.
"Maybe not?"
I agree with Arisa's question.
"Does it not exist?"
"So be--"
In the middle of my words, I noticed mist coming out from behind the trees.
"It's fog."
"Miss Lulu. I'm reporting that I heard from the village cat people that there is a lot of fog around here."
"Master, would you like to withdraw from the forest?"
"I agree--"
After hearing Nana's report, Liza asks me.
"--Let's pull out for now."
I have a map and a radar, so I won't get lost, but it seems like my feet will be dangerous, so I decided to return to the village.
"Satou, come."
Before Mia finished her words, a dense fog like milk overtook us and filled the surroundings.
"Everyone, stop. Wait there until the fog clears!"
It's dangerous to walk under such heavy fog.
"It's so foggy."
"Hmm, thick fog."
While answering Arisa, Mia hugs my waist.
"Ah! Mia, you're cunning."
Arisa noticed Mia and protested.
"Not sly. Prevent lost children."
"Ah, that's true. Then me too."
"Pochi too!"
"Tama too~"
The younger group hugged me one after another.
"Master, I will tell you that I will participate in preventing lost children."
"Ah, um, master. Is it okay if I do too?"
Nana expressionlessly hugs me, and Lulu timidly sticks to me.
"It's dangerous, so leave it at that."
Liza says so and is watching out for the surroundings right next to me.
"--White, dragon?"
Liza mutters and takes a step forward.
In an instant, Liza's figure was swallowed up by the thick fog.
"Liza, wait"
Saying that, the outstretched hand swung the thick fog in vain.
"- Liza!"
"■ Wind wind"
Mia quickly creates wind with spirit magic and blows away the fog.
I could see Liza's tail beyond the fog.
"Everybody stay here"
I say so and chase after Liza.
I almost stumbled under my invisible feet, but I relied on my rough road running skill to run through.
--I found it.
"Liza!"
"--master"
Grab her arm and hold her.
"There was a sacred beast"
"More importantly, stop."
I pull back Liza who is still trying to move on.
At the same time, the stone she kicked made a dry rattling noise.
"--cliff?"
"It was a close call."
If it's Liza's level, she won't die even if she falls off a cliff, but it's still dangerous.
I take Liza and go back to everyone.
"It's dangerous in the fog, so be careful."
"Excuse me, master."
"Yeah, it's fine if you're reflecting on it. More importantly, what did the holy beast look like?"
"It was pure white and had the appearance of a majestic dragon."
A white dragon huh... Well, it wouldn't be strange if he became an object of worship.
--that?
The light spots of my companions reflected on the radar are scattered.
"Hurry up."
After saying that, I pull Liza's hand and gather my companions.
"Nana, Mia!"
"Master! I report that I have found a holy beast.
"No, white rabbit."
It seems that Nana and Mia also saw the sacred beast.
It looks like Mia was pulled away trying to stop Nana who started walking after seeing the sacred beast.
We join Arisa and Lulu who are nearby.
"Master! A holy beast appeared here too!"
"Oh really?"
"Yes, she was a pure white woman."
"Huh? It wasn't a woman, it was a pure white shota, wasn't it?"
"Shota? You mean a child? No. Her hair was long, and I think she was about the same age as a mother."
I stop Arisa and Lulu from arguing and tell everyone to grab the rope and wait.
After that, I chased after Tama and Pochi, who were quite far apart.
Reflecting on my earlier failure, I run with sky drive just above the ground.
"Pochi! Tama!"
I saw a small shadow beyond the fog.
"There was - no!"
At the same time as the danger was sensed, a black shadow turned into a blade and attacked.
I take out the fairy sword from my storage and fend off the shadows.
The shadow raises black sparks and disappears beyond the fog.
We'll finish it later.
First, I have to find Pochi and Tama.
"Mew!"
"It's Tona!"
Tama and Pochi are fighting.
For some reason, there is no fog around them.
"Pochi! Tamer!"
"You are the master!"
"Enemy~? Like a shadow~"
Kicking off the shadows, joining the two, and trying to escape beyond the fog. induced breath remote stun.
remote arrow. I didn't use it because I was afraid of accidentally attacking my comrades.
--that?
The fog that wasn't blown away by Mia's wind clears in the trajectory of my stun bullet.
"Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine~"
"This is how stupid it is!"
Give the two of them who said it with a smile a magic potion to recover.
The shadow seems to have escaped radar range.
I was in a hurry and missed to put a marker.
"The fog has cleared, let's go back to everyone."
Maybe it's just my imagination, but the fog clears away from us.
"Ai"
"Yes!"
Along the way, I ask them why they left.
"I found a holy beast!"
"Pure white cat~?"
"That's not true! What Pochi saw was a white dog!"
"No, cat~?"
"It's the dog!"
I calmed down the two who were arguing and joined the other children.
Fortunately, the other children didn't encounter the black shadow.
After talking about it...
"I wonder if the shadow was the true identity of the holy beast?"
"Isn't it different? I didn't feel any malice or evil in that white figure."
Liza objected to Arisa's prediction.
"But it's strange. Why did everyone look different?"
"Hey hey, what did Master look like?"
"I'm not looking"
because it's white All I could see was fog ・・・・Only.
There was no spot of light on the radar either.
"illusion?"
Mia says while tilting her head.
"Nyu! Come to think of it, was it a strange feeling~?"
"Nn, spirit x"
Mia makes a X in front of her face.
It seems that she didn't feel the spirit in the fog.
"Tama, how was it strange?"
"Hmm~, you feel a little uneasy~?"
"Was it an illusion, as Mia said?"
"That's very likely."
It seems like illusions don't work on me.
"Shadows are troublesome to explore."
"Not really."
I already know their current location by searching the map.
Of course it's already locked.
" guiding arrow remote arrow"
120 magic arrows draw a parabola and fly beyond the forest.
――Okay, hit.
"I beat him"
"You're such a cheat~"
Arisa says in shock.
The identity of that shadow is " shadow beast, a monster .
It must have been hiding in the fog to frighten people and devour livestock.
"--that?"
"what happened?"
"There is a sacred beast"
◇
"--board"
When we returned to Cat Village, a white cat was lying on top of the shrine.
"There was a black shadow, but was it okay?"
The crescent moon cat person called out to me.
"Then we are saved."
"Did you get rid of it? That giant monster?"
"Oh, more importantly, what about that kitten?"
"It's a messenger."
"Of the holy beast?"
"It's just a stray cat that's been handed down because it's white. On sunny days, it's how it takes a nap."
"It's said that there's no fog when that cat is around. My grandmother said."
Before I knew it, a tiger-striped cat boy who was by my side told me.
It would be so ・・・・・・・・.
That cat's true identity is a sacred beast.
The sacred beast has " fog mist form", and the mist that filled the forest was the holy beast itself.
It's not that it didn't show up on the radar, it's probably that I overlooked the faint white spot that was wider than the radar's range.
No wonder, the fog should have cleared in the trajectory of my stun bullet.
Come to think of it, wasn't there a mist near Pochi and Tama who were fighting the Shadow Beasts?
"Tama, can you draw that cat?"
"Ie iey~?"
Tama sat flat and drew a picture of a white cat――a holy beast.
I don't know if that scholar will believe me, but this is mission complete.
◇
"But Master, that cat doesn't have the skill to create illusions, right? What did we see?"
When I was preparing dinner, Arisa said something like that.
"That reminds me."
The sacred beast's race-specific ability is " fog mist form" Purification Field"Healing Breath .There are only those three types of skills.
Perhaps the latter two are the origins of what they are called sacred beasts.
"Meow"
A white cat came up to me and asked for the seared bonito I was making for dinner.
"Do you want to eat?"
"Meow!"
When I asked, he nodded.
"Maybe you understand the language?"
"Meow!"
The white cat nodded and raised the corners of its mouth with a grin.
She's about three times as old as Mia, so it wouldn't be strange if she remembered the words.
"Yes, it's hot, so be careful."
Feed a white cat a small plate of seared bonito.
"Meow!"
Surprised by the heat, the white cat looked resentfully at the bonito, and then suddenly transformed.
"Have you changed into a white dog?"
The sacred beast that changed its appearance eats the skip-jack and the bonito.
"Could it be that you can take any form?"
As if to answer Arisa, she transforms into a pure white infant and grabs the bonito with her fingers and throws it into her mouth.
"Was delicious. See you"
After the sacred beast finished eating the bonito, it turned into a white bird and flew across the forest.
It's a fantasy creature.
"Satou! It smells delicious!"
"I've brought you the best sake. You'll get drunk!"
I wanted to immerse myself in the emotion of encountering a sacred beast a little more, but the cat people who looked like starving children were lured in by the smell of grilled bonito, so I rushed into the second banquet today.
"I was able to give a good souvenir story to the scholar."
"Do she believe us?"
"It's okay. If she don't believe me, why don't she send another research team?"
"That's right."
Believe it or not, it's up to you.
It was enough for a change of pace, and when I return to the labyrinth city, I ll target the floor master. Let's aim for subjugation.
"Master! The meat is almost burnt!"
"Immediately go!"
But today, forget about that and have a fun party with your friends and cats!