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"Hey young man, what're ya in here for?"
"Got caught 'cause I roughed up a pig that wouldn't listen."
"Since ancient times, unruly beasts have always been tamed with the rod."
The young man nodded in agreement.
"What about you, old timer?"
"Got caught forcing it in a goat."
"Goats, I feel ya."
They nodded again. Then their eyes turned to me.
"You there, black-haired foreigner. What're ya in here for?"
"I abandoned beastkins."
"What? I've never met such a scumbag before!"
"Abandoning beastkin? Do ya have no blood or tears? Did ya even think 'bout how those abandoned beastkin would feel?"
What the hell?
These bastards who assaulted and raped beastkins were ganging up on me for abandoning them?
"I never abandoned any beastkin in the first place. I just set them free."
"Scum who abandon always say the same thing as you. 'I returned them to nature,' 'I set them free.' In reality, it's just irresponsibly dumping them because ya didn't wanna raise 'em anymore."
"No. I fed them, raised them, gave them shelter, and even safely returned them to their homeland. How is that abandoning them? Where in the world will you find a kinder master?"
"Bah! A beastkin slave's place is by their master's side. If you can't take responsibility 'till the end, don't take 'em in to begin with! Tsk. Yer a nutcase who doesn't understand others' feelings!"
The old man looked at me as if I were some lowly peasant he didn't want to associate with, then turned away.
Not just him, but everyone in the prison turned away and distanced themselves from me. In their eyes, I must look like some kind of poisonous toad.
How does freeing beastkin count as abandonment?
Logically, setting them free should be a good thing. Unless they were masochists, what kind of nutjob wants to be a slave?
To think these furry bastards would repay kindness with evil. It was so fucking unfair.
So what happens to me now?
Would I rot in this dark prison for the rest of my life?
I didn't have time to be stuck in here. It was suffocating.
On the third day of my imprisonment.
As I was letting out heavy sighs, Seira came, carrying documents under one arm.
"Please open it."
A beastkin employee opened the locked prison door and pulled me out. Seira gestured for me to follow her.
"May you receive divine punishment, you heinous bastard."
"Those forsaken beastkins are waiting with their claws out for you."
The prisoners hurled curses at me, pressing their faces against the iron bars. I roughly wiped off the spit that showered me with my clothes.
Surely they're not going to execute me?
As I followed Seira, I racked my brain.
Can I escape if I use the invisibility robe?
I still had enough points left to buy an invisibility robe.
The problem was that at such close range, I'd be discovered immediately even if invisible. Beastkin have keen noses. I'd be caught no matter what.
As weak as I was, I couldn't even shake off Seira by myself, let alone escape. The conclusion was that escape was absolutely impossible.
So the best I could do was to use my tongue to the best of my ability.
"Um, Miss Seira~? Why don't we clear up this misunderstanding?"
"What misunderstanding?"
"About me abandoning beastkin. How could I abandon them when I adore beastkin so much?"
Seira didn't even glance nor respond. Nevertheless, I poured my heart out with all my might.
"I'm being sincere, you know? Even now, I'm barely holding back the urge to stroke Miss Siera's tail."
At that, her tail, which had been swaying alluringly left and right, suddenly stopped moving.
Clench.
She brought it forward and hugged it with her hands. Only then did she turn her head to look at me, her eyes filled with disgust.
"You pervert…"
It backfired.
I'm sorry, slaves. This might be the end for me.
As we walked down a long corridor, Seira stopped in front of a room.
"Go in."
Who on earth could be inside?
Anxiously, I opened the door. I poked my head in to check inside, and the person there was…
"Yo, Slave Reaper Karami!"
"Mr. Furry Bolt Gayshit…?"
"What?"
"Ah, I accidentally said Mr. Gayshit."
"Being locked up must have driven you insane. It happens."
The person in the room was none other than the beastkin lover, Bolt. This was the first time we'd met since the Slave Carnival.
"Mr. Bolt, why are you here?"
"Well, I often visit Vestia because I like beastkin. When I heard you were caught, I came running."
"I appreciate that, but what difference does your presence make?"
Seira interjected.
"Mr. Bolt is a noble person who takes in beastkin slaves scattered throughout the Traul Kingdom. He is a benefactor of our Vestia Kingdom."
"Don't I do that too? Besides, Mr. Bolt…"
Furry Bolt Gay acquired beastkin slaves to fulfill his dark desires. Wasn't I a hundred times better than that guy?
But Seira's expression soured.
"What matters is how the beastkin feel. They prefer being loved to being abandoned. Not someone like you."
"Karami, how could you abandon such cute children? How could you do such a terrible thing? Beastkin fear abandonment worse than death. As expected of the Slave Reaper!"
"…"
I gave up on trying to converse.
A world where I was considered worse than this human who screws beastkin? Life's a fucking joke.
"Originally, you were destined to rot in prison, but Mr. Bolt has spoken in your defense."
"In my defense?"
"While you stay in Vestia, learn from Mr. Bolt how to treat beastkin properly. If you change, we will reconsider the charges of beastkin abandonment."
"…"
You want me to learn? From this guy?
Furry Bolt Gay grinned.
"I'll be in your care for a while, Karami. I'll make sure you're reborn as a true beastkin lover."
***
On the way out of the building.
Seira stuck close. Ever since she pinned me to the ground, her every action had me on edge.
"Why are you following me?"
"It's part of my job. I'll be watching and evaluating whether you're up to no good and if your attitude towards beastkin changes."
"Look, I'm telling you I'm innocent…"
Her attitude made it clear she wouldn't believe anything I said unless I cracked open my skull and showed her my brain. In the end, I had no choice but to show her what a kind slave trader I was.
I sighed, but decided to be thankful that I had at least safely made it to Vestia.
"Thank you, Mr. Bolt."
"Haha, no need for thanks. We humans should help each other in foreign lands."
As expected, Mr. Bolt was the only one I could rely on.
When we exited the building, a beastkin standing outside approached us.
Beastkin in TOS generally fell into two categories: cosplay-type beastkin with only ears and tails who could pass for humans, and the 80% beastkin that furries love.
The woman before us was somewhere in between. She had long, vibrant green hair that spread out like a covering on both sides. Her arms resembled bird wings, and her feet were those of a bird. She was a bird beastkin.
"Mr. Bolt!"
"Oh, my Buddy. Why did you come all the way here instead of waiting at the shop?"
"I was worried about you, Master… I-Is this the Slave Reaper?"
"Yep, he's my friend. He'll be with me for a while. Karami, this is my slave, Buddy."
"Nice to meet you. I am Karami."
"I'm B-Buddy…"
The bird beastkin called Buddy eyed me warily. I could tell she was scared of me, but since I was Bolt's friend, she felt obligated to interact.
The atmosphere was awkward.
Bolt subtly tried to help.
"You'll be seeing each other often, so you shouldn't be this uncomfortable. Karami, pat Buddy's head."
"Out of nowhere?"
"Buddy likes having her head patted. It's the quickest way to get closer."
"Hmm…"
"You shouldn't treat beastkin the same as humans, right?"
Was this okay?
I glanced at Seira, but she didn't try to stop me either. If that was the case, backing down here would likely result in losing points in her evaluation.
Right, when in Vestia, do as the Vestians do.
Each race had its own culture, and beastkin were even more diverse among themselves.
It seemed following Bolt's advice was the right thing to do here.
"Then, excuse me for a moment. Please tell me if you dislike it."
"O-Okay…"
I carefully placed my hand on Buddy's head and started patting her while watching her reaction.
"Mmph."
"Oh…"
It was a really strange sensation. The softness, different from ordinary hair, was like well-maintained bird feathers.
It felt so nice that I was tempted to get a bird beastkin of my own.
"Ahh…"
But what was this sound?
While I was distracted patting her head, something strange was happening below. Buddy couldn't keep still, squirming and fidgeting.
Her face was flushed, and erotic moans escaped her lips.
"…Mr. Bolt? Why is she like this?"
"Buddy is a parrot beastkin. She really likes having her head and neck stroked. There's nothing better for building a bond."
Was it really okay to keep patting her?
Something seemed off…
"Huff, haah. It feels good. Buddy feels so good…"
…
Suddenly her breathing became rough like an old man's?
And 'Buddy feels'…?
Why was she referring to herself in the third person? And at this timing.
Buddy was a parrot beastkin.
Parrots are creatures that mimic humans.
So these moans and lines were mimicking someone…
When that thought hit me, I gently removed my hand.
"Well, do you feel closer to Buddy now?"
Bolt spoke with a grin as if there was nothing wrong with what just happened.
Seira nodded to herself and wrote something on her documents. Even the bystanders were watching with warm smiles.
I was the only one who couldn't smile. I had only patted her head, but… something precious inside me had been defiled. An indescribable feeling of utter shit washed over me.
I realized.
I absolutely can't stay here for long.
This wasn't a Paradise of Beastkins, this was a Den of Beasts. One wrong move and I could lose my humanity, degenerating into a beast myself.