Ryner was walking through the green streets of the city while ignoring his stalkers. It was bustling with activities and full of life. Merchants who set up shop on the side of the street were displaying their goods. People with various animal characteristics were browsing through the merchandise or going about their lives. He could see families, friends and couples as well as men and women who were armed and carried swords, shields, axes or bows.
Being a human, he was attracting the gazes of everyone who spotted him. Whenever he walked next to someone, they would turn their head and gaze at him with a surprised look. The next reaction varied depending on the person, but it would either be interest or suspicion that appeared on their faces.
“It’s the human.” [Citizen]
“Shh, he’ll hear you.” [Citizen]
“He saved Prime Minister Elkind’s family.” [Citizen]
“A human shouldn’t be in the capital city.” [Citizen]
“What’s with his right eye? It’s white.” [Citizen]
They whispered, exchanged their opinions, glanced at him and kept their distance. Although he did a good deed by bringing Myra and Snow back, trust was another issue for these people. No other race was allowed in their capital city. As such, even if it was the king’s decree, not everyone was warmly welcoming him.
“You’re in my way.” [???]
A man and woman who were a few years older than him walked right towards him and stopped a few feet away. The one with the dog ears told him in a menacing tone and his girlfriend who was hugging his arm was smugly smiling at him. While tension rose as the onlookers wondered what would happen next, Ryner calmly stared at each of them with his sleepy-looking eyes for a few seconds. Then, he stepped to the side to let them pass.
“Obedient, aren’t ya?” [Boyfriend]
“Fufu, there’s no way he could fight you.” [Girlfriend]
After snickering at him, the two beastmen walked passed him and said a few words of ridicule to which Ryner didn’t react at all. He ignored their useless provocations and continued on his way.
“Maybe that blonde human woman is obedient too?” [Girlfriend]
“Yeah. She’d probably be real quiet and let you drag her to bed.” [Boyfriend]
“Jeez, don’t go cheating on me now~.” [Girlfriend]
“There’s no way I’d choose anyone over you.” [Boyfriend]
However, when the man with dog ears said that vulgar comment and laughed, Ryner stopped walking and turned his head to silently look at their retreating backs. Afterwards, he tilted his head and blinked twice.
“Wow, talking dogs.” [Ryner]
He muttered these few words in a casual tone and began walking again. But, his voice was loud enough for the couple to hear and they quickly stopped in their tracks.
“Huh? What did you just say?” [Boyfriend]
They were clearly angry and they approached Ryner in a fast pace. Although the boyfriend was talking to him, he didn’t respond.
“Hey, human, I’m talking to you!” [Boyfriend]
The man with dog ears grabbed Ryner’s shoulder and forcibly turned him towards them. The human with unkempt black hair lazily stared at the glaring beastman and his eyes slightly widened.
“The dog is talking again! Who knew I’d find these things in this city.” [Ryner]
An audible snapping sound could be heard by the crowd who was watching events unfold. They already took their distance and formed a circle around the three of them. The boyfriend who accosted Ryner to look cool in front of his girlfriend was grinding his teeth and his fists were shaking. The girlfriend was standing right behind him and her face was twisted by a displeased expression. These two were on the verge of exploding.
“Bastard, do you know you’re in Ofauvra, the capital city of the beastman kingdom, Ofauvra? If you keep insulting us like that, everyone here will tear you to pieces.” [Boyfriend]
The dogkin beastman threatened the human in a low voice that was almost a growl. Their faces were close enough that their nose almost touched and he stared at the annoying man right in the eye to intimidate him.
“Whoa, your breath stinks. Sorry doggy, I know you like me, but could you move your mug away from my face?” [Ryner]
Ryner took a step back and waved his hand in front of his face as if to fan away a bad odor. His action was followed by a moment of silence as the crowd and the hostile couple was frozen still. Then, unable to endure it any longer, the beastman with dog ears finally lashed out at him. He punched him in the stomach with his right fist and Ryner bent forward from the blow.
“Got anymore jokes you want to tell us? Huh?! Got anything else you want to sa-?!” [Boyfriend]
His challenging words were cut short by a hand that tightly held his face in place and kept his mouth shut. The speed was so fast and sudden that he and his girlfriend who were the closest didn’t even have time to react.
“You attacked first.” [Ryner]
A soft whisper reached his ears.
“Mmmmhh! Mhhhh!” [Boyrfriend]
Ryner, who was crouching forward because of the blow to the stomach, was now grabbing the attacker’s face with one hand that jumped forward like a snake. The pain of getting punched wasn’t visible on his face. It was impassive, bored even.
“So whatever happens next is in self-defense.” [Ryner]
The vice-like grip made him feel like his skull was getting crushed. The beastman was squirming and trying to pry him off of him, but he couldn’t break free. He exerted all his strength in his hands to pull away the human’s arm, but it didn’t do any good. While he was struggling, the index finger of his right hand was caught and forcibly bent backward. Once the crunching noise was heard, he let out a muffled scream of pain.
“H-honey! Let him go!” [Girlfriend]
His girlfriend that was stunned by the sudden turn of events, like the rest of the onlookers, snapped out of it and went to his help in panic. The moment she took a step forward, Ryner pushed her boyfriend towards her and, unable to dodge him, she let out a short scream and collided with him. The woman with fox ears fell on the ground with her sweetheart on top of her and the two groaned in pain.
“You know, these damn encounters are getting really tiring. You should at least put up a better fight. And can’t you think of more original lines to say? You’re a talking dog for crying out loud, a rare breed, I think, probably, I’m not sure, you may be just a mongrel.” [Ryner]
Ryner, ignoring the volatile atmosphere, complained to the boyfriend who was crushing his lover under his weight. He spoke quickly and mumbled to himself at the end as he crossed his arms and supported his chin with his hand. But, the two beastmen heard him clearly. The one with dog ears turned red from anger and scrambled to get to his feet while holding his right hand.
“I’m gonna KILL YOU, you bast-!” [Boyfriend]
He ignored the pain in his index finger that was bent backward and set up his left hand to punch him. Just as he was about to swing his fist at the human that was seemingly deep in thought, two men intervened. They tightly held his arms and shoulders to prevent him from doing anything else. Two more showed up and went to his girlfriend that was still lying on the ground. They helped her up and immobilized her too.
“That’s enough.” [Beastman]
“Hah?! Who are you?! Let go!” [Boyfriend]
They were part of the crowd and only watched from afar, but they finally decided to step up and stop the fight from getting worse.
“I’d listen to them if I were you. Otherwise, you might end up in jail.” [Ryner]
The four who stopped the fight looked at Ryner with surprised expressions, but they didn’t let go of the couple.
“Why are you helping the human?!” [Boyfriend]
“Yeah! He started it! Look at what he did to my sweetheart!” [Girlfriend]
“Nah, he started it. Everyone saw him punch me first and I was just defending myself.” [Ryner]
When Ryner said these words in response to the couple who was yelling in protest, one of the beastman stared at him wordlessly.
“You mean you let him hit you first.” [Beastman]
“I broke his finger, but that was just in self-defense. I was only protecting myself, so I did nothing wrong.” [Ryner]
“… You sly human.” [Beastman]
The beastman put on a wry smile and told his friends to take the couple away. He then helped a few others to disperse the crowd before talking with Ryner again.
“How did you know?” [Beastman]
That was the first thing he said and it was most likely on the minds of his men as well. He was referring to his comment about the boyfriend being sent to jail. He was sure that there was another meaning behind it, one aimed at his group.
“I noticed you guys following me since I left Myra Elkind’s house.” [Ryner]
Ryner plainly answered him while shrugging his shoulders. Hearing that his hunch was confirmed, the one that pretended to be an ordinary citizen sighed deeply.
“Besides, after the family of the prime minister got kidnapped, there’s no way they would only get six guards stationed at their home.” [Ryner]
“… You sharp human.” [Beastman soldier]
The young man stared at Ryner with slight admiration in his eyes. He and his team were dressed plainly like ordinary citizens, but they were all trained soldiers tasked with guarding Taniel Elkind’s family. There were six armored guards standing in front of the Elkinds’ residence, but they were a front while the majority of the security force was hiding among the crowd.
Besides protecting Myra and Snow, they were also ordered to keep an eye on Ryner and Evelyn. Since these two were humans, the king believed that this sort of commotion might happen. That was why they secretly tailed Ryner to stop any huge conflicts that could break out because of some of the citizens’ prejudice towards humans.
“Not all of your forces are here, right?” [Ryner]
If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
“Correct. Most of my team has been split up and are at the Elkind’s house and following Snow Elkind.” [Beastman soldier]
“So the ten of you guys following me are just a small force?” [Ryner]
“… You even know our numbers?” [Beastman soldier]
He stared at the human with a surprised expression.
“We’ve been told that you know how to protect yourself, so we’re only here to stop any big fights from occurring.” [Beastman soldier]
The two were speaking quietly so that no one would hear their conversation.
“That last fight could have been avoided. Why did you provoke him?” [Beastman soldier]
The guard asked him with a bit of an accusing stare.
“He hit me first, remember? So he started the fight.” [Ryner]
“Yes and everyone can attest to that, but that’s what you wanted. It would’ve been troubling for you if you started the fight, so you let him hit you on purpose with the crowd watching. That way you can blame it on him and say that you had to defend yourself. But relax. You’re not in any trouble. You are a guest here.” [Beastman soldier]
“Some people have a lousy way to receive their guests.” [Ryner]
“The last war with you humans left a bad impression that hasn’t been forgotten yet.” [Beastman soldier]
The soldier stared at the men and women that were walking in the street and going on about their daily lives. Some of his men were hiding among them and keeping their eyes on him and their target.
“Tell me, I know you baited him to fight you. You were already walking away, so why did you change your mind? Why the sudden wish to fight?” [Beastman soldier]
“No reason.” [Ryner]
Ryner shrugged his shoulders and slowly walked away. The guard in charge of observing him watched his departing back.
“I just felt like it.” [Ryner]
After that incident, nothing else happened and the sleepy-looking human peacefully toured the city. The guards tasked with watching him were following him from a distance and mixing with the crowd. They stuck to him like glue while keeping an eye out for any idiot that would show hostility to their guest.
In the end, after an hour of walking around, Ryner stopped at a park and sat on a bench beneath a tree. The spot was hidden in the shade created by the green leaves hanging on the branches and it felt pleasantly cool. He sat there and observed the peaceful scenery of children playing around while their parents were supervising them.
Then, he looked down and stared at the palm of his right hand. He lightly flexed his fingers and formed a fist before straightening his fingers and closing them again. He repeated this action a few times as he wordlessly stared at his hand.
“(This is my body.)” [Ryner]
The man with the white eye held his right hand with his left and traced the faint scars on his palm and fingers with his thumb. However, they were more like birthmarks than scars since he created his current form based on his first body. Everything looked exactly the same. Not a single scar was missing or out of place.
“(I exist here.)” [Ryner]
His hair, his eyes, his face, his figure, his strength and his speed were all perfectly copied. A few convenient changes were made such as his body being in perfect health, but he did his best to keep it just the way it was. He tried not to change it as much as possible since it helped to mitigate the feeling lingering inside him.
“(I am, Ryner.)” [Ryner]
The feeling of forgetting who he was.
“Hey, that’s my spot.” [Boy]
Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by a boy with cat ears. He was standing in front of Ryner and glaring at him reproachfully. Next to him was a girl that had rabbit ears and behind these two was more kids of their age. All of them seemed to be seven years old only, but while everyone kept their distance from the human, they bravely faced him.
“That’s where I sit with Lyrie and my friends when we come here to play.” [Boy]
“It’s our spot. Give it back.” [Lyrie]
“Yeah! Give it back!” [Kid]
“It’s ours!” [Kid]
The boy said as he pointed at the bench that Ryner was occupying and the girl nodded to his words. The other kids also voiced out their demands as they raised their arms in the air.
“It doesn’t have your name on it, so it’s not yours.” [Ryner]
“It’s not yours either, so give it to us.” [Boy]
“I don’t want to. Go play somewhere else, kid.” [Ryner]
“No! Get off!” [Boy]
“Yeah! Get off!” [Lyrie]
“It’s ours!” [Kid]
“Stupid!” [Kid]
Ryner waved his hand at them to shoo them away, but this caused them to throw a tantrum.
“You kids are annoying! Mothers! The mothers of these kids! Come and get them already!” [Ryner]
Wanting them to leave as quickly as possible, he put his hands on both sides of his mouth and shouted to the surroundings. The cat-eared boy took this chance to kick him on the shin.
“Ouch! Don’t kick me, you brat!” [Ryner]
In retaliation, the black-haired man flicked his forehead and the boy whose head jerked back from the blow instantly became teary-eyed.
“U-uhh…” [Boy]
“Kiku! Are you ok?!” [Lyrie]
The girl and his friends panicked and crowded around him. Those that were watching from afar were talking to each other in outrage since the human hit a child. The guards in disguise were wondering if they should intervene over a forehead flick and got ready to jump in before a huge commotion began.
The mothers and fathers of the children hurriedly moved towards them with some of them holding a baby in their arms of dragging their small child by the hand. The moment they took their eyes off of their little ones, they were already picking a fight with the human that was a guest of the city. But, before they could reach their kids, the situation became more chaotic.
“You gonna cry over that? You sure are a tough guy, you know that?” [Ryner]
Ryner’s voice was full of sarcasm and it greatly infuriated the boy named Kiku. He bit his lips and did his best to suppress his sobs as he defiantly glared at the human.
“Shut up! Don’t bully Kiku!” [Lyrie]
However, while he was trying to hold back his tears, his friend, Lyrie, got mad and attacked the man that was more than two times her size. Displaying great agility, she jumped on the bench and latched onto his head.
“Hey! Get off!” [Ryner]
Ryner got up and proceeded to pull her off of him, but she squirmed around and moved to the back of his head. Her legs were on his shoulders and her arms were hugging his skull.
“NO! Take this!” [Lyrie]
“Ouch! Stop hitting my head, damn it!” [Ryner]
“Guys! Follow Lyrie!” [Kid]
“ATTACK!” [Kid]
“For Kiku!” [Kid]
“For our spot!” [Kid]
One by one, the members of the group closed in on their enemy and climbed onto his body.
“Lyrie, everyone… *Sniff* Uwaaaah!” [Kiku]
Moved by his friends’ courage, Kiku let out a cry and charged in as well. He wrapped his arms around his leg which hindered his movements.
“What-hey! Stop it! You brats get off!” [Ryner]
Completely covered in little boys and little girls like a tree being climbed on by ants, Ryner, who was tumbling about, lost his balance and fell forward. The young beastmen, who were hanging on the front of his body, scrambled away like baby spiders to not get squashed. Then, they rapidly returned to the fight and jumped on his back, forming a pile with the human at the bottom.
“Win!” [Kid]
“Alright!” [Kid]
“We did it!” [Kid]
“Yaaay!” [Kid]
“Way to go, leader!” [Kid]
While on top of him, the rowdy kids happily congratulated each other and were being noisy with a smile on their faces.
“Ugh! Get off already, you bunny-eared brat!” [Ryner]
Lying face-down, Ryner yelled to the girl that was sitting on the nape of his neck which prompted her to shake her head.
“NO!” [Lyrie]
“And this is cheating!” [Ryner]
“No~, it’s not!” [Kid]
“It’s your fault for being mean!” [Kid]
“That’s right! You were mean to Kiku!” [Kid]
“You meanie!” [Kid]
The chorus of voices drowned out Ryner’s complaints. The people who were watching the pile of children crushing the human weren’t sure how to react. It looked like they were fighting, but it also looked like they were playing. The little ones weren’t crying and were instead laughing as they loudly argued with their so-called enemy.
In fact, the parents who tried to pull their kids away from the pile received cries of protest. The children would struggle in their mother or father’s arms and tell them to let them play like a spoiled child.
“Sir, what should we do about this?” [Beastman soldier]
The guards who were spread out and were observing Ryner were waiting for their leader’s orders. It wasn’t exactly a violent disturbance like what happened earlier, but they figured with kids involved, someone may do something rash.
“Just keep an eye on things.” [Beastman soldier]
“Are you sure? What if the human hurts a child?” [Beastman soldier]
“Do you think that human would lose to a bunch of kids?” [Beastman soldier]
“Well, judging from how he handled that man in the street, no, I don’t.” [Beastman soldier]
“And yet he’s been overpowered by a handful of seven, eight years olds.” [Beastman soldier]
The beastman that acted as the leader of their unit crossed his arms and jerked his chin in the direction of their observation target. Under a pile of children that had various animal characteristics, Ryner was squirming about as parents tried to convince their kids to stop.
“He’s just playing around. We’ll stand by for now.” [Beastman soldier]