Beastkin

Tang Qi opened his bleary eyes and vaguely saw dust motes dancing in the air.

Besides the scent of dry hay from the straw beneath the bed, the air carried the fresh fragrance of rain-soaked grass—

Mixed with the pungent stench of horse manure from the road.

He felt neither happy nor sad.

Pushing open the window, he saw the blazing sun high overhead and realized it was far from morning.

He shook his groggy head, changed into dry clothes, picked up the razor Anbi had brought over last night, and headed for the backyard of the Golden Oak.

As an inn, it remained open for business during the day.

Yet he saw hardly anyone along the way. It was far quieter than the night before.

Using the rainwater collected in a wooden bucket, he carefully shaved off his thick beard, making sure not to cut himself.

"You woke up late, Poet."

Following the voice, he saw Catherine had just closed the door to the wine cellar.

A warm breeze drifted past.

It bathed the oak tree at the center of the sunlit courtyard in a golden hue.

Its branches swayed in the wind, its leaves showing translucent veins as they rustled brilliantly.

Her hair, too, scattered amid that gold, tinged with a fiery blush of red.

Tang Qi considered himself fairly outstanding among ordinary people.

But compared to someone as striking as Catherine, the kind of beauty one could spot at a glance in a crowd, he still fell far short.

"Perhaps I dreamed of a lady, and that made me unwilling to wake up?"

Tang Qi handed the razor back to her.

"I'd rather not have you say next that you dreamed of me—no one here needs this. Keep it." She was quite generous.

If no one needed it, why did it exist?

Tang Qi dared not think too deeply about where the razor had been used before.

Perhaps there was a reason no one wanted it.

He merely took advantage of the momentary lull to make his request.

"I'd like to work at the tavern later..."

"No rush."

Catherine shook her head. She clearly had something more pressing on her mind.

"You don't have anything to do right now, do you?

Could you help me find Anbi? The child from yesterday.

Early this morning, she said she was returning something a guest had left behind, but she still hasn't come back. I'm worried about her."

"Maybe she went off to play somewhere and lost track of time?"

"No."

Catherine clenched her teeth, as if there were something she could not bring herself to say.

"She... wouldn't wander around town for long, and she has no friends."

"I thought she wasn't the withdrawn sort."

"Anyway, could you help? I still have to prepare for the Harvest Festival later, so I can't get away—I'll treat you to a meal."

"I don't seem to have any reason to refuse."

It hardly counted as a task, and Tang Qi intended to stay here for the time being. This was a good opportunity to familiarize himself with the town.

He quickly washed his face.

"Which way did she go?"

"Follow the path in front of the tavern straight ahead. At the end is the church. Father Lynn is usually there."

Tang Qi raised his brows. "Priests drink too?"

"Star Plum and wine are this town's specialties, and Gullagas blesses every drop of good wine so joy may endure."

The academy textbooks recorded this god.

They had once recorded His traces as well, but now only a name and a Holy Emblem remained.

As Tang Qi remembered it, miracles had become rare across the continent, as though the gods were preparing to forget this place.

Yet faith passed from mouth to mouth still supported people as they lived on.

History books faded, but words could still be passed down through interruptions, even if they occasionally changed in the process.

That was why some beliefs had not yet vanished completely.

The Tyron Empire funded the Poet Academy in hopes of preserving the Empire's glory through similar means.

"I bet He has a huge belly."

"Father Lynn? Not at all. Whenever he sobers up, he runs around the town for an hour so he can taste more good wine in his lifetime."

"Then I'll go look for her first."

"If anything happens, please let me know immediately."

It was clear Catherine seemed to be deliberately concealing something, which was why she was so worried about Anbi.

If she did not bring it up herself, she did not wish to speak of it. Tang Qi had no need to pry.

After grabbing a simple bite in the kitchen, he set off down the road toward its end.

Last night's rain had not fully evaporated. The air was damp and faintly cool.

As he stepped through the potholes in the country road, splashes of mud soon covered his boots.

The houses on both sides of the road were unevenly arranged, but each had its own small yard.

Fences pressed close to berry bushes. Tang Qi saw many households carrying fruit baskets and plucking Star Plums from the branches one by one.

In the shade, the berries still glimmered faintly like starlight.

After asking around, he suddenly realized that the points of light he had seen last night had all come from these Star Plums.

The summer Harvest Festival belonged exclusively to Star Plum Town.

Before the festival arrived, the residents harvested the year's crop, dyed cloth with the pressed juice, and hung it together with the fruit pulp outside their doors.

Anyone could take some freely. If they liked the flavor, they would add a stroke of graffiti to the cloth, eventually creating a one-of-a-kind pattern.

Whichever household had the flashiest pattern and the greatest variety of designs would become that year's Shining Star.

The title did not mean much, because Lord Mel became the Shining Star every year—

After all, his Orchard possessed the finest geological conditions.

He had even hired an artist who traveled to town with the merchant caravans every year to paint the pattern for him, ensuring the title would not change hands.

Nobles cared most about such appearances.

The other farmers could not be bothered to complain.

It was only a festive celebration. Why take it so seriously?

Tang Qi enjoyed the atmosphere of the approaching festival. Perhaps he could write a travelogue afterward, provided it would not be classified as "history."

Most bards died on their travels due to their weakness, leaving very few travelogues introducing local customs and landscapes.

But with that journal to help him, now that he had gained strength, perhaps he was qualified to be a little more unconventional.

Still, if "recording stories" meant he needed to truly take part in them, then he would probably have to deliberately put himself in danger later on...

Lost in thought, he had unknowingly reached the center of town.

Star Plum Town was a village town of just over three hundred people. One could circle the entire place in no time.

Several paths converged at its center, forming an open space that was usually the most crowded part of town.

If someone committed a crime, the village officials would generally bring them here and list their offenses so more people could know of their wrongdoing.

Just like now—

Idle residents crowded before the execution platform, staring in disgust at the little girl bound atop it in a heavy cangue.

The girl had white hair and somewhat strange features: sharp eyes, vertical pupils, and skin far paler than any child from a village town should have.

The ears atop her head resembled those of a wolf or fox, covered in snow-white fur and trembling from fear.

Like a startled... wolf cub?

Standing beside her was someone Tang Qi knew.

The mustachioed mercenary called Jackal, clad in chainmail.

Holding a longsword, he loudly enumerated the girl's crimes while constantly brandishing the blade as though showing off.

"This person not only destroyed the Star Plums belonging to David's family, ruining the fruits of their year-long labor.

She even entertained wicked thoughts and used those cursed hands of hers to steal Lord Mel's fruit!

With the Harvest Festival approaching and the merchant caravan from Dragon Gold City soon to arrive, the Star Plum harvest is a full fifth less than in previous years!

What a vicious heart you have. You clearly intended to ruin the joy of the festival and make Lord Mel hold us accountable—

Tell us where you hid the stolen goods, and I may yet deal with you leniently!"

The girl tried to struggle, but the heavy cangue fixed her firmly in place.

Stared at by so many burning eyes, she felt utterly humiliated and was nearly hysterical.

"I didn't steal anything!"

Tang Qi recognized the owner of that voice.

No wonder Anbi had covered herself so completely.

No wonder she said no one liked her.

No wonder she had not been able to return home.

Her appearance should have counted as...

Beastkin?