Chapter 1 Kaito saves young Feline Girl

It has been over 2 decades, ever since I’ve established myself as an adventurer.

Despite the adventurer's alias, “those who chase dream eternally”, the actual term of active service is relatively short. What do you expect, your selling your body for the work. As an adventurer you go subjugating, demons or bandits, searching for treasures in the dungeon. These kind of dangerous jobs, where you can lose your life anytime, becomes difficult as you age.

Successful ones are those who saved their earning in their early days and enters an early retirement. Those who couldn’t, would live paycheck to paycheck, risking their lives everyday for their entire life.

Of course, me, who’s still an adventurer at 35, is the latter of the two. After twenty years of being an adventurer, I’m still ranked D, a rank 2nd from the bottom. Even if I were to search through my entire belonging, I won’t even find enough money to retire.

At this point of time, I just can’t find a new job, and there is no place for me in my hometown located in the countryside.  In the first place, I became an adventurer because I couldn’t inherit the farming land in regards to the fact that I’m a second oldest son of the house.

To be frank, I’m at a point of time, where I live only to age.

But, nothing could be done being whiny. Plus, as long as you live to my fullest, sometimes a good thing may happen.

†

“According to the appraisal result, this Magic Stone is worth 30 Gold Coin”

Reception lady at Adventurer guild smiled as she said so. My fist sized red magic stone laid on the counter. Magic Stone is a crystalized mana born out of dead magical beasts. It is most found in the places like dungeons with high mana concentration, and is used as a catalyst for magic and alchemy.

These stones are an important pay out for me who don’t have as much stamina as I used to. That’s why I’m used to collecting and cashing it but….

“30 Gold Coins!?”

I shouted unconsciously due to the surprising price named by the guild. Yeah, to a certain extent, this rock is relatively bigger, and the colour is beautiful. However, for it to get a 30 gold coin appraisal...is extraordinary.

“Right..Was it not to your liking? But, according to today’s rate….”

“No, I’m very satisfied! Please cash it out immediately!”

As I consented on the trade, receptionist girl smiled and nodded and brought out the gold coins and leather bag.

“This is the money for purchasing the item. Please receive it”

The leather bag that I received, were scarily heavy. It’s my first time in my entire life to hold onto a leather bag filled with gold coin. Usually I only receive at most 3 silver coins for the entire day of work. With the current rate of coin price, thirty silver is roughly equal to one gold, so to think I’ve earned 300 times the usual earning in a day, is astounding.

(This is amazing, the happiness is making my heart pound rapidly)

With 30 gold coins, I would be able to buy and replace these shabby sword, shield and even my leather armour. Equipment to an adventurer is a life line. I was always feeling uneasy, but with this I can finally feel at rest. Even after buying all that, I will still have enough to live for half a year without having to work.

I truly is a gift sent from heaven.

(Thank you God!)

†

I left for the pub as I hopped out of the Adventurer’s guild. It wouldn’t be so bad to celebrate the day with great feast and drink for a celebratory day like this. While I was walking with warm bosom and great feeling, some stranger blocked the way, out of nowhere.

“Oh? Do you have any business with me?”

It was a young girl wearing hood, hiding her entirely of head. Her slanted eyes gave her a rather cute build. But, she ain’t a human. Her hood has a bump, seemingly from her beastly ears. Beast man… I knew instantly that she was a feline girl from her cat like facial feature.

“What is it? I won’t know what's up with you being quiet like that”

“Um, that….”

“Ou”

“I, I hope you can spare me some money? ”

“Tch, I knew it was just some beggar. If you want some money, go ask someone who actually look like they have money. Now, stop blocking the road”

“Pl, Please wait!!”

The young girl pulled  my hand that was trying to move her. This made me nearly fall as i lost balance, and made me irritated.

“What the hell are you doing! Take your hands off me!”

“I, I’m sorry! But, I really need the money!”

“Ha? So what?”

“Please I beg you! I will do anything!”

Saying so, the young girl tried pressing her breast onto the hand that she took ahold of. I felt my heart pound for the soft feeling, but pushed it off instantly.

“Stop it! A brat like you shouldn’t be doing that!”

“I, I’m sorry….but I can’t do anything else”

The girl became teary eyed as I scolded her. It made me feel uncomfortable to see, her pitiful appearance.

“...Ha. I don’t really get it, but just don’t sell you body. You will just catch some disease and die early. If your beast man just go back to the forest and live there.”

“...Even if we go back to the forest, there is no longer a place for us to live. It’s because, every land is managed by the humans. So we are just going to be driven out”

I exclaimed foolishly to her answer.

Right, I forgot. Since the new king rose to power last year, a large scale business cultivation began, so the beastman who were living in the forest lost their habitat. Even those forests that is yet to be developed, are managed by the country’s administration as they are considered the country’s territory. Even the small locations that are still left are a place utilized by the adventurers as a place to hunt and extract resources, so not a suitable place to live in. There is no longer a place for these beastmen to live like they used to.

“...how much do you need?”

I asked without giving it much thought. The girl showed a surprised expression and looked at me in upturned eyes.

“...Thirty Gold coin”

“Thirty Gold Coin!? Why do you need so much!?”

“I, I’m sorry! I don’t really understand the human’s money...”

“Even then, thirty gold coin is impossible. Till now no one has ever complained to you?”

“This is my first time selling my body….”

“I see. At this town’s rate, around 3 silver for a night is about right.”

“...3 silver for one night”

The young girl repeated my words in low voice, as if to memorie it.

“Th, then, how many days should I work to earn 30 gold coin?”

“You really put some great emphasis on that 30 gold coin. Well,  around 300 days I might say. Oh well, if you count in the days you can’t work due to circumstances than, around a year would be right.”

“One year!? No! Than it will be too late!”

To her flustered appearance, I might’ve understood something.

“It seems like there is some sort of reason for that 30 gold coins. If your fine with it, tell me about it”

“....The truth is, I have a younger sister who is sick. We asked the doctor of this town to look at her, and he told me she only have 6 months. That I needed 30 gold coins in order to heal her...”

The young girl’s shirt were dripped tears by the time she came to her last sentence. It's not abnormal for her to cry, when her sister is on verge of death and were told that it was practically impossible to save her life.

However, most likely, 30 gold coin is not an actual price. It's probably that doctor named the price because she is a beast man.

This kind of discrimination is happening all over as if it was a normality. Rather, the fact that the doctor did the examination, in itself can be considered a great charity.

I felt pity for them. Coupled with the fact that it was us humans who drove them to their current situation. And right now, I have 30 gold coins in my hand. Some part of me doubts that this is way too well done to be real. Especially since, I even shouted the fact that I acquired the 30 gold coins. It's rational to think that she who heard of it, is trying to scam me out.

But, even if that was the case I think it would be fine. Even if this was supposedly a scam, we humans are the ones who drove them to this point. I’m fine even if she didn’t have a sick younger sister, in the end it's better for her to keep the money. That’s why, I gave the leather bag with golds inside to her.

“Receive it well brat, there is exactly 30 gold coins inside”

“......eh? Eh!? Why!?”

“I’m just feeling generous today. See ya”

I decided to leave, as I left behind the surprised young girl. The young girl tried to chase after me but, as I enter the main road, she could only try and stop me through her voice as crowd surround us.

“Wa, wait! I, I haven’t done anything!”

Right, I didn’t ask her to do anything. But, we did. We took away your only place you could call home. That’s why this is how it should be. No more, no less.

“I will definitely return this debt! At least tell me your name!”

I waved back to her shout, while I accelerated my steps.

“M, My, My name is Sena! Um, Thank you very much!”

Sena, I see. Nothing’s wrong with me remembering her name. I have done nothing to warrant her gratitude. But, I felt my shoulder becoming lighter. That’s why, even thought I lost the money, I still went to the tavern. The really cooled Ale and a resin filled meat cuisine, is a great combination.