Goodbyes are Just a Part of Life

(What happened…)

Serge wondered. Something had happened. There was no mistaking that. However, he couldn't figure out what exactly that something was.

Right now, their group was heading toward Maal's hometown.

Thinking about the parting that would soon come, Serge felt a little lonely.

But as though to compensate for that loneliness, Shizuna was being kind.

She even watched Maal and Ria snuggling together with eyes like a mother's.

Specifically, her prickly attitude toward Ria had disappeared.

Her forced roughness was gone, and she even seemed feminine now.

What had happened in such a short time?

Had she truly reflected on her behavior at the ogre village? It was like she had become a different person.

"I think it's a good trend though?"

Lulu said that, and he certainly agreed.

Shizuna seemed to have grown as a person. There was a composure about her now.

He wanted to consult others about it, but Carlos had no interest in human women, and Gig was still a child when it came to such subtleties. Asking Irina would have been pointless.

So he just mulled it over alone.

Then one day, on the evening before they would arrive at Maal's hometown, it happened.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Ria called out to him, so he followed her a short distance from the group into the woods.

"You're a man, right?"

She asked something obvious, in Japanese.

"Do I look like a woman to you? I've been a man from my previous life until now."

Mm, Ria nodded.

"If you're a man, you can keep a secret, right?"

"I'm actually pretty chatty, but if you tell me not to say anything, I'll absolutely keep it."

Mm, Ria nodded again.

"We're comrades who have entrusted our lives to each other. We're best friends, right?"

"You're being persistent."

The fact that they were speaking in Japanese from the start already suggested he was about to be told an incredible secret.

"This is absolutely a secret. Actually, I slept with Shizuna at the ogre village."

Huh?

"I-I thought Valis mentioned that, but—"

"W-wait. Wait a moment. By sleep, you mean, um, that—"

He swallowed his saliva.

"H-how did you do it?"

"Ah～, well, you see…"

It was hard to explain. Serge had heard everything Valis said too.

"I thought if I actually tried doing it, I might turn back into a man, but…"

Since she couldn't turn back, she used her previous life's knowledge to pleasure Shizuna as a woman while still being a woman herself.

Ria confessed.

"You're the worst."

For the first time, Serge looked down on Ria. With the fastidiousness unique to a virgin.

"No, but, she was so cute that I couldn't help myself…"

There's also a saying about how it's a man's shame to refuse a feast laid before him.

Hearing the whole story, Serge came to accept it. He had no choice but to.

Honestly, to be frank, he was envious.

"So you entered the Shizuna route?"

This wasn't a game, so getting together didn't mean it would end there.

In reality, you can't just have sex and then live happily ever after!

"But now I really don't know how to turn back into a man…"

Is there anything you can think of? Ria consulted him, but if even the Divine Dragon-sama couldn't answer that, there was no way Serge could.

In the end, Serge was just an otaku virgin who happened to have a bit of knowledge.

"Well, now I understand. Shizuna's seemed incredibly happy lately."

That would be good then, Ria said, folding her arms.

Ria was a person of common sense. She just happened to casually surpass common sense; she properly understood what common sense was.

Thinking about the world's common sense, it was natural for a man and woman to be together. There were the eyes of others to consider, and they couldn't have children.

She didn't care how she herself was seen, since that was just her own problem. But it was different when there was a partner involved.

She wanted to make Shizuna happy. That's what she felt.

If Shizuna ever chose another man…

She might lose herself to rage like a father, like Vargas.

"Well, Shizuna calming down is a good thing. Maal will be leaving soon, after all."

At those words, Ria visibly sank into depression.

Yes, their group would arrive at Maal's hometown tomorrow.

They would part ways with Maal there. She hoped Maal would live peacefully and happily from now on.

She felt lonely, but Ria wished strongly for that.

The beastkin village was supported primarily by hunting.

When Ria's group arrived at midday, a good number of people were in the village.

The village went into an uproar when they saw a group that had a hellhound with them, but that lasted only until Maal showed herself from the wagon.

Calling out the names of people she knew, Maal ran into the crowd of villagers.

Before long, beastkin with the same fur as Maal came running from deeper in the village.

The male and female were probably her parents. The smaller beastkin must be her siblings.

Oh, they were hurrying too much. They might fall.

"Maal!"

The beastkin who appeared to be her mother embraced Maal tightly.

Other beastkin gathered around Maal as well, and she was mobbed by them.

It was a fluffy, fuzzy kingdom.

Welcome home, Maal.

Good for you.

That day, Maal returned to her family home for the first time in a long while, and Ria's group stayed at the village chief's house.

There, she spoke of the grand alliance that would include the ogres and beastkin.

"That's rather sudden, and hard to believe…"

The white-bearded cat beastkin said carefully.

"Yeah, I understand."

Ria nodded as well. No matter how grateful they were to the person who had rescued one of their village's children from slave hunters, they wouldn't trust a human so easily.

But they were grateful. That was precisely why they had provided this lodging.

"Please spread the word to the villages around here. Before long, a formal envoy should come from the ogre village."

This wasn't a demand to submit to their rule.

It was a request to fight together.

"The villages in this area are all furious about Cordova's slave hunting."

If Cordova subjugated a human village, they could pay taxes in exchange for protection. But it was different for beastkin.

Cordova was a nation of human supremacists. By looking down on everything non-human, they deflected domestic discontent.

Heavy taxes, harsh labor, but nevertheless, the country was unified under the king through its laws.

It was inhumane, but powerful. That was Cordova.

Ria told them that her group would be visiting the dwarf settlement next.

The dwarf race was skilled with their hands, but above all they were a warrior race renowned for smithing.

Their physical toughness rivaled or even surpassed the ogres'. However, they too lacked the mindset to build large territorial nations.

"Seeking their cooperation will be difficult…"

"But if I can make the dwarves our allies, I want the beastkin to make up their minds as well."

The village chief thought for a while, but eventually nodded firmly.

"If you can make those stubborn dwarves your allies, we beastkin will be able to unite as one as well."

"After that, I plan to go to Manesh. Among human nations, they're the main ones opposing Cordova."

Above all, the Dragonslayer was there.

The wicked dragon that once attacked the nation's capital and killed twenty percent of its citizens with a single breath.

Five heroes opposed it. And three of them survived.

The princess who survived became the current queen, the [Dragon-Eyed Queen] Guinevere Sarion Manesh.

The one who pierced the wicked dragon's heart and delivered the final blow, the [Silver Holy Knight] Carla Raparb Uslan.

The mage of unknown origin and unknown whereabouts, the nameless [Nanashi] Gonbe.

She'd heard the stories, and she definitely wanted to meet them. If possible, she wanted to fight them.

If she met Gonbe, she would probably point at him with full force and declare "You're a reincarnator, aren't you!"

"Manesh is also tolerant toward beastkin."

They were definitely a power she wanted on their side.

The next morning, Maal stood before Ria's group as they were about to leave the village.

Maal in traveling attire stood there.

"Thirteen years old is already a full adult for beastkin, and I want to go with Ria-chan. Can't I?"

"Of course you can!"

Ria practically tackled Maal in a hug, lifted her up, and started spinning around.

"Of course! Absolutely of course!"

She kept spinning until Maal's eyes were swirling, and only after setting her down did she finally calm down and speak.

"But you should spend a little more time with your parents and siblings. We'll stop by on our way back from the dwarf settlement anyway."

That was a welcome proposal for Maal's family as well.

Their eldest daughter they thought they had lost had returned alive. Just that was certainly a joy, but she was saying she would set off on a journey again.

It was to repay a debt, and more than anything, they wanted to respect their daughter's feelings of wanting to be with them.

But they wanted to be together just a little longer, after all.

"Maal-chan, are you staying?"

Irina said sadly. She had been the most attached to Maal.

So Ria made another proposal. To have Irina stay as well, to learn the common knowledge of this world.

After all, it had been nothing but traveling, so there hadn't been any opportunity to settle down and teach her things.

"Onee-chan and Maal-chan, which should I choose…"

That was the question.

Though it was rare for Irina to think so hard, Ria decided to leave Irina behind.

In truth, Maal had been the one looking after her the most all this time, and there was a high chance they would be spending a lot of time on political discussions at the dwarf settlement they were heading to.

"Alright, let's go."

"Take care."

The two waved at them, and they waved back as the group departed from the beastkin village.

That this decision was absolutely the right one would become clear a little later.

They say that goodbyes are just a part of life.

But without meetings, there can be no goodbyes either.

And you may meet again those you have parted with.

Filling her heart with a little loneliness and anticipation of reunion, Ria continued her journey.