Chapter 23 - Laili?

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Before Rei could respond to Kazuki's comment, footsteps echoed in the distance, near the trees surrounding the merchant's cart.

The dry leaves on the ground began to crackle, the sound intensifying as something - or someone - stepped on them.

The present night only heightened the awareness of those nearby, making them double their guard upon sensing something unusual.

— Did you hear that? — Kazuki asked, his gaze drifting, fixed on the trees around them.

With his eyes in the same direction, Rei responded moments later: — Yeah… something's off.

The student considered the possibility of animals or creatures approaching, attracted by the smell of meat or the glow of the fire. Given the circumstances, such a conclusion was reasonable.

Observing the surroundings, Rei thought for a moment about how eerie and unsettling the forest was at night.

Every time the wind swept through the vegetation, the rustling of leaves and branches sounded like countless voices whispering in unison. Similar to the bamboo, the wind caused the stems to bend, producing sharp, sudden creaks.

Beyond that, the rest of the place was cold, teeming with insects, and dimly lit by the moon and stars above.

Were it not for the campfire illuminating the area and keeping the bugs,— and possibly some snakes away, they would certainly be in trouble.

At that moment, a loud voice echoed from the trees, slicing through the air and drawing everyone's attention.

— Excuse me.

— We've been watching for a while... and... I was wondering if we could join you?

The hoarse female voice sounded almost pleading, and even though she was far away, her words were still clear.

Rei exchanged glances with Kazuki and nodded before answering with another question: — Why don't you come forward and ask directly? Are you afraid that we might do something?

Before she could answer, the woman coughed heavily and struggled to catch her breath.

— I-It's not like that… I apologize for my inappropriate behavior. We'll come closer.

After a brief pause, the silhouettes of four figures emerged from the forest. They moved carefully, stepping over roots and weaving between the trees until they reached the fire's glow.

The light revealed their full appearance, —four beastmen.

Their clothing was in horrible condition, torn and tattered, with visible wounds, dried blood, and claw marks running from their chests down.

"How the hell did they manage to walk here in this condition? Even with the fire, we're freezing..."

Surprise and doubt flooded Rei's mind as he tried to make sense of what he was seeing.

"They're probably in the same situation as us, — forced to flee their village and take refuge in the forest, or something like that."

— Well, I'll ask again: Could we join you? — The woman took the lead again, questioning them with a cautious look.

Her rough, strained voice gave the impression that it reflected her personality.

— Yeah, make yourselves at home. — Kazuki replied immediately, although his expression remained uneasy.

— Thank you, we're eternally grateful! — Satisfied with the answer, she smiled and sat down together with her companions around the fire.

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Moments later, now settled, the woman who had hesitated before finally spoke.

— I hope it's not too much to ask, but... could you share some food? We've been walking for a while now and have been unable to find anything but fruit and edible plants.

With a deep sigh, his mind full of thoughts, Rei realized that there was still plenty of meat on the bench.

— Is that so? Alright, no problem.

— Eat as much as you want, there's plenty of meat on that bench. — He pointed toward it. — You just need to grill it over the fire, it's still burning.

Hearing the boy's words, they simply nodded in gratitude and bowed briefly before getting up and walking over to the bench to cook their meal.

...

As the atmosphere grew quieter, the beastman took the opportunity to break the tension.

— What's your name? — Kazuki directed his question at the woman who was still sitting close to them.

Her light brown hair was tied into a long ponytail, and her pale skin accentuated her features—she appeared to be around 25 to 27 years old.

Her clothes were partially torn, and from the waist down everything was blackened as if burned, — so much so that it looked like it would crumble at the slightest touch.

Fixing her green eyes on the fire, she stretched out her hands towards the warmth before shifting her gaze to Kazuki and Rei.

— My name is Laili. I apologize for what we did... coming here and asking for food without even introducing ourselves.

— Don't worry, everything is a mess right now. — Kazuki reassured her.

— Yeah... I... I'm really sorry for bothering you, but we didn't know what else to do. - Laili mumbled and stared at her pale hands.

— It's only natural to feel like that in a situation like this. Are you from a nearby village?

— Your clothes are completely burned and torn, covered with claw marks... Did you have to fight a demon? Like a demogorgon for example? — Kazuki asked.

Hearing the question, the woman folded her hands over her elbows. After a few moments of thought, she answered hesitantly.

— Well... unfortunately, we had the misfortune to run into something like that. I couldn't believe my eyes! I thought I was dead, that everything that was happening was some kind of divine punishment... or maybe even hell itself!

— Things got out of control so fast... If it wasn't for some refugees who were with us, we'd all be dead.