The Beastkin Adelia

"Umm, well, so… nice to meet you. I'm Naoto Akai. This is Kazami-san, Kanan Kazami. And you're… Adelia, right? The Beastkin. The Nekomata."

"…"

Adelia was the only one left now. A beautiful girl who looked almost entirely human, save for the cat ears on her head. Her reddish-brown hair, like the coat of a tabby cat, was undeniably adorable.

Her body looked like a person wearing a fur leotard. The fur might actually have been her body hair, but it gave the impression of a leotard either way.

"…"

Adelia was eyeing me suspiciously.

"Umm, well, the thing is, we just got here from another world, and we don't know anything about this one… So if you could, I'd like you to teach us about it. I'd like you to guide us. Would that be okay?"

That's how I put it.

"… What a strange Master, nya. If you're a Master, you should just give orders, nya. Adelia is a slave, so I can't disobey orders, nya. In the middle of battle, even a tiny bit of resistance is enough to throw things off, but otherwise, if you just keep repeating the order until I obey, I won't be able to refuse in the end, nya. That's how every Master before you did it, nya."

She glared at me with that suspicious look.

"… I don't really get this whole slave thing. If there's something you don't want to do, you don't have to do it… It's just, you're really strong, so I'd like you to help us. Which means I can't exactly let you go free, but… Aside from that, you can do whatever you like."

That was my answer.

"… Adelia, strong, nya?"

"Yeah, you were really strong. The only reason we won was sheer luck. The fact that you defied Reichhardt on a whim at the start really saved us. Thank you."

I bowed my head as I said it.

"Funya… when you say it like that, I get embarrassed, nya."

Adelia's mood was clearly improving.

"… Wh-what was that? The only reason we won was because of how I fought… I-it's not like I want to be praised for being strong, not at all… But still, talking to her like that…"

For some reason, Kazami-san seemed to be the one getting grumpy instead. Still, right now, Adelia was what mattered.

"… Got it, nya. I'll protect you weaklings, nya. The great Adelia-sama will look after you, nya. In return, you can't slack on the morning and evening brushings, nya. And meals had better be high-grade neko-manma, nya."

"… Uhh, the meals will have to wait until we've got some income, but once that's sorted, sure. I promise. The brushing's no problem at all."

"… You're a good Master, nya! Goshujin-sama! Adelia will do her best, nya!"

… Looks like she's taken a liking to me… Isn't this what they call a pushover? No, no, that's rude. It's more like my sincerity got through to her.

"Then let's brush right away, nya. If you say it was thanks to Adelia that we won, you have to show your gratitude, nya."

"… Hahaha. Yeah, yeah. Though I don't have a comb, so it'll just have to be my fingers…"

I gently rested my hand on Adelia's head, then started running my fingers through her soft hair.

… The kind of silky, soft hair that made you wonder whether it even needed brushing. This was better for me than for her, honestly…

"Funya, funyaaaa… Goshujin-sama… it feels so good, nya…"

Her ears, too. Was it okay to touch them? As long as I was careful not to hurt her…

"Funya… afu. M-my ears…"

"D-does it hurt…?"

"I-it doesn't hurt, nya… It just kinda tickles, nya. G-gently… please, nyaa…"

"O-okay…"

Stroke, stroke. Whoa, they twitch, and it's kind of cute.

Sure enough, the spots where a human's ears would be didn't have any. Hair grew there and covered the area over.

I see. Even on a human-shaped person built this way, it didn't really feel out of place.

Beastkin, huh… interesting.

"Funyaa…"

Adelia, looking blissed out, let out a low purr from her throat.

"…"

Kazami-san was glaring at me like I was beneath contempt… For now, I'd just have to ignore it.

"Goshujin-sama's brushing was the best, nyaa… Goshujin-sama, you can order me to do anything, nya. Adelia would do anything for Goshujin-sama, nyaa…"

… I really wish she wouldn't say "anything." It makes me want to give her dirty orders.

No, I won't, but…

"Umm, then… is there a town nearby? It'd be great if there were a magus there who knew about other worlds… For now, anywhere I can gather information would do."

"Leave it to me, nya. The town of Amen is close, nya. And I just happen to have a friend in Amen who knows all kinds of things, nya. Adelia will give you a ride, nya. In return…"

"I know. Brushing again, right? But by ride, you mean…"

Adelia crouched down and pointed at her back.

… Piggyback, huh.

"… And what am I supposed to do?"

"You can rest in your capsule, nya. Leave Goshujin-sama to Adelia, nya."

"Capsule?"

… Now that she mentioned it, I hadn't noticed before, but at some point a belt had appeared around my waist, and there were two balls attached to it. Those must have been the capsules.

"Garumon like Adelia return to the capsule when you say 'return,' nya."

"… That's a thing? Can I try? Oh, and to call you back out, I just say 'come out,' or something?"

"Sure, nya. Throwing it, or even just giving it a small jolt, will pop us right out, nya."

I tossed the capsule and called out,

"Return, Adelia."

The instant I said it…

Bashu!

Adelia turned into light and was swallowed up by the capsule.

The ball snapped back into my hand like a yo-yo.

"… Whoa, it really did turn into a capsule…"

It looked like nothing more than a gachapon capsule.

It had some weight to it, but a few hundred grams at most. There was no way to believe a whole person was in there.

I tried to see inside, but couldn't really make anything out. Was Adelia really in here…?

"Come out, Adelia."

The instant I said it…

Bashu!

The capsule opened, and Adelia suddenly appeared on top of my hand.

"Whoaa!"

About fifty kilograms had just popped into existence on my palm.

Of course I lost my balance and toppled over.

Munyun…

Adelia came down on top of me, her soft body pressing against mine, her fluffy soft breasts…!

"Funyaaa… Throwing it is the way to go, nya. If you mess up, you could hurt Goshujin-sama, nya."

"S-sorry, I'll do that next time…"

"… But staying like this a little longer is fine too, nya… Goshujin-sama, you're warm, nya…"

Squeeze. Adelia hugged me close…

Her soft body, her breasts…! So warm…!

"That's enough!"

Kazami-san pried her off me.

"… Me, going into some weird capsule…? As if. Don't be ridiculous."

"But we're already in a world with weird systems like this…"

"… I said don't be ridiculous!"

… Well, yeah. I'd hate it too.

"Kanan is a weird Garumon, nya. The inside of the capsule is really comfortable, nya. But if you don't want the capsule, a Garumon can just run, nya."

Adelia offered her advice.

"… Got it. So no capsule for Kazami-san. In that case she'll run, but…"

It sounded like the distance was pretty far. Could she manage it?

"… Fine. I'll run. My hundred-meter time is the best in our class."

Was that really the level we were talking about?

… Still, maybe it was possible. Since coming to this world, I could tell Kazami-san's physical abilities had gone up…

"… Hmph. With those human legs, you think you can keep up with Adelia, nya?"

"Don't underestimate me, you mangy beast. I'm the one who won the match in the first place."

"…"

"…"

Crackle, crackle, crackle…

Hmm, did they not get along? They'd just become allies, so I really wanted them to make nice…

And then I climbed onto Adelia's back.

… A full-on piggyback ride.

"Then I'll start running, nya. Don't lose me, Kanan."

"Hah! Don't underestimate me!"

Tatata…!

Whoaa! Fast! It was hard to believe she was carrying me. The speed was like the wind!

But cutting through the air like a motorcycle, it actually felt kinda nice.

Setting aside how pathetic I must've looked getting piggybacked by a girl.

"Damn… it! I won't lose!"

But Kazami-san was keeping up. At wind-like speed. Clearly her athletic ability had transcended human limits.

Her physical abilities really had taken a leap since coming to this world.

… If she ever rebelled in earnest, I'd be crushed instantly…

When I thought about it that way, getting revenge or running wild was completely out of the question.

After about two hours…

"That's the town of Amen, nya. For a human, you've got pretty decent legs, Kanan."

"Hah, hah, hah… Don't underestimate me. The great Kanan Kazami isn't about to fall behind some loser cat I already beat in a match…"

Even gasping for breath, Kazami-san had kept up.

… Two hours of sprinting at a hundred-meter pace that would easily take Olympic gold.

"… Is that so, nya. Then from here to town, let's have one last race, nya. Whoever wins gets brushed by Goshujin-sama, nya."

"Fine! I'll show you that the great me would never lose to the likes of you!"

Kazami-san blurted that out.

… Hm? Show me…? Show who? … Wait, the only one here is me.

… Eh? What did that mean? Why was Kazami-san being so combative with Adelia…

The stray thought vanished in an instant, swept away by a gust of wind twice as fast as before.

"Owaaaa! Don't… forget I'm on your back…!"

"Ahahaha! What a useless cat! Picking a race with me when you're carrying extra baggage!"

And Kazami-san, having claimed a splendid victory, sneered down at Adelia.

Halfway through, Adelia had started worrying about me on her back and could no longer run all-out. At full speed, the wind pressure would have crushed me.

Even knowing that, a match was a match, and Kazami-san showed no mercy.

"Funya… can't be helped, nya. You did pretty well. I'll acknowledge you, Kanan."

Adelia, on the other hand… didn't really seem to be all that genuinely worked up about it?

"It can't be helped, so I'll concede the brushing rights, nya. So frustrating, nyaa～"

"Hmph… Wait, eh…? Brushing? I-I just don't like being looked down on by you, that's all. It's not like I actually wanted to be brushed or anything…"

"Now, first let's rest at the inn, nya. My friend is there, nya. I'm hungry, nyaa～ Follow me, nya."

"H-hey! Wait!"

And so we set foot in the town.

A town in this world… the brick buildings had a medieval European feel, but the streets were clean and looked perfectly modern in their own way.

There were even streetlights. Which meant electricity must have run through here. Or maybe it was magic.

Civilization seemed developed to a certain degree.

The townscape had a strange, mysterious feel to it.

That classic light-novel-style otherworld vibe, basically. Pretty much exactly that.

The streets were busy, full of people coming and going.

Of course, it was nowhere near the level of a Japanese city, but there were far more people than in a rural farming village.

The population looked to be over a thousand.

"Come now, cheap, real cheap～"

"For lodging, head to the Sabun Inn. We'll greet you with delicious soup!"

Once we reached the central shopping district, things were even livelier.

"Is your friend that way?"

I called out to Adelia, who was leading the way.

"That's right, nya. It's an inn run by Beastkin, nya. Even if our races differ, the bonds between Beastkin run deep, nya. Especially Leone. She's a super-strong, super-kind, totally reliable big sis, nya!"

Adelia clearly had a lot of affection for this friend.

The place she led us to was a tidy, tasteful wooden building.

The sign read "Leone's Inn."

"… My, welcome. Oh, Adelia… What's the matter? … It hasn't been that long, but your expression has changed quite a bit."

"Leone. I'm home, nya. This time, just like you prayed I would, I've finally met a wonderful Goshujin-sama, nya! Remember how you said I could rely on you anytime… well, I'm relying on you right away, nya."

The one who greeted us was a beautiful woman who, at first glance, didn't look like Beastkin.

… No, looking closer, her ears drooped down from the top of her head.

A lop-eared dog Beastkin?

But on a first impression, she just seemed like a bewitching beauty with abundant, long purple hair.

Her languid, drooping eyes paired with a tear mole gave her a sultry charm.

But more than that, my eyes were involuntarily drawn to her overwhelmingly voluptuous bust.

She was wearing a simple cooking apron, the very picture of an inn's mistress, but it couldn't hide the eroticism.

Yet again… what a peerless beauty. There was no way an inn's mistress could be this erotic and this beautiful.

Maybe a No. 1 hostess at a Ginza bar, but…

Hmm, every person I'd met was so beautiful…

It wasn't as if the ordinary people walking around town were exceptionally pretty, so I figured Adelia and Leone must just be special.

"Welcome… Welcome, new Master."

With that, the beautiful Leone-san stood up gracefully and offered her hand for a handshake.

"Y-yes."

I took her hand. Such supple, soft fingers…

Just that alone nearly made my mind go hazy.

"N-nice to meet you, umm, I'm Naoto Akai. This is Kanan Kazami, and… I guess Adelia doesn't need an introduction. How do you and Adelia… ah, no. That can come later. We, uhh… we just arrived from another world, and we still don't know anything about this place. You said this is an inn, but, well, normally I'd think money would be required to stay…"

"Of course there's a lodging fee. But if Adelia's the one referring you, you can pay later. First, let me show you to your rooms."

Leone smiled gently.

"… Hold on. Just to confirm, we're getting two rooms or more, right?"

Kanan made sure to drive that point home.

"Of course."

There was no way a guy and a girl would share a room.

"… Then it's fine."

"Um, Leone-san, could we have two rooms?"

"Two rooms? Yes, you're more than welcome. Thanks for your business."

Leone-san tilted her head, but smiled and got the rooms ready.

The rooms she led us to were Room 5 and Room 6, side by side. The whole inn had only six rooms, apparently.

… You could call it a mountain-lodge style, I guess.

Everything was thoroughly cleaned, and each room was pretty spacious. Each had four beds, more than enough for our numbers. Together, the two rooms could sleep up to eight.

… The pleasant smell of freshly washed linen hung in the air.

The sunlight was nice, and the room was a pleasant one. The other room was the same.

"… Heh, I was wondering how awful the rooms might be, but they're surprisingly not bad."

Even Kazami-san, who was loaded and probably picky, seemed pleased.

"… Hmph. I have traveled all over the world, you know. Thanks to my parents' policy of letting me experience all sorts of things, I've sometimes had to stay at cheap inns on purpose, suffering needlessly. Some places didn't even have hot water from the shower, let alone running water… Compared to those, this is more than acceptable."

There was an electric lamp on the bedside. Even in what I'd assumed was a medieval-European-style fantasy world, the level of civilization was hardly low. So electricity did exist here.

When I clicked the switch, an incandescent bulb softly glowed to life.

The room came with a private bathroom, complete with a tub and a shower. Hot water seemed to be available too.

"Oh, the bath is modern Japanese style. That's a relief."

A Japanese person needs a bath, after all.

"The owner insisted on having a large public bath as well, but with no other guests right now, we don't usually heat it. I'd be happy to heat it up for you, but you'll need to pay extra for the magic stones."

"Ah, yes, understood."

Did gas not exist here?

Hmm, once our income stabilized, I'd love to try the public bath…

"Oh, the toilet is squat-style, huh… Well, can't be helped."

Squat-style, huh… that was a problem. I'd barely ever used one.

Of course, schools and the like still had squat toilets, so it wasn't like I literally couldn't use one. But still.

Well, complaints on that level were minor.

"I'm just grateful there's a flush toilet. The pit-toilet ones… were genuinely impossible. That one time, I had to flee and hold it in all the way back to the hotel. I never want to experience that again."

It seemed Kazami-san had been through a lot.

In any case, this was a fine inn, not much different from one back in Japan.

As a base of operations in an unfamiliar otherworld, it was more than sufficient.

"Thank you. We really like it."

"I'm glad. I'll have the meal ready soon. Please rest for a bit."

With that, Leone-san smiled and walked off.

"All right, then… let's each rest in our rooms until Leone-san comes to call us."

"Before that, Kanan, you should claim your prize from the bet, nya."

"Eh…?"

The brushing…

"I-I'm fine, thanks!"

"You won, so you've got to take it, or it puts me in an awkward spot, nya!"

Under Adelia's stubborn insistence, somehow… I ended up brushing Kazami-san's hair.

… How did this happen.

"How did this happen…"

We were in complete agreement.

… Honestly, after how mercilessly she'd bullied me, after how much I'd hated and resented Kazami-san…

Never in my dreams did I think the day would come when I'd be combing her hair.

Smooth…

Soft hair. What had been unusually bright hair for a Japanese person was now an impossible pure yellow-green. But it was beautiful.

Fluff…

When I touched it, it was soft and fluffy, comfortable to the touch.

"Fua… a-ahhh… H-hey, wh-what? You're not doing something weird, are you!?"

"… I'm just stroking your hair. Combing it through, that's all…"

Smooth… smooth…

"Ah… ah, ahhh… fua, nn, ahhh…"

Kazami-san kept making strange noises.

"… H-hey, does it tickle that much?"

"Th-that's not it… ahh… ahh…"

Kazami-san kept on moaning.

"… Haaahh…"

When I finished, she collapsed limp onto the bed.

"Fufufuun, did you enjoy Goshujin-sama's brushing, nya?"

"… Yes…"

Kazami-san murmured, then suddenly went bright red and clamped her hand over her mouth.

"Th-th… that wasn't… what I meant!"

But after thinking it over…

"… I-in the first place, things have gotten weird in this world, but… Don't get the wrong idea! In reality, I'm this guy's master, and he's my slave!"

"… Haa?"

Adelia tilted her head, unable to follow.

"So, well, you know… y-yes. It's only natural for a slave to take care of his master… That wasn't bad. I'll praise you, Naoto. To think you had a hidden talent like this."

"Well, I do my little sister's hair too. Maybe I'm pretty good at it. I never realized."

"… H-hmph. Well, since you have a talent like this, I might just allow you the privilege of combing my hair from now on. Be honored!"

That's how Kazami-san put it.

… Honestly, the same arrogant, haughty tone as before…

But somehow, just a little, I was starting to find her not quite so unbearable anymore.