《Draconia》 Prologue "Report!" A man with scales all over his body knocks on the door and shouts. "Come in." An indifferent voice calls out from behind the door, inviting the man inside. The man carefully opens the door, walks into the room, and kneels down. "As per your request, I have come to inform you that the preparations are eighty percent complete!" The scaled man reports, trying to push back his excitement. "Finally." A slight excitement is detectable in the indifferent voice of the man sitting behind a table. "How would you like to proceed?" The scaled man asks. The man sitting behind the table stands and comes out from behind the table, revealing similar scaly figure to the man kneeling before him. Excitement is reflecting in his black eyes. "Convey my words -- Come forth." "I shall obey!" The man kneeling on the floor vigorously bows his head and quickly departs to do as commanded, leaving the man, His Majesty alone. "Kuku... ten years... I shall endure for ten more years..." The man smiles in anticipation, but he immediately frowns again. The scene in the white space he saw after his death reemerges in his mind. Please, save the world! "Those were the words of the Goddess who reincarnated me to this crumbling word, weren''t they?" Smack! Remembering the Goddess, the man smacked his hand on the table. The man''s face darkens. Why me? That was the first question the man had for the Goddess. B, because I have fallen in love with you... The Goddess answered shyly. Then, instantly, all the pieces in the man''s head got solved like a puzzle. "That bitch...! Just remembering her makes me want to bang her head against a wall!" The man roared. He did find his death unreasonable. He was suddenly crushed to death as if the air just "dropped" on him. Therefore, he was certain. "First, she kills me just because she''s in love with me, then tells me to save her world? Fuck that!" The man takes a deep breath to calm down. "But, I''m not a heartless man. So, when I leave this stupidly dangerous continent in ten years, you will have more than enough people to save it for you! Ahahaha! Come forth my ass! Come and save this world by yourselves, I''m leaving to a safer place! Ahaha"This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. The man who''s maniacally laughing without stopping is the current King of Draconia, Julius Draconis -- Maeda Ryuusei, a person from a different world. Reincarnated as the son of the King of the strongest humanoid race on the continent, the Draconians, he was actually very pleased with his new life at first. He grew up in comfort, could fill his belly every day, women were flocking to his side, his athletic ability increased by many folds, and he even could use magic. Truly, a dreamy reincarnation. That''s what he thought while growing up, forgetting about the Goddess'' plea. However, he soon learned why his father was away from home so often. He was guarding the borders of the city against the onslaught of monsters. The place Draconians were primarily inhabiting was located at the heart of the continent. Basically, surrounded from all sides. That''s when Ryuusei, currently Julius, began questioning his new life. Will I have to do the same and spend my entire life fighting against monsters? Even though I will be the King? Do I really have to sacrifice my second life just because the Goddess has fallen in love with me? What a nonsense! While shouting in his mind, he began using his otherworldly knowledge for his future plans. Those plans naturally involved escaping from the continent. When Julius took over the throne, he relocated the "capital" near a sea shore. He had his men build ships and began searching. Searching for a new land. In the north, he found a large continent made of ice. In the west, he found another continent inhabited by primitive races. He never thought that he would call the always made dignified, beautiful elves primitive. But that''s what it really was. The continent in the west had scarce vegetation, and the food is hard to obtain. It was a considerably peaceful continent, but definitely not something that matched Julius'' conditions. As the Draconia continent spread to the south, the only way to go was east. However, even the advanced ships of Draconians weren''t enough to pass the eastern ocean. He needed to go east, to the undiscovered lands. However, how to get there if ships are no good? A Zeppelin! They never took off in his previous life? This is a world with freaking monsters, surely there will be something straight from the fantasy that will allow the birth a never before seen Zeppelin! With his mind set on the goal, he sent expedition after expedition to look for something that would allow him to lift off a ship. Five years later, they found it! A purplish stone, which he named Sky Core. My introducing electricity into the core, it would faintly glow and start floating. Two years later, his most skilled technicians made a chamber from which the Sky Core could be safely manipulated. One year later, the first scout unit Zeppelin was build and departed to the east. Half a year later, they returned with good results. An undiscovered land that matched with almost every condition Julius has set. Thus, enough large sized Sky Cores have been secured during the period of three years, and enough Zeppelins to carry every Draconian were built. "It took over ten years to get this far... but, I will have to wait another ten years to make sure the primitive races arrive... I wouldn''t want to get the world destroyed while I''m alive, after all." Julius falls back to his chair and mutters with his eyes closed. ---------------- In the end, five races from the old continent have answered the call of Draconians. Even better result than Julius expected. Of the five races that answered the call, Julius was extremely fond of the first race that answered his call. The Shades, powerful monsters with the appearances of shadowy humanoid figures. Because the nature of Shades could be described in one word as "curious" Julius was fond of their easy to manipulate way of thinking, he left behind only four Shades, one for each race behind. ---------------- A few days before the departure of Draconians to the east. Julius called all prominent historians and writers into his room, in which they stayed for the whole day. "What do you think, Your Majesty? Is this does this intro passable?" A bearded historian asks Julius who has lowered a book from his hands on a table. "It''s perfect." Julius smirked. He closed his eyes after signaling the historians to leave. "Finally. I can finally leave." ---------------- Ten days later, the Draconians disappeared from the Draconia continent, leaving only a few traces of their existence behind. Chapter 1 - An Ode to Coconuts Far, far away, in a distant land of this planet. In a distant continent shrouded in mystery, there was a race called Draconians. "Come forth" -- They, who were powerful enough to enslave the monsters invited the still-primitive races of the Old Continent. The races that responded to their call named themselves as the Elves, the Beastkin, the Dwarves, and the mysterious race the Draconians named the Shades. Before long, when all of the Draconians decided to leave their continent for another, a ship reached a certain peninsula. There was a baby; the only survivor on the ship. The Draconians left one of the Shades behind to protect the baby''s life. The race the baby belonged to named themselves the Humans, Draconians recognized them as the fifth race that arrived in Draconia on their own, and sent off a certain message. "Humans: the child of your destiny is here." -------------------------- Bump, bump, bump... On the vast sunny beach on an unnamed peninsula in the south, the sound of something hard forcefully hitting against something even harder resounded around the quiet surroundings. It was a young boy, beating a coconut against a rock. Bump, bump... "Ha!" Crack! "Gulp, gulp." Finally splitting the coconut open, the young boy vigorously drinks the milk. "Haa~" He lets out a satisfied voice after wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. After drinking all of the milk inside the coconut, he starts eating the coconut meat. As he is about to gulp down the last small bit of the coconut meat, he pauses. He then turns around, holding the coconut meat and extends his hand towards his shadow. If there were any people who saw him, they would think he must be crazy. However, the shadow''s jet black hand suddenly reached out towards the boy''s hand and took the coconut meat, plopping it into its mouth. "Hehe~" The boy smiled after seeing the coconut meat disappear. Leaving the residue of the coconut behind, he walked around the shore. Naturally, he was looking for more food.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The beach is completely empty. Aside from the shadow following after him, there''s no other person to be seen. It has been like that for all ten years the boy has lived here. He doesn''t have parents, friends, not even a name. He was alone for as long as he remembers. Just him and his shadow. It''s a mystery how he survived as a baby all alone on this beach, but scavenging for fruits for nearly the whole day has been his daily routine. Wake up, scavenge, eat, scavenge, eat, scavenge, eat, sleep, and repeat. Today is actually the first day he ever left the small area he operated in for all those years. After leaving, he regretted not leaving earlier as he soon found an abundant coconut tree. Stuffing his belly until it was bulging, he resumed his scavenging. "Hoi!" The boy suddenly exclaimed in surprise. What a weird thing, he thought. He has seen birds before. Needless to say, he was very scared of them. However, he never saw anything like this. A creature with the color of unripe coconuts with something resembling a stone on its back was slowly paving its way towards the sea. It was a turtle. The boy jumped down on the ground and crawled towards the turtle. When he was close enough and noticed that the turtle wasn''t paying him any attention, "Huu..." he sighed of relief and observed the slow moving, green thing. Poke. He tried poking it. "Hii!" The boy got startled. The rock on the unripe coconut colored creature felt very weird. Gathering his courage, Poke, poke. He poked the turtle again. Seeing how the turtle doesn''t retaliate in any way, a smile crept on his small face. Grab! He swiftly grabbed the turtle in his hands. However, the turtle which looked so lively when trying to get to the sea suddenly stopped moving. "Hau?" The boy tilted his head. He couldn''t understand. What happened? Why has the weird creature stopped moving? He slowly opened up his hands. Although he didn''t understand what happened, he noticed that the rock on the green creature''s body was cracked. He used too much strength. The boy doesn''t understand death. This is the first time he saw a creature suddenly ceasing to move for no reason. "Hrr." The boy frowned. Not knowing what to do, he ran towards the sea, trying to release the turtle into the water. However, soon after putting the turtle into the sea, the waves brought it back onto the shore. Seeing the boy''s frustration, the shadow manifested beside the boy. "Hue?" The boy tilted his head. He doesn''t see the shadow coming out on its own often. The shadow looked at the turtle, then at the boy, and finally pointed at its mouth. It must have seen people eating these creatures before. "Huu...?" The boy understood the meaning of the shadow. But, he wasn''t convinced. This creature looked more bizarre than unripe coconuts. Can he really eat it? Nevertheless, there was unconditional trust in his heart towards the shadow. So, being the good boy he is, he picked up the struggling turtle and, Crunch! ... Crunch, crunch, crunch... He started crunching on the turtle. "Beeh..." He didn''t like it much. It didn''t taste anything like coconuts. But, it was something new. It didn''t make him feel sick, and it filled his stomach. He was now convinced by the shadow''s unparalleled knowledge... the unripe coconut colored creature was food! He looked towards the beach with his new realization. This yellow, warm place was a big coconut tree all this time! Gulp. He gulped and to the place he found the turtle at. "Ha!" Just as he thought, he found more of these small creatures trying their best to get to the sea. Without stopping, he pounced towards one of them. Then, just as he was about to stuff the turtle into his mouth, he got an idea. The rock on this creature''s body is nearly as strong as ripe coconuts. What if he... the boy looked for big boulders. Chapter 2 - White Ball of Fluff After smashing a few turtles open, ''tenderizing them'' against a big boulder, and stuffing his tummy, the boy went back from where he came to get leaves from the coconut tree. Once he secured the leaves, he tied them together, making a makeshift bag in which he stored several baby turtles. The boy resumed exploring the sandy beach again. After finding the abundant coconut tree and the baby turtles, he had no intention of returning to his ''territory'' anymore. Although he was unconsciously walking along the shore which made him feel more secure, he lost to his curiosity in the end. The boy stopped and turned towards the north. The opposite side of the sea. "Suuu~ Haaa~" Taking a deep breath, he started moving forward. As he walked under the scorching sun on the warm sand, he noticed something weird going on. There was something resembling minuscule coconut trees sticking from the sand here and there. It was grass. The boy, however, hadn''t seen grass before. The only greenery he saw until now were coconuts trees. After curiously observing the grass together with the shadow which manifested to his side, he continued walking north. As he walked the green patches of minuscule coconut trees gradually increased in numbers. Until, "Waaah..." The boy let out a voice of amazement as he stood at the outer edge of a forest. This is the first time he sees so many trees. Thinking he struck a coconut mine, he climbed one of the trees. However... "Uhhh-?" No matter how he searched, he didn''t find a single coconut. How can this be? This is definitely an adult tree and yet... such thoughts were running through the boy''s head. However, not willing to give up, he pounced towards another tree. But, he found nothing once again. So, he jumped at another tree, and another one, he jumped from tree to tree, searching for coconuts. After examining about ten trees, the boy descended a tree with a dejected look. "Wuuu..." Tears appeared in the corners of his eyes. THe shadow figure emerged and clapped on the boy''s shoulder as if trying to comfort him. "Sniff... haa..."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The boy sighed and started moving into the forest with a newfound determination. There are so many trees, there has to be at least once with coconuts on it, right? The boy walked while checking each and every tree that stood in his path. He walked and walked until the sunlight couldn''t pierce the gaps between the trees anymore. The nighttime has fallen. And together with the darkness, "Howl~" Strange noises started resounding around, making the boy scared. He never heard such noises before. Although he was scared while walking through the forest after not being able to find a single coconut, he got scared of this noises even more. Thus, he decided that he can''t sleep on the ground today. He will escape from the dangers by sleeping on top of a tree. He climbed the highest tree in sight and made himself comfortable. "Hooowl~" The boy closed his eyes and went to sleep, accompanied by the scary noises of the forest. He finally fell asleep. Even though he was scared of the noises, his body felt fatigue all over from the excess walking and tree climbing. ----------- The next morning, when he woke up, the scary noises vanished as if they were just an illusion. Satisfied by this, the boy jumped down from the tree and continued traveling in a straight line just as he was yesterday. Rustle, rustle After a while of walking, he heard rustling in the bushes. It wasn''t the first one he heard today, but it was the loudest one. It definitely caught the boy''s attention. He sneakily crept towards the bush. Then, he carefully pushed the leaves aside. There, he saw a white ball of fluff with a horn sticking from its head nibbling on some grass. The boy was really curious about this fluffy ball, but he was even more interested in the horn on its head. Why? That''s of course because it looked like the perfect coconut opener. He has to have that horn, the boy thought. He decided to observe the fluffy ball for a little more before making a move. After a while, the boy was confident that his new coconut opener had no idea he was being stalked. He took the chance and plunged towards the fluffy ball just when it lowered its head to chomp the grass. The boy jumped on its back with his hands around the fluffy ball''s neck. He was startled by the softness and comfortableness of the fluffy ball''s fur at first, but he immediately recovered. But, he had no idea what he''s supposed to do now that he''s on the fluffy ball''s back. Thus, he did the only thing that came to his mind. He coiled around the fluffy ball as tight as he could, until he couldn''t anymore. The fluffy ball fought and jumped all around in panic, however as the boy''s tackle continued, the fluffy ball gradually started losing power. In a short while, the fluffy ball''s movements ceased. "Waaaa!" The boy tossed his arms into the air and celebrated with a loud cheer. However, as soon as he put his arms down, he didn''t know what to do next... he killed the white ball of fluff, how does he separate the horn from its head? Not willing to think about it too much, the boy leaned the horn against a nearby boulder and stomped down. Crack! The horn cracked under the pressure of the boy''s body. "Yaaa!" The boy celebrated again, the horn, fortunately, cracked at the root near the fluffy ball''s head. He felt the horn, tried its durability and pricked his finger with the tip. The boy was elated, he obtained the ultimate coconut opener. He did all of this under a watchful pair of eyes. Chapter 3 - Dont Sniff the Creature Armed with his new coconut opener, the boy continued on his journey north. On the way, the boy learned that there exist a lot more creatures than he thought. In addition to the unripe coconut colored stone carrying creatures, the white balls of fluff and the birds in the sky he encountered many more animals such as poop colored, four-legged thing with horns on its head and sand-colored little, gross creatures that crawl under his feet. His trance-like state that tunnel visioned on searching new creatures has brought him to the current situation. "Wuuu..." The boy let out a voice of amazement while looking up. What stood in front of him was a black bull that''s at least ten times the size of the boy. Moreover, it was angry. Really angry. Even the boy could tell. How? "Pfuu!" The bull was breathing fire out of its nose. The boy knew fire very well. A fire would start when the scary light from the skies hit a coconut tree and burned it down. Fire is scary. Looking at the bull that is as big as adult coconut tree releasing fire from its nose, the boy''s legs were shaking. Thud, thud, thud The bull struck the ground with its hooves. No matter how one sees that, the bull looks ready to charge at the boy. However, the boy can''t bring his legs to move even though all he can think of is to escape. It''s almost as if his feet were glued to the ground. "Hrrooonnh." The agitation of the bull broke through the limit, and the bull started charging at the boy. "Hiyuk!" The boy let out a weird noise in a startle, but he couldn''t do anything else. His teeth were clattering in fear. The boy couldn''t move. He could only close his eyes, wishing to wake up from this bad dream. He waited. He waited for the impact that would forever snatch coconuts from him. However... the impact didn''t come. The boy lightly opened his eyes. He saw the ground moving under him at a very high speed. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.He can''t move this fast even if he runs with all his might. Surprised at the fast speed, he opened his eyes fully and looked around. What he saw was... him? No, that''s not him. He doesn''t have his waist cloth for sitting wrapped all around his body. Then, is it perhaps a creature that''s like him? The boy noticed before that there were many of unripe coconut colored creatures. The remaining three in his leaf bag is the evidence. He found it strange that he didn''t see someone like him before. But, the creature that held him under his arm had a big round object on its head and a scary, colorful face. Although it''s similar to the boy, it''s different. Soon, the ground below the boy stopped moving, and he found himself in a very dark and cold place. It''s a cave, but the boy hasn''t been in a cave before, so he finds the cold very mysterious. "?#[ )?- #kza?" The creature spoke to the boy. "Hya!" The boy got scared. He never heard a voice like that before. Although the boy found it pleasant to the ears, he also found it scary because he never heard such complex noises. Plus, he really found the creature''s face very scary. Noticing the boy''s frightened state, the creature took of its large, round hat. As soon as that happened, two fluffy-looking ears sprang up. Then, the creature removed its face. "Huaaa!" The boy got really scared at first. It removed its face! Is what he thought. But, he soon recovered. What he saw was a face like his. Well, like his, but not quite the same. The boy saw his face in the reflection of water before. The boy''s eyes have the same color as the sea, while this creature''s eyes are the color of a setting sun. The boy''s skin is dark, he naturally got very tanned after living on the beach for eight years. The creature''s skin, on the other hand, is white. Like the cloth, he has around his waist, but cleaner. "Hos4/''q #)wyo71 t8 9q ?f¡¦)a? o¡ì. 5)/?" The creature spoke to him again. Now that the boy saw the creature''s real face, he didn''t find the voice scary anymore. He found it rather intriguing. He was sure that the creature was trying to convey something. But he didn''t understand at all. "Hyau?" "Wa¨² )?- ?#[? $)¨²/ ?#[ au+ &]}an ¨¢jh ¨²)?#/ An} aspv? Qsxq5 )?- ?#[5 98ax#xa? &] ?#[ 247ax7a d*4 )¨²¡ìa$at91a $so(y...?" The creature continued speaking to the boy, but he just tilted his head to the side. Then, as if realizing something... "Qsxq5 )?- ?#[5 #83a!? M¨²¡ì atqw!?" The creature suddenly shouted, scaring the boy again. "Haa..." The creature sighed and sat down in defeat. Seeing the creature so relaxed, the boy timidly approached and slowly sat beside her. What the boy noticed first was the creature''s scent. "Kun, kun." The boy sniffed. The fragrance was similar to the blue flowers he would occasionally find under the coconut tree. "Kuuuu~n." "$)¨²/ )?- ?#[ &]}an?" The creature suddenly turned towards him when he took a large whiff, so he stopped sniffing just in case it was angered for some unknown reason. But, not being able to stand still when something so similar to him appeared, he slowly, very slowly reached his hand towards the arm of the creature. He wanted to feel the cloth on the creature''s body. "Waaa~" The boy let out a sound of amazement. The cloth felt so smooth and nice! Then, the boy''s eyes darted towards the top of the creature''s ears. He then let go of the creature''s cloth and fumbled with his hands around the top of his head. As expected, he didn''t find anything. "Huu?" How mysterious. The creature was bigger than the boy, so he stood up and slowly reached towards the creature''s head. "Hunyaaaa!" The boy shouted in disbelief. What is this! It''s so fluffy! Chapter 4 - Meat is Happiness As the boy continued to touch the creature''s ears, his gaze fell onto the fluffy-looking rod that was slowly swaying from side to side. Just as he stealthily extended his hand, "Hrrooonnh!" The bull''s angry roar echoed through the cave, startling the boy. The creature frowned and brandished a metal object from its waist. It was a sword. Naturally, the boy didn''t know what a sword is, but he was envious. Such a good coconut opener! And he thought he had the best one around! The boy learned that the world is vast and full of wonders. "/SPx aspv." The creature said while showing the boy its palm. The boy tilted his head, but after a while, he somewhat understood that the creature wants him to stay here. The creature then put the mask back on its face and the round hat on its head and slowly walked towards the exit of the cave. Once the creature walked out, the boy was left alone in the dark, cold cave. However, he couldn''t just walk out. The scary bull is outside, after all. The boy could only curl up in a ball and listen to the noises coming from outside. Screeching and tearing, clattering and braking, roaring and exploding. Many noises the boy heard for the first time in his life resounded from the outside. Remaining in the cave was a good choice. After a while, the loud noises ended. And a short while after that, the boy started hearing strange noises again. However, those were the noises of something being dragged on the ground. The boy looked towards the cave''s entrance and saw the creature dragging something behind it. The boy found that something to be very similar to the bull''s leg. The creature dragged the bull''s leg beside the boy, it removed its mask and hat, and then it started spinning a stick it took out from its clothes against the ground. The boy was bewildered. What is this creature doing? Is it fun spinning a stick? However, after a while. "Woahh!" The boy let out a voice of surprise. Magic! No, the boy doesn''t know what magic is. A miracle! The boy experienced a miracle before when he found coconuts for the first time. Therefore, this must also be a miracle! Otherwise, how could a fire appear without the dangerous flash from the skies? But, the startled boy made the creature startled. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Is this boy unaware how to lit a fire? Shaking its head, the creature pushed the fire near the cave''s wall and leaned the bull''s leg against the wall, so it stood above the fire. The boy watched with a great interest. He watched the bull''s leg slowly turning brown. He found that change very interesting. Also, the fragrance the leg was letting out. He never smelled something like that before. Watching the boy stare at the fire with sparkling eyes, the creature pointed at itself and spoke. "#4#4¨²)" The boy tilted its head. "#4#4¨²)" The creature said while pointing at itself again. Then, she pointed at the boy. The boy, however, only looked at his chest, thinking the creature was saying that there''s something on his chest. Since they were waiting for the leg to cook, this exchange continued for a while. The boy was a quick learner. He didn''t understand completely, but he learned that the creature was saying Koko. "Koko." "Yes, t#ap''$ i[." The boy also learned that ''nodding'' means ''yes'' and ''yes'' means ''nodding.'' And that ''shaking your head left and right'' means ''no'' and ''no'' means ''shaking your head left and right.'' He also learned his name. Of course, it''s not the name his parents gave him, but a name that was given to him by the creature, Koko. The boy pointed at himself and said proudly, "Tino!" "Yes, t#ap''$ )?-." He really liked how his name sounded. It had a nice ring to it. There are many things the boy, Tino learned from the creature, Koko, while waiting for the bull''s leg to cook. For example, he learned that Koko won''t let him touch her tail for some reason. She didn''t mind when he caressed her ears, but she wouldn''t let him touch her tail no matter what. Unfortunately, Tino is still too ignorant of the ways of the Beastfolk and relationships between men and women. Truth to be told, he doesn''t even know that something like genders exists. Suddenly, Koko stood up and approached the fire. She then lifted the huge bull''s leg with one hand and placed it in front of Tino. "Hau?" Tino titled his head. Seeing him like that, Koko sighed and used her sword to cut a slice of meat off. She brought it up to her mouth and started eating. Each of her movements was slow, so Tino could see clearly. Wanting to imitate Koko, Tino grabbed his coconut opener and stabbed it into the cooked bull''s leg. "Pfff." Koko couldn''t hold back her laughter. She sliced off a piece and handed it to Tino. As he brought the slice of meat closer to his face, he got assaulted by a mouthwatering fragrance. What to do? Tino was dumbfounded. Even coconuts don''t make him salivate that much! He carefully inspected the piece of meat from every angle. He then looked at Koko who was chewing while watching him. Seeing her eat without any hesitation, Tino deemed the meat to be safe and tossed the entire slice into his mouth. "......" As he started chewing on the meat, the first thing he noticed was that it was actually hot! The meat felt exactly the same how the big fiery ball in the skies feels on his skin! And then, he noticed the taste. "Koko!" "$)¨²/?" Koko answered. "Koko! Koko! Koko!!" Tino didn''t know what to sound to make to express his happiness, so he started shouting Koko''s name. Chapter 5 - Tinos Special Tactics It has been four days since Tino set off from the cave together with the food bringer Koko. During the four days, he learned many things. For example, that Koko''s name is not actually Koko, but Kokona and that she squats down when she pees. Tino never squats down when he has to take care of the small side of the business, so he found it rather strange at first. However, what he found even stranger is that Kokona doesn''t have a little companion like him and that she really doesn''t like when he''s looking when she''s letting the stream flow. That''s when Kokona figured out that she might have been the first person Tino ever saw. She was curious about Tino''s circumstances, she asked many things, but Tino wasn''t able to answer them. Naturally, during the four days, Tino came across many animals, insects, and monsters. The animals were chased off by Tino''s curiosity, and both the insects and monsters got stomped by Kokona. Tino really admires Kokona who is only a little bigger than him. He just couldn''t understand how someone who''s so small could chase off monsters that were five times her size. "Koko, yummy!" Tino exclaimed as he slurped on the unripe coconut colored creature soup made from his secret stash. Kokona has cooked it for him over the fire, she added some vegetables and made a delicious soup. She also taught Tino that this coconut colored creature is called a turtle in the Beastfolk language. She also told him that he shouldn''t eat raw meat. It took longer than she expected to teach Tino what raw means, though. "Don''t speak with a full mouth." "Yesssh~" Tino''s vocabulary has considerably increased during his stay with Kokona. He also now tends to listen to everything Kokona says as if her words were the words of his body and soul. Kokona also took quite a liking to Tino, but she still doesn''t let him touch her tail. But, the more she refuses to let him touch it, the more he feels like touching it. "Phaaaa~" Tino showed his satisfaction with exaggerated actions as usual. Seeing that Tino finished eating, Kokona extinguished the fire and prepared to leave. "Let''s go." "Yesss." Tino and Kokona set off once again. They, however, weren''t walking straight north as Tino did before. For the four days, they walked to the northwest, and today, they set straight towards the west. Naturally, Kokona informed Tino on the first day where they are going, but Tino couldn''t understand then.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. That''s why she decided to tell him once again when he understands her well enough. "The Beastfolk settlement, New $)y?\5u$." "Hmm... Severus?" "Cer. Be. Rus. Cerberus." "Seve- Cerbevu- Cerberus? Cerberus! Koko!" "That''s right! You got it right!" "Hehehe~" Kokona praised Tino and rustled his hair. "Why new? Where is old?" Tino asked. "On the Old Continent. We have $)¨²lp8 across the sea and established the New Cerberus here." "Old Continent? Don''t understand $)... $)¨²...?" "Sa. I. Led. Sailed. It means to swim on a ship. The Old Continent is the place where the Beastfolk like me come from. A land far, far away." "Ship? Spoke about before? Drear? Forgot... sorry." "Drekar, they are the best ships we have ever built. Only thanks to them were we able to cross the sea." "I see. Sea big! Tino can''t swim!" "Then, we better teach you one day." "Yesss~" Rustle, rustle. Suddenly, Kokona stopped and ears perked up and slightly tilted towards the direction of rustling. "What''s wrong?" Tino tilted his head. "Enemy." Kokona unsheathed her sword and entered a battle stance. Tino copied her movements and brandished his coconut opener, the mighty horn of a white fluffy rabbit. Soon, Kokona''s hearing proved correct as a gross-looking green creature the size of Tino appeared before them. Sheathing her sword back, Kokona turns her head towards Tino. "Just a Goblin, huh. Tino." "Got it~" Tino steps forward with his mighty weapon directed towards the Goblin. With just a piece of cloth wrapped around his waist, one could seriously mistake Tino for a Goblin if he had green skin. Kokona has been teaching Tino self-defense. The strongest enemy Tino has defeated so far was a monster called Fire Imp. Fire Imps are just slightly weaker than Goblins, that''s why Kokona is currently letting Tino deal with this one. Goblins usually don''t attack when in number disadvantage, but seeing that one of its enemies sheathed its weapon and only the frail looking one approach it, the Goblin prepared for battle. The Goblin''s weapon of choice is a rock tied to a wooden branch. Just like an axe from a stone age. Tino immediately judged that his weapon is superior in all aspects. Confident that he will excel over the Goblin, Tino rushed forward. "Hyaaa!" "Shkohhh... keruk, keruruk..." A nasty smile floated on the Goblin''s face while watching the approaching tip of Tino''s ultimate horn. The Goblin quite easily avoided Tino''s head on charge and swung its axe towards Tino''s horn. The clash of the two weapons created a dull sound which leads Tino to drop his weapon because of the pressure of the Goblin''s strength. "Haah..." Kokona who was watching all of that happen suddenly disappeared and reappeared with the Goblin''s head in her hand. She dropped the Goblin''s head, picked up the mighty weapon Tino dropped and gazed at him who was rubbing his painful hand with reproaching gaze. "You recklessly charged in again." "Huuu..." Tino pouted. He was sure that he would get the Goblin this time. He, unfortunately, failed again, fifth time overall. But, he was motivated to do better next time! His special tactics will work one day, right!? "Haah, this child..." Easily understanding what Tino was thinking, Kokona could only sigh again. Chapter 6 - Stabbing Where it Counts Another two days of traveling and Tino was still unable to execute his special tactics perfectly. "Haah..." He started thinking that his ultimate special tactics may not be so ultimate after all. "What''s with all the sighing?" Kokona looked at him worriedly. This little boy brought her only trouble during the time they spent together, but she couldn''t bring herself to leave him alone. Although Kokona is still just a child just like Tino, she''s already a splendid adult when it comes to taking care of Tino. "Can''t hit..." Tino said sadly. "You are still thinking about that... haah... then, how about distracting your foe first?" Kokona sighed when she heard what Tino was troubled about and made a suggestion. "Dis. Tract? Distract." "That''s correct. To draw away or divert the attention of your opponent. Then you could use that gap to struck it down." "Hoo~ How to distract?" Tino asked with sparkling eyes. "The easiest way would be for you to attack when the foe''s attention is fixed on me, but that would be hardly counted as you defeating it all by yourself." Kokona explained the easiest method, thinking that Tino would refuse since he was adamant on defeating his opponent in his way by himself. However, "Together with Koko!?" She didn''t think that Tino was attached to her so much he would rather do everything together than alone. "Eh- Y, you would like to give it a try?" "Yesss!" Tino said while clinging to Kokona''s arm and rubbing his cheek against it. "Seriously... what I''m going to do with you..." Kokona said with a smile on her face. Kokona was honestly surprised by the speed of Tino''s growth, she didn''t expect she could hold a conversation with him only after a few days, but she was still happy to encounter someone who doesn''t know her. Each person of her tribe obtains a title at the end of their adult ceremony. However, Kokona had obtained a nickname even before she was sent to complete the adult ceremony. The Beastfolk call her the Mad Dog. A title she obtained after defeating a pack of wolves that attacked their village while she was on the wall keeping duty. One doesn''t have to guess that Kokona doesn''t like her title which everyone attaches to her. She''s not Kokona to the Beastfolk, she''s the Mad Dog.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Then, the Mad Dog Kokona who was sent to complete her adult ceremony met Tino in the middle of her journey. He, and only he calls her by a nickname which is much more pleasant to her ears than that insensible title. The honor and pride of Beastfolk''s titles, she doesn''t and can''t accept. "Over there." Kokona pointed towards a lake while hiding in a bush. When Tino looked where she was pointing, he saw a big, white stag with robust antlers drinking from the lake. Kokona then perked her ears and listened to the surroundings, only after she confirmed that she couldn''t hear anything dangerous around did she tell her plan to Tino. "I''m going to jump it and fight without dealing the final blow. You stay here in the bush and observe, find an opportunity to strike, okay?" "Got it~" Tino answered, not being able to contain his excitement. "Are you ready to go?" "Yesss." Kokona nodded and charged out of the bush, positioning herself behind the stag. As white stags are fast to flee, she made sure to block its one and only escape route, forcing it to fight. Soon, the white stag who noticed Kokona realized her intentions and started to fight. As Kokona and the white stag engage in a battle, Tino carefully watches from the bush. After a short while of observing, Tino found a difficult obstacle. The lake. The white stag is fighting with its back facing the lake, and it would definitely see him approaching from sides. Tino has no choice, but to attack from the lake if he desires a successful stealth attack. However, Tino can''t swim. But, he can''t keep Kokona waiting forever. Thus, he made a decision. He will swim! ... Not, he will get down on his belly and crawl through the shallows behind the stag. Once he''s behind the stag, Kokona will surely make sure not to let the stag turn in a way that he would notice Tino who''s behind him. Koko is amazing after all! Tino blindly worships Kokona while quietly creeping towards the lake. He slowly submerged his body into the water. "Cold!" Tino quietly yelped. He didn''t expect the water to be so cold. But now that he''s already in, he doesn''t plan on stopping. Just imagining Kokona being disappointed with him just because of a slightly cold water makes his heart shiver. Tino slowly and carefully crawled to the place where Kokona and the stag were fighting. Although they were fighting, it was quite obvious that Kokona was just easily keeping it from escaping while the stag was desperately trying to run away after realizing that she was basically playing with him. At that time, Kokona noticed a little head creeping through the water. She couldn''t hide a smile forming on her face. Seeing him so hard to succeed even though he obviously can''t swim made her feel somewhat proud. Once she judged that Tino was in a good position to strike, she grabbed the white stag''s antlers and restricted its movements. Anticipating Kokona to do something that will help him to deliver the finishing blow of his ultimate special tactics, Tino rushed forward. The stag now noticed the presence of another enemy, but it was already too late. "Yaaa!" "Huruuuu---!" Tino precisely stuck his ultimate coconut opener into the white stag''s left buttcheek. Chapter 7 - Menacing Menace Eight days after delivering the finishing butt stab to the white stag, Tino started noticing changes in his surroundings. It was getting hotter, the vegetation was becoming less and less, and he in the distance, he could see countless pools of red, fiery liquid. The change started happening about three days ago when Kokona suddenly changed the course. Although they have been walking East for the past week, Kokona suddenly started walking straight north, just like Tino did before meeting her. Tino noticed that Kokona''s ears were working nonstop. Furthermore, she also started frequently stopping and sniffing the ground. Once, she even licked the soil. As she was the person Tino admired the most (she was also the only one), he naturally did the same. It doesn''t have to be said that Tino really didn''t like the earthy taste of the soil. Only, Kokona was so preoccupied with her search that Tino felt left out. Thus, the sad Tino could only sorrowfully pull on Kokona''s sleeves. "Koko...?" He said in the most pitiful tone he could muster. "What''s the matter, Tino?" It obviously worked, as Kokona immediately stopped doing whatever she was doing with the stone in her hand. "Tino, lonely... did Tino do something bad?" This little lump of mischief obviously understood that he didn''t do anything bad, yet he pretended to act as if he did. "No, no, not at all! Sorry, I must have been too absorbed in the tracking..." "Tracking? What are you tracking?" "An Infernal." "Infernal~?" "Mmm~ A stronger version of Fire Elemental?" Tino knows what an Elemental is. He has seen Earth Elemental on his travels with Kokona. He also knows what fire is, so he can imagine what Fire Elemental really is. The thing that Tino remembers the most about the Earth Elemental is the fear he felt when he looked upon it. Tino naturally fleed in the crown of a tree while Kokona effortlessly slashed it to pieces with her sword. "Koko wants to fight?" "Hmm, I don''t really want to, but I have to." "Have to?" "That''s right, We, the children of the Beastfolk are sent to hunt for monsters our elders classified as ''class C'' or above for our Adult Ceremony. One becomes an adult only when he successfully hunts one of the designated monsters. The stronger the monster you hunt during your Adult Ceremony, the higher the rest of the village will have for you. It basically means that if you return with a Goblin, the entire village will be laughing at you for the rest of your life." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation."I see. is Infernal class C then?" "No... Infernal is class A." Kokona politely explained to Tino. But, her displeasure was clearly transmitted in her last sentence. "Why is Koko hunting class A? Respect?" "No, I already have way too much of that... haah..." Kokona sighed as she recalled the day she earned the title Mad Dog. Until a few days ago, she wished she could live that very day again and warn the village instead of single handily defeating the wolf pack. However, now that she met Tino, she didn''t think of that even once. Kokona herself found that strange. "Too much?" "Yes, my village already considers me an adult, you see. But, I have become fourteen years old just this year, so I had to partake in the Adult Ceremony too. However, since I was already considered an adult among the Beastfolk, they increased my conditions. Namely that I have to bring back class A monster." "That''s not fair, isn''t it? By the way, what does fourteen years old mean?" Tino was feeling unfairness in Kokona''s matter, but he was honestly more interested in age. "It means I''ve been alive for fourteen years." "How much is fourteen years?" "One year is 400 days, so fourteen years would be 5,600 days." "Wow~ How old is Tino then?" Kokona got startled by Tino''s question. She quickly recovered though, as she immediately understood that there wasn''t anyone to teach him about time. "It''s hard to say, but if I''m to compare you with other Beastfolk children, then you look to be around seven to nine years old." "2,800 days to 3,600 days! Tino has fewer days..." Tino sulked. Kokona, however, was shocked. Did Tino just solve an advanced mathematic problem? Even the children in her village won''t learn such high numbers unless they intend to enter an official position. "That''s right, Tino is little brother. I''m the big sister." "Muu~ Little brother? Big sister? Koko is bigger than Tino, but what does brother and sister mean?" "Ahh... as I thought. It means that we are very close." "Tino and Koko are close?" "That''s right." Tino tilted his head and then suddenly clung to Kokona''s waist. "Now even closer!" "... Pfuhaha. That''s right. Tino is my closest one." "Tino is Koko''s closest! Tino won''t lose to anyone!" Tino declared confidently. Kokona stroked Tino''s hair with a gentle smile. But then, birds who were nesting in the nearby trees suddenly start flying away in a great haste all at once. The leaves start rustling, the ground starts shaking, and trees falling over can be heard in the distance. "Tino! You have to hide in a safe place! No matter what happens, don''t approach the green flames! Got it?" Kokona grabbed Tino by shoulders and shoved him to a nearby, large tree. "Got it..." Tino answered sadly. Something big is happening, but Kokona obviously judged that he would be of no help. "Good! Once I''m done, I will take you to my village, okay?" "Okay! Promise?" "Yes, it''s a promise!" She lowered her body and lightly kissed Tino on the forehead. "Now hurry up and go up! Don''t even think about coming down unless the tree is about to collapse, alright?" "Yesss!" Kokona watched Tino climb the tree and hide behind the leaves. Once she confirmed that he''s properly hidden, she rushed towards the north. Chapter 8 – The Mad Dog As Kokona ran off from Tino''s sight, she put on the mask and round hat she had when she met Tino for the first time. Just in case, she hides her growing smile behind the mask. That''s right, the reason why Kokona told Tino to hide is not because she''s worried about not being able to protect him but in order to hide her rapidly increasing excitement. She was worried that Tino would get scared and come to hate such her when her blood starts to boil. In other words, Kokona is a battle junkie. There was a reason she got the title of Mad Dog from her brethren. She indeed got that nickname because of her terrifying smile while mercilessly delivering killing blows. Kokona increased her speed to speed she hasn''t shown to Tino yet and sprinted towards the north. The fast scenery changing around her is the evidence of Kokona''s fast as lightning speed. Before long, she arrived at a mountain of fire, a volcano. This, however, wasn''t a normal volcano. The red liquid Tino saw before started changing to green the further Kokona went, until all the flames and lava in sight were green. The green fire did surprise Kokona a bit, but she soon found a reason behind this occurrence. "Frenzy..." She muttered while watching a green Infernal who was blocking her path. Frenzy, that is the name the Beastmen came up with for the state only class A and class S monsters can enter. A state of rage, madness, and bloodthirst. This state can be recognized at one glance for those who know the normal condition of the monster. Kokona hasn''t seen an Infernal before, but she has most definitely heard about them. Infernals are usually red-orange in color. But this one is completely green, enveloped in furious green flames. This, however, didn''t deter Kokona from her original goal. It made her blood boil even more instead. She can feel her fast beating heart clearly. Kokona''s smile under the mask grew even further. She brandished her sword and sprung towards the Infernal. "Goooooah!" The Infernal punched forward with its massive, right flaming fist in order to smack Kokona who sprung towards it down from the air, but Kokona avoided the fist mid-air with her lightning fast movements and slashed at the Infernal''s stretched out arm, intending to cut it off. "Goorrroooah!"This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. The Infernal cried as its heavy arm fell to the ground. Kokona who landed behind the Infernal, sprung forward once again, this time aiming at the Infernal''s leg. Infernal is a lump of fiery stone, crushing its balance by cutting off the opposite arm and leg is the common strategy of Beastmen when engaging Infernals. But, the frenzied Infernal sensed her intention lifted its leg just when Kokona was under it and stomped down. "Fuck!" Kokona cursed and changed her direction in a split moment. Haven''t she done that, she would be already crushed under the Infernal''s leg. "Haha..." This was the closest to death Kokona was in the last six months of her Adult Ceremony. The adrenaline rush she got from that experience was almost as exhilarating as the time she fought against the pack of wolves in her village. Kokona felt that she could enjoy herself even more if she were to hold back a bit, however, "Tino is waiting for me." Kokona muttered and jumped towards the Infernal''s head with speed far greater than before and used the gap created by the Infernal''s missing arm to land on its shoulder. "Die!" She shouted and slashed the Infernal''s head off. However, because the Infernal doesn''t particularly need its head to continue living, she didn''t stop there and jumped down while slid down with her sword stuck in the Infernal''s body, efficiently splitting it in half. Thud! The halved body of the Infernal collapsed to the ground without even knowing how it died. Kokona gracefully approached the Infernal''s left half of the body and used her sword to dig up a green crystal from its chest. "Fufu... with this, I can finally take Tino to our village." While looking at the green crystal in her hands, the crazy smile she had while fighting already disappeared and got switched with her ''usual'' gentle smile. With the proof of subduing class A monster secured, Kokona removed her mask and hat and returned to Tino as if nothing has happened. "Tino~ you can come down now." Kokona shouted towards the crown of the tree. "Yesss~ Koko~ catch~" "Oooh." Tino didn''t hold back a bit and jumped down from the tree, straight into Kokona''s embrace. Once he found himself secure in Kokona''s arms, he discovered the green crystal sticking out of her pocket. "What is this~?" He asked while tilting his head to the side. "This is Infernal''s core. I needed to obtain this before I could return home." "Home? Cerberus?" "Yes, that''s right." "Tino''s home is the beach..." Tino said sadly. His home is obviously in a different place from Kokona''s. "I also come from the Old Continent, but this Draconia is currently my home." "Draconia?" "That''s the name of this continent." "Then... since Koko changed home... can Tino also change home?" It was clear what he was implying. However, he added just in case. "Tino wants to stay with Koko. Forever?" He cutely tilted his head. Tino''s attack power increased by tenfold. Unfortunately, Kokona was already knocked out even before that. "Of course, I did plan on taking you with me. If you wanted, naturally." "Yay! Koko''s home is Tino''s home! Let''s gooo~!" Tino happily dragged Kokona by hand. "Fufu... Tino, it''s in the opposite direction." Chapter 9 - Homecoming It has been about three weeks since Kokona obtained the Infernal Core and Tino''s malnourished body started taking a proper shape thanks to Kokona''s pampering. "See that gate? That''s Torii. It marks the territory of Beastfolk. We are close to Cerberus." Kokona said while pointing at a Torii-like gate far in the distance. "Gate? Torii~?" However, this was the first time Tino heard such words, so he could only tilt his head to the side in confusion. "It''s that large, red thing in the shape of the cave entrance where we stayed when we met for the first time." Kokona found that explaining about gates is surprisingly difficult, so she did her best to explain as easily as possible. "Oh~ It''s big!" Tino could tell that the gate is really big even from the distance as it was towering over the surrounding trees. "We will meet other Beastfolk on the way from now on, so if you see someone, place your right fist over your heart. They will do the same, so don''t be startled." "Over my heart? Why~? What''s that for?" "It''s a form of greeting. We Beastfolk have strong bonds, we were raised to be respectful to our brethren with this simple greeting. Not doing it is considered rude." "Hee~" One of the two burly men standing in front of the gate shouted when Tino and Kokona approached. They were the gatekeepers. "Halt!" Kokona placed her right fist over her heart, so Tino followed after her. Seeing the two greeting them, the two gatekeepers returned the greeting. "You are ...Mad Dog? It hasn''t been even two months yet! You have already finished your Adult Ceremony!?" The second gatekeeper who recognized Kokona asked in disbelief. Hearing the gatekeeper''s words, Kokona''s eyebrow started twitching. She really does detest her title. "Raging Bull." Kokona addressed the gatekeeper and nodded. Normally, as Kokona''s senior, the gatekeeper with the title of Raging Bull should have gotten angry about Kokona''s taciturn answer, but he let it slide as if he was already used to it.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. This caused Tino to feel very perplexed. Kokona''s usual gentle smile and lengthy explanations were not to be found. "I see. As expected of you. And? Who might this be?" Raging Bull looked at Tino. "Tino." Kokona answered simply. "Tino who?" "Just Tino." Raging Bull scratched his head and sighed. "Hah, hurry up home, I''m sure your family will be delighted by your return." "Yes." After the two had passed under the gate, Tino was far too startled to talk to Kokona. He has never seen her like that. Why was she acting so strangely? That man has also called her Mad Dog. Is that perhaps the title she spoke of before? "U, umm...?" In the end, he mustered all the courage he could and turned towards Kokona. "What is it?" She asked him with a gentle smile. Tino was startled by the quick change of her attitude again, but he wasn''t scared this time. "Nothing~" He said cutely and grasped her hand. ---------- Tino and Kokona met many people on the way to Cerberus and Tino was able to admirably greet all of them. He noticed that the people who recognized Kokona were looking at her with the utmost respect and slightly noticeable fear. Although he couldn''t understand why, he knew that the fear was unneeded as Kokona is the most gentle person he has ever come in contact with. Naturally, she''s the only person he has ever talked with, so he might be a tiny bit biased. Before long, they arrived in Cerberus. "Woah~" Tino exclaimed as he looked up at the high walls enclosing the entire village. As they have already walked past numerous checkpoints, they didn''t have any trouble entering as they pleased. The first place Kokona went to was the so-called Spirit Lodge. It''s a fancy-looking place where Beastfolk complete their Adult Ceremonies and receive honor and respect. As soon as Kokona and Tino stepped inside, "Mad Dog, huh? You were quicker than I expected." An old woman in red-white clothes addressed Kokona. "Elder ." Kokona placed her fist on her heart, the elderly woman returned her greeting. Naturally, Tino did the same while timidly hiding behind Kokona''s legs. Although he could deal with it on the road, there were just too many people in the village. He was scared silly. "What have you brought me, girl?" Kokona reached into her pocket, took out the green crystal and presented it to the elderly woman. "Infernal Core... a frenzied one? As expected of the Mad Dog." She turned her back towards Kokona and kneeled before an altar. "Come, Mad Dog. Give your ancestors a prayer." Kokona signaled Tino to stay where he is and kneeled next to the elderly woman. "Dear Ancestors, your descendant, the Mad Dog has become a splendid adult and brought you a wonderful gift. Please, bestow your blessings upon her to help her with her future adventures." The elderly woman placed the Infernal Core onto the altar and prayed. Once she finished the Infernal Core dispersed in dust and two green earrings appeared in their place. "Congratulations, Kokona the Mad Dog. Starting today, you are an adult and free to choose your own path. May you find success wherever you go." The elderly woman said and placed the earrings in Kokona''s hands, her eyes tearing up. "Grandmother..." "You girl. How could you go and fight a frenzied Infernal? You really are mad, aren''t you? Wanting to shock your granny to death." The elderly woman, Kokona''s grandmother, said emotionally as she hugged her granddaughter. "Not only you did something so reckless, but you also brought someone with you. It? No, he? is not one of the Beastfolk is he?" She asked while sizing Tino from the head down. Chapter 10 - Customs "He isn''t Beastfolk, that''s for certain. But, I don''t know what he actually is." Kokona answered her grandmother''s inquiry. "Hmm... he looks close to an Elf, but he doesn''t have the characteristic pointy ears... a new race maybe?" Kokona''s grandmother said while circling Tino with great interest. However, to Tino, it looked like she was staring at his soul, so he anxiously slipped away and hid behind Kokona. "Oya... have I scared you?" Tino peeked at her from behind Kokona. Once he looked at her better he noticed that although all wrinkly, the woman in front of him resembled Kokona quite a lot. So, after thinking for a while, he shook his head. "You don''t have to be scared, Tino. This is my grandmother- ah, you don''t know what grandmother is, huh. Nevertheless, you don''t need to be afraid." Kokona tried to reassure Tino. "So you name is Tino? What a good name. Our brethren call me Elder, you may call me like that as well." Elder introduced herself to Tino while praising Tino''s name. This caused Tino to blush. "Koko named Tino." Tino said bashfully. The pride of being named by Kokona in his words was obvious. "Koko? This battle maniac gave you such nice name? The sun must have raised from the opposite direction that time... But, if she named you, does that mean that he...?" "Yes, he doesn''t have a family or friends. He actually didn''t even know how to speak when I first found him... He was alone for as long as he remembers." "Is that so?" Elder looked at Kokona as if she were thinking something. "Kokona, you know our customs... even if you couldn''t leave the poor child behind, you can''t bring an outsider into the village. Chieftain is going raise a hell once he gets to know." Elder brought the sad truth of the Beastfolk customs which don''t allow outsiders to stay without the permission of both Elder and Chieftain. However, Kokona has shown a ''rare'' smile to Elder and took a step to the left. "Wha..."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. What Elder saw left her speechless. Tino, oblivious to the seriousness of the situation was standing there and fiddling with Kokona''s tail. That''s right, Tino was finally able to catch Kokona''s tail last week. He, however, didn''t know what that meant. "You can''t be... how?" Elder asked in shock. She never thought that someone small like Tino would be able to take Kokona''s tail. "I was careless..." Kokona blushed. It was indeed a grave mistake on her part. She got so used having Tino around her that she completely lowered her guard around him which led her to this situation. "Then are you going to..." "I have to respect the customs of the Beastfolk. You know that there are no rules that allow women to reject even if the partner is an outsider." Indeed, to women, tails are the most important part of their body. Letting a man they hate touch it, means having to marry him regardless how she feels about him. This rule was created by the Ancient Beastfolk to forge and temper both genders to pay careful attention in any circumstances. Although Kokona didn''t plan to use this to let Tino stay in the village at first, it''s currently the easiest way now that the deed was done. "You girl... careless? Do you know what your carelessness will bring upon this boy? Although he caught your tail, he''s too young to marry. You two will have to wait until he completes his Adult Ceremony and until then, just how much is he going to suffer from all your suitors? The jealousy and envy of those who failed before will be all directed towards him. Are you aware of that?" "I''m. That''s why I will stay with him and train him until he will be the one to take care of me." "... Hahh. Alright, I understand. As you said, the customs of the Beastfolk are set in stone and no one but the Ancients can break them. You should go home now. I think your parents will need more explaining than I did though." Elder chased Kokona and Tino out of the Spirit Lodge while sighing. She still couldn''t believe that the impregnable Mad Dog has been defeated by such little man of a different race. However, she was also glad because Kokona seemed to be accepting of Tino. She couldn''t watch her granddaughter tie bonds with someone she can''t even stand after all. As Kokona and Tino approached her home, the shadow that was quietly following after Tino all this time started fluttering in excitement. The closer they approached Kokona''s house, the stronger its excitement grew. It felt something similar to it, something it didn''t see for almost ten years. A friend? A companion? No, a brethren? Knock, knock, knock. Kokona stopped in front of a relatively large house and knocked on the door. "Who is- Ko- Mad Dog!" A feminine voice resounded from behind the door and a woman with exactly the same appearances like Kokona, just slightly older came out. She unconsciously ended up shouting in the happiness of Kokona''s return. "Dea-! Vile Wolf! Your daughter has returned!" She left Kokona and the dumbfounded Tino outside and rushed inside. "Two Kokos?" Tino tilted his head in shock. "Fufu... that''s my mother. The person who brought me to this world." "What!? Mad Dog is back!?" A loud shout resounded from within the house. "My little puppy, you are back!" All of sudden, a man jumped from inside straight at Kokona, trying to hug her. However, Kokona stepped aside and the man dived straight to the ground. "Do you want to crush me or something?" Kokona looked coldly at the man. "Hehe... Ko- Mad Dog, please forgive your father. He''s just too excited about your return." Chapter 11 - Shades Kokona was urged by her mother inside and once the door closed behind her and Tino, her Kokona''s mother''s awkward expression completely disappeared from her face. "Kokona~ Mommy has missed you so much~" Kokona''s mother hated calling her children by the titles they received from the Beastfolk. It was truly just because of the difference between the titles of her two daughters. "Sister." A graceful, small-bodies girl with white her sitting in a wheelchair moved closer to Kokona. The little, white wings growing on her back were same as her Mother''s. It was clear at first sight that she took after her Mother while Kokona with her canine ears and tail took after her Father. "Graceful Swan." Graceful Swan, that''s the title Kokona''s little sister received from the Beastfolk. The reason she has a title without reaching the age of the Adult Ceremony, is precisely because of the wheelchair she''s sitting in. The Beastfolk doctors, shamans, and witch doctors judged that Graceful Swan won''t be able to recover and participate in her Adult Ceremony, that''s why they chose the most suitable title for her. That''s also precisely why Kokona''s mother doesn''t like calling her children by their titles. She knows like mothers should just how gentle and kind Kokona is. "Sister, please don''t call me like that when we are at home..." The little girl sighed sadly. It appears that her elder sister''s attitude didn''t change a bit while on the journey. "Nemu." Kokona corrected herself and called Graceful Swan by her name. "How was it? Did you succeed!?" Kokona''s father, on the other hand, couldn''t wait anymore for the good news. "Yes, I have defeated an Infernal and successfully brought its core back." "Gahaha! That''s my little puppy!" Kokona''s Father leaped forward in happiness, planning to hug his daughter. However, Kokona stepped aside at the last moment and the big and someone else ended up in the big, burly man''s embrace. "... Who are you?" "Tino." Tino''s muffled voice resounded from Kokona''s Father''s chest.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Tino who?" "Tino is Tino." Kokona''s Father released Tino from his arms and scanned him from head to feet. He couldn''t find anything. Yes, he didn''t see any ears, tail, wings, antlers, anything at all. "There''s nothing." "Tino is not one of the Beastfolk." Kokona said casually. "Not one of the Beastfolk!? Kokona did you..." "Yes, I brought him." All three of Kokona''s family members were alternating their gazes between Tino and Kokona. "Kokona... you can''t bring-" "Yes, I can." "Huh?" "I can''t let my mate stay outside, can I?" """......""" "Hahh!? This pipsqueak? Your mate!? Don''t joke with-" As soon as Kokona''s father raised his voice in disbelief towards Tino, the shadow cast on the wall behind Tino suddenly fluttered and manifested right in front of Kokona''s father. However, as soon as it did, another shadow appeared behind Kokona''s father. This shadow emerged from Graceful Swan''s, Nemu''s shadow. The two shadows stared at each other while the Beastfolk in the room froze in place with their mouths opened wide. "Shade..." Nemu muttered. She felt the excitement of her dark companion even before Kokona and Tino approached the house. She understood that something was going to happen, but she wasn''t prepared for meeting another Shade. Moreover, after staring for a while, Nemu''s Shade lowered its head and coiled around Tino''s Shade as if was a spoiled junior trying to win favor. "I think it would be better for Kokona to explain properly..." Kokona''s mother tried to calm the things down. "I would like an explanation too..." Kokona said while staring at the second Shade. In order to get a better grasp of the situation, they moved to the living room to talk. "I didn''t know Tino possessed a Shade..." "Shade? You mean her?" Tino asked Kokona who still couldn''t believe what she saw while pointing at the Shade''s face behind him. "Her? You know its gender?" "Don''t know." Tino said then pointed at Kokona''s mother. "Reminds me of you. So she''s a she." Kokona pointed at herself in confusion. "Reminds you of me? How so?" "She taught me what and how I can eat." Tino said proudly. He was able to eat his favorite coconuts only because the Shade had told him about them. "I see..." "So? How did all of this end up with him becoming your mate?" "Mate? What''s that?" Tino tilted his head at Kokona''s father''s question. "......" "He didn''t even know how to speak a month ago." Kokona answered her father''s disbelief. "What?" "No parents, no family, no friends, nothing. He was just by himself when I found him. Kokona then proceeded to tell everything since meeting Tino. Then, she finally got to the point where she talked about Tino grabbing her tail. "Well, he looks like a good child and he seems to like you, but... he''s so young... and your suitors will make him have a difficult time... moreover, what about Elder and Chieftain?" "Elder already knows. She didn''t seem to disagree with my decision." "What? She agreed?" Kokona''s father looked at Tino with confusion. It appears that he expected Elder to make a different decision. "It''s good that Elder agreed... but, Chieftain''s son..." Nemu said worriedly. She clearly knows how both Chieftain and his son feel about Kokona. One wants her to be the one to continue his lineage with his son, the second is head over heels in love with her and wants to make her his partner by any means necessary. "Doesn''t matter. If they don''t like it, I will take Tino away. If they want to hurt him, I will be sure to hurt them thrice as much." Kokona stated coldly. Besides, now that she knows that there''s a Shade behind Tino, the many of her worries lessened.