Chapter 96: Apparently, He Came from Beyond the Sea of Trees
She devoured the food before her with a frantic, almost animalistic vigor, cheeks puffing as she chewed and swallowed in breathless succession.
So good… too good… she mumbled between mouthfuls, as though overwhelmed by the simple miracle of eating. I’ve never tasted meat like this… Her voice trembled with disbelief, as if her starving body still struggled to accept the joy of being fed.
The young woman who had suddenly stumbled into the second home-garden near the edge of the Sea of Death Trees had apparently collapsed not from injury—but from sheer hunger. When I grilled some of the meat harvested from the garden and offered it to her, she began inhaling it with terrifying speed.
“M-More! Please—another serving!”
“W-Wait just a moment! I’m still cooking the next batch…!”
I could barely keep up. This wasn’t normal human appetite. This was something beyond that—primal, ferocious.
No, come to think of it… was she even human at all?
Unlike us, she had no ears at the sides of her head. Instead, two triangular ears—like those of a dog or cat—perched atop her messy hair, twitching with each excited bite.
A beastkin…?
I had heard stories—rumors that somewhere in this world existed people who bore the traits of beasts. I had never seen one in Arcel, but in the royal capital and other large cities, so they said, beastkin were common enough not to draw many stares.
Despite being a little dirtied from travel, the young women before me possessed a beauty almost unfitting for the rough, wild image associated with beastkin. Even with her hair disheveled, there was an unmistakable air of refinement about her—something noble buried under exhaustion and grime.
Eventually, she finished every piece of meat I’d prepared. She exhaled with a satisfied little burp—“gehf”—and leaned back comfortably.
…She had eaten enough for ten people, yet not a scrap remained. Truly monstrous.
She bowed her head politely, gratitude shining in her clear eyes.
“My name is Io. And you?”
“Ah, um… I’m Geo.”
“Geo, hmm? Our names sound a bit alike.”
She smiled as she said it—a smile so dazzling that I felt my heart skip. S-So this was the power of a truly beautiful face…
“Um… Io-san, are you perhaps a beastkin?”
“Yes, that’s right. And you’re a human, aren’t you, Geo?”
“Y-Yes.”
“I’ve heard of your kind. A race said to resemble the ape-folk who live beyond the Sea of Death Trees.”
So Io had come from beyond the Sea of Death Trees. …Which meant she had crossed them.
She said it lightly, but the implication made my skin prickle.
The Sea of Death Trees—the Sea of Death Trees. A forest so dangerous that once you entered, you were unlikely to return alive. That was its reputation.
Even high-ranking adventurers, traveling in coordinated parties, could barely explore its shallowest edges. And yet she had crossed it… alone.
Maybe she was unimaginably strong. After all, despite nearly starving to death, not a single wound marred her body.
She was only a little taller than me, with a slender frame—but up close I could see the truth. Under that lean silhouette were muscles like tempered steel, compact and powerful.
If Io ever held hostile intent, I wouldn’t stand a chance. …Well, I could always use garden-transfer magic to escape—but still.
Io gazed around, her beastlike ears flicking with curiosity.
“But this place… is this a field? A garden? Why so close to the Sea of Death Trees…?”
“This is my home garden. Due to… various circumstances, I relocated it here.”
“Home garden…? Relocated…?”
“Um…”
Before I could fumble through an explanation, Io gently cut in.
“No need to explain. Everyone carries circumstances they cannot easily share.”
…She seemed to think I had some dark secret—but if it spared me from a long explanation, so be it.
“I’ve also… had various troubles. I actually fled from my homeland.”
“Fled…?”
“…Yes. I no longer have a home to return to, nor anywhere to go. I heard there are beastkin living in the human world, but…”
“I see…”
It was true—large cities did have beastkin. But because of their distinct features, many faced discrimination. For someone like Io, alone and without connections, survival in human territory would never be easy.
“Um… if you’d like… you could live here.”
Before I could stop myself, the words slipped out. She looked so anxious… I just wanted to help.
Yes, she was a stranger. Yes, I was probably being reckless. But even a little time spent with her made it obvious—Io was a good person. A genuinely kind soul.
“Are you sure…?”
“Yes.”
…Besides, it wasn’t like she’d be the only one living here. Two others already occupied the place.
“How kind you are… (I might just fall for you…)”
“Hm? Did you say something?”
“Fufu. Nothing at all.”
A tiny shiver crawled up my spine. That was… probably nothing. Probably.
“Thank you. Truly. Fighting off monsters was nothing compared to finding food. Of course, I’ll help with the work here.”
“Oh—there’s no need.”
“…? But this garden is huge. Planting and harvesting must be exhausting. Ah… do you have employees?”
She looked oddly disappointed as she asked.
“No, I do everything alone.”
“Alone…?”
Rather than explaining, it would be faster to simply show her.
“Let me harvest something first.”
Before Io’s eyes, I harvested the already-ripe produce. As usual, the vegetables and meat-plants moved on their own, hopping neatly into the waiting baskets.
“…huh?”
Io froze, eyes wide.
“Next I’ll grow a fresh crop. Hmm… you’d prefer more meat, right?”
I activated the garden’s cultivation magic—specifically initiating the growth cycle for meat-type produce.
“It should be ready in about two hours.”
“W-W-Wait—meat grows? What do you mean by that!?”
“Just keep watching. You’ll understand soon.”