Wanderlust Beastkin, Beauty and the Beastkin-Chapter 84: Fluffy and a Revelation

I patted the bed beside me while looking at Milo with a small smile.

"Would you like to lay beside me tonight?"

"That...I made another bed for myself." He said while pointing at the couple of fire piled up against the left wall.

"I suppose I should say it this way then. I would like for you to sleep in the same bed as me tonight, if you’re willing."

"Yes I’m willing, I’m more than willing," he said with a bright blush on his face and glittering light blue eyes.

"Come here then," I said while patting the bed beside me.

He hurried over and settled down as if preparing for a tea ceremony. He glanced at me with a hint of nervousness, yet his fluffy white fox tail was swaying gently, accompanied by a soft purring sound. He was so charming that I couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his tail once more. He emitted a barely noticeable moan, and the blush on his face became even more vivid.

I took a brief pause before snuggling up to him, resting my head on his shoulder while I pulled his tail onto my lap. I’ve been reflecting on this, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to keep you, if you would like that too.

"Are you really serious? You won’t reconsider your stance just because I’m not a formidable beastkin? It was my fault that you were taken away. If only I had been stronger or quicker, you wouldn’t have had to endure such difficulties. I’ve replayed that moment in my mind countless times, thinking of all the things I could have done to stop you from being taken, and there are so many choices I could have made differently. I let you down; I should have rescued you, and my failure to protect you doesn’t deserve your forgiveness."

"I don’t think of it that way. It was far more my fault than yours. I was aware of my poor sense of direction, so I shouldn’t have stormed off in anger like that. I should have calmly asked you to take me to Kai so we could discuss it, and honestly, so I could express my feelings to him. If I had just asked you to take me to him, I’m certain you would have, and then I would never have been captured. I wouldn’t have to feel conflicted this way," I murmured softly to myself.

"What do you mean? How do you feel about what?"

My eyes met his for just a moment before I looked away again. A wave of guilt washed over me. I wasn’t really feeling regret about not being able to see Omen again, especially not with the person who saved me from being captured right here. That just wouldn’t be right, and it certainly wouldn’t be fair to Milo, who risked everything to save me. I couldn’t just ignore all his hard work in finding and rescuing me, only to pretend that I wished he hadn’t bothered. Only to long for the man I should keep my distance from. No, I absolutely would not. Milo deserves so much more than that.

"Do you know what happened to General Kai?" That was a good change of subject, wasn’t it? Did that feel natural?

Milo cleared his throat and glanced at my lap, where I had caught his tail. He turned even redder, yet he didn’t pull his tail back, and when he spoke again, his voice was slightly higher than usual. "He and I had a disagreement about our next steps, and he mentioned that I was no longer necessary. However, he was quite upset at that moment. He said you would surely return to Duarte Village right away, so there was no need to track your scent first. He was convinced that you had gone straight there first to get Elara against his wishes. But I believed that since you initially went the wrong way, we should track your scent first. I apologize for taking so long to find you. Your scent got mixed up with others and often vanished.

"You’re being surprisingly open with me, given how close lipped you were last time."

"I really don’t want to upset you or lose you again. I was so focused on General Kai’s authority that I unintentionally hurt you last time, causing you to flee from me and putting you in danger when simply being honest with you could have resolved everything. I’m truly sorry, and I promise to improve in the future. If being truthful and open with you is the cost I must pay to keep you by my side and happy, I will gladly pay it.

"I appreciate that, it’s going to have to take a bit of work before I figure out how to balance my feelings and the men in my life. I wish that I could see Beth and Nancy, those two used to always ground me and they would understand better what I’m going through."

(Ding! Beth is located, newly integrated into the System. Would you like to open up communication with the newly integrated former Earthling?)

I abruptly sat up with wide eyes and my heart pounding in my ears. "Beth is here?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier! Where is she?"

("Beth only just recently joined the System interface; she was an unauthorized entry. It seems that she forced her way through your entrance portal and then promptly left the approved zone. There appears to be another unauthorized interloper from your era present and unregistered. A tall and sturdy female with yellow hair.")

"That should be Nancy. Where are they at?"

("Their location is in the East and is the Kingdom of Yerna.")

"Yerna," I said to myself.

"What about Yerna, and who are you talking to?"

"You can’t hear my conversation?"

"I can hear you talking, but no one else."

("Others can’t hear me," Echo said. "It’s safe to tell him that you’re talking to your system, though. Systems are common enough, though they are more rare with females than males, so don’t just tell anyone about me, or they may covet you as their female, and that could result in more hardships for you.")

"I understand. I was talking with my system and she? He..."

("I have both genders and neither at the same time. All systems are capable of reproducing new systems with whichever system we choose, it’s much more convenient than what your type of lifeform uses. If you could only adapt to be like us, there wouldn’t be a shortage of females or any need to procure outside females to help repopulate this planet. So inefficient and unfortunate for the males of this planet.")

"They informed me that my friends are currently in the Kingdom of Yerna. I have to save Elara, but afterwards I would like to get back to Beth and Nancy."

Milo hesitated, nervously chewing on his lower lip. "I can’t take you to Yerna; in fact, it would be extremely dangerous to take you there. The laws concerning females make it far too risky for you. Especially since you are a..." He glanced around the cave with narrowed eyes, as if he feared the shadows lurking nearby might leap out at me. "... a certain kind of female. In Yerna, females are regarded as property. Property that the males there claim and do not share. Property that has no rights and can be punished however the males choose. You would surely be captured right away and either sold to the palace or presented to their king as a gift, given that you would be a highly valued female wherever you went. There’s no telling how perilous your situation could become without a Seer, and even that would only reveal some potential outcomes."

"I need to get them back though!" In the back of my mind I wondered what a Seer was referring to in this new world, but I didn’t want to change the subject. We could discuss that later.

"And you will...we need to get General Kai back, I’m sure that he knows some mercenaries that can help return them to you."

"Mercenaries huh...I almost forgot that those exist here. I’ve never seen any before."

"I’m sure you haven’t, someone like you wouldn’t normally spend time around mercenaries," Milo said.

"There is something else that I have to tell you though, I’ve met some other males while I was gone. Before I was captured by the spider beastkin."

Milo offered me a faint smile that seemed to lack warmth, and I couldn’t quite grasp its meaning before it vanished once more. "It should have been obvious to me from the start, yet for some reason, it never occurred to me. Of course, you must have encountered other men during this period; it was improbable that you wouldn’t, considering your appeal and the risks of traveling alone. But where are they?"

"They were poisoned by the spider before I was taken away, but I have faith in one of them who is a healer and can manage that situation. He’s a chipmunk beastkin, and I believe you two will get along wonderfully; he has a green aura similar to yours."

"Additionally, I sent a red squirrel female to locate them and inform them of my whereabouts, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they find us shortly."

"You sent a red squirrel after a high-level chipmunk male. Are you not interested in him?"

"What do you mean? He’s already my male, we’ve slept together already," I said.

He recoiled as if he had been struck and quickly averted his gaze, his cheeks turning red. "I was just curious because you sent a red squirrel after him. You know, female rodents tend to be quite protective of high aura males of their species, given how rare they are, and that’s the only way to ensure the continuation of high aura rodent offspring. A green aura chipmunk male is almost a myth, and she might view it as a waste that he belongs to you, especially if you have other males who are equally or even more powerful than he is. She would probably find it quite offensive. Does she already possess strong males?"

"No," I said and cleared my throat after hearing my own high-pitched voice in my ear.

Coming Next Time: Fluffy Love and Returning