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Chapter 49
Undoubtedly, Tanbang-i—Ateruna—found her eldest brother in this state both disgusting and… unfamiliar.
To Ateruna, Ishanka, her eldest brother, was the type of man who never cared about anyone else’s opinion and never needed to.
Even when the most beautiful woman among the non-human races confessed to him and he coldly rejected her, causing her to hurl almost-cursed insults, he didn’t even raise an eyebrow.
Even during the war with the Azeremon Kingdom, when he fell into a trap, he remained perfectly calm and tore through the enemy to achieve victory.
And yet now, that same eldest brother was plunged into deep melancholy over just one person. Unable to bear it, Tanbang-i—Ateruna returned to her human form.
“Well, I never thought I’d see this brother of mine get anxious. Truly, I live long enough to see anything. Right?”
“You are 18 years old, aren’t you?”
“If a cat is 18, that’s quite old.”
“You’re not a cat, though.”
“Ah, anyway, that’s not important! Honestly, it was kind of funny watching you chase after the butler, you know? But that was only for a day or two. The butler kept desperately avoiding you, and you struggled in ways that didn’t suit you. I couldn’t stand watching. What on earth happened between you two?”
As Ateruna poured out her questions, Ishanka clamped his mouth shut. He looked nothing like the eldest brother she knew.
“Why are you shutting your mouth again? You have to tell me so I can think along and respond, right?”
“That… involves her honor. I cannot speak of it.”
“What? What do you mean…?”
“Hmm? So you were here?”
A voice suddenly came from behind, and Ateruna flinched, her head swiveling like a broken wooden doll, stiff enough that a creaking sound would have been believable.
The first thing she noticed was Wina, smiling innocently.
‘Why is she here? Hey, brother, didn’t you notice her coming in?’
Ateruna gestured to Ishanka, urging him to respond, but he was so absorbed in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed anyone’s presence.
‘Damn it, this guy really isn’t in his right mind.’
Normally, he would have sensed someone over a hundred meters away.
Ateruna realized instantly that Ishanka’s unusual state was the cause of this.
She wanted to yell, “Hey, snap out of it, you idiot!” and smack him on the back of his head, but Wina’s approach and words beat her to it.
“But Uncle Isaac, earlier I saw Nana-unnie…”
At the sound of Nana’s name, Ishanka, who had been staring blankly at the ground, snapped his head up as if waking from a daze.
“Did something happen to Nana?”
His voice was filled with concern.
“Huh? No, it’s just that she went somewhere with Jeon-Ha earlier.”
Ishanka felt his heart drop.
Why was she with him? She had been avoiding him so carefully.
A burning flame of jealousy began rising deep in his chest. Ishanka clenched his fists, trying to control the surge of emotion.
“But that place seemed like the warehouse where Jeon-Ha usually stays. Were they talking about something secret?”
Wina’s remark was enough to tear down the walls Ishanka had been trying to maintain. He could no longer suppress the intense impulse rising from his chest.
“Hey, brother! Where are you going!”
Ateruna shouted, but Ishanka had already dashed outside.
After going out to vent and leaving his sister behind in the warehouse, he had dashed off. This was why raising an eldest brother was useless, she thought.
“You’re Isaac’s sister?”
Wina smiled as she approached Ateruna.
Wait, she hadn’t left yet?
“What business is that of yours?”
Ateruna, currently living as a cat on the farm, couldn’t risk revealing her anthropomorphic nature.
Her annoyance came out as curt words, yet Wina smiled innocently, unfazed.
“You didn’t know Isaac’s sister was a beastkin? Wow, that’s amazing.”
With a cheerful expression, Wina dropped a verbal bomb.
“What… what are you saying? Beastkin?”
“You don’t say ‘beastkin’ here? Then what do you call someone who can freely transform between animal and human like you?”
“What does it matter what I call it? I’m a pure 100% human. What nonsense are you talking about? Animals turning into humans? Did you dream that?”
“But you just transformed. From animal to human, ta-da~.”
“You’re unusual. Do people from other continents stand while transforming too? Why keep talking nonsense?”
“You’re trying to play it off, huh, little cat?”
As Wina stepped closer, Ateruna instinctively stepped back.
“How do you know I’m from another continent? Only people on this farm should know that.”
“Oh? I… I just heard it…”
“But little cat, do you know? I’ve known you were a beastkin from the start.”
Ateruna’s eyes, rolling nervously, locked onto Wina. Wina continued, smiling gently.
“Why the surprised look? Because I’m a beastkin too.”
Before Ateruna could react, Wina transformed from a little girl into a golden retriever with straw-colored fur and gentle eyes.
“Uh, uh… what?”
“Now are you ready to speak honestly?”
Back in human form, Wina met Ateruna’s gaze.
“I’ve had so many things I wanted to tell you. Got time?”
‘Ah, damn it. This is all my brother’s fault!’
Ateruna vented her frustration on someone else.
Sam had always been convinced that all the eccentric geniuses in the world congregated at the Academy.
It was a place where talent, regardless of status, could receive education equally, and Sam had met people unlike anyone he’d ever seen—sometimes peculiar, even eccentric.
Meeting such people didn’t bother Sam; in fact, it made Academy life more enjoyable.
The knowledge and connections he gained, which he might never have encountered living in a royal palace, were invaluable experiences he could boast about anywhere.
However…
“Sam, assembling it that way will cause problems later.”
“…”
“Sam, the gears here and here don’t align. It’ll just waste effort.”
“…”
“Hey, Sam.”
“Ah! Why? Why?!”
“No, I just mean… you’re skilled with your hands.”
Someone like Nana, Sam had never seen at the Academy.
Nana lounged on Sam’s workbench like an idle noble, criticizing every step of his work. And, to his frustration, she was right about everything.
“Our farm’s worker No. 2 can drink strong liquor and is skilled with his hands, so he won’t starve anywhere. In any world, skilled labor survives the longest.”
Indeed, Nana was the strangest person Sam had ever met.
Unlike gentle noblewomen or foreign ladies he’d encountered, Nana was completely different. Even after revealing her royal status, her attitude toward him remained unchanged.
…Is that why she attracts so much attention?
Sam shook his head violently at the thought.
‘I? Being interested in that rogue-like girl? No way!’
Worried Nana might notice, he replied curtly.
“Are all people from your modern world like you?”
“Of course not. People aren’t all the same anywhere. There are plenty even worse than you.”
But Nana remained unscathed; if anything, Sam felt like he had been hit instead.
“What’s wrong with me!”
“What else can I say to a pitiful soul who lacks self-awareness?”
“Hah, and you’re well aware of yourself and running away from that man….”
“Today I was going to explain the modern-world technology that converts natural elements into electric energy, but I guess I’ll just leave.”
“Apologies, client. I was ignorant.”
Sam immediately lowered his tail. Though his pride was hurt, Nana’s insights about the modern world provided new inspiration, so he had to absorb them while he could.
“This might be the last chance, after all.”
“Last chance? What do you mean?”
Oops. He had spoken what he only thought internally.
Well, since it had come up, Sam sighed and spoke.
“I’m going back to the capital.”
“Really? I’ll miss you leaving… but it’s your hometown, so it’s only right.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed.
“Is that all you have to say?”
“Well, of course I’m a bit sad. You’ve been an excellent scientist, creating useful machines for me. But I knew from the start that you wanted to return to the capital, and now you can, so I must respect your choice. You’re going back to the place you want to be. What could I say?”
Sam fell silent for a moment, muttering quietly with a small sigh.
“…I was foolish to think I might try to stop you.”
“Why are you mumbling? Still, as your employer, I should be able to ask—why suddenly the capital?”
Thanks to her profession, Nana could continue the life she had before. But, apart from her farm, the world was literally in an apocalypse.
The old order had collapsed, and terrifying zombies roamed the land, making the journey back far from safe.
Sam surely understood that danger.
After a moment of silence, he seemed to make up his mind and spoke.
