ACDWL 002: …City?

The man who had picked me up mounted the creature, still holding me in his arms.

Because I couldn’t sit steadily, he fastened me to his body with a cloth.

…It was like I was strapped into a baby carrier.

(This can’t be happening! This position…)

I knew it was because my body was too young now.

…I mean, my arms couldn’t even reach the reins.

Maybe it wasn’t practical to ride one-handed, for after a moment’s thought, he shifted me to cling against him face-to-face, resulting in this current arrangement.

Even beyond the language barrier, I had no power to protect myself.

If this was a world where people carried swords, it was likely less safe than Japan.

It was best I behaved for now.

In a sense, my future was entirely in this man’s hands.

Whether he chose to take care of me or simply grant me a place to live—my fate would depend on his decisions.

If I ended up sold off to someone and enslaved, then I’d have no future at all.

Besides, in a world where I couldn’t even speak the language, and in the body of a child, I doubted I could work for a living.

“＊＊＊＊＊？＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

Though he must have realized I couldn’t understand, he still kept talking to me.

Was he truly a good person, or was this kindness only a pretense to deceive me…? I couldn’t tell.

I just hoped he was merely a decent man, worried because I’d grown so docile.

The language barrier really was enormous.

(Why is this happening to me…?)

What had I done to deserve this?

It had only been about three months since I started university, and I was just skipping a lecture for a nap today…

…Was that my crime?

Or maybe this uncomfortably real situation was all some kind of dream?

(Can I ever go home?)

Is there even a guarantee I could go back?

Did I really have to survive in a world where I didn’t know anyone?

The everyday life I once led wasn’t perfect.

Even so, losing those days—arguing and laughing with family and friends—cut deeper than I’d expected.

Before I knew it, tears were falling.

Once they started, it was hard to stop—

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊!?＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊？”

The man noticed I was crying and said something, but I was sobbing too hard to answer.

He seemed bewildered at first, then began rubbing my back gently to comfort me.

“＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

He said something while holding me close in one arm.

Just like that, I cried myself to exhaustion—and at some point, I must have fallen asleep.

────
──

Some commotion woke me up.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊！＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊！”

The man seemed to be talking to someone.

(…Looks like this isn’t a dream after all.)

Even after waking up, I was still in this incomprehensible world.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

They were still talking.

“…Fuaaah.”

I let out a yawn, and the man turned his gaze to me.

“＊＊＊＊＊？”

He patted my head.

He really did seem like a good person.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊？＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

The one he’d been talking to said something in my direction.

I couldn’t catch the meaning, and figured he must just be addressing the man again.

“＊＊＊＊＊？”

But apparently he was talking to me, because he tugged on my hair.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊！＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊!!”

I could tell the man was angry at him.

I tried to pull my hair free from his grip, but it wasn’t easy.

Then the man used a rather brutal method, bending the other’s fingers in an unnatural direction to force them off.

“＊＊＊＊＊!!”

Judging by his yell, he must have been in pain.

Looking at him—

“…………”

I was left speechless.

He looked a little younger than the man, a burly, handsome type.

And on his head… was something that looked like red rabbit ears.

His hair was red, his eyes a slightly droopy yellow.

Though he was bigger both vertically and horizontally than the man, he still had rabbit ears…

As a Japanese guy, I was pretty sure I was right to find it “disturbing.”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊！”

He shouted at me, probably because I was making a face like I was utterly disgusted.

(Is having animal ears the norm in this world? If so, then I’m probably the oddity to them.)

Are there even any “humans” like me in this place?

“＊＊＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊”
“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊？＊＊＊＊？”
“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”
“＊＊＊＊!?＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊？”

They went back and forth, saying things to one another.

The one with rabbit ears seemed especially surprised about something.

Perhaps the man was explaining why I was with him.

(Learning the language has to be my top priority.)

Even simple words would help—I’d never be able to communicate otherwise.

Listening absentmindedly to their conversation, I realized they kept using the same words over and over.

Could they be each other’s names…?

“＊＊, ＊＊？”

When the rabbit-ears guy addressed the cat-ears guy, he said one word most often; when I repeated it, both looked at me.

(Did I not pronounce it right?)

“＊＊＊??”

(Wait, did I get it wrong?)

I tried again, but it still sounded off compared to how the rabbit-ears guy said it.

“＊＊＊＊？？ ”

(Worse this time…? Can he say it again?)

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊！”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

For some reason, the two burst out laughing.

The cat-ears man patted me on the head again.

I realized they were laughing because my pronunciation was off.

“I’m getting annoyed! You can’t even speak my language either!”

I stretched out my hand, just managing to reach and slap the cat-ears man on the cheek.

Even at that, he continued to laugh.

A punch to his stomach had no effect, his abs were apparently tough as steel.

When I sulked, even the rabbit-ears guy joined in, patting me on the head.

(I’m annoyed.)

I smacked his hand away.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

They laughed together and said something more, but I ignored them.

We continued moving slowly, still on the creature resembling something between a horse and a wolf.

I looked around for others like it, but only the cat-ears man seemed to be riding one.

The rabbit-ears walked alongside us.

I had no idea where we were headed, but presumably the rabbit-ears was going to the same destination.

Most of the people in the surroundings had animal ears and tails, and even the ones without those had what looked like scales.

Was this a world full of beastmen, like a game?

Having ended up here somehow, would I ever get back to my original world?

I didn’t even know how I’d been brought here—there was nothing I could do.

“＊＊＊＊＊”

We stopped, and the cat-ears man unfastened the cloth binding me to him.

Apparently we’d arrived at a place he needed to visit.

The rabbit-ears kept looking at us, probably waiting for the cat-ears man.

(What should I do now?)

As I wondered, the cat-ears man scooped me up again, making it obvious he intended to take me with him.

He carried me into a building.

I remained in his arms, the rabbit-ears following behind.

(Where is this place?)

There were a lot of people.

And they were all staring at us.

Whether it was me they were watching, or if the cat-ears man was someone famous, or if it was for some other reason, I couldn’t tell.

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊！”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊。＊＊＊＊＊＊”

“＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊”

“＊＊＊＊＊”

People spoke to the cat-ears and rabbit-ears men.

So maybe the cat-ears really was someone important?

The others all seemed to treat him with respect.

The same went for the rabbit-ears too…

It seemed obvious now the rabbit-ears held some high status as well.

Although, he didn’t come off as especially overbearing.

Maybe he was one of those “don’t judge a book by its cover” types.

Even so—

(It’s such a tense atmosphere…)

Maybe because everyone was carrying weapons?

Whether it was swords or clubs, the weapons differed from person to person…

Did that mean conflict was common here?

Was this place considered a “country”?

Being this ignorant put me at a clear disadvantage.

I had to learn the language as soon as possible, but would someone be able to teach me?