獣人の性質
「ふむふむ......なるほど、さっぱり分からない」
さてさて、『赤い夜』―――レイラちゃんとの一件もなんとか話を付けて、僕的にはそろそろ休めるかなぁって思った所に第二波が来た感じの展開に、全く付いていけないんだけど、順を追って整理してみようか。
まず、僕はレイラちゃんを連れて、っていうか付いてくるのを無視して部屋に戻ってきた。それで部屋に入った瞬間『臨死体験』が解除されたんだ。その結果、どっと戻ってきた疲労感に眠っちゃったんだよね。多分体力がもう限界だったんだろう。
で、朝目覚めたらフィニアちゃん達がおらず、隣でレイラちゃんが寝てた。はいおかしい。
「......いやおかしくはないのか......? この子僕の後ろから付いて来てたし、寝た後に潜り込んできた、とか......」
今も隣で気持ちよさそうに眠っているレイラちゃんだけど、考えてみれば付いて来ていた彼女が此処にいてもおかしくはない。
ただ、今夜は寝ないで欲しいと言っておいたフィニアちゃんが、レイラちゃんの入室を認める筈がない。彼女が『赤い夜』と知らない時でさえ険悪な表情をしていたし、ましてこの『赤い夜』モードの容姿のままレイラちゃんが入ってきたとしたら、戦闘になってもおかしくないんじゃないのかな?
となると部屋にフィニアちゃん達がいないのが凄く不安になって来るんだけど。まさかまさか、食べたりしてないよね? 約束したよね? 食べられてたら本当に寝首掻くぞこいつ。
「うふ、うふふふ......きつねくーん......すぴー......♡」
寝ながら発情してやがるし。怖いよもう、なんでこんな子ばっかり集まって来るんだ。勇者と会ったら退治してもらおうかな......それか勇者に惚れる可能性を信じて押し付けようかな。絶対僕より強いだろうし、異世界人だからきっと向こうの方が美味しい筈だ。多分。
「あ、起きられましたか、きつね様」
とそこへ、なんだか長く明るい茶色の髪の少女が入ってきた。頭には犬耳、お尻には犬の尻尾が生えている。どことなくルルちゃんに似てるけど、ルルちゃんはもっと幼かった、大体小学三年生くらいだったかな。
目の前の少女は大体中学三年生くらいの容姿をしてるし、ルルちゃんよりもずっと背が高い。もしかしてルルちゃんのお姉さん的な存在だったりする?
「......誰?」
「ルルです」
素性を尋ねたら、その少女はルルと名乗った。ははは、同じ名前なんておかしな話だ。
「ルルちゃーん、きつねさん起きたー?」
「あ、フィニア様......はい、目覚められました......ただ、見知らぬ人が」
「ああー! この女、ちょっと目を離した隙に!!」
すると、彼女の後ろからフィニアちゃんがすいーっと飛んできた。そしてレイラちゃんを見た瞬間に速度をあげ、レイラちゃんの顔面に頭突きをかました。
「あたっ......うぅーん......いたた......あっ♪ おはよっ、きつね君!」
「抱きつくな」
ややこしくなってくるから。
取り敢えず僕はレイラちゃんからフィニアちゃんを引き剥がし、ベッドから降りた。枕元に置いてあった狐面を頭に掛けて、とりあえず身体を伸ばしたり曲げたりして解す。そして、大きく深呼吸して首をコキッと一つ鳴らした。
改めて周囲を見た。フィニアちゃんはいつも通り、そしてルルちゃんを名乗る中三位の少女がいて、白髪赤眼のレイラちゃんがベッドの上に座っている、と。
さしあたって確かめるべきなのは、ルルちゃんだろう。
「ルルちゃんってこんな感じだったっけ?」
「私もびっくりした! 昨日の夜突然だったから!」
どういうこと? そう聞いたら、フィニアちゃんは昨日の夜......僕が眠った後に起こったことを話し始めた。
「な、なに......!?」
私が眠ろうとした瞬間、隣から視界いっぱいに広がる光が現れた。びっくりして目を開けたら、そこには身体から光を放ってるルルちゃんがいる。
困惑しながらも私はルルちゃんに起こった変化を理解するべく、ルルちゃんの身体に触れた。光は熱く感じたけど、ルルちゃんの身体に何か害を与えるような感覚は無かった。
すると、ルルちゃんの身体が急激に『成長』し始めた! 見る見る内に彼女の顔から幼さが取れていき、身体も平坦なものから多少凹凸のある身体へと変化していくのが分かる。
そして光が少しずつ収まり、完全に消えた時、ルルちゃんの身体はきつねさんよりも頭一つ小さいくらいにまで成長していた。驚愕で目を丸くして、言葉も出なかったけど、ルルちゃんの身体が呼吸で動いているのを見て、生きていることが分かったから少し安心出来た。
「......んん......フィニア様......?」
「あ......る、ルルちゃん」
「おはようございます......」
すると、ルルちゃんが眼を覚ました。どきっとして言葉に詰まったけど、別に何も悪いことはしてないから萎縮する必要はない、と思い直す。そして挨拶をしてくるルルちゃんに、私はおはようと返した。
目を覚ましたルルちゃんは、自分の身体の変化に気が付いて、困惑しながら自分の身体をぺたぺたと触れまわってた。
「え......え......? これって......」
「えと、さっきぱぁって光ってルルちゃんの身体が成長したんだけど......」
「第二次性徴......?」
「第、二次性徴? なにそれ?」
どうやらルルちゃんは自分の身体に起こった変化について心当たりがあるようだった。ぽつりと彼女の口から出て来た言葉、『第二次性徴』というのはなんなんだろう?
私は首を傾げながらそれについて聞いてみる、するとルルちゃんは小難しそうな表情を浮かべながら説明し始めた。
「えと......私達獣人というのは、人間と違って少し特殊で......狩りを生業としている人と、普通に暮らしている人とでは成長に差が出るんです」
「なるほど」
「普通に暮らしている人は、人間と同じで時間と共に身体が成長していくんですけど......狩りを生業としている人はレベルが上がるとそれに応じて身体が急成長するです」
』退治でルルちゃんのレベルが上がったよね......だからそのレベルに応じて身体が成長したってこと?
あはは、短い幼女期間だったね! とはいえ、ルルちゃん成長して随分と大人びた感じになったね。話すのも結構流暢になってきたし、というか声も少し子供っぽさが抜けた気がする。精神的にも成長したってことなのかな? 切った髪もかなり伸びたみたいだし。
「へぇ......あっ、ルルちゃんもう身体の痛みは大丈夫?」
「ああ、はい......え、と......大丈夫です」
「そっか! 良かった!」
まぁなんにせよ、大事にならなくて良かった。ルルちゃんにとっても良い変化だったみたいだし、身体の痛みも取れたみたいだし、良かった良かった。
すると、ルルちゃんがベッドから足を下ろして、立ち上がった。幼い時に貰った服がピチピチだ。膝丈まであったスカートの裾が、下着が見えないギリギリの所まで上がってる。それに胸元も成長して出て来た膨らみで突っ張っちゃってる。首輪は奴隷の成長に合わせてサイズが変わる様に作られてるみたいだから丁度良い大きさだけど、それ以外はなんだか色っぽくなっちゃってた。
「ちょっと......苦しいです」
「......エイラさんに服を貰い行こっか!」
それから私達はエイラさんの所へ行って、成長したルルちゃんを見たエイラさんによるファッションショーが朝まで続けられることになるのだった。
「で、今帰ってきた所ってことか......」
「うん、数着服を貰ったよ!」
「てことは......マジでルルちゃんなんだ」
「はい、すいません驚かせてしまい......」
フィニアちゃんの説明を受けて、僕はそんなに驚いていなかった。ファンタジーだからそういうこともあるだろうと思ってたしね。寧ろ、ルルちゃんの身体が成長するくらいなら時間と共に起こり得ることだった訳だし、それが遅いか速いかの違いだから別に構わない。
まぁ多少ステータスにも成長補正が入るだろうし、それはそれで僕達にとっては得になるから良いとしよう。
「まぁそれは良いよ。こっちはもっと大変だし......」
「ん? あはっ♪」
僕はちらっとレイラちゃんを見る。すると、彼女は僕の視線に気付いて可愛く笑った。どうやら今は発情してないみたいで、顔も赤くないし目にハートマーク浮かんでない。どうやら昼と夜じゃ発情度に違いがあるみたいだね。今本気で良かったと思った。
とはいえ、夜より話が通じるようになっただけで発情してない訳じゃないみたいだ。この分じゃ夜が怖いな。
「そう! なんでこの女が此処にいるの!? きつねさん!」
「あー......昨日呼び出されて会いに行ったんだけど......そしたらレイラちゃんがあの時の怪物だったって分かって、食べられそうになったから一緒にいていいとか色々条件付けて止めて貰ったんだよ」
「ぐぬぬぬぬ.........!」
「分かったかな? 私ときつね君は昨日結ばれたんだよ!」
「ちょっと黙ってくれる?」
放っておけば何言いだすか分からない。気が付いたら僕とレイラちゃんが付き合ってるとか噂が流れそうで怖い。こんな子と付き合う奴とか正気の沙汰じゃないよ、瘴気だけに。
とはいえ、昼間は夜に比べて比較的大人しいし、思ったより一日中くっつかれるような事にはならなそうだ。レイラちゃん以外だったら大歓迎だけどね、この子だけは無理。行き過ぎて食べられる可能性もあるし。
早々に耐性値上げてこの子が脅威にならないくらいまで成長しないと......いつか絶対左眼じゃ済まなくなる......というか左眼返せよ、どうせそのお腹の中に入ってるんだろうけどさ、ぐっちゃぐちゃになって。
「という訳で、まぁ彼女も僕らに付いてくることになったから、仲良くしてね」
「いや!」
「やー♡」
「ははっ、駄目だこりゃ」
とりあえず手を舐めるまでは許そう。一日1回キスしなくちゃいけないけど。
「さて......と、それじゃそろそろかな」
「何が、ですか?」
いがみ合ってる二人を置いて、僕は一つそう呟く。ルルちゃんが首を傾げた。
色々あったけど、取り敢えずは僕達の準備が整ったと言っても過言ではない。僕の耐性も森を抜ける位はイケる程に上昇したし、リーシェちゃんも戦えるようになったし、ルルちゃんも予想外だったけど成長したし、フィニアちゃんは言わずもがな、そこにSランク魔族のレイラちゃんが加わった。戦力的には最強のパーティと言える自信がある。
ならば、もうこの国に留まる理由はないだろう。そろそろ行こうか、グランディール王国。異世界からやってきた人間、『勇者』に会いに。
正直、この国にはミアちゃんとかエイラさんとかお世話になった人がいるし、『赤い夜』をのさばらせておくのは忍びない、危険だからね。
「うん、そろそろこの国を出ようか」
「!」
僕の言葉に、ルルちゃんが目を丸くした。驚いた様な表情を浮かべる彼女の頭を撫でてやる。すると、此処は変わってないのか相変わらず気持ちよさそうに頭を擦りつけてくる。思わず苦笑が漏れた。
フィニアちゃんの襟首を摘まんで肩に乗せ、レイラちゃんの額をこつんと叩く。にへらっと笑う赤い眼の彼女は、寝っ転がったまま瘴気に乗って空中に浮遊する。便利そうだな、あれ。
「とりあえず、今日グランディール王国に向かう準備を整えて、明日の朝に出発しようか」
「えー、あの国つまらないんだけどなぁー」
「今は勇者が召喚されたらしいから、少しは楽しめると思うよ」
なんだったら押し付けるしね。
僕がそう言うと、レイラちゃんは少しだけ楽しみといった笑みを浮かべた。というかこの子を連れて街に出ても良いのかな? 正直、見た目は完全に魔族なんだけど。
フィニアちゃんは正体に気が付いているだろうし、ルルちゃんは正直奴隷だったからか、彼女が魔族であること自体気が付いてないみたいだし良いけど、外に出たら絶対バレるよなぁ。
そう思い、少し考えてみた。
「仕方ない、ルルちゃん......とりあえずリーシェちゃん起こして来てくれる?」
でも、上手い案は浮かばない。レイラちゃんに元の黒髪黒目の人間モードになってもらえればいいんだけど、その代わりに何を要求されるか分からない。
仕方なく外に出るわけにもいかないので、僕は成長したルルちゃんにそう頼んだ。
Beast-kin's Trait
"Hmm... I see, I don't understand it at all."
Well then, after I somehow managed to settle down the case about {Red Night}  - Leila Vermilion -, I felt like I wanted to immediately took a rest but, right now, I feel like the second wave of event have started, I don't understand it at all, but let's try to sort out what happened first.
First, I took along Leila-chan, or rather I ignored Leila-chan who followed me, and then returned to my room. Then, the instant I entered my room, the {Near-death experience}  skill was cancelled. And because of that, I immediately felt a great drowsiness. Perhaps, my stamina was already at its limit.
And then, when I woke up this morning, without Finia-chan and Lulu-chan around, there was Leila-chan who was sleeping next to me.
"...wait, but perhaps it isn't that strange, right...? This girl did following me here, after all, so perhaps when I was asleep, she slipped into the bed, or something along that line..."
If I rethink about Leila-chan who is sleeping soundly next to me, it won't be strange for her to be here since she did following me here, after all.
It's just, since I asked Finia-chan to don't sleep last night, there was no why she'd allow her to enter the room. Finia-chan'd always made such threatening expression at Leila-chan even when she didn't know that she was {Red Night} , after all, that's why when Leila-chan entered this room while still at her {Red Night}  mode, then it shouldn't be strange for them to had a fight here, right?
That means, I'm very uneasy at the fact that Finia-chan and Lulu-chan aren't in this room. Could it be, she didn't eat them, right? She had promised, after all, right? If she really ate them then I'd really kill her at her sleep.
"Ufu, ufufu... Kitsune-kun... I luv..."
She even still lustful when asleep. How scary, why? Why must such kind of girl that gathered around me? If I meet the hero, could I ask him to exterminate her, I wonder? ... Ah, that's it, I must believe at the possibility that she might fall for the hero instead, then I could simply pass her away at him. I'm sure he's definitely way stronger than me, after all, and since he's also an otherworlder so I'm sure he'd taste way better than me. Perhaps. Nonetheless, where are Finia-chan and Lulu-chan, I wonder?
"Ah, you have awoken, Kitsune-sama."
And, at that time, there's a girl with a long bright brown hair who enters the room. There's dog ears atop her head, and there's also a dog tail at her buttock. She looks somewhat similar like Lulu-chan, but Lulu-chan was a bit younger, she looked like a little girl of a third-year student of elementary school, after all.
The girl before me has an appearance that of a girl at her third-year middle school, after all, she's way taller than Lulu-chan. Perhaps, is she Lulu-chan's older sister, or someone along that line?
"...who are you?"
"Lulu-desu."
When I asked who the girl was, she named herself as Lulu.
"Lulu-chan, have Kitsune-san awoken?"
"Ah, Finia-sama... yes, he has awoken... it's just, there's an unknown person."
"Aa!! That girl, when I took my eyes off even for just a bit!!"
After that, Finia-chan comes flying from her rear. And then, the moment she notices Leila-chan, she speed up herself, and clashes herself at Leila-chan's face head first.
"Ow... hnn... it hurts... Ah, morning, Kitsune-kun!"
"Don't cling at him."
Since it has become very complicated,
First of all, I take Finia-chan away from Leila-chan, then I get off from the bed. Putting the lying on the bed fox mask at my head, I decide to stretch my body first. And then, taking a deep breath, I stretch my neck and make a cracking sound.
After that, I look at my surrounding again. Finia-chan is still like usual, then there a girl with appearance akin to a girl around her third-year in middle school who named herself as Lulu-chan, and lastly there's Leila-chan with white hair and red eyes who is sitting atop the bed, huh.
The one I need to ascertain first is, Lulu-chan, right?
"Did Lulu-chan always looks like this, I wonder?"
"I was also surprised! It happened suddenly last night, after all!"
What do you mean?  When I ask so, Finia-chan starts telling us... what happened last night, when I was asleep.
"Wh, what is it...!?"
The moment when I was almost got asleep, suddenly there was a dazzling light spreaded. My eyes were opened wide in surprise, the one there was Lulu-chan whose body was emitting that dazzling light.
Even in my bewildered state, I still could grasp the transformation that occurred at Lulu-chan's body, then I touched Lulu-chan's body. The light felt a bit hot, but I didn't feel like it'd bring any harm to her body.
And then, Lulu-chan's body suddenly started {growing} ! In an instant, the childish appearance at her face disappeared, even I can see that bulges were appeared at the flat part of her body. I didn't know what happened, but unlike Kitsune-san who was a human, Lulu-chan was a {Beast-kin} . Perhaps they had unique traits that were different from human.
And, the light was diminishing little by little, and when it completely disappeared, Lulu-chan's body had grown into one head short than Kitsune-san's. My eyes were opened wide in surprise, she didn't say anything, but I could see that her body was still breathing, I felt a bit relieved the moment I noticed that she was still alive.
"...nn... Finia-sama...?"
"Ah...Lu, Lulu-chan."
"Good morning...."
And then, Lulu-chan was awoken. I was lost of words in surprise, but since it wasn't something bad, so there was no need to fret over it, or so I thought. Thus, to Lulu-chan who greeted me, I said 'good morning' in reply.
The just awoken Lulu-chan noticed the transformation that occurred at her own body, and started patting her whole body in bewilderment.
"Eh... eh...? This is...."
"Umm, just now, your body was shining and suddenly grown, you see...."
"Secondary trait...?"
"Secondary, trait? What is that?"
Seemed like Lulu-chan had an idea about what happened to her body. {Secondary trait}  that she said in her murmur, just what was that?
I inclined my neck and asked her for explanation about it, and then Lulu-chan started explaining it with a somewhat hard expression.
"Umm... us, beast-kin, are a bit different from human... there's a difference of growth between people who live as a hunter and people who live like ordinary people-desu."
"I see."
"People who live ordinarily are, similarly like human, they grow along the time, but... people who live as hunter, their body would rapidly grow in accordance to the increase of their level-desu."
Come to think of it, Lulu-chan's level was increased after we subjugated the "Arachne", right? ... Did that means, because her level increased, her body grown in accordance?
Ahaha, she sure had a short childhood period! Nonetheless, after her growth, she felt like had become somewhat a bit more mature, right? Her speech had become more affluent, after all, or rather, I felt like her childish ambiance was a bit lessened from her voice. Did that means that she also grown mentally, I wonder? Even her just got cut hair was also considerably grown, after all.
"Hee... ah, Lulu-chan, is your body still in pain?"
"Ah... umm... I'm fine-desu."
"I see! Thanks god!"
Well, nonetheless, thanks god that it wasn't something bad. Even for Lulu-chan, it seemed like it was a good transformation, after all, and the pain of her body also had disappeared, thanks god.
Thereupon, Lulu-chan put her legs down from the bed and stood up. The clothes that she got in her little girl time was bursting in tight. The cuff of her skirt that used to reach her knee, right now it was raised to the point just barely hid her underwear. Moreover, the bulges that grown at her chest were sticking out itself proudly. The slavery choker was transforming in accordance to its holder body so the size was just perfectly match her, but other than that were became somehow looked erotic.
"It's a bit... tight-desu."
"...Let's go and ask Ayla-san for some now clothes!"
After that we went to meet Ayla-san, and after Ayla-san saw the just grown Lulu-chan, she performed a fashion show out of her till morning came.
"Then, you just returned from there, huh...."
"Yup, we got a lot of clothes, you know!"
"That means... she really is Lulu-chan, huh."
"Yes, sorry for surprising you...."
I wasn't that surprised. Since here's a fantasy world so something like that might really happen, after all. Or rather, regarding Lulu-chan's growth, it'll eventually happen along the time, so it's just a matter of how fast or slow that growth pace, so I don't particularly mind it.
Well, there's also status correction, after all, so as far as we concerned, since it's a good thing so let's just don't fret over it too much.
"Well, that isn't particularly a problem. This one is way more troublesome, after all...."
"Hmm? Ahaha."
I take a glance at Leila-chan. And then, noticing my glance, she cutely laughs. Seems like right now she isn't in her lustful state, her face isn't flushed and there's also no heart marks at her eyes. Seems like there's a lust switch that would get switched along the alteration between day and night. I'm really grateful of it.
Nonetheless, even when she could communicates better than at night, it doesn't necessarily means that she wouldn't be at her lustful state. In that case, night would become a dangerous period.
"That's right! Why is this girl even here!? Kitsune-san!"
"Ah... yesterday, I met her after got called, you see... and then, I noticed that Leila-chan was actually the monster back then, and since I was almost got eaten so I told her that she could live together with me along with many other conditions so that she'd stop at trying to eat me."
"Gunununu....!"
"Do you understand it now? I and Kitsune-kun are bound together ever since yesterday!"
"Could you please be quiet for a bit?"
It sure would be scary if suddenly there's a rumor that said that I and Leila-chan are dating. Dating this girl isn't a matter of sanity again, but the miasma.
Nonetheless, compared to her at night, at day she is considerably more docile, seems like she won't cling at me the whole time like how I expected her to be. If it's not Leila-chan then I'll greatly welcome it, though, but this sole girl is impossible for me. There's a possibility she might overdo it and accidentally eat me, after all.
I have to increase my resistance to the point that her attack won't become a threat for me as fast as possible... the next time, I feel like she won't be satisfied with just my right eye, after all... or rather, please return my left eye. After all, it's inside that stomach of yours, right? Just throw out up.
"That's why, well, since she's going to be together with us, so please be nice to each other, right?"
"No way!"
"No~"
"Hahaha, sound like hopeless."
For now, let's permit her to just lick my arms. I still have to kiss her once a day though.
"Well then... I think it's almost the time."
"Time, for what?"
Ignoring the two who are quarreling, I murmur so. And Lulu-chan inclines her head.
Many things happened, but it won't be an exaggeration to say that our preparations are already quite in order. My resistance has reached the point where it would let me survive through that forest, Rishe-chan also has become able to fight, it's outside my expectation, but Lulu-chan also has grown, Finia-chan is goes without saying, I think, and then we also have Leila-chan, the S rank demon. War potentials-wise, I'm pretty confident to call ourselves as the strongest party.
So, there's already no reason for us to stay at this country, right? I think it's almost the time we need to go there, to the Grandile Kingdom. To meet the person who was summoned from another world, the {Hero} .
To be honest, at this country there are Mia-chan, Ayla-san and many other person who I'm indebted to, but I can't just let {Red Night} to do as it pleased, it's too dangerous, after all.
"Yup, I think it's almost the time we need to leave this country."
"!"
At my word, Lulu-chan opens her eyes wide. I pat Lulu-chan's head whose face is filled by surprise. In doing so, perhaps this part is still the same as usual, she rubs her head with such happy expression as usual. Unintentionally, I let out a bitter smile.
Then, I pinch Finia-chan at the nape of her neck and put her at my shoulder, and knock Leila-chan at her forehead. The red eyed girl is laughing while laying around atop her floating miasma. It seems very convenient, right?
"Anyway, today we're going to make our preparation to take a journey toward Grandile Kingdom, and we're going to departure tomorrow morning."
"Eh~, that country is boring, though."
"Seems like not too long ago they had summoned a hero, so I think it has become a bit more interesting, you know?"
And if he's into your liking then I'll push you away to him, after all.
When I think so, Leila-chan floats a smile that contains a bit of anticipation. Is it okay to take along a girl with such appearance around the town? To be honest, her appearance is completely that one of a demon, though.
Finia-chan's true nature has been exposed, Lulu-chan was actually indeed a slave, it's good since it seems like everyone hasn't noticed that Leila-chan is actually a demon, but if she goes outside as it is, I'm pretty sure she'd immediately get exposed, right?
Considering that, I'm pondering about it a bit.
"It can't be helped, Lulu-chan... for now, could you please wake Rishe-chan up?"
However, I haven't got any decent plan. It would be good if Leila-chan would revert her appearance back into that one of a girl with black hair and black eyes, but, I don't know what she might demand from me in exchange.
Since it's inevitably that we still need to go outside, so I ask the just grown Lulu-chan to do so.
I Kinda Came to Another World, but Where’s the Way Home?
【書籍化】異世界来ちゃったけど帰り道何処？
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/i-kinda-came-to-another-world-but-wheres-the-way-home/
Action Adventure Comedy Drama Fantasy Harem Shounen Slice of Life
Apathetic Protagonist Bullying Calm Protagonist Demi-Humans Demon Lord Demons Dense Protagonist Fairies Game Elements Ghosts Heterochromia Knights Level System Male Protagonist Murders Naive Protagonist R-15 Royalty R*pe S*aves Sword And Magic Transported to Another World Weak Protagonist Yandere
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2650bx/
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