"It's farther than I thought?"
Asha muttered blankly. Her expression wasn't great, likely due to the long carriage ride. Well, having jostled around even after getting off the train, it was only natural to feel dissatisfied.
If it had been the carriage she usually rode in, it might not have been a problem, but the one currently rattling along seemed to have been borrowed from out of town, making it hard to call it good even as a polite lie.
Claudia chuckled softly at the voice that somehow sounded like whining, then lifted Asha, who had been sitting on the hard carriage seat, and placed her on her own lap.
"Is this more comfortable?"
"Well, it is soft..."
I hope she doesn't get an erection from this.
As Asha relaxed into the warmth with a slight unease, Claudia gently embraced her and continued speaking.
"See, if it weren't for an opportunity like this, when would we ever come here?"
"That's... true."
"I've always been curious too."
As Asha, feeling the soft sensation, responded to Claudia, she slightly pulled away at the voice coming from across.
"Really?"
"Of course."
The one who answered her question was Pelicia, the child of Claudia and Asha.
The three were heading to Claudia's hometown to celebrate Pelicia's coming of age.
Pelicia answered politely and then resumed reading her book, seemingly unfazed by the swaying carriage.
...Though contrary to that appearance, her tail was wagging vigorously with anticipation.
'She must have really been looking forward to it.'
While Asha smiled fondly at her, Claudia, confirming that Pelicia's mind was absorbed in the book, pulled Asha a little closer.
As Asha let out a small gasp, she felt breasts pressing against the back of her head.
From the soft, plump chest, a warm body temperature and an alluring fragrance rose.
Soon, Claudia buried her nose in Asha's crown and sniffed.
The soft lips that pressed against it were a bonus.
Feeling that overly alluring sensation, Asha whispered softly. Her face had already turned red.
"Wh-what are you doing? In front of Dia."
"I get sad if you only talk to Dia."
"Seriously, how long have I... and are you jealous of our child now?"
As she whispered that, Claudia averted her gaze with an awkward expression.
Clunk!
In the meantime, perhaps they hit a stone, the carriage jolted violently.
"Ah, Mommy!"
Among them, only Asha screamed.
The other two calmly remained seated and stared at her intently. In Claudia's case, she held Asha tightly to prevent her from getting hurt.
Immediately grasping the situation, Asha felt slightly embarrassed and looked outside.
"Ahem, ahem..."
"Pfft..."
She tried to ignore the laughter coming from above her head.
As she looked out the window, a dense forest began to come into view.
Such scenery wasn't special since she had seen plenty of it in her childhood, but upon closer look, something seemed to be moving.
"Huh?"
No, it wasn't just similar; she could actually see it.
The figures of Beastfolk running through the forest and wild animals fleeing in panic.
What appeared in an instant vanished into the depths in the blink of an eye. Soon after, a sorrowful cry seemed to be heard.
"Still the same here."
Claudia's muttering reached her ears.
It was hard to tell what emotion she was feeling. Or rather, it seemed too complex to judge.
Nevertheless, sensing a somewhat drained feeling, Asha leaned her body more against her.
"Hmm?"
Claudia, blinking at the sudden contact, smiled faintly and hugged Asha.
In a scene sweet enough to make sugar pour from one's mouth if anyone saw, Pelicia, who had been reading, hid behind her book and peeked at the two.
"..."
Pelicia grabbed her tail that was trying to move on its own. She felt that if she didn't, they might notice she was watching.
I'm jealous...
Will I ever find love like that...
She pouted her lips while looking at her parents, who seemed like characters from a novel.
Flip, flip.
Pretending to read, she just turned pages one after another.
Who knows how much longer the carriage traveled.
Clunk.
The carriage stopped.
As the party stretched their stiff bodies and got off, the coachman, who had been sitting, spoke with a tired face.
"I'll come back at noon in ten days... please come out on time."
"Alright. Thank you for your hard work."
"Haha, no need for such words. I'm just doing my job for pay."
After his small talk, he headed towards a nearby clearing.
While Asha conversed with him, the party, having gathered their luggage, slowly began to walk.
...To think we have to walk after riding the carriage again.
"..."
It's even more rural than where I live...
Asha forced back a sigh that threatened to escape. She didn't know what Claudia was feeling, but still, it was her hometown.
...Since she insisted on coming, it probably didn't leave a bad impression, all the more reason.
Still, they didn't walk as long as expected.
And seeing the scene unfolding before her eyes, a question arose.
'Why did they stop the carriage right there in front?'
...Was there really a need for that?
As she pondered, a 'village' began to come into view.
Not dilapidated houses like in some remote countryside hamlet, but rather decent-looking buildings.
...Was my thought that they'd live in forests or caves a discriminatory assumption based on their race?
Thinking that, the scene she saw earlier floated hazily in her mind.
Anyway.
The party walked diligently and entered the village.
It was more ordinary than expected.
Except for the fact that all the people wandering around were Beastfolk... it could truly be called a quiet village in the countryside.
...Of course, for Asha, that alone made her feel like she had come to a different country.
It wasn't exactly wrong.
Pelicia also seemed interested, glancing around here and there.
Not only was it her first time out in a long while, but it was also her first experience seeing so many beings similar to herself.
"There's a strange scent in the air, I feel."
Pelicia muttered after sniffing the air.
Only Claudia, watching the two with a slight smile, was calm.
'Nothing to be amazed about.'
Her hometown is an extremely boring place.
...It might be optimal for recuperation, but for her, who had already tasted the delicacies and culture of the city, it was even more so.
Then, a slightly noisy sound was heard.
Listening closely, it was the sound of many children chattering.
Probably children gathered because their parents had gone hunting.
There must be someone looking after them so the instinct-driven children don't cause trouble.
'Pelicia might have ended up there too.'
If Asha had gotten pregnant unexpectedly at first, that might have been the case.
Since it was a meaningless assumption, she smiled wryly.
...Come to think of it, she felt they had raised her somewhat similarly. Due to special circumstances, there were many children.
'But still.'
It's not bad coming down after a long time.
Claudia led Asha and Pelicia, who were looking around, to the only place in the village that accepted guests.
...For an inn-like place to operate, there need to be people visiting for tourism in the first place.
Who would come down to such a countryside?
The place the party arrived at was...
"Hmm? Aren't you... Claudia?"
"Old man, you remember?"
"Keke... feels like just yesterday you were running around stirring up the village..."
The old man with sparse white beard glanced at her and the Asha and Pelicia beside her, then continued.
"Seems you found a mate outside?"
"Well, that's how it turned out."
"I see... I'll give you the largest room, so stay and go. There's no one else using it anyway since I'm the only one here now."
"What about your family?"
Then the old man smiled bitterly and replied.
"My mate returned to nature, and the children left the village like you. I can't even remember when I last saw them."
"...I see."
The old man waved his hand, telling them to have a good time, and disappeared.
After the old man vanished, Asha asked Claudia.
"Who was that?"
"Hmm... the village chief?"
"Then he's an important person?"
"It's ambiguous... Anyway, let's go in. I'll tell you the rest later, aren't you tired?"
"...That's true."
She nodded. Her body, having ridden the carriage for a long time, was screaming.
The party followed Claudia and unpacked in the room.
After unpacking, Asha fluttered like a paper doll and soon fell asleep. Pelicia looked at the sleeping Asha and settled down beside her.
Pelicia also wagged her tail gently and fell asleep.
Claudia watched with a warm expression, then fetched a blanket from somewhere and covered the two.
'By the way.'
Will she be okay? Our daughter.
Well, she's not the troublemaking type, so she'll probably be fine.
I'll be here anyway.
Nodding, she left where the two were sleeping and headed somewhere.
At the end was the old man who had welcomed the three earlier.
"Hmm? Why did you come here?"
"Came to keep a pitiful old man drinking alone company?"
"Hah."
The old man clicked his tongue as if it was absurd, but his body was honest.
Whether he was pleased to see a familiar face after a long time, the corners of his mouth were raised.
Author's Note (Author's Afterword)
T-this, one more for now...