Chapter 19 – Change of plans
They had left behind the mess they created at the entrance of the human city the two wanted to enter. Sophia and Fen walked for an hour until they arrived at a forest a good bit away from the place.
"Gaah!" Crying out her frustration, Sophia punched a tree. Not holding back, it got completely obliterated the moment her fist connected, leaving only a splintered stump behind.
"Uh…"
"Seriously! What's wrong with this world's humans?!" Not caring what she just did to the tree, the girl continued. "Disposing of Fen? Are they that blind?! How can you not notice that he's, like, super overpowered? In the first place, your freaking race can't even get rid of a kow! A KOW! Me working in a brothel?!" Her eyes turned cold again, and while she remembered, another tree had met its end by Sophia's fist. "Don't joke with me, you joke of a guard! Be happy you were so worthlessly weak! If you had put up even a shred of resistance, you would've been responsible for me leveling your entire city! Ah, but maybe it's time to end humanity as a whole in the first place? They're too weak to survive in the long run anyway. There's absolutely no worth in keeping this race alive. Okay, let's go, Fen! Let's go and have some fun!"
"Calm down for a moment, girl! Your anger is going completely out of control again." He noticed that Sophia wasn't herself anymore.
"I am calm, though." Her voice had absolutely no emotion to it.
"Calm people don't normally call for a genocide."
"Hmm… Really? Yeah, I think you might be right…"
"No, I am."
"I thought you would have fun doing it, though."
"Might be a tiny little bit, but I honestly think humans aren't even worth the effort to eradicate them."
"So, they are still alive because they're too much of a bother to end?"
"Pretty much."
"Haah…." Seeing his indifference, Sophia had no other choice than to calm down. "You really are something else, Fen."
"You are the ONE person I don't to hear that from, Sophia!"
"Ahaha." Once her anger fell below a certain point, it vanished altogether.
"Oh, laughing again already? That was fast." The wolf noticed how her tamper changed.
"Yeah… thanks for keeping your promise, Fen."
"Hmm?"
"For bringing me back when my anger got too boosted."
"Ah, that… What a handful you are, girl."
"Sorry…"
"No, it's fine. It's not that hard, actually. You only have to calm down to a certain point where your boosted positive traits take over again, and you simply stop caring. You're also extremely prone to getting sidetracked. That helps a lot. It's kinda funny how you are all over the place in a matter of seconds."
"Should I be happy now? Angry? Maybe both? Or possibly none of that? What is it?" She was confused.
"Yes."
"Ehh…?" That only made it worse.
"Hehe, anyway," Fen continued after a slight chuckle. "Putting that… and the genocide aside, I hereby declare that we're not going to meet any more humans for the time being. I've had enough."
"Agreed." Sophia's feelings were finally on the same page as Fen's. "I still believe there's a decent human somewhere in this world. There has to be, but right now… I don't think it's worth wading through a sea of cockroaches to find that certain someone…" She had enough for the time being, as well.
"Corkroaches, huh? I like that analogy, very fitting.
"Indeed. That's really all they are." Sophia didn't care about the wolf's slightly different pronunciation of the name. "But… what do we do now? Continue to wander around and train our magic?"
"Hmm, I think that doesn't sound so bad, actually, but let's see-" The wolf thought about their next steps. "Ah, right, Sophia, instead of humans, want to try visiting a beastfolk city?"
"Beastfolk?" Sophia tilted her head. "Yeah, you mentioned them before, didn't you?"
"Yes, and compared to humans, they're mostly decent people. I would recommend visiting them if you want some more company."
"Really…? It won't end up being like… that again?" She roughly pointed in the direction of the city they visited.
"I don't think so. I actually enjoyed their company a lot in the past. They're a bit wild but a genuinely friendly folk."
"Is that so?" She had become wary. "They do sound promising if even you like them… Well, I trust you, Fen. If you say it's worth meeting them…"
"Yes, I do think we should give it a try." Fen honestly didn't care that much about meeting them or not. Still, he felt that Sophia needed another companion, preferably a more humanoid one.
"What are they like?" She got a little interested.
"Let's see… Well, as I said, they're mostly a rowdy bunch and a bit wild, or rather, free-spirited. They're also really sociable, faithful, and caring. If you befriend one of them, you have a friend for life."
"Hmm? Are you friends with any of them then?"
"Not at the moment, but in the past… Unfortunately, there's a slight difference in life expectancy…"
"Ah…" Sophia didn't know how long the beastpeople live, but Fen obviously was a special case.
"Fortunately, this issue won't be a problem with you, Sophia."
"Yeah, you'll have to put up with me for a long time." She answered before thinking. "Wait… What?"
"Ahh…" The wolf awkwardly looked away for some reason all of a sudden.
"What do you mean by that, Fen…?"
"Well, I'm not completely certain as you're not native to this world, but it's likely true for you as well. Especially if that part of you, too, got boosted. Here, in this world, your magic power has a direct connection to your life expectancy. The bigger your powers are, the longer you live."
"I-I see…" She looked shocked. "S-So with my level of power…"
"A long, very long time." He kept it vague as not to scare her, but it felt like he was indicating that there might wouldn't be an end at all.
"Ahaha…" Laughing it off was her only option to deal with this fearsome revelation, but then her thoughts wandered to something else before she could adequately react. "E-Eh, wait a moment… If that's the case… how does my body age…?"
"I'm not sure about humans because you're the first case, but going by the long-lived elven race… Their bodies grow normally until the age of 14 to 15, and then they basically stop, not visibly aging for a long time. Even those elves being over 400 years old don't look any different from the average 17 to 18-year-old human counterpart. For you, Sophia, it'll possibly take way longer for that."
"N-No way…" Her face was as white as a sheet, and the girl fell dramatically on her knees. Her priorities were all over the place with this topic.
"W-What's wrong? I thought human females would like the thought of being young forever?"
"That-, That can't be…" Despair was written all over her face. "Y-You see… when that god brought me over to this world, he turned me a couple of years younger… That's why I know how my body's going to… develop. In about a year, halfway through my 16. birthday, I was supposed to have another… growth spurt…" She touched a very delicate place of her body, namely her chest with a lonely expression and tears in the corners of her eyes."
"Ahh…" Fen, getting a rough idea of what she was implying, had no way to console her. "Tough luck, girl."
"Whyyy?!" A cry louder than ever echoed towards the sky.
"Anyway…" Because Fen had not the slightest bit of interest in Sophia's chest, he tried to get the discussion back on track. "So, about the beastfolk…"
"Sniffle…" Wiping away her tears and fighting off the pain in her heart, she tried to focus her attention on him. "Speaking of which, how do beastpeople look like…?"
"That's not easy to answer. They're a pretty diverse race. Some look almost completely like humans, while others are actually closer to me. Of course, everything else in between that is also present."
"In between?" Sophia thought back on the fantasy books of her old world. "Oh, something like a human with animal ears or a tail?"
"Exactly. I'm surprised you know. Some of them have scales or wings as well… They're grouped in felines, canines, reptiles, and the likes… It's a fascinating bunch."
"Humans with animal traits, huh?" She ignored the beastpeople looking closer to Fen for the time being. "Fluffy ears and a tail… cute… Okay, let's get going, Fen!" She had no intention of hiding her true motivation.
"You… Well, ignoring your shamelessness, their next city isn't far. Even with us taking our time. We should reach it around tomorrow evening."
"Great! Let's leave this place behind immediately then!" She wanted to leave as soon as possible, being more motivated than ever.
"Okay."
----------------
Having decided on a plan, the two left the human territory for good and began their journey towards the beastfolk city. Sophia and Fen kept going until the late evening of the day before they decided to make camp for the night after having found a nice place. Once the two ate and Sophia finished her makeshift bath, the usual scene of a young girl and an oversized wolf relaxing in front of a fire could be seen again.
"Fen, do I have to pay attention to anything once we arrive in the city? I'm sort of a human, after all. Could that lead to problems?"
"They might be a little wary of you in the beginning, but contrary to these bugs, err, humans, they don't prejudice against others. Once they get to know you, you'll be fine."
"Oh, I'm starting to like these guys already. What about my magic powers?"
"Well, let's just say they won't be scared of you… yeah…" He suddenly became evasive.
"Fen…?"
"Uhh, you see, there are a lot of muscle heads among the beastfolk. If they meet a strong individual, no matter how big the difference in power is, there's a strong chance of them wanting to have a mock fight."
"I-Is that so…?"
"Oh, and they can sense magic powers to some degree, so they will know that you're strong, whether you want to hide it or not."
"Well, there goes that idea…"
"Sophia."
"Yes…"
"You have to hold back during that mock fight."
"So it's already a given that I'm going to fight one?"
"Yes."
"..."
"They're vastly stronger than humans, but compared to us, it still doesn't amount to much."
"I thought so… Well, excuse me then, I'm going to train… Train to hold back, that is." Sophia wasn't the least bit confident she could do so without preparing.
"A… wise choice." Fen had to agree.
And so, for the rest of the evening, Sophia thought of some techniques to use this so-called moderation. A word that had not yet been part of her vocabulary. Needless to say, it took her a long way to stop completely overdoing everything she does.
Chapter 19 – Change of plans
They had left behind the mess they created at the entrance of the human city the two wanted to enter. Sophia and Fen walked for an hour until they arrived at a forest a good bit away from the place.
"Gaah!" Crying out her frustration, Sophia punched a tree. Not holding back, it got completely obliterated the moment her fist connected, leaving only a splintered stump behind.
"Uh…"
"Seriously! What's wrong with this world's humans?!" Not caring what she just did to the tree, the girl continued. "Disposing of Fen? Are they that blind?! How can you not notice that he's, like, super overpowered? In the first place, your freaking race can't even get rid of a kow! A KOW! Me working in a brothel?!" Her eyes turned cold again, and while she remembered, another tree had met its end by Sophia's fist. "Don't joke with me, you joke of a guard! Be happy you were so worthlessly weak! If you had put up even a shred of resistance, you would've been responsible for me leveling your entire city! Ah, but maybe it's time to end humanity as a whole in the first place? They're too weak to survive in the long run anyway. There's absolutely no worth in keeping this race alive. Okay, let's go, Fen! Let's go and have some fun!"
"Calm down for a moment, girl! Your anger is going completely out of control again." He noticed that Sophia wasn't herself anymore.
"I am calm, though." Her voice had absolutely no emotion to it.
"Calm people don't normally call for a genocide."
"Hmm… Really? Yeah, I think you might be right…"
"No, I am."
"I thought you would have fun doing it, though."
"Might be a tiny little bit, but I honestly think humans aren't even worth the effort to eradicate them."
"So, they are still alive because they're too much of a bother to end?"
"Pretty much."
"Haah…." Seeing his indifference, Sophia had no other choice than to calm down. "You really are something else, Fen."
"You are the ONE person I don't to hear that from, Sophia!"
"Ahaha." Once her anger fell below a certain point, it vanished altogether.
"Oh, laughing again already? That was fast." The wolf noticed how her tamper changed.
"Yeah… thanks for keeping your promise, Fen."
"Hmm?"
"For bringing me back when my anger got too boosted."
"Ah, that… What a handful you are, girl."
"Sorry…"
"No, it's fine. It's not that hard, actually. You only have to calm down to a certain point where your boosted positive traits take over again, and you simply stop caring. You're also extremely prone to getting sidetracked. That helps a lot. It's kinda funny how you are all over the place in a matter of seconds."
"Should I be happy now? Angry? Maybe both? Or possibly none of that? What is it?" She was confused.
"Yes."
"Ehh…?" That only made it worse.
"Hehe, anyway," Fen continued after a slight chuckle. "Putting that… and the genocide aside, I hereby declare that we're not going to meet any more humans for the time being. I've had enough."
"Agreed." Sophia's feelings were finally on the same page as Fen's. "I still believe there's a decent human somewhere in this world. There has to be, but right now… I don't think it's worth wading through a sea of cockroaches to find that certain someone…" She had enough for the time being, as well.
"Corkroaches, huh? I like that analogy, very fitting.
"Indeed. That's really all they are." Sophia didn't care about the wolf's slightly different pronunciation of the name. "But… what do we do now? Continue to wander around and train our magic?"
"Hmm, I think that doesn't sound so bad, actually, but let's see-" The wolf thought about their next steps. "Ah, right, Sophia, instead of humans, want to try visiting a beastfolk city?"
"Beastfolk?" Sophia tilted her head. "Yeah, you mentioned them before, didn't you?"
"Yes, and compared to humans, they're mostly decent people. I would recommend visiting them if you want some more company."
"Really…? It won't end up being like… that again?" She roughly pointed in the direction of the city they visited.
"I don't think so. I actually enjoyed their company a lot in the past. They're a bit wild but a genuinely friendly folk."
"Is that so?" She had become wary. "They do sound promising if even you like them… Well, I trust you, Fen. If you say it's worth meeting them…"
"Yes, I do think we should give it a try." Fen honestly didn't care that much about meeting them or not. Still, he felt that Sophia needed another companion, preferably a more humanoid one.
"What are they like?" She got a little interested.
"Let's see… Well, as I said, they're mostly a rowdy bunch and a bit wild, or rather, free-spirited. They're also really sociable, faithful, and caring. If you befriend one of them, you have a friend for life."
"Hmm? Are you friends with any of them then?"
"Not at the moment, but in the past… Unfortunately, there's a slight difference in life expectancy…"
"Ah…" Sophia didn't know how long the beastpeople live, but Fen obviously was a special case.
"Fortunately, this issue won't be a problem with you, Sophia."
"Yeah, you'll have to put up with me for a long time." She answered before thinking. "Wait… What?"
"Ahh…" The wolf awkwardly looked away for some reason all of a sudden.
"What do you mean by that, Fen…?"
"Well, I'm not completely certain as you're not native to this world, but it's likely true for you as well. Especially if that part of you, too, got boosted. Here, in this world, your magic power has a direct connection to your life expectancy. The bigger your powers are, the longer you live."
"I-I see…" She looked shocked. "S-So with my level of power…"
"A long, very long time." He kept it vague as not to scare her, but it felt like he was indicating that there might wouldn't be an end at all.
"Ahaha…" Laughing it off was her only option to deal with this fearsome revelation, but then her thoughts wandered to something else before she could adequately react. "E-Eh, wait a moment… If that's the case… how does my body age…?"
"I'm not sure about humans because you're the first case, but going by the long-lived elven race… Their bodies grow normally until the age of 14 to 15, and then they basically stop, not visibly aging for a long time. Even those elves being over 400 years old don't look any different from the average 17 to 18-year-old human counterpart. For you, Sophia, it'll possibly take way longer for that."
"N-No way…" Her face was as white as a sheet, and the girl fell dramatically on her knees. Her priorities were all over the place with this topic.
"W-What's wrong? I thought human females would like the thought of being young forever?"
"That-, That can't be…" Despair was written all over her face. "Y-You see… when that god brought me over to this world, he turned me a couple of years younger… That's why I know how my body's going to… develop. In about a year, halfway through my 16. birthday, I was supposed to have another… growth spurt…" She touched a very delicate place of her body, namely her chest with a lonely expression and tears in the corners of her eyes."
"Ahh…" Fen, getting a rough idea of what she was implying, had no way to console her. "Tough luck, girl."
"Whyyy?!" A cry louder than ever echoed towards the sky.
"Anyway…" Because Fen had not the slightest bit of interest in Sophia's chest, he tried to get the discussion back on track. "So, about the beastfolk…"
"Sniffle…" Wiping away her tears and fighting off the pain in her heart, she tried to focus her attention on him. "Speaking of which, how do beastpeople look like…?"
"That's not easy to answer. They're a pretty diverse race. Some look almost completely like humans, while others are actually closer to me. Of course, everything else in between that is also present."
"In between?" Sophia thought back on the fantasy books of her old world. "Oh, something like a human with animal ears or a tail?"
"Exactly. I'm surprised you know. Some of them have scales or wings as well… They're grouped in felines, canines, reptiles, and the likes… It's a fascinating bunch."
"Humans with animal traits, huh?" She ignored the beastpeople looking closer to Fen for the time being. "Fluffy ears and a tail… cute… Okay, let's get going, Fen!" She had no intention of hiding her true motivation.
"You… Well, ignoring your shamelessness, their next city isn't far. Even with us taking our time. We should reach it around tomorrow evening."
"Great! Let's leave this place behind immediately then!" She wanted to leave as soon as possible, being more motivated than ever.
"Okay."
----------------
Having decided on a plan, the two left the human territory for good and began their journey towards the beastfolk city. Sophia and Fen kept going until the late evening of the day before they decided to make camp for the night after having found a nice place. Once the two ate and Sophia finished her makeshift bath, the usual scene of a young girl and an oversized wolf relaxing in front of a fire could be seen again.
"Fen, do I have to pay attention to anything once we arrive in the city? I'm sort of a human, after all. Could that lead to problems?"
"They might be a little wary of you in the beginning, but contrary to these bugs, err, humans, they don't prejudice against others. Once they get to know you, you'll be fine."
"Oh, I'm starting to like these guys already. What about my magic powers?"
"Well, let's just say they won't be scared of you… yeah…" He suddenly became evasive.
"Fen…?"
"Uhh, you see, there are a lot of muscle heads among the beastfolk. If they meet a strong individual, no matter how big the difference in power is, there's a strong chance of them wanting to have a mock fight."
"I-Is that so…?"
"Oh, and they can sense magic powers to some degree, so they will know that you're strong, whether you want to hide it or not."
"Well, there goes that idea…"
"Sophia."
"Yes…"
"You have to hold back during that mock fight."
"So it's already a given that I'm going to fight one?"
"Yes."
"..."
"They're vastly stronger than humans, but compared to us, it still doesn't amount to much."
"I thought so… Well, excuse me then, I'm going to train… Train to hold back, that is." Sophia wasn't the least bit confident she could do so without preparing.
"A… wise choice." Fen had to agree.
And so, for the rest of the evening, Sophia thought of some techniques to use this so-called moderation. A word that had not yet been part of her vocabulary. Needless to say, it took her a long way to stop completely overdoing everything she does.
