Celeste walked out of the portal.

  Her boot scrapped the pavement as she looked around her in amazement.

  'So this is a beastman city.'

  Thousands of people lived in this hidden village. People Celeste never knew ever existed.

  'It's quite different from the village I came from... What is left of it, anyway.'

  She was part of the beastmen forced to relocate after their village attained the maximum number of inhabitants.

  Only after being saved by Olivia years later did she learn that it had been ravaged by corrupt beasts.

  The beastmen of that village were left to die as the previous Lord showed little care for their wellbeing.

  Her parents were gone long before being taken to Noctelagia, so she never truly experienced the life beastmen were used to live.

  All she knew was the struggle to survive, her time in prison, and serving Olivia.

  This was everything to her. It was what shaped her into the person she had become.

  Reeling in the boisterous ambience of the village, she closed her eyes, ignorant of the place she was standing at.

  "..."

  A tall, dark-haired beastman silently came behind her as if he were her shadow and whispered in her ear.

  (You are going to attract unwanted attention if you stay still in front of my house.)

  Celeste turned her head toward the man without a trace of surprise on her face.

  "Oh."

  Genuinely surprised by the unfamiliar woman's reaction, Nylon smiled.

  "Do you mind telling me your name and what you do?"

  Facing him, she nodded.

  "My name's Celeste. I am one of many of Olivia's maids."

  Nylon shuddered, a drop of sweat falling down his cheek.

  "One of her servants..."

  "Is there a problem?"

  Dropping her face, she glared at him.

  "No. Not that I know of."

  He gave a neutral smile.

  "I heard a lot about your achievements during last year's invasions. Pretty gruesome stuff that makes you reconsider if you guys were actually humans."

  "We've met a few times before."

  She did recognize him immediately. With her new power, she also felt his presence, albeit faintly.

  "I suppose we did. May I help you with something, then?"

  "Coming here alone means you are looking for something, right?"

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  Nodding, Celeste pointed at him.

  "I already found whom I was looking for."

  She looked a bit flustered while doing so, which made Nylon freeze on the spot.

  'Huh? What's with me all of a sudden?'

  As if her flustered state had transferred to him, he felt slightly bashful.

  'I don't get it.'

  Putting it aside, he focused on the person in front of him.

  "You were looking for me?"

  Again, Celeste nodded.

  "..."

  Nylon pondered for a brief instant before his gaze moved to the sides.

  "Who is that?"

  "She's speaking with Nylon! How unfair!"

  "Shh! They'll hear you."

  Her presence seemed to have gathered an unwanted crowd of onlookers.

  Since Nylon was a fairly known figure in this village, it was obvious others would speculate about this strange beastwoman wearing servant clothes.

  "Follow me, please. This place is a little too open to have an actual conversation."

  "Alright."

  Walking next to Nylon, they walked on the path leading behind his home.

  The further they went, the fewer were the people around. For tens of minutes, they walked in silence until an open field revealed itself to them.

  "That should be the perfect place. I'm sorry it took so long."

  "It's fine. I'm the one imposing on you out of nowhere."

  Bending her waist forward, she showed the qualities that made her one of Olivia's maids.

  "So, why were you looking for me?"

  Nylon made a straight face and looked toward the large field stretching in every direction.

  "I can only guess one reason, and it has to do with Orion."

  "With the lack of surprise from my attempt to spook you, I gathered that something had happened."

  "Did Orion send you here?"

  Glancing at her subtly, he waited for her answer, which came promptly.

  "No. I came after pondering long enough."

  She continued while staring off into the distance.

  "Everyone has received the blessing, yet I'm the only one who appears stuck in my own head."

  "I thought that maybe looking for someone with a similar situation as mine would be able to help me find the answer I'm searching for."

  Listening quietly, Nylon looked in the same direction. Something told him to listen in silence without butting in.

  "After a week, I haven't been able to progress at all, while the others are getting further and further away from me."

  "They've been diligently training with various people, but I couldn't find anything helpful while listening to the same people."

  With an intense frown, she stared at his face.

  "Am I weird for being different? Is it because I am a beastwoman?"

  "In that case, I thought that pushing my luck with someone as powerful as Master's brother would help me improve in some way."

  "But I would rather not be a nuisance."

  Her ears twitched and dropped slightly as she clenched both hands into a fist in front of her chest.

  "What is it that you want from me?"

  Considering her words, he turned his body fully toward her.

  "I need training."

  "And you want me to help with that?"

  "Yes, if possible."

  Celeste smiled dryly, feeling the reluctance in his question.

  "..."

  Bringing his hand to his chin, he actually considered her request.

  But not only that. He thought further ahead.

  "Human studies, or whatever you are used to receiving with your other coworkers, or should I say friends, is quite incompatible with beastman teacher."

  "I have no idea what you are asking me to help you with, but it was a good idea to seek another beastman for this."

  "Can you show me what you're trying to improve on? If I see it with my own eyes, I'll have a clear answer for you."

  Nodding at his request, Celeste suddenly disappeared in like a mirage on the horizon.

  "!"

  Turning around rapidly, he looked at the same Celeste, who was now standing behind him.

  "I get it."

  A wild smile formed on his face. Slowly, his shadow stretched under his feet, swallowing him at the same time.

  "Let's play a little game before I give you my answer."

  His head vanished into the puddle of darkness, causing her to rapidly panic.

  "Run. Avoid me as much as you can."

  ...

  "Your stamina is far too low for a beastman..."

  "I know..."

  Heaving and wheezing, Celeste laid flat on the ground.

  "I'm surprised your agility is fine even while wearing this stuffy dress. It doesn't seem to hinder your movement whatsoever."

  "But I won't lie. This was a deplorable performance, even by the lowest standard."

  He crossed his arms and stared at her with a criticizing look.

  "This won't do. Even if you were to manage learning the void magic's intricate powers, your body would be the burden."

  "I know because I was there before."

  Recalling his training with Elliott, he spoke the same words he received during that time.

  "Still, there is hope."

  "Eh?"

  Catching her breath, she sat on the ground.

  "I don't understand. You said that this was a deplorable display... Why?"

  A smirk similar to those Orion made occasionally appeared on his face.

  "There's potential."

  He stopped smiling and frowned.

  "I can tell with one look. You're one of those beastman who was sent away. You don't have our smell."

  "..."

  She lowered her gaze.

  "Just this information was enough to know just about everything about your situation."

  "Since you've not lived the way we do, it is obvious you would struggle against a beastman who was taught from birth to be one."

  "There is so much you do not know, and I can teach it to you. Sadly, that's all I could teach you."

  "How to use that strange element is something only Orion has the answer to. His understanding is far greater compared to the poor understanding I have toward my own element."

  He sat next to her. The sun reflecting in his eyes, he continued.

  "To begin with, beastmen weren't supposed to ever touch the realm of elements. Our bodies were never forged the same as humans."

  "In natural abilities, we are far stronger and superior in many ways. Claws, fangs, an enhanced vision, and greater strength."

  "Humans, through the ages, learned the way to magic. The balance wasn't exactly stable, but there was nothing we could have done against it."

  A sphere of darkness formed in his hand.

  "This power was only given to us by Orion. We are the irregulars here."

  She nodded.

  "Although that is a fact, do you think it changes everything? For you, or for me?"

  "I think..."

  Celeste glanced at his face. The thin line of his body, clearly outlined thanks to the sun, captured her heart.

  With a faint smile, she finished her sentence.

  "I think I understand."

  Nylon stood up and wiped the dust off his butt before extending a hand toward her.

  "I will help you. As Orion always said, a good constitution starts with good stamina. Without it, you won't even stand on the starting line."

  Grabbing his hand, Celeste was pulled back on her feet.

  "I will teach you everything my father told me. You already possess the basic knowledge of the art of assassination, which is good."

  "But I will turn you into an unrivaled hunter. How you will use this power, though, I cannot help you with."

  His smile radiated kindness, something Celeste wasn't prepared to see.

  "Whenever you need me, I will help."

  "Strengthening our faction against the enemies we will face will never be the wrong choice."

  As the sun began to descend toward the horizon line, they returned to Logran, where they parted ways.