"Y-YOU'RE REALLY A YTHRA?!"
"Shh!" Veric shushed the fox loudly, frowning. "You can't say that out loud!"
"O-oh, sorry," Finn covered his mouth, eyes wide, and his ears went down. "Y-You're a Ythra? A real one? Oh my Moons. I can't believe a real Ythra is standing right in front of me. And saved me. I'm sorry you have to use your powers for a dirt like me!"
"Get a hold of yourself," Veric said flatly.
"Ah! But what is a Ythra doing here? I heard the last of you were kept in the kingdom of Nethir?"
At the mention of that name, Veric's eyes darkened.
"I was until the tyrant killed my father and took the rest of the beastmen. Every beastman in the capital is either dead or captured by now."
"!"
Finn looked shocked. "W-What? That can't be true. Nethir is the biggest nation that has a lot of beastmen in it!"
"I saw it. And the king made sure he got rid of every beastman, saying so humans don't have to be afraid to feel overpowered by beasts."
"That can't be..."
Silence settled between them.
Finn glanced up toward Veric. "I'm sorry for everything, Mr.Veric. Um. So, what are you going to do now?"
Veric's gaze turned toward the giant mountains. "I'll need to find an empty land,"
"Ng? For what?"
"To build a city."
Finn blinked. He tilted his head slightly to the side.
"A city? You mean, like an actual city? With walls and people and houses and everything?"
"Yes. Because I'm going to make it big enough to destroy Nethir."
"..."
"..."
"... Mr.Veric, how old are you?"
"I'm ten."
"..."
"..."
"... Mr.Veric, I think the shock of losing everything drives you crazy,"
"I'M NOT!"
Finn narrowed his eyes in disbelief. "But how are you going to build a city on your own? You're two years younger than me. Where are you even going to find residents?"
That has become Veric's worry as well. But then, he looked at Finn and smirked. Finn blinked innocently when Veric pointed his finger at him.
"You,"
"Me?"
"You'll become my first resident."
"!!!"
Finn looked at him like he had grown two heads.
"W-wait! We're just kids! What can a ten-year-old and a twelve-year-old beastman even do?!"
The fox was right. That's what Veric thought in the beginning, too, but he knew once he finished the system's mission, it would tell him what to do next.
"We'll figure out other stuff later. First, I need to find land far enough from the kingdom so the knights can't find me. And then I'll figure out what to do after." Veric looked at Finn, quirking an eyebrow. "Unless... you still want to stay in your village?"
Finn's fox ears twitched at that. His expression faltered. For a second, Veric caught a flicker of hurt and fear across the boy's face. He looked down, fingers fidgeting together.
"I... I don't know. They don't really want me there anyway." Finn mumbled.
Veric's expression softened.
"Then come with me. I can make you stronger—strong enough to take down an orc on your own. Then you can go back and prove to them that you're not the helpless runt everyone thought you were."
"!"
Finn's eyes went wide. "Y-You think that's possible?"
"Why not. I'm a Ythra, I can make it possible."
Veric's confidence eased the tension in Finn's heart.
Veric pushed himself to his feet, brushing dirt off his knees, and stretched out his hand toward the fox. "So, you in?"
Finn hesitated.
His gaze shifted from Veric's hand to his golden eyes before he slowly reached out and took it. "I guess I feel safer with a Ythra by my side. You guys are the highest rank in the beastmen hierarchy..."
Veric smirked. "Good. I'll make sure our city thrives!"
"Yeah!" Finn cheered.
Grumble...!
"!"
"..."
"..."
"S-should we get something to eat before we build this city?"
"Yeah."