The soft cushion cradles Rosa's legs she almost can't feel.
Beside her is an orange-haired kemomimi with her ears and tail completely exposed.
Her usual habit is gone, replaced with some modest adventuring clothes.
Rosa's eyes keep glancing at the weapons dangling on her hips.
The log earlier said they are called sai. Pronged blunt short metal sticks.
Name suggests Nichigetsu island, same naming convention as the katana she heard about.
At least katana is a sword and it makes total sense on how to use it.
As for those sai, she has no idea how people would use them as a weapon.
Her thoughts shatter when she suddenly feels a pull on her head towards the other side of her.
Her head lands on something soft. Something obvious of what those are.
And more importantly, whose.
"Lilia..."
"What? I thought you need some rest."
"Ho ho ho, even more lovey dovey than the last. Are you going to ignore me in the meantime?"
Rosa huffs as she tries to pry herself out of Lilia's grip. To no avail—she grips even tighter.
A vein on Rosa's temple throbs even more.
"Forgive me, madam Ursula..."
"Ursula is fine, rather, please skip the madam"
"Right, Ursula. My friend here doesn't really know or mind about time and place of-"
"Hmm... so there is time and place for me~"
"I- You- I didn't mean to-"
"Ho ho ho, take your time, I have all in this world."
"Right beside me, huh? Ya guys are something."
Rosa's hand immediately shoots to Lilia's underarm, exposed from embracing her.
"Hya!"
Lilia's grip loosens immediately as Rosa pulls away. The air feels fresher.
"No need, proceed, don't mind her. Ignore her. Pretend there's no Lilia in this world."
"Ho ho ho, very well then..."
"How mean!"
"Ya reap what ye sow, cotton candy"
Rosa leans forward.
"I heard some of the details from Pauline. Random plant wilts, livestock disappearances, some account of unknown beast."
"Right. It started around a month ago. We thought they were attempts of sabotage by people who don't like us."
The maid arrives with a tray full of teacups. She places one on the table in front of each of them plus Pauline's empty seat.
She bows before returning to the kitchen.
Ursula takes a sip of the hot tea that looks too hot to drink from the steam alone.
She gulps some like it was nothing.
"As I was saying, there were increases in bandit attacks. Post civil war was bad enough, but now it's even worse."
She flips her palm, extending a finger to the air. Another one follows.
"Then we noticed some of our crops were missing. Cabbages, carrots, watermelon from the greenhouse. Not only that, the area around the stolen crops also wilted."
Another finger follows.
"Before we know it, our livestock begin to disappear once in every few days."
"So, what made ya think it ain't some hired thugs?"
Ursula nods as she continues.
"After a few attacks, we noticed something strange."
She takes another sip while Lilia is blowing her teacup again and again.
"Hired thugs aim to sabotage? It's unusual for them to go loud and quick. Broken pen doors, tracks left behind, no care that the logging system caught its presence."
"Logging system... I assume you're talking about the door system earlier, right?"
Ursula nods at Rosa.
"Precisely that. The stranger thing is that the log recorded its entrance, yet no record of the exit. As if the device died shortly after. Yet when Hans went to check on the pen, the log recorded him just fine."
Akira leans forward, her hand grabs her chin.
"The log didn't record the creature's exit... interesting..."
"You know something?"
Rosa asks.
"Just some suspicion. Continue."
"It would be a huge help if you can stop the creature. We lost thousands worth of gold this month alone. I wouldn't mind adding another thousand to your reward if you manage to do so."
Lilia finally takes a soft sip and hums happily. Like she's somewhere in her own world.
Her gaze then sets forward.
"What have you lost, specifically?"
"Right... The losses were quite heavy. First were the cabbages. Rows and rows of usually firmly planted cabbages were brown and rolling, some rows were missing one or two."
Pauline enters the room, now holding a tray of cookies and cold water.
"Cookies are here!"
She smiles as she puts down the plate and glass in front of Rosa.
"And some fresh cold water!"
"Where is Ilsa?"
Ursula asks.
"I told her to call for Werner and Erika. They might be able to help as well! Especially Werner."
"Right. Both of them would be helpful."
Pauline sits beside Ursula with her usual cheery smile.
"Where was I? Right, cabbages. Those were the ones. Then our apples were missing several days later. The amber coating on the other apples fell apart as the trees wilted."
Ursula takes a long breath as she continues.
"Those trees took years to grow."
"Clara was really upset about that one, she locked herself in a room for a day..."
Pauline adds, her expression drops with her voice.
Clara's pain resonates with Rosa. She remembers how the flowers she tried to grow didn't sprout.
Or the plants in her garden suddenly wilted with no particular reason.
In Rosa's case, they were weeks of progress.
She can't imagine years of that being taken away in a single night.
"Tch..."
A tongue click from her left. Akira. She also seems upset.
"Next one is the farm animals... right?"
Lilia asks. Her voice is as heavy as the air in the room.
"Right... First was our sheep. Those rascals are deadly when poorly handled. Even shadow wolves think twice about pouncing on them. Yet this one... it took seconds to minutes."
"Then there's our pheasants! Those guys are quick! If the enclosure was ripped open, no one has a chance to catch one of them in an open field... yet it did. We found the leg, feathers, and blood trail in the morning..."
Pauline adds, her sigh follows after.
Akira takes a sip with her legs properly closed together, using both of her hands to tilt the cup towards her lip.
She then puts the cup down right on the table where it was before.
"Which means the creature is either incredibly quick, or the pheasant can't use their magic. Either way, the pheasant had no chance."
Rosa chugs down the mountain-cold water. The liquid flows down her throat, quenching her thirst while lifting the fatigue from her leg.
"Now, it went either for our potatoes or chickens. Maybe it figured out which prey was the easiest..."
"Calling potatoes a prey is a bit..."
Lilia sips her tea before she finishes her sentence and slowly breathes.
"Hey, Rosie, what do you think? What kind of creature eats both veggies and meat?"
Rosa turns towards Lilia. Really staring at her eyes.
"Well, if we're speaking technicality... I'm looking at it."
"Geez! You know what I'm talking about!"
Akira sighs as if she's in pain.
"Ignoring these two, how do ya know that there ain't two different creatures? Who knows? One of them might actually be a thug or something."
Lilia clasps her hands.
"Ah, that might actually make sense!"
"We aren't absolutely sure, but I don't think that was the case."
Pauline taps her chin, her gaze drifting as she recalls.
"The tracks were quite identical. Even when both happened in a single night, it moved from one to the other. One offender, not two."
Something nags Rosa's mind. There are too many possibilities to make a conclusion right now.
For example, someone might've controlled the beast. Or there were two beasts. Or there are actually hired mages using some sophisticated methods.
"I don't think guessing what they are helps until we find more evidence. Or see the creature directly."
"Yeah, yer right. I was trying to confirm something. Had my worries."
"Thought you were an expert on unknown beasts?"
Lilia asks, Akira's ears twitch rapidly.
"That's precise- actually, no, this might be out of my domain to begin with. Ya need to be cautious."
Akira takes another graceful sip of her tea.
Rosa raises her eyebrows.
Akira has been jittery since she came here—eyes wandering, questions probing, too much interest whenever the creature came up.
Rosa thought back. Akira gave Pauline three days to take the gold back. By the third day of travel, she extended it to two weeks. Unprompted.
Money wasn't her real concern. Something else brought her here.
"What is it?"
Akira's voice cuts her thoughts. Seems like Rosa was staring at her unconsciously.
"N-nevermind. About the beast. I'm sure we might have clearer pictures once we explore around."
Rosa reaches for the warm ginger cookies.
She grabs one and dips it into the tea.
As she is about to eat, she feels a gaze on her.
Lilia at her left, looking at her. More precisely, her cookie.
All with drooly lips.
"...You want some?"
"Wh-wha!? N-no! I mean, she made them for you. Why do you even-"
"Your face is screaming 'I want iiit!'"
"No way! That obvious!?"
"Ho ho ho ho, it's alright. I'll make more if I have to. Eat up!"
"Really!? I can!? Thanks!"
Lilia immediately grabs one, dips it, and eats it. All in quick succession.
Then another.
And another.
"Ya mentioned diet the other day..."
"R-right!"
She puts the cookie she just grabbed to the plate.
Tears of regret stream down her cheeks.
"Anyway, what's on our list?"
Lilia extends a finger, still sniffing.
"Cabbage field... apple orchard... sheep pen... pheasant enclosure... and lastly chicken coop and potato field..."
More fingers follow with each mention.
Footsteps echo from another room, before two figures appear.
One armored young man and a caster she knows too well.
"Ho ho ho, you both came at the perfect time!"
"Oooh, that face? Rosa! How are you?"
"Erika... it's been a while."
"Damn right it has! I never forget how you kicked our butts in that levi battle!"
"Levi battle?"
Lilia raises her eyebrow.
"Battle is exaggerating... We were competing which one holds the record in distance."
"And you beat us to it. Didn't expect that small body of yours was packing that much mana!"
A vein throbs yet again in Rosa's temple.
"Thanks for the emphasis..."
Rosa's voice trembles.
The young man steps forward.
"R-right... sorry for the other day, miss Rosa."
"Rosa is fine."
"Right, sure. Me and Erika here will guide you throughout the farm. Ask us anything if you have any questions!"
Pauline gulps down her tea as she tilts the cup all the way.
"Pwaaah! Then I'm going too! The shed is near the potato field, I promised Erma to help her check the fertilizer!"
"Right, I also have to rule out the fertilizer as the cause. You said this farm made its own fertilizer."
Rosa mutters.
"Fertilizer?"
Erika tilts her head. The young man's eyes also twitch.
"You don't plan to snoop around our formula or something, do you? You got that aura. Same as Beringar."
She looks downward, squinting her eyes right at the vials wrapped in Rosa's belt.
"Care to elaborate?"
Rosa looks up with confusion.
"Well... never mind. I'll keep an eye on you."
"Hey, Pauline, is distrust quite common here?"
Lilia whispers, too loudly.
"Ahahaha..."
Pauline scratches her cheek with a nervous smile.
"Well, we had our history. Please bear with it."
"I'll... try my best to earn your trust, I suppose."
Rosa walks after the duo with Lilia and Akira beside her.
Pauline follows behind them.
"Ho ho ho, have a safe trip. Oh, you may play with the livestock if you want to."
Lilia turns around. Too quickly.
"Really!? May I!?"
Ursula nods, then she turns her gaze to the young man.
"Werner, make sure they interact safely, alright?"
Werner stops and bows to Ursula.
"Leave it to me."
"And have fun, all of you."
Ursula waves with a smile.
Outside they are greeted by the grass and breeze, amplifying the cold.
"Brrrr"
Rosa hugs herself, pulling the winter jacket tighter.
She glances at Lilia, who wears... whatever that is.
It is a thick cloth, and would qualify as winter wear.
If it didn't stop exactly above her midriff.
"How are you not cold?"
"This? Cold? Rosie-"
"Hnnn..."
Rosa puffs her cheeks, vein pulsing.
"I mean, this altitude is nothing! Remember when we were chasing the waterjet beaver near the lake last winter? That was cold!"
"That was a nightmare! We were soaked so bad I thought we were going to die!"
"Mmhm, if not for my idea to hug!"
Heat shoots up to both of Rosa's cheeks.
"...I'm done."
Rosa paces up, leaving Lilia chuckling behind her.
"Ya done being lovey dovey?"
"Don't even- Actually, I am absolutely done."
Rosa sighs.
"Now now, no need to be that sour just yet. We're just starting."
"Right we were starting. Now that I think about it, you are acting strange lately."
"Strange? How so?"
"Well? Remember why you took the quest?"
"The coin? We're already over this."
"Yeah, you extended it to two weeks. On a whim."
Rosa lets out another sigh.
"But we all know that Pauline most likely won't take the donation back. So, I ask you again, what's your angle?"
"Tch. Guess there's no point hiding it, huh?"
Akira rubs the back of her head as she clicks her tongue.
"Fine, I got interested when that girl mentioned someone saw a wolf standing upright."
"We still don't know if it's even true."
"And that possibility was enough. Besides, the grandma's detail kinda gave me some clues."
"So you do know something after all?"
"Unknown beasts speciality, told ya."
Her gaze lands on Werner's back.
"So yer the Werner guy, right?"
"That would be me, yes."
The young armored man keeps walking, he doesn't turn around.
"The girl said ya saw a wolf walked on two legs while yer drunk."
Erika sighs as she glances behind.
"He was drunk. I checked the tracks, they didn't match any wolf paw."
"But I certainly saw it! I might be drunk but I'm not blind!"
"And you thought Albert was Karla and kissed him."
"That was- It was different!"
"Didn't match any wolf? Ya care to elaborate on that one?"
"Well, the shape is a bit pawy, sure. But the shape of the leg is quite large and long."
"Like a human?"
"...Precisely."
"Human-shaped wolf..."
Rosa murmurs under her breath.
She heard the myth about the creature.
Her sister used to drag her into the forest, beyond the village's safe perimeter.
All of the expeditions were just to hunt one down.
They never found one, of course.
"Werewolf... huh?"