Aurora froze the moment she noticed the group of people ahead.
Her first instinct was simple - to leave the scene quietly. She had no interest in unnecessary interaction, especially not with people who already disliked her.
So she carefully took a slow, controlled step back. Then another-
Crack!
A twig snapped loudly beneath her foot, far louder than it should have been.
Aurora closed her eyes for a brief second. She should have known better than to believe she could ever be this lucky.
The voices ahead stopped instantly and six heads turned in perfect synchronization. Their gazes were sharp, alert, and focused as they landed straight on Aurora.
A heavy and awkward silence fell over as all six pairs of eyes stared at her. And it took Aurora a few precious seconds to realize why they all looked so confused and kept staring at her as if they were seeing her for the very first time in their lives.
Still, she didn't move or speak. Instead, she just stood there while those six people struggled to recognize her.
Their confusion was understandable considering the Aurora they knew was loud, dirty, and aggressive. But the woman they all were looking at right now... was clean, composed.
Her pastel red hair fell loosely over her shoulders, catching the early morning light. Her skin was fair, almost delicate. Even her posture looked straight and controlled, it spoke of something entirely different.
Only one thing remained unchanged - her size. And that was unmistakable.
Aurora watched the realization struggle across their faces before one of the females finally pointed at her.
"Is she Aurora?"
The name cut through the silence. And just like that, recognition spread across the group, followed by shock and even more confusion.
"…No way."
"That's her?"
"What happened to her?"
The murmurs rose quickly, with disbelief clear in their voices.
Aurora said nothing. She just observed every single one of them and analyzed them. There were four females and two beastmen. And while the females turned hostile the moment they recognized her, the males... they looked distracted.
Their gazes lingered, and not subtly. They were completely taken aback to see a side of Aurora they hadn't in years. They had known her almost their entire lives, and not once did they find her pretty... until today.
But what was the point of being good looking when the personality was trash?
That realization had both men finally pulling themselves out of the trance they had fallen into.
Aurora noticed their reaction, but didn't react. Instead, her attention shifted to the little cub at her feet as it let out a low, almost inaudible purr.
Its gaze was fixed - not on the females, but on the two males. Its small body had turned tense, and it looked clearly unhappy.
Aurora's eyes flickered slightly as she asked, "You don't like them?"
The cub didn't respond. But it didn't look away either.
Aurora returned her attention back to the group of people and noticed how unlike the two males, the females were quick to recover from their shock.
And as expected, their expressions shifted from shock and confusion to disdain.
"Of course it's her," one of them scoffed, folding her arms. "Cleaning your face doesn't fix a rotten personality."
Another let out a dramatic sigh.
"Great. First thing in the morning and I see her. My whole day is ruined."
The third one snorted, not wanting to be left behind. "Forget the day, I'm already regretting coming out here."
Aurora listened while keeping a calm expression. For her, these words were like background noise - irrelevant, pedictable, and unimportant. Besides, she couldn't really blame these people for not welcoming her considering their past with the original owner.
She was about to turn away and ignore them entirely... when something caught her attention.
The fourth female.
She hadn't spoken, hadn't even looked at Aurora more than just once. Instead, she was crouching on the ground, focused entirely on what she was digging out of the soil.
Aurora's gaze shifted, and stilled as she recognized the thick, rounded, and soil-covered tubers that looked very familiar...
Sweet potatoes!
Aurora's eyes sharpened and her mind immediately conjured the image of roasted sweet potatoes - golden flesh, soft, warm, slightly sweet.
The memory alone was enough to make her mouth water slightly.
The auburn-haired female straightened slightly, holding one of the tubers in her hand, her brows furrowed.
"These don't look very appealing," she said in in uncertain tone. "Maybe we should leave them and look for fruits instead."
One of the males nodded.
"Probably safer," he added. "Didn't someone get poisoned last season from eating a random root?"
"Yeah," the other male agreed. "Better not risk it."
The tubers were tossed aside.
Just like that.
Aurora stared. She almost felt bad for these beastmen who were losing such a golden chance to taste something so delicious compared to the raw meat they kept surviving on.
On the other hand, she felt happy to know she had already found one plant based food source in this world. It was not only reliable and nutrient-dense, but also easily cultivated.
Her gaze flickered slightly.
Then-
Ding!
Right on cue, Navi's familiar voice chimed in her head, sounding bright and excited as usual.
[New Task Issued!]
Aurora's eyes twitched slightly.
[Task: Introduce Beastmen to a New Food Source – Sweet Potatoes!]
[Objective: Demonstrate safe preparation and consumption]
[Reward: Pending]
Aurora stared at the discarded tubers, then at the group, and then back at the tubers.
Her earlier plan was to leave and avoid interacting with anyone from the tribe unless necessary, buy now it had to be changed.
But she didn't actually mind considering she would be completely a task and making progress in the mission she had received.
She let out a slow exhale and lifted her gaze again, settling it on the group that was preparing to move ahead.
"Wait."
She called out softly and watched as all six of them stopped and once again turned to look at her in unison.