Chapter 8

But it’s not really a choice, they can teach me stuff I need to learn, and going with them seems like a way better prospect than ending up alone in the wild, even though I’ll probably be in more danger with them than in the wild supposedly. I will really miss the Shrine fort though, even with the fact it was very much damaged it was still a home, and now I will have none; I very much miss my apartment in the human world, that place was safe and the best place to be after a day of boring work, I only hope that traveling with the adventurers won't be boring.

<I will come with you, I know nothing about the world around me and I fear that alone I would just end up pissing off more people like you, and I don’t want to end up skewered> I say, trying my best to keep the young child charade, but already growing tired of it.

Lionel nodded and said: <well, welcome on board then Ivo, grab some food and get yourself comfortable, you won't have to worry about taking a night shift and there is no point setting up training so late in the afternoon. We will be taking you to a human town to get you registered in our group…> and then adds jokingly <and also to sell the loot and get you some equipment, a loincloth won’t cut it.>

I chuckle and reply a bit embarrassed: <I was trying stuff on in my mom’s closet, but she had nothing for a male so I made myself a loincloth.>

<How thoughtful> said Lionel.

I just nod and then I say: <can I excuse myself one moment?...> I really want to find Dento before we leave, though a half-assed lie right now might put in jeopardy my relationship with them, so I continue, hoping it’s not a big deal: <...I had a guardian of sorts following me and helping me before you guys showed up, I wanna make sure he is still around… Don’t worry, he is friendly, he told me he once was a demon hunter or something like that.>

Lionel gives me a worried look, but then nods and tells me to go, so I do just that and walk into the forest once again, looking for Dento.

I don’t take long since as soon I’m a few rows of trees past the camp Dento just floats within sight from who knows where must have been somewhere behind me and says: <Hello Ivo, I see you made new friends, here to dismiss me?> he says with a sassy demeanor.

<No, I was wondering where you were, where have you been all this time?> I say pretty pissed at him.

<Oh? I was just hiding, you seemed to have the hang of the situation, not that I could have done much about it if that wasn’t the case, as I said, field experience is way better than anything I can tell you, and for the record, you working for them is a huge bonus for them, not so much for you, you are gonna become so much better than them in such little time, I suggest to ditch them as soon as you can, or just outlive them, but relationships between humans and magical beasts never end well.>
I give a huge sigh and say: <you know, I wonder why I even came looking for you, I know it's not gonna end well, but if they are gonna teach me magic and fighting skills its way better than trying to learn by myself in the forest... and I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt as they are giving it to me thanks.>

<Your choice Ivo, don't cry when things go wrong though, as I said, humans are the ones most likely to raise pitchforks and torches the minute you do something suspicious> Dento says with a serious tone.

I really don’t like what he is saying to me, it seems as though I will end up hurt going the way I wanna go, but I have no doubts this is the best course of action.

While I think Dento adds: <Anyways, you should go back to your friends before they think you ran, I’ll keep hidden, I really don’t feel like interacting with humans> obviously hiding something.

Well, that is that, I found Dento and he was right, missing for too long would be suspicious. 

I walk back, Dento disappearing somewhere again, and I wonder what’s his deal, like, shouldn’t he be supportive of humans since he was one? Maybe being a spirit for so long changed his views?

As I’m thinking, I get back to the camp, the smell of cooked meat and soup filling the camp now that the food was done, the other adventurers were just getting their share. Of course, I didn’t feel hungry, at least not hungry for normal food, but I was curious to see if I could still experience food from a taste standpoint, and well digest it since there was no point in eating if then I vomited it, or got ill for it.

So I ask for a bowl of soup and Marina gives me one, I thank her and give it a taste… well it wasn't much for flavor, not because of a lack of taste buds, but because it didn't seem to have any seasoning, and was pretty much a soup made with a piece of meat and water. Still, I eat it to not be rude and then set up to rest against a tree.

The sunsets and only the fire is being used for lighting in the camp, though I can see past that, not much as my eyes are adjusted to the light in front of me, I’m fairly certain I could see in the dark. I didn’t notice during my night walk to the shrine fortress as that part of the forest either had tall grass blocking my view, or the trees blocked the sky so I didn't actually notice it becoming night.

Finally, after a while I get tired, after 2 days of exertion and agitation, I do need to rest after all, though I have way more stamina than a human, as I was exhausted or anything like that. When I fall asleep I dream of being in a big temple-like room, seemingly everything is made of or lined in gold. It’s a circular room with pillars holding the roof, on the floor, there are many cushions of different colors arranged all around the center, though gold is still the main color. All around there are many foxes floating about or walking on the ground, playing, and all in all, having a good time. At the center there is one big cushion with a giant-sized anthropomorphic fox sitting on it looking straight at me with red kind eyes, a light illuminating her from a window in the ceiling of the room. She looks beautiful, not one hair of her white fur out of place and 12 fluffy tails arranged neatly around herself, 6 per side.

<Wellcome it's about time we have a chat, it's not every day I have a stray child dropped at my doorstep> a clearly female voice says, with kindness.