Before the STor
Chapter 3
『If I get dragged off into the jungle, will you come and save me?』
『Why would anyone drag you off into the jungle?』
『Do you see how many Beastmen there are around here? There are bound to be a few who see me as a snack.』
『Your equipment makes you stronger than the average Beastman. They wouldn’t be able to harm you, either.』
『What if a stronger-than-average Beastman drags me off? A pack of ‘em.』
Liane frowned in concern as Ludmila rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to their surroundings. Weren’t Martial Nobles supposed to protect their frail and helpless counterparts?
She took a step back as a Beastman carrying two armfuls of straw walked past her. Being in Rol’en’gorek wasn’t anything like being in the Demihuman Quarter in E-Rantel or the cosmopolitan streetscapes of Karnassus. The sheer number of predatory Demihumans around her combined with the decidedly not-for-Humans environment caused her to be constantly wary even when she didn’t want to be.
It wasn’t just her who was being affected, of course. Clara couldn’t speak at first when they made their introductions to Countess Xoc. Even now, she clung onto Ludmila’s arm as if her life depended on it. Florine at least outwardly seemed composed. Maybe it was because she had spent months in the Abelion Hills doing stuff with all the Demihuman tribes there.