Volume 4 Chapter 108: Betrayal

For those born as half-beastmen, the mating season is practically a curse.

While pure beastmen can only conceive during this time, making it an essential period, half-beastmen, like humans, can reproduce year-round.

Thus, the absence of a mating season wouldn’t cause any issues. Yet, once a year, this bothersome period inevitably arrives. And perhaps because they inherit traits from both species, the drive to reproduce surges far beyond what pure beastmen experience.

An abnormally heightened sexual desire emerges. For women, it comes with an uncontrollable, potent pheromone that attracts the opposite sex, even if they do nothing to provoke it.

The mating season for half-beastmen lasts about three days at most, but during that time, going out becomes nearly impossible. While their heightened sexual impulses are already a problem, the real trouble comes from the pheromones that seduce anyone of the opposite sex.

Unless they have a specific partner, half-beastmen must isolate themselves from all but their own gender, enduring this cursed impulse until it subsides.

Stepping into town during this time is a disaster waiting to happen. No matter how much self-control they exert, it’s pointless.

People won’t leave them alone.

Worse, some take advantage of this time, approaching with ill intentions. And when battling their own surging desires, resistance becomes difficult.

The only way for half-beastmen to protect themselves is to avoid revealing their mating season to anyone they don’t trust and to stay indoors, avoiding all contact with others.

The moment Mina returned home that day and felt the signs of her mating season beginning, she let out a deep sigh. She told Elshan and Sophie about it, asking them, along with Kreis and Letto, to ensure no one else entered the mansion until it passed. It was an inconvenience, but unavoidable.

Afterward, she locked herself in her room. But as the overwhelming urges grew stronger—the persistent aching gnawing at her—she tried distracting herself. She trained intensely, working up a sweat, then spent time relaxing in the large bath.

It didn’t completely solve the problem, but it was far better than sitting still.

By the time she left the bathhouse, the urges were no longer unbearable.

However—

“Why did this have to happen…?”

When Mina woke at dawn to the sound of birds chirping, she found herself sitting up in bed, completely naked.

She muttered in disbelief, staring at the sight beside her.

Next to her, sleeping as if completely drained, was Noil Arlens. Naturally, he wasn’t wearing anything either.

Mina pressed a hand to her forehead.

The mating season’s heightened urges had subsided. There was no chance of her doing anything to Noil now. But—it was already too late.

She remembered everything from last night.

After being carried to her bed, she could recall exactly what had happened, and unfortunately, all too clearly.

She hadn’t been drunk. She hadn’t been under any spell. She had simply lost control of her own impulses.

But—it wasn’t entirely her fault.

Noil was partially to blame too.

Last night, he was different. His usual frail demeanor was gone, replaced by an aura of overwhelming mana radiating from his entire body. Beastmen instinctively seek strong genes. As a half-beastman, Mina was no exception. During her mating season, her instincts were sharp, and last night, Noil’s strength more than qualified.

And, for some reason, he even brought… those—contraceptives.

He had prepared everything, leaving her no chance to resist. The act of carrying her to bed, something she had secretly fantasized about as a princess carry, completely broke her resolve.

When Noil slammed a paper bag onto the tatami mat, her last shred of rationality recognized that some huge misunderstanding had occurred. She knew it, yet—she ignored it.

“~~~!! ~~~!!”

Mina buried her flushed face into a pillow, letting out a muffled cry while kicking her legs in frustration.

She had almost done it—almost everything imaginable. Completely giving in to her desires.

Shame and guilt overwhelmed her, making her squirm.

But—

“……”

Mina sluggishly lifted her face from the pillow, her cheeks still burning, and glanced at the sleeping Noil.

They hadn’t gone all the way.

She cautiously lifted the blanket covering him, peeking timidly at his body.

Bruises and internal injuries marked his skin in places, leaving painful-looking patches.

These were self-inflicted injuries. Noil had used the pain to maintain his self-control.

Was being with her really that unbearable? No—she knew that wasn’t the case.

“……Idiot.”

Mina muttered softly.

“If we do it like this, Mina will regret it for sure!”

Even in the heat of the moment, resisting the pull of her pheromones, Noil had said that. Not for his sake, but hers.

He was thinking about her, fighting desperately to hold back for her.

Mina knew how dangerous her pheromones could be. She had experienced how they could drive men to madness. That was why she had always kept her distance, meticulously guarding herself.

She gently poked Noil’s sleeping cheek with her finger.

“Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot…”

Mina muttered softly, the words slipping out bit by bit.

This man truly was an idiot.

If they had gone all the way, Mina would have undoubtedly regretted it. It would have been a betrayal of Elshan. While what they had already done might be considered betrayal enough, avoiding that final step was a small mercy.

Still, Mina’s concerns ended there.

That’s the part this man would never understand.

His self-esteem was far too low—no, Mina knew exactly why Noil’s self-esteem was so low. It all stemmed from the incident between them back at the Magis Academy. Even so, he had absolutely misunderstood.

Just because it was her mating season didn’t mean anyone would do…

“Idiot…”

Mina sat down, hugging her knees.

The impulses from her mating season had already subsided. Even though they hadn’t gone all the way, the pseudo-relief she had experienced had apparently been enough to quell the urges. It wasn’t impossible to manage the urges this way, though Mina rarely resorted to it.

Still, in that case—

“Seriously… I’m such an idiot…”

She could no longer deny the relentless pounding in her chest.

This, without a doubt, was betrayal.

“Sorry, El…”

Hugging her knees tightly, Mina lightly bumped her forehead against them, whispering those words in a small voice.

◇

“Was it really okay to go through with that?”

“Yeah.”

At the break of dawn, beneath a still-dim sky over the lake, Kreis stood at the stern of a boat, fishing line cast into the water. He glanced toward the prow, where another man—a black-furred feline beastman—stood, his own line in the water.

It was, of course, this man—Master—who had devised the plan to send Noil to Mina during her mating season.

This man was Mina’s biological father, Letto’s fishing mentor, and Kreis’s sword instructor.

Although Kreis was a master of the Sisou style, even his skill with the sword couldn’t match that of his teacher. Nowadays, the two occasionally sparred, Kreis using the opportunity to refine his technique.

As payment for their sessions, Kreis would often share a drink with Master at the Lion’s Den. This time, however, Letto had suggested inviting Noil, who was unusually alone—a coincidence of perfect timing, albeit slightly forced.

“You do realize Noil might hate you for this?”

“I’m prepared for that.”

“What if, in the heat of the moment, they’d crossed the line?”

“Noil wouldn’t let that happen.”

“And Mina? She might end up hurt too.”

“Better to face the pain now than realize it too late. There’s nothing more hollow than discovering your feelings after everything’s already over.”

Master’s words carried a weight of experience.

“Speaking from personal experience?”

“I love my wife now.”

So, something had happened. But Kreis knew better than to pry.

“How romantic.”

“Still… sorry. I’ve caused trouble for you and the others.”

“Don’t worry about it. We would’ve had to address this sooner or later anyway.”

If Elshan and Mina ended up at odds, it could spell the end of Spirit Wind. Forcing Mina to bear all the responsibility would only make things worse. One way or another, if they wanted to keep adventuring together, they had to face this head-on.

“Guess it’s up to Sophie.”

Kreis wasn’t too worried about the situation. After all, as long as Sophie was around, Spirit Wind wouldn’t fall apart.

“So… hmm…?”

“Something wrong?”

At the sound of the curious voice, Kreis turned his head. He saw Master’s fishing rod tip twitching. Something had taken the bait.

“…This is—Nikellbenben…? Didn’t expect to hook one at dawn.”

“Weren’t they supposed to be impossible to catch?”

“That was a lie.”

“Ha-ha-ha!”

Kreis smacked his forehead with his hand in mock defeat.

“It’s a strong one. Help me out, Kreis.”

“Leave it to me!”

Master’s graceful yet sharp movements lifted the rod, hooking the fish, and Kreis grinned back, teeth gleaming.

◇

Trudging along, I wandered the still-quiet streets of the early morning miner’s district.

At dawn, Mina had woken me up, fully dressed, and I had immediately tried to apologize. But before I could, she apologized first.

“This was an accident. Let’s pretend it never happened,” she said before I left the mansion.

She walked me to the front door out of courtesy, but not once did she meet my gaze.

Maybe my relationship with her was over. Sure, we hadn’t crossed the final line, but after everything that happened, I had clearly messed things up.

It felt like I’d lost one of my closest friends.

The physical injuries my so-called “steel resolve” earned me hurt less than the ache in my chest.

“Ugh…”

“What are you doing, kid?”

The sudden voice made me turn my head sluggishly. Standing there with two garbage bags in hand was Gulf, staring at me with a puzzled look.

Oh, right. I’d wandered to the front of The Lion’s Den without realizing it. My aimless walking must have unconsciously led me down familiar streets.

Still in his work attire, Gulf must’ve just wrapped up after a night shift.

“Good morning… Gulf-san.”

“Morning… Why don’t you come in for a bit?”

“Huh?”

Gulf put the garbage bags down by the shop and dusted off his hands, letting out a small sigh as he planted them on his hips.

“Something happened, didn’t it?”

“Well… yeah, but…”

It wasn’t something I could talk about. There was no way I could tell anyone.

“If you can’t say it, I won’t ask. But I can at least get you something warm to drink. Might help settle you down a bit.”

I nearly teared up.

“…Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

I murmured my thanks and stepped inside the shop as Gulf held the door open.

“…Hmm?”

As I passed him, Gulf’s nose twitched, and he sniffed the air. I stopped, puzzled, and glanced at him. His brows furrowed slightly.

“…A woman, huh?”

“Eh?”

He let out a sigh and gave me a look of pity.

“…Take a shower while you’re here. A thorough one. I’ll lend you some clothes, so leave yours behind. If you go back like that… well, you know.”

What exactly did he mean by that?

I didn’t fully understand, but I decided to take Gulf up on his kindness.