The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet

Chapter 340: A city shrouded in fog

(TL:By Rafael,valhallatls.blogspot.com)

The next day.

We finished our preparations and left town early in the morning.

We proceeded without any incidents and managed to reach near Kagune much earlier than planned, just past noon.

"Even so... this is pretty amazing."

"Meow... all white."

A fog had appeared. Even though it was just past noon, it hadn't dissipated and was coloring everything around us white.

"The source of the fog seems to be ahead... it looks like it's Kagune."

"Is it abnormal weather? Or..."

Mille-feuille and Chocolat had suspicious looks on their faces. Although Mille-feuille was using magic to investigate, it seemed the cause was still unclear.

"Meow... Kagune isn't known as the foggy town, right?"

"It shouldn't be. It's a town with a unique culture, but it's not famous for its fog."

"Yeah, I think so too. I've never heard anything like that."

Kanade's question was simultaneously denied by me and Chiffon. For some reason, Kanade gave us a sidelong glance.

"Meow. You two are in perfect sync."

"Like you planned it."

"Not just new acquaintances, but like old friends."

"More than old friends, I'd say."

For some reason, Tania, Sora, and Luna also joined in, and everyone had indescribable expressions on their faces.

I haven't done anything, right...?

"Okay, okay. Everyone, calm down. I understand how you feel, but we should focus on what's in front of us right now."

"Unusual fog. We should be cautious."

Being told so reasonably by Tina and Rifa, everyone quietly backed down.

"There's no sign of enemies, right?"

"That's right, there are no signs of monsters or anything. Of course, there are no demons either."

"Hmm."

For a moment, I wondered if it was the work of some unknown monsters or demons, but that didn't seem to be the case. Maybe we were being overly sensitive because of the incident with Krios.

"For now, let's go inside. There's no point in just standing here... but stay alert."

"Right."

Chiffon and I agreed. No one else seemed to have any objections, each nodding slightly.

"Well, let's go."

Ready to draw our weapons at any moment, we stepped into Kagune.

――――――――――

As we entered the town, the fog became even thicker.

Our visibility was significantly limited, and we couldn't see very far ahead. About five meters in front of us, the fog nearly completely obscured our view, making it hard to even see our own feet.

Despite this, the people of Kagune were lively. They weren't holed up in their homes; many people were walking around outside as usual. There were various stalls here and there, with energetic shouts filling the air.

"This is... surprising, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

I agreed with Kanade's observation.

With such dense fog, I had assumed the townspeople would be anxious or scared... But in reality, they seemed to be living their lives as usual.

No, rather than just usual, they seemed to be living happily and energetically. The faces we occasionally saw were all filled with smiles.

"Is there no danger?"

"Seems like it. From what I can see, everything looks fine."

"It's like the picture of peace."

I agreed with Rifa's opinion. If this isn't peaceful, then what is?

However...

I felt a slight sense of discomfort. It's hard to put into words, but there was something off, a sort of distortion... The smiles on the townspeople's faces felt somehow unnatural.

But beyond that, I couldn't figure anything out. No one seemed to be in harm's way, so... For now, I guess we'll just keep an eye on things.

"Let's head to an inn first."

"Yeah. We should secure a place early and maybe gather some information from the people there."

Agreeing with Chiffon, we decided to look for an inn.

The thick fog made it a bit tricky, but... In about thirty minutes, we managed to find one. Despite our large group of eleven people, we had no trouble securing rooms.

Alright, let's start gathering information. I was all set to get going, but...

"...Hafuu."

Nina, looking extremely sleepy, yawned and nodded off. Having just arrived in Kagune without resting, fatigue was beginning to show. Looking around, everyone else seemed similarly tired, some more than others.

"Everyone seems exhausted. Let's leave the inquiries for tomorrow."

"Yeah, I don't think there's any danger, so I agree."

"A fluffy bed! I want a hot bath too!"

"Oh, Luna! No sneaking off by yourself!"

Luna and Sora dashed up to the second floor. Their antics seemed to break the tension, and everyone laughed as they headed to their rooms.

Although we had taken breaks in town, we hadn't had a proper rest, so the fatigue hadn't fully lifted. Let's take it easy and rest well tonight.

With that decision, I too climbed the stairs of the inn.

――――――――――

"...?"

I thought I heard a voice.

My consciousness was in a deep slumber, my body hardly able to move... I was vaguely aware that I was sleeping. It wasn't quite like lucid dreaming, but sometimes, don't you have moments where, even while asleep, you're aware of your state?

"...N..."

I heard the voice again. It was fragmented, and I couldn't make out what it was saying.

But... what is this? It felt incredibly nostalgic, and just listening to it made me feel like I was about to cry... such an indescribable emotion welled up within me.

"Rain. Wake up, Rain."

This time, the voice was clear. Drawn to that gentle voice, my consciousness began to rise.

"Mm..."

"Rain, are you awake?"

I slowly raised my body and turned my gaze to the side. There, I saw...

"...Mother?"

TL Note- Will we finally witness Rain's past?

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