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

Chapter 394: Let's deepen our friendship

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

That day, we ended up staying in the village of the Phoenix Tribe.

Kanade and Chiffon, being hostages, were placed in a different room.

I was with Nina, Rifa, Shigure, and Sakura.

The room they showed us was a bit cramped for five people, though it was clearly well-maintained, spotless, and quite clean. Soft futons and pillows were set up on the beds, so we weren’t being treated poorly.

It was likely thanks to Shigure and Sakura. If it were just us, who knows what kind of treatment we would have received. In that regard, I’m especially grateful to Shigure and Sakura.

“But… still, I just can’t relax.”

Are Kanade and Chiffon all right? Since they’re being held as hostages, I worry that they might have been locked up somewhere, or treated poorly.

My thoughts kept drifting back to them, making me feel restless. I paced around the room aimlessly.

“Can’t settle down, huh?”

Unlike me, Shigure was calm and collected.

“Well… yeah, I guess.”

“It’ll be fine. While it’s true that the Phoenix Tribe views humans as enemies, they promised not to harm you as long as you don’t do anything. They’ll keep their word.”

“And the chance they’ll break it?”

“None. If they broke their promise, it would make the Phoenix Tribe lower than humans. Such a thing would be utterly unacceptable to them.”

“That’s how it is?”

“That’s how it is.”

If Shigure says so, maybe my worries are unfounded. I still can’t completely ignore them, but…

I should probably try not to stress too much about it. Otherwise, I won’t be able to rest properly.

The race is tomorrow. I need to rest well, regain my strength, and be in top condition.

“…Alright.”

Just then, Nina got off the bed she was sitting on and toddled over to the door.

“Nina, where are you going? It’s about time to sleep, don’t you think?”

“Um… well… ah…”

For some reason, she turned red. Did I say something weird?

“Hmm…”

Rifa looked closely at Nina’s face, then tilted her head slightly and said nonchalantly:

“Toilet?”

“!!”

“Are you going to the toilet? If so, I’ll come too.”

“Ugh…”

Nina looked incredibly embarrassed. I’d thought of her as just a kid, but she’s still a girl after all. Having someone ask her that so bluntly must be embarrassing…

I probably could have been more considerate. I’ll remember that.

“In that case, I’ll join you as well. This place is based on a dungeon, so the layout’s a bit confusing.”

With Shigure going along, I felt reassured. I saw the three of them off as they left the room…

“Woof!”

…and was left alone with Sakura.

She trotted over to me, tail wagging, and looked up at me.

“What’s up?”

“Woof!”

“Do you want me to pet your head?”

“Woof!”

Sakura presented her head as if saying, "That's correct."

Whether it was exactly what she wanted or not, I gently petted her head as requested.

"Hahaha…!"

She looked absolutely delighted. Her tail wagged so furiously from side to side that I worried it might fly off.

“Yeah… this might actually be a great opportunity.”

Tomorrow, I'll be teaming up with Sakura for the race. Good coordination is essential in this kind of situation, so I’d like to build as much rapport with her as possible beforehand.

“Hey, Sakura.”

“Woof!”

“Why are you so kind to me? I’ve heard a lot from Shigure, but nothing directly from you. I’d like to know why, straight from you if possible.”

“Woof… woof woof!”

Naturally, I had no idea what she was saying. Even as a Beast Tamer, I can’t actually understand animal language.

But somehow, I felt like I got the gist of what Sakura wanted to convey. I might just be guessing, but it seemed like she genuinely liked me.

“The ‘why’ of it is still a mystery, though. It’s a little frustrating not being able to understand you.”

“Woof…?”

“Huh? Are you worried about me? Haha, don’t worry. It’s not like I’m feeling down or anything. Thanks. You’re really sweet, Sakura.”

“Woof!”

When I petted her head again, she barked happily. Watching her, I realized that stressing over our language barrier was starting to feel a little foolish.

Sure, we couldn’t communicate in words.

I didn’t understand what she was saying.

But somehow, I felt like we were connected in spirit. Being together like this, I felt a sense of calm, as if it didn’t really matter.

“Do you trust me, Sakura?”

“Woof!”

“Then I’ll make sure to live up to that trust… and to never betray it.”

I beckoned her over, and she cheerfully climbed into my lap.

“Oh, wow, she’s so fluffy.”

Sakura’s pretty big, so when she’s on my lap, I’m completely covered in fluff. But even so, I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a big hug. She looked thrilled and started licking my face.

“I have something I absolutely have to do. There’s someone I must save, no matter what.”

“Woof.”

“So… will you lend me your strength tomorrow?”

“Woof!”

“Thanks, Sakura. Let’s do our best together.”

“Ooooo!”

Sakura howled confidently, as if to say, “Leave it to me.” I gave her another affectionate pat on the head.

TL Note- Sakura: Woof Woof woof.......meet you in the next Chapter.....

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