The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
The suspicious experiments Mona had been conducting had turned animals into monsters.
Together with Al-san, we managed to inflict significant damage on her.
However, just as we were about to finish things, a man named Reinhardt, who called himself a Beast Tamer, appeared and helped her escape.
After returning to the village of the Cat Spirit Tribe, I told everyone what had happened.
"Nyan? A Beast Tamer other than Rain...?"
"Rain's existence has kind of warped our perception, but Beast Tamers aren't actually that rare of a profession. There aren't many of them, but there are a fair number, right?"
"But the fact that he completely overwhelmed Rain-sama is what really catches my attention."
"And another thing that concerns me is how Mona called Reinhardt 'Master.' The meaning behind that word is..."
"It means they have a contract with each other."
Sora concluded the discussion with those words.
The truth was that Mona had never really been Reez's ally. She had been a double agent all along.
That alone was a shocking revelation.
But on top of that, there was someone who had formed a contract with her.
As everyone often said, hardly anyone could form a contract with one of the Strongest Species.
Only a very select few possessed such an ability.
In fact, none of us had ever seen anyone else who had contracted with a member of the Strongest Species.
Yet Reinhardt had done exactly that.
"Hmm..."
After hearing the entire story, Suzu-san curled her tail into the shape of a question mark.
That was surprisingly skillful.
I couldn't tell whether she was seriously thinking or simply playing around.
"Suzu-san, do you know anything about Reinhardt?"
"I leave the village from time to time, but I've never heard of him... What about you, Milua?"
"Hmm, I've never heard of him either. Besides, I hardly ever leave the village. You know, everyone is so mean—they keep piling work on me."
That was probably because, if they didn't, she would chase after Tania and leave the village herself.
I could easily imagine the Dragon Tribe being dragged around by the free-spirited Milua-san.
"I don't know him either. The Ogre Tribe has a decent information network, but I've never heard that name. What about you, Elfin?"
"I've kept my distance from humans for a very long time... so I don't know anything."
No one knew anything.
A Beast Tamer of completely unknown origin.
Just who exactly was Reinhardt?
"...I may have some idea."
The one who spoke up was Shigure-san.
"Hm? Is that true? Even I know nothing about him..."
"Well, I've lived a rather long life. I've accumulated quite a bit of knowledge over the years."
"That is true. Shigure has lived the longest among us. The longest."
She deliberately repeated "the longest" twice.
Perhaps she wanted to insist that she herself was still young...
But honestly, Al-san, that's a bit childish.
"Shigure-san, could you tell us about Reinhardt?"
"I don't know everything. In fact, I only know a small part."
With that preface, Shigure-san began speaking.
"If my memory hasn't failed me, Reinhardt was a member of a Hero's Party from several generations ago."
"WHAT!?"
The shocking revelation stunned everyone, including me.
"Do you mean the Hero's Party that you were part of, Shigure-san...?"
"No, not mine. It was a party from even further back than my generation."
"Even further back... nyan?"
"Wait, doesn't that sound strange? According to Rain, Reinhardt looked to be only a little over twenty."
"The numbers don't add up."
For members of the Strongest Species, living for several hundred years wasn't unusual.
But humans were different.
A human who lived that long simply didn't exist.
No matter how fortunate they were, they would reach the end of their lifespan after about a hundred years.
"That's why I said I don't know everything."
"Well... that's true."
"There was a Beast Tamer named Reinhardt in a Hero's Party several generations ago. He possessed extraordinary talent and greatly contributed to the party with his abilities, ultimately helping defeat the Demon King... That's about all I know."
"What happened to him afterward?"
"I don't know. It seems he vanished completely from the public eye."
"..."
Reinhardt.
A Beast Tamer, just like me, who had once belonged to a Hero's Party.
And someone who had formed a contract with one of the Strongest Species.
Just who was he?
Considering his connection to Mona, I had assumed he might be allied with the demons.
But he himself had denied that.
And though our encounter had only lasted a few minutes, he didn't strike me as the type to let himself be bound by an organization.
He felt like a bird—
someone with wings of his own, free to fly wherever he pleased.
That was the impression he gave me.
"Muu, this is all so sudden that I'm completely lost."
"Luna's head is always empty, isn't it?"
"Indeed, my head is always— Wait, what exactly do you mean by that!?"
"No fighting."
"Sorry..."
"Sorry..."
Sora and Luna's exchange eased the tension in the room a little.
"Nokia-san, I feel a bit awkward asking you this, but... do you know anything about Mona?"
Nokia-san had suffered more than anyone because of Mona.
If anyone might know Mona's goals or intentions...
Then perhaps, by understanding Mona, we could indirectly learn something about Reinhardt as well.
That was my hope.
However, Nokia-san shook her head.
"I'm sorry. I don't know that much..."
"I see..."
"However, this is only my speculation, but... I believe Mona was researching the resurrection of the dead."
"Resurrection?"
My former companion, Mina, was said to be capable of reviving even the dead if the proper conditions were met.
Was Mona interested in the kind of magic used by priests?
No.
Perhaps it wasn't Mona who was interested.
Perhaps it was Reinhardt.
Had Mona been acting under his orders all along?
"She manipulated people's minds and turned animals into monsters. And on the Western Continent, she even succeeded in reviving the dead, albeit as degraded copies... Whether it was her own will or someone else's orders, I cannot say. But I am certain that Mona had a strong interest in resurrection."
"Now that you mention it, back when she still lived in the village, she used to search through books on those kinds of spells."
"Though whether that was Reinhardt's command or Mona's own idea, I cannot say."
"Reinhardt..."
It was only a feeling, but I didn't think he was an evil man.
At the same time, I didn't think he was a good man either.
What did he think about?
What was he trying to achieve?
And what goal was he pursuing?
I didn't know the answers to any of those questions.
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