Volume 6 Chapter 2 The New Life Of The Two Who Have Washed Their Feet
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Aaah… the weather’s way too nice,” Klock muttered.
The sun shone down with an almost aggressive brilliance. The glare rebounded off the ground, piercing his eyes no matter how he tried to shield them. Not exactly the gentlest way to start a morning.
He pushed through the knee-high grass outside the house and stepped onto the uneven dirt path that barely counted as a road. Tilting his face to the sky, he sighed.
The air was obnoxiously fresh.
Too fresh.
”A little bit of city smog wouldn’t kill it,” he grumbled. “Kinda want it, actually.”
He let out another sigh, this one deeper, more resigned. The surroundings were still unfamiliar, even after all this time.
Three months already. Time had flown, but years of city living weren’t so easily shaken off. The adjustment wasn’t going as smoothly as he’d hoped.
”Sleepy…” he groaned, stretching out a yawn big enough to crack his jaw. He twisted his neck lazily and halfheartedly flailed his arms in a stretch. Coming outside had seemed like a good idea for half a second, but now all he wanted to do was crawl back into bed.
Still, with a shrug of defeat, he set off toward the village, walking with the same careless attitude one might use to grope a woman’s rear.
It was the triumphant return of the formerly infamous thief—no, wait, the retired thief—Klock.
”Klock. Morning,” someone called from the roadside.
Of course, it had to be a woman.
He turned, squinting against the sunlight, and grimaced. The speaker had white hair and long ears that twitched faintly with every movement. Her apron dress was plain, her boots worn and stained. Red eyes gleamed under her messy bangs, and behind her stood four others—Beastkin girls, unmistakably rabbitfolk.
”Morning~. See you later,” Klock replied, waving half-heartedly as he tried to keep walking.
”Wait, no. Hold up,” the rabbitfolk girl said, bounding forward.
Though all four of them were adults, none stood taller than 130 centimeters. To human eyes, they looked like children.
”Ai. The friends’ fee for this week,” she announced cheerfully.
T/N: “Ai” here is a casual greeting or way of addressing someone in a familiar, friendly tone.
She held out a tiny hand and placed four copper coins into Klock’s palm—one for each of them. Then, without missing a beat, she latched onto his wrist.
”Where are you going? Come with us,” she said, tugging.
”I’m not going. Go home,” he snapped, yanking his hand away.
Undeterred, she immediately grabbed the hem of his shirt.
Klock sighed, knowing resistance was futile. The other girls swarmed him like it was a daily ritual—which, unfortunately, it was. Now he looked like some shady man being chased down by a pack of overly clingy children.
”Oi. Do something about these guys,” he muttered irritably.
”Well, Mr. Klock, good morning,” called out a voice from the side. “You’ve really blended in with the rabbitfolk, huh? Planning to marry all of them?”
”Idiot,” Klock shot back, barely glancing at the speaker.
It was the older woman from next door, crouched in the weeds with a basket of half-picked grass beside her. Cow-like horns curled from her head, and soft fur lined her ears. She was nearing fifty, but somehow retained a youthful sharpness. Married to a cowperson, lived in the old wooden house up the path.
She always treated them neighborly, but rarely formally—probably because she and her husband cracked jokes as a matter of principle. Klock responded in kind.
”Klock. Where you going? Meni, wanna play,” said one of the rabbitfolk, tugging his sleeve again.
”Huh? Then go play. I’m heading to the village head’s place.”
”Monna wants to play too!” another chimed in.
”Listen to what I’m saying,” Klock grumbled.
They kept pulling at him. Meni, Ruri, Monna, Ranye. All of them short, all of them loud, all of them way too comfortable.
They looked and acted like kids, but were in their early twenties.
He had to keep reminding himself that. The race differences in this country weren’t just skin deep—they were culture-deep. The rabbitfolk were one of the sharpest contrasts of all.
Even though this was a multi-ethnic country, with humans and Beastkin living side-by-side in towns and villages alike, there were things he still couldn’t wrap his head around. The rabbitkin especially.
”I just wish they’d pick up the culture of bathing at least,” he muttered to himself.
Sure, any guy might be happy to be surrounded by women, but that was only true if the women were human—and clean. These girls looked like kids, smelled like the field, and had habits that screamed “barn life.” He couldn’t even pretend to be into that.
Still, they followed him every day, smelling like this. The only reason he wasn’t losing his mind was because he’d been trying to teach them basic hygiene.
”Hey. You guys actually wash yourselves in the river? You smell a bit off today, don’t you?” he asked over his shoulder.
”Ehh, I washed yesterday,” one said.
”I washed yesterday too,” echoed another.
”We washed, but it’s still bad,” a third added.
”But we didn’t wash our clothes,” the last one mumbled.
”…Seriously?”
He ran a hand through his hair, regretting every life decision that brought him here.
Clearly, he’d need to give them a lesson on laundry.
Not that he was some laundry god himself. He’d probably have to ask the ex-head maid for help when he got back.
”Oh, Mr. Klock, good morning! Off to the village head’s place?” a villager called out from near the water wheel.
”Yeah. You sure know a lot,” Klock replied.
”I didn’t hear anything. Just saw your face and figured it out—you’ve got that ‘ugh, gotta deal with something annoying’ look again.”
Klock gave a half-hearted wave and kept walking. The water wheel creaked behind him.
The man was old, thin-armed, but strong in will. One of the few men in the village. He worked hard, harder than most. Still, Klock found it kind of depressing that a guy that old had to haul heavy parts around when there were plenty of younger people who could do the job.
But he kept that to himself. Talking out of turn could get him roped into things.
A glum face, huh?
He hoped it wasn’t some kind of omen.
Just past the center of the village, a larger house came into view. A three-story wooden building surrounded by a neatly trimmed garden.
The village head’s place. The biggest house in Raizan, the small village where Klock had been staying these last three months.
”I’ve been waiting, Klock. Come on in,” said a voice before he could knock.
The door creaked open, revealing a girl with dog ears and black hair tied back in a simple ribbon.
Riko.
The village head’s granddaughter. She had a tidy look about her and had just turned twenty last month.
”You always open the door before I knock, huh?” he asked with a smirk.
”Well, I remember Klock’s scent,” she replied, matter-of-fact. “So I know right away when you’re here.”
Klock blinked. A line like that from a doggirl—he decided not to comment.
She used to be a tomboy, apparently. But ever since he’d arrived in the village, she’d started acting a lot more… feminine.
It was pretty obvious why.
Not that it was some grand affection. No, she only liked him because he was young. That was it. Besides, there was a razor-tongued watchdog in the house who kept Riko’s flirtations in check.
”Ah, good morning, Klock. Glad you could come,” said the old man seated in the living room.
Village head Dallas.
He looked like he might keel over at any second, with long sagging ears and a waft of old booze always clinging to him. A black tail wagged lazily beside his chair.
Klock stepped inside and gestured to the girls still peeking in from outside. “Told them to wait.”
He slouched onto a floor cushion.
”What’s up, old man? Don’t worry, I don’t need Riko,” he added with a wave.
”I’d actually feel more at ease if you did ask for her,” Dallas chuckled. “But no. Today’s different—there’s something we need to talk about.”
Beside him, Riko puffed her cheeks in mock indignation.
Klock ignored it and raised a brow at the old man.
”Yeah. Actually,” Dallas said, leaning forward, “there’s been a message from the lord. He’s invited you, Klock.”
Klock’s shoulders slumped. His face twisted with clear annoyance as he looked away.
What a pain.
In this country, all boys of fighting age were being conscripted. Only old men and children remained. And now, rumors about Klock had reached the lord’s ears.
”That conscription’s about the Beastkin, right?” Klock asked.
”That’s right,” the village head said. “They need to check whether you’re really human or not.”
This was going to be a pain in the ass. Klock could feel it in his gut. History had always proven one thing: those in power were rarely pleasant. At this point, it might as well be a natural law.
If it were just a matter of checking his race, there’d be no need to summon him personally. Which meant only one thing—trouble was definitely on the horizon.
”Is there no way to refuse?” he asked.
”No chance,” the old man replied. “You’d get a rough welcome. The treatment will be strict. If you want a peaceful life, better show up.”
Klock let out a deep sigh.
He wouldn’t have minded if it were just helping out or doing some work. But dealing with officials always rubbed him the wrong way.
”Got it. I’ll head over. So, where do I need to go?” he asked.
”It’s too far to walk. I’ll have RIko take you,” the village head said. “The lord, Lady Cattleya, has her manor in Boorinel—east of here, past the Mesa.”
”…That’s way too much hassle…” Klock muttered.
He’d never been to Boorinel, though he’d heard about it in passing. The route went under the volcano, and even by carriage it took forever.
”Yeah, well. If RIko’s not around, just let me borrow the carriage,” he said.
”You don’t need a guide?”
”Nah. I’ve got a capable companion, after all.”
Once the business was done, Klock wrapped things up with good timing and avoided dragging the conversation out. Better to go home and talk things through there.
The dog-girl beside him, dressed all prim and proper, gave him a sidelong glance. He patted her head and left it at that for now, parting ways.
”Wait. Here.”
”Hm?”
”This week’s friend fee.”
He pressed a copper coin into her hand. He looked away, pretending not to notice the heat rising in her cheeks.
Outside, the little rabbits were waiting for him in front of the village head’s house.
It wasn’t exactly a meeting—if he ignored them, they’d just follow him anyway. He sighed, considered what was ahead, and motioned for them to go home.
They weren’t always the most perceptive, but when it came to serious matters, they could be surprisingly understanding.
They were adults, after all. Sensing the shift in his mood, Meny and the others nodded, silent and composed.
Some kind of wild instinct, probably. Feeling a little bad about it, Klock patted their heads with a quick “Yoshi yoshi,” promising to talk next time, and walked off.
He waved to villagers on the way back, returning alone to the house he’d only just left.
A two-story wooden structure—nothing grand, but solid enough. His current home. It had been sitting vacant, so they’d let him have it for free.
He’d already been living there for three months. A home shared with one other person.
”I’m back.”
”Welcome home! That was fast. What did the village head say?” Suzette asked as he slipped off his shoes.
The entrance creaked faintly as Klock stepped inside. In the living room, a woman in an apron dress greeted him.
Suzette.
A Demonkin, she’d once been a spy for the Leelit Federation. Back in the Empire, she’d been his partner, and together they’d escaped more than one brush with death.
Now she lived with him, quietly running the household like a maid. She’d left the spy life behind. They both had.
”It’s gonna be a hassle,” he said, sighing. “Looks like we’re going on another long trip.”
”…Tell me about it,” she said, turning gracefully to prepare two cups of tea, the hem of her dress swishing and offering a glimpse of black-stockinged legs.
While she readied their drinks, he explained. The lord’s summons. The destination. The route.
It wasn’t a long story. When he finished, Suzette showed no surprise—just her usual composed, cool expression.
”I figured something like this might happen,” she said. “The way things are going in this country, unrest was bound to show up.”
”Yeah. The rulers here are insane. I wouldn’t be shocked if a revolution broke out,” Klock muttered.
In this country, all Beastkin men between the ages of ten and fifty were being conscripted. That was the reason behind the summons.
But what use was a ten-year-old in war? Who were they even fighting? Even the village heads couldn’t answer that. Worse, there was no fixed duration for the service. Absurd.
The system was crumbling. No one knew when—or if—the men would return. Yet no one could speak up.
And in the village of Ryzan, there were no men left. Only children and the elderly.
Except for one.
Klock, a Human.
”So what’ll you do?” Suzette asked.
”They’re lending us a carriage,” he replied. “No set departure time, but we should head out soon. Suzette, you coming?”
”Understood,” she said. “I’ll be ready to go anytime from tomorrow.”
Her response came easily, as expected. Of course she’d come along. That hadn’t changed since before they arrived on this continent.
”It’s been a while since we traveled,” Klock said. “Feels like the old days, when we were running from the Empire.”
”This time, it’s not a flight. No need to rush,” she said. “Though the route through the Mesa might be tricky.”
T/N: “Mesa” (メサ) refers to a flat-topped hill or mountain, typically found in arid regions—often challenging terrain in travel narratives.
The Beastkin continent was different from the Human lands. There was no widespread deforestation. Towns were built only where the land was already clear, or in harmony with the forest.
Unlike Humans, the Beastkin didn’t try to conquer nature.
That meant traveling here brought different challenges: rugged terrain, wild monsters, scarce supplies. It was leagues harder than traveling in the Human lands.
”The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off,” he muttered. “Why the hell do I have to meet them?”
”Stop trying to escape reality,” Suzette said, sipping from her tea. “It’s like paying taxes. Just do it. Anyway, you’ve been getting all sorts of gifts from the girls in the village—about time you gave something back.”
Klock looked away instinctively.
”To the rabbit folk. The village head’s granddaughter. The butcher’s daughter. The mother and child from the farm across the road—”
”Okay, okay! I get it! I was wrong! I’ll stop joking around. Seriously,” he said, raising both hands in surrender.
For a moment, Suzette’s gaze turned razor-sharp.
Cold sweat streamed down his back like a waterfall.
He could’ve tried to argue that he never asked for any of the offerings. But he was dealing with a Beastkin.
No amount of excuses would save him from her.
The Beastkin offering something was never mere generosity—it was always a transaction. And in a village of only women, the one thing they sought in return was obvious.
Klock had been “getting along” with quite a few of the girls here. The only one he’d actually gotten into it with had been Riko, the village head’s granddaughter—but that wasn’t the issue right now.
The issue was Suzette.
And most likely, nearly everyone had already figured it out.
”Seriously, what’s this ‘friend discount’ nonsense?” someone scoffed. “Those kids honestly think that’s a real custom among Humans?”
”Nah,” Klock replied with a lazy shrug. “They were just too damn persistent. Figured if I hit ’em with something outrageous, they’d give up. I didn’t expect them to keep coughing up payment every single week, month after month like clockwork.”
”That’s just you being careless,” Suzette said coldly. “They’re desperate. Of course they’d pay. Their entire species’ survival is on the line. You’d better handle it before we leave, or don’t be surprised if they follow you.”
Without waiting for a reply, Suzette stood up and began tidying the room, her motions sharp and efficient.
Handle it, huh.
He knew exactly what she meant.
Go sleep with them. Knock them up. Give them a shot at children through a bit of illicit mating.
But Suzette was his woman.
Sleeping around like that was cheating. No question.
Yet—she hadn’t said a word against it.
She didn’t approve, no—but she hadn’t forbidden it either. Just turned her head, eyes closed to the truth.
Guess I did go too far sometimes…
He remembered the times he’d pushed Suzette so hard, she’d passed out. Not because she was weak, but because one man’s stamina could outmatch a normal person’s threshold.
It had already been three months since the incident—the escape, the poison, all that madness. People might be starting to forget about it, but his stamina hadn’t vanished. Far from it.
Which meant all that ridiculous energy—along with that massive cock—was now being focused on one person alone: Suzette.
No wonder there were screams at night.
The first week after they’d moved into this place, there had been nights when he’d held her till morning. She couldn’t take it for long.
That’s when the “arrangements” with the village girls had started.
”…I’ll help with the preparations for now,” he offered, trying to steer the conversation away. “What should I do?”
He couldn’t keep dodging forever. Time to redirect and play it soft for tonight.
”…Then for now, get new weapons,” Suzette said flatly. “We need gear to fight monsters. Use the money you took from the village girls.”
Klock winced. “The way you say it…”
He’d handed off all the money management to her.
Suzette brought out a wooden box and popped the lid open. It was full to the brim with copper coins.
Her gaze narrowed sharply.
Couldn’t blame her. Friend discount, huh?
T/N: “Friend discount” (友達割) is a fabricated term in this setting, implying a casual exchange of sex for payment among friends, parodying transactional relationships.
Let’s be real—this was the price of sex with Klock. The physical proof of how many times he’d cheated.
No wonder the temperature of her stare had dropped to sub-zero.
Klock reached out and pulled her close, capturing her lips before she could turn away.
There was no resistance.
So he pushed her down just like that—but Suzette still refused to meet his eyes. The discomfort lingered faintly in the air between them.
He couldn’t afford to hesitate now.
He held her tighter, insistently.
Time passed.
The noon sun crept into the room. Hunger started to stir.
As Klock straightened his wrinkled clothes, she finally leaned in and kissed him back.
Notes:
• Riko – The village head’s granddaughter; has black hair and dog ears; interested in Klock romantically; 20 years old.
• Dallas – The village head of Ryzan; an old man past 70; appears frail; sits in the living room most of the time.
• Cattleya – The lord; resides in the town of Boorinel, east of Ryzan, past the Mesa; wants to confirm Klock’s humanity.
• Boorinel – A town east of Ryzan, where Lord Cattleya’s manor is located; said to be a long journey from Ryzan.
• Mesa – A type of flat-topped hill or mountain, found in arid regions; travelers face many difficulties traversing it.
• Suzette – The older maid from Viscount Fennec. The head maid at the Viscount Fennec’s villa. She is confident, clear-spoken, and professional.
• Leelit Federation – A political entity where Suzette used to work as a spy; seems to be an empire.
• Ryzan – The village where Klock lives; located near a bumpy dirt road and an old water wheel; named as such in the local tongue.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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