I hold hands with Gaius, and I walk .


　The cat beastmen and Mr. Ran are with me. The little gryphons joined us on the way. The cat beastmen didn't seem to know that the gryphons were still in the village, and they looked surprised. I wondered if the griffons were special to the cat beastmen as well.

　What are you doing?　The little gryphons were so cute.


　I was nervous about what kind of story would be told. I wonder what kind of difficult talk it will be. But Gaius is here, and the child gryphons are here. With everyone here, I feel that I can accept even the heaviest of stories and do my best.


　Mr. Athos and I arrive at Gaius' house. Gaius' mother is no longer with him, and he lives in a big house with her.


　We all go inside the house.
　I sit between Gaius and Ran. The little gryphons that had been following me are sitting behind us.

　And in front of me are the cat beastmen and Athos.


How much do Lerunda and Landono know about the relationship between humans and beastmen?
I don't know much, .......
I know a little about it. I only know the human side, so I don't know about the beastman side.


　Unlike me, who doesn't know that much about the relationship between humans and beastmen, you seem to know a lot about it. That's great. I don't even know much about what is said on the human side.
　When Athos hears Ran's words, he opens his mouth.


"...... How is it said on the human side?
"Well, yes. In the past, they lived together in harmony, but one day, the beastmen revealed their true nature and began to commit savage acts repeatedly. That's why the humans decided to control the beastmen, that's the history as told here.
That's ......!


　At Ran's words, one of the cat beastmen spoke up. One of the cat beastmen shouted at Ran's words, wondering how he could say such a terrible thing when the beastmen were so kind.


Please don't raise your voice. Many of us, including myself, know that you are wrong. After interacting with beastmen here, I know that what some people are saying about beastmen being savage and unreasonable beasts, and therefore lower than humans, is convenient for the human side. However, there are some people who believe that this idea is correct. And even if they know that the idea is not correct, there are still a certain number of people who enslave non-human species for profit.


　Mr. Ran says plainly. I felt sad, wondering how she could be so judgmental about who was above her and who was below her. I love you as a human, and all of you as beasts, and the gryphons and Sipho as family. I don't understand why you would think that just because we are of different races that we should be treated that way.


　Maybe we're different. But if we talked, we could understand each other and like each other. We can communicate and get along. So why do I feel that way just because we're different?



...... You're right. That's the argument being made on the human side. That's why we beastmen are wary of humans. Some humans will try to trap you when they get to know you better.
"......, is that right?
Yeah. I've heard that my grandfather was almost caught in one of these traps. He rescued a fallen human and let him live in his village out of the goodness of his heart, but he was connected to a slave trader.


　Mr. Athos's grandfather rescued a human being, let him live in his village, and then found out that the person was a bad person.
　I don't know how he could do such a terrible thing. Selling out the people who were kind to him. Trying to put him in a bad situation. It made me very sad to imagine being sold out by someone I thought was a good friend.


"So, on the beastman side, the opposite is true. In the past, when humans didn't have a country, but rather a small village like us beastmen, we coexisted with each other. However, when humans gained power and had a country, they started to capture us beasts and make us their slaves. It's not like we didn't fight back.
"...... Did beastmen ever have a country or anything?
We did. But then they were defeated by the humans. And we all fell apart. And now they're living quietly in villages again.


　The beastman nation was established but destroyed. And they're living apart.
　The relationship between humans and beastmen.


　I knew that this was the reason why the cat beastmen had come to this village at an unscheduled time.
　I can imagine what the humans have done to the beastmen, and I can imagine that they have done a lot more than what Mr. Athos is telling me now. I wonder how he could do such a thing. My heart hurts when I think about it.


"Even though we build our villages and live quietly, when people know where we are, they take action. ......


　This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not.


"...... My village was attacked by humans.


　Attacked by humans?
　My mind goes blank.


　---The Story of a Girl and a Beastman 1


　(Maybe the girl, who is a godchild, listens to the story of the cat-beastman, reiterating the relationship between humans and beastmen)