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The men's and women's sides of the spring were only separated by a thin bamboo fence, so Fia could hear everything Riku said loud and clear.
"I stumbled across it by chance," she said, soaking her petite body in the warm water while brushing her hair back, sounding kind of proud. "And since it's pretty hidden, we decided to settle down here."
"But even though it's so well-hidden and we've gone years without being found by any other race… how did you find it so easily?" she tilted her head, confused.
"Haha, that's a secret~ Just think of it as one of my special powers," Riku replied with a relaxed smile.
"Ugh, what a lazy answer. That's so unsatisfying," Fia frowned and pouted. She really looked like she was sulking—and with that cute face and tiny body, it made her seem even more adorable.
Luckily for her, Riku couldn't see her through the bamboo wall, or he probably would've reached over to pat her head again.
"Fia, mind if I ask you something?" Riku said, gazing up at the night sky, the corners of his mouth curling up a little.
"What is it you want to know?" she asked curiously.
"How old are you, exactly?" he asked out of the blue.
"…What kind of question is that?" she blinked, a little confused. "But if you must know… I'm twelve."
As she answered, there was a complicated look in her crimson eyes. She'd shown incredible talent since she was five—her physical abilities had nearly reached their limits, and she'd even mastered using Bloodbreak.
Because of that, her tribe had hailed her as their princess, the future hope of the beastkin, and had poured all their resources into raising her. That pressure had weighed heavily on her for years.
Fighting Riku today had been a huge release for her. She hadn't felt that free in a long time.
"Twelve, huh… Wow, you really are a little beast-eared loli. I seriously thought you were a legal loli at least," Riku blinked, then chuckled in surprise.
"Are you… looking down on me?" Fia couldn't quite understand what he meant, but she had a feeling it wasn't a compliment, so she replied with a pout.
"No, no, not at all. Who'd dare underestimate someone like you? You're insanely strong for your age. I just thought you were older because you speak in such an old-fashioned, grown-up way."
"I read a lot of old books… and thought speaking like that sounded more dignified…" Fia murmured, her cheeks flushing red with embarrassment. Saying it out loud made her realize how cringey it sounded now.
But once something becomes a habit, it's hard to break.
"…Does it sound weird?" she asked, hesitating.
"Hahaha, not at all! It's perfect for you," Riku laughed. "It's part of your charm—it'd be a shame if you stopped."
"You really are a strange one," Fia said with a shake of her head.
"Maybe," Riku murmured as he looked up at the blood-red sky, his eyes unfocused. It had been so long since he'd felt this free. Maybe it was because he was finally living in the fantasy world he'd always dreamed of. Reality had always felt like a crappy game to him anyway.
"You enjoy your bath. I need to go talk with the others about our alliance," Fia said suddenly, standing up.
As she stepped out of the spring, water dripping from her flawless, pale skin, the sight was honestly kind of seductive.
"Got it," Riku replied simply with a nod.
Fia dried off and changed into a fresh kimono before heading to the council chamber in her palace.
Inside, a dozen or so beastkin of various ages were already seated, waiting with serious expressions. These were the top leaders of the beastkin tribe—the ones who carried the fate of their people on their shoulders.
"Fia, there you are," the elder greeted her with a forced smile as she entered.
The others all nodded in welcome as well.
Fia nodded back and took her seat at the head of the table.
"Fia, that human… is he really that strong? Strong enough that you actually admitted defeat?" the elder asked once the meeting began, his tone hesitant.
All the leaders turned to her, waiting for her answer.
"He's very strong. If he'd gone all out and stormed into the village from the start, the beastkin would've been wiped out—every last one of us, myself included. At best, he might've come out with some injuries," she said seriously, looking around at her people.
"Hissss—!"
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath. The leaders exchanged looks, stunned. They had only seen part of the fight—just the brief clash above the village. The rest they had only heard from a distance.
They already knew Riku was powerful—but they didn't realize how powerful.
"....."