Although they had allowed us to enter, what we received turned out to be far different from what we had expected.
Knowing that we were all foxes, one of the beast-man races, just like almost all of the inhabitants of this continent, I felt that the treatment we received was not appropriate.
All of us were forced to sit near the guard post first, waiting for someone who would come here to inspect our condition.
Unlike those guards, they wore thick clothes so they did not feel cold.
Meanwhile, us? This cold air had already become familiar after enduring it over the past few months. Even the child beside me could still smile despite his nose having turned red from the cold.
The pain that had suddenly appeared in my stomach was growing even worse. I was no longer strong enough to even speak; I used all of my remaining strength to endure the pain.
I know. But I think this is a sign that the time for me to give birth is drawing near.
I leaned against Kayo's shoulder. He covered both of our backs with the same cloth that we had been using lately.
He held my left shoulder with his hand, making my body press even closer against his just so that I could feel warmer.
—
"Sorry to keep you all waiting. First of all, welcome to the continent of Nakuso, specifically to the city of Anders."
"It is an honor for me to be able to save a group of foxes who seem to have gone through difficult times."
Kayo withdrew his hand from my shoulder, then carefully pushed my body away from him as he stood up to approach that person.
Kayo bowed his body and then spoke in a polite tone. "Thank you as well for accepting us here. Perhaps this is too early for me as the leader of this group, but could you take us somewhere more secluded?"
The man did not answer Kayo's words immediately. He merely waited for what Kayo would say next.
"For more than six months, we have been wandering from Londerg until we finally arrived here," Kayo continued.
"Londerg? Well, well, the situation must truly be terrible if I force all of you to remain here," he replied.
The man, whose height was equal to Kayo's, looked at all of us while his hand continuously stroked his chin as though he were thinking about something.
"Alright, it would be better if we moved to an inn. I'll take care of it right away. Coincidentally, there is a large empty inn that all of you can use. How does that sound?"
Without any hesitation, Kayo immediately accepted the offer as all of us began to stand and follow him.
Before we left, Kayo helped me stand because I was unable to do it by myself. The burden that my legs had to support was becoming heavier now.
"It's okay, Lin. Let me help you walk again. Come on."
——
We arrived at a three-story building with a very spacious courtyard on the ground floor. There were countless doors on each floor, all of them rather large for an inn.
The warm light coming from the lanterns hanging in front of each door gave us a sense of peace whenever we looked at them.
"The guards will help all of you divide the rooms. But as for you, yes, you, the one who spoke to me earlier. Please come with me so that we can discuss what happened here," he said before turning around.
——
"Lin, go to your room first. I'll come after speaking with him," I said as a way of saying goodbye to her for a moment, after staying together without ever being apart.
I took a few steps away from her, but the girl tightly grabbed the sleeve of my clothes as though she did not want me to leave her.
"Please, Kayo... I want to go with you," she pleaded.
I walked back toward her and tried to reassure her by placing both of my hands on her shoulders.
"Listen to me, Lin... You're not in good condition right now, which is why I want you to rest together with our baby, alright?"
It seemed that Lin did not accept my words, and she pushed one of my hands away from her shoulder.
"Come on, Lin..." I pleaded with her once again, this time in a quieter voice.
"I know that you want me to stay with you at times like this, but I still have to speak with him first. Besides, I don't want to exhaust you while your stomach is hurting. It's painful enough already, isn't it?" I said once more.
The man who had approached us earlier turned around and carefully observed what was happening between the two of us.
Then, he called out to both of us as I saw the irritated look in Lin's eyes directed at me. "Hey, you. Are the two of you husband and wife?" he asked.
I immediately nodded.
"If your wife insists, we can talk inside one of the rooms on the second floor. There's a fairly comfortable sofa there, and you can ask her to sit on it," he continued.
"... Understood," I replied.
—
We entered the room that he had mentioned to us. The three of us immediately sat facing each other on the two sofas that had been placed in the middle of the room.
I helped Lin sit down.
"Sorry for introducing myself so late. I am Kayo, the leader of our group of foxes, and beside me is my wife, Lin," I said, extending my hand for a handshake.
"Kayo-san, Lin-san, I apologize that I can only welcome you like this. By the way, my name is Kilhem. The leader of this city asked me to help all of you," Kilhem-san replied as he shook my hand.
"To be honest, not only in this city, but throughout Nakuso as well, foxes like you have become very rare to see. Perhaps because your numbers are so small, our people rarely encounter your kind."
"Is our arrival causing you any trouble?" I asked.
Kilhem-san laughed upon hearing the desperate question that came out of my mouth, waving his hand as if to show that we were by no means parasites.
"Take it easy, Kayo-san. As I said earlier, we're grateful to be able to see foxes, especially in such numbers. That's why we can't simply leave all of you suffering out there."
"Londerg is... an extremely cold continent. The fact that you were able to cross such a place and make it here is almost like the journey Yuusha-sama undertook to uphold justice in fairy tales."
When I turned my head, Lin's eyes were drooping as though they would close before long. Her body had also begun to lean slightly because of her drowsiness.
"Please wait a moment, Kilhem-san," I said.
I woke Lin, who had almost fallen asleep, and asked her to lie down on the bed. "Lin, let's move over there."
After laying her exhausted body on the bed at the end of the room, I returned to my seat in front of Kilhem-san, my eyes far more focused now.
Since Lin had already fallen asleep, the only thing I needed to worry about now was the man sitting in front of me.
"Let's get straight to the point. Why did all of you come here?" he asked.
I think I'll be spending tonight talking with him. I'll tell him everything briefly and make him believe that we should be allowed to stay here forever.