Outside Albur Mountain — City Under Construction
New Residential District of the White Fang Tribe
The shadow of a massive warship stretched across the settlement like an omen.
The wind descending from its invisible thrusters rattled the unfinished structures, sending dust, ash, and freshly carved stone fragments swirling through the air.
The beastmen froze.
Their ears stiffened, tails went rigid, and fangs bared instinctively.
Many reached for their weapons without thinking. Others instinctively stepped back, while some simply stared at the sky, unable to hide the fear in their eyes.
To them, a ship like that meant only one thing.
Slave hunters.
Slave traders.
Revenge.
The murmurs quickly spread, growing rougher and heavier until a single voice cut straight through them.
Noelle raised her voice—firm, clear, and without the slightest trace of doubt.
Noelle: —"Everyone, please calm down. That ship you see above us belongs to my friend. It won't harm us, so there's nothing to fear."
The gazes shifted toward her.
Some hesitated.
Others relaxed their shoulders just a little.
But the fear never completely disappeared.
Standing beside her, Nyon tilted his head, clearly uncomfortable.
Nyon: —"Sister... I mean, Clan Leader... is that friend of yours the young man you told us about on the way here?"
Noelle nodded without hesitation.
Noelle: —"That's right. He's the one who gave me the ships to search for all of you."
Silence fell once more, heavier than before.
Nyon frowned, folded his arms, and lowered his voice, though everyone nearby could still hear him.
Nyon: —"Don't you think he's helped you far too much for someone who's just a friend? What exactly is your relationship with this so-called friend?"
Noelle opened her mouth, searching for the right words.
She glanced away for a brief moment before clearing her throat awkwardly.
Noelle: —"Well... he's much younger than I am, so I'd say—"
At that exact moment, a voice came from behind them.
Clear.
Direct.
It sliced through the moment like a blade.
—You'd say what?
The air froze.
Sam was standing there.
Completely relaxed.
With that appearance of his, capable of making people uncomfortable before he even opened his mouth.
His mere presence was enough for several beastmen to wrinkle their muzzles, avert their eyes, or begin whispering among themselves while openly pointing at his stigma and judging him without shame.
Noelle was the one who reacted the strongest.
Her ears shot upright.
Her eyes widened.
Noelle: —"O-Oh my... Raymond, I was just explaining our relationship to everyone."
Sam tilted his head slightly.
—Hold on... our relationship?
Noelle swallowed.
Noelle: —"I-I mean... we're just friends."
—Friends? Since when did you decide we had that kind of relationship?
A wave of murmurs swept through the clan.
Some snorted.
Others clenched their teeth.
To them, that man wasn't merely unpleasant to look at...
He was publicly humiliating their supreme leader.
Noelle, however, maintained her composure.
Though something inside her quietly tightened.
Her fingers curled lightly against the fabric of her clothes.
Noelle: —"What do you mean?"
—That we're just acquaintances, Fandvalen.
Noelle blinked.
Noelle: —"Acquaintances?"
—That's right.
And I don't think we'll ever become anything more than that.
The uproar was immediate.
Tails lashed.
Ears stood straight.
Hostile stares filled the air.
Rejecting Noelle like that wasn't merely rude.
To the beastmen, it was an insult directed at every clan.
Several tense seconds passed.
Then Noelle spoke.
Her voice had grown quieter.
Gentler...
Yet somehow sharper.
Noelle: —"Is it because of those three women who were with you yesterday?"
Sam frowned slightly.
—Excuse me... what?
Noelle took a step closer.
Noelle: —"You know who I mean. The women who greeted me when I arrived here."
Sam pointed behind him with his thumb.
—You mean when I got to the foot of the mountain?
Noelle: —"Yes... Is it because of them...? Is that why you don't want to be my friend?"
—Do you even know who they are?
Noelle: —"No. Why should I?"
Sam fell silent for a moment.
—...Oh. (What the hell...?! How can she not recognize a single goddess? That's unbelievable.)
Noelle lowered her gaze slightly.
Noelle: —"You know... I'm sorry."
—Now why are you apologizing?
She took a deep breath.
Noelle: —"Ever since that moment outside Atris... I've felt like you've built a wall between us... I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me if I hurt you. I honestly thought you weren't taking me seriously."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
His expression shifted.
Then he smiled tiredly.
—Don't apologize for speaking your mind.
Noelle looked up.
Noelle: —"But—"
—No "buts," Noelle.
She stood completely still.
Noelle: —"You're calling me by my name now?"
Sam let out a faint sigh.
—Well... I'd rather not have you make a scene in front of everyone.
Only then did she realize it.
She looked around.
Dozens of eyes were watching her.
Embarrassment hit her all at once.
She covered her face with both hands, her ears drooping completely.
Sam broke the silence.
—Hey. Come with me.
I've got something to show you.
Noelle didn't hesitate.
More than anything, she wanted to get away.
Noelle: —"Alright... let's go."
Sam grabbed her hand and began running toward the ship.
His grip was firm.
Practical.
Without the slightest hint of hesitation.
But when the warship descended and its ramp opened...
Noelle came to a complete stop.
Noelle: —"...What is this supposed to mean?"
—I'm heading back to Atris to meet up with everyone else.
She pressed her lips together.
Noelle: —"That's not what I meant. Why did you take my hand like that?"
—Oh. That?
Noelle: —"Yes... You just said we're only acquaintances... Then you casually grab my hand in front of everyone? You're confusing me."
—Hey. Don't romanticize everything I do. That's just how I am.
Noelle swallowed.
Noelle: —"So... I don't mean anything to you?"
—Correct. You looked like you wanted to disappear, so I just helped you get out of there.
She lowered her head.
Noelle: —"...Thank you."
—Don't mention it. Oh, right. I almost forgot to ask.
She looked back up.
Noelle: —"About what?"
—Do you want to come with me to Atris? The ship hummed softly behind them.
Noelle smiled.
Noelle: —"Of course. But I'll have to come back quickly. I'm the new leader of my clan now."
—Alright. I'll tell Artia to come pick you up later with another ship.
Noelle: —"Sounds good. Then I'll go with you."
As she walked toward the ship, her hand still warm from the brief contact...
Noelle felt her chest tighten so much that breathing normally became difficult.
It wasn't anger.
Nor was it pure sadness.
It was an uncomfortable feeling...
As though she'd expected something she'd never actually asked for.
"Don't romanticize everything I do."
The words echoed in her mind again...
And again.
They didn't hurt because they were cruel.
They hurt because they were honest.
She knew he wasn't lying.
There had been no mockery in his voice.
No desire to humiliate her.
Only a natural distance.
An invisible boundary he had never tried to cross.
Even so...
She glanced quietly at her own hand.
He had taken it without ceremony.
Without asking permission.
Yet...
Without rejecting her, either.
"I just wanted to help you get out of there."
That was what confused her the most.
He didn't see her as a woman he needed to impress.
He didn't see her as a leader.
He didn't even see her as someone special.
He simply saw someone who was about to fall apart in front of everyone...
And acted.
What kind of person are you, Raymond...?
For the first time since becoming the leader of her clan...
Noelle silently admitted something to herself.
She had no idea how to deal with someone who expected absolutely nothing from her.
---
As the warship began to ascend, the wind swept across the settlement once again.
The beastmen watched in complete silence.
No one shouted.
No one protested.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Nyon clenched his teeth.
He stared up at the sky, caught between frustration and suspicion.
Nyon: —"That human... He's not normal."
Another warrior snorted quietly.
—"I don't respect him."
—"You don't understand him. That's what's bothering you."
The voice belonged to one of the clan's elderly women, leaning calmly on her wooden staff.
Nyon turned toward her.
Nyon: —"So we're just supposed to accept the way he treated our leader?"
The old woman didn't answer immediately.
She watched the ship disappear beyond the clouds.
—"Our leader chose to board that ship... She wasn't forced. And she did it without fear."
Silence returned.
Some began wondering whether that human was a threat.
Others wondered if he was a dangerous blessing.
But every one of them agreed on one thing.
That man had disturbed Noelle's emotional balance...
And that made him someone who could no longer be ignored.
---
The interior of the ship was cold.
Clean.
Silent.
Far too orderly for someone accustomed to tribal life.
Noelle walked carefully through the corridors, lightly brushing the metallic walls with the tips of her fingers, almost as though she feared everything around her might suddenly disappear.
Sam walked ahead, checking control panels and issuing brief commands.
[Destination Locked: Atris City]
[Estimated Travel Time: 3 Hours]
Noelle slowly sat down in one of the seats.
Her tail twitched nervously despite her repeated attempts to keep it still.
Noelle: —"Raymond..."
He didn't turn around.
—Hm?
She hesitated.
Noelle: —"Are you always like this... with everyone?"
—Like what?
Noelle: —"Straightforward... Distant..."
She searched for the right word.
Noelle: —"...Honest to the point of making people uncomfortable."
Sam took a second before answering.
—Yep.
That was all.
Noelle let out a tiny laugh through her nose, barely audible.
Noelle: —"I suppose... then it isn't personal."
—It never is.
Silence.
The ship pierced through the clouds.
Noelle leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes for a moment.
"I don't know what I am to you...
...but at least, you didn't lie to me."
And for some reason...
That brought her a strange sense of peace."