Because of the limitations of memory reading, Ash never managed to fully understand humanity in this world.
After meeting Paul, he had unconsciously developed some prejudice against these unfamiliar humans and wasn't particularly eager to interact with them.
So he planned a simple route for his journey.
Bandits were everywhere during this era.
Whenever he encountered them, he robbed them instead, solving both his money and supply problems.
After that, he headed toward the place said to house humanity's strongest swordsman.
The western edge of the northern continent, the Holy Land of the Sword, headquarters of the Sword God Style.
His destination was naturally... the Sword God.
After all, in such an enormous world, he had no idea where the other powerful individuals were.
There did seem to be someone incredibly strong hiding inside a floating fortress in the sky.
But his goal was to learn.
Going there directly would obviously lead to conflict.
Having only recently separated from the system and still not in perfect condition, he didn't want to start unnecessary battles while he knew so little about the situation.
Finding humanity's strongest and sparring peacefully sounded much better.
At first, as he traveled through this new world, Ash was filled with curiosity and excitement while admiring the mountains and rivers along the way.
The crystal-clear streams.
The flowers and grass swaying in the breeze.
The majestic and graceful mountains.
The unfamiliar monsters.
Everything about this world fascinated him.
But as time passed, the unchanging scenery gradually grew tiresome.
No matter how beautiful the view was, seeing it every day eventually made it ordinary.
So Ash continued studying magic while absentmindedly sitting inside the carriage he had purchased, using mental magic to control the horse pulling it and letting it travel toward its destination automatically.
The carriage had no curtains, leaving the scenery outside completely unobstructed.
As he casually glanced outside to pass the time, something unexpectedly caught his eye.
Not far away, a figure was staggering along.
A pair of furry beast ears stood atop her head, twitching adorably with each step.
The woman wore an eyepatch.
Her features were well-defined.
She had a feline tail, gray hair, and chocolate-colored skin.
She wore an extremely revealing leather outfit that fully showed off a figure rivaling Sophia's, with only two objects resembling face masks covering the important parts.
She looked like a walking nsfw illustration.
Combined with her powerful muscles and countless scars, she looked exactly like a fantasy female warrior.
A beastgirl.
"This is my first time seeing a beastfolk... Though somehow she looks familiar."
He didn't really want to dig through the memories he had copied.
Still, from the brief glimpse he had taken before, the beastgirl somehow seemed familiar.
Unable to figure it out and unwilling to think about it further, curiosity led him to step down from the carriage and quietly observe her.
But after getting a little closer... he witnessed a scene that he would never forget for the rest of his life.
A scene that forever destroyed any desire he had to pet beastgirls.
The beastgirl, who had looked so attractive moments earlier, spotted a pile of monster dung by the roadside.
Like a starving tiger pouncing on prey, she threw herself at it.
"Nom!"
Without the slightest hesitation, she bit into it.
Watching her chew made Ash's eyebrows knit together.
"That's disgusting! Is this what beastfolk are like? They say dogs can't stop eating crap. So beastfolk like eating crap too? I mean... it makes sense, but doesn't this completely ruin the fantasy?"
Ash felt his stomach churn violently.
He almost threw up everything he had eaten.
Covering his mouth, he instinctively backed away with a look of utter disgust.
Even so, his eyes remained fixed on the beastgirl.
He was both shocked and resentful.
After all, she had mercilessly shattered one of his dreams.
He felt he had every right to be angry.
The beastgirl seemed to notice someone watching her and instinctively looked up.
At first, upon seeing a "human," her eyes lit up with delight, and she subconsciously started toward him.
But after only two steps, she suddenly stopped.
Every hair on her body stood on end.
Her ears shot up.
Her muscles instinctively tensed.
In an instant, she entered a state of extreme alertness.
The faint trace of hostility and displeasure that Ash had unintentionally revealed was immediately picked up by the beastgirl's sharp instincts.
Her intuition screamed at her.
The person before her... was more dangerous than anyone she had ever met.
'That killing intent... Just how many people has this guy killed? And that presence... Who is he?'
Driven by pure instinct, Sword King Ghislaine gripped the hilt of her sword, unconsciously baring her teeth as she glared at Ash.
She had only ever felt this level of danger from her master, the Sword God.
In fact, this might even surpass it.
Perhaps only her master in his young manful prime could fight this man.
"Who... are you? What... do you want?"
Ghislaine's voice trembled uncontrollably.
The color drained from her brown skin.
Large beads of sweat poured from every part of her body.
Even the hand gripping her sword shook slightly from fear and tension.
Yet her gaze never left Ash for even a moment.
Not because she didn't want to.
Because she was too terrified to look away.
It felt as though the instant she did, she would be cut down.
Compared to Ghislaine's tense vigilance, Ash simply looked helpless.
Standing where he was, he repeatedly waved both hands in small motions with a wry smile.
"Why are you so nervous? Sure, I'm a little unhappy, but I'm not going to attack you. And I'm definitely not going to fight you over that pile of crap... You can enjoy it all by yourself."
Honestly, looking at Ghislaine, who resembled a wild beast protecting its food, her tail standing straight up and all her fur puffed up, he couldn't understand what there was to fight over.
"Really? That's... good..."
Ghislaine was so tense that she hadn't even heard the second half of what he said.
Just hearing the first half made her instinctively breathe a sigh of relief.
Because she was still so nervous, she unconsciously licked her dry lips.
Seeing that made the corner of Ash's mouth twitch.
His stomach began churning again.
'Why do beastgirls eat crap? I don't want to know something this horrifying! It fits their beastly instincts, but not my fantasy! I wanted so badly to pet cute beastgirls! After seeing this, how am I supposed to touch one anymore? I want to go home! I already hate this awful world!'
Filled with resentment, he felt as though this world had betrayed his dreams.
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