We reached the sheep farm, located on the outskirts of the city. It was a wool cutting season, where all the sheep females would get their fur cut, then washed, dried, and spun into yarn. Then they would be ready to sell in the market.
Michael entered without asking for permission, jumping over the fence. His body was heavy, leaving a dent in the ground.
The sheep females fled in panic, recognizing a predator.
Just like how Michael found eating beastmen normal, I found it normal that the females were being eaten by both predator females and males. That's just how things worked around here.
Michael followed the fleeing sheep, stepping inside the wooden shed where they were hiding.
The sheep females' hair was all pristine white, their fluffy tails curled up, and their wool looked so soft to the touch, making one want to hug one of them and pat their fluffy head.
It made me a bit nervous, thinking Michael would want to exchange me for a different type of female, too. But when I looked up, his gaze remained emotionless, not showing a hint of desire, nor any other emotions.
The commotion summoned the ram in charge. He approached Michael, his horns large and curled. He had a big scar on his cheek and a patch on his left eye.
Scars were deemed very attractive in the beastmen community, as they were seen as a sign of survival and strength.
"How many of these do you want?" the ram asked, gesturing to the females in the back, who were shaking with fear and trying to hide behind each other. "They cost five gems per head, uncut. I will give you a discount if you buy more than ten."
He seemed nervous, but was able to hold a conversation with Michael.
Michael covered my nose and mouth, releasing his poison mist around the barn, and the females began to cough and fall over. Their bodies hit the ground with a loud thud, one after the other.
Michael didn't use his eyes to sense which female was the most resilient and the weakest. He could tell by their breathing, the little ripples in the air they were creating, the vibrations of their bodies. The sound of their muscles tensing and relaxing. The blood pumping through their veins and the air passing through their lungs.
He had trained many females in the past, so his actions seemed automatic, like he was going through the motions.
He walked over a certain fallen female, picked her up, and tossed her over his shoulder.
He placed a gem on a pile of bodies, then left, not even looking back. The unconscious female sheep bounced on his shoulder.
I don't know when he had the time to deal with the ram, but the ram was also on the floor, dragged by Michael's tail.
I didn't know the family's entertainer had such a terrifying side to him. Baron's words about his numbness to emotions and violence made more sense now.
He didn't care. He really didn't care at all.
He only behaved like he did because it would bring trouble to the family if he didn't. It was for convenience, not morality.
"..."
"..."
The odd gazes must have been nothing new to Michael, either, because he didn't pay attention to the pedestrians who ran away screaming for others to watch out.
Herbivorous beastmen usually form communities. They only fought during breeding season, but the rest of the year was mostly peaceful and quiet. They didn't go out of their way to attack predators, but when one stepped into their territory, they would group up and kill whoever it was to protect their territory.
The same should have happened to Michael. He should have gotten attacked. However, nobody came to help the ram or his females. Nobody wanted to come close to Michael.
We met up with Moyu on the way, who had two rams and three sheep females following behind him.
Moyu used to work as a soldier whose role was to rescue kidnapped women from beastmen like Michael and return them to their herd.
He wasn't the warmest person, but he was reliable and trustworthy. There was always a but, though. A but that made him unpopular as a potential mate in his homeland.
Eagle beastmen were bad at taking care of the females, viewing duty and honor as more important than mating.
The contrast in their dealings was stark. Nobody seemed to be scared of Moyu, and followed him willingly.
It was a funny sight to see Moyu and Michael walk side by side. I would have enjoyed it if I were let free to walk by their side and not strapped under Michael's armpits, with my head bumping against his hip bone on every step.
We traveled back without any big issues.
"What did you do to her?" Baron said, quickly snatching me away from under Michael's armpits, "Why is her forehead red?"
"She has a mouth, she should have said something..." Michael only then realized what he did and looked at me, "..."
I blinked at him. My mouth was numb from the poisonous gas his tail had released on me. My limbs were also numb. I couldn't have talked even if I wanted.
"..."
"..."
Michael coughed awkwardly and tried to escape, but Baron stopped him, catching his tail. Moyu already fled when he saw Baron's aura change, leading the sheep and rams away from the danger zone.
"You know I would never hurt her intentionally," Michael tried to defend himself.
"I'm watching you," Baron warned as Michael ran after Moyu. His behaviour changed completely, acting like a mischievous cub instead of the cold and heartless predator.
"I shouldn't have let him take you with him. It's my fault," Baron admitted, licking the sore spot on my forehead before carrying me to the tent.
"Dearest never tried to correct their behavior, so they are still rough around the edges, not knowing how to deal with someone as delicate and sensitive as you are," he added.
I think Baron was mistaking me with the females of his world, who would have definitely gotten scared, offended, or even rejected them.
I didn't care how Moyu and Michael acted; my only worry was the threat the female sheep they had just brought in posed.
We sheep were all the same in the end; some were just born prettier than the others.
We all had the same personalities, the same likes and dislikes. The owners would eventually realize that I wasn't special at all, just as replaceable as any other sheep female.
I was just the first, and the first ones were never the best ones. The first was the most convenient, but not the most suitable, just a temporary fill for the empty spot.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
The struggle of not being an official harem member, ah. You are not being chased by the potential love interests, but by the fear of being left behind. 😔 I would feel insecure too, honestly.
Anyone interested in Black Sheep's past? It seems like she had been replaced by someone before, doesn't it?
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