The chirping of little birds outside the window announced the arrival of morning. Mew narrowed her eyes against the soft sunlight filtering through the curtains and stretched across the fluffy bed. Right beside her lay Faf-chan.
"I can't eat another bite..."
Muttering happily in her sleep, Faf rolled over.
This was Big Brother Kai's room. Lately, Mew had been sleeping nestled between Faf-chan and Big Brother Kai every night. Being as busy as he was, though, her early-rising brother was already gone.
Rubbing her eyes, Mew sat up just as Big Sister Anna walked in and pulled the curtains open.
"Come on, Faf, Mew, head downstairs and wash your faces. Then let's have breakfast!"
Her voice was bright, gentle, and warm.
Big Sister Anna was always so kind to Mew and Faf-chan; Mew loved her dearly.
"Okaaay!"
"Faf-chan, let's go!"
Taking the hand of Faf, who was still rubbing her eyes and yawning, Mew led her outside toward the water station.
When she twisted the handle at the station, cold water came pouring out. Apparently, it didn't come from a well, but was piped in directly from a nearby river. Big Brother Kai had worn a mischievous smirk when mentioning that he planned to make running water available inside the houses eventually. Mew didn't really understand the technical side of it, but seeing how Big Sister Rose and Big Sister Felice had been rendered utterly speechless, she knew it had to be incredible.
When they headed back inside to the ground floor, everyone was already seated at the dining table.
"Master!"
Faf-chan, who had still been half-asleep just moments before, instantly lit up. She dashed over, threw her arms around Big Brother Kai as he sat on a kitchen chair, and buried her face straight into his stomach.
Faf-chan loved Big Brother Kai with all her heart and was almost always by his side. Whenever he was gone for too long, she grew terribly anxious. Mew longed to see her own father, mother, and older sisters every single day after being torn away from them, so she understood the feeling all too well. To Faf-chan, Big Brother Kai was clearly an irreplaceable, precious person, just like Mew's family was to her.
Just as Mew took a seat next to Faf-chan, Big Sister Nine-Tails—a fox beastfolk wearing an apron—and Big Sister Anna emerged from the kitchen carrying plates in both hands.
"All served and ready, yes indeed!"
"Breakfast is served."
As the two placed the dishes on the table,
"Whoa! Hey, hey, Master, it's Hamburg steak! My absolute favorite!"
Fen-chan, the wolf pup perched neatly on Big Brother Kai's lap, wagged his tail furiously, eyes shining with excitement.
"Yeah. You really love your meat, don't you, Fen?"
"Yup! I loooove meat!!"
Seeing him raise a tiny paw pad to make his point brought an involuntary smile to Mew's face. Fen-chan was unfairly adorable.
Once Big Sister Nine-Tails and Big Sister Anna took their seats after finishing the food, Big Sister Rose and Big Sister Anna clasped their hands to offer a prayer of gratitude to the gods. Mew dutifully followed suit.
Of course, Big Brother Kai simply stroked Fen-chan on his lap, while Faf-chan kicked her feet, utterly transfixed by the food before her. Big Sister Nine-Tails was busily piling food onto Big Brother Kai's plate. Big Brother Zack let out a massive yawn as he stretched, and Big Sister Asta didn't even look up from her book. Everyone truly marched to the beat of their own drum.
"Let us eat, then."
With the prayer finished and Big Sister Rose giving the word, everyone dug in all at once.
Once breakfast was over, the morning was set aside for studying and training.
Their studies were overseen by the knowledgeable Big Sister Asta. She always acted like it was a dreadful chore, but she taught them with immense care.
After study time came training.
Mew had begged Big Brother Kai to let her train. She never wanted to live a life where all she could do was run away ever again. Next time, she wanted to be strong enough to protect her family. That was her new resolve.
As usual, Big Brother Kai gave her personal instruction in non-elemental reinforcement magic. According to him, Mew had an extraordinary natural aptitude for it.
Traditionally, beastfolk were considered a race with poor magical aptitude compared to the human race and elves. However, Big Brother Kai assured her that this was only true for elemental magic; when it came to non-elemental magic, beastfolk actually possessed far greater aptitude.
Because of their perceived lack of magical talent, all beastfolk carried a deep-seated inferiority complex. So when Big Brother told her she had a real gift for reinforcement magic, it filled Mew with a warm, ticklish sense of pride.
After magic practice came combat training.
"No good! You aren't putting your weight behind it at all!"
A booming reprimand flew from Master Nemea.
"Yes, sir!"
Mew thrust her right fist forward with everything she had. From that single strike, a tempestuous shockwave erupted, gouging a massive crater into the earth.
Naturally, Mew had never possessed that kind of strength on her own. It was all thanks to her best friend, Faf-chan. According to Big Brother Kai's analysis, Faf-chan had unconsciously bestowed a "divine protection" upon her. Big Brother Kai had seemed genuinely astonished by the change, noting that it was entirely different from the divine protections ordinary people received.
Regardless of how it worked, a full-power punch from Mew was now enough to reshape the landscape. Because of that, her training took place inside No-chan's special space—her Territory. Time flowed far slower there, allowing her to get in plenty of training.
After being worked to the bone by Master Nemea, Mew finally returned home to New City Ket Gwy.
This village was home to Big Sister Felice's family, and it was a peculiar place in more ways than one.
There were magnificent, intricate buildings the likes of which Mew had never seen, lined with paved stone walkways. There were even fountains and public parks. The ones building it all were the folk in green robes and pointed hats, led by Alice-chan. Alice-chan and her crew seemed in high spirits around the clock, wielding magic as naturally as their own limbs to reshape the village. Yet just beyond its borders lay deep, uninhabited mountains. The contrast between this bustling, city-like village and the surrounding wilderness was so jarring it felt almost surreal.
And that wasn't the only strange thing...
"Instructor, all construction phases for the day are complete, sir!"
Several men and women stood at rigid attention, saluting with their right hands to their brows as they reported to the long-nosed man—Uncle Girimehkala.
"Outstanding work! That concludes today's operations. Dismissed! Make sure you get plenty of rest!"
Uncle Girimehkala nodded in satisfaction and bellowed his orders. The villagers offered one last salute before dispersing to their respective homes.
The people of this village were always like this—crisp in their movements and boisterous in their speech. But above all else, their entire demeanor shifted the moment Big Brother Kai was involved.
They would join Uncle Girimehkala and the others to offer prayers outside Big Brother Kai's house practically every single day. To the villagers, Big Brother Kai was essentially a living god. He seemed to thoroughly dislike it and had told them to stop, but after realizing they simply wouldn't listen, he had mostly given up and left them to it.
Even with their eccentricities, they were fundamentally kind people. Whenever they crossed paths on the street, they would offer Mew fresh fruit or gently pat her head with a smile. Mew couldn't help but love them too.
Looking across the village's main street toward Big Brother Kai's house, Mew spotted Faf-chan running over, with Fen-chan perched happily atop her head.
"Mew, let's go play!"
"Let's go, let's go!"
As Faf-chan called out, Fen-chan raised a tiny paw.
Lately, heading out to explore the surrounding forest had become a daily routine for the two girls and one pup, and they had promised to set out as soon as training wrapped up.
"Yeah! Let's go!"
Mew dashed over to meet them.
After playing to their hearts' content, they returned to find the village buzzing with excitement.
"What is happening?"
When Faf-chan asked a passing village woman,
"Ah, Lady Faf! It seems Lord Shuten-doji has brewed a new batch of liquor, so we are holding a banquet."
She answered with a warm smile.
"A banquet! Yay, a banquet!"
Faf-chan twirled around with joy.
"I wonder if they'll have meat! Hamburg steak is my absolute favorite!"
Fen-chan bounced up and down on Faf-chan's head.
Mew couldn't help but smile at the sight. And yet...
(It would be so much more fun if Father and the others were here too...)
A sudden, overwhelming ache of longing for her family welled up inside her chest.
Even so, Mew wasn't afraid. After all, Big Brother Kai had promised to help her search for them. That was why she was determined to work as hard as she could, so that when the day came to reunite, she could stand tall and proud before them. And if her family was ever in trouble, she would be strong enough to save them with her own two hands.
"Let's go!"
Brushing aside her loneliness, Mew took Faf-chan's hand and sprinted toward the festivities.