Quest of Automata King

Monster

There are an existence that have existed eversince the history written for the first time. They live among other creatures that we have known so far with one exception: their inability to use logic, and instead, relying on their instinct, like how ordinary animals are.

People of this land generalizing them as one type: monsters. Beasts with size that are much bigger than ordinary man, mainly carnivores, and have mysterious breeding capabilities. The history of other races versus these monsters have written for hundreds year ago, through manuscripts and scrolls.

But even so, the same monsters keep appearing even in modern time like this. Therefore, the awareness of knowing which monsters are dangerous is crucial, especially if you are a travelling merchant, or a soldier that have been tasked to another region.

Same thing also applied to Mui, who used to live in a small village. Since Mui’s village did not have landlord who would invest in security, the villagers have to work together and make sure that there are no monster or beasts that are stalking their village in the night.

Therefore, when Mui also seeing the picture of white tiger that Betty showed, his attention bouncing up, like a hair that touching cold water.

“Wait, don’t tell me... That we’re going to hunt Byakko? Really?” asked Raul. He rub sweat from the face that showing uneasy expression.  

“Um, actually, no,” said Emmellia suddenly, she glanced at Betty with a smile. Her friend rolled her eyes, as if dissapointed that she lost the way to make fun of people in front of her.

“We did need a feline eyes to make a higher grade Caitsih, but those aren’t mean we have to hunt them ourselves. I have an acquaintance who opened one of their shop at the city, let’s hope that they have some of them in stock,” explain Emmellia.

“Oh? Is that so?” Raul leaning back to his chair, he let out a sigh as if heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulder. “Very well then. We go to the city, buy our ingredients and get back to the campus. Simple isn’t it?” He continued.

Betty glancing at Raul, a smirk appeared on her face, knowing that she have found new object to make fun of.

“But i wonder if they have enough ingredient for everyone, i mean Miss Chiro wanted for each member to make one potion right?”

“Huh? Is that true?” Raul’s calm moment crumbled down as he heard that. He look toward the boys, demanding the validty of the information. Both Mui and Karas either shake their head or lift their shoulder to reponse him.

Betty silenty laughed before her master elbowing her from the side. The silent giggle immediately turned into ‘ouch’ and betty rubbing off her body while Emmellia giving her distasteful face.

“Calm down, Betty are just messing with you,” said Emmellia. Raul let down his guard and after princess reassuring him, he frown his head. Betty finally burst to laughter, and followed by Mui and Karas.

“Hey stop it! There is nothing funny here!” said Raul, and slowly the three of them stopped.

“I’m sorry dude, it’s just funny they your demeanor suddenly change when we talking about monster,” said Karas.

“It’s natural! Beside, take look at this! Their size are much bigger than other tigers! Aren’t you all afraid?” shout Raul as he pushing the book page to his roommates.

“I know, i know, but calm down. Jeez!” said Karas, he takes the book, and reading the Byakko entry carefully.

“Uhm... Also known as ‘Gatekeeper of the West’, Byakko usually appear around the borders between Human and Elf kingdom, their usual habitat are high grounds that are still covered with lush forest,” both Mui, Raul, Emmellia, and Betty then starting to pay attention for the explanation that the Beastmen is giving.

“Their usual abilities are consist of enhanced physical compared to ordinary animals, some Byakkos with natural mana talent have the abilites to strike the enemies using thunder,” continue Karas.

“Adult Byakko around ten years old are noticed by the size of their body and the appearence of their stripe. These monsters have top-grade materials, either from their fur, bone, and some of their organs, making them one of the most high-value targets for adventurers... Oh, here it comes the most important part,” said Karas. He flipped the page.

“Warning note when fighting Byakkos: avoid the female at all cost. Among it’s pack, the females have body twice size than the male, and they have greater appetite. Although the female are only come out of their lair when they are in heat, it is not impossible for an unlucky hunter to meet their doom at the claw of the mother Byakko,” read Karas.

“Eeeek!!!” suddenly loud squeal can be heard among them. Mui, Karas Emmellia, and Betty looking at each other. The boys are thinking that sound coming from the girls, while the girls thought the other way around.

That is until they notice that the person sitting beside Karas is missing.

“Wait, where is Raul?” asked Mui, he checked under the table and notice that the elf is cowering under the table, his face is facing the floor, and both of his ears are closed by the palm of Raul’s hand.

“What are you doing there?” asked Mui.

“Don’t continue, don’t continue, don’t continue...” ignoring Mui’s question, Raul keep repeating those words as if it is some kind of mantra to chase a ghost away.

“Hey, we’re not in the middle of scary story here, it is just a guide field book, see?” Raul looked down and showing the picture to Raul.

Unexpectedly, he scream even louder. “Get that away from me!” He said, and punched the book from his face until it fell to the floor. Karas quickly took it back, and exchange face with Mui who look as clueless as he is.

“...Um, maybe Raul have his own reason to dislike the monster. I think it is not a good ide to push him any longer about this matter,” said Emmellia. She looked at Mui and Karas awkwardly as they continue their discussion. All of it while waiting for Raul to get up from his fearfull state.

“I have talked to Miss Chiro, and Class F are allowed to go to the city this weekend. If all of you are agree, I will submit to the administration tomorrow afternoon,” said Emmellia. Mui, and Karas saying that they have no problem with that, and because Raul didn’t get up from under the table, his roommates saying that the elf don’t have any problem with that plan either.

“Have you finished yet?”

Suddenly, in the middle of conversation, a coarse voice cutting in. Out of nowhere, the old-librarian teacher is already beside the table, looking at the five of them from her thick round glasses.

“You have stayed here for almost two hours, even more, your friend under there doesn’t look like that he respect the rules of the library,” she said.

“P-pardon us, Ma’am,” said Emmellia, she told her friends to quickly gather their belongings, since their time in the library is already up.

Mui and Karas quickly pull Raul up the table where they met with the question.

“Hey, what happened?” asked Raul, thinking that they are going to tease him some more.

“Shut up, i***t! Because your scream, the librarian is angry at us!” said Karas. Both him and Mui dragging Raul on his shoulder, and walking to the entrance of the library, followed by Betty and Emmellia.

The big library door closed with big thump sound, and from the outside, they can hear it is being locked. Mui looked at each of their friend, as if they just escape a dungeon full of monsters.

“Uh... See you at the weekend?” asked Mui to Emmellia, and she answered with a smile.

***

After the meting, Mui, Karas, and Raul returned to their room. Robert haven’t gotten home yet, so they think that he might still have assignment to finish this night. After the last to taking a bath, Mui crawling to his place to sleep, and lying on his back.

Under his bed, Raul and Karas are still bickering about the incident from the library. Raul is totally against the idea of talking about monster ever again, while Karas feel that his reaction are too exaggerated.

“Would you calm down already? Those are just picture, they can’t hurt you!” said Karas, leaning to his bed with a slight not-caring manner.

“Yea, but the real thing, can! You have never felt to be attacked by monster isn’t it!?” shout Raul before sitting at the side of his bed, his expression clearly shown anger that Mui never saw previously.

Usually Raul showed some kind of bored and smug face. He is the type that will never take the initiative, or contributing for the sake of other people. Therefore, it’s a little bit surprising that he could show that sort of afraid expression.

“Wait what? You have been chased away by monsters previously Raul?” asked Mui from the top of his bed. Raul only glare at him with face full of rage.

“Tsch, whatever! I already said it, I’ll never join you guys if our task have something to do with monsters! I better be expelled than have to put my life on the front line!” said Raul again before covering himself with sheet, closing their conversation.

From the upper side of the bed, Mui looking at Raul’s bed, and then he glancing to Karas under him.

“Are monsters really that scary?” asked Mui to him.

Karas let out a sigh for a moment, he get up and take sitting position at one of the bed feet.

“Of course. They are beasts you know? One wrong step, and you will be eaten. To be honest, I can’t blame Raul too, if he have bad experience with those creatures, it must have haunting him for years now,” Karas trying to speak silently, to not spark another bickering between them.

Now, he turn to Mui above him. “What about you? Aren’t you afraid that you will face the thing that could and will eat you?” asked him.

Mui lift his shoulder. “I don’t know... Since I was a kid, my foster mother always tell me about monsters that lurking in the wild to keep us not playing too far from the orphanage. When I was thirteen years old, sometimes, I also help the villagers looking for the sign of monsters around the vicinity, but nothing ever happened throughout the year. If anything... Maybe i was excited to see what those creatures are,” said Mui.

At first Karas looking at him with a confused face, and then a breath escape his nose, followed with a giggle.

“You are a strange one, you know that?” said Karas.