Chapter 80: A Trip to the Sea
"I am. I’m getting old too, you know. Sure, when it comes to Qiong Xing, there are times I can’t hold back, but more than anything, I’m happy just being able to be with Qiong Xing. So, well, once in a while is fine, just give Qiong Xing to me. During that time, I’ll leave things to you guys."
"...Got it."
"...Yeah."
Perhaps they hadn’t expected him to go this far, because Leander and the others looked apologetic.
"By the way, how old are you, Joa?"
"Huh? Forty nine."
Almost fifty years old, and he still had that libido!
Were beastmen active until the day they died?
Unaware that Qiong Xing was forming such a terrifying hypothesis, Leander and the others continued the conversation.
"Elias’s heat cycle is coming up soon, right? I’ll take care of Cari, but will Leander be okay?"
"I won’t be okay... but I’ll endure it. Once Elias’s done, it’ll be my turn next."
I’m not going to die... right?
The sense of despair was overwhelming, knowing that once Elias’s heat ended, Leander’s heat would be waiting next.
"I last a long time. I’ll hold back as much as I can, but be prepared for Qiong Xing to not be able to move."
How?
I’ve never prepared myself for that.
I already can’t move after we do it every time, but even more than that?
At that point, wouldn’t that just be a corpse?
"Yeah. Well, that’s why we should go look for fish."
Joa said that, but the momentum from earlier was nowhere to be found and even going to the sea felt like the beginning of despair.
"Qiong Xing? What’s wrong? You wanted to go, right?"
Elias spoke gently to him, but it sounded almost like a devil’s whisper.
"...I want to go."
It couldn’t be helped that his words came out haltingly.
"Yeah. Let’s take Cari with us and all go together."
It seemed far from town, but from this secluded mountain area, it apparently wasn’t all that far away.
That said, the distance was still considerable, so there was no choice but to rely on the leg strength of the beastmen there.
"Then it’ll be early tomorrow morning. Get your preparations done starting now."
With that, they dispersed, and Qiong Xing headed toward the dining hall in a daze.
"Mama!"
Perhaps he had been waiting for him, Cari came running over the moment he spotted Qiong Xing.
Qiong Xing then catch him and hugged him tightly.
At this point, Cari alone had become Qiong Xing’s source of comfort.
"...I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. It looks like the dinner preparations are already done, so shall we just make the juice we promised?"
"Make it!"
Since a large amount was needed, Qiong Xing filled a wooden pitcher to the brim with water and added the syrup he had made that morning.
He left the mixing to Cari who happily stirred it with something like long chopsticks.
"Is it done?"
"Yes, it’s finished."
While carrying the completed drink to the dining hall, he poured it into everyone’s cups.
Since there were many cups, he had Fei take over partway through and when it was handed out to Joa and the others as well, they drank it down with hearty gulps and saying it was good.
"Cari helped out, after all. It’s very delicious."
When Qiong Xing thanked him and patted his head, Cari said he wanted to make it again, so Qiong Xing decided to ask for his help next time as well.
...
At last, the long awaited sea!
Qiong Xing and the others had set out early in the morning, borrowing Joa and the others’ strength or rather, that was a lie, because it was really only Joa and the others who were putting in the effort.
Compared to Leander and the other beastmen, Qiong Xing and Cari lacked both stamina and leg strength, so they spent most of the journey being carried while running.
It felt bad, but if they arrived only to be too exhausted to search, that would defeat the whole purpose, so Qiong Xing stayed as quiet and unobtrusive as possible.
However, whether they understood Qiong Xing’s feelings or not, Leander and the others were arguing over who would get to carry Qiong Xing while running.
For them, running while carrying Qiong Xing or running alone made no difference at all.
And so, after running for several hours with Qiong Xing and Cari in their arms, Leander and the others finally arrived at the sea.
"Amazing!"
"It feels so nice."
White sand beaches and a blue ocean, it was a soothing sight just to look at.
Unlike when he had lived in his previous life, it seemed that not many people visited this place, as it remained clean and untouched, without being spoiled by trash.
The weather was good too.
If they could swim, it would have been the perfect day.
Yes, if swimming were possible.
Qiong Xing couldn’t imagine himself being able to swim, when in his previous life he had been completely unable to.
"Oh, we didn’t bring fishing rods."
Having come all this way only to realize they didn’t have any tools for fishing was quite the blunder.
However, Leander who at some point had fashioned something like a spear from a fallen tree branch.
He then dove into the sea and began swimming while stabbing at fish as he went.
Leander was the type whose body moved before his mind did.
"That guy... I can’t tell if he’s amazing or just an idiot."
At Joa’s muttered remark, Elias and Qiong Xing both nodded silently.
"Cari, shall we gather some shellfish in the shallows together?"
"Yeah."
Leaving the fish and kelp to Leander and the others, Qiong Xing decided to collect clams with Cari.
Joa told him not to dive and when Qiong Xing honestly admitted that he couldn’t swim, he was met with an exasperated look and a "Then why did you even come?"
Qiong Xing couldn’t argue back.
He really hadn’t thought it through.