We decided to head towards the next town, with our new companion.
We continued to walk in silence. After a while, we got a little tired, so we decided to take a lunch break. I bit into the hard bread I took out of my bag. I’ve gotten used to the food here, but I still miss the soft, fluffy white bread and sweet pastries from home.
To clear my head, I took a stroll through the nearby forest and discovered a horse-like animal on a slightly open hill. I hid gently in the shadow of a tree, unseen, and observed its appearance.
It had slender legs, white fur, a small head, and cute black eyes. Most notably, there was a long, single horn growing from its head. Could this be the famous mythical beast, the unicorn?
But upon closer observation, it didn’t seem like a horse. Its hooves were split in two, and its tail was as long as a donkey’s.
“That’s a fake unicorn,” a voice suddenly said from my side.
I almost jumped out of my skin when Karubene appeared beside me, and I instinctively covered my mouth.
“Hah, what’s with startling me? So, if it’s a fake, then that’s not a unicorn?”
“That’s right. That’s a Narwhal Goat. They also call it a Narwhal Deer. It’s hard to tell if it’s a goat or a deer. They might look cute, but they’re quite ferocious. People have died,” he said.
The word “died” extinguished my earlier curiosity, and a chill ran down my spine.
“They have strong territorial instincts. Sometimes, they’ll chase their opponent until they kill them. The females have shorter horns, so be especially careful when they have young. Their meat… apparently, it’s quite tasty,” he added.
“R-really? But I don’t really feel like eating it,” I stammered.
The ferocious male I saw in front of me must have been one of them. Then, a slightly smaller female Narwhal Goat appeared from between the trees. The two of them casually rubbed their shoulders against each other and ate some nearby grass, and after a while, they returned to the forest.
“They looked quite docile, though.”
“That’s the kind of guy who gets killed,” Karubene replied.
This world is very similar to the one I came from. But the people and animals that inhabit it are different. This feeling sometimes gives me the illusion that I’m living in a long dream.
After a short rest, we set off again, heading towards the town Veronica had mentioned.
