“Now, everyone~ Today is the day we talk about what you want to be when you grow up. Each of you will come up to the front and tell your friends what kind of work you want to do. Now, who wants to go first?”

As soon as the teacher finished speaking, a boy shot his hand up.

“Me! Me!”

“Oh my, Jack is the first to raise his hand? Great. Shall we start with Jack then?”

“Yes!”

Jack stood up abruptly, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

He then carefully picked up a piece of old parchment he had kept neatly on his desk and strode toward the front of the classroom.

Standing before the other children, Jack took a deep breath, looking a bit nervous.

“My dream for the future is to be a beastman breeder!”

The eyes of all the children in the classroom focused on Jack at once.

“Beastmen, you see, they are very scared of people. Whenever they meet a person in the forest, they growl and run away.”

Jack unfurled the parchment he was holding.

It was a crooked drawing, looking as if it were made with rough charcoal and colored chalk.

A person waving with a bright smile.

And next to them was a large iron cage.

Inside the cage, a beastman resembling a wolf was smiling broadly while holding onto the bars with both hands.

“Ta-da! I drew this myself!”

The children peered at the drawing with curiosity.

“So, when I become a beastman breeder....”

Jack smiled brightly while clutching the parchment dearly.

“I want to bring the beastmen living in the forest and show them that people aren't scary!”

“Then, later on, the beastmen won't run away when they see people, and we can live together smiling like this!”

When Jack's presentation ended, a warm smile spread across the teacher's face.

“Wow~ Jack. That's a truly wonderful dream.”

The teacher nodded slowly, looking at the beastman in Jack's drawing.

“You want to be the first to approach the scared beastmen and let them know that people aren't dangerous?”

“Yes!”

“Right. I think if there are more people who cherish beastmen like Jack does, one day even wild beastmen will be able to live together with us without fear.”

The teacher smiled brightly and clapped.

“I'll be looking forward to seeing Jack grow up to be a great beastman breeder~ Now, everyone, a round of applause for Jack!”

Clap, clap, clap, clap—

The children all clapped at once.

Jack hugged the parchment to his chest with a proud face amidst the pouring applause. ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

---

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ “Ta-da~ Look at this! This is the tiger beastman I begged my mom to buy for me.”

The child pointed proudly at the tiger beastman standing behind him.

The other children let out exclamations of awe all at once.

Their eyes sparkled with curiosity as they crowded around the tiger beastman, something they had never seen before.

“Whoa, is it a real tiger? Then does it hunt by itself when it grows up?”

“Awesome~ I want a tiger beastman too!”

The small-statured tiger beastman hunched his shoulders, seemingly terrified by the gathering gazes.

With his trembling hands gently clasped to his chest, he cautiously looked up at the children.

The brown-haired child shrugged his shoulders as if enjoying the envious looks from his friends.

“Of course~ It's a tiger. Why even ask?”

The child added with a casual laugh.

“If it were a fellow who couldn't even do that, I would have returned it long ago~”ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

---

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

A beastman village located deep within a certain forest.

“P-please spare me... please... ugh....”

A man who appeared to be a poacher looked down at a terrified young beastman.

A slow smile spread across the man's lips.

“My little young master, when did I say I was going to kill you?”

He spoke while lowering his body as if to soothe the child.

“I'm saying I'll protect you safely. The forest is dangerous, isn't it? So let's go to the human village with me. Okay?”

The small beastman sitting on the ground shook his head desperately with tears in his eyes.

“No... I just... I just want to live here.... Please....”

In an instant, the smile vanished from the man's face.

“Tsk.”

He grabbed the young beastman's arm as if there were no further need for persuasion.

“Seeing how you can't understand words, I guess this is a trait of your kind. Filthy beasts.”

“Ah, it hurts..! Let go..! Let me go..!”

The young beastman twisted his body desperately, trying to escape the man's grip. However, it was no use resisting with such a small body.

Eventually, the child began to be dragged out of the forest, held firmly in the man's hand.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

---

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ “Ah, wait a moment! Sir. Is it possible to have an interview now?”

“...Who are you? No, more importantly... are you even human?”

He was a strange man.

His head was angular like a square plank, and on top of it was a ridiculous face, like a puppy drawn by a young child. Yet, the smile on his lips was strangely vivid.

“Ahaha, that's not very important right now.”

The man waved his hand nonchalantly.

“What do you think about the reality of beastmen being discriminated against?”

“...Discrimination?”

The man wore a look of confusion.

“I'm not sure what you're talking about.”

“Then let me rephrase the question.”

The suspicious man held up one finger.

“Beastmen can converse with humans, express emotions, and think and judge for themselves. Yet, they are treated no differently than beasts like dogs or foxes. Don't you think that's unreasonable?”

“...Huh?”

A look of absurdity appeared on the other's face.

“Beastmen are animals. Intelligent life forms? What on earth are you talking about?”

He raised his voice as if he were the one being wronged.

“And unreasonable? We provide beastmen with places to eat and sleep, and we protect them so they aren't in danger.”

“Aha.”

The suspicious man nodded.

“So you think buying and selling living beings that can think and speak for themselves, and raising them like pets, is 'protection'?”

“....”

The other's brow furrowed.

'Good grief. Where did he come from, spouting such unheard-of nonsense?'

“Listen.”

He let out a sigh.

“If you're going to keep wasting my time with that talk about intelligence or whatever, just move out of the way.”

“No, no. Wait a moment.”

The suspicious man quickly blocked his path.

“You haven't answered my question yet. Don't try to brush it off.”

“....”

A moment of silence passed.

Finally, the other clicked his tongue in annoyance and spoke.

“Do I have to explain every little thing for you to understand?”

“Yes?”

“The reason is simple.”

He chuckled.

“Beastmen are intelligent beings? Fine. Let's say they are.”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“So, what does that change?”

“...What?”

“Do you think our society operates like something out of a morality textbook?”

The man's smile gradually faded.

“Wait. So what you're saying is...”

“They can speak. They can think. They feel emotions.”

The other interrupted him.

“So?”

“....”

“Are those things reasons why we should treat beastmen as equals to humans?”

He looked as if he truly couldn't understand.

“We feed them, house them, and keep them safe from danger. Isn't that enough?”

“But the will of the beastmen..?”

“The will of the beastmen?”

He burst into a hollow laugh.

“You say such strange things.”

Then he continued casually.

“Why on earth should we guarantee beastmen the same rights as humans in the first place?”

---

◇ Worldview Explanation ◇ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

♤ Belladia Region ♤

The setting of the story, a land where different lives flow

A cold and barren region located on the northern outskirts of the kingdom.

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○ Territories ○

ㅤㅤ

Milo's Farm

A place where warm heat is felt

Milo's residence located deep in the forest. It features well-maintained farmland and a shabby wooden house. TIP) If food is scarce, you can get crops harvested by Milo in the autumn at the farm.

ㅤ

Kren and Your Tent

A shabby but precious home

Your home located in the forest. It's just a shabby tent and a campfire, but you can feel each other's warmth.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Northern Snowy Mountains

A cold and barren mountain range where life is rarely seen and coniferous forests occupy most of the area.

ㅤ

Rosenberg Family Mansion

The power center of the Belladia Region

The massive mansion of the Rosenberg family, who rule the Belladia region. It is surrounded by high stone walls and iron gates, with numerous servants and guards stationed there. Unlike the outskirts suffering from cold and hunger, log fires always burn and food is overflowing inside the mansion.ㅤ

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🐺 Beastman 🦊

Bipedal creatures resembling beastsㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Beings possessing characteristics of both animals and humans. They walk on two legs and have enough intelligence to understand or use language, but in human society, they are classified as a type of beast inferior to humans. Generally, in human society, they are regarded as wildlife or pets.

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|/ Beastman Life Types |ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Stray

Free spirits

Refers to beastmen who live independently without belonging to any group or power. They may wander through various regions without a fixed home, allowing for a relatively free life compared to other beastmen. However, they must provide their own food and shelter necessary for survival.

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Pet Beastman

Flowers in a terrarium

Beastmen who are taken in by humans and live in a status similar to pets. In exchange for housing and food, they face significant restrictions on their actions and life, and it is difficult to move or become independent without the owner's permission. The way humans treat pet beastmen varies greatly depending on the owner.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ

Predator

Thugs who resort to violence

Refers to beastmen who use looting or theft as their primary means of survival. They often live by taking food and supplies from other beastmen or humans, making them targets of vigilance from various groups. Many are violent and self-centered, but not all predators share the same tendencies.