Father
"Mr. Alke, are there no children in this village?"
I asked as we walked toward the clothing shop.
"I only saw adults earlier—no kids my age or younger."
It was strange.
Even accounting for beastfolk possibly maturing faster, the complete absence of children seemed odd.
"Ah, that'd be 'cause the wee ones under five stay home this time o' day. Kids five to ten are at the learnin' house till noon. Come afternoon, this place'll be swarmin' with young'uns."
I blinked in surprise.
In most isekai stories, illiteracy was the norm, with only nobles getting proper education. This world seemed more advanced than I'd assumed.
Having magic probably changed things, but my lack of knowledge about this world was becoming inconvenient.
"Mr. Alke, could I go to that learning house too? I want to study."
"O' course ye can. But first we'll get ye proper clothes an' shoes. After that, we'll pay the learnin' house a visit."
His enthusiasm warmed my heart—until reality sank in.
I had no money for clothes, shoes, or school.
"Ah... Mr. Alke, I don't have any money. How much does the learning house cost? And… could you teach me how to earn some?"
Alke froze mid-step.
His eyes went round before he burst out laughing.
"Pfft—bahaha! What nonsense ye spoutin', lass?"
Setting me down, he knelt to eye level, his expression turning serious.
"Listen well, Vio. When I said I'd raise ye as my daughter, that meant providin' fer ye proper. Buyin' clothes an' such is what fathers do. No need fer thanks—truth be told, ye thankin' me just makes this old bear feel lonely."
He patted my head.
"As fer the learnin' house, 'tis free. Our lord insists every village an' town in his territory have guild-run schools. Lets parents work while young'uns learn, givin' 'em more choices later. Makes the whole territory—nay, the kingdom—stronger. That's his lordship's vision."
This lord sounded impressive—clearly not the bald creep from before.
But Mr. Alke's kindness overwhelmed me. Not only had he saved a drowning orphan, he was willing to shoulder all these expenses?
After the despair from those memories, this village's goodness made my jaded heart feel ashamed.
My emotional daze must have shown, because Alke frowned.
"Ah, was that too much at once?"
"N-no, I understood. The lord sounds amazing. I'll study hard to be useful someday. Thank you, Mr. Alke, no, Dad."
It might have been too soon, but after all he'd said, "Mr. Alke" didn't feel right anymore.
His eyes widened before he scooped me into a crushing hug, his chest rumbling with happy growls. Guess he approved of the title.
My newly minted father—still overjoyed—took me to Milina the rabbit lady’s shoe shop, then Lillium the cat lady’s clothing store for a mountain of outfits.
As the only small, quiet human child in this beastfolk-dominated village, I was apparently quite the novelty.
Lillium explained that beastfolk children struggled to maintain human forms until about five, often reverting to animals when excited.
"That's why we don't bother with fancy clothes before five. Ties work best—buttons get lost or accidentally eaten, you see?”
The standard children's wear resembled short kimono, secured with cords that would snap harmlessly during transformations.
Fancy clothes were reserved for fifth birthdays—hence the shop's stock of human-sized options.
Each outfit sent Dad into fresh paroxysms of delight. "Adorable!" "That one too!" "How to choose?!"
Our impromptu fashion show only ended when an exhausted Mrs. Lillium forcibly intervened.
Carried home in Dad's arms, I dozed against his shoulder, my heart fuller than it had been in years.
What do you think about this chapter?
