The catgirl's ears twitched as she felt eyes on her. She turned her head slightly and spotted the tall, black-haired human across the street, holding what looked like a small, smooth brick pointed in her direction.
"Nya!?" She frowned a little, tail flicking.
"That black-haired human is weird," she muttered to the vendor, leaning closer.
The vendor glanced Kazuki's way, then smirked knowingly.
"Ah, that guy? He's been walking around asking people something in some strange language. And yeah… he's been holding that 'brick' now and then. But—look around you."
He gestured subtly with his chin. "See all the girls stealing glances? They've been eyeing him since he got here. His face, his build, the height… and when he smiles? Yeah, they're gone."
"Nya? Really?" Her ears perked, curiosity mixing with amusement.
The vendor chuckled. "Of course. You're catfolk, you can tell. But women are women. Doesn't matter the race when a guy looks like that."
"Nya~… true enough," she purred softly, a small smile curling her lips. "That human is indeed handsome. Well then, mister vendor… give me two meat skewers."
"Alright, coming right up."
As the vendor turned to prepare her order, the catgirl gave Kazuki a brief, playful wave, her eyes glinting for a moment before she shifted her attention fully to the sizzling meat, tail swaying in a slow rhythm.
Meanwhile, Kazuki stood frozen for a moment after seeing the catgirl's smile, that subtle wave, the lazy sway of her tail, and the twitch of her ears.
Crap. She noticed?
He quickly stopped recording, glancing at the screen to confirm—yep, the smile had been captured. Perfect.
Alright… today's haul. Two best videos,
Elf and catgirl. Not bad at all.
Slipping the phone back into his pocket, he powered it off completely. Battery was precious now, no power banks lying around in this world.
Kazuki let out a slow breath and scanned the street again, eyes moving past vendors and shoppers, searching for the familiar look of a uniform or a weapon that marked town guards.
If he could find one, maybe he could ask about Miss Sophia.
As he walked, his mind began to drift.
Hmm… oh? Maybe they have brothels here too, right?
If I had money… yeah, I'd want to try it at least once. Just once.
A corner of his mouth quirked upward at the thought, then he caught himself.
Crap. Stop thinking about that for now, Kazuki.
He shook his head slightly, as if to push the thought away. No point daydreaming about women when he didn't even know where he was, how to speak the language, or how to earn a single money in this world.
I'll think about it later...when I have food, money, and a roof over my head.
Kazuki then spotted two guards standing at the corner of the street, their spears resting against their shoulders as they casually watched the flow of people.
He made his way toward them, not too fast but with purpose, raising his hand to wave so they'd notice him. The movement caught their eyes, and they straightened slightly, exchanging a glance as the black-haired stranger approached.
Kazuki stopped in front of them, breathing a little heavier from the walk. "Sophia?" he asked, his tone calm but direct.
The two guards looked at each other. One arched a brow, the other gave a knowing smirk.
"Another one who's fallen for Miss Sophia, huh?" the first murmured to his partner.
"Yeah… poor guy. Doesn't know what he's getting into,"
Still, they kept their expressions neutral toward Kazuki. The first guard started speaking in their own language, his tone carrying a polite firmness.
"Sorry, mate… we can't—"
Before he could finish, Kazuki clapped his hands once, repeating, "Sophia."
The second guard sighed quietly.
"Damn… I don't understand a single word from this black-haired human."
They both stood there, unsure if they should point him somewhere or just hope he wandered off. Kazuki, meanwhile, kept his eyes on them, waiting for any sign of understanding.
Kazuki pointed at himself, then mimed walking with two fingers, saying the name slowly and clearly.
"Sophia… Sophia."
The guards exchanged a glance. One scratched his chin, the other gave a lazy shrug.
"You think he's asking where she is?" the younger guard muttered.
"Maybe. Or maybe he's trying to brag he knows her." The older one smirked. "Either way, not really our problem unless he starts trouble."
Kazuki tilted his head, watching their faces for any hint of understanding. When nothing came, he tried again, this time pointing down the street behind them, making a questioning gesture with his hand, repeating her name.
The older guard raised his eyebrows. "Looks like he's dead set on finding her."
The younger one sighed. "You explain it to him. I'm not in the mood to play charades."
"Huh? How am I supposed to explain to him? You're the newbie. you talk to him," the older guard shot back.
"Eh? Mister 'senior,' I didn't sign up for this job to know every language in the world. You've been here longer, you explain it," the younger retorted.
The older guard gave him a crooked grin. "What, you think I know his language? If I did, I wouldn't be working as a guard. Besides, you look friendlier. Go on."
"Friendlier?!" The younger guard glared. "I'm not wasting my time guessing what some lost noble-looking guy means when he just keeps repeating the same name."
Kazuki could tell they were talking about him, but their words were meaningless noise. Still, their body language wasn't hostile....just uninterested. He rubbed the back of his neck and repeated, slower this time, "So-phia," while pointing toward the road and making an open-palmed "lead me" gesture.
The younger guard groaned. "See? He's doing it again."
"Then just point him toward the guild," the older one said, waving a hand dismissively. "If she's not there, he'll figure it out eventually."
With a roll of his eyes, the younger guard pointed down a side street. "Yeah, yeah… that way."
Kazuki followed the gesture, nodding once in thanks, though he had no idea if they'd actually sent him in the right direction.
As he walked away, the older guard muttered, "Think he'll even find her?"
The younger snorted. "Not our problem."
( End Of Chapter )