Is That My Alter Ego

Chapter 79 – The Beginning of Change

“Thank you, teacher.”

“Yes. Please take care.”

“Goodbye…!”

“…Right. You take care too.”

Today, I finished my last consultation. The final guest left the counseling center, smiling at Kalea, who had mustered the courage to say goodbye.

What a relief. It was becoming increasingly evident that the indiscriminate hatred toward beastfolk, which had spread throughout the upper tier due to my counseling and protests, was gradually diminishing.

At first, most people would recoil in disgust at the mere sight of a beastfolk, their eyes filled with fear. Now, however, more and more individuals were beginning to regard them with a gaze that suggested they were merely a curious oddity.

“Is that it for today?”

“Ugh… Yeah. I think so. Let’s head home.”

“We’re going home…!”

*Snicker*

“Yeah, let’s hurry.”

We tidied up the counseling center and made our way home. ‘Our’ home, of course, meant mine, along with the Kali and Kalea sisters.

Since the day I rescued Kalea, the distance between me and the Kali sisters had significantly closed. There was nothing left to hide from each other, and we had grown truly close. It felt as if we had become family.

We passed by the Raul mansion. Now merely an office, the mansion was briefly regarded by Kali and Kalea, who exchanged smiles.

“Teacher… It’s been a while.”

“…Oh. It really has been a long time. Have you been well?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, teacher… I have been reborn. Thank you so much.”

As I happened to pass through the plaza of the upper tier, I encountered the man with whom I had conducted my very first consultation.

After the loss of his wife, a father who had distanced himself from his child due to a misguided judgment. No longer did sorrow linger upon his face.

“He’s a teacher who has helped Daddy a great deal. Say hello.”

“Hello…”

“Nice to meet you. You must listen well to your father and take care of yourself, alright?”

“Yeees~”

The man offered a gentle smile to the siblings, then turned to me once more to express his gratitude before taking the children’s hands and departing.

Even after that, whenever I strolled through the streets, those who had sought my counsel greeted me. It was a relief to see their faces shining brightly rather than shadowed by gloom.

“At this rate, I might end up making friends with everyone?”

“Oh, surely not.”

“I think it won’t be long now…!”

“…Really? That wouldn’t be so bad.”

Though I hadn’t sought their friendship through counseling, a relationship where we recognized each other and exchanged kind words seemed just fine.

“Isn’t that right, Mas.ter?”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Hehe. Your reactions are just too amusing; I can’t help but tease you.”

“…Hehe.”

When the sisters, Kali and Kalea, committed the audacious act of loudly calling me ‘Master,’ I recalled the gazes and words that had been cast upon me, causing me to tremble all over as I pleaded with Kali.

Kali, still giggling, agreed and moved ahead into the lower district. Kalea covered her mouth, chuckling softly.

Well… if you found it amusing, I suppose that’s alright.

As I conversed and played with the sisters, we soon arrived in the lower district. The familiar scents and an inexplicable warmth enveloped us.

Now, it seemed I felt more at home and comfortable in the lower district than in the upper.

Entering the lower district with the beastkin sisters, we began to stroll. In an instant, the once boisterous streets quieted, but upon seeing my face, they erupted into noise once more.

– Oh, it’s Mr. Venice?! How have you been?

– I owe you a lot from last time! Thank you!

– You look handsome today, my lord!

They clung to me, expressing their gratitude and tossing around trivial jokes.

I faced them, returning their greetings and bantering back.

An outsider, a human. The reason they treated me with such kindness, even as a former resident of the upper district, stemmed from the events that had transpired during the last distribution.

As usual, Hudi and Rania began the distribution in the plaza of the lower district, with Kalea eagerly lending a hand. Kali and I watched the scene with satisfaction.

“Tch… why does that human keep coming around to watch? Is he planning to take someone as a slave?”

One of the beastfolk waiting in line for rations spoke loudly enough for me, standing at a distance, to hear.

It was clear that even I, a mere ordinary—no, slightly weak—human could catch the words, so how much more so for the beastfolk with their heightened senses?

Hoodie and Rania had stepped away for a moment to secure additional rations, leaving Kalea fidgeting, glancing between me and the beastfolk.

“…Right. It’s a bit uncomfortable.”

“Shit, now that you mention it, it is.”

“That guy looked suspicious from the start. Anyone can see he’s up to something!”

With that single remark, the beastfolk in line began to murmur, all eyes turning toward me.

I felt a twinge of embarrassment, but sensing their discomfort, I considered stepping away.

…It was a bit sad, but I was okay with it. If only they could have a happy day.

“…Wait. Why are you trying to run away?”

“Huh? Oh… I just thought people might feel uncomfortable. That could happen…”

“Are you serious? With that pitiful expression, you expect us to believe you?”

“That can’t be…”

“You really don’t get it, do you? Your face is screaming it. Right now, you look like a drenched puppy!”

What on earth does a drenched puppy even mean? My face couldn’t possibly look like that…?

—Just wait a moment. You ungrateful b*stards!

Kalea said this as she strode boldly toward the line of beastfolk.

“Hey, you b*stards!!”

—Go!!

Kalea shouted loud enough to reach the thugs lurking in the distant alley beyond the square we occupied.

The beastfolk jumped in surprise, covering their ears or hurling curses back at Kalea, shouting in protest.

A multitude against a single person. The difference was stark. Most would falter or flee in tears when faced with such concentrated hostility.

“Shut your mouth, you b*stard!”

But Kalea was no ordinary person. Unfazed by the torrent of insults, she began to shout back even louder.

The overwhelming madness caused the voices of the beastfolk to dwindle, until the square fell silent as a grave. Kalea surveyed the surroundings for a moment before speaking.

“Hey, you ungrateful b*stards! Even beasts know a benefactor when they see one, and you lot can’t even manage that?!”

“What the hell are you talking about—”

Before a beastfolk could muster a retort to the sudden onslaught of accusations, Kalea pointed at me, standing dejectedly in the back, and spoke loudly enough for all to hear.

“Everything you get in rations every day? That’s all thanks to this human! You idiots!! And yet you dare to curse someone?!”

“”……….””

As soon as Kali’s cry faded, the square fell silent, as if it had become a library. At the same time, I felt the weight of gazes and emotions directed at me.

“What in the world is this commotion?”

“What is that noise!”

At that moment, Hoodie and Rania arrived in the square, burdened with countless boxes.

After hearing the whole story from Kali, Hoodie and Rania stood before the beastfolk. The beastfolk, too, seemed to seek answers, quietly watching Hoodie and Rania.

Hoodie’s calm expression began to crack, twisting into something fierce.

“You filthy b*stards! That person is a saint who offers kindness to scoundrels like you without any reason! Can’t you even recognize that?! You wretched little shits!”

“These bad people…! Mr. Venice is spending his own money to help you! Every single day!”

“………”

“You b*stards! Just kick that ass with your foot…”

With Hoodie and Rania’s outcry bringing an end to the chaos, the square fell silent once more. Hoodie’s curses showed no sign of stopping.

Once again, I felt the onslaught of curses so novel I had never even imagined them.

As I watched, Kali approached me with a triumphant expression and posture.

“How was that? Did I do well?”

“I didn’t mean to draw attention…”

“No! What you do can be known! You little shit! Just shut up and pet me!”

“Yeah… thanks, Kali…”

As I glanced at the gazes directed my way, I reached out to stroke Kali’s tousled hair.

Since that day when Kali had come up to me, urging me to pet her after seeing me stroke Kalea’s hair, she had taken to demanding affection at all hours.

In any case, since that day, the looks from the lower-class residents toward me began to shift rapidly.

By day, the birds hear, and by night, the rats listen. And the beastfolk are always in the lower tiers, possessing senses sharper than both birds and rats.

And rumors travel a hundred times faster than feet. Eventually, as I walked through the lower tiers, more and more beastfolk began to greet me or playfully tease me.

Yeah… good things are good, right? In any case, I accepted everyone’s greetings as I made my way home.

A house that overlooks the square and is very close to Hoodie’s convenience store, the cleanest and finest dwelling in the lower tiers.

I stepped into the space that had now become our home. Inside the well-kept house, cozy furniture filled every corner.

“Really… I never tire of looking at it.”

“Yes… yes! It’s all thanks to you, Master…!”

“Don’t say that…”

“*Hehe…*”

The reason Kali and I ended up living together was that on the day I rescued Kalea, I followed Kali’s invitation to come to their home.

Cockroaches scuttled about, and the old house was thick with mold and cobwebs. It was as if someone had ransacked the place while the owners were away, leaving chaos in their wake.

“…This is our home. A bit… shabby, isn’t it?”

“Please… don’t look at it so negatively… it’s our home…!”

Cough-cough.

As Kali had told me, Kalea seemed unwell, her cough persistent and harsh.

“Hmm… would you like to just come to our house?”

“….What?”

“Y-yes?!”

“No. It’s not that I have any other thoughts. It’s just that my house feels too big for just me.”

It was a suggestion meant for the Kali sisters, who lived in such poor conditions, and truly, my home was far too spacious for me to occupy alone.

Kali looked at her sister, a sad smile gracing her lips as she spoke to me.

“….Thank you for the offer. Really… thank you, but… we can’t live in the upper floors. We’re already comfortable in the lower levels.”

I could sense what she was thinking. The indiscriminate gazes and words were uncomfortable, and the lower levels, where they had always lived, felt more like home.

“Is that so? Then should I buy a house in the lower levels?”

“….Huh?”

Then I’ll just buy a house in the lower levels. In truth, I found the cozy charm of the lower levels far more appealing than the clean, angular spaces of the upper floors.

There’s a saying: strike while the iron is hot. That very day, I sought out a real estate agent and purchased the most expensive building in the lower levels. It was a place that, for its price, had been left uninhabited, merely maintained.

“Alright. Now this is your home.”

“Why… are you doing this for us?”

“Why, you ask? Because… you’re my friend.”

“………..”

Kali’s eyes wavered. Then she lowered her head, her body beginning to tremble.

Thud-thud-thud—! Embracing me tightly, Kali began to speak. She was crying again.

It seemed Kali was more prone to tears than I had realized. I simply patted her back, murmuring words of comfort.

“Well then, I’ll be on my way. I’ll see you again tomorrow.”

Kali’s sobs had subsided. Time flowed swiftly, and as night fell, it was time for me to return home.

“Wait… just a moment!”

“Yes? Is something wrong?”

“Um… it’s just…”

Kali’s two eyes spin in a dizzying dance. Her cheeks bloom a vivid red. Kalea gazes at me with a smile that carries a weight of meaning.

“Just… just live here with me—!”

“…What?”

Caught off guard by the sudden declaration, I instinctively refused.

Yet, Kali clung to me with a tenacity that was almost alarming, declaring that if I didn’t agree to live with her, she would leave home. Reluctantly, I found myself conceding.

“Ugh… without this bed, I don’t think I could sleep at all.”

I watch as Kali sprawls comfortably on the bed, her voice a soft murmur. After a moment of contemplation, she turns to me with a smile.

That smile… it’s the kind that teases just before a prank, isn’t it?

‘Come on…’

I braced myself for whatever mischief she might unleash. However, Kali’s playful grin soon transformed into one filled with sincerity.

“This is all… thanks to you.”

“…You don’t have to think that way.”

“No. I’ll never forget. You are the… savior of our lives. Master.”

The laughter that escaped Kali as she spoke felt so profoundly relieved.

—