Chapter 7

I felt a strange sensation at my neck and woke up. Oh no, I must have fallen asleep completely.

When I opened my eyes, worried about the girl, I found that she had one hand on my neck.

"Well, I did consider the possibility of this happening."

I tried to speak calmly.

The hand on my neck wasn't applying much force. If she had really put some strength into it, my second life would have ended abruptly on its first day, while I was still asleep.

"Are you okay? Any injuries?"

I spoke to the girl, who was glaring at me with a tiger-like face.

Surprised by my words, she had a puzzled look for a moment, but quickly regained her composure and replied.

"It still hurts quite a bit, but it should heal."

"That's good to hear."

I sighed in genuine relief and smiled. I was genuinely happy that she was safe because I had tried to help her.

Then, the girl, still with a puzzled look, said,

"O-oh..."

and turned her face away. This would be the perfect chance to remove her hand, but I didn't want to upset her.

She suddenly turned back, her voice tinged with anger.

"Did you... see it?"

Her hand tightened slightly. I tried to remain even calmer and answered.

"I had to in order to treat you. I swear, I didn't touch anything else."

"Really?"

"Yes."

She stared at me intently for a while, then let out a light sigh and removed her hand from my neck.

"I'll trust you for now."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"You didn't smell like you were lying."

"You can tell that!?"

"Unlike dog-like beastmen, I can only sense it when someone's emotions are strongly stirred. You're pretty surprised right now, aren't you?"

"A-ah, yeah..."

If I had let my hands wander during the treatment, she would have caught me in the lie just now. I feel like I'm walking a tightrope on the second day...

I rummaged through the bedroom and handed her some clothes to change into.

"Put these on for now."

"Where are my clothes?"

"They were soaked in blood, and I had to cut them off to treat you."

"...I see."

"If they were important to you, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. They were just rags."

I turned away to give her some privacy as she changed.

"By the way, you're the owner of this house, right?"

The girl, now changed, asked me. I turned to face her and answered.

"Yes."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I'm a blacksmith."

"A blacksmith?"

"Yes. ...Though I just moved in yesterday, so I'm still new here."

I debated how long to say I had been living here but decided to be honest. She probably knows this area, and lying would be a bad idea.

"Was there a house like this in this forest...?"

Got it, she knows this place.

"Huh? It was here when I arrived yesterday."

This is mostly true, except for the part about the house suddenly appearing.

"Well, I haven't been to this side of the 'Black Forest' much, so I might have missed it."

The 'Black Forest.' My 'installed' knowledge had information on it.

I applauded internally but didn't let my emotions show too much, or she might notice. By comparing the knowledge and the terrain, I could figure out our approximate location.

"We're on the eastern side."

"Ah, I patrol the north and west, so I don't come here often."

Good, my guess was right.

"Last time I came, I ran into a giant black bear... and then it was just as you saw. The bear probably didn't finish me off because it sensed you approaching."

"I see."

So there are dangerous creatures here. She's probably not weak. Even as a tiger beastman, the fact that she wanders this forest alone means she can handle herself.

But her injuries haven't fully healed, and it feels wrong to just leave her. So I said,

"So, I have something to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Your injuries will take some time to heal, right?"

"Yeah, probably. We're tougher than humans, but with injuries like these, it'll take about two weeks before I can hunt or explore again."

"Then, how about staying here?"

"Huh?"

"It's not like there's anything else. I just moved in, and I'll need help with the blacksmithing. You need to heal, and even after that, you'll need some... 'break-in' time, right?"

"Probably."

"Besides, I think you'll have a more stable life here. At least you'll be sheltered from the rain and have a place to cook."

"I see..."

She thought about it. I wanted to keep staring at her tiger-like face, but I didn't want to anger her, so I didn't say anything.

"Alright, I'll stay here until my injuries heal and I can move normally. After that, we'll see, okay?"

"Sure, that's fine."

"Alright, then, let's do it! Thanks!"

"Sure thing!"

And so, my wish to "have a cat" was unexpectedly fulfilled in the form of living with a tiger beastman girl.