Hideout in Another World: I Tried Building a Secret Base in the Middle of Nowhere

Chapter 17: Growth

(Back to Bonus’ Perspective)

Waking up, there was a mass of hair in front of me. What’s this? Did some animal sneak in?

I saw eyeballs in the mass of hair.

“Eek!”

Those eyes were looking at me. Eeek!

“Gyau?”

“………… Kuro?”

The mass of hair was Kuro. What on earth happened? Kuro became covered in fur.

“Kuro, what the hell happened to you!? Are you okay?”

“Gyauu!! Gyaggyaggya!”

The voice seemed a bit higher, but the essence remained the same. It seems that only the head is covered in fur.

Digging through the fur, a rather cute face emerged.

So, Kuro not only gained fur but also seemed to have undergone a human-like transformation.

The hooked nose turned into a normal one, and whites appeared in the eyes.

Even eyelashes sprouted.

Originally, the eyes were big, cute, and had green and yellow gradations reminiscent of cat-like pupils.

Hmm, these eyes resemble more of an iguana than a cat.

And the lips seem slightly plumper now, right?

There were no lips before, so it’s quite a difference.

But when Kuro smiles, the jagged edges remain the same.

Perhaps due to becoming more human-like, Kuro appears even more menacing and ominous than before.

And what’s with this massive tangle of hair?

Hmm, it’s cute, but there’s also a creepy doll-like aura to it.

All in all, it feels scarier than before.

The body has also grown.

About 150 cm tall, I guess.

The chest and hips have also slightly increased, forming feminine curves.

…So you were a girl after all.

Well, you always loved fashion.

Well, since you’re a monster, you don’t have genitals.

Overall, slender and flexible.

Good proportions.

Still walking with that hunched, crab-like gait, which ruins the image…

But what’s really striking is the tremendous volume of hair.

Pink is appearing and disappearing, playing around.

Originally, there was a sparse growth of curly black hair, but now it seems to have multiplied.

It looks like a mass of hair has sprouted from the girl’s body instead of her head.

The hair’s length is about shoulder-length, but if straightened, it might be as tall as her.

Seems like she’s happy, dancing with joy as her hair sways.

“Guggya-guggya! Gyaggyaggya!”

It’s eerie.

Like a yokai.

I guess she really wanted some hair.

Kuro… can you see in front of you?

“Gyaggyaggya!”

Ah, I see…

I’m not sure, but it seems like she can.

But why did this happen?

Because she killed someone?

Pink has killed plenty of creatures, but there have been no signs of change.

Is it a characteristic unique to monsters?

Hmm, I don’t really understand.

But maybe Edda’s warning wasn’t entirely wrong.

If so, will I eventually be devoured by Kuro?

In that case, please make it painless.

“Gugyaa?”

Anyway, I don’t understand anything even if I think about it now.

Let’s just go back to the hideout quickly.

When I tried to carry my belongings, Kuro had almost all of them.

Seems like she’s gained quite some strength.

Easily shouldering the load.

“You’ve gained strength, and you walk faster now.”

“Gyaggya!”

“Your legs have also grown longer. But you need to practice your walking. The crab-like walk is a bit…”

“Gyauu?”

“You remember that mercenary Marie, right? Maybe you can imitate her movements.”

After some wriggly and unpleasant movements, Kuro suddenly started walking like a model.

Wow, when she walks normally instead of crab-like, she looks cool.

But man, her imitation skills are impressive.

She’s surprisingly similar to Marie.

“Kuro! You look cool!”

“Gyauu! Gyaggyaggya!”

We walked while discussing such matters.

Despite not carrying any luggage, I could barely keep up with Kuro.

Nevertheless, today’s movement is surprisingly fast.

We arrived at the hideout within the morning hours.

“We’re back! The hideout is always calming.”

“Gyau~!”

“First things first, I want to take a bath.”

“Gyaggyau”

Pink is also awake, so should we go to the lake?

―――― But Kidanakemo is not here.

“Gyaggyau~ Gyaggyau~!”

“Your hair looks like wakame when it gets wet.”

Enjoying a refreshing bath after a long time.

Getting carried away, I jumped into the lake, but yesterday’s wounds hurt, bringing tears to my eyes.

But yesterday was a harsh experience…

Despite diligently planning various stall setups, I suddenly became scared of many things.

Half of me feels like staying holed up in the hideout for a while, and half of me wants to try various things in the city.

However, I know.

Times like these won’t lead to anything good by staying indoors.

Undoubtedly, my physical strength is gradually declining year by year. If I want to do something, I need to act quickly.

Once the preparations are ready as planned, let’s return to the city immediately.

But we might encounter the same situation again.

Rather, the possibility seems high if we continue like this.

We need to come up with a plan.

Inside the city, it felt relatively safe as long as we didn’t go to dangerous areas.

Guards were even stationed on the main streets.

In the worst-case scenario, if we ran full speed to the main street and pleaded with the guards, we might be okay.

But entering and leaving the city is risky.

Especially considering yesterday’s situation, leaving the city is probably the most dangerous.

It seems best to hire guards up to the Triangular Rocks or have Menas and the others accompany us.

Perhaps we were noticed as soon as we entered the city this time.

“I guess I was too carefree…”

“Gyau gyau~”

Kuro meticulously washes her new body, revealing a well-proportioned and supple physique.

However, with the previously unbalanced childlike figure, how did she manage to defeat them?

Were they actually quite weak?

Hmm, they don’t seem strong, but I also don’t think they were weak.

Reflecting on their words and actions, they seemed quite experienced.

It’s unlikely that this was their first time dealing with such situations.

And there’s no doubt they were operating somewhat systematically.

Well, it’s reasonable to consider Kuro exceptionally talented.

She seems to handle anything skillfully.

Ultimately, what went wrong?

Which action caused us to become the target?

There are probably still their allies in the city…

Was it imprudent to look around curiously?

Did staying at a high-end inn catch their attention?

Or did buying various things and appearing to have surplus money do it?

…There are too many possibilities, I can’t tell.

But in the end, starting a business in the future will only become more dangerous as it becomes more profitable.

Actually, I think it would be quickest to ask the Menas Caravan for help.

However, relying on Menas and the others further may start to feel burdensome.

My relationship with them is the lifeline of my cultural life.

And I simply like those people.

They warmly welcomed me, even though I couldn’t speak properly.

Ideally, I want to avoid anything that would break our current relationship.

In that case, I’ll need to prepare some form of self-defense…

Reflecting on this attack, Kuro is more reliable than I thought.

And she’s even undergone mysterious growth.

She can probably be expected to be somewhat of a force.

But I’m too weak myself.

If something were to happen in the city, relying on Pink would be difficult.

Releasing such a thing in the city would undoubtedly be dangerous.

“Should I try hiring mercenaries?”

“Gyau~?”

Well, I can’t give an answer right away.

Let’s think carefully while preparing for business.

“Alright, shall we proceed with preparing coffee and chocolate for now?”

“Gyau gyau!”

Perhaps because her hair is wet and limp, Kuro’s closed mouth subtly exudes allure.

Certainly, I can’t take him to the city like this.

“Shall we prepare new clothes for Kuro as well?”

“Gyau!”

It would be enough to dress her in something resembling a robe to conceal her body.

Since her face can’t be seen because of her hair anyway.

Let’s go with that for a while…

Let’s buy a knife or a small sword as an addition.

Kuro should be able to handle it well enough.

It’s realistic for me to have a club hanging from my waist.

Honestly, I don’t feel confident fighting with blades; it’s daunting.

I also want a shield or armor, but if it’s too heavy, I won’t be able to run.

In case of trouble, the best strategy for me is to run away with all my might.

I should avoid anything that might hinder that.

“Alright! After lunch, shall we go get cocoa? There’s a lot to prepare!”

“Gyaggya!”

Then, for the next four days, we devoted ourselves entirely to preparation.

In addition to preparing goods and cooking utensils, we listed and organized all the small items to make our stay in the city as safe and comfortable as possible.

We also simulated the setting up of the stall in our heads many times.

We agonized over ensuring safe movement until the end.

Basically, we plan to hire mercenaries, but it might not work out.

In the worst-case scenario this time, we’ll rely on Menas.

It will take about ten days until Menas comes back to Savoia next time.

So, we also prepared for a long stay.

As a result, we ended up carrying an unprecedented amount of luggage.

Thanks to Kuro’s increased strength, we were able to increase the size of the backpack, which was a relief.

“Alright, let’s go! Pink and Kuro!”

“Gyau gyau!”

As we move, Kuro seems to be about to leave me behind.

The speed of movement is too fast.

Not only has the stride increased, but Kuro’s athletic performance has also improved significantly.

Her way of walking has become quite refined without us noticing.

I miss the time when she walked with a crab-like gait.

Oh, now she’s started moonwalking.

She’s way too relaxed.

I should have had her carry more luggage…