Bear School Astartes

The research base made from the fallen hot air balloon ship of the third team is quite different from the one built by the rough folks at the Star Point.

The overall style is tranquil yet efficient.

The dim lighting is sufficient for use, and heaps of books, alchemy cauldrons, and surveying instruments are everywhere, making this place, compared to the crisis-ridden New Continent Expedition Team, look more like a cozy little library focused on comfort and ease.

And at the highest point of this little library is the exclusive ’reading seat’ of the third team leader.

The leader of the third team is a young female of the Dragon-man Race, which allows her to maintain a slim figure.

The signature pointed ears are adorned with an Eastern-style bun, along with her robes.

She holds a smoking pipe in one hand, reads a book in the other, appearing leisurely and relaxed.

”Yo, Grand Commander! Long time no see, it’s really rare to see you return to human society from the wilderness.”

As soon as they met, the third team leader teased.

However, the Grand Commander, walking ahead of Lann, had a stern expression that quickly alerted the third team leader to something amiss.

”My return to human society is no big deal, but now in the Land Coral Plateau, ancient dragons, gold lions, and otherworldly creatures are fighting in succession. It’s really surprising to see you guys still leisurely reading books.”

The third team leader didn’t retort but, instead, seemed to confirm the news.

”’Successive battles’?” Her shadowed eyes suddenly lit up.

”So... I knew it! I’ve had a feeling that the Land Coral Plateau and the areas below haven’t been peaceful lately!”

”Unfortunately, we don’t have any outstanding hunters here, just a group of feeble scholars managing a research station that accommodates only a few. We can’t dispatch forces for proper reconnaissance and can only infer from small animals or environmental changes.”

”You guys truly are lucky,” the Grand Commander sighed, ”amidst massive ecological changes, you’ve remained untouched.”

”It’s too early to say ’unscathed’ just yet.”

Lann stepped out from behind the Grand Commander, interjecting.

”May I ask if anyone here at the research base has recently gone out and encountered a Deer-headed Spirit but survived?”

As he spoke, Lann pulled out a portrait he had drawn of a Deer-headed Spirit.

Thanks to his artistic talent and the knowledge of [Deep Memory], Lann, even without much practice, managed with few strokes to capture the biological characteristics of the Deer-headed Spirit, ensuring it wouldn’t be mistaken.

The third team leader adjusted her pince-nez glasses and first looked at Lann.

”Who is this?”

The Grand Commander, acting as a mediator, introduced Lann to her.

The extensive and complex identity information left the well-informed third team leader a bit bewildered.

Luckily, she seemed to be quite carefree and quickly accepted the new settings of ’otherworldly person’ and ’Demon Hunter.’

Following Lann’s instructions, she began to recall.

”Recently went out... trouble. Although we’re scholars, we still often go out to capture small animals and investigate the environment and ecology.”

”Mainly those who had contact with a Deer-headed Spirit or were unexpectedly attacked outdoors and fainted, only to wake up unharmed.”

Lann provided a professional supplementary explanation.

”Even a Deer-headed Spirit’s magic requires physical contact with the cursed person.”

”Then bring them all over for a look. Let him have a look.”

The third team leader decisively said.

”While we have studied many ecosystems and unique creatures, magic is indeed a first for us. You’re the expert, so we’ll follow your lead.”

Under the leader’s orders, people from the research base gathered to have Lann check if they were cursed.

The number of people wasn’t large, mostly elderly men and women of the Dragon-man Race.

Lann quickly finished the check, but there were still no traces of curses from the Deer-headed Spirit.

Listening to this, they were quite disappointed, each seeming eager to experience being cursed.

Needless to say, those who join the New Continent Expedition Team are generally people who value life experiences over personal safety.

But just as Lann and the Grand Commander were frowning, feeling the investigation had hit a dead end, an older Dragon-man matriarch with white hair loosely coiled atop her head chimed in.

”Eh? Only checking us? Shouldn’t the Elu cats also be checked? And all the little cats from the expedition teams, there are still several cat expedition teams out that haven’t returned.”

The cats that came with the hunters to the New Continent have been here for decades.

After all, the Commander’s grandson is all grown up, so they’ve been thriving too.

Some Elu cats, who due to the scarcity of hunters couldn’t find partners yet possessed a spirit of adventure and determination, formed self-organized expedition teams to explore and discover the New Continent.

In this process, owing to kinship within the Beastman Race, some local cats—the Detel Race, and even those without cat-like features but similar body sizes, the Odd-faced Race.

Through various fortuitous events, friendships, or alliances, they joined the Elu cats to form expedition teams, embarking on interesting exploratory activities.

These teams were collectively known as the Cat Expedition Teams.

And because this research base is currently the forefront of human activity in the New Continent, many cat expedition teams come here for rest and registration.

The matriarch was responsible for recording the findings and tasks of the expedition teams. Occasionally, when new hunters appeared, she would also try to facilitate partnerships between hunters and Elu cats, turning them into more professional companion cats.

The matriarch’s few murmured words struck Lann like a bolt of realization.

Elu cats!

Indeed, the hunters’ Elu cats and the New Continent’s native Beastman Race—Odd-faced Race, Detel Race!

These are all intelligent beings too!

Like opening a blind spot in his mind, the Dragon-man matriarch’s words enlightened Lann.

The Deer-headed Spirit commonly chooses intelligent beings as cursed targets because they are better caretakers of their lives compared to wild animals.

Cursing by the Deer-headed Spirit also consumes energy and magic power; having cursed beings die senselessly is a heavy loss for it.

In this world, the scope of intelligent beings includes not only the hairless Dragon-men and humans but also the furry cats!

”Excuse me!”

Lann approached the murmuring Dragon-man matriarch, seriously asking as he crouched down.

”Where are the Cat Expedition Teams now? Or where is their resting room? I need to check them too.”

”Oh? Can you check through the objects in their rest room? That’s great!”

The matriarch nodded happily and led Lann outside the crowd.

”The Cat Expedition Team’s rest area is on the deck below, and those little ones are meticulous about cleanliness before they leave, it’s spotless down there.”