Beastmen Love-Chapter 208: Mizuryuus

Astri also senses that Seiryuu has a wider perspective on energies than Kenzou. Seiryuu kisses Astri’s hand elegantly and smiles at her.

"You feel like the water of the Sacred River." He says.

"Well, thank you, Lord Seiryuu. It’s the first time someone compares me to something sacred." She says, taking her hand back. "Well, if you insist on giving me these gifts and understand that doesn’t mean I’m accepting you as spouses, I’ll accept them." She tells the five males who gave her gifts, and they nod.

She organizes the gifts together, Kenzou takes them from her hand, and she thanks him.

"Are you staying at the Spirit Tree Shrine, Lady Astri?" Seiryuu asks.

"Yes, sir. Now, if you excuse us. I would like to keep on checking around the festival." Astri says, bowing to Seiryuu and whoever is following him, and then to the males who gave her gifts.

Seiryuu follows them and starts to walk on her side, after Kenzou gave him space between him and Astri.

"May I know where you are from, Lady Astri? You don’t look like from around here." Seiryuu asks, as he was trying to find something more than the question he had asked.

"I’m from a faraway land, my lord." She answers.

"And how did you end up with Lord Kenzou?"

"Destiny. I believe."

"You might not know, but only people authorized by the Mizuryuus can stay at the Shrine because it’s a place we must keep pure."

"Oh, really? I didn’t know. Thank you for informing, my lord." She smiles and keeps walking.

He gets confused by what she said, but then clears his throat.

"I’m a Mizuryuu, son of the Shogun." He says.

"Good." She says and then gasps, pointing at something. "What is that?!" She asks, walking quickly to a stall and trying to see a half-opened wooden box, she looks at paintings exposed for sale, and they’re beautiful.

"How beautiful... You’re so talented." Astri says to salesmale (salesperson, but beastman version).

"Thank you... I can paint you, if you want." He answers.

"Are you always around here?"

"I live in the village, yes."

"I would love, for sure, paintings from you, but may I ask to open this?" She asks, pointing at the box she saw before.

"It’s just my painting tools." He says and opens it.

She gasps, looking at the different kinds of brushes and charcoal he uses. She squeals happily, making Kenzou smile and the others confused by her happiness.

"Where did you buy these tools?" She asks the painter.

"Mostly I make them myself.." He answers, still confused.

She breathes in and out two times to calm down.

"All right. I want this one. This one. Oh, this one!" She starts to point at the paintings she wants. "How much is it?"

"Let me pay. You need to calm down." Kenzou whispers to Astri, holding her arm.

That’s when she noticed that Seiryuu, Shinkou, and some people around were looking at her, intrigued as they were learning what she liked. She didn’t want to call attention, but apparently, she was very bad at it around that place.

"Please, take the paintings to the Spirit Tree Shrine tomorrow morning." Astri says to the painter, and he nods happily that he sold a good amount of his paintings.

Astri keeps on walking and looking around. She didn’t imagine she would like a festival so much. There was even a dance around a fire, and she danced happily with the children.

"Who is she, Lord Kenzou?" Seiryuu asks Kenzou as they watch Astri dancing.

Shinkou could listen to that question and stay quiet, waiting to see how their conversation would continue.

"She was separated from her males and doesn’t know where they are. She asked for my help, and I’m helping." Kenzou answers.

"Why didn’t you tell us? The Mizuryuus."

"I respect her decision of not spreading what happened to her. And I assumed it would not be a problem because, as you might have felt yourself, she’s pure."

"She’s more than she looks like. And I believe you know that. The children, the males that are watching her, and even if just a few females, are changing their energies to a more pure state. Even if the males are interested in becoming her spouses, their energies are purer. I do not think it’s a coincidence." Seiryuu says and then looks at Kenzou, to see if Kenzou will expose any by his complexion.

"She’s not.. With all due respect, my lord. Here’s not the place to talk about her."

Kenzou practically said what Seriyuu was expecting, even though he didn’t want to believe at first. Kenzou goes to Astri and then whispers in her ear:

"Lord Seiryuu is suspicious of who you are. He practically knows, but can’t put it into words. You should talk to him and ask for his help. It’s better for him than his father, the Shogun, to know you. If he brings the word about you to the Shogun, they will probably ask for you to go to the Sacred Castle, and I’m not sure if that’s a good idea, even if I believe you need to be protected." ƒreewebɳovel.com

"All right. Let’s wait for the dance to finish, and we can go back." She says.

He smiles and nods. Astri watches the dance, and she believes that the way of living they have is something good to try in the United Tribes. The economy, the culture, and habits are good to keep the people more balanced. She can’t deny that it was good to know such great people.

When there’s nothing more to see, Astri, Kenzou, and Shinkou go back to the shrine. Seiryuu follows them with his guards. Seiryuu’s presence with Astri made unmated males not have courage to go talk to Astri anymore. Shinobu is furious seeing that a shogun’s son is interested in Astri and not her.

When they arrive at the Spirit Tree Shrine, Kenzou asks Seiryuu to keep his guards outside. Seiryuu accepts, because he knows that even if there’s an invasion, the shrine is commonly known by everyone to be a sacred place, and they won’t want to curse their lives by invading a shrine.

"Kenzou believes that it would be better for me to tell you who I am. I trust his judgment. I can sense your energy, and that you also sensed mine. I believe if I were complete, you would have known who I was at first glance." Astri says, taking the dinner she left ready and putting it to warm on the stove.

Her words made Seiryuu even more curious, and once she said who she is and what happened to her made him more than shocked. He felt deeply honored and bowed his head to the ground.

"I’m not as pure as you to be in your presence, Goddess of Nature. I knew you were different." Seiryuu says.

"You and the other Mizuryuus keep this village so balanced. I don’t think that we are so different." She says, with a smile.

She goes to him and holds his hands, and makes him stand up.

"You’re welcome in my presence. Now I need you to understand that it’s not the right time for people to know who I am. Good and evil people are attracted by my existence, and being complete, at least don’t call evil’s attention, but if they learn about me here, it will put the peace you have worked so hard to keep at risk. Can you understand that?" She says, looking at his eyes, and he nods. "I had to spend years without letting my people know who I was, build walls around our village, and even a shield made with Nature’s energy to openly say who I was."

"I understand, but you must be protected. The best place to keep you protected is our castle. We can keep your identity a secret, but at least you will be guarded properly. Kenzou is strong and with good energy, but he’s only one male." Seiryuu says.

"I can’t stay here forever."

"Why not? If your soul traveled all this way and revived here, it’s because here is the place you’re most fit to be."

She chuckles.

"Well, you’re not wrong. And I must admit I loved this village. I love the Shrine. But I’m not something to always be protected, I must protect others. When the balance is not good, I’m the one who needs to go there and put things to work together properly. I’m grateful for what happened now because if it wasn’t for that, I probably would have taken way longer to meet this place." She affirms, and then she starts to serve the dinner. "I need to go back. I’m saving gems to buy myself a ship. I’m building everything I’ll need for the trip with Kenzou’s help." Astri says.

"What about the Ookitsune? Only worthy beastmen should be around you. I’ve known Youkais pretending to be just anyone." Seiryuu asks, looking at Shinkou, who was listening quietly and got angry with the accusations.

Youkai is how they call Monsters around there.

"There’s more to people than you can see, Lord Seiryuu. Shinkou is helping me greatly." Astri says and smiles at Shinkou when she puts his dinner in front of him.

Shinkou smiles back, with his heart warming his chest.

"Well.. You can see things more than I can do being the Goddess of Nature, but I still believe that you’re not supposed to go back. With all due respect, your guardians failed to protect you, and if the Youkai Emperor could get near you, it’s because the village you live in is not sacred enough." Seiryuu says.

His voice is of someone worried, but Kenzou is also worried that he gives Astri a hard time in accomplishing what she wishes. Mizuryuus’ mission in life is to keep the balance of their people, and that’s all they aim for.