HP: It's a snake, not a badger.

Chapter 130 Extra: Beastmen

(This is a little orcish fantasy; while writing it, all I could think of was a cat's tongue with barbs...)

Emeric: Lynx

Severus: The Black Panther

Setting: Humans can transform into animals, and upon transformation, they acquire animal traits; primordial setting.

The black panther hid in the shadows of the tree, concealing its claws and teeth. Its two emerald green eyes were intently watching the hunting scene below. It had never seen this strange new cat before, which even had a tuft of long hair on its ear.

But it doesn't matter. Since we've trespassed into his territory, everything we catch should belong to him. This strange cat is quite good at picking its prey; it only catches what he likes to eat.

Severus wagged his tail contentedly, his mustache twitching, his hands clasped together, waiting for Emeric to catch the lamb so he could pounce and scare it away.

The long-eared, furry lynx was kicked out to live alone as soon as it came of age. According to its two adults, it shouldn't go back if it couldn't find a mate. Isn't that making things difficult for the cat? Fortunately, there was a super fragrant black panther near the territory it randomly chose. It's just that it doesn't know if it's a beastman.

Life is tough, even a cat sighs.

Emeric wagged his little tail, feeling the gaze that had been watching him follow his tail, and mischievously teased the black panther perched in the tree.

Left, right, left; right, right, left

He could have continued playing if the lamb hadn't tried to run away. Seeing that its prey had finished eating and was about to leave, Emeric pounced and bit off its neck, ending its life.

He picked up his prey and walked to the shade of a tree, intending to lure the large black leopard in the tree. It would be best if he could determine the leopard's sex and species, so that his efforts would not have been in vain.

Severus lowered his upper body, retreating to gather strength, waiting for Emeric to come over. His pupils dilated into circles, he arched his body, and his tail was held high behind him. He was ready, just waiting for his prey to reach the designated position.

The moment Emeric put the lamb down, Severus jumped down from the tree and stomped on his head, the dark paw pressing against Emeric's cheek until he picked up the lamb and then released his grip, climbing up the tree next to him.

"Meow."

Severus called out, looking down at Emeric with a smug expression, his tail wagging freely. He figured the strange cat couldn't get up there, otherwise it would have already chased after him and snatched the prey. Now, all he had to do was wait for Emeric to give up on the prey and leave, then he could take it back to camp and roast it.

Unfortunately, Emeric had already sensed that it wasn't a wild animal, and he used both hands and feet to climb the tree, trying to teach the bad cat a lesson. If it were someone else trying to steal something, he would have slapped them to the ground long ago.

When they were almost at the top, the two of them seemed to have planned it beforehand, and they both turned into humans, except that one of them kicked out while the other jumped up and grabbed the tree trunk.

"Hey, you stole my prey and then tried to kick me? Isn't that going too far?"

"Ha, I haven't even taught you a lesson for trespassing on my territory, and you're already saying I'm going too far?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your territory. My family said I was an adult and kicked me out to live on my own," Emerick replied, bowing his head with remorse.

He didn't say anything wrong, but he missed some important information, such as that he was rushing out to find a partner. Of course, this is not important because he has already found a partner. All that's left is to get someone to agree to go home with him.

"I forgive you this time, but the next time I see you in my territory, you won't be just prey. Get lost." With that, Severus transformed back into a black panther, grabbed his prey, and left, completely ignoring Emeric in the tree.

The man, draped in a large animal skin, used a bone knife to cut open the sheepskin, peeled it off, and after a quick and haphazard treatment, prepared to roast it over a fire. This was how he had done it for years.

He was injured when he was just an adult. He met a couple, one of whom was a very good cook. They fed him like a child for a few months. Otherwise, he wouldn't have softened his heart today when he heard that the strange cat had just come of age.

"Meow~ Meow~" Can I stay here for a while? I'll hunt every day to pay for my lodging.

"Meow~" I can cook, and I cook very well.

"real?"

"Meow~" It's not tasty. I'll do whatever you tell me to do.

"You said it yourself."

Severus was also getting tired of his own cooking; why not eat something better? He stepped aside to make room and watched Emeric's cooking.

For convenience, Emeric transformed into human form, thankful that his father had taught him cooking. Otherwise, given the large black panther's wary nature, he probably would never have been able to enter its territory.

"Is there anything you don't like to eat?"

"no."

Severus leaned against the wall, his thoughts already wandering. He hadn't noticed that Emeric looked a lot like the couple from many years ago, and even smelled the same. Could it really be their child?

Didn't your parents tell you where you were going?

"No, my father was so happy that he completely forgot that I was causing trouble between him and my father. He taught me this skill because he was afraid I would starve to death by myself."

Hearing this, Severus felt he had guessed correctly. He began to look forward to the roasted lamb, thinking it would definitely taste better than his own.

Thanks to his excellent culinary skills, Emeric managed to stay in Severus's territory, becoming a cook and hunter who was always by his lord's side. Severus was quite pleased with this arrangement; he only needed to patrol the territory daily, and if they encountered intruders, the two of them could fight them together. Emeric's skills were surprisingly good.

So much so that years later, no other felines could be seen in the territory; only the two of them lived together. Severus didn't find anything amiss, and Emeric was happy not to point it out. He was prepared for a long battle, since he had driven all the other orcs away.

"How long are you going to stay here?"

"Isn't this a good thing?"

"What's so good about it? Don't think I don't know you bite my neck every night."

I like you~

"Let's not talk about that. Is there anything you want to eat? I'll go hunting and check if there are any other animals in the territory. I'll be back late. If you're hungry, have some jerky to tide you over, and I'll cook when I get back."

"If you want rabbit meat, you can catch whatever else you want."

It's been cold lately, and Severus has been a bit lazy, unlike Emeric who can eat and sleep all day. Once it gets warmer, he'll kick the little rascal out; he's been snuggling up to him all day and it's so hot.

Rabbits are hard to catch in winter, but Emeric managed to catch two after a lot of effort. They were probably not going to be full, but they were just right, and with the fish he had just caught, they were just the right amount for the two of them.

He happily carried his prey home, then cooked and made soup. Once everything was ready, he went back to the bedroom, dug Severus out of bed, and invited him to eat with him, sneaking a kiss on the cheek. Emeric knew that Severus was actually acquiescing; he figured he could slowly coax him into giving in eventually.