Every time someone asks him about kemono, he struggles to explain without using the word monster.

"Um. Yes, there are kemono here. They're a little different from the kemono I know, but... Miss Yukina and her demon friends are kemono. I've talked to a kemono girl with wings too."

And every time, he fails.

With a little frown, he eventually concedes, "Some humans would call them monsters. The humans here are different though."

His grip on his shovel tightens imperceptibly.

"It's a very good thing that the people here aren't fighting. I just thought... Maybe if I learned about a problem or a mystery here and was able to help solve it... I might be allowed to return home."