Chapter 73……………………………………..
If you don’t know something, the way to handle it is simple: gather information!
From that point on, all of us united as one and began studying the divine beast.
Naturally, the research topic was: “How should a divine beast be raised?”
After several experiments and studies, we were able to roughly understand the divine beast.
The first research result we discovered:
The divine beast’s main diet is magic.
Even while it choked on plain insects, it would readily eat things like pieces of a Specter’s hide.
It seemed willing to eat anything infused with magic, without discrimination.
Of course, pieces of a Specter’s hide are expensive on their own, so for now, powder made from ground magic stones would suffice.
“This will be resolved once I develop my abilities as much as Mom did.”
When I treated Per before, I realized I also had magic, so this wasn’t a pressing concern.
The next piece of information we learned: the divine beast doesn’t need to drink water.
Even when we gave it water, it just stared blankly.
It even seemed to observe its wings and tail feathers in the water, as if it knew the reflection was itself.
The third thing we learned:
The divine beast is quite intelligent.
“Seeing this, it really does seem to be a divine beast.”
Anyway, these were the three biggest things we discovered.
The rest were things everyone already knew openly.
First, this young divine beast recognized me as its mother.
“But it didn’t seem to dislike others either.”
More precisely, it seemed to follow anyone with abundant magic.
Maybe because it recognized someone who feeds it?
Anyway, for this reason, it seemed to follow Mom and Harzen Dad right after me…
Kyle Dad kept poking it constantly.
Perhaps because of that, Deric Dad didn’t touch the divine beast at all.
It wasn’t that it disliked people without magic—it just didn’t like Kyle Dad.
Anyway.
“Its abilities… I still haven’t figured them out.”
Since its main diet is magic, it likely possesses some magic or an equivalent ability.
But as a newborn baby, it might not even know how to use its abilities yet, so that’s something to leave for later.
That’s all we discovered today.
After finishing the research, we did the most important thing:
Naming the divine beast!
<How about Chickie? ♪♬ It’s simple and cute.>
<It’s a divine beast, though—shouldn’t it have a slightly more sophisticated name?>
<Confusing.>
<Deric’s right. If it’s too similar to a human name, it could be confusing.>
After a long, unproductive discussion, we finally reached a unanimous decision.
The name would be…
<Yeppi!>
Pretty, cute, and peeping, so Yeppi!
Of course, this was my idea.
“Hehe.”
I poked Yeppi, who had approached me.
Yeppi slid back when I pushed, then bounced back and rubbed its cheek against my finger.
“So cute.”
Our first meeting wasn’t entirely pleasant.
But now that it happened, let’s try living well together.
Just like in the legends, helping the world widely…!
“To do that, we have a top priority.”
I looked at Yeppi with determination.
“To live a long, long life with Mom.”
The longer Mom lives, the more peaceful the world becomes.
I can guarantee it.
“So you have to grow strong. Got it?”
I’ll grow strong too, so let’s do this together.
“You understand me, right?”
“Pee?”
“You understand… right?”
“Pee!”
“Good, let’s say you understand.”
Since it’s only our first day, I can’t understand all of Yeppi’s words yet.
And it probably can’t fully understand mine either.
“Good!”
Anyway, we’ve had a busy day, so it’s time to go to dreamland!
I crawled into the blankets.
Mom and Dad had already given me a goodnight kiss and gone back to their bedroom.
Now, to truly become a child of the new country for tomorrow—
Tap.
-Before that.
“Hmm.”
I heard a sound from the window, quickly pushed back the blanket, and went to investigate.
Now I knew what the sound was.
“Per!”
I opened the window wide and called in a small voice.
But all I saw was the night sky, dark as ink.
“Huh?”
No one was there.
What’s going on?
“Did I hear it wrong…?”
I had woken up for no reason.
I was about to turn back, scratching my cheek awkwardly, when—
“Did you wait for me?”
Suddenly, a playful voice came from behind.
I quickly turned to see Per hanging upside down from the window.
“Per, can’t you come in a normal way?”
Why do you always find such ridiculous ways to surprise me?
“It’s better if my entrance is impressive.”
Per grinned mischievously and dropped down lightly.
“Then you’ll remember me better.”
“If that’s really the reason, you don’t have to…”
I’d remember him anyway.
I sighed deeply while looking at his red eyes.
If I couldn’t remember this face, that would be foolish, wouldn’t it?
‘Especially since our first meeting was so intense.’
In a world where everything stopped except for us,
How could I forget a boy making strange sounds and collapsing?
Oh, by the way.
“Are you okay now?”
I put my hand on Per’s forehead.
“You had a fever when we first met.”
Per pulled my hand away and let out a small laugh.
“You’re only asking now?”
“Well, I can ask now.”
His fever seemed completely gone. His forehead felt almost icy.
“As you can see.”
He shrugged as I withdrew my hand.
“I’ve recovered enough to appear in front of your parents now.”
“Yet you still sneak over…”
Even now, he only comes when Mom and Dad aren’t around.
But now he doesn’t stop time like before.
“That’s because…”
Per flicked his eyebrow and murmured casually.
“It’s a bother.”
“Are you saying Mom and Dad are bothersome right now?”
Well, a little bothersome, yes.
But leave Mom out of that!
“Anyway.”
Per lightly ignored my objection and changed the subject.
“It really did get resolved well.”
Do you think I’d just let him casually change the subject?
“Ah, yeah. It did get resolved in the end.”
Right, it worked out well.
“I wanted to thank you anyway, so this is perfect.”
I smiled at Per.
“Thanks, Per. It’s all thanks to your advice.”
Of course, I doubted it until Kyle Dad gave me a push.
But as you said, when the whole family works together, it works out.
“……”
Per didn’t reply to my thanks; his eyelashes fluttered silently.
The tips of his ears, always pure white, were faintly tinged with red.
