Chapter 8
That was right.
I was the only one who could talk to divine beasts.
And the woman taken to the main palace refused to reveal the cure even if she died.
From what I heard, despite being just a small fry, her loyalty was so strong she wouldn’t say a word.
So I had to go.
Right now.
Immediately.
“Lead the way!”
[Why would I go there? I’m not going!
“You’re not going when your friends are sick? Aren’t you going to help get the Water of Life?”
[Humans caused this, so humans should fix it. Why should I help?]
The only divine beast who could help me, Kallian, was being difficult.
“That wasn’t me! There’s a bad person behind it, so why won’t you help me too?!”
[I don’t care. Figure it out yourself. I’m not going to the Divine Beast Forest.]
With that, Kallian turned his back and lay down.
“If there’s no Water of Life, everyone but you will die!”
[…]
“What if the chick dies? He’s your friend.”
[Friend? Hardly.]
But his voice softened noticeably at the mention of Meho.
[…Still, I don’t want to go to the forest.]
What was that?
Less prickly than before.
Almost like there was a reason.
I moved closer to the turned-away Kallian.
“Is there a reason you don’t want to go to the Divine Beast Forest?”
[…]
There was.
Definitely.
“You can tell me. I’m the only person who can hear you.”
[What would you do if you knew?]
No matter how notorious Kallian was—
He was still just a young divine beast.
When I coaxed him gently, he answered gruffly but turned his head to look at me.
“You’re the divine beast I take care of. I want to know why you don’t want to return home.”
Whether people or animals—
Gentle voices soften hearts.
I spoke as kindly as I could while stroking his back.
Soft fluffy fur slid through my fingers.
[If I go to the forest… I think I’ll want to stay there.]
Kallian muttered quietly.
That makes sense.
Divine beasts belonged in the forest.
I understood.
But I needed his help today.
I needed someone who knew the way.
And he’d said there were traps to get through.
“I understand that feeling. This isn’t my home either.”
[…Really?]
“Yeah. The place I lived in is very far away. So far that even if I wanted to return, I never could.”
At that, Kallian turned fully toward me.
[What do you do when you want to go back?]
“Well…”
Truthfully, my old life had been so harsh I had never really wanted to return.
But if I wanted to persuade Kallian—
I had to use every bit of empathy I had.
I gave a bittersweet smile and stared toward the distant mountains outside.
The sunlight nearly blinded me.
“You endure longing alone. Even when you’re lonely, you bear it. That’s part of becoming an adult.”
Apparently my reflective tone worked.
Kallian wriggled upright.
Looking at me uncertainly.
It had definitely worked.
[If I endure it like you… does it get easier?
“It’s not exactly that it gets easier. You just live with it covered over. You keep missing it. And over time… it dulls a little. Slowly it becomes bearable.”
And for the finishing touch—
a wistful smile.
Perfect.
Kallian looked at me with much gentler eyes.
As if realizing we shared the same pain.
[Let’s go.]
“Really? You’ll come with me?”
[Come before I change my mind.]
With that, Kallian jumped from the windowsill.
His tail stood straight, apparently in a good mood.
“Alright. Let’s go!”
Smiling broadly, I set off with Kallian on an unexpected journey.
* * *
“Huff… huff…”
When I heard “Divine Beast Forest,” I imagined some mystical fairytale forest.
Pretty flowers.
Deer by streams.
Butterflies fluttering.
Yeah, right.
The Divine Beast Forest was on a brutal mountain.
Before we even reached the traps, I nearly died just searching for the entrance.
And from the entrance onward—
There were so many traps guarding the forest that without Kallian, I would absolutely have died.
By the time we reached the true entrance—
I collapsed.
“I’m never coming again…”
Kallian clicked his tongue at my lifeless state.
[This week, and you think you can save divine beasts?]
“Says the one walking on four legs…”
While my legs had given out—
Kallian was leisurely grooming himself.
The nerve.
“Anyway, going in there means we’re in the Divine Beast Forest?”
[Yes. Rested enough? Follow me.]
Kallian slipped through an arch of bushes.
I hurried after him.
And then—
The real Divine Beast Forest appeared.
“Wow…”
Yes.
This.
This was what I imagined.
Fields full of colorful flowers.
Trees with mysterious purple leaves.
Butterflies with glowing wings drifting through dense brush.
It looked like an entirely different world.
Not something hidden in a harsh mountain.
Even the blue sky and drifting white clouds looked like a painting.
I was so absorbed in the beauty—
I only snapped out of it when Kallian smacked me with a jelly-paw punch.
[What are you doing? Hurry up!
“O-Oh. Sorry.”
I almost got distracted by the scenery.
Following behind Kallian—
We reached a giant river crossing the center of the forest.
The water shimmered in sunlight.
More transparent than anything I’d ever seen.
“The water quality must be amazing.”
Probably beyond first-grade water.
[What nonsense are you saying? Stop talking and fill the bottle.]
Kallian irritably nudged a container toward me.
That brat.
Anyway—
I filled the container with calm river water and sealed it.
Up close it looked even clearer.
Clear enough to make me want to drink it.
[Done? Let’s leave before sunset.]
“Wait. Hasn’t it been a long time since you’ve been here?”
[So?]
“So prickly. Come here.”
I set down the water and reached for him.
Naturally he recoiled.
“Come on! You said we have to leave before sunset!”
[Why suddenly?! What are you doing?!]
“Would I do something bad to you? What do you take me for? Just let me hold you.”
[What a horrifying thing to say. Stay away!
Kallian puffed up in alarm.
But before he could escape—
I grabbed him.
[Aaah! Let go!]
“Hold still.”
Then I ran to a large rock I had noticed earlier.
His legs flailed in the air.
[Let go! This lowly human keeps touching me!
Someday I really needed to fix this baby predator’s rude mouth.
I climbed the rock.
It was high enough to overlook much of the forest.
[Let go! Let go!]
“Look.”
Ignoring his complaints, I stretched my arms out.
Kallian dangled in my hands.
“How is it? Pretty, right? Not the whole forest, but you can still see far.”
The red sunset hung over the horizon.
The forest was bathed in orange.
From above—
It looked peaceful.
Warm.
Birdsong.
The sound of the river.
Distant laughter from young divine beasts playing.
All blended into beautiful music.
“You can come back again someday. Until then, hold on to the memory of today’s forest whenever you miss it. Okay?”
Sunset light covered Kallian’s limp body.
The reflection filled his clear eyes.
Huh. He doesn’t seem to hate it.
Kallian stared at the sunset-soaked forest for a long time.
As if trying to memorize every part.
And seeing that—
I smiled.
There wasn’t much more I could do for him.
But I truly hoped—
this might ease his longing.
even just a little.
Send Chapter 9 whenever you’re ready.
