Pegasus Baby Wants to Stay Laid-Back!
CHAPTER 19…………………………………..
Hmph. Do you think divine beasts are so common that they’d be forming families like ordinary people? If that were true, there wouldn’t be any land left on this continent. Do you know how big I am?
“How big?”
As big as a mountain range.
‘…Suspicious.’
At that outrageous boast, Lin’s eyes instantly narrowed into triangles.
What’s with that disrespectful look?
“Scammer…?”
What? Why, you cheeky brat—
Smack!
As the stuffed toy swung its front paw, Lin felt something flick against her forehead.
Looking bewildered, she touched the spot.
Only a divine beast can use divine power. And controlling it that precisely—like I just did—is something only someone as exceptional as me can do.
“I can do that with my wind ability too.”
Divine power is completely different from mere abilities. You know that, don’t you?
At Caligo’s next words, Lin’s eyes grew wide.
The ability you awakened—no one has ever possessed that before.
Prophetic dreams.
Did he know something about the dream she had thought was her first awakening?
Lin focused on his words, nodding obediently at his next request.
Show me your true form.
“My true form? You mean beast form?”
If that’s what beast-folk call it, sure. That.
Poof!
Lin transformed in an instant.
Since it was just her stuffed toy in front of her, she felt no need to hesitate.
Her unusually colored mane fluttered in the breeze, and a strange fawn-like creature, no bigger than a puppy, blinked its large eyes.
A tiny horn—like a pearl glued to her round forehead—jutted out.
A horn, huh.
Lin rolled her eyes.
She remembered the odd feeling she had when that horn first appeared.
Right. Your divine power is concentrated here.
“My power is in my horn? So it wasn’t a bad thing after all…”
Letting out a relieved “phew,” Lin thought back to when Theo-uncle had taken her to the doctor and reassured her it was nothing.
Uncle was right.
There’s nothing wrong with me.
It’s more than “not bad.” A vessel of divine power can twist the laws of the world and perform miracles.
“Ooh.”
That’s all the amazement you’ve got? Do you know how many thousands of humans risked their lives trying to take my orb—something like your horn?
The stuffed toy flapped its little arms irritably.
Lin, thinking the motion was cute, reached out as if to hug the toy—but Caligo bolted away, making her pout.
She reached for her hair out of habit, like she would in human form—then realized her short front legs didn’t reach the same way, and suddenly remembered something important.
‘So… I’m not a mutant pegasus, I’m just a divine beast?’
Her heart soared.
Tapping the ground excitedly with her hooves, Lin asked:
“Hey, hey. If I’m a divine beast, then what kind am I?”
Call me Caligo. And what?
“You said you’re a dragon, right? Then am I a dragon too?”
What? Of course not. In this world, there are only two dragons—me and that white one.
“What about me?”
You… I don’t know.
Caligo stared at Lin’s beast form and muttered:
You look sort of like a deer, but your mane and tail are like a horse’s. And these wings… I’ve never seen anything like this.
Though a little disappointed that even a dragon didn’t have the answer, Lin quickly brightened.
At least she wasn’t a mutant beast-folk—she was a divine beast. That was progress.
‘…Wait. Not a mutant beast-folk, but a mutant divine beast…?’
Lin scrunched her nose at the new possibility.
Caligo watched her curiously, then lost interest and spoke casually:
Well, maybe you’re from another world’s divine beasts.
“Another world?”
At that, Lin instantly thought of Earth—the other world she’d seen.
Yeah. Dragons can cross worlds.
“Wow!”
At her genuine awe, Caligo lifted his stuffed-toy chin proudly.
There are only two divine beasts—dragons—in this world, plus you now. But the worlds are as countless as the stars, and each has its own divine beasts.
Caligo went on, telling her how in one world there were four guardian beasts besides dragons… and in another, dragons like him were called “dragons” and classified by color, like something out of an adventure book.
If you travel around, maybe you’ll find one like you.
“A divine beast like me! I want to see one!”
Well… if I ever feel like it, maybe I’ll look into it.
“Huh? Not now?”
Why would I? It’s a hassle.
With a crooked expression that did not match his cute plush form, Caligo plopped back onto the bed.
“But I’m really curious…”
Hmph.
No matter how much Lin begged, Caligo just lay there like a useless bum, pointedly snorting at her.
She puffed her cheeks like a squirrel in annoyance—just as the door opened.
“Lin? You’re up?” came Theodore’s voice.
“Uncle Theo!”
Flap-flap-flap—
Lin happily ran over, grabbed his hand, and pulled him to the bed.
Pointing at the limp black pegasus doll, she said excitedly:
“Ka-mangie has a divine beast inside! And I’m a divine beast too!”
“…?”
Seeing Theodore bewildered, Lin hurried to explain.
How the stuffed toy he’d given her had moved, how Caligo had told her what she was—everything.
But her uncle’s lukewarm look made Lin call forth her “witness.”
“Caligo, tell him!”
“…”
“Caligo?”
The toy that had just been rolling lazily moments ago now lay completely still—like an actual stuffed animal.
“Huh? That’s weird… Caligo was just here!”
“You had a good dream, didn’t you?”
As Lin shook the plushie desperately as if to make it wake up, Theodore simply patted her head gently.
He’d already consulted a doctor after the prophetic-dream incident.
‘At Lin’s age, it’s normal for imaginary friends or dreams to feel real,’ the doctor had said.
It was all part of healthy development—nothing to worry about.
Feeling reassured, Theodore smiled warmly at her.
“You really love that toy, don’t you?”
“Huh? I mean, I do like it, but…”
“Mumbling about ‘Ka-mangie’ and ‘Caligo’… you must’ve given it a new name.”
‘Better to nurture imagination than insist an imaginary friend isn’t real.’
Recalling that bit of childcare advice, Theodore listened patiently to his niece’s story.
After a long while, he returned to his office upon receiving a report.
Left alone, Lin walked back to the stuffed toy, puzzled.
“Caligo… did you slip away?”
I’m still here.
“Ah?!”
Lin rushed over, waving her little arms as she explained everything that happened.
“When did you come back? Uncle just left! I tried to introduce you—”
I saw everything. No need to explain.
“Huh?”
I heard your half-baked explanation to that Theo-whatever-bear too.
He snickered meanly, making Lin’s eyes sharpen.
“You pretended to be a toy on purpose?”
Other people are a hassle.
“Uncle Theo isn’t a hassle!”
To me they’re all the same. I’ve lost interest in meddling with the lower world.
His bored tone clashed with his cute plushy appearance.
Putting his words together, Lin widened her eyes.
“So you’re going to keep pretending to be a toy?”
Why should I bother talking to anyone else? Having a bond with you alone is more than enough.
