True nurturing in the full sense begins. No, it’s less about nurturing and more about parenting.
Bathing.
Teaching the basics.
Feeding by hand.
Even worse, Vestia is constantly plotting an escape, and on the other hand, also seeks to endanger my life. But there’s nothing like this.
Is it hard, you ask?
‘Absolutely not.’
After all, foxes are cute, and cuteness can forgive anything. I now understand why fathers who dote on their daughters exist.
“Kyip!”
Lin starts barking.
By being together for some time, I’ve gotten to understand the general meaning behind her barks. This one means she wants food.
“No, you can’t have any more. You just ate.”
“Kyaaaang!”
“It’s impossible, and that’s that. I have no intention of raising a pig.”
“Hmph!”
Lin, clearly insulted by the lack of food, lies down in a corner with her tail curled under her, ignoring me entirely as she begins grooming herself with her tongue.
Lin, who only pretends to behave during meal times but acts as though she doesn’t know me once she’s full.
‘What a wretched fox.’
I had some idea this would happen, but accounting for that, she’s still quite frustrating. There have been moments where I almost unleashed a slap.
‘But I must endure.’
If I were to resort to violence, our relationship improvement would end there. However, letting her be would be a waste of all the money invested in food, so I enacted a sort of personal revenge.
“Kyip?”
Lin, who was curled up on the floor, was lifted and embraced on the bed. Holding her like a bear hug, I buried my nose in her fluffy tail.
“Sniff, hmm… Intense fox scent.”
The concentrated aroma of her tail.
Is this the notorious ‘tail-ether’? It’s incredibly addictive. I inhaled the scent like a vacuum cleaner trying to absorb everything.
“Caaaaaang!”
Lin is shocked.
Attempting an emergency escape, but it’s futile. My arms and legs encircle her body like an octopus, leaving no space for evasion.
Accept the consequences of baring your teeth at your master.
Tail trembling.
Cheeks soft.
“Kgrrrrt…!”
Small paws twitch uncontrollably.
Fingers slipping between her toes.
Lin, who can resist in my arms with only the one last attempt, makes a desperate move.
“CAAAAAAANG!”
Never.
Roooaaar.
‘Ah, forcing myself to play is hard too.’
After playing around with Lin and finishing up other errands, I stepped out of the inn.
Even the most necessary tasks should have at least a bit of personal drive. That is how job satisfaction stays high.
Not knowing how draining dealing with things solely for professional reasons can be unless experienced. Playing with Lin was exactly like that.
Sigh, I should start thinking about the list of things to do next.
‘Rubbing her sides and calves… I made her burst out laughing.’
Since it’s work, I need to do it thoroughly. Yes.
“Oh, human bachelor. You’re here again?”
I arrived at the market.
A bear demi-human ran a fish stall. I came here to buy some fish for the cats.
“Hehe, I’m here again.”
“The fish are piled up in the bucket over there. Since you buy so much, I’ll give you a discount. Just 10 silver.”
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. Are these for the cats?”
The bear lady knows.
By consistently feeding the cats, I’ve become the famous ‘Cat Mother’ of Vestia.
“Yes, as you might guess, right?”
“I don’t mind. Those stray cats used to steal but now with you buying and paying, we have a stable income. I don’t even need to prepare for winter this year.”
She might just take a winter nap.
By this point, she isn’t a bear demi-human anymore but a talking circus bear.
“Bachelor, how about settling down in Vestia once and for all?”
“Unfortunately, I have many tasks.”
To the aunt, I passed on the word that I would return tomorrow and picked up the bucket. The bucket filled with fresh fish that were still wriggling. I headed to the alley where the Cat People were.
The alley was lined with Cat People, already in line. It had become second nature, evident from the past few days.
“Jjikan! You’re a bit late today!”
“That’s right, Ms. Jjotnyangi. However, there are more people today than yesterday.”
The line that stretched along the alley extended up to the corner. There must be about 30 of them.
“The news that a human gave away fish without any return spread quickly.”
All according to plan.
I gave them all a pleasant smile.
“Everyone, please come. If you contract with me, you’ll get the fish free of charge.”
I’ve successfully increased the Cat People’s affection today as well.
If I were running a shop, I would take them home and give them cat massages. They would have doubled their money.
“Would you like a newspaper? It covers news from the Vestia Kingdom to the Traur Kingdom!”
A canine demi-human promoting newspapers amongst the crowd. White hair with pink-dyed sideburns…
“Poppie?”
“Wait, how do you… Do you know me?”
I couldn’t believe it, but it really was Poppie.
Who would have thought they’d make a domestic game character?
“Isn’t Poppie extremely famous among humans? There isn’t a person who doesn’t know you.”
“Does that mean… that I am truly that famous?”
Poppie had a look of disbelief, but this was an undeniable truth. Just hearing the name ‘Poppie,’ one gets a sense of what she looks like, right?
If you think of a dwarf wielding a hammer, alas.
“Poppie, I’d like one copy, please.”
“Ah, yes! It’s 30 copper coins.”
“I don’t carry copper coins around. You don’t need to give me change. Buy yourself some dog treats.”
I handed her a silver coin.
Poppie gazed dumbfoundedly at the silver coin in her hand.
“K, thank you, sir! You’ll be blessed!”
“Haha, don’t mention it. Be careful yourself, Poppie.”
After exchanging warm greetings with Poppie, I took a seat on a suitable bench and opened the newspaper.
The front page was filled with a headline.
-Hubaoyou, the Panda Aristocrat from the Yunseol Family. Strategic marriage for friendship with the Barenhar Family of the Traur Kingdom.
Hubaoyou, while leaving her estate, declared, “I am the golden branch and jade leaf of the Yunseol family!” as she sorrowfully called out… The people, deeply moved by her noble sacrifice, cried tears that formed a river…
“Hmm.”
A strategic marriage between the nobility of Traur Kingdom and Vestia.
Other than the fact that the participants are humans and demi-humans, it’s not particularly surprising. Establishing friendships with other kingdoms is a commonplace occurrence anyway.
Next.
-Elves of the Great Forest Entering Society?
It is reported that recently elves, especially young ones, have begun to unveil themselves from the Great Forest. It’s revealed that those elves are entertaining humans in taverns… causing great shock to the world…
What?
Elves working in taverns?
Who on earth…
‘Who came up with such a groundbreaking idea?’
If elves dress up and serve customers, pouring drinks, it seems they make a killing. Whoever it is, they’ve come up with a great idea.
‘But why are elves working in taverns?’
Considering the elves’ racial superiority and pride, it’s absolutely unfathomable that they’d do this willingly.
I have no idea what wind has blown.
There’s more in the article, so I read on.
The comet-like rise of a new trading company led by elves. Its name is none other than the Death God Trading Company.
Death God again?
Anyway, whoever thought of these names lacks naming sense, and it shows in these minor things about the company despite the potential. It’s already a mess.
‘While someone is tirelessly scouting for slaves, someone else is easily making money.’
Why not just fail spectacularly?
There was no further interesting article, so I folded the newspaper. Time to go let Lin have some belly rubs.
Grrrr…
The sound of thunder rolled.
Looking up at the sky, dark clouds were gathering far away.
It seems like it’s going to rain.
*
Torrential wind and rain beating fiercely against the windows.
Amidst lightning flashes and thunder roars.
To Karami’s query, “Are you not scared of thunder? Would you like to sleep with me?” Lin lying in the corner of the room, turned her nose up at her with a “Hmph!”
On her ankle wore a chain acquired by Karami. It was slightly loose and wrapped in fur, so it didn’t hurt her at all.
Lin curled her long and fluffy tail around herself, using it as both a blanket and a pillow, forming a perfect circle when viewed from above.
“Hhhaam.”
Sleeping in a place completely different from where she usually got her deep sleep, and in an entirely different environment than before, it would’ve been understandable if sleep didn’t come easily.
Yet, after filling her belly with delicious meals she’d never tasted before.
When the fox demi-humans made her sleep in obscure corners outside the village because they believed misfortune would spread from her.
Even then, there were nights she would wake up startled by approaching monsters and run away.
Lin, who had survived in such conditions, found it even easier to fall asleep in her current changed environment.
“…”
Lin stared at Karami sleeping on the bed.
She doesn’t understand why Karami is so kind to her. Even though she’s grateful for the delicious food, Lin doesn’t trust her blindly.
As humans teach their children, “Don’t follow strangers,” the fox demi-humans teach their young, “Humans will capture fox demi-humans and skin us.”
While Lin hasn’t directly learned, she’s eavesdropped on several generations of such teachings. Despite her young mental age, it’s natural for the idea that “humans are dangerous” to be engraved in her mind.
Thus, Karami surely has an ulterior motive. Even if she doesn’t, misfortune will eventually find Lin, and she’ll surely be rejected and driven away.
Nevertheless, Lin doesn’t care. It’s her mistake for being born with this pink coat.
Until she is driven away, all she cares about is eating as much delicious food as possible.
I wonder what I’ll eat tomorrow.
I hope it’s meat again.
Wishing for another dream of eating meat, Lin closed her eyes.
Saaaah…
The wind blew.
A chilling, eerie wind.
It was strange. The doors were all closed, there should be no way for the wind to come in. Out of curiosity, Lin opened her eyes.
“Kyip…?”
The unusual air in the room.
In front of her, an invisible force was twisting and contorting the space, as endless cold indigo mists spiraled like reverse galaxies, distorting the atmosphere.
A vague silhouette revealed in deep darkness.
A shadowy form, like fog.
Bony hands gripping a massive scythe.
Mysterious indigo auras spreading from the darkness.
It was hard to see in the dimly lit room.
But when the thunder and lightning illuminated the sky,
“Clang!”
For a flash of a moment, its form became visible. In that fleeting second, Lin caught a clear sight of it.
The Death God.
It was the Death God.
A piercing blue light emanated from the hood covering its skeletal eyes.
