“Hmm, it seems there’s no sign of further growth.”
It was a mutter from Yu Hwa, who was observing Lin’s condition as usual during training.
Since Lin had grown five tails, there had been no visible growth like before. Even absorbing magic energy from defeating strong monsters yielded no change.
It felt as if something large was blocking her path. Like in martial arts, it was as if she needed some kind of enlightenment to reach the next level.
Yu Hwa seemed equally at a loss regarding that enlightenment. But, perhaps it was just an illusion, it felt as if Lin was more anxious about her halted growth than Yu Hwa was.
“What’s the matter?”
“Princess Hilde visited earlier.”
“That crazy person?”
“You’re probably the only one in the world who would call Princess Hilde crazy.”
“If she just couldn’t say it, everyone would think that way inside.”
Plucking the feathers of newly transformed beastkin.
Burning down the acorn storage of squirrel beastkin.
Flipping over turtle beastkin so they couldn’t get up.
At this point, it could be considered cute. Sometimes, she would go out of the kingdom and cause havoc when bored.
When exploring in a game, the moment the phrase “Encountered Vestia’s female lion Hilde” pops up, I can’t help but think, “Oh, this damn girl is back again!”
It’s easier to think that it’s going to be a disaster when I simply meet her. The fact that such a crazy person came to visit doesn’t sit well with me.
“Why did that crazy person come?”
“She said she wanted some fortune-telling as a surface reason, but she’s also suspicious of whether Lin is a Gumiho. I managed to brush her off with some excuses, but someday we will have to confront each other. There’s a thread of fate connecting the two of you.”
“Can’t we just cut it with scissors?”
“Fate can’t be cut so easily… Sigh.”
What’s with the sigh? Don’t give up.
I thought it was a rather clever idea. Yu Hwa, who seemed to be disinterested in pursuing the conversation anymore, let out a deep sigh and sipped her tea to moisten her dry throat.
“Master, don’t worry. Lin will take care of it.”
“That would be perfect, but…”
It’s not an option where Gumiho is concerned. Lin puffs her cheeks as if she can’t trust herself, but there are things in this world that can’t be resolved with mere trust.
She must become a Chilmihyo.
She still needs two more tails.
“We need to go to Baeyun Gorge.”
“Why there?”
“Because I said my growth is blocked.”
The slaves of Taosul, who have their own stories, don’t undergo infinite growth just by repeating training. To reach a higher realm, they have specific issues they need to resolve.
Mirabel and Harold were like that, and so was Arfia’s suffering.
Liberation from the shackles that bind them. Growth and freedom are intricately linked.
In Lin’s case, it was the Ho-yo tribe of Baeyun Gorge. She needed to break the chain that had oppressed her for eons.
“There are things to gain from there as well.”
The fateful opportunity deep within the fox den would accelerate Lin’s growth.
However, ever since I mentioned going back to Baeyun Gorge, Lin expressed her strong dislike.
“I hate those people. I don’t even want to see their faces. Just tell me to live there for the rest of my life.”
I understand. A frog in a well. Lin, who is a fox in a valley, isn’t like that anymore.
Back then, being happy with just eating potatoes, now that she has come out and eats meat, she must realize how barren her past environment was.
If that’s all it takes, it’s already a good thing. They even drove her to the brink to lure out monsters. It’s admirable that she hasn’t returned for revenge immediately after gaining strength.
“So we must go even more. We should bring meat and show them, ‘This is what you don’t have at your home,’ to release some steam, right?”
“…Is that so?”
“If Lin hasn’t committed any sin, then why avoid them? Let’s go and show them how well Lin is living.”
“If that’s the case…”
Lin seems to reluctantly be swayed.
It seems she doesn’t fully understand, but don’t worry. When we get there, she’ll be surprised.
Plans were set, but it was a little premature to go right away. I had just awakened not long ago, and my body wasn’t fully healed for a carriage journey.
So, to recover, I thought it would be nice to enjoy some cultural activities after a long time. Since I had come to this other world, it would be a waste to just run straight ahead, wouldn’t it?
Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a detour.
“Are you not coming out right now? If you don’t come, I’ll blow your house away!”
The place I visited was a theater.
The stage was shrouded in darkness. A pig beast was looking out the window from a house-shaped platform, and a wolfman was standing at the door.
Today’s play was the well-known story of the Three Little Pigs.
The first and second pigs built their houses of straw and wood because they were too lazy.
But later, they were brutally attacked by a wolf, prompting them to flee to the little pig’s house.
The little pig built a sturdy house of bricks by investing time, and thanks to that, the house didn’t crumble under the wolf’s assault.
It was a fairy tale with a lesson that one should prepare for the future, much like the little pig. The content I saw in childhood illustrated by beastkin was astonishing.
“But why is the little pig first?”
The platform was shaped like the brick house. The owner of that house was the little pig, Popo.
In a tale of the Three Little Pigs, the one built of bricks should appear last, shouldn’t it? But the little pig appeared first.
“Hey, poor uncle! If you can throw me, go ahead and try!”
The little pig taunted the wolf. The wolf, demonstrating vigorous anger, began to demolish the brick house with a pickaxe. One side of the wall was entirely exposed as the house collapsed.
“Eek! My house!”
From the ruins emerged female pig Popo. Shaking her arms cutely, Popo ran into the second pig’s wooden house.
The wolf, after chasing the little pig, arrived at the wooden house without fail.
“Quick, open the door, you quick little pigs! Before I eat your plump flesh!”
“You think this house was built strong from wood? I can’t break it like before with a pickaxe!”
Then the wolf started a fire. This wasn’t the naive wolf I knew who just huffed and puffed. Obviously, the house caught fire and the pigs fled.
The pigs hid in the first pig’s straw house. Naturally, it was far inferior in quality compared to the previous ones. All huddled together there, it looked like today the wolf was going to feast.
“Huff, huff… Can’t you come out?”
The wolf, panting from chasing the pigs and breaking down the houses, was exhausted. Just then, the first pig emerged behind a curtain made of straw, which hadn’t even served as a proper door.
“Finally giving up…?”
But something looked strange. The second and third pigs timidly appeared behind the first. All were wearing revealing, risqué clothes, displaying alluring figures.
The first pig approached the wolf with a sultry smile. She slightly bent forward, highlighting her cleavage at an exquisite angle.
“Mr. Wolf, you look really tired right now. How about coming in to rest for a bit?”
“Huh?”
“A plump pig, you don’t want to eat, do you?”
The first pig counted her fingers, tickling the wolf’s fur. Temptingly. She whispered, blowing hot breath into the wolf’s ear.
“It’s a chance for sisterly bedding, you know?”
“……!”
The scene showed the reversal of predator and prey. As if entranced, the wolf was led by the pigs into the tiny straw house, thus ending the play.
Today’s lesson:
Even if you’re lazy, you can live if you shake your butt well.
Title: The Three Sisters of Pigs.
….
‘What did I just see?’
It was too different from what I remembered. It should be more uplifting, something that can teach life lessons to children, right?
Where did the pigs go, and where was the flower serpent?
Was I the only one wondering? The surrounding audience erupted in cheers and gave standing ovations.
Lin clasped her hands, looking heavenly, and started diligently taking notes in the Fox bead.
“When in a crisis, females can seduce the preferred males by shaking their tails. Note…”
I decided not to check what that content was.
“Master, that play was amazing! The world is truly meant to be lived like that. I think I’ve gained profound enlightenment as a fox!”
“Is that so…?”
Even when looking at the same thing, everyone has their own impressions, and the difference in perception between Lin and me was stark.
While I tried hard to erase the memory, thinking it would have been better not to see it at all, Lin declared she would never forget the play and chewed on the memories.
“The next play is the story of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf. We must go see it!”
Why is it a boy instead of a girl?
What’s a big bad wolf, anyway?
I decided not to think too deeply about it.
I thought I had adapted quite well to Vestia, but I realized it was too early to claim that.
“Since the master showed Lin something fun, should we go where the master wants to go next?”
“Really?”
What a windfall. In truth, there were many places I wanted to visit.
“Lin, over there is a place called Rabbit in the Moon, you know?”
“What kind of place is that?”
“It’s a bar.”
The bar isn’t the important part. As the name of the shop suggests, the main point is that rabbit beastkin work as staff.
Not just cosplay, but real bunny girls!
Hop hop!
“No way.”
“Huh?”
But Lin firmly rejected it.
She glared at me with a cold expression.
“Are you saying you’re going to a bar leaving Lin behind just now…? Are you telling Lin to watch you drool over rabbits?”
“Then where should we go…?”
“A shop without beastkin. Or I won’t allow it.”
A shop without beastkin in Vestia?
There’s no way a place like that exists.
“Let’s just go home…”
“Really? We can still look around more. Well, if the master says so, then Lin must follow. Let’s go, Lin will give you a tail pillow.”
She eagerly started touching my tail.
