Despite his pride as a divine beast, Imugi still resisted, but today he made a decision for practical benefit.
He folded his almond-shaped eyes into half-moons and smiled with a slight opening of his mouth.
Christina touched his cheek, stroked his head, and smiled back happily.
âPhew. Well⊠if sheâs satisfied, thatâs fine.â
He knew it was necessary, but he couldnât help the shame rising from deep within.
Feeling his neck flush, he couldnât look at Christina directly and covered his face with his front paws, rolling and turning to hide his embarrassment.
âLook at him, so shy. So cute.â
âDamn. I canât just treat my benefactor however I want.â
Turning his head, he tried to hide his trembling mouth, curling his tail inward and hunching his body.
Seeing his bashful appearance, Christina couldnât stop exclaiming how cute he was.
âI hope you always live a happy and wonderful life, being so smart and cute.â
Her words conveyed a warm emotion.
âItâs amazing that she can say such things sincerely.â
Hearing her sun-like words, he couldnât help but acknowledge her gentle and warm nature.
It was something he had never felt in his previous life, and he didnât know how to name it.
Even after Christina left, he remained lost in thought.
âRevenge should be returned twofold, and favors must be repaid. But what should I do when I feel this way?â
Imugi tried to recall something from his memories that might help in this situation.
âNow that I think about it, the nine-tailed fox mentioned something similar once.â
The capricious and unpredictable nine-tailed fox, who was both beautiful and vulgar, pure and cruel, approached Imugi without any preconceived notions.
Though somewhat annoying, as long as she didnât cross the line, he didnât mind her presence. Surprisingly, they ended up spending a long time together.
Some laughed at the unlikely pairing of a divine beast and a monster, but the nine-tailed fox was better than those who mocked and compared, lowering their standards.
âShe was a hard one to understand, but even thenâŠâ
One day, the nine-tailed fox came to his place uninvited, played around, and suddenly asked:
- Do you enjoy your training?
- Youâre here to transcend, right? Are you happy doing what you want?
For some reason, he couldnât answer right away.
Noticing his hesitation, the nine-tailed fox pouted and muttered, âIdiot.â
âWhy is she like this?â
Imugi frowned, not liking the implication of her words, and retorted.
Chapter 6: Isnât it delicious?
- Itâs just a different path.
The nine-tailed fox laughed and spun in the air.
- Thatâs why youâre an idiot.
Just as he was about to ask for her reasoning, the nine-tailed fox asked first.
- Have you ever been happy?
He couldnât answer immediately.
He hadnât exactly lived an unhappy life, but he couldnât remember when he had ever felt truly happy.
The fox, seeing his hesitation, chuckled and placed her paws in an X, resting her snout on top.
- You donât even know what it feels like to be loved, do you? âŠâŠYou definitely donât know what it feels like to be truly loved.
At the time, Imugi didnât understand her words.
More accurately, they sounded irrelevant to his training for transcendence.
- Do I need that? I am destined to become a dragon. I donât have the luxury to indulge in personal matters.
- So cold~ Thatâs both idiotic and charming~
Her rudeness in calling him an idiot was strangely annoying, so he warned her.
- Iâve said before, I donât like it when you speak so freely. Itâs better if you keep your mouth shut and donât give that impression.
Narrowing her eyes, she seemed about to throw a tantrum, but surprisingly, she just stared at Imugi for a moment.
Imugi, taken aback by her unexpected reaction, looked back at her.
- Iâve fallen in love. Iâm going to become human.
Was she joking? he thought.
The next thought was, has she gone mad?
The nine-tailed fox, who had lived by eating the livers of humans and animals, falling in love with a human?
He couldnât even imagine how that was possible.
- Youâre going to give up everything, including your completed fox pearl and the chance to become a thousand-year-old fox?
The nine-tailed fox chuckled.
- Itâs ridiculous, isnât it? Youâll understand when someone loves and adores you.
He felt he would never understand.
The nine-tailed fox laughed and stretched, extending her tail.
Imugi, realizing it was their last meeting, chose his words carefully.
- If you become human, you wonât be able to come here. I hope you live a happy life, as you wish.
The nine-tailed fox hesitated, looking like she wanted to say more.
The nine-tailed fox looked at him with a deep gaze.
For some reason, he couldnât avoid her eyes, and she closed them and turned away.
- Hmph! Live well, idiot!
She barked and disappeared.
Imugi rubbed his chin, watching her go.
âShe looked like she was crying⊠was it just my imagination?â
He couldnât understand it. She had always been clingy, and he understood her treating him as a friend, but he didnât think it warranted tears.
âSheâs unpredictable to the end.â
He was a bit curious, but she was already gone, so he couldnât ask.
He only hoped she would feel that âhappinessâ and âbeing lovedâ fully in her new life.
However, one day, he heard that the nine-tailed fox had met a tragic end at the hands of a human who coveted her fox pearl.
The manâs parents, who were dying, were the only ones in the world, so he had to sacrifice his wife and child.
âEven now, that husband was a despicable man.â
He was so foolish that he even killed his own child and wife.
Though he had punished the man, he still regretted not killing him on the spot.
âItâs useless to think about it now.â
He had to move on and focus on how to get rid of the white spirit assigned to watch over him.
âI canât leave a young life alone⊠hmm.â
He changed his approach in his thoughts.
âThe key is to make it seem normal for me to train.â
He considered a method he could try and eventually fell into a deep sleep.
He had gotten used to drinking milk at meal times and, without the spirit noticing, had completed his personal training and was lying in the cradle, waiting.
Christina seemed to have developed an interest in using milk to create other dishes.
Thanks to this, a kitchen was planned to be built in one corner of the lair.
âWell, milk is so delicious and can even restore mana. Itâs not strange that sheâs researching it.â
Thinking it might be a symptom of addiction, he licked his lips.
Imagining the rich and smooth taste of milk, he waited as the air stirred from Christinaâs teleportation magic.
Recognizing the familiar phenomenon, he clenched and unclenched his hands, preparing mentally.
He planned to give Christina a surprise today.
âIâm here. How are you?â
Imugi grabbed the cradleâs railing with his front paws and, using his trembling hind legs, began to stand up.
âI can do this. Iâve been secretly training my strength.â
The surprise he had prepared was standing on his two legs.
He thought that seeing this, Christina would realize his growth.
âIf she feels Iâve grown, maybe sheâll attach fewer of those white will-oâ-the-wisps.â
Even if she didnât remove them immediately, he wanted her to think he was at a level where he could be left alone.
Standing on his own was the first step.
He stood confidently on his two legs.
âThis isnât the end.â
He gathered his strength and spread his small wings, which were hidden on his back.
He looked at Christina, whose eyes widened in surprise, with a proud expression.
He felt proud of his efforts and the results of suppressing his instincts and working hard.
âEven if I canât walk yet, itâs important to show that I can stand.â
He hoped Christina would take him to more places now that he could walk.
âIf Iâve done this much, maybe I can run a bit in front of that clingy spirit.â
Christina covered her mouth and said:
âHow did you do that? Itâs really⊠touching.â
Imugi was taken aback by her unexpected reaction.
âI thought sheâd just be proud. Did I do it too soon?â
Worried that she might realize he wasnât a normal child, he laughed and extended one arm.
âItâs embarrassing, but I need to act more like a child here.â
Christina quickly scooped him up and rubbed her cheek against his.