SDT 210

I slowly turned to look at the psycho chick.

What kind of nonsense was this?

It’s your own power?

I was merely the conductor. Yet, the chick was blaming me? This time, I didn’t back down; I glared right back into those eyes.

‘That was the power you gave.’

[You should have channeled it properly.]

‘So, you’re saying it’s my fault? Don’t make me laugh. Why blame me when you couldn’t even control the output?’

[I am perfect.]

‘Haha! If you are perfect, then [unauthorized copy]there’s only one problem left. The person receiving it…’

As I shifted the hand I’d been pointing at the chick, my gaze met Asila’s.

‘I-I’m… so sorry… ugh… it’s because I’m lacking… ugh!’

‘No, no! I wasn’t trying to blame you. Like I said, when an adult receives the power of a divine beast for the first time without any prior training, it’s bound to be painful. Just surviving it is an achievement.’

Flustered, I rubbed Asila’s back, but then the psycho chick caught my eye again. Its wings were flapping even faster in the air, fueled by rage.

But it was only the size of a fist, hardly a threat. Yet, even that tiny size irritated me; it felt like a calculated ploy just to get under my skin.

[See? You are the problem.]

*

“And so, I was… unfairly accused by that psycho…I mean, the divine beast.”

I poured out my grievances to Tairok, but his reaction was lukewarm. I raised my voice even higher.

“That’s just the beginning. You have no idea how much the divine beast nagged me the whole time I was traveling with Asila. It even blamed me whenever Asila got hurt fighting monsters. Eventually, it’d blame me if a pebble from the roadside so much as bounced off her!”

He remained expressionless. Or rather, the corners of his mouth twitched.

Wait…is he holding back a laugh?

Even after hearing about my miserable ordeal? As soon as I glared at him, Tairok quickly stroked my arm.

“Lu, at least the Borhumi divine beast didn’t try to sabotage you.”

“That doesn’t mean it liked me.”

A twitch again. Damn it, he was teasing me on purpose. I glared at him. The hand stroking my arm suddenly moved faster.

“But it did help you. Haas told me so many times how terrified everyone was at the banquet Kilu hosted.”

Ah, right. That time. I certainly did receive help.

“That’s not it. It only did it because it didn’t have a contractor of its own.”

The snake divine beast with a favorite person was a pain in the neck in a whole different way.

*

‘That is correct. I am a Borhumi.’

The knight removed his helmet and nodded in surprise.

‘Lord Salvation, how did you recognize me?’

How did I recognize you? Well, there was a snake making a huge fuss right next to your head.

[Look, look! Look at our boy!]

Yeah, I’m looking.

[Pretty blue! Blue, blue! A beautiful blue.]

Five tails pointed at Borhumi’s hair like arrows. I had seen Zav’s blue hair before, but his ancestor’s hair was a deeper shade of blue. A vivid blue, as if paint had been dissolved in water.

[You have no idea how pretty it is. Take a look from the side. It sparkles when the sunlight hits it. Come on, move over here. Right here!]

Not knowing what kind of backlash might follow if I ignored the divine beast, I casually shifted to the side and pretended to examine the hair. Then, I tried to focus on the Borhumi ancestor. I needed to awaken his power quickly to put an end to this war against the monsters.

‘The divine beast…’

[Look at those bright, focused eyes.]

‘…wants to grant…’

[Even though there’s so much he wants to ask, he knows how to wait.]

‘…power to the knight.’

[Is that all? You wouldn’t believe how well he wields a sword too.]

The bragging was excessive and distracting. The divine beast was determined to pour out every single boast without wasting a second since I was the only audience available.

[Huh? It’s glowing again. Move over! Go a bit more to the side and look. No, not that way.]

*

“The divine beast would come brag to me every time the Borhumi ancestor took a single step. I had to put up with that for over two whole months.”

Dealing with this band of nuisances was a hundred times harder than traveling to the past, gathering allies, and slaying monsters. Yet, Tairok, who really ought to have joined me in complaining, remained unresponsive. Instead, his jaw twitched.

“You are laughing again.”

“Of course not. It’s just…”

Just what?

“I was thinking that you’re softer-hearted than I imagined.”

Soft-hearted? Was he implying I got angry over nothing? And this coming from the guy who bickered like a child with the snake divine beast?

“But it’s better than the divine beast you find truly horrifying.”

Right. There was that even more terrible disaster. I could never forget the very first words I heard when I met that big bear. I probably won’t forget it until the day I die.

*

‘I have brought the knight of Sarne you spoke of.’

It had been exactly twenty days since I arrived in the past, and I had found the third contractor of a divine beast. She was kneeling on one knee with her head bowed in respect, yet I was certain she was a Sarne.

The reason was simple: that bear was right beside her. It glanced at me with those cold eyes. Then, with a grunt of effort, it heaved itself up.

Here we go again.

The mere thought made me shudder. But that wasn’t my greatest ordeal. It was the first thing the bear said, or rather, what Mo interpreted the words to mean.

[You’re slow.]

*

Just recalling that moment made it hard to keep my calm. I closed my eyes and clutched the back of my neck. Even if the whole world pointed fingers at me, I didn’t want to hear that from the bear. It felt just as unfair as the false accusations made by that psycho chick.

“The Sarne divine beast is even worse.”

I was speaking from the heart. Even Tairok, who didn’t get along with the bear, readily agreed this time.

“That one is definitely a piece of work.”

“Come to think of it, there’s one more. The Montaine divine beast. Do you like that one?”

That one was a bit…

I found myself frowning.

If I had to rank the divine beasts by how much I disliked them, the Montaine divine beast would certainly be fourth. Actually, at first, I had felt goodwill toward that one.

With its horns and the appearance of a mountain goat, plus it was capable of normal communication. It was exactly the kind of divine beast I had imagined.

More importantly, unlike that trio of troublemakers, it rarely showed any affection for its contractor. But the way it looked at its contractor did feel like a parent gazing at their child.

How ideal was that? Crucially, it never spoke a word to me. Yet, as we traversed the lands of Tubain, there were moments when a shiver would run down my spine.

Whenever I turned my head, I would see those eerie red orbs. I tried to ignore it at first, but I soon reached my limit. One night, I woke with a start while trying to sleep, only to find those eyes staring down at me from the ceiling.

‘Ah!’

Terrified, I scrambled up and backed away.

‘Do you have something to say to me?’

Those calm, yet intense, red eyes remained motionless.

‘You keep watching me; if there’s something you want, just say so…’

It vanished.

It woke me up from my sleep and just left like that. It was not like it was a vengeful ghost or anything… Or was it holding a grudge?

“There’s no way it holds a grudge.”

Tairok shook his head at my suggestion.

“You saved it when it was on the verge of fading away.”

“I’m not looking for thanks for that. In fact, it might even hate me for it.”

Tairok’s gaze turned cold for a moment.

“Hate you for saving its life?”

“Don’t get so serious. Fading away was the natural course for a divine beast; I might have interfered with that. After all, Kun divine beast was reborn after it disappeared.”

Was that really the reason? As I stared into the air, I heard a cold laugh.

“If it hated you, it wouldn’t have let you live. So, that’s not it. The reason it was watching you was actually…”

He stopped talking.

“It seems even the Montaine divine beast has taken an interest in you. I don’t really like that.”

“What can you do about it? It is a divine beast.”

He let out a soft, amused chuckle at my resigned tone.

“I suppose you’ve gotten used to divine beasts?”

“That’s true, though I haven’t seen them much lately.”

Come to think of it, it was rather strange. Well, with no need to exert their power, perhaps they’d all gone off on a group trip somewhere. Then, just when I’d forgotten about them, they’d likely storm back in and sweep through my daily life.

“They’re natural disasters. You should just think of them that way too, Your Grace. …Why are you laughing?”