Chapter 98
* * *
As soon as Asil returned home, she immediately set to work fulfilling the conditions for the Silver Helmet Flower.
“I heard that if I think of the person I’m going to give the Silver Helmet Flower to for a full week, without missing a single day, and let it receive both sunlight and moonlight, that’s all I need to do.”
Asil planted two Silver Helmet Flowers that were still in bud form into pretty flowerpots.
“I hope the flowers bloom quickly.”
During the day, she placed both pots in spots with plenty of sunlight, and at night she moved them to where the moonlight shone.
It was exhausting work that didn’t allow her to take her eyes off the pots for even a moment for 24 hours straight, but just imagining her fox friend and Fier jumping up healthy again made her endlessly happy.
“Ppiya- Ppiyappi- Ppiyappii-♬”
She even sang to them so they would bloom faster.
From time to time, she danced around them with the baby rabbit as if they were having a campfire.
“I heard the effect becomes even greater if the conditions are fulfilled with excitement.”
Six days passed like that.
The Silver Helmet Flowers were now on the verge of blooming beautifully.
* * *
On the final day, heavy rain began pouring from the afternoon.
Dark clouds covered the sky, and then a downpour so fierce that nothing could be seen fell.
On top of that, a bone-chilling wind that didn’t suit the season blew.
Even as evening came, there was no sign of it stopping, so Asil looked out the window with a worried face.
“What do I do…”
The Silver Helmet Flowers needed to receive moonlight tonight in order to fully bloom, but the weather was terrible.
Even putting aside the storm, the moon itself was completely hidden behind the dark clouds.
“I can’t miss today!”
“Kyuu.”
The baby rabbit, who had diligently helped Asil for the past six days, also shook its head as if to say this wasn’t right.
But Asil did not give up.
“If I give up like this, I won’t be able to help either my fox friend or little brother Fier.”
Before returning to the Beast Forest, she absolutely wanted to heal both of her friends.
“There must be somewhere the moonlight is reaching.”
Having made up her mind, Asil shouted with spirit.
“Ppi-ya!” (I can do it!)
“Kyuu?!
“Ppiyappi ppii! Ppiya!” (There’s definitely a place the moonlight reaches. No one can stop Asil!)
Asil took out the scarf and fur hat that the servants had given her one winter day from her sub-space.
After arming herself perfectly and thoroughly, she shook her head at the baby rabbit who came holding a spare scarf in its mouth, wanting to go together.
“Ppi-ya ppiyatppi.” (Rabbit friend, stay here.)
“Kyuu!”
“Ppiya. Ppiyappiyappii-ya.” (No. It’s going to be very cold outside.)
“Kyuu kyuu!”
Even though she said she wouldn’t take it, the rabbit was stubborn.
In the end, Asil fully armed the baby rabbit with a scarf as well.
Then, carrying one pot in her arms and strapping the other to her back, she headed to the backyard garden with great effort.
The rabbit carried the umbrella.
The backyard garden in the rain was truly a field of darkness.
“Kyuh-chu! Kkyu-chu!”
The rabbit sneezed several times.
Asil also found it hard to keep her eyes open against the biting wind and looked around with narrowed eyes.
Then suddenly she opened her eyes wide and pointed somewhere with her front paw.
“Ppiya!” (Over there!)
A single piece of moonlight was hanging like a picture on a tree where new buds had just begun to sprout.
“If I place the pots there for a little while, the Silver Helmet Flowers will bloom.”
Asil flew up holding the pot.
However, because of the fiercely blowing wind, she lost her balance and went “Ppiyaaaaat!” as she was blown away.
“Ppihya, ppihya, ppihya…….”
The scarf and fur hat became completely soaked with rain.
Far from being warm, they only made her body heavier, so Asil flung both away.
After staring at the tree bathed in moonlight for a moment, she turned her back to the rabbit.
“Ppii ppi ppiya.” (Tie the pot to Asil’s back.)
“Kyuu?!”
The rabbit’s eyes widened like full moons in surprise.
But soon it nodded, then used Asil’s wet scarf to tightly tie the pot and her body together as one.
“I need to let them receive the moonlight one by one.”
Soon, with the pot strapped to her back, Asil bravely began climbing the tree.
Back when she lived in the Beast Forest, climbing trees was as natural as eating strawberries, so it was no trouble at all.
Whoooosh—
“Ppi!”
“Kyuu!”
Every time Asil lost her balance in the strong wind, the rabbit cried “Kyukyu” from below.
But that only lasted a moment; seeing her safely reach the branch where the moonlight rested, it patted its chest in relief.
“Ppiyappi-!” (Go inside first-!)
Asil positioned herself so the Silver Helmet Flower could receive the moonlight well.
She did not forget to shield the stem with her whole body so it wouldn’t break in the fierce wind.
“Ppichu…… Ssilchu! Ssilchu!”
No matter how strong dragons are against the cold, she was still a baby, so she had no way to endure this freezing weather.
In the end, Asil started sneezing.
“Ppichu!”
“Kyuuuu!”
As the weather grew colder and colder, the baby rabbit shouted for her to come down quickly.
But Asil stubbornly held onto the branch and endured.
“I have to bring the flowers to fox friend and little brother.”
That way those two friends won’t be sick anymore!
Just then the position of the moonlight shifted, so Asil carefully moved to the next branch.
“Ppichu, ssilchu!”
This branch was thinner than the previous one, making it harder to hold on.
It made a whooshing sound like a switch, if the wind blew any stronger, it felt like it would snap right off.
But Asil pushed her worries aside and checked whether the Silver Helmet Flower was all right.
Even in the darkness it shone brightly, it seemed almost fully bloomed, so she clenched her teeth and endured, thinking “Just a little more, just a little more.”
That was the moment.
“Little one!”
A human voice rang out.
“Ppi?!”
Startled, Asil looked down.
She met the eyes of Ikart, who was looking up at her with a flustered face.
Having heard that Elcai had bought jewelry for her and unwilling to lose, he had brought an even better jewel, only to be shocked by the sudden situation.
“What are you doing up there!”
“Ppiiii…… Ppii!”
She tried to say she was making the Silver Helmet Flower bloom, when suddenly an extremely fierce wind blew.
The branch that had been precariously holding broke in an instant.
“Ppiyaaaaat!”
Oh no. Panicking, Ikart stretched out both hands.
Asil, falling fast, fortunately landed safely in his arms.
However, the flowerpot ended up tragically shattered.
Pak!
“Ppii!” (No!)
Asil jumped down from Ikart’s arms and examined the Silver Helmet Flower.
The stem appeared to have snapped during the fall and was twisted in a strange direction.
“It’s not too late yet!”
Clutching the Silver Helmet Flower, Asil tried to climb back up the tree.
But Icart stopped her.
“What are you doing, what are you planning to use this for!”
“Ppiya ppiya. Ppiya!” (To heal fox friend so he won’t be sick anymore. It will remove every side effect!)
At the unimaginable words, Ikart froze on the spot.
It will remove every side effect……?
Right at that moment, as if it were a lie, the rain thinned.
Then, with only a drop or two falling, the dark clouds parted.
Moonlight began to softly descend to the ground through the gap.
“Ppiyat!”
Asil quickly moved the Silver Helmet Flower away from the tree to where the moonlight shone.
The rabbit also threw away the umbrella and moved the remaining pot over there.
Ikart approached hesitantly and asked in a trembling voice.
“If we just have that… will all the side effects really disappear?”
Asil nodded vigorously.
“Ssil! Ppiya ppiya.” (Yes! If fox friend eats this Silver Helmet Flower, he won’t be sick anymore.)
“But… Silver Helmet Flowers are supposed to be poisonous……”
That very instant.
Paaat!
The bud of the Silver Helmet Flower that had received sufficient moonlight opened wide and emitted light.
It was a brilliant color never seen before in one’s life.
“Ppihyaaaaaa!”
“Kyuuuuuu!”
Asil and the rabbit forgot all their hardship and exclaimed in admiration.
Ikart, seeing the glowing Silver Helmet Flower, stammered.
“…This is a Silver Helmet Flower?”
“Ssil, ppiyaa. Ppiyappiyappiya.” (Yes. Take this to fox friend. It’s the one Asil bloomed for a whole week.)
“…You did it yourself?”
It was common knowledge that Silver Helmet Flowers were dangerous, yet he had never seen one emit such brilliant light.
Ikart accepted the Silver Helmet Flower with the bent stem from Asil.
Even to him, who didn’t know much about plants, it looked extremely precious.
It was easy to guess that she must have gone through a lot of hardship while making this flower bloom.
“Ppichu!”
Asil, who had caught a cold from making the flower bloom, sneezed loudly.
While the baby rabbit quickly unwrapped half its scarf and wrapped it around Asil, Ikart looked at Asil with shaking eyes.
“Why?”
“…?”
“If a Divine Beast dies, it’s you beastmen who benefit, so why are you helping?”
Humans and beastmen had been bitter enemies ever since the war 500 years ago.
They always watched for each other’s weaknesses, which was why he had assumed the mixed-blood magician had broken the oath and fled for the same reason.
Yet why.
A beastman who should hate the Divine Beast, humanity’s greatest fighting power, not only became a Divine Beast herself but was even helping another Divine Beast…….
Ikart simply could not understand it.
Then Asil, staring straight ahead, placed both front paws on her waist.
“Ppiyat! Ppiya ssil. Ppiyaaaa!” (Fox friend is precious to Daddy and Husband, right? Asil doesn’t want to see Daddy and Husband sad!)
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