Chapter 54 · Human Hunting (4)

Paeon had probably summoned his divine beast in a small form. If it were the massive dragon I had seen before, I would already be crushed to death. But the thing, heavy as it was, wouldn’t stop licking me, completely stealing my senses.

“Ahaha, it tickles!”

When I couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing, trying to pull it off, Paeon urgently recited the holy word to dispel the divine beast.

“Ah! Wait, Papa! I’m fine! Don’t make it disappear!”

Seeing the divine beast about to fade away on top of me with a hiss, I hurriedly sat up and shouted.

“…Princess, are you not hurt?”

He asked with a pale face.

“Yeah, I’m not hurt at all! Ahahaha, Papa, look at this!”

Whatever it was about my face that tasted so good, the creature that had been licking my cheeks soon let out a pained whine and dropped away from me.

Kiiik!

It moved as if controlled by something invisible. Paeon must have deliberately pulled it off! The dragon, whose body looked little more than a hatchling, was trembling.

“…I apologize. For the rudeness toward the princess…”

“Don’t do that, it’s pitiful!”

I approached his divine beast and tightly hugged its trembling body. It whined and rubbed its head against me.

Gasp, how can it be this cute… Is this really the terrifying giant dragon that breathed fire at the Ars Confelo?!

Its body was pure white, with two dazzling golden horns on its head. And its eyes were golden, shining like Paeon’s hair. It was truly so beautiful!

“Pwetty…”

When I murmured, it seemed to understand and happily wriggled its body. Then it brought its head toward me as if asking to be petted.

“So cute!”

I excitedly rubbed its sleek head, and it let out an affectionate cry.

Kihing…

Paeon just watched the scene with a flustered expression. He looked utterly bewildered.

“Papa’s divine beast seems to weally wike me?”

“…”

“In ‘A Comprehensive Study of Divine Power,’ Chapter 12, Page 18, it says ‘A divine beast is influenced by its master’s personality and habits—’”

“There are exceptions!”

He flushed red and snapped.

“Ah… exceptions… So that means Papa is the exception?”

“…”

Paeon didn’t answer. Hmm, can a divine beast with a personality completely opposite to its master really exist? Shouldn’t the Great Temple research this? The little dragon was now rolling over to show its plump belly, enjoying my touch.

“I’m going to call him Alv fwom now on. Alv, is that okay?”

Kihing!

“Papa, I think it understands what I say. They say divine beasts only understand their master’s words. How fascinating!”

“…”

Just then, far off, Rizen seemed to be finishing his training and was moving a pile of training dummies.

“Wizen, Wizen! Come hewe!”

When I called out loudly, Rizen understood and came running toward us like a puppy.

“Princess Anastasia!”

“Wook at this, it’s Papa’s divine beast!”

“The Commander’s divine beast?!”

He was startled mid-run and skidded to a stop.

“You mean the Albedo Dragon?!”

“Yeah! But I had him metamorphosed into a small form. Isn’t he so cute?”

Rizen glanced at Paeon and hesitantly approached. Perhaps because Paeon didn’t look pleased, he was more cautious than usual.

“Whoa…”

He let out a small gasp as he looked at Alv rolling around under my hand. It was an expression of awe rather than finding it cute. Rizen revered Paeon too much.

“He is truly, truly beautiful!”

“Wizen, do you want to touch him too? Is that okay, Papa?”

But before Paeon could even answer, Alv suddenly raised his tail stiffly and sprang up.

Kiiik!

“!”

Alv opened his mouth wide, bared his fangs, and growled menacingly at Rizen.

“Alv, what’s wong?”

Kiii… kiik…!

Alv spread his wings and puffed himself up threateningly, and Rizen fidgeted and backed away.

“Princess, I don’t think I can. He… he doesn’t seem to like me.”

“Huh? Alv, are you pwaying favowites?”

Kiiiiik…

Watching Alv’s behavior, I thought he looked exactly like Paeon when he frowned and went into combat stance. So there were some similarities after all.

Then is he only gentle with young children? Or… could it be that he knows I’m Paeon’s daughter?!

There were no research findings that divine beasts recognize their master’s children. Because people who can command divine beasts are forbidden from having children! So this mystery could never be solved.

Alv only relaxed after Rizen had retreated a good distance, and leaned against me. Just as I was about to pet him again, Paeon spoke in a stiff voice.

“I believe you’ve seen enough now.”

“Ah… I want to stay with him a wittle wongew…”

When I murmured regretfully, Alv too looked at me with a disheartened expression.

“Summon him again tomowwow! Got it, Papa?”

“…This is the last time!”

“Aah, no! If you don’t, I’ll weally use powtal magic!”

“Are you thweatening me wight now?!”

I curled the corners of my mouth and nodded, “Yeah!”

“…!”

He pressed his forehead as if trying to suppress his anger.

Honestly, Paeon should taste this much suffering of childcare! I never whined for toys or dolls, did I? For Paeon, summoning a small-form divine beast shouldn’t be particularly difficult anyway.

I gave Alv a goodbye kiss on the forehead, smack. Paeon shuddered as if he had received my kiss himself and dispelled Alv.

Good grief, you’ve thrown away your chance, so I have no intention of ever giving you one for the rest of my life, you know? Paeon needs to learn just how expensive my kisses are!

◇ ◆ ◇

“I heard from my aunt that the hunting competition will be held in about two weeks at Mount Bifio on the outskirts of Salus.”

During the academy lunch break, Melvian said as he sliced bread topped with caviar. Mount Bifio… it’s a popular spot for nobles’ hobby hunting, with no dangerous monsters and plenty of small animals.

“And my family has a map of Mount Bifio. I’ve asked for it to be sent by post.”

He smiled meaningfully.

“That’s amazing, Melvian!”

As I marveled, Ark, who was tearing into a chicken leg in front of me, spoke in a displeased voice.

“Since when did he become ‘Melvian’ to you?”

When I silently narrowed my eyes at Ark, he choked up and shouted.

“I can get a map of Mount Bifio too! My father goes hunting often!”

“Yes, yes. Impressive.”

“Hmph…! Don’t talk to me like a child!”

Somehow finding Ark, who was now close to a young man, cute, I smiled and whispered.

“I have an important mission for Ark separately.”

“Wh-what is it?”

“I’ll tell you when we go out later.”

At that, Ark looked satisfied and picked up his chicken leg again.

“Fwee, eat a wot. How awe you going to gain weight if you nibble wike that? Wight now you wook wike you’d fall ovew if the wind blew.”

Freesia smiled shyly and took a big bite of food. She said that until now, she had been packing food from the student cafeteria and eating alone in her room. Eating in the cafeteria surrounded by people like this seemed unfamiliar to her, and she kept watching others’ reactions.

This was the perfect opportunity, but Ark was being tactless and clueless.

“By the way, Fwee, do you have a type?”

At my casual question, Ark choked on his juice and coughed. Melvian watched with amusement.

“A type…? Why ask that all of a sudden…”

Freesia’s face turned beet red. And though he tried to hide it, I could feel Ark’s ears perking up.

“Fwee is getting to be a young wady now, after all.”

“…”

“Tell me quickwy. Thewe must be a type you wike, wight?”

“Um… a kind, gentle… and thoughtful person?”

Ark’s face quickly scrunched up. Oh dear… She really is the exact opposite of Ark! Freesia’s ideal type seemed closer to Rizen.

“Pwincess!”

Just then, a cheerful, singsong voice called out. Mila was approaching us with a bright smile.

“Mila!”

“These are my family’s special desserts. I just received them this morning. Please try them!”

She held up a small basket.

“They’re raspberry macarons. Our region is famous for its raspberry flavor… I wanted the princess to taste them!”

The basket was full of round pink macarons. Ark and Melvian also looked at them curiously.

“Could you shaw them with these fwiends too?”

“Of course!”

She held the basket out to each person one by one.

“Miss Ishtar, please have some too!”

When the basket came before her, Freesia nearly fell off her chair.

“Y-you shouldn’t use honorifics with me…”

Freesia glanced around and spoke almost in a whisper.

“Huh? You’re the princess’s friend, so of course I should use honorifics.”

Mila really is a cheerful girl. Even with Stella and Giselle sticking together and glaring menacingly, she paid them no mind. Despite being the daughter of a viscount family with relatively little power in high society, she had remarkable courage. That’s why I had openly asked her during our written conversation in class the other day.

[Mila, are you sure? If you get close to me, your academy life might become uncomfortable.]

[It’s fine. Actually, I was a little worried, but as expected, cute is the best.]

[…What?]

[Because the princess is cute, it’s fine o(〃＾▽＾〃)o]

…Honestly, I still don’t quite understand that conversation, but anyway, she seemed to have very healthy mental resilience. Being around her made me feel like I was absorbing positive energy. Even Freesia’s face brightened when she talked with her.

“So, Princess, what is my mission?”

As we left the student cafeteria, Ark whispered to me with a tense face.

“Awk, get me dwied and powdered pintac hewb. As much as you can.”

“Pintac? What’s it used for? A medicinal herb?”

“No, it’s not a medicinal hewb. But it’s going to be mowe usefuw than one.”

He looked puzzled, but soon clenched his fist with determination.

“Understood! I, Ark Ellenoa, will stake this whole body of mine to obtain it!”

That far…? He looked like he was going to scale a cliff to get some rare disease-curing herb, and I was about to laugh at his intensity when some small girls hesitantly approached me.

“P-Princess…”

“?”

They were unfamiliar faces. Judging by their ages, they looked like beginner class students.

“I heard from my sister! That Princess Anastasia can summon a divine beast…”

“That it’s super, super, super cute…”

Aha, so a student in our class must have told her younger siblings.

“Hey, the princess isn’t a clown! She’s not someone with that kind of free time—”

“It’s fine, Awk. It’s just fow a moment.”

Paeon’s nagging came to mind, but seeing the girls’ sparkling eyes softened my heart. But the moment I recited the holy word and Useless appeared—

Flash!

“?!”

Useless’s entire body was enveloped in intense white light, shining as if about to explode.

And then, its shape began to slowly change.