“Wh-What is this?!”
Elodie shook her head wildly, trying to shake off whatever had latched onto her face.
As she did, fluffy little puffs floated around her, drifting lazily through the air.
Magic Cotton.
A rare and protected resource that only appeared in Valkyrisen. It was so scarce that even when released, only minuscule quantities were available.
And yet, for so inexplicable reason, these precious little things were clinging to her, refusing to let go.
“Why are you doing this?”
Stay away. You’re nothing but flying fines.
Even just touching Magic Cotton, a protected resource, ant an instant fine.
And that was the best-case scenario.
If she accidentally absorbed even a fraction of it, she could kiss her hands goodbye—literally.
I need to run.
Without hesitation, Elodie spun around and bolted.
Toooong—
“……”
Toong, toooong—
“……”
Toong toong— toooong! Smack.
“Hey! Get away from !”
She swatted at them furiously, but the Magic Cotton caught up to her in no ti. She had no choice but to get mad.
Why the hell were they chasing her?
Did they think she had saved them from Young Lord Wellston’s clutches or sothing?
No, but they’re not even alive to begin with, right?
Just as Elodie was frantically waving her hands to ward off the persistent cotton, the Duke and his aide, Eagles, approached.
“It seems they recognize the Ratson lineage,” Eagles observed.
Elodie flinched so hard she nearly jumped.
Hic.
Howlf was at least easygoing and slow-witted, so he wasn’t that scary.
But Eagles, the eagle beastfolk, was on an entirely different level.
Not only was he massive, but his piercing gaze, sharp like a bird of prey, was downright terrifying.
And his deanor made it clear—this man was not soone who forgave mistakes.
Just looking at him was enough to make criminals break down and confess their cris, begging for rcy.
Elodie froze on the spot like a statue.
Then, in a snap decision, she darted toward Eisen and clung to his leg.
Eisen’s expression shifted as he felt the insignificant weight against him, along with a warmth that was oddly irritating.
“She seems scared of you,” Eisen remarked.
“Hmm.”
Eagles fell into brief contemplation, then suddenly pulled a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on.
“Does this help?” he asked.
“…A little?”
“I see. I also have an enchantnt that prevents my eyes from being seen through the lenses, if needed.”
Why would he go that far?
Eagle beastfolk didn’t even need glasses in the first place.
Did he prepare them just to soften his intimidating stare because I was scared?
The thought that he had carried glasses around in his pocket just for that reason sohow made him seem slightly less frightening.
Elodie’s guard lowered just a little as she asked, “What… what did you an earlier? Are the Magic Cotton sticking to because I’m from the Ratson bloodline?”
“The Ratson lineage carries the divine energy of Fenelus, the god of Animallia.”
Eagles continued his explanation.
“If you’re nearby, it’s easier for them to maintain their form. That’s why they’re clinging to you. Even non-living things have an instinct to seek the protection of a god.”
…So what, was she supposed to live the rest of her life covered in floating fluff?
Elodie slapped the cotton dust stuck to her cheek as if swatting a bug.
“But they’re not even beastfolk,” she muttered.
If this was about being chosen by a beastfolk god, shouldn’t it affect beastfolk more significantly?
She caught a particularly dazed-looking puff in her palm after slapping it out of the air.
“Perhaps that’s why the effect is relatively minor,” Eagles noted.
Huh?
“I always considered myself a rational and level-headed individual.”
That much was obvious to anyone.
At least he seed to have an accurate perception of himself.
“But…”
Eagles trailed off, his sharp gaze locking onto her.
With his black sclera and deeply shadowed eye sockets, his expression beca even more nacing.
“The mont I laid eyes on you, I realized I was utterly powerless.”
Powerless?
Did he an powerless (無力) as in weak and lacking strength, or powerful (武力) as in a force of destruction?
Elodie wasn’t sure, but she was sure that even if she were bite-sized, there was no need to emphasize how easily he could crush her under his foot.
I already know that, thank you very much.
She tilted her head back to look up at him. He was so tall that even craning her neck, he was hard to see.
One wrong move, and she was sure her bones wouldn’t even be left behind.
“Instinct is a terrifying thing. Even aggression and urges I wasn’t aware of suddenly woke up.”
“U-Urges…?”
“The urge to break through walls… or to put you in my mouth.”
Eagles spoke with deadly seriousness.
“That’s a common reaction among beastfolk when they see you.”
“W-What?!”
“So, in that sense, may I take a step closer to you?”
Absolutely not!
What the hell did that even an?!
How was she supposed to hear that and go, Oh, of course, please step right up!
Was she supposed to stick her head into his beak and say, Go ahead, help yourself?!
A harvest mouse was already a prey species. And now, with divine energy on top of that, she probably looked even tastier.
Was he even aware of what he was saying?!
Magic Cotton follows Ratson out of survival instincts. But predators? They see and their primal instincts awaken?!
What, did she look like so sort of rare delicacy?
“G-Grandpa?”
Elodie grabbed Eisen’s sleeve with trembling hands.
“Am I gonna get eaten?”
The Duke of Valkyrisen, the guardian of peace, was just standing there watching his aide say these things! How could he do nothing?!
She was starting to feel seriously betrayed.
“…Ah, I seem to have caused so misunderstanding.”
Seeing Elodie on the verge of tears, Eagles hurriedly attempted to explain.
“I ant that when sothing is overwhelmingly cute, it triggers extre impulses. I didn’t an I’d actually put you in my mouth.”
“……”
“I was rely describing the sensation.”
That didn’t explain anything.
So he was admitting that he had, in fact, considered it.
Tacking on so flimsy ‘oh, but you’re cute’ excuse afterward wasn’t going to make things better.
Instead of feeling reassured, Elodie took a step back. Then another.
She was increasing the distance, not closing it.
For so reason, Eagles’ expression darkened.
But to Elodie, that only made him scarier.
Her eyes welled up.
“Grandpa…”
“There, there.”
Eisen, who had been watching with amusent, finally lifted her up.
“If you’re still this skittish, you haven’t made much progress.”
The mont she curled into his arms, he clicked his tongue as if disappointed.
How was she supposed to stay calm after that?
I’m not the weird one here.
Pouting like a duck, she buried her face in his chest.
Sohow, he looked a little too pleased.
“I suppose I have no choice but to keep carrying you around.”
No, put her down.
She wanted to go back to Sera.
But Eisen, citing ‘building courage’ as an excuse, kept holding onto her and purposefully made her face off against beastfolk every chance he got.
Damn it. This is just eagle-style education.
If soone said they couldn’t fly, did they throw them off a cliff to fix the problem?
Now it made perfect sense why his aide was an eagle.
“H-Holy one!”
“Maintain a safe distance.”
“Yes!”
“Don’t even talk to her.”
“T-Then what should I do?”
“Just watch from there.”
“…Understood.”
…What was this?
Why did it sound like he was bragging?
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