Chapter 6 — How to Survive as a Divine Beast (2)
When Kassirian closed the meeting room door, he returned to his seat with a strange expression.
Through the gap in the door, he had clearly seen a small, white, fluffy tail — definitely belonging to the marten.
He sighed quietly and picked up the documents Russell had brought, though his eyes were still fixed on the closed door.
“If that divine beast really has intelligence, it must have understood what I said.”
It would’ve been better if he’d never had a divine beast at all.
Losing one after having it would lower his land’s prestige.
And if it stopped at just losing reputation, that would be lucky.
A fight between divine beasts could even start a territorial war.
With that thought, Kassirian moistened his dry lips and resumed the meeting.
***
Meanwhile…
“Piiik. (Seriously.)”
I stared at the closed meeting room door in disbelief.
“Piiik piik? (What, do they think I wanted to become a divine beast or something? I don’t even care about that nonsense!)”
Anyway, if Kassirian turns evil, everyone in that room will die.
Why should I bother getting involved? I just want to leave the North and live peacefully.
I clicked my tongue at those poor clueless humans, but then my injured leg began to throb again.
“Ugh… how am I even supposed to leave here with this leg?”
The North — the empire’s northernmost region — was surrounded by the sea on three sides, and the only land connection to the East and West was blocked by the Northern Forest.
To leave the North, I’d have to cross that forest.
But with this leg, I wouldn’t even make it to the entrance.
So I limped back to the lounge and plopped down on a soft round cushion on the floor.
Kassirian still had a long way to go before his “darkening” began, so I could stay here until my leg healed.
If I tried to run too early, I’d just make it worse.
Even someone as cold as Kassirian wouldn’t kick out an injured animal right away… right?
I looked at the bandage wrapped around my leg and frowned.
But even once I’m healed, there’s still a problem — crossing the monster-filled forest is no joke, even with four good legs.
Wait a minute.
I suddenly sat upright and looked down at my little pink paw pads.
When I was in the forest, that white light came out of here and made vines grow to attack the wolf, right?
I looked around and spotted a big flowerpot in the corner.
I walked over, pressed my paw onto the soil, and focused with all my might.
…Nothing happened.
“Piik. (Tch.)”
I tried a few more times — still nothing.
“Well, of course.”
If I leave this castle like this, I’ll just end up wandering the North and sleeping on the streets until I get stronger.
I glanced around the warm, cozy lounge and sighed.
Just imagining sleeping on cold stone instead of this soft cushion made me depressed.
“Maybe I should stay here until I get stronger… No, once I’m healed, that heartless Kassirian will definitely throw me out.”
I rested my chin on my front paw.
“Still…”
If only I could just stay here long enough to regain my strength, like that day in the forest…
As I smacked my lips in thought, a brilliant idea suddenly popped into my head.
***
Three weeks later…
“Aw, poor thing. Look at it limp like that.”
“The little one’s so pitiful…”
As I walked down the hallway, all the maids looked at me with pity.
Of course — I was walking on three legs, holding my back right paw close to my body.
In truth, my leg had healed weeks ago.
I was just pretending to still be injured.
“It’s been three weeks. What if it’s a permanent disability?”
“Maybe… but the vet said we should watch for a few more weeks.”
Heh. Everything’s going according to plan.
I staggered dramatically, and gasps of sympathy echoed around me.
“If it really can’t walk properly again, maybe we should just let it stay here forever?”
“His Highness would never keep it as a pet.”
Excuse me? I don’t want to make your master my pet either!
“I saw him frown this morning when he found white fur on his coat. He might send it back to the Northern Forest any day now.”
“Tomorrow?!”
I immediately threw myself on the floor with a thud.
“Oh no!”
The maids rushed toward me.
“Pii… (So sad…)”
I looked up at them with my big, teary eyes — right as my stomach growled loudly.
“Poor thing…”
“Here, little one, want a raisin?”
“Or maybe some dried fish?”
The maids petted me gently and offered treats.
I opened my mouth to eat a raisin when—
“Who’s slacking off instead of working?!”
The head maid’s sharp voice boomed from the end of the hall.
The maids panicked and scattered instantly.
“Piiik piiik! (Wait! You can leave, but drop the snacks first!)”
I reached out my paw desperately, but they were gone.
My raisins… my dried fish… gone forever.
“Still hungry even after eating, huh?”
I looked up — it was Margaret, the strict head maid, glaring down at me.
Behind her stood Mari, the gentle maid in charge of feeding and bathing me.
“Mari, take it and wash it. Its paws are filthy — they’ll stain the carpet.”
“Yes, Head Maid.”
“And don’t spend too much time bathing it this time. It’ll just get dirty again anyway.”
Margaret sniffed and walked away.
“Dirty?! How dare you call me dirty, the cutest creature alive?!”
Most of the servants liked me, but a few didn’t — and the head maid was the worst of them all.
She hated how much attention I got, saying I made extra work for everyone.
“Tch. At this rate, she’ll kick me out before Kassirian does.”
Worse yet, I still couldn’t recreate that white light from my paw.
To stay here safely until I could, I had to win over the head maid somehow.
Luckily, I was good at that sort of thing — making people who hated me change their minds.
You just had to say and do the right things to flatter them.
Only problem…
“Come on, little marten, time for a bath,” Mari said.
…was that I was a marten, not a person.
Sigh.
Mari carried me back to my guest room, and I waved my tail lazily, deep in thought.
After my bath, she gave me milk and some chicken breast.
Once I finished eating, sleepiness hit me hard.
My head drooped, and I fell face-first onto the cushion — until I heard loud voices in the hallway.
I followed the sound and peeked outside.
There stood the head maid and another maid, arguing by the balcony railing.
“I can’t do it anymore, Head Maid! You saw him — he put his hand on my waist!”
“Julianne, calm down. I’ll take you off that assignment.”
“Then he’ll just do the same to another maid!”
Julianne pointed angrily down toward the main hall, tears in her eyes.
I followed her gaze — and saw a fat man talking with the assistant below.
Even while talking, his greasy eyes kept darting toward the nearby maids.
“Piiik… (Hmm…)”
I flicked my tail against the floor, staring at the disgusting man.
***
That evening, no one came to feed me.
I waited and waited — for over an hour — but nothing.
Hungry and desperate, I finally went down to the kitchen.
Everyone there was too busy preparing the grand banquet to notice me.
Roast chicken, pork, lasagna, onion soup, tomato soup…
My stomach growled even louder at the delicious smells.
“Ugh… I love pork too…”
“Excuse me, little marten! Coming through!”
A maid carrying a roast duck hurried past me.
I followed the rich smell all the way to the banquet hall.
When I arrived, I could barely stop drooling at the sight of all the food laid out on the tables.
“Pii… (Looks so good…)”
I was starving, but I didn’t dare go in.
After all, I was a polite marten — from a civilized land!
“What’s this filthy animal doing here?”
The rude voice came from above.
I slowly looked up.
“What the—? Who’s this impolite bastard talking to me like that?!”
