PLML 30

CHAPTER 30

“Bring me that creature—whatever it is—that you tamed. The cotton candy one.”

Jeyna immediately brought Cotton Candy. As soon as it saw Asins, Cotton Candy bristled its fur, ears, and tail, clearly on edge, perhaps remembering their last encounter.

“Cotton Candy, it’s okay. You need to behave.”

Jeyna soothed the creature, gently patting its head.

“Kyuuu…”

Cotton Candy nuzzled into Jeyna’s arms affectionately.

Asins scoffed at the sight.

“You and that thing—acting all cute despite being fully grown. Don’t you feel embarrassed?”

“Lord Asins, Cotton Candy is still a young beast.”

“Does that look like a juvenile to you?”

Jeyna glanced down at the small bundle of fluff in her arms. A tiny body that still fit easily in one hand. Little teeth barely capable of leaving a scratch. Always whining and wanting to be cuddled—it looked every bit like a baby beast.

“Yes.”

In response, Asins reached out his hand.

“Let me have it for a moment.”

Jeyna handed over Cotton Candy, cradled in both hands. The creature whimpered as it was passed over, looking back at her like a pet being taken to the vet.

Asins placed it in his left palm and raised his right hand.

The tips of his fingers glowed with a deep violet hue. As his fingers moved through the air, glowing lines appeared, as if drawn with a pen.

He filled a circle with a magical formula and chanted briefly.

The magic circle wrapped around Cotton Candy, the script orbiting its body like a belt.

The creature drooped its ears and blinked anxiously. Then, all of a sudden, it let out a high-pitched cry. A faint aura flickered around its body.

Cotton Candy puffed up and shook itself.

The glowing characters lost their light and scattered. The magic circle vanished instantly.

“Kyook!”

It glared at Asins, then turned away indignantly. After shaking off the rest of the magic, it flopped down on the floor and lazily began licking its paw—almost as if to say, “That was nothing.”

Did Cotton Candy… just shake off a spell from the Archmage, the most powerful magician of the Mage Tower? Just like that?

Jeyna carefully glanced at Asins, who looked completely unsurprised.

“Lord Asins, that spell just now…”

“It’s a spell that reveals the true form of a magical beast that’s hiding its appearance. The fact that it broke my magic while suppressing its power… it’s not just any ordinary beast.”

“So Cotton Candy’s current form isn’t its real one?”

“Of course not. That thing’s probably even larger and fiercer than that Saius Wolf you tamed.”

“Kyu, kyuaang!”

Cotton Candy, who had been quietly grooming, suddenly leapt back into Jeyna’s arms. It scratched her hand with its paw, almost like it was trying to stop her from continuing the conversation with Asins.

Can it actually understand what we’re saying…?

“I doubt I’ll be able to reveal its true form with my power. You try.”

“Me? But I don’t know how…”

“You’re its master. Can’t you even do that?”

Asins explained how to issue a command to a beast as a tamer.

It was simple: gather energy in your hand and speak.

Simple to say. But how am I supposed to suddenly gather energy?

Jeyna put Cotton Candy down and did as instructed, extending her hand and focusing on drawing energy to her fingertips. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t feel anything.

She’d never consciously used her ability before. When she first met Cotton Candy, she simply thought I want to raise it, and the power had activated on its own. The same happened with Poppy—she had merely shouted “Stop!” to survive.

Then it hit her:

Maybe it’s not about sensing some kind of energy. Maybe I just have to want it.

I want to see Cotton Candy’s real form. I want to know what the true Cotton Candy looks like.

“Cotton Candy, return to your original form.”

A faint warmth gathered in her hand.

Dark waves shimmered around Cotton Candy’s body. And then, it transformed.

The once palm-sized creature grew to a massive size, dwarfing even Poppy. The perky brown ears stretched long enough to cover its cheeks. From between those ears, sturdy goat-like horns emerged. Its plush, button-like brown eyes now held sharp crimson pupils.

A haetae?

It looked like a creature from mythology—a cross between a dragon and a lion.

“Grrr…”

Cotton Candy let out a low growl and lay flat on the floor. Despite its size, it blinked up at Jeyna with the same expression it always had.

As she reached out to pet it, Theoris grabbed her wrist.

“That’s dangerous.”

“It’s fine.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Theoris looked at the docile creature and released her wrist.

“Come here, Cotton Candy.”

Jeyna spoke kindly, just like always.

Cotton Candy slowly leaned in. Its huge body, now too big to fit in her arms, moved with extreme care—as if afraid of accidentally hurting her.

After spending so much time together, Jeyna could tell just by looking into its eyes: it was worried. Afraid she wouldn’t love it anymore.

Fierce? Where? It’s just a big baby.

“It’s okay. My Cotton Candy is still cute, even when it’s big.”

Its fur, now longer and fluffier, was still soft beneath her fingers. It closed its eyes and purred as she stroked it—just like the Cotton Candy she knew.

“Go back to your small form now, Cotton Candy.”

The moment she finished speaking, Cotton Candy shrank.

“Kyuu!”

Shrunken once more, it immediately leapt into her arms. As if it had been sad about not being able to earlier, it rubbed its face against her while letting out pitiful cries.

After finally calming the whining creature, the three of them sat down to talk about Jeyna’s ability.

Asins said her powers were slightly different from what he knew of beast tamers.

Beasts rank themselves by strength. Taming them usually meant overpowering them or fitting them with restraints.

But Jeyna’s beasts didn’t follow her because of force.

Cotton Candy had chosen to suppress its own power just to be doted on by her.

“It’s less like obeying a master, and more like a child craving affection from a parent.”

He was right.

If Cotton Candy saw her only as a master to obey, it wouldn’t bother staying in a form she liked.

“That’s not the only strange thing. Jeyna’s power doesn’t rely on mana.”

“What?”

When she issued a “command,” her internal mana didn’t fluctuate. There was only a brief increase in body temperature—and even that was minimal.

She could use her ability without mana.

Which meant… her power had no clear limit.

Jeyna was sincerely grateful that Asins hadn’t mentioned this in front of Ferus.

“That snake… who knows what schemes he’s plotting. Just in case something happens, I’ll stay here and keep watch for a while.”

Normally, Theoris would’ve flatly rejected the idea. He didn’t like anyone staying close to Jeyna. But this time, he said nothing—her safety mattered more.

“Very well.”

“What? I offer to protect her and you speak as if you’re granting me a favor?”

Asins grumbled at Theoris’s response.

“No, thank you, Lord Asins! It’s really reassuring to know you’ll be protecting me.”

Jeyna quickly stepped in to ease the tension. She didn’t want this conversation dragging out any further.

Afterward, she took Cotton Candy and returned to her room. The moment she lay on the bed, exhaustion washed over her.

Why did I have to get stuck with this weird ability…

She hated it. This strange tamer ability, and the unwanted attention from Ferus.

Then she remembered what Arin had told her.

“I don’t know what your goal is, sis, but… I think it’s going to be a tough road. The hard part’s just begun.”

“Beware the golden lion hiding its claws.”

She was right. The hard road had begun.

The golden lion with hidden claws… That must be Ferus.

If she’d known it would come to this, she would’ve asked Arin for more advice before leaving.

Hoping she wouldn’t get tangled up with anyone else, Jeyna closed her eyes.

No wonder I had such a restless sleep…

Jeyna put her hand to her forehead as she looked at the utterly ordinary brown-haired man before her.

“So this is…?”

“He’ll be your new bodyguard.”

“Theo, can I talk to you for a second?”

“If you’re not satisfied, I’ll assign someone else.”

Hey! You’re saying that right in front of him?!

Jeyna gave an awkward smile toward the man, who showed no reaction, and dragged Theoris outside the office.

“Theo, I haven’t even finished reading the list you gave me yet!”

She hadn’t gotten through even half of the bodyguard candidate list he had provided. She’d left in a hurry after discovering the emperor’s letter, and since then had been too busy playing referee between Asins and Theoris.

So why.

Why on earth is there a bodyguard I didn’t even choose standing here? One I should never have met this early?

The man Theoris introduced was someone Jeyna already knew.

Revan Dimir.

A capture target who originally appeared only after Theoris’s death.