TBSW 01

Chapter 1

Whooooosh—

Through the wide-open doors and shattered windows, the northern wind howled, carrying a blizzard inside.

Even the soft fur of the curled-up baby flying squirrel was dusted with thick flakes of snow.

“Hurry up and pack! The patrol guards will be here any minute!”

Snow kicked up by rushing feet splattered across the tiny creature’s face.
The baby flying squirrel flinched and shook its head hard.

“Chut! Chuuut!”

It sneezed, but its voice was so small no one could hear it over the noise.

“……!”

The baby flying squirrel looked down at the little hand that had covered its mouth.

On the hand, pale and numb from the cold, there was a smear of bright red blood.

Its round eyes trembled.

Again. I coughed up blood again…

So in this life too… I’m going to die young?

“Chuuit… Chu…”

The tiny fists trembled with frustration.

Then, secretly, the squirrel wiped the blood off on a man’s trouser leg as he passed by.

“Phew.”

If I’m coughing up blood again… then at best, I’ve got four years left.

Just like the last two lives…

✦✦✦

Ebi awakened as a beastkin rather late—at the age of two.

Jet-black round eyes like gemstones.
A pink nose that twitched constantly.
A soft, pale belly and a tiny, fluffy body that fit in one hand.

She was a small and adorable flying squirrel beastkin.

But Ebi had memories from a past life in Korea—
memories of being a terminally ill patient who’d died young after years of coughing up blood.

Back then, video games were my only joy.

But this time, it would be different.
It had to be different.

Because my foster father, Count Rusten, really cherishes me!

Ebi had no memory of her real parents.
She had only recently regained her memories of her previous life.

That’s fine…
The Count will cure my illness.

She pictured his face—Count Rusten, who would surely be overjoyed to see her.
Long, narrow eyes. A sharp hooked nose.
And… okay, maybe his lips are a little thin, but he’s still a good person!

It had taken her a while, but she had finally manifested her beastkin form—
just as the Count had long been waiting for.

And she was adorable, too!
He’ll be so happy. He’s been counting down the days for me to awaken.

Puffing her tiny chest with pride, Ebi flapped her dainty wings and flew toward Count Rusten’s office—
though she still wasn’t strong enough to stay airborne for long and kept tumbling to the floor.

✦✦✦

Count Rusten’s long, thin mustache twitched as if in excitement at her awakening.

Ah—no, cancel that! Not a scheming minister’s mustache, a refined gentleman’s mustache!

After staring at her for a long moment, he suddenly shouted, startling everyone around him.

“Bloody hell! A rat?! Every other beastkin turns into something fierce—why are you the only one that’s vermin?!”

He looked truly ecstatic…
Wait. Rat?!

Excuse me—I’m a cute flying squirrel, not a rat!

Ebi’s eyes widened in shock.

Then the Count suddenly grabbed her by the neck.

“Pik!”

Ebi squeaked in pain, struggling to breathe.

His daughter, Lian-na, rushed over—but instead of comforting Ebi, she patted her father’s back.

“Father, she’s been a fool since day one. As long as she has a beastkin ability, isn’t that enough? Her Blessing might still be useful.”

“Blessing” referred to the mysterious powers beastkin could manifest.

“You’re right! That’s my clever girl.”

Count Rusten, still gripping Ebi’s neck, turned to the hooded, one-eyed healer beside him.

“What do you think?”

The healer shook his head slowly.
“This child’s body is far too weak. She won’t live long.”

“I don’t care about that! Just tell me what Blessing she has!”

At the Count’s roar, the healer examined Ebi carefully.

“She has no Blessing. She can barely control her pheromones. You know that a beastkin’s power depends on the strength and size of their animal form. For such a tiny flying squirrel, the best she could manage is heightened smell or slightly better eyesight.”

“What?”

Count Rusten’s face twisted with fury as he glared at Ebi.

“To think I doted on this thing all this time.”

“Chuuit…?”

Ebi blinked, bewildered.

Was this really the same foster father who had once cared for her so warmly?

The next day, her cozy nursery was replaced by a leaky attic covered in cobwebs.
Her once-nutty meals turned into scraps of wilted leaves and rotten fruit.
But the most terrifying part was that she didn’t know how to turn back into a human.

Young beastkin needed guidance from experienced adults to control their transformations.

But since the Rusten family was not of beastkin blood, no one could teach her how to use her pheromones.
They didn’t even bother to hire a tutor.

Still, Ebi refused to lose hope.
She told herself it was all a misunderstanding—
that one day, the Count would care for her again.

Then, just like in her previous life, the coughing of blood began.

Panicking, Ebi asked a maid in the hallway to tell the Count she was sick.

But the maid returned with words that shattered her heart.

“She’s sick? So what! The brat’s not even officially on the family register!”

Not even registered…

So I wasn’t even really adopted?

Ebi curled up in silence.
And a few years later, still in her flying squirrel form, she died alone in that attic—
at only ten years old.

But when I opened my eyes again, I was back at two years old…

Everything was exactly the same.
So she decided to endure for a few more years and then escape.
If she wanted a future, she had to run from the Count’s estate.

At least I remember everything until I was ten. There has to be a way to survive this time.

She didn’t know much—being confined in an attic for years hadn’t taught her much about the world—
but having escaped the estate on her own once, she was confident.

“Phew!”

Ebi puffed out her cheeks and perched on a tree branch.

I just want to be healthy…

She didn’t want another life of sickness and slow death.
She knew her pheromones were unstable and weak—
that must be why her body was so frail.
If she could only grow stronger, maybe things would change.

But first, I need a place to stay. I’m too young to fend for myself… somewhere safe to grow up.

Whoooosh—
The cold wind slipped through her fur, making her shiver.

She looked around anxiously.
I need money if I’m going anywhere… but how?

That’s when she saw it:
a suspicious-looking carriage near a run-down monastery—
and the rough, mean-looking men unloading it.

Ebi’s eyes sparkled.

Gotcha.

They were slave traders.

✦✦✦

Now—

“All the documents are burned. They’ll never trace us!”

“Good. Let’s move out!”

The slave traders left their hideout monastery.
Ebi waved her tiny hand after them.

“Chuu-chuung~”
Take care out there!

Because the patrol guards will be on your tail soon enough.

Not that it mattered—they wouldn’t be caught for another three years.
They were too good at running and hiding.

One of them has the Blessing of Concealment, she recalled from gossip among the Count’s maids.

Who knew all that time hiding in tiny gaps in the manor would come in handy?

Rumor had it some noble territories were even offering rewards for information on the slavers’ whereabouts.

I’ll report them myself—and guide the guards to track them down.

That should be a decent payout!

“Chupit!”

Ebi grinned with satisfaction.

Then she spotted a shriveled sunflower seed on the ground and quickly stuffed it into her cheek pouch.

Jackpot!

Flying squirrels normally didn’t have cheek pouches,
but Ebi had developed them out of necessity—
in the manor, she had to hide any food she could find.

Better save this for later.
Small but certain happiness—so this is what they mean by “little joys.”

Ebi’s smile grew wider.

Then her ears twitched.
They’re here!

The patrol guards arrived, storming into the monastery.

“Damn it, they’re already gone!”

“Search every corner! We need to find out where they went!”

They began tearing the place apart.

Now it’s my turn.

Perched on a ceiling beam, Ebi wiggled her bottom—preparing to glide down.

But then—

Thud, thud, thud!

A louder thunder of hooves echoed outside, more than twice the number of the guards.

“Chuu?”

Men in black cloaks rode in, each bearing a snarling wolf emblem on their chests.

They dismounted and marched into the monastery in perfect formation,
their steps so synchronized it felt like a military operation.

They were taller and broader than the local guards,
their black winter cloaks brushing their boots,
their faces hard and expressionless.

Their presence alone made the guards shrink back in fear.

“Th-that’s the Aspenwolf Knights?”
“Why are the Black Wolf Duke’s knights here—in our territory?!”

The patrol captain hastily stepped forward to block them.

“Stop! This is the Novos domain. Soldiers from another land can’t—”

A cold voice cut him off.

“Since when did the guards of a mere barony think they could block my knights?”

The black-armored knights parted to form a path,
and through it strode a tall man.

Jet-black hair. Piercing golden eyes that looked ready to bite.
A cross-shaped scar over one eye, sun-bronzed skin,
a fine cloak draped over his shoulders,
and a massive sword at his hip.

He radiated both nobility and danger in equal measure.

Ebi’s tiny heart skipped a beat.

Golden eyes… a cross-shaped scar…
That’s—the Black Wolf Duke, Noctis!