Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: The Ferocious Sheep
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Thwack—.
"What's this? I had high expectations because you're famous, but you're nothing special."
The chimpanzee kept flicking my forehead with a snicker. I snatched his finger and snapped it back.
"Argh!"
The chimpanzee screamed, clutching his finger. Clear rage burned in his groaning eyes. He was poised to attack me with magic any second.
I picked up a shovel leaning against the nearby wall.
The chimpanzee muttered something under his breath and flicked his finger into the air like snapping it upward.
"...Huh?"
And nothing happened.
'As if magic would work here.'
This wasn't for nothing the seat of the Wolf Territory's ruling family. In the Rub Family estate, only those with the Rub bloodline could use magic.
That meant no other beastkin could use magic, no matter how talented they were.
The Magic Tower Lord might be an exception, but that was beyond my curiosity.
Besides, there were hardly any bold beastkin who tried using magic in the Rub estate anyway, and even the Rubs didn't share the estate's secret, so few knew.
I knew because I'd read the original story.
"My turn now?"
Drag—.
"Ack!"
The chimpanzee hurriedly chanted a spell upon seeing me approach, dragging the shovel, but it fizzled again. Panicking, he backed away and tripped with a short scream.
"How dare you be so rude to a stranger."
Thud!
"Before strutting around as a carnivore beastkin or a mage or whatever."
Thud!
"Learn some manners first."
That stupidity will be a huge stumbling block in your life too, so hide it or deal with it yourself.
Mages rarely had exceptional physical abilities. That was why this chimpanzee was getting beaten so badly by me.
No one stands a chance against an armed beastkin gone berserk.
Panting, I slammed the shovel into the ground with a clack and shook it mockingly as I taunted him.
"Want more? If you're that upset, go tattle to the Family Head here."
Fuming over getting thrashed by a sheep, the chimpanzee glared at me silently before standing up.
That was when a loud laugh echoed from above.
"The rumors of the ferocious sheep are true."
I looked up to see Billy perched on the windowsill, gazing down with a refreshing smile. He'd apparently been watching for a while. A gentle breeze fluttered his white shirt hem and hair, painting a picturesque scene.
"Family Head!"
The chimpanzee spotted Billy and instantly switched to a wronged expression, shouting up at him. If Billy had seen it from the start—or even if not—he wouldn't take sides like that.
Classic carnivore supremacist thinking. He probably figured Billy, being a carnivore beastkin, would naturally side with him.
"You there, chimpanzee. That was quite the entertaining show."
His face lit with genuine amusement, Billy leaped from the second-floor windowsill in one bound.
He landed lightly, one hand in his pocket, strolling leisurely before stopping in front of the chimpanzee and raising his index finger.
"Gaaah!"
At the same instant, the chimpanzee's body shot up high into the air. It was over in a flash.
Billy glanced at my startled face and explained with a bright smile.
"Oh, that magic the chimpanzee was about to use on you, Lady."
Ah. I gazed up indifferently at the chimpanzee flailing in midair like a corpse.
"What should I do with him?"
Billy spun his finger, twirling the chimpanzee in the air, and asked me.
"Hmm, make sure he never struts around like that again."
Billy nodded at my words and drew another circle in the air. On the opposite side connected to the circle, a refreshingly handsome wolf beastkin appeared at a glance.
"What?"
The wolf on the other side calmly asked, unfazed by the sudden circle.
"Granting a wish."
As Billy said that, his finger dropped downward, and the chimpanzee's body plummeted toward the ground. The wolf on the other side turned away with an understanding look.
"He wants to experience some brutality, so handle it yourself."
"Mm, if that's what he wants."
Billy flicked his finger toward the circle, and the chimpanzee's body flew straight through it to the other side.
"Ma... ma..."
The chimpanzee tried saying something to the wolf opposite, but Billy quickly closed the circle.
"How long are you planning to hold that shovel?"
He turned and pointed at the shovel still in my hand. Only then did I realize I'd been gripping it tightly and let go, returning it to its place.
After that, unbeknownst to me, a new rumor spread through the estate: about the ferocious sheep who beats chimpanzees with a shovel.
Under the clear blue autumn sky.
I sat facing Ed in the garden, enjoying a leisurely tea time, and grinned at the favorability bar.
26%
How desperate I'd been with the sporadic choices popping up during my last talk with Ed. Every time I tried to gently persuade him, a curt remark would come out instead, giving me trouble.
I'd clicked the choice expecting favorability to drop, holding back tears. But against my prediction, it rose all the way to 26%.
After seeing it go up or down by just 1-2% at a time, who'd have thought it'd jump by 3%.
No way was it the "not even soup" line that boosted it. Maybe something I said before won Ed over?
I was dying to know the clear criteria for favorability increases. If I did, I could skyrocket it in no time.
For now, resolved to be the best adult possible for Ed, I gazed warmly at him—he'd been smiling more lately.
Ed was devouring the strawberry cake made from berries shipped from Sheep Territory, his face beaming with happiness.
"Lady Lami, it's finally the day!"
Ed exclaimed brightly, his face full of anticipation.
'That excited about the tutor coming?'
I was about to reply with a smile when choices appeared again.
Beyond the choices, Ed's eyes sparkled with excitement, his legs jiggling happily. My own reduced leg-shaking met his, making the tea in the cup slosh side to side.
I stirred the tea idly with the teaspoon and picked the least bad option, number 1.
"What's so great about taking lessons? Making this fuss."
It was a snide tone. It could've hurt his feelings, but Ed, used to me by now, brushed it off lightly and nodded vigorously.
"Back when I roamed the streets doing odd jobs, I was always jealous of kids who could read books."
His sole pleasure then had been secretly eavesdropping on children reading aloud, he said.
Hearing that made my chest tighten unexpectedly, my eyes welling up.
'I didn't know Ed was illiterate.'
There'd been no need for him to read in the Morton household, and I hadn't been one for books myself, so it never crossed my mind.
I'd told the poor kid to read without knowing, which must've been awkward for him.
'But he's still young. He can learn from now on.'
Ed was smart; he'd pick it up fast. Just hearing about lessons had him this thrilled—imagine how diligently he'd study.
I pressed my feverish eyes with my cool hands, tilted my head back, and gazed at the sky.
"Wah!"
And nearly toppled backward.
Billy's face was right in front of my nose. My startled heart pounded like it would burst.
Billy steadied my chair with one hand, pushing it forward, then stroked his cheek with a puzzled murmur.
"Do I have a scary face?"
Unable to reply, I just gulped down my tea.
Soon, Ed's tutor arrived at the estate.
Her hair neatly tied back in a single ponytail, dressed in a simple, unadorned frock, the tutor walked primly to the door of the lecture room where lessons would be held.
"Whew—."
She'd heard the child she'd teach knew next to nothing, unlike kids from other noble houses.
A tough road lay ahead, crystal clear in her mind, but she was a sought-after tutor from a noble Wolf Territory family and a proud wolf beastkin.
Suppressing her worries with professionalism, she stepped into the lecture room.
"Hello, Young Master. I'm Karen Sharp, your new tutor."
"Hello!"
A good start.
Most kids hated lessons, but this one's eyes burned with passion for learning.
Before classes truly began, Karen posed her usual question to her new pupil, as she did all her students.
"Do you have a dream, Young Master Ed, of what you'd like to become?"
Resting his chin on clasped fists, Ed pondered gravely before finally looking up.
Karen anticipated what answer this passionate child would give.
"Hmm... a sheep?"
"Pardon?"
"I want to become a sheep!"
Did I hear that wrong?
Unaware of Karen's confusion, Ed just grinned widely.
His innocent smile, with one emerging canine tooth where another had fallen out, only deepened her bewilderment.