Gomtangi's Day
Gomtangi's Day. Bear (Ancient Sound) Era, Year 3, June 3rd. A day in the life of Gomtangi. Gomtangi, the Desmond family's second freeloader, began his morning as usual to the sound of his mistress's boisterous voice echoing through the mansion.
"Air raid warning!!!!"
"Gom?!"
"Eeeek!!!"
"Gom..."
At the ever-energetic voice of his mistress, Gomtangi stretched and lifted his rear. Someday, he resolved, he too would grow into such a magnificent freeloader.
"Gom."
Thus began his day. Gomtangi gazed up at the dim ceiling and padded forward. He was currently beneath the doghouse his master had built for him. To greet his master properly, he needed to climb up and wait in advance.
"Goom."
Thud.
"Gom?"
Something squished beneath Gomtangi's paw as he advanced. From the texture, it didn't feel like a rock—more like a person's face.
"Gom."
Gomtangi carefully lifted his paw and looked down. His eyes widened at the sight of the man whose forehead now bore a massive bear-paw print.
"Gom?"
"Ah, good morning, Divine Beast."
"Gom?"
"A pleasant morning to you."
"Gom."
What kind of fellow was this, still asleep at this hour? Gomtangi found himself curious about the black-haired man's identity. The man was suspiciously good at digging.
"The Divine Beast should rest up there! I'll let you know when the construction is finished!"
"Gom?"
"If I dig just ten more meters here…"
"Gom...!?"
He had his own house, yet he insisted on sleeping in Gomtangi's.
"This place really is the most comfortable after all. The Saint told me to stop by home at least once a day… Haha…!"
"Gom…?"
"I'll do my best to live quietly without disturbing the Divine Beast's routine. For now, please accept this humble bribe…"
"Gogogogom!!!"
"I'm glad you like it."
The fellow had an uncanny knack for understanding a bear's heart. Gomtangi decided that living with Hans wasn't so bad. Sometimes the man's smirking made him uneasy, but he didn't seem like a bad person.
"Are you on your way to breakfast?"
"Gom."
"I stayed up late because of yesterday's extra construction, so I'll sleep a little longer…"
"Gomgom."
Gomtangi knew the man had a kind heart. There were no poachers or hunters in this mansion who coveted bear gall. Ah—
"Ricardo. Let's boil the bear cub into soup."
—except for one.
Gomtangi gave Hans's head another firm step before climbing the stairs toward the surface.
"Urgh…!"
"Gom."
"Enjoy your meal…!"
"Gomgom."
The view of the mansion from the doghouse was beautiful.
"Wake up, my lady."
"Eek?"
"You need to open your eyes and brush your teeth."
"Hng? Hmmm… Zzz."
"My lady!"
The sight of his master and mistress bickering was lovely, and the birds soaring through the air looked delicious. That was why Gomtangi liked this mansion.
"Eeeek! I hate brushing my teeth!"
"Tsk… Say 'ah.'"
"Eeeek!"
Gomtangi stared seriously at the mansion window from which the racket was coming and thought, Gom. (Breeding.) They must be breeding.
"Gom."
After all, reproduction was a living creature's sacred duty. Preserving the species was paramount. Gomtangi could generously understand his mistress and master's squabbling. Nodding to himself, he ambled across the yard, his thumb-sized tail swaying.
Though his hungry stomach rumbled and churned, the commotion between his mistress and master showed no sign of ending soon, so Gomtangi decided to take a longer walk.
"Gom. (Butterfly.)"
"Gom. (Nom.)"
"Gom. (Gulp.)"
It tasted awful. Bugs really didn't suit a bear of his dignity. In times like these, digging was best. Gomtangi buried his nose in the ground and began moving his massive body toward the snack he had hidden.
"Gom. (Here.)"
Thud-thud-thud-thud!
Gomtangi dug with his front paws, retrieved his hidden treat, and waited for his master to come out with food.
Time passed. It was the hour when his mistress and master would finish breakfast and emerge. His master came carrying feed in his hands, while his mistress descended into the yard in her wheeled chair.
Twitch.
The moment Gomtangi saw his mistress's white hair, he began to run.
"Gom!"
Rice cake. Glutinous rice cake.
"Gomgom…!"
His mistress's head tasted like glutinous rice cake. It chewed well and reacted delightfully.
Olivia's eyes widened at the enormous shadow falling over her head.
"Eek?"
Whoosh.
"Eek!?"
Whoosh…!
"Eeeek!? Ricardo, meteor."
"Gomgom."
"Eeeek! You stupid bear!!!!"
"Gomgomgom."
"Ricardo!!!!"
Gomtangi liked Olivia. Even when she spoke roughly, she never cast him aside—a person he was grateful for. Sometimes she even sneaked him snacks behind his master's back.
"Hehe. Want some?"
"Gom?"
"It's a secret from Ricardo."
"Gom."
She got sulky sometimes, but she was a fun mistress. Gomtangi liked her. He hadn't met many other animals, but he suspected this feeling was what they called "My master is the best in the world."
"Ricardo, smear this bear with soybean paste!"
"My lady, where did you learn such language?"
"In my dreams."
"Heh…"
"Eek…! It's cracking…! My head is splitting…! It feels like blood is flowing…!"
"That's Gomtangi's drool."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Hmmm."
"…Gom."
While slathering Olivia's head with drool, Gomtangi smiled and bit down harder.
"Eeeek!"
And his master—
"Pfft."
—was laughing. Come to think of it, this master seemed like the most wicked person of all. He just laughed whenever his mistress was suffering. Sometimes he showed a stern side, refusing to give snacks because she had gained too much weight. When Gomtangi first arrived, he had been surprised to be called a puppy.
"Now listen carefully. From today on, you're a puppy."
"Gom?"
"Since you're a puppy, you have to bark 'woof.'"
"Gom."
His master seemed to have given up now and no longer tried to force anything else on him. If asked who he liked most in this mansion, the answer was, of course, his master. Kind and—
"Gomtangi. Come here."
"Gom?"
"My lady doesn't have much in her head, so she needs to eat something else."
"Eeeek!"
"See?"
"Gom."
He gave food, too.
"It's premium feed, so eat it slowly."
"Gom."
And he had saved him. Though Gomtangi was merely a lowly creature, his master had rescued his injured leg and brought him here. He called him cute even though he wasn't. Seeing that no other pets had joined the household, Gomtangi felt even more moved—perhaps his master was content with just him. Everyone was precious, but his master was the greatest of all.
Gomtangi smiled as he ate the food his master had given him.
"Gom."
He was happy. Living together in this mansion was wonderful, and he felt pleasantly drowsy.
*
"Gom."
—End of Gomtangi's daily life.
"What are you doing?"
Hans stared at Gomtangi, who had a fan wedged between his front paws, with question marks floating above his head. He couldn't help but bow before the divine sight of Gomtangi writing something on the ground.
"…"
After reading Gomtangi's diary, Hans nodded solemnly.
"Truly divine."
"Gom."
"My lowly human mind cannot comprehend it. The language of bears… I feel compelled to study it."
"Gom."
Gomtangi looked at Hans and bit his head. It tasted like bland steamed rice cake. Come to think of it, he had never bitten his master's head. Surely his master's head would taste exquisite.
Crash-crash-crash-crash!!!!
"Hmm… The Saint must be training again today."
"Gom."
Gomtangi postponed his plan for another day.
*
In Elysia's sanctuary, where cold air flowed. Seated upon her throne, Elysia gazed down with languid eyes at the stranger who had come.
"What brings you here?"
Elysia spoke to the visitor. Perhaps uncomfortable being looked down upon, the unpleasant man's expression made a smile bloom on Elysia's lips. The man who had sought her out was Temperance.
"What business could you possibly have in such a shabby place, Apostle of Temperance?"
He was the Apostle of Temperance, one of the cult's seven supreme leaders. The Apostle of Temperance frowned at Elysia's cold gaze. Her demeanor was different from usual, and it soured his mood. Many thoughts crossed the Apostle of Temperance's mind. If the loss of the clock was the Apostle of Gentleness's doing… and the hypothesis that the Apostle of Gentleness possessed the Sealing Clock.
Impossible.
It was impossible. He couldn't imagine the Apostle of Gentleness, who never left her sanctuary, plotting anything.
The Apostle of Temperance suppressed his unease and spoke to the Apostle of Gentleness.
"I came because I have something to say."
"Something to say to me? Not an order, but a conversation? How novel."
"…The Sealing Clock."
At the word "Sealing Clock," Elysia's eyebrows twitched, and the Apostle of Temperance felt a thrill. All his worries had been unfounded, he thought, as he addressed Elysia in an authoritative tone.
"You don't seem to want it back."
"…Show it."
"What?"
The Apostle of Temperance frowned at Elysia's quiet murmur.
"Show it to me."
"…!"
"I need to confirm that you're keeping it safe."
Grind.
The Apostle of Temperance frowned. Something feels different. It was ominous. Unlike the Apostle of Gentleness who used to prostrate herself before the statue and pray every day, her authoritative, condescending gaze today seemed filled with hostility.
It's just needless worry.
"Show it to me."
"…"
"I'm only saying this because I don't like the idea of handing it over to someone else. Prove to me that you have it."
…Don't waver, Temperance.
The Apostle of Temperance forced a small smile and pulled a fake clock from his pocket, presenting it before Elysia.
"You mean this?"
"…"
"Why are you so suspicious?"
"…"
The Apostle of Temperance smiled. Then he began to tell Elysia the purpose of his visit.
"I've located the Holy Sword."
"…The Holy Sword?"
"Yes. Your orders are to retrieve the Holy Sword with me. If you complete this task well, the clock…"
"Pfft…"
"What are you doing?"
"Puhahahahaha!!!!"
"…Gentleness."
The Apostle of Temperance's hand trembled as he clutched the clock, glaring at Elysia.
"Do you want to die?"
"Aha… Ahaha!!!"
The Apostle of Gentleness, wearing a bright smile, shook her head with a crescent-moon grin.
"I'm sorry. I must have gone mad from being tormented so much."
"…"
"The Holy Sword, you say? Understood."
Watching the Apostle of Temperance's retreating back, Elysia smiled.
"Liar."
In Elysia's hand was the Sealing Clock.