Let's Go Hunt Magical Beasts
Lumia is acting strange.
"Kyauuung."
It feels empty without those two around.
A few days had passed since Haetae and Rosalia left, and their absence hit harder than I'd expected. I lay sprawled across the plush carpet, flicking my tail, and every now and then my gaze would drift, unbidden, toward the spots where the two of them used to be.
"Kyaung."
Those butlers just up and left their master behind. How dare they.
It bruises my pride, but I have to admit it. I'm a tiny bit lonely without my butlers right now.
To soothe the gloom, I made my way to the First Grandfather's altar in the garden every single day. Rubbing my cheek against the stone, where I could feel Grandfather's cool presence, seemed to make things a little better. Naturally, the time I spent there grew longer and longer. And when night fell, I burrowed straight into Kailian's arms.
"Kyau."
Lumia, you come here too.
I slept with Kailian on one side and Lumia on the other. Only when I was sandwiched perfectly between the two of them did I feel even a little better.
"Haa..."
Kailian looked down at Blanc tumbling around with Lumia at her feet and let out a sigh. She hadn't liked the state he'd been in lately.
"Kyaung?"
What?
Kailian suddenly bent down and scooped me up in both hands.
"Kyau?"
Hey, I was playing with Lumia.
Hoisted into the air, I paddled all four paws. Kailian brought me to eye level and stared at me with a thoroughly serious look.
What's with her... Did I do something wrong?
"Blanc."
"Kyau...?"
Did she find out I had snacks six times today?
"You've been eating even more than usual lately, so why do you look so listless?"
"Kyau."
Listless? I played with Lumia all day yesterday.
I snorted and looked away, but Kailian caught my cheek.
"It's obvious you've been weirdly down ever since Rosalia and that mutt left. You've been hanging around the altar way longer, too."
"Kyaung..."
She's too sharp for her own good...
"That does it. You need some fresh air. If you keep sitting around like this, you're just going to get fatter."
Kailian nuzzled her face against my cheek, a faint smile on her lips.
"How about it, Blanc? Shall we go hunting for the first time in a while?"
"Kyau?"
Hunting? Catching deer in the nearby mountains?
I flattened my ears. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled. Chasing after the little wild animals toddling around the Imperial Palace's back mountain was nothing but a boring pastime for me now. Playing with the illusions Lumia made with her Fox Orb was way more fun.
I yawned wide and gave her a lukewarm look, and Kailian snorted a laugh.
"The way you're looking at me, people would think I suggested something as lame as the back mountain."
"Kyaung?"
So where are we going, then?
A mischievous glint flashed in Kailian's eyes.
"This time, I'll make sure you have fun. Let's go hunt Magical Beasts."
"Kyaung...? Kyaaaang!"
For real? We're going to hunt Magical Beasts?
The instant I heard those words, my drooping ears shot straight up. My tail swished, and anticipation flooded my eyes. A fun little diversion had finally shown up in my boring daily routine. My butlers were gone and things had been dreary — this was the perfect chance to shake off that gloomy mood.
But the joy lasted only a moment. I tilted my head.
"Kyaung?"
But what's with this all of a sudden?
I stared at Kailian with round, wide eyes. Normally she hated it when I did anything dangerous, and now she was the one suggesting we go hunt Magical Beasts?
Under my suspicious stare, Kailian cleared her throat.
Are we actually going?
"Ahem... Why are you looking at me like that? People would think I'd locked you up. I was only ever protecting you."
"Kyau."
You wouldn't even let me have snacks after I played with the knights.
I kept glaring at her, so Kailian covered my eyes with her hand.
"Of course, it won't just be the two of us. We'll bring Lina too. She is the Saintess, after all."
"Kyaung."
The fact that she's the Saintess is exactly why I worry every day.
Last time she buried her nose in my tail fur and started drooling.
Unlike her thoroughly un-Saintess-like behavior, Lina's combat prowess is formidable. She folds Magical Beasts in half with her bare hands, and the various miracles wrought by her Divine Power pack a serious punch. It's just that nothing she does looks remotely like a Saintess.
"Kyauuung."
Fine, let's bring Lina too.
It was a little unsettling, but I nodded. Then I plopped my plump white front paw onto the back of Kailian's hand and nuzzled against her, swish.
"Kyaung. Kyaang."
Going hunting together after so long. Nice.
I rested my paw on her and rubbed my face against her, lavishly praising her for being so thoughtful. Kailian's face melted at the affection, and she grinned like an idiot.
"That's my Blanc. You're happy we're going hunting together, aren't you? Look how excited you are!"
"Kyaung."
We were about to hurry off and get ready for the hunt when Lumia, who had been quietly listening at our feet the whole time, carefully looked up at us and shifted into her human form.
"Um... excuse me..."
"Lumia? What is it? Did you want to say something?"
Kailian took one look at her and asked carefully.
"I... I don't want to go..."
In her human form, Lumia's two hands were trembling like aspen leaves. Her face had gone deathly pale, and her eyes were steeped in unmistakable terror.
"Kyau...?"
Hey, what's wrong with you? Are you sick?
Startled, I leaped down from Kailian's arms and went to Lumia's side. But she clutched her fluffy tail in both arms and backed away.
"I... I hate Magical Beasts... I'm scared... I'll just stay here and wait for Oppa quietly..."
Lumia's voice was cracking, ever so slightly. Something about this didn't seem like a simple fear of Magical Beasts. It looked closer to a trauma far darker and deeper than that.
"Kyaung."
She's shaking that hard just from the word Magical Beast?
Young as she still was, Lumia was a clear Spiritual Beast who could even produce a Fox Orb. There was no way she'd instinctively fear Magical Beasts. She must have some truly horrific memory or wound related to them from before we met. Come to think of it... she was half-dead when I found her, too.
I checked on her one more time and decided not to press any further. There's no telling how someone will react if you force a trauma out into the open.
"Kyaung. Kyau."
Alright. If you don't want to go, you don't have to. You stay here and keep Grandfather company.
When I nodded as if it were no big deal, she finally let out a breath of relief and hung her head. Kailian had been watching that pitiful sight in silence. She quietly knelt down and gently drew the trembling Lumia into her arms.
Squeeze.
"...Kailian Unnie...?"
Lumia blinked her round eyes and rested her chin on Kailian's shoulder.
"That's right. Our Lumia can stay here and rest with Father and Big Brother. You don't have to force yourself to come."
Kailian stroked Lumia's white hair, rough but tender.
"Eat something tasty, raid Blanc's emergency snacks, and have fun. Unnie and Blanc will take care of those Magical Beasts and be right back."
At that warm body heat and comfort, Lumia's trembling slowly subsided. But she still seemed uneasy, her small hands clutching Kailian's sleeve tight.
Squeeze.
"Unnie... Oppa."
Clear tears welled in Lumia's eyes. It was a sad, desperate look, as if she might burst into sobs at any second.
Something really did happen to her, huh.
It was a plea so raw it sounded like she'd lost someone to Magical Beasts before. Lumia's voice met the air in the room and sank, heavy.
"Kyaung."
This dummy looking so sad, unlike her usual self, is making me even more worried.
Kailian snorted a laugh at Lumia's worry and pressed a finger to her forehead.
"You worry too much. Did you forget how strong I am?"
She pressed her forehead to Lumia's and grinned.
"I can cut down as many Magical Beasts as they throw at me, you know that. And Blanc might do nothing but eat every day and look like a little pig, but he's a Divine Beast. There's nothing to worry about."
"Kyaung."
Who are you calling a pig!
"We're not going to die. So stop worrying and just think about what you want to play when we get back, okay?"
At Kailian's words, a faint relief finally spread across Lumia's face. She let go of the sleeve and nodded, very small.
"Okay... I'll trust you and wait... Please be careful."
Hop.
"Kyaung."
The way this dummy's acting, people would think we were heading off to war.
"Huh...? Oppaaa..."
I squished the cheeks of this cheeky little worrywart with my front paws.
"Kyau."
We'll be back soon, so quit the useless worrying and just keep my snacks safe. Got it?
"Hehe... okay! But... if you eat any more snacks, Oppa's actually going to turn into a pig... I think? Ow..!"
I gave that still-cheeky Lumia a light bonk on the head.