The Southern Guardian’s Humble Gratitude
The humiliating time had finally come to an end.
“Kyauuu…”
It was so embarrassing… I could never get married now…
I had been pinned down by Mother’s overwhelming power, forced to drink what she offered while she held me tight in her embrace.
I pushed at her chest with my forepaws, desperately struggling, but in the end I couldn’t defeat Mother.
Here… there are always parents who win over their children…
“Kyuk.”
…My belly was so full it even produced a fart.
I lay limp in Mother’s arms, feeling thoroughly satisfied as the sound escaped me.
“Hoo-hoo… you were pretending to hate it, but you still gobbled it all up so nicely. Such a pretty child… so good a mother have I?”
Mother’s face glowed with a pride and joy that seemed to possess the entire world as she gently stroked my back.
Her hands, lovingly caressing my puffy, rounded belly, radiated pure affection.
…It made me feel even more irritated because I was happy.
“You ate so well all at once… why did you refuse before? What’s wrong with a mother feeding her child her milk?”
Since I secretly felt a little wronged, Mother poked my cheek with her finger.
…Mother… I adore you while I hate you.
“I was so angry that I couldn’t feed you milk properly even once. But even like this, how happy it makes me to vent my resentment…”
“Kyau…”
I’m done, Mother. You’re too good.
A subtly sweet and savory taste lingered on my tongue, stirring a faint, mysterious irritation once more.
I turned my head away in mock anger and tapped Mother’s white hand’s back with my fluffy tail in a timid little “thud, thud.”
“Kyau!”
Still… forcing me to eat? I’m fully grown now. I can eat meat whenever I want!
Mother has no idea what I’m thinking…
I tried to keep up the act of sulking, but being snug in Mother’s warm embrace with a full belly brought waves of laziness over me.
“Kyauuu…”
I let out a short sigh from my belly, finally dropping the pretense and rubbing my head vigorously against Mother’s palm.
“Kyawong… kyaang. Kyau.”
Next time… I won’t eat at all. I’m all grown up now… so I can eat meat with Mother!
Mother’s face lit up with a bright, radiant smile as she leaned down to kiss the top of my head while I grumbled my cute little protest.
“Yes, yes. Mother was in the wrong. Next time, Mother will bring you the most delicious meat you’ve ever had. We’ll eat it together.”
Mother rocked me slowly back and forth as if humming a lullaby while patting my back.
“Kyau…”
I’m sleepy…
My body felt like it was melting in Mother’s soft touch and warm embrace.
I gradually closed my eyes and slipped into a pleasant sleep.
She felt the warmth of Blanc slowly fading and dispersing from her arms, then she herself hugged her empty lap tightly.
“Just a little longer… just a tiny bit longer… my baby… Mother will come meet you soon.”
“Kyauuung…”
You slept well.
I opened my eyes, recalling Mother’s comforting warmth and that… embarrassing memory.
Swoosh.
The soft cushion of the pillow brushing against my cheek.
Looking around, it wasn’t the boundary of the barrier I had last seen.
I was back in the bed inside the room at Valder’s Castle, where Kailian and I were staying.
“Kyau?”
When did they move me here?
A slight turn of my head showed the weight beside me: Lumia curled up sleeping in fox form.
Her curled-up, fidgeting form pressed right against me was quite adorable.
“Kyung.”
You worked hard too.
She hadn’t done anything particularly special, but simply following me to that place counted as her share.
I licked Lumia’s head with my tongue, then rose from the bed and scanned the room for the attendants who had left me behind.
“Did our cute piglet wake up?”
“Kyau?!”
You startled me!
I hadn’t even noticed when she approached. Kailian suddenly scooped me up and pressed her face fully into my belly without giving me time to react.
Plrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!
“……Kyaaaang!!!”
“AHAHA! You slept well, Blanc?”
Kailian unleashed a thunderous belly raspberry right against my stomach.
It tickled and felt weird!
…The butler had finally completed his bucket list.
I had been betrayed by the people I trusted twice in a single day.
“Kyaaaaang!! Kyau!!!”
You crazy butler! Let go! What are you doing?! Do you want to die?!
I thrashed around desperately, hurling the most vicious insults at Kailian as I tried to escape her belly raspberry.
I kicked my paws wildly in the air, but since Kailian had already pinned me down, I couldn’t break free.
Plrrrp! Bloop!
“Ah, our Blanc, with such a plump belly the raspberry sounds so different… wait, why is your belly so plump? What did you eat during that time?”
“Kyang!”
This is why you can’t just appear out of nowhere!
I couldn’t stand Kailian’s shameless attitude and swung my forepaw straight at her cheek.
Slap!
“Aiyot!”
Only after Kailian received the blow did she gently set me down on the floor.
“Kyau! Kyaaaaang!”
What the heck are you doing all of a sudden!
The moment I landed I began to snarl and furiously swatted Kailian’s ankle with my tail.
How much surprise was I supposed to feel!
Thud-thud! Slap! Slap! Slap!
“Ah, wait! It hurts! Aiyot! S-sorry! Blanc… I hit your bone! I hit your bone!”
Kailian clutched her stinging ankle and apologized frantically while enduring my sharp tail whip.
Hmph… if you’re going to grab it, you should have done it gently.
“Kyung.”
If you do that again… I’ll really bite you.
“Ah… it hurts… you made it all swollen…”
“Kyau.”
Shut up.
Kailian rubbed her reddened ankle and wore an aggrieved expression.
That, you scoundrel.
“Alright… I’m sorry. I won’t do it again from now on. Let’s go eat! I prepared everything at the dining hall. Eat until your stomach’s full and vent all your anger, okay?”
“Kyau.”
I’d better hold back once for the sake of food.
I kept snarling while my tail instinctively wagged at the word “eat,” then hurriedly forced it still.
Anyone watching would think that whenever food was mentioned, everything was forgiven.
I snorted through my nose and approached the bed where Lumia was still sleeping.
I couldn’t leave Lumia all alone while I went to eat.
I gently parted my mouth and softly picked up Lumia’s nape by the scruff of her neck.
“Mmm… hehe, oppa… your belly is so soft and warm.”
“Kyuh.”
What kind of dream is this little rascal having?
Even in her sleep Lumia muttered, but I paid no attention and leaped down from the bed.
All set for dinner.
When I stared at Kailian with the same angry glare, she offered an awkward smile and apologized once more.
“Ah, I’m really sorry. Can you forgive me, Blanc… please?”
Kailian squatted down and gently stroked my head with tender, affectionate hands.
“I was just… I was so proud and impressed by how much you’ve grown that I couldn’t help it…”
“Kyung…”
Proud? What do you mean? When have I ever not been impressive?
I always paid my dues.
“Thanks to you, we were able to repel that disgusting swarm of insects with almost no damage. Thank you so much, Blanc.”
Sincere gratitude shone in Kailian’s red eyes.
I kept Lumia in my mouth, so I simply closed my eyes tightly and looked back at her.
I’ll do it well if you know.
“Without you, the insects would have been almost wiped out. Rosalia and Lina are now leading the remaining knights and mages, dealing with the scattered stragglers.”
Kailian smiled brightly as she spoke.
“That’s almost over too, so you don’t have to worry. Go rest.”
“Kyung.”
Really? Then it’s perfect.
There was no need for me to return to the battlefield anymore; only mopping up remained. Perfect.
Honestly, I never wanted to see those two things again.
Just looking at them spoiled my appetite.
I carried Lumia in my mouth, nodding in satisfaction, and set off toward the dining hall.
We arrived at the dining hall of Valder’s Castle.
The instant the door opened, a rich, meaty aroma swept in.
“Kyau…”
Ooooh…
A mountain of every kind of dish was piled high on the large table inside.
Compared to the magnificent and intricate palace banquets I ate every day, it looked simpler and more rustic.
Still, given the situation with the insect crisis, the care and effort clearly shown in the food was unmistakable.
Fresh fruits and fish were arranged in abundance, and in the center sat a whole roasted ox.
This should be enough…
I licked my drooling lips while gazing at the table.
“Kyng…”
“Kyau.”
Sorry.
I had drooled all over Lumia’s fur because I was carrying her in my mouth.
What devotion… the meat aroma is simply heavenly.
I had just widened my eyes and gulped down my drool when the words of thanks left my mouth.
“You have arrived… ah, the great Divine Beast is here.”
Marquis Valder hurried out from the inner part of the hall.
His face was completely different from the hollow, deathly appearance of a few days ago.
He still looked exhausted, but hope and vitality overflowed in his expression.
He finally looked like a real person now.
Thud.
The moment the marquis stood before me, all noble dignity vanished as he dropped to his knees on the floor.
He pressed his forehead to the ground and bowed deeply.
“We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for saving our territory… no, the entire southern region of the Empire…”
“Kyau.”
Why does this feel so burdensome?
The marquis looked up and carefully took my right forepaw in both trembling hands.
Drip. Drip.
Tears streamed endlessly from his wrinkled eyes and soaked my white fur.
“This favor… Valder’s family will never forget it until the day our line is extinguished. You are our eternal savior in the south…!”
The marquis’s tearful words of gratitude.
Behind him, the servants and knights of the territory also bowed deeply to me in sincere thanks.
It was so embarrassing to receive this right before eating…
I gently set Lumia down on the carpet.
Still clutching the marquis’s hand, I patted the back of his trembling paw with my forepaw in a gentle, rhythmic knock.
“Kyang!”
Enough! Stop crying. I’m hungry; let’s eat!
I flashed a grin at the sniffling marquis.
We eat together when food is involved.
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