The Divine Beast Is Stretching Out
The soldiers were sweating profusely as they carried the wooden boxes. Inside them, instead of cold weapons or hard bread, they were filled with food.
"Special express cargo for the Northern Fortress! Before it gets cold... ah, there's no need to worry about that. Hurry up and move it!"
"This one is for the Western Relief Center! If you drop the 'Holy Relic' His Holiness bestowed, it's death!"
Truly amazing every time I see it. It's been a week since I entered the warehouse, yet the bread is still soft and warm.
A soldier working was touching the bread and sighing in admiration.
"According to Tower Master Rosalia's explanation, it's said to have preservation power close to 'time freeze'. The divine power of the Divine Beast coats the food with a thin film, purifying it before the spoilage bacteria can reach it?"
The foods made from Blanc's belly fat transcended the concept of expiration dates.
Pure 100% divine power was acting as a natural preservative perfectly.
The 'Blessing of Blanc' spreading across the empire had truly enormous repercussions.
In the western mining villages, miners who had been suffering from hard labor regained vitality by eating the bread and their excavation volume tripled, and reports kept coming in that soldiers on the northern front who had eaten the meat healed as if their wounds had been washed.
The empire was now welcoming the 'Blanaissance'. The emperor opened the warehouses in joy, and the people sang hymns praising Blanc's name.
I am now enjoying my own leisurely and elegant afternoon tea on the terrace of the Princess's Palace.
"The Divine Beast, this time it's a seasonal strawberry cream tart with plenty of fresh strawberries."
"I also prepared chocolate as a palate cleanser."
The crude way of forcing my belly to be stuffed by eating awkwardly like before is now a thing of the past.
Now I am a high-class gourmet divine beast who knows how to enjoy leisure.
"Nom nom... kyaa."
Hmm, just right sweet and tangy.
I took a bite of the tart and savored the sweetness spreading in my mouth.
When a pleasant fullness filled my stomach, I naturally let out a tiny bit of divine power from my body.
Pop!
With a cheerful pop sound, golden light flickered under my paw, and a heavy box appeared.
"Oh! It's here! This time it's a nutritious stew."
The waiting attendants carried the box as if performing a holy ritual.
I wagged my tail and took a bite of the cookie. Eat when I want to, and to digest too, I casually used a miracle.
How perfectly ideal and balanced this work-life balance is.
"Truly amazing every time I see it, Divine Beast."
Lina, who had been watching me with her chin on her hand from across, sighed softly.
Her eyes sparkled with deep faith beyond mere curiosity.
"At first, I thought it was just a miracle of 'material creation' for feeding the hungry... but I can feel the Divine Beast's power growing."
"kyaa?"
Growing? It's not that my belly has gotten bigger, right?
Lina gently stroked my fur and continued with a serious expression.
"Now it's just preserving and amplifying the nutrients of the created food, but this energy... it touches the power that governs life itself."
She carefully held my soft jelly paw pad.
"If this continues, soon you might show even more surprising abilities. For example, stepping on barren land could revive withered crops and bring about a bountiful harvest..."
Lina's voice rose a tone.
"Even just touching the wounds of a dying person could instantly heal them, like the power of 'complete healing'. It's in the realm of life that medicine can't reach."
"kyaa~."
Oh, that's pretty good.
If crops grow on their own, I don't need to farm and can just eat rice. And if I get injured, no need for bitter medicine or hospital bills.
It's very practical and economical. Later when I retire, I can become a healer and earn money.
"As expected, our Blanc is the empire's treasure. Simply existing is a blessing."
Kailian kissed my cheek. I turned my head pretending to be annoyed, but I wasn't unhappy and thumped my tail on the floor.
After a day's work, I now occupied the top of the giant cat tower in the resting place prepared on one side of the Princess's Palace.
Squelch! Crunch!
I was lying on the cat tower, chewing on the Earth Dragon's bone caught between my paws.
"kyaa~."
Happy. This must be the life of a 'successful predator'.
Outside the window, cheers of "Long live Blanc!" rang out, but to my ears, it was just background music to stimulate appetite.
What was important now was the salty taste of mana touching the tip of my tongue and the hard texture that pleasantly scratched my gums.
On the Princess's Palace living room sofa, Kailian and Lina were sitting reviewing documents, and Rosalia was hovering around my cat tower, diligently recording something.
That pervert doesn't even want to think anymore.
"Observation Log, Day 45. The Divine Beast prefers the 5th floor of the cat tower. Is it the instinct as a ruler, or simply because the heating magic works best there..."
"kyaa!"
Noisy! Don't look at me while I'm eating!
I gripped the bone with my paw and glared at Rosalia. But Rosalia's eyes sparkled as if even that was sublime.
"Oh... that possessiveness! The majesty of a predator trying to monopolize the dragon's bone!"
"Haa... Tower Master, I'll die from Blanc. Stop it."
Kailian clicked her tongue and shook her head.
I lost interest again and focused on the bone.
'Let me see, the joint part is the most delicious.'
I twisted my head at a 45-degree angle and targeted the end of the bone with my molars.
Crack- Crunch.
The hard bone broke, and the condensed mana inside it coated my tongue. This tingling. So good.
I spent a long time wrestling with the bone on the cat tower and enjoyed the empire's best cuisine.
How much time had passed? The sun outside was setting, casting a golden sunset glow over the cat tower.
Because I had been crouching in the same posture for too long while chewing the bone, my whole body felt stiff. The back muscles felt stiff and tense.
"kyaa..."
Ah, my waist. Since I'm in my growth period, my joints are aching.
I reluctantly set down the bone, which was now covered in saliva, and got up from my seat.
I needed to loosen my body a bit.
I grabbed the cat tower pole with my paw, stretched my upper body forward, and pulled my hips back.
"Uuuuuh-!"
My upper body was pressed flat against the floor, and my hips were raised high to the sky. The spine vertebrae stretched pleasantly with 'thud' sounds.
In professional terms, it was the full stretch pose.
"ngh...!"
I closed my eyes tightly and tensed my whole body.
The toes of my stretched front paws spread out like a fan, and the soft pink jelly pads hidden in my usual white fur blossomed open like a full flower.
My hidden sharp claws poked out and then retracted.
Shiver shiver.
My tail tip and hind legs trembled slightly from stretching all the muscles to the max. Even that tremble was pleasant.
Finally, I stretched my hind legs back as far as possible, making my body the longest. My short body instantly became a long body.
"Haaaham... haa."
Finally, I let out a big yawn that split my mouth, and flicked my red tongue. A few tears welled up at the corners of my eyes.
"kyaa."
Now I'm refreshed.
I shook my fur with my refreshed body and settled in place to bake some bread.
What? The surroundings are too quiet.
"......"
"......"
When I looked up, Kailian, Lina, and Rosalia on the floor were staring at me with bated breath.
Their faces were flushed red like ripe tomatoes.
"kyaa."
Did you see something weird while I wasn't looking?
"Did you see...?"
"I saw... that perfect arch waist line..."
"The toes... the jelly... spread out with a 'chwaak'... like cherry blossoms bursting in spring..."
"My heart... hurts so much."
Kailian clutched her chest and twisted.
"That defenseless butt... the tail tip trembling... and that jelly! This is unfair."
"The Divine Beast's stretches... contain purifying power. It feels like my eyes and brain are being purified. Oh God, thank you. I found a reason to live today."
Lina clasped her hands and began praying in ecstasy.
Click! Click! Click!
Rosalia was silently firing the shutter of her magic engineering camera like a machine gun. The lens was overheating and about to smoke.
"At this angle! This tremor! The elasticity of the jelly! Perfect! This should be hung in the Imperial Museum! Title: 'The Shocking Back View of the Divine Beast Feeling the Earth's Energy'! No, 'Jelly Blossoms' might be better!"
"kyaa?"
Why are they like this?
I tilted my head. I just did a body stretch.
As expected, I can't quite read the butlers' tastes.
After doing the stretch, drowsiness suddenly hit me hard. My belly was full, my body was loose, and the cat tower was cushy, so why wasn't I sleeping?
My eyelids grew heavy like my belly.
I couldn't muster the strength to bite the bone again, so I staggered down from the cat tower.
Ploof. Ploof.
I landed on the floor and approached Kailian with a wobbly walk.
"kyaa~."
Butler, I'm sleepy.
I placed my front paw on Kailian's knee and looked up. My sleepy eyes were half-closed, and I cried with a whining voice.
"Kyaong... kyuu~."
Hug me. I'm sleepy..
Kailian melted at my whining and quickly opened her arms.
"Oh, our Blanc is sleepy? Did using miracles and stretching today make you tired?"
She picked me up in her arms. I buried my face in her chest. It smelled familiar and warm.
Instinctively, I pressed my paw pads on her clothes to settle in.
Squeeze, squeeze, squeeze.
The soft jelly pads dug into her fabric.
"Hup..."
Kailian gasped. Did my kneading please her a lot?
"Pat pat. Our baby, sleep."
Kailian gently patted my back.
"Gol gol gol..."
A purring song naturally came out from my throat. My body relaxed.
"Good night, our empire's hero."
"Have sweet dreams, Divine Beast."
Lina and Rosalia's whispers faded like a lullaby.
Warm embrace, gentle touch, and a full stomach.
With just these, there was nothing to envy in the world.
I dove deeper into Kailian's bosom and set off to meet the tuna belly waiting for me in my dreams.