episode_0091

Owl, owl.

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The sound of an owl. When you wake up, you should hear the chirping of a bird to announce the morning, but it’s an owl.

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It’s strange.

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“… is it?”

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And then another sound comes faintly, like an auditory hallucination. My mind is hazy, so I wonder if it’s a dream.

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“This is the last one. Get up.”

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But the sharp voice that followed was vivid for a dream. There was even a hint of irritation and slight anger in the voice that he had no intention of hiding.

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I had no choice but to admit that this was not a dream but reality.

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I forced my unopened eyelids open. In my blurry vision, I saw a gray werewolf, and when my vision came into focus, I saw the distinct form of Seira.

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“Um… Miss Seira?”

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“No matter what I do, it’s too much. I tried to let you sleep in late since you’ve been tired lately, but how can you sleep all over after work?”

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“… … Yes?”

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leave work?

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I looked out the window with bleary eyes. The sun was gone and only the moon was shining brightly. My eyes met with the owl on the roof across from me.

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The owl looked at me with its head tilted at a strange angle. It hooted again.

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“What on earth did you do at night that you don’t even realize how much time has passed?”

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“Uh… .”

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At night?

What did I do last night?

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… .

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I don’t know.

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It’s not like the film was cut off, it’s like the whole thing flew away, I don’t remember anything. Well, maybe because it was night, I went to my room and went to sleep right away.

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Since I was already tired these days, I probably fell asleep as soon as I laid down in bed.

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‘No matter what, I still wasted a whole day.’

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Even on days when I was drunk and passed out, no matter how bad I was, I could still wake up at lunchtime, but I couldn’t even imagine dinner. I’ve never had anything like that in my life.

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It’s surprising that I still feel tired even after sleeping this long.

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“Right… . If you’re awake, come down and have dinner. Miss Lin is waiting too.”

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“I’ll go right away.”

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I was about to get out of bed right away, following Seira.

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“Ugh.”

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I sat down again.

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“Why again?”

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“No, my body feels sore… .”

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“There are all sorts of things.”

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Seira, who was looking at me pitifully, went down to the first floor first. I followed her after stretching my particularly sore back.

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Lin was waiting politely at the table.

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Currently, Lin is going through a late puberty. Because of that, she keeps pushing me away. It feels even more bitter because we were raised with the mindset of raising a daughter, and the distance between us was so close.

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If I want to proceed with the next story, I need to solve it as soon as possible… .

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“Oh, Master! Did you sleep well? You woke up really late?”

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Contrary to my concerns, Lin smiled brightly and greeted me first. I didn’t know this would happen, so I reacted in a bewildered manner.

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“Yeah, what… .”

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“Come and have dinner! Seira bought a ton of delicious food?”

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I sat down next to her, hesitantly. Lin, smiling brightly, leaned over and clung to me. Her seven tails were wagging wildly.

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It’s a familiar picture.

That’s why Lin’s hair was chewed on every meal.

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“I tried to wake him up, but the owner was sleeping really deeply. He wouldn’t wake up, so I just left him alone. The owner is really sleepy.”

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“That’s right. I guess I’m just tired these days. I didn’t think I’d be sleeping this long.”

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“The owner is weak. How about exercising to make his body stronger and build up his stamina? Lin checked and it seems that the owner needs to build up his stamina.”

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“I’m still busy with work. I’ll think about it slowly.”

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“Tell me anytime! Lin will help you!”

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Lin, who rubs her cheek on my shoulder and shows affection in a friendly manner. I’m sure that up until yesterday, we weren’t this distant.

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The distance feels like a rubber band, back and forth, as if the yo-yo effect is happening. The only thing that makes the difference awkward is the distance.

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I couldn’t understand at all, so I couldn’t hold back and asked a question quietly.

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“Hey, Lin? Aren’t we too close?”

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“What are you talking about, Master? This is what we were meant to be.”

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“That’s true, but Lin was uncomfortable with me yesterday, and then suddenly she changed.”

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“Ah~ That?”

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Lin gives a foxy smile that makes you want to giggle.

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“Women’s Secret.”

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what.

Was it that day, not puberty?

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I don’t know much about that field. Unless you do TS.

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“Anyway, it’s okay now, right?”

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“Yeah. Condition is perfect.”

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“That’s fortunate then.”

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Whatever the process is.

If things go well, then okay!

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***

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A few days after the monk was defeated, people realized that the curse had completely disappeared.

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People who had been stuck at home came out into the streets and merchants opened their shops. The city gradually began to come back to life.

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Seira, a civil servant who had to go back to work, let out a sigh.

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‘What a pity.’

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Of course, that didn’t mean they were completely back. The scary thing about the pandemic was that it left a psychological scare that couldn’t be completely erased even after it ended.

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What if it happens again? What if I get it after going to a crowded place?

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Because of that, unless it was absolutely necessary, people were reluctant to leave their homes. It would be accurate to say that things have only recovered halfway now.

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‘I guess I’ll have to find a way to solve this.’

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A situation where people can laugh and forget about the epidemic. If you look for it, you can find one.

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Until then, I enjoyed a walk with Rin to enjoy the peace I had not found in a long time.

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“Peace is a good thing, right?”

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“Okay~”

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Lin becomes the Seven-Tailed Fox, and Sai becomes close again.

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‘It seems like we’ve gotten closer than before.’

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There was nothing bad about it. Except for the fatigue that just wouldn’t go away no matter how much I rested.

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Still, I think I could probably raise a gumiho without any problems at this level… .

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“Master, we’re surrounded.”

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“Yes?”

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I was startled by the sudden words and quickly looked around, but there was nothing in particular that caught my eye.

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But something seemed clear in Lin’s eyes. The atmosphere was low and somber.

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The streets are noisy.

I can hear a crowd murmuring in the distance. It’s so far away that I can’t see what’s going on.

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“What is it?”

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“That’s him.”

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“That guy?”

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“Lion Princess.”

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Lion Princess?

When it comes to the Lion Princess in Vestia… .

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“Hey, boss!”

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A familiar, cheerful voice rang out, almost frighteningly, as if trying to guess who it was.

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The crowd split to the left and right, and the lioness Hilde strode through the crowd. Behind her, knights and soldiers in full armor formed a line.

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Hilde was walking with her hands in her pockets. There was a turtle shell at her feet.

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It was a turtle hiding on his back. He kicked it around like a soccer ball.

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‘Are you crazy?’

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That’s crazy.

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“Hey, I was going to find you anyway, but I found you right here. What a lucky day.”

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You’re lucky.

I’m so unhappy because of you.

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I even heard from Yuhwa that she suspected that Lin was a nine-tailed fox. Of course, now that she was a seven-tailed fox, there was no need to run away, but it wouldn’t have been good to meet her either.

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It has nothing to do with the complete liberation of the cult that caught him. He is just a troublemaker.

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“Is that Honghoji next to you? It’s much bigger than I heard?”

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“That’s right. I didn’t know my slave would grow so fast. But why is the princess looking for a mere boss like me?”

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“Ah, nothing much. I came to catch a fox.”

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“Yes?”

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Hilde began to bring up the shocking story as if it were gossip.

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“These days, unfortunate events have been happening in the kingdom one after another in an odd manner. I am certain that the reason is Hong Ho. It coincides with the time when Hong Ho appeared in the kingdom.”

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“Absolutely not because of the rumors about Hong Ho. I am fine even though I am standing next to her right now.”

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“That doesn’t matter. Just getting on my nerves is enough to make the people anxious, without any other reason?”

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Hilde motioned for us to check the surroundings. The crowd looked at us with anxious eyes. It was not the monk who brought the plague to them, but Rin.

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“Therefore, we will take care of Hongho’s personal safety. Since he is a slave, there is something like a mark of subordination, right? Hand it over. If you hand it over nicely, I will guarantee your life.”

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Hilde speaks as if she was doing a good deed.

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This is not an exaggeration. It’s because I really like you that you’re doing me a favor. If it were the Hilde I know, she’d already be throwing punches at me.

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‘What should I do…?’

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Of course, there is no choice but to hand over Rin. Then, the only option left is to fight Hilde. Rin, who is glaring at Hilde, is about to enter battle mode.

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However, if you fight the princess in the middle of the city like this, you will be branded a terrorist and your future actions will become inconvenient.

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“Huh?”

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As my brain was working on how to overcome the situation, the sky suddenly started to darken.

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Ominous dark clouds hung over the clear sky.

The entire city was covered in shadows.

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It’s an unnatural phenomenon at first glance.

People are looking up at the sky and making a fuss.

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Krrrr!

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It’s thundering.

Lightning flashing through dark clouds.

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In it, a single figure descended as if it were a manifestation of the divine being.

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A tall person, probably at least 2 meters tall.

A gleaming golden armor.

A huge window taller than me.

Red hair reminiscent of blazing flames that extend down to the ankles.

And the horse’s ears and tail.

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“They were all gathered in one place.”

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A monster inspired by the Chinese zodiac, especially horses.

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It was the Twelve Oxen.

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‘Why at this particular timing?’

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From lion to horse.

There is no separate animal kingdom.

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… .

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Ah, it’s the animal kingdom.

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