Raga of the Dry Branch

8: And so in the end, it goes away (2)

The purple wallpaper visible in the middle of the border shimmered brilliantly as if it had been coated with a jewel powder, and the silk curtains covered the window, and the pure white, wrapped silk cushion could be used as a bed.

It was like a miniature version of a room in the royal palace of a foreign country where sedentary life was the main focus, not a room of just a noble family.

“This is pretty, gorgeous.”

From the outside, the ceiling was exceptionally high and it looked large, but I didn’t expect it to be this large.

Even if three regular cars were arranged in a row, they would be smaller than this. Even if that huge beast was inise, there was space for more than 6 people to sit.

“Well, this much is needed, hehe. I got a house near Al’s workplace and it is being repaired, so it’ll be done by the time we get there. You can look forward to it.”

“… house?”

When did they get a house? Why were the repairs being done?

It had been just two days since they came to know about the appointment letter.

However, within those two days, they managed to bring a large car, and a house was acquired and under the process of repair. No matter how fast they acted, this pace was too much.

Not good… not good!

I just put my head down because I was afraid of imagining just what kind of life I would have in the future. Fay handed me a glass of fruit juice with an apologetic smile, as if he knew what I was thinking about.

However, the beast didn’t seem to notice anything.

“You are the same as your master.”

I politely said to the beast which was holding my head and kept putting pressure on it.

… so this was how I died? That was fine too.

“Stop! Poppy you can’t eat that, let it out.”

“Kuak-!”

“Aren’t you going to listen to me? Listen to me! I told you, you can’t eat that.”

However, it seemed like a beast craving for me, was it because it understood my mood?

No, that couldn’t be.

“Out, spit it out! It has no taste and is not good for your body! Spit the head out.”

Maybe it was doing this on purpose because of me.

I am the odd one among these people who had abilities, and it wasn’t like I had anything to lose.

As a brave man or woman who isn’t afraid of death anymore, I could act a little reckless in the face of death.

“Ah, you’ll get a stomach ache.”

Curious, I grabbed the head of the beast with both hands. The hair was soft, real soft.

I felt the beast hum, and I let out a groan.

Come on now, it was all ready. It felt like now was the moment, the beast wiggled its head while still holding onto my head and I tried to pull myself back.

And I grabbed the beast by force.

“Ack! What are you doing, Al!!!”

“Darling, have you lost it?”

“Al!!!”

And then I pushed my head further into the mouth.

This was my risk to take out my life, however, it failed as I was separated from the beast after a struggle.

After that, Juli and the others were anxious while I was pissed off. I am depressed, so I didn’t want them to touch me. I saw that brainless beast once again scrambled to my side as I sipped the fruit juice that Fay gave me.

“Go away. Just go away.”

I tried to pretend to chase it away with my hand, but it didn’t listen.

“Kuah”

Looking at the hair growing on its nape and the face, it looked a lot like a lion and the upright ears were like a fox.

It had sharp teeth, which indicated that it was a carnivore, and it didn’t smell. Even when my head was inside the mouth, it smelled grassy.

Well, whatever it was, the beast was covered in silver hair – it was the first time for me seeing it, and I couldn’t figure out what race it was.

“You, what is your goal?”

I asked the beast which was putting its huge head on my shoulder.

[Hiing~]

“Huh?”

Suddenly, a young sounding voice came out. At the strange sound which I couldn’t understand, I just sat silently trying to digest the fact that I met a beast.

No matter how spacious it was, the place was inside a car and in it was one human, me and five demigods and one beast. The rest of them were moving in separate vehicles.

I looked around once more and finally looked at the beast which was acting weird, it kept rubbing its head against me.

[Smells good, smells delicious.] it said.

After all, the beast was the owner of that voice!

I thought it was a giant brainless beast but it can speak. And it was cold. It seemed like no one knew because of the fur which covered its face, but this beast seemed rather blunt.

And even more blunt it felt because the strange beast wasn’t using voice, but telepathy. But so many things had happened since the last few days, that nothing was weird anymore.

“Is your name really Poppy? A nickname?”

[Ugh~huh. I like it.]

I just guessed its voice, the voice was rather child-like.

[Juli said that it wasn’t the name I was called before. But, Poppy is my name now.]

“So what were you called before?”

[Huh~in my hometown, everyone called me Damn you.]

“Damn… cough!”

I found Juli. And then woke Juli who was covering his face while lying on the cushion, with his feet up and lifted him. As he was sleeping I had to shake him quite a lot.

“What are you doing!”

“Damn you… is that really damn you?”

“Huh? What are you saying?”

No, I wasn’t meaning to ask anything.

“That one, what is Poppy’s true identity?”

“Well, it is a summon like you.”

“… you, you see me as some summoned animal?”

Does he really think that I am the King of Flies that wanted to summon? I still remember the resentment on his face when he looked at me.

As I was grinding my teeth in anger Juli lowered his voice and said, “You, why do you keep talking informally to me?”

Now that he mentioned it, it just happened before I realized.

Actually, I think I find him the easiest to be around. I don’t really feel like crossing the line with others, so thinking for a reason I opened my lips.

“… because I feel comfortable with you?”

“Cowardly excuse.”

He knows.

“That thing is a little over hundred years old, but it might be the youngest in its race. If I had to say it, it would be around late teens in human beings age.”

“Teens… I see. Which is why it looks like a young one.”

I understood why he was stupid.

“Still, it seems naïve. In the old days, that little one didn’t even know what to do and caused a mess for everyone, but I trained him a lot.”

“I think you are still lacking considering that it went for my head as soon as it saw me.”

[I couldn’t help it! It smelled so delicious! I thought you were a snack!]

“Snack?”

“…”

… I shouldn’t have asked.

“It looks like a Signispian Silver clan, you summoned the right one.”

Fay, who had been listening to our conversation, smiled. Next to him, Heli, Shang-di and Mahoren were speaking to it.

I decided to ignore his words.

“It looks a lot bigger, but he will get bigger in the future.”

“More?”

“Yes. When it reaches adulthood, they grow large enough to fill the car. Although it is large enough, they are proud and fierce kind, so they are known for holding creatures ten times their size. But it is a cute creature that is docile. So cute.”

As Faysion spoke, I thought a light shone behind him, like it does in fairytales.

A handsome man, a fair prince, a sacred smile. I didn’t realize it, but maybe my mentality was closer to men, but the moment I saw Faysion, my heart pounded. Powerful beauty which made my lost sexual identity surface.

I looked back at Poppy, which was now lying on the back and showed us its stomach.

Seeing that Juli clicked his tongue.

If it is hot, then use magic, you are a magical race you should be able to do that much.

It struggled with its front feet and a blue magic circle floated up.

The magic circle which appeared right away disappeared the same moment which made me ask.

“But he… seems stupid.”

[No! I am smart!] Poppy jumped up and spoke.

“Huhu, it looks close to a feline beast, but is ferocious like a beast. The wings could be hidden, that one seems more like a feline bird than a mammal.”

“… bird head?”

I glanced around and looked at Faysion who was looking at me. After a while, he grabbed his stomach and began to laugh out loud.

“Ahahaha! Bird head! Right! Hahaha!”

“Yah! You are hurting Poppy’s feelings!”

“Hahaha! Al is amazing! Hahaha! I should stop! My stomach is hurting.”

They were laughing so loud that I couldn’t say anything, everyone except for Juli, who was in the corner seat.

Did I really make them laugh? What’s funny about the bird head? At one time, I did know that it was an offensive language in the backstreets, but that was old history, it wasn’t common now.

But these… they were laughing as if I was entertaining them.

“Apologize to Poppy.”

Then will you all apologize to me for laughing?

Seeing this, I realized that I was being treated less than a human.

[I am not a bird head, woong! I am smart!]

“You are a bird… fine sorry.”

It felt wrong to make a huge beast cry. Still, the first time I saw it, I thought the beast was cool, at least until it opened its mouth and spoke.

Feeling tired, I rolled over the cushion, and closed my eyes, drifting to sleep. I didn’t realize how long, but when I woke up because of the shaky feeling, I saw Heli’s chubby cheeks.

And her face filled my vision.

“Get up, Al, we need to eat.”

“Eat?”

“We arrived at the accommodation reserved. We will eat and sleep here. Come on, get up.”

When I got out, I saw a famous hotel which was only in the magazines. It was Taverna.

A hotel among high class hotels, the best, with branches everyone on the continent, even nobles had to book this in advance.

It was a place only for families, great nobles and those considered as the best on the continent.