Chapter 13

“Kiyaa?”

I had just seen it speak with my own eyes, but now it was pretending to be clueless and acting cute.

Faced with the brazen behavior of the beast, I was taken aback, while Abraxas showed his frustration without restraint.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

“Kiiing?”

The beast tilted its head, blinking its eyes innocently as if it didn’t know what was going on.

Those big, round eyes sparkling like that made it look somehow cute.

It seemed to be a grateful beast, perhaps because I had saved it when it was about to die. Now it seemed to follow me loyally.

Talking… yeah, let’s call that an extra feature.

I petted its head skillfully and asked Abraxas.

“Do you know this beast?”

“I am a great noble! Do you think I’d remember the name of a mere beast? They’re born without parents and just appear out of nowhere. There’s no way I could remember.”

“To me, you two seem quite similar…”

The fact that it could talk but not communicate properly was… ironic.

Being compared to a mere creature, Abraxas flared up.

“That thing is just a dumb beast that can talk, nothing more!”

Said the demon who didn’t even know the beast’s name.

So, there were no names for these beasts.

“Then I’ll call you Potato!”

“?!!”

The talking potato seemed delighted, panting with its tongue out.

My naming skills are exceptional! I felt a surge of self-congratulation.

“A beast named Potato… Isn’t that the name of a staple food for humans?”

“Yes, it is.”

Is there a problem?

I gave Abraxas a look that said as much, and he laughed awkwardly.

“Won’t it dislike the name?”

“Really? Potato, do you like your new name? How about it?”

“Kiyaarng!”

“It likes it.”

“…”

Hey, Potato is cute. You don’t even have potatoes in your home, do you?

Abraxas looked at me in disbelief, but I ignored him smoothly.

If Potato likes the name, who are you to argue?

“Now that I think about it, there’s something I wanted to test… Potato, I need your help!”

“Kii?”

* * *

When Adam woke up, his feet instinctively led him to where people were. It was a reflex. He heard voices and sensed the presence of beasts. Having done this all his life, his body reacted before his mind did.

As Adam stepped into the garden, he saw Eve and the beasts in front of her.

Instinctively, he rushed to protect Eve from what he assumed was an imminent attack by the beasts.

But what he saw was a sight beyond anything he had ever imagined.

“Roll left. Roll right. Lie down.”

“Kiiing.”

“Kii.”

“Good.”

The beasts, initially unresponsive to her commands, were now obediently following her lead, with Potato assertively taking the charge.

Whenever a beast bared its teeth, Potato would step in, growling and showing its own teeth, ensuring the training went smoothly.

“Ah, Hero!”

Eve, who had been training the beasts, spotted him and ran over.

Adam, momentarily entranced by the scene, finally snapped out of it and tried to stop her.

“Being near the beasts is dangerous.”

“It’s fine! Potato here has been helping me.”

Adam’s gaze followed her hand to where Potato stood proudly, puffing out its chest as if understanding the praise.

“Oh.”

“This one’s potato, and the ones on either side are Blackie and Whitey.”

Her naming sense was beyond anything Adam could stomach, but Eve explained proudly.

Thanks to Potato, the hypothesis was confirmed.

‘Beasts can be tamed even without being demons.’

The hierarchy among the beasts wasn’t created by the Demon King or demons but emerged naturally from their magic. Thus, they didn’t follow the Demon King unconditionally. When the Hero entered the castle without killing the beasts, only a few had attacked him, feeling their territory invaded. Not all had turned against him.

‘So, there’s no need to bother with the obedience stone.’

It had always felt unsettling.

Then, he recalled Abraxas’s peculiar smile when he mentioned the obedience stone, as if hiding some amusing secret.

The obedience stone had come from the Demon King’s possession. It would be best to avoid using it.

Adam wiped his face in relief, seeing that she was safe.

“By the way, how long did I sleep? The sun is already high in the sky…”

“Not long. Maybe two or three hours?”

Despite the brief nap, Adam’s stress level had noticeably dropped. Above his head, [Stress – 46%] was displayed.

Who would have thought that just three hours of sleep could make such a difference?

If I could ensure he got at least eight hours of sleep regularly and ate well, it seemed he could recover quickly.

Adam’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he looked around.

“Did anything happen while I was asleep? Did the beasts attack you or anything?”

“No! Nothing happened at all.”

I assured him repeatedly, but Adam still looked uneasy.

‘Come to think of it, he’s covered in cold sweat.’

Standing on tiptoe, I placed a hand on Adam’s forehead. He didn’t shy away from my touch, perhaps still not fully awake. His forehead was clammy with lukewarm sweat.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“…A nightmare.”

Adam murmured softly. For a fleeting moment, his eyes darkened, but it was so brief I could almost dismiss it as a trick of the light.

But then, he returned to his usual self, smiling as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, I suppose I did.”

“Hero…”

I tried to continue, but Adam seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further. I decided to change the subject to something that might cheer him up.

“I have something to show you.”

It was time to reveal the results of the training session that took place while he slept.

I locked eyes with Potato and the other beasts, nodding to them. They responded with nods of their own, ready for the demonstration.

“Sit.”

“Stand.”

“Bang!”

As I mimed shooting a gun, the beasts all fell back and showed their bellies, perfectly executing the trick.

‘How about that? Aren’t they amazing?’

I waited expectantly for Adam’s praise.

There are no bad beasts in the world.

Problem behaviors can be corrected with proper training.

“This is truly amazing…”

Adam’s expression was one of genuine awe.

The idea of taming beasts wasn’t something an ordinary person would consider. Beasts were known for destroying homes, attacking people, and being the minions of the Demon King.

He had never seen a beast that listened to a human before. To him, beasts were always something to be slain.

When Potato licked Eve’s hand earlier, it had given him a glimmer of hope. But he hadn’t expected results this quickly.

‘So, she was right after all.’

Even though he had obeyed the command not to kill the beasts, he had harbored doubts. He worried that if left unchecked, the beasts might cause trouble.

Thus, he had been using the obedience stone to control them, always on high alert.

But there was a way to tame them without forcing them into submission.

“Hero.”

Eve waved a hand in front of Adam’s face. He had been staring blankly, lost in thought, and he responded softly, “Yes?”

“Wouldn’t it be better to sleep in a bed rather than uncomfortably like this? Even a short nap should be comfortable.”

“…”

His eyes had lost some of their darkness, a sign that even this short nap had done some good. Those shadows didn’t suit his otherwise handsome face.

Though they hadn’t completely vanished due to not getting a full night’s rest, it was a start.

‘He looks a bit more… roguishly charming like this…’

What am I thinking?

I raised my hand and slapped my own cheek.