“Here, Tezen.” The ruby eyes of Duchess Ella Hyrad curled like half-moons. “This is a birthday gift. Mother specifically brought it from the temple.”
“This, this is…” The 14-year-old boy’s eyes sparkled. Ella, who noticed his mouth gaping, said proudly.
“You already know what this is, don’t you? It’s a Shinsu, a divine creature capable of calming a mana runaway. It’s crucial for a wizard with powerful magical powers like you.”
“Thank you, mother! But… isn’t this expensive?”
“Mother can do this much for her wonderful wizard son, though?”
If anybody witnessed it, it would be a really moving scenario, brimming with love between a son and a mother.
“Kyuung.” Aside from their enjoyment, I was quite uncomfortable. I had transmigrated into the creature previously described as Tezen’s ‘birthday present.’ And, despite its noble name of ‘Shinsu,’ it had the look of a regular squirrel.
I was caged and unwillingly chewed an acorn. The acorns strewn on the floor carelessly were old and tasteless. Tezen grinned as he looked at me.
“It looks cute.”
‘Hmm, well. I’m kind of cute.’
This was the Hyrad Duchy, a family known for their magical abilities. And, regardless of age or gender, the head of the duke’s family is passed down from generation to the strongest wizard.
A powerful wizard wielded enormous power. They have the ability to destroy a mountain, cause giant waves, and burn down a fortress. The dilemma was that wizards who could utilize powerful magic had adverse effects. When the mana was rampant, if you didn’t quiet it down, you’d get engulfed in excruciating pain. And it was a Shinsu who was able to absorb the errant mana and soothe the anguish.
‘Well, that’s the situation with powerful wizards with limitless magical powers. Ordinary wizards have a limited supply of mana; hence, they don’t require a Shinsu.’
Ella Hyrad, Duchess of Hyrad, had acquired me from the temple at a high price. It was to let the world know that Tezen possessed so much mana that he needed the aid of a divine creature.
“I’ve already put an ownership seal on it, so it can’t leave the Hyrad manor.”
That was correct. A black rose—Hyrad family insignia—was imprinted on my delicate chest.
Ella smiled warmly as she unlocked the cage door and pulled me out.
“So, take good care of it in your room, Tezen. It’ll probably understand simple words, so if you tell it not to leave, it won’t leave.”
It was a rather tempting suggestion. I nodded my head immediately. Living in a narrow iron cage was the worst.
“Look at this. It looks like it understands me?”
“A beast that can understand what I say—it’s disgusting, ugh.” Tezen frowned as he accepted me from Ella’s hands.
“Kyung.” ‘You said I was cute earlier; you’re very capricious.’ As I snorted, dissatisfied, Ella giggled and replied,
“What do you mean by beast? It’s a divine creature. Besides, according to the legend, it is said that a Shinsu that has absorbed a lot of mana can also become a human, isn’t it?”
“Hmm. Indeed, I have a lot of mana, so I might humanize it!”
‘What are you talking about, kid? Not a chance.’ I sighed and patted his palm with my tail. Tezen Hyrad, Hyrad’s second son, lacked innate mana. After becoming a divine creature, I was capable of assessing the magical attributes of the people I met, and Tezen Hyrad’s mana was on the low side. Far from being amazing, it was clear that even starting a small fire would be difficult for him. He didn’t have enough mana to need a Shinsu, so there was no way he could humanize me.
“Then… I guess I have one more slave to use? Because I own a Shinsu!”
‘This wicked bastard… how can you say such terrible things?’
He wouldn’t be able to turn me into a human anyway, yet it was a very unpleasant remark. My mood became sour, and I threw the acorn I was biting to the floor.
Of course, my goal was humanization. I was originally a human being. No matter how capable I was of calming wizards, I didn’t want to live as such a voiceless animal.
“Then let’s go, slave.”
‘Slave, I really don’t like him.’
However, coming to the Hyrad family wasn’t all that bad. As far as I know, hidden in this manor was a boy with enormous magical powers that couldn’t be compared to Tezen.
Maybe he could turn me into a human.
* * *
Not even as an extra character… I became the ‘birthday gift’ mentioned in one line of the original:
—Ella showed off Tezen’s immense magical power by giving him a Shinsu as a present. Naturally, Yohan, who really needed the Shinsu, was, of course, neglected.
This was both my first and final appearance. Yohan appeared next; the Hyrad family’s eldest son, two years older than Tezen, was born to the former Duchess before Ella arrived. Duke Hyrad had been on the battlefield for nearly ten years, and Ella had taken over the Duke’s mansion. Ella, of course, wanted her son, Tezen, to be the ducal’s heir, so she devised all sorts of plots. For the time being, she left young Yohan, who was born with great mana, suffering from adverse effects.
He had been unwell from childhood, and Ella imprisoned him in a room at the top of the tower, claiming it was a chronic disease. Suggesting that it was possible for it to be infectious to others. Meanwhile, she discreetly divulged in public that Tezen was born with a huge supply of mana. After all, Tezen would never employ powerful magic in the tranquil duke’s household.
‘Then Duke Hyrad died in combat, and when they requested reinforcements on the battlefield, she sent Yohan.’ There was a law in the Empire that required members of aristocratic households to be dispatched if a big battle broke out. As a result, after Duke Hyrad was murdered, Yohan was dispatched to the war as the next Hyrad representative.
‘But for the time being, he’s most likely trapped at the top of the tower, in excruciating pain from the runaway mana within his body.’ Yohan’s twisted nature was understandable given his upbringing in such a secluded and destructive environment. This is why, eventually, he becomes a villain who is obsessed with the female lead and plots all sorts of evil.
‘Well, that’s none of my business.’ I nibbled a chestnut, lost in thought. It tasted considerably better than the acorns I had previously eaten.
‘Anyway, the main point is that Yohan is the world’s strongest wizard. Nobody can compare to the massive amount of innate mana. That’s why, with so much mana, he might be able to transform me into a human.’
‘I absorb Yohan’s overflowing mana and use it to become a human, and in the process, his pain is relieved. It’s a win-win situation.’
I wanted to be human somehow. I didn’t want to live a life as Tezen’s squirrel.
As I was preparing and mentally scanning through the original plot, Tezen took me to his room, tossed me on a pillow, and gazed at me intently. I raised my head and examined him in the same manner. Black hair and red eyes that resemble his mother, and light freckles. He wasn’t a boy with a very memorable appearance. When I remembered his character from the original, no matter how impartial I tried to be, I couldn’t give him a favorable impression. Tezen was the personification of a nasty young master who had grown up spoiled. He was basically arrogant and had an unpleasant way of speaking.
“Hey, slave.”
Even my name seemed to have been decided as ‘slave.’ I didn’t like it from the beginning, but Tezen said something even more ridiculous.
“Try rolling over.”
‘Do you think I’m crazy?’ I pretended not to understand, tilted my head once, and continued to chew the chestnut I was eating quietly.
“…It seems you don’t understand everything. Should I train you?”
‘Training…’ It seemed like I might end up being bothered if I kept pretending to eat. I stuffed the rest of the chestnut into my cheeks, curled, and pretended to be asleep.
“Tsk. How boring. As expected, it sleeps early because it’s a beast, after all.”
Tezen poked me in the back and no longer showed interest in me.
‘Huh, I’m human. I will succeed in humanization somehow.’
* * *
It was the middle of the night when the round moon was high. Tezen had already fallen into a deep sleep in his bed after playing wickedly with his maid all evening. I stopped pretending to sleep and stretched out slowly.
As long as the black rose seal was engraved on my chest, I couldn’t leave Duke Hyrad’s residence. But it didn’t matter. The place I wanted to go was also inside the duke’s manor.
‘The highest room in the western tower.’
I picked up an acorn while recalling the original information. Then I struggled to get out through the crack in the window and sprinted out. Most likely, a 16-year-old Yohan would be struggling with pain. He was the villain of the original story and a great wizard, hidden in the ducal residence.
Climbing high wasn’t difficult for a squirrel at all. Before long, I reached the window at the top of the tower.
‘Hmm.’
Inside the room, a boy with dark hair was crouching in a corner, breathing heavily.
‘As expected, you seem very sick.’
No matter how much of a villain he grew up to be, the current Yohan was just a young boy, and seeing him groan in pain made me feel a bit uncomfortable.
I raised my arm and knocked on the window.
The boy, who hadn’t been able to sleep due to pain all night, raised his head instantly.
His purple eyes widened like a full moon when he saw me standing confidently on the window sill.
