#17

The accommodation was enchanted with spatial compression magic, dividing the rooms into several sections. Ivan had already entered his accommodation a long time ago, and I naturally decided to use the same room as Zerakiel.

Zerakiel arrived at the accommodation, showered, and headed straight for the bed. Despite pretending otherwise, it seemed that his body was indeed worn out.

Usually, it would have started with something bothering me rather than the bed. Zerakiel covered me with a blanket and said, “It’s better to rest a bit today. You should sleep soon too.”

But I’m not sleepy.

It was still midday outside. It was a good time for a nap, but then wouldn’t I have trouble sleeping at night?

Everyone was staggering around like animals sedated for surgery. Yet, as soon as I arrived here, I felt as if I were being infused with the energy of a tiger.

With my current condition, I felt like I could easily take on a lap around the Hebel.

After a while, Zerakiel’s breathing became steady. He had fallen asleep.

“Chi?”

Yes?

Even with a soft voice, Zerakiel remained silent. It was a markedly different response from being sensitive to even the slightest noise due to his keen ears.

I quietly observed the situation a bit more, then quietly got off the bed and headed towards the window. I hadn’t properly looked around Hebel because I was being held back by Zerakiel.

I gazed out through the window. The temple rising majestically through the dense fog exuded an enchanting atmosphere like something out of a fairy tale.

The sunlight streaming through the mist looked radiant and grandiose, reminiscent of the descent of a deity.

I watched the devotees of Hebel passing by busily. No one seemed to pay any attention to the ferrets perched by the window, welcoming guests.

Should I go out?

After all, Zerakiel was still asleep.

It seemed like it would take quite a while for Zerakiel to wake up anyway.

Just in case, worried that he might wake up while I was gone, I dipped my front paw in ink and pressed it firmly onto paper.

I didn’t know how to write, but the idea was to leave a stamp or something.

Afterwards, I summoned the courage and pushed open my window. Refreshing air filled my lungs.

It was already warm here, like spring. I closed the window and jumped out.

* * *

After swinging the sword once in the training ground, my body felt much lighter.

Hebel was always a challenging place. The sensation of the most powerful weapon, pheromones, being restricted was a cumbersome thing for supernaturals.

Hiscleif, who had arrived in Hebel a week ago, had long adapted to the energy of this place.

It was the way back from the training ground to his lodging. Suddenly, Hiscleif’s attention was caught by a suspicious movement.

“A ferret?”

Hiscleif found a white ferret leaping from the window, and he abruptly stopped walking.

It was the same white ferret he had just seen. The white ferret landed on the grass, clueless about the fearsome supernatural beings, and started hopping around.

Considering he had just arrived, it was likely to strain his body, but he seemed fearless.

However, it was too reckless. Even if it were Zerakiel, he could sleep for half a day at least.

As the thought crossed his mind that he might be bothered by mischievous supernaturals during that time, Hiscleif became uneasy. He handed his sword at his waist to Rudy and said,

“I’ll go for a walk. You go in first, Rudy.”

“Yes?”

“I’ll join you after taking a short stroll.”

With that, Hiscleif began walking in the direction where the white ferret had disappeared.

* * *

Sniff, sniff. Is this heaven?

All sorts of scents tickled my nose. It had been a while since I smelled the fragrance of flowers.

I sniffed deeply, burying my nose in the flowers blooming luxuriously in the field.

The fragrant flowers seemed to refresh my mind. After smelling only snow for so long, being in a place filled with various grassy scents felt incredibly pleasant.

Hebel did indeed experience spring first, as they claimed. It was when I was rolling around in the flowers that a shadow suddenly cast over me.

Startled, I lifted my head, and Hiscleif was staring at me intently.

“Chu?”

“You’re here.”

Hiscleif smiled with a flick of his tail and bent his knees to gaze at me closely.

“Indeed, it’s not so familiar to smell pheromones in Hebel. I’ve been searching for a while.”

He muttered while maintaining a reasonable distance from me. It was a somewhat different attitude from the cold atmosphere I saw earlier.

‘Is it because it’s in front of Zerakiel?’

Considering the strained relationship between the two families, I was more tense than usual to avoid any carelessness.

Nevertheless, it was unexpected that he would come looking for me. Surely, he must have learned not to get involved with the Mercy family.

Anyway, since there was a face now, I lifted my front paw as a greeting.

“Hello.”

Hiscleif responded to my greeting with a smile. It was a response that slightly eased the guardedness.

A sunlit young man smiling with his back turned, the beauty was remarkable, as expected of a male lead.

“Where were you going alone?”

Hiscleif glanced over the field. His gaze shifted towards the wildflowers I had been biting and sniffing.

Excited to see the flowers after a long time, petals were sticking all over my body.

“Do you like flowers?”

I nodded.

“But it’s dangerous to go out alone. Even if it’s Hebel, it’s a dangerous place for a small supernatural like you, especially in that condition.”

Hiscleif teased me lightly. It seemed he followed me worried that I might be in danger.

It was quite a noble sense of justice, just in case he was the male lead. I shrugged my shoulders as if to show I wasn’t concerned.

After all, it was said that using pheromones alone would strain the body here.

So, there shouldn’t be any supernaturals eager to attack a small wild animal like me.

However, Hiscleif seemed to think differently. As he peeled off the flower petals stuck to my body, he said, “That guy’s scent is coming strongly from your body.” That guy?

“Zerakiel Rune Jabisi.”

Ah.

Well, it wasn’t surprising that Hiscleif couldn’t detect any change in scent since we were together every day. If anything, I made an effort to bury my pheromones, so it was intentional.

However, to Hiscleif, who didn’t know this, it seemed to carry a different meaning.

Usually, only couples or close friends would mask each other’s pheromones, so it was understandable for him to misunderstand. But Zerakiel didn’t see me as anything more than a pet.

“So, you’re lovers, huh?”

No way!

Startled, I jumped up. Hiscleif’s eyes widened as I vigorously shook my head. Unfortunately, it reflected my numb foot.

“Ah, it’s a secret, huh.”

No, it’s not!

“Don’t worry. I don’t gossip about others.”

Well, he seemed rather oblivious.

Interpreting things in his own way, he carefully plucked off each petal from my body. It was amusing how cautious he was, as if afraid to touch me.

I shot him a look full of discontent, unable to understand his words, and shook myself to rid the remaining petals. Hiscleif chuckled at my abrupt action.

“Are you feeling upset?”

Of course.

“Or embarrassed?”

… Why is he like this?

I looked at Hiscleif with a bewildered expression.

I couldn’t tell if he was genuinely innocent or pretending to be naive. Why did he keep interpreting things that way even though I was clearly showing a strong rejection?

With Zerakiel not around, Hiscleif seemed more curious and asked more questions than before. It was getting a bit annoying.

I distanced myself from him and focused on the flowers. As I wandered around, he quietly followed.

He moved silently, almost like he was about to hunt, but of course, since he was in human form, he didn’t seem threatening.

“You seem unaffected.”

Ignoring his comment, I continued to explore the flowers. Hiscleif’s persistence despite my consistent dismissal was stubborn.

“Usually, supernaturals struggle here.”