Chapter 30 Knowing the difficulties, yet forging ahead, even when the road ahead is arduous...
Mainkuhn.
"I'm giving you my calm and rationality."
...thump.
The dean's head slipped from between the half-demon's claws.
It was pitch black, but the warmth of a human palm was reassuring.
"Don't worry, their bodies are intact, and the children weren't too frightened."
Then a clear, melodious female voice rang out, and Clementine reached out and gently patted her brother's head.
"Little Mei, you've been trying very hard to control your demonic power from getting out of control."
“...Ugh.”
The half-demon's head trembled incessantly in the sisters' hands.
Even when facing his closest former companions, Maine could not easily utter human words to frankly express his longing and worries.
"Follow my rhythm, take a deep breath, come on, inhale—"
But it doesn't matter, the tacit understanding between the three has transcended words and reached their hearts.
Clementine soothes the terrified orphans, while Peruvier skillfully calms the out-of-control half-demon.
Hands with sharp nails, neck, forearms, and the front of the torso—these are places you must never touch. What else could make him uneasy? ...Yes, don't look at his face, especially his eyes.
Sigh, when he first met Maine, he didn't have so many taboos.
"It's alright now. I assure you, there will never be any more despicable acts here."
The black-and-white-haired girl pursed her lips and patted the boy's shoulder with very light force, as if afraid of startling him.
"Others will no longer hurt you, and you will no longer hurt others."
She noticed that the bulge behind the half-demon's waist was gradually smoothing out, guessing that it was the broken tail hanging down from under the hem of her clothes.
Good, much easier to coax than before.
"You've calmed down? That's good."
A barely perceptible smile appeared on the servant's lips, which quickly turned into worry.
"I have something to tell you."
This was the first time she had seen Mainkuen since she defected from the House of Hearths.
*
"You shall submit to the Queen's command."
"Or perhaps, together with their families, they will forever rest in the earth's veins."
Facing the defeated E'yue bloodline, the captain, who hailed from Kanria, made his promise.
"Why aren't you kneeling down to thank me?"
The purple-haired doll stood behind him, mocking him, but the look in her eyes as she gazed at Peruvieri was one of genuine fear.
"They're just a bunch of brats, yet they've managed to hold their own against us for so long..."
"......"
The black-and-white-haired girl looked around at her companions.
Unlike themselves, most of them were ordinary people without the Eye of God.
After dealing with the two Fools' Enforcers for so long, even if I could take down that chattering dwarf, they'd be too exhausted to fight their way through.
"If I surrender, they will be free?"
Peruvéli confirmed this again.
"yes."
The captain nodded slowly.
"I assure you with my soul."
...A very good deal.
It's such a good deal that I almost thought the Fools were doing charity.
Ding-dong.
Peruveli, the last surviving member of the Calamity, threw down her sword and walked toward her captain without looking back.
"You're smart to know what's good for you!"
The soldier gave a fake laugh, but he felt genuinely much more relaxed.
No need to exterminate the traitors... It's true that having less work makes people feel better.
"Go, you traitor who murdered your mother."
The skirmisher really liked this nickname.
"I heard you tore Kujavina to pieces? Can you tell me how you made up your mind? Aren't you humans supposed to love your mothers the most? Hahaha—uh?"
Ding-dong—
More than one sword was thrown away.
The pink-haired girl pursed her lips, clutching the soft-light bell pendant in her hand, and followed behind Peruvier with wide eyes.
'Stupid Pepe—'
'The three of us promised to be together—'
'I don't want the freedom of being alone!'
"Two little devils? Uh..."
The skirmisher glanced cautiously at his captain beside him.
"......"
The black mask revealed no emotion whatsoever.
"Haha, I suppose the rich aren't so poor that they wouldn't mind spending money on an extra portion of food."
"......"
Ding-dong.
Another sword was thrown down.
Ding-dong.
More than a dozen swords were left behind.
"Huh? Are you all idiots!?"
The skirmishers were dumbfounded by the group of boys and girls huddled together behind Peruvieri.
"If you're not going to run away, why are you defecting?!"
"If you don't run, you'll die. Only a fool wouldn't run."
Oriz rolled her eyes at him.
"Huh? You—"
Peruvieri reached out to block the skirmisher's view, her pupils filled with vigilance.
"Never mind... one seat!"
"?"
Scaramch opened his palm, his expression arrogant:
"I remember the Fools were quite short of elite talent? Putting aside everything else, the people Kujavina trained were much better than those useless people."
Scaramucci pleaded indirectly for the young boy and girl.
"Don't worry, Scaramucci."
Looking into Peruvelle's eyes, the captain felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
"The Queen is a benevolent Queen, and Piero also has his own considerations."
"They'll be fine."
It's more than just that nothing happened.
The stragglers could hardly believe their ears.
Kujavina's death was glossed over, and to make matters worse, she was given the title of servant by the commander-in-chief, and a seat in the fourth rank? What right did she have? She was just a brat!
Piero, the court mage of Canria, looked at Peruvelli's cursed, blackened fingers with a wistful expression.
“...Servant Arecino.”
Upon hearing her code name, the black-and-white-haired girl couldn't help but show a hint of conflict on her face.
"Arrogant bastard! You're lucky to be alive, yet you dare to complain!"
The stragglers glared at her.
"No, that's not the case..."
The servant's face returned to calm, but worry rose in his heart.
My mother is dead. For me, all past grievances are now just smoke and clouds. I feel neither hatred nor love.
But Maine wouldn't share my view... Unlike me, who was often pampered by my mother, he experienced far too much cruelty...
Peruvieri was indifferent to her codename, but worried about her brother's opinion.
I really don't know how his not-so-bright cat brain will interpret something like a friend inheriting the code name of an enemy.
*
"Mainkuhn, are you feeling better?"
"Have your emotions stabilized? What about your demonic power? Will it still get out of control?"
No matter what, I have to tell him.
“.
Facing the half-demon's slightly narrowed pupils, Peruvier spoke frankly:
“I am the leader of all the traitors, a surrendered general recruited by the captain and the stragglers.”
"By the Queen's mercy, I have been given a new name."
“I am Arecino, the fourth seat of the Fools, code name—” Peruvieri took a breath and stared intently at Mainkun’s face.
"servant."
"...?!"
The moment the name was uttered, she saw the beast's vertical pupils gleaming with fear and dread beneath its hood.
Disgust, fear, anger, and confusion—those are your rights.
Everything your former servant did to you was utterly inhumane.
And it's only natural that I, who inherited her code name and legacy, would be targeted with this anger—!?
Her half-black hand was gently and quickly lifted by Mainkuhn!
It lowered its head and sniffed the object like a puppy.
"......"
Arecino coldly allowed him to sniff, then let him carefully release his grip, giving her a reproachful look.
The smell hasn't changed; it's still Peipei.
Why did you suddenly say you were a servant? You scared me to death.
"...Didn't you understand? I've become a servant of the Fools."
“.
Mainkuhn lowered his head and sniffed again.
It still smells familiar, nothing has changed.
Pepe is Pepe.
"You... sigh."
The worry vanished instantly, and the servant almost lost his composure.
"In some ways, you haven't changed at all."
Haha~
Clementine, who witnessed the whole thing, couldn't help but laugh out loud:
"I told you not to worry too much, Peipei. Xiaomei won't care about these things!"
"......"
After a moment of silence, Peruvée calmly revealed an elegant smile.
"I'm sorry, I was overthinking things."
“But, Clementine, I thought we had reached an agreement, such as calling me Arecino in unfamiliar places.”
Despite her young age, she has already begun to show the sharpness of an executive.
"Oh dear, don't say that!"
Clementine chuckled and reached out to touch the wall, and also to touch the children who were separated from them by the wall.
"Unfamiliar places will eventually become familiar, and unfamiliar children will become our new family. This is our future home."
"......"
But what is home like? What is the mother like? What about the father?
The orphans were unaware of this.
But one thing is clear.
A home must have family members.
"Little Maine!"
The girl suddenly turned around and solemnly invited the half-demon:
"Join us and rebuild a new fireplace home!"
"We, as parents, guide these children..."
Before she could finish speaking, a firm refusal filled the air:
"No!"
!
Clementine turned around and saw the boy anxiously stuffing his long, sharp fingernails into his mouth and gnawing at them with his canine teeth.
"Little Mei..."
Clementine was startled, but quickly realized the reason.
Ah, right, I was so excited that I forgot.
Little Mei is terrified of people now.
Becoming a leader for children... that's impossible.
"Pets are an indispensable part of the family."
Peruvieri also figured out the key point and added with a dark face.
Although that's what they say.
But Peruvieri's heart was filled with rejection.
My childhood friend shouted "I'm not human anymore!" one day, and then he really did turn into a cat, rubbing against everything...
Okay. Weird. Strange. Ah.
Humans cannot understand this behavior.
But she respected the half-demon's choice:
"...A house with a fireplace is a place where you can keep a cat."
Mainkuhn noticed her hesitation and lowered his ear apologetically.
"......No."
"Huh!?" Still refusing?
Clementine enthusiastically invited, "Of course, you can be a cat or not! If you're a cat, just lie down and relax. If you're a human, you can just do whatever you want with the April Fools' Day work!"
"no."
The lynx, which had been trembling since the reunion, suddenly stopped moving; this was the third time it had refused.
"no."
He revealed strange, sharp claws that shouldn't belong to humans to Peruvieri and Clementi.
These hands had slaughtered countless villains and torn apart the bonds of his mother, but no matter how many "good deeds" these hands had done, Mainkuhn could never forget them...
[During a mysterious outburst of demonic power, under the watchful eyes of "Fire Seed," "Firewood," and "Residue," I...]
"no!"
Mainkuhn didn't want to think about it anymore.
"no."
His ears were shivering, and he was sweating profusely as he repeated the same thing over and over again.
"I'm in danger."
"Stay away from the children."
*
"So, you're going to continue wandering Fontainebleau as a cat?"
The servant was very agitated.
Feeding on birds and rodents? Quenching their thirst with spring dew? Sleeping on stones and rooftops, approaching humans yet afraid to venture closer, surviving like wild beasts!?
Whether it was dangerous or not, Peruvieri had her own judgment. Having already seen the cat-eared child who longed to integrate into human society, she could not accept the current droopy-eared boy.
You shouldn't have done that!
You deserve better!
No, no, no.
She began to activate the curse in her hands—luckily, she had been able to share the stress with companions for many years, so the curse only spread to her wrists.
[Maine is currently neither harboring malicious intent nor on guard.]
Peruvée gave Clementi a look, and the latter immediately understood.
Let's work together to knock this guy unconscious, tie him up, and lock him up in the house—
Azure wind elemental energy gathered in her hand, and the pink-haired girl was ready to unleash it.
I understand! Domesticated animals are always better than strays!
[...Clayville, what I mean is to force him to undergo psychological treatment to see if this phobia of people can be alleviated.]
[...Hehe!]
"Fimini".
Just as the two were about to unleash their E skills and ultimate abilities on the boy, Mainkun suddenly spoke up, uttering a human name.
"who?"
Peruvieri was hesitating whether to add the order for bloodshed to her attack.
An ordinary little child.
A blond, thin, kind, and somewhat clumsy child.
He lacks the talent to harm others and is not suited for a fireplace house.
"Give me."
Mainkuhn demanded the fireplace from the current owner of the house.
“I’ll take him with me.”
He wasn't an orphan with nowhere else to go.
...because his mother is still alive, which does not meet the admission requirements of your Fools.
That's all, nothing more, so please don't suddenly look at me with such a touched expression.
*
Whoever Fimi is, he is definitely a person.
What is this called?
This is called desensitization therapy!
"Can."
Arecino appeared calm on the surface, but was inwardly overjoyed.
"But you have to convince him to go with you yourself."
"!"
How terrifying! Couldn't you just give it to me directly?!
"Little Mei, keep going! Take the first step to overcome social anxiety!"
Bearing the surprised and delighted look of Clementine, Mainkuen covered the lower half of his face and fangs with a scarf, put his hands in his coat pockets, and slowly moved back to the children's room.
As soon as they entered, their innocent gazes were all fixed on the half-demon.
"!!"
From the perspective of humans, uh...
Even children's food is hard to tolerate.
Mainkun forced himself to glance at the children a few times.
...They're all short, all small, it's impossible to find a target.
"......"
Mainkuhn stared at the floor, reluctantly opening his fangs:
"...Fimini".
"?? Yes, yes!"
The call was soft, and a short, golden gourd-like creature stood there for a moment before hesitantly responding.
It turns out that this kid is actually quite short, not from a cat's perspective, but from a human's.
"......"
Mainkuen pulled down his hood to cover his eyes as he looked at Fimini.
The clear blue color sometimes even overlapped with the color of her brother's eyes.
So you're forcing yourself to take him away despite your discomfort as a human being, is it for your brother's sake?
No.
My brother's eye color is unique. When sunlight and shadow alternate in his pupils, it can even change from ice blue to a magnificent purple. No one can replicate even a fraction of it.
"......"
Stop making excuses, Mainkuhn.
You took him away just because you're a nosy idiot.
"...What's wrong, big brother?"
"Fimini".
The thin tongue hesitated for a moment, then curled up and uttered the child's name.
“Come with me.”
"Huh?"
Mainkuhn lightly scratched the floor with the tip of his shoe, anxiously repeating:
“Come with me.”
But......
Looking at the boy in front of him, who was wrapped up tightly and looked very gloomy and suspicious, Fimini really didn't dare to go forward.
...Just now, he banged his head so hard it sounded loud; the director must have been taken to the hospital...
How terrifying! It looks like the Big Bad Wolf...QAQ
"......"
Mainkuen glanced at little Fimini, who was desperately trying to shrink back.
What a hurtful reaction!
Mainkuhn wagged his short tail anxiously, hidden under his coat.
Do you think you're the only one who's scared? I'm scared too! You human babies are all as soft as clay, you'd crumble if you squeezed you—QAQ
Little Fimi's eyes were brimming with tears, and she dared not go forward.
Mainkun wagged its tail wildly, but dared not extend its claws.
Peruvelle watched from outside the door, sighing frantically.
Is it impossible to complete the first step?
'Come on, you idiot!'
Suddenly, several small hands exerted force together, pushing the blond little boy out of the orphanage and causing him to bump into the boy's leg.
Eeeeeeeeeeeee! ?
Little Fimi turned around in fright. Every child blinked, their eyes filled with envy. It was impossible to tell who had pushed him.
'Let's go! Anywhere is better than the Fireplace House!'
'Although this person looks sinister and terrifying, with strange eyes, and his entrance was violent.'
'But someone who can force the dean's head down, shout apologies, and kowtow to us like crazy can't be too bad...'
Everything that happened today left Fimini very confused.
The older sister with black and white hair called herself the father. She was holding a Mora bag in her hand. Although her face was very serious, there was a strange sense of relief in her eyes when she looked at the older brother.
"Do you know how to use it?"
"." Mainkuhn shook the lynx's fur.
"I never expected... there's even a house. Don't worry, it's all the Fools' money."
Peruvée looked away, pretending she had never doubted her brother.
"Just consider it compensation; take it as you see fit."
The pink-haired older sister was also strange; she pulled me aside and gave me a lot of odd instructions:
"Remember to observe his ears closely... Although they're mostly drooping now, you can make any requests when they're upright~"
Huh?
"He doesn't speak, doesn't show his face, and doesn't hold your hand because he's shy, not because he dislikes you."
Afraid, shy?
Little Fimi's face turned pale as she recalled the thud of the dean banging his head on the ground.
It's fake, right?
"Don't be afraid of him."
Seeing the flustered look on Fimini's face, Clementine helplessly patted the child's head.
"If you're scared, just act cute and affectionate with him, and something amazing will happen~"
No, I wouldn't dare!
Little Femini was brought to the Fireplace House with a blank look on his face, and was then brought out with a blank look on his face.
He turned around in a daze and saw many children looking at him through the window, their eyes like flowers that had withered before they bloomed, which was very sad.
'goodbye'
It sounded like someone was gently waving.
!
Fimini, being a polite child, immediately responded:
"goodbye!"
Then, with his short legs, hesitantly followed the cat-eared boy who was waiting for him ahead.
"Big brother, where are we going?"
"......"
Mainkun pinched his sharp nails, suppressing the urge to take his hand.
Where to go?
I'll send you to a warm place where you won't need a fireplace.
Speaking of which...
Human form is so uncomfortable! If we give all this Mora to the Supreme Judge, will he be able to return Amelie to her and let her raise the child herself? QAQ!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
