Chapter 7 The Fireplace: Childhood, Photocopying and Temporarily Storing the World Tree...
It's not a loan, it's a gift.
Maine swayed his hairy ears, pondering those words in his mind.
What sweet words!
Borrowing involves giving and receiving, with compensation and repayment. Giving is different! My friend, no cost, no repayment, take it as you please! How many orphans can do something so generous?
The kitten was both happy and sad, and couldn't help but rub its head against its friend's shoulder.
"Pepe, we might all die."
"Yes, I know."
Peruvée calmly pushed his large, silver-gray head away.
"Cravlie, we might all die."
He used his tail to flick his friend's leg.
"don’t worry."
Clementine smiled and pinched his ear.
"I won't go back on my word, and I won't let you die alone."
Wow--
This was clearly not something he should be happy about, but Mainkuhn couldn't help but feel happy.
"Idiot, with your fear of loneliness, do you really think you can save everything by yourself?"
Peruvier flicked his trembling ear with her finger, looking unusually speechless.
"Everyone is already deeply involved; it's not something you can solve by yourself."
"Yes! This isn't just your problem, stop thinking about rushing out alone!"
Clementine was still shaken by his attack on his mother.
"Although Mei's strong initiative is one of her attractive qualities, we should at least be patient with her for a while!"
We are all very worried about you!
Pure concern flickered in the pink-haired child's eyes, and was hidden in the eyes of the cursed woman.
That look in Maine's eyes was familiar, a worry devoid of selfishness, a look that had once only existed in her brother's eyes.
"sorry--"
Mainkuhn is a considerate and kind child; he apologized immediately.
"I'll try..."
"etc."
The apology stopped, and the lynx's fur stood on end in alarm.
"Someone's coming, their footsteps are heavy... Is it an adult!?"
Squeak—
An adult wearing a mask entered the room.
"What are you three doing?"
"!"
This was the first time Mainkuhn had seen an adult other than his mother at the fireplace house.
*
"What are you three doing?"
The cold, impersonal question was repeated once again.
A suspicious gaze swept across the three children's faces.
The adult launched a surprise inspection, but thanks to Mainkuhn's warning, he found nothing.
“I am teaching Mainkuhn to respect our mothers.”
Peruvian initially responded coldly, and the man nodded, quite satisfied.
"You did a great job."
"Who are you."
Mainkuhn pressed his ear down, his face full of vigilance, while the man pursed his lips in displeasure.
"Little monster..."
"Let me explain!"
Clementine eagerly raised her hand, as lively as an innocent child, yet she elongated the key words to remind her friend:
"While you were unconscious, Mother called many, many, foolish brothers and sisters to help, because there were too many people in the Hearth Family, and it was difficult to manage them."
I understand now, Kujavina has many more eyes now.
It's really annoying.
Maine glanced at Peruvelle beside her, gently wagged her tail, and made a prelude to a feline attack.
Can I get a call?
Pepe closed her eyes, which were marked with an "X".
Can.
"Hey, sir, I have a question for you."
The cat stretched out its sharp claws and roughly tore at his clothes.
"Hey! It's going to break!"
What's so scary about a child who's only a few years old, a little thing who might not even have started losing his teeth yet, even if he's a candidate for king?
More than their fear, the fools were distressed by the tears in their clothes, and quickly bent down, taking advantage of the force applied:
"What's the problem? Tell me quickly!"
My problem is—
Its golden, vertical pupils were bright and piercing, meeting the gentle, round pupils of a human.
"Do I look like a human or a monster?"
?ha?
The fools blurted out:
"The answer is obvious, no matter how you look at it, you are—ugh!"
No answer was needed; that was just bait to distract him! Mainkun grabbed his collar and delivered a powerful kick to his chin!
"!!!"
Before he could even let out a scream, the adult, who was almost twice the height of a child, collapsed limply.
"Mainkuhn! You've become even stronger than before!"
Clementine was extremely surprised.
“That’s strange… You were beaten so badly and bedridden for so many days, it’s normal for you to be weak.” Peipei also opened her strange eyes wide.
"His strength has definitely increased a lot..."
They weren't the only ones surprised; Mainkun also clenched his fists in bewilderment.
The bruises on her arms had not yet faded, and her bones still ached, but beneath her slender and frail appearance flowed a power capable of killing.
Why? Thinking about it carefully, sudden increases in strength have happened before, the last time was...
The nobleman's pale, lustful face alternated with Kujavina's ferocious expression before the half-demon's eyes.
Greed, anger... negative emotions, or even malice?
Do I become stronger because of these things?
Like a sudden flash of inspiration, or perhaps the instinct of a demon chanting in its blood:
Yes! A remnant of evil! You are destined to be an ally of strife!
*
"No matter what, you did a good job."
Unable to understand, Peruvier gave up thinking and rummaged through the Fools' pockets, using modeling clay to trace the shape of a key.
“Cravlie, after I’ve searched your pockets, go crying to Mother and tell her that Maine has gone mad again. Maine-Kun, as soon as she leaves, we’ll pretend to fight… no, let’s really fight. Anyway, we have to act like enemies. We really need Mother’s trust.”
"You're going to play the role of a filial son?" Mainkuhn gave up thinking.
“.
Peruvieri is now really tempted to hit him.
"When your mother asks you why you fought the Fools, you can answer like this..."
“I get very annoyed when strangers step into my territory.”
The cat stretched out its paws and scratched at the pen holder on the table, its body still bearing fresh wounds from its fight with Peipei.
"I feel much better after that. Is he dead?"
“.
Classic wildlife behavior.
Kujavina glanced at the cat with a dark look in her eyes, but did not issue any punishment, which made Peruvieri somewhat uneasy.
Fortunately, no one raised any questions.
...I believed it.
As expected, her mother didn't treat Xiaomei like a human being.
"Why?!" After the matter was resolved, Clementine was completely baffled.
"Although I had sensed it before, Mother really treats Little May like a complete wild beast! Is it because of his appearance? Or his usual behavior?"
“It doesn’t matter.” Mainkun didn’t care at all. “Even though you’re not a monster’s child, she hasn’t really treated you like a human either.”
"Well, that's true..."
But Xiaomei is already trying very hard to become human; she's learning to take care of the pet pigeons, not to cause trouble, and not to run around at night...
So what kind of person did the mother want Xiaomei to become?
*
"Hey, I heard you were punished by your mother for not being able to hit me, is that true?"
Mainkuhn tilted his head to look at the Fools, the tufts of fur on his ears swaying back and forth, which was very cute.
"..." But the Fools covered their chins, no longer daring to underestimate him because of this.
What does it mean to not speak?
"..." The fools looked at him warily.
"You still haven't answered my question from last time."
Which question? Oh, it looks like a human but also like a monster.
The fools looked at Little Mayne's mouthful of sharp teeth and claws.
Isn't that the obvious answer?
"......monster?"
The child's expression changed, and his fist struck the man's abdomen with lightning speed.
I hate you!
"Human, human!" The fools cried out in pain and quickly changed their tune.
"You're lying! I hate you!"
He delivered a powerful punch to the chest.
"**What the hell do you want?!" The Fools rolled up their sleeves in anger. "I'll show you what I'm capable of!"
"Thump!"
In just a few blows, he was knocked to the ground again, and the demonic power within Mainkun's body slightly intensified due to the human's anger.
Just as I expected.
The half-demon understood.
The more humans hate, fear, and despise, the stronger I become.
"......"
What am I, anyway?
*
Mainkuhn handed the stolen telescope to Clementine.
"well done."
While repairing the scratched doll, Pepe praised him, "Those fools were just punished by their mother for not being able to beat the child, so they probably won't complain about us anytime soon."
"What's the point of stealing binoculars?"
Maine wagged his tail, still unable to understand: "He has no offensive power at all, we might as well just take his dagger."
"Main's stupid! The telescope will allow us to observe the terrain outside. We'll need to escape after defeating Mother!"
Claire happily took the binoculars, pointed them out the window, and the endless blue expanse came into view.
It is the sea, a sea so close yet so unattainable.
Sometimes, just looking at the scenery outside makes Clayville very happy.
"Little Mei, Pepe, you two come and take a look too!"
"Ah, it's the sea from the storybook."
The half-demon was the first to take the telescope, while Peruvier lined up the three repaired dolls.
Rabbits, rabbits, cats—as always, they're completely out of place, Maine.
Peruvée thought for a moment and adjusted the order.
Rabbit, cat, rabbit.
Much better.
"Pepe, come and see too. I remember you've never been to the beach either."
"You see, I won't do it."
"Huh? Pepe has no curiosity—"
"No, that's not it."
The girl retorted, dissatisfied:
“One day, we will reach the real seaside, so there is no need to look now.”
"And then, by then..."
Pepe turned her head to one side, making a somewhat awkward invitation:
"...Let's play together."
No matter how mature they are, they are still just children, with a desire to play.
"Great!" Clementine cheered. "I want to play beach volleyball! I want to go scuba diving!"
"I'm a little scared, is it okay if I don't go diving?"
The cat timidly raised its paw.
"You really know how to ruin the mood!"
How wonderful it would be if everything in the world could go as smoothly as it did at the beginning.
Amidst laughter, the three felt lost and uneasy about the future, but they never expected this.
The child who once said, "I want to be human!" has struggled to grow up...
They completely abandoned their initial aspirations.
*
Years later, on the land where corpses were buried, in the ruins where sins were hidden, the demonic power weakened with the death of the mother.
The cabinet that once held hundreds of pairs of tiny shoes has been completely abandoned, and there are no more children in the fireplace house.
Fifteen-year-old Mainkuhn, with his cat ears drooping and his broken tail hanging down, trembled as he stood amidst the scattered fragments of human bodies.
From whose body did I take this kidney? Kudjavina? The Fools? Or... or my comrades?
The cat immediately knelt down and sniffed the blood on the ground.
It seems to be the mother, then there's no problem.
What about the shredded liver? What about the half-hand? What about the piece of intestine?
It seems like they're all mothers, that's wonderful.
The tense nerves relaxed.
The half-demon straightened up, his face returning to its indifferent expression.
"...Mother! She's dead! Mother is dead!"
The boys and girls, who had been imprisoned for more than a decade, awoke amidst a scene of bloodshed and came to understand their current situation.
"We are free!!"
The survivors of the Hearth House, a dozen or so scattered individuals, cheered wildly, yet also looked at the blood-soaked half-demon before them with a mixture of awe and fear.
"The power of the monsters..."
"Indeed indispensable."
"Shut up!!"
Oriz stopped him, then turned to Mainkuen and gave him a sad smile:
"Mainkuhn, cheer up! You're free!"
Free...?
The boy touched the collar around his neck and tentatively inserted the claw hook into the gap.
There was no severe pain as a warning.
"......"
He applied force carefully.
Snap!
The collar broke, revealing layers of electrical burns underneath.
"Mainkuhn, are you alright?"
The black-and-white-haired girl looked at him for a while, then finally abandoned her sword, raised her hands, carefully approached him, and stated her request bluntly.
"I won't hurt you, and you can't hurt me, so let me see how you are doing."
"Don't come any closer!"
The exhausted young man, the demon with the severed tail, had lost the courage to look people in the eye. He simply turned his withered back to Peruvier, talking to himself nervously and repeatedly touching the scar on his neck.
"Being human is just too painful... I..."
"I give up."
His face went from panic to blankness. Looking down at the muddy red earth, the half-demon felt an urge to embrace it.
And he actually did it.
The field of vision is getting lower and lower, and the sky is getting farther and farther away.
The half-demon transformed into a silver-gray cat, leaped lightly, and ran away without looking back.
All that remains are broken bricks and tiles, and the crimson past.
*
"......"
"Boss—!"
A scream erupted from the silent survivor.
"Rongnuok, don't chase after them."
Clementine grabbed the chestnut-haired boy and pressed him down at her waist, where the Eye of the Wind God shone brightly.
“Little Mei…he needs some quiet time before staying with us again; his condition will only get worse.”
"But he's all alone! And he looks like that... What if he gets into danger?! At least take me with you! Take me with you!"
The high apes howled urgently.
"Boss! Boss! I'm not afraid of you hurting me! You can do whatever you want to me! Boss—! My whole heart belongs to you—Boss! Ah!"
No, you can't do that. Mainkun draws its power from the evil in humanity.
Clementine thought to herself.
No! Kujavina is dead, I can't let my friend suffer any more... Damn it! From which country and which creature did Maine's half-demon blood originate? I must find out...
"Maine's mental state is not good, but being with us will only bring more danger."
Seeing Clementine's conflicted expression, Peruvieri silently picked up her sword and glanced in the direction where the cat had disappeared.
“We just killed the executor of the Fools.”
According to intelligence analysis, the investigation is most likely being pursued by the First Seat and the Sixth Seat... Judging from their rankings, they are definitely two major troublesome individuals.
"Evacuate Fontaine as planned before the pursuers arrive. Let's go."
We'll be back for you soon, Mainkuhn.
Before that happens, please don't fall into an irreversible madness...
Memories of the Earth: Childhood with a Fireplace
Typing World Tree...
*Not watched*
A note from the author:
----------------------
As the author stated in the first chapter, the story of the House of Hearths will be presented as a film for Navigette and others to investigate and watch.
Writing it twice is just trying to get more words.
Kujavina died two years earlier than in Genshin Impact; in the game, Pepe killed her when she was seventeen.
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