Published: July 3, 2025
Somehow... this is an additional post on Sunday!
Ah, but this doesn’t mean I’ll do it every week.
Just because it’s Sunday doesn’t mean I’ll add something every week!
Today is special.
The next chapter (0089-2) is scheduled to be posted as usual at 9 PM today.
Thank you for your support.
Guardian beasts.
Non-human creatures that inhabit the land.
They often build symbiotic relationships with the people living there in various forms. That’s why they are called "guardian" beasts.
Basically, they are not found in populous places like cities, but rather inhabit areas rich in nature such as mountains and forests.
Moreover, their existence is rarely made public, and only the villagers who have interactions with them are usually aware of it.
As a result, it is not well understood how many guardian beasts exist, what types of guardian beasts inhabit the area, and what kinds of relationships they have with the people.
“Guardian beast, it’s Nas. I’ve brought Buran and the four who will carry out the subjugation.”
From outside the cave, Nas, also known as grandma, called out politely.
At her voice, Eto, who had been frozen in place, restarted.
Seeing that, Ryo felt relieved.
If, as Ryo had anticipated, the guardian beast had been corrupted, it would have led to an immediate battle.
In that case, Eto being unable to move quickly would have been deadly.
However...
“Hmm, you have worked hard.”
Slowly coming out from the cave was...
“Fenrir...”
Eto whispered, and Ryo heard it too.
The creature was about three meters long, a silver wolf.
Its legs seemed unsteady, indicating a significant loss of strength.
However, its gaze was firm, and the words it wove were clear.
(It seems it wasn’t corrupted... Damn... No event triggered.)
Ryo briefly showed a regretful expression, which both Nils and Amon noticed.
And they nodded simultaneously. It seems they had also been thinking of something unpleasant...
“Hmm, a priest of light. With a priest present, we shouldn’t be overwhelmed by those creatures. Technically, I’m not precisely Fenrir... but I am something similar.”
With that, the guardian beast chuckled softly.
“A priest of light, two swordsmen... and...”
The guardian beast continued speaking while staring directly at Ryo.
“My name is Nkuusin. Water mage, what is your name?”
“I’m Ryo.”
Surprised by the question, Ryo answered, albeit a bit taken aback.
However, the shock of Nas and the village chief Buran standing beside him was anything but minor.
“The guardian beast has given its name...”
They were astonished that the guardian beast had introduced itself.
This had never happened before.
In fact, both Nas and Buran were learning for the first time that the guardian beast’s name was “Nkuusin.”
“It is a name difficult for humans to pronounce. I deliberately avoided mentioning it until now. However, that mage... Ryo, was it? I must convey this to you. Not doing so would be disrespectful.”
“Disrespectful?”
Ryo tilted his head in confusion.
“Hmm. How should I put it... I’m like a relative of the fairies. For beings like that, you are... Yes, it’s very comfortable to be near you.”
Ryo found it hard to understand.
His sword master was the water fairy king disguised as a dullahan.
From that fairy king, he received a sword and robe.
Seeing the robe, the elf Sera said he was “favored by the fairy king.”
Now, the guardian beast, resembling a relative of a fairy, said it felt comfortable near Ryo.
Putting all of this together, it seemed Ryo was liked by fairies... although he didn’t know what a fairy really was.
(When I return to the City of Run, I’ll ask Sera. She said elves are kind of like half-fairies, so she will surely teach me a lot.)
“If it’s comfortable... um, thank you?”
It felt like his response was somewhat off.
When Ryo said this, the guardian beast burst into laughter.
“I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, my lifespan has been extended by a thousand years. In fact, I was about to reach the end of my lifespan in another ten years or so... Nas has brought along an interesting one.”