Rather Than The Son, I’ll Take The Father

It seemed my head could fit in that mouth at once. I’m sure of it.

It would be able to take raccoons in one bite too. Uung.

[I don’t eat just anything? I eat only the fleshy bones that can be chewed. Does Lady Maevia like that, too?」

“No.”

[Hhing.]

The bear made an inappropriately sullen face.

The owl had been watching and suddenly came flying in, thinking that it had found an opportunity.

[Lady Maevia. How about me? Please accept me as your familiar!]

The eagle pushed the owl away.

[“Get out of the way! If you accept me as your familiar, I will do my best!]

….Is this the animal kingdom?

Animals that originally could not adapt to the northern ecosystem were gathering.

[I’m more useful than them! Rather, me!]

[Make me your familiar!]

Ooh, so noisy! Feeling as if my eardrums were about to bleed, I opened my mouth.

“Quiet.”

[Well, I’m first.]

[Don’t cut in line!]

“Speak slowly one by one…”

Eventually, even my voice was drowned out.

…… I endured just so much. Running out of patience, I grabbed the deer that was making the most noise nearby and threatened it.

“I told you to speak one by one.”

I just imitated Aedis a little bit, but in an instant, the surroundings became quiet.

[I’m, I’m scared…… ]

[Hiccup!]

Ignoring the occasional hiccups, I spoke.

“I have no intention of taking a familiar.”

A raccoon raised its hand and asked a question.

[Then what about the cats? What about the Spirit King?]

“The cats have lived in Cyclamen Castle for a long time. Paimon is not my familiar, but my contract partner”

[The wolves?]

[What about the giant spider?]

[I want to live in the castle, too!]

[I want to sign a contract, too!]

It got noisy again.

We were not communicating! Besides, I was too aware of my actions.

They knew even the wolf and my disciple.

Perhaps they were afraid of the aftermath, but the cats who had pretended to be my familiars ran away.

I was contemplating whether to imitate Aedis more, but I suddenly noticed that the number of fairies had decreased a bit compared to before.

Is it because I threatened the deer fairy?

I glanced at the bear and asked.

“Didn’t you say you like chewing on fleshy bones?”

The owl took off before I could finish speaking.

When I pretended to pick up Peep and put it in the bear’s mouth, the deer and the other fairies all left.

“I should have done this earlier.”

“Ppiingg…”

I asked the bear who was left alone, not caring about the sad Peep..

“You’re not leaving?”

[I can’t go with them. They never let me in. They hate me for being like this.]

“Hmm.”

At least I could guess what the problem was.

I sat on the bear’s stomach. It was warm and soft, so it felt comfortable to sit at.

“You’re a fairy who can switch mine and Aedis’ body. It seems like it would be easy to switch into another animal.”

[Is it easy? I can only grant what other beings desire. My mom and dad told me to find someone who would like me the way I am because I have to continue to live like this. Just like Lady Maevia.]

The bear gave me a bright look.

Yes, I’m not the one you’re looking for.

“I cannot accept you as a familiar. Whatever the reason, you changed our bodies arbitrarily, and I’m busy taking care of the rights of the familiars my husband had overworked.”

Aedis raised an eyebrow.

“But if you reflect on it, I’ll talk to you from time to time. A disciple of mine lives nearby, so it’s okay to go hang out with him.”

Selling out Eleonora, I reached out to Aedis. Aedis lifted me up.

[Yes. Sniff. I’ll reflect. I won’t do that anymore.]

I turned my back after hearing the answer.

Now we had to go back to the townhouse in the capital where Paimon was, but the bear followed us.

“…why do you follow me?”

[I have nowhere to go?]

“Your house?”

[It is very far from here. I swam to meet Lady Maevia.]

“Then you can swim again….”

Then I heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

This time it was the beasts.

…why?

The only thing different from the fairies was that they were wary of Aedis and didn’t come close to us, just watched.

I forcibly moved my tightly pursed lips.

“Why am I so popular? What is the reason?”

The bear answered instead.

“Isn’t Lady Maevia sparkling? You are the strongest in the world. But you left us alone with no war, no habitat destruction. Also, you smell good!”

I tilted my head.

“I have a loving husband and rabbit-like children, of course: no war, no habitat destruction. But what about the smell? I wash with the same bath products as Aedis?”

[That’s not it! Lady Maevia is different from that terrifying creature! You’re different! From now on, I’m going to live only by watching Lady Maevia!]

The bear went on a rampage, swinging his front paws. Who is the terrifying creature to whom?

At this rate, it seemed that the trees would fall and the ice sheet would break. That bear will be kicked again by Aedis.

I had no choice but to accept Peep and manifest my own abilities.

A golden beam of light bound the bear tightly and forced it to rise.

“Listen, um, no. What’s your name?”

[Felix.」

Even though he was bound, Felix did not struggle and remained calm.

In Felix’s eyes, I could see the belief that I wouldn’t harm him.

…… I never thought my heart would break when I saw a bear with a bloody mouth.

I slowly skimmed through Felix’ body.

Wounds that could not be seen with ordinary eyes, without enhanced superpowers, were clearly visible.

Among them, when I pressed my fingertips on a particularly severe cut, a group of lights gathered, and the treatment process began.

Felix’ eyes widened as he felt his flesh grow.

“What? Over there, it’s okay now. Did Lady Maevia fix it?]

“This is a reward for being docile. Who made that?”

“My fairy friends pecked it. I’m big, so I heard it would be okay to do this much? So I was fine.”

I narrowed my eyes.

I can see why the cats said that Felix was stupid but wasn’t a bad kid.

“They’re not friends, so if they try again, bite them off.”

After I treated Felix and removed the light beam, a monster that had been waiting for me silently approached.

It was an elk-shaped monster with unusually large horns.

I muttered with an unpleasant face.

“Aedis, to me, there is no difference between a witch and a fairy, but what is the difference?”

“The difference is that beasts eat people, but fairies don’t eat people?

“……Aedis doesn’t even know, do you?”

“I’m not interested.”

Aedis meekly admitted, and the elk gave me a slight push.

“Are you hurt, too?”

However, the golden light found no scars on the elk.

So, does it want to come with me?

“Um, is it important? I have to go back to sleep now.”

“Come, a moment.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

I walked alongside the elk.

The night was deep, and the glacier’s blue light no longer illuminated the darkness. I was manifesting my own abilities, so I had no difficulty in trying to see, but when I heard Felix grumble that it was dark, I spread the light widely.

Felix became quick to notice only at times like this.

[Did you do it for me? I want to live with Lady Maevia for the rest of my life! If I can’t become a familiar, I’ll be a slave! Lady Maevia, is this okay? My mom said humans like slaves!]

…what did she teach you!

“Where is your mother now? Is she with you?”

[She died? My father is dead, and so is my uncle.]

“…”

When I smiled, Aedis spoke instead.

“Anyway, the wife seems to be feeling remorse, so I think we should prepare a bear cage.”

[Can I stay with Lady Maevia? Wow! Wow! I am no longer alone!」

As Felix ran amok with excitement, the beast arrived at its destination and stopped.

In the middle of the ice sheet was a block of ice.

What is that?

I tilted my head and moved closer.

Looking closely, the block of ice resembled a palace.

It was crude, like the buildings made by a child playing with clay, but it had windows and a well-shaped roof.

“Human’s favorite house, a kingdom.”

…..I don’t like houses and kingdoms made of ice! And it’s so small I can’t even get in!

“Kingdom. Of Maevia.”

The elk emphasized.

“Pfft.”

“……Hey, Aedis, aren’t you laughing too much?”

But I couldn’t express my displeasure aloud. It was because the other monsters who had followed the elk were waiting for my reaction with high expectations.

I forcibly raised the corners of my mouth.

“Yes, thank you. It’s very moving. But why are you giving this to me?”

“Lady Maevia has power, but she didn’t kill us. She didn’t attack us. She lets us live here. So, thank you.”

“Aha, as a token of appreciation, you gave me a one-meter-long kingdom that would melt with just boiling water… Aedis, stop laughing, won’t you?!”