BFKOM 03

Chapter 3 …

We quickly widened the distance between us. Kalian toward the trees, and I toward the hill.

[You, you what are you! A human daring to speak the words of a divine beast!]

“What are you talking about? You’re the one speaking human language! A divine beast!”

[You insolent human… how dare you learn the language of a divine beast?!]

Kalian puffed up his fluffy fur. His especially bushy tail looked twice as big because of how bristled it was. His nose wrinkled as he scowled in anger.

“Honestly…”

This little brat kept ending every sentence with “human, human,” acting so rude it was beyond bad manners.

“If we’re talking age, I’m way older than you, so who told you to talk like that? Huh?”

Before Kalian could escape, I quickly lunged and grabbed the back of his neck. Whether it was a cat or a dog, grabbing this spot made them unable to move.

“Even if you’re a Black Panther divine beast, you’re still tiny, so stop acting up.”

[Let go, human! How dare you touch my body!]

His resistance was strong, but in this position, there was nothing he could do.

His sharp fangs and claws were useless.

“Struggling like that won’t help, you know?”

[Hngh…]

“So behave yourself, cute little kitten.”

[I am the great Black Panther, not a kitten—agh!]

I brought my face closer to Kalian’s. Startled, his amber eyes shook like an earthquake.

[Get your ugly face away!]

His weak front paw touched my cheek. The soft jelly-like feeling of his paw made me calm down a little.

“If I let you go, will you behave?”

[Do you think I’d listen to a mere human!]

I smiled brightly.

“Nope. I won’t let go.”

[Iiiik!]

Even struggling, his small body couldn’t do anything to me. I firmly held the back of his neck and asked again.

“How do you know how to speak?”

[As I said, humans learning the language of divine beasts is a disgraceful act deserving death—agh!]

I started rubbing Kalian’s belly. The one spot cats hate the most.

[Get your filthy hands off me, human!]

As expected, Kalian squirmed violently, but I had no intention of stopping.

“Explain it properly so I can understand. I heard divine beasts aren’t supposed to be able to talk.”

[Hmph, that’s just the arrogant assumption of humans. The language of divine beasts exists.]

“The language of divine beasts?”

[Yes. There’s no way ignorant humans could understand it. So they just assume divine beasts can’t speak.]

‘Wait. That means divine beasts and humans have different languages.’

When I worked at an animal shelter, the director once said something like that.

Animals have their own languages, and they communicate and even make friends.

It’s just that humans don’t understand it because it isn’t like human speech.

“Then… how am I hearing the divine beast language?”

[How should I know, you stupid human! Just let go!]

Annoyed by my questions, Kalian struggled again.

I couldn’t understand it.

No one at the Divine Beast Management Office ever communicated with their assigned divine beasts. Even the doctor said there were no speaking divine beasts.

‘Why am I the only one who can hear Kalian’s voice? Or is it because Kalian is S-rank and different?’

But thinking alone didn’t give me any answers.

From the start, being forced into this ridiculous place was already incomprehensible.

“Let’s go back. Everyone’s waiting.”

[Let me go! I’m not going!]

“Tsk.”

I narrowed my eyes, and the noisy Kalian immediately glared at me while huffing.

So what? What are you going to do about it?

“Oh, right!”

I suddenly remembered something. While focusing on catching Kalian, I had forgotten about the chick.

I rushed to the bird lying on the ground. When I touched its limp body, it didn’t move at all.

I should take it to the doctor quickly.

“Don’t bully weak friends like this next time. Got it?”

[The great divine beast cannot tolerate something this weak!]

“….”

I really would have been better off if I couldn’t hear Kalian’s voice.

I sighed and carefully put the unconscious chick into my pocket.

That was when—

“Who’s there?”

Before I fell into this world, I was twenty years old. And Lorelia Leon was probably…

‘Around fifteen?’

She had a small, slender body and round eyes, so she might look younger, but at most she was fifteen.

And in front of me stood a boy who looked about the same age.

What?

Only now did it feel real that I had ended up in an unfamiliar place.

Holding Kalian tightly, I blinked nervously, and the boy tilted his head.

“How did you get here?”

Good heavens.

Even though my life hadn’t been long, I could confidently say—he was the most beautiful person I had ever seen.

Hair that shimmered like golden silk melted in sunlight, green eyes like summer leaves, a sharp nose, smooth facial lines, and perfectly shaped lips.

Every feature was flawless. I had seen many celebrities and influencers, but this… this was on a different level.

“Ah, h-hello?”

Without realizing it, I greeted him awkwardly. The boy’s eyes widened in surprise, then he smiled.

“Hello. Did you get lost?”

“Y-yeah, something like that.”

“What’s that in your arms?”

He pointed at Kalian. Kalian, who had been struggling all this time, was strangely quiet now.

“A fruit. I picked it because it looked tasty nearby, then fell from the hill.”

I blurted out a ridiculous excuse.

Then the boy leaned closer.

“You.”

Seeing his face up close was breathtaking—like I might stop breathing at any moment.

As I lost my senses for a moment, his lips came dangerously close to my neck.

“W-what are you doing…?”

His hot breath was so close I could feel it. Like a predator facing prey, he slowly inhaled and exhaled.

“There’s… a smell I don’t like on you.”

For a moment, it felt like he might bare fangs and bite my neck.

Startled, I pushed him away with both hands.

“W-wait!”

With my weak body, I couldn’t have pushed him far. He didn’t even move, just stared at me.

A suffocating silence passed.

Then he casually straightened up and smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Where are you from? Should I take you back?”

Just moments ago, he had seemed like he might devour me, but now he was overly polite.

I almost got fooled by that gentle smile, but quickly regained my senses.

‘Leaving the Divine Beast Management Office during work is prohibited. If you don’t want to be fired for leaving your post, don’t do it.’

That warning flashed through my mind like lightning.

“No!”

I jumped up quickly, holding Kalian tightly, and stepped back.

The boy looked at me, confused.

“I can go alone. Nice meeting you. Bye!”

I blurted everything out and ran up the hill without looking back.

Luckily, Lorelia Leon’s body looked small and fragile, but had more stamina than expected. I ran nonstop at full speed.

‘Even if I look like this, I’ve trained in all kinds of sports.’

Growing up alone in a harsh world, I had learned everything I could.

I had talent too, and once dreamed of going to a sports university—but I gave it up because I had no money.

“Hey, what’s your name?”

I glanced back at the voice, but he was already far away, like a small dot.

* * *

“Lorelia! How could you leave your post without permission?”

When I returned in a mess, the supervisors were all waiting with angry faces.

But seeing me—dirty, with leaves stuck in my curly hair—they fell silent.

“…Sigh. New recruit, don’t leave the facility again. Understood?”

My supervisor only sighed instead of scolding me.

“What do we do? Lord Kalian is gone. And earlier that area…”

“Nothing we can do. We can only hope Lord Kalian doesn’t cause more trouble…”

They looked nervously toward the hill where Kalian had disappeared.

“I brought Kalian back.”

I pulled out the creature I had been holding carefully.

“……”

“……”

In all that chaos, Kalian was asleep, hugging a red ball tightly.

Everyone stared at me and the sleeping Kalian in disbelief.

“And I brought the chick too.”

I pulled the chick from my pocket. Still unconscious.

“I’ll take them to the medical room right away.”

After bowing, I ran toward the clinic holding Kalian and the chick.

I only learned later what people said afterward.

“You mean she caught Lord Kalian… with her bare hands?”

“How is that even possible?”

“He was sleeping, right?”

“Apparently.”

They reportedly applauded the place where I disappeared, as if possessed.

Saying I was the only employee who ever subdued the infamous Kalian with bare hands.

* * *

“Oh my, oh my, Lord Kalian and… a Meho?”

“The chick is unconscious. It hasn’t woken up since earlier…”

The doctor placed the chick on the bed. Lying belly-up, it looked utterly helpless.

Kalian was placed on my lap. Just in case he caused trouble the moment he woke up.

‘The doctor looks serious… is it that bad?’

Everything was already chaos since I got assigned this troublesome beast.

After carefully examining the chick, even lifting its wings, the doctor finally spoke with a very, very serious expression.

“Could it be…”

I swallowed.

“Did Lord Kalian bite it?”

“Ah, yes. How did you know?”

This is bad. If even the doctor says this, the chick must be in serious condition.

“Really… this is serious.”

It seems I’ve ended up in an unavoidable crisis.