HPIM 08

After the incident with Cooker, Lady Aria decided it would be best to hide the fact that I’m a beastkin for as long as possible—at least until I became more proficient at transforming into a human.

Because of that, aside from the direct Winchester family line, only Cooker, Rendel, my personal maid Rani, and the head maid Beth knew that I was a beastkin.

To everyone else who didn’t know the circumstances, I was introduced as a pet fox being raised to help stabilize Esteban emotionally.

‘So in the end, I’ve become the Winchester family’s pet fox. If Ariel heard this, she’d laugh her head off.’

Of course, since it was a suggestion made to protect me from those trying to drive Esteban into a rampage, it wasn’t something I could really refuse.

‘Honestly, like Lady Aria said, being a pet fox is probably less dangerous anyway.’

Anyway, after hearing the situation from Rani, Ellen smiled kindly and said,

“Ah, so that’s how things turned out.”

Ellen awkwardly glanced back and forth between Esteban—who was trying to pry me off his leg—and me, clinging tightly to his leg with my front paws, refusing to let go.

“Well, I don’t mind if you keep her with you during the lesson, young master.”

“I thought you, of all people, would understand my condition best.”

Esteban released his grip on the back of my neck and straightened his posture.

Still clutching his calf, I cautiously watched the two of them.

“I say this because I understand it well.”

“So you’re saying it doesn’t matter if a fox gets swept up and dies in a rampage?”

Hey, watch how you talk to your teacher…

I was just about to bite his leg in retaliation for that rude remark when Ellen calmly replied,

“Of course not. If the young master were to lose control, I would be the first to be caught up in it and die.”

“……”

“But as I’ve told you before, I cannot die. I have an elderly mother to support.”

Ellen declared boldly that he couldn’t afford to die if he were caught in Esteban’s rampage.

I understood what he meant, but…

‘Did he really have to say it like that? Esteban is only thirteen.’

Wouldn’t it be better to just say, Don’t worry, you won’t lose control?

But Ellen continued,

“When I first came to this estate after receiving your request to teach you how to control the flow of mana, I told you this as well—I prioritize my own life above all else.”

“……”

“And from my perspective, it doesn’t seem like you’ll lose control today. That’s why I suggested having the lesson together.”

Ah, I see.

Only after hearing him out did I realize why Ellen had gone on at length.

For Esteban, who was consumed by the fear that he might hurt others if he lost control, simply saying You’ll be fine today wouldn’t be easy to believe.

So Ellen was reassuring him in his own way.

Since rampages were easily triggered by emotions, perhaps Ellen’s rational words were the most effective way to stabilize Esteban’s anxious state of mind.

‘I don’t know what his previous teachers were like, but this person definitely seems like a good one.’

For a moment, I wanted to see Esteban’s expression, but since I was hanging onto his leg, it wasn’t easy to look up.

So instead, I looked at Ellen, who smiled softly and said,

“It seems the young master has given permission, so would you kindly let go of his leg, Miss Fox?”

“Pyaat.”

‘But I’m not just a fox—I’m a fennec fox.’

As I tried to correct him, Ellen blinked for a moment and turned to Rani.

“Did she just say something?”

Right. Of course we can’t actually communicate.

“Steady your breathing. Focus your mind. Just as blood flows through your body, mana flows through your mana channels.”

Listening to Ellen, I sat down and closed my eyes. I couldn’t fully understand his explanation, but it was still much better than struggling on my own.

“The flow of mana through the channels must remain steady. If you feel anxious or angry, the flow speeds up—and the more mana you have, the greater the risk of losing control.”

I tried to concentrate on the flow of mana within my body.

Of course, since I had very little innate mana, it wasn’t easy to grasp it.

“If it’s difficult, always remember—the starting point is the heart.”

‘Alright, so I just have to start from the heart?’

Following his advice, I carefully traced the flow from my heart.

Thump, thump—amid the pounding heartbeat, I could feel a faint current.

“If you’ve found the flow, focus on it. If it’s moving faster than your heartbeat, slow it down—very slowly. Like stopping a galloping horse, you must reduce the speed of the mana!”

…Wait. Hold on. How exactly do you stop a galloping horse?

“Well done. Let’s end here for today.”

“Pip?”

I had just started to feel like I understood something when the flow abruptly cut off, and I opened my eyes.

Ellen handed a towel to the sweat-soaked Esteban.

“Good work.”

“…The flow felt faster than last time.”

“But you were able to slow it down more quickly than before.”

After skillfully easing Esteban’s anxiety, Ellen turned his gaze toward me.

It was a ridiculous hope, but I looked at him with sparkling eyes, wondering if he might offer me some advice too.

Meeting my gaze, Ellen smiled at Esteban and said,

“By the way, your pet fox is quite intelligent. I thought she’d run off once the lesson started.”

“Pip!”

‘Hey! I’m not a pet fox!’

“Haha, I never understood the phrase ‘being enchanted by a fox,’ but the more I see her, the cuter she gets. I’m even thinking of suggesting my mother raise one as well.”

“She’s got a nasty temperament. Not really suitable as a gift for an elderly person.”

“Pyaat!”

‘You’re the one with the nasty temperament!’

Ellen blinked at the sight of us glaring at each other, then chuckled.

“But she really does seem clever. It’s like she understands everything.”

At Ellen’s praise, Esteban’s face twisted in displeasure.

Watching his expression, Ellen picked up his bag.

“In any case, don’t forget to keep practicing before the next lesson, young master.”

“……”

“As you know, most people accelerate their mana flow to compensate for a lack of mana, allowing them to perform beyond their usual limits. That’s what people mean when they say ‘their blood is pumping.’”

“……”

“But in the case of the Winchesters, you naturally have an abundance of mana, so you must train to forcibly slow it down.”

“……”

“To slow your mana flow, mental stability is the most important factor. Next, it’s important to reduce your stamina so that even if you do lose control, it won’t last long. After all, without stamina, you can’t keep accelerating your mana flow.”

I perked up my large ears and listened carefully.

If, as Ellen said, accelerating mana flow allows you to perform at a higher level…

‘Then wouldn’t transforming into a human be similar? Maybe when Mother said I need to handle mana skillfully, she meant speeding it up inside the body?’

It felt like I’d found a clue—my fur practically stood on end.

Then how do you accelerate the flow of mana?

‘If slowing it is like stopping a galloping horse, is speeding it up like whipping a stationary horse? Am I supposed to whip my mana flow?’

Completely confused, I turned to Ellen again and asked with sparkling eyes,

“Pipipyaat!”

‘How do you make mana flow faster?’

“Hmm, is Miss Fox trying to say something to me?”

Seeing Ellen cautiously ask Esteban, I nodded vigorously.

‘Yes! I have a lot to say!’

“I think she looks at people like that when she’s hungry.”

“Pyaat!”

‘Hey!’

I protested, but at that exact moment, my traitorous stomach let out a loud rumble.

Startled, I looked at them.

Ellen suppressed a laugh and said,

“I… see. You must be very hungry.”

…What a useless stomach.