OCOB 44

Chapter : 44

“Crazy… this is insane…”
I tightly closed my eyes as I stared at the quest window that had appeared before me. After seeing complete darkness, I opened my eyes again to check the contents of the quest window.

The result was the same.
It didn’t ask for anything at all! Usually, the quest window would change dramatically depending on what I did, but this time it was absurdly simple.

“Wait… maybe it’s like this because I didn’t say anything?”
Yeah, it could change… right…!

I glanced at him. Eldora was resting his head lightly on my shoulder, looking up at me.
Perhaps noticing my gaze, his golden fox ears twitched.
Eldora smiled brightly.

“You’ll do as I ask, right? Layla, you said you’d do it.”
“I said that, but… this request is a little difficult.”
“Why? Why is it difficult? Don’t you want to raise me? I’m so cute and pretty, aren’t I?”

As if determined, he wrapped his tail around my waist.
He rubbed his nose against my shoulder as if begging me.
When I didn’t react strongly to this, he went all out and hugged me.
He twisted his body, trying to fit himself into my arms.

I froze—not because Eldora hugged me, but because my mind and body couldn’t keep up with this situation.
It was my first time being held by someone like this… just before I could lose my senses, Eldora spoke in a sad voice.

“Would it be okay if I appeared as a fox? Or is it because of my current form that it’s difficult?”
“No, that’s not it…”
“You can raise hamsters, so why not me?”
“…Hamsters are small.”
“I can shrink too. What form do you want me in? A kid?”

That’s not what I meant, you fox brat!
Eldora’s ridiculous claims brought me back to my senses.
I pushed his shoulder away and furrowed my brows.

“Can you at least tell me why?”
There was no hint of this before—so why did he suddenly ask to be raised?
At the very least, there should have been some kind of signal showing that he liked me from the beginning.

I bit my lip and retraced my memories.
Now that I think about it, Hesse had said something similar:

“It’s strange. I’ve never seen Eldora like this, being so affectionate with someone. He’s super clingy with you, but not with me.”

Ah.
There was a signal.
I had just ignored it while thinking about making desserts with watermelon and melon.

“If I had known it would be this kind of request, I wouldn’t have agreed!”
Quest greed was terrifying…

I looked at Eldora painfully.
Honestly, it wouldn’t be difficult to let him stay at home. Convincing our picky Milrun, who already lives with us, might be tricky… but if I explained things properly, they’d probably accept him.
He’s someone who listens surprisingly well.
Hue might even be happy to have a friend.

But what he said stayed in my mind:

“Raise me.”

I’ve never raised a living being before.
Then what about Hue?
Hue isn’t something I raise; we’re a household together.
Hue was never a demanding hamster that needed raising. He was perfectly capable on his own.

But Eldora asked me to raise him!
If it were just living together, maybe. But raising him? He’s far too mature for that.

“Alright, even if he resents me, I’ll just say no. Even if this ends our bond, it can’t be helped.”
I just need to prepare the ingredients properly.
We’ve been managing just fine without modern ingredients anyway.

I nodded slightly, ready to speak my conclusion—but Eldora was faster.
He grabbed my pushing hand and pressed his cheek against the back of it.

“I finally found someone I like… if you won’t accept, Layla, I’ll erase you right here. Being rejected is sad…
It’d be better if I died and couldn’t be raised at all…”

He said that horrifyingly casually. His beastly eyes gleamed sharply.
Right now he’s a cute fox, but the moment I reject him, he’ll become a terrifying predator.
He could kill a weak human in an instant.

“…Better than dying. What is this game thinking, letting resentment manifest like this?”
If the choices are “die OR raise,” my choice is obvious.

“…Alright. I’ll raise you.”
I’m just granting his request.
Running the Dragon Café is about avoiding a one-year time limit anyway.
It’d feel too unfair to die before that.

As soon as I gave my permission:

Eldora’s Request! Completed!

• Rewards have been issued immediately.
• Reward: Eldora

A system window appeared, as if to imprint this into my mind.
At the same time, Eldora hugged me tightly again. Not satisfied with just that, he lifted me up off the ground.
My legs dangled pitifully in the air.

“Good, Layla! From now on, you’re my owner, okay?”
“….”
“Okay? Hmm? Answer me quickly~.”
“…Alright.”
“I’m so happy right now~.”

He twirled in place holding me. Seeing his joyful expression, I sighed.
“He’s this happy… well, the water’s already spilled.”
I lightly patted his head. Eldora stopped immediately and placed me back on the ground. His eyes widened in surprise.
He lowered his head, pressing it against me again.

“Do more. Give me more.”
“Uh… okay…”
“If it’s you, Layla, I’ll even let you touch my ears~.”

His fox ears twitched, inviting me to touch them. The large ears fluttered like warm breezes.

“Alright, alright…”
I gently ran my fingers through his silky hair, closing my eyes.
One more fox had joined the café.

I put all the watermelon and melon into the cart Eldora had prepared and returned to the kitchen.
‘Good thing Eldora didn’t follow me here. He doesn’t seem to like humans that much, does he?’

He stretched his fox ears while watching me pull the cart. His tail had long been pointing to the ground.
Clinging to me, he whispered:

“I want to follow you in, but there are too many people in that mansion. I’ll wait here. When it’s over, use this to call me. I’ll appear immediately, Layla.”

He handed me a small grass flute, saying it was a tool foxes use to communicate with each other.

“If you leave me behind, I’ll resent you all day. You know the fox’s curse is ominous, right?”

No… that’s a threat.
He knew I had an important event tomorrow.
So he thinks this threat would work on me… rude fox. Next time, I’ll have to teach him not to threaten me like this.

I steeled myself and began preparing for the tea party the next day.
I cut the watermelon and melon into bite-sized pieces and prepared decorations.
‘I’m actually good at handling fruit.’
Every summer, when crazy heat arrived, I’d make watermelon juice at the café I worked at…
By now, I must have handled nearly a thousand watermelons over the years. So many people came for the juice each summer.

I held the paring knife with a distant look in my eyes. The blade sparkled whenever it caught the light.

“Let’s get this done quickly.”
Since I woke up early today, my energy was already dangerously low. I needed a full eight hours of sleep to function normally for the day.
Even waking up slightly early made it hard to recover completely.
‘But if I sleep the full eight hours, I’ll be fine. No overlapping fatigue.’

I quickly set to work, cutting the watermelon as my hands moved.

And the next day.
The day of the tea party I had been preparing for.

“…Ah, damn it.”
I had to greet the rising sun with bleary eyes.