Chapter 50
Bad children need a spanking, don’t they.1
“Got it.”
There is no evidence for me to confirm whether that is Whitey or not. However, with Rau becoming this desperate; I’ll believe in it.
“Over there, it’s dangerous so get down from there!”
When one of the guards notices me, he hurriedly shouts at me to get down. But I pushed that person away and stood in front of the big white beast. After having mowed down all of the security guards, the beast was breathing roughly as if it was excited. When its eyes, which bore a sharp glint, were aimed at me, it revealed its fangs as if to threaten me, laying bare its wariness.
[Be careful! The current Whitey is not sane!]
I heard Rau’s voice from behind. Not sane in the slightest, I can’t think of this beast which appears to be consumed by brutality as Whitey. A wolf that is gentle, but delicate and timid, and despite being carnivorous he doesn’t like taking lives. That is the Whitey I know. But —-
The beast came attacking at me with a powerful leap until it was right in front of me, opening its big mouth up wide. But those sharp fangs were blocked by an arm that was covered in scales. Gnash, it made a horrible sound and a sharp pain ran through me but I bit my lip and endured it. The impact was something I had never felt before. Is it because this beast is a Sacred Beast? Now that it is in front of me, it’s very big and overwhelming. I wonder if I should turn into a Dragon to counter it. It’s just that if I took on my Dragon form here the surroundings would fall even more into chaos. The fact that there would be two large beasts in the city would be nothing but a great mess.
While resisting a cold sweat, I laughed at the beast in front of me.
“Whitey, it’s me, can you tell?”
The shape of my hood was reflected in its big, anger-tinted eyes..
“It’s been a while. I wonder, how many years? Though I never expected to see you again in this way.”
The arm that was being bitten was approaching its limits. As for much as I’m a Dragon, I’m in my human form, and it’d be easy to get wounded, to say nothing of breaking a bone; it’d be unbearable.2
“Please Whitey, …return to normal.”
A earnest request. But the beast comes at me with even more power. As it is, it’s probably a matter of time for my arm to break.
Oh, what a problem.
It seems that I lack the heroine attribute to appeal to any person or beast’s inner good and return them to sanity. Ah, really what a problem. Would it be better if I had a stronger hero attribute? Or it’d be better if I tried acting all teary eyed, is what I was condirering in all calmness. But if talking doesn’t solve anything —Let’s use brute force until it gets solved.
“…Bad children need a spaking, don’t they.”
If it comes to physical attacks, leave it to me. It’s my specialty.
A sword? A bow? Magic? That kinda things, are just soft tactics that can only attack using something as the medium.
“Sorry, Whitey — won’t you return already!?!”
I changed my other arm into scales than steel, and aiming at the beast’s forehead I swung my fist down. Kyawn, despite being a beast it let out a cutish cry as it released my arm. And then it fell on its butt and started rolling on the ground.
“Answer properly when you’re asked a question! That’s common sense!”
[… Vit-, Vito?]
The anger-tinted eyes of the beast that had been rolling on the ground brightened up with light. Did it finally return to sanity?
“Yeah, it’s me. Rau’s here as well, so stop stopping rampaging around and return to your original self.”
As I was thinking that I could be relieved now, Whitey stood up slowly and moved his long tail in a fidgety manner.
[N-, no can do! Because, they did terrible things to Rau! I… I won’t forgive them!]
“Then are you saying that you’ll indiscriminately cause mayhem everywhere? While I can guess more or less what happened, you should know that this violence won’t solve anything, you’ll just cause a chain of hate. …That, is not something I should be saying.”
But I don’t want for Whitey to be motivated by such feelings. Because I myself did so. And I ended up beating Whitey after all. I’m contradict myself, aren’t I. Well, probably all living beings are like that.
“Whitey, it’s fine for you to be delicate! It’s fine for you to be weak! It’s fine because you’re cute! It’s fine for you to eat fruits even when you’re a carnivorous beast! And I’m definitely not saying this just because you’re always fluffy and pettable, or because I’m only thinking that I want to hug your large and fluffy ball of fur after this!“
Oh no, my speech got derailed. Whitey’s also looking at me with a blank expression. I cleared my throat and went back to the point.
“Anyway, shall we go back?”
[…Vito, don’t you think it’s frustrating? Just because of one’s appearance, to be used solely because one’s looks are rare!]
…It is frustrating. I understand that feeling very well.
[I don’t want to receive special treatment because I’m a Sacred Beast! How many creatures do you think are dead in that country because of me!? Even Rau was caught, just because her color is black and she’s large… So I don’t want that anymore! To be used by humans!! That’s why…]
“So, are you going to rage on right here, right now? Even if you kill a lot of human beings in a rage here, nothing will change; you’ll just be venting your anger.”
[Well, that’s…]
If he’s wise, if he’s himself, Whitey should have known that a long while ago. He just didn’t want to realize it. I guess I really have no qualifications to be saying this though.
“A Sacred Beast? From the northern country? That has nothing to do with me. Whitey’s my precious, irreplaceable friend. And if you lose yourself in your anger, I will stop you again and again. And when you’re sad I’ll make you laugh time and time again.”
[Vito…]
‘And besides, humans are not as bad as you think,’ I added as he closed his eyes and fell silent. After a while, he shone brightly and his body began getting smaller. And there was Whitey, a wolf with a fur so white you could say he was bleached by mistake. Whitey folded his tail between his legs and cries in a high voice.
[So-, sorry, for what I did to you, Vito]
“It’s fine, I’m not injured.”
Although that was risky on my bones. It will be okay, probably.
And while Whitey was approaching me all timidly, Rau charged at Whitey as if wanting to collide into him.
[What are you doing you idiot!! I told you to absolutely never return to your former form!]
Lau is piercing Whitey’s head with her beak. That hurts, definitely.
[It-, it was because I thought that Rau was kidnapped, and when I searched for her I was attacked by humans, I-, I was scared!!]
[I told you not to worry about me! What will you do if you catch people’s eyes!]
No, he’s already quite eye-catching.
[But you are, my dear, friend…!! I couldn’t just stand by and watch! I want to be your strength too!! That’s why, that’s why…!!]
It’s rare that Whitey would flare up at Rau. Wanting to protect that which is dear. I think that such a gallant and pure side is as expected of a boy. Oh no, I ended up smiling.
[…Got it. I will let this time go. However, don’t make us worry. If Vito wasn’t here, you would have absolutely destroyed this town.]
[Ugh, I, I’m sorry…]
As I kneel down, I tightly hold Whitey’s body, which has become quite small, closer. Because of the softness and fluffiness that I haven’t felt in a while I was about to break into a grin, but I managed to mantain myself calm; I want someone to praise me for that.
[Vito, I’m really sorry… for troubling you.]
“Well, it did hurt a little, but I was glad that I could see you.”
But when I say, ‘Even so, I was surprised to know that you were a Sacred Beast,’ Whitey lowered his head in an apologetic gesture.
[Sob, forgive me for not telling you.]
At that moment, a big gust of wind blowed by and when I looked up at the sky to see what was the matter, a bird appeared, and its wings were so large that they would easily be the size of a house. Its body was clad in a divine brilliant white color. However, its long tail was rainbow-colored, giving it a mysterious atmosphere. That big bird elegantly descended in the middle of the public square, right in front of us, and spoke.
[When I asked my master permision to come, I never thought I’d encounter a Sacred Beast from the north. Good grief, what on earth is all this commotion?]
That was probably directed at Whitey. But when my image was reflected in its eyes that were the same rainbow color as its tail, I got the feeling that it laughed.
[I see, Earth Dragon, you were here as well? No way would a Unicorn show up too.]
—It’s here. He’s a hybrid though. He’s mostly back there. He’s observing us with shining eyes while hiding behind the scenes.
Rather than that, I got discovered so quickly. Did it know just by seeing me?
[I am this country’s Sacred Beast, called a Ruff. I’m pleased to be your acquaintance from now on.]
It gave such a corteous self-introduction that I also ended up lowering my head and introducing us.
“I see. We are Vito and Whitey, and she is just a crow — called a Rau?”
[Hey, sorry to be just a crow.]
No, I think it is amazing to have four creatures that are called Sacred Beasts gathered in this place. I just felt that having a crow here was the rare occurence.
[Hum, anyway, you have created such a conmotion in this country of ours. I will have you come with me.]
What was that? Scary.
“Wh-, where to?”
[Don’t be silly, to be asking that. Of course it’s to the castle. I must bring you, the cause for this turmoil to meet my master.]
With a ‘Please ride on my back,’ the Ruff squats down.
Oops, I like to fly but I don’t like to fly on something else. While I was hesitating it caught me by the scruff of my neck with its beak and dropped me off on its back. …Th-This is! This fluffy feeling is of a texture that I have never felt before! I oul get addicted to this!
[I’ll leap up so please hang on firmly.]
Whitey also rode on its back and clung to its feathers. Rau can fly, so it was fine for her not to get on.
“Miss Vito! Are you planning on leaving me behind?! So mean! So cruel!”
Christophe, who was hiding behind the scenes, rushed over in a panic. It wasn’t like I had forgotten you or anything, you know.
The Ruff’s voice reaches us when it sees his figure.
[To think… that there really is a Unicorn too.]
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Translator’s Lair~☆
So few notes! as always, thanks to all the people who helped me. like, seriously, i didn’t know that it’s ‘a unicorn’ and not ‘an unicorn.’ i must have made that mistake a lot in previous chapters ;_; (but as usual, screw going back there to correct it xD)
i hope you liked the chapter~ on to the notes!
spanking – the word used is oshioki, which can mean scolding, punishment, chastisement, smacking, and spanking. お仕置き. ↩ …Wild guess! xD ↩