Chapter 38: With the moonlight

Gulp.

Ganien swallowed unconsciously.

Cursing his own damned curiosity, he cautiously looked at Ruel.

”H-how can I even do this?”

“The heirloom, Turbulent Day, remains whole. That’s it.”

“Wait a moment, Ruel! This isn’t something we can ignore. I’ll pay you as much as I can, no, I’ll do anything!”

“You already owe a great deal, and the heirloom remains unbroken. Cassion, you know this.”

“Yes.”

Before Ganien could interject, Ruel held out his palm to stop him.

“It’s fine. This is just a formality. What’s a little more debt at this point?”

“Ruel…”

Ruel inhaled the Breath while turning away from Ganien’s eyes full of respect, finding them a little burdensome.

“On my name, this debt will not go unpaid, Ruel. Even if I have to betray my country.”

This time, he did not stop Ganien’s oath.

‘Even a fake sword is useful.’

Isn’t piling debts onto the protagonist a great way to have a good life? 

‘I think it’s maybe the 5.5th rule for me to live.’

Can’t forget to make another fake Turbulent Day, just in case.

I don’t know who will get it, but I’m already excited.

***

‘If I send the two knights to Masu Forest from time to time to train and earn money…’

Ruel thought while grinning at the papers piled on the table.

‘… And the merchant of Beto uses the materials for building, and the ores to make more money…’

I was excited.

Even if I just stood still and breathed, the money keeps rolling in.

Although he wasn’t rich-rich yet, he was still happy to know how it felt like, even for a little bit.

Though Billo, the butler, got very angry when he found out he had entered Masu Forest, so what? 

Everything was awesome.

“Isn’t Ruel-nim’s health more important than catching a rat?”

Looking at Ruel using the magic tool, Thermal Patch, attached to his forehead to peruse the documents, the wrinkles on Cassion’s forehead never eased up. 

“I’m going hard.”

Ruel put down the documents in his hand pointed at his chest.

“Ruel-nim.”

“Though my fever is soaring and I’m overkilling it a bit, the power of recovery is keeping me from dying and Leo is eating it up.”

“But if you breach your limit again, you’ll fall unconscious like last time…”

“Ruel! Ruel!”

Leo, after zooming around the room, rushed to lie on Ruel.

“This is why animals should be leashed.”

Cassion looked at Leo coldly.

The fox, having been scolded so suddenly, did not look good.

“Unfortunately, I’m a spirit. Uncle doesn’t have a spirit leash, do you?”

“All you do is run around like a dog. What use are you?”

“This body is a spirit! What’s wrong about getting to know where I’m going to stay?!”

Ignoring Leo’s howling, Cassion continued with his tirade.

“There’s already an uproar about Ruel keeping a fox as a pet in the mansion. And just how many snacks are you getting from the attendants?! Insufferable!”

It’s crazy to think of getting great snacks just wandering around doing nothing.

He seems to be nursing a grudge.

That’s understandable.

Cassion, or his guild members to be more precise, is working really hard.

Ruel put down the documents.

“Even if I haven’t, I’m going to do it now. Ganien hasn’t gone yet, right?”

“He was packing his things.”

“Tell him to come to the training center. He’s my friend, so I’m going to give him a present before he goes.”

Ruel saw Leo.

“Leo.”

“Yes?”

“Aside from purifying, can you fight?”

“I’ve never fought before. I was always too hungry.”

“Can you fight now?”

“This body’s a great spirit before it’s a great purifier. I’m full now, so yes I can fight.”

Ruel smiled at Leo’s wide-open eyes and his pricked up ears. 

‘I didn’t mean to, but I’ll add one more escort.’

The more, the merrier, right?

Crunch crunch.

Cookies~ Yum.

***

“Wow. Honestly, I’m impressed.” 

Ganien’s low-key comment as he pulled out his sword did not match his eyes ablaze with fighting spirit.

The little fox in front of him was invisible.

“You have to get a present before going.”

Ruel lounged in a corner of the training ground while stuffing his mouth with meat pie.

He didn’t want any spectators, so he asked Tyson to cover the area with magic. 

“I can’t believe I’m fighting a spirit. I’m probably the first one in the Blue Knights.”

“Ruel, how much strength should I use? I haven’t fought before, so I have no idea.”

“Just use a bit.”

An ear of Leo drooped at Ruel’s words.

He didn’t seem to understand what I was saying.

“Let’s take it slow first, Leo. It’s my first time fighting a spirit.” 

Ganien’s excitement was evident in his voice.

He clenched his teeth and held his sword hard. 

“Ruel, can I really use the video recording device?”

There was one more excited person.

Tyson’s lips were dry, revealing his excitement and nervousness.

“It’s fine. Record away.”

“A spirit, oh an actual spirit! Mana has definitely blessed me, right?!”

Wizards, like Drianna, insisted Leo should be a fox. Very strange. 

It was also amusing to see her try to take Leo’s body measurements.

In any case, as per her advice, only a select few knew that Leo was a spirit.

“Pay close attention, Aris. Spirits are different from us wizards. We merely borrow magic from nature, while spirits can be said to be nature itself.”

“Nature itself?!”

As if Ganien’s spirit possessed him, Aris also started to grip his sword tightly. 

Birds of the same feather, eh?  

“Why not go farther apart?”

Cassion proposed to increase the distance between Ganien and Leo, and Ruel.

But there was nowhere else to go.

Ruel’s still just munching on his meat pie.

“Start!”

Ganien only observed Leo at the start.

He seems to be waiting for Leo to attack first.

Leo slammed his cute front paws hard to the floor.

Smack!

Ganien chuckled lightly.

A crack suddenly appeared under Ganien’s feet, a sharp rock thorn forming under it immediately.  

Ganien, as if just taking a leisurely walk, dodged it.

“There’s a lot of openings.”

Though only taking a step forward, Ganien somehow appeared in front of Leo.

‘I thought he was wielding a sword, but he suddenly flicked my forehead.’ 

“One death, Leo.”

“AWWW!”

Leo covered his face in frustration but soon started stomping the ground several times.

Quaaaaang!

The ground underneath Ganien started to bulge.

On Leo’s behest, the ground geysered up, shooting Ganien into the air.

“OH!”

Leo’s ears perked up immediately.

A tree suddenly shot up from the ground, morphing into a sharp sword ready to launch at Ganien. 

Shashashak.

Ganien’s sword finally moved.

There was only the sound of a swing, but the tree fell to the ground asunder.

Chaag.

Ganien, who landed easily, sauntered towards Leo, avoiding all rising rocks.

Another flick has been added.

“You’re dead again, Leo.”

“Hey…”

“… Huh.”

Ruel couldn’t even continue eating the meat pie in his hand.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, it was hard to believe the ground moving freely and trees just popping out of nowhere.

“I give up!”

Leo flopped on his back and showed his stomach.

“Giving up already? Are you angry? Is that all you got? I haven’t even started yet.”

Leo’s tail stood up at the sarcasm.

Harrrrrrrr.

A flame was already forming behind Ganien’s back.

“Yeah, this is it. This is it. Do more. Show me more.”

“Don’t belittle me!”

Leo, who raised his body, bared his fangs.

His fur stood up, and sparks started to flash around Leo.

Flaming lightning, and lightning winds.

The things people referred to as the Elements were being controlled so easily.

Aris didn’t even blink to capture the beautiful sight with his own eyes.

“It’s kind of creepy.”

Ganien looked back and properly positioned himself.

At any moment now, the real fight would occur, but all of the sudden, the multiple elements that were on display suddenly vanished.

He looked at Leo baffled.

With eyes half-shut, Leo lay flat on his back again.

“HUNGRY…”

“Ha ha, I can’t do this anymore.”

Ganien hinted at Cassion.

Cassion turned his head away.

“Tsk.”

Clicking his tongue, Ganien sheathed his sword and carried Leo to Ruel.

“What do you think?”

“I’m not sure. He really doesn’t know how to fight. Well, it’s like a 3-year-old with a magic sword. One slash, another bigger one, and another even bigger one, you get the picture.”

“What if you train him?”

“Well, it doesn’t seem he wanted to fight in the first place, right? It’s only possible if he really puts his mind into training how to fight.”

“Really?”

That should be enough to rile him up enough.

Leo’s tail stood up as if he didn’t want to hear anything from him.

“But it wasn’t all that bad, this present. It would’ve been perfect if that thing just hit a little while ago.”

Ganien sighed repeatedly at that one disappointing shot.

Ruel started to pet Leo and thought.

‘So what kind of collar should I put on you?’

***

Ganien left the mansion immediately after fighting Leo.

After the main character left, Ruel was able to enjoy a little leisure time.

On the bed.

“Cough, cough.”

The coughing and the dizziness came at the same time, souring my mood.

“Good job. You forced yourself out of bed, and now your fever is likely to spike tonight.”

“It’s still okay, ah, don’t forget to recreate the heirloom.”

“Ruel! Ruel! This body will eat you up. I am very hungry right now!”

“Let me ask you a question, Leo.”

Leo’s ears were perked up.

“What exactly is this dirty thing you mentioned?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are you the only great purifier?”

“No, there’s more. Everyone… left me behind.”

The ears that were perked up were drooped down again.

“Can I meet them?”

“I don’t know.”

“You… Do you really need me?”

Ruel smiled suspiciously.

“I really do! You fill my stomach! You are very good food for this body!”

When Ruel told him to eat, Cassion was fiddling with his hands.

He seemed to be measuring how to cut Leo’s neck.

“What if I told you to leave?”

“Did I do anything wrong?”

“Answer me.”

“This body can’t fight like the human said. If I can’t feed on you, I’ll slowly fade away. Eventually, I’ll return to nature.”

It was the answer he wanted to hear. Ruel licked his lips while eating his cookie. 

“I don’t trust people because I’ve been stabbed in the back before, so how can I trust you if you’re not even people?”

Leo widened his eyes.

He whirled around Ruel with his short legs and sat down on his thigh.

“You’re surrounded by people full of faith. Why do you say that?”

“That’s different. I didn’t pick those up because I wanted to.”

Ruel smiled lightly.

Ganien was an exception, but most of them just sort of happened.

The fact that he could be betrayed at any time by someone he didn’t specifically choose, be they people, spirit, or anything, was very annoying. 

“But didn’t you pick up this body, me, Ruel?”

Leo smiled and waved his tail.

“You followed me.”

“You gave me a name, and I was happy. So this body was picked up by Ruel.”

“Congratulations. You have a beast as a pet.”

Cassion sarcastically raised the corners of his mouth.

Crunch crunch.

Ruel spilled crumbs on the blanket.

“Leo.”

“Say it.”

“I’m nervous if you don’t have a leash. What do you want to do?”

“This body already has a leash given to me by you.”

“What?”

“Didn’t you give me a name? For a spirit to be given a name, that’s already what you want.”

Ruel’s eyes got bigger.

The unchewed cookies melted in my mouth.

“… Are you an idiot? You saw me for the first time that day. Why did you believe me?”

Leo’s stupidity made me raise my voice.

Ruel inhaled the Breath.

‘What a foolish fox.’

Leo rubbed his face against Ruel’s thigh.

“It was the first thing that Ruel had asked of this body. So I was happy.”

“Cough, cough.”

Ruel tried to say something more, but the cough stopped it.

Leo looked at the black, black things that filled Ruel’s body and shouted loudly.

“Then, I’ll eat well!”

Leo tapped Ruel’s thigh and a black thing popped out.

Yummy food!

Leo grinned wide and hurriedly ate as if there was no tomorrow.

Listening to the chewing sound, Ruel gritted his teeth as the pain of tearing his flesh off cascaded on him.

Cassion carefully observed Leo.

It seems to be eating something, but he was not able to see it.

“Beast, can I see that dirty thing you mentioned?”

Leo, who was smacking his lips, stuck out his front foot.

“Give me your hand.”

It was grimy, but Cassion gave his hand. Leo’s paw then flickered with light for a brief moment.

“That’s….”

He couldn’t stand what he saw.

Having finally witnessed the black things that filled Ruel’s body, Cassion found his appetite plummet.

“Cough”!

As soon as Ruel vomited black blood, Cassion caught it readily with a handkerchief.

It was noticeable faster than when the dregs came out due to the power of recovery. 

“Did you see it? Ruel is a very good prey. I will eat them all!”

“Yeah, eat a lot. Get rid of it all.”

Ruel’s body was so full of black things that it seemed terrible.

Cassion decided to accept the existence of that beast for now.

As Leo was enjoying his meal, he furtively whispered a question to him

“Could any other beasts get rid of that?”

Leo shook his head.

“It is similar to what needs to be purged, but a little different.”

‘In the end, is this also a temporary solution?’

Cassion sighed lightly and put out a handkerchief to Ruel’s mouth.

As expected, black blood came out.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read