TLBP 26

CHAPTER 26……………………………….

The Table of the Gods

That lofty name made my head itch, as if something inside were being tickled.

— Do gods exist? An omniscient, omnipotent absolute being?

“Omniscient and omnipotent, huh. You use difficult, impressive words for a young beast. If such a being existed, it wouldn’t be strange to call it a god. But the gods I speak of aren’t like that. They’re merely beasts that lived a very long time. Like me.”

The witch Eve spread her arms wide.

— Then does that mean you’re a god too?

“There was a time when I was called one. Now I’m worshipped by no one and have fallen into ruin. Shamefully enough, all I can manage now is to maintain my form.”

— Ah.

I nodded, thinking, So she really was a goddess. Her beauty and dignified bearing suddenly made sense.

“Still, I should be grateful just to be alive. Hundreds, thousands of gods once existed on this land, but now all but a few have been eaten. By the very magical beasts they themselves created.”

— Magical beasts… do you mean Behemoth?

“You catch on quickly. Yes. The magical beast Behemoth was the gods’ masterpiece. The ultimate beast created by gods who pursued the ultimate flavor. They say its taste was fantastical, as if all beasts had been combined into one. But it was far too ferocious. Completely uncontrollable. It devoured everything in sight, and in the end even tore into its own body.”

— Hmph.

The thought made me uneasy. To end by eating one’s own body—how horrifying.

I stared at the stains on the table, lost in thought.

I didn’t know if everything Eve said was true, but she didn’t seem to be lying.

Could I end up like that too?

I looked down at my two forepaws. Covered in white fur, a sight that had become surprisingly familiar.

Still, the idea of tearing into my own body was hard to imagine.

“That was thousands of years ago. But there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. After all, a magical beast thought to be extinct is standing right before my eyes. You don’t seem as ferocious as I’d heard, though. You’re rather cute.”

Eve approached me as I sat on the chair and stroked my head. A sweet scent of grapes drifted from her.

“I believe there must be a reason you appeared so suddenly. Perhaps it’s fate bestowed by Mother World Tree. That’s why I ask—won’t you become my familiar?”

— A familiar? What’s that?

She continued to stroke my chin and ears. Her touch was so skilled that my eyes nearly closed from how good it felt.

“It’s nothing special. You’d just be petted like this, and sometimes go outside to hunt. I can’t leave this house, so I need help with various things. Until now, Leaf has helped me, but he’s still small and young, so I couldn’t ask him to do anything too dangerous.”

— I see.

I understood it as something like a mix between a hunting dog and a pet. But I wasn’t sure what the benefit was for me.

Or is becoming a beauty’s pet already reward enough?

For some, that alone would be a prize. Maybe I could enjoy blissful moments like before.

I ran a happy little fantasy in my head—then realized I needed to distinguish fantasy from reality.

— If I become your familiar, what exactly would I be doing? Is hunting dangerous?

Knowing the job details before employment was crucial.

Having spent many long years as a job seeker, I decided to turn the tables and ask like an interviewer.

“Work, huh… nothing too difficult. You’d hunt things like the porcupine you caught today. And occasionally, you’d have to become a subject for my experiments. You look sturdy and strong, so I could try things I couldn’t with Leaf. After all, you’re that magical beast Behemoth.”

— Hmm.

Experiments—very fitting for a witch. It sounded extremely suspicious.

And hunting porcupines? I’d rather not relive that pain.

— What compensation do I get? What’s the benefit of becoming your familiar—your underling?

At my question, Eve stopped stroking me and rested her chin on her hand.

“Compensation… You’re right. Even if you’re a young beast, it wouldn’t feel right to work you without proper pay. Hmm. Would the affection I give my family be enough?”

— No.

I rejected her instantly.

From my many job interviews, places that said “we’re like a family” were usually landmines.

“Why not? Think it over once more. Opportunities to serve me don’t come often, you know?”

Eve moved behind me and began massaging my shoulders and neck. Her hands were so amazing that goosebumps ran all over my body.

They say wildling fluids restore vitality—perhaps combined with the delicate motions of a human form, it worked like magic.

“Can’t you reconsider?”

Her ample chest pressed softly against the back of my head. Having touched it before, I could vividly picture its shape in my mind.

— No.

No matter how much I liked women, I couldn’t become a guinea pig for bizarre experiments.

“That’s unfortunate. Forcing someone who doesn’t want it to be a familiar would be troublesome… Then how about helping me out occasionally? Would that be acceptable?”

— Helping you occasionally… what kind of work is that?

“Like today—extracting materials for elixirs. As for compensation…”

— That sounds good.

I smiled broadly before she even finished.

The witch Eve simmered the pot for an excruciatingly long time.

A cauldron large enough for me to climb into, the strange liquid inside bubbling and thickening until it nearly burned away.

In the end, only a mouthful—or less—of black liquid remained.

Its dark, sticky appearance was such that calling it coal tar or dark matter wouldn’t have been out of place.

“What an incredible amount. Truly incredible. And the color matches the description exactly. They say the darker the color, the higher the quality of the potion—and this isn’t just dark, it’s pitch-black. Excellent.”

Eve beamed, clearly satisfied.

The stench was nauseating; I felt like I might retch.

She scooped a few drops with a ladle and brought it to her small, pale-pink lips.

“G—guh!?”

Her face turned pale blue in an instant. Watching her writhe and convulse, I thought again that you really shouldn’t put weird things in your mouth.

“Magnificent! I can tell at a glance—this is a superb elixir! Amazing! I feel power surging through my entire body. With this, maintaining my form for a month will be no problem at all.”

Once she stabilized, Eve stuck out her tongue and lavishly praised her bizarre creation.

I had no idea what was going on, but since the creator was happy, that was a relief.

“Would you like a taste too? It’s a potion whose key ingredient came from you, after all. You have the right to try it.”

She extended the ladle toward me.

— Guaaagh!

The revolting smell made me gag. And my bodily fluids were in it!

Tasting that myself felt like it would shatter everything I was—as a man, no, as a human or a beast.

— I-I’ll pass.

“Really? What a shame. There’s more than I expected… but if I drink any more, the excessive mana flow might damage my body. And they say elixirs can’t be stored.”

Eve stared at the black liquid in her ladle, thinking.

Then her face lit up. “Ah!”

“I’ll take it to Yan-Meat.”

— What? Yan-Meat?

At the unexpected name, my entire body froze. The image of a dinosaur fighting a giant wolf replayed in my mind.

Its thick tail, sharp foreclaws, savage roar—all still vivid.

“Yes. I owe that child quite a lot. I’d been meaning to repay him somehow. This works perfectly.”

Humming cheerfully, Eve poured the black liquid into a transparent glass bottle.

Then she handed it to me.

“Here. Take it to him.”

— M-me? I heard Yan-Meat is incredibly ferocious…

“It’s fine. If you say you came at my request, he’ll treat you generously. If you don’t know the way, take Leaf with you. He should be asleep at his place by now. As a member of the southern forest, shouldn’t you greet its master? This will be more than enough as a greeting. He’ll be pleased.”

She spoke as casually as if telling me to bring rice cakes to a new neighbor on moving day. With her strength, she forced the bottle into my hands before I could refuse.

The master of the south…

If my safety was guaranteed, I wanted to meet him too.

I wanted to know just how strong the forest’s master was.

More than that, he seemed hostile toward Kubilai, the wolf that destroyed my home.

If he hadn’t leapt from the bushes to attack that wolf, who knows what would’ve happened to me.

Not that he was trying to save me. Still, the enemy of my enemy can be my friend, right?

I stared intently at the glass bottle and the black liquid inside.

— W-what? What’s going on? At this hour…

Raccoon Leaf rubbed his eyes and stood up, grumbling as he looked up at me standing in his house.

— It’s not even your place. Can you just barge in like that?

— Lock your door if you’re upset. Anyway, we’ve got another job. I need you to guide me to the southern cave. It’s an errand from Witch Eve.

— An errand from the witch… A cave? Who are we visiting?

— Yan-Meat.

— What?

Leaf blinked, then burst out laughing as if he’d heard a joke.

— Hehehe. You’re kidding, right?

— No.

— Please… please tell me you’re joking! Belzer is one thing, but Yan-Meat is too much!

— H-hey, let go!

Leaf clung to my leg. I shook him off with difficulty.

I calmed the trembling raccoon, who looked like he’d seen death.

— She said nothing would happen if we told him we came on her behalf.

— W-well, that’s true, but… it’s still scary! That’s Yan-Meat the Tracker! Just making eye contact is terrifying! I don’t even want to be in the same space…

Leaf shook like an aspen. He tucked his tail between his legs, covered his eyes, and flattened himself on the floor.

I’d expected him to be afraid. Despite being a beast, he was clever.

Being clever meant having a vivid imagination—and the ability to foresee danger.

I recalled what the witch had told me.

— She also said she’ll lift your curse once this is over.

— Is that true!?

Leaf snapped his head up like a launched missile. The sudden shout made my sensitive ears ring.

— Yeah. I don’t know the details, but she said she’d remove your curse. Something about having enough power after drinking the elixir.

— Oh, great! Then let’s go! Come on, let’s go right now! Let’s finish this quickly!

Leaf grabbed my forepaw and pulled eagerly.

One moment terrified, the next overflowing with enthusiasm—I frowned at his unpredictable behavior.

I pressed down on his shoulders to calm him.

— It’s night. Let’s move tomorrow during the day. Dangerous beasts are everywhere at night.

— No! We have to go at night! Yan-Meat, the master of the south, only opens his eyes at night. If we wake him during the day, it could be disastrous. Now, while the moon is up, is the perfect time to visit.