chapter 98
‘Cherry… noona…?’
I stared blankly at the letter Kenich had handed me.
Who could possibly call me “noona”? The only people who could write to me were the Black Dragon Castle folks and Erjin.
After a moment of thought, a few small, round faces like chestnuts popped into my mind.
They were my comrades from the underground prison, if only briefly.
‘Come to think of it, I never even asked if they all got home safely.’
I tapped on the brightly decorated envelope.
“Should I open it?”
“Chu.”
I nodded, and Kenich neatly opened the envelope with a paper knife.
Inside, the stationery was carefully decorated with butterflies, rainbows, cats, and more.
To Cherry Noona
Hello, hi.
This is Cheddar! Actually, my friends and I decorated this letter together.
We all made it home safely. The knights escorted us all the way.
It’s all thanks to you, noona. My mom says you’re a true hero!
Zakari’s dad said so too. This is a secret, but Cookie’s mom cried like they were her youngest child that day. (Their baby was born a month ago.)
You didn’t just save us—you saved all seven of our family members.
If you hadn’t helped us that day, we would have been separated forever.
Honestly, sometimes I dream about that day. But it’s not scary at all.
Because in the end, you always appear. You save us like a wonderful knight.
I want to grow up to be a cool adult like you someday.
I wanted to tell you this in person, but I heard you were feeling a little sick. So I wrote it in a letter.
Please don’t be sick, noona.
On the last day of the hunting festival, there’s fireworks, and they’re so beautiful (just like you).
I hope you can see them.
P.S. Sorry that adults got caught up in this.
When I finished reading the densely written, crooked handwriting,
“Tch…”
Tears escaped before I even realized it.
I had been doubting my own existence for the past few days.
I felt I’d only survived thanks to my mother’s sacrifice, yet I had accomplished nothing and was going in circles.
But…
‘Maybe that’s not true…’
Apparently, I was someone who could be amazing to someone else, just like my mother.
I buried my face in the letter for a while, swallowing my tears.
“Cherry.”
Kenich quietly stroked my back.
“Whenever you’re ready, tell me your story. I’ll help you with anything I can. So, Cherry.”
“Tch…?”
“Don’t cry.”
I nodded, swallowing the tears that threatened to spill.
I couldn’t waste my time helplessly like this.
For myself, and for my mother.
I would find everyone responsible for the Edmond Later attack and make sure they got what they deserved.
Of course, just like Cheddar wished, I would also watch the fireworks on the last day of the hunting festival.
Exactly five days remained until the festival ended.
‘First, I need to eat!’
Restoring my strength came first.
After Cheddar’s letter, I became a passionate little squirrel again.
I ate three proper meals with Kenich and trained diligently with Sevi.
In the afternoon, I had training sessions with Lord Ferdinand.
“Child, wouldn’t you like to rest a bit more?”
After the recent hibernation incident and the kidnapping, Lord Ferdinand tried to stop me, but…
“Tchout!”
I’m fine!
I raised my arm energetically.
No matter how much effort I put in, my muscles weren’t visible, but my spirit was solid as muscle.
Seeing my determination, Lord Ferdinand had no choice but to help me.
“Hmm, child, at least your mana isn’t completely drained.”
If full mana was ten bars, I was just shy of one.
Compared to other beastkin, it was ridiculous, but far better than the near-zero state I’d been in before.
“Your mana circuits are slow, but they’re functioning well.”
“Tch!”
Really?
It was such a relief.
“Of course, in your case, since your constitution cannot generate mana naturally, you’ll need periodic supply…”
Lord Ferdinand shrugged.
“Does it matter? This castle is overflowing with mana.”
“Tch-tch!”
Exactly!
The only problem was that after the recent events, Kenich wasn’t cooperating with me.
“In Cherry’s case, humanization puts a huge strain on her body.”
Every time I transformed into a human and slept for days, the physician thoroughly examined me.
And he concluded:
If anyone tried to steal mana with their fingers, he would notice instantly and isolate me.
‘I thought it was better when I was in squirrel form, but he says being human is better.’
I recalled Kenich watching me sternly.
“Cherry, no.”
No? What’s not allowed!
I flicked my tail in frustration.
“Child, don’t be angry. He’s only doing that for you.”
Lord Ferdinand chuckled and petted my tail.
Apparently, my tail had something irresistible, like catnip for cats—some kind of ‘dragonnip’.
I wagged my tail and looked at Lord Ferdinand, who cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem, now let’s talk about your abilities.”
“Tch.”
“I’ve heard you can communicate with animals. Is that true?”
I sat upright at the table and nodded solemnly.
“Even before arriving at Black Dragon Castle?”
“Tch.”
Three years ago, not long after arriving at Bear Mountain, I recovered from a fever, and that’s when I started hearing animals.
“That’s strange.”
“Tch-tch?”
What’s strange?
“Gerard said that when you arrived at Black Dragon Castle, you had no mana. But you could use your powers even before then.”
I had once wondered the same.
How could I use abilities without mana?
After some thought, I concluded simply:
‘Maybe it’s not an ability after all.’
But Lord Ferdinand seemed to think differently.
“I think… perhaps you were absorbing the Black Dragon’s mana since Bear Mountain.”
“Tchout?”
What does that mean?
I blinked quickly.
“Norbert Mountain. That Bear Mountain you call home? My grandfather passed away there long ago.”
“Tchout……”
“Since then, it’s been known as a sacred mountain.”
Sacred mountain?
I tilted my head, recalling stories I’d heard before.
Then I suddenly sat upright, “Tch!”
Of course—there had been strange incidents while guiding travelers and stealing in the mountains.
Whenever my regular visitors saw me, they acted as if they were seeing me for the first time.
Once I left Bear Mountain, everyone forgot me entirely. Among merchants, I became known as the “Ghost of Bear Mountain.”
“What are you thinking about?”
“Tch.”
I nodded slowly.
I recalled something I had always told merchants when seeing them off:
‘Don’t tell anyone you saw me. Better if you forget.’
Since Bear Mountain was near the capital, my mother worried rumors might spread.
Merchants were like sparrows, gossiping everywhere.
Perhaps this had also been part of my ability.
And the source of that mana…
“It seems the mana of my grandfather is embedded in Bear Mountain.”
In other words, I could protect myself using the mana of the first head of the Croits family, merged with Norbert Mountain.
‘Could it be that mother knew all this…?’
That Bear Mountain would be the only place in the empire where I could hide.
That I would meet Kenich there, come to Black Dragon Castle, and meet everyone.
‘She probably knew.’
A bitter smile appeared on my face without realizing it.
Even before the marquis’ residence was attacked, mother had already seen the future.
Ever since I was very young, she had often read books about Norbert Mountain.
So when I was told to go north, I naturally thought of Norbert Mountain.
At the same time…
I wondered if the “him” I might meet in the north wasn’t Kenich after all.
Then, what did my mother mean by her last words?
“Over there, you’ll meet ‘him.’ Only then will you be able to stop what’s coming.”
