The Visit of the Sacred Beasts… and Another Broken Taboo?
A few days had passed since the Tree of Life took root in the sacred land. The heart of the village was now visibly brimming with vitality. Not only did the tree itself appear to grow a little each day, but around it, unfamiliar yet stunning flowers bloomed in abundance. At night, glowing moss shimmered softly, and the entire village seemed wrapped in a serene, purifying energy that everyone could feel.
One afternoon, a commotion broke out near the base of the Tree of Life. When Akio, Sylvia, and Kina—who had been tending to the young tree—rushed over, they were greeted by a sight that defied belief.
“Th-this is… incredible…!”
Sylvia gasped. Beneath the soft dappled sunlight filtering through the Tree of Life, three small creatures the size of puppies huddled together, playing. Their silvery fur shimmered, and each bore a tiny jewel-like horn on its forehead. Their presence was both divine and adorable—clearly not of this world’s ordinary beasts.
“Sacred beasts… and three of them at once? This land has truly become something extraordinary…”
Sylvia’s voice trembled with awe, and Akio gulped in amazement.
At first, the young sacred beasts were wary of the humans. But perhaps sensing something familiar in Kina, who was herself a beastkin, they slowly drew near. Kina crouched down and gently called out to them.
“There, there… Don’t be scared~ Where did you little ones come from, hmm?”
One of them responded with a soft kuuun, nuzzling its nose into Kina’s hand. At that moment, her maternal instincts erupted.
“Alright! You guys leave everything to Kina-sama here! I’ll take care of you all! I’m the boss of the pack now, got it!?”
She declared boldly, and as if understanding her words, the sacred beast cubs began hopping joyfully around her. It was a heartwarming scene, and everyone felt that the village had gained a new treasure.
Even Akio couldn’t resist the charm of the divine, fluffy creatures. Together with Sylvia and the children, he joined in, stroking their soft fur and playing with them. The sacred beasts seemed especially fond of Akio, perhaps comforted by the soothing effects of his “enhancement” ability.
Caught up in the moment, Akio played with the cubs wholeheartedly. But then, something about Kina drew his attention. As she watched over the sacred beasts, her upright wolf ears twitched cheerfully. For some reason, the lively movement of those ears mesmerized Akio.
(Kina’s ears… they look so soft. I wonder what they feel like… They’re always moving so energetically…)
Perhaps it was the fluffy overload of the sacred beasts or the otherworldly serenity around the Tree of Life clouding his judgment—but Akio, almost unconsciously, crept up behind Kina and reached out. He gently pinched the very tip of one of her twitching ears.
Kina froze.
The cheerful expression she had while playing with the sacred beasts vanished instantly, and her face turned bright red.
“… Ah.”
Akio felt the blood drain from his face.
(Oh no… I did it again…!?)
His mind immediately flashed back to the past incident—when he accidentally grabbed Kina’s tail and unintentionally triggered a beastkin courtship ritual uproar.
“UWAAAAAAAHHH~~~~!! P-Principal Wifeeee~~~!!”
Kina burst into loud sobs and threw herself toward Sylvia, seeking rescue—or perhaps filing an emotional protest against Akio.
“H-he touched… my… my ears again…!”
Sylvia let out a long, deep sigh and glared at Akio with half-lidded eyes. Any other beastkin nearby—or those who rushed over after hearing the commotion—began hastily explaining the gravity of the situation.
“A-Akio-sama! That’s not acceptable! Among beastkin—especially unmarried women—touching the ears so casually is… it’s as intimate as, no, even more intimate than touching the tail! It’s a vow of lifelong partnership! A sign of profound love!”
Akio went pale. He had acted out of mere curiosity… and yet again, he had committed a deeply misunderstood gesture with grave consequences.
The sacred beast cubs, not understanding what had happened, tilted their heads in confusion as they looked back and forth between the sobbing Kina, the frozen Akio, and Sylvia, who had her head in her hands.
The arrival of the sacred beasts had indeed brought a new blessing to the village—but it also marked the beginning of another chapter of chaos for Akio, one that was bound to get even more complicated.
What do you think about this chapter?
