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CHAPTER 288: DEPARTURE 1

—Aun’s POV—

It had been a month since Yurai hatched.

Even as I tried to look back on the days that had swept past like a storm, the reality of tomorrow’s departure crept closer and closer. Somewhere deep in my chest sat a strange weight—like anticipation and loneliness had been kneaded together.

As for Yurai, she’d soaked up everyone’s affection with her whole body and had fully entered her rambunctious phase.

Even now, she was running wild with the beastkin kids through the newly made plains area in the Phantom Castle Dungeon—dashing, tumbling, and laughing until she rolled on the ground.

Just watching that scene is enough to keep me fed for three days. Honestly, I want to stare at her forever.

A Behemoth whose name was etched into myth.

But Yurai was still just a youngling, and her strength was only barely brushing B-rank—if it even reached that far.

That gap only made her even cuter.

The beastkin kids, too, had been growing in a truly unhinged direction.

Ever since they formed subordinate contracts with me, they’d been participating in Shinku and Nelfie’s supervised ‘Physical Enhancement Program’—or rather, special-ops training for the Morphia Forest Dungeon. The end result: a total of fifteen kids molded into an absurd squad where every last one of them was a ‘high-speed evasion-type attacker.’

The sight of these little maniacs sprinting all over the Morphia Forest Dungeon while swinging small hand-axes in both hands had even become a hot topic at the Adventurers’ Guild for a while. They were still only C-rank adventurers, but in two or three years they’d probably grow into an exceptionally capable scout unit.

And what Yurai and those kids were doing right now was… tag, I guess?

Yurai weaved through the children and tore across the plains at explosive speed, as if to say, Catch me if you can!

…Yep. Peaceful again today!

And apparently, that adorably lethal little Behemoth had recognized me and Kinu as her parents.

On the day she hatched, Shinku—who had 【Interracial Language Understanding】—had reported with a perfectly serious face, 「She is referring to Aun-sama and Kinu-sama as ‘Papa’ and ‘Mama.’」 When I heard that, my knees gave out, and I genuinely thought my soul might ascend from pure joy.

Just seeing her run around so innocently made my cheeks loosen.

And the destructive power of being pounced on? That was beyond humanity’s expectations.

It was, quite literally, violence by the name of fluff.

…I truly mean it. For this kid, I can kill even a god.

As a gentle breeze drifted past, Kinu tugged on my sleeve.

「Hey, Aun. Should we bring Yurai to Bukyo Kingdom too, after all?」

「Yeah. At first I figured it might be dangerous, but… there are things you can only gain on a journey.」

「Mmn. Because she’s so little right now, there’s a lot she can absorb. And I want to teach her directly. And love… I want to give it while I can. …Besides, there’s no way I can leave her behind when she’s this cute, right?」

「Yeah. I was thinking the same thing.」

For a month, I’d seriously agonized over this.

For Yurai, there probably wasn’t any place safer than the Phantom Castle Dungeon. Everyone in Seiha would look after her with everything they had, and she’d never run short on playmates.

If she grew up slowly in that environment, there was no doubt she’d become some unbelievable monster in the future.

—And yet… I don’t want to be apart from her.

Kinu and I were completely, hopelessly smitten.

Right then, Yurai came charging toward us at full speed.

If I let my guard down, she might actually spear my chest with those tiny horns from the sheer momentum, but…

If my adorable kid comes flying into me, then I catch her with everything I’ve got—because that’s what a papa does!!

「Kyuui!」

「There we go, there we go! Yurai’s the cutest in the world! And Mama’s the cutest in the world too!」

「Hng… seriously… Aun, saying stuff like that out of nowhere is bad for my heart…」

With her ears bright red, Kinu petted Yurai.

Yurai wagged her tail like it might snap off, then looked up at us.

Both Kinu and Yurai… they’re too cute. Too precious. My vocabulary is dying!!

「Kyuu?」

Unable to endure it, Kinu hugged her tight.

「Yurai too. We’re together. Always together.」

I gently patted the two heads, soft and warm.

The heat of their fur seeped into my palm, and something deep in my chest warmed, slowly spreading.

「Aun. Are you ready? We leave tomorrow morning.」

「Yeah. All that’s left is… making the rounds to say goodbye, I guess.」

The Phantom Castle Dungeon—our ‘place to come home to.’

I’d gotten completely used to living here. Everyone in Seiha was as noisy, warm, and reliable as ever today.

「…Maybe this is what it feels like to leave home.」

「Hehe. I get it.」

Kinu smiled, and Yurai tilted her head. 「Kyuui?」

The road ahead definitely wouldn’t be easy.

My grandfather was in Bukyo Kingdom, and some unimaginable ‘something’ was waiting for us there.

Yurai was still young, and dangers were piled up like mountains.

Even so—

「Kinu. Yurai. If the three of us go together, we’ll manage somehow.」

「Mm. …No matter what happens, we’ll make it work.」

「Kyuu!」

Three voices melted into the sunset-lit plains.