LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 187: Mother and Daughter (7)
The mother raccoon dog spoke quietly.Her voice had become even softer than before.
━The process is often difficult and challenging. Insects may attack.... They may be trampled by the feet of large beasts.... Out of a hundred seeds planted, only one flower may bloom....
The giant raccoon dog curled up on the floor.She looked very unwell.She looked so pitiful, struggling against the poison and illness that had invaded her body, that even I felt sorry for her.However, the raccoon dog spoke to her daughter while gasping for breath.
━My life in this forest has been nothing but hardship. I don't want you to suffer the same hardships as me. I want you to live a refined and elegant life among humans....
While Naru was away with Nari, we heard a lot from this large raccoon dog. She told us that she had admired humans ever since she was very young.She said she couldn't help but find the sight of people using tools fascinating.
She also told us that as she practiced standing on two legs to imitate humans and used their language, she eventually accumulated karma and came to be called a 'spirit beast'.A life that was difficult in many ways.It was a moment when I could feel the mother's heart, hoping that her daughter would not live like that.
"Now I think we need to inject the antidote and treat Falkins disease. Actually, her condition has been poor for a very long time. It's a miracle she's held on until now."
Brigitte injected the prepared syringe into the raccoon dog's body.
Squish-The purple liquid flowed through the needle into the giant raccoon dog's body.Soon, Naguri spat out blood with a "Kuak-".Brigitte placed her hand on Naguri’s forehead and applied force with a "Hup-".
Gooooooo-The light emanating from Brigitte's palm made the surrounding air crackle.Even I thought it was a powerful release of magical power."Magic release!!!"
Brigitte seemed to be exerting her full power, as it needed to be strong enough to instantly destroy the virus residing in the raccoon dog's body.
Gooooooo-Whether it was due to Brigitte's sincerity and full effort, soon the giant raccoon dog's body was enveloped in white light.It was so bright that even I slightly furrowed my brow, but after about 5 seconds, the light disappeared, and the giant raccoon dog was no longer visible.
Instead, a woman who looked like a gatherer wearing leather clothes was sitting on the floor. Her hair was brown, and her face was pleasantly tanned brown. She was also extremely beautiful.Of course, she wasn't my type.I didn't particularly like older women.
"Mom!"Nari finally rushed towards her mother.Naguri, her mother, also embraced her daughter.Those brown eyes now seemed to recognize objects clearly with unclouded vision.
"...I can see your face...!"
Had it been a long time since she had seen her daughter's face?The two look-alike mother and daughter embraced each other and cried profusely.It was a pleasing sight in many ways.
"Then Nari will be the successor of the forest. I'll take this flower as proof. Now the animals that were running wild in the northern forest will regain some order, right?"
Makana, the bee princess, picked up the flower Nari had bloomed and sniffed it. Then she rode on the back of a large hornet and flew away with a buzz-She knew when to leave, quite a cultured girl.
"Mom! I'm a proper raccoon dog now! Tell me about the forest! It's okay if it's hard! It's okay if you scold me! I want to be like you!"
Nari shouted.Her mother, Naguri, couldn't easily respond to those words.Then, with a reluctant feeling, she stroked her daughter's head and said."Ruling the forest is not an easy task. You might not be able to go to the outside world. Because ruling the forest means you can't leave your post.""Huuu... I can’t eat ice cream?"
Nari asked.Nari's mother nodded.
"And, even if the person you love leaves the forest, you might not be able to go out into the world to find them. Because someone has to rule this forest. At that time, you might come to resent me.""It's okay!"
No parent could win against their child.In the end, Nari's mother nodded with a small sigh.
"My education will be strict. I won't go easy on you just because you're my daughter.""Ung, ung!"
Nari hugged her mother tightly, overjoyed.She must have been sufficiently happy just to see her mother, who had been suffering from an illness for a long time, become healthy again.
# # #
It was a very joyous occasion that Naguri, the owner of the northern forest, had regained her health and even successfully designated her successor.It would be a cause for celebration for the people living near this great forest too.
Because now that the forest had regained stability, there would be fewer incidents of bees or mosquitoes running wild.Also, there would be fewer attacks on civilian houses by powerful raccoon dogs.A joyous day in many ways.I enjoyed a feast while being served by raccoon dogs that had suddenly appeared from somewhere.The fruit wine was especially delicious.
"Try this too. These are wild strawberries I picked.""These are grilled mushrooms that I grew myself...."
Although I said I was being served by raccoon dogs, the raccoon dogs in question were actually healthy beauties with brown skin.It was slightly disappointing that their shape shifting skills were a bit clumsy, with animal ears popping out on their heads or plump tails on their bottoms, but still.
Anyway.It was a pleasant dinner in many ways.But on such a joyous day, there was someone who wasn't entirely happy.It was Naru.
Naru was an outgoing person who loved parties, festivals, and celebrations.But today, Naru didn't participate in the raccoon dogs' feast.How did this happen?When I looked towards the back of the cave, Naru was curled up under a leather blanket, sobbing.
"Naru, there are the bananas that you like. Don't you want to eat bananas?""......"
I asked, but Naru didn't answer and just kept crying.There was only one reason why Naru was sad.It was because she had lost to Nari in the competition to determine the successor of the forest.From the beginning, this was Nari's home ground, and the Nari flower was a flower that only raccoon dogs could bloom, so it was a one-sided competition that was unwinnable for Naru.However, Naru was a person with a strong competitive spirit, knowingly or unknowingly, so she couldn't easily accept the fact that she had lost.
"Naru, don't you want to eat a banana? This isn't just any banana. It's a Gromiche banana."
I put the banana into the leather blanket.Then Naru said "...I don't want it." in a depressed tone and pushed the banana back out of the blanket. She was thoroughly hurt.I poked Naru's side with my finger.
"Hehehe!""Naru, you just laughed while crying.""Grrrr...!"
Naru growled like an angry raccoon dog.Of course, that anger soon faded back into sadness.
"Naru tried so hard but lost...."
I see.She wasn't this sad even when she could no longer taste strawberries.Where did this intense competitive spirit of Naru's come from?It wasn't from me.
Even now, I think I'm not a person with a strong competitive spirit.It must be a trait she inherited from Brigitte.When I looked at Brigitte, she flinched and then slowly approached Naru. Then she gently stroked Naru's back over the blanket.
"So what if you lost. People can fall down sometimes in life. The important thing is to get up again and keep walking forward even if you fall.""Huuung....""I made a lot of mistakes in the past too. I lost to my peers many times. Naru, I was even more of a troublemaker and hated science homework even more than you."
As Brigitte spoke carefully, Naru peeked her face out from under the blanket. Naru's eyes were swollen from crying so much, making her look like a raccoon dog herself.Naru then asked, seeming to have gained a little courage.
"...Mom couldn't do science homework either?""That's right. Science was my least favorite subject. Because I didn't like the name. Science. I didn't like the letters. Strange, right? Science. Sci-ence."
Disliking science because she didn't like the word 'science'.It was an odd reason.However, Naru pulled the blanket down a bit more and nodded vigorously.
"Naru doesn't like the name science either! That's why Naru didn't want to study science! The word science sounds like something only weird and strange old men would like!"
Is that so.What an incredibly odd reason.It was a moment that reminded me of the saying that the thought processes of exceptional children are different from ordinary people in ways that are incomprehensible.I, being an ordinary human, honestly couldn't quite grasp it, but Brigitte seemed to understand Naru well as she gently stroked Naru's head.
"But I hated losing more than anyone, so I ended up studying science hard too. Do you want to know how I studied hard?""Ung, ung!""Science, you know. It's also called Science in another language.""Wow, holy shh... that sounds cool...! Naru likes Science!""Right?"
I couldn't follow this conversation at all.Is this the special world of empathy that mothers and daughters have?Soon Naru drooped her head again.
"But Naru lost.... This is the first time I've lost after giving it my all, I don't feel good...!"
It seems she's not easily getting out of the swamp of defeat.I wonder if Brigitte could comfort Naru in this state?Then, Brigitte said to Naru.
"Think of it as a best of three. You may have lost one game, but if you play two more, you can still win, Naru.""...What if Naru loses again?""Then think of it as a best of five.""What if Naru loses again and gets three losses!""Then think of it as a best of seven. Naru, you haven't lost until you think you've lost. Always keep this in mind. Think 'I'll win everything if I go all the way'. Even if I lose, live with the mindset of 'I'll blow you up later'."
So Brigitte has always lived with that mindset.She was more aggressive than I thought.As expected of the Black Mage.That's the level needed to become my wife.
"Wow, holy shh...! I see! Naru hasn't lost until Naru thinks she's lost! This ARA test paper where Naru got 60 points isn't 60 points if Naru doesn't think it is!"Naru tore up a test paper she pulled out from somewhere.The 60-point test paper no longer existed in this world.
"If Naru thinks a duck is Jupiter, then the duck becomes Jupiter, and if Naru thinks a watermelon is Mongmi, it becomes Mongmi!" 1
There's a saying that it takes a thief to catch a thief.It means that only a thief knows a thief's methods well.Similarly, a raccoon dog would know the shortcuts of a raccoon dog well.And it seemed that Brigitte, Naru's mother, knew Naru's path well.Still, isn't this a bit too forced?As I was thinking that, Brigitte chuckled and said.
"This is related to magic incantations too. 'Flame'. Did you know that our one-syllable magic is actually a conceptual transformation of the words Tol's, Kenaz, Golus, and Feramaz?""Naru didn't know! But I think I get it! If Naru thinks of flame as a rabbit, then Naru can make flames with the word rabbit too! Rabbit!"
Naru shouted.Then a rabbit-shaped flame flared up in front of Naru and disappeared.Was it a manifestation of magic?
"Wow, holy shh...! Naru feels like she finally gets it!""Yes, it takes two months of effort just to make ordinary kids understand this concept. Naru, you're indeed a special child. I wonder if I can teach you well?""Ung, ung! Because, that's what Naru thinks! Naru, you know, has the most fun when learning this and that from Mom!"
Whoosh-Naru hugged Brigitte's waist.She was full of energy, unlike someone who had been crying profusely just moments ago.Watching that scene, I asked lightly.
"Isn't it fun learning from me?"
At that question, Naru ran to me and hugged my waist too.
"Dad is a thief! But, for Naru, a thief means the most amazing and cool person in the world! That's why Naru's dream is to be a thief!""Didn't you say you wanted to be a dragon slayer last time after catching a bunch of dragonflies?""It changed back to thief!"
She was quite fickle.This was clearly a trait she inherited from me.I used to change my future dream once a day when I was about Naru's age too.Naru, who took after me in being fickle, said.
"Then give me the Gromiche banana! I think I can eat it now!""I already ate it.""Hieek...!"
- 1. Reference to a Korean meme