Deadline Is Raining in the Status Window - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Fox barked at Gerth with something like an accusation, then let out a whine toward me that sounded almost apologetic. Hmm… this was interesting. It had been the same with Titi, but I could sense what she was trying to say almost instinctively. Was it because of my Taming skill? The description did mention it worked well on animals.
Watching Gerth converse so naturally with Fox, he seemed to possess a skill superior to Taming. I wondered if Cat Daddy would be able to talk to animals after five hundred years or so.
“It’s fine.”
“Woof?”
“Look. Evan has comprehension.”
“She only touches her body.”
“Right. She only touches her body.”
“Arooo!”
Her stamina and speed had improved since I first met her, so naturally she’d be curious. She probably wondered whether I’d trained my body or acquired related skills.
“You haven’t built muscle. Is it a skill?”
“Yes.”
“A born miner. I’m impressed.”
“I’m doing fishing these days too.”
“I see.”
When I nodded, Gerth nodded as well, and Fox’s eyes trembled as if an earthquake had struck her pupils.
“But there are only a few magic stones ahead. If you go further, you won’t be able to handle it.”
“It’s fine. I’m only mining today, and I won’t come back after this.”
“…What?”
This time, not just Fox but Gerth’s eyes widened dramatically. The man said “I see” with a dejected tone, then trudged away, muttering something about needing to feed the children.
“Arooo! Woof woof! Woof!”
Fox then bit and tugged at Gerth’s pant leg, barking insistently. There seemed to be deep meaning in her cries, because Gerth’s expression shifted to one of realization as he asked me a question.
“Then where should I go to see you?”
“Oh, you want to visit?”
“I do.”
We’d grown quite close, and it would be a shame not to meet again just because I wouldn’t be mining magic stones anymore. I pulled a map from my basket and pointed to a secluded area slightly west of Ilam Town.
“There’s a large hazelnut tree there, and two houses. The one with the green roof is ours.”
“Understood. I’ll visit properly soon.”
“Great. My mother makes delicious borscht, so you have to try it.”
I couldn’t cook, but my mother was truly exceptional at it. After I finished bragging about her, Gerth promised to visit in three days. I agreed, and informed Mother that a friend would be coming in four days.
Mother was overjoyed, saying this was the first time I’d brought a friend home.

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Hubert, a white fox humanoid serving as the Serpent King’s deputy in Beast King’s Tower, had been extraordinarily busy these past few days. So frazzled was he that when adventurers stormed the tower, he’d merely mimicked his father’s demeanor without even committing to the bit, hastily disposed of them, and shoved them out the door.
Father had taken an interest in a human woman. This was an earth-shattering event, the sort of thing that would make the Serpent King’s Tower Officials shriek in astonishment—and in my 120 years as deputy, it had never happened before.
I was only 220 years old, so I couldn’t speak to anything beyond that, but I suspected this might be the first time in Father’s entire 500-year existence.
The mere fact that Father had spoken of a woman at all was cause for cosmic upheaval, but the woman herself was remarkably, extraordinarily peculiar.
A rustic girl with her hair braided in two sections had strode right into the Water King’s Territory and mined mana stones, and according to reports, she’d completely ignored the threats of nearby demon cats, tigers, and even a three-headed serpent monster spewing venom—she simply kept mining, utterly unbothered.
Father was ordinarily so benevolent and gentle that he showed affection even to lesser demons and cared for them; by the Dragon King’s own admission, he was such a hopeless pushover that there was no one quite like him. Weaker demons often went hungry and couldn’t hunt humans, so Father frequently brought them food himself.
That’s how he’d met a woman named Evan Laef while delivering provisions. She hadn’t been the slightest bit intimidated by Father’s dignified presence, had observed him cautiously for a few days before introducing herself, had even shared lunch with him—and most remarkably, she’d understood Gerth’s speech.
This was an event momentous enough to make even my narrow fox eyes widen. Understanding Father’s speech, with its mangled grammar and missing words, was extraordinarily difficult. For the first ten years after my birth, I’d mistakenly thought Father was angry every single day—his way with words was absolutely atrocious.
So at first, I didn’t believe it. I thought Father had misinterpreted the trembling village girl’s actions. If Evan valued her life, she wouldn’t associate with Father any further.
In reality, Father had been happily visiting to feed the young demons while also seeing the woman, but for several days now, he’d been melancholy because Evan hadn’t come to mine mana stones. Perhaps she’d found another vein since she was a miner. I should have told him about a location with higher-quality mana stones.
Watching Father pace back and forth atop the tower all day, sighing heavily, I broke into a cold sweat. He looked exactly like someone lovesick.
At this point, I had no choice but to bring the runaway woman back to Beast King’s Tower, pitiful as it was. After all, Father hadn’t held another’s hand in 500 years. This might be his first and last chance. I’d bring her back and somehow make Father develop feelings for her. There was no other option.
And so the white fox humanoid set out with Father to capture the woman named Evan Laef, both of them bounding along. Though I’d come out on business, it was exciting to go out with Father after so long. As I walked hand-in-hand with him, my tail swishing happily, I sensed a presence and swiftly transformed into animal form to observe the situation.
Father was right—Evan Laef was truly a strange woman. She conversed with Father as an equal, completely unafraid, and her physical abilities and overwhelming presence were unbelievable for an ordinary human.
The aura radiating from her body was downright eerie. I could sense it with a beast’s instinct. This was clearly the combat power of someone carrying three ultra-rare skills. The magical aura she subtly emanated suggested she was either already a mage or a budding one.
There’s no way she’s seventeen—don’t lie to me. Even a seasoned veteran wouldn’t emit such a sinister aura. That’s why she had the guts to ignore prowling beasts and venomous snakes targeting her throat, mining mana stones without hesitation.
I had a premonition. Father’s eye was accurate. Truly, Father deserves my respect. This woman named Evan Laef is worthy of becoming the mother of millions of demons. At merely seventeen, she’s already this formidable—how strong will she become as she grows?
My fox eyes stretched wide with uncontrollable laughter. I’m finally getting a mother. All those decades of mockery from the Dragon King, asking if our father was impotent—finally over.
But this infuriating father was ready to give up entirely the moment Evan declared she wouldn’t mine mana stones anymore. I confronted Father, asking if he’d lost his mind, and pushed him toward the idea that relentless pursuit was the proper approach with a woman you’d set your sights on.
Through my tearful efforts, Gerth managed to progress to the point of visiting Evan’s house.
“Father! This outfit! Please wear this when you visit!”
“That’s ceremonial attire for the Ten Thousand Demon Festival.”
“You’re not that far behind in age, Father! You need to look as young and handsome as possible!”
Evan was not yet an adult by human standards, and though her appearance was shabby, examining her features closely revealed she was extraordinarily beautiful. Once her freckles faded as she matured, her face would open up entirely. Likely, marriage proposals would line up from beyond the village.
“Do you understand! Father, you’ve essentially won an untouched lottery ticket! You need to build goodwill now and kidnap her the moment she comes of age!”
“Kidnap? I respect Evan’s will.”
“If you don’t kidnap her! Who would marry into this remote wilderness that reeks of beast so badly your nose would fall off!”
“!”
You’ve been thinking of our home that way? The Serpent King Gerth’s eyes widened in surprise, his nictitating membranes blinking rapidly. Since Father ordinarily showed no expression, I felt genuinely stung by my own harsh words and clamped my mouth shut, shaking my head.
“I see. Beast stench.”
“Y-you get used to it. Father.”
When I offered that pathetic excuse, Gerth narrowed his eyes. We were both astonished. For me, this was the first time seeing Father with such expressive features, and for Father, it was the first time realizing his son was such a talkative fellow.
“In any case, bring a gift. It should be something expensive.”
“Why go to such lengths.”
“Have you forgotten? Evan’s mother lives in that house, does she not?”
“!”
Now that he mentioned it, that was true. While I could converse freely with Evan, merely imagining a conversation with her mother filled me with discomfort.
What sort of person was Evan’s mother, anyway? Having raised such a child, would she possess a similar temperament? But the thought that two such humans could exist in the world struck both father and son as genuinely troubling.
“I’ll bring something expensive.”
“Yes, I’ll prepare something expensive.”
I hoped Evan’s Mother wasn’t a terrifying person. The Serpent King Gerth offered a prayer to the unborn king of ten thousand horses.
Meanwhile, Hubert roused the Spider Woman from her deep slumber and commissioned her to weave exceptionally strong, durable fabric. The expectant mother’s everyday clothes were rather shabby, and given that she was such a formidable person, he thought she’d appreciate a gift of equally formidable armor material.

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The day Gerth promised to visit was unfortunately battered by a typhoon. With such poor weather, surely even my friend would cancel. Mother said as much, but I shook my head. Gerth follows through. If he said he’d visit, he’d arrive on the appointed day. We’d only known each other for two months, but I was certain of it.
And for good reason—Gerth was stubbornly straightforward to the point of foolishness, a pushover of the highest order. Wasn’t he the very man who, despite having seen my face only a handful of times, would pull out his own fingernails in desperation to talk me out of anything that might kill me?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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