The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 88

—————

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

—————

Yeo Joo Saves the World – Episode 88

After dropping the puppies off at the Animal Protection Association and arriving at the Guild, dawn was already drawing near.
Though the sky was still dark, Kang Han and Jang Su Ho, who trained at dawn, would be waking soon.
“Alright, you two. You need to be quiet, okay?”
The Black Beast I was carrying still didn’t respond to my words, but Baek Ho nodded his head in acknowledgment instead.
“Good boy.”
As I gently stroked Baek Ho’s round head, he pressed it further into my hand.
I opened the Guild’s front door while holding my breath.
Then the Subspace created by Sung Yo Na unfolded, and countless doors appeared.
“Ah, right. I forgot about this.”
I turned in place, examining the shapes of the doors.
Fortunately, finding the real door wasn’t difficult.
Among the various forms of doors, a pale green one glowed softly.
Click.
Still, some anxiety lingered, but the doorknob turned smoothly and opened.
Before stepping over the threshold, I checked my surroundings—the interior of the Guild remained silent as a tomb.
“Can you climb the stairs?”
Baek Ho nodded once more.
As I climbed to my room on the fourth floor, Baek Ho used his gel-like paw pads so skillfully that even my unavoidably soft footsteps became the focus of my attention.
Upon reaching my room and closing the door, I felt all the strength drain from my body.
How was sneaking quietly into the Guild harder than stealing dogs from the House?
“Phew.”
I exhaled the breath I’d been holding and carelessly tossed the hat and mask I’d been wearing onto the desk.
“Rest here for now, you two.”
I placed the Black Beast I’d been holding the entire time onto a puppy cushion beside the bed.
It was something I’d bought together when ordering the mask—advertised as an ‘X-brand cushion.’
Since I didn’t know how big Baek Ho would get, I’d bought a large one, and fortunately it was spacious enough for two young Beasts to lie on.
The Black Beast shifted a few times on the new cushion before returning to power-saving mode.
Well-behaved Baek Ho also lay down right beside it.
“Wait here. I’ll be back after I wash up.”
I felt Baek Ho’s gaze following me from behind as I headed to the Restroom.

* * *

The driving I’d never done before, combined with the tension of stealing dogs from enemy territory alone.
My body, which had been wound tight as a spring, finally loosened under the hot shower.
I changed into comfortable clothes and roughly dried my hair with a towel before stepping out.
“Huh? What are you doing here?”
Baek Ho was lying on the mat in front of the Restroom.
Whether he’d been waiting there the entire time I was showering, he stretched and got up, waddling toward me.
Then he began licking my ankles, which still had moisture clinging to them.
“What, what is this?”
Is it salty?
But I just washed…
Having never brought an animal into my home in my entire life, I froze in place.
Rather than licking one spot repeatedly, he seemed to be carefully checking everything—perhaps trying to dry the moisture for me.
“Oh, thank… woof?”
“Huff.”
Once Baek Ho confirmed there was no more moisture on my ankles, he made a snorting sound and lifted his head slightly.
Satisfied… perhaps?
I tilted my head curiously and followed behind Baek Ho as he led the way.
He still waddled along the same as before, yet his gait somehow carried an air of dignified pride.
Then he settled himself right beside the Black Beast, planting his rear end down as if that spot was rightfully his.
I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up my phone.
“So you’re definitely Baek Ho. But what about that one?”
The status window didn’t reveal the specific type of Awakened Beast, so the Black Beast’s true identity remained unclear.
There was no creature that looked like this in the Sejong Chronicles either, which only deepened the mystery.
I decided to ask Baek Ho directly.
“Who is that?”
A speech bubble appeared above Baek Ho’s head.

[ (๑・‿・๑) ]

“I mean, it’s cute and all. But who’s the black one?”

[ (๑・‿・๑) !]

“So an exclamation mark is all you’ve got?”
Since I couldn’t properly communicate with the Awakened Beast yet, the inconvenience fell on me.
I gave up asking Baek Ho and turned on my phone to start searching.
“Baek… Ho.”
“Oof.”
“No, I wasn’t calling you.”

[ (´. ̯.`) ]

I glanced at the dejected Baek Ho, then began sifting through the search results.
As expected, searching for “Baek Ho” only returned results about that creature.
“Then… black… mythical beast.”
This time, only photos of black tigers appeared.
“Ugh, what on earth is this?”
I began racking my brain.
Mythical beasts were primarily creatures of imagination.
Animals that humans had long believed in, once revered as semi-divine beings.
Then perhaps.
“Black mythical beast… legend.”
But again, only irrelevant results like the three-legged crow appeared.
That was when it happened.
Baek Ho, who had been lying down watching me, placed one of his front paws over the Black Beast.
As if they were linking arms.
“You? You’re related to it?”
Baek Ho nodded vigorously.
“Friend?”
Baek Ho’s small head shook side to side.
“Brother?”
This time, his eyes widened brightly.
That seemed to mean we were getting closer.
Then perhaps.
“Twin?”
“Yelp!”
Baek Ho has a twin?
I’d never heard of such a thing.
A twin for Baek Ho, one of the Four Sacred Beasts.
Moreover, aside from their shared feline appearance, they seemed to have nothing else in common to be called twins.
I picked up my phone again.
“Baek Ho twin…”
As soon as I typed that far, a related search suggestion appeared below.
“…Gung Gi?”
The change didn’t occur only within the rectangular phone screen.
The Black Beast, who had kept its eyes closed all along, slowly lifted its head, revealing crimson eyes.
And it stared directly at me.
As if asking how I knew that name.
“Wait, wait. Hold on.”
I searched for information about Gung Gi.
“Not the Four Celestial Beasts, but one of the Four Evils
(四凶)
instead.”
Oh, the Four Evils.
“A creature that devours humans starting from the head… hmm.”
The Four Evils certainly had nothing good associated with them.
That’s when a particular sentence caught my eye.
“When Baek Ho was born, only the evil part separated from his body to become Gung Gi… apparently.”
I lifted my head and looked once more at the Black Beast—no, Gung Gi.
The Four Evils. And the evil aspect.
“They’re really twins, aren’t they?”
Now that I looked again, they did seem somewhat alike.
What did it matter if one was an Evil or if they were evil twins?
A celestial beast’s nature ultimately depends on its master.
No matter how difficult Gung Gi’s temperament might be, if imprinted on someone like Kang Han, after being thoroughly disciplined enough to shed tears a few times, he’d be reborn as a virtuous Gung Gi.
“So the master is what truly matters.”
I murmured to myself while gazing at Baek Ho and Gung Gi.
“Who should I pair you two with?”
Gung Gi was like a surprise gift, so no suitable candidate came to mind, but Baek Ho was different.
I already had some people in mind to some extent.
I had mentioned Gung Gi and Kang Han as examples earlier, but that would be difficult.
Baek Young Ee already existed, and celestial beasts choose masters with personalities similar to their own.
The same applied to Baek Ho.
Baek Ho was righteous and protective of people.
So the master would need to possess such a character for the imprinting to succeed.
After all, the celestial beast ultimately chooses its imprinting partner.
“Hmm. Who would Baek Ho take a liking to?”
For now, I mentally pictured the faces of the Justice Guild members.
Jang Su Ho, whose head and heart burned with passion?
Lee Yu Eul, who charged ahead of everyone in combat?
Or perhaps Han Ji Sung would be good too.
Since he attacked from the rear, having Baek Ho protect him from his side would be reassuring.
I was thinking along those lines when it happened.
Baek Ho, who had been staying beside Gung Gi all along, suddenly leaped onto the bed where I was sitting.
“Yeah, I’m thinking about who to pair you with right now… what’s with this paw?”
Baek Ho placed the paw that had been linked around Gung Gi’s shoulder earlier and pressed it firmly against my thigh.
Wait, surely not.
“Me?”
A nod.
“Really, me?”
“Hmph.”
“No, seriously. Think about this again.”
I counted off on my fingers as I explained to Baek Ho.
“First, I’m not righteous. Second, I’m not a combat-type hunter. Third, my personality isn’t as good as yours….”
*Lick.*
Baek Ho placed both front paws on my thigh, stretched his body out, and licked the back of my hand.
Then he looked up at me with those blue eyes, not blinking once.
As if to say: my choice is you.
“Ugh, no, not me. If you stick with me, you won’t exactly do bad things, but you’ll end up doing some pretty questionable stuff, you know?”
“Yelp.”
This damn beast.
While I’m over here trying to talk him out of it, he’s now rubbing his cheek against my hand.
“Seriously, I’m losing my mind.”
Is this… what they call a butler selection?

—————

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

—————