The White Tiger Clan’s Baby Cotton Ball - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 85

 

Soya put on the flower shoes that Gayul had given her as a gift and went to find Ga Hyeon at the Guard Unit Outpost.

 

Today was Ga Hyeon’s last day living at the guard unit.

 

She planned to return home together with Ga Hyeon once his duties were finished.

 

“Hyeoni Elder Brother!”

 

Ga Hyeon was wearing a plain guard uniform and working alongside the lower-ranking guard unit members.

 

“Welcome, Soya.”

 

Having heard news of Soya’s visit in advance through Chirpy, Ga Hyeon greeted her with a bright smile.

 

“Wasn’t it hard coming all the way here?”

 

“I came with Seolyeo, so it wasn’t hard at all.”

 

Seolyeo, who had carried Soya here in his giant wolf form, let out a soft snort.

 

“I see.”

 

Just as Ga Hyeon was smiling gently at Soya with an affectionate expression.

 

“Oh, is that the famous Cotton Ball Miss?”

 

“Wow, even the prickly young master becomes all soft in front of the Young Lady.”

 

The guard unit members turned their attention to Soya, who had come to find Ga Hyeon.

 

“Ah, hello everyone!”

 

The guard unit members cheered at Soya’s greeting and introduced themselves.

 

“Greetings, Young Lady! I am from the Gray Wolf family…!”

 

“It’s such an honor to meet you, Young Lady! I am from the Southern Guard Unit…”

 

“Why are you all so interested in someone else’s little sister?”

 

When Ga Hyeon frowned with a displeased expression, everyone burst into hearty laughter.

 

“It’s fortunate that the Young Lady doesn’t resemble the prickly young master. She’s a blessing to the Western Lands!”

 

“Elder Brother is prickly?”

 

“Yes, yes, he’s so nitpicky about everything and how particular he is about cleanliness…”

 

“Don’t say useless things.”

 

Ga Hyeon cut off the other person’s words and shot back coldly.

 

‘Huh?’

 

At this, Soya widened her eyes and looked at Ga Hyeon and the guard unit members.

 

Her second Elder Brother did have sensitive and prickly aspects, but that was a side he only showed to those very close to him.

 

Seeing Ga Hyeon, who usually maintained the appearance of a polite and gentle noble young master in public, reveal his true nature like this, it seemed he had grown quite fond of these people.

 

“I’m really glad Elder Brother is spending time with such good people.”

 

When Soya said this with giggles, everyone chattered noisily, saying “How does the youngest Young Lady have such accurate judgment of people too.”

 

Ga Hyeon pressed his temples with a somewhat tired expression, then looked back at Soya and asked.

 

“Soya, it looks like you’ll have to wait about another hour for Elder Brother’s duties to finish. What should we do?”

 

“It’s okay, Elder Brother. I’ll look around the area with Seolyeo until you finish your duties.”

 

“Alright. But don’t go too far, Soya. Understood?”

 

The guard unit members jeered at Ga Hyeon’s worried voice.

 

Seeing how well they got along, Soya giggled and went outside with Seolyeo.

 

The perfect spring weather enveloped them.

 

It was already the fourth month when the sap-rising trees were each sprouting their leaves.

 

She spread a cloth on the grass field and sat on it, and Chirpy flew up into the sky singing a song.

 

Chirp chirp chirp—

 

Then, hearing Chirpy’s song, various birds from the vicinity including sparrows, skylarks, tits, robins, bulbuls, and magpies flew to Soya.

 

Most were birds with injured wings or legs that couldn’t fly well or were limping.

 

Soya spread her palm and conjured purification flames to heal the injured birds.

 

“Now, shall we try flapping your wings once more?”

 

Soya was treating a young tit with an injured wing.

 

Suddenly raising her head, she discovered wild animals peeking at her from behind the thicket.

 

Rabbits, deer, squirrels, leopard cats, roe deer… Various wild animals that had come after hearing the chirping bird sounds were watching Soya from a distance, unable to approach carelessly.

 

Among them, one baby rabbit hopped out of its mother’s embrace and scurried toward Soya.

 

“Hello, baby rabbit. Where does it hurt that brought you here?”

 

“Squeak!”

 

The baby rabbit suddenly held out its plump front paw.

 

“Oh my, what should we do. Your front paw is injured.”

 

Soya muttered in a distressed voice and healed the baby rabbit’s front paw.

 

Then the baby rabbit wagged its chubby tail and hopped back to its group, showing off its completely healed front paw.

 

Seeing this, the other animals rushed toward Soya all at once.

 

“Oh my, everyone shouldn’t do that and should keep order.”

 

Seeing the animals crowding in without order, Soya said in surprise, but unfortunately, unlike the birds, the wild animals couldn’t understand Soya’s words.

 

“Oh no, this will cause more injuries…”

 

At this moment, Seolyeo struck the ground with his front paw with a thud!

 

Threatened by the large wolf, the animals quickly lined up obediently behind him.

 

“Now, come one by one in an orderly fashion.”

 

Seeing this, Soya giggled and spread her arms toward the doe that was first in line.

 

While Seolyeo prowled around in his large wolf form, Soya healed the injured animals.

 

Now Soya could freely manipulate the purification flames.

 

It wasn’t just the purification flames.

 

After finishing treating the wild animals, she glanced at the White Tiger Divine Sword hanging at her waist.

 

Three years ago, when she defeated Chaos at Horim Mountain.

 

‘Back then I thought I had simply found the divine artifact by chance and received White Tiger’s help…’

 

That wasn’t it. Even defeating Chaos that day by borrowing White Tiger’s power was all her special ability.

 

“So it means this power activates when I embrace the heart of a divine beast?”

 

—That’s right, Baby Bird. The heart that wants to protect precious ones, that’s exactly the Heart of Steel.

 

When Soya asked toward the air, telepathic communication was heard in her head.

 

—Metal is strong and solid. Therefore, it only manifests when you embrace a heart that wants to protect, not a heart that wants to harm.

 

“Then, the reason I awakened White Tiger but couldn’t use the power of steel until now was?”

 

—It means you grew up healthy in a safe place. It’s proof that you, as a child, never faced dangerous situations where you had to protect someone.

 

If there was another change that occurred in Soya after awakening Suzaku, it was this.

 

She had become able to freely converse with the divine beasts she had awakened.

 

—Hahaha. I met a child who awakened me after a thousand years, but you never came to find me even once during all this time, so you don’t know how bored I was, Baby Bird.

 

The voice speaking as if throwing a tantrum belonged to the Western Divine Beast, White Tiger Mountain Lord.

 

—Has this old tiger gone senile? Why are you burdening a young Baby Bird?

 

The voice scolding him belonged to the Southern Divine Beast, Vermillion Bird Heavenly Lady.

 

She had started hearing their voices on the night she suffered growth pains and went through her Elder Brothers’ troubles.

 

After being congratulated by her family for safely completing her growth, eating delicious food, looking at gifts, and having a good time.

 

She lay down to sleep when she heard clicking sounds from somewhere.

 

‘Mmm…?’

 

Soya looked around but couldn’t see anything.

 

‘Hmm, that’s strange.’

 

So she tried to sleep again when she heard some sound once more.

 

‘…!’

 

Soya only peeked her eyes out from under the blanket.

 

‘Could it be… a ghost?’

 

There was supposed to be a ghost in White Tiger Palace that only took away small children like her. Suddenly Soya remembered something Gayul had said once.

 

‘No way. That was Yul Elder Brother’s lie.’

 

Now twelve years old, Soya knew well that there were no such things as ghosts in White Tiger Palace.

 

Still, suppressing the frightening feelings that couldn’t be easily ignored, she tried to get back under the blanket, when once again she heard clicking sounds from somewhere.

 

Bolt upright!

 

Soya threw off the blanket and sat up.

 

At that moment, the surroundings became quiet again, but…

 

‘There’s something behind me.’

 

Soya definitely felt it.

 

The moment she threw off the blanket and sat up, she sensed a presence that went quiet half a beat too late.

 

Gulp.

 

Soya swallowed hard and slowly turned around. And then immediately.

 

[Gh, ghosts…!]

 

She discovered a man in white clothes and a woman in red clothes, each about the size of her palm, floating in mid-air.

 

―Kyaaaaaaah!

 

―Eeeeeeeek!

 

The ghosts who made eye contact with Soya instantly let out screams.

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