I couldn’t have imagined it at all.
Because I naturally assumed that Pururuk, with the appearance of a deer with horns, was male.
“Pregnant…?”
“Expecting a baby! So this means…”
“Congratulations.”
Seon-ah said with a satisfied smile, as if she was placing a period at the end of the sentence.
“A kid!”
“Ara, let’s call it a baby.”
“A baby!”
Ara, with an excited expression, carefully looked at Pururuk with just her eyes.
– A baby Pururuk is coming… how cute would that be?
– We need to prepare some tonics! Your Majesty, leave it to me.
“Yes, please take care of it, Mammon.”
First of all, it was a relief that it wasn’t an illness.
Honestly, even though I brought Seon-ah, I didn’t expect she could solve a monster’s illness.
Pururuk quietly leaned on Seon-ah’s knee and fell asleep.
It seemed to enjoy the soothing touch.
We watched the leader Pururuk for a moment and then whispered quietly.
“Is there anything we can do to help?”
“Well, even though Pururuk is a monster, monsters aren’t that different from animals. A space for stability, temperature, and food are important.”
“Great. I’ll bring Kkumuris right away.”
We need to build a hut-like structure where the leader Pururuk is.
Of course, we have to ask first.
Since it’s sleeping now, we’ll prioritize water and food first.
Luckily, that’s all I had with me.
“What does Pururuk like?”
I’ve fed it strawberries before, but honestly, I’m not sure.
Would it prefer something like carrots? Or maybe something savory?
‘Lettuce? Potatoes? Ember grill?’
Hmm, it might like beans.
While I was pondering this for a while, Seon-ah murmured beside me.
“If it’s in the same family as deer, it might like grass.
But since it’s a monster with different traits, let’s just bring everything you have, Brother.”
“Right. We didn’t have to worry after all.”
We can just bring it and let it choose.
If it doesn’t choose, it’s unfortunate, but there’s nothing we can do.
While discussing ideas like carrying hot spring water and other concerns, the leader Pururuk opened its eyes.
Lick.
“Kya-ha-ha.”
It licked Ara’s cheek, who was cautiously petting Pururuk beside Seon-ah.
It seemed like it was thanking us for taking care of it.
“While talking, it’s already awake. Let’s ask it now.”
We immediately used Ara’s translation to ask the leader various questions.
It agreed to reinforcing its dwelling.
However, it showed no particular appetite when it came to food.
After talking, it seemed like the lack of energy was due to not eating because of the lack of appetite.
“Well, that’s a bit concerning. Let’s bring all the crops you have, Brother.”
“Okay.”
I decided to go to the Slime Village alone, leaving the rest here.
There’s no need for everyone to go back and forth.
Upon returning to the village, I first kidnapped two Kkumuris.
They just trusted their bodies to me without a thought.
Then I collected crops from Bokkeum by type.
“Let’s go, Purr.”
-Hee-hing.
I rode on Purr, who works hard for us every day.
Since the Slime Village and Pururuk’s habitat were in completely opposite directions, it took a bit more time, but we returned in less than 20 minutes.
“You came back quickly!”
Seon-ah accepted the Kkumuris in my arms and petted them.
-Heh-heh.
“Guys, can you create a small space here for Pururuk to stay?”
As I conveyed my words, the Kkumuris started moving leisurely.
“I’ll help.”
“Oh! I’ll join too!”
Mammon joined the Kkumuris, and Ara, not to be outdone, communicated with the Kkumuris and ran around to gather the necessary materials.
In the meantime, I laid out the crops I brought.
“I wasn’t sure what it would like, so I brought everything. Pick something.”
Not only the leader Pururuk but also the members of the herd were comfortably wandering around nearby.
Some showed curiosity, sniffing around us with their cute noses.
-Pururuk.
The leader Pururuk, who hadn’t made a sound in a while, sniffed at the crops I brought.
Then its ears perked up, and it started to slowly get up, as if moving unconsciously.
“Oh, it’s choosing, it’s choosing.”
The first crop that caught its interest was the mini carrot. The leader sniffed it up close and then lightly put its mouth on it.
Crunch.
Even though it was an adult, it was about the size of a fawn on Earth, so even the mini carrot seemed large. I quickly prepared the other crops, worried that the size might make it hard to eat.
-Pururuk.
Gradually, more Pururuks gathered around. It seemed like the delicious smell caught their attention.
I had brought a generous amount of various crops, enough for everyone there to have a bite without any problem.
Crunch, crunch.
The leader, who was munching on lettuce, tried the prepared bell pepper, potato, and savory food, then began to eat eagerly without hesitation.
“Do you guys want some too?”
-Pururuk?
Leaving the leader to feed itself, I gently scattered the crops for the gathered Pururuks to eat comfortably.
The creatures started picking up the crops that fell to the ground little by little.
“Come here. That’s right.”
Seon-ah was tempting the Pururuks with crops in her hands. The others were more sensitive, unlike the leader, and didn’t easily approach, but some eventually succumbed to the temptation of food.
“So cute.”
Thanks to Seon-ah, everything went smoothly. Watching Seon-ah pet the approaching Pururuk’s head, I couldn’t help but acknowledge her.
Unlike me, who couldn’t tell the leader Pururuk’s condition just by looking, it was amazing that she quickly knew it was pregnant.
‘I suppose most ordinary people would find it hard to notice?’
Even if it didn’t seem like much, Seon-ah’s knowledge and abilities as a veterinarian were more impressive than I thought.
Of course, that’s from a layman’s perspective, as I’ve never raised a dog or a cat.
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong !”
At that moment, Ara came running up to me.
I thought she was asking for food, so I quickly prepared tomatoes, then realized that wasn’t the case.
“Tada!”
“Wow! You made it so quickly!”
Before I knew it, there was a cozy-looking shelter. It was a cave-like structure using the plants and branches around it, not only built but also decorated diligently.
Thanks to that, it became a hut that fit well with the dreamy atmosphere of this forest.
-Pururuk.
The leader, who was busy eating, turned its head at Ara’s voice to see its new shelter. Then, with a potato in its mouth, it trotted over to the hut.
-Pururuk!
“Do you like it? That’s great!”
Ara cheered and raised her arms in triumph.
Fortunately, it seemed the Pururuk was satisfied. I was worried because our perspectives might differ from those of the Pururuks, but it seemed I worried for nothing.
-Hoo, I worked hard on this.
-Hmph! From what I saw, Lord Ara did most of the work!
-I, I also worked hard carrying the branches!
I handed each of the quarreling ones a crop. A cucumber for Mammon and a strawberry for Frey.
They both quietly started eating the crops with both hands. Their simple demeanor made me smile unintentionally.
“Ara, you worked hard too.”
“Yes! It was fun!”
Ara also grabbed a cucumber and began crunching on it energetically.
Since things turned out this way, we decided to have our meal here. Instead of making a fire, we would eat the crops as they were, for the first time in a while.
‘Of course, with some dressing sauce, I made a salad using the dressing method Jae-seong taught me.’
Cucumber, bell pepper, lettuce, onion, and ember grill. Chopping them up and drizzling with sauce made for a satisfying meal on its own.
To her taste, Seon-ah left out the onions and lettuce, adding raw sweet potato and strawberries instead. The combination might not seem suitable, but seeing her enjoy it meant it was good.
“Eat a lot. Give birth to a healthy baby.”
Ara petted the leader Pururuk’s back while munching on cucumbers and raw branches. Whether or not it noticed, Pururuk was busily munching away at the crops, determined to make up for the missed meals.
‘I’m glad it’s happy.’
Seeing it eat so well after it had been starving from a lack of appetite made me feel full, too. Is this what adults mean when they say just watching is satisfying?
“Brother, I’ve made a decision.”
“Hmm? What all of a sudden?”
Seon-ah, having finished her salad, spoke with a serious expression.
“Up until now, I just chose my major and studied because I liked it and was interested in it. But I’ve never seriously thought about my career path.”
“Wasn’t it your dream to get a job as a guild staff member?”
“Uh… It still is my dream. But the reason I wanted to do it was more because I liked seeing Awakeners rather than it being a true career dream.”
I could understand that.
Just before I became an Awakener, I had a huge admiration for the Awakening industry.
Right after becoming an Awakener, I was filled with enthusiasm. The intense feeling that I finally belonged to the industry I had longed for.
But that enthusiasm vanished after three years of digging around. Now, even though I can interact freely with the people I once admired, it doesn’t excite me anymore.
‘Now, my children are the most important part of my life.’
Ara, Gomgom, Frey, Mammon, Slime, Kkumuris, Goblin, Alfheim, Woofy, Purr, and Chirpy.
They are the most precious beings along with my family.
I wouldn’t mind retiring from the Awakening industry for them. Of course, I’m already living a life that’s not much different from retirement.
Other Awakeners have a set quota of work as soon as they join a guild. That’s why they are busy going to dungeons, getting assigned tasks, and subjugating them.
‘If you look at it that way, I’m still making deliveries.’
Anyway, I respect Seon-ah’s opinion.
Now, I have the power to take care of my whole family, so I have no worries no matter what decision she makes.
“I want to study veterinary medicine properly.”
“Oh, veterinary medicine?”
“Yes. If you think about it, while monster anatomy and various research and experiments are actively conducted, there’s no such thing as monster veterinary medicine.”
“That’s true. Monsters are still more like targets to be subjugated.”
The history of the Awakening industry isn’t very long. It’s been less than 50 years. So there are still many unknowns and areas that need development.
“Monster veterinary medicine… Oh, that’s interesting!”
Right now, people might ask, “What’s that?” and treat it as quirky. But I had a strong feeling that monsters would soon be domesticated and commercialized, as I had seen during my visit to the Skyscraper.
Once domestication happens, it’s only natural that companion monsters will appear. History has proven this.
Even if they’re not companion monsters, just pioneering a new field of monster veterinary medicine and becoming an expert will create demand, especially due to livestock monsters.
“But Seon-ah, are you serious?”
“Of course!”
“Then should I help you?”
“You? How?”
The mention of the Skyscraper reminded me of what I saw and heard there.
“Do you remember that I was invited to the Skyscraper guild and went there?”
“Yeah. You told me what happened then.”
As Seon-ah was speaking, her eyes widened, perhaps recalling the same thing I did.
“First, study veterinary medicine. Like you said, monsters are basically animals, so studying veterinary medicine will definitely help. Meanwhile, also study Chinese.”
“…Are you suggesting I talk to the Skyscraper? They’re a giant corporation.”
“Just keep studying. They might not accept you, but we should at least try. It’s for my sister, after all.”
“…Why are you being so cheesy all of a sudden, Brother?”
Though she said that, Seon-ah couldn’t meet my eyes and was awkwardly scraping the ground with her foot. Just say thank you.
“Can you do it?”
“Yes. I’ll really give it my best shot.”
Great. Then I’ll have to get in touch with the Skyscraper.
Cliche Novel 