Permanent teeth, once lost, do not grow back.

Considering my remaining lifespan, this was a painful loss.

The average lifespan of beast-kin was longer than that of humans.

Some, like Sophia, even surpassed the limits of their lifespan.

Would I have to live all those years without a fang?

Would I have to show a gaping hole every time I smiled from now on?

In despair, I grabbed my head.

“My fang…”

Although modern technology had implants, my teeth were very different from human teeth.

Beast-kin fangs were longer and sharper than human teeth.

To replace my original fang, I’d need to implant something like a spike in my gums.

Even a regular implant cost hundreds of thousands of won.

How much more would a custom beast-kin implant cost?

Thud-

I collapsed helplessly on the living room floor.

I braced myself with my hands on the floor.

The fallen fang rolled to Sophia’s feet.

She picked it up as if handling a precious treasure.

“You must be very shocked that your tooth fell out.”

“Yes… What should I do now…?”

I tasted the bloody flavor from my gums.

The empty spot where my fang used to be felt hollow.

It was a useful tool for tearing even the toughest meat.

I only realized its importance after losing it.

“Don’t worry too much. It’ll grow back.”

“It’ll grow back?”

Do beast-kin’s permanent teeth grow back?

Hope surged at Sophia’s words, as she never lied.

“Yes, didn’t you know?”

“No…”

“Then this must be the first time you’ve lost a tooth.”

It was indeed the first time as a beast-kin.

I nodded at Sophia.

She smiled happily and pocketed my fang in a small pouch, similar to a lucky charm bag.

“Why are you keeping my fang…?”

“Hmm… Keeping it helps the new tooth grow.”

Keeping it helps the new tooth grow?

Was she talking about a folklore like the magpie or the tooth fairy?

Seeing Sophia blush, it seemed she wasn’t entirely serious about it either.

It felt more like a tradition.

“Whatever it is, I hope the new tooth grows quickly. It’s very inconvenient without it.”

“Don’t worry. Now that it’s in the pouch, it will grow soon.”

“Soon…?”

“Yes, open your mouth.”

As soon as I opened my mouth at Sophia’s request, something hard began to push through my gums.

I could feel the fang growing in real time.

It was sharper and harder than before.

Does it grow this fast?

I looked at Sophia’s pouch in surprise.

Maybe it was a special magic unique to this world.

“Did the pouch make my tooth grow…?”

“Not only does it help the tooth grow, but it also makes it stronger.”

Just as Sophia said, it was harder and sharper than before, as if it could tear through steel.

In an emergency, I could use it as a biting weapon.

“Wow…”

This world had all sorts of magic.

I looked up at Sophia with sparkling eyes.

“Should I pull out all my other teeth too?”

“…You rascal.”

Thud-

For the first time in a while, Sophia tapped my head with her cane.

As always, it didn’t really hurt.

“Why, why…?”

“How can you talk about pulling out your teeth so casually?”

“They grow back anyway…”

And even stronger teeth, too.

I gave Sophia an aggrieved look.

“Do you know how painful it is to pull a tooth out?”

“It’s okay. I can surprisingly handle pain well. I don’t even cry when I break a bone.”

It wasn’t just simple pain but the pain of growth.

As an adventurer, I had no reason not to endure it.

Sophia seemed to have a different thought.

“Oh dear…”

With a groan, she embraced me.

She patted my back gently with her soft hands.

“It’s the time for your teeth to fall out anyway. They’ll fall out naturally, so don’t force them out.”

“Um… okay…”

“And if you’re in pain, you should at least whimper. If you show you’re in pain, people around you will help you.”

“Help me…?”

Sophia’s hand, which had been patting my back, paused at my question.

After a while, I felt Sophia’s sigh against my ear.

It tickled, causing my ear to twitch.

I didn’t know why, but Sophia’s warmth felt comforting.

I stayed in Sophia’s arms for a while like that.

—

—

A week passed.

It was Gyeoul’s period of teething.

Whenever a tooth fell out, Gyeoul would run to Sophia without hesitation.

It was to ask her to magically make a new tooth.

In fact, beast-kin teeth grew back even without being put in a pouch.

Sophia had lied to protect Gyeoul’s innocence.

It was like adults saying Santa Claus was real.

Gyeoul had learned about the unfairness of society at too young an age.

As a result, she often acted mature beyond her years.

Now, this mature child ran to Sophia with a lost tooth.

She smiled sweetly and wagged her tail, asking for a new tooth.

No one could resist smiling at the pure sight of Gyeoul.

If Gyeoul had remained an untainted child, would she always have been like this?

Sophia felt a bit sad that she had grown up too soon.

Of course, she loved the Gyeoul of now too, but she also wanted to see her act her age.

“Hmm…”

Sophia’s gaze turned to Gyeoul.

She was biting the air with her new tooth, seemingly pleased with it.

Crunch! Crunch!

Thanks to the strong jaw of a carnivorous beast-kin, the sound was impressive.

Gyeoul, pleased with her new tooth, wagged her tail nonstop.

Her pure actions were endearing.

If she tried, she could bring out more of this side of her.

Sophia felt a weight on her shoulders.

She massaged her shoulders for no reason.

Just then, Levinas ran to Gyeoul.

“King!”

“Yes?”

“Look at this!”

Levinas pulled out a coin attached to a long string.

She waved the coin in front of Gyeoul’s eyes.

Sophia and Gyeoul spoke simultaneously.

“Hypnosis?”

—

—

The coin dangled in front of my eyes.

It was crudely attached to the string with tape.

“Levinas, what are you doing?”

Why was she suddenly trying to hypnotize me?

I glanced left and right in confusion.

“That!”

Levinas pointed to the television with her fingertip.

A strange program titled ‘Experience Past Lives Through Hypnosis!’ was airing.

Hypnosis.

Isn’t that all fake?

It was something I couldn’t easily say to Levinas, so I kept it to myself.

“Levinas wants to do hypnosis too!”

“…What do you want to do with hypnosis?”

“I don’t know!”

“Uh, okay…”

Did she find the act of hypnosis itself fun?

Since Levinas wanted to try it, I decided to play along with the hypnosis game.

“Look here.”

The coin swung left and right like a pendulum.

Just as I suspected, I didn’t feel hypnotized at all.

“Oh, I feel strange.”

I pretended to be hypnotized to play along with Levinas.

“Are you hypnotized?!”

“Yes. I’m hypnotized.”

“Wha…! Levinas did it…!”

Levinas stomped her feet excitedly.

She circled around me once and then placed her hands on her hips triumphantly.

“Then you have to follow Levinas’ commands, right?”

“Yes. I have to follow your commands.”

What kind of command would Levinas give?

I wasn’t particularly worried, but I was curious.

“Then kiss Levinas right here…”

Levinas tapped one of her cheeks with her finger.

She giggled, her face turning red.

“Okay…”

There was no reason not to do it now.

I kissed Levinas on the cheek.

“…!”

Levinas leaned back, falling on her bottom in a joyful shock.

“Levinas…”

Before I could ask if she was okay, someone tugged at my clothes.

Saebyeok was standing next to me, staring intently.

“Okay.”

Saebyeok wanted it too.

I kissed her on the cheek.

Whether it was to play along, Saebyeok also plopped down like Levinas had.

“What are you all doing?”

Sophia approached, leaning on her cane.

It was a new cane she used at home.

“Levinas hypnotized King!”

“Hypnotized?”

“Yes! She does whatever I tell her!”

“…Are you just pretending to be hypnotized?”

Sophia looked at me with suspicion.

I could only feel flustered because I was indeed pretending to play along with the kids.

Sophia shouldn’t be suspicious.

I wanted to say that but stayed silent because of the kids.

“King really is hypnotized! She even kissed our cheeks!”

“Hmm… With Levinas’ ability, it’s not impossible…”

Not impossible?

In this world, maybe real ‘hypnosis’ through magic was possible.

I understood why the wise Sophia was doubtful.

“Shark, try commanding her!”

“Oh no, You shouldn’t manipulate people like that.”

“…What if it’s a nice command?”

“A nice…?”

After hesitating for a while, Sophia looked at me.

Her face turned red, and she fidgeted with her hands.

“Gyeoul.”

“Yes?”

“C-Call me mother, no, mom…”

“Mom…?”

I wondered what command she’d give, but why mom all of a sudden?

I tilted my head in confusion.

And when Sophia heard me say mom…

“Ahem, hmm.”

She became visibly flustered.

—

5/5 Enjoy the chappy!

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