After leaving the room, I went to speak with Sophia about Levinas.

“Sophia, Levinas said she didn’t want to part ways. What could she have meant by that?”

“Hmm…”

“She seemed like someone who might leave at any moment.”

The thought of saying goodbye to Levinas was something I couldn’t bear. I didn’t want to imagine a world without her. Hoping there was nothing serious going on, I looked up at Sophia for an answer.

“There could be many reasons, but if she’s saying nothing, there’s a high chance someone’s been threatening her.”

“A threat?”

“Yes. For instance, maybe by those extremists…”

The extremist beastfolk—Levinas’s former group. Known for their aggressive tactics, it wouldn’t be surprising if they were trying to intimidate her.

“Could they be seeking revenge against Levinas for leaving?”

“That’s one possibility. Or there could be another reason.”

“What other reason?”

“There could be several…”

Sophia explained a few of the likely reasons why the extremist beastfolk might target Levinas.

The extremists often tried to keep rival groups in check. However, because they wanted to avoid direct conflict with the Dawn Guild, they chose to target Levinas instead.

Levinas was once part of the extremist faction. If they focused solely on her, the Dawn Guild would have a harder time justifying their involvement.

“It’s so unfair. Levinas’s feelings should be the most important consideration.”

“Unfortunately, adults often don’t see it that way.”

“Can’t the guild protect her? Isn’t the guild supposed to be powerful enough to deter the extremists?”

The reason the extremists couldn’t easily touch us was because of the Dawn Guild, one of the world’s most powerful organizations.

“We’ll do our best, but if it’s just Levinas they’re targeting, it won’t be easy for us to act.”

“Why not…?”

“The guild isn’t a violent group. If we try to solve everything with force, we’ll lose people’s trust.”

“Oh…”

The extremists only wanted to reclaim “their” child. If we responded with violence, we would only come across as reckless.

“Try not to worry too much. We’ll use all the means at our disposal to keep her safe.”

“Yes…”

I resolved to do what I could for Levinas, too. I wanted to lift her spirits.

—

The next morning, I set out with Saebyeok early, planning to surprise Levinas with a gift to cheer her up.

Though usually a late riser, Saebyeok was trying her best to stay awake for Levinas’s sake. She trudged along, nodding off but determined to keep moving forward.

*Thunk!*

“Ow…”

Ah. Saebyeok, unable to fight off sleep, had bumped her head on a telephone pole. Luckily, she didn’t seem hurt and continued her drowsy walk.

“Saebyeok, let’s link tails,” I said.

I wrapped my tail around Saebyeok’s, hoping to guide her and prevent her from bumping into anything else. I could’ve held her hand, but I needed my hands free, so using my tail was more practical. I was glad to have this extra appendage.

“Mm… nya…” Saebyeok mumbled as she tried to keep up, her tail entwined with mine. Whenever she was about to walk into a bench or a pole, I tugged her tail to steer her clear.

Eventually, we reached the convenience store, where Encia and Argo were waiting.

“Leader!”

*Thud, thud!*  
Argo’s heavy footsteps echoed as he approached, loud enough to startle the store clerk.

“Gyeoul, you’re up early.”

“Yes. I wanted to buy an Animal King card pack for Levinas,” I said, picking up a pack of Animal King cards with a wolf character on the cover, which looked similar to Encia.

“If we get a wolf card, Levinas will be thrilled.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes. We still haven’t found cards for Encia or Saebyeok.”

Specifically, the silver wolf and black cat cards that represented us.

“I hope you find one,” Encia said with a faint smile. Argo, who was next to her, stomped over eagerly.

“Leader! What about my card?”

“We already have your card. Levinas loved it.”

“Oh, awesome!”

*Thud, thud, thud!*  
Argo’s excited tail accidentally knocked over a nearby display. Surprisingly, no one but me seemed startled.

“Th-the display…”

“It’s alright. It happens often.”

“This happens often?” I asked, still surprised.

“Yes. When something gets damaged, Argo buys it all and even cleans up the mess. The store clerks don’t mind because of that,” Encia whispered, smiling slightly.

“That explains a lot…” I murmured.

It was true that Argo’s clothes were a bit worn-out. The wild, rugged look suited him, though, giving him a different kind of charm than mine.

“We’ll take care of things here, so go on and take care of your plans,” Encia said.

“Thank you… Sorry I can’t help today. I’m a bit busy.”

I bowed to Encia, and her tail began to wag excitedly, making my tail, which was still wrapped with Saebyeok’s, sway along with hers.

“Gyeoul, have a wonderful day!”

“Thank you, Encia. You too.”

After saying our goodbyes to Encia, I bought a whole box of Animal King cards, not just a single pack.

*I have the cards…*

Now, I needed a cake and some chocolates.

There was a bakery I’d seen in town. It was popular, with people often lining up to buy their goods.

They even had carrot cake. I knew Levinas would be delighted if I brought her one. Still guiding a half-asleep Saebyeok, I headed toward the park exit.

With the cake, chocolates, and Animal King cards in hand, I hoped to give everything to Levinas in one go to lift her spirits.

—

Fresh bread in the morning is a special kind of joy—one of the reasons why bakeries open early.

The bakery, “Sky Bread,” opened at seven o’clock, so we still had about thirty minutes to wait.

Jo Eunha, a staff member at Sky Bread, was sweeping the floor, stifling a yawn. She planned to finish dusting the shop before opening.

*Scrub, scrub—*  
As she moved around, wiping down surfaces, she noticed a child outside the shop.

Through the glass wall of the store, she saw a little one with white ears and a cat tail pressed against the window. Next to her was a black-furred version, also leaning against the glass, half-asleep.

*Gyeoul and Saebyeok, right?*

They were well-known around town, enough to impact the bakery’s sales positively.

Were they here to buy bread? But it wasn’t opening time yet.

Seeing the adorable pair peering into the shop, Jo Eunha couldn’t resist opening the door for them.

“Welcome… oh!” she gasped.

The two kids walked in, tails intertwined, swinging their arms in an endearingly cute manner.

“Hello…”

“Hi there.”

“Do you have carrot cake?” Gyeoul asked, her wide, innocent eyes sparkling with curiosity.

The sight of their intertwined tails was so charming that Jo Eunha couldn’t look away.

“We’re just finishing a fresh batch. It’ll be ready in about five minutes.”

“Oh… would it be okay if we looked around while we wait?”

“Of course, take your time.”

With permission, Gyeoul wandered around the shop. She stood on her tiptoes to smell the freshly baked bread displayed on a high counter.

“Ah.”

It was freshly baked. Gyeoul, who had been wagging her tail, quickly held both her and Saebyeok’s tails tightly, worried that stray fur might fall into the bread.

Unaware of her careful gesture, Jo Eunha continued to watch, captivated by the adorable sight.

“Chocolate…”

Gyeoul picked up the most expensive chocolate in the display, then trotted over to the counter with a light bounce.

*Tap-tap-tap!*  
Her little hops seemed to concentrate all the cuteness in the world. Jo Eunha couldn’t help but think that these kids were pure bundles of joy.

“Excuse me, I’d like the chocolate and a carrot cake, please.”

“Ch-chocolate?”

“Yes.”

Jo Eunha blinked at the chocolate Gyeoul had chosen. She owned a cat at home and knew that chocolate could be toxic for them.

*She’s a cat beastfolk… Can they eat chocolate?*

She knew a lot about cats but very little about beastfolk, so she hesitated, worried that if anything happened, it would be her responsibility.

*But they’re also half-human…*

Surely, they wouldn’t buy something harmful. They must have received some basic education on this.

As Jo Eunha tried to convince herself, Saebyeok, who had been dozing against Gyeoul, let out a small “meow,” sounding exactly like her cat at home.

“A-a cat…!”

“Yes?”

No, this couldn’t be right. Jo Eunha quickly hid the chocolate behind her.

“Sorry, no chocolate for you!”

“Why… why not?”

“Because… chocolate is poisonous for cats!”

“Oh…”

It seemed this was a misunderstanding due to her limited knowledge of beastfolk. Realizing that the clerk was just concerned, Gyeoul tried to explain gently.

“It’s okay. We’re not going to eat it ourselves.”

“Well… even so, you’ll need to bring a guardian if you really want to buy

 it.”

I couldn’t believe it—being treated like a kid buying alcohol or cigarettes, just to buy chocolate. I looked up at Jo Eunha, bewildered.

“We… we can eat chocolate just fine.”

“Even so…”

“Hmm…”

There didn’t seem to be a way around this. This misunderstanding came from a lack of familiarity with beastfolk. Not wanting to argue further, I decided to call Midsummer.

“Hello? Gyeoul?”

“Yes…”

“What’s going on? You sound upset.”

“They said we need a guardian to buy chocolate…”

“G-guardian?! Did something happen?”  

“Um…”

I wasn’t even sure how to explain this situation. Holding the phone, I was at a loss for words.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep