It Was a Big Eater

Aurelian grumbled inwardly as he looked at the knights still waiting behind him.

"Leave the bodies there for now. You can all go home and reunite with your families. You can hand your armor and weapons over to Rune, the blacksmith in town. I'll reimburse you for the cost."

Only now did he finally understand what it felt like to be broke yet stubbornly insist on paying someone else's bill.

"Thank you, my lord!"

The knights all spoke in unison. They had been through a roller coaster of a journey in Spruce Forest, witnessing their comrades' deaths and surviving against all odds themselves.

Aurelian had Hume take several servants and move the eleven bodies to the morgue.

After herding the barbarians' warhorses into the stables, he returned to the main keep of Winter City, changed into a black set of everyday clothes, and carefully examined the Child of Frost egg he had won after enduring so many hardships.

"Jeanne, why isn't it moving? Could something be wrong?"

He recalled how the creature inside the shell had transferred its magic to him while he was being pursued by the deformed monster. Could that have affected it? He couldn't help feeling worried.

After all, the Child of Frost was incredibly important. Whether he could make it through the winter depended on it.

"It's fully developed. It should be close to hatching."

"Close to hatching?"

Aurelian leaned in closer to get a better look at the creature inside the shell.

"Jeanne, what do you think this creature called the Child of Frost looks like? Could it be like the beautiful fairies in the knights' tales, with a pair of lovely wings on its back?"

Aurelian's eyes were full of curiosity. This was his first time seeing a magical creature.

According to the books, the birth of a magical creature was a matter of pure chance—something you could encounter but never seek out.

They were the darlings of the world and nature, among the creatures most attuned to magic. Perhaps only dragons, known as perfect beings, could rival them.

"Magical creatures come in all shapes and forms. Some are humanoid, some beastlike, and some even resemble dragons. No one can say what kind of creature is inside this egg."

"I can't wait. I hope it's a humanoid magical creature."

Aurelian said dreamily.

Humanoid would be great. Even better if it was female—and beautiful, too. Then he could hold her in the palm of his hand...

Aurelian was lost in his imagination when he heard a faint cracking sound, which brought him back to reality.

"Looks like it's about to be born," Jeanne reminded him.

At her words, Aurelian focused completely on the crystal-clear egg.

"When a magical creature is first born, it becomes attached to the first creature it sees. Don't miss this important opportunity."

Jeanne reminded him. She seemed to know a great deal about magical creatures and had been helping Aurelian learn about them.

"That's just like a newly hatched chick." Aurelian nodded. He knew what to do.

Tap, tap—

Several cracks appeared on the translucent eggshell, slowly spreading and widening.

Beside it, Aurelian clenched his fists as his heart pounded.

A wave of nervousness washed over him. If he had to describe it, he felt like a soon-to-be father waiting outside a delivery room, full of joy, worry, and—

More and more cracks appeared across the eggshell.

Aurelian's breathing grew ragged, and his nerves stretched tighter and tighter.

In a sense, its hatching really did have a lot to do with him. His Legendary Bloodline had already fused with it.

This had created a strange bond, the two of them sensing each other deep within their blood.

Crack!

The eggshell finally broke apart, and Aurelian's eyes widened.

A black claw reached out, followed by another. Two little curved horns broke through the top of the shell. Then a pair of small black eyes appeared through the crack in the middle, darting around with curiosity and energy.

"No way..."

Aurelian covered his forehead, utterly crestfallen. His dream had shattered.

Goodbye, my adorable fairy.

Clatter, clatter.

The shell fragments fell to the ground, revealing a fluffy, round creature.

The two horns on its head curved backward like a ram's, though they were much smaller, barely more than outlines.

Its bright, intelligent black eyes kept taking in its surroundings until they settled on Jeanne and Aurelian.

"Wua!"

It opened its mouth and stuck out a long red tongue.

Its body was round as a ball, covered in fluffy white fur, with short limbs, black claws, shiny eyes, and two little ram's horns on its head.

Aurelian stared in confusion. Why had a ball come out of the egg?!

He looked at the expressionless maid beside him and asked, "Jeanne, what kind of magical creature is this?"

"Ball-shaped."

Her reply was brief, and her gaze never left the white creature.

Women couldn't resist cute things. Even a saintly lady knight was no exception!

"Wua, wua."

At the white creature's bright little cries, Aurelian furrowed his brow, bewildered.

"Why is it licking its own face with that huge tongue?"

"It must want something to eat. It seems a lot like you, my lord."

The maid said blankly, her eyes fixed on it.

"Uh..."

Aurelian had no answer. Why? He was a glutton, too.

But what was a newborn creature supposed to eat?

Aurelian's eyes darted toward that towering mountain. Jeanne caught him in the act at once.

He raised his head and saw her face, flushed with embarrassment, her sky-blue eyes blazing.

"Pervert!"

Aurelian covered his aching face. Every pore and inch of his skin proclaimed his innocence. He hadn't meant to do it. He really hadn't!

His wronged eyes watched what was happening before him.

Jeanne held a biscuit between her slender, smooth fingers and offered it to the white creature. Her beautiful face was full of anticipation.

The table beside her was piled with white bread, cheese, and cakes, all of which Aurelian had told the servants to bring from the kitchen.

The round white creature opened its huge mouth and swallowed an entire biscuit in one bite.

Gulp—it went straight down.

After eating, it kept looking at Jeanne, its shiny eyes wide with anticipation. It opened its mouth and stuck out its long tongue.

Jeanne calmly picked up a piece of bread, as if feeding a pet, and offered it to the white creature. It swallowed the bread in one bite.

Then it opened its mouth again, asking for more.

Aurelian's eyes widened, and he couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.

My goddess, this thing can eat even more than I can, and it's only just been born.