The Senior Retainers 3

First and foremost was Yog. Of everyone present, he was the most intimidating.

Kuuga sat obediently before the cheerfully amused Yog, tapping his tail lightly on the floor. Sensing Kuuga’s intent, Gadilas stepped in to assist.

“Kuuga wishes to greet you.”

“Hoho, well, what an honor this is. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Master Kuuga.”

Kuuga bowed his head and nuzzled his brow against Yog’s hand. As Uros had mentioned before, many people believed the Divine Beast should not be touched casually, so Kuuga made the first move himself.

Even Yog, it seemed, was surprised, letting out a faint “Hyoh.”

“He likes being petted, so don’t hesitate.”

“Oh my. This is certainly not what I expected…”

With evident curiosity, Yog peered into Kuuga’s eyes and, as prompted, stroked Kuuga’s neck. When Kuuga wagged his tail in response, Yog let out an amused “hohoho.”

Satisfied, Kuuga turned his attention to Ruon, seated next to Yog, whose brow twitched as he noticed Kuuga’s gaze.

Ruon clearly did not dislike animals. Rather, his expression betrayed uncertainty about how to interact with an unfamiliar creature that had only just revealed such uncanny powers.

Moving to sit in front of Ruon as before, Kuuga watched as, after a polite “It is an honor,” Ruon seemed unsure if he was expected to pet him.

Kuuga wanted them to grow accustomed to his presence, to touch and pet him. He nudged his head firmly into Ruon’s hand, perhaps a bit forcefully.

Ruon stroked Kuuga’s head with obvious restraint. And as he withdrew his hand, his face seemed to say that he had now fulfilled his duty. Kuuga inwardly murmured that this would be a long-term endeavor.

Next was Lestalion. Though his mouth was set grimly, there was no trace of disgust in his demeanor; nevertheless, Kuuga doubted he would pet him willingly.

Sitting in front of him and meeting his gaze, Lestalion did not move or speak—a silent standoff ensued.

Just as Kuuga resolved to approach him directly, Lestalion abruptly placed his hand on Kuuga’s head in a somewhat rough gesture. As Kuuga looked up in surprise at the departing hand, he saw Lestalion turning away with a slightly embarrassed expression.

Last was Rod.

Rod immediately dropped to one knee and looked up at the now-elevated Kuuga. His face radiated gratitude.

“Pleased to meet you, Master Kuuga.”

‘Whatever the circumstances, please help Gadi.’

Kuuga pressed his cheek against Rod’s, who gave a ticklish little shudder and softly whispered, “Thank you,” in Kuuga’s ear.

Rod then stroked Kuuga from neck to torso, and Kuuga, delighted by the attention, grew even more affectionate. At that, Yog addressed Gadilas, as if declaring the ceremony completed.

“By the way, Your Majesty, take an old man’s advice—decide on your queen sooner rather than later.”

“…A king bound to a Divine Beast has no obligation to sire heirs.”

“Hoho, but there is no shortage of women who covet the title of queen. If you delay, you will be plagued by endless vying and meddling.”

It seemed that, even if they could not become the nation’s mother, there were plenty who desired the power that came with being queen. Perhaps some parents wished to gain a political voice as royal relatives.

With an expression of true annoyance, Gadilas let out a low growl, then turned his gaze to Kuuga. Yog, following his eyes, gave an expression as if to say, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

‘Eh?’

“There was a precedent for making a Divine Beast the queen, wasn’t there?”

‘Eh?!’

“Indeed, if you were to do that, no one would dare voice an objection.”

Kuuga understood what they were suggesting, though he dearly wished he didn’t. They were proposing to make Kuuga—the creature he appeared to be—the queen.

His maleness, or being male at all, was the least of his worries; the real issue was that he was not even human. Gadilas noted Kuuga’s look of utter disbelief and gave a somewhat complicated expression.

“Don’t look at me like that. I have no such preferences; it’s only to fill the position. If your lifespan matches mine, I won’t have to choose again and again.”

It appeared Gadilas had misread Kuuga’s gaze as if he wondered, “Wait, is this his kind of thing?” Of course, he understood Gadilas had no such inclinations.

Regardless, the practical point about not having to repeatedly select a queen was oddly persuasive. A king who formed a contract with the Divine Beast was said to live a long life—how long, Kuuga did not know, but certainly far beyond normal human years.

‘Still, me, as a queen…’

To Kuuga, the problem was less about how it would appear to others, and more about his own sense of self.

He was slowly coming to terms with having a beast’s body, but in his mind, he was still human. That made accepting the idea of becoming queen all the more difficult.

It all came down to a point of personal pride—not so much that he would be someone’s bride, but that he, as a man, would become a “wife” in any sense.

Unable to quickly accept it, Kuuga drooped his ears, and though Yog narrowed his eyes as if noting something, Kuuga did not see.

“As it is the king’s wedding, we should make the festivities truly magnificent.”

‘W-what are you saying? You can’t possibly mean to show the people such a bizarre spectacle!’

“Even as the Honored Divine Beast, if you are to be queen, you must be luxuriously adorned—”

‘What a nightmare! Absolutely not!’

Kuuga realized Yog was half-teasing, but could not stem his panic. Though his exact words did not carry over, his distress was clear enough. Yog stared intently and, as though coming to some decision, gave a satisfied, knowing smile.

At that instant, Kuuga understood he was being tested. He had noticed Yog probing for a reaction, but had dismissed it as a quirk of the old man’s humor—a miscalculation on his part.

“How very interesting. Your values and your sense of ethics truly are human.”

‘…Ah, I see. So that’s it…’

Indeed, if there had been no memory of living as a human inside him, he would have felt no such revulsion—might not have even questioned it. If he were simply a beast, he might have accepted it without resistance, idly thinking that humans were a strange sort of creature.

Yog had clearly picked up on Kuuga’s aversion, and provoked him with that teasing suggestion. Kuuga realized his error too late.

Feeling dejected, Kuuga returned to Gadilas, who, despite his complicated feelings, gently patted Kuuga’s head in consolation.

“Don’t worry, there will be no public ceremony. The marriage rite can’t be avoided, but there’ll be no elaborate attire, and only the bare minimum of people present.”

‘…So you won’t reconsider…?’

“I never intended to appear before the people anyway.”

“Oh? Not even a reception after your coronation?”

“It’s better not to. For both our sakes.”

For an instant, Gadilas’s eyes seemed colder than ever before. Yog watched him intently, but a few seconds later, the tension faded as he eased into a gentler expression.

“Indeed, that’s for the best.”

“Yes, it’s certainly best not to stir public sentiment needlessly.”

Even the usually silent Ruon spoke his agreement, and Kuuga, listening, felt a swirl of emotions. No doubt this, too, was linked to why Gadilas was so widely disliked.

A faint sense of awkwardness settled over the room.

“By the way, am I allowed to leave yet?”

And then Lestalion, oblivious as ever, broke the tension in the room.