The purpose of the experiment was to extract the magical power from the beast. The ultimate goal was to contain it and make it usable for humans.
I approached cautiously and examined the beast’s condition.
“…They cut off some flesh.”
It looked like they had tried to make a sample for that purpose, as a bit of flesh had been sliced from its shoulder.
But a beast was still a beast. The wound was healing so quickly that you could see the flesh knitting together beneath the hide.
[Karrr—!]
“…Ah!”
As I examined the wound closely, I was startled by a sound and stumbled backward. Golden eyes, streaked with gold, were looking down at me. The massive beast radiated an overwhelming presence.
“……”
I bit my lower lip, barely resisting the urge to run away.
“…I’ll ease your pain.”
With trembling hands, I opened the pouch hanging at my waist. Inside a clear bottle, red liquid sloshed. It was the scent of poppy, made into a liquid form. I uncorked it and let a drop fall onto my hand. The red liquid turned into fragrance the moment it touched my skin. The scent, infused with my own essence, became a red mist that wrapped around the beast.
[Krrr……!]
The scent of poppy is used to relieve pain. The beast’s eyes flashed, as if sensing the change in the air.
[Krrrr……]
Maybe it had calmed down a little. The murderous growl softened, if only slightly. But the beast’s eyes still glared at me. The chill in that gaze made me shrink back. But…
‘I have to do this.’
If I wanted to survive, if I wanted to achieve my goal, there was no other way. This was the only chance he’d been waiting for. I steadied my breath and faced the beast before me. Then, very carefully, I opened my mouth.
“…Cartel.”
Cartel. Cartel Leoflon. His true name, which no one had ever called him since birth. It was the name his mother, the Empress, had given him just before she was taken away, a true name he must have cherished alone.
[……]
The beast, which had been baring its fangs, visibly stiffened. He was definitely reacting to his name.
In the original story, Cartel only revealed his name to the female protagonist after meeting her. And that was the first time he was ever called by it. I felt a little sorry for stealing that moment, but this was the best I could do right now.
“Cartel, that’s your name, isn’t it?”
Once more, I mustered my courage and spoke his name.
There was no further reaction. But the air between us had definitely changed from before.
He stayed silent for a long time. It felt like ages, long enough for my legs to go numb.
[How do you know that name?]
A chillingly cold, low voice seeped into my ears.
“……!”
I flinched and stepped back in surprise. In the original story, he only made beastly sounds while imprisoned. I thought he could only understand speech, not speak it.
[Answer my question.]
He pressed me again. The booming, echoing voice snapped me out of my daze.
This was unexpected, but also a good thing. If we could communicate, I could move my plan forward.
“…I’m a Firekin. I’m a half-blood, but still.”
I spoke with a calm expression. Most half-bloods had similar pasts. The difference was that they couldn’t use their powers, but I could.
The reason I could control scents was entirely because of the experiments my father had performed on my mother and me. But I had no intention of using a tragic past to win his sympathy. In fact, I was worried whether he would even understand what a Firekin was, or believe anything I said.
[Even if you’re a Firekin, you shouldn’t be able to read minds.]
His sharp pupils were clouded with deep suspicion. I looked up at him, startled. The beast clearly knew about the existence of Firekin.
‘But how?’
I was puzzled by his knowledge. He’d been locked up all this time, never receiving any education. How could he know something even ordinary people didn’t?
[You’re scheming. You’d better be honest.]
His sharp fangs flashed. He looked like he could break out of the cage at any moment. If I dragged this out any longer, it wouldn’t end well. Hoping he would trust me, I recited the words I’d prepared.
“Firekin have the ability to see a single truth.”
Firekin were the children of the Goddess Psyche. She blessed her children with a gift. The ‘Blessing of the Flower,’ the ability to read one truth in the world, just once. They used that power as proof of their vows, to show that their feelings for each other were genuine.
“I used that power, for the first and last time, on you.”
My lips, which had just told a lie, trembled. I hid my pale hands behind my back and tried to suppress my racing heart.
A goddess’s blessing for a half-blood. It was preposterous. Divine punishment wouldn’t be surprising. But deceiving him was more important right now.
“So, Cartel. Make a deal with me.”
At this moment, my desperation was the only truth.
He watched me silently, then lowered his head to bring his muzzle closer. Those golden pupils seemed to pierce through me. I had to force strength into my legs to keep from stepping back.
[…Ha.]
Mixed with his languid exhale was a twisted laugh. He watched me with even colder eyes.
[A deal with the Butcher’s bloodline. I’m quite curious what you’ll say.]
Butcher, my father’s nickname among the other races.
Did he believe what I’d said? But we weren’t making progress. If anything, the atmosphere had worsened. I decided not to hold back and laid out what I needed to say.
“I know you can transform into a human. If you can express your consciousness even with the seal, you should be able to become human.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment. His black tail swayed lazily, as if with interest.
Cartel’s seal controls magical power. Placed around his neck right after birth, it reduced him to an ordinary beast.
“I’ll find a way to remove the seal. Then you can leave this castle. So… when that time comes, let me and the others escape from here.”
In the book, the seal breaks when Cartel goes berserk. In his madness, he kills every human in the castle and destroys half the empire.
I had to help him remove it while he was still sane. Then unnecessary sacrifices could be avoided, and escape wouldn’t be impossible.
For both him, and me.
[Hmm…]
Cartel let out a low laugh as if seeing something amusing. Even in his beast form, the way he crossed his legs, leaned forward, and rested his chin was sensual. I seemed to have caught his interest, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
“Will you do it or not?”
I decided to be forceful. He must want to leave this place as much as I do.
But his response was something I never expected.
[Come inside the cage.]
“What?”
I reflexively asked back in surprise. He remained coldly consistent in response to my reaction.
[You want to make a deal. How can I trust you when you don’t trust me?]
Even now, I’m standing several steps away from his cage. If his sharp claws were to fly at me, my head would roll across the floor. But I couldn’t argue with his words.
[And with your magical power, I can become human. Though only briefly.]
Cartel whispered sweetly, seemingly noticing my hesitation. Becoming human, it was too attractive an offer to resist. The ‘briefly’ part barely registered. My clenched fists tightened. My palms were already damp with cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Cartel never took his eyes off me. He was probably watching to see if I’d really enter. A pointless stubbornness began pushing away my fear. And…
‘I want to see.’
Even if he transformed into a human now, he couldn’t escape immediately. The seal would automatically adjust its size to fit the prisoner’s body.
I wanted to see his human form. The man described in the novel, with hair like the night sky and beast-like eyes. It was like a forbidden curiosity.
“…Alright.”
I nodded and approached the cage one step at a time. Soon I was right in front of it. Close enough that his fangs could reach me if he lowered his head.
‘I need to gain his trust.’
I must have taken too long, as his gaze was growing increasingly indifferent.
Just one more step. My breathing quickened with tension. I pushed my body between the iron bars.
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