Translator: Kadowaki | Editor: NovelMultiverse

In the back of the temple at Kabira Waterfall on Reagan Island, I was hard at work, when I felt like something prickling my thoughts and getting in the way of my work.

“Again?” Lenza asked, as if quite exasperated.

“Miyu-sama, let’s take a break, shall we?” he said, smiling bitterly. He disappeared to take care of some other chores in another room.

The work I was doing was serious. Kirama-sama, who I so loved and respected, told me so. Even if it meant being apart from Sera-chama who I love, love, loved, it had to be done. It was vital to this world.

I am one of the Four Holy Beasts. I have been entrusted with protecting all living things in the East and the waters of this world, since the beginning.

Asu-sama, on the other hand, is in charge of protecting the South and the heavens, as well as those that live in the skies, and volcanoes.

Lu-sama of the West is in charge of protecting the West, and all beasts of this world.

Tarl-sama of the North protects the North, the poles of this world, and the very Earth that surrounds everything underground.

Obviously, I was the newest member of this group. Lu-sama and Asu-sama were able to do their work even when distanced from their personal temples. Whether it was because of my lack of experience thus far or not, that was one thing I was not capable of doing. I only just managed with Lenza helping me.

Destiny is a truly mysterious thing. That fateful day, I had prepared to die with my father. I met Lu-sama and his contracted human, Serafiona, and my life was saved. I swore that I would forever dedicate myself to the two of them.

All of a sudden, I was faced with a brand new future. I got to meet Asu-sama, and it was awe-inspiring to be doted on by two of the pillars of the world, Asu-sama, and Lu-sama. Under Asu-sama’s guidance, I was able to choose Sera-chama as she traveled, and became “Queen of the East Sea”. I then finally go to return home to this land… and became the Holy Beast of the East.

Telepathy kept being sent into my mind with great frequency. 

“Miyu, how are you? It looks like you’re working hard and doing what you need to.”

“Miyu, those in the water-springs of my territory are extremely grateful to you.”

To be honest, it made me feel gloomy. After all, Tarl-sama had killed my master twice, and I loved, loved, loved my master. I even got her to make a contract with me.

Even if it was true that he was being used by Schneider at the time, there was no way he could be completely good at heart if he was willing to attack Sera-chama. He even helped uphold that piece of crap, Maribelle! Not only that, Tarl’s self-governance was mostly all returned by the end of that battle. Even after getting better, he defended Schneider to the bitter end.

I had lost my master during that battle, and at the time, I felt like I was going to break down and die.

Tarl-sama regretted his actions and was dealing with the consequences. Because of his mistakes and his subsequent absence, though he was still the Holy Beast of the North, he could do nothing but give thanks to Asu-sama and Lu-sama, who took on his workload while he was gone. 

However, as would be expected, the two of them were not forgiving him. At the end of the day, their beloved Serafiona died because of him. They were enraged with him for even being used by Schneider in the first place, despite being a Holy Beast. Asu-sama was used, as well, but he had taken Gilan’s personality into consideration and loved him. He worked with Gilan under certain conditions. Therefore, no matter how much Tarl called upon him, Asu ignored him.

Ah, if only I could act in the same way.

It was sad, though, to think how different Tarl-sama’s career was from mine. I had only been doing this for a few years. Tarl-sama was the oldest Holy Beast out of all of us. He had a work history of many thousands of years. The Four Holy Beasts are equal in theory, but there is an undeniable difference in our actual strengths.

And so, Tarl-sama had been sending me telepathy and kept asking me about all kinds of things that he wanted to know. Even if I was in the middle of working, I stopped what I was doing to respond to his messages. I couldn’t just disregard him altogether.

Without any criticism, Lu-sama and Asu-sama supported me.

“That sounds like a lot to deal with. Good luck!” said Lu.

“Miyu… You shouldn’t have to deal with that… Don’t worry about it!” said Asu.

They spoke as if it had nothing to do with them whatsoever. It irritated me.

◇◇◇

“Tarl-sama! I was just in the middle of some work. What is it?” I asked with telepathy.

“Oh, well I’m sorry about that. If you have any questions about anything, I can try to answer them for you, you know?” asked Tarl.

“I’m all right since Lenza is here,” I said.

“Y-Yes, I see… By the way, how is Serafiona?” asked Tarl.

“Her wounds have fully healed. However, she hasn’t regained her strength, yet,” I told him.

“I see, well that’s slightly good news…” he said.

“Yes. Well, anyway, good luck with your purification, Tarl-sama,” I said.

“Wait, wait! You’re being hasty!”  said Tarl.

“Whaaat?” I asked.

“Well… Is Asu is still angry?” he asked.

“He’s angry, and fed up,” I said.

“How about Lu?”

“He’s a hundred times angrier than me and Asu-sama,” I said.

“Yes, of course… Ah… That goes without saying… His kind is always stern. Like me, his kind always seeks virtue in people. That’s why Magan never took on a life-long contractor. If it came down to it, he would choose solitude over a shallow contract… On the other hand, once he does accept someone, he has boundless love for them. Serafiona is everything to Lu, I suppose,” he said.

“…”

“The fact that he let you make a contract with Serafiona tells me that Lu’s grown up, now, too,” said Tarl.

“Lu-sama has… a very big heart,” I said.

“Ah, don’t get mad! I don’t mean to insult Lu,” said Tarl.

“Well, of course! Lu’s actions are much more respectable than getting pitifully controlled by a master and losing one’s autonomy!” 

“Hahaha, you have no mercy for me, I see. Well, you’re absolutely right, Miyu… But, I… became completely helpless against… the black hopelessness in the recesses of that man’s heart. More than any person I had ever made a contract with… he gazed upon me with the most sorrowful eyes I’d ever seen…” 

“…”

I actually… knew what that was like. I was charmed by the hopelessness… that lay in the depths of Sera-chama’s heart. Within her cheerfulness, a constant shadow drifted about. Because of her hardships, she knew that a peaceful, comfortable existence was a truly difficult thing to come by, and so she was thankful and warm to those around her. I began to think that I wanted to help her rid herself of this dark shadow, at all costs. I thought that there was no way I could leave a person with such a sweet, gentle magical essence all alone and unsupported.

The more I got to know her, I saw how noble and beautiful Sera-chama really was… She had even proved that she was willing to sacrifice her life for us.

Serafiona was worthy of us Holy Beasts.

“How’s Schneider?” I asked Tarl.

“He is living, seemingly at peace with himself,” said Tarl.

Even after Schneider was done using Tarl, the two of them were still connected to each other.

“Are you coming back?” I asked.

“Who knows? I don’t know when…”

The Goddess’s purification ritual often took more than a hundred years.

“Hey, come on – I’m agreeing to talk to you, so give me some more details! What happened to Maribelle?” I asked.[Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]

“…”

“I’ll even send along some messages to Lu-sama or Asu-sama for you. I’ll help you guys make up,” I said. 

Lu and Asu had a soft spot for me, and I could convince them, somehow.

“…Don’t worry about her. She’s disappeared from this world and the Goddess’ world,” said Asu.

She had disappeared from our world? Was she killed? Or, was she returned to the other world?

“…What if she returns? That girl is under protection from the God of a huge world, isn’t she?”

“She won’t return. That’s been guaranteed,” said Tarl.

If she wasn’t killed, did this mean she was somehow restrained so that she couldn’t return to our world?

“Are you saying you, Tarl, and not the Goddess, transgressed upon the agreement between gods?” I asked.

“That’s the difference between right and wrong. Yes. Since I erased that thoroughly cursed girl, I have taken her curse onto my entire body. And since I laid hands on this girl, who was under the protection of Earth’s God, I’ve been divinely punished with even worse restrictions. You would think your own curse is but a cute little thing if you knew about mine,” said Tarl.

“No way…” I said.

I hastily undid the high-level curse that I had put upon Maribelle!

“Ah… I feel much better, now… You’re so kind, Miyu… If only I could have magical essence like yours…”

He really had been taking the effects of my curse! He really had erased Maribelle. That led to one conclusion.

“Tarl-sama, you… are taking on the retribution of Earth’s God… all by yourself?” I asked.

This was the God that not even the Goddess could easily fight back against. There was no way he would come out of this unharmed… Ah…

“…I made a mistake. I was the oldest one, too. I cannot make you younger ones take on this role. The Goddess granted me her understanding, as well,” said Tarl.

He took on the retribution, despite Lu and I being the rageful adversaries against the treatment of our contractor, Sera-chama… Even though he knew this would happen…

“Miyu… I never had time to raise a successor. I’m very envious of Kirama. You and Lenza have become such bright, talented young ones… Miyu, please, I want you to inherit my knowledge. When the next era arrives and the times change, I want you to pass this knowledge on to the next Holy Beast of the North. Tell him what I know, please…”

No way… There was probably… not enough time left…

Stupid Tarl-sama… Stupid…

“…Tarl-sama – I, Miyu Geld, though I am but a young novice, swear that I will pass on your wisdom, and pass on your legacy into the next age.”

“Miyu… Thank you.”

◇◇◇

From that day forth, I started taking telepathic lessons from Tarl on his knowledge, and my days got even busier than they already were.

I knew that there was no way that I could keep such a thing a secret (though no one told me I should), so I immediately reported the arrangement to Asu and Lu. Instantly, the sky grew completely dark, lightning and hail fell from the sky, a typhoon started blowing, and a volcano erupted. The two gods were extremely angry.

“So this is how the world gets shaken by disasters!” I said.

“Miyu-sama, for now, please just set a boundary around Reagan Island,” said Lenza. 

“Aren’t gods supposed to be able to keep their emotions in check?” I asked.

“You’re one to ask such a question, Miyu-sama – you’re always crying.”

The two of them had charged over to Tarl, who was at the Goddess’s feet, and after the Goddess smoothed over their arguments, the lands were finally cleared up of bad weather for the first time in two weeks.

◇◇◇

“Well, Tarl-sama’s wisdom will definitely benefit you, Miyu-sama. Let’s put it together with the wisdom of the East, and continue your studies, tirelessly,” said Lenza.

“All right!” I said.

For now, it seemed, the situation of Tarl disappearing immediately, thanks to Lu-sama and Asu-sama could be avoided. However, the fact that he was getting on in his years was not going to change.

“After finishing your work for today, you may catch up with Serafiona-sama,” said Lenza.

“Seriously? Yeah! Thank you, Lenza!” I said.

“Hahaha, you’re welcome.”

I am Miyu, the Holy Beast of the East.

I have a lot of strong and kind people supporting me. 

I hope I can return these blessings to the world in the next age… Kirama-sama! I’m gonna do my best![Read this novel and other amazing translated novels from the original source at the “Novel Multiverse dot com” website @ novelmultiverse.com]