EP.35
Is it a kind of culture to speak to a lizard?
Baek Yeon-Young is one thing, but what about this person?
Let’s set aside Baek Yeon-Young for a moment.
She is overwhelmingly strong compared to me, so I can see it as a kind of amusement.
But what about this woman?
If I were the wicked Komodo Dragon instead of the kind King Crocodile Lizard, I would have already swallowed her whole.
My instincts tell me that getting involved could become very tiring.
She’s treated me and has plenty of energy, which means it’s time for her to leave.
I should not get entangled.
“Wait a moment,” she said.
She suddenly grabbed my tail.
Though her face conveyed shyness, her actions were surprisingly bold.
It could be dangerous since she was holding a knife with her tail.
“Grrrr….”
I growled softly as a warning.
“Eeep! Th-That….”
The woman with the dumpling-shaped head fumbled nervously.
So bland.
Well, it was nice to meet you, but now it’s time to say goodbye.
“P-please take me with you!”
….
No one was around even when I glanced left and right.
So, was she speaking to me?
There are two major problems here.
The first is that I’m a lizard.
She is talking to a lizard.
And it seems she is confident that I understand her.
Of course, I do understand, but a regular lizard wouldn’t.
The only eccentric person who speaks to lizards is my master.
The second problem is that in her imagination, I am an extremely vicious carnivorous lizard.
Earlier, she was trembling, begging me not to eat her, and now she’s still shivering.
And she’s asking me to take her with me?
Rejected. Absolutely rejected.
Surely there’s something fishy going on.
She might tie me up while I’m asleep and turn me into a lizard skewer.
“Grrrr….”
I growled low as a sign of refusal.
The brown-haired woman put her hands inside her clothes.
She seemed to be looking for something.
It must be quite a bit in there because she rummaged for a while.
I was worried it might be a trick, but seeing her flustered like that, it was unlikely to be a threat.
Good luck with that.
I’m leaving.
“W-Well, it might not be much of a trade, but… this!”
She confidently presented a brown object.
It looked like it had a sprinkling of fluffy white powder around it.
Wait, that’s not powdered sugar.
It’s just that the sugar inside dried up and turned white on the outside during the drying process.
“This was hard to come by… Aaaah!”
Slick!
I snatched the dried persimmon from her hand with my tongue.
Munch, munch.
The sweet flavor enveloped my mouth.
I felt as if my head was spinning.
The unique sweetness of dried fruit filled my taste buds.
Indeed, humans are wonderful.
They can make things like this.
While some are content with sashimi as their finest gourmet experience.
“Grrr.”
Do you have any more?
“Whew, whew… It’s true that stronger spirit creatures prefer dried sweets… Look! I’ll give you all of this…”
Slick!
I grabbed the additional dried persimmon she pulled out.
I don’t know where she came from, but she must have received proper education to carry dried fruit in her arms.
Sweet foods are always right. Except for that mysterious rice cake I had in the Silver Dragon Cave, I haven’t had sweet food in a while.
Although the amount was small, I loved the calories and flavor.
I licked the persimmon stuck to my mouth with my tongue.
The woman who donated the persimmon looked at me with expectation in her eyes.
“D-Did you enjoy it? Now please take me with you!”
Huh?
Did she actually say that?
“W-Wait a moment! Why are you just leaving?”
Lizards typically don’t understand human speech.
I just ate because there was dried persimmon in front of me.
It’s not my fault if she can’t take care of herself.
Well, of course.
“Hey, heartless lizard!”
Heartless, huh?
What about the root I gave you?
I merely received a fair price for my services.
“I won’t be here for long! Just until my legs heal…”
She paused for a moment.
Turning her head to look slowly, I noticed that there was still some swelling.
Of course, it was expected since that Huasuo isn’t a panacea.
Hmm.
But it doesn’t seem like she’s completely immobilized.
A little scare, and she might quickly dart away.
“Um, and….”
Color returned to her face.
Did she see my brief pause as a sign of encouragement? I could see her trying her best to capture my attention.
Sorry, but I have no intention of taking you with me.
“I’m Tang So-young from Sichuan!”
Well, that’s just an introduction.
I am the ruler of the Silver Dragon Cave, the master of the Swamp, and the beloved of the Spider, the King Crocodile Lizard.
…Wait, Tang from Sichuan?
Tang Family?
I licked my lips and slowly scrutinized her.
If she’s from a family, would that not mean she’s part of a prestigious lineage among the Five Great Families?
If it were just one of the Five Great Families, I would have reacted indifferently.
But a Tang Family?
It’s obvious that the Tang Family = poison.
And poison is indeed one of the topics I find interesting.
“Geggek.”
What’s this Tang something?
Shall we engage in a profound conversation?
“Grrrr….”
She lightly flicked her tail, nudging my back.
“Are you asking me to ride?”
Even if she asks me to ride, she seems hesitant about it.
Putting the sword in my mouth, I wrapped my tail around her waist.
“Eek!”
She’s lighter than I expected.
“P-please, be gentle!”
…She might need to eat something.
*
Upon returning to my nest, Tus and Pus crawled over to me, rubbing their sleepy eyes.
Those two.
They could just keep sleeping.
“Meow….”
Is this what parenting feels like?
Hurry back to sleep.
The sooner they sleep, the sooner they grow.
Tus, who had been subtly crawling toward my tail, suddenly leaped into the air.
“Meow!”
Tus looked startled.
Come to think of it, I had almost forgotten about this little one hanging onto my back.
“Ugh, ugh…”
Guys, meet her.
She’s going to be living with us from today, no.
She’s going to be your teacher regarding poison.
“Gek gek.”
“Meow…”
For some reason, Tus took a few steps back.
Tang So-young regained her composure and got off my back.
“Truly, Master Komodo…! You are raising poisonous creatures in your nest.”
I’m neither a Komodo nor a Master.
She’s probably not talking to me.
But Tus, why are you trembling like that?
“Meow….”
Is it because it’s their first time seeing a person?
I just assumed he’s a naturally timid one.
“Meow?”
Coming over behind Tus was Pus.
Shaking her legs back and forth, she suddenly fell into a defensive posture.
“Meow!”
“Eek! Wh-why are you doing this…?”
Pus seemed to gain courage from her response, and I could even hear Tus’s cries from a corner.
“Meow!”
Well, it’s understandable since it’s their first encounter.
Calm down.
She seems a bit odd, but she’s still a good person.
“Geggeg!”
However, Tus and Pus weren’t calming down even at my words.
They must know they are safe since I brought her here, so why are they reacting like this?
“Wait, wait a minute. These spiders are….”
Huh?
Why are you reacting this way?
“Eek! No, it’s a misunderstanding! It’s a misunderstanding!”
Are you two possibly acquainted?
“Meow!”
Tang So-young began to ramble and waved her hands wildly.
“No! That’s not what I meant! I just…”
Tus and Pus rushed at her.
“I’m not the one from the other side! It wasn’t me!”
Tus and Pus remained unresponsive to her explanations.
The spiders’ eyes were fixed on me.
“Are you waiting for my command?”
Tang So-young subtly glanced at me.
“Grrrr.”
If there’s anything to resolve, just get it over with.
“I-I’ll take it! Just hit me until your anger cools down!”
Wow.
No sense of conscience at all.
Being from the Tang Family, the spider’s poison shouldn’t affect her. How much damage could those little spiders possibly inflict? They must be less than 10cm long.
“Instead, let’s just let this incident slide!”
“Meow!”
Sigh.
But why is this woman conversing with spiders as if it’s the most natural thing in the world?
Well, I’ve talked to the neighbor’s puppy a few times, so maybe it’s somewhat similar.
Smack!
Pus delivered a powerful headbutt.
“…It hurts! Why does it hurt?”
Oh dear.
Not only is she lacking a conscience, but now she’s also whining.
Tus, excited, began to pat Tang So-young with his short legs.
“Ah! Wh-what’s going on? Why are you all so different now? You’re still not a Human-Faced Master!”
Smack!
Pus followed up with another headbutt.
“How am I even supposed to use my internal energy like this?”
Puff!
“Eek! What have you all been eating?”
Hmm.
I may have overfed them a bit.
“C-cancel! Please stop hitting me!”
*
“But… but….”
Tang So-young was sobbing in the corner.
…Isn’t this a bit too much?
“Meow!”
Tus and Pus still seemed to be gnashing their teeth, as though their anger hadn’t subsided yet.
What on earth happened?
Still, let’s just shake this off today and try to get along moving forward.
In about a week, her legs should be healed.
Hang in there, Tus and Pus, just until then.
“Gek gek.”
The spiders seemed to have played so hard that they quickly fell asleep.
Earlier, they were a bit scary, but now their soft snores were quite adorable.
When they sleep, they’re angels, pure angels.
After covering the spiders with a silk blanket, I headed to my sleeping spot.
Curled up tight to maintain my body heat.
The air is getting chilly.
“…Um.”
Tang So-young cautiously spoke up.
“Ensuring all the spiders are really asleep, right?”
Purr.
Hearing the sound of her snoring, Tang So-young quickly moved closer to me.
You said you hurt your leg, though.
“Hehe…”
Casting a quick glance at me, she sat down nearby.
“Um, Master Komodo.”
Though I’m the King Crocodile Lizard, I chose not to correct her.
It wouldn’t even be appropriate to do so.
“I-I know it’s hard for reptiles to regulate their body temperature.”
That’s a common issue for reptiles.
“Maybe….”
Tang So-young trailed off, seemingly embarrassed, her cheeks flushing red.
Is it because of that headbutt from the spider?
“Is it okay if I raise your body temperature?”
She subtly edged closer to me.
What does that even mean?
That’s suspiciously suspicious.
“Y-you can just stay still. If I can manage the Komodo’s poison, I can—Ah, no! It’s nothing, really.”
Does she need my poison?
That could be arranged.
But what exactly does she intend to use it for?
And why is she glued to me like this?
“B-because warmth will help the poison flow better….”
Tang So-young trailed off again.
“I’m feeling a bit cold too…”
In one swift motion, Tang So-young cuddled up next to me.
“Huhe… Just for a moment, I’ll stay like this.”
Pus, with a menacing glare aimed at Tang So-young, wrapped her in a silk thread.
“Meow!”
“Eek! What are you doing?”
Pus yanked at Tang So-young’s hair, looking quite furious.
Oh dear.
Here we go again.
They’re fighting again.
…Go Pus!
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