Chapter 189: Nabi (3)

Several noble families had maintained their lineage on the Winter Continent for generations. Among them, the Trujan Duke Family, residing within the Sedum Kingdom, was quite renowned among the people of the Winter Continent.

This illustrious family had consistently produced high-ranking druid mystics across generations. The Trujan family, known for contracting various spirit beasts and excelling in numerous fields, served as a sanctuary for those aspiring to become druids.

And now, a prodigy had been born into this prestigious Trujan family. She was the only child, Lavina Trujan.

In a lineage where every generation gave birth to mental attribute bearers, Lavina stood out with her possession of innate wood attribute. Not only did she possess dual attributes, but she also displayed astonishing affinity from infancy, living surrounded by a myriad of spirit beasts.

Lavina had exhibited innate Druidic abilities from an early age, becoming the pride and hope of her family. As she grew, her thirteenth year arrived—a significant milestone in her young life.

One day, the head of the Trujan family took his daughter by the hand and led her to a mysterious place, saying, “It’s time for you to offer your greetings now.”

“Greetings?” Lavina asked, puzzled. “But… Father, this place… isn’t it forbidden?”

Holding her father’s hand, Lavina glanced around. Despite being officially off-limits, no one was oblivious to the rumors swirling about this location. The Trujan family’s forbidden zone harbored a fearsome beast—the King of the Wildlife.

She had grown up hearing countless tales of this creature. And on that fateful day, Lavina would finally confront the reality behind those whispered stories.

Grrrrowl…

The King of the Wildlife residing in the Trujan family’s restricted area was a colossal tiger. Several times larger than an ordinary tiger, its sheer size was enough to intimidate most people. However, what captivated Lavina far more than its massive form was its presence, so overwhelming it could render one’s mind hazy.

Shiver shiver shiver.

Lavina’s body trembled like an aspen leaf while gazing into those golden eyes fixed upon her.

Ahhhhh…

Her experiences from a young age with numerous spirits had taught her about their presence.

It’s different… This is…!

She soon realized that the massive tiger before her was far more than just a mere spirit.

“magical beast! Father, that’s a magical beast, isn’t it?!”

Grrr.

The tiger let out an uncomfortable sound at being referred to as “that.”

Unaware of her faux pas, Lavina continued excitedly, “I read about them in a book! The evolved form of a Nabi… a flame eye tiger! Right? It has to be a flame eye tiger, right?!”

At the top of the hierarchy of spirits and beasts—a ranking maintained by her family for generations—was the most powerful of all: the magical beast. Learning that her family had forbidden the capture of such creatures left Lavina utterly thrilled, unable to contain her excitement.

The father chuckled awkwardly as he watched his daughter’s cheeks flush crimson with excitement.

“Indeed, they call it the Nabi.”

“Woah! But… how can it be a Nabi?!”

“Moreover, Lavina, watch your language.”

“Pardon?”

“Nabi is surely watching, you know.”

Lavina’s gaze shifted at her father’s words.

Her shoulders flinched as she met the piercing golden eyes fixed upon her.

Contrary to her fear, she cried out in disbelief:

“Nabi…? No way! Who would call it that?! Nabi might be the strongest magical beast in the realm, but ‘Nabi’ sounds so fragile and insignificant! They should’ve given it a more majestic and awe-inspiring name!”

The father sighed, watching his daughter’s wild outburst.

In response, something long and white flew towards the hysterical Lavina.

Thwack!

“Ack!” Lavina clutched her forehead, a stinging sensation spreading from the impact.

The culprit was none other than Nabi’s tail, striking her squarely on the head. Despite his daughter’s misfortune, the lord chuckled rather than offering solace.

“Haha! I’ve told you to watch your words, haven’t I?”

“Ugh…” Lavina pouted, glaring at the frolicking white tail with visible irritation.

The lord, still grinning, patted his daughter affectionately on the head.

“Nabi’s name holds great significance for him as well. It was bestowed upon him by our master.”

Lavina found her father’s words perplexing and tilted her head in confusion.

“Master…? But isn’t Nabi—no, Nabi-nim—our family’s magical beast? Not just any ordinary being?”

“Indeed. Two hundred and fifty years ago, your distant ancestor, Lord Jacob, returned with the young Nabi to the family home. He left instructions for future generations, stating that the day would come when Nabi’s true owner sought her out, and we must treat her with utmost respect.”

“But why?”

“Lord Jacob claimed to owe her a great debt of gratitude.”

“Lavina’s eyes widened.”Wow… So they’ve been providing Nabi with food and lodging for free for 250 years as a way to repay that favor? Isn’t that more than enough?”

“Not entirely, young one,” explained the elder Trujan.

“What do you mean?”

“During these past two centuries and a half, there hasn’t been a single instance of other spiritual beings rebelling within our clan’s domain. We owe this to Nabi. Just as we serve her, she too blesses our Trujan family with her favor.”

“Oh!” Lavina’s eyes lit up in understanding.

It certainly made sense.

With the fearsome Nabi, Lord of the Plains, standing tall and majestic, which spirit would dare to rampage through this land? When a spirit went unchecked, it had profound effects on its contractor as well. In that sense, no place was safer for druids than Nabi’s territory established by the Trujan clan.

“Wow…” Lavina gazed at Nabi with equal parts envy and frustration.

The ultimate spirit… the magical beast.

Even the founder of the prestigious Trujan clan, acknowledged as the greatest druid, had never dared to challenge this supreme being. How could any druid ignore such a powerful entity standing right before them?

A flicker of interest crossed Lavina’s eyes.

It’s true Nabi has an owner, but…

So what? It was said that distance breeds indifference. Wouldn’t Nabi be better off with someone who cared for him daily rather than an absentee owner who hadn’t been seen for 250 years?

If I could just win Nabi’s affection…

I’d become Nabi’s owner right away!

Young Lavina’s heart filled with longing.

Her eyes sparkling, she approached Nabi and offered a gentle smile.

“Excuse me, Nabi?”

Crk.

The Nabi snorted at Lavina’s call, but she wouldn’t give up. She extended her hand lightly.

”…Want to be friends? I’ll take good care of you.”

Whap!

Lavina’s first attempt ended when the white tail flicked away her hand. Undeterred, she persisted relentlessly.

With high charisma and unwavering determination, she continued to court the Nabi.

Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.

On the battlefield of the Winter Continent:

“Nabi, let’s go!”

At first, Nabi wouldn’t even let anyone touch him. “You’re speaking to Nabi in familiar terms? Didn’t you get whacked with his tail last time you tried?” No one could imagine riding on Nabi’s back without losing their mind. And yet, now she affectionately called by his name and perched atop him. The bond they had built over these past ten years made this possible.

Thud-thud-thud.

With Lavina on his back, Nabi charged forth at a swift pace. Though the wind buffeted her face at this incredible speed, she knew—or rather, she understood—that he was deliberately holding back for her sake. The mindless mobs were no match for him if he truly unleashed his power; she would have been thrown from his back long ago. With this realization, Lavina turned her gaze forward.

Tens of thousands of monsters were converging like an oncoming tide. Beyond them, she could sense the presence of the monstrous Snow King. Despite plunging into this perilous situation alone, Lavina felt no fear—instead, she reveled in joy.

This is the ecstasy of combat!

Running alongside Nabi, Lavina felt as though she were the emperor of the world.

With Nabi by my side… there’s nothing in this world that can stand against us!

Even a top-tier monster like the Orc Lord would fall in a single blow.

Lavina shouted excitedly, “Nabi! Let’s finish this quickly, get our money, and head home!”

Grrr?

“Of course we’ll buy you some snacks on the way!”

Graaawr!

“Let’s go, go, GO!”

At the mention of snacks, Nabi’s eyes sparkled, and they increased their speed even more. Just as they were about to plunge into the throng of monsters with renewed vigor…

-…?!

Creeeeeeak.

Nabi abruptly halted, the voice audible only to her ears. This caused her to leave a long trail where she had been sliding.

“W…Waaaah!” The abrupt stop nearly made Lavina fall off. She barely managed to grab Nabi’s fur and cling on for dear life.

Lavina’s vision swam with Nabi’s wildly fluctuating pupils.

Nabi?

She saw the Nabi’s face, which hadn’t appeared once in the past ten years but now showed a stiff expression.

And then:

Nabi realized that what she heard wasn’t merely an auditory hallucination.

Her eyes widened at the soul’s call reverberating within her skull.

“Aaaaargh!”

Whether it was a scream or words, Lavina started running without hesitation.

“N…Nabi!”

Swinging from side to side, Lavina clung desperately to Nabi, doing everything she could to avoid falling off.

In an instant, Nabi and Lavina had vanished from the battlefield. Duke Kaden watched their departure with a stupefied expression.

“Wh-what? Wh-where?!”

The ace up his sleeve had evaporated right before his eyes. But there was no time to ponder this misfortune. The sight of a dark swarm of monsters approaching filled his field of vision.

“Damn it! All units, brace for impact!” he roared, gnashing his teeth, his face etched with helpless despair.

Meanwhile, Louis stood some distance from the battlefield.

Aaagh!

He raised an eyebrow at the charging Nabi.

“Huh…?”

It was definitely a nabi, the one he’d entrusted to the House of Trujan. Although it had been ages, the link confirmed that the presence before him was indeed that same creature. Yet…

“How did that guy end up looking like a drunken cow?”

Compared to an average nabi, its body was several times rounder. Proportionally, its legs had become shorter. If it got any fatter, it would roll around instead of walk.

Does a nabi turn into this when it becomes a crazy nabi?

Of course, that couldn’t be the case.

I recalled the Nabi from the original story, but that one had resembled a fierce lion—not this pudgy creature.

…So it wasn’t just a ball of fur after all.

From a distance, it looked like a round white ball. Even when closer, it still appeared as just a hairy sphere bouncing around.

Are its legs attached to a fur ball? Or is it the other way around?

Despite its short limbs, I marveled at how swiftly it moved.

“Oh mannn— Nabi!”

Lavina, who had been desperately clinging on, finally lost her grip as the Nabi halted abruptly in front of Louis.

Teww.

“Ow!”

Lavina tumbled across the ground due to her momentum and only came to a halt after rolling for about ten meters.

“Ouch…”

She struggled to rise from the snow-covered earth, brushing off the dirt and snow from her head.

What on earth happened?

The abrupt turn of events left her utterly bewildered. Her gaze instinctively gravitated towards Nabi, and as it did, she beheld a sight unfathomable: standing before Nabi was a man with a stark white back, and in response, Nabi’s eyes sparkled like never before.

“Huh…?” Lavina’s heart plummeted at the unfamiliar expression in Nabi’s eyes.

“N-Nabi… you?”

In the past decade they’d spent together, this look had never graced Nabi’s features before.

To her, Nabi had always been an eyesore—annoying, very annoying, or boring. He’d look slightly happier only when it was time for food or treats. Never before had she seen him express such blatant joy.

As her mind reeled, something even more astonishing happened.

“It’s been a while,” said a gentle voice from behind the man.

Then…

Drip… Drip…

Tears fell from Nabi’s large eyes.

Rrrroar.

The beast knew. Despite some changes in appearance, he recognized the being before him as his own master—the one who promised to come find him one day, no matter how long it took.

And now, at last, she had reunited with him.

“Oh…”

Meanwhile, Lavina’s pupils began to quiver as shockingly as had happened during an actual earthquake at the sight of tears streaming down Nabi’s face—the first time she’d ever seen such a thing.

Is… Is Nabi crying?

The tears were falling from the eyes of not just any ordinary magical beast but the legendary one known as Nabi! A being feared throughout the land who was said to be impervious to all manner of fears…

Yet completely ignoring Lavina’s reaction, Louis reached out his hand and said, “How have you been?”

Nrrrrf. Nabi nodded his head and lowered himself down so Louis could rub his head against the man’s chest. It was something Nabi would never show anyone else—not even any member of the Trujan Clan.

“…Oh.” Seeing this display shocked Lavina to the core. Her mouth gaped open in disbelief as she stared at Louis rubbing Nabi’s head while he purred contentedly, all on command.