Chapter 190: Nabi (4)

Ep. 190 – Nabi (4)

Louis chuckled as he watched the Nabi fluttering playfully before him. He was impressed that it still remembered him even after so long.

Well… it’s quite cute, I suppose.

The way it wagged its tail, it was hard to tell if it was a dog or a cat.

Oh, right. Isn’t this guy a tiger?

Technically, Nabi was a brain tiger, belonging to the cat family.

Well, I guess it’s still a cat, isn’t it?

With that thought, Louis gently scratched Nabi under the chin.

Grrrr

It sounded like the buzzing of a motorcycle engine emanating from Nabi.

Louis continued scratching Nabi’s chin for quite some time when…

“W-What is this?!”

A shrill voice came from behind, and Louis turned to see a small girl standing there. His eyes lit up.

It’s her.

She looked exactly like the description in the original work—in the flesh, as they say.

Standing at just 150 centimeters, she had striking crimson eyes and golden hair, with slightly upturned eyelids that gave her an almost innocent look.

Lavina Trujan.

She was both the master of the Nabi and the sole member of the Dragon Slayer Party. Moreover, as a woman capable of controlling numerous spiritual beasts, she was known as the Monarch of Beasts.

Louis’ first impression of her naturally spilled out upon meeting her:

“…You’re shorter than I am?”

The original description had mentioned her small stature and how young she looked for her age, but only now did Louis realize just how tiny she actually was. And this fact…

Excellent.

It made him feel quite pleased.

This is a first. Finally, someone I can look down on like this.

He’d previously spent time with Pablo, who was over two meters tall, and Kendrick, who stood at 190 centimeters. Then there was Khan, who was 185 centimeters, and Kani, who was the same height as him. Even Tania was around 168 centimeters, so Louis’ eye level never changed much depending on who he spoke to. Thus, it was an entirely new experience for Louis to look down on someone like this.

On the other hand, there was someone who couldn’t help but be offended by Louis’s mutters.

“So what if I’m small?!”

She had her own complex about her height, so hearing such words from someone she’d just met couldn’t be pleasant—especially when those words came from a thief.

“Hey, you rotten swindler!”

“…?”

Louis looked at her quizzically.

Lavina glared at him venomously.

“Give back my Nabi!”

Betrayal, envy, anger—all these emotions were tangled up on her face. It was the typical reaction to having something precious stolen, which made Louis scoff.

“It’s amazing. In just three short sentences, you’ve managed to get everything wrong. How did you do that?”

“…What?”

“First, yes, you’re short. Second, I’m not a rotten swindler. Third, Nabi doesn’t belong to you.”

“…?!”

Lavina’s shoulders trembled violently. Her gaze shifted to the space behind Louis. Despite the hint of guilt on her face, the Nabi remained steadfast by that vacuous man’s side. The sight plunged Lavina deeper into despair.

“Ah, Nabi… How could you…? We’ve shared so little time together!” She crumpled to her knees on the ground, and Louis watched her, his eyes welling with emotion.

Oh boy… I feel like I’ve become some cheating lover.

To Lavina, he was probably far worse than that. For years, he had painstakingly tried to befriend Nabi since childhood, barely managing to establish any connection, only for some ominous stranger to swoop in and steal her away.

But what could he do?

He had anticipated this and placed his order long ago.

If you think it’s unfair, why didn’t you just be born 250 years ago?

Of course, he wouldn’t have given Nabi to her even then.

Louis chuckled to himself.

At that moment, the girl who had been sitting on the floor jumped up and yelled at him.

“You can never give our Nabi to a jerk like you!”

“What did you say? By the way, what’s your name?”

Louis already knew her name but pretended not to in order to confirm it.

“My name is Lavina! You thief! What’s your name?”

“You don’t need to know that.”

“You…!”

“Anyway, Lavina. It seems you’ve misunderstood—Nabi isn’t yours!”

“Don’t make me laugh! How long have I known and cared for Nabi!”

“It’s just that we’ve lived together for a long time. You aren’t her owner just because you’ve known her for a while.”

“B-but…” For a moment, words failed Lavina, and she could only tremble. After a lengthy silence, she suddenly cried out:

“Well anyway! You’re still a thief!”

“Tsk.” In response to Louis’s incredulous look, Lavina pulled something from her pocket.

An aether pocket?

She had produced a small aether pocket, and soon, a handful of sparkling pebbles emerged from within. Lavina thrust them forward, confident and determined.

“Nabi, I’ll give you these. Come here!”

Her confidence bordered on arrogance.

I don’t know who you think you are, but don’t underestimate the bond we’ve shared!

For the past decade, I had devoted immense effort to winning Nabi’s affection. As a result, I had mastered all of her preferences. Nabi was particularly obsessed with Light Attribute Stones. Even while asleep, she would bolt upright at the mere scent of these stones.

This mission, too, was undertaken to raise funds for purchasing more Light Attribute Stones for Nabi.

With these, he won’t be able to refuse, right?

Seeing Nabi’s twitching nose, I slipped my hand into my pocket and withdrew another handful of Light Attribute Stones.

“Hurry!”

The enticement of the Light Attribute Stones dancing before her eyes, compounded by the prospect of devouring such a abundant quantity, compelled Nabi to walk forward as if in a trance.

Lavina allowed herself a smug grin.

It’s worked!

It didn’t take long before something else caught my attention.

“Huh?”

I heard a quiet voice. The sound startled Nabi awake from his mesmerization by the stones with great speed.

Then came Louis’s muttered words.

“You’re not paying attention? Get to your starting position.”

Having escaped the enchantment, Nabi hastily moved behind Louis.

As if nothing had happened, he started showering Louis with praise.

Meanwhile, Lavina watched this scene unfold in real-time.

Tap.

The Light Attribute Stone tumbled from her grip. It seemed as though the bond she’d built with Nabi over time had crumbled.

And then…

“Oh no… This can’t be happening…”

Lavina’s figure collapsed as well, her face crestfallen, as if she had lost everything.

Ignoring the crumpled figure behind them, we continued our march forward.

“Nabi, let’s go.”

Louis beckoned to Nabi.

Time to wrap things up.

Without the divine being, Lavina was just an ordinary druid. No need to worry about her now. Besides, if Nabi didn’t handle the Snow King during the third phase of resistance, the outcome was obvious. In a few days, the Snow King’s army would be knocking on the Islet’s door.

Rrrrumble.

In response to Louis’s call, Nabi gave her final farewell to Lavina.

Whisk, whisk.

Waving her forelegs lightly like a person, Nabi expressed gratitude for the care she had received.

Her gesture astonished Lavina, snapping her out of her daze. She sprang up and rushed over… to cling tightly to the hem of Louis’s pants.

“You! Mister, I don’t even know your name!”

“Why call me ‘mister’?”

“Then, Brother!”

“I’ve never had a sister like you before.”

“Teacher!”

Lavina clasped Louis’s pant legs, sobbing uncontrollably.

No, she had wrapped her arms tightly around his legs.

Desperately clinging, as if never wanting to let go.

“Please, please give me back my Nabi!”

“But it’s not your Nabi, I said!”

“How am I supposed to live without Nabi?”

“Just live well then!”

“I can’t! I can’t live without Nabi!”

“Hey, come on! Let me go! You’re showing my underwear!”

“Please!”

Lavina’s pristine white fur coat was now a tangled mess, thanks to her clinging to Louis’s pants as they’d rolled through the snowy landscape. Of course, her face was even more of a mess, what with her tears and snot…

Louis bristled, brushing her off his leg. “Hey! Don’t rub your face on my pants!”

“Teacher… P-please give Nabi back!”

One struggled to pull away, while the other clung on tenaciously.

Nabi Apparently unable to bear watching this spectacle, she covered her eyes with her front legs.

Their tussle continued unabated for several minutes more.

“…Could you let go?”

“If I release him now, I’ll never see Nabi again… How can I possibly let go?!”

“Ughh…” Louis sighed and brought a hand to his forehead.

What madness…

In the original story, Lavina had been the party’s mood-maker. Even in that barren world, she never lost her sense of humor and always managed to lift everyone’s spirits during dampened gatherings.

When Louis first read the novel, Lavina’s presence had lightened the otherwise heavy atmosphere…

But experiencing it myself is a different matter entirely!

Lavina’s cheerfulness had crossed over into stubbornness, and her affability now seemed like unbridled audacity. But what was worse was how utterly irritating it all was.

Even now, one could see it:

Eyes that would never let go, even if it meant tearing their trousers.

Despite being a noble lady, she was willing to roll in the dirt and fight tooth and nail.

Such determination was beyond compare.

Well, I suppose I can’t blame her for acting this way after spending the last 250 years under my care. Still…

A hint of something stirred within him—a mote of compassion no larger than a speck of dust, yet unmistakably present.

And then…

It piques my curiosity.

One question captivated his imagination: What would happen if this creature were to meet Kendrick?

In the new timeline, what would transpire when the original two heroes collided? Louis felt compelled to find out.

So, he made up his mind.

He’d take Lavina with him.

Gently, Louis pushed aside her clinging hands. “Let go.”

“No way! If you’re leaving, take me with you! I can’t just let Nabi go like this!”

“All right. I’ll take you along too, so let go of me for now.”

“What? R-really?”

Lavina looked up at Louis with tear-filled eyes.

“The Trujan family has taken care of this guy, so I’ll give you a chance.”

“Th-thank you! Um…? B-by the way, how do you know I’m from the Trujan family?”

“How do I know? Because I’m the one who entrusted Nabi to your family.”

“Oh…” Lavina nodded understandingly.

She realized as well.

This man before her was Nabi’s owner.

Otherwise, Nabi wouldn’t have been so delighted.

Suddenly, she gasped.

“W-wait a minute. You’re saying you personally gave Nabi to our family?”

“Yep.”

“You yourself? Not through an agent or heir or something?”

“Nope.”

“Excuse me… How old are you…?”

“I know it’s rude, so why are you asking?”

”…Yes, I’m sorry.” Lavina quickly closed her mouth.

One thing was certain: This young man had to be at least 250 years old. Of course, that wasn’t important to Lavina. What mattered now was not separating from Nabi.

Lavina looked at Louis and asked, “You definitely said you’d take me along too, right?”

“Yes, but that’s all. I’m giving you one last chance out of respect for your family, who has cared for Nabi all this time.”

“Oh… Still, our family has done so much for Nabi…” Lavina pouted, her expression conveying the message: After doing so much, is this all we get?!

Louis spoke coldly to her discontented face. “If I hadn’t saved Jacob’s life in the first place, you wouldn’t exist right now.”

“…”

“Well, the entire Trujan clan would have been wiped out if Jacob had died.”

Having failed to make herself heard, Lavina slumped dispiritedly.

Ignoring her, Louis gazed at the Nabi.

By the way… It’s way too big.

The fully-grown Nabi standing on the ground appeared to be over four meters tall, with a length of nearly ten meters from head to hind legs.

There’ll be chaos if I take this home as is.

In that case, there was only one solution.

Louis had prepared something for just such an occasion.

“Let’s see… I made this a while back and put it away.”

He reached into his pocket and started rummaging through it.

Moments later, Louis exclaimed, “I found it!”

He held up a bracelet-sized chain. Louis motioned towards Nabi with his finger.

“Come closer.”

Nabi swiftly moved her head towards Louis.

“It might feel slightly warm.”

Click!

The bracelet-like chain was fastened to Nabi’s earlobe.

Sniff?

Nabi, experiencing earrings for the first time, shook her head. She curiously tilted it back and forth, intrigued by the dangling accessory.

Louis then gave a command.

“Now, imagine shrinking down.”

Grr?

“Just try it, as I told you.”

Whimper…

Nabi, now smaller, closed her eyes.

Struggle… whine… chatter…

However, something wasn’t quite right, and she continued to fuss and squirm.

With a sigh, Louis waved his hand.

“Phew, this time I’ll help you. Remember this sensation well.”

As Louis finished speaking, a faint light emanated from his earrings, quickly enveloping the Nabi.

Zap!

“Ugh!”

The sudden burst of light caused Lavina to instinctively shield her eyes.

After a moment, she cautiously opened them.

“What…?”

Lavina blinked, as her vision slowly returned.

“Oh my goodness!”

The enormous Nabi that had been right in front of her had completely vanished.

In its place…

What in the…?

There stood the tiniest little cat she’d ever seen.

Or rather, it was more like a miniature tiger, wasn’t it?

Lavina gasped at the transformation, which left the Nabi now only about twelve inches long from head to tail.

“Wh-what in the world is this? How in creation did you do that?” she stammered, trembling with awe.

Louis replied matter-of-factly, “I separated space from the life form, then twisted it appropriately to adjust the Nabi’s size. Consequently, I had to distribute its mass as force attributes in order to make it lightweight.”

”…What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, you’ll see.” Louis curtly ended his sentence, picking up Nabi who was still marveling at her shrunken body.

Though her body had shrunk, Nabi remained round and chubby. Cradled quietly in Louis’s arms, she looked like a slightly plump tiger plushie.

With that, Louis declared, “Alright, let’s go.”

“Huh?” Before Lavina could react, Louis had already grabbed her by the wrist.

And then…

Whoosh!

Both figures vanished from the snowy plain.

Moments later, Louis and Lavina reappeared through spatial movement.

That day…

The Sword Star, Kendrick,

And the Lady of Waters, Lavina.

In the original work, these two companions of the Dragon Slayer Party first met in person.