Chapter 182: Haramsun-ae
“Why has the white divine beast come here?”
The Snake Queen stared coldly at the unicorn.
“Monogamy….”
The unicorn, which had been exuding fierce energy, suddenly showed gentle eyes.
“Hissssss!”
Shikshik seemed displeased, hissing angrily as if something had gone wrong.
“Monoooo….”
The initial aggressive aura disappeared, and the unicorn turned meek as a lamb.
“Monogaaa….”
It seemed dazed, staring blankly at the Snake Queen and Shikshik.
Anyway, it's good to see you, unicorn.
Thanks to you, I'm still alive.
“Keek-keek.”
“Monogamy-y-y-y-y!”
Hey, why are you taking it out on me?
“Monogamyyyyy-y-y!”
A blue energy began to gather at the unicorn's horn.
Crackle.
Just looking at that energy made my body tingle.
It wasn’t overwhelmingly strong, but it felt like it was in complete opposition to my own energy.
My body rejected that aura instinctively.
“Hissssss!”
Crash!
Of course, the triangular-shaped energy blast from Shikshik subdued it quickly.
“Monooo….”
It’s been a while since we last met, so why are you suddenly attacking?
I couldn’t understand its reasoning.
“No matter how divine the unicorn may be, such actions against my companion are unforgivable.”
The Snake Queen's voice was icy as she spoke.
I appreciated her standing up for me, but I was sure the unicorn had its reasons.
“Keek-keek.”
I’ll handle this.
“…You will handle it?”
“Keek!”
For some reason, the unicorn seemed to dislike me.
It was probably a misunderstanding.
Who would dislike someone like me, the symbol of purity?
I approached the unicorn, which now wore a sullen expression.
“Monooo….”
It looked like it still wanted to attack me, but the menacing stares from Shikshik and the Snake Queen kept it in check.
That meant I could attempt to communicate.
“Keek-keek-keek.”
I tried talking to the unicorn.
At first, it refused to listen to me, but as I conveyed that I had no intention of attacking, it began to calm down little by little.
“Monooo….”
Good. It seems to be settling down now.
One of my goals in coming to this jungle was this creature.
It possessed enough strength to defeat a Nakhal Bird on its own, so recruiting it would be incredibly helpful.
And its horn might come in handy sometimes.
“Keek.”
Hey, unicorn.
“Keek-keek-keek.”
How long are you going to live alone?
I tried speaking with that kind of tone.
“…Mono?”
The unicorn’s expression changed.
It seemed willing to listen to what I had to say.
“Keek-keek-keek-keek.”
It’s getting colder these days, so wouldn’t it be better to settle down in a warm place with a lovely partner?
“Monooong….”
The unicorn’s tail wagged slightly.
Based on what I had observed, this unicorn had been wandering alone for a long time.
Considering how quickly it approached me, it must have been starved for affection.
We had started as enemies, but over time, a bond had formed between us.
“Mono… Hehehe….”
Was it imagining a bright future filled with flowers?
It let out a laugh similar to that of an Igaksu.
“Keek-keek.”
“Hehehehe….”
It seemed like its heart was softening, so I decided to press on.
“Keek-keek-keek-keek!”
I know an Igaksu, and oh boy, what a physique.
“Keek-keek-keek.”
Its chest muscles are just… wow.
“Monooo! Mono!”
As a male, this seemed to strike a chord with it.
It would be stunned if it saw the Igaksu I was introducing.
Those chest muscles… they were unbelievable.
It seemed halfway convinced now.
Time to drive the point home.
Do you think there’s just one Igaksu like that?
“Keek-keek-keek-keek!”
I spread all ten of my fingers wide.
“Keek-keek-keek!”
There are as many as ten of them!
“Monoooo!”
The unicorn, which had been shouting joyfully, suddenly paused.
“…Monogamy?”
Then it looked down at its lower half.
“Arghhhhhhh!”
With a scream like that, it started touching its horn with its stubby legs.
“Monooo! Monogamyyyyy!”
Boom!
With incredible speed, it ran back the way it had come.
…Did I make a mistake?
I didn’t tell it to marry all ten of them, just that there were many.
“So that’s what you were discussing.”
The Snake Queen sighed and restored the broken stone door that the unicorn had destroyed.
Thanks to her petrification powers, it didn’t take long to fix.
“…You do understand what unicorns and Igaksus represent, don’t you?”
The Snake Queen, having returned to her usual calm demeanor, continued speaking.
Judging by the look in her eyes, it seemed my chastity had been extended a little longer thanks to the unicorn's interruption.
I wasn’t sure how long that reprieve would last, but for now, I was safe.
“A unicorn worships the idea of ‘one,’ while an Igaksu venerates ‘more than one.’”
This was slightly different from the legends I knew, but it made sense.
For example, the unicorn stood for monogamy.
The Igaksu, a harem.
Wasn’t that the gist of it?
“Unicorns and Igaksus are complete opposites in every way.”
“Keek-keek.”
“If a unicorn falls to corruption, it turns into an Igaksu. In a way, it’s only natural.”
A unicorn becomes an Igaksu if it’s corrupted?
“As I said before, they are similar in appearance but fundamentally opposites. Even their genders are reversed.”
I had heard something like this from White Wolf before.
The Igaksu species is entirely female.
...Then?
Does this mean the unicorn’s species changes entirely?
“Yes, unicorns and Igaksus are beings that cannot coexist.”
So even their gender changes.
“If an Igaksu pursues the essence of monogamy, it purifies into a unicorn.
If a unicorn pursues the essence of polygamy, it falls into becoming an Igaksu.”
Now I understood what it meant by their inability to coexist.
Unicorns are male.
Igaksus are female.
For reproduction, a unicorn and an Igaksu must meet.
But the moment they meet, their species changes.
One unicorn and three Igaksus become four Igaksus.
One unicorn and one Igaksu become two unicorns.
“That’s why they’re considered rare. It’s essentially impossible for them to reproduce.”
...How could such a species even exist?
Could they even be born in the first place?
It makes no sense.
“Of course, there is one exception.”
An exception?
“Haramsun-ae.”
Haramsun-ae!
...What does that mean?
It sounds like something a unicorn would scream upon hearing.
“Haramsun-ae is not pure love!”
As if they’d yell something like that.
“Haramsun-ae (廈婪純愛) refers to pure love desired in a large household.”
“Keek….”
“Desiring in a large household implies love involving many.
A unicorn’s pure love means the union of one and one.”
I felt as though I could hear the unicorn screaming in the distance.
“In other words, Haramsun-ae is a contradiction, combining two incompatible terms.”
Where did the Snake Queen learn this kind of information?
Last time, she didn’t seem to know much about unicorns.
Did she hear it from my master?
The unicorn did appear when my master and the Snake Queen were together, so it’s possible.
“A divine beast of singularity considers that forbidden knowledge.
Hearing about it alone can cause a mental collapse.
Unless they grow an additional horn and fall into becoming an Igaksu, being entangled with Haramsun-ae turns them into a being that is neither unicorn nor Igaksu.”
...So Haramsun-ae is that terrifying?
“But if they overcome the trial and accept it, they can pursue the essence of polygamy while not betraying the Oath of Singularity.”
Now I understood why unicorns and Igaksus haven’t gone extinct.
Rarely, a unicorn who realizes the truth of Haramsun-ae appears.
“I dare say it would be a trial as arduous as becoming a dragon.
They would have to suppress instincts ingrained in their species and accept new knowledge.”
Recruiting a unicorn seemed possible at first, but now it seemed challenging.
If I were to recruit it now, it would transform into an Igaksu.
It probably fled because it knew that.
If it let its guard down, it would turn into a female.
It’s a shame, but I don’t think I can recruit it for now.
Maybe if it overcomes the trial of Haramsun-ae later.
“…Shiririk.”
Shikshik, who had been listening quietly, made a sound.
I tried placing it on my forepaw naturally, but it didn’t budge.
“Keek?”
“Shiririk….”
Looking closely, Shikshik had transformed into a triangle shape.
“…Keek!”
I was shocked.
For Shikshik to show such an attitude toward me!
This was unprecedented.
...Did I do something wrong?
“…Peep.”
Still, it made a cute sound rather than hissing at me.
I followed its gaze.
“You’re jealous, my daughter.”
Shikshik was looking at the Snake Queen’s tail.
More precisely, at the bracelet hanging from the tip of her tail.
“Peep-peep!”
It was Shikshik’s adorable way of protesting, asking why it didn’t receive a gift.
I had forgotten.
...I actually intended to give Shikshik something right away, but the Snake Queen suddenly intervened.
“Keek-keek.”
Wait, Shikshik.
I’ll give you the prettiest ring.
“Peep!”
Shikshik stretched its neck and stared at me intently.
I pulled out a gold ring with a gemstone embedded in it, presumably from the Western regions.
“Peep-peep-peep!”
Shikshik moved its head energetically, seemingly pleased with my choice.
“Keek-keek!”
I gently grabbed Shikshik’s tail and slid the ring on.
“Eek!”
Shikshik was startled.
I succeeded in putting the ring on, but it curled its body tightly.
“H-heek….”
...This was the same posture it had when we first met.
Its own form of a defensive stance.
“…My companion.”
The Snake Queen stared at me.
“You should have put it on its head, if anything.”
“Keek?”
“The tail of a snake is not something to touch carelessly.”
Is that so?
Come to think of it, even well-tempered dogs don’t like their tails being touched.
But putting it on the head feels wrong.
Once it’s on, it might not come off.
If it’s on the tail, it can be removed easily when needed, right?
“Heek….”
Shikshik gazed at its tail before lowering its head.
“…If I didn’t tell you, you might repeat the same mistake later.”
“Keek.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter to me now, but my daughter in her full serpent form… has allowed you access to a very sensitive area.”
A sensitive area?
The Snake Queen slithered toward me.
Then she whispered into my ear.
“That area is….”
She whispered softly.
….
…….
“Keek-keek-keek-keek!”
Wait, that was on the tail?
The ribbon tied on the tail was for that reason…!
I felt as if I had gained knowledge of the abyss.
“Peep-peep….”
Then the act of placing a ring on the tail also means…?
“Ufufu….”
I didn’t mean it that way!