Chapter 42: The Zoo
I hadn’t expected much since it was a facility within the academy, but it far exceeded what I thought a zoo could be.
“That’s… an elephant!”
I had assumed it would just barely pass for a zoo, with a few rabbits, cats, some cute birds, and maybe a token predator or two.
But it was the real deal.
“Oh, do you recognize it?”
“…I’ve seen it in books. This is my first time seeing one in person.”
That little bit of knowledge left me in an awkward spot, as if I were showing off unnecessarily. But how could anyone not marvel at the sight of an elephant?
Even though I was a woman now, the dormant boyish thrill within me stirred at the sight of something so massive and majestic.
Even in a fantasy world, there were no dinosaurs? That was a genuine disappointment, but at least there were animals this big.
Initially, I’d intended to chat leisurely with Dogeon while strolling through the exhibits.
But after discovering something like this, that thought flew right out of my mind.
“Now then, next! Let’s go to the next one!”
“…You seem a little excited.”
I didn’t bother denying it. I was definitely excited.
I hadn’t expected such a fantastic attraction, but Dogeon had made a good choice!
“Then, after the general animal section, we can visit the divine beast and… magical beast exhibit. Would that be alright?”
Magical beasts, huh.
Hmm… I wasn’t too sure. I’d never seen anything I’d call a magical beast before.
I’d encountered various fantasy-like creatures, but they all behaved like domesticated dogs, so I’d never felt any sense of danger from them.
The closest was when I first met a deity who took the form of a giant dragon. For a moment, I felt utterly overwhelmed.
Not even exaggerating—it was so massive that I genuinely feared it might accidentally crush the palace just by moving.
“What are you talking about?”
Still, unless it was on that scale, there wasn’t much to worry about.
“Well, it’s just that… divine beasts are gentle, but magical beasts are usually ferocious.”
“And what of it?”
Ferocious or not, they were locked in cages. What was there to fear? The mention of divine beasts intrigued me, though—I did want to see them.
Ever since arriving on this continent, anything with “divine” in its name had been odd and unpleasant, so I was curious.
“If you’re fine with it, then let’s go.”
Dogeon didn’t press the matter further and started leading the way.
The first impression upon entering was that the atmosphere felt different.
It wasn’t refreshing—magic in the air felt about the same. But there was a strange sense of familiarity.
It felt somewhat like speaking with a deity, though faint enough to barely notice.
As expected of a magical beast exhibit, the animals had uniquely distinctive appearances.
The cages were larger and thicker, with some animals completely isolated behind glass barriers.
In contrast, the divine beasts were often enclosed with simple wooden fences or even left to roam freely.
It felt like blatant favoritism, but the magical beasts looked so menacing that I couldn’t argue against it.
The divine beasts were all white, with wings or beautiful patterns that made them seem harmless.
The magical beasts, on the other hand, were terrifying—one had a human face grotesquely embedded in an insect’s body, while another had hooks and spines covering its entire form.
…Even with the faint presence of divinity, approaching them felt out of the question.
The magical beasts seemed to regard me with friendly gazes, which made me feel guilty, but I decided to focus on the divine beasts today.
They paid no attention to Dogeon—in fact, some looked at him as if he were prey.
“How about… we just look at the divine beasts for today?”
Seeing that no one else was around, I dropped the formal speech.
It wasn’t that I disliked the way my father had taught me to speak, but it felt more like addressing a subordinate than a friend, and that didn’t sit well with me.
“I figured the magical beasts might be too much, right?”
I was fine with it, but it didn’t seem like Dogeon would be.
“…Yeah.”
There was no need to say it aloud. I could always come back to see the magical beasts on my own later. No point in risking Dogeon’s safety.
“Then… how about we start with this one?”
***
She gravitated toward unexpected animals like elephants, giraffes, and lions.
I thought she’d at least show some interest in cute animals like cats or rabbits, but she completely ignored them.
Even for someone like her, magical beasts were probably a bit much.
While I didn’t know what the monsters in the eastern continent looked like, the ones on this continent were uniformly grotesque, according to the original work.
The distinction between monsters and magical beasts was simple:
Did they attack humans on sight? If yes, they were monsters. If not, they were magical beasts.
The setting stated that creatures became corrupted by magical energy, transforming into those forms. Divine beasts, conversely, were exposed to divine energy.
Though divine beasts were safer than monsters, magical beasts were still undeniably dangerous.
She seemed to understand this and suggested we focus on the divine beasts.
“Then… let’s start with this one.”
I chose the unicorn. In the original story, it was famous for its ability to detect virgins. It also had a gentle temperament toward them, so it would surely behave for Hoyeon.
It had once nuzzled Anastasia and even requested a lap pillow, so I figured it would do the same for Hoyeon.
According to the author’s later notes, a unicorn would only display such affection toward someone who fulfilled specific “virginity” conditions.
I didn’t fully understand what that meant, but apparently, some readers supported heroines just because of it.
Yet, the unicorn’s behavior seemed odd.
It kept taking a step forward, then a step back, over and over again.
If the person wasn’t a virgin, it would get angry and refuse to let them approach. If they were, it would eagerly draw near.
What was this behavior supposed to mean? I couldn’t make sense of it.
“…Don’t worry, come here. I won’t eat you…”
Hoyeon, unfazed, cheerfully called out to the unicorn.
While it wasn’t intelligent enough to understand her words, the way she coaxed it was endearing.
But deep down, a sense of unease began to creep in.
If she wasn’t a virgin…?
I knew it was a ridiculous thought. And even if it were true, it wouldn’t make me distance myself from her. Unlike readers, I wasn’t picky about such things.
Still, wouldn’t it be better if she was?
Tilting her head curiously, Hoyeon started walking toward the unicorn.
The unicorn mirrored her movements, stepping backward cautiously to maintain the distance.
Did she have a lover despite not having friends? If she knew the touch of a man, it wasn’t entirely out of the question.
Or had it been nothing but physical indulgence without love?
If my suspicions were correct, I might feel a bit betrayed.
“Come here, I said! I won’t eat you, I promise.”
Just as I was about to point out that the unicorn couldn’t understand her words, something unbelievable happened.
The unicorn, looking utterly defeated, began approaching her.
Even though I couldn’t read animal expressions well, it was clear even to me that it was trembling with fear.
…Surely, it didn’t understand her words.
The author had explicitly stated that the unicorn’s only special ability was detecting virgins.
Then what was I seeing right now?
From its behavior, it was obvious the unicorn understood her. Could Hoyeon have the ability to communicate with animals?
Though beastfolk were said to have an affinity with animals, there was no mention of being able to converse with them.
“…Good. That’s a good boy. There, there…”
Despite its fear, the unicorn obediently moved closer to her, and for a moment, I saw myself in its place.
The unicorn seemed to be experiencing the same feeling of dread I had when she scolded me.
Like prey before a predator, every step radiated reluctance.
“…Good boy. No need to be scared.”
Watching it nuzzle her head while its eyes reflected pure terror, I couldn’t help but feel pity for it.
Its wide eyes seemed to plead for release even as it rested on her lap.
“…Okay, you can go now.”
As if understanding her words, the unicorn bolted in the opposite direction, vanishing in a flash.
So, she was a virgin after all.
I must have been overly suspicious. After all, who would be foolish enough to try anything under the watchful eyes of Byeolbi?
Byeolbi was still terrifying. When she had said she saw everything, my resolve had almost crumbled—and nearly did.
Until Hoyeon forgave me during lunch, I was genuinely considering giving up.
But after receiving her forgiveness, my perspective shifted a little.
Instead of giving up, I resolved to pursue her and uncover the mysterious “question” I needed to ask.
Since Hoyeon showed interest in me, and Byeolbi had given me leeway as long as she didn’t kill me, this was the only conclusion I could reach.
…I wasn’t ready to give up yet.
On the harem. Or the happy ending.
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