MTLNOVEL 82
Eating to survive is fucking hard! I forced my exhausted body forward, dragging myself toward Kyle’s bedroom. With each step up the stairs, every muscle in my body screamed in protest.
Tomorrow was our departure, so today’s training intensity had supposedly been lowered. Even so, it was still too much for me.
“Exercising for five hours a day? This is fucking insane…”
But no matter how hard it was, quitting wasn’t an option.
Shooting ten arrows might have been enough to sway Kyle’s heart, but it wouldn’t be enough to convince the knights of the Blake Order. I knew that all too well.
“…Honestly, I just want to go back home already.”
“That’s not happening.”
Kyle was standing in front of the bedroom door, and he responded to my mumbling as he gently pulled my arm. Then, as my body collapsed without strength, he caught me.
“Your Highness, I’m covered in sweat.”
“I’ve prepared bathwater.”
“I’m starving.”
“There’s food ready as well.”
“I feel like I’m going to die from exhaustion.”
“Then eat first, and we’ll rest together.”
He took care of me without the slightest hint of displeasure.
He dried my hair after I washed up, and while I ate, he told me about what had happened outside the castle. Once I was full and drowsy, he lay beside me and offered his arm as a pillow.
But despite all this, Kyle’s face remained shadowed. Every time I groaned from muscle pain, the darkness in his expression deepened.
I burrowed into his embrace and murmured, “You don’t seem to be in a good mood, Your Highness.”
Kyle let out a quiet sigh.
“How could I be fine when I see you suffering like this?”
“You’re being overprotective. The other knights train much harder than I do. So, I should be doing at least this much. I insisted on this, so I can’t back out now.”
I lifted a hand and gently cupped his cheek—a small attempt at comforting him.
He leaned into my touch, whispering in a low voice, “But I can’t suppress my worry for you.”
“Yes, but still…”
After a brief silence, Kyle spoke again.
“However, I don’t dislike the way you push your will through. That’s just who you are. Liking you doesn’t mean I want to control you.”
“I know. And I always appreciate that.”
“Your skills are still lacking.”
His red eyes reflected my face perfectly.
“But you’re improving. For now, that’s enough.”
Drowsiness made my voice a little sluggish as I responded, “Do you really think I can get better?”
Kyle smiled.
“Of course.”
His unwavering certainty gave me a strange sense of comfort. When he spoke with such confidence, it made me feel like I really could accomplish anything.
Kyle would always support me like this, no matter what. Even if I chose a path he didn’t want, he would still respect my decision.
“I’m going to sleep now.”
“Alright.”
I pressed my lips firmly against his cheek. In response, Kyle lowered his head and kissed my forehead, my eyelids, the tip of my nose, and finally, my lips.
His actions were so gentle, as if he were handling the most precious and beloved thing in the world. It made me smile without realizing it.
Before I knew it, I had transformed back into my small hamster form and curled up by his pillow. A warm, soft silence wrapped around us, carrying us both into the world of dreams.
***
The day of the Shin Gwangsan expedition had arrived. I set my face into a firm expression, trying to hide my nerves.
[Kyle Jane Meinhardt. Estimated time of death: approximately one day remaining.]
‘It’s going to be fine.’
No—it had to be fine. This wasn’t the first time I had faced a crisis like this.
Ignoring the anxious pounding in my chest, I told myself that I would protect him again this time. I had done it before, and I could do it now.
Kyle lightly squeezed my hand before letting go—a subtle gesture of warmth. He must have noticed that I was nervous.
“If Shu disappears at some point, don’t be too surprised. For safety reasons, we’ll be using a miniaturization magic artifact.”
Kyle had prepared an excuse in advance to explain my absence to the knights. He even added that he had obtained the artifact as compensation for aiding Belial in last spring’s political struggles.
“With our limited manpower, we need to ensure a safe journey. There’s a chance rogue zone magicians might be involved in this expedition, and depending on the situation, we may even have to fight mutated species. When that time comes, Shu’s knowledge will be invaluable.”
It wasn’t exactly a lie. The miniaturization function was real, after all.
After munching on a ‘Mini-Mini Brazil Nut Madeleine’ I had bought in advance from the nut shop, I stood proudly on Kyle’s palm.
“Oh, I think I heard about that. The beast mathematician used magic during the political strife.”
“So that was a gift from Prince Belial?”
“That must’ve cost a fortune…”
“Only for people like us. He was a prince, after all. A prince.”
The knights murmured among themselves, sneaking glances at me.
Some of their gazes carried curiosity, others suspicion, but ultimately, they seemed to accept the explanation with nods. Especially since this method allowed them to take me along without worrying about my weak stamina.
[Current Miracle Rate: 58.0%]
Unfortunately, the first digit had changed.
‘That means the ‘Reload’ time will be reduced by an hour, huh.’
Still, this was far more efficient than stuffing myself with acorn cookies just to avoid suspicion.
With a deep sigh, I slithered into Kyle’s pocket and deactivated ‘Reload.’ Unless someone peered inside, no one would be able to tell whether I was a tiny person or a hamster.
“Move out!”
The expedition began advancing forward.
Kyle rode at the front, leading his horse across the plains. Thanks to that, my body bounced around inside his pocket like popcorn bursting from heat.
The ride was awful.
I was glad I ate only a little for breakfast. If I had eaten everything Kyle gave me, I would have definitely thrown up inside his pocket.
—Chii… (Ugh…)
Suppressing my nausea, I pulled an item from my inventory—something I had bought from the Love-Love Corner. The ‘Eye of Insight.’
[(o―o)++]
Unlike the ‘Eye of Truth,’ which was a glasses-type item for humans, the ‘Eye of Insight’ was a round, horn-rimmed pair of glasses designed for hamsters. When worn, it allowed me to detect the presence of beasts nearby.
I couldn’t see their exact forms. The ability only displayed them as red dots on a mini-map, just like in a game. I could barely count how many there were, but that was enough.
‘This should do.’
I quickly lifted my left foot and kicked Kyle’s side. When I continued nudging at his left ribcage, he sensed the signal and gave orders to the knights.
“Be cautious on the left! Stick to the right and suppress your presence as much as possible while passing through.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
When we reached a fork in the road near the mountain, I adjusted my glasses and cautiously peeked out to survey the surroundings.
Let’s see…
—Chik! (Here!)
I pointed toward the right path.
Though it was steep and rugged, it was far safer than the left path, where over a dozen red dots were clustered together.
Kyle glanced down at my tiny hand and spoke.
“We’re taking the northeastern path.”
James Russell, the knight commander who had been following behind us, voiced his concern. His tone was sharper than usual, betraying his unease.
“Your Highness, that path leads to a wyvern nest. Are you sure about this?”
“I’m aware. Proceed northeast regardless.”
“Understood.”
We followed the path for quite a while. Contrary to our worries, the area remained eerily quiet. Soon, the knights began chatting amongst themselves, looking puzzled.
“This should be prime time for wyvern activity…”
“They must’ve gone out hunting for food.”
“This route was the safer one after all, huh? And we don’t even have to take the long way around through the canyon. We’ll be able to conserve our strength.”
Inside Kyle’s pocket, I proudly gave a thumbs-up. The system seemed pleased too, offering a cheerful notification.
[(^▽^)b]
Being able to save both time and energy before reaching the mine was a huge advantage. The knights, now in a good mood, asked Kyle and James,
“Your Highness, Commander—how did you know the right path so precisely?”
“I was wondering the same thing, Your Highness.”
Kyle chuckled softly and tapped his pocket.
“Shu is guiding us.”
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
“I don’t know how you did it, but you saved us!”
“Master Beast Scholar, could you look this way for a moment? You looked pretty cute in your small form!”
“Yeah! Give us a little greeting!”
Not happening. Unless you want to say hi to a hamster in horn-rimmed glasses, stop calling me.
‘Anyway, it’s getting pretty cold.’
Even in the summer, after riding northward for more than half a day, I could see snowflakes drifting in the air. The infamous northern chill was settling in.
I shivered, and Kyle gently patted his pocket as if to reassure me.
“We’ll set up camp once we cross this mountain. Since we arrived ahead of schedule, we’ll enter the mine first thing in the morning.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
Over the clatter of hooves, his quiet voice reached me.
“You’ll be warm soon. Don’t worry too much.”
—Chik. (Alright.)
“But still, it’s been a shame not seeing your face much.”
—Chizhik. Chik. (You’ll see plenty of it tomorrow, so what’s the big deal?)
“Does that mean you miss me too?”
—Chiiik. (No… Not really…)
We were in the middle of this half-serious, half-playful exchange when James, walking nearby, turned to Kyle.
“Your Highness, do you hear that? It sounds like a rat squeaking… or maybe a bird chirping?”
…Why the hell do northern folks have such sharp hearing?
From that point on, I kept completely silent, staying curled up inside Kyle’s pocket until it was time to set up camp.
‘Sigh.’
What a tragic hamster life.