“Do you need a big box? Can you get me one?”
“A big box…? Well, that shouldn’t be too difficult… What do you need it for? How big does it need to be?”
“It might sound strange, but I hope you won’t be surprised when I tell you. So…”
Luke took a deep breath, suppressing his embarrassment as he spoke.
“I… I’m planning to get inside it.”
“What?”
It was quite an embarrassing request, but after hearing the circumstances from Ru’a Eraast, Yerna nodded and thought.
Although Luke was human and not truly a ‘Hyun’, there were indeed mind-affecting magic spells. It’s possible that Luke could have been influenced by such mental modification.
And there are indeed many cases of such mental alterations that function almost like ‘instincts’—something Yerna had learned about when studying to be a Forest Keeper.
Of course, magic related to the ‘mental realm’ is a highly dangerous magic group, treated with extreme caution and under strict surveillance by the authorities, so it was naturally locked at a high-level class, but if a ‘noble’ with money to waste wanted to, there would be ways to bypass that.
And if this ‘instinct’ was engraved within him, only Luke would suffer from suppressing it.
In fact, as time passed, such mental repression could naturally unravel.
Furthermore, experiencing the fear of not being able to control his own body, Luke made a very strong request to Yerna.
“I know I’ve received far too much help already and it might seem shameless. But, you are all I can rely on right now…”
In the end, she had no choice but to agree to Luke’s request.
“That sort of thing isn’t really difficult.”
———-
Thus, Luke was expressing his instincts under Ru’a Eraast’s advice.
“…..”
So, he would sit inside a box or would not sit properly on the sofa but would climb and sit on the backrest.
All behaviors that a cat would do, yet he found it fascinating that it actually worked.
“…..This is interesting.”
At first, it was certainly embarrassing, but gradually he became accustomed to the sensations, feeling like a different kind of feeling was gradually filling the deep inside of his chest.
When he was inside the box, somehow his mind calmed down.
Lying down and gently touching the hanging mobile with his hand felt strangely delightful.
When he was sprawled on the backrest of the sofa, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
Even rolling around a small ball of yarn seemed like an incredibly engaging and fun activity.
‘It’s almost like I really became a cat.’
Yerna was out, and Ru’a was not coming today. With no one watching him, Luke felt emboldened to experiment with various things, and curiosity began to rise over his embarrassment.
“If these ears are cat-like, then whose horns are these?”
Mages are beings that live for curiosity.
As a joke, it is said that if a mage became curious about the afterlife, it wouldn’t be strange for them to choose death themselves.
This signifies just how important ‘curiosity’ is to a mage.
Up until now, he had only not acted correctly due to decorum.
Now that curiosity had risen, he immediately moved to take action to solve it.
Thus, for the first time, Luke stood in front of a mirror and carefully examined the horns growing on his head.
Before, those horns had not been important at all.
They were simply there.
But if they influenced something ‘instinctual’, then he could prepare for actions that were unpredictable.
Luke carefully touched the horn growing beside his head.
The texture and shape unmistakably resembled that of a goat.
Then, was half of him a goat Hyun?
Thinking that, he immediately followed up with another thought.
‘But if I were a goat, what instincts would I have?’
After hopping around on all fours, Luke thought that this probably wasn’t quite right.
After opening the fridge to nibble some vegetables, he thought that his tummy felt a bit fuller.
When he raised his horns and bumped them against the wall, he thought it hurt quite a bit.
“Ugh, I don’t really get it.”
Rubbing his sore horns against the wall, deep in thought, he had no clue whatsoever.
Not even a common hint.
Luke pondered while inside the box Yerna had left in the living room, wondering if he should look something up in a zoology encyclopedia.
——-
A few days later, it was once again Yerna’s duty day.
In other words, Ru’a Eraast was going to visit once more.
“So, how is the expression of your instincts going?”
“I would say it’s going smoother than I expected.”
“Seems that way.”
Luke, who was gradually getting used to the behavior of a cat, had reached the stage of reading books and solving problems while inside the box.
His adaptability was quite rapid.
Having been afraid of a body that acted ‘against his will’, he was able to free himself from fear by engaging in ‘instinctive’ actions.
Ru’a, unaware of the underlying reasons, simply felt pleased watching Luke revert to child-like behavior.
She exaggerated her tone to redirect Luke’s focus back to her.
“Shall we conduct an experiment this time?”
“An experiment?”
Luke’s interest was piqued with the word ‘experiment.’
Mages are inextricably linked to experiments.
To prove their logic and hypotheses, experiments are indeed essential.
Therefore, Luke, who had a high interest in experiments, perked his ears up and focused on Ru’a’s voice.
Observing Luke’s reaction as he concentrated on her voice, Ru’a felt quite cheerful.
Though she thought him to be a stoic, she realized there was a rather adorable side to him beyond his facial expressions.
“I couldn’t control the impulse to grab my tail last time, so let’s see if you can hold it back this time!”
“Hmm, so that’s the experiment… Well, okay. I’m intrigued by that as well.”
Nodding, Luke emerged from the box and sat properly in front of Ru’a, looking at her.
“But what will we use? Trying to use your tail like last time isn’t recommended…”
“Of course, I’m not going to use my tail! So…”
Ru’a pulled out a small mechanical device that looked like a pen from her pocket.
Luke, who reflexively scanned it with magic sight, realized it was a type of ‘light magic’ magical tool.
‘A tool that shoots a strong light in a straight line? It seems to be an application of light magic based on the mana arrangement.’
Seeing Ru’a’s expression, which showed slight curiosity about the tool in her hand, she smiled and continued.
“The ultimate laser pointer! We’ll use this!”
“A laser pointer? What kind of thing is that used for?”
“It’s used to point at something. Like in lectures. You haven’t seen one before, have you?”
“No.”
5000 years ago, as mages were few, even the largest academy had only around twenty students at a time. So, the concept of a ‘laser pointer’ used in spacious auditoriums was unfamiliar to Luke.
“This one was specially made for young Hyun, so the brightness is just right, and it won’t harm the eyes. Though you still shouldn’t aim it directly at the eyes.”
As Ru’a clicked the laser pointer, shooting it toward the floor, Luke felt some impulse as he saw the small green dot appear and vanish.
“This is…”
‘For some unknown reason, I really want to catch it. I can clearly feel my instincts shouting at me.’
“How about it, can you endure it?”
“…. I see, this is how it’s used.”
Luke nodded slightly.
“This might indeed be hard to hold back. Perhaps it’s because it’s a new stimulus.”
“Is that so? Then great, let’s take this opportunity to get used to it! Don’t suppress your instincts!”
“Th-That…!”
Naturally, the act of unleashing instincts in front of someone else caused embarrassment.
Certainly, compared to forcibly holding it back, acting according to one’s instincts at least once significantly lessened the sudden impulses.
Especially since he was a cat, such instinctive behaviors quickly became tiresome, making it easier to control the impulses.
He knew this for sure after several days of experimenting on his own.
But that curiosity…
The curiosity synergized beautifully with the disposition Luke inherently possessed, strengthening it even more.
Luke shifted his gaze, following the swaying green dot as it described a figure-eight shape.
“Th-That… that…”
“Come on, try to catch it!”
“Th-That…!”
Ultimately, Luke lost to his instincts, moving his body of his own volition before he could regain control.
No mage could overcome ‘curiosity’ after all.
Thud!
“Ugh…”
Finding himself sprawled on his stomach, with his backside pushed back and both hands pressing down on the spot where the green dot had been, Luke felt his face growing hot.
Of course, the green dot was just the light that had been projected, and he hadn’t actually caught anything; it still rested on his small hand.
‘Of course it would end up like this…’
Sweating coldly and feeling embarrassed, Luke cautiously looked up at Ru’a.
Ru’a nodded her head with delight, smiling widely.
“Indeed, it seems you are a cat after all, Luke.”
“…. Ru’a, I humbly request that you refrain from speaking any further.”
‘What on earth is that magical tool? I didn’t see any magic for mental control…’
——–
With a very stiff expression, Luke handed over the laser pointer Ru’a had left to Yerna.
“Please help me get used to this.”
“What is this…? What on earth is going on?”
Well, no matter how you looked at it, it was just an ordinary laser pointer.
However, seeing Luke handle it as carefully as if it were explosives, Yerna couldn’t help but become serious, thinking that there might be a special function hidden within it.
“They call it a laser pointer. It’s a magical tool that emits a small green light, but I can’t seem to get used to it no matter how hard I try.”
“Is that so?”
Yerna was temporarily startled as she held the laser pointer Luke had handed her.
It appeared to just be a simple laser pointer, yet it was strange that Luke had presented it with such a determined expression.
“What am I supposed to do with this?”
“It’s simple. Just point it at the floor and move it around. I’ll try not to react to it.”
“Really? So, it’s like training?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
Yerna nodded.
In the past few days, she had observed Luke attempting various things to control his ‘instincts.’
He likely wouldn’t want his body to move with a tool like this.
If the effects of mental modification he himself didn’t quite understand were showing up in his daily life, Yerna was sure she would feel uncomfortable as well.
“Alright, I understand. I’ll help.”
“Thank you. I’m ready, so you can start at any time.”
Seeing Luke take a deep breath and prepare himself, Yerna took on a serious expression and pointed the laser at the floor, pressing the button.
Click.
“…..”
Fingers and shoulders twitching.
It was clear he was trying to hold back the impulses.
Yerna cautiously moved it, tracing a large circle.
Luke’s gaze followed the green dot.
As she began to move faster, his eyes also sped up to keep track of it.
Every time Luke reached out his hand to catch it, the large reaction from his shoulder was quite adorable.
‘This is quite cute and amusing, though I feel sorry for Luke…’
Regardless of the influence of mental modification, isn’t that just too cute?
Yerna felt herself getting drawn further into the game.
The green dot seemed to dance around, teasing Luke.
It would come close, then dart away again.
Then, it would come right back, even climbing onto his hand.
Though it had no texture or weight, it felt as if a bug were crawling around, making Luke want to capture that green light immediately.
Even if it was merely a meaningless action, it clearly held significance in her body, calling to him with instinctual fervor.
As Yerna’s technique evolved, eventually he moved his hand.
“Ah.”
The green light illuminating the center of his hand.
It was overwhelmingly evident what that meant.
Luke murmured in a voice that was almost on the verge of tears.
“Ugh… Yerna, please don’t tease me like that…”
“Huh…? Oh, oh no…?”
Yerna was greatly startled to hear the sound of Luke nearly crying.
She had never imagined he would cry.
Of course, she knew that kids at that age quickly cried, but in her mind, she held a belief that ‘Luke would absolutely never cry.’
Thus, his whimpering voice was quite shocking.
That whimpering arose because Luke realized he could not overcome his own resolution, and finally succumbed to losing control over his body, entangled with feelings of self-loathing, doubt, anxiety, and embarrassment—all overwhelming his young body with emotion.
But he hastily pivoted back to those feelings, regaining his posture.
Losing control over his body was already quite shameful; crying in front of someone else was just as terrible.
Fortunately, the act was a momentary ‘experiment’ considering ‘he might lose himself,’ so he didn’t experience extreme panic, which was a relief.
Clearing his throat and steadying his voice, Luke spoke calmly.
“I couldn’t hold back after all, so let’s call it a day. I’ll ask for your help again next time, will you?”
“Of course, Luke…”
“Thank you always, Yerna.”
“Y-Yeah…”
Even after Luke had gone into his room, Yerna felt as though Luke’s whimpering voice kept playing on repeat in her mind.
Struggling to overcome her trauma, and when it didn’t work, her emotions surged.
Though she soon regained her composure, in that moment, she had indeed felt like a child.
‘No matter how mature and talented he is, Luke is still a child. He needs to be protected.’
Yerna clenched the laser pointer tightly, making a vow.
Of course, she didn’t like it when children cried, but she worried that Luke kept too much bottled up inside and worried it was alright for him to cry occasionally.
‘But why is he so cute…?’
Indeed, it was cute.
