Chapter 111

There’s a heat for every animal, and squirrels are no exception—even humans have their own heat.

Animals tend to unleash their instincts without restraint, while humans suppress them with intellect.

If humans couldn’t control their heat, society would be a chaotic mess, not to mention horrific in other ways.

In that context, Porori’s heat could not be easily ignored. For now, it was solely focused on monsters and beasts, but who knows what might happen?

Soon, I’d be spending more time with Eli, which meant I had to get even more accustomed to civilized behavior.

There’s a forest right next to the Academy, but I might also travel to other countries. I need to prepare for that.

“Eli. Wait a second.”

“Uh? Why?”

“Can we talk for a minute? About Porori… I mean, Ratatosk.”

So, I called Eli, who is close to my main personality. She widened her eyes at my summons.

Unlike me, Eli and the others had no clues about what was going on.

Grace and Lee Yeon-joo didn’t even know about Porori’s existence, so I couldn’t just blurt things out.

“Why Ratatosk? Is it somehow linked to these monsters?”

“Yeah.”

“Um… okay. Let’s step aside for a moment.”

Eli said that and moved away from Grace and Lee Yeon-joo, who were busy investigating traces.

Once we reached a slightly separated spot, I started to explain step by step.

“Ratatosk. Heat.”

“Right. It said it’s for relieving heat.”

“All of this—it’s all the traces. Only the furry ones got affected.”

“Uh…”

Eli’s expression turned sour as she seemed to understand my explanation. She turned her head toward the gruesome scene.

The fur-less monsters were neatly dead, while those with fur had their lower halves charred by lightning.

We’d have to investigate further to determine the extent of the damage. Until then, even professors wouldn’t have a clue.

“…Is that really true?”

“Just a guess. The likelihood is high.”

“If that’s the case, should we start with STD tests? No way. Can spirits even get STDs?”

“…..”

Typical Eli. While anyone else would be thinking of the danger, she goes off in a completely different direction to find a solution.

Of course, it’s a valid concern. Animals have been known to transmit diseases to humans for ages.

Even if Porori is a spirit creature, it could bring back an unknown sickness, which could lead to trouble. And I have even gotten rabies shots.

“Let’s find Ratatosk first. It said it wouldn’t harm humans, but who knows?”

“Got it.”

“Hey, missy. I don’t have any diseases, you know.”

That voice rang clear in my ears after a long time. Eli and I looked at the source of that voice simultaneously.

There stood Porori (Ratatosk) like a large dog, arms crossed, striking a proud pose. Nothing about it had changed.

“Ra, Ratatosk? When did you get here?”

“I felt your energy and came to check what was up.”

“…..”

Listening to Porori, I turned my head in another direction, toward Grace and Lee Yeon-joo.

Fortunately, they were too preoccupied with their excavations and hadn’t noticed us yet.

We’d found it way earlier than expected. At this rate, we might get caught soon.

“Who are those humans over there? Friends of yours? Or are they your females?”

“……Friends.”

Ah, it seems the wild side is still a bit too prevalent. Then again, it was originally born a beast, so I can understand.

But being asked outright if they were my females makes me feel odd. Eli looked visibly flustered too.

“Is that so? Anyway, why were you looking for me? Thought you were worried? How touching.”

“Yeah, I’m worried. You’re seriously dangerous.”

“Dangerous?”

Porori tilted its head in confusion, clearly not aware of what it had done.

Instead of answering, I gestured toward the gruesome scene. Porori turned its gaze toward that direction.

It stared at the scene for a while, before finally letting out a realization, “Was it because of my heat? I was worried I’d take down a lady or another human by accident?”

“Exactly.”

“Hey, buddy. No matter how evolved I am, my preferences are set. I have zero interest in humans without fur.”

Porori stated as it eyed Eli. More specifically, it was gazing at her big heart.

Then it nodded slightly, seemingly conceding that point.

“Still cozy though. You can touch that, right?”

“…..”

“Or not? You still haven’t pounced on her?”

Maybe it was the heat talking. It just kept spouting nonsense.

I glanced at Eli while listening to Porori, and her face was getting redder by the second, indicating she was embarrassed.

Even though Porori has evolved into a spirit creature and is becoming more civilized, its nature is still that of an animal. It probably considers this to be common sense.

Of course, it doesn’t outright touch; it does act spoiled from time to time. Eli tends to let this slide.

Anyway, to ease the awkward atmosphere, we needed to switch topics. Let’s start with the heat issue.

“Why use lightning?”

“What?”

“When mating, lightning strikes. All lower halves burnt to a crisp.”

“Oh, that?”

Looking at the bodies, all the lower halves were charred. This was clear evidence that Porori had a serious issue.

Porori’s expression morphed into a sad one, as it turned its gaze elsewhere, seemingly peering into the distance.

“There’s a sad backstory to it…”

“…..”

Is it trying to spout more nonsense again? But looking at its wistful face, maybe it’s not entirely nonsense.

We should probably move to another spot. This could turn into a lengthy conversation.

Eventually, after Eli relayed the news to Grace, we temporarily moved elsewhere. She bought the excuse of needing some good herbs.

“As you, and the lady know, I’m a squirrel. But just because I’m a squirrel doesn’t mean I only desire more squirrels.”

“Huh? Aren’t animals supposed to mate within the same species?”

Eli expressed a valid question at Porori’s statement. It’s typically common for animals to breed within the same species.

Though hybrids do occur occasionally, the norm is mating within the group.

“That’s true. But that’s usually just for convenience. Humans are the same, aren’t they? It’s easier to raise children if you breed with someone living a similar lifestyle.”

“…..Is that really how it works?”

Eli tilted her head. Porori’s explanation does hold some merit.

People from the same cultural background tend to be less averse to each other, even if they’re different races.

Conversely, if the cultural backgrounds differ, conflicts arise, and it could lead to irreversible incidents.

“But I’m different. Even if they’re not of my kind but of the same species, I don’t care. If they live differently, I can adapt. So, I set out to find a fitting female.”

“Same species?”

“You humans may be of the same species, but you have many different kinds. Some are pale-skinned, some are brown-skinned. Eyes, noses, and mouths are all different.”

From Porori’s perspective, that might be how it feels. In reality, humans are often categorized by ‘ethnicity.’

For example, Westerners and Easterners, and Tartars, who belong on Earth to groups in the Middle East.

There are even pale Northern people, so it is indeed a diverse world.

“So, did you find one?”

“I barely managed. But…”

Porori sighed deeply, as if it was covered in nostalgia. Judging by its expression, it looked like the world was on the brink of collapse.

I wondered if perhaps it had been rejected by a female, but the answer that came from its mouth sufficed to send chills down my spine.

“The lightning struck when I got excited… the female died on me…”

“…..”

“It was the one female I finally found… the one I worked so hard to court… and I ended up killing her by accident…”

That’s a story that’s hardly laughable. Porori changed its entire lifestyle just to find a mate.

The problem is that even after all that effort, an unforeseen incident led to the death of the female. This will likely stick as a significant trauma.

“So I practiced on those outcasts. After all, they’re just a nuisance outside. But it wasn’t easy.”

“Th-Those… Nol and the other animals aren’t the same species or tribe, though?”

“I said it was practice. Keeping them alive would only harm my kind, or rather, those of my species.”

Here lies a squirrel who embodies both sweetness and masculinity. It’s fantastical yet confusing.

This means that the monsters that were in the interior got pushed out not because of Porori’s heat but due to fierce competition as initially investigated.

The ruckus in the forest isn’t clear, but it seems quite noisy. Once you enter, there’s hardly a chance of getting back out.

“Is it serious?”

“Not critical. But the strength of predators will change the exterior. Right now, only the weak ones are coming out, but who knows what happens next?”

The stronger the competition becomes, the stronger those left behind will become.

The monsters that have been pushed out of the confines are the ones that used to dwell inside. This doesn’t mean they’re weak.

However, you can’t just charge in and take out the predators. If you mess with the food chain, it will disrupt everything.

In the end, we have no choice but to clean up the outside until the interior stabilizes. For now, that’s the best course of action.

“As you know, we had all sorts come at us when we were together. Just think of those types being pushed outward. Well, they’ll probably die before that can happen.”

“Did you deal with it?”

“I’m not sure about that. They might target somewhere else instead?”

“In short, we have to handle the monsters that were pushed to the outskirts first. It’s going to be tough gathering herbs on my own.”

This means we need to stabilize the interior before we can start cleaning up the outer area.

But we can’t just leave it as it is; if the ones pushed out settle down, it’ll become a headache.

“Miss, if there are any herbs you need, let me know. I’ll bring them to you.”

“No, it’s fine. I can just bring Sivar along every weekend. The herbs I need change each time.”

“Is that so? Then I guess it’ll be fine. I’m heading out.”

Porori said everything it needed to before trotting off. Despite having stood proudly on two legs, it now dashed away on all fours.

And with its trademark agile movements, it scaled a tree and vanished. I’d say it looked pretty functional for something in heat.

‘So, it shoots lightning every time it mates? That’s absurd.’

Was a spirit creature really like that? At least, from my knowledge, they were not.

It probably happened because Porori became one relatively recently, and it still struggles to fully tame its instincts.

It’s truly unfortunate to have to kill a beloved female with its own hands. But it’s a story that certainly isn’t humorous.

“…..Sivar.”

“?”

While I gazed blankly at where Porori had disappeared, Eli, who had been behind me, quietly called my name.

When I turned, she had a resolute expression on her face, as though she had something to say.

As our eyes met, she flinched and her face slowly turned red. She couldn’t even meet my gaze, indicating she had something in mind.

“Th-That thing Ratatosk said, about mating and lightning strikes…”

“Yeah. I heard.”

“That doesn’t mean… you also do that, right?”

“…..?”

I know Eli has a rather outlandish mind. I’ve always been amazed at it.

But instead of being in awe, I only felt perplexed right now. Is she really implying that I’m like that little rodent?

Did she read the dumbfounded look on my face? Eli hurriedly added an explanation in a somewhat flustered tone.

“W-Well, I was just saying, in case… you might have heat too… it’s only a hypothetical situation!”

“….”

“So what I’m trying to say is… if you ever want to mate later…”

“…..What the heck?”

But this was something I absolutely couldn’t ignore. The word “heck” even slipped out of my mouth after a long time.

Thank goodness it wasn’t a curse from this world, so Eli didn’t catch it. But it was clear my emotions flickered to the surface.

Eli’s face turned even redder at my reaction, yet she continued to explain her reasoning with a determined expression.

“Because hearing about Ratatosk, I couldn’t just brush it off. What if something happens to you, just like with Ratatosk?”

“…..”

From Eli’s perspective, her concerns were justified, which made me even more speechless. I couldn’t argue against it either.

I don’t know who I might end up with in the future, but at least a tragedy like Ratatosk’s will not occur.

“Got it? Before going with anyone else, you have to come to me first? T-This is just a confirmation, not embarrassing at all!”

Eli’s eyes were about to spin in circles. Her face was flushed from embarrassment.

It seemed like she had reached a point where she was unaware of the words coming out of her mouth.

To be honest… it’s not a bad thought. Eli is attractive and has a wonderful figure, even objectively speaking.

But perhaps due to my Confucian values, I find myself somewhat reluctant. I’d rather wait until both our feelings are confirmed before taking a step further.

“Ugh… what if I can’t give proper sexual education? Maybe I should just take her under the pretense of teaching…”

“…..”

Ultimately, my mind became a whirlpool of confusion. I quietly observed the chaotic Eli as she drummed her own logic.

I couldn’t determine whether I felt a sense of duty or if I genuinely liked her. Maybe it’s both.

First, I should calm her down. Just as I reached out to place a comforting hand on Eli’s shoulder…

-Grrrrrr!!!

A deafening roar filled the forest, echoing loudly enough to be heard by everyone.

Even Eli, who had been lost in confusion, snapped back to reality at that roar.

“What was that noise… S-Sivar! Where are you going?!”

Without hesitation, I dashed in the direction of the sound. Roars generally indicate a monster is preparing for an attack.

In other words, someone might be under attack by a monster. Though with a guardian present, it might be okay.

But my instincts warned me. That roar was made by a very powerful monster.

‘Looks like the forest has gone downhill for real.’

It seems that I’ll have to enter the interior soon.

---