The elephant snorted with his trunk.

"Kkyuryung."

Lucarion's eyes narrowed.

Not long ago he had not understood what that creature said, but now, for some reason, he did.

The elephant, reading his expression, twisted his mouth into a grin and added, "Kkyurrung, kkyururung."

Lucarion frowned, then smirked.

[How amusing. I could read the thoughts of a pathetic worm like you even without that, if I wanted.]

The elephant grabbed at the back of his neck and staggered. And at once, right between his eyes, something cracked like beads: crack.

"Kkyu! Kkyukkkyut!"

"Both of you—stop!"

Tie stepped in at that moment.

The elephant, who had been snorting in anger a moment before, shut his mouth, and Lucarion, with a huff, turned his head sharply away.

Tie sighed as she looked at her two household members who had already fallen out.

'Trouble...'

There was a reason Ppuppu and Lucarion must not be quarrelling like this right now.

"If you keep this up, people will scold Tie!"

Lucarion and Ppuppu stared at Tie.

Tie, as if announcing something extremely important, added, "Don't you know that if a child misbehaves they scold the mother? They say the child wasn't raised at home."

Lucarion's eyes widened.

[Are you out of your mind? Why am I your child?!]

Ppuppu, on the other hand, flopped back down. Then he sprawled on the floor and, shedding tears, began apologizing.

"Kkyuryut, kkyu!"

Tie shook her head.

Then she abruptly scooped up the still-dazed Lucarion in her arms.

[What are you doing? Let me go!]

Lucarion began to squirm, but Tie, panting from the effort, stuffed him into the bag anyway.

She zipped it up so that only Lucarion's head remained outside, and said, "Kkamani, you sit quietly now."

Lucarion stared at her in complete astonishment. But Tie, ignoring this, this time put Ppuppu into the front pocket of the bag.

She left only his little face poking out and put the bag on her back.

"Now Tie will talk with the master."

Lucarion went limp with resignation. But at that moment he felt Ppuppu through the fabric, sitting in the front pocket.

Lucarion casually kicked Ppuppu with his foot.

"......Kkyupit."

Ppuppu immediately flew into a rage and glared viciously at Lucarion.

Lucarion snapped back low so Tie wouldn't hear: [You'd better not even think of doing anything extra.]

Then Ppuppu's eyes narrowed.

[That's what I wanted to tell you, lizard.]

[What?]

[Stop sucking the mother's blood and crawl back into your little disgusting nest. Don't tell me you don't feel it yourself.]

Ppuppu nodded at Lucarion.

Or rather, at the space around Lucarion that was weakly warping.

[Because of you precious mother’s magic is leaking away. And not a little of it.]

Lucarion fell silent.

He did not want to admit it, but Ppuppu was right.

The longer Lucarion stayed embodied, the more magic he had to absorb from Astie.

[And what are you going to do with a body full of holes that can't even hold magic? The more you cling to embodiment, the more you waste the very essence of the mother.]

In truth, Lucarion had been in that state from the very moment he first awakened in the Lodge of Rest.

Magic in his body did not hold well, and that was why it was difficult for him to embody.

As if mocking him, Ppuppu laughed: uhahaha.

[If mother lets me have magic just once, I can easily last ten days. It seems that in the future I'll be the one who can spend a lot of time with mother. Unlike you, with your one-day heart!]

Feeling everything burning inside him, Lucarion glared at that disgusting creature.

'What is this Ppuppu anyway?'

Just thinking about the name Astie gave that vile thing made his head throb.

That creature had deliberately preserved exactly that appearance.

Since it had meddled in the inner worlds of others, of course it had already found out in advance what Astie liked.

Knowing nothing of it, it considered that black, blood-scented thing cute......

[How long are you going to sit like that? Will you allow mother to reach exhaustion because of you?!]

Already furious, Lucarion completely lost his temper because Ppuppu did not stop taunting even for a moment.

Of course Lucarion himself knew: if he continued to sustain embodiment, it would one day harm Astie.

But Astie had so much magic.

So she would not be drained so quickly......

[No matter how inexhaustible a mother's magic may seem, exhaustion is dangerous. Don't you know that the wider the ocean, the more hopeless it becomes when it finally begins to dry up?]

Lucarion pressed his lips tight.

Clearly, this creature saw through other people's souls.

Apparently Ppuppu even understood exactly what Lucarion feared.

[If you truly wish mother's good, return to your nest immediately. Just in case you disappear, I'll close the subspace right away. And from this moment I, Master Ppuppu, will take responsibility for mother's safety.]

As Lucarion frowned, watching that fellow swing his pitiful trunk and laugh complacently,

a voice from afar came: Berugon called, "A battery? You mean this thing is called a battery?"

Turning, they saw Tie standing a little way off with the bag on the floor, and in front of her the head of the workshop holding some object.

Tie nodded.

"Yes! Inside there's such tic-tic electricity like this much!"

Interest flared in Berugon's eyes.

"Electricity?"

"Yes! It's like the core of a magical beast!"

"The core of a magical beast? You mean, there's something like magic inside?"

Tie nodded energetically.

Then she looked around the kindergarten and ran to a large box stuffed with toys.

Lucarion and Ppuppu exchanged puzzled looks, not understanding what she intended to do.

"Here is a place where you put batteries."

Pulling a toy from the box, Tie handed it to Berugon.

It was a baby doll that looked quite realistic.

"What is this......"

Berugon seemed bewildered, but Tie calmly turned the doll upside down.

She felt the smooth back, opened the battery compartment cover.

While Berugon stood with his mouth open, Tie took two AA batteries from him and deftly inserted them inside.

"Like this, you put them in here......"

Tie closed the battery compartment cover and set the doll upright again.

Then, right in front of Berugon's eyes, she pressed the doll's chest.

"Kyah ha ha ha."

"Eek."

Startled by the sudden infant laughter, Berugon took a horrified step back.

But Tie only smiled cheerfully. She quickly found the toy bottle from the same set and pressed it to the baby's lips.

This time a sound came from the ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ doll as if the child were drinking milk.

"Our baby bye bye~"

Engrossed in playing mother, Tie cradled the baby across her arms and began rocking it back and forth.

Then a steady breathing came from the doll.

Looking at the doll with satisfaction, Tie then turned it over and removed the batteries.

"This is how it's done."

Berugon stared at the batteries in Tie's hand as if he could not believe his eyes.

Then he picked up a toy train lying at his feet.

"And this one too?"

"Yesss!"

Tie nimbly inserted the batteries into the train.

When she set the toy down and pressed the button, the train buzzed and sped forward.

A special gleam flashed in Berugon's eyes as he watched with curiosity.