I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 3

Tezen had a very good habit of being a heavy sleeper. Once he was out, he was *out*.

So, on the second night, I was able to sneak away to Johann without much trouble.

‘I really want to turn into a human quickly, please.’

Just thinking about how Tezen tormented me during the day made my fur bristle.

“Slave, why do you keep sleeping? Huh?”

I’d been trying to take a nap during the day because I was exhausted, but he kept poking me in the back and even brought out all sorts of books about divine beasts, reading aloud.

“The gender of a divine beast can be easily determined by looking at the tail pattern… Let’s see the tail!”

Tezen grabbed my tail, and immediately exclaimed in admiration.

I snatched my tingling tail away and glared at him.

“Hmm, you’re a girl! I didn’t know that. I guess nobody else does either.”

Well, there aren’t many wizards powerful enough to have a divine beast, so most people probably wouldn’t know these facts.

Besides, divine beasts were incredibly expensive.

I knew that Ella had brought a huge amount of money to the temple when she acquired me.

Tezen, having confirmed my gender, became serious and asked.

“So, are you going to turn into a girl later? How old are you?”

If I could answer, I’d be a human, not a divine beast, you blockhead.

I sighed, quickly wrapped my tail around my body, and buried my face.

“I wish you were older than me. It would be easier to boss you around.”

I was already miserable enough possessing a squirrel’s body, but I didn’t like my owner either.

Even if he’s only fourteen, how can he be so immature and…*violent*?

But it wasn’t entirely unhelpful.

“And… hmm. The explanation about humanization is detailed here.”

Thanks to Tezen reciting the contents of the book about divine beasts, I also learned more about my situation.

“If you absorb a large amount of magic power in a short period, humanization is possible for a short time. However, to maintain humanization, you need to absorb magic power steadily for more than 50 days.”

Fifty days.

So, that meant I had to stay with Johann for more than fifty days.

As far as I knew, Johann was being drafted into the war in three months, so there was plenty of time.

“Of course, there are very few wizards with that much magic power, so only one divine beast has succeeded in humanization so far.”

My goal was now to become the second divine beast to succeed in humanization.

Considering the enormous magic power of Johann I felt yesterday, it didn’t seem impossible.

“But if you humanize in the middle, before fifty days, all the magic power you’ve absorbed will be invalidated. So, you have to endure even if you feel like you’re going to humanize. Got it?”

Tezen said to me as if he were lecturing me.

“When you feel like you’re going to humanize, don’t stop accepting magic power, but rather accept the other person’s magic power more strongly to calm it down. Keep that in mind.”

I didn’t know what it felt like to be humanized, but there was no way to know… yet.

But one way or another, I was going to humanize.

As I clenched my fist again with determination, Tezen smiled and spoke to me again.

“Slave, quickly calm my great magic power and humanize.”

“Kyuoong.”

Tezen firmly believed in Ella’s daily whispers, ‘Your magic power is amazing. Enough to become the owner of this Highrad [likely a title or magical artifact].’

Well, in a way, Ella was amazing. She was thoroughly deceiving her own side first.

Tezen, a fourteen-year-old with no experience in the world, was completely convinced of his own specialness.

‘Even if I humanize, it won’t be thanks to *your* magic power.’

If I were to absorb Johann’s magic power and humanize, I would definitely ask him to erase the Highrad crest [a mark of allegiance or ownership] and leave this place.

‘There’s no reason to stay here at all.’

Johann, who went to the battlefield, returns victorious a few years later and deals with Ella and Tezen first.

There was no need for me to be in that duchy where a bloodbath was brewing.

‘First of all, humanization is the priority. I can’t live my whole life as a squirrel eating nuts like this.’

To do that, I had to quickly calm and absorb Johann’s overflowing magic power.

As soon as night fell, I headed straight to Johann’s room.

The window was even wide open, and Johann was pacing by the window, waiting for me.

‘Damn, he’s so pretty.’

It was hard to imagine that this boy would grow up to be a villain who would throw the world into chaos.

His innocent face stimulated my protective instincts; with his sparkling purple eyes, pale white skin, and a look of suppressed pain, he was truly a perfect, sickly pretty boy.

‘Okay, let’s do something good for each other quickly.’

Just as I was about to put my paw on his forehead, Johann smiled prettily and said.

“I want to give you a name.”

I couldn’t help but admire him.

Wow, how can he only pick such pretty words to say?

I was so tired of hearing Tezen shout ‘Slave’ all day, so being given a name was an unexpected pleasure.

“I’ve been thinking about it all day…”

Johann blinked his innocent-looking eyes and said with an expectant face.

“How about Paul or Tom? I think a short name would suit you.”

“Kyuoong,”

Wow, that’s really not good.

I shook my head at once.

“…Is it too short and you don’t like it? Then, with a longer name… Dave or Caliban…”

“Kyuoong!”

No, why are all the names you’re giving me male names?

I was wondering how to explain that I was a girl, but I decided to abandon my shame.

“Kyuoong.”

Johann looked at where my finger was pointing and looked bewildered for a moment.

“…?”

“Kyuoong.”

Then, I pointed to myself and made an X with my arms to indicate that it wasn’t there.

So, if you put it together…

What’s there for you, isn’t there for me.

As expected, Johann seemed to understand and muttered in embarrassment.

“You… you were female?”

When I nodded, he seemed speechless and remained silent for a moment.

I was also a little confused.

Judging by the fact that he used the word ‘female,’ he didn’t seem to have any basic knowledge of divine beasts.

According to the book that Tezen read so diligently earlier, divine beasts have the potential for humanization, so they are given titles related to humans.

‘Well, it’s hard to know about divine beasts unless you deliberately look for them.’

I looked around Johann’s simple room.

There were only a few old and difficult-looking thick ancient books.

Well, he was trapped in a remote room, only given meals, and practicing swordsmanship alone with a dull sword, so he wouldn’t be given high-quality books.

‘How much does he know about divine beasts? Does he only know that they are beings that can calm rampant magic power?’

I was curious if he knew about humanization at least.

As I tilted my head, he carefully picked me up.

“Anyway, thanks for coming. I’ll think about the name later. I don’t know female names very well…”

He looked around and took me to the bed.

“Kyuoong?”

“This is the only soft place. It must have been hard to come over the hard wall.”

He smiled kindly, and I was moved for the second time after the name.

My goodness, he’s such a kind-hearted boy.

“You know, I’ve been waiting for you all day. I was actually very lonely.”

Oh, poor thing. I’ll really come often.

“But I wasn’t bored because I was thinking about your name. I can think about your name all day tomorrow, so time will pass quickly.”

Who wouldn’t be moved by these words?

For the record, I was a person, not a squirrel. My identity as a human was clear.

“Kyuoong, kyoo.”

I put my paw on the pillow and tapped it, meaning to lie down.

I could still feel the magic power going crazy, so it was to get some rest and calm down.

In my own way, it was a tremendous service.

‘You’re kind, unlike Tezen, so I like you. I also feel really sorry for you.’

Even though he is the eldest son, he is treated like this and waits alone for a squirrel all day because his father, the Duke, is going to war.

Johann smiled with sad eyes, nodded, and then lay down on the bed.

“Kyuoong.”

I put my paw on his forehead and began to accept the enormous magic power that was raging.

As the magic power rushed in like a wave, I felt nauseous and a very strange feeling, just like yesterday.

But because I had accepted magic power yesterday, it was a much more ticklish and strange sensation.

‘Wait.’

Johann had already closed his eyes and was entrusting himself to me. His face looked somewhat comfortable and ecstatic.

‘Didn’t Tezen say that if you absorb a lot of magic power in a short period of time, you can humanize instantly?’

That’s when it happened.

‘What, what is this?’

Suddenly, Johann’s magic power began to surge greatly within my body.

“Kyuoong!”

I was momentarily flustered and took my paw off Johann’s forehead.

‘Wait a minute, maybe…’

At that time, I remembered what Tezen had been reciting diligently.

“When you feel like you’re going to humanize, don’t stop accepting magic power, but rather accept the other person’s magic power more strongly to calm it down. Keep that in mind.”

Is this what it feels like to be humanized? Then I shouldn’t have taken my paw off…

“Squirrel? What’s wrong?”

To make matters worse, Johann frowned and slowly opened his eyes. And…

‘What should I do!’

In an instant, my paw in front of me turned into a white and small girl’s hand.