323 – A Day in the Life of Gomtangi

Year 3, Month 6, Day 3 of the Gom (古音) Calendar.

A day in the life of Gomtangi.

Today, Gomtangi, the second devourer of the Deathmund family, began his morning with the raucous voice of the lady of the mansion echoing through the halls.

– Air raid alert!!!!!

“Bear?!”

– Eeeek!!!

“Bear…”

In the ever-energetic voice of the lady of the house, Gomtangyi stretched, lifting his rear. With a resolve to one day grow into such a magnificent glutton himself.

“Bear.”

Thus began the day.

Gomtangyi gazed up at the dim ceiling as he moved forward. He was beneath the doghouse built by his master. To greet the male master properly, he needed to ascend and wait.

“Goom,”

– Thud.

“Bear?”

Something crunched under Gomtangyi’s paw as he advanced. The sensation beneath his foot felt soft, not a stone.

It felt like a human face.

“Bear.”

Gomtangyi cautiously lifted his paw to inspect what he had stepped on. His eyes widened at the sight of a man with a massive bear paw print emblazoned on his forehead.

“Bear?”

“Ah, good day to you, Divine Beast.”

“Bear?”

“Good morning.”

“Bear.”

What manner of creature was this, still lost in slumber? Gomtangyi was curious about the identity of the man with the dark hair.

Digging into the earth with suspicious skill.

– The Divine Beast is resting above! I shall inform you when the work is complete!

– Bear?

– Just ten more meters here…

– Bear…!?

He had his own home, yet he chose to come and sleep in mine.

– Truly, this place is the most comforting. The Saint told me to visit home, even if just for a day. Ha ha…!

– Bear…?

– I shall live as quietly as possible, so as not to disturb the Divine Beast’s life. For now, this is my bribe…

– Go go go bear!!!

– I’m glad you like it.

He was suspiciously good at understanding the bear’s heart.

Gomtang thought life with Hans wasn’t so bad. Sometimes, when he was alone and chuckling to himself, it could be a bit frightening, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

“Are you on your way to a meal?”

“Bear.”

“I stayed up late yesterday because of extra work, so I’ll sleep a bit more…”

“Bear bear.”

He knew deep down that he was a good person. In this mansion, there were no bad people like poachers or hunters seeking bear bile.

Ah.

– Ricardo. Let’s boil the bear cub and eat.

There was one, though.

Gomtang stepped on Hans’s head once more as he climbed the stairs leading to the ground.

“Ugh…!”

“Bear.”

“Enjoy your meal…!”

“Bear bear.”

The view of the mansion from the doghouse was beautiful.

“Open your eyes, Miss.”

“Eek?”

“You need to brush your teeth with your eyes open.”

“Eek? Mmm… cool.”

“Miss!”

The scene of the master and mistress fighting was beautiful, and the birds flying in the air looked delicious, which is why Gomtang liked this mansion.

“Eeeek! I don’t want to brush!”

“Just do it… please.”

“Eeeek!”

Gomtang gazed seriously at the window of the mansion, where loud noises were coming from, and thought.

‘Bear. (Reproduction.)’

They must be reproducing, he mused.

“Bear.”

The primal duty of a creature is to reproduce. Preserving the species is of utmost importance. Thus, I could understand the quarrel between the mistress and the master with a certain leniency.

Gomtang ambled through the yard, nodding his head in a slow rhythm. His tail, no bigger than a thumb, wagged with a gentle enthusiasm.

Though his belly rumbled with hunger, the commotion between the mistress and the master showed no signs of abating. Gomtang decided to take a longer stroll.

“Bear. (Butterfly.)”

“Bear. (Nom.)”

“Bear. (Gulp.)”

It was tasteless.

Indeed, insects were not fit fare for a proud bear. In times like these, digging in the earth was the best course of action.

With his snout pressed to the ground, Gomtang began to move his hefty body, searching for the hidden treats he had buried.

“Bear. (Here.)”

– *Pababababak!*

Gomtang dug with his front paws, clutching the hidden snack in his mouth, waiting for his master to come out with food.

Time passed.

It was the hour when the mistress and master would emerge for their meal.

The master approached, holding a bowl of kibble, while the mistress descended into the yard on a wheeled chair.

– *Hmph!*

The moment Gomtang spotted the mistress’s white hair, he took off running.

“Bear!”

Rice cake.

Sweet rice cake.

“Gomgom…!”

The mistress’s hair tasted like sweet rice cake.

It was chewy and delightful, a satisfying response.

Olivia’s eyes widened as she beheld the enormous shadow unfurling above her.

“Eek?”

– *Shuuuuuuung.*

“Eek!?”

– *Shuuuuuuuu…!*

“Eeeek!? Ricardo meteor!”

“Bear bear.”

“Ugh! You little bear!!!!”

“Bear bear bear.”

“Ricardo!!!!”

Gomtang liked Olivia.

Though her words were rough, she was a grateful person who never cast him aside. Sometimes, she would sneak treats and share them when the master wasn’t looking.

—Hehe. Want some?

—Bear?

—It’s a secret from Ricardo.

—Bear.

Sometimes he would sulk, but Gomtang enjoyed his amusing mistress. He hadn’t met many other animals, so he couldn’t be sure, but surely they felt something like this. That our master was the best in the world.

“Ricardo, you little bear, spread that paste!”

“Miss, where did you learn such words?”

“In my dreams.”

“Haha…”

“Ugh…! It’s breaking…! My head is breaking…! It feels like blood is flowing…!”

“Gomtang’s drool.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Nom nom.”

“…Bear.”

As Gomtang smeared Olivia’s head with drool, he smiled and bit her hair even more.

“Ugh!”

And the master was.

“Phuh.”

Laughing.

If you looked closely, it seemed this master was the most wicked of all. It was amusing to see the mistress suffer. Sometimes, he showed a tough side, refusing to give treats because she had gained too much weight.

When he first arrived here, he was surprised to be called a puppy.

—Now, listen well, you’re a puppy from today.

—Bear?

– Because you’re a puppy, you must bark, “Woof.”

– Bear.

It seemed the master had finally resigned, no longer imposing other demands.

If you were to ask Gomtang who he liked most in this mansion,

it would undoubtedly be the master.

Kind-hearted.

“Gomtang, come here.”

“Bear?”

“The young lady doesn’t have much in her head, so she needs to eat something else.”

“Eeeek!”

“Look here.”

“Bear.”

He was fed too.

“It’s top-quality kibble, so savor it.”

“Bear.”

And he had saved him, after all.

In the middle of the day, a mere creature. The master had rescued me, bringing me to this place. Even though I wasn’t cute, he called me adorable.

Seeing that no other pets had joined the mansion until now, perhaps it was even more touching to realize the master was satisfied with just me. Everyone was precious, but above all, the master was the greatest.

As Gomtang munched on the food handed to him by the master, a smile crept across his face.

“Bear.”

He was happy.

Being together in the mansion.

It felt good and made him drowsy.

*

– Bear. –

The end of Gomtang’s daily life.

“What are you doing?”

Hans raised a question mark over his head as he watched Gomtang, who had slipped a fan between his front paws. He couldn’t help but tilt his head at the mystical sight of Gomtang scribbling something on the floor.

“…”

Having seen Gomtang’s diary, Hans nodded slowly.

“Certainly, it is most potent.”

“Bear.”

“I cannot decipher it with a human mind like mine. The language of bears… it stirs a desire to learn.”

“Bear.”

Gomtang, the bear, tilted his head at Hans.

The taste of thick, sticky rice cake.

Thinking back, he realized he had never inquired about the master’s head. Surely, if it were the master’s head, it would possess an exquisite flavor.

-Quagagagagagag!!!

“Ah… it seems the saint is training again today.”

“Bear.”

Gomtang resolved to wait for what was next.

*

The cold air flowed through the sanctuary of Elysia.

Seated upon the throne, Elysia gazed down at the foreigner who had come to her.

“What brings you here?”

Elysia spoke to the stranger who sought her. Perhaps it was uncomfortable to look down upon him; a smile blossomed at the corners of her mouth at the sight of the man’s unsavory expression.

The name of the man who sought her was Restraint.

“What business do you have in this humble place, Apostle of Restraint?”

He was the Apostle responsible for the heretics.

The Apostle of Restraint furrowed his brow at Elysia’s cold gaze. His mood soured at her unusual demeanor.

A multitude of thoughts crossed through Restraint’s mind. It began with the notion that if the loss of the clock was the doing of Onyu, leading to the hypothesis that Onyu’s Apostle possessed the forbidden clock.

‘Impossible.’

It was an impossible scenario.

The idea that Onyu’s Apostle, who did not venture beyond the sanctuary, could be scheming something was beyond imagination.

Suppressing his unease, Restraint spoke to Onyu’s Apostle.

“I have something to say.”

“Is it something for me? You say it is not a command, but rather words, which feels rather refreshing.”

“…Forbidden.”

At the mention of the word “forbidden,” Elysia’s eyebrows twitched, and Restraint felt a surge of exhilaration.

Believing that his worries had been unfounded, Restraint spoke to Elysia in an authoritative tone.

“Do you not wish to have the clock returned to you?”

“…Show me.”

“What?”

Elysia’s softly murmured words drew a frown from Jeongjae.

“Please, show me.”

“…!”

“I must confirm that you possess it well.”

– Crack.

Jeongjae furrowed his brow.

‘It feels different.’

A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Unlike the Apostle of Onyu, who prayed daily in humble submission, her gaze today was authoritative, filled with a palpable hostility.

‘This is unnecessary worry.’

“Please, show me.”

“…”

“It’s because you dislike handing it over to another. Show me that you have it.”

‘…Do not waver. Jeongjae.’

The Apostle of Jeongjae offered a small smile as he retrieved the fake clock from his inner pocket, presenting it before Elysia.

“Is this what you mean?”

“…”

“Why so much suspicion?”

“…”

Jeongjae smiled.

And then he began to speak to Elysia of the purpose that had brought him here.

“I have located the Holy Sword.”

“…The Holy Sword?”

“Yes. The command I shall give you is to retrieve the Holy Sword alongside me. If you complete this task well, the clock…”

“Pffft…”

“What are you doing?”

“Ahhahahahaha!!!!”

“…Onyu.”

The Apostle of Restraint trembled, the watch in his hand quivering as he glared at Elisia.

“Do you wish to die?”

“Ah ha… Ah ha ha!!!”

The Apostle of Onyu, with a fresh smile, shook his head, a crescent grin adorning his face.

“I apologize. I must be going mad from all the torment.”

“…”

“The Holy Sword, you say? Understood.”

Watching the retreating figure of Restraint, Elisia smiled.

“Liars.”

In Elisia’s hand, a golden watch glimmered.

—