Chapter 19

"Kuu~"

The newly hatched servant beast let out a cry.

Good.

It wasn’t a very loud cry, but the thought that this was its first cry made me feel relieved.

Since I knew that there were cases where servant beasts did not hatch from eggs, I had been secretly harboring anxiety deep in my heart.

I was truly glad that it had been born.

This servant beast seemed to have broken the eggshell using the two horns on its head.

It shook its head lightly to shake off the eggshell that was stuck to its horns.

Then, it tried to stand up on its four thin legs, trembling.

But, with its small, newly born body, standing up must have been quite difficult.

Its legs were trembling just like a newborn fawn.

"Try your best!"

Watching it struggle to stand up with all its might, I couldn’t help but cheer it on.

I clenched my fists and continued to encourage it.

As if responding to my encouragement, the servant beast mustered all its strength and successfully stood up straight.

It raised its head as if to say, "How’s that?" and proudly thrust its horns into the sky.

Seeing this, I couldn’t help but clap.

Animals are truly wonderful.

I’ve been growing vegetables, but seeing a living creature strive to live really touches the heart.

I couldn’t help but feel moved.

"Kyu?"

The servant beast, looking at me, tilted its head, wondering what was going on.

I gestured to show that it was nothing and began to observe the servant beast more closely.

It had two horns on its head.

They weren’t straight but curved and branched out in places.

However, since the horns were wide, they gave the impression of being more like a reindeer’s horns than a deer’s.

Its body was covered in fur, which was straight and white.

Currently, it was still covered in a transparent, egg-white-like liquid, but once that dried, it might have a silky texture.

Its body was built for quadrupedal movement, and it felt more like a horse’s build.

I’ve never seen a reindeer in my previous life, but I think it’s closer to a thoroughbred horse’s build than a reindeer or deer.

Right now, it’s so small that it could fit in the palm of my hand, but if it grows larger, it might be able to carry some cargo.

However, I don’t recall horses having fur all over their bodies.

So, should I call it a horse or a reindeer?

While I was thinking about this, the servant beast, which had been looking at me, started a different action.

It began to eat the eggshell that was still lying on the floor.

For a moment, I wondered if it was okay to eat that.

But since it seemed to be a natural action, I decided to just watch.

"By the way, what does this thing eat?"

While watching the horse-like creature crunch and eat the eggshell, a new question came to mind.

The eggshell would be gone soon.

Servant beasts are born by absorbing magic from eggs, but they are still living creatures.

The problem is that each servant beast that is born seems to have a different ecology.

According to what I’ve heard from merchants, riding dragons are carnivorous.

They are relatively fuel-efficient, but if you don’t give them meat every day, they will die.

However, not all servant beasts are carnivorous.

Each servant beast that is born eats different things.

They really seem to be different species.

The fact that servant beast eggs are like a gamble is also related to this.

Many people try to make a quick profit by buying servant beast eggs, but even if they are lucky enough to hatch an egg, they often fail to raise it because they can’t afford the food.

I understand the feeling.

To be honest, as a poor farmer, I can’t afford to eat meat every day.

Whether I can feed a young servant beast, which may or may not be sellable, is a realistic concern.

What exactly does this thing eat?

As I was thinking about this, the young servant beast finished eating the eggshell.

It ate every last piece, leaving nothing behind.

It must be hungry.

Actually, what if it asks for milk right now?

Of course, I don’t have the physical ability or magic to produce breast milk.

As I panicked, the young servant beast approached me, tottering, and started rubbing its head against my pants.

What’s this?

What does it want?

I was surprised by this mysterious action, but it didn’t seem to be asking for anything.

After rubbing its head against me, it looked at me and let out a "Kuu~" before rubbing its head against me again.

It seemed to be simply showing affection or seeking closeness.

So cute.

After cuddling with me for a while, it climbed onto my lap, where I was sitting cross-legged, and fell asleep on my leg.

What is this guy? He’s too cute.

It seems that the newly born servant beast has perfectly taken a liking to me.

Of course, there are many things I’m curious about, but I’ll put them aside for now.

I stopped thinking and started stroking the back of the young servant beast sleeping on my leg.

Thank you for reading.

Please consider bookmarking and rating if you enjoyed it.