Chapter 1

This is the beginning of the story, a peek into the world of "The Dismissal Reason of the Medicine Monster," like a window into what kind of story it is.

The first half of "The Dismissal Reason of the Medicine Monster" is a compilation of a long work that was originally written in an omnibus format with multiple perspectives, so it interweaves various character perspectives and main plot elements.

Please bear with the fact that the timeline may jump around in the early parts of the story.

---

"Master!"

The voice, as buoyant as it is, trembles with beauty.

The man waving his hand joyfully has long hair that resembles a cool, pure white mother-of-pearl shell with a hint of iridescent color. As he walks over, swaying his loosely braided braid, his appearance, even after seeing it so many times, still sends a shiver down one's spine with its stunning beauty.

However, the flowers at his feet blooming and withering in an instant suggest that there might be a magical influence at play. This is a top-tier monster that can cause fundamental changes in reality.

On the ground, which feels like winter, innocent green shoots sprout, lush green leaves flourish, and vibrant flowers bloom and wither. The pale blue, shimmering flowers, resembling small roses, are so beautiful that one might sigh just by looking at them. However, noticing that the usually fluttering fairies have hidden themselves in the shadows, it seems that this monster is not in a particularly good mood.

---

Due to certain circumstances, Nia, whose real name is Nia Harley, quickly put on a stern face at the approaching threat. When this beautiful contract monster smiles, it always means that some kind of danger is approaching Nia.

Perhaps because the humans around him try to escape in various ways, this beautiful monster sometimes asserts his authority over Nia by flashing such a monster-like smile. According to the monster, who hangs his head sadly when pointed out, this behavior is not a strategy but simply a way to show his deep affection for his beloved master. It's a very suspicious claim.

---

Dino is a medicine monster.

Without changing her expression, Nia always declares this. Reactions vary: some turn away, some frown, and some frantically shake their heads.

But Dino is a medicine monster.

In this world, among the monsters that can be contracted through song, Dino is the weakest and most practical, living closely with humans. If Dino were truly as fragile as his words suggest, Nia would have cherished him greatly and never let him go.

However, Nia is currently job hunting.

In a world where she has no backing and wants to avoid getting entangled in political schemes, she is earnestly searching for a solid, average, and enjoyable contract partner and companion. But her plans always seem to be exposed.

(Perhaps the ribbon tied in Dino's hair is the one I gave to another monster...)

Today, Nia finds another headache-inducing thing and looks distant.

The wide, dark blue ribbon tied in Dino's pearl-like hair is made of soft velvet. It was bought with her first salary, and she had just given it to a straightforward and cute monster she found on the street last night.

However, the ribbon is now tied vertically on the tail of the contract monster's braid, a sign that despite his stunning appearance, Dino is not very skilled at tying ribbons.

---

"Why did you do to the brick monster I'm currently recruiting?"

As soon as she asks, Dino takes a strand of Nia's hair in his hand and flashes a cunning, beautiful smile.

When Nia slaps his hand away, Dino smiles even more broadly. It's incomprehensible why he gazes at the slapped hand with such delight.

"You're so cute today, Nia."

"If those ears were just decorations, perhaps you should visit the physician of this palace once."

"Yes, you're still so cute."

"Where is the brick monster now?"

When asked, Dino turns his loving smile towards her.

Even among the most beautiful monsters, Dino stands out. His allure is so intense that it can make the inexperienced faint. In fact, Nia's ex-fiancé fainted the moment he saw Dino.

It was a bitter memory, and as a delicate maiden, Nia had her dreams and ideals. But reality is cruel, and she had to accept it.

Fortunately, for Nia, who was summoned from another world, Dino's beauty, which could be a significant magical burden, did not affect her will. Of course, it is stunningly beautiful, but she only feels a sense of unwarranted favor and is never overwhelmed or infatuated.

Perhaps it's because Nia is a stubborn person who, in her previous world, threw away itchy sweaters and lived in the cold, or perhaps her down-to-earth heart was not moved by the excessive and unrealistic intensity.

In this beautiful, colorful, and strange world, there are beautiful things everywhere that enrich the heart just by looking at them.

Taking a deep breath, she feels content with the sweet, cool air of this land. The tinkling sound might be a blessing crystal falling from a full bloom of roses. The sparkling light is the shimmer of fairies, and the sight of dragons flying in the night sky is not an illusion.

This is a world of fairy tales.

Every time she thinks of it, she remembers her previous life, where there was no magic to help her, and her chest tightens.

Since this is a world of fairy tales, perhaps the wishes that were never fulfilled might come true this time.

"That monster is no longer a brick monster and is probably having fun somewhere new."

"... Did you do something again that I said you must never do?"

"I'm following your orders, Master. So, instead of erasing them, I transformed them into different creatures."

Dino says this, seemingly wanting praise, and Nia feels like sighing.

"If they are transformed into different creatures, their entire past, their thoughts, and everything will be erased, as if they never existed."

"That's not my concern."

(And what kind of creature did you transform them into!)

The beautiful monster in front of her, tilting his head in confusion, is not a medicine monster at all.

He is a monster of reason. To protect himself from political schemes, Nia ordered him to act as a medicine monster. However, as a monster of reason, he uses his abilities and privileges freely, often causing the monsters Nia considers for new contracts to go missing.

At first, when he casually admitted to destroying them, Nia strictly forbade causing harm. But this time, he has changed his strategy to transform and abandon them.

When transformed, the original memories and existence are lost, as if they never existed. Only Nia, bound by the contract, can retain their original memories.

One might think that Nia could command or break the contract, but there are reasons why she cannot.

Song-seekers are those who capture and contract monsters through songs. As part of the contract, they must grant one wish of the contract monster for each command. Thus, the relationship is a significant drain on Nia.

Some might laugh at the idea of such a grandiose burden. However, when Nia commanded Dino not to harm the monsters she considered for new contracts, she had to grant the wish of making Dino a chair for a day, which shortened her mental lifespan by about a year and caused her to fall ill the next day.

Additionally, due to the embarrassment, Nia lashed out at Dino, who remained in a good mood all day. This illustrates how dangerous it is to grant the wishes of this monster. In other words, Dino, the medicine monster, is a very troublesome creature who values being treated casually by his master.

If he would just follow orders, it would be easier, but he cunningly demands the price for commands that are inconvenient for him.

---

"You should just give up on job hunting."

"My mental state is very ordinary. I don't have the confidence to spend my life with a troublesome monster who wants to be a chair or be stuffed. There's no choice."

"Master is so cold..."

"Ha! I won't be fooled by your sad face!"

---

So, Nia Harley is desperately job hunting today.

The secret that the beautiful creature in front of her, who sometimes looks very lonely and without support, is something she will never reveal to him.

---

This scene takes place about a month after Nia and Dino made their contract. The next story will be the main plot.