How Druids Live with the Beast

‘…High intimacy, huh. Is this what they meant?’

Eunho couldn’t help but smile at Poiki’s greeting.

Poiki looked like a doll, and with a size under 1 meter, it made sense. This was the first time a familiar had greeted him so kindly, and it made his lips curve upward.

“Hello. Did I surprise you by calling you suddenly?”

Eunho returned the greeting, and Poiki’s eyes widened.

“Wow! Wow! A human who understands me for the first time!”

Poiki bounced up and down, hopping from left to right.

Then Poiki approached Eunho and sniffed him.

Sniff, sniff.

The tail wagged like it was swimming, and Poiki hung from Eunho’s arm.

“You’re not it, are you?”

“Are you talking about the apartment?”

“Apartment…?”

Poiki’s eyes quickly darted to where Eunho was pointing.

“Is it over there…?”

“Move aside now.”

The black hound could no longer tolerate Poiki, who had jumped on its back without permission.

With a storm-like growl, Poiki froze, trembling as its fur stood on end. Eunho, concerned, asked,

“You didn’t forget to speak gently, did you, big dog?”

“Why should I cater to something that doesn’t know its place?”

With that, the black hound growled, showing its teeth, and Poiki quickly jumped down to the ground.

Although the clear warning scared Poiki, it felt more aggrieved than anything.

Poiki looked up and asked,

“Why can’t I? The human rode on you.”

Poiki pouted, resembling a 3-year-old child throwing a tantrum. Eunho bit his lip to hold back a laugh.

‘If I comfort him, will my big dog get upset?’

The thought amused him, and he chuckled inwardly.

“Don’t ask. I don’t want to answer.”

“Why? You can tell me. If you don’t, it’s mean. You’re really, really mean.”

“…Me.”

The black hound bared its teeth slightly, showing a fierce expression. Overcome with fear, Poiki’s ears quickly drooped.

“Don’t provoke me.”

Poiki, terrified by the menacing appearance, whimpered.

“Wait, wait, big dog.”

When Eunho quickly tapped the black hound with his palm, the hound immediately turned its head away.

“I don’t like things treating me carelessly. Human, don’t say anything more.”

‘…Is reconciliation impossible now?’

Eunho, who had no experience with taking care of children, found the situation a bit tricky.

More importantly, since these weren’t actual children, the hierarchical relationship between them was inevitable.

Eunho got down from the black hound and petted it, then gently spoke to Poiki.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding. My big dog doesn’t like anyone but me touching or riding on him. He really likes me.”

“…Human!”

The black hound was startled and immediately leaped back.

Eunho burst out laughing and looked down at the hand that had grabbed the hem of his clothes.

Poiki, with a hopeful look, asked,

“…Really? You don’t dislike me?”

“We’ve only known each other for less than five minutes. I think it’s too early to judge.”

“I don’t know what ‘five minutes’ means, but I felt really friendly when I saw you.”

As Poiki’s bright, wide eyes met Eunho’s, his heart raced.

“This is a secret, but actually, I feel the same.”

Eunho lowered his head and whispered to Poiki, then glanced at the black hound.

Strangely, the black hound had a displeased expression on its face when it asked,

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you trying to make things awkward with that light mouth of yours again?”

“Eh, no way.”

With the black hound’s still aloof gaze, Eunho and Poiki couldn’t help but laugh together.

“What’s your name, friend? Oh, you don’t have to tell me if you can’t.”

“I’m Pipi! Pipi!”

As if it had never been upset, Pipi bounced around.

After hearing the name, Eunho whispered softly in return.

“I’m Seo Eunho.”

“…That’s cool.”

With such pure admiration in Pipi’s eyes, Eunho couldn’t help but smile warmly.

How long had it been since someone had praised his name so innocently?

His heart felt incredibly warm.

‘But I shouldn’t forget why I called Pipi.’

Eunho looked at Pipi, who was trying to climb up his arm.

When their gazes met, Pipi briefly froze.

“Pipi, I called you because I have a question. Can you answer it for me?”

“I can answer.”

“Earlier, about the apartment. There’s this thick liquid covering it. Did you have something to do with that?”

Pipi lightly dropped to the ground and slowly wagged its tail.

The playful look in Pipi’s eyes faded, replaced by a more serious expression. Even its round eyes now held a hint of coldness.

“‘You’ say…?”

The mischievous tone had disappeared from Pipi’s voice. It became more guarded, and the black hound, sensing the tension, stood up from its crouched position. Eunho quickly stopped the black hound.

“No, it’s fine, big dog.”

Eunho recalled the characteristics of Poiki, Pipi’s kind.

“Poiki was playful, energetic, and had little wariness, but its bond with others was strong… And it was sensitive enough to fiercely attack intruders who didn’t ask for permission to enter their territory.”

Could “territory” not just refer to land? Was that why Pipi’s demeanor had changed so suddenly?

“Pipi, I came here to understand the reason.”

“…You’re trying to kill us?”

Pipi took a step back, holding its tail in its hand.

Although Eunho knew that Pipi’s tail could expel poisonous liquid, he didn’t lose his smile.

“No. I’m here to help you.”

“Humans don’t help us.”

The statement was firm.

Eunho felt a wave of regret at the certainty in Pipi’s voice. How many misunderstandings had occurred because the two sides couldn’t understand each other?

“Maybe that’s been the case so far. But I really came to help you.”

At Eunho’s confident response, Pipi stepped back, looking surprised, but Eunho stayed still and waited.

“You can be on guard if you want… But if you have something to say, I don’t see any reason not to. We can talk, right?”

The depth of Eunho’s words made Pipi freeze in place. The fact that it could communicate with a human was an unprecedented shock.

“I immediately realized what the liquid you spread around the apartment was about,” Eunho continued.

“…What?”

“It was your last warning. What were you planning to do after that? Were you really going to kill them?”

“You don’t know why we did it!”

“I don’t. That’s why I’m asking. But objectively, what you did wasn’t right. Even if there was no poison in that liquid, people left out of fear. Was that what you wanted?”

When Eunho understood the intent behind the liquid that covered the human-inhabited area, Pipi took a step closer to him.

“You are beings that carefully protect your territory. There was no reason for you to intrude on human territory first. The attack probably came from humans, didn’t it?”

Could this human be one of them? The thought crossed Pipi’s mind, and it quickened its steps toward Eunho.

Is this the feeling you get when you can communicate with someone?

“I said it was an attack, but if they had harmed you directly, it wouldn’t have ended with just this warning. They probably invaded or stole your territory.”

“Exactly!”

Feeling a sudden sense of clarity, Pipi grabbed Eunho’s leg.

Perhaps because they were talking, Pipi, even though it knew Eunho was human, couldn’t suppress the overwhelming emotions and clung tightly to his pants.

It felt unjust and frustrated.

It wanted Eunho to understand these feelings.

“Humans destroyed our forest! The forest… The forest gave us so much, it was like a mother to us, but humans destroyed it!”

‘…Oh no.’

Eunho scratched his eyebrow. It was only natural to be angry after having your home destroyed overnight.

If you interfere with someone else’s home without reason, you should be prepared for your own to be destroyed.

Then, why did humans destroy the forest?

“The forest regenerates, so we didn’t spread poison. We were angry with humans, but we never intended to kill them. We just wanted them to feel the same pain.”

Pipi’s face fell, and it couldn’t hide its disappointment when no answer came from Eunho.

No matter how well they could talk, humans were still humans. They probably wouldn’t understand.

“I… the reason for this revenge is…”

Suddenly, Eunho’s phone rang.

It was Seol Taeho.

“Sorry to interrupt your conversation. Just a sec.”

Eunho apologized to Pipi and answered the call.

“Yes, Hyung.”

“…What?”

“If Poiki’s here, doesn’t that mean it’s a familiar protection area?”

Eunho waited for a moment.

“Is that… a lot?”

As the conversation progressed, Eunho’s smile gradually faded.

“So you’re saying the construction permit was approved?”

A hint of mockery could be heard in Ga-eul’s voice.

“Is the law in this country that weak?”

It meant that no matter what, they couldn’t receive equal protection as humans.

Even if it felt unfair, that was the reality.

“I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”

Ga-eul ended the call.

Eunho put his phone away and stood up. He had a great idea.

“Let’s go, Pipi. Big dog too.”

“…Where are we going?”

Pipi asked hesitantly.

“To your home. I’ll help you restore it. But you have to help the humans too.”

The source of the problem, no matter what anyone says, was human.

Didn’t they attack Poiki’s territory to build the golf course?

Despite the clear existence of the cause, Poiki attacked the wrong people without knowing the truth.

It was undeniable that a wrong situation had been created.

“What do you mean by helping?”

Pipi asked cautiously.

“You attacked the wrong people in your anger. Of course, you need to take responsibility for that. But first, let’s go to your home.”

Even though the cause was clear, attacking innocent people without reason was an unreasonable act in modern society.

So, they needed to find another way.

What corporations fear most is not the collapse of a result before its completion, but the unimaginable loss that could result from it.

Eunho looked at the black hound and smiled widely.

“Let’s go.”

The black hound lowered its head, and Eunho ran ahead, full of energy.

***

“…Sigh.”

Eunho sighed deeply.

The sight before him made his chest feel tight.

The forest stood bare, exposing its scalp.

Compared to this scene, the liquid Poiki had spread around the apartment almost looked like an art piece.

‘…Right. Living with neighbors who don’t understand you is tough.’

Eunho said nothing as he looked at Pipi.

How many times had he seen this kind of sight?

Pipi pointed with a finger, from left to right.

“That’s our territory, from there to there. The leader decides the boundaries. The leader worked hard to negotiate with others for this territory.”

It was a message that they had worked hard for this land.

“Human. Don’t get angry. Stay calm.”

The black hound spoke in a low voice.

“I don’t show it much, but can you tell I’m angry?”

Eunho smiled.

Expressing anger in society was a dangerous thing. He had been suppressing his anger for so long that he usually just let it slide.

Because of that, even expressing anger had become difficult.

“I can feel nature moving with you.”

“Can you feel that too?”

Is this also part of the druid’s power?

Eunho was amazed as his gaze drifted to the distance.

“Actually, I’m not the one most angry.”

“Then, who’s the angriest?”

Pipi asked, and Eunho pointed his finger at the ground.

A heavy sensation was coming from below. It felt like a force was pressing down on him, but his body wasn’t actually heavy.

He had wondered what it was, but upon arriving here, he realized immediately.

Nature was angry.

Eunho knelt and placed his palm on the ground.

When he closed his eyes, he could hear their breathing.

He even felt a sharp sensation, as if being pricked by thorns.

‘…Wow, nature’s anger gauge is overflowing!’

The intensity of the gauge might be why it felt so clear.

When Eunho heard a whisper behind him, he turned his head briefly.

The apartment was visible below them.

‘Really, what a stupid decision humans made.’

Eunho realized the reason nature was angry.

There were many life forms below, and the spot where Poiki resided was crucial for preventing landslides.

Humans had destroyed it—all for a golf course.

If a landslide were to occur, countless lives would be lost, so it was natural for nature to be enraged.

“First, we need to solve the most urgent problem.”

Eunho took pictures and videos, then sent them to Taeho.

[I’ll restore it right here.]

Zing.

The phone vibrated immediately, so Eunho smiled and answered.

“Yes, hyung.”

Eunho could sense a mix of surprise and barely contained anger in Taeho’s voice.

“It’s exactly what it sounds like. I’ll explain later, after we meet…”

Swoosh.

Suddenly, a shadow fell, and Eunho turned his head.

The black hound was standing before him.

With its body lowered, Eunho realized someone was in front of him.

“…I’ll tell you later.”

Eunho hung up the phone.

The atmosphere had suddenly changed.

“Move aside, human.”

Black smoke erupted around the black hound, and Eunho stepped back, but then walked forward.

“Big dog, I’d prefer to stand beside you, not behind.”

“…You really are high-maintenance, human.”

The black hound stepped aside by two paces, and Eunho’s eyes widened.

‘…What’s that?’

All he could see was just a dense forest of trees.

Eunho put on his glasses and activated his falcon vision.

“I’ll borrow your sight.”

After closing his left eye and repeatedly zooming in, he finally saw what the black hound was focusing on.

A familiar with a fur color similar to Poiki’s was quickly climbing the trees.

It was much larger than Poiki, so Eunho even wondered if it was the same species.

As the familiar climbed the tree, it shot something while propelling itself into the air with the recoil.

The darkness around the black hound blocked the shot, but a foul smell began to spread.

“…Ugh.”

Just the smell alone made Eunho feel nauseous. The sudden dizziness made his body lean forward uncontrollably.

With both hands on the ground, Pipi looked at him in shock.

“Se Eunho, are you okay?”

“Human! Don’t breathe it in, it’s poison!”

The black hound bared its teeth and showed its fury.

‘…Poison?’

Eunho gasped for air and covered his mouth with his hand. Blood started dripping down.

The only ones capable of emitting poison were Poiki.

‘Poiki? Is it Poiki?’

“Wait a second! Se Eunho, you can’t die!”

Pipi rushed off somewhere in panic.

“…I’ll kill it.”

The black hound immediately lunged forward.

It quickly closed the distance to the familiar and swung its front paw.

Whoosh.

The sound of a fierce wind followed, and countless trees snapped or collapsed, sending dirt flying into the air.

Though the situation was chaotic, the familiar instead climbed the trees, widening the gap between it and the black hound, then quickly moved toward its target.

The human.

The hateful human.

“Human! Have you come to kill us now?”

The familiar screamed as it whipped its tail toward Eunho.

But as black winds appeared above, the familiar looked up in surprise.

A massive front paw came down on top of the familiar’s head.

Kwahhh!

The ground shook as if swallowing the deafening sound, and the familiar was slammed into the earth. The black hound turned to Eunho.

“Human…?”

“…Our friend is a bit rough, huh?”

Eunho, with a face drained of color, laughed weakly.

“I wanted to talk.”

The bloodstained hand touched a nearby tree.

A price had been paid.

The tree, having absorbed the blood, grew and extended thick branches toward the familiar.

Roots from the tree rose from the ground, coiling around the familiar, and branches from above began to press it down.

“…Let’s talk, you rotten bastard.”

Eunho muttered with a quiver in his voice.