Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 469

Chapter 469
At Hwa-eun’s suggestion, I went still for an instant, stunned, then quickly pressed her in my thoughts.
Praying fervently that it wasn’t the idea I feared.

『“That… that can’t be what you’re suggesting, can it? Tell me it’s not, Hwa-eun?”』

Hwa-eun’s mental voice was bright and cheerful.
I could feel her radiating pride, as if she had devised the most clever plan.

『“Why wouldn’t it be? Think it through, So-ryong. From what Sister Seol explained, the Beast Heart Art was designed to domesticate wild beasts and calm their ferocity. Once registered, they turn into loyal partners, become gentle, and never turn against their master.
So if we register Gun Hye-rin, she would never even consider betraying you. Then I wouldn’t have to be anxious about her anymore.
Besides, if we need to communicate as she wishes, someone would have to deliver those messages. What if those letters were intercepted? It would be catastrophic.
But if we register her using the Beast Heart Art and use the group mental channel, there’s no danger of that. It’s the ideal solution.”』

Why is it that the most dreadful conclusions are always the right ones?
Hwa-eun’s intention was to add Gun Hye-rin to the Beast Heart Art registry, thereby resolving all her concerns in one move.
Because anyone registered through the Art effectively becomes one of my tamed spirit beasts—incapable of disloyalty.
She likely didn’t have a negative opinion of Gun Hye-rin, a rival her own age and skill, and had reasoned that this would allow them to stay connected.

‘Would that make her a pet demon beast, then?’

But a powerful resistance surged within me.
For one, Gun Hye-rin was neither a venomous being nor a spirit beast, and one human registered was already plenty.
More than anything, the idea of enrolling another human woman into the Beast Heart Art triggered the strongest feeling of refusal.
They say the most difficult part of a relationship is when your girlfriend comes over and doesn’t leave.
She arrives, you share a meal, watch something, do all the typical couple activities—and then she stays.
And the second most difficult part is when she refuses to end the call.
You’re eager to get off and play games with your friends, but she drags out the conversation and won’t say goodbye.
“Aww, baby~ You’re really going? Hwa-eun is so saaad~”
In those moments, no matter how cute she acts, it only feels aggravating.
And now, I had a permanent, open line to Hwa-eun in my mind.
A direct mental connection where I had to answer whenever she called—and the prospect of adding another woman to that line made me instinctively recoil.
Even if I wasn’t involved with Gun Hye-rin in any way.
So my refusal was immediate and firm.

『“Hwa-eun, how can the leader of the Demon Cult—no, how can any person be added to the Beast Heart Art…”』

“But I’m already registered, aren’t I?”

I had meant to say that a person—especially the leader of the Demon Cult—couldn’t be registered, but I’d slipped up.
Hwa-eun was already registered.
It was a careless error, made because I was panicked and disgusted by the idea.

‘Damn it, I should have phrased that better! Why was my mind wandering during that kiss with Hwa-eun!’

I was swamped with regret for having entertained such pointless thoughts while kissing her.
If Hwa-eun hadn’t been registered in the first place, none of this would be happening.
We could have enjoyed a much simpler and happier relationship.

When I didn’t respond immediately, she sensed my reluctance and launched into another attempt to convince me.
This time, she appealed to a grander purpose.
The stability of the Central Plains, no less.

『“This is for the peace of the Central Plains.”』

“The peace of the Central Plains?”

“Exactly. Consider this. If you register Gun Hye-rin with the Beast Heart Art, she could never betray you, correct?”
“Well… I guess so?”
“The Heavenly Demon Cult operates on the principle that the strong command the weak. If you, So-ryong, have registered the cult’s most powerful member—Gun Hye-rin—then even as their leader, she wouldn’t dare act against you.
Ultimately, that means they won’t move against the Central Plains. And if they don’t, peace will be maintained naturally.”
“Is that… truly how it works?”
“Without a doubt! You have to think on a larger scale!”

I didn’t understand why such a monumental justification was being attached to this, but technically, she wasn’t incorrect.
If I had firm control over Gun Hye-rin, the Heavenly Demon Cult wouldn’t likely cause any major disturbances.
Even so, I couldn’t yield. I had to make another effort to dissuade her.
So I aimed for what I thought was Hwa-eun’s most vulnerable point.

『“Hwa-eun. But registering someone requires physical contact…”』

Hearing this, Hwa-eun fixed me with a long look, then shook her head.

『“So-ryong, you only need a drop of saliva or blood. What are you talking about? Even in the mindscape, a kiss on the forehead or the hand is sufficient. Don’t tell me—you were actually hoping for a full-contact registration with Gun Hye-rin?”』

“W-what!? No! That’s not it at all!”

Damn it, I nearly ruined everything by bringing that up.
As Hwa-eun pointed out, registration was possible with just saliva or blood, and even in the mental world, a kiss on the forehead or hand would suffice.
I’d mentioned contact to provoke her jealousy and derail the conversation—but she was far too knowledgeable about the Beast Heart Art.

‘Ah, what do I do now?’

It was starting to seem inevitable that I would have to register Gun Hye-rin.
So I fell back on a core principle that any dedicated enthusiast would defend.
My pride.
My collector’s pride.

『“Hwa-eun, I understand your point. But I, So-ryong, am a lover of venomous creatures and spirit beasts. Insects, frogs, toads… creatures like that. I want the Beast Heart Art to be filled with that kind of companion—not people.”』

But, unsurprisingly, Hwa-eun pointed to herself again.

『“But So-ryong, I’m not a venomous or spirit beast either. So if there’s already one exception, can’t we make just one more…”』

This time, I was ready for that.
Smiling, I delivered my prepared line.

『“Now, now. Why wouldn’t you be a venomous creature, Hwa-eun?”』

“Huh? You consider me a venomous creature?”
“Of course. You’re a venomous being trained in the Tang Clan’s poison arts. The most beautiful and delightful venomous creature in the world—and mine.”
“Ehh…”

That response was evidently too effective—Hwa-eun was left utterly speechless.
Her cheeks and the tips of her ears gradually flushed red.

‘That should do it, right?’

I believed it was a masterful reply, one that appealed to her emotions while logically countering her, leaving her too flustered to argue further.
And true enough, with a dazed expression and reddened face, Hwa-eun murmured softly.

『“So-ryong really sees me that way… I-I’m thrilled. Your own personal venomous creature…”』

‘Good. She’s happy and embarrassed now. She’ll likely drop it. I just need to stick to this reasoning!’
But just as I geared up to press on, Hwa-eun spoke again.

『“But So-ryong. By that logic, Gun Hye-rin is also a venomous creature.”』

“…What?”

At the sudden assertion that Gun Hye-rin was a venomous being, I blinked in surprise.
The Heavenly Demon Cult’s successor didn’t practice poison arts or anything of the sort.
But Hwa-eun looked at me with an expression that said “Pay attention” and elaborated:

『“Think about it. Moji and Soji don’t use poison, but they release tainted energy—demonic energy, right?”』
“Right.”
“Gun Hye-rin can emit demonic energy as well, so she qualifies as a venomous creature. If you claim she isn’t, then Moji and Soji aren’t either.”

‘Good grief. Why is her reasoning so flawless!?’

If that was the standard, then just as Hwa-eun stated, Gun Hye-rin met the criteria.
The tainted energy Moji and Soji emit is essentially their most potent “venom.”
Is it really true that reaching the Flower Realm enhances one’s intellect? I was being consistently outmaneuvered by Hwa-eun using my own arguments against me.
Frant searching for a counterargument, I found myself speechless and finally opted for personal preference.
It was awkward, but personal taste isn’t something that can be easily debated.

『“Hair!”』

“…Huh?”
“H-hair! I have a strong aversion to things with a lot of hair!”
“But So-ryong, the children have hair too, and I also…”

Hwa-eun’s words drifted off as she shook her head slightly, causing her hair to sway.
She clearly didn’t grasp my meaning, since both she and the “children” had hair.

“An insect’s hair is entirely different from human hair. It only resembles hair—it’s actually part of their sensory system. Human hair is more like flesh, while insect hair is more like shell. So it’s completely different.
It merely looks similar.”

I’d even mentioned in a broadcast during my past life that I disliked hair.
Not that I hated all human hair—it was more of a personal preference. But there were always viewers who asked, just as Hwa-eun did now.

‘But don’t bugs have hair too?’

In truth, many insect companions like Yo-hwa are covered in fine bristles.
But that question stems from not understanding the distinction between insect hair and mammalian hair.
Insect hair consists of structures called sensilla—which are essentially sensory organs.
They extend from the exoskeleton and connect to internal nerve cells, used to sense various stimuli from the environment.
And while human hair is composed of keratin, insect “hair” is made of chitin, a tough, shell-like material—more akin to a delicate exterior coating than true hair.

“And besides… Hwa-eun is the person I love, so it doesn’t matter to me how much hair you have.”

I made certain to conclude the explanation with words I needed to say to Hwa-eun. But right then, I heard Gun Hye-rin’s voice.

“Um… are the two of you communicating mentally? There’s no need for conflict, you know.”

When Hwa-eun and I turned, Gun Hye-rin still wore a slightly hurt expression.
I suppose because we fell silent abruptly, she assumed we were mentally debating her proposal—and now with Hwa-eun’s flushed face, she seemed to think we’d been arguing.

To correct the misunderstanding, Hwa-eun explained:
“No, no. We were just discussing how exchanging letters could be dangerous, and whether we should instead teach you how to communicate within the mindscape.
That way, we could converse even from a distance, without the risk of letters being intercepted.”
“O-oh! R-really? Aha… But it seems the decision wasn’t positive. It’s because I’m from the Demon Cult, isn’t it…”

Gun Hye-rin’s expression brightened momentarily, then clouded over again.
Hwa-eun waved her hand emphatically.
“No. It’s not because of the Demon Cult. Our Tang Clan uses poison, so we’re often labeled unorthodox as well. I wouldn’t refuse friendship based solely on you being from the Heavenly Demon Cult.
And from your Willforce, I can sense you’re not the blood-drenched monster the rumors describe. Well… perhaps a bit dangerous, but still.”
“T-then? From your reaction, it still doesn’t seem favorable. Is there… another reason?”

As Gun Hye-rin gazed at Hwa-eun with hopeful eyes, Hwa-eun turned to me and uttered a single word:
“Hair.”
“…Hair?”

Hearing that, Gun Hye-rin looked just as bewildered as Hwa-eun had earlier.

『“Hwa-eun! You can’t just say that!”』
“If you want someone to accept rejection, you must provide a reason they can understand.”
“Well, that’s… true, but…”

I was shocked that she’d voiced it aloud and tried to intervene, but then Gun Hye-rin continued:
“Wait… Do you mean that to learn this technique, I cannot have any hair?”
She had clearly misinterpreted, but if that made her back off, I was fine with it.
But then she said something that made my thoughts screech to a halt.
“But there’s no cause for concern. Hehe… Hwa-eun, you must have the same kind of body as I do.”
“Huh…? I do? What do you mean?”
“You brought up hair, so I assume you’ve already learned the technique—meaning the hair on your head and eyebrows must be unaffected, right? I also have no body hair except on my head and eyebrows, so I believe I’ll be perfectly able to learn it as well.”

At Gun Hye-rin’s response, Hwa-eun and I were both utterly stunned.