Mommy Wolf: Raise A Cub, Claimed By His Beast Daddy-Chapter 38: Darling of the Earth (III)
Of course... not!
What kind of man would raise his archnemesis’s son as his own? It was even more outrageous knowing that he would eventually have to kill Jojo once the boy became an adult.
On top of that, Marik was not without a heart. At least, he believed so. If he truly grew fond of this wolf boy, wouldn’t it become even more difficult to kill him later on?
Marik opened his mouth immediately, wanting to shout "NO!" at the top of his lungs.
However, Sisi smiled at him expectantly. She had no idea about the blood feud between him and the Dusk and Dawn Stars. So, in her eyes, this was merely a simple request to teach a boy how to hunt and fight enemies.
Once again, faced with Sisi’s hopeful gaze, Marik deflated instantly. He grumbled as he lowered his head, staring at the bonfire before him, seemingly lost in thought.
It was true that Sisi knew nothing about the blood feud between Marik, Jojo, and Jojo’s father. To her, Marik’s hesitation was simply reluctance caused by Jojo becoming extra work.
"I don’t need you to answer now, Marik. Just... think about it for now, alright?"
...
"Hmph."
Marik suddenly stood up and left the cave without saying a word. He seemed pissed, but Sisi wasn’t worried.
She had said what needed to be said. The rest would be left to fate, right?
"But... I really wish to give you a complete family, Jojo," Sisi muttered as she leaned against the cave wall, hugging Jojo warmly. "You’ve been through so much. You lost your dad and almost lost me too..."
Even though Jojo appeared bright and brave, Sisi knew the shadow in his heart must be immense. So heavy that he was terrified of being left alone.
Compared to him, her life in the orphanage had been easy. At least she had never faced the risk of losing the nurses, her friends, and the Matriarch—whom she regarded as her stand-in-mother.
They were always there, raising Sisi until she was old enough to care for herself.
’And that dream...’
Whenever Sisi closed her eyes, she returned to that elder tree.
It was massive, ancient, and unmistakably alive. It greeted her with joy, as if they had been separated for a very long time.
Yet Sisi had no memory of the tree’s identity.
Never in her life had she seen a tree so enormous, and she doubted that anyone in the city or nearby villages knew of it either.
’So what is the meaning of that tree? Why do I dream of it?’ Sisi wondered as she tried to push the vivid imagery aside and finally fell into a deep sleep after the long, exhausting night.
*
Meanwhile, deep within the forest, a little sprite no bigger than an adult thumb awoke from a long slumber. She stretched her limbs and looked up at the massive tree they called their Eldest Grandma.
It was a habit shared by all faeries living in the Roc Forest. Every morning upon waking, Eldest Grandma would shower them with golden dust, granting them the strength to carry out their daily activities.
What kind of daily activities, you ask?
The faeries had plenty to do to maintain the forest!
Waking the bees and butterflies, fertilizing the soil alongside the worms, raising their younglings, setting the morning dew—or, during this season, the snowfall—and many more.
Once their duties were complete, they were free to do as they pleased. Usually, they played with beast cubs or caused mischief around the forest, harassing hunters or ill-intentioned beastmen. It was a stress-free life, really.
Crush Tutu was the faerie who woke up the earliest, as she lived with her grandfather, Elder Toto, who served as the temporary leader, at least until their true leader would return one day.
She thought today would be another unremarkable morning. Regardless of the season, Eldest Grandma was always in full bloom. However, recently, Eldest Grandma hadn’t looked as joyful as before. The faerie dust was less abundant, and the colorful flowers that should bloom every day were no longer as fragrant.
All because their true leader had been missing for seventeen years and counting.
Still, the faeries carried on with their duties to preserve the forest’s balance.
But today was different.
The moment Crush Tutu woke up, she saw Eldest Grandma in full bloom, her vines trembling with joy, and golden dust cascading more abundantly than ever before.
Crush Tutu’s eyes widened. She rushed to her sleeping grandfather and shook his thumb-sized body urgently.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Wake up, Grandpa!"
"Huh? Tutu? What’s wrong?" Elder Toto muttered as he slowly opened his eyes beneath thick white brows. He wore a leaf as a cape and grasped the small twig he used as a walking stick.
"Grandpa, the Darling of the Earth has returned!" Crush Tutu announced excitedly.
"The Darling of the Earth?" Elder Toto frowned. "Tutu, you shouldn’t speak of her unless you’re certain. You’ll only make our Eldest Grandma sad."
He hadn’t been in a good mood lately. Taking on leadership had exhausted him, especially since the younger faeries rarely listened to him. At least not to the point of obeying the Eldest Grandma or the Darling of the Earth.
"Just look up, Grandpa! I’m not lying!" Crush Tutu insisted.
At last, Elder Toto lifted his head.
His blurry eyes widened instantly when he saw the cloud-like leaves swaying gently, the lively vines, and the fragrant flowers Eldest Grandma now emanated.
As the origin of all life in the Roc Forest, Eldest Grandma hadn’t been in such high spirits for a long time, not since losing her darling granddaughter seventeen years ago. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Seeing such an ecstatic reaction from the great tree, Elder Toto knew Crush Tutu was telling the truth.
"G-go tell the other elders, our Darling has returned! She has returned to the Roc Forest!" Elder Toto announced, his breath trembling with emotion.
He might be old and nearing the end of his life, but he had never felt so invigorated in the past seventeen years.
"Tell all nearby sprites, the Darling of the Earth has returned!"
Thus, with that single proclamation, a wave of euphoria swept through the tiny faerie kingdom of the Roc Forest.
