<Chapter 00>
Prologue. The Beast God’s Blessing
Melty took a deep breath, unable to hide his nervousness. Though everyone goes through this coming-of-age ceremony, it felt like his pounding heartbeat was exceptionally loud. The two small ears protruding from atop his light brown hair stood straight up, as if they too understood his anxiety.
“You don’t need to be so nervous. It’ll be over in an instant.”
Melty’s eyes looked up as a pure white veil fell over his head. His second oldest brother, who was at least a head taller than him, lifted the corner of his mouth and grinned. Thanks to that familiar smile, Melty’s tensed shoulders finally lowered to the same height as everyone else’s.
“But I’m so nervous.”
As Melty rolled his eyes while tightly clasping his hands together, his brother, who had barely stopped himself from ruffling Melty’s hair, lowered himself to meet his younger brother’s gaze. Their lovable youngest was finally facing his coming-of-age ceremony.
“I told you. It’ll be over in the blink of an eye, right? After it’s done, you might even think it wasn’t a big deal.”
At his gentle voice, Melty forced himself to relax and smiled with his eyes curving beautifully. Nearly clutching his heart at his innocent brother’s smile, he opened his mouth to change the subject.
“So, what kind of blessing do you want to receive from the Beast God?”
At his question, Melty’s eyes rolled around thoughtfully.
That was the most important point of this sacred ritual that all beast-people undergo when they come of age. Every beast-person visits the Beast God’s shrine during their coming-of-age ceremony and receives a blessing.
“I want to be like you, hyung.”
A warm smile spread across his face at his little brother’s soft whisper. The blessings bestowed by the Beast God were usually related to physical attributes. Very rarely, blessings that enhanced or awakened physical abilities were given, and his brother was one of those cases.
“I’d like our Melty to receive the blessing of health.”
“But… that’s too common.”
He laughed quietly as Melty expressed his dissatisfaction with protruding lips. Though it might seem insignificant, the blessings bestowed by the god were special. Particularly, those who received the blessing of health would possess a robust body that doesn’t even get sick. For Melty, who had been physically weak since birth, there couldn’t be a better blessing. Of course, the blessing was determined by the god’s will, not by their own wishes.
“You’re special just as you are. Now, go on. It’s your turn.”
Melty walked forward hesitantly as his brother gently pushed his back, belatedly realizing that the child who had been standing in front of him had already entered the shrine. Glancing sideways at his brother, who was waving his hand vigorously despite the side-eye, Melty smiled and stepped into the shrine with much less tension than before.
In the otherwise dark space, the path he needed to walk was distinctly visible. Though many had entered before him, not a single person’s back was visible ahead. He had an idea of what the interior would look like from the stories of his brothers and sisters who had already undergone their coming-of-age ceremonies, but seeing it directly before his eyes rather than just imagining it was astonishing.
A faint laugh brushed past Melty’s ears as he looked around with slightly parted lips, as if enchanted. Startled, Melty clasped his hands together and looked around with wide round eyes.
Gulp.
He involuntarily swallowed dry saliva out of tension. Although there was no need to fear the Beast God as it wasn’t a deity that caused harm, Melty was particularly timid even among the hamster clan. His ears under the veil twitched nervously.
The door behind him was firmly closed, making it clearly an enclosed space, yet the white veil on his head flew off from a wind that came from somewhere.
“Wh-what…?”
Melty, who had been standing as if rooted to the ground, finally moved. He stretched out his hand as far as possible to grab the veil that was teasingly dancing in his vision, flying forward and forward.
However, no matter how much he waved his arms, the veil was floating higher than Melty’s height and couldn’t be easily caught. Making a woeful face, he hurriedly took small quick steps and barely managed to grab the veil at the innermost part of the shrine, in front of the Beast God’s statue—right on top of the altar. Belatedly realizing that he had climbed onto the altar, Melty was startled and quickly descended.
He thought he should appear lovely to receive a good blessing from the god, but he never expected to end up on the altar without even properly greeting the deity, all because of a veil. With a face full of dismay, Melty bowed his head deeply while fiddling with the veil in his hands.
Sneaking a glance at the statue, which couldn’t possibly have an expression, Melty examined his pure white attire. The snow-white clothes that his brothers and sisters had bought for him to look the prettiest at his coming-of-age ceremony were certainly expensive, but he had no other possessions with him at the moment. Carefully approaching, Melty wiped the area where he had stepped with his sleeve. Though it was an outfit he should have kept pristine, his face was determined, firmly believing this was the only way to be forgiven for his rudeness to the god.
After polishing the altar until it shone for quite some time, Melty finally seemed to feel relieved as he wore a small smile.
Carefully kneeling in front of the altar, Melty put his hands together and closed his eyes. Then, with a heart more devout than ever, he offered a prayer to the god.
Unlike his siblings, having suffered since childhood due to his weak body, he had just one earnest wish.
“Beast God. Please allow me to earn lots of money.”
If he could earn lots and lots of money, he would buy a nice house for his parents, fine clothes for his brothers, and pretty accessories for his sisters. That had been one of Melty’s long-held dreams. With his eyes tightly shut, muttering “Please, please…” a breeze passed over Melty’s hair. It felt as if someone was stroking his hair.
“Child. I give you the ‘Blessing of Fertility’. And…”
Melty’s closed eyes opened slowly. Did I just hear something?
Carefully covering the top of his disheveled hair with his right hand, Melty couldn’t help but wear a dumbfounded expression at the Beast God’s blessing that had flashed through his mind.
It seemed there was also mention of a “gift” that the Beast God bestows with rare probability, and while that was certainly precious no matter what it was… that wasn’t the important issue right now.
“Blessing of Fertility…?”
His round brown eyes shook violently, unable to focus.
“But, I’m… a man…?”
Hamster clan member, Melty Crosel. It was the most shocking day of his 17-year life.
