“What brings the white spirit beast here?” 

The Snake Queen’s icy gaze landed on the unicorn.

“Monogamous…”

The unicorn, who had been exuding a fierce energy, softened in an instant, its eyes turning gentle.

“Hisssss!”

Shikshik let out an irritated sound, as if something had put her in a bad mood, her frustration evident.

“Mono…”

The unicorn’s initial vigor dissipated, transforming into something docile.

“Monoooo…”

It seemed disoriented as it looked at the Snake Queen and Shikshik.

Well, either way, it’s nice to see you, unicorn.

Thanks to you, I’ve managed to get through this.

“Cough, cough.”
“Monogaaaaamy!”

Hey, why are you only yelling at me?

“Monogaaaaamy!”

A blue energy began to gather at the unicorn’s horn.

Zzzzzt.

Just seeing that energy made my body tingle.

It wasn’t an overwhelming force, but somehow it felt incompatible with me—a kind of energy my body instinctively resisted.

“Hisssssss!”

Bang!

Although the unicorn was subdued when Shikshik, now in a triangular form, blasted it with a beam.

“Mono…”

After such a long time, why did it suddenly decide to pick a fight?

I couldn’t understand the reason.

“No matter how noble a creature of one-horned devotion may be, I cannot forgive it for acting this way towards my companion.”

The Snake Queen’s voice was cold.

I appreciate her standing up for me, but the unicorn must have its reasons, too.

“Cough.”

I’ll handle it from here.

“…You say you’ll handle it?”

“Cough!”

For some reason, the unicorn seemed to dislike me.

It’s probably just a misunderstanding.

How could it possibly hate someone as pure as me?

I walked toward the unicorn, who was looking rather sullen.

“Mono…”

It seemed like it wanted to attack me, but with Shikshik and the Snake Queen glaring from behind, it didn’t dare to.

This meant I had a chance to talk.

“Cough-cough.”

I tried to communicate with the unicorn.

At first, it wasn’t willing to listen, but once it saw I had no intention of attacking, it started to calm down gradually.

“Monoooo…”

Good. It seems almost calm now.

One of my reasons for visiting the jungle was to meet this creature.

With its strength, enough to take down a Nagacrow on its own, it would be a great asset if recruited.

And its horn could come in handy now and then.

“Cough.”

Hey, unicorn.

“Cough-cough-cough.”

How long are you going to keep wandering around alone?

I threw out the question with a hint of suggestion.

“…Mono?”

The unicorn’s expression changed.

It looked as though it was finally ready to listen.

“Cough-cough-cough.”

With the cold season approaching, wouldn’t it be nice to settle down somewhere warm with a lovely partner?

“Monooo…”

The unicorn’s tail gave a slight wag.

Based on what I’ve observed, this unicorn has been alone for a long time.

The way it rushed over as soon as it saw me… It must be starved for companionship.

Although we started off as adversaries, we’ve built some rapport.

“Mono… heh heh…”

Was it imagining a bright future with someone by its side? It chuckled, sounding similar to a bison.

“Cough-cough.”

“Heh heh heh…”

It seems I’ve touched its heart, so let’s push a bit further.

“Cough-cough-cough-cough!”

I know another unicorn with quite a figure.

“Cough-cough.”

And those chest muscles…

“Mono! Mono!”

Ah, I see. It’s a male, so that caught his interest.

The unicorn I’m thinking of will definitely surprise him.

Those chest muscles, I’ve never seen anything like them.

Looks like he’s almost convinced.

Now, time to seal the deal.

Do you think there’s only one unicorn like that?

“Cough-cough-cough!”

I held up all ten fingers.

“Cough-cough!”

There are a whole ten of them!

“Monoooo!”

The unicorn let out a shout of joy, only to suddenly pause.

“…Mono?”

It then looked down at its lower half.

“Craaack!”

It screamed and, touching its horn with a short arm, bellowed, “Monoooo! Monogaaaaamy!”

With a thunderous speed, it bolted back the way it came.

* * *

…Did I make a mistake?

I didn’t tell it to marry all ten, just that there were many options.

“So that’s the kind of conversation you were having,” the Snake Queen sighed, restoring the stone gate the unicorn had shattered.

Thanks to her petrification powers, it didn’t take long to repair.

“…Do you know what kind of creatures a unicorn and a bison are?” she continued calmly, having returned to her usual tone.

Judging by her look, I felt that my purity had been safeguarded for a bit longer, though I couldn’t say for how long. At least for now, I was safe.

“The unicorn worships one partner alone, while the bison reveres many.”

It was a bit different from the legends I’d heard, but it made sense.

In simple terms, the unicorn represents pure devotion, while the bison… a harem.

Isn’t that the gist of it?

“Unicorns and bisons are inherently opposite beings.”

“Cough-cough.”

“When a unicorn falls from grace, it transforms into a bison. In a way, it’s only natural.”

So if a unicorn falls, it turns into a bison?

“As I mentioned, they’re similar yet fundamentally opposed. Even the species’ genders are reversed.”

I’d heard from Baekrang that the bison species is entirely female.

…Then?

Does that mean their species can change?

“Yes, unicorns and bisons cannot coexist.”

So even their genders change.

“If a bison embraces monogamous principles, it purifies into a unicorn, while if a unicorn seeks a harem, it falls and becomes a bison.”

I could now understand why they couldn’t coexist.

The unicorn is male.

The bison is female.

For reproduction, they must meet. But the moment they do, their species changes.

If there’s one unicorn and three bisons, they become four bisons.

If there’s one unicorn and one bison, they turn into two unicorns.

“That’s why they’re so rare. They have no viable method of reproduction.”

…How could such a species even exist?

How could they be born in the first place?

It doesn’t make sense.

“There is, however, a single exception,” she continued.

An exception?

“Haramsunae.”

Haramsunae!

…What kind of word is that?

Just hearing it would likely make any unicorn scream.

Haram isn’t pure love!

They’d probably shout that.

“Haramsunae (廈婪純愛) means a pure love desired by the big house.”

“Cough…”

“The big house implies love with many. Pure devotion in unicorns, however, means the union of one with one.”

I could almost hear a unicorn’s scream in the distance.

“So, Haramsunae is an oxymoron.”

Where did the Snake Queen even hear about this?

Last time, she seemed to know little about unicorns, so maybe she heard it from my mentor.

After all, the unicorn showed up when my mentor was with the Snake Queen, so it’s possible.

“To unicorns, it’s forbidden knowledge. Just hearing it can break their minds. Unless they grow a second horn and fall into bisonhood, if they’re ensnared by Haramsunae, they become neither unicorn nor bison.”

…Is Haramsunae that terrifying?

“But if they overcome it and accept it, they can pursue a harem while upholding the vow of the unicorn.”

I now understood why unicorns and bisons haven’t gone extinct.

It’s because, rarely, a unicorn manages to understand the truth of Haramsunae.

“My guess is that it’s a trial comparable to becoming a dragon. They must suppress the instincts engraved in their species and embrace new knowledge.”

It seems my hope of recruiting the unicorn is out of reach.

If I were to recruit it now, it would just end up turning into a bison.

The unicorn knows this too, which is why it ran away.

If it let its guard down, it would turn female.

Unfortunate as it is, I can’t recruit it just yet.

Maybe someday if it overcomes the trial of Haramsunae.

“…Shriiik.”

Shikshik, who had been quietly listening, made a sound.

I tried to rest her on my paw, but she didn’t move at all.

“Cough?”

“Shrriiiik…”

Upon closer inspection, Shikshik had transformed into a triangle.

“…Cough-cough!”

I was shocked.

For Shikshik to behave like this towards me…

This is unheard of.

…Did I do something wrong?

“…Beep.”

At least she wasn’t hissing but rather making a cute sound.

I followed her gaze.

“My daughter is jealous,” the Snake Queen remarked.

Shikshik was looking at the Snake Queen’s tail.

More specifically, at the bracelet hanging from the end of it.

“Beeep…”

It was Shikshik’s own adorable way of complaining that she hadn’t received a gift.

I had completely forgotten.

…To be fair, I was going to give it to her immediately, but the Snake Queen intervened.

“Cough-cough.”

Just wait, Shikshik.

I’ll

 get you the most beautiful ring.

“Beep!”

Shikshik stretched her neck and looked at me with sparkling eyes.

I was about to offer her a jade ring, but instead, I pulled out a gold ring embedded with a gemstone that seemed to be from the West.

“Beep-beep!”

Seeing my choice, Shikshik excitedly bobbed her head.

“Cough-cough-cough!”

I gently tugged on Shikshik’s tail.

“Eek!”

She was startled.

I managed to get the ring on her, though she curled up tightly.

“Heek…”

…This posture—it’s the same defensive stance she took when we first met.

“…My partner.”

The Snake Queen looked at me intently.

“You should have placed it on her head, if possible.”

“Cough?”

“A snake’s tail is not something you should touch lightly.”

Really?

Well, even dogs with good temperaments don’t like their tails touched.

But placing it on her head seemed a bit much. Once it’s on, it’d be hard to take off.

With it on her tail, she can easily remove it whenever she wants.

“Heek…”

Shikshik looked at her tail, then bowed her head.

“…If I don’t tell you, I fear you’ll make the same mistake again.”

“Cough.”

“While it doesn’t matter to me personally, my daughter, who retains her full serpent form… allowed you to touch a rather… sensitive area.”

A sensitive area?

Ssss…

The Snake Queen slithered closer to me.

Then she whispered softly in my ear.

“That area is…”

She whispered.

….

…..

“Cough-cough-cough-cough!”

Wait, that’s what’s at the tip of her tail?

Was that why she had that ribbon tied there…?

It feels like I’ve stumbled onto forbidden knowledge.

“Beep…”

And the meaning behind placing a ring on her tail…?

“Hehehe…”

I swear, it wasn’t on purpose!