A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

Eva hesitated before answering, "Well… we do have a service called Arion Dash…"

My eyes lit up. "Perfect! Then let's just have them deliver it!"

For a brief, glorious moment, I felt proud of my problem-solving skills. Crisis averted! No need to step into the Between Realms again!

But instead of agreeing, Eva just… looked at me. Her expression was unreadable—somewhere between pity and exasperation.

"…What?" I asked, my excitement fading.

"I'm one of the Arion Dash riders."

The room fell into dead silence.

Jiuge blinked. "Wait… so when you ride that Arion horse everywhere, it's not because you just like riding—it's your job?"

Eva sighed. "Yes, I have a side gig delivering things."

Agnos choked on a laugh. "You?! The same person who lectured us about 'commitment to duty' when searching for the missing creatures has been secretly running a food delivery side hustle this whole time?!"

"I was committed! I just needed the extra cash!" Eva shot back, her face turning red.

Amaterasu, who had been mostly silent throughout the ordeal, finally let out a small, surprised gasp. "How bad is the economy here?"

I raised a hand. "Okay, hold on. Back to the main point—does that mean you can just go and get the wine for us?"

Eva shook her head. "It's not that simple. Arion Dash only delivers within standard time zones. The Between Realms operates outside of that, so it's way out of our service range."

Of course. Of course that would be the case. Why would anything be easy for me?

"So, in summary," I said, rubbing my temples, "not only do I have to go back into a time-warping nightmare dimension, but now I also have to do it knowing that this world has a magical delivery service that refuses to go there?"

"Correct," Eva confirmed.

I turned to Agnos, Jiuge, and Amaterasu, looking for support. Jiuge just shrugged like this was all perfectly normal.

Agnos was still snickering at Eva's side job reveal. And Amaterasu? She gasped again, clasping her hands over her mouth like this was the most dramatic twist she'd ever heard.

"…Great," I muttered. "Just great."

Then, in his weak state, Trauco spoke again. "Owner, you can travel between realms."

His words hit like a punch. The room fell silent.

Even Agnos, who usually kept a cool composure, perked up with a sharp interest. Jiuge's pink eyes widened in shock.

Only Amaterasu, always silent, spoke, her voice soft but curious. "How did you know he's the owner?"

Eva turned to me, her gaze full of disbelief. "Wait... you're the owner?"

I should have known. The way Trauco froze earlier—the recognition was too obvious. And now, he was confirming it. He knew. He just pretended not to.

Trauco, now a little steadier after sipping from a potion he pulled from his pocket, answered quietly, his voice hoarse but resolute.

"I used to work as a bookkeeper at the Ziggurat. We can always tell if someone's the owner. Even after retiring and changing professions, that kind of thing never really leaves you."

"So you know Usum?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Trauco managed a weak smile. "He was my superior."

"Wait... if he's your superior, did you work at the C.C.C. Book Mall before?" I asked, piecing things together.

Trauco nodded slowly. "I suppose you know about me through my superior?"

I nodded back, feeling like a puzzle was slowly coming together. "You said I could travel between realms. What do you mean by that? And how?"

Trauco hesitated, his tired eyes flickering with uncertainty. "It's not something I should say to you, owner. You should know it yourself." He looked at me with a mix of confusion and concern. "Didn't you have any guide when you became the Owner?"

His words hung in the air, and I realized—what was he talking about?

A guide? How was I supposed to know how to navigate this?

The more he spoke, the more questions piled up, and the less sense it all seemed to make. I glanced around at the others, but no one seemed eager to offer any answers.

Then it occurred to me. A guide! I had purchased one before I left Ziggurat. My mind scrambled, trying to recall anything—anything at all—about traversing between realms. Just like that, a rush of information filled my head, as if it had been sitting there, waiting for me to notice.

My eyes snapped open the moment the answer clicked.

I turned to Eva, a newfound determination in my gaze. "Lend me your Arion. I'm going to make my first-ever Arion Dash gig. And it's to purchase that Tündér Spirit Wine."

Agnos snorted from across the room, looking both impressed and skeptical. "Arion Dash, huh? Gotta say, I didn't picture you as the delivery type, but… sure, go ahead."

Jiuge raised an eyebrow. "You're seriously going to risk everything for wine?"

Amaterasu, who had been silent up to this point, glanced at me with wide, cautious eyes but didn't say a word.

Eva, on the other hand, seemed to be processing the sudden shift. "You're going to the Between Realms to fetch the wine yourself?" She shook her head slowly, clearly unsure whether she should be concerned or impressed.

"Yes, and I'll make it quick," I said, feeling a strange surge of confidence now that I knew what I had to do.

"I just need to get to the Tündér Spirit Folks and grab that wine. I don't have time to waste. Besides, if I need Trauco to cure me, he needs to be in top form. And that wine's the only thing that can help him get there."

Agnos let out a low whistle. "Guess there's no slowing you down now." He looked at Eva, as if giving her the unspoken challenge to keep up.

Eva sighed. "I'm not sure if you understand the gravity of what you're about to do, Carl," she said quietly. "But if you're really going to go through with it… you'll need all the help you can get."

"Well, it's not like I have anyone else to rely on, right?" I shrugged. "I'll manage."

A moment of silence passed as everyone processed what I was about to do. Then, Eva nodded, almost reluctantly.

"Fine. But I'm coming with you. Because Arion doesn't like strangers. And you're not licensed to ride one."