A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

I mustered a weak smile, my confidence crumbling the instant Lady Ilona's piercing gaze locked onto me. My throat went dry.

"He's telling the truth," I said, trying—and failing—to sound assured.

"I'm currently the Owner of Mythica. Well… Interim Owner."

Her sharp eyes raked over me, brimming with displeasure. Then, with a single huff, she motioned for everyone in the room to leave.

No words. No explanation.

Just a silent command that had Frojer and the others scurrying out like their lives depended on it.

The moment the door shut, she turned back to me, eyes narrowing.

"You said you're the Interim Owner?" she repeated, her tone thick with skepticism. "If you're lying—"

"I'm not," I blurted. "Kaleon… he imparted his essence to me."

For the first time, her scowl faltered. A flicker of confusion—maybe even surprise—crossed her face.

"Kaleon gifted you his essence?" she echoed, as if the idea itself was absurd. "Why?"

Great question. If someone could tell me, that'd be fantastic.

I forced a weak shrug. "Honestly? No clue."

Before I could elaborate, she held out her hand—and my token flew straight into her palm.

What?!

Seriously. Why does every powerful being keep doing that? First Enlil, Kaleon's brother. Now her?!

I might be the Interim Owner of Mythica, but at this rate, I was starting to feel more like a glorified courier.

She inspected the token, her frown deepening. Then, her sharp gaze flicked back to me.

"This is indeed Kaleon's essence… but there's something different." Her voice dropped slightly, more to herself than to me.

Then—like a flash of lightning—she was suddenly right in front of me.

Before I could react, before my brain could even process what was happening, she did something that left me completely speechless.

She sniffed me.

Yes. She sniffed me.

Just like Enlil had.

I froze, my soul detaching from my body in existential horror. Why?! Why was this a thing?!

"You do have his scent," she mused, tilting her head. "Faint, but it's there."

I stood there, stunned, questioning every life decision that had led me to this precise moment.

What is wrong with magical creatures?!

Magic circles. Ancient incantations. A simple yes-or-no questionnaire. Any of those would have sufficed.

But no. It always had to be sniffing.

I stared at Lady Ilona, still processing the fact that I had been sniffed—again. At this point, I wasn't sure whether I should feel honored or mildly traumatized. Maybe both.

Lady Ilona's expression remained unreadable, but her posture shifted, just slightly. Less rigid. More calculating.

"You may have Kaleon's scent," she finally said, "but that does not mean you are worthy of holding his essence."

Oh, fantastic. Here we go. Another magical creature who thinks I'm some sort of walking mistake.

"I never said I was worthy," I countered, keeping my voice as steady as possible. "But here I am, holding onto this thing. Whether or not I deserve it doesn't change the fact that Kaleon gave it to me."

Her golden eyes bore into mine, unblinking. Then, without warning, she tossed the token back at me. Instinct kicked in, and I barely managed to catch it before it smacked me in the face.

Lady Ilona turned on her heel, pacing slowly, arms folded behind her back. "Kaleon was not one to make careless decisions," she mused, almost to herself. "For him to pass his essence onto a human…" She paused. "It is unprecedented."

Tell me about it.

I kept my mouth shut, though, because I had a feeling she wasn't done yet.

Sure enough, she stopped pacing and fixed me with a stare so sharp it could probably cut through steel. A chill ran down my spine.

"Tell me—why are you the Owner? Where is Kaleon?"

Here we go again…

At this rate, I should just carry around a pre-written scroll explaining the whole thing. Or maybe the cosmos could send out a universal PSA so I wouldn't have to keep repeating myself like a broken record.

Still, I kept my expression neutral and gave her the simplest version of the truth I could manage. Omitting the finer details, of course. I wasn't about to spill everything to Lady Ilona—not yet. For all I knew, she could be the one who siphoned off parts of Mythica's realm.

You couldn't be too careful these days.

"Kaleon is in a deep slumber," I said evenly. "He's… in a rehabilitation period."

Her eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering in her gaze. I could practically hear the gears grinding in her head. Here we go…

"Rehab?" she repeated, tilting her head. "What happened to him?"

I shrugged, keeping my tone light. "He's undergoing anger management. You know how his whole 'destruction' thing gets a little... out of hand sometimes. He needed to cool off."

She blinked, then let out a thoughtful hum, nodding slowly. "I see… He does have a tendency to flare up every now and then. Is it critical?"

Wait. That worked? She bought it?

I resisted the urge to gawk and nodded quickly. "It's a little critical, but manageable."

Unbelievable. She actually fell for that nonsense.

She let out a quiet sigh, then walked over to a cabinet where bottles of wine—packaged in what looked like actual diamond—were neatly arranged. Without hesitation, she picked one up and handed it to me.

I stared at the bottle in my hands. Huh? My brain stalled for a moment. "What's this?"

"A gift for Kaleon," she said, her tone softer now, almost… guilty.

I lifted a brow. "A gift? As in an Owner's gift?"

"No." She shook her head. "This is personal. That wine has a calming effect. Tell Kaleon… I'm sorry."

Wait. What? My grip tightened on the bottle as I processed her words. Sorry? Sorry for what?

She must've noticed my confused expression because she hesitated before finally confessing, "We were engaged once. But I called off the engagement. It was a political arrangement—one without love. I hated that kind of relationship. But I never hated Kaleon. We were… good friends."

I blinked. Fiancé? No—ex-fiancé?!

Holy crap. First, his brother is the Lord of Air, Deity of the Seventh Heavens. And now, his ex-fiancée is a Fae who owns the most prestigious wine empire in all the realms?

Kaleon wasn't just a powerful being—he was practically a VVVVVIP of the mythical legends.