I Built a Divine Zoo in Another World

Lukas woke up early the next day.

Not by his own choice, he would have gladly slept for a few more hours, nestled in the inn’s soft sheets, with Tilbo curled up on his pillow and the distant sound of the city waking outside. But Judite was impossibly excited.

The five-year-old girl, or five years and a few days old now, bounced across the large bed in the room as if it were a trampoline. Her brown hair flew in every direction as she clapped her hands and sang a song she had just invented, a simple, repetitive melody that was already getting stuck in Lukas’s head against his will.

”Today is the day! Today is the day of my Awakening!”

”I’m going to be strong like Dad! I’m going to be the best swordswoman in the world!”

She jumped so high that her feet almost touched the wooden ceiling. At the peak of the jump, she lost her balance and nearly fell off the bed, only avoiding crashing to the floor because Clavor, still asleep, reflexively stretched out an arm and caught her by the ankle.

Clavor, who was sleeping in the bed beside Judite, let out a sleepy grunt and covered his head with the pillow. His voice came out muffled, rough with sleep.

”Judite... it’s still early...”

”It’s not early!” the girl replied, slipping free from her father and jumping again.

”The sun is already up! I saw it through the window!”

Aurora, who had slept and woken up with a sore back, though she did not complain, opened one violet eye, still half-asleep. Her white hair was messy, and there was a red mark from the pillow on her cheek.

”Judite... it’s still early...” she repeated, her voice hoarse.

”The sun just rose. The Awakening Hall isn’t even open yet...”

”But I want to go now!” Judite jumped again, landing on the mattress with a thud that made the wood creak.

”What if I’m late and end up losing my ability? What if it runs away?”

Lukas, who was lying on his side with Tilbo nestled on his pillow, the ant motionless, though he could feel her body against his cheek, slowly opened his eyes. The morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtain, painting the room in golden tones.

He looked at his sister with a mixture of amusement and resignation.

’She’s been waiting for this for months. Ever since she understood what Awakening was, she hasn’t talked about anything else.’

His childish voice came out soft and cute but carried a dry humor that only he understood.

”Judite... you woke up the entire inn...”

From outside, as if responding to his observation, someone knocked on the wall of the neighboring room, three sharp, irritated bangs.

Judite made a face but didn’t stop jumping.

”Then they can move!”

Lukas sighed.

But he couldn’t stay angry. His sister’s excitement was contagious, a pure joy, without filters or reservations, the kind only small children could feel. He sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes with his little hands, and smiled.

”Alright. Let’s get ready.”

Tilbo, sensing the movement, slowly raised her antennae and climbed onto Lukas’s shoulder, where she nestled against his neck.

The room turned into a small chaos over the next few minutes.

Aurora tried to comb Judite’s hair while the girl constantly moved around, turning her head in every direction, twisting her body, pointing at imaginary things outside the window. The comb repeatedly slipped through her brown hair, and Aurora let out frustrated sighs.

”Judite, stop moving!”

”But I want to see if there are already people on the street! What if the line is huge? What if all the spots in the hall are gone? What if...”

”They won’t be. It’s a hall. It fits a lot of people. Stay still.”

Clavor was putting on a clean tunic, still yawning, his eyes red from sleep. He tied the belt holding his sword, even though he wasn’t going into battle, it was rare to see him without the weapon, while muttering something about ”children should be born with a mute button.”

Lukas, with Aurora’s help between pauses in fixing Judite’s hair, put on a simple but well-made outfit, a light-blue set of soft linen with small bone buttons down the front, which Aurora had specially commissioned for the trip.

The pants were short, leaving his shins exposed, and he slipped into leather sandals tied around his ankles with straps.

Tilbo, refusing to stay in a pocket that morning, climbed onto Lukas’s shoulder and remained there, her antennae gently twitching.

”She’s going to attract attention,” Aurora commented, looking at the ant.

”She’s not an ordinary ant, Lukas. People will notice.”

”She behaves herself,” Lukas replied simply.

”And if they notice... I’ll say she’s my pet.”

Aurora opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again. There was no time for that discussion. And deep down, she knew she wouldn’t win.

They went down to the first floor of the inn.

Even though it was early, the sun had barely finished rising, and the sky still carried pink hues along the horizon, the hall already had a few tables occupied by early-rising travelers.

Men wearing leather clothes and dusty boots, probably merchants or hunters, drank black coffee from clay mugs. A family with two small children ate bread with jam in silence, their eyes still heavy with sleep.

The smell of fresh bread coming out of the oven filled the air, mixed with the aroma of boiled eggs, bacon frying somewhere in the kitchen at the back, and an herbal tea that Lukas had already learned to recognize. Mint with something citrusy, perhaps lemon, perhaps that Lirium fruit Aurora had mentioned.

They sat at a table near the window, where the morning light streamed in through golden beams. Aurora ordered breakfast for everyone, a full meal, which the waiter brought on wooden trays.

Lukas ate enthusiastically.

Warm bread, still steaming, with a red jam made from a sweet and slightly tart fruit he had never tasted before. The jam was thick, with small pieces of fruit floating inside, and had a flavor that reminded him of raspberry, but stronger, livelier. He spread a generous layer onto the bread and took a bite with enthusiasm, closing his eyes in pleasure.

”This is delicious,” he murmured, his mouth full.

Aurora laughed, wiping a smear of jam from the corner of his mouth with a napkin.

”It’s red fruit jam. It’s made from a fruit that grows in the hills south of the city. It only grows at this time of year.”

”We’re taking a jar home,” Lukas declared.

Clavor raised an eyebrow but did not disagree.

Lukas also drank two full glasses of a citrus juice made from a yellow fruit similar to a lemon, but much more intense and refreshing. The juice was sour, so sour that Lukas wrinkled his nose at the first sip, but after a few glasses, he got used to it. The flavor exploded on his tongue, making him smile in satisfaction.

”Did you like the Lirium juice?” Aurora asked, watching her son drink the second glass.

”Very good,” Lukas replied, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

”It’s really sour, but I like it that way.”

Clavor chuckled softly, cutting a large piece of yellow cheese and placing it on top of a slice of bread.

”Good boy. Sour things strengthen the body. The mountain warriors drink Lirium juice every day before training.”

”Do you drink it?” Lukas asked.

”No. It’s too sour. I prefer beer.”

Aurora rolled her eyes.