So I'm a Snake, Who Cares

Title 'Zookeeper'.

I knew one more zookeeper.

A shadow fairy called Deshnan who made his own zoo in the middle of a magic realm.

He was a madman who sold his soul to a demon.

Madam Gorilla was actually a monster who had been trapped in his 'zoo'.

An eccentric who carried out terrible monster experiments.

It was natural for Madam Rila to have prejudice, having been confined in dirty, cramped cages since childhood.

"Zoo! Dirty and painful! Don't wannaaa!"

Still, I didn't expect her to cry out this much.

That this is different from that zoo back then.

That a real zoo is a place full of dreams and hope, and that experimental facility where you stayed can't really be called a zoo.

Of course! There are monster experiments here too and they regularly hunt monsters to control their numbers but!

Still!

It's definitely different from there, probably!

But before I could explain, something strange happened.

"Oh my, why are you crying!"

Because Kadam Kazans, who had been nothing but cold to us, was stamping his feet not knowing what to do.

"I'm the zookeeper here? But I'm not a bad person!"

"Ahhh, blood smell!"

"Oh, oops!"

Madam Gorilla pushed Kadam.

Though Kadam didn't budge, he was flustered and called Daisy.

"Daisy! Bring water!"

"Yes!"

Daisy ran breathlessly and brought a cool glass of water.

"Hey you fool! Not drinking water, washing water!"

"Ah, yes!"

They're filming a sitcom here.

Daisy brought a bucket filled with water, and Kadam started washing his hands in it.

But foolishly, he washed his hands without taking off his gloves.

"My name is Kadam. There are many monsters like you in this zoo..."

"Uwah the zoo is even bigger..."

"If you want, I'll put you in the indoor zoo."

"Indoor zoo is too terribleee!"

Madam Rila shed tears like chicken droppings.

Kadam, uncharacteristically, took out a handkerchief and tried to wipe Madam Rila's tears.

However, Madam Rila rejected it while performing a lariat.

"Wait a moment."

Pelerian stopped me from intervening through Obern.

"When the other party is in trouble is precisely the opportunity to make them indebted."

As expected of Professor Pel. He's the best at being cunning and reliable.

And indeed Kadam looked at us.

"Come help here."

Surprisingly, Obern was cunning enough on his own.

"Our child seems very startled... I don't know what to do either."

"Oh come on!"

When Kadam shouted, Madam Gorilla had another fit.

Kadam said 'oops' and spoke quietly again.

"I would be very grateful if you could calm this child down."

Before he stewed longer and an orc's war cry burst out.

And because crying Madam Rila looked pitiful, we approached her.

Obern put his hand on Madam Rila's shoulder.

And I slightly extended my tail from his sleeve and placed it.

'Calm down.'

"Boss..."

Behind us, Kadam marveled, 'She calls her master boss. What amazing loyalty and intelligence.'

'This place is different from Deshnan's zoo.'

"Mmm..."

'And I'm by your side.'

That last line seemed to give Madam Rila great courage.

She nodded with a determined expression.

'Deshnan that bad guy was a handsome fairy. Look at this. He's an ugly half-orc. A completely different person.'

"Ah."

Though Madam Rila still looked at Kadam with wary eyes, she didn't have fits like before.

"Amazing. Calming her down in an instant!"

Kadam marveled like that without knowing what conversation I had with Madam Rila.

We soothed Madam Rila well.

"Would it be alright to show Rila around this zoo?"

Though we were in the position of asking for protection, Kadam nodded readily.

"By all means!"

==

Kadam wasn't just an 'animal lover'.

But that doesn't mean he wasn't just an animal lover, it doesn't mean he didn't like animals and monsters.

Rather, he liked them very much.

You could tell that aspect just by how he often wrapped the black rattlesnake around his neck like a scarf.

It would take more than one book to tell the circumstances that led him to trust animals more than people.

To summarize briefly, there was an issue of birth.

Mixed blood.

Very rare half-elves. And half-gnomes.

Even they face how many hardships living.

Being born with the blood of two races means not being accepted by either race.

Experience tales at empire

At least half-breeds who look beautiful or normal have it better.

But what about half-orcs?

Orcs who mainly live in the north are treated as monsters in most countries.

Actually, they might be closer to monsters than humans in that they can 'evolve'.

Therefore, it's nearly impossible for half-orcs to naturally blend into society.

Though Kadam, who inherited much more human traits, succeeded in blending into the empire, that doesn't mean his life was smooth.

There must have been unspeakable pain.

There must have been countless contempt and disdain.

There was a reason he devoted himself to the zoo rather than the military despite his innate strength.

Kadam was living a relatively happy life.

Not in the complicated human world, but here in the zoo, his own small world.

But that happiness ended 3 years ago.

Because the emperor gave him an order.

"The Imperial Zoo is now an institution completely independent from the Six Ministries. Kadam, you will follow only my orders."

That part was very good.

Originally, various departments of the Six Ministries kept interfering with the zoo's operations, each trying to exert their own authority and influence. Their constant meddling made proper management nearly impossible.

In fact, the zoo was treated as a prime hunting ground where warriors could regularly raise their level under controlled conditions. The facility had become more of a training ground than a proper sanctuary for magical beasts.

How good is it to be able to hunt monsters in a controlled environment, they'd say, treating the zoo like their personal training arena. The warriors would swagger through the grounds, picking fights with contained creatures as if it were their birthright.

Leveling up was a blessing, and the zoo probably contributed significantly to the empire being the strongest on the continent. The steady stream of experienced warriors it produced had become one of the empire's greatest assets.

But that stopped. The emperor's decree changed everything with those few simple words.

The zoo's regular cleaning and maintenance became entirely handled by Kadam and his handpicked subordinates. No more random warriors treating it like their personal playground.

That meant one thing, something far more significant than mere administrative changes.

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