Chapter 2: Testing Herb Cultivation and Reconsidering the Forest
Chapter 2: Testing Herb Cultivation and Reconsidering the Forest
A knock came at the door. I opened my eyes.
“Huh…? Morning already?”
A stream of brilliant morning light flowed into the room from the window. I blinked several times to adjust my eyes to the brightness as I got up. I’d barely left my bed before I heard a second knock.
Guess I shouldn’t leave them waiting.
“Who is it?” I called out, my voice a little hoarse.
“It’s me, Tilura! Can I come in?”
I bet she’s here for Leo.
“Yawp…” Leo unballed herself from where she was sleeping on the floor, stretched her forelegs far out in front of her, and yawned.
“Sure, c’mon in,” I called back to her.
She threw open the door and bounded in. “Takumi, Miss Leo, good morning to you!”
“’Morning. You’re up pretty early.”
“Ruff!”
She at least said good morning like a proper lady, even if she was already glomping onto Leo seconds later. I was just glad that she remembered to knock first.
“Thank you very much for the necklace of Miss Leo you got me, Takumi!”
“You’re welcome, but it’s not of Leo specifically. It’s just a wolf. Still, I’m glad you like it.”
Her hands went to the pendant at her neck. “I love it! I’ll treat it very well!”
“Rooo?” Leo leaned in close for a better look.
“Look, Miss Leo! It’s you!”
Leo’s eyes widened and she shook her head from side to side. “Wroo… Ruff, Ruff!” No, I’m way cooler than that!
Not sure I understand her obsession with being cool… Maybe it comes from going from small to BIG dog?
Come to think of it, though, I’ve been able to understand Leo ever since we arrived in this world. She always used to use more human-like gestures, which made her easier to understand than other dogs. But now, I can tell almost exactly what she’s saying…
The smile on Tilura’s face died. “You don’t like it, Leo?”
“Roo? Ruff!” Leo gave her a reassuring nudge.
“Ehehe, that tickles!” She burst into giggles.
“Ruff!”
Just seeing them get along so well filled my heart with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Ah, friendship. What a beautiful thing.
At that moment, though, my stomach let out a low growl.
“Takumi? Are you hungry?” Tilura asked.
“Ah… Ahaha, something like that. Sorry you had to hear that.”
“Ru-ruff!” Leo seemed to be laughing.
Dang. I’ll have to be more careful in the future…
“Are you hungry, too, Miss Leo?”
“Arooo!”
“All right, then! Let’s go to the dining hall!”
She grabbed my hand and tried to run out of the room, but I held her back.
“Hold on a minute, Tilura. I’d better get cleaned up before I go anywhere.”
“Oh…sorry.”
“No, don’t apologize. You wanted to hurry because I was hungry, right? That was really kind of you.”
“Ehehe!”
“Ruff!”
I gave Tilura a pat on the head. Leo shoved her head under my other hand, so I decided to pat her head too.
“Okay then, Takumi. I’ll see you for breakfast!”
“All right, I’ll be there as soon as I can. You can go with Leo, if you’d like.”
Her face lit up. “Yes, please! C’mon, Miss Leo!”
“Ruff!”
With that, the two of them raced out of the room.
Okay, time to try out that new razor.
It wasn’t quite the same as the razors I was familiar with, but it seemed close enough. I fished it out of the pile of things I’d bought from Hein’s store and went to the mirror. I didn’t want to keep them waiting too long, so I set about shaving as quickly as I could without cutting myself. After that, I threw on a new change of clothes and hurried down to the dining hall. After being startled by Laila waiting just outside my door again, she led the way.
When I entered the dining hall, I found Claire and Tilura sitting in the same seats as yesterday.
“Good morning, Takumi,” Claire greeted me.
“Good morning, Claire. Oh, and good morning to you, too, Sebastian.”
“Good morning, Mr. Hirooka. Milady is in the finest of moods this morning.”
“Really?”
“Oh, stop it, Sebastian.” Claire shot him a look. “It’s nothing, Takumi. I’m the same as ever.”
Sebastian gave me a wink and a smile before taking his place behind Claire.
“Okay…”
She didn’t seem too different from before. Yet, she did seem to be in somewhat higher spirits. It took me a moment to realize that she was wearing the hairpin I’d bought her.
Maybe that’s why? I’m glad they both like their gifts.
“Well, then,” Claire said, smiling. “Let’s eat.”
“Yeah.”
“Ruff!”
Breakfast consisted of the same salad and potage as yesterday, plus two types of bread. On closer inspection, one was a simple sandwich of grilled bread, gooey cheese, and sliced ham. The second was a similar sandwich, but with a poached egg on top.
Wait a second, I know these…this is a croque monsieur, and the one with an egg is a croque madame.
If memory served, neither were ancient recipes or anything…but then again, this wasn’t my world. Since they had monsters and magic, it made sense that they’d have other differences from my world’s medieval Europe.
“This looks really good,” I said.
“It does. It seems that Helena was rather flattered by your compliments last night. She got up rather early to cook for us.”
“Really?”
Sebastian nodded. “It was apparently quite difficult to get the consistency of the cheese just right. I believe she called the dish a ‘crock’ or something like that.”
As I looked across the table, I could see that Claire’s sandwiches were different from mine. It looked like they each had a single slice of bread that was slightly thicker than mine, but the ingredients were added from a slit in the side so that the sandwich itself had less bulk. They were each nicely sized to fit our different appetites. Turning to Leo’s plate, I could see a giant croque that was jam-packed with sausage. Honestly, I was impressed that she went so far.
Thank you for all your hard work, Helena.
“Ruff!” Leo dug into her sandwich, unable to hold back even a second longer.
I followed suit, grabbing the croque monsieur first and taking a big bite out of it. It was crisp and crunchy. The cheese spilled out to fill my mouth. The thick sauce mixed with it perfectly, creating pure happiness on my tongue.
Man, nothing beats good food!
“Isn’t this tasty, Miss Leo?!” Tilura called from across the table, beaming.
“Ruff!” Leo started vigorously wagging her tail.
Even Claire had a smile on her face as she ate her croque.
In the end, everyone finished their sandwiches, soups, and salads. Laila poured us all tea while we sat and let our meals digest. Tilura “rested” with Leo in the space beside my seat.
“Ruff, Ruff.”
“Haha, that tickles, Miss Leo!”
Don’t go licking her face, okay, Leo? You just drank a whole bucket of milk.
Claire chuckled. “It’s hard to believe Tilura was afraid of Miss Leo at first.”
“Yeah, it is. Leo loves kids, so I bet that helped quite a bit.”
We exchanged smiles.
Wait, I almost forgot… I need to talk to her about my plans for today.
“Claire? Would you mind if I used the garden after this?”
“The garden?” She gave me a puzzled look. “Planning on playing with Leo again, are you?”
“Not quite. I want to try out my Gift there…if you don’t mind.”
Her eyes brimmed with curiosity, but she was making a visible effort to conceal it. “Do you mind if I ask what you’re going to do, exactly?”
“Not at all. I wanted to figure out what kind of plants I could create with my Herb Cultivation. I was thinking I might be able to make something useful grow.”
“Oh, I see. You’re free to use the space however you see fit. We’ve not used it hardly at all as of late.”
“Thank you very much.” I turned to Sebastian. “Can I ask a favor, Sebastian?”
“Of course. What may I help you with?”
“I was wondering if you had any books on medicinal herbs, or preferably just the plants themselves.”
“Herbs, you say? Let me think… I am afraid we do not have any such plants on the premises, but there are several textbooks. As we’ve no resident apothecary at the moment, we keep such books on hand for personal reference.”
Claire nodded. “That’s how I learned about capwort in the first place.”
“Is that so?” I answered. “Do you mind if I borrow those books, then? I’d like to reference them as I try out my Gift.”
“Of course,” Sebastian nodded. “If they are of any use to you whatsoever, then I will consider their presence here worthwhile.” He waved Gelda over and sent her to fetch them. Then he stopped to digest my words. “Reference material for Herb Cultivation, you say…?”
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“Quite the opposite. I would welcome a means of procuring medicine so readily.”
“Really?”
“Oh, yes. You see, we have no stock of medicinal herbs of any description at present. Capwort, for instance, is a common reagent; yet, we lacked even that. If you would cultivate a few common natural remedies for us, I would greatly appreciate it.”
That makes sense… Then they won’t have to worry if someone gets sick again.
Back in Japan, I always kept cold medicine on hand, even if I mainly used it to avoid taking sick days. My managers hated it when people stayed home for anything, especially the flu.
“I don’t know what my power can and can’t do yet, so I can’t make any promises,” I said. “But I’ll do what I can.”
“Please do. I shall ensure you are properly compensated for your trouble.”
I laughed. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
Claire leaned forward in her chair. “Do you mind if I watch you practice?”
“Not at all. I won’t be doing anything dangerous, so it should be just fine.”
It… won’t be dangerous, right? How harmful could growing weeds be?
“Excellent! Don’t start without me!” She was positively brimming with anticipation.
Great, now I’m getting nervous. I don’t even know if my Gift works like I think it does, so I’m not sure what to expect. Granted, growing the capwort went fine, but still…
After that, we sat and watched Leo and Tilura play for a while, sipping our tea and enjoying the morning air.
🐾🐾🐾
“H-HERE are the books on plants that you asked for”
Gelda brought me the textbooks a short while later, and with that, Claire, Sebastian, Leo, and I went out into the garden. I was puzzled for a moment to see that Tilura was gone, but I found her a moment later on Leo’s back.
She must’ve really liked that game yesterday.
I watched her and Leo a little bit longer before taking the books into an open space away from the others and leafing through the encyclopedia on top.
“Wow…there sure are a lot of plants in here.”
I could feel them all watching me as I read. Claire and Sebastian seemed especially excited, as if they thought I’d turn into a plant myself.
They’re not making this any easier.
“All right, I’ll start with this one.”
I decided to go for a relatively simple-looking herb: a loe plant. Its leaves were characteristically thick, tough, and spiked along the edges. According to its description, the jelly-like fluid inside it could heal scrapes and sunburns. I was still puzzled as to how I could read so easily when the book wasn’t even in Japanese, but I could look into that later.
“This is aloe vera, isn’t it?” I muttered.
I remembered the time I’d tripped and scraped my knee as a kid, and one of the old ladies who lived in my neighborhood had treated it with an aloe patch. Since I was already so familiar with it, loe seemed like a good place to start.
I shut the book and, envisioning an aloe plant, I reached out and pressed my hand to the ground.
“Um… I’m going to try it now,” I called out to the others.
“All right.”
“As you please.”
“Ruff.”
“This is so exciting!”
Oof, they’re staring even harder now…!
I tried to relax a little as I focused on the loe alone.
I should probably say something for dramatic effect.
“Uh… Herb Cultivation!”
I quickly regretted it. It felt as though I’d die of embarrassment…not that they were judging me, of course.
After a few seconds, I could feel the ground beneath my hand bulge slightly.
Did it work?
I moved my hand to look and a little green plant popped up before my eyes.
Ooh’s and ahh’s (and one ruff) rose up from my spectators. As we watched, it sprouted little leaves, then spines. After a while, it stopped growing altogether. It looked exactly like an aloe vera plant. My experiment had succeeded.
“Is that…loe?” Claire asked in surprise.
“Why, I do believe it is.” Sebastian nodded, equally shocked. “Astounding!”
“Yeah. I just imagined the plant as the book showed it and…it grew.”
“That’s so cool, Takumi!” Tilura shouted.
“Ruff, ruff!”
“You… You really grew loe,” Claire repeated in disbelief.
“Loe, of all things…” Sebastian mused.
“Um, yeah… What’s wrong?”
Loe…no, aloe is pretty common in Japan. I didn’t think they would be that surprised.
“Did you grow that plant, knowing full well what it is?” Sebastian asked.
“Well, I read its entry. I thought I’d go with this one specifically because it’s so common where I come from.”
“I see,” he nodded. “Milady? May I?”
“Yes…perhaps you should explain it to him, Sebastian.”
“Very well.”
He cleared his throat and I could see a lecture forming in his mind. I caught a glimpse of a smile on his lips.
“Let us start with the basics. Do you know what loe does, Mr. Hirooka?”
“It heals scrapes and sunburns…right?”
“Precisely. With but a touch, it can heal an injury. Even a small amount of the fluid in its leaves is enough to produce remarkable healing effects.”
“Okay.”
Sounds just like aloe vera.
It wasn’t the most pleasant thing to touch, though. I remember hating how the slime felt against my skin. But I also remember that it’d helped the scrape heal faster… I think. I don’t know how much faster, exactly.
“Let me repeat myself. It can heal an injury with one touch.”
“Wait… So, you don’t need to put it under a bandage or anything?”
“On the contrary. The time needed to heal varies depending on the graveness of the injury sustained. But for most smaller abrasions and such, the wound heals instantaneously. It cannot heal mortal wounds, of course. But even bone-deep gashes can be healed without leaving so much as a scar.”
“…Seriously?”
That’s… How?
The aloe I knew needed time to work. And it definitely couldn’t do anything the human body was incapable of on its own. Maybe they really were different plants altogether, even if they looked identical. My gaze dropped to the little plant at my feet.
To think one little plant could have so much power… Maybe weeds are more useful in this world?
“Naturally, its effects make it a much sought-after herb,” Sebastian continued his lecture. “Yet, since its native regions are not widely known, very few plants abound. In other words, it is exceedingly rare. I would wager that it is one of the most expensive plants on the market.”
“Rare…?”
It was almost too common in Japan. You could find it virtually anywhere sunny enough, and most kept it as a houseplant.
“Now, I was certainly hoping you would grow a number of herbs for us. Yet I never imagined we would be welcoming such a treasure into our halls…”
“So…how much is a loe plant like this worth?”
“Well, let me see… The plant you grew has more than ten leaves, it seems. Those ten leaves alone would likely be enough for a house. As in, to have one built for you, from scratch.”
“A house?” My mind boggled. “Do you think I could just sell plants for a living, then?”
“Well, I should imagine you could grow nearly any plant you set your mind to with the same speed you just demonstrated. You could have a rather large inventory with no production fees attached.”
“So, are you going to open a gardening store?” Claire asked.
“No, I don’t think I’ve decided yet. All I know for certain is that I want to work enough to be independent.”
If I had to keep leeching off of Claire’s coffers forever, I’d go crazy with guilt. Working had been a key part of my life for so long that without it, I don’t know what I’d do.
I guess that makes me kind of a workaholic.
The last thing I wanted was a stressful life, though. If I could use my Herb Cultivation power to make that not happen…well, it was worth considering, at least.
“Should you simply mass produce loe, I would imagine the price would drop quite considerably,” Sebastian said with a nod. “Mind you, you might also send the entire market into freefall in the process.”
Claire nodded in agreement. “Yes, I should imagine so. Would you mind if we kept that loe here at the villa, then?”
“Please, be my guest. I was planning on giving it to you in the first place.”
I didn’t know the value of loe at the time, of course, but it would be nice to start giving back to them.
“Thank you very much. Oh, and should you change your mind about selling plants, please let me know. I believe I might be able to help you,” Claire offered.
“How? Do you have something in mind?”
I’d never worked much in customer service or marketing, even as a student. Having Claire’s assistance on that front would be a great help, especially considering how little I knew about this world.
“Well, Sebastian said that you could destroy the market with your power, but that’s assuming you simply mass-produce loe and sell it.”
Sebastian nodded. “Indeed.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “Suddenly flooding the market with rare goods would be a pretty bad idea.”
Merchants dealing in rare plants would be the first to be affected, but there was no telling what other impacts it might have.
“In that case,” continued Claire, “why not have the Libert estate handle the marketing and distribution?”
“Wait… You mean the duke’s people would handle it?”
“Yes, exactly.”
Realization lit up Sebastian’s eyes. “Ah… How clever of you, milady.”
What would that even mean, though? Besides, should the duke be doing business like that?
“You see, Takumi, the Libert estate runs several different businesses, both inside its domain and out. The taxes we collect are only enough to cover the cost of infrastructure, the military, and other administrative fees. Our real wealth—what allows us to live as nobles, that is—lies in our business ventures.”
“Wow. Really?”
“Yes. Granted, some nobles simply raise taxes and pocket as much as they can. But, in the end, nobles are free to decide whatever source of income suits them best. The only caveat is that if they harm the populace too much, the royal family will step in.”
Sebastian nodded. “Though of course, some nobles have simply perfected the art of milking their people dry and hiding their crimes from the outside world.”
“Okay… I think I get it.”
So, the local lords decide the tax rates and whether or not they want to run side businesses… It doesn’t surprise me that some nobles would prefer to simply line their pockets with their people’s money, though.
“The Libert family keeps the local taxes as low as possible to stimulate the economy and improve people’s quality of life,” Claire continued. “Fortunately, my father—as well as his predecessors and his aides—have a good mind for business. It’s thanks to that we live such comfortable lives here.”
They must be successful, if they can build a mansion like this… I can’t even imagine how expensive this must’ve been… Maybe he wanted to marry off Claire and Tilura to forge new business alliances? Then again, I’d never met him, so it was nothing more than a guess.
“You see, nobility is one of the most potent brands there is.”
“Brand…?”
“When a noble does business, the people will buy their products and use their services simply because a noble provided them. It depends on how much the people trust a given noble, of course. But a popular ruler will have better business than even the shrewdest merchant.”
“The perceived quality of said goods is also a factor,” Sebastian added. “The people trust that a noble will not sell them an inferior product. Likewise, a noble will not sell poor products for fear of losing said trust.”
“So basically, you deal in trust as much as you do actual goods and services?”
“Precisely.”
Like a luxury brand back on Earth, then? If the Libert estate is making that much money, then their people must trust them a lot.
“Essentially,” Claire continued, “the Libert estate would sell the plants you produce. The townsfolk would never doubt the quality of any products we offer to them. In exchange, we would pay you handsomely for your work.”
“Okay, I think I get it.”
“Since we would need to move carefully to keep the market intact, though, the estate’s experts would likely tell you what plants they’d like you to grow, and how much.”
In other words, they’d sell my plants for me. But, in exchange, they’d decide what I grow…
“Of course, if you wanted to market your herbs to the people directly, I wouldn’t stop you. After all, you would have more direct control over your earnings if you had a hand in every step of the process.”
“Oh, I don’t care that much about the money. I don’t think I could be a successful entrepreneur on my own, after all.”
All I’d have to do, then, is sell herbs to the Libert family wholesale. I should get enough money from that to build a life, and I won’t need to bother learning the specifics of doing business in this world.
It would be nice to keep all the profits to myself. But I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, selling wholesale was much easier, especially considering how easy it was to use my power. As long as I wasn’t looking to maximize my profits, letting the Libert estate take control of the details was a pretty tempting offer. And I could always branch out on my own later if I wanted to.
“I think I’ll let you and your family run the business side of things for now, then. I don’t trust my business acumen enough to do it myself.”
“Great! But please keep in mind, this is only a proposal. My father’s still head of the family. So I’m afraid that, without his permission, I can’t formally hire you.”
“Your father? So it won’t be happening soon, then?”
“I’m afraid not. I don’t imagine he’ll turn us down, but…”
“But?”
“I just know that he’ll try to marry me off again as soon as we meet. I’m not looking forward to that.”
“Oh… Yeah, I can imagine.”
She mentioned before that he brought it up daily, after all. I started feeling bad for her again.
“Before I meet my father, however, I would very much like to hash out the details of your contract. I would also encourage you to carefully consider whether or not you would like to sign. Oh, and I’ll devise a few new ways to turn down marriage proposals as well!”
“All right.”
She seemed especially determined about that last one… Maybe I should avoid that topic in the future.
After that, I tried to make several other plants from the encyclopedia grow. Most of them responded to my power, but a few of them wouldn’t work no matter how hard I tried. One of them was a skalyon, which seemed a lot like the scallions we had in Japan. Apparently, tying one around your neck could cure colds, among other things.
Wait, so weird folk cures actually work in this world?
According to Sebastian, though, skalyons were also farmed for use in cooking, which must have disqualified it from Herb Cultivation’s roster. I was curious as to where exactly the line was drawn, but I decided to leave that question for another day.
In the end, I spent nearly the entire morning testing out my Gift in silence. The backyard had become something of an herb garden by the time I was finished. The curious thing was, however, that one of the herbs I grew wasn’t listed anywhere in the book, and I’d never seen it before in my life.
“So…I can’t just make whatever herb I’m thinking of grow?”
What was I thinking of back then?
It must’ve been when I was watching Leo and Tilura playing in the garden and wondering just how tiring it must be to play like that. After that, I started thinking about energy drinks and other ways of relieving fatigue as I touched the ground. Before I’d realized what was happening, a stubby little plant with barely any stem and only a single violet leaf had popped out of the ground.
I picked the mystery plant, but I didn’t like the idea of selling it without first identifying it. Not even Claire or Sebastian recognized it, though, so I just took it back to my room with me.
“I guess I’ll leave it on my desk,” I said with a shrug as I headed for the dining hall. Fortunately, I could finally remember the route there and back, so I was able to make the trip without Laila’s help.
Lunch that day was pasta. It was similar to spaghetti but, instead of being slender, the noodles were thicker and flatter. I’d never seen anything like it, but since Helena had made it, I knew it had to be delicious. I picked up my fork.
“This looks amazing as usual,” I commented. I could feel my appetite growing.
Claire nodded. “Yes, Helena truly pulled out all the stops, it seems.”
“I’m super hungry, too!”
“Ruff!”
I noticed that Leo’s plate was also filled with pasta. But the long, thin noodles were already formed into neat balls to make it easier for her to eat.
Thank you for being so considerate, Helena.
“Let’s eat, then,” Claire said with a nod.
“Thanks for the food.”
“Yes, thank you!”
“Ruff ruff!”
The noodles were covered in a red tomato sauce that had mincemeat mixed in. If I remembered correctly, it was called a Bolognese, and it was every bit as delicious as it looked. My only concern was that I’d get sauce on my clothes. That wouldn’t be an easy stain to remove.
Claire was nimbly wrapping the noodles around her fork as she ate, but Tilura didn’t seem as experienced, and she already had a few red splotches on the front of her dress.
“Pardon me, milady,” Laila said as she halted Tilura’s progress for a moment to dab at the stains with a white towelette.
Wait…if this sauce is that messy, I bet there’s one other person who’d have trouble.
I turned to Leo and let out a sigh.
“I knew it.”
The fur around her mouth was stained bright red, as though with blood.
“First thing after lunch, you’re taking a bath.”
“Ruff?!” She whipped her head up from her plate. That was the first time in a while I’d seen her react at all while she was eating.
I guess baths deserve extra caution, huh.
“Don’t give me that, girl. Just look at your mouth. No way that’s coming off with a napkin.”
“Ruff! Ruff, ruff!”
I ignored her protests and turned back to my meal.
“Wait, Miss Leo’s taking a bath?!” Tilura perked up. “I want to go in with her!”
I nearly spat out my food. “N-No, uh… Maybe that’s not such a good idea.”
There was no way that I could take a bath with her, after all. The last thing I wanted was to start making problems.
“You can’t, Tilura,” Claire pitched in. “You can’t take a bath with a man.”
“What?! You’re so mean, Sister! Why can’t I?”
“You just can’t. For a lady to take a bath with a man means… I-It means…”
“Sister?”
“A-Anyway, you’re forbidden from doing so. Boys and girls need to take baths separately.”
“They do?” Tilura gave me a questioning look.
Don’t look at me! Why don’t you ask Sebastian or Laila or something?!
“Y-Yeah…” I stammered. “It’s just not okay. You can’t ever take a bath with me.”
“Oh… Okay.” She started sullenly poking the pasta around her plate with her fork.
I’m glad she seems to understand.
Claire let out a sigh of relief, then shot me a sidelong glance. For some reason, her cheeks were a little red.
I wonder what got into her?
“Roooo,” Leo lamented as she slurped up the last of her meal and began to lick the plate clean.
C’mon, Leo. At least try to show some manners.
🐾🐾🐾
AFTER we all finished eating, we took a short break to relax before Leo and I headed for the bathroom. Fortunately, Laila and Gelda had already prepared towels for us.
Man, am I glad the bathtub’s big enough to fit her. She wouldn’t be able to fit in the bathtub in our apartment in Japan… Heck, she couldn’t fit in the apartment.
“*Whine*…”
“Don’t give me that. You’d better get used to baths, ’cause you’ll be taking them a lot more from now on.”
“Yowt…” She hung her head low, her tail drooping as we walked.
I still don’t get what the difference between playing in the river and taking a bath is. Is it a temperature thing? Or the closed space?
I stopped in the changing room to undress before we hopped into the bath together.
“All right, Leo, here comes the hot water. You ready?”
“…Roo.”
I scooped up a small tubful and poured it down her back. She clamped her eyes tightly shut, body trembling as she tried to endure it.
After many more tubfuls, she was finally all wet. I rubbed some soap into a towel until the bubbles were nice and frothy. Then I approached her back and started working the soap through her silvery fur. It wasn’t long before the bubbles started to turn black with grime.
“You’re pretty filthy, huh?”
“Wuff…”
I rinsed the black bubbles away then worked in some more soap. After a few more times, I was finally done with her back.
Man, this is harder than I thought!
I worked my way through every bit of her body before finally arriving at the hardest part—her face. She’d always hated this part the most, probably because she was afraid of the soap getting in her eyes and ears, and her nose could pick up too much of the soapy smell. I couldn’t leave those red stains around her lips, though.
“Just hold still, girl. I’ll be done as soon as I can.”
“Ruuuuuff?! Wuff…wuff.”
She let out a pathetic sigh, rolling over on her back like she had when I was washing her belly. Her eyes were clamped tightly shut in resignation. I got to work quickly, doing my best to avoid getting anything in her eyes or mouth.
“Just a little while longer. We’re almost there…”
I found myself amazed by just how dirty her snout was, though. She’d even managed to get sauce stains up by her eyes.
I’ll have to pay extra attention to her the next time we eat something messy…
“C’mon, Leo. If you aren’t more careful next time, everyone’ll be too busy laughing at your messy face to notice how cool you are.”
She tried to reply, but all that came out was a weird snort.
After a few more rounds, her face was finally clean, and her fur was back to that beautiful silver-white shade.
“All right, Leo, you’re all done. You can get up now.”
“Ruff!”
She snapped back up in one powerful motion, twisting in midair to land with all four paws firmly planted on the ground. She’d moved so quickly, in fact, that her sopping fur had unleashed a small wave on me.
At least the bathroom’s big enough for her to move like that…
“That was cool, Leo! But did you have to splash me like that?”
“Rooo? Ruff.”
“Oh, fine. Just be more careful next time, okay?”
“Ruff!”
“All right, onto the next step.”
“Hrruff?!” She gave me an appalled look.
“Oh, relax, it won’t be so bad. Hold still.”
“Ruff…”
I grabbed the brush that Laila had lent me. The soap had gotten rid of the stains, sure, but her fur was still full of tangles and bits of dirt that the water couldn’t dislodge.
“Okay, Leo. Sit.”
“Ruff!”
She obediently sat down. It didn’t seem like she minded too much—if anything, she seemed to be looking forward to it.
Was she always okay with being brushed?
Come to think of it, she was so relaxed when I brushed her in the past that she’d even fall asleep on my lap from time to time. She’d even start wagging her tail as soon as she saw her little brush in my hands. As long as I had that brush, she’d even follow me into the bathroom willingly, even though her tail started drooping the second she realized it was bath time.
“How’s this, Leo? You like this?”
“Woo-woo.”
She let out a relaxed sigh as she reclined on the bathroom floor. I was just glad that I didn’t have to fight her every step of the way. Brushing that much fur was hard enough on its own. After what felt like forever, I finally finished.
There. All that dirt and filth should be loose now.
“Okay, Leo, time for one last rinse.”
“Hruuuuuff?!”
She whipped her head around to face me in shock, but I didn’t give her any time to resist before dumping a tub of water on her back. After a few more rinses, I was finally done.
“All right, that’s that! All clean.”
“Ruff ruff!”
She gave her body an enthusiastic shake, sending water flying all across the room again.
“Aw, seriously, Leo? At least wait until I’m not right beside you next time!”
“W-Wooooo.” She gave me an apologetic look.
Oh, well. All that means is that I need a bath, too.
I let Leo out into the changing room and I asked Laila through the door to make sure Leo got properly dried off. Then I headed back into the bathroom for my own bath. I used some more soap to give my whole body a quick wash. Now more or less clean, I crawled into the massive bathtub and stretched all the way out.
I let out a long-held sigh. “Ahh…”
Man, a bath’s the best reward for a job well done.
I massaged my aching arms as I reclined, enjoying every last second of it. When I’d had my fill and felt nice and warm all over, I hopped out of the tub and got dressed. Laila was waiting just outside the room as always and she politely informed me that Claire and Tilura were in the parlor.
“Is Leo there, too?”
“Yes. I believe she’s keeping milady company.”
Since I’d made it back to my room alone the night before, I had a pretty good idea of where the bath was in the mansion at large. When I told Laila that I didn’t need her to show me back, though, her shoulders sagged a little.
“I suppose I’ll go make tea, then,” she sullenly said before turning and leaving for the kitchen.
Huh… Maybe she wanted to guide me back? This mansion has its share of weird servants, that’s for sure.
When I arrived back at the parlor, I found the door closed. I gave it a light knock.
“It’s me, Takumi. I’m done with my bath.”
The door opened, and I found Laila standing there. “Please, come right in.”
Wait, wasn’t she going to the kitchen? I know I just watched her trudge off in that direction.
I noticed that Gelda was standing right beside her. She was carrying a steaming teapot and several teacups on a tray.
I must not be as used to the layout of this place as I thought… That’s it, I must’ve taken the long way around by accident. That’s the only explanation.
At that moment, Claire noticed me standing in the doorway. “Oh, Takumi! You did a wonderful job of washing Miss Leo. I bet you must be exhausted.”
“She is pretty big, after all. She’s not a fan of baths, either, so that made it even more difficult.”
“I’d imagine so. Why don’t you leave it to the maids next time? It would be easier to clean her in a group.”
“Hmm… Maybe I should keep doing it for the time being. I don’t want to just force all the hard work onto them. Besides, it’d be best if I did it until she’s more used to baths, at least.”
“I can’t imagine the servants would mind the work, but I suppose you do have a point. We’ll discuss this again later.”
“We’d be honored to wash Miss Leo when the time comes!” Laila exclaimed, oddly worked up for some reason. “Please just say the word!”
Huh… Does Laila really want to touch Leo’s fluff that badly? I guess it’s not surprising, considering how addicted Tilura is to Leo.
“All right, then,” I conceded. “You can be in charge of it as soon as Leo’s more comfortable. I wouldn’t want her to get spooked and start resisting mid-bath, after all. At her size, that could be pretty bad.”
Gelda went white as a sheet. “Leo… Resisting…”
Leo could probably send Gelda—or any of the maids, for that matter—flying if she decided to struggle. I couldn’t imagine she’d actually do that, of course, but it didn’t hurt to be careful.
It looks like Gelda’s still a little scared of Leo, though. I hope they can become good friends soon.
“Takumi!” Tilura shouted, hopping to her feet. “Can I go in the bath with Miss Leo if the maids are there?!”
She seemed just as determined as ever to bathe with Leo. Even I was surprised at how close the two had become in so little time.
“Sure, that’s fine.” I looked up at Claire. “You’re all right with that, aren’t you?”
“Of course. When the time comes, you can feel free to, Tilura.”
“Yay!” She glomped onto Leo, giggling.
Leo, on the other hand, was still pouting. “Hruff.”
Tilura buried her face deep into Leo’s fur before coming up for air a moment later, a look of wonder on her face.
“Wow, Miss Leo feels super-duper-extra soft now!”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t even realize how dirty she was before. Thanks to all that brushing, she’s totally dirt-free. I bet she’s even fluffier now.”
“Really?” She petted Leo. “Wow… I didn’t know anything could be this fluffy! You’re amazing, Miss Leo!”
“Ruff!” Leo nuzzled Tilura with her snout as she played.
Even Claire seemed deeply impressed. “Her fur seems even brighter and shinier than when we first met. This must be what her fur is supposed to look like.”
“She really is pretty, isn’t she?” I nodded in agreement.
“Oh, yes.”
Her coat was pretty enough as a Maltese. But now, between her size and her shining silver pelt, she seemed almost divine. Her fur seemed thicker, too. I was so focused on her size, I hadn’t even noticed before.
“No wonder silver fenrir are said to serve no human,” Claire said, still entranced. “Just one look would give that impression.”
Sebastian nodded. “Indeed, milady. I had read a great deal about the silver fenrir’s supposed luster, but never did I dream it would be so breathtaking. I had simply assumed her fur to be pretty, nothing more.”
“Yes… The old legends sometimes exaggerate things, but I see now that they were only telling the truth here.”
“Verily so.”
After a moment, I could see realization dawn on her. “Sebastian? Do you suppose the legends of the forest are also true?”
“We mustn’t assume that from her fur alone. However, I dare say there’s a chance.”
I couldn’t follow their conversation. I didn’t know any old legends about this world, after all. Just as I was about to ask them directly, though, Claire turned to me.
“Do you remember that forest we first met in, Takumi?”
“Yeah, I remember. Where you went looking for the capwort, right? What about it?”
“There’s a legend about those woods and the encounter the first Libert family head had when passing through them.”
“Wait… You mean the person who was friends with a silver fenrir?”
“Exactly. Supposedly, they first met in that forest, and it was there that they became best friends.”
Wait, it happened there? What even happened to make them so close, though?
From what I’d been told, most silver fenrir were far too proud to have anything to do with humans, and they were openly feared. Leo was different, of course, but she was a special case. Or that might’ve been the case for all the silver fenrir in this world—I had no way of knowing one way or the other.
“Do the legends say how they got to be so close?” I asked.
“Well…no. None of the old tales explain that part. Not even the old documents relaying the back half of the founder’s life or the stories passed down through the Libert family hold any clues.”
“Oh…okay.”
“There is one account, however, that details how the founder was surrounded by a pack of fenrir in the woods and that the silver fenrir came to her rescue.”
“Fenrir?”
“Yes. Regular fenrir, you see, are a lot smaller and slower in comparison. They’re still terrifyingly fast by human standards, and their mastery of fire and ice magic make them incredibly dangerous. Their fangs and claws may not be as sharp as a silver fenrir’s, but they can still rip a human to shreds easily.”
The founder must’ve been scared senseless, running into a whole pack of them like that.
“At any rate, that was when the founder first met the silver fenrir. That’s why even today, we call that place the Fenrir Forest.”
“Fenrir Forest, huh?”
It made enough sense from the legend, but neither Claire nor I had met regular fenrir when we were there.
“Are there still fenrir in there?” I asked.
“I’m afraid nobody knows,” she replied. “Since the founder passed, no one has laid eyes on a fenrir of any kind.”
“Oh…okay.”
But still, that’s where Leo and I woke up and probably where Leo transformed. Not only that, but Claire is descended from the person to last see a silver fenrir there…
It couldn’t just be a coincidence. It had to be fate.
Claire’s brow furrowed. “There’s one thing that still bothers me, though.”
“What’s that?”
Is there something still in that forest?
“It’s true that no fenrir have been seen in those woods in ages, but then again, that forest is the stuff of legends now. Few people have entered the forest since then out of both awe and fear, and no one has plumbed its depths in ages. Nobody can say for certain what’s in there.”
“Oh…”
“That means that there might be fenrir living in there still…or who knows, maybe even silver fenrir!”
“That’s a good point. It could just be that nobody knows about them.”
“Exactly!” Claire enthused.
I didn’t know she was the type to get worked up so easily.
Come to think of it, though, she did ride into the forest alone as soon as she heard she might be able to save her sister. She might be more of a tomboy than I gave her credit for.
“Now, Takumi,” she started hesitantly. “This might sound crazy, so feel free to refuse.”
“What is it?”
It felt like she was about to tell me some great secret, something that could put my life in danger.
“Do you want to explore the forest’s depths with me? With Miss Leo too, of course.”
“What?”
Sebastian and the maids did a double-take. “M-Milady?!”
“Huh?” Tilura seemed confused. She probably hadn’t been listening.
“Ruff?”
No wonder they were surprised. Claire was lucky to escape that orc with her life last time, and if she actually found a herd of fenrir—or for that matter, another silver fenrir—she’d be in even more danger.
“Milady!” Sebastian shouted. “Even with Mr. Hirooka and Miss Leo, it’s too dangerous!”
“Far too dangerous!” Laila echoed. “If you do find fenrir in there, I can’t imagine you would return alive!”
Even Gelda seemed to be in a panic. “P-Please reconsider, milady!”
They all advanced on Claire and she took a step back, her eyes spinning. “W-Wait… H-Hold on, everyone!”
I’m not surprised, honestly. She has a history of being reckless like that.
“Please, milady! For your own good!”
“Yes, just think of all that could go wrong!”
“P-Please, don’t do it!”
“……”
Claire didn’t reply, but I couldn’t tell if she’d given up yet or not.
I was starting to get curious about the Fenrir Forest myself, though. There was a chance that I might find the reason I was brought to this world there, though admittedly not a high one. I wouldn’t go back to Japan for anything, of course—I could take things at my own pace here and could spend all my time with Leo.
What mattered now, though, was Claire’s choice.
She took a deep breath and I could see her eyes harden. “Oh, be quiet, all of you! I wasn’t talking to any of you!”
“M-My apologies for the intrusion.”
“Please forgive us, milady.”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Wow… I didn’t think she ever yelled like that.
Sebastian and the others seemed totally mollified. They stepped back, heads low.
She turned back to me. “So? Are you coming with me or not?”
“……”
Uh, Claire? You’ve still got one hell of a scowl on your face.
I wasn’t sure I had the guts to refuse, and the last thing I wanted to do now was side against her. I was also curious myself, of course. That being said, it was dangerous, and I wasn’t sure it was a risk worth taking.
My eyes swung around the room until I finally met Leo’s gaze. I noticed that Tilura was hiding behind her and quivering.
“Sorry, uh… D-Do you mind if I talk it over with Leo first?”
“O-Oh. Yes, of course.” She finally seemed to calm down a little and her expression softened. “I’m sorry. I need to calm down, so please, take as much time as you need.”
“Okay…thanks.”
She turned around and I could see her shoulders heaving as she took a few deep breaths.
Note to self: Don’t make Claire mad…
I felt that I could more or less handle how scary Leo or any other monster could be. But she was something else altogether.
I guess I’ll talk to Leo, then.
She could understand everything I said, after all, and I had a pretty good idea of what she wanted to say, too. I didn’t know how much we could really communicate when it came to complex topics like this but, as her partner, it only made sense to talk things over with her first.
“Hey, Tilura? Mind if I borrow Leo?”
“Okay…”
“Ruff?”
Tilura obediently backed away and sat down at the edge of the parlor. She still seemed a little spooked by Claire’s outburst, and she seemed very mindful of the distance between them now.
Leo cocked her head to the side as she plodded over to me. We moved to the opposite end of the room to talk.
“So, Leo. Claire wants us to go with her into that forest. What do you think?”
She paused to think for a moment. “Roo? Ruff. Ruff, ruff.” Nothing wrong with that, she seemed to be saying.
“But listen, there might be packs of dangerous fenrir in there, or even other silver fenrir.”
“Woo, woo, woo.” Fenrir? You’re worried about those weaklings?
Compared to her, sure, but they weren’t so weak against humans.
“Yeah, but what about the silver fenrir?”
“Ruff, ruff. Ruff, ruff, wuff!” They’re my friends. They wouldn’t attack us.
“Wait, really?”
“Ruff. Grr, uff, ruff. Wuff, muff, fruff.” No silver fenrir would ever attack their kin. They’d welcome us like old friends—and even if one of them was stupid enough to pick a fight, they wouldn’t stand a chance against me.
…Or something like that.
“Like old friends, huh? But even if regular fenrir are weaker than you, what if there’s a whole pack? Besides, there could be other monsters in there.”
“Ruff, ruff, ruff! Woooooooo! Bark, bark, bark!” It doesn’t matter how many fenrir there are; I can take them no problem. Besides, they wouldn’t dare attack me. The second they see any silver fenrir, they should just roll over and obey me. And even if there are other monsters, they’ll be even easier to take out than a fenrir! Nothing to worry about!
The more she talked, the clearer I could understand her. This went way beyond just guessing what she meant by her little human-like tics.
My Gift doesn’t have anything to do with it, right?
“I’ve been wondering, Leo. How come I can understand you so easily?”
“…Roooo?” She cocked her head to the side in confusion.
So…she doesn’t know, either. Well, it was worth a shot.
I decided that it had to be a size thing. If she was bigger, then it’d be easier to read her body language. There was no point dwelling on it now, at any rate. I wouldn’t be getting my answer anytime soon.
“Woooo?” Her brow furrowed in confusion as I got lost in my thoughts.
“No, it’s nothing. So…you don’t mind heading back to the forest?”
She gestured with her forepaws as she replied. “Woooo! Ruff Ruff, roo, woo, ruff! Wooo, rooo!” Yeah! It’s been forever since I’ve been able to really run around! Our last home was too small for that! Or something like that…
Yeah, our apartment was way too tiny—and I didn’t have the time to let her out as often as I wanted to.
“Uh… Sorry, I guess. I wish I could’ve given you more exercise back then.”
“Ruff? Ruff.”
She sloppily licked me across the face.
I’m glad she doesn’t seem to mind too much… Thanks, girl.
“It’s been a wild ride, but…I’m glad to have you, partner.”
“Ruff, ruff!” She nodded enthusiastically.
It’s all thanks to you. Without you, I’d have long given up in our old world, let alone here.
Now wasn’t the time for getting sentimental, though. I needed to get back to Claire.
“Claire? I’m with you.”
“Really?!” She broke into a shining smile. There wasn’t so much as a shred of anger left on her face.
She’s so much prettier when she smiles.
I noticed that Sebastian, Laila, and Gelda were all glaring at me, though.
I’ll make sure to convince them that we’ll be perfectly safe. I just hope they trust Leo’s words.
“So, uh…Sebastian? Laila? Gelda?”
“Yes?” they replied in unison.
“You’re only opposed to Claire going because you don’t think it’s safe, right? You’re worried about what might happen if we actually find what we’re looking for.”
“…’Tis as you say,” Sebastian replied humbly.
“Sebastian…” Claire finally seemed to understand why they were so harsh to her before.
In the heat of the moment, she probably hadn’t considered why they were ganging up on her. Instead, it must’ve just felt like they were knocking her down without even considering her feelings.
Or at least, it was probably something like that…maybe.
“Well, Sebastian, I talked with Leo, and we figured that it’d be totally safe as long as we were with her.”
“Is that so?” He still seemed skeptical. “I would imagine that in great enough numbers, even regular fenrir could pose a significant threat. And under such circumstances, if a silver fenrir appeared as one did for the founder…”
“So basically, you’re worried about Leo having to handle a silver fenrir and a fenrir pack at the same time?”
“Precisely,” he nodded.
I didn’t blame them for being worried. I’d had the same fears just minutes ago.
“Well, according to Leo—”
“One moment, please,” Laila interrupted, stepping forward. “You mean to say that you can understand her?”
Claire shot Laila a cross look but, perhaps because she could tell Laila was only worried, she didn’t say anything.
“Well, I can’t catch every word perfectly. But we’ve been together long enough that I have a pretty good idea of what she wants to say.”
“Ruff!” Leo nodded.
Laila hesitated a moment before curtsying and stepping back. “My apologies. It seems as though you truly do understand each other.”
Claire also seemed to be digesting my words.
“So, uh… Do you mind if I continue?”
“O-Oh, yes,” she nodded. “By all means.”
“Well, according to Leo, fenrir are nothing to her, same with any other monsters in those woods. Besides, silver fenrir are superior to regular fenrir, so they’d just do what she said, if anything.”
Both maids gave me baffled looks.
“M-Mr. Hirooka, are you quite certain?” Sebastian seemed equally confused. “I’m sure that silver fenrir are indeed superior, but fenrir are well-known for their violent natures. I can scarcely imagine they would obey anyone.”
“Hmm… But you’re sure, right, Leo?”
“Ruuuuff. Arooooo! Woo! Woo! Rooooo!” It’s practically instinct. They couldn’t say no to me even if they wanted to. Besides, even if they did attack, I could take down a pack or two in the blink of an eye.
I wasn’t sure exactly how accurate my interpretation was, but I could tell that she was completely confident.
I turned back to Sebastian. “Well, there you have it.”
“Er… I’m afraid you’ll have to translate for us.”
“Oh.”
“Ruff.”
I could understand easily enough, so I guess I assumed they could get the gist, too…how embarrassing.
I awkwardly cleared my throat. “B-Basically, fenrir wouldn’t attack silver fenrir because of their natural instincts. Even if they did, though, they’re weak enough that she could defeat them all, no problem.”
“I see…” he mused, still dubious. “What would she do against a pack of silver fenrir, however?”
Given that Claire’s life could be on the line, though, it wasn’t surprising that he’d want to double-check every potential danger.
“Oh, that would be no problem at all,” I replied.
“How so?”
“Apparently, one silver fenrir would never attack another. If anything, they’d be glad to welcome us. It might be safer overall if we ran into them, actually.”
“If you’re quite sure…as Miss Leo would be, I imagine…”
“Convinced yet?” Claire asked.
“…Yes.”
“All right, it’s decided, then. Takumi, Leo, and I will be heading back into the Fenrir Forest.”
“As you wish, milady.” He no longer had any logical reason to refuse her, but he still seemed reluctant.
“Claire?” I asked.
“Yes?”
“If you don’t mind my asking, why do you want to know if there are silver fenrir in there still?”
She glanced at Tilura and I followed her gaze to see that her sister was starting to nod off. “I think that’s enough for today. We’ve been talking long enough as is. I’ll have time to answer your questions later.”
Is it just me or does she not want to answer?
She noticed that I was a little put out, though, so she brought her mouth close to my ear. “I’ll tell you and Miss Leo when we’ve left. I’d rather the others not know.”
“If you say so.” I nodded and she smiled.
What could she want to hide from them, though? Man, it’s gonna be hard to wait.
“Laila, could you see to Tilura?”
“Of course, milady.”
With that, Laila scooped Tilura up in her arms and carried her out of the room.
No wonder she got tired, listening to all that complicated talk on a full stomach. Sounds like the perfect time for a nice nap.
“I’ll discuss the details of our trip with Sebastian, then,” Claire said.
“Sounds good.”
With that, Claire and Sebastian left the room.
I wonder if she’s going to scold Sebastian for what he said earlier? Wait, no, he’ll be the one scolding her, if anything.
Gelda was the only one left in the parlor and she busied herself with refilling Leo’s milk. I sipped at my tea as I relaxed. It had cooled down completely now, but it still tasted good enough to finish every last drop.
“Gelda? Can I have a refill, please?”
🐾🐾🐾
I ended up spending the afternoon relaxing in the parlor. After Tilura finished her nap and Claire had finished talking with Sebastian, we had dinner and decided to go to sleep early. I already had a bath, so I headed right back to my room.
“Huh… I didn’t expect we’d ever head back to that forest.”
“Woof?” Leo cocked her head to the side. Something wrong?
“No, it’s just…we got really lost last time, and there were those orcs… I was sure we’d never go back.”
“Ruff, ruff, ruff?” So why are we going?
“Claire wants to go no matter what. And besides, I want to know if there’s some clue there about why we ended up in this world.”
“Ruuuuff? Ruff, ruff.”
“What’s up?”
She suddenly turned to face the desk, a curious look in her eyes.
Weird. There shouldn’t be anything there, except for that weird plant I accidentally grew earlier.
“Ruff?”
“Oh, I made that with Herb Cultivation. I’ve got no idea what it does, so I decided to do some research later and see if… H-Hey, stop! Don’t eat that!”
“*Munch munch* Ruff!”
“C’mon, I said no! I hope it wasn’t poisonous… How’re you feeling?”
“Ruff? Rooooo, woo-woo-woo-woo!”
She started getting really excited, wagging her tail and prancing around.
“Wait, what?”
“Ruff! Bark, bark!” I feel so pumped, I could run forever!
So what did it do? Does it make you feel more awake? Or wait, is it a stamina-building plant?
“You knew what that was, Leo?”
She energetically nodded. “Ruff! Gruff, gruff!” I’m not tired anymore and I feel great! I think I’m stronger now, too!
“You feel that good now, huh?”
What did it do, exactly? Did it make her stronger and faster? Or increase all her physical abilities? Not that they’re any different, I guess…
There was a strong chance it was even more amazing than the loe I grew. I’d have to do some more experimenting in the garden tomorrow. I’d cultivated it from a concept, after all, instead of a name, which could change everything I thought I knew about my Gift.
I laid down in bed, still thinking about tomorrow. But there was one very big thing on my mind.
“Hey, Leo? I get that you’re full of energy, but could you try to be a little quieter?”
“Ruff! Ruff!”
“Oh, all right, we can play a little bit. But only a little, and then it’s time for bed. Got it?”
“Woof!”
In the end, though, we played late into the night. Leo was so content that she fell asleep half on my bed, with my pillow entirely buried under her head and forepaw. I decided to try using her as a pillow for the first time.
Wow… She’s sooo comfy…
I really wanted a proper pillow made from her fur, but hadn’t shed a single strand yet, so silver fenrir probably didn’t change coats with the seasons.
Regardless, I slept soundly with her as my pillow until morning.
🐾🐾🐾
WHEN I woke up, I found that Leo was still sleeping in the exact same position she was in last night.
“Is sleeping all scrunched up like that actually comfortable?”
“Wuff.”
She blearily yawned, dragged herself off the bed and stretched her forelegs way out in front of her.
I’d slept incredibly well. I didn’t remember the last time I felt so good. I sprung out of bed and popped my head out of the room to ask Laila for some more hot water. I gave my face a quick wash and gave myself a quick shave.
“Man, this still makes my skin feel all tingly… I’m sure I’ll get used to it, though.”
After I’d finished shaving and getting dressed, there came a knock on the door.
“Takumi? Miss Leo?” came Tilura’s high-pitched voice. “Are you awake yet?”
She’s probably here to say good morning to Leo.
“Yeah, we’re up. Come on in.”
“Okay! I’m coming in!”
The door flew open, and she bounced in.
“Morning, Tilura.”
“Ruff!”
“Good morning, Takumi and Miss Leo!” She bobbed her head in an elegant little curtsy. It was at times like this that I could really tell she was a duke’s daughter. Her curtsy wasn’t as elegant as Claire’s by any measure, but it had a refined quality to it.
“You’re fluffy as ever today!” she giggled as she glomped onto Leo.
“Ruff, ruff!” Leo replied, nuzzling Tilura in return.
“Let’s go get breakfast. It’s all ready!”
“Thanks for letting us know,” I smiled. “Let’s head down to the dining hall, then.”
“Ruff!”
“Okay!”
Her main reason for coming was probably just to say hi to Leo, but I don’t mind. I can tell Leo’s happy to see her.
With that, the three of us left the room and headed for the dining hall. Tilura and Leo fooled around the entire trip there, the former riding partway on the latter’s back. As soon as we entered the room, Claire and Sebastian greeted us.
“Good morning, Takumi and Miss Leo.”
“Good morning, Mr. Hirooka and Miss Leo.”
“Good morning to you, too, Claire and Sebastian.”
“Ruff, ruff, ruff!”
Leo and I took our seats in our usual spots, and Tilura dismounted Leo to take her seat beside Claire.
Breakfast was already laid out on the table. It seemed to be sausages wrapped in cream puff dough and baked in small gratin dishes.
What was this called again…Toad-in-the-hole? Helena outdid herself again.
“Well, then,” Claire said, “let’s eat.”
“Thanks for the food.”
“Yes, thanks!”
“Ruuuuff!”
We all started eating. After we’d all finished and I was readying myself for a nice cup of tea, a second course was brought out. It looked like a dessert of some kind.
“Oh, my!” Claire exclaimed. “This is really good.”
“Yeah, it is. I didn’t know you even had Yorkshire pudding in this world.”
“It’s sooo sweet~!”
“Ruff, wuff!”
Yorkshire pudding was a side dish made from the same basic pastry as toad-in-the-hole, but sweeter. It was very fluffy and light on the palate, and both Claire and Tilura seemed to be savoring every bite. Leo was eating at the same pace, urged on by her own sweet tooth.
I guess all women like sweets…not that I hate them myself.
Claire gave me a curious look. “So do you have this dessert where you’re from?”
“Yes, but it’s not very popular in my country.”
“Is that so? I never imagined any dessert this tasty could exist before now.”
“Apparently, though, it was originally served alongside meat.”
“Really? Well, I’m certainly glad Helena put in the effort to convert it like this. I’ll make sure to thank her myself later.”
“Yeah, I’m really glad she’s such a good cook.”
“Ruff!”
“I’m super glad, too!”
Thanking her was the least we could do for all her hard work.
As soon as we’d finished dessert, Sebastian, Laila, and Gelda brought out our tea. According to Helena, though, the dessert’s proper name was York pudding. I made a mental note to call it that next time.
“Do you have any plans for today?” Claire asked me as we drank.
“There’s something new I’d like to try with Herb Cultivation. Do you mind if I borrow your back garden again?”
“Oh, of course not. Please feel free to use it whenever you’d like.”
“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
“Do you mind if I ask what you’ll be doing, though? I thought you tried everything you needed to yesterday?”
“Well… I’m planning on trying something a little different and I don’t know how it’ll turn out. If you don’t mind, I’d like to wait to tell everyone until I know how it goes.”
“Oh… I understand.” She seemed a little put out by my reply.
To be honest, it wasn’t anything that I felt I needed to keep secret, but I didn’t know if I could properly explain it. It’d be easier to show them all an example, and I felt somehow that I’d succeed.
“Ruff!”
“Oh, so you want to come too, Leo?”
“Ruff, Ruff!”
“I’m going wherever Miss Leo’s going!” Tilura chimed in.
I didn’t mind if Leo came along and Tilura would probably be fine as long as she just played with her.
“You can’t,” Claire chided. “Don’t you remember that you’re supposed to be studying until lunch? I let it slide yesterday because you were still recovering, but not today.”
“But Sister, I hate studying!”
“Hate it or not, it’s important. No buts.”
Tilura visibly drooped. “Fine…”
Huh. Claire really can be strict with Tilura when she wants to be.
Tilura then plodded out of the room, giving Leo a longing glance before closing the door behind her.
I can’t say I blame her. When I was her age, I hated school, too. All I wanted was to goof off all day, every day… I miss those days.
“Rooo?” Leo gave me a worried look.
“No, it’s nothing. I’m fine, girl.” I gave her an affectionate scratch behind the ear. At that moment, though, I suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, Claire, when are we going to the Fenrir Forest?”
“Oh, let’s see… Sebastian?”
He sighed. “And here I was hoping you’d quite forgotten the topic.” He cleared his throat once before continuing. “I imagine preparations should take the rest of the day and that we will be set to depart tomorrow.”
“I see,” Claire nodded. “Tomorrow it is, then. Does that sound acceptable, Takumi?”
“Yeah, that works just fine. I don’t have anything to do before then except try a few things with Herb Cultivation, after all.”
“Ruff!” Even Leo nodded in agreement.
I guess it’s decided, then. Tomorrow’s the day.
I’d only been in this world a few days, but my time in that forest already felt like forever ago. That was the place where Leo got bigger, where I saw my first monster, and where Claire and I met.
“That forest had so many firsts,” I muttered to myself. “No wonder I’m getting emotional over it.”
Having decided when we’d be leaving, Claire and Sebastian left to get everything prepared. Leo and I headed to the back garden, accompanied by Laila and Gelda.
As soon as we arrived, Leo started running around. I couldn’t tell if she had that much extra energy or if she was just trying to get some exercise in—probably both. At any rate, this presented a perfect opportunity.
“Laila? Gelda? Do either of you want to try riding Leo?”
Laila made a visible effort to suppress her excitement. “Oh, may we?”
Gelda gave Leo a dubious look as she bolted around. “A-Are you sure it’s safe?”
“Yeah, of course. C’mere, Leo!”
“Ruff!”
Leo perked up her ears and came running back to me. As soon as I finished explaining to her, she turned to Laila and Gelda and started enthusiastically wagging her tail. I was sure Laila would be just fine, but I decided to keep an eye on Gelda just in case. She was already frozen stiff with terror.
“It’ll be okay, Gelda. Can you help her up, Laila?”
With some heavy persuasion from Laila, Gelda finally climbed onto Leo’s back and Laila followed suit. Leo trotted about more slowly than she had with Tilura, making sure to not jostle them too much. Laila seemed overjoyed, but Gelda was wide-eyed and trembling.
This’ll be a good chance for her to get more used to Leo, though. At least it can’t hurt.
I watched the three of them a little while before returning my attention to my Herb Cultivation experiments.
I wasn’t even imagining what that plant looked like yesterday, though…
I started brainstorming possible plant effects one by one, working bit by bit to figure out the limits of my power.
🐾🐾🐾
BY the time noon rolled around, I was still engrossed in my tests. Laila and Gelda had gotten off Leo’s back after about an hour, and after that, they’d watched Leo and I from beside the mansion. When Sebastian came out to get us for lunch, I decided it was about time to take a break.
“Whew…that was pretty productive.”
Apparently, Herb Cultivation had no problems whatsoever creating plants I’d never even dreamed of before. I still couldn’t create any vegetables or anything, but it was more than enough already.
After we finished our lunch, I left Claire to her preparations and Tilura to her studies to go back out to the garden and do some more trial-and-error with Herb Cultivation. Leo followed me and spent the whole time running around the garden at breakneck speeds.
After a while, she came back to me to lie down and relax.
“You sure have a lot of energy, huh?”
I offered her the same mysterious plant she’d eaten last night and she readily scarfed it down and went back out for another run.
I guess I’m the reason she has this much energy, though… At least it’s better than her moping around all day.
When the sun had just begun to set, Tilura ran out into the garden, having finally caught up on all her missed schoolwork. They played up a storm together, first frolicking around, then riding around, and finally just snuggling.
I took a short break to watch them. After Laila noticed I’d stopped for a while, she came up to me.
“Thank you very much for what you’ve done for Gelda.”
“What did I do?”
I didn’t remember doing much of anything, and definitely nothing to deserve being thanked.
“You let her ride Miss Leo for a spell, remember? I-I also appreciated the ride, of course.”
“Oh, no, it was nothing. Leo loves it.”
“Even so, you gave Gelda an invaluable opportunity to overcome her fears, even if only a little. I’ve already seen her attitude improve since then.”
“I’m not sure I’d call it ‘invaluable’, though. I don’t blame Gelda for being nervous around Leo. But I guess I am glad Gelda’s starting to warm up to her.”
I wanted everyone to know that Leo really was harmless and that she was very sweet under that intimidating exterior. There was no point in anyone being afraid of her.
Laila nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen just how gentle Miss Leo can be. And please, allow me to apologize for Gelda’s nervous disposition. No guest should have to concern themselves with a lowly maid’s anxieties.”
“But Gelda’s still new, isn’t she? I don’t think there’s anything wrong with her learning on the job, then. Besides, you’ve liked Leo since you first met her, right?”
“Yes, I have—from the moment you first brought her into the mansion, in fact.”
“Experience might have something to do with it, too. Leo and I really don’t mind if she makes mistakes around us. We both know she’s still getting the hang of things.”
I couldn’t imagine Leo getting upset about most things, and in my case, I couldn’t even tell what counted as a “failure.” I’d never been waited on like this before and I certainly wasn’t going to start yelling at her over every little thing—I knew how awful that felt. I was probably the ideal person for Gelda to practice on.
“Thank you for your kind words,” Laila said with a short bow. “Under my guidance, I’m sure Gelda shall become a proper maid in no time.”
“Just remember to go easy on her. Everything in moderation.”
“Of course.”
We exchanged smiles then turned to look at Gelda some distance away. She was peacefully watching Leo and Tilura play without a hint of fear on her face.
🐾🐾🐾
AFTER Laila left, I continued working on my Herb Cultivation tests. By the time Claire and Sebastian had finished preparing for the next day’s trip and came out to see us, it was time for dinner.
“Won’t you tell me what you’ve been trying yet?” Claire asked as we finished eating.
I’d been trying to avoid her questions, but she was relentless. I deflected her interest with an offhand remark and she seemed visibly miffed. One bite of her York pudding dessert was enough to fix her mood, however.
After that, we relaxed until Tilura’s fatigue from all her running around before dinner caught up with her and then dispersed for the night. Claire, Leo, and I went back to our rooms, and after Leo was settled, I went to take my bath alone. I’d spent almost the entire day outside, so I had to wash off properly.
“Ah… Nothing beats a good bath…”
Leo had accumulated a bit of dirt herself, but since we’d be heading back into the forest tomorrow, it didn’t make sense to scrub her down now. She’d probably need one as soon as we got back, anyways.
After I finished washing up and felt warmed to my core, I headed back to the room and fooled around with Leo a bit more before crawling into bed. I wasn’t physically tired, but my mind felt foggy from all the thinking I’d done.
“So…tomorrow’s the day…”
All the preparations were made, so all that was left was to get a good night’s sleep. After saying good night to Leo as she curled up beside my bed, I too shut my eyes and got some rest.