02: Making the Night Rounds! …Or So I Thought, but She Knew Everything?!
The monsters living in the forest do their best never to appear before humans. Almost nobody enters it anyway, with it being so remote, but occasionally someone wanders in by mistake. For those people, Garo and the other Fen Wolves have apparently been very casually directing them back out.
“Arwf, arwf? (They’ve got their own jobs, too, huh?)”
And I believe they’ve been doing it since a thousand years ago. Seemingly, it was an order from the very first Fen Wolf King, who I have to say gave some tough commands. And coincidentally, that order was given a thousand years ago, at the same time as when the Demon Lord was around.
“Arwf, arwf. (Guess coincidences happen a lot.)”
Maybe the Fen Wolves have some kind of connection to the Demon Lord.
“Squeak. (They likely do.)” says Len, who had been sleeping for a while, poking her head out of my ruff. “Squeak, squeak. (I’ve been curious about it myself. I, too, was born one thousand years ago.)”
Right. Len was holed up in that cave for a millennium. I’m impressed anyone could shut themselves away for such a long time.
“Squeak. (Well, it was a little lonely at times. Only mice and bats lived in that cave. I had nobody to talk to.)”
This is getting too dark, so let’s stop this discussion. It’s really sad thinking about a dragon only having small animals as friends.
“Arf, arf. (Actually, for having shut yourself away ever since birth, you sure do know a lot of things.)”
Like about magic. And monsters. Also, I remember when Zenobia and I first went to that cave, you suggested we have some tea. You seemed to know a lot about human culture.
“Squeak, squeak. (High-ranking dragon children inherit a degree of knowledge from their parents. I have only faint recollections of Papa and Mama, but they still exist in memories.)”
“Arwf. (Huh. I didn’t know you could do that. Dragons are pretty great.)”
“Squeak. (They are, aren’t they? You should have more respect for me, love. Take this opportunity to acknowledge me, the ancient blue dragon Lenowyrm, and sing my praises.)”
I very much doubt the ancient blue dragon Lenowyrm’s parents would ever believe their daughter had transformed into a mouse and turned into a friendless thousand-year-old spinster who would try and court a dog.
“Arwf… (I’m sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Len. It looks like your lineage will end with her…)”
“Squeak! (It will not end! I shall have many children!)”
“Arf. (There’s only so far you can take this, though. Like, physically.)”
“Squeak. (And that is what the transformation technique is for. I swear that I will soon attain a form that is to your liking!)”
“Arf, arf. (Yeah, I doubt it. My aesthetic sense is still human, but I have the body of a dog.)”
“Squeak! (My beloved, you are too odd! Far too strange! Give up one of those things!)”
I refuse. I’m living my best life.
“Arwf, arwf? (By the way, why were you holed up in that cave for so long? You didn’t have a promise to uphold like the Fen Wolves do, did you?)”
“…Squeak? (…Come to think of it, why was I there for so long?)”
“Arwf? (Did you get senile after living for a thousand years, grandma?)”
“Squeak! (I am still too young to grow senile!)” Len, huffing angrily, bites into me.
“Arwf! (Hey, that hurts! Don’t bite me!)”
“Squeak, squeak… (Why did I shut myself in there, anyway? With my wings I could have flown anywhere… I thought… But I felt like if I stayed, I would be able to meet someone… From what time are these memories… My time in the egg…?)”
Well, I don’t know. Seems like Len has her own stuff going on, but there’s not much we can do if she can’t remember.
With Len, now lost in thought, on my back, I race through the dark forest. Eventually, a large black shadow leaps from between the trees and comes running up alongside me.
“Grwl! (Lord Routa! You’ve appeared!)”
“Arf, arf. (Yep. Just wondering how everyone was doing.)”
I’ve been coming to see the Fen Wolves every once in a while, but not since the young lady came down with her fever.
“Grwl, grwl! (Thank you, sir! Everyone will be overjoyed to see your esteemed visage!)”
Overly dramatic as usual, but that’s how Garo always is, so there’s no point belaboring it. And I made sure to sneak into the kitchen and pilfer a few souvenirs before coming here.
Once Garo and I reach the Fen Wolf settlement, a large group of wolves surrounds us.
“““Grwl! Grwl! Grwl! (Our king! Our king! Our august, noble king!)”””
I’ve gotten used to all their fanfare, too. While they go about that, I pass the souvenirs out to everyone. As I watch them joyously wag their tails and dig into the sausages, two tiny baby wolves slip through the adults and jump out in front of me.
“Woo, woo! (Father!)”
“Woo, woo! (Come in, come in!)”
The little white and black Fen Wolves scramble around at my feet.
“Woof, woof. (Heya, Shiro, Kuro. Have you been listening to what your mother says?)”
“Woo, woo! (Every word!)”
“Woo, woo! (Shiro and Kuro have been really good!)”
“Woof, woof. (Good, good.)”
I feel like Shiro and Kuro have grown a bit since I last saw them. I’m bigger now, too, though, so maybe I can’t use that as a comparison. And even now, I’ve transformed myself to be significantly smaller. If I dispelled it, I’d be the size of a mountain again.
“If you two have been so good, then why are you still up?” says human-form Garo in a low voice. Now that she knows what I like, she’s been turning human every chance she gets to try and seduce me. And her sexy body, with that black hair and dark skin, is exactly the sort of beauty I’m into, so it’s troubling.
““Woo, woo! (We’re sorry, Mother!)””
Shiro and Kuro put their ears down and tuck their tails between their legs as Garo picks both of them up.
“And you didn’t use the proper form of greeting.”
Ah, yes. They did get it wrong, didn’t they? They said “father” instead of “king” or “Your Majesty.” I’ll have to make sure I draw the line. Garo really gets it.
“It isn’t ‘come in’; it’s ‘welcome home.’”
She doesn’t get it. She’s trying to make this settlement into the place I settle down!
““Woo, woo! (Welcome home, Father!)””
“A-arwf! (N-no, stop it! Stop trying to shoehorn in this father-daughter relationship!)”
“Wh-what?! You are going to the past?!”
Once I explain what I heard from Hecate, Garo jumps up in surprise.
“Arf, arf. (Yeah. I don’t know how long it’ll take to come back once I go, so I came to say ‘see ya.’)”
Also, to be perfectly honest, I’m trying to get Garo to come with me as well.
“In… In that case, please allow me to accompany you! I promise I will not be a burden!”
I thought she’d say that. She’s strong enough to hurt even the Five Demon Generals—there’s no doubt she’ll be a big help in the battle.
Still, she is the chief of the Fen Wolves. I need her to protect the peace in the forest while I’m gone. She’s so busy with her everyday patrols that I can’t possibly pull her away from that.
No, I won’t be able to take her with me after all. Only those with lots of free time can take on the duty of slaying the Demon Lord.
“Arwf, arwf. (Thank you, Garo.)”
After thanking her, I tell her all of this, and Garo withdraws without complaint, having understood the importance of her own position.
“Unfortunately, I will opt to remain here and wait for your return…”
“Woof, woof. (I’m sorry. But it’ll only be a moment for you, so I don’t think you need to worry much.)”
If I can get Hecate to use her magic to return me to the instant I left, it would only last an instant for Garo and the others. In fact, I’d rather she not make things so somber. I plan on finishing up quickly and coming back right away, after all.
“I understand! Then when you defeat the Demon Lord and return safely to us—!”
“Arwf! (Yeah!)”
When I return, we’ll have another barbecue at the riverbank—
“We will rally the combined might of the Fen Wolves and launch our invasion into the world of man!”
“Arwf! (Wait no!)”
Would you just give up on that already?!
Oh, boy. It sure took a lot of time to soothe the Fen Wolves after they all agreed with Garo and started howling like that. And I didn’t think I’d end up having to pull out the old “Silence, whelps!” shtick, either. It’s massively effective though; not only on the Fen Wolves, but also on the other monsters nearby as well—they all started groveling on the spot.
I didn’t want to be slapped in the face by the growth of my Fenrir body in a place like this…
“Arwf? (Already daybreak, huh?)”
As I’m going back to the mansion, feeling the earth of the forest underfoot, I see a thin pillar of smoke rising in the sky.
“Arf. (That’s where the elves’ village is.)”
It’s a fond memory now: Going with the elves—who had barged into the mansion to rob it—off to save their older sisters, who had been captured as slaves. After gaining freedom, they decided to rebuild their village in this forest. They like how many fruits, nuts, and berries are here, and they’d been gathering companions little by little and smoothly growing the village.
“Arwf, arwf. (I might as well go say hello to them, too.)”
And they might let me join them for breakfast!
As I’m on the way over, I quickly encounter the elves.
“It’s Lord Routa!”
The one who found me is Oruru, the youngest. They’re a family of five sisters, with their names starting with A, I, U, E, and O and ending with ruru.
After Oruru cries out, the other elves all come swarming around me. Some of them I’ve never met before. They’re probably their reunited fellows, scattered when their old village was burned to the ground.
“We bid you welcome, Lord Routa. Or perhaps I should say, welcome home…”
With a deep bow, the village elder and oldest of the sisters, Aruru, greets me. Also, the Fen Wolves already tried that “welcome home” trick—it won’t work on me again.
“Ugh, we were a step too late…” Aruru bites her nails in frustration.
Why does everyone want me to put my roots down wherever they happen to be, anyway? Nothing good is going to come of depending on such an enormous dog. I’m just a stupid puppy whose only skill is wagging his tail as hard as possible and being friendly to everyone.
Right then, my stomach gives a loud growl. I gave all the sausages to the Fen Wolves without eating anything myself. The sound was larger than I expected it to be—I’m a little embarrassed.
Aruru giggles softly and invites me into the village. “Come, right this way! Breakfast has just been prepared.”
“Arwf. (Oh, thanks. Sorry for seeming like I came demanding it.)”
I’m brought to a table that is very large, even for this village, and all sorts of foods are laid out in front of me.
“Arwf… (It’s only breakfast, but it seems like a feast…)”
“Elves eat more for breakfast than for any other meal.”
I see. They do say breakfast gives you energy for the rest of the day, after all. It makes logical sense. Of course, I put everything I have into eating all meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
“Please have this, King.”
Iruru, the second daughter, rips off a chunk of bread and offers it to me. That’s the stuff—I love this nutty bread. Its aroma and squishiness are to die for.
“Have this as well!”
The third daughter, Ururu, feeds me some mushroom soup. It has plenty of plump mushrooms in it; the meat-like umami spreads across my tongue.
“And this, and this!”
The fourth daughter, Eruru, brings over a whole plate of salad made from wild vegetables. Sounds great to me! Just toss it all into my mouth.
Parboiled to remove the bitterness, the vegetables nevertheless have retained their crunch as they dance across my tongue.
“King, please have this, too.”
The fifth daughter, Oruru, hands me freshly picked and peeled fruit. I can’t get enough of its tart, juicy flesh.
“Arwf, arwf! (Fwa-ha-ha-ha! Bring it oooon!)”
Getting waited on by beautiful women and eating all this food… Is this heaven? However, Len, now awake, bites me as I get carried away with these thoughts, so I’ll stop.
Maybe I’ll tell the elves about the circumstances, just in case?
“Oh… Oh, but you needn’t to go so far for the humans’ sake, Lord Routa!” says Iruru, clinging to me.
“Arf, arf. (Actually, I’m not doing it to save humanity or anything. I just want the young lady to get better. And if I don’t defeat the Demon Lord, your village won’t last very long, either.)”
“Please don’t go, King Routa!”
“Stay here with us in peace forever!”
“King Routa, all you need to do is eat and sleep. Just stay here with us.”
Ugh! What an attractive proposition. If I wasn’t being raised by Lady Mary, I would agree right here and now.
With even Ururu, Iruru, and Oruru latching on to me, my determination begins to waver. Although “determination” might be too overblown a word for it.
“All of you, stop it.” Aruru, the eldest, chides her sisters. “Lord Routa, I’m terribly sorry for my sisters’ rudeness.”
At her words, the other sisters remove themselves from me.
“I’m sorry, Lord Routa.”
“You’ll come back for sure, won’t you, Your Majesty?”
“He’ll have the great witch Hecate with him. I’m sure he’ll defeat the Demon Lord and return safely.”
“We’ll wait for you forever, King Routa!”
Erm, sorry to ruin this tragic mood you have going, but I’ll probably return in an instant.
“““We’ll always be praying for your safety, Lord Routa!!”””
After finishing my meal, I leave the village, the elves’ cheers of encouragement sending me off.
“Arwf… (I’ll be back in the blink of an eye, but… I’m too ashamed to say it now…)”
“Arwf! (Welp, I dunno!)”
After coming out of the forest, I reach old man James’s fields. Impossibly gigantic vegetables are all crowded together, awaiting the harvest. This monstrous produce is packed full of nutrients: a collaboration between the bonemeal of skeleton soldiers and my own urine. They’re excellent in both taste and nutritional value, and there’s enough of it that even I, who goes through so much food, can’t eat it all.
When these vegetables first appeared, the old man was astonished, but now he takes care of them with practiced hands. I hope they grow big and tasty for the dinner table!
When I cross through the vegetable fields, I come to the stables where Mare, Elusive, and Grace live.
“Arwf. (Top of the morning to ya.)”
“Neigh. (Oh, hello, Mister Wolf. Up early again today, are we?)”
“Whicker. (How admirable.)”
Elusive and Grace, the married couple, poke their heads out from their sleeping areas and return my greeting. I’m not up early again, though—I was out playing all night and just got back.
“Arwf? (Hm? Where’s Mare?)”
I don’t see the considerably larger black horse anywhere.
“Neigh. (The red-haired swordswoman took her to go for a morning ride.)”
“Whicker. (Mare is so full of energy, after all.)”
Curse you, Zenobia! You’ve already made Mare into your personal possession, have you? That monster horse belongs to the Faulks family. You need to get my permission first, since I’m the one who did the capturing. Hmph.
Once she gets back, I’ll reproach her—though she won’t understand what I’m saying, of course.
After returning to the mansion, I head straight to the kitchen.
“Woof, woof! (Old man! Breakfast please!)”
When I call out from the back entrance, old man James appears.
“Out all night once again, eh? You’re such a delinquent.”
“Arwrw. (Heh-heh-heh. Sowwy.)”
The elves’ food is delicious, but it doesn’t feel like I’ve eaten anything until I’ve had the old man’s cooking. In fact, my stomach was totally empty by the time I made my way back from the forest.
“Here you go. It’s a little rich to have for breakfast, but I’m sure you won’t mind.”
“Arwf! (’Course not!)”
The old man gives me a super-thick meat sauté. Covered in a buttery sauce made from the fat and grease that came out when frying, it drives my appetite mad.
“Your friends bring me meat pretty frequently, after all—we shouldn’t have to worry about food shortages for the time being.”
The Fen Wolves are just as enamored with his cooking as I am, and when they hunt down prey, they apparently deliver it here in secret. In exchange, they have him cook half of it for them. They’ve built a give-and-take relationship for themselves.
I, meanwhile, am allowed to eat it without paying anything. It’s a take-and-take relationship.
“Arwf! (This is great! Monster meat is great!)”
Even the most vicious, grotesque-looking monsters quickly transform into an ultimate dish in the old man’s hands.
When I bite into the soft, but substantial meat, the juices come bursting out of it. The meat’s cross-section is red like a ruby, but it’s been heated all the way through and had the muscles cleanly stripped, so gristle doesn’t get stuck between my teeth while I’m eating.
And the deliciousness keeps on rushing at me.
“Arwf, arwf!! (Your food is number one in the whole world, old man!!)”
As he pets me on the back, I enjoy his cooking to my heart’s content.
“I hear Lady Mary’s illness is going to get better, too. That’s a relief. It was only a minor fever this time, but whenever she came down with one in the past, things got scary.”
Before I got the wyrmnil, the old man had to think really hard about what to feed the young lady, because the fever prevented her from eating much.
I wonder what he’d think if he knew her illness was actually an effect of the seal on the Demon Lord. He’d probably just feel tortured by his lack of ability to do anything for her with food.
I wouldn’t want him to know about it, either.
“Arf, arf. (Well, I’m gonna go take care of things real quick, so make some good food and wait for me.)”
“Oh, going already? Well, you can look forward to lunch.”
“Arwf, arwf! (Of course! I plan to stuff myself with plenty of food for the journey right before I leave!)”
“Hey, it’s Routa!”
Just as I decide to take a nap in the mansion, Betty the maid finds me. Her freckles are energetic and charming today as well.
“Would you like me to brush you? It’s been a while.”
“Arwf! (Yes, yes!)”
I roll over on the spot, and then Betty starts brushing my fur.
“Looks like it’s not shedding as much as when your coat was changing.”
“Arwf. (Yeah. All that fur caused a big problem, so I hope it doesn’t fall out very much anymore.)”
If I hadn’t found my invincible, unburnable fur shoved in the incinerator, everyone would have realized I’m not a dog. Still, that stuffed animal with my fur in it saved Zenobia, so I can’t exactly say it was all for naught.
“Oh, Betty!”
“Not fair, doing it by yourself…”
Then the fluffy-haired Connie and the smooth-haired Mira arrive. I see them together a lot—maybe they work the same shifts.
“Routa, would you mind if we brushed you as well?”
“So fluffy…”
“Woof, woof! (Of course not! Please, brush me all you like!)”
This body is humongous, after all. Betty wouldn’t be able to do it all herself.
“Here? Do you like it here?”
“Arwrw! (Ahh, right there, yes! More, more—brush me mooore!)”
I’m in love with Betty’s brushing technique.
Once they all work together to brush me, I end up having even fluffier fur than I usually do. Time to let Lady Mary pet this fluffy chest hair. I’m sure she’ll be happy.
“Arwf, arwf! (Okay, bye, Betty, Connie, and Mira! Thanks for the brushing!)”
But just as I’m heading over to Lady Mary’s room, someone yanks me away from behind.
“Come with me.”
Oh, this grabbing technique—I know exactly who that is.
“Arf, arf. (Zenobia, come on. Don’t make me test another sword. It’ll just break, and you’ll end up crying again.)”
“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I can tell you’re making fun of me.”
Wh-what…?! How did Zenobia, of all people, read my mind like that…?! Of all people, Zenobia? Zenobia…?!
With incredible brute strength as usual, she drags my enormous frame outside. She brings me to the backyard, like always. You can see us from the old man’s kitchen window, but he’s too focused on his cooking to notice us.
“We should be able to talk here. After having talked to you for so long, some of the maids are spreading a rumor that I’ve gone mad.”
Ah. I figured she was worried about that.
“Neigh. (Zenobia talks to me when we go for morning rides, too.)”
A black horse, bridle still attached, gives a whinny.
“Arwf. (Oh, hello, Mare.)”
It seems they just got back from their morning ride.
“Neigh. (Good morning, Routa. Our morning ride felt very nice.)”
“Arf, arf. (Good for you. Later you can tell me what Zenobia said.)”
She’s got a surprisingly girly side to her, after all, judging by her affinity for stuffed animals and the like. I bet I’ll hear some interesting stuff.
“Neigh. (I cannot. It is a secret between women.)”
Come to think of it, Mare is a girl, isn’t she? At some point she must have formed a strong attachment to Zenobia.
“…I heard everything from Lady Hecate.”
Oh? So she’s already heard what we talked about yesterday, huh?
“It’s such a spectacular story that my mind can’t fully comprehend it, but I do know you’ve been tasked with a crucial role in it.”
Well, I don’t really get it myself. Like, if I change the past, what will happen to the future? Will we have parallel universes, or will it cause a time paradox, or what? Anyway, I don’t know what parallel universes or time paradoxes even are. I was just firing off some vocabulary I happen to know. Never seek knowledge from a dog.
“I had thought about going with you.”
Seriously? I’d be glad to take you along with me. I’m sure Gorillanobia’s combat strength would be a big help.
“But to be frank, compared to you, I would be nothing but a hindrance.”
That’s not true. You’re super-dependable. Come on, give a helpless puppy a hand, would ya?
“It seems like you understand, too—why I’m staying on the bench for this one.”
No, I don’t. You’d be way better off the bench. Help me. Please, help me!
“Yeah. You’re right—I wouldn’t help you very much. So instead, I will be a sword to protect Lady Mary while you’re gone.”
Ah. She’s not understanding me at all. She and I can never seem to have an actual conversation when it’s important.
“So you don’t have to worry about that when you go.”
Actually, now I’m more worried than I would have been. I was planning on adding you to the team I’m bringing. You’ve got nothing to do anyway, and you perfectly fit all the requirements to be chosen! You and I are the only ones who don’t do any work around here, after all.
After Zenobia sees me off with a nice smile, I go back inside the mansion in disappointment.
Now deflated by the knowledge that Zenobia would not be coming with me, I feel like my fur has withered a bit. I’ll have to get Lady Mary to pet me. That’ll have me right back to my normal, energetic self.
“Arwf! (Without further ado—Lady Maryyy!)”
Meaning to go say good morning to my lady, I trot down the hallway. I’ve learned that the nature of her illness has to do with the burden of the Demon Lord’s seal, but according to Hecate, the medicine will bring her fever down for a while. It seems like it’ll be all right for her to lead her normal life in the meantime.
I’m glad I didn’t have to see her suffering, but that, too, turns out to be on a time limit. Once Hecate finishes the spell to send us to the past, I’ll have to go and defeat the Demon Lord.
“Arwf, arwf? (Seriously, why does an adorable puppy dog like me have to go slay the Demon Lord, of all things?)”
Isn’t this where Allie, the Hero, should be coming in? She may have lost her holy sword, but in terms of combat power she’s sure to grow into an ally on Zenobia’s level. Unfortunately, I don’t know where she is right now.
Having overcome her complex about being the Hero, she’s apparently been directing her efforts into safeguarding docile monsters who don’t harm humans and exposing the shady smugglers who go after them, all so that she can repent for her crimes thus far. She’s flitting all over the world—it would be too difficult to search her out.
“Arwww… (It looks like we’re really the only ones who will be going…)”
Now I’m kind of anxious. I need to have the young lady pamper me to get rid of this unease. I walk up to the door of her room just as Toa is exiting with a cart of empty plates and utensils.
“Arwf, arwf? (Oh, it’s Miranda and Toa?)”
““Please excuse us, Lady Mary.””
Both of them give beautiful bows, with their backs stretched out, and close the door.
“I’m glad she ate all her food,” says Toa.
“Yes. One wouldn’t believe she was having such a hard time until yesterday. I will honestly need to thank Lady Hecate. Toa, thank you for keeping an eye on her last night as well.”
“Not at all—I’m her servant, so it’s my job! But you came to help me even though you have to help the master with his work…”
“It’s fine. This was partly so I could check on how you were getting along.”
“E-eek…! P-please don’t judge me too harshly…!”
“I’m only kidding. Personally, I’m glad I had you stay at her side. Until just a little while ago, you weren’t quite there yet in my eyes—but at this point, you’re a full-fledged member of the serving staff. I’m proud to have been the one who taught you.”
I’m proud, too—as the one who has been watching her do all the work. Mm-hmm!
“Oh, Routa!”
Whoops. Looks like they spotted me. Which is only natural considering there’s no hiding place big enough for my huge body.
“Routa, did you come to check on Lady Mary, too?” asks Toa, looking up at me and scratching me under the chin.
“Woof, woof! (Yep! Checkin’ in! Well, it’s more like I want her to pet me a lot.)”
“She seemed to be bored, so play with her, all right?”
“But quietly, so you don’t cause a stir.”
“Arwf! (Oh, just leave that to me!)”
I’ll even throw in a bed-sharing service and get her to fall asleep. Although you could call that me just wanting to take a nap.
After parting with Miranda and Toa, I enter Lady Mary’s room.
“Woof, woof! (Lady Maryyy! Your adorable Routa has come running for you! Are you well, my lady?)”
I open the door to see Lady Mary, sitting up in bed.
“……”
But her face isn’t directed at me.
“Arf? (Huh? Lady Mary? It’s your beloved Routa.)”
I go over to the other side of the bed to gaze upon her esteemed visage, but she quickly turns the other way again.
“A-arwf? (L-Lady Mary? Wh-why won’t you look at me?)”
Did I do something to make you angry?!
“…Routa, where did you go yesterday?”
“A-arwf. (Ahh, oh no, oh no… She finally found out about me staying out all night…)”
She never noticed because I always get back into bed before she wakes up, but I took too many detours today. It’s not my fault—all the food I ate was just too good to pass up!
“You didn’t sleep with me. I don’t even know you anymore, Routa!”
The way she puffs out her cheeks in anger is so adorable. Wait, no. I have to get her to forgive me, and fast!
“Whine, whine! (I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Lady Mary!)”
Events forced me out of the room yesterday, and I had things to do in the forest. I thought she fell asleep right after that, but it seems she had trouble dozing off. She was sleeping the whole time she had that fever, after all. With it going down and her energy returning, it makes sense she wouldn’t be able to go to sleep.
“Whine, whine! (Lady Mary, please don’t be angry!)”
I start making cries, walking back and forth between both sides of the bed, trying to see my lady’s face.
“……”
“Whine, whine! (Nooo! Please don’t be mad at me! I won’t do it again, I promise!)”
“Woof! (Yes, deeply sorry! Deeper than the ocean!)”
“Oh, you’re good at answering me, if nothing else.” She pulls on my cheeks, stretching them out. “I forgive you.”
“Arwf! (Yay! You’re as kind as the Holy Mother herself!)”
I show my happiness at the young lady’s bigheartedness by wagging my tail.
“Okay, now that we’ve made up, shall we go?”
“Arf? (Huh? Go where?)”
Lady Mary takes off her pajamas and changes into clothing that’s easier to move around in.
If you’re going to change, should I call the maids for you?
But it didn’t require that, and after she finishes getting quickly changed, she picks up a fur-lined hat.
“We’re going out!”
“Arwf?! (Huh?!)”
But you’re still convalescing, and it’s cold outside, and I don’t think the maids would want you to do that. Miranda is sure to say something like “I see. If you’ve regained your energy, then why don’t you finish all the homework that’s been piling up?”
“I feel healthy again, but everyone is saying that I should still be sleeping!”
“Arwf. (Well, I’m sure they are.)”
In fact, I’m saying it, too. At a glance, you seem to be hale and hearty again, but no matter how amazing Hecate’s medicine is, shouldn’t you stay in bed at least another day?
“So we’re going to sneak out.”
“Arwf?! (Whaaat?!)”
Turns out this is an unauthorized outing.
“Okay, Routa, help me.”
You want me to aid in your escape…?! I—I’m Routa, guard dog of justice! I can’t make an exception, even for you—I can’t help you do something so bad! I’m disappointed in you! I’m going to report this to the maids immediately!
“You promised me you wouldn’t let me feel lonely anymore, right?”
“Arwf…?! (Urk… Erm, well, I…?!)”
It was something I said the first time the young lady had had a fever after I came to the mansion.
“Routa… Don’t leave me again…”
My answer to her was “Okay, okay, I won’t leave you again.”
“Arf! (I did promise! Yes!)”
“You promised, but how many times have you gone out since then without telling me?”
“Arwf… (Umm… One, two, three, four… I can’t count them all…)”
It appears all my nighttime outings that I thought hadn’t been noticed have been entirely noticed. I’ve enjoyed myself on my own, too, while she was studying, like when I went to the Royal Capital. Honestly, I feel awful.
“You have to listen to at least one of my wishes, okay?”
“…Arf. (…Yes, gladly.)”
As Lady Mary gives a sweet smile and opens the window, I wag my tail—my white flag of surrender.
“Arwf… (Should we be doing this? If someone finds us, we’re in for a good scolding…)”
I really don’t want Miranda getting angry at me, you know.
“Routa! The breeze feels really nice, doesn’t it?”
Riding on my back, the young lady is in a good mood.
“Arwf. (Well, whatever. She seems to be having fun.)”
I’ll gladly accept Miranda’s scolding. From a certain point of view, a beautiful maid scolding me is practically a trope at this point: It’s like a reward.
“I’m just as excited as that other time!”
Oh, that’s right—this isn’t the first time we’ve fled the mansion like this, is it? The other time was before I got very big, and we walked side by side toward the lake.
“But we got tired around here and went back, huh?”
“Arf, arf. (Yeah, we did.)”
I spot the tree Lady Mary had taken a nap under. She was so tired she fell asleep here. And then I sensed monsters, so I mustered my courage and drove them away—and I ended up mowing them down with my barf beam. That was when I realized I wasn’t even a wolf, wasn’t it?
I feel like it took us a pretty long time to get this far back then, but it hasn’t even been a few minutes with my current legs. We’ll reach the lake in no time at all.
“It really brings me back!”
“Arwf. (Me too.)”
Lady Mary holds on to her hat as I run, the wind parting around us. Her eyes are narrowed, and not because the wind is strong, but because she’s reminiscing on the past.
“Hey, Routa?”
“Arwf? (Yes, Lady Mary?)”
“…Hmm. No, I’ll tell you later.”
“Arwf? (Huh? Oh, tell me! Now I’m curious!)”
“Hee-hee. Later— I’ll tell you later.”
“Arwf. (Rats.)”
Lady Mary just keeps smiling mischievously.
And so, with her on my back, and of course with me being careful not to wobble her around even a little, we arrive at the lake.
“It feels like so long since we last came here.”
The last time I came here with Lady Mary was when Elizabeth, also known as Drills, came to visit her. They ended up doing sketches by the lake, and Lady Mary drew us all with the lake in the background.
Hers was so abstract I couldn’t understand it, but according to Drills, she’s a master artist. I wonder how that picture is being received, now that it’s been brought to the Royal Capital.
“Wow, it’s cold! I don’t think we can play in it.”
“Arwf. (Winter is almost here, after all.)”
I swat at the water a little with my front paw, and I shudder in spite of myself at how chilly it is.
“Aha-ha! You just shivered!”
“Arf? (Huh? You liked that? I can do it again, if you want.)”
I put my paw in again and shiver. The young lady seems to find it hysterical and bursts out laughing.
“Routa, let’s sit down here and take a break. You’re tired from running, right?”
“Arwf. (Nope, not at all.)”
Lady Mary adds basically no weight, and at night, I’ve run over ten times this distance to where Garo and the others live.
“Arf, arf. (But I do have an important duty as Lady Mary’s backrest. And only big dogs get the privilege of having their owners rest against them.)”
With how big I am, I’m more than a backrest—I can easily be a sofa or a bed, too. Watch as I practically engulf her in my soft, fluffy fur.
“Routa, you’re really warm.”
“Arwrw. (Heh-heh-heh. Aren’t I, though?)”
With me lying on my belly, the young lady nestles her back against my side. My long fur almost completely hides her. Even the chill coming off the cold lake won’t get to her like this.
“It’s so nice and warm in here.”
“Arf, arf? (You just warm yourself up in there, all right?)”
Her lower half is probably warm from riding on my back, but the wind blowing at her was probably cold. Her nose is a little red.
“Hee-hee. Routa, you have snot coming out of your nose.”
“Arwf? (Huh?)”
Apparently, I’m cold, too. Lady Mary uses a handkerchief to clean off my nose. She’s so kind.
“Arwf… (And I guess I’ll have to leave this kind young lady for a little while…)”
From their point of view, I’ll only be gone a moment, but subjectively, I have no idea how long it’ll take me to defeat the Demon Lord.
Ahh, no, no. Don’t put the fate of the world in an adorable pet’s paws!
“…Routa? Is something the matter? You don’t seem very cheerful today.”
“Arwf? (Is that so? You’re so good at being considerate, you know that?)”
Is her whole body just made out of pure consideration? She reaches her hands out to my face and kneads my cheeks around. “Did something bad happen?”
“Arf… (Well, I suppose you could call it that…)”
It’s bad, but it’s something I have to do anyway.
“If something bad happened, I think you should spit it out.”
I’d like to say that to you, Lady Mary. Having lost your mother at a young age and living so deep in the forest with no real friends, you must be going through some stuff.
“I’ve been happy ever since you came here, Routa. There is nothing bad I need to spit out. But I don’t like it when you look like you’re struggling.”
“Arwf… (Lady Mary…)”
What…a kindhearted child. An angel—no, a goddess—no, even kinder than that. She’s filled with so much more compassion than that stupid goddess that reincarnated me as Fenrir.
“Okay, go ahead. You can talk to me about anything.”
She stretches out my cheeks some more.
“Arf. (Well, you won’t understand what I’m saying anyway, so I guess I’ll just blurt it all out.)”
Lady Mary is sharp enough to figure out what I’m feeling, but even she won’t understand the actual words. The barrier between races is perfect for whining and complaining.
“Arf, arf. (Well… She’s telling me I have to go back to the past and defeat the Demon Lord, but honestly, I’m kind of scared.)”
I’m just a pet in this life, formerly corporate livestock in my past life. Maybe I could defeat the Demon Lord’s generals with this high-spec Fenrir body, but their boss? I’m worried my power won’t work on him.
Even if I was able to take him down, will I really be able to return to the present? The future won’t be different when I come back—Lady Mary won’t be gone, will she?
There’s no end of things to think about. I’ve been purposely not thinking about any of them since I can’t do anything about them, but they form into words and exit through my mouth.
Well, I’m an enormous pathetic coward, if I do say so myself. But that’s just who I am.
“Arwf. (And that’s the long and short of it.)”
Lady Mary was right—now that I’ve said it, I feel a little better. What she says is never wrong, is it? She’s a paragon of pet owners—she even takes care of their hearts.
“I see. That must be rough…” says the young lady.
She didn’t understand what I said, but she said that with perfect timing. I should have expected as much. We’re totally in sync.
“Routa, you’re going to defeat the Demon Lord…”
“Arwf, arwf. (Yeah, that’s right. I’m going to— Wait, what?)”
Huh? How did she know that?
She may be sharp, but even she couldn’t have understood what I was talking about. She can’t understand my words.
“Routa…”
“Arf? (Yes?)”
“I’m sorry.”
“Arf? (Huh? About what?)”
“I, well… I can understand what you’re saying.”
“……………Arf? (……………What?)”
Silence continues between us.
Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. That can’t be.
Why, that’s impossible.
Of course, it is! If she can understand what I’m saying, that would mean she heard all of those perverted licky-licky statements I’ve made in the past, wouldn’t it?
That can’t be. Definitely not. No sir.
“A-arwooooooooooo!! (S-say it ain’t so, Lady Mary!!)”
I thought nobody at the mansion could understand what I’m saying, and I said all sorts of crazy things with them around! Like how I want to lick them, and rub against them, and all that stuff about nice angles!
You’re saying my private enjoyment afforded me by my position as a pet has been out in the open…?!
“Arwoooo! (Kill me! Just kill me now!)”
I’m so embarrassed that I start rolling around on the ground.
“Ahh, wait, Routa. It’s okay. I’m the only one who can understand you. Nobody else in the mansion has heard any of that.”
“Arwoo! Arwooooooo! (But you’re the one I wanted to understand all of that the least!)”
Wait, would that mean she knows all about my true identity, too?
“Yes, I knew from the start that you aren’t a dog.”
“Arwoooooooo! (Nooooooooooo!)”
I tried so hard to pretend I’m a dog, but Lady Mary knew everything from the start?
“Do you remember how I fell asleep the first time we snuck out of the mansion, Routa?”
Yes, you were napping under that tree we came across on the way, right?
“I was actually awake back then. I knew you weren’t a dog, but I had no idea you were a monster powerful enough to put a hole that big in the forest.”
“…Arwww… (…So you even knew that…)”
Why, that means she knows absolutely everything…
Wait, wouldn’t that also mean she knew I was a really dangerous monster, but still treated me the same? Who ever heard of a wolf with such an ugly face who can barf up laser beams? I’ve got to be terrifying.
And yet she still pretended she didn’t know and loved me all the same.
“I wasn’t scared at all, even though I knew how strong you were.”
“…Arwf? (…Really?)”
“Yes! Because I knew you were also a really nice puppy.”
Lady Mary’s smile is radiant. How is it possible I landed such a good master?
“Are you calm now?”
“Arf… (Yes. I’m sorry, that was embarrassing…)”
She pets me encouragingly, and I finally regain my composure.
“Arf, arf. (But that was mean of you, Lady Mary. You should have told me sooner.)”
No wonder we were able to communicate as well as we did. If I’d known about this from the start, I wouldn’t have made all those lascivious comments.
“Hee-hee. I’m sorry. I didn’t have a chance to tell you, and you were really funny, so…”
Oh, come on. You just like teasing me. I’m so embarrassed I want to die! I feel like rolling around again.
“Anyway… I guess it’s true, what I was told before Mother passed away.”
Lady Mary’s mother, Marianna, carried the burden of the Demon Lord’s seal herself before passing it on to her. And when her mother’s body reached its limit, when she passed the role on to her daughter, she’d apparently told her all about the seal.
“Half of me didn’t believe it. Or rather, I didn’t want to believe it—that the fairy tales I loved so much were lies.”
The tales of the hero Routa’s adventure with his companions to defeat the Demon Lord was one of the mistress’s favorite stories. She’s read it out loud to me many times.
It’s true that the events that transpired a thousand years ago were completely different. They couldn’t defeat the Demon Lord, and in fact, they had their hands full just sealing him away. And that seal drained the caster’s life, slowly weakening over the course of being inherited by generation after generation, and now it was ready to break.
“But it was all true.”
“…Arwf. (…Lady Mary…)”
“Routa?”
“Arf? (Yes?)”
“Thank you.”
“Arwf? (Huh?)”
Was any of this something she should be thanking me for? I just exposed all sorts of terrible stuff to her. I only explained about the Demon Lord because I thought she wouldn’t understand me. But it wasn’t something I was supposed to tell her about. And now I’ve gone and made her anxious for no reason.
If possible, I never would have wanted her to know about this.
“Routa, you’ve been saving all kinds of people without anyone knowing, haven’t you? You even beat all five of the Demon Lord’s generals from the story.”
No, I’m not that incredible. They were in the way of my life as a pet, so I didn’t have much choice. I wasn’t going in wanting to save anyone to begin with. I’m extremely self-centered and reliant upon others.
“Thank you, Routa. I’m sure that if you weren’t here, we would have been in a lot more trouble.”
Really? Hecate’s here, so I think you would have been fine. So don’t think you owe me anything. I’m just a cute pet whose only skill is making sure you have fun. I’d be happy if you treated me the same as always.
“…Routa, I bet you’ll be like that forever.”
“Arwf. (That’s right! I still get carried away super-easily.)”
“Always facing big problems like they’re nothing… You’ve probably gone through so many scary and painful experiences, but you still saved everyone and never even told anyone…”
No, no, it’s not that big a deal. With this Fenrir body, everything is an easy win. I’m basically a coward, so if I didn’t have this overpowered body, I would have tucked my tail and ran away.
“But that doesn’t mean you weren’t still scared, right?”
“Arwf… (Well, I guess not…)”
Speaking bluntly, I was as scared as anyone would be. I could horse around a bit, since Len and Nahura were with me, but alone, I would have been beside myself with fear.
“That’s why I’m thanking you. And I’m sorry I never knew.”
“Arf, arf. (That’s not it, Lady Mary.)”
I still never did anything except for my own sake.
I never wanted her to know because my regular life has her in it. Being a pet dog to a kindhearted young lady like her is the number-one happiest situation for me.
I didn’t endure anything and fight for your sake or anyone else’s. In fact, I should be thanking you for raising a strange monster who eats so much, is so stupidly large, and can even barf beams out of his mouth.
“Routa…”
No, seriously, thank you.
No matter how you think about it, there are no dogs like me. Lady Mary pretended not to know about my true identity when she actually did, but this means the other people in the mansion haven’t noticed yet.
How blind to the truth can they be? They’ve all got it real bad. Maybe it would be better to have Hecate look at them, but it’s more convenient for me this way, so please stay blind forever.
I kind of wish Lady Mary’s pretty blue eyes would be just as blind. She forgave me, but the truth that she understood all my words is too great a blow to bear.
As she stares at me with those blue eyes of hers, she suddenly says, “Routa, you don’t have to go.”
Do you mean, I don’t have to go to the past?
I accidentally told her the Demon Lord’s seal is about to expire, so she knows exactly what situation we’re in. If it expires, Lady Mary will, too, and the resurrected Demon Lord will destroy the world.
“You’ve been trying so hard this whole time, haven’t you?”
I don’t feel like I’ve been trying hard whatsoever, but I certainly don’t want to fight.
“I’ve been letting you do everything, without knowing anything myself. I don’t want to make you bear the end of it as well…”
“Arwf… (Lady Mary…)”
“I… Well, I don’t want to die. I want to live longer and play with you. I want to live with Father and everyone in the mansion forever. I want to talk to Elizabeth more, and I even want to try going to school in the Royal Capital, too. But… But I don’t want you to have to go through such danger because of me!”
Tears appear in her eyes as she looks up at me.
As they start to fall from her face, I give them a lick.
I did it! My first ever lick!
Wait, no.
I return Lady Mary’s gaze and respond, “Arf, arf. (Lady Mary, like I said, I’m not going to go defeat the Demon Lord to save the world.)”
Furthermore, I’m not doing it for your sake, either.
It’s all for me.
I’m going to slay the Demon Lord because he’ll prevent me from enjoying my life as a pet. That’s all there is to it.
And it’s been over half a year since reincarnating here. I plan on enjoying this pet life for half a century—I’m not about to let it end when it’s just begun!
“Woof, woof. (So there isn’t a single thing you need to worry about.)”
“Routa…”
“Arf, arf. (Anyway, I’ll be nice and quick about it and come back. So there’s something else, besides ‘thank you’ or ‘I’m sorry’, that I want you to say.)”
“……”
Lady Mary wipes the corners of her eyes, sniffles a little through her reddened nose, and then gives me an amazing smile.
“I’ll be waiting for you, Routa, so come back home soon.”
“Woof! (Will do! It won’t even take a second, I promise!)”
