by Inumajin
Ahhh, if only I could have started my days off with a meal this elegant!
What a bitter memory…
Forget about that world. I’m a happy pup now.
Zenobia checks to see that I’m eating my helping before she starts preparing her own.
She normally looks at me with such disdain, but now she’s making sure I eat my food first. She really is a tsundere.
I am going to lick her someday.
I swear it.
“…The truth is…I know you don’t have any ill intent.”
It’s a silent night under the starlit sky, with only the sound of a bubbling brook. Zenobia suddenly speaks up as we’re drinking a rich fruit wine that’s been cut with hot water. The fruit wine by itself doesn’t have a lot of alcohol, so it’s not quite enough to warm the body.
The fire dwindles, and a tree branch is thrown into the ashes, bringing it back to life.
I can see the side of Zenobia’s bashful face in the light of the weak fire. She’s lost all her usual fierceness and looks almost kind.
“You love the young lady dearly. I know that. But my instincts still tell me you’re dangerous.”
“Arww. (I know you’re trying to be serious, but your instincts are wrong.)”
No matter how you look at me, I’m an adorable pet.
I’m just a little big, and my face is just a little scary.
Just close your eyes, and you’ll see past it.
“The way your body does not tire is not ordinary. I cannot imagine how much more you will grow. I believe you will become a monster stronger than anything I’ve killed before.”
She grits her teeth.
“You might be well-behaved now, but one day, you’re going to turn back into a monster and hurt someone. That’s what I’m afraid of. That one day you’ll hurt the master, young lady, or someone at the mansion… And when that happens, I’ll…”
She hugs her knees. Her fetal pose reminds me of an abandoned puppy.
“Those people accepted me like a part of their family. The only thing I can do is fight, and the only way I can repay them is with my sword. Which is why, even if they hate me, I’ll dispose of y—!”
“Arwf! (Good night!)”
I use my front paws as a pillow and lie down.
“Ah! Hey! I’m trying to have a serious heart-to-heart here! Listen!”
“Yaaaawn. (I don’t care. My only lot in life is as a no-good, lazy dog. There will never be a day when your instincts are right, so there’s no point listening.)”
I yawn loudly and turn my face away from her.
Honestly, she looks like a human but acts like a stray dog. It’s like someone just tossed her out and she’s begging to be taken care of.
She’s so sly. She really is the eternal adversary to my pet life.
I won’t give up my place as the sole good-for-nothing in the family!
“It seems the day has come where I will wield this sword once more…”
As the morning sun peeks out over the horizon, we wake up from our brief nap and then prepare to set off again.
Well, a pup like me only has the fur on his back, so I have nothing to do as I watch Zenobia do all the work.
She opens the metal case that she left on the bank and retrieves what was stored inside.
I peek from behind her to see a giant blade and a long handle in her hands.
Are they stored separately? If she attaches the grip now, the whole thing will be taller than Zenobia.
The tip of the weapon is round and massive, almost swollen, and the blade itself is quite thick.
That thing is too big to be called a sword. Erected before me is a ridiculously huge hunk of metal.
How in the world is someone meant to wield it?
“This is a magic sword that has been passed down through the Lionheart family for generations. It is called Dragvein. My ancestor, the god of war Georg, used it to slay evil dragons.”
The blade has dark, profound lines, resembling veins, running along the length of it.
If she told me it had been cursed by an evil dragon’s blood, I’d have to believe her. Something about that sinister blade is seriously off.
“This sword will be most suitable for the coming battle. As the descendant of proud dragon slayers, I must claim the title of dragon slayer myself! This must be how the god of war felt!”
“Arf?! Arf?! (That’s completely wrong! Zenobia?! We’re not here to fight anything! We’re just going to sneak in and swipe the wyrmnil! This is a stealth mission, not a battle!)”
Zenobia smiles slightly when I bark at her.
“I’m kidding. But we do have to prepare for the worst if we’re discovered.”
She checks that the blade and hilt are tightly fastened, then puts her tools back in the case.
Looking at it again, it really is much too big for any human to carry.
Just as I think this, she holds the ridiculously huge sword aloft.
“Arwf?! (Wha—?!)”
She shows no signs of fatigue as the blade glides effortlessly through the air.
“Arwf?! (How can you hold it like it’s so light?! That’s not right! The laws of physics! It breaks the laws of physics!)”
She swings the blade around like it’s no more than a stick.
“That’s no good. It’s a bit heavy. I must be getting rusty.”
“Woof, woof! (But you made it look so light! You wielded it without any problems!)”
Her powerful swings create gusts of wind and cause the rocks on the riverbank to tremble.
She spins the sword faster, whipping up a tornado-strength gale.
“The day I quit being an adventurer and began living in the Faulkses’ manor, I planned on throwing this sword away.”
Why didn’t she throw it away that day?
It’s such a dangerous weapon—the world’s better off without it.
“But I just couldn’t do it. It’s a precious family heirloom, and I also felt that a day like today would come.”
As her blade dance reaches its climax, the giant sword stops abruptly.
A moment later, a tremendous gust of wind swirls around us. My cheeks flap in the strong breeze.
This sword is dangerous. It’s completely different from the brittle fake swords she had before.
This is a real monster-slaying weapon.
And the wielder of this weapon is even more dangerous.
“Hmph…”
She returns the sword to the scabbard on her back and looks down at me.
“A-arf?! (Wh-why are you looking at me? …You don’t want to try that on me, right?! You don’t wanna do a thing like that, right?!)”
You can’t!
I’ll die! The moment it strikes the top of my head, I’ll actually die!
“…Let’s go. I don’t know where we’re going, so I’m relying on you.”
“A-arf! (Y-yes, ma’am!)”
Looks like I was worried over nothing.
I wonder what she’s thinking as she stares at me before swiveling around and walking off.
Thank goodness. I thought she was going to murder me before the dragon did.
I give thanks that I managed to escape death and then go on to direct Zenobia, who has walked off in the wrong direction yet again.
We continue moving toward the sound of rushing water until our objective comes into view.
A giant waterfall cascades down the side of a steep cliff. We’re a good distance away from it, but the water spray still hits our faces. I can feel soft moss beneath my paws. I feel like I’m going to choke if I get careless and breathe in the mist.
I wonder if this water feeds into the brook where we rested.
“Woof. (Garo said the nest was behind the waterfall.)”
It looks like we can get behind the waterfall if we go around the side.
I quickly lead the way, minding the slippery boulders.
We draw closer until the waterfall is right in front of us, but the sound of r
ushing water is so loud, I feel like my eardrums are going to burst.
I lean against a wall of boulders so I don’t get washed away as we inch closer.
“So it’s in here…”
Zenobia mumbles as she pulls up her drenched hair.
The humongous waterfall is now behind us. In front is the entrance to a massive cave.
Summer may have just begun, but the cold air blowing from within the cave gives me a chill.
“Let’s go.”
“Arf. (Remember, Zenobia. We’re going to get the plant and then run for it. We have to avoid a confrontation at all costs.)”
If worse comes to worst, at the very least, please protect me.
Please!
“Hey, let’s get a move on. You’re leading us in.”
“Arw. (Ohhh, of course. I’m in front…)”
If we encounter the dragon, I’m seriously running for it.
You can handle the rest, Zenobia.
“This place is huge…”
The cave is so massive that even her murmur echoes.
Stalactites that could be taller than the mansion hang down from the ceiling.
How huge must this dragon be to live in a cave this large?
We continue into the cavern, afraid that the dragon is in here somewhere, but I can’t sense anything.
I can’t even smell anything out of the ordinary.
I can’t sense any danger, but I also can’t find what we came for.
The worst possible thing would be to find out that the dragon was just a legend and there’s no wyrmnil here at all.
We would have come all this way for nothing.
I don’t want to encounter a dragon, but I really hope it lives here. I hope it just stepped out and we’re here alone. Then we can just grab the plant and go. I wouldn’t mind that at all.
“Come on, dragon. Where are you hiding?”
Zenobia grumbles, her hand on the hilt of her sword.
“Arf?! (Zenobia?! That’s not what we came here for!)”
Why does this woman constantly want to fight?!
Our goal is a plant, not a fight!
I feel uneasy as I look back deep into the cave and continue walking.
It’s as dark in the cave as it was in the forest, but that didn’t matter for those of us with great night vision. We continue through the pitch-black darkness when I spot something faint shining deeper in the cave.
“Arf?! (Is that it?!)”
I can smell something sweet like flowers. I hurry toward the light and scent. The path splits into two, but I follow the glowing one without a second thought.
“H-hold up—not so fast.”
Zenobia follows a little behind me until we arrive at the glowing spot.
“This is…!”
“Woof, woof! (Wh-whooooaaaa!)”
The part of the cave we stop in glows a green phosphorescent color.
Flowers that look like lily of the valley grow in abundance along the cave floor. Their stalks and leaves are transparent, and each dangling flower emits a faint glow. They look like glass sculptures.
We stare a little while at this fantastical sight.
“So this is wyrmnil…?”
“Arf… (Most likely…)”
There’s nothing else plantlike growing in this place, so that settles it.
We don’t know how much we need, so we just stuff as much as we can into the bag Zenobia brought with her.
“Right. This should be enough…”
“Woof, woof… (If we’re done, then let’s get out of here…)”
Zenobia stands up, her bag filled to the brim with wyrmnil.
I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to. We need to get these back to Hecate so she can make some medicine for Lady Mary.
We leave the cave of wyrmnil and head back to the path we followed in.
And that’s when it appears.
There before us, more imposing than I could have ever imagined, was the blue dragon.
“GROOOUUUUUUUUUU…”
Its low cry shakes the cave.
It’s huge. How could it be this huge?
It’s so immense, its head scrapes the ceiling of the cave.
The scales covering its body are sharp and shine like armor, and its limbs look as sturdy as tree trunks.
How long has this thing lived?
Four horns branch off its head, stretching out like a crown.
“GROOOAAAR…”
Its breath is so hot it turns to steam.
Its pupils are straight black slits through yellow irises, and they’re looking right at us.
I cannot fathom what those cold eyes are feeling right now.
It’s looking down on us like a lord looks down at stones on the roadside.
Our ranks on the food chain are way too different.
“Woof! (Welp!)”
My expression tightens as I look the dragon right in the eyes and wet myself.
All over the floor.
Dear Lady Mary.
This is your beloved pet, Routa.
I successfully managed to find the wyrmnil, but it looks like it will take a while to get it back to you. I swear I will return with it, so please wait just a little longer.
If I include my time in the other world, I’ll be hitting thirty soon, but I just sprang a massive leak.
I’m embarrassed to say it came out full throttle.
Everything is being expelled from my bladder.
Yep, there it goes.
My paws are completely soaked.
Ahhhhhh! How embarrassing! This is just too embarrassing!
Wetting myself at thirty is so embarrassing!
“… (Glare.)”
I have to trick it as I put on a face and look up at the dragon, but internally, I’m writhing with agony.
Ahhh! This is the worst!
I’m positive Zenobia’s noticed, too!
Still peeing. Everywhere.
I’m stuck like this; I just can’t make it stop!
“GOOAAAAAAAA!!”
The dragon towering before me lets out a roar.
The air ripples, and a few stalactites break and fall.
This is bad. It’s really mad.
“Hufuuuu…”
The dragon, covered in metallic, pale-blue scales, lets out a long breath and lowers its head.
I’m so scared I can’t move.
And if I moved now, I’d step in my own pee.
“GORRUOO… (Entering someone’s nest without permission and trying to mark your territory… You are a bold one, aren’t you…?)”
Crap. I’ve done something really offensive.
I just noticed that I can understand what this dragon’s saying. It’s just like with Garo and the other wolves. I can hear what’s being said over the growls.
“Huff…”
The dragon’s face is now so close that I can feel its hot breath. Zenobia doesn’t breathe.
I can hear her teeth chattering. Even she can’t hide how afraid she is of this dragon.
I know how you feel. All four of my legs are shaking.
She hasn’t wet herself yet, so she’s doing better than I am. I’m already past my limit.
Do what you must, oh body of mine.
You could say we’re like frogs frozen in a serpent’s gaze, but the serpent is a dragon.
This is going to end with us getting trampled flat.
“GARRROOOOO…! (Ha-ha, gya-ha-ha-ha! You’re interesting. You’re a brave one to do that in front of me. You have piqued my interest. Let us enjoy some tea and treats.)”
The dragon is clearly smiling.
Its face isn’t smiling, but I can tell there’s no malice in its voice.
Huh? So it’s not mad at us?
We broke into its home and even peed on its floor; I would have thought it would be livid.
Is this dragon actually really friendly?
I instantly lose all fear that my life is in danger. And my urine stream f
inally stops.
I look up at the dragon’s face again. It’s a lot less terrifying now that it’s so close. Even though it’s big enough to swallow someone like me whole.
“GURRROOOOO… (You came with this female human. I do not have guests in my nest all that often. I am the blue dragon Lenowyrm. I hope you will enjoy my hospitalities.)”
Ohhh, it looks like this will all be resolved peacefully.
Thank goodness. Fighting this dragon would be a stupid thing to do.
Better than being treated as a snack.
Just as I’ve calmed down and am about to reply to the dragon—
“R-run for it…”
—I’m interrupted by Zenobia’s shaking voice.
“Woof. (Ah, crap.)”
Zenobia can’t understand what the dragon’s saying.
I go back over what just happened, taking out the dragon’s voice over its growl.
It roared so loud that the cave shook, then slowly lowered its face toward us while growling.
Yeah, it would look like it was saying, “I’m going to eat you.”
“Woof, woof! (Zenobia, stop! Stay! Staaay!)”
“Take this and run. I’ll sacrifice myself to kill it!”
My frantic barking is all for naught as she takes off the bag with the wyrmnil, throws it at me, then retrieves the sword from her back.
“Haaaaaaaah!!”
She grips the hilt and gets fired up. Something similar to black smoke starts rising from the blade.
“GAROOOOO… (Wh-what are you doing? Why are you brandishing your sword? Don’t you like tea? I have sweets, too…)”
That’s not it, dragon. She just doesn’t understand you. Please realize this.
“Go! Routa! You have to get out! Get back to the lady!”
Why does this have to be the first time she calls me by my name…?!
I’m happy, but I’m also not!
Zenobia! I get that you’re willing to sacrifice yourself, but now is not the time!
Sorry for raining on your parade, but knock it off!
You’re just going to drag us into a pointless fight!
But I’m not a human, and my words don’t reach her. She wields her giant sword and strikes at the dragon’s wincing face.
“Arf! (Please let this sword be a fake, too! Please say it’s a mistake! We’re in huge trouble if it’s not! Ah, come on! Snap! Snap!)”