Chapter 116

““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.