Chapter 118

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!)” “…Are you sorry?” “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!)”