Well, that’s because a goddess reincarnated me into this world. I don’t have a clue how the Fen Wolf king’s birth is supposed to work, either.
Hold on a minute. If all the Fen Wolves aside from me are female, does that mean Bal—the one who radiates old-man energy—is female, too? That would be the biggest surprise.
“Grwf, grwf. (Lest we allow the king’s bloodline to end, we would like you to spread your seed among the Fen Wolves, Your Majesty. However, you are yet young. You may not be comfortable with us telling you to lay paws on whomsoever you see. Thus—go on, Lady Garo.) ”
Urged on by Bal, Garo steps forward.
“W-would y-y-y-you like to try it out with me first?!”
She blushes so hard you can see it in her brown skin as she leans closer to me.
I don’t think anything of her when she’s in wolf form, but right now, she’s a black-haired, brown-skinned beauty. She’s cute, as you would expect, and it troubles me.
Still, the way she’s acting coy… Bal must have suggested that one.
“Arwf! (But I refuse!) ”
“I… I see…”
Garo’s wolf ears flop down. She looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes, but I disregard it.
You’ll need cuter moves than that. Breaking my resolve will be impossible if that’s all you have. You may have apprehensions about this entire race, but I have apprehensions, too.
About the continuation of my blissful pet life! A pet going out and having babies without its owner knowing could, in the worst case, end with me being neutered.
With my pride and responsibilities as a pet, I’ve decided to never have any dependents. After all, I, myself, am dependent on others. It would be weird for a pet to be supporting a family.
I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t bite off more than he can chew. I’m so cool.
“Mrow! (Routa, you’re making a face like you’re thinking about something pathetic again!) ”
Shut up. Stop reading my mind.
“That… That was close… Curse you, princess of the Fen Wolves… Ever since you learned the art of shape-shifting, you’ve been appearing out of nowhere. I must be more attentive in the future…”
Len is lost in thought, biting on her thumbnail. You know, I doubt you have any chance of winning unless you do something about your current loli form.
“Grwf. (It seems we must leave it at that.) ” Bal speaks while looking up at the sky.
“Arwf. (Oh? The moon is brighter.) ”
The moon is rippling as if with a pulse. Eventually that glow gathers underneath the moon, then drips off it like a water droplet.
Slowly it falls toward us.
The thoughts of a modern man flash across my mind, involving things like the physical distance to the moon, but as I watch the moon droplet descend, I figure, what’s the point? Magical phenomena happen around me all the time anyway.
The droplet falls slowly, wreathed in light, until it comes to rest in Garo’s arms at her breast.
Eventually the pulsating light dies down, revealing a small baby wolf.
No, two wolves. One is white and one is black, each curling inward like yin and yang.
“Mrow! (They’re… They’re so cute!) ”
“They are adorable indeed. I, too, would like children soon…”
Nahura and Len peer at the baby wolves from either side of me.
They really are cute. I’ll have to make sure never to let the young lady meet them. They’ll steal her from me.
“The look on your face says that you’re having pointless thoughts again.”
“Mew. (Yep, no doubt about it.) ”
Why does everyone always know what I’m thinking? Is my face that easy to read?
“Yes.”
“Meow. (Yep.) ”
“Woof! (Knock it off!) ”
The two wolves, perhaps having woken up because of our conversation or because of Garo’s body’s warmth, begin to make little cries.
“Grwf, grwf! (Twins—a rare sight indeed! White as the moon and black as night, just as His Majesty and Lady Garo are… It is almost as though they have been born to the two of you!) ”
“B-Bal, that’s disrespectful!” says Garo, though her tail is wagging like crazy. “…My king, this may be forward of me, but may I ask a favor of you?” she says to me, the small baby wolves who still haven’t opened their eyes cradled in her arms.
“Arwf? (You never ask favors of me. I’m always the one relying on you, so of course. Allow me to repay you once in a while.) ”
Just not by making babies.
“Would you give names to these children?”
“Arwf. (Oh, that was what you wanted?) ”
She asked me with such a serious face that I wondered if there was a problem. If it’s just a christening, I don’t mind at all.
“Arwf… (Names, huh…? Hmm…) ”
All right, leave it to me. I already had the perfect names in mind for them.
“Arwf, arwf. (The white one is Shiro, and the black one is Kuro.) ”
“Mrow?! (That’s so basic!) ” Nahura falls over.
What are you saying? In terms of dog names, both of these have an extremely respectable history.
“K-King Routa…!”
Garo practically jumps up to me, bringing her face close.
“A-arw?! (Wh-what?!) ”
I guess it wasn’t okay after all. Were they too plain?
“Thank you very much for the wonderful names! And to think you would take a syllable from my own name as well for them… I’m truly moved!”
I, uh, wasn’t thinking about it that deeply. But seeing Garo tearing up with joy, I don’t have the heart to tell her how I decided on those names.
“I will remember this blessing for as long as I live! I promise you I will raise these children into excellent Fen Wolves to serve you!”
R-right. Just don’t go overboard. Save the boot camp for when they’re grown.
“Let us depart for the night, then. I’d like to let these children rest.”
“Arwf, arwf. (Sure, see you. And let me visit them once in a while, too.) ”
I watch as Garo and the others bow deeply and leave.
“Arwf? (Hm?) ”
Suddenly sensing something odd, I look up into the sky.
Nobody’s there, though.
It’s the middle of the night anyway; the birds aren’t even flying. What was that?
“…Arwf. (…Guess it was just my imagination. We should get home, too.) ”
“Mew! (Oh, then let’s go looking for a late-night snack again!) ”
“Arwf, arwf. (I like the way you think. Let’s get as much as we can without making the old man mad.) ”
“I swear, is eating all the two of you ever think about?”
“Arwf, arwf. (Then we won’t get any for Len.) ”
“I… I didn’t say I didn’t want any…! Stop trying to make me into a pariah!”