Chapter 89

“Arrrrrrwf!! (Whooooa! This looks amaaaaaaziiiiing!!)” “Gah-ha-ha! Dig in!” The dinner the old man prepared for me is a huge Salisbury steak. After searing it and wrapping it in caul fat to keep the flavor in, he slow-cooked it in a low-heat oven before flambéing it in brandy to finish it off. Even the steam coming off the completed steak seems delicious. I can’t hold myself back anymore! Not a single second longer! “Woof, woof!! (Don’t mind if I do!!)” I open my mouth as wide as it’ll go and chomp down on the steak. It’s humongous, and even my Fen Wolf jaws can’t fully close around the whole thing at once. It’s a perfect meal for me. The moment my teeth pierce the crust—formed by the delicate searing—its juices explode from within. The umami from the fried onions and the slight sweetness from the carrots both combine with the juices to create an unforgettable flavor. It tastes like a thick soup. The sensations flooding my mouth threaten to spill out. The steak retained its imposing shape and heft after cooking, but with my first bite, I notice it is as soft as a cloud. It practically melts on my tongue, and in seconds, it’s gone. It’s incredibly rich and satisfying, likely because of the sauce poured over the top. It has an acidity to it that cuts down the slightly sweet umami of the fat. Did he use the fresh tomatoes for this sauce, too? It’s so good I wouldn’t mind drinking it by itself forever. However! Just beneath that steak awaits steamy, fluffy rice. Now that it’s absorbed the steak juices and the sauce, it’s too much to resist. “Armgh, armgh! (It’s good! It’s sooo good!)” I eat with abandon. I consume every last bite. “There’s more where that came from! You did a good job today! I’ll feed you until your stomach bursts!” “Woof, woof! (Yahoo! You’re so generous, old man!)” “Actually, I’d be more worried if you didn’t eat it. I took all the offal from the scraps and muscles in the past and ground it up. It’s not exactly something I can serve the young lady.” What? But it’s so delicious. That seems like a waste. I will eat all there is to eat, of course. The old man continues to impress, making something this delicious out of offal. The deep flavors must be coming from the mixture of different kinds of meat. No matter how much I eat, I’m always ravenous for more. Time to dine! Today, we feast! He cooks more of the steaks, one after another, and I fully enjoy them, eating to my heart’s content. At long last, I lick up the last few drops of meat juice stuck to the plate and declare dinner finished. It’s so carefree being a dog—I don’t even have to worry about manners or anything. Nobody complains if I just laze around after eating, either. “Arrrwww… (Haaahhh… This is pure bliss…)” I can’t move another inch. “You’re eating more by the day,” the old man says, happily rubbing my tummy. “You’d finally gotten thin, too. Better be careful or you’ll get fat again.” No worries there, pal. Now that I have the shape-shifting technique, not even obesity can beat me. “Yeah. And thanks to your insatiable appetite, our stock is in trouble, too.” S-sorry ’bout that. “At least we don’t have any vegetable issues. We’ve been harvesting them like crazy for some reason, and their taste is first rate, too. Even their size is out of the ordinary.” Well, sure. There’s a special fertilizer at work. It’s a combination of the bones of the Demon Lord’s soldiers and my pee. …You know what, I’m sorry. I’m really sorry for making you eat something like that. Len said something about the vegetables “not having negative effects on their body” and “In fact, they have better medicinal properties than most herbs,” but is this really okay? “Ever since I started eating those vegetables, my body’s been in awfully good shape. The maids were happy, too. Apparently, their skin is practically glowing now. I wonder if they have some sort of mysterious medicinal effects.” “…A-arwf? (…Who knows? Not a regular pet like me, that’s for sure.)” I turn my cheek to him, pretending not to hear. And I get the distinct feeling Len is making a smug little face inside my fur. Right, right. Your observations were correct, little Len. “We’ll have to stock up on everything except vegetables,” continues the old man, “but next time, that should be easy. We plan to get more of that rice you like, too.” Three cheers for rice! I love bread and pasta, too, but still, rice can’t be beat. Why would it be easy this time, though? “That airship really is something else. With air deliveries, we can get even difficult-to-transport foods in a very short time. Apparently, it’s putting operating costs through the roof, though.” So it’s all thanks to Papa’s airship, huh? Using an airship to transport foods must be a simple matter for someone as rich as he is. “I’ll have to thank Lord Faulks. Without that ship, we would’ve never been able to restock this quickly.” It seems I ate almost all the rice Toa gave us by myself, and tonight’s dinner was the last of it. But thanks to the airship Papa prepared, it shouldn’t be a problem. Our main breadwinner is just so wonderfully generous. Even my insane food costs are something Papa and his wealth can handle easily, with plenty left over. Just as I thought: Being the dog of a rich family means I pretty much win at life. “Arw-rw… (Hee-heh-heh… I hope the airship comes soon…)” Now then, I’d be happy to sleep off this full stomach, but I’ve got plans tonight. As always, I slip out of the young lady’s bed and sneak away from the mansion. “Arwf. (Oh, I’ll have to get a souvenir, too.)” And by that I just mean the usual thing. I head for the kitchen, where the old man has fallen asleep. Looks like he’s mentally AFK again. I put a blanket over him, and then, as payment for my kindness, I take some preserved meat with me. “Arwf, arwf! (All right, perfect!)” Around my head I wear a necklace of sausage links. On my back I carry a large hunk of dry-aged meat. In my mouth I bear a leg of uncured ham. My preparations are complete. Fully equipped with this feast, I’m nigh invincible. “Mewl. (If you were a painting, you’d give quite the impression.)” Nahura rides on my back, having warped there via spatial magic, and immediately begins gnawing on the sausages without asking. “Woof, woof! (You can eat, but your job comes first!)” “Mew, mrow. (Oh my! I’m terribly sorry. We’re headed for Miss Garo’s settlement, right?)” “Woof! (Yup! Thanks!)” “Meow, meow! (Then please, witness my new power of being able to set more anchor points than before! Further upgraded by my mistress!)” Upgraded? What did she do to you this time? When she talks about things like this, she occasionally says scary stuff like “It’s okay if my head pops off” or “Tentacles may sprout from my back,” so I can’t let my guard down. Nahura lets out a loud meow, and the scenery starts whiting out. When color eventually returns, we’re no longer near the mansion, but in the middle of a deep forest. Even moonlight struggles to reach us in this forest, but it’s no issue at all for me and my Fenrir eyes. I start walking in the direction of Garo’s settlement, which is right nearby. Tonight’s plan is to celebrate the recovery of Garo and the other Fen Wolves. Nobody died in that battle against vampire princess Carmilla, one of the Demon’s Lord’s generals, but quite a few were apparently injured. Which, of course, was partly because my mouse-dragon was whipping her tail back and forth. The delicious meat is my humble gift as their friend, to help them restore some of the stamina they lost recovering from their wounds. Course, the old man was the one who made this preserved meat, not me! “Squeak. (The people at that mansion spoil you far too much.)” I don’t wanna hear that from someone reaping those same benefits. Also, I have one other goal today. “Mewl. (I wonder if Shiro and Kuro are doing well.)” That’s right. I came to visit Shiro and Kuro, the new Fen Wolves born just a little while ago. Actually, I’ve been visiting them pretty often, but I still haven’t seen them awake. The two young wolves are always sleeping when I come, so I’m only ever graced by their sleeping faces. Apparently, they’ve been up at this hour more frequently, and so, deciding I had to see them now that they’d grown, I figured I’d pay a visit to the Fen Wolf settlement today. “Grwl! (Your Majesty! Your arrival is most welcome!)” Please, this way, come, come, motions the young Fen Wolf guide who shows me the way. I’ve seen her a few times before. I think her name is Garu. It’s basically the same as the noise she makes growling, so it’s easy to remember. “Woof, woof. (Oh, I brought this for you all to eat. It might not be much, but I wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you.)” To repeat, the old man was the one who made it. “Grwl, grwl! (It is the highest honor to receive a gift from the king! …Hey!)” At Garu’s call, other Fen Wolves appear and begin to reverently take off my full armor…of preserved food. “““Grwl, grwl, grwl! (O king! O king! O great and mighty king!)””” As I proceed further into the settlement, the Fen Wolves I come across bow and open the way for me. They do this every time. It’s so embarrassing. I wish they’d stop. “Squeak. (Yes indeed, this reception is most comforting.)” “Mewl? (Feels good, doesn’t it?)” “Woof, woof. (I can’t relax. Please, everyone, have a little more fun.)” I’ve never wanted to be king—not in the slightest—but the Fen Wolves won’t listen to me. If only I could just pass the title to someone else. I’d do that in a heartbeat. ““Woo, woo!”” And then, small figures come bursting out from the bowing Fen Wolves, twisting themselves to get out. One is white, one is black, and both of them jump into me as if tackling me. They bounce softly against my chest hair and stop, but then they start jumping up and down. They’re like little hyperactive balls of excitement. These puffballs… Could they be…? “Arwf? (Shiro and Kuro?)” They’re big enough to walk now? And also, they already run? It’s only been a month! How did they grow so fast? “Squeak. (I’d think you, of all creatures, wouldn’t be saying that.)” Len’s right. I’m currently as big as I was at around one month old, too. Grr I wish I’d at least grown at Kuro and Shiro’s speed. My puppy days, when I was able to cuddle with the young lady most of all, were altogether too short. ““Woo, woo!”” The wolf pups squeal and start licking my mouth. “Arwrwf…! (Yeah, okay, thanks for the welcome…! Wait, you’re being too aggressive…!)” Kissing me so much right off the bat? My lips don’t come cheap, you know! But my meager arguments don’t get through to Shiro and Kuro, who are licking me to their hearts’ content. “Arw, rwrw! (Wait, seriously, stop, the drool—I can’t breathe! Please stop licking meeeee…)” I’ve always been the licker! Being licked is completely outside my realm of expertise!! Eventually I succumb to Shiro and Kuro’s fierce assault and let them lick me as much as they want. You’re far more energetic than you have any right to be, kids. “Awoo, awoo! (Daddy! Daddy!)” Huh? Did one just talk? You guys can talk already? Wait, what do they mean by “Daddy”? Were they talking to me? Daddy…? …… No, wait, no, no, no! I’m not your daddy! I don’t recall ever doing that deed!! Wait, Garo, what have you been teaching your kids?! ““Awoo! (Daaaddyyy!)”” Hey, I’m in the middle of being indignant here! Don’t just crawl up me, pleeease! Waving their little tails for all they’re worth, the wolf pups rub against me. ““Awoo, awoo! (Daddy, I love you! Thanks for giving us names!)”” Huh? Oh, they must mean “Daddy” in the sense that I named them. Well, that was too close for comfort. I just barely managed to avoid a fatal wound. But let me tell you something right now, you little brats. I have no intention of claiming you as dependents! I’m the one who wants to be a dependent! “Awoo? (What’s a dee-pen-dent?)” “Awoo? (Yeah, what is it?)” Wow, their innocent questions are a shot through the heart… A dependent is someone who can’t support their own lifestyle and has to rely on someone else to take care of them. In other words, it’s what I am to Lady Mary. I want to depend on her forever. You would do well to seek out your own young ladies. Now go! Go forth and prosper! “Squeak. (I swear… Stop teaching the children unnecessary things.)” Len alights from my back and stands arrogantly before the children. “Squeak! (This is the first time we’ve met while you were awake. Allow me to introduce myself once again. I am Lenowyrm. Queen of the dragons and lawful wife of the King of the Fen Wolves! If you would call yourselves his children, then I am more than willing to accept you as my own kin as well. Well, you are already essentially my beloved children anyway! Now I shall teach you the pride of the dragonkin!)” “Awoo! (Wow! It’s so little!)” “Awoo! (And cute! And tasty-looking!)” Shiro and Kuro seem to be enjoying a mouse introducing herself with a smug look on her face, even though she was smaller than they were. They crouch down and listen to her. Also, I feel like I heard something a little dangerous in there, but I won’t let it bother me. Len would probably be okay even if they bit her. “Mrow. (My name is Nahura, at your service! Also, Routa is my lover.)” Nahura leans against me in a coquettish manner. Hey! Quit feeding false information to them. “Awoo? (What’s a lo-ver?)” “Awoo? (Yeah, what is it?)” “Mewl… (Well, you see…)” It’s only been a few minutes since I got here and the children are already learning words they shouldn’t be, one after the other. Well, don’t blame me if your mother gets mad at you. Also, I ignore how I was a part of this. “Shiro! Kuro! You’re not following Mama’s rules! I told you to wait in the den until the king came to meet you!” See? Look, your mother is right there. Well, to be more accurate, all Fen Wolves are born from the moon in the sky, so pretty much all in attendance are sisters. But this one is definitely the mother figure to them. The one chasing after Shiro and Kuro is Garo, in human form. Her black hair and dark skin almost blend with the night. Her golden eyes are aflame. As always, when shape-shifted into a human, Garo is an easy ten. According to the Fen Wolves, she is either as beautiful as she is in beast form or even more so, but I’m clueless when it comes to whether Fen Wolves are pretty or ugly. ““Woo, woo… (We’re sorry, Mommy…)”” Even as Shiro and Kuro apologize, they conceal themselves between my front legs. They seem to understand Garo can’t be too harsh on them if they hide behind me. Looks like we’ve got a couple of tough customers. Garo clams up with a frown, but then takes a light breath. She seems to have decided she’ll scold them later. “It is good that you have come, my king.” Garo is just too cute when she smiles. Even more so when the smile is combined with her being a powerful, sharp-eyed beauty. That contrast between sweet and spicy is so good that in my previous life, I might have dropped dead on the spot. But as I am now, it has no effect. After all, I am a being who was reincarnated specifically to spend his life as the dog of rich people. I will live as a pet dog, and I will die as a pet dog. I’ve already made up my mind. All other temptations are powerless before that. Thus, when Garo tries to pull the Fen Wolf–style greeting on me, I put my front leg in front of her face to guard myself. “…My king, will you not allow me to greet you as well?” “…Arwf, arwf… (…No, I got enough of it from Shiro and Kuro, so…)”