Chapter 91

The next afternoon, I go to the elves’ village. My goal is to observe the reconstruction. Not to help them, really. Most of the village has been restored in the month since the vampire princess Carmilla razed it. And the final tree, a large one, is just about to be healed. “Can it truly be restored…?” “Let us have faith—faith in the King of the Fen Wolves…” The elves around the great tree whisper among themselves, uneasy. This tree serves an important role: It supports the houses in which the elves live. They build their homes in the ramifications atop the tree. Floating lodges, I suppose I should call them. They’re wonderful. The tree’s leaves withered under Carmilla’s attack, however, and its branches broke, leaving the great tree in a sorry state. And now it is on the verge of being healed. Not by me, of course. I’m just a dog. I’m simply watching, mouth agape. “All right, here I go!” says Hecate, raising her staff. She begins to incant a long spell, and a complicated magic circle appears at the center of the large tree. Then the burned branches and collapsed houses rapidly begin to assume their previous forms. It’s like watching a video in reverse. “Arrrwf! (Whoa, that’s amazing!)” “Squee-squeak? (Is she reversing time? This magic is on another level. Even I cannot decipher it…!)” “Mrow. (The mistress is especially good at magic that manipulates time and space. She isn’t a grand witch for nothing!)” Len, unusually awake during the day, raises a voice in admiration, while Nahura boasts, her chest puffed out with pride. “Arwf? (And why are you acting like a big shot?)” I push over the cocky cat with a paw. “Mm! I guess I’m not surprised that tires me out,” says Hecate, giving a big stretch. It wasn’t just this village, after all. It was the big hole that opened in the lake, and the homes of the Fen Wolves, too. She’s fixed all the damage from the battle. It was a lot of work for one person. I was only watching while it all happened, of course. Hecate was the one doing all the work, of course. “Indeed, you didn’t do a thing, did you, Routa?” Gulp. “It would have been fine to leave the lake with its new topography, but you did say you didn’t want anyone at the Faulks mansion to be suspicious of you. So I took the time to fix it for you, as a favor.” G-gulp. “I did so much for you already. Maybe it’s time for you to return the favor, hmm?” Ahh, ahh! What shall I do? If this stupid dog can grant your request to show gratitude, then I’ll do anything! Of course, my only real possession is this collar. Whoops, I forgot. Hecate gave me this collar, too. I don’t have anything I can repay her with after all. “I could tell you to crawl on your belly and lick my feet, but I know you would do so with pleasure.” Wait, how do you know my kinks?! I was about to pounce on your feet before you even finished that sentence. “I’m joking. We’re friends, right? If you’re ever in trouble, I’ll help you.” “Arwf…! (Friends? What a wonderful word…!)” Hecate, I love you. I’ll lick you all over. “In exchange, if I’m ever in trouble, you can help me three times over.” Friendship with strings attached?! Hecate laughs, amused at my startlement. “Hee-hee. What’s with that face? It’s so weird.” She looks super-young whenever she laughs. On someone who’s such a sexy elf on the outside, it sure is adorable. “Woof, woof. (Well, I’ll help you out if I can. But I can only do what I’m able. Don’t give me any requests that are too impossible, all right? I’m only one dog, after all.)” With the Demon Lord’s army showing up, I’ve already got my paws full. A hero better show up soon to save the day. This problem is too much for a pet to handle. “It’ll be all right. I’m sure you’ll make it, Routa. You will do for me that which I could not.” Hecate’s smile looks like it might disappear at any moment. “Arwf, arwf. (Wait, wait. What are you about to ask of this stupid dog? You’re seriously overestimating my ability now.)” “Oh, but am I? I think you’re a much more amazing person than you think, Routa. Even ignoring the fact that you’re the King of the Fen Wolves.” “Arwf, arwf! (Oh, stop it!)” Hoist me up all you want. I’m not climbing the tree. As Hecate tickles my ears, I flap them to play it off. “Lord Routa! Lady Hecate! Thank you ever so much!” “““Thank you!””” The elves gather around us, having watched the healing of the tree. All of them look young, so I can’t really tell the kids from the old people, or anyone in between. Apparently the eldest of the five sisters has taken the village reins. She stands in front of everyone else and is the first among them to thank us. Well, I honestly didn’t do a single thing. Still, it doesn’t seem to appear that way to the elves. The villagers all surround me. “If not for you defeating that vampire, Lord Routa, we would have all been her kin eventually. This village stands, thanks to you.” “You’re the guardian spirit of the village!” “We cannot thank you enough, Lord Routa.” “Not only did you forgive our younger sisters during their thieving, but you also rescued us from slavery, and even gave us this place in which to live… Lord Routa, you are our savior…!” You’re exaggerating. I never did anything that amazing. “Squee-squeak. (Be honest and take pride in it. You are so humble.)” “Mewl. (That’s one of the good things about you, though.)” Come on, quit it already! What’s been going on with everyone? You’re praising me to death—and if I died, what would you do then, huh? “Lord Routa, Lady Hecate, this is altogether paltry as gratitude, but we have made all the food we can for you. Would you do us the honor of eating it?” “Arwf! (Yes! If that’s how you want to thank me, I’m all for it!)” And so, a party to celebrate the village’s reconstruction began. In the beginning, they implied it would just be us eating, but that wouldn’t have been much fun. There’s so much food that they started talking about everyone enjoying it while it was all still warm. Well, I talked about it anyway. I’ve had the opportunity to sample the elves’ cooking in the past, but the exotic flavorings are no less interesting than before. The juice from the freshly picked fruit is super-tangy, but that distinct bite only makes me crave it more. The fragrant, herb-infused soup was a little overwhelming at first, but now that I’m used to it, I’m addicted. Given that they live in the woods, their main diet probably consists of berries and mushrooms, but that doesn’t mean they lack in quantity. The mouthfeel of this thick mushroom sauté almost tricks me into thinking I’m eating meat. And this freshly baked bread has become one of my all-time faves. It’s made from crushed-up nuts, and while it has a plain flavor, the spongy texture is fantastic. It has a fragrance similar to that of warm whole-wheat bread. The dried fruits and walnuts kneaded into the dough take it up an additional level. As I noisily munch on the food, the elves start performing songs and dances for me. The display is the height of fantasy, with beautiful women eating and singing all over the place. “Arwf. (I’m having such a good time. What is this place? Am I in heaven…?)” I lie down and paw at my belly, which is now round. “Squeak! (Gah! Those elves are trying to steal you away from me! I can at least perform songs and dances as well!)” Len changes into a human and tries to go up on the stage. And then she trips on the long hem of her clothes and falls over. As tears come to her eyes, the elves hastily go over and help her back up. “Arwf. (Sheesh. You always force yourself.)” The elves take Len’s hands and bring her up onto the stage. Fretful though she is, they teach her the steps, and she begins to dance. It’s an awkward, stilted dance, but seeing a young girl tottering around like that brings peace to my soul. As long as she’s having fun. That’s the most important thing. She’s smiling, cheeks red. The elves sure are good at handling children. Len may actually be a dragon who has lived a thousand years, but her mental age is low in contrast. “Meow? (Should I transform into a human and join the fun as well?)” asks Nahura, her mouth stuffed with food. No, don’t. This is supposed to be a celebration—the sight of your grotesque metamorphosis would freeze the entire area. At least learn some kind of magical girl–like transformation method before you do it. “Arwf, arwf? (I guess all the problems that got caused by the last incident have been resolved now, huh?)”