“Hey, human. Can you not hear me?”
I slowly held out my half-eaten portion to him.
As soon as I did that, the wolf that was as big as a cow thrust its face into the wooden plate and ate all of it in one bite.
“This is not enough. Give me more.”
“I-It’s a Fenrir...” Werner whispered, face dripping with cold sweat.
Is that such a dangerous monster that a party as seasoned as Iron Will can’t move an inch? W-What should I do? Even though we’re so close to Veenen...
“M-Mukohda, do as it says,” Werner told me, but there was none left. It seemed to be a monster that understood human language, so it may be that just as Werner said, following its wishes was the best way to get out of this unharmed.
“Uh, umm, I’ll have to cook it, so would you be willing to wait?”
“That is fine. I will wait, so make it quickly.”
I quickly cooked up some more red boar fried with ginger and handed it over to the Fenrir, or whatever it was.
Fenrir ate it with gusto, and kept asking for more; in the end, it ate seven or eight kilos of the red boar fried with ginger.
“*Burp* That was delicious. Nevertheless, to be able to satisfy me with so little meat... You are pretty good, human.”
So little meat, he says... even though he ate seven or eight kilos of it... How much does he even eat usually?
“Yes, I will form a contract with you.”
............Huh? What’s a contract?
“Hey, are you listening? I said I’d become your familiar.”
Familiar, he says... I think I’ve read web novels where they’ve done this sort of thing before, but does that mean I would be a tamer or something?
Nowaynowaynowaynoway.
I mean, it’s a monster that talks, yeah? I couldn’t help thinking, it’s strong enough to freeze the members of Iron Will, yeah? To be contracted with something that strong...isn’t that bad?
“Umm, ehh, I ref-”
“Hm?”
“No, you see, I refu-”
“Hahh?”
“............”
This bastard, he’s not gonna let me say no.
“This cannot be true, but could it be that you are trying to refuse a contract with me, Fenrir, retainer to the Goddess of the Wind, Ninrir? I do not think you would do something so outrageous, but what say you? Hm?”
When Fenrir(?) the monster that could speak human language said that, the members of Iron Will signaled to me with their eyes to hurry up and agree already.
Do I have to? Really? So “yes” is the only answer available here? I thought, resigned.
I reluctantly replied with, “I understand,” and Fenrir nodded, satisfied, with an “Mm.”
“Come this way.” At Fenrir’s prompt, I had no choice but to get closer.
“Closer. Come right in front of mine eyes.” Just as I was told, I stood right in front of Fenrir.
“Well then, I shall start the ritual of contract.” Having said that, Fenrir put his forehead to mine. When our foreheads touched, my body lit up for a moment.
“With this, our contract is set. Mm? You have the Appraisal skill. Are you a summoned hero?”
H-Heyyyyy!
I instantly closed Fenrir’s mouth.
“Mph-Mmmph, h-hey, what are you doing?!”
I whispered hurriedly, “Th-That’s a secret.”
“Ohh, is that so? Yes, I understand. Then, try confirming your status.” It looked like Fenrir understood, so he said that in a whisper that only I could hear.
At Fenrir’s prompt, I appraised myself.
“Status Open.”
【Name】 Mukohda (Tsuyoshi Mukouda)
【Age】 27
【Job】 Victim from Another World
【Level】 1
【HP】 100
【MP】 100
【Attack】 78
【Defense】 80
【Agility】 75
【Skills】 Appraisal, Item Box, Familiars (Contracted Magic Beasts): Fenrir
【Unique Skill】 Online Supermarket
Somehow, my Skills had increased. There was now a Familiars entry, and it said “Contracted Magic Beast Fenrir”...
“Mm, everything seems to be fine.”
“Eh? You can see it too?”
“Who do you think I am? I am kin to the Goddess of the Wind, I would at least have something like Appraisal.”
Izzat so? Actually, what happens now that we have a contract?
“Now then, with this I have become your Familiar. Because of this, as the master you have to look after me, your Familiar. Do you understand?”
Do you understand, he says, I thought, feeling a little miffed. But...huh? Is that right? By “take care of him,” does he mean that Familiars are basically pets?
“From now on, I look forward to three meals a day.”
............Hey. Three a day? That... could he possibly have been lured into a contract by food? Is that right?
“Hey, you over there, I have already contracted with this one here. I will not attack you, so stop freezing up like that.” Being addressed directly by the Fenrir, the members of Iron Will twitched.
“Umm, everyone, this Fenrir(?) over here understands speech, so I think it’s okay, so...”
“Ohh, I had forgotten. We have been bound by contract, so you, give me a name.”
“Ehhh don’t ask me that all of a sudden. Hmmm, then, Pochi.”
“You, are you making fun of me?”
He seemed to get mad after I said Pochi. Actually, I thought, now that it looks like he got lured in by food it seemed ridiculous to be afraid of him.
“Hey, don’t get mad at me. How about Koro, then?”
When I said that, the Fenrir got even angrier. What’s up with this guy, he’s being pretty selfish, I thought exasperated.
“Fine, then since you’re a Fenrir, how about Fel?”
“Hm, Fel... I like that. Let us go with that.”
What’s with him, acting all important?
Like this, the Fenrir’s name became Fel.
While that was happening, Iron Will finally started moving again. Among them, Werner, the fastest to recover, hesitatingly raised his voice.
“M-Mukohda...”
“Ah, Werner, are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, but... T-To think that I would lay eyes on the legendary beast Fenrir...”
Huh? Legendary? This guy who got lured in by food?
“There remain legends of a sighting around 300 years ago, but I’ve never even heard of anyone contracting with that Fenrir.”
Eeeeehhhhh...
“Well, there are only enough of us Fenrirs to count with your hands. From what I have heard, there was a Fenrir that formed a contract 700 years ago, but I have lived over 1000 years and this is the first contract I have formed.”
H-Huhhh, so he’s lived over 1000 years, I noted.
“I will be able to eat food this good. Compared to that, serving a human for several tens of years is no loss to me.”
Ahhh ahhhh ahhh, this guy actually said it, I thought more exasperated than anything. He just declared that he did it for the food. They say that he’s a legendary beast, but is this guy really okay?