While I was caught up in the kingdom’s secret struggles, I celebrated my eighth birthday.
I woke up that morning and saw a huge wolf(?) curled up next to my bed. Its fur was pure silver, and it had emerald-green eyes. On its forehead was an oval-shaped emerald gemstone. Its body was about the length of a full-grown adult.
It’s huge! But for some reason, I don’t feel scared.
“Who are you?” I called out. The wolf(?) slowly raised its head and sat up.
“I am the divine beast Fenrir, born and raised under the tree of the Nature Spirit,” it said. “I have been sent to serve as your guardian by order of the Nature Spirit King, Lady Daisy.” Then it slowly bowed its head to me.
Its emerald eyes were beautiful, and so was the gemstone on its forehead.
Its fur is so shiny and glossy! Wait, did it say divine beast?! That means it’s a legendary sacred creature! The Spirit King is so kind to have sent me such a wonderful creature…
I was surprised, but more than that, it warmed my heart to receive such a lovely gift from the Spirit King. But I couldn’t just sit here admiring it; first I needed to talk to Father. I certainly couldn’t keep something this big a secret!
Taking the Fenrir with me, I went through the house looking for Father. I found him near the garden, relaxing on the sitting room’s terrace.
“Ah, Daisy? Who’s your new friend?” Father seemed bewildered at the sight of the Fenrir, who introduced himself just like he had to me before Father could say another word.
“I see,” Father said. “However, if you’re a divine beast, I think we should keep it a secret, or it might draw attention to Daisy’s status as the Beloved Child of the Spirit King.” He crossed his arms and pondered. “Sir Fenrir, if I may ask something of you…would you be willing to pose as Daisy’s wolf—no, rather, her familiar instead?” He knelt to meet the creature’s gaze.
The Fenrir slowly nodded. “My duty is to protect the Beloved Child. I will do whatever is necessary.”
“Thank you. In this kingdom, familiars are distinguished from monsters by wearing a collar with a seal around their necks. Would you be willing to wear one? If so, you would be formally recognized as Daisy’s familiar and could stay by her side without a problem.”
The Fenrir nodded again. “In that case…”
And with a poof! he suddenly transformed into a puppy.
“I can also take on a smaller form if needed. Would this form be more convenient unless otherwise necessary?”
So adorable! I nodded enthusiastically.
“That’s her answer, I suppose,” Father laughed.
“Do you have a name?” I asked, lifting the tiny Fenrir puppy into my arms.
“No, I do not,” he replied, shaking his little head.
It’s so sad to not have a name, I thought…
“Hmm, what would be good? Since you were sent by the Nature Spirit King…” I thought for a moment. The oval emerald on its forehead reminded me of something. “How about Leaf?”
The little wolf blinked its sparkling eyes, then happily nuzzled my cheek.
That settles it!
I’d received one of the most wonderful birthday gifts ever.
Not long after Leaf joined our family, the trip to obtain ingredients for the talking tonic was arranged. The king assembled a party that included three Knights from the Royal Order, two Mages from the Order of Mages, and one Healer. Father was one of the Mages, of course, and was the leader of the party. They would all ride horses.
Leaf would accompany me as well, transformed into his Fenrir form. I wanted to verify the authenticity and quality of the ingredients myself, and I would be riding Leaf instead of a horse. Leaf wore a special magical-type seal designed for familiars with transformation abilities. He was also given riding gear to make it easier for me to sit on his back, because otherwise I could pull on his fur and hurt him.
Since I was an Alchemist who could also use magic, I was given a loose, child-sized robe, enchanted with both physical and magical attack resistance properties. Underneath, I wore lightweight riding pants. I carried my satchel filled with potions over my shoulder, as usual.
At first, Father was reluctant to have me come along. But now that I had Leaf as my guardian, sent by the Spirit King himself, Father wasn’t as worried about my safety and allowed me to join the expedition.
We’d already discovered that chatter mushrooms grew in Orc Forest, located to the southeast of the capital, and donna herbs were found in the Orkenia Plains to the southwest.
“We’ll head to Orc Forest first,” Father announced. “There’s a possibility we’ll encounter orcs and need to engage. Stay vigilant!”
“Yes, sir!” the party replied in unison.
“Let’s go!” Father commanded, and we set off for Orc Forest.
The Knights led the way as we made our way southeast from the capital toward Orc Forest. The blue sky stretched endlessly overhead, a lush green meadow rolling beneath it with a single road cut through the grass. It was the kind of freedom you could never feel in the capital city. I took a deep breath and stretched.
At that moment Father came up beside me. “Daisy, you can manipulate ice with Water magic, correct?”
“Yes,” I replied, riding on Leaf’s back.
“When a monster appears, it would be helpful to freeze them first. That’ll make it easier for the Knights to act.”
I realized I hadn’t considered how to use my magic during battle yet. If I was going to fight alongside the others, then it was important to contribute. I nodded and made a mental note of his instructions.
“If you have the chance to aim for the tendons, any kind of magic will do,” he added. “It’s a good tactic to immobilize the enemy, which can make the battle much easier.”
I nodded again.
“When you attack directly, aim for the forehead, neck, or heart. Those are the vital targets.” Father continued to instruct me how to fight as a Mage as we rode, as well as how to coordinate my attacks with the Knights. It was incredibly useful advice.
Before long, a dark, dense forest came into view.