There was naturally no one who could entertain such thoughts. Leon wrapped the leash around his hand and pulled the wolf closer. The wolf, being led obediently, raised its fur to the end and stared at the man.
“Well, it seems you need some time to get acquainted.”
The Lord showed no interest whatsoever in his stepson, whether he was in danger of being bitten by the wolf or not. He even pushed his hesitant son toward Leon and the wolf.
“If it’s the hero’s wolf, there’s nothing to worry about. If it’s alright with you, may my son guide you to the castle? I have some matters to attend to. Take your time exploring the castle with my son until dinner.”
“Have a pleasant time.”
The butler took it a step further. They exchanged glances as if executing a secret operation, then disappeared as if fleeing.
“……”
“……”
A heavy silence enveloped the two remaining figures.
In silence, Leon observed the lord’s stepson. He had a wholesome and innocent face, quite different from his cunning-looking father, who resembled a sly raccoon. Apart from the black hair and eyes, there was nothing alike. If he inherited anything from his father, it was his tall stature.
Leon was not short, but this young man was a head taller than him. If he gained some weight like the lord, he would have looked like a black bear in the mountains.
“Um, sir hero.”
The man who had been silently standing there, meeting Leon’s gaze, put one hand on his chest and bent at the waist.
“I apologize for the delayed greeting. I am Kedil Winderton, as you’ve heard, the stepson of Lord Winderton. If it’s alright with you, I will guide you around the castle today.”
With a tone that hinted at embarrassment and an awkward demeanor, it seemed that his father’s behavior embarrassed him. His movements were somewhat stiff.
“…Yes.”
Although it was lamentable to play along with this absurd drama, given the circumstances, there was no choice but to wait until dinner to learn about the silver wolf.
Kedil hesitated and took a half-step forward. Leon prepared himself for the tedious time ahead and tightened the leash a bit more. The wolf continued to growl softly, showing its teeth slightly, remaining wary of Kedil.
“This is the central fountain. It was installed not long ago.”
“I see.”
“Father sometimes takes a stroll around the fountain with guests.”
“Impressive.”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Leon tried to show enthusiasm but failed. Kedil, who noticed the lackluster expression, turned hesitantly towards Leon again. Once again, his awkward movements were evident.
“I sincerely apologize. I understand that this is very inconvenient for you. I tried to stop my father, but he wouldn’t listen to me… There was nothing I could do.”
Having finished speaking, he politely bowed his head. Rather than the excessively formal apology, Leon was more interested in Kedil’s unnatural gestures. He seemed imprisoned, unable to move his joints freely.
“It’s okay. But, are you not feeling well? If you’re unwell, I can be on my own.”
“Oh? No, not at all. I’m perfectly fine.”
The wolf growled again as if urging him to leave quickly. Avoiding that sharpness, Kedil took a step back. Suddenly, he lost his balance and staggered. Even the way he fell backward seemed unnatural, catching Leon’s attention.
“Are you okay?”
Attempting to lift him up, Leon grabbed his forearm, but it felt hard as if he had grabbed bones, not flesh. A strange discomfort surged through Leon the moment his hand made contact.
Snap, snap. Rip.
With a suspicious sound, Kedil’s upper garment tore open.
“……?”
The ordeal didn’t end there. The neatly fastened buttons at the neck popped off one by one, and Kedil’s body began to swell. Rapidly, like air rushing into a deflated balloon. Through the torn clothes, his sharply defined abdominal muscles became strikingly visible.
“Ah, uh, this is…”
Kedil hastily crossed his arms to cover his exposed torso. As soon as he did, there was a popping sound from his forearms, and his clothes tore again. His biceps, pitifully compressed within the small garment, jutted out distinctly.
“Please, don’t look!”
Even though Leon tried to avert his gaze, it was already too late. Due to Kedil hunching down, it was evident that his trousers were strained. The belt snapped, followed by another ominous sound.
Oh, please, let it not be real!
The fervent prayer went unanswered, and Leon found himself inadvertently locking eyes with the towering thigh muscles of a stranger.
Hello, I’m the quadriceps. I like squats!
A faint hallucination echoed in Leon’s ears.
“I apologize sincerely. Truly sorry.”
Kedil apologized as if he had lost his mind, attempting to cover himself desperately, but the more he tried, the faster his clothes tore. Leon turned abruptly at the thought that he might end up seeing more than he was curious about.
“My father said that I might not be favored by the hero because I’m too big. I’m sorry. I’ll fix my clothes right away, so please wait a moment…”
Leon suppressed an exasperated sigh as he gazed up at the brilliantly clear sky. His face, digging into the bag he was carrying, turned red with bewilderment.
“Take this.”
Without looking back, Leon extended his hand. A coat, provided by Grandma to protect against the evening chill, dangled.
“It might be too small, but it should cover you up a bit.”
“…Thank you.”
The voice, on the verge of breaking into tears, was heard before the coat disappeared. Leon closed his eyes until the sound of footsteps running away was no longer audible.
“Ugh… I really see all sorts of things, don’t I?”
Leon sat by the fountain, holding the leash. The sound of water pouring out refreshed his ears.
Kiheung.
The wolf snorted, watching where Kedil had disappeared. Leon playfully poked the wolf’s snout as a warning.
“Heh. That’s not right. He must have been just as surprised.”
Seated on the ground, the wolf stared at Leon. Was it a gaze questioning if he was on this man’s side? Leon petted the wolf’s silver head.
“Anyway, let’s wait here for a bit. Lord Winderton is quite unpredictable, isn’t he?”
The wolf seemed to agree, resting its head on Leon’s knee and starting to lick his palm.
Kedil reappeared not long after. Standing in front of Leon with a sheepish look, a shadow loomed over him.
“…Hero. I’ve really embarrassed myself…”
“No, it’s alright-.”
Leon’s words came to an abrupt halt as he lifted his head.
Wearing loose-fitting clothes that didn’t cling to his body, Kedil looked like an entirely different person from before. A colossal figure even larger than his impressive height. His shoulders were like mountains, his waist thicker than a log, and his thighs were almost like weapons. How he managed to squeeze such a massive body into those small clothes was a mystery.
It was a fitting portrayal of a black bear in the mountains. If his face hadn’t been as fiery as a burning rock, he might have seemed threatening to an ordinary person. He anxiously twisted his large hands, attempting to shrink his body in any way possible.
“…It’s okay.”
Leon turned away, offering a courteous gesture to the visibly embarrassed Kedil.
“Shall we continue the tour?”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Kedil, who seemed relieved, nodded eagerly. He appeared thankful that the topic of his size hadn’t become the center of attention.
“I’ll guide you to the main building. There’s quite a spacious library as well. Um… I don’t know if you’d be interested in that.”
A wide library was indeed an enticing prospect. Perhaps Leon could find information about the silver wolf without having to converse with the lord.
“Sounds good, the library.”
“Then, let me take you there.”
Although he walked a half-step ahead like before, Kedil continued to stoop awkwardly, hunching his shoulders. Leon, who couldn’t help but be curious about this unfamiliar sight, lightly tapped his back. He touched him just enough not to be impolite, but Kedil jumped as if electrified.
“Doesn’t your back hurt like that?”
“N-no, I’m fine!”
“Just straighten up and walk. You seem like you’re going to hurt your back.”
Kedil rolled his eyes stealthily, gauging Leon’s reaction.
“Some people find me intimidating because I’m too big.”
It wasn’t a lie to say that his stature was not easily frightened. Instead, Leon smiled faintly.
“You have an impressive body. Looks even more heroic than me.”
“…You don’t mind?”
“Why would I? It’s cool.”
Five years ago, when defeating the calamity, he fought monsters as huge as a house. This size was hardly intimidating. Leon couldn’t help but smile at the sudden silence from Kedil.
Tears welled up in the eyes that met Leon’s gaze in an instant. His cheeks caved in so much from biting down forcefully to stifle his cry that his jawline resembled a small walnut.
“I-I’ve never heard someone say that about me. Children sometimes burst into tears as soon as they see me, and even ladies often run away… My father wishes for me to marry into a good family, but I’m useless if I’m like this…”
Lord Winderton, how explosive is your personality, exactly?
Dumbfounded by the tale that made him lose his senses, Leon lightly tapped Kedil’s arm. Even if it was slightly impolite, Kedil’s arm felt like solid iron. This issue seemed to go beyond his size, but Leon kindly nodded.
“Someone will appear who will appreciate you just the way you are.”
Kedil’s cheek turned a rosy red. Shyly lowering his eyes, he fidgeted with his pot-like hands. A small answer slipped out amid the sound of the fountain.
“…Yes.”
you really did see all sorts of things baby 🤯 thanks for the chapter ☺
ur welcomee😁💛
As nice as this Kedil is, I really hope that he doesn’t misunderstand 😕
Hopefully Leon ends up as an older brother figure instead