The wolf sat in the yard, its ears perked up, watching over the forest. Despite a considerable amount of time passing, there was no sound of Leon and Kedil’s footsteps. Its pointed ears twitched at the slightest breeze, trying to detect any approaching presence.
As Grandma, who had been sitting in a yard chair, closed her book with a thud, the wolf raised its head. The book Grandma had been reading was “<Silver Wolf Mythology>,” brought by Leon from Winderton Castle. The sun shimmered on the plain gray cover.
“It seems they went quite far. Do you want to go too?”
The wolf let out a displeased huff before lowering its head between its front paws.
Before long, the approaching footsteps became audible. The wolf stood up abruptly and ran towards the entrance of the forest.
Leon greeted the wolf with a head pat as if welcoming a friend he hadn’t seen in years. Kedil, with still bloodshot eyes, gave a nod of greeting to both him and Grandma before disappearing.
Leon, sitting crouched next to the wolf, affectionately scratched its hindquarters.
“How far were you planning to go?”
You disappeared with that guy alone. The wolf grumbled with eyes clearly filled with dissatisfaction.
“Alright, I get it. Sorry, sorry.”
Leon sat on the grass-covered ground, lifting the wolf onto his lap. The wolf nestled comfortably on Leon’s knees, seemingly unaware that its body had grown too big for such a posture. Grandma, sitting not far away, muttered something to herself about a fox cub.
The sunlight warmed the two bodies. Leon gently stroked the now warm back of the wolf, feeling the previously injured areas. Not even scars had remained.
“It seems like I’ve found your kind. Do you want to go?”
The wolf responded only with a swaying tail, similar to its reaction when Grandma asked. Leon closely examined the closed eyes of the wolf.
“Don’t really know, huh? Whether you want to go or not.”
The silver head of the wolf leaned against Leon’s chest.
“I… I would like to go.”
Feeling the warm body in his arms, Leon pondered Kedil’s words.
“My father invested in the Myrrh Mine, where diamonds are said to be buried. While investigating there, I found out that the mine had to be closed due to aggressive animals near the mine.”
“Various beasts were seen, and among them, there were silver wolves. They didn’t attack people or fight among themselves but quietly observed the situation before disappearing.”
“I didn’t see it with my own eyes, so I’m not sure, but I heard that their fur color was similar to your wolf’s, close to white.”
Leon had two reasons for wanting to go to the Myrrh Mine, where the silver wolf was reportedly sighted.
First, to meet the silver wolves, who might be the wolf’s family.
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.
Second, to confirm whether the beasts near the mine had been engulfed by the black smoke.
‘I saw smoke from wild boars. If disaster strikes again, there’s a high chance that the beasts that rampaged near the Myrrh Mine have also been contaminated. Contamination spreads quickly, so we can’t just sit back and watch.’
Although he couldn’t understand what was going on, sitting still was not an option. He was already chosen by the Holy Sword Adnaid five years ago and had gained the power to purify and destroy pollution. With great power comes great responsibility.
But the wolf had no responsibility. If the wolf wanted to stay peacefully in the cottage, it was only natural. He had promised to help find its family, but he had no intention of dragging an unwilling wolf by the scruff of its neck.
“If you don’t want to come, I can go alone.”
With a long pause and just one word spoken, the wolf leaped off its knees. Then, with eyes full of betrayal, it barked loudly.
What do you mean by leaving me behind? Wasn’t it enough not to take me when you went to the bathroom?
…If you feel like saying that, is it a misunderstanding? The wolf flapped its front paws and barked louder and louder.
“Alright! I’ll take you, so calm down!”
As soon as Leon gave his permission, the wolf bounded around the entire yard as if dancing, seemingly thrilled at the idea of being taken along. Grandma got up from her chair, patting her knees.
“Not far, not far.”
“What’s not far?”
“The little fox cub following you to the bathroom.”
“…Do I have no human dignity?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Pack some stuff if you’re going far, you bastard.”
After Grandma disappeared into the cottage, the wolf dashed toward Leon like an arrow. Looking at the panting wolf, Leon spoke seriously.
“We’re not going for fun, you know.”
Keong!
“We might need to learn about your birth and past, and embark on a serious and grand journey to save the world…”
Keong, Keong!
“Well, it’s just a stroll, going a bit far.”
Think what you want. I’m not taking this too seriously either. Leon lay down in the warm yard, bathed in the yellow sunlight. The wolf snuggled closely to Leon.
Whatever happens tomorrow, for now, it was a peaceful time.
***
The next day,
Leon stood in front of his wide-open backpack, scratching his head. What else should he pack?
“Hey, are you not taking underwear?”
A cloth bag flew through the air and hit him on the back of his head. Leon bent down to pick up the fallen bag.
“Right, underwear.”
“If you overlook the most basic thing, what will you do? Did you bring drinking water?”
“I brought water. What if the wolf gets thirsty?”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.”
Grandma sighed loudly, glaring at the wolf. Unable to pack his belongings, the wolf lay on the bed, lazily swaying its tail. Whenever its eyes met Leon’s, it turned its belly up and flipped over, presenting its stomach.
“That one’s a beast, so it’ll probably drink muddy water if it’s thirsty. Worries keep piling up.”
“It might not be an ordinary wolf. Besides, it’s so picky. It won’t even eat cabbage if it’s dirty.”
“A finicky one.”
Grandma sat down on the bed, tapping her knees. Leon’s gentle touch was not like his, and each touch made her skin sag.
“Do you really have to go?”
“I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry.”
“If we part ways, you seem like you’d be upset.”
Stuffing the underwear bag while grumbling, Leon suddenly stopped.
“I’m fine. I’ve thought that there might come a time when we have to part ways. Besides, it’s a wolf, and it has some kind of ritual to perform. It might be better to be with its family. I still don’t know if we’ll part ways or not.”
Nevertheless, a lonely glint passed through Leon’s face as he tightened the straps of the backpack. If the wolf that found its family wanted to stay with them, it would be regrettable.
“Leon.”
“Yeah?”
“Even without this guy, I’m your family too.”
When Leon turned to look at Grandma, she realized what she had said. Leon’s eyes twinkled mischievously.
“Grandma… Are you comforting me? That’s touching.”
“Enough of that, you bastard! Making fun of an old woman!”
“You’re my family too, Grandma! Yes, we’re the most precious and loving family!”
“Stop with the cheesy talk!”
Despite her aching knees, Grandma grumbled as she left the room. Then, Leon’s two arms gently surrounded her.
“Thank you, Grandma.”
“….”
After Grandma took a deep breath, she caressed her slender arm wrapped around her waist.
“Take care on the long journey, and don’t go hungry. If a frail guy like you goes hungry, that’s the path to misery.”
“Even if I die, I’ll die in front of Grandma.”
“Yeah, die in front of me… What? You son of a bitch!”
“Ah, it hurts!”
The ladle stuck in Grandma’s waist attacked Leon’s arm. Leon hopped away, and the wolf stretched its legs on the clean sheet and yawned.
***
Leon carried the heavy backpack and walked along the trail. The path leading to the Mirakiki village was as secluded as usual, providing a good opportunity to organize various thoughts.
What should he do if the disaster starts again? Even though he had doubted it when he saw the black smoke from the wild boar, thinking about it now, his actions had been careless.
After the Blackie Incident, on the day he searched the forest but couldn’t find any traces of the disaster, he became complacent. Perhaps he had avoided facing the worst situation because he didn’t want to encounter it himself.
This time, he had to find out for sure.
Leon tightened the leash around his neck. The wolf sensed his unease and nuzzled its nose into his outstretched hand.
Valentine’s Day Bonus Update~
Happy Valentine’s Day <33
Happy valentines day! Thank you for the chapters <3
thank youuuu~ and ur welcomeee T.T <333
Thanks very much for the chapters
I hope nothing too bad happens to them.
I caught up! Im not always a fan of this trope, but this book is surprisingly up my alley. Will be waiting for more chapters!
Ps Thanks for the translation!
ur welcomeee~<33
Thanks for the chapter, waiting for more 🙏