LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 29
After coming down from the Kaine Mountain Range and receiving treatment.
Since the injury was quite severe, I decided to rest and also take a closer look at the condition of the wolf pup.
I ended up staying in the treatment room for a few days.
“What does this little one eat?”
“Do you have milk? If you warm it up, it should be fine.”
“Hmm, I’ll go get some.”
Honestly, since I’m naturally tough, I focused more on the condition of the wolf pup, now called White Pup, rather than my own recovery.
Being born in the wild and without parents, I was worried about how to take care of it.
“Oh… it eats well, doesn’t it?”
“Right. We can feed it this for now.”
Fortunately, the pup is also quite sturdy.
It wriggles around if left alone and drinks milk well.
“But it’s really cute…”
“Yeah, it is.”
With its white fur and lively movements, it’s indeed cute.
That’s why the healer can’t take her eyes off it while feeding it milk.
But more importantly…
“Did you bring the pouch?”
“Yes, here’s the basket.”
After a few days of rest, I finally received the pouch containing monster materials.
Looking at the condition, it seemed fine.
Mostly bones and teeth, after all.
It didn’t seem like they would spoil in a few days.
I made sure to clean off any blood or flesh when extracting them.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“…Really, don’t go anywhere else and come straight back.”
“Come on, do I look like a kid?”
“That doesn’t work on me anymore.”
“Haha.”
Still, it’s better to hurry, so after I insisted, the healer reluctantly allowed me to go out on the condition that I be careful.
“I’ll be back.”
“Take care of yourself!”
With that, I tied the pouch to my waist and left the treatment room for the first time in a while.
After leaving the mansion, I headed straight to the high-end commercial district.
When I reached Garrett’s blacksmith shop, I could see it was bustling with people even in the morning.
Well, after all, who hasn’t tried Garrett’s swords?
I can see why people line up.
The difference a sword makes in deciding victory or defeat is quite significant.
So.
After watching the crowd for a while, I gathered my aura.
Since my body isn’t in perfect condition, I moved carefully to avoid injury.
Thud!
I jumped just enough to grab the terrace railing and then climbed onto the terrace.
“What, what’s that?”
“Hey!”
Ignoring the voices from behind, I knocked on the terrace window, and the curtain was drawn, the window opening.
“Welcome.”
“Ah, yes, I’ve brought the materials.”
“I’ll guide you to Garrett.”
Following the female guide inside, I heard the sound of metal being hammered again.
Clang! Clang!
Garrett was hammering iron, just like the last time I visited.
“Ah, you’re early this time.”
This time, he stopped hammering and stood up when he saw me.
“So, what materials did you bring?”
“I brought quite a lot.”
Saying that, I handed over the pouch.
“Hoh.”
Garrett immediately opened the pouch and let out a small exclamation.
“Did you catch all these?”
“No, I didn’t catch them myself.”
“Hmm?”
“There was a territorial dispute in the highlands. I just took them from the corpses of the winners.”
Explaining everything would take too long, so I summarized it.
I did simplify a lot, but it’s not wrong.
“A territorial dispute? All these monsters?”
Garrett said as he took out the materials one by one to inspect them—all monsters that maintain strong territories in the highlands.
No wonder he’s surprised.
“Actually, one monster came and killed them all.”
“What kind of monster was it?”
“A wolf-type monster, bigger than a typical Giant Wolf.”
I think it was the Chief Wolf that disrupted the balance.
I don’t know why, but it seemed like it just showed up one day and killed them all.
“Wow, you caught such a monster?”
“It was already injured. Plus, I had the sword you lent me, so I could win.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
Garrett said, then carefully examined my body.
“You really got beaten up.”
“…It wasn’t that bad, just a bit of a struggle.”
It was a tough opponent.
If I didn’t have the buff coat and the sword from Garrett, I don’t know what would have happened.
Well, in the end, I won and am here now.
“Anyway, good job. You brought more materials than needed. What should we do with the extra?”
“Do you buy materials here?”
“Of course, we’ll pay a fair price.”
“Then let’s do that.”
It’s too complicated for me to handle anyway.
Might as well sell them here at the blacksmith shop.
“Wait a moment.”
After saying that, Garrett called an employee, had a brief conversation, and then handed me a pouch of silver coins.
“Is this enough?”
“Yes, it’s plenty.”
I don’t know the market rate, so I just took the pouch and tied it to my waist.
I’m not in urgent need of money, but it’s good to have.
“Then I’ll be going.”
“Alright, at this rate, I’ll finish the sword soon.”
With that, I left the blacksmith shop.
Next, I went to the Mercenary Guild to inform the guild employee who had seen my seal that I was alive.
“To, to Jeven?”
“Yes. If you tell him I’m alive, he’ll understand.”
“Understood.”
Judging by the employee’s expression, it seems like he’ll deliver the message well.
Still, just in case, I took out some silver coins as a bribe.
After all, delivering a message deserves some reward.
After finishing my errands outside, I returned to the mansion as promised to the healer.
But.
“Lowell?”
When I entered the treatment room, I saw a familiar back.
“Ah, you’re back.”
It was Lowell, who was in the treatment room with the healer, checking on White Pup.
“How’s your body?”
“It’s better now. Long time no see.”
“Ah, yes, I had some business for a few days.”
I hadn’t seen him since returning from the mountains. He must have gone on another assignment while I was unconscious.
“By the way, I heard you had a tough time.”
“The one with the injury was quite a challenge.”
“Must have been a strong monster.”
“Ah, about that…”
Since Lowell was here.
I told him about the strange feeling I had while fighting the Chief Wolf.
“It used something like aura?”
“Yes, and it seemed quite skilled at it.”
That raw, strange energy.
The sensation was like that of a beast, but I couldn’t figure out what that energy was.
“Hmm, that might be Beast Pulse.”
“Beast Pulse?”
“Yes, it’s similar to aura but more natural. Usually, beastkin warriors use it, but…”
Lowell said, looking down at White Pup.
“Sometimes, spirits use it too.”
“So, is White Pup a spirit?”
“Most likely. If it maintains its original animal form without other features.”
“Hmm…”
This little one is a spirit?
I lifted White Pup, still skeptical.
It still can’t open its eyes properly and has a little snot on its nose.
“Do spirits grow slowly?”
“On the contrary, they grow quickly until maturity. In about a year, it should reach the size of a normal wolf.”
“Wow… hard to believe.”
In just a year, this little one will grow that big?
Considering animals usually grow faster than humans, it’s still surprising.
“But is it really okay to raise it in the mansion?”
Well, it’s all good, but… there’s one concern.
“Thinking about that Chief Wolf, it seems a bit dangerous.”
After all, it’s still a wolf, right?
Even with imprinting, I’ve heard wolves retain their wild instincts and can be dangerous.
“If it’s a spirit, you don’t need to worry. They have high intelligence.”
“That’s a relief.”
Come to think of it, I remember the Chief Wolf had high intelligence too.
If I train it well, it should be fine.
“And if necessary, we can bring in an excellent wolf trainer from the north.”
“There are wolf trainers in the north?”
“Yes, pet wolves are very popular there, so there are many experts.”
“I see…”
In the capital, the top noble treats people like dogs, and in the north, every household raises wolves.
This kingdom has its quirks.
“Anyway, take good care of it. Having a spirit as a sibling is rare.”
“…It’s not really a sibling.”
First the healer, now this sibling talk.
But being a spirit… it’s a bit exciting.
Once it grows, maybe I can ride it around?
“First, I’ll tell the servants to build a house for it.”
Anyway.
Later, as Lowell suggested, a separate house was built for White Pup…
“Is this really okay?”
“It’s still a young one, so bear with it.”
It was built right next to my house, even with a hole connecting the two.
It’s like my house gained an extra room.
“By the way, the Lady will be surprised. While the mansion was empty, the number of dogs you’re raising has doubled.”
Lowell said, watching White Pup wriggle into its new house.
Hearing that, I realized something.
“When is the Lady coming back?”
“Probably next weekend.”
Come to think of it.
It’s about time for the Lady to finish adapting to school and visit home.
Even though she was only gone for a few weeks, her absence felt quite significant.
I found myself looking forward to her return.