Ch. 111

[Growl.]

“Rai!”

As I wrung the water from my clothes and came out of the water, I saw Rai baring his gums and snarling at a little child.

The moment I appeared, he quickly hid his fangs and pretended to lick the child’s head.

[Oh dear, what an adorable little human cub.]

It was a ridiculously awkward lick.

When Rai is in wolf form and has done something wrong, he tends to show more of the whites of his eyes as he nervously glances at me.

Just like now.

“You weren’t just about to bite him, were you?”

[What are you saying! There’s no way an upstanding fellow like me would do such a thing! That’s an unpleasant misunderstanding!]

“Do you even know what ‘upstanding’ means? You’re the bad one who enjoys your master’s pain.”

[That’s not true. I was just quietly guarding Master’s clothes. I’m Rai, the loyal hound.]

Maybe he really doesn’t care much about being a spirit. Maybe he’s not even a spirit.

As I eyed him suspiciously, Rai quickly flopped down and showed me his back.

I sat on his back however I pleased. Then I picked up the clothes I’d left by Rai’s side, one by one, and got dressed.

When Rai is in wolf form, he’s useful as a chair, too.

He’s so solid that it’s not comfortable, but he’s certainly sturdy.

“Geenie, how long do you plan on staying here?”

“Hmm… I’m still thinking. Maybe another day or two. Is that okay?”

“Of course. You can stay longer if you want. If you need, I can find you an empty house.”

As I tightened the waistband of my underpants into a bow, I looked up and asked,

“An empty house? Didn’t you say I shouldn’t stay in the village for long?”

“That was before you did us a favor. Now, everyone is very fond of you. It’ll be fine for about a week.”

A week. That was tempting.

I’d spent two months sleeping on bare ground, holed up in a dragon’s lair, and after escaping, I wandered a vast forest for ten days.

I needed stability.

Things like a soft bed and a well-cooked, hearty meal.

After a moment’s thought, I shook my head.

“No, it’s a shame, but I’ll leave the day after tomorrow.”

I slipped my feet into my leather boots and stood up.

“You must still be tired. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“I should be recovered by then… More than anything, I really need to contact my family and friends soon.”

“If that’s the case, there’s nothing to be done.”

“They’re probably all worried about me.”

Whether I died comfortably, whether only my bones remained, or whether I was buried somewhere underground. Those kinds of worries.

The first thing I needed to do was let them know I was alive.

It’s been over two months since I was kidnapped by a dragon, so no one would be foolish enough to torture themselves with false hope that I was still alive.

“Then I’ll have a horse ready for you at the right time.”

“Thank you. I really appreciate it… By the way, how do I return the horse?”

“When you get to Mielta, there’s an inn our tribe always uses. You can leave it there.”

“Just leave it? Will you come pick it up later? That seems like a hassle…”

“No, one of the tribe members who comes back from the city will use it.”

So that’s how it works. I nodded in understanding and she smiled lightly, putting on a leather shirt.

“But you’ll need to stay at that inn for about a day.”

“Of course. What’s the name of the inn? Is the city big? I’ll need communication facilities to contact my home and the Academy.”

“Of course. Mielta is a big city. It’s one of the few cities in Koiren with a Mage Tower.”

“That’s a relief.”

There aren’t many ways to communicate in this world.

Letters are common, but they take at least three or four months, so they’re useless for urgent news.

Nobles usually use telegrams, but it’s not the machine kind. These are magical and can only be used between cities with a Mage Tower.

The upside is speed, but it’s expensive, and the message has to be received and delivered by someone else, so privacy isn’t guaranteed.

The method I planned to use was the fastest and most expensive—communication magic, basically a video call through magic.

You could see each other’s faces and talk through a glass orb, but it was only available at the Mage Tower.

“Undine!”

It was just after I finished dressing that I called for Undine, who had been giving off a distracting presence.

Pretending to chat with Big Sis Anel, I suddenly yanked out the small presence that had been following us from behind a rock.

“Kyaa!”

Undine quickly caught it and brought it to me, trapped in water.

Gotcha! You little rascal!

What she brought to me, caught in a droplet, was a girl I’d never seen before.

“Annie?”

“…Ah.”

She was Big Sis Anel’s daughter!

Why didn’t you just say so, instead of sneaking after us? So suspicious!

[It’s the little one who kept following us.]

[You knew?]

[Yes, I figured she was Anel’s daughter, so I let her be. She’s been following us from home.]

I gestured for Undine to put the child down.

As a bonus, Undine dried her off, wringing the water from her soaked body.

Still in shock from being trapped in a water droplet, Annie nervously darted her eyes and then ran to hide behind Anel.

She peeked out from behind her mother’s legs, glaring at me like a baby wildcat.

“Th-that person is weird!”

“Annie, I told you not to be rude to guests.”

“But she talks to the wolf! I saw it! The wolf talked!”

[What! A talking wolf? Where?]

Idiot.

[She means you, Rai.]

[Me?]

Wait a second.

Come to think of it, that’s strange.

How did that little girl hear Rai’s voice? Only a spirit’s master should be able to hear a spirit’s voice.

Maybe she’s a spirit mage, too? No, she just looks like an ordinary human kid.

“What are you talking about, Annie?”

“It’s true! I heard the wolf and that person talking! They’re still talking!”

Wow, she really can hear us.

I looked down at Rai.

Rai looked up at me, blinking his big eyes.

“It’s a wolf possessed by a demon!”

“Annie!”

“She must be a witch, too!”

People used to call me a witch all the time. At the Academy, my nickname was ‘the witch of the annex.’

Kids were generally scared of me.

I knew why. It was because I never smiled for their comfort.

What could I do? I didn’t like kids.

I wasn’t going to be unkind to myself just to be kind to others.

“Sorry, Geenie. Annie is just a little timid.”

“It’s really true, Mom!”

“I’m used to it. It’s not the first time kids have disliked me…”

I stopped talking, struck by a chill.

Anel and I immediately looked towards the riverbank.

A scream tore through the air from that direction.

The unsettling sound of splashing water reached us, setting me on edge.

What shattered the peaceful afternoon was the hostile presence of many enemies.

“Lizardmen!”

[Whoa, there’s a lot of them.]

At a glance, there were more than twenty monsters.

They were already crossing the narrow river.

Only their vicious heads stuck out above the water, making them look like a swarm of crocodiles.

Lizardmen, who can breathe underwater, are intelligent monsters sometimes considered a different race.

They travel in groups, hunt smartly, and have their own culture and language. They can even talk to humans.

But the reason there’s debate over whether to call them a race or monsters is their hyena-like habit of eating anything—even their own kind and humans.

Unlucky. Lizardmen at the riverbank.

And of all times, when everyone’s undressed and unarmed.

[Feels like they planned this, doesn’t it?]

Rai looked out at the riverbank and scratched his ear with his hind leg, as if it didn’t concern him.

[Seems like it. I guess they really are smart.]

[Still, isn’t it a bit too relaxed for an ambush, Master?]

[Look who’s talking.]

I was definitely calm.

Watching the lizardmen swagger ashore, towering over two meters tall, showing off their savage teeth and whipping their long tails, all I could think was: I wonder if those tails regenerate if you cut them off?

They looked reptilian but walked on two legs and moved freely in water. What a hybrid.

I’d heard they lived in jungles, but this was my first time seeing them in person.

There weren’t any near Magi’s lair.

“I have to go.”

Unlike me, calmly observing, Anel hurriedly grabbed a branch and shoved Annie deep into the bushes.

“Annie, you have to stay here and be quiet.”

“Mom! Don’t go!”

“I have to!”

“I-I’m scared… Can’t I just go home?”

“No. They could be attacking from another direction. You have to stay here. Understand?”

Big Sis Anel’s stern instructions to trembling Annie were all too familiar.

Long ago, when I was still a child and our mercenary group was attacked by ogres, Big Sis Anel had hidden me away just like that.

Back then, I had no idea what I could do.

Just like this kid, I’d been helpless.

While I watched Annie for a moment, Big Sis Anel was already running towards the riverbank.

Even in the chaos, the tribe members moved in perfect order.

They grabbed whatever they could and blocked the lizardmen from coming ashore and reaching the village.

They were a brave people.

Only the very young tried to run away.

“Undine.”

Still, what could they do with just sticks and clubs?

If anyone got hurt, I’d have to heal them, so I moved to prevent that.

It wasn’t really because I wanted to help them.