Chapter 45 – Lured by the silence of the forest
It seems that for Chocola, ‘going for a walk’ is something entirely different—like a separate craving.
I didn’t realize this until some time after we returned to this world.
For most people who own large dogs in Japan, exercise—especially walks—can be a real headache. Breeds like the Siberian Husky, for instance, need plenty of exercise, or else they become stressed and may even fall ill. Back when we were in Japan, I always made sure to prevent that from happening with Chocola. I’d take him out for walks every morning and evening, at least an hour each time, preferably an hour and a half. On weekends, we’d head to the nature parks with dog runs, letting him burn off that excess energy.
Finding the time wasn’t easy, but I never thought of it as a chore. Father would join us on weekends, or sometimes he’d take him out on his own, just the two of them. I imagine, on those walks without me, he might have talked to him about this world—the one we’ve returned to.
With that mindset, walks were, to me, a way to keep my dog from becoming restless. But to Chocola, it seems walks were more of a hobby.
After we transmigrated to this world, he would run around freely and even go hunting, so I figured he wouldn’t need walks anymore. But from time to time, he would come to me, leash in his mouth, tail wagging and staring at me as if to say, ‘Take me for a walk’. Even after a day of hunting with Mother or running around the ranch with Mint, he would still come with that same expectant look.
And at that point, there was no way I could say no.
So now, I take Chocola for walks simply for the joy of it, without worrying about exercise. The frequency is down to three or four times a month, but we still stroll leisurely around the area with his leash connected.
Sometimes Karen, Mother, or Mint joins us, but usually, it’s just the two of us—and it has quietly become a special routine for me too.
※※※
「The scenery is really looking like winter now.」
「Bark!」
Once again, we’re out walking today.
With no farm work, no carpentry tasks, and hunting on hold, I have the luxury of a mid-day stroll.
Chocola’s leash is in my hand as we tread the forest path.
「There’s frost in the shaded spots.」
「Bark.」
「Do you want to go over there? Won’t we trample it?」
「Bark!」
Stepping on the frost brings a delightful crunch underfoot. It has a texture that’s oddly satisfying. Chocola, being barefoot, probably enjoys the sensation even more. He sniffs the air while playfully moving his paws through the frosted ground.
「Bark!」
「Found yourself a nice stick, huh? It’s pretty long this time…」
Chocola seems quite pleased, clutching a fallen branch that looks more like a full-blown branch rather than just a stick. It’s so long that both ends drag on the ground.
「Are you sure you won’t get it caught on something?」
「Bark, fffus!」
「Well, if it gets stuck, we’ll deal with it then.」
I chuckle as he strolls through the branch like a balancing act, the branch wobbling at both ends. Meanwhile, I take in the surroundings.
Most of the trees have shed their leaves, opening up the view more than usual. The underbrush has withered, and the wind biting through the gaps is sharp and cold—definitely fitting the term ‘cold wind’.
「Although… isn’t a ‘cold wind’ something that blows in early winter?」
「Burk.」
「Can you even breathe with that thing in your mouth?」
Our walking route was the usual—taking a big loop around the house. But now that it’s winter, the scenery looks quite different. The far-off views, which had been hidden by leaves until now, were suddenly in plain sight.
One thing that stood out was a towering cliff to the east, jutting high into the sky. It looked like a great vantage point, and I couldn’t help but wonder what the view would be like from up there.
「I didn’t realize that was there. We’ve been living here for almost a year now, and I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the lay of the land.」
「Bark?」
While I don’t go hunting as often as Mother or Karen, I still venture out. Just the other day, I was running all over the forest setting up observation devices. But the Void Forest is vast and endless. It’s not a place that could be fully explored in just a year. There are probably still plenty of places we haven’t discovered yet.
「Kwuunn」
As I gazed absentmindedly at the cliff, Chocola whined softly at my feet.
「Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to stop like that.」
「Kwuunn」
「What is it?」
At some point, he had abandoned his perfect stick. Instead, he was just staring at me expectantly.
「Wait… do you want to go there? To the cliff?」
「Bark!」
「I mean, maybe next time—」
「Bark, bark bark!」
「…Ah, I see now.」
I had misunderstood what Chocola was trying to tell me.
「It wasn’t that you wanted to go to the cliff. No, you were asking me if I wanted to go. 」
He wasn’t saying, ‘I want to go there’.
He was asking, ‘Do you want to go there?’
And, in his own way, he was telling me, ‘If you want to go, then let’s go.’
That’s why he had dropped his precious stick. He was thinking of me, not himself. He had sensed my excitement, even when I wasn’t fully aware of it.
「You picked up on it before I did… that I was holding back my own feelings without realizing it. And I ended up blaming it on you. Sorry about that.」
「Bark!」
He barked, wagging his tail energetically as I patted his head.
As I stood there, scratching him behind the ears, I thought about it.
Since we returned to this world—or even before, back in Japan—I hadn’t done much adventuring like this.
Going somewhere simply because my heart was drawn to it, because I wanted to see the view up close. Following the call of a captivating landscape and actually going there.
I absentmindedly scratched Chocola’s back and murmured to myself,
「We still have plenty of time left.」
「Bark!」
「And if I let Mother know with the communication crystal, we should be fine.」
「Bark!」
「No danger either, not with the two of us.」
「Bark!」
Even though I was talking to myself, Chocola responded to every word, his powerful warmth radiating through his soft fur.
「Alright, let’s go.」
I unhooked the leash from Chocola’s collar, coiled it up, and tied it around my waist. Pulling the communication crystal from my pocket, I sent a quick message to Mother.
「Hey, Chocola, wouldn’t it be cool if you howled from the top of that cliff?」
「Hoowwllllll!」
I laughed. ‘Maybe you wanted to go there after all, didn’t you?’
With that thought in mind, we took off running toward the cliff.
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