The next day, while working in the fields, the Guild Master of the Inaka Guild showed up with a troubled expression.
The Mitsume Wolves were attached to a leash, lying flat on the ground and being dragged along. Their forehead eyes were closed, and they looked more like stubborn dogs refusing to go on a walk than anything else.
「Papa, woof woof!」
Noticing the Mitsume Wolves, Dori came running over to me. Despite being attacked by a Mitsume Wolf when we first met, it didn’t seem to have left her with any trauma.
「Long time no see. Are these the Mitsume Wolves you mentioned yesterday?」
The wolves hadn’t even noticed us yet and were still being dragged along the ground.
「Haha, these guys are unbelievably stubborn. If you try to carry them, they’ll bite you like there’s no tomorrow.」
The scratches on the Guild Master’s face spoke volumes about how much trouble it had been to bring them here.
「Hey, it’s been a while, you two.」
When I called out to them, the Mitsume Wolves turned their faces toward me.
『Huh!?』
The look of shock was unmistakable. In an instant, they scrambled to their feet and tried to flee on two legs.
What was with these monsters and standing up every time something happened?
「Hey, don’t you dare run!」
The Guild Master quickly restrained the fleeing wolves.
『Kwuunn…』
The Mitsume Wolves glanced back at me repeatedly, as though pleading for help.
「Wait, could it be that they’re scared of Dori?」
As if understanding my words, they nodded desperately.
「Dori, could you go to Grandma and let her know we have visitors?」
「Woof woof…」
It was clear that Dori wanted to play with the Mitsume Wolves. Kids always seem to love animals, after all.
Once Dori returned to the house, the wolves seemed to calm down and sat quietly, staring at me.
「Morita-san, you really do have a knack for being a tamer.」
「Me?」
If anything, my memories of these wolves involved being attacked. But the pair in front of me now didn’t seem aggressive at all—they just looked like regular dogs.
「Hey, do you two want to live at my place?」
As I reached out to pet one of the seated wolves, the other one suddenly opened its jaws wide.
「Ow!」
Apparently, I wasn’t winning them over. Still, the fact that it was only a playful nip might mean these wolves were kinder than they let on.
The Mitsume Wolf bit down just hard enough not to break the skin. While it didn’t hurt too much, I couldn’t help but wonder if these monsters carried something like rabies.
「Hey, if you keep acting like that, you’re going to get thrown back into the dungeon!」
The Guild Master gave the leash a sharp tug, but the Mitsume Wolves just turned their heads away in defiance.
It seemed the rumors about monsters being difficult to tame were true.
「Papa!」
As I stood there deliberating, Dori came running back. The moment the Mitsume Wolves spotted her, they immediately straightened up and hid behind me, clearly still terrified of her.
「Why don’t you come inside for a bit? I’d like to hear more details anyway.」
「In that case, I’ll take you up on your offer.」
We decided to head back to the house together. The Mitsume Wolves, upon seeing Dori trailing behind, stood up and ran toward the house on two legs, dragging the leash along.
The Guild Master, caught off guard by their sudden sprint, ended up letting go of the leash entirely.
♢
「Grandma, I’m back!」
When we reached the house, my grandmother was already waiting at the entrance. Around her, Dori and the Mitsume Wolves were running in circles, playing a game of tag.
「Oh, so the guest is the Guild Master? Thank you for always looking after Naoki.」
As I picked up Dori, the Mitsume Wolves finally stopped running, seeming to calm down.
「We’ll be talking for a bit in the living room.」
「Got it. I’ll take care of the pups in the meantime.」
「Wait, they’re monsters—」
Before I could stop her, my grandmother was already petting one of the Mitsume Wolves. Surprisingly, the wolf leaned into her touch, rubbing against her affectionately.
Both the Guild Master and I were stunned by their reaction.
I had half-expected my grandmother to get bitten.
「By the way, dear, are you expecting? That little one next to you must be the father, right?」
「What?」
We turned to the non-aggressive Mitsume Wolf and noticed its belly was slightly swollen.
Could it be that the male Mitsume Wolf was acting so hostile to protect his mate and unborn pups?
My grandmother promptly fetched a blanket and laid it out. The Mitsume Wolf settled onto it comfortably, as though it were home.
「I’m starting to think Grandma might be better suited to being a tamer than I am.」
「Haha, it sure seems that way.」
At this rate, I figured it might be more effective to consult my grandmother about the Mitsume Wolves instead of trying to handle them myself.
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