How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 10

The moment Carter III asked the question, Les felt his chest tighten. The emperor was only a voice, without an image, yet Les could almost feel those mismatched feline eyes upon him, leaving every secret exposed.

“I honestly… don’t understand.”

Les lowered his head and answered truthfully.

“I have never felt this before.”

“Mm. You really are rather foolish.”

“…”

On the other end, the Beast Emperor smoothed several whiskers that stuck out beside his face, idly scratched an ear with one forepaw, and narrowed his eyes.

“But you cannot be blamed. No one remains perfectly calm and composed the first time they experience such a thing. Still, you must decide for yourself…”

Perhaps because no one else was present and they were discussing matters of the heart, Carter III was visibly relaxed. Even his tone grew casual, as though he had set aside the majesty of an emperor.

Of course, no one knew what the beastfolk mage facilitating the connection between Major General Wolf and His Majesty felt as he watched the fierce and dignified emperor sprawl at leisure upon a cushioned couch, discussing love and romance with the habitually silent, solemn major general as if the mage himself were invisible. _(:з」∠)_

The feline emperor adopted the voice of an elder offering counsel.

“You are still young. You are the child I raised, but I have no wish to restrict your freedom. You must determine what you truly want. A soldier’s glory, or a beloved companion—which do you desire more? You have half a month left to consider it carefully. Do you understand?”

“…Yes.”

Although His Majesty could not see him, Les nodded unconsciously.

The feline emperor paused. “Oh, one more thing. Aren’t there many mixed-blood families along our border with the humans? Are there any with wolf blood? Are the children cute? If you have children one day, will you let me raise them?”

“…”

His Majesty had leaped far too many steps ahead. Beneath his long fur, Les’s expressionless face flushed again. He had no idea how to answer and could only remain silent.

Fortunately, the feline emperor had no intention of pressing him. He merely found the matter amusing. Watching the little ball of fur who once tumbled around with kittens grow into a magnificent wolf was deeply satisfying. But as Les grew, he became increasingly quiet and reserved, revealing neither joy nor anger. He no longer displayed his emotions and thoughts freely and rarely showed an unguarded side.

That was simply what it meant for a child to grow up. Even so, from a parent’s perspective, Carter III could not help feeling a little wistful.

After a pause, he stopped teasing Les and changed the subject.

“Since you wish it, I will do my best to investigate suitable mages. You need not worry too much. Ordinary mages can teach gifted ones as well; the essence of magic is shared. Isn’t that so, Fawkes?”

The fox setting up the communication spell between the feline emperor and Les nodded nervously. His chest rose and fell rapidly. He felt he had already heard far too much that night.

Carter III paused, then continued, “Also, I will soon have the mages find a way to let me see you. I hope your injuries are nearly healed, my child.”

“Yes… I am much better.” Les paused, then answered steadily, “And… thank you, Your Majesty.”

“There is no need to thank me. You will always be my child. Now, I am going to sleep.”

“Good night, Your Majesty.”

“Good night.”

The magic vanished abruptly. The night fell silent.

Les remained where he was for a moment. Then…

A soft white light enveloped him. Within seconds, a young man with silver-gray hair and a black military uniform stood upon the ground.

His long silver-gray hair, faintly reminiscent of a wild beast’s mane, fell to his waist. In the moonlight, his skin shone wax-white, and his deep-set features looked as though they had been carved from stone. His gaze was profound and still. A straight, immaculate military coat emphasized level shoulders and a rigid back; a belt drew in his narrow waist, and black military boots stood planted firmly upon the earth.

Now that his wounds were nearly healed, changing form no longer brought unbearable pain. Because his beast form belonged to an enormous predator, Les stood taller than most human, darkfolk, and even beastfolk men. Yet he was a wolf built for speed and agility. His muscles were not as prominent or brutally hard as those of races adapted to overpower their enemies through sheer strength, though the power within them remained unmistakable.

The man’s blue-gray eyes swept the surroundings once more, sharp as blades and so stern they could appear inflexible. Only after confirming that no unfamiliar scent lingered nearby did Les hesitate and reach into the pocket of his uniform jacket.

He drew out a short length of white ribbon.

Thoughtfully, he rubbed it between his fingers. Then… the hard, expressionless lines of his face softened.

The blood of the Ancient Direwolf Clan stretched back thousands of years, lending Les’s features a classical cast. Major General Wolf was often praised at home as possessing “mythic masculine beauty,” yet even such admiration could not conceal the solemn, old-fashioned air of a man seemingly excavated from some ancient ruin.

In childhood, youthful softness had somewhat hidden that quality. Once the direwolf reached adulthood, however, there was no disguising it. Even in the full bloom of youth, Les possessed a gravity that made his age difficult to guess. Yet the expression he wore now softened even that inborn austerity.

This was the ribbon Aisha had tied to the bandage when she first treated him. Les had removed it himself. Since it lay on the outermost layer, the white ribbon remained as clean and unblemished as when she first used it, untouched by blood.

From the beginning, he had noticed that it differed from the other bandages. Aisha had taken it from her pocket. It looked less like medical material than a personal possession. Les could not explain why he had removed it. By the time he became aware of what he was doing, the ribbon had already become a keepsake entrusted with his feelings.

Aisha noticed the next day that the white ribbon attached to his bandage was gone. She seemed to assume it had merely come loose and fallen somewhere and paid the matter no attention. Les had been relieved. Anything held in his clothes while in human form could not be found by others when he shifted into beast form.

By moonlight, Les studied the ribbon for a very long time. Only then did he carefully return it to his pocket.

…

“…Your wounds should be healed before much longer.”

Several days later, Aisha finished tending the giant wolf and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve. She smiled at him in satisfaction.

Sunday had come around again, granting Aisha a brief respite from the rush of graduation. She ran into the forest early that morning with her basket. Since they had agreed the previous evening, she found the towering gray wolf waiting in the usual place as soon as she arrived.

He always arrived before she did. It was quite miraculous. Even when Aisha deliberately came early because she feared he might wait too long, the giant wolf was already there, like a stone statue that had stood guard forever.

Yet he plainly left between meetings. No townsman had ever seen him, and that alone proved it.

…Was this the understanding between them, then? That, and an animal’s instinct?

Aisha smiled at the thought.

Les—who routinely arrived two or three hours early to stand silently by the river, waiting with aching anticipation so he could make the most of every moment they had together—gave a small, expressionless wag of his tail in reply.

“More news came from the northern front today,” Aisha said cheerfully, noticing nothing amiss. She had grown used to sharing recent events with the giant wolf so they would not appear to be one girl and one wolf sitting together in tedious silence. “Do you remember Tina Killott, the general I told you about? She won another battle yesterday.”

At the mention of military affairs, the giant wolf paused and pricked his fur-covered ears.

In truth, Les knew who Tina Killott was without needing Aisha to tell him. No career soldier could possibly be ignorant of a renowned commander who had become famous more than a decade before he did.

In other countries, the woman was nicknamed the Silver-Helmed Spear Knight. The name alone revealed that she favored a spear and silver armor. Her beloved horse was called Argenou. She was known for a brutal, ferocious style of combat and a gift for frontal assaults. Such habits were unlike those of most human commanders and more closely resembled beastfolk tactics, which favored crushing an opponent with overwhelming strength.

Les had already heard the latest report during his conversation with Carter III the previous night. He might even have learned of the victory several hours before Aisha, here in the northernmost reaches of human territory.

But compared with the simple joy Aisha took in the news…

Les had a bad feeling.

Aisha did not notice the hesitation hidden beneath his thick fur. She continued smiling as she spoke.

“When I passed through the market today, everyone was talking about it again… People in town say that if things continue this way, perhaps the war with the darkfolk really could end this year. Then they would spend a few weeks negotiating the details and sign a peace treaty early next year…”

Longing entered Aisha’s face without her noticing.

Nearly a century of human history had been consumed by war, sometimes on two fronts at once. The main battlefield did not currently lie near Philray, and at first glance the conflict seemed to have little to do with daily life here. But the smoke of war was always a source of unease.

Les paused, and his tail swung once from side to side.

It was not a wag of pleasure or ease. Quite the opposite: it revealed the uneasiness inside him.

Carter III had access to more intelligence than ordinary people. Aisha was not wrong about the victory. But because Tina Killott defeated the darkfolk time and again, they had come to fear her deeply. That fear reached its height after this latest series of major losses.

The darkfolk… might retaliate.

Carter III did not appear to know how. Given darkfolk methods, the blow would probably target the general’s weakness. But Tina Killott’s straightforward, violent way of fighting offered few weaknesses, while her private life was so spare that it offered fewer still.

Her father had died prematurely. She had long since severed contact with her mother. Devoted wholly to the battlefield, she had never married and had no children. Apart from her personal guard, she had almost no friends.

Tina Killott had no weakness. She was unassailable.

So what were the darkfolk planning?

Les frowned.

“…Sorry. I always talk to you about things like this. It must be boring, isn’t it?”

Aisha’s clear voice reached him again, temporarily dispersing the irritation of an answer he could not find.

Embarrassed, she tucked the hair beside her face behind her ear. She habitually pinned it up while working, but unruly strands always escaped. Her expression was as warm as ever, and her bright eyes met his openly. A blush colored her cheeks, perhaps because even she found it ridiculous to chatter endlessly at a wolf.

“…I never know what to say to you. Mm… I’m not very good at finding things to talk about…”

The pink in the girl’s cheeks made Les’s heart jump again. By the time he realized what he was doing, he had already rested his enormous head upon Aisha’s knees. Since she sat beside him, the posture almost enclosed her in his embrace, as though he were claiming her as a prize of war.

Les froze, abruptly mortified. He did not know why instinct had driven him to such discourtesy. His body went stiff, and he began to draw back.

But Aisha had already wrapped her arms around his head and stroked him gently twice.

Les had always seemed unusually attuned to people, punctual and linked to her by an unspoken understanding. Even so, this was the first time he had actively sought her affection. Aisha’s surprise quickly turned to delight. Believing she had won another measure of the wolf’s trust, she happily welcomed his closeness.

Watching her, Les suddenly remembered Carter III’s command that he consider what he truly wanted. His heart sank slightly. The balance that had wavered so long seemed to tip, ever so faintly, toward one side…

…

Night fell again.

Aisha left before dusk. Les returned alone to the place deep in the forest where he had spent his nights and stood waiting quietly for Carter III’s call.

Before long, the familiar voice arrived as promised amid the stillness.

“Good evening, Les. You—”

“Your Majesty, I want…”

Les interrupted before Carter III could finish. He had never done such a thing. Even now, he had to pause before continuing.

“I want… to rest for a little longer.”

He forced out each word and stood rigidly, overcome with unease. He was a soldier, and a highly ranked one. By rights, even wounded, he should return to the battlefield as quickly as possible and fight until he bled his last.

This choice left Les feeling as though he had betrayed his duty and his parents’ dying wishes.

Carter III was silent for several seconds. When he spoke again, he sounded unsurprised and entirely steady.

“I see. Then you have made your decision. How much time do you want?”

“Three days.”

Les pressed his lips together before voicing a request so willful that it would surely astonish His Majesty.

He wanted to tell Aisha properly that he was beastfolk, then bid her a proper farewell. To save time, he would reveal himself the very next day. He had prepared for the worst. The girl who made him feel so helplessly unlike himself might be furious that he had deceived her and refuse to see him again. She might be frightened by his beastfolk identity and flee.

If so, the seven days he had originally intended to spend recovering, combined with the three days of leave His Majesty granted him, would give him ten days in all to wait for her response and work to mend the rift between them.

As for the possibility that Aisha might accept him immediately…

Les did not dare imagine it.

As expected, Carter III was stunned by his wolf cub’s request.

Did this fellow think he could go from zero to having a girlfriend in three days?! What manner of confidence was this?! Had Les finally discovered that human standards considered him handsome?!

And was winning her over all he planned to do? Did he not need six months or a year of courtship before preparing for marriage?!

It took Carter III a very long time to recover from the shock of *my child has grown up, and I can no longer keep up with the times*. His narrowed feline eyes finally regained their wise, tranquil look.

After a pause, he said, “…I will not prevent you from seeking a swift conclusion. But Les, even the time you shaved off your recovery period when you lied to her was probably more than three days.”

“…”

No secret could hide from His Majesty. Les could only remain silent, admitting the charge.

“And another thing—”

Carter III’s pupils narrowed into slits again.

“Do not imagine courtship is simple! Human girls are different from what you know. Their customs are not ours. A human girl will not fall in love with you merely because you can seize her throat in your jaws during a fight. Whatever you do, do not pursue her according to the traditional courtship customs of large beastfolk!”

“…?”

Les could not follow His Majesty’s train of thought. After some hesitation, he chose words that he hoped would not offend the emperor.

“I only want… to say a sincere farewell.”

“…”

“…”

A peculiar atmosphere passed between the two beasts who could not see each other’s faces.

“That is well, my child.”

It was a long while before Carter III spoke again. Les could not be certain, but the emperor’s tone seemed to have grown suddenly heavier.

Another inexplicably long silence followed before the feline emperor continued.

“…You need not limit yourself to three days, Les. Your parents, your grandparents, and your mother’s parents were all defenders of the nation. Nearly every one of them left this world in service to it. Your family has already borne more than enough responsibility. Even raising you could never begin to repay what your family has given to Beast.

“You are the last of the Ancient Direwolf Clan. You no longer need to bind yourself to bloodline, family, or anything else. You are free—freer than any noble constrained by family duty… And never doubt that you have always made me proud. I only wish, from time to time, that you would set down the weight you place upon yourself and live with the ease of other young people for a while.

“Most important…”

Carter III’s voice softened until Les could not tell whether the emperor was truly speaking to him.

“Most important, do not leave yourself with regrets.”

“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

After several seconds, Les offered the words with heartfelt gratitude.

He could feel that His Majesty spoke not as an emperor, but as an elder who cared for him.

The long speech seemed to exhaust the feline emperor. He and Les exchanged hurried good nights, and then the magical link was severed.

Les still could not sleep.

With his confession waiting the next day, he did not bother returning to beast form. He remained human and stared anxiously at the sky. Every imagined reaction from Aisha filled him with nervousness and… an excitement he could not suppress.

Les watched the stars move by degrees and the eastern sky brighten inch by inch. Never had he looked forward so fiercely to dawn. It was Monday, and Aisha would not come until her classes ended, but that did not matter. He could imagine her face and voice. If he did, surely evening would arrive quickly…

But Les never reached that swiftly approaching evening.

In the final hours before dawn, a wind from the north carried a different message.

It was not Aisha’s familiar scent.

It was the loathsome, rank reek of darkfolk feathers.