How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 3

The Harvest Festival was a traditional town celebration held every autumn, and it was the reason Aisha had no school for several days. Like most festivals of its kind, it could not escape the eternal undercurrent of romance.

According to tradition, before sunset on the final evening ahead of the grand celebration, every girl aged sixteen or older tied a ribbon to a branch in the grove north of town. The ribbon was said to attract suitors, and the higher it hung, the finer those suitors would be. At this time of year, the trees in the grove were always covered in ribbons—so many that they could be seen fluttering in the wind from the town market. Plenty of girls secretly tied several in hopes of attracting more admirers. Some wanted a wider choice of suitable young men; others simply wanted to feel popular…

Whatever their reasons, nearly everyone believed in the custom.

Aisha looked at the beautifully made white ribbon in her hand with mixed feelings.

Mrs. Wesson was the town seamstress, and she sold ribbons in the days before the Harvest Festival. Girls who wanted to tie more than one bought their extras from her. Yet no matter how many ribbons a girl planned to hang before the festival, there was always one that mattered most: the ribbon her mother had woven by hand.

On that most important ribbon, the girls of the town wrote the name of the person they truly loved. Then they stole deep into the grove and tied it somewhere hidden, lest anyone discover their secret feelings—even as they secretly hoped the beloved in question might find it.

Aisha had no mother, so naturally there was no one to make her a ribbon. Her grandmother had once promised to make her a beautiful one when she turned sixteen, but her grandmother had died the year before.

Of course, Aisha did not particularly care. There was no one she loved, and she had little interest in attracting suitors. She had never planned to hang a ribbon in the first place and had certainly not bought one.

The celebration was tomorrow. She had expected to pass it as she had every previous year.

But her plans had changed.

The skin of her palm seemed to glow with warmth where it touched the white ribbon. Aisha’s heart warmed with it.

Mrs. Wesson claimed the ribbons were only leftovers she had failed to sell, but Aisha knew that every year the seamstress kept a few. They could be sold the following year, made into decorations for clothing, or used to wrap gift boxes. A ribbon like this one would have fetched about three copper coins.

After a moment’s thought, Aisha tidied the kitchen a little, then left for the grove.

…

“Why, isn’t that Aisha? It’s been ages!”

“…Is your father well?”

“Here, Aisha, take this!”

“Poor dear…”

Aisha’s home stood on the southern side of town, while the grove lay to the north, which meant she had to pass through the bustling center on her way. Her appearance at the market caused something of a minor commotion.

Anything unusual attracted attention in a small place. Remote Philray had few residents, and their lives were closely intertwined. A girl whom her father had brought home alone was bound to be noticed; the news had spread throughout the town the very year Aisha arrived. Fortunately, most of Philray’s people were plain and kind. They assumed only that her mother had died, and felt far more sympathy than curiosity. They had always looked out for her. Aisha’s polite, sweet nature made her easy to like as well.

As she grew, her striking looks gradually drew still more attention, and her name became even better known. Even those who had never met her had heard of the poor but pretty, sensible girl in the south of town whose mother was dead and whose father spent most of the year away. After her grandmother died the previous year, the townspeople’s pity reached its height. By the time Aisha emerged from her grief, their open kindness had become so abundant it nearly embarrassed her.

The market was no exception. Her grandmother’s legs had begun troubling her several years earlier, so Aisha had taken responsibility for buying food and household necessities. Between that and the special notice everyone paid her, she knew nearly every vendor there. Returning greeting after greeting left her quite flustered. Everyone asked whether she was going to the grove to hang a ribbon, which embarrassed her further. She knew she was perfectly ordinary and did not deserve such special treatment.

The man at the fruit stall was especially enthusiastic. He pressed an apple into her hand as thanks for treating one of his apple trees some time ago. It had not been a significant thing—Aisha could not cure any complicated disease—but after a moment’s hesitation, she accepted it, somewhat sheepishly.

Perhaps because the grand celebration was only a day away, the market was unusually lively. Besides the vendors, Aisha encountered many familiar faces among the shoppers. By the time she had finally answered everyone and squeezed free of the market clutching her apple, she was perspiring and thoroughly worn out.

Her stomach gave a small growl.

Aisha’s cheeks warmed. Only when she realized she had already left the market and no one had noticed did she breathe a sigh of relief.

In her haste to hang the ribbon, she had left home without eating lunch. She had not expected the market to delay her so long, and now she really was hungry.

She looked at the apple in her hand and decided to wash it by the river before eating it. She remembered that a river ran through the grove.

Aisha had grown up in town and knew the woods well. Though they ran deep, there were truly no dangerous animals around the outskirts. Without the slightest concern, she made her way farther in.

…

When Les opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was.

In his flight from the darkfolk, he had paid almost no attention to direction. Instinct alone had guided him, driving him toward terrain that was difficult to cross, concealed, and tangled. As a result, he knew nothing of his present circumstances.

He was not certain how long the darkfolk had pursued him. Two nights, perhaps. Maybe three. Even an ancient direwolf could run no longer than that while wounded and losing so much blood. He remembered only the instant he realized that the sounds of the darkfolk had vanished behind him. His long-numb paws caught suddenly on something, and he fell. He had no strength to rise.

At last, he lost consciousness.

He did not even know how long he had lain senseless… or rather, he had never expected to wake again at all. That was why opening his eyes came as a surprise.

Then… he heard a voice near his ear.

“Les! Les! Can you hear me? Les!”

The frantic shouting was far too loud for someone so gravely injured. Les frowned. He remembered now: this was the voice whose noise had dragged him out of unconsciousness.

Its owner was clearly searching for him. Les barely managed to shift his gaze. When he found no other creature nearby, he realized the voice was sounding directly in his ear—some form of magic, most likely.

He paused, then answered, “…Mm.”

“…”

“…”

“Thank the heavens! Your Majesty! Did you hear that? Your Majesty! Major General Wolf is alive! That had to be his voice just now! Your Majesty! Did you hear him?”

The speaker on the other end erupted in excitement. Les thought he heard cheering in the background, but the ringing in his ears made it difficult to be sure. In any case, the clamor only worsened his pain.

Then someone else took over.

“…Can you hear me, Les?”

The voice was as composed and proud as ever. This time, however, there was a weary note beneath its familiar cadence—the exhaustion of someone whose taut nerves had finally begun to ease.

Les lay helpless upon the ground. His throat worked. With great difficulty, he parted his parched lips.

“Your Majesty.”

Carter III was, in every way that mattered, a father to him. Yet the emperor’s incomparable dignity and benevolence had always mingled Les’s affection with a subtle reverence. To hear the worried voice of the elder he loved and admired, here in the depths of what had seemed utter despair, made the tension drain from him all at once.

Les did not know how His Majesty had managed to contact him, but then, His Majesty had always been capable of anything.

And this proved that he… had not been abandoned.

“It took the priests two days to determine your exact location. You may have been unconscious for quite some time. The High Priest says you crossed into human territory and are now in a forest within the Kingdom of Ryan.” The reassuring voice sounded directly in his ear. “Unfortunately, under the peace treaty we signed with the humans, we cannot send anyone across the border to retrieve you… I know this is a difficult request, but please try not to reveal your identity. Can you do that?”

For the habitually proud emperor to speak to him in such a gently negotiating tone was rare indeed. Les tried to nod, then remembered that the other party could not see him.

“I understand, Your Majesty.”

His Majesty seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. “…What condition are you in? Are you badly hurt?”

“There is no problem.”

“Do not pretend to be strong, my child.”

“…”

When no further answer came, the Beast Emperor understood. He sighed softly. The last child of the Wolf family was a remarkably good boy. It was only that… he was far too stubborn.

The child had never liked to talk. Extracting a truthful account of his injuries was probably impossible. After some thought, the great white cat on the far side of the Divine Sea swished his fluffy tail.

“First, you must find a way to stay alive, child… Do you remember when I personally led the campaign during our war with the humans?”

Les paused in surprise. “I remember.”

His Majesty’s race could not be revealed to outsiders, so only a very small number of commanders had known at the time that the emperor had gone to war in person. When the truth later became public, it caused an enormous uproar. Of course, it might never have been disclosed at all… if His Majesty had not been wounded and gone missing midway through the campaign.

His Majesty’s beast form was far too small for a battlefield. During one chaotic engagement, he had unfortunately vanished. He endured untold hardships before returning to the beastfolk empire from human territory. His Majesty never spoke afterward of what he had experienced, but everyone believed that, with his incomparable ferocity and wisdom, he must have made his way home over the bodies of countless humans who tried to murder him.

Although, upon his return, His Majesty had announced peace talks with humanity.

Apparently realizing that the emperor was about to recount this legendary episode at last, those listening on the other end grew noticeably quieter. Everyone held their breath.

After a pause, His Majesty began slowly, just as expected.

“You know, being confined to one’s beast form may not be a bad thing. I will teach you what to do. First, find water. If you follow a water source, it will lead you to a human settlement…”

Les heard murmurs of admiration from the other end.

“Of course! Once he finds humans, he can steal medicine and food from them.”

“Oh! As expected of His Majesty!”

“His Majesty truly is a brilliant strategist.”

The emperor’s commands were absolute. And because Les trusted His Majesty’s wisdom, he would follow every instruction. Slowly, one last trace of strength welled in his exhausted body. He forced himself upright and sniffed the ground.

Finding the scent of water beneath the reek of his own blood was not easy, but Les managed it. Bracing his legs, he limped toward the smell of the river.

His Majesty’s voice remained with him.

“Once you find a place where humans live, make contact with them. Remember, your first choice should be a woman who does not look very old. Do not speak. Do not reveal that you are beastfolk.”

Now that he was standing, Les had no strength left for words. He made a low sound to show that he had heard. At the same time, a discussion broke out in the background.

“Why does it specifically have to be a young woman?”

“Human women are probably weaker and easier to kill. The younger they are, the easier it must be.”

“I see… It seems a little dishonorable somehow, but I suppose it is the safest option.”

Les’s ears twitched. He thought he could hear running water now. The river was close.

“After you find a woman who looks approachable…” Carter III paused. “Try to charm her.”

Les stopped dead in midstride.

At nearly the same instant, the background noise exploded.

“What?!”

“Did His Majesty say to harm her? He said to harm her, didn’t he?”

“Your Majesty, you—you mean back then, you actually—”

Carter III ignored their horror and continued with perfect composure.

“Winning over a human woman is simple. Sit down in front of her and assume a docile, harmless pose. Make her think you pose no threat. Open your eyes wide—that will make you look cuter—and gaze at her with sincerity and friendliness, while appearing just a little pitiful…”

“Your Majestyyyyy!”

“We have failed you, Your Majesty!”

“Please, Your Majesty, say no more!”

The sounds in Les’s ears dissolved into chaos. The imperial palace was, without question, erupting.

To be honest, Les did not understand His Majesty’s strategy, either. But he knew the emperor was offering this heartfelt advice solely to save his life. Les had to carry out the instructions, no matter what, or he would fail His Majesty’s expectations.

With that thought, he gathered himself for one final leap and barely cleared a thicket. Such exertion was far from easy for someone so badly wounded. It pulled at his injuries—especially the right shoulder pierced by the enchanted arrow. His right foreleg buckled slightly, and he nearly fell.

Then—

“Ah!”

At a girl’s startled cry, Les instinctively raised his head. To his surprise, he found himself looking straight into a pair of alarmed, worried hazel-green eyes. The person before him had clearly been frightened.

The eyes belonged to a pale-haired human girl. In the sunlight, her long flaxen hair gleamed like true gold.

Les stared.

He had intended to follow His Majesty’s instructions, trace the water, and search for a human girl. Even so, he had not expected his target to appear this quickly. The moment he found the river, he encountered a girl who seemed to satisfy all three requirements: young, human, and female.

He had not expected to meet a stranger here. Almost by instinct, Les began to assume a defensive combat stance. Then he checked himself. Remembering His Majesty’s words, he managed to suppress the impulse born of vigilance.

His Majesty had said to sit down, open his eyes wide, and look sincere, friendly, and pitiful…

Les did not quite understand what the words meant, much less what purpose any of it served. While studying at the Heart of the World, he had trained with weapons suited to human form and learned methods of combat in beast form. After joining the army, he spent his days drenched in blood, fighting and biting from dawn to dusk. In such circumstances, the gaze he needed was savage and ruthless, one that overwhelmed his opponent by force of presence alone.

The kind His Majesty described was something Les had never attempted.

In any case, he only had to… sit down. Right?

Les tried to make sense of it. Then he took two steps closer and, awkwardly ignoring the pain, lowered himself to the ground.

His immense body blotted out the sunlight, engulfing the girl at the riverbank in shadow. Then the apple in her hand went *splat* upon the ground.

What came next?

Les frowned.

Ah. The most difficult part. He had to widen his eyes and look at her with sincerity and friendliness.

So Les opened his eyes as wide as he could. As he always did when watching someone, he locked his gaze unwaveringly upon the human girl and strained to radiate sincerity, friendliness, and pitiful vulnerability.

Then he waited for her response.

The human girl did indeed respond.

With Les’s keen eyesight, he immediately saw her body stiffen, her pupils contract, and the muscles of her face shift. He had scarcely interacted with women since childhood, let alone a human girl. Relying on instinct, he concluded that this must be how girls reacted when their hearts were moved.

His Majesty had been right.

Somewhat reassured, Les prepared to await the emperor’s instructions for the next step.

Meanwhile, from the other side—

It’s glaring at me!

Aisha was horrified.