How to Raise a Dumb Wolf - Chapter 57

“Welcome to Saint Regin, Mr. Green!”

Several days later, as their carriage passed through the gates of the royal capital of Micks, the mage who had come to receive them turned from the driver’s seat and called excitedly to his passengers.

Eric might have stepped beyond his old boundaries and agreed to leave home, but social interaction remained far outside his talents. He only nodded stiffly and said, “Thank you.”

Aisha smiled at the driver, hoping he would not take offense at her professor’s curt reply. The man had plainly heard about Eric’s temperament in advance, however, and did not seem to mind. When he met Aisha’s gaze, he returned her smile warmly, then faced forward and resumed driving.

Aisha turned to the window.

The turning wheels had already carried them into Saint Regin. As the capital of Micks, it possessed an atmosphere unlike that of any kingdom Aisha knew. The city’s defining landmark, the Grand Temple, was visible as soon as they entered the gates. It was every bit as majestic and sacred as rumor claimed—so imposing that even the royal palace seemed diminished beside it.

Religious power had weakened over the years, and the influence of the “divine” had waned even in Micks. Even so, Aisha noticed far more people wearing sacred cross-stars upon their chests than she would have seen elsewhere, and plainly robed members of the clergy passed them frequently in the streets.

Les, following behind the carriage, attracted a great deal of attention. Once onlookers spotted the royal crest on the vehicle, however, their curiosity faded. They probably assumed he was some rare beast tamed by the royal family.

The carriage moved quickly and soon drew up before the palace.

The mage glanced back. “We’re here. You may get out, Mr. Green!”

Eric inclined his head, rose at his customary unhurried pace, and stepped through the carriage door. Thorne jumped down close behind him. Once his feet touched the ground, he paused. Aisha was still clinging to the swaying door and cautiously feeling her way down the narrow carriage steps. After a moment’s hesitation, Thorne offered her his hand.

“Oh, thank you.”

Aisha was a little surprised, but smiled at him all the same.

“…You’re welcome.” Once Thorne had steadied her, his gaze shifted toward the street. “If you move too slowly, you’ll hold the rest of us up.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“…It’s fine. Next time, we’ll let you get out first.”

Les had already approached the carriage door. He had intended to position himself below Aisha in case she fell, only to stop when he saw the young, black-haired boy carefully help her down. Silently, he retreated to one side.

…That strange sense of danger had returned. Being in beast form truly was inconvenient in far too many ways.

Without warning, a chill ran down Les’s back. He turned on instinct and found the young mage watching him with a pair of pitch-black eyes. The moment Les looked his way, Thorne calmly averted his gaze and returned his attention to Aisha, leaving Les uncertain whether he had imagined it.

Then their conversation drifted over from the other side.

“Be careful. If you twist your ankle, you’ll cause us even more trouble.”

“All right, but surely I’m not that likely to…”

It was an entirely ordinary exchange. Why, then, did Les still feel that something about it was…

“Professor! Thorne! It’s been so long!”

At that moment, a blond young man came racing toward them from the palace, waving with all his might. The guards saw who he was and scarcely batted an eyelid before letting him pass. In another instant, he had darted up to the group.

“How have you been? Thorne, you look taller—you really do look like an adult now. Ah, and this must be Professor’s new student. Aisha, right? It’s a pleasure to meet you! I’m Noel—Noel Jellenson. I graduated under Professor several years ago.”

Aisha extended her hand and exchanged a brief handshake with him. Noel appeared to be about twenty-four or twenty-five. Soft blond curls brushed his ears, and he could only be described as handsome—the clean-cut, classically handsome sort of young man who fit human standards of beauty perfectly. He was neatly dressed and so pleasant to look at that one could not help liking him.

Eric, however, did not appear to like him at all. Perhaps any affection had long since been worn away by years of teaching, followed by Noel’s monthly letters of invitation. Eric gave him a cool nod and asked, “…Will you be taking us inside?”

“Yes, Professor!”

The young man smiled brightly.

“Her Majesty was delighted to hear that you had finally agreed to come. Rooms have been arranged inside the palace for you, Thorne, and Aisha. You may stay for as long as you wish. Now, please come with me. Her Majesty has been waiting for some time.”

Eric inclined his head and followed. Aisha hesitated, then hurriedly asked, “Um… what about my wolf?”

Noel looked back with a smile. “Bring him in with you. Her Majesty was informed in advance. The queen is fond of animals too, so it won’t be a problem.”

Aisha finally relaxed. She beckoned for Les to follow her, and they entered the palace behind Noel.

…

“Your Majesty, this is Noel. Mr. Eric Green and his two students have arrived. Are you available to receive them now?”

“Please show them in.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

In Micks, the Grand Temple rather than the palace was considered the nation’s holiest building. The palace was therefore somewhat smaller than those of other kingdoms, and it did not take them long to reach the room appointed for their audience.

Given Eric’s standing among mages, the meeting had been arranged in the queen’s private reception room. Noel had chatted cheerfully with them until now, but as he approached the door, his expression grew much more solemn. He knocked with impeccable courtesy, and a remarkably gentle woman’s voice answered from within.

Aisha froze for an instant at the sound.

At the mention of Louisa White, the reigning queen of Micks, almost anyone would immediately think of her old epithets: the White Lily of Helman and the First Princess of the Federation. More than twenty years had passed since those names first became famous. Louisa was still synonymous with peerless beauty, but the princess had long since become a queen. The voice behind the door clearly belonged to a mature woman, and yet… it remained indescribably lovely to hear.

Like any ordinary human, Aisha was curious about the legendary Princess Louisa’s appearance. Equal parts nervous and excited, she followed Thorne into the room.

The first thing she saw was a silvery-white figure from behind. The woman slowly turned her head, and Aisha saw her face.

White lashes framed pale golden eyes above fair skin. Her features were impossible to describe—soft and delicate as a flower petal carried down by a gentle breeze. Though she was already past forty, time seemed never to have touched her.

Legend claimed that the royal family of Micks had traded the price of being born with white hair to God in exchange for faces that scarcely aged. Looking at Louisa, one could not help believing the legend might be true.

“Please, sit.”

The queen gestured toward the seats opposite her. At the same time, her hand moved slightly. Three overturned teacups on the table clumsily flipped upright, and the teapot wobbled through the air to pour tea into them.

Noticing Aisha’s stare, Louisa smiled and said naturally, “I never studied it systematically, but I suppose I can manage a little magic. There is no need to be afraid. Come and sit down.”

Embarrassed to have been caught staring, Aisha nodded and hurried forward.

Behind her, Les had waited until Noel specifically assured him that he could enter and the queen would not object. Only after Aisha beckoned did he step halfway through the door.

That single step was enough to draw Louisa’s gaze sharply toward him.

The queen stared in astonishment. “This is…”

“Oh, this is… the wolf who lives with me,” Aisha hastened to explain. “His name is Les. We did mention that we would be bringing a large animal…”

“…Yes, I was told to expect a large animal. It is only…”

Aisha’s explanation seemed to surprise Louisa even more. Her brows drew faintly together as she continued to study Les.

For some reason, the queen’s scrutiny filled him with sudden foreboding. He had the unsettling illusion that there was nowhere he could hide from her. Instinct urged him to slip out of sight, anywhere beyond the reach of her gaze.

Yet Louisa kept watching him with that strange expression and showed no intention of looking away.

Even Aisha began to sense that something was wrong. She had heard that Queen Louisa loved animals, but this did not look like simple delight. It was closer to shock and disbelief. Worried that bringing Les inside had offended the queen, she quickly asked, “I’m sorry, Your Majesty, but is there something about Les…?”

“My apologies. It is nothing.”

Aisha’s voice finally drew Louisa’s eyes away. She recovered her composure and gave them a courteous smile.

“I have rarely seen an animal like him and found him rather unusual, that is all. You said… that the two of you live together?”

“Yes.”

Aisha was not reassured, but she nodded.

“I see.”

Louisa lifted her cup and took a delicate sip of tea.

“I once… had an animal who lived with me too. But… never mind. We should discuss the magical exchange instead. Now, Mr. Green…”

…

Their first meeting with Queen Louisa went extremely well. She was a mage herself, which allowed her and Eric’s party to converse with ease. After that first moment, she showed no further interest in the animal among them. Even so, Les remained faintly unsettled by the look she had given him.

The audience lasted a little over an hour. When it ended, Aisha and the others were shown to rooms inside the palace, just as promised.

Weary from the journey, Aisha went to bed early. As always, Les waited until she was sound asleep, then rose on silent paws and made for the balcony to await the cat emperor’s call. He had already told His Majesty roughly when he expected to reach the royal palace of Micks. By their usual custom, Carter III should contact him tonight.

But when Les stepped out onto the balcony, he discovered that it was not deserted as he had expected.

Aisha’s room was on the second floor, overlooking the garden. The balcony stood no great distance above the ground, and Queen Louisa, whom they had met that afternoon, was standing directly below it. She regarded him with an exceedingly complicated expression.

Les started violently. He was about to pretend that he was merely an ordinary wolf taking a midnight stroll and retreat into the room when the woman below spoke.

“…Do all you beastfolk make a habit of doing peculiar things in the middle of the night?”

The words shocked Les so badly that every hair on his body stood on end. Yet Queen Louisa’s tone carried a trace of inscrutable nostalgia.

“Major General Les Wolf, according to the notice I received from the Federation, you were supposed to arrive on your own tomorrow or the day after. I certainly did not expect to find you traveling with my guest, Eric Green, and his students. You gave me quite a surprise.”