“ARE YOU SURE YOU WERE CHASED by that wild boar? You looked so proud of yourself.”
“…That’s right.”
“I hate people who lie the most.”
“……”
“Are you not going to tell me properly?”
I folded my arms and opened my eyes, and then he mumbled and told the truth.
“At first, I thought you’d like it. But then I was scared because he was just rushing in…”
“Look! You did something wrong. That’s why you got kicked out, why are you angry?”
“…But how could you just throw me away without giving me any chances?”
I couldn’t scold him more because he wasn’t wrong. And because of the depressed look on his face.
Do you really think I abandoned you guys?
No, I was trying to save your lives!
But then you guys almost died anyway. He probably wouldn’t try to understand even if I told him the truth.
I sighed a little and then said.
“…I’m sorry about that.”
“If you’re sorry, take responsibility!”
I sat in a straight posture, watching him.
I’m sorry, I really am sorry, but I can’t let you be rude.
I gave a strict order.
“Sit!”
Even though I ordered it for the first time in two years, Doggy sat down with only his butt on the ground as soon as my order was over. The only sad thing is, he’s in his human form.
A handsome man crouching with his hands on the floor, staring at me politely, and with his butt on the ground.
Now… I think I’m about to open my eyes to something new.
No, stop thinking weird stuff.
I was shaking my head not to be swayed, and then the wind blew hard.
“You’re here?”
The place where Doggy and I were hiding looks like a cave, and Doggy shouted out loud toward the entrance of the cave.
Hey, what if that crazy guy hears him?
“Be quiet, Doggy!”
Doggy looked at me because of what I said and shut himself up.I heard footsteps coming from outside the cave.
Who is it? I squinted and looked at him, who smiled softly when he saw me.
Oh, who was this other handsome guy?
“Long time no see, Master.”
A handsome man with dark brown hair and light wood colored eyes greeted me in a low and smooth tone.
Huh? Master again? No, there’s no one else who’d call me that. But I took a look at the bunch of strangely familiar colors and looked at the handsome man who approached me again.
Come on, don’t tell me…
“No way… Damian?”
“I’m glad you remembered me, my Master.”
“You were a shapeshifter, too?”
“Yes, I am.”
Somehow I thought he was an ordinary animal.
No, the Duke said that he was being sold in the same market as Doggy, so he really was a shapeshifter! I really didn’t know back then!
In a rush of shame, I buried my head between my knees.
I felt like I had become a master who didn’t even know my pet well, and when I met them again, I felt as if I had become an unscrupulous master who abandoned them.
It wasn’t meant to be like this, I just tried to release them. So I didn’t imagine them coming back one day to ask me about it.
In human terms, too, it would have been deeply embarrassing to imagine.
“Master.”
Damian knelt in front of me and said this.
“I think you should probably go back.”
“I should… but I don’t know where I am…”
“We will take care of you properly and help.”
“Yes! Just trust us!”
“But you’ve been here the whole time?” Damian and Doggy looked at me at the same time instead of answering my question.
“I trained so I could visit my Master again one day.”
“Why?” I asked him a question.
Of course, it is nice to see them again, but they could have left to go somewhere else though. Damian replied as if it should be obvious to me.
“Didn’t you give me a name?”
Of course I gave you a name. But what about that?
“When shapeshifters’ masters give us a name, we can’t be far away, especially because we resonate with our master.”
So you settled in a maze forest in the capital? It was a wise judgment.
“He’s not the only one that was bought! Of course I’m a fox shapeshifter, so I don’t resonate with the Master in the same way. But the one who gave me a name is very special to me. So then! Why am I the only one who’s called Doggy! You’re the only one who can change my name!”
Doggy bit his lips and burst into tears.
“I’ve been telling you this since earlier. It’s too harsh of you to give me a name like that and throw me away.”
Was he the type who cried more than I thought?
I’ve recalled the original sub-male lead Oscar, but I’ve never seen a single tear fall from him in the original plot.
Even though I’ve seen him being spiteful and evil often enough. Somehow, I felt very confused. I touched my forehead with my small hand.
I felt like I was losing more energy.
Okay, I understand what you mean.
Well, if he told me all this before I gave him a name…
No, it’s just my fault, isn’t it? In this embarrassing situation, I covered my stomach with my hands trying to suppress the roar of my stomach.
Gguu— Grumble grumble grumble.
“Master, are you hungry?”
“Master, I’ll serve you something to eat right away.”
“I’ll get it for you first!”
“……”
As if he was familiar with the provocations from Doggy, Damian quickly transformed into a hawk and flew up.
As if not wanting to lose to him, Doggy turned into a fox and ran quickly.
“Hahaha.”
I just had to laugh in vain. Everything that has happened since yesterday just felt like a fever dream.
Oh, I don’t know.
I’m hungry.
I just want to rest.
Flopping down, I leaned against the cave wall and closed my eyes. I can’t wait for the Duke to come and find me.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ.───
LUCIAN CLOSED HIS EYES FOR A WHILE, then sprang up and went on the move again. The maze forest was much more vast than he had realized. Or maybe he’s wandering around because it’s literally a maze of trees.
—You’re really making a fool of yourself. How dare you doubt me?
Enzo, who realized that Lucian’s thoughts had been straying for a while, burst into anger.
“But why haven’t we found him yet?”
He tried to persevere, but he was at his limit.
Lucian stared at the trees with bloodshot eyes.
—You’re doing great, so hang in there. Usually, a mage couldn’t even come into this forest. Even if they came in, they would have died while wandering around. As I said, this is the place where opposing mana collide…
Enzo said something in Lucian’s head, but he couldn’t concentrate on his words.
Lucian strode and looked around. Surely he could understand what he was saying.
Anyone who was adept in swordsmanship was sensitive to subtle changes in their surroundings, but he couldn’t even extend his senses in this place.
It felt as if there was an invisible glass wall surrounding him.
When he spreads out his senses, it felt like it would hit nothing and would just be reflected.
—Ha, I finally found him.
Then Enzo’s voice penetrated into his head.
—He’s not far from here.
At his words, Lucian put some mana into his legs. Enzo murmured to him, while he was running so fast he looked like he was flying.
—Let’s move forward like this. 1, 3, 5, 2, 4…
Lucian, who was familiar with counting to measure location, looked around. He can feel his younger brother’s energy in the cave right in front of him.
Lucian sprinted faster after what Enzo had said.
He’s going to meet Raphael soon. As nervous as he was, he wanted to see his younger brother very much.
There was a small cave right of him. As if he would not listen to Enzo now, he jumped straight into the cave.
“Raphael!”
Has he ever said anything so desperately like that in his entire life? He looked inside the cave, listening to his voice trembling.
Hearing his voice, Raphael, who was sitting at the deepest part of the cave, sprang up. The fruit he had in his hand rolled over and stopped at Lucian’s feet.
Lucian stepped on the little fruit as he ran forward.
“Brother?”
“Raphael…”
Lucian could finally breathe properly for the first time in a long time. He approached quickly, gasping for breath as though his lungs were broken.
“Brother!”
Raphael also ran to him. Lucian lifted him up and hugged him tightly.
“I didn’t know Brother would come…”
With his shallow trembling voice, he could tell how scared he must have been. Lucian then whispered as he swept his hair through his fingers.
Gentler than usual, and longer than usual.
“I’m so glad you’re alright. You did well. You did well, Raphael.”
Raphael shed tears as he held back his whimper. A sense of relief flooded in and his vision became blurry.
Lucian hugged him lightly with one arm and patted his back with the other. It was an awkward embrace, but that was enough.
Lucian could only look at Raphael. He didn’t know two pairs of eyes were looking at them while he was soothing him.
Then Enzo murmured in an intrigued voice.
—It’s them again. Do not be too wary, you cute little things, kehehe.
Lucian’s golden eyes glowed sharply due to what he had said. At the same time, Raphael said while raising his head up to look at him.
“Brother, Doggy, and Damian saved my life. You remember them right? Well, they’ve been living here.”
Listening to his hushed voice clearly, Lucian found two men sitting on the floor.
Lucian twisted his lips as he stared at the shining white haired man who squatted and stared at him quietly and the brown-haired man who looked up at him.
They had tremendous expressions on their faces while looking at him.
He also remembered them very well. That’s why he didn’t like Raphael and them reuniting in this way.
Unaware of his thoughts, Raphael whispered in a guilty voice.
“I’m afraid I’ll have to take responsibility for them until the end.”
His words ignited his blood, and anger rushed straight into his head. He didn’t really like those annoying things.
Who were they to blame it all on Raphael and make him be responsible for them?
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