Chapter 6

EP.6 There Are Only Bad Guardians

Humans are beasts that use tools, born with the innate ability to create necessary items using their dexterity and materials.

Before heading to Aji, I found some tattered clothes and roughly stitched them into a ball. It was a crude ball, unsuitable for any match, but it was more than sufficient to play with a dog. I threw and caught the ball as I walked, and Aji followed, orbiting around me.

Each time I threw the ball, my body jolted. Aji's sparkling eyes never left the ball. I led Aji to the wide yard, using the ball to capture her attention.

And then.

‘I’ll watch you closely, hidden behind this veil of darkness, to see what you’re up to.’

Something strange was following me. I resisted the urge to look back and slowly headed to the yard.

This is troublesome. Why are you following me instead of doing your own job? What did I do to deserve this?

I just wanted to train the King of Dogs with a ball and some snacks. With a gentle whipping.

They say training animals is about the carrot and the stick. I have no regrets about my actions. However, with a regressed person following me, there are limits to the methods I can use.

‘The King of Dogs is one of the few allies of humans among the beasts. If the King of Dogs becomes hostile to humans like in the previous episode, it will be a significant disadvantage in future battles. If this guy does anything to Aji… I’ll have to make a life-or-death decision. I don’t know how strong this man is, but I have to fight him.’

After reading his thoughts, I pushed the military-issue whip, found somewhere in the prison, deep into my pocket. I figured whipping would fall under the category of "misbehavior."

The core of training is alternating positive and negative feedback. The carrot and the stick. +1 for good behavior, -1 for stubbornness or actions I don’t like. You need to provide feedback for specific actions to gradually teach the overall behavior in a way that benefits you.

I intended to use the ball and meat chunks as the carrot, and the whip for the stick.

‘If I harass, hit, or put a collar on her… that’s it. I’ll go all out.’

I felt a chilling aura.

I guess I should seal the whipping for today. Without negative feedback, the efficiency will drop by more than half, but it’s better than losing my head. I’ll just give her the carrot today.

When I finally reached the yard, I held the ball high and shouted.

“Come on!”

“Woof!”

Aji immediately got into position to catch the ball, lowering her body with her hands and feet on the ground. Her tail was spinning like a propeller the whole time.

At first, I threw the ball lightly, rolling the leather ball. Aji dashed and caught it mid-run, then curved smoothly and ran straight back to me. Her human-like limbs made her quadrupedal movement as good as any beast.

I made a fuss over Aji as she approached.

“Good job! Aji, give me your paw!”

“Woof!”

“Great. Left paw!”

“Woof?”

Okay. She can’t do that yet. No worries. Don’t show disappointment. Dogs don’t need to distinguish left from right.

I took out the meat chunks I had cut earlier and shouted.

“Nice! You can even tell the difference between your hands and feet. You’re the best, Aji!”

“Woof! I’m the best! Woof woof!”

“The best dog deserves a reward. Here’s a snack!”

I hid the cut meat in my fist and extended it. Aji sniffed my hand and frantically dug into it. She stuck out her tongue, trying to get the meat from between my fingers.

I teased her, opening and closing my fingers slightly. Just as Aji was getting frustrated and trying to push my fingers away, I opened my hand and revealed the meat. Aji quickly snatched it.

Sufficient interference and clear reward. It seemed she recognized this as a kind of play, as she growled contentedly and rubbed her chin against my hand.

‘It seems like I’m just playing with her normally…’

It’s a picturesque scene. The word "pastoral" might have been created for this moment.

The interaction between a human and an animal. The King of Beasts, a symbol of nature, is interacting with a human from civilization.

What do you think, regressed person? It’s a perfect scene, isn’t it?

‘Something… feels off. It really feels like I’m training a dog, which is…’

No, if this makes you uncomfortable, what should I do?

‘The King of Dogs looks like a cute dog. Despite having a human form, treating her completely like a dog… it’s not normal. I need to be careful.’

After reading his thoughts, I felt more wronged than ever. No matter what I do, he finds something to complain about.

Treating a dog like a dog is normal. Treating a dog like a human is abnormal, and treating a human like a dog is considered a pervert.

And treating a human like a human is seen as condescending. That’s my experience.

Therefore, the only right truth in this world is treating a dog like a dog. I’m just doing the right thing.

After that, I threw the ball a few more times and gave her meat chunks. The regressed person watched my actions silently the whole time.

Repetition breeds habit. Aji was more focused on fetching the ball than on training. I needed to use the whip, but the regressed person showed no signs of leaving.

How long does he plan to watch? If he’s seen enough, he should leave now. If he keeps giving such positive reactions, the King of Dogs might get too confident.

No, I changed my mind.

Fate must be forged by oneself. Waiting passively for him to leave is too passive. I’ll chase him away myself.

Of course, I can’t chase him away by force, so I’ll use another method.

I shook the ball again. Aji, who seemed unfazed, flipped her body and got ready to run.

“Let’s go!”

“Woof!”

Aji happily responded and leaped backward. I threw the ball a few times, then threw it in a specific direction.

Toward where the regressed person was standing.

‘Uh?!”

I couldn’t see his position. Whatever hiding technique he was using, I could only sense he was somewhere over there, but I could only see the eerie prison beyond.

But my mind-reading ability told me he was somewhere in that area.

So, I just aimed in a general direction and threw.

“Fetch it!”

“Woof woof!”

‘No need to dodge. It missed. But…’

It can make him tense up.

People who use hiding techniques are all voyeurs. The worst thing for voyeurs is being exposed.

You think you can watch from the shadows without a care? No way. I’ll make you feel some tension.

“Aji! Fetch it!”

“Woof!”

“Good job. One more time!”

“Woof, woof!”

“Yay!”

“Arf arf!”

Aji barked happily and ran each time I threw the ball. The regressed person flinched with each throw.

Aji, running wildly, was unpredictable, and the regressed person crouched to avoid being hit each time she ran. Now, he was more focused on avoiding Aji than watching us.

It’s always fun to make someone with a mediocre mind uncomfortable.

“Let’s go!”

“Woof!”

This time, the ball flew straight toward the regressed person. He opened his eyes wide as he saw the ball coming directly at him.

‘No! If I move suddenly, the veil of darkness will be lifted!’

Intense movement breaks the hiding technique. The regressed person clenched his teeth, crouched, and quickly rolled on the ground. The ball narrowly missed him, and Aji leaped to chase it. The regressed person slowly stood up and sighed in relief.

‘I’ve suffered enough for ten years… but this is getting dangerous.’

Good. Mission accomplished. The regressed person was slowly backing away.

‘Damn. I need to retreat. If I’m discovered, he might become wary of me…’

Though still invisible, his thoughts were becoming hazy, meaning he was far enough away.

Phew. Finally, I can train properly without interference.

‘It’s a shame, but it’s better than being caught. If I’m not caught, I can observe again later.’

I heard a strange voice from the retreating regressed person. It sounded like he planned to observe again. Did he only learn how to observe during his regression?

I want to chase after him and shout that I’ve seen through his hiding technique, but I’ll hold back. There’s no need to show my abilities.

The regressed person disappeared from our perception. He had his own things to do and wouldn’t return.

Aji, holding the ball, was the only one who returned to me.

“Woof! Woof!”

Aji, anxious because I wasn’t throwing the ball, rolled it to my feet, urging me to throw it again. Bending down to pick up the ball, I looked at Aji with a colder gaze and asked.

“Do you like it when I play with you?”

“Woof! Woof! Yes! Yes!”

Really? My shoulder is about to hurt. You’re just enjoying yourself without any responsibility, aren’t you?

Now, there’s no invisible observer. All that’s left between us is the harsh law of nature.

I am human, and Aji is a dog. There is a perfect hierarchical relationship between us. Like oil floating on water, smoke rising to the sky. Without a force to mix them, they will clearly separate into top and bottom.

This is called the hierarchy.

Pulling out the whip from my pocket, I said harshly.

“Playtime is over, mutt.”

“Woof?”

I put the ball in my pocket. Aji’s eyes widened, and she looked at me as if she had been cheated.

I cruelly declared, breaking her excitement.

“The party is over. No more meat for you. Go back to your doghouse before I smear you with soy sauce.”

“Bark! Bark! Bark!”

Stop it, keep playing. She barked unhappily, trying to persuade me. I didn’t miss the faint irritation in her barks.

I knew this would happen. Dogs don’t know when to stop; they want their good times to last forever. You can’t reason with them.

That’s why humans use the whip. I flicked the whip in the air. The sound of the air splitting was threatening.

“Listen. Do I have to play with you all day?”

“Yes!”

“Really? You sound like you’re taking it for granted.”

I raised the whip high. It was time to properly train the King of Dogs today.

“You should reconsider that attitude.”

Immediately after, I swung the whip at Aji’s back.

This whip wasn’t made by me. It’s a standard issue whip from the military, known for its high performance despite the military’s reputation for creating bad things. Made from processed leather with intricately alchemized metal strips, it’s a high-quality item that can be used as a real weapon.

The sound of the whip slicing through the air brings fear, and the impact of the metal strips brings pain. With proper handling, it can cause pain without leaving internal injuries, making it perfect for handling beasts.

Engrave it in your body. The greatness of humans….

“Crack!”

At that moment, Aji moved.

Aji’s head turned at the same speed as the whip’s tip. To me, it looked like a film being cut, moving in jerky motions. Aji perfectly tracked the flying metal strips and, just as the whip was about to hit her, she bit it. Then, she bit through the whip.

Snap.

A military weapon, made from processed leather and intricately alchemized metal strips, capable of being used as a lethal weapon.

Aji chewed it like gum and spat it out.

“Grr. It’s tasteless.”

I looked at the broken whip.

You don’t block a whip with your body. The tip of a snapping whip can break the sound barrier. Trying to catch it without knowing what you’re doing can tear your skin.

But.

The King of Dogs precisely bit and tore the part of the whip aiming for her back.

To be able to bite through processed leather and metal strips with a head turn…

“Grrr.”

Ah, right.

She’s a dog, but the King of Dogs.

Hmm.

I carefully put the broken whip away and picked up the ball again.

“…I should stop here, but since it’s the first day, let’s play a bit more.”

“Grr….”

“Come on, fetch it!”

“…Grr. Woof! Woof!”

Aji happily ran after the ball again.

Good. I’ll postpone the hierarchy establishment for a bit. Let’s play until Aji is satisfied.

I’m not admitting defeat. I just decided to continue because the time with the dog is too enjoyable. I’m playing with the dog as a human.

Ah. It’s fun. I’m happy.