Chapter 9

"By the way, what should I call you?"

"Fenrir does not have an individual name."

"Is that so?"

"Since we don't form packs, there's no need to call each other. You can call me 'hey' or 'you'—whatever you prefer."

I can't just call my companion 'hey.'

"Hmm, then how about 'Fen' since you're Fenrir?"

Maybe that's too simple.

Worried, I asked, and after a few seconds of silence, Fenrir nodded with a dignified attitude.

"That's not a bad name."

Fen's fluffy tail was spinning at an incredible speed, but for Fen's honor, I pretended not to notice.

◇◇◇

After that, Fen and I walked for about two days and arrived at the port city of Garrett.

Incidentally, since we had almost no money, we camped outdoors and subsisted on nuts and fruits during the journey. Fen offered to go hunting, but since I didn't have any cooking utensils, I couldn't eat meat or fish.

If I want to continue as an adventurer, cooking utensils will be essential. I want to buy them as soon as possible, but I need money for that. And to earn money, I need to register with the guild.

In any case, I need to head to the Adventurer's Guild first. According to the sign at the entrance of the town, the Adventurer's Guild is on the main street that runs through the center of the city. I found the main street easily and continued walking, looking for the guild's sign.

The port town, known for its active trade, was bustling. Garrett is the largest town in this region and has branches of various guilds. I saw many adventurers with their magical beasts, like me.

However, the townspeople, who should be used to magical beasts, stopped in their tracks and stared with wide eyes when they saw Fen and me.

"Hey, that magical beast is..."

"Huh... Huh...!? No way, is that... no, that can't be...! It's a werewolf, right...?"

"But there's no werewolf that big... Could it be a Fenrir?"

"Fenrir... That's impossible. It's a legendary magical beast, after all..."

The townspeople were staring at us, saying such things.

"Master, this is going to be a problem. Being mistaken for a werewolf hurts my pride, but it can't be helped. Just play it off," Fen said, nibbling on the hem of my shirt.

Fen is right. If we attract too much attention or are treated like a rare animal, it will cause stress for Fen.

I forced a smile and turned to the townspeople.

"Ah, my kid is often mistaken for a Fenrir. It's just a werewolf with unusual fur and a bit larger than usual. Always gets mistaken for a Fenrir, you know."

The townspeople exchanged glances, looking relieved.

"Yeah, that makes sense. There's no way a Fenrir would be so close to a human."

"Right. Fenrir is a solitary magical beast that never follows humans. I was so surprised."

The townspeople laughed and dispersed, looking relieved.

I sighed, thinking they fell for my terrible acting.

"Alright, we managed to play it off. Let's go."

Just as I called out to Fen and looked up—

"No way, I'm not falling for that!"

A red-haired girl, the only one still there, interrupted with a forceful comment.

"If you know a bit about magical beasts, you'd realize this isn't a werewolf. The glossy silver fur, the eyes that change color with the light, and the single line in the tail. These are features unique to Fenrir, not werewolves."

She seemed to be an expert on magical beasts and began to observe Fen carefully.

Her forward-leaning posture, the intense, glittering eyes, and the rapid breathing while muttering to herself gave me a sense of déjà vu. From the outside, she looked like a dangerous person.

Her love for magical beasts was so intense that she couldn't hide her excitement when she saw them, leading to suspicious behavior.

She was just like me when I was in front of a magical beast.

"Are you, by any chance, a passionate fan of magical beasts...?"

"Wh-What...? How did you know?"

She blushed and asked, looking troubled.

"I'm the same. I thought we had something in common. You must be itching to pet Fen, right?"

"Ugh. You can tell, can't you? I try to control myself, but in front of such a special one, I can't help it. ...Such wonderful fluff... I can't resist..."

She gazed at Fen with the eyes of a love-struck girl and sighed.

She must really want to touch Fen's fur.

"Fen, it's okay to let her pet you a little. It feels good to be praised for your fur," Fen said, sounding pleased.

His rapidly spinning tail confirmed that he was genuinely happy.

"Would you like to touch him? He says it's okay."

"Really!?"

Her eyes lit up instantly, and I couldn't help but laugh at her childlike reaction.

But just as she was about to touch Fen, she suddenly stopped.

"Oh, what am I doing...! I don't deserve to touch him..."

She muttered something we couldn't hear and, without touching Fen, turned around.

"Thank you. Just being able to see him is enough for me."

I could see a sense of guilt behind her forced smile.

Perhaps there was an incident in her past where she had to restrain herself from touching a beloved magical beast.

I felt this way but refrained from asking impolite questions to a stranger.

"By the way, are you new to this town? I've never heard of an adventurer with a Fenrir."

I explained that I had left my rural village to obtain a magical beast handler's license.

"If you're heading to the Adventurer's Guild, I can show you the way. I'm Alicia. Nice to meet you."

I introduced myself and Fen in return.

Honestly, I was confused by the large town, so I appreciated Alicia's offer.

"Dio and Fen."

Alicia, who was two years older than me at seventeen, seemed to have a nurturing personality or perhaps just felt responsible as an older person. She explained the town of Garrett in detail.

"Garrett has a lot of adventurer traffic, so there's little discrimination against magical beasts and their handlers. However, as a big city, it has its share of bad people and frequent crimes. I want you to be especially careful about 'magical beast kidnappings.'"

"Magical beast kidnappings?"

"Yes. For years, there have been a series of kidnappings by a notorious theft gang in Garrett. They beat the magical beast handlers unconscious and take their companions. Some of the victims never regained consciousness and died, while others, though they survived, couldn't continue as adventurers due to the aftereffects of the assault."

The kidnapped magical beasts were found dead, floating in the harbor days later, suggesting they were being sold to other countries. The bodies showed signs of severe abuse.

"Unforgivable."

I muttered, feeling angry, and Alicia nodded strongly.

"Truly despicable. They should be caught soon, but the ringleader is cunning and hasn't shown any leads. The military police are searching hard, though... But the town isn't all bad. It has a unique atmosphere as a port city, and most people are friendly and cheerful. Just be careful of the theft gang and enjoy your stay. Here we are. This is the Adventurer's Guild."

"Thank you for showing us and for the information about the town."

"Good luck with your exam! See you around!"

Alicia, who seemed reluctant to leave, glanced at Fen, pulled back her hand that was about to pet him, and waved before leaving.

◇◇◇

After watching Alicia leave, I led Fen into the Adventurer's Guild.

The moment we entered, a murmur spread through the large hall.

"No way... Is that kid with a Fenrir...!?"

"No way...! I've never seen one before...!"

"Those distinctive features are definitely a Fenrir, but is this even possible...!?"

"How can a Fenrir, which doesn't follow humans, be with such a scrawny kid...?"

The adventurers here, being more knowledgeable about magical beasts than the general public, gave us even more attention than before.

"By the way, isn't Fenrir an SS-class dangerous magical beast...?"

"There's no way they should be allowed to roam freely! Just the fact that a magical beast is in a human building is unsettling."

It seems there are some who advocate for the exclusion of magical beasts.

Ignoring them, I headed to the counter.

The reception staff were very busy, with various adventurers processing their paperwork.

Fortunately, a seat at the end was open, so I called out from there.

"Excuse me, I'm here for the first time."

The receptionist was a bright girl with a bouncy ponytail.

"Hello! I'm Margaret, your attendant today! What brings you here—huh? Huh!?! Is that... a Fenrir!?! And a child!?! Oh my, that's amazing...!! I've never seen a Fenrir before. And for a Fenrir to be so close to a human...!!"

Unlike the adventurers earlier, Margaret didn't seem to dislike magical beasts.

"I want to take the exam to become a magical beast handler."

"Wait... Wait! You don't have a magical beast handler's license, but you already have a master-servant relationship with a Fenrir!?! That's incredible...!!"

Margaret, excited, looked at me with admiration.

At that moment—

"Hold it. Registering an adventurer with such a dangerous magical beast can't be overlooked."

The adventurers who had been watching us gathered around.

Fen and I were quickly surrounded.

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