Shinwa Densetsu no Eiyuu no Isekaitan - Volume 9 - Chapter SS3

Proud Howl of the White Wolf

The white wolf could still recall the day they met. Her master had been younger then, with an innocent smile, but when she glimpsed the darkness lurking beneath, she realized how cruel fate could truly be. Humans were unkind creatures, quick to hurt each other with words or with fists, and the red-haired girl was not exempt. The wolf saw at once how much the girl must have suffered with no friends around her, and she swore to be a steadfast ally until her debt was repaid. For ten years they lived as sisters. The moment to leave had long come and gone—but then, she thought with a yawn, maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.

“Come on, Cerberus! Let’s go hunting!”

She was sunning herself in her favorite spot when the crimson-haired girl came calling. She wasn’t much of a girl anymore, but the white wolf knew she still cried like a child inside her heart. They had been together for more moons than the wolf cared to count; she could read her master’s mind like the back of her paw.

“What’s wrong?” The girl’s eyes turned sad. “Aren’t you coming?”

The wolf looked away, feeling suddenly guilty. In truth, she did not want to go hunting. She didn’t see what was so enjoyable about chasing those nimble little rabbits through the undergrowth or pouncing on those dirty, smelly boars. Meat was far tastier cooked than raw. The wild truly had left her, she thought wryly, but then, that too was fate.

“You need to get some exercise. You’ve just been lying around recently. Rosa’s worried you’re getting fat.”

The wolf’s ears twitched at the name of the woman who loved to rub her belly. Only the rudest would treat a divine beast like some sort of pet. Fortunately for her, this wolf was forgiving enough to let herself be fussed over without biting or growling. Besides, the woman always brought the most delicious offerings. That was enough to make up for her lack of courtesy, more or less.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that.” The crimson-haired girl petted the wolf’s head with a rueful smile. “Come on, we’re going.”

The wolf gazed up at her. The girl had taken on a strange aura of authority in recent days, much like the boy who compelled others to his will. She knew the reason—the girl was beginning to cultivate the qualities of a ruler. She had grown stronger since parting with the boy. After so many years together, it was easy to tell. Both her body and soul were becoming those of an empress.

The wolf, however, could not afford to fall under her spell. She would much rather have spent the rest of the day napping in the sun than dirtying her white pelt—her heaven-sent proof of divinity. She snorted out a sigh and laid her jaw emphatically back on the ground.

“I swear, you were so much more obedient when you were a puppy. Didn’t you love hunting back then?”

The white wolf glared back. She had not. She had pretended to play and gambol to cheer her master up from her constant gloom, but she had never truly enjoyed it. She had wanted to see the crimson-haired girl smile, that was all. Still, that role was coming to an end. Few people in the empire could make this girl cry now. She had enough allies at her back that she no longer needed a hunting partner.

“Tris was worried about you too, you know. ‘The beast’s getting rusty,’ he said.”

The wolf sighed again. Although the impersonation sounded nothing like the real thing, the old soldier’s name tugged at her heartstrings. Tris had been a little overprotective at times, but he had been the crimson-haired girl’s guiding light and a constant guardian at her back. He had the wolf’s gratitude, even if she reserved one or two gripes. If he and the black-haired boy had understood the crimson-haired girl’s heart better, they would have stayed by her side rather than choosing to leave. Males could be so selfish sometimes.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” the crimson-haired girl asked forlornly.

The wolf’s ears flattened against her skull. That voice in particular always got to her. She couldn’t stand to see the girl’s shoulders slump. No, there was nothing for it. With an air of resignation, she got to her feet.

“Feeling more up to it now?” The girl’s voice filled with joy.

The wolf had to squint as if looking into the sun. A smile truly suited her best. It would not do to let it fade. So today, again, the wolf would howl—to drive away the crimson-haired girl’s sorrow, to shatter the walls that stood in her way, to send running anybody who would do her harm. No matter what fate lay in wait, even if the world met its doom, she would watch over her sister.

To the last, she would walk beside her.

To the last, she would share life’s trials and joys with her.

To the last, she would never betray her.

Her howl sounded like an oath as it rose proudly to the sky.