Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Rejection and the Feral Wolf
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"Eh?"
Of course, I'd considered the possibility of rejection, but there was that description in the original story, and if they were going to refuse, they would've done it right away—there was no reason to drag it out like this.
A dumbstruck voice slipped from my shocked lips.
The man's voice, flat and emotionless, felt almost like it was toying with me.
"May I ask why?"
I doubted he'd actually explain, but I asked carefully anyway. I needed to know the reason to come up with Plan B or beg one more time.
That was when it happened.
A low voice dripping with irritation suddenly cut in, ruining everything.
What was that? Who has a personality that rotten-sounding?
"Who are you?"
The man spoke curtly, as if he were about to end the call any second.
"Wait! I know a way to achieve what the Magic Tower wants!"
His incredulous tone made me realize my mistake too late.
I hadn't planned to blurt it out like some traveling salesman!
I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them, calmly recalling what I'd read in the original story.
When he passed the Magic Tower Lord position to Ed, the previous lord had said he initially wanted to change the Tower's image... but he had no idea where to start and eventually gave up.
"If you support the Sheep Territory, I'll tell you how to improve the Magic Tower's image."
It was a gamble. Proposing a deal might get them to hear me out. If a beastkin offered to help with something they wanted, wouldn't they at least listen once?
His prickly tone and flat refusal made it clear he had zero interest in hearing more. He felt nothing like the Tower Lord from the original story.
I was pretty sure the lord had changed while Ed was at the Morton Family... Had it not happened yet?
What do I do?
If the lord hadn't changed yet, pushing too hard might get me captured for magic experiments. Crime: offending the Tower's delicate sensibilities.
No way!
My brain was racing during that brief moment when another voice emerged from the bird's beak.
With a voice tinged with faint amusement, the bird's eyes—which had been shining brightly moments ago—slowly dimmed.
"Huh? Hey? Hey!"
In my shock, I snatched up the bird, and that's when I noticed the note tied to its leg. It had just one line scrawled on it.
"Huh? Hey? Hey!"
"...Hey?"
The man who had just ended the communication let out an incredulous chuckle at the unfamiliar final shout he'd heard right before the cutoff.
"Image change, huh? Sounds like she knows something."
He sprawled lazily on the sofa, propping his long legs up on the table with a thud, then turned his head toward his close friend sitting beside him.
"It's exactly what you were talking about the other day."
His movement sent waves through his deep blue hair, like the midnight sea, revealing the piercing golden eyes of a beast between the strands.
Those deep, intense eyes could freeze you solid on the spot.
Below them sat a sharp, aquiline nose and a chiseled jawline, giving him an overall air of icy allure—a strikingly handsome man.
"You should've heard her out a bit more. Why'd you cut her off like that, Billy?"
The new Magic Tower Lord, Nick Fren, shot the handsome man a glare.
Billy shrugged playfully, and Nick let out a low sigh as he turned his gaze to the letter on the table.
A few days earlier, Nick had been quite surprised to hear that a letter had arrived at the Magic Tower.
Billy—who had dumped the lordship on his friend, claiming that just leading the Wolf Territory was burden enough—had reacted the same way.
Considering the Magic Tower's reputation across the continent, whoever sent that letter had to have guts of steel.
Out of simple curiosity, he'd tried the communication spell, but the woman was even more extraordinary than expected. Boldly proposing an image overhaul to the Tower Lord herself?
At the end, she'd even tried to negotiate a deal—truly an audacious one.
As Billy calmly replayed the conversation in his mind, he suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"What an interesting girl."
He muttered as he covered his face with a large palm, his voice brimming with intrigue.
The shock of that novel rejection from the Magic Tower lingered for quite a while.
"...Lady Lami!"
Startled by the voice calling me, I whipped my head around. Ed was looking up at me from over five paces away.
We were in the middle of the vast pasture behind the mansion where the sheep grazed freely, trudging up a hillside. My climbing legs ground to a halt.
"Jeb Horse is due to visit soon."
Already? I had to see those obnoxious stripes again? Just the thought twisted my stomach.
Ever since sending his marriage proposal, the bland-looking Jeb Horse had been dropping by constantly, trying to meet me.
Let's see... I've dodged him four times already, so maybe I should meet him once?
If I kept stonewalling, Ramen might just pack my bags and ship me off with that guy right away, never mind three months from now.
I shot Ed a look that screamed I don't wanna go, then reversed course and headed downhill.
I'd been planning to take Ed up to the cabin at the top of the pasture for the first time.
Ed said he'd never seen one before. He'd always lived in carnivore beastkin territories, so it made sense.
There was this expansive grassland right behind the mansion where we let the sheep out to graze—I figured taking him to see it would make his day.
Imagining Ed's wide-eyed wonder as he explored brought a fond smile to my lips.
That's why I'd dragged him out here under the pretense of pasture chores.
We'd only just reached the edge of the pasture... That damn useless zebra, ruining everything!
I sighed heavily and was just about to take a step down when—
Grrr...
"Huh?"
Did I just hear a sound I shouldn't have?
My fur stood on end in an instant, and I hurriedly scanned the surroundings. The vast pasture held only sheep wandering about leisurely.
Misheard?
My gaze dropped downward. It couldn't be Ed, right?
But Ed was striding briskly along beside me.
Was autumn approaching? A cool breeze rustled through, sending Ed's fine hair streaming back.
Reassured by the peaceful scene, I slowly descended the hill. How long had we been walking like that?
Meeeh—!
A sheep's piercing scream stabbed into my eardrums. I'd never heard anything like it. My tense neck creaked unnaturally as my head snapped sideways.
Grrr... Snap!
Meeeeh!
Amid the screaming, fleeing sheep, a massive beast caught my eye.
A wolf?!
Carnivores rarely came this far!
It must have crossed over the mountains from another territory. It looked half-starved, belly sunken tight.
The long-famished wolf was foaming at the mouth, feral with hunger. Its razor-sharp fangs were already sunk into one sheep's scruff.
They say extreme fear freezes the body—I usually dreaded carnivore beastkin, and wild animals were a given. My mind blanked; I couldn't move.
Ed posed zero threat to me, but this wolf with its eyes rolled back in madness?
As I backed away hesitantly, a sudden grip startled me. Ed had urgently seized my hand with his small one.
"We need to call the shepherd quick!"
Ed assessed the situation faster than I did and pointed toward the back door of the main building below the field. Lunchtime now—shepherd was probably eating inside.
No incidents like this usually, so he'd naturally stepped away without a second thought. Shepherds ditched their posts all the time anyway.
Ed grabbed my hand and we bolted downhill, but he suddenly let go.
My suddenly empty hand faltered; I glanced back to see a resolute wolf with grayish-blue fur standing there.
Ed?!
This was my first time seeing him in beast form. Smaller than most other carnivore beastkin, but still far larger than any normal wolf—enough to overpower one easily.
As I stared in shock, that irritating choice window popped up before my eyes.
No, option 3 is too much...
Still, same species as a wolf, and Ed was a beastkin—maybe it'd listen to him?
I considered it for a moment, but hope fizzled out fast like a dying ember. The starved wolf didn't even register Ed's wolf form; it was seeing red from hunger.
Against my will, my legs tried to bolt downhill. I barely stopped them. Ed needed backup, not me slinking away!
First, grab Ed and dash down fast, then call the shepherd.
That meant option 1. The instant my finger touched it, my hand snapped to my waist like a scolding adult.
"Kid, where do you think you're going?! Turn back to human right now?!"
It even felt like proper guardian nagging.