âMs. Lyra. Please make the food as soft as possible.â
âOh? I was making it in the same way as I always do. Should it be softer?â
âYes. This fenrir is a pup, after all. And it was terribly wounded when we found it. And though the wounds are healed, its strength has not completely returned yet. So I think that it would be best to feed it something soft.â
âI see. I did hear earlier that it was hurt, so it would indeed be better to make something that is easier to eat. I will do what I can.â
âThank you.â
After talking to Ms. Lyra about the food for the fenrir, I returned to where Ms. Claire and Leo were sitting.
The fenrir now understood that Leo was not going to attack it.
They were licking at each otherâs faces and seemed to be playing.
And then as if she just had an idea, Ms. Claire extended her index finger and put it in front of the fenrir.
âKyau? âŠChu-chu.â
âHehe. It tickles.â
The fenrir had tilted its head at first, but then it began to suck at Ms. Claireâs finger.
âŠMs. Claire. That is a fenrir you are dealing with⊠Arenât you afraid of it biting you?
Of course, this was my first time seeing one. I had only heard stories about these monsters before.
And they were supposed to attack humans viciously.
And so offering your finger to one was like asking it to tear it off.
I was startled at first, but then saw that the fenrir was just sucking it like a baby that was drinking from a bottle of milk.
Ms. Claire was chuckling at the sensation, and I saw that Sebastian and the three guards all sighed with relief.
âŠSo they were just like me, and had been alarmed by her actions.
But reallyâŠthis fenrir looked a lot like a baby.
Due to its size, I had assumed that it was a child, though perhaps a few years old. But it was also possible that it hadnât been long at all since it was born.
It was a fenrir, after all⊠They were supposed to be small compared to Leo, but if this was their size when newborn, then how big would they be as adults?
I would have to ask Sebastian about their real size and ecology once we returned to the mansion.
It was with such thoughts that I watched the hungry fenrir suck greedily on Ms. Claireâs finger. And then Ms. Lyra announced that the food was ready.
âItâs ready. Now, please take some to it.â
âWuff.â
Upon hearing her, Leo stood up and then picked up one of the washed wooden plates with her mouth, and walked over to Ms. Lyra.
And then Ms. Lyra poured the food from the pot onto the plate.
However, Leo was not able to carry it now. Ms. Lyra was supporting the plate with her hand and wondering what to do. And so I went over and took the plate from Leo.
âIâll take it.â
âAhâŠof course. Thank youâŠMr. Takumi.â
Apparently, it hadnât occurred to her to ask someone to help Leo.
I chuckled at her carelessness as I held the plate and walked back to the fenrir.
âWuff-wuff.
âOh, there is no need to thank me, Good Leo.â
Leo bowed once to Ms. Lyra for making the food, and then she followed after me.
Ah, you were able to say thank you. Thatâs a good girl.
When I was close to the fenrir, it seemed to recognize the smell of food, and then it began to squirm in Ms. Claireâs arms before jumping out.
âAhâŠâ
âWait, wait. Now calm down. Itâs still hot. Youâll get burned if you eat it now.â
âKyau! Kyau!â
But either it didnât understand what I meant, or it was too hungry to care. And so without calming down at all, it began to run in a circle around my legs.
Ms. Claire looked a little crestfallen now that the fenrir had jumped out of her arms, and so I handed her the plate.
âYou feed it, Ms. Claire. But let it cool a little first, as itâs quite hot.â
ââŠAre you sure that I should do it?â
âWhile Leo was also there, it was calm the whole time that you were holding it. I think that shows that the fenrir is starting to take to you, Ms. Claire.â
ââŠYouâŠthink soâŠ?â
âYes, so donât worry. Here.â
Perhaps Ms. Claire was hesitant because she didnât have any experience with feeding animals. Still, I handed her the plate with instructions to let the food cool.
All the while, the fenrir began to run impatiently around us.
âŠIt was quite lively, huhâŠ
âGau!â
âKyau!â
Leo barked as if to tell the little fenrir to settle down.
Upon hearing this, the fenrir let out a short, fearful yelp, but then sat down quietly.
âŠLeo could be a strict discipliner.
âNow, Ms. Claire.â
âYes⊠FuuâŠfuuuâŠâ
Ms. Claire blew on the steaming food in order to cool it. And then she put the plate down in front of the fenrir.
âKyuuâŠ?â
âWuff.â
The fenrir must have been very intimidated by the bark earlier, as it now looked towards Leo as if to ask for permission to eat. And then Leo nodded.
The fenrirâs red eyes shone at this, and it pounced on the plate in front of it.
âHow very ravenous⊠I wonder if itâs enough?â
âI donât know⊠It wouldnât be enough for Leo, but this one is still small.â
The fenrir began to eat the food with surprising vigor.
It made us worry that it wasnât going to be enough.
We could make more⊠Yes, there should be some orc meat leftâŠ
âIâm sorry, Ms. Lyra, but would you mind cooking some more orc meat?â
âNo, I donât mind at all.â
And so I asked Ms. Lyra to cook some more meat, just in case it wasnât enough.
If the fenrir was full, then Leo would eat any meat that remained.
For a while after, we all watched as the fenrir ate.
Leo looked like she was trying to stop herself from drooling⊠Donât think that I didnât catch that, Leo.