35. Guarding the House

35. Guarding the House

“….”

“Huk…!”

The moment Sister stepped into the house, a giant furball, as big as Sister, stole my attention.

It was a furball with a hole shaped like a small fox. Sister stared at the furball with her tail stiffly raised, then tried to ignore it and started walking forward.

The more she did, the more I let out silent screams. If Sister sees the messy house like this… I don’t even need to imagine what the outcome will be.

Pain and death seemed to approach me with every passing moment. Even when I patted Sister’s belly with my tail, Sister showed no sign of stopping.

She passed the storage room. She passed the living room. Soon, my room and Sister’s room, which were getting closer and closer.

I closed my eyes tightly and prayed that Sister would go into my room. It’s common for my room to be messy, so if Sister’s room was messy, it would be much better for my backside’s health if my room was messy.

Please!

Fortunately, Sister opened my room door and stepped inside. I let out a deep sigh in Sister’s arms.

“Hoo….”

Moreover, my room was in better condition than I expected. Thinking about it carefully, the only places I messed up looking for the roller were Sister’s room and our house’s storage room. It was natural for my room to be in good condition. It was truly fortunate that I wouldn’t be scolded by Sister.

Sister placed me, whom she was holding in her arms, on the bed.

“Seol-ah.”

“Yes!”

“I told you not to go out alone.”

“I wasn’t alone!”

Seol-gu was with me the whole time. That white, fluffy furball. It was just that we got separated by accident at the time. In short, it was an unforeseen accident.

“Then who did you go with?”

“With Seol-gu!”

“… Who is that?”

“My friend!”

“… Seol-ah doesn’t have that many friends. Did you make a new friend without my knowing?”

I have many friends. As a sign of my displeasure, I puffed up my tail considerably, and Sister chuckled and stroked my head. That doesn’t mean my wolfish anger will subside, though.

I let out a “Kkang” at Sister’s petting and burrowed into her arms. That doesn’t mean my anger has completely subsided. I’m still sulking. Hmph.

“What kind of friend is Seol-gu?”

“A friend like me! About this tall, with a big tail, and cries ‘Kkang’, and also… um… but unlike me, a bit foolish! And you already know him!”

“I, I already know him?”

But you can’t stay sulky forever. I quickly let go of my anger and described Seol-gu with a logical explanation befitting a reincarnator. However, it seemed difficult for Sister to understand, and her ears perked up.

“Hmm….”

“Hmm….”

As sisters, we let out the same groan and pondered deeply. Was something missing from the explanation that made Sister unable to understand? Seol-gu is definitely a friend Sister already knows.

When I said it was an Arctic fox before, she understood immediately… Ah!

I quickly opened my mouth.

“And it’s an Arctic fox!”

“… An Arctic fox?”

“Yes! The Arctic fox I told you about last time!”

“Did you give it a name?”

“Yes!”

To prevent the fox, who has no family or friends, from being lonely anymore, I personally stepped forward and became its friend. Thinking about it now, I seem like a very kind wolf. My goodness, a wolf who became friends with a fox!

A wolf of true character, Rang Seol-ah!

As I stood with my hands on my hips, chuckling, Sister said.

“Going out with a fox is the same as going out alone.”

“Why?! Seol-gu is so smart! He can even use magic!”

I remember Seol-gu healing my wound using the transparent, sparkling stone. And I also remember it warning me of danger in advance. If you don’t call this magic, what would you call it?

Of course, it makes mistakes like scattering fur and messing up the house, but it’s definitely safer to go out with Seol-gu than to go out alone.

“Then, when Seol-ah was in danger earlier, could the fox have helped with magic?”

“Ah, no… not exactly, but….”

“Then you can’t. When you go out, you must always go with another ‘person’.”

“Hmph….”

Sister lifted me up, hugged me tightly, and sat on my bed. Since it’s a children’s bed, the bed swayed and creaked under Sister’s weight.

“Seol-ah, I told you last time. I don’t want to see Seol-ah get hurt. Okay?”

“Yes….”

“Why did you go out?”

Sister rested her chin on my head and spoke in her usual gentle voice. She seemed to be considerate so that I wouldn’t feel too guilty. I carefully opened my mouth.

“To hunt….”

“Why did you go hunting?”

“If I hunt something big… everyone will be happy. And, I’m a wolf suin too, so I thought I should help with the hunting….”

My voice trailed off. Despite Sister’s consideration, I felt very intimidated.

“What if Seol-ah gets seriously hurt? No one would want that. Right?”

“But the book said that you’re a real wolf only if you go hunting….”

My number one treasure picture book, which I cherished even before I obtained the stone. The book was the reason I became proud of being born a wolf suin.

It was because of what was written in that book that I begged my father to let me go hunting. I thought I had to go hunting to be recognized as a member of our family.

“That’s impossible. Seol-ah, even if you don’t go hunting, Seol-ah is a wolf-“

Sister paused for a moment. Sister quickly continued her sentence, but I had already seen her hesitate.

“Even if you don’t go hunting, Seol-ah is a wolf suin. Okay?”

“….”

Lies. I pouted my lips. Hunting is what makes you a wolf; it’s a tradition of our tribe written in the book. Sister’s momentary hesitation also indicates that it’s true.

What Sister is telling me now is just to comfort me.

I puffed out my cheeks as much as my tail and expressed my sulky feelings. Seeing my face, which looked like it would make a “pooo” sound, Sister looked flustered and whispered in my ear.

“Seol-ah, do you want to eat Ice fruit? I secretly picked some up on the way….”

“Yes!!!”

Sister is the best!

——

“Om nom nom….”

Ice fruit is delicious. It’s sweet, cold, and delicious. It’s as delicious as Ice fruit.

When I take a big bite of the Ice fruit, my mouth leaves a mark on it. It’s the mark of a fearsome and terrifying wolf. I am a predator eating Ice fruit, a cruel wolf… but a kind wolf to my friends.

“Ah, right, Sister!”

“Yes.”

“Who was that person earlier?”

“Who?”

“That… person without ears!”

My vocabulary is still lacking after 8 years of reincarnation, so I couldn’t find the right words to describe him. I tried my best to describe that bad person. The bad person who tried to steal my stone.

Sister was reluctant to speak, but she couldn’t resist my sparkling eyes and opened her mouth.

“… He’s someone who lives in the Magi Republic. Unlike us, he’s a human, not a suin.”

“Huk….”

The Magi Republic. That’s the name of the country Uncle Cheol-su mentioned. The country that might know the secret of the stone. I thought carefully and said.

“Sister, do you know that bad person?”

“Yes. He’s someone who occasionally comes to trade goods. He was probably on his way to sell something this time.”

That William guy spoke as if he already knew Sister. Just as I thought, Sister seemed to have already met him.

Sister stroked my head repeatedly and said.

“Let’s stop talking about this, Seol-ah. Have you finished your Ice fruit?”

“Nnn….”

As someone who was almost harmed by that person, I had no room to object. My first impression of people from the Magi Republic was that they were all dangerous, so there was no need to continue this conversation.

“Then, Seol-ah, shall we go to bed a little early today? The polar night is coming soon, so night will arrive early.”

“Yes.”

As the polar night approaches, the nights get longer and the days get shorter. Although it wasn’t that late yet, the outside was starting to look dim. Since hunting cannot continue at night, my family will probably return soon.

Sister picked me up and laid me on my bed. I hugged my fluffy tail tightly under the blanket Sister covered me with and said.

“Good night, Sister.”

“Yes. You too, Seol-ah.”

Sister closed the door and went outside. Only the sound of crackling fire could be heard. The feel of my fluffy tail. My eyes were closing.

A moment later, Sister, who had returned to her room, came back to my room.

“Seol-ah.”

“Yes….”

A young body is naturally sleepy. I was already feeling drowsy after lying down for only a short while. Bright light streamed in from the open door, and I squinted.

“Did Seol-ah mess up Sister’s room?”

“Ah.”

However, Sister’s next words were enough to chase away my drowsiness. My tail bristled like an alarm, and my ears folded back, trembling. I covered myself with the blanket up to my head and said.

“S-Seol-ah isn’t here!”

“….”

There was no response from Sister. With a sliver of hope that she might have believed this clumsy deception and left, I peeked my head out, only to find Sister’s face blocking my view.

I screamed in surprise.

“Kkang!”

“Three spankings on your bottom.”

“Kkang!!!”

That day, I couldn’t sleep properly because my bottom hurt.