94. Friend’s House

94. Friend’s House

Picture books scattered on the floor, Lucy, and me.

After looking around in order, my sister’s eyes soon landed on my tail, which was tightly wrapped in cute cloth.

“You’re wearing the tail cover?”

“Yeah! I didn’t want to, but they wouldn’t let me in if I didn’t… so I endured it and wore it! I did well, right?”

My sister, who had watched me closely for a long time, knew better than anyone how much I hated the tail cover.

Even if it was to enter the library, I deserved praise from my sister for voluntarily wearing the cover I disliked so much.

“Yes, that’s amazing! My Seol-ah is so great.”

“Hehe…!”

My sister picked me up and hugged me, then gently stroked my head. The pleasant sensation of my fur being stroked made my tail wag furiously.

“Were you reading books here?”

“Yeah.”

“You haven’t learned human writing, have you… Did Lucy read for you?”

I nodded. If Lucy hadn’t read the text for me, I would have been in quite a bit of trouble switching between magics.

My sister stroked my head again and then approached Lucy.

Lucy, who was about my height, had to lift her head high to look at my sister’s face.

“Lucy, did you have fun?”

“Yes!”

“What did you do?”

“We went to the playground, saw the clock tower, read books at the library….”

Despite a few incidents along the way, it seemed to have been a fun experience. Lucy smiled brightly and chattered excitedly.

Then, she said something she shouldn’t have.

“And I rode the elevator with Seol-ah, and Seol-ah broke the elevator….”

“Th-that’s something you shouldn’t say!”

“Huk!”

Lucy quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late. Even I, at 8 years old, have excellent hearing, so there’s no way my older sister, who is bigger and stronger, wouldn’t have caught those few words.

My sister narrowed her eyes and looked at me.

“….”

“Ahaha….”

I had no choice but to smile awkwardly and avoid her gaze.

My sister sighed, then scooped Lucy up in her arms. She held Lucy in one arm and me in the other.

“Wow…!”

Lucy looked quite surprised by my sister’s strength. It seemed she was amazed that my sister, who appeared to be far from weak, was so strong.

“Why are you so strong, Sister?”

“It’s because I’m a suin. Suins are much stronger than humans.”

“Waaah….”

Lucy rubbed my sister’s arm. However, my sister’s arm only had smooth, soft curves, with hardly any muscles.

Yet, the fact that she could effortlessly hold both of us was certainly astonishing.

This is the strength of a wolf.

My sister can even cleave the sky with those arms.

As I felt proud of my sister’s strength in my heart, Lucy said with a bright smile.

“Seol-ah is weak!”

“What?!”

Me, weak.

Of course, compared to my sister, my strength is indeed weaker. I can’t even properly lift the long sword my sister carries.

But that doesn’t mean I can be called weak.

Don’t I have magic derived from this transparent stone?

I can fly, I can shoot a destructive beam with excellent destructive power. I can even find frozen fruit with magic.

And that’s not all.

I am a wolf. Even without magic, when I grow up, I will become a wolf as tall, as well-endowed, and as strong as my sister.

To call me weak when I’m like this is absurd.

“But you are weak right now, aren’t you? In terms of arm strength.”

“W-well, if you only look at that…!”

“You’re weak!”

Lucy smiles brightly.

To say such cruel words with such an expression. Is this the pure malice of a child?

Unable to find a retort, I slumped down weakly. I was sad.

“Anyway. Seol-ah, about that… the lodging I mentioned earlier.”

“Yeah!”

My sister said that she would find lodging while I was playing with Lucy. She seemed to be about to tell me about it. Thinking that I might finally escape the tent life, I perked up my ears and tail and focused on my sister’s words.

“… I couldn’t get one.”

“Huh?”

“I went to an inn, but there were no vacant rooms. So, I think… we’ll have to sleep in a tent again.”

“What?!”

Unbelievable!

Tents are, to be honest, uncomfortable. My back hurts, my tail gets messy, and except for being a bit warmer, it’s not much different from digging a hole in the snow and sleeping.

My romantic notions about tents only lasted for the first few days of the trip. After that, I desperately missed the soft children’s bed in my room.

So when my sister said she was getting lodging, I was incredibly excited at the thought of sleeping in a bed after a long time….

“I’m sorry. If it were for any other reason, I would have tried something, but there’s nothing I can do if there are no rooms… Please bear with it this time.”

“Hing….”

But my sister looked so apologetic that I couldn’t get angry or sulk. If it were in the past, maybe, but I wasn’t such a childish child anymore.

Ultimately, the only option left was to set up the tent and sleep on the bare ground, embraced by my sister.

It’s just that the sleeping arrangements are slightly uncomfortable… but still, perhaps because my expectations were betrayed, I am indeed a little sad.

“Um….”

“Yes? What is it, Lucy?”

“Do you perhaps not have a place to stay?”

As I was burying my face in my sister’s chest, feeling utterly dejected, Lucy suddenly asked my sister.

“Yes. We were planning to stay at this inn, but the plan went a bit awry. So, I think we’ll have to sleep outside.”

“Then… would you like to stay at our house?”

My ears perked up.

My face was still buried in my sister’s chest, but my ears moved as if they were alive, eavesdropping on Lucy and my sister’s conversation.

My sister said.

“No… you don’t have to. It would be a bother to visit your house unannounced. Even if it’s just for one night, your house would be too small for the three of us.”

“No! Our house is actually very big, and I only live with my grandmother, so there are two spare rooms. You can use those. And if I ask, my grandmother will surely let you stay. And also….”

That’s right. Good job, Lucy. Persuade my sister like that.

I continued to eavesdrop, cheering Lucy on in my heart. After a moment of hesitation, listening to Lucy, my sister finally whispered to Lucy.

“Lucy, you’re still young and don’t know much… but suins and humans aren’t very friendly with each other. Even if Grandmother agrees to let us stay, she probably won’t be entirely pleased. There’s no problem with sleeping outside, so don’t worry too much.”

“B-but if I talk to Grandmother properly….”

“Lucy, we’re really okay, so don’t worry.”

No, Lucy! Don’t give up, for the sake of my warm sleeping place!

I squeezed my eyes shut and sent my support to Lucy. Perhaps it worked, because Lucy, who had been hesitating, opened her mouth as if she had found a solution.

“Th-then…!”

“Then?”

“I’ll whine and cry until Grandmother agrees!”

At Lucy’s very childish answer, my sister gasped.

“No, Lucy, don’t-“

“If Grandmother allows it, then it’s fine, right?”

“Haa….”

My sister finally couldn’t hold back and sighed. No matter how smart and cool my sister was as a wolf, she couldn’t overcome a child’s tantrum.

“Alright. Let’s go and ask her first.”

“Yahoo! Well done, Lucy!”

“But.”

I raised my head and cheered, but at the same time, my sister sternly laid down a condition for Lucy.

“If Grandmother shows even the slightest sign of reluctance, we’ll give up and leave immediately. Understand?”

“Yes!”

“Hoo….”

My sister, looking tired, headed out of the library with us in her arms. Our father was waiting for us outside, with his arms crossed.

When my father saw Lucy, he asked.

“Who is that?”

“She’s my friend!”

A fresh friend, met less than a day ago.

My sister put Lucy and me down and approached my father, saying something to him. From the faintly audible words, it seemed she was telling him that we were going to Lucy’s house.

In the meantime, I took off my bag and took Seol-gu out from inside. For some reason, the bag had become very heavy, and I could no longer carry it comfortably.

“Kkang.”

“Seol-gu. You seem to have gained weight.”

“Kkang?!”

It wasn’t this heavy just an hour ago. What did he do while Lucy and I were looking at books to become this heavy?

Huk.

Could it be that the story of the ‘book-eating fox’ was actually true?

I thought it was just a made-up story….

If Seol-gu ate picture books while Lucy and I were engrossed in them and gained weight, it would suddenly make sense why the bag became so heavy.

Sigh, you gluttonous fox. Eat in moderation, how much did you eat to become so heavy that it’s hard to carry? You have too much greed.

I’ll have to tell my sister to give Seol-gu only half his usual food from now on. If this continues, Seol-gu will become a giant furball with immense weight and fur.

He’ll probably just flail around because his legs won’t touch the ground. Just like his name, Seol-gu (Snowball), he’ll become a complete ball.

Hmm.

It might be fun to roll him around like a snowball… Huh?

There’s something in the bag.

“This is… a book?”

It’s a book I’ve never seen before. I have no memory of bringing anything like this from the library. Could it be… that Seol-gu brought it?

“Kkang.”

Seol-gu barks.

It seems like he wants me to read it, but I can’t read the language of this country. I could use translation magic, but I don’t have much time right now.

“Seol-ah.”

“Ah, Sister.”

As I expected, before I could touch the book, my sister returned to us.

I decided to put the book in my bag for now.

I can read it later, I guess.

I took Lucy’s hand and followed my sister. Seol-gu also trotted along behind us.