98. Train

98. Train

“Wow!”

From afar, a large, long box is approaching with a loud clattering sound.

It’s a series of black boxes with round wheels, connected one after another.

This must be the train we’re going to ride.

“Seol-gu, look at that. That’s a train.”

“Kkang.”

Seol-gu and I watched the train with sparkling eyes. My sister held me tightly by the shoulder, preventing me from getting too close to the tracks, so we had to watch from a safe distance.

The train approached… and then a loud sound, like scraping metal, echoed.

Kiiiiiik-!

“Kkang?!”

My ears instinctively folded, and my eyes squeezed shut. As the train passed us at tremendous speed, a strong wind blew, and my proud tail fur tried to scatter into the air like dandelion seeds.

N-no!

I quickly hugged my tail to protect it from the wind.

“Phew….”

How long did I stay in that position?

Finally, the train stopped completely, and the wind died down.

Fortunately, thanks to my quick action, the unfortunate event of all my fur being blown out by the strong wind didn’t happen. My tail was as fluffy and soft as ever, in its best condition.

“Huk.”

But the problem was that only my tail was unharmed.

Looking at the ground, I saw several white tail hairs had been pulled out and scattered. While some of my tail fur was mixed in, most of it belonged to my sister.

My sister and I have slightly different-looking tail fur, so I could tell them apart. Mine is a bit longer, softer, and gentler, while my sister’s tail fur is slightly shorter, coarser, and stronger.

Seeing my sister’s tail fur scattered like this, it seemed her tail had been directly hit by the strong wind without any preparation.

What should I do….

My sister didn’t seem to care much about losing her tail fur, but I was worried about her and couldn’t stand it.

If her tail became a shabby, bald tail from losing fur, she would surely be sad.

Sometimes I lie down with my head on my sister’s tail, and for those times too, I had to protect her tail.

I quickly gathered my sister’s tail fur. As I swept the ground with my hands, a large armful of white, fluffy tail fur was collected in my palms. It smelled faintly of my sister.

If I roll this into a round ball… done!

Ta-da, a ball of fur made from my sister’s tail fur. Although some of my own tail fur was inevitably mixed in, it was still a ball of fur mostly made from my sister’s tail fur.

I patted my sister’s shoulder. When she looked at me, I placed the ball of fur in her hand.

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“You must cherish your tail fur. Okay?”

I reminded my sister once again of the importance of her tail. With this, my sister would be able to properly protect and care for her tail. And I could enjoy my sister’s healthy and fluffy tail!

My sister rolled the ball of fur in her hand for a moment, looking at it blankly, then put the fur ball into her pocket and replied that she understood.

Hmm….

She seems to be lost in some other thought… but I believe she understood what I said.

My sister might show childish behavior sometimes, but she is definitely a magnificent wolf.

The thought of having helped my sister made my chest swell and the corners of my mouth rise. A triumphant expression formed on my face.

Hehehe.

I proudly raised my tail and followed my sister onto the train.

Thump-thump, my heart fluttered with excitement.

I wonder what the train in this world is like.

“Wow….”

Looking with anticipation, inside the train….

There was really nothing special.

Steel walls, a floor lined with wood, and windows. Shelves attached to the walls on both sides for placing bags, and chairs lined up below them.

It’s just a normal train with a slightly old-fashioned design.

There are some decorations, but nothing significant. The only peculiar thing might be the lights, which are glass tubes with glowing yellow stones inside. That was a bit strange, so I stared at the lights, mesmerized.

Gaze-

“Kkkhhh.”

After standing proudly in the train aisle, having a staring contest with the light for a moment, my sister suddenly lifted me and sat me down.

“Seol-ah, you shouldn’t stare at the lights for too long. It can hurt your eyes. You don’t want to be a wolf with bad eyesight, do you… ah, no, a wolf?”

“Huk…!”

A wolf with bad eyesight!

I quickly turned my head away from the light. I’m a wolf who doesn’t look good with glasses, so I absolutely couldn’t afford to have my eyesight worsen.

Wow… If my sister hadn’t warned me, I would have ended up as a clumsy wolf wearing round glasses. A wolf named Rang Seol-ah wearing glasses, I can’t even imagine how uncool and ugly that would be.

Sigh. If that’s the case, I’d be worse than a fox.

Maybe I should warn Seol-gu too, just in case.

“Seol-gu, you shouldn’t stare at the lights for too long. Okay? Answer me!”

“Taeng!”

“With ‘Kkang’!”

“Kkang!”

Good job, Seol-gu.

I patted my bag to praise him. Seol-gu responded with a “Kkang” that meant he was happy, and seeing Seol-gu happy made me feel happy too.

… Huh?

But my bag feels lighter.

Before I went to sleep, it was so heavy that I couldn’t carry Seol-gu in it, but now it’s light, as if Seol-gu went on a diet overnight.

This is… like taking books out of a school bag. That kind of lightness.

Hmm.

As expected, it was a good decision not to give him cookies.

He must have lost weight by only drinking milk. That’s great.

“Kkang.”

“No, what? I’m right. You got lighter because you went on a diet, Seol-gu.”

“Kkang, Kkaeaeng…. Kehyu.”

“A sigh! Don’t sigh. Are you doubting the wolf’s words now?”

Seol-gu seems to lack respect for wolves. I, a great and amazing super wolf, am his owner, so he should be shaking his tail three hundred times a day in gratitude…

Still, I’ll let it slide since he has no other friends besides me. Hmph.

I blinked a few times to confirm my eyesight was normal and calmed down, looking around.

The train seats were arranged in four rows, two on the left and two on the right of the central aisle, as trains usually are. I was sitting by the window, my sister by the aisle, and Dad was sitting behind me.

It seemed like the seating arrangement was made so that my large tail wouldn’t bother the person behind me.

… But why is there no one else on the train?

“Sister.”

“Yes?”

“Why is there no one inside?”

Shouldn’t there be people on the train? But right now, we are the only ones in this car.

Could it be that my sister and dad chartered the train just for me…!

“It’s because this is the starting point. The train is just beginning its journey, so there are no other passengers besides us. When the train arrives at the next station, people will start boarding gradually.”

“Ah ha.”

It wasn’t like that.

Well, how could they charter a train… I don’t even know if such a concept exists in this world.

I swung my legs back and forth to pass the time. It seemed like it would take some time for the train to depart.

When I turn my head, I see a large window. Outside the window, I can see a human village covered in snow.

Lucy’s house is probably somewhere among those houses.

I must visit her later.

Because we are friends!

“Huk… Sister, Sister.”

“Yes?”

“There’s wind coming out from here.”

“That’s called an air conditioner. It blows warm air when it’s cold and cold air when it’s hot.”

“Oh….”

From the thick part of the wall below the window. Warm air was coming out from a hole there, making my hair flutter.

An air conditioner… We still heat our house by burning a stove, so the technological advancement of the Magi Republic feels truly amazing.

“Kkang.”

I leaned back against the seat and sat comfortably.

My tail, tucked between the backrest and my body, supported me softly. The fluffiness of well-maintained wolf fur, which no high-end cushion could match, enveloped me.

Now, all that’s left is to take Seol-gu out of the bag I had previously put away and hug him.

“Kkang, hek hek.”

It’s warm and fluffy both in front and behind. In this state, I feel like I could fall asleep for years.

After sitting with a more comfortable expression than ever before, I suddenly looked at my sister.

My sister was deep in thought, holding the ball of fur I had given her earlier.

Could the advice to take good care of her tail be such a profound topic that she needs to ponder so deeply?

Perhaps. As she grew older and got caught up in her busy daily life, her interest in her tail naturally faded. Perhaps my sharp words made her realize the importance of her tail again, and she remembered her childhood innocence when she cherished her tail.

Childhood innocence isn’t just about childish silliness.

It’s a word that encompasses all the fantasies held in childhood, the excitement for new things, and pure, untainted thoughts. Everything that only a child can possess.

It’s not strange that she’s so lost in thought, having recalled such things.

It’s better not to disturb her here and let her be lost in contemplation….

“Huk…! Sister!! The train is moving!”

“Yes, it’s starting now.”

“Wow…!”

So that my sister can be lost in contemplation….

“Sister!! This chair is moving back and forth!”

“Seol-ah, Dad is behind you, so don’t recline the chair too far back.”

My sister in contemplation…

“Sister!! The window is opening- Kkaeaaeeng!”

“Seol-ah, it’s dangerous to open the window while we’re moving. The wind will come in too.”

… There were too many amazing things around to allow my sister to be lost in contemplation. In the end, I had to call out to my sister repeatedly throughout the train ride, constantly being surprised.

Sorry, Sister!

I did my best!