Ch. 3 The Wolf and the Dryad
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 3 – The Wolf and the Dryad
“Sniff.”
I blinked, sniffling as I wrapped myself in a blanket.
The remaining tears rolled down my cheeks, clearing my blurry vision.
Then, the woman beside me, whose name I didn’t know, gently wiped away the tear stains with a handkerchief.
…This had been going on for several minutes now. Every time I cried, the woman beside me would wipe my tears with her handkerchief.
While I wondered how she could be so caring, I also realized that the reason I was crying in the first place was because these people had barged into my house. It was like giving me poison and then offering the antidote.
“Are you feeling a bit better now?”
“Y-Yes…”
Her tone was so gentle, as if she were soothing a child, that I found myself nodding without thinking.
A wave of shame washed over me, and my face grew hot. Whether she noticed or not, the woman smiled softly and continued.
“I’m sorry. That idiot wolf is known for not thinking things through.”
“Who are you calling an idiot wolf? It’s not my fault someone didn’t lock their door properly…”
“Ulrika.”
The woman’s firm tone cut off Ulrika, who had been grumbling from outside the door. Ulrika sighed and spoke up.
“Well, uh… sorry. I’m quick-tempered and make mistakes often. It’s hard to fix. Forgive me.”
“You should apologize properly.”
“I’d like to, but you told me not to come in?”
“That’s…”
The woman’s gaze shifted toward me. Feeling awkward under her stare, I lowered my head, but she gently placed a hand on my back and spoke.
“You said you don’t have any clothes to wear right now, right?”
“Y-Yes. Just the robe…”
“Then, would you like to wear this?”
In her hand was a white dress. When did she even get that? I stared at it in confusion, then hesitated when I realized it looked too big for me.
“I-It might not fit…”
“It’s fine. It’s an item that adjusts to the wearer’s size. More importantly, may I help you put it on?”
“Huh? Y-Yes…”
I was so surprised by the idea of a dress that could resize itself that I answered without thinking.
As soon as I did, the woman yanked the blanket off me with lightning speed.
“Eek?!”
My body was momentarily lifted into the air from the force. As I let out a startled cry, something brushed over my body. When I looked down, I was now wearing the pristine white dress.
…What just happened?! I stood there, dumbfounded, as the woman chuckled.
“How was that? My Instant Dress Change is so fast that even people who pride themselves on speed can’t keep up.”
“I-It’s amazing…”
“Right?”
I didn’t understand why she was doing this, but I had to admit it was impressive. The woman looked satisfied with my reaction and then called Ulrika back inside.
“Ulrika, you can come in now.”
“Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I just dressed her, so there’s no need to worry anymore.”
“Then I’m coming in.”
Despite his words, Ulrika only peeked his head in, glancing around cautiously. Once he confirmed I was indeed dressed, he finally stepped inside.
“Oh, you look quite pretty now.”
“Ulrika.”
“What? I’m complimenting her.”
I wasn’t exactly thrilled to receive such a compliment. I awkwardly glanced at Ulrika and noticed something unusual about him.
“Uh, your ears and tail…”
“Huh? Oh, these. I’m a werewolf. Though I don’t transform under a full moon or anything.”
Ulrika answered casually, as if it were nothing. Come to think of it, the woman had called him an “idiot wolf” earlier. It wasn’t just a metaphor—he actually had wolf traits.
I stared at him with curiosity, and Ulrika smirked.
“By the way, you didn’t seem surprised by Yuika, but you’re surprised by me?”
“Huh? Yuika…?”
“That’s my name. Aoki Yuika.”
At her words, I turned to look at the woman, Yuika, and finally noticed the details I had missed earlier.
Her light green hair was intertwined with leaves and stems, and she had long, elf-like ears and deep brown eyes.
Her appearance was far from ordinary. As I blinked in surprise, I finally asked the question that had been bothering me.
“…Are you Japanese?”
“Oh? That’s what you’re curious about? I thought you’d be more interested in my race…”
“Ah, no. It’s just that your name sounds familiar…”
I had only heard Western-sounding names like Andreina and Ulrika, so hearing a name that felt distinctly Japanese caught me off guard.
As I stumbled over my words, Yuika clapped her hands as if she had realized something.
“If it sounds familiar, does that mean you’re Japanese too? I never thought I’d meet someone from the same country here!”
“Even if we’re from the same country, we’re from different worlds, right?”
“Well, we still share the same country, so even if the worlds are different, we’re still from the same place.”
I’m just familiar with it because I watch a lot of anime. Actually, I’m Korean…
“Really? The Americans I’ve met just growl at each other.”
“Those people are just weird. They keep arguing about which world’s America is stronger. It’s not worth trying to understand.”
Yuika shook her head in disbelief at Ulrika’s comment, then turned to me with an even friendlier expression.
“Anyway, Ulrika, you should apologize properly. Even do a dogeza1 if you have to!”
“I’m technically Japanese, but I was born and raised in Australia.”
Ulrika grumbled but walked over anyway. Once he was close enough, he straightened his posture and then bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful so this doesn’t happen again.”
“Ah, okay…”
His forceful apology made me shrink back, and Ulrika straightened up with a grin.
“Now that I’ve apologized, I should introduce myself properly. I’m Ulrika. My race is werewolf.”
“Ah, I-I’m Mari. My race is… human.”
My full name is Marionette, but I didn’t want to be called that. It made my name sound overly feminine, but it was still better than Marionette.
I answered in a small voice, and Ulrika waved his hand dismissively.
“You don’t have to mention your race. Only people like me or Yuika, who have noticeable traits, usually do.”
“Ah, I see…”
“It’s just a way to be cautious, in case there are any racial traits we should be aware of.”
I wondered when such a custom had formed. As I nodded awkwardly, Yuika continued.
“Then I should introduce myself too. As you heard earlier, my name is Aoki Yuika. Everyone here calls me Yuika. My race is dryad… commonly known as a tree spirit.”
“Dryad…”
In the games I played, dryads were just big moving trees, but here, they seemed to occupy a position similar to elves.
“Though she’s a tree spirit who loves eating meat.”
“Shut up.”
“S-So, why did you two come to my house…?”
I mustered the courage to ask, and Yuika seemed to remember her purpose, clearing her throat before speaking.
“Sorry. I got so caught up in everything that I forgot. We’re from U.P.”
“U…P? What’s that…?”
“You know the U.N., right? It’s similar to that. But instead of a United Nations, it’s a United People. Hence, U.P.”
“You’re Japanese, but your English is fluent.”
“Don’t interrupt while I’m explaining. And that’s borderline racist, you know?”
Yuika lightly smacked Ulrika’s chest in response to his teasing. But thanks to Ulrika’s joke, the tension in the room eased a bit. Seeing my more relaxed expression, Yuika continued.
“It’s not as grand as it sounds. It’s just a group of people in the same situation, trying to help each other survive on the Floating Island. You don’t need to think too hard about it. We came to see you because we thought you might need help.”
“Help… me?”
“Sister Andreina told us about you. She thought you might need assistance, so she asked me to come.”
“Sister Andreina…”
Just hearing the name of the kind, golden-haired nun who always welcomed me at the church made me want to cry. I always ran away, using my discomfort as an excuse, but she still cared enough to send help.
She truly deserved to be called a saint. In fact, she was a saint.
I sniffled, trying to hold back the tears, and asked, “S-So, is there something I need to do?”
“Not really. You just need to fill out a simple form with your basic information and any difficulties you’re facing—”
Growl.
“—and we’ll do our best to help you…”
“…”
“…”
The sudden loud noise interrupted Yuika as she pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket. Ulrika, who had been standing quietly, also froze.
And I couldn’t say a word.
…Why did my stomach have to growl now?
My face burned with embarrassment as I trembled, and Yuika cautiously asked, “…Would you like me to treat you to a meal?”
“P-Please…!”
Her considerate tone, trying not to hurt my feelings, almost made me cry again.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
A new challenge schedule for me has dropped.…Writing 30 chapters in 26 days and applying for PLUS?
Can I do it?
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Bully the mc a lot, even better if she cries and loses all hope in lif-(Content has been judged as inappropriate and deleted)
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