Chapter 92

I introduced Gen—better known as the Captain—to Mark, and he officially joined our group. We hitched Gen’s horse to the wagon, effectively doubling our horsepower. Not that we had more than one to begin with.

“So, Gen, how far do you plan on traveling?”

“Nah, I’m just going wherever the wind blows. I don’t really have a fixed destination. What about you, Ryu?”

“We’re heading to Dowal Crown to get my weapons maintained.”

The journey continued as we chatted inside the carriage. Because Gen’s horse was exhausted from the earlier full-speed sprint, we ended up stopping for a break sooner than planned. I checked the horse’s condition through palpation.

“Ryu, you really are a Tamer.”

“That’s the second time today I’ve heard that. Why is it so hard for people to believe?”

“Well, obviously. Intimidating a Forest Tiger into retreating is something only Hero-class individuals can pull off.”

“I’m a Tamer. I know exactly how to threaten a wild animal.”

“Ho. So, how exactly did you threaten it back there?”

…I didn’t really want to reveal my tricks, but I guess it couldn’t be helped.

“First off, most animals won’t attack a creature larger than themselves. A difference in physique is a weapon in its own right.”

“Wait, no matter how you look at it, that Tiger was bigger than you.”

“That’s where the intimidation comes in—you use it to make yourself look massive. To put it simply, you project your aura like an illusion to make your body appear giant. That’s the ‘menace’ I used earlier.”

“Are there other ways?”

“The simplest one is sound. If a loud noise catches them by surprise, anyone would jump, right?”

Technically, it varies depending on the species, but explaining every detail would take forever, so I skipped the rest.

“So that’s the kind of thing only a Tamer would notice, huh?”

“If it’s an animal, I can manage one way or another. If I couldn’t, I’d be a half-baked amateur.”

“Does that apply to humans too?”

That was a remarkably pointed question.

“Of course. Humans are animals too. There are ways.”

“Good grief, that’s not a line you should say so nonchalantly.”

He spoke with an exasperated look, but it wasn’t my fault; I’d spent a long time in survival mode.

“Mark! Gen’s horse can’t go any further! That sprint earlier pushed it too hard!”

“I see. It can’t be helped. We’ll have to stay here for the night.”

Mark let out a small sigh and began unloading the camping gear. It seemed he had anticipated this. Even though we were calling it a camp, the sun hadn’t fully set yet—it was actually quite bright—but there was no helping it. We prepared dinner while deciding the order for the night watch.

When I asked Gen why his movements were so efficient, he replied:

“I’ve traveled alone for a long time, so it just became second nature.”

Since my survival life lacked cooking utensils, my culinary skills hadn’t exactly improved. I later heard from Alice that Gen usually handled missions solo. Apparently, the pay was great because of it, but he did get lonely sometimes.

It seemed my observation that he looked happy chatting with everyone wasn’t wrong. Even now, he was making food while talking to Aoi. Alice was sitting next to them taking notes. Eavesdropping a bit, it seemed she wanted to learn how to cook like Aoi and was asking all sorts of questions.

Meanwhile, Ril and Karin were strictly in “eating-only” mode. Ouka, surprisingly, had apparently been drilled in the basics of cooking by Aoi and could make simple things.

Since I had some free time, I went into the forest to look for supplies. The food loaded in the wagon was a bit meager, so I focused on gathering nuts and small animals. Today’s haul included nuts, a rabbit, and a snake… though I wondered if everyone would eat the latter.

When I brought them back, Alice let out a scream and ran away the moment she saw the snake. Apparently, rabbits are fine to eat, but snakes are a no-go for her. I let the snake go and started butchering the rabbit. Alice looked away while I worked, but eventually, dinner was ready. By the way, I gave the rabbit pelt to Mark since he wanted it.

“Aoi, your cooking is truly delicious!”

“Thank you, Lord Gen.”

“Please, drop the ‘Lord.’ I’m just a traveler.”

Gen’s face turned red at Aoi’s smile.

“Gen, don’t play with fire.”

“Shut it! This is adult time!”

Look, Aoi is a dragon. Unless Gen becomes incredibly strong, he’ll never have the kind of relationship he’s hoping for. Well, it’s probably impossible for a human anyway.

“Um, when should we tell him?” Alice whispered to me.

“Tell him what?”

“You know… that we already know who he is.”

Ah, that.

“You should be the one to tell him. Maybe tonight when you switch off the watch.”

“Would that be okay?”

“Who knows. Though I have a feeling he’ll strike up the conversation himself.”

It was highly likely he’d make contact to share information. There was no need to force the issue right this second.

“Ahhh. What am I even supposed to say?”

“If things get awkward, just say I forced the information out of you. That’ll be enough.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t expect him to actually tag along either.”

As I finished eating, Ril came over and rubbed against me.

『Clean me.』

『Got it.』

Lately, Ril has started asking me to brush her. She doesn’t get dirty while inside my body, but she’s been requesting it as a form of massage. I started brushing her immediately. First, I used my hands to remove any large bits of dirt or loose fur. Then, I used a simple water spell to wash away the finer dust. It’s currently the season where summer coats transition to winter coats, so it’s actually quite a bit of work.

Finishing up with a comb, I felt a strange sense of accomplishment seeing her fur shinier than usual, and I found myself admiring her beauty.

『Papa, me too!』

『Me too~!』

Lately, Ouka has joined Karin in asking for this. It takes time and effort, but seeing my wives look beautiful makes me happy too.

“…”

I noticed Aoi glancing over, so when I offered to do hers as well, she was hesitant at first, but eventually let me comb her hair. Gen sent a sharp glare my way at that sight, but I just ignored him.

The watch order for tonight was me, then Gen, then Alice. Aoi offered to take a turn, but Gen blocked her, insisting that the ladies should sleep. At that moment, Alice went, “Wait, what about me?” but she was ignored. We all turned in early to get a head start tomorrow.

Everyone else was sleeping in the wagon, which looked pretty cramped. Ril and the others slept inside me, and while Aoi slept in the wagon, I worried if she’d be okay not being in my soul space. It’s not a bed, so she probably won’t get proper rest.

“Yo. You awake?”

“Gen? It’s not time to switch yet.”

“Don’t be like that. I woke up early because I wanted to talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“You know who I am, don’t you?”

…I didn’t expect him to say it to my face.

“I know. Alice said you’re the Captain.”

“I know she blabbed, too. Honestly, intelligence agents shouldn’t be outing their own superiors.”

“So, what’s the talk about?”

“You… do you really have no connection to the Hero girl?”

“It’s not the kind of relationship I’d go around telling people about.”

“Ryu. Origin: Light-Light. Vanished approximately six months ago. Last place of employment: a ranch on the outskirts of the town where the Hero was born. Age: seventeen, if alive. Solid build, known for treating horses and cattle with kindness. Quiet personality, but not cold; the workplace atmosphere was good. For three months after the disappearance, your location was a total mystery. About a month ago, you were in Dowal Crown but vanished shortly after. Many people saw you in Dowal Crown; it wasn’t hard to verify your face. I just failed to report it because you disappeared before I could confirm with the Lady.”

…I was shocked he’d dug that deep. Even if the Hero was searching, I was just an ordinary person; I didn’t realize they were looking quite that seriously.

“You’re that Ryu, aren’t you?”

“…You got me. I didn’t think I’d been investigated to that extent.”

“…The Lady was worried sick. Why are you avoiding her?”

“You know why, don’t you? My familiars are monsters.”

“Well, yeah. That Aoi woman is a monster too, isn’t she?”

“So you figured that out, too.”

“I can tell the difference between a human and a monster. I am the head of Intelligence, after all.”

If he’d even figured out Aoi, that made it even more impossible to let her meet Thea.

“…I can’t show monsters to the current Thea. You of all people should understand that.”

“Well, she is who she is.”

“I have no intention of betraying them. I’m the polar opposite of Thea. I don’t think all monsters are enemies, but she rejects them entirely. I’m not going to let her kill my precious familiars.”

I made it clear that I rejected Thea’s ideals.

“Aren’t you a bit too attached? They’re just monsters.”

“And she’s just an old acquaintance from a past life, right? You’re worrying too much just because she’s a Hero.”

I threw his logic back at him. Silence followed for a while.

“…I’ve already sent the report to the Lady. It’s only a matter of time now.”

“Is that so? Well, it’s time to switch. I’m going to sleep.”

“At least think about the Lady’s feelings.”

Who knows. That depends entirely on her attitude.