Fenrir And Cream Puffs

“Lord Fenrir!?”

Cordelia shouted.

‘What is it?’

“The roof will collapse! Please come down, it’s dangerous!”

Keeping his chin raised and dignity intact as he answered, Fenrir received Cordelia’s merciless retort. The clock tower was solidly built on brick, but Fenrir possessed that enormous body. No one could know when the roof might give way.

Fenrir snorted in annoyance at her cry.

‘Hmph. Who do you think I am? I can control my strength that much.’

The moment he spoke, Fenrir stood and kicked off the roof with a thump. He seemed to plunge straight to the ground—but instead he somehow landed in midair right in front of them. Of course, there was no foothold beneath him. To anyone else, he was completely floating.

‘See?’

Fenrir proudly lifted his chin again.

“As expected of the Sacred Beast… but please stop that too! You’re drawing far too much attention!”

A gigantic body floating before the clock tower would naturally attract notice. Sure enough, people on the ground pointed toward him and began murmuring in commotion.

Sensing the situation, Isaac quickly stepped forward before Fenrir.

“Lord Fenrir, if you would, please come to the royal palace. Remaining here will only needlessly disturb everyone.”

‘Hmm, the palace, you say.’

“At the palace, we prepared a private chamber, the ‘Sphene Chamber.’ Also, the thing you are fond of… that item as well.”

‘…Oh? You have that?’

Fenrir’s displeased face changed the instant he heard Isaac’s words. He sniffed with growing interest.

‘Very good. Boy, you are quite diligent, aren’t you? I reconsider my opinion of you.’

Isaac silently bowed his head like an excellent retainer.

“Then I shall go on ahead. Do not dawdle—come quickly.”

Fenrir grew restless and, as if he could not wait, dashed off with a sharp sound. Scattering light as he ran, he looked like a gigantic shooting star descending upon the earth. Cheers erupted from the people below.

“L-let’s go as well. If we keep him waiting, he’ll probably complain again.”

“Yes, that would be best.”

Taking the hand Isaac offered, Cordelia hurried down the clock tower stairs with him.

‘Mm, mm. A curious texture, yet new things are also quite delicious.’

In the Sphene Chamber they arrived at, Fenrir was buried in a mountain of cushions while munching on something. A cream-like substance clung to the edge of his lips.

“Your Highness… what is that?”

“It is choux à la crème. Recently it has also been called cream puff.”

Before Isaac finished explaining, Fenrir opened his large mouth and bit into the next cream puff. The oversized pastry burst, and yellowish cream overflowed from the corner of his mouth. A faintly sweet vanilla scent tickled Cordelia’s nose, and she inhaled it deeply.

“So Lord Fenrir… eats cream puffs.”

She had assumed, being a wolf, he preferred hearty things like meat.

‘Hmph. I am a noble Sacred Beast. I do not care for foul-smelling meat. The era belongs to sweets. The “cake” I once ate was good, but this is also fine.’

“It was recorded that sweets in general are his favorite, not only cream puffs.”

Apparently the Sacred Beast’s preferences were carefully preserved in the kingdom’s records. Cordelia knew Isaac had diligently prepared the room during the month Fenrir was missing, and she admired his thorough research.

Then she suddenly remembered.

“More importantly! Lord Fenrir, you were missing for an entire month! Where were you? Everyone was searching for you!”

‘As I said. A walk.’

“That walk was far too long!”

Fenrir licked the cream from his mouth as he answered her scolding.

‘Hmph, a month is but a moment. Humans are impatient.’

As a being living through eternity, the Sacred Beast seemed to perceive time differently. Cordelia nearly sighed at his complete lack of remorse.

‘Besides, if you need me, simply call. You are the Holy Maiden.’

“I did call! But you didn’t respond!”

After the incident, Cordelia had tried once to summon Fenrir, yet he gave absolutely no reaction.

‘Truly?’

“Yes. His Highness Isaac witnessed it.”

“I did indeed. She called your name and attempted summoning, but nothing happened.”

Hearing Isaac’s testimony, Fenrir groaned thoughtfully. His large breath lifted Cordelia’s bangs.

‘Strange. If the Holy Maiden calls, I should hear it.’

Even as he spoke, Fenrir did not forget to bite into another cream puff. The attending lady-in-waiting hurried off to fetch more.

Growing uneasy, Cordelia asked timidly.

“Um… forgive the odd question, but am I truly the Holy Maiden?”

If he suddenly said he was mistaken, she would never recover.

‘You are without doubt the Holy Maiden.’

Relieved, Cordelia exhaled deeply. Beside her, Isaac also looked relieved.

‘However, now that you mention it, I have never heard your voice. The other one’s voice I heard many times.’

The “other one” must mean Hina.

Cordelia did not understand the mechanism between Sacred Beast and Holy Maiden, but in terms of connection, she seemed inferior to Hina at present.

“Um… is there any way for you to hear my voice? At this rate, when the time comes I won’t be able to protect the kingdom.”

The Sacred Beast Fenrir was said to rise in response to the Holy Maiden’s call. If her voice could not reach him, her very purpose would be endangered.

Ignoring her worry, Fenrir spoke casually.

‘There is no need to fret about the kingdom. A barrier of mine covers this land. If something attempts to cross it, I will awaken even without a Holy Maiden.’

Hearing that, Isaac nodded in admiration.

“I see… I wondered how the kingdom was protected when no Holy Maiden lived. So that is the mechanism.”

(It’s like a home security system from my previous life… I wonder if it has an alarm)

Imagining “Home Security Fenrir,” Cordelia admired the convenient system. Then she remembered another important question she wished to ask.

“And Lord Fenrir… is it truly acceptable for us humans to decide the ‘Grand Holy Maiden’?”

That was the question Cordelia had wanted to ask Fenrir all along.