Fenrir And Magical Power

A Holy Maiden was not something like choosing an ordinary council member. Until now, it had been an extremely important role whose decision lay with the gods alone—beyond even a king’s reach. It was the kind of matter that deserved careful confirmation, no matter how many times.

And yet Fenrir answered lightly, without caring in the slightest about human intentions.

‘Yes, that is fine. All I require is the magical power offered from the Holy Maiden. If I receive it without interruption, I do not mind which of you it is.’

“Magical power offered from the Holy Maiden…?”

It was the first time Cordelia had heard that. She knew the Sacred Beast served the Holy Maiden, but what it received in return was not commonly known.

‘Indeed. That is why I came to see you. Now then—shall I have a taste of that magical power?’

“Eek—kyaa!”

As soon as he said it, Fenrir pressed his huge snout against Cordelia’s face. Snorting as he went, he sniffed around her ear.

“W-wait, please stop, it tickles—kyaa!”

But before she could finish, a hand reached in from the side, grabbed her arm, and pulled her back. She nearly lost her balance, but the one who firmly supported her was Isaac, the owner of that hand.

“Your Highness…?”

Now Isaac was holding Cordelia from the side as if hugging her.

When she looked up in confusion, his face was as expressionless as ever. But his blue eyes were fixed on Fenrir, leaking an emotion that could only be called wariness—almost hostility.

‘…Boy, what do you think you are doing?’

At Fenrir’s restrained voice, Isaac flinched as if startled.

“No… I… um…”

His voice was unusually small for him. Fenrir’s golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. Cordelia blinked and stared at Isaac as well.

“Um… I thought that Lord Fenrir might be… male…”

The words he squeezed out were barely audible.

“Male? Lord Fenrir is male…? Does that concept even apply?”

When Cordelia asked back, still not quite grasping it, Fenrir burst out as if he could not hold it in. A gust of wind smacked her face.

‘Hahahaha! You two! I see! So that’s what it was… Hahaha! Youth indeed!’

The instant he heard that, Isaac sprang away from Cordelia as if repelled. He raised an arm to hide his face, but what she could glimpse through the gap was bright red.

“Huh? What does that mean?”

Fenrir laughed, pounding the floor with his forelegs, while Isaac turned his back so she would not see his crimson face. Watching them, Cordelia tilted her head, completely lost.

‘Kuh—hahaha! I shall explain to you as well. That boy is jealous of me, a m-a-l—’

“Lord Fenrir!”

As Fenrir tried to explain, Isaac cut in immediately.

“Jealous…? As in that jealousy?”

Cordelia stared blankly.

It had been far too unrelated to her previous life, but she had seen scenes like that in romance manga and love novels. Even in the original story of Flowers of Lakisen, there was an event where Isaac grew jealous after seeing the Holy Maiden chatting happily with another man.

“Could it be… you thought Lord Fenrir was a man, and you got jealous because he came close to me?”

“No—! …No, that’s not wrong… …I’m sorry. I showed you something unbecoming.”

Saying that, Isaac covered his face with his hand, his ears red as well.

(Oh! Oh my—oh my goodness! His Highness gets jealous for my sake! And how adorable he is when he’s embarrassed about it!)

Overwhelmed, Cordelia clasped both hands tightly. Her way of rejoicing might have been a little unusual, but this side of him was absolutely worth savoring. She felt she had to burn it into her eyes.

‘Hmph, do not worry, boy. I am a Sacred Beast. I have no gender. Though I will not deny that I am bound to the Holy Maiden by a s-p-e-c-i-a-l bond.’

With a grin, Fenrir deliberately emphasized the words “special bond.” At once, Isaac—still red-faced—twitched in response.

“…If you speak of a special bond, I also pride myself that my bond with her is special.”

‘Oh? Special, you say… You are not yet husband and wife—only fiancés, are you not? I also hear that breaking engagements is the latest fashion these days.’

(Where in the world did a Sacred Beast even pick up that kind of information…?)

Fenrir clearly tried to provoke Isaac for amusement, and Cordelia felt an overwhelming urge to retort. Just as Fenrir intended, Isaac—slightly riled—shot back.

“My heart is not decided by fashion. It is decided by me.”

‘A gallant line. And just how long will you be able to keep those words?’

“That is…”

“Both of you, that’s enough!”

Sensing it would never end if she left them alone, Cordelia forced the conversation to a stop. Isaac made an awkward expression.

“…I’m sorry. When it comes to you, I lose my composure. …I still had much to work on.”

(That side of you is cute too—approved!)

While furiously mashing the “like” button in her heart, Cordelia kept a calm face and cleared her throat.

“Anyway, Lord Fenrir—what was it again? Magical power? Do I need to give it to you?”

‘Ah, yes. I completely forgot.’

Fenrir said it breezily, without the slightest shame.

‘Truly, I prefer pressing nose to nose… but there is one noisy fellow here.’

When Fenrir glanced at Isaac, Isaac immediately replied, “No.”

Delighted at the reaction, Fenrir laughed again.

‘Very well, then we shall do it the boring way. Here, Holy Maiden. Hold out your hand.’

“Like this?”

As instructed, Cordelia gently extended her hand, palm up. Fenrir’s damp, cold nose pressed firmly against it. Then, even though she did nothing, magical power gathered throughout her body and flowed through her hand, being steadily drawn into Fenrir.

‘Mm. As expected, you possess high-quality magical power. Not merely something you were born with… it has been polished well through daily effort. Refined, yet with a mellow character. Mm. Not bad.’

“M-mellow…?”

He sounded like a sommelier, but what Fenrir was tasting was undeniably Cordelia’s magical power. It left her with a strangely complicated feeling, as if she herself had become food.

After thoroughly savoring her magical power, Fenrir lifted his chin in satisfaction.

‘Mm. That is enough. Since I have the chance, I shall also take the remainder from the other Holy Maiden.’

The moment he said it, Fenrir launched himself out through the huge window.

Left behind, Cordelia swayed with a dizzy spell. If Isaac had not rushed over and caught her, she would have braced herself against the floor.

“Are you all right!?”

“I’m fine… I just feel like a lot of magical power was taken… I’ll need to train again. I don’t think I can endure that hungry one’s consumption otherwise. …And what are you doing, Your Highness?”

Isaac had taken out a handkerchief and was diligently wiping Cordelia’s hand—the one she had offered to Fenrir. After wiping it so thoroughly it felt excessive, Isaac said with a refreshingly calm face,

“It’s fine. Now it’s clean.”

(Your Highness… aren’t you casually treating Lord Fenrir like he’s covered in germs?)

Cordelia swallowed down the retort she wanted to make.