“Huh?”
Of course, I had considered the possibility of being rejected, but given the original Novel and the fact that there was no reason to delay a rejection, I was surprised.
A stupid voice slipped out of my shocked mouth.
– It’s the first time someone has sent a personal letter to the Magic Tower, so it piqued our curiosity. We wondered who you were.
The man’s monotone voice felt like it was mocking me.
“May I ask the reason?”
I wondered if they would even tell me, but I asked cautiously. Knowing the reason would help me figure out plan B or make another request.
– Hmm… You probably already know the reason. Our Magic Tower-
It was then.
– Why bother explaining so much? A rejection is a rejection.
A low voice, dripping with annoyance, suddenly interrupted.
Who is this rude person?
“Who are you?”
– I’ll say it again. The Magic Tower doesn’t offer support. Find a way to avoid the marriage on your own.
The man spoke sharply, as if he was about to cut off the communication.
“Wait! I know how to achieve what the Magic Tower wants!”
– …What?
Hearing the astonished voice, I realized my mistake.
‘I didn’t plan to bring this up like a snake oil salesman!’
I squeezed my eyes shut and then opened them, calmly recalling the contents of the original work.
‘When Ed inherited the position of the Magic Tower Master, the previous master said they initially wanted to change the tower’s image.’
However, back then, they had no idea how to start, so they eventually gave up.
“If the Magic Tower supports the Sheep territory, I’ll tell you how to improve its image.”
It was a gamble. By proposing a deal, they might listen. If a beastman appeared willing to help with something they wanted, they might hear me out.
– Hah, amusing. The Magic Tower doesn’t need any image changes.
His tone was still prickly, and his curt rejection made it clear he had no intention of listening further. He felt very different from the Magic Tower Master I remembered from the original work. I knew the Magic Tower Master changed while Ed was with Morton. Had it not happened yet?
‘What should I do?’
If the Magic Tower Master hadn’t changed yet, I might get caught and used as a magic test subject. The charge? Offending the Magic Tower.
‘No!’
While I was racking my brain, the bird’s beak opened again.
– That was quite an interesting proposal. We’ll end the communication now.
With a faintly amused voice, the light in the bird’s eyes, which had been shining brightly until a moment ago, gradually dimmed.
“Hey? Excuse me? Hey!”
In surprise, I grabbed the bird, and that’s when I noticed the note tied to its leg. There was only one sentence written on it.
「 Dispose it yourself. 」
* * *
– Hey? Excuse me? Hey!
The man who had cut off the communication chuckled incredulously at the last strange title he heard.
“Changing the image, huh? It sounds like she knows something.”
He stretched out on the sofa, placing his long legs on the table, and turned to his friend sitting next to him.
“She said exactly what you mentioned a while ago.”
As he moved, his deep blue hair, reminiscent of the night sea, fluttered, revealing his piercing golden eyes. They were deep, intense eyes that could paralyze someone just by looking at them.
Below those eyes were a sharp nose and a chiseled jawline, giving him a cold, handsome appearance.
“You should have listened a bit more. Why did you cut her off, Billy?”
The new Magic Tower Master, Nick Fren, glared at the handsome man.
Billy, as he was called, shrugged playfully, prompting Nick to sigh and glance at the letter on the table.
A few days ago, Nick had been surprised to hear that a letter had arrived at the Magic Tower. This was the same for Billy, who had offloaded the role of Magic Tower Master onto his friend, feeling the wolf territory leadership was enough.
Considering the image of the Magic Tower across the continent, the letter’s sender was likely not a timid person. The communication had been attempted out of simple curiosity, but the sender was even more extraordinary than expected. Proposing to improve the Magic Tower’s image to the master himself? What audacity.
It seemed she had tried to negotiate in the end, an incredibly bold woman.
Billy, recalling the communication, suddenly burst into laughter.
“She’s an interesting lady.”
He murmured, covering his face with his large hand. His voice was full of intrigue.
***
The shock from being freshly rejected by the Magic Tower lingered for quite some time.
“…Miss Remi! Miss Remi!”
Startled by the voice calling my name, I turned around frantically. Ed, who had been walking at least five steps away, was looking up at me.
We were in the middle of the wide pasture behind the mansion, where the sheep were grazing. My legs, which had been climbing uphill diligently, stopped in their tracks.
“It’s almost time for Lord Zeb Horse to visit.”
Was it already that time? Just thinking about seeing that annoying zebra again made my stomach turn. Ever since he sent me a marriage proposal, the slimy Zeb Horse had been trying to meet me at every opportunity.
‘Let’s see, I’ve already avoided him four times, so I guess I should meet him at least once.’
If I kept being uncooperative, Raymond might pack me off with him sooner than in three months.
I looked down at Ed with eyes that clearly didn’t want to go and changed my direction to head back down the field.
‘I was hoping to take Ed to the cabin at the top of the pasture for once.’
Ed had never seen a pasture before. Having always lived in the carnivore territory, it was understandable.
There was a vast pasture behind the mansion where the sheep were grazing, and I thought Ed would enjoy seeing it.
Imagining Ed marveling at the pasture brought a smile to my face.
So, I had brought Ed out under the pretense of helping with the pasture work.
‘We had just reached the beginning of the pasture… This useless zebra!’
Sighing deeply, I was just about to step back down the hill.
Grrr-.
“Huh?”
I thought I heard a sound that shouldn’t be there.
A chill ran down my spine, making me look around hurriedly. All I could see were sheep grazing leisurely in the wide pasture.
‘Did I mishear?’
I looked down. It couldn’t have been Ed making that noise.
But Ed was walking beside me with a determined stride.
The cool autumn breeze ruffled Ed’s fine hair, adding to the peaceful scene. Feeling reassured, I started walking down the hill again. How long had I been walking when…
Baa-aah-!
A tearing scream of a sheep pierced my eardrums. I had never heard such a sound before. My head turned awkwardly, unnaturally, to the side in tension.
Grrr- Woo!
Baa-aah!
Through the fleeing, screaming sheep, I saw a large beast.
‘A wolf?!’
It was rare for a carnivore to come this far!
It must have crossed the mountains from another territory. Its belly was gaunt, indicating it hadn’t eaten well. The wolf, starved and ferocious, was drooling. Its sharp teeth had already sunk into a sheep’s neck.
They say that extreme shock can freeze your body, making it impossible to move. This body, which had always been afraid of not only carnivorous beastmen but also carnivores, froze, unable to do anything as my mind stopped working.
I was even afraid of Ed, who wouldn’t harm me at all, so how would I feel about a ravenous wolf?
As I stumbled backward, a sudden touch startled me. Ed grabbed my hand urgently with his small hand.
“We need to call the shepherd quickly!”
Ed, who had assessed the situation faster than I had, pointed to the back door of the main building. It was lunchtime, so the shepherd was probably inside having lunch.
Since this kind of thing was rare, he must have left without much thought. The shepherd often left his post.
Ed grabbed my hand and started running down the field but suddenly let go.
When I turned around to the suddenly empty hand, there stood a large wolf with grayish-blue fur.
‘Ed?!’
It was the first time I had seen Ed in his beast form. Though still smaller than other carnivorous beastmen, he was a huge wolf compared to a regular wolf.
As I stared in shock, an annoying choice window popped up.
「 1. What are you trying to do, kid? Turn back into a human!
2. Who said you could turn into a wolf?
3. If you’re planning to chase that thing off, stop dawdling and go!」
Isn’t the third option a bit much…?
Still, they were both wolves, and Ed was a beastman, so maybe the wolf would listen to Ed?
I briefly thought so, but the hope quickly died down like a flickering flame. The ravenous wolf seemed to have no regard for anything, even with Ed in wolf form.
I barely stopped my legs from running away against my will. I should be helping Ed, but here I was, trying to slip away!
‘I need to take Ed and run down to call the shepherd.’
That meant option one. As soon as I touched the choice, my hands went to my hips, like a stern adult scolding a child.
“What are you trying to do, kid? Turn back into a human!”
It was a phrase that might feel like a protective scolding from a guardian.
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