Jeffrey was charging at me.
At that speed, it was one of two possibilities. Either I would be knocked away, or Jeffrey would be.
“J-Jeffrey! Watch out—!”
“Berry, it’s dangerous!”
Fortunately, before anything could happen, Theon stood in front of me, and Dad grabbed Jeffrey with one arm and lifted him up.
“You shouldn’t be running.”
“… I-I’m sorry… Hic.”
With his tail drooping at Dad’s side, the once energetic Jeffrey glanced around the study and suddenly let out a loud scream.
“A-a witch?!”
“Look at that, a little pup is here too,”
Said Grandma Marshall, clicking her tongue.
“Grandma Marshall isn’t a witch. She’s a skilled apothecary,”
I said to Jeffrey with both hands on my hips. Misinformation had to be corrected immediately.
Theon asked Jeffrey,
“What’s going on? I thought you were sleeping in your room.”
“Ah, well—!”
Jeffrey abruptly stopped speaking and turned his head toward me. His tail began wagging back and forth.
‘Huh?’
That look of someone with something to say but unable to say it — and desperately wanting to brag — was unmistakable.
Suddenly, I realized why Jeffrey had come running.
‘He heard it!!’
It was the story about the wild dog tribe!
But there were too many eyes on us. I quickly shouted at Jeffrey.
“You came because you missed me, right!?”
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
At my words, Theon, Dad, and Grandma Marshall all turned to look at Jeffrey.
He got up from his sleep and ran over just because he missed Berry?
Even under the curious gazes of the three people, we paid them no attention, exchanging sparkling glances between each other.
“Yes!”
Jeffrey shouted excitedly.
***
‘Darn.’
Outside the wooden fence of the log house, Baron Voltman rubbed his forehead.
Two glowing eyes in the dim outdoors. It was definitely the wolf-tribe hybrid child who had come with Reytan.
The child, who had been in the backyard, dashed into the house, unaware that he had been seen. It was clear that he had heard what had just been said.
“Baron Voltman, why have you suddenly gone quiet?”
“It’s because of you,”
Replied Baron Voltman, shooting a sharp look.
He was in the middle of a conversation with Thomas and five other village youths.
Since the child heard it, it might not be a big deal, but it still left an uneasy feeling. Regardless, Baron Voltman resumed the interrupted conversation.
“What’s with barging into someone else’s house so late at night?”
“There’s no time for formalities! This was the only time we could avoid that young master’s eyes. But you were pretending not to know earlier, weren’t you? It’s not like only one or two people saw Reytan Quartz Travel walking in with Theon!”
“Keep your voice down…!”
Baron Voltman scolded in a low but stern voice.
Even though they were a distance from the log house, loud noises could still be heard. If anyone thought a commotion was happening, someone might come outside.
The other youths who had come along also warned Thomas.
“Yeah, Thomas, your voice is too loud. What if someone from the Travel family hears you and comes outside?”
“But, seriously, does anyone here know the proper way to greet the son of a Count? The only nobleman I’ve ever met is Baron Voltman.”
“Just bow flat on the ground. Nobles don’t say much if you do that.”
“……….”
Hearing the pitiful conversation of the country youths, Baron Voltman let out a deep sigh.
“Anyway, what I’m saying is, they’re going to attack soon,”
Thomas said, practically pleading with Baron Voltman.
For five days now, the wild dog tribe, angered by Marquess Ash’s land development, had been threatening the humans.
There were only two days left — tomorrow and the day after.
“The wild dog tribe said it, didn’t they? If we don’t stop the land development within a week, they’ll kill all the humans in the neighboring villages.”
They tried enlisting environmental groups to stage protests. They even pooled money to run an article in the newspaper.
But Marquess Ash didn’t even flinch.
“Lord Roslin only says he’ll send troops if we pay taxes. So, who’s supposed to protect us?”
It had never felt so miserable to be from an insignificant farming village. The more developed towns treated them like baggage.
The other villages, which weren’t directly threatened by the wild dog tribe, took a ‘not our problem’ approach.
Worse, they grumbled that the land prices in their areas were dropping because of this mess.
The villages of Sillon, Leaf, and several small neighboring towns were all in a state of panic.
“That’s why we decided to fight on our own, didn’t we? We’ve heard all your complaints, so head back.”
“How are we supposed to win on our own? We should at least get help from the young master of the Travel family. If he’s a Grand Master, he should be able to handle the wild dog tribe.”
“Did you secure his help?”
“Not exactly… but he seems to be acquainted with Young Master Theon…”
“Then tell me, what loyalty does Master Reytan have toward this village to help us? And if he does help, can you pay him back? This is a poor village that can’t even pay its taxes properly.”
Baron Voltman’s dose of reality left the youths speechless.
They had nothing to say in response.
They had rushed over, clinging to a glimmer of hope, but that hope had only existed in their heads.
Reytan Quartz Travel was a noble who lived above the clouds, while they were nothing but commoners from a poor farming village.
‘There’s no way he’d help us.’
‘If I were him, I’d ignore us too. The wild dog tribe is too strong.’
‘If he helps us, he’s no ordinary human — he’s a saint.’
The shoulders of the youths sagged.
One of them, however, was quietly shaking — it was Thomas.
Tears as big as chicken droppings dripped from Thomas’ eyes.
“I’m scared…”
Baron Voltman was taken aback at the sight of tears from a young man who looked strong enough to chew through rocks.
“What in the world… Why is a man crying over this? Are you really that scared of the wild dog tribe?”
“Sophia said she’d break up with me if I lose to the wild dog beastmen…”
“……….”
The cold look returned to Baron Voltman’s eyes in an instant.
The other village youths patted Thomas on his broad back to comfort him.
“Hey, Thomas. People get dumped sometimes. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“I’m not dumped yet.”
“Half the world’s population is women, you know.”
“Want me to introduce you to my sister… No, forget it. She prefers natural encounters.”
Thomas sobbed quietly.
Even in the face of life-threatening danger, the situation had somehow shifted into a love counseling session.
The commotion was growing. Baron Voltman, in a calm but firm tone, urged the young men to go home.
“There are still two days left before the wild dog tribe arrives. We can figure something out by then. For now, let’s talk again tomorrow. It’s late, so head home.”
“Yes, goodnight, Baron.”
The young men bowed deeply before walking away, their figures gradually growing smaller in the distance.
Left alone, Baron Voltman’s face was shadowed with worry.
He was a skilled knight — that much was certain. But leading farmers into battle against the wild dog tribe was unrealistic.
Only trained soldiers — and in organized units — would have even the slightest chance against them.
“Even a Grand Master would barely be enough to face the wild dog tribe,”
It was true. He knew it himself. How could he not? But borrowing Reytan’s power was not an option. He was already deeply indebted to him for taking his grandson as a disciple.
Baron Voltman walked while looking at the ground. He rounded the fence and opened the low wooden gate.
And then, his heart nearly gave out from the shock.
“Grandpa?”
Theon and his group were standing outside the front door, staring at him.
Theon spoke to Baron Voltman.
“That was Thomas’s voice, wasn’t it?”
“Wh-who’s?”
“It was Thomas’s voice.”
The grandson spoke with certainty, his voice firm.
There was no hiding the fact that Thomas had come.
“Yes, he said he wanted to greet you since he saw you return. But isn’t it rude to visit someone at night? That’s why I sent him back,”
Baron Voltman said, wrapping one arm around his grandson’s shoulder as if to answer him. Then, he subtly tried to slip into the house.
He had no idea what Reytan, who stood there silently, was thinking. It was best to get inside as quickly as possible.
“Sir,”
Reytan called out to him, causing Baron Voltman to clutch his chest in reflex.
“You mentioned the wild dog tribe, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t.”
Reytan’s sharp intuition was as sharp as ever, even after all these years. No doubt about it. But Baron Voltman had age and experience on his side.
“Wild dogs… I said wild dogs,”
Baron Voltman fabricated a reason for Thomas’s visit. He claimed that a pack of wild dogs had been coming down from the forest and messing up the fields, so the young men had come to him for advice on how to handle it.
“These young men these days are the problem, I tell you. They don’t think about going through trial and error themselves. They just want the easy way out.”
Whether it was ‘wild dogs’ or the ‘wild dog tribe,’ it was just one letter off. He could bluff his way through it.
Reytan’s daughter, who had been watching him closely, spoke up.
“You said the wild dog tribe! Berry heard it! It was definitely the wild dog tribe, right?”
To have to lie to a child staring at him with such pure eyes…
Baron Voltman shook his head with guilt.
“…No, it wasn’t.”
“You did say it! You can’t fool my ears,”
The little wolf-tribe hybrid child added. Once again, the Baron shook his head.
“…No, I didn’t.”
Lying to Reytan without a second thought wasn’t an issue. But being looked at as a liar by children…
“Grandpa, is it really not true?”
Theon asked him.
“………”
Baron Voltman gave in.
