Thunk.
The sound of the door closing woke me up.
‘Oh no. That was close.’
Dad is sharp, so pretending to be asleep had turned into actually falling asleep.
I almost dozed off deeply!
I quickly scrambled out of bed and walked to the door. Holding my breath, I stood in front of it, and soon heard Theon’s voice.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes!”
When I answered, Theon opened the door. He stared at me silently for a moment before adjusting my hairpin.
“Is Dad gone?”
“Yeah. He left with Anne.”
“What about Jeffrey?”
From the opposite side of the hallway, Theon’s room, a voice answered my question.
“I’m right here~ I hid in big brother Theon’s room, and master Reytan didn’t notice.”
Jeffrey, who had already stepped out of the room, wagged his tail proudly as he spoke.
“Sister Anne said she’d guide master Reytan all the way to Oak Hill.”
“Oh!”
My eyes sparkled. Actually, Anne wasn’t originally supposed to be part of our plan.
However, someone had to lead Dad up the hill. Since we were going to use Jeffrey’s disappearance as an excuse, Jeffrey himself couldn’t do it. And Theon had already agreed to help me with my plan.
That left Anne as the only suitable person.
“Trick Young Master Reytan?! No way. That’s betrayal! I’m loyal to Young Master Reytan—”
“Anne… could you help me? I’m Dad’s daughter, so it doesn’t really feel like betrayal….”
“So cute… I mean, no, no! I can’t.”
“This is about saving the village. Please help us.”
“Sister Anne, didn’t you say big brother Theon was your savior? Why not repay the favor this time?”
Faced with my pitiful ‘wet chick’ expression, Theon’s persuasion, and Jeffrey’s insistence, Anne eventually gave in.*
Still, Anne had been my biggest concern. Knowing she successfully guided Dad was a relief.
“Berry.”
Theon smiled at me.
“Everything’s going according to plan.”
***
Our plan was to lure Dad to the negotiation spot outside the village where we were supposed to meet the wild dog tribe.
Both Dad and I needed to be present at the negotiation spot. Dad, as the only person capable of standing against the wild dog tribe in case of a fight, and me, as the one who could offer what the tribe wanted.
I had come up with the perfect plan to lure Dad. Or so I thought.
“Ahhh! This is too fast!”
The saying that ‘there are always variables in execution’ turned out to be true.*
I had encountered a few unforeseen variables.
First.
The large dogs that Jeffrey had brought using the village dogs were far too energetic.
The three massive dogs, each bigger than a grown man, came all the way to the log house and carried us one by one.
“Did everyone pack their bags properly? Don’t lose the meat.”
“Yep.”
“Got it!”
We each carried a bag on our backs. Inside, there was beef that the Baroness had bought for dinner. She had stocked up for tomorrow’s meals, and the three bags were packed to the brim.
“Berry, if you stay like that, it’ll be dangerous. Keep your upper body as close to the dog’s torso as possible and hold onto the harness tightly.”
“Guys, are you ready? They’re saying we should start.”
At Jeffrey’s signal, the dogs began running. The wind, which had felt pleasant at first, quickly turned into a gust that made it hard to see as my hair whipped around.
“Ahhh! This is too fast!”
“Jeffrey! Tell them to slow down!”
“I can’t…! They’re way too excited!”
At this rate, we’d enter the wild dog tribe’s mountain before Dad could even spot us from the hill.
Second.
The signal flare that the knights had given to Dad turned out to be a dud.
The surrounding houses grew increasingly distant. The dogs showed no sign of slowing down, and in our growing panic, we decided to use the flare earlier than planned. It was a bamboo tube with a handle that, when pressed, would emit red smoke.
But—
“Theon! The flare! The flaaaare!”
I clung tightly to the back of the running dog as I shouted.
Theon was supposed to launch the flare, but—
“……….”
“Theon?! What’s wrong?!”
Click. Click.
Despite our urging, Theon silently held the flare in his hand. We could hear the sound of its components rattling inside the tube.
“It’s broken.”
“What? Then what are we supposed to do? Master Reytan has to see it and chase us!”
“Ugh, don’t worry too much, Jeffrey! Anne will guide him in the right direction!”
“Berry! What’s that on your head?!”
“My head?! What’s wrong with my head?!”
“It’s been glowing since we left the house. Berry.”
Third.
The wild dog tribe was scarier than I had expected.
“Ahhhh! Please stop, st-stop! St…op? Huh? They really stopped?”
The dogs, who had been running so enthusiastically, suddenly began to slow down. Eventually, they started walking and then came to a complete stop.
“Growl….”
The first to react were the dogs and Jeffrey.
Without saying a word, they pinned their ears back, trembled, and bared their teeth, their lips twitching to reveal their fangs.
It was the first time I’d seen Jeffrey act like this. I straightened my upper body and turned my head to the side. Theon had jumped off the dog and was holding his sword sheath, ready to draw his weapon at any moment.
“Theon?”
“…Something’s here.”
We still had some distance to go before reaching the wild dog tribe’s mountain. We were currently on a different mountain.
“What’s there?”
It was at that moment.
Growl.
The sound of a threatening beast rumbled through the air, surrounding us. It wasn’t particularly loud or soft, but the growl seemed to envelop us, as if ready to swallow us whole.
I stared at the large beast emerging from between the trees. I was too stunned to move, so it would be more accurate to say the beast entered my field of vision.
“…….”
It was my first time seeing a pureblooded beastfolk. Its four heavy paws left deep prints in the ground as it slowly walked toward us.
Its short yellow fur gleamed under the moonlight. The massive wild dog was easily over three meters tall.
Gulp.
Its predatory gaze locked onto us, radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure. Slowly, I shifted my eyes to look at its torso. Although its fur covered most of its body, its prominent ribcage and sagging belly skin were visible enough.
‘We can negotiate.’
At last, my scattered thoughts began to reassemble. It had come sooner and more suddenly than I’d expected, but this was the confrontation I had been preparing for.
I wasn’t here to be devoured by the wild dog tribe—I was here to negotiate.
“I have something to say.”
They say that once a hierarchy is established among canines, it’s difficult to change their positions.
To assert that we were equals, I intentionally kept my tone firm and informal.
Growl.
A low growl seeped through the beast’s bared teeth, carrying its displeasure.
“You called for us, young human?”
The beastfolk looked directly at me, its hostility clear, as though it was ready to end my life at any moment. Theon and Jeffrey, who had also dismounted, pressed close to me.
“I-I’m from the wolf tribe! I called you!”
“Our deal with the humans is still in progress. If you attack us now, it will jeopardize that deal.”
The beastfolk scoffed at Jeffrey’s words but narrowed its eyes sharply at Theon’s statement, its gaze turning even more dangerous.
“What about the land development?”
So scary.
I forced myself to keep my eyes steady and my voice unwavering.
“It will stop soon. After we reveal that Marquess Ash’s land documents are forgeries.”
“You have one day left until the deadline we set. It must stop by then. We will hear the rest of what you have to say afterward.”
The wild dog tribe began to turn back the way they came.
“Wait! We brought food you can eat right now!”
“………..”
I got off the large dog I was riding, took off the bag I was carrying, and opened it to show the contents to the wild dog tribe. Theon and Jeffrey followed my lead and opened their bags as well.
The wild dog beastfolk glanced at the contents of the bag.
“Take this. Isn’t it hard to find food in the mountains? It’s beef.”
Saliva dripped from the wild dog beastfolk’s mouth. It was an instinctive reaction to seeing something desirable. At the very least, it meant my bait had caught its attention.
“There’s nothing strange inside. If you don’t trust it, I can eat some first to prove it.”
“….……”
“As you said, I’m just a young human. I don’t think about complicated things like adults do. I simply heard the adults talking about how the wild dog tribe is struggling with a food shortage. That’s why I came here to help.”
Half sincerity, half calculation—the persuasion seemed to work. Just as the beastfolk slowly turned toward us and began to approach—
Growl!
A sharp snort broke the air, and the beastfolk’s expression suddenly turned fierce.
“You dare exude killing intent! Humans! Are you betraying us again?”
The beastfolk roared in anger and leapt toward us in a single bound, instantly closing the distance. Its massive paw, tipped with menacing claws, swung down over my head.
Thwack!
Theon deflected the beastfolk’s forepaw with his sword. The impact was so strong that the sword nearly slipped out of his grip.
“Ugh…!”
Barely managing to hold onto his sword, Theon stepped in front of me to shield me. With a serious expression, he shouted urgently.
“Jeffrey! Take Berry and run!”
“You human scum….”
The wild dog beastfolk growled threateningly at Theon.
“Got it!”
“Theon! No!”
“Humans!!”
Consumed by rage, the wild dog beastfolk swung its massive paw.
Crash!
Sparks flew as its claws clashed with Theon’s blade.
Jeffrey, who was about to pick me up and run, flattened his ears against his head.
“Uh….”
We stood in someone’s shadow.
“What are you doing to my daughter?”
🍓;
*The ‘pitiful wet chick’ expression refers to someone looking sad, helpless, and vulnerable—like a small, soaked chick after rain. It’s often used to describe someone who appears miserable, dejected, or in need of comfort.
*No matter how well something is planned, unexpected factors can always arise during execution, making things unpredictable.
