With his kind voice while telling that to her, Rose not only closed her eyes but also covered them with her hands.
Ian reached out with his right hand.
As soon as a sword appeared in his previously empty hand, Ian swiftly swung it.
The round, circular black magic was split in half by Ian’s sword, and it exploded with a ‘pop’ as soon as it hit the ground.
“Oh! Amazing!”
[<End of the sword> charges in. And shouts, beat him as soon as possible!]
[<Well of Mana> scolds <End of the Sword>, saying, Do you think that’s possible with Rose here, you fool?]
“Then try get rid of this too!”
Black smoke, which originated from the tree where the man was standing, split into multiple strands and rushed towards Ian.
Ian infused his sword with mana and slashed at the black smoke.
“Wow! You can do this too? You’re a really interesting human!”
After eliminating all the approaching smoke, the man clapped his hands.
“I really want to take you with me! I don’t want to give you to my master; I want to keep you for myself!”
The man raised both his hands.
As the black mana gathered in the man’s hands and grew larger, Fenrex, who had somehow climbed up the tree, bit the man’s leg.
“Ah!”
With the sudden attack, the black magic scattered, and the man coughed up blood due to the backlash.
“Gr-r-r.”
Fenrex, who had descended from the tree, stood in front of Ian, baring his teeth at the man.
[<End of the Sword> complains, What’s with that bastard? Why is he acting out all of a sudden?]
[<Origin> whispers to Ian, Now is your chance.]
Ian quickly created a barrier for Rose and then charged towards the man.
“Wait, wait a minute!”
– Bang!
Before the golden sword, infused with aura, could reach the man, black smoke blocked the sword’s trajectory.
“Th-this is unfair!”
Without answering, Ian swung his sword again, but the black smoke surrounding the man absorbed the attack.
However, Ian didn’t stop attacking because he could feel the black smoke gradually thinning with each strike.
“Wait, wait a minute!”
Just as the man shouted urgently, the golden aura mixed with a pink hue along with Ermenia’s cry.
[<Well of Mana> exclaims that the spirit’s energy is mixed in and urges Ian to attack now.]
Ian withdrew his sword, which he had been slashing horizontally, and thrust it towards the man’s heart.
“Ugh!”
As <Well of Mana> had said, the black smoke was pierced, but the man’s body vanished.
However, he couldn’t completely dodge the sword, as he was clutching his right arm, from which black blood was dripping.
“You really…”
Just as Ian was about to charge at the man again,
“I’m going to tell my master!”
the man shouted and disappeared again. Ian didn’t relax, thinking the man might reappear, but the man didn’t come back.
After dismissing the summoned sword, Ian quickly approached Rose.
Though he had set up a barrier and Ermenia was by her side, he meticulously checked to make sure she wasn’t hurt.
Rose, who had obediently kept her eyes closed as Ian had instructed, tilted her head in the quiet atmosphere and asked,
“Uncle?”
“Yes.”
Ian removed the barrier and hugged Rose.
“Can I open my eyes?”
“Yes.”
Rose lowered her hands and opened her eyes, staring intently at Ian’s face.
“Why?”
“I was worried you might be hurt.”
“Thank you.”
Ian kissed Rose on the cheek and turned his body.
Fenrex, who thought they would widen the distance again since the black magician was gone, remained standing in place.
Ian, noticing Fenrex’s gaze, spoke first.
“It’s not like you stayed because you wanted to hear a thank you. Do you want to go to the capital together?”
Fenrex’s body stiffened at Ian’s sharp observation.
“Transform into a human. I told you I don’t like talking to animals.”
“Ugh.”
At Ian’s harsh criticism, Fenrex lowered his head and his ears and tail drooped, but only for a moment.
With a cracking sound, the wolf’s body began to transform.
“Uncle, the dog turned into a human!”
Rose, who was in Ian’s arms, exclaimed in surprise.
Ian stepped back and watched Fenrex.
Just like in the morning, Fenrex transformed into a child with wolf ears and a tail, and spoke to Ian.
“Humans can’t be trusted.”
Contrary to his words, Fenrex’s voice was weak, and his ears and tail were still drooping.
“Then why did you interfere in a human’s fight if you can’t trust them?”
At Ian’s sudden question, Fenrex hesitated and then said,
“Because you saved me once, I thought I should repay the favor.”
“Tsk.”
Ian clicked his tongue. In truth, what Fenrex did was unnecessary. Ian wouldn’t have lost to such a clumsy black magician anyway.
However, it wasn’t entirely unhelpful.
The black magician’s attention had shifted briefly, allowing Ian to create a protective barrier for Rose.
Ian glared at Fenrex and spoke.
“Promise you won’t attack this child. Then I’ll take you to the capital.”
Fenrex looked up at Ian without answering.
Just then, Rose, who had been quietly in Ian’s arms, began to squirm.
“Rose?”
“Uncle, put me down! Put me down!”
Worried she might get hurt from squirming, Ian hurriedly put her down on the ground. Rose dashed towards Fenrex.
“Rose!”
She dodged Ian’s grasp and grabbed Fenrex’s hand.
“Hello, puppy friend!”
“We met this morning, right?”
Fenrex stared blankly at Rose, who was smiling brightly while holding his hand.
“Rose!”
Ian quickly picked her up and checked if she was hurt, then wiped her hands on his clothes.
“It’s dirty. Dirty.”
“It’s not dirty; he’s my friend.”
Seeing Rose’s innocent smile and tilted head, Ian glared at Fenrex.
Up until that moment, Fenrex had been staring blankly at where Rose had stood, and now his face turned red in an instant.
‘What’s wrong with him? Is he already trying to glare at me?’
Sensing something was off, Ian received messages from the constellations.
[<Well of Mana> has used up all its strength to send the message. Take care, it says awkwardly.]
[<End of the Sword> says they have to go now and waves hastily, saying see you next time.]
‘<Well of Mana>? <End of the Sword>?’
As Ian frowned at their awkward goodbyes, Ermenia suddenly ran and hissed at Fenrex.
“Hiss!!”
Realizing something was wrong from the strange messages and Ermenia’s reaction, Ian called out to <Origin> in his anxious heart.
[Sorry. The wolf has… imprinted on Rose.]
Boom!
First, a spirit, and now a beastman’s imprint.
A mental earthquake occurred in Ian’s mind.
***
Step, step.
Scurry.
Step, step.
Scurry.
Ian stopped and glared back.
“………”
Fenrex, whose cheeks were now bright red, was wagging his tail despite trying to avoid Ian’s gaze.
“How long do you plan to follow us?”
– Errrr!
Annoyed, Ermenia growled fiercely.
“You said you’d take me to the capital!”
‘This kid.’
Ian had indeed made the offer, but it was Fenrex who had clearly declined it.
Who wouldn’t realize that bringing it up now, at this very moment, was just an excuse?
“Get lost, now—”
“Uh-uh.”
Ian suppressed his anger at Rose’s whimpering.
There was no benefit in arguing here.
Ian thought it would be better to arrive at the capital quickly and get rid of Fenrex. Strengthening his hold on Rose, he quickened his pace.
The capital’s gates came into view soon after crossing a mountain.
“Please show your identification.”
A guard asked Ian, who had neither a carriage nor escort to prove his identity.
Ian pretended to take something from his pocket and instead opened his inventory to present the identification badge Sebastian had given him.
“Lo, Loenbaum?!”
“May I enter?”
“Yes?! Yes!”
The guard seemed flustered.
The Duke of Loenbaum visiting the capital without any escort or entourage was beyond his wildest dreams.
The guard inspected the badge just to be sure, but it didn’t appear to be forged.
With no other choice, the guard straightened up and saluted with a crisp motion as Ian passed by.
Hearing hurried footsteps behind him, Ian turned his head.
“We’ve arrived at the capital.”
Since the promise was only until the capital, Ian’s words implied Fenrex should not follow further.
Fenrex’s face hardened.
Ian, looking annoyed, turned away from Fenrex.
He needed to reach the townhouse before his precious niece woke from her nap.
But just as he was about to move, Fenrex called out.
“I don’t know where my father is!”
Ian looked incredulous, but Fenrex seized the opportunity and continued with a bright smile.
“What good is bringing me here? I could be captured by slave traders. You need to take me to my father, not just the capital.”
At this ridiculous excuse, Ian raised an eyebrow.
He turned to the guard who was watching him and Fenrex.
“Guard.”
“Yes!”
Ian gestured towards Fenrex with his chin and said,
“He’s the son of the Beast Tribe’s king. Make sure he gets to the Beast Tribe place.”
“What?! Yes! Understood.”
Seeing Ian look at him as if to say, ‘Is that good enough?’, Fenrex shouted,
“How can I trust that human?!”
“The Emperor is the leader of the humans. Are you saying you can’t trust the leader?”
“But…”
Fenrex bit his lip, thinking of another excuse, just as Ian gave him a challenging look.
“Fenrex?”
At the sound of a deep voice, Fenrex’s shoulders flinched.
Ian turned towards the source of the voice.
A man twice the size of a human, wearing clothes made of silk that resembled traditional Indian attire on Earth, was approaching.
The man’s face looked remarkably like a young wolf’s, which had been cowering moments before.
“Are you Fenrex?”
As the man approached, the color drained from Fenrex’s face.
“There’s no need for the guard to escort him.”
Ian turned away, satisfied with having removed the young wolf that had been eyeing his niece.
***
“Wow!”
Rose’s already large eyes opened even wider.
Having woken up in her uncle’s arms, she found herself in a very beautiful place.
Unlike the Duke’s residence, the garden was green, flowers were in full bloom, and water sparkled in the sunlight as it sprayed from the fountain.
The townhouse, though not as large as the Duke’s residence, was bigger than those of other nobles due to being purchased during a prosperous time.
Moreover, unlike the black stone of the Duke’s residence, the townhouse was built with vibrant colors, making it look beautiful even to Ian, who usually didn’t care about appearances.
Watching Rose turn her head this way and that, unable to take her eyes off the view, Ian smiled.
“Do you like it?”
“Yes! It’s very pretty.”
“We’ll be staying here for a while.”
“For how long?”
“Um, about one or two weeks.”
“No, you can’t.”
A firm voice contradicted Ian’s statement. Ian looked at Sebastian and said,
“The coronation-related parties should be over in a week.”
“While you’re here, you need to handle all the capital-related affairs.”
Ian, about to argue that he never personally handled such matters, swallowed his words when he saw Rose in his arms.
‘Alright this all for Rose sake.’
Now is the right time to still remain subject to imperial rule while preparing for the duchy’s independence.
Fernrex the pervert, imprinting without consent 😔