The Northern Mad Dog Is Wagging Its Tail

  ‘Could it be true? Did he really hear about the proposal I received? Who?’

 

  “Did you hear it from Crave?”

 

  Britia asked with a trembling heart for no reason.

 

  “What are you talking about?”

 

  His bewildered voice made Britia increasingly anxious. He didn’t even turn to look at her.

 

  “Duke-nim, I don’t know how Crave conveyed it to you, but let me explain again.”

 

  Britia approached, trying to see his face, but he turned his back. Sig didn’t want to show his face to her. That fact shocked Britia considerably.

 

  “I’m sorry. I’m not currently in a state where I can calmly listen to your story.”

 

  ‘What should I do? It seems like he’s really hurt, just like Lord Slanford said.’

 

  Britia hesitantly placed her hand lightly on his arm. Upon doing so, Sig flinched.

 

  “Then, can you at least show me your face?”

 

  “I don’t want to show such a pathetic sight to you.”

 

  “If I don’t think you’re pathetic?”

 

  In response to Britia’s poignant voice, Sig slightly turned his head to sneak a glance at her. His body slowly turned toward Britia.

 

  “I’m a little upset…”

 

  Sig trailed off with a completely lifeless face. Britia held his hand and looked at him intently.

 

  “Lord brother asked me if I had prepared a bear for him.”

 

  “A bear?”

 

  Britia was taken aback by the unexpected topic, but she calmly nodded her head.

 

  “I answered truthfully. At that time, 

 Lord brother seemed satisfied with my answer, so I was glad.”

 

  Sig’s face grew darker and darker.

 

  “However, when he asked specifically what I encountered in the forest today, I explained everything in detail. But then… he got furious, like a raging fire.”

 

  Britia felt the strength drain from Sig’s hand that she was holding.

 

  “My intention was to gather them as they were, without even being able to meet you briefly, because Lord brother asked me to make it interesting for him…”

 

  Britia suspected if it was not something completely different from what she had thought that made him gloomy.

 

  But what kind of animal could make the Crown Prince so furious? He seemed happy about the bear.

 

  “Are there several bears?”

 

  Upon Britia’s question, Sig paused for a moment, then nodded his head.

 

  “There are about three bears.”

 

  “Three bears? What about other animals?”

 

  “Of course, there are also rabbits and foxes that are worth hunting, as Crave can handle them as well.”

 

  He said it as if justifying that he had prepared such things as well.

 

  “And… there are two monsters…”

 

  Britia blinked slowly, unable to fully grasp what Sig said in his hesitant voice.

 

  “What did you say two of?”

 

  “I misunderstood Lord brother’s words to make it interesting. I’m sorry.”

 

  Just a few bears would have been enough. She hoped he would be happy.

 

  “But still, it’s not an extremely dangerous monster that would completely ravage the forest. It’s a monster that can be hunted sufficiently.”

 

  Britia summarized what he said with a thoughtful expression.

 

  “So, does that mean Duke-nim’s intention was to add a bear to the annual hunting competition, where foxes and rabbits are usually hunted for a bit of thrill?”

 

  “Yes.”

 

  “And that’s why His Highness got angry?”

 

  “…Yes.”

 

  “And as a result of his anger, a hunter died?”

 

  Sig nodded slightly in response to the last question.

 

  “What! I was surprised because I thought you were angry at me!”

 

  As Britia laughed in relief, Sig looked at her with sad eyes.

 

  “Lord brother often teases me, but he’s always affectionate. So it’s rare for him to get so angry…”

 

  Even without that, there were quiet rumors circulating that the reason Sig stayed in the capital for a long time this season was because the Crown Prince intended to use him to eliminate opposing factions.

 

  “Now that rumor is becoming a reality, and it seems like I’m going to use the hunting competition to completely subdue them!”

 

  Sig recalled the face of the angry Crown Prince.

 

  “When Lord Brother asked for my help, I should have refused. Anyway, because of that, the start of the hunt will be delayed a bit since we have to capture the unleashed monsters.”

 

  Sig’s mood sank again, realizing that instead of helping, he had only made things difficult.

 

  “Duke-nim”

 

  Seeing him looking down and lacking energy, Britia cautiously spoke up.

 

  “Would you like some words of comfort?”

 

  Sig blinked slowly in response to her sudden offer.

 

  Britia sat on a makeshift chair inside the tent and pulled his arm, urging him to sit down. Although Sig couldn’t understand her words, he was led along as she tugged.

 

  He sat in the chair, just as Britia had expected, at a perfect height for her to look down at him. She held both sides of Sig’s face and lifted it to meet her gaze.

 

  “Duke-nim, you tried your best.”

 

  Sig’s eyes widened slightly.

 

  “You really, really tried your best.”

 

  Britia gently smiled and lightly patted Sig’s head.

 

  “…But I made a mistake.”

 

  “It’s okay. Mistakes can be corrected.”

 

  Britia gently brushed Sig’s hair.

 

  “Is it comforting you a little?”

 

  “….”

 

  “Did I do something unnecessary?”

 

  As she tried to remove her hand, Sig made an inaudible sound, as if he was disappointed. In response, Britia let out a soft laugh and embraced his head again.

 

  “…There is a Diarwolf called Little that I left in the north. Despite its large size, it’s a delicate creature that gets easily upset. Whenever I hold it like this, it quickly starts wagging its tail and enjoys it.”

 

  Sig glanced up at Britia slightly as he spoke.

 

  “Is my tail wagging like that?”

 

  In response to his question, Britia gently stroked Sig’s tail.

 

  “I haven’t seen that Little, but it’s probably similar.”

 

  The tail, which had been drooping, regained some strength and swayed gently.

 

  “For its large size, it’s surprisingly delicate. It must take after you, Duke-nim. I’ve never seen a Diarwolf before. How big is it?”

 

  “If you come to Altheim, you can see it…”

 

  Just as Sig was speaking, he abruptly stopped and stood up from his seat.

 

  He turned abruptly to the left as if he had heard something.

 

  “Duke-nim?”

 

  “It’s the creature I mentioned that I released. It seems to be coming this way in search of prey. Fortunately, it sounds like a big one.”

 

  Sig felt relieved, thinking that things would be resolved faster than expected.

 

  “I don’t hear anything. Is the creature’s prey here?”

 

  “Because there are people gathered here.”

 

  So, the creature’s prey referred to the people.

 

  Britia was so startled that she swallowed her breath. Sig grabbed her hand and they went outside together.

 

  Then, with a thud, something attacked the people about 30 steps away from them.

 

  A four-legged monster with scales on its back was attacking the people with sharp claws and teeth. The people screamed and fled.

 

  Britia couldn’t see it clearly because it happened so fast, but every time the creature landed on the ground, the earth shook deeply.

 

  “I will hold the creature here by grabbing its attention. So, please run to the Valenderg camp over there. Leon should be there too.”

 

  In the midst of chaos, Sig calmly spoke and took off his cloak.

 

  “This is an item with a defensive spell on it, so don’t lose it and keep using it.”

 

  Sig placed the cloak over Britia’s head and proceeded confidently toward the location of the creature, calling out the names of the knights.

 

  “Lenny!”

 

  Although he had told her to go to the Valenderg camp, Britia couldn’t leave her family behind. However, she couldn’t see the two of them in the spot where they had been just a moment ago.

 

  “Crave!”

 

 ‘ Had they already gone to the Valenderg camp?’

 

  Hoping they had, Britia turned her body to move towards the camp, but she was pushed off balance and stumbled by the people fleeing from the creature.

 

  Unintentionally, she ended up hiding inside the cloak. She tried to get out of the cloak, but because it was so large, she was flustered and couldn’t do it properly.

 

  “Lady! Lady Britia!”

 

  Philip called out to her, and Britia looked up.

 

  “Philip!”

 

  “Lady Britia!”

 

  As Philip’s voice grew distant without hearing her reply, Britia reached her hand outside the cloak.

 

  “Philip!”

 

  At that moment, someone struck her buttocks forcefully.

 

  Was it someone’s foot that accidentally hit her? But someone repeatedly struck the same spot forcefully.

 

  “There’s someone inside!”

 

  Britia, frustrated by the repeated strikes, came out of the cloak and expressed her anger. Then she took a sharp breath and turned the cloak inside out again.

 

  “Ahh!”

 

  A large eyeball, which seemed like it shouldn’t be right in front of her, was staring at her. The beak of the blue, monstrous bird was the one that had been striking her forcefully. Thanks to the defensive spell on the cloak, she was able to avoid getting injured.

 

  “Duke-nim!”

 

  Britia, who was about to die before she could meet her family, desperately called out to Sig and tightly grasped the cloak. However, the creature, realizing the defensive spell, grabbed the cloak with its beak and swiftly tore it off. Britia, who made eye contact with the creature, quickly rolled her body to the side to evade it.

 

  Then, instead of Britia, the beak of the bird forcefully scattered the hardened earth in front of her.

 

  Britia tried to crawl away while swallowing her breath, but the monster bird’s foot grabbed the edge of her clothing.

 

  Eeeek!

 

  As the monstrous bird opened its beak wide towards her, she saw sharp teeth protruding from its throat. Trembling, Britia grabbed the bow and arrow she had placed in the quiver with her shaking hands.

 

  Britia aimed the arrow at the wide-open throat and shot. Just as she thought it had hit its mark, a small magical rune shimmered within the gaping mouth, and the arrow passed through it and disappeared.

 

  “What?”

 

  Amidst Britia’s confusion, the bird closed its mouth and then opened it wide again. The arrow that had vanished shot out from the magical rune inside the throat and flew towards her.

 

  “Aaah!”

 

  Screaming, she hastily folded her upper body to evade it. The arrow flew past the spot where her head had been and stuck into the ground.

 

  Not missing the opportunity, as the bird approached to peck at Britia’s head, arrows flew consecutively from somewhere. However, as the bird covered its head with its wings, the arrows bounced off.

 

  When the bird’s gaze shifted towards the soldiers who had shot the arrows, Britia urgently grasped the bowstring once again. The bird, which had been still as if challenging her to aim at its throat, now showed a protective stance with its wings covering its head.

 

  There’s the weakness.

 

  Britia tightly held the bow and glanced at the bird before it noticed. Her heart pounded and sweat trickled down due to tension.

 

  Holding her breath and releasing the arrow, this time it hit its mark properly.

 

  Kkieeek!

 

  The blue compound eye of the bird shook as if in agony and then it charged towards Britia.

 

  Britia gasped for breath and tried to grab the arrow again. Before her hand could touch the arrow, a thrown spear pierced through the monster bird’s throat. It was Sig’s thrown spear.

 

  “Duke-nim!”

 

  Britia had lived by her wits, but now she had no weapon in her hands. Whether realizing that fact or not, a quadrupedal creature trampled over two knights and aimed for Sig from behind.

 

  “Tear the demon’s neck apart with your bare hands.”

 

  Leon had not lied. Sig tore apart the demon with his bare hands and threw it between the knights, then rushed towards Britia.

 

  “Britia-nim!”

 

  Britia, who had been aiming her arrow with wide-open eyes, afraid that the dead monster bird might move again, finally relaxed her grip upon hearing Sig’s voice. Upon seeing him, a sudden surge of sorrow made tears well up.

 

  “Are you okay?”

 

  Sig knelt down and examined her condition.

 

  “Where are you hurt? Uh…”

 

  Sig’s words trailed off as he saw Britia, who leaned against him with her trembling shoulders.

 

  “Britia-nim.”

 

  He took off his gloves stained with the demon’s blood, tossed them to the ground, and gently wrapped his arms around Britia’s shoulders.

 

  “You have done your best.”

 

  “…Are you comforting me now?”

 

  Britia burst into a laughter mixed with tears and rested her head on his chest.