Kays Translations

Chapter 13: Garbage Dump Reopened ⑥ — That’s Why I Laugh.

It wasn’t exactly effortless, but she wasn’t straining, either.
Juicy casually lifted the block as if it were just regular luggage. After holding it up for a moment, she set it back down.

“Was it still heavy after all?” 

I asked.

“Um, this kind of weight — actually, it’s easier if I carry it one-handed!”

“Huh?”

It was true — the block wasn’t all that big.
If you could lift it at all, one hand should technically be enough.

But still, considering how heavy it had felt… And then, Juicy actually did lift it with one hand.
Amazing.

“Amazing,” I muttered.

“Ah, no, Wof-sama, you’re the amazing one! You didn’t faint or even flinch when you saw me in my Fenrir form. That’s true strength!”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Well, usually when someone sees me in my Fenrir form, they get hit by the divine aura I give off — the pressure and presence overwhelm them. Most people either feel sick, can’t move, or… woof… just faint!”

“…I-I see…”

Inside, I was a little shaken.
I had no idea. Divine aura, huh?

Maybe that’s what happened with the witch back then — she fainted from the pressure of my [Generous] form.
Come to think of it, the witch was the first person to ever see me like that.

And now that I thought about it, the sanctuary in Edda — the divine aura coming from the statue in the great temple — that must’ve been the same thing.
Also, people with a [Pseudo-Divine Relic] wouldn’t be affected.
Yeah… that explains it.

“Woof, Wof-sama! What should we do next?”

“…Right. I thought this was a dead end, but…”

I really had thought this was the end of the path.
But there was still more ahead.

“Wait here a second.” 

I said, stepping forward a little.

Just to be sure, I checked with my relic [Wheel of Fortune].
Nothing. No reaction.

My other relic, [Danger Sense], didn’t pick up anything either.
Alright — time to head back.

Maybe if I kept going I’d find something eventually, but…
For today, this was enough. Besides, I was exhausted. Not just physically, but mentally too.

I wanted to go home and rest. And eat. I was starving.

Alright — let’s go back.

…But before that, my arm — the one she’d playfully nibbled — I couldn’t just leave it like this.

I wasn’t the kind of pervert who’d thank a cute girl for drooling on me.

So, I pulled out a Holy Egg Elixir from the depths of my pouch, cracked it open, and poured just a little onto the wound.
Instant purification. Good as new.

When I got back, Juicy wagged her tail and beamed at me.

“Woof! Welcome back, Wof-sama! How was it? Did you find anything? Should we go further?”

“No. Let’s head back, Juicy. It’ll take a while, but…”

I wondered how long it had been since we got here.
I kept quiet, not wanting to think about it. By the time we got back, it’d probably be night.
Or worse — it might already be morning.

Yeah. I’d rather not think about it.

“Um, um! If that’s the case, it’s fine! Woof! I have just the thing!”

Juicy placed the block down and pulled something out from her pink pouch.

A stone. I recognized it.

It was transparent, shaped like a diamond, and the core glowed in rainbow colors.
A Return Stone.

Using it would consume the stone and teleport us back to the first floor of the dungeon.
A.k.a., a Forced Return Stone.

But something was odd. When I saw it before, it was more distorted.
And it used to be wrapped in cloth.
…Well, whatever.

“Juicy, are you sure about this?” 

“Please, go ahead! Actually, if I’m late getting back, I’ll be in real trouble!”

Ah, right — she’s a marquis’ daughter.
Of course she would.

Come to think of it, is it even okay for her to be wandering around alone like this?
Even if she’s strong, shouldn’t she have bodyguards?

While these questions were circling in my mind, I accepted the stone.
Juicy picked up the block again. Amazing.

I smashed the Return Stone against the ground.
It shattered, and our bodies faded from sight.

When the light vanished, I found myself staring at a familiar rocky ceiling.

I knew this place — the first floor.
Luckily, there was no one around.

We headed straight for the dungeon exit.

Good. Looks like we weren’t past curfew yet.
Though, oddly, I didn’t see Gauro around.

When I asked one of the other gatekeepers, they said he was on break.
Probably off getting something to eat. Maybe at the Cidre Tavern.

While I was chatting with the gatekeepers, Juicy, who’d been hiding behind me, spoke up.

She’d startled me earlier by hiding behind me the moment I walked toward them.
Reminded me of the dog I had back home — always weirdly shy around strangers.

“Um, um! This block — Wof-sama, what should we do with it?”

“…Right.”

I thought about it, but there was only one option.

The witch’s house was too far.
So the only choice was my place.

“Sorry, would you mind carrying it to my house?”

“Woof! Leave it to me — I’ll carry it!”

“Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

I couldn’t carry it myself, so there was no other way.

Normally, I’d feel pathetic and depressed over it.
But with something this heavy… unless you were a gorilla, it was impossible.

So I’d have to let it slide.

And so, Juicy and I left the dungeon behind.

I half-expected Piece or someone else to be waiting for us at the exit, but there was no one.
Good. Dealing with them would’ve been a pain.

That squad leader — I think that’s what he called himself — sure acted all high and mighty, but I doubt he had any real authority.

There’s a trick where you give someone a fancy title with no actual power to boost their loyalty and sense of importance.

Of course, the person usually doesn’t realize it’s just an empty title.
Still just a slave in the end.
A classic black company tactic.

Piece. The name’s almost like “Pierrot.”
I’ve had enough of clowns, honestly.

On the way home, I took a slightly longer route to give Juicy a little tour.

The Hero’s Statue. The Triumphal Monument. The Fountain Square. Another Hero’s Statue.
The Arch Bridge on the side path. The Bell Tower. And, yet another Hero’s Statue.

“By the way, don’t you have any bodyguards?” 

I’d assumed someone would be waiting at the dungeon entrance.

“Um, actually… I snuck out.” 

She confessed.

“…What?”

“I, um… locked my room, climbed out the window, and honestly! I only meant to pop into the dump for a quick look and head right back!”

I turned pale.

This wasn’t a joke — it could easily be seen as a kidnapping.
The words “false arrest” and “crime of disrespect” flickered through my mind.

“We—we need to hurry back. Depending on the situation, I’ll apologize too!”

“Wan!? Oh, no, no! Wof-sama, you have nothing to apologize for!”

“No, actually, I kind of do… right now, in this very moment.”

On top of the suspicion of kidnapping, there was the issue of that white-violet square block.
I couldn’t carry it myself, so I had her do it.
And not only that — I was having her carry it all the way to my house.

From the outside, it looked like I was treating a marquis’ daughter like a servant.

No matter how I tried to spin it, there was no way this wouldn’t end badly.

My second shot at life was about to come crashing down.
Nervously, but somehow without incident, we made it to my house.

“Um, is this Wof-sama’s house? It kind of looks like a warehouse!”

“You’re not wrong. Well, come on in.”

I opened the door and invited her inside.

“Um, wan. Pardon the intrusion.”

She stepped in, clearly a bit tense, her eyes darting around the room restlessly.
She looked just like a dog entering a stranger’s house for the first time.

“Um, um, there’s a small tower in the yard!”

“Ah, that’s the watchtower… well, now it’s more like the ‘illegally-occupied’ tower… Anyway, about that block.”

“Waf? Where should I put it?”

Where should I have her place it…?

Not in my room, obviously. The room next to it was the washroom, the basement wouldn’t work either… which leaves the room on the right.

“This room over here.”

I led her to the right. There were lots of wooden crates stacked around, but if I remembered right—yep, there it was.
With a small grunt, I pulled out an old, single-legged round table.

It had been here since the start, but I’d never really found a use for it, so it had just been sitting in the corner.
A few scrolls were scattered across the tabletop — kind of in the way.

I moved all the scrolls onto one of the crates and cleared the table.

“Um, is it okay to put it here? Will the table be fine?”

“If it breaks, well… I’ll figure something out then.”

Her question actually made me start to worry, but she slowly and carefully placed the white-violet square block on the table.
It creaked a little, but the block settled safely on top.

Phew, thank goodness.

“Um, um, it’s all set! Wan, I’m so glad!”

“Thank you.”

I bowed deeply — pouring both my gratitude and apology into the gesture.

In a fluster, Juicy spun around and spread her arms wide.

“Um, um, wan! Wof-sama, please raise your head! I should be the one thanking you! Today was full of firsts for me. My first time exploring the garbage dump, and it was so, so fun and exciting! And you — even when I transformed into a [Fenrir] — you weren’t afraid at all. You were the first! My heart hasn’t raced like this in ages! It’s all thanks to you, Wof-sama! I’m truly glad I met you today!”

She smiled like the sun itself, shining so brightly she seemed to sparkle like the stars.

I was overwhelmed, and honestly, embarrassed.

I wanted to reply with, “I feel the same way,” but I was too shy to say it.
I couldn’t say something so straightforward.
But I had to say something — at least let her know how I felt. I had to say something properly.

“Th-thank—”

“No way! Wof’s brought a girl into his house!?”

That voice made me turn around.
Peeking out from behind the door was a tiny face, about the size of a doll. Floating.
It was Mineha.

Why was she sneaking a peek like some kind of housekeeper spy?
No, wait — more importantly, she was clearly jumping to the wrong conclusion.

“M-Mineha-san!”

“Wan wan! A Fairial!? The real thing!”

“And in a dim place like this… what are you doing after luring her here!?”

“N-no, that’s not—”

“Wan! Wan wan wan wan!!!”

Ah — Jucy immediately sprinted over to Mineha.
Crap. She’d locked on.

“Gyaaah! What’s going on!?”

“Wan! Wan wan! Wan wan!!!”

Mineha ran around the room, chased relentlessly.
Yeah… dogs really do have this kind of instinct, huh.
Ours used to chase cats and birds all the time back home.

“You! Stop just standing there and help me! Kyaaaah!!”

“Wan wan! Wan! Wan wan! Wan wan wan wan!!!”

Juicy wasn’t even speaking human words anymore.
She was so hyped up she’d gone full dog-mode.

If I didn’t stop her soon, Mineha was going to get pounced and licked all over.

“Stop! Stay! Stay! Stayyy!!”

Just like I used to call back my dog in my past life, I managed to bring Juicy back to her senses.

She almost licked Mineha’s face. That was close.

After things finally calmed down, Mineha-san got mad.
Of course she did.

“What the heck is with this dog girl!?”

“Um, um… I-I’m sorry! My name is Juicy Tasan!”

“Tasan… as in that marquis family!? Seriously…?”

“It’s hard to believe, right? But yes, she’s the real deal.”

Unfortunately, she really was.
Mineha-san gave me an exasperated glare.

“…Why is a marquis’ daughter in a place like this?”

“I-I’m so sorry! Um, I’m also sorry for chasing you around like that!”

“Yeah, you better be. I mean, sure, I’ve been chased by cats and dogs around town before, but I never thought I’d be chased by a human.”

So she really does get chased sometimes, huh.

I quickly summarized the whole story of how I met Juicy-san.

Mineha-san listened silently, then let out a sigh.

“So basically, that was inside a dungeon, wasn’t it? And fighting a base body too… What a weird place.”

“I thought it might come to that… Looks like I was right.”

“Well, as for that strange thing you found, if anyone asks, just say I’m the one who claimed it. That way there won’t be a problem.”

“Ah, thank you. That would be a huge help.”

I felt relieved.
Juicy, who had been listening to our conversation, tilted her head in confusion.

“Waf? Um, um, Wof-sama — what does that mean?”

“Well, if you find something in a dungeon, only licensed explorers have the right to own it. But Mineha-san is a Third-Class Explorer, so if she claims it, the ownership will legally belong to her.”

“Wan! You’re an explorer!? And Third-Class!?”

“That’s right. I’m Mineha. Ten years old. Third-Class Explorer.”

“You’re the rumored youngest-ever explorer — the genius one, right!? I’m so, so surprised!”

“Genius, huh… Well, you’re not wrong. I like you.”

Mineha-san looked rather pleased with herself, completely different from the terrified girl who’d just been running for her life a moment ago.

“Um, um… thank you so much!”

Juicy’s tail wagged happily as she beamed.
Those two would probably become good friends.

That aside… it was probably about time.

“Juicy-san, isn’t it about time you head back? Won’t you be in trouble?”

“Huh?”

“Wan! Ah, yes, you’re right! I need to return!”

“I’ll walk you back.”

“Um, Wof-sama, I can’t trouble you like that. I’ll be fine on my own.”

“What, what’s going on? Wof, explain.”

“The truth is, Juicy-san snuck out without telling anyone, so she really has to hurry back.”

“Hmmm… In that case, I’ll go with her.”

“Eh? You will?”

“Um, um, I’ll be fine! Wan! I can go back by myself!”

“This city’s pretty easy to get lost in, you know. Are you fine with becoming a stray dog?”

“Waf! Um, that would be bad!”

“And besides, it’s way safer to go with a cute girl like me rather than a guy like Wof.”

Mineha hopped onto Juicy’s right shoulder.
She wasn’t wrong. A girl escorting another girl looked a lot less suspicious.

If it were me, there was a real chance I’d get arrested.

“Um, Mineha-san, thank you so much!”

“Alright, let’s go. So, where to?”

“Wan! To the noble district in the center of town!”

“The Central Noble District, huh. Figures — a marquis family.”

“Thanks for this, Mineha-san.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“Wof-sama, thank you for everything today!”

“No, I should be the one thanking you. You saved me back there, and you even carried that thing all the way here. I really appreciate it.”

She was my savior — and the one who brought me that knife.
Juicy looked a little bashful, then perked up her large wolf ears and tail.

Her gaze locked onto mine, sharp and serious.

“Um… Wof-sama, I have a request!”

“What is it?”

“Um, um… Wof-sama, I want to be your friend! Wan!”

“Of course. If you’re okay with me, I’d be happy to be friends.”

“Wan! Thank you! I’m so, so happy!”

“And since we’re friends now, you can drop the ‘-sama.’ It’s too formal.”

Friends don’t call each other ‘sama,’ right? Finally, we could talk normally.

“Wan! That’s right — now that we’re friends!”

She finally understood, still smiling brightly.

“Well then, Wof-sama! Thank you so much for today! Wan! I hope we can meet again!”

‘Well then’, huh.
I knew the chances were slim, so I just smiled.

“Yes. Let’s meet again.”

“Wan! Um, um, goodbye!”

And so, I parted ways with the marquis’ daughter — the sparkling, sun-bright idol dog girl.

But she was a marquis’ daughter.
Surely, I’d never see her again.

…Or so I thought.

But I had been far too naive.

This was only the beginning.

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