The Strongest Wizard Becomes a Countryside Guardsman After Taking an Arrow to the Knee

Chapter 80 – Summer’s End

It was several days after the demon attacked. Mulg was at peace.

No new demon came to attack us. All of the magic monsters that were scared into our area had returned.

That day, as I woke and went outside, the wind had a bit of chill in it.

My knee hurt from the cold air.

Shiggy stayed on my chest as usual inside the carrier.

「Summer’s over.」

「ryaa」

Siggy made a happy sound and happily flapped its wings.

It may be that the child of the archduke of the dragons that lived at the northern pole liked winter.

I rubbed my aching knee.

Shiggy watched me with interest.

Femm and Moofy approached as well.

They sniffed away at the cold air.

『Winter will make it difficult to hunt!』

「Moo Moo!」

Femm and Moofy didn’t seem happy about the approaching winter.

Moofy was a sacred animal so it wouldn’t die if it didn’t eat. Even so, since it was an animal, it remembered when it had to eat.

「Moofy and you have plenty of food to eat.」

『Yeah, but still…』

There was still tons of earth dragon meat in storage. The wolves could eat that without having to hunt the whole winter.

Even so, Femm looked worried.

Quite a few monsters didn’t make it through the winter.

Magic beasts must feel the same way.

「You also have that wolf house that Vi-Vi protected with magic circles. You won’t get cold there.」

「Ruff.」

「And if you need anything, just ask.」

『Thanks.』

While we were talking, Vi-Vi and Collette approached us.

They had woken up earlier and went to tend to the field.

Vi-Vi had three wolves with her.

「Vi-Vi and Collette, good morning!」

「Good morning, old man!」

「Al, you’re up late!」

Vi-Vi had a straw hat on with overalls that farmers wear as well.

She was ready to farm.

「Old man!」

「Wow! You’re active this morning, Collette!」

Collette jumped up on me and grabbed tight.

Collette was laughing loudly and smiling.

「rya ryaaa」

「Shiggy is happy today!」

Shiggy flapped its wings, and rubbed its head into Collette.

Collette patted Shiggy’s head.

「Vi-Vi, did you go with the wolves to look around the field?」

「NO! These doggies just followed me there!」

Vi-Vi tried to chase away the wolves.

The wolves jumped around and on Vi-Vi. They probably thought she was playing a game with them.

「Stop it!」

「Ruff Wuff」「Bark!」

The wolves were bigger than Vi-Vi.

One of them put its front paws on Vi-Vi’s shoulder and licked her.

The other two rubbed up against her.

She grabbed its paws and dropped it to the ground.

「Fine! I’ll pet you then, but could you stop licking me!?」

「Ruff?」

Vi-Vi petted them all in turn. They looked a bit surprised.

They might have been surprised that Vi-Vi petted them.

But they still wagged their tails.

「Vi-Vi, you’re not scared of the wolves?」

「No way! I never was scared of them!」

「Really?」

「YEAH!」

Lately, Femm and Vi-Vi slept near each other a lot. She would go hunting with them quite a bit too.

Maybe she was used to them now.

It was a great thing that she finally was.

I sat down outside my front door. The ground was cool.

Vi-Vi and Collette sat nearby.

After a bit, Cruz came out.

Cruz was always quick at waking up.

「Good Morning!」

「Morning, Cruz.」

After she greeted me, she laid down and put her head on my thigh.

She was using my knees as her pillow.

「Are you going to sleep after just waking up?」

「Heh he」

Maybe she was still sleepy.

I patted her head.

The wolves quickly came over and started sniffing Cruz.

「ryaaa」

Just then, Shiggy jumped out of my carrier and onto the ground.

It bounced around, touching my legs.

Until now, Shiggy had never jumped down from me on its own.

「Shiggy. I’ll watch you, so walk around wherever you want near here.」

「ryaaa」

Shiggy carefully walked around, and after a few steps, came back to me.

The little wolf children walked around and checked out Shiggy. They sniffed it.

I had never seen Shiggy willingly jump off of me and walk around before.

「Shiggy, I’ll watch you from here, so stay in this area.」

「ryaa」

Shiggy fearfully walked around a bit, and after a few steps, returned.

All of the wolf pups cam close to Shiggy. They sniffed it.

Then Femm came and stood behind all of them.

「Wuff!」

「ryaaa」

Shiggy flapped its wings, and then sniffed the pups back.

「This is Shiggy, take good care of it.」

「Wuff」「Ruff bark」

I then rubbed the pups’ heads.

Femm and the pups and Shiggy all spend a while smelling each other.

『Looks like they’re getting along.』

「Thanks for taking to Shiggy, Femm.」

「Wuff!」

As the pups approached Shiggy closer, Femm came up close behind them.

Maybe to stop them if they went too far.

As she was lying on my knees, she suddenly grabbed Shiggy.

「Shiggy! You can walk on your own!」

「ryaa!」

She lifted Shiggy onto her chest and petted it. Shiggy didn’t struggle.

「Shiggy usually freaks out until I hold it.」

「Heh heh, you jealous?」

「No, just happy it’s growing up.」

「Really?」

This baby grew quickly.

Even though I knew it would, it was emotional seeing it happen.

「Hey, let me hold it!」Vi-Vi said.

「Me too!」Collette said.

「I think I should be the one to hold it.」Luka said.

Along with Vi-Vi and Collette, Luka suddenly joined us and said.

Looks like they were seeing who Shiggy would go to first.

I was thinking maybe they should draw lots for it or something.

「Okay, everyone! Breakfast is ready!」

Millet came and said, scooping Shiggy up.

「「「HEY!」」」

「ryaaa」

Shiggy didn’t look troubled by it though.

It flapped its wings, and stuck its head right into Millet’s cleavage.

「Geez! It’s not like I have milk for you or something!」

「ryaaa!」

Shiggy was making noises while its head was stuck in her cleavage. I bet it like being squished by soft things.

Millet didn’t look too put out by it either.

「You really like to be babied, Shiggy.」

「You can come to Mama Yureena if you want Shiggy!」

Yureena approached and said, with arms extended.

But Shiggy didn’t budge from Millet’s cleavage.

「Seems like it likes Mama Millet better, right, Mister Al?」

「I…guess?」

We needed to get off this topic. It was a bit uncomfortable.

After that, all of them held Shiggy for a time.

Autumn was coming, and Shiggy would grow.

And I would be the one to help it grow instead of the ancient dragon that unfortunately left it behind.

I looked back at the seal ring that was on my right ring finger.