The boy that I missed dearly, a part of our family as the one who ceremoniously waits and welcomes me at the smithy in a warm and familiar manner…
He stood in front of me after being separated from us after a couple of days and as a result, I missed him truly.
In a hurry, I thoughtlessly gave the sleeping puppy to Malthur and hurriedly ran to him to give him a warm embrace.
"Nadaaaaaa!!!"
"FWA!"
I threw my body into him and we locked in a tight embrace. I gave him a welcoming hug since we have not met for a long time (according to my perception).
"Hoi! What is the big idea?! And do not give this monster this to me without a warning! I nearly exploded in surprise here!"
While cradling the sleeping monster that we have subjugated earlier, Malthur angrily protested in front of me while I am still squeezing Nada in my embrace.
"Fuuuuuummm! I cannot breathe!!!" suddenly, when I overdid my hug, Nada screeched in a cute manner.
…OH! I apologize…
I gingerly released my embrace to him and while still resting my hands on his arms, I turned my head to the irate face of Malthur and said:
"Oh, this is Nada… you do not know him since you are a sheltered noble, but he is the apprentice of Pops to the smithy. Here, Nada! Introduce yourself to my comrades!" I said to Nada while ignoring the angry grunts of Malthur.
While fidgeting with his brat-red face, Malthur bowed in the two boys and slowly said:
"It is n-nice to finally meet you, Sir Malthur of Silvos! A-Also, Sir Flemeroy "Flinston" Arsonstel… thank you for taking care of Lady Astoria!"
"…"
"Ah! Well met, Nada… though, calling me Roy is just fine! It is indeed a surprise to see you in a place like this."
Malthur went mum in the earnest and respective bowing of Nada while Roy gave his greetings to him.
To the response of the comment of Roy, Nada tilted his head and explicitly stated with a tune of declarative intent:
"Uh… I live in this village, Sir…"
Eh?
"WHAAAAT?!" I suddenly shouted in front of him.
Isn't that a surprise? He did say in his letter that his home is located outside the village. So knowing that he actually resides in the place where our first quest clearance took place… all of these were unexpected for me!
"What is the matter? Lady Astoria?" he said at me with a faint shock due to my sudden outburst.
"Eh? Nothing! I was just surprised… that is all!"
"Well regardless, I am glad that you are doing well in these days! Truly, I am happy to see you well!" he cheerily said at me with a smile…
Then gave me a respective bow as well.
"Hoi!" I suddenly said.
Really, you tend to easily forget all of those recent promises you take, huh?
Nada flinched in my cold voice as he suddenly realized that it was too late for him to retract his bow.
I swiftly then smacked his head.
"YAAAAHHHH!!!"
When he finally calmed down in his relentless massaging on his head, Nada asked us.
"So uh, what are you three doing in the village of the Swordless, Lady-Smith? Do you have a business around?"
I then explained everything from the start regarding how I just became a Myrmidon and how we experienced the troubles of reaching and discovering this odd village. In the end, I also added that we should be going back to the headquarters of boss as we just completed our first-ever quest for him.
While listening to the chronicles of my recent days, Nada kept a straight face and nodded with approval.
"Ah… I see. So you are a Myrmidon…" he said oddly.
Normally, every time that he opens his mouth, almost all of his words are accompanied with a sweet smile.
However, not this time.
When I was about to ask to him if there is something's wrong, Roy broke our conversation.
"My apologies but if you two will talk about for a long duration so that you can catch up to each other, I think that we two should head back first to the headquarters, does that sound good?"
"I will concur! I do not want to carry this ferocious monster while staring at its sleeping face! I cannot imagine what will happen if this creature will wake up." Malthur uncharacteristically agreed to Roy.
Oh sorry, my bad!
"No, it is fine! I will accompany you to the boss!" I was about to apologize to them when Nada offered his company to us.
In the end, the three of us agreed and we finally reached the headquarters of Boss.
***
Back to the Boss' headquarters.
"That is the monster that has been plaguing us for months???"
Boss idiotically stared at the sleeping puppy and with a face of precise confusion, he asked us.
"Uh, yes… we did not know exactly what was happening on its size. Believe us boss, that monster was originally gargantuan and fought viciously against us." Roy awkwardly said.
The Boss kept staring at us with profound skepticism and lowly commented:
"Hoi. You three are not playing around, correct?"
He said those exact words when he was sleep-talking with us last night.
The three of us flinched from his serious comment when I butted in on the conversation.
"C-Come on, Boss! We have no reason to lie to you! It is just… when I impaled my glowing blade to the back of the monster, it retracted its size to…this!" I said.
Also, it is surprising to see that he is not even amazed on the fact that this particular puppy has wings!
"Hmmm…" the boss paused a bit when he stared at me. "You there, girl. May I see your sword?"
The Boss required me on unsheathing this weird sword and give it to him momentarily.
I do not know… this request of his sounds dangerous in my mind. I even felt a bit disturbed when he laid his hands on the table like that, wanting me to place the blade on it.
Well, since he is the boss. I guess I will just let him…
I carefully unsheathed my sword in front of him and while gingerly holding the grip of the sword, I laid the entire sword on his table.
The moment I did that; the Boss handled the grip of my sword when-
"YAAAARRRRRGGGGG!!! IT IS HOT!!!"
See? This is what I am taking about.
This sword frequently decides to do weird things in unexpected times.
Boss jolted in pain when he touched my sword in and due to his agony, the only thing that he managed to utter are words of curses. Momentarily, when his hands and my sword made a contact, it produced a hissing sound due to an unknown reason.
"B-Boss! Are you alright?! I am terribly sorry!" I said worriedly.
Though, this your fault in asking me to give my sword to you in the first place.
The Boss tearfully tried to mend his apparently-burned hand by licking it continuously when he continued his shouting:
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT THIS SWORD OF YOURS IS SOULBOUNDED IN THE FIRST PLACE?! OWWWW!"
Huh? Souldbound?
What are you trying to imply here, Boss?
While still tending to his burned arm, he explained that some special swords are bounded to their current owners. This phenomenon occurs due to various reasons such as core natures, the Essence connection of the sword to its wielder, the sword itself, etc… but basically, if other people were to touch a "Souldbound" sword, the person's hand will be burned due to them not being the owner of the sword.
It is a sword's function of defense against unwanted thieves.
Huh… so some swords can discern their wielders…
T-That's scary!!!
Also…
When Boss was still explaining this concept to us…
"WHA!!! Does that mean that I cannot discard this sword anymore? Will it haunt my defenseless body for the rest of my life?!"
The realization hit me akin to a wagon crushing my dumbfounded body to smithereens.
I shook my head with my hand while moving from left to right when Boss spoke up.
"Do not worry, girl! That is just the blade's way of recognizing and acknowledging you as its apparent master! Indeed, as you stated it, Souldbound swords reside only from the hands of its original owner and should it be discarded, depending of the connection of the swordsfolk to its sword, it will search for its master's Essence and attach itself into them no matter how far the distance is."
I screamed in pure disbelief and hopelessness.
When I went mum on the entire conversation, Roy took care of the dialogue with outmost interest.
"Why did you want to check the sword of Tori in the first place, boss?"
"Huh? Oh that. Well, it is because I would just like to check if the sword of hers contains any restorative properties. If that was the case… well, you would be troubled for your entire life."
Hahhhhhh.
Trust me Boss, I am already troubled due to this sword the moment I laid my eyes on it.
Roy was about to react on his words but Boss asked me instead.
"Tell me, girl. Have you beckoned a familiar when you impaled the sword to the back of… this monster?" he said as he continued his serious expression.
Beckon? As in, call a figurative being or a nonexistent figure to help me? No, I did not do such a ridiculous thing.
"…Huuuuu, I did not boss." I depressingly said.
He fell from a deep thought upon hearing my reply and said:
"Regardless, I have to check some various theories about your sword! In my entire experiences and travels as a Myrmidon, I have never seen an odd-looking and sounding sword alike to yours!"
Heh… this? I do not think so.
We were about to continue our conversation when we heard a cute howl.
"WAH!" to his surprise, Malthur jumped slightly to his seat.
The dog that he has been carrying throughout this time, yawned cutely in his arms.
"S-Smitha! Here! Get this dog, now! I do not want to be attacked by this fearsome creature ever again!" he helplessly said to me.
When he heard the dramatic order of Malthur, Boss stood up in his chair and reached from a nearby bookshelf and while browsing in the compendium of his books, he told us in a pity-sounding tune:
"You three… did you really have your troubles while fighting this miniature thing?"
This guy! You have no idea how much troublesome this creature this! While you talk like that, I would like to see you combat this rampaging creature in its original form!
He found a book in his bookshelf and kept reading the said pamphlet while I was fuming in annoyance.
When I was about to raise my left hand to smack him, Boss shouted briefly in his direction when he read a portion of the book!
"AH! So that is the creature you combated against!"
I retrieved my hand back when Boss returned to his table seat. He placed a thick and ornate, yet weary-looking book and when he turned an apparent page, he said to us while showing the book in front:
"This is a rare creature that managed to stumble in our small village!"
The three of us laid our eyes in a page that contains a lot of black words written on it with an image describing the entries of the book. As for the image, it depicts a giant creature covered in a thick fur that has glorious wings on its back.
Just like the sleeping creature in Malthur's arms.
I read the entry of the book:
Hainu
Classification: Rare species
A creature once regarded as a guardian spirit, Hainus are dogs or wolves that contain a pair of majestic wings on their back. In the past, Hainus are regarded as ferocious and vicious animals that can attack unlucky prey or even humans but if domesticated, they can be loyal and loving creatures. A typical adult Hainu towers in a massive height of 25 meters (82 feet) and can still grow in its long lifespan. These creatures are wise and clever as they are capable of doing underhanded methods in combat when their lives are in danger. Known for its agile and ferocious attacks, Hainus are skillful in haunting prey and can be a troublesome opponent to combat against. In its life, these creatures are skillful in sensing dangers and incoming calamities and some even stated that they can smell the scent of evil-hearted creatures. Not only that, due to its unexplainable and ethereal fur, these animals can disappear and reappear at will and has the capacity to lessen the sound of their footsteps whenever they are walking. Due to their innate abilities and combat prowess, various Swordsfolk in the past used these creatures to accompany them in their duels and quests.
…
Huh… so its name is a Hainu.
I never head of them…
When I was done in reading the excerpt of the entry regarding this creature, Malthur further trembled in his seat while still handling the sleeping creature.
"Vicious… ferocious… guardian spirits?" he said in a shivering motion.
Hoi. Stay still! You will wake the creature!!!
Well, I just noticed from this entire hour…
He has been doing his best not to wake the creature up…until now.
When he was about to shout in a panic, the sleeping puppy stirred in its sleep and cutely opened its eyes.
Malthur on the other hand…
"…"
Ah… I think he is out with it…
The little dog yawned cutely once more and while licking its paws in an adorable manner, Malthur sat sturdily in his posture, not moving a single muscle in his body.
The puppy finally woke up- its line of sight now directed to its caretaker, and when it stared at him for a lot of seconds, the dog wagged its tail in front of us.
Wah… This is rather cute to watch.
Malthur flinched a bit in his words when the dog rang a cute cry while still continuously wagging its tail:
"Arrff! Arff!!!" it said.
"I… I think… it likes me…" he slowly said with lowered agitation.
Well, it certainly looks that way.
"OH! Can I try? Let me pet him!"
When Roy saw that the Hainu was acting friendly towards Malthur, he tried to pet the head of the dog when-
"Rafff!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr…" the dog suddenly barked.
Huh… it hates Roy?
"Shush! It definitely hates you, Redhead, so it does not acknowledge you completely! Now, keep your sophisticated noble hands to it since I am the only one that she clearly likes!!!"
Huh. What a sudden change to your attitude towards the creature that nearly killed you!
Also, how do you know that this dog is a female?
Unlike the sheer fear and panic that he has been exuding while cradling the dog on our way from headquarters, Malthur now seemed to have gotten over his trauma to the Hainu and practically now acts like they are long-lost siblings, or something of that sort. He shooed Roy in an obnoxious manner while moving his hands back and forth and continued his words:
"Look. No offense, but it seems that Bintii acknowledges me as her owner now so… if the entries of that book are accurate, this dog will guard me in my life from now on!"
Wait…
"C-Could you repeat that?" I said blankly on him.
"This dog will guard me in my life from now on?"
"No… before that."
"Ah… yes! While looking at the cute face of this puppy, I decided to name it "Bintii"! Well? Pretty unique huh?"
We all stared at him in disbelief.
What is with the naming-sense of this guy? Is he out of his common-sense right now?
Well, as a name for a killer and rare dog, 'unique' as its given calling is fitting.
In a sensual convention of naming creatures, however…
"Rif! Rif! Rif!" the dog now aptly-named Bintii barked happily.
"See? Even she seems to like it?" Malthur enthusiastically remarked.
Hm… I guess we cannot argue about that.
"Oh… very well then. I apologize, Bintii…" Roy uttered with a tone of defeat.
Wah. I am sorry to hear about that, Roy…
Instead of sulking about his crushed pride, he instead asked Boss who still reads the entries of the book.
"So uh, boss? Is this the creature that gave a troublesome time to all of you? What are you planning to do with it?"
"Hm… according to this bestiary, the Hainus are indeed vicious against humans but it mainly eats crops and leaves for its daily diet, if it still has the option. To add about its characterization, the monster is indeed invisible and well…this one can be visible and invisible at will. Given the details that this book entail, I am positive that this Hainu is the monster."
Well, thank goodness you finally agreed to our words.
"Now, in order to complete the quest… eliminate this creature!" he then added.
"WHAT?! NO!"
When Roy and I were a bit shocked from the grim order of the Boss, Malthur on the other hand, screamed in despair while locking Bintii in a tight embrace.
Really, you have grown attachment to it already?
"What else do you want me to do? This monster is a menace to the village so we have to extinguish it." Boss said ever-so casually.
"N-No!!! Never! I will not allow you to lay a finger to Bintii!"
Malthur gritted his teeth in anger as he continued his words.
"I was wrong about you, Boss! I thought, when we first met, that you are a proud, sensible, and reasonable man, but now!!! Huh. I guess I was still correct in my perception after all… I cannot trust a person on their initial presentation! Ugh! All of you are the same!!!" he said.
"Calm down, boy! Well, from the looks of it, I thought that that creature nearly killed you? Am I mistaken?"
"I-It is true b-but… but…"
Hoi. What is with the atmosphere of drama in this building?
"It is true! Bintii nearly killed me but… how can I kill an animal with a face like this?!"
Malthur shouted in front of the Boss when-
*SMACK*
"Idiot! I am not asking you to mutilate a rare creature like a Hainu! Are you out of your mind, boy? What I mean by 'eliminating' this creature is simply transfer it into another place! That is all!"
Boss smacked Malthur in the head when he was about to burst in his emotions.
WAH. That is what you get when you are overly-dramatic about everything.
In the end, we talked about our options on how to transfer the creature into one's custody. Since the Boss is entirely opposing the idea of keeping the puppy in the village, we decided to just keep it in our city. Perhaps there, we can think of other options on how to release the creature in the wild (where it belongs to.)
When that conundrum was resolved, Boss clapped his hands in front of us and said happily:
"Congratulations in clearing your first-ever quest! I know that you had it in the three of you to finish the request! The drive, the passion! Everything! I even dreamt about the three of you on seriously tackling this creature and somehow, you emerged victorious!"
That is not a dream, Boss… It actually happened. You were talking with us, remember?
"Now then, as promised, you three will be under my supervision in a limited time in order to educate you about a one and important skill that you must learn in your swordsmanship! Well, provided that you must have a rest first…" he said to us.
Right. We were not aware since it is already morning but…
If I will think about it, we three practically did not sleep the entire night.
But… I find it strange. Unlike the last time where we are extremely exhausted from patrolling in our first attempt in finding this puppy, this time, the three of us are not that tired at all!
If anything, we act like we just had a normal sleep last night!
When I was pondering about this for a moment, Cardamon dramatically crashed in the door and loudly inquired:
"Boss? Who is this peasant-looking child that is idly standing in our main hall? I cannot allow other people to just come here in the headquarters unannounced!"
Hm? Perhaps that is Nada who chose to remain in the main room while we are conversing with Boss!
Cardamon continued:
"Show yourself, child! Introduce yourself to the Boss!"
The door opened due to his irate-sounding order and what came out, is an embarrassed-looking Nada while bowing lightly to Boss.
When he was about to approach us…
"Grrrrrrrrrrr… ARF! ARF! ARF! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!"
Bintii barked angrily in front of Nada.