At a pub in the slums district.
[Chief, the report just came in now. Three of our men are dead and the rest are either heavily or just lightly injured. The beast escaped they said.]
[Tch, it's impossible to find it in the city now. Order the rest of our men to retreat. We have to ask for new instructions to catch that elusive beast.]
[There have been some skirmishes with another group with our scouts too chief. Should we obliterate them?]
[No, we must retreat immediately. Let those fools take the blame for you dunderheads' blunder.]
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Main street near the commercial district
This new world I'm living in has been always full of new things for me.
I was happy because of it tho, everyday there was something new for me to discover and fiddle with.
But this time, this phenomena in front of me really took the definition of a 'new experience' in a different level.
Right now my world has stopped.
Yes. Stopped. Everything around me has turn immobile, as if everything was turned into a photograph. Then in front of me stood an enormous being.
It looks like an oversized wolf, but it has wings on each side and crystal horns are growing from its head. It looks absolutely majestic if you ignore the fact that it's riddled with wounds and it's fur is splattered with blood, there are burn marks too in some other areas of its body. There seems to be broken chains dangling from its feet.
Fucking frightening but its absolutely awesome. Heck this is a pet of my dreams. Damn. I want to pet it so bad. But it could swallow me in on gulp.
I'm conflicted.
Should I be scared out of my wits right now or should I love this absolutely gorgeous creature.
Wait, it's wounded. Does it mean it's related to the incident on the road somehow? Damn how cool is this world…
[Child with unusual fate. I will release my restraint. Obey me and do not run away, lest I may lose my last glimmer of hope.]
The creature towering over me looked straight into my eyes and I heard those words inside my head. So it's a she… Damn telepathy really exist here, what magic is required to perform it.
As soon as she finished speaking, I felt my body lighten up and I was able to move again. But then my legs gave way because it was badly shaking.
What the f-. Is this what I've read about before? My body recognizes I'm inferior to this creature and feels fear subconsciously? Damn I can't stand up.
[You who feel no cowardly fear in front of my being and harbor no ill intent in your heart nor greed. Will you hear one request from me dear child?]
Still awestruck at the unnatural voice I kept hearing from the beast in front of me, I nodded my head a few times with some difficulty.
[I am all but a remnant of what I used to be. Blasphemous humans and halflings dared to covet my power and captured my beastkin people. They used my children's lives as a chip to capture me. But I saw through their intentions and put up a desperate fight to give my people time to escape. After an arduous battle with my loss at the end, they tied me down with these chains and restricted my power with a strange artifact.
It is but an unexpected boon to me that the vehicle they are transporting me with was suddenly attacked, and now we meet each other here. I feel my power fading away ever so faster. I who had authority over time am now unable to escape from its restraints.]
She stopped a bit to chuckle lightly as if mocking herself or just lamenting over the irony of her situation. I continued looking up to her, still unable to move.
[I have completely despised the only being that was able to handle me as his mate. But I cannot simply kill away my own child, thus I froze this little one's time. But now I can't, and I want this child to be able to experience this world that I have not and become stronger than I have ever been one day.
Will you accept my child, human boy with the most unusual fate?]
Putting my jokes aside, this seems to be super dangerous and quite a bigger responsibility than I can currently handle as I am right now but… who can refuse a possible wolf pup? Hm? I dreamed of raising wolves and lions back in Earth but I wasn't able to.
So with all that, I made the one of the decisions that changed my life the most. But we'll talk about what happened because of this on a later date.
I nodded in agreement to her request.
[You are small and weak but with a brave heart. I sense a power of similar element to mine inside you, how unusual. Very well… remember my name human child. I am Nmemosyne, the holder of the records of the past. And now I entrust the future of my child to you. I shall bestow you my gift in exchange of this great burden you have chosen to take for me. You have to live well…]
I sensed her aura growing weaker. But then suddenly lines lit up on the surface of her body as she started chanting words I cannot pronounce, and numerous magic circles appeared around her along with two bigger ones that resemble an hourglass. Light shot out from her eyes as soon as she opened it, and then she looked at me.
I felt a mildly burning sensation at my back causing me to tear up, I knelt on all fours because of the pain but still I gritted my teeth. Endure it… this is all for a S grade puppy! Imagine burying your face in that fine fur someday!
The pain started to subside as soon as the magical circles around the beast Nmemosyne shone the brightest. I had to close my eyes because it was too bright. A few moments later a was sweating so much, but I can no longer feel the burning pain, it was just a warm feeling on my back that remains.
I looked up and faced the no longing majestic looking and worn out beast in front of me. There was something like a smile visible on her face.
I tried speaking but I too was tired, but I tried mouthing the words 'Thank you', and 'I promise' towards her. She's gonna be forever in my heart, she entrusted me an S grade puppy. I'll make sure to raise her child as the most adorable dog, er, wolf in the history of this world.
Our eyes were still locked on each other so I tried conveying what I felt through it. But then, Nmemosyne's body started to lose light until her previously white fur turned grey like ash.
Her mouth opened as she started saying something with her actual voice, but I still do not understand it.
In our 'stopped' world, I suddenly felt wind blowing, I turned my head towards where the wind was coming from but saw nothing. But when I turned my head back to Nmemosyne, or what was left of her, not only her fur was colored like ash, even her previously mesmerizing eyes were grey now.
For the first time since I decided to live truthfully as Ammon in this world, I felt terribly sad. We have no relation to each other, but I felt the need to mourn her passing.
This is not like the novels and manga I have read back when I was still alive in earth. I have no cheat like power like systems, I'm not picked up as a disciple of someone absurdly powerful, nor did I pick up some heaven-defying treasure.
Even someone as obviously strong as her has met her end like this.
If I don't become strong enough, let alone doing the experiments I dreamed of, I might not even be able to leave the Ventura household and go live independently someday.
I'd end up as a failure again.
I'd be discarded again.
NO.
I will be strong in this world, this new life I have. I'll live.
Step by step, I regained my strength and moved toward Nmemosyne. And when I arrived before one of her legs, I bowed deeply.
[Thank you.] No other words came out from my mouth. There's no need for promises and flowery praises.
From now on I just have to give more than my 100% right? Didn't I love challenges when I was young too?
When I raised my hand to stroke her fur, like dandelion seeds when blown, her body too began to scatter with the wind.
She's really gone huh…
I instinctively knew how to resume the stopped time, like I was being guided, I returned to my original position and closed my eyes as I breathed deeply.
[Young master is everything alright?]
Rita looked over me with a worried face. While Flint and the other maids turned around to look at me too.
[I'm okay bis sis Rita, I just feel sad for the owners of that carriage ahead of us.]
Rita's face turned from one that was worrying, into one that was doting. The other maids seemed moved by my statement too and had the same fluffy look in their eyes. While Flint looked satisfied and was quietly nodding to himself.
[Let's go to the market big sis Rita! I'm excited to see what we can buy there!]
[Yes young master.]
I smiled at Rita and let her hold my hand as we continued making our way towards the market place.
Did I get some kind of mark on my back because of what happened earlier? Hm… How will I hide it from mother…
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Somewhere outside the western wall of Eblan
[Dammit boss! The city lord's hounds are still chasing!]
[Tch. This is the work of those Red Baron guys. They did us good to take the blame for them.]
A woman with golden hair was currently jumping through the trees that inhibit the forest just outside the city of Eblan, along with her were some of her subordinates with a few wounded. Her face was hidden with a veil, but her long ears cannot be hidden with the hood of their cloaks.
[Bleug's group has fallen and Pansy was captured boss!]
[Damn it. I'll make those bastards pay later. -like winds of the storm howling, bless us with swiftness. Haste!- C��mon I can't cast this many times, we're near my brother's corps now. Don't let anyone else die or be captured!]
With her was the group under her that was investigating the whereabouts of the Beast Guardian of Time. They arrived at the City of Eblan just after the carriage containing it was attacked, then they were spotted by the elite guards directly under the city lord, and now they were being chased by those guys.
[What dirty luck we have. Next time let's not take up tracking tasks! I'd rather fight head on than do this covert things!]