NOVEL NEXT ch12 - Hunting and Dinner☆
12: Hunting and Dinner☆
I had a terrible experience… Even though they understand what I say, Fenrirs and unicorns are still beasts…
They knock down reindeer in an instant, and blood was splattering all over the snow!
I’ve never seen slaughtering before, so it was really hard on my heart.
And Grea…
Is it okay to skewer prey with that horn of yours!? Unicorn!!
“Grea. It’s tough to see skewered rabbits right in front of me. Ugh…”
“Aren’t unicorn horns supposed to be used for healing…?”
“Is that really how you use it!?”
I’m shocked!! Really!!
And Fenrir comes running straight at me with a reindeer in its mouth… Its mouth is all covered in blood!? Oh, really…!
My consciousness cut out.
||
Mmm… My back is warm… So fluffy… It’s the best… I could sleep forever…
Good night.
I hear a gentle voice. It’s been years since I’ve been spoken to like this… No, wait… I think it was just recently…? Huh…?
El? I’m Noelle, though… Mmm…?
“You’ve slept too much.”
“Wha!?”
I feel my cheeks being pinched!? The strange sensation makes me reluctantly wake up. Ugh, this is so annoying.
In front of me is a beautiful person with purple hair… Wait, who is this?
“This must be a dream. I’d rather stay in bed!”
I collapse into the fluffy bedding. Oh, this is the best! I’m in love with my bed! This is it.
“Lord Fenrir! Please pull yourself together! You are a noble being!”
Huh? Fenrir…?
As I slowly open my eyes and look around, I see a large wolf’s head facing me, and oh… My head is finally waking up.
“Good morning, Fenrir.”
…Ah, these words have a power that soothes me to no end.
“You’re far too sentimental. Honestly. You were tossing and turning in your sleep.”
The purple-haired person is picking up pearls and placing them in my hand. He’s wearing a necklace with the same pearls around his neck.
“…………Graya?”
“Yes?”
“This necklace, is it the same as the reins?”
“Please ask your own chest about that.”
“Eeeeeeh?”
So it’s the reins after all! He’s wearing the reins around his neck! Graya, you’re hilarious! Oh, sorry. I mean, not that!
“I’m really sorry for the grim expression. I didn’t mean to—”
“Why are you in human form!?”
“Oh, high-level magical beings can transform into human forms. Didn’t you know about the Winter Princess from another world? The reason for the human form is to safely carry you, who had fainted.”
“…………Come to think of it, I vaguely remember something like that happening?”
I recalled the gruesome hunting scenes. Ah, I remember most of it now.
Oh! What about those blood-soaked game animals…? Sniffing around, I can still catch a hint of blood in the air… I keep staring at Graya’s forehead.
“What’s the matter?”
“I was wondering why the unicorn horn hasn’t appeared…”
“Having that horn would be inconvenient in human form. It’s easy to bump into things and makes my head heavy.”
Graya lifts his bangs, revealing a hexagram mark on his forehead.
“Uh, I mean, nice storage.”
That’s all I could manage to say, and I was met with a derisive laugh. Graya is incredibly beautiful, but there’s still a distinct Graya vibe. There’s an undeniable sense of his unique personality. Graya’s horse ears are perked up, and I find myself fascinated, wondering how they move.
“Hey, can Fenrir also transform into human form?”
“Wow! I’d love to see that.”
I feel like my eyes are sparkling right now. Because a stunning silver-haired lady will surely appear! Or maybe an older lady or grandmother. She’ll be beautiful, I’m sure.
Fenrir took a moment to think.
“I love you…”
So gentle! I happily buried myself in Fenrir’s soft belly fur. But my stomach growls loudly. Ugh, it’s just a physiological response to hunger, nothing I can do about it.
I feel like the beasts are smirking slightly. That ominous feeling makes my cheeks twitch.
“Here.”
“Eeeeeek!”
“We have the butchered rabbit and reindeer meat.”
“Ah… well, that’s fine…”
“I see. Then please do something about that foolish posture. And your scream was quite vulgar.”
“Harsh!”
But I have to admit that the pose with my head buried in Fenrir’s side and my arms and knees up does look foolish. It’s basically a crumpled frog pose. I guess I’ll straighten up. Forgive the scream. It’s just a physiological response. …Ugh, Graya’s mocking expression!
“Is it really necessary to enjoy my blunder like that?”
“It’s merely educational guidance.”
That’s a perspective that leaves me speechless! Ugh!
Fenrir is trembling. Oh, was it ticklish because I was rubbing his head? Sorry about that.
“Thanks to Lady Fenrir’s mercy, it’s been prepared in a way that should suit humans. I’ve cut it into portions myself.”
“Thank you so much!”
I felt like I had to express my gratitude properly, so I ended up looking like a pouting child. I guess it was a bit of overacting. I’ll reflect on that.
By the way, a crucial question:
“I’m not very accustomed to eating raw meat… Can’t it be cooked thoroughly?”
“Really!? Ugh, but raw is… ugh…”
“Shall I cook it then? I assumed that would be the case for humans. Here’s a petchka fruit.”
Graya pulled out a round fruit with red and orange patterns. They made a ring of larger stones, cracked the fruit open, and the seeds began popping. It looked like a pomegranate inside. After a while, it ignited.
“Wow!”
“The fruit will burn for about ten minutes once cracked, so we use it to keep the fire going. This is also a gift of winter. The petchka trees, which grow everywhere, are a consideration from Lady Fenrir to ensure that even if one gets lost in the snowy mountains, they can manage somehow.”
“That’s amazing! Fenrir really is kind.”
Fenrir’s face is illuminated by the flames, casting a warm glow. The fur takes on a slightly reddish tint, which is also very beautiful.
“Aren’t you hot? Your fur is as white as snow…”
I blinked in surprise.
“M-Me? Even though I’m so… spoiled?”
Upon hearing this, I found myself staring at Graya instead of Fenrir. Why? Me?
“Well, the winter you called forth brings such wonderful blessings.”
I felt my heart racing with his positive affirmation. …Ah, perhaps I was trying to hurt myself again with self-deprecation, thinking Graya might say something harsh. It’s really rude to both of them and to myself.
“Then, what should I do?”
I looked straight at both of them.
“Well, I’m happy. Thank you.”
I think I managed to smile quite naturally. Pearls began to gather on my lap. Fenrir and Graya quietly stayed close to me. The pearls once again formed a double-strand bracelet.
The rabbit meat on the skewer sizzled as it roasted over the fire.
“Winter Princess needs to be well so that everyone can avoid trouble.”
I took a bite of the nicely roasted meat. The warmth slowly spread from my stomach.
“Thank you for the meal.”