Chapter 9: Chapter Nine – Companions

“HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

 

My ears stung a little from the high-pitched howl, but damn was it effective!  A slew of upside down Bat-bats fell right off their perches and to the floor, stunned.

 

I rushed over and with the butt of Relenna’s Regret, the spear that once belonged to my former Red Hawks companion and Lancer, Relenna, and slammed it down repeatedly, breaking the necks of as many bats as I could before they recovered.

 

Sandy, my Darkwolf companion made from the Essence of Canus Orb and a bit of my own blood also did her part, biting the necks in a similar way.

 

This wasn’t the first batch of Bat-bats we’ve killed together today, but training her to keep the Bat-bats in saleable condition was worth the effort.  After all, money is food.

 

Sandy has proven herself to be quite capable of avoiding injury.  She’d even taken down a Kobold exactly how she would have taken me down, if not for bad luck with being impaled on my spear yesterday on the third floor where I found her.

 

I had my doubts at first if it was the same Darkwolf, but I was certain now that it was.  I also have the ability to see it’s status as well, and for a good reason.

 

【Name:  Sandy Heart】

【Age: 3】【Sex: Female】

【Randell’s Companion】

【Race:  Darkwolf Matriarch】 

【Level:  02↑(New!)】

【To Next Level:  52 EXP】

【Unique Skill:  Pack Leader】

【Chosen Skills: (1) 0 Points Unspent】

【Dominating Howl Lv2】

【Status: (10) 0 Points Unspent】

【Power:  7+4】

【Dexterity: 7+5】

【Vitality: 5】

【Mentality: 5+1】

【Faith: 1】

 

Yep, that’s her stat sheet.  It turns out that she’s a girl after all.  Made me glad I didn’t end up naming her Rusty after my old grandpa of a pet dog when I was a kid.  I was surprised about her being a Darkwolf Matriarch, but I guess in the wake of things, the Variant Darkwolf was much stronger than her, so it must have taken her position over.

 

Even though she wasn’t added to my party, I guess she’s considered some kind of summon or pet by the dungeon, because we’re able to share experience points.  Her status says she’s my companion, and well, that’s good enough for me.

 

I’ve also made zero contributions to her skills or her status.  If I had to say, she’s decided on her own growth.  I don’t know if that is normal or not, since I’ve only come across someone with something like a beast-taming class once before, but they were a member of a high-level party and as I’ve mentioned before, being such a low rank means I’m nothing more than a guild rat.

 

I didn’t want to risk an accidental confrontation and end up offending a high leveled member of some other party for no good reason.  If there was someone closer to my rank or level that did the same, I would be sure to ask them about it though.

 

Then, there’s also the other thing…

 

The endowment skill I was given by Kokoro last night, Treasure Sense.  It’s a passive skill, so it’s always active.  It’s not like a mini-map or anything, just more of a conscious pull in a specific direction.  A direc line from where I’m at, to where something considered valuable is.  In the case of the first floor that means treasure chests, which appear with some frequency on every floor according to the Dungeoneer’s Guild.

 

When a treasure chest is looted, it takes roughly five minutes for it to disappear.  While the reason for that phenomenon isn’t exactly known, it’s believed to be so that new chest can continue to spawn with other items.  Rooms with treasure chests are also always guarded by monsters.

 

I imagine the dungeon doesn’t believe in giving out freebies, even though the items in it are almost always from divers who foolishly abandon their items behind as they fled, or met their end.

 

Yes, there are divers who die on the first floor.  Most of the time it’s to things like Kobolds or Bat-bats.  Hell Turtles for the most part… you gotta be real special to die to one of them, and Jellies…  Jellies dissolve and suffocate.  Anyone with any sense of self-preservation can basically escape from one.

 

They’re the most basic enemy, and unlike later versions of it called Slimes, jellies don’t have a core or a nucleus you have to hit.

 

Jellies just go pop and splat.

 

They are also only worth HALF of an experience point.  To my knowledge, they are the only enemy that has such a fractional value.  They aren’t worth much and they really only exist to get a person over the hurdle of the first level, which is a meager twenty experience points.

 

Pop twenty balloons and win a prize!

 

Heh.

 

Why is it right now I want to see Duster in a black top hat standing in a stall and trying to solicit kids to pop balloons with darts now?  He’d be a perfect fit for the job!

 

Whoops, that was a random thought.

 

The area I was being pulled to ended up being a long and narrow room filled with about six or seven kobolds.  Sandy had received a fresh buff after the last group of Bat-bats and she immediately howled and took off.

 

She’s quite graceful in her movements.

 

Darting between the bipedal half-god like goblinkind, she practically flew through the air and slashed at their necks, killing most, if not all of them, instantly.  When she was done with her assault, she proudly sauntered back to me and received a praising head scratch.

 

She likes being scratched behind the ears the most.

 

Who’s a good wolfie?  That’s right, Sandy’s a good wolfie!

 

Opening the chest revealed nothing all that special.  An axe, and a turtle shield.  Not even any coins.  Why is it that there are almost never any coins in treasure chests in this dungeon?  It’s just frustrating sometimes.

 

Drop me a damn Large silver already!

 

I want to see my baby tonight.

 

Actually, I have enough to see her anyway, but still…

 

I didn’t feel comfortable taking Sandy to the second floor yet.  I also wanted some kind of ranged attack.  Sandy’s great at being the vanguard, sort of in our duo, but I want to be able to provide her additional support.  The same goes for when I’m with Gonzo, Teresa, and her skeletal summoned-husband Duster.

 

I miss his clack.

 

“Ouu!”  Sandy's playful howls are cute too.

 

Dungeon diving is stressful work, and having something to keep entertained by is paramount to retaining sanity.  There’s no fixed paycheck, and commission jobs are the worst when there are no big-ticket items to sell.

 

Sandy and I hunted on the first floor for a couple of hours before I decided we needed a change of pace.

 

“Want to get a bite to eat and some fresh air outside for a bit?”

 

“Ouuuuuu!”

 

I took that as a yes.  We made for the entrance and exited the dungeon together.  Looking up at the sky, it wasn’t yet midday.  Visiting the same stall from earlier, the vendor was happy to greet me.

 

“Six, please.”

 

I handed over the copper and received the skewers.  I should invest in something like a doggy bowl so Sandy doesn’t have to eat off the ground.  I handed it directly to her mouth, but well, she’s a wolf.  It ended up on the ground and she ate it happily all the same, even if it had the added flavor of dirt.

 

Two for me, four for her, because she did most of the work in there.  While she’s not my employee, I do believe she should be rewarded in equal proportion to her effort.  While my Darkwolf companion devoured the food, I found myself worried about something.

 

Would the Blue Robin Inn accept… pets?

 

It’s not that she’s my pet.  It’s clearly stated in her status that she’s my companion.  It’s just that she’s also an animal, and people tend to generalize things on their own.  I also have no idea if she’s uh… trained to go indoors.

 

“Sandy, when you’re done, we need to go somewhere else.”

 

She looked up at me neutrally with her head tilted to the side as she dutifully did her best to bite off a chunk of meat and devour it.

 

Yeah, I feel the same way.

 

“Picked up a stray, Randell?” The stall uncle asked me while waiting for Sandy to finish.  “I bet Marta would have liked her.”

 

This food stall uncle was introduced to me by Marta, my former companion and the Mage of the 「Red Hawks」 party.  She was the person to teach me about so many things I didn’t know, and even though it’s barely been a week since she’s died, I do miss her always being there to explain things to me.

 

“Oh, did she say she liked wolves?”

 

“Wolf?” The vendor opened his eyes wide, “That isn’t a Dog?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“This is Sandy.  She’s my reliable Darkwolf Companion.”

 

“A Darkwolf?  So that’s what they look like…”

 

Of course this uncle wouldn’t know.  What reason do non-combatants have to dive into such a dangerous place?  Heck, until yesterday I didn’t know what one looked like either!

 

“So, you say Marta would have liked her?”

 

“A-aa… The little missy often fed stray animals.  I can’t say I’m happy she felt my food was better given to dogs, but she had a kind heart.”

 

“Oh, you’ve got it wrong.  Your food’s great!  It’s so great that it’s a reward for my friend here working hard today in the dungeon with me.”

 

He laughed from his belly.

 

“Oh, so that’s how it is!  She was just wanting to spoil those strays!  Ha ha ha!”

 

“Seems like it.” I surmised.

 

I ordered a few more meaty skewers for the road, since I did plan on going back in the dungeon after making a quick stop at the Inn where I lodged.  When I arrived, I saw Rennifel sitting down at a table looking a lot like I did when she stumbled across me.

 

Sandy was right alongside me.

 

“Hey, Rennifel. You alright?  Not trying to be rude, but you look pretty down.”

 

She was staring into a half-empty mug of ale.  She downed it quickly then looked up at me.

 

“I lost a good business opportunity.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“The party whom I was making food for late at night, Golden Arrow… They suffered a wipe.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I answered automatically.

 

She shrugged.

 

“For me, I only lost a few coins… It’s them who lost everything.”

 

She spat out the facts with no sugar coating.

 

“Was there something else you wanted to talk with me about?  Pardon the rudeness coming from me, but I wanna get tossed right now.”

 

“I was looking for your mother, but maybe you can answer my question.  Does the Blue Robin allow animals?”

 

“Animals?”

 

She looked down finally and saw my four-legged companion.

 

“A stray dog?” she asked.

 

“Not at all, nor a dog.  She’s a well behaved companion of mine, an intelligent Darkwolf.  Her name is Sandy.”

 

“A Darkwolf… I know that we’ve allowed pets before from time to time, but usually small and tame ones.  I don’t know if mother would be alright with it.”

 

“If I can prove she’s safe enough, could she stay with me in my room?  I don’t mind paying a little extra.”

 

Rennifel turned in her seat and looked down at Sandy.

 

“Do you want to stay with Randell, pup?”

 

“Ouu!”

 

Then the Inn’s daughter stuck out her hand, open-palmed.

 

“Can you let me hold your paw?”

 

Sandy lifted her front paw and placed it on her hand.

 

“Can I pet you?”

 

“Ouuu!” Sandy answered happily and stepped forwards nuzzling her with her head.  Rennifel gave her furry body some intense stroking.

 

I think it was secretly a ploy for some furry healing.

 

Rennifel eventually came back to the real world, making a decision on her own.

 

“I’ll try and convince my mother.  She seems safe enough.”

 

“Thanks.  Also, you might not have to give up that business opportunity.  Sandy has a big appetite, doesn’t she?”

 

“Ouuu!”

 

“Renegotiating our deal, Mister Randell?”

 

“You can just give me a new estimate if she’s allowed to stay.”

 

That seemed to put some life back into her eyes.

 

“What if I can’t persuade my mother?”

 

I looked down at Sandy.  “I don’t know.  But she’s my companion now… so I’ll have to figure out something.”

 

Rennifel said she’d do what she could for me, and that in the meantime I was free to take Sandy to my room if I wanted.  I also had another problem imminent, which was mainly what to do with Sandy when I went to visit my wife at the brothel.

 

As for the reason why her mother, the Inn’s Missus, wasn’t around, was simple:  She simply had a great arse, and needed to remind her husband of this fact.

 

With Sandy following behind, I showed her my room.  She immediately started sniffing and her nose led her to my bed.  She then climbed on it and laid down comfortably.

 

“It’s not much, but it’s home for me right now.”

 

“Ouu!”

 

“Would you be alright sleeping here in the future?”

 

“Ouu!”

 

“Okay.  Don’t get too comfortable.  We’re going back to the dungeon in a little bit.”

 

She opened her mouth wide and yawned, crossing her paws and resting her head upon them.  I decided that tomorrow I would be commissioning a few things for her, namely, bowls for food and water.  One set for here in our room, and one for me to take along in my item box for when we’re in the dungeon.

 

 Since we were taking a break, I took out the Grimoire written by Hong Feng and continued reading it.  The only thing outside of the complicated parts, which were now everywhere was that he finally stated what his class was.

 

【Creator】

 

『…It was after a year long deliberation with a severe delusion that I settled on this class.  It was only possible to do so once I overcame what the Unified Temple called the Crisis of Faith.  For me it was a sobering experience, because the crisis I underwent wasn’t something I ever thought possible.  It’s important to always keep an open mind, Inheritor.  Please trust these words as one who hails from the Eternal East.  The land of science, logic, and reasoning, as you must surely also be…』

 

Then a little further in, I struck gold.

 

『…I was late in discovering it, but there is a Skill called Vitamancy which has proven to be a godsend.  It’s a Skill which governs those which have been created from the Condensed Essence and my blood and binds them to me.  Much like how the Necromancers can control their undead, it allows a connection to be established and lessens my worry that one of them will turn on me.  Vitamancy succeeded where Taming did not.  Alas, I do not feel like those skill points were wasted, but there is a significant difference in the progeny I have created and a normal beast native to this world…』

 

So, long story short, Vitamancy will make it so that I’m not arbitrarily attacked by Sandy?

 

While I figured we were somehow on the same wavelength already, was it only because I had the Vitamancy skill in the first place?  Was this why I was entrusted with the Essence of Canus from her original body on the third floor?

 

I closed the book, feeling I reached a good place to stop.  I folded the corner for future reference and put the book away.

 

“Sandy, are you awake?”

 

“Wooh.”

 

She responded with a lazy bark.

 

“Let’s go back to the dungeon.  Just a couple more hours, and we’ve got a mission.  We’re looking for a girl named Melody.  She uses a bow and arrow.”

 

“Ouu?”

 

“Uh… Don’t worry about it.  Just if you can sniff or sense where other people on the floor are, can you lead us in that direction?”

 

“Ouuu!”

 

“Alright, let’s get going then!”

 

I opened the door and waited as Sandy stretched and then hopped off my bed.  I wonder if she shed any fur?  If this is truly my nineteen year old body then it’s not a problem.  I didn’t have any allergies to pet fur or dander back then.

 

When I left my room, Rennifel was still out in the main commons.

 

“Heading out?”

 

“Yeah.  Sandy had a nice rest on a soft bed.  I think she approves.”

 

“I’ll let mom know.”

 

“Also, I learned something just now.  I have a skill that acts similar to one that tames beasts, so I can pretty much assure you that Sandy won’t attack anyone, even by accident.”

 

“That’s good to know.  I’ll let my mother know.”

 

“I’m going to see if I can find Melody.  Anything you want me to relay to her from you?”

 

“Just that if she wants to talk with someone about it, I’m available.”

 

I nodded then turned away, heading for the front door, nearly forgetting something vitally important.

 

“Rennifel.  How would you feel about watching Sandy for about two hours tonight?  Even if she can’t stay here, I’ll pay you a Large copper for the inconvenience.”

 

“You can count on it.  I’ll take her when I heat your bath.  I take it you’re going to see a lady?”

 

“I’d appreciate that, thanks.  And yeah, she’s a special lady.”

 

She waved me off and I returned to the dungeon with my rested Darkwolf companion.  It was much the same as usual on the first floor, splat jellies, howl at bats and kill them without damaging the fur.  I managed to kill a few Hell Turtles with Relenna’s Regret and stowed them away for good measure.

 

I tried letting Sandy have a go at one, but it turtled up immediately and her claws had little effect on it’s shell.  So I decided it was inefficient to go out of the way to fight them, and limited our hunting mainly to Bat-bats.  The rest were just experience fodder for us.  To be honest, I felt like we could survive on the second floor. But I still didn’t want to risk it.   

 

With her keen nose, she managed to lead me to many different parties roaming on the first floor, but aside from me, there was only one other person going solo, and they were back near the entrance when we entered.

 

A few parties were wary of me, but I did get a good response from a number of women from the open parties who wanted to know if they could pet Sandy.  I didn’t feel any sense of annoyance from the Darkwolf that she didn’t enjoy it, so I let them.

 

I also pressed them casually to see if they had seen anyone matching the description of Melody, the Archer who was supposed to be down here hunting solo.

 

One party I managed to strike gold with.  They saw her close to the first floor Boss Room.  So, that’s where we headed, sandy in the lead.  When we were only a few rooms away, there was a loud scream that carried.

 

It sounded feminine to me.

 

“Let’s hurry!”

 

“Ouuu!”

 

Sandy and I dashed towards the direction of the scream and we came upon a grisly scene.  Right in front of the Boss Room door was a male diver on the ground with an arrow sticking out of him, and two more men and one woman who looked to be all together in a party facing off in a standstill against a lone female Archer.  We quickly went to her side.

 

“Are you okay, Melody?”

 

She seemed surprised I called her by name.

 

“Myria and Rennifel sent me to look for you.”

 

Her bow was drawn and an arrow was nocked in it.  Her bow was trained on the three facing her, but it was obvious she was tense about me being there too.

 

“Who are you?” she demanded to know.

 

“Randell.  Leader of the Red Hawks and my Darkwolf here is Sandy.”

 

“Hooooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!”

 

Sandy’s howl triggered her skill and everyone was forced to endure the noise or cover their ears.

 

While they were momentarily disoriented, I grabbed hold of her arm and dragged her into the boss room.   As we entered together along with Sandy, the dungeon temporarily recognized us as a party.

 

“Why’d you do that?” She yelled at me suddenly.

 

“You looked like you were in a tight spot.”

 

She sighed.

 

“I owe both Myria and Rennifel.  They told me to keep an eye out for you.”

 

“Huh?  Why?”

 

“Didn’t your party wipe?”

 

“Yeah, so?  I warned them that they weren’t ready.”

 

“Still.  They had reason to be concerned about you.  I also had my party wipe a few days ago.”

 

“Are you trying to be sympathetic with me?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“No.  In fact, if you tell me to get lost, I will.  But like I said, I’m a friend of both of them, and owe those two some favors.  Since it looked to me like you were in a tight spot, I figured I’d help, that’s all.”

 

She took a few steps back, only slightly letting her guard down.

 

“Okay, so, you dragged me in here to fight the Hell Mother?”

 

“She’s easy.”

 

“Easy?”

 

I felt confident.

 

“Just wait a moment, okay?”

 

I had Relenna’s Regret out and Sandy was by my side.  I began to channel Grace of the Whirlwind on each of us, and then I told Sandy my plan.  Just harass the Hell Mother until it turtled up.  Then I’d handle the rest.

 

A confirming howl let me know she understood.

 

“Be right back.”

 

Both Sandy and I sped forward and she bit and raked at its tail and shell and I thrust my spear at it’s feet.  The plan was to keep away from her head until it tucked in, if only because Hell Mother is a type of snapping turtle, and it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

Sandy began copying me, going around and raking and biting at the boss turtle’s leg with her fangs and claws.

 

I thought we were getting there when suddenly the Boss collapsed.  It was for a very simple reason.  An arrow was protruding from it’s head.  Melody had no problem landing a fatal shot in one blow.

 

I felt a bit… unheroic.  I hope Sandy wasn’t too disappointed in my failed bravado.

 

“What the hell were you doing?” she mocked me.

 

“Playing it safe.  If I got its head to turtle, then I could have run it through with my spear.  Since it has a long neck, I was trying to also avoid being counter attacked.”

 

“Isn’t that too complicated?  It’s just Hell Mother…”

 

“The other day my party and I were in a fight with its variant.  It moved fast as hell even after I gave our party’s fighter my best speed buff.”

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“Anyway, the way is clear now so we can exit and take the portal out.”

 

“What makes you think I’m going with you?”

 

“…you’re right.  I have no reason to force you to come with me.  I’m not a bad guy like that.  Anyway, Rennifel wanted me to pass along a message, so I’ll do that right now and get going.  If you need to talk, she’s free to listen.  That’s it.  Take care of yourself, okay?  I was pretty messed up after my party wipe too.”

 

I touched the Hell Mother and let it enter the Divine Treasury. Then I headed towards the door to the next floor.  When I opened it, I heard her call out for me to wait a moment.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“To the guild to turn in what we hunted.  After that, it’s back to the Blue Robin Inn to rest for a bit and then take a hot bath afterwards.”

 

“…”

 

I continued on and found she was right behind us.

 

We used the teleportation circle to return to the entrance.  Sandy and I continued on to the Guild.  The Archer, Melody, was following a few paces behind us without saying a word.

 

Now, Melody had the ability to draw eyes to herself, and for the most obvious of reasons whether she was aware of it or not.

 

Melody had an absurdly huge chest.

 

Absurdly.  Huge.

 

I don’t know enough about bra measurements, having been devoid of female relationships on Earth, but I was almost certain they were bigger than what could probably be purchased freely to fit them in a common retail store such as Ceiling-Mart.

 

They were that big.

 

It was to the point that I don’t know how it didn’t interfere with her archery.

 

It’s not like it’s my problem though.  I have a cute pair waiting to comfort me later tonight, so I have no need of any others.  It’s entirely likely that’s part of the reason why she was in that situation before.

 

No matter what world I find myself in, humans are all the same.

 

Entering the guild, it was time for most parties who began early to return and submit their proofs and the like, so it took a few minutes in a queue before it was my turn to see Myria, the receptionist.  “Done for the day, Randell?  Oh, you found Melody!”

 

“Hey, Myria.  Did you really have to send this guy to search for me?” Melody voiced her complaint openly to the friendly receptionist.

 

“Yes.  He’s someone I wanted you to meet as a soon as possible.  Actually, I wanted to introduce you to him sooner, but you’ve been hard to get ahold of.”

 

“That’s because those guys hunted at strange hours.  So, what’s your reason for wanting to introduce me to this weird guy?”

 

“You were unhappy in the Golden Arrow party, weren’t you?”

 

“So?”

 

“Randell’s party, the Red Hawks are looking for someone with your skills.  The team composition isn’t bad, and Randell is a good man along with being a reliable support.”

 

“Ouuu!”

 

Myria peeked over the counter.

 

“Randell… why is there a darkwolf there?”

 

“She’s my new companion, Sandy.   Sandy, this is my friend, Myria.  Say hello to her.”

 

“Ooouuuu!”

 

“She followed you out of the dungeon?”

 

I shook my head.

 

“Is this going to require another… conversation?”

 

By that she meant did I need her to do a spirit swear before explaining it all to her.  I didn’t think it was necessary if I kept the actual answer a bit vague.

 

“Let’s say that she’s no different from Duster thanks to a skill I picked up.”

 

“Oh, so it’s that kind of companion.  Then it’s fine.  Are you turning in some drops today?”

 

“Yeah.  Mostly Bat-bats, since I kept to the first floor as well working with Sandy.”

 

“It’s… not a crazy amount, is it?”

 

I shrugged.

 

“Nothing like yesterday, that’s for sure.”

 

She breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Shall we go see the boss at the warehouse out back?  If it’s a reasonable amount, I can handle the count and pay you out for the subjugation now.”

 

“I’d appreciate that.”

 

“You might as well come with us too, Melody.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Shut up and just come.”

 

Myria didn’t offer much of a reason and Melody didn’t need much of one to end up tagging along anyway.  Out back at the warehouse behind the guild, I found it had been arranged a bit more, and the pile of Kobolds was completely removed, so were the goblin heads, and the horny rabbits.

 

The chief of the dismantlers was there, along with about three workers.  They were currently working on the twenty or so Drop Ropes

 

“Back again?”

 

The chief looked a bit tired.

 

“Yeah.  It’s mostly Bat-bats to add to the pile.  They should be in good condition.”

 

“Haah…  Just put them over there.”

 

He pointed to the empty spot where I had put the Kobold bodies yesterday.  I walked over there and began emptying plenty of Bat-bat corpses that Sandy and I had taken care of farming.  Melody didn’t say a word, but Myria was quite vocal.

 

“I thought you said it wasn’t a crazy amount, Randell!”

 

“It’s not though, when compared to yesterday.”

 

“Randell… there’s over two hundred Bat-bats here!  Also why do you have another Hell Mother corpse?”

 

After some grumbling and complaints from Myria, and a few hushed ones from the dismantler group, the count was completed successfully.  223 Bat-bat bodies, just twelve of which were in less than stellar condition.  

 

There weren’t too many weapons and armor lifted from the Kobolds, so I just held on to those for now, and the items I found in the treasure chests.  It was enough just to turn these in.

 

The dismantling boss just took a seat right there, pulled out a pipe and stared at the new pile.  It was only half as big as the previous kobold pile.

 

“You’re going to keep doing this to me, aren’t you, kid?”

 

“Maybe?”

 

“I should have asked for a bigger cut.”

 

I laughed.

 

Sandy, however, was inspecting the pile of corpses of fallen Darkwolves at first, before she let out a sad howl.

 

“What is it?”

 

She nuzzled a certain corpse, then bit onto its fur, trying to drag it out of the pile.  She was struggling a bit.

 

“Ouuuu!”

 

I walked over to it and tried to help extract it as well.  After some effort, we freed the body of the dead wolf and Sandy began circling it.

 

Then she laid down next to it, draping her head over the cold, lifeless body.

 

“Was it someone you knew?” I asked her.

 

“Ouu!”

 

It was a sad howl.

 

“If it was, I’m sorry.”

 

Sandy stared at me for a while.  I felt guilty now, even though it was slain by one of my party members.  Was it her former lover?  Before the variant, perhaps?  Speaking of the variant, it was still there, separate from the main pile.

 

“Sandy, I… can’t heal it.  It’s already dead.”

 

She whined, but understood.

 

“Ouuuuuuuu!”

 

She began to claw at the underbelly of the corpse.

 

“Sandy?  What are you doing?”

 

“OU!”

 

“Is there something inside of it?”

 

“OUUUU!”

 

“Wait a second.  These guys are dismantlers.  They can open up the body easier than you can.”

 

She growled at me, biting the neck and dragging the body with some difficulty.

 

“Chief.  My companion seems to want something from inside of this one.  Can you help me out?”

 

“Something from inside of it?  There’s just meat and bones, kid.”

 

“Will you open it up anyway?  Please?”

 

He sighed and took a puff from his pipe.

 

“Alright.”

 

I helped the chief carry the darkwolf body which weighed more than I expected to a certain table they had set up.  Sandy had jumped up on the table fully planning on overseeing the procedure like a worried family member at a surgery.

 

There was a cut done from a strange spot, not harming the belly directly, but being incised from the side so that the furry skin opened like a flap.  Once it was open, Sandy howled and her claws scratched at the ribs while she whined.

 

“Okay, calm down.  We’ll get whatever it is out.”

 

The boss had a hammer and cracked the ribs one by one, before being able to detach the bones protecting the insides.

 

“OUUUUU!”

 

Sandy immediately thrust her face into the body and pulled out something red and round, then hopped off the table and walked to an empty spot in the warehouse, then began to eat it.  That left me inquiring with the chief about what it was exactly that she took from the body.

 

“That was the heart, probably.”

 

She wanted the heart?

 

I didn’t understand monster culture, so I couldn’t say what it was about, but she took a while to eat it all.  When it was done, she let out a sudden unexpected howl that shook the building and caused all of us some physical pain.  Afterwards, she walked over to the variant’s corpse and put her two front paws on its body then howled again.

 

This was followed by her lifting her back leg… and pissing on it.

 

When that was done, she walked over to the warehouse door and pushed it open with her head, leaving the building outright.

 

“What was that about?”  the chief dismantler asked.

 

“She had a grudge against the variant.  She was one of the wolves who attacked us along with it.  Actually, she was the one among them who specifically attacked me.”

 

This caught Myria, Melody, and the chief dismantler by surprise.

 

“And now she’s your companion?” Myria asked, confused.

 

“Well, I think she didn’t want to do it at all.  The variant seemed to be the leader of the pack that attacked us, but I think it stole that position from her.  I can’t be certain, mind you.  It’s just the explanation that makes the most sense.  But as for what that one was to her… I haven’t a clue.”

 

I ended up adding today’s Bat-bats to the previous day’s pile, and they would be processed along with the rest, increasing the final tally.  Even though it was a solo hunt, I didn’t see any real problem sharing the final amount considering the sheer amount of work Duster put in yesterday.

 

I’m a team player.

 

“How could you fit all of those Bat-bat corpses into an item box?  Isn’t there a limit to the space?  Did you only put skill points into it or something?”  Melody’s curiosity had been piqued now.

 

“That’s just how it is with him.  Interested in joining the Red Hawks now?” Myria nudged.

 

We left the warehouse and returned to the main building.  Melody had her own proofs of subjugation to turn in, but compared to what I had brought…

 

“That’ll be one Large Copper, and four copper.”

 

It was a pittance.

 

My amount was in the silvers, and that was exactly what I handed her.  One silver coin.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“The Hell Mother was your kill.”

 

She took the offered coin easily enough.

 

“Thanks.”

 

 It wasn’t really a big deal.  Myria wasn’t done with her scouting yet, either.

 

“Why not join his party anyway, since it’s not like you’ve got anything better available right now?  As you can see, Randell’s party is already able to dive to the third floor.”

 

Melody stared at me, and then at the silver coin in her hand.

 

“What level are you?”

 

Here it comes.

 

“Five.  However–”

 

“Five!?”

 

I sighed.

 

“Hold on, Melody.  It’s true that Randell’s a bit low leveled, but there is a reason for it.  In reality, he’s closer to your level.”

 

“Have you forgotten how to count or something?  I’m almost level thirteen!  How is five close to thirteen?”

 

I sighed.

 

“Myria.  Forget it…  Just let me know if you find that tank Teresa wanted.”

 

“Are you sure?”

 

I nodded.

 

“I don’t want to force it.  Seeing as how I have Sandy now, and Teresa has duster, it’s not like we’re handicapped.  It would have been nice to have someone who can scout and double with ranged attacks, but we’ll get by for now.”

 

It’s not like I wasn’t willing to let her join, but if she’s overly judgmental about levels without even listening to the reason why… who needs a hotheaded person like that in the party?

 

I left the guild, and along with Sandy, headed back to the Blue Robin in. Melody, for whatever reason, followed us back there as well.  A few of the other divers and patrons who lodged at the inn were in the main commons eating supper.  The Inn’s Missus was also there, and quickly moved to greet me.

 

“Randell.   Renni said you had acquired a new companion.  Is it her?”

 

The Missus was looking at Melody.  I quickly corrected that.

 

“Yes, this one here.  Her name is Sandy.”

 

“Ou!”

 

A short bark by my Darkwolf companion brought the Missus’ eyes lower.

 

“…a stray dog?”

 

What the hell is with that?  Sandy is a beautiful, noble, fluffy, proud Darkwolf.  How is she being mistaken for a stray dog by everyone!?

 

“She’s not a dog.  Also, she’s well behaved and won’t cause any problems.  If it’s a matter of paying a little more to have her stay with me, that’s fine.”

 

The Missus made a strange face.

 

“Does she know how to… go outside?”

 

“If she doesn’t yet, I’m sure she can learn quickly.  If there’s an accident, I’ll clean it up myself.” 

 

“She won’t go howlin’ all night?”

 

“Fairly certain.”

 

“Then one night as a trial.  If she’s too rowdy…”

 

“I understand.”

 

“I’m glad you do.”

 

“Then, speaking of your daughter.  Is she around?”

 

“Should be somewhere…”

 

I decided to deposit Sandy in my room for now.  I separated from Melody in the commons, and a few minutes later there was a knock on my door.

 

“Mister Randell, are you inside?”

 

I opened the door.  It was Rennifel… along with Melody.

 

I let Rennifel into my room, but I was wondering what Melody was doing there.  Turns out, not much.  She was just accompanying Rennifel for the moment.  I had my hot bath made by the Inn Daughter’s water and fire magic, and then we had a quick talk about what to do with Sandy.

 

“Sandy, I have something to take care of and it would be difficult to bring you.  You remember Rennifel from earlier, right?  Can you be a good girl and help me out by keeping her company for a few hours?  I’ll be back a little while later to collect you, and we can sleep afterwards.”

 

“Ou?”

 

“It’s just for a couple of hours.”

 

She walked over to the bed, hopping up on it and walking in a circle before plopping down.

 

“Oh.  Yeah, of course you can sleep on the bed with me.”

 

“Ou!”

 

That seemed to satisfy her, so she jumped off and walked over to Rennifel.

 

“Ouuu!”

 

“Right.  It’s fine to do that, but not when the sun goes down.  If you’re going to speak, you have to do it quietly.”

 

“…ou?”

 

“Yeah, that loud is fine.”

 

“Ou!”

 

“Then, shall we go to my room and get better acquainted?  I have some yummy food for you there.”

 

“Ouuuu!”

 

Sandy wagged her tail happily enough.  Well, there’s no woman who doesn’t like being fed.

 

“Enjoy your bath, Mister Randell.”

 

“I will.”

 

Rennifel left the room with both Sandy and Melody.  I locked the door behind them afterwards, then stripped down to take my enjoyable hot bath.  My next stop after this would be the Brothel, and I fully planned on being there as early as possible.

 

【Name:  Randell Heart】

【Age: 19】【Sex: Male】

【Class:  Chosen of Alurian】 

【Visible Class:  Acolyte】

【Level:  05】

【To Next Level:  522 EXP】

【Unique Skill:  Wife’s Dowry <Linked>】

【Skill Endowment:  Treasure Sense】

【Chosen Skills: (4) 3 Points Unspent】

【Alurian’s Divine Treasury】

【Alurian’s Heal Lv.1】

【Divine Weaponry Lv.1】

【Grace of the Whirlwind Lv.1】

【Vitamancy Lv.1】

【Status: (10) 15 Points Unspent】

【Power:  5】

【Dexterity: 5+5】

【Vitality: 5+5】

【Mentality: 5】

【Faith: 20】

 

Yep, I earned quite a bit of experience today killing Bat-bats quickly with Sandy.  I also had enough Silver for two hours as well today, and we would be seeing if it was the case that I was able to somehow inject experience into my wife.

 

I wish I had a smartphone or a polaroid camera so I could have taken a picture of my new companion to show her.

 

Yes.  I’m being stubborn by not calling Sandy a pet.

 

To be perfectly honest, I’m a pretty bad pet owner.  The only pet I really ever had any affection for was my dog Rusty when I was a kid, and he was already old back then.   In the end it was my mother who was the one taking care of him.  At best I gave him junk food from time to time and took him for a walk on occasion, but that’s about it.

 

Her being my companion makes me feel like she’s able to escape if she finds the situation bad.  I’d rather if she found me lacking that she had the freedom to leave instead of feeling trapped having to deal with an incompetent me.

 

I wonder if Kokoro and Sandy would get along?  Does she like animals?  There is more to my wife that I can find out today when I ask.

 

Drying off and putting on a fresh set of clothes, I headed out for the brothel, Alurian’s Bosom, all the while whistling a merry tune, knowing full well I can’t whistle for shit at all.

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